Stories for October 2020

Stories for October 2020

Subscribe

Friday, October 30

Tease photo

Getting a Close-Up View of Native Fish in Fairfax County

County waters are home to 14 of Virginia’s 24 scientific ‘families’ of fishes.

Big Rocky Run, at Eleanor Lawrence Park in Chantilly, was the stage for a recent demonstration of stream monitoring and fish identification for Virginia Master Naturalist trainees during a day of field study.

New I-66, Routes 28 and 29 Traffic Changes

The ramp from I-66 West to Route 28 North has just been replaced by a new ramp about 150 feet east of (prior to) the old exit ramp as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.

‘No Way to Mitigate Roar of Jet Engines Overhead’ in Sully District

Divided Planning Commissioners OK Stonebrook proposal

Imagine living directly beneath an arrivals path at Dulles International Airport, where jumbo jet aircraft zoom just 950 feet above the homes, 24 hours a day.

Tease photo

Carved Pumpkin Creations for Halloween in Centreville

Noel Dickover has been designing and carving Halloween pumpkins for 22 years.

Dog Perishes in Fair Oaks Townhouse Fire

An early-evening fire in a Fair Oaks townhouse displaced one person and took the life of a dog.

Chantilly Man Charged with Killing Father

Believing he stabbed his estranged father to death, Fairfax County police have charged Alexander Bellini, 28, of Chantilly, with murder.

Thursday, October 29

Tease photo

Celebrate Fairfax: Outlook Not Good

Outside or not, thousands gathered for rides, entertainment and food could be a super spreader.

Celebrate Fairfax plans in question

Wednesday, October 28

Tease photo

Preventing Falls

Physical exercise and home safety reduce risk

One of the leading causes of fatal injuries in older adults is falling.

Vienna, Herndon Mayors, Delegate Watts Honored

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recognized three local honorees.

Tease photo

Pressure Mounts on Return to School in Fairfax County

School Board members face sensitive voting items.

The week of Oct. 19 held important information for Fairfax County Public Schools families.

A Good Place for Affordable Housing in Fairfax County?

Proposal could be a step toward 5,000 unit goal.

Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw located prime real estate to create 200-250 family units of affordable housing: two parking lots of the Fairfax Government Center.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Don’t Waste Your Vote

Maybe Joe Biden was not your preferred Democratic candidate and you would rather have supported Warren, Klobuchar, Sanders or Buttigieg.

Tuesday, October 27

Opinion: Commentary: Don’t Be Fooled by Ballot Language in Virginia

Vote NO on the Gerrymandering Amendment

The ballot language in Amendment 1 is confusing.

Friday, October 23

‘A Diagnosis of Cancer Changes Everything’

Nonprofit Bite Me Cancer Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Led by Chantilly High grad Nikki Ferraro, Bite Me Cancer just celebrated its 10-year anniversary.

Tease photo

‘Though Things Were Hard, He Persevered’: Memorial Brick Installed to Honor Juwaan Espinal

Juwaan Espinal’s life was cut short at age 22, but he left a lasting impact upon all who knew and loved him.

Thursday, October 22

Opinion: Commentary: Marathon is Over – Virginia Special Session Gavels Out

The 2020 General Assembly Special Session, which first convened on Aug. 18, recessed at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 16.

Opinion: Commentary: Make a Plan and Vote 2020

Voting is a fundamental American right and the basis of our democracy.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: We Are Not Better Off Now

Regarding this 2020 election… never mind that President Trump took children away from their parents at our southern border.

Opinion: Commentary: Project Community Connect Supports Those Struggling to Afford Basic Needs

The impact of COVID-19 has deepened the economic hardship for residents in the DMV area.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Voters: Heroes of the Day

I am just short of 88 years of age and have voted in sixteen elections for president.

Tease photo

National Book Month

Month-long celebration focuses on engaging families in reading, writing and literature

It’s a line from the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, that is at the heart of the literary philosophy of Anne Briggs, web services and communications librarian at Montgomery College Library.

Wednesday, October 21

Tease photo

U.S. Park Police Charged in Killing of McLean Resident

Family has waited for justice since November 2017 when Bijan Ghaisar was shot.

Latest: Police Officers Turn Themselves In

Opinion: Column: “I’ll Think About That Tomorrow”

What I'm thinking about – and being thankful for, today, is the disappearance of all the side effects I've been experiencing during the last four weeks or so since I began my pill regimen for my papillary thyroid cancer treatment.

Tuesday, October 20

Opinion: Commentary: Special Session Summary #1: Criminal Justice Reform Delivered

First of three parts.

Saturday, October 17

Tease photo

More Ways to Vote in Fairfax County

Fairfax County opened thirteen new early voting locations, giving voters more opportunities to cast their early votes ahead.

Friday, October 16

Tease photo

‘Good Way to Bring the Community Together’: Centreville, Chantilly Celebrate National Night Out

Because of the pandemic, this year’s annual National Night Out celebration was shifted from the first Tuesday in August to the first Tuesday in October.

Tease photo

Centreville Day Celebration Begins Oct. 17

Variety of events will be both virtual and in-person.

The 28th annual Centreville Day will be different this year, due to COVID-19, but the community may still participate and enjoy some fun activities.

Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested in Reston

A 21-year-old Reston man is facing felony charges after a woman was assaulted on Oct. 7 in an apartment community.

Thursday, October 15

Opinion: Column: “And Awaaay We Go!”

As Jackie Gleason would say as he segued from his monologue into the sketch comedy that followed on his Saturday night entertainment hour on CBS.

Tease photo

Hiding at the Top of the Ticket

Race for Senate features two-term incumbent versus first-time candidate.

When Mark Warner ran for governor in 2001, opponents knocked him for wanting to be governor without having ever run for office before.

Wednesday, October 14

Tease photo

Home Library Design

Designers offer ideas for spaces with style and comfort.

Once thought of as space for academics to smoke cigars and sip whiskey, the era of covid-19 has transformed home libraries into now cozy places of refuge.

Tease photo

Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Through Changes in TJ Admissions

Newest proposed merit lottery admissions policy fuels concern.

Top-level discussions concerning proposals by Fairfax County Public Schools leaders and School Board members to increase the population of underrepresented students of color at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) have flown fast and furious the last four weeks.

Saturday, October 10

Opinion: Column: An Update About Some Down Time

Not that I want to give you a blow-by-blow concerning my treatment switch over to thyroid cancer from lung cancer, but the last two columns were written four weeks ago in the same week in expectation of a weekend away, so these observations will be new-ish in that they will be hot off the press, so to speak.

Friday, October 9

Tease photo

Creating a Spooky and Safe Halloween in the Age of COVID-19

Ideas for frightful revelry abound even amid coronavirus concerns.

Cartoon character Marshall from Paw Patrol will be searching for chocolate while a tiny pop star tracks down toys as Arlington mother and teacher Becky Beach and her family celebrate the spookiest day of the year.

Free Meals to All Children 18 and Under in Fairfax County

FCPS has distributed more than 3.1 million grab and go meals since schools closed in March.

Behavioral Health Teams to Join Police on Mental Health Calls in Virginia

Marcus alert bill passes House and Senate, moves to Northam’s desk

Marcus alert bill passes House and Senate, moves to Northam’s desk

Opinion: Commentary: We Need a Better Redistricting Amendment

Along with eliminating the Electoral College and reversing corporate contributions green-lighted by the Citizens United case, I consider the drawing of elected officials’ district lines to be one of the most significant, fundamental problems in American Democracy today.

Thursday, October 8

Tease photo

Bull Run Post Office Road: ‘That Road Is Narrow and Very Dangerous’

Supervisors OK large-truck ban

Bull Run Old Post Office Road is a winding, two-lane, country road, not intended to carry the heavy traffic an arterial road, such as Route 29, does.

Tease photo

Donating Food for Local Families in Need in Sully District

With COVID-19 increasing the need for food in the local area, Stuff the Bus is responding to the demand.

Tease photo

Honoring Heroes Virtual 5K Challenge Planned

Event to raise money for Wreaths Across America.

Despite the current pandemic, two local Scouting troops will remember the sacrifices of America’s fallen soldiers by raising money to lay wreaths on their graves.

Tease photo

Fairfax County Public Schools Staff Uncomfortable With In-Person School Plan

Fairfax County Federation of Teachers releases survey results.

Staff at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are overwhelmingly uncomfortable with returning for in-person instruction, given the incomplete information about the implementation that has been currently shared, according to a report released by the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) on Oct. 6 during a press conference.

Tease photo

Life Hangs in the Box Checked in Fairfax County

HR for County Schools tells staff to make a decision.

Tia Williams is an instructional assistant with diabetes and severe asthma at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Tease photo

Gathering Hundreds of Ideas for Police Reform in Fairfax County

Public input session part of effort to create more transparency in public safety.

In retirement, Randy Sayles, former Marine, former Denver police detective, former DEA special agent undercover in the U.S., Pakistan and Brazil, won a lifetime achievement award from Fairfax County for his efforts to make this county’s police force and policies more equitable for all residents.

Tease photo

Deer Hunting in Fairfax County Controls Herd Populations

Bow hunting program nets hundreds of deer each year.

Deer hunting

Tease photo

Limiting Neck Restraints

Lawmakers negotiate behind closed doors on how to curb police use of chokeholds.

When lawmakers began their special session on criminal justice reform in August, hopes were high that the General Assembly would send the governor a bill that banned police from using chokeholds. But now that the protesters have gone home and the lawmakers have moved behind closed doors to negotiate in a secret closed-door conference committee, advocates for criminal-justice reform are worried about what will emerge in the conference report that will be presented to the House and Senate.

Tuesday, October 6

Local Scouts Honor Distinguished Citizen

Local Scouts Honor Distinguished Citizen

Sunday, October 4

Opinion: Commentary: Collective Bargaining Means a Seat at the Table so Fairfax County Employees Can Improve Services, Jobs

The pandemic is showing just how much we depend on each other -- no matter who we are, where we’re from or the color of our skin.

Opinion: Commentary: Reform at America’s #1 High School Is Good for All, Including Asian Americans

As part of the proposed 2020 budget for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Governor Northam charged all academic year governor’s schools to set diversity goals and develop a plan to meet them.

Tease photo

Centreville and Chantilly Look Toward the Future

Homes and transportation projects are on the horizon.

With an eye toward the future, several land-use and transportation projects are in the works in Centreville and Chantilly.

Friday, October 2

Tease photo

Opinion: Commentary: Welcome, We’re Lucky to Call Fairfax County Home

Welcome to Fairfax County.

Fairfax County Covid Cases

As of Saturday, Sept. 26, the Virginia Department of Health and Fairfax County Department of Health reported that 20,687 Fairfax County residents have tested positive for Covid-19 and more than 586 have died.

Thursday, October 1

Where to Give Locally To Help with Pandemic Hunger and Beyond

Any quest to talk about the issues in Northern Virginia right now seems to lead to talk about the pandemic, and the economic crisis that follows in its wake.

Fairfax County Public Schools Offers Free Meals to All Children 18 and Under

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Office of Food and Nutrition Services is offering healthy meals at locations throughout Fairfax County this school year under the USDA Summer Food Service Program and the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Newcomers & Community Guide 2020

About the Connection in 2020

Opinion: Column: And So It Continues

Two-plus weeks into my thyroid cancer treatment, all is as I anticipated.