Stories for August 2015

Herndon: Inside the Town and Fairfax County

Inside the Town of Herndon and Fairfax County

Newcomers Guide: Sites and Developments to Look at in Herndon

Sites and developments to look at in Herndon area.

Fairfax County: Meet the Candidates for County Board

All politics is local, in Fairfax County, too: Who runs for Board of Supervisors in November?

You may be surprised – or dismayed – to learn that the 10 men and women who occupy Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wield enormous power and influence over your everyday lives.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 28-Sept. 7, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Oak Hill and Herndon Home Sales: July, 2015

In July, 2015, 112 homes sold between $1,551,861-$170,000 in the Oak Hill and Herndon area.

Oak Hill and Herndon Home Sales: July, 2015

Torres Trial Date Set for December

Bond denied for former police officer charged with murdering John Geer.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Aug. 19, former Fairfax County Police officer Adam Torres entered the circuit courtroom for his arraignment, dressed in a baggy, blue-green prison jumpsuit. Torres was indicted the previous Monday by a special grand jury for killing Springfield resident John Geer in August, 2013.

Classified Advertising August 26, 2015

Read the lastest ads here!

Column: 'Bulky Boy'

Although this title invokes the nickname of one of my three male cats – Andrew, to be specific – he is in fact not the point of th is column.

Letter: Welcome from Police Chief Ed Roessler

Newcomers Guide

Dear Community Members: The Fairfax County Police Department was established on July 1, 1940 and today we have an authorized strength of 1,372 sworn law enforcement officers who protect and serve the communities of the County. On average, officers respond to over 400,000 calls for service each year.

New Principal at Rachel Carson Middle

School to hold first Panther Palooza, back-to-school nights.

The 2015-16 school year is almost here, and Rachel Carson Middle School has a big change for its students this year – a new principal.

Classified Advertising August 19, 2015

Read the latest ads here!

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 21-30, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Herndon Field Hockey Graduates Tons of Talent

Sammy Stone returns for defending Conference 5 champ.

The Herndon field hockey team finished one victory shy of qualifying for the state tournament in 2014.

Column: Accommodate or Exacerbate

As a diagnosed-as-“terminal” cancer patient (is that better, Rebecca?), I feel I am due some accommodations. However, when offered or given, I am hesitant to accept (not always, though; I’ll be honest).

Checking the Back-to-School Healthcare Blocks

Local governments, clinics offer free immunizations for all and physical exams for the uninsured.

As the lazy days of summer wind down, beach trips, lemonade stands and lax bedtimes give way to alarm clocks, textbooks and backpacks. Public health officials say that a back-to-school list should include more than pencils and paper. For many, the first order of business is a well-child physical, a dental exam and required immunizations.

Editorial: Sea Changes in Policing?

Report offers blueprint for transforming aspects of policing, jail and services for people with mental illness.

Yesterday, for the first time in the history of Fairfax County Police Department, a Fairfax County Police officer was charged in a shooting death.

Herndon to Host Labor Day Festival

Wineries from around the region will attend festival.

On Monday, Sept. 7, the Town of Herndon will host its annual Labor Day Festival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on the Town Green in downtown Herndon.

Herndon: NextStop Opens New Season with ‘Kiss Me Kate’

No need to brush up on your Shakespeare to relish NextStop Theatre’s season opening production, “Kiss Me Kate.” With music and lyrics by the legendary Cole Porter, the show is a Tony Award-winning sophisticated, comic twist based upon Shakespeare’s battle of the sexes, “Taming of the Shrew.”

Dranesville Focus: Green Schools and Kids at Hope

School to hold open house on Sept. 3.

September 8 is fast approaching for Fairfax County Public Schools, and Dranesville Elementary School is ready for the new school year.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 14-23, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Vienna: Oakton Football Returns Most of Starting Lineup

Cougars hope to improve from 2014 record of 5-5.

Oakton reached the playoffs in 2014.

Davis Enters Second Season as Herndon Football Coach

Senior receiver Blanding is potential breakout athlete.

The Herndon football team opens the season at Fairfax on Sept. 3.

Column: B.D. Versus A.D.

If my experiences as a cancer patient/ “terminal” “diagnosee” are at all typical, then the following generalization might in fact be true: certain situations and/or feelings that were once tolerated before diagnosis are nearly impossible to tolerate after diagnosis: traffic, waiting in lines, rudeness, compromise, sacrifice, delayed/deferred gratification, to list just a few. Life becomes so much more precious, that wasting some of it – or the perception of wasting some of it – on unpleasant, unrewarding, aggravating, stressful, menial tasks, obligations, duties, etc. becomes almost too much to bear; on a consistent basis, anyway.

Herndon: Kyle Mathers, 19, Dale Neibaur, 19, Holly Novak, 18

Grief counseling is available at Herndon High School.

Herndon High School alums Kyle Mathers, 19, Holly Novak, 18, and Dale Neibaur, 19, had no chance of surviving.

Herndon Celebrates National Night Out

Neither intermittent downpours, nor recent confrontations that have sparked tensions and even violence between communities and law enforcement nationwide seemed to dampen the positive spirits of the hundreds of diverse Herndon residents who participated in the town’s August 5 National Night Out events

Herndon Holds a Vigil for Teenagers

Herndon was struck by a tragedy Friday morning, Aug. 7, when three recent Herndon High School graduates were killed in a car accident in Texas. Kyle Mathers, 19, Dale Neibaur, 19, and Holly Novak, 18, were beloved members of the Herndon community, which gathered together at the church to hold a vigil for the teenagers.

2015-16 Deer Archery Program

Two information meetings about the county’s Deer Management Archery Program are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfax Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, and Tuesday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m. at Mount Vernon District Station, 2511 Parkers Lane in Alexandria, Community Room.

Herndon: 100 Bowls of Soup

The kitchen relocates from Vienna to Sunset Business Park in Herndon.

Herndon is home to more than 100 restaurants and 1,300 businesses, according to Dennis Holste, economic development manager for the Town of Herndon.

Function Meets Beauty

Wheelchair accessible bathroom doesn’t have to be utilitarian.

After Curtis Brand was diagnosed with amyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS) and he could no longer climb stairs, he and his wife, Judith, had to make the difficult decision to sell their home in northwest Washington, D.C. They then purchased a two-bedroom, two-bathroom property on the 18th floor of Turnberry Tower in Arlington.

Home’s Makeover Enhances Family Life

With time constraints, Sun Design converts large, dated house into residence that satisfies everyone’s agenda.

Meet Roger Lataille, senior design consultant at Sun Design Remodeling and — more importantly — a remodeling resource homeowners turn to, and return to, whenever they need expert advice, hands-on support and commitment.

Editorial: 'Our Community Deserves Better'

Strongly worded recommendations for police on transparency and public trust; FCPD has miles to go.

Outrage over the shooting death of John Geer of Springfield on Aug. 29, 2013, by a Fairfax County Police officer led the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to form of the Ad Hoc Police Practice Review Commission, which began meeting in March 2015. The Communications Subcommittee was the first to give recommendations to the full commission, and the report pulled no punches.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 7-16, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Fairfax County Seeks Partner to Develop Training Center Property

Deadline for offers on the surplus land is Sept. 1.

Potential buyers have until September to make their offers to purchase the roughly 80 acres of property along Braddock Road where the Northern Virginia Training Center currently sits.

Column: Back on Track

Having reread last week’s column a time or two now, I’ve realized that I neglected to update you regular readers – especially those of you who read my most recent pre- and post-scan columns: “Abyssful” Ignorance and Scant Know For Sure Anymore – on the previous week’s scan results. Once again, I have defied the odds – maybe statistics would be a better word?

Helping Aging Parents

Event will highlight resources available for long-term care planning.

Antonio M. Taguba says his life changed forever during a family reunion in 2006, starting with an announcement from his mother.

Teams in Training

Getting in shape while raising money for charity.

Rain poured from a gray March sky. Drenched racers wound their way through Washington, D.C. before spilling across the finish line at R.F.K. Stadium, their running shoes heavy and soaking wet.

Herndon Summer Theatre Presents ‘Anything Goes!’

The Grand Musical Theatre Experience returned to Herndon High School with a production of the musical “Anything Goes!” Previous productions have included “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Hello Dolly.”

Herndon: Aging Shopping Center Needs a Facelift

Since the popular restaurant the Tortilla Factory closed in February 2012, the space has remained vacant at Herndon Pines Shopping Center.