MATHCOUNTS Champions
The Northern Virginia Regional MATHCOUNTS competitions were held on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria. This year, because of the exceptionally large number of students participating, the Regional competition had to be split between two venues.
Valentine’s Weekend
Romantic events happening in the Fairfax County area.
Enjoy your Valentine’s Day by heading off to one of these events this weekend.
Column: Closing the Income Gap
Between 2007 and 2012, the median wages of Virginia’s highest income earners rose by eight percent while the lowest income families’ wages shrank by 10 percent, according to an analysis by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. The gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen in Virginia as it has throughout the nation. A growing underclass of unemployed, under-employed and under-paid creates a challenge for the state and the nation. Too many people are faced with the monthly decision of paying for the rent, utilities, food, prescriptions and school supplies without enough money to cover them all. Public and private relief organizations are strained to keep their food pantries and clothing closets stocked to meet the increased demand.
Groundhog Day Held At Frying Pan Park
Families visit groundhog burrow.
"They are like little lawnmowers, so when it is spring, they eat everything they can," said Frying Pan Park naturalist Shannon Morley. "When it is summer, they eat everything they can. And when it is fall they still eat. But in winter they rest or hibernate." Morely was giving a presentation to families on groundhogs that reside on the park grounds.
Floris United Methodist Church To Host Chocolate Festival
On Saturday, Feb. 8, Floris United Methodist Church will hold its 23rd Annual Chocolate Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. One of the church’s largest community events, the festival features carnival games, large inflatables, face painting, balloon art, food and lots of chocolate. An entertainment and travel-themed Silent Auction and an expansive homemade bake sale table are other highlights of this event. It is free and all are welcome. The church is located at 13600 Frying Pan Road, in Herndon. For more information, go to www.florisumc.org/chocolate or call the church office at 703-793-0026.
Classified Advertising February 5, 2014
Read the latest here!
Editorial: Pet Photos, Stories for Pet Connection
The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edition, will publish Feb. 26. We invite you to send us stories about your pets, photos of you and/or your family with your cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creatures share your home or yard with you.
McLean, W-L Gymnastics Teams Qualify for Regionals
Highlanders win Conference 6 title, W-L runner-up.
W-L, McLean gymnastics finished 1-2 at regionals the last two years.
Editorial: For Nonpartisan Redistricting
Virginia is a purple state, gerrymandered to bleed red.
Consider that in statewide elections, Virginia voters have chosen Democrats in the last two presidential elections, for U.S. Senate, for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Almost none of these elections was by a wide margin, but it’s clear that Virginia is a purple state leaning blue.
Nine Candidates Vying for Attention in 8th Congressional District Democratic Primary
Race to replace Jim Moran is expected to be competitive and expensive.
It's been three weeks since longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) announced that he would not be seeking a 13th term in Congress, opening up an epic primary fight that is now starting to take shape.
Editorial: Few Thoughts on General Assembly Action
Yes, allow homeschoolers access to programs in public school.
It’s possible that this is not the right bill exactly, and in general, we favor local control. But it is wrongheaded of public schools to force families into a take-it-or-leave-it position.
Virginia Health Department Forecasts Seasonal ‘Stomach Bug’
Statewide data monitored by the Virginia Department of Health indicate that norovirus was arriving in Virginia just in time for the cold weather.
Pet Photos, Stories for Pet Connection
The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edition, will publish Feb. 26. We invite you to send us stories about your pets, photos of you and/or your family with your cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creatures share your home or yard with you.
Consistent Bedtimes Linked to Improved Wellbeing in Children
Local experts offer suggestions for helping youngsters get a good night’s sleep.
When the clock strikes 9 on any given evening, 13-year-old twins Timothy and Danny Gulyn and their 11-year-old twin brothers, Christopher and Jonathan, know that it’s time for bed. Whether they are on vacation during the summer or at their Arlington home on a school night, the siblings follow a consistent routine that has them tucked-in at the same time every day.
Piece of Mind
Today I was eating a Tootsie Roll, and while chewing it, felt something sharp against my gum. Knowing my candy, sharp I should not feel, so immediately I stopped chewing in hopes of locating the sensation; which I did. It turns out that I broke off the top half of a previously (years ago) installed dental crown. Fortunately, the crown was still in my mouth, so I was able to retrieve it. Upon closer examination of it and the now crown-less tooth, it appears that the crown and the tooth are completely intact (undamaged) and perhaps a simple re-cementing at the dentist’s office awaits, a repair achieved much less expensively than replacing the entire crown. (I can hope, can’t I? After all, I am a cancer patient; hope is what I do.)
Helping Area Residents Sign Up for Health Insurance
More than 50 volunteers who are helping local residents sign up for health care insurance were recognized by state and local leadership last Saturday. To date, these Certified Application Counselors (CACs) have helped more than 500 individuals with the new Marketplace system, overcoming barriers of language, technology and understanding the new health care law. The volunteers were thanked for the commitment and service:
How to Fix I-66?
More lanes, bus rapid transit, rail, spot improvements proposed.
It’s said that nothing’s certain but death and taxes – but most of the time, traffic congestion on I-66 can be added to that list. So VDOT’s seeking input from the public on how best to alleviate it.
Confused and then Infused
Since March 6, 2009, nearly five years now, save for nine months when I was taking an oral chemotherapy medication at home, every three weeks I have been infused with some sort of chemotherapy drug. In that time, I have certainly become familiar and fairly well-known to the various staff at The Infusion Center. What follows is the most recent exchange with the receptionist in Oncology, as best as I can recall it.
Debate Over School Budget Continues
Later start times, class size among topics at School Board public hearing.
Later start times, class size, and cuts to needs-based staffing were major themes of the testimony given at the Jan. 27 public hearing on Superintendent Karen Garza’s proposed budget.