Stories for October 2014

High Schools to Start Later Next Year

School Board approves later start times.

Phyllis Payne has been fighting for more sleep for a decade. On Oct. 23, it all paid off. The co-founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal - or SLEEP - saw the Fairfax County Public School Board approve to move high school start times ahead by 30 minutes, 11-1.

Fairfax County Calendar

Your guide to entertainment in Fairfax County.

For those looking to fill their calendar with some home-brewed, Fairfax County fun stuff (read: entertainment and diversion), The Connection's Fairfax County Entertainment Calendar has many options: weekend jaunts and larks; date night inspiration; winter-to-spring fun; day-long festivals and events; art-outings; family fun-and-learning fusions; plays and shows; beyond-Small Business Saturday local shopping and bazaars; markets of handcrafted wares; music; 1Ks to marathons... the list goes on. If you know of an event not listed in our entertainment calendar, email it to south@connectionnewspapers.com for happenings in south Fairfax County or north@connectionnewspapers.com for entertainment in the northern parts of the county.

Poll Position

Local academics following the 11th Districts race say there’s really no substitute for the strength of incumbency.

Despite low public opinion of President Obama and a minimally productive Congress, representative Gerry Connolly has plenty going for him as the incumbent seeking re-election in Virginia’s largely democratic 11th district.

Writing Their Verse

Fairfax Station couple’s ministry supports vulnerable children in South Africa.

When Alec Zacaroli and his wife Amy hosted a boyhood friend from South Africa, they didn’t expect their lives would change in one evening.

Board Approves Bicycle Master Plan

The Fairfax County Government Center has several massive parking lots. Many hundreds of spaces. But Bruce Wright and members of the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling only needed some rack real estate in front of the building. They rode into the afternoon session of the Board of Supervisors on two wheels apiece from Reston, taking the West Ox Road Side Path.

Stage Presence

Cappies recognized among arts leaders at Arts Council awards.

After Bill Strauss first approached Judy Bowns about creating a student-driven arts awards and journalism organization 16 years ago, the ensuing creative partnership resembled a pair of cartoon characters.

Batter, Up

Former Lake Braddock baseball player Nick Balenger recognized for injury recovery.

Nick Balenger’s promising athletic career all but disappeared in an instant. In 2012, the former Lake Braddock pitcher suffered a spinal cord injury while swimming in Hawaii.

Addressing Domestic Violence

Cook and Silverthorne host domestic violence awareness fundraiser.

Joe Meyer, executive director of the Reston-based Shelter House organization that provides support for victims of domestic violence, began his remarks at the Coyote Grille in Fairfax with some sobering statistics.

Running Out of Efficacy

Not that I’m the least bit worried (actually, I’m the most bit worried), but surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis years beyond one’s original prognosis does present its own unique set of problems. Most notably, and most personally for me, they concern treatment options. Specifically, what drugs, targeted or otherwise, can be infused and/or swallowed (when in pill form, like Tarceva) and for how long, when signs of internal organ damage are indicated on regular lab tests?

Column: Running Out of Efficacy

Not that I’m the least bit worried (actually, I’m the most bit worried), but surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis years beyond one’s original prognosis does present its own unique set of problems.

Substance Abuse Forums to be Held Nov. 10 and 18 in FCPS

The signs and symptoms of teenage drug abuse, the actions parents can take, and where to find supportive resources will be shared at an upcoming “Protect Against Substance Abuse” community program, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10, at South County High School, and Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Fairfax High School. The nonprofit Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) and its work group, PROTECT (Parents Reaching out to Educate Communities Together), will present this educational program.

Editorial: Change for the Better in Fairfax County Schools

Later start times, full-day Mondays; who knows, next maybe gifted-and-talented programs for poor students?

Who says big bureaucracies can’t make big changes? One year into the tenure of Karen Garza, we have two huge changes that between them impact almost every single student, every family with children in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Local Foundation Promotes Campus Safety

The VTV Family Outreach Foundation, a Centreville-based national non-profit campus safety advocacy organization, held their 2014 annual meeting last weekend at the Sheraton Reston Hotel. VTV was formed by the families of victims and survivors of the April 16, 2007 mass shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Opinion: Vote ‘Yes’ on Transportation Bond

When you enter the voting booth on Nov. 4, you’ll be asked to vote Yes or No on a $100 million Fairfax County transportation bond. (Bonds are a form of long-term borrowing to finance public facilities and infrastructure and spread the costs over a long time frame. Virginia law requires that general obligation bonds be approved by voters in a referendum.)

Helping End Hunger One Step At a Time

The 22nd Annual Burke Area CROP Walk to be held Nov. 23.

Area residents can help end hunger and raise funds for disaster relief on Sunday, Nov. 23, at the 22nd Annual Burke Area CROP [Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty] Hunger Walk – a humanitarian outreach to our local, national, and international communities.

Seniors Compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze

Hundreds participate in Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.

Whack! Smack! These were the constant sounds going back and forth during the pickleball finals at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington. The pickleball games were part of the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics taking place at several venues throughout the region.

Thirty-Six FCPS Students Named to Virginia Honors Choir

Vocal musicians from 14 Fairfax County public schools have been named to the Virginia Honors Choir for 2014. This select choir is open only to the top 125 singers from around the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is the highest honor a choir student can attain during his or her high school career.

Library Celebrates 75th Anniversary

On Saturday, Oct. 18, the Fairfax County Public Library system held their annual Library Jubilee Gala.

Connect Four

Complete ballot of 11th District candidates faced off in Lake Ridge.

It wasn’t so much a down and dirty debate as a no-frills four-way question-and-answer session. Not that AARP and the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA), two of the sponsors of the “Meet the Candidates” series billed the Oct. 14 event as such. Tuesday’s meeting was the penultimate of seven events in the series.

Walking Dead

Clifton residents put on a bigger, scarier Haunted Trail on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Julie Thompson isn’t a voodoo priestess. But the stay-at-home mother, of Clifton plays, one, one night of the year, in a skit for Clifton’s Haunted Trail.

Focus on Domestic Violence

Domestic violence shelters and awareness organizations are hoping to build on the response they’ve seen since the Ray Rice abuse case escalated in a very public way.

Police Investigating Death of Robinson Sophomore

Family, friends, school community mourn Brooke Buesking.

The Robinson community is coping with the loss of sophomore Brooke Buesking. On Oct. 15 Fairfax County Police found her body close to train tracks by Sideburn and New Guinea Roads, the Burke area where they’d gotten a report of someone being hit by a train.

Lyme Disease, ‘The Great Imitator’

Lyme disease association holds forum on impact of disease on Fairfax County students.

Kate Sheridan was a star athlete and an A-student up until the fifth grade when she suddenly developed flu-like symptoms and one day woke up with a rash on her face in the shape of a bullseye. Her parents took her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Soon, she was in a wheelchair and was transferred to a special needs class. “Losing control over your body and feeling yourself sliding backwards and there’s nothing you can do to stop it,” have been her experience since she was diagnosed.

Robinson's Freeman Wins Matchup of Standout Goalkeepers

Rams earn regional berth with tournament victory over Centreville.

The Robinson field hockey team defeated Centreville 3-0 on Monday.

Column: Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing

After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances.

Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing

After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances. Certainly I understand, given my column’s recurring theme, that the subjects of me and my circumstances – and the personal stories I share with you regular readers – are basically the same. Still, I never want the content to be considered important because it’s MY life that’s being profiled. Quite the contrary. If the columns were any more about me, you wouldn’t be interested.

Editorial: Yes to Fairfax Transportation Bond

$84 million for pedestrian, bike and trail improvements.

Of more than 75 projects included in the current proposal, on the ballot for Nov. 4, all but seven are designed to make Fairfax County safer and more inviting for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Burke Home Sales: September, 2014

In September 2014, 35 Burke homes sold between $642,500-$221,190.

Burke Home Sales: September, 2014

Board of Supervisors Urges Action on John Geer Shooting Investigation

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors decided they’ve exercised enough patience with U.S. Attorney Dana Boente’s office. Now more than 13 months after Fairfax County police shot and killed John Geer, standing unarmed in the doorway of his Springfield home, Board chairman Sharon Bulova addressed the silence and stagnance from Boente.

Crashing the Parties

Marc Harrold, Libertarian; Joe Galdo, Green, run for Congress.

Marc Harrold is a self-professed creature of habit. He’s been going to the same bars and restaurants near his Fairfax home for years, where the close friends he’s made there say his great sense of humor and diverse intelligence help him “hold court” and converse easily with anyone, on any subject.

Changes in Store

‘Transformative’ new Springfield Town Center to open Oct. 17.

Lee District supervisor Jeff McKay has been preparing for Friday’s Springfield Town Center ribbon cutting since he was a kid. “As someone who’s spent my entire life here,” said McKay, “I’ve been acutely aware of the decline over the years.”

Foot Action

Burke schools participate in National Walk to School Day

The “kiss and ride” lane of cars dropping off students was noticeably sparse at Cherry Run Elementary School. Principal Mark Bibbee said they average between 70 and 80 cars a day. On National Walk to School Day, Oct. 8, he counted just 25. His students and parents were pounding the pavement.

Sarvis: Warner-Gillespie Debate ‘Disappointing’

Libertarian candidate says chamber’s decision to include only major-party candidates in U.S. Senate debate a “disservice” to voters.

After a full day of campaigning at Fort Belvoir on Friday, Oct. 11, Robert Sarvis talked about his campaign for U.S. Senate, and his disappointment in not being invited to participate in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate Debate — a major televised debate hosted by The Fairfax Chamber at Capitol One’s convention center in McLean. “The Fairfax Chamber informed us that it was nothing other than ‘tradition’ to only invite major party candidates,” Sarvis said. “But this was after we formally requested an invitation, noted that over 145,000 Virginians voted for Robert Sarvis for governor in 2013, and sent them a petition signed by over 1,000 Virginians in support of a three-candidate debate.”

Warner, Gillespie Clash in U.S. Senate Debate

Stark distinctions on same-sex marriage, immigration, abortion and healthcare.

In front of an audience of Northern Virginia business leaders, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie honed their attacks on each other during a sharp, wide-ranging debate Tuesday evening, Oct. 7.

Friends of Pohick Library Raises $20,000 Selling Books

The Friends of the Pohick Regional Library handed the Fairfax Library Foundation a check for $20,000 last July. Getting to that amount came about by humble means — dollars and cents from having a book sale.

Getting Children Excited for Halloween

Local experts offer advice for keeping trick-or-treating fun, not scary, for small children.

For many children, Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. From Power Rangers and athletes to princesses and pirates, dressing up in their spookiest or most imaginative attire and trolling the streets in search of treats is a major part of the fun for school-age children. For younger children, however, the ghosts and goblins who are meant to entertain can cause too much of a fright.

The Private School Admissions Process

Local educators offer insider tips on how to select and get a child admitted to the perfect school.

While this school year might still feel new, some parents are already thinking next fall. Or if they’re not, they should be. For parents who are considering sending their children to one of the area’s private schools for the 2015-2016 school year, the application process should be underway.

Not in the Mood

Sometimes, believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to be a terminal cancer patient (duh). Not that the effect is particularly tangible, but the weight of it, as well as the associated waits I’ve occasionally written about, can get awfully heavy. Moreover, in spite of my best psychological efforts, generally speaking, there seems little I can do to diminish its effect. More often than not, it’s merely time; simply time passing and/or time spent trying to talk myself out-of how I feel and in-to how I haven’t failed.

Editorial: Coming - Children’s Connection

During the last week of each year, The Connection devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children. The results are always remarkable. It is a keepsake edition for many families.

Robinson’s Myers Earns Top-15 Finish at Glory Days Invite

Senior places 13th hours after taking SATs.

Robinson's Patrick Myers placed 13th at the Glory Days Invitational.

Successful Switch

Woodson’s Reed thriving at outside hitter following change in approach.

Mackenzie Reed made the transition from libero to outside hitter.

Column: Not in the Mood

Sometimes, believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to be a terminal cancer patient (duh). Not that the effect is particularly tangible, but the weight of it, as well as the associated waits I’ve occasionally written about, can get awfully heavy.

Seeing Red and Blue with Connolly

Colleagues say Gerry Connolly’s vision central to productivity.

Gerry Connolly doesn’t have 20/20 vision. His round wire-framed spectacles and cropped salt-and-pepper mustache have long accessorized his look, whether sporting a black pinstripe suit or a billowy navy University of Virginia windbreaker

Safety Apps are Now Available

See Something, Send Something: This app is a nationwide suspicious-activity reporting tool to help fight terrorism and criminal activity. It does not replace 911 for emergency situations.

Bio and Q&A with Gerry Connolly

Q: What do you think are your top three accomplishments in office? A: * The Silver Line. I wasn’t alone, but I'm very proud of my championship of the Silver Line and the fact that it's up and running and succeeding. It took 19 years to sort of get people to reimagine it and get it built. It was a long, tough struggle.

Pounding the Pavement

First annual 5K raises awareness of teen driving safety.

Robin Wallin of Alexandria has been training for this day at Cameron Run Regional Park for three months. She and sister-in-law Carolyn Wiser of Baltimore used a seat-to-5K app on their smartphones to prepare for the Oct. 4 race, encouraging each other through Facebook messaging.

New Packard Center Honors Suffragists in Occoquan

The characteristically humble Jean Packard allowed just a little egotism at the idea of seeing her name on a new center at Occoquan Regional Park.

Gone Girls Next Door

PSA roll-out marks one-year anniversary of “Just Ask” project.

On a sunny afternoon, a police officer pulls over a young male driver. There’s an innocent-looking, girl-next-door type in the back seat of the car. The driver responds to the officer’s basic questions with cold indifference. When questioned, the girl in the back says she’s fine. Maybe she betrays a hint of unease.

‘A New Day Has Dawned’

Same sex marriage goes forward in Virginia.

At 10:01 a.m. on Oct. 6, Cathy Baskin of Ravensworth Baptist Church in Annandale received her usual New York Times set of alerts. “I read it 15 times,” said Baskin. “This can’t be true.”

Area Roundups

What's happening this week in Burke.

Vienna Broncos Start the Season 4-0

The Vienna Broncos are 4-0.

Iturbe’s Score Avoids Overtime, Defeats Robinson

Rams’ Arnsmeyer comes up short against former coach.

The Chantilly field hockey team defeated Robinson, 1-0, on Tuesday.

Letter

Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations.

Dear Chairman and Board Members: The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations (the Federation) appreciates the many years of support that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) has provided to the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL). Recently, the FCPL introduced new policies that the Federation decided to examine.

Focus on Transportation

Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance presents regional priorities at 10th annual event.

“What You Need to Know about Transportation in Five Minutes or Less” was the working title of this year’s Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA) seminar and reception held on Sept. 30 at Capital One’s auditorium in McLean.

Column: Week Of, Weak On, Week Off

This column completes the three-week arc which describes what I have endured mostly successfully for approximately five years now: chemotherapy every three weeks – with one year off for good behavior (not really good behavior; the year off was to switch to a twice-daily pill, Tarceva, to be taken at home, since the previous treatment was no longer stemming the tide). It’s been my experience that these anti-cancer drugs don’t exactly work forever.

Mason Professors Win Virginia Center of Aging Grant

Funding will be used to study Alzheimer’s disease.

Two George Mason University professors recently won a prestigious and competitive grant that they hope will lead them closer to success in their fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

Area Roundups

Commander Bud Bishop of the Springfield Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #7327 announces this year’s VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary “Voice of Democracy” Scholarship Competition. Local high school students have the opportunity to compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and a trip to Washington, D.C.

Look! Up in the Sky!

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s an unmanned aircraft system.

Parish Hall of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Burke was at full capacity on Wednesday, Sept. 24, for an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University (OLLI-GMU) lecture by Christopher Vo titled “Drones: Our New Toys, Tools, and Robot Companions.”

Burke to Celebrate History Day

Focus on transportation, Burke School’s 75th anniversary.

The Burke Historical Society’s Annual Burke History Day will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11. The event will take place in Old Town Burke at The Burke Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, 9501 Old Burke Lake Road, Burke, across from the Burke Post Office, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Suzanne Scholte Fighting for Recognition in 11th District

Suzanne Scholte knows she has her work cut out for her. “This isn’t a race anybody's thinking is worth looking at,” she said at a meet and greet event in Montclair last weekend. “I think it was described as ‘Quixotic.’”

Herrity Calls for Heroin Problem Update

“Heroin is here, it’s on our doorstep, it’s in our communities and it often goes unnoticed,” said supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield). Citing a 163 percent rise in heroin overdoses in Northern Virginia between 2011 and 2013, Herrity proposed a successful motion to the Board of Supervisors last week, asserting the County Executive report back to the board on just how bad the heroin problems in Fairfax County are and how they could be dealt with.

No One Injured in Burke Nursery Fire

Smoldering burlap ignited decorative dried corn stalks.

In nearly 40 years, there’s never been a fire at the family-owned Burke Nursery and Garden Centre. That is, until last Monday, Sept. 22. Owner Hope Schmid said they received a delivery of dried corn stalks about 11 a.m. that morning. By 3 p.m., the stalks had lit up, along with the large wooden lean in which they were being stored.

Bruins Win Silver Bracket at Rebel Volleyball Invitational

Fairfax’s Powers, Pittman earn all-tournament honors.

The Lake Braddock volleyball team won the Silver Bracket title at a tournament at Fairfax High School.

New Voter Identification Requirements

There are new requirements for voter identification that voters must bring with them to the polling place.

Voting Early, Absentee

Elections 2014

Virtually every voter in Virginia is eligible to vote absentee, which includes voting in-person absentee at a variety of locations from now through Nov. 1.

Column: Pre-Chemo Peek

I realize, given last week’s column: “Post-Chemo Week,” this week’s column about the preceding week (week-of, actually) of chemotherapy might be a bit bass-ackward, but it seemed reasonable to me that if you regular readers had an interest in the week-after, perhaps you’d have a similar interest in the week-before.