Outlook Optimistic for Local 2015 Real Estate Market
After what seemed to be an endless winter, spring has finally come calling, signaling the start of the year’s first real estate high season. Homes trade hands all year long, but spring is often for buyers, seller, agents, brokers and lenders like those weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas; buyers at full speed searching out the best bargains and sellers looking to move their wares without having to resort to price-slashing sales tactics.
‘Your Life Is Today and Tomorrow’
Residents of local senior living communities share their experiences.
“I didn’t want to come here,” said Bill Woessner, referring to Brightview Assisted Living Community in Great Falls. “That’s right,” agreed Sheila, his wife of more than 50 years, with plenty of her native Scottish brogue to be heard in her voice. “He really didn’t. We have a lovely house here in Great Falls and I don’t think he was ready to budge. But how long after we got here did that change?” she turned to her husband and asked. “At least a day,” he laughingly replied. “Seriously,” said Bill Woessner, “it probably wasn’t more than the first 48 hours.”
Virginia Housing Expo Draws Crowds
Home-ownership, rental opportunities and related services dominate the event at Herndon High.
“Those most in need of these services and resources benefit the most when we can bring so many providers and organizations together in this one-stop shop format.”
Leadership Fairfax Hosts Supervisors Breakfast
State of the County Address, supervisors’ questions and an award ceremony top the agenda.
The agenda and the speakers have to be of significant interest to get some 300 people to brave local traffic and attend a meeting that started at 7:30 a.m. Leadership Fairfax (LFI) apparently succeeded in offering both in the ballroom of the Fairview Park Marriott on Friday morning, March 13, hosting its 24th Annual Board of Supervisors Breakfast.
Super-Insulation Talk Attracts Homeowners in Reston
How to lower electric, gas and water bills?
The Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne in Reston was the venue for a well-attended presentation by Rich and Marian Taschler on proper home insulation and its mostly unknown benefits. The program was offered under the auspices of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University.
Woodson High School Inducts 2014-2015 Hall of Fame Athletes
W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax welcomed eight new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Grand Atrium Banquet Venue in Tysons Corner. This is the third Hall of Fame “class” for Woodson. The honors program was established in conjunction with the school’s 50th anniversary in 2012.
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.
Some Good News and a Lot of Uncertainty
Realtors discuss the mortgage market at finance summit.
The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) hosted Finance Summit 2014 at their Fairfax Headquarters on Wednesday, May 21. The event brought together a panel of speakers with an impressive collection of credentials and expertise. Moderator Ken Harney’s “Nation’s Housing” column is nationally syndicated. Harney is also a member of the Federal Reserve Board Consumer Advisory Council, an author and commentator on real estate and mortgage issues, and the host of CNBC’s “Real Estate Magazine” weekly television program.
Mario Rubio Sworn In as Chairman
Realtors Association holds installation ceremony for new board.
The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NCAR) installed their 2014 Board on Dec. 5 at a ceremony held at the association’s Fairfax headquarters. Out-going Chairman Jon Wolford of McEnearney Associates hosted the proceedings, which included a number of awards and recognitions in addition to the official swearing in of the new officers.
Holocaust Survivors Honored at Mason
Jewish Student Association hosts ‘Expressions of the Holocaust: a Dinner Honoring Survivors.’
On Nov. 13, George Mason University’s Jewish student association, Mason Hillel, organized and hosted “Expressions of the Holocaust: a Dinner Honoring Survivors.” The date for the event was chosen with care – just days after the 75th anniversary of the Nov. 9 -10 Kristallnacht – “Night of Broken Glass.”
For Whom The [School] Bell Tolls
School district works toward later start times for high schools.
Would you send your teenagers to school or put them behind the wheel after allowing them to down two or three alcoholic beverages?
All Smiles at Burke Lake
Kids Sending Smiles organizes 5K run to fight breast cancer.
Kids Sending Smiles (KSS), the 501c3 non-profit established and run by a group of elementary school girls from the Springfield and Alexandria areas, successfully completed their most ambitious charitable event to date on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Burke Lake Park.
Forum Highlights Domestic Violence
Cook holds gathering to “Stop the Silence—End the Violence.”
Oct. 17. The back patio at Kilroy’s Restaurant and Sports Bar on Port Royal Road in Springfield was the scene of a gathering described by host Fairfax County Supervisor John C. Cook (R- Braddock), as “part of an effort to shine the light on the oft-hidden and denied blight on our families … of domestic violence.” Cook was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in February to be their liaison to the Domestic Violence Prevention, Policy and Coordinating Council. “The name may be a mouthful,” admitted Cook in an interview during the event, “but the people you need to get things done are all right in the room,” he said. “This group gets things done.”
McAuliffe, Cuccinelli Highlight Small Business Summit
Gubernatorial candidates speak at the Mason Inn & Conference Center.
Virginia gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli were the keynote speakers at the fourth annual Virginia Small Business Partnership (VASBP) Summit, hosted by Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies LLC at The Mason Inn in Fairfax on Friday, Sept. 20. “We are thrilled to have them join us,” said Paul A. Miller, chairman of the VASBP.
‘Regionality’ of Transportation Projects Questioned
Transportation Authority approves FY2014 Project List.
“Tonight we acted to address one of the greatest threats to our region: Congestion.” So spoke Marty Nohe, chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and Coles District supervisor for Prince William County. Despite numerous calls to slow down the process by speakers at the public hearing before the Authority, on Wednesday, July 24, the NVTA approved the FY2014 proposed regional multimodal project list as presented and vetted by the NVTA’s Project Implementation Working Group (PIWG) headed by Authority member (and Arlington County Board Member) Christopher Zimmerman.
Paving ‘Virginia’s Road to the Future’
Transportation Authority solicits public input on first year of proposed projects.
City Hall in the City of Fairfax was the location of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) June 20 Open House and Public Hearing, seeking public opinion on proposed regional transportation projects. The Authority was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2002 to provide a common voice for all Northern Virginia stakeholders on transportation and related issues. The Authority is made up of representatives from the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and one representative for the towns of Herndon, Leesburg, Purcellville, Dumfries and Vienna. The group also includes several members of the Virginia Assembly, governor appointees and non-voting representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Robinson Students Make the Cut for Caring
26 Acts of Kindness campaign continues.
April 1st marked the beginning of Robinson Secondary School’s “26 Acts of Kindness”—a tribute to the 26 children and adults who were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last December in Newtown, Conn. The Student Government Association (SGA) pulled out all the stops to make this “pay it forward” campaign a success, even providing t-shirts with space on the back for supporters to fill in each act of kindness performed, producing a promotional video that was uploaded to YouTube, and even establishing a Twitter site where do-gooders could post what good deeds they had done.
Robinson Students Commit to 26 Acts of Kindness
The number 26 is in honor of the 20 students and six staffers killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Even if only 10 percent of Robinson Secondary School’s almost four thousand students accept the Student Government Association (SGA)’s 26 Acts of Kindness Challenge during the month of April, that would still mean 10,400 random acts of kindness and courtesy added to the world. Not a bad achievement.
Muslim Women Encouraged to Explore STEM
Six women share their success story at the Lorton Library.
The Nubian Benevolence Association was the official sponsor for the Muslim Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) presentation at the Lorton Community Library on Saturday, March 23, but there was little doubt that Hajjar Ahmed, daughter of the organization’s co-Founder Hossam Ahmed, was the driving force behind the event.
Dogtopia Comes to Springfield
New facility welcomes first guests.
The grand opening celebration of Dogtopia in Springfield on Saturday, Nov. 3, had barely begun before a steady stream of party poochers were taking over the spacious lobby and accompanying their humans on staff-guided tours of the new facility.
Town Hall Meeting Focuses on Parkway
Fairfax County Parkway the subject at well-attended meeting.
In conjunction with the Springfield District Council, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity (R) hosted a panel of local and state transportation authorities for a Town Hall Meeting, held at the James W. Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax.
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