Stories for March 2016

New decision-making training meant to alter how Fairfax County police officers approach use of force

Making decisions can be instinctual, from the gut. It can also be practical and informed, coming to the best judgement considering all variables. For police officers responding to calls where there might be a threat of violence to civilians and or themselves, their decision whether to use force and which type to neutralize the situation quickly must be a hybrid.

Herndon Crime Reports

Notable incidents from the Herndon Police Department from March 14-20.

Two Herndon Teen Heroes Honored

Herndon teenager honored for saving more than 30 families during the blizzard on Jan. 24.

Herndon Town Council and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue honored Herndon teenager Roberto Morales Castillo for heroism that saved the lives his family and up to 30 other families the day of the blizzard on Jan. 24, 2016.

Herndon’s Downtown: Get Involved

See proposals at the Town’s new website at www.herndon-va.gov; click on the “Latest News” tab.

Herndon residents have a chance to get involved in the future of their town’s downtown.

Editorial: Money to Treat Addiction, Mental Health Issues

Affordable Care Act could pay for help, better health for 100,000 uninsured people in Virginia with mental illness or addiction issues.

Poor people without health insurance in Virginia are being unnecessarily tortured, in some cases to death, by a General Assembly that refuses to expand Medicaid.

Commentary: Congress Must Act on the Growing Opioid Epidemic

Our nation is in the midst of an exploding opioid epidemic.

Commentary: Progress on Ad Hoc Commission Recommendations

Thoughtfulness and deliberation should not be construed as resistance or foot dragging.

A tremendous amount of progress has already taken place to implement many of these recommendations.

Fairfax Connector Considering Service Changes, Seeks Public Input

Fairfax Connector is proposing service changes for implementation in June 2016.

Sex Trafficking Young Victims in Northern Virginia

Federal funds for gang task force expire April 1.

The first article in an occasional series on human sexual trafficking in Northern Virginia.

Eating Smart

Profile: Jean Janssen, force behind area’s Smart Markets.

Food shoppers should take their collective hats off to Jean Janssen. She is the motivating spirit behind the area’s Smart Markets

Letter: Where is Civilian review Panel?

To the Editor

Last October, the 40 strong Ad Hoc Commission to Review Police Procedures, set up by Chairman Bulova and her Board of Supervisors (BOS), unanimously adopted a large number of recommendations, which they submitted to the BOS.

Commentary: A Day in the Life at the Virginia General Assembly

Last week, Delegate Plum provided an excellent recap of the legislative session we just completed.

Week in Herndon

Weekly happenings in Herndon.

Herndon: Boyle School of Irish Dance Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

Dancers visit locations throughout Herndon and Fairfax County.

Thursday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated throughout Herndon and Reston. At Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern in downtown Herndon

Art and Music at ArtSpace Herndon

Annual Mind Heart Vision exhibit presented in Herndon.

ArtSpace Herndon presented its sixth annual Mind Heart Vision Exhibit, with a reception on March 16.

Herndon Police Reports

Notable incidents from the Herndon Police Department from March 7-13.

Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Awards $380,000 in Local Grants

Five of 36 grant awardees speak at “Cocktails & Conversation” event.

When Lorton residents Marcy Mager and husband David Lunter’s daughter Michell Merhige was killed in 2009, they wanted to establish a scholarship in her honor but knew handling the financial logistics would be tricky.

Editorial: Purple State

Nonpartisan redistricting could support the best interests of the population, not the politicians.

Letter: Misleading Headline

To the Editor

The March 16-22 edition of The Connection carried an “Education=Learning=Fun” column headlined “Do You Keep a Gun In Your Home?” I thought the topic a bit unusual for that column.

Classified Advertising March 23, 2016

Read the latest ads here!

Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Springfield: Brain Injury Services honors volunteers and community partners

Maya Simbulan of Fairfax is thankful for being normal. The Lake Braddock Secondary School freshman would like to pursue work with computer graphics and plays electric wheelchair soccer.

Fairfax County Public Schools to Seek FEMA Relief Funds

Winter Storm Jonas, Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse 2.0 — no matter what it’s called, the county-crippling January 2016 blizzard cost Fairfax County Public Schools $7.2 million to pay for employee overtime compensation, additional contractors and equipment rental.

Oak Hill and Herndon Home Sales: February, 2016

In February, 2016, 49 homes sold between $925,000-$152,000 in the Oak Hill and Herndon area.

Oak Hill and Herndon Home Sales: February, 2016

Letter: Gerrymandering Promotes Partisanship and Polarization

To the Editor

Everywhere we turn today, the media is bombarding us with antics of the current presidential campaign.

Letter: Time to Speak Out for Quality of Life in Fairfax County

To the Editor

Fairfax County is a composite of many things that make the quality of life rich for people living here.

Caregiving

Workshops and seminars for seniors and caregivers.

Herndon Girls' Basketball Falls in State Semifinals

Hornets fall to eventual champion Cosby.

The Herndon girls' basketball team reached the state semifinals.

Vienna: Oakton Girls’ Basketball Upset by Langley in State Semis

Cougars fall short at VCU for second straight season.

The Oakton girls' basketball team finished the season with a 29-1 record.

Herndon, Reston Business Update

Joe Grooming, which had a retail space at Reston Town Center is now PR Barbers. The business will be operated by Reg Laws, an owner of PR at Partners Salons.

Reston and Herndon: Celebrating Easter

Spring holiday fun

Week in Herndon

Weekly happenings in Herndon

Herndon Citizens Honored

Herndon Town Council recognizes volunteers.

”They did a really good job of alerting the authorities. These two kids did that and I hope it sets an example. I couldn’t be more thankful,” said Herndon’s Chief of Police Maggie A. DeBoard.

Herndon Crime Reports

Notable incidents from the Town of Herndon Police Department from Feb. 29 to March 6.

Herndon High School Navy Junior ROTC Pay Tribute to Nation's Heroes

Herndon NJROTC Cadets traveled to Arlington Cemetery to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and other historic sites

Herndon’s ‘Coffee with a Cop’

Virginia Attorney General highlights the event at Amphora.

No doubt the safest place you could have been anywhere near Herndon on Friday morning was in the private dining room at Amphora’s Diner Deluxe on Elden Street.

Real Food for Kids' Culinary Challenge

11 teams of middle and high school students compete in school food competition.

Eleven teams of middle and high school students competed in the fourth annual Real Food for Kids' Culinary Challenge on Saturday, March 12 at Robinson Secondary School.

Mission: Promoting Peace

22 students or student groups receive the Student Peace Award, for their efforts to promote peace.

With causes ranging from anti-bullying efforts to human trafficking awareness to interfaith dialogue, students in Fairfax County were recognized for their peacemaking efforts at the 11th Annual Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County on March 13.

Encouraging STEM-curious Youth

Third Annual STEM Symposium draws a crowd at the Nysmith School.

“We need people in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields today, tomorrow and as far as we can envision.”

No E-Z Answers on I-66

VDOT’s Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway meeting leaves public waiting for answers.

There were also questions and comments of a financial nature.

And the Winner Is...

Wakefield Forest Elementary School student to compete at Scripps’ National Spelling Bee.

After 11 rounds of competitive play, fourth grade student Eric Kim, from Wakefield Forest Elementary School, was declared the champion for correctly spelling every word thrown at him.

Private Schools: When Leaving Unexpectedly

Spring is time to commit to one’s school of choice.

When Ashley and Clark Leonard enrolled their son in a local independent school, they were excited about the prospect of him thriving in a new, smaller academic environment.

Editorial: Homelessness on Its Way Out in Fairfax

Homelessness should be rare, brief and non-recurring; 776 fewer homeless individuals in 2016 than in 2008.

Homelessness is down in Fairfax County in every major category, a fact confirmed on Jan. 28, 2016, the annual Point in Time Count.

Legislative Wrap-Up Forum

Learn what your area legislator did during the Virginia General Assembly.

FCPL to Hold Community Forum

Fairfax County Public Libraries will hold community forums to see public opinion on what is needed in the community.

‘Do You Keep a Gun in Your Home?’

Starting conversations about gun safety can help prevent play date tragedies.

Starting the conversation felt awkward. After all, she didn’t want to offend another parent.

It Takes a Village

Campaign designed to end homelessness in Fairfax County.

When speaking with Kathy Albarado, one might not guess that she’d experienced periods of homelessness as an adolescent.

Commentary: A Step Backwards for Virginia

Virginia New American leaders respond to the nomination of Ken Cuccinelli for the State Supreme Court.

From immigration to contraception to climate change denial to LGBT rights, Ken Cuccinelli has built a career on extreme conservative positions that are out of step with Virginia today.

Week in Herndon

Weekly happenings in Herndon.

Herndon: Restaurant on a Mission

GreenFare, and a coffee bar on wheels servicing Herndon.

Monday, March 7, members of the Herndon Town Council including Mayor Lisa Merkel and Vice Mayor Jennifer Baker and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova joined in the official ribbon cutting for a new business at the Herndon K-Mart Shopping Center.

Herndon Crime Reports

Notable incidents reported Feb. 22 through Feb. 29 from the Herndon Police Department.

Herndon’s Downtown: ‘Game-Changing Project’

See proposals at the Town’s new website at www.herndon-va.gov; click on the “Latest News” tab.

Two companies, The Stout & Teague Company and Comstock Development, responded to the Town of Herndon’s Request for Proposals to redevelop 4.675 acres of land in historic downtown into “an attractive, mixed-use downtown.”

Herndon: Classical Ballet Theatre Presents Master Classes

Classical Ballet Theatre is offering a master class experience with the acclaimed Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner, former Principal Dancers with American Ballet Theatre.

Laptop Donations in Fairfax County

Help homeless youth in Fairfax County by donating laptops and tablets. Donate a working laptop or tablet through Friday, March 11.

Editorial: Making Good Choices on Saint Patrick’s Day

Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), will offer the 2016 St. Patty’s Day SoberRide program, providing free cab rides to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area next Thursday, March 17.

Editorial: Bringing Back the Electric Chair

In a world: Barbaric.

No doubt Virginia and Texas will be the last two states to continue with the death penalty until, inevitably, evolving standards of decency lead the U.S. Supreme Court to declare that the death penalty is unconstitutional.

Nanny Suites Add Value

High-end live-in quarters attract au pairs and can increase property values.

When Peggy Delinois Hamilton relocated to the Washington, D.C. area and began working full-time after spending eight years as an at-home mother of two children, childcare was one of her top concerns.

Remodeled Home Tour Set for March 12

Home evolves from center hall colonial to open plan with boldly original finishes.

To satisfy a couple's evolving lifestyle requirements, Sun Design Remodeling dramatically reconfigured the home's first level, introducing a “kitchen-centric” plan that better supports everyday uses and entertainment needs.

Buying or Selling?

A primer for doing either and avoiding pitfalls.

Here we are, once again right on the heels of the spring/summer real estate season when it seems like “For Sale” signs become the most common lawn ornament or condo window decoration.

Teen Trafficking Awareness Event in Springfield

West Springfield High School and Just Ask Prevention Project will hold an awareness night to address the issue of sex trafficking in the region on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at West Springfield High School, 6100 Rolling Road, Springfield.

FCPS Students Named to 2016 Virginia Honors Choir

High school and middle school students named to honors choir.

Herndon Girls’ Basketball Wins Program’s First State Tournament Game

Hornets to face Cosby today in state semifinals at VCU.

The Herndon girls' basketball team upset 6A South region champion Woodside in the state quarterfinals on Friday.

Vienna: Hot Start Propels Oakton to State Semifinals

Cougars open with 20-2 run against Woodbridge.

The Oakton girls' basketball team beat Woodbridge in the 6A state quarterfinals.

Fairfax County: Commission Recognizes Outstanding Women in Government Work

Edwyna Wingo of the Chantilly area began her career with Fairfax County as a nurse in the Health Department on Sep. 1, 1965 and worked her last full day Oct. 1, 2011.

Police Arrest 20 for Heroin Use in One Day

Operation Save-a-Life offered low-level offenders the chance at recovery treatment rather than jail time.

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, Fairfax County Police served 20 arrest warrants, all for possession and or distribution of heroin.

Small Lifestyle Changes Can Have Big Impact

Researchers found that moderate weight loss improves health.

Dropping as little as five percent of one’s body weight can lead to significant health improvements, according to a new study published in the Cell Metabolism journal.

Managing Medication Can Be Challenging

“Let’s Talk about RxSM” helps seniors avoid prescription drug mishaps.

It was around 2 a.m. on a frigid winter night when Janet Russell was awakened from her sleep by the sound of woman calling for help.

Four-Cent Tax Rate Increase, with Side of Vitriol

Reconsideration hours later gives same result; board will consider putting meals tax to referendum in November.

Tuesday morning, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted for a four-cent tax rate increase, advertising a tax rate of $1.13 per $100 of assessed value.

Reston, Herndon Polls See Steady Stream of Voters on Super Tuesday

“I believe this really is one of the most important elections in our lives.

March Fun and Science in Herndon

Family friendly events and activities to look for.

As spring approaches, Herndon has several upcoming family friendly March events.