Stories for September 2013

West, Casso Lead Langley Football Past Chantilly

Saxons outscore Chargers 28-0 in second half.

The Langley football team improves to 2-2.

Commentary: In Search of Affordable Housing

Challenges for Residential Studio Units and the need to address them.

Fairfax County’s Planning Commission will hold two workshops on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 to expand the discussion about the proposed residential studio unit (RSU) amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. There will be a staff presentation on Sept. 25, and questions submitted online by citizens to the Planning Department will be answered in the second workshop on Oct 2. The plan is for both workshops to be televised on the county’s cable station.

Editorial: Vote

It will matter who is elected governor.

To vote on Election Day, you must be registered at your current address no later than Oct. 15, 2013. You can check your registration status online by visiting the State Board of Elections website at www.sbe.virginia.gov. There you can also download a voter registration form and mail or fax it to your elections office address.

Column: A Study in Contrasts

The decision for yours truly to participate in a Phase 1 Study at N.I.H. or Johns Hopkins (depending upon availability and qualifications) discussed in last week’s column has been put on hold, temporarily. It seems that my oncologist was thinking about me over the holiday weekend and called me on Wednesday following Labor Day to say he had a diagnostic idea concerning me: a 24-hour urine collection (a “Creatinine Clearance Study”) which would provide a more accurate reading (than the regular lab work I have; from blood) of my kidney function.

Column: A Peculiar Existence

I’m not exactly pretending that I don’t have stage IV lung cancer (non-small cell, to be specific), but ever since my hospital admission on August 2nd, I have been treatment-free; no I.V. chemotherapy, no oral medication, no targeted treatment, no nothing. And during this sabbatical (I use that term loosely; being off chemotherapy has been as much about recovering from surgery and recuperating from my hospital “stay-cation” as it was anything necessarily intended), I have progressed from feeling crappy and being short of breath—while being infused previously, to where I have become relatively asymptomatic, breathing normally and for the nearly eight week treatment-free interval mentioned, have felt mostly OK.

Residential Studios Put on Hold

Supervisors establish committee, plan additional public outreach.

At the recommendation of Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-At-Large) and Supervisor Michael Frey (R-Sully), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Sept. 24 deferred its Nov. 20 public hearing on a proposed residential studios (RSUs) amendment to conduct additional community outreach. The board also established a Planning Commission Residential Studios Committee.

Northern Virginia Supports Day to Serve

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), a coalition of 14 counties, cities and towns that work together on regional issues, passed a unanimous resolution endorsing Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell’s call to participate in the 2013 Day to Serve.

New Nosy Recruits ‘Bolt & Silas’ Prepare for Duty

Although they are just a few months old and still in their bonding and training phases, two new bloodhound pups are preparing for the rigors of police work in Fairfax County. Bolt and Silas are the police department’s newest additions to their bloodhound team. The agency purchased the pups in August when they were just 6 weeks old. They join Shnoz and Cody, sisters from the hills of Northern Alabama who joined the agency in 2008 at 19 months old.

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.

Wear Jeans to Work, Help End Homelessness

Register now to participate in Jeans Day Fairfax on Oct. 18.

Just by wearing jeans to work, you can actively help nearly 3,000 men, women and children in Fairfax County who face homelessness and hunger every day. On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors proclaimed Friday, Oct. 18 “Jeans Day Fairfax,” the third annual Jeans Day event in Fairfax County.

Becoming a High School Diplomat

"How to Apply" The HSD application is now available at highschooldiplomats.com, and all parts must be postmarked and sent by January 8th, 2014. The program runs from July 29 to August 9, 2014. Questions can be directed to Celine Zapolski, the American HSD director, at celinezepolski@highschooldiplomats.com.

R. Dennis McArver, Chairman of the Arts Council of Fairfax County, Dies

The Arts Council of Fairfax County is mourning the passing of its chairman, R. Dennis McArver. McArver, a Vienna resident, legal professional and civic arts activist, died Sept. 14. He was born in 1936. "We have lost a dear friend and a strong leader," said Linda S. Sullivan, president and CEO of the Arts Council. "Dennis embraced his role as chairman of the Board with such enthusiasm and vigor and was a tireless advocate for the council and all the arts in Fairfax County," Sullivan continued.

Tour Houses to Represent Four Centuries

Ticket sales for Holiday Homes Tour to start in early October.

Ticket sales for the McLean Woman’s Club annual Holiday Homes Tour will begin on Oct. 1 at three retail stores in McLean, Vienna and Great Falls and will continue through Thursday, Dec. 5, the day of the tour. The stores are Mesmeralda’s Gifts of McLean (1339 Chain Bridge Road), Karin’s Florist (527 Maple Ave., E., Vienna) and Great Dogs of Great Falls (9859 Georgetown Pike). Tickets will also be sold on Dec. 5 at the tour houses and at a free “MarketPlace” at Trinity United Methodist Church, in McLean (1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.). The latter event will start at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m., concurrent with the tour. Tickets for the tour will cost $25 before Dec. 5th and $30 on that date.

McLean Theatre Company Launches New Season

The 2013-14 season opens with the exclusive concert performance of “The Last Five Years.”

he award winning McLean High School Theatre Company (MTC) introduces 2013-14 season—beginning with an exclusive concert performance of Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years,” Sept. 28, the family-favorite, “Annie,” the hilarious satire “Bald Soprano” as the Virginia High School League (VHSL) competition entry, the modern American classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Performances appear in the Burks Auditorium or Black Box Theater and are led by Artistic Director Amy Poe. Advance tickets are available at www.mcleandrama.com or directly at www.brownpapertickets.org.

McLean Orchestra Begins ‘A Season of Festivity’

The McLean Orchestra has announced its 42nd season, A Season of Festivity. Embarking on Maestra Miriam Burns' second season as music director and conductor, the McLean Orchestra will offer five classical concerts with an illustrious array of soloists, including pianists, jazz vocalists, bagpipers, organists, dancers and more.

Small Church, Rich History

McLean’s Shiloh Baptist Church celebrates 140th anniversary.

Late in the 19th-century, three figures converged in Northern Virginia, leading to the creation of one of McLean’s first African American churches. Cyrus Carter was a local pastor whose goal was to establish four black churches in Northern Virginia. The plan was to organize churches in Chesterbrook, Vienna, Arlington and in west McLean where Shiloh Baptist Church now stands. In 1873, Carter was able to broker a deal with local landowner, Charles Elgin, and Shiloh Baptist Church was born. “At the time, there were no black churches. Although this is where the majority of African Americans were living in those days, who were free,” said Pastor Robert Cheeks. “They migrated to this area as D.C. was beginning to grow. This was a predominantly African American community,” he said. Carter recognized the need for the community to have a place to worship. And after securing the necessary property, which still stands at the intersection of Lewinsville and Spring Hill Roads, Carter and the new congregation needed a place to worship while they raised money to start building a church. “It was difficult in that time, right after slavery, for people to save their money,” said long-time member Archie Borgus. But they were able to raise the capital, and the cornerstone was laid in 1887.

Elinor Scully Becomes New Head of The Langley School

The Langley School is kicking off the 2013-2014 school year under the leadership of a new head of school. Dr. Elinor Scully assumed her role as Langley’s next leader on July 1, following the retirement of Doris Cottam who served as head of school for 13 years.

‘Science Is Fun’ at Churchill Road

Laura Brown’s third grade class at Churchill Road Elementary learned scientific principles via hands-on experiments conducted by optical physicist (and parent) Dr. Jinendra Ranka. Dr. Ranka wanted to show the students that “science is fun and everyone can do science at home” (with proper supervision of course). The students enjoyed creating ooblek, a non-newtonian fluid, which has properties of both a liquid and a solid. They also demonstrated centrifugal acceleration by balancing a penny on a coat hanger. Dr. Ranka also demonstrated a laser beam and the chemical reaction created by mixing soda and Mentos candy. The grand finale of experiments was a rocket launch on the school’s back field, capturing not only the interest of Mrs. Brown’s class, but all the fifth grade classes who were out at recess.

The Ultimate Guide to MPAartfest

Q&A on MPAartfest, to be held on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the McLean Central Park.

What and Where What: McLean Project for the Arts presents the 7th annual MPAartfest Where: McLean Central Park at the corner of Rt 123 and Old Dominion Drive When: Sunday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine Info: www.mpaart.org/artfest.php

Running, Cycling, Wheeling 5K

Tysons Corner hosts 10th annual Super H 5K.

After losing his leg in an accident in 2004, McLean resident Harry Freedman was, in his words, “in terrible shape.” An avid cyclist, he found himself questioning whether he’d ever be able to ride a bike again.

Pumpkin Patch, Artfest Come to McLean

Annual fall events are on the way.

Few things are as synonymous with fall as the pumpkin, which adorns porches, sidewalks and stoops throughout the season. This year, St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean will have thousands of pumpkins for sale, starting Saturday, Oct. 5. The pumpkins are brought in from a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. The church shares the profits from sold pumpkins with the Navajos, and the remaining ones are donated to an animal refuge site to be used as feed.

MCC Prepares FY2015 Budget

Draft budget would increase tax rate to 2.3 cents per $100 of assessed real estate value.

The McLean Community Center Governing Board will vote on the Fiscal Year 2015 budget Wednesday, Sept. 25. The board’s financial committee has recommended an increase in tax rate from 2.2 cents to 2.3 cents per $100 of assessed real estate value.

Full Disclosure? Forms Plagued By Lack of Information, Absence of Oversight

Fairfax County goes so far as to redact disclosure documents.

Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is in hot water for taking gifts without disclosing them, and legislators are talking about increasing disclosure requirements for family members. But here in Northern Virginia, personal financial disclosure forms are often incomplete and inconsistent.

McLean Field Hockey Beats Madison

Eckrod's second-half goal lifts Highlanders to victory.

The McLean field hockey team improved to 6-2 with a victory over Madison

McLean Home Sales: August, 2013

In August 2013, 98 homes sold between $2,300,000-$198,000 in the McLean and Falls Church area.

McLean Home Sales: August, 2013

Editorial: Addressing Virginia’s Economy

Ending gridlock in Congress and supporting health care reform would be huge steps in supporting economic recovery in Virginia.

The strength of Virginia’s economy, especially Northern Virginia’s economy, comes significantly from federal spending. So while the governor and other elected officials claim that Virginia’s success is because Virginia is a low-tax state with fewer regulations, it’s worth considering that the sequester and continuing gridlock in Congress threaten Virginia’s most important resource, federal spending.

Navy Yard Shootings Hit Close to Home

Four Fairfax County victims killed in Washington Navy Yard rampage.

“Marty was a kind and caring man. He had such a sweet spirit and was in every way a man that lived his life to honor Christ.” —Pastor Steve Holley of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield

Local Business Leaders Spotlight Opportunities for UK Companies

Fairfax County EDA organizes Sept. 26 seminar in London.

Fairfax County’s Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) officials announced Tuesday, Sept. 17, that local executives will speak at a London seminar to spotlight opportunities for British companies interested in homeland security business opportunities in the United States.

Full Disclosure?

Forms plagued by a lack of information, absence of oversight; redacted documents.

Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is in hot water for taking gifts without disclosing them, and legislators are talking about increasing disclosure requirements for family members. But here in Northern Virginia, personal financial disclosure forms are often incomplete and inconsistent. Some elected officials choose to disclose a great deal of information while others disclose very little. Fairfax County officials have decided to redact information that's supposed to be part of the public record. And nobody is reviewing the forms to make sure they are accurate.

Classified Advertising Sept. 18, 2013

Read the lastest ads here!

Artistic Talents Unlocked

Stimulating “The Pitmen Painters” at 1st stage.

"When and Where" 1st Stage presents "The Pitmen Painters" at 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons Corner. Performances: Now thru Oct. 13: Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: General admission: $27. Seniors $22. Students and Military $15. Visit: www.1ststagetysons.org or 703-854-1856. Note: Appropriate for ages 12 and up. Note: Want to know: http://www.ashingtongroup.co.uk/home.html.

World Food Crisis Is Focus of Marshall High's Model UN Training Conference

Marshall High School’s 10th annual My First Model United Nations (Model UN) training conference will provide high school and middle school students with the opportunity to debate solutions to the world food crisis. The conference is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. Marshall High School is a Fairfax County public school.

Commentary: Combatting Human Trafficking in Our Own Communities

“You’re pretty. You could make some money.” That was the headline of a recent Washingtonian Magazine article about young girls in our region who are lured through social media into the terrifying world of human trafficking.

Week in McLean

On Monday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m., the Fairfax County Park Authority will hold a public meeting to present changes to the McLean Central Park Master Plan, made in response to comments from the June 2013 public meeting and afterward. The event will be held at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean.

Supporting SHARE

HBC Community Charity Champions hosted a fundraiser for SHARE last week at Pulcinella Italian Host in McLean. Share, Inc. Food Bank Director Therese Dyer-Caplan said, "Share is so grateful for the community support. We are delighted to be chosen as a recipient of the HBC Community Charity Champions fundraiser on Sept. 10. It was the best turn out ever and raised a record $1,610 for Share, Inc. Thanks to HBC Realty Group-Keller Williams, Pulcinellas, all the other sponsors of the event and the more than 60 Share supporters who came out to enjoy delicious Italian food and have a good time."

‘One Laptop Per Student’ at Churchill Road

Churchill Road Elementary School is piloting its “One Laptop per Student” initiative. Chrissy Frantz’s sixth graders were excited to be assigned a full-time laptop when they arrived in the classroom on their first day of school. One of their first tasks was to complete their log-in procedures.

Getting Used to School Cafeteria

The first week of school was especially exciting for Churchill Road’s 100 new kindergarten students. One of the first-time experiences was eating lunch in the school cafeteria. The students learned how to make healthy food choices, pay for their meals through their lunch accounts, and compost and recycle procedures.

Launching Rockets at Churchill Road

On Friday, Sept. 13, Churchill Road sixth graders conducted a scientific experiment using the rockets they built in science class. The cardboard rockets were fueled with a mixture of Alka-Seltzer and water in their boosters (film canisters). Science teachers Chrissy Frantz and David Ericson assisted the groups of students with the rocket “fuel.” After the launch, the students measured the height each rocket traveled; then looked at the correlation between rocket weight and launch height. The students discovered that the lighter rockets gained the most height. The top rocket went more than 14 feet.

Spring Hill RECenter Set For Renovation

New fitness center, basketball court, renovated facilities part of $7.1 million project.

The Spring Hill RECenter in McLean will be renovated and expanded by 36,000 square feet over the next year and a half. The project, which was funded through the 2012 Park Bond, will commence with a groundbreaking ceremony Saturday, Sept. 21.

Planning Area’s Future Transit

Transportation officials discuss transportation funding, projects.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance hosted their annual "What You Need to Know About Transportation" seminar Thursday, Sept. 12 at the Gannett building in McLean.

A New Beginning for Fairfax County Public Libraries?

Library trustees vote to discard beta plan in favor of more public outreach sessions.

On Wall Street, a “beta” test refers to assessing the risk, volatility and expected return of a particular portfolio. If Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) officials had a crystal ball to assess the volatility of its planned beta tests this fall, it’s likely they may have steered clear of the project that became a quagmire of epic proportions.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

County suspends discarding of library books.

Just when Sam Clay, Fairfax County’s Public Library director, thought FCPL’s public image couldn’t get any worse, Supervisor Linda Smyth (D-Providence) released photos of bins filled to the brim with discarded library books.

Letter: Joining Forces to Prevent Homelessness

You can prevent homelessness, you can end chronic homelessness, you can move people rapidly out of homelessness. What you cannot do is stand aside and let people fall. This simple belief—that together we can change the rate and severity of people losing their homes—brings together nonprofits, for-profits, civic leaders and government staff. We each play a special role, depending on our location and mission. For United Community Ministries (UCM), prevention is the key.

Column: Now This is What

Do nothing (no more treatment) and live life to the fullest (for as long as I’m able, and right now, I’m extremely able); start another chemotherapy protocol – with an I.V. chemotherapy drug which, according to my oncologist, has not been proven in any clinical setting to be better than the patient doing nothing; or, try to get into a Study (Phase 1, 2 or 3) at either N.I.H. (National Institutes of Health) or Johns Hopkins (in Baltimore) and let the treatment chips fall wherever experimental/research medicine takes them. This is what my oncologist discussed with Team Lourie at my most recent appointment, my first appointment with him since my hospitalization and subsequent release.

NVAR Summit at GMU’s Mason Inn

Complex shortage of homes for sale likely to persist; boomers not planning to retire, not planning to move, experts say. Rising mortgage rates should inspire renters to buy soon.

Nationally syndicated columnist and moderator Kenneth R. Harney introduced the expert panel for the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) 17th annual Economic Summit Thursday morning, Sept. 5. Dr. David Crowe, chief economist and senior vice president of the National Association of Home Builders, joined economic experts David E. Versel, a senior research associate at the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis, and Dr. Lawrence Yun, senior economist for the National Association of Realtors.

Condo Renovations

As sales of condominiums grow, so does demand for luxury renovations.

More people are moving from leafy, sprawling suburbs to more urban areas, neighborhoods both in the city and in Northern Virginia that offer close proximity to restaurants, jobs, cultural activities and Metro.

Big Ideas for Small Spaces

Local designers offer ideas for decorating small rooms.

Whether one is sprucing up a small powder room or decorating a studio apartment, space limitations often pose a design challenge. However, local designers say that no matter how a small space’s square footage or how awkward the layout, there are plenty of decorative cures for small spaces. Whether one is sprucing up a small powder room or decorating a studio apartment, space limitations often pose a design challenge. However, local designers say that no matter how a small space’s square footage or how awkward the layout, there are plenty of decorative cures for small spaces.

Top-to-Bottom Makeover Embraces Longterm Horizons

The Hollis family wanted a house that would work better today — and long into the future.

Sometimes it’s not limited square footage that makes a house feel inadequate — it’s how that square footage is configured.

Like Magic

New plan in built-out 1940s colonial gains vital square footage as young family looks ahead.

In the end, a skillful spatial reconfiguration is like a deft magician's trick — you've seen it with your own eyes, but you still can't figure out how they did it. “Really, I don't know how this plan created so much more usable space,” Alexandria resident Alice Goulet said, discussing a recent reconfiguration to several rooms in the family's 1,800-square-foot center-hall Colonial.

Northern Virginia Designers Awarded Rooms in Showhouse Event

Northern Virginia/metro area interior designers Kelley Proxmire of Kelley Interior Design and Wayne Breeden of E. Wayne Breeden Design are among 17 designers awarded rooms at the benefit Winchester Showhouse & Gardens, open to the public through Sept. 29.

Sun Design Named One of U.S.’s Fastest Growing Private Companies

Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc., of Fairfax, was named by Inc. Magazine as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies. This is the fourth time the magazine has included Sun Design on its annual Inc. 5000 list.

Home Tour Raises Funds for Easter Seals Veteran Staffing Network

Easter Seals presents the Home of Distinction by Sidd Kashyap Custom Home Builder. This home will showcase the latest in building products and design trends during the public tour, which will raise funds for the Veteran Staffing Network.

Editorial: Small Steps to Fight Homelessness

Efficiency apartments would serve 20-somethings, service workers, retirees and more.

One way to prevent homelessness is to think small. It doesn’t take much space to house one person. Sure, many houses in our area have 1,000 square feet and sometimes two or three times that much per person, but that’s really not necessary.

Celebrating Diversity Through Music

The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will be presenting bilingual master classes and outreach presentations at various Fairfax County venues.

With grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will be presenting bi-lingual master classes and outreach presentations at various Fairfax County venues in the coming weeks.

Inspired to Give

Local teens positively impact youth on a global scale.

Picture this: An impoverished young teenager sits in a hospital bed in rural India, suffering from a life-threatening cancer, opens up a tablet device filled with educational tools and apps to distract them from their daily struggles. You would probably expect the tablet to have been shipped there by a large, national non-profit run by paid staff members. Not so. It was delivered to this teen by other teens, all working toward the same goal: to connect with pediatric cancer patients around the world in order to provide them with encouragement, support and education.

Week in McLean

The Governing Board of the McLean Community Center (MCC) will hold two meetings on its Proposed FY 2015 budget in September. A finance committee meeting of the Whole and a Public Hearing will be held beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept 16, at the center, which is located at 1234 Ingleside Ave.

Garage Sale of the Season

Area treasure hunters visit McLean Community Center’s semi-annual flea market.

Longtime friends Nancy McCormick, Jeanne Nelsen and Liz Rothrock, who jokingly call themselves “poker widows,” have always looked for ways to have fun while their husbands played poker. Recently, the friends of 26 years have discovered that they love to sell their wares at the MCC semi-annual flea market. “This is our fourth time here,” said Nelsen. “We’ve gotten the same booth several times. We have an absolute blast.” Not only do they have fun, they typically make up to $300 in a four-hour day.

Love Story Set Against a Wartime Backdrop

McLean Community Players present “Time Stands Still.”

"When I look through that little rectangle... time stops... all the noise around me... everything cuts out. And all I see... is the picture." But what happens when a wounded wartime photographer comes home? What's next in a life and a relationship based upon the passion and excitement that wartime can bring? Can a normal family life be enough? According to veteran director Jessie Roberts, "the playwright, Donald Margulies, explores love and friendship against a backdrop of the moral dilemma of journalists and photo-journalists who record wars, famines and genocide without intervening to affect the outcome of what they are reporting.

Used Book Sale Returns Sept. 20-22

The 44th annual AAUW event to be held at the McLean Community Center.

The McLean Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will hold the 44th AAUW Annual Used Book Sale at the McLean Community Center, Friday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and, Sunday, Sept. 22 from noon to 4 p.m. The AAUW Book Sale is well stocked with tens of thousands of books plus hundreds of musical CDs as well as DVDs of television series and movies. Recent editions of histories, including many military histories, biographies, political analyses, as well as gardening, health, general literature and business and economics books are abundant. All travel books have been published between 2009 and 2013.

Classified Advertising September 11, 2013

Read the latest ads here!

Author Turns Words Into Film

Suzi Weinert’s first novel becomes Hallmark Channel original movie.

Four years ago, McLean resident Suzi Weinert wasn’t sure she was capable of finishing her first book. Now she’s preparing to watch that very same book premiere as a Hallmark Channel original movie and has released its sequel.

Opinion: Dangers of Failure To Act

Our current and future standing in the international community is on the line.

President Obama has sought Congressional approval to carry out limited surgical strikes in Syria against the regime of Bashar al Assad in response to his use of chemical weapons to attack Syrian civilians, which killed 1,429 people, including 426 children.

Editorial: Later Start Times for High School

It’s past time to act; let this year be the year.

Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, the first day of school in Fairfax County, Dr. Karen Garza began her official day at 6:30 a.m. at Chantilly High School. While Garza was making herself available for interviews before the first class started at 7:20 a.m., many students were already on the school bus.

Wellbeing: How To Set Realistic Goals

Local experts say the key to success is setting achievable goals.

Laura Wheeler Poms, of Fairfax, set out to earn a doctorate degree and make a career change. As a wife, mother and working professional, the goal, she said, often felt lofty. “Writing my dissertation at times felt overwhelming, especially if I looked at it as one huge project,” said Poms, who now holds a Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology and is an assistant professor of global and community health at George Mason University in Fairfax. “I set goals like writing one page or doing one analysis each day and I was able to get it done. I also gave myself little rewards along the way.”

Column: Indeterminate Sentence

And no, that’s not another made-up phrase by yours truly describing my occasionally cluttered/run-on prose with which many of you extremely patient regular readers are all too familiar. No, it has to do with how I perceive my future now that I’m post-hospital and sleeping in my own bed. Instead of nurses, respiratory therapists, X-ray technicians, doctors and miscellaneous other hospital staff too numerous to list, I have one wife and five cats to do my bidding. And though they’re not nearly as attentive as the hospital staff, I know that they all have my best interests at heart.

Saving Jobs in Hard Times

Virginia lawmakers will push work sharing legislation this session.

“Having been through the recession and recent slight increases in Virginia unemployment rates as federal sequestration takes effect, it is important that we give Virginia businesses all the tools we can to help them and their employees get through challenging times. This bill does that.” —State Sen. George Barker (D-39)

‘Shared Work:’ A Win-Win-Win Solution

Preventing layoffs, maintaining the well-being of employees and their communities and keeping businesses competitive.

How do we mitigate the devastating effects of layoffs on employees, employers and their communities? Is there a "win-win-win" solution?

McLean Woman’s Club Holds Annual Kickoff Tea

Planning for Holiday Homes Tour underway.

The Woman’s Club of McLean held its annual “Christmas in August” Kickoff Tea on Thursday, Aug. 22, to preview its 47th annual Holiday Homes Tour in early December. This year’s tour will have the theme of “four centuries in McLean,” with each of the four tour homes representing a different century.

Weichert, Realtors Recognizes McLean Office, Sales Associate

Bruce L. Green, regional vice president of Weichert, Realtors, announced the McLean/Dolley Madison office was recognized for outstanding performance in July. The office led the entire company for dollar volume, as well as the region, which comprises offices throughout Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier and Delaware counties, for resale dollar volume. Green also announced that Sales Associate Sari Zuhar Dajani of the McLean/Old Dominion office was individually recognized for his exceptional industry success during the month of July. Top producer, Dajani led the entire company for new home sales, as well as the region.

It’s Back to Churchill Road in McLean

First day for girst graders, other students at Churchill Road Elementary.

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, parents, students and faculty came together at Churchill Road Elementary School in McLean for the first day of school. Danielle M. Mazurowski, a music teacher for nine years at Churchill Road was at one of the doors greeting people as they entered into the cafeteria.

Three New Exhibitions Open at MPA

McLean Project for the Arts will open three new exhibitions with a reception and gallery talk from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12. The opening is free and open to the public.

McLean Community Center to Host Flea Market

McLean Fall Community Flea Market will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7.

As the season changes and students prepare to go back to school, the McLean Community Center offers local residents an opportunity to change their “trash into cash” by selling their gently used items. The center’s McLean Fall Community Flea Market will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, in the parking garage located at 1420 Beverly Road (behind the Giant Shopping Center). Admission to the sale is free.

Celebrating the Change of Season

Children can welcome the change of season at MCC's Harvest Happenings.

Young children ages 3-8 can experience the fun and excitement of the changing of the seasons as they participate in a variety of activities at the McLean Community Center’s Harvest Happenings. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the center, located at 1234 Ingleside Ave. General admission is $5 at the door; admission is free for children up to 36 months old.

Chesterbrook Swimclub Raises More Than $3,000 in its First Charity Swim-a-Thon

hesterbook Swim and Tennis in McLean hosted a Charity Swim-a-Thon on Saturday, Aug. 31 to benefit two charities with close ties to the membership. The first charity, Nadar por Vida, works to break the cycle of drowning and minority obesity in traditionally non-swimming populations. For several years, Chesterbrook teens have volunteered coaching for NPV. The second charity, Environment Virginia - Research and Policy Center, is an educational organization dedicated to protecting air, water and open spaces.

Senior scores five goals in win over Yorktown.

McLean's Erika Eckrod scored two goals against Yorktown.