Stories for September 2015

Editorial: Changing Perspective on Death Penalty

Evolving standards will eclipse the death penalty entirely at some point in the future.

It’s sad to see senseless death as a response to senseless death. Alfred R. Prieto is not a sympathetic figure, a serial killer who was on death row in California when DNA connected him to murders and rapes in Reston and Arlington that took place in 1988. He is scheduled for execution this week, at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1.

1st Stage Presents 'Now Comes the Night'

Crackling dialogue, powerful ideas and well-crafted artistry describe “Now Comes the Night” written by award-winning E.M. Lewis now playing at 1st Stage.

Chantilly Volleyball Holds Off Langley in Five Sets

Saxons’ Donaldson tallies 15 kills, Shklyar has 13.

With the Chargers having gone 10 days without a match, Chantilly volleyball coach Charles Ezigbo had limited expectations entering Monday’s meeting with Langley.

United Methodist: 140 Years in the Community

Great Falls United Methodist bazaar raises funds for ministry and missions.

Great Falls United Methodist Church will celebrate its 140th anniversary this coming spring on May 15, 2016.

BrightView Great Falls Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

“When you live in a retirement or assisted living community, every birthday is a reason to celebrate – so why not give three cheers to the place itself!” quipped one resident (who decided to remain nameless) of the BrightView Senior Living community in Great Falls, speaking at the facility’s one year anniversary bash

Chantilly Volleyball Holds Off Langley in Five Sets

Chargers’ Molina totals 19 kills, Recto has 14.

The Chantilly volleyball team beat Langley on Monday.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 25-Oct. 4, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Great Falls Home Sales: August, 2015

In August, 2015, 21 Great Falls homes sold between $2,400,000-$700,000.

Great Falls Home Sales: August, 2015

Fairfax County NAACP hosts 70th Freedom Fund Awards

‘Your Vote, Your Power’

J.E.B. Stuart High School seniors Anna Rowan, Cassie Marcotty, Marley Finley, Abby Conde and Lidia Amanuel were bothered by the Confederate legacy of their school. Inspired by a history class with teacher Keith Bropst on the Massive Resistance anti-segregation policy, the girls set out to change Stuart’s name, mascot and colors.

Fairfax NAACP To Host Rally Seeking ‘Justice for Natasha McKenna’

Fairfax County NCAAP president Shirley Ginwright announced a rally will be held Sept. 27 to demand justice for Natasha McKenna, a 37-year-old woman with mental illness who died in February after she had been held in the Adult Detention Center.

Runners, Walkers, Wheelers Cross Finish Line in McLean

5K Raises funds for Adaptive Sports Program.

Whether they wheeled, biked, walked, or ran to the finish line, participants of the Super H 5K all agreed on one thing--that last hill was hell.

Great Falls Friends & Neighbors Awards Scholarships

Supporting women in their quest for education, career.

Martina Atabong, 35, is the first member of her family to go to college. “I’m the only one,” she said.

Column: Treatment Denied Syndrome

Natasha McKenna’s blood is on all of our hands.

Natasha McKenna did not die from excited delirium. She died from Treatment Denied Syndrome.*

Ending Bullying

Back to School: Local educators offer advice for parents on how to deal with bullying as school resumes.

When Carol Baker cried, no one heard her. She and a classmate were alone in the girls locker room, and as Baker, then an eighth grade student, tried to leave, her classmate grabbed her gym shirt and pushed her into a locker. They weren’t fighting over anything in particular and Baker didn’t sustain any physical injuries.

Help for Long-Term Caregivers

AARP Virginia and the Organization of Chinese American Women will sponsor event next week.

Those embarking on a long-term caregiving journey will have an opportunity to receive support and learn about the services available to them in Northern Virginia. AARP Virginia and the Organization of Chinese American Women will sponsor an event called, “Caregiving Wisdom from an Ancient Sage,” on Sept. 22, 7 p.m., at the Shirlington Library in Arlington and again on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 7.p.m., at the George Mason Regional Library in Annandale.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 18-27

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Fairfax County: ‘Reports and Tears Are Not Enough’

Protesters demonstrate for Natasha McKenna, social justice and improved mental health services at ad hoc police review commission public hearing.

Cayce Utley of Centreville said Natasha McKenna, the 37-year-old African American woman with mental illness who died in the Sheriff’s Office custody in February, must be “more than just a mistake, more than an accident. Black women aren’t your ‘Oops,’ they aren’t your teachable moments.”

Fairfax County School Board Reflects on First Day of Later Start Times

James Madison High School senior Ben Press provided firsthand testimony for the positive effect of new later start times for Fairfax County high school students. “Your investment in our health paid off, as can be seen in the better-rested faces of thousands of high school students across the county,” said Press, addressing the Fairfax County School Board in his new role as student representative at their Sept. 10 meeting.

Elected Officials Discuss Ways to Support Fairfax County’s Residents in Need

“We can’t do enough to spread the word that in the midst of affluent Fairfax County there is another, ‘hidden Fairfax’ that needs our urgent attention.” T

Great Falls: Always Remembered, Always Remember

Great Falls holds Memorial Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 at twilight.

Construction on the Pentagon began on Sept. 11, 1941. And at the candlelight vigil held in Great Falls precisely one year after 9/11, USMC Col. Pete Hilgartner and The Friends of the Great Falls Freedom Memorial were inspired to create the Great Falls Freedom Memorial.

Great Falls: Elite Fitness Concepts Knows Each Member by Name

Situated at Colvin Run and Walker Road, Elite Fitness Concepts has applied personalized training approaches to its members since the doors first opened in 1998. The gym prides itself on knowing each member by name and coaching entire families in living healthy lifestyles.

Locating the Historic Water-Powered Mills of Fairfax County

Debbie Robison’s presentation to the Great Falls Historical Society.

There was a time in the mid- to late-1700s to mid-1800s when mills dotted the landscape along stream valleys throughout Fairfax County.

Great Falls: Citizens Fall Primer

Key events coming up in next month.

Fairfax County: More Open Space

Survey about parks shows more households using the parks, lower satisfaction.

Fairfax County residents say preservation of open space is the most important service that the Park Authority can provide.

NOVA’s New President Celebrates First Week in New Role

Dr. Scott Ralls officially took the helm, on Sept. 8, as the fifth president of Northern Virginia Community College. Ralls joins one of the largest community colleges in the nation after seven years as president of the 58-campus North Carolina Community College System.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 11-20

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Vienna Stars Shine

Players from Great Falls, Vienna, McLean and beyond come together to win under-10 national championship in fast-pitch softball.

Sarah Semko and The Vienna Stars ‘04 amassed what the Washington Nationals couldn’t this 2015 season: a 43-game winning streak.

McLean: Larger Houses, Fewer Trees?

In-fill development a “hot issue” in McLean, Great Falls, as older homes and trees make way for much larger houses.

McLean and Great Falls communities are often named with roots to their natural surroundings: Langley Forest, Langley Oaks, Chesterbrook Woods, Franklin Forest, Chesterbrook Farm, McLean Hamlet, Amberwoods, Woodhaven, Woodside Estates, Summer Wood, Great Falls Glen, Bradley Oaks.

McLean: Middle Eastern Food Festival Draws Hundreds

Annual Labor Day weekend event features Arabic food and sweets.

It was only a matter of minutes before the parking lot of Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church on Lewinsville Road filled to overflow on Sept. 5.

Great Falls: Citizens Fall Primer

Key events coming up in next month.

‘Remodeled Home Tour’

A 3,700-square-foot, four-bedroom center hall Colonial renovated in phases over nearly two decades will be featured in a “Remodeled Home Tour” sponsored by Sun Design Remodeling.

Thinking of Downsizing?

Free seminar will focus on moving to a smaller place without sacrificing style.

Homeowners considering a move from a large home to a smaller dwelling will have an opportunity to receive expert advice on their transition later this month.

Editorial: Focusing on Suicide Prevention

Help is a phone call away.

This week is Suicide Prevention Week. Preventing suicide means paying attention to mental health and treating depression, and there is no better time to focus on that than the first week of school.

West Potomac Football Beats Langley in Season Opener

Wolverines amass 543 yards of offense, five different players reach end zone.

The West Potomac football team defeated Langley 41-28 Thursday.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 4-13

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Workplace Fitness

Employer-based health and wellness programs are good for business.

It’s Wednesday afternoon and a cohort of George Mason University staff, students and faculty hit the pavement. Clad in attire ranging from running shorts and brightly colored sneakers to neutral walking shoes and business suits, the group takes part in “Who’s Walking Wednesdays,” part of an initiative to get moving for health and wellness.

Column: Mystery of a Hitchhiker

Helping a defeated figure in a pretty beach dress and flip-flops.

My mother told me never to pick up hitchhikers. Or maybe she told me never to hitchhike. Probably both. But I did hitchhike twice in a single day, I was desperate, alone and needed help. I was 20 years old.

Editorial: How to Vote; It Matters

Voting begins in two weeks, Sept. 18.

Election Day is Nov. 3, and on that day, virtually every state and local office is on the ballot. In-person absentee voting begins Sept. 18, barely two weeks from now.

Appreciating Customers in Great Falls

Jenni Rokni has been to all of the nail salons in Great Falls and claims that Great Falls Nails and Spa on Walker Road is her favorite.

Fairfax County: Historic Sites - Resident Curators?

In exchange for rehabilitating the property, the curator gains use of the property and pays no rent.

The Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation in January 2011 to ensure that local jurisdictions establish a Resident Curator Project.