Great Falls Celebrates Fourth of July
Annual run, parade, games highlight Hometown Celebration.
Margaret Johnson remembers when the large trees in the Great Falls Village Centre weren’t so large. She remembers when they were saplings, barely providing any shade for the participants in the first ever Little Patriot Parade, which was added to the Great Falls Fourth of July celebrations almost 20 years ago.
Memory Café Provides Opportunities For Care
Weekly events help connect patients, caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
At age 64, Carol Blackwell’s husband Bob was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Carol Blackwell, a resident of Great Falls, called the diagnosis "devastating" and found what transpired to be a struggle as well.
MCC Hosts Fireworks Show
Event will be last at Langley High School.
Hundreds of local residents descended on Langley High School the night of Wednesday, July 4, to the annual Fourth of July fireworks show, hosted by the McLean Community Center.
Jackson Moves On from McLean
McLean High School Principal Dr. Deborah Jackson leaves after five years.
After five years at McLean High School, Dr. Deborah Jackson left her position as principal July 2 to take a new position within Fairfax County Public Schools. Jackson, who is a member of the McLean Rotary Club, was cited by parents and many organizations for her commitment to the school and the community surrounding it.
New Plant Life at Village Centre
GFCA, local businesses plant 50 flower baskets.
Visitors to the Great Falls Village Centre and the surrounding areas may have noticed a little extra plant life. The Great Falls Citizens Association, along with the Village Centre Condos, the Old Brogue, Adeler Jewelers, BB and T, the Great Falls Exxon, Great Falls Auto Service, Village Green Day School and Oliver’s Corner all helped contribute to the project, which includes 50 baskets.
Storms Leave Thousands Without Power
Derecho hits McLean, Great Falls area causing massive damage.
After a night of watching blinding flashes of lightning, sheets of rain and pieces of trees flying around his yard, George Matmos of McLean sought out Saturday morning normalcy the best he knew how: with a cup of morning coffee.
Outgoing MCA President Honored
Rob Jackson named Lord of Fairfax for Dranesvile District.
Rob Jackson, who served the most terms as president in the history of the McLean Citizens Association, was honored by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as Lord of Fairfax for the Dranesville District. Jackson, the outgoing president, became involved in community affairs after a random encounter years ago.
Chamber Hands Out Awards, Names New Board
Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce hosts annual awards luncheon.
The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce presented their annual Awards for Chamber Excellence (ACE) and welcomed their new board of directors Thursday, June 28 at the Hyatt Regency Reston. The chamber also celebrated its 30th anniversary, it was founded in 1982.
Having Fun Along the Potomac
Riverbend, Great Falls Parks offer summer activities.
The Potomac River makes up the eastern border of Great Falls, and this summer the two parks located alongside it will be brimming with summer activities over the next few months, as Riverbend Park and Great Falls Park will host a variety of classes, trips and educational sessions.
Great Falls Couple Explore Local Day Trips
Beth and David Sansbury chronicle ‘52 Perfect Day Trips.’
Great Falls residents Beth and David Sansbury are no strangers to travel. The two of them count 67 countries they’ve visited. But after long careers in the CIA, they had enough of being cooped up in an office. So after retirement, they began spending their days outdoors pursuing their true passions: hiking, biking, kayaking and touring local attractions.
Supporting Local Schools
Celebrate Great Falls raises more than $18,000 for local elementary schools.
Members of Celebrate Great Falls presented a check for $18,125 to members of the Forestville, Colvin Run and Great Falls Elementary Schools. The money, which was raised at the annual golf tournament Monday, June 4, puts the total donated to local schools from the golf tournament at more than $98,000 in the last five years.
Share Hosts Benefit Concert
Local musicians play to support local nonprofit.
Charles Wesley United Methodist Church hosted their third annual benefit concert for Share of McLean, a local nonprofit that assists the needy in the McLean area. Share’s five-fold mission includes a food pantry, clothing room, transportation to medical appointments, family assistance in the form of rent or utility payments and furniture delivery.
Highlander Class of 2012 Graduates
McLean High School says farewell to 428 seniors.
The 428 members of the McLean High School Class of 2012 gathered for the final time at DAR Constitution Hall Thursday, June 14 for the school’s annual commencement ceremony. The students donned their red caps and gowns to celebrate the end of their time at McLean High and to celebrate their future.
McLean Rotary Names Business Person of Year
Christopher Fay recognized for efforts with Homestretch.
The McLean Rotary Club named its Business Person of the Year during their Tuesday, June 12 meeting, honoring Christopher Fay of Homestretch, a Falls Church-based nonprofit that provides homeless families with the ability to secure permanent housing, as well as obtain the skills needed to obtain self-sufficiency.
Langley Class of 2012 Graduates
School graduates 486 seniors.
Almost 500 seniors graduated from Langley High School Thursday, June 14 at DAR Constitution Hall. The Class of 2012 sent 486 seniors across the platform, with most looking ready and eager to take on the next phase of their lives.
Jones Strives to Personalize Patient Care
Concierge Principal Medical Group celebrates one year in McLean.
Working in a hospital, Dr. David Jones was able to see firsthand the delays and inconveniences of many current medical practices. So he decided to go, in his words, "back to the way medicine was 30, 40 years ago," and started a concierge practice in McLean a year ago. On Thursday, June 7, Jones celebrated one year in business with the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce at his Beverly Road Office.
SCC Honors Partners
Coalition recognizes volunteers, officials for efforts over past school year.
The Safe Community Coalition honored dozens of individuals and organizations at their annual members meeting Tuesday, June 5 at the McLean Community Center. The primarily volunteer-run organization coordinates various activities and events designed to raise awareness of issues faced by youths, mostly in the Langley and McLean High School pyramids.
Planning for Tysons Future
Officials provide update on Tysons redevelopment, 495 Express lanes, Metro Silver Line.
This month marks two years since the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for Tysons Corner. The plan is aimed at making Tysons into an urban center, which Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova says will bring in 100,000 residents and 200,000 jobs by 2050.
Latest Downtown Revitalization Project Breaks Ground
Project will place overhead utility wires underground at intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road.
Local county and business officials gathered at the peninsula at the intersection of Elm Street, Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road Thursday, June 7 to break ground on an underground utility project that is a major step in the revitalization of downtown McLean. The project will place underground all electric and communications lines from the Shell station at the intersection west on Old Dominion Drive and from the Starbucks to the McLean Cleaners along Chain Bridge Road.
Local Art Supports Local Charity
Langley senior organization charity art sale.
Langley High School senior Gabriella Jacobsen has always been interested in art. Art runs in her family, through her grandmother and mother, and while Jacobsen enjoys creating art as well, she’s also interested in the practical side. She used this side Saturday, June 9 to hold a charity art sale at Langley to benefit the Gandhi Brigade, a Maryland-based nonprofit.
Connecting to Their Community
Langley High School Community Service Club celebrates first year.
The Langley High School Community Service Club celebrated their first year of existence Friday, June 8 at The Old Brogue. Club members volunteered at 11 different events for a total of more than 300 hours around the area during the year, from helping pack meals for the homeless to spending time with the residents of Vinson Hall, a nursing home.
Great Falls Kicks off Summer on the Green
June Fest leads into first edition of annual Concerts on the Green.
Celebrate Great Falls hosted the inaugural edition of June Fest, a spring festival at the Great Falls Village Centre that featured local businesses, organizations and carnival games and rides. Celebrate Great Falls re-christened their festival June Fest this year, to avoid confusion with the annual Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Optimists.
Langley Alumni Gather on the Diamond
Alumni defeat varsity 10-9 in first ever match.
Members of Celebrate Great Falls and other residents spent the weekend taking part in traditions old and new, bringing together old and young as part of the first Great Falls Days events.
Farmers Market Going Strong in New Location
Weekly market features locally grown produce, meats, beauty products.
Every Saturday morning the Great Falls Farmers Market offers fresh produce and other unique, homemade goods, of which many come directly from Great Falls itself. Now located at the Great Falls Village Centre (in the parking lot next to Wells Fargo) every Saturday, it features a variety of vendors both returning and new.
MPA Paints in the Park
Children, professional artists celebrate McLean Project for the Arts’ 50th anniversary.
As part of their celebration of 50 years in existence, the McLean Project for the Arts hosted a "Painting in the Park" exhibition Sunday, June 3 in McLean Central Park. The community’s youngest artists were invited out to help make cupcakes out of clay and other crafts, while the professional artists were invited to take advantage of whatever inspiration the clear, sunny day had to offer.
Reston Farmer’s Market Going Strong
Weekly market will be at Lake Anne until November.
Living in California, Tony Tanis saw the rise in popularity of kale chips. A vegan culinary school graduate, she knew the nutritional value of the chips, made of dried kale greens, but found that they could be a little pricey.
Great Falls Remembers Fallen
Freedom Memorial hosts annual Memorial Day ceremony.
Dozens gathered Monday at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial for the annual Memorial Day ceremony, honoring all who have lost their lives serving this country, including several from Great Falls.
McLean High Sings Musicals
Concert features variety of Tony Award-winning songs.
McLean High School combined the best of stage and song last weekend, as they presented a concert of Tony Award-winning songs over two nights. Numbers from more than a dozen musicals were featured, everything from intimate duets to rousing group numbers.
Langley Receives Eight Cappies Nominations
School to perform scene from ‘The Crucible’ at June 10 gala.
Langley High School received eight nominations for this year’s Cappies, including five for their performance of "The Crucible" earlier this year. They will perform a three-minute excerpt of the play at this year’s gala, to be held June 10 at the Kennedy Center.
MCA Hosts Annual Membership Meeting
Association says farewell to president, provides McLean Community Foundation update.
The McLean Citizens Association hosted their annual members meeting Wednesday, May 23, saying farewell to President Rob Jackson and welcoming new president Sally Horn. Jackson, who is wrapping up his fifth term (the most of any MCA president), said he was proud of the MCA’s work on a number of issues over the past five years.
Supporting Friendly, Instant, Sympathetic Help
Herndon-Reston FISH hosts annual fundraiser.
Most guests at the annual Herndon-Reston FISH Fling Saturday, May 19 were already familiar with the work done by Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help. George Buckfield of Centreville wasn’t very familiar, but it didn’t take long into dinner for him to realize their impact.
Reston Town Center Hosts Fine Arts Festival
21st annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival features 200 artists.
More than 20 years ago, artist Dana Ann Scheurer was part of the very first Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. The primarily watercolor artist is still part of the festival, which celebrated its 21st year at Reston Town Center.
Reston Opens Children’s Tennis Courts
Six courts for children created from two previous regulation courts.
The Reston Association opened six junior sized tennis courts near Lake Anne Saturday, May 19, allowing the youngest members of the community a chance to get a head start on the game. The courts are for children 10 and under, and were built out of two existing courts at the North Shore Tennis Courts.
Cassella Foundation Runs Third Annual 5K
Event raises $45,000 for family of 1-year-old with liver cancer.
In her year on the Earth, Gianna Hess has already been through more than enough medical procedures. She was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer, and on Feb. 21 had a biopsy done, which confirmed that the cancer had spread, in the form of three lung nodules.
Celebrate Great Falls Kicks Off Summer June 2-3
Baseball game, concert series, June Fest highlight Celebrate Great Falls Days.
During the first weekend of June traditions old and new will be taking place throughout Great Falls. Cars and Coffee, the Concerts on the Green and the annual Golf Tournament to benefit local elementary schools will all be taking place, as well as a few new elements.
Community Celebrates McLean Day
Festival brings thousands to Lewinsville Park.
While Enid Tate of McLean enjoys going to McLean Day to check out the local businesses, live music, carnival rides and other staples of the annual festival, her two daughters come for only one thing.
Tysons Partnership Names Executive Director
Group brings all parties together to plan for Tysons Corner redevelopment.
The Tysons Partnership, a nonprofit formed to promote the development of Tysons Corner around the Metro and beyond, has selected Michael Caplin as its executive director. Caplin, a 16-year resident of McLean, is an attorney and chair of the Global Advisory Board at the George Mason University Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
Langley Dedicates Courtyard
Improvements include wildflower section, wildlife habitat certification.
Langley High School welcomed students, faculty and staff to their courtyard Friday, May 18, showing off student’s artwork and the Eco Club’s recent garden plantings.
Raising Funds for Back Health
Virginia Spine Institute hosts fundraising 5K.
In his 20s Ray Pugsley was a national-level runner, in competition to compete in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games. But he hurt his back in 1996 and underwent a procedure then, and another one in 2003. While that might seem like something that could end his running career, Pugsley has flourished since then.
Old Brogue Hockey Skates Away with Fifth Title
Inline hockey team wins third straight championship.
Chris Bass is no stranger to the Old Brogue. As a young man he was there on opening day in 1981 and hasn’t strayed too far since. In fact, now he wears a jersey with the bar’s name on it, as a member of the Old Brogue inline hockey team.
Searching for Great Falls’ Biggest Trees
Third annual Big Tree Hike features some of the largest trees in the state.
As part of a running group, Bob Vickers was familiar with the land along the Potomac River owned by the Potomac Conservatory. So when he heard about a contest looking for the biggest tree in Great Falls, he knew exactly where to look.
Franklin Sherman Honors Volunteers
Jo Hicks, Susana Radice honored for decades of service.
As mothers, Jo Hicks and Susana Radice raised their children in McLean. Once their children were grown, both women decided to take their skills to the local school, Franklin Sherman Elementary School. More than 20 years and 10 teachers later, the two are still going strong volunteering with special needs preschool students.
Nature House Hosts Spring Festival
Outdoor activities, displays featured at annual festival.
Outdoor and nature enthusiasts of all ages flocked to the Walker Nature Education Center Saturday, May 5 for the annual Spring Festival. Stations were scattered around the center and the adjacent paths allowing children to participate in a variety of natural activities, including stream monitoring, plant identification and fishing in nearby Lake Audubon.
Lake Anne Hosts ‘Out of Place’
Exhibit inspired by history, architecture of Reston.
As dozens gathered around Lake Anne Sunday evening for the dance performance for the Reston Museum’s "Out of Place" exhibit, many had no idea what they were looking for. Which is why, when a male and female in matching white shirts started walking along the dock, at first no one paid attention.
Haddad Ballet Presents ‘The Snow Queen’
Performance will be studios fourth in Great Falls, first since 2006.
The Margaret Haddad Studio of Classical Ballet will present "The Snow Queen" at the Madeira School in McLean Saturday, May 12. This is the fourth time Haddad has put on the show since coming to Great Falls and the first since 2006.
Seniors Group Plans First Events
Ecumenical Council members join with group, seek county charter.
The Great Falls Citizens Association’s Seniors Group hosted their meeting with new membership Wednesday, May 2, as group mainstays were joined by representatives from local churches and Fairfax County. The group, which was founded last year and has been seeking input from local residents, started planning their first event and laid out plans for a year’s worth of events, starting this September.
Old Brogue Hosts Reston Smile Partners Fundraiser
Event raises funds for pro bono lab work for Reston Interfaith clients.
The Old Brogue hosted a fundraiser Tuesday, May 1 for Reston Smile Partners, which operates in partnership with Reston Interfaith to provide pro bono dental care for their clients.
Volunteer Fire Department Celebrates 70 Years
New firehouse hosts anniversary celebration.
Milburn Sanders, 90, joined the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department (then known as the Forestville Fire Department) seven days after it opened on May 5, 1952. Seventy years later, he was part of the celebration at a new building, with generations of volunteer and career firefighters that came after him.
McLean High Examines Youth Survey Numbers
Students report less bullying, inhalant use, more alcohol, binge drinking than county numbers.
The McLean High School PTSA hosted a meeting Wednesday, May 2 to discuss the McLean High School pyramid-specific results from the 2010 Fairfax County Youth Survey. The annual survey, which is filled out by eighth, 10th and 12th graders (as well as a modified version taken by sixth graders) is meant to gather data on student behavior, both positive and negative.
Memorial Dedicated at Riverbend
Bench memorializes Trailblazers’ founder Eleanor Weck.
Eleanor Weck, or Ele to her friends, spent more than four decades in Great Falls. As a tireless advocate for nature and trails, she spent much of her time in Riverbend Park. Weck passed away last May at the age of 72, and on Saturday, April 28, family and friends gathered to dedicate a permanent tribute in the park.