Stories for October 2020

Opinion: Commentary: Vote Yes on Redistricting Amendment

The amendment would end the practice of secretive drawing of districts.

If Virginia voters ratify a Constitutional Amendment to establish a transparent, fair process for redrawing Congressional and legislative districts, we will have maps next year that reflect the preferences and desires of Virginia’s voters.

Fairfax Little League Wraps ‘Amazing Season’

When the Fairfax Little League had to cancel its 2020 spring season due to COVID-19, all those associated with the league were naturally disappointed.

Celebrate Fairfax: Outlook Not Good

Outside or not, thousands gathered for rides, entertainment and food could be a super spreader.

Celebrate Fairfax plans in question

Preventing Falls

Physical exercise and home safety reduce risk

One of the leading causes of fatal injuries in older adults is falling.

Vienna, Herndon Mayors, Delegate Watts Honored

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recognized three local honorees.

Pressure Mounts on Return to School in Fairfax County

School Board members face sensitive voting items.

The week of Oct. 19 held important information for Fairfax County Public Schools families.

A Good Place for Affordable Housing in Fairfax County?

Proposal could be a step toward 5,000 unit goal.

Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw located prime real estate to create 200-250 family units of affordable housing: two parking lots of the Fairfax Government Center.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Don’t Waste Your Vote

Maybe Joe Biden was not your preferred Democratic candidate and you would rather have supported Warren, Klobuchar, Sanders or Buttigieg.

Opinion: Commentary: Don’t Be Fooled by Ballot Language in Virginia

Vote NO on the Gerrymandering Amendment

The ballot language in Amendment 1 is confusing.

Breakfast, Balloons, Live Music and Fun in Fairfax City

Fairfax City recently held its second annual Park(ing) Day, turning a Fair City Mall parking lot into a space for outdoor fun.

‘We’re Sort of God’s Emergency Room’ in Fairfax City

The Lamb Center: Providing hope and a future

This year’s fundraiser for The Lamb Center (TLC) was called “Hope and a Future,” and it was aptly named because that’s exactly what this Fairfax City nonprofit provides for its guests.

Opinion: Commentary: Marathon is Over – Virginia Special Session Gavels Out

The 2020 General Assembly Special Session, which first convened on Aug. 18, recessed at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 16.

Opinion: Commentary: Make a Plan and Vote 2020

Voting is a fundamental American right and the basis of our democracy.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: We Are Not Better Off Now

Regarding this 2020 election… never mind that President Trump took children away from their parents at our southern border.

Opinion: Commentary: Project Community Connect Supports Those Struggling to Afford Basic Needs

The impact of COVID-19 has deepened the economic hardship for residents in the DMV area.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Voters: Heroes of the Day

I am just short of 88 years of age and have voted in sixteen elections for president.

National Book Month

Month-long celebration focuses on engaging families in reading, writing and literature

It’s a line from the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, that is at the heart of the literary philosophy of Anne Briggs, web services and communications librarian at Montgomery College Library.

U.S. Park Police Charged in Killing of McLean Resident

Family has waited for justice since November 2017 when Bijan Ghaisar was shot.

Latest: Police Officers Turn Themselves In

Opinion: Column: “I’ll Think About That Tomorrow”

What I'm thinking about – and being thankful for, today, is the disappearance of all the side effects I've been experiencing during the last four weeks or so since I began my pill regimen for my papillary thyroid cancer treatment.

Opinion: Commentary: Special Session Summary #1: Criminal Justice Reform Delivered

First of three parts.

More Ways to Vote in Fairfax County

Fairfax County opened thirteen new early voting locations, giving voters more opportunities to cast their early votes ahead.

Fairfax’s Middleridge Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The Middleridge subdivision off Ox Road in Fairfax celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sept. 27.

‘Families Are in Jeopardy of Losing their Homes’

Hugs, handshakes, traveling, and gathering with friends at large events are just some of the things the current pandemic has stopped.

Safety Kits Help Fairfax City Businesses

To protect the business community and prevent the spread of COVID-19, Fairfax City’s Economic Development Office and Economic Development Authority (EDA), will provide City businesses with Fairfax City ReConnected Safety Kits.

‘High-Quality Care and Education for Children’ in Fairfax City

Main Street Child Development Center helps both students and parents.

Main Street Child Development Center provides affordable childcare for low-income families in Fairfax City and Fairfax County.

Opinion: Column: “And Awaaay We Go!”

As Jackie Gleason would say as he segued from his monologue into the sketch comedy that followed on his Saturday night entertainment hour on CBS.

Hiding at the Top of the Ticket

Race for Senate features two-term incumbent versus first-time candidate.

When Mark Warner ran for governor in 2001, opponents knocked him for wanting to be governor without having ever run for office before.

Home Library Design

Designers offer ideas for spaces with style and comfort.

Once thought of as space for academics to smoke cigars and sip whiskey, the era of covid-19 has transformed home libraries into now cozy places of refuge.

Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Through Changes in TJ Admissions

Newest proposed merit lottery admissions policy fuels concern.

Top-level discussions concerning proposals by Fairfax County Public Schools leaders and School Board members to increase the population of underrepresented students of color at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) have flown fast and furious the last four weeks.

Fairfax City Helps Restaurants Ready for Winter

Fairfax City is launching a Winter Preparedness Initiative Micro-Grant, this Friday, Oct. 9, as part of the Fairfax City ReConnected Outdoors Program.

‘Stuff You Can’t Find Anywhere Else’ in Fairfax City

99 Ranch Market opens

When 99 Ranch Market, a leading Asian grocery store, recently opened its new store in Fairfax City, the pandemic meant just 50 people were allowed inside at a time.

Opinion: Column: An Update About Some Down Time

Not that I want to give you a blow-by-blow concerning my treatment switch over to thyroid cancer from lung cancer, but the last two columns were written four weeks ago in the same week in expectation of a weekend away, so these observations will be new-ish in that they will be hot off the press, so to speak.

Creating a Spooky and Safe Halloween in the Age of COVID-19

Ideas for frightful revelry abound even amid coronavirus concerns.

Cartoon character Marshall from Paw Patrol will be searching for chocolate while a tiny pop star tracks down toys as Arlington mother and teacher Becky Beach and her family celebrate the spookiest day of the year.

Free Meals to All Children 18 and Under in Fairfax County

FCPS has distributed more than 3.1 million grab and go meals since schools closed in March.

Behavioral Health Teams to Join Police on Mental Health Calls in Virginia

Marcus alert bill passes House and Senate, moves to Northam’s desk

Opinion: Commentary: We Need a Better Redistricting Amendment

Along with eliminating the Electoral College and reversing corporate contributions green-lighted by the Citizens United case, I consider the drawing of elected officials’ district lines to be one of the most significant, fundamental problems in American Democracy today.

Fairfax County Public Schools Staff Uncomfortable With In-Person School Plan

Fairfax County Federation of Teachers releases survey results.

Staff at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are overwhelmingly uncomfortable with returning for in-person instruction, given the incomplete information about the implementation that has been currently shared, according to a report released by the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) on Oct. 6 during a press conference.

Life Hangs in the Box Checked in Fairfax County

HR for County Schools tells staff to make a decision.

Tia Williams is an instructional assistant with diabetes and severe asthma at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Gathering Hundreds of Ideas for Police Reform in Fairfax County

Public input session part of effort to create more transparency in public safety.

In retirement, Randy Sayles, former Marine, former Denver police detective, former DEA special agent undercover in the U.S., Pakistan and Brazil, won a lifetime achievement award from Fairfax County for his efforts to make this county’s police force and policies more equitable for all residents.

Deer Hunting in Fairfax County Controls Herd Populations

Bow hunting program nets hundreds of deer each year.

Deer hunting

Limiting Neck Restraints

Lawmakers negotiate behind closed doors on how to curb police use of chokeholds.

When lawmakers began their special session on criminal justice reform in August, hopes were high that the General Assembly would send the governor a bill that banned police from using chokeholds. But now that the protesters have gone home and the lawmakers have moved behind closed doors to negotiate in a secret closed-door conference committee, advocates for criminal-justice reform are worried about what will emerge in the conference report that will be presented to the House and Senate.

Opinion: Commentary: Springfield District’s ‘Slice of Paradise’

Springfield District encompasses everything from the historic town of Clifton, to the bustling shops of Fair Oaks Mall, to miles of trails at beautiful Burke Lake Park.

Opinion: Commentary: Supervisor Welcomes You to the Braddock District

Dear Neighbor, It is an honor to welcome you to Fairfax County and the Braddock District!

Viewpoints: What are the Greatest Things About Living in the Springfield/Lorton/Clifton/Fairfax/Fairfax Station Area?

Opinion: Commentary: Collective Bargaining Means a Seat at the Table so Fairfax County Employees Can Improve Services, Jobs

The pandemic is showing just how much we depend on each other -- no matter who we are, where we’re from or the color of our skin.

Opinion: Commentary: Reform at America’s #1 High School Is Good for All, Including Asian Americans

As part of the proposed 2020 budget for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Governor Northam charged all academic year governor’s schools to set diversity goals and develop a plan to meet them.

Opinion: Commentary: Welcome, We’re Lucky to Call Fairfax County Home

Welcome to Fairfax County.

Fairfax County Covid Cases

As of Saturday, Sept. 26, the Virginia Department of Health and Fairfax County Department of Health reported that 20,687 Fairfax County residents have tested positive for Covid-19 and more than 586 have died.

Where to Give Locally To Help with Pandemic Hunger and Beyond

Any quest to talk about the issues in Northern Virginia right now seems to lead to talk about the pandemic, and the economic crisis that follows in its wake.

Fairfax County Public Schools Offers Free Meals to All Children 18 and Under

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Office of Food and Nutrition Services is offering healthy meals at locations throughout Fairfax County this school year under the USDA Summer Food Service Program and the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Newcomers & Community Guide 2020

About the Connection in 2020

Opinion: Column: And So It Continues

Two-plus weeks into my thyroid cancer treatment, all is as I anticipated.