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Vienna Realtor to Be Honored

In her effort to break the cycle of poverty for the working poor in the Washington D.C. region, Rosemary Tran Lauer founded the Devotion for Children nonprofit.

Volunteers Needed to Help Virginians Get Covered

Last winter, 2,045 Northern Virginian families were able to get answers about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and enroll in healthcare coverage, thanks to a community-wide investment of nonprofit organizations, local government, foundations and volunteers.

Connolly to Hold Open Season Workshop for Federal Employees and Retirees

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11) will hold his annual Open Season Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 15 to help federal employees and retirees navigate through the many changes in the 2015 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plans, dental and vision insurance programs, and flexible spending accounts. The federal government’s Open Season runs from Nov. 10 through Dec. 8.


Column: Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing

After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances.

Fairfax Education Summit to Be Held on Oct. 25

The Fairfax County School Board will host Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) fifth annual Education Summit, Mapping Your Student’s Unique Journey: Explore the Many Choices in Fairfax County Public Schools, on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 8 a.m. at Edison High School.

Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing

After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances. Certainly I understand, given my column’s recurring theme, that the subjects of me and my circumstances – and the personal stories I share with you regular readers – are basically the same. Still, I never want the content to be considered important because it’s MY life that’s being profiled. Quite the contrary. If the columns were any more about me, you wouldn’t be interested.


Editorial: Yes to Fairfax Transportation Bond

$84 million for pedestrian, bike and trail improvements.

Of more than 75 projects included in the current proposal, on the ballot for Nov. 4, all but seven are designed to make Fairfax County safer and more inviting for pedestrians and bicyclists.

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Marriage Equality in Fairfax and Beyond

County courthouse marries all couples.

Wearing matching hot pink outerwear and short, spiky hair in front of the Fairfax County Government Center on Oct. 6, Yvonne Landis and Melodie Mayo of Falls Church were the first same sex couple to say “I do” in the county.

Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: September, 2014

In September 2014, 79 homes sold between $2,125,000-$268,000 in the Vienna and Oakton area.

Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: September, 2014


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Crashing the Parties

Marc Harrold, Libertarian; Joe Galdo, Green, run for Congress.

Marc Harrold is a self-professed creature of habit. He’s been going to the same bars and restaurants near his Fairfax home for years, where the close friends he’s made there say his great sense of humor and diverse intelligence help him “hold court” and converse easily with anyone, on any subject.

Sarvis: Warner-Gillespie Debate ‘Disappointing’

Libertarian candidate says chamber’s decision to include only major-party candidates in U.S. Senate debate a “disservice” to voters.

After a full day of campaigning at Fort Belvoir on Friday, Oct. 11, Robert Sarvis talked about his campaign for U.S. Senate, and his disappointment in not being invited to participate in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate Debate — a major televised debate hosted by The Fairfax Chamber at Capitol One’s convention center in McLean. “The Fairfax Chamber informed us that it was nothing other than ‘tradition’ to only invite major party candidates,” Sarvis said. “But this was after we formally requested an invitation, noted that over 145,000 Virginians voted for Robert Sarvis for governor in 2013, and sent them a petition signed by over 1,000 Virginians in support of a three-candidate debate.”

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Warner, Gillespie Clash in U.S. Senate Debate

Stark distinctions on same-sex marriage, immigration, abortion and healthcare.

In front of an audience of Northern Virginia business leaders, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie honed their attacks on each other during a sharp, wide-ranging debate Tuesday evening, Oct. 7.


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Getting Children Excited for Halloween

Local experts offer advice for keeping trick-or-treating fun, not scary, for small children.

For many children, Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. From Power Rangers and athletes to princesses and pirates, dressing up in their spookiest or most imaginative attire and trolling the streets in search of treats is a major part of the fun for school-age children. For younger children, however, the ghosts and goblins who are meant to entertain can cause too much of a fright.

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The Private School Admissions Process

Local educators offer insider tips on how to select and get a child admitted to the perfect school.

While this school year might still feel new, some parents are already thinking next fall. Or if they’re not, they should be. For parents who are considering sending their children to one of the area’s private schools for the 2015-2016 school year, the application process should be underway.

Not in the Mood

Sometimes, believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to be a terminal cancer patient (duh). Not that the effect is particularly tangible, but the weight of it, as well as the associated waits I’ve occasionally written about, can get awfully heavy. Moreover, in spite of my best psychological efforts, generally speaking, there seems little I can do to diminish its effect. More often than not, it’s merely time; simply time passing and/or time spent trying to talk myself out-of how I feel and in-to how I haven’t failed.


Editorial: Coming - Children’s Connection

During the last week of each year, The Connection devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children. The results are always remarkable. It is a keepsake edition for many families.

Week in Vienna

Weekly happenings in Vienna.

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Bellini Salon Hosts ‘Princess and Firefighter Party’

Transformation for girls and boys donated by Bellini staff.

The Bellini Salon of Vienna welcomes children 14 and under to become either a “princess” for a day, or firefighter, at its “Princess and Firefighter Party” to benefit the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.


A Thurber Carnival’ Comes to Town

Vienna Theatre Company presents 15 of James Thurber’s most-recognized scenes.

With every production, the Vienna Theatre Company stretches its comfort zone. In this fall, 2014, production, VTC draws on a series of scenes based on The New Yorker (mostly) short pieces and cartoons of American humorist James Thurber.

Introducing Ottomate, and the Inventor Behind it

While many have been seeking ways to save on home electric bills, one local high school student has been working on a solution.