Elton John’s ‘Aida’ Comes to Vienna
Vienna Youth Players, celebrating 20 years of performances, takes on a Broadway hit musical.
It took two knighted Brits, Elton John and Tim Rice, to create a contemporary musical production based on an Italian opera composed in the late 1800s, set in Egypt of the pharaohs, interpreted with rock music and dance. But John and Rice did, and “Aida” re-interpreted became a Broadway hit. Now, “Aida,” with its elaborate period and not-so-period costuming and modern music and dance is coming to Vienna, performed by the Vienna Youth Players.

One Dead Dog is One Too Many
In an effort to deal with an outbreak of a yet-unidentified upper respiratory infection that has resulted in the death of one dog and sickened a dozen more, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter has temporarily suspended the intake of owner-surrendered dogs as of Friday, July 27 until the shelter can be decontaminated and sanitized. Owners wanting to surrender dogs are being sent to other shelters.

Brother’s Brother Comes to Merrifield
Brother’s Brother Foundation (BFF) celebrated the grand opening of its Northern Virginia warehouse on Saturday.

Petersen Plays FDR in ‘Annie’
City of Fairfax Theatre Company produces “Annie,” the popular “rags-to-riches” Broadway musical, with surprising ties to Fairfax County.
Lanier Middle School was packed this weekend as nearly 400 people turned out to see local families, a state senator—and even a mayor—in The City of Fairfax Theatre Company’s production and performance of “Annie.”

Helping Children in Need
Local teenagers start Children’s Trust Fund.
While most high school seniors spend their time thinking about the SATs, prom and college, Celia Islam of Vienna is thinking about how to help others. Islam, a rising senior at George C. Marshall High School, is the founder and president of Children’s Trust Fund (CTFund)—a nonprofit organization that seeks to aid impoverished children in developing nations.
Unlocking the Door to Affordable Housing
County considers establishment of residential studio option to assist with housing affordability.
Like most areas that have seen explosive growth in the past 30 years, Fairfax County’s stock of affordable housing has dwindled as it’s grown into one of the nation’s wealthiest counties.
‘Regionality’ of Transportation Projects Questioned
Transportation Authority approves FY2014 Project List.
“Tonight we acted to address one of the greatest threats to our region: Congestion.” So spoke Marty Nohe, chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and Coles District supervisor for Prince William County.
Twins Team Wins Vienna Babe Ruth Championship
The Twins baseball team won the Vienna Babe Ruth Senior League Championship by beating the Pirates, 2-1 on a packed night Thursday, June 27, at 8:30 p.m. on Waters Field in the heart of Vienna.
Langley Club Celebrates Despite Loss
The Langley Wildthings (2-2-1) celebrated this week, despite a 226-194 loss to the Dunn Loring Dolphins.

Otter Divers Prevail Over Rolling Hills
The Oakton Otter divers prevailed over Rolling Hills on Tuesday, July 17, with a score of 38 to 30, bringing their win-loss record to 1 and 3.
Vienna All Stars Advance in Babe Ruth Tournament
The Senior League Vienna All Stars team (16-19) advanced to the Virginia Babe Ruth State Tournament, after finishing runner-up in the 13-district championship.

Silence of the Court: Virginia Supreme Court Denies Access to Audio Recordings
Lack of transparency is explained as effort to shield personal conversations.
The Virginia Supreme Court operates in silence, denying public access to audio recordings of its oral arguments.

Feeling Pretty Good
T.C. Williams grads hit the road for first tour out of the D.C. area.
A shared appreciation for the blues has morphed into an increasingly successful reggae band with enough popularity to literally take their show on the road. FeelFree, a group of five 20-something men from Alexandria, mostly T.C. Williams graduates, last week kicked off their first East Coast tour, which will take them from this area up to New York City and down to North Carolina, with a stop in Charlottesville along the way.
Joining Together To Save Animals
There are dozens of animal welfare organizations across the country working to secure "forever homes" for dogs and cats of all ages. And while there's a general camaraderie amongst them, stemming from their common cause, what's a little friendly competition among peers? For the past few years, the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has sponsored a nationwide contest to challenge shelters to see how many more animals they could adopt between June and August beyond the total the year before.

Making Sure Children Don't Go Hungry
Our Daily Bread provides meals for children during summer break.
For most children, summer means the end of homework and tests, and the beginning of cookouts and carefree summer vacations.