James Madison Dance Team Wins Large Varsity Pom Division
The James Madison Varsity Dance Team competed at the 2012 Mason Dance Team Invitational on Sunday, Dec. 9, among 32 other dance teams.

Family Remembers Life and Legacy of Kidnapped Libyan Human Rights Activist
Mansur Rashid Kikhia’s family lives in McLean and Vienna area.
Nineteen years ago, on Dec. 10, 1993, Libyan human rights activist and lawyer Mansur Rashid Kikhia, was kidnapped from his hotel room in Cairo, Egypt and spirited out of the country. Last month—December, 2012—Kikhia’s death in Tripoli was confirmed to his family, now living in the Vienna and McLean areas. On Saturday, Jan. 12, Kikhia’s family and friends celebrated the life of a man dedicated to human rights for all.

Tysons Service District Created
New tax district will help fund Tysons Corner improvements.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted eight to two to create a Tysons Corner Service District, which is expected to raise money to help cover the estimated $3.1 billion in new roads and public transit development planned for the area.

Tysons Service District Created
New tax district will help fund Tysons Corner improvements.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted eight to two to create a Tysons Corner Service District, which is expected to raise money to help cover the estimated $3.1 billion in new roads and public transit development planned for the area.
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: November, 2012
In November 2012, 88 homes sold between $1,473,500-$183,000 in the Vienna and Oakton area.
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: November, 2012

Flint Hill Boys’ Basketball ‘Trying to Find an Identity’
Huskies force overtime against Bishop Ireton but fall short.
The Flint Hill boys' basketball team overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force overtime, but lost to Bishop Ireton on Jan. 5.

Parents Plead for Delay in Training Center Closing
Timeframe for closure puts disabled adults at risk, advocates say.
When it was Kenneth Gans’ turn to speak to the panel of Virginia state legislators, the 78-year-old father of a severely-disabled son kept his remarks brief.
Week in Vienna
January holiday town office closures, Dog tag deadline Jan. 31, Lifetime Leadership Program to hold information sessions, Members needed for Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and American Legion awards college scholarships
Vienna’s Simonton Burns Bright
University of Illinois at Chicago Flames player and Vienna resident takes one for the team.
Vienna resident Will Simonton, a class of 2010 graduate of Marshall High School, was featured in the Chicago Sun-Times on Saturday, Dec. 8 for his performance with the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames in their 64-55 victory over Colorado State.
Author Reminds Children All Animals Need Sleep
“Animals Need Zzzs, Too” looks at the ways different animals sleep.
When Vienna resident Patricia Britz worked at the National Sleep Foundation, she fielded calls from parents wanting information on sleep needs of their children. Sleep, Britz observed, is not as valued as it deserves to be.
Aging with a Digital Connection
Local specialist guides seniors through the social network maze.
There’s a digital revolution blowing through Fairfax County and Vienna resident Cherie Lejeune is fanning it. And it’s not the tech-savvy young ones Lejeune is reaching out to now … it is the aging population who will use social media and networking software to maintain social networks and family relationships.
Maddie’s Blankets Makes 10,000th Blanket
Maddie’s Blankets has announced that on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, at Haycock Elementary School in Falls Church, Susannah Bianco, a fourth grade student at the school, made their 10,000th blanket. This blanket will be donated to the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation for use in their Tysons PetSmart animal adoption center.

Marshall Theater Honors Walter Bobby McCoy
The George C. Marshall High School Theater Boosters have awarded Walter Bobby McCoy the GC Marshall Theater Award for his contributions, which included musical director for GC Marshall's musical "Drowsy Chaperone."
“If It Ain’t Broke…”
Today is a day I feel like writing – not merely one when I am looking forward to having written, but rather one when I am interested and motivated by the process.

Preparing for a Spring Wonderland
Experts offer advice on what to do now to create a pleasurable outdoor space in spring.
Chilly January temperatures can make spring seem far away. However, it’s closer than you think. A recent Residential Landscape Architecture Trends survey from the American Society of Landscape Architects showed that as the weather gets warmer, many want an undemanding, outdoor space.