Becoming a High School Diplomat
"How to Apply" The HSD application is now available at highschooldiplomats.com, and all parts must be postmarked and sent by January 8th, 2014. The program runs from July 29 to August 9, 2014. Questions can be directed to Celine Zapolski, the American HSD director, at celinezepolski@highschooldiplomats.com.
R. Dennis McArver, Chairman of the Arts Council of Fairfax County, Dies
The Arts Council of Fairfax County is mourning the passing of its chairman, R. Dennis McArver. McArver, a Vienna resident, legal professional and civic arts activist, died Sept. 14. He was born in 1936. "We have lost a dear friend and a strong leader," said Linda S. Sullivan, president and CEO of the Arts Council. "Dennis embraced his role as chairman of the Board with such enthusiasm and vigor and was a tireless advocate for the council and all the arts in Fairfax County," Sullivan continued.
Area Divers to Represent the U.S. at Junior Pan American Championships
Grayson Campbell, a sophomore at Madison High School, and Max Flory, a seventh-grader at Robinson Secondary School, will represent the United States at the Junior Pan American Diving Championships from Sept. 26-29 in Tucson, Ariz. More than 100 divers from nine countries will participate.
Week in Vienna
Candidates Meet & Greet Forum in Vienna
Social Action Linking Together (SALT) and four co-sponsor groups will host “Fairfax County (NOVA) Candidate Meet & Greet Forum” on Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 to 11 a.m. in Patriot Hall at The Vienna American Legion Post 180. The address is: 330 Center St. N., Vienna. The phone number is 703-938-9535. Representatives of the sponsoring groups will moderate the forum. The public is invited.
Honor Flight Network Brings 90 Veterans to WWII Memorial
On Saturday, Sept. 20, mostly on the spur of the moment, I drove out to Dulles Airport to join my daughter and 4 of her children to greet WWII and Korean War veterans flown to Washington by the Honor Flight Network. My daughter had received an email earlier in the week from a home-schooling friend to invite her to the event.
Fall Fun Abounds in Vienna
Festive events, the arts, and family activities keep the season busy.
The Vienna-Oakton Connection offers a snapshot of fall fun around the area. Look for our holiday fun guide in November, with details of the Church Street Holiday Stroll, breakfast or lunch with Santa, holiday bazaars, and the Wolf Trap Sing-a-long. In the meantime, grab a sweater, swish your shoes in falling leaves and enjoy the crisp, sunny air. And don’t forget school fall festivals and book sales, as well as The Barns of Wolf Trap, which presents performances almost daily. Over at Waters Field, there are VYI football games all day and under the lights … and the football fun is free. The Vienna Farmers’ Market, in the church parking lot across the street from Waters Field, is open through the end of October.
Supporting Growing Hope
Optimist Club of Greater Vienna hosts eighth annual Walk & Family Fun Day for Growing Hope.
Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Vienna Town Green, 144 Maple Avenue East. Activities: *3-mile fundraising walk on W&OD trail, musical entertainment by Donaldsons’ Run, games, moonbounce, facepainting, balloon artistry. Dunk tank featuring teachers, government officials and Optimists volunteers, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. *Food and refreshments available for sale; proceeds to Growing Hope.
Full Disclosure? Forms Plagued By Lack of Information, Absence of Oversight
Fairfax County goes so far as to redact disclosure documents.
Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is in hot water for taking gifts without disclosing them, and legislators are talking about increasing disclosure requirements for family members. But here in Northern Virginia, personal financial disclosure forms are often incomplete and inconsistent.
Navy Yard Shootings Hit Close to Home
Four Fairfax County victims killed in Washington Navy Yard rampage.
“Marty was a kind and caring man. He had such a sweet spirit and was in every way a man that lived his life to honor Christ.” —Pastor Steve Holley of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield
Local Business Leaders Spotlight Opportunities for UK Companies
Fairfax County EDA organizes Sept. 26 seminar in London.
Fairfax County’s Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) officials announced Tuesday, Sept. 17, that local executives will speak at a London seminar to spotlight opportunities for British companies interested in homeland security business opportunities in the United States.
Week in Vienna
Arrest Made in Homicide in the Vienna Area
Police are investigating an overnight homicide that occurred outside the Residence Inn, located at 8616 Westwood Center Drive. Officers were called to the location around 2 a.m. on Sept. 15 for the report of a person who was shot. They located the victim on the sidewalk and began efforts to resuscitate him; however, he was pronounced dead at the scene with injuries to the upper body.
Rauner Receives a Lifetime Achievement Award
Sharon Stakes, Executive Vice President of The Business Bank, announced that Harold C. Rauner, President/CEO of The Business Bank was honored with Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Sept. 6, 2013 at the Westin Washington Dulles Hotel and Resort in Herndon. Harry Rauner is a graduate of George Mason University, where he received both Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Business Administration with a major in Finance and Real Estate. He began his banking career at the McLean Bank in 1974, where he held various positions to include Senior Vice President of Loan Administration and Commercial Loan Officer. He left McLean Bank in early 1987 to organize the Heritage Bank of Northern Virginia where he served as President, CEO and Director. Rauner left Heritage Bank to join The Business Bank in late 1994 where he assumed his current positions.
Environmental Peace Makers to Visit Unity of Fairfax in Oakton
Few bodies of water in the world are as revered, as fought over, or as polluted as the lower Jordan River, whose vital waters are shared by Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians. Yet this river of historic conflict has become a symbol of peaceful cooperation, largely through the efforts of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FOEME), a unique, award-winning, tri-national organization that unites Jordanians, Palestinians, and Israelis around one very simple idea: the peaceful stewardship of the Earth. On Monday, Sept. 30, these gentlemen, who were named Heroes of the Environment by Time magazine, will be making a rare visit to the U.S., stopping in Oakton to speak to faith communities to raise awareness, build political momentum, and share their reasons for hope with Americans possessing strong spiritual ties to the Holy Land. They will be appearing at churches, mosques, synagogues and houses of worship in the Washington area from Sept. 27 to Oct. 5, followed by events in Chicago and New York.
Vienna Youth Football Season Kicks Off
There’s pro football, college football, high school football … and then, there’s VYI football. On a crisp fall day, it’s a long-time Vienna Saturday tradition. And now, Fairfax County’s youth football season is in full swing.
Historic Church Gets New Roof
The historic Antioch Christian Church is getting a new roof. The structure getting the new roof was built 1902-1903. Antioch Christian church is located at 1860 Beulah Road in Vienna. The church services include: Starting Point Contemporary worship - 9:30 a.m.; Classic/Traditional worship - 11 a.m.; Sunday School Bible Study- 9:30 a..m. and 11 a.m.