House Passes Keam’s Bill on Food Allergies
The Virginia House of Delegates passed legislation this week to require restaurants in Virginia to train their employees to be aware of customers with food allergy and safety issues. Del. Mark Keam’s House Bill 2090 and its companion Senate Bill 1260 introduced by Senator Creigh Deeds passed both chambers of the Virginia Legislature with overwhelming support. Both bills are now headed to the Governor’s desk.
‘Sweetest’ Pets of Vienna
Vienna pet-parents talk about the special bonds they share with family pets – living or in-memory.
Special Screening of Honor
Film screening March 16 to help WWII veterans travel to their monument.
The Honor Flight Network transports aging veterans to visit memorials built in Washington D.C. in their honor. Caroline Healy and 11 of her peers in Girl Scout Troop 3651 based in Great Falls are hosting a screening of "Honor Flight" at AMC Worldgate 9 Theaters in Herndon on March 16 at 5:30 p.m.
Budget Town Hall Meetings
Budget town hall meetings.
Letter: Supporting Deer Management
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Thank you for the excellent article on deer management in Fairfax County (“A Time to Hunt?” - Connection, February 18-24, 2015). One deer can carry 1,000 ticks, and approximately 25 percent of ticks in our county carry an infectious agent.
When Sam Met Frodo
“Sam and Frodo are both rescue cats. Frodo, the big orange guy with the furry feet, came from Home Alone Feline Rescue in 2011. He is part Maine Coon and part American bobtail. Lou and I had been thinking about getting a second cat as a companion for Frodo when I ran into Lee District School Board member Tammy Koufax at a community event in Springfield in August 2013..."
Honored for Optimism
The Optimist Club of Greater Vienna recently hosted a communication contest for deaf and hard of hearing children with three neighboring clubs on Feb. 4 at P.J. Skidoos restaurant in Fairfax. Four hearing impaired students from Canterbury Woods Elementary school made a presentation on "How My Optimism Will Help Me Press on to Greater Achievements in the Future" utilizing the Optimist International contest guidelines.
Vienna Woman Raising Puppy for Canine Companions for Independence
Canine Companions for Independence – a national nonprofit organization that provides assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, is proud to announce that Vienna resident Barbara Weigand recently began raising an assistance dog in-training for Canine Companions for Independence.
Vienna: Oakton Girls’ Basketball Continues Winning Ways
Cougars win 10th conference/district title in last 11 years.
The Oakton girls' basketball team defeated Chantilly on Monday to win the Conference 5 championship.
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: January, 2015
In January, 2015, 61 homes sold between $2,391,677-$199,900 in the Vienna and Oakton area.
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: January, 2015
Vienna Church Takes Ash Wednesday Message Outdoors
On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, Emmanuel Lutheran Church will be offering Ashes and Dashes, a new approach to a centuries-old Christian tradition, in its church parking lot (at 2589 Chain Bridge Road) from 6:45-8:30 a.m. Emmanuel is part of a new nationwide movement that has clergy and lay people stepping outside of churches to mark the foreheads of interested passers-by in parking lots, at transit centers and on street corners with ashes and encourage them to gain a better sense of self by examining their humility and mortality, and seek renewal.
Seniors Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Dinner and Dance
Town Recreation Department and SCOV partner at Vienna Community Center.
More than 120 “seniors” filled the auditorium at a Valentine’s Day dinner-dance on Feb. 13. The event was sponsored by the Town of Vienna Department of Parks and Recreation in partnership with Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna [SCOV]. The Tallwood Trio played pop music and standards and many couples danced. They boogied to “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and held each other close to “Embraceable You,” some men mouthing the words as they danced.
Column: Staying Ahead of the Feds
The federal government is not always wrong. At the same time, the state government is not always right.
The Virginia House and the Senate have penned similar but competing mid-point versions to the 2014-2016 biennial budget.
Stalled Labor Market Slows County Budget
Proposed budget calls for no real estate tax rate increase, but average homeowner would pay $184 more.
Supervisor Jeff McKay pointed out an irony in County Executive Ed Long’s proposed $3.8 billion budget. Three planning positions would be eliminated from the budget even though Long suggested the county needs more efforts to raise revenue from commercial and industrial venues.
Super-Insulation Talk Attracts Homeowners in Reston
How to lower electric, gas and water bills?
The Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne in Reston was the venue for a well-attended presentation by Rich and Marian Taschler on proper home insulation and its mostly unknown benefits. The program was offered under the auspices of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University.




