Inbound Traffic
Looming noise mitigation and traffic overflow concerns haunt I-395 project.
The I-395 extension is here. As the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) gets closer to the project’s start in spring, 2017, outreach has started to the affected communities near the road and to the County Board.
Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness Supports Meals Tax
After careful consideration, the Fairfax – Falls Church Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness has decided to fully support the proposed 4 percent Fairfax County Meals Tax.
American Elections: French Perspective
I am a French student who chose to come to study close to Washington DC for what I thought would be one of the most interesting elections in the history of Uncle Sam’s country.
Column: No to the Meals Tax
A food tax is not a silver bullet.
I have been opposed to the meals tax from the start, but what has concerned me most over the last several months has been the tactics used to try to convince our residents to vote for it and the county’s failure to deal with its spending problems. I would like to offer some clarity on these points and why I am against the meals tax.
Vote Yes: Immigrant Families Rely on Schools for More Than Education
Fairfax County Public Schools are more than just a place to learn. Growing up in Burke, I saw firsthand how our schools created a sense of community and neighborhood camaraderie. Schools are where we could go to borrow a book, where we could watch and play sports, and where we could perform a play or listen to a concert.
Column: Yes to the Meals Tax
Reduces dependence on property tax.
As a businessman here in Fairfax and a former member of the Fairfax County School Board, I write on behalf of a coalition of thousands of homeowners, parents, teachers, firefighters, police, friends and users of our libraries and our parks and recreation facilities, and those who belong to churches and non-profit organizations working to ensure that Fairfax County also protects those in need [www.yesmealstax.org].
Letter: Supporting Meals Tax
Letter to the Editor
I’m writing to encourage Fairfax County voters to support the county meals tax referendum on the ballot in November.
Letter: Meals Tax: A Better Option
Letter to the Editor
After reviewing Fairfax County’s proposed 4-percent meals tax, the Class Size Counts (CSC) board voted to support the Nov. 8 referendum because it decided that it would be better to raise money for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) through a tax on prepared foods rather than through additional increases to County property taxes.
Advice from the Pros
Local private school admissions directors share wisdom they’d offer to their own children.
From interviews to essays to standardized tests to open houses, the season for submitting independent school applications is underway. For families vying for a spot at the area’s most elite schools, the process can be fraught with anxiety, stress and confusion as parents and students wade through the myriad academic options in the Washington, D.C., region.
Arlington: The Unconventional Race
8th District election pits Beyer against Hernick.
While the nation chooses between two Presidential candidates of extreme political and temperamental differences, voters in Virginia’s 8th District face a different kind of decision. As Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Beyer runs for reelection, he faces opposition from an un-Trump-like Republican candidate. Republican candidate Charles Hernick meets at Commonwealth Joe’s, a coffee shop in Pentagon City so new it hasn’t even had its official opening. It’s populated almost exclusively by millennials, and Hernick fits right in. When asked about the political issues that matter to them, the students and baristas at Commonwealth Joe’s all answer that climate change and combating student debt are their key voting issues. It’s a liberal atmosphere, but that doesn’t stop Hernick from trying to win them over.
Arlington: Generations of the Bean
Arlington entrepreneurs quit their day jobs to launch coffee shop.
For many people, coffee is a utility. It's a necessary pick-me-up to get through the long work day. That's how Chase Damiano saw coffee until he met Robbie Peck. For Peck, coffee was something more. It was an art. More than just a stimulant, for Peck, every cup of coffee is a blend of carefully selected scents and tastes. When their coffee shop, Commonwealth Joe Coffee Roasters, has its grand opening Saturday, Oct. 22, Peck and Damiano hope to change how Arlington County sees coffee.
Arlington: Lessons in Housecleaning
Learning to be green.
The five-week Green Housecleaning class for immigrant women began in 2013 as the vision of Andres Tobar, director of the Shirlington Employment and Education Center (SEEC), who said, "We have SEEC that was established in 2000 to help find connect immigrant daylaborers with temporary employment, but these are almost always men. There was nothing for the women. This Green Housecleaning class gets to women with the toughest challenges."
Arlington: Multi-Faith Group Pursues Social Justice
Campaign involves housing affordability, public education investment, immigrant rights, criminal justice reform, and gun safety.
Before 1,100 faith community leaders at Oakton High School on Oct. 16, Attorney General Mark R. Herring added his name to those of more than 105 other state and elected officials around the country who are calling on gun manufacturers to step up gun safety efforts.
Arlington: Generations of the Bean
Arlington entrepreneurs quit their day jobs to launch coffee shop.
For many people, coffee is a utility. It's a necessary pick-me-up to get through the long work day. That's how Chase Damiano saw coffee until he met Robbie Peck.
Arlington: What a Dump
Arlington recycling event makes junk work for charities.
This E-Care recycling event, which takes place twice a year in Arlington, provides the opportunity to get rid of hazardous household material, trash or junk that cannot be put in the garbage, but also accepts things like eyeglasses, shoes, bikes, and other items which would work in another country.
‘We Are All Arlington!’
Arlington celebrates its diverse history of 40 years of immigration.
The program was part of “Welcoming Week,” an annual series of events in communities across the U.S. that bring together immigrants and U.S. born residents in a spirit of unity.
Free Halloween Car Rides Offered in Area
As a means of making the Washington-metropolitan area’s roadways a little less frightening this Halloween, free cab rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 29.
Oak Hill Remodeled Home Tour Set for Nov. 5
Gourmet kitchen, spa master bath among spotlight features in makeover.
A circa 1980's center hall Colonial enhanced by a gourmet kitchen, a spacious spa bath and a lower-level guest suite will be featured in a “Remodeled Home Tour” sponsored by Sun Design Remodeling on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Showcase Home Offers Design Inspiration
DC Design House was transformed by local designers to raise money for charity.
Those in search of interior design ideas now have a source of new inspirations, at least temporarily. The 2016 DC Design House is now open to the public and runs through Oct. 30.
Home Improvements for the Holidays
Local contractors say there is time to spruce up your house and yard.
Changing temperatures and falling leaves are a signal the holidays are near. From Thanksgiving through the New Year, homes are filled with guests and schedules are stacked with parties. Getting one’s home guest ready by the holidays may be daunting, but it’s doable with proper planning and realistic expectations, say local contractors.