Wednesday, December 31
Column: Level Best
If I wanted to rationalize the benefit of delaying my heretofore every-three-week chemotherapy infusion from three weeks to four and now on to five, possibly six – and that’s dependent on improved results from a second/maybe even third retest upcoming (this retest a bit more involved than drawing blood) – I would say it’s only fitting that I should have a break/brake; after all, it is the holiday season when all good things; yada, yada, yada. If only it were that simple.
Wednesday, December 24
Horse-Filled Holidays
The Potomac Horse Center helds its holiday party and show on Sunday Dec. 14. Participants decorated their horses and stalls and then had a drill.
B’Nai Tzedek Leads Ceremonies for Hanukkah
Lighting the menorah at Potomac Place.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the first night of Hanukkah, the lighting of the candle of a large menorah, singing, and the giving of gelt welcomed in the Jewish holiday.
Potomac’s Arden Courts Celebrates 20 Years
A facility for memory care.
Arden Courts in Potomac, the first community built by Manor Care dedicated to those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Nov. 5. More than 200 healthcare professionals, government officials, resident families and local businesses in the community came out in support.
Column: The New Normal
Loosey goosey, I suppose. As much as one might prefer some predictability in their life (certainly a cancer patient would – I know I would), I may be entering a cycle of permanent unpredictability.
Tuesday, December 23
Letter: Do Fairfax County Police Act with Impunity?
Fifteen months, after the shooting of John Geer, no officer has been identified, no charges have been filed, no grand jury has been convened and no reason has been given to the family or the public.
I would like to begin by saying that I have always and still do support the police as a whole. I appreciate the job that they do and the risks they take on a daily basis in an effort to keep the public safe. The ongoing policy in Fairfax County of police self-investigation, when officers are involved in possible crimes, has to change.
Friday, December 19
Irresistible? How Karen Garza Creates Change in Fairfax County Schools
Karen Garza is a good listener. And once she’s listened, she is, admittedly, not very patient. “If there's a real issue, I don't think it has to be debated for 10 or 15 years,” Garza said in an interview. “Either we're going to do something about it or not.”
FCPS Chief Karen Garza and Her Previous Life in Texas
“When I hired Karen in 2005,” former Superintendent of Houston Independent School District (HISD) Dr. Abelardo Saavedra said, “the position of chief academic officer had been open several months. I went looking for her. I’d never met her but I’d heard about her. There is a big difference between a mid-sized district and a larger one; the dynamics are completely different. I was taking a risk because she came from a mid-sized one of about 40,000 in Corpus Christi, and ours was much bigger. She adjusted very quickly.”
Fairfax County Public Schools Needing Community’s Help
Superintendent Karen Garza begins and ends her Listening Tour meetings with a plea to those in the room — parents, teachers, employees, unions — to help her achieve what needs to be done for their school system. “I am going to need your help,” she says to audiences who voice concerns about class size, resources for special education, and teacher salaries.
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza Bio
Current Position: Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent
Timeline of Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza’s career in education.
1986-1991: Elementary School Teacher, Yoakum, Texas (1,539 students, 38% white and 50% Latino and spends about $8,000 per pupil).
Editorial: Merry Christmas
A message of peace and joy.
Merry Christmas. It’s a magical time of year, and perhaps Connection Newspapers has over indulged in displaying the many rituals of Christmas on our pages in the past few weeks. In events around the area, a sense of community has infused holiday parades, Christmas tree lightings, menorah lightings, choral performances, singing of carols and other traditional events with warmth and joy.
Thursday, December 18
When Dad (or Mom) Is High School Sports Coach
Local coaches and athletes share their feelings about the relationship between parent/coach and child/athlete.
Wednesday, December 17
Wootton Girls’ Basketball Edges Rival Churchill
Patriots’ Addison, Bulldogs’ Karim-Duvall with big games.
Sheri Addison’s late bucket lifted the Wootton girls’ basketball team to a 54-52 victory over rival Churchill on Dec. 12.
Retiring ‘Hero’
Author and master of Potomac Master Plan, Callum Murray, retiring from Montgomery County Park and Planning.
Whatever one likes about Potomac, Callum Murray probably had something to do with keeping it that way. That was the message at last week’s West Montgomery County Citizens Association meeting, marking Murray’s plan to retire.
Solving Foot Pain
New store focuses on keeping people moving.
A new store in Rockville can help manage the pain. Good Feet, a franchise store, is committed to helping to alleviate foot pain and make people feel better about moving, exercising and walking. Good Feet provides custom fitting of feet with various levels of foot supports. The store carries 350 different sizes and 25 different styles to fit every type of foot.
Accepting Differences
Congregation B’Nai Tzedek hosts holiday party for Jewish Foundation for Group Homes’ adults with disabilities.
Sixth grade religious students at Congregation B’Nai Tzedek (CBT) were taught by members of their Special Needs committee about differences that the disabled adults who live at the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (JFGH) might have — and the importance of accepting the disparity among people’s abilities.
Column: A Level That’s Anything But
This is not a home improvement reference, but this is most definitely a do-it-yourself column.
Potomac Home Sales: November, 2014
In November 2014, 31 Potomac homes sold between $1,680,000-$575,000.
Potomac Home Sales: November, 2014
Tuesday, December 16
An Essay To Remember
Local educators offer advice on acing independent school admission essays and interviews.
While many are knee-deep in wrapping paper and eggnog, some students are holed up with computer keyboards and books of quotations. In addition to driving to the mall for holiday shopping, some parents are throwing rapid-fire questions at their children to make sure they are fast on their feet.
Commentary: Helping People without Homes
The weather has turned colder and the holidays are in full swing, which means it’s the time of year when people ask “what can we do for the homeless now that it’s so cold?” Or “how can we help the homeless have a good Christmas?”
Editorial: Holidays Are for Giving
In the scramble to finish Christmas shopping, remember tens of thousands of local children are short of food as well as presents.
The holidays are for giving. Christmas and Hanukkah are about children and family, about sharing, about joy, about being thankful and about faith and appreciation. Here in Northern Virginia, many of us see few signs of families in need as we go about our daily lives and holiday shopping. Our neighborhoods are largely segregated economically; we mostly see the people who are most like ourselves economically.
Wednesday, December 10
Potomac: Sports Briefs for December 10
The Whitman girls’ basketball team opened the 2014-15 season with a 56-51 victory over Good Counsel in Dec. 5 in Olney.
Potomac: ‘Tis the Season for Garden Club’s Tradition
A tradition established in 1978 by the women comprising Potomac’s Little Farms Garden Club continued on Dec. 1 when over two dozen of its members enhanced the historic Great Falls Tavern with a bounty of verdant foliage.
Potomac: Market at River Falls To Open
McWorter, Abadian to oversee business.
Potomac residents James McWorter and Yasmin Abadian will be opening The Market at River Falls this month in the space vacated by the River Falls Seafood Market.
Editorial: Make a Plan, Talk About It
Here is help in keeping impaired drivers off the roads.
The holiday party season is upon us, and with it an increase in drinking and driving. It’s up to you to make a plan to get home safely.
Potomac: Holiday Cheer at Great Falls Tavern
Gilmore’s Light Ensemble recreates Civil War-era music.
The sounds of 19th century dulcimer music filled the Great Falls Tavern on a sunny, temperate Sunday, Dec. 7. Hikers, cyclists, walkers, passers-by and families gathered to hear the seasonal tunes played by Gilmore’s Light Ensemble – a group of authentically-dressed musicians who entertained with the music of long-ago as well as holiday songs and an invitation to “Sing-along.”
Column: ‘Quality of Life’
If I’ve heard it once – from my oncologist – I’ve probably heard it a dozen times over the last nearly-six years.
Potomac: Victory for The OwlBots, The Woods Academy Robotics Team
The Woods Academy Robotics teams, the OwlBots and the Green Machine, participated on Dec. 6 at the FIRST Lego League (FLL) Qualifier held at Glen Elg Country School in Ellicott City. 21 teams competed.
Potomac: Tree Sale
Volunteers working at Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department’s Christmas Tree sale include (from left) Elisabeth Kan, Coley O'Brien, Rachel Bojarski, Shane Andersen and Zach Ebaugh.
Friday, December 5
Battling Holiday Bulge
Nutritionists offer tips for avoiding weight gain.
With the merriment of the holidays comes food, friends and fun. But from office parties to family dinners, opportunities for overeating and weight gain abound. In fact, the National Institutes of Health reports that the average American gains an extra pound every year that he never loses. Those pounds add up over a lifetime of holidays, but a few local nutritionists offer the skinny on weight-gain culprits and strategies to keep them at bay.
Wednesday, December 3
Fairfax County Facing More Budget Strain
County Executive and FCPS Superintendent present adverse forecasts.
Days before the traditional loosening of belts for Thanksgiving, Fairfax County officials discussed the need for tightening theirs.
Potomac: Jolly Fat Man’s Run’ Promotes Spirit of Giving
Fun run benefits Operation Second Chance.
In 2004, a close friend of Cindy McGrew’s was deployed to Iraq. When his fellow soldiers were injured and heading to Walter Reed, she visited them, searching for a way to help the soldiers and their families.
Editorial: Be Part of Children's Connection 2014
Annual edition showcases youth art and writing.
During the last week of each year, The Connection devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children. The results are always remarkable. It is a keepsake edition for many families.
Potomac: Clara Barton Center To Host Craft Show
From artists to authors to crafters.
The Clara Barton Craft Show is a “must-do” for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts as well as the perfect present for that “hard-to-buy-for person” – or the “I can’t think of anything for him or her – and they won’t give me any suggestions” person.
Potomac: Shops Prepare for the Holidays
A variety of gift ideas.
The interior of Cabin John Mall is one of Potomac’s best kept secrets for holiday gift shopping.
Churchill Boys’ Basketball To Focus on Teamwork
Bulldogs had multiple key players transfer.
Robert Bean enters his second season as head coach of the Churchill boys’ basketball team without four players who were set to return following the 2013-14 campaign.
Potomac Opinion: Be Part of Children's Almanac 2014
Annual edition showcases youth art and writing.
During the last week of each year, the Potomac Almanac devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children.
Potomac: Pesticide use restrictions proposed
Montgomery County Council Vice President George Leventhal recently introduced legislation restricting the use of certain chemicals (pesticides and herbicides) that are dangerous to human health and are not necessary for a healthy, lush, green lawn.
Potomac: A Brilliant Success with One Exception
The Potomac Subregion Master Plan has for the most part been a brilliant success story.
Column: Since It Ain’t Broken...
Apparently, at least in the near term, we’re (meaning my oncologist) not going to fix it. And by fix it, I am referring to my chemotherapy infusion, which will continue to be every three weeks, as it has been for almost six years; save for a year or so when I was able to take pills at home, and on-site infusions were not necessary.
Potomac: WMCCA
Next WMCCA Meeting
The next meeting of the West Montgomery County Citizens Association will be held at the Potomac Community Center, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 7:15 p.m.
Potomac: Schools Seek Increase in Construction Budget
The Board of Education unanimously approved amendments to the district’s six-year Capital Improvements Program in November, adding $221 million to help Montgomery County Public Schools manage its current and future enrollment growth.
Potomac: School Board Sets 2015-2016 Calendar
The Board of Education adopted the calendar for the 2015-2016 school year.