Making Schools Safer
Two Northern Virginia Democrats take part in panel to consider school security.
Do Virginia schools need more guns? That question is at the heart of a debate that’s now reaching a fever pitch in the commonwealth, especially after a man with a Bushmaster assault rifle blasted his way into a Connecticut elementary school and killed 20 children and six adults before killing himself. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell responded to the tragedy by creating a School Safety Task Force, which is considering a proposal for every school in Virginia to have an armed school resource officer.
Column: The Best of Intentions, I’m Sure
Regularly, throughout my now nearly four years of living as a stage IV non-small cell lung cancer “diagnosee”/survivor, I have had conversations where the person with whom I’ve been speaking–in response to a query of mine, said about a particular set of their circumstances: “Oh, it’s nothing, really. I mean, it’s not cancer, so it’s not as bad as what you’re (meaning me) going through.” Said with the utmost sincerity and sensitivity to me of course, and with my feelings/reaction most definitely in mind; for a long time, I simply acknowledged their empathy/sympathy and continued on with our conversation as if no emotional pot–of mine, had been stirred.
This Week in Potomac
Budget Forums Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) will hold budget forums in January and February to solicit input from the public about the Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget priorities. Residents can attend the forums and provide input; predicted budget shortfalls are likely to result in cuts to county services.
Woods Robotics Teams Earn Awards at State Championship
On Saturday, Jan. 19, The Woods Academy Robotics teams competed against 70 other teams at the Maryland First Lego League Championship at the UMBC Retriever Activities Center in Catonsville.
Churchill Competes in National Robotics Tournament
Students create robots that travel aboard the International Space Station
Potomac students were in Boston earlier this month competing in the ZERO Robotics Challenge, a competition sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Potomac Home Sales: December, 2012
In December 2012, 33 Potomac homes sold between $2,675,000-$258,000.
Potomac Home Sales: December, 2012
Fairfax Families4Kids
Fostering bonds with children.
Nationwide, more than 463,000 children live in foster care. In many states, including Virginia, the number of foster youth has tripled in the last 25 years. As of Sept. 30, 2011, nearly 5,000 youth were in foster care in Virginia, according to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. Physical abuse is the most common reason children enter foster, but it’s not the only reason. Often there’s emotional abuse, sexual abuse and the parent or caretaker’s inability to provide a safe environment due to substance abuse.
A Family Made Whole
After a tragic loss, Reston couple creates a family through adoption.
The Granvilles look like a made-for-TV family. On a bright October afternoon, Chris, a computer engineer, is teasing his teenage son, Kenny, about what kind of pet to adopt, while Tiffany sits on a sofa, cradling Elijah, Kenny’s baby brother, who has just woken up from an afternoon nap. “Fish? No way,” Kenny, 15, says. “They just go ‘round and ‘round in a bowl.” Kenny is lobbying hard for a dog or—at the very least—a guinea pig or hamster.
Aging in Place
Fulfilling the mission of ‘Potomac Community Village.’
Plan to attend informational meeting about aging in place 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Congregation Har Shalom. Potomac’s Nelly Urbach served as director of the Walter Reed Senior Center in Arlington, Va., for 30 years. While working, she kept “The Village Movement” on her radar — the concept of establishing and managing villages to enable people to remain living in their own homes and communities as they age
JT Interiors Opens in Potomac
Featuring custom window treatments, art and furniture.
The new JT Interiors is located in the historic Potomac House at 9906 River Road in the heart of Potomac Village.
Area Residents Attend 57th Inauguration
Many brave crowds to witness history.
Local residents were among the hundreds of thousands who left their homes on a cold winter holiday, Jan. 21, to brave packed Metro trains and slow-moving security check points for a chance to celebrate and witness President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.
A 10-Year Mission: End Homelessness
Our Fairfax-Falls Church community is one of the most affluent in the country. Our schools are second to none. We are the home for many Fortune 500 businesses. Even with the challenging economy, our unemployment rate is among the lowest in the country.
Classified Advertising January 16, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Queen of Household Hints to Share Five Essentials Every Home Should Have
Heloise to headline 2013 Home and Remodeling Show at the Dulles Expo Center.
The high priestess of household hints will share her domestic wisdom this weekend at the 2013 Home and Remodeling Show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Va. A nationally syndicated columnist, Heloise is one of the presenters scheduled to headline the weekend’s show.
Climbing to New Heights
“Trekking For Kids” supports projects in developing countries.
In 2010, Bridgit Fried of Potomac and Cindy Steuart of Bethesda signed up to climb to the base camp of Mt. Everest with a group called “Trekking For Kids.”
Editorial: Transportation Money
Eliminating the gas tax makes no sense.
Virginia, and especially Northern Virginia, is woefully short on funds for transportation. One reason is that its gas tax, a logical way to fund transportation infrastructure, is one of the lowest in the nation, and has remained flat since the ’80s, since it is not indexed for inflation. So the buying power of the gas tax has been dwindling.
Potomac School Notes
School Notes for the Potomac area.
Visitors from Spain
McLean School of Maryland families hosted 7 teenage Spanish Exchange Students from Colegio Europeo Madrid for a month.
Letter to the Editor: Move Forward on Rink Modification
As the current chair of the Friends of the Potomac Community Center, Inc., as well as a long-time Potomac resident, it saddens me to hear the negative feedback coming from a very few neighbors concerning the proposed modification of the current roller rink.
The New Year, Same as the Old Year?
Having survived almost four full years from the date of my original diagnosis/prognosis doing what I’ve done, all I should feel is: that anything is possible. I’m living proof.