Preparing for Summer Camp Away
Many emotions arise when a child leaves for camp.
A child’s first residential summer camp experience can be fraught with emotions that run the gamut from excitement to terror.

Academic Camps Combine Education and Fun
Local camps help students maintain school skills in a relaxed environment.
One summer Ana Lado created a summer camp activity for students at her neighborhood pool. The Marymount professor set up a picnic area, and included activities and books. Her plan was to engage the students and give them the opportunity to read and build reading skills while still enjoying fun activities traditionally associated with summer.

From Colonial History to Future Entrepreneurs
Campers can explore diverse interests in specialty summer camps.
This summer dozens of elementary school-aged children will travel back in time to the Colonial Era where, among other things, they’ll learn to spin cotton into cloth for garments.
Editorial: More Voters Might Not Mean Much More Voting
Governor’s action brings Virginia in line with 39 other states.
Last week, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) restored the voting and civil rights of more than 200,000 Virginians who were convicted of felonies, served their time and completed any supervised release, parole or probation requirements.

Responding to Teen Sex Trafficking
Comprehensive approach seeks to educate teens.
In 2012 Fairfax County Detective William Woolf discovered a 16-year-old girl being prostituted by the M-16 gang. At the time there was little recognition that the problem existed locally. The girl was recovered and since then Woolf has interviewed 300 recovered victims, some as young as 12-years old. After the initial shock, Northern Virginia businesses, faith communities and educational groups sought to understand the extent of the problem.
Fairfax County: Chief Investigating Cyberbullying of Dead Female Firefighter
Search for Nicole Mittendorff called off after police “preliminarily identify” female remains, find suicide note found in her abandoned vehicle.
The search for Nicole Mittendorff, a paramedic-firefighter based at Fire Station 32 in Fairfax Station, has been suspended, a release from Virginia State Police said on Thursday, April 21.
Herndon and Reston Weekend
Weekend fun.
Removing a Barrier to Pomp and Circumstance
Gowns for Grads program at George Mason provides regalia for needy graduates.
When Muntaha Choudhary walks across the stage during George Mason University’s graduation ceremony this May she will celebrate not only her bachelor’s degree, which has been eight years in the making, but also the fact that she is the first person in her family to graduate from college.

Fairfax County: Supervisors Approve 4-Cent Tax Rate Increase
The gap between the Fairfax County School Board and total county budgets is a formality away from being the smallest since before Jan. 7 when FCPS Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza announced she wouldn’t be making any additional cuts in her $2.67 billion Fiscal Year 2017 budget.
Week in Reston
Weekly happenings in Reston

Reston Association Honors Volunteers
Reston Association honored individuals, groups and community partners for their exemplary service at the 2015 Volunteer Service Awards.

Reston: Student Leaders Conference Held at South Lakes
More than 720 of the best and the brightest high school students from across the Commonwealth gathered together at South Lakes High School in Reston on Saturday, April 16.

Reston: Holy Septic! Plans Change
Reston’s Richard Sheehe asked on Feb. 18 if Reston residents could be assured that the county would suspend work on preliminary designs to move the county’s Septage Receiving Site from Colvin Run in Great Falls to a maintenance portion of Lake Fairfax Park in Reston.
Commentary: Two Civil Rights Heroes
About a week ago there was a memorial service for Reston’s founder and namesake, Robert E. Simon, Jr., who passed away on Sept. 21, 2015.
Commentary: Spring in Reston—At Last!
I think we can say almost for sure that we’ve seen the last of snow and ice in Reston until next winter.
Letter: Selfishness, Not Altruism, Behind Tax Increases
To the Editor
The Board of Supervisors and School Board should give the approximately 12,000 classroom teachers salary increases, but give no raises to other school and county employees.
Editorial: On the Guilty Plea of Adam Torres
Geer’s death exposed “obfuscation … and a lack of public accountability.”
Adam Torres, charged with murder in the death of Springfield resident John Geer, was the first Fairfax County Police officer in the history of the department to be charged in such a death.

Fairfax County: Torres Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter of John Geer
Former Police officer faced murder charges for 2013 shooting
It was over before it began. Neither prosecution nor defense gave opening statements in former Fairfax County Police Officer Adam Torres’ trial for the August 2013 murder of Springfield resident John Geer. Instead on Monday, April 18, Torres pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter for the August 2013 incident.

Historic Garden Week in Virginia
Elegant homes and gardens in Old Town, Arlington and Falls Church will be open to the public.
Some of the most spectacular gardens will be in bloom and on display during the 83rd annual Historic Garden Week in Virginia.

Modular Homes Come of Age
What's behind the growing popularity of modular homes? Recent research shows that a house comprised of architecturally-specific, pre-constructed modules can be assembled on a homeowner’s lot for 10-15 percent less than of the cost of a comparably-sized “stick-built” house.