Viewpoints in Reston: "What are you thankful for?"
Residents of Reston answer the question, "What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving Day?"
Getting Up to Speed on Healthcare
Panel discussion addresses small business issues with Affordable Health Care Act.
The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion Friday, Nov. 16 at the Dulles Westin, to examine the effects of the Affordable Health Care Act on business owners.
Paying Tribute to ‘Dogs of War’
Local author’s new book examines American leaders and their dogs.
Kathleen Kinsolving knows that inspiration can come from strange places. In 2000, she was helping a friend move when she came upon a trunk full of books, including Carlo D’Este’s biography of Gen. George Patton, “Patton: A Genius for War.”
Opinion: Embracing Our Diversity
If you can ever find the time to attend a federal naturalization ceremony in Fairfax County for new citizens, do it. It reinvigorates one’s patriotism and reminds us all how lucky we are to be Americans.
Opinion: Celebrating Diversity Through Culture
So, when people from different countries, diverse cultures, and dissimilar values migrate to United States, they try to adjust and adapt to the new culture. But the onus should also be on American people to welcome them, to make them comfortable and feel at home. What do we do to create awareness about different cultures? Unfortunately, I have not seen much effort on the part of the government.
Brief: Westbriar Student Wins Thanksgiving Card Challenge
Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) teamed up with K3 Construction Group to sponsor a Thanksgiving Card Challenge among the schools participating in the GRACE Art program (formerly known as the Art in the Schools).
Editorial: Diversity Growing
Tune in to our series on immigration.
This week, the Connection kicks off a series about immigration, diversity and the growing population of foreign-born residents in Fairfax County. County reporter Victoria Ross opens with a story that captures vignettes and statistics of the changing population. It is a topic consistent with the original Thanksgiving story. More than 28 percent of Fairfax County's population is foreign born; that's 317,000 residents.
Brief: Rosemary Gallick’s Artwork on Display in Three Galleries
Paintings by Rosemary Gallick are on exhibition at the Reston Association until Nov. 30.
Brief: ArtSpace Announces Winners of Portrait Competitions
Brief: ArtSpace Herndon has announced the winners and honorable mentions of the fourth annual Portrait Competition.
Fairfax Becomes Immigrants’ Gateway
Focus on immigration.
Yesuf Beshir spent nearly three years gathering the mountain of paperwork he needed to leave Ethiopia and emigrate to America.
A Way Out of No Way
Two women — one African-American and one from Africa — learn to see America through each other’s eyes.
Rosemary Osei, 22, and Lillie Reynolds, 61, have been good friends for four years. The two women, who help teach special needs students at a Vienna elementary school, are sometimes mistaken for mother and daughter.
Viewpoints: Immigrants’ Experiences on Becoming Americans
On Sept. 22 at the Multicultural Festival on Lake Anne Plaza in Reston, 25 people participated in a naturalization ceremony that made them American citizens.
Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas: Flowers Not Required
Floral design pros share secrets to creating swoon-worthy centerpieces.
While the turkey is often the star of a Thanksgiving dinner table, a nonedible focal point can play a leading role in creating an elegant dinner table aesthetic. From lush floral arrangements to designs without blooms, three local floral design pros offer ideas for spectacular centerpieces that can be replicated easily at home.
Editorial: Shop Locally, Give Locally
Small business Saturday isn't enough; don't wait until then, and don't stop after that.
An effort to support locally owned businesses has resulted in the recognition of Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year that is Nov. 24. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is a day of national zeal for shopping. Presumably the next day shoppers can focus on local shopping.
Woodpecker Attack
When Diane Smith moved into her Reston home in 2004, the house, which was built with cedar siding, was in good repair. The siding, she says, “appeared intact and heavily stained.”
Reston Residents Meet to Prepare for the Next Storm
On Saturday, Nov. 3, just days after Hurricane Sandy hit our region, Reston residents engaged in a dialogue at a forum titled “Is Your Neighborhood Ready for the Next Big Storm,” held at Reston Community Center Lake Anne. The event was organized by Reston for a Lifetime with the support of Reston Community Center and Reston Citizens Association to help create awareness and a dialogue before the first big snowstorm hits our region.
Reston Holiday Parade Set for Nov. 23
Reston Town Center presents the 22nd annual Reston Holiday Parade on Friday, Nov. 23 at 11 a.m. to launch the festive season with Macy’s-style balloons, musicians, dancers, antique cars, and more. This one-of-a-kind, one-hour parade along Market Street will also welcome the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus in a horse-drawn carriage. The Reston Holiday Parade is held rain or shine, and since 1991 it has been an annual tradition on the day after Thanksgiving. The full day’s schedule is listed below, and more information is available at www.restontowncenter.com/holidays.
Letter: Volunteers Make Democracy Work
During my last canvassing on Nov. 5, I met a young female canvasser who truly exhibited outstanding determination in participating in the Get-Out-To-Vote effort of the Obama campaign. I spoke to Natalie Erdossy, and learned that Natalie brought her three very young children along during the canvassing, and that her husband was doing a second tour in Afghanistan with the State Department. She said that she was recruited by her neighbor Ellen Graves and she wanted to do her part. What I find so outstanding is that she was driven by a purpose greater that her immediate personal comfort.
Commentary: Reflections on the Elections
“Oh, no!” many may exclaim at the idea of hearing any more about the elections. But I believe it is instructive for the future to consider what happened and why. As residents of a battleground state, Virginians were inundated with telephone calls, television ads and slick mailers. Interestingly, the guys who spent the most money did not win. Virginia is a state that had just a few years ago elected Republicans to its top three statewide offices, majorities in the House and Senate, and eight of its 11 congressional representatives. Yet President Obama won the state handily. And former Governor Tim Kaine won a seat in the U.S. Senate even though 30 million in outside dollars were spent against him. How can this happen? Some of my thoughts on the question follow.
Column: Elections 2012—Role of Big Bucks Going Forward
Happy post-election to you all. Before I return to our discussion of our flawed election process and the role of the big bucks, I want to congratulate a good friend and fellow Restonian. Aaron Williams recently resigned after three years as director of the Peace Corps, one of America’s finest organizations. When this Reston resident, a former PC Voluneer himself, took over the Corps, it faced some major issues.