An Unexpected Present
Not that I minded it in the least (in fact, I appreciated it in the most), but I received my first senior discount the other day. I was fast-fooding at my local Roy Rogers restaurant when the unexpected kindness occurred. Considering that I’m not at the age yet when such discounts are typically available, I certainly did not (do not) presume that my appearance somehow reflects an age which I am not. In truth, I don’t believe it does. So even though I didn’t ask for the age-related discount, I was offered/given it nonetheless. As the cashier tallied my bill, she then spoke the price and adjusted it downward 10 percent for my surprise "senior" discount. On hearing the lower price and the reason for it, I immediately responded: "Oh, you’re giving senior discounts to people over 40?" To which she replied, while looking me directly in the eye: "No. Over 30." Laughing at her quick-thinking quip, I thanked her again for the discount and commended her on her excellent answer/customer service.
Home Design: What the Pros Know
A look inside the homes of some of the area’s top builders.
Remodeling industry professionals spend their days helping clients create dream homes, adding quartzite counter tops and outdoor, stacked stone fireplaces, turning ideas and photos into functional, chic living spaces.
MATHCOUNTS Champions
The Northern Virginia Regional MATHCOUNTS competitions were held on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria. This year, because of the exceptionally large number of students participating, the Regional competition had to be split between two venues.
Valentine’s Weekend
Romantic events happening in the Fairfax County area.
Enjoy your Valentine’s Day by heading off to one of these events this weekend.
Sadie’s Gift
Inspired by one child’s struggle with cancer, Burke community prepares for fifth annual "family-friendly" blood drive to give other children hope.
Erin and Ethan Lauer of Burke vividly remember the history-making snowstorm that buried the region with more than three feet of hard, wet snow exactly four years ago this week. Dubbed "Snowmageddon" by local and national media, the blizzard shut down most businesses, schools, and the federal government for weeks. Snowmageddon, meteorologists said, rivaled the snowfall production of any other major snowstorm in recorded history. The ferocious storm came in two rounds. When the second wave hit, temperatures plummeted into the high teens and winds gusted over 40 mph. The Lauers held little hope that friends and neighbors would dig out of the ice and snow to attend a Valentine’s Day blood-drive for their infant daughter, Sadie, who had been diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer called Neuroblastoma when she was just 3-months-old. The family was in for a surprise.
Freeze-o-ree Tradition Continues
Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 1849 from Springfield recently enjoyed its annual Freeze-o-ree campout at Catoctin Mountain Park, Md. With temperatures in the low 20s during the day and nighttime low of 5 degrees and a wind-chill of minus 15, fourteen stalwart Scouts - some as young as 11 years of age - and 12 adults embraced the challenge. Troop 1849 has been doing this mid-winter campout at Catoctin Mountain Park nearly every winter for over 30 years.
Burke Resident Eric Fischer to Perform in Oberlin Conservatory Recitals
Eric Fischer '14 of Burke has earned the honor of performing in Oberlin Conservatory’s Danenberg Honors Recitals. Over the course of two nights on Feb. 7 and 15, a range of student musicians will perform in the annual Danenberg Honors Recitals in Warner Concert Hall.
Classified Advertising February 5, 2014
Read the latest here!
Editorial: Pet Photos, Stories for Pet Connection
The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edition, will publish Feb. 26. We invite you to send us stories about your pets, photos of you and/or your family with your cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creatures share your home or yard with you.
Cavaliers Praise ‘the Best Coach’
Woodson gymnastics coach Mike Cooper wrapping up final season.
Woodson finished runner-up at the Conference 7 gymnastics meet.
Editorial: For Nonpartisan Redistricting
Virginia is a purple state, gerrymandered to bleed red.
Consider that in statewide elections, Virginia voters have chosen Democrats in the last two presidential elections, for U.S. Senate, for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Almost none of these elections was by a wide margin, but it’s clear that Virginia is a purple state leaning blue.
Nine Candidates Vying for Attention in 8th Congressional District Democratic Primary
Race to replace Jim Moran is expected to be competitive and expensive.
It's been three weeks since longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) announced that he would not be seeking a 13th term in Congress, opening up an epic primary fight that is now starting to take shape.
Editorial: Few Thoughts on General Assembly Action
Yes, allow homeschoolers access to programs in public school.
It’s possible that this is not the right bill exactly, and in general, we favor local control. But it is wrongheaded of public schools to force families into a take-it-or-leave-it position.
Virginia Health Department Forecasts Seasonal ‘Stomach Bug’
Statewide data monitored by the Virginia Department of Health indicate that norovirus was arriving in Virginia just in time for the cold weather.
Pet Photos, Stories for Pet Connection
The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edition, will publish Feb. 26. We invite you to send us stories about your pets, photos of you and/or your family with your cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creatures share your home or yard with you.
Consistent Bedtimes Linked to Improved Wellbeing in Children
Local experts offer suggestions for helping youngsters get a good night’s sleep.
When the clock strikes 9 on any given evening, 13-year-old twins Timothy and Danny Gulyn and their 11-year-old twin brothers, Christopher and Jonathan, know that it’s time for bed. Whether they are on vacation during the summer or at their Arlington home on a school night, the siblings follow a consistent routine that has them tucked-in at the same time every day.
Piece of Mind
Today I was eating a Tootsie Roll, and while chewing it, felt something sharp against my gum. Knowing my candy, sharp I should not feel, so immediately I stopped chewing in hopes of locating the sensation; which I did. It turns out that I broke off the top half of a previously (years ago) installed dental crown. Fortunately, the crown was still in my mouth, so I was able to retrieve it. Upon closer examination of it and the now crown-less tooth, it appears that the crown and the tooth are completely intact (undamaged) and perhaps a simple re-cementing at the dentist’s office awaits, a repair achieved much less expensively than replacing the entire crown. (I can hope, can’t I? After all, I am a cancer patient; hope is what I do.)
Helping Area Residents Sign Up for Health Insurance
More than 50 volunteers who are helping local residents sign up for health care insurance were recognized by state and local leadership last Saturday. To date, these Certified Application Counselors (CACs) have helped more than 500 individuals with the new Marketplace system, overcoming barriers of language, technology and understanding the new health care law. The volunteers were thanked for the commitment and service:
How to Fix I-66?
More lanes, bus rapid transit, rail, spot improvements proposed.
It’s said that nothing’s certain but death and taxes – but most of the time, traffic congestion on I-66 can be added to that list. So VDOT’s seeking input from the public on how best to alleviate it.