"how to keep one's financial affairs in order"

Young Proposes $634.8 Million Budget

City Manager Rashad Young submitted his proposal for a $634.8 million General Fund Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2015 before City Council Tuesday, Feb. 25, reflecting an increase of 1.6 percent over last year's budget while maintaining current real estate and personal property tax rates. “Expenditures are growing at a faster rate than revenue,” said Young in detailing his proposed budget during a press briefing earlier in the day. “The challenge always is how to put together this big jigsaw puzzle to meet the needs of the different constituencies and stakeholder groups.”

Column: Medicaid Expansion Takes Center Stage

During last Thursday’s budget debate, the General Assembly considered the budgets proposed by each chamber. The biggest sticking point continues to be Medicaid expansion, which the Senate budget included but the House budget did not. I vigorously support Medicaid expansion because it’s critical to the 400,000 individuals who could obtain health insurance coverage and would create as many as 30,000 new healthcare jobs. As required by federal law, Medicaid currently covers “mandatory eligibility groups” such as children and pregnant women and gives states the flexibility to cover “optional eligibility groups.” In Virginia, this includes a small fraction of disabled adults not needing long-term care services and working parents with incomes less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). All childless adults making less than 138 percent of the FPL and many more disabled adults and working parents would now be eligible for coverage. The expansion would allow individuals with incomes below $16,105 (or $32,913 for a family of four) to qualify.

Tasting Soul Food

ArtSpace Herndon hosts event on African American cuisine.

“It is our distinct pleasure today to host a Black History Month event,” said Lawrence Verbiest, executive director of ArtSpace Herndon introducing the coordinator for the event, Elise Abby Arrington. For four years now Arrington has helped arrange an event to commemorate Black History month. Last year, Arrington helped coordinate a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation with other local high school students at ArtSpace Herndon.

Holidays Are Over, But Need Still Exists

Commentary

We live in a community comprised of people from many diverse backgrounds. What a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. We are able to live in culturally vibrant communities, teach our children how to live in a multicultural world and we are able to learn tolerance and respect for others. God wants every individual to know that he is loved and valued. Jesus said in Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with your entire mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Loving Horses at Frying Pan

Farm Park provides a riding experience for children.

Children of all ages love horses. But keeping a horse is difficult when pasture and riding land are scarce. Here in Herndon, Frying Pan Farm Park and Spirit Open Equestrian have joined together so that children can ride and, for a short time, pretend the horses are their very own.

Column: No Sneaking into Newsrooms

Consider for a moment if Alexandria City Council and surrounding jurisdictions decided to join the federal government and sent agents, inspectors or political operatives into newsrooms of local newspapers, broadcasting houses and every online outlet. Can't happen most of the journalistic professionals would probably be spouting.

Great Falls Farmers Market Plans for March

The Farmers’ Almanac forecasts a very cold March. We believe. This Saturday has a forecast high of 36 degrees, for example. At a vendors meeting after the market last Saturday, the vendors unanimously agreed to pay the extra fees to rent the Grange for the month of March – pending Fairfax County Park Authority approval. We will not know their answer before this paper goes to press, so please check our website (www.GreatFallsFarmersMarket.ORG), our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/GreatFallsCommunityFarmersMarket), or our street signs, which will be updated as soon as we know where we will be.

Historic Cornwell Farm Open to the Public March 8

HBC Realty Group, Keller Williams Realty has announced that Historic Cornwell Farm will be open to the public on Saturday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. People wanting to see the home can come on this day and take in the history and architecture all while supporting a worthy local charity. Proceeds from the day go to support LiftMeUp! Therapeutic Riding Program. For more information and questions contact Laura Smith at 571-331-7709, Info@LiftMeUp.org or Karen Briscoe at 703-734-0192, Karen@HBCRealtyGroup.com.

Molster Family Stable Awaits Special Permit Decision

Great Falls residents divided over the Molsters’ special permit application to teach horse riding lessons on their property.

When Sharon and Charles “Chip” Molster first began teaching horse riding lessons at their home on Blacks Hill Road in 2009, they found their customers loved having an opportunity to learn riding so close to home there in Great Falls.

Our dog Huck (7 years old) and our daughter Leah (1 and a half years …

Nina is a hard-working dog, never off-duty, even in the cold of a fresh snow. …

Teddy is half Newfoundland/half Border Collie. He is 10 and 3/4 years old. Last June, …

I left my laptop open to a site live streaming bird feeders one morning recently …

Shirlington Dog Park Brings Joy

The Shirlington Dog Park is located on 2601 S Arlington Mill Drive. The park is a great place to enjoy warmer days with ones dog. Owners are able to watch as their dogs make new friends.

The Mardula Pet Parade

Francis and Susan J. Mardula of Alexandria have volunteered for 21 years at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Susan Mardula writes: Our lives have truly been enriched by the animals we have adopted over the years and by the wonderful animal caring people we met through our volunteer work.When my husband and I first met, we each had pets with “S” names. We continued the tradition over the years.

”Next Fall” Opens This Weekend

The Port City Playhouse is staging “Next Fall” from Feb. 28 to March 15. The contemporary love story written by Geoffrey Nauffts is about two gay men in an up-and-down relationship in New York. The character of Luke is devoutly religious and his lover Adam is an atheist. The action revolves around their five-year relationship and how they make it work despite their differences. However, when an accident changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke's family for support. “I want to tell a realistic story about two people who love each other very much,” said Director Rob Batarla. “And that at the end of the day, the differences that you think really matter just don't really matter.” He added, “Although the story centers around a same-sex couple, the central theme is universal.” “Next Fall” opened off-Broadway in 2009 and was nominated for the 2010 Tony Award for Best Play. It also received a 2010 Outer Critics Circle Award as Best New American Play. According to Richard Isaacs, 50, of Old Town, who plays the role of Adam, one of the two leads, “All of the characters are in search of where they are in life. They seem to be looking for something, but they aren’t sure what they’re looking for. I think it’s about life’s journey and finding who you are in life.” Added Isaacs, “In this five-year relationship, they are trying to find a common connection and make the relationship work despite different theological attitudes … Some of the questions Adam asks Luke, I have asked these same questions in my own life.”

School Notes

Timothy Bryan Long graduated with a master of business administration degree through Averett University's Graduate and Professional Studies Program. Christopher Fry, who studies electrical engineering, and Jocelyn Griser, who studies mathematics, were named to the dean’s list at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Shannon Frydenlund was named to the president’s list at Clemson University. Shannon, a graduate of West Potomac High School, is majoring in elementary education. Leah Griser, Sophia Naide and Phoenix Wilson have been named to the honors list at Mary Baldwin College. Anna Dixon, who majors in nursing, and Carolyn G. Lucas, who majors in theatre, were both named to the dean’s list at DeSales University. Victoria Polchinski received academic honors from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University by making the university's dean's list for the fall 2013 semester. Matthew Heller, a fourth-year student in the ASL-English interpretation program in RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf, made the dean's list for the fall 2013 semester. Kathleen Wyskoczka was named to the deans' list/honor roll at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Wyskoczka is a junior pre-mild/moderate disabilities K-6 major in the College of Education and Human Sciences. Michael Patrick Flynn was named to the dean’s list at Texas Lutheran University.