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

A day before the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, two local victims — Westfield High grads Erin Peterson and Reema Samaha — were honored and remembered at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Centreville.

Letter: Open for Public Involvement?

Thoughts on a lack of citizen input.

Spring Hill Students Win Earth Day Awards

The school celebrates Earth Day with a multi-media celebration and contest.

Spring Hill Elementary School kicked off a new tradition this year for Earth Day. The entire student body shared their own interpretation of the importance of Earth Day through a school-wide art show and talent contest. The students created a variety of artistic creations, ranging from visual art to poetry and performance art. The celebration concluded with a recycled-goods fashion show.

Column: Maestro’s Musings

It’s hard to believe that it's my 25th anniversary as Music Director of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. The centerpiece of my anniversary year will be the world premiere of an epic symphonic piece composed by yours truly and my wife, Kathryn Vassar Kluge.

Multiple Benefits of Mentoring

This article was submitted by Leigh Hoyer and Luisa Reyes from Wright To Read, an educational program that promotes literacy through the tutoring and mentoring of elementary school students and through outreach to the Alexandria community. Mentee Roxana Lara spoke about the value of having a mentor: "Sometimes you can't find the right words to say, or maybe you just can't find the right way to say it. But I want to give thanks to someone who helped me so much in life. I am very grateful for Ms. Kathy's tutoring and mentoring. Now I am reading much better. I see things much differently than before, thanks to her."

Arlington: Yorktown Girls’ Lax Shows ‘Mental Toughness’

Patriots win five straight after dropping season opener.

The Yorktown girls’ lacrosse team’s motto of “mental toughness” was put to the test following the first game of the season, when the Patriots opened the 2015 campaign with a 22-11 loss at home against a talented Centreville team on March 16.

Editorial: Past Time for Later Start Times

Teenagers are sleep deprived, and sleep deprivation takes a significant toll on safety, health and learning. We’ve known this for decades. But for decades, literally, Fairfax County Public Schools (and Montgomery County, Md.) have let a combination of reactionary blabber ("buck up and get moving;" "just tell them to go to bed earlier") and organizational resistance prevent implementing a solution to this very real problem. Getting up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to hop on a school bus at 5:45 a.m. or even as late at 6:30 a.m. to get to school by 7:20 a.m. is not healthy for teenagers. It is nearly impossible for teenagers to go to sleep before 11 p.m. or midnight. Fairfax County high school students average six hours of sleep a night on weeknights. Research shows they need nine hours of sleep. Research has also quantified the costs of sleep deprivation.

Southwestern Virginia

Commentary

For many years Jane and I have used our spring break to visit locations throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. This year was no exception as we went to the southwestern region of the state. Although we drove about 225 miles to Roanoke from Reston, we were not yet in what the locals call Southwest Virginia. In fact, only by driving another 134 miles down I81 to Abingdon did we get to what many consider the doorstep to Southwest Virginia. It would have been possible to drive another 111 miles west with a short swing into Tennessee to get to the western-most point in Virginia at Cumberland Gap. That point is further west than Detroit. Regardless of how far you travel, the natural beauty of the mountains and streams in this part of the state are unequaled, and the local people are wonderful to meet.

Herndon Middle to Present ‘13!’

Students rehearse for spring musical.

“The show is a lot of fun, it pokes fun at how difficult it is to go through middle school,” said Bryan Case. Case is a music teacher at Herndon Middle, and is music director for the upcoming spring musical “13!” which will be preformed at the school’s auditorium on Locust Street. Written by Jason Robert Brown, the musical premiered in 2007. The story follows young Evan Goldman as he grapples with his parents' divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the social circles of a new school. “The show was cast in January and they have been rehearsing tirelessly since then,” said Carin Procopio, president of the Herndon Middle School Theatre Boosters group.

Oh, The #Adulting You’ll Do

Reston resident writes for children and adults.

Alissa Buoni knows a thing or two about how to talk to kids. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in School Counseling from The George Washington University. She uses all of that experience - personal and educational - in her debut children’s book “Oh, The #Adulting You’ll Do.”

Reston: ‘Wild’ Chinese Lantern Festival Illuminates NoVa

Over 800 hand-made lanterns have been shipped from southern China to northern Virginia for the Chinese Lantern Festival at Roer’s Zoofari, the old Reston Zoo, in Vienna. All the lanterns in the festival are life-sized or oversized animals that stand at heights as tall as 55 feet, says George Zhao, spokesperson for the festival.

Obituary: Demetrios ‘Jim’ Gadonas Dies at 78

Alexandria Letter: Historical Fabric

Letter to the Editor

The Alexandria Archealogical Commission (AAC) strongly opposes the recent vote by City Council to seek authorization from the Virginia legislature to move the Appomattox statue from its current location at the center of Washington and Prince streets. Both the statue and its placement at the site Alexandrians left for war, a context with which it is intertwined as a piece of art, are important elements of Alexandria’s history — and our nation’s. We view moving the statue as destruction of our vanishing local historical fabric, and in effect obscuring important truths about our city and community.

Teen Star and Photography Buff Comes to Town

Keenan Allen displays his laid back, Hollywood side.

Keenan Allen book signing at Springfield Town Center

How Alexandria Got Its Shape

History of boundary changes in Alexandria.

Check Ballot Ahead of Time in Montgomery County

Election just three weeks away.

Wellbeing: Faith Sustained Many During COVID-19 Crisis

How a belief in a higher power helped some people cope with pandemic

As she experienced the emotions and uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic, Bracha Goetz turned to the tenets of her faith.

Lorton: ‘Magnetic’ and ‘Toxic’ Band Holds Benefit Concert

Young rock stars raise money for the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC).

A group of young rock stars, The Magnetic Toxins, performed on Saturday, Sept., 17 at The Laurel Hill Community Pool in an effort to raise money for the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC).

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Editorial

Amid controversy surrounding his dual roles as statewide board member and local developer, Mitchel ends his tenure on Commonwealth Transportation Board.

Erin Peterson honored in song and dance.