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Andrea Worker

Stories by Andrea

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Elected Officials Discuss Ways to Support Fairfax County’s Residents in Need

“We can’t do enough to spread the word that in the midst of affluent Fairfax County there is another, ‘hidden Fairfax’ that needs our urgent attention.” T

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Transportation Forum Discusses Options and Obstacles

High Level forum discusses regional transit options and obstacles.

Local, state and federal elected and appointed officials, business leaders, researchers and directors and staff from transportation and economic development agencies gathered on Friday morning, May 8, at the Greensboro Conference Center in he heart of Tysons.

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Local Nonprofit Group Presents 'Perils of the College Drinking Culture' Program

The final quarter of the 2014-2015 school year has arrived. For thousands of area high school seniors that means time to say farewells to friends, teachers, and the familiarity of the routines and activities of the past four years. For many of them, it also means time to prepare for that first year of college, and possibly their first time away from home and daily parental guidance.

Outlook Optimistic for Local 2015 Real Estate Market

After what seemed to be an endless winter, spring has finally come calling, signaling the start of the year’s first real estate high season. Homes trade hands all year long, but spring is often for buyers, seller, agents, brokers and lenders like those weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas; buyers at full speed searching out the best bargains and sellers looking to move their wares without having to resort to price-slashing sales tactics.

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‘Your Life Is Today and Tomorrow’

Residents of local senior living communities share their experiences.

“I didn’t want to come here,” said Bill Woessner, referring to Brightview Assisted Living Community in Great Falls. “That’s right,” agreed Sheila, his wife of more than 50 years, with plenty of her native Scottish brogue to be heard in her voice. “He really didn’t. We have a lovely house here in Great Falls and I don’t think he was ready to budge. But how long after we got here did that change?” she turned to her husband and asked. “At least a day,” he laughingly replied. “Seriously,” said Bill Woessner, “it probably wasn’t more than the first 48 hours.”

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Virginia Housing Expo Draws Crowds

Home-ownership, rental opportunities and related services dominate the event at Herndon High.

“Those most in need of these services and resources benefit the most when we can bring so many providers and organizations together in this one-stop shop format.”

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Leadership Fairfax Hosts Supervisors Breakfast

State of the County Address, supervisors’ questions and an award ceremony top the agenda.

The agenda and the speakers have to be of significant interest to get some 300 people to brave local traffic and attend a meeting that started at 7:30 a.m. Leadership Fairfax (LFI) apparently succeeded in offering both in the ballroom of the Fairview Park Marriott on Friday morning, March 13, hosting its 24th Annual Board of Supervisors Breakfast.

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Super-Insulation Talk Attracts Homeowners in Reston

How to lower electric, gas and water bills?

The Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne in Reston was the venue for a well-attended presentation by Rich and Marian Taschler on proper home insulation and its mostly unknown benefits. The program was offered under the auspices of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University.

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Focus on Transportation

Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance presents regional priorities at 10th annual event.

“What You Need to Know about Transportation in Five Minutes or Less” was the working title of this year’s Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA) seminar and reception held on Sept. 30 at Capital One’s auditorium in McLean.

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Kids Sending Smiles Raise Funds for Local Charity

They’re at it again. Who’s at what? Those girls from Kids Sending Smiles (KSS) – that’s “who.” The “what” is yet another charitable mission completed by this band of energetic and socially conscious Springfield/Lorton area elementary students, who several years ago formed their own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the goal of “bringing happiness to ourselves and others by helping those in need in the United States and around the world.”

Some Good News and a Lot of Uncertainty

Realtors discuss the mortgage market at finance summit.

The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) hosted Finance Summit 2014 at their Fairfax Headquarters on Wednesday, May 21. The event brought together a panel of speakers with an impressive collection of credentials and expertise. Moderator Ken Harney’s “Nation’s Housing” column is nationally syndicated. Harney is also a member of the Federal Reserve Board Consumer Advisory Council, an author and commentator on real estate and mortgage issues, and the host of CNBC’s “Real Estate Magazine” weekly television program.

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Mario Rubio Sworn In as Chairman

Realtors Association holds installation ceremony for new board.

The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NCAR) installed their 2014 Board on Dec. 5 at a ceremony held at the association’s Fairfax headquarters. Out-going Chairman Jon Wolford of McEnearney Associates hosted the proceedings, which included a number of awards and recognitions in addition to the official swearing in of the new officers.

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Holocaust Survivors Honored at Mason

Jewish Student Association hosts ‘Expressions of the Holocaust: a Dinner Honoring Survivors.’

On Nov. 13, George Mason University’s Jewish student association, Mason Hillel, organized and hosted “Expressions of the Holocaust: a Dinner Honoring Survivors.” The date for the event was chosen with care – just days after the 75th anniversary of the Nov. 9 -10 Kristallnacht – “Night of Broken Glass.”

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For Whom The [School] Bell Tolls

School district works toward later start times for high schools.

Would you send your teenagers to school or put them behind the wheel after allowing them to down two or three alcoholic beverages?

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All Smiles at Burke Lake

Kids Sending Smiles organizes 5K run to fight breast cancer.

Kids Sending Smiles (KSS), the 501c3 non-profit established and run by a group of elementary school girls from the Springfield and Alexandria areas, successfully completed their most ambitious charitable event to date on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Burke Lake Park.

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Forum Highlights Domestic Violence

Cook holds gathering to “Stop the Silence—End the Violence.”

Oct. 17. The back patio at Kilroy’s Restaurant and Sports Bar on Port Royal Road in Springfield was the scene of a gathering described by host Fairfax County Supervisor John C. Cook (R- Braddock), as “part of an effort to shine the light on the oft-hidden and denied blight on our families … of domestic violence.” Cook was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in February to be their liaison to the Domestic Violence Prevention, Policy and Coordinating Council. “The name may be a mouthful,” admitted Cook in an interview during the event, “but the people you need to get things done are all right in the room,” he said. “This group gets things done.”

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Kids Sending Smiles Around the World

Youth non-profit to hold 5K Run/Walk for Breast Cancer at Burke Lake Park.

The Court of the 2013 Lee District Lady Fairfax was in session, but there were no royal activities underway. Instead, 11-year-old Samantha Underwood and her friends were busy reminiscing about past events and planning future ones for Kids Sending Smiles (KSS)—the charitable organization they established when a friend of Philippine ancestry told Samantha about the conditions and the poverty, especially among young girls, in the native country of her family.

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McAuliffe, Cuccinelli Highlight Small Business Summit

Gubernatorial candidates speak at the Mason Inn & Conference Center.

Virginia gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli were the keynote speakers at the fourth annual Virginia Small Business Partnership (VASBP) Summit, hosted by Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies LLC at The Mason Inn in Fairfax on Friday, Sept. 20. “We are thrilled to have them join us,” said Paul A. Miller, chairman of the VASBP.

‘Regionality’ of Transportation Projects Questioned

Transportation Authority approves FY2014 Project List.

“Tonight we acted to address one of the greatest threats to our region: Congestion.” So spoke Marty Nohe, chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and Coles District supervisor for Prince William County. Despite numerous calls to slow down the process by speakers at the public hearing before the Authority, on Wednesday, July 24, the NVTA approved the FY2014 proposed regional multimodal project list as presented and vetted by the NVTA’s Project Implementation Working Group (PIWG) headed by Authority member (and Arlington County Board Member) Christopher Zimmerman.

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Paving ‘Virginia’s Road to the Future’

Transportation Authority solicits public input on first year of proposed projects.

City Hall in the City of Fairfax was the location of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) June 20 Open House and Public Hearing, seeking public opinion on proposed regional transportation projects. The Authority was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2002 to provide a common voice for all Northern Virginia stakeholders on transportation and related issues. The Authority is made up of representatives from the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and one representative for the towns of Herndon, Leesburg, Purcellville, Dumfries and Vienna. The group also includes several members of the Virginia Assembly, governor appointees and non-voting representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

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Muslim Women Encouraged to Explore STEM

Six women share their success story at the Lorton Library.

The Nubian Benevolence Association was the official sponsor for the Muslim Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) presentation at the Lorton Community Library on Saturday, March 23, but there was little doubt that Hajjar Ahmed, daughter of the organization’s co-Founder Hossam Ahmed, was the driving force behind the event.

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Good Citizenship Honored

Springfield VFW Post 7327 hosts annual award ceremony.

Sunday, Feb. 24, was the long awaited date for a fabulous awards ceremony, but if you are thinking of that other red carpet event, think again. The honorees for the Springfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7327 and its Ladies Auxiliary Annual Awards really stole the show.

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Honoring Veterans at Sangster Elementary

Students carry on Veterans Day traditions.

Armistice Day. November 11, 1918. The day when hostilities ended on the Western Front of World War I and the day that ultimately gave birth to our Veterans Day Observances. Originally the day set aside to officially honor our fallen military heroes, it has become the time to not only honor their sacrifice, but to recognize all those who served and all who continue to serve.

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Dogtopia Comes to Springfield

New facility welcomes first guests.

The grand opening celebration of Dogtopia in Springfield on Saturday, Nov. 3, had barely begun before a steady stream of party poochers were taking over the spacious lobby and accompanying their humans on staff-guided tours of the new facility.

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Town Hall Meeting Focuses on Parkway

Fairfax County Parkway the subject at well-attended meeting.

In conjunction with the Springfield District Council, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity (R) hosted a panel of local and state transportation authorities for a Town Hall Meeting, held at the James W. Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax.

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