Words, music, images and more from Jim Barnes
Homeowners in Herndon, Vienna and Falls Church have until Tuesday to take advantage of a program that can make it more affordable to start powering their homes with solar energy.
The Solarize NOVA program helps homeowners save money on converting to solar power through free home assessments and bulk discounts, said officials with the Local Energy Alliance Program, which sponsors the initiative with the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
Washington Post, June 25, 2015
When officials from the Belmont Country Club homeowners association realized that weeds were threatening trees in the neighborhood’s protected areas, they decided to bring in a herd of goats.
Last week, a truckload of about 30 goats arrived in the gated community to begin a five-day feast that association officials hoped would rid the areas of invasive nonnative vegetation.
Washington Post, June 18, 2015
The Canadian Brass, widely acclaimed as one of the most popular brass ensembles in the world, visited John Champe High School in Aldie recently to conduct a workshop for Loudoun County band students.
About 700 students from 10 middle and high schools attended the May 29 workshop, where the ensemble demonstrated diverse musical styles, including early Renaissance music and a Peruvian tango.
Washington Post, June 7, 2015
The Round Hill Aquatic Center at Woodgrove Park opened last week, almost 24 years after it was proffered to Loudoun County in a rezoning that allowed development of the Villages of Round Hill, Mountain Valley and Lake Point.
The opening was the culmination of a decades-long process that included public meetings, shifting plans for the facility, an appeal by the developer and rulings by the county’s zoning administrator.
The indoor facility has drawn criticism because of its size and operational costs. With four 25-yard lap lanes, it will provide space for swim team practices but is too small to host meets. The facility was built with private funds, but it will cost the county about $400,000 annually to operate. About one-third of the cost will be recovered by user fees in the first year, county officials said.
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Washington Post, May 31, 2015
Hundreds of walkers took part in a six-mile trek along Spriggs Road in the mid-county area last weekend to raise awareness about teen suicide.
Prince William County school officials estimated that more than 400 people participated in the walk, a round trip between Forest Park and Hylton high schools. Although most of the walkers were high school students, participants included young children, adults — some pushing strollers — and even a few dogs.
Students in Advanced Placement government classes at Forest Park organized the event as their final project, which their teacher, Shannon Geraghty, allowed them to do in place of a final exam.
Washington Post, May 31, 2015
For two hours on a recent Wednesday, a corner of the Potomac High School library was transformed into a setting for a fine dining experience. A group of 18 guests sat at tables draped with blue cloths and decorated with colorful centerpieces. They were served a four-course meal featuring cuisine from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.
The hosts were a team of students from the school’s culinary arts program. They organized the meal as the final project for their senior-level class. The students coordinated everything, from developing the guest list, invitations and menu, to preparing and serving the food, their teachers said.
Washington Post, May 10, 2015
It’s called going over the cliff. When students with autism leave the public school system — and the network of support and therapy it provides — they often graduate to the couch. They struggle to find meaningful employment and to live independently, even though the majority have average to above-average intelligence.
Some special education teachers and parents in Loudoun County have been trying to change that. They created Legacy Farms, a nonprofit organization that introduces young adults with autism to farming. The goal is to help ease the transition from public school to the community.
Washington Post, May 3, 2015
Concern about the plight of the honeybee has sparked a surge of interest in backyard beekeeping in Northern Virginia.
Interest is so high that two local beekeeping clubs say they are being stretched to keep up with the demand. Introductory beekeeping classes offered in Loudoun and Prince William counties fill up quickly every year, and waiting lists carry over from one year to the next, beekeepers in both counties said.
Washington Post, April 30, 2015
After receiving heavy pushback from mid-county residents, Prince William County Schools Superintendent Steven L. Walts backed down from a proposal to move the Mary G. Porter Traditional School from its location in Woodbridge to a site known as the Ferlazzo property, at Spriggs and Minnieville roads.
Instead, the school system will proceed with its original plan to build a facility that will serve local residents at the Ferlazzo site, Walts said…
Washington Post, April 26, 2015
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is using the power of persuasion and its control of purse strings to try to defuse a controversy that has erupted in recent weeks over plans for an elementary school that is scheduled to be built in the mid-county area.
The school board is considering a staff recommendation to move the Mary G. Porter Traditional School from its current location in Woodbridge to a site at the intersection of Spriggs and Minnieville roads. That site, on land previously owned by the Ferlazzo family, had been planned for an elementary school for children who live in the mid-county area, scheduled to open in 2016.
Washington Post, April 19, 2015