Last year, the FCPS School Board approved funding for an independent study of school food services at Fairfax County Public Schools. A contract was awarded in January to Prismatic Services, Inc., a North Carolina-based consultant firm that focuses on helping school districts improve their operational and support services. As part of the assessment process, Prismatic has released two brief surveys, one for parents/caregivers and one for high-school aged students, which may be accessed through the links below. The survey, which is completely confidential, is available in English, Spanish and …

• Op-Ed sent in by Sen. Barbara Favola The Virginia General Assembly will soon enact legislation that directs the State Corporation Commission to perform plan management functions for participation in a federal health benefits exchange (HBE) program. The exchange will function as a virtual marketplace where families can shop and compare insurance policies, with the help of a consumer navigator, to find the appropriate policy for their needs.   Thanks to new rules, shoppers in the exchange can be assured that any policy they purchase will cover important categories of care, including mental …

Letter to the editor: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry” – Luke 4:1-2.   The Lenten tradition of the Church takes its inspiration from Jesus' 40 days of solitude, prayer, and fasting in the wilderness. Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date…

To the Editor: I encourage all Virginia 86th District residents to sign a petition to ensure Herb Kemp is included in the upcoming Virginia General Assembly Delegates Primary. I have known him and his family for many years and the people of the 86th would be in exceptional hands and he would represent you with integrity and passion. Check out his site to learn more and lend your support: http://www.herbkempfordelegate.com. Thanks, Cheryl Pepper

While there has been much discussion about the “Fiscal Cliff” and the Affordable Care Act aka “Obamacare,” there has been a lack of coverage on a bill that affects nearly every citizen of the world: the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.  How does this 2,000-plus page law affect you? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the financial industry employs about 6 million people but as an industry it touches all of us.  The Dodd-Frank Act was intended to be transformative in such a way that hasn’t been seen since the Great Depression.  To understand the …

It won’t fit under your Christmas tree, and you can’t use Amazon’s Same Day shipping service for it. No camping out on Black Friday could have helped you get this gift, and it’s not on the iTunes App Store. But over 100 million boys have received this gift already. 2012 is a tough time to raise boys into strong young men. We do our best to be good parents and provide them with a good home, good friends and good morals. We sign them up for all the sports we can and we go to all their games – some of us even coach. We see them enjoying their sports and we feel like that’s enough. But is it? …

To the Editor, In the wake of the recent tragedy in Connecticut I want to take this opportunity to talk about Teen Suicide. As a former high school health teacher I am keenly aware of the significance of this problem in our society. In the United States, Suicide is the No. 2 cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 and 24. The Centers for Disease Control did a nationwide survey of high school students and found that 16 percent of the students had seriously considered suicide, 13 percent had reported creating a suicide plan, and 8 percent had reported attempting suicide in the 12 months…

We highlight issues including environmental and climate science that others tend to ignore. The records and goals of Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen provide a clear choice. 1. ENERGY Allen: Opposes most “green energy” initiativesSupports offshore drilling, which would seriously threaten: - Virginia’s robust coastal economy, tourism and natural resources.- the largest military seaport in the world—Norfolk and the entire Hampton Roads metro area- other federal security and scientific operations Kaine: First Va. Governor to establish a state energy plan. The plan calls for use of …

In Response to Gerry Connolly for his comment that veterans and career-first officers, including Colonel Perkins, do not have the "sweat equity" needed to hold federal office. Gerry Connolly, a lawyer who doesn't legislate because Nancy says read Obama Care after it is passed. Connolly also say Yes when Nancy and Harry want more Tax Revenues from the 53% who pay taxes, and Yes to Harry and Obama when the Far Left want devastating cuts to our national defense capabilities and increasing unemployment in private and public sectors.  Gerry Connolly's "sweat equity",is take money from tax payers …

Dear editor, From his time as mayor of Richmond to governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine has proven he cares about results and he knows what matters to Virginians. We want good jobs, good schools, and we want to make sure our veterans and our seniors are given the benefits they have earned. Tim Kaine will make these issues a priority in the Senate and we can count on him to compromise with Republicans and Democrats to get this done. His opponent George Allen is a divisive figure who attacks Democrats – notably saying, “let’s enjoy knocking their soft teeth down their whining throats.” That’s not …

Dear Ms. McClellan, First, UPROAR applauds your efforts to protect your school’s position on the renovation queue. We want to point out that the queue will not be revised before the bond vote where Herndon HS will be approved for the planning phase of their renovation. You are not in danger! But please let me point out some incorrect information in your letter to the Herndon Patch editor that I think will help you and the Herndon community better understand UPROAR’s position and the fact that we do not intend to (and actually cannot) affect your placement on the 2013 bond to begin the …

Dear Editor, The surest sign of a loser is when he becomes desperate and loses his grip on reality. The Republican Party has essentially given up on Herndon finding that when voters understand the issues, Republicans can't be taken seriously. From voter suppression to employers threatening employees to pizza joint owners threatening customers, this is the story of today's Republican Party. Locally, over the years I'm sure you've noticed political signage at the Herndon public permitted places. It seems that this year you have to look quickly before all the Democratic signs mysteriously …

Dear Editor, Herndon High School is scheduled for a much-needed renovation/addition project to address both the deteriorating building conditions and rapidly growing student enrollment, with construction projected to start in about five years. However, a group of Falls Church H.S. parents that calls itself UPROAR is working hard to have the School Board review the renovation queue list and have their school move ahead of Herndon H.S. and many other schools in this FCPS renovation priority list. The renovation priority list has Herndon H.S. at #25, Oakton HS at #30, and Falls Church HS at #45…

To the Editor: Most people have heard of the endless problems with MWAA (the guys in charge of Metro’s Silver Line construction) and their reckless spending. Still, our state and local governments keep ignoring their bad reputation when it comes to their management of the Silver Line construction. Loudoun and Virginia are handing over our taxes and tolls knowing MWAA has no incentive for efficiency. They answer to no one, at any level of government.    If you want to know where the wasted billions go look at the names of companies on the campaign contributions of those who push this crony-…

After watching the Republican convention I am convinced that the USA needs to be run more like a business, in fact, more like Romney's business — Bane Capital.  The first thing that needs to be done is to evaluate the contributions of each state — which states get net subsidies from the rest of us. Then we can safely say as the Donald says, “you’re fired” to the following states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Many of these states are in the “heartland” but I …

What happens when you complain to MWAA about Dulles Toll Road tolls? That depends on what you say and who you say it to. First, don’t be surprised when you go to a public hearing to find out you are being treated to a Dulles Rail, MWAA, Dulles Toll Road promotional presentation. NoTOLLincrease.org will be there to give you an opportunity to send a personal video message to the Virginia legislators who are hiding behind MWAA. Here are a few points you may want to make if you are opposed to toll increases. The Dulles Toll Road was supposed to charge tolls until it was paid for. Enough tolls …

On behalf of the 2012 All Night Grad Committee and the senior families at Herndon High School, we’d like to thank the many organizations, businesses and individuals for their part in making the All Night Grad Celebration a tremendous success. In particular, we’d like to recognize the Town of Herndon, the Herndon Chamber of Commerce and the Herndon Optimist Club for their many, many years of support for the Herndon High School All Night Grad Parties. Your support reminds us every year what a fabulous community Herndon is and sends a clear message that our youth are an important part of what …

Germany had capitulated to the Allies on the day our class had its final German language exam. Now Hitler was dead. The heavy clouds over Europe had lifted. My class of about sixty attended high school through the last years of World War II with all its scares and scarcity. Just about everything was rationed. Babies born after 1940 had never seen bananas! Yet, we Swedes were fortunate. We had not been invaded by the Germans like the Danes and Norwegians, not to mention the Finns, who had to give in to the Russians after fighting a brave winter war in 1939. Graduation ceremony took place at …

Dear Editor, Aside from the domestic issues currently facing our nation, there are parts of the world experiencing unstable and volatile situations. Among the global issues is the human rights abuse observed in countries under totalitarian regimes, preventing the spread of democracy and liberty. In order for the United States to maintain a strong stance against human rights abuse, we must reelect Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. As co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Congressman Wolf is one of our nation’s premier leaders on human rights. …

I think we can all agree that what we need in Herndon is a Town Council that is hardworking, analytical, and able to give real direction to the Town Staff that reflects the will of the people. Unfortunately, recent events have shown us that we have a case of the tail wagging the dog in Herndon, where the Town Staff effectively directs the Town Council and Planning Commission, and their plans are rubber stamped without serious review and analysis. In the case of the Metro Area Plan, the entire Planning Commission and four members of the Council were prepared to pass almost any plan put before …