High School Students ‘GIVE’ back to Fairfax County

Expanding student-run organization based at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology offers tutoring to disadvantaged children throughout Fairfax County.

Three years ago, Kevin Cao was volunteering at Belvedere Elementary School, working with third grade students. By the middle of the academic year, he noticed a lot of kids were falling behind in their schoolwork compared to their peers. After inquiring about resources that could help these students and finding there weren’t many, Cao started a tutoring program of his own with the help of some of his classmates at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and other area schools. Thus, Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education — better known as GIVE — was founded by Cao and Kartik Gupta from Thomas Jefferson and Abrar Omeish from Robinson Secondary School. GIVE is a completely student-run nonprofit organization …

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Virginia Leaders React to Supreme Court Ruling on Affordable Care Act

High Court ruled 5-4 today to uphold what some call 'Obamacare.'

Area leaders were quick to react today to the news that the Supreme Court upheld President Barack Obama's health reform law. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R): "Today's Supreme Court ruling is extremely disappointing for Virginia and for America. The PPACA will create a costly and cumbersome system that will impair our country's ability to recover from these challenging economic times, infringes on our citizen's liberties, will harm small businesses, and will impose dramatic unfunded mandates on Virginia and all states. Simply put, this is a blow to freedom. America needs market-based solutions that give patients more choice, not less." (For the governor's full statement, visit his Web site.) On his Twitter feed, the governor wrote: "Simply …

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Metro Decision Divides Speakers

Loudoun residents and landowners voiced opinions about the proposed Silver Line project during a public input session Monday.

More than 150 people signed up for Monday's public input session to tell the Loudoun Board of Supervisors their views about the proposed Metro project that would extend the Silver Line from Reston to Ashburn. The board must decide by July 4 whether the county will participate in the project. If Loudoun participates, stations will be constructed at Route 606 and 772, increasing development options in those areas. Some have called it the county's "biggest decision" ever. After hearing from the experts, supervisors Monday turned to their constituents. “The board is looking at their options when it comes to Dulles rail," said Loudoun Public Information Officer Anna Nissinen. "They’ve been going through work sessions with staff getting …

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Board Ponders Loudoun's 'Biggest Decision'

Supervisors received an update about the potential revenue generated by participating in Metro's Silver Line project.

Loudoun Chamber Breakfast Focuses on Silver Line Benefits

A trio of panelists promoted the opportunities they believe rail to Loudoun represents as partners await Loudoun’s decision.

Report Shows $72 Billion Loss Without the Silver Line

According to an article on WTOP, members of the Board of Supervisors have shown mixed reactions regarding the report.

A recent analysis shows that Loudoun County could suffer a $72.2 billion economic blow without the second phase of the Silver Line, according to an article on WTOP.  George Mason's Director for the Center for Regional Analysis Stephen Fuller said he has studied the impact of the subway line and concluded that the second phase is needed for the local area. It would provide subway services from Reston to Dulles International Airport, he said, and into Loudoun County. It would also bring 40,000 professional and business-service jobs to the local area. Without it, Fuller said his report shows that the county would lose $72.2 billion between 2020 and 2030 alone.  However, some members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors say they aren't …

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Bob Bruhns

4:34 pm on Monday, May 14, 2012

And if the economic advantage of the rail line is so fantastic - then why is there no business rail tax district in Loudoun County? Are the people in Loudoun County who would have to bus back and forth to get to and from the stations, and the Loudoun County businesses whose patrons and employees would have to do the same, supposed to benefit as much as the centers right around the rail stations?   more ›

Rail on Track to Loudoun?

With project labor agreement and high cost to taxpayers and counties, Silver Line to Dulles International Airport has a chance of not happening.

Could Rail to Dulles really end up being Rail to Reston? That possibility was discussed at "Silver Line: On Track to Loudoun," a panel discussion hosted by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce at the Sheraton Reston on Wednesday. With seven new members on the nine-member Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, many of the new board members have said they are undecided about whether to support the $2.7-billion Silver Line Phase 2, which will extend the rail from Reston's Wiehle Avenue to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and Fairfax County last week granted Loudoun County Supervisors an additional 30 days to  decide whether it will contribute to Phase 2, which is …

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HardHatMommy

6:59 am on Thursday, April 12, 2012

The P!A has nothing to do with wages. That's all set in stone with a job like this. On phase 1 you had both union and nonunion making the same wage and benefit scale. You obviously don't know much about this kind of work. Furthermore, to characterize 97.4% of Virginia's construction workers as "minimum wage no benefits laborers from rural VA or China" is rude and so incredibly off base. Virginia …   more ›

Rail To Dulles: No Agreement on Phase II Cost Reduction Yet

Thirty-day deadline to cut costs looming, but no decision on the horizon.

Key players in the Rail to Dulles saga are scheduled to meet again Thursday with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in an effort to reduce mounting costs. Officials from Loudoun and Fairfax counties and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) started meeting in earnest June 1, and LaHood told them they had 30 days to come up with cost-cutting solutions to the estimated $3.5 billion price tag for Phase II. Last week, business leaders from Loudoun and Fairfax voiced their dissatisfaction with the process in a press conference across the street from Reston's Wiehle Avenue station, which will be the end of the line of Phase 1 when it opens in late 2013. Loudoun County Chairman Scott York said the 30-day deadline will …

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Bob Bruhns

1:48 pm on Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Dulles Rail numbers are ballooning again. People, you really need to wake up... NOW. The supposed $330 million difference between the above and below ground Dulles Rail airport station plans just ballooned from $330 million to over $400 million, and now I am seeing something over $500 million dollars difference being claimed. It's like an auction - "$330 million, do I hear $400 million? Do I hear…   more ›