Friday, May 17, 2013
Thousands of delegates will gather in Richmond this weekend to nominate candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
The Virginia Republican party will gather for its state convention in Richmond this Friday and Saturday to nominate candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general for the November election. Richmond will see an influx of 13,000 delegates to the convention – party activists who will nominate the candidates they think can maintain the party’s interests and win on November 5. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli became the party’s only nominee for governor when current Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling dropped out last year. Cuccinelli will be formally nominated this weekend and is expected to deliver an acceptance speech Saturday. A senior council in Virginia’s Republican Party made a last-minute decision to hold a convention instead of a …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Presented by Patch, the theme is 'Fairfax Is Beautiful.'
UPDATE: The deadline for the first annual Celebrate Fairfax Photo Contest has been extended to May 15. Enter today! Your photo could be on display at Celebrate Fairfax! --- Are you a natural photographer or just enjoy capturing snapshots of the world around you? Celebrate Fairfax is looking for the best photographs of the natural beauty of Fairfax County and announces their 1st annual Photo Contest! In order to enter, you must submit a photo of something beautiful you see in nature around Fairfax County. You have until May 1 to get your entry in! Let the county be your inspiration — the top 75 entries submitted will be displayed during the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival, which will be held June 7-9. Individuals will compete in one of two …
Want to make a real difference in the world? Consider one of these seven "green" careers that help protect -- and improve -- our planet. Provided by Jobs at AOL.
The following story was provided by AOLJobs.com By Debra Auerbach for CareerBuilder Have you ever had an itch to quit your job and instead do work that makes a real difference in the world? In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we've compiled a list of seven jobs that help people live a better life – from the buildings they work and live in, to the energy that fuels their homes, to the air they breathe. 1. Conservation scientist: Conservation scientists are hired to help preserve and protect natural habitats. They usually work with landowners and federal, state and local governments to find the best ways to use and improve the land while conserving the environment.* If you’re looking for a green job in Vienna, check out our jobs page. 2. …
Friday, May 10, 2013
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority officials say despite high number, sequestration will cause job growth to slow down.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) helped bring more than 1,400 jobs from 27 different companies during the first quarter of 2013. Salient Federal Solutions, a company that provides information techonology support to government and commercial customers, created the most opportunity countywide, adding 530 jobs in Fairfax, FCEDA officials said Friday. “In today’s environment, any business growth is remarkable,” FCEDA President and CEO Jerry Gordon said in a statement. But the number of new jobs was still down from the first quarter of 2012, when the FCEDA worked with 46 different businesses to bring in nearly 2,000 jobs. Gordon told Patch the slowdown was caused by cold feet from business owners, who hesitated to grow…
Democratic gubernatorial candidate laid out platform at George Mason's Arlington campus.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe said Thursday he would push to reform the state's Standards of Learning, or SOL, tests if he is elected in November. "The current, once-a-year, high-stakes, multiple-choice testing isn't working for students, parents or teachers," he told a crowd of more than 300 people at George Mason University's Arlington campus, to rousing applause. Under the current system, a fifth-grade teacher who raises a child from a first-grade reading level to a fourth-grade reading level is considered a failure, he said. Teachers who want to break up the test into smaller portions, or test at different levels based on student achievement should be encouraged, he said. McAuliffe also said he would establish a "…
This week: As shops open and close in Vienna, a look at what the role town plays (or doesn't) in new businesses coming to town.
"Ask the Town" is a weekly series that features Vienna Public Information Officer Kirstyn Barr answering reader questions about anything and everything Vienna. Have a question? Leave it in the comments below; we'll answer it next week. There has been a lot of discussion around town lately about what business might occupy the old Magruder’s space and some talk about ‘bringing in’ particular businesses to fill the void. As far as the Town’s involvement (as a government entity) goes, to put it simply, we do not “recruit” businesses to come and open up shop in Town, regardless of the location. The Town only becomes involved with a particular property when a building or occupancy permit application is made. At that time, the Department of …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
ABC News: About half as many Virginians vote in gubernatorial elections as in presidential years.
Anyone familiar with Terry McAuliffe knows he can tell a good story. The one he told Thursday in Arlington, at George Mason's campus as he was wrapping up a five-day tour of the state, was about this past November. It was Election Day. McAuliffe, at the request of the campaigns of Barack Obama and Tim Kaine, was asked to head to a polling station in Henrico County, where voters were still waiting in a long line as darkness fell. He said he went there and handed out coffee, hot chocolate and hand warmers. And everyone got to vote. And then he asked everyone in the room to mobilize for this year's election. [McAuliffe: Reform Virginia's Standards of Learning Tests] Turnout, often, is key. But now more than ever that isn't lost on Northern …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Fairfax Chamber of Commerce won't support a possible 4 percent tax on meals and beverages in Fairfax County. But some leaders say it's a good way to bring in extra revenue.
A potential meals tax in Fairfax County is already leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some members of the business community. During a meeting of the county’s top economic officials Tuesday, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) said it was opposed to the tax. Christian Deschauer, the FCCC’s vice president of government relations, said the chamber would not support a referendum — a position shared by many restaurant owners, he said. “We’ve never supported state legislation or board action that specifically targets a single industry,” Deschauer said. “I’ve talked to a bunch of restaurants in the past week … and the message has not changed from them – they remain adamantly opposed. That’s just the initial feedback.” Last week …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Virginia Republican Party will nominate its candidates during a convention in two weeks, and some experts have weighed in on the system.
When Virginia’s Republican Party made a last-minute decision to nominate candidates for the 2013 election in a convention instead of a primary, as originally planned, it prompted Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling to withdraw his name from the race for governor. The move made the especially conservative Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s current attorney general, the GOP’s de facto nominee for governor. He's expected to be officially nominated during the Virginia Republican Convention on May 17 and 18 in Richmond. (See our guide to the convention right here.) See Also: Poll: Does the Virginia GOP Convention Represent True Democracy? Bolling said he dropped out of the race because he didn’t agree with the convention system, arguing that it made the nomination …
Laurie DiRocco, Carey Sienicki and Howard Springsteen will all begin another two-year term July 1.
For the three candidates who earned another term on the Vienna Town Council in Tuesday's election, the voter turnout — higher than the town has seen in four years — was affirmation residents are happy with the direction the town is heading, they told Patch hours after polls closed. Laurie DiRocco, Carey Sienicki and Howard Springsteen were all elected to start another term July 1, defeating fellow candidate Ryan Thomas. Read: Vienna Town Council Elections Results: Incumbents Keep Seats "It's confirmation we're doing a good job," Sienicki told Patch. "Thanks to all Vienna voters for their confidence." The election, which drew 1,017 voters to the polls in person or via absentee ballot, was the first contested election since 2011. "It shows …
Barbara Glakas
6:16 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
I noted the article said, "Cuccinelli will be formally nominated this weekend and is expected to deliver an acceptance speech Saturday." I think it is obvious to everyone that this is a done deal and Cuccinelli will be the nominee. Too bad they opted to change their rules (against the wishes the Governor and Lt. Governor) and not have an open primary so that all the Republicans in Virginia could … more ›