Back to profile

Mercia Hobson

Stories by Mercia

Ewing Resigns from Fairfax County Library Board

Trustee Rosenthal apologizes for disruption.

Two members of the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees, Phil Rosenthal, Springfield District Representative and Darren Ewing, Dranesville District Representative, made statements during the July 29 public meeting of the Fairfax County Library Board Trustees that caused the public, organizations, and top County leaders to voice concern.

Tease photo

County Democrats Endorse Town of Herndon Candidates

Town voters participate in unassembled caucus.

The Democratic Sample Ballot for Town of Herndon Elections this fall will show candidates endorsed by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC).

Tease photo

Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble in Reston

Car Rally for Justice shines a light on conscious and unconscious biases.

With armed security guards patrolling the grounds, faith leaders of nine partnering churches in the Reston-Herndon area joined organizers from Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church Reston for their Faith and Justice Car Rally.

Tease photo

A Little Bit of Normal in Great Falls

Live ‘Concerts on the Green’

Concerts on the Green returned to the Gazebo at the Great Falls Village Centre Sunday evening, Aug. 30, keeping the spirit that defines the community alive.

Tease photo

Outrage Over Comments by Trustee on Fairfax County Library Board

Local organizations, unions and faith-based groups call for his removal.

In the aftermath of public concern following comments made by appointed Trustee Phillip Rosenthal (Springfield District) during the July 29 public meeting of the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees, NOVA Equity Agenda Coalition sent a letter on Aug. 20 to Jeffrey McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Fran Millhouser, Chair of the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees.

Tease photo

The Need for Food Knows No Boundaries in Herndon

Neither does the need for a Herndon Labor Support Center

Alex Rodriguez is Organizing Chair of the Herndon Labor Support Center.

Tease photo

Threatening Snag on Herndon Arts Build

Large group of investors pull out

The proposed Floris Conservatory for Fine Arts & Music, a $40M, 48,000 square foot Scimores Academy LLC project for children 4-18 years of age planned for 8.06 acres at the intersection of West Ox and Centreville Roads in Herndon, might not come to fruition.

Tease photo

Doulas Launch Arrow Birth

Virtual education and consultations.

As mothers of seven children between them and long-time practicing doulas, Mari Stutzman Smith and Tara Campbell Lussier, two Herndon High School alumnae, ultimately knew what was missing for families on the path of parenthood to feel supported and successful.

Twelve Candidates Run in Town of Herndon Election

Candidates Discuss Their Priorities

As of Aug. 10, 2020, twelve candidates qualified to run in the Nov. 3, Fairfax County, Town of Herndon, General Election for Member Town Council – Herndon, and Mayor – Herndon, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

Tease photo

‘At What Price and At What Cost’ in Great Falls

Plan C comes to light for Marmota Farm.

Development plans are in the works for Marmota Farm in Great Falls.

Tease photo

Youth-owned Business Thrives in Great Falls

Product innovation and service expansion underpin growth.

Only thirteen years old, Joey Newton of Great Falls is already an entrepreneur and a savvy one.

Tease photo

Herndon Harbor House Seniors Embrace the New Norm

Masked, socially distanced and loving the life they make.

Seniors at Herndon Harbor House in the Town of Herndon pursue active lifestyles even though they have quarantined since March, according to resident Janice Watson.

EagleForce Warrior Foundation Donates $30K

Funds launch Capital Caring Health's ‘So No One Dies Alone Program.’

The local nonprofit provider of elder health, hospice and advanced illness care, Capital Caring Health, received a $30K donation from EagleForce Warrior Foundation to launch the provider's 'So No One Dies Alone Program' for Veterans from Northern Virginia and nearby areas and their families.

Moving Fairfax County Schools to Dismantle Systemic Racism

NAACP holds virtual Town Hall.

Fairfax County NAACP held a virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Tease photo

Reston Pride Runs Deep, Water or Not

Coronavirus collides with Cardboard Boat Regatta.

Reston Historic Trust & Museum canceled its fourth annual Cardboard Boat Regatta due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tease photo

DogFest Goes Virtual

COVID affects fundraising efforts; virtual platform spurs creative responses for the Sept. 20 event.

The Cheshire family of Great Falls is raising its 14th Canine Companions for Independence® (CCI) service puppy.

Tease photo

Hope and Joy in 625 Square Feet of Wings in Reston

Step in and be part of the art commissioned by American Real Estate Partners.

Reston, vocalist Taylor Swift, NFL Super Bowl XIV (54) and developer Howard Hughs have something in common: a mural by internationally acclaimed street artist Kelsey Montague.

Tease photo

Community Needs in NOVA Spike

As nonprofits lose funding resources, the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce acts.

After it became clear that local Northern Virginia counties and towns could not provide nonprofits with resources at the level they did before COVID-19, business leaders in The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce stepped up.

Tease photo

Fairfax County Democratic Committee Calls Virtual Unassembled Caucus

Party partisan endorsements in local nonpartisan election.

The issue of partisan party endorsements in a nonpartisan election appears to be one of the pending topics for discussion by candidates in the November 3 Town Council General Election in Herndon this fall.

Tease photo

Fairfax County Pivots Back to Virtual Learning

Superintendent sought Board consensus.

Members of the Fairfax County School Board reached a consensus during its July 21 Work Session and accepted Superintendent Scott Brabrand's recommendation to begin the 2020-21 school year 100 percent virtually.

Tease photo

Fairfax County Teachers Push for Virtual Start to School Year

Union says it is unrealistic to open school with a hybrid plan.

Two days after the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) July 15, 11:59 p.m. deadline passed for students, teachers and school based technology specialists (SBTS) to respond to two Instruction Options for the 2020-21 school year, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT, AFT 2401) sent a letter to FCPS officials urging them to switch to 100 percent virtual learning.

Tease photo

Food Pantry Shelves Near Empty in Herndon

Demand is greater than supply.

The Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Northwest Federal Credit Union, is out to fill empty tummies.

Tease photo

Making Life Easier for Adults With Developmental Disabilities

The Narang Foundation donates $10K to Langley Residential Support Services.

"We feel strongly that every person, no matter their challenges, deserves the opportunity to thrive, and have a support system behind them," said RJ Narang of McLean.

Tease photo

Controversy over Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston Erupts

Stakeholders and county supervisor speak out.

It is approaching three years since Connecticut-based real estate developer Wheelock Communities announced its acquisition of Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston.

Tease photo

Founder of Stroke Comeback Center Retires

Advocacy for those impacted by aphasia continues at the national level.

Darlene S. Williamson, M.S., CCC-SLP, of Oakton, long-term Executive Director and Founder of the Stroke Comeback Center (SCC), recently retired, stepping away from the non-profit organization she launched in 2005.

Tease photo

Masked with Love

Great Falls resident and extended family donate N95 masks to hospital.

David Chien of Great Falls and his extended family who reside in Hong Kong donated 100 N95 masks to Reston Hospital Center.

Tease photo

Coalition Pleads for Removal of Fairfax County SROs

NOVA Equity Agenda Coalition proposes redirecting of funding to hire counselors.

"While schools' primary role is to serve as an institution for learning, it must also remain a suitable place for young people to mature and sometimes err, without being subjected to the unquestionably perilous path of the criminal justice system," wrote members of the NOVA Equity Agenda Coalition in a July 6 letter to Fairfax County Public Schools Board and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Tease photo

4th of July 2020 Reston Style

Picnics and fireworks continue.

Official Fourth of July festivities around Reston may have been canceled for Independence Day 2020, but homegrown activities continued.

Tease photo

Pathway Homes Presents Summer of the Arts Exhibit

Original works available for sale at Vienna Arts Society gallery.

Purple Piece, Organ, Lion Pride, City Lights, Violent Behavior. These are names of some of the 30 works of art presented in Pathway Homes' Summer of the Arts 2020 on display at the Vienna Arts Society gallery, located at 513 Maple Avenue West #1.

Tease photo

Opioid Overdose Prevention System-OOPS

Local students earn top award at global competition.

The Challenge: In Fairfax County, opioids are the number one cause of unnatural death. According to the Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the proportion of all overdose deaths that include fentanyl and fentanyl analogs is higher in Fairfax than all of Virginia.

Tease photo

Honoring Bob Alden

A community leader who worked to establish the McLean Community Center, McLean Central Park and Dolley Madison Library, died on June 7, 2020.

Robert (Bob) Ames Alden, a community leader who worked to establish the McLean Community Center, McLean Central Park and Dolley Madison Library, passed away on June 7, 2020, at his McLean home at the age of 87.

Tease photo

Great Falls: 4th of July Celebration Reimagined

Drive-thru parade underscores the spirit of Great Falls.

The annual 4th of July Parade and Hometown Celebration produced by Celebrate Great Falls Foundation took on a new look in 2020.

Tease photo

Q&A on Back to School for Fairfax County

Superintendent takes questions at Virtual Town Hall.

FCPS hosted a virtual Town Hall Meeting on July 6, to answer questions about its two Return to School Plans: Full-time Online Instruction or In-Person Instruction with Social Distancing.

Tease photo

Cool Clear Water Beckons in Reston

RA opens select pools; lifeguards needed.

No one knew if it would happen this summer, but it did. Following state and local Phase 2 safety guidelines, Reston Association (RA) opened four pools to Registered Pass holders on Monday, June 29.

Tease photo

Love & Unity Prayer Rally Held in Herndon

Not changing the narrative, changing the atmosphere.

In the Town of Herndon, population 23,000, faith-based organizations gathered with the Town's police force.

Tease photo

Ready or Not, Here Comes Phase 3 in Fairfax County

Tracer data sparse; COVID clusters threaten.

Fairfax County, along with the rest of the state, is expected to enter the third phase of reopening on Wednesday, July 1.

Tease photo

Fairfax County Supervisors Approve Paid Family Leave

Helping County employees meet family demands and employment responsibilities.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Paid Family Leave for County employees during its June 23, 2020 Board meeting.

Tease photo

Remote or In-School Learning in Fairfax County

County families should respond by July 10.

School reopens for Fairfax County Public Schools students in eight weeks. That means that families in the 10th largest school division in the United States have until Friday, July 10, to respond with their enrollment choice for the entire 2020-21 school year.

Honoring the Confederacy Does Not Honor Black Lives

Seven descendants of Confederate colonel support renaming of Mosby Woods Elementary.

As mass movements across the United States and Virginia respond to generations of police brutality and systemic racism by toppling Confederate statues and holding protests, members of the Fairfax County School Board are using their power to effect change.

Tease photo

Contracted Locally, Makers Sew 45,000 Face Masks

New jobs for unemployed and new revenue stream for nonprofit.

Unthinkable scenarios happened in early March. The COVID-19 pandemic hurled itself into Northern Virginia; small and large businesses shuttered and unemployment rates escalated.

Tease photo

Black Lives Matter Banner Stolen from Reston Church

Theft reported Juneteenth 2020.

A large banner reading Black Lives Matter was reported stolen along with its supporting posts on Juneteenth 2020 from church grounds of the Unitarian Universalist Church Reston.

Tease photo

Don't Touch the Veggies in Herndon

COVID-19 Safety Guidelines in place as Herndon Farmers Market reopens.

The 2020 Herndon Farmers Market, operated under Fairfax County Park Authority, opened for the season later than normal, not on the usual third Thursday in April, but on June 18.

Tease photo

Scenario 1, 2 or 3: What Will It Be in Fairfax County?

2020-21 school plans presented to the County School Board.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) presented their preliminary recommendations for the 2020-21 school year to the Fairfax County School Board on Monday, June 15, during its work session.

Tease photo

Confederacy is Part of History, Not the Future

School board continues renaming process for County high school.

"School names will reflect an inclusive and respectful learning environment as outlined in our One Fairfax policy," said Lee District School Board Representative Tamara Derenak Kaufax, Fairfax County Public Schools.

Tease photo

Resilience and Recovery

Cornerstones holds ‘A Virtual Town Hall with Fairfax County Officials.’

Three words characterize Cornerstones' work: stability, empowerment and hope. On Monday, June 8, the nonprofit organization held a Virtual Town Hall with Fairfax County officials from the Dranesville and Hunter Mill districts.

Tease photo

Change Through Communal Voice

Local high school students join Black Lives Matter movement.

Leaders of Change Coalition held a Black Lives Matter March in front of the Herndon Municipal Center Sunday, June 7.

Tease photo

Obituary: A Life Well-Lived

Robert A. Shawn of Herndon dies shortly after 100th birthday.

Robert A. Shawn passed away at home on Sunday, May 24, 2020. Born May 6, 1920, "Colonel Bob" celebrated his 100th birthday two and half weeks before his passing.

Tease photo

A Series of Fortunate Events in Herndon

Serendipity scores for a print school newspaper.

When Michael Wemyss, Herndon High School Class of 2020, sat down on day one in his junior year journalism class, he assumed that the course focused on the school yearbook.

Tease photo

A Sea of Blue Seahawk Strong in Reston

SLHS graduates Class of 2020.

On what would have been Graduation Day, June 3, 2020, at Eagles Bank Arena, seniors at South Lake High School pulled up to the front of their school for a drive-thru pick up.

Tease photo

Herndon, Reston Communities Protest Against Racial Injustice and Police Brutality

Thousands take to local streets and sidewalks in solidarity.

"We need to take this moment and make it our moment. We need to use our breath for those who have no breath," said Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner of Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston.