From navigating the complexities of sibling relationships to addressing the DMV’s rising trafficking epidemic, these are some highlights from our 2016 family and education stories.
“Everyone and their brother: Probing the particulars of a brotherly, and sisterly, love” by Susan Anspach
As the youngest of five, I was immediately drawn to Susan Anspach’s column on the relationship between her newborn and 2-year-old son. As Anspach keenly points out with no shortage of sharp and witty anecdotes, sibling relationships can be complicated, but for better or for worse, they endure, and seeing those bonds through the hopeful perspective of a parent resonates.
“Not for Sale: Fairfax County fights growing sex trafficking” by Lisa Spinelli
In her carefully reported story for NVM’s January issue, Lisa Spinelli proves that sex trafficking isn’t an epidemic far removed from our own communities. Instead, it rose a staggering 100 percent in Virginia in the span of just a year, and the D.C. area is the fifth-largest hub in the country. The Fairfax County Police Department’s Just Ask campaign and its Human Trafficking Unit are working to increase awareness and education around the issue and prevent its continued rise in the region.
“Profile: Congressman John Lewis” by Helen Mondloch
Writer Helen Mondloch chronicles Georgia Rep. John Lewis’ storied career, from his role as a key figure in the Civil Rights movement working side-by-side with Martin Luther King Jr. to nearly 30 years in public office. And just a month after our story went to print, Lewis was at it again, sitting alongside House democrats during a nearly 15-hour filibuster demanding new gun legislation in response to recent mass shootings.
“The hidden history of P.O. Box 1142” by Michael Lee Pope
Pope uncovers the fascinating secrets of P.O. Box 1142, a covert Nazi interrogation camp at Fairfax County’s Fort Hunt, after nearly 70 years as a classified government operation.
“The guardian/warrior as social worker” by David Hodes
The relationship between the police and the communities they serve has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Here, Hodes examines how Fairfax County’s new police training and education initiatives are changing the way police officers respond to the mentally ill in particular.
“Coworking with kids: Play, Work or Dash opens in Vienna” by Micaela Williamson
How do working parents balance home life and office life? Annandale’s Nicole Dash wants to provide an answer to that ever-present question with her new Vienna startup Play, Work or Dash, which provides both child care and coworking space.
