I had no idea what to expect when the jury announced it had reached its verdicts on the charges against former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen, but when the verdicts were announced I was stunned. The jury of seven men and five women left no doubt in their findings: eleven counts of guilty for the former Governor and nine counts of guilty for his wife! All the efforts to explain away their behavior, redefine their relationship, and nuance words and actions were not successful. Virginia has now achieved the level of disdain we have held towards governors of other states in similar circumstances. Read more  

Saturday, September 13, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Northern Virginia Parents of Multiples fall children's consignment sale

at Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road, Fairfax. Details are at consignment sale. 

Saturday, September 13, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Three Birds Foundation presents the Northern Virginia Sustainability Fair, at Frying Pan Park, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon. Free event, click here for more information.  

Saturday, September 13, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sangster's Station Civil War Trails Marker Dedication, Acacia Lodge, 7135 Main Street, Clifton, VA. Download a flyer here.  

Sunday, September 14, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Touching Heart's Kids on a Mission Fun Run, at South Lakes High School. To register or donate, visit Kids on a Mission Fun Run. 

Sunday, September 14, Mobilizing Against Gun Violence, simple meal at 12:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF), followed by a vigil at National Rifle Association headquarters, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact John Monroe at jmonroe@uucf.org  or download a flyer. 

Monday, September 15, noon, Harmony Heritage Singers at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna. Hosted by Shepherd's Center of Oakton Vienna. Cost is $10 per person; reservation and prepayment required by September 8. Call 703-281-0538 to register, then mail your address and payment to SCOV, 541 Marshall Road SW, Vienna, VA 22180. Call 703-281-0538 if you need a ride. 

Monday, September 15, 6:00 p.m., public meeting to solicit comments on the proposed Fairfax County FY 2016 Transportation Alternative Program projects, at the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, Fairfax. County staff will make a presentation about the program, followed by a question-and-answer session. More information is at Public Meeting on Transportation Projects. 

Thursday, September 18, 10:00 a.m. to noon, Open House at Shepherd's Center of Oakton to learn more about Fall 2014 Session of Adventures in Learning Classes, at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF). Printed registration forms may be mailed any time during the term with payment. Location, class schedule and registration form are available at www.scov.org/ail.   

Saturday, September 20, Dulles Day Family Festival and Plane Pull, at Dulles Airport. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. Schedule, directions and other information are at Plane Pull.   

Saturday, September 20, American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide's Out of the Darkness Walk, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Syvlan Theatre-National Mall Washington, D.C. Register here. 

Sunday, September 21, 11:30 a.m., People's Climate March in New York City. Sign up and details at People's Climate March. 

Tuesday, September 23, 11:00 a.m. to noon, Pirate Party for ages 3-5, at Reston Association, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive. Registration required, RA members $4; Non-members $6; Contact Ashleigh@reston.org  or call 703-435-6577 to register. 

Saturday, September 27, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the 14th annual Reston Multicultural Festival, at Lake Anne Plaza. Rain or shine. Contact the Community Events Director at 703-390-6166 or kevin.danaher@fairfaxcounty.gov for more information. 

Saturday, September 27, noon to 5:00 p.m., Oak Hill Mansion Open House, a free event for the whole family, 4716 Wakefield Chapel Road in Annandale. Details are at Oak Hill Open House. 

Tuesday, September 30, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., What You Need to Know About Transportation program and reception, Capital One Auditorium, 1680 Capital One Drive, McLean. To register and for more information click here.   

Thursday, October 2, noon, 3rd Annual Reston Town Center Help the Homeless Walk, hosted by Mayflowers, visit Help the Homeless Walk for more information and to register. 

Friday-Saturday, October 3-4, 2014 Virginia Environmental Assembly at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond. To register and find more information, visit  Virginia Environmental Assembly.    

Saturday-Sunday, October 4-5, Metropolitan Washington Tour of Solar & Green Homes. Northern Virginia has 20 of the more than 50 homes on this year's tour. The free tour offers many ideas on how to save energy and keep energy bills down--from the high tech to the home made. Tour guide with maps and descriptive information on each home can be downloaded at Downloadable Tour Guide.  

Wednesday, October 8, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., free evaluation by Carfit experts to determine the safest fit for mature drivers, at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department parking lot. Learn how to best position yourself to maximize safety when driving your vehicle. Call 703-255-6360 to register and for more information.  

Saturday, October 11, Reston Home & Garden Expo from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., learn about products and services available to Reston residents, at Reston Association, Conference Center 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. More information is at Reston Home & Garden Expo. 

Thursday, October 16, Joint Public Hearing on the Commonwealth Transportation Board's working draft of the Revised Fiscal Year 2015-2020 Six-Year Improvement Program, at the VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, Potomac Conference Room, 4975 Alliance Drive in Fairfax. Details are at Public Hearing.