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The Washington, DC Joint Steamfitting Apprentice Committee (Steamfitters Local 602) will accept applications for the 2026-2027 first year class as follows:

• Applications will be taken online ONLY
  starting November 1, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. and
  closing on November 30, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.
• Requirements for Steamfitter Program:
  • Minimum Age 18 by August 15, 2026
  • High School Graduate by June 30, 2026 or GED
  • All Documents must be brought to our Landover, MD location to complete the application process. Dates, times and address for this will be given on the Thank You page after applying. Dates and times will also be listed on our website starting December 1, 2025. These documents will not be accepted outside of the listed dates and times:
    1. Proof of age documentation – Government issued Passport, Birth Certificate, Driver’s License, or State Identification Card, Naturalization Certificate, or Permanent Resident Card
    2. Proof of Work Authorization – Social Security Card or Work Permit
    3. Valid Driver’s License or a State Issue Identification Card
    4. Form DD214 (for veterans of military service only)
    5. Transcript of High School Grades (must show all classes taken & graduation date or diploma received)

       
       OR

       High school seniors must present a letter on school letterhead from a high school official verifying graduation before June 30, 2026, with Transcript of High School Grades

       
       OR

       GED Scores and certificate (only GEDs that are American Council of Education accredited will be accepted. Visit www.acenet.edu for further information.)

Any and all foreign documents must be accompanied by a translation of that document and a letter from your embassy stating its authenticity. If the document is a diploma and/or transcript, the letter must also document the equivalency of said diploma and/or transcript.

You may apply only once during the application period. Please visit our website for more details

The Washington, DC Joint Steamfitting Apprenticeship Committee will not discriminate against apprenticeship applicants or apprentices based on RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX (INCLUDING PREGNANCY AND GENDER IDENTITY), SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENETIC INFORMATION, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY OR A PERSON 40 YEARS OLD OR OLDER. The Washington, DC Joint Steamfitting Apprenticeship Committee will take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in apprenticeship and will operate the apprenticeship program as required under Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 30.

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This holiday season, imagine decorating your light-filled family room, hosting festive dinners in your designer kitchen and creating cherished traditions in a home built with care. With quick move-in townhomes available at Knutson at Downtown Brambleton and Knutson at West Park at Brambleton, your vision is within reach.

Located in the vibrant Brambleton neighborhood, your new home will be surrounded by shopping, dining, entertainment, parks and trails—everything you need to celebrate the season and enjoy every day. And when you choose Knutson, you can count on award-winning architecture, personalized interior design services and quality from a locally owned builder.

Knutson at Downtown Brambleton features upscale quick move-in townhomes with spacious rooftop terraces and lofts included. Priced from the low $800s, the homes span nearly 3,000 square feet and offer up to five bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms and a two-car garage. With a private rooftop terrace—your Yard in the Sky—you’ll enjoy a new level of style, space and luxury living.

Blending classic charm with modern convenience, the quick move-in home at Knutson at West Park at Brambleton offers an open layout, three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a two-car garage and flexible home office space. This home priced at $699,440 includes a private backyard with a rear deck to enjoy quiet afternoons or festive evenings.

At Brambleton, you’re not just buying a home—you’re embracing a community that celebrates life all year long. Picture cozy mornings walking to your favorite café, afternoons spent browsing the library and evenings enjoying dinner with neighbors at local restaurants. Families love the convenience of nearby grocery stores, scenic walking trails, 250 acres of green space, award-winning Loudoun County schools and trusted daycares, all just steps away.

But it’s the spirit of the seasons that truly makes Brambleton shine. From holiday gatherings to festive community activities, the community calendar is filled with ways to connect and create traditions. In Brambleton, neighbors become friends, families flourish and every season brings something to look forward to.

Come experience what makes Knutson at Downtown Brambleton and Knutson at West Park at Brambleton perfect to welcome you home for the holidays.

FAIRFAX, VA – With construction activities on the new express lanes increasing and now concentrated in the median along the project corridor, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and its 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project partner, Transurban, have launched a driver safety campaign.

The awareness campaign emphasizes to drivers that active roadway construction and hundreds of workers are directly adjacent to Beltway traffic. The “Closer Than You Think” campaign will leverage ads that will run on radio, as well as various social media platforms, throughout September and into October as “back to work and school” traffic resumes and drivers adjust to post-summer travel patterns.

As crews are now actively building four new express lanes (two lanes in each direction) in the center portion of the roadway, slowing down and remaining alert when driving through the 495 NEXT work zone remains critical to ensure the safety of travelers and workers alike.

“VDOT, along with our project partner and contractor partners, is laser-focused on finishing the 495 Express Lanes northern extension – and doing so safely – so that travelers in Northern Virginia and the larger area can begin experiencing relief on this heavily congested section of the Beltway,” commented VDOT Megaprojects Director Michelle Shropshire. “Our most important priority is the safety of people traveling through and working within this corridor. We are asking drivers to partner with us in keeping each other safe by slowing down, staying alert and eliminating distractions when traveling through the 495 NEXT project area.”

“At Transurban, our number one focus is always safety, both for our crews and for drivers. That is why we are proud to partner with VDOT to promote roadway safety as our team advances 495 NEXT,” said Beau Memory, President, Transurban North America. “Throughout the construction corridor, teams will be working very close to active roadways; this campaign will help remind travelers about the importance of staying alert and cautious behind the wheel – because it is all of our responsibility to keep everyone safe.”

Work on the new express lanes will be ongoing through fall during daytime and nighttime hours, as well as over some weekends. Construction activities include:

• Demolishing retired pavement, jersey barriers and old piers in the highway median for the replaced bridges at Live Oak Drive, Georgetown Pike and Old Dominion Drive
• Building new drainage infrastructure
• Paving new express lanes and installing lane markings
• Finishing construction of new express lanes ramps
• Installing roadside and overhead signs and new tolling and traffic management systems infrastructure and equipment

In addition to building the express lanes, crews are working to complete the three Beltway bridges that were rebuilt, as well as any finishing work that remains on the four Beltway bridges that were rehabilitated. Work is also underway to finish the installation of new, upgraded noise walls along the corridor.

About the 495 NEXT project

The 495 NEXT project is extending the existing 495 Express Lanes north by two-and-a-half miles from the Dulles Corridor Interchange to the George Washington Memorial Parkway Interchange in the vicinity of the American Legion Bridge. The project is providing new and improved connections at the Dulles Corridor and George Washington Memorial Parkway. The new, extended express lanes are scheduled to open by the end of this year.

Other project benefits, which are planned to be open and/or complete in 2026, include four miles of new bicycle and pedestrian connections including a shared-use path parallel to I-495 from Lewinsville Road to near Live Oak Drive, revegetation, and creation of a new Scott’s Run Nature Preserve parking area.

The $660 million 495 NEXT project is a public-private partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Transurban, operator of the existing 495 Express Lanes. Lane Construction is the design-build contractor for the project.

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Get ready to Explore Tysons in a whole new way! The Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) is hosting our 2^nd Annual Explore Tysons Trek & Treat Challenge—a seasonal walk, bike, and roll challenge that turns your favorite neighborhoods into a prize-filled adventure!

We’ve designed an interactive game that encourages all ages and abilities to explore up to four walkable and bike-friendly routes in Tysons. Explore The Capital One Complex and Scott’s Run Trail along the Red Route, or loop around Tysons Water Tower, through Tysons Corner Center on the Yellow Route. The Green Route takes you near the Butterfly Garden and rolls through Ukiyo Park. Hop off the McLean Metro Station, grab a Capital Bikeshare bike, and cruise your way to the Spring Hill Metro Station. There’s something for everyone. Can’t do a whole route at one time? No worries! Any stop along the route earns you points, and you can come back another day.

Compete for the Grand Prize and top title of Tysons Trailblazer to win a $300 Experience Tysons Gift Card! Second Place takes home a $250 Experience Tysons Gift Card, and Third Place a $200 Experience Tysons Gift Card.

The challenge is FREE and kicks off October 1, 2025, and runs through November 2, 2025.

Register before October 1 to receive an extra entry into our $100 Experience Tysons Gift Card raffles! We’re giving away three, so don’t miss out!

Here’s how it works:

• Choose your pass at TysonsVA.org/ExploreTysons/GameOn, and your passport will arrive via email or text and is ready to use immediately (once game launches on October 1).
• As you explore the routes, check in using your phone at designated stops to collect points along the way. The more check-ins you do, the more points you earn to redeem cool gear, like an Under Armour backpack, Champion packable jacket, insulated wine tumblers, and more! Each route offers different prizes, so maximize chances by trying more than one. All registrants will be entered to win one of three $100 Experience Tysons Gift Card raffles and will receive a limited-edition sticker.
• Look for ground decals encouraging you as you explore, as well as at each of the route check-in locations. Explore Tysons and find new ways to walk, bike, or roll to your favorite destinations.

Need help or want more information? Email the TCA Transportation Team at transportation@tysonsva.org. Follow us @Tysons_VA.

We can’t wait to see you out there —happy trekking and good luck winning!

Join over 400 business professionals, elected officials, and arts and community leaders to celebrate local arts in Fairfax County!

The 2025 ArtsFairfax Awards, the region’s premier event to honor major arts contributions in Fairfax, will honor U.S. Air Force Retired General Lester L. Lyles with the Jinx Hazel Award, Tim Rizer with the Philanthropy Award, the Iranian American Community Center-Pars Place with the Impact Award, and Marco Rando of South Lakes High School with the Education Award.

With a reception, luncheon, and awards ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, the fundraising event will be emceed by four-time TV news Emmy winner Peggy Fox and feature an Iranian string performance by Narmin Adiban and a vocal performance by Sopranessence, one of ArtsFairfax’s newest Operating Support Grant recipients.

2025 ArtsFairfax Awards
Friday, October 24, 2025
11:15am – 2:00pm

Hyatt Regency Reston
1800 Presidents Street
Reston, VA 20190

Tickets are available at ArtsFairfax.org/Awards through Friday, October 3, 2025.

As Fairfax County’s local arts agency, ArtsFairfax serves more than 200 arts and culture nonprofits by distributing County funds to the arts, and connects artists and arts organizations to each other and to other sectors.

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Proceeds from the Awards provide direct support to ArtsFairfax as the County’s sole grant maker dedicated to arts funding, as well as the nonprofit’s public art initiatives and services for individual artists in response to the recently conducted Fairfax Regional Artist Survey, the first study of its kind in the County.

The event’s Visionary Sponsor is the Reston Community Center with Lead Sponsorship by McGuireWoods.

If you’re looking for an environment that encourages your child’s curiosity and helps build their confidence, you’ve come to the right place! Northeast Stars Montessori Preschool is actively enrolling new students for the 2025-2026 school year. Our award-winning preschool program is designed to nurture young learners’ desire to explore new things and foster their independence through hands-on discovery. Northeast Stars is open to children ages 2-5 and follows traditional Montessori principles, allowing each child to learn at their own pace while building confidence and critical thinking skills. Our daily curriculum and scheduled activities are designed to introduce new experiences, foster creativity and develop real-world capabilities to help your child thrive.

Northeast Stars has schools located in Alexandria, Virginia and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and we are currently accepting applications for the new academic year. The school welcomes families who want their children to develop strong foundations for lifelong learning. Parents who are interested in more information can contact Northeast Stars Montessori Preschool today to schedule a tour and discuss enrollment opportunities.

The process for selling a business can often be overwhelming and confusing. Everything from setting an asking price, finding a buyer, and negotiating a deal while still operating your business can be fraught without guidance or help along the way. In our experience, when there are businesses that are listed for sale and don’t find a buyer, it’s often for one of several common reasons. The good news is that most of these issues are fixable and can be avoided if addressed ahead of time!

Ideally, business owners will plan for the sale of their business when they start their business or at least several years in advance to allow time to plan their exit and ensure they maximize the value of their enterprise. Even if you aren’t considering selling your business in the next few years, it’s still worth obtaining a business valuation. A valuation, even if you aren’t quite ready to sell, can serve as an important benchmark to determine the true value of your business. After the valuation is complete, you will know how your business might fare when listed for sale and you will be able to address any weaknesses that might be in the way of you obtaining a higher sale price. It’s never a good feeling to be ready to sell your business only to find out it’s worth a fraction of what you might feel it’s worth. In our firm’s last article, we went into detail about business valuations. Click here to read more about what goes into a business valuation.

This important preparation lead time will enable a business owner not to just get their business ready for sale, but to ensure they are ready to list their business when market conditions are favorable. There are times when certain macro-economic conditions can adversely affect the broader business-for-sale marketplace. The last thing a business owner wants is to be in a position where they feel like they have to sell, but the timing isn’t right. We recommend that business owners take the approach that they are going to run their business forever even when they decide to sell to make sure they are in the best position to review offers when the time comes.

Our firm had a recent client who initially contacted us in 2021 looking for information on how to sell their IT business based in Northern Virginia. We helped them understand what buyers look for when purchasing a business like theirs, including: ensuring they had a diverse mix of clients so there wasn’t major concentration with only a handful of customers, that their client contracts were assignable and had new long term agreements in place, to be sure they had accurate financial data for their business, and for the owners to delegate the sales and IT Service work. We came to market in late 2024, fielded over 150 inquiries from interested buyers, and had over 10 offers in just a couple of weeks after listing the business for sale. The business sold in early 2025 for almost 17% above asking price! This client benefited from pre-sale planning, fine tuning their business, and engaging with a business broker before they were ready to sell. The result was a very high level of interest and a quicker than average sale time for above asking price.

Business buyers will want to review financial documents, tax returns, employment agreements and payroll files, client and vendor contracts, and point of sale reports (if applicable) to verify that any information presented to them is accurate. A business owner will need to spend some time making sure their books and records are in order before buyer due diligence takes place. Business owners can work with a business broker to also get their business pre-qualified for a SBA loan prior to listing their business for sale. This will not only help with marketing the business, but also with addressing common questions that might be raised by a lender.

As a business owner, make sure your business is ready to run when you are out of the picture. Businesses that are entirely reliant on the owner, one key product, or perhaps a major customer or two can be a turn off to prospective buyers as they fear performance will drop off significantly once the owner departs. A business owner also needs to offer a transitional training and support period to the buyer as well. The exact time and duration often depends on the complexities of the business and experience of the buyer, but should allow the new owner to feel more comfortable when they finally take over. Another effective tool for business owners looking to sell that generally instills buyer confidence is to offer some form of seller financing. The amount of seller financing might be as low as 10-20% of the sale price, but can help facilitate the transaction depending on the circumstances of the sale.

Lastly, whether you are planning to buy or sell a business, we always recommend seeking guidance. A knowledgeable business broker can assist you in setting a price, determining when is the right time to sell, preparing the business for sale, confidentially advertising and marketing the sale, negotiating with prospective buyers, and recommending advisors for any legal or financial issues that need to be addressed. Please contact us today if you are interested in speaking with someone from our team.

Your Next Home is Waiting at Belmont at One University

Now is your chance to join our vibrant 62+ community where apartments are just $1,475 per month with One Month Free when you move in by 9/30/25.*

Belmont is more than just an apartment—it’s a lifestyle. Residents enjoy:

• A community garden to grow and share
• A convenient shuttle service to nearby shopping destinations
• Engaging resident events that bring neighbors together
• Pet-friendly living with no breed restrictions

Inside your new home, you’ll find modern features and comfortable layouts designed for easy living. Only one household member must be 62 or older, and minimum/maximum income requirements apply.

Don’t just take our word for it—watch videos to hear what Belmont residents have to say about why they love calling this community home.

With fewer than 8 homes left, now is the perfect time to make your move! Have questions? Contact Us Now. Want to see if you might qualify to live at Belmont? Click Here, choose Do I Qualify, and follow the simple steps to get started.*

Pricing and specials are subject to change. Minimum and maximum income limits apply. Please contact the leasing office for full details. The income calculator is not a final decision, but is a guide to assist you in seeing if you might fall under the maximum income. Additional documentation is required.

For players ages 8–18, this is your chance to try one of the world’s fastest-growing sports! No water polo experience needed — just bring your swimsuit, energy, and sense of adventure!

🌟 What can you expect?

🥇 Path to Junior Olympics – Start here, and you could compete on the national stage!
🌍 Elite Coaching – Coaching by former NCAA Division I and World Cup athletes!
🏆 Join a Powerhouse – Capital Water Polo is among the top competitive teams in the nation!

💦 Bored with swimming? – Stay in the pool while learning a thrilling new team sport.
🔥 Skills & Drills – Passing, shooting, and teamwork from day one.

⚡ Mini Games – Scrimmages designed for beginners to get in the action.
👫 Team Spirit – Make new friends in a supportive, co-ed environment.
🏅 Confidence Building – Discover your strength in and out of the water.

📍 Location: The St James
📅 Sept 8th 7pm: Learn-to-Play begins this week – Spots are limited!

👉 FREE but registration required. Learn more at CapitalWaterPolo.com