Calendar for May 31
E-mail announcements to the Gazette, gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Photos and artwork are encouraged. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week's paper. Call Steve Hibbard at 703-778-9412 with questions.
Torpedo Factory Welcomes Guest Artists for Summer 2012
The Torpedo Factory Art Center announces the Visiting Artists who will be in residence during June, July and August 2012. Now in its third year, the goal of the Visiting Artist Program is to expose the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s visitors and patrons to a rotating group of accomplished artists and provide a unique opportunity to interact, explore and exchange ideas. The Visiting Artists will be working in studios throughout the 76,000-square-foot art center and will be actively involved in art enrichment events throughout the summer months in which they will demonstrate and discuss their work.
Taste of Del Ray is Sunday, June 3
Hell’s Kitchen Winner to Judge 4th Annual Taste of Del Ray
Mark your calendars, clean your palates and prepare for the fourth annual Taste of Del Ray, sponsored by the Del Ray Business Association. The event will take place on Sunday, June 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. This year’s celebrity chef is Rock Harper — winner of Season 3 "Hell’s Kitchen" — the Gordon Ramsey cooking competition on FOX-TV.
Dentists Help UCM Program Participants
Drs. James Geren, Henry Rollins and Zeyad Mady and their entire team at Alexandria Cosmetic Dentistry donated dental services valued at $13,440 on Saturday, May 19, through their Dental Day program for individuals who cannot afford necessary procedures. Twenty-five UCM program participants received treatments that relieved the pain caused by dental issues and helped them smile again. UCM is deeply thankful for the long-time support of Dr. Geren and his associates.
Best in the World In Weird Science
A team of 7 fifth-graders from Stratford Landing Elementary School recently competed at the Odyssey of the World Finals at Iowa State University. The team came in first place for its solution to the NASA-sponsored "Weird Science" problem and came in third place overall. The team, coached by Terri Bell, includes team members Mary Bell, Lukas Brokamp, Nick Greve, Lindsay Johnson, Jenna Mulvihill, Lily Penn and Rhys Shallbetter. More 800 teams from 15 countries participated in this international competition. The team would like to thank the Stratford Landing school community for its support and the many people whose donations made this possible. Special thanks go to the sponsors who donated $500 or more: the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club, WOW Cafe and Wingery and the Stratford Landing PTA.
Crackers Helps with Learning
Woodley Hills Elementary School incorporated a rabbit named Crackers into its curriculum this year. The rabbit is used to reinforce the school's values including hard working, trustworthiness, responsibility and caring. Susan Carlson is the Woodley Hills teacher responsible for Crackers. The children learned about voting as they participated in a contest to choose Crackers' name, each child writing an essay supporting their proposed name. The children learned about rabbits and are allowed to feed him with supervision. The school's Daisy Troop earned a badge by planting a garden filled with foods appropriate for Crackers.
Supporting Arcadia Center
The Garden Club of Waynewood recently donated $500 to Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food. Marjie Morris, president, Garden Club of Waynewood presented the donation to Maureen Moodie, farm director, Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture at Woodlawn. Presented at the garden club's recent flower show, the donation is part of the Garden Club of Waynewood's 50th anniversary activities and ongoing commitment and service to the community. The Garden Club of Waynewood meets the third Thursday of the month, September to June, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Plymouth Haven Baptist Church, 8532 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria. Guests and new members are welcome. Contact Katherine Hoffman 703-549-4245.
Memorial Avenue of Flags
More than 400 American flags lined the roadways in the Mount Comfort Cemetery in honor and in memory of the veterans for the 33rd Annual Giovanna McKinney Memorial Avenue of Flags.
WWII Veteran Honors Fellow Comrades on Memorial Day
He moves throughout the cemetery, stopping to pause and remember the men he has come to see before placing a flag at their grave and moving on to the next. For World War II veteran Warden Foley, this Memorial Day ritual began nearly half a century ago as a labor of love and respect for his fellow veterans.
‘Now & Then, 50 Years of Hits, 1962-2012’
The West Potomac High School Choral Groups will be presenting their annual Spring Show in Springbank Auditorium at West Potomac High School on May 31, June 1 and June 2. All shows will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Online tickets are available at www.westpotomacchoirs.org.
Good Weather for a Car Wash
Boy Scout Troop #1509 held a car wash fundraiser at St. Luke’s Church on Saturday, May 26 to benefit the Scout troop and contribute funds for a summer Maine adventure trip. Adult leaders are, left in uniform, John Dacey and, far right not in uniform, Sylvain Richard.
Police Shoot Resident Brandishing Knife
Fairfax County Police shot a 61-year-old man who confronted them with a knife during the process of attempting to serve him with an arrest warrant for destruction of property. The wounded subject was “noncompliant,” according to the information provided by the police department. The shooting occurred at an apartment in the 5700 block of Old Mill Court on Monday, May 28. Four officers were involved in the incident.
Need for Police Oversight Continues
Coalition reaffirms effort to establish Police Citizens Oversight Board.
Nicholas Beltrante’s effort to gain the support of the Board of Supervisors to create a Police Citizen Oversight Board would be, if his proposal is accepted, similar to the ones formed in other cities and counties in the U.S.
A Commitment to Social Justice
Walker discusses her faith as a Unitarian Universalist.
“I consider myself a mystical humanist,” said the Rev. Kate Walker of the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, where she has preached for almost four years. “I put a great deal of faith in the human spirit, intellect and heart, but I am also very open to the depths of mystery and all that I can’t explain. There is a sense of divinity and sacredness in this world that I engage with on a daily basis.”
Open House for Retiring Teachers
Waynewood Elementary School is having an open house on Monday, June 11, 4-7 p.m., in the gym, for retiring teachers Mary Wilson and Eileen Deaver. Friends, parents, and students (former and current) are invited to help celebrate Wilson’s and Deaver’s years of service to Waynewood School and the community.
Accidental Townhouse Fire
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a townhouse fire Sunday, May 27, at approximately 10 p.m. in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County. The townhouse is located at 4311 Gypsy Court.
York, Rees Named District Lord and Lady
Diana York and James Rees have been nominated as Lord and Lady for the Mount Vernon District.
Cell Tower Proposal Rejected
Heritage Presbyterian Church has rejected a proposal from Milestone Communications to erect a tree monopole cell tower on its property in the Waynewood/Fort Hunt neighborhood. Heritage’s Session, its governing body which is comprised of 12 elders, met on May 23 to finalize its deliberations and vote on the issue. The proposal was voted down by a 10-2 margin.
Letter: Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay and Dyke Marsh
To the Editor: Anyone who spends a few minutes examining scientific texts, journals, papers or historical literature on the natural history of the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed can recognize that these once great ecosystems are mere remnants of what they once were. The Potomac watershed covers four states and D.C. It is over 400 miles long and is 11 miles wide where it flows into the bay. The Chesapeake Bay watershed (the area of land that drains into the Bay) is 64,000 square miles and has 11,600 miles of tidal shoreline, including tidal wetlands and islands. The watershed encompasses parts of six states: Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Washington D.C. The problems in the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay are magnified by their scope which is a reason why they are "most endangered." Unfortunately there will always be those people, who are operating at a very superficial level, who demand that everything scientific be both dumbed-down and rigorously argued to them.
Letter: MVCCA’s Success
To the Editor: Last week, Martin Tillett attacked me for mentioning (without any elaboration) in my prior letter that the MVCCA supports the proposed off-leash dog area (OLDA) at Westgrove Park. Mr. Tillett noted my numerous prior letters that have been critical of the MVCCA. What Mr. Tillett didn't mention that I have consistently supported the principle of the MVCCA and have reserved my criticism for its recent leadership and the way it typically conducts business. My position in these regards is unchanged. In the case of the debate concerning the proposed OLDA, in fact, the MVCCA operated in a manner closer to appropriate than usual.