Mount Vernon People

Obituary: David Allan Buffmire

David Allan Buffmire, 59, of Kents Store, Va. died April 6, 2014 at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville of complications from pneumonia and cancer.

FAREWELL TO BEV

All my memories of former Councilwoman Beverly Beidler seem to involve motion. I remember how joyfully she moved and how happy she was dancing the Virginia Reel during Marion's Music Hall, a fundraiser to help get Marion Van Landingham elected.

Spring2ACTion Raises $1,031,282

Fundraiser Benefits Nonprofits

Alexandria's annual online giving day, Spring2ACTion, generated a record-breaking $1,031,282 for 121 Alexandria nonprofits in 24 hours on April 9.

MetroStage Presents ‘The Thousandth Night’

MetroStage is presenting the one-man-show, “The Thousandth Night” now through May 18. The play stars Marcus Kyd as a quick-thinking comic actor in a traveling company of players who are stuck in Paris during the occupation of France. He is facing his deportation for “propagating subversive material,” so in his last effort to save his life, he performs his show for the last people (the audience) who may have his fate in their hands. “Guy tells the gendarmes a series of stories, to be sure, but his own story is the backbone of the entire play,” said Kyd who plays 36 different characters using various hats and scarves from his trunk.

International Night at Hybla Valley

Hybla Valley Elementary held an International Night on Thursday, April 3. Student-made decorations were used by the physical education, art and music teachers to transform the hallways into several Halls of Nations. Even the ceiling was lined with kites inspired by international cultures.

Have Harmonica, Will Mentor

94-year-old Jack Hopkins hosts weekly gathering.

There are harmonicas that fit into pant pockets and there are harmonicas two feet long. There are harmonicas for guitar accompaniment and harmonicas designed for orchestras. Alexandria resident Jack Hopkins, co-founder of the 23-year-old Capitol Harmonica Club, has at least 16 different types and has been playing since he was six years old. The instrument has taken him to a variety of places and brought him a number of opportunities.

Alexandria Painter Debuts Children’s Book

“When I’m Not Myself” also offers insight into book production process.

Alexandria painter Kathy DeZarn Beynette’s second children’s book, “When I’m Not Myself,” was released worldwide in March.

Special Education Graduates Could be Impacted by Possible Budget Cuts

Families will speak against these cuts at public hearing on April 10.

Lynn Ruiz’s daughter Lydia, who has Down syndrome, will be graduating from Fairfax County Public Schools this June. Ruiz, a Springfield resident, had originally planned for her daughter to participate in an employment program that helps students with special needs transition into adulthood.

Integrated Health Care Now Provided at Gartlan Center

Primary and behavioral health care clinic celebrates grand opening

The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board and Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc. celebrated the integration of primary and behavior health care at the Gartlan Center at the clinic’s official grand opening on March 27.

Local Farm Provides Fresh Food for Underserved Populations

Arcadia hosts mobile market and camp for children.

For many, spring symbolizes fresh flowers, new beginnings and baseball, but for those who work at Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, located on the grounds of the Woodlawn Estate in Mount Vernon, spring means another season of working to ensure that all members of the community have access to fresh, healthy food.

SWAN: Support Women Artists Now

An evening of empowerment and energy.

To commemorate Women’s History Month in March, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association featured an evening of women-performed arts including poetry, dance performances, visual arts, and music.

Mount Vernon Gazette