<cal1>SATURDAY/FEB. 14
<cal2>The Northern Virginia Model Railroaders Inc. will be holding an open house on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 1-5 p.m. Come and see the action on Northern Virginia's largest fixed operating "HO" scale model railroad. Featuring digital control, sound and smoke. The club is located in the historic Washington & Old Dominion Railroad station, 231 Dominion Road (on the WO&D Trail) in Vienna. Free admission. However, donations (at the door) are accepted. Additional information and directions can be obtained at www.nvmr.org‚ by e-mail at nvmrinc@hotmail.com, or by calling 703-938-5157 on the day of the open house.
<cal2>Sweep your sweetheart onto the dance floor at the first annual Main Street Valentine Gala and Silent Auction on Saturday, Feb. 14 at the Center for the Arts in Old Town Manassas. After an elegant seated dinner, the evening will start swinging to the beat of the New HOTS Jazz Orchestra, a "little big band" specializing in dance and swing tunes of the '20s, '30s, and '40s. The New HOTS Jazz Orchestra will bring 10 pieces to the Valentine Gala showcasing their repertoire including the music of Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman as well as current favorites. The event will be held at the Center for the Arts in Old Town Manassas. Tickets are $85 per person. Call 703-361-6599.
<cal2>The Manassas Art Guild will present "Marketing Yourself as an Artist," a program featuring tips on self-promotion, effective presentation, and other topics regarding the business of fine art on Saturday, Feb. 14. The program will be presented by Mary Reilly, a full-time professional artist who has been successfully marketing herself and her gallery for many years. Since 1991 Mary and artist Linda Parker have jointly owned the Creative Brush Studio in Old Town Manassas. Mary's presentation to members of the Manassas Art Guild will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the community room of the Bull Run Regional Library, 8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas. This program is free and open to the public. Call 703-791-5767.
Joe Gibbs' Youth for Tomorrow is offering a special opportunity for couples to spend a memorable Valentine's evening and help at-risk youth in Northern Virginia. The Annual Sweetheart Ball and Benefit Raffle are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14 at the Sheraton Premiere Ballroom in Tysons Corner. Doors open at 7 p.m.; dinner will be served at 8:15 p.m. The event will include a candlelight gourmet dinner, dancing to the Tom Cunningham Orchestra, a swing dance demonstration, auctions and the benefit raffle drawings. Tickets for the black-tie optional event are $200 per couple and there is a special $300 YFT Sheraton Valentine package for two. A listing of sponsorship opportunities and raffle prizes can be found at www.youthfortomorrow.org. Call 703-631-3360.
<cal1>SUNDAY/FEB. 15
<cal2>A Model Train Open House will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 from 1-4 p.m. The Northern Virginia NTrak model train group will be running its N-scale model trains in the community room and caboose at the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum. Cost is $2 adults, $1 children 4-10. Located at 11200 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station. Call 703-425-9225.
<cal1>MONDAY/FEB. 16
<cal2>The Greenbriar Woman's Club will hold its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Greenbriar Community Center, 4615 Stringfellow Road, Fairfax. The topic for the evening will be "Benefits of Exercise" presented by Laura Catuska, president and owner of StepN2Shape and manager of the new Lady of America gym in the Greenbriar Town Center. Laura is a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Guests are always welcome. Call Lee Conley at 703-266-7032 or Barbara Cale at 703-378-6009. The Greenbriar Woman's Club is affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs, www.gfwc.org and the GFWC-Virginia.
<cal1>TUESDAY/FEB. 17
<cal2>Centreville Toastmasters is the place to improve your communication and leadership skills. The club meets from 7-8:15 p.m. on Mondays at the Centreville Regional Library. Guests are welcome. Prepared speeches, oral evaluations and impromptu speeches (table topics) will be on the agenda. Call Lynn Griesmer 703-263-2468. Upcoming meetings: Tuesday, Feb. 17, Monday, March 1, Monday, March 15, Monday, April 5, and Monday, April 19.
<cal2>New Mothers Luncheons are held every Tuesday for mothers and newborn babies to 8 months old. The group meets for lunch, speakers, discussions and fun — a different program every week. Bring a friend or come alone — it's a great way to meet other new moms and babies in the area. Meets Tuesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Il Lupo Italian Restaurant, 4069 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax. Lunch is $20; four-lunch series is $75. Reservations required. Call Rochelle Goldberg at 703-961-9179 or email: eventbuilders@hotmail.com.
* Tuesday, Feb. 17 — "Getting Fit After Pregnancy," Nancy Karabaic, High Energy Fitness;
* Tuesday, Feb. 24 — "Great Books for Infants and Parents," Sheilah Egan, A Likely Story Bookstore, Alexandria;
* Tuesday, March 2 — "What New Moms Want to Know About Infant Sleep," Mary Peck, RN, Greater Washington Sleep Disorders Center;
* Tuesday, March 9 — "Mudpies," a great Mother's Day gift for grandmas;
* Tuesday, March 16 — "Dollars and Sense: Planning for Your Child's Financial Future," Deana Withrow, Morgan Stanley;
* Tuesday, March 23 — "Babyproofing Your House," Mary Baker, BabyGuard;
* Tuesday, March 30 — "Safety In and Around Your House," Officer Liz Barrington, Fair Oaks Police, Office of Public Safety.
<cal1>FRIDAY/FEB. 19
<cal2>Mothers First — Centreville/Chantilly is a support group for women making the transition from careers to at-home motherhood. Activities include lectures, field trips, moms night out, etc. The next meeting is Feb. 19 at 10:15 a.m. at the Centreville Regional Library. Call 703-827-5922 or visit www.mothersfirst.org.
<cal1>FRIDAY/FEB. 20
<cal2>The Center for the Arts’ Pied Piper Theatre announces auditions for "The Sound of Music." Actors, singers, and dancers ages 8-18 are needed. Auditions will be held on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20 and 21, at the Center for the Arts. "The Sound of Music" will be directed by Graham Clark and performances are scheduled for May 8, 9, 15, and 16 at Osbourn Park High School. Auditions are by appointment only. To schedule an audition or for more information, call the Center for the Arts at 703-330-ARTS. How to Audition classes are also available Feb. 17-19.
<cal2>Do you know someone who tutors a child or feeds the homeless? Would you like to recognize someone for making a significant contribution to our community? The public is invited to nominate outstanding community volunteers for the 12th annual Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards hosted by Volunteer Fairfax. Businesses, individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, schools, and civic groups have the opportunity to make a nomination by Feb. 20. To receive a nomination form, contact Renee Hoyt Atkinson at rhatkinson@volunteerfairfax.org or 703-246-3460. Nominees and award winners will be honored at a breakfast ceremony on Thursday, April 22, at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Belle Wheelan, Virginia Secretary of Education, will be the keynote speaker. The cost of the breakfast is $30 per person, with invitations to be mailed in early March. This year's theme is "Volunteers are Shining Stars!"
<cal1>FEB. 21 AND FEB. 28
<cal2>Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources (OAR) of Fairfax County is a non-profit agency that provides positive influences on the lives of offenders in the Fairfax County jail, as well as assistance to their families. OAR is currently seeking volunteers to conduct one-to-one mentoring sessions with inmates and teach classes in the jail. Volunteers can also work with families of offenders during visiting hours in the Adult Detention Center. Emphasis is on helping an offender make a successful transition into our communities. Special skills are not required. The next training will be on Feb. 21 and Feb. 28. Call 703-246-3033.
<cal1>SATURDAY/FEB. 21
<cal2>St. Andrew and St. Clare Knights of Columbus are joining forces with "Always Fun Casinos" in sponsoring a Las Vegas-style Casino Night on Saturday, Feb. 21 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Clifton Town Meeting Hall, 12641 Chapel Road, Clifton. Experience the thrill of black jack, craps, roulette and poker without the risk of gambling. The funds raised by this special event will be used for the numerous charities St. Andrew and Clare Council support annually. Admission price, which includes complimentary wine and hors d' oeuvres throughout this event is $20 per person and available at the door.
<cal2>With the increasing threat of international terrorism and the subsequent tightening of security throughout the United States, many Americans are examining the effect of these regulations on our civil liberties. To address this issue, the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA) will present a public forum on "Civil Liberties: the Patriot Act" on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The location will be the Westpark Hotel located at 8401 Westpark Drive in Tysons Corner. The forum will be open to the public and free of charge.
Moderating the panel discussion will be William Sessions, former head of the FBI and former federal judge. Panelists will be Dan Bryant of the U.S. Department of Justice, Alice Fisher of the law firm of Lathem and Watkins, Lara Flint of the Center for Democracy and Technology and Patrice Webb of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). After the moderator’s introduction, short presentations by each panelist and questions and discussion among the panelists, the forum will be open to questions from the audience.
Following the forum, attendees are invited to attend a luncheon with League members for a charge of $20. For further details concerning the event or to make reservations for the luncheon, call 703-658-9150.
<cal1>FEB. 26-29
<cal2>The Capital Home & Garden Show will be held Feb. 26-29 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. The show features 14 dream gardens created by top landscape companies, more than 600 remodeling, gardening and decorating exhibits in two big exhibit halls providing inspiration and a million ideas, a gardening stage featuring local and HGTV experts, a cooking stage featuring cooking tips and outdoor entertaining ideas, a feature stage with celebrity appearances, and the latest hot picks for the spring season with HGTV's Karl Lohnes.
Show times are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 29. The Dulles Expo Center (www.DullesExpo.com) is located at 4368 Chantilly Place, in Chantilly.
Show admission is $9 for adults, $3 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 & under. Tickets can be purchased at the Dulles Expo Center box office during show hours.
Visit www.capitalhomeshow.com or call 1-(800) 274-6948 (producer - ext. 211, exhibitor sales - ext. 204) or 703-533-4848 (show hotline).
<cal1>SATURDAY/FEB. 28
<cal2>Virginia residents, 55 years of age or older, now can learn about the issues surrounding the mature driver and how this age group can cope with the demands they face in a Mature Operators’ Driver Improvement Program . This course, sanctioned by AAA, is presented by certified Auxiliary Police Officers and highlights safety behind the wheel for the mature driver. The class will be held Saturday, Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sign-in starts at 7:30 a.m. at the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly. Cost is $10 at door for materials. To register for the class, contact Officer Mary Hulse at 703-814-7018. Lunch will be provided.