<bt>Kassy Benson of Hammond Middle School's Alumni Association wants you all to know that Hammond High graduates from 1958-71 had a great time at the George Washington Birthday Parade in February. She notes that there was even more to the unit, however -- the "Bell of Supremacy", which sits in Hammond's lobby (and which was the prize between the Hammond and George Washington High School football games) was also part of the "unit." The Bell is from an earlier USS Alexandria.
Kassy says to mark your calendars for July 22, 2006, when Hammond Alumni will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1956 dedication of Hammond as a high school. There are plans afoot for an evening dinner dance, and several events are also scheduled at the school. Kassy reports that they are working hard to find Hammond alums; it's difficult to gather everyone because the alumni association was set up more than 30 years after the first class crossed the stage to graduate. If you are a Hammond alum or know one, you can get in touch with Kassy at www.hammondhighschool.com.
Hammond and T.C. alums and neighbors from Seminary Valley turned out in droves to the Alexandria Scholarship Fund's Gala on Saturday night. Polk PTA president Marianne Hetzer and her husband Paul, Polk's President-Elect, Jeff Zack and his wife Marie, Patty and Rob Chamberlain, Katie and John Sargeant, Richard and Kristin Stone, and of course yours truly and husband Patrick were there. Polk Principal Michael Brown was spotted too. Rebekah Hersch, who has the distinction of being both a Hammond High and T.C. student, attended with husband Howard Frank. It was great to see former Seminary Valley resident Devin Farragasso, one of the evening's five honorees, and his parents Peggy and Frank and sister Meghan. Devin, a recent Scholarship Fund recipient, is an emergency room resident in New York City.
Bob Bates, our Neighborhood Watch captain, reports only a few instances of local crimes, including burglary and auto theft, in his April 9 crime watch report. For more information on Neighborhood Watch, contact Bob at 703-751-0378.
Be on the lookout for a flyer pertaining to the May 10 community meeting for traffic calming. The Civic Association is sponsoring the event, to be held at 7 p.m. at the Burke Library. On the table are several traffic calming options for Pegram Street: straightening the Pegram/Polk crosswalk; painting a parking lane on the housing side of the 1000 block of Pegram; reversing stop signs at Richenbacher and Polk; chicanes (vertical deflection devices to slow down motorists) and constructing a traffic circle at Richenbacher and Pegram. The city plans to collect more information on Richenbacher traffic in the near future.
Send Seminary Valley news and happenings to patrick.jones44@verizon.net.
<1b>— Mia Jones