Walker Meets Conviction After 2012 Murder
He killed Centreville woman in January 2012
Right from the start, Benjamin Luke Walker admitted he’d done wrong. He took the life of a 22-year-old Centreville woman and, for that, he was sentenced to nearly a half-century behind bars.
Telford Receives Spirit Award
Fair Lakes resident honored at Race for Hope.
The annual Race for Hope in Washington, D.C., raises money for brain-tumor research and, for 10 years now, the Rabbi Joseph P. Weinberg Triumph of Spirit Award has been given at that event to a deserving recipient. This year, the award was presented May 5 at the race’s starting line to Fair Lakes resident BethAnn Telford. Although battling brain cancer, herself, she created her own fundraising organization, Team BT, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the National Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure.
Animal Shelter Seeks Foster Parents
Kathleen Cornell, Foster Care coordinator, wants to expand the Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s foster program. So a foster information session is slated for Tuesday, May 21, at 7 p.m., at the shelter, 4500 West Ox Road in Fairfax.
STEM Scholarships Presented
Systems Furniture Gallery sponsored the education awards given during the Saturday, May 4, Chantilly Day celebration. Owner Bob Kessler presented three, $1,000 STEM scholarships (science, technology, engineering and math) to local, graduating seniors.
Chantilly Seniors Visit Greenbriar West on ‘College Day’
Greenbriar West Elementary School staff and students celebrated “College Day” on April 26. This pyramid-wide event was created to encourage all students to set their sights on being career and college ready. Teachers wore their college t-shirts and engaged students in conversations about college stories and the career path that led them to become educators.
Letter to the Editor: True Danger Is Speed
I sympathize with Rocky and Julie Curtis’s account of their “frightful” experience rounding the southbound curve in Ft. Hunt Road just past the Martha Washington Library, but doubt that prohibiting turns into the newly-opened Westgrove Park (a local park meant to serve the residents within 1-2 miles) will solve the real problems confronting travelers along Ft. Hunt Road.
Letter to the Editor: Add Tax, Lower Other
Last week's Gazette reported on Supervisor Hyland's latest attempt to convince his Board of Supervisors’ colleagues to support his quest for a meals tax referendum.
Open to All
Storck hears concerns from parents and teachers.
In a wide-ranging weekend monthly office hours session in a Sherwood Hall Library conference room, Dan Storck, Mount Vernon School Board member, listened to a variety of concerns of parents and school employees.
Letter to the Editor: Lions Appreciate Community’s Support
The Mount Vernon Evening Lions thank the Belleview Safeway customers for their generous donations to our White Cane Drive held in April.
Open Up Police Chief Search
Coalition wants citizens to help in chief’s recruitment.
During the final meeting of the Citizens Coalition for Police Accountability before summer recess, Executive Director Nicholas Beltrante discussed a letter he sent to Sharon Bulova, chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors, asking that the new police chief be someone who supports the creation of a citizen police oversight board, and is flexible in the use of the Freedom of Information Act instead of invoking an automatic blanket exemption available to police on all investigations.
Centre View Calendar May 15
Information on entertainment events going on in the Centre View area.
Roundups
Pathway to U.S. Citizenship Information about becoming a U.S. citizen will be presented this Thursday, May 16, from 7-9 p.m., at the Centreville Regional Library. Korean-language speakers will be there and all are welcome. Learn about the citizenship process from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staff. Sign up by e-mailing washington.communityrelations@dhs.gov. Topics will include the naturalization process and test, plus the rights and responsibilities of U.S. Citizenship. Childcare provided for children 4-12.
Fitness Club Hosts Fit Fair
Level Fitness at 7687 Macarthur Blvd., Cabin John, presented a family fitness event on Saturday, May 11.
Comfort of Home Campaign’
Keller Williams Realty, Alexandria - Kingstowne and more than 80,000 Keller Williams associates worldwide participated in the fifth annual RED Day on May 9.
PUT Riders Return Home
The annual Police Unity Tour bike ride was May 10-12, from Richmond to Charlottesville, Warrenton and Centreville and on to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. It raised money and awareness for the Memorial fund and National Law Enforcement Museum honoring federal, state and local law enforcement officers who’ve died in the line of duty.
Music, Food and Entertainment
Israel Street Festival this Sunday at Fairfax Corner.
The Fairfax Corner shopping center is the place to be this Sunday, May 19, from noon-5 p.m., when the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia holds its 2013 Israel Street Festival. Music, food, children’s activities and a martial-arts demonstration are among the highlights.
Embracing Breast Cancer Awareness
Brem Foundation addresses key issues for women.
In celebration of Mother’s Day, and to raise awareness about breast health in the global community, an international cadre of 60 women, in addition to members of Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer, gathered at the Alexandria home of Shaista Mahmood on Wednesday, May 8 for “Coffee & Conversation with Dr. Rachel Brem.”
Bulletin Board
Saturday/May 18 EMS Week Event. 10 a.m.-2 pm. at Mount Vernon Rec Center, 2017 Belle View Blvd. Browse displays, get one-on-one interactions, take a blood pressure screening, and more. Free. 703-768-3224.
Responding to Explosive Situation
An example of a case in which the bomb squad is called.
The Centreville homeowner had been making homemade fireworks for several years. But when a July 15, 2007 explosion blew a hole in his roof — and the resulting fire caused $200,000 damage to his house – his hobby came to the attention of Fairfax County fire officials.
Celebrating Stravinsky’s Legacy with ASO
Classical composer Pierre Boulez anointed Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (1913) as the genuine “birth certificate” of modernism. Many scholars have commented on Stravinsky’s uncanny ability to embody the new sound of his century — and of the modern era.