People

Lord and Lady Fairfax Honorees of Lee, Springfield and Braddock

Lords and Ladies of Fairfax Honored by Board of Supervisors

The 2014 Lords and Ladies of Fairfax were recognized in front of the Board of Supervisors on June 3 and presented with certificates honoring them for their dedication to their communities. This tradition, which began in 1984, comes every year with the Celebrate Fairfax Festival, which takes place this year June 6-8.

Springfield Residents Save Neighbor’s Life

Mary Ager and Dayna Cooper receive Citizen Recognition-Lifesaving Award.

Michael and Carol Martinka, residents of South Run Crossing in Springfield, were clearing out their driveway yet again during one of the many snow days in Fairfax County this winter. Michael was clearing the driveway with a snow blower while Carol was at the front porch. All of a sudden, Carol heard the snow blower stop and found her husband lying face down in the snow. Panicked, she screamed for help.

Bringing Science to the Community

Lee High School hosts annual Community Science Day.

Lee High School students are sharing their love of science with the community every year through their Community Science Day. This year, their May 31 event reached 280 guests, allowing attendees to participate in hands-on science projects and learn about issues such as renewable energy, stem cell research, genetically modified organisms, and other topics affecting the world.

Area Students Presented with Scholarships

Scholarships presented by the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce.

The Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce has awarded seven students with college scholarships this year. The students were honored for their achievements at River Farm next to the Potomac River on June 3.

Mom’s Quest for an Accessible Van

Ibis Espinal needs an accessible van — not for her, but for her 17-year-old son, Juwaan. A junior at Centreville High, he’s wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy.

‘He’s Not Special-Needs, But a Special Person’

Born with cerebral palsy and wheelchair-bound, Juwaan Espinal, 17, is unable to speak. But he literally squealed with delight and had a smile that wouldn’t quit, last week, when he got the surprise of his life.

Davis Retires After 50 Years

Friends at Plymouth Haven Baptist Church pay tribute

Few of us at age 19 are able to forecast very far where we might be in five or 10 years. So it was with Harry Henry Davis, who at age 19 was working as a grocery delivery boy at a local market in Hollin Hall, south of Old Town Alexandria.

Diamond Dreams Game

Westfield High School hosted the Kyle's Kamp Diamond Dreams game against Oakton High School on May 2.

Singing, Dancing and Silent Auction

Certainly, 2006 Westfield High grad Reema Samaha is known as one of the people who lost their lives in the Virginia Tech tragedy. But she was much more — a daughter, sister, friend and a talented dancer with a dazzling smile.

Earns Spot on U.S. Team

Joseph Szczur, a 14-year-old 8th grade student at Rocky Run Middle School, participated in the United States Indoor RC Aerobatics Model Airplane Team Trials which was held in Akron, Ohio in March. There were a total of 16 pilots competing in the competition, three which were Junior (18 years old or less). Joseph was the highest placing Junior pilot, qualifying him as U.S. team member along with the top three placing Open (18 years or older) competitors.

1872 Society Honors Kathy B. Hirsch

The Inova Alexandria Hospital’s 1872 Society honored long-time TWIG volunteer Kathy B. Hirsch with the Julia Johns Award of Distinction on Tuesday evening, June 3, at the 22nd annual membership reception.

An Eyewitness to History

WWII Veteran Chronicled D-Day Invasion

"It was chaotic. Nobody was sure what the hell was going on. Nobody knew whether we were winning or losing, or what." Bill McNamara on his landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy.

The Fixer: Mame Reiley Remembered as Political Force of Nature

Democratic insider was mastermind behind Jim Moran's 1990 campaign for Congress.

When Mame Reiley decided a young guy by the name of Jim Moran could knock off an incumbent congressman, people thought she was crazy. U.S. Rep. Stanford Parris (R-8) had been in Congress more than a decade, and he had the kind of financial support that the mayor of Alexandria could only hope to assemble. But Reiley knew it could be done, and she put together a dream team to make it happen.

SSSAS Senior Earns Gates Millennium Scholarship

St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School senior TreVaughn Allison is among a select group of students, nationally, to receive a Gates Millennium Scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program, created in 1999, selects 1,000 talented students each year to receive full college tuition at any college or university of their choice.

Senior Living: Non-Profits Working Together

Alexandria is a caring community, and we have numerous nonprofits throughout the city that work together for a better Alexandria. As part of our mission to “foster independence and self-sufficiency, enabling seniors within the city of Alexandria to age with dignity,” SSA looks to create natural responses to needs we see in the community when they fit within our mission.

The Connection