People

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.

AWLA: A Shoulder To Cry On for Thousands Who’ve Lost Pets

It all started about 35 years ago with a newspaper ad from a British doctor seeking a volunteer driver for a new concept in America — something called a “hospice.” Then-Arlington resident Kathy Reiter didn’t know the term but wound up taking the job — and eventually facilitating support groups for grieving widows and widowers. But the project took an unexpected turn. “People started coming up to me after the group meetings and confessing that they actually were there because their companion animal had died and they didn’t know how to cope,” Reiter recalled. “I realized that someone needed to start a support group especially for loss of pets.”

Living Legends: Making a Difference in Lives of City’s Women and Children

Rose Enevoldsen Berler’s lifetime commitment to caring.

At age 16, Rose Enevoldsen Berler (known to her family as Rosie), graduated from high school in Norfolk, Va. But she had to wait until she turned 17 to go up north, to Baltimore’s School of Nursing at Sinai Hospital. She loved nursing and thrived under the strict demands and high standards of her training.

Dube Named Fire Chief

Robert C. Dubé has been appointed as fire chief for the City of Alexandria, effective June 9. Dubé replaces Adam K. Thiel, who resigned from the position earlier this year to accept a position in state government.

Vienna Police Officer Conor Tracy Honored

On May 2, Officer Conor Tracy was honored for his enforcement efforts against drunk and impaired drivers.

Vienna Elementary Honors Retiring Teachers

Terry Love and Linda Camacho leave the school after decades teaching there.

Staff, students and parents of the Vienna Elementary School [VES] community came together on May 19 to say goodbye to two long-time VES teachers retiring this year.

Vienna Woman’s Club Awards Scholarships to High School Seniors

Oakton and Marshall High School students each accept $1,000 scholarships.

The Vienna Woman’s Club awarded $1,000 scholarships to three local high school seniors going on to college this fall.

‘Better Together’

Oakcrest School students donate over $1,000 to the Sylvestery.

Donating the fruits of their yearlong labor, the senior council of the Oakcrest School, an all-female preparatory school in McLean, presented Kathleen Martin, CEO of Vinson Hall Retirement Community, a check for just over $1,300 on Tuesday, May 27.

Art Promotes Critical Thinking, Creativity

Earlier this year, Churchill Road Elementary School received a grant from Crayola to foster children’s critical thinking and creativity through arts integration into the core curriculum.

Strawberries, Daisies and Doughnuts, Oh, My!

Buy fresh produce, meet neighbors at Vienna Farmers Market.

For fresh produce, flowers, crepes, breakfast tarts, candy, baked goods and piping-hot doughnut holes – in a cheerful atmosphere filled with friends and neighbors – the Vienna Farmers Market is hard to beat.

Great Falls Girl Scouts Receive Gold Award

Caitlin Dalrymple, Maddie Navin and Rachel Zmuda, all of Girl Scout Troop 1057 in Great Falls recently celebrated the completion of their Gold Awards, the Girl Scouts’ highest honor.

The Connection