People

Local Author Wins Book Award

The Nautilus Book Award has named its 2013 Gold Winner in Religion/spirituality: “Faith Beyond Belief: Stories of Good People Who Left Their Church Behind.” Author Margaret Placentra Johnston holds degrees from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (BS, OD 1982), and the Catholic University of America (BA, 1973. MA, 1974.) From 1983 to 2003 she operated her own private optometric practice in Springfield and currently sees patients part-time in Alexandria and Georgetown.

Keys to Mobility

Keifer Wolfe receives a free car from Progressive.

Through the collaborative efforts of several local companies, Keifer Wolfe, a local military member training to be a Navy SEAL, was presented with a free Ford Escape at the Progressive Insurance building in Springfield on Wednesday, June 12, in order to replace his current transportation means—running, public transportation, and borrowing his friend’s cars—with a car of his own.

‘Mountain View Dramatically Changed My Life’

Students overcome adversity and persevere to graduate.

Student Ana-Lycia Pena was just about to sing the last word of the National Anthem during Mountain View High’s graduation last Friday at Oakton High, when the auditorium went dark.

Celebrating 180th Anniversary of Gum Springs’ Founding

At the annual Gum Springs Community Day, a resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors at the request of Supervisor Gerald Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) and a House Joint Resolution passed by the House of Delegates and the Senate, introduced at the request of state Del. Scott Surovell, were read at the community day celebration in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Park on Saturday, June 15.

A Day to Remember at Edison High

Thomas Edison High School graduates urged to be “doers and not watchers.”

After an array of silver and light blue caps and gowns filled Constitution Hall at Thomas Edison High School’s graduation ceremony on Friday, June 14, the commencement began with Principal Pamela Brumfield at the podium.

Lobbying for Children’s Cancer Treatment

Centreville’s Crossett lobbies Congress to improve children’s cancer treatments.

It’s too late to save her own child. Meg Crossett’s daughter Rachel died of a cancer called neuroblastoma on July 3, 2001, at age 6. But she’s doing her best to improve the quality of care for other children battling the same disease that took Rachel’s life.

Obituary: Henley Lyman Guild

Henley Lyman Guild died on Friday, June 7, 2013. His family is thankful for his long life and for many enjoyable times spent together with him, and especially for recent precious moments in his company.

Obituary: Mildred ‘Millie’ Lynn Herrman

Mildred Lynn Herrman,”Millie”, 77, Pawley’s Island, S.C., died on May 30, 2013, at Waccamaw Hospital surrounded by loved ones.

Stallions Honor 56 Graduates

South County High sends off its first graduating class.

South County High School has said goodbye to its first graduating class. The school, known as South County Secondary School until middle school students were relocated to a nearby building last year, held its commencement ceremony for the class of 2013 on Monday, June 17 at the Patriot Center.

Local Kayaker Goes Out on Top

Malakoff achieves U.S. Junior National Kayaking championship.

As Eliza Malakoff raced through the water and over the finish line, she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with emotion. After all the hours of training, the six days a week of paddling, the weekly visits to the weight room, and the daily commutes to Bethesda from her home in Alexandria, Malakoff had just become the women’s slalom kayaking U.S. Junior Olympic champion.

Scout Project Enhances UCM Building

Scout Project

Life Scout Matthew Hargrove conducted a work day on Saturday, June 1, to complete his Eagle Scout Service Project at the main office location of United Community Ministries at 7511 Fordson Road in Alexandria.

Cox Farms Owners Honored

Eric Cox, wife Gina Richard named Sully Lord and Lady.

In 1979 Eric Cox and his wife Gina Richard purchased 116 acres in western Fairfax County. Having founded Cox farms with his brother seven years previously, the new property was considered by some to be too remote to be successful.

Student Wins Contest for Literature Letter

Local eighth grader Christine Wang has won first place (for grades six through eight) in the Letters about Literature contest sponsored by the Library of Congress. She wrote her award-winning letter about the book, “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang. Christine, 13, even got to read her letter recently at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville. The book’s a graphic novel in hardcover, comic-book form. It contains three connected stories that become one at the end, and they appealed to her on a personal level.

MVYAA All Stars: 18U Softball Champions

The Mount Vernon Youth Athletic Association’s 18U All Star team won the 2013 Northern Virginia House 18U All Star Tournament Championship that was held June 15 and 16, at Wakefield Park. The Mount Vernon All Star team, sponsored by MVYAA, was composed of girls ages 11-15. The team won all of its games in the 2013 All Star Tournament including the championship game, beating the Southwestern Youth Association All Stars 4-3.

TC Is Different

Good morning family, teachers, administrators, and fellow graduates of the T.C. Williams class of 2013! I’m honored and very nervous to be speaking to you all today. A little background: they don’t tell you that you’re going to officially be giving one of these speeches until about two days before graduation. To prepare for this speech, I did what any teenager would do — I searched “best high school graduation speeches” on YouTube, and procrastinated for an hour or so by watching other people’s speeches

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