UCM Marks 45th Anniversary
Organization will increase outreach this year
Many people think of United Community Ministries as just a food bank and a thrift store, executive director Shirley Marshall said. “That is all they know about us. A lot of what we are trying to do this year, on our 45th anniversary, is say, there’s a little more to us than that actually,” Marshall said. As UCM marks its 45th anniversary, Marshall said the organization is increasing outreach efforts to make sure they are known in the community.
MVCCA Lists 2013 Actions
The Mount Vernon Council of Citizens Associations released the following summary of their work in 2013. Standing committees of the council that provided the substantive work on a given issue are shown in italics. Source: mvcca@listserve.com
Thirty Travel to Richmond
VIC Raises Issues of the Poor
Calling for expanded mental health services and greater access to Medicaid for the most vulnerable in the Mount Vernon community, a 30-member delegation from VIC traveled to Richmond, Feb. 6, to speak with area legislators.
Synetic Theater Stages ‘Twelfth Night’
Synetic Theater in Arlington is staging a no-dialogue, high-energy and acrobatic production of “Twelfth Night.” Shakespeare’s comedy, set in the silent film era, will run through Feb. 16. With a backdrop of the Roaring ’20s, “Twelfth Night” tells the tale of fraternal twins, Viola and Sebastian, separated in a strange new land.
Happyland on Edge: Quiet Suburban Neighborhood Rocked by Unsolved Murders
Residents worried that a serial killer may be on the loose.
The late Ellen Pickering used to call North Ridge "Happyland," a quiet suburban stretch of the city where neighbors knew each other and the most shocking crime that happens is when someone's car is broken into.
Week in Vienna
Train Station Open House
The Vienna Train Station, on Dominion Road along the W&OD trail, will be open to the public Saturday, Feb. 15, from 1-5 p.m. The open house is hosted by the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders and boasts a realistically depicted model railroad that existed in North Carolina in the 1950s. Free admission; donations accepted. For more information, visit www.nvmr.org.
Town Green Stage Getting a Roof
The Town of Vienna is going to have a roof built over the stage at the Vienna Town Green Park. And last week, the Town Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the town and the Rotary Club of Vienna to get it done.
Herndon High Hosts Improvathon
Students practice and learn improv at fundraising event.
“I got a whistle, and we have some penalties,” said Scott D. Pafumi. Pafumi, was laying out rules for the Improvathon event at Herndon High auditorium. The Theatre Director at Herndon Middle School, Pafumi had been asked to referee this year’s Improvathon. Ten teams made of students from across Fairfax County went to Herndon High on Saturday, Feb. 8 for six games related to improvisational or improv theatre. Judging the events were Town of Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel, Town councilmember Melissa Jonas, and Herndon High Assistant Principal Maria Sneed. Evan Hoffman, director of the NextStop Theatre Company was the master of ceremonies. Participating with the Herndon High team was Herndon senior Hunter Robinson.
McLean Woman’s Club Donates $1,500 to McLean Project for the Arts
At its monthly meeting on Feb. 4, The Woman’s Club of McLean presented its annual donation of $1,500 to the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) through the project’s representatives Bill DuBose and Robin Walker, who expressed their gratitude for the contribution. The club also sponsors and supports MPA’s exhibits of children’s art at the McLean Community Center. The donation is one of many that the club plans to make this year with funds obtained from its annual Holiday Homes Tour.
Historic Cornwell Farm Open to the Public
March 8, 2014 in Great Falls, VA
The Cornwell Farm residence in Great Falls, Virginia has survived as a well-preserved example of Northern Virginia antebellum plantation architecture. The property was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 1977. It is one of the area’s most significant residential properties with a Nineteenth Century Manor House, circa 1831. It is scenically important in that it is the major architectural element to be seen along the historic Georgetown Pike, the first road in the state to be designated a Virginia By-Way. The entry features a magnificent cedar tree-lined private drive arriving at a pea gravel motor court. The gently rolling land and country vistas are some of the most gorgeous this close to Washington, DC. The property features a 4 stall barn, fenced and cross fenced pasture land and run-in shed for horses.
Strings Concert Held at Dranesville Elementary School
The fourth and fifth grade students perform for family and friends.
”It was a great evening for the kids,” said Seth Lovern. His daughter, Alexis, a fourth grade student at Dranesville Elementary School had just completed an evening string concert at the school cafeteria. “Her mom plays the violin, so she [Alexis] wanted to play the viola to be different.”
Week in Herndon
The MOMS Club® of Herndon will host a Relationship Roundtable on Thursday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. – Noon at Trinity Presbyterian Church (615 Dranesville Rd, Herndon). Guest speakers Elizabeth Mahoney and Irene Burkett will lead an open discussion on ways to strengthen your relationship with your spouse or partner. Topics to be addressed include: common barriers to communication, effective communication techniques, and stress reduction methods. All Herndon, VA (zip codes 20170 and 20171) stay at-home mothers are encouraged to join this free event.
Rachel Carson’s Linda Gammon Wins Band Director of the Year Award
Carson Middle School band director Linda Gammon was named the 2013-14 Secondary Band Director of the Year.
Linda Gammon has won countless awards over the course of her 38-year teaching career, been named guest conductor of nearly every district band in Virginia, and has published a number of music education books. In Feb. 2014, Gammon added the Fairfax County Band Directors Association (FCBDA) Secondary Band Director of the Year Award to that list of achievements.
McLean Community Center Seeks Board Candidates
Nominating petitions will be available Tuesday, Feb. 18.
The McLean Community Center (MCC), an agency of Fairfax County Government, is seeking candidates to run for open seats on its 2014-2015 Governing Board. The board provides oversight and guidance for MCC programs and facilities, which include the Robert Ames Alden Theatre (The Alden) and the Old Firehouse Teen Center. The center is located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue.
It’s A Celtic Invasion!
The Alden welcomes Nova Scotia’s Celtic Rock Ambassadors, Grand Dérangement, and Ireland’s Own Traditional Band, Caladh Nua, to its stage.
Two up-and-coming, internationally acclaimed Celtic music bands, one that treasures the heritage of traditional Irish music and one that brings a totally new rock aesthetic to the genre, will come to The Alden in McLean’s stage in the coming few weeks, just in time to get in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The theatre is located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue, inside the McLean Community Center.
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