Union Mill Elementary End of the Year Barbecure
Union Mill Elementary school held an end-of-year barbecue on Monday, June 17, for all of its students. The students ate lunch outside on the blacktop on beach towels and blankets. The school’s Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) volunteers grilled the hamburgers and hot dogs, and helped distribute the food, drinks and ice cream to students. A DJ played music, while students danced and hula-hooped.
Union Mill Elementary Spring Concert
Band students at Union Mill Elementary performed their Spring Concert on Wednesday, June 12. The Union Mill band, which is comprised of 120 fifth and sixth grade students, performed Chuck Elledge’s “Dr. Rock,” “Party Rock Anthem,” Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy,” Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite,” “Mickey Mouse March,” Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” and “Let’s Go Band,” by Andrew Balent. The Union Mill Elementary band is directed by Laura Seifried.
Union Mill Elementary Orchestra Spring Concert
Fourth, fifth and sixth grade strings students performed their Spring Concert on Thursday, June 13. The fourth grade students began the concert with “Hot Cross Buns,” Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy,” and Offenbach’s “Can-Can.” The fourth graders finished their portion of the program with the traditional “French Folk Song.” Next, fifth and sixth grade strings students performed “Finale from the First Symphony,” by Brahms, followed by “Classical Bash,” a medley of several famous classical pieces including Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, “Surprise Symphony” by Haydn, Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” and “Ode to Joy.” The concert concluded with a final piece in which the entire 125-student orchestra performed Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” as the audience kept the beat of the song. The Union Mill Elementary orchestra is directed by Melissa Brown.
CVHS Honors its Thespians
Actors and techs were honored June 13 during Centreville High’s 25th annual Thespie Awards ceremony; 14 students were inducted into Centreville Troupe 4510 of the International Thespian Society.
People
Lindsay Lucas and Chris Somerville Wed
Lindsay Ayers Lucas and Matthew Christopher Somerville were married at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, 2013 at River Farm in Alexandria, Va. The Rev. Alan Felumlee of Centreville United Methodist Church officiated.
10 Years Incarceration For Former Teacher
He was convicted of child-porn offenses.
Little more than a year ago, Oak Hill resident Robert C. Fenn was about to finish his first year of teaching at Poplar Tree Elementary, where he taught special-ed students in kindergarten through third grade. But it all ended June 12, 2012, when Fairfax County police arrested him at the school on child-pornography charges.
‘His Life Mattered’
Westfield teacher, students raise money to honor Matt Peterson.
Matt Peterson was just 16 when his father inexplicably killed him, his mother and younger brother in their Herndon home before taking his own life.
Sacred Threads: Quilt Exhibit with Meaning
Besides being beautiful to look at, handmade quilts can convey powerful messages. Such are the quilts that will be on display during Sacred Threads 2013.
Paving ‘Virginia’s Road to the Future’
Transportation Authority solicits public input on first year of proposed projects.
City Hall in the City of Fairfax was the location of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) June 20 Open House and Public Hearing, seeking public opinion on proposed regional transportation projects. The Authority was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2002 to provide a common voice for all Northern Virginia stakeholders on transportation and related issues. The Authority is made up of representatives from the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and one representative for the towns of Herndon, Leesburg, Purcellville, Dumfries and Vienna. The group also includes several members of the Virginia Assembly, governor appointees and non-voting representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
‘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.
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.
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.
Roundups
Fair Oaks Townhouse Fire Fire officials say a blaze last week at a Fair Oaks townhouse caused an estimated $50,000 damage. The single-family home is at 4815 Green Duck Lane, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Letter: Valuing Education
To the Editor:
Many of us will go great lengths in the pursuit of education. Sometimes these sacrifices may be small things for others, but big things for us. For me, it was taking a summer class when I really could use vacation time after a rough spring semester.
Real Estate Fraud: Two Years Prison
Chantilly woman is sentenced.
A Chantilly woman has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay more than half a million dollars in restitution for her part in a real-estate fraud. She is Melissa McWilliams, 35. She was among four people who pleaded guilty Feb. 19, in federal court in Alexandria to conspiring to fraudulently take over the titles of homes in Washington, D.C., without the real property owners’ knowledge, selling those homes and keeping the profit.