Come on. Is that beverage worth it?

Choose a designated driver — one that will actually abstain from drinking, not one who just promises to limit drinking to one or two beers.

And if you’re hosting a party, be prepared to let some people stay over if they are too impaired. Let’s put aside the possibility of being sued if you let someone drive drunk from your place and they cause a collision. How would you feel if you made everyone go home only to get a call at work the next day telling you that one of them had died?

Regret like that doesn’t go away for a long time, if ever.

Have the phone numbers of at least two taxi services programmed into your phone and money for a ride. And as tempting as it might be to bet that money on your favorite team, don’t.

If you’re the host, post the numbers to several cab companies on your fridge for guests to use. I’ll make it easy for you. Here’s a list of cab companies in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., area:

Yellow Cab of Prince William County (main number): 703-491-2222
Yellow Cab of Prince William County – Stafford Area: 540-659-1200
Yellow Cab of Prince William County – Quantico Area: 703-640-6464
Manassas Cab Company: 703-257-0222
Red Top Cab Company in Arlington: 703-522-3333
Loudoun Yellow Cab: 703-437-9100
Alexandria Yellow Cab: 703-549-2500
Fairfax Yellow Cab: 703-534-1111
Yellow Cab of D.C.: 202-TAXICAB

Print this list and cut it out now… while you’re still sober. Put it in your wallet or tape it to your dashboard as a reminder.

Enjoy the game. Eat until your stomach hurts. Talk sports with your mouth full. Scream at the over-priced big screen HDTV. Help clean up (you know you should). And be safe, not stupid.

– KJ Mushung

As tempting as it'd be to drive one of these after a Super Bowl party, we don't recommend it... at least, not if you've been drinking. That'd be a waste of one seriously fine vehicle. Photo by: Arch Scurlock

Dreamstime

Police responded to a destruction of property report at the construction site of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Mosque, located at 4555 Ahmadiyya Drive in Fairfax County on Monday, Jan. 30 around 8:40 a.m.

Police found extensive damage to the mosque which is under construction but found no evidence that the building was entered. Detectives and blood hounds were utilized to collect evidence. In addition to evidence related to the destruction, several discarded containers of alcohol were discovered.

The investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

Press Release

Professor Poland

Press Release

Dr. Charles Poland of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has received the 2012 Outstanding Faculty Award, administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and sponsored by Dominion.

Poland is one of 12 faculty members from Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities who received the award, the highest honor bestowed upon faculty in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The award recognizes excellence in teaching, research, knowledge integration, and public service.

“On behalf of the NOVA community, we would like to express our congratulations to Dr. Poland for being selected as a recipient of this prestigious award,” said NOVA President Robert G. Templin Jr. “Dr. Poland has touched the lives of thousands of students since he began at the College in 1967. Students have embraced and praised his hands-on approach in directly engaging history and its artifacts. This is evidenced by the mobile Civil War museum now installed at NOVA that includes hundreds of historical documents and objects.”

Poland teaches courses in U.S. and local history, Western civilization, and the Civil War at NOVA’s Annandale Campus. His teaching career spans more than five decades. Since 1977, he has conducted celebrated field-trip courses to major and minor battlefields of the Civil War. He has traveled more than 120,000 miles to battlefields from Alexandria to the Ohio River and from Gettysburg to Appomattox, giving hundreds of lectures to students varying in age from teenagers to senior citizens.

He has received awards for teaching excellence including the “Most Outstanding Faculty Member” and the NOVA Alumni Federation Faculty of the Year.

Poland has a deep appreciation for local history, which is due in part to having ancestors that trace back to the colonial period in Loudoun County. His published work on the subject includes “From Frontier to Suburbia: One of America’s Fastest Growing Counties,” “A Loudoun County Story” and “The Lure of Loudoun: Centuries of Changes in Virginia’s Emerald County.”

As a scholar of the Civil War, he has placed special emphasis in his publications on little known military activities and now forgotten heroes who dominated public opinion in 1861. His writing reveals citizen soldiers’ romanticized expectations of glory and their dreams shattered by cruel realities of war.

Poland holds a doctorate in American history from Western Colorado University. He and his wife live in Loudoun County and have two daughters.

Courtesy of VDOT

Press Release

The Virginia Department of Transportation has a new web tool that shows the status of plowing in Northern Virginia neighborhoods.

Once it snows at least two inches, residents can find out the status of plowing in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William county neighborhoods at novasnowplowing.virginia.gov.

The website activates when two or more inches have accumulated.

VDOT has organized Northern Virginia streets into 600 “snow maps” which are assigned to plow drivers. These are the maps users will view and be able to find out whether crews are plowing, have plowed or have not started a particular snow map. Street-by-street progress is not shown.

Users can enter an address in Northern Virginia to see a color-coded snow map that indicates the plowing status in that area:

· Green indicates a neighborhood has been plowed

· Yellow means plows are in progress in the neighborhood

· Blue indicates plows have not yet started the neighborhood

· Gray means the area is not maintained by VDOT. (Cities, towns and some developments maintain their own roads.)

“This is a test run so we will welcome feedback from the public,” said Northern Virginia VDOT Assistant District Administrator Branco Vlacich. “We will make adjustments as needed to make it as user-friendly and helpful as possible.”

Quick Tips for Users

· Be sure to enter your complete address, e.g. 100 Maple Street, Anytown, Virginia.

· The website tracks VDOT-maintained neighborhoods only.

· The website is active only when two or more inches of snow have fallen.

Residents can view a video on how to use the new site.

How VDOT clears subdivisions in Northern Virginia

Trucks are pre-positioned in subdivisions whenever the forecast calls for two or more inches of snow. Each subdivision has at least one dedicated truck and plowing begins when two inches have accumulated. Main thoroughfares are repeatedly plowed during a storm. Once the storm has stopped and those roads are clear, crews work to make residential streets and cul-de-sacs “passable.”

A neighborhood street is considered passable when a path is drivable (with caution) for an average passenger vehicle. The road will not be cleared curb-to-curb or to bare pavement and may remain snow-packed, uneven and rutted (especially following any refreeze). Chemicals are not typically used in subdivisions, but crews sand hills, curves and intersections as needed to provide traction. For most storms, one snowplow pass, about eight to 10 feet wide, is made.

Once drivers complete a minimum of one pass on the roads in a map, they report back that the route is complete.

VDOT judges subdivisions complete through processed snow maps, resident call volume and feedback from VDOT monitors.

The NOVA Police Basketball Community College Tournament will be held Feb. 10. Interested in participating on the student team in the second annual NOVA Community College Basketball 3-on-3 Tournament? Contact Officer Tony Ong (tong@nvcc.edu) or register with Annandale Student Activities Coordinator Calvin Haney (chaney@nvcc.edu).

NOVA's ice hockey team plays against Maryland in a Nov. 20 game in Prince William County. Photo: KJ Mushung

By: Arch Scurlock
Sports Columnist

After having suffered some lopsided defeats early in the season, NOVA ice hockey coach, Barrett Haga, finally found some time to smile after the second period of the Nov. 20 Sunday morning game against the University of Maryland at the Prince William Ice Center. Northern Virginia Community College was trailing only 2-0, despite having been outshot by 36-10.

“Our hard work has finally paid off. Our goalie is playing out of his head,” remarked Haga.

The third period saw NOVA take only 14 seconds to score its first goal by James Powers from about five feet out. UMD came back, however, to score the next three goals before James Powers scored at 11:49 from about 10 feet out on a one-on-one shot on the goalie, making it 5-2. Powers twice had one-on-one breakaway opportunities against the goalie during the game but was not able to capitalize on either.

NOVA next took advantage of a power play at 6:59 as Richard Orksider scored on a slap shot from about 25 feet out to cut the deficit to 5-3. NOVA could get no closer as UMD finally prevailed 6-3.

After the game, the coach exulted, “We’ve come a long way. The team is starting to come together, to gel as a team. Towards the end of the year we should make decent showings. We’re missing some key players today, but the guys played the best game they could have played as a team.”

The previous weekend, NOVA had traveled to southwest Virginia to play two games. On the Nov. 12 in Roanoke, NOVA fell hard to Radford, 12-1. However, the following afternoon, NOVA recovered from its late night beating to lead Virginia Military Institute after every period and hung on for a 7-6 win, NOVA’s second of the year.

Kevin Hastings had two goals and two assists and Casey Dunn added two goals.

The weekend following the Maryland game, NOVA traveled up north but did not receive much hospitality, losing 8-1 on Dec. 3 to Rowan University in New Jersey and then the following day 7-1 to Bryn Athyn College near Philadelphia, a team they had played much better against earlier in the season at home.

NOVA’s record stands at 2-11.

NOVA Serves: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Press Release

Join in for NOVA’s third annual NOVA Serves: MLK Day National Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 16. Over the past two years, NOVA Serves has offered 14 service projects and engaged over 750 students, faculty and staff in service. The projects are located throughout NOVA’s service area, and participant volunteers represent all of NOVA’s campuses.

Option 1: Operation School Supply, Alexandria Campus
3001 N Beauregard Street
Bisdorf AA Building, Room 196
Alexandria, VA 22311
Time Commitment: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Volunteers are needed to donate school supplies and help build school supplies kits for school children in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries where US troops are stationed. In cooperation with the Operation International Children organization, these school supply kits will help US troops bring school supplies to needy children.

Option 2: Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Chantilly
4262 Entre Court
Chantilly, VA 20151
Time Commitment: 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations reuse and recycle new and used building materials. The proceeds from the sale of these items support Habitat for Humanity building projects. Volunteers will assist with incoming donations and test donations to make sure they work and clean, assemble or repair as needed. Volunteers will price donations and place them on the sales floor. Volunteers will organize the sales floor and assist customers on the sales floor.

Option 3: Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Alexandria
7770 Richmond Highway
Alexandria, VA 22306
Time Commitment: 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations reuse and recycle new and used building materials. The proceeds from the sale of these items support Habitat for Humanity building projects. Volunteers will assist with incoming donations and test donations to make sure they work and clean, assemble, or repair as needed. Volunteers will price donations and place them on the sales floor. Volunteers will organize the sales floor and assist customers on the sales floor.

Option 4: Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Manassas
9506 Center Street
Manassas, VA 20110
Time Commitment: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations reuse and recycle new and used building materials. The proceeds from the sale of these items support Habitat for Humanity building projects. Volunteers will be receiving donations, helping customers, hanging light fixtures, etc.

Option 5: Loudoun County Animal Shelter, Sterling
39820 Charles Town Pike
Waterford, VA 20197
Time Commitment: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Loudoun County Animal Shelter is an open-access shelter, meaning they take in any and all animals that are surrendered by Loudoun County resident or are found stray in Loudoun County, regardless of reason or circumstance. Volunteers are needed to assist with cleaning and organizing projects for the shelter as well as animal adoption and animal care preparation activities.

To register as a volunteer, visit http://bit.ly/xgjpVI.

Photo by: KJ Mushung

A lit tunnel at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Photo illustration by: KJ Mushung

The Dominion GardenFest of Lights at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a spectacular and beautiful sight. But it only runs through Monday, Jan. 9. So if you want to go, make the time now.

The lights are on from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly, rain or shine. Each year there is a different theme. This year’s theme is “Nature’s DeLIGHTS.”

Admission costs $11 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under age 3 are admitted free.

The garden is located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue in Richmond.

Photo by: KJ Mushung

Photo by: KJ Mushung

Photo by: KJ Mushung

Photo by: KJ Mushung

Press Release

UPDATE:
Police have identified the body in this case as Muhammad H. Rehman, 23, of 1204 South Washington Street in Alexandria.

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE:
Fairfax County Police responded to the Belle Haven Marina, located at 6401 George Washington Parkway on Monday, Jan. 2 around 9:10 a.m., due to a report of a body.

Two recreational boaters discovered the body of an adult male in the river and called police. Exact cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The investigation continues.

Arch Scurlock

Sports Reporter

The defending Virginia Community College champion men’s basketball team began its season in early November. Duplicating last season’s success, however, is not a given as most of last year’s team is gone. The only holdover players are forward Jonathan Ball and the injured Andre Allen. Jamal Fair returns from the 2009-10 team.

The team includes 11 freshmen and three new sophomores, all from the Washington, D.C. area. The team continues to be coached by sixth-year coach Mike Fitzmaurice with assistant coaches Sean Fitzmaurice, Michael Abdlejabbar and Joe Shoemaker.

Results to date have been close to last year’s team, which started 4-5. Through seven games this year, NOVA is 3-4.

NOVA’s first game was a big loss at 103-88 to a strong Hagerstown Community College team on Nov. 2. Next, in a tournament Nov. 4 and 5 at Catonsville, Md., NOVA notched its first win, over Chesapeake (Md.) College 100-86 before falling to the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville 77-70.

NOVA’s first home game at Annandale ended in a close 81-80 win over the College of Southern Maryland on Nov. 16. NOVA went out to a 41-36 halftime lead, led by Ball with nine points and Dominique Phillips with eight.

In the second half, NOVA streaked out to a 16-point lead 63-47 with about 14 minutes to go, but the game was not over. CSM came back to within six at the 10-minute mark and closed to within two at the five-minute mark.

NOVA continued to keep a small lead and led by two with a little over a minute to go, 79-77. NOVA’s Jamal Fair took a bad shot, and CSM made a basket with 23.9 seconds to go to gain a tie, 79-79.

After a timeout, NOVA worked the ball around, and Steve Pierre received a nifty pass and made a layup to put NOVA up 81-79 with 5.7 seconds left.

A timeout was taken and CSM inbounded the ball. Bringing the ball up the court, the CSM player was unable to get the ball to the free CSM player under the basket as he fumbled the ball under pressure. However, NOVA fouled with 0.7 seconds to go on an attempted shot. CSM’s Daniel Henry, who had already scored 20 points, had two foul shots to try to send the game into overtime. Looking a bit uneasy, Henry made his first foul shot but his second bounced off the front of the rim, and NOVA rebounded as time ran out, allowing them to escape with the close win. Pierre led NOVA with 17 points, and Ball added 16.

Coach Fitzmaurice exclaimed afterwards, “We’ve got a good ball team. We’ve got good ballplayers. They made a lot of mistakes, but we’re early in the season. As the season progresses, we think these mistakes will be minimized and we can play the kind of ball we did last year.”

“We did the same thing last year,” he said of not starting out well.

On the game tonight, he remarked, “We’ve got to practice a lot harder our fundamentals. We committed too many fouls. We turned the ball over too many times, and that let CSM stay in the game.”

Next, NOVA traveled to Baltimore on Nov. 26 and easily beat CCBC-Dundalk 100-74 in a typical run-and-gun NOVA win.

The weekend of Dec. 3 and 4 shaped up as quite a challenge for NOVA. The team traveled to North Carolina for the Davidson County Community College Storm Classic prepared to face two teams with a combined 15-2 record.

The first game saw NOVA fall to Davidson 87–73. The next day, in a slower game, NOVA fell to Spartanburg (S.C.) Methodist College 60-56. NOVA’s record thus sat at 3-4.

The remainder of December will see NOVA still on the road, playing four games, including two in New York. They return home Jan. 7 and 14 for two games before going on the road for four more away games.