Dreamstime

Press Release

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., is recalling hard-cooked eggs, as well as prepared foods that contain hard-cooked eggs, sold between Jan. 23 and Feb. 1 because the eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

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

A 37-year-old woman was grabbed by a man as she walked toward her home in the 4100 block of Elmwood Street in Fairfax County. The suspect displayed a weapon, moved the victim a short distance and attempted to sexually assault her. The suspect fled on foot. The victim did not require medical attention.

The suspect was described as being white and tall, with a medium build. He was wearing a dark colored jacket, dark colored pants, and he concealed his face from the victim.

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.

Delegate Tim Hugo

Press Release

Delegate Tim Hugo (R-40th) introduced Virginia HB 1080 in a joint press conference on Jan. 23 in Richmond. Joining him were Elizabeth Schultz, Fairfax County School Board member representing the Springfield District, Steve Stuban, a Fairfax County advocate for parental notification, Delegate Kay Kory (D-38th) and Senator Chap Peterson (D-34th.)

Hugo’s bill is in response to the public outcry surrounding last year’s tragic death of Nick Stuban and the growing concern among Fairfax County parents regarding the Fairfax County School System’s disciplinary process.

This bill requires school systems to notify parents at the school’s earliest opportunity of their student’s alleged misconduct.

Hugo stated, “HB 1080 codifies that parents must be part of the solution in seeking to help school administrators address student disciplinary issues. School systems must begin to view parents as partners, not adversaries.” HB 1080 specifically:

Requires the school principal to take certain procedures, including parental notification and the issuance of due process warnings, prior to questioning a student in the case of a serious violation.

Clarifies that a serious violation is defined as a violation of a school board policy or the compulsory school attendance requirements when such violation could result in the student’s suspension, the notification of law enforcement, or the filing of a court petition, and
Permits authorities to question a student immediately IF exigent circumstances exist, e.g. if another student’s safety is involved.

In stating the need for this bill, Hugo said, “I find it troubling that school administrators have questioned students for hours at a time without parental knowledge regarding issues that could lead to the student’s expulsion or incarceration.”

Hugo expressed his appreciation to School Board Member, Elizabeth Schultz, for working with him in crafting this legislation.

“Her advice and counsel regarding this bill was invaluable. I would also like to express my admiration to Steve Stuban for his unwavering commitment to ensure that no other student will go through the tragic interrogation to which his son, Nick, was subjected.”

Hugo’s bill has been referred to the Students and Early Education Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education.

Hugo currently serves as the Majority Caucus Chairman for the House Republican Caucus. He is the Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee and also serves on the Commerce and Labor, Transportation, and Privileges and Election Committees.

Hugo represents Centreville, Clifton, Fairfax, and Fairfax Station in Fairfax County as well as Catharpin, Gainesville, Haymarket, and Manassas in Prince William County.

In the letter dated Jan. 19, the governors highlighted the region’s existing technical expertise in the defense industry, established UAS facilities and appropriate airspace for this type of testing and development.

“The Mid-Atlantic region represents a significant resource to the federal government as they develop a UAS test range,” said McDonnell. “Virginia and Maryland already host many companies that provide technical expertise, staffing and support to the federal government’s military and technology programs, and our collection of restricted airspace will provide the perfect training area for this type of testing. Furthermore, the existing DoD, NASA industry and academic institutions in our states can provide the FAA with resources to develop the cutting-edge UAS technology at no additional cost to the taxpayer. In these difficult fiscal times, this type of coordination and co-location of activities is vital to ensuring that our government lives within its means while providing our core services of government.”

O’Malley added, “Virginia and Maryland are working together across state and party lines to provide the best solutions for the needs of our nation. Already, industry, academic and federal agencies located in Maryland and Virginia design, test and operate every category of unmanned aircraft systems. We are also home to the largest collection of experience with this technology and integrating it into national airspace of any region. This region can become the UAS center for the nation, and provide the workforce, close strategic proximity to the federal government and the highest concentration of U.S. population, and the technological infrastructure to ensure the success of the national UAS program.”

Further development of the nation’s UAS program will not only serve advanced military operations, but will also provide additional resources for private industry and homeland security efforts that will use this technology.

The Mid-Atlantic region is within a day’s drive of the majority of the U.S. population, and is strategically located near the nation’s capitol and major population centers along the East Coast.

The states have not yet received a response to this letter from Secretary LaHood.

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).

Professor Joe Windham, standing in the center, provides a toast as students fill their champagne glasses with sparkling cider. Contributed photo.

By: Patricia Gordon, Alexandria SAC

The Student Government Association and Student Activities Office of Alexandria hosted their fourth annual campus Thanksgiving dinner for students at the Alexandria campus on Nov. 21. Sixty-five students spent the evening sharing a meal, making new friends and trading stories of their own customs and holidays.

Dr. Sue Jean Cho, assistant professor of history, worked with student volunteers for the set-up and management of the event. Dr. Jim McClellan, dean of Liberal Arts, provided a history of the American Thanksgiving celebration for the benefit of several students who had never attended a Thanksgiving dinner in the United States. Dr. Delores Scott, dean of Students, cut and handed out pie to the guests. Joe Windham, history professor, offered a toast at the end of the meal, wishing everyone a peaceful holiday.

The table centerpieces, designed by SGA officers Natalie Benitez and Fatma Rekik, were given away to a student guest at each table. The annual event, which was first organized by the Asian Student Association four years earlier, continues to reinforce the ideals and goals of the campus to create a real sense of community for our students, faculty, staff and administrators at NOVA.