Today, Sept. 18, 2012, marks the 65th birthday of the United States Air Force. The milestone was commemorated by more than a dozen veteran aviators and officers at an early-morning flag-raising ceremony at The Fairfax, a military retirement community just outside Fort Belvoir. The U.S. Air Force was originally part of the Army Air Corps, which was formed during the first World War. The Air Force resulted from the National Security Act of 1947, which also reorganized the country's intelligence service and formed the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are now more than 300,000 active-duty Air Force…
Patch stopped by the Workhouse Arts Center to check out the latest pieces on display, and we were struck by "Feelin' Older," a mid-range stoneware sculpture with horse hair by artist Brian Grow. In "Feelin' Older," the man looks stiff and sad, as if he's looking into a mirror and doesn't quite know what to make of his appearance. "He's just a guy who's not got any hair on top, and he's looking to plug it. And now he's realizing where all the time has gone," said Grow. "So, he's a little depressed." "Feelin Older" is 30 inches tall and is priced at $1,100. Grow, who moved to Falls Church …
Steven Stoltzfuz beamed in his straw hat and overalls at the Workhouse Farmer's Market. The 21-year-old spoke with a quiet confidence as he sold produce and offered free samples of organic chocolate milk to passing Lortonians. Stoltzfuz, who is Amish and lives in Chambersburg, Pa., travels to Lorton every Thursday. His Tuscarora Farm partners with Trickling Springs Creamery, which provides the milk. His table at the market includes a photo book of his farm, horse and buggy, greenhouse and crops. "Farming takes patience, and I put everything I have in my crops," he said. "I don't have …
Patch was at Mason Neck State Park on Monday morning to take photos of bald eagles. On the drive up to the park office I found a male Eastern Box Turtle crossing the road. I stopped, got out and took a picture, picked up the little guy and set him down on the other side of the road. The park is home to an eagle sanctuary, and it is home to about 50 to 80 of America's national birds. There are five nests in the park and at the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. The birds are skiddish, and will abandon their nests if humans or predators get too close. How can you tell a …
There's no stopping U.S. Army Capt. Mark Little (ret.). Little spent eight years in the Army, and, 13 months ago found a new home away from home - Lorton's CrossFit Liberation. Little, 29, lost his legs from an EFP (Explosively Formed Penetrator) in southern Iraq in 2007. "An EFP is basically an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) on steroids," Little told Patch. "I was leading a convoy like I'd done hundreds of times before, and we got out on a main road and boom." Little, who lives in Fairfax with his wife Alicia, walked into CrossFit Liberation last summer, and was impressed with owner Atom…
Patch passed by the Baskin Robbins on Lorton Market Street Tuesday and took this picture of two South County High School students taking in the last bits of summer. Lindsay Friday and Kelsey Druggan, both 15, have mixed emotions about starting their sophomore year. "I think I'll be less nervous when I get my schedule and figure out where my friends are going to be," said Friday, who ordered a sugar cone with rainbow sherbert. Druggan, who ordered a small cup of Resse's, just finished buying all of her school supplies. "I'm excited," she said. "I don't want summer to end, but I also want …
On Monday morning, Patch was covering a film crew that was filming a scene from the movie "The Senior Prank" at Great Harvest Bread Co. in Lorton. We took all sorts of pictures of expensive movie cameras, actors, extras... And then — Jiminy Cricket! — there it was, less than a foot away: A grasshopper crawling up the wall outside the coffee shop. Click, click, click. After taking more than 700 pictures on Monday, this one photo of a grasshopper may have been our best shot. Keep up with all things Lorton with the Lorton Patch email newsletter and breaking news alerts. Learn more here.
If you took a nap this afternoon, you may have missed a thunderstorm that swept through Northern Virginia. It came and went, and now, the ground is already dry again. Patch arrived at Occoquan Regional Park just as the weather started to turn, and we witnessed the temperature fall from 103 to about 82 degrees in a matter of minutes. The rain, which flew down in sheets, was accompanied by lightning and strong winds. The only people in sight were Tomas Ovalle and his brother Nick, who were hurriedly hooking their boat to a truck at the Occoquan pier. We took their picture just before the deluge…
Have you been out this weekend? It's stifling! Temperatures hit 105 in Northern Virginia on Saturday, and many found solace with the most natural of coolants - water. Patch stopped at the Workhouse Arts Center today. There, a sprinkler was going clockwise at full blast, and friends Madeline Horner, 9, and Kayla Kim, 10, of Fairfax took advantage. Enjoy the picture, and stay cool and hydrated! While we were out, Patch traveled to several other locations, too, across Fairfax County to take pictures of people cooling off. Stop by Patch tomorrow for a complete photo gallery!
Patch joined more than 1,000 visitors at Pirate's Cove Waterpark on Memorial Day. "It's been nuts!" said assistant park manager Kevin Casalenuovo. "We hit our limit for the number of people allowed to come into the pool pretty quick. I think everyone wanted to get here early because they wanted to go out for dinner later." Pirate's Cove is part of Pohick Bay Regional Park, and the water park is open until Labor Day.
Today, Patch was at the Workhouse Arts Center and took this photo of the new Smart Markets farmers’ market. The market is open every Thursday from 3:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Today, Patch was out and about in Lorton and saw these kids shopping at a yard sale near the Lorton Library along Righmond Highway. Each kid walked away with a trinket or two and a smile on their face. Have a great weekend!
Today, May 17, 2012, was seemingly over. It was 6:30 p.m. and time to head home. Off in the distance you could see kids playing soccer at Lorton Park. If there's a good picture to be had, you can be sure that getting a goal in soccer is in the catalogue. These Lorton kids play in Lorton Park nearly every day after school (with adult supervision, of course). Enjoy the picture—and the weather!
In recognition of Mother's Day, Gunston Flowers has extended their hours of service. That means that you still have a chance to dash over to the Lorton flower shop to spend a few bucks on the person who brought you into this crazy world. No doubt she'll receive the flowers with a genuine smile, and will think to herself: "What a good kid. This is my day after all!" Mother's Day weekend is the busiest time of the year for Gunston Flowers. "This is the big one," said owner Peter Chabra. ""Everybody's got a mother." Chabra and his staff are hurriedly filling orders and delivering flowers to …
Patch was writing at Caribou Coffee in Lorton today and found Jason Laiying Hong deep at work with a magnifying glass and pen. Jason, who hails from China and works at the Hibachi restaurant in Fairfax, plays Mega Millions three times a week. He immediately knew about my camera. "That's a 5D Mark II, right?" he asked. "The lens - 70-200mm? What's the f-stop?" Jason has lived in Fairfax County for a year. "Next month I go back to New York City and then back home to China," he said. "I play the lottery three times a week because finding the numbers is interesting to me." After a brief …
South County Secondary School students will be presenting West Side Story, the classic take on Romeo and Juliet set in 1950s New York. Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on May 4, 5, 11 and 12 in the school’s Dale S. Rumberger Auditorium. General admission is $10, and $9 for senior citizens and students. "West Side Story is not often produced in area high schools due to the challenging music of the play, but I am grateful that South County is up for the challenge,” said South County Secondary drama teacher and the show’s director, Kathie McCormally. The cast and crew is made up of more …
Today Patch had a great lunch at Z Pizza on Lorton Market Street. The pepperoni was crunchy, the cheese carmelized from a six-minute bake in the 600-degree oven and the Diet Coke was just as good as it always is (and why wouldn't it be? It's canned formula!). The hardest thing in a business like this is consistency, and the California chain specializes in thin-crust pizzas with organic whole wheat dough, mozzarella from Wisconsin and certified organic tomato sauce and additive-free extras. They also serve salads and sandwiches and deliver within a five-mile radius. Enjoy the pictures! Oh, …
Today was perfect for pictures at Mason Neck State Park. The diffused light brought out the colors of these pink Azaleas, which, at the time, were being visited by an impressive number of flies and insects. After taking this shot, we wanted to find out more about these beautiful flowers (mainly their name), and called on the services of Peter Chabra, owner of Gunston Flowers. "What've you got?" he asked at the counter. "A lot of these are called 'Martha Washington' Azaleas. They're fluffier, they have more petals than the usual Azalea. Now, as to why they're named after Martha Washington, I …
If you were sitting in traffic in the midday today on I-95 North, here's why: From 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., a work crew was testing soil for the Interstate 95 High Occupancy Toll (Express) lanes project. Fluor-Transurban will pay $843 million and Virginia will pay $97 million to build the HOT lanes, which will stretch nearly 30 miles from Edsall Road in Fairfax County to Garrisonville Road in Stafford County. Construction is starting this year, and the Virginia Department of Transportation is currently conducting environmental studies. What do you think about HOT lanes? Will you use them? Will …
Have you been outside today? The high temperature is nearly 70 degrees, and it's sunny with a slight breeze. Patch was at Fireside Grill on Thursday, March 1, and took this picture of Elizabeth Assenza and Patrice Mull ordering their lunch from waiter Justin Palmer. Both work for the Girl Scouts of America, and took advantage of the weather by eating outside. Storm Clouds Brewing? There will be showers this evening and a low of about 38 degrees, according to the Capital Weather Gang. Tomorrow's weather? The National Weather Service predicts a high temperature of 60 degrees and a 50 percent …
