Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Injuries described as non-life-threatening at fire in office park. Two taken to hospital, one taken to burn center.
Firefighters were called out to a Lorton business park at 10440 Furnace Road for a fire reported at about 11 a.m. today, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. Three reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the fire, said Dan Schmidt, spokesman for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. The injuries were minor. Two were sent to the hospital and one person was sent to a burn unit. The fire was reported after an air-handling system malfunctioned in the building, fire officials said. “The sprinklers in the building activated and we responded to make sure the fire was out,” Schmidt said. The fire was extinguished, but firefighters remained on scene to do some ventilation in the area. The building is part of a larger …
38.674924
-77.240354
10440 Furnace Rd, Lorton, VA
/articles/three-injured-in-lorton-fire
/locations/7032647
They're up until the end of the month
A display of several of the wooden hand-carved Stations of the Cross, that was the center-piece of Lorton's Workhouse Prison Museum's seasonal Easter attraction, has been extended until the end of May. On loan from Fairfax County, the Stations once hung in the prison chapel at the Reformatory. Each Station is depicted on a single slab of pine wood approximately 24 inches in height, 18 inches in width and 2 inches in depth. Intricately carved in relief, the unknown inmate artist skillfully sculpted such features as individual fingers, spears and a ladder that seems suspended in space. Visitors seem amazed at the artistry of the carvings and the exhibit has been well received overall, according to museum docents. It is thought that the wood…
38.696629
-77.256169
Workhouse Arts Center
9601 Ox Rd, Lorton, VA
/articles/stations-of-the-cross-exhibit-extended-at-workhouse-museum
422493
/locations/7033764
Wednesday already? Awesome.
While you've got your coffee/tea/muffin/etc. this morning, check out our traffic alert and gas price tracking tools, available by clicking over to the Traffic and Gas tab. (See the tab in the bar above.) The page is updated every five minutes courtesy of MapQuest. Be safe out there!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
American Rivers' annual list puts Potomac River at the top, citing concerns about whether Congress will weaken the Clean Water Act.
The Potomac River is one of “America’s 10 Most Endangered Rivers,” according to an American Rivers list released Tuesday. “The Potomac is threatened by agricultural and urban pollution that will only get worse if Congress rolls back national clean water protections,” American Rivers reported. American Rivers is a national non-profit conservation organization. American Rivers receives nominations for its America’s Most Endangered Rivers report from river advocacy and conservation groups and residents nationwide. It chooses its annual 10 Most Endangered Rivers based on: The Potomac River has made significant improvements in cleanliness since the 1960s and 1970s. “Today, however, the Potomac is still threatened by pollution from agricultural …
Sunday was Mother’s Day, and I’m not a mother. Does this mean the other 364 are for me? Sweet!
Until around two years ago I thought I was supposed to be a mother. It’s been haunting me my entire life. After all, I was baptized Catholic and we Catholic girls are supposed to breed more Catholics. That’s our job. And all these years I’d unconsciously thought that I wsan't complete unless I had children, that I’m not really a woman - I’m a loser. The Grass Is Greener Right Here A few years ago, I’d recently moved back to the DC area. I was actively dating (ew) and in pursuit of a baby daddy. My girlfriends were entirely supportive and thoroughly entertained by my match.com tribulations. I must have changed my preference for kids 100 times because I wasn’t sure which one made me sound less desperate. Some of the men I dated were very …
Former member of Congress held seat from 1995-2008 now held by Democrat Gerald Connolly
Former GOP Congressman Tom Davis, who once represented Virginia's 11th Congressional District, has endorsed Chris Perkins for his old seat. Perkins is facing fellow Republican Ken Vaughn in a Republican primary election June 12. The winner will challenge incumbent Congressman Gerald Connolly (D-11th) and independent Mark Gibson in a race for the 11th Congressional District seat. The new 11th District stretches from Dale City to Reston, including all or part of Woodbridge, Lorton, Burke, Springfield, Fairfax, Vienna, Centreville and Annandale. When Davis was in office, the 11th District did not include areas south of Dale City or north of Vienna, but included parts of Mount Vernon to the east and Clifton, Bristow and Haymarket to the west…
Arlington resident Jason Howell has less than $10,000 in the campaign bank and needs 1,000 signatures by June 12 to get on the ballot.
Arlington resident Jason Howell isn't letting incumbent Congressman Jim Moran's sizable war chest of nearly half-a-million dollars get in the way of running for Congress. Howell's got less than $10,000 in the bank for his campaign, so he's hitting every local barbecue, 5k and neighborhood meeting he can to help get the word out. Standing outside the Giant grocery store in Arlington's Cherrydale neighborhood over the weekend, Howell said hello to potential voters in what will likely be an uphill battle to try to unseat Moran, a Democrat who some say is gliding toward his 12th term since getting elected in 1990 to represent Virginia's 8th Congressional District. "My wife and I are doing the lion's share of signature-gathering," Howell said…
The future looks bright for these South County Stallions
South County’s Oren and Whitney Burks no longer have space on their calendar - literally. They used to keep track of their schedules in a calendar that their parents bought for them, but as the pair grew, more events meant less space. And eventually, the family ditched the physical calendar all together for a more streamlined method. “We used to have a calendar that we entered all of their information into so that we could know where everyone was going to be,” said Orlanda Burks, the children's father. “That got a little difficult because things wouldn’t fit and ink started to bleed on the other pages and we wouldn’t be able see it.” Whitney, a sophomore, was recently named the Patriot District Softball Player of the Year. She’s already …
38.718496
-77.236823
South County Secondary School
8501 Silverbrook Rd, Lorton, VA
/articles/it-s-a-family-thing
422362
/locations/7032867
Optimism abounds over home of George Mason — and for the first time in years.
Gunston Hall Interim Director Mark Whatford is working hard to improve communications with the Board of Regents, brainstorming over ideas for events and more community involvement, and having fun while doing it. For the first time in years, some say, there's a sense of optimism around Lorton's historic plantation. "I'm having a hell of a good time right now," said Whatford, who is also Gunston Hall's librarian, archivist and IT specialist. Whatford now works about 80 hours a week for his two full-time jobs. On Monday night, Gunston Hall's Board of Visitors presented and approved their annual report for 2011. The 20-page document — unveiled at a public hearing — is now on its way to the Governor's office. It makes a number of …
38.65995
-77.16307
Gunston Hall Plantation
10709 Gunston Rd, Lorton, VA
/articles/it-s-all-changing-the-future-of-gunston-hall
421984
/locations/7012217
Monday, May 14, 2012
Fresh veggies galore!
The Lorton Farmer's Market is back! Patch was there on Sunday to ask Lorton residents about this week's Lorton Perspective question, and also got a few good shots. It was a beautiful day - perfect for Mother's Day, and we were wondering if anyone else got pictures from that day. If so, add them to this article! By the way, if you're out this Sunday, stop on by the market. There, you'll find these vendors: Follow Lorton Patch on Facebook at facebook.com/lortonpatch and keep up with all things Lorton by receiving the free Patch email newsletter.
38.71294
-77.213494
8990 Lorton Station Blvd, Lorton, VA
/articles/photos-the-lorton-farmer-s-market
/locations/7007981
James Cullum
8:53 am on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
You got it, Sally. You can find it every day of the work week on Lorton Patch's main page! more ›