<lst>To have an item listed, mail to the Gazette-Packet, 1604 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314; fax to 703-917-0991 or e-mail to gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos and artwork encouraged. If you have any questions, call Marguerite Rogers at 703-917-6407.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Young of Alexandria are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter Mary Lisa Young, formerly of Alexandria, to Brian Thomas Kelly of Buffalo, N.Y. on Sept. 5, 2004 at a beautiful ceremony at St. Leo's Catholic Church in Baltimore, Md. The reception was held at Westminister Hall.
Mrs. Kelly is a graduate of College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., with a degree in business and corporate communications. Mr. Kelly is graduate of Buffalo State College with a degree in economics.
Following a honeymoon to Hawaii, the couple resides in Buffalo, N.Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Y. Wilson of Alamo, Calif. are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Kathryn Anne, to Christopher Kuzmick Hare, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Hare of Alexandria. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Monte Vista High School and Brigham Young University. She is in her third year of medical school at Georgetown University. The prospective groom is a graduate of Mt. Vernon High School and The College of William & Mary. A March 12 wedding is planned.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Y Wilson of Alamo, Calif. are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Kathryn Anne, to Christopher Kuzmick Hare, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robers S. Hare of Alexandria. The-bride-to-be is a graduate of Monte Vista High School and Brigham Young University. She is in her third year of medical school at Georgetown University. The prospective groom is a graduate of Mount Vernon High School and the College of William & Mary. A March 12 wedding is planned.
Margaret Huddy, a Torpedo Factory Art Center artist, has completed a painting commission of all the state flowers, plus that of the District of Colombia. The collection of watercolor paintings was commissioned by Credit Union House on Capitol Hill, who has bought the copyrights and is making prints and cards so that all their member states can share them. Huddy is an award winning watercolor painter with work hanging in public and private collections around the world.
Navy Seaman Sohak Aziz, son of Maliha Aziz of Alexandria, recently received a Letter of Appreciation from the
Secretary of the Navy, for assisting in tsunami relief efforts during Operation Unified Assistance in Southeast Asia, while attached to Navy Mobile Construction Battalion Seven, the Seabees, homebased in Gulfport, Miss.
Aziz, along with thousands of other U.S. Sailors and Marines,
supported more than 6,000 flight hours, helping to deliver more than 20 million pounds of medicine, food and water.
Aziz is a 2002 graduate of Thomas Edison High School of Alexandria.
Navy Airman Kurt N. Sanchez, son of Karen M. Sanchez of Alexandria, and Franklin Sanchez of Nokesville, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Khaled M. Mahmoud, son of Mohamed H. Mahmoud of Alexandria are currently in the middle of a routine scheduled deployment, while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, homeported in Norfolk.
Sanchez, Mahmoud and more than 7, 600 of his fellow shipmates of the Truman Carrier Strike Group are deployed in support of the global war on terrorism.
Sanchez is a 1998 graduate of West Potomac High School of Alexandria and joined the Navy in May 2004.
Mahmoud joined the Navy in September 2001.
The National Symphony Orchestra hosted the 28th annual NSO Youth Orchestra Day Tuesday, Feb. 22. This event featured 70 of the greater Washington D.C. area's school students, performing side-by-side with National Symphony Orchestra musicians. The Alexandria participants who were involved in the NSO Youth Orchestra Day are: Steven Bobbitt, horn; Schuyler Slack, cello; Stephen Westerfield, cello; Sarah Klein, violin II; Justin Wilkes, violin I; Edward Curenton, horn; Charlaine Prescott, cello.
Army Pfc. Adam C. Smith has graduated from the Network Switching Systems Operator-Maintainer Advanced Individual Training course at Fort Gordon, Augusta, Ga.
He is the son of Gary L. Smith of Southland Ave., Alexandria.
Army Pvt. Kenton S. Taulbee has graduated from the Unit Supply Specialist Advanced Individual Training course at the Quartermaster Battalion, Fort Lee, Petersburg, Va.
He is the son of Marilynn L. Taulbee of Highway 772, West Liberty, Ky., and Joseph E. Taulbee of West St., Alexandria.
The Alexandria Harmonizers, the local chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, has elected two Alexandria residents to official positions for 2005. Chris Buechler has been elected Secretary and Carroll Kinsey has been elected Board Member at Large. The Harmonizers meet every Tuesday evening at the Durant Recreation Center, 1605 Cameron St.
Three Alexandria residents have been appointed to state boards and commissions by Governor Mark R. Warner. Robert B. Nealon, senior attorney with Nealon and Moran, LLP, has been appointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. Lynn Carroll Hooper, president of Hooper Quality Cars LTD., has been appointed to the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. David G. Speck, former member of the Alexandria City Council, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Managing Director-Investments for Wachovia Securities, has been re-appointed to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Brian Giller of Alexandria officially became a professional firefighter at a graduation on Friday, Feb. 4, at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, Va. Since Sept. 20, 2004, he and 20 other recruit firefighters/emergency medical technicians from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department have been training to handle hazardous materials incidents, high-rise and emergency vehicle extrication operations, swift water and confined space rescue, fire suppression, and other emergency medical type incidents. The recruit firefighting course is strenuous, both physically and mentally.
Robin Burkett, a resident of Alexandria, has won the Best in Show at the 2005 Ellipse Photo Show with her picture of the greyhound dog Aztec. The contest was sponsored by the Ellipse Arts Center, that holds this event every year. Burkett is the owner of PawPrints Photography, a full-time company photographing pets and their owners. She has been published in several magazines and had one of her images featured on the cover of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s 2005 annual calendar. The juror of the contest was Volkmar K. Wentzel, well-known National Geographic photographer. To see samples of Burkett’s work, visit www.pawphotography.com.
Navy Seaman Keith E. Fortenbach, brother of Karen M. Fortenbach of Alexandria, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Fortenbach is a 2000 graduate of Clear Brook High School of Friendswood, Texas.
Army Pfc. Ian A. Clark has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Knox, Ky. Clark’s father is James Clark of Biscayne Drive, Alexandria. The private is a 2004 graduate of Thomas Edison High School in Springfield.
Army Sgt. Craig A. Kunkel has been decorated with the Army Commendation Medal for participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The medal is awarded to individuals who, while serving in any capacity with the Army, have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service. The sergeant is a dismount team leader with nine years of military service. Kunkel is a 1992 graduate of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria.
Kenneth Naser has been chosen by ALIVE! (ALexandrians INVolved Ecumenically) as its first executive director. The decision was announced by the president of the board of directors, Laura Rogers. Naser has held many management positions with the federal government. He has served ALIVE! as chair of various committees and as former president of the ALIVE Board of Directors. ALIVE! works as a safety net for needy people in the city of Alexandria, addressing short-term to long-term need for those less fortunate in the community. It serves over 10,000 people in Alexandria with shelter, low-cost early childhood education and child care, financial help for rent, utilities, medical care and other critical needs, emergency food and deliveries of donated furniture and housewares. Call ALIVE! at 703-837-9300 or visit www.alive-inc.org. ALIVE! is located at 2723 King St.
Cadet Haley E. Mercer, daughter of the late John H. Mercer, is serving as First Sergeant, thereby achieving one of the highest positions in the cadet chain of command at the U.S. Military Academy. Mercer was named to the position because of her superior academic and military performance as a cadet.
She is concentrating her studies in Engineering Management and plans to graduate in 2006 from West Point as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Cadet Mercer follows in her father’s footsteps. Her father John served as a Marine officer in Vietnam, and in a civilian capacity in the Gulf War. Cadet Mercer has extended family that resides in the Alexandria area.
Alexandria resident William Dickinson has been named to lead the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Dickinson is the third Alexandria citizen to be named in the 46-year history of the agency. He is a lifelong conservatist and operates a consulting firm, providing environmental and natural resource conservation policy analysis. He concluded a public service career, primarily with the federal government, in 1994. He was first appointed to the NVRPA Board by the City of Alexandria in 1997.
George A. Chadwick III has gotten the annual Award of Harmony from the Alexandria Harmonizers, the local chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Chadwick has been a volunteer in Alexandria for a long time. He is currently in his fifth year as a commissioner with the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and is the co-chair of the Commission’s Music Panel and the Arts and Education Committee. He also serves as Finance Chair for the Commission and Chairman of the Grants Committee. Chadwick got the award in appreciation of his efforts to make the community a place of harmony for all. The Alexandria Harmonizers are supported in part by the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities and the Alexandria Commission for the Arts.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Scott R. Adams has graduated from the Air Force Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Academy at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla.
Adams, a utilities systems craftsman, is assigned to the 16th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
He is the son of Linda S. and Ellis J. Jeffries of Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria.
Denise Taylor of Alexandria has received the Outstanding Young Virginian designation in 2004, along with four other Virginians. The award is given by the Virginia Jaycees, part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Junior Chamber International. Taylor is active in her church as new member coordinator. She has organized fundraisers to help a local child with leukemia. She has also created the Wednesday Children’s Hour. Taylor is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor of arts degree in communications and works as a national affiliate representative of the National School Boards Association.
Dr. Linda R. Rowan has been appointed to the position of new director of the Government Affairs Program at the American Geological Institute. Rowan earned her degree in geology from the California Institute of Technology. She has worked as a resident research associate with the NASA-Johnson Space Center with her work focusing on the origin of meteorites. As director, Rowan will work with several key initiatives including outreach, not only to Washington and Capitol Hill, but also to the broad geoscience community. She wants geoscientists to be more involved in government and policy-making by having an awareness of funding issues and government priorities. Visit www.agiweb.org.
The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority Board named longtime chairman Walter L. Mess Chairman Emeritus in recognition of his founding role and 46 years of accomplishment and service with NVRPA. The board honored its nationally acclaimed leader at a special workshop session in mid-January. In 1999, NVRPA honored his 40 years of service by naming the agency headquarters, The Walter L. Mess Building.
The second chairman in the Authority's 46-year history, Mess stepped down as board chairman and City of Falls Church representative to the Board following his 90th birthday in December. He first accepted the gavel in 1975, succeeding the first chairman, ornithologist, author and conservationist Dr. Ira Gabrielson.
Donald Simpson, Sr., treasurer of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. (AEDP) Board of Directors was honored at their January meeting with the organization's annual "Fitzgerald Award." The award is to be given each year to an individual who has contributed significant time, energy and expertise to benefit economic development, AEDP and the City of Alexandria.
Simpson has served on the AEDP board since 1992 as one of its first board members. He has also served on the board of the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) since 1998 and is currently the IDA board's Vice Chair.
Simpson was born in Alexandria and after graduating from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, he served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He is
a member and past president of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, member and past president of the Alexandria Rotary Club, member, Board of Trustees, The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, board member and past president of the
Eisenhower Partnership, treasurer of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. and involved with numerous other professional civic and business organizations.
Army Reserve Pvt. Libby A. Paniagua has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
Paniagua's mother is Libby Delgado of Wythe St., Alexandria, Va. The private is a 2004 graduate of T.C. Williams High School, Alexandria.
Jennifer Thomas of Alexandria plays the flute for the Franklin & Marshall College Symphonic Wind Ensemble. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is directed by Brian Norcess, F&M’s director of instrumental music, will present different works including Robert W. Smith’s “Divine Comedy,” Frank Ticheli’s “Blue Shades” and Gustav Holst’s “Second Suite in F.” Thomas is a first-year student at F&M and 2004 graduate of the St. Stephens & St. Agnes School. She is the daughter of Beverly Thomas and John Thomas.
Bebe Willoughby of Alexandria has recently had her full-color children’s book, “Saving Emma” published by the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum. The book is illustrated by Bobbie Dracus. Copies are available at Gallery Lafayette in Market Square and at A Likely Story, a children’s bookstore on King Street.
Kimberly Crane, an Earlham College junior and daughter of Donald and Nancy Crane of Alexandria, performed in the Gospel Revelations 40th Anniversary Winter Concert Dec. 5. The concert was held at the Goddard Auditorium at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind. Selections for the concert included “Hosanna,” “Holy,” “God is Here,” “Great Things,” “God’s Got a Blessing,” and “All Around.” The choir will tour in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New York from March 17-21.
Alexandria resident Craig Shirley has announced the release of his first book, “Reagan’s Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign that Started it All.” This book is the inside story of Ronald Reagan’s challenge to Gerald Ford in the 1976 primaries, the only campaign Reagan ever lost. Shirley is the president of the Alexandria public relations firm Shirley & Banister Public Affairs. Interviewees include Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of State James Baker and Reagan adviser Mike Deaver. The book is due out Jan. 27.
Tiffani R. Fuller, of Alexandria, has made the Merit List at Darton College for the fall 2004 semester.
Margaret O’Meara, a home schooled second-grader of Alexandria, has won the Institute for Global Environment Strategies Art Contest for grades second-fourth, for her picture “Volcanologists Can Study Volcanoes Up Close — Or from a Distance!” This is the first time a second-grader has won the contest. The theme, “Picture Me! What Kind of Earth Scientist Would I Be?” challenged students to draw themselves as Earth explorers, showing what they would study and what kinds of tools they would use. O’Meara’s artwork appeared on the 2004 IGES holiday card, and also received a $250 savings bond.
Whitt Larkin, a senior at Episcopal High School, was honored by the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club as the Club’s Athlete for November. Whitt was team caption and a four-year starter for the Episcopal varsity soccer team. He completed his four-year varsity career with 17 goals, 17 assists, and numerous conference and state awards.
Jennifer Reid Lewis of Alexandria has made the University of Wyoming’s academic Dean and Freshman Honor Roll for the 2004 fall semester.
Michelle Sledge, a Spanish teacher in the Foreign Language Department at Hayfield Secondary School, has just completed her master’s degree.