Manassas Journal Messenger 02-16-01
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Friday, February 16, 2001 |
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Putting ‘fun’ in reading fundamentals: Tyler Elementary School’s Family Literacy Night brings the classroom into the home By Emily Kuhl Staff Writer
Helene Steinberg/Staff Photographer Karla Lilley, right, helps her daughter, Sam, 8, find rhyming words at the Sensational Centers workshop. Activities included poetry on an overhead projector and sorting words in various categories. GAINESVILLE – Reading is not a problem for the students at Tyler Elementary School in Gainesville. In fact, school librarian Nancy Thaete said an average of about 300 books are checked out each day – with only 523 students attending the school. “I don’t think any of us went into literacy night thinking it was addressing a problem,” she said. Instead, Family Literacy Night on Thursday was designed to encourage and further the students’ ever-growing interest in reading. It was the first program of its kind the faculty at Tyler had planned, and it was, by all accounts, a success.[more] |
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Sales tax plan gets last changes By Alfred M. Biddlecomb Staff Writer RICHMOND – Legislation allowing Northern Virginians to vote on a sales tax increase to fund transportation projects was changed one final time by a Senate committee Thursday, which sent lawmakers scurrying to secure enough votes in the House of Delegates. The proposed half percent increase in the region’s sales tax was bumped up to 1 percent by the Senate Finance Committee to pay for school construction. The move, orchestrated by Fairfax Democrat Richard Saslaw, sends the bill back to the House, which voted down a similar measure last week.[more] |
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Pledge bill is revived By Alfred M. Biddlecomb Staff Writer RICHMOND – Delegate Jack Reid had no idea when he woke up Thursday morning that by the end of the day he’d be sponsoring a controversial bill requiring public school students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. But that’s exactly what happened when the Henrico Republican presented a bill to a Senate education panel Thursday intended to reform statewide expulsion and suspension policies, only to have it changed by Sen. Warren Barry, R-Fairfax, to include a clause requiring students to recite the pledge each morning.[more] |
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Critics decry school boundaries: Parents raise concerns over Braemar plan’s lack of ‘balance’ By Diane Freda Staff Writer As Prince William County schools get closer to drawing boundaries for a new 840-student elementary school in the Braemar neighborhood, the current plan has some critics. “Our biggest concern is balance,” said Kim Calkins, a parent with one child at Bristow Run. “The plan indicated they wanted to get kids out of portables and keep neighborhoods together, and I don’t think it has addressed that at all.” Calkins pointed out that Braemar is at 67.6 percent of capacity while Bristow Run is at 108 percent, and said the plan should move more students from Bristow Run to Braemar. [more] |
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Warehouse fire causes damage, no injuries By Nancy Carroll Staff Writer
Amy Drewry/Staff Photographer Firefighters cut through the side of a burning building in Manassas Park Thursday. The fire, which began in the garage area on the first floor of the two-story warehouse, was caused by sparks from a welding tool igniting an open container of diesel. The fire, which took 20 minutes to control, cost Modern Concrete Construction $100,000. MANASSAS PARK – A fire resulted in $100,00 worth of damage on Thursday when sparks from a welding tool ignited diesel fuel vapors in a two-story warehouse on Venture Court. Manassas Park, Manassas City and County fire departments were called to the commercial concrete company at 12:03 p.m. Manassas Park were the first on the scene at 12:09, followed by Manassas City and Prince William stations, Yorkshire, Buckhall, Stonewall Jackson and Dale City. [more] |
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Marshall, Rollison debate sales tax authority at Manassas forum By Chris Newman Staff Writer Delegate Jack Rollison, R.-Woodbridge, and Delegate Bob Marshall, R.-Manassas faced off in a panel discussion before the Prince William Committee of 100 on Thursday at Il Monastero Restaurant on the question of whether the General Assembly bills to increase sales taxes for transportation. The region’s transportation needs over the next 20 years face shortfalls in funding, both said, but they differed on what effect on Prince William a half-percent increase for $110 million annually would be. Marshall said Prince William would be at a disadvantage with the regional authority as the legislation now reads. Fairfax County, with 53 percent of the region’s population, could decide whether the referendum passes even if Prince William and smaller localities like Arlington voted it down.[more] |
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Stonewall’s early risers: Raiders’ morning rush leads them to state meet MANASSAS – Kelly Urso gets jealous of her sister. It’s not that the Stonewall Jackson junior has problems with freshman Kerry. Not at all, she says. The reason is Kerry gets to sleep on the 45-minute trek to swim practice at the Chinn Center every morning while Kelly has to drive. The 4 o’clock in the morning drive. “I’ll look over and see her and Ashley [Razo] sleeping and I’ll want to sleep too,” Kelly said with a grimace. “It’s rough in the morning.”[more] Prep wrestling notebook — Tigers loaded for district meet MANASSAS – For Bull Run District wrestlers, it all starts or ends at Clarke County High School, site of the 2001 district tournament Saturday. The top four grapplers in each weight class advance to the Region B tournament next weekend – the last stop before the Group A state tournament on March 3. The Bull Run District tourney begins at 11 a.m. and continues throughout the day. [more] Raiders’ Milot making her run at regional meet MANASSAS – A time like 5:17 might not mean much to most people. Maybe it’s the time they have dinner, maybe it’s the time they get home from work. But for Stonewall Jackson freshman Kristen Milot, the time – not as a moment in a day, but as five minutes and 17 seconds – was a source of worry. That’s the time needed to qualify for the 3,200-meter run in the state AAA indoor track and field meet. And when Milot’s indoor season started, she admits that she was a long way from a time like that.[more] Seeds on line as Eagles travel to OP MANASSAS – After tonight’s boys basketball action, the final seedings may be set for next week’s Cardinal District tournament. Or maybe not. Regardless of outcomes Friday night, Gar-Field will secure the top spot, while either Potomac or Woodbridge will hold second with the other claiming third. But it could literally be a coin flip that decides who gets the fourth and final seed to host in the tourney’s opening round. All eyes will be fixated on two games tonight: Osbourn at Osbourn Park and Hylton at Potomac. [more] |
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| A stitch in
time — Sewing Day brings Nokesville circle together NOKESVILLE– It’s raining in Nokesville, but down in the basement of the Church of the Brethren it’s cozy and warm. A group of about 30 women are sitting at trestle tables, sewing. Some are running sewing machines; some are tying knots in quilts or stitching by hand. Scissors, pins and squares of multi-colored fabric surround them, and tiny points of light glint from their needles. They are gathered here for the 43rd annual Community Sewing Day, organized for the last 10 years by the Martha Early Sewing Circle. Members of the community are invited to join the circle to sew items for charity and share a hearty pot-luck lunch. Fingers fly as the group works to complete 66 quilted lap robes for patients in area hospitals. Some are stuffing teddy bears, which will be used to comfort trauma victims, and some are working on a quilt that will be raffled off later this year to aid disaster victims. Mary Griffith, of the Manassas Farm Bureau, and Wilma House, of Nokesville, talk about their families as they sew. [more] |
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