Manassas Journal Messenger 02-16-01

Friday,

February 16, 2001

 Top

News

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

 
  Sports

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]

  Watch
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]

Obituaries

It’s My Town

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