Community briefs

staff reports
Published: June 26, 2008

Students to attend area workshop
STAFFORD — American Legion Auxiliary Stafford Unit 290 is sponsoring 16 students to attend 2008 American Legion Auxiliary Virginia Girls State. During the weeklong event, held at Longwood University, the attendees will have an opportunity to participate in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government.  They will meet Virginia’s Gov. Timothy Kaine as well as the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General.
Sydney Ballesteros, Cecilia Bergeria and Elizabeth Gass will attend from Brooke Point High School; Valerie Drogo, Meagan Kitta, Geni Moore and Kristen Sharpe will be attending from Colonial Forge High School; Melissa Garza, Kaitlyn Gillies, Megan Rock and Greta Stevens will attend from Mountain View High School; Taylor Armstrong, Kelly Austin, Morgan Hamlin and Carli Haselden will attend from North Stafford High School; and Victoria Haynes, Sarah Pelham, Kristin Wood and Kristen Zegeerwill attend from Stafford Senior High School.

Museum expansion nears its end
FREDERICKSBURG — The Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center announces that its expansion project, targeted for completion this fall, is reaching final stages and will be finished in July. Exhibit fabrication is also well underway and on schedule for installation later this summer.  The museum’s staff and a crew are already busy with projects relating to the grand opening of the new facility in the fall.
Through the Path to History program, area residents and business owners have the opportunity to commemorate their own histories and memories with engraved bricks to be permanently placed in the path surrounding the new museum site. With a donation of $200, each participant may choose to have his or her name, that of someone he or she wishes to honor, or the celebration of a special milestone engraved on a brick. 
Brick orders must be postmarked on or before July 15 to ensure placement in the Path to History. For more information, call (540) 371-9220.

Foundation gives $2 million to RACSB
FREDERICKSBURG — The Sunshine Lady Foundation Inc. has pledged $2 million to the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board to fund two residential facilities for adults with mental illness.
The donation will allow RACSB to build The Sunshine Lady House for Mental Health Wellness & Recovery, a 5,900-square-foot, 12-bed community based residential facility at 615 and 617 Wolfe St. RACSB has a ratified contract to purchase the property, which is adjacent to its administrative building and Fredericksburg Clinic on Jackson Street.
The two-story building will replace a six-bed residential crisis stabilization facility operated by RACSB on Princess Anne Street, which does not contain adequate space to meet the demand for services.

Teachers’ institute offered at Mt. Vernon
MOUNT VERNON— Mount Vernon invites area teachers to attend a free two-day institute on July 21 and July 22 at the historic home of George Washington.  The seventh-annual George Washington Teachers’ Institute gives area educators an opportunity to meet and listen to noted historians and authors such as Woody Holton, John Kaminiski, Harlow Unger, Ken Bowling, Linda Monk and Catherine Allgor. 
ABC political commentator and author Cokie Roberts will moderate a panel titled “Establish a Nation: The Constitution.” on July 22.  Registration is required; and space is limited for this program.
Teachers can register for this free program by calling (703) 799-8604 or by e-mailing .

Salon helps fight breast cancer
STAFFORD — Studio G Salon, located at 85 Mine Road, Suite 105, in Stafford, will be holding an event to raise money for the fight against breast cancer. The event is on June 29, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., with all haircut proceeds going to the National Breast Cancer Society. Call (540) 288-1681 for more information.

FABA gives $20,000 in scholarships
FREDERICKSBURG — The Fredericksburg Area Builders Association scholarship program has awarded an all time record number of scholarships, totaling $20,110. The program honored 17 students from nine different area high schools in four counties and Fredericksburg. 
Recipients from Stafford County were Mary Cooper, Mountain View High; William Smith and Courtney Murphy, Stafford High; Thomas Scott and Christopher Baumann, North Stafford High were among 13 $1,000 scholarship recipients from high schools in Orange, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline counties and Fredericksburg each receiving $1000 scholarships.
Bea Phelps, FABA Executive Vice President, in announcing the scholarships said, “The scholarship program is one of the community involvement programs provided by the almost 500 FABA building industry members in the Fredericksburg area.  The FABA membership is pleased to provide educational assistance to worthy students as part of our ongoing support of the community we serve.”

Giant raises $1.5 million from game
LANDOVER, Md. — Giant Food announced that it has reached its goal of raising $1.5 million from the 2008 Triple Winner Game, a program designed to raise money to care for those with childhood cancer and search for a cure.  This year’s game marks the fourth-annual Triple Winner Game for Giant Food.
“Through Triple Winner, it has been our mission to eradicate childhood cancer...” said Robin Michel, executive vice president and general manager of Giant Food. Giant’s sister company, Stop & Shop, originally started the Triple Winner Game in 1991.
The Triple Winner game is a scratch card promotion in which participants can win a free product, a gift card or cash prizes up to $10,000.  The promotion, which sold out of scratch card tickets more than a month before the official end of the program, distributed tickets to customers who made a $1 donation to fight pediatric cancer.

Dane group looks for volunteers, homes

The Northern Virginia chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, a registered non-profit organization is available to help abandoned, neglected or abused animals find loving homes.

With more than 35 volunteers, the chapter spays/neuters and provides necessary medical treatment, trains and socializes the Great Danes to ensure they adapt to their new homes.

The chapter is interested in finding homes for the Great Danes, as well as more volunteers. To learn more about the chapter, visit the Web sites http://nova-magdrl.org, magdrl.org or call (703) 644-8009.

New dentist joins local practice
STAFFORD — Dr. Joshua Cahoon has opened a new dental office in the North Stafford area. The new associate doctor joins Dr. Timothy J. Hughes, D.D.S. and Associates, located on 12 PGA Drive in Stafford. Cahoon holds a dental degree from the University of Florida, and is from Virginia Beach.

— Staff reports