Joe Guiffre: Retired But Still Connected
Responsibility means taking active role in the community.
For more than six decades Joe Guiffre has been involved in the business, civic and religious life of his community. That’s why he is a 2013 Living Legend of Alexandria.
Obituary: John W. Merck
John W. Merck died on March 9, 2013, at age 87. Friends are invited to funeral services at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, in the Memorial Chapel, Ft. Myer, Arlington, followed by military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Obituary: David Edward Jacobs, Jr.
David Edward Jacobs, Jr. of Boca Raton, Fla., formerly of Alexandria, died Feb. 10, 2013 surrounded by his loving wife and family members.
Emergent Art for Mom
Suggesting gifts for Mother’s Day.
Emergent art can make a cherished gift for mom this Mother’s Day, yet finding the right tone or subject can be difficult. According to a trio of emergent Alexandria artists, landscape paintings make for thoughtful gifts as they bring to mind powerful connections to previous experiences.
Sengel Honored
SAR presents Law Enforcement award.
The George Washington Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution awarded the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal to Commonwealth's Attorney S. Randolph Sengel for his distinguished career enforcing the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Sengel was presented the award April 27 in a ceremony at Belle Haven Country Club. He has served as a prosecutor in Alexandria since 1979 and was first elected Commonwealth's Attorney in 1997.
Honoring Those Who Serve
Ceremony pays tribute to fallen officers.
Dozens of active duty and retired law enforcement personnel joined Chief of Police Earl Cook and Sheriff Dana Lawhorne as they placed a wreath at the Police Memorial in Waterfront Park May 6 to pay tribute to Alexandria police officers and sheriff's deputies who have died in the line of duty. Cook read each of the 16 names inscribed on the memorial, dating back to Constable Elijah Chenault, who was the first reported officer killed in the city in 1823, and ending with Corporal Charles W. Hill, who was slain in March of 1988.
Changes Under Foot
Old Town Masterpieces closing after 35 years.
They grew up together in Iran, and in 1971, Ahmed Loghmanian and Hossien Garakyaraghi made the move to America to study at George Washington University. But it wasn't long before the pull of the family business back home beckoned them to open Old Town Masterpieces, a landmark Oriental rug store closing its doors after 35 years in business. “I think he met George Washington,” Loghmanian said in jest to Garakyaraghi, his lifelong friend and brother-in-law. “That's how long we've been here.”
Raising Healthy Children with Healthy Minds
Back in 2011 President Obama announced the creation of a National Prevention Strategy, a comprehensive country-wide plan to increase the number of Americans who are healthy, both mentally and physically at every step of their lives. In the wake of Newtown, a new discussion erupted over mental health and the need to improve services. That was wonderful news to advocates, families and those with mental illnesses themselves. But it soon became obvious that in many circles what political leaders were talking about was not more and better services that would guarantee good mental health for everyone, but putting people away without due process, in other words a return to those past practices that destroyed people’s minds and lives as well as their families.
The Astonishing Motor 8
In less than two weeks, May 20 to be exact, the final segment in the brutal and senseless shooting of an Alexandria police officer gets under way in the city’s Franklin P. Backus Courthouse. Officer Peter Laboy was shot in the head on routine daytime duty, suffering a catastrophic brain injury, on Feb. 27. This story has resonated around the Commonwealth and throughout the nation and generated thousands of prayers on his behalf.
Esten Concert Raises $22,000
A night of songs, jokes and nostalgia in Old Town benefits T.C. Williams grads.
The Durant Arts Center multipurpose room rarely gets as glamorous as it did on Friday night, May 3, when The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria ushered Charles “Chip” Esten onto its brightly lit stage. The “Nashville” star, who plays Deacon Claybourne on the hit series, informed the audience of Alexandrians that though he would be whoever they wanted him to be that night at autograph time — Deacon, Charles or Chip — he was the boy they knew. “It’s Chip not Charles. It’s Puskar,” said the star as he walked on.
Thomas M. Hughes Dies
Avid outdoorsman, devoted family man.
Tom Hughes wasn't going to let cancer rob him of his sense of humor.
Obituary: Clydine M. Bridgeman
Clydine M. Bridgeman, 83, formerly of Alexandria, died of cancer on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at the Villas at Gulf Breeze, an assisted living facility in suburban Pensacola, Fla.
Girl Scouts Enjoy Aquatic-Themed Party
Girl Scouts from the Pride of the Potomac Service Unit had a shell of a good time at the Under the Sea Girl Scout Birthday dance, March 16 at Charles Houston Recreation Center in Alexandria.
Local Couple Writes ‘Love at First Flight’
Book captures their lives, from a pilot’s stories to courtship.
Three years after beginning the writing process, Alexandria residents Bud and Fran Orr saw the official release of their book “Love at First Flight” in bookstores and online book offerings. A true story surrounding their courtship and marriage during the Vietnam War, “Love at First Flight” hit Amazon.com and the shelves of Barnes and Noble in January.
Charles Esten: From Alexandria to 'Nashville'
May 3 show at the Durant Arts Center features Esten's new, original songs, benefits The Alexandria Scholarship Fund.
"Now that I'm in Nashville the thing that I'm loving the most is co-writing. You walk into the room and you shake hands with someone you've never met before and you walk out four hours later and you've got this thing … sharing ideas and everything, it's almost magical, like a miracle." — Charles "Chip" Esten of ABC's hit show "Nashville"