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Bonilla-Galdamez Named Virginia Social Worker of Year
Ana Bonilla-Galdamez is the recipient of the 2014 Social Worker of the Year Award from the National Association of Social Workers Virginia (NASWVA) Chapter. NASWVA presents the honor to only one individual annually. Bonilla-Galdamez is a school social worker at Charles Barrett Elementary School. “Ana demonstrates strong skills and knowledge, but most of all commitment to the clients she serves,” said NASWVA Chief Executive Officer Debra Riggs in a statement.
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Recycling and Earth Day
April 22 marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day, a day specifically devised to prompt people to ask, “What can I do to make a difference for the earth?” Solving global environmental issues like climate change may be so daunting for some people that they automatically assume there is nothing they can do to help. But in reality, there are things we can each do every day that can have a big impact on our community and the environment. The simplest of these is to recycle.
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Sallie Leah Conley Scherrer
Sallie Leah Conley Scherrer died March 15, 2014. She resided at 207 N. Pitt St. and at the Alexandria House from 2000 until 2009. Sallie is survived by her husband of 65 years, Victor, son Huel of Apple Valley, Minn. and daughter Marla Merrick of Jonesborough, Tenn., six grandchildren and one great grandson.
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Beverly Bresler Beidler
Beverly Bresler Beidler, a trailblazing woman who was one of the first female elected officials in Alexandria, died March 28, 2014. She was 85. "She was so diligent and committed," said Councilwoman Del Pepper. "She was someone who saw what needed to be done and did it."
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‘A Leader Innovates, Develops, Inspires’
Challenger John Norce wants to be Fairfax’s mayor.
Born in New York, John Norce has only lived in Fairfax since 2002 and has never before run for political office. But he wants to become the City’s next mayor and believes he’s the best person for the job. “I enjoy and embrace leadership opportunities,” he said. “I was president of a local insurance association, am involved with Make-A-Wish and have coached youth sports for 27 years.” Norce came to Virginia in 1984, graduating from the University of Richmond in 1988 with a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing. He now owns an insurance general agency in Fairfax.
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‘Mayor Has to Know, Understand the City’
Fairfax’s Scott Silverthorne running for re-election.
Scott Silverthorne was raised in a political family, so it’s no wonder he’s been involved in leading the City of Fairfax for two decades. He served 18 consecutive years on the City Council, is now completing a two-year term as mayor and is running for re-election. His father was a Fairfax planning commissioner, councilman and mayor. Meanwhile, Silverthorne attended City schools, graduated from Fairfax High and obtained a degree in marketing from Radford University. He’s worked in government relations and, most recently, he’s done executive-search consulting. But politics has always been in his blood. “In 1990, at age 24, I was the youngest person ever elected to City Council,” said Silverthorne. “The top six vote-getters win, and I was the top vote-getter in eight of the nine elections I was in. I left in 2008 because I thought it was time for new blood, Mayor Lederer wasn’t leaving and I’d accomplished all I’d wanted on City Council.”
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Fairfax City Council Candidates Speak Out
Besides voting for mayor, Fairfax residents will choose six City Council members in the May 6 election. All Council candidates except Cristina Gaines responded to The Connection’s questionnaire.
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Yoga Center Plans Open House
Opposite the Potomac Library is One Aum, the new Yoga Center at 10008 Falls Road. One Aum is owned by a sister-brother duo. Sean FM, a yogi, poet, and musician, and Shannon Sharma, a veteran teacher, full-time yoga therapist and avid yoga practitioner.
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B’nai Tzedek Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary
Gala honors its founders.
In 1988, the movie “Field of Dreams” inspired viewers with the motto, “If you build it, they will come.” Armed with this philosophy, and encouraged by a few residents who were also passionate about establishing a new synagogue in Potomac, Symcha and Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt set off on a mission to create, in Weinblatt’s words, “a place where members grow Jewishly and take their Jewish journey, where they could deepen their ties to Judaism and discover its beauty and relevance.”
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Hospice Caring Celebrates 25 Years of Service
Multiple programs for those at life’s end and for the families they leave behind.
In 1989, Penny Gladhill, and six other Frederick Hospice volunteers saw and felt the need for free hospice services in Montgomery County. With enthusiasm and determination, they initiated Hospice Caring — a nonprofit organization that has affected thousands of lives in Montgomery County for 25 years.
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Potomac’s Mike Hammer Adjusts as Ambassador to Chile
Strengthening U.S.-Chile ties.
On Wednesday, March 5, Mike Hammer was quietly residing in Potomac with his family where he enjoyed weekend walks to Starbucks and watching his children’s sports activities. However, one day later, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to Chile — and life started moving at a breath-taking pace. Three days after the confirmation, he and his family boarded Air Force Two to fly to Santiago with Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden.
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Teaching Financial Skills
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and former Gov. Frank Keating, president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, visited Hollin Meadows Elementary School on Friday, April 11 to teach a financial literacy lesson to the school’s fourth graders. The event was sponsored by American Bankers Association and was part of its 18th annual Teach Children To Save Day.
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Letter: Expansion Needs More Data
To the Editor: No one should ever be denied health care. But, we need to be careful that millions don't get worse or receive no care because of politics to hastily expand the Medicaid rolls. Politicians, like Delegate Surovell and Chairman Bulova of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, tend to use data that suits their beliefs and don't necessarily report any data that may counter them.