Front Page
Inside
Events
Entertainment
Animal Space
Health
Features
Announcements
The Church
Adult Interest
Archive
Advertising
Emergency Prep
Lorton Travel
Weather & Tides
About
Top of Page
About:
Lorton Valley Star Newspaper
monthly and on the web
www.LortonValleyStar.com
Covering the greater Lorton, VA area from Fairfax /Franconia Parkway to Prince William Parkway.
Contact Information:
Floyd Harrison,
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Lorton Valley Star Communications, LLC
Please E-mail:
Publisher@
LortonValleyStar.com
for press releases about Lorton or advertising inquiry
Send plain text only in body
Attach separate image files
Do not attach proprietary files
Print deadline is 20th
Office:
703-372-2828 Voice Mail
Mail to:
Lorton Valley Star
P.O. Box 1436
Lorton Valley, VA 22199
Urgent? Publisher Cell:
571-274-7389
© 2005 Floyd Harrison T/A
Lorton Valley Star Comm.
All international rights reserved; No copying in whole or any element is permitted.
We are not responsible for the content of our advertisers web sites.
Our contact list is not available.
Top of Page
Mother's Grieving Heart
On November 10, 2000 Maria's daughter Crystal was killed in a terrible accident. Maria went through what no mother in the world wants or expects to go through.
Go To Site…
To moms who have suffered the loss of a child:
When Maria was faced with the death of her child, all the books she read provided the same answer. This answer was not good enough. She began to write poetry. Her poetry was a way for her to find the answers to the terrible crisis that she could not find in any book. Through writing her poetry, Maria became closer to God and she found during her journey, that God's mercy is a sufficient answer to any crisis or devastating situation.
Those poems are now available in the book, "Crystal, A Mother's Grieving Heart" published by Lorton Valley Star. It is available in Occoquan at the Coffee House of Occoquan and at Attic Treasures. It is also available online from Maria's web site.
Buy the book now…
Copyright © 2003 Maria Carneiro, of Montclair, Prince William County, Virginia, USA
All international rights reserved.
94 Pages
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1994 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Catalog Data:
Carneiro, Maria A.
Crystal, A Mother’s Grieving Heart
Original Publication:
A.D. 2005
ISBN 0-9764770-0-9
Grief, Poetry
Library of Congress Number TXu1-189-869
Cover Art:
Michelle Carneiro
Graphics and Layout:
Floyd Harrison
Publisher:
Lorton Valley Star Communications
P.O. Box 1436
Lorton, VA 22199
USA
See Coffee House
See Attic Treasures
Top of Page
|
Thanksgiving Outreach: November 23rd
Please help! LCAC is collecting Thanksgiving food baskets for our less fortunate neighbors. Specific needs listed at www.lortonaction.org
Lorton Community Action Center is trying to make limited supplies stretch to a TRIPLED number of requests. Donate either supplies or consider a financial gift. Mail checks to LCAC, P.O. Box 154, Lorton 22199 or go online at www.lortonaction.org. Client Service Location- 9518 Richmond Highway, directly behind Lorton Library.
Hours - 8:30 Am - 12:30 Pm, Monday - Friday
Telephone: (703) 339-5161
Legal Notice: BLM (Meadowood) Planning Meeting
Furnace Road Construction
Furnace road lanes will be narrowed at the I95 overpass until Spring. The speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph in the 500 foot section to accommodate construction of additional piers for widening to the bridge for the I95 Fourth Lane project.
Motorists are advised to slow down and abide by this speed limit to safely pass through the work zone as the travel lanes will be narrowed to 9.5 feet.
The project, which will widen I-95 from the Fairfax County Parkway Route 7100 at Newington to Gordon Blvd. Route 123 in Woodbridge is expected to be completed by 2011.
Officer Stecco Found
Divers located Second Lieutenant Frank Stecco at 12:25 p.m. on Saturday, October 25. He was found in Pohick Bay approximately 100 feet from the point at which he was reportedly last seen. Boats, dogs and divers were actively searching when the discovery was made. The murky waters and the contours and make-up of the bottom of the bay made this a particularly difficult search. The use of technology aided in searching potential areas where Lt. Stecco may have been. Divers turned to meticulous hand-by-hand searches within a grid pattern. Divers likened this search to dropping a quarter on a football field and attempting to find it by hand. Colonel David Rohrer, Chief of the Fairfax County Police Department, confirmed the recovery saying, “My heart goes out to Frank’s family; my heart goes out to his police family; and my heart goes out to the community Frank worked in and loved.” Chief Rohrer called Lt. Stecco a highly decorated member of the department. Lt. Stecco was transported with full honors to include a motorcycle escort to the Medical Examiners Office. Lt. Stecco was a volunteer role player in a police helicopter water rescue exercise at Pohick Bay Regional Park when he disappeared in the bay at 2:47 p.m. on October 21, 2008. Extensive air, ground and water search and rescue efforts began immediately and continued through the recovery today. Federal, state, and regional public safety and military agencies helped sustain the search, contributing sophisticated detection equipment, expertise, boats, helicopters, specially trained dogs and supplies.
Lt. Stecco joined the Fairfax County Police Department in 1989 and served 11 of his 19 years assigned to the Mount Vernon District station. His bold, proactive style of policing earned the respect and admiration of his peers and supervisors and helped distinguish him as a courageous and selfless officer. He was awarded a Silver Medal of Valor in 1994, a Bronze Medal of Valor in 1997, and a Certificate of Valor in 2000 by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce for acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
Fueled by his passion and dedication for serving the children and teenagers of the county, Lt. Stecco opted to leave the Mount Vernon district and join the Department’s Youth Services Division just one month prior to his untimely death.
He leaves behind his wife, their three children, and his mother.
The Fairfax County Police Department announces that a memorial fund has been established at the Fairfax County Federal Credit Union in memory of 2Lt. Frank Stecco, who passed away during a training exercise at Pohick Bay Regional Park. Anyone wishing to donate may do so at any branch of the Fairfax County Federal Credit Union or send to:
Fairfax County Federal Credit Union
Frank J. Stecco Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 1300
Fairfax, VA 22038-1300
Messages of condolence may be sent to FCPD-2252@FairfaxCounty.gov or mailed to: Mount Vernon District Police Station, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306
Pleasure Riding Comes To Lorton
Horse riders can register before October is out for a pleasure ride at Laurel Hill Equestrian Center to benefit construction of a top-notch public equestrian riding facility there with rings, barns, trails and riding programs there. The ride on the site of the old D.C. Correctional Facility Dairy, organized by the Northern Virginia Coalition of Equestrian Organizations is to be held, rain or shine, on the morning of November 8.
The judged ride course includes twelve obstacles over rolling grass terrain through trees and crossing streams. Registration opens at 7:00 am and the first rider will set out at 8:00 am.
Visit http://nvceo.tripod.com/ge.html for registration information and forms available in .pdf format.
Significant progress is being made toward development of new features at Laurel Hill Park. The Fairfax County Park Authority and the Fairfax County Park Foundation signed an agreement to cooperate with the non-profit group Fairfax 4 Horses to develop plans for a new Equestrian Center at the former Dairy Farm site. F4H is currently conducting a fund raising campaign and providing their expertise in the facility planning efforts.
Fairfax 4 Horses is working to ensure that all Fairfax County residents have access to affordable public riding lessons at county park facilities within a reasonable distance oaf where they live. Current focus is raising funds to build a barn and indoor arena at Laurel Hill Park in Lorton. For more information on Fairfax4Horses, visit www.fairfax4horses.org. This event benefits Fairfax 4 Horses “Laurel Hill Public Equestrian Center Fund”, a 501c3 Tax Deductible organization. Find out more by visiting http://fairfax4horses.org/
Another Tax Whammy…
County Claims Power To Create
Community Taxing Authorities
Supervisor McKay moved adoption of the Ordinance to permit the County to assume the power to consider petitions for the creation of community development authorities. Supervisor Gross and Supervisor Hudgins jointly seconded the motion and it carried by unanimous vote, Supervisor Bulova, Supervisor Foust, Supervisor Frey, Supervisor Gross, Supervisor Herrity, Board Summary -58- September 8, 2008
Supervisor Hudgins, Supervisor Hyland,
Barbara A. Byron, Director, Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment, presented the staff report.
Chairman Connolly noted that without this action, the Board did not have the authority to accept a petition and act on it. Ms. Byron stated that letters of support had been received from the Community Revitalization and Reinvestment Advisory Group (CRRAG) and G-7 which is representative of the seven revitalization districts and areas in the County. She added that several representatives of CRRAG were present and Chairman Connolly asked that they stand and be recognized.
Discussion ensued concerning the taxation authority of the CDAs with input from James V. McGettrick, Assistant County Attorney. Chairman Connolly noted the Supreme Court ruling on HB 3202 and Supervisor Foust asked unanimous consent that the Board direct the County Attorney to provide guidance on taxation authority. Without objection, it was so ordered.
The public hearing included testimony by one speaker, The action was in referencne to specific revitalization districts but nothing was said that precludes any neighborhood from falling under a local taxing authority.
A CDA is a flexible tool that can address a broad range of infrastructure needs, as well as services, and can cover varied areas such as a single shopping mall, a mixed-use development or a downtown redevelopment area. A petition to the Board of Supervisors to establish a CDA must come from a majority (51 percent) of landowners within a proposed area; the CDA is then governed by board appointees. Either land area or assessed value can be used to determine the 51 percent. A CDA can be funded through special taxes or special assessments negotiated with the owners of property within the district.
Petitions for a CDA will be evaluated against “16 Principles for Public Investment in Support of Commercial Redevelopment,” which were adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 21 to advance revitalization and reinvestment opportunities within the county. The board will hold a public hearing on any petition submitted to establish a CDA.
The 16 principles were developed by Fairfax County in collaboration with the Community Revitalization and Reinvestment Advisory Group. The advisory group was established by the Board of Supervisors in March 2007; its membership includes community, business and county government representatives. The principles respond to the county’s changing development climate. By 2030, Fairfax County is projected to add 245,000 jobs and 290,000 new residents.
The 16 principles are available at http://www.fcrevit.org/
Laurel Hill Project Advisory Meetings to Discuss Master Planning Efforts
The Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning and the Laurel Hill Project Advisory Committee announce two upcoming meetings related to the Master Planning effort for the Laurel Hill Adaptive Reuse Area, a part of the former D.C. Correctional Facility site Lorton
The first meeting, Wednesday September 10, 2008, will be a presentation of findings by Fairfax County’s master planning consultant, the Alexander Company. These findings, and an opportunity for public questions and comments, will take place during the Laurel Hill Project Advisory Committee meeting, 7:00 p.m. at the Laurel Hill Community Association Clubhouse, 8380 Laurel Crest Drive, Lorton, Virginia 22079.
The second meeting, Monday September 29, 2008, will be a presentation of the Draft Master Plan for the Laurel Hill Adaptive Reuse Area, and will also take place during a Laurel Hill Project Advisory Committee meeting. This meeting will take place at the Lorton Station Elementary School cafeteria, 7:30 p.m., 9298 Lewis Chapel Road, Lorton, Virginia 22079. The public will also have an opportunity to ask questions and comment on the Master Plan.
For more detail on Laurel Hill and the master planning process please see http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/laurelhill/master_plan.htm
|
703-491-3888
|
