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Friday Finds

The weekend is upon us and you’re probably looking for something to do. Well you’ve come to the right place. With a cold drink in my hand (because it’s still so stifling hot outside) I present to you our Friday Finds:

Belmont Through a Lens
The photographs of Benjamin Johnston will be on display at Gari Melcher’s Home and Studio, at Belmont Plantation in Falmouth, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults. Students will be admitted free with accompanying adult.

Occoquan River Festival
The 2010 version of this festival kicks off at noon Saturday, with live music, the Taste of Occoquan, games, a petting zoo, boat tours and other family fun. The events last until 7 p.m.

Powell’s Creek walk
You can come and hike along Powell’s Creek at Leesylvania State Park  in Woodbridge on Sunday. You can meet a Park Ranger at the Powell's Creek trail head for the hour-long walk, at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m.

The trail takes you past the wetlands, where you’ll learn how the forest is involved in the water cycle. Plus you’ll get to go to the overlook peering out at Powell’s Creek.

Photo by Mary Davidson

Games canceled because of heat

The high heat has forced the cancellation of all adult and youth softball practices and games at Stafford County parks this afternoon.

The cancellation comes as temperatures in Stafford County climbed near the century mark Thursday afternoon.

The National Weather Service also placed the county under a severe thunderstorm watch, stating that an isolated tornado could develop somewhere in the region before 8 p.m.

Area under thunderstorm watch

Most of the region, from Fredericksburg and Stafford County and most of Maryland has been placed under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch by the National Weather Service until 8 p.m.

Some of the storms could become severe, and the weather service has also warned of the possibility of an isolated tornado.

At 2:30 p.m. Thursday, a line of storms could be seen on radar developing west of Winchester.

Temperatures throughout the day have been climbing into the high 90s, approaching the triple digits in some places.

Friday will be a slightly cooler day, with a forecasted highs in the low 90s, according to the weather serivce.

VRE offers free rides after massive delays

Virginia Railway Express offered free ride certificates to their customers Wednesday after multiple trains were delayed in the summer heat.

Fredericksburg line train 309, coming from Fredericksburg to Washington's Union Station, was late making it back to pickup passengers for its 5:15 p.m. departure from the Washington rail hub.

After completing it’s midday run as train 301, which left Union Station at 12:55 p.m., the train encountered problems on its return trip south of Franconia, said VRE spokeswoman April Maguigad.

When it reached Union Station, passengers boarded, but the train and left about an hour late.

Another VRE train bound for Manassas, which left Union Station before delayed train 309 did, stopped in Crystal City after the engineer saw smoke coming from the axels. VRE decided to move passengers from that train onto another train, said Maguigad, which caused train 309 to be delayed once more.

Train 311 bound for Fredericksburg, which left Union Station at 6 p.m., was also stopped because of the delays in Crystal City, said Maguigad.

It wasn’t until about 8 p.m., when the stranded passengers in Crystal City were moved to another train, that the rail line delays eased.

VRE spokesman Mark Roeber said all of the delayed trains had working air conditioning.

To get the free ride tickets, VRE asks that you visit their Web site.

Video: Dale City fire chief remembered

When members of the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department died, Chico Marrero worked with Assistant Chief Carl Persing to make plaques and memorials for their fellow fallen fire fighters and EMTs.

This week, Persing died from complications from colon cancer. He battled the disease three times in the past five years.

“I told him that ‘I never wanted to work on one of these for you.’ It looks like I had to make one anyway,” said Marrero, an 11-year volunteer with the department. With the help of volunteers, Marrero made a large poster in memory of Persing, with photos depicting him at work doing the job he loved.

It was placed under glass and presented at a remembrance gathering held for Persing  Wednesday night at  Dale City Fire Station 13.

Persing had volunteered with the Dale City department since 2001, joining the organization after taking medical leave from the City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department where he worked for 23 years. He officially retired from Manassas in 2007, but wanted to remain active in the fire service.

“He was a great firefighter, he was a great leader, a great teacher and a good mentor to people. And he cared about his people, and unfortunately at times he didn’t worry about himself, but worried about other people,” said DCVFD Chief Christopher Hool.

Wednesday night’s memorial gathering drew about 100 people. Many who attended remembered Persing for the experience that he brought the job.

During his life, he volunteered with fire stations in Fairfax County, Ft. Belvoir, Woodbridge, the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority and the U.S. Army.

He leaves behind two children, a mother and father, a brother and sister and a family of fire fighting professionals who will miss him.

A viewing for Persing will be held Tuesday June 29 at Dale City Fire Station 13, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

His funeral, with full honors, will be held the following day at 11 a.m., at the Hylton Memorial Chapel in Woodbridge.

Photo by Martin O'Connor. Persing is depicted on the right.

River fest is Saturday

If you’re hungry, like shopping or petting an assortment of animals then the Occoquan River Festival 2010 is for you.

The family event will be held in Occoquan from noon until 7 p.m. Saturday, where area residents can come out and sample the ‘Taste of Occoquan,” sidewalk sales, pony rides and petting zoo, trolley rides, boat tours, see costumed reenactors, and of course hear live music.

The festival comes in addition to the annual fall craft show that is scheduled for September. That, in addition to a spring craft show, brings thousands of visitors to the town located just north of Woodbridge off Va. 123.

Photo by Mary Davidson