Stafford Magazine | June\July 2024

NORTH STAFFORD GRAD PULLS OFF A TWO-FER

H.H. POOLE DRAMA TEACHER HONORED THE SEARCH FOR GOLD IN STAFFORD

A Ringing Success

Stafford handbell society largest in the country

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CONTRIBUTORS

Tracy Bell

David S. Kerr Doug Stroud

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String Theory

Two local teen violinists earn scholarships

BY TRACY BELL

Even as a 6-year-old, Ninghao Zhan was eager for a challenge.

That’s when he first picked up a violin, choosing it carefully over other instruments.

“I was going to learn the piano, but my fingers were too soft, even for my age,” said Zhan, now a rising sophomore at Mountain View High School. “I chose the violin because it’s apparently one of the hardest and most competitive instruments to learn, so I took on the challenge.”

Zhan, 15, was one of three finalists at the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra’s annual Young People’s Concert, in Warrenton in February. The concert was part entertainment, part scholarship competition.

After all three finalists performed, Zhan walked away with second place and a $1,500 scholarship.

Piedmont Symphony Orchestra started in 1996 and holds its concerts at the Michael A. Hughes Center for the Arts at Highland School. The audition-based regional orchestra, led by music director and conductor Glenn Quader, presents five to seven concerts a season and consists of musicians from Fauquier County and surrounding localities.

“When I won my scholarship, I felt very accomplished, since I am comparably younger – so I am very proud of myself for standing out among many older competitors,” Zhan said.

His violin teacher, Ni Santiago, was in the audience that day.

Another of her students, Alec Martin,

a rising senior at Colonial Forge High School, placed third in the competition.

The 16-year-old took home a $1,000 scholarship.

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” Santiago said. “I wanted to be there to support them. I was very proud of their performances and what a fantastic job they did.”

Martin has been playing the violin for seven years, since the sixth grade, when he played in his middle-school orchestra. He then took private lessons.

“When I won my scholarship, I was excited that all of my hard work and practice had paid off,” he said.

Santiago, a private violin teacher and southwest Stafford resident, has taught Zhan and Martin for two years. She holds a master’s degree in violin performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.

“To be honest, I wasn’t surprised at all,” said Santiago of her students’ success.

“I had a good feeling about both of them getting into the final round. They worked really hard for this and I knew both had a good chance. I was really happy for them after learning the good news and at the same time very proud of them.”

To be able to play the violin well, students need natural talent and the willingness to put in hard work, Santiago said. “Both kids are musically gifted, and both are hard-working.”

During the competition, the boys went up against pianist Hiroki Matsui, a rising junior at Prince Wiliam County’s Battlefield High School. Matsui, who also plays the oboe, earned a $3,000 scholarship. He is a member of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and studies under Marjorie Lee of Vienna and Stephen Key, who teaches the oboe.

Although Zhan and Martin take separate lessons, they are great friends and competitive with each other in a good way, Santiago said. They sometimes practice pieces together that they have an interest in outside of their lessons as well as play chamber music together.

“It has been a joy to teach Ninghao and Alec and see them grow,” she said. “They encourage each other to better themselves.”

Tracy Bell is a freelance writer who lives in Stafford County.

Meet Ninghao Zhan

VIOLIN CAREER

HIGHLIGHTS: 16th chair of the second violin section in the Senior Regional Orchestra as a freshman in 2023; fourth chair of the first violin section in the AllCounty Orchestra; second place at the Elite Music Competition, which led to performing at Carnegie Hall; honorable mention in the Golden Classical; second place in Piedmont Symphony Orchestra’s annual student competition; concertmaster in his school’s chamber orchestra.

SPARE-TIME ACTIVITIES: Playing tennis, composing his own music and reading.

PLANS: To potentially pursue music as a career; hoping for opportunities to perform at bigger stages and music halls; sharing with others the happiness that he feels playing the violin.

Meet Alec Martin

VIOLIN CAREER

HIGHLIGHTS:

Playing violin at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg twice, as well as at a wedding; playing in his school’s orchestra; serving as concertmaster of Stafford’s AllCounty Orchestra in January; playing in the Senior Regional Orchestra for two years, where he held fifth chair, first violin.

SPARE-TIME ACTIVITIES: Playing sports, running cross country, listening to classical, rock and rap music.

PLANS: To major in engineering in college and minor in music.

from Germanna – although there is no shortage of dual-enrollment students.

Mike Zitz, special assistant to the president for media and community relations at Germanna, said the community college had 1,904 total dual-enrollment students in the 2023-24 school year, with 971 of them from Stafford schools.

Double the Memories

Stafford teen earns college diploma one week before high school graduation

BY TRACY BELL

Vivian Laub isn’t your average teenager.

The 18-year-old Stafford resident, who craves peace and quiet, is a self-described “old lady in a teenager’s body.”

Sports aren’t her thing, but she absolutely loves school.

“I always say that school is my sport,” said Laub, who graduated from North Stafford High School on May 16. What’s unusual is that she didn’t just graduate from high school – she also earned a college degree a full week before her high school graduation.

Laub graduated from Germanna Community College with an associate’s degree in general studies through a dualenrollment program between the college and Stafford County Public Schools.

She’s the first and so far only student from Stafford County Public Schools to concurrently earn an associate’s degree

Stafford schools – which included dualenrollment students at colleges other than Germanna – reported that for the school year, there were 166 dual-enrollment students from Brooke Point High School, 215 from Colonial Forge High School, 297 from Mountain View High School, 254 from Stafford High School and 155 from North Stafford.

Amy Nearman, coordinator of world language and secondary programs for the Stafford school system, said participation in the dual-enrollment program has increased over the years. She expects an even greater boost in the 2025-2026 school year because the state budget will allow dual enrollment for students at no cost to them.

“We’ll continue to see a huge shift,” she said. “That barrier has been removed for those wanting to go the dual route.”

Laub, who when not studying works at Publix in Embrey Mill, attended two in-person high school classes at North Stafford, but would be home by 10 a.m. and then fit in Germanna classes, mostly online and self-paced.

“She did this all on her own and with night classes,” said Sandra Osborn, director of communications for Stafford County Public Schools.

Laub also attended Germanna fellowship and social events, getting to know new college friends.

“They really welcomed me,” Laub said, acknowledging she felt a split and a sense of living in two separate worlds.

The daughter of Loren and Joy Laub, Vivian Laub said she enjoys hanging out with her sisters, going to movies with friends and traveling with her family. The family lived in Pensacola, Fla., before moving to Stafford – and Laub’s mother noted that dual-enrollment seems to be more of the norm in Florida.

But for Laub, nothing has stood in the way of her goals. She recalled being in Iceland on a family trip and still logging on to participate in an online summer class.

At North Stafford, her grade-point

average exceeded 4.0. She graduated summa cum laude from Germanna with a 3.945 grade-point average, pending her final spring grades, Zitz said.

And Laub was in the honor society at both North Stafford and Germanna. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society at Germanna and involved in the Alpha Lambda Psi chapter, said Frank Cirioni, dean of student development at Germanna.

Laub said that she had to advocate for herself to reach her goal with dual enrollment.

“When they make it more accessible, more kids will want to participate,” she added.

“Once I got started and I was on the path to graduating, I could see the finish line.”

More teachers are becoming eligible to teach dual enrollment, Nearman said, which will make more classes available. Teachers also can take advantage of tuition assistance to help obtain the needed qualifications.

Most dual students don’t reach the necessary number of credits to graduate quite as quickly as Laub did, and many transfer their credits to other colleges.

In any case, graduating has been “surreal,” Laub said.

“I got there,” she added. “I’ve been working on this goal for two years.”

Laub wants to be an orthodontist and plans to attend University of Mary Washington in the fall as a junior. Her goal is to then attend dental school at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Just after graduating from Germanna and just before her high-school graduation, Laub reflected upon her unusual accomplishment.

“Wow, I did that,” she said. “Sophomore Vivian would be proud.”

Tracy Bell is a freelance writer who lives in Stafford County.

Top-notch Eagles

Colonial Forge students named presidential scholar nominees

BY TRACY BELL

When Colonial Forge High School graduate Adam Ahmed thinks back to high school, he’ll remember the special connections and conversations he shared with classmates and teachers – a time he recognizes as an ending, a new beginning and something bittersweet.

There are some “very special” memories of high school that won’t soon fade, like the time his football teammates cheered him on and chanted his name as he walked onto the field to play his first game back after an injury.

Ahmed, who graduated in May, excelled in academics, athletics and volunteerism while in high school. He served as senior class president, was voted prom king and plans to major in biology in college.

And in January, Ahmed was one of two Colonial Forge students nominated for the U.S. Department of Education’s presidential scholar program, which recognizes distinguished high school seniors.

“I was very honored to be selected as a presidential scholar candidate because it reflects hard work and dedication,” Ahmed said. “To be chosen out of the many intellectual and equally deserving students was truly remarkable because it signified that I, too, was considered a top student.” The honor was based on a combination of academic achievement, exceptional SAT/ACT scores, a written essay, selfassessments, school reports, transcripts, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities.

Fellow Colonial Forge graduate Angelene Daganzo was also a presidential

Daganzo, who comes from a military family – her father is retired from the U.S. Navy – has served as a JROTC battalion commander and previously served as its adjutant, drill team captain and company first sergeant.

The U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association, the Secretary of the Army and the Daughters of the American Revolution have all recognized her for excelling in these roles.

Daganzo described how she felt when she heard that she was selected as a presidential scholar candidate.

“In all honesty, I was surprised,” she said. “Following that, I just felt incredibly grateful to be given such an opportunity. Notably, it especially deepened my gratitude for my school's JROTC program. … I wouldn’t have gotten to this special point in my high school career if it weren’t for the meaningful leadership opportunities and unique growth I’ve been able to experience in my years with the ‘Eagle Battalion.’”

In school, Daganzo was also a member of the National Honor Society, the school’s Red Cross Club and the Asian Heritage Club.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964. Each year, up to 161 students are named U.S. presidential scholars – one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students due to its representation of excellence in education, student success and high potential.

Each year in early spring, about 500 semifinalists are chosen from the announced candidates by an independent

national committee of educators convened by the Commission on Presidential Scholars. An announcement is then made in late spring, showcasing the selected presidential scholars.

And while Ahmed and Daganzo didn’t reach the semifinals or become presidential scholars, they remain in a select, distinguished group.

Tracy Bell is a freelance writer who lives in Stafford County.

Meet Adam Ahmed

AGE: 18

NOTABLE ACCOLADES:

Senior class president and junior class reporter; parliamentarian for the Future Business Leaders of America; member of the Muslim Student Association; voted prom king.

LENGTH OF TIME LIVING IN STAFFORD: 12 years; former Woodbridge resident; born in Egypt, and lived there four years.

COLONIAL FORGE SPORTS

ACCOLADES: Played varsity lacrosse and played cornerback and wide receiver for the varsity football team.

WORSHIPS AT: The Islamic Center of Fredericksburg Mosque

VOLUNTEER WORK: Church and food-scarcity projects; regular volunteer at the Arm of the Lord Ministries Church; Habitat for Humanity

REACTION TO BEING VOTED

PROM KING: “As a kid, I never wanted to be the prom king because movies portrayed prom kings as mean; however, as I grew up, I realized that these were simply stereotypes. Regardless, I never would have imagined myself being named prom king; it was very special.”

PLANS: Attend the University of Virginia

Meet Angelene Daganzo

AGE: 18

THREE ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE YOU: “Passionate, diligent and honest.”

LENGTH OF TIME LIVING IN STAFFORD: 3 years. She previously lived in Manassas.

VOLUNTEER WORK: The local library and mainly Harmony at Falls Run Retirement Home.

“My volunteer experience at

Harmony has consisted of interview projects, holiday events and formal ceremonies, all of which have been so memorable in the way that I’ve been able to connect with and learn from such respectable and unique individuals.”

MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BECOMING A PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR CANDIDATE: “The essays …After the rush of college essays and other applications that were anxiously submitted not long before this, found that writing about myself personally again became more difficult, as I was concerned that my essays would lose their authenticity after having to write about myself for so long.”

PLANS: Attend the University of Central Florida to pursue a degree in international relations; enroll in the Air Force ROTC and commission afterward.

DREAMS OF: Entering the intelligence field

scholar nominee.

Adam Ahmed (top) played lacrosse at Colonial Forge; Angelene Daganzo (right) served as a JROTC battalion commander.

A Ringing Success T

Stafford handbell society largest in the country

BY DAVID FAWCETT

he Stafford Regional Handbell Society lives by one motto: “Every Ringer Counts.”

From a musical standpoint, the phrase applies to the importance of staying in rhythm. But the phrase also connotes inclusivity.

Natural talent is not a prerequisite to join this group. You need only a willingness to develop a new skill and a desire to have fun. Everything else falls into place.

“I don’t have much in the way of innate musical ability,” said Chris Ketcham, a member of the society for eight years and a bell ringer for 15. “But bells are something I can learn and enjoy.”

That approach has turned the Stafford Regional Handbell Society into the nation’s largest community handbell organization and the owner of the nation’s largest collection of handbells. The collection is worth about $350,000 with some of the society’s antique sets considered irreplaceable, said Neesa Hart, a founder of the organization and programming director.

A nonprofit, the society raises money through community sponsorships, grants, private donors and fundraising events.

Started nearly 20 years ago inside the rehearsal room of a Stafford church, the group has grown so much it began operating May 1 in a 12,000-square-foot building on Banks Ford Parkway in the southern end of the county.

“[Bell-ringing] has a place for everyone, from beginners to advanced, and you can have immediate success,” Hart said. “Bells are an equalizer.”

The society now has 200 members and, over the years, has played at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, the Lincoln Memorial and the Museum of the Bible.

Hart began playing the bells as a young girl growing up in Great Falls. Her mother, Peggy, wanted her involved in the music ministry at church. Hart tried piano, but to no avail.

Stafford Regional Handbell Society members (left to right) Abena Koranteng, Neesa Hart and Kasaundra Scott. in front of their new facility. The logo of George Washington on the water tower was designed and trademarked by Hart’s father’s company in 2002.

The Stafford Regional Handbell Society is the nation’s largest community handbell organization and the owner of the nation’s largest collection of handbells.

Here is a breakdown of the society’s collection:

537 Individual English Handbells spread across 11 sets

215 Malmark Choirchime instruments

27 antique Petit & Fritzen bells

25

67

25

1 set of Orchestra Chimes

50 different percussion instruments, including 3 timpani

Silver Melody Bells

White Chapel Bells from Great Britain

Deagan Janko antique bells

The Stafford Regional Handbell Society performs all over the United States. Here, the society’s elite youth ensemble performs in Hartford, Conn., in November 2021.

She started ringing bells and fell in love with it. Hart joined with Phillip Lanier, now musical director and fellow founder of the handbell society, to create an opportunity for children to learn about bell-ringing.

Helped by a grant from Jackie’s Song Foundation, the Stafford Regional Handbell Society took root with two music teachers and eight students from third- through sixth-grade.

From there, it moved into a 3,000-square-foot facility on International Parkway in 2011, followed by an 8,000-square-foot facility on Juliad Court in 2017. But with the program expanding, the society required even more room.

Wanting to stay in Stafford, Hart had eyed the building on Banks Ford Parkway for a while. It wasn’t far from the group’s previous home, and Hart felt it met their needs. It also had been empty since 2009. Hart, aided by local real estate agent Heather Hagerman, agreed to rent the space from owner Steve Thurston. The building has space for five rehearsal rooms, four offices and a 250-seat auditorium, where the

society will host performances. There’s even a grassy space outside for Hart and Lanier’s combined three basset hounds.

“We were committed to Stafford,” Hart said. “It’s easy to get to for our North Stafford people. And it’s the closest hub for the Title 1 schools we serve.”

The Stafford Regional Handbell Society offers a wide variety of year-round options for children, youth and adults at different levels. That includes an after-school program

for Stafford students. The organization uses three buses to transport a maximum of 50 kids to teach them about bell-ringing.

Abena Koranteng, along with her sister, Ama, joined the Stafford Regional Handbell Society when she was 8. At the time, Koranteng’s mother saw an ad at an elementary school about the society. Abena liked music class anyway at her school, so her mother thought this was another opportunity to keep her busy after school.

Keeping Dads COOL

“I was hooked,” Abena Koranteng said. “I was learning more about counts [there] than I was in music class. I made a lot of friends.”

Ama, 17, and Abena, 20, have remained with the society and help with the after-school program as well as serve as instructors.

“It’s like one brain,” Abena said of ringing bells with a group. “It’s like a wave that lines up perfectly.”

The handbell society’s new location carries a personal significance for Hart. Her father, Arthur, was committed to finding locations for the performing arts when he moved to Stafford in 2000.

His efforts came to fruition in a number of ways, including one that Hart can see everyday at her new home. Behind the society’s building stands a Stafford County water tower. On the tower is the logo of a Colonial-era boy with a hoop. The boy represents George Washington and his years growing up in nearby Ferry Farm.

Looking for a way to give Stafford an identity to capitalize on its history, Arthur’s company, Image One, designed and trademarked that logo in 2002. The Hart family still owns the trademark that Arthur, who passed away in 2020, allowed Stafford to use for free.

“I love pulling up to work and there’s Dad looking at me,” Hart said.

Dave Fawcett is sports editor of InsideNoVa. He can be reached at dfawcett@insidenova.com.

For more information on the Stafford Regional Handbell Society, call (540) 850-3700 or visit staffordhandbells.org.

For more on the society’s after-school program, visit bellsafterschool.com

For more information on the summer camp, visit banglewood.com

Neesa Hart conducts a performance May 22 at the handbell society’s new auditorium on Banks Ford Parkway.

Dramatic Effect

H.H. Poole theater teacher

honored for impact on student’s life

BY TRACY BELL

Longwood University student Aidan Brown never forgot his H.H. Poole Middle School theater teacher. He said she’s made him who he is today.

Brown, a rising junior at the Farmville college, nominated his former teacher, Andrea Candea-Carroll, for a Teacher of the Year award that Longwood has presented for the past three years.

Brown said in his nomination letter that he doesn’t normally break rules – the award typically honors high-school theater teachers – but he had to nominate her anyway because she made such a big impact on his life.

Longwood ultimately agreed, choosing Candea-Carroll – a Longwood alumna – for the award.

Earlier this spring, Brown surprised Candea-Carroll in her classroom with the award and read his nomination letter. He said initially he didn’t really want to take her class.

“I was a shy kid who did his work and went home without doing anything with extracurriculars – except art,” said Brown, who had to take Candea-Carroll’s theater class as a prerequisite to any art class.

“At first I was not very excited about it,” he said. “I was not a big fan.”

But when he walked into the welcoming theater class on the first day, all of that changed. Brown said that he always had great relationships with his teachers, and having experienced his parents going through a divorce, the stability of other relationships was important.

Candea-Carroll has taught at H.H. Poole since 2011.

On the day of the surprise, Stafford County School Board Chair Maureen Siegmund; Ronda Scarrow, director of Longwood’s theater program, and Joyce Sweet, an adjunct professor at Longwood,

joined Brown.

They came bearing balloons and an oversized check made out to CandeaCarroll, indicating the “Free” admission extended to her for Longwood performances.

Brown explained how she has made a difference in his life. In her classroom on the first day, he instantly relaxed.

“I immediately kind of felt at home, and I took home an audition form for ‘The Little Mermaid.’”

Aiden Brown (second from left) surprised his former teacher, Andrea Candea-Carroll (center), with an award from Longwood University. Accompanying Brown were School Board Chair Maureen Siegmund (far left), Joyce Sweet, an adjunct professor at Longwood (second from

Today, Brown studies theater and special education at Longwood. He hopes to return to Stafford County Public Schools to be a teacher.

Candea-Carroll said she was completely shocked and surprised by the honor.

“I am usually not known for being quiet, but I was honestly lost for words,” she said.

“It was so sweet and heartfelt that he went out of his way to nominate me. … Listening to his speech on why he thought I should win was just the best, it really made me feel so appreciated. That the award came from my alma mater was just the icing on the cake.”

Brown said in his speech that he has kept in touch with Candea-Carroll, and she has seen him perform as a college student.

“I absolutely adore Aidan and have had such a great relationship with him,” she said. “He was an awesome student and watching him grow as an artist through middle school, where he really stepped out of his comfort zone to try new things as an actor, and high school, to him getting a lead role in college has just been such a cool experience.”

Candea-Carroll reaches her students and

that I get to do this for a living, sharing this art with students.”

In her spare time, Candea-Carroll likes to volunteer, read and binge television shows. At work, along with her classes, she’s often directing productions or hosting improvisational and drama clubs.

bonds with them by making classic theater lessons relevant and fun. Students learn greater lessons beyond how to act, and they experience personal growth along the way – some students break out of shyness, others find their talent and some find a community or family they never considered they’d gain in a theater class.

Candea-Carroll said she became interested in performing at an early age – “if you ask my parents, they would probably say birth.”

Her first role was Little Miss Muffet at age 4 or 5, followed by a middle-school theater class. It wasn’t until she was a junior in high school that she realized theater would be her career.

“I love the magic of seeing backstage teams plan and organize, actors and directors in rehearsals, all of the intricate work that goes into a show, just for the audience to sit back and get taken away to somewhere else as if it’s effortless,” she said. “When you get it just right, it feels like magic. I love that feeling and I’m spoiled

And sometimes she just knows that her students will use what they’ve learned somewhere.

“They might not go on to Broadway, but they’ll use that skill in their life, maybe as a presenter, a creative artist or as a leader,” she said.

For some students, theater is where they shine, she explained. She recalled one of her prior students who wrote “an amazing script” for a middle-school production, and she commented that it was so great that the student could do this for a living.

Today, that student is in college, studying to be a playwright.

“As a middle school teacher,” she said, “you’re often the first person to introduce them to the art, to give them a taste of how acting, design, directing, etc., all happen. I know their high school teachers have a huge influence, but I always take a little credit that I got to be part of the start of that journey.”

Tracy Bell is a freelance writer who lives in Stafford County.

right), and Ronda Scarrow (far right), director of Longwood’s theater program.

Mary Washington Healthcare opens Embrey Mill facility

Mary Washington Healthcare opened its Embrey Mill facility in Stafford County with a celebratory ribboncutting May 22.

The facility, at 955 Wonder Road, offers medical imaging, medical laboratories, physical therapy, primary care, obstetrics and gynecology and urgent care.

The $6 million facility “is a significant addition to our healthcare landscape, offering a wide range of services closer to home,” said Cathy Yablonski, senior vice president and chief ambulatory operations officer for Mary Washington Healthcare.

“This facility represents our commitment to providing comprehensive, accessible and high-quality healthcare to the residents of Stafford County and the surrounding communities.”

Community survey: We’re safe and secure

Stafford is a secure and safe place to live, according to Stafford County’s second community survey results.

Eight in 10 residents who responded to the survey said they felt very or somewhat safe from disasters, violent crimes and property crimes. Residents also gave high marks to emergency preparedness and the economy’s impact on family income, according to a news release. Mobility, including ease of travel by car and public transportation, also scored higher than in the first survey, showing improvement.

Stafford contracted with Polco, a community engagement polling company, to conduct the survey. The results are used to help the Board of Supervisors with its annual financial planning process alongside Stafford’s Strategic Plan.

Stafford scored similarly to the communities in Polco’s National Community Survey database. Stafford was scored on 12 facets of community life, including economy, mobility, community design, utilities, safety and more. Residents were asked about their opinions on the quality of the facets of community life and their views of the importance of each.

Complete survey results are available at staffordcountyva.gov/communitysurvey.

Valedictorians, salutatorians named

Atotal of 2,530 seniors graduated from Stafford County high schools in May, and they accumulated over $18.9 million in scholarships. The valedictorians and salutatorians for the Class of 2024 at each of the Stafford high schools were as follows: BROOKE POINT

• Valedictorian: Rena Amankwa-Asare (GPA, 4.9191)

• Salutatorian: Isabella Kang (GPA, 4.9142) COLONIAL FORGE

• Valedictorian: Aditya Biswas (GPA, 4.912)

• Salutatorian: Hannah Jenkins (GPA, 4.803) MOUNTAIN VIEW

• Valedictorian: Delainey Hinson (GPA, 5.0060)

• Salutatorian: Katherine Buckman (GPA: 4.979) NORTH STAFFORD

• Valedictorian: Andrea Vargas (GPA, 4.865)

• Salutatorian: Ella Wendel (GPA, 4.647) STAFFORD

• Valedictorian: Richard Oti (GPA, 4.986)

• Salutatorian: Mailynn Nguyen (GPA, 4.964)

School division recognizes top staff members

Stafford County Public Schools honored outstanding staff members last month at its 2024 Gold Star Gala Dinner & Ceremony.

The winners of each category were as follows:

BUS DRIVERS OF THE YEAR:

• Cleophas Brickhouse

• Michael Furchak

• Coleen Lamar

BUS ATTENDANT OF THE YEAR:

• Tyler Terry NUTRITION SERVICES EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR:

• Araceli Alquizar, Brooke Point High School

• Lisa Donovan, North Star Early Childhood Education Center

• Wilson Gomez Arevalo, Edward E. Drew Jr. Middle School

SCHOOL PROTECTION OFFICER OF THE YEAR:

• Deputy David Muñoz, Anne E. Moncure Elementary School

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OF THE YEAR:

• Deputy RiShawn Allen, North Stafford High School

COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR:

• Shannon Kelly, Anne E. Moncure Elementary School

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR:

• Niki Simms, Conway Elementary School

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR:

• Jennifer Hoff, Anne E. Moncure Elementary School

SERVICE EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR:

• Kristen Payne, Edward E. Drew Jr. Middle School

• Tracy Trujillo, Transportation Services

FIRST CLASS TEACHER OF THE YEAR:

• Ashley Gebhart, Conway Elementary School TEACHER OF THE YEAR:

• Jenny Taylor, Grafton Village Elementary School

PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR:

• Dr. Brian Raska, Hartwood Elementary School

ACU P U NCTUR E

• Allergies, Sinus, Headache

• ChronicPain/Lower Back, Neck, Knee, Joints & Muscle

• Stop Smoking

• Stress Relief, Depression, Migraine, Insomnia

• PMS, Menopause Symptoms, Infertility

Summer is here (essentially) and that means lots of outdoor activities and some fun July 4 festivities around the region. Here’s a partial list; for more events visit InsideNoVa.com/calendar

PITCH, HIT & RUN KIDS’ COMPETITION

(BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL)

KAYAKING OUTING

June 15, 8:30-11 a.m.

$20 per person

FREDERICKSBURG COMIC CON

JUNE 29, 10 A.M.-5 P.M.

Fredericksburg Convention Center fredericksburgcomiccon.com/tickets

‘THE CASE OF THE MELODIOUS MURDER’

June 29, 7:30 p.m.

ARTfactory, Manassas Paragon

Philharmonia joins forces with Dark Horse Theatre Company to present a hilarious harmonic whodunit.

TICKETSDETAILS:AND

MIDSUMMER MARKET

July 7, noon-5 p.m.

2374 Plank Road, Fredericksburg

Vendors, face painting, tarot, fairies & mermaids

AMERICAN REVOLUTION CAMP

July 15-19, 9 a.m.-noon Ages 8-12

$175 per camper

enrichment activities

• Large apartments

• and so much more. Call 703-494-3817 today!

TICKETS AND DETAILS:

June 14, 4- 9 p.m., ages 7-14 Virginia Credit Union Stadium, Fredericksburg milb.com/fredericksburg POLO IN THE PARK

June 15, 22, 29; July 13, 20, 27, 6 p.m.

Morven Park, Leesburg Bring a picnic and enjoy fast-paced polo action

610 CRUISERS’ CRUISE-IN

June 15 (and weekly), 4-8 p.m.

269 Garrisonville Road (Burger King parking lot), Stafford Car enthusiast meetup; all makes/ models welcome

Widewater State Park, Stafford Register at tourstaffordva.com

FATHER’S DAY BBQ BUFFET

June 16, noon-3 p.m.

The Clubs at Quantico, 3017 Russell Road

Tickets at Eventbrite.com

PICNIC IN THE PARK: SUPERHERO DAY

June 18, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Kenmore Memorial Park

1401 Kenmore Ave., Fredericksburg

Music, food trucks, super-hero dress-up

PICNIC IN THE PARK: BEACH DAY

June 25, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Kenmore Memorial Park 1401 Kenmore Ave., Fredericksburg

Music, food trucks & fun

RED, WHITE & BLUE GOLF TOURNAMENT

June 28, 9 a.m.

Augustine Golf Club, Stafford golfaugustine.com

FABULOUS 4TH AT GEORGE WASHINGTON’S FERRY FARM

July 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

$1 per person ages 3+

268 Kings Hwy., Stafford Shuttles available from Eagles Lodge & Patawomeck Museum & Cultural Center tourstaffordva.com

George Washington’s Ferry Farm & Historic Kenmore, Stafford Register by July 1 at kenmore.org

KIDS’ CONCERT & MUSICAL PETTING ZOO

Aug. 10, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Porter Library, Stafford librarypoint.org

There’s gold in them thar… …or maybe not

BY DAVID S. KERR

It’s a strange stock to own. I bought it years ago on the Pacific Stock Exchange. It’s the “Sixteen-to-One Gold Mine.”

It’s a functioning gold mine in the desert just outside Sacramento, Calif.

As investments go, I don’t recommend it. However, the fun of owning stock in a real gold mine, for me at least, has been terrific.

I have been fascinated with gold and gold mining since I was a little boy, and the idea of owning even just a few shares in a real California gold mine was just too much to pass up.

For the record, my shares never yielded any returns and today aren’t worth much. The mine, while not completely played out, has run up against new environmental rules that have made deep rock mining in that region of California difficult. Its future is dicey at best.

For the most part, while gold is still found in California and Alaska, as well as in a host of scattered mines around the United States, 21st-century supplies of gold usually come from places like Canada, South America, Africa and Russia. However, most of us don’t realize that Virginia was at one time, the site of extensive gold mining. Indeed, the industry

was functioning well into the 19th century. One of the first mentions of gold in Virginia was made by Thomas Jefferson in his famous “Notes on Virginia.”

He mentions a find of a “17 pennyweight” piece of gold (that’s almost an ounce) along the Rappahannock River.

Even Capt. John Smith (of Pocahontas fame), in his extensive travels on the Potomac River, up the Northern Neck and around the Chesapeake Bay, spent a lot of his time searching for gold.

The Stafford County Historical Society thinks it may have found one of his early efforts, but none of his prospecting appears to have yielded much of the yellow metal.

When it came to gold, the early English settlers had high hopes. They were convinced, based primarily on the Spanish experience in South America, that gold must also be abundant in North America.

While never in the hopedfor quantities, there was

enough gold – some in the rivers and some found by more traditional mining (digging for gold-bearing ore) – to prompt the formation of the first incorporated gold mine in Virginia in 1804.

Gold in our part of Virginia follows what the Virginia Department of Mineral Resources calls the “gold pyrite belt.” This runs south from Washington down Interstate 95 into the Fredericksburg area, before turning west. During the past two centuries, some 302 mines – or at least active prospecting operations – have been documented along this route.

During the early- to mid19th century, Stafford was home to at least 10 fully functional gold mines.

Many, if not most, of these early mining efforts were not captured in any list or record. Rather they were part-time affairs. The prospectors included farmers, blacksmiths and merchants. They occasionally found some

gold-bearing ore and made a little money off it. Their holes in the ground and the remnants of their mines are still visible around the area.

Virginia as a source of gold was popular until the late 1840s. That’s when the California Gold Rush began, and purer and easier-to-mine California gold started flooding the market. This brought an end, with a few exceptions, to Virginia’s goldmining industry.

However, even today a few intrepid souls still try panning for gold. I have tried it myself. Many of our streams and rivers will occasionally give up a few flecks of gold. It takes patience and is hard on the back, and you often get wet and muddy, but the sight of a little yellow snippet –even if you aren’t sure it’s gold –can still make a heart flutter.

David Kerr is a Stafford resident and an adjunct professor of political science at VCU. He worked on Capitol Hill and for various federal agencies for many years.