The National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) is offering a professional development opportunity for local teachers through its Nights at the Museum program. This innovative series, led by the Museum’s Teachers in Residence, Katie Malec of Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) and Christine Russ of Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS), aims to deepen educators’ understanding of the United States Marine Corps history and its role in shaping America.

Malec said these quarterly evening events “provide a rewarding experience that brings history to life.” Malec is in her second year as a Teacher in Residence after 17 years of teaching 7th-grade U.S. history. Russ has over 23 years of teaching preschool through sixth grade and this is her first year as Teacher in Residence. Malec said the two work as a team to “empower educators with tools and primary sources that make history relevant and engaging for their students.” The program’s goal is to “promote United States Marine Corps history and its contributions in creating, developing, and defending our country.”

The Nights at the Museum program supports the Museum’s mission: “Preserving the past, influencing the present, and inspiring the future.” Each session, free to educators, includes a private experience in the Museum after hours, complete with refreshments, presentations by NMMC staff and docents, and hands-on materials.  Many of the docents are veterans, who provide personal insights and stories to complement the historical exhibits. 

Teachers can earn five professional development points while gaining ideas to incorporate Marine Corps history into their Standards of Learning (SOL)-based lessons.

In the program, the Teachers in Residence partner with various Museum experts to enhance content knowledge and improve classroom practices for local K-12 public school teachers. Malec said, “We cover the SOL content taught in schools in a way that brings the content to life for teachers with primary sources. Which in turn, the teachers can bring back to their classrooms to share with their students.“ 

Participants also gain access to behind-the-scenes areas and exclusive insights into the exhibits, offering a depth of understanding beyond a regular museum visit. “We tailor each evening to cover specific historical events involving the Marine Corps, while also demonstrating how teachers can incorporate this knowledge into their classrooms,” said Russ.

The series currently welcomes about 30 educators per session from PWCS and SCPS but is open to teachers from surrounding school districts. In addition to the evening events, the program opens doors for educators to learn about trunk programs to be brought into classrooms and customized field trips for students.

The next Night at the Museum is December 5, followed by February 20 and April 3, 2025. Educators can contact the program directors online.

Stafford County’s Board of Supervisors will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 19, at 5 p.m. The meeting will be streamed live, and the agenda will be posted online. To provide the public with more information about the board meetings, we’ve assembled a list of some of the items on the agenda.

On the agenda:

Stafford County Public Schools

• The school board is asking for $7,092,000 to start the first phase of replacing Drew Middle School. This phase includes buying land, planning the design, and setting aside extra funds for unexpected costs. While the projected cost of planning and design has decreased $1.9 million, construction and contingency costs are projected to increase by $16 million. The school board increased their expected costs of the Drew Middle School project by 17% to $113 million.

County Administration

• A 2021 Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) rule allows DEA registrants with brick-and-mortar locations that provide medication assisted treatment to choose to offer a mobile component to their services. The regulations are already federal law, and the Commonwealth of Virginia is fast-tracking state regulations to ensure these regulations are explicitly authorized by both state and federal law. The state has a comment period currently open until November 20, 2024, and then intends to implement the regulations on December 4, 2024. In the event a provider wishes to offer mobile services, a 30-day comment period for the locality is required. The provider must also provide physical security and strict record-keeping. The demand for mobile services is expected to be low due to the cost of obtaining and customizing a vehicle for the task.

Public Safety

• The Sheriff’s office is asking to apply for recognition as a Certified Crime Prevention Community. According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), “the goal of the program is to publicly recognize and certify localities that have implemented a defined set of community safety strategies as part of a comprehensive community safety/crime prevention effort.” DCJS suggests the designation can be a marketing tool to attract families and businesses, and may help lower insurance costs for those residing in the community.

Virginia Public Schools

• On November 6, the day after the presidential election, the county’s financial advisors (PFM) noticed that the market had become unstable. Government bond rates went up by over 10 basis points (a measure of interest rate changes). Since the market was unpredictable, the County has decided to wait before borrowing money to ensure better interest rates. Over the next few weeks, they plan to monitor the market and changing rates.
• Due to the changes in the market, the county has earned more than the allowed amount on its investments in funds borrowed through Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA). The excess earnings will be returned to the IRS, and will not have a negative effect on the county as they were unanticipated and not marked for any projects.

Utilities

• Utilities has requested an ordinance to allow wastewater treatment plants to stop accepting septic waste from areas outside the county. Nearly half of the septic waste being brought in comes from outside the County. No other local areas accept waste from outside their borders, and upcoming work on the plants will limit capacity further. The change also allows the Board to consider adjusting the charged rate for septage disposal at the same rate as sewer rate changes in the future.

From glistening trees and jolly Saint Nicholas to a mischievous Grinch and festive Pokemon,  downtown Fredericksburg’s storefronts have transformed their windows into a wonderland.

The city’s annual Window Wonderland event started November 9 and will continue through December 31, 2024. Participating businesses have transformed their storefronts into festive works of art, each accompanied by a nearby riddle for visitors to solve.

Guests can vote for their favorite window display, and those who solve the riddles can submit their completed riddle forms at the Visitor Center, located at 601 Caroline Street, or send them by mail.

Prizes include $1,000 in downtown gift cards and 50 additional prizes provided by the Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority and participating businesses. Winners will be notified by phone by January 6, 2025.

North Stafford High School students will perform "The Brothers Grimm Spectacularthon" on November 14 and 16, packing 209 dark fairy tales into one farcical show.

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Skip Causey of Stafford’s Potomac Point Winery, has received the Virginia Wineries Association’s (VWA) David King Advocate of the Year Award.

Christina Sandridge, VWA Executive Director, said the award is named after the late David King, who founded King Family Vineyards in Crozet. King is known as a strong advocate for the Virginia Wine industry who championed the 2007 Virginia Farm Winery Act as well as the creation of the Virginia Winery Distribution Company, which provides wholesale wine distribution services for local farm wineries and expands their customer base.

Sandridge said the award is presented to an individual who “does the work” and demonstrates significant involvement in advocacy efforts on behalf of the Virginia wine industry.

Causey and his wife Cindi turned their love of wine into Potomac Point Winery, which opened in 2007. In 2019, Causey took on the role of winemaker at Potomac Point, collaborating with assistant winemaker Jordan Cleary. Causey is a past president of the Virginia Vineyards Association and co-chair of the Virginia Wineries Legislative Board, and has championed policies and initiatives that benefit vineyards and wineries across the state.

Potomac Point Winery won Business of the Year at Stafford’s Economic Development Authority’s Awards in 2024, and their wines won five medals in the 2024 Governor’s Cup Competition.

Past recipients of the award, established in 2020, include:
2020 George Hodson, Veritas/Flying Fox
2021 Mary Beth Williams, Williams Compliance
2022 Mitzi Batterson, James River Cellars Winery
2023 Anne Leigh Kerr, Kerr Government Strategies

Two Fredericksburg Nationals staff members, Eric Taylor and Chris Krick, received top honors in the Carolina League following the team’s 2024 championship season. Taylor, the FredNats’ Head Groundskeeper, was named Carolina League Groundskeeper of the Year, while Home Clubhouse Manager Krick earned the title of Home Clubhouse Manager of the Year. The awards, chosen through surveys of league managers, players, and executives, recognize their dedication to maintaining an exceptional playing and clubhouse environment.

FredNats General Manager Robbie Perry praised their contributions, noting that their hard work set the foundation for a historic season. This marks the first time since 2020 that two individuals from the same Carolina League team have won these awards.

Taylor, a five-time Groundskeeper of the Year awardee, has previously been recognized in the Southern League with the Jackson Generals and Tennessee Smokies. Meanwhile, Krick recently accepted a position with the Washington Nationals, where he will manage Minor League clubhouse operations in Florida.

The Fredericksburg Nationals (FredNats) had a successful 2024 season, highlighted by winning their first Carolina League Championship since moving to Fredericksburg in 2020. This was the franchise’s first title since 2014. They claimed the title with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, led by standout performances from pitcher Travis Sykora and first baseman Brandon Pimentel.  The team showed resilience after a rain delay forced a doubleheader on the final day. Despite a loss in the first game, the FredNats bounced back to secure the championship in the second.

Fredericksburg will host its annual Veteran’s Day procession on Monday, November 11 at 10 a.m. The walk will begin at Memorial Park (also known as Kenmore Park) on Kenmore Avenue and end at the Fredericksburg Area War Memorial on George Street.

The procession will travel down Washington Avenue from Mary Ball Street to George Street, ending around 10:30. The Veteran’s Day Commemoration will begin at 10:45 at the War Memorial. Streets will not be closed for the procession, but a rolling police escort will accompany the walkers.

Groups are encouraged to register online to participate. Veterans who are unable to complete the walk may travel on a VIP bus provided by Trolley of Fredericksburg.  The VIP bus is for veterans only, and seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“The Virginia High School League has banned Hayfield High School’s football team from the 2024 and 2025 postseasons, according to a source deeply familiar with the situation,” reports InsideNova.

Hayfield High School’s football team was previously investigated for possible recruitment violations. Fairfax County Schools found no violations occurred, but the Virginia High School League has the authority to complete its own investigation.

Derrick Anderson (R), who is running for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, held a rally in Spotsylvania with Governor Glenn Youngkin and Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.  The speakers focused on getting out to vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, and encouraging friends and family to ensure they also vote.

One volunteer, Marie, who reportedly wrote thousands of postcards supporting Anderson, fainted during the rally. According to other attendees, both Youngkin and Johnson hopped down from the stage to assist her.