To everyone who had an eye on the restoration of Goolricks Pharmacy on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg as recently as this past spring, it seemed like a long time to wait for an old-fashioned milkshake, a cool treat for which Goolrick's became famous.
The original Goolricks Pharmacy opened in 1892. Now closed for business, the landmark is being restored to its former glory.
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The event covered first responders from the Fredericksburg and Caroline, Stafford, and Spotsylvania counties, filling the main ballroom at the Convention Center. There were 19 awards given out to local Virginia State Troopers and county police officers from all over the area. Included in the 19 awards was a lifetime achievement award given to Fredericksburg Fire Chief Mike Jones, Caroline County Citizens Valor awards given to Shericka Twyner, Russell Trainer, and Desiree Dushane, and the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Citizens Valor Award went to Guillermo Shelton and Austin Leonard.
âWe are a better region because of you,â added Steve Cox of Rappahannock Goodwill, one of the sponsors at this event, which the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce hosted.
âIn many ways, you represent the best of Virginia,â said Jason Miyares, the attorney general of Virginia. He compared them to World War II’s âgreatest generationâ and the soldiers that landed at Normandy. âYou go to work each morning and put on the bulletproof vest,â he added. âThe hardest thing I have to do as Attorney General is speak at the funerals of the fallen first responders,â he said.
As the awards were presented, some details were shared about the officers’ criminal enforcement and other community improvement actions.
Captain Crystal Hill of the Fredericksburg Police launched the cityâs first lobotomy program, while Fire Captain John Hanson honed the water rescue program on the Rappahannock River. âThe efforts of his work are recognized,â said Stafford Fire Department Chief Joseph Cardello. There were many stories that day that showed the professionalism of all involved.
For the first time at this event, the Chamber introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award to honor exceptional contributions in the field. Retired chief of the Fredericksburg Fire Department, Eddie Allen, presented the award to current Fredericksburg Fire Chief Mike Jones.
Jones began his fire service career in 1979 with the Falmouth Volunteer Fireman’s Association. He excelled in training and became a key member of the team. Jones followed in his fatherâs footsteps, who was a firefighter for Fairfax County. His commitment to excellence saw him rise through the ranks from Lieutenant in 1987 to achieving his dream of becoming Fire Chief in March 2020, a challenging time marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. He played a crucial role in public outreach, recording daily updates to inform and reassure the community during those dark months.
Throughout his career, Jones has been dedicated to community service and building relationships with civic organizations, state agencies, and the Fredericksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, where he has been a member for over 38 years. He has also been a mentor, preparing others for leadership roles and actively participating in community programs like Leadership Fredericksburg.
Kevin Dillard, Chair of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and this event stated, âServing as chair of the annual First Responders event provided me the opportunity to do some research whereby I discovered that our organization had never honored a first responder for a lifetime of service in the Commonwealth. I strongly believe that the men and women who have served for many years, whether as volunteer or career first responders, deserve recognition for their many years of public service.â
The sponsors were highlighted as well, and the list included Goodwill Rappahannock, The Oberle Academy, Pierpoint Construction, Lifecare Medical Transports, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, Mullins & Thompson, Tire Tread Service, Dominion Energy, Spartan, Fredericksburg Public School Foundation, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Riphean, Fredericksburg Nationals Baseball Team, CIP Finishes, Arsenal Events, Truist, Found and Sons, Hilldrup, Matern, Germanna, Little Tire, Discover Next Step, Topside, PRSA, The UPS Store, Virginia Credit Union, Black Rifle Coffee, Mattaponi Springs and RSQ.
As federal legislation that would further legitimize a local Indian tribe sits idle, local historians call shenanigans.
On one side, there is Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-7, Stafford, Fredericksburg) and bill H.R. 5553 extending Federal recognition to the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. This bill, called the "Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia Federal Recognition Act," extends federal recognition to the Patawomeck Indian Tribe, making the tribe and its members eligible for services and benefits provided to federally recognized tribes.
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Chief Michael Jones of the Fredericksburg Fire Department stood with Spanberger and described the derailment. âThe cars were loaded down, and it was a low spot where the derailment was,â he said, pointing out the area. âIt can be a problem,â he said, but our priority is to save lives.â
This train derailment on July 19, near the cityâs downtown train station used by Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE), sent the locomotive into the sound wall, destroying a large section near one of the underused VRE parking lots.Â
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Adam, the valet parking coordinator, stands out front on opening day on Friday, July 19, overlooking a newly paved lot, driveway, and entrance to the new hotel. âItâs fully open,â he said. There are a few parking spots out front, but the hotel has more parking in the parking garage across the street.
The Publisher is part of Marriott Internationalâs Tribute Portfolio, managed locally by Ragland at Greenwood Hospitality. The 98-room hotel features penthouse suites, guest rooms, 2,000 square feet of event space, and dining facilities in the Five Chophouse restaurant. The hotel rooms are called âupscale,â the lowest-priced room on the website is a Traditional King Room at the Member Rate, which is flexible for $246 a night. The rates topped out at $409 per night for a King Suite.
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The programâs Mission is to promote, plan, and establish transportation alternatives to driving alone, improving transportation system efficiency, enhancing quality of life, and benefiting the environment.
Sound familiar? As the popularity of the I-95 E-ZPass Express Lanes soared in recent years, Fredericksburg commuters heading north to the Pentagon and Washington, DC, have many options for ride-sharing up I-95 in the morning that suffered in the pandemic.
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Peeps - those sugary marshmallow treats that pop out around Easter to dominate Easter baskets alongside dyed eggs and plastic grass. In recent years, Peeps became art, too, and Peeps diorama contests sprouted up in a few places, including the Fredericksburg Visitor Center, where the second annual Peeps Diorama Contest kicked off on Friday, June 7.
The theme for this year's contest is "Summer Fun with my Peeps!" from the looks of things, the Peeps artists had just as much fun building their dioramas.
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Beginning Tuesday, June 25, a new traffic pattern will be in place at the Route 3 and Orange Plank Road intersection in Spotsylvania County.
The Route 3 and Orange Plank Road intersection will become a Restricted Crossing U-Turn pattern. Left turns from Route 3 westbound onto Orange Plank Road will be controlled by a green arrow and then a flashing red arrow to provide a stop control. The flashing red arrow is being used to provide additional direction to motorists, requiring them to come to a complete stop and yield to oncoming traffic before proceeding.
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After a few bridge mishaps in the news lately, highlighted by the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, VDOT is turning its attention to the Falmouth Bridge in Fredericksburg which will undergo a rehabilitation project starting in early June. In October 2023, the bridge was rated âPoorâ by VDOT.
The Falmouth Bridge crosses the Rappahannock River, connecting Fredericksburg to Stafford along Route 1.
