Weekend Planner

Weekend Planner: Air Show, Shopping, Arts and Parks

Friday, May 18 through Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Check out Patch’s list of local events to enjoy this Friday through Sunday, the third week of May. Classy Kids Consignment Family Movie Night on the Green 2012 Joint Service Open House and Air Show  Spring Garden Day  Kids to Parks Day  Youth Arts Celebration Sunny the Shark’s Birthday Party at Paradise Play Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Lion Chef Invitational Alexandria Symphony Orchestra presents: A Cosmic Mystery All That Jazz Musical Revue Lake Accotink Sunset and Canine Cruises Cosmic Quest: Children’s Art Festival Burke Historical Society INPASS – WMYO Regional Winners Concert Library Programs: Nature Highlights:

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VRE to Discuss WiFi, Cameras at Burke Centre, Platform Extension at Lorton

Virginia Railway Express' board meets Friday.

The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board meets Friday to discuss several issues of specific interest to Burke area riders. WiFi VRE has considered adding WiFi to trains for some time, but dropped the plan in January due to cost and reliability of providing uninterrupted service. The board will begin the discussion anew on Friday. The agenda lists four possible technologies, with routers the preferred choice. The issue is listed for discussion only. Security Cameras VRE received a grant in 2004 from the Department of Homeland Security for the installation of security cameras at a limited number of VRE stations, which included: In 2010, cameras were added to the Manassas station as part of the parking garage project. In FY 2009, …

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Tech Trends

Upset In Search Engine Rankings

Google, Bing and Yahoo OR Google, Yahoo and Bing?

I’ve not only accepted it; I’ve embraced it. Where do I go when I want to find the answer to a random question?  My virtual speed dial is set to Google as my homepage and the connecting source for many of my social networks.  And then there’s my other virtual speed dial source for all that’s social, Facebook.  This Friday, May 18, is Facebook’s initial public offering (IPO). I’m hardly alone in my choices of “go to” sites for search and social. Now what if there was one place that excelled at both? Google I was entranced by its simplicity from the first time I saw the clean page with an empty search box and one button for “I’m feeling lucky” and one for “Google Search.” The colorful, basic lettering “Google” encouraged me to dive in and …

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Lydia Patrick

10:58 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012

Thank you for your comment. Your take on Google is in line with the reported search engine rankings. Google is strongly ahead of the rest of the pack.   more ›

VRE Adjusts Two Friday Trains for the Summer

Beginning Friday, May 11, Friday #303 to Fredericksburg will have eight cars.

Virginia Railway Express announced today it is adding cars to the Friday #303, departing Union Station at 3:35 p.m. for Fredericksburg.  This will accommodate the increased ridership VRE has noticed on this Friday train. "We normally put the biggest train on Fredericksburg #303 on Fridays before holiday weekends," VRE said in an email.  "However, #303 riders will notice this eight-car train will be there today [Friday, May 11, 2012] and every Friday through the rest of the summer months." As a result, Train #307, which departs Union station at 4:40 p.m., will be reduced to six cars every Friday through the summer.

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Beyond Burke

Tour the Occoquan Aboard Rivershore Charters

A relaxing river cruise not far from Burke.

Every weekend of the year, Rivershore Charters cruises along the scenic Occoquan River. The 50-foot pontoon touring boat holds 46 passengers—all of whom can see birds of prey, get dropped off at local restaurants and receive a lesson in Occoquan history. Meet the Captain  There's no doubt about it. One of the best decisions Captain Mark Perry ever made was buying the 16,000-pound water taxi named the "Harbor Lady" in 2004, he said. The 57-year-old Perry worked as a real estate agent since 1976, and found his calling after talking with the owner of Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant & Crabhouse in Dumfries.  "I'm a boater and spend 300 days out of the year on the water," Perry told Patch on a recent cruise. "The only time I take the boat out of …

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University Mall Set for $25 Million Upgrade

Construction begins in June.

University Mall will undergo a $25 million renovation starting this summer. “Right now, people go right by University Mall without giving a second glance, but this will make people stop,” said Rick Wolff, president and CEO of George H. Rucker Realty Corporation, which owns the mall. The mall at the corner of Braddock Road and Route 123 was built in the late 1970s. The renovations, which would be completed by the fall of 2013, would bring the shopping center from 125,000 square feet to about 200,000 square feet. Current tenants, including Giant, Cardinal Bank, and the University Mall Theatre, will remain open throughout construction. Giant will expand their store, while Cardinal bank will move to a new building on property. “We are still …

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Dominion Customers May See Cheaper Bill This Fall

Monthly electric charges could drop to an average of $105 per household by September.

Gas prices may be going up and up, but cost of electricity, at least for Dominion customers, is dropping. The average household electricity bill is expected to drop to $105.90 in September, the company says, a 5.7 percent decrease from January 2012. The calculation is based on the an average use of 1,000 kilowatt-hours. The drop is owed largely to a decrease in Dominion's fuel rate. The proposed fuel rate is 2.706 cents per kilowatt-hour – a decrease of approximately 18 percent from the current fuel rate of 3.289 cents per kilowatt-hour, said Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson. The adjustment is the lowest the company has proposed since 2007, Anderson said. It will result in an annual fuel revenue reduction of $388 million. In a company …

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Photo Gallery

Flower Mart Festival Photos

The Washington National Cathedral's 73rd annual Flower Mart continues through Saturday.

After living in the area for more than 20 years, I finally made it to the Washington National Cathedral's Flower Mart on Friday.  The annual outdoor spring festival features plant sales, boutique booths, foods, music and entertainment, and many activities for children.  Saturday's hours are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is free, and the event is held rain or shine.

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