After 85 deaths, Rappahannock is not safe

What started out as a simple news conference about the installation of new safety signs along the banks of the Rappahannock turned into a big story, as we learned Stafford County could have prevented the drowning death of a 17-year-old Maryland teenager.

The teen was swimming with his church group June 8 at the Falmouth Waterfront Park, in Stafford County, when he went under the water and never resurfaced. Fredericksburg Fire and

Rescue officials discovered his body in the river the next morning.

Stafford provides lifeguards for its other riverfront park, Aquia Landing, at a cost of nearly $9000 per year. They do not provide it at the Falmouth park; a park that is regularly advertised as a destination spot to tourists, and has seen more than 75 drowning deaths at the park since 1972.

The new signs have large pictures on them warning river swimmers of the possible dangers in the water.

Stafford officials said strong currents, deep holes in the river bottom, and floating debris like large trees, may have contributed to the teens death.

Lunchtime graduates

I have no idea what part high school graduates are going to at noon on a weekday, but I’m sure they will find one.

It seems more and more area high schools, including all five in Stafford County, are holding their graduation ceremonies in the early hours of the day. Most of the ceremonies have been scheduled at 9 a.m.

When I was in high school the graduation ceremony was held at the high school football stadium in the late afternoon. It was a giant party with a football game-like atmosphere.

Everyone was celebrating sitting through 12-years of the public education system, and now we we’re actually getting out!

Immediately following the ceremony my friends and I went to a celebration called Grad Night. This was where we gathered to play games, hang out and sign the last few yearbooks, and see all of our friends for one last big hurrah.

We didn’t know at the time, but this was going to be one of the last times we would ever see so many familiar faces in the same room again.

For many, it was also the first time high school students turned official adults showed their teachers they smoked cigarettes. They were adults now. Who was going to stop them?

I look back on that challenging, but fun time in my life 8-years ago and remember having so many questions as to what I was going to do next? Who was I going to be? Where was I going to go? For the most part none of them have been answered yet. But I am working on them.

So weather you go home and watch soap operas immediately following the graduation ceremony, or you gear up the beach cruiser for a week in the sun, remember these times because they will never come again.

Congratulations Class of2008!

Weg-mania

Relationship experts say the produce section is one of the best places to meet your next date. If the saying is true hundreds of potential singles hooked up today as the Wegman’s grocery store opened in Woodbridge, Va.

Thousands in all turned out for the 7 a.m. store opening, snarling traffic on congested roads leading into the shopping center. Prince William County Police braved the nearly 100-degree heat and directed traffic throughout the parking lot.

In addition to its many eateries that offer freshly cooked seafood, sandwiches, pizza and Asian delicacies such as a fresh sushi bar to dine at; the 140,000-sqaure-foot store offers a full grocery store shopping experience.

The company is hoping to make the store a destination experience for local grocery shoppers throughout the area, offering the slogan “Food shopping will never be the same” on many of the printed materials handed out at the supermarket.

This is the company’s third store to open in Virginia, with another store planned to be built in Fredericksburg, and could open as early as 2009. In all the company operates 70 stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

I had some pizza that was not bad. My girlfriend had some Indian food – she loved it.

Wild weather

This is just one of those days that make you want to stay inside. With temperatures in the high 90’s, and heat indices making it feel over 100 degrees outside, many in the Washington area are warning the extreme weather can kill.

It has been another week of extreme weather this week, as the second tornado to hit Stafford County this year touched down Wednesday night near the airport.

The F-1 tornado, with winds in excess of 112 mph, hit a mostly rural area but was blamed for some minor home damage in the area.

More than 10,000 customers were without power immediately following the storm.
Area roads were closed in separate stretches, and firefighters were dispatched to more than 15 reports of fallen trees on homes. One family was trapped under a tree but was freed when firefighters arrived.

There were no storm-related injuries reported.

Lessons from an armed man

On Wednesday a Stafford man abducted a Fairfax man who reportedly was involved with his wife. The man was abducted at gunpoint, and was brought the suspects Stafford residence.

The man escaped through the abductor’s garage and called the police to tell them what had happened. When police swarmed the residence, the suspect forced his wife into his car at gunpoint and escaped, leading police on a high-speed pursuit. Police boxed the suspect into a parking lot. There police got the woman out of the car, and learned the suspect was armed.
The man negotiated with police for nearly three hours yesterday. When it was all over, police used a taser gun to subdue the man.

During the ordeal, what looked to be someone related to the suspect arrived on the scene and was talking with police. When he was through, he walked back to his car and ignored many of the questions that I was asking him. Frustrated that I was being ignored, I asked him, “Can you tell me anything about what’s going on?” The man continued to ignore me and drove away.

When he unexpectedly returned, I again approached him. He immediately told me to stay away from him, and that he clearly was not going to speak to me. The man promptly went to the other reporter on the scene, from a competing publication, and gave him an exclusive interview.

I learned that day that as a reporter the people who are going through emotional stress are not required to talk to me. I am there for them. If I had showed a little more compassion for the situation, and less angst about getting a great story, perhaps I would have gotten that interview.