Author: Mike Salmon

Features

Strings of Support: Community Rallies Behind New Guitar Club at Walker Grant Middle School

By Mike Salmon
Peter Mealy and his wife Laurie Rose Griffith play at Tapa Rio in Fredericksburg for Valentines Eve.

In mid-February, Peter Mealy headed to the Walker Grant Middle School PTA meeting in Fredericksburg to speak about his latest venture teaching guitar to students after school at Walker Grant and hopefully enlarging the program in one form or another.

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Features

Love, Music, and Classic Rock: Big Fat Doug Belford Experience Heats Up Occoquan

By Mike Salmon
Big Fat Daddy with Meri Schaefer and Brian Curtiss and John David Coppola with the peace sign. [Photo: Mike Salmon]

To set the mood for Valentine’s night, rockers of two local bands jammed the stage at Madigan’s in Occoquan to hammer out tunes for all the lovebirds or the singles keeping their eyes peeled for their special someone.

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Fredericksburg

Twin Lake Drive and Kensington Pedestrian Connector Project Underway

By Mike Salmon

Fredericksburg is taking another step forward to become a more walkable community with the recent start of construction off LaFayette Boulevard, which is part of the city’s Twin Lake Drive and Kensington Pedestrian Connector project.

This $2.4 million project includes extending a 10-foot wide paved shared-use path along the north side of Lafayette Boulevard between Twin Lake Drive and St. Paul Street in the City of Fredericksburg. The path will be accessible, with ramps and crosswalks built where the route intersects with Twin Lakes Drive, Springwood Drive, Kensington Place, and St. Paul Street.

The project includes a paved access point to the Virginia Central Railway Trail from the cul-de-sac of Springwood Drive, and a bike repair station will be installed at Alum Spring Park.

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Business

Flush Your Troubles Down the Drain: Pipefitter Opens in Fredericksburg

By Mike Salmon
Mr. Rooter opens a new plumbing office in Fredericksburg [Photo: Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce]

When the toilet gets clogged, or the pipe springs a leak, it might be time to call Mr. Rooter, the newest plumbing place in Fredericksburg, to fix the problem.

Officials gathered on Thursday, January 30, 2025, to cut the ribbon on the new Westwood Center office just east of I-95.

“When we started Mr. Rooter here in Fredericksburg, we set out to create not just another plumbing service, but a local business that our community can trust — whether it is for routine plumbing repair, an emergency fix, or a major installation,” said Gilbert Mwenedata, owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Fredericksburg. “We’re proud to be part of this wonderful community, and we look forward to building lasting relationships with our neighbors, customers, and other local businesses,” he said.

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Features

From Doubts to Riches: Spotsylvania Family Celebrates $10,000 PCH Win

By Mike Salmon
The initial surprise at the door. [Photo: Mike Salmon]

It was a typical morning at the Hansen household in Spotsylvania County until a black SUV pulled up. Howie Guja from Publishers Clearing House jumped out with an oversized check and bottle of champagne destined for Shelly Hansen, the sweepstakes’ newest winner. 

“I saw on the Ring doorbell, a guy with a big check and flowers,” said Shelly’s daughter Vicky. They are now $10,000 richer.

Shelly entered the Publishers Clearing House a few times before and won small prizes but continued to enter their drawing. This time it paid off – hefty, $10,000. However, PCH has given away bigger prizes in the past and continues to have drawings in the millions. 

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Features

Fredericksburg’s New Year Pear Drop: Gone But Not Forgotten

By Mike Salmon
On Caroline Street, the pear drop was a big event.

For 11 years, Fredericksburg marked the new year by dropping a six-foot paper mâché pear from a spot above Caroline Street.

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Fredericksburg

Traffic Engineers Propose Two-Way Streets and Bike Lanes to Slow Down Fredericksburg Drivers

By Mike Salmon
This meeting was at the new visitors center on Caroline Street. [Photo: Mike Salmon]

Speeding in downtown Fredericksburg is a significant factor for traffic engineers presenting the “Fredericksburg Downtown Traffic Engineering Study” to a packed house in the new visitor center on Caroline Street.

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Features

Chilly Temps Can’t Freeze the Festive Spirit at Fredericksburg Christmas Parade

By Mike Salmon
A toymaker from one of the holiday performances. [Photo: Mike Salmon]

Fredericksburg’s Christmas parade kicked off in style, with chilly temperatures setting the mood for hot chocolate and family gatherings up and down Caroline and Princess Anne streets on Saturday night, December 7, 2024.

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Features

Ionna World: Bringing Glitter, Grit, and Change to the Music Scene

By Mike Salmon

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Fredericksburg

Another Hurdle Crossed for Proposed Rappahannock River Bridge

By Mike Salmon
Finding a particular street in relation to the plans was the first step.

Fredericksburg officials used map boards and statistics to present potential plans for another bridge across the Rappahannock River at a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

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