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 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, VRE …

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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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Local Business Owner Wins in 'Leading Mom' Contest

Fairfax Station resident who run children's enrichment activities company, Hallabolou, was recognized.

Fairfax Station-based Hallabolou was ranked in a nationwide contest for Leading Moms in Business. Hallabolou, which offers enrichment classes for children—from ballet to Lego-building—ranked number 151 in StartupNation.com’s 2012 Leading Moms contest, which was created to celebrate mothers in business. The contest was sponsored by Sam’s Club and Web.com. More than 350,000 votes were cast. StartupNation is an industry website focusing on entrepenuers. “I’m honored that so many people cared to vote!  I love my job and wouldn't trade it for the world!” said Hallaolou founder Vanessa Boson. Her winner profile for Hallabolou can be found at StartupNation.

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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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Small Business Spotlight

Clifton Woman Starts Cupcake Business

Clifton Cupcake offers 16 flavors.

A lifelong love of baking prompted a Clifton woman to start her own cupcakery. “I’ve been baking cakes for my family for the last 19 years,” said Laurie Gaffney. “Everyone said ‘You should open your own business’ so I did a bit of research and decided to try it out.” With her children soon leaving for college, the time was right for the stay-at-home mom to pursue her baking full time when she started her business, Clifton Cupcake, last year. Gaffney obtained a permit to work from her home, and thankfully her kitchen is large enough to handling a lot of baking, she said. The biggest challenge so far, Gaffney said, has been getting the word out. “Finding business without a storefront is hard,” Gaffney said. “It’s been mostly word of mouth.” …

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Clifton Presbyterian Church Reports Break-In

Cash, other items were taken from the church office.

A recent break-in at the Clifton Presbyterian Church has prompted the pastor of the church to remind residents to keep aware. “We’ve now implemented some new safety measures at the church to secure our office,” said Pastor Lynn Stanton-Hoyle. Last Monday, April 23, church staff discovered petty cash and a few other miscellaneous items stolen from the church office. “They jimmied the locks on the ground-floor window that goes into our church office,” Stanton-Hoyle said. They called authorities and filed a police report. Just a day later, the staff said that it appeared like someone had broken in again. “It appears it was likely the same person who came back but there wasn’t anything for them to take in terms of money,” Stanton-Hoyle said. …

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