Tenth Annual Virginia Festival for the Book: Fairfax County History Commission to Participate in Local History Discussion

3/23/2004

From: Stella Harrison of Stellar Strategies, 202-431-6461

News Advisory:

The Fairfax County History Commission will present a panel of local historians discussing the researching and writing of local history in Fairfax County at the Tenth Annual Festival for the Book in Charlottesville on Sunday, March 28, at 1:30 p.m. in the McIntire Room of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, 201 East Market Street, Charlottesville.

Authors featured will include Arlington resident Ross Netherton (co-author with his late wife Nan) of "The Preservation of History in Fairfax County, Virginia"; Herndon resident Charles Mauro, author of "The Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill)"; and Centreville resident Paula Elsey, editor/author "Stone Ground: A History of Union Mills." Mount Vernon resident Dr. Donald J. Senese, author, historian and chairman of the Publications Committee of the Fairfax County History Commission will serve as the moderator.

The panel is entitled "Rummaging Through the Attic: Writing Local History" and will focus on the challenges and techniques of discovering sources, pursuing research, and writing lively local history. All of the books discussed have been published by the Fairfax County History Commission, an advisory body for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

The Virginia Festival for the Book is being held in various locations in Charlottesville, March 24 - 28. The five days of free literary events including readings, discussions with authors and panels are open to the public as means to promote literacy and reading. The festival is produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Further information can be obtained by visiting http://www.Vabook.org or calling 434-924-7548, TTY 711.

More information about the Fairfax County History Commission can be found online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/visitors/history/histcomm/ or by phone at 703-293-6383, TTY 711. The Fairfax County History Commission was established in 1969 to help identify, document, record and preserve Fairfax County's historic past. Its 20 members are appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.