GumSpringRoad.com

9-11 Remembered 7 Years Later

My cousin Kenny and his wife Jennifer were flight attendants on Flight 77, the plane that was crashed into the Pentagon 7 years ago today, and the memory of that day is still raw. Despite the painful memories from that day and the aftermath I watched the memorial services and especially the dedication of the Pentagon 9-11 Memorial with appreciation and gratitude. Appreciation for the respect shown for the victims and their families who still grieve today as if it happened last week. And appreciation for the men and women who serve us all by serving in our military.

The memorial dedicated earlier this morning at the Pentagon will serve as a reminder to all that our loved ones are precious and irreplacable. That when someone harms them they harm all of us. That when someone harms our loved ones they must be held acccountable whatever the cost. Seven years after 9-11 I am grateful that our country has not forgotten and that we continue to hunt for those responsible and fight those who still mean us harm.

If you are in the Leesburg area be sure to attend the 9-11 Leesburg ceremony this evening at 7 p.m. on the Town Green. The ceremony will include remarks by the mayor and police chief. The ceremony will be held at the Freedom Memorial, at 101 Granada Circle and will be open today from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Helping Hungry Neighbors

As layoffs continue and the economy slows down more of our neighbors will find themselves in a tough spot. If you’re fortunate enough to have a steady job and a financial cushion you might consider donating to a local food bank. What I like about food banks is the money goes directly towards helping someone in our area deal with the most basic need there is… food.

To locate a food bank visit Feeding America (formerly named America’s Second Harvest). You can search for local food banks by entering in your zip code. The nearest one to us is the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank which serves some of the poorest families in Virginia. I was a little surprised to find that Loudoun County was already on their coverage map prior to the recent economic crunch. When all is said and done there very well could be more counties added to the list needing food banks.

A large percentage of American families live paycheck to paycheck and when a job is lost they need help with the most basic of needs. Please consider lending a helping hand.

Note: If you’re aware if any other local food related charities in our local area please send me a message and I’ll be sure to help spread the word.

Find the Lowest Gas Prices in Our Area

Gas prices are finally moving in the right direction… DOWN! Did you ever think seeing gas prices close to $3.50 a gallon would be a good thing!?

I added a great new tool to the Resources section to help you find the best deal on gas in our area. Of course it can be used to find the best deals anywhere you happen to be traveling as well, but the report on GumSpringRoad.com will focus on prices in our immediate area. It’s updated frequently and should make it much easier to find the best bargains. Visit our Gas Prices page for the list.

If you want to help the rest of us out register at Gas Buddy and add a report when you spot a great deal in your area. It’s the largest site of it’s kind with thousands of stations in Virginia alone being reported* on every day. (* By “reported on” I mean the gas station’s prices are being updated)