Historic find at Ferry Farm Click here for full coverage, including stories, multimedia and an interactive photo of the Washington family home.

Local News

Businessman Does Good Turn For Road • Businessman doing a good turn for Locust Grove intersection

Tide Washes Up Blissful Memories • Couple who tossed a bottle in the ocean on their wedding anniversary connect with the Illinois man who found the bottle

Convict Faces New Abuse Charge • Man still harming children nearly a decade later, police say

Umw Offers Reward In Assault On Runner • police brief

Faithful Five • Five faithful rules of taking care of yourself during a medical crisis

Activities Plentiful At Camp Happyland • Area children enjoy Camp Happyland

Let'S Bring Back Children'S Day • Pastor Charlie Chilton's Thought for the week column: For love of the children

Quantico >> Base Celebrates Chapel Addition • Quantico completes major addition to base chapel

Is K.G. Contract Legal? What The Law Says On Contract Renegotiation • School officials appear to have illegally extended superintendent's contract

Ex-Governors Eager To Compare Records In First Senate Debate • Former Govs. Gilmore, Warner set to compare records in first debate in Virginia's U.S. Senate race

Umw Faces Identity Issues • University of Mary Washington board holds retreat in Irvington

A Heated Exchange? >> French Teens Learn, Swelter Students' Adventures Start At Stratford Hall French Connections • French students take a tour of Stratford digs during exchange visit to area

Life

Readers Report In From The Back Yard • Fredericksburg area families share tales from backyard camp-outs

Town and County

Homeless Pets • Pets up for Adoption

Civil War Calendar • Civil War Calendar for July 19

Tree Registry Would Help Worth Trying: Groundwater Is Still Woefully Low, After Several Years Of Drought And Torrential Rains Rather Than Prolonged Steady Ones. This Makes Many Trees Less Stable As They Send Feeder Roots Upward In Search Of Moisture, Rather Than Downward, Where They Usually Find Moisture And Anchor. Newly Planted Or Young Trees Need Water Frequently. Water Deeply, And Provide Mulch To Conserve Moisture. • Memorable trees in Fredericksburg should be documented. By Tony P. Wrenn

Cuttings • Garden calendar for July 19

Traveling With Your Pet Guided Nature Tour: Sunday, July 27, 2 P.M., Gari Melchers Home And Studio, Belmont, 224 Washington St., Falmouth. Members Of The Central Rappahannock Chapter Of The Virginia Naturalist Program Lead A Free Tour Of The Woods And Fields The Last Sunday Of Every Month, Starting At The Visitors Center. The Walk Covers About A Mile Of Trails And Will Touch On The Historic Ruins. Sturdy Footwear Recommended; Rain Or Shine; Free, No Reservations Necessary. 540/654-1839. • Leashes! Suitcases! Let's Go! By Sarah A. Ferrell

Pet Notes • Pet notes for July 19

Searching For A Spirit 'The Rappahannock River': Thursday, July 24, 10-11 A.M., Market Square, Fredericksburg Area Museum And Cultural Center, William And Princess Anne Streets. Friends Of The Rappahannock Will Teach Children The Importance Of Taking Care Of The River At This Session Of The Children'S Summer Workshop Series Sneak A Peek: The Museum Is Growing. Free. 540/371-3037, Famcc.Org. • Steve Fossett's American optimism and willingness to take a risk touched people. By Paul Sullivan

A New Role A Quiet Life In Colonial Beach Replaces Dramaof 'All My Children' Career For Mary Fickett Mary Fickett Roles • From Pine Valley to Colonial Beach: Longtime "All My Children" star Mary Fickett recalls her exciting television career

Could You Pass The Test? Children Born In U.S Are Citizens: In Most Countries Of Both The European Union And Western Nations, A Child Born To Illegal Immigrants In That Country Is Not Automatically Given Citizenship. In The United States A Birth Certificate Is Still Evidence Of Citizenship No Matter The Status Of The Parents. However, The Supreme Court Has Never Explicitly Ruled On This Issue • Immigrants who wish to become U.S. citizens must pass a test. I wonder if the average American would succeed. By Jim Kundreskas

Notes On Berry Pickin' Summer Discovery Workshops: Selected Days In July And August, 9:30 A.M., Kenmore, 1201 Washington Ave., Fredericksburg, And George Washington'S Ferry Farm, 268 Kings Highway, Stafford. Ages 4-10 Can Learn About The Civil War, Archaeology, Gardening, American Indians, Nature And 18Th-Century Play And Work. Ages 6-10, $8; Ages 4-5, $5. 540/370-0732, Ext. 24; Kenmore.Org. • Wild blackberries can be a juicy challenge. By Donnie Johnston

Mule School: Key Depot Civil War Talk: "Meade'S Army: The Private Notebooks Of Lt. Col. Theodore Lyman," Tomorrow, 2 P.M., Tredegar Iron Works, 470 Tredegar St., Richmond. Weekly Series Of Downtown Richmond Talks, Tours And Tales Highlighting The Capital'S Civil War History. David W. Lowe, National Park Service Historian, Will Talk On His Experiences In Editing And Publishing The Journals And Correspondence. Free, Parking Available On Site For $3 An Hour. 804/226-1981. • Civil War Mule School made Perryville, Md., a bustling place in the early 1860s. By Reed Hellman

Medical Mystery • "Mystery of the Bones" by P. Willey and Thomas P. Lowry looks at an odd contradiction in the aftermath of the Lewis and Clark expedition. By Dane Hartgrove

Business

He Came For A Visit, Started A New Life • Louis De left China to visit his uncle, and ending up staying and opening a restaurant

We Cool Our Heels In Iphone Slow Lane • New iPhone gets a passing grade, if you live in the right place

Spotsylvania Towne Centre Starbucks To Close • Spotsylvania Towne Centre Starbucks to close