DASH School Supply Drive to Benefit Community Partners for Children
On August 20, Alexandria Transit Company (ATC) will conduct a school supply drive in partnership with Community Partners for Children.

Passengers who bring new school supplies (i.e. backpacks, notebooks, lunchboxes, etc.) will receive a free ride on ATCs DASH bus system. Riders are requested to place their donation in the special blue plastic bags attached to the side of the fare box.

The Old Town Transit Shop on Diagonal Road in Old Town, Alexandria, is also one of the collection sites for the Community Partners for Children School Supply Drive.  Should riders wish to make additional donations, there will be a collection box at that location until August 25th.

C.F. Sauer Foods Issues Allergy Alert for Spaghetti Sauce Mix 
CF Sauer Foods Inc., of Richmond, VA is recalling all packages of Gold Medal Spaghetti Sauce Mix with the code date as follows: 8119R. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

For more information, see http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/cfsauer08_08.html

Parlez Vous Launches Online Instruction
Parlez Vous has initiated online language instruction. Live Online Learning allows clients access from any location via the internet. This move stems from the desire to counter the rising cost of gas and to extend its client base. Using online meeting rooms, students and instructors are able to see and speak to each other in real time. For further information visit www.parlezvous.org

Massage Envy Opens at Potomac Yard
A new Massage Envy franchise will open at Potomac Yard on Tuesday, August 12. The chain offers members $59 massages, with additional massages priced at $49 if purchased in the same month.

Drivers get hyper about saving gas
The keys to getting the most out of each tankful of gasoline are to slow down and drive sensibly. But police say there is little evidence motorists are heeding that advice.

The number of tickets we are writing is not going down, said Virginia State Police Sgt. Franz Mahler. Troopers are still getting people driving [at speeds] in the high 90s or in the 100s on I-66.

The number of summonses issued to speeding motorists on the areas major secondary roads is also holding steady, Mahler said, adding that many of those being ticketed are not from this area.

According to automotive experts, you should fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is cooler. Service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground, the more dense the gasoline.

Gasoline expands when it gets warmer, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening means that a gallon is not exactly a gallon.

When youre filling up, do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. The trigger has three stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode, you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping.

All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so youre getting less for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill your gas tank when it is half empty: The more gas you have in your tank, the less air occupies its empty space. Gasoline evaporates very fast. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof that serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes evaporation.