Unity Health Care's New Children's Reading Center at Former DC Hospital Will Open February 17th

Washington, DC, January 31, 2012 - Unity Health Care will unveil a new children's reading center at its clinic in the former DC Hospital, 1900 Massachusetts Ave SE, building 29, from 1 to 4 p.m.  Friday, February 17. The brief program will include remarks from Vincent A. Keane, President/CEO of Unity Health Care, key staff and city officials.

Unity is the largest primary health care agency in the Washington, DC,  area, providing health care services to more than 82,000 patients annually at 29 health centers and a mobile outreach unit. Unity at DC General has grown to a site that served over 34,500 clients in 2011.  Services offered range from primary care, for children and adults, dentistry, case management and specialty services such as neurology, ophthalmology, general surgery, infectious diseases, podiatry to name a few.   

Promoting Literacy to DC's Homeless Population

Unity’s goal is to increase literacy among children during the critical literacy skills acquisition years of six months to five years. Through a partnership with Reach Out and Read of Metro DC, Unity has developed the Key Corner Project. The Key Corner Project promotes early literacy by bringing new books and advice about the importance of reading aloud into the pediatric exam room, unlocking the door to reading success

Sherry Ways of Kreative Ways and Solutions has been heading the design project for the reading room, which will include new furnishings, books, murals and accent walls. Two members of the Kreative Ways team, Bretnage Blair and Shea Capri Bartley, have been working on the project for six months.  Shea Capri, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and an intern at Kreative Ways have painted two murals for the project. This is the second Unity Reading Room redesign that Ways has led. She coordinated the redesign of a reading room at Unity's East of the River health Center in 2008.

Also participating in the project are Cindy Athey of Percision Tech, who has donated painting services; Benjamin Moore Paints, which donated paint; and Kate Smith of Sensational Color, who also donated paint.

Invited guests include Mayor Vincent Gray, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, and members of the City Council, Dr. Mohammad Akhter, Director of the District of Columbia’s Department of Health, Federal and District officials, community leaders and stakeholders. 

About Unity Health Care

Unity Health Care, Inc. (Unity) was founded in 1985 as Health Care for the Homeless Project (HCHP) providing primary health care services to homeless individuals and families that resided in local emergency shelters or on the streets of the District of Columbia.  With a patient population that is plagued by low literacy, the promotion of literacy has become an important part of standard primary care, enabling children to grow up with books and a love of reading. 

About Sherry Ways
 

Sherry Ways started her design firm, Kreative Ways & Solutions, LLC, in  2004. Ways earned a BS and a Master’s Degree with additional training in Interior Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art and the American Feng Shui Institute.  She holds a Certificate in Certified Color Therapy through the International Certified Aromatherapy Institute and has recently become a Certified Interior Environment Coach through the DeGangi Group.

Michael Sauri of TriVistaUSA Wins Two Grand CotY Awards, Merit and Finalist Awards

Arlington, VA, January 26, 2012 -  Arlington remodeler Michael Sauri, founder and president of TriVistaUSA, won two "Grand" first place awards for remodeling projects at the Capital CotY (Contractor of the Year) Awards presented on January 23, 2012, by the Metro DC Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Sauri won the two Grand CotY awards in the categories of Commercial interior and Residential Basement Interior.

Sauri also won a Merit award in the category of Creative Solutions under $15,000 and a Finalist award in the category of Residential Addition $100 to $250,000.

Renovating a Commercial Interior in Georgetown

Sauri's prize-winning commercial interior involved gutting and remodeling the second floor of a 200-year-old historic office building in Georgetown, with active retail below and operational space on two floors above. The space belongs to the Bullitt Agency, an international booking agency for musicians and DJs.

Bullitt's office space didn't suit its image. Sauri and his crew had to follow complicated architectural designs to create a 21st century European look in this early 19th century space. Sauri's team completely gutted the second floor, leaving a clean interior, where they created a 13'x18' private office for the company president and a work area of 30'x55' with a designated lounge/lunch area set off by a counter at the back of the workspace.

Sauri updated the function of the  space to "wired" 21st century, with integrated telephone, cable, a/v  and security systems, with trendy Italian furnishings, exposed industrial lighting and a Plexiglas wall which allows light but not sound to penetrate from the president's private office to the open work area.

Rebuilding the Basement of a 90-Year-Old Bungalow

Sauri's residential basement renovation included raising a 90-year-old stucco bungalow in Arlington off of the old, crumbling basement wall, using jacks and steel beams at 11 pressure points, building up the height of the basement wall by three feet and then placing the house back down on the new, reinforced basement wall. The renovation included reorganizing the basement into a family room with a piano, bathroom, laundry room, woodworking shop, utility area and storage under the front porch.

The old basement was barely six feet in height, but in some places it was only five feet because of plumbing and ductwork hanging down from a previous addition.  The basement was unusable for anything except non-critical storage; ground water leaked almost continually in some places. Working with a structural engineer, Sauri applied for county permits and received permission to raise the house.  There were substantial savings: raising the house, rather than digging down, saved the homeowners $30,000 to $50,000 because Sauri did not have to remove dirt and pour concrete.

Sauri is an Award-Winner

After practicing remodeling for five years as a hobby, Michael Sauri incorporated his remodeling company, TriVistaUSA in 2005.  He is licensed in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. In 2006, Sauri hit the big time, when he was featured on the HGTV renovation series, “Curb Appeal.” He completed three projects that were featured on Curb Appeal in 2006 through 2008 and are still featured in reruns.

In May 2011, Sauri was chosen one of the "Big 50" Remodelers in the U.S. by Remodeling Magazine. In the 25 years of the program, only 1,800 remodelers have been chosen for this elite group - out of 62,000 remodeling firms in the U.S.

Sauri received a Green Home Choice Award from Arlington County in May 2009 for his own home. In November 2010, Sauri was recognized as a finalist for an ECO CEO award from Washington Smart CEO Magazine in the category of Small Business Implementer.

Three of Sauri's projects received awards at the 2010 Capital CotY Awards on January 29, 2011, from the Metro DC NARI Chapter. Two of the winning projects are residential exterior renovations and one is a complete renovation/restoration of an historic 19th century farmhouse. One of the exterior renovations - a porch - was featured on the website of remodeling guru Bob Villa.

In 2007, TrivistaUSA won two CotY (Contractor of the Year) awards from NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry). In 2008, two more CotYs followed.

For more information on TriVistaUSA, visit http://www.trivistausa.com.

First Virginia Community Bank Is Washington Area's Fastest Growing Bank

Fairfax, VA , January 23, 2012 First Virginia Community Bank (FVCbank), headquartered in Fairfax,  is the Washington-area's fastest growing bank in terms of deposit growth, according to the Washington Business Journal.  On January 20, the Journal listed 50 metro banks in terms of deposit growth from September 30, 2010 to September 30, 2011. FVCbank led the list with a 49.7% growth in deposits for the 12-month period.

FVCbank has been on the fast track since its opening on November 27, 2007, starting with one of the fastest capital campaigns in Virginia banking. Chairman and CEO David Pijor raised $23 million in eight weeks and opened the bank in just 11 months - one of the fastest openings on record in the Washington area. FVCbank reached profitability in 2010, after only two years of operation and in one of the worst recessions in recent history. At year-end 2010, FVCbank's deposits increased 49.4% over the previous year.

"We have been able to take advantage of the Washington area's high growth market with our combination of service to our customers and commitment to the community," says Chairman and CEO David Pijor. "Our growth plan centers on a team of experienced bankers and is backed by our board of directors and our loyal investors."

About First Virginia Community
 First Virginia Community Bank (FVCbank) is a state charted bank, headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.  The bank’s corporate offices and main branch are located at 11325 Random Hills Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. The bank’s second office, located at 7900 Sudley Road, Manassas, Virginia 20109, opened in July 2008 and its third office, located at 11260 Roger Bacon Drive, Reston, Virginia, 20190, opened in July 2011.

In the fall of 2010, FVCbank raised $6.3 million in a private stock offering. FVCbank successfully completed its third stock offering in December 2011 raising an additional $6.6 million.

For more information, visit www.fvcbank.com.

Curry’s Auto Service Earns Coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award

Gainesville, VA, January 3, 2012- Curry’s Auto Service, Inc, headquartered in Gainesville, Virginia, has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service and health providers.

Curry's Auto Service is one of the largest and most successful independent automotive service and repair companies in the Washington, DC, area, with eight shops across Northern Virginia in Alexandria,  Arlington, Chantilly, Dulles Town Center, Fairfax, Falls Church, Gainesville and Great Falls and one in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

"Our goal is to provide honest automotive repair advice, quality workmanship and exceptional service." says Matt Curry, founder and president of Curry's Auto Service." I tell all my employees that we are a not just a repair business, we are a long-term relationship-building business.

We have 4500 customer interactions each month and I want these to be a positive experience.

"I  encourage all of Curry's staff to get to know our customers and to spend time discussing needed repairs with them," says Curry." We provide all our customers with complimentary complete vehicle inspections and written estimates that prioritize the work needed on their vehicles. We also have a Customer Service Advocate who is available to answer any customer's questions or concerns."

Curry's technicians do technical repairs and diagnostics for which many of the franchise outlets do not have the expertise. They also perform routine maintenance, such as oil changes, transmission flushes, tire sales and Virginia State safety and emissions inspections. Curry’s technicians can repair all makes and models, including race prep and performance modifications. 

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Curry’s Auto Service can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to business names in search results on AngiesList.com.

About Curry's Auto
Founded by Matt and Judy Curry in 1997, Curry's Auto Service was named "2010 Top Shop" by Motor Age Magazine. In June 2010, Curry's Auto Service was chosen by the readers of Northern Virginia Magazine as "Best Auto Repair Shop" in Northern Virginia. In addition, Curry’s has received the highest AAA ratings in the country for customer satisfaction.

Curry's Auto Service offers full auto service and maintenance with ASE certified technicians and Curry's usual state of the art equipment. Curry's also sells tires as part of the Tire Pros Network, the largest network of independent tire dealers in the US. Through the Tire Pros Network, Curry’s Auto Service offers its customers nationwide tire and automotive repair warranties, honored coast-to-coast at more than 300 Tire Pros stores and 10,000 American Car Care Centers. Curry's is also a Bosch Authorized Repair Dealer and their diagnostic and electronic service and repair expertise sets them apart from their competitors.

During the past three years, Curry's Auto Service has grown in sales and profitability with a revenue increase of 78% from 2008 to 2010. Curry’s is involved in a major expansion program, growing from four stores in 2008 to nine in 2011. In recognition of this growth, Curry's was named for the second consecutive year in 2011 to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the U.S.

For more information on Curry's Auto Service, visit the company website at http://www.currysauto.com.

About Angie's List

Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 2 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie's List Magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service.