An up-close-and-personal traffic incident last Saturday proved once again how dangerous it is to use a hand-held electronic device when driving.

I slowed because of traffic congestion on Little River Turnpike, west of the Beltway, when I heard the squeal of brakes and saw dust flying a few cars ahead of me. Fortunately, a Fairfax County police officer was right there to render assistance. The reason for the crash, I found out later, was a driver who was entering data into his GPS system. When he looked up from his task, he saw that traffic had stopped, but his foot was still on the gas pedal. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but several drivers’ day was ruined, along with damage to their vehicles. Police constantly are reminding us that driving requires full time and attention to the road, not to the gadgets that seem to direct our lives. At least one driver learned that lesson the hard way on Saturday.

Although the summer of 2011 is winding down, a few evenings of free summer concerts remain at Mason District Park. Tomorrow night’s show features The Aloha Boys (Hawaiian music and dance). Melodime (country/rock) will play Sunday night. Wednesday’s show, the last of the season, is Le Hotclub de Biglick (gypsy jazz). All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Mason District Park is located at 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale. Information about other free concerts in Fairfax County parks is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.

The Northern Virginia Chapter of Guitars Not Guns was founded in February 2006 to remember a young Annandale High School student who was shot to death in a tragic incident just outside of Fairfax County. Today, Guitars Not Guns of the National Capital Area (GnG NCA), an all-volunteer organization, operates an after school music and mentoring program for deserving youth who cannot otherwise afford music education. On September 10, GnG NCA will host its first ever benefit concert, featuring folk-rock artists Jonathan Edwards and Jesse Colin Young. The concert will be held at the George Mason University Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. For information about tickets and how you can help, log on to www.gngnca.org.
There will be many 10-year observances of the 9/11 attacks, but one of the most enduring is the annual Remembrance Ceremony, hosted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, at the Memorial Grove on the Government Center grounds. The grove was designed and planted with assistance from the Fairfax County Tree Commission, and has grown into a garden for contemplation and remembrance. The public is invited to the Remembrance Ceremony, which will be held on Sunday, September 11, from 2 until 3 p.m., at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. Attendees will gather in the forum for a ceremony, and then move in a procession to the Memorial Grove. This year’s theme is: “This September: A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare.”

Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be e-mailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov