Dranesville Elementary Holds Fun Runconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/...Nov 25, 2013...

Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ November 27 - December 3, 2013 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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November 27 - December 3, 2013 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

Community CreatesSeason of GivingNews, Page 8

Library’s Beta Plan:Dead on ArrivalNews, Page 4

Community CreatesSeason of GivingNews, Page 8

Library’s Beta Plan:Dead on ArrivalNews, Page 4

Oak Hill ❖ HerndonOak Hill ❖ Herndon

Dranesville ElementaryHolds Fun RunNews, Page 3

Dranesville ElementaryHolds Fun Run

Teacher Lauren Warner,resident of Arlington andteacher of a fifth gradeclass at Dranesville El-ementary, marks the t-shirtof one of her students toverify how many laps thestudent has completed.

2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ November 27 - December 3, 2013 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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To have community events listed inthe Connection, send [email protected] the Friday prior to the followingweek’s paper.

WEDNESDAY-MONDAY/NOV. 27-DEC. 16Toys for Tots Drop-off. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

weekdays, at National Realty, locatedat the corner of Reston Parkway andSunrise Valley Drive, 11890 SunriseValley Drive, Reston. Drop a new,unwrapped toy in the donation boxin the lobby. All toys will bedistributed to needy children withinLoudoun County and to Herndon &Reston children via the non-profitHerndon-Reston FISH, Inc. “Newbornto 1-Year Old” and the “Teens” agegroups are particularly needed. 703-860-4600.

FRIDAY/NOV. 29American Red Cross Blood Drive.

8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Reston CommunityCenter, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston.

SUNDAY/DEC. 8 Worm Composting. 2-3:30 p.m.

Walker Nature Center, 11450 GladeDrive, Reston. Learn about Wormcomposting, which is a type ofvermiculture that is a natural methodof recycling food waste. Reservationsrequired by Dec. 5. Fee: $35/Bin RAmembers; $40/Bin [email protected]

TUESDAY/DEC. 10Discover Graphics. At ArtSpace

Herndon, 750 Center Street,Herndon. Exhibiting the work ofprintmakers for the past 30 years.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 11Business Education Workshop:

Learn to Enjoy Tax Time. 8:30-10 a.m., at Greater Reston Chamberof Commerce, 1763 Fountain Drive,Reston. The cost is $10. Register athttps://restonvacoc.wliinc25.com/.More info: call 703-707-9045.

ONGOINGFairfax County’s Meals on Wheels

urgently needs drivers in theAnnandale, Franconia/Kingstowne,

Reston, Mount Vernon and McLeanareas. 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults.Herndon Senior Center seeks a

knitting enthusiast to teach basicprocedures. Class meets Thursdays,

10:30 a.m. to noon and musicians toplay soothing music on weekend

mornings. 703-324-5406, TTY 711 orhttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults.

AWANA Club for ChristianChildren. 7-8:30 p.m., at MLKChristian Church, 11400 North ShoreDrive, Reston. Awana helps churchesand parents work together to developspiritually strong youth whofaithfully follow Jesus Christ. 703-709-3641.

Knitting Enthusiasts, MusiciansNeeded. 10:30 a.m.-noon, atHerndon Senior Center. HerndonSenior Center seeks a knittingenthusiast to teach basic procedures.Musicians to play soothing music onweekend mornings also needed. 703-324-5406, TTY 711,www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadult [email protected].

Habitat Heroes Project. Every 4thSaturday of each month. Join theHabitat Heroes in protecting Reston’sforests from aggressive plants andrestoring them to their natural state.Wear long sleeves, long pants, and ifpossible, gardening gloves to protectfrom insects and dangerous plants.R.A. will provide tools, gloves,snacks, and water. To volunteer andfind more information, [email protected] or 703-435-7986.

Bulletin Board


What Are You Thankful for onthis Thanksgiving Day?

Viewpoints

Beth Meyer – Owner of GreenLizard Cycling at 718 Lynn St,Herndon

“My husband and I areboth thankful for the sup-port of the people ofHerndon since we openedup Green Lizard Cycling.The community supporthas been awesome.”

Tim Groszkowski – Owner ofGreat Harvest Bread atHerndon

“I am thankful for myfamily and community inwhich I work and live.”

Dung Lam - Owner ofHerndon Clock and Watch at715 Pine Street, Herndon

“I am thankful for thebusiness we get from ourreturning customers.Some of our customerstravel in from DC and Sil-ver Spring, Md.”

Olivia DiBenigno – Staffmember at Potter’s Fire inHerndon, ceramics artist

“I am thankful for myeducation and for my job.”

Mike Faul – Owner of Potter’sFire located at 797-B Center St.in downtown Herndon

“I am grateful that Godlet me be an American citi-zen.”

Karen Rivera – Manager ofAlders Arts and Frames at 310Elden Street, Herndon

“I am most thankful formy family and job, andthat people continue tosupport smaller busi-nesses.”

— Ryan Dunn

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News

By Ryan Dunn

The Connection

Dranesville ElementarySchool in Herndon hada fun run fundraiser on

Friday, Nov. 15, with students fromthird grade through sixth gradegathering at 9:15 a.m. Students inkindergarten through secondgrade participated in their fun runat 1:45 p.m. The event was oper-ated by the organizationBoosterthon, which had previouslybeen at Dranesville Elementary.“We serve schools in Prince Will-iam and Fairfax County… Weworked with both the PTA andadministration for this event,” saidBoosterthon team leader MarcusHarris.

The Boosterthon program atDranesville began on Wednesday, Nov. 6 with a preprally. “The reasons we need a fundraiser is we wantto support the staff and teachers at Dranesville andthe amazing work they do with the kids here,” saidPTA Recording Secretary Kim Baker. “The PTA pro-vides buses for field trip requests, for professionaldevelopment requests, for technology and manyother financial needs at the school. The Boosterthonis a great way to raise funds we need and teach ourchildren important lessons about fitness, character,and leadership,” said Smith.

Since 2001, the Boosterthon Fun Run team hasbeen serving schools across America, providing a fun,healthy alternative to sales-driven fundraisers. TheBoosterthon Fun Run is based in Atlanta, Ga., andhas served students at 1000 schools in 22 statesacross the U.S. “We offer a nine-day program withan emphasis on fitness, leadership, and character,”said Boosterthon leader Harris.

At 9:15 a.m. students in third through sixth gradewent outside for the fun run which was close to twomiles. Principal Kathy Manoatl was there to cheerstudents on. “Every student participates and gets at-shirt. Dranesville Elementary has a focus on fitnessand it is important that students get the opportunityto move. We also offer family fitness nights,” saidMonoatl. Dranesville Elementary has an enrollmentof 758 students at the school from preschool to 6thgrade.

A water stand operated by a team of volunteerswas set up on the field. Like every great sporting

event, there was a playing of theNational Anthem. Harris askedthe students to give a round of ap-plause to the parents who came,and then read out some rules.“This is not a race so be safe,” saidHarris. He also instructed every-one participating to have somewater after completing five laps.

“The fun run is far superior tosome fundraisers, the organiza-tion is so impressive,” said parentJenna Moyle, a Herndon residentfor 15 years. She was there tocheer on her son Matthew Moyle,a student at Dranesville Elemen-tary. “It was fun to run aroundwith friends,” said MatthewMoyle.

PTA President Rachel Gross andother PTA members were at theevent. Most of the PTA has been

very receptive to Boosterthon. “It is a very solid com-pany, they are so positive,” said Gross. “The themethis year was teamwork and not bullying.”

“We support it [the fun run] because it is a fitnessbased fundraiser,” said Dranesville Elementary physi-cal education instructor Alison Matias. “I am hopingmy children’s school in Prince William County willalso pick up this program.” Matias has been a physi-cal education teacher for 11 years at Fairfax Countyschools, and for 9 years at Dranesville Elementary.

“It is a great event,” said Yani Moreira resident ofHerndon. Moreira was there to cheer on her daugh-ter Madison. Lauren Warner, resident of Arlingtonand teacher of a fifth grade class at Dranesville, wasalso attending the event. “It [the Boosterthon pro-gram] is a wonderful opportunity for the kids to runfor the school and learn social lessons like respect-ing others,” said Warner.

“They are not loosing any classroom time for the15 minute team huddles they have during the days,and they are learning community, team values,” saidGross. “The theme was teamwork and not bullying,and for the goal we wanted to increase the technol-ogy at our schools. We did a full force campaign thisyear,” said Gross.

Boosterthon also has a program to give some oftheir proceeds to families in need.

For more information about Dranesville Elemen-tary School, visit www.fcps.edu/DranesvilleES

To learn more about Boosterthon, visitwww.boosterthon.com.

2012-13 Dranesville Elementary PTA Officers (from left) Christine Brinson, PTA VicePresident, Kelly Smith, PTA Correspondence Secretary, Kim Baker Recording Secre-tary, and Rachel Gross, PTA President. In the background is Dranesville Elementary.

Dranesville Elementary Holds Fun RunFun Run attended by all grades called a success.

Dranesville ElementarySchool Principal KathyManoatl stands withBoosterthon Fun Run teammember Adam Clements.

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The Fairfax County Public LibraryBoard of Trustees, a 12-member, volun-teer board is responsible for librarypolicies and for making budget recom-mendations to the Board of Supervisors.The board meets on the second Wednes-day of each month except August. Mostmeetings are held at 7 p.m. at GeorgeMason Regional Library.

The public is invited to attend. Amaximum of ten people may register tospeak on library concerns during thepublic comment period at each monthlymeeting.

For information or to register tospeak, call 703-324-8324.

BOARD OF TRUSTEESLee DistrictWillard O. Jasper (Chair) of Alexan-

driaAppointed by Supervisor Jeff McKay

(D-Lee)Branches located in this district:John Marshall LibraryKingstowne LibraryRichard Byrd Library

At-LargeCharles Fegan (Vice -Chair) of

Annandale(Representative to FCPL Foundation

Board of Directors)Branch located in this district:All branches

Susan C. ThornileyRepresents Fairfax County Public

Schools5215 Dunleigh Glen Lane, BurkeBranch located in this district:All branches

BraddockDavid C.F. Ray of AnnandaleAppointed by Supervisor John Cook

(R-Braddock)Branches located in this district:Kings Park LibraryBurke Centre Library

City of FairfaxMary Petersen of FairfaxAppointed by Fairfax City CouncilBranch located in this district:City of Fairfax Regional Library

Dranesville DistrictKristin Cabral of McLean

Appointed by Supervisor John Foust(D-Dranesville)

Branches located in this district:Dolley Madison LibraryGreat Falls LibraryHerndon Fortnightly LibraryTysons-Pimmit Regional Library

Hunter Mill DistrictMichael Cutrone of RestonAppointed by Supervisor Cathy

Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill)Branches located in this district:Patrick Henry LibraryReston Regional Library

Mason DistrictElizabeth Clements of AnnandaleAppointed by Supervisor Penny Gross

(D-Mason)Branches located in this district:George Mason Regional LibraryThomas Jefferson LibraryWoodrow Wilson Library

Mount Vernon DistrictDonald F. Heinrichs of AlexandriaAppointed by Supervisor Gerald

Hyland (D-Mount Vernon)Branches located in this district:Lorton LibraryMartha Washington LibrarySherwood Regional Library

Providence DistrictMargaret Koplitz of Falls ChurchAppointed by Supervisor Linda Smyth

(D-Providence)Branch located in this district:Oakton Library

Springfield DistrictDr. Joseph H. Sirh of CliftonAppointed by Supervisor Pat Herrity

(R-Springfield)Branch located in this district:Pohick Regional Library

Sully DistrictKarrie K. Delaney of ChantillyAppointed by Supervisor Michael

Frey (R-Sully)Branches located in this district:Centreville Regional LibraryChantilly Regional LibraryAccess Services for people with dis-

abilities.Access Services is located at the Gov-

ernment Center.

Wearing purple, about 50 library supporters gatheredat the Fairfax County Government Center on Tuesday,Nov. 19, to show their support for the library board’srecommendations to the Board of Supervisors.

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Library Board of Trustees:Who They Are, What They Do

See Beta Plan, Page 5

By Victoria Ross

The Connection

You can assume that the BETA Plan is dead.I will make that motion tomorrow.” In heremail to a concerned library patron thenight before the Board of Supervisors Nov.

19 meeting, Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-at-large)put to rest speculation that the board would resusci-tate the controversial beta plan aimed at streamlin-ing the county’s library system.

The next day, the board passed Bulova’s motion 8-1 to accept a report from the Library Board of Trust-ees, effectively killing the beta plan, which includedproposals to reduce staff, eliminate the requirementfor branch managers to have a master of library sci-ence degree, and reduce the number of children’slibrarians.

Library Board of Trustees Chair Willard O. Jasperpresented the reports from two ad hoc committees,appointed by the library board in September to con-duct a series of public outreach meetings after trust-ees suspended the beta plan.

“For starters, there is no sentiment on the commit-tee, the Library Board of Trustees, staff, or the ma-jority of public commenters to move forward withthe beta plan, including its reclassification of posi-tions,” Jasper told the board in explaining the blan-ket rejection of the beta plan.

Jasper also said the library system has “suffered

demonstrably” from several years of severe budgetcuts, and recommended increasing funding libraryoperations.

“The predominant message (from the report) isthat the library requires additional funding to main-tain its high-quality selection,” Jasper told the board.“The library budget has been cut 40 percent … spend-ing in Fairfax County is the lowest in all eight neigh-boring jurisdictions.”

In addition to accepting the report, the board ap-proved Bulova’s motion to add a “consideration item”of $1 million to the fiscal year 2015 budget. “Thisadditional funding would … be directed to the ac-quisition of non-fiction works,” Bulova said. “Morethan 10,000 additional materials could be acquiredwith this funding.”

Supervisor Michael Frey (R-Sully), who voted noon the motion, said he wasn’t pleased with thelibrary’s report, and chastised fellow supervisors fordistancing themselves from “the reforms we made.”

He also praised Library Director Sam Clay for hav-ing the courage to “put the (beta) plan out there.”

“I really was kind of shocked that the Board ofTrustees would come back with a report that essen-tially says flatly ‘no’ to all proposed changes and ‘giveus more money,’” Frey said.

“Our board has been saying to every departmenthead tell us how you can do more with less, andthey came back and said we’ll do the same with more.And the supervisors said OK — here’s million dollarsmore,” Frey said. “They have seen how to get moremoney — just turn up the heat on us.”

Criticism of the plan has been building since July,when Clay unveiled a program that would test a neworganization model this fall at the Burke Centre Li-brary and the Reston Regional Library, the busiestlibrary branch in the county. Clay has defended the

The County Line

Library Board of Trustees Chair Willard O. Jasper (center), along with several otherlibrary board members, presented reports from two ad hoc committees appointed bythe library board in September to conduct a series of public outreach meetings aftertrustees suspended the beta plan to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tues-day, Nov. 19. Recommendations included increased funding and discarding the con-troversial beta plan.

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Library’s Beta Plan:Dead on ArrivalSupervisors endorseLibrary Board’s recom-mendations to increasefunding, discard beta plan.

“


COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIPCOMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

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reorganization, saying that thegoal was to streamline staffingwhile retaining a high level of ser-vice.

Vera Finberg, a librarian whoattended the board meeting, saidshe was disappointed by theboard’s discussion of funding.

“This is a rich county,” Finbergsaid. “Do not tell us you value li-braries and don’t have enoughmoney to support them.”

Finberg was joined by more than50 library supporters — employ-ees and volunteers — who at-tended the meeting to show sup-port for library board’s recommen-dations.

They applauded when Supervi-sor Linda Smyth (D-Providence),dubbed the “dumpster diving su-pervisor,” spoke. Smyth touchedoff a furious debate over how thelibrary discards used books whenshe photographed dumpsters fullof books in seemingly good con-dition that she found behind thelibrary’s technical operations cen-ter in Chantilly this summer.

On Aug. 29, Smyth recovereddozens of usable books from thedumpsters, and then took them tocounty officials who ordered animmediate stop to the discarding.Smyth said she learned that morethan 250,000 books have beenthrown out since October 2012.

“One never knows what this jobwill bring,” Smyth said at theboard meeting, adding that shewas still hearing concerns aboutdiscards.

“We need to be sure books areon library shelves as long as pos-sible. Mending used to be part ofprocess. This is something thatseems to have fallen by the way-side, and that’s putting it nicely,”Smyth said.

Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) said he supported thelibrary system and the public en-gagement process, but noted that

libraries had to find ways to adaptto a world where the Internet hasreplaced newsprint and e-bookshave supplanted paperbacks.

“Libraries everywhere arechanging as new technologychanges the nature of information-gathering,” Cook said. “If the an-swers were simple, someonewould have thought of it already.”

Most of the supervisors praisedthe patrons and staff who partici-pated in the public meetings andcommittees. “We heard you,” Su-pervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) said. “In my opinion,in two months you’ve made tre-mendous progress.” SupervisorCathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill)said she was grateful that librarystaff also attended the meetings.“We should look at who we are andwho we should be serving … Col-laboration is important.”

Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee)said the library controversy ex-posed a silver lining.

“Let there be no doubt in thecommunity about the passion thatcitizens have about their libraries,”McKay said. “We should be proudof all the responses we heard.”

David Broder, president of theSEIU Virginia 512, said the libraryboard’s reports teach two lessons.

“First, local families love our li-braries and library staff,” Brodersaid. “Second, any so-called re-forms which don’t take advantageof librarians’ expertise and whichdon’t reflect the desires of the com-munity are bound to fail. TheBoard of Supervisors needs to leadthe effort to strengthen our librar-ies for the next generation.”

Supervisors asked the LibraryBoard to return in December witha plan for implementing the rec-ommendations.

To read the Library Board ofTrustees reports, go to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/n e w s /communicationandevaluationreport.htm

News

From Page 4

Beta Plan Discarded


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Oak Hill & HerndonOpinion

The holidays are aboutgiving. They are aboutchildren. The holidaysare about sharing,

about joy, about alleviating suffer-ing for others. The holidays areabout being thankful and aboutfaith and appreciation.

Most of us live in neighborhoodsthat are very homogenous. Thereare exceptions, but most people

reading this live inaffluent areaswhere the housesare mostly in the

same price range, and while theremight be some ethnic diversity,there is little in the way of eco-nomic diversity.

It’s easy to forget that there aremassive unmet needs, hungry chil-dren, homeless families most withat least one working parent, home-less individuals with jobs and with-out jobs, people who don’t knowfor sure whether they will haveenough to eat or be able to bewarm enough, people who arechoosing between medical careand car repair when forgoing thecar repair could mean losing a job.

In Fairfax County PublicSchools, about 50,000 of the185,000 students qualify to re-ceive free or subsidized meals, asignificant measure of poverty.Many elementary schools staff arediscovering that for some of thesestudents, a majority of students insome schools, they only meals thecan count on are breakfast andlunch on school days.

Nonprofits, school staff and in-dividuals have been working tosend backpacks of healthy, kid-friendly food home with studentson the weekend.

It’s hard to imagine 50,000 stu-dents going hungry; it’s obviousthat children who aren’t sure theywill be able to eat when they arehungry are not going to have joy-ous holidays filled with familymeals, gifts and special activities.

Hundreds of homeless studentsattend the public schools, andtheir needs are greater.

There are literally hundreds,probably thousands, of ways togive locally this season. Here are

a few ideas. We welcome sugges-tions for other groups.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Fairfax County

Where To GiveLocallyIn no particular order:❖ Our Daily Bread — has been serving

needy families in Fairfax County for25 years. The Holiday Program helpsthose in need with food for theholidays and gifts for their children,making last year’s holiday seasonbrighter for approximately 3,000families. For more information ontheir holiday programs, includinghow to sponsor a family, go towww.odbfairfax.com/holiday

❖ Food for Others distributed more than2.4 million pounds of free food tofamilies in need in Northern Virginiain the year ending June 30, 2012,The non-profit provides a safety netfor people who suddenly faceunforeseen emergencies such as afamily illness or the loss of a job or aspouse. Located at 2938 ProsperityAve., Fairfax, VA 22031, 703-207-9173. www.foodforothers.com

❖ Ecumenical Community HelpingOthers (ECHO), 703-569-9160. Opento receive donations at 7205 OldKeene Mill Road, Springfield.Provides food and financialassistance to those in short-termemergencies, and provides clothingand household goods to low incomefamilies, helping more than 5,000people last year. www.echo-inc.org.

❖ Lorton Community Action Centeroperates the Act ll Thrift Shop at9506 Richmond Highway, Lorton.Sales from the shop generate fundsfor LCAC and clients also shop there.Now collecting gift cards and foodbaskets for Thanksgiving, gifts andfood baskets for Christmas, andwarm coats. 703-339-8611www.lortonaction.org.

❖ Boys and Girls Clubs of GreaterWashington Fairfax Area operatesclubs in two of the neediest areas ofthe county, Culmore and the Route 1corridor, focusing on character andacademic success. http://www.bgcgw.org/fairfax/

❖ Office to End and PreventHomelessness needs just a fewthousand dollars more in

contributions for Jeans Day (inOctober) to qualify for a matchinggrant from the Phillip L. GrahamFund, turning many $5 and greaterdonations into $50,000 to helpthousands of homeless in FairfaxCounty. www.ziphomelessness.com

❖ 12 Ways of Giving: Fairfax CountyOffice of Public Private Partnerships“12 Ways of Giving” campaign is anannual event that showcases manyways for meaningful, local givingduring the holiday season,highlighting nonprofits in FairfaxCounty.www.fairfaxcountypartnerships.org

❖ Comfort for America’s UniformedServices (CAUSE) — ensures thatrecuperating service members haveopportunities for recreation andsocial interaction and receiveconcrete signs of appreciation for allthat they have done. 4114 LegatoRoad Suite B, Fairfax, VA 22033,703-591-4968, cause-usa.org

❖ National Capital Food Bank, 6833 HillPark Drive, Lorton, serving all ofNorthern Virginia, 703-541-3063.www.capitalareafoodbank.org

❖ Western Fairfax Christian Ministries— food pantry at 13981 MetrotechDrive in Chantilly (near BackyardGrill and Bar). For more informationor to sponsor a family, call 703-988-9656, ext. 105. To mail gift cards orsend donations by check, add a notesaying “food basket program” andsend them to: WFCM, P.O. Box220802, Chantilly, VA 20153. 703-988-9656.

❖ The Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic, 13525Dulles Technology Drive, Herndon,VA 20171, 571-235-3577. Last year,139 community volunteers — nurses,nurse practitioners, and physicians —gave more than 1,300 hours of theirtime to see patients. jsfreeclinic.org.

❖ Alternative House — Abused andHomeless Children’s Refuge, 2100Gallows Road, Vienna, VA 22182,703-506-9191.www.thealternativehouse.org.

❖ Cornerstones, 11150 Sunset HillsRoad, Suite 210, Reston, servingReston and Herndon. 571-323-9555,www.cornerstonesva.org. Programsand services include the EmbryRucker Community Shelter,Emergency Food Pantry,Hypothermia Prevention Programand the Thanksgiving Food Drive.

❖ SHARE of McLean seeks donations ofgrocery gift cards and more. Checksand gift cards can be sent to: HolidayCelebration, Share, Inc. PO Box 210,McLean, VA 22101. 703-284-2179.www.SHAREofMcLean.org

❖ LINK, serving Herndon, Chantilly,Loudoun and more, needscontributions of food, coats and

holiday toys for children, plusvolunteers. More than 4,000 adultsand children have signed up for helpwith Thanksgiving and Christmasmeals. 703-437-1776www.linkagainsthunger.org

❖ FACETS helps parents, their childrenand individuals who suffer the effectsof poverty in the Fairfax area.FACETS is always in need ofvolunteers, and offers a variety ofone-time and ongoing opportunities.703-865-4251 [email protected]. FACETSoffers a monthly Youth VolunteerNight, with the next one scheduledfor Tuesday, Nov. 20, 5:30-6:30pm.Information about supply donationsand FACETS holiday gifts drive isavailable on the website atwww.facetscares.org. 10640 PageAvenue, Suite 300, Fairfax VA 22030

❖ Committee for Helping Others (CHO),Vienna, organized in 1969 by a groupof concerned churches andindividuals in the Dunn Loring,Merrifield, Oakton, Viennacommunity to provide simple, lovingcharity to those in need. 14th AnnualThanksgiving Interfaith Service isTuesday, Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m. atEmmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589Chain Bridge Road.

Vienna 703-281-7614 http://www.cho-va.com

❖ Fairfax City Area FISH (For ImmediateSympathetic Help), working with theOffice of Coordinated ServicesPlanning, Fairfax County Departmentof Human Services, FISH helps localcitizens who are in temporary needof life’s basic necessities such as food,clothing, and financial assistance forrent, mortgage payments, utilities,and medical treatments. FISH alsoprovides limited transportation fordoctor appointments and fooddelivery. 703-222-0880 http://fairfaxfish.org/

❖ Herndon-Reston FISH (For ImmediateSympathetic Help), 336 VictoryDrive, Herndon, 703-391-0105 http://herndonrestonfish.org

❖ Lamb Center,www.thelambcenter.org, Day centerfor homeless, Fairfax 703-691-3178

❖ Northern Virginia Family Service,10455 White Granite Drive Suite100, Oakton, VA 22124 703-385-3267 http://www.nvfs.org/

❖ United Community Ministries, MountVernon, 703-768-7106, 7511 FordsonRoad, Alexandria, 22306 http://www.ucmagency.org/

❖ Touching Heart in Herndon is anonprofit organization whose missionis to educate children to have givinghearts. http://www.touchingheart.com, 703-901-7355

Holidays Are About GivingSo many needs,so many greatorganizations, givelocally where yourheart leads you.

Needy families wait online to receive groceriesand gift certificates atTrinity PresbyterianChurch in Herndon onNov. 16. Sixty familiesan hour were escortedthrough the churchsupermarket duringseven hour LINK event.www.linkagainsthunger.org703-437-1776

Editorial

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Join in our annual givingcampaign:For more information,E-mail [email protected]: 703-820-5206Visit http://www.bgcgw.org/givegreatfutures/and select “Fairfax County”

The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of GreaterWashington is to help boys and girls of all backgrounds,especially those who need us most, build confidence,develop character and acquire the skills needed tobecome productive, civic-minded, responsible adults.

BGCGW’s Fairfax County region includes the CulmoreCharacter Club and Murraygate Village Club, serving 582members a year. On average, 120 youths come throughthe doors every day during the school year.

Meet Henry Lopez, 2013 NationalBoys & Girls Clubs Virginia Youthof the Year, who grew up with theBGCGW Culmore Character Clubfor 14 years. Henry now attendsGeorge Mason University on anHonor Scholarship studyingcomputer engineering.

Faith Notes are for announcementsand events in the faith community, in-cluding special holiday services. Send [email protected] is Thursday.

Trinity PresbyterianChurch, 651 Dranesville Road,Herndon, has Sunday worship ser-vices at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.Nursery and childcare are pro-vided and youth and adult Sundayschool classes are held prior, from9:40-10:45 a.m. 703-437-5500 orwww.trinityherndon.org.

Vajrayogini Buddhist Cen-ter, Unitarian Universalist Church,1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston, holdsweekly classes starting Sept. 12,Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m., for thegeneral public which use Buddhistteachings to practice meditation.$12. 202-986-2257 orwww.meditation-dc.org.

St. Anne’s EpiscopalChurch, 1700 Wainwright Drivein Reston, holds Sunday servicesat 7:45 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m.and contemporary service at 5p.m.

Nursery, Sunday school andadult education available. Morn-ing prayer on Monday at 9:30,Holy Eucharist Wednesday at 8:15a.m. 703-437-6530 orwww.stannes-reston.org.

Adult Sunday school will beheld 9:30 a.m. Sundays at theWashington Plaza Baptist Churchat Lake Anne Village Center.

The group is studying the Gos-pel of Mark. Services follow at 11a.m.

HAVEN of Northern Vir-ginia offers a variety of free be-reavement support groups, meet-ing on a weekly basis.

Contact 703-941-7000 orwww.havenofnova.org for sched-ules and registration information.

The Jewish Federation ofGreater Washington and theJewish Outreach Institute offer theMothers/Parents Circle, an um-brella of free educational eventsand resources. Jewish rituals, eth-ics and the creation of a Jewishhome, regular meetings and groupShabbats and holidays. Partici-pants include Sha’are Shalom,Congregation Beth Emeth, TempleRodef Shalom and the JewishCommunity Center of NorthernVirginia. ShalomDC.org.

The Baha’i community ofMcLean holds a weekly fireside,a meeting of discussion, devotionand fellowship, at 7500 Box ElderCourt in McLean, at 8 p.m. everyFriday.

An opportunity to learn aboutthe Baha’i faith. 703-556-3400.

Faith Notes

8 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ November 27 - December 3, 2013 Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ November 27 - December 3, 2013 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Trees • Gifts • Cards • Ornaments • Decorations • Lights

See Communites, Page 12

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Thursday, Thanksgiving,traditionally marks thebeginning of “The Holi-day Season.” The

Christmas Shopping Derby willkick off at midnight for many of thebig retailers, and the frantic rushof decorating, card sending, giftbuying, wrapping, parties, baking,cooking, preparing for visitors orpreparing to travel shifts into highgear. It’s a busy time of year, andfor many, a happy one. But for thecommunity’s most vulnerable citi-zens, the holiday season meansextra pressures and concerns. Forthose struggling to make endsmeet, they worry that they may notbe able to provide a feast for theirfamilies, or fulfill the holiday giftwishes of their children - at leastnot without a little help. Some ofour senior citizens may not haveloved ones nearby to care for them.Others may not even have the ba-sic necessity of a place to live.

Thankfully, there are several or-ganizations and scores of individu-als in our area who are ready andwilling to step up and provide morethan a little help for their neigh-bors in need. These folks havetransformed “The Holiday Season”into “The Season of Giving.” “It canget a little crazy,” said KarenMulholland of Reston. “You’ve gotthe pull of your own family needsfor the holidays, and then you addcollecting food for the Thanksgiv-ing distribution, and then the de-

livery. It makes for a crazy week ortwo, but I feel so much better onThanksgiving Day knowing wehelped someone else have a happyfamily meal.” Mulholland and herfamily rallied her neighborhood tocollect for the food drive organizedby Cornerstones (formerly RestonInterfaith), the Reston-based non-profit whose mission is to “promoteself-sufficiency by providing sup-port and advocacy for those in needof food, shelter…and other humanservices.”

IN THE LAST WEEK, Wall Streethas posted record highs. The localhousing market has shown signifi-cant improvement all year, andconsumer confidence is trendingupwards, yet “We are still seeingmore people registering forThanksgiving meals,” said MinnieOrozco, Cornerstones UrgentNeeds and Life Skills ProgramManager. “We have about 928families who have signed up. That’san increase of more than 100 fami-lies over last year.” Orozco and anumber of staff and volunteerswere on duty Friday night at thedonation drop-off point at St. JohnNeumann’s Catholic Church inReston. Though nearly buried be-neath boxes and bags - many thathad been lovingly decorated byschool children and scout troops -the workers seemed pretty jolly, asthey went about their tasks of col-lecting, sorting, and balancingboxes for each registered family.“And for the walk-ins, too,” addedOrozco. “There are always thosewho just show up, so we try and

have extras on hand.”Gail Greenberg has been volun-

teering with Cornerstones (RestonInterfaith) for more than five yearsand is on the board of the organi-zation. On this occasion she actedas greeter, accepting donationsfrom generous participants likeSubu Sagar, Manisha Raj, and RajMunusamy who arrived with tenfull bags on behalf of the ACTFoundation USA, a non-profitformed to serve the underprivi-leged in the community. As shefloated in and out among the aislesof boxes and bags, Greenbergspoke about why she volunteers.“I don’t think a lot of people knowhow many people are homelessright here in Reston and Herndon,how many people are spendingtheir nights in our woods,” shesaid. She went on to talk about“100,000 Homes,” a national cam-paign dedicated to providing hous-ing for 100,000 of the most vulner-able and the chronically homelessby July 2014. Cornerstones is apartner in this effort. Part of thecampaign’s strategy calls for con-ducting a homeless “RegistryWeek.” Earlier this year more than200 volunteers across FairfaxCounty made contact with 462homeless persons. Cornerstones(at the time Reston Interfaith) vol-unteers conducted interviews withmore than 100 individuals from theNorth County Hypothermia Pre-vention Program, the EmbryRucker Community Shelter, andeven in encampments in thewoods. “These people need ourhelp,” said Greenberg. The inter-

views showed that nearly half ofthe homeless were employed, 40percent had a physical disability, 10percent were veterans, and themajority cited “unable to pay rent/utilities” and “job loss” as the rea-sons for their homelessness.

TO EVERYONE’S RELIEF at theFriday Drop-Off event, the dona-tions kept coming in. Before long,everything was in order for the fol-lowing morning’s distribution. “Wehave 450 families signed up to col-lect from here at St. John’s,”Orozco reported. “There are otherdistribution sites around the area,

and some places, like Reston Com-munity Center at Hunters Woodswill keep collecting and distributelater.”

Orozco, Greenberg and a smallarmy of Cornerstones staff andvolunteers were back at their postson Saturday morning ready to dis-tribute. Wheeling flatbed dollies,volunteers loaded up, lined up,took the items out to the clients’vehicle, and then started the pro-cess all over again. One of the “vol-unteer” food distributors was Cor-nerstones PR and Marketing Rep-resentative, Angela Suarez, whotook a few moments in between

deliveries to highlight some up-coming events and the needs in-volved to assure success.

“Our next big campaign is our“Holiday Gifts for Kids” seasonaldrive,” Suarez announced. “Eachchild will list up to three items,totaling about $50-$65 per child.We have 1500 kids to provide forthis year. So far we have taken care

of about 1300, so we do need somemore donors. For most of thesechildren, these will be the only giftsthey will receive for the holidays.“Any one wishing to grant a child’sHoliday Wish should visit the Cor-nerstones websitewww.cornerstonesva.org and fill

Cornerstones staff and volunteers accept food donations and pre-pare the boxes the night before the Thanksgiving food distributionat St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston. From left: MinnieOrozco, Urgent Needs and Life Skills Program Manager, GailGreenberg, Board Member and volunteer, Susan Alger, Volunteer andResource Manager, Embry Rucker Community Shelter, and AlaciaEarley, Volunteer and Drives Manager.

Good neighbors, from left: Subu Sagar, Manisha Raj, and RajMunusamy arrived at the St. John’s donation drop-off site with acart full of bags collected by members of ACT Foundation USA.

Angela Suarez, PR and Marketing Representative for Corner-stones, is ready for another round of loading and hauling thegoods to a client’s vehicle. Suarez did take a minute in-betweenher distribution duties to highlight some of the other seasonaldrives and initiatives that Cornerstones is organizing, like the“Holiday Gifts for Kids” Campaign and the Winter Coat Closetcollection of winter wear.

From left: Amy Mintz, in charge if the Advent GivingProgram, Director of Serve Ministries for Floris UnitedMethodist Church (FUMC) in Herndon, and Cyndy Cooke,just back from a trip to Sierra Leone where FUMC spon-sors a Child Rescue Center and a Hospital, gather aroundone of the three Gift Trees in the church gathering foyer.

Evan Bonshock, a first grader from Oak Hill, carefullyconsiders the Wish List tag he has chosen. Evan’s family,mom Heather, dad Dennis and brother Cameron pickedout several Wish List tags to fulfill. “We do this everyyear,” said Heather.

Community Creates Season of GivingOrganizations and individuals step to transform‘The Holiday Season’ into ‘The Season of Giving.’

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Send announcements [email protected] deadline is the Friday prior to thefollowing week’s paper. Photos/artworkencouraged. For additional listings, visith t t p : / /www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2013/sep/26/fairfax-county-cal-endar/.

WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY/NOV. 27-30Ventures and Puzzles. 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.Sunday, at Hunters Woods, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston. Abstract oilpaintings by Frank Eifert, in anexhibit in which “Half-Reflections”accompany each picture tometaphorically suggest some of theintentions, surprises andsignificances encountered in thecreation of the picture. In this seriesof paintings, Frank developed a“multi-directional” style, paintingfrom all four sides and four corners(for square pictures), essentiallyproviding up to eight distinctpictures, the multiple options ofviewing reflecting the ambivalenceand ambiguity of our time. 703-467-4500 orwww.restoncommunitycenter.com.

WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY/NOV. 27-DEC. 9The Artists of Montorno. 10 a.m.-2

p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-5p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 1-5 p.m.Sunday, at ArtSpace Herndon, 750

Entertainment

Center St., Herndon. Montornopainting workshops in Seravezza,Italy, have been a refuge for artists tostudy with famous painters andsculptors for almost two decades. Theexhibit features the work ofMontorno instructors Danni Dawson,Mike Francis, Trisha Adams, MaryDel Popolo, Peggy Feerick, GavinGlakas and Kurt Schwarz—locallyand internationally known artists.Portraits, landscapes, still lifepaintings, drawings, pastels,printmaking and photography arefeatured. 703-956-6590 orwww.artspaceherndon.org.

MONDAY/DEC. 2 & TUESDAY/DEC. 3Owls in Winter. 10-11 a.m. Walker

Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive,Reston. Learn when owls are active,what they like to eat, and how theystay warm. See owl feathers andtalons up close. Enjoy an owl story,and take home an owl craft.Reservations required by Nov. 28.Fee: $5/child RA members; $8/[email protected]

TUESDAY/DEC. 3New York Festival of Song:

Cubans in Paris, Cubans inHavana. 8 p.m.,Cubans in Paris,Cubans in Havana features Cubanmusic that took the world by storm inthe 1920s and 30s and found a

special welcome in Paris. $20Reston/$40 Non-Reston.

TUESDAY/DEC.3 - SUNDAY/DEC. 29Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.

269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon.This one-man show retells the classicstory but focuses on Scrooge’sdeparted, doomed and chainedbusiness partner, Jacob Marley.

FRIDAY/DEC. 6First Fridays. 7 p.m. ArtSpace

Herndon, 750 Center Street,Herndon. Join ArtSpace Herndon forArt House Cinema and Brew. Thefirst Friday of the month, watch animportant piece of art film history bythe finest producers and directors inthe world. 21+, $10 for the movieand two microbrews. Reservationsrequired artspaceherndon.org.

TUESDAY/DEC. 10Discover Graphics. At ArtSpace

Herndon, 750 Center Street,Herndon. Exhibiting the work ofprintmakers for the past 30 years.

SATURDAY/DEC. 14Opening Reception for Discover

Graphics. 4-7 p.m. at ArtSpaceHerndon, 750 Center Street,Herndon. Exhibiting the work ofprintmakers for the past 30 years.

WEDNESDAY/NOV. 27Community Thanksgiving Eve

Service. 7:30 p.m. United ChristianParish, 11508 North Shore Drive,Reston.

THURSDAY/NOV. 28Thanksgiving at Vinifera. 12-7 p.m.

Vinifera Wine Bar, 11750 SunriseValley Drive, Reston. A three courseThanksgiving feast complete withturkey, sides and pies.$55 perperson. 703-234-3550.

FRIDAY/NOV. 2923rd Annual Reston Holiday

Parade. 11 a.m. Reston TownCenter, 11900 Market Street, Reston.Take part in the festive season withMacy’s-style balloons, musicians,dancers, antique cars, and more. Thisone-hour parade along Market Streetwill also welcome the arrival of Santaand Mrs. Claus in a horse-drawncarriage.www.restontowncenter.com/holidays.

Gingerbread Man Mile. 8 a.m.Reston Town Center, 11900 MarketStreet, Reston. The course covers a 1-mile loop around Reston TownCenter. Registration: $5. http://www.prraces.com/gingerbread/

Tree Lighting and Sing Along. 6p.m. Reston Town Center, 11900Market Street, Reston. Join Santa tolight up the Christmas tree and singsome festive carols.

The Thanksgiving Story. 11 a.m.Frying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West OxRoad, Herndon. Bring family andfriends to this lively and interactiveretelling of the Thanksgiving Story.Admission $4-$6.

SUNDAY/DEC. 1Chanukah on the Town Square.

5:30 p.m. Giant Menorah lighting,crafts, refreshments and more.Herndon Town Square, in front ofTown Hall at 730 Elden Street,Herndon.

TUESDAY/DEC. 3- SUNDAY/DEC. 29Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.

NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset Park

Drive, Herndon. In this behind-the-scenes retelling of one of the mostfamous stories of all time, joinMarley and an annoying little spritenamed Bogle, as they set out on animpossible adventure to save oldScrooge’s soul. Tickets: $25. http://www.nextstoptheatre.org

TUESDAY/DEC. 3New York Festival of Song

“Cubans in Paris, Cubans atHome.” 8 p.m. CenterStage, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston. FeaturesCuban music that took the world bystorm in the 1920s and 30s andfound a special welcome in Paris.Tickets: $20-$40. http://restoncommunitycenter.com/centerstage-new-york-festival-of-song.shtml

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 4“The Twelve Dates of Christmas.”

NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset ParkDrive, Herndon. Tickets: $25. http://www.nextstoptheatre.org.

FRIDAY/DEC. 6- SATURDAY/DEC. 7Living Nativity. 6:30-9 p.m.

Southview Community Church, 2620

Reston Pkwy, Herndon. TheChristmas story is recounted in ameaningful and tangible way withlive animals and visualinterpretations.

SATURDAY/DEC. 7Alternative Gift Market. 10 a.m. - 2

p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church,1625 Wiehle Avenue, Reston. Thisannual market and craft festivalallows you to donate on behalf ofsomeone to a cause that will benefitothers.

Gifts from the HeART: Receptionand Holiday Sale Event. 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Lake Anne, 1609-AWashington Plaza, Reston. Originalworks of art in a variety of media,including oil, acrylic, watercolor,collage, stained glass, ceramic,sculpture, and mixed media, in awide range of sizes and prices. http://restoncommunitycenter.com/gifts-from-heart.shtml

Herndon Towne Square SingersWinter Concert. 7:30 p.m.ArtSpace Herndon, 750 CenterStreet, Herndon. The Towne SquareSingers perform music of theholidays from TV and movies.Tickets: $12. http://www.herndon-va.gov/

Holiday Calendar

Southview Community Church, 2620 Reston Pkwy,Herndon, presents “Living Nativity,” in which the Christ-mas story is recounted in a meaningful and tangible waywith live animals and visual interpretations, startingDec. 6.


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Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The South Lakes boys’ basketball team has ago-to scoring threat capable of shoulderingthe load. Now the Seahawks need consis-

tency from his supporting cast.Last season, guard Brandon Kamga carried the

South Lakes offense as a sophomore. While Kamgawas a standout, the lack of a reliable second or thirdscoring option contributed to the Seahawks finish-ing with a 9-14 record and exiting the Liberty Dis-trict tournament in the first round. South Lakes failedto qualify for the regional tournament for the sec-ond consecutive season. Entering the 2013-14 sea-son, Kamga, now a junior, will again be South Lakes’top offensive threat. He’s grown to 6 feet 4 inchesand will return to the more comfortable position oftwo-guard after playing point guard as a sophomore.Kamga sat out of a recent scrimmage againstWakefield due to soreness, head coach AndrewDuggan said, giving other players a chance to sharethe scoring load.

“While we have a very good player, Brandon, onour squad, I believe we are still young and growingas a team,” Duggan wrote in an email. “I like ourteam, but we must improve our defense or we may

struggle at times. The name of the game is to getstops and we are not there yet. The goal for our teamis to improve daily and grow closer every day. I thinkwe are on track, but it’s early.”

Senior guard Clayton O’Neill is one of the top can-didates to assist Kamga at the offensive end. At 6feet 4, O’Neill is a threat to knock down 3-pointersor post-up inside. He is also a strong rebounder anddefender. Senior guard Dre Puryear (5-11) can at-tack the basket and junior combo guard Zach Pearl(6-0) is a quality shooter. Senior post player HenryQuinn-Irons (6-6) is “much improved from last sea-son in play and confidence,” Duggan wrote.

The Seahawks are looking to reach the regionaltournament for the first time since the 2010-11 sea-son, Duggan’s first as South Lakes head coach, whenthey finished Liberty District runner-up and beat FallsChurch in the opening round of regionals. SouthLakes will compete in a scrimmage at Chantilly HighSchool at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29. The Seahawkswill open the regular season at home against StoneBridge at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

South Lakes Boys’ BasketballLooking for Playoff ReturnSeahawks failed to reach regionals last two seasons.

South Lakes senior post Henry Quinn-Irons battles against two Wakefield

players during a scrimmage on Nov. 23at South Lakes High School.

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During the last weekof each year, the OakHill/HerndonConnection devotes itsentire issue to the crea-tivity of local students.The results are alwaysremarkable, and the edi-tions have won manyawards. It is a keepsakeedition for manyfamilies.

We publish artwork,poetry, essays, creativewriting, opinion pieces,short stories, photogra-phy, photos of sculptureor gardens or other crea-tive efforts.

We ask that all sub-missions be digital sothey can be sent throughe-mail or delivered onCD or flash drive.Writing should be sub-mitted in rich text for-mat (.rtf). Artworkshould be provided in.jpg format. Identifyeach piece of writing orart, including the stu-dent’s full name, age,grade and town of resi-dence, plus the name ofthe school, name ofteacher and town ofschool location. Pleaseprovide the submissionsby Friday, Dec. 6 for pub-lication the week ofDec. 26.

E-mail submissionsto: [email protected]

To send CDs or flashdrives containing art-work and typed, elec-tronic submissions,mark them clearly byschool and hometownand mail the CD toChildren’s Connection,1606 King Street,Alexandria, VA 22314.

Be a Part ofCHILDREN’SCONNECTION


See Season, Page 13

From Page 9

Communities Come Together to Support Neighbors in Need out the online donation form –

but hurry! Collection dates areDec. 5 – 7. And Cornerstones “Sea-son of Giving” starts before the tra-ditional Holidays and extends wellbeyond them, with their WinterCoat Closet program in associationwith Hunter Mill District Supervi-sor Cathy Hudgins, collecting win-ter wear for children and adultsfrom Oct. 31 until Feb. 28, 2014.Information on needs and dona-tion sites for the Coat Closet are

also available on the Cornerstoneswebsite.

Cornerstones is certainly a sig-nificant contributor to the “Seasonof Giving,” but there are othersreaching out to community neigh-bors in need as well. JakeMcGlothin, Director of Serve Min-istries at Floris United MethodistChurch (FUMC) in Herndon, de-scribed an impressive list of pro-grams that the congregation hasdeveloped over the years, “andthey are the ones who have asked

for and spear-headed these ef-forts,” noted McGlothin. “It isn’tthe church leadership that say‘here’s what we will support.’ Ourpeople come to us and want tohelp in so many different ways.”

FUMC has a number of outreachinitiatives underway. In the gath-ering area of the church, Christ-mas trees are decorated with“Wish List” tags rather than tradi-tional ornaments. The recipientsof these items include familiesfrom Hutchison Elementary in

need and children with specialneeds through Care Connectionfor Children, affiliated with InovaChildren’s Hospital, among others.This year FUMC has taken on 1300gift requests, ranging from giftcards for local grocery stores, tonew jeans and shirts to wear toschool. Few of the recipients askedfor toys or non-necessities. Just thebasics. And the congregation atFloris is responding with over-whelming generosity with somefolks taking three or four Wish List

Tags to fulfil. Non-members of thecongregation are warmly wel-comed to visit the church and par-ticipate in the program.

“We’ve got another new pro-gram starting up this week, aswell,” reported McGlothin. “Thisone is about Alternative Giving, hesaid. “We all have someone wewant to get something for at theholidays who just doesn’t needanything else from the traditionalgift inventory, so how about mak-


Season of GivingFrom

ing a donation in that person’shonor? “ Donations made as partof the Alternative Giving programwill benefit the church-sponsoredChild Rescue Center and the MercyHospital in Sierra Leone, the GuestHouse Program that offers tempo-rary shelter to the homeless dur-ing the coldest winter months, andother local charitable needs.Again, this program is open tonon-members of the congregation.If making a donation instead of

buying another sweater or knick-knack for Auntie Alice sounds likea good idea, then contact FUMCvia their website atwww.florisumc.org, or call 703/793-0026. FUMC will also be par-ticipating for the first time in theGuest House program, partneringwith organizations like FACETS, anon-profit that works throughoutFairfax County to meet emergencyneeds and then assist in the gain-ing of permanent safe housingwith counseling and support to

improve life situations). Thechurch will join a number of areaorganizations and religious com-munities that each offer a week ofsupervised shelter and neededitems to the county’s homeless.“This is a big one for us,” admit-ted McGlothin. “We may be host-ing some 400 people for a weekin January. We’ve been planningsince March. We are now in thevolunteer recruitment stage.Knowing our congregation, I amsure they will rise to the chal-

lenge.”

CORNERSTONES also operatesshelters under the North CountyHypothermia Prevention Programfrom Dec. 1, through March 31,2014. Staff are pleased to reportthat they have secured sufficientcatering sponsorships for the shel-ter guests, but there is still a needfor donations from the Hypother-mia Prevention Program Wish List,available on the Cornerstoneswebsite. All of these local organi-

zations and the individuals whosupport them have their own ini-tiatives, missions, motivations andneeds, but together they create theSeason of Giving that so many inthe community need and dependon – and all of them say there’sroom for more aboard the Volun-teer Sleigh – especially at this timeof the year. Try the websites listedabove for opportunities and infor-mation. Other resources includewww.reston.org andwww.herndon-restonfish.org.


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When I get CT-Scanned on Wednesday,November 27th, it will be nearly four monthssince my last diagnostic scan. That occurredduring my hospital “staycation” during thefirst week of August, when I was admitteddue to the extremely abnormal fluid buildupin my left lung. The surgery to drain the fluidwent well, as you regular readers know, but asa consequence of this procedure/hospital stay– and its recovery, my subsequent chemother-apy infusions were delayed for about a monthand naturally the follow-up scans were aswell. This meant/now means that my every-three-month scan has become at least for thisparticular set of time circumstances, a four-month interval, the longest such interval inmy full-time cancer career since I was firstdiagnosed with stage IV, non-small-cell lungcancer back in February, 2009.

I’m not nervous about the outcome thistime, however, as I have written about in pre-vious columns: “Scanxiety,” “Scanning theHorizon” and “Scantastic.” These are allexamples of the emotional roller coaster acancer patient rides when scans are in the off-ing. Regarding (you’ll note I didn’t use “con-cerning,”) this upcoming scan, I feel morecurious and calm than I have felt before.Aside from being more experienced with thisprocess/cycle, and continuing as well to berelatively asymptomatic, my most recent labwork has been encouraging or at least not dis-couraging in that certain results/levels areimproving. Now I don’t know if theseimproved results (specifically my creatinineand bilirubin levels as well as my GFR/ glomu-lar filtration rate) have any effect on the meta-static tumors in my left lung, but the improv-ing levels do mean that my body is toleratingthe every-three-week chemotherapy infusionsthat I’ve been receiving since September20th. And “tolerating” is about as good as itgets, considering there are few drugs stillavailable that my oncologist would feel aresuitable for my condition. More to the point,when I asked my oncologist how do I reallyknow (other than the lab results) that I’m tol-erating the drug, he said, “You wouldn’t be avery happy camper if you weren’t.” To whichI replied, happily: “Well, I’m a long way fromthat.” And not that the camping referencewas lost on me, but I’ve been camping veryfew times in my life, and on those few occa-sions, I was happiest when I was leaving thecampsite heading home.

Camping experiences aside – and not mis-understood, I am looking forward to theresults of this next scan and really not stress-ing about it, either. Nor am I anxious. If any-thing, I’ll admit to being naive. Moreover, Iwon’t admit to being positive, since there’s somuch about the human body that I don’tunderstand and after five years of havingcancer-type symptoms and/or feelings, or nothaving cancer-type symptoms and/or feelings,with varying outcomes, I never know what tomake of any of it. What I am positive about ishow mysterious it all is and how few guaran-tees there are in any of it. Nevertheless, I’mgrateful for a definite maybe; I can live withthat, as I have been.

Time will tell, soon enough. Although, along Thanksgiving weekend might slow downthe e-mail which my oncologist will send withthe results. But I can’t worry about that either.I feel good. My labs were good. My reactionto yesterday’s chemotherapy was good. TheRed Sox just won the World Series for thethird time in 10 years; that’s all good, great infact. For a terminal cancer patient fromBoston five years post-diagnosis who wants tolive and loves his hometown team, it doesn’tget much better, realistically speaking.

Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

“Scanticipation”

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Three South Lakes High School seniors—Mahrukh Chowdan, MarliSaunders and Olivia Vita were cho-

sen by the GEMS Club Initiative to attendthe first-ever STEM Diversity Symposiumon Capitol Hill to discuss the accomplish-ments women and minorities have made inthe fields of science, technology, engineer-ing and mathematics (STEM), as well as theimportance of encouraging more womenand minorities to pursue STEM studies andcareers. The event took place on Nov. 13.Held in conjunction with members of theCongressional Asian Pacific American Cau-cus, Congressional Black Caucus, Congres-sional Caucus for Women’s Issues, and theCongressional Hispanic Caucus, the sympo-sium featured remarks by leaders in Con-gress on diversity in STEM, including U.S.Senator Mazie Hirono, and a panel discus-sion and question and answer session mod-erated by Debbie Myers, General Managerand Executive Vice President of ScienceChannel.

The panelists were: NASA astrobiologistand geologist Dr. Jennifer Eigenbrode; elec-trical engineer and Discovery Channel’s

Mythbusters personality Grant Imahara;astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi of ScienceChannel’s Outrageous Acts of Science;Cindy Moss, Director of STEM Initiatives forDiscovery Education; and E. Anne Sandel,Executive Director,

Surface Warfare for the Naval Sea Sys-tems Command.

“Before this event, I did not realize howmuch I had let stigmas (which I thought Ihad eradicated) steer my life,” said SLHSsenior Olivia Vita. “I had wanted to get intothe scientific field in ecology but ruled manyareas of study out because supposedly ‘art-ists cannot be scientists.’ I can see moreclearly

that I really can do anything-I could bean astrophysicist!”

She added, “This definitely changed mycareer path.”

The GEMS Club Initiative is a grassrootsorganization committed to building theSTEM pipeline by promoting and encour-aging girls. www.gemsclub.org

South Lakes High School is committed toengaging students with community groupsthat can support engaged learning.

South Lakes High School senior Olivia Vita talking to astrophysicistHakeem Oluseyi of Science Channel’s Outrageous acts of science.

South Lakes Seniors AttendSTEM Diversity Symposium

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School Garden Vegetables on Aldrin’s MenuStudents from Aldrin Elementary School were able to harvest some oftheir fall vegetables from the school’s garden. Earlier in the school year,classes sowed seeds for lettuce, kale, radishes, spinach, carrots, beetsand broccoli. The children are enjoying seeing how crops grow, how longit takes, and what they look like before they get to the store. They alsoget to experiment tasting vegetables they may have not tried before.


By David Siegel

The Connection

Herndon’s NextStop The-atre is giving audiencestwo new Holiday the-

ater treats. The two shows “havea tremendous amount of heart andcan appeal to anyone who lovesthe holiday season. But they arealso unique and original stories

that have not been performed inthis area,” said Evan Hoffman,Artistic Director, NextStop The-atre.

The shows, “Jacob Marley’sChristmas Carol” and “The TwelveDays of Christmas,” are one-actorplays performing in rotating rep-ertory during December.

“Jacob Marley” is a show with “aremarkably clever reimagining ofone of the most recognizable sto-ries in the world. Playwright, TomMula, has taken a classic and madeit fresh and new by examining itthrough a different character’seyes,” said Hoffman. “The TwelveDays of Christmas,” by GinnaHoben, is “one of the funniest andmost heartfelt scripts I have everread.”

The directors and actors for theshows are Rob McQuay, directorand Ray Ficca, actor for “JacobMarley” and Abigail Isaac, direc-tor and Kari Ginsburg, actor for“The Twelve Days.”

“We all know the classic tale ofEbenezer Scrooge and his miracu-lous redemption on Christmas Eve.But what about Jacob Marley,Scrooge’s departed, doomed, andchained business partner?” saidMcQuay, about “Jacob Marley’sChristmas Carol.” It is a “behind-the-scenes retelling of one of themost famous holiday stories of all

time” from the perspective ofScrooge’s business partner in theclassic Dickens’ tale.

“The Twelve Dates of Christmas”director Issac “was immediatelydrawn to the energetic and wittymain character [Mary], I identifiedwith a lot of the material...I thinkthat relationships are even morepoignant during the holidays, andthis show juxtaposes dating woeswith the holidays in a very relat-able way.”

“I am excited to be performinga show during the holidays that isabout hope and redemption,” saidFicca, who has been acting profes-sionally nationwide for overtwenty year. It is a great story toexperience during the holiday,noted Ficca.

Ginsburg, with professionalstage credits in many local theatercompanies, noted that her charac-ter Mary in “The 12 Dates ofChristmas” is “genuine, vulner-able, sassy and very smart...She’salso a little neurotic.”

The show is a tale about whatmight be “best” for Mary when herengagement falls apart afterThanksgiving and she spends theHolidays “alone.”

Each show aims to give enjoy-ment as the NextStop Theatre pro-vides unique new stocking stuffersto Dulles Corridor audiences.

NextStop Theatre to PresentTwo Holiday Shows

Where and When“Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas” performed

at NextStop Theatre at The Industrial Strength Theater, 269 Sunset Park Drive,Herndon. Tickets: $25-$27. For tickets call 866-811-4111 or visitwww.nextstoptheatre.org. For general inquiries call (703) 481-5930

❖”Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” performances are: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7:30p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., Sat, Dec. 7, 8 p.m., Sun, Dec. 8, 2 p.m., Tues,Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., Thurs, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m., Sat Dec. 14, 8 p.m., Sun Dec. 15, 7p.m., Wed, Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m., Sat, Dec. 21, 8 p.m., Sun, Dec. 22, 2 p.m., Fri, Dec.27, 8 p.m., Sat, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. and Sun, Dec. 29, 7 p.m.

❖”The Twelve Days of Christmas” performances are: Wed, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.,Fri Dec. 6, 8 p.m., Sat, Dec. 7, 4 p.m., Sun Dec. 8, 7 p.m., Wed, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m.,Fri, Dec. 13, 8 p.m., Sat Dec. 14, 4 p.m., Sun Dec. 15, 2 p.m., Tues, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m.,Thurs, Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., Sat Dec. 21, 12 p.m., Sat, Dec 21, 8 p.m., Sun Dec. 22, 7p.m., Thurs, Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m., Sat, Dec. 28, 4 p.m.. Sun, Dec. 29, 2 p.m.

Kari Ginsburg in rehearsal of “The Twelve Days ofChristmas.”

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Ray Ficca in rehearsal of “Jacob Marley’s ChristmasCarol.”

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