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Fairfax Connection ❖ February 2-8, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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Left, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly(D-11) demands attorneys begranted access to detainees atDulles airport Sunday Jan. 29.

The Candidates (for Mayor)In Their Own WordsNews, Page 4

A Weekend Full ofChocolate FunEntertainment, Page 10

The Candidates (for Mayor)In Their Own WordsNews, Page 4

A Weekend Full ofChocolate FunEntertainment, Page 10

Protest Rallies Held at DullesNews, Page 3

Protest Rallies Held at DullesNews, Page 3

2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ February 2-8, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Fairfax Connection ❖ February 2-8, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Rallies, Page 15

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

Del. Marcus Simon (D-53)brought his two children, 13and 11, to Dulles Interna-tional Airport Jan. 28, not to

fly, but to witness and learn.Demonstrations sprang up at airports

around the United States over the weekend,following an Executive Order by PresidentDonald Trump that blocks travelers fromseven largely Muslim countries — Iraq, Iran,Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia —in the interests of more significant vettingand preventing would-be terrorists fromentering the country.

Simon’s wasn’t the only family in atten-dance. Many had brought their children tothe demonstration.

“You show them this is what you do, howyou protest, be patriotic,” Simon said,“when the government does something youdon’t agree with. You expose them to some-thing positive.”

THE BAN was announced Friday and offi-cials at airports began enforcing it immedi-ately. Travelers from the seven countries areblocked from entering the U.S. for 90 days,and new refugee admissions from the samenations blocked for 120 days. Syrian refu-gees are blocked indefinitely, according tothe ban.

Some individuals who hold valid visaswere impacted by the ban, and others with

legal status and green cards have been de-tained at airports. A federal judge in Brook-lyn passed a ruling over the weekend thatblocked part of Trump’s action, and JudgeLeonie M. Brinkema of the U.S. DistrictCourt for the Eastern District of Virginia is-sued a temporary restraining order Satur-day night specifically for those detained atDulles.

Brinkema ordered airport authorities togrant lawyers access to detainees who arepermanent legal residents, and that perma-nent residents not be removed for sevendays.

Simon was at Dulles Saturday and Sun-day, as well as state Sen. Jennifer Wexton(D-33), U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) and U.S.Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11), asking that

some of the more than 20 lawyers presentbe given that opportunity to meet with thedetainees.

The scenes were intense and a little cha-otic, Simon said, but the demonstratorswere nonviolent and positive.

“I was just amazed at the number ofpeople, the energy, the spirit, the sponta-neity,” said Simon. “In some ways, it washeartening, to see so many Northern Vir-ginians reacting to [the ban].”

Gov. Terry McAuliffe appeared and spokeat the airport Saturday. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine(D) visited the ongoing demonstration Mon-day afternoon.

Connolly was able to get one pair of de-tainees released Saturday evening with thehelp of immigration attorneys: Fairfax

County resident and green card holderAhmed Mohedian, 71, who had been heldwith his wife after returning from Iran. Hewas in that country receiving medical treat-ment, Connolly’s office said.

“America has always stood for being abeacon of hope,” Connolly said in a state-ment reacting to the ban. “Donald Trumpwould paint over Emma Lazarus’s words onthe Statue of Liberty. There are millions ofus willing to stand with immigrants com-ing into our country. There are millions ofus willing to insist that America’s doors re-main open to those fleeing injury, violenceor persecution. This order was not thoughtthrough and must be rescinded. We willfight this illegal Executive Order.”

Simon said airport security officials andborder control told them they weren’t al-lowed to say anything. One of the concerns,he said the legislators had heard, was thatindividuals arriving from the ban-affectedcountries were being met once they got offthe plane and asked to sign a document thatessentially forfeited their green card.

“If that’s what’s going to happen,” Simonsaid, “it shouldn’t be.”

If he had just landed in a foreign countryand was met by men with guns when get-ting off the plane, said Simon, “I’d sign any-thing that was stuck in front of me.” That’swhy it was important for the lawyers tomeet with these people and explain theirrights to them, he added.

Another issue Simon raised was the ap-parent lack of information and clarity onthe details of the ban — airport officialsseemed unprepared for enforcing it.

“The rank and file employees, they werestuck between a rock and a hard place, areally difficult position,” Simon said. Typi-cally with a ban like this, he continued,“you’d expect there to be some more coor-dination with agencies, planning, and in

Demonstrators,volunteer attorneysand elected officialswelcome travelers,extend help detainees.

Anti-Immigration Ban Rallies Held at Dulles

News

Photo contributed

Del. Simon’s (D-53) wasn’t the onlyfamily in attendance at anti-immi-gration ban rallies over the week-end at Dulles airport. Many hadbrought their children, includingthese constituents of Simon’s.

Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Police

Left, PFC Post and (right) PFCGibson from the Fairfax CountyPolice Department visit the Al FatihAcademy in Reston, as a show ofsupport following recent attacksagainst Muslims and mosques.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe appeared and spoke at the airport Saturday. U.S. Sen.Tim Kaine (right) visited the ongoing demonstration Monday afternoon.

Photos contributed

Right, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) was able to get one pair of detain-ees released Saturday evening with the help of immigration attorneys:Fairfax County resident and green card holder Ahmed Mohedian, 71,who had been held with his wife after returning from Iran.


News

Fairfax City Council membersMichael DeMarco, David Meyerand Ellie Schmidt all hope tobecome the City’s next mayor.

Over the past few months, each has been

campaigning for the job; and next Tues-day, Feb. 7, City residents will go to thepolls and select one for mayor in this spe-cial election.

Assuming one of them wins – and not a

write-in candidate – the City will then haveto set a date for another special election toreplace that person on the Council. The newmayor and remaining Council members willset that date together.

Special election for City mayor is Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The Candidates in Their Own Words

Michael DeMarcoImagine living in a city where we have

easy access to restaurants, shops, publictransportation and work. Traffic congestionis significantly reduced because we creatednew or expanded existing modes of trans-portation. We have a mix of housing choices,and the city is more walkable and bikefriendly. There are ample parks for our chil-dren to play. We have interconnected hik-ing trails. Our quality of life is better. We’rehealthier and happier. We’re a communityand a destination.

I believe this can be our reality. I believethis is the vision for our city, and I need youto help me help the City deliver on this strat-egy and move forward. Strategy is aboutmaking choices and taking a few measuredrisks.

Being too tactical, too cautious and/or toopolitical is not going to win the day. We needto be for something and not against every-thing. We need foresight and leadership todeliver this vision.

Our strategy must be multifaceted andaddress economic growth, quality of life,transportation, education, capital invest-ment, and partnership with all communitystakeholders. Components will include thekind of sustainable development we wantand where, revitalizing our economic base,supporting small and medium-sized busi-nesses, strong schools, programs to revital-ize our aging housing and aging officespace, diverse housing choices – includingaffordable and senior options, active sup-port for real regional transportation solu-tions, and strong leadership to do what wesay.

Change makes us uneasy, the sense thatwe are doing away with the old or givingup everything we know or knew. But with-out change, there is no future; and I fur-ther suggest that, without change, we will

David MeyerThe City of Fairfax needs a strong, effec-

tive mayor to lead the Council in complet-ing its 2035 Comprehensive Plan, gettingthe two approved redevelopment projectsstarted at Fairfax Circle and Kamp Wash-ington, and protecting existing neighbor-hoods from increased density and trafficcongestion. As mayor, I will lead the Coun-cil to finalize the Comprehensive Plan sothat the City will have a clearer path for-ward in addressing several other proposeddevelopment projects that have either beensubmitted to the City or are contemplatedby the development community.

Additionally, I will ensure the completionof the City’s first Multimodal TransportationPlan, which will guide the City Council inaddressing comprehensively the issues of traf-fic congestion, optimizing our CUE bus sys-tem for maximum connectivity to the CountyConnector, Metrobus, and the Metro rail sys-tem. I will explore the idea of a Bike Shareproject between George Mason Universityand Old Town Fairfax to strengthen the con-nectivity between GMU and the City. AsMayor, I will lead the Council and the com-munity to address the issue of housing in allits forms, with a particular focus on creatinghigh-quality senior housing, workforce hous-ing and other affordable housing – all con-sistent with our Comprehensive Plan.

In June 2016, I retired from the U.S.Nuclear Regulatory Commission after 37years of service, the last 15 as a member ofthe Senior Executive Service. I have success-fully led varied groups of talented leadersin many circumstances in my professionallife. Through this experience, I have gainedan understanding that, as a leader, it is criti-cal to listen with integrity and benefit fromthe wisdom and insight of others.

I realize that, as our mayor, I must be botha leader who shares a strategic vision and, at

Ellie SchmidtYou have a choice in the special election

on Feb 7. There are a lot of similaritiesamong the candidates, but there are alsosome real differences. Some differences areobvious and some, not so obvious.

My opponents and I have discussed ourdifferences in recent public meetings on theUniversity Drive extension and the ChainBridge Road sidewalk project. I voted inopposition on both of these issues, whilemy opponents voted in favor. I am con-cerned about issues such as high-densityredevelopment, preservation of our residen-tial community, traffic congestion, commer-cial vacancies and economic development.

We must carefully consider density, sizeand scale as we review new developmentprojects. What do we want the City to looklike? We don’t want to look like the Halsteadin Dunn Loring or the Mosaic in Merrifield.The City Council has approved projects withover 1,200 new housing units, includingover 1,000 rental apartments. We need toevaluate the impact of these projects on ourtraffic congestion and City services and in-frastructure.

I had concerns about the Scout on theCircle project. I voted in opposition to theproject for several reasons. I did not wantthe reduction of commercial square foot-age – once converted to residential, youcan’t get commercial square footage back –and I was concerned about the buildingheight. The project was not ready. At thetime, it was said not to let perfection get inthe way of good. My opponents voted infavor of this project. As we can see, it justwasn’t ready.

I ask you to examine our voting recordsas you make your decision. As a City Coun-cil member, I have considered City matterswith a thoughtful and balanced approach.I have carefully considered the needs of our

See DeMarco, Page 5 See Meyer, Page 5 See Schmidt, Page 5

Send notes to the Connection atconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/ or call703-778-9416. The deadline for submissionsis the Friday prior to publication. Dated an-nouncements should be submitted at least twoweeks prior to the event.

Over-40 Softball League. A Fairfax-based league is looking for enough playersto form another team. Players must be at last40 years of age to be eligible. All games aredoubleheaders - played on Sundays atBready Park in Herndon between 11 a.m.and 6 p.m. If interested, [email protected] for more information.

MONDAY/FEB. 6Community Meeting on the Braddock

Road Multimodal Study. FairfaxCounty Department of Transportation(FCDOT) and Braddock DistrictSupervisor John C. Cook will host acommunity meeting to discuss theBraddock Road Multimodal Study, whichencompasses areas in Annandale,Springfield, Burke and Fairfax, at 6:30p.m., in the cafeteria of Lake BraddockSecondary School, 9200 Burke LakeRoad, Burke.

At the meeting, residents will learn about thecurrent planning efforts for futureimprovements to Braddock Road,including roadway, bicycle and pedestrianalternatives. There will be an open houseat 6:30 p.m., with an opportunity to learnabout the different facets of the project atvarious stations with FCDOT staff, apresentation by the Braddock Road TaskForce at 7:30 p.m., and a question andanswer period after.

Feedback on the study is also welcomed andcan be provided at the meeting or online.To view a project map and backgroundinformation, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/braddockroadmmstudy/.

SATURDAY/FEB. 11Town Hall Meeting. Del. David Bulova (D-

37) and Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) willhold a town hall meeting, from 9-11 a.m.,at Fairfax City Hall, 10455 Armstrong St.in Fairfax. All are welcome to attend,hear about their legislative agenda, askquestions and share concerns.

FEB. 11 - 12, FEB. 18-19, AND FEB. 26Loudoun Freedom Girls Basketball

TryoutsTryouts to form girls’ teams from 2nd grade

through 11th grade for the 2017 seasonwill be held the weekends of Feb. 11 - 12,Feb. 18-19, and Feb. 26. If you areinterested in your daughter playing at ahigher competitive level and developinginto a great player, consider trying out.See www.loudounfreedom.com for thefull schedule, how to register [email protected]

FRIDAY/FEB. 17Scholarship Application. Deadline for

Fairfax Alumnae Chapter of DeltaSigma Theta Sorority scholarshipapplications. The application is availableon the chapter website: http://www.fcacdst.org/applications.htm.Thecompleted application must bepostmarked no later than February 17,2017 and mailed to: Fairfax CountyAlumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma ThetaSorority, Inc., Attn: ScholarshipCommittee, P.O. Box 221224, Chantilly,Virginia 20153-1224.

FRIDAY/MARCH 3Rising Above Fear. Burke Presbyterian

Church Distinguished Speakers Series,with Omid Safi, director of DukeUniversity’s Islamic Studies Center, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Being Muslim in America:Between ISIS and Islamophobia. BurkePresbyterian Church, 5690 Oak LeatherDrive, Burke, 703-764-0456. Tickets areavailable at http://www.BurkePresChurch.org. They are $25for Friday and Saturday sessions and $15for a single session. Tickets are limited.

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News

The Fairfax High School Athletic Hall of Fameinducted seven new members on January 17,2017. The new members were welcomed by

Fairfax High School Principal David Goldfarb and Di-rector of Student Activities Nancy Melnick during a ban-quet at the school with well over 100 attendees.

The Fairfax High School Athletic Hall of Fame nownumbers 52 members. If you would like to nomi-

nate someone for consideration for entry into theHall, you may download admission criteria and anomination form from the Fairfax High School Ath-letic department website

http://www.fairfaxhighsports.org/ Your participa-tion in the nomination process is encouraged andwelcomed and you are requested to provide support-ing documentation with your nomination.

Fairfax High Holds Hall ofFame Inductions

FHS 2017 Hall of Fame inductions held Jan. 13, 2017.From left: Davey Williams, Classof 1968, Football/Wrestling, Kathy McCaughey-Eker, Class of 1980, Softball/Tennis/Track, David Bedwell, Class of 1989, Football, Richard “Moon” Ducote, Class of 1968,Football/Wrestling, Emily Ferguson, Class of 2008, Swimming, Craig White, Class of1968, Football/Baseball, Justin Potter, Class of 1998, Wrestling/Football.

be outcompeted by places likeMosaic and Fairfax Corner.

But with change comes oppor-tunity; and if we get “our” formulaof economic growth right, we willnot only preserve but improve ourneighborhoods, we will retain ourhistory and character, we will have

tinue to be attentive, thorough anddiligent, and I will always givecareful consideration to all of theissues that we face, both locallyand regionally. Effective leader-ship is the only way we will be ableto follow through on these prom-ises. I am that leader and I ask foryour vote on Feb. 7.

— Michael DeMarco

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From Page 4

DeMarco

the same time, a team player withthe ability to rally the team. I prac-tice leadership by example, moti-vating myself and others, while be-ing grounded in personal valueshoned over many years of profes-sional and personal experience.

Over my 36 years of living in ourCity, and especially during my 8�

decision making.I also affirm the critical impor-

tance of citizen engagement andoutreach. We must communicatefully, but also effectively, so thegreatest number of persons has thebroadest perspective possible, re-sulting in decisions that are mostoptimal for both the near-term andfor many years ahead.

— David Meyer

MeyerFrom Page 4

current residents, as well as theimpact on our future. I have lis-tened to ideas and concerns andhave been visible, open and ap-proachable and will continue to beso.

I am committed to openness ingovernment, inclusiveness withthe community and with my col-

served this community through myinvolvement in service organiza-tions, boards and commissions ina number of leadership capacitiessince my days as a student atFairfax High School.

We have a unique communityhere in the City of Fairfax and Iam proud to be a part of it. I askfor your vote on Feb. 7.

—Ellie Schmidt

SchmidtFrom Page 4

years on the City Council, I havegained a broad and deep under-standing of our citizenry, the val-ues we share, as well as our dif-ferences, and how these sharedgoals and varied visions for ourfuture blend together to create ourcivic tapestry. In leading our Coun-cil and community in the nuts andbolts of governing, I value dataand empirical information to helpsharpen our focus and inform our

the highest quality services andeducation, we will have a mix ofhousing choices, we will live in asafe, healthy and secure environ-ment, and we will have the char-acteristics that will attract the nextgeneration of residents, workersand businesses to the City.

We are a small city, but workingon one or two issues alone isn’tenough. I promise that I will con-

leagues on the dais. Communica-tion and civic engagement with allcitizens and business owners isessential. I will continue to be outand present in the community,participating, listening and involv-ing our citizens and businesses.

My professional background asa business person demonstratesmy experience in finance, strate-gic planning, communication andleadership. In addition, I have


Opinion

By Eileen Filler-

Corn

State Delegate (D-41)

Like so many ofyou and so manyAmericans, I was

appalled when I learnedof President Trump’s Ex-ecutive Order barringthose from seven Muslimmajority countries from enteringthe United States, even if theyhave valid American visas of anykind. This is not representative ofwho we are as a country. It is indirect opposition of our Americanvalues and our constitution be-cause it essentially creates a reli-gious test for entry into the UnitedStates. Until a recent reversal by

the White House, italso denied due pro-cess to green cardholders who havebeen unable to reen-ter the country.

One of the manyreasons my husband and I choseto live and raise our family inFairfax County was due to its di-versity. We wanted our children tobe exposed to people of differentcultures and religions. We strivedto set an example for them to betolerant of others. We taught themthat America is great because ofimmigrants, not in spite of them.

We should know better than torepeat the mistakes of the past,such as when European Jews wereturned away from Americanshores and in many cases, like thatof Anne Frank, later perished inconcentration camps. Acceptingthis as the status quo is unaccept-able.

Joining Women’sMarch onWashington

I was honored to join the hun-dreds of thousands of women andmen who participated in theWomen’s March on Washingtonlast week. All of us who took part

in one of the largest peacefulmarches in American history ex-ercised our First Amendment rightto peaceably assemble. We soughtto remind our new President howimportant it is to us that he pro-tect our precious civil liberties. Inaddition to well over half a mil-lion people marching in Washing-ton, estimates placed the numberof participants nationwide at over3 million in more than 500 sepa-rate locations—with every staterepresented.

I cannot accurately put intowords the feeling I had marchingwith my daughter and my husbandas well as being surrounded by so

There is so much going on this week:

Locally, the effects of a travel banat odds with American valuesplayed out at Dulles International

Airport, but stimulated a heartening response,with volunteer attorneys offering help, local,state and federal elected officials demandingaccountability and peaceful demonstrators pro-testing the un-American assault ontravel from particular Muslim-majoritycountries.

“I was just amazed at the number ofpeople, the energy, the spirit, the spontaneity,”said Del. Marcus Simon, who used FaceBookLive to share the scene over several days. “Insome ways, it was heartening, to see so manyNorthern Virginians reacting.”

See reporter Tim Peterson’s story in this pa-per.

CROSSOVER is Feb. 7; that’s when only billsthat have passed either the House of Delegatesor the Virginia Senate can move forward.

As this date approaches, the General Assem-bly has a serious transparency issue, as it con-tinues to kill most proposed legislation withunrecorded voice votes in subcommittee, withno accountability or record of how membersvoted.

This was raised to new heights earlier thisweek, when a House of Delegates subcommit-tee killed proposed constitutional amendmentsincluding non-partisan redistricting and restor-ing voting rights of felons, along with morethan 20 proposed amendments, in a singlevote.

John Horejsi of Vienna, who heads the orga-nization Social Action Linking Together, notesthat his organization is unable to track what

happens to legislation they support. This head-line, which ran last week onwww.roanoke.com, says it all: “Bill to requirerecorded votes dies on an unrecorded vote,again.”

State Sen. Creigh Deeds continues importantwork on mental health reform, citing threepriorities this year, requiring most of Commu-

nity Services Boards around the stateto provide same-day service and cer-tain outpatient services; to assess andprovide care for inmates who have

mental health needs; and long-term support-ive housing to help avoid repeated mentalhealth crises.

About 200,000 people in Virginia have hadtheir motor vehicle licenses suspended for alegal infraction that has nothing to do with adriving offense. And 650,000 people in Virginiahave a suspended license for failing to paycourt costs. This is an obstacle to holding a joband being able to meet other obligations, andlegislation to stop this counter-productive prac-tice is still alive in the Virginia Senate.

The sale of high-proof grain alcohol in Vir-ginia Alcoholic Beverage Control stores passedthe House of Delegates earlier in the session,and is just foolish.

EFFORTS by state Sen. Adam P. Ebbin andothers, supporting repeal of the Virginia con-stitutional amendment approved by voters in2006 forbidding gay marriage should move for-ward. The 2006 amendment is no longer validbecause the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 le-galized same-sex marriage.

State Sen. Chap Petersen introduced adoomed bill to ban contributions from publicutilities. “Monopolies like Dominion or Appa-

lachian Power have an undue influence on thepolitical process. That leads to legislationwhich has a direct cost to Virginia consumers,both residents and small businesses,” Petersensaid.

It looks like the felony threshold will increaseto $500 from $200, an important distinctionchampioned by Petersen and state Sen. ScottSurovell.

While the constitutional amendment to ad-dress voting rights for felons who have servedtheir sentences died in the above action, Gov.Terry McAuliffe should be commended for re-storing the civic rights of more than 128,000Virginians, and his plans to restore rights forany remaining Virginia citizens who lost theirrights. This has been a laborious and worthyprocess, adapted as needed to meet legal chal-lenges and court rulings.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Submit Photos toPet Connection

The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly specialedition, will publish the last week of February,and photos and stories of your pets with youand your family should be submitted by Feb.15.

Please tell us a little bit about your creature,identify everyone in the photo, give a briefdescription what is happening in the photo,and include address and phone number (wewill not publish your address or phone num-ber, just your town name).

Email [email protected] or submitonline at www.connectionnewspapers.com/pets.

For advertising information, [email protected] or call 703-778-9431.

Demonstrations at Dulles in reaction totravel ban; fast moving General Assemblylacks transparency; other key issues.

So Much Happening, Don’t Blink

Editorial

Not Representative of Who We Are

See Richmond Report,

Page 9

Richmond

Report

Photo contributed

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Fairfax


Fairfax Little League

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Offers baseball for boys & girlsages 4 to 16

Register your players online at:www.fairfaxll.comFor questions email us at:[email protected]

• Our Spring 2017 baseball season runs from mid-March through mid-June• On-time Registration ends 19 February

Meet with Bulova,Petersen

Del. David Bulova (D-37) and state Sen.Chap Petersen (D-34) will hold a town hallmeeting on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 9-11a.m., at Fairfax City Hall, 10455 ArmstrongSt. in Fairfax. The public is welcome to at-tend, hear their legislative agenda and askquestions.

Community Meetingon the BraddockRoad MultimodalStudy Set for Feb. 6

Fairfax County Department of Transpor-tation (FCDOT) and Braddock District Su-pervisor John C. Cook will host a commu-

nity meeting to discuss the Braddock RoadMultimodal Study, which encompasses ar-eas in Annandale, Springfield, Burke andFairfax, on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, at 6:30p.m. in the cafeteria of Lake Braddock Sec-ondary School, 9200 Burke Lake Road,Burke.

At the meeting, residents will learn aboutthe current planning efforts for future im-provements to Braddock Road, includingroadway, bicycle and pedestrian alterna-tives. There will be an open house at 6:30p.m. with an opportunity to learn about thedifferent facets of the project at various sta-tions with FCDOT staff, a presentation bythe Braddock Road Task Force at 7:30 p.m.and a question and answer period after.

Feedback on the study is also welcomedand can be provided at the meeting oronline. To view a project map and back-ground information, visit http://w w w. f a i r f a x c o u n t y. g o v / f c d o t /braddockroadmmstudy/.

Week in Fairfax

FRIDAY/MARCH 3Rising Above Fear. Burke Presbyterian Church

Distinguished Speakers Series, with Omid Safi,director of Duke University’s Islamic StudiesCenter, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Being Muslim inAmerica: Between ISIS and Islamophobia. BurkePresbyterian Church, 5690 Oak Leather Drive,Burke, 703-764-0456. Tickets are available athttp://www.BurkePresChurch.org. They are $25for Friday and Saturday sessions and $15 for asingle session. Tickets are limited.

SATURDAY/MARCH 4Rising Above Fear. Burke Presbyterian Church

Distinguished Speakers Series, with Omid Safi,director of Duke University’s Islamic StudiesCenter, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Moving Forward inLove: An Interfaith Collaboration, BurkePresbyterian Church, 5690 Oak Leather Drive,Burke, 703-764-0456. Tickets are available athttp://www.BurkePresChurch.org. They are $25for Friday and Saturday sessions and $15 for asingle session. Tickets are limited.

Faith Notes Send notes to the Connection at [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior to the event.


By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

One of the most heart-wrench-ing decisions that DeniseSchossler, her two siblingsand her 95-year-old mother

had to make was whether or not to moveher into an assisted living facility, leavingthe home where she’s lived since 1954.Physical limitations and a need for socialinteraction drove the decision to relocateto the newly opened Kensington FallsChurch.

“My mother has managed to stay in herhome all this time with the help of an aidewho comes every day, but she realized thatit just couldn’t continue. One of the mainthings is the isolation and the loneliness,”said Schossler. “She needs more social in-teraction than she gets alone in her home.She’s someone who’s had an active sociallife, but now it’s just television and books.”

A dearth of social interaction is one ofthe factors that can lead seniors into assistedliving facilities. In fact, a recent study pub-lished in the Journal of Gerontology showsthat seniors living in assisted living facili-ties have fewer unmet needs such as com-panionship, help with cooking, bathing anddoing laundry than those who live indepen-dently. However, the survey of more than4,000 people over the age of 65 shows thateven in such retirement communities,unmet needs still exist. To address this chal-lenge, local gerontology experts say thatfamilies must determine whether a lovedone’s needs meet the criteria for assistedliving candidacy and once placed, work toensure that those needs are being met.

“In counseling families making this diffi-cult decision, I focus on safety factors forthe patient and other family members,” saidMaureen Moriarty, D.N.P., assistant profes-sor of nursing at Marymount University inArlington. “Often cognitive impairment isthe reason for assisted living. Perhapsmemory is affected so the patient can nolonger safely drive or remember the stepsin carrying out activities of daily living such

as cooking, bathing or management offinances.”

In making this decision, an evaluationby an objective gerontology expert canbe necessary, says Patrice Winter, DPT,assistant professor at George Mason Uni-versity in the Department of Global andCommunity Health. “They come out andevaluate the house and the person aswell,” she said. “You have an objective,unemotional person instead of an adultchild going, ‘Mom you can’t live here any-more.’ and the mom saying, ‘Stay out ofmy business.’”

Such an evaluation will show that thereare times when a lifestyle adjustment is allthat is needed. “Sometimes they can offersimple solutions that can make hugechanges,” said Winter. “Could it be that theyneed their eyesight and hearing checked?Or the washing machine moved upstairs”so they can do laundry more frequently?

When seeking an evaluation, Winter rec-ommends local social service agencies suchas the Fairfax County Area Agency on Ag-ing. “The issue may not be cognitive, butthe need for a living environment with more

support may be triggered by physical limi-tations,” added Moriarty. “Perhaps a chronicdegenerative illness such as Parkinson’s Dis-ease has left the patient with physical careneeds beyond the scope of family members.”

Safety can become an issue when familymembers’ physical limitations restrict thequality of care they are able to offer. “Thisopens issues not only to patient safety butalso the family member may be frail or havetheir own physical limitations that limittheir capacity to assist someone who, forinstance, has balance loss,” said Moriarty.

“The key assessment as a clinician for me isthat the family no longer has the resourcesto care safely for this individual in a homeenvironment.”

“If there is any question at all, the personshould have a medical evaluation,” addedWinter. “There could be an imbalance in thesystem that could cause changes so a reallygood physical by a geriatric internist wouldbe paramount before any drastic actions aretaken.”

Once a senior has moved into an assistedliving facility, they often need someone toadvocate on their behalf. Regular visits andtelephone calls to both the family memberand the staff are necessary. “You need tomake sure you know what’s going on,” saidThompson, who recently moved her ownmother into an assisted living facility. “It’sOK to be a pest. I communicate with thestaff at my mother’s facility. She complainsto me about things that she won’t complainto the staff about so I have to complain onher behalf.”

Even in the best of facilities, a person’sneeds can be inadvertently overlooked,says Thompson, so a family member’spresence is necessary. “Walk around, payattention to how other residents seem,”she said. “Are they happy and engagedor are there signs of neglect?”

“Establish a relationship with thoseproviders who will be involved in the careof your family member,” added Moriarty.“Become part of the team by attendingregular team meetings. Make themaware of your loved one’s special needs.For example, if your family member al-ways had tea in the morning, request that

this continues.”Schossler says that her proximity to the

Kensington Falls Church will allow her tobe in regular contact with both her motherand the staff.

“My mother has grandchildren and great-grandchildren and we can visit her becausethe Kensington is just a few minutes awayfrom where I live,” she said. “My motherhas already made connections with threepeople who will be there, so she’s lookingforward to moving. We happened to findthe right fit at the right time.”

Local Resources❖ Alexandria Area Agency on Aginghttps://www.alexandriava.gov/Aging❖ Fairfax County Area Agency on Aginghttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/

olderadultservices/❖ Arlington Aging and Disability Services Divisionhttps://aging-disability.arlingtonva.us/❖ Kensington Falls Church Open HouseFeb. 1, 5 and 22, 4:30 to 7 p.m.700 West Broad St., Falls Church

To Move Or Not To MoveWellbeing

Denise Schossler's 95-year-old mother will move into the newly openedKensington Falls Church assisted living facility later this month.

Photos courtesy of Kensington at Falls Church

Local family movesmother into newlyopened KensingtonFalls Church.

"She needs more socialinteraction than she getsalone in her home. She’ssomeone who’s had anactive social life, but now it’sjust television and books."

— Denise Schossler

THROUGHOUT MARCH 2017Free Public Service Seminars. March 1, 8,

15, 21, 29, at 7 p.m. on Selling Your Home,Aging in Place, Downsizing, RetirementCommunities Seminars. Free public serviceseminars on “Selling Your Home” (March 1,McLean High School, 1633 Davidson Rd.,McLean), “Working With Builders” (March 8,Falls Church HS, 7521 Jaguar Trail, FallsChurch), “Financing Your Retirement” (March15, Marshall HS, 7731 Leesburg Pike, FallsChurch), “Tax & Estate Planning” (March 21,

Madison HS, 2500 James Madison Dr., Vienna),and “Decluttering & Organizing” (March 29,Oakton HS, 2900 Sutton Rd., Vienna). For moreinformation and seminar registration go toRetireeRealEstate.org, or call 703-772-3033.

ONGOINGAre You A Caregiver? Shepherd’s Center of

Oakton Vienna Caregivers’ SupportGroup takes place first & third Thursday ofeach month. Feb. 2nd and 16th, 2017 from 10

a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join us at the UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF) -Program Building, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd, Oakton,VA. For more info contact facilitator, Jack Tarr,703-821-6838 [email protected].

Volunteers Needed. PRS is looking forempathetic and caring volunteers to make phonecalls to older adults who may be feeling sociallyisolated. The commitment is one 3-hour shift perweek for one year. Located in Arlington. Ages 21& up. Intensive training provided. Learn more

and apply: https://prsinc.org/carering-volunteering/. Questions? [email protected].

The Northern Virginia Long Term CareOmbudsman Program needs volunteeradvocates for residents in nursing homes andassisted living facilities. Contact LisaCallahan at 703-324-5861, TTY 711 or [email protected]. Also visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/ltcombudsman/.

Wellbeing Notes


many passionatewomen of all ages,daughters, mothers,grandmothers, aswell as men of allages as far as the eyecould see. This pastMonday, I gave myfirst floor speech ofthe session aboutthe Women’s March,why we marchedand how preciousour First Amend-ment right to peace-fully assemble is.You can watch myremarks here.

Legisla-tive Up-date

This past weekseveral of my billswere acted upon insubcommittee, fullcommittee and onthe floor of theHouse of Delegates.

❖ Notificationof Bullying. Mybill, HB 1709, which would direct schoolprincipals to notify the parent of any stu-dent involved in an alleged incident of bul-lying of the status of any investigationwithin 14 school days following the allega-tion of bullying, unanimously passed theHouse this week. Next, I will have the op-portunity to present the bill to the StateSenate. I was appreciative of the compel-ling testimony provided the previous weekby Sylvia and Brandon Farbstein. Brandonis a 17-year old student in Henrico CountyPublic Schools who was a victim of bully-ing. His mother Sylvia struggled to get up-dates about the status of the incidents inwhich Brandon was victimized. It is myhope that this legislation will ensure thatparents receive timely updates when theirchild is a part of a bullying investigation.

❖ Encouraging Workforce Devel-opment in Schools. My bill HB 1708,which would require the Board of Educa-tion to consider including industry creden-tials earned when measuring school accredi-tation, was passed in the Education Inno-vation Committee. I will present this bill tothe full Education Committee tomorrow. AsChair of Jobs for Virginia graduates, I oftenvisit schools that not only ensure that stu-dents graduate, but also prepare them forlife after high school. For some students,that may include higher education, for oth-ers it may be directly entering theworkforce. This bill advocates for reward-ing schools that provide career technicaleducation to their students.

❖ Boundaries and Consent. I hadtwo bills up in the Elementary and Second-ary Education Subcommittee this past week.One, HB 2257, would ensure that consenteducation is taught in High School FamilyLife Education. The other, HB 2406, wouldrequire any family life education curricu-lum offered in any elementary school,middle school, or high school to includeinstruction on the importance of the per-sonal privacy and personal boundaries ofother individuals. HB 2406 and HB 2257passed out of subcommittee and will gobefore the full Education committee tomor-row.

Visitors to RichmondThis was another week of friends, con-

stituents and groups visiting me in my of-fice in Richmond. I truly appreciate visitorstaking the time to make this effort. I metwith representatives from the GMU StudentGovernment Association, members of theVEA, AARP, SEIU, 4H, and student hygien-ists from Northern Virginia CommunityCollege among many other groups.

It is my privilege to serve in the House ofDelegates on your behalf and address theissues that face the 41st District and theCommonwealth as a whole. I look forwardto hearing from you or seeing you in Rich-mond and/or out and about in the 41st Dis-trict during the weekends. Please don’t hesi-tate to contact me if you need any assis-tance from my office.

From Page 6

Richmond ReportOpinion

Photo contributed

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41), center, with PreciousCrabtree and Jessica Bowser, lobbying on behalf ofpublic education.


News

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

The Fairfax Chocolate Lovers Fes-tival is a dream-come-true forchocolate aficionados, and the2017 extravaganza is this Sat-

urday, Feb. 4, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun-day, Feb. 5, from noon-4 p.m. Vendors willoffer a wide variety of chocolate treats rang-ing from candy to cakes, ice cream, fudge,chocolate-covered strawberries andmilkshakes.

This year’s festival is the 25th annual; acomplete schedule of events is atwww.chocolatefestival.net. All venues arehandicap-accessible, and the Chocolate Ex-press will run Feb. 4, from 9:30 a.m.-5:30p.m., and Feb. 5, from 11:45 a.m. to 4:30p.m. providing free shuttle service betweenevent locations.

New for 2017 is Liquid Chocolate, start-ing off the fun Friday night, Feb. 3, from 6-8 p.m., and returning Saturday, Feb. 4, from3-7 p.m. Inside a heated tent on Old TownSquare’s upper parking lot, 3999 Univer-sity Drive, will be chocolate libations ga-lore. Adults may taste chocolate wines,chocolate beers and dessert wine pairingsfor $2 each, while children enjoy hot choco-late, chocolate milkshakes and chocolatesoda for $1/tasting.

Then, starting off Saturday morning’sactivities will be the annual Kiwanis Clubof Fairfax Pancake Breakfast. From 8 a.m.-1 p.m., attendees may feast on regular orchocolate-chip pancakes, sausage, coffee,juice and milk, at Fire Station 3, at 4081University Drive. Cost is $8, adults; $4, chil-dren ages 4-10. Children 3 and under eatfree with a paying adult (limit two childrenper adult). There’ll also be a bake sale, andface-painting is $2/child.

But save room for later because the high-light of the festival, the Taste of Chocolate,is Saturday, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun-day, from noon-4 p.m., in Old Town Hall,3999 University Drive (corner of MainStreet and University Drive). Leave stroll-ers on the front porch; a fully accessibleentrance is at the door on Main Street.

Admission is free; visitors buy pogs for$1 each and browse vendors’ tables to seeall the chocolate goodies being offered.They buy them with pogs and may get asmany pogs as they’d like from roaming vol-unteers in red aprons.

The assortment of treats is on two floorsand includes chocolate fudge, truffles,candy bars, brownies, cakes and ice cream.And always popular are the chocolate foun-tains into which customers may dip fruit,cream-filled doughnut holes or marshmal-lows.

Among the vendors will be: C & DSweets, CakeLove, Cakes by Shelby,Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates, The Capi-tal Candy Jar, Capitol Chocolate Fountains;The Chocolatier’s Palette, Chocotenago,Confection Connection, Dave’s CandyKitchen, HB&M Chocolate, Le PapiyonChocolatier, Mike’s Fudge, Salazon Choco-late Co., Sugar Mama’s Ice Cream and Vir-

ginia Chocolate Co.Another crowd-pleasing venue is the

Chocolate Challenge, in which both profes-sional and amateur chefs display their beau-tiful, whimsical and creative chocolatecakes, cupcakes and sculptures. It runs Feb.4, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Feb. 5, fromnoon-4 p.m.

But this year, it’s in a new location at10427 North St., in the former Pacers site

at the corner of North and University. Ad-mission is $1/adult; children under 18are free. A designated stroller-parkingarea is outside the building. Each entryis judged in various categories, and visi-tors may use their admission ticket tovote for the People’s Choice Award win-ner. They may also participate in the si-lent action of challenge entries, plusitems from local businesses.

In addition, cake walks will go onthroughout the weekend in Old TownSquare. They’re among a whole slew of ac-tivities planned for children, includingpuppet shows, cupcake-decorating, music,magic, juggling and storytelling. (See theonline schedule for the complete list, plustimes and places). And four historic build-ings – the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Cen-ter, Legato School, Ford House andRatcliffe-Allison-Pozer House – will holdopen houses.

ParkingFree parking is available at these

locations, with handicapped parkingoffered at all sites, except for SagerAvenue:

❖ Bank of America, 10440 Main St. (accessiblefrom Route 236 and North Street).

❖ City Hall, 10455 Armstrong St. (accessible fromRoute 123/Chain Bridge Road and GeorgeMason Boulevard).

❖ City of Fairfax Regional Library, 10360North St. (accessible from University Drive andOld Lee Highway).

❖ East Street parking lot (accessible fromRoute 236/Main Street and East Street).

❖ Fairfax County Courthouse Garage B, 4400Chain Bridge Road (accessible from PageAvenue).

❖ Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209Main St.

❖ Fire Station 3, 4081 University Drive.❖ Old Town Plaza, 3955 Chain Bridge Road

(accessible from Route 123/Chain Bridge Roadand University Drive).

❖ Old Town Village (behind Pacer’s, 10427North St.) Open at noon Saturday and all daySunday; (accessible from University Drive).

❖ Sager Avenue parking lot (accessible fromSager Avenue and University Drive).

City’s tastiest festival is Feb. 4-5.A Weekend Full of Chocolate Fun

A plate of cupcakes in the 2016 Chocolate Challenge.

John Kim proudly displays his chocolate-drenchedstrawberry at last year’s festival.

Charlie Grace is thrilled with her chocolate cone fromExtreme Ice Cream at a past festival.

Photos by Bonnie Hobbs/The Connection


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Send notes to the Connection atconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/or call 703-778-9416. The deadline isthe Friday prior to the next paper’s pub-lication at noon. Dated announcementsshould be submitted at least two weeksprior to the event.

FRIDAY/FEB. 3Early Release LEGO Workshop 2 - 5

p.m. Sherwood Community Center,3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax.Ages: 6 - 11. Spend your afternoonhaving a great time building andplaying with thousands of specialtypieces and dozens of mini figures.Fee: $30/day. Registration Forms areavailable in office or online atwww.fairfaxva.gov/[email protected] 703-385-1695.

SATURDAY/FEB. 4Bicycle Advocacy Workshop 9:30 -

3 p.m. Prince of Peace LutheranChurch 8304 Old Keene Mill Road,Springfield.

The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicyclingis a offering an advocacy workshop toprovide you the basic tools andstrategies needed to help makebicycling better in your community.Learn how to build a successfuladvocacy plan, identify key localdecision makers, and familiarizeyourself with helpful online advocacytools. There is no charge for theworkshop, but participants are askedto pre-register by January 29, 2017.

Make Your Own Valentines Table.American Cancer Society Crop/Craft:9-5 p.m.with Fun Vendor Shop: 2-4.West Springfield High SchoolCafeteria (6100 Rolling Road,Springfield). Vendors: Stella & Dot,Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, KarinasKreations, Tupperware, Stampin’ Up,LuLaRoe, Thirty-One Gifts, CreativeMemories, Scentsy. All donations go

to American Cancer Society. CallLeslie Carlin at 703-866-4962 oremail [email protected] forinfo.

THURSDAY/FEB. 9Art & Lunch event at Old Town

Hall 10:30 - 2:30 p.m. Old TownHall, 3999 University Dr, Fairfax. TheFairfax Art League will be hosting anArt & Lunch event at Old Town Hall.Bring lunch and enjoy the companyof other artists. Free and open to thepublic. New members welcome.Please visit the Fairfax Art League onFacebook or atwww.fairfaxartleague.net or call 703-587-9481.

Artist Reception 7 - 9 p.m. VillageGallery, 3950 University Dr, Fairfax.The Fairfax Art League will be havinga reception at the Village Gallery.Come enjoy refreshments, meet thefeatured artist and be a part of yourlocal artist community. Free andopen to the public. New memberswelcome.

Please visit the Fairfax Art League onFacebook or atwww.fairfaxartleague.net or call 703-587-9481.

FRIDAY/FEB. 10“Three for a Song” - Ragtime

Piano & Vocalists 8 p.m. OldTown Hall, 3999 University Dr,

Fairfax. The Bonita Lestina Old TownHall Performance Series. Founded in1983 by the late Ray Abell, theCathedral Brass performs sacred andsecular works from all eras in supportof the music ministry at ViennaPresbyterian Church. The groupdraws its membership from aroundthe DC Metro area, and includescurrent and former professionals andmembers of the Service Bands. TheCathedral Brass is under the directionof L. Thomas Vining. 703-385-7858www.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts

FRIDAY/SATURDAY/FEB. 10-11“And Then There Were None.” South

County High School’s performance, 7p.m. at South County High SchoolAuditorium, 8501 Silverbrook Road,Lorton. For tickets, call MariaPangelinan at 619-708-2237.

SATURDAY/FEB. 11Second Sunday Program - “African

American Schools andDesegregation” 2 - 4 p.m. FairfaxMuseum and Visitor Center, 10209Main Street, Fairfax. 703-385-8414.

Champagne and Chocolates 4 - 7p.m. Gunston Hall DocentAssociation 10709 Gunston Road,Lorton.

The event will feature a historic guidedtour, Hors d’ oeuvres, string quartet,raffle and live auction. $40 perperson. RSVP by Feb. 4. To RSVP,send a check payable to GHDA toDebbie Bullock at 5700 BarbmorCourt, Alexandria, VA 22310.Questions about the event? EmailDebbie a [email protected].

Beethoven’s Triple 8 p.m. GMUCenter for the Arts Concert Hall 4373Mason Pond Dr, Fairfax. 2017 marksthe beginning of our 60thAnniversary Celebration. The FSOrings in the new year by featuring theextraordinarily talented trio:

National Symphony ConcertmasterNurit Bar-Josef; renowned cellistAmit Peled; and FSO audiencefavorite Alon Goldstein, whoperformed Beethoven’s “Emperor”concerto with the orchestra lastseason.

SUNDAY/FEB. 12Table Top N Gauge Model Train

Event at the Fairfax Station RailroadMuseum 1- 4 p.m. The Museum islocated at 11200 Fairfax StationRoad in Fairfax Station. Museummembers and children 4 and under,free; ages 5-15, $2; ages 16 andolder, $4. www.fairfax-station.org,703-425-9225. www.facebook.com/FFXSRR, Twitter@FFXSTNRR.

Song-catcher Cecil Sharp inVirginia 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. City ofFairfax Regional Library, 10360North Street, Fairfax. A multi-mediapresentation about the original“Song-catcher,” English folk songcollector, Cecil Sharp, and hisdiscoveries in the hinterlands ofVirginia in the early 20th century.Cost: Free. Information & Directions:www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library or703-293-6227 x6

MONDAY/FEB. 13Funday Monday Storytime &

Crafts 10:30 a.m. – Every Monday –Old Town Hall, 3999 University Dr,Fairfax. There will be music,movement, story telling,performances, crafts, and more! It isopen to children of all ages, howeverespecially for those who haven’t yetstarted school. Programs are free andopen to the public, donations aregratefully appreciated.

There is ample free parking in thedowntown area, and stroller access atthe rear of Old Town Hall on MainSt. 703-385-7858www.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts

The 13th Film Screening with Hans Charles will takeplace at the Johnson Center Cinema at George MasonUniversity. The screening takes place from 4:30 - 7 p.m.the cinema is located at 4400 Univ Dr. Fairfax. Cost: [email protected] 703-993-2768 http://fams.gmu.edu/events/6437

Calendar


News

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

This year, Fairfax County PublicSchools experienced one of thesmallest annual enrollment increases in nearly a decade:

1,368 students, compared to the averageof 2,400 since the 2008-09 school year,bringing the total to 187,202.

By far the lowest was a growth of only223 in the 2015-16 school year.

Interim FCPS Superintendent Dr. StevenLockard attributed the slowed growth todecreases in those entering kindergartencohorts and net migration. The five-yearforecast of enrollment growth, he said inan introduction to the latest Capital Im-provement Program information document,has FCPS reaching 190,600 students by the2021-22 school year.

“These new trends of growth are incon-sistent across the county and continue topresent a facilities capacity challenge,”Lockard said. “The school system strugglesto provide sufficient capacity in ourschools. Despite the planned additionalcapacity intended to address projectedneeds, uneven membership growththroughout the county will necessitate thecontinuation of small- and large-scaleboundary adjustments to take advantageof available capacity whenever it is practi-cable to do so.”

The FCPS School Board unanimously ap-proved a new Capital Improvement Pro-gram covering FY2018-2022 at the businessmeeting Jan. 26. The five-year program isupdated annually with enrollment projec-tions and capacity calculations, and lays outplans for new construction, renovations andother capacity-increasing work to accom-modate the growing student body.

“It has evolved over the past several yearsand become very responsive to input fromthe school board and from the community,”said Mount Vernon District representativeto the board Karen Corbett Sanders. “It’s agreat tool for identifying both the opportu-nities to better serve our students throughfacilities but also to set a framework onwhen we need to start talking about howto best provide capacity and programmingat each of our schools.”

The capacity enhancements in this lat-est approved CIP include construction ofnew schools, additions to existing schoolsand other renovations, with a total price tagof $824 million.

FCPS said a little less than half of that,$385 million, will be covered by funds ap-proved in the 2015 school bond referendumand previous referenda, and the remaining$439 million is currently unfunded.

Some of the projects already funded bythat first figure include a new elementaryschool in the Route 1 area and additions toSouth Lakes High School in Reston.

Unfunded projects in the program includea new elementary school in northwestFairfax County, another in the Fairfax-Oakton area, a high school in westernFairfax County and additions to three otherhigh schools.

The new high school is intended to bringdown capacity stress in the Centreville,Chantilly, Herndon, Oakton, South Lakesand Westfield areas.

Renovations are planned for 32 elemen-tary schools as part of the CIP, as well asfive middle schools.

Springfield District School Board repre-sentative Elizabeth Schultz praised the FCPSfacilities staff that produced the CIP, alongwith Dalia Palchik of Providence Districtwho introduced the motion to approve it,and Corbett Sanders who seconded themotion.

But Schultz also said there’s room forimprovement with showing their work overtime, looking back in two to three years andassessing the accuracy of these enrollmentgrowth projections.

“That’s the space where we still need todo some work for the overall health of thedivision,” Schultz said.

“Everything else after the numbers,whether it’s desks, books, buses, teachers

— it doesn’t matter if we don’t get thosenumbers right,” Schultz continued. “It allstems from how accurate we are with ourprojections.”

Schultz said she looked forward to work-ing with facilities staff to achieve that ob-jective and “improve transparency of thenumbers.”

In the next two months, the adopted FCPSCIP should be incorporated into the FairfaxCounty CIP and presented to the county’sPlanning Commission.

More information about the Capital Im-provement Program (and previous years’programs) is available online here:www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/facilities-plan-ning-future/capital-improvement-program.

Five-year plan includesthree new elementaryschools and one newhigh school.

Board Approves 2018-2022 Capital Improvement Program

Photos courtesy of Fairfax County Public Schools

The FCPS School Board unanimously approved a new Capital Improvement Program covering FY2018-2022 atits business meeting Jan. 26. The five-year program is updated annually with enrollment projections andcapacity calculations, and lays out plans for new construction, renovations and other capacity-increasingwork to accommodate the growing student body.

Dalia Palchik of Providence District praised the FCPSfacilities staff that produced the 2018-2022 FCPSCapital Improvement Program.

Springfield District School Board representativeElizabeth Schultz said “there is work yet to be done”when it comes to showing work over time with re-gards to enrollment growth projections.


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POLICY AS TO STUDENTSFairfax United Methodist Church Preschool, St. Paul Lutheran Preschool, Fairfax Presbyterian Preschool

and Truro Preschool and Kindergarten admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally

accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,

national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship

and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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November 8, 2016NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTLead Agency: Department of Army

Title of Proposed Action: Supplemental Environmental Assessment ofCommunications Line Extension, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Affected Jurisdiction: Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Prepared By: Directorate of Public Works, Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Approved By: Colonel Angie K. Holbrook, Commander, Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Abstract: This Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) documents potential impacts tothe physical, biological and human environments associated with the extension of a new under-ground communications line from the main garrison area of Fort Belvoir to Davison Army Air-field (DAAF). The proposed ductbank is required to provide enhanced voice and data telecom-munications connectivity to DAAF from the existing communications network within Fort Bel-voir. After evaluating communications network needs at DAAF, Fort Belvoir network personnel identified a single viable alternative, extending the ductbank along the Poe Road corridor (Pro-posed Action). This Poe Road Alternative was selected based upon the location and availability of existing network infrastructure connection hubs at either end of the alignment and required communication system diversity needs. The No Action Alternative was evaluated to provide a baseline for evaluating impacts of the Proposed Action. None of the impacts associated with the Proposed Action are considered significant. As a result, it is anticipated that preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) will be published in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

Review Period: Interested parties are invited to review and comment onthe EA and draft FNSI during a 30 day period. Please submit any comments to Commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir, Attention: Directorate of Public Works, Building 1442, 9430Jackson Loop, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5116 or email your comments to:[email protected].

The EA and draft FNSI were available for review on the internet at:http://www.belvoir.army.mil/environdocssection2.asp. Documents werealso provided for public review at the following libraries for a period of 30 days:

Fairfax County LibraryLorton Branch9520 Richmond HighwayLorton, VA 22079-2124

Fairfax County LibrarySherwood Regional Branch2501 Sherwood Hall LaneAlexandria, VA 22306-2799

Fairfax County LibraryKingstowne Branch6500 Landsdowne CentreAlexandria, VA 22315-5011


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From Page 3

News

formation.”In the press conference Saturday, Beyer

referenced his Freedom of Religion Act heintroduced in 2016, which stated that noone would be denied entry to the UnitedStates based on their religion.

“It’s so ironic that President Trump cameout and said that we’re going to give spe-cial preference to Christians who are refu-gees because so many of them are beingkilled,” Beyer said. “Well I’m a Christian,but I respect that there are many moreMuslims being killed right now, many morewho are refugees.”

IN A STATEMENT released through herTwitter account on Jan. 29, U.S. Rep. Bar-bara Comstock (R-10) said she supportsincreased vetting based on national secu-rity concerns. However, Comstock said shehas consistently asserted: “I don’t believe itis constitutional to ban people from ourcountry on the basis of religion.”

“The President’s Executive Order issuedyesterday went beyond the increasedvetting actions that Congress has supportedon a bipartisan basis and inexplicably ap-plied to green card holders,” Comstock con-tinued, “people who are legally within ourcountry who have followed the rules.”

Rallies at Dulles

On her Facebook page Monday, FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors chairmanSharon Bulova said:

“The Executive Order issued on Fridayis offensive and counter to what definesthis country. We are a nation of immi-grants committed to religious freedom.I am committed to keeping FairfaxCounty a safe and welcoming place.When I was sworn in as chairman, Iswore to support the Constitution. I be-lieve this ban on travel is unconstitu-tional and I urge the judiciary to con-tinue to exercise its role in preventingfurther damage to our country’s valuesand our reputation around the world.”

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D), releaseda statement Friday, the same day as theExecutive Order was announced. Warneris vice chairman of the Senate SelectCommittee on Intelligence:

“The Trump Administration ExecutiveOrder that indefinitely suspends the Syr-ian refugee program and pauses visasfrom Muslim countries runs counter toour American values. While I have alwaysbeen open to a pause on our refugee pro-gram to ensure appropriate time for in-telligence and law enforcement expertsto ensure we protect our national secu-rity, these actions by the President pre-sume the solution before the review iscomplete. It is a policy targeting Mus-lims that national security experts havetestified would harm, not help, our na-tional security interests. I join the inter-

Other Local leaders Weigh Infaith community in Virginia and aroundthe country in objecting to these moves,and I will work in Congress to block aneffort which trades dubious increases inU.S. security for certain alienation ofpartners with whom we must cooperateto address terrorism.”

The Most Reverend Michael F.Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, releaseda statement as well, expressing solidar-ity with refugees:

“In his statement on the Executive Or-der halting refugee admissions, Bishop JoeVasquez, chair of the Committee of Migra-tion and Bishop of the Diocese of Austin,highlighted our nation’s long and proudtradition of welcoming newcomers andrefugees in a humane manner, even as wehave pursued a strong vetting system toensure our safety and security. Togetherwith Bishop Vasquez and my brother bish-ops, I encourage Catholics to contact ourelected officials to make our voices heard:Our communities have been and will con-tinue to be hospitable to refugees, in keep-ing with our legacy of welcoming thestranger. Together, we also pray for com-prehensive immigration reform and forpeace, safety and harmony within ournation and throughout the world.”

The full text of the Jan. 27 ExecutiveOrder is available online here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/27/executive-or-der-protecting-nation-foreign-terrorist-entry-united-states.

Left, Simon was atDulles airport

Saturday and Sun-day, as well as

(center) state Sen.Jennifer Wexton (D-33), and (right) U.S.Rep. Gerry Connolly

(D-11), asking thatsome of the more

than 20 lawyerspresent be given theopportunity to meetwith the detainees.

Photo contributed

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