McLean Summer Fun - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/052417/McLean.pdf ·...

McLean Connection ❖ May 24-30, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

PRSRT STD

U.S. Postage

PAID

Easton, MD

PERMIT #322

Attention Postmaster:

Time sensitive material.

Requested in home 5-25-17

Opinio

n, Page 6

❖

Entertainm

ent, 2

❖

Spo

rts, Page 16

❖

C

lassifieds, Page 18

Pho

to

by Steve H

ibbard/T

he C

onnectio

n

online at www.connectionnewspapers.comMay 24-30, 2017

McLeanMcLean

Sparky the Fire Dog,a.k.a. Eric Yang, a

firefighter withMcLean Volunteer Fire

Department, Station#1, with Levi Kerr of

McLean and Wes Hol-land of Falls Churchduring McLean Day

last Saturday, May 20,2017 at Lewinsville

Park in McLean.

‘Phone Down’Campaign at McLean HighNews, Page 4

Teen Filmmakers WinAwards in Film FestivalsNews, Page 10

‘Phone Down’Campaign at McLean HighNews, Page 4

Teen Filmmakers WinAwards in Film FestivalsNews, Page 10

McLean Day: What a BlastNews, Page 3

McLean Day: What a BlastNews, Page 3

Summer FunPage 8

Summer Fun

2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ May 24-30, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

Sierra Rose Webb hasgraduated from theU.S. Coast Guard

Academy with a bachelor ofscience degree and a com-mission as an ensign. TheCoast Guard Academy offersa four-year educational pro-gram designed to providecadets the knowledge andexperience essential to be-come leaders of character.Cadets are required to devote themselvesto an honor concept and after gradua-tion go directly into positions of leader-ship in service to others. Webb is thedaughter of Christopher and MaryjeanWebb of Lovettsville, Va., and a gradu-

ate of Langley High School.On an average day, the U.S.Coast Guard conducts 45search and rescue cases;saves 10 lives; saves morethan $1.2 million in prop-erty; conducts 57 water-borne patrols of criticalmaritime infrastructure;screens 360 merchant ves-sels for potential securitythreats prior to arrival in

U.S. ports; conducts 14 fisheries conser-vation boardings; investigates 35 pollu-tion incidents; and facilitates movementof $8.7 billion worth of goods and com-modities through the Nation’s MaritimeTransportation System.

Great Falls Native GraduatesFrom U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Sierra Webb

The McLean Citizens Associationhonored five McLean High Schoolstudents at McLean Day on Satur-

day, May 19. School Board member, JaneStrauss and Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-34),presented the Teen Character Awards on themain stage.

The award goes to students, who havegone above and beyond in the communityby caring for others in need in their neigh-borhood or community.

One of the award winners, Neha Vutakuri,founder of the Breast Cancer Preventionwith Herbs and Spices foundation, dedi-cates her time to informing women of thehealth benefits of spices. She has developedan app called MySpices to assist in breastcancer prevention through knowledge ofseasonings.

“I created my organization after I sawhow many women were suffering. As a re-

sult I saw how many families were suffer-ing and that was why I decided to start thisorganization,” said Vutakuri, a senior atMcLean High School.

These students were recognized not onlyfor their own works such as Garrett Detterfor volunteering in the Special Olympics orMairin Fallon, showing leadership as anequine volunteer, but also as examples toothers. The award showed appreciation forthose students who strived to reach out totheir community such as Helen Ganley whovolunteered to be a volleyball coach formiddle school students and Ian Murphywho began organizing a food drive in 2008.

“We strive to provide our children withthe very best education possible, but asimportant as reading, writing, and arith-metic it is as important to give back,” saidStrauss.

— Maggie Giordano

Del. Kathleen Murphy (D-34), Garrett Detter, Ian Murphy, Neha Vutakuri,Helen Ganley, Mairin Fallon, and Jane Strauss.

Teen Character AwardsPresented on McLean Day

Pho

to

by M

aggie G

io

rdano

/T

he C

on

nectio

n


News

People take a ride on the Himalaya during McLean Day. People ride on the Full Tilt during McLean Day.

McLean Day Festival: What a BlastT

he crowds came out forMcLean’s biggest annual event— the McLean Day 2017 Fes-tival — on Saturday, May 20,

2017, at Lewinsville Park on Chain BridgeRoad in McLean. Produced by the McLeanCommunity Center, the free festival in-cluded Midway carnival rides, live enter-tainment, booth exhibitors, bubble ball, arock climbing wall, laser tag and food trucksgalore. Residents could vote for the MCCGoverning Board members during theevent.

— Steve Hibbard

Ava Morabito, 9, and Addie Gevinson, 9, of McLeantake a ride on the Merry Go Round during McLeanDay at Lewinsville Park in McLean on Saturday, May20, 2017.

Chi Chi Felix of McLean plays in the Fun Houseduring McLean Day on Saturday, May 20, 2017 atLewinsville Park in McLean.

Children play Bubble Ball during McLean Daylast Saturday, May 20, 2017, at LewinsvillePark in McLean.

People line up during McLean Day for a ride onthe Ferris Wheel.

Santiago Ecie, 5, and his father Jose ofFalls Church ride the Bumper Cars duringMcLean Day.

Photos by

Steve Hibbard

The Connection

McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


News

By Fallon Forbush

The Connection

Ryan Zimmerman, starting firstbaseman for the WashingtonNationals Major League Base-ball team, visited the McLean

Highlanders baseball diamond on Wednes-day, May 10, to pitch some warnings to histeenaged fans about the dangers of dis-tracted driving.

Standing next to field in the sunshinehelped him remember his time playing base-ball in the spring at Kellam High School inVirginia Beach and the days he would driveto and from school for baseball practice.

“It was so exciting to drive,” he said. “Tobe in the car and to have that independence,I guess you could say.”

Unlike when he was a youth, teenagerstoday have more distractions to grapplewith, he said.

Students who play baseball and softballand their coaches crowded into a tent onthe grass to hear him speak and launch the“Phones Down. Home Run.” effort. Teamsfrom T.C. Williams High School in Alexan-dria and Stafford High School inFredericksburg were also invited, alongwith Virginia Delegates Mark Keam, D-35;Mark Sickles, D-43; and Marcus Simon, D-53.

“The street that I live on in Great Falls, alot of my neighbors have kids that are ei-ther in middle school, in high school start-ing to drive or in college, and I can’t tellyou how much when we’re hanging out withour neighbors … how much they talk abouthow scared they are of their kids going

through that,” he said.He was honest with the crowd.“I think we’ve all done it [looked at a

cellphone while driving],” he said. “Nobodyhere has never done it.”

Since his involvement with the campaign,he has realized how unsafe that can be.

THE AVERAGE major league home runtravels 400 feet in just under five seconds,according to Transurban, which is sponsor-ing the campaign. That is the same distancea driver would travel blind if they were look-ing at a cellphone while driving 55 miles-per-hour.

This is a large window for grave errors tohappen.

“During the game, fortunately though, ifyou mess up, you usually get anotherchance,” he said.

But the stakes are greater on the road.“If you’re behind the wheel and you make

a bad decision, whether it’s a text orInstagram … whatever the social media is,it’ll be there when you get there … you don’tneed to see it right now.”

Having two young daughters was a pri-mary reason he agreed to be the face of theinitiative.

“I can’t imagine having to go throughanything that some of these parents wouldhave to go through, especially with some-thing that could be easily avoided, so justbeing able to help out a little bit is kind ofwhy I wanted to be a part,” he said.

McLean High School recently had a “WhatHelps Me Day,” where students were askedto discuss methods to relieve stress, accord-ing to Nick Corsi, the systems of supportadvisor for the school. He advises a newSources of Strength program at the school,which is a national student-led programdesigned to change unhealthy norms andculture in schools. He was alarmed at apopular response he received when he sur-veyed students about what helps them copewith anxiety.

“An overwhelming amount of our stu-dents wrote down, ‘Going for a drive,’” Corsisaid during the event. “So I ask you, shoulda full-blown teenager student — dealingwith stress, dealing with anxiety — shouldthey be behind the wheel? It’s just anotherform of distracted driving.”

McLean students in grade 12 reportedmore texting (51.1 percent) or drinking al-cohol (13 percent) while driving during thepast 30 days compared to Fairfax CountyPublic School students in grade 12 overall(48.8 percent; 9.4 percent), according tothe latest Fairfax County Youth Survey, anannual survey that anonymously collectsdata about students’ knowledge, attitudesand behaviors on health, health risks, sub-stance use, eating disorders, obesity andsexual behavior.

“At 6-foot-four and I’m 200 pounds, theytext and bump into me when they are justwalking,” said School Resource Officer ScottDavis, a police officer for the Fairfax CountyPolice Department who works at the highschool.

Representatives from Partners for SafeTeen Driving, Inova Trauma Services andthe Virginia Department of Transportationalso spoke at the event.

MCLEAN HIGH School SophomoreCarenna Slotkoff, a peer leader for theschool’s Sources of Strength Program, tookto the microphone to tell the audience aboutan incident that she experienced a coupleweeks ago.

“My phone ended up taking a dive intothe bathtub,” she said “It’s funny that it wasso ridiculous that my phone was such a pri-ority that it caused me to drop it into a bath-tub, but what’s not funny is when yourphone becomes a distraction that can costyou a life.”

She told everyone that looking at herphone behind the wheel is a temptation.

“I recently just got my permit and I’ve onlypracticed driving for a few hours but I al-ready know it requires all of my attentionand that my phone will have to be silent,out of sight and out of mind,” she said.

Jennifer Aument, group general managerof Transurban, said, “Every day, tragically,11 teenagers die because they are using acellphone while driving.”

She set her talking points aside and wentoff script for a moment to tell the crowdabout her experience in the control roomthat her company and the Virginia Depart-ment of Transportation uses to monitor the495 and 95 Express Lanes in Northern Vir-ginia.

“What we see … will scare the heck outof you,” she said. “We see teenagers and alldrivers of all ages who are distracted on ourroadways.”

She then described footage she saw of adistracted teenage driver who sped into abarrier wall, killing her and her friend.

“I really hope that you will heed this ad-vice and that all of us will join together intaking the pledge to put our phones downon our region’s highways,” she said.

Washington Redskins starting quarter-back Kirk Cousins kicked off the “PhonesDown.

Touchdown.” safe driving campaign inMcLean on Nov. 29, 2016.

Drivers can sign the safe-driving pledgeby visiting PhonesDownHomeRun.com orPhoneDownTouchDown.com.

McLean High School Resource Officer Scott Davis and Nick Corsi, sys-tems of support advisor for the school, pitch their support for the cam-paign as the first speakers of the event.

McLean High School Sophomore Carenna Slotkoff, a peer leader for theschool’s Sources of Strength Program, tells the crowd about her attach-ment with her cellphone and how she disconnects when she getsbehind the wheel, now that she just received her learner’s permit.

‘Phone Down’ Campaign at McLean HighWashington Nationalsfirst basemanpromotes ‘PhonesDown. Home Run.’Safe Driving initiative.

“No text is worth risking yoursafety,” said Ryan Zimmerman,first baseman for the WashingtonNationals.

Pho

to

s by Fallo

n Fo

rbush

/T

he C

on

nectio

n


News

Dr. Cas Blanchard, director of girls athleticsat The Potomac School, has been honoredas one of seven members of the Virginia In-

dependent Schools Athletic Association’s (VISAA) in-augural Hall of Fame class. She was inducted intothe Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Richmond onMay 8. Blanchard was recognized for her outstand-ing accomplishments as an educator and her exten-sive work with the VISAA. She helped to establishthe organization’s structure as a member of the ini-tial VISAA committee from 1997 through 1998, thenserved as the northern region representative on theVISAA Executive Committee from 2001 to 2014.Beginning in 2002, Blanchard concurrently servedas VISAA secretary. Since 2006, she has chairedVirginia’s statewide sports committees for girls ten-nis and lacrosse, having founded the girls lacrossecommittee.

Blanchard has been The Potomac School’s direc-tor of girls athletics since 2001. She also coaches inPotomac’s Intermediate School girls basketball andsoccer programs. Asked what she most enjoys abouther job, she said, “It’s a privilege to work with ourstudent-athletes, coaches, and parents. There is aterrific spirit at Potomac that makes every day en-joyable.” She added, “I always like to see a teamimproving over the course of time. And every oncein awhile, you have a special team that has a specialseason, and that’s really rewarding.”

Head of School John Kowalik said, “For the past16 years, Cas Blanchard has set a high standard, en-couraging our student-athletes to give their best interms of effort, perseverance, sportsmanship, and

teamwork. At Potomac and across the state, she isrecognized as someone who genuinely cares aboutstudents and has helped to make athletics an inte-gral aspect of independent-school education. We aredelighted that she has received this honor from theVISAA.”

U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock receiving the National Legis-lator of the Year by the Virginia Council of the MilitaryOfficers Association of America.

Military Officers Association NamesU.S. Rep. Comstock National Legislator of the Year

U.S. Rep. BarbaraComstock (R-10) wasnamed National Legisla-

tor of the Year by the VirginiaCouncil of the Military Officers As-sociation of America (MOAA).

“I am honored to receive theNational Legislator of the YearAward from the Virginia Councilof MOAA. It has been a top prior-ity of mine to fight for those whohave served and defended our na-tion with honor. One of the firstbills I cosponsored this Congresswas the WINGMAN Act, legislationthat will give congressional districtoffice staff easier, direct access totheir constituents’ records in theVeterans Benefit Administrationsystem so our veterans can havetheir cases resolved in a more ex-pedient manner to get the benefitsthey deserve.

To help preserve the financialstability and security of militaryspouses, I have cosponsored H.R.846, the Military SurvivingSpouses Equity Act, important leg-islation that will help ensure thesurviving spouses of military mem-bers are taken care of in the tragicevent their husband or wife doesnot return from battle. I thank my

friend and 10th District constituentLt. Col. Oliver Carter (USAF, re-tired) and the members of theMOAA for their service in protect-ing our nation and look forwardto continuing to work with themon even more legislation that willhelp our veterans and their fami-lies who deserve our loyalty,” saidComstock in a statement.

“We were most impressed byRep. Comstock’s role in advancingcyber security through her Chair-woman position and she got high

marks for her ability and willing-ness to work across the aisle,” saidVirginia Council President Col.Steve Turner (USAF, retired).

In announcing the award,Turner noted Comstock’s strongsupport for veterans employmentopportunities in last year’s Na-tional Defense Authorization Act,her participation in numerousmilitary and veterans caucus’ andher Chairwoman role on the Sub-committee for Research and Tech-nology.

Pho

to

co

ntributed

Piper Phillips,Phillips Pro-grams alongwith PhillipsChair MikePolicicchio, EY,and Del. KenPlum paytribute to U.S.Rep. Don Beyerfor his excep-tional supportof vulnerablechildren,during the

Phillips Programs for Children and Families’ GreatGatsby Gala at the Hilton McLean.

Megan Malone,Visa; DebiAlexander withPhillips Pro-grams; and JimBurley, Venable,enjoy the GreatGatsby themeduring PhillipsPrograms forChildren andFamilies annualgala, held at the

Hilton McLean, that supports Phillips career trainingprogram for local youth with special challenges.

Phillips Hosts Great GatsbyGala at the Hilton McLean

Pho

to

s co

ntributed

Churchill Road student Collin Walter helps a repre-sentative from SHARE, Inc. load the truck with someof the items donated by Churchill Road families forthe food bank.

School Community Supports SHARE

On Monday, May 15,representatives fromSHARE, Inc., a

McLean-area food bank, pickedup more than 20 boxes of foodand household items donatedby Churchill Road Elementary

School families to help replen-ish the SHARE, Inc. shelves.The drive was organized byChurchill Road PTA’s Commu-nity Service Committee co-chairs Robin Hoeymans andSarah Walter.

Pho

to

by Sarah

W

alter

Potomac School Girls AthleticsDirector Inducted Into the Hall of Fame

Dr. Cas Blanchard and John Kowalik.


Opinion

sympathy or contempt for those affected by it.For others it might be a fear of it possibly hap-pening to them. The desire to find out howpeople felt on this subject served as the cata-lyst for my project team in a George MasonUniversity communications class.

As part of the class project we had the op-portunity to partner with the Fairfax CountyOffice of Public Affairs and the Office to Pre-vent and End Homelessness. When we wereinformed about the current situation involv-ing homelessness in the county, I was shocked.We were told that back in 2008, approximately1,800 people were found to be homeless in thecounty. Although there has been an almost 50percent reduction in homelessness since then,it had never occurred to me that a significantnumber of people in the area were goingthrough this problem.

We wanted to know more about what oth-ers thought about homelessness in the county.We decided to do a survey of county residentsabout their thoughts on homelessness and re-port on what we found out. We sent the sur-vey out on March 23 and promoted it throughsocial media and email. After two weeks, wegot the results and I think what we learnedsurprised all of us.

Almost 1,600 people filled out the survey.One of the responses revealed that 65 percentof those who responded believe homelessnessaffects them personally. Some people said theyoften saw people who were homeless, whileothers said they have never seen a person whois homeless in the county. Yet, what broke myheart were the comments that read “They are

Virginia Needs toAdopt California FuelEconomy GoalsTo the Editor:

In response to Governor McAuliffe’s direc-tive to Virginia’s DEQ to cut carbon pollution,Virginia should adopt Obama’s and California’sfuel economy goals: 54.5 mpg by 2025. Do cli-mate-change dismissives — especially thosewho drive gas-guzzlers — ever go outside? Dothey ever run, walk, or ride a bike beside aroad so that they have to breathe in car ex-haust?

I loathe walking beside roads, and when I’vegone on long bike rides, I’ve noticed that “ya-hoos” in pickup trucks — especially the dieselmodels, like to “floor it” when they pass a groupof bike riders, so that we are forced to get alungful of carbon monoxide, methane, sulfurand nitrous oxides, polyaromatic hydrocar-bons, and heavy metals. I’d like to see if theycould get out of their three-ton “exhaust spray-ers” and pedal up a two-mile grade.

Have they ever hiked in the mountains, awayfrom traffic noise (which I despise), andbreathed in pure, oxygen-rich air? My grand-father, a doctor from Marion, N.C., used to takea bicycle inner tube filled with mountain airwhen he went to the city, so that he couldbreathe the air from that tube with his car win-dows rolled up. To him (even with the rubbersmell), that air was better than the exhaust-filled city air.

To Trump, those bike-riders and hikers arelosers, especially compared to selfish status-

seekers who can afford a Cadillac Escalade,Lexus LX 570, Dodge Viper, or other ridicu-lously heavy and/or powerful gas hog. Andwho cares about wildlife, the hapless victimsof our pollution? I do, for one! Shouldn’t ev-eryone be outraged to learn that:

❖ 25 percent of cars are causing 90 percentof the air pollution we breathe;

❖ in 2016, about 76 different models of ve-hicles weighed at least 6,000 lbs. (which areexempt from annual depreciation caps);

❖ eight of the most expensive luxury carsget the worst gas mileage (e.g., 14 miles pergallon or less overall).

With the strong evidence correlating demen-tia, Alzheimer’s, and cancer with breathing carexhaust, Trump and the GOP plan to roll backnational car emission standards. (My veryhealth-conscious wife was just diagnosed withcancer, and with all the walking we do, breath-ing exhaust likely contributed to its onset.)Why doesn’t Virginia join California to adoptthe 54.5 mpg-by-2025 goal? It’s the very leastwe should do!

John H. Fringer, III, P.E.Reston

Heart-BreakingResponses onHomelessnessTo the Editor:

Homelessness is a word that can conjure upa variety of emotions. For some it might be See Letters, Page 15

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

For more than a half century signsalong the roadsides and ads in localnewspapers featured Smokey theBear with a message “Keep Virginia

Green.” His reference was to forest fire pre-vention, of which he said 9 out of 10 could beprevented. Forest fires were a big concern be-cause wood products were big business in Vir-ginia.

A campaign continues today with a “KeepVirginia Green” theme as part of the “Keep Vir-ginia Beautiful” effort. It has a broader mean-ing as it now includes stopping littering andother actions consumers can take as part ofcaring for the environment in the Common-wealth.

Maybe the most meaningful effort ever takento protect Virginia’s environment was an-nounced last week by Gov. Terry McAuliffe —that he had signed an Executive Directive or-dering the Department of Environmental Qual-ity to begin the process of establishing regula-tions in Virginia that will reduce carbon emis-sion from power plants. As the Governor ex-plained, “As the federal government abdicatesits role on this important issue, it is critical for

states to fill thevoid…Virginia willlead the way to cutcarbon and lean in onthe clean energy fu-ture.” The currentfederal administra-tion has moved to re-scind actions of theEnvironmental Pro-tection Agency to re-duce carbon in the at-mosphere and to acton climate change.

While proponents of states’ rights may ap-plaud the shift from the federal to the stategovernments, wind currents from power plantsand airborne pollutants do not recognize stateboundaries. It is critically important that otherstates follow the actions of Gov. McAuliffe.

According to the press release announcingthe Governor’s Executive Directive, the Com-monwealth has seen an increase from just 17megawatts of solar installed to more than1,800 megawatts in service or under develop-ment. Revenues in the rapidly growing cleanenergy sector have risen from $300 million to$1.5 billion between 2014 and 2016. In thelast year alone, solar installations have risen

nearly 1,200 percent. The number of Virgin-ians employed by the solar industry rose 65percent to 3,236 — twice the number of jobssupported by coal. An analysis by The SolarFoundation quoted in the release said that Vir-ginia is now second in the Southeast and ninthin the nation for year-over-year solar growth.As of 2017, Virginia is first in the Southeastfor corporate clean energy procurement.

Dominion Energy, the Commonwealth’s larg-est electricity producer, announced earlier thatit intends to follow the federal Clean PowerPlant regulations even if they are rescinded bythe current administration. Older coal-poweredplants are being converted to natural gas orclosed. The company will be subject to anyadditional regulations that result from theGovernor’s Executive Directive.

It is heartening to see the number of citizenswho have expressed a greater interest in envi-ronmental matters as they realize the threatto current protections under the new adminis-tration. We need to thank and applaud theGovernor for his action and at the same timekeep the pressure on federal and state electedofficials to see that our air is kept clean andsafe. I am pleased that both the Sierra Cluband the League of Conservation Voters haverecognized my efforts in this regard.

Keep Virginia Green

Letters to the Editor

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.Published by

Local Media Connection LLC

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Fallon ForbushReporter

[email protected]

Kyle KincaidEditorial Assistant

[email protected]

ADVERTISING:For advertising information

[email protected]

Trisha HamiltonDisplay Advertising

[email protected]

Andrea SmithClassified Advertising

[email protected]

Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal Kurspahic

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

CIRCULATION: [email protected]

McLean


Schools

CooperFundraiserto SupportCancerResearchHistory teacherDaniel Smith is beingtaped to a wall.Cooper MiddleSchool raised morethan $1,300 forcancer researchthrough a fundraiserthrough Pennies forPatients. Studentsbought tickets inorder to pie ateacher in the face,or tape a teacher tothe wall.

8 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ May 24-30, 2017 McLean Connection ❖ May 24-30, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

To honor dad on Father’s Day, send us yourfavorite snapshots of you with your dad andThe Connection will publish them in ourFather’s Day issue. Be sure to include someinformation about what’s going on in the photo,plus your name and phone number and townof residence. To e-mail photos, send to:

[email protected]

“Me and My Dad”

Public Hearing NoticeFairfax County

Secondary Six Year Plan

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and The

Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, in accordance

with Section 33.2-331 of the Code of Virginia, will conduct

a joint public hearing in the Board Auditorium, Fairfax

County Government Center, 12000 Government Center

Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035 at 3 p.m. on June 20, 2017.

The purpose of this public hearing is to receive public

comment on the Secondary Six Year Improvement Plan for

Fiscal Years 2018 through 2023. Copies of the proposed

plan may be reviewed at the VDOT’s orthern Virginia

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment

in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI

more information or special assistance for persons with

Persons wishing to speak at this public hearing should

Send entertainment announcements toconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Dead-line is Friday at noon for the following week’spaper. Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGArtists Show. Various times through May 31

at the Broadway Gallery, 1025-J SenecaRoad, Great Falls. “Levels of Abstraction,”show featuring the works of Hiromi Ashlin,Genna Gurvich, Sandi Ritchie Miller, andBuck Nelligan. Visit www.broadwaygallery.net or call 703-450-8005 for more.

Artists Show. Various times through May 31at Katie’s Coffee House, Village Center,760 Walker Road, Great Falls. Artist JoyceLee. Call 703-759-2759 for more.

Youth Chorus Auditions. Through June 6at Vienna Baptist Church, 541 MarshallRoad, SW. The Fairfax Choral Societyencourages children between the ages of 5-13 to audition for one of three choirs thatmeet at the Vienna campus. [email protected] or call703-642-3277 for more.

Free Tai Chi. Every Saturday, from 7:55-9a.m., Introduction and Beginners’ Practice,meet on the outdoor basketball courtlocated directly behind the Dolley MadisonPublic Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave. inMcLean Central Park, McLean. Call 703-759-9141 or visit www.FreeTaiChi.org

The Golden Girls of Northern Virginia,a senior women’s softball league, is lookingfor players. Any woman over the age of 40is encouraged to join. All skill levels arewelcome. Play on Wednesday evenings andSaturday mornings in Vienna. Visitwww.goldengirls.org.

First Sunday Jazz Brunch 11-2 p.m.Recurring monthly on the 1st Sunday atBazin’s on Church 111 Church St N.W.,Vienna. Enjoy brunch accompanied by thesoft jazz sounds of Virginia MusicAdventure. Visit www.fxva.com/listing/bazins-on-church/1686/

The Freeman Store & MuseumWednesday through Sunday noon-4 p.m.131 Church St. NE, Vienna. The FreemanStore & Museum is dedicated to Preservingand promoting Vienna’s heritage throughthe identification, preservation, andinterpretation of history significant places,events, and persons. Historicviennainc.org

Bingo Night. Sundays. 4 p.m. Flame Room,Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, 400Center St. S, Vienna. $10. www.vvfd.org/bingo.html.

Gentle Yoga. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. EmmausUnited Church of Christ, 900 E Maple Ave.E., Vienna. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. GentleKundalini Yoga, one free introductorysession, senior discounts. Increaseflexibility, improve breathing and health,reduce stress. Ravi Kaur has 15 yearsexperience teaching yoga. $15 per session.www.edimprovement.org. 571-213-3192.

Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 Potomac HillsSt., Great Falls. Rentals available duringvisitor center hours. Fishing tackle and livebait are available for purchase.Reservations required for group rentals.

$6/rental (2 hour max). Valid driver’slicense required. Rod/reel combinationsare perfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwater fishinglicense is required for those 16 years orolder. The park does not sell fishinglicenses. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/

Colvin Run Mill open 11 - 4 p.m. daily,closed Tuesday. 10017 Colvin Run Road,Great Falls. Fairfax County’s operational19th century water powered gristmill,offers recreational and educationalactivities for all ages through daily tours,school programs and special events. Fees:$7/adult, $6 students 16+ with ID, $5children & seniors. Admission to park isfree except for some special events.

Fundamentals of Watercolors. Mondays10 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. Artist LorrieHerman will help students get comfortableworking with watercolors andunderstanding this medium. Visitwww.greatfallsart.org for more.

Still Life Painting. Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.-1p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls, 756Walker Road, Great Falls. Still lifeprovides a great tool to hone skills.Recommended for students of all levels.Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.

Evening Painting. Tuesdays 6:30 -9:30p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls, 756Walker Road, Great Falls. Jill Banksfocuses on oil painting fundamentals withtwo sessions each of still life, landscapes,and portrait/ clothed figure from a livemodel. Visit www.greatfallsart.org.

Intro to Jewelry Design. Tuesdays 9 a.m.-noon at The Arts of Great Falls, 756Walker Road, Great Falls. JJ Singh teachesa class for anyone interested in exploringthe world of metal clay and its designpossibilities. Visit www.greatfallsart.org.

THURSDAY/MAY 25The Original Pancake House Benefit. 7-

3 p.m. at The Original Pancake House, 7395Lee Highway, Falls Church. The OriginalPancake House will donate 15 percent of itssales from breakfast and lunch to theShepherd’s Center. Call 703-734-8353.

SUNDAY/MAY 28Weekend Brunch and Cookie Class. 9-11

a.m. at Wildfire, Tysons Galleria, McLean.Breakfast buffet, cookie decorating class andface painting. $20. Call 703-442-9110.

SATURDAY/JUNE 3Riverbend Park Benefit. 6-9 p.m. at the

Riverbend Park Visitors’ Center, 8700Potomac Hills St., Great Falls. Fundraiser forthe benefit of Riverbend Park sponsored bythe Friends of Riverbend Park. $50 foradults, $25 for children, $125 for families.Register at www.forb.wildapricot.org.

SUNDAY/JUNE 4Vienna Lions Club 75th Anniversary. 2-4

p.m. at the Vienna Town Green, 144 MapleAve. E. Featuring Nighthawks Swing Band,food, beverages, and a sight and hearing vanoffering checks for all ages. Go towww.viennava.gov for more.

Blessing of the Animals. 2-4 p.m. at theAntioch Christian Church, 1860 BeulahRoad. Bring dogs, cats, or other companion,to the Blessing of the Animals. Visitwww.antiochccvienna.org for more.

McLean Symphony. 7 p.m. at the LewinsvillePresbyterian Church, 1724 Chain BridgeRoad, McLean. International Treasures, withSpotlight on the Organ, including localorganist David Lang. Visit https://web.ovationtix.com for more.

TUESDAY/JUNE 6Mini-Golf for Chari-TEE. 1 p.m. at Oakmarr

Recreation Center, 3200 Jermantown Road,Oakton. $8. Proceeds to benefit the

Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna. Call703-281-0538 for more.

THURSDAY/JUNE 8Griffin House Concert. 7:30 p.m. at

Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave., Vienna. $20or $25 door. Call 877-987-6487 or visitwww.jamminjava.com for more.

MONDAY/JUNE 12Musician Alex Hassan. noon-3 p.m. at

Emmanuel Lutheran Church 2589 ChainBridge Road, Vienna. Hassan will beplaying melodies from the era betweenWorld War I and World War II. $10

Summer Fun, Food & Entertainment

Levels of AbstractThrough May 31, Levels of Abstraction Art, various times atBroadway Gallery, 5641-B General Washington Drive. Featuringthe works of Hiromi Ashlin, Genna Gurvich, Sandi Ritchie Miller,and Buck Nelligan. Visit www.broadwaygallery.net or call 703-450-8005.

What do you like to do for fun in andaround McLean during the summer?

Pat Davis, Great Falls and daugh-ter Anna

“I like to sit at the café at the out-side tables and have coffee. I like togo walking in Great Falls Park, and Ilike to go to Meadowlark, which isan amazing place in Vienna.”

Greer and Dean Armandroffand son Gabriel, new residents ofMcLean

Greer: “We’re really looking for-ward to the neighborhood pool, andplaying in the park.”

Dean: “And playing tennis. I’mgoing to revive my tennis playing.”

Emily Alesantrino, McLean“The Old Firehouse in McLean

does a great summer camp and teenprogram with amazing trips. Otherthan that, we like to go hiking inGreat Falls.”

Mary Jenkins and daughterAnnemarie, McLean

“She does the It’s Elementary sum-mer camp, she really likes that. Play-ing outside, there’s Clemyjontri park,which she really likes. She likes thewater parks, the rec centers, King’sDominion. There’s a movie theatershe goes to with stadium seating.She did a camp at Kent Gardens, ascience camp.”

Viewpoints

Answers compiled and

photos taken by

Ellen Barker

The Connection

required by June 6. Call 703-281-0538.

SUNDAY/JUNE 18Father’s Day Golf Tournament. 8 a.m. at

Oak Marr Golf Complex, 3200 JermantownRoad, Oakton. Compete in closest-to-the-pin-contests, and prizes will be awarded forthe top three places in all three divisions.$65 per team. Call 703-323-1641 for more.

FRIDAY/JUNE 23White Elephant and Bingo Ice Cream

Social. noon-3 p.m. at American Legion,330 N. Center St., Vienna. Call 703-281-0538 for more.

Live MusicGriffin House is playing onJune 8 at 7:30 p.m.at Jammin’Java, 227 Maple Ave., Vienna.$20 or $25 door. Call 877-987-6487 or visitwww.jamminjava.com.

Pho

to

by M

cC

on

nville Studio


News

Churchill Road kindergarteners presented their hand-made Mother’s Day cards during their “Muffins forMom” celebration. From left: Blake Davis (and momAmy Davis), Connor Satkus (and mom Jennifer Miller),Jordan Jackson (and mom Keira Buggs) and LukasMuend (and mom Moni).

‘Muffins for Mom’ at Churchill Road

Churchill Road Elementarystudents celebratedMother’s Day on Friday,

May 12 by hosting “Muffins forMom.” Students in each of thethree kindergarten classes (withteachers Barbara Lewis, ErinThurston and Laura Zielinski)

worked with the arts teachers JulieBrodzik and Katie Gong to createhand-stitched squares and cardsfor their moms.First graders all prepared cardsand hand-decorated gift bags topresent to their moms on Mother’sDay.

Pho

to

by K

im

M

oran

USA Rugby OlympianAlev Kelter spoke tostudents at OakcrestSchool as part of theall-girls school’s lead-ership workshopseries. Kelter sharedher inspirational storyof triumph over adver-sity and how her faithdrives her athleticcareer.

USA Rugby Olympian VisitsOakcrest School in McLean

On Monday, May 8,USA Women’s RugbyOlympian Alev

Kelter visited Oakcrest School inMcLean as part of the school’sleadership workshop series.

Alev shared her inspiring storyof how she dealt with disap-pointing setbacks in her sportscareer and realized her dreamof becoming an Olympic ath-lete.

Oakcrest School 10th grade students in a picturewith the USA Rugby Olympian Alev Kelter. Bottomrow, from left: Cora Haefner, Herndon; EmeliaMohler, Great Falls; Julie Kilmer, Rockville, Md.; LilyJames, Great Falls and Patricia Cvenca, Reston.Standing: Elizabeth Wells, Fairfax; Mary GraceNugent, Herndon; Mary Wall, McLean; Teresa AlvarezNajera, McLean; Alev Kelter, USA Olympian; IsabellaWilson, Washington, D.C.; Edith Barvick, Manassas;and Caroline Dauchess, Reston.

Pho

to

s co

ntributed

interests who want to get into the film industry,” saidHunt. “It truly is a once in a lifetime experience towalk the red carpet and to go up on stage and acceptan award on behalf of the cast and crew of ‘WhenWaters Rise.’ I loved the ability to develop friend-ships and network with professionals in the indus-try.”

He added: “Throughout the course of producingthe film Josh and I have had to work extremely closelyand it has truly shown me how important communi-cation is, especially when working on a project likethis.”

This fall, Hunt will begin to apply for colleges. Hehopes to attend film school for four years and thenjump into the action in either New York or Los Ange-les. “There are so many opportunities for new film-makers now, especially with the use of online stream-ing. There are so many directions to choose from. Iam going to see where school and God takes me butmy dream is to work on a big budget film or developmy own TV show one day,” said Hunt.

Leong, who has been busy for the past six monthsmaking new films, added, “I’ve been able to applylessons I’d learned in making ‘When Waters Rise’ inmy newer films, and it’s definitely empowered mewith confidence and belief. Despite our own strugglesand the storms I faced throughout the production ofthe film, I’ve been renewed with new maturity andperspective. It’s an experience that’s been invaluableto my passion and my pursuit of the craft I love.”

Benjamin Huntand Josh Leonghold the awardfor best film in

the YoungFilmmakers

Category at theChristian

Worldview FilmFestival in San

Antonio, Texas.

Teen Filmmakers WinAwards in Film FestivalsMcLean residentsBenjamin Hunt’s and JoshLeong’s film accepted intonine film festivals.

BenjaminHuntwalksthe redcarpet attheInterna-tionalChristianFilmFestivalin Or-lando,Fla.

Photos

contributed

By Steve Hibbard

The Connection

Since two teenage filmmakers from McLean pro-duced the film, “When Waters Rise” last year,it has been accepted to nine film festivals across

six countries and won a couple of awards in the pro-cess.

Josh Leong, 17, a junior at McLean High School,and Benjamin Hunt, 17, a junior at Langley HighSchool, began making the film during their sopho-more year. The duo raised $2,750 on Kickstarter andsocial media and spent nine months making the 17-minute film.

They did everything from raising the money, main-taining a budget, writing the script, casting the roles,filming it according to a production schedule, andediting the film to produce the final product. Thefilm is a Biblical parable of the Wise and FoolishBuilders story from the Gospel of St. Matthew.

In one year, they’ve entered it into nine film festi-vals, including: MoveMe Film Festival (Antwerp,Belgium); Next Generation of Filmmakers Film Fes-tival (Los Angeles, California); CMS InternationalChildren’s Festival (Dhaka, Bangladesh); ChristianWorldview Film Festival (San Antonio, Texas); Ber-lin Student Film Festival (Berlin, Germany); Inter-national Christian Film Festival (Orlando, Florida);Short to the Point Film Festival (Bucharest, Roma-nia); Scout Film Festival (Stowe, Vermont); and,Voices from the Waters International Traveling FilmFestival (Bangalore, India).

The film won the Best Student Filmmakers Awardat the Christian Worldview Film Festival in San An-tonio; and the Audience Choice for Best Student Filmat the International Christian Film Festival in Or-lando.

“It is an amazing honor to participate in these fes-tivals and meet other young filmmakers with similar


To highlight your Faith Community, call Karen at 703-778-9422

DAILY EUCHARIST:WeekdaysMonday-Friday, 8:30 AMSaturday, 8:30 AM

SUNDAY LITURGY SCHEDULE:Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PMSunday: 7:30, 9:00, and 11:00 AM1:30 PM Spanish Liturgy

5312 North 10th Street,Arlington, Virginia 22205Parish Office: 703-528-6276

PARISH WEBSITE:www.stannchurch.org

All AreWelcome!

Select yourproducts from

our MobileShowroomand Design

CenterFully Insured &

Class A LicensedSince 1999

Free Estimates703-999-2928

From Now to WOW in 5 Days Guarantee

Visit our website: www.twopoorteachers.com

Home of the $6,850 Bathroom Remodel

TWO POOR TEACHERSKitchen and Bathroom Remodeling

10% downnothing until the jobis complete for the

past 17 years

10% downnothing until the jobis complete for the

past 17 years

Transform 66 Outside the Beltway

Fairfax County and Prince William CountyPublic Information Meetings

All meeting times are 6-8:30 p.m. A brief presentation at

each meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Monday, June 12, 2017

Oakton High School Cafeteria

2900 Sutton Road, Vienna, VA 22181

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Stone Middle School Cafeteria

5500 Sully Park Drive, Centreville, VA 20120

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Piney Branch Elementary School Cafeteria/Gym

8301 Linton Hall Road, Bristow, VA 20136

Find out about plans to transform 22.5 miles of I-66 from I-495/

Capital Beltway to University Boulevard in Gainesville to provide

congestion relief and enhanced safety, as well as new travel choices

and reliability.

Stop by between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to view the preliminary

concept plans submitted by I-66 Express Mobility Partners, VDOT’s

selected partner for the project, and learn more about the proposed

improvements. Attend the formal presentation at 7 p.m. VDOT and

questions.

Review project information at www.Transform66.org, at the meet-

Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. Please call 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-

7623) or TTY/TDD 711 to ensure the availability of appropriate

personnel to answer your questions. Preliminary concept plans and

project schedule will be available at the meetings for review and

regarding environmental, right of way and civil rights information.

Give your oral or written comments at the meetings. You may

also email comments to [email protected]. or mail

them to Susan Shaw, P.E., Megaprojects Director, at the VDOT

“Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” in the subject line. A summary

of comments submitted by June 30, 2017 will be posted on the

project website.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all

programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of

the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special

contact VDOT’s Civil Rights at 703-259-1775 or TTY/TDD 711.

State Project: 0066-96A-497 UPC: 110741

News

The 2017 Day Prom for spe-cial education studentsfrom Kilmer, South Lakes,

Fairfax, Falls Church, McLean,Centreville, Marshall, and WestSpringfield was held on May 17at the Waterford at Fair Oaks inFairfax. The event has grown somuch over the years that it hasexpanded into two day proms. Thesecond for Robinson, Woodson,Oakton, Lake Braddock, Herndon,Westfield, Chantilly, Lee, andStuart was scheduled for May 24also at the Waterford

Day Prom Combines Dancing, Food and FunA group of McLean High School students pose upon their arrival to the 2017 Day Prom.

From left: McLean sopho-more Juan Ramirez,

senior Sammy Ferris, andsenior Adonis Friend.

Best BuddiesMcLean senior KateOsborne andMcLean freshmanJack Dennis.

Pho

to

s by To

m M

an

nin

g/T

he C

on

nectio

n


News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

The Fairfax County Human Ser-vices Council thinks it’s time toshake things up, to build a newstrategy for identifying, address-

ing and funding solutions for human ser-vice needs in the community, and they’vetaken the first step in that direction by host-ing the Innovation Challenge on May 18.

Evidence from the recent Fiscal Year 2018Budget process and the data collected in the“Human Services Needs Assessment” pub-lished last year, show a trend where moreof the county’s residents require some typeof assistance. In the words of Board of Su-pervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova, “De-mand is outstripping resources.”

During the budget proceedings, some pro-grams and initiatives were left unfunded,or given less than requested, and other ini-tiatives and needs were rolled forward forfuture consideration.

Seven months ago, Human ServicesCouncil members Dr. Patrice Winter(Braddock District) and Thomas Goodwin(Providence District) “hatched an idea,”Winter told the attendees at the Innovationevent. She said that the two convinced eachother that a broader network of people froma greater variety of disciplines and experi-ences was needed to bring a fresh perspec-tive to the various problems. With the sup-port of their council colleagues and fromcounty personnel, Winter and Goodwin di-rected their idea into the Challenge thatbrought several hundred attendees togetherwho, as Winter put it “might normally notcross paths.”

In her letter to the Innovation Challengeparticipants, Bulova called the

community-driven program “unprec-edented in that it brings together leadersof all elements of the emerging 21st centuryhuman services community: businesses,established and startup; financiers in socialimpact investment; social entrepreneurs;philanthropists and foundations;nonprofits, and outstanding thought lead-ers in academia. Fairfax County employees,”wrote Bulova, “are here primarily to listen.”

THE PRESENTERS and the attendees cov-ered a range of varying interests and expe-riences. In her opening remarks, Winteracknowledged that everyone present —speakers, panelists and audience members— came to the table with their own under-lying agendas, causes or points of view. Sheasked that those agendas be “left in theparking lot. Models, strategy and process,

not issues, are our directions this morning.”Speaking to the attendees, Goodwin ap-

plauded the audience’s presence at theevent, telling them that by being there, theywere participating in an experiment in com-munity engagement. Working together pro-duces significant results, he affirmed.

“We know that,” said Goodwin, using theexample of the county’s Diversion First pro-gram that seeks to direct persons with in-tellectual disabilities and mental health is-sues away from imprisonment to treatmentwhen they come into contact with law en-forcement for nonviolent offenses. “Fiveagencies work together across turf” to makeDiversion First work, said Goodwin.

The Innovation Challenge, intended to bethe launch for a series of events, set forththree main objectives:

❖ Exchange information about state-of-the art innovations that can address healthand human service challenges.

❖ Elicit new ideas from public and pri-vate partners to enhance services and maxi-mize resources.

❖ Set the stage for specific recommenda-tions about service enhancements and re-sources required to present to relevantstakeholders in the future.

The first section of the program offeredpresentations from persons working directlyin Human Services in neighboring Mont-gomery County, Md. When questioned onseeking funds from the business communityor other non-governmental sources, SharonFriedman, project director of MontgomeryMoving Forward, advised that the key is todevelop partnerships early.

“We don’t show up afterwards and ask formoney,” said Friedman. Instead, possiblecollaborators are asked to be at the tablefrom the start, “when the needs and thechallenges are explained and discussed.”

Speaker Dr. Sallie Keller, professor of Sta-tistics and director of the Social and Deci-sion Analytics Laboratory of theBiocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech(“Yes, what a mouthful!” agreed Keller) of-fered insights on “designed data collection”in the Human Services arena and work be-ing done to better measure outcomes. “Thegoal is to democratize data … and to pro-vide new language for communication …that can become a unifying thing arounddifferent disciplines.”

After a section devoted to “ProgressiveFunding Opportunities,” the organizers setthe “social experiment” in motion with aseries of “Reverse Pitches” to drive home

County Launches Innovation ChallengeChallenge bringstogether severalhundred attendeeswho “might normallynot cross paths.”

the collaborative approach that Winter,Goodwin and colleagues hope to see de-velop from this first Innovation Challenge.

THE IDEA is to “pitch” community issuesand have businesses consider them and of-fer their suggestions and potential solutions,instead of the traditional “company pitchesa product model.” For the Innovation Chal-lenge, real problems were shared, and realcompanies, who had been paired with theproblem-presenters in advance for the sakeof demonstration, came back with possibleinnovations, services, technologies, or skillssets that might be applied to solving theproblem.

The topics chosen were familiar chal-lenges for many in the audience. Headsnodded in acknowledgement when“Caregiver Support Services,” “Transporta-tion Options for Older Adults and Individu-als with Disabilities,” and “Skills Trainingfor Today’s Employment” were presented tothe partnered businesses.

Fairfax County, like many jurisdictionsacross the country, is facing the challengeof widening gaps between the human ser-vices needs of its residents and the county’sability to deliver those needs within its bud-get constraints. With the kick-off of the In-novation Challenge, the Fairfax CountyHuman Services Council is seeking to per-form what they call a “much needed facelift”on the traditional methods of addressingthose challenges. The public is encouragedto learn about the council atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov, search Human Ser-vices Council and to review the “HumanServices Needs Assessment” which is alsoavailable on the county’s website.

For details on area parks, services, and communi-ties, see www.fairfaxcounty.gov. Search for tax bills,property transfers, and employment opportunities.

A diverse audience gathered for Fairfax County Human Services Council’s Innovation Challenge, an eventseeking greater community engagement to address the county’s challenges.

Fairfax County Supervisor DanStorck (D-Mount Vernon) discussessome of the issues with HumanServices Council Member ThomasGoodwin (Providence District).Along with Council member Dr.Patrice Winter, Goodwin “hatchedthe idea” for the Challenge. Super-visors Cathy Hudgins (D-HunterMill) and John Foust (D-Dranesville) also attended theevent.

Pho

to

s by A

ndrea W

orker/T

he C

on

nectio

n


News

By Mike Salmon

The Connection

When the Virginia Departmentof Transportation (VDOT)and Fairfax County aredone, McLean residents will

have another way across I-495 at JonesBranch Drive and a link from inside thebeltway to the I-495 express lanes.

But getting there, like all other road con-struction projects, will have its share ofheadaches.

“It’s going to be inconvenient, that’s real-ity,” said VDOT District Engineer Bill Cut-ler at their “Pardon Our Dust,” meeting onMay 18 in Tysons Corner. “When we com-plete this project, you’ll be able to accessthe express lanes from both sides,” headded.

In all, the $58 million project willlengthen the Jones Branch extension fromthe I-495 express lanes eastward over theinner loop to a point on Route 123 near theSilver Line metro station. This will providetraffic another option to getting across thebeltway and relieve the congestion thatcurrently clogs up Route 123 at Tysons Cor-ner. The project will create a continuousmedian for future transit, on-road bikelanes, and a few more traffic lights.

The project is a joint effort of VDOT andFairfax County and will be completed by

November 2019, according to the VDOTplan. A schedule “I consider to be very ag-gressive,” said Cutler. The $58 million is acombination of state, county and federalmoney, he added. The project is a five-phased project where most of the actual

construction is taking place during phase IIwhich is scheduled for spring 2018.

The Gates of McLean condominiums areright in the path and have already beenimpacted by the construction of the exten-sion and a new Capital One building that is

going up in that area. With both projects, itwill be seven years of construction. Resi-dents are complaining of long waits at thelights and construction that begins at sunup.“They put the Gates of McLean in a hugeinconvenience,” one audience member said.The property manager Maria Hatcher notedthe holes in the road from all the trucks.“It’s a pretty rough ride,” she said.

The traveling public will feel the pain too.With construction now around I-495, thereare slow downs due to narrow lanes in thatarea, but when the beams for the newbridges are hung, there will be total over-night lane closures, but the express laneswill remain open, and traffic will be re-routed up the exit ramp and down the otherside.

This project was eyed to be part of the I-495 express lanes work, which started in2008, but was shelved due to the expenseat that time.

The intersection at Scotts Crossing Roadand Route 123 has been causing delays, andfrequent travelers have complained toVDOT about a possible turn on red beingimplemented, so a traffic study was per-formed, said Abi Lerner, VDOT seniorproject manager.

“Our traffic analysis looked at the sightdistance, it’s not safe,” Lerner said. Hatchercalled this intersection is a “hot button is-sue.”

Jones Branch Extension will Reach Across I-495

VDOT’s District Engineer Bill Cutler explains the new access road at thePardon Our Dust meeting in Tysons.

Pho

to

by M

ike Salm

on

/T

he C

on

nectio

n


Summer Fun

Sticking to United States Postal Servicetradition, antique mail truck braves theweather for the main parade for GreatFalls’ July 4 celebration last year.

Last year, Great Falls singer-songwriterMary Ann Redmond performed a mix ofclassic covers and her own music at theConcert on the Green. The lawn was fullof people from all over the area.

Pho

to

s by N

ikki C

heshire/T

he C

on

nectio

n

Concert on the Green, July 4 Highlight Summer in Great FallsCelebrate summer in Great Falls, visit

www.celebrategreatfalls.org for more July 4events, the Concerts on the Green schedule andMovies on the Green selections.

The Reston Chorale and Brass of the Potomacwill mark the beginning of Memorial DayWeekend with A Star-Spangled Salute, in-

cluding a concert of patriotic music, entertainmentby Al and Ellen Torzilli of the band Natural Selec-tion, family activities and a care package drive fortroops serving overseas. Slated for Saturday, May 27,7-8:30 p.m., at the Reston Town Center’s Pavilion,this free, family-friendly event will salute the menand women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, andhonor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

“This is one of the highlights of our season,” notesRuth Overton, president of The Reston Chorale.“There are moments when we sing the Armed ForcesSalute — when a veteran, service member or theirfamily hears ‘their song’ and gets to their feet orwaves a flag — that bring home what this event isall about. It’s a time and a way for us to say ‘thankyou for your service and sacrifice’—and to remem-ber and honor those who gave their lives for our coun-try.” Thanks to support from Northrop Grumman,this year the Chorale will share the stage with Brassof the Potomac – a British-style brass band. Together,members of The Reston Chorale and Brass of thePotomac will present a concert of patriotic music andsongs that celebrate America.

The event also offers ways to directly thank ser-

vice personnel: a creative station where children andadults can make thank you cards for troops, and aCare Packages for the Troops drive.

The Reston Chorale and Reston Town Center haveteamed up to collect donations of care package items— from snack foods and sports equipment to sup-plies for a Fourth of July celebration — that will besent to a platoon serving overseas.

Suggested donations include protein bars, pow-dered drink mixes and water flavorings; non-aero-sol, unscented toiletries; small electronics, such ashand-held games, fans, misters and non-lithium bat-teries; playing cards, puzzle books and lightweightsports equipment. Donations can be dropped offduring the event on May 27, or on weekdays throughFriday, June 2, in the lobby of 11951 Freedom Drive,Reston, as well as other Reston Town Center officebuildings. “This event is about honoring and givingback to the men and women who serve our nation,”notes Overton. “Thanks to the heartwarming re-sponse to the Chorale’s care package drive, in justtwo years we have shipped 650 pounds of donationsfor troops serving far from home.”

For more information about A Star-Spangled Sa-lute and The Reston Chorale’s care package drive,please visit www.restonchorale.org or call 703-834-0079.

The RestonChorale willhold A Star-SpangledSalute onSaturday,May 27, atthe RestonTownCenter.

A Star-Spangled Salute, CarePackage Drive at Reston Town Center

Photo

contributed

ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Monday 11:00 am 703-778-9411

WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

Announcements Announcements

Announcements Announcements

Computers

JENNIFER SMITH

➣ Speed Up SlowComputers

➣ Virus Removal

➣ Computer Setup➣ Help with Windows 8

571-265-2038

HDICOMPUTER SOLUTIONS

[email protected]

Serving the Area Since 1995

Announcements

We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN’S WATCHES,

JEWELRY, COSTUME JEWELRY,

FURNITURE, PAINTINGS AND CLOCKS.

Schefer Antiques703-241-0790

[email protected]


From Page 6

Bulletin

To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, visit connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDContact Volunteer Solutions at 703-324-5406,

[email protected] orwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/volunteer-solutions.htm.

❖ The Lewinsville Senior Center in McLeanneeds instructors for the following classes: Art,Self-Defense, Chair Exercise, Indoor Gardening,Basic Spanish, Basic French, Ballroom Danceand Basic Guitar.

THROUGH SUMMERVienna Street-sweeping Program. The Town

of Vienna began its annual street-sweepingprogram beginning March 20. The Town isdivided into eight sections for purposes of thesweeping program. During the first pass throughTown, the Public Works Department asks thatresidents not park on the street. Find the“sweeping” sections at viennava.gov/sweeping.Additionally, signs will be placed on streetsmarking a window of 7-10 days during whichthe truck will come through. Contact publicworks at 703-255-6380.

THURSDAY/MAY 25Public Meeting. 7 p.m. at the Great Falls Grange,

located at 9818 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.The Fairfax County Park Authority will hold aproject information meeting regarding theupcoming installation of synthetic turf andathletic field lighting on rectangular field #7 atGreat Falls Nike Park. This is the field closest tothe corner of Leesburg Pike and Utterback StoreRoad in the park. Call 703-324-8662, [email protected] or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/press/html/ir077-17.htm.

THURSDAYS/MAY 25-JUNE 29Chronic Disease Self-Management. 9-11:30

a.m. at Kaiser Permanente - Tysons Corner,8008 Westpark Drive, McLean. Fairfax County isoffering a free Chronic Disease Self-Managementprogram. Register at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/chronic-disease.htm orcall 703-324-5489, TTY 711.

SATURDAY/JUNE 3Flea Market. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Oakton Church

of the Brethren, 10025 Courthouse Road,Vienna. Vendors needed. Call 703-281-4411,email [email protected] or visitwww.oaktonbrethren.org.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDShepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-

Falls Church, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.,McLean has an urgent need for volunteers tohelp area senior citizens. To find out more aboutthe Shepherd’s Center and how you canvolunteer to provide transportation and otherservices, call the Center at 703-506-2199 oremail [email protected], visit www.scmafc.org.

like pigeons, you feed one with money andmore will flock in” and “You don’t wanthomeless people in your neighborhood be-cause they create trash.” It seemed thatmany people were more hung up on thenegative image they feel homeless individu-als create for the county instead of theirplight. Some of the comments were diffi-cult for us to read, while others were heart-felt and inspiring.

My classmates and I learned a lot throughour project on homelessness, but mostly Ithink it is that we (even college students)all have the ability to assist those in need.

Giovonny BlandCommunications/Public Relations

George Mason University

Letters

Business DirectoryTo Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422

WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

GUTTER GUTTER

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

LANDSCAPING

Alfredo’s Construction Company, Inc.

www.alfredosconstructioncompany.com

Phone:

VA: (703) 698-0060 • MD: (301) 316-1603

•Concrete Driveways•Patios •Sidewalks

•Stone •Brick

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE

TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE

Good is not good, where

better is expected.

-Thomas Fuller

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mis-

takes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.-Werner Heisenberg Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative for

The Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIEWhen I think about being diagnosed with

lung cancer, I don’t think, why me. I mightthink, why not me, but I definitely think, nowwhat. The idea/strategy being: moving forward,not recriminating or regretting backward. AsPopeye the Sailor man so often said: “I y’amwhat I y’am.” Although I doubt he was talkingabout having lung cancer. How could he? Heate all that spinach, canned though it was.Besides, he’s a cartoon character.

And as much and as often as he ate it —and it always helped him overcome whateverpredicament Brutus had put him in, is as littleand infrequent as I ate it. Perhaps that wasbecause my mother cooked vegetables in apressure cooker so by the time I saw them onmy plate, they no longer resembled a vegetablenor were they the least bit appetizing. To saythe vegetables were limp and lifeless does a dis-service to all things characterized as ‘limp andlifeless.’ In fact, I can still remember the firsttime I ate a vegetable that was not d.o.a. It wasat my mother-in-law’s house; she was a won-derful cook. She made asparagus for thismemorable meal and served it in a beautifulantique china serving dish. When the dish camemy way, I stuck my fork in the asparagus toserve myself and heard a sound, a poof. I wastaken aback, sort of. It was a sound I had neverheard before — from a vegetable. As I learnedthat night, it was the sound of a vegetable thathad not been cooked beyond its edible life.

That’s not to imply that avoiding vegetablescontributed to my diagnosis. Hardly. It simplysays that vegetables were not a part of my child-hood. Meat and potatoes were, as was my stan-dard go-to meal: cream cheese and Americancheese on bread. It was the sandwich of myyouth and it has remained very much a part ofmy adulthood as well. It may not sound appe-tizing to you; to me, it represents all the com-forts of home — heaven on Earth between twoslices of bread or open-faced on a bagel orEnglish muffin. Simple but oh so effective —and delicious.

Not to be totally oblivious to my underlyingmedical condition, I do realize that modifyingmy eating habits is a prudent and sensible con-sideration. However, I rationalize that need-to-feed with the explanation that, as a cancerpatient (and anyone else, really), if I am to con-tinue to attempt to thrive while I survive, I needto be happy, positive and relatively stress free.After all, this cancer business: characterized as“terminal” by my oncologist; chemotherapy (and its well-known side effects) every fiveweeks, C.T. Scans quarterly, M.R.I.s every sixmonths, P.E.T. and Bone scans every so often,face-to-face quarterly appointments with myoncologist and all the associated fears and anxi-ety surrounding this rather unpleasant experi-ence, and you can imagine, even agree per-haps, that living in the trenches as us cancerpatients do, we need help — in any number ofways; personal and professional.

And though I am mindful of what I eat, Idon’t want to abuse the privilege of survival I’vebeen given. I never want to take it for granted,especially considering my original “13-month totwo-year” prognosis. By the same token, life isfor living. As Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) saidto “Red” (Morgan Freeman) in the movie “Sha-wshank Redemption:” “Get busy living or getbusy dying.” Since I’m in no hurry to die, Ineed to find a balance in how I live. Being mis-erable because of what I can’t eat won’t workfor me. I’m just not flexible/mature enough inmy eating choices; never have been. I still eatlike a child, but now I have a man-sizedproblem.

I imagine the longer I live with cancer, themore vigilant I have to be. Then again, if it ain’tbroke, is there any reason to fix it? Do I leavewell enough alone or do I try to grow up andeat my age, not my shoe size? I mean, I am eli-gible for Social Security.

Woe IsNot Me

McLean Summer Fun - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/052417/McLean.pdf ·...

Documents

Transcript of McLean Summer Fun - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/052417/McLean.pdf ·...