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Last-minute Gift IdeasMake the Season BrightHift Guide, Page 10

Get to KnowKathleen MurphyNews, Page 4

People of all faiths and ethnicities turned out for the Reach Out International [ROI] fundraiser at theVienna Presbyterian Church. ROI is an interfaith nonprofit that focuses on the Christian segment ofPakistan, but seeks to promote religious harmony and human cooperation throughout the world.

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Pakistani AmbassadorKeynotes Interfaith Event

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Pakistani AmbassadorKeynotes Interfaith Event

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2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ December 10-16, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ December 10-16, 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsVienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

A Hindu, a Presbyterian and anon-denominational Christianwere sitting at a table listeningto a speech by Pakistan's ambas-

sador to the United States... The occasionwas a fundraiser for Reach Out Interna-tional (ROI), a nonprofit interfaith organi-zation founded by Restonian Sam Mall. Mallwas born in West Punjab, just a few yearsbefore the region transferred from Indianto Pakistani rule. Mall and his wife, bothprofessionals in Pakistani society, “could notsee a good future for our children there. Isaw the country losing its original charac-ter of democratic freedom and non-funda-mentalist structures,” he said. The Mallsemigrated in the ‘80s and became U.S. citi-zens. But this son of an Anglican priest couldnot just sit by and ignore what was hap-pening in his native land. He spent manyyears involved in numerous human rightsactivities until he “felt the call” to aim hisworks toward the place where he had comefrom.

Ten years ago he started ROI. The primaryfocus of ROI is ministering to the needs ofChristians in Pakistan, where their over-whelming minority often makes life diffi-cult for them. As Mall puts it, by “address-ing the root cause of the problems, ROIseeks to better the lives of this disenfran-chised group and promote interfaith recon-ciliation and communal harmony for peace-ful coexistence.” Mall believes that it re-

Local organizationseeks to promotereligious harmonyand cooperationthroughout the world.

Pakistani Ambassador Keynotes Interfaith Event

Mikkeel Jaka is the son of RizwanJaka, the chairman of board ofADAMS and a co-sponsor of theevent. Mikkeel feels “it’s importantto do things for other people andto listen to everyone.”

People of all faiths and ethnicities turned out for the Reach Out Interna-tional [ROI] fundraiser at the Vienna Presbyterian Church. ROI is an inter-faith nonprofit that focuses on the Christian segment of Pakistan, butseeks to promote religious harmony and human cooperation throughoutthe world.

From left — Rizwan Jaka, chairman of the board of the All Dulles AreaMuslim Society and a co-sponsor of the event, Sam Mall, founder anddirector of Reach Out International [ROI], and Rev. Richard Lord, pastorof The Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna. All three spoke duringthe fundraiser for ROI.

Jalil Abbas Jilani, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States was thekeynote speaker at the fundraising dinner for Reach Out International.The interfaith organization supports missions to improve the conditionsand outlook for Christians in Pakistan. The ambassador was pleased tomake a personal donation with his embassy staff for the work beingdone by ROI.

quires people of all faiths to join togetherat the basic human level in order to achievethat goal, and ultimately make the wholeworld a better and safer place.

He is achieving the goal of bringing aninterfaith community together to discussserious world affairs and human rights is-sues. The fundraiser was held in the Hall atthe Vienna Presbyterian Church. The AllDulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS),which helped raise money to rebuild theChristian churches destroyed by suicidebomb attacks in Peshawar in Pakistan in2013, and the Muslim-Christian InterfaithFederation International co-sponsored theevent. The pastor of the Episcopal Churchof the Holy Comforter in Vienna, ReverendRichard A. Lord was an honored guest andspeaker, befitting his longtime involvementwith Mall and ROI. And, of course, therewas that table with the Hindu, non-denomi-national Christian and thePresbyterian…and they were surrounded bytables that mixed Christian, Muslim, Jew,and one self-described “believer in some-

thing out there.” Together they listened toa series of speakers and watched a videopresentation of Mall’s most recent trip toPakistan where he met with numerous reli-gious and political leaders, as well as aver-age citizens, seeking to encourage what hecalls “People-to-People Diplomacy” to buildtrust and cooperation among differentfaiths.

The evening’s keynote speaker, Ambas-sador Jalil Abbas Jilani, Pakistan's ambas-sador to the United States, stressed hisgovernment’s commitment to seek out andpunish extremists who commit atrocitiessuch as the church bombings, but he cau-tioned, “Governments can only do so muchto a point. It requires everyone to do some-thing to make the change.” He praised thework being done by ROI and its fellow in-terfaith communities, and ended his speechby making “a humble personal donationfrom myself and from the staff at the Em-bassy to further these good works.”

While Mall, ROI, and others such asADAMS believe that it is imperative to open

dialogue and keep it flowing, they alsoknow it takes more to improve the circum-stances of the Christian minority in Paki-stan. “The needs are many,” admitted Mall.Thus, the fundraising aspect of the event.Money raised will fund ROI’s help in bring-ing training, job skills, and immediate as-sistance to those in need, and developinggrass-root programs and opportunities forfuture young leaders on the ground. “Thisnext generation needs encouragement andassistance, help in finding and using theirvoice,” said Mall. “Christian leadership isfoundering there, and without support, theycannot take their place in building the so-lutions.”

Reach Out International is always seek-ing financial support for its efforts, but alsohopes to recruit more persons from a vari-ety of faiths to join in the dialogue, as vol-unteers, and even to serve as members ofan Advisory Board. Their website is cur-rently under re-construction, but more in-formation is available on their Facebookpage (search Reach Out), or by contactingMall at [email protected].

Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection


What are your top threeaccomplishments?

Kathleen Murphy: My topaccomplishment, to me, israising wonderful children whohave good loving hearts. I amvery proud of the work I’vedone over the years on behalfof the Cystic Fibrosis Founda-tion and getting funding to gotowards a cure for this disease.I’m really, really proud of thework that I did for CharlieWilson and learning thedefense community and theneeds of military families.

What would be your top threepriorities as delegate?

Murphy: My top three priorities areeducation - to go down there andincrease the state funding for schools.Secondly, I lost my brother to gunviolence. He was murdered by robbersand I really like the bill on requiringbackground checks at gun shows. Andat this stage of the game, economicdevelopment, making sure we aregrowing our economy by concentratingon laying the groundwork by support-ing education and transportation sobusinesses can grow here and makeour community more successful and abetter place to live.

Why should our readers vote foryou?

Murphy: I am committed to theissues and priorities and values of thepeople who have lived here. I livedhere for almost 25 years. I know thiscommunity. I worked in this commu-

nity and I am very committed toworking hard to make sure that wehave strong representation in theHouse of Delegates - and I will be thatvoice.

Tell us something people wouldfind surprising about you?

Murphy: I’m a baseball nut. I go tothe Nats games with my sister and wesit and hoot and holler. I like football,too.

How do you relax off the cam-paign trail.

Murphy: There is no off the cam-paign trail. I have kids. I have dogs.There’s no time in your life not tointeract with your family. I have a hugefamily. I have six brothers and sisters. Ihave 26 nephews and nieces. I have sixgrandchildren and one more on theway in January. That is how I relax - Ihave family.

—Reena Singh

Q&A: Get to Know Kathleen Murphy

McLean resident Kathleen Murphystated that she plans to fight for edu-cation funding and veteran’s health.

News

By Reena Singh

The Connection

First of the two candidates’ profiles.

According to her friends and col-leagues, Kathleen Murphy isdedication and compassion per-sonified.

The cancer survivor and former militarychild is turning her experiences into actionby running for a second time for the stateHouse of Delegates 34th district - this timewith more wisdom.

“She’s a voice for common sense,” saidDirector of Federal Regulations for theAmerican Council on Education StevenBloom.

Murphy’s background in politics goes asfar back as her childhood, with her grand-mother, Emma, door-to-door campaigningfor politicians and watching conventions onthe black and white television.

The next most impactful event leading toher interest in becoming a politician wasseeing how her delegate - U.S. Congress-woman-elect Del. Barbara Comstock - votedwhile the General Assembly was in session.

“What energized me was that we had adelegate who talked to us one way andvoted against us in Richmond,” saidMurphy.

Murphy said her views on gun laws areinfluenced by her brother, whose life wastaken during a robbery. She said her expe-rience in life has helped her gain support-ers while knocking on doors.

“There was a woman who lost her hus-band last year,” she said. “I knocked on herdoor again this year.”

Murphy said that sharing her experiencewith losing her brother helped the womango about her daily life again, moving onfrom the tragedy.

“That was a really special moment,” shesaid.

HER EXPERIENCE from her last election,where she knocked on 10,000 doors to getsupport, led to a close race where she lostonly by several hundred votes.

“I think the first thing I learned is thatyour opponent won’t always tell the truth,”she said.

During the time in between those twoexperiences, however, she had the oppor-tunity to work on the Hill, both as aCongressman’s wife and a U.S. Departmentof Commerce senior adviser. She also servedas an aide to Congressman Charlie Wilson.

Murphy also spent a lot of time volun-teering in committees representing McLean.

“Kathleen is very strongly and deeplyrooted in McLean and the eastern LoudounCounty area,” said Del. Scott Surovell, whohas known Murphy for three years. “She hasput a lot of time into the community.”

He noted that her background in policywill give her an advantage if elected.

“Kathleen is someone who isn’t shy or

scared to fight,” he said.He is not the only person who stated that.

Both Supervisor John Foust and neighborPamela Danner echoed those sentiments.Danner once ran for the same seat Murphyis running for today.

“What I like is that she would stand out,”Danner said. “She couldn’t just sit in theback row.”

Danner said Murphy’s community expe-rience is what Northern Virginia needs asits voice to Richmond.

Foust also noted that “she is extremelyconscientious and responsible. If she saysshe is going to do it, then she is going to doit.”

He has seen her work in various countycommittees, including the health care taskforce.

Combining her background in policy andher friendliness is what the area needs, ac-cording to Bloom.

“She combines both a deep sense of com-mitment to public service as well as hervolunteer service and great compassion.“She has the ability to understand how com-plex policy affects personal lives.”

ANOTHER ISSUE she hopes to fight foras a delegate is helping the area get its “fairshare” of education funding. As a motherof six children who are the product ofFairfax County Public Schools, she wantsevery child to have the best education theycan get.

“Kathleen shares many of the same val-ues that I have,” said Greg Brandon, chair-man of the Dranesville District DemocraticCommittee. “ With respect to pre-K throughplus-16 public education, not only does shesupport it, but she will go the necessary stepforward by actually advocating for restor-ing higher levels of state funding for all lev-els of public education. Unfortunately forthe citizens of the Commonwealth of Vir-ginia, the Republicans in the General As-sembly have painted themselves into a fis-cal corner that is resulting in a downwardspiral of state expenditures for education.”

He has both written letters to the editorsof various newspapers and contributedmoney to her campaign, because he believesin what she stands for.

“The Republicans are seemingly hellbenton removing the ‘Common’ from Common-wealth and keeping the ‘wealth’ to them-selves and their cronies,” he said.

For more information on Murphy, visit herFacebook page at https://w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m /KathleenMurphyforDelegate.

The special election between Murphy andRepublican candidate Craig Parisot is from6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 6, 2015. For up-to-the-minute information on voting, visithttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/upcoming.htm.

BioCurrent Position: President of Johnson Murphy

AssociatesResidence: McLeanSpouse: William SudowChildren: Mark, Emily, Elizabeth, Amanda, Elyse

and AlyEducation: American University, bachelor’s

degree in political science and psychology

Colleagues say Kathleen Murphy is compassionate and dedicated.

Fighting for Common Sense

Photos by Reena Singh/The Connection

Kathleen Murphy during her kickoff grassroots campaign in McLean.


Faith Notes are for announcements and events inthe faith community. Send to [email protected]. Deadline is Friday.

“Blue Christmas” Worship Service forthose struggling with loss or sadness this holidayseason. 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. EmmanuelLutheran Church 2589 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna.Everyone welcome. 703-938-2119 orwww.elcvienna.org.

A Festival of Lessons and Carols. 9 and11:15 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21 at St. John’s Episco-pal Church, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean.

Once Upon a Holy Night, 10:30 a.m. on Sun-day, Dec. 21 at Charity Baptist Church, 1328 SpringHill Road, McLean. Celebrating music and drama.

Great Falls United Methodist Church,10100 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, will host a LiveNativity on Sunday, Dec. 21. There will be threeshowings: 5, 5:20 and 5:40 p.m. Live animals, re-freshments and singing!

703-759-3705.

Christmas Eve Service. 4, 7 and 10 p.m. onDec. 24 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 6715Georgetown Pike, McLean.

Christmas Day Service. 10 a.m. on Dec. 25 atSt. John’s Episcopal Church, 6715 Georgetown Pike,McLean.

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220Georgetown Pike in Great Falls, offers musical, edu-cational, outreach and fellowship ministries inaddition to worship services, including a 7:45 a.m.worship service without music; 9 a.m. worship ser-vice, children’s chapel and children’s choirs; 10 a.m.Sunday school and adult forum; and 11 a.m. wor-ship service with adult choir. 703-759-2082.

The Antioch Christian Church offers a timeof Prayer and Healing on Wednesday evenings at6:30 p.m. for anyone wanting encouragement and

healing through prayers. People are available topray with you or for you. Antioch Christian Churchis located at 1860 Beulah Road in Vienna.www.antiochdoc.org

The Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA)offers a wide variety of support groups for thosewith emotional, social, and physical challenges.www.jssa.org/growth-learning.

HAVEN of Northern Virginia offers a varietyof free bereavement support groups, meeting on aweekly basis. 703-941-7000 orwww.havenofnova.org.

McLean Bible Church Fitness Class at Body &Soul Fitness. Gain balance, energy and strength at9:45 a.m. Mondays and Fridays. Free childcare forregistered students. [email protected].

St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, 1830 KirbyRoad in McLean, holds a third Sunday service ev-ery month at 10:15 a.m. which allows children toplay active roles in the music and as greeters andushers. Traditional services are every Sunday at 8:15and 10:15 a.m.

Vienna Christian Healing Rooms are open,every Saturday, 1-5 p.m., at 8200 Bell Lane. A teamof Christians is available to anyone requestingprayer. Free and open to the public. 703-698-9779or www.viennachristianhealingrooms.com.

Chesterbrook United Methodist Church isat 1711 Kirby Road, McLean. Worship service is at11 a.m. Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m. for adults andchildren. 703-356-7100 orwww.ChesterbrookUMC.org.

Centering Prayer Group meets Fridays, 9:30a.m. at Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church,1301 Trap Road, Vienna. The hour includes a briefreading related to Centering Prayer, followed by a20-minute prayer period. E-mail Martha Thomas [email protected] or call the church at703-759-3509.

Faith


The sold-out audience wasrolling in the aisles whennationally recognized

comedy troupe, Capitol Steps, ap-peared at the 2014 benefit perfor-mance for the Shepherd’s Centerof Oakton-Vienna (SCOV). SCOVserves older adults in Oakton,Vienna, Merrifield, Dunn Loringand portions of Fairfax and Reston.

Founded in 1997, theShepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna is a volunteer-based non-profit organization dedicated toproviding opportunities for adults(50+) to seek rewarding lives andto live independently in theirhomes for as long as possible. Lastyear SCOV’s services, personalenrichment and volunteer oppor-tunities reached more than 3,000older adults (50+) in the region.

In 2014 the agency was recog-nized by the National VolunteerCaregiving Network with theirProgram of the Year award. In2012 SCOV was voted the BestNonprofit of the Year by theVienna Tysons Regional Chamberof Commerce.

Each year more than 200 volun-teers at SCOV serve as medicaldrivers, companion drivers,friendly callers and visitors, healthand wellness counselors,fundraisers, and grant writers.These volunteers run programssuch as Lunch n’ Life, Adventuresin Learning, trips and outings, spe-cial events, and caregivers’ support

groups.Services and programs are avail-

able to anyone age 50+ who livesin Oakton, Vienna, Merrifield,Dunn Loring and portions ofFairfax and Reston.

The 2014’s SCOV Capitol Stepsevent received additional supportfrom Ready Hands Home Care,Presenting Sponsor and Navy Fed-eral Credit Union, Platinum Spon-sor. Additional Sponsorship sup-port was provided by the EstatePlanning & Elder Law Firm, P.C.;VLP Financial Advisors; The LawOffice of Michele H. Wright, P.L.C.;Booze/Allen/Hamilton; ArdenCourts; Ashby Ponds; HeavenlyPaws; Home Care Assistance;Homewatch Caregivers of FallsChurch; Money & King; SunriseSenior Living; A First-Class Move;Heavenly Paws; Tall Oaks AssistedLiving; Greenspring; The BalchFamily; Goodwin House; FisherGroup, LLC; Advent FuneralHome; Arbor Terrace of Herndon;Doc Talker; Garai Orthodontists;Great Falls Assisted Living; Hale,Ball, Carlson, Baumgartner,Murphy, PLC; Title One SettlementGroup; The Woodlands;Westminster at Lake Ridge; ViennaManor and Comfort Keepers.

To learn more about SCOV andhow you can support their mis-sion, visit their website atwww.scov.org or call MichelleScott, Executive Director at 703281-5088,[email protected].

Pictured at pre-event reception are, from left, Jude andRichard Duesterhause, SCOV Board Chair; Mark Eaton,Capitol Steps; William Kirby, SCOV Board Vice Chair andNina & Don Kissenger, Homewatch CareGivers of FallsChurch, Silver sponser.

Capitol Steps PerformsAt Shepherd’s Center

Vienna Police in‘Santa’s Ride forChildren’

The Vienna Police Departmentwill participate in the 2014“Santa’s Ride for Children” onTuesday, Dec.16. “Santa’s Ride forChildren” benefits children who

are hospitalized or in need duringthe holidays. Vienna residents maysupport this program by bringingin donations of new unwrappedtoys, games, books and other giftsto the Vienna Police Department,215 Center St. S., by Sunday, Dec.14. Santa is scheduled to arrive inVienna, escorted by his squad ofmotorcycle elves, on Dec. 16.

Week in Vienna

See Week, Page 7

News

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Maplewood Grill

703-281-0070

Serving Our Neighbors and Friends for Over 30 Years

Join Us for a FabulousNew Year’s Eve!

With Live Entertainment 8:00 pm into the New Year. See Web Site for Menu.

BrunchEvery

Sunday

Formerly Le Canard • Family Owned & Operated

132 Branch Road, S.E. • Vienna, VAVisit www.maplewoodgrill.com for Specials

regularly scheduled route. Resi-dents whose collection falls on adouble-up day should hold theirbrush, yard waste and bulk itemsuntil their next regular collectionday as crews will focus on collect-ing trash and recycling and willnot pick up bulk, yard waste andbrush material.

Vienna’s Community Center willbe open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.on Dec. 24, and from 8 a.m. to 10p.m. on Dec. 31. It will be closedon Dec. 25, 26, and Jan. 1.

Public safety services will not beaffected.

From Page 6

Week in Vienna

Vienna TownOffices Closedfor Holidays

Town offices will close at noonon Wednesday, Dec. 24, and willremain closed through Friday, Dec.26, in observance of the Christmasholiday. Offices also will be closedon Thursday, Jan. 1, 2014 for theNew Year holiday.

Refuse will be collected as nor-mal on Dec. 24; however, refuse

will not be collected on Dec. 25.Trash and recycling for Dec. 25and 26 will be collected on Dec.26. Also, refuse will not be col-lected on Jan. 1. Trash and recy-cling for Jan. 1 and 2 routes willbe collected on Jan. 2, 2015.

Refuse is collected on mostTown-observed holidays, exceptfor Thanksgiving, Christmas andNew Year’s Day.

When your collection day fallson one of these three holidays,Town crews will double-up thenext business day and collect boththe missed collection route and the


Opinion

469days since a still-unnamed Fairfax Countypolice officer shot unarmed John Geerstanding in the doorway of Geer’s home inSpringfield, then let him bleed to death onAug. 29, 2013. No information has been re-leased about the incident, officers involvednot named, no explanation, no grand jury,no charges. (as of Dec. 10, 2014)

The holiday party season is uponus, and with it an increase indrinking and driving. It’s up toyou to make a plan to get home

safely.Plan to bring a designated driver. Plan to

take public transportation. Plan to celebrateat home or someplace where you can spendthe night. Plan to abstain.

And if all of that fails, theWashington Regional Alco-hol Project has a safety netfor you.

WRAP, a local nonprofit organization, willoffer free cab rides to would-be drunk driv-ers throughout Northern Virginia during thewinter holidays.

More than 10,000 people died in drunkdriving related accidents in 2012, includ-ing more than 200 in Virginia and 160 inMaryland. Tens of thousands more wereinjured. Holidays lead to an increase in im-paired driving, the Christmas and New Yearseason in particular.

The annual Holiday SoberRide program willoperate nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. start-ing Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, and continuing un-til Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015 as a way to keeplocal roads safe from impaired drivers during

this traditionally high-risk, holiday period.During these times, area residents celebrat-

ing with alcohol can call the toll-freeSoberRide phone number 1-800-200-TAXI fora no-cost (up to $30 fare), safe way home.

Callers will be responsible for fare amountsover $30.

Since 1993, WRAP’s SoberRide programhas provided more than 61,000 free cabrides home to would-be drunk drivers in theGreater Washington area.

We know that many young people over21 are living at home with parents, or willbe visiting for the holidays. Parents, bebrave. Have a conversation with your chil-dren whether they are under or over 21. Besure those over 21 have a plan, and areequipped with the SoberRide number.

SoberRide is not available for underagedrinkers, but parents still should talk to theirchildren about their plans, and tell them outloud that you expect them not to drive im-paired and not to get into a car with an im-paired driver. Tell them to call you, andyou’ll come get them if necessary. The newshas been full of teachable moments aboutthe consequences and vulnerabilities ofdrinking to excess, drinking and driving andbeyond. Don’t let the opportunity to talk

about it pass you by.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Here is help inkeeping impaireddrivers off the roads.

Make a Plan, Talk About ItSafe Ride Home

WRAP’s 2014 Holiday SoberRide program will beoffered from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly from Dec. 12,2014 to Jan. 1, 2015. To receive a free cab ridehome (up to a $30 fare), call 800-200-8294 (TAXI).See SoberRide.com information listed below for im-portant details concerning this program.

Editorial

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Vienna & Oakton

The StoryMy GrandmaTold MeTo the Editor:

This summer, I visitedBangladesh, the country where myparents grew up, for the first timein six years. When we visited thesmall village where my fathergrew up and my grandparents stilllive, my grandmother told us sto-ries about the immense poverty inwhich most of her neighbors wereliving, including the story of oneman whose wife was very ill. Mygrandmother vividly describedhow she could often hear theman’s children crying from theirhouse because of how hungry theywere and how sick their motherwas. Even though my grand-mother had given the man moneymultiple times so he could feed hischildren and take his wife to adoctor, the wife eventually suc-cumbed to her illness and died.

The story that my grandmothertold me is not specific toBangladesh. In a recent New YorkTimes piece, Nicholas Kristof re-

calls an encounter he had inMyanmar with a 20-year-oldwoman named Sajan who droppedout of school at age 10 and wasmarried off by her family for thebridal price of one cow. There aremillions of people around theworld who still face great inequal-ity, and the characteristic thatmany of these people have in com-mon is that they are female. SherylWuDunn, the award-winning jour-nalist and co-author of Half theSky, asserted that “the centralmoral challenge of this century isgender inequity.” In Half the Sky,WuDunn and Nicholas Kristofstate that there are currently be-tween 60 million to 100 millionmissing females in the world. InIndia, girls die at a 50 percenthigher mortality rate than boysfrom ages one to five. As WuDunnstated in her TED talk, “thesewomen have three strikes againstthem – they are poor, they are ru-ral and they are female.”

We’ve all heard the saying thatwhen you educate a girl, you edu-cate a nation. But what does thatreally mean? Well, when you dis-miss the moral and ethical reasonsfor gender equality and look at the

issue from a purely practical stand-point, the best way to combat glo-bal poverty is to invest in the edu-cation of girls. As Lawrence Sum-mers said in 1992, investing in“girls’ education may well be thehighest return investment avail-able in the developing world.”

After my trip to Bangladesh, Ibegan thinking about the millionsof women all over the world whohave the same – if not greater –talent, drive, and ambition as I do.Yet, here I am, sitting in my heatedroom and preparing for my future,while there are girls around theworld who are struggling to sur-vive. While many factors have got-ten me to where I am today, oneof the main reasons why I am ableto go to school and lead a healthylife is the lottery of birth. I am solucky to have been born and raisedin a country that has given me theopportunity to follow my dreams,and with that opportunity comesgreat responsibility to help im-prove the lives of girls and boysaround the world who are not asfortunate as I am. I know that Icannot completely eradicate glo-bal inequality and injustice, but ifI can even only help one child fol-

low his or her dreams, that will beenough for me.

Celia IslamVienna

Two Ideas toAddress RapeTo the Editor:

As many of us recoil from therecent UVA sexual assault articlein Rolling Stone, tremendous ac-cusations are being thrown at theuniversity and others like it acrossthe country. While UVA is not in-nocent and its infamous privileged“party culture” is partly to blame,there are two clear pieces of thestory that no one seems to be ad-dressing.

One, in this country rape istreated as a female problem. Fromearly ages, we tell our young girlsto not walk alone at night or to beaware of men they do not know.Businesses have picked up on this,now girls can buy rape whistles ordate rape nails all in the name ofprotection.

Letters to the Editor

See Letters, Page 9


Antioch Christian Church and EverestCollege Nursing Students will host a funfilled carol sing-a-long and informativeHealth Fair on Dec. 13. This health fairwill be a four-hour Open House eventheld on Saturday at Antioch ChristianChurch located at 1860 Beulah Road inVienna. The fair will have 26 differentstations that provide a wide array ofhealth information for women, men,teens, children and the elderly. Topicsrange from Heart Health Diabetes Dis-ease, Ebola Awareness, Keeping jollyduring the holidays to Stranger Danger.Participants will be able to gather health

information, talk with the nursing stu-dents about their researched healthprojects and participate in demonstra-tions, blood pressure and blood sugarscreenings. Participants will be able toobtain a freshly baked treat at the bakesale and participate in four serviceprojects: Food Collection for CHO, win-ter coat collection, Medical supplies col-lection for Brother’s Brother, and an op-portunity to select a toy or outfit to pur-chase for our Adopted Family Project fora family with 3 school-aged children.Consider participating in one of theseservice areas when you visit the fair.

Health Fair on Dec. 13

But those being critically left out of thesexual assault discussion are men. Very few(if any) public campaigns exist with menas the focus of rape. A surprising fact, con-sidering men commit rape much more of-ten than women. We must install a culturewhere rape is not tolerated nor acceptedby men.

Two, now more than ever it is time to turnthis country’s ridiculous drinking age backto 18. Because the drinking age is 21, thebest place for underage university drinkersto get alcohol is an unregulated,unmonitored frat party. There is no alter-

native. If the drinking age were moved back,young people would have the option of at-tending a bar or club. While not perfectlysafe either, it is significantly more so than acollege party. The idea young people won’tdrink because the legal age is 21 is ridicu-lous. Change it back.

These two ideas are among those beingdiscussed, however they offer a different,fresh approach rather than a muddled, in-effective university one.

Timothy WhiteFairfax

From Page 8

Letters

10 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ December 10-16, 2014 Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ December 10-16, 2014 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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By Donna Manz

The Connection

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christ-mas … and Chanukah and NewYear’s Eve …. Here are ideas to wrapup your gift-giving opportunity for

the season, from gifts under the tree tohostess gifts. Gifts of food are always wel-comed so we’ve included sweets and sa-vories, as well, for parties or “thank-you”acknowledgements. There’s a plethora ofcommunity restaurants, as well asCulinaria Cooking School, that offer giftcertificates, so, start dropping hints now.

Chanukah begins the evening of Dec,16, and ends on Dec. 24, in 2014. Light-ing a menorah candle daily and recitingtraditional prayers is a ritual in many Jew-ish families.

The first candle of the menorah is lit atnightfall of the first day, Dec. 16.

Treasures Judaica Shop at Temple RodefShalom; 2100 Westmoreland St., FallsChurch, features a diversity of Chanukahnecessities, from dreidels to menorahs.Even if you do not celebrate Chanukahpersonally, the pieces that Temple Rodef

Shalom sells make treasured gifts for fami-lies that do.

Olivia Riegel designed the menorahs pho-tographed. The “Devorah” menorah, castpewter in antique brass finish with sapphireglass gems, clear Swarovski crystals, fauxpearls, and dark blue hand-enameling sellsfor $150. The “Cami” menorah, at $239,holds topaz Swarovski crystals in an antiquebrass metal finish. The “Nikki” menorah fea-tures an old-world design in antique bronzefinish with gemstones, dangling Swarovskicrystals and hand-painted enamel and sellsfor $150.

Treasures Judaica Shop holds special

Chanukah Bazaar hours on Sunday, Dec. 14,from 8:30 a.m. to 5p.m. Temple Rodef Sha-lom is located at 2100 Westmoreland St.,Falls Church. Phone 703-532-2217 for mer-chandise information or [email protected].

Karin’s Florist is so festively-decoratedin a seasonal manner of “snow” and sparklesthat even Ebenezer Scrooge’s heart wouldhave softened. A five-foot snowman, nut-cracker and Santa Express railroad crossingsign (all for sale) anchor the shelves of dis-tinctive ornaments, sweets, and floral ar-rangements. The staff at this Vienna icon,

family-owned for 55 years, is knowledgeableand friendly.

LED-backlit framed scenes, $45 each, arereminders of the serenity of the season.

Karin’s Florist is located at 527 Maple AveE, Vienna. Call 703-592-0952 for orders orvisit www.karinsflorist.com/.

Because man does not live on sweetsalone, there’s the Pure Pasty Co. sellingtraditional and not-so-traditional Cornishpasties, those hand-held meals of meats orvegetables – or dessert ingredients –

wrapped in a rich pastry dough that Britishexpats and locals-alike enjoy for lunch, din-ner and parties.

What makes the Pure Pasty Company sounique is owner Mike Burgess’s mission ofusing organic ingredients and grass-fed beef.

Dessert pasties, typically, sell for $3.29each. Pumpkin is popular right now. “Regu-lar” pasties are priced at $6.99 each, and“special” pasties sell for $7.99 each. The tra-ditional beef pasty includes potato and car-rot. The winter veggie pasty holdspotatoes, parsnips, butternut

squash, carrots and on-ion. Buy 10, get one free.Pure Pasty bakes Moroc-can lamb, chicken masalaand beef bourguignonepasties, among therestaurant’s inspirations.

Pure Pasty sellsunbaked pasties, as well.

Vienna chef NicolaWillis-Jones heads the in-view kitchen. She’s on-hand to answer ques-tions, too.

The shop sells jars offoodstuffs imported from

the U.K. … including Vegemite.The Pure Pasty Co. is located at 128-C

Church Street NW, next to Bikes@Vienna,in that little alleyway that connects MapleAvenue and Church Street. To order in ad-vance, call 703-255-7147. Visit the shop’swebsite at www.purepasty.com

Sweet City Desserts makes the kind ofhostess desserts that make people want tobe a hostess.

Holiday Gift Guide

Last-minute Gift Ideas Make the Season Bright

Photo contributed

Photo by Donna Manz/The Connection

Mini-cakes, a single dessert por-tion, start at $3.50. Some of themore popular mini-cakes are thepumpkin-spice cheesecake, choco-late cake with chocolate mousseor peanut butter mousse, and thechocolate passion cake.

The special occasion cakes arebeautifully-extravagant. The shopsells gelato, too.

Sweet City Desserts is at 131-AMaple Avenue W., nextdoor to the Pure Pasty Com-pany. Phone number is 703-938-8188 and website iswww.sweetcitydesserts.com.

Caffe Amouri is Vienna’s coffeespecialty coffeehouse. Most earlymornings, Caffe Amouri ownerMichael Amouri tends to his in-storeroaster which fills the café with aperky aroma. The baristas are well-trained in coffee arts and science.Usually, Caffe Amouri has about 25varieties of coffee on hand for salein cups and in bags. Bagged beansstart at $12.35 a pound. Many ofthe beans come from “microlots,”

which means that the beans come from aspecific farm.

Caffe Amouri serves machine coffees andhand-pours. Try a cup before you buy a bag.The café is like a “Toys R Us” for coffee drink-ers.

“Dutchess,” the most popular espressoblend, is named after Michael Amouri’s pre-vious dog, Dutchess, now gone. LikeDutchess the beloved pet, “Dutchess” thecoffee is “sweet and smooth.”

Caffe Amouri is located in the Savia Build-ing, 107 Church Street, NE. Visit the shop’swebsite at www.CaffeAmouri.com.”

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See Calendar, Page 13

Send announcements [email protected] is Friday for the following week’spaper. Photos/artwork encouraged.

THROUGH WEDNESDAY/DEC. 24Santa HQ at Tysons Corner

Center, 1961 Chain Bridge Road,Tysons Corner. Visit Santa’s MagicalWorkshop & Observatory, presentedby HGTV - for photos and familyactivities, located in Fashion Courton level one between Nordstrom andBloomingdale’s - beginningNovember 14th. Reserve your spaceonline to see Santa. Ongoing event.

THROUGH SUNDAY/JAN. 4, 2015Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of

Lights. 5:30 p.m. MeadowlarkBotanical Garden, 9750 MeadowlarkGardens Court, Vienna. A winterwonderland, including a flowingstream of softly glowing lights, a twostory animated fountain and aGingerbread Village. Admission: $13adults, $8 children ages 3-12;children under 3 are free.

THURSDAY/DEC. 11Caroling on the Vienna Town

Green. 7 p.m. Town Green, 144Maple Avenue E, Vienna. Sing someof your favorite traditional carols ledby Cunningham Park’s Bridgesprogram. The free event will featurehot chocolate, bonfires and roastingmarshmallows. For moreinformation, call 703-255-6360.

Holiday Gingerbread House. 6:30p.m. McLean Community Center,1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean.Families work together decorating apre-assembled gingerbread house.Cost includes one preassembled

gingerbread house, decoratingsupplies and candies. Note: Productsmay contain dairy, eggs, wheat,gluten, corn, and peanuts. $45/house.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 12-14Christmas Market & Winterfest.

Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday &Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. TysonsCorner Center Outdoor Plaza, 1961Chain Bridge Road, Tysons Corner.Festival will include 30 vendorsselling German holiday goods. Plus,mulled wine, German beer, Germanfare, hot chocolate and coffee. Enjoythe spectacular Christmas tree,entertainment, beer garden and otherfestive activities. Ongoing event.

FRIDAY/DEC. 12Annual Holiday Reception. 4-6 p.m.

Vienna Town Hall, 127 Cedar StreetS., Vienna. Mayor Laurie DiRoccoand the Town Council invite thepublic to celebrate the holidays at theannual Holiday Reception. Enjoy thesounds of the holiday season with theJames Madison High SchoolMadrigals from 4:30 to 5 p.m. andthe Vienna Choral Society from 5:30to 6 p.m. Light refreshments will beprovided by the Vienna VolunteerFire Department Auxiliary. No costand no RSVP required. For moreinformation, contact the Mayor’soffice at 703-255-6311 [email protected].

SATURDAY/DEC. 13“Frozen” the Movie. 2 p.m. McLean

Community Center, 1234 InglesideAvenue, McLean. Come watch thisfamily-friendly movie that all willenjoy. Free.

Santa at the Mill. 3-6 p.m. ColvinRun Mill, 10017 Colvin Run Road,Great Falls. Enjoy old-fashionedfamily holiday fun at Colvin RunMill. Visit Santa in the mill and seethe Christmas tree trimmed withVictorian decorations. Join thecostumed 49th Virginia VolunteerInfantry caroling around a bonfire.Roast marshmallows and make afamily craft. $5/person.

Pancake Breakfast. 8 a.m. - noon.Vienna Volunteer Fire Department,400 Center Street, Vienna. All youcan eat pancakes, sausage, bacon,juice and coffee. Adults $8, seniors65+ $7, children under 12 $6,children under 4 are free. SantaClaus will make his arrival at 10:30a.m. to greet all. The Sheriff’s officewill be there to provide you with afree photo of your child and a set ofhis or her fingerprints – using clean,inkless technology. Photo ID withfingerprints gives authorities vitalinformation to help locate a missingchild. There will also be tours of thefire equipment available. All proceedsgo to the Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment to assist in purchasinglife saving fire equipment.

McLean Woman’s Club ChoraleHoliday Concert. 2-4 p.m.Lewinsville Presbyterian Church,1724 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Benefits the Falls Church-McLeanChildren’s Center. The 35-memberChorale and soloists will sing a widevariety of traditional and modernsongs of the season. Free and open tothe public. www.mcleanwc.org. 703-556-0197.

Saturday Storytime. 10:30 a.m.Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Join us for stories,songs, and activities. Ages 2 & upwith adult.

Holiday Entertainment

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Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, off Beulah Road, featuresmore than 500,000 LED lights in its spectacular WinterWalk of Lights Festival. The walking tour of the lightdisplays and scenes opened on Nov. 14 and runs throughJan. 4, 2015.

Lego Club. 2 p.m. Great Falls Library,9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Drop-in and play with LEGOs! Ages 3& up.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 13 -14Visit from Santa. 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Santa Claus will be visiting theFreeman Store. Seated in his specialchair next to Historic Vienna’sbeautifully decorated Christmas tree– courtesy of the Optimist Club andthe Ayr Hill Garden Club – he willmeet his young visitors and heartheir Christmas wishes. Parents (andgrandparents) are encouraged tobring their cameras to capture thelooks of joy and wonder as the littleones talk to the Man In Red. Forinformation call 703-938-5187 orvisit www.historicviennainc.org.

SUNDAY/DEC.14Holiday Joy Concert. 3 p.m. McLean

Community Theater, 1234 InglesideAvenue, McLean. The programinclude Rosauro’s “Concerto forMarimba and Orchestra,” performedby Rebecca Kite; Rossini/Respighi,“La Boutique Fantasque”, FavoriteHoliday selections for Orchestra, andthe annual carol sing-along, led bythe Symphony Festival Singers,Felicia Kessel Crawley. A concert forall ages. Adults: $25; Seniors: $20,Youth with student ID: $15, Children12 and under: Free. http://mclean-symphony.org/index.php.

MONDAY/DEC. 15Preschool Storytime. 10:30 a.m.

Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Join us for stories,songs, and activities. Ages 2-5 withadult.

Kids Book Club. 5:30 p.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. The Invention of HugoCabret by Brian Selznick.

MONDAY/DEC. 15Free Tiny Tot Storytime. 10:30.

Dolley Madison Library, 1244 OakRidge Avenue, McLean. Age 13-23months with adult caregiver join usfor an early litercy enhancedstorytime with rhyms and songs.

Star Language Learners All Ages.1:30p.m. Dolley Madison Library,1244 Oak Ridge Avenue, McLean.Join a fun foreign language storytimein Mandarin, Spanish, French, orArabic. No foreign langauge skillsneeded.

TUESDAY/DEC. 16Holiday Luau with Ukulele Phil

and the Hula Kids. 10:30 a.m.Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Sing and dancealong with Ukulele Phil and the HulaKids! All ages.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 17Pokémon League. 4:30 p.m. Great

Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Come play Pokémon withyour friends! Ages 5-15.

Storytime With Furry PuppetFriends. 10:30a.m. Dolley MadisonLibrary, 1244 Oak Ridge Avenue,McLean. Ages 2-5 with caregiver.Join puppets and games guides on ajourney through the life of amammal. Real mamal fur and skullshelp you learn about how theyadapted and survived. Call and makearrangements for sign languageinterpreters, listening systems or real-time captioning.

THURSDAY/DEC. 18Winter Concert. 7 p.m. Oakton High

School, 2900 Sutton Road, Vienna.The Oakton High School Orchestrawill be performing a winter concert.Free.

FRIDAY/DEC. 19Art & Acoustic Bluegrass. 7-9 p.m.

Vienna Art Center, 115 Pleasant St.NW, Vienna. Bring your acousticstringed instrument, your voice, yourlove of original art and join with thejam. Plenty of parking, chairs and awooden floor to carry the sound.Free.

Playdate Café. 10 a.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls Toys and play forchildren. Coffee and Conversation forgrown-ups.

Drop-in Chess & Backgammon.3:30 p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Allskill levels welcome.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 19-21“A Kodachrome Christmas.” 2 & 8

p.m. The Alden, 1234 InglesideAvenue, McLean. From the creator of“The Wonder Bread Years” and awriter for “Seinfeld” comes a one-

woman, cable-access holiday special.Enter the colorful world of EarleneHoople as she entertains withparticipatory bell ringing, cookiebaking, a family slide show, someoutrageous advice for surviving theholidays with relatives… and a wholelot more.

SUNDAY/DEC. 21Living Nativity. 5 p.m. Great Falls

United Methodist Church, 10100Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. A LiveNativity outside. There will also be aBlue Christmas Worship at 7 p.m. inthe sanctuary. 703-759-3705 [email protected].

TUESDAY/DEC. 30Winter Science Workshop for

Kids. 3:30 p.m. Great Falls Library,9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Children will learn hands-on in thisiSchool workshop. Registrationrequired for this event. Ages 8-12.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 31New Year’s Eve in Entyse Wine

Bar & Lounge. 9 p.m. to Midnight.The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner,1700 Tysons Boulevard, McLean.Celebrate the New Year with livemusical entertainment provided byThe Christopher Linman JazzEnsemble and culinary delights. Asthe clock strikes midnight, welcome2015 with a complimentarychampagne toast. $100 minimumfood & beverage purchase perperson.

First Night Vienna. 7 p.m. - midnight.Town of Vienna, Church Street. Afamily-friendly New Year’s EveCelebration. Featuring music, food,kids entertainment, and more. Fourfree music venues, a dance party,glitter tattoos, face painting, arts &crafts, balloon twisting, fire pits, cornhole, s’mores, popcorn popping, hotchocolate, hot apple cider, party hats,and much much more.


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Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

Address .................................. BR FB HB ... Postal City ... Sold Price .... Type ....... Lot AC PostalCode .......... Subdivision ............ Date Sold

1 10412 HUNTERS VALLEY RD .. 6 .. 6 .. 3 ....... VIENNA ..... $1,812,500 .... Detached .... 2.84 ...... 22181 ........... HUNTERS VALLEY .......... 10/03/14

2 10809 TRADEWIND DR .......... 5 .. 4 .. 2 ...... OAKTON ..... $1,450,000 .... Detached .... 0.90 ...... 22124 ...... WILLOW CREEK ESTATES ..... 10/31/14

3 204 MARIAN CIR SW ............. 5 .. 4 .. 1 ....... VIENNA ..... $1,350,000 .... Detached .... 0.28 ...... 22180 ............ VIENNA WOODS ........... 10/28/14

4 1411 PATRICK CIRCLE, SW ...... 5 .. 4 .. 1 ....... VIENNA ..... $1,280,490 .... Detached .... 0.38 ...... 22180 ............ VIENNA WOODS ........... 10/16/14

5 10727 VALE RD ..................... 5 .. 4 .. 2 ...... OAKTON ..... $1,275,000 .... Detached .... 2.11 ...... 22124 ............. VALE HEIGHTS ............ 10/01/14

6 1653 WHITE PINE DR ............ 5 .. 4 .. 1 ....... VIENNA ..... $1,250,000 .... Detached .... 0.86 ...... 22182 ....... SYMPHONY MEADOWS ...... 10/17/14

7 620 GIBSON DR SW ............... 5 .. 4 .. 1 ....... VIENNA ..... $1,225,000 .... Detached .... 0.25 ...... 22180 ............ VIENNA WOODS ........... 10/10/14

8 11391 FOX VALE GLEN CT ...... 4 .. 4 .. 1 ...... OAKTON ..... $1,220,000 .... Detached .... 0.83 ...... 22124 ............ FOX VALE GLEN ........... 10/24/14

9 909 SYMPHONY CIR SW ........ 5 .. 4 .. 1 ....... VIENNA ..... $1,199,000 .... Detached .... 0.23 ...... 22180 ............ VIENNA WOODS ........... 10/15/14

10 302 BLAIR CT NW .................. 6 .. 4 .. 1 ....... VIENNA ..... $1,185,000 .... Detached .... 0.53 ...... 22180 ........ VANDERVATE ESTATES ....... 10/20/14

Copyright 2014 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of November 18, 2014.

Local REAL ESTATE

October, 2014 Top Sales inVienna and OaktonIn October 2014, 80 homes sold

between $1,812,500 -$ 218,500

in the Vienna and Oakton area.

1 10412 Hunters Valley Road, Vienna —$1,812,500

2 10809 Tradewind Drive, Oakton — $1,450,000

4 1411 PatrickCircle, SW,Vienna —$1,280,490

6 1653 WhitePine Drive,

Vienna —$1,250,000

7 620 GivsonDrive SW,Vienna —$1,225,000


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By Joshua Baker

BOWA

After all the holiday festivities havepassed and the ball has droppedto ring in the New Year, manyhomeowners are inspired to

tackle resolutions that relate to their livingspace. 2015 may be the year you want toremodel your home to allow for the changes occur-ring in your life. Perhaps you want to build out anoffice which will allow you to work from home?Maybe 2015 is the year you want to avoid climbingstairs, so moving the master suite to the first floormay be on your resolution list?

One thing is certain in life — family needs are al-ways evolving. As kids come and go, aging parentsmove in, greener technology becomes available, andwe look for more creature comforts in our homes,individuals and families need and want to updateliving spaces.

So, if you’re thinking 2015 is the year to makechanges to your home to better suit your changinglifestyle needs, I would encourage you to review someof the following top home remodeling resolutions.

TIP #1: Planning For My Long-Term HomeNeeds

Given the fact that a home remodeling project canbe a significant investment of both time and money, Iwould strongly recommend that your family hasthought through all elements of the remodeling jobto make sure it will work for family’s long-term livingneeds. You want the work done on your home to bothimprove your day-to-day life and add to the futurevalue of your home, so ensuring the decision makersin your family are all on the same page is critical.

Also, as your family plans to remodel your home,we recommend considering the best times for yourhome to be under construction. We find that sincefamilies tend to travel more during the summermonths, that is a good time for a remodeling projectas the process may be less disruptive and the workcan move quicker.

TIP #2: Research What You LikeOne of the best things you can do to prepare for

sitting down with a professional remodeler is to find

pictures of aspects of homes that you like.Being able to show examples of your pref-erences is extremely helpful to ensure yourtastes are understood and incorporated intothe design, and often, the materials selectedfor your remodeling project.

Websites like Houzz.com or Pinterest.comoffer thousands of ideas that you can ex-plore and print out to help you define the

look and feel you desire to achieve with your newfinished space. You can also save them in an onlineaccount that can be viewed by your potential remodelcompany.

TIP #3: Do Your Homework on the BestRemodeling Company

As with any significant investment, make sure youdo due diligence before signing on with a design-build firm. Remodeling remains one of the most re-ported industries, so be sure to talk with the firm’sclient references and visit recent projects they havecompleted to get a sense for their craftsmanship. Youmay also want to ask about employee tenure andwhich professionals will be working with you throughthe remodeling process. It is important to know whowill be your single point of accountability.

With a single point of accountability for the entiredesign and construction process, you can work along-side your architectural team and other specialists toensure reliable materials are specified, drawings areclear, and challenges are addressed to lay the ground-work for a smooth production process. Most impor-tantly, this team approach ensures that the projectthat is being designed aligns with your budget goals,and finds areas of efficiencies and appropriate costsavings wherever possible.

These three tips will help you to achieve the bestapproach and find a design-build team that will takeaccountability and manage the entire process whilelooking after your best interests. Remodeling pro-fessionals become part of your family during the pro-cess, so it’s important to be extremely comfortablewith the firm you choose.

Josh Baker is the founder and co-chairman of BOWA, anaward-winning design and construction company specializingin luxury renovations, remodels and additions in the greaterWashington, D.C. area. BOWA has more than 25 years of ex-perience and has been honored with 170 local and nationalawards. Visit www.bowa.com or call 703-734-9050.

2015 New Year Remodeling Resolutions

Fairfax County might soonbreathe life into historichomes that have fallen

into disrepair. If an ordinanceadopted by the County Boardof Supervisors last month be-comes law, the county will beone step closer to establishinga resident curator program.

The program, which wouldbe the first in the Common-wealth of Virginia, allows indi-

viduals or groups to occupy pub-licly owned historic propertiesrent-free in for exchange repairsand maintenance.

“It allows us to preserve historicresources and limits our liabilitybecause some of the properties areempty and therefore invitations tovandalism,” said Judy Pedersen, aspokeswoman for the FairfaxCounty Park Authority. She addedthat the program would also trans-

fer financial responsibility tothe curator, saving taxpayersmoney.

Earlier this year, the countycommissioned a study to ex-plore the idea, taking in to con-sideration factors such as thetypes of properties that wouldbe eligible, whether to allowcommercial use and criteria forselecting curators.

Pederson said the countyneeds $241,000 and a projectmanager in order to start theprogram “But we’re on trackand things are moving for-ward,” she said.

— Marilyn Campbell

Residents could live virtuallyrent-free in exchange for repairingand maintaining homes.

Saving Historic Homes


Sports

Oakton Girls’Basketball BeatsMadison

The Oakton girls’ basketball team won threeof its first four games this season, including a59-57 season-opening victory over Vienna foeMadison on Dec. 2.

Madison ended Oakton’s 2013-14 season withan 80-51 win in the region quarterfinals.

Oakton faced Yorktown on Tuesday, after TheConnection’s deadline. The Cougars will hostLake Braddock at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec.16.

Madison faced Edison on Tuesday and willcompete in a tournament Dec. 11-13. TheWarhawks will return home for a game againstMarshall on Dec. 19.

Madison Boys’ Basket-ball Splits First 2 Games

The Madison boys’ basketball team openedthe season with a 60-49 win over Oakton onDec. 2.

Three nights later, the Warhawks lost toBishop O’Connell, a private school in Arling-ton, 70-41 on Dec. 5.

Madison faced Edison on Tuesday, after TheConnection’s deadline. The Warhawks will hostStone Bridge at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12.

Oakton will travel to face Lake Braddock onDec. 16.

Langley Boys’Basketball to FaceRival McLean

The Langley boys’ basketball team will takeon rival McLean at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec.12 at McLean High School.

Langley lost to Herndon 67-58 on Dec. 5,dropping its record to 0-2. The Saxons lost theirseason opener against Osbourn, 66-53, on Dec.3.

McLean started 2-1, with wins over Stuart andOakton and a loss to South County. The High-landers faced West Springfield on Tuesday, af-ter The Connection’s deadline.

Herndon Boys’ Basket-ball Earns 2nd Win

The Herndon boys’ basketball team defeatedLangley 67-58 on Dec. 5, improving its recordto 2-1.The Hornets opened the season with a77-72 win over Osbourn on Dec. 1. The follow-ing night, Herndon lost to two-time defendingregion champion Woodson, 63-60.

Herndon finished the 2013-14 season with a23-3 record. The Hornets reached the regionsemifinals, where they suffered a one-point lossto Woodson. Herndon graduated nine seniorsfrom that team, including standout guardDorian Johnson and 6-foot-5 Brandon Alston,who now plays at Lehigh University.

Herndon faced Washington-Lee on Tuesday,after The Connection’s deadline. The Hornetswill travel to face Lake Braddock at 7:30 p.m.on Monday, Dec. 15.

Basketball Roundups

Colvin Run Gymnast Selected to National Team

Great Falls gymnast Naomi Heit, second from the right, earnedspot on the National Talent Opportunity Program’s developmentteam. Heit attends Colvin Run Elementary School in Vienna.

Great Falls resident NaomiHeit, 10, was one of fourgymnasts from LoudounGymnastics Center selected

to the National Talent OpportunityProgram’s development team. The girlsattended a camp at Karolyi Ranch inHuntsville, Texas, this month.

Heit is a fourth-grader at Colvin RunElementary School in Vienna.

Heit earned a spot on the developmentteam by participating in strength, abil-ity and skill tests, competing against1,800 other gymnasts across the nation.

Heit spends between 24 and 30 hoursper week training with at the LoudounGymnastics Center.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to balance thedemands of school, training and friends,”Heit said in a press release. “I leaveschool early four days a week for train-ing, but I always tell myself that hardwork given time will defeat talent. Andso far that’s proving to be true.”

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South Lakes Swim, Dive Splits with TJ at Season Opener

Mac Sogandares leads the SLHS relay team of Sogandares,Hawley, Ellis and D’Allesandro to a first place finish in the400-yard freestyle relay.

Malina Stassinos helps the South Lakes relay team of Lee, Stassinos,Landeryou and Groves to a second place finish in the 400-yard freestylerelay at the Seahawks’ season opener against Thomas Jefferson.

The South Lakes swim anddive teams started the season with a split when they

faced Thomas Jefferson on Friday,Dec. 5, at the Herndon CommunityCenter.

The South Lakes girls won, 195-119, while the TJ boys defeatedthe Seahawks, 184.5-127.5. TheSouth Lakes girls dominated thepool, winning all but three events.The 200-yard medley relay teamof Natalie Obando, SabrinaGroves, Emily Landeryou, andMadeleine Daum started theevening with a first-place finish,followed by a sweep of the 200-yard freestyle event by sopho-mores Landeryou (first), MeganCarney (second), and PaigeSogandares (third). Other high-lights for the girls included a one-two finish for Grace Obando (first)and Juhi Sharma in the 200-yardindividual medley, a one-two finish forLanderyou (first) and Emi Redican in the100-yard backstroke, and first-place finishesfor Natalie Obando in the 500-yardfreestyle, Emma Bulger in diving, Groves inthe 100-yard butterfly, Caitlyn King in the100-yard freestyle, and Sogandares in 500-yard freestyle. While the South Lakes boys’team didn’t fare as well against theColonials, there were some stand-out per-formances. Mac Sogandares finished first inthe 200-yard freestyle event; Tyler Ellis tookfirst place in the 100-yard butterfly; andBenjamin Gryski earned first in the 100-yardbreaststroke.

The relay team of Sogandares, DylanHawley, Ellis, and Gianmichel D’Allesandroconcluded the meet with a first-place finishin the 400-yard freestyle relay.

South Lakes will return to the pool at 6p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, against Fairfax HighSchool at Audrey Moore RECenter.

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News

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

Days before the traditional loos-ening of belts for Thanksgiving,Fairfax County officials dis-cussed the need for tightening

theirs.The Board of Supervisors and Fairfax

County School Board met jointly Nov. 25 totalk about budget forecasts, prior to Gover-nor Terry McAuliffe’s (D) state budget pro-posal expected in mid-December.

County Executive Ed Long delivered thegrim estimate of a just over $100 millionshortfall for fiscal year 2016. That’s versusthe estimate in the FY2015 adopted bud-get of around $37 million.

Long cited lingering effects of the reces-sion, including slow job growth, at 0.4 per-cent in Northern Virginia versus 2.4 percentbefore the downturn, as well as 10.8 per-cent drop year-to-date in home sales. Fed-eral procurement spending has been trend-ing down, and Long is expecting a 3-4 per-cent decline for FY 2014.

Residential and non-residential real estatevalues have also been decreasing, 3.3 per-cent since 2008 and 5.2 percent since 2009,respectively, accounting for tens of millionsof dollars of lost revenue for the county.

Even with a projected $84 million in newfunds from revenues, it doesn’t cover theexpected increases in disbursements ofabout $185 million over the previous year.Those include county employee pay in-creases and benefits, public safety and hu-

man services, and for schools a 3 percentoperating increase, capital support, debtservice and Full-Day Mondays support.

“There are a lot of challenges going for-ward to the spring,” Long said. “Uncertaintyremains in the economy, we don’t knowwhat’s going to happen with the Seques-ter.”

Since FY2009, the county has cut around$269 million by cutting positions and pro-grams, but it just isn’t keeping up.

“Looking back, there’s nothing easy leftto cut,” said Long. “We’re down to the meatof county programs. Cuts are going to behard, there’s no two ways about it.”

Board of Supervisors Chairman SharonBulova commented that additional countyreserve funds shouldn’t be looked to as aresource to cover the shortfall.

“Our reserves are too low for comfort,”Bulova said, “and compared to other juris-

dictions, we’re dangerously low.”FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza fol-

lowed Long to further explain the chal-lenges facing the vast school system re-garded as one of the top in the country.

“Sometimes our challenges get masked bylooking at the overall percentage of oursize,” said Garza. “Forty-nine schools have50 percent free or reduced lunch or higher.There are some parts of our county wherethat population and the needs of our stu-dents are certainly growing.”

Garza referenced growths of 2-3,000 stu-dents in the system over the last severalyears, as well as jumps in the percentage ofstudents who take English for Speakers ofOther Languages and or are eligible for freeor reduced price meals. Total enrollment isnow over 186,000 students.

“The real cost of growth exceeds $190million,” Garza said. “And of the cuts over

the last six years, one-quarter were just thelast year. There are 2,175 fewer people, butat the same time we grew by 20,000 stu-dents. That’s significant for our system.”

Echoing Long, Garza said the cuts are notallowing schools in the county to keep upwith needs and in particular for schools, theneeds of teachers.

“We’re very concerned with competitivecompensation,” said Garza. “Our bread andbutter is the quality of teachers in class-rooms, employed throughout our schoolsystem. We’re losing our competitive edgeand I’m very concerned with where we stackup compared to our surrounding jurisdic-tions.”

She showed starting teachers’ salarieshovering around the middle of surround-ing jurisdictions, above only Loudoun andManassas Park City for 10 years experienceand a master’s degree, and just above PrinceGeorge’s Maryland for maximum salary.

Even with $53.1 million in a transfer fromthe county, Garza is still projecting a $63.9million deficit for FY2016, something sheand the supervisors agree should garnersome attention from the state.

“We recognize and believe the state hasto do something more to help us,” saidGarza. Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKayweighed in as well. “We’re funding 70.6percent of the FCPS budget, which is sig-nificantly higher than almost everywhereelse in the state,” he said. “If we receivedadequate funding from the state, wewouldn’t be having this conversation. It’s ahuge emphasis moving forward. If we’re notlooking at the long-term, these issues willcontinue to compound.”

Garza and Long will spend the next fewmonths finalizing their budget plans.Garza’s proposal for FY2016 should be re-leased Jan. 8, 2015 and Long’s plan forFY2016-2017 should come up at the Feb.17, 2015 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Fairfax County Facing More Budget StrainCounty Executive andFCPS Superintendentpresent adverse forecasts.

Fairfax CountyPublic Schools

SuperintendentKaren Garza

speaks Nov. 25at a joint meet-ing of the FCPS

School Boardand Board ofSupervisors.

Photo by

Tim Peterson/

The Connection

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

Phase two of the Silver Line con-struction got a boost towards its2018 estimated completion date.

After nearly a year of discussion, theFairfax County Board of Supervisors votedunanimously to authorize a federal loanagreement to the tune of $403 million.

The low-interest allowance under theTransportation Infrastructure Financeand Innovation Act (TIFIA) would begood for almost half of the estimated$915 million Fairfax County is on boardto contribute to the massive rail project.

“The Silver Line is vital to the eco-nomic growth of Fairfax County, the re-

gion and the Commonwealth,” said Chair-man Sharon Bulova in a statement, “and Iam proud of the work we’ve done to makeit a reality.”

Prior to the vote, Bulova added, “there’sbeen lot of discussion about this over the lastyear or so. It’s pretty thoroughly vetted andit’s a really important step we’re taking.”

Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield)supported the measure, but was quick witha reminder that the funds aren’t exactlyfree money. “It’s a loan, money that’s gotto be paid back, and it’s going to be paidby the toll payers,” he said. “So eventuallythe tolls will rise, but we forestalled thatfor a period of time, which is good newsfor the corridor.”

Herrity was referring to Dulles Toll Road,

where drivers escaped immediate hikes butwill eventually see higher tolls to assist asthe county begins to repay the loan, antici-

Board of Supervisors Signs On for $403 Million Loanpated for the year 2023.

Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee) playedup the importance of seizing the loan op-portunity.

“Any time you can get a low interestfederal loan to support infrastructure,that allows you to maximize your dol-lars and potentially reduce the cost ofthe overall project by millions,” saidMcKay. “It was a great opportunity forus; very few jurisdictions under the TIFIAregulations could qualify for this, so wewould be foolish to have not taken ad-vantage of it.”

The loan to Fairfax County comes inconjunction with federal Department ofTransportation loans to Silver Linepartners Loudoun County and the Met-ropolitan Washington Airports Author-ity, as the trio works to finance the en-tire $5.6 billion project.

Photo by Reena Singh/ The Connection

Local, state and national officialsat the ribbon-cutting ceremony forthe Silver Line July 26 this year.Low-interest federal loan will helpfinance Phase 2 of Silver Line.

Low-interest federal loan will help finance Phase 2 of Silver Line.


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If I’ve heard it once – from myoncologist – I’ve probably heard it adozen times over the last nearly-sixyears. In fact, at the very first TeamLourie meeting with him on February27, 2009, after the initial examination,followed by a review of my previousdoctor’s (emergency medicine, pulmo-nary and thoracic) appointments anddiagnostic procedures completed (twoX-Rays, one CT Scan and one P.E.T.Scan), he gave us my diagnosis: “stageIV, non-small cell lung cancer,” and myprognosis: “13 months to two years.”After the shock wore off, he told us inno uncertain terms that he could “treatme but he couldn’t cure me,” and hewas hardly enthusiastic or encouragingabout any of what he had said.However, he perked up slightly when hesuggested to me that “perhaps youshould take that trip you’ve alwaysdreamed of;” his first attempt at helpingme find some quality in my life.Considering the context in which it wassaid, the suggestion fell on deaf ears andI started chemotherapy the very nextweek.

This concern about my life, thisawareness of my life-expectancy-chal-lenged reality has been an ongoing andrecurring theme during the regular dis-cussions Team Lourie has had with myoncologist. Whether I was feeling badduring heavy-duty chemotherapy (“wecan stop or take a break anytime if it’stoo much?” he would ask) or feelinggood (“since you’re feeling so good,maybe we should stop for a while;enjoy your good quality of life”), thequality of my life away from the InfusionCenter has always been a consideration.And given what he knew and I didn’t,perhaps I should have listened, but Ididn’t.

Not that I ever felt that he had, orwas, giving up on me; or that he wasimposing his perspective on me/us; itwas more like he was fulfilling hislegal/fiduciary-type responsibility/moralobligation to educate me about choices,realities even. These conversationsabout life/living and death were/arealways the most difficult for me. Thefigurative weight of it all almostbecomes literal. There’s nothing reallythat prepares you for the process. I keepthinking that someone with more expe-rience, who’s lived longer and seenmore of life than I have, should beadvising me. Ultimately though, deci-sions concerning life and death, themost personal of all decisions, really fallto the patient.

Now whether taking control andbeing responsible for one’s own cancerfight does keep the cancer at bay, noone really knows. But after being “di-seased” at such at an unexpected andearly age, 54 and a half, it feels goodsometimes to exert some control. At thispoint in my survival, living is likely moreabout quality than it is quantity – or soI’ve been told, repeatedly, in a good andhonest way. Nevertheless, I’m not readyto give up on the latter while embracingthe former.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

“Quality of Life”


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News

The 2014 Washington BusinessHall of Fame induction cer-emony was held on Tues, Dec.

2 at the National Building Museum.This year’s Hall of Fame inductees are:

❖ Sudhakar Kesavan, Chairman andCEO, ICF International based inFairfax. Kesavan is an engineer with aMIT master’s in technology and publicpolicy, his firm consults on energy, en-vironmental, and health matters. Healso chairs the Northern Virginia Tech-nology Council and leads ICF’s manycharity efforts.

❖Debbie Kissire, Vice Chair, Ernst &Young (now EY) – who lives in McLean,a would-be schoolteacher who discov-ered her affinity for business via a sum-mer job at her hometown bank. Sheswitched majors, went to work for theBig 8, and rose to be Vice Chair of EY,all the while developing and advanc-ing women and dedicating herself tophilanthropy.

❖Dennis Ratner, Founder, CEO andideas into success. He also uses the venture-capital model to invest in local nonprofits.

The Washington Business Hall of Famerecognizes outstanding business leaders andtheir significant contributions to the qual-ity of life in Greater Washington. The an-nual black-tie gala and awards ceremonybrings together 1,200 business and civicleaders and raises over $1 million annuallyto support Junior Achievement of GreaterWashington’s innovative financial literacy,work readiness, and entrepreneurship pro-grams for K-12 students.

Area Business Leaders Inducted intoWashington Business Hall of Fame

SudhakarKesavan

Debbie Kissire

Dennis Ratner Peter Barris

Stylist, Ratner Companies based in Vienna.He started Hair Cuttery with $5,000 andan idea for a unisex shop for all ages thatwould offer fashionable cuts for low prices.Today his company boasts 1,000 salonsacross 16 states, and Ratner’s active in thephilanthropy scene.

❖Peter Barris, Managing General Partner/Washington, DC, New Enterprise Associates.A Dartmouth MBA who worked under GE’sJack Welch, he led his boutique VC firm tohelp entrepreneurial companies such asGroupon, CareerBuilder and TiVo turn their

To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, send to [email protected]. Thedeadline for submissions is the Friday prior to pub-lication.

SATURDAY/DEC. 13Christmas Open House and Health Fair. 10

a.m. - 2 p.m. Antioch Christian Church, 1860Beulah Road, Vienna. The fair will have 26different stations that provide a wide array ofhealth information for women, men, teens,children and the elderly. Topics range fromHeart Health Diabetes Disease, EbolaAwareness, Keeping jolly during the holidays toStranger Danger. Participants will be able togather health information, talk with the nursingstudents about their researched health projectsand participate in demonstrations, bloodpressure and blood sugar screenings.Participants will be able to obtain a freshlybaked treat at the bake sale and participate in 4Service projects: Food Collection for CHO,winter coat collection, Medical suppliescollection for Brother’s Brother, and anopportunity to select a toy or outfit to purchasefor our Adopted Family Project for a family with3 school-aged children. For more informationcall 703-938-6753 or visit www.antiochdoc.org.

MONDAY/DEC. 15Evening ESL Conversation Group. 7 p.m.

Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Practice speaking English in thisinformal conversation group.

Spanish Conversation Group. 1 p.m. GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, GreatFalls. Practice Spanish as a foreign language inthis casual conversation group.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 17Morning Book Group. 10:30 a.m. Great Falls

Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Callbranch for book title.ESL Conversation Group. 2 p.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Practice English in this casual conversationgroup.

English Conversation Group for Adults. 1p.m. Dolley Madison Library, 1244 Oak RidgeAvenue, McLean. Come practise conversationalEnglish in a group setting.

THURSDAY/DEC. 18New Voting Equipment Demonstration. 4

p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Staff from the Fairfax County Officeof Elections will provide an opportunity to seeand try out the brand new voting machines aswell as provide an opportunity for photo IDprocessing and voter registration.Reading Buddies. 4:30 p.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Beginning readers and teens practice readingtogether.Evening Book Group. 7:30 p.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Callbranch for Title.

FRIDAY/DEC. 19New Voting Equipment Demonstration.

11a.m. Dolley Madison Library, 1244 Oak RidgeAvenue, McLean. Do not miss this opportunityand come see for yourself! Fairfax County Officeof Elections staff will process your photo ID andvoter registration through the brand-new votingmachine.

Bulletin Board


By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

In light of recent suicides by studentsfrom Fairfax, Woodson and Langleyhigh schools, Fairfax High hosted ameeting Nov. 19 to discuss the prob-

lem and search for solutions. The idea wasto begin an ongoing exchange between par-ents, students, staff, community membersand mental-health professionals.

“Now in my sixth year as principal, I’mfocused on finding ways to foster a culturewhere people look out for one another,” saidFairfax High’s leader, Dave Goldfarb. “Wewant this school to be a place where peopleask for help and build resiliency. For me,hosting a community dialogue on mentalhealth and wellness is a big part of thiswork.”

He said that, over the years, he’s becomeaware of many students struggling withmental distress. And he’s realized that men-tal health is an issue that significantly im-pacts the students and school.

Therefore, said Goldfarb, “We have towork together to make it visible. The innerpains our adolescents feel often limit themmore than any physical injuries. We haveto talk together to make it an open topicfor discussion. Anxiety, depression, feelingout of control, suicide – we have to under-stand that these are all part of our teenag-ers’ world, and we have to talk openly aboutthem if we want to connect with and sup-port [our children].”

He also stressed that the meeting was justa first step. “Beyond tonight, we need tomake brave choices as students, parents andeducators to speak out and put our youngpeople’s wellbeing first, over everythingelse,” said Goldfarb. “Success cannot comeat the expense of happiness. We must sum-mon the courage in our hearts to put bal-ance, happiness and inner peace aboveGPAs, popularity and instant gratification.”

Then Fairfax High’s director of studentservices, Laura Rotella, and school counse-lor Tracy Hartley shared some results fromthe FCPS 2013 Youth Survey on mentalhealth. On average, in the last three years,29.6 percent of FCPS students in gradeseight, 10 and 12 reported feeling sad dur-ing the year. In the Fairfax High Pyramid, itwas 32.1 percent.

THE PERCENT WHO CONSIDEREDSUICIDE during the past year was 17 per-cent countywide and 19.1 in the FairfaxPyramid. “In 2013, 22.3 percent of femalesand 11.2 percent of males in FCPS consid-ered suicide,” said Hartley. “But the socialstigma attached to it makes it under-re-ported.”

Those same figures for students in theFairfax Pyramid were 25 percent of femalesand 12.3 percent of males. “It peaks in 10th

grade,” said Hartley. “And females report

considering suicide twice as much as males,across all grade levels, but males tend tounder-report.”

She and Rotella also discussed the “Threeto Succeed” concept. Analysis of the YouthSurvey revealed that having just three as-sets dramatically reduces teens’ risk behav-iors and promotes thriving youth. Assets arestrengths in young people, their families,friends, schools and communities that ben-efit them emotionally. The more assets aperson has, the fewer risk behaviors theyreport – and every asset makes a difference.

Assets are: Possessing high personal in-tegrity, performing community service, hav-

ing teachers recognize good work, havingtrusted adults to talk to, participating inextracurricular activities and having parentsavailable for help.

“When a student said they had none ofthose, 50 percent of males have consideredsuicide and 80 percent of females,” saidRotella. “Having four or more assets reduces

suicidal attempts from upwards of 10 per-cent to nearly zero.”

“Female adolescents are twice as likely tocommit suicide as boys are,” added Hartley.“But boys tend to use more lethal means,such as guns and gas.”

Another finding of the survey was that,by age 13, more than twice as many girlsas boys are depressed – and this ratio con-tinues into adulthood. And it also existsregardless of racial or ethnic background.

Applied psychologist Heather Tedescoalso spoke. She’s in private practice inMcLean and helps parents address theirconcerns about their teenagers. At the meet-ing, she discussed the burdens teens facetoday and how parents can help them dealwith these things.

“Course loads in school are far more rig-orous than in previous generations, andteens are involved in more extracurricularactivities,” she said. “And because of socialmedia, teens are always aware of what otherteens are doing, and vice versa. So it putsmore pressure on them and they have lessface-to-face interaction.”

AS A RESULT, said Tedesco, “We need tode-stigmatize stress and talk about what wecan do about it. We need to send healthymessages about failure and realize thatteens need free time and psychologicalspace to develop a strong sense of self.”

“We want our kids to have positive cop-ing methods that they’ve practiced so, whenthey’re under stress, they can use them,”she explained. “And we must help them rec-ognize and express their emotions.”

To thrive, said Tedesco, teens must beresilient and able to handle challenges. “Tellthem that bouncing back is more importantthan not messing up,” she said. “Give thema message of hope that things will get bet-ter, and tell them failure can be an oppor-tunity for growth.”

She said parents should examine theirown attitudes about failure. “Parents mustprovide an unconditionally loving bond,”said Tedesco. “It’s a critical, protective fac-tor in their mental health. And ask open-ended questions about their goals and val-ues, and listen to their answers.”

Teenagers should be given increasingfreedoms and responsibilities, she said, butthey should also be responsible for theirown successes and failures. “Avoid micro-managing and over-parenting, and encour-age identity development,” said Tedesco.“Parents need to value psychological healthas much as academic and extracurricularachievement. We really have to ask our-selves what really matters to us for our kids’long-term happiness and success.”

She also told parents to “teach kids thereare multiple paths to a successful adulthood.Character traits related to happiness andsuccess include resilience, self-control, cu-riosity, enthusiasm, zest, self-efficacy andgratitude.” Bottom line, said Tedesco, “It’snot what your teen accomplishes that mat-ters, but who they are.”

Fairfax High hosts meeting about youth suicide.

News

Tell Teens ‘Things Will Get Better’

“Success cannot come at the

expense of happiness.”— Dave Goldfarb, principal, Fairfax High

Goldfarb

Photo by Bonnie Hobbs/The Connection

Applied psychologist Heather Tedesco points toa chart on the overhead screen.

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