Sharing Spicy Lentils For First Thanksgivingconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/112217/Arlington.pdf ·...

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Planning for Density News, Page 3 Trouble Down the Tracks News, Page 4 Sharing Spicy Lentils For First Thanksgiving News, Page 3 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com November 22-28, 2017 Entertainment, Page 8 v Classifieds, Page 10 Photo by Shirley Ruhe/The Connection Celebrations & Gratitude Thanksgiving 2017 Two Syrian women bring their lentil and macaroni dish with fried bread (on the top). It will be squeezed in with the other aluminum-covered dishes covering a U-shaped table at the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) dinner Nov. 19. Hekmat- ullah Latifi, an ECDC caseworker explains this is a party for families who come from around the world “so we can share our culture and them them how much we love them here.” After dinner, popular music from the countries of the people who are attending the dinner will be played.

Transcript of Sharing Spicy Lentils For First Thanksgivingconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/112217/Arlington.pdf ·...

Page 1: Sharing Spicy Lentils For First Thanksgivingconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/112217/Arlington.pdf · Sharing Spicy Lentils For First Thanksgiving News, Page 3 November 22-28, 2017

Planning for DensityNews, Page 3

Trouble Down the TracksNews, Page 4

Sharing Spicy Lentils For First Thanksgiving

News, Page 3

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com November 22-28, 2017

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Celebrations & Gratitude

Thanksgiving 2017Two Syrian women bring their lentil and macaroni dish with fried bread (on the top). It will be squeezed in with the other aluminum-covered dishes covering a U-shaped table at the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) dinner Nov. 19. Hekmat-ullah Latifi, an ECDC caseworker explains this is a party for families who come from around the world “so we can share our culture and them them how much we love them here.” After dinner, popular music from the countries of the people who are attending the dinner will be played.

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2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsArlington Connection Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

Spicy Lentils Join Turkey for ECDC First Thanksgiving Dinner

Sarah Zullo, director of the local Ethio-pian Community Development Council(ECDC) metro area chapter, welcomesrefugees to the 6th First ThanksgivingDinner for refugees. She says since all ofthose attending have arrived in the lastyear, this is truly their first Thanksgiv-ing. They expect between 200-300 refu-gees, mostly Afghan but from El Salva-dor, Sudan and other African countries.

A refugee family chooses from amongmore than 30 dishes at the ECDC annualFirst Thanksgiving Dinner at the ECDCCommunity Center on N. Highland onNov. 19. They examine the traditionalcorn pudding and head for the spicy redlentils. The dishes range from grilledchicken from Sudan, El Salvadoranpupusas, Afghan rice and lentils andAmerican turkey and mac and cheese.

A crowd of refugees and immigrants are already seatedat brightly decorated tables waiting for their FirstThanksgiving Dinner to begin. Others line the wallwaiting for their turn to have a seat. Before the eveningis over between 200-300 will have tasted their firstAmerican turkey, with gravy and pumpkin pie. ECDC isone of the voluntary agencies working in partnershipwith the Department of State and the Office of RefugeeResettlement to provide initial placement and supportservices to refugees with a special focus on Africanrefugees being resettled in the United States.

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By Vernon Miles

The Connection

Neighborhood by neighbor-hood, block by block, thedensity of the Metro cor-ridor is creeping further

and further into the surrounding resi-dential neighborhoods. The latest de-velopment frontier is along WashingtonBoulevard behind George MasonUniversity’s Arlington Campus. A cor-ner of the small residential developmentcurrently inhabited by a YMCA and anAmerican Legion is undergoing the firststages of redevelopment, and the neigh-borhood is pushing back.

At its Nov. 18 meeting, the CountyBoard approved a General Land UsePlan (GLUP) to allow greater develop-ment at the site, but not until after threehours of public testimony from localresidents and representatives from thesites seeking redevelopment.

A GLUP is the primary policy guidefor future development in the county. Itestablishes the character, extent, and lo-cation of various land uses. Three indi-vidual requests were received by the countyto review the GLUP for a corner of a neigh-borhood tucked away between VirginiaSquare and Clarendon. The three GLUP re-quests came in from the YMCA, American

Planning for Density New development shifts northfrom Metro corridor.

Map of the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) area

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See Planning, Page 7

into new zoning classifications.Residents of the local neighborhood

emphasized their neighborhood’s sub-urban residential lifestyle and said largenew developments, particularly the newtraffic they would bring, could compro-mise their way of life.

“Our neighborhood is under pressurefrom four initiatives,” said MichaelLevitin, a local resident, pointing toother developments planned around theborders of the neighborhood. “Thesefour collectively could materially andadversely affect our neighborhood. Ev-ery part of Arlington must bear its fairshare of development, we welcome ournew neighbors, but our neighborhoodshould not be asked to bear more thanit’s fair share. Amendments that wouldincrease density … would ask ourneighborhood to bear more than its fairshare.”

But others — from the groups re-questing the expansions — said theyneed the added density. Dan Donahue,finance officer with the American Le-gion, spoke on behalf of the group atthe meeting. Donahue said the non-

profit organization exists to serve veteransand the community, and said added build-ing space would allow them to continue to

Legion, and a development site within thearea of the study, to allow for greater den-sity in the area.

The new designations set forward in theGLUP limits building height to six and seven

stories closest to Washington Boulevard,then down to four and three stories on thebuildings closest to the residential neigh-borhood. Future public hearings will con-sider the redesignation of the three parcels

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4 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Vernon Miles

The good news is there’s noplanned fare increases or ser-vice reductions in the upcom-ing Metro budget.

The bad news is that without an adequatefunding source the Metro system will con-tinue to disintegrate.

At a Northern Virginia Transit Commis-sion public forum on Nov. 16 in its Court-house area headquarters, representatives ofArlington, Alexandria and Fairfax updatedresidents on the precarious situation of theregion’s rail system.

It’s been one year since the Safe Track, aproject that implemented systemwide de-lays to allow for greater maintenance onthe aging rail lines. Combined with a fareincrease and service reductions, Safe Trackhad a major impact on the system’s rider-ship. With rising capital costs and dwindlingrevenue, the Metro system faces a $7.5 bil-lion funding gap.

“In FY 2017, capital spending was $1.2billion,” said Paul Smedberg, a City Coun-cil member from Alexandria and the city’srepresentative to NVTC. “It was the largestinvestment in the Metro since its comple-tion. But by FY 2022, the budget will growto $1.5 billion.”

For the FY2019 budget, Smedberg saidthe focus of the capital budget is on reha-bilitation and maintenance of existing ser-vices, with 85 percent of the investmentsgoing into existing lines. Arlington CountyBoard member and NVTC representativeChristian Dorsey said the $1.8 billion oper-ating budget includes no service cuts or fareincreases, but that the budget still has itsshare of challenges. The majority of theoperating budget, 71 percent, is budgetedfor Metro personnel, which meant the newbudget reduced Metro staff by 800 employ-ees. Some of those were vacant positionsthat weren’t filled, but Dorsey said that alsoincluded employees who were laid off.There could be further Metro employeetrouble looming as well. Metro employeesare not permitted to strike, but that wasadopted as part of a bargain that expiredover a year ago. According to JamesCorcoran, CEO of the Northern VirginiaChamber of Commerce, Metro is in nego-

tiations with workers over the next fewmonths to reach a new settlement, butCorcoran said that could change the nego-tiating power or add costs to the budget.

Corcoran also said there are challengescoming up that the FY 2019 budget doesnot address. The budget makes no contri-bution to the Metro’s rainy day fund andmakes no wage increases for Metro employ-ees. The Phase 2 plan for the Silver Lineincludes increased bus and rail service, nei-ther of which are covered in the FY 2019budget. Even beyond what’s already notedas unfunded plans coming up for Metro,Smedberg noted that there are costlyprojects like expanding the Rosslyn tunnelthat are looming on the horizon that arevital to the system’s long-term survival.

“Our expenses are growing essentially attwice the rate of our income,” saidCorcoran. “[Without outside funding] that’sgoing to come from higher rider costs orreduced service.”

But Corcoran noted those possibilitiescould also lead to what other regional lead-ership has called a death spiral, where driv-ing up costs begins to reduce ridership,which continues to force costs for ridershigher and higher. Corcoran also noted thatrevenue from ridership also accounts for ahigher percentage than nearly any otherMetro system in the country except New

York, whose density puts their subway sys-tem on a different economic scale.

The NVTC leadership argues that theMetro needs direct funding, but so far evenmaintaining existing levels of funding fromthe federal and state level is proving to bea challenge.

Smedberg emphasized the importance ofthe reauthorization of the Passenger RailInvestment and Improvement Act (PRIIA).PRIIA was first enacted in 2008 and hasdesignated $1.5 billion in funding to theMetro over 10 years. Maryland, Virginia andD.C. matched that funding with $50 mil-lion each year for capital improvements.However, the transportation spending billin the House Appropriations Committeewould only allocate $75 million to theMetro each year, a decrease from the $150million standard.

In Maryland, the state covers the cost ofMetro usage, but in Virginia much of thefunding is left to localities. In terms of statefunding, Corcoran described 2019 as a fis-cal cliff for the Metro system. Funding formVirginia bonds issued in 2009 will run out.In the proposed FY 2019 budget, Virginiaand Maryland are hit with pretty heavy con-tribution increases. Alexandria’s contribu-tion to the operating budget, under the pro-posed FY 2019 budget, would increase from$40.3 million to $42.1 million, a 4.5 per-

cent increase. Fairfax County’s contributiongoes up from $135.3 million to $139.4 mil-lion, a 3 percent increase. Arlington’s in-crease is slightly less, from $70.9 million to$72.8 million, a 2.7 percent increase.Smedberg said the jurisdictional contribu-tion has been capped at three percentgrowth per year moving forward, butCorcoran noted that without funding fromthe state, more and more of those costs willbegin to shift down to localities. As thebonds expire, the state’s funding to theMetro system could start to steadily decline.

Many in the audience were confused bywhy the state would not put more fundinginto the Metro system.

“Virginia receives a 250 percent return oninvestment,” said Griffin Smith, referenc-ing an NVTC study. “I don’t understand howthe state could not fund this.”

Dorsey said the main challenge in con-vincing the state is breaking through theregionalism rife in Richmond.

“To them, it’s a [Northern Virginia] thing,”said Dorsey. “We have to break through theidea that this just benefits the People’s Re-public of Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria.We have to make it patently obvious thatthis is a benefit by focusing on the dollars.”

This can be difficult, Corcoran said, whenMetro is competing for funding against edu-cation, prisons, and healthcare.

“Every official is looking for what’s bestfor their locality,” said Corcoran.

Alternatives have been proposed, buteach of those have their own challenges.The idea of a regional sales tax was put for-ward, but was rejected at a state level. StateSen. George Barker, representing Alexan-dria, Fairfax and Prince William County,expressed concerns at the time that a salestax across the region would put the finan-cial burden unfairly onto Virginia. Withoutstate approval, Dorsey said the localitiesalso have varying levels of restrictions onwhether or not they could implement a salestax on their own. While Alexandria, as acity, has the autonomy to put a sales taxinto place, Fairfax would be required to holda referendum, which Arlington can’t eveninitiate.

“There’s a question of equity,” saidSmedberg. “One jurisdiction might be put-ting in more while having less stations.That’s something that gives people heart-burn.”

Currently, much of the jurisdiction fund-ing in Virginia is derived from a regionalgas tax. However, no floor was ever set onthis gas tax, so as prices on gas have con-tinued to decline over the last few years, sohas the revenue.

Al Francis, a Centreville resident, askedabout the potential for expanding the Or-ange Line further into Northern Virginia, butNVTC leadership said that was unlikely inthe near future.

“We can figure out how to expand,” saidCathy Hudgins, a member of the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors, “but the fo-cus right now is on maintaining. It’s hardto argue for expansion in our current state.”

Trouble Down the Tracks Regional Metro leadershipoutlines upcoming crisis

Commuters push their waythrough a crowd to depart train. West-bound Orange Line train.

Photo by Vernon Miles

NVTC leadership, from left: Executive Director Kate Mattice, FairfaxCounty Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, Alexandria City Councilor PaulSmedberg, Arlington County Board Member Christian Dorsey, and JamesCorcoran, CEO of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

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Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

School children at Hoffman-BostonElementary School on South Queen Streetchatter about Thanksgiving with the commonthemes being family and mashed potatoes.

It’s All About the PotatoesThanksgiving 2017

Cyana Still, 5th grade, saysher grandmother makes greatreal homemade applesauce andcherry pie which she serves in abuffet with a tower of threepies including pumpkin andblueberry. She says they have abig dining room table forholidays, and the buffet goeson the kitchen table. This yearthey have a new turkey potand, “I take off the skins of theyams and add milk and mashthem with a fork and add a lotof cinnamon and sugar.” It isspecial at Thanksgiving whenher godmother comes fromTexas “where I was born.”

Danny Cushman, 5th grade,drives to Charlottesville “to hisstepdad’s brother’s wife wherethere is a big crowd with theirkids, the cousins and friends.First we talk, then we get ourfood, then we pray, then we eatand have dessert.” He says theymake the turkey a special way byputting it in a pot on a fireoutside the house. “The fireheats up the water and we boilthe turkey and then it cooksinside. And we have a newspecial way to make mashedpotatoes this year in theblender.” Sometimes after dinnerthey build a fort with big sticksor make a huge pile of leavesand hide in them. “I tell the kidsto go get my mom; I want tojump out and scare her.”

Miles McBride, 1st grade,drives with his family to hisgrandparents in Arlington. Hesays they have mashedpotatoes, his favorite, andmacaroni and cheese and ham,and they grill a chicken. Hesays they have a big roundtable with enough seats foreveryone. His cousins and auntare there, “a lot of people,about nine.” Sometimes afterdinner they play sports like tagor basketball or baseball andit’s especially fun to playpoison frog at the table whereeveryone closes their eyes andsomeone gets tapped tobecome the frog.

Serenity Burs,3rd grade, sayssometimes they driveto North Carolina tosee her “ge ge” butthis year they will begoing to her grand-parents and aunt inBaltimore. They willhave turkey andmashed potatoes and“mac and cheese, myfavorite. There is alot of food.” Shesays, “I get to spendtime with my sisterand my dad andmother and we have fun.”

Josephine LynnThomas, 3rd grade,goes to her grandpar-ents in the country inPennsylvania. “Mygrandpa huntsturkeys and I helphim pick off thefeathers.” Then theymake a little fire pitoutside and collectwood from hergrandpa’s farm andcook the turkey, “oh,about half an hour.”They have mashedpotatoes and corn

“and my grandma taught my mom to make theold family recipes like lasagna which was mygreat great grandpa’s favorite.” Josephine is

grateful at Thanksgiving when they pick up herbirth mother at the airport “because I don’t getto see her very often.”

Blen Solomon,2nd grade, says shegoes out with hermother to buy theThanksgiving dinnerwith cornbread,mashed potatoes,pumpkin and applepies and a turkeywhich her motherbrings home andwarms up a little. Shestays home with hersister and mom onThanksgiving and herfavorite “ is eatingthe food.”

ObayarJanchiydorj, 4thgrade, is Mongolianso “last year wedidn’t know aboutThanksgiving. Ithink my mom willtry to make a turkeythis year and we’llprobably havesalad.” He says “Ihave a lot of things Iam grateful for,most of all havingthe whole familytogether, my babysister, older sister,mom and dad.”

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6 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Opinion

See Give Locally, Page 11

An effort to support locally ownedbusinesses has resulted in the rec-ognition of Small Business Saturday,the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This year that is Nov. 25. Black Friday, the dayafter Thanksgiving, is promoted as a day ofnational zeal for shopping. Presumably thenext day shoppers can focus on local shopping.

There is a joy to shopping inlocal stores at the holidays, towalking along a sidewalk withthe streets decked out for the

holidays, to being greeting by someone likelyto be the owner of the store, to finding giftsthat are not mass-produced.

Shop Locally, Give LocallyEvery day is for shopping small and shopping locally.

Editorial

We all benefit when local stores thrive,when local business districts beckon.

Locally owned retail shops, services, restau-rants depend on vibrant local communitiesto thrive. Most small, locally owned busi-nesses invest in community, helping to trans-form our towns and communities with a senseof place.

Supporting small businesses, locally ownedbusinesses, has to be more than a one-dayaffair. And in this area, there doesn’t have tobe anything small about shopping locally.

But still, local families will shop and ex-change gifts during the next month,spending tens of millions of dollars in a

variety of places.One way to be sure holiday shopping comes

with some holiday spirit is to do a portion ofyour shopping in some of the area’s locallyowned stores. There is special holiday ambi-ance available by shopping in the heart of atown that is decked out for the season. Smallretail shops are part of defining any commu-nity. Their livelihood depends on the livabilityand quality of the neighborhoods around them.A small business owner pays attention to ev-ery detail in his or her business in a way thatno chain can.

The small business owner is often the leaderfor fundraising for local charities, for fire andrescue service, for local schools and in orga-nizing holiday events.

Local shoppers should be sure to save someshopping time and dollars for local stores.Spend some time shopping in your own com-munity, and also plan an excursion to a nearbytown to check out the holiday spirit there.

See Connection’s Holiday Calendar for greatcelebrations near you.❖ Fairfax County:

www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/16/holiday-calendar-2017/

❖ Arlington:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/15/arlington-holiday-calendar-2017/

❖ Potomac:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/15/potomac-almanac-holiday-calendar-2017/

❖ Alexandria:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/20/alexandria-holiday-calen-dar-2017/

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

During the last week of each year, thisnewspaper devotes its pages to the creativ-ity of local students and children. The re-sults are always remarkable. It is a keep-sake edition for many families. Even read-ers without children of that age spend timeadmiring and chuckling over the issue. Theannual Children’s Connection (includingChildren’s Gazette, Children’s Almanac andChildren’s Centre View) is a tradition of wellover a decade.

We publish artwork, poetry, essays, cre-ative writing, opinion pieces, short stories,photography, photos of sculpture or othercreative efforts.

We ask that all submissions be digital sothey can be sent via email, dropbox orgoogle drive or delivered on CD or flashdrive. Writing should be submitted in richtext format (.rtf). Artwork should be pho-tographed or scanned and provided in jpeg

Short Deadline for Children’s Editionformat.

We welcome contributions from publicand private schools, individuals andhomeschoolers. To be published, we musthave first and last name of the student.Please include the student’s age and/orgrade, school attended and town of resi-dence, plus the name of the school, nameof teacher and town of school location. Pro-vide submissions by Friday, Dec. 1.

Email submissions for the Children’s Edi-tion to the following editors:

❖ For Burke, Clifton, Fairfax, Fairfax Sta-tion, Great Falls, Herndon, Lorton, McLean,Reston, or Springfield, email to KemalKurspahic at [email protected].

❖ For Alexandria, Arlington, Centreville,Chantilly, Mount Vernon, or Potomac, Md.,email to Steven Mauren at [email protected].

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

@ArlConnection

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

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NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Steven MaurenEditor

[email protected]

Mike SalmonAssistant Editor

[email protected]

Vernon MilesReporter

[email protected]

Eden Brown, Shirley RuheContributing Writers

[email protected]

ADVERTISING:For advertising information

[email protected]

Debbie FunkDisplay Advertising/National Sales

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven MaurenArt/Design:

Laurence Foong, John Heinly,Ali Khaligh

Production Manager:Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

[email protected]

ArlingtonThe

Connection

The holidays are about giving, and giv-ing thanks. The holidays are aboutchildren and family. The holidays are

about sharing, about joy. The holidays areabout being thankful and about faith and ap-preciation. The holidays are about alleviatingsuffering for others.

Northern Virginia is among the wealthiestareas in the country. Many if not most of us gothrough our daily and seasonal routines with-out encountering evidence of the needy fami-lies among us.

In Arlington, about 8,000 (more than 30percent) of the 23,300 Arlington public schoolstudents are are poor enough to receive freeor subsidized meals.

The median family income in Arlington rose

to $140,838. But among families with children,more than 9 percent have income below thepoverty level. That’s $20,420 for a family ofthree. That’s about $1,700 a month. Medianrent in Arlington is more than $1,800, mean-ing the cost for half the rentals is more thanthat.

These are children living in families who maybe on the brink of homelessness, families whomust choose between medical bills, car repair,heat and food. Some of these are children whomay not be sure that they will have a mealbetween the meals they get in school.

School holidays can bring uncertainty andhunger — a far cry from the celebrations, giftsand plenty that we associate with Thanksgiv-ing and Christmas.

Hundreds of homeless students attend thepublic schools, and their needs are greater.

Many nonprofits in the county need yourhelp to provide a holiday meal for Thanksgiv-ing or Christmas, to provide children with gifts.

There are literally hundreds, probably thou-sands, of ways to give locally this season. Hereare a few ideas. We will rerun this list againafter Thanksgiving, so please let us know whatwe have missed.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

In no particular order:❖ Arlington Free Clinic provides medical care for low-

income, uninsured adults in Arlington.www.arlingtonfreeclinic.org 2921 11th St. South,Arlington, VA 22204, 703-979-1425

❖ Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless,703-525-7177, www.aachhomeless.org

❖ A-SPAN provides services for Arlington’s streethomeless. Its mission is to secure permanenthousing for one of Arlington’s most vulnerable

School holidays can bring uncertainty and hungerfor tens of thousands of poor children in our area.

Give Locally in Arlington County

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News

From Page 3

do so. The American Legion is planning apartnership with the Arlington Partnershipfor Affordable Housing to bring a new 161multifamily residential affordable housingbuilding to the site, with American Legionoccupying the ground floor.

But even setting aside the benefits to thecounty from the new developments, CountyBoard members said allowing for greaterdensity on a site so close to the Metro cor-ridor makes planning sense.

“It’s really important to keep coming backto this framing: it’s not about what’s opti-mal for the program that will come forward,it’s about what’s good planning,” saidCounty Board member Katie Cristol. “In thiscase, this is based on really sound planning.”

County Board member Christian Dorseyagreed.

“As many residents have come before usto testify today, there are other impacts go-ing on in this surrounding area,” saidDorsey. “Things developed in the near termand over the long term that could have ahuge difference on how this neighborhoodworks. As we identify how to assess landuse plan or this particular block, there’s agreat deal of anxiety associated with that. Iwould just like to say generally, our ability

to actually do a GLUP study is a wonderfulthing for the community. At some point,these parcels will change, and you have noidea that it will be for the better. The ideathat they will stay as is, with that level ofimpact … there is absolutely no way thatwill happen. So the idea that we can man-age that change is in all of our best inter-est.”

Dorsey noted that this is the beginning ofthe development process, establishing thetone and guidelines for developments tocome. To the residents that were concernedabout the size of new buildings and theirimpacts on the neighborhood, Dorsey en-couraged them to keep an eye on develop-ments and continue to make themselvesheard at the County Board if they see any-thing that doesn’t fit with the planning prin-cipals of the study.

“We can’t keep things the same,” saidCounty Board member Libby Garvey. “Theyare not staying the same. But these twononprofits on this site are providing incred-ible services, they are wonderful membersof our community, and we are trying tomake it possible for that to continue for thenext 70 years. This is what we need to doto make that happen.”

The County Board approved the GLUPplan in a unanimous 5 - 0 vote.

More than 200 studentsbrowse through the tablesset up in the Eagle Roomat the Army-Navy Country

Club on Nov. 15 for the third Arlington Pub-lic Schools Transition Fair.

According to Christina Eagle, transitionand assistance coordinator at the ArlingtonCareer Center, “The purpose is to connectfamilies and students with community re-sources provided to have positive outcomespost graduation. It carries out the Arling-ton Public Schools (APS) goal ‘to educatethe whole child.’” She adds that they knowpeople with disabilities get employment at

significantly lower levels and “we want toempower our students.”

One of the tables offers information aboutProgram for Employment Preparedness(PEP). According to Micah Stein-Verbit, co-ordinator of PEP, this program is a job in-ternship for high school students with mildto moderate disabilities. “They intern threedays a week from 1-4 years. They have theirfirst supervisor, co-workers, expectations.”He explains PEP helps interns prepare andguides them along the way. “They feel moreconfident about themselves.” PEP had 54interns this year.

A booth by the door focuses on

ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia,Inc. (ECNV) whose goal is “to END depen-dence by empowering people with disabili-ties to live independently.” Stein-Verbit saysone of the programs is Transportation andMobility where trainers provide individualinstruction on using public transportationlike buses and Metro. Participants can alsoreceive “guidance in managing finances,food preparation, career counseling, utiliz-ing community resources and other areasrelated to caring for oneself.” The local Cen-ter for ECNV serves Arlington, Fairfax andLoudoun counties and the cities of Alexan-dria, Fairfax and Falls Church.

Transition Fair Offers Empowerment OpportunitiesTables for the Arlington County Depart-

ment of Disabilities Services and the SocialSecurity Administration also offer printedinformation. Stein-Verbit says the SocialSecurity table had a lot of questions lastyear.

Hire Autism, Northern Virginia Commu-nity College (NOVA), Unlimited Work Op-portunities, and Art Stream, which is a non-profit working on skills in the arts, are alsorepresented.

This is the third year for the TransitionFair that is sponsored by the Arlington Pub-lic Schools and Special Education PTA(SEPTA).

Booths assist students with disabilities by providing information on everything from county and Federal programs toassistance with filling out a job application and therapeutic recreation services.

Christina Eagle, one of theorganizers of today’s event,has just welcomed thestudents at the ArlingtonPublic Schools TransitionFair on Nov. 15 and standsready to answer questionsfrom parents, students andcommunity members at-tending the fair.

Photos by Shirley Ruhe/The Connection

Thanksgiving GatheringCleveland Jones, principal ofLangston High School, fills uphis plate with the Thanksgivingdinner which he started cookingfour days ago. He has a carry-outcontainer because he has to getback to the kitchen. Jones sayshe started this Thanksgivingdinner 15years ago“because alot of thesekids have towork onThanksgiv-ing Day. Theseniorcitizenscomplainedso the nextyear weinvited them and then came thefirefighters.” Now they invite thecommunity to come togetherand celebrate Thanksgiving.Behind Jones is Charles Meng,executive director and CEO ofArlington Food Assistance Center(AFAC) who donated the turkeysfor the dinner. Meng says this isa good event that AFAC likes tosupport.

Photos by Shirley Ruhe/The Connection

Langston High School studentsjoin community members andsenior citizens at the annualThanksgiving dinner held atLangston-Brown Community andSenior Center on Lee HighwayNov. 17. The line forms out thedoor of the second floor commu-nity room where the ham, tur-key, roast beef and the usualmac and cheese and corn pud-ding fill long tables.

Planning for Density

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8 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Entertainment

Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOING“Crazy for You.” Through Jan. 14,

various times at the SignatureTheatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. Amusical comedy with Gershwin tunesincluding “I’ve Got Rhythm,”“Someone to Watch Over Me” and“Nice Work If You Can Get It” fusewith tap dancing. Visitwww.sigtheatre.org.

Arlington Farmer’s Market. EverySaturday, 8 a.m.-noon at the cornerof N. 14th Street and N. CourthouseRoad. A weekly celebration of localfood including fresh produce, meats,dairy, cheese, baked goods, freerange eggs, specialty items, cutflowers, plants and herbs. [email protected] or call 917-733-6402.

FRESHFARM Market. 3-7 p.m. onTuesdays at 1900 Crystal Drive. Shopfrom local farmers and producerswith seasonal fruits and vegetables,fresh-cut flowers, container plantsand herbs, farm-raised eggs, all-natural meats, artisan baked goods,and specialty foods. Visitwww.crystalcity.org.

Mobile Bike Repair. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. onThursdays at 1900 Crystal Drive.Drop off your bike on Thursdaymorning and have it tuned up andready to ride before heading home.Email [email protected], or phone855-VELO-FIX.

Food Truck Thursdays. 11 a.m.-2p.m. at 1900 Crystal Drive and 20112th St. Actual truck schedules aresubject to change so be sure to followyour favorites. Visitwww.crystalcity.org.

Healthy Lifestyle Runs. Saturdays, 9a.m. at Roosevelt Island, GeorgeWashington Memorial Parkway.American Cancer Society partnerswith parkrun USA to promote fitnessin the fight against cancer. Free. Visitwww.parkrun.us/rooseveltislanddc/.

Friday Night Live. 8 p.m. Fridays atthe Church at Clarendon, 1210 N.Highland St., Suite A. Localmusicians perform. Free. Visit1bc.org.

Arlington’s Historical MuseumOpen on First Wednesdays. TheArlington Historical Museum is opento the public on the first Wednesdayof every month from 12:30-3:30 p.m.The museum consists of exhibitschronicling Arlington County’shistory from Native Americansettlements up to the present day.The museum will continue to be openon Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4p.m. Admission is free. The museumis located in the former 1891 HumeSchool building at 1805 S. ArlingtonRidge Road. Contact Garrett Peck at571-243-1113 or at [email protected].

Open Mic Comedy. Wednesdays 8-10p.m. at Ri Ra Irish Pub, 2915 WilsonBlvd. Doors open at 7 p.m. Age 21and up only. Free show, $25 cashprize for best joke. Call 703-248-9888 or Visit www.RiRa.com/Arlington.

Invasive Plants Removal. Workparties are held every month to keepthe parks free of destructive invasiveplants. Teens, adults and familieswelcome. Every second Sunday of themonth 2-4:30 p.m. at Gulf BranchNature Center, 3608 Military Road;call 703-228-3403. Every thirdSunday of the month 2-5 p.m. atLong Branch Nature Center, 625 S.Carlin Springs Road; call 703-228-6535 or Visitregistration.arlingtonva.us. Free, noregistration required.

Karaoke. 8 p.m. on the first Sundayevery month at Galaxy Hut, 2711Wilson Blvd. Visit

www.galaxyhut.com or call 703-525-8646.

Pub Quiz. 8 p.m. every Sunday atWhitlow’s on Wilson, 2854 WilsonBlvd. Prizes for first place. Free. Visitwww.whitlows.com or call 703-276-9693.

Storytime. Wednesdays and Fridays,10:30-11 a.m. at Kinder Haus Toys,1220 N. Fillmore St. Storytime withMs. Laura. Call 703-527-5929.

Lego Club. Monthly on the firstWednesday. 4-5 p.m. GlencarlynBranch Library, 300 S. Kensington St.The library provides tubs of legos anda special challenge and after theprogram the creations are displayedfor everyone to see. No registrationrequired. Call 703-228-6548.

THROUGH DEC. 1Local Artist Exhibition. Various

times at Long & Foster, Real Estate’soffice, 4600 Lee Highway. Local artistStanley Piotroski has exhibition titled“Piotroski New Works,” on display atnewly renovated office through Dec.1. Call 703-998-3111.

THURSDAY/NOV. 23Arlington Turkey Trot 2017. 8 a.m.

at Christ Church of Arlington, 3020N. Pershing Drive. 5K run supports avariety of Arlington nonprofits. $45/25. Visitwww.arlingtonvaturkeytrot.org.

NOV. 24-DEC. 13Drafthouse’s 2017 Christmas

Movie Festival. Various times atArlington Cinema & Drafthouse,2903 Columbia Pike. Featuring “Elf,”“It’s A Wonderful Life,” “HomeAlone,” “Miracle on 34th Street,”“National Lampoon’s ChristmasVacation,” “Scrooged,” and“Gremlins.” $10 for unlimitedadmission. Visitarlingtondrafthouse.com/ or call 703-486-2345.

SUNDAY/NOV. 26Opera NOVA. 3 p.m. Arlington

Woman’s Club, 700 South BuchananSt. Opera arias, art songs andnumbers from popular Americanmusicals. Two young singers willparticipate as part of the new YoungArtists Program. $10 for adults, $7for members and free for children.Email [email protected] or call703-536-7557.

TUESDAY/NOV. 28Oh Nuts! 1-2 p.m. at Long Branch

Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin SpringsRoad. Find out why squirrels andchipmunks are so busy squirrelingaway nuts. Ages 3-5. $5. Call 703-228-6535 or [email protected].

Meet the Artist. 6-8 p.m. at theCourthouse Plaza Lobby, 2100Clarendon Blvd. A look through thelens of Frank Hallam Day and AnneRowland. Event sponsored byArlington Arts and ArlingtonTransit.Visit www.arlingtonarts.org/or www.arlingtontransit.com.

THURSDAY/NOV. 30Local Pop-Up Shops. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

at the Plaza Library Shop, 2100Clarendon Blvd., 1st Floor Lobby.Jules Jewels will be at a pop-up retailmarket dedicated to, wearable andedible products from innovators andartisans in Arlington. Visitwww.arlingtoneconomicdevelopment.com.

Nutcracker Theatre Performances.Thursday and Friday 7:30 p.m.;Saturday and Sunday, 1 and 5 p.m atKenmore Middle School, 200 S.Carlin Springs Road. Presented byBallet Nova. Advanced Sale: $15-$38,additional $3 at the door. Visitwww.BalletNova.org.

Toys for Tots Happy Hour. 6-9 p.m.at Tortoise & Hare Bar and Grille,567 23rd St. S., near the Crystal City

Metro Station. Food, drink and bringan unwrapped toy to donate to Toysfor Tots. The toy cannot contain anyfood item or resemble any weapons.Presented by Le Chic Geek andTagging Miles. Call 703-979-1872.

Crescendo Concert. 7 p.m. atWashington-Lee Auditorium, 1301 NStafford St. Crescendo Concert tocelebrate Haydn. Visitwww.arlingtonphilharmonic.org.

NOV. 30-DEC. 3Lions Club Fruit Sale. Various times

at St. Mary’s Arlington, 2609 N.Glebe Road. Fruits and nuts for sale,The proceeds from the sale benefitcommunity non profits supported bythe Lions Club. Visit www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/arlingtonva orcall 703-598-8266 or 703-862-5956.

FRIDAY/DEC. 1Tongue in Cheek Jazz Band. 7-9

p.m. at Columbia Pike BranchLibrary, 816 South Walter ReedDrive. Listen to roaring ’20s favorites.Light refreshments provided.Libations available for sale by NewDistrict Brewing Company. Proceedswill benefit CPRO’s West EndActivation Committee. Call 703-228-5710.

DEC. 1-23Holiday Hansel and Gretel.

Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. atSynetic Theater, 1800 S. Bell St.During the bustle of holiday crowds,Gretel tries to keep her brother,Hansel, out of trouble while theirunengaged babysitter leaves Gretel tofend for them both. Visitsynetictheater.org/.

SATURDAY/DEC. 2Holiday Wreath Workshop. 1-4 p.m.

at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S.

Carlin Springs Road. Music,refreshments, basic instruction andenough materials for each participantto make at least two wreaths.Participants should bring handpruners or wire cutters if availableand any extra materials or specialdecorations needed. $30. Ages 12and up. Call 703-228-3403, or [email protected].

DEC. 2-3Petite Nutcracker. Saturday and

Sunday, 1 and 3 p.m at KenmoreMiddle School, 200 S. Carlin SpringsRoad. Presented by Ballet Nova.Advanced Sale: $16-$26, additional$3 at the door. For 3-5 year olds.Visit www.BalletNova.org.

SUNDAY/DEC. 3Christmas Party and Open House.

3:30 p.m. at the Arlington MasonicTemple 1 S. George Mason Drive.Bethel No. 1, Arlington of the Job’sDaughters International is a charityorganization, and there will be anUgly T-shirt and Gingerbread CookieDecorating Contest. Call 703-585-5513.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 6Winter Storytime. 10:30-11 a.m. at

Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S.Carlin Springs Road. Stories andsigns of winter will be the topic. Free.Ages 2 and up. Call 703-228-6535, [email protected].

SATURDAY/DEC. 9Birds of a Feather. 2-3 p.m. at Long

Branch Nature Center, 625 S. CarlinSprings Road. Learn about birdsflocking together. $5. Ages 6-10. Call703-228-6535, or [email protected].

Remove Invasive Plants. 2-4 p.m. atGulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 N.

Piotroski New WorksLocal artist Stanley Piotroski has art on exhibit for the month of Novem-ber at Long & Foster, Real Estate’s office, 4600 Lee Highway. Call 703-998-3111 for more.

OperaOn Sunday, Nov. 26 see Opera NOVA, 3p.m. Arlington Woman’s Club, 700 SouthBuchanan St. Opera arias, art songs andnumbers from popular American musicals.Biljana (Bebe) Soldo is one of the twosingers participating as part of the newYoung Artists Program. $10 for adults, $7for members and free for children. [email protected] or call 703-536-7557.

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Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Entertainment

Military Road. Help assist the return offerns and wildflowers, and theanimals that depend on them, inareas once covered in destructiveinvasive plants. Call 703-228-3403,or [email protected].

SUNDAY/DEC. 10Candlelight Christmas Concert. 7

p.m. at the Mount Olivet UnitedMethodist Church, 1500 North GlebeRoad. Featuring the Mount OlivetChoir, Brass and Timpani. Call 540-539-3731 or [email protected].

SUNDAY/DEC. 11Nutcracker Tea at the Ritz. 10:30

a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton,Pentagon City, 1250 S. Hayes St.Presented by Ballet Nova. High teawith pictures with the Sugar PlumFairy, crafts, raffle prizes and a mini-performance of excerpts from TheNutcracker. Adults: $75, Childrenunder 12 - $44. Visitwww.BalletNova.org.

THURSDAY/DEC. 14Rosslyn Carols Holiday Concert. 5-

10 p.m. at the Central Place Plazaacross from the Rosslyn Metro

Crescendo ConcertCrescendo musicians Max Herrmann, Malina Nelson, Billy Holtz, and Christopher Fox arefeatured in the Crescendo Concert, Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. at Washington-Lee Audito-rium, 1301 N Stafford St. Crescendo Concert to Celebrate Haydn. Visitwww.arlingtonphilharmonic.org for more.

station, 1800 N. Lynn St. Enjoyholiday games, food and specialwinter drinks in addition to a life-sizesnow globe that attendees can stepinto and bring home a holidaypicture card. Visitwww.rosslynva.org/do/rosslyn-carols-holiday-concert.

SATURDAY/DEC. 16National Chamber Ensemble

Concert. 7:30 p.m. at UnitarianUniversalist Church of Arlington,4444 Arlington Blvd. SopranoRebecca Littig joins NationalChamber Ensemble in “HolidayCheer.” Visit www.uucava.org/.

SUNDAY/DEC. 17Flying Squirrel Lore and More. 5-6

p.m. at Long Branch Nature Center,625 S. Carlin Springs Road. Learnabout these engaging nocturnalacrobats. After an indoorpresentation, tiptoe outside to seethese little pixies glide in for anevening meal. Free. Ages 6 and up.Call 703-228-6535, or [email protected].

THURSDAY/DEC. 21Solstice Eve Hike and Campfire. 6-

7:30 p.m. at Gulf Branch Nature

Center, 3608 N. Military Road.Celebrate the longest night of theyear with candle making and roastingmarshmallows for s’mores. Then takea night hike under the crescentmoon. $5. Call 703-228-3403, oremail [email protected].

SATURDAY/DEC. 30Winter Bird Walk. 10-11:30 a.m. at

Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S.Carlin Springs Road. What birds arearound in the winter? Some arefamiliar, year-round friends butothers are winter-only visitors suchas Winter Wrens and BrownCreepers. Beginners welcome andloaner binoculars are available. Free.Ages 6 and up. Call 703-228-6535, oremail [email protected].

SUNDAY/DEC. 31New Year’s Eve Stroll and

Campfire. 6-7:30 p.m. at LongBranch Nature Center, 625 S. CarlinSprings Road. Explore the park as thefull moon rises, then ring out the oldand bring in the new by tossingresolutions into a wishing campfire.Bring a flashlight. $7. Ages 5 and up.Call 703-228-6535, or [email protected].

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10 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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

WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

ComputersAnnouncements

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ABC LICENSEBig Buns, LLC trading as Big Buns Damn Good Burgers, 4251 Camp-

bell Ave #105, Arlington, VA 22206. The above establishment is applying to the

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCO-HOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer On Premises and

Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Craig Car-ey, CEO. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date

notices. Objections should be registered

Legals

ABC LICENSESodexo Management, Inc. trading as

Marymount University WOW Cafe, 2807 N. Glebe Road, Arlington,VA 22207. The above establishment is applying to the

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer on Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.Lorna

Donatone, President. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be sub-mitted to ABC no later than 30 days from

-

gov or 800-552-3200.

Legals

ABC LICENSESodexo Management, Inc. trading as

Sodexo Management, Inc. 2807 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, Va. 22207 . The above

establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVER-AGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Mixed Bever-age Caterer license to sell or manufacture

alcoholic beverages.Lorna Donatone, Pres-ident. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date

notices. Objections should be registered at

Legals

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Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

From Page 6

populations. P.O. Box 100731 Arlington, VA 22210,703-820-4357,www.a-span.org/

❖ Arlington Thrive provides one-time, same-dayemergency financial assistance to Arlingtonresidents facing a financial crisis, and also hasprograms to help prevent homelessness. 703-558-0035, www.arlingtonthrive.org

❖ Doorways for Women and Families providesservices to help women out of domestic violenceand homelessness toward safe and stable lives,Arlington, www.doorwaysva.org, 703-504-9400.

❖ The Arlington Food Assistance Center providessupplemental food assistance to ArlingtonCounty residents, on average serving 3,500adults and 1,500 children a week, plus weekendbackpacks for about 300 homeless childrenattending the public schools in Arlington. 2708South Nelson Street, Arlington, VA 22206,www.afac.org/, 703-845-8486.

❖ Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia,Arlington, 703-521-9890.

❖ Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing,Kim Honor Matkovsky, volunteer chair, APAHHoliday Gift Drive, [email protected], 703-624-9583

❖ Northern Virginia Family Services, 703-385-3267,www.nvfs.org, Employment and job training,healthcare, housing, mental health, foster careand Healthy Families.

❖ Second Story — Abused and HomelessChildren’s Refuge, 2100 Gallows Road, Vienna,VA 22182. 703-506-9191, second-story.org.Second Story (formerly Alternative House)provides shelter and services for homeless,runaway or abused teenagers, unaccompaniedyouth, and young mothers and their children.

❖ Comfort for America’s UniformedServices (CAUSE) ensures that recuperatingservice members have opportunities forrecreation and social interaction and receiveconcrete signs of appreciation for all that theyhave done. 1100 N Glebe Road, Suite 373,Arlington, VA 22201, 703-591-4968, cause-usa.org.

❖ Friends of Guest House Northern Virginiaoffers structure, supervision, support andassistance to female ex-offenders who want toimprove their lives and break the cycle ofincarceration. Friends of Guest House offers theonly program for women of its kind in NorthernVirginia. One East Luray Ave., Alexandria, VA22301-2025, 703-549-8072,[email protected],friendsofguesthouse.org/

❖ The Community Foundation of NorthernVirginia has launched its Permanent Fundcampaign, a community endowment which is aforever source to provide critical support forthose in need in the Northern Virginia region;Consider leaving a legacy through a current orplanned gift to the Permanent Fund at theCommunity Foundation for Northern Virginia.www.cfnova.org/permanentfund.

Opinion

Give Locally

Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

TUESDAY/NOV. 28Giving Tuesday. Starting at 8 a.m., donations

made to Arlington Thrive through Facebook willbe matched up to $50,000 per nonprofit. Thereis only $2 million available, so make donationsearly so Thrive can take advantage of thisgenerous match. Facebook is waiving fees fordonations made to nonprofits on Facebook this#Giving Tuesday. Visit arlingtonthrive.org.

HELP FILL THE CRUISERThe Arlington County Police Department is

asking community members to donate new,unwrapped toys to bring holiday cheer tochildren ages newborn-17 with the third annualFill the Cruiser Holiday Toy Drive. Donationswill be distributed by the police departmentthroughout the month of December.

Tuesday/Nov. 28, 6-8 p.m. at❖ Lee Harrison Shopping Center, 2425 N. Harrison

St.❖ Shirlington Village, 2700 S. Quincy St.❖ Our Lady of Lourdes, 830 23rd St. S.Drop off donations at Police Headquarters, 1425 N.

Courthouse Road until Dec.15.

Bulletin Board

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

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

“Some club,” as my late mother would likelyscoff. And the club to which I refer is, to spin anold Groucho Marx joke: a club you’d rather notjoin especially if they’d have you as a member.This is of course, the cancer club, a club whosemembership continues to grow despite world-wide efforts to the contrary. According toMedscope.com, one in two men and one inthree women will be affected by cancer in theirlifetime. Hardly a statistic to be ignored. Andso, even though I had a rather unevent-ful/healthy upbringing and further on into adult-hood, in late middle age, 54 and five months,Feb. 27, 2009, I was impacted and rudelyawakened with a non-small cell lung cancer,stage IV diagnosis – out of the blue, and given a“13 month to two-year” prognosis to boot. As alife long non-smoker with no immediate familyhistory of cancer, whose parents both lived wellinto their 80s, I was more inclined to worryabout the Boston Red Sox pitching depth than Iwas about cancer.

But cancer, for the past nearly nine years hasbeen my life and amazingly, so far anyway, notthe cause of my premature death (what deathisn’t ‘premature?). And what brightens my dayand lifts my spirits more than anything else(other than a Red Sox World SeriesChampionship) is when I meet a newly-diag-nosed lung cancer patient who exhibits thecan/will do positive-type attitude necessary toendure the inevitable ups and downs to follow.To be selfish, it empowers me and strengthensmy own resolve to live life to the fullest (it’s notas simple as saying it) and damn the torpedoes.

Within the last few months, I have met, overthe phone, two such individuals. The first man,Lee, I met before he even had his first infusion.The second man, Mark, a bit more experi-enced, I met a year and a half after his first infu-sion. Each man was engaging, outgoing, confi-dent, enthusiastic and quite frankly, happy tomake my acquaintance. You see, after beinggiven a less-than-desirable prognosis, it’s help-ful to meet someone who, despite havingreceived a similar diagnosis, has neverthelessmanaged to live almost nine years post diagno-sis. (If he can do it, I can do it kind of feeling.)

As for me, the nearly nine-year survivor,meeting cancer patients who are at the begin-ning of their respective cancer journeys, helpsme to reconnect with my roots, so to speak,and share and share alike some memorableexperiences, both cancer-related and not. In away, we get to live vicariously through oneanother which for me reinforces how lucky I’vebeen to survive for as long as I have.

And not that I need reminding, but it’s easyto take for granted one’s good fortune and for-get – occasionally, the seriousness of my situa-tion and the cloud that hangs over my head.The sword of Damocles has got nothing on me,literally or figuratively. Living with cancer is akinto nothing really. The chance that you’ll survivebeyond your prognosis, maybe even have yourtumors shrink, or see your scans show “no evi-dence of disease,” creates a kind of tease thatcause your emotions to run the gamut. Thepossibility of living after being told you’re dying– and vice versa, perhaps more than once, overyour abbreviated – or not, life expectancy, issimply too much to handle/absorb sometimes.It’s a roller coaster for sure, but one that rarelycomes to a complete stop and never allows youto get off. Moreover, it’s not multiple rides, it’sone long, endless ride with no guaranteesabout what happens next – or where it evenhappens.

Meeting people who are ready, willing andable to confront their cancer future is just asimportant and stimulating as meeting someonelike me who hasn’t succumbed to this terribledisease. It’s a win-win situation. Particularly sig-nificant when at date of diagnosis, it appearedto be a lose-lose. I’m proud to be a member ofthe cancer club, especially so when I meet peo-ple like Lee and Mark.

Welcome tothe Club

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12 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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