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Burke Connection ❖ August 3-9, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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online at www.connectionnewspapers.comAugust 3-9, 2017

BurkeBurke WellbeingWellbeingWellbeingPage 8

Enjoying the movie “ToyStory” at the National Night

Out event at CardinalEstates in Burke are Lorely

and Giana Marin, 6, andBrandon, 3, and Christian

Galeano, 4, of Burke.

Neighbors HostNational Night Out Party

News, Page 3

Neighbors HostNational Night Out Party

News, Page 3

Low-Turnout High-Stakes SpecialElection for School BoardNews, Page 4

Low-Turnout High-Stakes SpecialElection for School BoardNews, Page 4

So ManyChances to VoteOpinion, Page 6

So ManyChances to VoteOpinion, Page 6

2 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ August 3-9, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Nine of Weichert, Realtors sales associates were named amongAmerica’s most productive sales

associates in a newly issued ranking reportproduced by REAL Trends. As members of“America’s Best Real Estate Agents,” theseWeichert associates rank among the topagents in the state of Virginia, and join atotal of 46 Weichert, Realtors sales associ-ates recognized across company-owned of-fices in New York, New Jersey, Virginia andMaryland. REAL Trends America’s Best RealEstate Agents ranks more than 12,600 resi-dential real estate professionals solely basedon their excellence in real estate sales dur-ing calendar year 2016.

The Weichert, Realtors sales associates inVirginia who have been recognized in theIndividuals by Sides category are:

❖ J.D. Callander (#14) –McLean salesoffice

❖ Patricia E. Stack (#30) – Vienna salesoffice

The Weichert, Realtors sales associates inVirginia who have been recognized in theIndividuals by Volume category are:

❖ J.D. Callander (#3) – McLean sales of-fice

❖ Patricia E. Stack (#7) – Vienna salesoffice

❖ Christine Garner (#9) – Alexandria/Old Town sales office

❖ David A. Lloyd Jr. (#30) – Arlingtonsales office

❖ Andrew Qian (#37) – Alexandria/OldTown sales office

❖ Kathleen Quintarelli (#65) –Burkesales office

In addition, Weichert sales associates inVirginia who were recognized in the Teamsby Sides category are Mary Ann Bendinelli(#69) from the Manassas office and YoussefZeroual (#72) from the Burke office.

Weichert sales associates in Virginia whowere recognized in the Teams by Volumecategory are Lex Lianos (#61) from theVienna office and Mary Ann Bendinelli(#98) from the Manassas office.

To qualify for inclusion, an individualagent must have closed at least 50 transac-tion sides or $20 million in closed sales vol-ume in 2016. For real estate agent teams,the minimum is 75 transaction sides or $30million in closed sales volume.

“The average residential real estate agentin the United States closed fewer than ninetransactions in 2016 and had less than $1.3million in sales,” says Steve Murray, pub-lisher of REAL Trends America’s Best RealEstate Agents and president of REAL Trends.“To say that these agents are exceptionalsales professionals is an understatement. Toattain this level of sales is truly outstand-ing.”

News

Weichert, Realtors RecognizeNine Area Associates


NewsBurke Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

The organizers of the Pizza and Movie Night during National Night Outat Cardinal Estates in Burke on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017.

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41), with firefighters from Burke Volun-teer Fire and Rescue Station #14 in Burke.

Cardinal Estates holdspizza and movie night.National Night Out in Burke

About 100 people attended a pizzaand movie night during NationalNight Out at the Cardinal Estatescommunity in Burke on Tuesday,

Aug. 1. After visits with police from the WestSpringfield Station and firefighters from theBurke Volunteer Fire and Rescue Depart-ment (Station 14), the crowd enjoyed pizza,chips, and sodas, then watched the movie“Toy Story.” Also on hand was Del. EileenFiller-Corn (D-41).

National Night Out is an annual neigh-borhood based crime and drug preventionevent that shows neighborhood spirit andstrengthens partnerships with local policeand fire departments.

“Here in Cardinal Estates we put on Na-tional Night Out to welcome all of our localpolice officers and fire and rescue to pro-mote safety here in the neighborhood andget people active in the community. If yousee something, say something,” said orga-nizer Amanda Fox, Captain of the Neigh-borhood Watch and Vice President of theCardinal Estates Home Association.

— Steve Hibbard

Calvin Park, 2 1/2, and Noah Fung, 3 1/2, of Burke gettheir photos taken with McGruff the Crime Dog duringthe National Night Out at Cardinal Estates in Burke.

The line for popcorn during the screening of “ToyStory” at National Night Out in Burke.

Police officers from the West Springfield Station, Post 505 Explorers,and firefighters from Burke Volunteer Fire and Rescue Station 14attended the National Night Out at Cardinal Estates in Burke on Tues-day, Aug. 1, 2017.

A crowd of people watches the movie “Toy Story” during the NationalNight Out at Cardinal Estates in Burke.

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See Special-Election, Page 12

News

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

Could there be a worse time tohold a special election? Augustis a time when people do anything they can to get out of the

region, which transforms into a swampysauna in late summer. Nevertheless, elec-tion officials are preparing for an Aug. 29special election to fill the at-large seat va-cated by School Board member JeanetteHough in May. If Hough had waited just afew more days to resign, voters would havebeen able to vote in the general electionthis November. But the timing of Hough’sresignation will prompt a late summer spe-cial election, a phenomenon experts sayhelps Republicans.

“Oftentimes a lower turnout election isgoing to feature a wealthier and whiter elec-torate,” said Geoff Skelley at the Universityof Virginia Center for Politics. “But if thepolitical energy of the moment is particu-larly high, which I would say it is right now,it could potentially go a different way.”

Fairfax County School Board membersserve in non-partisan seats. But Democratsand Republicans endorse their preferredcandidates, and Hough had been endorsedby Republicans. Traditionally, Democratshave a harder time with special electionsbecause the electorate tends to be moreconservative than the general population.So the timing is good for Republicans, al-though not necessarily perfect.

“The disparity would be even more pro-nounced early in August,” said StephenFarnsworth at the University of Mary Wash-ington. “By late August, people tend to bedone with their vacations. If you have stu-dents going off to college, for example, youare likely dealing with that by late August,if not mid-August.

No Democrat has ever won a summertimespecial election in Fairfax County, whichmeans this special election is the Republi-cans to lose. Two candidates who have notbeen endorsed by either party will also beon the ballot.

CHRIS GRISAFE, 37, is a native of LakeHavasu City, Ariz. He was raised in Califor-nia, and he’s lived in Northern Virginia for12 years. He currently lives in thePenderbrook neighborhood of the Provi-dence District. He does not have any chil-dren in the school system, but he has servedon Superintendent’s Business AdvisoryCommittee, the Bonds Committee and theAdult Education Advisory Committee. Hehas a bachelor’s degree in political scienceand philosophy from Loyola Marymount

University and a master’s degree in busi-ness administration from Virginia Tech. Pro-fessionally, he is a national security special-ist. In 2011, he waged an unsuccessful cam-paign for the Providence District seat on theFairfax County Board of Supervisors. He isthe candidate endorsed by the RepublicanParty.

“I think we can be better served than wehave been,” said Grisafe. “It’s important forus to understand how we are impacting stu-dent achievement and to prioritize invest-ments for the classroom. I don’t think wecan gain that insight unless we are doingindependent program evaluations.”

On the issue of the budget, Grisafe wouldlike to make government more accessible,increasing the amount of information that’savailable to the public while making it easyto get and understand. He said that wouldgo a long way to help members of the Boardof Supervisors understand the managementof resources at Fairfax County PublicSchools. It could also help School Boardmembers when they need to make a casefor increasing funding.

“The biggest critique I’ve heard from thecounty supervisors is that there’s not trans-parency in the schools budget,” he said. “Forexample, if you go to the annual report itshows variances on the board documents.But if you really want to understand posi-tion numbers, you have to drill down fiveor six clicks into a different part of thewebsite.”

On the issue of class size, Grisafe was dis-missive of the idea that the average classsize was a metric that means all that much.On the campaign trail, he recently met theparent of a 4th-grade student atChesterbrook Elementary School whose stu-dent was in a class with 33 students.

“The county has a policy for elementaryschools not to exceed 29 students,” he said.“And there are a number of schools that areexceeding that and basically violating thepolicy which isn’t being enforced.”

On the issue of trailers, he said he doesn’tknow enough to have a position.

“I guess I would want to understand theimpact trailers have on the quality of edu-cation,” he said. “I don’t think that trailersare ideal. I haven’t studied the trade offshere for trailers.”

On transgender bathrooms, he does notsupport the Obama-era policy of requiringschools to allow students to use therestrooms of the gender they identify with.Rather, he said, the potential conflictsshould be handled on a case-by-case basis.

“I think the way the schools are handlingthe situation now where it’s on a case-by-base basis with the schools is what it needsto be for right now until we answer somebroader questions of what follow-on poli-cies flow from that,” he said. “I personallywould like to see more unisex bathrooms.”

On the issue of J.E.B. Stuart High School’scontroversial name, he said he doesn’t havea position one way or the other on the name.But he does have a position on the way theschool system handled the issue, which hedescribed as a “quintessential example” ofa process that should never be repeated

because it’s been so divisive.“If you’re going to make a moral case of

J.E.B. Stuart, then we need to make thatsame moral case for the rest of the schools,”he said. “Do we now, because George Wash-ington had slaves, remove any monumentsto him? I don’t know. I would want to knowhow is this helping the community andbringing us together.”

KAREN KEYS-GAMARRA, 57, is a na-tive of St. Louis. She has lived in FairfaxCounty since 1990, first in Huntington andlater in the Sully District. She is the parentof three boys who graduated from JamesMadison High School in Vienna. She has abachelor’s degree in English and communi-cations from Tulane and a law degree fromWashington University School of Law. Pro-fessionally, she is an attorney who volun-teers as a court-appointed special advocateand a guardian ad litem. She ran an unsuc-cessful campaign for School Board in 2015,and she’s currently a member of the FairfaxCounty Planning Commission. She is thecandidate endorsed by the DemocraticParty.

“I initially started advocating educationalissues with my own children, and then itcarried over into my work,” said Keys-Gamarra. “It just stuck out to me how criti-cal educational issues are to the success ofkids.”

On the issue of the budget, Keys-Gamarrasaid the relationship between the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors and the FairfaxCounty School Board needs improvement.She said her experience on the PlanningCommission gives her an insight into theinner workings of Fairfax County, especiallyin the Sully District which she represents.

“I really don’t see the Board of Supervi-sors as an enemy, and I think that some-times — at least to the public — it appearsthat may be the view,” she said. “I don’tthink that’s a healthy approach, and so Ithink that with my background I may beable to bridge the gap and bring a little moreconciliation to the table.”

On teacher salaries, Keys-Gamarra saidshe hears from teachers all the time abouthow difficult it is to live in Fairfax Countyearning the kind of money that comes withteaching in the public school system. Shesaid Fairfax County needs salaries that arecomparable to rival jurisdictions.

“I’m hesitating to give you a yes or a nobecause I don’t want the impression to begiven that ... we have to walk in and blowup the budget because this has to happen,”

she said. “It all has to be balanced againstone another but that would certainly be aconcern for me.”

On the issue of trailers, she’s particularlyconcerned about young children being edu-cated in trailers that don’t have bathrooms.On the campaign trail, she’s been hearingfrom parents who are concerned that theirchildren have to wait longs periods of timebefore they can go to a main building touse the facilities. Keys-Gamarra points outthat Fairfax County has a shortage of land,which means that schools can’t always getthe larger size trailers.

“It may be a reality of the resources thatwe have had and how we’ve been makingdecisions,” she said. “Some teachers andsome students may actually like having thatkind of privacy that may have a bathroomin there and air conditioning.”

On the issue of class size, Keys-Gamarrasaid the average class size for Fairfax Countyelementary school — 22.4 students — is notnecessarily a problem. On the campaigntrail she’s not hearing parents complainabout a class size of 22 students. But she ishearing parents complain about class sizeof 28 or 29 students in a classroom. Shesaid she would like to see the county dosomething about it, although she’s doesn’thave a specific proposal.

“I can’t throw out a number,” she said.“There are certainly concerns regardingclass size, and I have those concerns aswell.”

On transgender bathrooms, she would notcommit to agreeing with the Obama-erapolicy of requiring schools to allow all stu-dents to use the bathroom of the genderthey identify with. Keys-Gamarra said sheagrees with the current policy of handlingissues as they arise on a case-by-case basisinstead of having a countywide policy.

“I’m not stepping in that,” she said whenasked about her position. “I really hate tothink of children and families being usedas a political football.”

On the issue of the controversial name ofJ.E.B. Stuart High School, she said she ad-mires the students who are raising the is-sue. She agrees that the name should prob-ably change, but she doesn’t want to usethe school system’s limited resources tomake it happen.

“I think the thing that probably sticks outto me is that he denounced his citizenshipas a United States citizen,” she said. “I amon record as supporting the name change.

Low-Turnout High-Stakes Special Election for School BoardCountywide at-largeseat to be determinedby Aug. 29 specialelection; early votingis underway.

Sandra Allen,Independent

Karen Keys-Gamarra,endorsed byDemocrats

Michael Owens,Independent

Chris Grisafe,endorsed byRepublicans


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Schools

Honoring Teachers of the YearThe Rotary Club of Fairfax recently honored and awarded two City of Fairfax teachers atits annual Teacher of the Year program. From left: Paul Gauthier (Fairfax Rotary presi-dent); Erin Lenhart (principal, Lanier Middle School); Greer Mancuso (Teacher of theYear, ESOL teacher, Lanier Middle School); Erich Dicenzo (Teacher of the Year, TheaterArts teacher, Fairfax High School); David Goldfarb (principal, Fairfax High School); andDr. Laura Hills (Fairfax Rotary Teacher of the Year Committee).

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday.Dated announcements should be sub-mitted at least two weeks prior to theevent.

Burke resident Nathan G. Mussowas named to the Rhodes College(Memphis, Tenn.) dean’s list for the2017 spring semester.

Maggie Miller, of Burke, graduatedfrom Stevenson University (OwingsMills, Md.). Miller was named to thespring 2017 semester dean’s list at

Roger Smith, of Burke, graduatedfrom Rochester Institute of Technology(Rochester, N.Y.) with an M.S. in gamedesign and development.

Wheaton College student-athleteAaron Lenhardt , of Burke, wasnamed to the College Conference of Il-linois and Wisconsin (CCIW) AcademicAll-Conference team. The Academic All-Conference team consists ofletterwinners from CCIW member insti-tutions who achieve a cumulative gradepoint average of 3.30 or higher.

Matthew Fiacco, a resident of

Burke majoring in business administra-tion, was named to the dean’s list inIthaca (N.Y.) College’s School of Busi-ness for the spring 2017 semester.

Michael Van Meter, of Springfield,won a $2,000 scholarship from theScholarships for Military Children Pro-gram. He plans to attend the Universityof Virginia this year.

Brian M. Ward of Springfield,graduate of W. T. Woodson HS, Prob-able career field: Political Science, hasreceived College-Sponsored MeritScholarship from Boston College, acoed Jesuit university located inChestnut Hill, Mass. Boston Collegeconsists of 13 schools, colleges, andinstitutions and includes colleges ofArts and Sciences, Management, Edu-cation, and Nursing. The collegeawards professional, master’s, anddoctoral degrees.

Stephen Choi, of Alexandria,graduated from the Rochester Instituteof Technology (Rochester, N.Y.) with anM.S. in mechanical engineering.

Bruce Bland, of Springfield, who isstudying computer science made thedean’s list for the 2017 spring semester

School Notes

at Rochester Institute of Technology(Rochester, N.Y.).

Andrew Ward, of Springfield, whois studying management informationsystems made the dean’s list for the2017 spring semester at Rochester Insti-tute of Technology (Rochester, N.Y.).

Jay Shackley, of Springfield, who isstudying mechanical engineering madethe dean’s list for the 2017 spring semes-ter at Rochester Institute of Technology(Rochester, N.Y.).

Cathryne Szczepanik, of Spring-field, who is studying new media designmade the dean’s list for the 2017 springsemester at Rochester Institute of Tech-nology (Rochester, N.Y.).

Kimberly Elizabeth Ross, ofSpringfield, graduated from Vassar Col-lege (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.). Ross majoredin international studies, French andfrancophone studies. She is the daugh-ter of Van N. Ross and Elizabeth MarumRoss.

Megan Moody , of Springfield,graduated from Miami University (Ox-ford, Ohio) with a Bachelor of Sciencein Kinesiology and Health degree.


Opinion

Do we have election fatigue? Or arewe still reeling from lastNovember’s election? Every yearis an election year in Virginia, and

some years offer multiple opportunities.Either way, every voter in Virginia had a

chance to choose a Gubernatorial candidatefrom one party or the other in the primary elec-tion on June 13.

Now in Fairfax County, acountywide special election forSchool Board at-large will takeplace on Aug. 29, with absen-

tee in-person voting already underway. Fourcandidates are on the ballot, Chris S. Grisafe,Sandra D. Allen, Karen A. Keys-Gamarra andMichael H. Owens. To read our story about thecandidates, seewww.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/jul/31/low-turnout-high-stakes-special-election-school-bo/

Absentee voting for the special election isby mail or at the Fairfax County GovernmentCenter, 12000 Government Center Pkwy., Suite

DetailsTo see what’s on your ballot:

www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-outreach/whats-ballot.html

To check that you are registered to vote atyour current address: vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation

To find a registration office where you can ob-tain photo ID, even on the day of an election, visit:vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/PublicContactLookup

To read about candidates for the Aug. 29 spe-cial election for Fairfax County School Board:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/jul/31/low-turnout-high-stakes-special-election-school-bo/

So Many Chances to VoteNext up, FairfaxCounty School BoardAt-Large, Aug. 29.

323, Fairfax, through Aug. 25. Times: Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Then comes the General Election on Nov. 7,with every House of Delegates seat on the bal-lot along with the race for governor. Lieuten-ant governor and attorney general are also onthe ballot.

To vote in the General Election on Nov. 7,the deadline to register to vote, or update anexisting registration, is Monday, Oct 16. In-person absentee voting begins Sept. 22, withthe last day of Nov. 4.

For Fairfax County information: Voter Reg-istration: 703-222-0776, TTY 711; AbsenteeFax: 703-324-3725, Email:[email protected]

Virginia Voter IDYou will need to show one acceptable photo

identification card (photo ID) whenever youvote in person. This is Virginia law for all vot-ers.

Photo IDs can be used to vote up to one yearafter the ID has expired.

Acceptable forms of valid identification:❖ Virginia driver’s license❖ Virginia DMV-issued photo ID❖ United States passport❖ Employer-issued photo ID

❖ Student photo ID issued by a school, col-lege, or university located in Virginia

❖ Other U.S. or Virginia government-issuedphoto ID

❖ Tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID❖ Virginia Voter Photo ID cardIf you don’t have an ID, go to a voter regis-

tration office to get a free Voter Photo ID, evenon Election Day. You will be required to com-plete a photo ID application, have your phototaken and to sign a digital signature pad.

If you get to your polling place without ac-ceptable photo ID, ask to vote a provisionalballot. You will be given instructions on whatto do so your vote can count.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Editorial

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:An open letter to the community.The Fairfax County School

Board voted last night [July 28]that the name of J.E.B Stuart HighSchool be changed no later thanthe start of the 2019 School Year.The School Board further directedstaff to start the renaming processthis fall and that as part of thatprocess — in the spirit of compro-mise and in recognition of theneed to minimize costs as well asthe desire for continuity by alumni— request that the Stuart commu-nity consider “Stuart High School”as the new name. The Board fur-ther directed staff to create amechanism for private fundingwith the expectation that privatefunding will pay for a substantialportion of the costs.

I’ve met with both sides on thisissue and it has yielded strong feel-ings and strong passions. Now thatthe Board has spoken, we will con-tinue to follow the process as out-lined by the School Board regula-tion for name changes. We willexecute the renaming process in afair, transparent, and expedientmanner.

In this spirit, I invite you to joinme on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 10a.m., at J.E.B Stuart High School,where we will hold an open pub-lic meeting — per Regulation 8170

www.boarddocs . com/vsba/f a i r f a x / B o a r d . n s f / f i l e s /A 6 Z 2 R N 6 CA 2 7 0 / % 2 4 f i l e /R8170.pdf — to gather names forconsideration along with the op-portunity for presentations, ques-tions, and discussion. We willshare further details with youahead of the meeting.

As outlined in the regulation,voting for the school name will belimited to those participants resid-ing in the school’s attendance areaand a weighted point system willbe used to determine the top threechoices. Voting will take place onSaturday, Sept. 16, at J.E.B StuartHigh School and will be open from10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

After review of the community’srecommendations, the DivisionSuperintendent will formulate arecommendation consisting of oneor more of the most popularchoices according to communityinput. The Division Superinten-dent shall then transmit the rec-ommendation to the School Boardfor consideration and action.

The deadline for the DivisionSuperintendent to submit a formalrecommendation to the SchoolBoard shall be three weeks priorto the date scheduled for SchoolBoard action.

It is clear that this issue has im-pacted our community and it is my

hope that we can work togetherto find common ground and em-brace the diversity of our friendsand neighbors to strengthen ourbond around what we all hold true— that every student succeed andthat we provide them the supportnecessary to be successful.

The most important name, I

think we can all agree, is that ofthe teacher in front of them, andwe are committed to ensuringwhatever name is chosen that wehave the best possible educationfor every student.

Scott BrabrandSuperintendent

Fairfax County Public Schools

Renaming to Proceed

SnapshotA Great Blue Heron hangs out in his usual spot,stalking prey in Kingstowne Lake on Sunday, July 20.

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By Marilyn Campbell

August approaches and many headout for sun drenched vacations witha skin-baring wardrobe. This much

anticipated time of year doesn’t come with-out danger, primarily in the form of sun-burn which can lead to skin damage, skincancer, wrinkles and dark spots. Skincaregurus offer suggestions for protecting skinwithout sacrificing time outside.

“Sunscreen is the best protection from thesun,” said Cheryl A. Oetjen, DNP, FNP-BC,assistant professorof nursing at GeorgeMason University.“This can be fromlotions that are SPF30 or higher or froms k i n - p r o t e c t i v eclothing. Wearing ahat can also protectyour face to some degree. Sunglasses shouldalso be worn.”

To maximize the effectiveness of sun-

screen, Oetjen advises being aware of someof the most commonly made applicationmistakes. “Ideally sunscreen should be ap-plied 30 minutes prior to sun exposure,” shesaid. “This gives it time to soak into the skin.Avoiding the water for this time is also im-portant.”

Avoid the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.when it’s most intense and use at least oneounce of sunscreen per application, saysOetjen. “The important part of applying sun-screen is ensuring that you are usingenough,” she said. “Fair complexions, red

hair and blonde hairoften are indicatorsof a higher risk ofsunburn, so it’s im-portant to reapplyoften.”

Make sunscreenpart of one’s dailyskincare regimen,

advises Colleen Sanders, RN, FNP,Marymount University in Arlington. “Therecommendation is that you wear sunscreen

every day if you’re going to be outside evenfor a short period of time,” she said. “Itshould be part of your everyday routine.”

Relying solely on the SPF found in somecosmetics like foundation or powder is un-wise, says dermatologist Dr. Lisa Bronstein.“Makeup doesn’t necessarily provide theprotection that it claims to provide,” shesaid. “There are a lot of tinted sunscreensout now that match a variety of skin tonesand also give amazing protection from sundamage.”

“Wearing sunglasses with UVA and UVBprotection as well as a hat will help pre-vent damage, says Sanders. “Common ar-eas that people often forget to cover, andwhere we often find skin cancer, are the tops

Saving Your SkinHow to prevent sun damagewhile enjoying summer vacation.

of ears and the backs of their hands,” shesaid “These are places where people forgetto put sunscreen.”

“Make sure the most sensitive areas arecovered … these areas include the top ofthe ears, lips [and] the nose, added Oetjen.“Zinc oxide can be applied to sensitive ar-eas.”

Infants who are younger than six monthsold should have limited exposure to the sun,says Oetjen.

“The FDA has not approved a sunscreenfor infants under 6 months so it is best forthem to stay in the shade and wear sun pro-tective clothing and hat,” she said. “The skinof infants is thinner and more sensitive tothe sun and sunscreen.”

Photo by Marilyn Campbell

Wearing sunscreen offers the best protection from sun damage.

“Sunscreen is the bestprotection from the sun.”

— Cheryl A. Oetjen,George Mason University

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News

Welcoming Honor Flight ParticipantsOn Friday, July 28, Old Glory Honor Flight from Oshkosh, Wis., was greeted by a largecrowd at Reagan National Airport, including members of Anna Maria Fitzhugh Chapter,National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. More than 100 Vietnam Veter-ans arrived to visit national memorials and monuments. Each veteran was personallywelcomed and received mementos from Anna Maria Fitzhugh Chapter members. TheDAR Chapter is located in Springfield.


Entertainment

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

ONGOINGPhoto Exhibition. Through Aug. 13, 9

a.m.-5 p.m. at Fairfax Museum andVisitor Center. 10209 Main St.,Fairfax.“Chalkboards to Smartboards:Free Public Schools in Fairfax Countyand Fairfax City” traces the evolutionof free public schools from the logand frame one-room schools of late19th and early 20th-centuries totoday’s high-tech learning centers.Exhibition explores life in a one-roomschool, desegregation, and challengesof the post-World War II suburbanpopulation explosion. Free. Call 703-385- 8414.

Senior Olympics. Deadline to registerfor the Northern Virginia SeniorOlympics is Aug. 26. Participantsmust be at least 50-years-old by Dec.31, 2017. Register at www.nvso.usuntil Sept. 2 or via U.S. mail beforeAug. 26 with forms available at arearecreation centers. To volunteercontact RSVP Northern Virginia at703-403-5360 or [email protected].

Kingstowne Farmers Marketopens. 4-7 p.m. every Fridaythrough Oct. 27, at Kingstowne GiantParking Lot, 5870 KingstowneCenter, Alexandria. Freshly picked,producer-only vegetables and fruit,from-scratch bread (including glutenfree), baked goods, kettle corn, salsa,hummus, cake pops, fruit popsicles,and ice cream. [email protected] call 703-642-0128.

THURSDAY/AUG. 3Flora Fauna for Kids. 11-11:45 a.m.

at Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Learnabout fish in the pond. $5. Ages 3-6.Call 703-451-9588.

The Excellent Drivers concert.6:30-8:30 p.m. at Old Town Square,3999 University Drive, Fairfax.Musical, family-friendly event. Free.Visit www.fairfaxva.gov/.

FRIDAY/AUG.4Main Street Clarinet Quartet

concert. 7-8 p.m. at Old TownPlaza, 3955 Chain Bridge Road,Fairfax. Musical, family-friendlyevent. Free. Visit www.fairfaxva.gov/.

Bingo. 7 p.m. at Fire Station 3, 4081University Drive, Fairfax. Smoke free.$1,000 jackpot. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/.

Topgolf and a DJ. 7-10 p.m. atTopgolf, 6625 S. Van Dorn St. Golf,music from Rush Hour DJ, food anddrink. Visit topgolf.com/us/alexandria/ or call 703-924-2600.

SATURDAY/AUG. 5Singles Dinner and Movie Night. 5

p.m at Uncle Julio’s at FairfaxCorner, 4251 Fairfax Corner Ave. $32at door includes dinner, soda, tip andmovie ticket. Sponsored by NewBeginnings, a support group forseparated/divorced men and women.Call 301-924-4101 or visitwww.newbeginningsusa.org.

Topgolf and a DJ. 7-10 p.m. atTopgolf, 6625 S. Van Dorn St. Golf,music from Tnyce DJ, food and drink.Visit topgolf.com/us/alexandria/ orcall 703-924-2600.

SUNDAY/AUG. 6Yoga on the Square. 10 a.m. at Old

Town Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Bring a yoga mat and awater bottle. Call 703-385-7858.

Natural Pet Store Opening. 10 a.m.at the Kriser’s Natural Pet store 3903-

F Fair Ridge Drive. (in the HarrisTeeter shopping center), Fairfax.Includes classes focusing on generalobedience and/or puppy. Visitksrpetcare.com/ or call 703 8305454.

MONDAY/AUG. 7Funday Monday. 10:30 a.m. at Old

Town Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Mr. Skip will perform forchildren. Free. Call 703-385-7858 orvisit www.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 9Tai Chi. 6:30-7:30 a.m. at Old Town

Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Weather permitting. Wearcomfortable clothes and bring a mat.Class will take place in Old TownSquare at the pergola. Free. Call 703-385-7858 or visit www.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts.


at Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Learnabout “dirt critters,” in the area. $5.Ages 3-6. Call 703-451-9588.

AUG. 10-11Golf Tournament. all day at Laurel

Hill Golf Club, 8701 Laurel CrestDrive, Lorton. Middle Atlantic PGAJunior Tour Championship. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/golf/lhgc or call 703-439-8849.

SATURDAY/AUG. 12Body Paint Workshop. 5-9 p.m. at

Fairfax Art League Village Gallery,3950 University Drive, Fairfax. Theworkshop consists of free dance, yogamovements and other techniques toreestablish harmony between theartist and their art. $8. [email protected] or call757-822-0561.

“Tangles” On Stage. 7 p.m. at HarrisTheater (near Mason Pond parkingdeck), George Mason University,Fairfax. Musical written and directedby visiting scholar Jeffrey Steiger andproduced by Charles Samenow, MD.Visit www2.gmu.edu/.

SUNDAY/AUG. 13Yoga on the Square. 10 a.m. at Old

Town Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Bring A yoga mat, a waterbottle, and yourself! Call 703-385-7858.

Model Train Show. 1-4 p.m. atFairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. TheNorthern Virginia NTRAK memberswill hold a N gauge T-TRAK modeltrain show. Museum members, free;adults 16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2; under 4, free. Information onthe museum and shows is atwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

Meet the Artist Reception. noon-3p.m. at the Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Art QuiltsExhibit by fiber artist MariselaRumberg, exhibit runs Aug. 9-Sept. 3.Visit www.MariselaRumberg.com.

Meet the Author. 2 p.m. at the FairfaxMuseum and Visitor Center, 10209Main St., Fairfax. “Reston: ARevolutionary Idea.” Author andbiographer Kristina Alcorn willdiscuss the history of Reston and signand sell her book, “In His OwnWords: Stories from theExtraordinary Life of Reston’sFounder, Robert E. Simon, Jr.” Free.Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center,10209 Main St., Fairfax. 703-385-8414.

AUG. 16-20Cirque du Soleil. Various times at

Eagle Bank Arena, 4500 PatriotCircle. Their current “OVO,” show iscreated by Deborah Colker, the firstfemale director in Cirque du Soleilhistory. Visitwww.eaglebankarena.com/.


at Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Learnabout insects in the area. $5. Ages 3-6. Call 703-451-9588.

Lucia Valentine Concert. 6:30-8:30p.m. at Old Town Square, 3999University Dr., Fairfax. Grab dinnerat one of the many restaurants indowntown, and listen to great music.Free. Call 703-385-7858.

FRIDAY/AUG. 18Music on the Plaza. 7 p.m. at the Old

Town Plaza, 3955 Chain BridgeRoad, Fairfax. Free, weatherpermitting. Call 703-385-7858.

Family Fun Movie Nights. 7 p.m. atSherwood Community Center, 3740Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. “Sing,” isthe feature. Free. An adult mustaccompany anyone under the age of14. Food to donate for Britepaths canbe dropped off at the SherwoodCenter on the evening of the FamilyFun Nights. Call 703-385-7858.

SUNDAY/AUG. 20Meet the Civil War Author. 11 a.m.

at Historic Pohick Episcopal Church,9301 Richmond Highway, Lorton.The Historic Pohick Church DocentsGuild sponsoring Don Hakenson,award winning author and producerof of Civil War books and a Mosbydocumentary, will talk about theCivil War history in and aroundPohick Church. After the 10 a.m.service. Call 703-339-6572.

Model Train Show. 1-4 p.m. atFairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. TheNorthern Virginia NTRAK memberswill hold a N gauge T-TRAK modeltrain show. Museum members, free;adults 16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2; under 4, free. Information onthe museum and shows is atwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

TUESDAY/AUG. 21Great American Eclipse. All day at

Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Road,Fairfax Station. Learn the sciencebehind eclipses and how to viewthem safely, solar eclipse glasses willbe provided to attendees at all theprograms. $7-$12 per person. Visitgo.usa.gov/xNvvb.

Funday Monday Eclipse Special. 1-4 p.m. at Old Town Square, 3999University Drive, Fairfax. Stories,crafts, music, and more while theeclipse travels overhead. Pack apicnic lunch or visit one of our localrestaurants. Free viewing glasses willbe available as supplies last. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov.


at Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Go on thetrail walk and learn about the pond.$5. Ages 3-6. Call 703-451-9588.

SATURDAY/AUG. 26Meet the Author. 2 p.m. at the Civil

War Interpretive Center at HistoricBlenheim, 3610 Old Lee Highway,Fairfax. The Battle of Ball’s Bluff —local historian James Morgan willfocus on his tactical study of thebattle: “A Little Short of Boats: theBattles of Ball’s Bluff and EdwardsFerry.” Book signing and sales followthe talk. Free. Call 703-591- 0560.

SUNDAY/AUG. 27Civil War Reenactment. 1-4 p.m. at

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. TheFairfax Station Railroad Museum willhost Civil War re-enactors andmodern practitioners who willdemonstrate medical and rescuepractices then and now incommemoration of Fairfax Station’srole as an evacuation center duringthe Battle of Second Manassas in1862. Museum members, free; adults16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2;under 4, free. Information on themuseum and shows is atwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 1Photo Exhibition. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at

Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center.10209 Main St., Fairfax. “Over There:Americans in World War I” atraveling exhibition from theNational Archives and RecordsAdministration showcasesphotographs from the battle fronts inFrance, Italy, and Russia, supply andsupport operations behind the lines,and the Paris Peace Conference, openthrough Oct. 20. Group guided toursavailable by reservation, $25. Call703-385- 8414.

SEPT. 3-4Model Train Shows. noon-5 p.m. at

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. LaborDay Weekend, The Potomac ModuleCrew members will have HO Scaleand others will have a LEGO ModelTrain Show. Museum members, free;adults 16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2; under 4, free. Call 703-425-9225 or visit www.fairfax-station.org.

SEPT. 9-10Burke Centre Festival. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

at the Burke Conservancy, 6060Burke Centre Parkway. Arts andcrafts, live shows, rides, facepainting, and festival foods. Visitwww.burkecentreweb.com.

Art Exhibit“Princess Nicte-Ha,” a cotton, polyester and textile paint work by Marisela Rumbergwill be part of the Art Quilts Exhibit running Aug. 9-Sept. 3 at the Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Rumberg will be at the studio for a “Meet the ArtistReception,” noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Visit www.MariselaRumberg.com for more.

Photo by fiber artist Marisela Rumberg


COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

bbWorship Gathering – Sunday 8:45 & 11 AM

Sunday School 10:10 AMSun. Evening – Realtime Worship & Youth 6 PM

Family Night – Wednesday 7:15 PMHome Life Groups, College/Young Adult

Ministries, and Living Free Support GroupsVisit our Website: www.jccag.org

4650 Shirley Gate Road, FairfaxBill Frasnelli, PASTOR 703-383-1170

To Advertise YourCommunity of Worship,

Call 703-778-9418

“Loving People to Life”

You can read any of this week’s 15 papers digital editions here:www.ConnectionNewspapers.com/PDFs

News

By Mike Salmon

The Connection

The thousands of stu-dents and teacherspassing through thehalls of West Spring-

field High School throughout theyears have taken a toll on thestructure, so it is being renovatedfor the second time in the school’shistory to meet the demand.

The school is in the first phaseof a $75 million, four-year projectand nearly one-third the waythrough the complete project.Phase I is impacting 50 classroomsin the math and social studies de-partments, and this requires 54trailers that are nearly a quartermile away from the main buildingin the practice field behind theschool, in a quad they’ve named“Sparta.” According to the princi-pal, Michael Mukai, “the kids havedone so well, resilient,” he said.

THE WORK is being summed upevery few weeks in the online blog“WSHS Renovation Update.” TheJuly 2017 entry looks at theprogress on the sports lobby, newmusic wing, cafeteria windowsand surrounding curbs and gut-ters, with all going as planned, itsays. “All around the perimeter ofthe school, work is being done toprepare roadways, curbs, guttersand sidewalks for the start of theschool year,” the play-by-play cap-tion read. These captions werecompiled by Becky Brandt, theFairfax County Public Schools’Renovation Liaison. “The musichall will have four incredibly beau-tiful spaces for our guitar, choral,

orchestra, and band programs,”Brandt said. The renovations in-cluded an auxiliary gym with anew wood floor, windows, retract-able hoops and mat racks. The re-silience that Mukai referred to hasbeen adopted by everyone. Sincethe auditorium is being renovatedas well, the drama program willuse the new wrestling room topractice for their fall play.

Historically, “Sparta,” was aprominent city-state in ancientGreece, a main settlement on thebanks of the Eurotas River inLaconia, and around 650 BC, it

rose to become the dominant mili-tary land-power in ancient Greece,according to Wikipedia. In WestSpringfield, “Sparta was created –with over 50 classrooms, bath-room facilities with hot and coldrunning water, an administrativetrailer and water stations,” therenovation update stated. Namingit Sparta “just seemed natural,”with the Spartans as the schoolmoniker, said Brandt, “I believeour [Director of Student Activities]Andy Muir coined the phrase.”

Getting to Sparta sometimes re-quires umbrellas on rainy days,

said Mukai. “We faced some chal-lenges,” he said. Building a struc-ture or road while it’s in use bringsup challenges of its own. “We willall need to get used to new trafficpatterns as construction work con-tinues in and around the sportslobby,” added Brandt.

THE SCHOOL was built in 1966and the last set of renovationswere done in 1990, according toJohn Torre, the school public in-formation officer. West Springfieldwas in the renovation queue andwas approved for renovations by

the school board in January 2009.“At the conclusion of the renova-tion and capacity enhancement,West Springfield High School willhave a capacity of 2,350 students,”said Torre, via email.

Currently, there are 14 elemen-tary schools in Fairfax County thatare being renovated or are in theplanning stage, three middleschools, and Herndon High Schooland Oakton High School. Addi-tions, not full renovations, are be-ing made to West Potomac, SouthLakes, Stuart and Madison HighSchools.

West Springfield High Renovations Nearly One-Third CompleteTrailer class-rooms form asection called“Sparta.”

From Rolling Road, the school looks like it’s under acomplete makeover.

When the renovation is complete in two years, there willbe upgrades and an increase in capacity.

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Early Voting Underway in Special Election for School BoardFrom Page 2

News

I am not on record as saying that we needto take Fairfax County’s funds to pay forthat.”

SANDRA ALLEN, 48, is a native of Bo-livia. She’s lived in the United States morethan 40 years, immigrating as a child. Shecame to Fairfax County about 35 years ago,and currently lives in Vienna. She has twoboys who attend James Madison HighSchool, a rising 10th grade student and arising 11th grade student. She has abachelor’s degree in business administrationfrom Marymount University. She worked inbudgeting and finance at the Departmentof Defense before leaving the workplace tobecome a stay-at-home mother.

“I’m concerned that there’s not a voicepresent for the minority students,” saidAllen. “There’s not a single person in anysort of leadership roles within the schoolsystem, ... and I’ve seen that a lot of thedecisions that are being made without theinput of the moms — the minority moms.”

On the issue of the school budget, she saidshe would like to see better managementof the finances. She acknowledges that shehas not studied the budget in depth, butshe said schools should focus on appropri-ating money to students rather than secu-rity. Budget documents show Fairfax Countyspends about $5 million a year on 55 schoolresource officers. Allen said that’s moneythat could be spent elsewhere.

“I think we should stop making theschools an extension of juvenile detentioncenters where there’s police presence dur-ing cafeteria time,” said Allen. “We can re-appropriate that.”

On teacher pay, Allen describes the$71,000 average pay of Fairfax teachers is“doable.” She said she would like to speakto more teachers before offering a defini-tive opinion, but she adds that teacherscould be rewarded with salary increasesbased on performance. She said she wouldlike to look at the benefit packages to see ifsome young professionals might be able totrade some of their benefits for higher pay.

“A lot of the young teachers don’t need

those excessive packages or excessive ben-efits,” she said. “And they probably woulddo much better having higher pay, so doinga cafeteria plan could be an option.”

On the issue of trailers, Allen said trail-ers have provided a good education for chil-dren across the county. But, she said, par-ents should be able to force school officialsto find classroom assignments inside abrick-and-mortar building for their children.

“I don’t have any issues with trailers,” saidAllen. “But if a parent does choose to andsees that that’s not to the benefit of her orhis student,” schools should be required toaccommodate that.

On the issue of class size, Allen said theaverage elementary school class size inFairfax of 22.4 students is not a problem,although she adds that she’s willing to hearfrom teachers if they feel that numbershould be lower.

“I think that number is probably aboutright,” she said. “I support the teachers’perspective on this, and if they feel studentsare not getting attention we may need tochange that number.”

On the issue of transgender bathrooms,Allen disagrees with the directive fromformer President Barack Obama that stu-dents should be able to use the bathroomof the gender they identify with. Instead,she said, schools should engage in a capitalcampaign to build new restrooms across thecounty.

“We need to provide the privacy that isnecessary for the child, and I think thatschools should create that environment ofprivacy by providing a third option — aneutral bathroom,” said Allen, who said sheunderstands how much money would beinvolved in making that happen. “Schoolswork with private institutions for funding.When there is a will to change something,there is a way to find a solution.”

On the issue of J.E.B. Stuart High School’scontroversial name, Allen agrees with thestudents to are pressing to have the namechanged. But when asked how she wouldfinance the change, she said she would notsupport spending money on it.

“I support it. I didn’t say it would be some-thing that would be doable,” she said. “We

have to pick and choose what our prioritiesare.”

MICHAEL OWENS, 43, is a native ofBaltimore. She’s lived in Fairfax Countymore than 20 years, first in McLean andlater in Falls Church. She has a bachelor’sdegree in history from Johns Hopkins Uni-versity and a bachelor’s degree in Englishfrom Towson University. She also has amaster’s degree in English from the Univer-sity of Virginia and a master’s degree ineducation from Marymount University. Pro-fessionally, she is a usability and accessibil-ity expert working on web-based applica-tions for the consulting firm known as De-sign for Context in Washington, D.C. She isa former Fairfax County teacher who cur-rently has one daughter in the school sys-tem who is a rising fifth grader at Belved-ere Elementary School. She is the presidentof the parent teacher association there.

“I’m concerned because we have limitedresources now, and we are going to haveeven more limited resources in the future,”she said. “We need to make really impor-tant decisions, and we need to do so pru-dently.”

On the issue of the budget, Owens saidthe school system is unlikely to get in-creased funding from the Board of Super-visors. So she would like to see a more effi-cient use of existing resources. For example,she said, the school system spends too muchmoney on athletic programs like footballthat could be funded with outside money.

“I would like the athletic teams to actu-ally raise money for the other programswithin the school,” said Owens. “The ath-letic teams could support the after-schoolchess club. Let’s see the kids helping eachother.”

On teacher pay, Owens said she wouldlike to see higher salaries — 10-to-20 per-cent higher. She understands the financialdifficulties facing teachers because she wasa single mother whose only income was thepaycheck she got from Fairfax County Pub-lic Schools. In fact, she said, it was that eco-nomic pressure that caused her to leave theteaching and become a consultant.

“I left teaching not because I didn’t enjoy

the students or the parents or even the ad-ministrators. I left teaching because Icouldn’t afford to teach and live here. Andthat’s pretty sad,” she said. “I think it’s re-ally important that the people who areteaching your children and interacting withyour children every day live in your com-munity.”

On the issue of trailers being used as class-rooms, Owens said Fairfax County has toomany students in portable classrooms. Butshe also said that there was little the SchoolBoard could realistically about it.

“I don’t think anybody likes trailers,” shesaid. “But that might not be something thatwe can do anything about, at least in theshort term.”

On the issue of class size, she said all par-ents would like to see a smaller student-to-teacher ratio. When asked about it, shecircled back around to the question abouttrailers to make a point about her prioritiesif elected.

“I’d rather see us have more trailers andsmaller classes than fewer trailers but morekids in each class,” said Owens.

On the issue of transgender bathrooms,Owens is the only candidate in who sup-ports former President Barack Obama’s di-rective ordering schools to allow studentsto use the bathroom of the gender they iden-tify with rather than the gender they wereborn with.

“The kid that feels comfortable going intothe girls room to use the facilities, they needthe right to do that,” said Owens. “The kidwho’s going to the bathroom to causetrouble no matter what bathroom they’regoing into, that’s a whole different issue.”

On the issue of J.E.B. Stuart High Schoolname, she understands those who want tochange the name. But she was quick to addthat the cost would be half a million dol-lars, and she said it’s not appropriate forthe school system to spend that kind ofmoney when there are other budget priori-ties.

“This is not an emergency, and it’s not amoral imperative,” she said. “I understandif a student doesn’t want to wear his nameacross their chest. But I don’t want to payto change it.”

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call703-778-9416.

Congregation Adat Reyim, anindependent Jewish congregation, of-fers services Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdayat 9:30 a.m. and Maariv minyan at 7:30p.m. Hebrew School is Sundays from 9-11:15 for K-6th graders and Mondaysfrom 5:30-7:30 p.m. for 3rd-6th graders.Adat Reyim is located at 6500 WestburyOaks Court in Springfield. 703-569-7577 or www.adatreyim.org.

Burke Presbyterian Church,5690 Oak Leather Drive in Burke, wor-ship services are Sundays at 9 a.m.,11:15 a.m., and 6 p.m.www.BurkePresChurch.org.

One God Ministry Church, 4280/4282 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, offers

Early Morning Service at 8 a.m., SundaySchool at 10 a.m., Sunday Worship Ser-vice at 11 a.m., and Wednesday BibleStudy at 7 p.m. Women, Men, andYouth Bible Studies are on the thirdTuesday of each month at 7 p.m. A Spiri-tual Gifts Service is the first Friday ofevery month at 7 p.m. One God Minis-try has ministries for youth, men,women, couples, music and singles.703-591-6161 orwww.onegodministry.org.

Faith Communities in Actionmeets the first Wednesday of everyother month from 2-4 p.m. at the FairfaxCounty Government Center, ConferenceRooms 2 and 3, 12000 GovernmentCenter Parkway, Fairfax.

The Bahá’ís of Fairfax CountySouthwest offers “Interfaith Devo-tions: World Peace and Unity” for the

general public on Saturdays. These freedevotional gatherings meet at thePohick Regional Library, Room #1,6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, 22015.

St. Leo the Great in Fairfax hosts“Night of Praise” the first Saturday ofeach month, featuring praise music andEucharist adoration at 7 p.m. Located at3704 Old Lee Highway in Fairfax.

St. Matthew’s United MethodistChurch, 8617 Little River Turnpike,Annandale, offers a traditional serviceon Sundays at 8:15 and 11:15 a.m. anda contemporary service on Sundays at9:45 a.m. www.stmatthewsumc.org or703-978-3500.

The Immanuel Bible ChurchMOPS group meets on Mondays at 7p.m. at Immanuel Bible Church, 6911Braddock Road, Springfield. MOPS is for

pregnant or parenting mothers of chil-dren from infancy to kindergarten.703-922-4295 or www.MOPS.org.

First Baptist Church of Spring-field, 7300 Gary St., Springfield, hastraditional and contemporary Sundayservices at 10:30 a.m., Sunday school at9:15 a.m. Special worldwide servicesoffered at special times throughout theyear in English, Spanish and Ethiopian.The pastors are Jim Weaver and JasonMitchell. 703-451-1500 orwww.fbcspringfield.org.

The following is a list of events atMount Calvary Baptist Church,4325 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax:

❖Adult Bible Study every Wednesdaystarting at 7 p.m., Youth Bible Study at7:15 p.m.

❖Full Praise and Baptism Service at 7p.m., the last Wednesday of every

month❖Sunday School at 9 a.m.❖Sunday morning service at 10 a.m.,

the 4th Sunday of every month❖Men’s Ministry Bible Class, the Sat-

urday before the 4th Sunday of everymonth

❖Commonwealth Care Center minis-try every first and third Thursday night.703-273-1455.

Beth El Hebrew Congregation,3830 Seminary Road, Alexandria, hasservices on Fridays, 7:30 p.m. with apre-service wine and cheese social at6:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.with a pre-service Torah study at 9 a.m.Religious school is on Wednesday eve-nings and Sunday mornings. TotShabbat is on the first and third Satur-days at 11 a.m. Kolot Shabbat, a musicalservice, is the first Friday at 7:30 p.m.703-370-9400 or bethelhebrew.org.

Faith Notes


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News

Detectives continue theirinvestigation into July 27stabbing of a woman on

a path adjacent to Vaden Drive inFairfax near the intersection ofSprague Avenue, according toFairfax County Police Department.The victim is 21 years old, withnon-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect has been describedas a male, possibly Hispanic. Ini-tial reports were that he was in ablack hoodie, but police now be-lieve he was actually wearing awhite t-shirt.

Detectives and patrol officers incars and on bicycles have spenthours canvassing the area, seek-ing additional information, look-ing for witnesses and anyone withinformation about this crime.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m. on July27, officers from the Fair Oaks Dis-trict were flagged down by a citi-zen reporting someone had beenstabbed. Officers located the vic-tim. A preliminary investigation

determined a man approached herfrom behind, and stabbed her inthe neck. The suspect ran away,and was last seen heading towardBlake Lane.

The victim was taken to the hos-pital, with what are believed to benon-life threatening injuries. Thesearch is ongoing for the suspect.Detectives are canvassing the area,and attempting to identify and in-terview potential witnesses.

Anyone with information aboutthis incident is asked to contactDetective Downham, or a RobberySquad detective at 703-246-7800,or the Fairfax County Police at703-691-2131. Submit a tipanonymously through Crime Solv-ers by visitingwww.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org ortext-a-tip by texting “TIP187” plusyour message toCRIMES(274637). AnonymousTipsters are eligible for cash re-wards from $100-$1,000 if theirinformation leads to an arrest.

Search ContinuesFor Stabbing Suspect

FVCbank hosted the sixth an-nual charitable wine tastingevent on July 21 to raise

funds and awareness for theAlzheimer’s Association NationalCapital Area Chapter, a nonprofitwhose mission is to eliminateAlzheimer’s through the advance-ment of research, provide and en-hance care and support for all af-fected, and to reduce the risk ofdementia through the promotionof brain health. The funds raisedat event support the Alzheimer’sAssociation Walk to EndAlzheimer’s.

“We all know someone impacted

by Alzheimer’s, and as a result, wefeel strongly about supporting theAlzheimer’s Association and theannual Walk to End Alzheimer’s,”said David W. Pijor, FVCbank chair-man and CEO. The event raised$5,000 for the walk and was at-tended by about 80 people whoenjoyed live music, hors d’oeuvresand wine sampling from local Vir-ginia winery, Horton Vineyards.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s is heldannually in more than 600 com-munities nationwide, including:Reston, Washington, D.C. For a fulllist of dates and locations, visitwww.act.alz.org.

FVCbank employees among the attendees at the chari-table wine tasting in support of the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation. From left: Katie Ranghelli, Patricia Ferrick(FVCbank President), Anthony Ranghelli (Director ofInformation Technology) and Terry Byard (AssistantCompliance Officer).

Pho

to

co

ntributed

Wine Tasting to HelpWalk to End Alzheimer’s


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

And speaking, a few weeks late, of my“whirled,” (see July 5, 2017 column, “Not anAuto-Matic Fix); at least as it relates to mynext week or so: 24-hour urine collection onTuesday, pre-chemotherapy lab work onWednesday, in the Connection office onThursday, chemotherapy infusion on Friday,continuing anxiety concerning the previousWednesday’s CT Scan/awaiting results frommy oncologist followed by our usual post-scanappointment with him Friday a week later todiscuss my future: status quo or the greatunknown; coinciding with the typical eatingchallenges/post-chemo side effect which lastsa week to 10 days after treatment. If this cycleof gloom doesn’t sound like fun, you’re right,but it’s a living/my life and I’m extraordinarily(I didn’t want to say “damn”) lucky to be ableto live it.

And recently having spoken to a new stageIV, non-small cell lung cancer “diagnosee,”who’s on a 24-hour morphine drip andPercocet every four hours because he’s inconstant pain, I know how amazingly fortu-nate I am/have been since being originallydiagnosed in late February, 2009. Sure, I’vehad my share of pain and discomfort, but inthe medical-measuring system I’d give it a “1.”Hardly the stuff with which nightmares aremade (see column in a few weeks, as yetuntitled).

I’ve always been a great believer in con-text. Not so much comparison because whatyou see and what you get are not necessarilyrelevant, comparatively speaking, but morethat the circumstances are all relative. It takesme back to Popeye the Sailor Man, whoapologizing to no one, always said: “I ‘yamwhat I ‘yam.” And so am I. When I see othercancer patients at the Infusion Center, when Italk to cancer survivors, when I hear or read ofother cancer patient circumstances, I try tolive and learn, not take it personally, andcount my blessings. Given the hand that I wasdealt back on Feb. 27, 2009 I wouldn’t say“Wild” Bill Hickok (and his black aces andblack eights) came to mind, but my life,according to the “11 month to two-year”prognosis I was given, certainly passed beforeme – and much sooner than I had anticipated.

In spite of my diagnosis/prognosis, and themiscellaneous ups and downs that I and mostcancer patients endure, I’ve never given in tomy oncologist’s initial assessment. It was sounbelievable hearing such grim news, espe-cially considering that I was age 54 and a half,that it almost seemed like an out-of-bodyexperience, sort of like Scrooge in CharlesDickens “novella, “A Christmas Carol.” Surewe were listening attentively and asked ourshare of questions, but it didn’t seem real oreven about me, sort of. I mean at this junc-ture, I had no pain and no symptoms and nofamily history of cancer – and I was a life-longnon-smoker. Yet here I was, in the bulls eye ofa dreaded disease with no known cure receiv-ing a modest life expectancy/two percentchance of living beyond five years.

But eight years and five months later, here Isit, breathe and try to write some wrongsabout a life mostly unexpected, and one inwhich I haven’t sweated too many details norconcerned myself with the “nattering nabobsof negativism,” to quote former VicePresident, Spiro T. Agnew, specifically as itrelates to lung cancer outcomes. Which aredramatically improving.

New drug approvals and increased fundingfor lung cancer research has infused hope intolung cancer patient’s lives. Routines withwhich us lung cancer patients/survivors havebecome accustomed will be less routine andwill make our lives more fulfilling. It might notbe perfect, but it’s definitely a life worth liv-ing.

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takes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.-Werner Heisenberg

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

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDHaven of Northern Virginia provides support,

compassion, information and resources to thebereaved and seriously ill. To become a Havenvolunteer, please call 703-941-7000 to requestan orientation. Volunteers must complete a 30-hour training and commit to one year of serviceanswering Haven phones (2.5 hours weekly).Next training is scheduled for fall 2017.

AUG. 2-30Fit for Life Classes. 11 a.m.-noon at the Bruen

Chapel United Methodist Church, 3035 CedarLane, Fairfax. Fairfax Fit for Life Classes aresponsored by the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna to improve strength, balance andmobility for older adults. Call 703-281-0538 oremail [email protected].

THROUGH AUG. 25Summer Lunches. The Fairfax County Public

Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Serviceswill be hosting the FEEDS (Food for Every Childto Eat During Summer) BBQ program, a USDA-funded program is free to all children 18 yearsand under and $2 for adults. There is noregistration involved, and open to everyone.Meal service will be provided at the followingsites Monday-Friday, 11:30-1 p.m. No service onJuly 3 and 4. In the Springfield area, FEEDS isoffered at the following schools:

❖ Springfield Gardens Apartments, 6116Cumberland Ave.

❖ Springfield Square Apartments, 7000 RhodenCourt, starts at noon

❖ Chelsea Square Apartments, 5734 Backlick Road,starts at noon

ONGOINGShepherd’s Center of Fairfax-Burke serves

those 50 and older who no longer drive.Volunteer drivers are needed for trips(Monday-Friday) to medical appointments andcompanion shopping within the Fairfax/Burkearea. Office workers are needed to answerphones in the SCFB office (Monday-Friday) tomatch drivers and those who need rides. Call703-323-4788.

Positive Parenting Strategies Course. AtPHILLIPS, 7010 Braddock Road, Annandale. Aseries of classes and in home consultationstaught by PHILLIPS’ counselors. Open to all localfamilies. Call Stacy Stryjewski at 703-658-9054.

Thermal Camera Loan Program. Learn wherethe energy is leaking out of the home with aspecial attachment for the iPhone or Android.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/energy or call 703-324-5955 for more.

Master Gardener Training. The Fairfax CountyMaster Gardener Association offers plant clinics,home turf training or speakers for homeowner’smeetings. Fees vary. Visit fairfaxgardening.orgor call MG Help Desk at 703-324-8556 for more.

Fairfax Rotary Club Meeting 12:15-1:30 p.m.Mondays. American Legion, 3939 Oak St.,Fairfax. Meetings with luncheon and program.fairfaxrotary.org.

NARFE Monthly Meeting Every Second Tuesday11:30 a.m. American Legion Post 177 located at3939 Oak Street, Fairfax. NARFE Fairfax 737monthly luncheon meeting. Enjoy lunchaccompanied by a special program. Lunch atnoon. Cost: $11 Speaker/Program-12:[email protected] 703-501-0020

Civil War Research scholarship to a public orprivate high school senior who resides inFairfax, Fairfax City, Prince William County,Manassas City, or Manassas Park from the BullRun Civil War Roundtable in Centreville, Va.Visit bullruncwrt.org for more.

Fairfax-based non-profit Britepaths offersfree Financial Education Classes Sessionsat various locations in the Fairfax County area tolow- and middle-income adults who residethroughout Northern Virginia. The offerings arefree and open to the public, but reservations arerequired.https://britepaths.org/news/get-financially-fit-new-year

Fairfax County needs volunteers to drive olderadults to medical appointments and wellnessprograms. For these and other volunteeropportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

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