great falls meal tax in great falls supervisors debateconnectionarchives.com/pdf/2016/101916/great...

Great Falls Connection ❖ October 19-25, 2016 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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October 19-25, 2016

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Great FallsGreat Falls

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News, Page 14

Supervisors DebateMeal Tax in Great Falls

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Horses Need No Cajolingto Stay on Land

News, Page 4

Supervisors DebateMeal Tax in Great Falls

Horses Need No Cajolingto Stay on Land

Visitors look through the artwork at The Artists’Loft at the Great Falls Village Green during the13th annual Great Falls Studios 2016 Art Tourlast weekend, Oct. 14-16, in Great Falls.

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2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 19-25, 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Great Falls Connection ❖ October 19-25, 2016 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

2016 SATTest Critical Math Writing Combined

Takers Reading ScoreSchool (Mean) (Mean) (Mean) (Mean)Annandale High School 319 506 524 490 1520Bryant Alternative High School 3 - - -Centreville High School 437 546 570 537 1653Chantilly High School 506 558 585 542 1685Edison High School 291 504 510 484 1498Fairfax High School 475 535 550 518 1603Falls Church High School 218 508 521 481 1510Hayfield Secondary School 367 515 516 499 1530Herndon High School 324 540 556 525 1621Lake Braddock Secondary School 536 561 573 539 1673Langley High School 369 614 633 604 1851Lee High School 234 491 505 480 1476Madison High School 377 596 608 585 1789Marshall High School 340 564 578 557 1699McLean High School 420 601 623 597 1821Mount Vernon High School 238 471 468 448 1387Mountain View Alternative High School 4 - - -Oakton High School 471 581 600 569 1750Quander Road School 1 - - -Robinson Secondary School 522 564 577 544 1685South County High School 412 532 550 516 1598South Lakes High School 358 558 571 542 1671Stuart High School 243 498 506 485 1489Thomas Jefferson High School 442 720 761 717 2198

for Science and TechnologyWest Potomac High School 312 525 534 512 1571West Springfield High School 445 564 560 535 1659Westfield High School 465 539 552 518 1609Woodson High School 487 587 600 568 1755

FCPS AVG 551.12 565.24 535.68 1652Virginia Public Schools 516 513 493 1522United States 487 494 472 1453

All data from VDOE and The College Board

NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

Langley Marching Saxons Win US Bands Marine Corps InvitationalLangley Marching Saxons won first place at the US Bands Marine Corps Invitational in Annapolis, Md. on Oct. 1. The band had a great perfor-mance in only its third competition in the history of the Langley High marching band.

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

On average, Fairfax CountyPublic High Schools per-formed better on the SAT college placement exam in 2016

than the Commonwealth of Virginia over-all average.

Virginia students also outscored the na-tional numbers, according to data releasedlast week by the Virginia Department ofEducation and the College Board, the orga-nization that publishes the SAT.

The two groups reported 65 percent ofVirginia public school graduates took theSAT. Of that number, they said 45.2 percentearned the College Board benchmark forcollege readiness.

By achieving a combined score of 1550— including critical reading, math and writ-ing scores — the College Board believesthose students stand a 65 percent chanceof holding a B-average during their first yearin college.

Virginia’s 65 percent beat the nationalaverage of 37.3 percent of SAT-takers reach-ing the benchmark.

“While the overall performance of Vir-ginia students compares favorably with thatof their nationwide peers, the wide achieve-ment gaps visible when we dig deeper intothe data remind us that outcomes are notimproving for far too many students ofcolor,” Virginia Board of Education Presi-dent Billy K. Cannaday Jr. said in a state-ment. “Narrowing and ultimately closingthese gaps is the state board’s top priority.”

THE FAIRFAX COUNTY AVERAGES topVirginia in each category, aided by uncom-monly high scores from the magnet Tho-mas Jefferson High School for Science andTechnology, which requires its own test andapplication process for admission.

Jefferson comprised more than 63 per-cent Asian students for the 2015-2106school year, 1.5 percent African American,2.23 percent Hispanic, 25.43 percent Cau-casian and 7.4 percent other, according toFairfax County Public Schools.

Langley High School also posted averages

of above 600 in each SAT category.The majority of Langley’s student body

in 2015-2016 was white, with just over 65percent. Asians were second with 23.47percent, next Hispanic and other each withabout 5 percent, and black with less than apercent.

JEB Stuart High School is an examplewhere in each category it was above thenational average but below the Virginia andFCPS averages. Stuart also had about 100fewer test-takers (243) than the FCPS av-erage (343).

Stuart was half Hispanic in 2015-2016,followed by 22.97 percent white, 13.8 per-cent Asian, 10.26 percent African Americanand 2.29 percent other.

Mount Vernon was the only FCPS schoolwith average scores consistently below theFCPS, Virginia and national averages.

In 2015-2016, Mount Vernon’s studentbody was made up of 41.68 percent His-panic students, 27.6 percent African Ameri-can, 19.59 percent white, 6.28 percentAsian and 4.85 percent other.

Karen Corbett Sanders, Mount Vernonrepresentative to the Fairfax County schoolboard, said West Potomac has seen agradual increase in scores thanks to a PTSA-sponsored SAT prep program.

Students have the opportunity to take amock exam for $20, get an assessmentbased on their results of which areas theyneed help in, and then enroll in a prepcourse through the PTSA.

THIS YEAR is the first cohort at WestPotomac that will have had that opportu-nity.

“You have so many test prep organizationstoday that are really working with kids toget those scores up but a lot are expensive,”Corbett Sanders said.

The program has expanded and allowedstudents from Mount Vernon High Schoolto come over and take part as well.

“It’s one of those eye-opening things,” shesaid. “It’s just not fair for kids who can’tafford it, but the schools and parents to-gether are taking ownership, to make sureour kids get this opportunity too.”

Corbett Sanders noted Fairfax CountyPublic Schools offers online SAT prep aspart of the Adult and Community Educa-tion program. That information is avail-able here at: https://aceclasses.fcps.edu.

School systemaverage hidesachievement gap.

Fairfax County SAT Scores Above Virginia, National Levels


News

By Peyton Jacobs

The Connection

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, the GreatFalls Citizens Associationhosted debates on two majorballot issues: the proposed

Virginia Constitutional Amendment on“Right to Work” and the Fairfax CountyMeals Tax, a referendum which will be onthe November 8 election ballot. The MealsTax is a tax imposed on the purchase of allprepared or ready-to-eat foods and bever-ages. It would require all restaurants, gro-cery stores, coffee shops, movie theater con-cessions, and any other food service busi-nesses selling prepared food to collect thetax, at a proposed 4 percent rate of theamount charged for the food.

The debate featured Supervisor PatHerrity (R-Springfield) in opposition to theMeals Tax, and Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) supporting it.

IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT, Foustsaid that the tax at a 4 percent rate would

raise an estimated $99 million by 2018,which would reduce the County’s depen-dency on real estate taxes and would di-versify their revenue base. The Board woulddedicate the net revenues to two purposes:70 percent would be allocated to FairfaxCounty Public Schools (FCPS), and the re-maining 30 percent would be devoted toCounty services, capital improvements, andproperty tax relief.

“You all see that the parks, libraries, po-licemen, and our firemen – well they all costmoney,” he said. “But where we really havethe challenges right now is in our schools.”The school system has a growing studentpopulation of 186,000 students in gradesK-12, the tenth largest school division in thecountry and the third largest employer inVirginia. “Our teachers work dramatically

below market, and they are leaving,” Foustnoted. A recent report from the Washing-ton Area Boards of Education confirms thesedisparities in pay, showing a $10,000 dif-ference between the average salary of teach-ers in Arlington County and those in FCPS,and an $8,000 difference in Falls Churchand Montgomery Counties.

Herrity had a different take on the tax.“In the last five years, taxes have increasedby 27 percent,” he said. “This regressive taxis not just about white tablecloth restaurants– it’s your morning coffee, your rotisseriechicken, and any prepared meal you maybuy.” It is a 4 percent tax on top of the 6percent sales tax, making it a 10 percenttax on food. “We do have a spending prob-lem, in my opinion,” Herrity says of theBoard. “This $100 million raised takes care

of this year’s problem but it won’t take careof next year’s – when will it stop?” He ad-dressed some of these spending problemsin detail, such as rent controlled condos inTysons and a $5 million reserve.

LAST YEAR, Herrity noted, the Board gave$89 million to Fairfax County Schools, andonly a small fraction of it went towardteachers’ salaries. “The school board needsto focus this toward the classrooms moreso than the administration,” Herrity noted.He continued on, stressing that the taxwould be unfair to local businesses, andcould affect local economies. “This is a taxattacking a single industry, the restaurantindustry, without any basis of knowledgeof how it will affect these businesses andtheir employees.”

Great Falls business owner of The OldBrogue, Mike Kearney, agreed with thispoint. “Of all the different hats I have wornin this community, the one I do not want towear is that of a tax collector,” he said. “Itis unfair. People find affordability, fellow-ship, and good quality at my restaurant.This 10 percent makes a difference whenyou’re on a fixed income or a senior citi-zen, which 30 percent of my customers are.”Tim Thompson, president of the FairfaxCounty Federation of Citizens Association,disagreed. “I would rather pay this smallinstallment tax than have additional home-owner and real estate taxes to deal with,”he explained. “We need to not cut taxes,but control them.” In the end, it is up to theFairfax County voters to decide.

Foust, Herritypresent pro & cons ofthe proposed tax;Great Falls residentsjoin debate.

Supervisors Debate Meal Tax in Great Falls

By Ken Moore

The Connection

About 58 acres of scenicvista just north of theGreat Falls Village Center

will be preserved for the next eightyears at 9809 Arnon Chapel Road.

“It represents one of the lastlarge intact portions of formerfarmland that once characterizedthe area and is home to a well-loved horse boarding and ridingfacility, Stone Ridge Farm,” saidDranesville District Planning Com-missioner John Ulfelder.

The Planning Commission votedunanimously Thursday, Sept. 29 torecommend approval of the eight-year request made by the CajollCompany and the John W. HanesIII Settler Trust.

“The continuation of this A&FDistrict will help preserve the ru-ral agrarian character of this areaof Fairfax County,” said Ulfelder.

The Board of Supervisors isscheduled to hold a public hear-ing and make its ruling on Oct. 18,2016.

“Beyond its physical attributes,

the farm itself makes an incontest-able contribution to the well be-ing of the Great Falls Community.The combined properties providescenic views of fields with horses,broken by hedgerows filled withnatural wildlife that help to definethe character of the community,”according to the application filedby Lucy Masemer.

“Great blue herons, red shoul-dered hawks, mallards, orioles,and many other birds and wildlifecan be found raising their youngaround the ponds and pastureswithin the properties,” she wrote.

THE COUNTY offers reducedreal estate tax assessments in ex-change for a commitment to pre-serve “significant tracts of agricul-tural and forested land a commit-ment to preserve the land for thelength of the term.”

Since 1972 Stoneridge Farm hasoperated a horse boarding andriding facility on a 32-acre parcel,according to Planning Commissionstaff documents. Stoneridge farmreceived a special permit that wasapproved in August 1992, accord-

ing to the documents, that limitsthe number of horses maintainedon the site to 80. Currently, thereare approximately 40 horses onthe site.

Stoneridge Farm “plans to con-tinue operating well into the fu-ture,” according to Zoning Evalu-ation Division documents.

The agricultural and forestal dis-trict was originally established in1983 on 66.82 acres of land.

GUNNELL’S RUN FARM, a fam-ily-owned residence/horse farm,also utilizes the land for equestrianactivities and currently boards 15horses on the property.

“The majority of the farm’s landis primarily used as a pasture forthe horses, except for a small por-tion of land allocated for a farm-house and various fenced areasallocated for conservation pur-poses,” according to Planning andZoning documents. “BothStoneridge Farm and Gunnell’sRun Farm have continued to investin significant improvements, pro-viding firm evidence of their con-tinued commitment for maintain-ing and furthering the agriculturaluses of the properties.”

The 58-acre property consists offour parcels located on the southside of Arnon Chapel Road; all

Supervisors Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and John Foust (D-Dranesville)debate meals tax at the Great Falls Citizens Association meeting on Oct. 11.

Photo by Peyton Jacobs/The Connection

surrounding properties are zonedResidential Estate and are devel-oped with large-lot residentialuses.

The land is located at the head-waters of a tributary of Mine RunBranch and is located within theChesapeake Bay PreservationArea.

The subject property “may con-tain the slave cemetery associatedwith Gunnel’s Run. Further inves-tigation of this area by the CulturalResource Management and Protec-tion Branch of the Park Authorityshould be requested before grounddisturbing activity takes place.”

Horses Need No Cajoling to Stay on Land

Arnon Chapel Road

The Board ofSupervisors willhold a publichearing and possi-bly affirm thedecision to pre-serve the land onTuesday, Oct. 18.

Ken Moore/

The Connection


HalloweenSpooktacular inGreat Falls

The Halloween Spooktacularwill be held at Great Falls VillageGreen and Great Falls Center onMonday, Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m., withPet Parade at 4 p.m. (all dogsmust vacate the green by 4:50p.m.)

The Spooktacular waslaunched more than 25 yearsago to provide younger children(12 and under) with a central,convenient place in Great Falls tohave fun trick or treating.

❖ Boy Scout Troop 55 willcreate some spooky fun foreveryone in the Haunted House;

❖ The Langley Marching Bandjoins us in the Wells Fargoparking lot;

❖ Linda Waitkus of Great Dogsof Great Falls is leading the PetParade starting at the Gazebo;

❖ Look out for the Great FallsVolunteer Firefighters in theSafeway parking lot.

Week in

Great Falls


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Great Falls

By Pat Herrity

Springfield District Supervisor

I have been opposed to themeals tax from the start, butwhat has concerned memost over the last several

months has been the tactics usedto try to convince our residents tovote for it and the county’s failureto deal with its spending problems.I would like to offer some clarityon these points and why I amagainst the meals tax.

The proponents of the meals taxinsist the tax is for teachers’ sala-ries and tax relief. In fact, the bal-lot language referencing schoolsand tax relief was selected becauseit was the language that passed inother counties in Virginia and ac-cording to one supervisor “weneed to use the language that willget it passed.” In reality, the Boardof Supervisors will decide in Aprilduring the budget process howmuch funding goes to schools andthen the School Board will decidehow much funding goes to teacherraises and class size reductions.Despite the Board of Supervisorsfully funding the School Board’sfunding request last year, the fundswere not focused on fixing ourteacher salary issues.

If it passes, the meals tax willjust be an additional $100 milliontax on top of the $100M in taxesthe board passed earlier this year(over my opposition). In the lastfive years, real estate taxes alonehave increased 25 percent and sky-rocketed by $565 million. As Ihave debated proponents of themeals tax over the last severalmonths, there has been almostuniversal acknowledgement thatFairfax County has a spendingproblem. For example, FairfaxCounty offers its 35,000-pluscounty and school employees andadministrators’ unparalleled andunsustainable pensions and pre-social security benefits that evensurrounding jurisdictions do not

pay. Despite my efforts to addressthis and other spending problems,there is no plan in place to addressthese unsustainable costs and ben-efits. The meals tax is a bad wayto kick the can of addressing ourspending problems down the road.

The meals tax is also bad wayto address a spending problembecause it is a regressive tax thattargets a single industry and dis-proportionately hits those who canleast afford it — the elderly, singleworking parents, young students,and people without other options.It is not a white tablecloth restau-rant tax; it is a food tax. The mealstax would be on top of the currentsales tax resulting in a 10 percenttotal tax on any prepared food,including the rotisserie chickenfrom the grocery store, the foun-tain drink from the conveniencestore, your morning coffee, andyour food truck purchases. It isalso a tax on a single industry —one that only has a 3 percent profitmargin on average. This means themeals tax will result in the gov-ernment making more money offof a restaurant than the restaurantitself makes in profit. This is fun-damentally wrong. Restaurantsnot only provide thousands ofyoung adults with their first job,they also give back to the commu-nity through sponsorships anddonations.

Fairfax County voters have adecision to make. Do we settle forbudget deficits and tax increasesyear after year, or do we send amessage that enough is enoughand it is time to address spendingissues? I sympathize for those whosupport the tax; the Board of Su-pervisors and School Board haveled them to believe that the mealstax is some sort of silver bullet totheir budget and teacher salarieswoes. Simply put, it is not.

Pat Herrity represents theSpringfield District on the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors.

By Phillip A. Niedzielski-

Eichner

As a businessman here inFairfax and a former mem-ber of the Fairfax County

School Board, I write on behalf of acoalition of thousands ofhomeowners, parents, teachers,firefighters, police, friends and usersof our libraries and our parks andrecreation facilities, and those whobelong to churches and non-profit or-ganizations working to ensure thatFairfax County also protects those inneed [www.yesmealstax.org].

Here since 1988, I have alwaysvalued Fairfax’s pragmatic approachto local government services; i.e.,we will pay for the cost of an excel-lent education system and high-quality services as long as the costis reasonable and affordable.

Hit with the double whammy ofthe great recession and the federalbudget sequestration fiasco, theBoard of Supervisors and SchoolBoard did what they had to do un-der the circumstances — they cutcosts and reduced services.

The county reduced annual expen-ditures by $300 million and eliminated700 jobs; for the school system, $500million and 2,100 jobs.

The maintenance backlog hasgrown to over $150 million in rec-reation and park facilities alone.

We are spending less in real dol-lars per pupil this year than in 2008.We are losing our best teachers tosurrounding jurisdictions, becausesalaries are no longer competitivein the region. Class sizes are larger.

Economic recovery has been slow.While home values have grownmodestly, vacancies in office build-ings are at a 25-year high and rev-enue from commercial property taxis at historic lows.

Compounding our challenge,state funding — particularly forschools — continues to decline,with a funding shortfall for K 12education climbing to more than $1billion annually since 2009.

With 65 percent of county rev-enue now being generated by resi-dential property tax, homeownersare carrying a substantial and grow-ing share of the cost of services.

Without a more diverse revenuebase, we risk school system excel-lence and we risk the caliber ofcounty services that underpin ourquality of life. In an article earlierthis year, the Washington Post char-acterized this reality as Fairfax“fraying around the edges.”

This is the setting for the meals taxreferendum before us on Nov. 8.

Five great things will happen byapproving the meals tax:

1. $100 million will be generated.Almost a third of this revenue —$28 million — will be paid by tour-ists and visitors to Fairfax.

2. Seventy percent of the rev-enues will be directed to the schoolsystem to help stem the loss of ourbest teachers and reduce class size.

3. Our quality of life will bestrengthened by addressing unmetpolice and firefighter needs andthose of our libraries and parks.

4. The backlog in county andschool facility and infrastructuremaintenance needs can be re-duced, while also preserving ourAAA bond rating.

5. Our tax base will be more di-verse, relieving property tax pres-sure on homeowners.

Incredibly, Fairfax can do thesegreat things by paying pennies-on-the-dollar when we eat out. Few ofus ever notice paying ArlingtonCounty, Fairfax City, Falls Churchand Vienna when we eat in theirrestaurants, yet we do.

If you agree that it is importantto keep the best teachers in ourclassrooms, reduce class size, con-tinue to protect our safety andmaintain our quality of life; and fi-nally — if you believe we need tobe less dependent on homeownersto pay for all of the above — it isclear that we should vote yes forthe meals tax. It’s literally a pen-nies-on-the-dollar solution.

A food tax is not a silver bullet. Reduces dependence on property tax.

No to the Meals Tax Yes to the Meals Tax

After careful consideration, theFairfax – Falls Church Partnershipto Prevent and End Homelessnesshas decided to fully support theproposed 4 percent Fairfax CountyMeals Tax.

Seventy percent of the fundsraised by the tax will go to ourFairfax County Schools. Ourschools have an integral role in

identifying and assisting our home-less and at risk youth as part of ourhomeless service system. Providingadditional funding for the schoolsonly makes sense.

Thirty percent of the fundsraised by the tax will go to thecounty’s general fund to be usedfor priorities as identified by theBoard of Supervisors. One of

these priorities is preventing andending homelessness. In 2008the Board of Supervisors adoptedthe Implementation Plan to Pre-vent Homelessness. At the verybeginning of that Plan, thecounty stated: “By 2018, everyperson in our community willaccess and maintain decent, safe,affordable housing.”

We fully expect a portion of thefunds raised by the meals tax willbe used for this important priority.

Michael L. O’ReillyChairman, Board of the Fairfax

Falls Church Partnership toPrevent and End Homelessness

Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness Supports Meals TaxLetters to the Editor

More Letters, Page 9


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Letters

Time to MakeHard ChoicesTo the Editor:

I grew up in Los Angeles, livedin Chicago and also New York. Ineach of these cities, there were al-ways a myriad of new taxes andfees proposed with the promise ofthe resultant funds going to goodcauses - mostly schools. In theseDemocratic strongholds the taxesalmost always passed. Unfortu-nately, the schools and other pro-grams for which the funds wereto be used never got better. In fact,over time the money got waylaidinto other programs and activitiesfor which it was not originally in-tended. It’s safe to say that in thesecities, many who can afford it,send their children to privateschools - not a roaring endorse-ment of their public education.Now we want to do the same thingin Fairfax County. Based on myexperience, here is what will

happen: At first everything willwork as advertised but within afew years additional programs willbe added to the schools based onthese new funds. At the same time,politicians eyeing a windfall willstart to divert those funds to otherprograms deemed important. We

will then be informed that themeals tax will need to be raisedbecause the schools don’t haveenough money. And over timeproperty taxes will keep rising.The result will be higher taxes, ahigher cost of living, and schoolsthat we will be told are still des-perately underfunded. Don’t

take my word for it, check outthese high tax cities that still haveunderperforming schools. Or justlook at Maryland where taxes todate are higher than in Virginia butthey are still constantly seekingnew monies for schools and otherprograms.

The answer is not new taxeswhich will set a precedent for taxeson other goods or services, butrather politicians and heads ofschools actually taking the respon-sibility to manage the funds thatare available. This means havingto make hard decisions. Do weneed translation services into 20some odd languages. Are expen-sive sports programs, languageimmersion programs, art pro-grams, music programs, fancytechnology, psychological pro-grams, etc. all as important asteaching children english, math,science and history and payingteachers a decent wage? All ofthese programs are terrific but in

a world in which we have finitefunds we have to get back to pri-oritizing. Instead we expect gov-ernment and schools to be allthings to all people. An impossibletask. Please vote “no” to the newmeals tax and ask your school andgovernment to better manage ourexisting revenue.

Christine GaborGreat Falls

Taking Usfor GrantedTo the Editor:

Now that Barbara Comstock hasbelatedly Dumped Trump it is timeto move on to another importantissue. In reading her most recentnewsletter, I noted that Comstockdid not seem to have an office inFairfax County. Thinking that thismust be typo, I checked her con-gressional website and confirmedthat Comstock has congressionaloffices in Sterling and Winchesterand on the Hill but nothing inFairfax County. With all due re-spect to Loudon and Prince Will-iams counties, what is FairfaxCounty chopped liver? A cynic

See Letters, Page 11


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News

Seminar for Aspiring Eagle ScoutsOn Saturday, Oct. 8, the Powhatan Scout District held its Fall“Life to Eagle” Seminar for aspiring Eagle scouts. The two-hourbriefing detailed the requirements for mounting an Eagle Scoutservice project and for the application that scouts must fileafterwards to reach Eagle rank. Pictured: Eagle Scout GregGersony, Troop 673 (Great Falls) fields a question on his 2015Eagle project, a safety and recreation trail in Riverbend Park,together with Herndon Eagle Scouts Michael George (Troop1570) and Matthew Lawley (Troop 157).


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might say that Comstock is usingtaxpayer dollars to shore up sup-port in counties more in tune withher Tea Party predilections. Forthose who might feel that this is anon-issue, I would contend thatthis is simply one of the more vis-ible ways of telling that Comstockis not right for Fairfax County andis taking residents here forgranted.

Arthur Kingdom IIIGreat Falls

From Page 9

Letters

Comstock’sRecord ofAccomplishmentsTo the Editor:

Other than sending a massiveamount of attack mailers, I haven’theard anything from LuAnnBennett about her accomplishmentsor what she might do or why she’seven running for the 10th Congres-sional seat against our proven in-cumbent, Barbara Comstock. Per-haps the absence of relevant infor-mation is the result of Ms. Bennettliving outside the 10th District forthe majority of the past decade. Idon’t want to vote for someonewhose primary goal is to pursue andsupport Nancy Pelosi’s personalagenda rather than the specific in-terests of the people of the 10thDistrict of Virginia.

LuAnn Bennett has done noth-ing to earn our votes. BarbaraComstock has.

Barbara has tirelessly and hon-orably served in many ways dat-ing back to her time in the VirginiaHouse of Delegates. She hasworked extensively to increase ourNational Defense spending andprotect national security.

She’s also assisted in creatingmajor legislation to help cut downhuman trafficking, to fight theheroin epidemic with landmarklegislation, and has worked to pass$600 billion in tax relief forAmerica’s families and small busi-nesses. All of her efforts have ben-efited constituents – Democrats,Republicans and Independents –in her district.

Barbara also co-sponsored andvoted for the 21st Century CuresAct to advance better detection,management and, ultimately,cures of chronic diseases such asdiabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer.That sounds like a really great startto me! Barbara works with peopleacross the District on a non-parti-san basis, and is constantly intouch with her constituents.

Renee S. PotterMcLean


lies a multitude of opportunities for con-versations about civics and discussions ofdemocracy, navigating the current politicalclimate requires added dexterity.

Use the election season to facilitate con-versations in a way that is relatable to chil-dren based on their age and experiences,advises Vesely. “By … discussing the differ-ent issues … parents with school-age and

Photo Courtesy of BASIS Independent

The election season offers students such as those at BASIS IndependentSchool in McLean an opportunity to learn about the political process.

older children can use the election seasonas an opportunity to expand their children’sthinking in relation to current social issuesand history,” she said. “Parents can use theelection as fodder to hone their children’scritical thinking skills with real-life issuesby helping them critique candidates’ opin-ions” as well as “understand different pointsof view on a variety of issues and develop See Election, Page 13

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

While Colleen K. Vesely haswatched televised debatesand political events withher children throughout

this election season, an event during whichthe American Civil Rights movement wasdiscussed stands out. It was a concept her3-year-old daughter didn’t grasp, of course.But Vesely used the moment as opportunityto start guiding her children through thisyear’s election season.

“I asked her to think about what she mightdo if someone at school was being mean toone of her friends, to which, she promptlyreplied, ‘I’d tell them to stop being meanand that I don’t like it,’” said Vesely, an as-sistant professor of early childhood educa-tion and human development and familyscience at George Mason University. “Elec-tions offer opportunities to consider the im-portance of service and standing up fordemocratic principles. … However, the toneof this general election season is different.”

Still, Vesely and other educators say thatwhile election cycles typically offer fami-

Local educators offer suggestions for navigating acomplicated political climate.

Discussing the Election with Children

their persuasive arguments.” This is an ex-ercise Vesely has used with her own chil-dren.

“During primary season, my 6-year-oldand I watched a number of the candidates’speeches,” she said. “We talked about theissues and each person as a human being.… I offered reasons as to why I admired(some of) the candidates.”

Focusing on citizenship and character isa strategy Vesely advises parents to use withchildren who are preschool-age andyounger: “Parents might discuss what itmeans to be a good citizen in their home,”she said. “For example, helping put awaytheir toys when they are done playing, be-ing nice to their classmates, helping theirfriends and teacher.”

Similarly, local schools are developingcreative ways to fit the Nov. 8 election intotheir lesson plans. For example, “since stu-dents are only in middle school for onepresidential election, Norwood School takesadvantage of this opportunity to help stu-dents begin to understand how to go aboutcomparing candidates’ positions on basic

“Parents can usethe election asfodder to hone theirchildren’s criticalthinking skills .…”

— Colleen K. Vesely, Ph.D.,George Mason University.


�

Learn as if youwere to liveforever; live as ifyou were going todie tomorrow.

—John Wooden�

From Page 12

issues, and also to help them un-derstand how the presidentialelection process works,” saidMichele Claeys, associate head ofschool and head of middle school,Norwood School in Potomac, Md.

To help students learn to under-stand issues and evaluate andcompare candidates, teacherswork together to create age-appro-priate mini-lessons about candi-dates’ positions on a small num-ber of issues. “Students will ex-plore and discuss — not debate —the issues, and learn how to findadditional information on theirown if they are interested,” saidClaeys.

On Election Day, middle schoolstudents will participate in a mockelection designed to help themunderstand how the electoral pro-cess works. They will be dividedinto groups of different sizes withdifferent numbers of electoralvotes, representing each of the 50states. “After both the real andmock elections, teachers will usethe results to illustrate how theprocess works,” said Claeys.“Throughout these lessons, ouremphasis will be on respectful dia-logue and consideration of mul-tiple perspectives and experi-ences.”

Educators at BASIS IndependentSchool in McLean are teaching stu-dents about the political processby linking it to the selection of theschool’s mascot. By allowing stu-dents to choose a symbol to rep-resent the school, teachers hopeto initiate a broad conversationabout awareness, empathy andother values.

“Especially for our younger stu-dents, conversations about how amascot represents the qualitiesand values of our school serves asa good metaphor for the more se-rious representation in politicalcontexts,” said Sean Aiken, headof school. “Some students prefertraditional mascots to give ourschool a sense of familiarity andcamaraderie. Some want less com-mon mascots to set us apart fromother schools and celebrate ourindividuality.”

The lesson will involve the en-tire student body. “We ask ourolder students to generate ideasthat take even our youngest 3-year-olds into account so we canunite as a whole school and notjust play to specific ‘special inter-ests,” said Aiken.

“The exercise serves as an im-petus for posing thought-provok-ing questions to the students,” saysAiken. “Should we identify our-

selves as humorous, serious,fierce?” he asks. “What will hap-pen if the greater numbers of stu-dents in the middle school prefera mascot that the much smallernumber of sophomores do not pre-fer? Should we use some sort ofdelegate system or stick withpopular vote? How will we feel ifour top choice for mascot ulti-mately is not selected, and whatis the appropriate response to thatfeeling? Does our choice of mas-cot represent not just our currentcommunity but those who will joinus in the future?”

The activities, says Aiken, openthe door for conversations aboutfairness and frustration in waysthat are meaningful and age ap-propriate, and that can be put intothe context of the current electionseason. “While our situation as abrand-new school is somewhatunique, the idea of mascot repre-sentation weaves through ourwhole society and could certainlybe used to frame a conversationbetween students and their fami-lies about tone, identity and coop-eration,” he said.

Parents should also be aware ofthe ways the election is affectingtheir own emotional states andthus their families. “As I watch thepresidential debates and continueto read the media coverage of theelection, I find myself in an agi-tated and anxious emotionalstate,” said Vesely. “This height-ened emotional state with feelingsof stress and agitation can spillover into family relationships,leaving us less present and sensi-tive in our interactions with ourchildren and partners.”

Choose the information childrenare exposed to thoughtfully and beprepared for questions, say ex-perts. “The 2016 general electionseason [has been] described bysome as dark and more negativethan any of the recent past elec-tions,” Vesely said. “We want toencourage our children’s partici-pation in the political process, but… it can sometimes be ugly andhurtful.”

Shielding children, says Vesely,doesn’t mean ignoring negativityentirely, however. “Parents shouldbe prepared to talk through whatchildren might hear from otherchildren on the playground or atschool,” she said. “Parents oughtto pay attention to … theirchildren’s emotional states … es-pecially after viewing or discuss-ing election-related media. As par-ents, we can look for teachablemoments in which we might ex-press notions of treating othershow [we] want to be treated.”

Talking About Election


News

About 500 visitors and 59 artists took partin the 13th annual Great Falls Studios2016 Art Tour last weekend, Fridaythrough Sunday, Oct. 14-16, in Great Falls.

Working artists opened their homes and studios tovisitors all over the back roads ofGreat Falls, and the three group artstudios at the Village Green — TheArtists’ Atelier, Artists on the Green,and The Artists’ Loft — participatedas well. It was a chance to see artistsat work in historic outbuildings, re-mote sheds, converted garages andother unusual places.

“The really fun thing about this an-nual event is seeing people from allover the region enjoy the variety ofart that the artists of Great Falls share.It’s a great community event,” saidJulie Casso, Executive Director of TheArts of Great Falls. “It’s fun to drivedown the winding roads of Great Fallsand come across a hidden studio.”

“Visitors can visit artists in their owncreative spaces; they can see art be-ing made on site, talk to artists about

their process and inspiration, and purchase an origi-nal piece of art,” said Cindy Grisdela, a fiber artist atThe Artists’ Atelier.

“I think this is a great opportunity to bring the com-munity to see the art that’s being produced in GreatFalls,” said painter Judith St. Ledger-Roty. “It’s verydiverse; we have oil painters, mixed media, acrylicpainters, photographers, and a diversity that hassprung up in the last several years. It’s great becauseit’s three days and people can come and meet theirfriends, have a cup of coffee and enjoy seeing the artthat’s here.”

— Steve Hibbard

Some 59 artists open theirhomes and studios to 500visitors over weekend.

Great Falls StudiosWelcome Community

Watercolor artist Betty Ganley specializes in nauticalscenes and florals.

Potter Robin Smith holdsup a Chili Bowl.

Yeganeh Hejazi with herwork, On a Stage, at TheArtists’ Loft at theVillage Green.

Cindy Grisdela demon-strates free-motion quilt-ing at The Artists’ Atelierin the Village Green.

Jill Banks ofFairfax with herpiece, HudsonRiver Morn at TheArtists’ Atelier inthe Village Green.

Judith St. Ledger-Roty with herpainting calledThrough the Mistat The Artists’Atelier in theVillage Green.

Roberta Beasley with her acrylic mixed media calledAspen Grove at The Artists’ Atelier in the Village Green.

Donna Robinson with her work, Mums and Freesia, at TheArtists’ Loft at the Village Green.

Layered paper artist Ronni Jolles with some of her Paint-ings with Paper.

Photos by Steve Hibbard/The Connection


Calendar

See Calendar, Page 16

Send announcements toconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.Deadline is Friday at noon for thefollowing week’s paper. Photos/artworkencouraged.

ONGOINGMeadow Farms Fall Festival Great

Falls Oct. 3 - Oct. 31 Mondaythrough Friday 8 - 7 p.m. Saturday 8- 6 p.m. Sunday 9 - 6 p.m. 10618Leesburg Pike, Vienna. There will bepumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, mums,pansies, and star bales. We will alsohave moon bounces, giantscarecrows, haunted buses, pipes forkids to go through, and weekendconcessions. meadowsfarms.com

The Pumpkin Patch beginningMonday Oct. 10 4 -7 p.m. then opendaily Sunday - Friday 11 - 7 p.m. and10 - 6 p.m. on Saturdays throughOct. 31. at St. Thomas’ EpiscopalChurch 8991 Brook Rd McLean. Allof the money raised by our pumpkinpatch is donated to support local

charities. 703-442-0330.Great Falls Farmers Market.

Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 778 WalkerRoad Great Falls.greatfallsfarmersmarket.org

National Parks Photography Oct. 3through Oct. 31 During Great FallsLibrary Hours 9830 GeorgetownPike. “Shapes and Colors of ourSouthwest National Parks”Photography exhibit by Dee Leggettcapturing gorgeous shapes and colorsof the beautiful scenes in many ofour National Parks and Monuments.Cost: Free.DeeLeggettPhotography.vpweb.com

Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 PotomacHills Street, Great Falls. Rentalsavailable during visitor center hours.Fishing tackle and live bait areavailable for purchase. Reservationsrequired for group rentals. $6/rental(2hr max). Valid driver’s licenserequired. Our rod/reel combinationsare perfect for beginners andchildren. A Virginia or Marylandfreshwater fishing license is required

for persons 16 years or older. Thepark does not sell fishing licenses.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/

Great Falls Studios Virtual GalleryOpen online 24/7 at http://www.greatfallsstudios.com/copy-of-virtual-gallery for the month ofOctober. The gallery features themember artists participating in theGreat Falls Studios 2016 Art Tour.During the month of October, in theLarge Meeting room at the GreatFalls Community Library, 9830Georgetown Pike, GF, member artistsparticipating in the Art Tour are ondisplay. The exhibit will be openduring regular library hours.

Colvin Run Mill open 11 - 4 p.m.daily, closed Tuesday. 10017 ColvinRun Rd, Great Falls. Fairfax County’soperational 19th century waterpowered gristmill, offers recreationaland educational activities for all agesthrough daily tours, school programs

Photo contributed by FCPA

Fully Explore the Historic Colvin Run Mill Saturday Oct. 22 at 1:30 p.m. at 10017 ColvinRun Road in Great Falls. Reservations must be made by Tuesday, October 4 by calling703-759-2771. Come see the entire historic mill, including areas that are rarely open tothe public. The suggested donation for the tour is $10 per person.


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Calendar

and special events. Fees: $7/adult,$6 students 16+ with ID, $5 children& seniors. Winter Hours: January &February, 11am-4pm, last tour 3pm.Admission to park is FREE except forsome special events.

Art Walk in the Village: FirstFridays beginning Sept. 9, 6 - 9p.m. through Dec.31 at 756 WalkerRoad, Great Falls. Admission free andopen to the public. greatfallsart.org/artwalk/

One-To-One English ConversationOct. 1 through Oct. 31 101 PatrickHenry Library 101 Maple Ave E,Vienna. Call to Register. 703- 938-0405

THURSDAY/OCT. 20Great Falls Teen Writer’s Group 6 -

7 p.m. 9830 Georgetown Pike GreatFalls, VA 22066. Great Falls MeetingRoom. Celebrate the spookiest timeof the year by sharing an originalscary story or practice yourstorytelling by reading a classic. Ages8 to 18. 703-438-4503

SATURDAY/OCT. 22Fully Explore Historic Colvin Run

Mill 1:30 p.m. 10017 Colvin RunRoad in Great Falls. Reservationsmust be made by Tuesday, October 4by calling 703-759-2771. See theentire historic mill, including areasthat are rarely open to the public.The suggested donation for the touris $10 per person.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/colvinrunmill/.

SUNDAY/ OCT. 23New Dominion Chorale 4 p.m. St.

Luke Catholic Church, 7001Georgetown Pike, McLean. Thechorale will be joined by PaulSkevington, and some ofWashington’s finest professionalsingers, the soloists from The DistrictEight vocal ensemble. Cost: $15-30.www.newdominion.org

WEDNESDAY/OCT. 26, 2016The Cinderella Dream Celebration

at Karin’s Florist begins at 3:30p.m. located at 527 Maple AvenueEast in Vienna. 70th annual ViennaHalloween Parade in a horse-drawnCinderella carriage adorned inthousands of fresh flowers. A specialguest will also be joining the royalcouple. A lucky little girl will bechosen via social media contest toride in the Cinderella carriage withthe Royal Couple and live the life of aprincess for one night. Sixty ticketswill be available on a first-come first-serve basis until all the tickets aregiven out. At 4:00pm, there will bean introduction of the Royal Coupleand the Little Princess winner. Guests

with tickets will have the opportunityto take photos and talk withCinderella and Prince Charming onthe red carpet. The ViennaHalloween Parade starts at 7:00pmand ends at 9:00pm.

70th Annual Vienna HalloweenParade 7 p.m. Maple Avenue,Vienna. “Celebrating 125 Years of theTown of Vienna” come in costume tocelebrate Halloween. Viennava.gov

THURSDAY, OCT. 27Great Falls Writers Group meets for

writing fun and an energeticdiscussion of the writing process. Nomembership required. Writers of alllevels are welcome. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike, 11a.m.-12:30 p.m.

FRIDAY/OCT.28Meeting of the McLean Art Society

10 a.m.- noon hosted by Mclean ArtSociety at the McLean CommunityCenter, 1234 Ingleside Ave. Mr.Spollen will be using pastels todemonstrate drawing withspontaneity and pastel painting.Guests are welcome andrefreshments are served. 703 790-0123

SATURDAY/ OCT. 29Concert: The David Trio 4 - 6 p.m.

Saint Francis Episcopal Church 9220Georgetown Pike Great Falls.ThisItalian ensemble brings the sound ofviolin, cello, and piano to St. Francischancel. The sardonic ShostakovichOp. 67 Trio is balanced by a gentleSchubert Notturno and the spiritedenergy of Haydn’s A-flat majorTrio.Cost: Season pass $150 or $30at the door. Amadeusconcerts.com

Oktoberfest Rotary InauguralFundraiser 5 p.m. Two Germanbands, Bavarian dancers, rovingaccordionist, German food, bier andwine. Cost:$ 100www.rotarygreatfalls.org

SUNDAY/OCT. 30Voce Chamber Singers “Autumn

Nocturne” Concert 4 - 5:30 p.m.Church of the Holy Comforter 543Beulah Rd NE Vienna. Celebrateautumn and its imagery with VoceChamber Singers. The programincludes works of Brahms, Schubert,and Lauridsen, and features Brahms’sAlto Rhapsody. Purchase ticketsthrough the website, www.voce.org,or at the door. Admission: Adult:$25; Senior (62+): $20; Student:$10 under 18 free.

Photo courtesy of Meadow Farms

Meadow Farms Fall Festivalin Great Falls is a greatplace to find pumpkins andfall decorations. The Festi-val runs through Oct. 31and features a variety ofFall themed activitiesincluding moon bounces,giant scarecrows, hauntedbuses. Meadow FarmsGreat Falls is open Mondaythrough Friday, 8 - 7 p.m.,Saturday 8 - 6 p.m. andSunday 9 - 6 p.m. at 10618Leesburg Pike, Vienna.

Plan Ahead Great FallsTUESDAY/NOV. 1College Savings Information Sessions 7 - 8 p.m. Dolley Madison Library

1244 Oak Ridge Ave McLean. Join this information session to hear aboutthe four college savings programs offered by Virginia529. In one hour,you’ll learn how to: Prepay tuition, Save for other costs, such as housing,meal plans and textbooks, Take advantage of the Virginia college savingsstate income tax deduction, Meet your savings goals. Visit Virginia529.com.

SATURDAY/NOV. 5Stop Hunger Now Meal Packaging Event 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Redeemer

Lutheran Church 1545 Chain Bridge Rd McLean. To donate to Stop HungerNow McLean or to register to volunteer for the November 5th Meal PackingEvent go to http://events.stophungernow.org/McLeanRotary2016


News

By Ken Moore

The Connection

Dranesville Planning CommissionerJohn Ulfelder described the enjoyment a 22.13-acre contiguous parcelof land at 910 Utterback Store Road

gives Great Falls.“For many years, Great Falls residents have found

just the right tree for Christmas, fresh vegetables andeggs for their table, and pumpkins for Halloween atKrop’s Farm,” said Ulfelder.

When he said, “It’s fun for everyone, along withthe fresh produce and the reminder of a slower-pacedtime in Fairfax County,” Ulfelder drew a smile fromLee District Planning Commissioner JamesMigliaccio.

Fairfax County offers reduced real estate tax as-sessments in exchange for “a commitment to pre-serve significant tracts of agricultural and forestedland a commitment to preserve the land for the lengthof the term.”

Lawrence Krop applied for the Krop Local Agricul-tural and Forestal District to renew its A&F Districtstatus for another eight years. The Planning Com-mission recommended approval of the applicationwith an unanimous vote on Thursday, Sept. 29.

“The property owner is to be commended for thededication to the ongoing stewardship of this prop-

erty,” said Michael Lynskey, with the Fairfax CountyDepartment of Planning and Zoning.

The property is located in Great Falls at the inter-section of Georgetown Pike and Utterback StoreRoad, not far from Route 7.

The property, comprising five contiguous parcels,was established in 1999. The Krops grow Christmastrees, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, beans, pep-pers, cucumbers and pumpkins, according to plan-ning commission documents.

Part of the property was used as a large dairy farmuntil 1977 when the applicant acquired the prop-erty and began growing Christmas trees for its sea-sonal “cut-your-own Christmas tree” operation.“Fields of Canaan Fir, Douglas Fir and Blue Spruceare maintained, harvested and replanted,” accord-ing to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conser-vation District.

The Krops also sell produce and eggs from the prop-erty at a roadside farm stand.

As promised, Krop has not substantially altered theproperty since the creation of the district in July1999; Lawrence Krop renewed his status in 2008.

Five acres of the site are in agricultural use, 15acres remain forested or in Christmas tree produc-tion and two acres are devoted to the owner’s resi-dence.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hear therequest on Oct. 18, at 3:30 p.m.

Christmas Trees Cut Only for Taxes

Brightview Great Falls, a popular se-nior living community in Great Falls,is partnering with The Madeira

School, an all-girls day and boarding schoolin McLean.

Volunteers from the tenth grade will ex-perience a variety of roles and job respon-sibilities at the community during the falland spring semesters in what is known atMadeira as Sophomore Co-Curriculum.

The off-campus internship experienceconnects students to their local communityand to the concepts of social responsibilityand civic engagement.

“A pillar of Madeira’s founding was thenotion of Service,” said Kerin Hamel, Di-rector of Co-Curriculum. “We find that stu-dents acquire valuable knowledge aboutand empathy for underserved populations/issues when immersed in that social situa-tion. As a device for learning, it is of theutmost importance. Young women in par-ticular have innate empathy that makesthem good stewards of the community.”

“The benefit of having partners such asBrightview is that they help supplement thenatural willingness with context [and] real-life experiences for understanding andgrowth.”

In groups of 5 to 14, the students volun-teer at area schools, various nonprofits, andlocal government organizations. The Co-Curriculum Fall semester runs each dayfrom Oct. 11 – Nov. 10.

Brightview Senior Living’s PresidentMarilynn Duker will host a meet and greet

for the six Brightview interns on Oct. 25.The community will also host other guestspeakers including Buckley Fricker, localauthor and owner of Buckley’s for Seniors.

“This program allowed me to experiencea professional environment apart from myfamily and friends,” noted CarolynPennington, Community Sales Director andMadeira Alumna. “Learning something en-

tirely new was intimidating but realizing Icould develop ideas and strengths throughparticipating was empowering.”

“I am thrilled that Brightview can offerthese girls the same opportunity.”

Other sites for Co-Curriculum includeSpecial Olympics, Garfield ElementarySchool, The Kilmer Center, Calleva Farms,NOVA Family Service (a Head Start Center)

and Claude Moore Colonial Farm.Brightview Senior Living and its parent

company, The Shelter Group, successfullycreate and manage innovative, award-win-ning senior living communities in the mid-Atlantic to New England region. For moreinformation on Brightview Senior Living,visit www.brightviewseniorliving.com

Ken Moore/The Connection

Great Falls residents pick pumpkins, Christmas trees,fresh vegetables and eggs, and even go for hay-rides atKrop’s Farm off Utterback Store Road. Here, youth enjoya hay-ride around the Krop property Sunday, Oct. 16.

Planning AheadOCT. 19, 2016, 8:15 P.M.Decision only: The Gulick Group has applied to rezone the 11-acre property at the

“terminus of Challedon Road” from R-A to R-1 in order to permit development ofa 10-lot cluster single family subdivision at a density of 0.91 dwelling units peracre. The 11-acre parcel is currently undeveloped, forested, and composed ofmoderate slopes that steepen towards the Piney Run floodplain.

The property is part of Lexington Estates.Fairfax County Planning staff have recommended approval of the redevelopment.

Planning Commissioner John Ulfelder deferred a decision only hearing on theapplication from September to Oct. 19, 2016.

Photos contributed

Student interns dance at Dancing Queens Group.

The off-campus internship experi-ence connects students to theirlocal community and to the con-cepts of social responsibility andcivic engagement.

Brightview Great Falls, Madeira SchoolPartner for Off-Campus Internships


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LAWN SERVICE LAWN SERVICE

Alfredo’s Construction Company, Inc.

www.alfredosconstructioncompany.com

Phone:

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

•Concrete Driveways•Patios •Sidewalks

•Stone •Brick

MASONRY MASONRY

Custom Masonry703-768-3900

www.custommasonry.infoPatios, Walkways, Stoops, Steps, DrivewaysRepairs & New Installs•All Work Guranteed

BRICK AND STONE

GOLDY BRICKCONSTRUCTION

Walkways, Patios, Driveways,Flagstone, ConcreteFREE ESTIMATES

Licensed, Insured, Bonded

703-250-6231

PAVING PAVING

Partial or Full. Kit. Floors, Backsplashes.Specializing in Ceramic, Porcelain, Glass Tiles

and Natural Stones. Also repair work. 35 yrs exp.

BATHROOM REMODELING

703-250-2872Licensed • Bonded • Insured

www.brennan-tile.com

by Brennan and Tile

TILE/MARBLE TILE/MARBLE

Quality Tree Service& Landscaping

Reasonable prices. Licensed & insured.

24 Hour EmergencyTree Service

25 years of experience – Free estimates 703-868-5358

Summer Cleanup...Tree removal, topping & pruning,shrubbery trimming, mulching,leaf removal, planting, hauling,gutter cleaning, retaining walls,

drainage problems, etc.

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

LANDSCAPING

SOD, Mulch, Clean-UpLeaf Removal

Hauling.703-863-7465

A&S CONSTRUCTION

PAVING

Joseph Sealcoating

FreeEstimates!

703-494-5443

40 YearsExperience!

PAVINGSpecialist

ClassifiedClassified


Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411


• McLean • Vienna/OaktonClassifiedClassified

LEGAL NOTICEStorage Line of Virginia, LLC (t/a APT Storage), Box 767,

Haymarket, VA 20168, pursuant to the assertion of a lien for rental of a storage unit, will hold a public auction for the sale of all goods in storage unit #281A to take place at 11:00am on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, at storage unit #281A, located at Avalon Tysons Corner, 1569 Onyx Dr, Mclean, VA 22102, to satisfy the lien. All terms of the sale are cash. Call 800-217-4280 for questions.


21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements





JENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

➣ Speed Up SlowComputers

➣ Virus Removal➣ Computer Setup➣ Help with Windows 8 & 10

571-265-2038

HDICOMPUTER SOLUTIONS

[email protected]

101 Computers 101 Computers

21 AnnouncementsABC LICENSE

A Deli, Inc. trading as A Deli Italian Food & Wine, 1301 S

Joyce St, Unit D 25, Arlington, VA 22202. The above

establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On & Off Premises

license to sell or manufacture alcoholic

beverages, Kawal Kapoor PresidentNOTE: Objections to the

issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later

than 30 days from the publish-ing date of the first of two required newspaper legal

notices. Objections should be registered at

www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

28 Yard Sales

Huge Yard Sale to benefit the Feline Foundation of

Greater Washington, 10/22, 8-1 p.m., 2355 Bedfordshire Cir. Reston. Sports equip-

ment, video, pet items, housewares, art, jewelry,

much more. Special guest appearance by author Ingrid

King signing her feline-related books 10 - noon.

201 Import Auto

2011 Toyota Highlander hybrid.

Execlent condition. 59K miles. Premium alloy

wheels. Luggage rack, interior color ash,

exterior black. 3.5 liter DOHC with dual DVT-I.

AWD. Full power. Private glass front and back. Seats 7. Certified

Pre-Owned with warranty. Perfect real

estate or Uber car. $23,900.00. Contact

Col. Jerry in Mount Vernon:

[email protected]

Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Tuesday 11 a.m.

703-778-9411


• McLean • Vienna/OaktonEmploymentEmployment

FinanceQUANTITATIVE ANALYTICS AND MODELDEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT SENIOR

(Multiple Openings)The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has multiple openings for Quantitative Analytics andModel Development Consultant Senior in Tysons Corner, VA. Responsible for: (i) driving statis-tical models and recommendations that measure risk parameters for the retail portfolio; (ii)working collaboratively with team members across the organization to perform data identifica-tion, data analyses, data mining, complex mathematical modeling, PD/LGD/EAD model-ing,scorecard modeling, ALLL quantification, CCAR/DFAST stress testing modeling and BaselII/III modeling; (iii) utilizing a strong understanding of retail instruments, lending and under-writing practices, and credit risk measurement; (iv) working with Working Groups, comprisingof senior executives, and Model Risk Management Group (MRMG) to solve their foremost chal-lenges related to developing models for quantifying risk, including loan origination, deal under-writing, portfolio management and regulatory compliance; (v) assessing the model data anddevelopment requirements, conducting analysis to develop and support recommendations, pro-viding advice and sharing expertise on issues and concerns raised by Working Groups andMRMG; and (vi) demonstrating a high level understanding of the ideas, research and productsdeveloped by external risk-consulting firms and rating agencies.

Master's degree in Business, Statistics/Biostatistics, Mathematics, Economics, Data Science,Information Systems Management or Engineering plus 6 years of experience in a quantitativeanalysis position is required. Experience must include: (i) statistics modeling (generalized linearregression model, panel data regression and time series modeling); (ii) complex mathematicalmodeling (involving Stochastic calculus, Lattices/trees, Finite differences, Multivariate distribu-tion theory and Monte Carlo simulations); (iii) data mining to support decison making; (iv)design and selection of model methodology or framework to fit empirical data; (v) SAS and R;(vi) machine learning using software/packages (MatLab, Python, Pandas or Scikit-Learn); (vii)visualization experience with Tableau and plotting programs in Matplotlib, R ggplot or MatLab;(viii) work with relational database (Teradata, Oracle SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL orSQLite) to bring large datasets (>1M obs) between relational database and statistical software(Matlab, R, Python or SAS); and (ix) presenting complex statistical concepts and research tonon-statistical audiences.

40 hours/week, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Interested individuals apply online at www.pnc.com usingkeyword 250085BR. PNC provides equal opportunity to qualified persons regardless of race,color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteranstatus, or other categories protected by law.

CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6 ....................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4 ....................Tues @ noon

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINES

Zones 1, 5, 6 ....................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4 ....................Tues @ noon

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/ Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria Gazette Packet

The Mount Vernon Gazette

Zone 4: Centre View North Centre View SouthZone 5: The Potomac AlmanacZone 6: The Arlington Connection

The Vienna/OaktonConnection

The McLean ConnectionThe Great Falls

Connection

CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6.....Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4.....Tues @ noonE-mail ad with zone choices to:

[email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6.....Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4.....Tues @ noonE-mail ad with zone choices to:

[email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/

Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/

Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria

Gazette PacketThe Mount Vernon Gazette

Zone 4: Centre View North Centre View SouthZone 5: The Potomac AlmanacZone 6: The Arlington Connection

The Vienna/OaktonConnection

The McLean ConnectionThe Great Falls Connection

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

Please Check Kenneth B.

ColumnNext Week!


www.GreatFallsGreatHomes.com

Susan CanisAssociate Realtor

Jan & Dan LaythamDianne Van Volkenburg

Office: 703-757-32229841 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066 • 703-759-9190Sally Marvin

Associate RealtorJustin Scango

Associate Realtor

Great Falls $2,399,000

Great Falls $1,050,000Great Falls $2,499,000 Great Falls $2,248,000

Purcellville $549,999 Great Falls $1,595,000 Great Falls $1,495,000

Great Falls $1,099,000 Great Falls $758,000

McLean $1,188,000 Reston $635,900 Great Falls $535,000

Great Falls $1,975,000 Great Falls $1,375,000

LAKE FRONT

Great Falls $1,549,000

Resor

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Style

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LISTED!

Jan & Dan Laytham Dianne Van Volkenburg

POOL &

GUEST HOUSE

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