herndon teen wins congressional app...
TRANSCRIPT
Herndon Teen Wins Congressional App Challenge
News, Page 8
HomeLifeStylePage 5
online at www.connectionnewspapers.com January 10-16, 2018
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Citizens Shape Assembly AgendaNews, Page 3
‘Stars Over Dulles’ ShineNews, Page 8
Medha Gupta, 16, of Herndon won the 2017 Congressional App Challenge for Virginia’s 10th
District with her original app, “Safe Travel.” Gupta taught herself how to code in two days
and built her winning app in one week.
2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ January 10-16, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
It’s going to hurt right here in NorthernVirginia.
As this administration continues its persecution against immigrants, it will
move to end protected status for more than200,000 Salvadorans, tens of thousands ofwhom live among us as neighbors, coworkers,friends, business owners, homeowners.
These neighbors, Salvadorans who camehere in the wake of terrible natural disaster
and political unrest, have beenliving and working here legallysince 2001 at least. Temporary
Protected Status was given to approximately217,000 Salvadoran immigrants living in theUnited States at the time of the disasters.
Their families have added almost as manyU.S.-born children. They are intertwined withnaturalized citizens and other legal residentsfrom their country, with the withdrawal of pro-tected status affecting a community far largerthan the TPS recipients. These communities areconcentrated, intensifying the overall impact,and more live here in the D.C. suburbs thananywhere else.
concentrated in particular neighborhoods. Ar-lington has identified just four census tractswith more than 1,000 Salvadoran residentseach (two with more than 1,400). In 2015, themost common birthplace for the foreign-bornresidents of Virginia was El Salvador, account-ing for 96,515 Virginia residents. FairfaxCounty in 2010 was home to 43,566 Salva-dorans.
Analysis shows that when Salvadoran, Hon-duran, and Haitian workers with TPS are re-moved from the labor force, the United Stateswill lose $45.2 billion in gross domestic prod-uct (GDP) over the next decade, according toImmigrant Legal Resource Center. When TPSholders lose their work authorization, it willresult in a $6.9 billion reduction to Social Se-curity and Medicare contributions over a de-cade, as calculated by the ILRC.
All of that shows why this will damage com-munities and the economy. It says nothingabout the harm to families. But the harm isgreat.
— Mary Kimm
Pulling Legal Status from Local SalvadoransBad for communities, bad for the economy,bad for the families, and no upside.
Editorial
On average, Salvadoran TPS recipients havebeen in the U.S. for 21 years; one-third havemortgages. These are people who have hadlegal work permits, who suddenly will not beable to work legally here. Their mortgages, andthe mortgages of people who depend on them,will be at risk. Removing the ability of recipi-ents to work legally will increase the risk offoreclosure, with negative economic impactacross communities.
Salvadorans with protected status pay salesand property taxes. The communities they livein will be damaged. Their children will be moreat risk. Our economy will be damaged.
THE SALVADORAN IMMIGRANT popula-tion is most concentrated in the Washington,D.C. metropolitan area, where 165,000 El Sal-vador-born residents make up 2.9 percent ofthe population.
Salvadorans in the United States sent $3.6billion home to El Salvador in 2012, 16.5 per-cent of that country’s GDP.
Virginia has nearly 45,000 El Salvadoran TPSresidents, almost all in Northern Virginia, and
Sources: American Progress, Pew Hispanic, Centerfor Immigration Studies, U.S. Census, Immigrant LegalResource Center, local government demographic data.
By Eric Wolf Welch
In the spring of 1937, my grandmother re-alized she and her family had to leave Ger-many. My aunt had just come home from
school, her hair dyed black with ink and thewords “Jew” written all over her clothes. Thiswas the final straw. Within a matter of days,my grandmother, grandfather, aunt, and mymother (only 3 years old) snuck out of the littletown of Dudelsheim, Germany, leaving every-
thing behind and payingbribes to officials to obtainvisas to exit the country.
They boarded a ship to New York and werefortunate enough to have cousins who couldsponsor their entry into America.
My aunt and mother were educated inAmerica’s public schools and universities. Mymother became a teacher and my aunt a doc-tor. My grandmother worked for the Girl Scoutsof America and my grandfather became a die-hard Yankees fan. They became Americans.They loved this country and had a deep senseof patriotism, which continues through theirchildren and grandchildren today. They wouldnot have lived and I would not exist withoutAmerica opening her doors to my family.
I am a high school teacher in Fairfax County.I teach many students who remind me of mymother and my aunt. These students and theirfamilies also came to America to escape vio-lence, poverty, and religious or political perse-cution. And just like my family, they are Ameri-cans (whether a document officially says it ornot). They love the opportunity this countryhas provided to them and want to make themost of it.
Each generation, the American dream is re-
newed and continued, by the ancestors of pre-vious immigrants and by new immigrants.What made America great, and what will makeAmerica great again, is immigration. The firstEuropean immigrants to America came withthe hope of religious freedom and economicprosperity. How is this any different than a fam-ily today wanting to come to America fromYemen or Guatemala? John Winthrop, an earlyleader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, saidAmerica needed to be a “city on a hill” whoselight is a beacon. Leaders, such as PresidentRonald Reagan, have reminded and challengedus to live up to this vision that truly makesAmerica exceptional among the nations of theworld.
The current anti-immigration movement,spurred on by President Donald Trump sus-pending the DACA program, demanding a bor-der wall be built, and calling for an end to so-called “chain immigration,” is troubling be-cause it attempts to move our country in a di-rection different than our past. “Chain immi-gration” is why I am alive. It’s also why stu-dents from Iraq, Sierra Leone, and El Salvadorare in my classroom, safely learning and thriv-ing, rather than being killed or living in squa-lor. Should we stop being a beacon to thesepeople?
Unfortunately, the anti-immigration move-ment is fueled by a belief that to allow othersto have the opportunities we have as Ameri-cans is going to take away from our own wealthand prosperity. A prime example of this is theargument Virginia state Sen. Richard Blackmade against DACA students receiving in-statetuition, “Every time you give free stuff to peoplehere illegally, you have to take it away froman American.” This understanding of econom-
ics is misguided as well as selfish. History hasproven that the contributions of immigrantsto America improves our economy, increasesour tax base, and creates more jobs and op-portunities for all Americans. Our region’seconomy is a prime example of this. DACA stu-dents, and their families, are trying to live theAmerican dream, and in doing so, they are con-tributing to, not taking away from, what makesAmerica great.
From a moral argument, I am reminded ofthe story a Lutheran pastor recently told. Hesaid imagine two rooms. One is well-lit andanother right next to it is completely dark.When the door is opened, the light from thewell-lit room enters the dark room and illumi-nates it. Yet, as that light spreads, the well-litroom continues to stay just as bright as it wasbefore.
When America opens its doors, we do notlose our own wealth, prosperity, and well-be-ing. Rather, we allow it to grow and spreadand become greater than it was before. I urgeyou to remind Congress, our President, andall of us who make up this country to remem-ber that immigration is what has and will con-tinue to make America great.
The writer, an Arlington resident, is a social studiesteacher at JEB Stuart High School and coordinator of the“AVID” program, an academic mentoring program tohelp students attend college, many of whom are the firstin their family to attend college.
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ January 10-16, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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By Andrea Worker
The Connection
The 2018 Regular Session of theVirginia General Assembly con-venes on Wednesday, Jan. 10.Before the state senators and
delegates head off for Richmond, many ofthe Fairfax County contingent met with con-stituents in a Saturday, Dec. 6, public hear-ing at the County Government Center.
More than 100 registered speakers andtheir supporters braved single-digit tem-peratures for the opportunity to tell theirelected representatives just what theyhoped to see included in the upcoming leg-islative agendas.
Fairfax County Board of SupervisorsChairman Sharon Bulova welcomed thedelegation, and then began the hearing as“Speaker # 1,” representing the interestsof the entire county.
Funding for the educational needs of thecounty was first on Bulova’s ask list — atheme that was often repeated during themarathon five hour-plus hearing. She fol-lowed that request with an appeal for fund-ing for WMATA, citing that reliable and safepublic transportation is critical to the eco-nomic health of the region.
THE GROUP “More Recess for Virginians”came out in full, green t-shirted force, ask-ing the delegation to support legislation thatwould include recess as part of the “instruc-tional hours” in elementary schools. Recesssupporter Theresa Sheipe from Fairfaxasked the legislators to provide the SchoolBoard more flexibility to better serve thechildren, and Shannon Hamilton, Ph.D., aneuroscientist from Alexandria, added “Sci-ence is on the side of recess. We hope youare, too.”
Other topics included concerns for theenvironment and climate change impact,with many arguing for renewable energy
sources, and severalopposing what theyconsider the “influ-ence of Dominion En-ergy” on Virginia poli-cies. The Faith Alliancefor Climate Solutions,350 Fairfax, and TheClimate Reality Projectput forth speakers rep-resenting their organi-zations, among thedozen or so individu-als who also spoke onthe issue.
Social services advo-cates were also wellrepresented. Speakersfrom the Fairfax-FallsChurch CommunityServices Board, TheARC of Northern Vir-ginia, Fairfax CountyCommunity Action Advisory Board, North-ern Virginia Family Services, and Social Ac-tion Linking Together, along with numer-ous individuals, like Jeanne Lavelle with theVirginia Association for the Deaf, urged thedelegation to consider the needs of thecommunity’s less fortunate and the morevulnerable.
Several of the social service organizationsalso supported the expansion of Medicaidin the Commonwealth, as did speakers fromthe county government employees union,SEIU Virginia 512. State Sen. Dick Saslaw(D-35) responded to the “expansionists”that they wouldn’t find many dissenters onthat topic among the legislators on the dais.
Advocates for stronger gun safety laws,bipartisan redistricting and voter protection,the decriminalization of marijuana, banningsolitary confinement in prisons, funding ofjudgeships, immigrant support, and provid-ing more powers to the civilian police forcereview panel and auditor all had their turn
at the microphone.In past years, citizens had more opportu-
nity to talk with their representatives afterthe hearing, but the length of this year’sevent saw several of the legislators calledto other duties before the close, and eventhe majority of the citizen activists did notmake it to the moment when Saslaw called“time.”
A HANDFUL of the delegation did linger,including state Sen. Chap Peterson (D-34),state Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31), and Del.Jennifer Boysko (D-86).
Petersen took a few moments to chat withhis constituent Bill Barfield, who had testi-fied and presented the legislative issues putforth by the Fairfax County Federation ofCitizens Association.
Boysko will be sponsoring the Dignity Actthis session, and supporting in-state tuitionlegislation, as part of her agenda.
Favola provided information on her 2018
Legislative Agenda.High on the list is working to get coun-
ties the same taxing authority as cities.“Counties are providing the same servicesas cities, and the discrepancy in taxing au-thority is really unfair,” she said.
Paid Family Leave, Gun Safety, K-12 Edu-cation reforms and enhancements are alsoin her sights. Favola admits that some ofher proposed legislation requires takingsome “big steps,” but that on many of theissues, “many small steps have already beentaken, so there’s reason to be optimistic.
To track what state senators and delegatesare up to in the General Assembly, to con-tact them, or to track the progress of pro-posed legislation, visitwww.virginiageneralassembly.gov.
Fairfax delegation to General Assembly hears from public before heading to Richmond.Citizens Shape Assembly Agenda
Jeanne Lavelle of Fairfax, with the assistance of interpreter Jessica Holt,addresses the Fairfax delegation to the General Assembly. Lavelle advo-cated for funding to ensure that deaf and hearing impaired children arenot left “functionally illiterate” because they are not given the opportu-nity to learn language skills.
Theresa Sheipe of Fairfax was one of many members of the “More Recessfor Virginians” group who either spoke or supported from the audiencein favor of protecting and expanding recess in Virginia schools.
State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) meets with BillBarfield, second vice president, Legislative Commit-tee co-chair for the Fairfax County Federation ofCitizens Associations. Barfield, a mathematicianwho lives in Fairfax, and Tim Thompson, theFederation’s president, presented their representa-tives with a list of 11 legislative issues for consider-ation.
State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31)admits she has her work cut outfor her in the 2018 Regular Sessionof the Virginia Legislature. She’stackling Paid Family Leave, GunSafety, Domestic Violence Preven-tion, Medicaid Expansion, K-12education reforms and improve-ments, and Equal Taxing Authorityfor Counties, to name a few.
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4 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ January 10-16, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Thedeadline is noon on Friday. Photos/artworkencouraged.
ONGOINGArt Exhibit. Through Feb. 17, various times at the
Greater Reston Arts Center, 11900 Market St.,Reston. Featuring the work of Paulina Peavy,namesake of “Paulina Peavy: A Message toPaulina,” the first exhibition to bring together aselection of Peavy’s works across disciplinesincluding works on paper, paintings, films, texts,and numerous mixed media masks. Visitwww.restonarts.org for more.
All-comers’ Group Fun Run at PotomacRiver Running. Tuesdays and Thursdays.Reston Town Center, 11900 Market St., Reston.For beginners or competitive runners, come outfor a fun, low-key run that is safe and social.Call 703-689-0999 potomacriverrunning.com.
Over-40 Softball League. A Fairfax-basedleague is looking for enough players to formanother team. Players must be at last 40 years ofage to be eligible. All games are doubleheaders -played on Sundays at Bready Park in Herndonbetween 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. If interested, [email protected] for more information.
THURSDAY/JAN. 11Yoga at the Library. 7 p.m. at Reston Regional
Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive. Localyoga instructor Madhavi Rao will lead this yogasession. Water provided. Bring a mat. Sponsoredby the Friends of the Reston Regional Library.Call 703-689-2700 for more.
JAN. 11-FEB. 4“45 Plays for 45 Presidents.” NextStop
Theatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon.NextStop Theatre Company opens a hystericaltake on history with the play “45 Plays for 45Presidents”. The play, which is already sellingout performances, presents a series of 45 two-minute plays — one for each AmericanPresident. In a female-forward twist to theamusing premise, NextStop’s production alsocasts five women as all the presidents.Performances are Thursdays through Sundays.General admission, $20-$55 atwww.NextStopTheatre.org or by calling 866-811-4111.
SATURDAY/JAN. 13Community Service Projects. 9 a.m. at
Southgate Community Center12125 Pinecrest Road, Reston. Join friends and
neighbors in honoring Dr. King’s legacy byserving your community. Call 703-435-7986 orvisit www.reston.org.
Musical Commemorative. 3-4 p.m. at theReston Community Center, Hunters Woods,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. RestonCommunity Orchestra celebrates the life andwork of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. throughsymphonic works, spirituals, and songs inspiredby his legacy. Featured performers will includestudents from Al Fatih Academy, the Men’sChorus of Martin Luther King Christian Churchof Reston, song stylist Beverly Cosham andBryan Jackson. Visitwww.leagueofrestonartists.org for more.
Curator’s Talk at GRACE. 3 p.m. at at theGreater Reston Arts Center, 11900 Market St.,Reston. Lily Siegel, executive director andcurator at GRACE, will discuss Paulina Peavy: AMessage to Paulina through the lens of Peavy’slife and relationship to the art of her time. Freeand open to the public. All ages. Call 703-471-9242 or visit restonarts.org.
SUNDAY/JAN. 14Voices of Inspiration. 4 p.m. at Northern
Virginia Hebrew Congregation, 1441 WiehleAvenue, Reston. 28th Anniversary programhonoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event issponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr.Christian Church and includes many Restonfaith communities. Call 703-435-7986 or visitwww.reston.org.
MONDAY/JAN. 15Children’s Performing Arts Series. 10:30-
11:15 a.m. at Herndon Community Center, 814Ferndale Ave., Herndon. Doggie Doodles by BobBrown Puppets. Like doggies? Come watch these
pups perform with their buddy Samson, thestrong man. This puppet show is full of doggieantics sure to delight little ones. Ages 1-10. $4in advance/$5 at the door per person, per show.Children under the age of one are free. Call 703-787-7300 or visit herndon-va.gov.
Social Justice Advocate Speech. noon at atReston Community Center, Hunters Woods,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Tamika D.Mallory keynote address is at noon, followed bya community lunch. $5 for Reston residents andemployees, and $10 for all others. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com or call 703-476-4500.
Especially for Youth. 4 p.m. at RCC-HuntersWoods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Childrenwill rotate through a series of activitiesincluding a performance, an age-appropriatevideo, and arts and crafts. All activities will bebased on the history of Dr. King and the civilrights movement. Call 703-435-7986 or visitwww.reston.org.
TUESDAY/JAN. 16Sam’s Book Club. 7 p.m. at Reston Regional
Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive. Joinformer library director Sam Clay as he leads abook discussion. January’s title is “God Bless theChild” by Toni Morrison. Call 703-689-2700 formore.
Cricket Concert. 7 p.m. at Amphoras, 1151 EldenSt., Herndon. “Cricket Tell the Weather” is anindie string band from the CT-NY area featuringbluegrass-inspired original music. $11 members,
$12 non-members. Visitwww.restonherndonfolkclub.com for more.
THURSDAY/JAN. 18Yoga Storytime with Little Twisters. 10:30
a.m. at Reston Regional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive. Read a classic children’s book,then act it out using yoga moves and poses.Cosponsored by the Friends of Reston Library.Age 3-5 with adult. Call 703-689-2700 for more.
Community Food Packing. 10-11:30 a.m. atDominion Energy, 3072 Centreville Road,Herndon. Assistance League of Northern Virginiawill hold its next monthly Weekend Food forKids packing. For further information contactLynn Barron: [email protected] or visitwww.northernvirginia.assistanceleague.org.
FRIDAY/JAN. 19Improv-Extravaganza. 7-9 p.m. at ArtSpace
Herndon, 750 Center St., Herndon. For one-night-only, The Alden’s (the) Unruly TheatreProject and Loudoun County High School’sImprovasaurus will bring their signature improvstyles to ArtSpace Herndon. Suggested Donationof $10. Visit www.artspaceherndon.org/ formore.
SATURDAY/JAN. 20French Cooking Class. 10 a.m.-noon at Mon
Ami Gabi, 11950 Democracy Drive. Join ChefPhil Frederick and learn to prepare wild
mushroom tartare with cheese toast, Merquezburger with cream cheese spread and hand-cutfrites, and malted chocolate chip cookie icecream sandwiches for dessert. Recipe bookletincluded. $55 per person. Call 703-707-0233 orvisit monamigabi.com/news.
Weaving Workshop at GRACE. 5 p.m. atGreater Reston Arts Center, 11900 Market St.,Reston. Exploratory weaving workshop for ages18 and up. Students will leave with a completedwall hanging. $45 for Reston residents/$55 fornonresidents. Register atrestoncommunitycenter.com. Call 703-471-9242or visit restonarts.org.
Meet the Tattoo Artist. 7-9 p.m. at ArtSpaceHerndon, 750 Center St., Herndon. Meet GildaAcosta and explore getting a tattoo. Her workwill be on display Jan. 9-Feb. 10. Visitwww.artspaceherndon.org/ for more.
Flower Photography Expert. 7:30-9:30 p.m. inRoom 6 at the Reston Community CenterHunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road. TheReston Photographic Society invitesphotography enthusiasts to attend PattyHankins’ presentation on how to take fabulousphotographs of flowers, both in the garden andin the wild. Hankins is the author of “WildflowerMeditations: A Gift for the Spirit” andBeautifulFlowerPictures.com. Visitwww.leagueofrestonartists.org for more.
SUNDAY/JAN. 21Multi Cultural Hip Hop. 3 p.m. at RCC-Hunters
Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. TheColor Orange: A Hip-Hop Concert aboutfriendship and multiculturalism. Call 703-435-7986 or visit www.reston.org.
WEDNESDAY/JAN. 24Red Cross Blood Drive. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at
Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive. Call 703-689-2700 for more.
Meet Me at the Movies. 10 a.m. at at Bow TieCinemas, Reston Town Center, 11940 Market St.Reston Association presents “LBJ.” Refreshmentsand door prizes provided prior to movie. Free to55+. Email [email protected] or call 703-435-6577.
THURSDAY/JAN. 25Dollars and Sense. 7 p.m. at Reston Regional
Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive. Monthlygroup discussion focuses on business leadersand markets. The discussion will focus on“Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World”by Michael Lewis. Call 703-689-2700 for more.
SATURDAY/JAN. 27Post-Rock, Jazz Band . 7-9 p.m. at ArtSpace
Herndon, 750 Center St., Herndon. Featuring theTouch Combo band where pop, blues, and folk meldwith classic melodies and rhythmic innovation. Visitwww.artspaceherndon.org/ for more.
Calendar
Left: Tamika D. Mallory, co-chair ofthe 2017 Women’s March on Wash-ington, will give the keynote addressat the 2018 Reston Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. Birthday Celebration.
On Tuesday, Jan. 16 it’s a Cricket Concert, 7 p.m. at Amphora, 1151 EldenSt., Herndon. “Cricket Tell the Weather” is an indie string band from theCT-NY area featuring bluegrass-inspired original music. $11 Members, $12Non-members. Visit www.restonherndonfolkclub.com for more.
The “45 Plays for 45 Presidents” ensemble includes Caroline Kashner,Brittany Martz, Chloe Mikala, Mary Myers, and Sarah Anne Sillers.
NextStop Theatre Company opens ahysterical take on history with the play “45Plays for 45 Presidents.” The play, which isalready selling out performances, presents aseries of 45 two-minute plays — one for eachAmerican President. In a female-forward twistto the amusing premise, NextStop’s produc-
‘45 Plays for 45 Presidents’tion also casts five women as all the presi-dents. Performances are Thursdays throughSundays from Jan. 11 to Feb. 4 at NextStopTheatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon.General admission, $20-$55 atwww.NextStopTheatre.org or by calling 866-811-4111.
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ January 10-16, 2018 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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HomeLifeStyle
By Marilyn Campbell
It’s a moment that interior designersanticipate all year: the announcementof the Pantone Color of the Year. Ul-tra Violet is the selection for 2018,
and local designers are giving it a mixedreception.
“Interiors have gone so neutral, I lookforward to suggesting… Ultra Violet, a color[that] can bridge warm and cool grayneutrals,” said Moira Denson, interior de-signer and assistant professor of InteriorDesign at Marymount University.
“There’s nothing subtle about Ultra Vio-let. It’s one-dimensional and difficult todecorate with, except in very small doses,”said interior designer Annie Elliott of AnnieElliott Interiors and Bossy Color. “I find thecolor loud. ‘Look at me!’ It screams.”
The selection by Pantone, the self-de-scribed global authority on color, is intendedto be a harbinger of the hue that will be ontrend in the coming year. The organization’scolor gurus spend about nine months ob-serving trends in industries ranging fromfilm and entertainment to art and fashion.
This year’s pick can add a burst of vi-brancy to a home’s interior in impermanentways, advises interior designer CathleenGruver of Gruver Cooley. “Some quick easyways to use the color are adding throw pil-lows, which are relatively inexpensive andeasy to trade out,” she said. “Accent plateson a dining table are an option for thosewho may not want to commit in theirhome.”
“Use this color in extremely small doses,”added Elliott. “If you really love this color,I suggest using it as part of a larger pat-tern. Don’t buy a solid purple pillow;choose a pretty floral that has some UltraViolet in it.”
For those with less trepidation about Ul-tra Violet, interior designer Sarah Glenn ofBraswell Design+Build in Alexandria, said,“The powder room is a great place to incor-porate deep colors in interesting ways. In-stall a graphic violet wallpaper behind abright white pedestal sink, or paint the ceil-ing a high gloss violet to reflect the decora-tive lighting in the room.”
Dark and dramatic cabinetry, whichGlenn says is trending this year, offers an-
other use for the Pantone pick. “Go boldand incorporate a deep violet island or basecabinets into a new kitchen,” she said. “In-corporate a violet glass mosaic tile on yourshower floor or as an accent stripe aroundtub walls. I especially love violet glasspaired with the grey and taupe tones of
wooden white marble tile.”Some designers describe Ultra Violet as
commanding, particularly when used insidea home. “This shade of purple is a powerfulcolor and one that I would use as an ac-cent,” said interior designer Marika Meyerof Marika Meyer Interiors. “A little bit willgo a long way. It is also a great color to pairwith other colors, it is a very friendlycomplementary color.”
“Good pairings include green and purple,a classic combination, but I’ve always likedred with purple,” added Elliott. “Ultra Vio-let is a vivid color, so make sure you useequally strong colors with it so it doesn’tdominate a palette.”
Pair it with gold and yellow tones, sug-gests Denson, who is also an artist. “I paintskies all the time,” she said. “It’s what wa-tercolorists do. To me, shades of the ultra-violet are the most pleasing sky. It workssuper well with what we traditionally thinkof skies: blue toned. It sets a mood that al-lows all my landscapes to feel grounded.”
In announcing the selection, LauriePressman, vice president of the PantoneColor Institute described Ultra Violet as,“a blue-based purple that takes our aware-ness and potential to a higher level. UltraViolet communicates originality, ingenuityand visionary thinking that points us to-ward the future.”
2018 Color of the Year: Ultra VioletMixed reactions from localtastemakers who offer design ideas.
Photo courtesy of Moira Denson
“Ultra violet sets a mood thatallows all my landscapes to feelgrounded,” says artist MoiraDenson, who is an assistant profes-sor of Interior Design atMarymount University
6 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ January 10-16, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
On Saturday, Jan. 6, Food For Neighbors kickedoff 2018 with another food collection event in sup-port of students at multiple area middle and highschools. Volunteers by the dozens endured the be-low freezing weather to collect, sort, and distributefood with enthusiasm, fueled by hot coffee, donuts,and kind surprises.
One of many dedicated drivers was delighted todiscover an unexpected note in a red food donationbag she collected during the early morning hours.“Thank you for braving the cold to pick up all thefood this AM,” it read. “We appreciate all the hardwork that goes into making ‘Food For Neighbors’ asuccess!”
Food For Neighbors founder Karen Joseph said, “Iappreciate the many contributions of the volunteers.As a result of their hard work, 2017 was an incred-ible year of growth for the nonprofit, which now pro-vides food to eight different schools and is fieldingadditional requests for support.”
To find out how you can help this local charity,visit www.foodforneighbors.org/get-involved/.
Volunteers Brave the ColdTo Combat Teen Hunger
Herndon Village Network iskicking off another year of serv-ing senior citizens residing inthe Herndon 20170 area. Thenonprofit organization’s vettedvolunteers provide the elderlymuch-needed transportationfor appointments, shopping,social outings, and more. Thismore organized concept ofneighbors helping neighborsencourages older residents toage in the Herndon communityand allows them to maintain es-tablished routines and connec-tions, which results in a higherquality of life.
In 2017, Herndon Village
Network saw its organization growto include 63 senior citizen mem-bers, who pay only $20 per yearfor unlimited access to day andevening transportation on week-days and weekends. During theyear, 28 volunteer drivers providedmembers 440 rides, totalling7,894 miles. Based on feedbackfrom members, even more impres-sive was the way in which driversinteracted with their senior riders.
Herndon Village Network invitesevery senior citizen, age 55 orolder, who no longer can drive —or who feels uncomfortable driv-ing — to become a member thisyear. The only requirements are
that members pay a $20 annualfee, schedule transportation atleast 48 hours in advance, andreside, permanently or tempo-rarily, in the Herndon 20170 zipcode. Herndon Village Networkalso invites volunteers inter-ested in making a difference inthe lives of the elderly to be-come a member of its vetteddriving team. For more infor-mation about becoming a mem-ber, volunteering as a driver, ormaking a donation, call 703-375-9439, send an email [email protected],or visitwww.HerndonVillageNetwork.org.
Herndon Village Network EncouragesSeniors to Get Out and About
Herndon High School students repre-sented one of many volunteer communi-ties helping to sort food.
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Herndon High seniorHannah Overton sorts foodfor delivery to areaschools. Hannah is one ofthe many, reliable teenvolunteers who havehelped to make Food ForNeighbors a success.
Ashley Gaffey, a senior atHerndon High, gives a“thumbs up” to volunteeringwith Food For Neighbors.
Despite the below-freezingtemperatures, Food ForNeighbors volunteers werehappy to help make adifference.
Community
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ January 10-16, 2018 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
We have five indoor cats: Biscuit, Chino,Twinkle, Sloan and Andrew, ranging in ages from11+ years to 5+ years. We live in a two-storyconverted log cabin with approximately 1,750square feet, closets not included. Closets in whichyou’re bound to find cats, especially in the winter.
A few moths back, we contracted to have ourtwo full bathrooms, one on each floor, renovated.Given that our house is over 250 years old, notlikely a normal renovation. So far the renovationhas taken months, as we were told, and as such,we wanted to employ some kind of strategywhere we weren’t constantly worrying about catscoming and going, sneaking outside, disappear-ing, and getting in the way of the workmanand/or possibly suffering some kind of injury inthe process. (Particularly true of Andrew andBiscuit who, uncharacteristic of many cats, arenot the least bit put off by unknown people wan-dering about the house.)
And sure enough, after dinner on the firstnight FOLLOWING DEMOLITION, Andrew andhis sister, Sloane, managed to break through someprotective plastic surrounding the door blockingentrance to the upstairs bathroom where theymanaged to get into the house through an inter-nal wall which had been torn down to the studs.It was their faint meowing which led to their dis-covery – in the downstairs attic above thekitchen. Their subsequent rescue confirmed thatwe would need to be extra vigilant to prevent fur-ther ado.
To secure the perimeter, we decided to segre-gate the cats on one side of the house on the firstfloor: including the kitchen, dining room and myoffice, with two sets of doors connecting to theliving room and to the hall leading past the down-stairs bathroom. This disconnect works perfectlybecause it prevents any escape and it enables theworkman to walk in and out of the front door toply their trade without needing any access toeither of the three rooms where the cats areconfined.
The cats food and water remains in its usualplace in the kitchen. However there is one item(two actually) which has required a major move.You recall I said our cats are ‘indoor,’ right? Andwe’re confining them to three rooms, right? HaveI mentioned their litter boxes yet? Well, I amnow.
Not a Herculean task by any means becauseonce cats are shown their litter box’s new loca-tion, they figure it out. But now their litter boxeswhich had previously been out of sight and sortof out of mind – one on each floor, have nowbeen placed in two of the three rooms wherethey’ve been living most days and they are nowmost definitely in sight and on my mind.
One box was placed in the dining roomwhere we rarely go at present since it’s somewhatcluttered due to the renovation, and the otherbox was placed in my home office – which boxseems to get the most use. (We sort of figuredthat the kitchen was out of the question.)
My office is approximately eight feet wide by20 feet long, a space which separates the diningroom from the outside wall. The litter box is onthe floor at the far end of the room, not at allunder foot, but neither out of sight nor out ofsmell. Where I sit, I am a well-positionedobserver of the cats visits to their litter box.
As a consequence of this segregation -designed to secure their safety, and for the subse-quent relocation of their litter boxes, in effect, Iam now sharing a bathroom with five indoor cats.
All day long I am witness to their litter boxproclivities; their arrival and departure, the sights,sounds and smells; their individual tendenciesand habits, and of course, their comparativeinterest in visiting me on my desk before and/orafter the paperwork is finished.
Soon we’ll have to decide whether to returnthe boxes to their original location, and risk dis-rupting yet another new routine. Perhaps we’llleave well enough alone. After all, as any devotedcat owner knows: it’s not about us, it’s aboutthem.
Litter BoxHumor
Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.
THROUGH JAN. 26Coat Drive to Benefit Cornerstones.
Collection in building lobbies. Help us helpthose in need in our community stay warm thiswinter. Reston Town Center will be acceptingnew or gently used winter coats (in goodcondition and cleaned), and new hats, glovesand scarves. Items will be collected in boxeslocated in building lobbies for donation toCornerstones. Visit restontowncenter.com.
FY 2019 SCHOOLS BUDGETFCPS Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand will present
the 2018-19 school year (FY 2019)Proposed Budget at the School Boardmeeting on Thursday, Jan. 11, at JacksonMiddle School at 7 p.m. The School Board plansto hold a budget work session on Jan. 22, and apublic hearing on the Proposed Budget on Jan.29, with additional hearings on Jan. 30 and Jan.31, if needed. Get more information on theFCPS budget at www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/budget/fy2019.
MONDAY/JAN. 15Schools Closed. All Fairfax County Public Schools
will be closed on for Martin Luther KingJr.’s Birthday. Classes will resume onTuesday, Jan. 16. See the 2017-18 school yearcalendar at www.fcps.edu.
WEDNESDAY/JAN. 17Public Meeting. 7 p.m. in Room 106 of the
Herrity Building located at 12055 GovernmentCenter Parkway, Fairfax. The Fairfax CountyPark Authority will hold its annual publiccomment meeting on the agency’s proposed feeadjustments. The public meeting agendaincludes a brief presentation on the fee processfollowed by an opportunity for public comment.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/feemeetingfor more.
MONDAY/JAN. 22NARFE Dulles Chapter 1241 Luncheon
Program. 11:30 a.m. at Amphora Diner, 1151Elden St., Herndon. Speaker: Richard Eimas,Tax Advisor & Enrolled Agent, Block AdvisorsTax & Business Services Topic: Impact of TaxCuts & Jobs Act. The cost of the luncheon is $18which includes tax and a small gratuity.Additional tips are welcome but not required.Call your reservation and choice of entree toShirley Boning at 571-442-8910 or [email protected] no later thanThursday, Jan. 18.
WEDNESDAY/JAN. 24Public Hearing – Planning Commission. 7:30
p.m. in the Board Auditorium of the FairfaxCounty Government Center, 12000 GovernmentCenter Parkway, Fairfax. The Board ofSupervisors authorized the consideration of aComprehensive Plan amendment for the SunsetHills Road realignment. The adopted plan forthis area recommends three different options forhow the intersection of Sunset Hills Road andHunter Mill Road could be modified. The Boardof Supervisors requested that staff consider arealignment of Sunset Hills Road to CrowellRoad as a replacement to these three options.The proposed Plan Amendment recommendsthat Sunset Hills Road be realigned to CrowellRoad and that a roundabout be considered asthe intersection control. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-zoning/plan-amendments/current/sunset-hills-realignmentor www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planningcommission/
FRIDAY/JAN. 26Nomination Deadline. Nominations are being
accepted by the Virginia Department ofTransportation for Virginia’s 2017 OutstandingCrossing Guard of the Year. Parents, students,and teachers are welcome to submit anomination and photo online. Visitwww.fcps.edu/news/nominations-open-2017-virginia-outstanding-crossing-guard for more.
Bulletin
8 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ January 10-16, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commercecelebrated the businesses and organizations that make the Dulles area shine attheir Awards Luncheon 2017, “Stars Over
Dulles,” held Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the Hilton Wash-ington Dulles Airport, 13869 Park Center Road inHerndon.
The Dulles Chamber is one of the largest cham-bers in the region with more than 800 members. Situ-ated in one of the nation’s leading high-tech corri-dors, it serves Dulles, western Fairfax and easternLoudoun counties, Reston, Herndon, and Chantilly.
The luncheon celebrated the achievements of ap-proximately 50 business and nonprofit finalists forthe Chamber’s 2017 Leader Awards. With 15 awardscategories, among them Transportation, Nonprofit,and Distinguished Veteran, the ballroom was packedto capacity with family, friends, and co-workers ofthe finalists.
John Boylan, President and CEO, Dulles RegionalChamber of Commerce presented the awards; JamesLawson, Chairman of the Board, Dulles RegionalChamber of Commerce emceed the celebration.
This year, the Chamber had difficulty naming justone person for its Lifetime Achievement Award. Thenames of two individuals, both now retired, kept ris-ing to the top, Art Anselene, Town Manager ofHerndon, 1976-2017 and Eileen Curtis, Dulles Re-gional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO,1994-2017.
Wanting to recognize both individuals for theirexceptional performance and dedication, the Cham-ber solved the selection problem by renaming theLifetime Achievement Award to The Eileen D. CurtisAward Lifetime Achievement Award and presentingit to Anselene.
“I was completely surprised at this week’s AwardsLuncheon to find out that the Dulles Regional Cham-ber has named their Lifetime Achievement Award
after me,” said Eileen Curtis, former Executive Di-rector of the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce,Retired. “ What a lovely tribute! Thank you.”
Anselene also was taken aback to receive an award.“It was a great surprise and honor to receive the firstEileen D Curtis Lifetime Achievement Award fromthe Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce. It hadbeen a tremendous pleasure to work in Herndon andwith the community in advancing common initiativesto enhance the sense of community and place forthe town. I will always be grateful and humbled formy work experience with the town and proud thatHerndon is home,” said Anselene in an interview af-ter the awards luncheon.
Among the other recipients who received awardswere Laura Readyoff, Owner and CEO of The MusicLoft LLC and James Kuiken, Kuiken Group. Readyoff,who works and resides in Herndon, received the ArtsLeader Award. As a small business owner, she awardedmore than $15,000 in Music Loft Scholarships thisyear to students who have the talent and passion forstudying music but not the means to do so.
Kuiken, who lives in Vienna, received the Distin-guished Veteran Award. Through his first-handknowledge of combat and the impact of Post Trau-matic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, Kuiken iscommitted to helping returning combat veterans findhealing, education, and meaningful employment. “Ido what I do for those who did not make it home,physically, psychologically or emotionally,” saidKuiken to the audience after accepting the award.
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
U.S. Rep. BarbaraComstock (R-10) an-nounced in a press re-
lease on Jan. 5, 2018, thatMedha Gupta, a 16-year-oldstudent from Herndon, won the2017 Congressional App Chal-lenge for Virginia’s 10th Dis-trict. Gupta, who attends Tho-mas Jefferson High School forScience and Technology in Al-exandria, was one of the morethan 4,100 high school studentswho signed up to participate inthe national challenge aimed toengage students in coding andcomputer science.
In the district-wide competi-tion hosted by Members of theHouse, students created andsubmitted original softwareapplications or apps, coded formobile, tablet, or desktop de-vices. Code is the language oftechnology. It helps build appsthat bring ideas to life utilizingSTEM and computer scienceeducation to solve real-worldproblems.
WINNERS were named fromeach of the participating 190Congressional Districts.Comstock explained thatMedha’s winning app, calledSafe Travel is designed to helppeople who are commutingalone feel safer in their com-mute.
Comstock explained, “TheSafe Travel App sets a timer thatwill count down and automati-cally sends an emergency mes-sage to your predeterminedcontact, letting them know youare in trouble if you do not no-tify the app that you have ar-rived safely.”
On the entry form for theCongressional App Challenge, itstated the submission would bejudged on the quality of theidea, including creativity andoriginality; implementation in-cluding user experience anddesign; and demonstration ofexcellence in coding and pro-gramming skills.
Comstock reported Virginia’s10th District, “...is full ofhardworking students whohave each built innovative appson their own time as part of
their desire to succeed in theSTEM fields which continue tobe critical in today’s economy.”
She added, “Medha’s hardwork and skill in building thisapp were exemplary. I applaudher, as well as each of her fel-low 10th District students whocompeted this year, for the timeand effort they put into build-ing their Apps and developingpractical technological solu-tions for an everyday problem.”
In the YouTube video that ac-companied her application,Gupta said she got the idea forher app when walking homefrom the school bus stop. “I feltreally unsafe. It was gettinglate. It was dark. And that’s nothow someone should feel... Ithought there had to be a solu-tion... I decided to create an appcalled Safe Travel.”
In an interview for this story,Gupta said she did not knowhow to code when she got theidea for her app. “I sat down fortwo days and learned Swiftwhich is a programming lan-guage for iOS apps. After that,I developed it over a week-longperiod. Once I felt it was done,I revealed it to my family.”
AS FOR THE FUTURE, Guptasaid, “I’d like to create an AppleDeveloper account. Then Iwould like to improve some ofthe features of Safe Travel tomake it more efficient for theuser. “
Asked what the cost of theapp would be for the consumerGupta replied, “I’d like to makeit a free app so that the every-day person has access to it.”
Gupta stressed the app wouldbe beneficial to college stu-dents, joggers and kids like her-self. “I think that it is importantto practice safety while travel-ing. And hopefully this app,Safe Travel makes it very easyto do so,” she said.
Dulles Regional Chamberof Commerce holds annualAwards Luncheon.
‘Stars Over Dulles’ Shine
Gupta, 16, sawa problem, andsolved it.
Herndon TeenWins App Challenge
Medha Gupta
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Recently retired Town of Herndon TownManager, Art Anselene, was presented withthe Eileen D. Curtis Lifetime AchievementAward, formerly known as the LifetimeAchievement Award, by the Dulles RegionalChamber of Commerce at its Awards Lun-cheon held Wednesday, Dec. 13.
Laura Readyoff, Owner and CEO of TheMusic Loft LLC, pictured with JamesLawson, Chairman of the Board, DullesRegional Chamber of Commerce afterreceiving the Chamber’s Arts Leaderaward for her significant impact on thearts in Herndon and her generosity fund-ing music scholarships for the needy.
Category Award WinnersChairman’s Lifetime Achievement Award: Art Anselene, Town
of Herndon, RetiredTransportation Leader: Paul J. Wiedefeld, General Manager
and CEO, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityWorkforce Leader: Madhu Garlanka, CEO, Software Products,
Allwyn CorporationBank Leader: MainStreet BankHospitality Leader: Westfields Marriott Washington DullesSmall Business Leader: Jay Johnson, CEO, Five Minute
ProductionsBusiness Leader: Geoffrey Lawson, VP & GM, The National
Conference CenterInnovation Leader: Praduman Jain, CEO, Vibrent HealthArts Leader: Laura Readyoff, Owner, The Music Loft, LLCDistinguished Veteran: Jim Kuiken, The Kuiken GroupNonprofit Leader: Children’s Science CenterCorporate Social Responsibility: John Sekas, Sekas Homes, Ltd.New Chamber Member: Mustang Sally Brewing CompanyFirst Responder Agency of the Year: Loudoun County Sheriff’s
Office
Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection