opinion, page 4 scrawl books supports...
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online at www.connectionnewspapers.com February 20-26, 2019
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Tolls Off the TableFor Area ParkwaysNews, Page 3
Lady Seahawks WinRegion Title, AgainSports, Page 8
Scrawl BooksSupports Learning
News, Page 5
(From left) Authors Orly Konig of Gaithersburg, and Erika Marks of Hager-stown share secrets about writing their books during a very special post-Valen-tine’s “Galentine’s Party” produced and hosted by Scrawl Books, Reston Town Center to benefit Laurel Learning Center, Lake Anne Reston, a child care center operated by Cornerstones.
2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
By Marilyn Campbell
Despite his predilection for visualarts, Allen Carter, an AfricanAmerican boy growing up inpre-civil rights era Arlington,
might not have been granted entrance intosome the nation’s museums due to segre-gation. Still, he persisted, and years laterhe became a lauded artist, distinguishedteacher and mentor to underprivileged chil-dren. And in February — African AmericanHistory Month — his work is being shownin an exhibit, “Big Al Carter: A Retrospec-tive,” at the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art.While his work is part of the permanent col-lections of both the Smithsonian Institutionand the Corcoran Gallery of Art, this is thefirst exhibit of Carter’s work in the Wash-ington, D.C area since his death in 2008.
“Big Al’s family has given us an incred-ible gift by sharing his art, allowing us tocontinue to reflect on his life, his art andhis message for future generations,” saidMarty Schnider, president of Fred SchniderInvestment Group and founder of FredSchnider Gallery of Art.
As a painter, printmaker, sculptor andmuralist, Carter, also known as “Big Al”drew inspiration from his life experiences,
art history and everyday life. He believedthat his life’s purpose was to use art to heal.“Art is my emotion. Art is my memories. Artis my life. I create the essence,” he once said.
“He paints poor people, he paints peoplewho are fishing or people who are havingdinner at the table … his work is very vast,”said Carter’s daughter, Cecilia Carter.
Carter’s exhibit is particularly notewor-thy to some African-American art histori-ans who point to a recent study showingthat just 2.4 percent of all acquisitions andgifts and 7.6 percent of all exhibitions at30 prominent American museums havebeen of work by African American artists.The recent Andrew W. Mellon FoundationArt Museum Staff Demographic Survey of181 art museums in North America foundthat African Americans are greatly under-represented in mainstream art museums asdirectors, curators, conservators and edu-cators. Those who study African Americanart say that solving this dilemma requires ayear-round approach.
“We can’t just focus on it during BlackHistory Month,” said African American arthistorian Crystal Johnson, Ph.D. “These twostatistics go to hand-in-hand and provewhat we already know. We need more Afri-can American students to explore their ar-
tistic talents and we need more students totake chance on a non-mainstream careerand pursue jobs in museum administration.In order to make any changes, we need tohave a seat at the table.”
One such aspiring decision maker is re-cent a George Mason University graduatewho landed a position as the co-curator ofan exhibit at Howard University. “I’d workedwith an exhibition, but I’ve never had thechance to curate before. I was excited and
Carter’s exhibit, which features rarelyseen artwork from his daughters’ privatecollection, runs through March 3 at the FredSchnider Gallery of Art, 888 N. QuincyStreet, Arlington. Several pieces will beavailable for sale.
“The exhibit and his work reflect every-thing that he’s been through, what he’s seen,and what other people have been throughand seen,” said Big Al’s daughter Flora O.Stone, Carter’s daughter.
Promoting and preserving a part of history.Black History Month: A Look at African American Art
President of Fred Schnider Investment Group, LLCand Founder of the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art,Marty Schnider with Allen “Big Al” Carter’s daugh-ters, Cecilia Carter (left) and Flora O. Stone (right)
nervous,” said KourtneyRiles of the exhibitcalled, “An Examinationof Feminist(s) Subjec-tivity in Modern andContemporary AfricanAmerican Art.”
Art plays a vital, butoften overlooked role inAfrican American his-tory, not just duringBlack History Month,but all year long, ad-vises Angela Black, whohas taught art history.“Art is a way of preserv-ing our history,” shesaid. “It tells our storyand we need more pro-fessionally trained art-ists who can do that.”
Reston Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Andrea Worker
The Connection
Fairfax County Department ofTransportation (FCDOT) plannerThomas Burke told the Board ofSupervisors Transportation Com-
mittee that “tolls were not included in thestrategies under consideration” as improve-ments to the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways at their meeting onFeb. 12 at the Government Center.
Burke was there to update the commit-tee on the progress being made by FCDOTand the Virginia Department of Transpor-tation (VDOT) on the “Alternatives Analy-sis and Long Term Planning Study” of thetwo major thoroughfares. The multimodalcorridor study spans the often-congested 31miles from Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in thenorth, to Route 1 (Richmond Highway) inthe south and includes 17 interchanges and83 intersections.
FCDOT is leading the long-range aspectof the study, reviewing today’s deficienciesalong the network and projecting futureneeds in order to make recommendationsfor improvements for 2040 and beyond.VDOT, in conjunction with the county, con-ducted an Existing Conditions study in2017, developing more than 350 recom-mendations for immediate or near-termimprovements to the roadways. To date,said Burke, 49 of those recommendationshave been implemented. Still in the worksfor VDOT is a planned widening of a sec-tion of the Fairfax County Parkway fromRoute 29 to Route 123, including the inter-change at Popes Head Road and ShirleyGate Road extension.
In October of 2018, FCDOT held threepublic outreach meetings to inform the com-
munity of the project and to solicit publicfeedback before developing recommenda-tions.
Some of the questions being posed in-cluded:
❖ How transit should be integrated intothe corridor
❖ Addition of, or improvements to, in-terchanges and intersections
❖ Bicycle/pedestrian considerations❖ Possible implementation of Toll and/
or HOV lanesAt the meetings, attendees were invited
to participate in several interactive exercisesto offer their own suggestions. Commentssheets were also made available and, inaddition, project managers produced a 45-
day on-line survey and commentary forumthat gave participants the opportunity to“plan” various segments of the parkways,or simply leave written comments as theywished.
The number of respondents exceededtheir expectations.
“We were thinking maybe 3 or 4 thou-sand would participate,” admitted Burke,judging by the response to previous on-linetransportation-related surveys. Instead, atotal of 15,150 responses were recorded viathe online survey, with 108 more responsesreceived via emails, the website commentform and to district offices. Another 71 com-ments were recorded on the project’sFacebook page.
FCDOT and the project planners werepleased that their efforts to engage the pub-lic through numerous methods, includingsocial media, resulted in “so many voicesbeing heard.”
Burke summarized the responses for thecommittee. While HOV lanes were gener-ally ranked below road widening and ad-dition of transit options, the idea of add-ing toll lanes to any segment of eitherparkway was met with significant oppo-sition.
FCDOT got the message. None of the pre-liminary strategies under review will in-clude toll lanes as an option, although HOV-2 lanes, possibly just at certain junctures,are still being considered.
Burke’s presentation was met with appre-ciation for the work already done and stillto come. Supervisors John Cook (Braddock)and Pat Herrity (Springfield) however, cau-tioned that they would like to see any strat-egies for improvements take a “more re-gional outlook” before recommendationsare developed, with Cook asking “how dothese concepts affect others roads in theregion?”
Supervisor McKay (Lee) also asked thatthe FCDOT team keep up communicationswith the county’s delegates in Richmond,in light of upcoming legislation that couldaffect the project.
Burke says there will be more public out-reach events in the next few weeks to re-port on the survey results to the commu-nity and gather additional feedback beforefurther recommendations are brought be-fore the committee and the full Board ofSupervisors.
The update presentation, as well as his-tory and additional information, are avail-able on the county’s website.
Public opposes Express Toll Lanes on Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways.
Tolls Off the Table for Area Parkways
More than 250 participants, friends and long-time supporters of Fairfax Adult Softball, Inc.(FAS) united together on Sunday, Jan. 27 for the19th Annual Benefit Bowling Tournament to raisefunds for INOVA Children’s Hospital and FairfaxCounty Park Authority field improvements. Theevent took place at the Falls Church Bowl Americaand grossed more than $22,000 making it the mostsuccessful event in its 19 year history. In fact, thisis the fourth straight year that the fundraisingrecord was broken.
“Even though we sold out in just two short weekswith several teams on the waiting list, with theGovernment being shut down, I wasn’t sure whatto expect at this year’s event,” said FAS Programand Media Manager, Becca Frece. “We managedto raise more funds than any year in the event’shistory which speaks volumes for the amazingpeople involved in the event. We are beyond grate-
ful and are very excited to be able to donate to INOVAChildren’s Hospital.”
“INOVA relies on community support to provideworld-class care to Northern Virginia’s children andtheir families,” said Kristin McArthur, Director of Lead-ership Giving. “We are grateful for the generous giftfrom the members of the Fairfax Adult Softball league.The gift is already having an impact on our youngestpatients and we look forward to partnering on moreevents in the future,” McArthur said.
FAS softball offers play for adult men and womenin a number of different leagues across FairfaxCounty: Men, Women, Coed, Modified Coed, SocialCoed, Fast Pitch, Men’s
35+, Men’s 50+ and Church. Registration is cur-rently open for 2019 Spring Season for both teamand individual registration. The deadline for appli-cations and payment is March 1, 2019. Visit andregister online at: www.fairfaxadultsoftball.com
Fairfax Adult Softball Holds Record-setting Fundraiser
Benefit Bowling Tournament raised more than $22,000making it the most successful event in its 19 year history.
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Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation
Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation’s Thomas Burke presented anupdate on the study of the Fairfax County and Franconia-SpringfieldParkways which included a summary of the public’s feedback the depart-ment received after a series of outreach meetings last October. A num-ber of proposals met with public approval, however the notion of addingExpress Toll Lanes to either roadway received opposition.
Reston Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or [email protected]
4 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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RestonOpinion
By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
State Delegate (D-36)
As you read this columnthe Virginia GeneralAssembly will be nearing its adjournment sine
die for the 400th year of its exist-ence, having first met in thechurch on Jamestowne Island in1619. During this commemorativeyear there will be many opportu-
nities to learnmore aboutVirginia and toreflect on how
its history influences it to todayeven in the current legislative ses-sion and in what on another occa-sion was referred to as its “recentunpleasantries.”
That first session of what be-came known a century and a halflater as the General Assembly wascomposed of a representative ofthe 22 plantations that had sprungup along the major rivers of thestate as there were no local gov-
ernment, politicalboundaries, or trans-portation networks inexistence. The repre-sentatives were allwhite males who wereland owners. AfricanAmericans had to waitfor the outcome of theCivil War and womenthe twentieth centurybefore they becamepart of the electorate. While theright to vote has begrudgingly ex-panded over time there continuesto be a resistance to making iteasier to vote. In the current ses-sion there were proposals to allowpeople to vote early or vote absen-tee without an excuse and to makeelection day a holiday for the con-venience of voters, but it does notappear that any will become law.Establishing a fair way to drawlegislative boundaries has beenhotly debated, but the decision toestablish an independent redis-tricting commission will await the
closing hours of thesession.
Slaves werebrought to the colonyof Virginia in 1619 towork the tobaccofields that were themainstay of thecolony’s economy.They had none of therights that English-men claimed and be-
ginning in the 1640s were sub-jected to “slave codes” that definedthem as property to be bought andsold with no access to learning toread and write or to move aboutfreely. After the Civil War these re-strictive laws became the JimCrow laws that continued to limitthe rights of black people whowere kept in line by the Ku KluxKlan and by public lynchings.White supremacy reigned withblack-face entertainment intendedto degrade black people throughcrude humor. Happenings duringthis legislative session showed
how little we have progressed onissues of human rights and respect,but there is hope. The reminderto the Governor of his racist pastwill make him an even more en-lightened person who if he contin-ues can provide important leader-ship to dismantling racism in thestate. The incredible people ofcolor who were elected to theHouse of Delegates in the last elec-tion bring strong voices to theneed for greater equity and justicein the Commonwealth. Some lim-ited reforms that will help estab-lish equity and remove racism inthe criminal justice system are ontheir way to passage. Women firstcame to the Virginia colony in1619. While rights of women haveexpanded slowly over the centu-ries, having Virginia ratify theEqual Rights Amendment is still indoubt. May the lessons of this his-toric legislative session move usforward in future years.
To check on the fate of specificbills, go to http://lis.virginia.gov.
A Historic Session
Commentary
By John Lovaas
Reston Impact Producer/Host
A few days ago, I attendeda meeting of the HunterMill District Democratic
Committee, something I had notdone for quite a while. What par-ticularly interested me was theprospect of seeing, meeting someof the early candidates for the2019 Elections. With a little luck Ithought I might even invite acouple of them to be guests onReston Impact (Sundays at 8 p.m.and Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. onComcast 28 and Verizon 1980!) inthe weeks ahead.
Up for election this year in ourarea are: State Senators and Del-egates, Fairfax CountyCommonwealth’s Attorney,County Sheriff, Chairman of theBoard of Supervisors, 9 DistrictSupervisors, 9 District SchoolBoard members, 3 At-Large SchoolBoard members, and 3 Soil andWater District Directors. (For to-day, I will not address the S & WDirectors.)The General Assembly is in ses-sion, so our State Senator JanetHowell and Delegate Ken Plum didnot attend the Wednesday meet-ing. So far, they are unopposed.Although competition is good andhealthy, I suspect both will remainunopposed. Steve Descano, an im-pressive young candidate for Com-monwealth Attorney opposing 35-year, underwhelming incumbent
Ray Morrogh, waspresent and toutingformer Gov. TerryMcAuliffe’s hearty en-dorsement.
Also present weretwo of four running toreplace retiring con-sensus masterBoard of Super-visors ChairmanSharon Bulova—two-term School Board MemberRyan McElveen and newcomer lo-cal Tim Chapman. I hope to inter-view both. Heir apparent Super-visor Jeff McKay was absent as wasnewcomer Alicia Pierhoples.
All 4 would-be Cathy Hudginssuccessors were present: WalterAlcorn, a long-time Hudgins sup-porter and 16-year appointee tothe County Planning Commission;attorney and promising activistprogressive Laurie Dodd;Shyamali Hauth, former US AirForce officer and member of vari-ous Democratic committees; andParker Messick, youngest of all,with some campaign experienceand a promising future. Note: I amaware of a couple of other inter-esting prospects who have not yetstepped forward, but could sur-prise me by jumping in.
Speaking of surprises, a thirdcandidate threw his hat in the ringWednesday evening seeking theDemocratic endorsement for thenon-partisan election to Hunter
Mill District seat onthe Board of theFairfax County PublicSchools. (The seat isbeing vacated by oneof my favorites, PatHynes.) The new-comer also formallyapplied to join the
Party. He is AndySigle, Lake AnneBrew House bar-tender and cur-
rent Reston Association BoardPresident, stepping down after justone year. As late as Wednesdayafternoon word was circulatingthat Sigle wanted to run for Su-pervisor. The other candidate seek-ing the Democratic endorsementis Melanie Meren, an experiencedprofessional in Elementary andSecondary Education policy. Thethird candidate for the Hunter MillDistrict seat on the School Boardis Laura Ramirez Drain who is
seeking the Republican Party en-dorsement in the nonpartisan race.Ms. Drain founded and hosts CaféLatino TV, and is a community ac-tivist in area business and chari-table organizations.
Why, you might ask, am I so be-latedly mentioning a Republicancandidate for one of these HunterMill District/Reston area offices?The answer is that Ms. Drain is todate the only announced Republi-can candidate for any of the officesdiscussed.
Is this a prelude to a very goodyear for Democrats? Perhaps. Butmy sample is small and this is, af-ter all, Reston and Hunter Mill,hardly Republican strongholds.
However, I strongly believe it isfair to say that the one good thingthe current President has accom-plished, in the longest two years Ican remember, is energizingDemocrats to rise up and fight inVirginia and around the country.
Surging Newcomers for Supervisors, School Board, Not Legislature
The Connection welcomes views on any public issue.The deadline for all material is noon Friday. Letters must be signed.Include home address and home and business numbers. Letters are
routinely edited for libel, grammar, good taste and factual errors. Send to:
Letters to the EditorThe Connection1606 King St.
Alexandria VA 22314Call: 703-917-6444.
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Independent Progressive
Reston Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
Scrawl Books in Reston Town Center is knownfor offering a wide selection of fiction andnon-fiction books for adults and children.The store frequently hosts book clubs, book
launches and author presentations. On Feb. 17, theindie bookstore hosted a very special post-Valentine’s“Galentine’s Party” to benefit Laurel Learning Cen-ter operated by Cornerstones.
Book store owner, Rachel Woods said, “We’ve sug-gested a $10 donation at the door. We also have aBlind Date with a Book (event), complimentary cop-ies provided to us by the publisher.” Guests choose awrapped book based solely on the genre written onthe cover. “All monies collected help purchase booksfor the children at Cornerstones’ Laurel LearningCenter,” Woods said.
Courtney Park Jamborsky, Cornerstones, LaurelLearning Center Director was on hand for the eveningfestivities. “Cornerstones, Laurel Learning Center(LLC) was invited to this event to support our childdevelopment center located at Lake Anne, Reston.LLC teaches, nurtures and loves 130 children, infantsthrough twelve years of age, from low to moderateincome families in the area. One of the greatest thingswe can do for the children is to give them a love ofreading.” The two featured Maryland authors, OrlyKonig of Gaithersburg, and Erika Marks of
Hagerstown provided book lovers the opportunityto chat one on one with them about books, writinginspiration and life. Konig penned the five star Ama-zon reviewed novel, “Carousel Beach.” In a synopsisof the fiction, Good Reads states, “…(it) is a tenderand heartfelt novel that explores loss, the magic ofchildhood, and the possibility of second chances.”Marks is the author of “The Guest House,” a readKirkus review says,” With its smoothly written, lan-guid style, the book explores young love, social strataand releasing the bonds of the past.” Book lover, Pe-ter Almquist of Arlington appeared pleased to be atthe benefit “Indie Bookstores such as Scrawl providegreat opportunity to meet the authors.” Earlier inthe evening, Orly spoke about her writing experi-ence. “For me, writing is the best therapy. I’m an in-trovert. I write to sort through what I am feeling. Ican make my characters have experiences and ex-pressive thoughts that I’d like to express.” Marksshared a different perspective, how she sets up herwriting experience. She described herself as a “veryritualistic writer.” “I make sure to turn on the Pandoramusic channel, only instrumental. I have a GoldenGirl coaster, and I use the same coffee cup. I alwayswork at the same little table. I cannot work in pub-lic,” Marks said. Chris Hauth of Reston looked overthe books with his wife Shyamali and friends. “Won-derful books like these are exactly what Scrawl Booksis known for supporting, and I’m excited to read bothbooks,” he said.
Scrawl Books Supports LearningReston bookstore hosts benefit for LaurelLearning Center operated by Cornerstones.
(From left) Marty and Peter Almquist of Arlington,Shyamali Hauth of Reston, Courtney Park Jamborsky ofReston, Melva Bentley Ross of Apopka, Fla. and ChrisHauth of Reston check out the featured novels at ScrawlBooks during its post-Valentine’s “Galentine’s Party” tobenefit Laurel Learning Center operated by Cornerstones.
Rachel Woods, owner of Scrawl Books in Reston TownCenter greets book lovers as they arrive for “Galentine’sParty” to benefit Laurel Learning Center operated byCornerstones.
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6 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Entertainment
Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.
ONGOINGGo on a “Blind Date” for Charity.
At Scrawl Books, 11911 FreedomDrive, Reston. Take a chance thisFebruary and let Scrawl set you up –sight unseen – with a great read. Geta few hints and a brief description ofwhat might be hidden inside.Proceeds from sales of “Blind Date”books will benefit local schools andpre-k programs. Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com or call 703-966-2111.
Audubon Photography AwardsShow. Through Feb. 27, Mondays,Wednesdays-Fridays 9 a.m.-5p.m.;Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; andSundays 1-4 p.m. at Walker NatureCenter, 11450 Glade Drive, Reston.The winning photographers and theirphotographs were selected frommore than 8,000 entries submitted byphotographers from all 50 states,Washington, D.C., and 10 Canadianprovinces. This year’s photographscelebrate the splendor of many birdspecies protected under theMigratory Bird Treaty Act. Call 703-476-9689 or [email protected].
Exhibition: “For the Love of Art.”Through Feb. 28 at the RestonCommunity Center Hunters Woods,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston.Members of the League of RestonArtists display paintings, drawings,mixed media, photographs and two-dimensional works suitable for wallhanging. This show is free and opento the public during the center’sregular operating hours. KathleenBest Gillman judges the show. Visitwww.leagueofrestonartists.org.
WEDNESDAY/FEB. 20Journeys to Reston. 7-9 p.m. at Jo
Ann Rose Gallery RCC Lake Anne,1609-A Washington Plaza, Reston.Reston Historic Trust and Museum(RHT) and Reston CommunityCenter (RCC) will host a paneldiscussion of remarkable journeys toReston. Panelists include LindsayTrout, Principal of Terraset; RizwanJaka of the All Dulles Area MuslimSociety (ADAMS); Medelyn A. OrtizLopez, co-director of SouthgateCommunity Center; and Sara, aRestonian preparing to move from ashelter into her own home. [email protected] orvisit restonmuseum.org. Inconjunction with this event, RHT isinviting Restonians to share briefstories and photographs of theirjourneys to Reston: visitwww.restonmuseum.org/forum.
FRIDAY/FEB. 22The Storytime Social Hour. 11 a.m.
at Scrawl Books, 11911 FreedomDrive, Reston. Every Friday, moms,dads, caregivers and kids are invitedto join a Storytime Social Hour.Scrawl will provide coffee and treatsfor the adults; stories and fun for thelittle people. Make new friends ormeet up with neighbors. Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com or call 703-966-2111.
SATURDAY/FEB. 23The Bookworms Club. 11 a.m. at
Scrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive,Reston. Young readers are invited tojoin Scrawl’s all-new and completelyfree Bookworms Club. Explore a newtheme each week with picture books,special guests and most often,authors. Readers are welcome to joinor participate any time. Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com or call 703-966-2111.
Saturday Series: Nature Explorer.Noon-1:30 p.m. at Lake Fairfax Park,1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston. Inthe “Exploring Nature Series-Winter”program, students age 6-adult willexplore Virginia’s ecosystem. Sessionsare spread over four Saturdays inFebruary with a new topic to exploreeach week: Feb. 23 – Trees. Eachsession is $8 per person. Theprogram takes place both outdoorsand indoors, so dress accordingly.Call 703-471-5414 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-fairfax.
GinDance Presents NEXT. 2-3 p.m.at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333H St., NE, Washington, D.C. GinDance Company, based in Reston,has been selected to present itsproduction “NEXT” at the 2019 AtlasINTERSECTIONS Festival. $30 Visitwww.gindance.org,www.atlasarts.org/events/next/ orcall 703-403-3766.
SUNDAY/FEB. 24Introduction to Watercolor. 2-5
p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. Starting at thevery beginning, this introduction towatercolor course will go overbrushes, paper types, the use ofwater, negative space, glazing, colormixing, and more. With KatherineRodgers. Six-week session, $225. Call703-956-6590 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.org.
Fire Building and S’mores. 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Ellanor C. LawrencePark, 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly.Learn the science and art of firebuilding at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park.Discover what it takes to build a fire,and then test new abilities withprimitive fire bows and modern fire-making techniques and then roasts’mores. $8 per person, and childrenmust be accompanied by a registeredadult. Call 703-631-0013 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence.
The Capitol Steps BenefitPerformance. 7 p.m. at FairfaxHigh School, 3501 Rebel Run Road,Fairfax. Join in for a SILLYariousevening as the Capitol Steps politicalsatire comedy troupe performs ashow to benefit high school theatrefor the Cappies of the NationalCapitol Area. Adults, $30; students/senior citizens, $20; children 12 andunder, $10; and groups of 10 ormore, $15. Contact [email protected] or visit cappies.com/nca.
MONDAY/FEB. 25Little Hands Work on the Farm at
Frying Pan. 9:45 a.m. (2-3 yearolds); 11 a.m. (3-5 year olds) atFrying Pan Farm Park, 2739 West OxRoad, Herndon. Discover whathappens on a farm during the winter.Children will learn about animals,farm chores and how farm lifechanges with the season with
activities such as stories, crafts orgames. $8 per child. Children mustbe accompanied by an adult. Call703-437-9101 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/frying-pan-park.
Photography Critique. 7:30-9:30p.m. in Room 6 at the RestonCommunity Center Hunters Woods,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. TheReston Photographic Society invitesphotography enthusiasts to attendthe club’s critique. Ellis Rosenberg,an experienced photographer andexhibit judge, will critique memberphotos. Nonmembers are welcome.Visit www.leagueofrestonartists.org.
THURSDAY/FEB. 28Watercolor 2.0. 5:30-8:30 p.m. at
ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,Herndon. In this course students willlearn more in depth color theory,mixing watercolor pigments,composition concepts, how to createtexture and the use of negative space.With Katherine Rodgers. Six-weeksession, $225. Call 703-956-6590 orvisit www.artspaceherndon.org.
SATURDAY/MARCH 2ArtSplash. 2-4 p.m. at Reston Regional
Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Create a masterpiecein this art workshop led by artistsfrom Abrakadoodle NorthernVirginia. Adults. Free. Register atfairfaxcounty.gov/library/events orcall 703-689-2700, ext 4.
MONDAY/MARCH 4Family History Research. 7-8:30
p.m. at Reston Regional Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Learn to find courthouse,immigration and military records inthis workshop taught by a librarianfrom the Virginia Room of the FairfaxCounty Public Library. Free. Call 703-689-2700 or visit fairfaxcounty.gov/library/events.
TUESDAY/MARCH 5Bollywood Dance Fitness. 6:30-7:30
p.m. at Reston Regional Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Try out some fun Bollywooddance moves in this fitness programfor spring, led by local instructorAparna Rao. Adults, teens. Free. Call703-689-2700 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/events.
Author Event: Dani Shapiro. 7-8:30p.m. at Reston Regional Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Dani Shapiro will discuss andsign copies of her latest memoir,Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy,Paternity, and Love. She will be inconversation with professionalgenealogist Shannon Combs-Bennett.Free. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/5065844.
“Fishing Buds,” is one ofDawn Murphy’s entries inthe “RPS Clicks @ USGS”exhibit.
Exhibition: “RPSClicks @ USGS”
The Reston Photographic Society, aspecial-interest group of the League ofReston Artists, asked photographers toenter their work in the “RPS Clicks @USGS” exhibit. The exhibit will hangthrough March 1-29 at the US Geologi-cal Survey, National Gallery, 12201Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. Visitwww.leagueofrestonartists.org.
Reston Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
At least that was my intention when I sat down to write this column. I was planning on highlighting a couple of my pet peeves: One was about people who back into parking spac-es, an all-too common practice (which does not make perfect) that irks me no end and often in-conveniences me while idling in my car waiting for the driver to crane his neck and coordinate
space, all while blocking my passage. The second peeve also involves cars, but this
action has potentially far more dangerous con-sequences: Drivers who, while motoring along, completely ignore my car’s blinkers/indicator lights – WHEN THEY’RE FLASHING.
I was taught that when driving a vehicle and needing to turn/switch lanes, I was to indicate that to other drivers by using my blinkers, look into my mirrors and then move right or left accordingly. Moreover, when I observed those
respect their intentions and give them a wide berth. I was not to speed up and interfere with their indications. Unfortunately, the exact oppo-site often happens.
Though I am still respectful when drivers
many of my driving brethren see those lights, they react much the same way as a bull does when he sees red: they SPEED UP, and in their vehicle’s acceleration, they put me and my pas-sengers at risk. If it has happened once – which it has – it has happened a thousand times.
Unfortunately, neither of these car-related “misbehaviors” has been able to block out one of my key cancer anniversaries: Feb. 20, 2009, and as such, I will now be returning to the scene of the semi crime. And though I am not Billy Shears 20 years after the band taught me how to play, I am a lung cancer survivor who 10 years ago on Feb. 20 learned that I had cancer. That was the day when my primary care physician called me at work, about noon-ish on a Thursday to discuss the results of my previous week’s surgical biopsy.
After declining the offer to come to his
he did: the growth was malignant. Dumbfound-ed, I asked for further details, which he politely deferred to an oncologist (a specialty with which I was totally unfamiliar), with whom, while we spoke on the phone, my primary care physician scheduled a Team Lourie appoint-ment for the following Thursday.
which had been going on since I showed up at the Emergency Room on Jan. 1, 2009 complain-ing of pain in my right side, an inability to take
With an inconclusive X-Ray to not corrob-orate, an otherwise healthy patient with no family history of anything relevant – especially cancer, the doctor was perplexed. Fifty days later I learned I had cancer. And so I remember that day/date, a day which will go down in infamy, so to speak – in my family anyway.
The intervening days, as I have written about recently, were spent investigating the cause of my original symptoms. Eventually all test results led to one conclusion: non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV.
Meaning metastatic and inoperable, mean-ing “terminal.” It was Feb. 20 when I learned my fate. (The following Thursday, Feb. 27, is another anniversary; that’s when we met my
life would never be the same, or last nearly as long.)
But yet here I am, alive and reasonably well, writing about nonsense, mostly, instead of cancer, for this week, anyway. Good therapy for sure, and a nice change of pace.
EnoughAbout CancerSubmit civic/community announcements at
ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.
WINTER SHELTERSFind homeless and cold weather drop-in
centers and shelters that serve Northern Virginiaat www.novaregion.org/174/Homeless-Shelter-Lists.
DONATION REQUESTDiva Central Accessories Drive. Through Feb.
28, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 9a.m.-8 p.m. Reston Community Center will becollecting gently used items at its HuntersWoods and Lake Anne locations. RCC isaccepting donations of accessories, includingshoes, jewelry, handbags and shawls. RCC doesnot need donations of dresses this year. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com for more.
Support Reston Historic Trust & Museum.The Reston Historic Trust & Museum haslaunched a GoFundMe campaign with the goalto raise $15,000 to go towards the repair,cleaning, and reinstallation of icons on thefaçade of the former Lakeside Pharmacy, anoriginal Lake Anne Plaza store, in a newpermanent exhibit. The new exhibit will beunveiled during Reston’s annual Founder’s Dayevent, April 6. Read more about their historyand donate at www.gofundme.com/preserve-lakeside-pharmacy-icons to assist in theirpreservation. Thank you for your help!
INPUT SOUGHTShaping the Future Together. Fairfax County
Government is beginning a strategic planningprocess with the community to shape the futuretogether. The goal is to hear all voices and reachall segments of the community. This effort willspan most of 2019, but in this first phase, thecommunity is being asked to visitfairfaxcounty.gov/strategicplan and:
❖ Take a short five-question online survey❖ Join a community conversation in person: Feb.
25 – Alexandria; Feb. 26 – Fairfax; March 6 –Falls Church.
❖ Share the survey and conversation invitation withneighbors, co-workers and county family andfriends.
WEDNESDAY/FEB. 20Fairfax Commission on Aging Meets. 1-3
p.m. at the Hunter Mill District Office,Community Room A, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive,Reston. The public is welcome to attend and joinin the comment period that begins each session.Find out more at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/coa.htm. Call 703-324-5403,TTY 711 for meeting access needs.
Preschool Open House and Registration. 6-7:30 p.m. at Herndon Community Center, 814Ferndale Ave., Herndon. The HerndonCommunity Center Preschool will host an openhouse and registration will be taken for the2019-2020 school year. Visitors can meet thestaff and tour the preschool room. The preschoolis a state licensed program for children ages 4-5.The program operates weekdays from Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. for 4-5 year-old students and 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Tuesday andThursday for 3-4 year-old students. Visitherndon-va.gov/recreation or call 703-787-7300.
Planning Commission Meeting. 7:30 p.m. atthe Fairfax County Government Center BoardAuditorium, 12000 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax. For agendas or to sign up tospeak, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planningcommission. For more PlanningCommission information, questions or a printedcopy of the agenda, call the PlanningCommission office at 703-324-2865 (TTY 703-324-7951).
FRIDAY/FEB. 22Selective Mutism. 10 a.m.-noon at Dunn Loring
Center for Parent Services, 2334 Gallows Road,Entrance 1 – Room 100, Dunn Loring. Learnabout the diagnosis of Selective Mutism andhow symptoms are maintained and persist. Dr.Kristin Swanson is a clinical psychologist,specializing in work with young children (ages2-12) and their families. Call 703-204-3941 orvisit www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-center for more orto register.
Bulletin
8 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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News
Another Valentine’s Day.Another Region title forthe South Lakes High
School girls indoor track andfield team.
Led by junior HannahWaller’s victories in the the 55meters (7.12), 300 meters(40.09) and long jump (18-11.00), the Lady Seahawks suc-cessfully defended their VHSL6A North Region D indoor trackand field championship.
Along with winning three in-dividual events, including aschool-record in the long jump,Waller teamed with sophomoreJuviannadean Mullings andjuniors Emily Lannen and MaryGregory to win the 4x400 meterrelay in a season-best time of3:59.47. Gregory successfullydefended her title in the 500meters, winning the event in1:17.31. She was also second inthe 300 meters (41.94).Lannen, who was third in the1,000 meters (3:05.45), ledSLHS to victory in the 4x800meter relay on the first day ofthe two day championship. Sheteamed with senior IsabelleGulgert and juniors CaitlynMorris and Sydney Andersonfor a winning time of 9:45.10.Morris also finished fourth inthe 1,000 meters (3:06.37)
On the boys side, junior Caleb
Miller won the shot put (45-06.50).
Other top five individual per-formances for the SLHS in-clude:
❖ Freshman Jillian Howardsecond in the 55 meters (7.51)and fourth in the 300 meters(42.59).
❖ Fourth-place finishes byfreshman Tyler Benett in thetriple jump (41-00.25), sopho-more Molly Shapiro in the polevault (8-00.00), senior NicolePost in the 55 meter hurdles(8.90), junior Marissa Banga inthe 3,200 meters (11:53.66)and the boys 4x200 meter re-lay team of seniors NickyNapolitano, Daniel Ezidinma,Stevie Jones and junior JacksonCooley (1:34.36).
❖ Fifth-place finishes by se-nior Samantha Van Haaren inthe high jump (5-00.00),sophomore Amelia DiBiase inthe pole vault (7-06.00),Mullings in the 300 meters(42.67) and the boys 4x400meter relay team of Cooley,Benett, Jones and junior DavidRamirez (3:35.43).
South Lakes will send 21 ath-letes to compete in the VHSL6A State Indoor Track and FieldChampionship Feb. 22-23 at theBoo Williams Sportsplex inHampton, Va.
South Lakes High School’s Girls win Region Champi-onships for the second consecutive year.
Lady Seahawks WinRegion Title, Again
Pho
to
s by Ed Lull
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
Each spring, Reston Association (RA) membershave the opportunity to elect at least threeindividuals to the nine-member Board of Di-
rectors. This year, members get to elect five direc-tors according to the Elections Committee. Two seatsare one-year terms due to prior mid-term resigna-tion or appointment of interim replacements in 2018.What makes this election unique is all five candi-dates, the three incumbents and two new candidatesrun unopposed for the five seats.
Even though there are no challengers in the elec-tion, RA strongly urges members to vote. A quorumof 10 percent of eligible voters must be reached tomake the election results official.
Reston’s Deed provides for a nine-member Boardof Directors. The members of the association electeight directors for three-year, staggered terms andthe apartment owners designate one director, accord-ing to RA. “Four of the eight directors each repre-sent a district, generally described as the residentialareas of Hunters Woods/Dogwood, Lake Anne/TallOaks, North Point, and South Lakes, and the remain-ing four directors are elected from the membership-at-large,” RA states. Directors determine long-rangemission and goals, set policy in finance and budget,personnel and compensation policies, planning andprogram strategies, and set the annual assessmentrate.
Candidates for the 2019 Reston Association Boardof Directors
❖ Hunters Woods/Dogwood, 1-year term- CarenAnton (Incumbent)
❖ North Point, 3-year term-John Mooney (Incum-bent)
❖ Apartment Owners, 1-year term Catherine Baum(Incumbent)
❖ Lake Anne/Tall Oaks, 3-year term- Aaron Webb❖ At-Large, 3-year term- Tom Mulkerin
Candidates’ StatementsAccording to RA, each candidate completed the
Reston Association 2019 Board of Directors ElectionStatement of Candidacy. Statements will be sent toall eligible RA voters along with an official ballot.To view statements online, visit
www.reston.org/Portals/3/2019%20Election/2019%20Combined%20Candidacy%20Forms.pdf.
Key Dates in the Reston Association 2019 Board ofDirectors Election Schedule
❖ Thursday, Feb. 21-Deadline for Members toEmail Candidate Questions in Advance to CandidateForum; Email to [email protected]
❖ Wednesday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m.-Debate-styleCandidates’ Forum; RA Headquarters, 12001 Sun-rise Valley Drive; Ask Questions at the Event or WatchLive on YouTube.
❖ Monday, March 4, 5 p.m.-Ballots Mailed toMembers/Internet, Voting Opens at 5:00 p.m.[Online voting available with the link provided onwww.reston.org, RA social media and in the RA Newsweekly email.]
❖ Monday, April 1, 2019-5 p.m.-Deadline toReturn Ballots to Counting Agent’s Office; InternetVoting Closes.
❖ Tuesday, April 09, 2019- 7 p.m.-AnnualMembers’ Meeting – Election Results AnnouncedReston Association, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive
❖ Wednesday, April 10, 2019-6:30 p.m-.Ini-tial Board Meeting/ Election of Officers & Receipt ofAudit Report.
All Five Candidates Unopposed in RestonCritical 10 percentof RA members vote.
Caren Anton, RABoard of Direc-tors candidatefor HuntersWoods/Dog-wood District(1-year term)
Aaron Webb, RABoard of Direc-tors candidatefor Lake Anne/Tall Oaks Dis-trict (3-yearterm)
Tom Mulkerin,RA Board ofDirectors candi-date for At-Large (3-yearterm)
John Mooney,RA Board ofDirectors candi-date for NorthPoint District (3-year term)
Catherine Baum,RA Board ofDirectors candi-date for Apart-ment OwnersDirector (1-yearterm)
Photos by Reston Association