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Arlington Connection ❖ February 5-11, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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February 5-11, 2014

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Election Down the PikeNews, Page 3

Real-estate AssessmentsShow Steady GrowthNews, Page 3

TAP Presents‘Clybourne Park’Entertainment, Page 8

Election Down the PikeNews, Page 3

Real-estate AssessmentsShow Steady GrowthNews, Page 3

TAP Presents‘Clybourne Park’Entertainment, Page 8

WintryPerspective

Out & About, Page 4

WintryPerspective

Out & About, Page 4

After the January snow,foxes appear at DouglasPark in South Arlington.

Wellbeing0

WellbeingPage 10

2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ February 5-11, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Leadership Arlington’s newest class ofthe Young Professionals Programgathered for the first time at a day-

long retreat at Marymount University onSaturday, Jan. 18. Thirty individuals wereselected to participate in an experientialprogram, now in its fifth year, for up-and-coming leaders in the region. The new classjoins Leadership Arlington’s 900 membersrepresenting over 500 organizations.

Over the next four months, the Young Pro-fessionals Program will focus on civic andphilanthropic awareness along with com-munity engagement. In addition to theseprogram goals, they will receive valuableleadership skills training.

The Spring Class of 2014 includes: BillBlatti, Clark Construction Group; DavidBodner, U.S. Department of State;

Christina Brady, Beangood! The CoffeePub; Melissa Cohen, Arlington County;Khyati Desai-Seltzer, Community Preserva-tion & Development Corporation; ChrisDobbins, Arlington Community FederalCredit Union; Courtney Dock, Joint Base

Myer-Henderson Hall; Julie Ghareeb,Healthcare Distribution Management Asso-ciation; Jen Gordon, Executive PersonalAssistant; Jasmine Gould, Strategic Consult-ing Partners; Ying Huang, Accenture; DanImhoff, BB&T; Ursula Kiel, Volunteers ofAmerica; Sarah Marchegiani, ArlingtonCounty Fire Department; Antonia Miller,Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Walsh,P.C.; Tiffany Noon, Arlington County; Hec-tor Ochoa, Burke & Herbert Bank; Chris-tine Oresky, Capital Automotive Real EstateServices, Inc.; Erica Painter, Habitat forHumanity of Northern Virginia; AustinPerry, Leadership Arlington; Sergio Rochac,Arlington County; Allie Rosner, ArlingtonTemple United Methodist Church; MaribethSarnecki, NiSource; Kristina Scott, CoStarGroup; Whitney Strand, Arlington DHS;Mohammed Tabibi, Arlington County PoliceDepartment; Jessica Whirt Steinke, VirginiaHospital Center Foundation; WoodyWingfield, Marymount University; KristenWingrove, Technomics, and Emma Yourd,International Relief and Development.

Leadership Arlington welcomes 30 young professionals tospring program.

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Young Professionals Gather To Lead

Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is noon the Thursday be-fore publication. Photos are welcome.

SATURDAY/FEB. 8Bonsai Club Meeting. 9 a.m. at Walter Reed

Civic Center, 2909 S. 16th St. Learn the art ofwiring bonsai tree. There will be a workshop topractice what was taught. Bring own tree or justobserve. Free.

MONDAY/FEB. 10Lecture. 3 p.m. at Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy

St. “Elements of Good Medical Decision Making:Things to Consider.” The speaker is RosemaryGibson, a leading authority on health care in theUnited States. Gibson is an editor for the

Journal of American Medical Association and anauthor of several books and articles on AmericanMedical Care. Free. 703-228-2144.

Order Deadline. A women’s quartet fromPotomac Harmony Chorus will go to a home,work or restaurant to deliver two songs in acapella, barbershop-style and give a box ofcandy and card. Choose from six songs. $50/performance in person, $20/telephone. Call703-764-3896 to order.

TUESDAY/FEB. 11Become a Tree Steward. The TreeStewards of

Arlington and Alexandria are volunteersdedicated to improving the health of urban treesthrough educational programs, tree planting andcare, demonstrations and tree maintenancethroughout the community. New volunteer

training will be held on Tuesday evenings, Feb.11 through April 2014, with some Saturdaymornings. Visit www.TreeStewards.org or [email protected].

Introductory Buddhism and MeditationClass. 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Vajrayogini BuddhistCenter, First Presbyterian Church of Arlington,601 N. Vermont St. Learn how to meditate andmore. Free. Visit www.meditation-dc.org or 202-986-2257.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 12Meeting. 4 p.m. at Central Library, 1015 N.

Quincy St. Arlington Neighborhood Villages(ANV). Ballston/Virginia Square Village isholding a meeting to help people learn how to“age in place.” Free. Visit arlnvil.org for more.

THURSDAY/FEB. 13PreK Registration Night. 6:30-8:30 p.m. at

Kenmore Middle School, 200 S. Carlin SpringsRoad. Arlington Public Schools and the Office ofEarly Childhood Education will hold their firstPreK Registration Night. Parents can learn aboutboth the Primary Montessori program and theVPI (Virginia Preschool initiative) program.Eligible students must turn 3 years old by Sept.30 for the Montessori program and 4 years oldby Sept. 30 for the VPI program. Call contact theEarly Childhood Office at 703-228-8632 or visitwww.apsva.us for more.

Program. 7 p.m. at Central Library, 1015 N.Quincy St. The Arlington Historical Society willhost Dr. Nancy Perry to discuss the destructionof Queen City. Free. 703-228-5990.

DEADLINE FEB. 14Nomination. The Bill Thomas Outstanding Park

Service Award is calling for nominations.Nominate someone who is dedicated to park

services and improving the community. Thisaward is to pay tribute to park volunteers andencourage residents who demonstratecommitment and support for the parksprograms, natural resources and public openspaces. Read more about the award atwww.arlingtonva.us/departments/ParksRecreation/scripts/parks/BillThomasAward.aspx.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/FEB. 14-16Spirit Fest 2014. At Arlington Metaphysical

Chapel, 5618 Wilson Blvd. A three-day weekendfull of classes, circles, readings, food and fun.The focus will be on visualizing and manifesting,a core metaphysical principle. For moreinformation and to register online, visitwww.arlingtonmeta.com.

SATURDAY/FEB. 15Presentation. 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Sheraton

Pentagon City Hotel, 900 S. Orme St. Enjoy apresentation on “How I Invest Using WishingWealth Methods” by Eric D. Wish, Ph.D, directorof the Center for Substance Abuse Research.Learn how to invest in the index ETFs and more.$53/person by Feb. 11; $58/person after Feb.11 or $63/person at the door. Register atwww.aaii.com/localchapters.

TUESDAY/FEB. 18Program. 7 p.m. at Langston Brown Community

Center, 2121 Lee Highway. Learn about JoanMulholland, an Arlington resident and teacher,who participated in a freedom ride in June1961. She will share her experiences and answerquestions. Free. Sponsored by Arlington Branchof the American Association for UniversityWomen. 703-532-3830.

Bulletin Board


News

See Assessments Show, Page 15

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

A decade ago, when the real-estatemarket was going gangbusters, theArlington real-estate market regu-

larly saw double-digit increases. Every year,the county’s tax base would grow by leapsand bounds. In 2005, for example, residen-tial property values spiked 24 percent in oneyear. Now, in retro-spect, county officialslook back on that timewith some skepticism.

“That was the high-est increase we saw,”said Richard Millman,director of real-estateassessments in Arling-ton. “Of course, wenow know that was notsustainable.”

These days, Arling-ton leaders are happywith something thatseems moderate bycomparison. The latest round of real-estateproperty assessments show that propertyvalues grew about 5.8 percent this year inArlington compared to the previous year.That includes single-family houses andtownhouses, which went up 6.2 percent, aswell as condominiums, which went up 5.9percent. Commercial properties lagged be-

hind at 5.4 percent. County officials say thegrowth was fueled by strength in the resi-dential market, as well as new constructionof commercial properties.

“We are grateful that Arlington continuesto show resilience and stability, despite on-going tensions in the larger economy,” saidBarbara Donnellan, Arlington County Man-ager. “I am pleased the budget gap is nar-rowed, but we still face expenditure pres-

sures for both countyand schools.”

THE LAST DECADEhas seen dramaticchange in Arlington, acounty where the percapita income skyrock-eted from $56,000 in2003 to $80,000 in2013. During that time,the real-estate boombrought windfall rev-enue to the ArlingtonCounty GovernmentCenter as real-estatetaxes proved to be a cash

cow.Ten years ago, the county took in about$300 million from taxes on real estate. To-day that number has doubled, and countyofficials are expecting to receive more than$600 million from taxes on residential and

Arlington County Government

Six Percent GrowthReal-estate assessments show steady growth.

“I am pleased thebudget gap isnarrowed, but we stillface expenditurepressures for bothcounty and schools.”

— Barbara Donnellan,Arlington County Manager

See Election Down, Page 15

Arlington Connection Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

The special election to replace re-tiring County Board memberChris Zimmerman is the closestthing Arlington will probably

have to a referendum on the streetcar. Onone side of the debate is Alan Howze, theDemocrat who emerged from a caucus lastweekend. He supports the streetcar. On theother side of the debate is John Vihstadt,an independent who has the support of theRepublican Party and the Green Party.

“I would expect turnout to be a littlehigher than the last special election, whichwas in March 2012,” said deputy registrarGretchen Reinmeyer. “At that time we wereexperiencing some election fatigue becausewe had a Republican primary that month,and then it was only a few months fromthe November 2011 election.”

That special election was prompted by theresignation of Barbara Favola from theCounty Board after she became a memberof the Virginia State Senate. Candidates inthat race clashed over the streetcar pro-gram, and former School Board memberLibby Garvey ran a successful campaign inwhich she was highly critical of the street-car system after she won the primary. Sincethat time the streetcar issue has only be-come more divisive, with partisans on bothsides increasingly skeptical of the opposi-tion.

“If the last special election is a guide, andI think it is, the streetcar will be a very im-portant issue in this special election,” saidPeter Rousselot, a former chairman of theArlington County Democratic Committee.“A good candidate understands public opin-ion.”

HOWZE SAYS public opinion is with thestreetcar system. When asked about criticsof the initiative who say the program is tooexpensive, Howze said Arlington stands togain from the financial benefits he and othersupporters expect the system to bring to thecounty. As a child, he said, he witnessed theopening of the Clarendon Metro station.Since that time, he said, he’s seen firsthandhow transit-oriented development has cre-ated rising property values for the countywhile creating a sense of diversity and vi-brancy that would never have happenedwith bus service. Howze said opponents oftoday’s streetcar proposal remind him of theopposition to the Metro system from anearlier generation.

“The opposition then said well let’s justrun buses down Wilson Boulevard, andbuses can do the same job for cheaper,” saidHowze. “That’s exactly what we are hear-ing today from opponents.”

Howze said streetcar systems have loweroperating costs than bus systems. He said a

streetcar system would provide environ-mental benefits as well as economic ben-efits. More to the point, though, he said astreetcar system would deliver ridershipthat a bus service — even an enhanced busservice. Howze said communities that haveinstalled a streetcar system have experi-enced a 35 percent to 40 percent increasein ridership, adding that he expects a street-car system along Columbia Pike will reducetraffic gridlock and energy use.

“Just as people make consumer choicesabout what sort of car they drive, what sortof shampoo they use, people make con-sumer choices about what sort of methodthey will use for transportation,” saidHowze. “So what we are saying is are wegoing to add more buses to the alreadyheavily used bus routes along ColumbiaPike or are we going to add in a new transitoption in the form of a streetcar that pro-vides higher carrying capacity, larger ve-hicles and the ability to move more people?”

VIHSTADT SAYS the system is just tooexpensive and that county taxpayers wouldget more bang for their buck by investingin enhanced bus service — a system somecall “bus-rapid transit,” although manypeople argue over how that phrase shouldbe defined. Streetcar supporters say a bus-rapid transit system would not be possiblealong Columbia Pike because it would beimpossible to dedicate a lane for the sys-tem. Opponents say the streetcar won’t havea dedicated lane, so the debate over seman-tics is misplaced. Vihstad also said he takes

Election Down the PikeDemocrat and independentto face off in April special election.

Alan Howze John Vihstadt

Meet the Candidates❖ John Vihstadt, 61: A native of Berwyn, Ill.,

Vihstadt was raised in Nebraska and Michigan. Hehas a bachelor’s degree in political science and ajuris doctor, both from the University of Nebraska.He moved to Arlington in 1981, first on ColumbiaPike and then to Arlington Village before buying ahouse in the Tara-Leeway Heights Civic Associa-tion. He votes at the Lexington precinct.

❖ Alan Howze, 39: A native of Arlington County,Howze went to high school in Blacksburg. He hasa bachelor’s degree in economics and anthropologyfrom James Madison University and a master ofbusiness administration from the University of Vir-ginia. He moved back to Arlington in 2006, and hecurrently lives in the Highland Park-Overlee Knollsneighborhood, where he is president of the civicassociation. He votes at the Overlee precinct.


News

Frigid to Warm to Frigid to …Arlington residents ventured outdoors in January, especially on Sunday, Jan. 12, with its temperature of 51 degrees. People spent the day bikeriding, bird watching and watching planes as they took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

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By Senitra T. McCombs

The Connection

Author Stefan Jaeger’s Arlington-based thriller “The JackhammerElegies” was among the block-buster movies and television

shows honored at the 3rd Annual Science,Engineering & Technology (SET) Awards inBeverley Hills last fall.

The SET Awards recognize film, televi-sion, comic book, digital and other mediathat inspires youth interest in science, en-gineering, technology and math throughmedia and entertainment.

“The Jackhammer Elegies” follows civiland structural engineer Scott Carter as heaids the FBI in their investigation of a ter-rorist (aka Jackhammer) who is threaten-ing the lifelines of the city’s public works.There is also a growing romance betweenCarter and Special Agent Michelle Taylor,the FBI agent he assists.

The novel is available throughAmazon.com and an electronic Nook Bookversion is available on BN.com. Bulk dis-counts are available throughCreateSpace.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.

During his acceptance speech at the SETAwards, Jaeger stated that he was inspiredto write the novel after hearing the engi-neers he worked with mention their lack ofpresence on television.

“Over those decades the refrain that I’vealways heard from civil engineers is whycan’t there be a television show LA Engi-neer, a take off on LA Law. The idea beingthat those shows like Grey’s Anatomy in-spires others to become doctors. Well I can’t

write for television but I have been writingquite a bit of fiction and I thought I’d takemy shot,” he said.

Jaeger also incorporated some worldevents into the novel along with landmarksand geography from Rosslyn and ArlingtonCounty.

It took Jaeger about 2 and a halfºyears toresearch, write and edit the novel. Duringthe process, he said he incorporated much

of his experience as a civil engineer in cre-ating his main character, Scott Carter.

“It probably helped that I’m not a trainedcivil engineer and that I have a writing andeditorial background. I wasn’t tempted toget into the technical nitty-gritty like anengineer might be. I focused on making thecharacters believable and the civil engineer-ing references accessible in layman’s terms,”he said.

Overall, Jaeger is thrilled that his novelwas chosen by the Entertainment IndustriesCouncil. He hopes that readers will enjoythe suspense-filled plot of “The Jackham-mer Elegies” and learn a little somethingabout the field of civil engineering.

“I really hope that the book is able to showhow civil engineering is a dynamic and re-warding career, with the opportunity to dogood and to be a leader. That’s importantbecause engineers don’t often get the ex-posure that doctors and lawyers do,” hesaid.

According to Jaegar, the public often takesfor granted “the infrastructure civil engi-neers design … until something goes wronglike a power failure or a disruption in thewater supply.”

During his spare time, he enjoys travel-ing, reading and, of course, writing. Everymorning, he sets aside time to jot down afew ideas for his next project. Some of hisfavorite authors include Graham Greeneand John Grisham.

In 1984, the Indiana native resettled inWashington, D.C. where he began workingfor a number of major engineering associa-tions with an initial focus in the editorialside. Currently, Jaegar is a managing direc-tor with the American Society of Civil Engi-neers in Reston.

He resides in Fairfax Station, near Foun-tainhead Regional Park. “Besides strolls inthe neighborhood, in the summer we haveoften headed down to the Occoquan Reser-voir in the park to hang out on the pier oroccasionally rent a row boat to get out onthe water,” he said. “When we lived in BurkeCenter for 15 years, we often went to BurkeLake Park for walks. We enjoy taking thedrive out to Clifton for a stroll by the his-toric houses, and one memory of a greatmeal is Trummer’s on Main. When it’swarm, from time to time we’ll sit by thewater in the Town of Occoquan.”

Stefan Jaeger accepts an award for his book, “The Jackhammer Elegies,”at the 3rd Annual Science, Engineering & Technology Awards in BeverleyHills.

Arlington-Based Novel Wins SET AwardGiving civilengineers their due.

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People

‘Flourishing After 55’

“Flourishing After 55” from ArlingtonOffice of Senior Adult Programs for Feb.18-21.

Senior centers will be closed Mon-day, Feb. 17 in observance of Presidents’Day.

Senior trips: Thursday, Feb. 20,tour National Public Radio headquar-ters, D.C., $8; Friday, Feb. 21, behindthe scenes tour of The Kennedy Center,$8. Call Arlington County 55+ Travel,703-228-4748. Registration required.

Minimizing stroke damage,Tuesday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m., ArlingtonMill. Free. Register, 703-228-7369.

Beginners full fitness exerciseclass, Tuesdays, 10 a.m., Lee. $60/15sessions or $4 per class. Details, 703-228-0555.

Table tennis, Tuesdays-Thursdays,10 a.m., Walter Reed. Details, 703-228-0955.

Indoor walking program, Tues-days, 9:30 a.m., Langston-Brown. Free.Details, 703-228-6300.

Keeping leg veins healthy ,Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m., Arling-ton Mill. Free. Register, 703-228-7369.

Arlington Walking Club, Wednes-days, 9:30 a.m., various walking sites,$4, Culpepper Garden. Register, 703-228-4403.

Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline isThursday at noon. Photos are welcome.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 12Application Deadline. Graduating

Arlington county high school seniorscan apply for a Fund for Teachers,Inc. scholarship. They must haveshown a genuine interest in the fieldof education and plan a career in thatfield. Visit acsfft.org for informationand applications.

Chul Woo Han, of Arlington and astudent at Pratt Institute, was named tothe dean’s list.

The following students made thepresident’s list at James Madison Uni-versity for the fall 2013 semester:Celeste Amalfitano, a senior major-ing in nursing; Kelsey Barnes, a

sophomore majoring ininterdisc. liberal studies;Rosemary Girard, asenior majoring in writingrhet. & tech. comm.;Tessa Heydinger, a se-

nior majoring in integrated science &technology; Amanda Maggio, a se-nior majoring in communicationstudies; Dana Probasco, a seniormajoring in interdisc. liberal studies;David Schoembs, a senior majoringin political science; Ned Sieverts, afreshman; Leah Solomon, a freshmanmajoring in international affairs; andErica Taylor, a junior majoring ininterdisc. liberal studies.

The following students graduatedfrom James Madison University on Dec.14: Brian Donohoe with a degree inintelligence analysis - BS; AndrewPiemonte with a degree in finance -BBA; Senit Hailemariam with a de-gree in health sciences - BS; KathrynDeVoll with a degree in English - BA;Kelly Kennedy with a degree in phy-sician assistant studies; Rachel Greshwith a degree in physician assistantstudies; Sophia Chaale with a degreein adult educ/human res dev- MSED;Loren Lulushi with a degree in com-puter science - BS; Christian Straubswith a degree in computer info systems- BBA; Megan Nazareth with a degreein management - BBA; and CelesteAmalfitano with a degree in nursing -BSN.

School

Notes

Ben Wengert of Troop 111, spon-sored by St. Agnes in Arlington,was awarded the rank of EagleScout in a ceremony in Arlingtonon Jan. 12.

Ben has been active in scoutingsince he joined Cub Scouts as afirst-grader. He has participated innumerous service projects, his fa-vorites being Scouting for Foodand assisting with the MarineCorps Marathon.

One ofBen’s mostchallengingp r o j e c t swas, as a10th-grader,planning ac a m p i n gtrip formore than

30 campers with the aim to teachyounger scouts basic camping

Ben Wengert

Troop 111 of Arlington Honors Eagle Scout Ben Wengertskills. “How on Earth am I sup-posed to get all these little kids tolisten and focus on what they’resupposed to be doing?” saidWengert, upon his return homefrom the trip.

His Eagle service project was tobuild and install six bat houses atPotomac Overlook Park in Arling-ton to help the bat populationwhich has been decimated by“white nose” syndrome.

Ben joins four family memberswho have earned the highest lev-els in scouting: Grandfather GeneWengert and Uncle Stewart Hartboth earned Eagle and Great-AuntIda Timpson and mother DeniseHart both earned the Girl ScoutGold Award.

Ben is a graduate of Washing-ton-Lee High School and is nowstudying physics and engineeringat Virginia Tech.


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ArlingtonThe

Connection

Opinion

It’s possible that this is not the right billexactly, and in general, we favor localcontrol. But it is wrongheaded of publicschools to force families into a take-it-

or-leave-it position.Families that homeschool their children are

likely saving localities more than $10,000 ayear in operating costs and take some pres-sure off overcrowded schools. It makes sensethat these students should not only have ac-cess to sports, if they can meet the require-ments, but they should also have access toother extracurricular activities and even someclasses.

Public schools need to provide for the bestfor all students in their jurisdiction.

This is HB63.

Are We Barbarians?Testimony stated that on occasion the cloth-

ing of the person in the electric chair wouldburst into flames and the man throwing theswitch for an execution feared the person be-ing executed might burst into flames as well.

There have been problems acquiring the

drugs needed for lethal injection for execution,so the Virginia House of Delegates passed thefollowing: HB1052 Method of execution. Pro-vides that if the Director of the Department ofCorrections certifies that lethal injection is notavailable as a method of execution, electrocu-tion shall be used instead. House:VOTE: PASSAGE (64-Y 32-N)

How local Northern Virginia del-egates voted:

YEAS: Albo, Comstock, Hugo, LeMunyonand Rust.

NAYS: Brink, Bulova, Filler-Corn, Herring,Hope, Keam, Kory, Krupicka, Lopez, Plum,Sickles, Simon, Surovell and Watts.

Please No HuntingOn Sundays

For those who enjoy a hike or a ride throughthe Virginia countryside, it’s good to know that

on Sundays during hunting season, onecan still enjoy the outdoors withoutworrying about being mistaken for adeer. On Saturdays, vigilance, brightcolors, loud talking and sometimes

even jingle bells hung on clothing or saddleshelps provide a sense of safety. This bill alreadypassed the House of Delegates, and will likelyproceed in the Senate.

Few Thoughts on General Assembly ActionYes, allow homeschoolstudents accessto programsin public schools.

Send Photos for Pet Connectionpet to visit people in a nursing home? Tell usabout your experience.

Have you helped to train an assistance dog?Do you or someone in your family depend onan assistance dog? Or take this opportunity tomemorialize a beloved pet you have lost.

Send photos and identify everyone in thephoto including the pets and tell us what ishappening in the photo, and include your ad-dress (we will only print the town name).

Submissions should arrive by Feb. 19.Email [email protected],

or submit photos and stories directly on ourwebsite at www.connectionnewspapers.com/pets/.

Editorials

The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edi-tion, will publish Feb. 26.

We invite you to send us stories about yourpets, photos of you and/or your family withyour cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards,frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creaturesshare your home or yard with you.

Tell us the story of a special bond between achild and a dog, the story of how you came toadopt your pet, or examples of amazing featsof your creatures. Can your dog catch a Frisbee10 feet in the air, or devour an entire pizzawhen you turn your back for less than aminute? Do you volunteer at an animal shel-ter or therapeutic riding center or take your

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See In State, Page 7

By Adam Ebbin

State Senator (D-30)

The Virginia Senate underwent a significant transferof power last week follow-

ing the elections of Senators Jen-nifer Wexton (D-Loudoun) andLynwood Lewis (D-Accomack).The Senate is again evenly split 20-20 — as it was before the 2013statewide elections. However, Lt.

Governor Ralph Northam (D)gives Democrats a crucial tie-breaking vote and control of thechamber. On Tuesday, we Demo-crats moved to change the com-mittee chairmanships and compo-

sitions to re-flect our newmajority. Thismeans theSenate willnow offer acounte rba l -ance to thesharply con-s e r v a t i v eHouse of Delegates.

As a result of the transfer ofpower, I have been given two ad-ditional committee assignments. Inow serve on the Commerce andLabor Committee, which consid-

ers critical issuesinvolving eco-nomic develop-ment. I have alsobecome a member

of the Privileges and ElectionsCommittee, which hears legisla-tion regarding voting access andconstitutional amendments. I re-main on the General Laws andTechnology Committee as well asthe Agriculture, Conservation andNatural Resources Committee.While I expect this docket to keepme quite busy, these committeesgreatly impact the overall direc-tion of the Commonwealth and Ilook forward to delving further

Transfer of Power in the Virginia Senate

Richmond

Report


From Page 6

In State Senateinto these important topics.

This is the final week before the Feb. 11 Crossover, thedate by which each legislative chamber must completework on its own bills and thereafter only consider billspassed by the other body. Most of my bills have advancedthrough committees and the full Senate, but there are afew which still need to be voted before next week’s dead-line.

One such bill would establish a pilot mental health pro-gram in the Virginia Community College System. I intro-duced legislation that would provide counseling servicesat four campuses around the state. Given the rash of vio-lent tragedies at colleges around the nation, I hope thataccess to mental health care will reduce the loss of lifeand improve the quality of life for many students. I ampleased to report that this bill was unanimously passedout of the Senate Education and Health Committee. Itwill now be considered by the Senate Finance Commit-tee.

Thanks to all who attended the Lee District LegislativeTown Hall Meeting last Saturday with Senators ToddyPuller and George Barker, Del. Mark Sickles and Super-visor Jeff McKay. For those who could not make it to thatone, there will be another meeting for Alexandria andArlington residents on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Charles Houston Recreation Center (905Wythe Street, Alexandria, 22314.) Del. Rob Krupicka andI will be there to brief attendees on the legislative ses-sion and answer questions. If you’re in Richmond betweennow and March 8, please stop by my office and see me.You can also email me at [email protected] call 804-698-7530 with your thoughts on legislationor state-related matters. I am active on Facebook andTwitter (@AdamEbbin). It is my continued honor to rep-resent the citizens of the 30th Senate District.

Opinion

By U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8)

And Madison Poche,

Environment

Virginia Field Associate

Virginia is not immune to thedangers of climate change. Inrecent years, we have seen the

damage sea level rise and stormsurges have caused in our lowlandareas. The science is clear that wemust cut carbon to the levels scien-tists say are safe to address these is-sues.

Notably, coal-fired power plants arethe single largest source of both airand water pollution in this country.These power plants are responsible forover half the toxic pollution dumpedinto our rivers, lakes and streams ev-ery year, impairing hundreds of bod-ies of water across the country annu-ally. Additionally, 40 percent of ourcountry’s carbon pollution, fueling ir-reversible global climate change,comes from these sources. By Environ-ment Virginia calculations in a reportissued last year, Virginia power plantscontribute as much carbon pollutionas adding 7.1 million cars to our roadsin one year.

Right now, we have a great oppor-tunity for action. As President Obama

reiterated in his State of the Union ad-dress, his administration is setting thefirst standards to limit the amount ofcarbon pollution power plants are al-lowed to dump into the air, and Vir-ginia now has a governor ready toimplement these historic standards.

Unfortunately, outside groups andTea Party extremists aim to block anyaction on climate change. These cam-paigns have adopted the strategy thetobacco industry used to block regu-lation of cigarettes, employing a mis-information campaign to confuse theissue and scare people with exaggera-tions, this time on job losses and skyrocketing electric bills. Despite all ofthis, poll after poll shows that thepublic favors climate action. Virgin-ian voters support cutting carbon pol-lution from power plants two to one.

Avoiding commonsense standardson the carbon pollution is not only apublic health risk, but it also erodesthe innovation and economic benefitsof taking action. States that get outearly and embrace new technologiesto replace coal and fossil fuels withcleaner alternatives are in the bestposition to prosper from the changes.We can look to other states alreadytraining their workforce for our clean-energy future to implement best prac-

Speak Up for Pollution Restrictionstices.

Since 1970, every $1 in investmentin compliance with Clean Air Act stan-dards has produced $4-8 in economicbenefits. According to a recent analy-sis by the Natural Resources DefenseCouncil and business and laborgroups, cutting carbon pollution frompower plants will add over 200,000new jobs and save American familiesan average of $0.90 a month on theirelectric bills.

To address climate change in thelong-term, we need policies that puta price on carbon, like a carbon tax,and the only way we will create amajority in Congress ready to addressclimate change is for members to hearfrom their constituents.

Right now, Virginian residents, lo-cal businesses and elected officials aretaking action by highlighting the ef-fects climate change is having on ourcommunity and by encouraging otherVirginians to support the ObamaAdministration’s effort to cut carbonemissions. The recently proposed lim-its on carbon pollution for new powerplants are now in the Federal Registerand open for comment from the pub-lic until March 10. We hope that allVirginians share their opinion withEPA as well.


Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline isnoon Thursday. Photos are welcome.

ONGOINGTheater Performance. Mount Olivet

Players presents “Alice’s Adventuresin Wonderland” Jan. 25-Feb. 8.Performances are Fridays at 7:30p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.Dinner theater for Saturday shows at6 p.m. Located at 1500 N. GlebeRoad. Dinner is $12/adult; $6/child.Visit mountolivetum.org/event/aliceor 703-527-3934 for reservations.

Art Exhibit. See “H2O - EncausticPaintings by Marilyn Banner andPhotography by Peggy Fleming” fromJan. 17-Feb. 13 in the Barry Galleryat the Reinsch Library at MarymountUniversity, 2807 N. Glebe Road.Free. Visit marymount.edu/barrygallery or 703-284-1561.

Theater Performance. See the “SilentShakespeare” adaptation of “TwelfthNight” through Feb. 16 at SyneticTheater, 1800 S. Bell St.Performances are Wednesdaythrough Saturday at 8 p.m. andSunday at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $35,with a student, senior and militarydiscount. 866-811-4111 or visitwww.synetictheater.org for tickets.

Art Exhibit. See “Evidence ofCivilization,” featuring Arlingtonartist Marsha Slater, through Feb. 24at Har Shalom, 11510 Falls Road.See photographs, paintings, ceramicsand more. Free. 301-299-7087.

Art Exhibit. See “Visions of the Future”at Gallery Underground, 2100 CrystalDrive. The works are by futureArlington Arts Alliance Gallerymembers. Runs Feb. 3-28. Free. Visitwww.arlingtonartistsalliance.org orwww.galleryunderground.org.

Art Exhibit. See the gallery members’show at Gallery Underground, 2100Crystal Drive.Runs Feb. 3-28. Free.Visit www.arlingtonartistsalliance.orgor www.galleryunderground.org.

Winter Cabaret Festival. See avariety of cabarets while enjoying adrink in the ARK Theatre atSignature Theatre, 4200 CampbellAve. Performers include Tracy LynnOlivera, Chelsea and Geoff Packardand more. Runs Feb. 5 throughMarch 1. $35/season subscribers;$41/non-subscribers per session or$90/all-access pass. Visitwww.signature-theatre.org for more.

Theater Performance. See “La VidaQue Me Das...y no me alcanza (Sucha Life You’ve Given Me… and it’s notenough)” Feb. 13-March 9 atGunston Arts Center - Theater Two,2700 S. Lang St. Performances areThursdays at 8 p.m. ($15/person),Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.($35/regular; $30/students, seniors)and Sundays at 3 p.m. ($25/person).Visit www.teatrodelaluna.org fortickets. Performances are in Spanishwith English subtitles.

Theater Performance. “Beaches” willrun Feb. 18-March 23 at SignatureTheatre, 4200 Campbell Ave.Performances are Tuesday-Sundayevenings with matinees on Saturdaysand Sundays. Tickets start at $40.Based on the book by Iris RainerDart. Visit signature-theatre.org.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPSRegister Now. Winter and Spring

break classes are open forregistration at www.arlingtonartscenter.org. There will be weekendworkshops for children, and more.

TUESDAY-SATURDAY/FEB. 4-8Crystal Couture. 6-10 p.m. each night

on the 11th floor at 251 18th St.South. More than 50 boutiques anddesigners under one roof. Discountedofferings on the rack and on therunway. Cash bar sponsored by

Celebrity Cruises, free 5-minutemake-up and hair makeovers,shopping tips from professionalwardrobe consultants and stylists,and music by DJ Neekola. Free andopen to the public. Visitwww.crystalcity.org.

THURSDAY/FEB. 6“Defying Gravity” Event. 7 p.m. at

One More Page Books, 2200 N.Westmoreland St. Celebrate the sixthanthology in the Grace & Gravityseries of fiction written by localwomen and edited by RichardPeabody. Free. Visit www.onemorepagebooks.com or 703-300-9746.

Performance. 7:30 p.m. in the DomeTheatre at Artisphere, 1101 WilsonBlvd. See “The Adventures of AlvinSputnik: Deep Sea Explorer”presented by Perth TheatreCompany. In a highly imaginativefusion of animation, puppetry,projections, live and recorded music,master storyteller Sam Longley tellsthe tale of Alvin Sputnik, deep seaexplorer, and the search for his lostlove in the seemingly endless depthsof the ocean. $18. Visit http://artisphere.com/ for more.

FRIDAY/FEB. 7Story Time: Baby Steps. 10:30 a.m.

at Columbia Pike Library, 816 S.Walter Reed Drive. Children up to 1year old can enjoy stories. Free. 703-228-5710.

Story Time: Baby Steps. 10:30 a.m.at Westover Library, 1644 N.McKinley Road, suite 3. For childrenup to age 1. Free. 703-228-5260.

Story Time: Over 2s. 10:30 a.m. or11:15 a.m. at Central Library, 1015N. Quincy St. Children age 25months to 5 years. Free. 703-228-5946.

Story Time: Under 2s. 10:30 a.m. or11:15 a.m. at Central Library, 1015N. Quincy St. Children up to age 2.Free. 703-228-5946.

Story Time: Wobbly Walkers. 10:30a.m. at Westover Library, 1644 N.McKinley Road, suite 3. For childrenage 13-24 months. Free. 703-228-5260.

Wine Tasting. 6:30 p.m. at One MorePage Books, 2200 N. WestmorelandSt. Free. Visit www.onemorepagebooks.com or 703-300-9746.

First Fridays in Westover. Startingat 5 p.m., enjoy extended hours,drink specials, merchandise sales andmore at Westover Village, located onWashington Boulevard between N.McKinley Road and N. LongfellowStreet.

Opening Reception. 5-8 p.m. meetsome of the artists of “Visions of theFuture” at Gallery Underground,2100 Crystal Drive. The works are byfuture Arlington Arts Alliance Gallerymembers. Runs Feb. 3-28. Free. Visitwww.arlingtonartistsalliance.org orwww.galleryunderground.org.

Performance. 7:30 p.m. or 9:30 p.m.in the Dome Theatre at Artisphere,1101 Wilson Blvd. See “TheAdventures of Alvin Sputnik: DeepSea Explorer” presented by PerthTheatre Company. In a fusion ofanimation, puppetry, projections, liveand recorded music, masterstoryteller Sam Longley tells the taleof Alvin Sputnik. $18. Visit http://artisphere.com/ for more.

SATURDAY/FEB. 8Drop in Story Time. 10:30 a.m. at

Columbia Pike Library, 816 S. WalterReed Drive. Children up to age 5 canenjoy stories and more. Free. 703-228-5710.

Performance. 4 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. inthe Dome Theatre at Artisphere,1101 Wilson Blvd. See “TheAdventures of Alvin Sputnik: DeepSea Explorer” presented by Perth

By Steve Hibbard

The Connection

The Arlington Players is presenting“Clybourne Park,” an award-winning,multi-layered play about racism through

Feb. 15.Directed by first-time TAP director James

Villarrubia, the play features seven talkative actorsin dual roles. The setting is in a house at 406Clybourne Street, Northwest Chicago — in 1959 andpresent day — some 50 years apart.

The first act takes place as nervous communityleaders try to stop the sale of a home in a white,middle-class neighborhood to a black family in 1959.The black family moving in is the Youngers, from “ARaisin in the Sun.”

The second act is set in the same house in thepresent day, as the now African-American neighbor-hood tries to hold its ground with gentrification. Thesame talented seven actors play connecting roles inboth time periods.

There are issues of non-communication, suicide,grieving, and miscarriage bubbling just below thesurface. The actors are almost always on stage, whileengaging in acts of selfishness, bickering and com-munity outreach.

Written by Bruce Norris, “Clybourne Park” wonthe 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2011 LaurenceOlivier Award for Best New Play, and the 2012 TonyAward for Best Play.

Why did the all-volunteer TAP decide to stage aplay about racism?

“TAP tends to picks shows that challenge us as art-ists and ‘Clybourne Park’s’ challenge lies in its vari-ous themes and making sure none of them get lostin the telling,” said Producer Nikki Hoffpauir.

“It’s about racism and race relations, communityand the change that happens as communities adaptand grow with changing economic times, how we

treat our veterans, the effect of suicide on a family,strained couple relations and political correctness,”said Hoffpauir.

According to Barbara Esquibel, president of TheArlington Players, TAP wanted to seize the opportu-nity to be the first amateur theater in the area tostage “Clybourne Park.”

“The dialogue — although wickedly funny at times— paints a poignant picture of how far we have comewith race relations in the past 50 years, and how farwe still have to go,” said Esquibel. “We felt stronglythat this is a story that needed to be told on the TAPstage.”

It all started three years ago when director JamesVillarrubia, 28, of Arlington saw the Woolly Mam-moth Theater’s production and was “totally blownaway” by it. So he dragged his girlfriend up to seethe Broadway version in New York City.

“I reached out to TAP and said, ‘We have to do thisbecause it is a show worth risking,’” said the seniorpolicy analyst with the Department of Justice. “Andthey agreed.”

He elaborated: “Race is not something that we haveescaped. It is not an issue that we have grown out of... It’s still here.”

For about a year and a half, he read over the text,putting the pieces together, and had the words “sim-mering” in his head. In addition to directing, he wasalso working on the play’s scenic design.

“I tend to like shows that are kind of meaty, with abit of comedy to lighten the mood,” he added. “That’swhy this show rang true to me.”

Actor Derek Bradley, 33, of Alexandria, who playsthe dual role of Karl and Steve, said, “Racism is sim-ply one layer of this play.”

“It’s really about our ability to communicate andconnect with each other,” he said. “It’s really aboutmutual understanding and our failure to gain mu-tual understanding, and how we’re not able to con-nect with each other.”

“Clybourne Park” runs Feb. 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, on Fri-days and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:30p.m., through Feb. 15. Admission is $20/adults; and$15/juniors and seniors. At Thomas Jefferson Com-munity Center, 3501 Second St. South. Group discountsavailable. Visit www.TheArlingtonPlayers.org, [email protected] or call 703-549-1063.

TAP Presents ‘Clybourne Park’Arlington communitytheater tackles Pulitzerand Tony winner.

Entertainment

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by Peter H

ill

The cast of“ClybournePark” (from

left): DanEddy, Steven

Giballa,DeJeanette

Horne, Lolita-Marie, Derek

Bradley, KatieCristol and

RebeccaLenehan.


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Friday, February 14, 2014

Theatre Company. In a highlyimaginative fusion of animation,puppetry, projections, live andrecorded music, master storytellerSam Longley tells the tale of AlvinSputnik, deep sea explorer, and thesearch for his lost love in theseemingly endless depths of theocean. $18. Visit http://artisphere.com/ for more.

Flying Squirrel Lore & More. 6-7p.m. at Long Branch Nature Center,625 S. Carlin Springs Road. Familiescan learn about these animals andthen watch them glide in for a meal.$5/person due at registration. 703-228-6535. Program #622954-F.

RowRemix. 7-10 p.m. at PentagonRow Ice Rink. Guests will skate onthe newly renovated ice rink set tomusic by a live DJ. Every week,register to win an iTunes gift card.$7/12 and under; $8/13 and older;$3/skate rental. Visitwww.facebook.com/PentagonRow orwww.pentagonrow.com/visit/visit-the-ice-rink for updates.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. atRosslyn Spectrum, 1611 N. Kent St.The National Chamber Ensemble willperform Schubert and more. Acomplimentary champagne receptionwill follow. $30/adult; $15/student.Tickets can be purchased at http://tickets.artisphere.com/, 1-888-841-2787 or at the door.

SUNDAY/FEB. 9Notable Nature: Winter Stories

and Sketches. 1:30-3 p.m. at LongBranch Nature Center, 625 S. CarlinSprings Road. Families can learnabout nature journaling byconstructing a journal and then goingout in nature and recording what yousee. Free. 703-228-6535. Program

#622954-J.Remove Invasive Plants. 2-4:30 p.m.

at Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608Military Road. Adults, families andteens can keep the park free ofdestructive plants. Free. 703-228-3403.

Mother-Daughter Book Club. 3 p.m.at One More Page Books, 2200 N.Westmoreland St. Discuss “LittleHouse in the Big Woods” by LauraIngalls Wilder. Free. Visitwww.onemorepagebooks.com or703-300-9746.

Music Performance. 4 p.m. at RockSpring Congregational Church ofChrist, 5010 Little Falls Road. TheWashington Saxophone Quartet willperform. Free, donation is suggested.Visit www.rockspringucc.org.

Performance. 4 p.m. in the DomeTheatre at Artisphere, 1101 WilsonBlvd. See “The Adventures of AlvinSputnik: Deep Sea Explorer”presented by Perth Theatre Company.In a highly imaginative fusion ofanimation, puppetry, projections, liveand recorded music, masterstoryteller Sam Longley tells the taleof Alvin Sputnik, deep sea explorer,and the search for his lost love in theseemingly endless depths of theocean. $18. Visit http://artisphere.com/ for more.

MONDAY/FEB. 10Story Time: Under 2s. 10:30 a.m. at

Glencarlyn Library, 300 S.Kensington St. For children up to age2. Free. 703-228-6548.

Drop-in Story Time: Under 2s.10:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. atShirlington Library, 4200 CampbellAve. For children up to age 2. Free.703-228-6545.

Story Time: Baby Steps. 2 p.m. at

Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St.For children up to age 1. Free. 703-228-5946.

Paws to Read. 5:30-6:30 p.m. atCentral Library, 1015 N. Quincy St.Children in grades K-5 can read totherapy dogs for 15 minutes. Eachdog is part of PAL. Register for a slotby calling 703-228-5946.

Meet the Artist. 7-8:30 p.m. atColumbia Pike Library, 816 S. WalterReed Drive. Hear self-taughtArlington artist Muriel Braxtondiscuss inspiration for her work.Free. 703-228-6545.

Meet the Artist. 7-9 p.m. at ColumbiaPike Library, 816 S. Walter ReedDrive. Meet members of WSC AvantBard cast and artistic director TomPrewitt. Free. 703-228-6545.

Poetry Workshop. 7 p.m. atShirlington Library, 4200 CampbellAve. Members write and read originalpoetry and exchange constructivecriticism. Free. 703-228-6545.

Book Club. 7:30 p.m. at CherrydaleLibrary, 2190 N. Military Road.Discuss “Rin Tin Tin: The Life andthe Legend” by Susan Orlean. Free.703-228-6330.

Comedy Performance. 7:30 p.m. atArlington Cinema & Drafthouse,2903 Columbia Pike. TJ Miller, from“The Goodwin Games” and “Rock ofAges,” will perform. $25. Visitwww.arlingtondrafthouse.com fortickets.

TUESDAY/FEB. 11Story Time. 4:15 p.m. at Westover

Library, 1644 N. McKinley Road,suite 3. For children up to age 5.Free. 703-228-5260.

Drop-in Story Time: Over 2s. 4:30-5:15 p.m. at Cherrydale Library,2190 N. Military Road. For children

age 25 months to 5 years. Free. 703-228-6330.

Paws to Read. 5:30-6:30 p.m. atWestover Library, 1644 N. McKinleyRoad, suite 3. Children in grades K-5can read to therapy dogs. Free.Register for a slot by calling 703-228-5260.

Family Story Time. 6:30 p.m. atCentral Library, 1015 N. Quincy St.For all ages. Free. 703-228-5946.

Panel Discussion for AspiringWriters of YA Lit. 7 p.m. atCentral Library, 1015 N. Quincy St.The session will focus on issues ofdiversity. Free. Features authorsRobin Talley and Ellen Oh and coverdesigner Sherin Nicole.

Stop the Squash! SalamanderPatrol Training. 7:30-8:30 p.m. atGulf Branch Nature Center, 3608Military Road. Adults can spot woodfrogs, toads and salamanders thathave begun moving to the ponds.Learn about them and then be addedto a “safety patrol” list. Free. 703-228-3403. Program #622844-G.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 12Nanny Club. 10 a.m.-noon at Columbia

Pike Library, 816 S. Walter ReedDrive. For children up to age 5. Free.703-228-5710.

Drop-In Story Time: Over 2s. 10:30a.m. at Westover Library, 1644 N.McKinley Road, suite 3. For childrenage 25 months-5 years. Free. 703-228-5260.

Stop in for Stories. 10:30 a.m. or11:15 a.m. at Central Library, 1015N. Quincy St. For children up to age5. Free. 703-228-5946.

ASL Club for Children. 4 p.m. atColumbia Pike Library, 816 S. Walter

See Calendar, Page 11

Send Your Photos & Stories Now [email protected]

or complete our online form atarlingtonconnection.com

Be sure to include your name,address and phone number, and

identify all people and pets in photos.Submission deadline is February 20.

Be Part of ThePet Connection

in February


By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Andrea Myers and her two youngsons say that one of the challengesof winter is dry, itchy skin. Her boys,

aged six and four, can only stand wearingsoft clothing, because rough fabrics likedenim irritate their skin.

“It’s horrible,” said Myers who lives in OldTown Alexandria. “They are constantlyscratching. My own hands are so dry andcracked that my cuticles hurt.”

When the temperature drops, the humid-ity usually follows, creating frigid, dry tem-peratures outside and warm, dry furnace

air inside. The dehydrating combination canlead to dry, itchy winter skin. Local skin careexperts say understanding the causes of dryskin is the first step to restoring it. Theyalso offer dry-skin fighting suggestions thatrange from the food you eat to the prod-ucts you apply to your skin.

Bethesda-based dermatologist Dr. RichardCastiello says the dry warm air inside ourhomes — our refuge from the cold — canlead to dry skin. “The skin will lose its wa-ter content in the dry air, particularly withmodern furnaces where the air is bone dry,”said Castiello “What I tell people to do istry to humidify your living [space].”

Jodey McGhee, a licensed esthetician and

co-owner of Pure Aesthetica in Alexandria,said the food and liquids you consume dur-ing winter can also impact dry skin. “Firstand foremost is always drinking plenty liq-uids like clean filtered water, maybe with asqueeze of lemon or a chunk of ginger,” shesaid. “Parsley is very hydrating. Cucumberscontain a lot of vitamins and minerals foryour skin and they offer a detox for yourskin, especially if we’re not working out asmuch and perspiring as much, they can helpyour skin achieve a glowing complexion.”

When it comes to topical skin care,Castiello said to watch how often youcleanse and the type of soap you use. “Soapworks by cutting oil, so be less aggressive

with showering [as] frequent washing stripsthe skin of natural oils,” he said.

McGhee said, “You always need to exfoli-ate, but you have to make sure you’re notover exfoliating.”

After an exfoliation, hydration is crucialas well. “Apply a water-based mask like onemade of aloe — aloe is mostly water — andleave it on anywhere from five to 25 min-utes,” McGhee said.

Sealing in the moisture is the next step.“You don’t need a fancy lotion, but thethicker and greasier the lotions, the better,”said Castiello. “You can use even use warmpetroleum jelly, melted so that it is reducedto an oil.”

Help for Dry Winter Skin Skin care experts suggest solutions.

Wellbeing

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

When the clock strikes 9on any given evening,13-year-old twinsTimothy and Danny

Gulyn and their 11-year-old twinbrothers, Christopher and Jonathan,know that it’s time for bed. Whetherthey are on vacation during the sum-mer or at their Arlington home on aschool night, the siblings follow a con-sistent routine that has them tucked-in at the same time every day.

“I am a big believer in structure androutine,” said the boys’ mother, LindaM. Gulyn, Ph.D., a professor of psy-chology at Marymount University in

Arlington.“ B e d t i m eshould beabsolutelyrigid, thestricter thebetter. Weall needstructure,but chil-dren needit espe-cially.”

R e -searcherssay goingto bed at ar e g u l a r

time can have a positive impact on achild’s behavior and overall health. Infact, a recent study of 10,000 childrenby University College London foundthat a child’s behavior improved whena consistent bedtime was established.Local childcare experts agree, sayinga regular bedtime routine, such as abath followed by reading, is an impor-tant factor in establishing a consistentlights-out time.

Kathryn Cogan, Ph.D., a Bethesda-based psychotherapist, says that a lack

of adequate sleep can affect a child’s physi-cal health. “If they don’t get enough sleep,it affects their immune system and theirability to pay attention,” she said.

Child psychiatrist Dr. Bruce P. Pfeffer, ofPfeffer Psychiatric Associates in Potomac,Md., said a structured bedtime is part ofwhat he calls “good sleep hygiene,” whichcan impact a child’s overall wellbeing. “Of-ten in my practice I see children with at-tention problems, behavior problems, irri-tability, who aren’t getting enough sleep,”he said. “I’ve had children fall asleep in classbecause of sleep deprivation.”

Experts say that while older children alsoneed a good night’s sleep, the demands ofschool and extracurricular activities canmake getting needed rest more challeng-ing. “Failing to get adequate rest can be anextreme stress on one’s body and mind, re-sulting in a frantic attempt to complete aca-demic tasks in an active rather than con-templative manner,” said Michael S.Moynihan, head of the Upper School, TheHeights School in Potomac, Md.

Cogan stressed that teenagers actually

need a similar amount of sleep as newborns,“generally 12-14 hours of sleep at nightbecause they are growing so fast, and theirbrains are growing so fast. Your brain worksbetter and functions better when you havea regular sleep schedule.”

For long-term success, experts like Pfefferand Moynihan underscore the importanceof a regular bedtime routine. It should “fol-low a short time of quiet reading, along withexercise,” said Moynihan.

ESTABLISHING A REGULAR BEDTIMEcan be challenging, but not impossible.Child development experts say that a struc-tured bedtime routine should include a fewkey components. “Build it into their dailyroutine and give them a lot of advancedwarning,” said Gulyn. “If I you just pluckup a kid from the middle of an activity andjust say ‘Go to bed,’ that is upsetting to achild and it is not fair. They need an oppor-tunity to make the transition psychologi-cally. If they’re playing a game and they geta bedtime warning, they can say ‘Ok, I needto finish this game before bed.’”

When it comes to bedtime, it is impor-tant that children know what to expect, shesaid. “You have to make it consistent everynight, even on Christmas. Give them achance to decide how they want to spendtheir last half hour so they can prepare psy-chologically.”

Pfeffer said, “It is important to establisha comfortable environment for very youngchildren. If they start as toddlers with anestablished routine, they are comforted asthey get older by reading a book and play-ing soft music in a room that is not filledwith light. Bedtime should be very sooth-ing. They take a bath, brush their teeth andput on their pajamas. A high-energy childwill need more lead time to slow their mo-tor down. ”

Len Annetta, Ph.D., a professor in theCollege of Education and Human Develop-ment at George Mason University, said,“High energy kids need to blow off steamand tire their muscles. Routine and consis-tency are critical. It’s not easy, but you haveto shut them down at the same time everynight and wake them at the same time ev-ery morning. It’s not a debate. The parentis in charge and has to stand firm on therules. Rewarding the child for getting to bedand staying in bed … helps the child knowyou appreciate their effort and are proudof their accomplishment.”

Kensington-based psychotherapist KarenPrince cautions, “Screen time makes itharder to fall asleep. Start the bedtime rou-tine a minimum of an hour before the ac-tual bedtime. It shouldn’t include television,video games or screen time of any sort.”

While a regimented bedtime may sounddraconian, it can actually be comforting.“Children thrive on structure and expecta-tion,” said Gulyn.

“For many young children, this can be atime of uncertainty, insecurity and separa-tion anxiety. Establishing a structured bed-time routine brings comfort to the child. Ifyou have a structured routine and strictbedtimes, it makes it easier for a child toget to sleep and rest better throughout thenight.”

Consistent Bedtimes Linked to Wellbeing in ChildrenLocal experts offer suggestions for helping youngsters get a good night’s sleep.

From left: Twins Christopher and Jonathan, 11, and their 13-year-oldtwin brothers, Timothy and Danny, pictured with parents Linda andPeter Gulyn have a consistent bedtime and structured bedtime routine.Experts say a regular bedtime can have a positive impact on a child’sbehavior and overall health.

“Bedtime shouldbe very soothing.

A high-energychild will needmore lead time

to slow theirmotor down.”

— Dr. Bruce P. Pfeffer,child psychiatrist

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Address ...................................... BR FB .HB ......... Postal City .......... Sold Price ........... Type ................... Lot AC ...... PostalCode2424 EDGEWOOD ST N .........................5 ... 4 ... 2 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $2,260,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.41 .................. 222074600 32ND RD N .................................. 5 ... 3 ... 2 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $2,081,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.34 .................. 222076631 29TH ST N .................................. 5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,708,988 ............. Detached ................... 0.26 .................. 222133112 TRINIDAD ST N ............................ 5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,635,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.23 .................. 222134641 23RD RD N .................................. 6 ... 6 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,600,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.18 .................. 222071201 NASH ST N #401 ......................... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,400,000 ............. Mid-Rise 5-8 Floors ................................ 222092915 22ND ST N .................................. 4 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,399,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.23 .................. 22201722 GARFIELD ST N ............................. 5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,390,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.15 .................. 222016009 26TH ST N .................................. 5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,340,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.14 .................. 222072501 JOHN MARSHALL DR ................... 6 ... 6 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,335,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.34 .................. 222072324 FLORIDA ST ................................ 5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,325,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.14 .................. 222072300 KENTUCKY ST N .......................... 5 ... 3 ... 2 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,299,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.13 .................. 222052711 FILLMORE ST N ............................5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,250,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.48 .................. 222071320 STAFFORD ST N ............................5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,245,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.17 .................. 222011324 STAFFORD ST N ............................5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,235,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.00 .................. 222011207 JOHNSON ST N ............................4 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,200,000 ............. Townhouse ................ 0.07 .................. 222014721 8TH RD S .................................... 5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,155,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.18 .................. 222043304 VERNON ST N ............................. 5 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,150,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.29 .................. 222074020 27TH RD N .................................. 5 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,146,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.24 .................. 222072806 DINWIDDIE ST N ......................... 5 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,125,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.23 .................. 222071600 CLARENDON BLVD #W303 ........... 2 ... 2 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,120,000 ............. Garden 1-4 Floors .................................. 222092511 16TH ST N .................................. 4 ... 2 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,105,333 ............. Detached ................... 0.15 .................. 222013566 MILITARY RD N ............................ 5 ... 4 ... 2 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,091,500 ............. Detached ................... 0.25 .................. 22207610 21ST ST S ..................................... 4 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,050,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.21 .................. 222023405 GLEBE RD N ................................ 4 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,010,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.36 .................. 22207426 GEORGE MASON DR N .................. 4 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,008,000 ............. Townhouse ................ 0.03 .................. 222033608 PIEDMONT ST ............................. 4 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,000,000 ............. Detached ................... 0.25 .................. 222071624 RHODES ST N ...............................3 ... 2 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............ $1,000,000 ............. Townhouse ................ 0.03 .................. 222092430 FORT SCOTT DR .......................... 4 ... 4 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $990,000 ............... Detached ................... 0.16 .................. 222022711 KEY BLVD .................................... 2 ... 1 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $984,000 ............... Detached ................... 0.14 .................. 222012409 TAYLOR ST .................................. 3 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $975,000 ............... Detached ................... 0.25 .................. 222073831 TAZEWELL ST N ............................3 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $960,000 ............... Townhouse ................ 0.06 .................. 222072237 FAIRFAX DR ................................. 4 ... 2 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $950,000 ............... Townhouse .......................................... 222013821 RICHMOND ST ............................ 4 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $940,000 ............... Townhouse ................ 0.08 .................. 222071881 NASH ST #1506 ............................1 ... 2 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $935,000 ............... Hi-Rise 9+ Floors .................................. 222093013 18 TH ST S .................................. 5 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $915,000 ............... Detached ................... 0.13 .................. 222043835 LORCOM LN ................................ 3 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $915,000 ............... Detached ................... 0.24 .................. 222072325 MONROE ST ................................ 3 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $911,200 ............... Detached ................... 0.25 .................. 222072428 13TH CT N .................................. 3 ... 3 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $905,000 ............... Townhouse ................ 0.02 .................. 22201711 VERMONT ST N ............................. 3 ... 4 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $890,000 ............... Townhouse ................ 0.05 .................. 222031328 CLEVELAND ST N ......................... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $887,000 ............... Townhouse ................ 0.02 .................. 222016316 22ND RD N .................................. 4 ... 2 ... 2 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $878,200 ............... Detached ................... 0.18 .................. 222052219 POWHATAN ST N ......................... 5 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $870,000 ............... Detached ................... 0.22 .................. 222053619 PEARY ST N ................................. 3 ... 3 ... 0 ............ ARLINGTON ............. $855,000 ............... Detached ................... 0.44 .................. 22207

Home Sales

Copyright 2014 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of January 15, 2014.

In December 2013, 219 Arlington homes sold between $2,260,000-$100,000.This week’s list represents those homes sold in the $2,260,000-$573,160 range.

For the complete list, visit www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

From Page 9

Calendar

Reed Drive. Children in grades K-5can learn American Sign Languagethrough activities, songs and rhymes.Free.703-228-5710.

Kids Club. 4:15 p.m. at CentralLibrary, 1015 N. Quincy St. Childrenin grades K-5 can enjoy activities andmore. Free 703-228-5710.

Paws to Read. 5:30-6:30 p.m. atShirlington Library, 4200 CampbellAve. Children in grades K-5 can readto therapy dogs. Free. Register for aslot by calling 703-228-6545.

Family Story Time. 6:30 p.m. atGlencarlyn Library, 300 S.Kensington St. For all ages. Free.703-228-6548.

Dance Performance. BowenMcCauley Dance will perform at theJohn F. Kennedy Center’s TerraceTheater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets rangebetween $40-$45 with premiumconcert seats starting at $125. Visitwww.bmdc.org/upcoming for ticketsor 800-444-1324.

THURSDAY/FEB. 13Drop-in Storytime: Over 2s. 10:30

a.m. or 11:15 a.m. at ShirlingtonLibrary, 4200 Campbell Ave. Forchildren age 25 months to 5 years.Free. 703-228-6545.

Drop-in Storytime. 10:30 a.m. atCherrydale Library, 2190 N. MilitaryRoad. For children up to age 5. Free.703-228-6330.

Drop-in Storytime: Under 2s. 10:30a.m. at Aurora Hills Library, 735 S.18th St. For children up to age 2.Free. 703-228-5715.

Drop-in Storytime: Over 2s. 11:15a.m. at Aurora Hills Library, 735 S.18th St. For children age 2-5. Free.703-228-5715.

Film. 3-4:30 p.m. at Columbia PikeLibrary, 816 S. Walter Reed Drive.Watch “Bottle Shock” (2008). Free.703-228-5710.

Broken Hearts Party. 4-5:30 p.m. atCentral Library, 1015 N. Quincy St.Tweens and teens can enjoy cookdecorating, book rating, quizzes,

trivia and more. Free. 703-228-5990.Bilingual Story Time. 4:15 p.m. at

Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St.Children can enjoy stories, songs andcrafts in English and Spanish. Free.703-228-5990.

Knitting Group. 6:30 p.m. atGlencarlyn Library, 300 S.Kensington St. Drop-in for knittingsupport and instruction. Free. 703-228-6548.

History Talk. 7-8:30 p.m. at CentralLibrary, 1015 N. Quincy St. “LevelingQueen City for the Pentagon”presented by Dr. Nancy Perry. Free.703-228-5990.

Dance Performance. BowenMcCauley Dance will perform at theJohn F. Kennedy Center’s TerraceTheater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets rangebetween $40-$45 with premiumconcert seats starting at $125. Visitwww.bmdc.org/upcoming for ticketsor 800-444-1324.

Pre-Show Event. 7 p.m. at SyneticTheater, 1800 S. Bell St. Guests willpick up their tickets for “TwelfthNight” and then be given a passwordto enter Illyria, a 1920s-stylespeakeasy. There will be music andan open bar. Tickets range between$45-$60. Tickets for just the showare $35. Visit www.synetictheater.orgor 866-811-4111 for tickets.

FRIDAY/FEB. 14Pola Negri Movie Morning. 10 a.m.-

noon at Gulf Branch Nature Center,3608 Military Road. Teens and adultscan learn about Pola Negri and watch“Passion.” Coffee, tea and sweets willbe served. $5 due at registration.703-228-3403. Program #622844-H.

Mystery Science Theater 3000Presentation. Doors open at 6:15p.m., show starts at 6:30 p.m. atArlington Planetarium, 1426 NQuincy St. Target audience is age 14and up. $3/child up to age 12; $5/Friends members and seniors; $7/teens and adults. Visit http://friendsoftheplanetarium.org/ or 703-228-6070.

SATURDAY/FEB. 15Animal Valentine’s Day. 1 p.m. at

Potomac Overlook Regional Park,2845 N. Marcey Road. Enjoy athemed presentation on animal loveand meet some animals up close.Appropriate for children age 4-8. $5/child. Register at 703-528-5406.

Flying Squirrel Lore & More. 6-7p.m. at Long Branch Nature Center,625 S. Carlin Springs Road. Familiescan learn about these animals andthen watch them glide in for a meal.$5/person due at registration. 703-228-6535. Program #622954-G.

RowRemix. 7-10 p.m. at PentagonRow Ice Rink. Guests will skate tomusic by a live DJ. $7/12 and under;$8/13 and older; $3/skate rental.Visit www.pentagonrow.com/visit/visit-the-ice-rink for updates.

Music Performance. 7-9:30 .m. atHoly Trinity Lutheran Church, 3022Woodlawn Ave., Falls Church. Hearjazz and enjoy coffee and desserts.Free. Visit www.htluther.org.

MarsQuest Program. Doors open at7:15 p.m., program at 7:30 p.m. atArlington Planetarium, 1426 NQuincy St. Narrated by PatrickStewart, “MarsQuest” provides ascientific and historical exploration ofthe planet Mars. Appropriate for allages, especially 5th grade andbeyond. $3/child up to age 12; $5/Friends members and seniors; $7/teens and adults. Visit http://friendsoftheplanetarium.org/ or 703-228-6070.

Comedy Performance. 7:30 p.m. or10 p.m. at Arlington Cinema &Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike.Michael Kosta, who has performed onConan, The Tonight Show andChelsea Lately, will perform. $20.Visit www.arlingtondrafthouse.com.

Charity Fashion Show. 8 p.m. atMarymount University’s Lee Center,Lower Gym. The African CaribbeanStudent Association presents the 6thannual charity fashion show, Voyageto Utopia. Marymount students: $7;general admission: $12; VIP tickets:$25. Email [email protected].


By Isabel Amend

The Connection

The Washington-Lee girls’ track teamtook second place with a total of101 points at the Conference 6

meet held at Prince George’s Sports Com-plex in Landover, Md.

The distance squad stood out with indi-vidual performances from Sarah Angell,Sarah Sears, Kathryn Eng and a star per-formance in the 4x800 meter relay. Angellplaced first in the 1,000-meter dash with atime of 2:59.46 and placed first in the milewith a time of 5:14.12. Eng clocked a per-sonal record of 5:19.45 and Sears swept thetwo-mile in 11:16.10. Lastly, the 4x800meter relay squad qualified for the statemeet with a time of 9:37.15. On the sprintsquad, Janel Moore placed fifth in the 300meter dash with a time of 43.11.

Washington-Lee’s performance was nosurprise considering their success duringcross-country season. Coach Cory Heroldexpected that the girls’ team would perform

well for this reason. The squad came in sec-ond at the regional and state cross countrymeets.

With four seniors, two juniors, and onesophomore, the women’s squad has shownconsistent improvement in the two-mile,mile, and 1000-meter race. Eng was one ofmany harriers who demonstrated this con-sistent improvement.

“My plan was to hang on to the back ofthe front group and try to run a personalrecord,” she said.

She succeeded, cutting her mile time by8 seconds.

Sarah Sears, who beat her previous two-mile record by 9 seconds, was slightly sur-prised.

“I hadn’t had a really good race in awhile,” she said, “and had almost no expe-rience on an indoor track.”

Tactically, she thinks it was one of the bestraces she has ever run.

Angell carried the same attitude after her1000 meter race.

“I was a couple of seconds behind where

I needed to be with 200 to go so I sprintedas fast as I could from there to the finish.”Angell said after setting the school record.

Herold noted that Angell’s mile was “verytactical and helped her conserve some en-ergy for the 1000 meters.”

Herold and Angell discussed a detailed

Washington-Lee Girls Take Second at Conference MeetJordanSelby andSarahAngell ofWashing-ton-Leeexchange ahug afterAngell setthe schoolrecord inthe 1000m.

plan for the 1000 as she was forced to runin a slower heat.

“Angell executed that plan very well;we’re happy anytime we can snag a statequalifying time” he said. The 6A North re-gion championship meet will be held Feb.14 and 15 at George Mason University.

Photo by

Ed Lull

SportsArlington Connection Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

See General, Page 13

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

After the conclusion of the Con-ference 6 gymnastics championship meet, Washington-Lee headcoach Joe D’Emidio wrapped up

an interview with a reporter as McLeancoach Courtney Lesson approached.

“I want to say congratulations toMcLean,” D’Emidio said. “They’ve been go-ing after us for a couple years.”

After finishing runner-up to Washington-Lee at regionals each of the last two sea-sons, McLean finally finished ahead of theGenerals with a championship on the lineas the Highlanders captured the Conference6 title on Monday night at McLean HighSchool.

McLean finished with a score of 144.475,besting second-place Washington-Lee’s to-tal of 140.925. Each team earned a berthin the 6A North region meet on Feb. 12 atLake Braddock Secondary School.

“They always have a really great team,”Lesson said, “so it’s hard to compete againstthem.”

The Highlanders put on a strong perfor-mance on Feb. 3, led by junior Lizzy Brown-Kaiser, who placed second in the all-around.McLean posted the top team score in threeof four events and finished second behindWashington-Lee on vault.

“We’ve never performed this well before,”Brown-Kaiser said. “This was definitely ourbest. We didn’t count a single fall for theentire competition. That’s a huge deal. Defi-

nitely a confidence booster and we’re all justso happy.”

Brown-Kaiser produced an all-around to-tal of 37.025, finishing second to Fairfaxjunior Rachel Barborek.

“She did a great job,” Lesson said. “She’sreally a team leader and she inspires a lotof the girls.”

Brown-Kaiser tied for second on vault(9.4), placed second on beam (9.425), fin-

ished third on bars (9) and took fourth onfloor (9.15).

“I think we all really appreciate W-L as astrong competitor, but it feels really good

McLean, W-L Gymnastics Teams Qualify for RegionalsGenerals produceseason-best scoreof 140.925.

Annie Hatcher helped the Washington-Lee gymnasticsteam place second at the Conference 6 championshipmeet on Feb. 3 at McLean High School.

Washington-Lee senior Sophie Hatcher placedfourth in the all-around competition during theConference 6 gymnastics championship meet atMcLean High School.

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Sports

Generals Tally Score of 140.925.From Page 12

Yorktown freshman Juliette Mitrovichplaced third in the all-around with a scoreof 36.2 during the Conference 6 gymnas-tics championship meet on Feb. 3 atMcLean High School.

to finally move past that and do what we’ve beenstriving for for several years,” Brown-Kaiser said. “…This was definitely the best meet I’ve ever had. …The girl who got first, Rachel, is an amazing gym-nast, so I’m just glad that I even got so close to her.”

Brown-Kaiser wasn’t the only Highlander perform-ing at a high level. Junior Jacqueline Green placedsixth in the all-around, qualifying for regionals witha score of 35.675. She placed seventh on floor (9.05),ninth on vault (9.05), tied for seventh on bars (8.6)and tied for 11th on beam (8.975).

McLean sophomore Nathalie Thomas finished firston floor with a score of 9.475 and freshman CalistaPardue took fifth (9.1). Sophomore DelaneyGallagher placed fourth on bars (8.8).

“They did really well,” Lesson said about the High-landers’ performance. “They hit lots of routines. Ev-eryone stuck their beam routine. They did reallygreat. The team spirit was there. They had eachother’s backs.”

W-L twin sisters Sophie and Annie Hatcher eachqualified for regionals in the all-around. SophieHatcher placed fourth with a score of 36.125. Shefinished second on floor (9.25), fourth on vault(9.375), tied four eight on beam (9.075) and fin-ished 12th on bars (8.425).

Annie Hatcher placed fifth with a total of 35.825.She finished fourth on beam (9.225), tied for eighthon floor (8.95) and finished 14th on bars (8.2). Sheplaced first on vault with a score of 9.45.

Two weeks prior, D’Emidio said Annie Hatcher wasa potential state-title contender on vault after thesenior won at the W-L Invitational.

“She’s right up there,” D’Emidio said Monday.“She’s coming along really well. … She took first onvault. This is one of the hardest conferences … soshe has a good chance.”

W-L freshman Sylvia Shea’s all-around score of34.875 fell just short of the regional qualifying scoreof 35. She placed sixth on vault (9.15) and bars(8.625).

W-L’s team score was a season best.“We broke the 140 mark. We’ve been trying to hit

that all year,” D’Emidio said. “We did it at the righttime. … We did fantastic vaulting. We still have somemore room to improve for regions and we’re goingto shoot for [the region title].”

Fairfax’s Barborek won the all-around conferencetitle with a score of 37.1. She placed first on bars(9.475), tied for second on vault (9.4), finished thirdon beam (9.275) and tied for eighth on floor (8.95).

“I’d like to go,” Barborek said, “all the way tostates.”

Brown-Kaiser placed second in the all-around, fol-lowed by Yorktown freshman Juliette Mitrovich(36.2) and W-L’s Sophie Hatcher.

Yorktown placed third as a team with a score of137.25. South Lakes finished fourth (121.425), fol-lowed by Fairfax (117.775), Hayfield (114.525),Langley (109.575) and Madison (106.55).

Mitrovich had a strong showing for Yorktown, plac-ing fifth on vault (9.275), bars (8.65) and beam (9.2),and sixth on floor (9.075). Teammate Sophie Zidlicky,a junior, placed seventh on vault (9.125) and fresh-man Olivia Zavrel tied for eighth on beam (9.075)

South Lakes’ Jasmine Shuey finished first on beamwith a score of 9.55. The senior finished ninth in theall-around (34.075), including a third-place perfor-mance on floor (9.2).

Langley junior Natalie Volpicelli finished 14th inthe all-around (31.85), including a 12th-place finishon vault (8.675) and a 13th-place finish on bars(8.25).

Madison junior Julie Collier qualified for regionalson beam, placing sixth with a score of 9.175. Shefinished with an all-around total of 32.85, good for13th place. Collier finished 12th on floor (8.55), tiedfor 17th on vault (8.45) and took 25th on bars(6.675).

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News

Plenty of Ice TimeThe Bishop O’Connell Varsity Hockey Team members have some funin the freezing temperatures. The team is led by new Head VarsityCoach Flip Collins. Its current record is 11-5-2; it is in first place inthe NVSHL Patrick Division with 7-1 record.

Pho

to

C

on

tributed

Assessments Show Steady GrowthFrom Page 3

commercial property. Among jurisdictionsin Northern Virginia, Arlington’s recoverywas the quickest and the most substantial.

“There are many jurisdictions across thecounty that don’t have revenue growth,”said Michelle Cowan, director of manage-ment and finance. “So we feel fortunate toat least be on the positive side of the led-ger.”

When the market tanked in 2008 and2009, Arlington’s residential market re-mained flat when the rest of the countrywas in freefall. The county’s commercialreal-estate market plummeted about 15

percent in 2009 and 2010. Now commer-cial properties are experiencing somewhatof a revival, although their growth is no-where near the growth in the residentialsector. Arlington officials say part of thereason for that is the empty office space inCrystal City because of the Base Realign-ment and Closure Commission.

“There’s been a little bit of softness in thecommercial properties, especially in the of-fice issues with vacancies because of BRAC,”said Millman. “We have had some new con-struction that have helped bring up the com-mercial tax base a little bit, but not sub-stantially.”

Election Down the PikeFrom Page 3

issue with the argument made by manystreetcar supporters that the more expen-sive system would attract what they call“choice riders.”

”I think it’s a rather elitist attitude thatcertain people, certain demographic ele-ments, wouldn’t deign to ride the bus,” saidVihstadt. “The fact is that when I ride thebus down Washington Boulevard every day,and when I used to ride the bus down Co-lumbia Pike when I lived there, you know,you sit next to business executives and bagladies.”

Whatever words are used to describe theenhanced bus service, Vihstadt says he en-

visions a system on Columbia Pike to havesleek looking vehicles that would be simi-lar to streetcar vehicles but without theproblems associated with blocking trafficwhen they break down. He says he believesthe enhanced bus service could be deliveredwith less disruption at a cheaper cost morequickly than a streetcar system.

“There are intersections that need to beimproved, there are bus services that canbe improved, bicycle lanes, making ourstreets more pedestrian friendly, additionalMetro station entrances,” said Vihstadt. “Allof those are going to be compromised tosome degree by spending such a large per-centage of our transportation funds on astreetcar.”

EmploymentEmployment

Medical Receptionist/

Optometric Assistantneeded for a friendly small optometric office in McLean, VA. Duties include gen-

eral office tasks such as answering phones, greeting patients, making appointments, etc. in addition to assisting the doctors in patient care. Experience is helpful but we

are happy to train the right individual. This full time position offers a competitive salary, vacation/sick pay, bonuses health

insurance, and a pension plan.Please email or fax your resume to our

office.Email: [email protected]: 703-893-4757

Auto/Equipment MechanicSeeking self-motivated, energetic individual to perform

maintenance and repair of Estate vehicles and equipment.Minimum of 2 years combined experience in automobile mechanicand equipment maintenance trades. Excellent benefits package.

See website www.MountVernon.org<http://www.MountVernon.org>

For details. To Apply: [email protected]

<mailto: [email protected]>or Fax: 703.780.8320. EOE

Programmer Analyst (2 open'gs) Analyze, evaluate & devise computer pro-grams, systems & related procedures to process data. Code, test, debug, modify & install operating programs & procedures in coordination with computer operations & user depts using Java, T-SQL, JavaScript, HTML, PL/SQL, Visual Stu-dio, .Net, & Eclipse. Perform duties using Windows 2008 Server, Windows 2008 Server R2, Oracle Application Server. Da-tabase development including creation of databases in SQL Server 2008. Develop & customize reports. Assist in modification or creation of computer programs & best practices to meet user needs. Provide end user training. Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent degree in Comp. Science, Info. Tech. or Business Admin. w/conc. in Man-agement Information Systems or a related field; 2 yrs exp. as Programmer, System Support Engineer or rel. job position which must include 2 yrs exp. w/ software application deveopment using J2EE, T-SQL, PL/SQL, Web Services, C#, Struts, JavaScript & related tools & technologies; translating business requirements into technical requirements & must be Micro-soft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) for Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation & Maintenance. Employ-er will accept any suitable combination of education, training, or experience. Job in McLean, VA. Mail resume to Digital Intel-ligence Systems LLC, Attn: James Fields, HRD, 8270 Greensboro Drive, #1000, McLean VA 22102, must incl. ref. #12032013

BUSINESS OPP

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

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Today I was eating a Tootsie Roll, and whilechewing it, felt something sharp against mygum. Knowing my candy, sharp I should notfeel, so immediately I stopped chewing inhopes of locating the sensation; which I did. Itturns out that I broke off the top half of a previ-ously (years ago) installed dental crown.Fortunately, the crown was still in my mouth, soI was able to retrieve it. Upon closer examina-tion of it and the now crown-less tooth, itappears that the crown and the tooth are com-pletely intact (undamaged) and perhaps a sim-ple re-cementing at the dentist’s office awaits, arepair achieved much less expensively thanreplacing the entire crown. (I can hope, can’t I?After all, I am a cancer patient; hope is what Ido.)

As soon as I realized what had happened, Ibegan to remember – and laugh. Approximately4 months into my initial chemotherapy infu-sions nearly five years ago in the first quarter of2009, I shared a dental concern with myoncologist. I had broken off the top half of atooth and it needed a crown. Concerned thatsomehow the chemotherapy would affect thecrown’s cementing, I had waited until this pointto ask my oncologist’s permission to have therepair. I offered to him that since I had onemore heavy-duty chemotherapy infusion sched-uled (boy was I naive), could I schedule thedental-crown appointment with my dentistnow? My oncologist looked up at me as I sat onthe examining table and hesitated and thenasked: “How long does a dental crown last?” Isimilarly hesitated and said: “I don’t know.About 10 years, I guess.” To which he replied,“Maybe you don’t need a dental crown.”Perplexed as to why he was advising me not toseek a medical/dental solution, I thought for afew seconds while I processed his answer: Whydid he ask about how long the crown lasts andhow come he’s not encouraging me get thecrown…Oh, I get it. He doesn’t think I have 10years. Then I laughed and said I understood. Afew weeks later, against my oncologist’s advice,I got the crown. And now five years later, thecrown has fallen off. Not only did it not last 10years, it barely lasted five years. Moreover, Ilasted five years, three years longer than theback end of the “13 months to two years” prog-nosis I was given by this oncologist. Not that Inecessarily wanted to prove him wrong and/orget my money’s worth out of this crown, butthe fact that I have outlived both my crown andmy original terminal prognosis has brought megreat joy. Not a sense of self-satisfaction per se,but more a sense of irony. Given the rather grimstatistics attached to a stage IV lung cancer diag-nosis, the relative significance of a dental crownrepair is practically zero. Still, it feels good.(Moreover, my philosophy was and is: given theextreme negative that a terminal cancer diagno-sis/prognosis imposes, anything the patient, inthis case me, can do to act/live normally, thebetter/more optimistic I’ll feel to counter theweight of a cancer diagnosis. Giving in to it isnot an option.)

So I’ll be calling my dentist this week toschedule a consult/fix. However, consideringthe fact that February 27, 2014 will be my five-year survival anniversary, an accomplishmentthat few – less than 5 percent – of stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer patients ever realize, itwill give me pause once again as to whether therepair is truly necessary. Now whether it turnsout to be a waste of time, energy and money, asmy oncologist originally presumed it might be,the repair is necessary for one main reason:peace of mind. It’s my life and I want to live it.The heck with the diagnosis/prognosis.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Pieceof Mind


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