Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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ViennaViennaand Oaktonand Oakton

Cappies GalaHonors High

School TheaterEntertainment, Page 8

Generation CodeOpening in ViennaNews, Page 5

County HonorsLord & Lady FairfaxNews, Page 3

The award for Comic Actress in a Play went toKelly Brents of Vienna, “Deadwood Dick,”

James Madison High School.

HomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStylePage 7

HomeLifeStylePage 7

2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

teen

By David Siegel

The Connection

With its exceptional, unflinch-ing production of the leg-endary August Wilson’s “MaRainey’s Black Bottom,” 1st

Stage continues its trail-blazing for North-ern Virginia theater audiences. Wilson’s “MaRainey” was the first of his lauded 10-playcycle about the African-American experi-ence in 20th century America. Wilson wenton to become the rare playwright withPulitzer, Tony and Academy Award recog-nition.

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is set in1920’s Chicago. The legendary blues singerMa Rainey is set to cut a new record withfour black musicians. Her white managerand the white recording studio executiveare always nearby. What transpire is theblistering dramatization about trying tocope with racism and its aftermath. The pro-duction flares with interpersonal conflicts,intense accounts of pervasive racism andan inflamed conflict between the outspo-

From left: Clayton Pelham, Jr. andThomascena Nelson in “MaRainey’s Black Bottom” at 1stStage in Tysons

1st Stage present‘Ma Rainey’sBlack Bottom.’

‘Ma Rainey’ Comes to Tysons

Where & When1st Stage presents “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

at 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons. Performancesthrough June 25, 2017. Thursdays 7:30 p.m.,Fridays 8 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.,Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets: Adults $30, Seniors(65+) $27 Students and Military $15. Call 703-854-1856 or visit www.1stStgeTysons.org Note:Contains strong language, racial slurs. Formature audiences.

Theatre

Photos by Teresa Castracane/Courtesy 1st Stage

From left: Clayton Pelham, Jr., William T. Newman, Michael AnthonyWilliams, and Jason B. McIntosh in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at 1stStage in Tysons.

ken Ma Rainey, a woman who knows whatshe wants based upon her own experiences,and a younger, disruptor of a trumpeternamed Levee who pushes to disrupt the oldways for what he thinks are sharper jazzier

ways of music and showier living.In her directorial debut at 1st Stage,

Deidra LaWan Starnes does not have theproduction either mince Wilson’s originaldialogue or shy away from its powerfulmessages that black lives matter.

With casting of uniformly strong actors,Starnes brings together a tight ensembleand sets in motion her solid vision for theproduction as a volatile mix of incendiarymonologues, highly compostable interac-tions, sharp funny moments, expletive lan-guage including racial slurs. There are also

moments of poetic beauty. And one of a vig-orously delivered, compelling anger at Godfor and why there is and continues to becrushing discrimination.

The “Ma Rainey” ensemble includes Wil-liams Aiken (Sturdyvant), Tracey Farrar(Dussie Mae), Jason B. McIntosh (SlowDrag), Thomascena Nelson (Ma Rainey),William T. Newman Jr. (Cutler), TendoNsubuga (Sylvester), Joe Palka (Irvin),Clayton Pelham, Jr (Levee), Michael An-thony Williams (Toledo) and Joshua Witt(police officer).

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsVienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or vienna@connectionnewspapers.com

Every year since 1984, two indi-viduals from each of the nineFairfax County magisterial dis-tricts, as well as two from the at-

large “domain” of Board of SupervisorsChairman Sharon Bulova are honored fortheir service to their communities or forparticular acts of heroism. For their dedica-tion, these community caretakers arenamed Lord and Lady Fairfax for the year.

The 2017 honorees were feted at a re-ception at the County Government Centeron the morning of June 6. Following thisgathering, the Lords and Ladies were es-corted into the Board Auditorium wheretheir accomplishments were publically ac-knowledged and each received a certificatedeclaring their status.

The Lords and Ladies will be making afew more appearances during their reigns,including at the signature celebration forFairfax County’s 275th anniversary, whichwill take place in the area surrounding theHistoric Fairfax Courthouse in centralFairfax, on June 17. Just to add another“jewel in the crown” of this event whichpromises fun and festivities for the wholefamily, the real Lord and Lady Fairfax willbe joining celebration all the way fromGreat Britain.

Nicholas Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax ofCameron, and Lady Annabella will help cel-ebrate the founding of our county fromwhen the area was part of lands owned byhis ancestor, the 6th Lord Fairfax ofCameron.

In announcing the visit by Lord and LadyFairfax (the originals), Chairman Bulovalaughed that the noble guests seemed a bitconfused by the fact that there were morepeers in Virginia whom they would be meet-ing. “Only here in Fairfax,” she told him.“We’re special.”

— Andrea Worker

At-LargeLord Fairfax: John J. “Jeff” Lisanick is a

former client at New Hope Housing’sEleanor U. Kennedy Shelter. Desiring to giveback to the homeless community, he joinedthe Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) asan original member in 2012. Since beingelected Chair of the CAC in 2013, he hasbeen a member of the Governing Board witha goal of preventing and endinghomelessness. Jeff took his passion to endhomelessness to a new level in July 2015when he was hired by New Hope Housingas the Residential Coordinator of the sameshelter in which he was once a client. Henow serves as the Coordinator of Residen-tial Services, overseeing seven differentsites.

Lady Fairfax: Jane Miscavage has been anincredible asset to both Fairfax County Pub-lic Schools and our community at large. In2007, Jane began serving as a founder andmanager of the Food Allergy Support Groupof Northern Virginia, where she helped over400 families access up-to-date allergy re-search and health care professionals. Hercommitment to children and families con-

tinued through her service to #IamFCPS, agrassroots organization that advocated fora fully funded 2017 FCPS budget, and later,as the Vote Yes Meals Tax Campaign Man-ager. Currently, Jane Miscavage continuesto serve our schools as Vice President of theFairfax County Council of PTAs.

Hunter Mill DistrictLord Fairfax: Jerry Poje is the current

Hunter Mill appointee to the Human Ser-vices Council. He was previously the presi-dent of the board FACETS, and he is afounding board member of the Communi-ties of Faith United for Housing. As a vol-unteer, he applies his professional expertiseto help people in need through improvedaccessibility, accountability, and coordina-tion in Fairfax County human services de-livery. He has been recognized with the2008 Fairfax County Human Rights Com-mission Award for efforts to prevent andend homelessness, and the 2010 FairfaxCounty Martha Pennino Award for Commu-nity Service. His career in scientific discov-ery called for the social and political cen-ters act on those discoveries to protect pub-

lic health.Lady Fairfax: Therese Martin has commit-

ted years to public service and is an assetto Fairfax County. She has served HunterMill District for nine years as a FairfaxCounty Election Officer and represented theLeague of Women Voters on the CriminalJustice Advisory Board. Additionally, shehas arranged and participated in multiplevoter registration campaigns. Currently, sherepresents Supervisor Hudgins on the Bar-bara Varon Volunteer Award Selection Com-mittee and the Hunter Mill Citizen BudgetAdvisory Committee. In addition to severalFairfax County bond referenda task forces,she was an alternate representative on theFairfax Solid Waste Advisory Committee.

Providence DistrictLady Fairfax: Since her retirement from

newspaper work, Sue Kovach Shuman hasapplied her “can do” spirit, writing, andpersonal skills to volunteerism for thecounty. In addition to serving as the presi-dent of the Mantua Citizens’ Association,Shuman is currently working on FairfaxCounty’s Neighborhood History CommunityProject for the 275th anniversary, helpingwith “Providence Perspectives”, an oral his-tory project, and is on the board of theFriends of Accotink Creek. She also servesas community ambassador for the Agencyon Aging and created the “NeighborhoodNetwork,” an aging-in-community initiativeto support older residents.

Lord Fairfax: There are many reasons forPhil Niedzielski-Eichner’s selection asProvidence’s Lord Fairfax. He was twiceelected to the Fairfax County School Boardand served one year as chairman. He was alsoa member of both the Park Authority Boardand the Environmental Quality AdvisoryCouncil. Phil also chaired the Use of ForceSubcommittee under the Ad Hoc Police Prac-tices Review Commission. He remains in-volved with the Commission through the“Implementation Committee.” Looking foranother challenge, Phil volunteered to be-come Providence’s representative on theFairfax County Planning Commission.

County Honors Lord & Lady FairfaxSupervisor Linda Smyth (D-Providence) with Lord and Lady for herdistrict, Phil Niedzielski-Eichner and Sue Kovach Shuman.

Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) with Lord and Lady Fairfaxfrom her district, Jerry Poje and Therese Martin.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova with the At-Large Ladyand Lord Fairfax, Jane Miscavage and John J. “Jeff” Lisanick.

Introducing 2017 Lord and Lady Fairfax

Photos by

Andrea Worker

The Connection

4 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Fallon Forbush

The Connection

The Fairfax County Board of Su-pervisors unanimously endorseddesign plans for the widening ofRoute 7 during a hearing on

Tuesday, June 6.The project, estimated to cost $233.9

million, will widen 6.9 miles of Route 7 fromfour to six lanes between Reston Avenueand Jarrett Valley Drive. It will also makeintersection improvements and add shared-use paths for pedestrians and bicyclists onboth sides of the corridor.

The widening of this section of Route 7 isincluded in Fairfax County’s ComprehensivePlan, with funding allocated from thecounty’s Third Four Year TransportationProgram (fiscal years 2013-2016) and thefiscal years 2015-2020 TransportationProject Priorities program, according to theFairfax County Department of Transporta-tion. The project is also funded by state,local and federal funds from the VirginiaDepartment of Transportation’s Six-YearImprovement Program.

While the project is fully funded at itsestimated cost, the exact total will not beknown until bids for the work are received,according to FCDOT.

The Fairfax County and Virginia Depart-ments of Transportation’s current schedulefor the work has completion slated for No-vember 2023:

❖ Design-Build Contract Request for Pro-posals Advertisement – August 2017

❖ Commonwealth Transportation BoardApproval to Award Contract – February2018

❖ Design-Build Contract Notice to Pro-ceed – February/March 2018

❖ Begin Construction – November 2018❖ Complete Construction – November

2023

THE MAIN CHALLENGE of the projectwill be maintaining traffic during the work.

“There’s quite a bit of traffic that travelson Route 7 and we’re going to be doing

extensive improvements, so that’s going tobe one of the main challenges that we have,”Terry Yates, VDOT assistant land use man-ager, said in November.

Fortunately for drivers, VDOT will keepall lanes open during rush hours, accord-ing to Lee

Ann Hall, VDOT location and design en-gineer.

“Whenever we’re doing a roadwayproject, we want to minimize impacts to thetraveling public as much as possible,” Hallsaid in November. “If we could reduce thenumber of lanes for a longer period of time,that would certainly help us finish a projectsooner, but that’s just not what happens inNorthern Virginia.”

A public hearing was held for the designof the project in November 2016 at ColvinRun Elementary School in Vienna that drewmore than 160 members of the public, ac-cording to the FCDOT. A total of 103 writ-ten, emailed or oral comments were alsoreceived.

Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville),asked FCDOT Director Tom Biesiadny toclarify the design plans being presented tothe board during the hearing last week.

“The letter says we approve the design aspresented at a public hearing, but the boardmatter discusses two amendments that weremade after the public hearing,” Foust said.

After the designs were drafted, commentswere received from residents of Towlston

Meadows in Vienna to improve AtwoodRoad, since the project will remove the leftturn lane onto Stokley Way. This wouldeliminate an access point to their homes andrequire residents to use Atwood Road toaccess their homes.

After receiving this feedback, the project’sdesign will now include improvements forAtwood Road from Route 7 to Robnel Place,according to Biesiadny.

Community members also requested aconnection to shared-use paths along Route7 to existing trails on Lewinsville Road nearWoodhurst Boulevard in McLean. With thisfeedback, the county agreed to amend thedesign to include a sidewalk on the east sideof Lewinsville Road.

While the designs before the board werenot updated to include these amendments,Biesiadny assured the board that theamendments would be included.

“As of the moment, the design plans havenot been updated … we’re just informingyou that, ‘Yes, those changes will be made,’”Biesiadny said during the hearing.

“Those are two [amendments] that werediscussed with the community,” he added.“They were comments that we receivedback. Both the county staff and VDOT arecomfortable including those and recom-mending those to you [Board of Supervi-sors].”

The motion carried unanimously, anothermilestone in a long-awaited project.

Planning for the widening of the Route 7corridor west of Tysons has been ongoingsince 1999, according to FCDOT.

THE FIRST SECTION of this effort be-gan construction west of the project limitsin 2013 with widening between RollingHolly Drive and Reston Avenue. Construc-tion of this western section was completedin February 2016.

Bridge deck replacement and wideningof Route 7 over the Dulles Airport Ac-cess Highway and Toll Road east of theproject limits began construction in sum-mer 2015 and is expected to be com-pleted in spring 2018.

Fifteen Fairfax County Public Schools(FCPS) students have been named win-ners of Merit Scholarship awards by theNational Merit Scholarship Corporation(NMSC). The students are part of a groupof more than 3,200 National Merit final-ists chosen to receive scholarships fi-nanced by higher education institutions.

Winners of the scholarships, with theirprobable career fields in parentheses,are:

❖ Elizabeth Ellinger of Langley HighSchool (architecture), National MeritUniversity of Southern California Schol-arship.

❖ Emma Kohm of Langley High School(aerospace engineering), National MeritEmbry-Riddle Scholarship.

James Morrissey of Langley High School(undecided), National Merit University ofSouthern California Scholarship.

❖ Zipporah Klain of Madison High School(undecided), National Merit University ofChicago Scholarship.

❖ Noah Thompson of Madison HighSchool (fine arts), National Merit VirginiaCommonwealth University Scholarship.

❖ Melanie Pincus of McLean High School(writing), National Merit Tufts UniversityScholarship.

❖ Jason Katz of Robinson SecondarySchool (engineering), National Merit Uni-versity of Oklahoma Scholarship.

❖ Emma Bachman of Thomas JeffersonHigh School for Science and Technology(TJHSST) (environmental engineering),

National Merit University of OklahomaScholarship.

❖ Sofiya Boroday of TJHSST (linguistics),National Merit University of Chicago schol-arship.

❖ Emma Cuddy of TJHSST (physics), Na-tional Merit Harvey Mudd College Scholar-ship.

❖ Ishaan Gandhi of TJHSST (humanrights), National Merit Harvey Mudd Col-lege Scholarship.

❖ Grey Golla of TJHSST (computer engi-neering), National Merit Purdue UniversityScholarship.

❖ Jillian Khoo of TJHSST (computer sci-ence), National Merit University of South-ern California Scholarship.

❖ Alvin Shi of TJHSST (physics), National

Merit University of Chicago Scholarship.❖ Mary Jane MacArthur of West

Springfield High School (internationaldevelopment), National Merit BrighamYoung University Scholarship.

scholarship winner was evaluated onhis or her academic record; contributionsand leadership in school and communityactivities; an essay describing activities,interests, and goals; SAT scores that con-firmed outstanding test performance;and a recommendation and endorsementfrom a high school official. Each awardprovides between $500 and $2,000 an-nually for up to four years of undergradu-ate study at the institution financing therecipient’s scholarship.

The final group of NMSC scholarshiprecipients from the class of 2017 will benamed in July.

Fifteen County Students Win Merit Scholarships

Almost seven miles of Route 7 between Reston Avenue and JarrettValley Drive in Fairfax County will be improved. The project wouldwiden the road from four to six lanes, add facilities for bicyclists andpedestrians, and make substantial intersection and other improve-ments along the corridor.

Photo courtesy of the Virginia Department of Transportation

Design of Route 7 Widening Endorsed by Board

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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News

By Alex Pena

The Connection

Nearly a hundred people attended the grand opening ofGeneration Code on Tuesday,a new coding and robotics lab

in Vienna.Vienna families, town officials, and Gen-

eration Code staff were all present to tourthe new lab and celebrate its opening witha ribbon cutting ceremony.

Mayor of Vienna, Laurie DiRocco, offereda warm welcome to this new business.

“We’re very grateful that you decided to planyour first school here in the town of Vienna,”she said. “We wish you all the best success.”

Generation Code has previously operated inNew York City, although within the schoolsthemselves. CEO of Generation Code, TerryMcDonough, said they had great success anddecided it was time to expand the business.

They looked around the New York area, sub-urban Maryland, and Northern Virginia for theperfect spot to open their first lab. McDonoughsaid they kept coming back to Vienna becauseit had the right business support and interestin education and technology.

“Ever since we showed up to First NightVienna way back in winter, to Viva! Vienna!just last weekend, where we had hundreds ofpeople come by our booth and willingly giveus their emails, which is really hard to do thesedays,” he quipped, “we have been confirmedin that choice that Vienna was the right place for usto open this school.”

The lab aims to educate children on a multitudeof computer science skills, including app develop-ment, robotics, and animation. Families can sign theirchild up for different summer camps based on thesetopics.

“Generation Code is really focused on teaching kidsthe thinking concepts that go into coding,”McDonough said. “We wanted to make it accessibleto students who might not otherwise think of com-puter science or might be daunted by it.”

The curriculum begins with teaching students dif-

ferent ways of thinking and builds from there.McDonough described it as being accessible, engag-ing, and project-based.

“It’s really designed for people like me who areEnglish majors but who really wanted to get into com-puters and make something for themselves with tech-nology and not just consume the technology,” he said.

McDonough also said he is eager to get the fullschedule for camps out there, but that they have beenpleased with the amount of interest Vienna has shownso far. Parents can visit www.generationcode.com formore information about the curriculum and the avail-able camps.

Community celebratesthe new coding androbotics lab.

Generation Code Opening in Vienna

Photo courtesy of Generation Code

Vienna families and business owners gatheredTuesday to celebrate the opening of the newGeneration Code lab on Church St.

Photo courtesy of Generation Code

Generation Code staff gather around CEO TerryMcDonough, Mayor Laurie DiRocco and StrayerEducation CFO and Vienna local, Dan Jackson, tocelebrate the opening the new Vienna coding lab.

Nearly a hundred people attended the grand opening ofGeneration Code on Tuesday, a new coding and roboticslab in Vienna.

Teaching assistants show children the programmingstations.

Friderike Butler, Andrea Backman, Dan Jackson, MayorLaurie DiRocco and Generation Code CEO, TerryMcDonough outside the new Vienna space.

Photos by Alex Pena/The Connection

6 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Vienna & OaktonOpinion

By Maille-Rose Smith

James Madison High

Dear Class of 2021,“Life begins after high school.” For most of

my time at Madison, I subscribed to that ad-age without a second thought. I anxiously an-ticipated the end of high school, thinking thatonly then could my existence commence —only then could I blossom into myself. I waswrong, and I cheated myself by adopting sucha closed, pessimistic mindset. So here is mymessage to you: Life has already begun, so besponges! Saturate yourselves in new experi-ences, friendships, and passions, and mostimportantly, be courageous enough to learnabout others, about yourself, and about thisterrifying, mysterious, awe-inspiring world.

Firstly, do not discount or compartmental-ize high school experiences because you feelembarrassed by them; those experiences, how-ever awkward or unpleasant they may be inthe moment, will teach you the most. Whenyou answer a question incorrectly in class, donot shut down. Do not bow your head or grabyour phone. Instead, listen! Not only will youdiscover the correct answer, but you will trainyourself to disregard your ego in favor of self-improvement. An inflated ego will prove yourarch-nemesis in your pursuit of growth, be-cause it will grinningly deceive you into be-lieving that your worth shatters if you so muchas acknowledge an error on your part. Do notsurrender to the false security of supposed su-periority, however tempting. Allow yourself to

be wrong. Make mistakes and admit to them,and then ask, “What have I learned? How canI improve?” Life is never about perfection, butrather about development, and the only wayto develop is through millions of mistakes. Ul-timately, the extent of your progress in highschool and in life rests on your own shoulders.Do not allow pride to stunt your growth.

However, that is in no way to endorse hu-man doormat-hood! High school can be a stam-pede in which one can all-too-easily betrampled, because so many students feel inse-cure, confused, and desperate to assimilateregardless of the ramifications for others.Though undeniably easier said than done, al-ways retain a sense of your inherent and in-disputable worth. It will provide you the resil-ience to continue forward despite setbacks, bethey thoughtless comments, pointed re-proaches, rejections, or simply feeling unno-ticed or underestimated. Value yourself beyondthe confines of high school, beyond the scopeof social approval or popularity. As David Pelzerwisely states, “When you please others in hopesof being accepted, you lose your self-worth inthe process.” Challenge yourself to seek thosewho appreciate you for yourself, flaws and all,even if this means liberating yourself from cur-rent friend groups. And let yourself eat lunchalone! Genuinely recognizing yourself and yourimplicit value trumps all external validation.

But isolating, not to mention accepting, yourtrue identity can prove exceedingly difficult inthe overwhelming upsurge of high school in-securities. As hopeless as it may seem now, you

will discover yourself, but more importantly,high school is not the end-all-be-all. At gradu-ation, you will not suddenly experience anepiphany and realize exactly who you are andwhat you want to do with your life. No, self-discovery is a lifelong process, but high schoolcan equip you with the self-knowledge to em-bark on this journey — if you embrace yourvulnerability. Join clubs, talk to people youthink are too cool for you, take a class youwould never think of taking, smile at peoplein the halls. I promise that it won’t all workout. That club might just not be for you. Youmight hate a class, or maybe you drop the classand it ends up being amazing. Those “too cool”students might reject you. For every personwho smiles back, there might be six people whodo not. And all of that is okay. Retain your re-ceptivity to others, to the world around you,to changes in your own mindset. You will sur-vive, and these experiences will mentally andemotionally empower you in the long term, asimprobable as it may seem in the moment.

So as I leave you today, my final message isthis: you can refuse to acknowledge that lifehas started in high school and just subtractthose years off your “life.” You can cloak your-self in pessimism and closed-mindedness; youcan refuse to grow. No one will stop you. Oryou can embrace high school, in all of its awk-wardness and insecurity and all the generalfloundering it entails. High school is a strange,sinister ocean brimming with life lessons; wemust summon the courage to plunge into thewater and soak up its secrets. Thank you.

A Letter to the Class of 2021

In 1967, Virginia was one of 16 states thatbanned interracial marriage and hadcriminal penalties for violators.

Mildred Jeter, an African-Americanwoman, and Richard Loving, a white man,were married in 1958, were convicted andbanished from living in Virginia for 25 yearsto avoid serving a one-year prison sentence.On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court, inLoving v. Virginia, overturned the convictionsof Mildred and Richard Loving, declaring theban on interracial marriage unconstitutional.

Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the opinion:“Marriage is one of the ‘basic civil rights of

man,’ fundamental to our very existence andsurvival. … To deny this fundamental free-dom on so unsupportable a basis as the racialclassifications embodied in these statutes,classifications so directly subversive of theprinciple of equality at the heart of the Four-teenth Amendment, is surely to deprive allthe State’s citizens of liberty without due pro-cess of law. The Fourteenth Amendment re-quires that the freedom of choice to marrynot be restricted by invidious racial discrimi-nations. Under our Constitution, the freedomto marry, or not marry, a person of anotherrace resides with the individual, and cannotbe infringed by the State.”

This week, Gov. Terry McAuliffe celebratedLoving Day, June 12, with a new state histori-

cal marker to commemorate the U.S. SupremeCourt’s decision in the landmark case. Thededication marked the 50th anniversary of the1967 ruling that overturned all state laws re-stricting interracial marriage. The ceremonywas held at the former site of the Virginia Su-preme Court of Appeals, where the case washeard before it reached the U.S. SupremeCourt. The Lovings’ story is told in a movie ofthe same name.

On Valentine’s Day, 2014, Judge ArendaWright Allen, ruled that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. In the open-ing of her order, Allen quotes Mildred Lovingin a statement she made in 2007 on the 40thanniversary of Loving v. Virginia:

“We made a commitment to each other inour love and lives, and now had the legal com-mitment, called marriage, to match. Isn’t thatwhat marriage is? ... Today’s young people re-alize that if someone loves someone they havea right to marry. Surrounded as I am now bywonderful children and grandchildren, not aday goes by that I don’t think of Richard andour love, our right to marry, and how much itmeant to me to have that freedom to marrythe person precious to me, even if othersthought he was the ‘wrong kind of person’ forme to marry. I believe all Americans, no mat-ter their race, no matter their sex, no mattertheir sexual orientation, should have that same

freedom to marry. Government has no busi-ness imposing some people’s religious beliefsover others. ... I support the freedom to marryfor all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are allabout.”

Judge Allen’s written decision begins:“A spirited and controversial debate is un-

derway regarding who may enjoy the right tomarry in the United States of America. Americahas pursued a journey to make and keep ourcitizens free. This journey has never been easy,and at times has been painful and poignant.The ultimate exercise of our freedom is choice.Our Declaration of Independence recognizesthat ‘all men’ are created equal. Surely thismeans all of us. While ever-vigilant for thewisdom that can come from the voices of ourvoting public, our courts have never long tol-erated the perpetuation of laws rooted in un-lawful prejudice. One of the judiciary’s noblestendeavors is to scrutinize laws that emergefrom such roots.

“Plaintiffs assert that the restriction on theirfreedom to choose to marry the person they loveinfringes on the rights to due process and equalprotection guaranteed to them under the Four-teenth Amendment of the United States Con-stitution. These challenges are well-taken. …

“The Court is compelled to conclude thatVirginia’s Marriage Laws unconstitutionallydeny Virginia’s gay and lesbian citizens thefundamental freedom to choose to marry.”

Virginia is historically slow in extending rights.

Fundamental Freedom to Choose to Marry

Adapted from an editorial published by ConnectionNewspapers in February 2014.

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Home LifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

The warm days and nights of sum-mer lend themselves to outdoor en-tertaining. From colorful pillows

and cozy throws to textured fabrics andjewel-toned tableware, local designers of-fer ideas for creating a festive space for analfresco soiree.

Consider the way an outdoor space willlook when it’s viewed from inside yourhome, says Madeline Fairbanks, productdevelopment director, Country Casual Teak.

“Choose fabrics that coordinate and ac-cent the colors used indoors to create aseamless transition between the spaces,” shesaid. “Add texture with fabrics, from gauzysheers to the heaviest brocades, to bring thetextures of indoor upholstery outdoors. Anadded plus is that they help hide dirt andstains.”

The transition from a home’s interior toits exterior should be fluid, advises Jim Rillof Rill Architects. “It shouldn’t just be anoutdoor patio, but an extension of the in-door spaces,” he said.

Rill suggests using outdoor walls, fire-places and trellises to create a sense of scaleand comfort. “For instance, stone walls,hedges, pools and ponds help give an out-

Patio Ready for Summer? The latest trends forentertaining alfresco.

Photo courtesy of Country Casual Teak

Outdoor furniture pieces like theseby Country Casual Teak help definethe outdoor atmosphere of thisPotomac, Md., home.

Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Todd Martz of Home on Cameronin Alexandria advises using color-ful table accessories to set thestage for a festive gathering.

“It shouldn’t just bean outdoor patio, butan extension of theindoor spaces.”

— Jim Rill of Rill Architects

door setting scale and coziness,” he said.“Think of the outdoor space as a room andconsider how it’s organized with furnitureand materials like you would an indoorroom. Patterns in the patio materials alsoorganize the area.”

Outdoor entertaining is often food-cen-tric and for an upbeat outdoor table set-ting, Todd Martz of Home on Cameron inOld Town Alexandria suggests acrylic tableaccessories. “Incorporate colorful pitchers,glasses and plates to set the stage for a fes-

tive gathering,” he said.Have a few key pieces for hosting,

whether you entertain weekly or just oncea year, recommends Fairbanks. “Keep a barcart near an entrance for wheeling refresh-ments to guests, or an outdoor sideboardnear a dining area for easy buffet-style ser-vice,” she said.

For chilly nights, drape throws on theoutdoor seating for guests, advises Martz.“With the popularity of fire pits, add com-fortable seating with indoor-outdoor cush-ions around them to enhance the experi-ence,” he said.

8 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

The 18th Annual Cappies Gala honoringhigh school theater was held Sunday,June 11 at The Kennedy Center in theDistrict. Winning the top prizes for the Best

Musical was West Potomac High School for “Billy Elliot,”and winning Best Play was Duke Ellington School ofthe Arts for “The Bluest Eye.” This year’s Masters ofCeremony were Judy Bowns and Janie Strauss withErich DiCenzo and Phil Reid as Lead Players.

The show included 59 public and private high schoolsin Fairfax County, Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun, Mont-gomery, and Prince William counties, and the Cities ofFalls Church, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C. Thisyear’s awards were pretty much evenly distributedacross all of those regions. The Cappies season ex-tended from late October to early May.

Cappies shows were attended, on average, by 45student critics who wrote 300-599 word reviews.More than 300 student-written reviews were pub-lished or broadcast in local newspapers, includingThe Connection, Patch, Falls Church News Press,Times Community Newspapers, Loudoun Now, Mary-land Theatre Guide, and Fairfax County PublicSchools and other media.

The Cappies program was launched in the sum-mer of 1999 by Judy Bowns, the Theatre Arts re-source teacher with FCPS, and the late Bill Strauss(director, Capitol Steps), in cooperation with areatheater teachers, for the purpose of celebrating andbringing public acclaim to high school theater.

— Steve Hibbard

Cappies Gala HonorsHigh School Theater

The winner of the Best Sets Award is “Into the Woods,” The MadeiraSchool. From left are Sasha Alexander, Millenah Nascimento, and GraceYe. Not pictured: Briana Harrington.

The award for ComicActress in a Play isKelly Brents ofVienna, “DeadwoodDick,” James Madi-son High School.

The winner of the Critics’ Team is McLean High SchoolTeam from McLean High School. Front row: Jess Scarano,Syona Ayyankeril, Emily Lachow. Back row: Julia Luigs,Emily Swett, Laras Kettner.

The winner ofthe MaleDancer Awardis Cuinn Caseyof Great Fallsfor “Gypsy,”Langley HighSchool.

Photos by

Steve Hibbard/

The Connection

Entertainment

The award for theBest Props Award is

“Deadwood Dick,”James Madison HighSchool. From left are

Max Jackson andKelly Brents. Not

pictured: WilliamKegley.

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA450 ORCHARD STREET, NW

VIENNA, VA 22180703-938-8525

email: fbcvoffice@fbcv.orgwww.fbcv.org

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 10:00 AMCHRISTIAN LEARNING ACADEMY (SUN.) 9:00AM-9:45AM

MIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM

Visit These Houses of Worship

To Highlight Your Faith Community, call Don at 703-778-9420

For a free digi-tal subscriptionto one or allof the 15ConnectionNewspapers,go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Be the first toknow – get yourpaper before ithits the press.

Complete digitalreplica of theprint edition,including photosand ads, deliv-ered weeklyto your e-mailbox.

Questions?E-mail:goinggreen@connectionnewspapers.com

See Entertainment, Page 11

Entertainment

Send entertainment announcements toconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.Deadline is Friday at noon for the follow-ing week’s paper. Photos/artworkencouraged.

ONGOINGKen Frye Exhibit. Various times

through June 30 at the MeadowlarkGardens, 9750 Meadowlark GardensCourt, Vienna. Ken Frye is the ViennaArts Center artist of the year. Call703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org formore.

Art at the Library. Various Viennaartists work on display in June at thePatrick Henry Library, 101 MapleAve. E., Vienna. Reno Number ElevenSteam Locomotive is one of fivepictures supplied by the Vienna ArtsCenter. Visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org formore.

“On the Bay” Photographs. Normalbusiness hours through July 1 atKatie’s Coffee House, Village Center,760 Walker Road, Great Falls. SilviaGonzalez Roman will exhibit herpictures taken around theChesapeake Bay. Visitoldbrogue.com/katies-coffee-house/or call 703-759-2759 for more.

“Slice of Life: Great Falls.” Normalbusiness hours through July 1 at inthe TD Bank, 9901 Georgetown Pike.Jill Banks exhibits her oil paintingsduring bank opening hours sevendays a week including “First FridayArt Walk” on June 2 until 7 p.m. Visitwww.greatfallsstudios.com.

The Light of Day Paintings. ThroughJuly 15, various times BroadwayGallery, 1025-J Seneca Road, GreatFalls. Featuring landscape paintingsby Michael Godfrey, ChristineLashley, Tricia Ratliff, and Rajendra

KC. Call 703-450-8005 for more.Julie Cochran Photography. Various

times through July 29 at the ViennaArts Gallery, 513 Maple Ave. W.Exhibit called “Lotus-Palooza.” Call703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org.

Sunny Days Art. Artists exhibitionthrough July 29 at the Vienna ArtsCenter, 115 Pleasant St., NW. SunnyDays exhibition. Call 703-319-3971or visit www.ViennaArtsSociety.org.

Free Tai Chi. Every Saturday, from7:55-9 a.m., Introduction andBeginners’ Practice, meet on theoutdoor basketball court locateddirectly behind the Dolley Madison

Public Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave.in McLean Central Park, McLean. Call703-759-9141 or visitwww.FreeTaiChi.org for more.

The Golden Girls of NorthernVirginia, a senior women’s softballleague, is looking for players. Anywoman over the age of 40 isencouraged to join. All skill levels arewelcome. Play on Wednesdayevenings and Saturday mornings inVienna. Visit www.goldengirls.org.

First Sunday Jazz Brunch 11-2 p.m.Recurring monthly on the 1st Sundayat Bazin’s on Church 111 Church StN.W., Vienna. Enjoy brunchaccompanied by the soft jazz sounds

On the GreenSummer on the Green Concert featuring the NitehawksSwing Band, Sunday, July 23, 6:30 p.m. at 144 Maple Ave.E., Vienna. Free. Visit www.viennava.gov or call 703-255-6360.

of Virginia Music Adventure. Visitwww.fxva.com/listing/bazins-on-church/1686/

The Freeman Store & MuseumWednesday through Sunday noon-4p.m. 131 Church St. NE, Vienna. TheFreeman Store & Museum isdedicated to Preserving andpromoting Vienna’s heritage throughthe identification, preservation, andinterpretation of history significantplaces, events, and persons.Historicviennainc.org

Weekly Storytime. Wednesday andSaturday. 11 a.m. Barnes & Noble,7851 L Tysons Corner Center,McLean. Themes and titles vary. Freeadmission.

Bingo Night. Sundays. 4 p.m. FlameRoom, Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment, 400 Center St. S,Vienna. $10. www.vvfd.org/bingo.html.

Gentle Yoga. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Emmaus United Church of Christ,900 E Maple Ave. E., Vienna.Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax,2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Gentle Kundalini Yoga, one freeintroductory session, seniordiscounts. Increase flexibility,improve breathing and health, reducestress. Ravi Kaur has 15 yearsexperience teaching yoga. $15 persession. www.edimprovement.org.571-213-3192.

Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 PotomacHills St., Great Falls. Rentalsavailable during visitor center hours.Fishing tackle and live bait areavailable for purchase. Reservationsrequired for group rentals. $6/rental(2 hour max). Valid driver’s licenserequired. Rod/reel combinations areperfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwaterfishing license is required for those

16 years or older. The park does notsell fishing licenses.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/

Colvin Run Mill open 11 - 4 p.m.daily, closed Tuesday. 10017 ColvinRun Road, Great Falls. FairfaxCounty’s operational 19th centurywater powered gristmill, offersrecreational and educationalactivities for all ages through dailytours, school programs and specialevents. Fees: $7/adult, $6 students16+ with ID, $5 children & seniors.Admission to park is free except forsome special events.

Fundamentals of Watercolors.Mondays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Artsof Great Falls, 756 Walker Road,Great Falls. Artist Lorrie Herman willhelp students get comfortableworking with watercolors andunderstanding this medium. Visitwww.greatfallsart.org for more.

Still Life Painting. Tuesdays 10:30a.m.-1 p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. Stilllife provides a great tool to honeskills. Recommended for students ofall levels. Visit www.greatfallsart.org.

Evening Painting. Tuesdays 6:30 -9:30 p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. JillBanks focuses on oil paintingfundamentals with two sessions eachof still life, landscapes, and portrait/clothed figure from a live model.Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.

Intro to Jewelry Design. Tuesdays 9a.m.-noon at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. JJSingh teaches a class for anyoneinterested in exploring the world ofmetal clay and its design possibilities.Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.

10 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Monday 11:00 am 703-778-9411

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ABC LICENSECollins Restaurant Group, LLC trading as

Arosto Pizza at Dunn Loring Station, 2676-J Avenir Place, Vienna, VA 22180. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE -

ise Beer and Wine license to sell alcoholic beverages. Mr. Paul Collins, Principal of

Collins Restaurant Group, LLC is authorizing this advertisement. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing

legal notices. Objections should be registered

Legals

Apparent Murder/SuicideInvestigated in Vienna

On June 11, 2017 at 6:49 p.m. Vienna Police officers were called toa residence located at 113 Oak St. SW in Vienna for a 9-1-1 call relatedto an injured woman. Once at the scene, officers located an adult fe-male with stab wounds to the upper body. The female was transportedby ambulance to Fairfax Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.The female was identified as 47-year-old Sabrina Titus.

In what appears to be a related event, at 6:56 p.m. Vienna Policeofficers were called to a residence located at 102 Ross Drive SW for a“shots fired call.” Upon arrival, officers located a deceased man in thebackyard of the property with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot woundto the upper body. The male was identified as 53-year-old Ralph Titus.

At this time, the case appears to be a murder/suicide incident. Thecase is an active investigation pending a final report from the Office ofthe Medical Examiner. Ralph Titus and Sabrina Titus were divorcedand had two children in common. The children were not physicallyharmed during the incident. The Vienna Police Department has coor-dinated with extended family to care for the children and also engagedFairfax County Victim Services for additional support.

Week in Vienna

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDContact Volunteer Solutions at 703-324-

5406,VolunteerSolutions@fairfaxcounty.govor www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/volunteer-solutions.htm.

❖ The Lewinsville Senior Center inMcLean needs instructors for thefollowing classes: Art, Self-Defense,Chair Exercise, Indoor Gardening,Basic Spanish, Basic French,Ballroom Dance and Basic Guitar.

THROUGH SUMMERVienna Street-sweeping Program.

The Town of Vienna began its annualstreet-sweeping program beginningMarch 20. The Town is divided intoeight sections for purposes of thesweeping program. During the firstpass through Town, the Public WorksDepartment asks that residents notpark on the street. Find the“sweeping” sections at viennava.gov/sweeping. Additionally, signs will beplaced on streets marking a windowof 7-10 days during which the truckwill come through. Contact publicworks at 703-255-6380.

TUESDAY/JUNE 20McLean Orchestra Meeting. 7 p.m.

at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,1545 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Highlights will feature The Year inReview by President Margot

Townsend Young. Visit mclean-orchestra.org/ or call 703-893-8646for more.

THURSDAY/JUNE 22Hispanic Connect Networking

Event. 8:30-9:30 a.m. at MainConference Room, 4th Floor, 8300Boone Blvd., Suite 450, Vienna. Freemember event, guests receive firstcomplimentary visit. Visitwww.vahcc.com/events.html.

TUESDAY/JUNE 27Public Meeting. 7 p.m. at the Great

Falls Grange, 9818 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. The Fairfax County ParkAuthority has started an update ofthe Turner Farm Park master planand would like to gather input on theplan from community residents.Information session and discussion isopen to the public. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/turnerfarm.htm, call 703-324-8662 or emailParkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.

ONGOINGMaster Gardener Training. The

Fairfax County Master GardenerAssociation offers plant clinics, hometurf training or speakers forhomeowner’s meetings. Fees vary.Visit fairfaxgardening.org or call MGHelp Desk at 703-324-8556 for more.

Bulletin Board

To have community events listed in the Connection, visit connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday.

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Since I have some alone-time; just me andthe cats, I thought I’d try to write my next col-umn a few weeks ahead and take a bit of thetime-sensitive deadline pressure off. Not thatmeeting my weekly commitment has been toomuch of a problem over the years (nearly 20 infact), still, I thought I’d put pen to paper, liter-ally, and see what comes out.

So far what has come out is that I’m havingcreative difficulty writing something that’s to bepublished two weeks hence. It seems/feels thatwriting in the present about something to bepublished in the future is awkward, sort of. It’ssomewhere between wishful thinking and aprediction. Neither of which is characteristic ofwho I am or how I think. I guess my writingnature is that I like to react to reality and thenaddress it in print, rather than anticipate it andthen respond to it. Typically I prefer to be cur-rent in my thinking and honest in my prose.Apparently, I have nothing else to share so try-ing to explain that void is the semi point of thiscolumn.

And I suppose, without being too self-indul-gent, that if a stage IV cancer patient — yourstruly, who shares everything with you regularreaders; highs, lows and in-betweens, has noth-ing of particular interest to share, perhaps it’sbecause I’m experiencing a comparatively easyfortnight between 24-hour urine collection,pre-chemotherapy lab work, every-five-weekinfusions, and quarterly scans followed by myquarterly face-to-face appointment with myoncologist, so I have minimal cancer-relatedbusiness to preoccupy my life. It’s almost as ifI’m unencumbered by my underlying problem:non-small cell lung cancer. And I have to admit,it’s a heck of a feeling to not have my consciousand unconscious minding my business and re-minding me that I have an incurable form ofcancer. Which of course I never need remind-ing of; as opposed to ending a sentence with apreposition which obviously I do need to bereminded of.

Getting back to the substance — if you caneven call it that, of this column: my difficultywriting weeks ahead of publication. What’spuzzling about this difficulty is how uncharac-teristic of my personality it is. I am not sponta-neous. I rarely do anything spur of the momentother than getting off the couch, changing thechannel on the television, switching radio sta-tions in the car, deciding what to wear, eat-ing/drinking/going to the bathroom and/or mis-cellaneous other household-type duties andresponsibilities. Yet the problem I’m experienc-ing now — related to my June 14 column, isthat since I’m not being spontaneous, I’munable to create?

How can that be a problem? That’s who Iam all the time. I do everything in advance —of consequence, that is. Maybe I’m making toomuch out of nothing? (Oh, really.) Maybe I’msimply stuck in my head and need to get out ofmy own way. Not that I make mountains out ofmole hills but sometimes, and I’ve told by myoncologist that I can blame my having cancerfor everything, I might not think so clearlyand get bogged down emotionally. Ergo, I willlay the blame for this column and it’s lack ofsubstance, on having “terminal” cancer.

Cancer doesn’t work in mysterious ways(well, perhaps it does to researchers), it worksin destructive ways: physically, mentally andspiritually. Logical becomes illogical — and viceversa; rational becomes irrational — and viceversa; and manageable becomes unmanage-able — and vice versa. For cancerpatients/survivors, expecting that one’s life willgo merrily along is totally unrealistic. Expectingthe unexpected is the path of least resistance.

This week’s column/dilemma is simplyanother example/reminder of how cancerintrudes and deludes and affects those of uswho naively thought we would be uneffected.

SpontaneousConfusionBusiness Directory

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From Page 9

Entertainment

JUNE 14-AUG. 15“Summer in the City” Art Show. Normal

business hours at Brightview, 10200 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. Members of Great FallsStudios will exhibit their work in a show. Call703-759-2513 for more.

FRIDAY/JUNE 16Chillin’ on Church. 6:30 p.m. at Church St.,

Vienna. Water games and a band “ChumpChange,” playing classic rock. Visitwww.viennava.gov or call 703-255-6360.

Artists Reception. 7-9 p.m. at the Vienna ArtsCenter, 115 Pleasant St., NW. Artist DaviD’Agostino will be on hand to talk about hiswork. Call 703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org.

Casey Abrams Trio. 7:30 p.m. at Jammin Java,227 Maple Ave., Vienna. Call 877-987-6487 orvisit www.jamminjava.com for more.

SATURDAY/JUNE 17White Ford Bronco Concert. 6:30-8 p.m. at the

The Tysons Corner Metro Station Plaza, 1961Chain Bridge Road. Part of the Tyson’s ConcertSeries. Visit www.tysonscorner center.com orcall 703-893-9401.

Wesley Stace Concert. 7:30 p.m. at Jammin’Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. He’s touring insupport of Wesley Stace’s John Wesley Harding,recorded with The Jayhawks at Flowers Studioin Minneapolis. Visit www.jamminjava.com/ orcall 703-255-1566 for more.

SUNDAY/JUNE 18Father’s Day Golf Tournament. 8 a.m. at Oak

Marr Golf Complex, 3200 Jermantown Road,Oakton. Compete in closest-to-the-pin-contests,and prizes will be awarded for the top threeplaces in all three divisions. $65 per team. Call703-323-1641 for more.

American Legion Breakfast. 8 a.m.-noon atPost 180, 330 Center St., N., Vienna. Buffetincludes omelets, blueberry pancakes, sausage,bacon and more. Adults $9, children 12 andunder $3. Call 703-938-6580 for more.

Pickling Produce the Colonial Way. 1-4 p.m.at The Claude Moore Colonial Farm, 6310Georgetown Pike, McLean. Help the farm wifepickle vegetables as she combines salt, waterand homemade vinegar. Visit www.1771.org orcall 703-231-3545 for more.

Rosi Golan Concert. 7:30 p.m. at Jammin’ Java,227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Previewing newalbum “Collecting Bullets.” $15-25. Visitwww.jamminjava.com for more.

THURSDAY/JUNE 22James Arthur Concert. 6:30-8 p.m. at the The

Tysons Corner Metro Station Plaza, 1961 ChainBridge Road. Part of the Tyson’s Concert Series.Visit www.tysonscornercenter.com or call 703-893-9401 for more.

FRIDAY/JUNE 23White Elephant and Bingo Ice Cream Social.

noon-3 p.m. at American Legion, 330 N. CenterSt., Vienna. Call 703-281-0538 for more.

Summer on the Green Concert. 6:30 p.m. at144 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Featuring HickoryGrove. Free. Visit www.viennava.gov or call703-255-6360.

SATURDAY/JUNE 24Freedom 5K. 8 a.m. at Tyson’s Corner Center

Plaza, 1961 Chain Bridge Road. To support theNational Human Trafficking Hotline. Call 202-316-3298 or email at ashley@nardimedia.com.

Historic Marker Dedication. 10 a.m. atObservatory Park at The Turner Farm, 925Springvale Road, Great Falls. The marker honorsthe work of the U.S. Army Map Service and itscontribution to the Global Positioning System,better known as GPS, that is now usedworldwide for navigation. Call 703-324-8662 orvisit Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.

TUESDAY/JUNE 27McLean Racquet and Health Club Nats

Game. 7:05 p.m. at the Nationals Ballpark,1500 South Capitol St. S.E., Washington, D.C.Call the club at 703-356-3300 for tickets.

12 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ June 14-20, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Sports

Fairfax County Retired Educatorsheld their annual ScholarshipLuncheon on June 8 to celebrate

eight high school scholarship award re-cipients. Fairfax County Retired Educa-tors (FCRE) annually award qualifiedhigh school students, who wish to pur-sue a career in education, with $2,000scholarships. This year, a record numberof eight students received scholarshipsfrom the FCRE.

“In this day and age when educatorsstruggle to do the job they love, we needthese bright stars to go into our profes-sion. If such qualified young people con-tinue to go into our chosen profession,the future of education is in good hands,”Director of Ford Scholarships PhyllisRittman said according to the FCRE pressrelease.

Genevieve Brent, a graduate ofHayfield High School, is the recipient ofthe Mary O. Amber Trust Scholarship andwill be attending the University of Pitts-burgh in the fall. Brent has maintainedover a 4.0 grade point average in highschool and has worked as an activeleader in Capital Area Peer Tutoring As-sociation (CAPTA), a non profit thatworks to develop peer driven writing andlearning centers in the Washington, D.C.,area.

Ashreil (Ash) Dennis, a graduate of LakeBraddock Secondary School, has been ac-cepted into the Maryland Institute Collegeof Art and was awarded one of three W.

Harold Ford Scholarships. Anshu Sharma,a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School(TJHSST), also received a W. Harold FordScholarship.

By Thomas Kendziora

The Connection

One season ago, the Oaktonboys’ lacrosse team struggledto a 6-9 record. A year later,the Cougars went 16-5, com-

ing home with the Virginia 6A North Re-gion championship.

However, the 2017 season came to an endWednesday night, as South County put awaythe Cougars down the stretch in the statesemifinals. In a game that entered the fourthquarter tied 7-7, the Stallions scored the lastfour goals to advance to Saturday’s statechampionship game with a 12-8 victory.

“It’s tough to beat a team that athletic andthat talented twice,” said Jake Bullock,Oakton’s second-year head coach. “They dida good job. There were a couple key pointsof the game, like faceoffs and transition,that didn’t work very well with us, and theycapitalized.”

The teams met in the regional tournamentroughly two weeks earlier, with the Cou-gars coming away with a 13-11 win. Oaktoncaptured that tournament with four closewins — three by two goals and the otherby one. After a 2016 season filled with close

losses, Oakton was able to turn the tide.This game didn’t quite play out that way.

The Cougars jumped out to a 3-1 lead athome, but South County responded by scor-ing four of the five goals in the second quar-ter and took a 5-4 lead into halftime. Oaktonwent on a run late in the third quarter to

equalize the score again, and it was 8-8 inthe middle of the fourth. But the Stallionspulled ahead with 7:52 remaining, then icedthe game with three goals in the final 3:14.

After rolling out an extremely young teamlast season, Oakton had players who wereready for the moment this year. The attack

was led by junior Jake Cole, who scoredmore than 60 goals, and sophomore KevinMcDaid, who led the team in points. Sopho-more Aidan Ricci held his own in goal, andsenior John Daido earned all-region hon-ors as the anchor of the defense.

South County ultimately fell to Woodsonin Saturday’s title game. The Stallions wenton another fourth-quarter run with fourstraight goals, but this time they entered ittrailing 10-4, and that was too much toovercome.

The state didn’t exactly have a dominantteam this season. Woodson and SouthCounty matched 18-6 records, while theCougars went 16-5. Robinson posted a 15-3 mark, but bowed out early in thepostseason.

With most of its core coming back, Oaktonis in an enviable position for 2018 and be-yond.

“This is a group of guys that really turnedthis program around and have done fabu-lous things this year,” Bullock said. “Thebiggest thing is just that they understandthat this is something to build on, now theyunderstand what the atmosphere’s like andwhat it feels like to get on this level, and Ithink they want to do more of it.”

Cougars Boys’ Lacrosse Reaches State Semifinals

Photo by Thomas Kendziora/The Connection

Oakton head coach Jake Bullock (center) addresses his team after losingin the state semifinal against South County on Wednesday, June 7.

Photo contributed

From left: Jenny Jang, Centreville High; Emily Ready, Centreville High;Jordan Perlish, Herndon High; Dr. Steven Lockard, deputy superinten-dent; Anshu Sharma, TJHSST; Katyryn Tatum, Oakton High; AshreilDennis, Lake Braddock Secondary.

The final recipient of the W. HaroldFord Scholarship was Kathryn Tatumwho graduated Oakton High School withover a 4.3 grade point average and willattend Villanova University. As a senior,Tatum was Editor-in-Chief of the OaktonHigh School newspaper and was a con-sistent advocate of peer tutoring.

The recipients of the Bobbi Vest Schol-arship were Jenny Jang, graduate ofCentreville High School, and JordanPerlish, graduate of Herndon HighSchool. Jang has not decided where shewill be attending in the fall, but she willbe the first in her family to attend col-lege. Perlish will be attending JamesMadison University in the fall.

Emily Ready received the FairfaxCounty Retired Educators Scholarshipand graduated Chantilly High Schoolwith over a 4.3 grade point average. Shewill attend the College of William andMary in the fall. She was the captain ofthe Chantilly Dance Team and a NationalHonor Society officer.

Paul Naanou is a three-time winner ofthe Apple Federal Credit Union HerbertGrady Carpenter Scholarship. Naanou isa 2013 graduate of Thomas Jefferson(TJHSST), and is currently attending theCollege of William and Mary studyingFrench and Advanced Math.

— Erin Murphy

Aspiring educators from County high schools receive awards.

Fairfax County Retired Educators Award Scholarships