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Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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William Tozier, 2, Moira Tozier, and Jimmy Tozier, fourmonths. “This is our first time coming to Concert on theGreen. We are new to Vienna, and we try to take advantageof all the family-friendly activities,” Moira Tozier said.

William Tozier, 2, Moira Tozier, and Jimmy Tozier, fourmonths. “This is our first time coming to Concert on theGreen. We are new to Vienna, and we try to take advantageof all the family-friendly activities,” Moira Tozier said.

Construction Eyesore=Art-portunityNews, Page 5

Oakton OttersStart Summer SeasonSports, Page 12

Construction Eyesore=Art-portunityNews, Page 5

Oakton OttersStart Summer SeasonSports, Page 12

Vienna EnjoysConcerts onThe Green

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Vienna EnjoysConcerts onThe Green

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2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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NewsVienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

For residents of the Town of Viennaand surrounding communities,summertime fun takes off everyFriday evening, 6:30 p.m. on the

Town Green, 144 Maple Avenue East, whenVienna Parks and Recreation and its spon-sors present their Summer on the GreenConcert Series.

On Friday night, June 30, families andfriends prepared for the fifth out of the thir-teen weekly performances. Concertgoersanxiously awaited the perfect genre of mu-sic to get them in the mood for the upcom-ing 4th of July celebration - spirited soundsof Americana performed by ShenandoahRun, a folk ensemble from the WashingtonD.C. area.

Well before the concert began, familiesand friends gathered on the Town Green.They laid out blankets and set up lawnchairs covering the slight slope downwardstoward the pavilion. The natural u-shapedsetting, mostly shady and in harmony withits surroundings, formed a mini amphithe-ater with the wooden pavilion centeredbelow. Every seat was a good seat.

CONCERTGOERS opened picnic basketsand coolers. While the older children ranto the fringes of the Green and playedFrisbee before the concert began, the little

Store and Museum located at 131 ChurchStreet NE and in the lot adjacent to theW&OD Trail. No alcoholic beverages werepermitted though, and the town recom-mended leaving pets at home. Althoughfood and beverage service was not avail-able, Whole Foods was across the street, andthere were plenty of nearby restaurants fortake out.

According to the town website, up nexton the 2017 Concert Line Up scheduled forFriday, July 7, is the Richard Walton Group.The Maryland Music Awards nominatedthem Best Jazz Artist, and they received aWAMMIE nomination for Best Jazz Record-ing for their new studio CD, “Under TheCurrent.”

The Friday Night 6:30 p.m. Line Up con-tinues with July 14- Nitehawks Swing Band;sponsored by the Michael Dandreea Groupat Morgan Stanley; July 21- Chillin’ On theChurch, Special Event, Harlen Simple-Rock/Funk/Blues; and July 28-Wayne TymanickQuartet-Jazz/Dixieland. Aug. 4- US NavySea Chanters-Choral; Aug. 11- The Rockits-Classical Rock; and August 18- Chillin’ onChurch Street, Special Event, Mudlark-Rockand Blues. The series wraps up its 2017 sea-son with the Sept. 15 Chillin’ on ChurchStreet, Special Event, Chump Change-Clas-sic Rock.

After the evening performance, VinceKrevinas of Chantilly summed up the con-cert best, “Great performance. Perfectsound. Great set list. Ten plus on a scale ofone to ten. It is the Best Show all summer.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION aboutVienna Summer on the Green ConcertSeries, visit viennava.gov or call 703-255-6300.

ones kept close to their parents.Jim Thorne from Arlington is a classical

guitar and jazz flute player for ShenandoahRun. When asked what he thought aboutthe gathered crowd he said, “It feels likefamily here … very intimate. It’s nice to seeit fill up across the green.”

Bob Melissinos is the founder ofShenandoah Run. He commented aboutdifferences he noted in the crowd and thevenue now, compared to when the ensemble

first performed there in 2013. “This is ourfifth time at Concert on the Green,”Melissinos said. “The size of the crowd isdifferent, it’s larger [now than before], andthere is the Pavilion.”

For arriving concertgoers not only was theevent free and open the public but therewas plenty of free parking on the street, inthe lot across from the Historic Freeman

Shenandoah Runperforms Americanamusic ‘with a kick.’

Vienna Enjoys Concerts on the Green

Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

Concertgoers filled the Town Green as they enjoyed Americana music byShenandoah Run performed during the Vienna Summer on the GreenConcert Series held Friday, June 30. The event, part of 13 Friday eveningconcerts for the season, is produced by Vienna Parks and Recreation andsupported by Rotary Club of Vienna.

Pamela Ferguson, fiddle, Renee Moyer, vocal, Joe Dickey, banjo, CarolynEyerly Sagatov, vocals, percussion, Bob Melissinos, guitar, vocals, JohnWertz, bass, Jim Thorne, guitar, flute, vocals, Henry Milne, guitar, vocals,and Robert Burleson, guitar, are members of Shenandoah Run. Theyblended traditional and contemporary folk music during the June 30performance for the Vienna Summer on the Green Concert Series.

From left, Lisa Davis, CJ Davis, 2,and Colin Davis. “In comparison toWolf Trap, it’s easy getting in andout. And it’s free,” said Lisa Davisof Reston.

From left, Jay Erwin, StephanieErwin, 9 months, Caroline Erwin,and Amelia Erwin, 3. “It’s great tocome on the weekend, enjoy theweather and great music in afamily-friendly environment,” saidCaroline Erwin of Vienna.


Opinion

The Pet Connection, a twice-yearlyspecial edition, will publish the lastweek of July, and photos and sto-ries of your pets with you and your

family should be submitted by July 20.We invite you to send us stories about

your pets, photos of you and your fam-ily with your cats, dogs, llamas, alpacas,ponies, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs,rabbits, or whatever other creatures share yourlife 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.

Do you volunteer at an animal shelter ortherapeutic riding center or take your pet tovisit people in a nursing home? Does your busi-ness have a pet? Is your business about pets?Have you helped to train an assistance dog?

Do you or someone in your familydepend on an assistance dog?

Or take this opportunity to memo-rialize a beloved pet you have lost.

Just a cute photo is fine too. Our favoritepictures include both pets and humans.

Please tell us a little bit about your creature,identify everyone in the photo, give a briefdescription what is happening in the photo,and include address and phone number (we

Send in Pet Photos Nowwill not publish your address or phone num-ber, just your town name).

Email [email protected] or submitonline at www.connectionnewspapers.com/pets. For advertising information, [email protected] or call 703-778-9431.

Timing Is EverythingThis week’s paper went to press on Monday,

July 3, and as a result does not include cover-age of Independence Day events from theFourth of July. Please see next week’s paper.

Editorial

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:The following open letter was addressed

to Secretary U.S. Department of Trans-portation.

Dear Secretary Chao,As representatives of public

transit customers in the Common-wealth of Virginia, we write toexpress our concerns regarding theFederal Transit Administration’s(FTA) Feb. 10, 2017 decision towithhold federal transit grantmoney in response to incompleteefforts to establish a new StateSafety Oversight Program (SSOP)for the Washington MetropolitanArea Transit Authority (WMATA).

On Feb. 8, 2016, the FTA gavenotice that the Metropolitan SafetyCommission (MSC), a new SSOPto succeed WMATA’s Tri-StateOversight Commission, must be inplace and certified by the FTA onor before Feb. 9, 2017. On Feb. 10,2017, with no new SSOP certified,the FTA announced it would exer-cise its authority to withhold fivepercent of federal funds autho-rized in fiscal year 2017 under theUrbanized Area ApportionmentsProgram (49 U.S.C. 5307). Theinitial withholding equated to $8.9million, and is expected to total$15 million if the withholding con-tinues to the end of the current fis-cal year. This withholding will notjust impact funding for WMATA,but for broader infrastructuremaintenance throughout Virginia,Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

The decision to withhold thesefederal funds has created signifi-cant uncertainty amongst stateand local governments in terms ofbudget planning and stability.Should the withholding of fundscontinue throughout the remain-der of the fiscal year, the govern-ments and their transit systemswill be faced with a number of dif-ficult decisions about the mannerin which they allocate their lim-

ited resources. Under a worst- casescenario, they would be forced tomake cuts to good repair effortsor reduce service to their respec-tive communities, either of whichwould be harmful to our constitu-ents. We agree safety must be a toppriority, but eliminating fundingfor infrastructure repair would di-rectly contradict a SSOP’s statedgoal.

Given the FTA must engage inthis process with 29 other transitagencies nationwide by 2019, weappreciate the complexity of theissues that were considered inmaking the decision to withholdthese funds. However, we mustemphasize — as many of us haveexpressed previously either di-rectly to you, your predecessor, orthe FTA — that the timing of boththe notice and the deadline set byFTA were arbitrary in that thereseemed to be little or no consider-ation of the legislative calendarsof the Virginia General Assemblyor the General Assembly of Mary-land.

The FTA timetable effectivelygave Virginia and Maryland lessthan one full legislative session tonegotiate amongst each other andthe District, draft the proposal,navigate it through the respectivelawmaking bodies, and sign it intolaw. The unreasonable require-ments FTA put forth were not sim-ply for the SSOP to have a legalfoundation by the February 2017deadline, but to have the programfully certified by FTA, which ne-cessitates months of work afterpassing legislation, including, butnot limited to, appointing commis-sioners, hiring staff, and leasingoffice space. We are therefore ledto believe that FTA either set theirrequirements without providingfair consideration to the uniqueinstitutional challenges that exist

within the jurisdictions, or the FTAset them with a deadline so unre-alistic that failure was unavoid-able.

Given the concerns we haveraised in this letter regarding FTA’sshortsighted approach to this mat-ter, and in light of the demon-strated progress which has beenmade, we respectfully request thatyour office work with the FTA toexplore a compromise in whichpart of these withheld funds canbe released as a show of goodfaith, as the jurisdictions continuetheir work to construct a stableSSOP. Lending further justificationfor this request is the real progressthat has been made with respectto organizing the MSC. At the timethis is written:

❖ Virginia, Maryland, and theDistrict (the jurisdictions) haveeach enacted legislation to enterinto an interstate compact to formthe MSC;

❖ The jurisdictions have submit-ted a detailed draft certificationplan to FTA for review (thoughFTA has not yet provided formalfeedback on the plan);

❖ Joint resolutions have beenintroduced in both the House ofRepresentatives and the Senate togrant Congressional approval tothe MSC compact;

❖ The Senate has passed its ver-

sion of the joint resolution;❖ The House Judiciary Commit-

tee, which has sole jurisdictionover the joint resolution, has or-dered the House’s parallel versionof the resolution to be reportedfavorably to the full House; and

❖ We are requesting that themeasure be taken up for consider-ation as soon as possible.

We appreciate the FTA’s impor-tant safety work, especially itstemporary safety oversight rolewith respect to WMATA. WithoutFTA’s diligence, more harm mayhave come to WMATA’s customers.But we must find an equitable so-lution to this matter.

We look forward to partneringwith you, Madam Secretary, aswell as the FTA to ensure safetyremains the top priority in all tran-sit systems and that reforms aremade to accomplish a transitagency that provides safe, reliableservice to our constituents. Weappreciate your thoughtful consid-eration of this request.

U.S. Rep. BarbaraComstock,

U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte,U.S. Rep.

Robert J. Wittman,U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor,

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, andU.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner

Withholding Funds Hurts WMATA

The Connection welcomes views on any public issue.The deadline for all material is noon Friday. Letters must be signed.Include home address and home and business numbers. Letters are

routinely edited for libel, grammar, good taste and factual errors. Send to:

Letters to the EditorThe Connection1606 King St.

Alexandria VA 22314Call: 703-917-6444.

By e-mail: [email protected]

Write

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Vienna & Oakton


News

The Vienna Public ArtCommission (VPAC)invited local students

to create their own artistic post-ers to be used as creative band-aids to help brighten a localconstruction site. The students’colorful creations painted onpieces of plywood line thefences along Park Street, CherryStreet and Caffi Field, provid-ing a visual diversion from thegrowing pains of the Town’scommunity center, which is be-ing renovated and expanded.

The idea arose when VPACChair Midge Biles noted howthe up-and-coming Mosaic Dis-trict is using art in constructionareas, and she applied the prob-lem-turned-opportunity strat-egy to Vienna.

“VPAC’s goal is to deploy bothpermanent and temporary artin Vienna to show its charac-ter,” says Biles. “We are already

underway with a permanent‘Taking Flight’ statue at thecommunity center in memoryof former Mayor Jane Seemanand in honor of all volunteers,but in the meantime we cantemporarily use art to alleviatethe current situation until thecenter’s opening.”

Students from Cedar Lane,Flint Hill, James Madison HighSchool, Louise Archer andVienna Elementary paintedmore than 15 wood panels cur-rently on display around thecommunity center constructionzone. In addition to sprucingup the construction area, theproject also gives a voice to theTown’s youth, allowing them toshare through art what’s beau-tiful to them, what hurts them,how the Town looks to them,and what they want themselvesand Vienna to be now and inthe future.

Construction Eyesore= Art-portunity

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News

Detectives from the Fairfax CountyPolice and the FBI released imagesof a man who is suspected of rob-

bing a bank in the Tysons Corner area ofVienna on Thursday, June 22.

The police are asking for the public’s helpto identify the man.

The robbery happened shortly after 2 p.m.when the suspect entered the bank, ap-proached a teller and demanded money,according to the police. While no one washurt, the suspect escaped with an undis-closed amount of cash, according to police.

The suspect is described as black, in his40s, about 5-feet-10-inches tall, and ap-proximately 180 pounds with no facial hair.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to$5,000 for information that leads to theidentification, arrest and conviction of thisbank robber.

The public may contact the police withany information about the suspect by call-

ing the FCPD at 703-691-2131 or the FBIat 202-278-2000.

Detectives Release PhotosOf Bank Robbery Suspect

Photos courtesy of the

Fairfax County Police Department

The suspect is described as black,in his 40s, about 5-feet-10-inchestall, and approximately 180pounds with no facial hair, accord-ing to police.

For the second year in a row, FlintHill School’s Unmanned AerialVehicle (UAV) Robotics team won

the Best High School award at the Asso-ciation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Sys-tems International Student UnmannedAerial Systems (AUVSI SUAS) Competi-tion, which was held June 14-17 at thePatuxent River Naval Air Station inMaryland. In only its third year partici-pating, the team significantly improvedfrom 21st overall last year to fifth thisyear, placing behind Universite deSherbrooke (Quebec, Canada)t; CornellUniversity; Technion Israel Institute ofTechnology and Istanbul Technical Uni-versity.

The international competition com-prised predominantly teams from uni-

versities — 59 teams registered and 44made it to the final flight demonstrationportion. Other competitors included:California State University, Fullerton;Harvard University; Munich Universityof Applied Sciences; Penn State; RutgersUniversity; U.S. Naval Academy; TheUniversity of Texas at Austin; and Uni-versity of Toronto.

The team also earned $3,550 in prizemoney. “No high school team has placedabove 17th place in the competition’s 15-year history,” said the team’s faculty ad-visor Mike Snyder, a robotics and com-puter science teacher with Flint Hill’sUpper School. “As the Flint Hill studentswalked up to receive their award, theywere given the only standing ovation. Iam so proud of this team.”

Flint Hill Robotics Team, June 2017.

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Flint Hill Robotics Team Wins Best High School,Fifth Overall in International Competition


Wellbeing

By Marilyn Campbell

In her dimly lit basement in Great Falls,Mary Beth Kogod sounds a meditationbell that echoes through the room.The 12 people sitting on cushions in

a circle around her close their eyes and lis-ten to the gentle sounds of her voice.

“If your mind begins to wander,gently guide it back to the sound ofmy voice,” said Kogod, as she leadsthe group in a mindfulness medita-tion session.

The practice of meditating to aidwith ills running the gamut fromstress and anxiety to pain and de-pression is on the rise. According tothe National Institutes of Health(NIH), 18 million people practicedsome form of meditation in 2015,and the number of Americans whoengage in the practice has doubledover the last 15 years.

“We have more smartphones and otherelectronics that consume us and give usconstant access to stressful events we seeon the news,” said Kate Love, who runs theOpen Mind-Open Heart meditation groupin Bethesda. “There is the expectation thatwe need to be available and informed allthe time. This expectation wasn’t in place10 years ago.”

Love says that while scientific research

to back up these claims is limited,it is growing. For example, a studyfunded by the National Center forComplementary and IntegrativeHealth at NIH shows that mindful-ness practices have a positive im-pact on insomnia.

Meditation usually entails sittingrelatively still and quiet, as inKogod’s meditation session, and fo-cusing on one thing, such as asound, an image or one’s own breath.

“I teach clients concentrative meditationwhere they focus on one thing,” she said. “Ialso teach mindful meditation where peopletry to cultivate a sense of awareness of whatis happening in their body. For example,what thoughts pass through your mind as

you sit quietly? What sounds do you hear?What emotions do you feel? The workcomes when you notice these sensations andthen let them go.”

A 2011 study by the Association for Psy-chological Science showed that meditationcan be effective in boosting memory and

concentration. Settings for this mind-body practice now range from work-places to classrooms.

Amber Wilson, a fourth gradeteacher, guides her students in mind-fulness meditation practices most af-ternoons during the school year. “A lotof my students have difficult home en-vironments which affects their abilityto concentrate in school,” she said.“When I stop them between subjectsand let them chill out a little bit, itreally makes a difference in their per-formance, even after just five min-utes.”

Meditation can also help with ad-diction treatment, says WarrenSchelter, Ph.D., a psychologist with apractice in Alexandria. “It can instilla sense of calm and overallwellbeing,” he said. “Anxiety and de-pression often go hand-in hand withaddiction, which is why a calmingmeditation practice might be effectivefor some people.”

Schelter underscores the fact thatmeditation should not replace traditionalmedicine. “I would recommend that any-one experiencing symptoms of mental orphysical illness see a medical doctor first,”she said. “Mediation should work in con-junction with traditional medicine, not inplace of it.”

Practice linked to improvements in health.Meditation as Medicine

Photo contributed

Kate Love of the Open Mind-Open Heart medi-tation group in Bethesda says that meditationcan help reduce stress.

“There is theexpectation that weneed to be available andinformed all the time.This expectation wasn’tin place 10 years ago.”

— Kate Love


Calendar

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

ONGOINGArt at the Library. Various Vienna

artists 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.

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

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

“Summer in the City” Art Show.Normal business hours throughAugust 15 at Brightview, 10200Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.Members of Great Falls Studios willexhibit their work in a show. Call703-759-2513 for more.

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

required. Rod/reel combinations areperfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwaterfishing license is required for those16 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.

WEDNESDAYS THROUGH AUG. 2Stories and Sprinklers. 1:30 p.m. at

144 Maple Ave. E., Vienna (behindthe Freeman Store). Hear a story.Visit www.viennava.gov or call 703-255-6360.

FRIDAY/JULY 7Summer on the Green Concert.

6:30 p.m. at 144 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Featuring Richard WaltonGroup. Free. Visit www.viennava.govor call 703-255-6360.

Danny Gokey Concert. 6:30-8 p.m. atthe The Tysons Corner Metro StationPlaza, 1961 Chain Bridge Road. Partof the Tyson’s Concert Series. Visitwww.tysonscornercenter.com or call703-893-9401 for more.

SATURDAY/JULY 9Trio Caliente Concert. 5 p.m. at

McLean Central Park, 1468 DolleyMadison Blvd. Set to a wide array ofLatin grooves with vocals in Spanish,Portuguese, Catalan and English. Partof The Alden at the McLeanCommunity Center’s 2017 SummerSunday Concerts in the Park. Call theCenter at 703-790-0123 or visitwww.aldentheatre.org.

JULY 10-14Vacation Bible School. 6-8 p.m.at

First Baptist Church of Vienna, 450Orchard St., NW. Dinner is servedeach night, followed by an engagingopening worship rally at 6:30pm.There are classes for the entirefamily. Free. Call 703-938-8525 orvisit fbcv.org for more.

WEDNESDAY/JULY 12“Dining with Dorothy”. 12:30 p.m.

at Pan Am Family Restaurant, PanAm Shopping Center, 3051 Nutley St.SW, Fairfax. Join your friends ormake new ones at this socializing/dining event. Call 703-281-0538 orvisit www.scov.org for more.

THURSDAY/JULY 13Driftwood in Concert. 7:30 p.m. at

Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. $15-25. Visitwww.jamminjava.com for more.

JULY 14-30Summer Musical. 8-10:30 p.m. or

Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at VinsonHall Retirement Community,Community Building Ballroom, 1735Kirby Road, McLean. McLean playerspresent “The 25th Annual PutnamCounty Spelling Bee.” $23-25. [email protected], call703-304-3176 or visitwww.McLeanPlayers.org.

JULY 15-16Summer Colonial Market Fair. 11

a.m.-4:30 p.m. at The Claude MooreColonial Farm, 6310 GeorgetownPike, McLean. Games, children’sactivities, music and educationaldemonstrations such as theblacksmith, spinning, candle-makingand splitting rails. Children andSeniors: $4; Adults: $8; childrenunder 3 complimentary admission;directions and more information atwww.1771.org.

SUNDAY/JULY 16Da Capo Barbershop Quartet. 5

p.m. at McLean Central Park, 1468Dolley Madison Blvd. Barbershopquartet style music with variousmusic styles. Part of The Alden at theMcLean Community Center’s 2017Summer Sunday Concerts in thePark. Call the Center at 703-790-0123 or visit www.aldentheatre.org.

MONDAY/JULY 17JD Eicher Concert. 7:30 p.m. at

Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave.,Vienna. Call 877-987-6487 or visitwww.jamminjava.com for more.

FRIDAY/JULY 21Chillin’ on Church. 6:30 p.m. at

Church St., Vienna. Water games,Harlen Simple band playing rock/funk/blues. Visit www.viennava.govor call 703-255-6360.

Delta Spur Concert. 6:30-8 p.m. atthe The Tysons Corner Metro StationPlaza, 1961 Chain Bridge Road. Partof the Tyson’s Concert Series. Visitwww.tysonscornercenter.com or call703-893-9401 for more.

SUNDAY/JULY 23Summer on the Green Concert.

6:30 p.m. at 144 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Featuring Nitehawks SwingBand. Free. Visit www.viennava.govor call 703-255-6360.

Driftwood in Concert, Thursday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. atJammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. $15-25. Visitwww.jamminjava.com for more.

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By David Siegel

The Connection

Get ready for a chippermusical with greatheart. It’s the McLean

Community Players (MCP) pro-duction of “The 25th AnnualPutnam County Spelling Bee.”The show is about “an eclecticmix of quirky characters. Boththe ‘kids’ participating in theBee and the adults in charge ofrunning it have eccentricitiesthat come to seem endearing,as well as hilarious,” said co-director Kevin McCormack.

The “Bee” is set in a fictionalPutnam County middle school,but it could be anywhere. Thereare awkward adolescents(played by adults) trying to winthe contest. As they work theirway through the competitionthey begin to develop a senseof belonging.

What is special about “The25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee” is that at eachperformance, four audiencemembers will be invited to par-ticipate as spellers. They get togo up on stage with its ninemember cast and be part of theshow. On stage these audiencespellers will be given actualwords to spell and will remainon stage until they misspell aword. All is for good fun. TheTony Award winning musicalhas a book by Rachel Sheinkinwith score by William Finn.

Sarah Watson plays RonaLisa Peretti. Peretti is the onlyfemale “adult” in the show; andhostess of the event. “For Rona,this ‘Spelling Bee’ is as big asThe Oscars or The Olympics.She crosses the days off hercalendar until the Bee is finallyhere. She can’t sleep the nightbefore because she’s so excited.Rona won the 3rd AnnualPutnam Spelling Bee. She

won’t let the audience forgetit.”

Sidney Davis plays LeafConeybear; one of the young-est contestants. “He’s basicallythere by default because theactual winners couldn’t partici-pate, and that reflects on oneof his scenes in the show withhis family. He’s homeschooledwith the rest of his brothers andsisters, so there’s a lot of sib-ling rivalry.” Sierra Hoffmanplays LogainneSchwartzandGrubenierre. Sheis the daughter of two dads.She is “put under a lot of pres-sure to succeed. She’s a politi-cal activist and the youngestcompetitor at the bee.”

“‘Putnam’ is more than ashow about a spelling compe-tition. It delves into friendships,family relationships, the pres-sure to succeed, sportsmanship,and ultimately, embracing whoyou are. These are things manyof us have faced during ourlives,” added co-producersAnnie O’Neill Galvin and DianeSams.

Photo by Irish Eyes Photography by Toby

Courtesy McLean Community Players

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” —Three of the spellers (Sidney Davis, Sierra Hoffman,and William Jeffreys) are given instructions by RonaLisa Peretti (Sara Watson).

Summertime Theater FunMcLean Community Playerspresents “The 25th AnnualPutnam County Spelling Bee.”

Where & WhenMcLean Community Players

present “The 25th Annual PutnamCounty Spelling Bee” at CommunityBuilding Ballroom, Vinson Hall,1735 Kirby Road, McLean. Perfor-mances run July 14-30, 2017. Fridayand Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Ticketsare $23-$25. Visitwww.McLeanPlayers.org, or callBrown Paper Tickets at1-800-838-3006. Group rates are available.Audio description for the visually-impaired will be offered by theMetropolitan Washington Ear at thematinee performance on Sunday,July 23, 2017. NOTE: Adult situa-tions, this show is most suitable forages 13 and older. Recruiting foraudience volunteers to become partof the production process will beginin the lobby at a sign up table. Priorto the start of the show those se-lected will be interviewed by theproducer, director and the actors in-volved.


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

News

Send school notes [email protected] bynoon on Friday.

Six University of Virginia studentshave received grants from the UniversityAward for Projects in the Arts program,allowing them to follow their artisticmuses this summer. They includeWesley Diener of Vienna, a third-yearmusic major focusing on opera. Dienerplans to direct and produce a fullystaged production of Jean-JacqueRousseau’s opera, “Le Devin du Village,”in Old Cabell Hall planned for April

2018. A Miller Arts Scholar, Diener di-rected “Viewing Pleasure,” a play in theUVA Department of Drama’s New WorksFestival, and was assistant director of“Blood Wedding” as part of thedepartment’s mainstage season. He wason the production staff of the First YearPlayers and has performed roles withthe UVA Department of Drama, VirginiaPlayers, Spectrum Theatre and FirstYear Players. He concentrates on perfor-mance in the McIntire Department ofMusic and was a member of StudentCouncil’s Student Arts Committee.

He has performed at the Bethesda

Music Festival, an opera festival; theFranco-American Vocal Academy, anopera program in France; CharlottesvilleOpera; Victory Hall Opera; and will beattending Bel Canto in Tuscany thissummer. He has been a private voiceteacher in Charlottesville and directorand music director at the Charlottesvillechildren’s theater, DMR Adventures.

He has received Miller Arts Scholarsgrants, including rising third- andfourth-year awards; the CharlottesvilleWednesday Music Club Award; and nu-merous vocal competition awards at thestate, regional and national levels.

School Notes

Girl Scouts Observe World Refugee DayGirl Scouts from Troop 3173 at Waples Mills Elementary School in Oakton and HuntersWoods Elementary School in Reston are holding the United Nations High Commissionerfor Refugees flag with a message for scouts overseas to raise local awareness of WorldRefugee Day, which was Tuesday, June 20.

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Sports

Four varsity lacrosse playersfrom The Potomac Schoolwill play the sport in the

New England Small College Ath-letic Conference, a Division IIIleague. Alex Kitt and Jacob Lazriswill play men’s lacrosse for Will-iams College, Harrison Osbornewill play men’s lacrosse forAmherst College, and Lyla Joneswill play women’s lacrosse forColby College.

Lazris is a four-year member ofPotomac’s boys varsity lacrosseteam and was a four-year starterat defense. He also was a memberof the school’s varsity footballteam and played club lacrosse forMadlax. “Williams is the perfectcombination of great athletics andgreat academics,” Lazris said.“Coach McCormack played a bigrole in my decision to attend theschool. He’s very supportive andseems like he will push me to thebest of my ability and care aboutmy success both on and off thefield.” Lazris is considering a ma-jor in either history or economicsand may minor in Chinese.

Midfielder Kitt, a two-time boysvarsity lacrosse captain, finishedhis senior season earning All-Con-ference honors and was named tothe All-State first team as a face-off midfielder. He secured nearly75 percent of his face-offs and reg-istered 12 goals and 13 assists.Like Lazris, Kitt also played clublacrosse for Madlax. As a senior,he captained the varsity footballteam at Potomac. Kitt said, “Astrong academic program was mypriority during the college search,and Williams has an outstandingacademic reputation. I also appre-ciated the school’s small, friendlycommunity.” He adds, “MeetingCoach McCormack sealed thedeal.” Kitt hopes to study econom-ics or math at Williams.

A four-year member ofPotomac’s boys varsity lacrosseteam, midfielder Osborne receivedboth All-Conference honors and anAll-Met Honorable Mention duringhis junior year. As a senior, he onceagain received All-Conferencehonors, finishing the season with34 goals and 20 assists. Osborneplayed for the Virginia LacrosseClub outside of school and wasalso a member of Potomac’s var-sity boys soccer team. He said,“Amherst is a great school, aca-demically and in every way. Theirlacrosse team has improved eachseason since the new coachingstaff arrived, and they make theNCAA tournament almost everyyear. So this is a really exciting op-portunity.” Osborne is interested inpursuing an economics major.

As a senior, Jones captainedPotomac’s girls varsity lacrosseteam, on which she played for allfour years of her Upper Schoolcareer. This year, she scored 22goals and made 15 assists. Outsideof school, Jones played for theCapital Lacrosse Club, competedfor the DC Metro Team 2 at the2016 Women’s National Tourna-ment, and was selected to show-case her skills at the Under ArmourAll-America Weekend at TowsonUniversity last summer. Jones hasalso been a member of Potomac’svarsity indoor track and soccerteams.

In college, she hopes to majorin either computer science or eco-nomics. Jones said, “Colby’s envi-ronment reminded me a lot ofPotomac; I know I’ll receive one-on-one attention and benefit fromsmall class sizes and caring pro-fessors there. And I look forwardto being a member of the lacrosseteam and benefiting from the guid-ance and support of their greatcoaching staff.”

From left: Alex Kitt, Jacob Lazris, Lyla Jones, andHarrison Osborne will all be playing lacrosse in theNESCAC next year.

Four Potomac School SeniorsTo Play Division III Lacrosee

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By KENNETH B. LOURIE

But a fix nonetheless, of our 17-year-old back-up car, a 2000 model year Honda Accord. Onbalance, since inheriting it from mother in 2008,it has been an exceptionally reliable andreasonably-priced second car and one which I’mhappy to own. I drive it approximately 7,000miles per year and not over long stretches. Ineffect, it is our local car. And considering there isno monthly car payment and the insurance/main-tenance costs are low, as a non-car guy who onlywants to get from point “A” to point “B”, I can livewith it “Big time,” to quote our current President.

Now I’m at a bit of a crossroads, however.(And not that this is a “cancer” column per se,but it is a column affected by yours truly being acancer “diagnosee.”) I am dropping the car off atmy local mechanic, Tony, later today becausethere are some warning signs and idiot lights sug-gesting I do so. First, the infamous “check engine”light is illuminated. Its yellow which Tony said isnot as bad/urgent as if it were red. Nevertheless,to turn it off/fix the underlying problem (since itdoesn’t appear to be the gas cap) will likely costhundreds. The preliminary assessment is that thefault is emission related.

The second area of concern is temperature,specifically how poorly my car’s air conditioner iscooling and how loud the fan controlling it iswhen engaged even when one/low is selected.Adding insult to summertime discomfort, thepassenger-side window doesn’t slide down, eitherwhen using its own power-window switch or themaster control on the driver’s side. To summarize,I have one window (the driver’ side) that can godown and extremely limited air conditioning. Iwouldn’t say it’s hot in the car, but I’m sure anynormal person would. Having had previous con-versations with Tony about these repairs, I knowthe dollars needed to right these wrongs mightnot make any sense given the age and mileage onthe car and the diagnosis of its owner. Yet here Iam trying think long term, not cancer term. Whatto do?

I don’t want to be miserable driving theHonda anymore (and it is me who’s driving it).But I only need the air conditioning for anothersix to eight weeks or so – and not every day, andrarely at night. I do need to open the windowsthough for eight to 10 months, not so much dur-ing the winter and rarely on cold nights, butopportunities do present themselves. Spendingthe hundreds/possibly thousands of dollars for allrepairs now however might make me miserable,too. The question persists then for any of us whoown/want to maintain older cars: when are youthrowing good money after bad? Ergo: when isenough, enough? (I sound like Carrie Bradshawfrom “Sex and the City.”)

Would I be better off spending the repairmoney on a newer car and enjoy whatever war-ranty protection I could muster and thus mini-mize future repair bills or not? The only problemwith buying that ‘newer car: it’s likely (heck,there’s no ‘likely’ about it) there will be amonthly car payment which at present I do nothave, and in so having one will definitely makeme miserable.

Factor in my health status and I can’t stop ask-ing myself: do I solve a problem that affects thequality of my life today at the expense of tomor-row (pun intended) or do I plan/repair for tomor-row and suffer the consequences of having doneso today?

As a stage IV, non-small cell lung cancerpatient originally characterized by my oncologistas “terminal” and given a “13-month to two-year” prognosis to boot back in late Feb., 2009,I’ve always tried to live my life and make deci-sions as if I had a future beyond what I was told.

And for the past eight years and four months, Ihave pretty consistently maintained thatapproach. Still, the longer I live, the more myunderlying medical diagnosis impacts my think-ing/judgment. Unfortunately, worlds sometimescollide and reality is up for grabs. And occasion-ally decisions are made in a “bizarro” kind of waywhere topsy is turvy and vice versa. Welcome tomy whirled.

Not AnAuto-Matic Fix

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

INDEPENDENCE DAYFree Sober Rides. Tuesday, July 4, 7 p.m.

through Wednesday, July 5, 2 a.m. Arearesidents, 21 and older, may download Lyft totheir phones, then enter the code SOBERJULY4in the app’s “Promo” section to receive a no cost(up to $15) safe ride home. The SoberRide codeis valid for the first 1,500 Lyft users who enterthe code. Visit www.soberride.com.

THROUGH JULY 31Backpacks for Students. Various times at Christ

the King Lutheran Church, 10550 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Christ the King’s Team Serviceis collaborating with Reston’s aid to familiesorganization Cornerstones and school suppliescollection organization Kids R First to helpyoungsters in the community. Collections willrun through July; drop off in the church lobby.Visit www.gflutheran.org or call 703-759-6068.

SUNDAY/JULY 16Intro to Connection Practice. 4:30 p.m.at

Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road,Oakton. Learn simple, science-based tools forfeeling and expressing peace, responding withempathy and insight, and building resiliency tolife’s ups and downs. $20. Call 703-281-1767 orvisit unityoffairfax.org for more.

THROUGH SUMMERVienna Street-sweeping Program. The Town

of Vienna began its annual street-sweepingprogram beginning March 20. The Town isdivided into eight sections for purposes of thesweeping program. During the first pass throughTown, the Public Works Department asks thatresidents not park on the street. Find the“sweeping” sections at viennava.gov/sweeping.Additionally, signs will be placed on streetsmarking a window of 7-10 days during whichthe truck will come through. Contact publicworks at 703-255-6380.

SUPPORT GROUPSAre You A Caregiver? Shepherd’s Center of

Oakton Vienna Caregivers’ SupportGroup takes place first & third Thursday ofeach month. February 2nd and 16th, 2017 from10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join us at theUnitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax(UUCF) - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRd, Oakton, VA. For more info contactfacilitator, Jack Tarr, [email protected].

Haven of Northern Virginia Support Group.703-941-7000, www.havenofnova.org [email protected].

Virginia Chronic Pain Support Group Meetsfrom 1:30 - 3 p.m. the 2nd Wednesday of eachmonth at Kaplan Center for IntegrativeMedicine, 6829 Elm St., Suite 300, McLean.Group leader, Jodi Brayton, LCSW. 703-532-4892.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDShepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-

Falls Church, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.,McLean continues to have an urgent need fornew volunteers to help area senior citizens getto and from their medical and therapyappointments. To find out more about theShepherd’s Center and how you can volunteer toprovide transportation and other services, callthe Center at 703-506-2199 or e-mail the Centerat [email protected]. The Center’s website iswww.scmafc.org.

Master Gardener Training. The Fairfax CountyMaster Gardener Association offers plant clinics,home turf training or speakers for homeowner’smeetings. Fees vary. Visit fairfaxgardening.orgor call MG Help Desk at 703-324-8556 for more.

Volunteers Needed. PRS is looking forempathetic and caring volunteers to make phonecalls to older adults who may be feeling sociallyisolated.

The commitment is one 3-hour shift per week forone year.

Located in Arlington. Ages 21 & up. Intensivetraining provided. Learn more and apply: https://prsinc.org/carering-volunteering/. Questions?Email [email protected].

Bulletin


The Oakton Otters losttheir first meet of thesummer (NVSL Sum-

mer League Division 3) to Ar-lington Forest, with a final scoreof 30 to 42. Four Otter diversplaced first in their respectivecategories: Katie Vaughan set anew pool record in Junior Girlswith a score of 135.6; Jon An-thony Montel in Junior Boyswith a score of 79.65; SpencerDearman in Intermediate Boyswith a score of 138; and SarahGurley in Senior Girls with ascore of 171.1. The Otters alsoswept the category of Interme-diate Boys (Josh Shipley, sec-ond; and Blaise Wuest, third).The other Otter divers whoplaced were: Ryan Shipley(Freshman Boys, third); Chris-tina Angelicchio (FreshmanGirls, third); Liam Klopfenstein(Senior Boys, second); andBrad Burgeson (Senior Boys,third). The next meet for theOtters is on Wednesday, July 5,2017 vs. Sleepy Hollow at 6p.m. at OSRC.

First Winof the Season

The Otters had their first winof the season on Saturday, July1, against Cardinal Hill Pool.The final score was 235 Oakton- 185 Cardinal Hill. Theweather was fantastic, therewas a lot of team spirit, and theOtters had many best times.

Double winners were:Gracie Whittington (8&under Free

& Breast)Beau Souders (9-10 Free &

Breast)Taryn Knepper (9-10 Free & Fly)Burke Carroll (11-12 Free &

Breast)Leena Knepper (11-12 Free & Fly)Evelyn Pickett (15-18 Free & Fly)Avery Miller (8&under Back &

Fly)Ethan Piccolo (9-10 Back & Fly)James Piccolo (11-12 Back & Fly)Drew Weber (15-18 Back & Fly)James Hayden (8&under Breast &

Fly)Single Winners were:Gabriella Mancusi (9-10 Back)Catherine Lim (11-12 Back)Emerson Wilson (11-12 Breast)Lindsey Kotarski (13-14 Breast)

Jon Anthony Montel Katie Vaughan

Oakton Otters StartSummer Season

Landon Nelson, Age 8.

Charlotte Lim, 9.

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By Miracle Parish

The Connection

It started out as just another normal day forthe Bryan family of Vienna as they enjoyedspending time with their beautiful 1-year-olddaughter, Audrey Bryan. But, it wasn’t long

before they realized that this day would soon be-come the beginning of a nightmare.

“She was this happy, healthy baby, and suddenly,she’s not,” said Jennifer Bryan, Audrey’s mother.

Audrey was a very social baby, always smiling,going to swim lessons, or making her way to one ofher many playgroups. But, out of nowhere, Audreystarted getting very sick. She would start to get re-ally pale, and low on energy as if it had been com-pletely drained out of her. Just one week afterAudrey’s first birthday, she was diagnosed with he-mophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis or HLH, a rare,life-threatening autoimmune disease. Audrey’s bodywas attacking itself.

There are two types of HLH. One version is causedby environmental factors, and the other is geneti-cally inherited. Unknowingly, both of Audrey’s par-ents were carriers and passed down HLH traits toAudrey. The genetic form of HLH is triggered by anenvironmental factor, often a virus or infection. Achild can live a healthy life until this gene is acti-vated by illness, which is what happened to Audrey.

Audrey started receiving blood transfusions, whichtemporarily restored her color and her energy.

THE DIFFERENCE between Audrey before andafter the transfusions was like night and day. But, itwas becoming clear that the transfusions wouldn’tbe enough to cure her. Audrey’s only chance for sur-vival would be a bone marrow transplant.

In order to prepare for her transplant, Audrey hadto be healthy enough to receive the new bone mar-row. This meant Audrey’s frail, young body beingpumped full of harsh steroids, and drained by theinvasiveness of chemotherapy. The family was puton house isolation to protect Audrey from acquiring

any illnesses. Even exposure to bacteria from a runto the grocery store could jeopardize Audrey’s en-tire treatment.

The family moved to Cincinnati for the transplant.Jennifer lost her wedding planning business andAdam Bryan, Audrey’s father, was forced to workremotely. After moving, Audrey was in the hospitalfor more than a month.

AFTER THE TRANSPLANT was complete, theBryans waited anxiously to see if Audrey’s exhaustedlittle body accepted the foreign bone marrow. Theywere filled with anticipation waiting to hear fromthe doctor that the bone marrow was accepted. TheBryan family could finally breathe a little easierknowing that their toughest days were behind them.

Jennifer was more than grateful for the transplant,but acknowledges that it would not have been pos-sible without the numerous blood transfusions fromgenerous donors. Unfortunately, there are not alwaysblood products available for those who need them.

Now 2 years old, baby Audrey is a happy little girlwho will soon begin ballet lessons as she returns toher normal life because a stranger gave an hour oftheir time.

News

A 2-Year-Old’s Fight for LifePerfect strangers made itpossible for Audrey Bryanto return to normal life.

Now 2 yearsold, baby

AudreyBryan of

Vienna is ahappy little

girl whowill soon

begin balletlessons as

she returnsto her

normal life.

How to Donate Blood?INOVA Hospital provides blood supplies to more than

twenty hospitals in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area.They require about 250 blood products per day, but the shelflife of blood is only five days. Once that blood expires, it canno longer be used, and a new blood product is needed to re-place it. The only way to keep blood supply stocked is throughregular donations. A person can donate up to six times peryear.

People with O negative blood type are encouraged to do-nate as much as possible because Type O negative is theuniversal blood donor. This means that this blood will be amatch for anyone, and the paramedics do not have to wastevital time matching blood types when trying to prevent some-one from bleeding to death.

“There is no other type of volunteer activity where you cangive one hour of your time and save up to three lives,” saidJulia Ward, marketing manager for INOVA blood donationservices,

One of the main reasons people choose not to donate isfear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of needles. Donor of fouryears, Kristy Mastromichalis said she always meets first timedonors who are so nervous before they donate, but they arealways so surprised at how easy and quick it was.

“It’s so easy, just go do it,” said Mastromichalis.To become a donor or volunteer to support local blood

drives, you can contact INOVA blood donation services at 571-434-3632.

Photo by

Jessica Tapscott

Photography

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