Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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Pure PastyCompetes inWorld Pasty

ChampionshipNews, Page 3

Planning 20 Parks:Inside Tysons or Out?News, Page 8

Equestrian Athletes NeedOpportunities, TooNews, Page 3

The Pure Pasty Co. owner Mike Burgess and head chef NicolaWillis-Jones working on preparations for their journey toCornwall, UK, and participation in the World Pasty Championship.

WellbeingPage 9

2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Crime, Page 5

The following summary contains various incidentsfrom the Vienna Police Department from Feb. 17-23.

Animal Case – Quarantine 17-001591 100Block Harmony Drive, SE Feb.11 9 a.m. ACOBarker received a report from INOVA Urgent Careregarding a resident who was treated at their fa-cility after being bitten by his dog. The owner ofthe dog was advised of the 10-day quarantine pro-cess.

Suspicious Vehicle 17-001626 400 Block Do-minion Road, SE Feb. 12 11:15 p.m. A residentobserved a vehicle driving recklessly. She noticedthe driver park the vehicle then get into thebackseat. Several days later the resident foundclothing in the area where the vehicle had beenparked. It is not known if the two incidents are re-lated.

Juvenile Case 17-001456 Cedar Lane School101 Cedar Lane, SW Feb. 13 8 a.m. School admin-istration advised of a student receiving aninappropriate picture on his cell phone and shar-ing it with other students.

Arrest – Warrant Service 17-001455 CedarLane School 101 Cedar Lane, SW Feb. 13 2:46 p.m.An adult student had a warrant for his arrest inFairfax County. Ofc. Harter arrested the 18-year-old man from Deerwatch Drive in Chantilly on thewarrant charging failure to appear on credit cardlarceny. He was transported to the Fairfax CountyAdult Detention Center where he was released onhis signature.

Suspicious Event 17-001461 200 BlockTapawingo Road, SE Feb. 13 4:04 p.m. A residentreported continuous harassment from a juvenilethrough text messages, email and other socialmedia. Ofc. Harter spoke to the juvenile and ad-vised the resident of the process to follow shouldthe harassment continue.

Suspicious Event 17-001477 500 BlockGibson Drive, SW Feb. 14 9:30 a.m. A residentfound a used syringe in her yard.

Arrest – Narcotics Violation 17-001483Echols Street and Niblick Drive, SE Feb. 14 11:44a.m. MPO Lose observed a vehicle commit a traf-

fic offense and initiated a traffic stop. Upon his in-teraction with the driver he detected the odor ofmarijuana. The driver was found to be in posses-sion of a measurable amount of marijuana. MPOLose issued a summons to the 25-year-old femalefrom Chilcott Manor Way in Vienna charging pos-session of marijuana. She was released on hersignature.

Fraud 17-001592 BB&T Bank 260 Cedar Lane,SE Between Feb. 15 at 12 p.m. and Feb. 17 at 3:29p.m. An employee reported one of their customershad become the victim of a scam when she wasinstructed to purchase iTunes gift cards. In returnthe individual would wire money directly into thecustomer’s bank account.

Animal Case – Quarantine 17-001701 TheHope Center 140 Park Street, SE Feb. 17 11:45a.m. An employee was bitten on the hand by a catduring a medical procedure. The cat was releasedto its owner who lives in Fairfax. This case was for-warded to the Fairfax County Animal Control tofollow up on the quarantine procedure.

Suspicious Event 17-001585 Cedar LaneSchool 101 Cedar Lane, SW Feb. 17 1:01 p.m.School administration reported threats that weremade by one student toward another student.

Arrest – Drunk in Public 17-001610 7-11519 Maple Avenue, West Feb. 18 12:07 a.m. Ofc.Reedy observed a woman run from the 7-11 witha 12-pack of beer and meet with a man in an adja-cent parking lot. As the officer approached thecouple the woman ran off and the man attemptedto hide the beer. It was determined that the beerhad been stolen from the store however the em-ployees did not wish to prosecute. The manappeared to be intoxicated and was placed underarrest. Ofc. Reedy transported the 21-year-old manfrom Piney Grove Court in Fairfax to the FairfaxCounty Adult Detention Center where he wascharged with drunk in public.

Arrest – Narcotics Violation 17-001614Wolftrap Hotel 430 Maple Avenue, West Feb. 1812:44 a.m. Officers were attempting to locate the

Crime

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsVienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or vienna@connectionnewspapers.com

By Donna Manz

The Connection

Vienna’s The Pure Pasty Co. is offto Cornwall, England, to com-pete in the World Pasty Champi-onship on Saturday, March 4.

Interpreting traditional Cornish recipes toadapt to tastes – and ingredients – acrossthe pond, The Pure Pasty Co. has enteredsix of its signature pasties in the “open” (notmade-in-Cornwall) category. Owner MikeBurgess and head chef Nicola Willis-Jonesleave for the UK on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

“We’ve honed our craft,” said Willis-Jones,who, like Burgess, grew up in England.“Pasties can be filled with anything but thecrust is what makes a pasty a true Cornishpasty.”

Admitting that “it’s all in the crust,” Willis-Jones and Burgess have dedicated them-selves to making a crust that can be trans-lated with British ingredients and refiningfillings that are well-loved and creative.

“A lot of research went into learning whatprevious winners offered,” said Willis-Jones.And, lots of experimentation with substitu-tion ingredients for those foodstuffs theycannot bring into the UK for the competi-tion. British butter, for example, is not thebutter produced in the United States; it hasa higher fat content than does Americanbutter. To adapt the crust recipe to acceptBritish butter, Willis-Jones used KerryGoldbutter. “The first crust I made with it fellapart. I revised the recipe to make it workperfectly.”

A pasty is a hand-held meal, a butter-richcrescent-shaped crust enveloping saucy fill-ings. Originating in Cornwall, UK, the tinminers took these hand-held pies down intothe mines for their lunch. The pastry en-compassing the filling was sturdy and rich,and crimped around its edging. The minersheld the pasty by the crimped edge whichthey discarded after eating the filled partof the pasty. Tin left arsenic on their handsso the edging was thrown away.

When the tin mines in the UK closed, the

miners travelled to many places round theworld wherever there were mines, takingthe pasties with them. Stateside they arepopular in Michigan, California and othermining places, Willis-Jones said. “We aredoing our bit to make them popular in theWashington metro-area,” she said.

The pasty championship, hosted atCornwall’s Eden Project, an educationalbiodome complex, is broken down into twoqualifying sections, and divided further intosubcategories: 1. Cornish pasties made inCornwall following a traditional recipe, 2.open savoury categories for pasties madewith creative fillings or pasties from out-side Cornwall. You have got to be an au-thentic “Cornwall pasty” to be included inthe Cornwall pasty category. And, regard-less of category, the entered submission hasto be a pasty that has been made and soldin the entrant’s home-based shop.

The Cornish pasty enjoys a special pro-tected status, Protected Geographical Indi-cation (PGI), and only pasty makers basedin Cornwall who make their pasties in a tra-ditional manner, following a traditionalrecipe, are entitled to label their productsas Cornish pasties. “Cornish pasty” makersundergo a PGI audit.

WORKING TOGETHER, Willis-Jones and

Burgess perfected the six pasties they arepreparing for the World Pasty Champion-ship. They are: the Reuben pasty, based onthe reuben sandwich - company category;the Moroccan Lamb and the chicken masala,made by Mike Burgess, in the professionalcategory; the Kevin’s Bacon, invented in theshop by a former employee named KevinChristensen, accented with bacon pieces,entered in the professional category, craftedby Willis-Jones. Willis-Jones adds her BBQpork and the Southwest vegan in her sub-missions in professional category.

Final competition products were identi-fied based on customer polling and a mis-sion to represent the U.S. with iconic Ameri-can ingredients.

The southwest vegan pasty incorporatescajun spices as well as corn, sweet potatoand black beans; the Reuben and barbecuedpork are regional favorites.

“The Kevin’s Bacon is solely ours,” saidWillis-Jones. “No one else makes that. It alsocontains brussel sprouts, red peppers andonions and cheddar cheese.”

The Moroccan lamb and chicken masalaare regulars on the menu; the others areintermittent, but, popular, chef specials.

Willis-Jones and Burgess arrive earlyWednesday morning and will finish up theiringredient shopping then. It is also make-

the-dough day for Willis-Jones who says thedough is best rested overnight before sherolls it out on Thursday.

On Thursday, Willis-Jones, with assistancefrom Burgess, will make the fillings and rollout the dough and fill the dough shells,forming the pasties. The pasties will bebaked on Friday. On Saturday morning,competitors arrive at the championshipvenue with their baked entries which arereheated and judged.

Ahead of their journey back to their home-land, Willis-Jones and Burgess contactedpeople in Cornwall to scout around for re-placement ingredients. “We are well-pre-pared,” Willis-Jones said.

WHEN BURGESS OPENED The PurePasty Co. in Vienna in October, 2010, hehad already visited pasty shops throughoutEngland researching their products. ChoughBakery, a Pasty World Championship win-ner more than one time, brought Burgessinto the shop for a day to study the bakery’saward-winning pasties. Over the past sixand a half years, Burgess and Willis-Joneshave perfected recipes and made a namefor The Pure Pasty Co. throughout the D.C.-area.

“It’s something we’ve wanted to do,” Bur-gess said. “Nicola has been nagging at it forthe past three years, at least,” he said asthey both laughed about the history of theirupcoming championship participation. “Wehad to clear the space in the business to dothis, but, we’re ready.”

Visit The Pure Pasty Co.’s Facebook pagefor updates from Cornwall atwww.facebook.com/ThePurePastyCo/. Theshop, which also sells British snacks, is at 128Church St NW, Vienna. Call 703-255-7147or visit www.purepasty.com.

Competition CategoriesBakers choose to make Cornish pasties or

savoury pasty in the following sub-categories:Company: Representatives from companies

(bakeries, butchers, pubs, corner shops, etc.) thathave undergone a PGI audit.

Professional: Those who work in the cateringindustry as a professional baker or cook, who areentering their own pasties under their own name.

Amateur: People aged 16 and over on the dateof the competition (4 March 2017) who do notwork in the catering industry as a professionalbaker or cook.

Junior: People aged 15 and under on the dateof the competition (4 March 2017).

Gluten-free: A new category this year, foramateur bakers, who should follow the CoeliacUK’s guide.

Pure Pasty Competes in World Championship

Photo by Donna Manz/The Connection

The Pure Pasty Co. company head chef, Nicola Willis-Jones, holds thesouthwest vegan pasty she is crafting for Cornwall’s World Pasty Cham-pionship, while bakery owner Mike Burgess shows off the proprietary“Kevin’s Bacon” pasty.

Vienna “pasty” chefstake their specialtiesto competition to theplace where pastieswere born.

By Ken Moore

The Connection

Natalie Martinisko was the young-est speaker before the county’sBoard of Supervisors Tuesday,

Feb. 14.

“I’ve tried a lot of other sports besideshorseback riding and I have not liked themas much, so we decided to look for barns.The only ones we could find were about 30to 45 minutes away,” said Natalie.

She told the 10-member Board of Super-visors she wanted to ride with one of her

friends whose family owns horses. “I thinkit would be great to let people train at theirhouses,” said Natalie.

But the county’s zoning ordinances pro-hibited home occupation lessons and herfriend’s mother couldn’t give Natalie les-sons.

“There are many kids that don’t fit intothe traditional sports model of soccer, bas-ketball, lacrosse, swimming or dance. Iknow because my daughter tried most ofthose sports and none really clicked for her,”

Equestrian Athletes Need Opportunities, Too

See Residents, Page 4

4 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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News

said Natalie’s mother, Mary Martinisko.“Being that she’s always been animal oriented, I

signed her up for summer camp at at Frying PanPark,” said Mary Martinisko “Over time, she saidhorseback riding was all that she really enjoyed.”

The Board of Supervisors passed a change to thezoning ordinance on Feb. 14 that will allow “smallscale horseback riding lessons as a home occupationsubject to specific limitations designed to minimizethe impact of the lessons on surrounding properties.”

Specifically, the proposed ordinance would allowresidents to conduct riding lessons at home like pi-ano lessons, tutoring, or other private instruction ac-tivities.

“My girls have taken tennis at other people’shouses, they have taken soccer, they have takenswimming and basketball at other people’s houses,but they haven’t been able to take riding,” said KimKaranik, of Great Falls. “I hope this gets looked atand passed tonight.”

Supervisor John Foust received 17 letters or emailsin support of the proposed amendment, SharonBulova received 15, Pat Herrity received 11, “all insupport,” he said.

“Clearly, there’s a shortage of opportunities,”Herrity said.

The board passed the zoning amendment unani-mously.

NOT ALL SPEAKERS spoke in favor of the zoning

amendment.“Well, I was the only person in opposition to these

proposed changes at the Planning Commission hear-ing in January,” said Anne Huffman, of Great Falls.“This set of proposed changes are too intense forpeople, environment, streams and the horses them-selves.”

(See Huffman’s letter to the editor in the Feb. 22issue of the Great Falls Connection.)

“Horses have a high impact on land,” said Huffman.Penny Gross acknowledged one of Huffman’s ob-

jections, regarding manure and its impact on thehealth of local streams.

“Manure can be a significant issue,” said Gross.She remembered years ago, when two students

wrote her, asking for special exception permissionto allow their horses to be boarded underneath thedecks at their houses.

“I wrote back and explained why that wouldn’t besuch a great idea. Their parents have thanked meever since,” said Gross.

Huffman spoke before the Planning Commissionand the Board of Supervisors.

“This type of applicant needs to be given publicscrutiny. There’s a huge difference between indoorpiano lessons and outdoor horseback riding instruc-tion,” said Huffman, asking who will monitor careof the horses and the amount of activity that takesplace.

No special events will be permitted, she was told

Residents Testify

See Residents, Page 7

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

From Page 2

woman who committed the larcenyfrom 7-11 (incident #17-001610). Theylocated the woman in her hotel roomand found she was in possession of ameasurable amount of marijuana. Ofc.Reedy issued a summons to the 23-year-old female from Jade Court, NW inVienna charging possession of mari-juana. She was released on hersignature.

Police Service 17-001612 ViennaPolice Station 215 Center Street, SouthFeb. 18 12:51 a.m. A resident came tothe Vienna Police Station stating he washaving suicidal thoughts and wanted as-sistance. Officers notified the man’sfamily and worked with them in trans-porting the man to an area medicalfacility to receive the assistance he wasrequesting.

Arrest – Narcotics Violation 17-001613 Chain Bridge Road and SuttonRoad Feb. 18 2:21 a.m. Lieutenant Tay-lor observed a traffic violation andinitiated a traffic stop. Upon his interac-tion with the driver he detected the odorof marijuana. A measurable amount ofmarijuana was located in the possessionof both the driver and passenger. Lieu-tenant Taylor issued summonses to the19-year-old female from Trumpet Circlein Sterling and the 20-year-old manfrom Oak Plank Court in Oakton, charg-ing possession of marijuana. They wereboth released on their signatures.

Arrest – Noise Violation 17-001619 300 Block Park Street, NE Feb.18 7:20 a.m. Officers responded to thecomplaint of a noise violation comingfrom a home under construction. Workwas being done at the property outsideof the time frame noted in the town or-dinance. Ofc. Harter issued a summonsto the 58-year-old man from SaintGeorge Road in Delmar, Del. chargingviolation of the town’s noise ordinance.The man was released on his signature.

Suspicious Event 17-001640Wolftrap Hotel 430 Maple Avenue, WestFeb. 18 between 5:17 p.m. and 9:58p.m. A citizen reported an incident thathappened in his hotel room where hebelieved he may have been assaulted.The citizen was transported to an areahospital for evaluation.

This case is being investigated.Arrest – Narcotics Violation 17-

001643 / 17-001645 Wolftrap Hotel430 Maple Avenue, West Feb. 18 11:20p.m. Officers responded to check on thewelfare of a couple in their hotel room.A measurable amount of marijuana wasfound in the room. The female was alsoin possession of another narcotic. MPOSmith issued a summons to the 21-year-old man from Piney Grove Court inFairfax charging possession of mari-juana. He issued two summonses to the23-year-old female from Jade Court,NW in Vienna charging possession ofmarijuana and possession of a con-trolled substance. The couple wasreleased on their signatures.

Domestic Dispute 17-001648 EastStreet, NE Feb. 19 12:16 a.m. Officersresponded to a verbal dispute betweenan elderly resident and her daughterwho was visiting with her.

Assault / Destruction of Prop-erty 17-001650 Wolftrap Hotel 430Maple Avenue, West Feb. 19 12:20 a.m.Officers responded a physical alterca-tion between a woman and herex-boyfriend. The woman assaulted theman then pushed over his moped as shewas leaving the scene, causing somedamage to the moped. The man refusedto pursue charges against the woman forthe assault or the destruction of prop-erty.

Civil Case 17-001692 300 BlockWindover Avenue, NW Feb. 20 12:54p.m. A resident reported his neighborhad trimmed limbs from his trees thatwere hanging over the neighbor’s prop-erty. The two men were advised this was

a civil matter.Police Service 17-001710 200

Block Cedar Lane, SE Feb. 21 10:06 a.m.A citizen requested a welfare check ona relative.

Police Service 17-001672 JohnMarshall Drive, NW Feb. 19 9:45 p.m. Aresident reported her ex-boyfriend wasat her house and she wanted officers torespond while she asked him to leaveand trespass him from the property. Theman left the residence without incident.

Police Service 17-001723 Rite Aid215 Maple Avenue, West Feb. 21 3:15p.m. An employee reported a customerin their store who they believed wasbeing scammed because she was pur-chasing Green Dot Cash Cards to payher business electric bill. The customerwas upset that the police had been no-tified and advised she did not want anyassistance.

Vandalism 17-001784 MarshallRoad Elementary School 730 MarshallRoad, SW Between Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.and Feb. 23 at 7 a.m. An employee re-ported vandalism inside the school. Thiscase is being investigated.

Arrest – Illegal Dumping 17-001771 Vienna Woods Swim Club 950Desale Street, SW Feb. 22 11:13 p.m.Ofc. Reedy observed an occupied vehicleparked in the lot of the Vienna WoodsSwim Club. Upon his interaction withthe driver he found the man haddumped trash on the property. Ofc.Reedy issued a summons to the 21-year-old man from Tapawingo Road, SW inVienna charging dumping trash on pri-vate property. The man was released onhis signature.

Assist EMS 17-001782 Town ofVienna Property Yard 600 Mill Street,NE Feb. 23 9:07 a.m. An officer re-sponded to assist rescue personnel witha town employee who suffered a medi-cal emergency. The employee wastransported to an area hospital, withnon-life-threatening injuries, for furthertreatment.

Suspicious Event 17-001797Louise Archer Elementary School 324Nutley Street, NW Feb. 23 2:02 p.m. APTA member advised that someone sentsuspicious email using her email ac-count to another PTA member.

Arrest – Drunk In Public 17-001799 Plum Street, SW Feb. 23 9:02p.m. Officers responded to the report ofa domestic dispute where a man was hit-ting a parked vehicle with a stick. Theylocated the man who lived at the resi-dence and appeared to be intoxicated.The parked vehicle belonged to theman’s son and he did not wish to pursuecharges for any property damage. Ofc.Slebonick arrested the 63-year-old manfrom Plum Street, SW in Vienna andtransported him to the Fairfax CountyAdult Detention Center. He was chargedwith drunk in public and turned over tothe custody of the deputies.

CASE UPDATES Sex Offense 17-001382 Sugaring House Spas 103Beulah Road, NE, #201 February 114:30 p.m. On Feb. 22 Detective Lerouxobtained two misdemeanor warrantscharging assault in this case. Ofc. Rohrarrested the 33-year-old man fromBolten Road in Centreville. He wastransported to the Fairfax County AdultDetention Center where he was chargedwith two counts of assault and releasedon his signature.

CRASHES Maple Avenue near ParkStreet, SE 17-001583 Feb.17 12:04 p.m.Two vehicles were traveling eastboundin the left lane of Maple Avenue ap-proaching the intersection of ParkStreet, SE. Both drivers stopped for thered light. When the light turned greenDriver-1 took his foot off the brake anddrifted into the rear of Vehicle-2. Nodamage was observed to either vehicle.Driver-2 complained of pain and wasevaluated by rescue personnel, but wasnot transported.

Crime

6 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Vienna & OaktonOpinion

GOOD THINGSProgress in funding mental health and ad-

dressing the opioid epidemic on multiple lev-els were among the successes of the 2017 Gen-eral Assembly session.

❖ In addressing the opioid crisis, the Gen-eral Assembly passed important steps, includ-ing Del. Tim Hugo’s bill to limit opioid pre-scriptions to a seven-day supply in most cases;increased access to naloxone, a drug that in-

stantly reverses an overdose;needle exchange programs (toreduce the spread of HIV, viralhepatitis, and other blood-

borne diseases); focus on infants born withopioid exposure.

❖ Increased funding for mental health in-cluded $7.5 million to facilitate providingsame-day access to mental health screeningservices by July 1, 2019. (The Fairfax-FallsChurch Community Services Board began of-fering same day, in-person screening for men-tal health/and or substance use concerns toadults in July 2015 and extended same dayaccess service to youth. The official launch datefor youth walk-in service was Feb. 1, 2017.)Also supports for discharge planning and ser-vices for people with serious mental illnessbeing released from jail.

❖ The budget included 3 percent raises stateemployees, increase for teachers and a largerincrease for state police.

❖ The Virginia Board of Corrections wasgiven added authority and resources to reviewdeaths in local and regional jails.

❖ Negotiation and legislation will acceler-ate the City of Alexandria’s massive undertak-ing to fix its sewer system that dumps raw sew-

age into the Potomac River whenever it rains.Wendell Berry’s version of the golden rule: “Dounto those downstream as you would havethose upstream do unto you.”

❖ Scott Surovell’s bill requiring Dominionto provide better information on coal ash pol-lution, disaster preparedness, and recycling.

❖ Eileen Filler-Corn’s bill requiring that in-surance cover up to a 12-month supply of hor-monal contraceptives when dispensed or fur-nished at one time.

❖ School boards are required to have anti-bullying policies that includes notifying par-ents that their student was involved in a bully-ing incident.

❖ Use of FaceBook Live allowed members tostream floor discussion, and report to constitu-ents and answer questions directly.

BAD BILLSGov. Terry McAuliffe has already vetoed some

of these, and is expected to veto some others.❖ Expanded access to concealed weapons;

vetoed by Governor. SB1362 would allowsanyone with a military ID card to carry con-cealed weapon; HB2077 would allow guns inemergency shelters and prevents state policeor others from prohibiting them for any rea-son

❖ End funding of Planned Parenthood, ve-toed by Governor.

❖ Anti-Sanctuary City Law HB 2000 says nolocality shall adopt any ordinance, procedure,or policy that restricts the enforcement of fed-eral immigration laws.

❖ As a reality check on the Virginia GeneralAssembly, HB2025 would allow discriminationagainst LGBT community under guise of reli-gious freedom, and passed 21-19 in the Sen-ate and 57-37 in the House of Delegates.

❖ HJ 545 would allow special committeesof the General Assembly to overturn regula-tions, upsetting separation of powers. Consti-tutional amendment (first resolution): “Pro-vides that the General Assembly may suspend

or nullify any or all portions of any adminis-trative rule or regulation.”

❖ Photo identification required for absen-tee ballots.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES❖ The biggest missed opportunity of the

2017 General Assembly session was the fail-ure to advance any redistricting legislation,which passed in the Senate and died in theHouse of Delegates. It’s clear that Virginia vot-ers want an end to gerrymandering, but hopesfor reform before the next census in 2020 arediminished.

❖ Mental Health in Jails: $4.5 million wasremoved from the Governor’s proposed bud-get that would have paid for desperatelyneeded mental health screening in jails.

❖ Legislation to raise Virginia’s thresholdbetween misdemeanors and felonies from $200to $500 failed. Virginia’s threshold has notchanged since 1981, unnecessarily focusing“police and prosecutors on minor crimes in-stead of violent crime while tainting thousandsof Virginia’s suffering from depression or drugaddiction with felony charges for life,” saysSurovell.

❖ Ken Plum’s bill to increase and index theminimum wage never made it out of commit-tee.

❖ Bills to address student debt also died dur-ing the session, as did bills aimed at reducingstudent suspensions and expulsions.

❖ Republicans stripped language that wouldhave brought $6 million in federal funds toprovide Long Acting Reversible Contraception(LARC) to those at risk for unintended preg-nancy at no cost to Virginia voters.

Thanks to Ken Plum, Scott Surovell, Marcus Simon,Jennifer Boysko, Adam Ebbin and others whose columnsand responses helped inform this editorial. We welcomeopinions and additions to this list.

Good, Bad and Missed OpportunitiesResults of the 2017session of theGeneral Assembly.

Editorial

— Mary Kimm

mkimm@connectionnewspapers.com

Faith Notes are for announcements andevents in the faith community. Send tovienna@connectionnewspapers.com.Deadline is Friday at noon.

Passages DivorceCare If you areexperiencing the pain of separation ordivorce, the caring community at ViennaPresbyterian Church invites you to at-tend Passages DivorceCare. Thisprogram offers a path toward healing.The next 15-week DivorceCare serieswill be held Tuesdays from 6:45 to 9p.m. beginning on Feb. 21. Vienna Pres-byterian Church is located on the cornerof Maple Avenue (Rt. 123) and ParkStreet in Vienna. Cost to cover materi-als is $20, scholarships available. Formore information or to register call 703-938-9050, go to www.viennapres.org,or send an email toPassages@ViennaPres.org.

The S.P.O.T for YouthWednesday’s at 7 p.m. A placewhere youth can come together andpray, ask questions about the faith andreceive mentorship. The spot is a min-istry of First Baptist Church of Viennalocated at 450 Orchard Street, NWVienna.

First Baptist Church of Viennalocated at 450 Orchard Street, NWVienna. Sunday services are held at 7:45and 10 a.m. weekly. Wednesday Nightwith the Family service is held at 6 p.m.followed by corporate singing at 7 p.m.Bible studies take place Tuesday’s atnoon.

Wesley United MethodistChurch located at 711 Spring StreetSE, Vienna, Virginia 22180, at the cor-ner of Spring Street and Moore Avenue.10:30 a.m. fellowship time in the fellow-ship hall; 11 a.m. traditional familyworship in sanctuary. If you are seekinga church home which encourages: car-ing and supportive fellowship, an activeand devoted prayer life and study ofscripture, support for local and worldmissions, an open, responsive aware-ness to the presence and power of God’sHoly Spirit.

Youth Activities at WesleyUnited Methodist Church Activitiesare open to all 6th-12th graders. YouthSunday School meets every Sunday at10 a.m. in the upper room.

Youth Bible Study will meet everySunday at 4:30 p.m. off-site. Following

bible study we will ride together over tothe church for youth group. Email theYouth Ministry Staff for the address.

The Anchor meets every Sunday from6-8 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Join usfor dinner, games, worship, and divingdeeper into the Word.

During the summer, Youth SundaySchool meets most Sundays at 9 a.m. inthe upper room.

To receive the newsletter or for moreinformation contactyouth@wesleyvienna.org.

St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church atthe intersection of Lewinsville andBrook Roads in McLean, just a mile westof Tysons, invites you for a casual Sat-urday Service at 5 p.m., followed byconversation and fellowship or for Sun-day Services at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. SundaySchool for Youth and Children takesplace during the 10 a.m. Service. Lookfor our Pumpkin Patch this October, andcheck www.stthomasmcleanva.org forSpecial Events and Services through theyear. St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church,8991 Brook Road, McLean, 703-442-0330.

Church of the Holy Comforter,

543 Beulah Road, NE, Vienna offers amonthly Healing Eucharist with the Lay-ing on of Hands and Anointing forHealing (first Sunday of the month, 5p.m. at St. Mary’s Chapel. The HealingMinistry is led by the Rev. Valerie Hayesand Alexandra MacCracken and in-cludes a team of lay healers who havegone through intentional training andformation. Contact the Rev. ValerieHayes at vhayes@holycomforter.com.

Yoga Class with a Christian Fo-cus is held Saturdays, 3-4 p.m., McGillHall or the Library at the Church of theHoly Comforter, 543 Beulah Road, NE,Vienna. This group is suitable for thosewith beginner and/or intermediate yogaexperience. Dress comfortably and bringa mat. Feel free to bring a towel,block(s) or strap if you have them. Con-tact the Church Office at 703-938-6521.

Mom’s Group meets second andfourth Thursday of the Month, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Church of the HolyComforter, 543 Beulah Road, NE,Vienna. Join the group for coffee andfellowship. The group meets in the

Faith Notes

See Faith Notes, Page 7

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

From Page 4

at the Planning Commission hearing.“Good luck enforcing that,” Huffman said.

CURRENTLY, A SPECIAL PERMIT toteach riding lessons requires a $8,180 ap-plication fee, just to start the process.

“While evidence is anecdotal, the eques-trian community has seen a long-term de-cline in the number of riding programsavailable in Fairfax County, as propertyowners and horse trainers are concernedabout the consequences of potential zon-ing violations associated with the board ofmore than three horses or with offering anyriding lessons,” according to staff reports.

“This has garnered so much support fromthe riding and equestrian community,” saidat-large Planning Commissioner JanyceHedetniemi at its public hearing on Jan. 12.“It has been encouraging to those of us wholove horses here in Fairfax County.”

Beverly Dickerson, of Oakton, is presidentof Fairfax for Horses.

“There is a large unmet demand for ridinglessons in Fairfax County as you are hear-ing. Long waiting lists in the existing stables,few places to go, and as Natalie just said,‘Not every child is interested in teamsports,’” Dickerson told the board.

“We need to provide good recreation fora wide range of children and adults,” saidDickerson.

Equestrian sports need to be passed downfrom other riders, said Lisa Mulville, ofVienna. “I grew up here in the county and Ihave had a horse since I was 14 and theresponsibility it taught me was incredible,”she said.

“We’re losing a lot of revenue in thiscounty because as stables and horse folksleave so do the vets, so do the blacksmiths,so do the local tack shops,” she said.

Sarah Kirk, owner of the Saddlery inGreat Falls, moved to the county in 1981,and to Great Falls in 1998. “I had three po-nies and nowhere to put them,”

“It is disappointing to see small operationsmoving, and the people that teach ridinggoing to Loudoun County and Maryland,”Kirk said. “We believe passionately in thissport.”

“EVERY OTHER SPORT, you’re allowedto do at your home,” said Karanik.

According to Planning Commission docu-ments, hours of operation would be limitedfrom 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to minimize impacton surrounding neighbors; and all horsesfor riding must be kept on the property andcan’t be transported or ridden to the prop-erty for lessons. On lots sized between twoand five acres, the maximum amount ofinstruction is eight students in one day andno more than two students can be givenlessons at any given time. On lots five acresor more, a maximum of four students canbe taught at any given time.

“The amendment would increase themaximum number of horses or ponies thatcan be boarded by right on a property fromthree horses on any lot, to up to five horseson lots containing a minimum of two acresand less than five acres, and up to eighthorses on lots containing five or more acres.The maximum number of horses that maykept, boarded or maintained shall not in-clude the horses owned by the resident ofthe property,” according to planning docu-ments.

Karanik gave credit to Foust for helpingher navigate the zoning process that pre-vented home riding.

“What I am trying to fight for is continu-ing the equestrian sport in the community.We felt the importance of bringing the sportto children,” said Karanik.

Residents TestifyNews

Lillian Croy Room, near the Church Office.Childcare will be available just across the hall in theChildcare Center. If you are interested in joiningthe group, contact the Church Office at 703-938-6521 so that we can plan appropriately formaterials and childcare.

St. Francis Episcopal Church , 9220Georgetown Pike in Great Falls, has Sunday ser-vices at 7:45, 9 and 11 a.m. with nursery careprovided. In the summer, they offer musical, edu-cational, outreach and fellowship ministries inaddition to worship services, including an 8 a.m.worship service without music and a 10 a.m. wor-ship service with nursery care. 703-759-2082.

The Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA)offers a wide variety of support groups for thosewith emotional, social, and physical challenges.www.jssa.org/growth-learning.

HAVEN of Northern Virginia offers a vari-ety of free bereavement support groups, meetingon a weekly basis. 703-941-7000 orwww.havenofnova.org.

McLean Bible Church Fitness Class at Bodyand Soul Fitness. Gain balance, energy andstrength at 10 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays andFridays. Free childcare for registered students.bodyandsoul@mcleanbible.org.

St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, 1830Kirby Road, McLean, holds traditional services ev-ery Sunday at 8:15 and 10:15 a.m.www.stdunstans.net.

Vienna Christian Healing Rooms are openevery Saturday, 1-4 p.m., at 8200 Bell Lane. A teamof Christians is available to anyone requestingprayer. Free and open to the public. 703-698-9779or www.viennachristianhealingrooms.com.

Chesterbrook United Methodist Church isat 1711 Kirby Road, McLean. Worship service is at11 a.m. 703-356-7100 orwww.ChesterbrookUMC.org.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 ChainBridge Road, Vienna, is holding Sunday eveningworship service in a less formal atmosphere andmore intimate setting to help you get ready for theweek ahead. Sundays, 6 p.m. Communion offered.No childcare. 703-938-2119 orwww.elcvienna.org.

Andrew Chapel United Methodist Churchholds Centering Prayer Group Fridays, 9:30 a.m. at1301 Trap Road, Vienna. The hour begins with a20-minute prayer period, followed by a brief read-ing related to Centering Prayer. E-mail Chris Masonat derce@cox.net or call the church at 703-759-3509.

From Page 6

Faith Notes

8 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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News

By Ken Moore

The Connection

When creating a newcity, county plan-ners target a pre-cise number of

parks. Vienna and McLean are themost affected by Tysons planning.

Tysons needs 20 playing fields,a vision articulated in the 2010Tysons Comprehensive Plan basedon projections through 2050 rang-ing from demographics, office andresidential use, transportation andmore.

“If Tysons is to be a place wherecitizens live, work and play, thenit must have adequate athleticfields within its borders,” saidTown of Vienna Mayor Laurie A.DiRocco.

The plan calls for one field forevery 4.5 million square feet ofmixed use development, accordingto Planning Commission docu-ments.

“The availability of 20 athleticfields will most certainly makeTysons a more desirable locationas against its competitors,” saidRob Jackson, co-chair of theGreater Tysons Citizens Coalitionand a member of the McLean Citi-zens Association.

“We have extreme concernabout any attempt to weaken therequirement for the landowners toprovide 20 fullsize-athletic fieldsto allow its residents, children,

adolescents and adults to live,work, study and play in Tysons,”Jackson said.

Residents and business ownersof Tysons and surrounding juris-dictions testified before thecounty’s Planning CommissionWednesday, Feb. 8 to respond tocurrent reorganizing of the volu-minous Tysons ComprehensivePlan.

Speakers, planners, developersand commissioners debated spe-cifically a new sentence on page112 of the plan:

“Some of the active recreationfacility needs may be accommo-dated by adding or upgrading fa-cilities at existing or future publicschool sites or in nearby existingparks surrounding Tysons,” ac-cording to proposed edits to theComprehensive Plan Amendment.

That “stands out significantly asit is more than a mere editorial

change,” said Mark Zetts, longtimeplanning and zoning chair of theMcLean Citizens Association, whowas recognized by the PlanningCommissioners on Feb. 8 for hiscontinuous service to McLean,Tysons and Fairfax County.

“This inserted language is prob-lematic on multiple levels,” saidZetts.

“The Town of Vienna, contigu-ous to Tysons, currently does nothave adequate field space for itsresidents and youth. We don’twant Tysons population growth toadd to the shortage and negativelyimpact our quality of life,” saidDiRocco.

Sally Horn, McLean resident andco-chair of the MCA’s Tysons Liai-son Committee, said the “addedlanguage would increase the pres-sure to place athletic fields de-signed to serve Tysons in the sur-rounding communities, including

McLean, which lack useable, suf-ficient available land to meet bothTysons needs and the needs oftheir communities.”

VIENNA AND McLEAN don’thave enough fields for their ownuse, said Jackson.

“There simply is insufficient va-cant land in Vienna and McLeanthat is suitable for athletic fields.If there were, existing volunteersports groups would have laidclaim to the vacant land yearsago.”

“McLean’s athletic fields are al-ready oversubscribed and ... wehave our own separate needs foradditional fields,” said Horn.

Forcing Tysons residents andemployees to “get into cars anddrive elsewhere for field accessdefeats the vision for Tysons,” saidJackson. “It also would add to traf-fic congestion, both inside andnearby Tysons.”

“While Tysons is off to a goodstart, transportation failure is stillon the radar screen,” said Jackson.

But creating a grid of streets forTysons makes planning for irregu-lar shapes difficult, especially dia-mond-shaped fields needed forbaseball and softball leagues, ac-cording to county planners.

Currently, they forecast need forapproximately 11 diamond shapedfields and nine rectangular fields.But county planners reported lastWednesday that developers havebeen more willing to proffer forrectangular fields.

Sol Glasner, interim presidentand executive director of theTysons Partnership, said they arenot advocating for fewer fields butflexibility in how fields areplanned while Tysons takes shape.

“Proposed changes to the Com-prehensive Plan that limit flexibil-ity will make it more challenging

Planning 20 Parks: Inside Tysons or Out?Vienna andMcLean affectedby 30-year visionfor Tysons; moredebate Feb. 23.

Get Involved:Tysons Comprehensive Plan Amendment

❖ Planning Commission decision only hearingThursday, Feb. 23, 8:15 p.m.❖ Board of Supervisors public hearingTuesday, March 14, 2017, 4 p.m.Fairfax County Government Center Building, 12000 Government

Center Parkway, Fairfax, Va. 22035The Tysons vision forecasts an urban center that include 200,000

jobs and 100,000 residents, 75 percent of development within ahalf-mile walk of four Metro stations, a sustained Tysons with re-stored streams, a network of public parks, open spaces and trails,and a redesigned transportation system with circular routes, com-munity shuttles, feeder bus serve and improved pedestrian andbicycle routes and connections. The Tysons Comprehensive PlanAmendment proposes to update recommendations for the TysonsUrban Center to reconcile the text and maps with studies and plan-ning activities that have been completed since 2010, such as gridand other transportation studies, urban design guidelines and atransportation funding plan.

See www.fairfaxcounty.gov/tysons/planamendments2013

to meet the vision of Tysons thatwe all share,” said Glasner.

Dranesville Planning Commis-sioner John Ulfelder askedDiRocco, “What if somebodyshowed up in Vienna and said,‘We’re prepared to install turf andput up lights and upgrade your ex-isting diamond fields.’ How wouldyou react?”

“If the county decided to do that,we’d be very happy for that to hap-pen, yes,” said DiRocco. “We arealways looking for improving ourfields and the use is needed tre-mendously.”

COUNTY PLANNERS suggestedthat some developers could bewilling to upgrade softball andbaseball fields outside Tysons.

“I know that some have arguedthat since McLean and Viennayouth sports leagues currently arethe predominant users of the fieldsin Tysons, it would make moresense for Tysons developers toupgrade those fields rather thanto build the full complement of re-quired fields in Tysons,” said Horn.

“This argument misses thepoint,” she said. “We are not plan-ning for 2020 or even 2030; weare planning for the infrastructurerequired in 2050, when the demo-graphics of Tysons — 200,000 em-ployees and 100,000 residents —will require at least 20 urban fieldsin Tysons to meet the needs ofyouth and adults who live and orwork in Tysons.” Providence Plan-ning Commission Phil Niedzielski-Eichner scheduled a decision-onlymeeting of the Planning Commis-sion on Feb. 23.

Additional topics to be discussedinclude traffic demand manage-ment and transportation, initialdevelopment levels and forecastedgrowth, public facilities and envi-ronmental stewardship.

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Wellbeing

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Those experiencing Itchy, watery eyes andseemingly endless sneezing know thatspring allergy season is getting an earlystart this year thanks to this season’s mild

winter weather.“Everything is blooming early because of the warm

weather,” said Dr. Barbara Mackie, M.D., allergist,of Privia Medical Group in Vienna. “People are spend-ing more time outside because the weather is lovely,

but they’re experiencing al-lergy symptoms.”

One of the keys to surviv-ing allergy season is stayingahead of it. When ther-mometers are rising above60 degrees for more thanthree consecutive days, pol-len from plants begins tomove through the air. Thetree pollen count hasreached high concentrationlevels in the Washington,D.C. region, according toThe American Academy ofAllergy, Asthma &Immunology’s National Al-lergy Bureau Pollen andMold Report.

“Most of the time sea-sonal allergies, whether it isspring or fall, are caused by

pollens that are associated with grass, trees andweeds,” said Dr. Victoria A Garrison, M.D. a StudentHealth Services physician and a professor in theSchool of Nursing at George Mason University inFairfax, “In areas that are dampor humid, mold spores can alsobe a factor. When people have al-lergies to these substances, theimmune system will react andcause symptoms like sneezing,watery, itchy eyes, runny nose,sore or itchy throat, congestionand fatigue.”

“Mild winter temperaturescause plants to pollinate early,”added Maureen Moriarty, DNP,assistant professor of Nursing atMarymount University in Arling-ton. “This problem may be com-pounded by a rainy spring season,leading to increased mold levelsthat can drive allergy symptomsin sufferers through fall months.”

Instead of waiting for full-blown symptoms, Mackie recom-mends beginning medications early. “What I usuallytell patients who normally have seasonal allergies isto take their maintenance medications early sothey’re covered when allergy season hits,” she said.

“Being prepared can often help slow down symp-toms of allergies,” added Kathy Grilliot, director ofClinical Education Respiratory Therapy Program at

Northern Virginia Community College’s Medical Edu-cation Campus in Springfield.

“Before the season starts, it is a good idea to starttaking a nasal steroid. This medication takes a fewweeks to gain full effect so starting before the aller-gens are everywhere can really help to control symp-toms. Eyes can also have allergic reactions, so see aspecialist to have a good eye drop for allergen con-trol.”

For those who might be perplexed by the distinc-tion between allergies and a common cold: “If it’slasting more than three days with no fever, it’s prob-ably not a cold,” said Mackie.

Some precautions that allergy sufferers can taketo decrease their exposure to allergens include wear-ing a face mask when outside during times when thepollen count is high and resisting the urge to open

car and house windows when theweather is warm, especially if thewind is blowing. “Take off yourshoes when you enter your houseso that allergens don’t get spreadaround the house,” said Grilliot.“Be aware where you place cloth-ing that has been outside whenyou enter your house to preventallergens from entering yourhome.”

“I advise patients to rinse theirhair and take a shower to get thepollen off before going to bed atnight,” added Mackie. “Otherwiseyou’re getting pollen on your pil-lowcase and sheets and breathingit in all night.”

There are certain times of daywhen allergy sufferers shouldavoid being outside. “Mid-morn-

ing, afternoon and early evening are peak times forpollen,” continued Mackie. “When it’s windy, don’tgo out because of the pollen.”

Pets can spread pollen as well. “Dogs get springfever too and want to be outside, but they can bringpollen into the house,” said Mackie. “Wipe off theircoats and paws when them come inside.”

Experts offer suggestionsfor preventing and treatingallergy symptoms.

Beware Early Allergy Season

Photo courtesy of

Barbara Mackie

Allergist Dr.Barbara Mackie,M.D advisespatients whonormally haveseasonal allergiesto begin takingmedication early.

Photo by Marilyn Campbell/The Connection

A mild winter has led to early plantblooming and an early allergy season.

“Everything isblooming earlybecause of the warmweather. People arespending more timeoutside because theweather is lovely, butthey’re experiencingallergy symptoms.”

— Dr. Barbara Mackie, M.D.,Allergist, Privia Medical Group

10 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

On the morning of Feb. 8, U.S.Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) officersshowed up across the street

from Rising Hope Mission Church on RussellRoad in the Mount Vernon area of Alexan-dria. According to several witnesses, menwho had just left the church’s hypothermiashelter for the day were set upon and ques-tioned.

Some were asked if they’d seen any num-ber of illegal immigrant criminals for whichthe officers were searching. Others, Latinosin the group, were singled out, finger-printed, and some even restrained, forcedinto vans and driven away, witnesses said.

An ICE official would only confirm thattwo arrests were made at that location onthat day.

“Every day, as part of routine targetedenforcement operations, U.S. Immigrationand Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrestscriminal aliens and other individuals whoare in violation of our nation’s immigrationlaws,” the official said in a statement.

But on Feb. 17, Kincannon and other re-ligious leaders decided to pay a return visitto ICE, specifically at the field office on Pros-perity Avenue in Fairfax. He said they havebeen trying to find out the names of themen who were allegedly picked up in thevans but haven’t been successful yet.

After reports of ICE officers conductinglarge surges of searches, “targeted enforce-ment actions,” for undocumentedimmigrant criminals that followedexecutive order from PresidentDonald Trump, this action inMount Vernon has sparked fear inthe community and calls for an-swers from leaders, according tothe religious leaders.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe released aletter Feb. 16 directed to John Kelly,secretary of Homeland Security,requesting an immediate briefingregarding the events outside Ris-ing Hope, as chronicled by NBCWashington.

“These reports are anecdotal andI recognize that previous adminis-trations have conducted immigra-tion enforcement actions,”McAuliffe writes. “However, theNBC report raises a concern that,unlike previous actions, ICE agentsare detaining Virginia residentswithout cause or specific allega-tions of criminal activity.”

“This is something we will notstand for,” Kincannon said at thevigil. “That’s our legal cause in whywe are opposing what is happen-ing. But there’s a moral cause aswell, that goes to the heart of ourfaith.”

Kincannon said that Jesus Christ taught“how we treat the least of these” is how wetreat him.

“So when we detain people withoutcause, any allegation of criminal activity,”he continued, “it’s the same as detainingJesus Christ, without cause, any allegationof criminal activity.”

Oscar Ramirez, one of the green card-car-rying men who said he was detained andquestioned by ICE on Feb. 8 before eventu-ally being released, said fear in the immi-grant and Latino community has causedpeople to stay inside, away from public andgovernment buildings.

Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee) said thisis a major blow to the public’s relationshipwith law enforcement — one that FairfaxCounty Police have been working to repairand bolster.

McKay said many people don’t differen-tiate among law enforcement — all are “po-lice.” And if residents, undocumented ornot, refuse to open the door or run the otherway when FCPD comes around looking forhelp solving crimes, that’s a concern.

“We’ve come too far building rela-tionships with the immigrant popu-lation,” McKay said, to “sever ties likethis.”

McKay cited the recent murdercase of 15-year-old Damaris ReyesRivas, for which FCPD has arrested10 suspects and issued murdercharges against five of them.

“Without that cooperation, wewouldn’t have people under arrest,”McKay said.

FCPD Chief of Police EdwinRoessler said community involve-ment was definitely part of the casethat helped them solve it.

Regarding the ICE activity as athreat to public trust of police,Roessler said “I absolutely have con-cern.”

He said he’s been hearing thesame questions from numeroussources, “challenging me with whatboils down to the perception, thatwe’re out there as immigration po-lice.”ICE is out there, Roessler said, but the

myth that’s developed about FCPD “doingimmigration raids in certain parts of thecounty, it’s not true.”

FCPD does not participate in ICE’s en-forcement activity, the chief said. “I needthe community to understand the FCPDprimary mission is to prevent and fightcrime. We’re not going to assist ICE in theservice of an administrative matter.”

Two memos from the Department of

Homeland Security were recently publishedgiving more detail to the executive orderson immigration and deportation enforce-ment.

“To maximize participation by state andlocal jurisdictions in the enforcement of fed-eral immigration law near the southernborder,” director Kelly wrote, “I am direct-ing the director of ICE and the commis-sioner of CBP to engage immediately withall willing and qualified law enforcement

jurisdictions that meet all programrequirements for the purpose of en-tering into agreements under287(g) of the INA.”

An ICE spokesperson said that“ICE will approach local jurisdic-tions to tell them about the 287gprogram,” but that ultimately thosejurisdictions need to go through anapplication process to participate.

When asked about the memo,Roessler said first that any changein FCPD operation would need togo through the Board of Supervi-sors. He also said he had not beencontacted by anyone from ICE orDHS regarding the memos.

Then he added: “Regardless oftheir status, we want people to havegreat confidence in their police de-partment and trust. We protect andserve you, prevent crime. That’s therole we’ve been doing, and what weintend to do in the future.”

More information about the twomemos is available online here:https://www.dhs.gov/executive-orders-protecting-homeland.

The full text of Gov. McAuliffe’sletter is available here: https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=19347.

Rising Hope pastor speaks about arrests outside church.

Prayer Vigil at ICE Office

On Feb. 17, Rising Hope pastor Keary Kincannon and other religious leaders held aprayer vigil and demonstration at the ICE field office on Prosperity Avenue in Fairfax.

Photos contributed

Rising Hope pastor Keary Kincannon(right) poses with Jim Wallis of theSojourners (left), trying to get informa-tion from ICE about the enforcementactivity that took place across the streetfrom Kincannon’s church on Feb. 8.

“We’ve come too farbuilding relationships withthe immigrant population[to] sever ties like this.”

— Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee)

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

People

By Alexandra Greeley

The Connection

Seriously ready to tackle just about any cook-ing challenge or recipe calamity, Wildfire’snew sous chef Jeffrey Katz comes to thisTysons Galleria hot destination, Wildfire.

Busy from lunch to the end of dinner service, thisthird-floor restaurant offers a robust menu of basi-cally American standards, with a dinnertime focuson hefty beef dishes. Who could really turn down a22-ounce prime rib cut, rubbed with garlic, salt, andcoarse-ground black pepper?

Fortunately for Wildfire, Katz knows a thing or twoabout cooking, especially putting out high-end meals.“I have been passionate about cooking since my child-hood in New York,” he said, telling how his motherand grandmother were always in the kitchen. “Iwanted to be a veterinarian,” he continued. “But Iwatched my mother and grandmother cook tradi-tional Jewish holiday food for Passover and otherevents and I was interested in that, too. I was reallyconflicted because I enjoyed cooking.”

To make his decision even more complicated, hisfamily did not live near a farm, but participated inthe 4-H Club. Animals such as goats, ducks, and evensnakes, became part of the household. “It seemedvery rural,” said Katz. “I came to respect all kinds oflife. I just didn’t always want to get up at 6 a.m. tofeed the chickens.”

Consequently, as a junior in high school, Katz tooka vocation class in cooking. Then, in his last few yearsof high school, he attended a culinary vocationalschool. “I thought I would give it a shot,” he said,“and 30 years later, I am still doing it.”

After high school, Katz spent several years work-ing in area kitchens to get some hands-on experi-ence, noting that gaining that work know-how isgreat preparation for a future culinary career. “Youhave to be dedicated and really enjoy cooking,” hesaid. “You have to learn about team spirit with otherstaff members, so you will all be on the same page.”

With several years of culinary work under his belt,Katz attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA),and in his final year, did an externship with the Kettle

House Inn in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., under then-chef MarkKaplan. For Katz, that was a real turning point, forKaplan not only taught him how to read cookbooksand experiment in new recipes, he became and hasremained Katz’s mentor. “Today, he is still my bestfriend,” Katz said.

In fact, Kaplan went on to open his own restau-rant, the New American Bistro in Mamaroneck, N.Y.,and took Katz with him. After four years, he gaveKatz some invaluable yet tough advice: go out intothe world and learn from other chefs, other restau-rants. That he did, and ultimately Katz has workedas executive chef and chef all over the Northeast,gaining needed experience and expertise. As a re-sult, Katz said that he loves all kinds of cuisines, anddoesn’t specialize in any one. So when a boss says tohim, “Jeffrey, make this,” he takes the basic recipe,but gives it his own special twist. “I love the creativ-ity part of my job,” he said, “and I love the camara-derie here at Wildfire.”

Wildfire McLean, Tyson’s Galleria, 2001 Interna-tional Dr., McLean. 703-442-9110. Hours: Lunch anddinner daily. Visit wildfirerestaurant.com/mclean.

Wildfire’s Chef EnjoysCreativity of His New JobMeet Wildfire’s newsous chef Jeffrey Katz.

Chef Jeff Katz

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THURSDAY/MARCH 2Caregivers’ Support Group. 10-11:30

a.m. at Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of Fairfax (UUCF) -Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. Contact Jack Tarr at703-821-6838 or jtarr5@verizon.net.

SATURDAY/MARCH 4Vienna Recycling Day. 8 a.m-2 p.m. at

the Northside Property Yard, 600 MillStreet NE. Quarterly Recycling Dayshelp protect the Town’s environment,maintain the green scenery, and offeran outlet for traditionally difficult-to-recycle items. For a complete list ofaccepted items, visit viennava.gov/quarterlyrecycling or call 703-255-6380.

TUESDAY/MARCH 7Application Deadline. The U.S. Small

Business Administration is remindingbusinesses in Virginia that workingcapital loans are still available to smallbusinesses, small agriculturalcooperatives, small businesses engagedin aquaculture and private nonprofitorganizations affected by the severestorms and tornadoes on Feb. 24,2016. Deadline to file is March 7,2017. https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.Visit www.sba.gov/disaster or emaildisastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

SATURDAY/MARCH 11Social Action Linking Together

(SALT). 9-11:15 a.m. at the VirginiaInternational University (VIU), inConference Room (VD-102), 4401Village Drive, Fairfax. Legislators willdiscuss safety net issues in the 2015General Assembly session. visit www.S-A-L-T.org or contact John Horejsi atjhorejsi@cox.net or Dr. Bilgin atkbilgin@viu.edu for more.

TUESDAY/MARCH 14Vienna Oakton Chapter of NARFE.

at 1 pm at American Legion Post 180,330 North Center St., Vienna. NationalActive and Retired Federal EmployeesAssociation Program will be “MyCareer in the Federal Government.”For information, call 703-938-9757.

THURSDAY/MARCH 16Caregivers’ Support Group. 10-11:30

a.m. at Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of Fairfax (UUCF) -Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. Contact Jack Tarr at703-821-6838 or jtarr5@verizon.net.

Fairfax County 2018 Budgets. 7:30p.m. at the McLean Community CenterCommunity Hall, 1234 Ingleside Drive,McLean. A conversation on FairfaxCounty and Fairfax County PublicSchools 2018 Budgets, with speakersincluding John Foust, DranesvilleDistrict Supervisor and Joe Mondoro,CFO, Fairfax County. Visitmcleancitizens.org/ for more.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 29Public Safety Preparedness

Program. 7 p.m. at American LegionMcLean Post 270, 1355 Balls HillRoad, McLean. Public SafetyPreparedness Program, co-sponsoredby the Greater McLean Chamber, theMcLean Citizens Association, the GreatFalls Citizens Association and theFairfax County Federation of CitizensAssociations. Visitwww.mcleanpost270.org for more.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDShepherd’s Center of McLean-

Arlington-Falls Church, 1205Dolley Madison Blvd., McLeancontinues to have an urgent need fornew volunteers to help area seniorcitizens get to and from their medical

and therapy appointments. To find outmore about the Shepherd’s Center andhow you can volunteer to providetransportation and other services, callthe Center at 703-506-2199 or e-mailthe Center at info@scmafc.org. TheCenter’s website is www.scmafc.org

THURSDAY-SATURDAY/MARCH 2-4Friends of the Tysons-Pimmit

Regional Library Quarterly BookSale. Books and media for all interestsand ages, Thursday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.;Friday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Adult bag sale$10/bag; Saturday, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.Kids Bag Sale $10/bag.

7700 Leesburg Pike Falls Church.TysonsLibraryFriends@gmail.com;703-338-3307.

THROUGHOUT MARCH 2017Free Public Service Seminars. March

1, 8, 15, 21, 29, at 7 p.m. on SellingYour Home, Aging in Place,Downsizing, Retirement CommunitiesSeminars. Free public service seminarson Selling Your Home (March 1,McLean High School, 1633 DavidsonRd., McLean), Working With Builders(March 8, Falls Church HS, 7521Jaguar Trail, Falls Church), FinancingYour Retirement (March 15, MarshallHS, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church),Tax & Estate Planning (March 21,Madison HS, 2500 James Madison Dr.,Vienna), and Decluttering &Organizing (March 29, Oakton HS,2900 Sutton Rd., Vienna). For moreinformation and seminar registrationgo to RetireeRealEstate.org, or call703-772-3033.

ONGOINGMaster Gardener Training. The

Fairfax County Master GardenerAssociation offers plant clinics, hometurf training or speakers forhomeowner’s meetings. Fees vary. Visitfairfaxgardening.org or call DoraLockwood at 401-864-4778 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. The games are onWednesday evenings and Saturdaymornings in Vienna. For moreinformation, visit www.goldengirls.org

Passages DivorceCare If you areexperiencing the pain of separation ordivorce, the caring community atVienna Presbyterian Church invites youto attend Passages DivorceCare. Thisprogram offers a path toward healing.The next 15-week DivorceCare serieswill be held Tuesdays from 6:45 to 9p.m. beginning on Feb. 21. ViennaPresbyterian Church is located on thecorner of Maple Avenue (Rt. 123) andPark Street in Vienna. Cost to covermaterials is $20, scholarships available.For more information or to register call703-938-9050, go towww.viennapres.org, or send an emailto Passages@ViennaPres.org.

Are You A Caregiver? Shepherd’sCenter of Oakton ViennaCaregivers’ Support Group takesplace first & third Thursday of eachmonth. February 2nd and 16th, 2017from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join usat the Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of Fairfax (UUCF) -Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRd, Oakton, VA. For more info contactfacilitator, Jack Tarr, 703-821-6838jtarr5@verizon.net.

Volunteers Needed. PRS is looking forempathetic and caring volunteers tomake phone calls to older adults whomay be feeling socially isolated. Thecommitment is one 3-hour shift perweek for one year. Located inArlington. Ages 21 & up. Intensivetraining provided. Learn more andapply: https://prsinc.org/carering-volunteering/. Questions? Emaillpadgett@prsinc.org.

To have community events listed in the Connection, visitconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. The deadline for submissions isnoon on Friday.

Bulletin Board

Welcoming CardsBrownies in Troop 3173 atWaples Mill ElementarySchool in Oakton and HuntersWoods Elementary School inReston are making welcomecards for refugees who willbe resettled in northernVirginia by Lutheran SocialServices of the NationalCapital Area, one of the localagencies that resettles over1,200 individuals annually.These Brownies invite resi-dents to make welcome cardsand send them to LSS/NCA,7401 Leesburg Pike, FallsChurch, VA 22043.

12 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.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 WorshipTo Highlight Your Faith Community,

call Karen at 703-917-6468

7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Sunday School: preschool - grade 2Music: grades 3 - 7

10:25 a.m. Sunday School Grades 3 to 6Music 4 years to 2nd grade

11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II5:00 p.m. Come Just as You Are Contemporary Service

Nursery care provided at 9:00 a.m. service

The Rev. John C. N. Hall, RectorThe Rev. Laura Cochran

703-437-6530www.stannes-reston.org

1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston

ST. ANNE’SEPISCOPALCHURCH • Reston

Welcoming, Diverse, Progressive

By Aubrey Winger

Loudoun Valley High School

You never know what to expect when jour-neying into the woods. Perhaps you willcross paths with a wily wolf, or an inno-cent boy with his cow. However, you would

never expect to find the sublime vocals and enticingperformances of The Madeira School’s cast of “Intothe Woods.”

A classic musical by Stephen Sondheim, “Into theWoods” epitomizes the fractured fairy tale. Treasuredcharacters from children’s stories are brought to-gether in one giant spectacle. As the show progresses,

their happy endings are forever alteredby a maniacal witch and a few old beans.

In a show known for its subplots anddistinctive characters, the Madeira castmade sure every story was heard.

Cinderella (Keenan Parker) won hearts with her spec-tacular range and melancholy expressions. She wasjuxtaposed with her stepfamily, all deliciously eviland remarkably fun to despise. Jack (Zoe Crawley)and Little Red Riding Hood (Katie King) capturedyouth and playfulness in their characters. They alsoshowed growth as Little Red learned “many valu-able things” and Jack found his confidence at thetop of the beanstalk. Jack’s faithful companion, MilkyWhite (Alex Raposo), was effortlessly funny with-out “uddering” a sound.

The Baker’s Wife (Claire Pitzer) was a breath ofreality. As Cinderella spoke of her glamorous nightsat the ball, Pitzer was stunned by the idea of evenencountering royalty. Later, when she had her veryown royal fling, Pitzer grounded herself with sternreasoning, reassuring herself that it was only a “mo-ment in the woods.” Vei Vei Thomas, playingCinderella’s Prince, brought her fantasies to life.Thomas and Prabha Girish (Rapunzel’s Prince) em-braced their roles with outlandish masculinity andflirting.

“BOOM! CRASH! A lightning flash!” Every momentof Magana Ngaiza as the witch was electrifying.Ngaiza’s disfigured form and chilling, wild-eyed takesto the audience accentuated her stunning vocal per-formance. This diabolical persona contrasted per-fectly with the elegant post-transformation witch.Although Ngaiza maintained her insidious personal-ity and questionable motives in the second act, shedeveloped an entirely new physique as she relishedher newfound beauty.

Every member of this cast was female, yet the per-sonas of male characters and the chemistry between

couples were consistently believable. Ensemble num-bers were full of haunting harmonies, maintainingthe integrity of Sondheim’s intricate score.

One of the most impressive technical elements wasthe set. Naturally, a show built from storybooksshould have a set built from them too. The trees inthe woods rose upon trunks formed from book spinesand extended into branches made of pages suspendedfrom the ceiling. The curved trunks made the forestperfect for hiding, providing a vehicle for a certainmysterious man to disappear. The use of a cycloramawas also commendable. At the beginning of each act,before the characters journeyed into the woods, thispiece was used with three fireplaces to represent thehomes of characters. Each fireplace was beautifullydesigned to show the characters’ personality and sta-tus. The narrator sat in a library nook off to the side,separating himself from the story at hand.

The breathtaking sets and stellar performances inThe Madeira School’s production of “Into The Woods”were a fairy tale come true.

Entertainment

‘Into the Woods’ at The Madeira School

hoto by Teresa Wood

From left are Alex Raposo, Zoe Crawley,and Callie Jacks.

Cappies

Review

Send announcements toconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.Deadline is Friday at noon for thefollowing week’s paper. Photos/artworkencouraged.

ONGOINGSculpture Now. Through March 4 at

McLean Project For The Arts at ChainBridge, 1446 Chain Bridge Road,McLean. Presented by WashingtonSculptors Group & McLean Projectfor the Arts and juried by NancySausser, Exhibitions Director of theMcLean Project for the Arts. Visitwww.mpaart.org for more.

Trevor on Stage. Various timesthrough March 5 at 1st Stage inTysons, 1524 Spring Hill Road,Tysons Corner. $30, seniors (65+)$27, students and military $15.

Purchase online atwww.1ststagetysons.org or 703-854-1856.

“Around the World” Arts. ThroughMarch 6, various time at Vienna ArtsCenter,

115 Pleasant St., NW, Vienna. Memberspaintings. Free. Visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org or call703-319-3971.

Stuff-a-Bus Food Drive. ThroughApril 15, various times at Christ theKing Lutheran Church, 10550Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. A fooddrive for non-perishable items tosupport Arlington Food AssistanceCenter. There will be drop off boxesfor donations of non-perishable foodthroughout the church. Then, onApril 1, look for the school busparked in front of the church. Call703-759-6068.

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 is

Calendar

See Calendar, Page 13

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Entertainment

By Cecily Wolfe

Flint Hill School

Haunting xylophones ring and sharpshafts of light illuminate a schoolhouse. Though the classroom appearsnormal, with a bookshelf, chalkboard,

and chairs, this is not a typical children’s story. Ayoung girl kneels holding flowers, and as a disturb-ing smile contorts her face, an alarming sense of fore-boding descends on McLean High School’s produc-tion of “The Children’s Hour.”

Based on a true story, Lillian Hellman’s “TheChildren’s Hour” is the troubling tale of a girls’ board-ing school in the 1930s in which one student, MaryTilford, accuses the heads of school, Karen Wright

and Martha Dobie, of inappropriate re-lations. Mary then deviously spins anelaborate scheme in which to ensnare thetwo headmistresses, until the rumor ru-ins their reputations, friendships, and the

lives of their loved ones. Premiering at the MaxineEliot Theatre in New York City on Nov. 20, 1934,“The Children’s Hour” received both critical acclaimand disdain because of its controversial material, yettoday is a staple in the American drama repertoire.

McLean High School’s production of this disquiet-ing incident treated such an upsetting tragedy withmaturity. Jordan Prather (Martha Dobie) personifiedthe sensible headmistress. Her controlled voice andpoised posture contrasted beautifully with her subtlehesitations when discussing her amorous feelings.Stutters and wringing of her hands belied her jeal-ousy over Karen’s relationship with her fiance, Dr.Joseph Cardin, while the desperate, hysterical edgebordering on a sob and agitated pacing adeptly con-veyed the inner turmoil over her sexuality.

Anna Kate Womack’s (Karen Wright) presence ac-centuated the intensity of the play, comfortable

whether she engaged in a heartbreaking exchangewith Joey Barth (Dr. Joseph Cardin), who helpedground the show through his rational tone and me-thodical movements, or a stark moment of silence andpenetrating stare that left the audience breathless.

Others, such as Emily Lachow (Mrs. Amelia Tilford,Mary’s grandmother) and Julia Luigs (Mrs. Lily Mor-tar, Martha’s aunt) accordingly portrayed the allegedwisdom of age through Lachow’s self-righteous bear-ing and Luigs’s dramatic, all-knowing air. In contrast,Rachel Kulp (Mary Tilford) fostered a charged at-mosphere through her chilling intensity. Her sulkingface fluidly transitioned to low, menacing tones andoverbearing stance, and just as easily to the falseinnocence of a confused child barely able to keepher body and voice from trembling in fear. AmandaFlores (Rosalie Wells) complemented Kulp’s eeriecharacter through her purposefully nervous shufflingand shuddering, while Carenna Slotkoff (PeggyRogers) and Ariana Colder (Evelyn Munn) capturedthe demeanor of young girls whose enthusiasm turnsto horror as their supposed friend backs them intocorners and pulls their hair. In fact, the school girlsas a whole appeared quite natural as they chatteredcomfortably and murmured anxiously about upcom-ing exams and social events.

Furthermore, technical aspects were impressive,including dresses of rich fuchsia and a gentle bluejuxtaposed with drab brown; crowded bookshelvesand neat office space easily changed into an immacu-late living room, and then to a barren, jumbled class-room; appropriately period props, from the telephoneto the black-and-white portraits; and amber lightingthat was both clean and natural.

Jarring and distressing, the painful memory of grimexpressions and bodies rigid with regret seared intoone’s mind by McLean High School’s “The Children’sHour” should serve as a lesson that since words alonecan destroy, one should use them wisely.

‘The Children’s Hour’ at McLean

Cappies

Review

dedicated to Preserving and promotingVienna’s heritage through theidentification, 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.

Tai Chi Beginners’ Practice.Saturdays, 8-9 a.m. St. Luke’sCatholic School Gymnasium, 7005Georgetown Pike, McLean. WeeklyTai Chi practice. Group has met forover 20 years. Free. FreeTaiChi.org.703-759-9141.

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 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.January and Februar hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., last tour 3 p.m. Admission topark is free except for some specialevents. South County GovernmentCenter, 7-9 p.m. 8350 RichmondHighway, Alexandria. Thursday,February 16, 2017 (Room 220) &Thursday, May 18, 2017 (Room 220)Chantilly High School 7-9 p.m. 4201Stringfellow Road, Chantilly.Thursday, March 16, 2017 (Room253) & Thursday, June 15, 2017(Room 253). For All Sessions, RSVPto: Carole Rogers at crogers@britepaths.org or 703-273-8829.

FRIDAY/MARCH 3Friday Fun Storytime. 11:30 a.m. at

the Dolley Madison Library, 1244

Oak Ridge Ave., McLean. Stories andactivities about Dr. Seuss’s Birthday.Age 2-5 with adult. Free. Call 703-356-0770 for more.

SATURDAY/MARCH 4Wine Tasting River Bend Country

Club 7 - 10 p.m. There will be adelicious selection of Hors d’oeuvres,cheeses and fine wines and minglingwith long-time and new Great Fallsneighbors.

TUESDAY/MARCH 7Lecture and Book Signing. Noon at

Trinity United Methodist Church,1205 Dolley Madison Blvd., McLean.Sandra Grimes, former CIA officerwho helped unmask Aldrich Amesand co-wrote 2012 book “Circle ofTreason” on the subject. Free. Visitwww.mcleanwomansclub.org. or call703-556-0197.

Mobile Tech Tuesday. 2 p.m. at theDolley Madison Library, 1244 OakRidge Ave. McLean. Bring a smartphone or tablet and learn about basicmobile device functions, or movebeyond the basics.

THURSDAY/MARCH 9LEGO Club (S.T.E.A.M.). 4:30 p.m. at

Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Have fun, use theimagination and keep theengineering and problem-solvingskills flowing with lots of LEGO®

From Page 12

Calendar

See Calendar, Page 15

14 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/Oakton

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

Recessed LightingCeiling FansPhone/CATVComputer Network CablingService UpgradesHot Tubs, etc…

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PINNACLE SERVICESlic/ins 703-802-0483 free est.email jamie@lawnsandgutters.comweb: lawnsandgutters.comFriendly Service with a Friendly Price!

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Windows & Doors • Roofing • Gutters

Our Prices Are Tough to BeatOur Quality is Guaranteed!

A&S Landscaping

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• All Concrete work• Retaining Walls • Patios• Decks • Porches (incl. screened) • Erosion & Grading Solutions• French Drains • Sump Pumps• Driveway Asphalt Sealing

Power WashingGo from green to clean, do you have

mold on your siding rotten wood that’sa hoa voilation? We do houses, decks,fences, side walks, etc. Deck and fence

repair, deck staining and sealing.Licensed & Insured • Free Estimates

email: jnave@comcast.net

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IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

Remodeling Homes, Flooring,Kitchen & Bath, Windows,

Siding, Roofing, Additions &Patios, Custom Deck, PaintingWe Accept All Major Credit Cards

Licensed, Insured, Bonded • Free Estimates • Class A Lic

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Phone: 703-887-3827E-mail: rncontractorsinc@gmail.com

www.rncontractors.com

J.E.S. ServicesYour neighborhood company since 1987

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• Planting & Landscaping Design• Drainage & Water Problems• Concrete Driveways, Replacement or New• Patios and Walks • Masonry Work or Dry Laid• Paver, Flagstone, Brick, any style you choose• Retaining walls of all types

Free Estimates - Fully Licensed & Insured

LAWN SERVICE LAWN SERVICE

WILLIAMS PLUMBING& RemodelingNo Job too small

Toilets, disposals, leaks, sump pumps, faucets

Lic & Ins 25 yrs exp24 hour service.

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PLUMBING PLUMBING

Partial or Full. Kit. Floors, Backsplashes.Specializing in Ceramic, Porcelain, Glass Tiles

and Natural Stones. Also repair work. 35 yrs exp.

BATHROOM REMODELING

703-250-2872Licensed • Bonded • Insured

www.brennan-tile.com

by Brennan Bath and Tile

TILE/MARBLE TILE/MARBLE

Quality Tree Service& Landscaping

Reasonable prices. Licensed & insured.

24 Hour EmergencyTree Service

25 years of experience – Free estimates 703-868-5358

Summer Cleanup...Tree removal, topping & pruning,shrubbery trimming, mulching,leaf removal, planting, hauling,gutter cleaning, retaining walls,

drainage problems, etc.

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

LANDSCAPING

SOD, Mulch, Clean-UpLeaf Removal

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A&S CONSTRUCTION

PLUMBING PLUMBING

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Residential & Commercial

It’s Never Too Early to schedule your pool opening for 2017

Call Jonathan Ruhe & Teamat Anthony & Sylvan Pools

Opening and Closing Packages(4th season free if booked before April 1)

Annual Pool Maintenance Contracts 10% OFF if booked by April.

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LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

The biggestthings arealways the

easiest to dobecause there isno competition.

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The future comes one day at a time.

-Dean Acheson

NOTICETO ESTABLISH A NEW BRANCH

Notice is hereby given that TD Bank, N.A.,2035 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19808,

has applied to the Office of Comptroller ofthe Currency on or about February 23 2017, as

specified in 12 C.F.R. §5 for permission toestablish a new branch to be located at

6260 Old Dominion Drive, McLean,County of Fairfax,

State of Virginia, 22101.Any person wishing to comment on this

application may file comments in writing to

Ms. Marva Cummings, DirectorOCC Northeastern District,

340 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor,New York, NY 10173

within 30 days of this publication.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES,

JEWELRY, COSTUME JEWELRY, FURNITURE, PAINTINGS AND CLOCKS.

Schefer Antiques703-241-0790

theschefers@cox.net

26 Antiques 26 Antiques

JENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

➣ Speed Up SlowComputers

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIEIt’s not as if I haven’t written about this date:

2/27, before (try last week, Ken), but as I sit atmy desk and stare at the calendar hanging onthe wall to my front right, the date jumps out atme. Not that I approach it with any fear ortrepidation, but I do approach it for days,weeks and even months, calculating my pastand contemplating my future. Cancer has a wayof marking time, and leaving marks —figuratively and literally.

Mostly I have weathered the cancer storm,eight years and counting/hoping. And as muchas I don’t want to define myself as a cancerpatient/survivor and live my life waiting for theother shoe to drop, it’s difficult not to whenyour feet are so swollen from years of chemo-therapy that you’re now forced to wear yoursneakers without laces. What I lose in support, Igain in comfort. Shoes I can’t wear any more.The leather soles don’t cushion my feet enoughto not fatigue my legs. The shoe can’t drop ifI’m not wearing it, right? Hardly. It can drop atany time. Certainly it can drop after my quar-terly scans, hearing that tumor and/or fluidgrowth has recurred or anytime in betweenwhen new symptoms appear and persist (fortwo to three weeks, my oncologist has advised).The trick is; heck, there is no trick.

And as much as I’d like to live this date asany other, the date on which one is diagnosedwith non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV andgiven a “13-month to two-year” prognosis byan oncologist, is a date that cannot be livednormally. February 27, 2009 is a date, to invokeFranklin Delano Roosevelt, that will live in myinfamy. February 27, 2009 was a Friday. Wehad scheduled a mid-morning appointment.My brother, Richard (my one surviving immedi-ate family member), met my wife, Dina and I(Team Lourie as I’ve become accustomed tocalling us) in the lobby of the HMO andtogether we took the elevator up to the thirdfloor (can you say somber?) where we were tomeet an oncologist — a man whom I hadnever met or heard of before, to learn exactlywhat the previous week’s biopsy being malig-nant, meant.

After the awkward introductions, theoncologist spent the next 10 minutes or soexamining me in an adjacent room. Uponcompleting the examination, we all reassem-bled in the doctor’s office where he proceededto review/read the results/assessments from theprevious seven weeks of tests/examinationsfrom the pulmonologist, the radiologist, thethoracic surgeon and the associated diagnosticprocedures completed: X-Rays, CT Scan, P.E.T.Scan, and of course, the biopsy. The medicalopinions started off bad and got worse: stage IV,non small cell lung cancer, a “terminal” disease.In listening to the reports, there seemed tobe little doubt as to the diagnosis. And so itwas clear to my oncologist how to proceed:chemotherapy infusions to begin as soon aspossible; to occur every three weeks for sixcycles with face-to-face appointments and CTScans to follow. And though it wasn’t, and ithasn’t been pretty, generally it has — presuma-bly, kept me alive and in reasonably good spir-its, all things considered, and some of thosethings considered have included some non-Western alternatives.

So here I am, nearly eight years to the datewhen my old life (pre-diagnosis) ended and mynew life — as a cancer patient, began. I would-n’t call it a metamorphosis, more like anupheaval. Somehow though, as the time, treat-ment and routine passed, I began to assimilateand integrate my new reality into my age 54and a half head and figure a way forward. Ican’t say it’s been fun, but the more I can laughand find humor in my less-than-ideal circum-stances, the more positive I can be about thenegative. A negative which has already doneenough damage on its own.

Still“Dating”

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bricks. Age 5-12. Free. Call 703-757-8560 for more.River Cruise Night. 7-9 p.m. at Paddy Barry’s

Irish Pub, 8150 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. Learnabout hosted group wine sailings as well asindividual reservations for 2017 and 2018 onEurope’s waterways. Free. ContactNiall@CaddieToursOnline.com or by phone at703-938-1300.

SATURDAY/MARCH 11Spring Bazaar. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Vienna

Volunteer Fire Department, 400 Center St.,South, Vienna. The Auxiliary to the ViennaVolunteer Fire Department will hold their SpringBazaar and Craft Show. Free. Call 703-309-3468or email Dancers1023@aol.com for more.

Essential Oils for Spring. 1 p.m. at the DolleyMadison Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave., McLean.Learn about the benefits of essential oils and themany reasons to use them. Adults. Call 703-356-0770 for more.

Effective Communication Workshop. 1-3 p.m.at Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Tom Pfeifer, the author of “Write it,Speak it: Writing a Speech They’ll APPLAUD!”presents tools for a more effective communicatorand leader. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/libraryor call 703-938-0405 for more.

Japanese Teas. 1-3 p.m. at Colvin Run Mill,10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls. Taste avaried selection of teas and take home a CherryBlossom Blend tea sampler. $35. Call 703-759-2771 for more.

Gospel Concert. 3 p.m. at Historic PleasantGrove, 8641 Lewinsville Road, McLean. Free.This community event features Voices ofWorship community choir singing traditionalgospel music and uplifting spirituals in a quaint1895 church setting, now an historic site. Visitwww.HistoricPleasantGrove.org for more.

SUNDAY/MARCH 12McLean Newcomers Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. at

Nostos, 8100 Boone Blvd., Vienna. CeciliaGlembocki, Executive Director of the VirginiaEgg Council will speak about her 35 years oforganizing the White House Egg Roll. ToR.S.V.P. for the luncheon, e-mail Gloria Cohan,gloriacohan@gmail.com by March 10. Visitwww.McleanNewcomers.org for more.

Winter Traditional Celtic Concerts. Shows at4 and 6 p.m. at The Old Brogue Irish Pub, 760-CWalker Road, Great Falls. Celtic musiciansperforming in a listening room by the fireside.$18/$12 children. Visit oldbrogue.com or call703-759-3309 for more.

MONDAY/MARCH 13Lunch N’ Life. Noon at Emmanuel Lutheran

Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Road. Shepherd’sCenter of Oakton-Vienna’s first Lunch N’ Lifeevent of the year, with “Scandals in the City”Alice Roosevelt Longworth as portrayed byentertainer, Elaine Flynn. $10, prepaymentrequired by Wednesday, March 8. No refunds.Visit www.scov.org or call call 703-281-0538.

TUESDAY/MARCH 1439th Annual Valor Awards. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920 JonesBranch Drive, McLean. To honor public safetyheroes from the Fairfax County PoliceDepartment, Fairfax County Fire & RescueDepartment, Fairfax County Office of the Sheriff,Town of Vienna Police Department, and Town ofHerndon Police Department who have put theirpersonal safety at risk to keep our communityand businesses safe. Chris Lawrence, NewsAnchor with News4 at 4, NBC4, will act asemcee. Registration is available online. Entry is$125 for a single ticket, or $1,250 for a table of10. Email athompson@novachamber.org.

Lecture on Italy. 5 p.m. at Dante’s Ristorante,1148 Walker Road, Great Falls. A discussion onexperiences in Italy. Dinner plus $5 per personor $10 per couple to cover Dr. Cicali’stransportation. Call 703-759-4605 for more.

Civil War Historian. 7:30 p.m. at the McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean.The program will feature noted CivilWar historian Jim Lewis who will discuss “TheEvolution of the Fairfax/Loudoun CountyBoundary Line and J.E.B. Stuart’s Most DifficultAchievement During the American Civil War.”The program is free and open to the public.Contact Carole Herrick at 703-356-8223.

From Page 13

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16 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

The growing chorus of criticismabout predatory lending in Vir-ginia may not have promptedlawmakers to start passing laws

to crack down on the industry. But it hasaccomplished one thing, formation of awork group.

“In this town, if you are in the minorityparty in a chamber that’s two-thirds Repub-lican, you take victories where you can,”said Del. Mark Keam (D-35). “I’d like tothink something good can come out of thisif we can bring stakeholders together.”

Lawmakers are concerned about severalaspects of high-interest loans. One is thebait-and-switch nature of many of the busi-nesses, where customers walk into a car-title business but walk out with an open-end line of credit instead. Another issue isthe completely unregu-lated nature of open-end lines of credit, origi-nally created for depart-ment stores but nowused by car-title lendersand internet lenders.Regulators don’t trackthem, and lenders don’tneed a license to offerthem. Recent years haveseen online lendersfrom around the worldoffer them with interest rates of up to 5,000percent.

“If the work group doesn’t deal with theopen-end loans, it’ll be a waste of time,”said Jay Speer, executive director of the Vir-ginia Poverty Law Center. “You can makerules about the Consumer Finance Act, and

then all the internet lenders will just switchto open-end loans and it’ll all just be a wasteof time.”

WORKING GROUPS are a common wayfor lawmakers to punt, essentially puttingoff making decisions and outsourcing solu-tions to a panel that makes recommenda-tions. Sometimes the groups end up mak-ing recommendations that are adopted bythe General Assembly. Recent years haveseen successful working groups that madesignificant changes to energy policy andworker’s compensation. Many lawmakersview them as an ideal way to consider diffi-cult issues outside of the frenzied pace ofthe General Assembly sessions.

“There are what I believe to be plus sidesto being a part-time legislature, and thereare downsides to being a part-time legisla-ture. One of the downsides is you can’t keepworking during one session in a short ses-

sion,” said Del. Peter Farrell (R-56). “Some-times it takes a year.”

For critics of predatory lending, the chiefgoal of the working group will be to regu-late open-end lines of credit. These havebecome the tool of choice for car-title lend-ers and internet lenders to offer unlimited

amounts of interest. And lawmakers don’tknow the scale of the problem because stateregulators don’t track them. That’s a prob-lem that critics say has an easy fix — re-

quire a license to of-fer open-end lines ofcredit, and makethem abide by thesame rules as car-titlelenders or paydaylenders.

“I hope that we seea path forward for alllenders to be li-censed,” said DanaWiggins, who an-swers the Predatory

Lending Hotline at the Virginia Poverty LawCenter. “If they’re operating in the state ofVirginia, they should all be licensed andthey should all have to follow the samerules.”

THE SHADOWY WORLD of internet

Work Group to Examine Predatory LendingPanel to investigate internet loans, car-titleloans and open-end lines of credit.

No MorePsych Beds

Robert Johnson of Woodbridge un-derstands the mental health crisis froma personal perspective. Back in 2011,he was struggling with a serious boutof depression and ended up handcuffedto an emergency room bed for ninehours. That’s because no psychiatricbeds were available in Prince WilliamCounty. So he had to wait for one to beavailable in Fairfax.

“Think of a horse-drawn carriage, andthe nearest hospital is 20 miles awayand you’re riding over speed bumps.That’s what I’m going through emotion-ally. That’s the kind of pain that I’m feel-ing handcuffed to that bed.”

Johnson presented his story to law-makers last week and asked them to

support a bill introduced by Republican Del.Peter Farrell (R-56). But lobbyists forhospitals opposed the bill because they don’twant lawmakers to change laws requiringhospitals to have certificates of public need,known as COPN. Farrell says he’s frustratedpeople in need won’t get help because hos-pitals are concerned about their bottom line.

“I don’t think it has anything to do withpsych beds.

I don’t think they want anything at allhaving to do with COPN reform period,”said Farrell. “I don’t think they want any-thing to go anywhere because they don’twant things to change. They enjoy havingtheir cake and eating it too.”

One silver lining, Farrell says, is that theissue will go to the Deeds Commission,which was set up after Democratic Sen.Creigh Deeds (D-25) was attacked by hisson because a psychiatric bed was not avail-able.

Ethics Reform orNew Loopholes?

Should lawmakers be allowed to receiveunlimited steak dinners from lobbyists atRuth’s Chris Steakhouse if they are at ameeting of the National Conference of StateLegislatures? What about a three-martinilunch paid for by coal executives at a meet-ing of the American Legislative ExchangeCouncil? All of that would be legal underethics reform adopted by lawmakers thisyear.

“The bill says that any meal provided forattendance at such a meeting is not report-able,” said state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30),the only senator to vote against the ethicspackage. “I don’t see why we need moreloopholes.”

Some say that lawmakers are standing upfor ethics reform, literally. One provision in

In Session

the ethics package would allow lawmak-ers to receive unlimited andunrepeatable food — if it’s eaten stand-ing up. That’s a provision pushed by Del.Todd Gilbert (R-15), who recounteda personal experience to justify the leg-islation. A few years ago, he said, hewent to a lavish reception where he atesome finger food and drank some soda.Several months later, he got notificationthat the event was valued at several hun-dred dollars.

“This just is trying to clean up thatwhole process so that people don’t getcaught in unwary traps while they arestanding around eating finger good andhaving a glass of cola or something.”

The bill also allows the state to redactthe home addresses of General Assem-bly members.

— Michael Lee Pope

Pho

to

by M

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ael Lee Po

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Del. Peter Farrell (R-56) wanted lawmakers to force internet lendersto follow the same rules as other kinds of lenders in Virginia.

“If the work group doesn’t deal with the open-endloans, it’ll be a waste of time. You can make rulesabout the Consumer Finance Act, and then all theinternet lenders will just switch to open-end loansand it’ll all just be a waste of time.”

— Jay Speer, executive director, Virginia Poverty Law Center.

lending is also in the crosshairs of the workgroup. Some companies offer loans at in-terest rates from 600 percent to 5,000 per-cent. Some of these companies try to getaround laws designed to protect consum-ers by claiming to have affiliations with In-dian tribes, allowing them to take advan-tage of uncertainty surrounding a law from1918 — long before the World Wide Webrevolutionized modern American finance.Last month, Attorney General Mark Herringhelped secure a $15 million settlementagainst a California-based company thatwas using a fraudulent relationship to aNorth Dakota tribe to evade Virginia lend-ing laws.

“In the absence of action, the internetbecomes a lawless place that plays by dif-ferent rules than traditional commerce,”said Kevin Mauer, associate director of theVirginia Catholic Conference. “Without pro-tective regulation, the commonwealth’svulnerable consumers may fall prey to moreand more opportunistic lenders.”