Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · 12/12/2017 · 2 Great Falls Connection December 13-19, 2017 21800 Towncenter Plaza Sterling, VA 20164 703-450-5453

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Sexton Christmas Trees of the White Top Mountains in Southern Virginia set up shop in the Village Centre in Great Falls to sell their Christmas trees. Pictured are employees Steve Joiner, Joye Daugherty, and Robert Kendziorek.

Home for the Holidays

Page 8

Holiday Entertainment

Page 12

Langley Chorus Presents Renaissance FeasteNews, Page 10

Federal Tax Reform, Bad for Fairfax?News, Page 3

Gift Ideas in Great FallsNews, Page 4

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 13-19, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Great Falls Connection ❖ December 13-19, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

“We are emphasizing on page oneopposition to federal tax reform and thatis a position that I simply do not agreewith.”

“Across the nation, local governments aregoing to suffer as a result of this taxpackage.”

— Dranesville Supervisor John Foust

“I’m failing to understand anyone whobelieves this tax bill was built andpredicated on helping low income people.”

— Lee Supervisor Jeff McKay

NewsConnection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Ken Moore

Most often, the Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervisors ap-pears unified. But last week,discussion about the pend-

ing tax reform measure in the U.S. Senateand House of Representatives sparked dis-cord.

“My primary concern on the federal pack-age is that we are emphasizing on page oneopposition to federal tax reform and that isa position that I simply do not agree with,”said Braddock Supervisor John Cook.

The board adopted its updated and re-vised strategies and principles for the 115thCongress on Tuesday, Dec. 5, despite objec-tions voiced by Cook and Springfield Su-pervisor Pat Herrity, the two Republicanson the 10-person board.

“The concept of reducing tax rates andeliminating deductions is one needed forthe national economy and I am disap-pointed that despite my requests and Su-pervisor Herrity’s requests, the board is onlylooking at one side of the tax reform issueand that is the elimination of deductions,and not looking at the other side which isthe economic growth potential that comewith the other aspects of it,” Cook said.

MAJOR TAX REFORM packages havepassed both the U.S. Senate and House ofRepresentatives, and a reconciled bill isexpected to affect almost every aspect ofthe economy. The measures differ, but bothincrease the standard deduction and elimi-nate or cap many itemized deductions, in-cluding the deduction for state and localtaxes and the deduction for mortgage in-terest payments.

In Virginia, 1.5 million households claim$16.5 billion in state and local tax deduc-tions, according to U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly(D-11). Connolly said in a release that280,000 households claim this deductionin Fairfax County, for an average deductionof $16,535.

“As a matter of fact, that [federal tax] billwas structured in a way, in my opinion, toexplicitly discriminate against more urbanlocalities across the country which do havehigher assessed values,” said Lee Supervi-sor Jeff McKay, “and in a lot of cases highertax rates because they believe morally thatwe must provide certain services for ourpopulation.”

Page 1 of the Board of Supervisors Strat-egies and Principles for the 115th Congressexpresses concern about changes in taxpolicy:

“Because revenue options for localities inVirginia are extremely limited, the County

opposes actions that impact County revenuesources or programs, including eliminatingor capping federal deductibility for state andlocal taxes, which are used to fund educa-tion, public safety, transportation, infra-structure and human services (current lawallows taxpayers to deduct state and localtaxes paid from their federally taxable in-come, preventing double taxation and al-lowing state and local governments to main-tain authority over the tax structures sup-porting those services).”

JOHN FOUST, Dranesville District super-visor, found Cook’s opinion hard to take.

“I just have to say, I just cannot acceptthat the tax package that is before the fed-eral government is anything but destructiveto local government which is where thingsare actually getting done these days,” Foustsaid.

“To support elimination of the real estatetax deduction as a member of a Board ofSupervisors, the local government, to me isjust unbelievable,” he said. “We absolutelyare going to suffer, not just our local gov-ernment, but, across the nation, local gov-ernments are going to suffer as a result ofthis tax package. We have to do everythingwe can to stop this.”

Herrity countered, “You can’t talk aboutthat piece of it while ignoring the fact you’redoubling the standard deduction and thevalue that brings especially to our low in-come residents.”

“I’m failing to understand anyone whobelieves this tax bill was built and predi-cated on helping low income people,” saidMcKay, chair of the Board’s legislative com-mittee. “I’m surprised I’m hearing it heretoday.

“Over 60 percent of our budget is builton revenue from real estate. To mess withor tinker with our largest source of revenuein any way that can have an effect on whatpeople can sell their property for, whatpeople can afford to buy and what their

bottom line is and how that bottom lineaffects the county’s revenue — to ignorethat would be absurd,” McKay said. “It ab-solutely will have an effect and local gov-ernments across the country see that.”

“I was going to be silent, but I think it ishard to do so,” said Catherine Hudgins,Hunter Mill District supervisor. “The taxpackage really sounds like something thatis going to be very destructive in the longterm.”

“Essentially this is taxing taxes, taxing taxrevenues and doubling taxation,” saidChairman Sharon Bulova.

Cook did not budge.“I have to disagree vehemently with the

statement that the tax bill takes away fromour local tax revenue. It’s absolutely false.It’s absolutely false,” said Cook.

Read Strategies and Principles for the115th Congress here:www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/legis-lation/2018/adopted-federal-legislative-strategy-and-principles.pdf

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMWITH A SIDE OF OPTIMISM?

During the same board meeting on Dec.5, supervisors formally adopted the 2018Legislative Program for the General Assem-bly, with a note of optimism based onchanges in the makeup of the House ofDelegates because of last month’s elections.

Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District super-visor, said: “With recent elections we havethe opportunity to change some of the dy-namics, and some of the focus, and someof the results that we get from Richmond.That’s essential for this county, essential forthe wellbeing of residents here and I wouldsay particularly for schools.”

Jeff McKay, chair of the board’s legisla-tive committee and Lee District supervisorreiterated the importance of schools as thecounty’s top priority, citing particular con-cerns about state failure to provide anyfunds for teacher raises in FY17, and very

limited funds in FY18.“Our [state legislative] program features

state support for education as its top prior-ity, and urges the state to fully meet its re-sponsibility to adequately fund K-12,” saidMcKay.

Virginia ranks 11th nationwide in percapita personal income, but 48th in stateand local revenue as a percentage of per-sonal income. Virginia ranks 38th nation-wide in state per pupil funding. State K-12spending per FCPS pupil was $3,267 in FY2016, while Fairfax County provided$10,526.

TRANSPORTATION IS another priority.“In this year’s program, we’ve also el-

evated our WMATA position into its ownpriority statement which encourages theGeneral Assembly to support dedicatedfunding and governance reforms for Wash-ington Metrorail.”

The region will have to work together toaddress Metro’s critical funding needs,McKay said.

On other transportation issues, McKayemphasized the importance of transporta-tion funding that is fair to Northern Virginia.

The Human Services Issues paper, whichaccompanies the legislative program, in-cludes three priorities, according to McKay.“The first is increased state resources forthe Children’s Services Act. The second re-lates to increasing waiver rates and slotsfor those with developmental disabilities.And the third is state support for diversionservices for nonviolent offenders experienc-ing mental health crises; this is in line withthe county’s diversion first initiative.”

Herrity, Springfield District supervisor,was the lone vote against the legislativeprogram this year. The program wasadopted, including the Human Services is-sue paper, on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Read the legislative priorities here:www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/legis-lation/2018/adopted-2018-legislative-program.pdf

Read the human services issue paper here:www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/leg-

islation/2018/adopted-2018-human-ser-vices-issue-paper.pdf

NEW BRIDGE OVERTHE POTOMAC?

The Legislative Program asserts the im-portance of addressing capacity and con-gestion crossing the Potomac River.

“The American Legion Bridge, one of themost heavily used in the region, is also themost congested. .... Since the largest num-ber of vehicles traversing the American Le-gion Bridge travel between Fairfax andMontgomery Counties, the chokepoint cre-ated by this bridge requires long-term so-lutions. … The volume of commuters dem-onstrate that another crossing is essentialto mobility in the area. … It is vital that thecapacity needs across the Potomac River beaddressed, including at the American Le-gion Bridge and Rosslyn Tunnel, to allevi-ate the existing congestion.”

Supervisors split oneffects of eliminatingstate and localtax deductions.

Federal Tax Reform, Bad for Fairfax?

— Braddock Supervisor John Cook


Gift Ideas

Luke Fowler and Armor Okeson, employees at Sexton ChristmasTrees in the Village Centre in Great Falls, select a tree.

Misguided AngelsLooking for some holiday gifts

from local mom and pop shops in thecommunity? Misguided Angels in theGreat Falls Center Shopping Centerhas just the answer. This store lo-cated where Viva La Diva used to beis a unique women’s boutique withaffordable clothing for daytime oryour next night out, according toowner Kim Hutchings.

Hutchings strives to find women’sclothing, shoes, handbags, and acces-sories from up-and-coming design-ers such as Sam Edelman, Hale Bob,Veronica M, Dolce Vita, Steve Mad-den, and Level 99 that won’t breakthe bank.

Misguided Angels is located at9843 Georgetown Pike, in the GreatFalls Center Shopping Center.

Misguided Angels offers these Freebirdby Steve Madden boots in two colors:brown and taupe, with laces up the backfor $328.

Misguided Angels offers anolive green faux suedejacket made by Level 99with tank top and necklacefor $193.

Photos by Steve Hibbard/The Connection


Get $50 off for every $350you spend on any bag purchase

November 17-December 31, 2017

9903 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 6:30 pm • Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

703-759-3735www.paulsleather.com

Gift Ideas

Adeler JewelersHaving been in business in Great Falls

since 1980, Adeler Jewelers is a full-servicefamily jeweler specializing in custom designand unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry, accord-ing to manager Wendy Adeler. Open seven

days a week, holiday sales are now in ef-fect.

Adeler Jewelers is located at 772 WalkerRoad, in the Great Falls in the Village Cen-tre. Visit www.adelerjewelers.com or call703-759-4076.

Adeler Jewelers offers this signa-ture 18k white gold and diamondcrescent necklace which is idealfor wearing daily. It sits perfectlyat the neck and is able to be wornat two different lengths for a costof $3,980.

Adeler Jewelers offers these 18kwhite gold Australian opal anddiamond stud earrings with vi-brant colors to enhance any ward-robe at a cost of $4,980.

Adeler Jewelersoffers these 18kyellow gold and

authentic ancientAlexander the Greatcoin cufflinks. They

are ideal for theman who loves

history and who haseverything, for a

cost of $5,980.

Faith Notes are for announcements andevents in the faith community. Send [email protected]. Deadlineis Friday at noon.

During Advent, Christ the King LutheranChurch, 10550 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls,will present a series of three midweek Adventprograms. The overarching theme of these eve-nings is “Peace for Our Time.” Each evening’ssub-theme will grow from a Reformation-erahymn. Each evening’s program begins at 5:45p.m. with supper followed by discussion, wor-ship and the lighting of the Advent wreath. Allare welcome. Visit www.gflutheran.org or call703-759-6068.

❖ Thursday/Dec. 14 – Peace in politics,hymn: “Now to the Holy Spirit Let us Pray”(ELW 743)

❖ Thursday/Dec. 21 – Peace in ourselves,

hymn: “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come”(ELW 268)

Living Nativity and Christmas Con-cert. Friday, Dec. 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. atRedeemer Lutheran Church, 1545 Chain BridgeRoad. Featuring the sounds of the season andthe excitement of live animals in the creche. Call703-909-3424 or email [email protected] formore.

Christmas Services at St. John’s EpiscopalChurch, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean. Call703-356-4902 or visit www.stjohnsmclean.org.

Sunday, Dec. 17❖ 9 and 11 a.m. – Festival of Lessons and Car-

ols.Christmas Eve, Sunday, Dec. 24❖ 4 p.m. – Family Service of Holy Eucharist

with Christmas Music at 3:30 pm


See Faith, Page 13

Faith Notes


Opinion

The Children’s Health Insurance Pro-gram, CHIP, provides health cover-age to low-income, children withfamily incomes too high to qualify

for Medicaid, up to 200 percent of the federalpoverty level in Virginia, up to $49,200 for afamily of four. In Virginia, coverage under CHIPis called Family Access to Medical InsuranceSecurity (FAMIS) and covers more than 69,000children and pregnant women. More than 8.4million children are covered nationally underCHIP.

Ironically, families with chil-dren covered under FAMIS(note that the S stands for “se-curity”) will receive letters this

week letting them know that their medical in-surance security ends in January unless theU.S. Senate acts to reauthorize (fund) CHIPby the end of the year. The House of Represen-tatives passed a bill to reauthorize CHIP inNovember, funding it mostly through cuts toprograms in the Affordable Care Act.

The letter to Virginia FAMIS participantsreads:

“We are sending you this letter because thesepeople in your family are enrolled in FAMIS orFAMIS MOMS:

“FAMIS and FAMIS MOMS are paid for bystate and federal funds through the Children’sHealth Insurance Program known as CHIP. For

20 years CHIP has had the strong support ofCongress and has been renewed many times.We are hopeful that Congress will once againprovide the funding to continue this program.However, because Congress has not acted yet,we need to let you know that there is a chancethe FAMIS programs may have to shut down.

“If Congress does not act soon, the FAMISprograms will end on Jan. 31, 2018.”

Having tens of thousands of uninsured chil-dren is bad health policy for every Virginian.It’s better for all children in school to have allchildren be able to access health care, bothpreventative care and care when they are sick.

According to a recent publication in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine:

“The body of evidence summarized here in-dicates that coverage expansions significantlyincrease patients’ access to care and use of pre-ventive care, primary care, chronic illness treat-ment, medications, and surgery. These in-creases appear to produce significant, multi-faceted, and nuanced benefits to health.

“Some benefits may manifest in earlier de-tection of disease, some in better medicationadherence and management of chronic condi-tions, and some in the psychological well-be-ing born of knowing one can afford care whenone gets sick. … Some of these changes willultimately help tens of thousands of people livelonger lives.

Save Healthcare for Children Right NowIf U.S. Senate fails to act soon, 69,000 children and pregnant womenin Virginia, more than 8 million nationally, will lose health coverage.

Editorial

“Conversely, the data suggest that policiesreducing coverage will produce significantharms to health, particularly among peoplewith lower incomes and chronic conditions.”

Also, having health coverage leads to greaterfinancial security, and that helps the economy.“There is abundant evidence that having healthinsurance improves financial security,” accord-ing to the same study.

Virginia’s U.S. Senators Mark Warner andTim Kaine have repeatedly called for a vote toreauthorize CHIP.

Yesterday, they said, “Today is a scary dayfor a lot of families in Virginia, and it was com-pletely preventable. We asked SenatorMcConnell multiple times to help us supportthe 66,000 children and 1,100 pregnantwomen in Virginia who receive their healthcare through the CHIP program, but Republi-can leadership still hasn’t brought it forwardfor a vote. There is a bipartisan bill on the table,and it’s critical that we pass it before Congressleaves for the holidays so we can give somepeace of mind to Virginia parents who areworried about whether their children will havehealth insurance in the new year.”

We wish everyone peace of mind in the NewYear.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

By Jean Jianos

In Washington, D.C. it is com-mon to see a tourist posing fora photo, trying to create the il-

lusion that they are holding one ofthe monuments in the palm of theirhand. A similar kind of photo wasprominently displayed as a partygag at a birthday party for a friend.

The man celebrating his birth-day was shown in the photo talk-ing with his hands. In the back-ground of the photo was a bikini-clad friend, creating the illusionthat he was cupping her breast inhis hand, in effect groping her.Hilarious, right?

The man being roasted by hisfriends acted sheepishly, but hewas not really embarrassed. Afterall, he was depicted as being incontrol and the dominant figurein the photo.

The female friend who was alsopresent at the party was mortifiedand left the room angry and closeto tears. Overreacting, right? Nosense of humor.

Perhaps another person would have

laughed it off in an attempt to regainequal footing with all the other partyguests, but then none of us would haverecognized this for what it was — oneof “those situations.”

She purposely had not been con-sulted about the use of the photobecause it was suspected shewould object to her body beingused as the brunt of a sexist joke.Her friends, a group of men andwomen, thought she shouldn’tmind too much because she lookedgood in her bikini, but that wasnot our decision to make.

In that moment when the photowas revealed she went from beinga peer to a prop. We were usingsomeone else’s body for our ownentertainment and satisfaction atthe expense of their dignity. Wehad put that other person in a po-sition where they couldn’t objectbefore the fact and would feel bul-lied into not objecting after thefact. There is a right and a wrong.The only matter of perspective iswhether we see it.

Jean Jianos is a local freelance writer.

Armed asFor a War ZoneTo the Editor:

I have followed the gun con-trol correspondence with dis-may. I hope nobody is under themisapprehension that a fewtweaks like better gun purchasechecks, closing some loopholesand clamping down on somefast fire gadgetry – all in them-selves desirable – will somehowmake a significant difference toAmerica’s national disgrace.While every gun death reducedis good, we are still not even inthe right ballpark in dealingwith the scale of the problem.

The reason Britain has negli-gible gun deaths compared toAmerica is that gun ownershipis very low, about 7 percent ofAmerica’s figure, and guns areheavily regulated. As a result,there is no arms race betweenpotential attacker and attackedand no arms race betweencriminal and police.

Most of the recent gun con-trol proposals have been,frankly, marginal fiddling anda sop to our consciences. If en-

acted, they would barely incon-venience the NRA.

Without drastic reduction inthe number of guns – by say 80percent – alongside very tightgun type and use restrictions,we will continue to live in acountry where deer get far bet-ter protection than humans andwhere daily slaughter of chil-dren and adults is normal.

Wringing our hands and pre-tending, almost weekly, that weare still trying to understand thereasons for this global anomaly– gun deaths at 45 times the UK– may make us feel better butit falls way short of solving theproblem. If the number of gunsis not drastically reduced thenwe had better just hunker downand get used to another centuryof this madness.

But please, let’s not wring ourhands and ask why it happens.We know the answer to that. Perhundred people, we have twicethe number of guns in Yemen!We are armed as for a war zone.

Ridley NelsonGreat Falls

A Matter of PerspectiveLettersCommentary

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Great Falls


Opinion

By Glen Sjoblom

President, Great Falls Historical Society

Who are we? Who were our parents andgrandparents, great-grandparents,etc. and which “Old Country” werethey from? How, when and why did

they come to America? In this time of year, we alsoyearn for those historic ethnic foods and activities ofour past. Our genealogy is a large part of our heri-tage, and we need to know who we came from tohave a more complete sense of self.

Today, everything seems to move so fast. In thisage of computers we can research our family heri-tage by use of scientific tools and the internet. I hadmy DNA tested by Ancestry.com, and received a re-port that said I had a 97 percent correlation withancestors from Norway and Sweden. I already knewthat but what is really remarkable is that my reportalso named a possible second cousin I was not awareof, whose grandmother was from the same town inNorway as my grandmother. I have also recently dis-covered my grandfather’s ancestors back to 1590,nine generations ago, who all lived in a small farm-ing area near Gjovik, Norway. For a kid who grew upin northern Minnesota to finally be able to connectthe dots to my past is truly amazing. You can prob-

ably do the same.The Great Falls Historical Society has invited Elaine

McRey, the Senior Genealogy Librarian at the Vir-ginia Room of the Fairfax Regional Library for ournext public meeting. McRey has been interested ingenealogy since her grandmother told her that whenthe Mayflower landed, her ancestors were waitingon shore to welcome them. But now she knows thefirst rule of genealogy – don’t believe everything youhear about your own family history, even if yourgrandmother tells you it’s true.

McRey has been working in public libraries since1990 and earned her library degree in 1999. After ashort stint working near Colonial Williamsburg andwatching a certain Thomas Jefferson come in everyday to use the Internet, she joined the staff at theCity of Fairfax Regional Library. She’s been a librar-ian in the Virginia Room since 2008. She spends moretime helping others with their genealogy than work-ing on her own, but luckily, she’s not the only gene-alogist in the family. It must be hereditary.

McRey will be at the Great Falls Library meetingroom from 7-9 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2018 to teach mem-bers and visitors how to use the tools available onthe internet to research their family trees. This is opento the public and all are welcome. Come early be-cause of the interest, to be assured of a seat.

The Great Falls Historical Society to host Elaine McRey,the Senior Genealogy Librarian on Jan. 10.

Exploring Your Heritage

On Dec. 1, Cooper Middle School studentshad an opportunity to meet the authors ofthe book “I Will Always Write Back,” the NewYork Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe andthe letter that changed both of their lives for-ever. Authors Caitlin Alifirenka and MartinGanda talked to Cooper students about theirjourney.

The letter was the beginning of a corre-spondence that spanned six years andchanged two lives.The authors talked abouttheir story in detail and how it all came to-gether. They explained how one schoolproject completely changed their lives. Mar-tin and Caitlin spoke about how Martin’s lifein Zimbabwe was completely different fromCaitlin’s in America and how becoming penpals showed them that. They also showedstudents a video of them finally meeting andhow hard but exciting it was to finally getMartin here to America.

When asked what had inspired them tostart telling children their story, Caitlin andMartin replied, “We wanted to let other kidsknow that they can make huge differences.Also that they are very fortunate to have tech-nology at their fingertips so that they canmake big positive changes and kind wordsall over the world.”

— Nikhita Rastogi

Local author Eileen Curtis de-buts her new book “ChamberTales: A Memoir of Commerce,Community and StunningForces of Change.” Curtis wasone of the longest-servingchamber execs in the country,holding the position of presi-dent of the Dulles RegionalChamber for 23 years. Her bookchronicles the transformation ofour region from agriculturallight-weight to two of thewealthiest counties in the coun-try. It takes readers throughparadigm-shifting changes,starting with the commercialinternet that began in Herndon.It also shares the stories of anamazing cast of leaders fromthe business and communitysectors who transformed thosechanges into regional success.

The book compiles more than40 tales of the people, eventsand crises experienced by thebusiness community and theregion over the last quarter cen-tury. Here you find headlinertales such as Virginia’s 9/11, theGreat Recession, the almost-didn’t happen saga of theMetro’s Silver Line and herchamber’s pivotal role in thatunfolding. The chamber wasagain on the front lines with im-migration, helping to realign aflipped community where im-migrants were the new major-ity, as well as shopping a pro-posal in the halls of Congressfor new immigration laws.

The book also helps educatea public that often has only apassing acquaintance with the

concept of a chamber. Besideskeeping its pulse on commerce,her stories relate tales of lead-ership, newsworthy networkingevents, advocacy efforts to pro-mote legislation in Richmond,and community engagementssuch as the Alzheimer’s Walkand the chamber’s much laudedFriday Night Live concerts.

“A chamber is some kind ofcrazy brew of all of these thrustsand its success is due to its vol-unteers,” says Curtis. People fig-ure large in these tales, whichoften pull at the heartstrings.One story drawn from partnerhigh schools involved the caseof a young Somali girl who,having fled to America, findsthrough her high school expe-rience that she wants to returnto her homeland and contrib-ute to its resuscitation throughteaching. Another relives a galahonoring heroes from thebattlefields of Bataan, Vietnam,and Iraq One. These are real-life dramas that passed througha chamber’s doors and are thebackbone of these chambertales.

Curtis, a published authorand resident of Great Falls, hasa long list of professional cred-its, including being named asVirginia’s Chamber Executiveof the Year. Her book has al-ready inspired comments fromVirginia Gov. McAuliffe, DCBoard of Trade President JimDinegar, and Dr. Gerald Gor-don, President of FairfaxCounty Economic Develop-ment Authority.

Eileen Curtis Launches‘Chamber Tales’

Authors CaitlinAlifirenka and MartinGanda Visit CooperMiddle School

Photos contributed

Principal Arlene Randall and Assistant PrincipalCherith Pierson (back) meet with the authorsCaitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda.

Theauthorsdiscusstheirbookwith thestu-dents.

Eileen Curtiswith her newbook “Cham-ber Tales: AMemoir ofCommerce,Communityand StunningForces ofChange.”

Photo

contributed


By John Byrd

There’s something quite satisfying about finallygetting exactly what you want after years ofanticipation, especially as the holidays roll

around.“I really saw this past Thanksgiving how well our

re-designed home fulfills a whole host of plans,” ac-cording to the couple, speaking of the completely re-furbished mid-century modern house on Lake Barcroftthey recently occupied after extensive remodeling.

Looking back, the owners’ far-reaching “wish list”was never assured. The couple had been looking fora lakeside house for years, but couldn’t find anythingsuitable for a young family with two children juststarting school.

Then last year the couple hired design consultantRoger Lataille of Sun Design Remodeling. The task:assess the rehabilitation possibilities of a circa 1950’smid-century modern actually situated on the lake.

Sun Design Remodeling had come with a consid-erable resume, having renovated some 30 LakeBarcroft residences. Still, at just over 2,000 squarefeet, the house under consideration seemed too smallfor the decades of occupancy that may lay ahead.

On the other hand, the waterside view was excep-tional, and Sun Design Remodeling offered both anattractive design/build approach and a versatile cre-ative team.

“They wanted a house that would work for themlong into the future,” Lataille recalls. “We saw ourgoal as not only adding usable new space, but en-hancing a classic style.”

The house “begged for a bold visual continuum,”

Proves perfect forholiday entertaining.

After years of searching unsuccessfully for a suitably-sized home on Lake Barcroft, theowners hired Sun Design’s Roger Lataille to help them find property that could beadapted to their needs. Among other problems with the existing house, walls separat-ing the kitchen, dining room and living room made the first-level seem boxy, dark anddated.


Pho

to

s by G

reg H

adley

the designer said. For instance, the existing interiorwas formed around a “boxy” floor plan with an en-closed kitchen visually sequestered from the beauti-ful view, and a wall between the living room anddining room.

The contrast between the old plan and the emerg-ing vision was a textbook case of how “space-useexpectations have changed in the American home inthe past 25 years” the designer said.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the couple had alsogradually concluded that the traditional floorplanssuch as the one in the Arlington home the couple

By removing unneeded walls, theremodeler introduced an “open” floorplan that emphasizes visual continuumand lake-side sightlines. Large formatstructural beams wrapped in walnut-stained pine present a vivid contrast tothe white tongue-and-groove ceiling. Thecenter island surface is waterfallSilestone. The modular track pendantlights over the dining table can be movedas needed.

Long-Anticipated Home Remodel


Cats benefit from being in a foster home. We needlong- and short-term fosters for cats of all ages,mothers with litters and kittens on their own.

Email [email protected].

Adopt/Donate/Volunteer atwww.lostdogrescue.org

Consider Fostering

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A Kitchen for the AgesW

hen empty nesters MikeRogan and Sue Shaffer de-cided to move out of the Ar-

lington home where they had lived for27 years, they embarked on a two-yearsearch for a new abode. They were look-ing for a home where they could age inplace and have space for live-in caretak-ers if needed.

They settled on a McLean home andhired Rill Architects to redesign it, cre-ating an open floor plan that allowed forentertaining. The design team created aspace that connects the kitchen to thefamily room, dining room, rear patio andgarage.

The Rogans wanted the kitchen to havean island, multiple workstations, cleanlines with Victorian detailing and enoughspace for multiple cooks.

The design team incorporated theRogan’s love of casual and modern. “Thepainted wood ceiling and traditional cas-ing with an arched pass-through play offthe more contemporary cabinets and

This McLean kitchen by RillArchitects includes maplewood,furniture-style cabinets withbrushed nickel hardware, classicmillwork and granitecountertops.

glass tile backsplash, creating both asleek and casual inviting space for fam-ily gathering and team cooking,” said JimRill.

— Marilyn Campbell


Sun Design Remodeling added atop-level master suite to a lakesidehome designed in a classic mid-century modern architectural style,enabling new owners to obtain thesquare footage needed for theirfamily of four. The 630-square-footaddition affords a “spot-on” viewof the lake.

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adley

had previously owned wasted too muchspace. The front-facing living room was sel-dom used; ditto the formal dining room.

TO ACCOMMODATE master suite re-quirements, Lataille proposed adding a toplevel addition with a large master bath andwalk-in closet. Truss joists calibrated tomeet new load-bearing requirements rec-oncile the challenges of building on a bev-eled roof.

With the location of the master suite nowresolved, the second floor gains re-deployable floor space, gaining a washer/dryer closet off the hallway.

Meanwhile, the most compelling featurein the primary living area is a steel momentframe which replaces the old window wall,and provides the tensile strength needed tosupport the new master suite.

By highlighting the elemental drama ofwoodland and lake, expansive wall-to-wallglazing invites an interior design treatmentthat explores textural surfaces, period fur-niture design and contrasting lights anddarks.

Overhead, large-format structural beamswrapped in walnut-stained pine present avivid contrast to the white tongue-and-groove ceiling. Waterfall Silestone countersurfaces and hardwood flooring neutralize,while the mid-century accents of the stools,chairs and even a bright turquoise sectionalin the living room present eye-catching in-timations of a resurgent American style.

Morgan Hutchinson, Sun Design’s spe-cialty designer, said, “Finding a balance thatrespects a classic style and [the couple’s]personal tastes was the real nature of theassignment. The design explores uniquerustic elements along with a new genera-tion of kitchen innovations. The goal was

to make a statement that can last, yet beeasily adapted.”

Sun Design Remodeling frequently spon-sors design and remodeling seminars as wellas tours of recently remodeled homes.Headquartered in Burke, Sun Design alsomaintains an office in McLean. Visitwww.Sun DesignInc.com.

Long-Anticipated Home Remodel

John Byrd ([email protected]) has been writ-ing about home improvement for 30 years.


News

Langley High School’s Chorus pre-sented the 15th annual Renais-sance Feaste last Friday and Sat-urday nights, Dec. 1-2, where 75

students dressed as Medieval-costumed jest-ers, minstrels and musicians serenadedguests with holiday carols while they feastedon a catered meal from Boston Market. Theshow at “Langley Halle” that was decoratedlike Merrie Olde England was sold out bothnights, serving about 330 guests.

“We try to imagine it as an old Medievalcastle and we’ve decorated it that way. Soit’s the tradition that would have happenedin the Renaissance – so there’s lots of dia-logue, lots of music and food to eat anddrink,” said Dr. Mac L. Lambert, Jr., ChoralDirector at Langley High School.

“We sing carols in English from France,Germany and Italy. These are all traditionalcarols that would have been sung aroundthis time from many different countries. Inaddition, the Madrigals are performing sev-eral traditional Madrigal songs.”

During the show, students serenaded

guests and served a catered meal ($20 perstudent; $35 per adult) from Boston Mar-ket, which included roast chicken, greenbeans, mashed potatoes with gravy, salad,breads, cheeses and fruit.

In addition to the familiar “Deck the Hall”and “What Child is This,” students also sangsongs like “Gloucestershire Wassail,”“Touro-louro-louro,” “Deo Gratias,” and“Fum, Fum, Fum.” The Madrigals have atotal of 20 students; the Chamber has 10;the Concert Choir has 20; and the Trebleand Select Treble Choirs have 27 students.

Interspersed throughout the singing werestudents who discussed the traditions of theMadrigals, how that singing came to be, aswell as a presentation of the boar’s headand plum pudding.

Students were dressed in colorful Renais-sance costumes created 15 years ago byJudy Harkins and are still being used. Thestudents rehearsed for the show for a monthand a half with a lot of extra rehearsals af-ter school.

— Steve Hibbard

About 75 students serenade guests withholiday carols over catered meal.

Langley Chorus Presents Renaissance FeasteMadrigals at Langley High School serenade guests during the Renais-sance Feaste.

Langley High student Madrigals entertain the guests during the Renais-sance Feaste.

The Langley High Women’s Chamber Choir serenaded guests as theywalked in. Madrigals at Langley High School make a toast.

The Langley High School Madrigalsoffer up a toast.

Shreya Balamurugan serveschicken to the guests.



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News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

While gray skiesloomed and thefirst snow of theseason fell Satur-

day morning, Dec. 9, families andindividuals arrived at the McLeanBaptist Church, 1367 Chain BridgeRoad for the production of Share,Inc.’s annual client Holiday Cel-ebration party.

Volunteers scurried in thekitchen and the gym to put the fi-nal touches on the festive holidaygathering. Share clients fromMcLean, Great Falls, and PimmitHills lined the hallways, patientlywaiting for the doors to open.

At 8:30, the doors opened, andvolunteers warmly greeted eachShare client and welcomed them,setting the tone for the rest of theparty. In the background, localmusicians played festive musicadding to the holiday spirit.

Of course, the sight of SantaClaus brought smiles to both chil-dren and parents, many dressed inSanta hats or their holiday clothes,ready for that incredible moment– a visit and photo with the manfrom the North Pole.

After their visit, clients receiveddonated gifts chosen for themfrom their own wish list. Insidewere items such as gift cards, smallhousehold items, linens, clothing,

and toys for the children. A lightmeal of donated sandwiches, fruit,and holiday cookies rounded outthe event.

Chris Wilbur is the Share Holi-day program chair. Wilbur said350 clients from McLean, GreatFalls, and Pimmit Hills attendedthe holiday party staffed by 30volunteers.

Wilbur discussed why this eventwas so important to her. “The rea-son I love Share and working onthe Holiday Celebration is thatwith no paid staff and no govern-ment funding, this program is trulyneighbors helping their neighborsin need.” Wilbur said that thus far,the nonprofit organization hasserved 291 families over the courseof the holiday season, nearly 800people, and done so with the sup-port of more than 50 volunteers.

Share, Incorporated is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit cor-poration providing emergency as-sistance since 1969 to the less for-tunate in McLean and PimmitHills, and nearby areas of North-ern Virginia.

According to Share’s website,need still exists. Their Food Pantryis in significant need of supplies,and the Furniture Program needsdrivers and helpers. To make a dif-ference in the community duringthis holiday season or all year long,visit shareofmclean.org for moreinformation.

Donors step forward with gifts,food, and welcoming smiles.

Share Fulfills HolidayWishes for Hundreds in Need

Photo by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

From left: Volunteers Catherine Nesbitt and FranLagerfeld prepare to set out one of the many plates ofdonated holiday cookies at Share’s annual client HolidayCelebration party held at the McLean Baptist ChurchSaturday morning, Dec. 9. Thirty volunteers staffed themorning event that drew 350 clients.


Holiday Entertainment

Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGVienna-Wide Food Drive. Through

Dec. 31, bring food contributions toVienna Town Hall - 127 Center St. S;Vienna Arts Society-115 Pleasant St.NW; Bikes@Vienna-128-A Church St.NW; Caffe Amouri-107 Church St.,NE; Evolution Fitness- 216 DominionRoad, NE; Rexall Drug Store-150Maple Ave. W; Drs. Covel, Stack andHenon- 120 Beulah Road, NE; PatrickHenry Library (co-sponsored bySupervisor Cathy Hudgins) and theVienna Community Center. Girl ScoutTroop 2684 will be helping NEVCAby picking up the food. Sponsored byCommittee for Helping Others. Call703-281-7614 for more.

Textures Exhibit. Through Jan. 7,various times at the Vienna ArtsCenter, 115 Pleasant St., NW. Call703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org formore.

Great Falls Farmers Market.Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 778 WalkerRoad, Great Falls. Music, vendors,fresh produce, fresh prepared food,delightful bakery, spices from aroundthe world, wild-caught fish, grass-fed, free-range meats, organic-fedpoultry and eggs. [email protected] more.

McLean Farmers Market, Fridays,through Nov. 17, 2017; 8 a.m. tonoon, 1659 Chain Bridge Road,McLean, Master Gardener PlantClinic on site to answer questionsabout plants in your landscape

Free Tai Chi. Every Saturday, from7:55-9 a.m., Introduction andBeginners’ Practice, meet on theoutdoor basketball court locateddirectly behind the Dolley MadisonPublic Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave.in McLean Central Park, McLean. Call703-759-9141 or visitwww.FreeTaiChi.org for more.

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

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

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

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

Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 PotomacHills St., Great Falls. Rentalsavailable during visitor center hours.Fishing tackle and live bait areavailable for purchase. Reservationsrequired for group rentals. $6/rental(2 hour max). Valid driver’s licenserequired. Rod/reel combinations areperfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwaterfishing license is required for those16 years or older. The park does notsell fishing licenses.

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/

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

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

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

SATURDAY/DEC. 16Breakfast With Santa. 8 a.m.-noon at

the Vienna Volunteer Fire

Department, 400 Center St. S.,Vienna. Pancakes, sausage, bacon,juice and coffee. Visit www.vvfd.orgfor more.

Night In Bethlehem Performance.5-7 p.m. at Andrew Chapel UnitedMethodist Church, 1301 Trap Road,Vienna. Nativity scene with liveanimals. Visitwww.andrewchapelumc.org formore.

Ryan Kinder in Concert. 6:30-8:30p.m. at Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave.E. $12-$20. All ages. Visitwww.jaminjava.com for more.

SUNDAY/DEC. 17Breakfast Buffet. 8 a.m.-noon, at

Vienna American Legion Post 180,330 Center St., N. Adults $9, children12 and under $3. Get omelets,scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes,bacon, sausage, hash browns andmore. Call 703-938-6580 for more.

Meet the Yoga Author. 1:30-3 p.m.at Body Grace Yoga, 215 Mill St.,Vienna. Former Vienna resident JulieDunlop will be hosting acollaborative yoga workshop. Dunlopis a James Madison High Schoolalumni, class of 1991. $30. Visitbodygrace.com/events/ for more.

Christmas Caroling Sing-Along. 3-5

p.m. at Historic Pleasant Grove, 8641Lewinsville Road, McLean. Songsfollowed by cookies and hot cider, atthis historic site. Visitwww.HistoricPleasantGrove.org.

Christmas Concert. 4 p.m. at ViennaPresbyterian Church, 124 Park St.NE, Vienna. Glorious Sounds ofChristmas, a Christmas celebrationfor the whole family led by theVienna Presbyterian Sanctuary Choir,the Cathedral Brass, organ, piano,and noted soloists. Call 703-438-0718 for more.

Living Nativity. 5-6 p.m. at Great FallsUnited Methodist Church, 10100Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Comelisten to the story, sing some carols,pet the animals, enjoy refreshments,and celebrate the holiday. Visitwww.greatfallsumc.org or call 703-759-3705.

MONDAY/DEC. 18McLean Class Sign-up. Various times

at MCC Class Programs Office, 6645Old Dominion Drive. Winter sessionclasses will begin the week of Jan.21. While the center’s InglesideAvenue facility is being renovated,classes are being offered at threelocations: the MCC Class ProgramsOffice, 6645 Old Dominion Drive;

AAUWWomen at the Helm event Saturday, Jan. 13, 10 a.m.at the Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. E. ViennaMayor Laurie DiRocco and Town Council MembersCarey Sienicki and Linda Colbert will share theirexperiences of leading the Town of Vienna. For moreinformation visit vienna-va.aauw.net/.

The Old Firehouse Teen Center, 1440Chain Bridge Road; and the MCCDance Program Studio, 1374 ChainBridge Road. Visitwww.mcleancenter.org/ for more.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 20Timeline Arcade and Ice Cream. 8

a.m.-6 p.m.-noon at The OldFirehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road,McLean. Play old-school video gamesand then eat ice cream. $55/45 forMcLean Community Center districtresidents. Call 703-790-0123 or visitwww.mcleancenter.org.

THURSDAY/DEC. 21Bowling and Movie. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.-

noon at The Old Firehouse, 1440Chain Bridge Road, McLean. $65/55for McLean residents. Call 703-790-0123 or visit www.mcleancenter.org.

TUESDAY/DEC. 26Beatrix Potter Tea. noon-1:30 p.m. at

Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac HillsSt., Great Falls. Learn about thefamous author. Nibble on cupcakesand sip fruit punch or tea whilehearing stories about the bunnyfamily of her creation. Meet a livewhite tale rabbit and learn what wildbunnies do in the winter. Make abunny of your own to take home.Call 703-759-9018 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 27Dave and Buster’s arcade. 8 a.m.-6

p.m.-noon at The Old Firehouse,1440 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Lunch and a $25 game card withunlimited arcade game play areincluded. $70/60 for McLeanresidents. Call 703-790-0123 or visitwww.mcleancenter.org.

THURSDAY/DEC. 28Tubing/Ice Skating Trip. 8 a.m.-6

p.m.-noon at The Old Firehouse,1440 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Chill out racing down hills on thetubes or gliding on skates. During theday, there is a pizza party. Admissionfor tubing or ice skating and lunchare included in the fee. $55/45 forMcLean residents. Call 703-790-0123or visit www.mcleancenter.org.

FRIDAY/DEC. 29Movie Double Feature. 8 a.m.-6

p.m.-noon at The Old Firehouse,1440 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Road trip to AMC for two movies.Movie tickets and lunch are includedin the fee. $55/45 for McLeanresidents. Call 703-790-0123 or visitwww.mcleancenter.org.

SATURDAY/JAN. 13Women at the Helm. 10 a.m. at the

Patrick Henry Library, 101 MapleAve. E. Vienna Mayor Laurie DiRoccoand Town Council Members CareySienicki and Linda Colbert will sharetheir experiences of leading the Townof Vienna. Visit vienna-va.aauw.net/.

WEDNESDAY/JAN. 17Art Workshop. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the

Vienna Arts Center, 115 Pleasant St.Artist Jacqueline Saunders is hostinga one day workshop. Call 703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org formore.

FRIDAY/FEB. 3Lera Lynn in Concert. 7 p.m. at

Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave E,Vienna. Call 703-255-1566 or visitwww.leralynn.com for more.

YogaFormer Vienna residentJulie Dunlop will behosting a collaborativeyoga workshop anddiscussing her book onSunday, Dec. 17 from1:30-3 p.m. at BodyGrace Yoga, 215 MillSt., Vienna. Dunlop is aJames Madison HighSchool alumni, class of1991. $30. Visitbodygrace.com/events/for more.

Photo by John Shearer

Live MusicRyan Kinder is at Jammin’Java, 227 Maple Ave E., Vienna,7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16.Call 703-255-1566 or visitwww.leralynn.com for more.

Live MusicOn Friday, Feb. 3, its Lera Lynnin Concert 7 p.m. at Jammin’Java, 227 Maple Ave E., Vienna.Call 703-255-1566 or visitwww.leralynn.com for more.


FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA450 ORCHARD STREET, NW

VIENNA, VA 22180703-938-8525

email: [email protected]

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

MIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM

Visit These Houses of Worship

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

From Page 5

❖ 7 p.m. – Holy Eucharist with Christ-mas Music at 6:30 pm

❖ 10 p.m. – Holy Eucharist withChristmas Music at 9:30 pm

Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25❖ 10 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

Blue Christmas Service – a non-traditional service of remembrance andhope – will be held at Katie’s CoffeeHouse 760 Walker Road, Great Falls onSunday, Dec. 10 at 3:30 p.m. brought toyou by Great Falls Area Ministries. Formore, call Carol Wright 703-582-1640.

Haven of Northern Virginia pro-vides support, compassion, informationand resources to the bereaved and seri-ously ill. To become a Haven volunteer,please call 703-941-7000 to request anorientation. Volunteers must complete a30-hour training and commit to oneyear of service answering Haven phones(2.5 hours weekly). Next training isscheduled for fall 2017.

Unitarian Universalist Congre-gation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton, offers the Religious Ex-ploration program for all children, frompre-K toddlers through high school se-niors, emphasizing exploration of allreligious traditions while developing apersonal spiritual path. The programoffers classes on Saturday afternoonsand Sunday mornings. 703-281-4230.

Trinity United MethodistChurch, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.,McLean. Sunday worship services are at8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School foryoung adults follows the 10:30 a.m.worship services and for children at9:30 a.m. Youth Group for grades 7-12meets Sundays at 5 p.m. A 20-minuteservice of Holy Communion is held eachWednesday at noon. 703-356-3312 orumtrinity.org.

Passages DivorceCare. For thoseexperiencing the pain of separation ordivorce, the caring community at ViennaPresbyterian Church offers PassagesDivorceCare. This 15-week program of-fers a path toward healing. 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 [email protected].

The S.P.O.T for Youth,Wednesday’s at 7 p.m. A place whereyouth can come together and pray, askquestions about the faith and receivementorship. The spot is a ministry ofFirst Baptist Church of Vienna, 450 Or-chard Street, NW Vienna.

First Baptist Church of Viennalocated at 450 Orchard St., NW, Vienna.Sunday services are held at 7:45 and 10a.m. weekly. Wednesday Night with theFamily service is held at 6 p.m. followedby corporate singing at 7 p.m. Biblestudies take place Tuesday’s at noon.

For those struggling physically orspiritually, on the first Sunday of eachmonth, Christ the King LutheranChurch offers a rite of healing as partof worship; the opportunity to beanointed with oil and prayed over. Dur-ing the healing rite, the pastor oranother person says a short prayer whiletwo people lay hands on the recipient.Then the pastor or helper anoints themwith oil as a sign of God’s healing andforgiveness. Christ the King LutheranChurch, 10550 Georgetown Pike, GreatFalls. Call 703-759-6068 or visitwww.gflutheran.org.

Faith


News

Completing Eagle Project at Riverbend ParkPaul “Mitch” Williams completed his Eagle Project Sunday, Dec. 10 with help from manyfellow scouts and adult advisors from Great Falls Troop 673 and support from theFriends of Riverbend Park. They constructed a set of stairs from the lower parking lotto the picnic area in the park to preserve the slope from degradation due to foot traffic.Pictured from left: Greg Stephens, Greg Roszyk, Alex Marjanovich, Mitch Williams,Mickey Williams, Charlie Clyne, Cam Williams, Greg Roszyk, and David Walton.


Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

SOBER-RIDE FOR WINTER HOLIDAYSFree Sober Rides. The annual Holiday

SoberRider program will operate 8 p.m.-4 a.m.each night from Friday, Dec. 15, 2017-Monday,Jan. 1, 2018. area residents age 21 and oldercelebrating with alcohol may download Lyft totheir phones, then enter the code in the app’s“Promo” section to receive their no cost (up to$15) safe transportation home. WRAP’s weeklyHoliday SoberRide promo codes will be postedat 2:00 pm on Dec. 15, Dec. 23 and Dec. 31 onwww.SoberRide.com.

THURSDAY/DEC. 21Caregivers Support Group. 10-11:30 a.m. at

UUCF Unitarian Universalist Congregation ofFairfax - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna Caregivers Support Group is held thefirst and third Thursdays of every month, yearround. Call 703-821-6838 or [email protected] for more.

TUESDAY/JAN. 9English as a Second Language Classes. 7-8

p.m. at at St. Mark Christian Formation Center,9972 Vale Road, Vienna. Come help 150+ adultlearners master the English language, preparefor American citizenship, learn to conversefluently in English, improve their writing skills,and integrate into the local community. Call703-980-9380, email [email protected], orvisit www.stmarkesl.org.

THURSDAY/JAN. 11English as a Second Language Classes. 7-8

p.m. at at St. Mark Christian Formation Center,9972 Vale Road, Vienna. Come help 150+ adultlearners master the English language, preparefor American citizenship, learn to conversefluently in English, improve their writing skills,and integrate into the local community. Call703-980-9380, email [email protected], orvisit www.stmarkesl.org.

SUPPORT GROUPSAre You A Caregiver? Shepherd’s Center of

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

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

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

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDRSVP, a volunteer network for seniors seeking

service opportunities in and around FairfaxCounty, Arlington County and the City ofAlexandria, offers a wide array of opportunitiesfor volunteers 55 and older. RSVP volunteersenjoy flexible schedules, free accident andliability insurance while serving, optionalmileage and meal reimbursement and areinvited to volunteer group projects and socialgatherings. To sign up for an upcomingorientation, email Carly Hubicki [email protected] or call RSVP at703-403- 5360. To learn more about RSVP, visitwww.rsvpnova.org.

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

Bulletin

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Five weeks of blissful ignorance. (Speak foryourself. I am.) No 24-hour urine collection.No pre-chemotherapy lab work. No chemo-therapy infusion. No CT scan. No follow-upappointment with my oncologist – or anyother doctor for that matter. No brain MRI. Nofasting. No emailing. No prescription-drugrefilling. No vitals. No weight check. Notaste/eating side effects. No anything. Otherthan pretending and presuming that all is notwrong in my “whirled” (my underlying diagno-sis), life is for the living, and I’m living proof,random though it may be, that an incrediblygrim/surreal prognosis: “13 months to twoyears,” was not all it was cracked up to be.

Forgive me if I unleash my pent-up innerdemons. As a cancer patient, there’s just somuch to worry about; daily, weekly, monthlyand always, that when you get a break/brakein the action, it becomes a moment in time tocelebrate and cherish.

Good things may come in small packages,but great things come in five-week intervals.And though the minor deficits I have as aresult of nearly nine years of chemotherapyhave not dissipated; in the scheme of things, inthe midst of two-fortnights-and-a-half of “une-ncumbrances,” to quote my late father, I am“untethered,” to once again quote my father.This time however, quoting the late, great SidCaesar for a skit he performed (involving “anelephant,” my father always said) on “TheShow of Shows” back in the early 50s.

And so for the next month and change, Iam almost normal (or a reasonable facsimilethereof); other than following my daily anti-cancer, non-Western routine which I have longago assimilated into my dos and don’ts, that is.A routine which, though it can always beenhanced, is a direct result of the advice I’vereceived from my certified Holistic HealthCoach. And despite the fact that I may notexactly be on the straight and narrow – morelike the squiggly and wiggly, I certainly am noton the path I was when my cancer cells acti-vated after I slid into my first PET scan back inearly February 2009, and “lit it up like aChristmas tree,” according to my thoracic sur-geon. An indication/confirmation which led toa surgical biopsy a week or so later which thenled to the last nine years of my life.

Still, it’s been a life worth living and one forwhich I have few regrets. I have lived so farbeyond my original prognosis, it’s not evenfunny; it’s ridiculous. Sure, I’m doing more ofthe right things than I ever did, but hardly am Ithe poster boy for “see what happens whenyou ... .” If I’m the poster boy for anything, it’smore likely “how to maintain and evenincrease your weight while being treated forstage IV, non-small cell lung cancer.”

Not that I won’t savor the moments ahead,but I am mindful, which led to the substanceof this column, of what happens after thissemi-party is over: Jan. 2, 2018 – 24-hoururine collection; Jan. 3, 2018 – pre-chemo-therapy lab work; Jan. 5, 2018 – chemother-apy infusion; Jan. 17, 2018 – CT scan; andfinally, Jan. 26. 2018 – follow-up appointmentwith my oncologist to discuss the results of myscan, and then maybe another emotional hon-eymoon or, God forbid, a nightmare that diag-nosis to date has rarely raised its ugly head.

That possibility roams my head, constantly;compartmentalized – yes; “in the vault” – yes,but unfortunately, “the cancer,” (as “Forrest,Forrest Gump” said) still in my body and,medically speaking, not yet something one canflush out with treatment. But there’s alwayshope.

In the past few years, the FDA hasapproved half-a-dozen new lung cancer drugs,more than during the preceding decade. Idon’t think medical professionals would saythey have lung cancer on the run; they mightsay however, they have it on the trot. Which isgood for me because I can’t run, but I can trot.

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