-
online at www.connectionnewspapers.com October 2-8, 2019
Postal CustomerECR WSS
Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material.
Requested in home 10-3-19
PRSRT STDU.S. Postage
PAIDEaston, MDpermit #322
Photo b
y N
adez
hda
Shulg
a/T
he
Connec
tio
nO
pinio
n, Pag
e 4 v
Enter
tai
nm
ent, Pag
e 8 v
C
lass
ified
s, P
age
10
WellbeingPage 6
Great Falls Teen Named on Horse Show Junior CommitteePeople,
Page 7
St. Francis To Host Fall Fest News, Page 9
Three candidates running for the Dranesville Dis-trict seat on
the School Board: Anastasia Karlout-
sos endorsed by the Republican Party; Elaine Tholen endorsed by
the Democrats; and Ardavan
Mobasheri, an independent candidate, participate in a Town Hall
forum in Great Falls on Sept. 25.
Hot Topics at SchoolBoard Candidates Debate
News, Page 3
-
2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Mercia Hobson The Connection
On Saturday, Sept. 28, the non-profit medical group
practice,Pediatric Specialists of Vir-ginia (PSV) located in
Fairfaxheld its 5th annual 5K & Family Health Fair:Race To Make
It All Better at Reston TownCenter attracting a reported 334
partici-pants and 32 teams. By Monday, Sept. 30,$43,874 showed as
raised according tofirstgiving.com benefitting Pediatric
Special-ists of Virginia. Top Team, Team Thaitan,named after
Thaitan Vinyoopongphan di-agnosed with Neuroblastoma Stage 4
Can-cer since May 2018, raised $4,010.
The specialists at Pediatric Specialists ofVirginia care for
children from NorthernVirginia and surrounding areas during
theirhospital stays at Children’s National andInova Children’s
Hospital and throughouttheir childhood on an ongoing,
outpatientbasis. Proceeds from PSV’s yearly fundraiser,its charity
5K and Health Fair, support itsphilanthropic mission “to provide
superbpediatric specialty care to children of North-ern Virginia,
including children and fami-lies dealing with serious or chronic
illnesses,experiencing hardship.”
Christopher Lawlor, MD Medical Directorof Cancer and Blood
Disorders, works at theFairfax office. As Chair of the Pediatric
Spe-cialists of Virginia Philanthropy Committee,he looked forward
to the opportunity toparticipate. “Proceeds from the event go
todirect patient care as well as research, edu-cation and
innovations. We have charitycare for patients who have limited
re-sources. We care for tens of thousands eachyear, from infancy to
twenty-one with somepatients continuing after that,” he said.
NEAR THE START line, nine-year-oldMatteo Lambert of Vienna, sat
on a benchwith his dad, Brandon. He wore a blue andred cape with
the image of a boy from Al-
exandria, on it; someone Matteo Lambertdid not know personally
but understoodwas fighting cancer. Matteo Lambert said,“I run
because I want to help other people,and it’s fun.” Matteo added he
remainedcommitted to his original goal of running32 5K races in
2019 to raise awareness forchildren with cancer and Hopecam,
hischarity passion. The 5th annual 5K & Fam-ily Health Fair:
Race To Make It All Betterat Reston Town Center would be the
28thrace he’d run to benefit Hopecam, whosemission is to overcome
the social isolationexperienced by children in treatment
forcancer.
According to Matteo, his father intro-duced to him a co-worker
of his, Len Forkas,founder of the nonprofit organization,Hopecam.
Matteo Lambert explained,“Hopecam helps (seriously ill) kids by
con-necting them with their classmates using acomputer or iPad. The
kids are going
through some tough stuff.”Near the Lamberts, many parents
and
children mingled, feeling the camaraderieand fellowship. Lizbeth
Molina, who worksin Pediatric Specialists of Virginia’s
Fairfaxoffice, said, “Seeing what the practice isdoing for the
children is awesome.” LaurenLipchak of Reston recognized not only
whatPediatric Specialists of Virginia did for hersister but also
what it offered her parents.“My sister has cystic fibrosis, and
when shewas younger, she spent much time in thehospital. It was
important to my parentshow much support they received, and
dif-ferent organizations made a difference,” shesaid.
The Swingle family of Springfield, An-drew, 11, Joseph, 6, and
mom, Vivian un-derstood first-hand. Joseph said, “We runfor
diabetes because my brother goes to PSVfor his endocrinology
care.”
For brother Andrew Swingle, though,
competition and record-breaking drove himto the event. “I want
to break a nine-minutemile.”
Peter Batista of Oakton said he chose torun because he
interpreted at Pediatric Spe-cialists of Virginia, and they
provided “greatcare.”
With the race set to kick off at 8:30 a.m.,participants visited
the health booths, bidon auction items via the PSV Silent
Auctionwebsite and enjoyed the music courtesy ofguest emcee, DJ
Chris Styles. Following in-troductions, words of thanks to
sponsorssuch as Platinum Sponsor AbbVie, GoldenSponsors Novo
Nordisk and Alliance andothers, and a brief warm-up, racers
as-sembled at the start line.
LIKE SO MANY OTHER CHARITYRACES, the mood appeared light with
afeeling of fellowship. Among the hundredsof racers running for
Pediatric Specialistsof Virginia, Mateo Lambert waited
quietly,joined by Joseph Dagbe, 17, of South LakesHigh School.
Dagbe said he came to race torun beside Matteo because he “is an
inspi-ration to me.”
Virginia Del. Ken Plum (D-36) also foundMateo Lambert. “Always
glad to be withyou, young man,” said Plum. Not to worry,Mateo said.
He explained he got his super-powers from the super kid whose image
wason his cape.
As the horn blasted, racers took off, anda short time later
Matteo Lambert, 9, ofVienna crossed the finish line. He placed9th
overall and 1st in his age group, chiptime 28:02.1. Lambert said he
would mailhis award medal and cape to Lucas; theybelonged to Lucas
as he gave Mateo thepower to run.
James Casey, 39 of Fairfax Station placed1st, chip time 22:12.6.
After the race, askedwhy he ran, Casey replied, “I had a daugh-ter
born at 24 weeks. Pediatrics was impor-tant to me because of my
daughter.”
Charity 5K‘Makes It All Better.’Running for Many Reasons
Parents help their children during warm-ups before the start of
the 5thannual 5K & Family Health Fair: Race To Make It All
Better at RestonTown Center to benefit the nonprofit medical group
practice, PediatricSpecialists of Virginia (PSV) located in
Fairfax.
The Minh Bui Family gathers for a group photo before the start
of the5th annual 5K & Family Health Fair: Race To Make It All
Better at RestonTown Center benefiting Pediatric Specialists of
Virginia.
Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection
Virginia Del. Ken Plum (D-36)wishes Matteo Lambert good
luckbefore he takes off to supportHopecam at the 5th annual 5K.
Itwas Mateo’s 28th charity race of32 he pledges to run in 2019.
Lauren Lipchak of Reston with herson Wesley before the start of
the5th annual 5K & Family HealthFair: Race To Make It All
Better atReston Town Center benefitingPediatric Specialists of
Virginia.
-
Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019 ❖
3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or [email protected]
Bu Nadezhda ShulgaThe Connection
On Sept. 25, the Great FallsCiti-zens Association hosteda Town
Hall Forum atForestvil le ElementarySchool with candidates for
Fairfax CountySchool Board.
Many in the audience came to the meet-ing well prepared. A group
in the yellowhats came to support Abrar Omeish. Othergroups were
equipped with only the home-made signs in a show of support or
protest.Some were just armed with stickers. Theycame to the debate
to get to know the can-didates better and to support particular
can-didates.
The cafeteria of Forestville Elementarywas full of people, and
no one was indiffer-
ent. Sometimes school board debates areeven hotter than
presidential debates - es-pecially when parents are in the
room.
Nobody who came Wednesday night wasthere to stay on the
sidelines.
The election for the Fairfax County Pub-lic School Board will
take place on Nov. 5.The 12 School Board members are electedby
district for four-year terms. Nine of themrepresent the magisterial
districts and threemembers serve at-large. All 12 seats are upfor
this election.
For 26 years, the Dranesville District hasbeen represented on
the school board byJane Strauss. She is now retiring.
Threecandidates who are running for this seat areAnastasia
Karloutsos endorsed by the Re-publican Party; Elaine Tholen
endorsed bythe Democrats; and Ardavan Mobasheri, anindependent
candidate. All of them partici-pated at the debate. In addition,
there werefive of six candidates who are running forthe three
at-large seats.
“Interestingly enough,“ Great Falls Citi-zens Association
President Bill Canis saidopening the meeting, ”I found out that
theschool system in Fairfax County is the third-
largest employer in the state of Virginia. Wehave one of the
largest bus fleets in thenation, 1600 buses. I sometimes feel on
theway to work that all 1600 of those are aheadof me.”
In total, the audience asked 65 questions— more than the
candidates were capableof addressing during the meeting. The
mod-erators selected the questions submitted bythe audience. All
candidates got to offer aone-minute pitch on the selected topic
orquestion.
The debate was moderated by Matt Haley,20-years Great Falls
resident.
The first question addressed to all candi-dates was what they
felt about the latestchanges in the FCPS boundary policy8130.8
which regulates the local schoolboundaries, program assignments,
andschool closings.
The changing school boundaries is a seri-ous and weighty matter.
The issue thatMcLean High School is overcrowded hasbeen discussed
over the last few years. Theproblem is getting worse every year.
McLean
In 2018, the School Board began discus-sions regarding the FCPS
boundary Policy8130. The Facilities Planning AdvisoryCouncil (FPAC)
annual report (page 10,recommendation 23), requests the SchoolBoard
develop recommendations for updatingthe boundary policies and
processes. FPAC isa committee of citizens appointed by theSchool
Board.
The School Board has held four worksessions to discuss boundary
policy (Oct. 15,2018, Feb. 25, 2019, March 11, 2019, andJuly 22,
2019). All of the meetings have beenadvertised and open to the
public.
The review of the boundary policy wasinitiated because of the
following issues:
❖ Overcrowding at several schools❖ Recognition that the current
level of
bond funding is not sufficient to addresscapacity demands,
renovations (currently a37-year cycle) and major maintenance in
a
timely manner❖ Reliance on trailers (over 750)❖ Planned growth
in specific areas of the
county❖ Demand for additional pre-k classrooms❖ The current
boundary policy has not had a
comprehensive review since its 1986 adoption.The county and the
school system were signifi-cantly smaller at that time.
A modification that allowed a single boardmember and the
Superintendent to makeboundary changes impacting 5% or less of
aschool annually was introduced in 2000 and anexpedited process was
included in the regulationin October 2015. In 2018, the
Superintendentstopped that less than transparent approach.
The One Fairfax policy, adopted in 2017,commits the county and
schools to intentionallyconsider equity when delivering
policies,programs, and services.
July 22, 2019 School Board Work Session
FCPS staff presented a draft policy in which“capacity surplus or
deficit of an existing school”was listed as a reason to revise
school bound-aries.
The draft policy does not recommend movingstudents outside of
their communities to balancedistricts based on racial and
socioeconomiccriteria.
The draft policy does not recommend “openboundaries” which would
allow students toenroll in schools other than their base
school.
The existing and proposed boundary policyincludes the
consideration of criteria such aswalking and busing routes, travel
times, andsocio-economics.
FCPS provides transportation services for139,000 eligible
students every day to and fromtheir neighborhood schools or to
specialprograms away from their base schools.
While the majority (76%) of the bus routes inFCPS allow students
to spend less than 30
minutes in transit each way, the increasedroadway congestion and
length of bus ridescontinues to concern the School Board.
School Board Requested the Superinten-dent:
❖ Hire an outside consultant to work withthe Board to identify
best practices inboundary policy and engage the communityin the
discussion.
❖ Identify “hot” areas of overcrowding thatare not included in
the current FCPS CapitalImprovement Program but may need aboundary
adjustment.
The School Board understands the sensitivityof discussing
boundary policy and is committedto continuing its work in a
transparent mannerwhich involves the community. In the eventthat
specific proposals for changing schoolboundaries are considered,
they will continueto be done in a transparent manner thatincludes
community engagement.
From FCPS, Boundary Facts Review of Boundary Policy 8130
After the meeting Abrar Omeish, candidate running for the for
the At-Large seat, answers the questions from the audience.
The debate was moderated by Matt Haley, 20-years Great Falls
residentwho previously served as chair of the FY2017 FCPS Budget
Task Force.
School Board Candidates Debate in Great FallsTown Hall Debate at
Forestville Elementaryattracts full-room audience;no one was
indifferent.
See Boundaries Issue, Page 6
Bill Canis, Great Falls CitizensAssociation President, opens
theTown Hall Forum.
Photos by Nadezhda Shulga/The Connection
-
4 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Great Fallswww.ConnectionNewspapers.com
An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered
to homes and businesses.Published by
Local Media Connection LLC
1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314
Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to
connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe
For advertising [email protected]
703-778-9431
Letters
To the Editor:It was going so well. I’m talking
about the Sept. 25school board candidate town
hall hosted by the Great Falls Citi-zens Association (GFCA)
atForestville Elementary School. TheGFCA president used all the
rightwords about the association’snonpartisanship and
policy of not endorsing candi-
dates. The rules laid down by themoderator were fair and
respect-ful. Disruptive behavior was notgoing to be tolerated.
The Forestville audience politelyapplauded their favored
candi-dates. Aside from a few placard-wielding demonstrators who
triedto intimidate Democratic endorsedcandidates Elaine Tholen,
AbrarOmeish, Rachna Sizemore Heizer
and Karen Keys-Gamarra, the au-dience was pretty chill, as
theyoung people say. Even all of theeye-rolling and head shaking
fromthe Republican Dranesville candi-date failed to encourage her
sup-porters to misbehave.
Everything was going well untilthe final two questions prior
toclosing remarks. The moderatorexplained he had questions spe-
cific to Elaine Tholen and KarenKeys-Gamarra. My ears perked.
Heproceeded to read from submis-sions scribbled on both sides oftwo
3 by 5 cards. The words wereclearly geared to embarrass Elaineand
Karen rather than elicit policy-related answers.
And, obviously submitted byVoices of Fairfax (VoF).
VoF, for the uninitiated, is anecho chamber that trafficks in
aconspiracy that descends to near-Pizzagate levels. It is an
amalgamof gotchas, gaslights andwhatabouts designed to spreadfalse
information and fear aheadof the Nov. 5 general election.
I seethed for a few minutes thenlodged a complaint with the
GFCA
Voices of Partisanship
To the Editor:Every election since graduating
from Langley in 1971, I have goneto the polls to cast votes for
Demo-cratic nominees up and down theballot, beginning with
GeorgeMcGovern. When it comes to thisyear’s County level races that
willnot happen. Since my sons gradu-ated from
Langley in the mid 2000s I havebeen less tuned into local
politics.
This year as I prepare to retire, Ifind out that the One Fairfax
policyvoted into effect earlier has realrepercussions for Great
Falls resi-dents.
One Fairfax is a “racial and so-cial equity policy that
providesboth the direction and means toeliminate disparities.”
While thisis very much in line with my val-ues, I had no idea that
it could beused to change the process bywhich Fairfax County
createsschool boundaries.The school
board has floated the idea of hir-ing consultants to
implementboundary changes. Pat Hynes(who endorsed Tholen)
says,”toachieve that right demographicmix.” This will inevitably
meaneventually removing neighbor-hoods from Langley to dilute
the“island of excellence” that existsthere.
To get a better grasp of what isreally going on I watched the
July2019 school board meeting twiceand was surprised to see that
Eliza-beth Schultz, a Republican mem-ber from Springfield, was
repre-senting my interests better thanmy own Democratic
representa-tive in Dranesville. I am now leftwith no choice but to
protect myinterests and vote for the mostqualified candidate to do
so:Anastasia Karlotsos.
Amy Sinclair DahmGreat Falls
‘One Fairfax’ PolicyAffects Great Falls
The Connection welcomes views on any public issue. Letters must
be signed. Include home address and home and business
numbers. Only your name and town name will be published.Letters
are routinely edited for length, libel, grammar, good taste and
factual errors.
Send to:
Letters to the EditorThe Connection1606 King St.
Alexandria VA 22314
By email: [email protected]:
www.connectionnewspapers.com/contact/letter
WhatDo YouThink?
president. He had, in my opinion,veered – unwittingly or
otherwise— into partisan territory by allow-ing the two questions.
He an-swered that they were the onlytwo questions for specific
candi-dates. Exactly my point, sir!
Greg BrandonMcLean
-
Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019 ❖
5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
www.lostdogandcatrescue.org
lost (adj): 1. unable to findthe way. 2. not appreciatedor
understood. 3. no longer
owned or known
Helping Animals FindTheir Way Since 2001
Adopt/Donate/Volunteer
Volunteers needed for adoption events, fostering,transportation,
adoption center caretaking and more.
From Page 3
News
HS is already overcrowded by 15 percentwhile neighboring Langley
High School op-erates at less than 85 percent of its capacity.
Changes in boundaries raise concernsamong families who might
have purchaseda home in the area so their children canattend a
specific school.
The School Board has been amending thepolicy to ensure equity
and effectivenesswhen considering school boundaries. Onefactor that
can be included is the “OneFairfax,” to consider equity. The One
Fairfaxpolicy, adopted in 2017, commits the countyand schools to
intentionally consider equitywhen delivering policies, programs,
and ser-vices.
The candidates for Dranesville Districtmember of the Fairfax
County School Boardwere asked to briefly comment on the posi-tion
on the revised draft.
“I’m against taking children from oneschool based on their race,
and how muchmoney their parents have, their bank ac-count and
moving them for that sole rea-son”, Anastasia Karloutsos explains
her po-sition. “I believe that we need to look atboundaries based
on overcrowding and
looking at how we actually revise our Capi-tal Improvement
Program.”
Elaine Tholen said, “The statement saysthat the biggest reason
that we wouldchange boundaries would be capacities,such as what
we’re seeing between McLeanHigh School and Langley. And I fully
agreewith that.”
“Fairfax One doesn’t say anything aboutequality of outcome one.
It doesn’t say any-thing about making sure schools one placeor
another are the same,” added ArdavanMobasheri.
One minute was too short a time for can-didates to formulate and
deliver a substan-tive response.
The panel was challenged as to whetherthey support a schools
decision to hire con-sultants to help with boundary
conditions.There were differing views on that, but themajority
supported handling this in-house.There were topics related to
having moremagnet schools and more advanced aca-demic programs.
The organizers of the debate, Great FallsCitizens Association,
published the full re-play of the two-hour debate on their pageon
Facebook (facebook.com/GreatFallsCitizensAssociation/)
Parents Raise SchoolBoundaries Issue
Three candidates who are running for the Dranesville District
seat onthe School Board are Anastasia Karloutsos endorsed by the
RepublicanParty; Elaine Tholen endorsed by the Democrats; and
ArdavanMobasheri, an independent candidate.
For the timekeeper Jim Trent, GFCA treasurer, every second
counts.
Photos by Nadezhda Shulga/The Connection
-
6 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Wellbeing
By Marilyn CampbellThe Connection
W hen Florence Murrian was diag-nosed with stage two breast
can-cer last December, the treatmentrecommended by her
oncologistwas a lumpectomy and radiation. In an attempt tohelp,
Murrian’s sister urged her to seek multiplemedical opinions and
insisted she ask for a moreaggressive treatment. Murrian, 54, felt
over-whelmed by the barrage of advice.
“It was the friends who just listenedto me as I sometimes
rambled on andon that gave me comfort,” she said.“There were times
when I didn’t wantto talk about it or cry about it. I neededto feel
normal and sometimes was indenial. What I didn’t want is
someoneasking me why I wasn’t acting a cer-tain way.”
When a close friend of loved one isdiagnosed with breast cancer,
the reac-tion can range from aggressive advicegiving as in
Murrian’s case to excessivequestioning to learning every
detail.During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month,some survivors
and mental health professionals shareinsight on offering
support.
“Sometimes I had conversations with friends thatmade me feel
worse that I already felt,” said Murrianwho lives in Arlington. “I
was so overwhelmed that Ididn’t want advice and I didn’t want to
have to cheerup my friends.”
Conversations designed to convey concern can goawry. “I
recommend avoiding invalidating comments
like, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ or forecast-ing
comments such as ‘Everything will be fine,’” saidJoanne Bagshaw,
PhD, Professor of Psychology atMontgomery College.
Though it is natural to be concerned and want spe-cific details
about a loved one’s condition, sometimesthe best words are no words
at all, says Professor ofPsychology at George Mason University.
“There maybe times to mostly listen and other times to jokearound,”
said Short. “Plan to continue enjoyable ac-tivities together, but
confirm whether your loved onewants to get together.”
Avoid non-specific offers to help, says Short. “I rec-ommend
taking the perspective of your friend andloved one and imagining
what she might like to hear,”he said. “You should express empathy
and support… prepare small meals or snacks to share. Offer to
help with household tasks, errands, orcaring for family members
or pets.”
For those who are unsure, consider-ing your loved the best
source of in-formation about her needs is more ef-fective than
making assumptions, sug-gests Bagshaw. “I do recommend ask-ing how
you can be of support,” saidshe said. “One can simply say, ‘Just
letme know how I can help.’”
“It is good to be encouraging, butrealistic,” added Short.
“Follow cuesfrom your friend or loved one on howto interact.”
Listening, validating and inquiringabout her overall wellbeing
can be more comfortingthan offering opinions or sharing stories
about otherwomen who’ve been diagnosed with breast
cancer.“Everyone’s situation and diagnosis is different,”
saidBagshaw.
“Avoid advice and assumptions unless you areasked for your
opinion,” added Short. “Some ex-amples [of things] to say are, ‘I
am sorry that thishappened to you. I want you to know that I
careabout you. How are you doing? I want to help’”
Choosing words andactions that don’t causeadditional pain or
anxiety.
Supporting Friends and LovedOnes with Breast Cancer
Breast cancer survivors Florence Murriangets together with
friends to volunteer fora supplies drive.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month,survivors like Florence
Murrian and men-tal health professionals share insight onoffering
support.
Photos courtesy of Florence Murrian
“ Everyone’ssituation anddiagnosis isdifferent.”
— Joanne Bagshaw,PhD, Professor of
Psychology at Mont-gomery College
-
Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019 ❖
7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
IN GREAT FALLS
731-C WALKER RD.· GREAT FALLS, VAState Farm Insurance Companies
Home Office Bloomington, Illinois
AUTO• HOME • LIFEFINANCIAL SERVICES
Like A Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There.®
www.gstephendulaney.com
Open SaturdaysComplementary Insurance and Financial Review
Proud Supporter of Military Appreciation Mondays
Visit
State Farm InsurancePeople
Area Teens Named on Horse Show Junior CommitteeKendall Schuler,
15, of Great Falls attends Connelly School of the HolyChild in
Potomac, and was selected to serve on the 2019
WashingtonInternational Horse Show Junior Committee presented by
SignatureAcademics. The show is Oct 22-27, see www.wihs.com
Pho
to c
ourtesy o
f WIH
S
-
8 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
CalendarSubmit entertainment announcements at
www.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Thedeadline is noon on
Friday. Photos/artworkencouraged.
ONGOINGCountless Shades of Black. Through Oct. 12,
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at The FrameFactory Gallery, 212
Dominion Road N.E.,Vienna. Countless Shades of Black features
localartist Alfredo Milian and Discovery Graphics.Free. Visit
www.theframefactory1.com for aslideshow.
Pop-Up Selfie Museum. Through Nov. 3, onselect dates and times
at Tysons Corner Center,Lower Level near Lord & Taylor. The
AmericanScream Selfie Museum will feature interactiveexhibits that
will make visitors laugh and screamand the star of eye-popping
selfies. The museumwill feature an array of custom-built
Halloweenthemed sets individuals can interact with: sit onthe Iron
Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms,stand in an ancient Egyptian
tomb and face theMummy; visit a gruesome morgue; andmore.$15-$18.
Visit www.american-scream.comfor timed tickets and schedule.
Oak Marr Farmers’ Market. 8 a.m.-noon atOak Marr RECenter, 3200
Jermantown Road,Oakton. Every Wednesday through Nov. 13, rainor
shine. Vendors include produce, meats, eggs,cheeses, pies, cured
and smoked meats,popsicles, sorbet, bread, croissants,
falafelsandwiches, humus, and pesto. Call 703-281-6501 or visit
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/oak-marr for more.
McLean Farmers Market. Fridays, through Nov.15, 8 a.m.-noon at
Lewinsville Park, 1659 ChainBridge Road, McLean. Sixteen local
farmers andproducers will sell fresh produce and fruits;meats;
breads and pastries; jams; dairy productsand eggs; herbs; flowers,
coffee, and more.
Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/mclean.
Great Falls Farmers Market. Year-round,Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.,
778 Walker Road,Great Falls. Music, vendors, fresh produce,
freshprepared food, delightful bakery, spices fromaround the world,
wild-caught fish, grass-fed,free-range meats, organic-fed poultry
and eggs.Email [email protected] formore.
Oakton Farmers Market. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1p.m. at Unity of
Fairfax Church, 2854 HunterMill Road, Oakton. Year-round weekly
farmersmarket in Oakton. Local produce, meats/eggs,dairy, baked
goods, and more. Admission is free.Visit
community-foodworks.org.
Mah Jongg Cards. Order cards through Jan. 15,2020, from Temple
Rodef Shalom, 2100Westmoreland St. 2020 Mah Jongg cards are $8for
small cards and $9 for large cards. Officialcards and will be sent
directly from the NationalMah Jongg League in late March/early
April2020. Go to bit.ly/mahjonggcards2020 or
[email protected] to order.
WEDNESDAY/OCT. 2Community Coffee. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the
Community Room of the Regency at McLean,1800 Old Meadow Road,
McLean. The McLeanNewcomers and Neighbors will host a coffee
formembers and for non-members who might beinterested in joining.
Visitwww.McLeanNewcomers.org or [email protected].
THURSDAY/OCT. 3Strong Girls Celebration. 6-9 p.m. at The
Atrium at Meadowlark , 9750 MeadowlarkGardens Court, Vienna.
Join in a night of funand help raise funds to support Girls on the
Runof Northern Virginia. A joyous event thatensures more girls gain
the skills they need to bestrong, confident, and healthy. $85.
Visitwww.gotrnova.org or call 703-273-3153.
Selling Suffrage: Words and Symbols toWin the Vote and the ERA.
6-9 p.m. atTower Club-Tysons Corner, 8000 TowersCrescent Drive,
Suite 1700, Vienna (entrance atback of building). Powerful
arguments andcompelling visual images were essential inconvincing
the American public to support votesfor women. The need to “sell”
the Equal RightsAmendment has also faced communicationchallenges.
Come hear experts and advocatesdescribe the written and graphic
messages thatsuffragists used to change public opinion, andlearn
how those messages connect to latercampaigns for the Equal Rights
Amendment.Heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and soft drinks
SATURDAY/OCT. 12Celebrating Lady Liberty’sBirthday. 6-8 p.m. at
The Gardenby Building Momentum, 5380Eisenhower Avenue, #Suite
C,Alexandria. A night of music,cocktails, hors d’oeuvres,
silentauctions and more. Party hosted bylocal non-profit Just
Neighbors tosupport legal services for low-income immigrants
andrefugees.Childcare will be availableat Scramble next door to the
venue.More information at Just Neighbors(www.justneighbors.org)
Model Railroaders OpenHouse. 1-5 p.m. at the ViennaDepot, 231
Dominion Road NE.Northern Virginia ModelRailroaders hold an open
house atthe Vienna Depot each month andon Vienna celebration
days,including Viva! Vienna and theVienna Holiday Stroll.
Freeadmission. Call 703-938-5157 orvisit www.nvmr.org.
THURSDAY/OCT. 17Celebrate “Hitchcocktober.” 7p.m. at Angelika
Film Center –Mosaic, 2911 District Ave., Fairfax.The Birds (1963).
Every Thursdaynight in October, a classic film byAlfred Hitchcock
will be featuredculminating with a showing ofPsycho on Halloween.
$14.50. Visitwww.AngleikaFilmCenter.com formore.Meet Bill Lewers.
7:30-9 p.m. AtPatrick Henry Library, 101 MapleAve. E, Vienna. Meet
the author ofthe Gatekeepers of Democracyseries, fiction books that
celebratethose who volunteer on ElectionDay to serve as election
officers.
Learn about “a day at the polls” as seen thoughthe eyes of the
election officers, who are trulythe unsung heroes of the American
electionsystem. Books available for sale and signing.Visit
https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/5247267.
SATURDAY/OCT. 19Fearless Girls. 2-3 p.m. At Patrick Henry
Library,
101 Maple Ave. E, Vienna. “Fearless Girls”: AnAfternoon of
Storytelling. Folk stories of bravewomen and fearless girls can be
found aroundthe world. Kristin Moyer will tell two storiesabout
Molly Whuppie, from the collection TheAdventures of Molly Whuppie
and OtherAppalachian Folktales, with a musical interlude.Visit
https://vienna-va.aauw.net/.
Bingo. 7-10 p.m. At Unity of Fairfax, 2854 HunterMill Road,
Oakton. The community is invited tojoin Unity of Fairfax for an
evening of fun andconnection as they play different Bingo
games.Snacks and drinks are available for sale.Participants can
make donations at the door toplay. Suggested donation is $20 for
adults, $10for youth under 18. Additional cards will beavailable
for an extra donation. The pot will besplit between the church and
winners of thevarious games. Visit
https://unitybingooctober.eventbrite.com.
SUNDAY/OCT. 20Conversations in Consciousness. 2-4 p.m. at
Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road,Oakton. What can the
final words of the dyingtell us about life after death? What
doeslanguage tell us about altered states and newdimensions? Find
out in this workshop! Cost is$25. Visit
https://consciousnessconversation.eventbrite.com/.
I Dream a World. 4-6:30 p.m. At St. LukeCatholic Church, 7001
Georgetown Pike,McLean. The Reston Chorale presents I Dream aWorld,
a concert of music by African-Americancomposers, from stirring
arrangements oftraditional spirituals to contemporary
choralsettings of Langston Hughes’ poems, plusinstrumental works by
Daniel Hurd and ScottJoplin. Guest artists include Soprano
SimonePaulwell, Baritone James Martin andComposers Evelyn Simpson
Curenton and Rev.David North. Visit www.restonchorale.org.
will be served. $75. Visitsuffragistmemorial.org/
toregister.
Celebrate “Hitchcocktober.” 7p.m. at Angelika Film Center
–Mosaic, 2911 District Ave.,Fairfax. Dial M for Murder
(3D).Hitchcock’s 1954 classic wasoriginally shot in 3D but
rarelyseen in this format. EveryThursday night in October, aclassic
film by Alfred Hitchcockwill be featured, culminatingwith a showing
of Psycho onHalloween. $14.50. Visitwww.AngleikaFilmCenter.comfor
more.
OCT. 3-27The Glow: A Pumpkin
Wonderland. Thursday-Sunday nights in Lake FairfaxPark, 140 Lake
Fairfax Drive,Reston. Enjoy an immersiveHalloween stroll along a
traililluminated by thousands ofintricately carved pumpkins,many
highlighting the CapitalCity’s most famous includingpumpkin
look-a-likes of iconiclandmarks, musicians, moviestars, superheroes
andprincesses. Autism Speaks Nighton Sunday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.
withadjustments made for guests onthe autism spectrum.
Advancedtickets are required. $16.99 forchildren; $22.99 for
adults, atwww.glowpumpkin.com/washington-dc.
FRIDAY/OCT. 4OLGC Golf Classic. 11 a.m.-8
p.m. at Westfields Golf Club,13940 Balmoral Greens Ave.,Clifton.
Join Vienna’s Our Ladyof Good Counsel CatholicChurch for a
fun-filled day with contests, foodand drink, and company to share
it with.Register by Sept. 23. $200.
Visitwww.olgcva.org/fellowship/golf-classic or
call703-896-7425.
Raise the Region Gala. 6:30-10 p.m. at HiltonMcLean Tysons
Corner, 7920 Jones BranchDrive, McLean. A fundraiser for the
CommunityFoundation for Northern Virginia supportingtheir work to
grow philanthropy to respond toneed, seed innovation, and lead and
convene thecommunity. The evening includes a cocktailreception,
silent and live auctions, an elegantseated dinner, and the
Community LeadershipAward presentation. Black tie attire. $300.
Visitwww.cfnova.org/ for tickets.
SATURDAY/OCT. 5Vienna Oktoberfest. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. On
Historic
Church Street in Vienna. At the 12thAnniversary, celebrate with
loads of food,vendors, music, entertainment, kids’ activities,and
beer and wine. Presented by the ViennaBusiness Association and Town
of Vienna. Thefestival draws 20,000-30,000 attendees.
Visitwww.viennaoktoberfest.org.
3rd annual DC-Metro Modern Home Tour.11 a.m.-5 p.m. in areas
including Arlington,Fairfax, and Great Falls. The DC-Metro
ModernHome Tour, a self-guided event, provides a dayof local
sight-seeing and open-house-style visitsfor lovers of architecture,
design, real estate,and anyone on the hunt for ideas
andinspiration. $20-$50. Visitwww.dcmetromodernhometour.com for
tickets.
Tea Seminar: Exploring Teas. 1-3 p.m. atColvin Run Mill, 10017
Colvin Run Road, GreatFalls. An advanced workshop for those who
haveattended past basic tea seminars. An explorationinto unique
teas - by process, terroir, and/orscarcity. Tea infused treats and
a take home teasampler included. $35 per person. Use ID
Code731.1973. Register at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes or
call 703-222-4664.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 5-6Book Sale. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.;
Sunday, 10
a.m.-2 p.m. (fill a bag for $5) at Patrick HenryLibrary, 101
Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Featuringthousands of used books, CDs, DVDs,
and bookson CD. Free parking and admission. Pricesremain the same:
hardbacks $2, trade
paperbacks $1, pocket paperbacks 50 cents, kidsbooks 25 and 50
cents. CDs and videos $1-$2.Credit cards accepted. All proceeds
benefit thelibrary. Email [email protected] or
call703-568-0104.
SUNDAY/OCT. 6MPAartfest. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in McLean Central
Park; 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd; McLean. TheMcLean Project for
the Arts will host its annualMPAartfest. During MPAartfest, Central
Park istransformed into a landscape of mini artgalleries and
features live music throughout theday, a Children’s Art Walk,
hands-on art studio,STEAM experiences, food vendors, and more.Free
admission. Visit www.mpaart.org or call703-790-1953.
Barn Sale. Noon-4 p.m. at Lift Me Up!, 9700Georgetown Pike,
Great Falls. Support Lift MeUp! a local non-profit organization.
Deals onsaddles to riding apparel to blankets and more.Prices are
as low as $1. Rain or shine. Donationsaccepted. Email
[email protected] orvisit liftmeup.org for more.
Vienna Hunger Stroll. 2-4 p.m. at Committeefor Helping Others,
133 Park St. NE, Vienna. Analternative to Vienna’s CROP Hunger
Walk, the“Cafe Stroll” is less than a mile and stops atBards’
Alley, Rita’s, and Cafe Amouri. Proceedssupport hunger relief.
Free, donations areencouraged. See crophungerwalk.org/viennava.
THURSDAY/OCT. 10Celebrate “Hitchcocktober.” 7 p.m. at
Angelika Film Center – Mosaic, 2911 DistrictAve., Fairfax.North
by Northwest (1959). EveryThursday night in October, a classic film
byAlfred Hitchcock will be featured culminatingwith a showing of
PSYCHO on Halloween.$14.50. Visit www.AngleikaFilmCenter.com
formore.
FRIDAY/OCT. 11Great Decisions: Cyber Conflict and
Geopolitics. 1-3 p.m. at Great Falls PublicLibrary. Great Falls
Senior Center is partneredwith the Fairfax County Department
ofNeighborhood and Community Services in allventures and events.
Visit gfseniors.org formore.
MPAartfestThe McLean Project for the Arts will host its annual
MPAartfest. During
MPAartfest, Central Park is transformed into a landscape of mini
art galleries andfeatures live music throughout the day, a
Children’s Art Walk, hands-on art stu-dio, STEAM experiences, food
vendors, and more. Sunday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.in McLean Central
Park; 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd; McLean. Free admission.
Visitwww.mpaart.org or call 703-790-1953.
-
Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019 ❖
9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Say goodbye to summer and hello to fallat the St. Francis Fall
Fest. Held from 3-7p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, St. Francis Epis-copal
Church invites the entire communityto an afternoon of bluegrass
music, foodtrucks, kids’ activities, Great Falls Cream-ery treats
and wine tasting by the WineOutlet. Festival admission is free.
Proceeds from the festival will support theministries of St.
Francis.
This annual event coincides with theFeast of St. Francis, the
church’s patronsaint. The Fall Fest will be followed on
St. Francis Fall Fest to Be Held in Great Falls
Photos contributedChildren take a break from pumpkin painting to
dance with the blue-grass music of the Andrew Acosta Band.
Community
Sunday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. with the annualBlessing of the
Animals, where creaturesgreat and small (and their owners)
receiveblessings for the year ahead. You do nothave to be a member
of St. Francis to bringyour animals to be blessed. Information
onthe Fall Fest and St. Francis Church can befound at:
stfrancisgreatfalls.org or by call-ing the church office at:
703-759-2082. St.Francis is located at 9220 GeorgetownPike, Great
Falls – at the intersection ofGeorgetown Pike and Riverbend
nearGreat Falls Park.
-
10 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
Thomas Godwin of McLean concentrates as he prepares to throw in
the frisbeecompetition.
Frisbee, Football ThrowingEvents Held at Senior OlympicsThe 2019
Northern Virginia Senior Olympics(NVSO) featured the frisbee and
footballthrowing events, including the softball hitand throw
events, at Wakefield Park in Annandale
on Sept. 18. The 37th annual NVSO provides senioradults with an
opportunity for competition, self-im-provement, and fellowship
through various athleticand recreational events.
Vienna resident Ken Unger won a silvermedal with a throw of 125’
5”. It wasUnger’s first time competing in the NVSO.
Falls Church resident Mary LouD’Alessandris makes contact with
thesoftball to win a gold medal in the 80-84age group.
GharemonSuleymon
fromMcLean
throws thesoftball 100feet to come
in fourthplace in his
division.
Pho
tos B
y Tom
Man
nin
g/T
he C
on
nec
tion
-
Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019 ❖
11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac
Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is one thing, and certainly a
big thing, but I’m much better dealing with it when the 50 million
other things we all have to deal with are not having to be dealt
with (ending a sentence with a preposition notwithstanding) at the
same time. And not that I’m the least bit unique in having all
these other tasks and concerns or even the most bit interest-ing in
that I have them. Hardly. They are simply the elements that
sometimes make living more of a job and less of an adventure. That
being said, when I am uncluttered by these mundane
re-sponsibilities and am able to focus on the things I want to do
rather than the things I have to do, I am so much more able to fend
off the inevitable demons that haunt any of us diagnosed with a
serious/in my case “terminal,” disease.
The last month was, and still is, such a month. It all started
with my application for a reverse
up, I met another, local company who so far has exhibited the
wherewithal to get the application approved. However, the
structural integrity prob-lem you regular readers know about has
impeded the progress I was hoping to have made by now. Not knowing
yet the estimate to right this wrong, I am twisting in a bit of an
ill wind, and I assure you, it is not improving my demeanor.
Yes, “Medicare is in The House,” but as of September 27, it’s
sort of a house divided. Because even though its effective date was
September 1st, I’ve not received an invoice. And since I haven’t
paid for any new coverage, am I still supposed to cancel my old,
in-force “Obama Care?” Moreover, if I don’t know exactly what I
have, am I supposed to buy a Medicare Supple-ment for coverage I
don’t know for sure even exists? I mean, it’s not as if my medical
welfare/
more worried, and obviously confused.If the unresolved reverse
mortgage and health
to stress over, consider my concern for the “Di-abetic Duo,” our
two cats with diabetes. Other than the real possibility that
either, if not both, of these cats will die on our watch, the
expense of sustaining their lives is past adding up. Items include
insulin, syringes, prescription wet food, prescription dry food,
two sizes of pee pads (because the liter box has less interest to
them or they can’t quite see it) and since they’re eating and
drinking constantly, we’re buying more liter than ever before, and
vet bills: diabetic boarding when we’ve been away for a weekend or
two and glucose monitoring every week to 10 days to check their
sugar level, all times two. Can you say credit card?
Two other extremely mundane tasks have also fallen on me during
this time line. Both involving the M.V.A., never an easy process:
emissions inspection and a driver’s license renewal. Again, not
Herculean tasks, but in the middle of all this other stuff. The
issue? More money and possibly more hassle to resolve their
respective ‘issues:’ possibly replacing a catalytic converter in
the 29 year-old Honda Accord, which has happened previously under
identical circumstances, and re-newing one’s driver’s license,
which now comes
requirements which if I don’t have/can’t prove, present another
slew of potential entanglements. And of course, the eye test. I
don’t wear glasses. What if I fail the test and they tell me I need
glasses. Then I have to see my way through that morass, and delay
resolving another task.
And just to complicate matters, I am waiting for results from my
bi-monthly CT scan and my wife, Dina, is waiting for results from a
scan she recently completed. Though neither one of us is the least
bit symptomatic, we are hardly dealing in absolutes here.
Absolutely though, I will say, I
check the rest, I’ll be back to abnormal and then I can plan for
the future rather than plod through the present.
WhenCompounding
isn’t a Good Thing
BulletinSubmit civic/community announcements at
ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome.
Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.
THROUGH OCT. 23How to Build a Better Budget. At the McLean
Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean. The McLean
Community Center (MCC)Governing Board invites residents of
SmallDistrict 1A-Dranesville to engage with planningCenter’s fiscal
year 2021 budget. All meetings ofthe Governing Board are open to
the public. Thepreliminary consolidated budget will be postedon the
Center’s website and available at theCenter’s reception desk a week
prior to thepublic hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Visitwww.mcleancenter.org/news-items/404-board-holds-meetings-on-fy2021-budget-proposal
formore.
❖ Residents may submit written comments throughMonday, Oct. 21 -
by mail to McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean VA
22101; fax 703-653-9435; or emailto
[email protected].
❖ The Board will approve the FY2021 budget whenit meets at 7:30
p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23.The final budget will be approved by the
FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors in spring 2020.
WEDNESDAY/OCT 3CarFit. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Vienna Volunteer
Fire
Department (parking lot), 400 Center St. S.,Vienna. Program
offers older adults theopportunity to check how well their
personalvehicles “fit” them. CarFit is an individualized,personal
instruction to educate drivers on howto best position themselves
(by adjusting thecar’s safety features) to maximize their
safedriving experience. Schedule an appointment at703-255-7801.
Learn more about the program atwww.car-fit.org.
SATURDAY/OCT. 5Mental Health and Wellness Conference. 8
a.m.-4 p.m. at Fairfax High School. The morningwill focus on
social and emotional learning, witha keynote address given by Dr.
Marc Brackett,founding director of the Yale Center forEmotional
Intelligence. A special session forhigh school students, the Our
Minds MatterTeen Summit, will take place in the morning aswell.
Attendees are encouraged to stay forInova’s Act on Addiction
Summit, which will beheld from 12:30-4 p.m. Breakout
sessions,exhibit tables, and resources will be available toall
attendees throughout the day. Lunch will beprovided. Visit
www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/mental-health-and-resiliency/mental-health-and-wellness
toregister.
Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at The Church of theGood Shepherd
(United Methodist), 2351Hunter Mill Road, Vienna. The second
“FallFestival: Where Fun and Kindness Connect!”includes a food
packing event, as well as a blooddrive, children’s program, moon
bounce, first-ever animal blessing (noon) and food andrefreshments.
Free, though canned fooddonations accepted. A Pet Blessing, a
first-timeevent for the church, will take place at noon tocelebrate
the feast day of St. Francis.Visitwww.GoodShepherdVA.com or call
703-281-3987.
WEDNESDAY/OCT. 9Fairfax County Park Authority Board
Meeting. 7:30 p.m. in the Herrity Building,12055 Government
Center Parkway, Suite 941,Fairfax. The Park Authority Board’s
12appointed members establish strategic policyand direction for the
Park Authority. Open tothe public. For agenda and more
information,visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/boardagn2.htm or call
703-324-8662.
THURSDAY/OCT. 10Social Media Wellness. 7-8:30 p.m. At
Langley
High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean.The Safe Community
Coalition hosts a freecommunity showing of the IndieFlix
OriginalDocumentary “LIKE.” The movie explores thesocial impact of
social media on our lives andthe effects of technology on the
brain. After thefilm, discussion will be led by Dr. Cliff Sussman,a
DC-based psychiatrist and expert on helpingpeople achieve a more
balanced relationshipwith digital technology.This event is free
andrecommended for adults and students of any agewho have phones.
Visit www.mcleanscc.org
-
12 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com