RCC Board Seeks - connection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.comconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/2019/0… · 19/7/2019 · actress most known for playing Angie

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com July 17-23, 2019

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Rainbow Flag Flies at Reston Church News, Page 3

Reston’s Sissy Sheridan to Perform in BaltimoreNews, Page 2

RCC Board Seeks Budget Input

News, Page 3

Reston Community Center Executive Director Leila Gordon and Chair of the Board of Gov-ernors Beverly Cosham review the June 2019 Annual Report.

2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ July 17-23, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill andwill make her feature film debut in “OddMan Rush” later this year.

News

Reston’s Sissy Sheridan, 15,will perform at the Girls’ LifeFashion Bash on Aug. 5 inBaltimore. Sissy is a socialmedia influencer with acombined following of morethan 70,000. She is mostknown for hosting theNickelodeon web series, DIYwith Me and Brat’s ChickenGirls. She has appearedlocally at Signature Theatre,Olney Theatre, and in com-mercial spots for The Wash-ington Nationals. This April,Sissy released a cover musicvideo and will debut her firstoriginal song this August.

Other performers at theGirls’ Life Fashion Bashinclude Hayden Sumemrall,Brooke Butler, and Lil Key.The event will be hosted byDisney star, Anna Cathcart.

Sissy Sheridan is a profes-sional screen and stageactress most known forplaying Angie in the hitchildren’s web series,“Chicken Girls” and hostingNickelodeon’s, “DIY with Me.” She alsohas appeared on Netflix’s “Maniac,”

Reston’s Sissy Sheridanto Perform in Baltimore

Photo by Samuel Nicol/The Connection

Sissy Sheridan pictured in the Reston TownCenter Fountain.

Reston Connection ❖ July 17-23, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsReston Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Love rules in Reston.As of Wednesdayevening, July 10,

once again a Rainbow flagflies night and day andwill fly year-round, at theentrance to United Univer-salist Church in Reston(UUCR) on Wiehle Av-enue. According to Rev. Dr.Debra W. Haffner, MinisterUUCR, the new Rainbowflag announces to allpeople they are welcome,and it is a symbol to allwho drive by “that sexualand gender diversity is ablessing.

“We affirm we will notbe stopped by acts of hatebut rather that theystrengthen our resolve tolive our faith aloud. We affirmour commitment to theLGBTQ+ community inReston and beyond,” said Dr.Rev. Haffner during the Rain-bow Flag Reinstallation Cer-emony.

July 10 marked nearly onemonth to the day another Rain-bow flag on a pole at the en-trance drive to church wentmissing. That event occurred aweek after the church co-spon-sored Reston PRIDE festival atLake Anne, and that theft oc-curred the third time in three

months, said a spokesperson forthe church. Jen Dixon,LGBTQ+ Task Force Chair withUUCR said, “We’re pleased to beraising our flag to show ourPRIDE and support for theLGBTQ+ community oncemore.”

Not to be deterred, Haffnersaid they would continue to flya Rainbow flag no matter howmany times one is stolen. “Mayit be a blessing for those whodrive by, and may they knowthey are perfect just the waythey are,” said Dr. Rev. Haffner.

“We will not be stopped byacts of hate,” said Rev. Dr. DebraW. Haffner, Minister atUnited Universalist Church.

Rainbow Flag Flies atReston Church

Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner,Minister United UniversalistChurch in Reston sees theRainbow flag fly once againat the entrance to the churchas of Wednesday, July 10.

Rev. Dr. Debra W. Haffner, Minister United Universal-ist Church in Reston leads church and communitymembers toward the church’s entrance off WiehleAvenue where they would install the church’s newRainbow flag.

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By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Robust commercial development in Restonheads to an approximate 50/50 split withresidential, unlike most other areas ofFairfax County which have a much more

imbalanced ratio, according to Leila Gordon Execu-tive Director Reston Community Center. She consid-ered this a win-win for all. “RCC treats employeesbased in Reston who may not live in Reston just likeresidents. This is a tangible benefit for the contribu-tion that commercial property taxpayers make to theoffering RCC has for the community. Essentially, thosetax receipts (Small District 5 tax) subsidize the par-ticipation of Reston residents,” Gordon said. Sheadded that taxes paid by Small District 5 subsidizeRCC offerings. “This enables us to provide a hugevolume of free or low-cost programming to all in theReston community. It also provides for the ongoingmaintenance and updating of our two facilities,”Gordon said.

A FEW DAYS before Reston Community Center(RCC) held its Annual Public Hearing on June 17 forits FY20/FY21 Programs and Budgets, RCC Execu-tive Director Leila Gordon and Chairman of the RCCBoard of Governors Beverly Cosham shared infor-mation about RCC’s funding sources, significant bud-get and program highlights, and opportunities. RCCprovides a wide range of arts, aquatics, enrichmentand life-long learning programs and events betweenits two centers, RCC Hunters Woods at 2310 ColtsNeck Road and RCC Lake Anne at 1609-A Washing-ton Plaza. The agency also reaches out to new neigh-bors and under-served areas through offsite venues.

Gordon said the purpose of the public hearing wasto allow the community an opportunity to weigh inon priorities. “People with focused input about thoseissues should provide comments within a couple ofweeks in order to influence the process of finalizingthe upcoming budget and its priorities,” she said.

Gordon noted that while RCC is a Fairfax Countyagency and functions within the regulatory frame-work it offered, unlike General Fund agencies, RCC’slocal Board determines what RCC does for Reston.“It also limits RCC’s service to the Reston commu-nity as a priority, and thus non-Reston participantsmust pay more for anything requiring a fee. In manycases for high-demand program offerings, they paydouble what Reston patrons pay,” said Gordon.

RCC is supported by two revenue streams, SmallDistrict No. 5 tax and user fees. The Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervisors, the governing body of FairfaxCounty, established the Small District No. 5 Tax inthe Hunter Mill District in 1975, to construct, oper-ate and maintain a community center paid for byReston property owners, both commercial and resi-dential. Reston Community Centers (RCC) at Hunt-ers Woods and Lake Anne are the result of this spe-cial tax for Small District No. 5.

“About 85 percent of our annual costs, the corecosts, are underwritten by the tax revenue,” Gordonexplained, with the remaining 15 percent of RCC’scosts coming from user fees. “Those are ticket sales,class registrations, activity fees and rental payments,”said Gordon.

The tax revenue officially referred to as “Small

District 5 tax,” pays for a significant portion of RCC’scosts. “It is an additional tax, above and beyond prop-erty taxes paid by residential and commercial prop-erty owners in Reston.” Gordon stressed that the taxrevenue, Small District 5, comes from “all of Reston,including the transit corridor, Reston Town Centerand North Reston, 20194 located between Great Fallsto east and Herndon to the west. It includes 20190and 20191. Gordon said that unlike most of theCounty which has an imbalanced ratio between resi-dential and commercial property owners,” there isnow roughly a 50/50 split in Reston with it having ahigher percentage of commercial property ownersthan the County does. Each year, there are approxi-mately 200,000 participations in programs, rentaluses, community events according to RCC.

Asked to detail significant items announced at thePublic Hearing regarding budgets and programs,Gordon flagged two. “This year, the Board will in-crease the ceiling of the agency’s (RCC’s) CapitalReserve Account from $3 million to $3.5 million,because of the increase in the cost of Capital Projects.”Gordon spoke about the current aquatics renovationat Hunters Woods, solar panels, theater projects andothers, both capital improvement and maintenance.

CITING ANOTHER PRIORITY, Gordon said thatthe RCC Board planned to extend outreach and offsiteprogramming, “to reach new residents and neigh-bors in the transit corridor and in neighborhoodswhere residents aren’t able to access (RCC) servicesas robustly. ... An innovation fund is being establishedto take advantage of unique offsite or outreach op-portunities that might occur throughout the fiscalyear. That is approximately $40K in funding for thatpurpose,” said Gordon.

According to RCC, looking ahead, in July the BoardFinance Committee will review the year-end actuals,and those results would be posted. RCC looks tolaunch a committee survey, redesign its website, com-plete the Aquatics project and launch new program-ming, achieve CAPRA accreditation, explore a newperforming arts venue while planning for capital re-investment in the existing facility and build commu-nity awareness, pride and cohesion.

Materials about Reston Community Center’s de-liberations are available on the RCC website, saidCosham. Gordon noted that people with input shouldprovide comments within a couple of weeks “to in-fluence the process of finalizing the upcoming bud-get and its priorities.” Send comments or statementsto [email protected]

Commercial propertiesshare costs for RCC equally.

RCC Board Seeks Budget Input

Photo by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

Reston Community Center ExecutiveDirector Leila Gordon and Chair of theBoard of Governors Beverly Cosham re-view the June 2019 Annual Report.


Opinion

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Reston

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

The House of Delegatesbroke all records forbrevity last week whenit adjourned 90 min-

utes after convening. It was notbecause the 100-member bodyhad become so efficient that it gotall its work done; to the contraryit demonstrated how dysfunctional the bodyhas become over the last several decades.

Brought together at the call of the Governoras he is constitutionally authorized to do, theHouse and the State Senate were asked to en-act legislation in response to the gun violencethat takes the lives of more than 1,000 citi-zens of our state each year including the mostrecent tragic mass murders of a dozen peoplein a Virginia Beach municipal building. TheRepublican majorities in both houses insteadchose, on a partisan vote, to adjourn the Spe-cial Session before legislation on gun safetycould even be discussed. Tellingly, the SpecialSession is adjourned until Nov. 18 which hap-

pens to also be past the date ofthe next election.

The charade of sending theeight bills the Governor had rec-ommended, along with the twodozen or so others that had beenintroduced, to the Crime Commis-sion for study is laughable. Allthese bills had been introducedbefore and defeated in small sub-committees. There is little morethat can be said about these bills

other than they become more popular with thepublic as gun violence increases. The bill I in-troduced on universal background checks hasbeen thoroughly examined over many yearsand in public opinion has an approval rateamong voters hovering around 90 percent.

The argument that there was not time to hearthe bills doesn’t ring true when you considerthat a regular session of the General Assemblyearlier this year considered more than 2,500bills and resolutions in about a month and ahalf. All the weaving and bobbing and flimsyexcuses are intended to cover up that the Houseof Delegates and the State Senate under

present leadership have become dysfunctional.The rules under which the Special Session

was to be conducted were kept from the mem-bers and the public until the session convenedeven though the leadership had known the datefor weeks from the Governor’s call for the ses-sion. Even the more sinister plan to do noth-ing by adjourning both houses came as a sur-prise to everyone but the smallest number ofmembers in the Republican leadership.

One of the biggest problems in the Housewith its organization and operation is that theSpeaker serves not as Speaker of the Housebut as head of the Republican majority. As aresult there is no neutral arbiter to conveneand conduct the business of the House.

When I talked with the Right HonourableJohn Bercow M.P. of the British House of Com-mons a couple of months ago he spoke of hisrole as a neutral person who ensures that theHouse operates fairly. There is no pretense inthe Virginia House that the Speaker is anythingother than head of the majority party and op-erates the House not in fairness or impartial-ity but to the advantage of the majority even ifthat majority is secured by only one or twovotes.

The House is dysfunctional as it currentlyoperates and needs reform in the role of theSpeaker.

Universal background checks has an approvalrate among voters hovering around 90 percent.

A Dysfunctional House

By Bill Woolf

Executive Director, Just Ask Trafficking

Prevention Foundation.

The recent news about Jeffrey Epstein’sarrest in New York on new sex-traf-ficking charges involving allegations

that date to the early 2000s is alarming tomany.

It wasn’t for us. That’s the bad news. TheJust Ask Trafficking Prevention Foundation, aglobal leader in combating human trafficking,is all too familiar with cases like Epstein’s.

The good news is we’re doing somethingabout it. Our real-world experience and glo-bal knowledge about combating human traf-ficking enable us to do much more than sym-pathize with Epstein’s victims of these allegednew crimes. We know how to fight back, andwe are.

To better understand what we do and whywe first must understand what sex traffickingis. The federal government defines It as therecruitment, harboring, transportation, provi-sion, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of aperson for the purposes of a commercial sexact, in which the commercial sex act is inducedby force, fraud, or coercion, or in which theperson induced to perform such an act has notattained 18 years of age (22 USC § 7102).

There’s a lot more to sex trafficking than justprostitution. The sex trafficking industry is apart of the world’s second largest and mostlucrative criminal enterprise grossing morethan $150 billion annually.

Defeating a billion-dollar industry isn’tmerely a battle. It’s a world war with the goodguys significantly outgunned financially. Forexample, the United Nations Voluntary TrustFund, created in 2010 to provide humanitar-ian, legal and financial aid to victims of hu-man trafficking to increase the number of thoserescued and supported, and broaden the ex-tent of assistance they receive, only received$6.7 million as of May 2019. Jeffrey Epstein’sproposed bail package is estimated to be ashigh as $77 million alone.

Winning the battle is simply a matter of un-derstanding and then eliminating the logisticsbehind the world’s second largest criminal en-terprise. Logistics? Yes, we need to reduce boththe supply of victims for human traffickers andthe demand for them. Our best weapon? Hu-man trafficking awareness and prevention isthe most effective and least expensive methodto reduce and ultimately eliminate the supplyand demand for the sex trafficking industry.

First, we must stop the supply of human traf-ficking victims by educating at-risk populationsabout what human trafficking is, how they canbe targeted, and what to do to become immuneto their tactics. Most victims fall prey to thelikes of predators like Epstein because they areunaware they are being lured in by lies or falsepromises for things like money, prestige, power,or safety until it is too late. Then, trapped, thevictims become resolved to their fate, impov-erished, or worse, suicidal because of theirsense of hopelessness. On average, once a per-son becomes involved in human trafficking,

their life expectancy plummets to just sevenyears because of the enormous stress and physi-cal abuse, their bodies and minds endure.

Secondly, we need to acknowledge criminalslike Jeffrey Epstein exist. Our awareness ofthem is the first step toward defeating them.As awareness grows for potential victims,awareness grows for prospective clients ofhuman traffickers. By educating potential sextrafficking clients about the realities of prosti-tution and sex trafficking as a crime, researchhas proven it lowers demand by swaying themnot to purchase sex or tolerate or support thepractice of buying sex within their peer groups.In addition to awareness programs, the en-forcement of our human trafficking laws canhelp deter future criminals by making it clearto the public that if you participate in humantrafficking, you’re going to get caught and moreimportantly, you’re going to be held account-able.

The Just Ask Trafficking Prevention Founda-tion is a global leader in education and aware-ness campaigns for people of all ages, demo-graphics, occupations and nationalities. Oneof our most effective programs is our school-based curriculum, which has reached morethan 160,000 students worldwide and contin-ues to grow. In northern Virginia, two coun-ties, Fairfax and Loudoun, employ our pro-gramming directly through the school system’sFamily Life Education (FLE), maximizing theopportunity to engage our children when they

Human Trafficking Supply and Demand

See Trafficking, Page 7


By Marilyn Campbell

A collection of rocks collected at Mt.Vesuvius in Naples, a souvenir from theleaning tower of Pisa, crayon-on-con-struction paper drawings of the beaches

in Naples, Italy are all part of the travel journals thatSonia Pruneda-Hernandez preserved. These are keep-sakes that her son began creating when he was inpreschool. Recently she perused those journals, re-living the memories with her son who is now a 22year-old college student.

“As a military spouse I had the opportunity to livein Naples, Italy,” said Pruneda-Hernandez, who nowworks as the Director of Early Childhood EducationInitiatives at Montgomery College. “When we trav-eled in Europe, I provided my son travel journals. Asa preschooler, he drew pictures of the places we vis-ited and I would write parts of our conversations onthe drawings. As he learned to write, his travel jour-nals began to become more complex with him draw-ing and writing. I saved those journals and he is ableto relive the memories of thoseexperiences.”

Journals created during summervacations allow families to main-tain the experience of their tripslong after they’ve returned home.Whether one’s plans include a sa-fari in Kenya or a staycationamong the monuments along theNational Mall, keeping detailedrecords gives children who are liv-ing in the age of selfies and socialmedia posts, a thoughtful optionfor holding onto memories.

“Travel journals are importantbecause they [allow children], tohave those memories of those ex-periences,” said Pruneda-Hernandez.

Advanced planning leads to creative journals thatare a form of self-expression, suggests Wendy Rowe,a writing tutor and art teacher. “Before you leave foryour trip, ask your child to think about what they’remost excited about and the type of journal they’dlike to keep,” she said. “For example, my daughterlikes to paint watercolor pictures of things that shesees. Other children might make a journal that’s awritten narrative. What’s important is that parentsallow children to choose the type of journal they wantto make and then purchasing and packing the sup-plies that they might need, whether it’s colored pen-cils and craft paper or a simple notebook and a pen.”

Such diaries can spark family conversations andcreate opportunities to practice writing skills, advisesMichelle Villano, a fourth grade teacher who encour-ages her students to write accounts of their summeradventures. “Children can enjoy a vacation and learnfrom the scenes around them,” Villano said. “A child’stravel journal shouldn’t just be a list of things that

they did or saw. Parents shouldencourage them to engage all oftheir senses like sound, touch,taste and feel. For example, ifyou’re on a vacation in Paris, didyou smell freshly baked baguetteswhen you walked into a restaurantfor lunch? If you ate a croissant,could you taste the butter or feelthe flakes on your tongue?”

The options for both the formatof journals and the way that achild chooses to describe their ex-periences are abundant, saysRowe. “Children can include mu-seum tickets, airplane boardingpasses, leaves they collected from

a park they visited,” she said. “Parents should en-courage them to think long-term about things theymight enjoy remembering later.”

“Travel journals allow young children to be activelyinvolved in the experience of their journey,” addedPruneda-Hernandez. “They do not have to be writ-ten. Children that are not able to write yet, shouldbe provided opportunities and materials such as asimple notebook, markers, crayons, or pencils to drawwhat they see and their experiences.”

Prompts can be used to encourage those who areresistant to keeping a record of their vacations, saysVillano. “Start by asking them to write about some-thing they saw by describing its color or shape,” shesaid. “They can describe the shape and color of arock they saw while hiking in the Grand Canyon.”

“Parents can sit and ask open-ended questions atthe end of the day,” said Pruneda-Hernandez. “Thisprovides a [them] an opportunity to express them-selves orally and provides opportunities for them tothink about the experience.”

Helping children capturevacation memoriesthrough journaling.

Creating Travel JournalWith Children

Photo courtesy of Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez

Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez createdthis journal with her son when hewas younger. Now that he’s 22, heenjoys looking at them and relivingchildhood memories.

“Travel journalsallow youngchildren to beactively involved inthe experience oftheir journey.”— Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez,

Director of Early ChildhoodEducation Initiatives at

Montgomery College


By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

The Music at Arrowbrook Park ConcertSeries kicked off on July 13 after weathercanceled the July 6 performance withRoomful of Blues. However, even with

great weather, shade and a cool breeze off the nearbypond, a challenge existed.

“The challenge is attracting crowds. They don’tknow we’re here,” said Jeffery Fairfield, ExecutiveDirector of The Ruth and Hal Launders CharitableTrust as the first concert of the season was under-way at Arrowbrook Centre Park. Located one blockoff Centreville Road in Herndon and two blocks fromthe Dulles Toll Road at 2351 Field Point Road,Herndon, the location made an easy drive.

The Ruth and Hal Launders Charitable Trust pre-sented the concert sponsored by Arrowbrook Cen-tre, LLC and Arrowbrook Management Corporationthrough a unique partnership with the Fairfax CountyPark Authority (FCPA) according to Fairfield.

Part of the FCPA Summer Entertainment Series,headliners for the July 6- Aug. 31, 2019 season forMusic at Arrowbrook Park, included acclaimed musi-cians from New York to the West Coast and back toHerndon according to Sousan Frankeberger, Perform-ing Arts Production Manager, Fairfax County Park Au-thority. Frankeberger described this year’s nine Sat-urday evening concerts as an eclectic blend of musicfrom British Invasion Rock on July 27 to Klezmer Folkand Jazz on July 10 to Pop/Rock Cover on July 31.

Saturday evening July 13 featured singer-songwriter, prolific lyricist and composer, CrysMatthews who played at the Sundance Film Festi-val, The Birchmere and The Hamilton. After perform-

ing at Lincoln Center on Nov. 30, Mathews wasnamed grand-prize winner. According to her website,Mathews is known for her thoughtful songs, manytackling social justice themes. “I’m looking forwardto playing in Herndon,” said Mathews who hails fromsoutheastern North Carolina but now calls the Townof Herndon home.

Veteran concertgoers Denise Marques of Herndonattended the Summer Entertainment Series atArrowbrook Centre last year. “We couldn’t wait forthe concerts to start again. It’s great to be able tocome out to this,” Marques said.

Rosangel Marques of Brazil who accompaniedDenise Marques said that in Brazil they didn’t havemusic like this. “It’s marvelous to listen to,” she said.

Town of Herndon residents, Karen and MichaelFalkner usually make the rounds of summer concertsaccording to Karen. “We’ve been coming here for thelast couple of years,” she said.

“This year, we celebrate the facility’s eight seasonsof public service; the concert series started in 2012with three dates. This year we’ve gone to nine dateswith 90-minute sets. Last year was our first seasonwith wine sales through a new policy with the Park.On alternate weeks, we will feature the two winer-ies in Fairfax County, Bull Run out of Centreville andParadise out of Clifton. New this year on Aug. 10, isbeer sales with Caboose Brewery,” said Fairfield.

2019 Free Concert SeriesARROWBROOK CENTRE PARK2351 Field Point Road, Herndon7:30 - 9 p.m.

JULY20 - Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution

(New Orleans Party Music)27 - The British Invasion Years (60s, British Invasion Rock)

AUGUST3 - Craig Gildner Big Band (Big band)10 - Lox and Vodka (Klezmer Folk, Jazz)17 - Flow Trib (Funk Rock, Psychedelic Blues)24 - Soul Crackers (Motown, Soul)31 - JunkFood (Pop/Rock Cover Band)

Music at Arrowbrook ParkConcert Serieskicks off in Herndon.

Patrons and pets enjoy the free concertopen to the public featuring singer-songwriter Crys Mathews at the FairfaxCounty Park Authority Summer Entertain-ment Series held at Arrowbrook CentrePark in Herndon on Saturday, July 13.

Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

Entertainment

Free Concerts Build Community

Singer-songwriter Crys Mathews (right)performs at the July 13 Fairfax CountyPark Authority Summer EntertainmentSeries held at Arrowbrook Centre Parkin Herndon.


Pet Connection,Send Photos

The Pet Issue, a twice-yearly special edi-tion, will publish the last week of July, andphotos and stories of your pets with youand your family should be submitted byThursday, July 25.

We invite you to send stories about yourpets, photos of you and your family withyour cats, dogs, llamas, alpacas, ponies,hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, orwhatever other creatures share your lifewith you.

Tell us the story of a special bond betweena child and a dog, the story of how you cameto adopt your pet, or examples of amazingfeats of your creatures.

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

Please tell us a little bit about your crea-ture, identify everyone in the photo, give abrief description of what is happening inthe photo, and include address and phonenumber (we will not publish your addressor phone number, just your town name).

Email [email protected] orsubmit online atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/pets.

For advertising information, [email protected] or call703-778-9431.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

From Page 4

Traffickingare most at risk. Programming in schools

is critical because it’s where most of the vic-tims are. Statistically speaking, while any-one can be a potential victim of human traf-ficking, the primary target for predators aregirls between the ages of 14-16 years-old.

Just Ask does more than educate children,though. We educate parents, teachers,school officials, police officers, businesses,politicians, local, state, federal governmentemployees, and even world leaders aboutwhat human trafficking is and how to com-bat it. ...

The bottom line is we have to conditioncommunities to not only resist becomingvictims of human trafficking but remove thedesire to participate in it as customers aswell. Criminals who are always on the prowlfor successful money-making opportunitieswill vacate human trafficking as a businessmodel once they see the funding potentialdry up. ...

If you want to help, us eradicate humantrafficking, visit our website atwww.justaskprevention.org.

Just Ask Trafficking Prevention Founda-tion is based in McLean.

Opinion


Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Thedeadline is noon on Friday. Photos/artworkencouraged.

ONGOINGReadings with the Reston Community

Orchestra. July 22, July 29, Aug. 5 and Aug.12, 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Sunset Hills MontessoriSchool, 11180 Ridge Heights Road, Reston.Music and stands provided. $20 per session, $75for all four when registered by July 22.Additional string session Aug. 19 ($20).Scholarships are available. Contact LindaAckerman at [email protected] or 571-271-9189 or visitwww.restoncommunityorchestra.org to register.

Sacred Threads Exhibition. Through July 28,11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Floris United MethodistChurch, 13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon.Sacred Threads is an exhibition of quiltsexploring themes of joy, inspiration, spirituality,healing, grief and peace/brotherhood. Thisbiennial exhibition was established to provide asafe venue for quilters who see their work as aconnection to the sacred and/or as anexpression of their spiritual journey. $10. Visitsacredthreadsquilts.com/default.htm or call703-793-0026.

Art Exhibit: Lasting Impressions. ThroughJuly 29, gallery hours at RCC Lake Anne - JoAnn Rose Gallery, 1609-A Washington Plaza,Reston. Lasting Impressions is about thoseimages that evoke personal memories. Fromdepictions of the Reston paths to scenes in thekitchens of friends and family, these paintingsrepresent places that have meaning in KarenDanenberger’s life and show what she hasnoticed about the world around her. Most ofthese works were completed in the past fiveyears. Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com.

Herndon Farmers Market. Thursdays, throughmid-November, 8 a.m-12:30 p.m. in HistoricDowntown Herndon, Lynn Street. Vendors willoffer seasonal plants, produce, baked goods,meats and more; all sold by local growers andproducers. Additional enhancements to themarket include seasonal events andentertainment, including “Farmers’ Market FunDays,” free performances for the whole family.Visit www.herndon-va.gov/FarmersMarket

THURSDAY/JULY 18Free Tea Day. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. at McAlister’s Deli,

13007 Worldgate Drive, Herndon. McAlister’sannual Free Tea Day. Enjoy a free 32-ouncefresh-brewed iced tea, no purchase necessary.Visit www.mcalistersdeli.com or call 703-278-8117.

Tai Chi Fitness. 6:30 p.m. at Reston RegionalLibrary, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Join us for a fun Tai Chi fitness class led by localinstructor Susan Shen. Adults, Teens.Registration begins July 4. Call 703-689-2700 orvisit librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.

Take a Break Dance Night: Cheick HamalaDiabate. 7-9 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza, 1609Washington Plaza, Reston. Enjoy music underthe stars each Thursday through Aug. 29. Danceinstruction at several concerts. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com/TAB.

The Girl Power! Book Club. 7 p.m. at ScrawlBooks, 11911 Freedom Drive, Reston. Reviewand discuss The Next Great Paulie Fink by AliBenjamin. All readers between the ages of 10-13are welcome to join. Visit www.scrawlbooks.comor call 703-966-2111.

Creative Response: Overlooked. 7 p.m. atGreater Reston Arts Center, 12001 Market St.,Suite 103, Reston. Greater Reston Arts Center(GRACE) presents Overlooked, a groupexhibition featuring nine artists who are seekingto bring awareness to issues that are oftenunnoticed, ignored, or otherwise not part of“polite conversation.” Free and open to thepublic. Visit restonarts.org for more.

Hunter Mill Nights: Whiskey Wildfire (newcountry). 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Frying Pan FarmPark, 2739 West Ox Road, Herndon. With a mixof performances through for the whole family,Hunter Mill Nights returns through Aug. 22 withperformances by entertainers from across theUnited States and around the world. Allow timefor a picnic in the park, a visit with the farmanimals and a wagon ride, along with the show.Free. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances/hunter-mill-nights for more.

FRIDAY/JULY 19The Storytime Social Hour. 11 a.m. at Scrawl

Books, 11911 Freedom Drive, Reston. EveryFriday, moms, dads, caregivers and kids are

invited to join a Storytime Social Hour. Scrawlwill provide coffee and treats for the adults;stories and fun for the little people. Make newfriends or meet up with neighbors. Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com or call 703-966-2111.

RCC Fun Around Town: Ice Cream Social. 6-8 p.m. at Island Walk Community Center, 1701Torrey Pines Court, Reston. Meet neighbors andenjoy ice cream while making new friends. Free,drop-in. Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.net/attend-shows-events-exhibits/event-detail/2019/07/19/default-calendar/rcc-fun-around-town-ice-cream-social-2019 or call 703-390-6158.

Summerbration: Far Away. 7-9 p.m. on theplaza at Reston East Metro. Free concert seriesruns Fridays through Aug. 23. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com/summerbration.

Live Music: Free Soul. 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. atKalypso’s Sports Tavern on historic Lake Anne inReston. Bands play inside the sports bar on adedicated stage. No cover. Visitwww.kalypsossportstavern.com.

SATURDAY/JULY 20Turley the Magician. 10-10:45 a.m. at Reston

Town Square Park. The entire family will beentertained with interactive magic andhumorous antics, Saturdays through Aug. 3.Free. 703-476-4500 orrestoncommunitycenter.com.

The Bookworms Club. 11 a.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Young readers are invited to joinScrawl’s all-new and completely free BookwormsClub. Explore a new theme each week withpicture books, special guests and most often,

authors. Readers are welcome to join orparticipate any time. Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com or call 703-966-2111.

Fun Brunch: Pan steel drum with dancers.11 a.m.-1 p.m. outside the Jahn Building, 1900Reston Metro Plaza. Free Fun Brunch seriescontinues weekends through Aug. 25. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com/funbrunch.

‘Creative Conversations’: A Panel on BookPublishing, 2-3:30 p.m. at Sunrise SeniorLiving, 1778 Fountain Drive, Reston. Panelistswill include Naryen Aryal, Founder, CEO, andPublisher of Mascot Books, Nancy Hannan, afour-time author and memoirist, and EileenCurtis, former President of the Dulles RegionalChamber of Commerce and a published author.Moderating the panel will be Kristin ClarkTaylor, an award-winning author, journalist,and former White House communicationsstrategist.The event is free and open to thepublic. Light dessert will be served.

Author Event: Erin Teagan. 5 p.m. at WalkerNature Center, 11450 Glade Drive, Reston.Celebrate the launch of this funny, action-packed middle grade novel from the author ofThe Friendship Experiment and the AmericanGirl Luciana books. Writer Erin Teagan willintroduce her new book and its heroine, Alison,who plans to be on her dad’s reality show,Survivor Guy, when real disaster strikes in thewilderness. Visit www.scrawlbooks.com or call703-966-2111.

Concerts on the Town: Good Shot Judy.7:30-10 p.m. (rain or shine) at Reston TownCenter. These family-friendly concerts include awide range of musical styles including Motown,swing, blues, jazz, Latin fusion, Celtic, bluegrassand zydeco and take place every Saturday nightthrough Aug. 24. Bring chairs or blankets. Free.

Visit www.restontowncenter.com for more.

SUNDAY/JULY 21Walk in the Footsteps of Spies. 10-11 a.m. at

Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, 5040 Walney Road,Chantilly. Hear a spell-binding tale of espionage,secret payments and the Russians during the“Spy Walk” program. Walk and talk about a spywho used the park as a drop-off location duringthe end of the Soviet Union in the 1980s.Designed for participants age 12-adult. $7 perperson. Meet at Walney Pond. Call 703-631-0013 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence.

Fun Brunch: Interactive Theater of Jef. 11a.m.-1 p.m. outside Founding Farmers, 1904Reston Metro Plaza. Free Fun Brunch seriescontinues weekends through Aug. 25. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com/funbrunch.

Visit Colvin Run Mill. Noon-3 p.m. at ColvinRun Mill, 10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.See, hear and taste history with a visit to ColvinRun Mill. Grinding demonstration turns wheator corn into flour and meal, and free woodcarving lessons onsite. Mill tours are $8 foradults, $7 for students 16 and up with ID, and$6 for children and seniors. Call 703-759-2771or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/colvin-run-mill.

Sundays in the Park with ShenandoahConservatory: Jazz Trio Conversations.7-8 p.m. in Reston Town Square Park. Professorof Jazz Piano Robert Larson joins special guestsfor an evening of jazz trio standards. Free.Series continues through Aug. 18. Visitrestoncommunitycenter.com for more.

TUESDAY/JULY 23Sing! Books with Miss Emily. 10:30 a.m. at

Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Join Miss Emily for singingstorytime with illustrated songs. All ages. Noregistration required. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.

INOVA Blood Drive. 1-6 p.m. beside thePavilion, 11900 Market St., Reston TownCenter. Schedule Bloodmobile appointments at1-866-256-6372 or inova.org/donateblood. On-site registration.

WEDNESDAY/JULY 24Senior Movie Day: On the Basis of Sex. 10

a.m. at Bow Tie Cinemas. Doors open at 9:15,with refreshments and prizes prior to movie.Free for age 55+. Contact [email protected] 703-435-6577.

The Wednesday Morning Book Club. 10 a.m.at Scrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive, Reston.Group will discuss The Price of Illusion: AMemoir by Joan Juliet Buck, the only Americanwho ever held the position of Editor-in-Chief atFrench Vogue. Visit www.scrawlbooks.com orcall 703-966-2111.

Hunter Mill Melodies: The Great Zucchini(comedy, magic). 10-10:45 a.m. at FryingPan Park visitor center pavilion, 2739 West OxRoad, Herndon. Free series of children’s showsand family performances Wednesdays throughAug. 21.

Dog Days of Summer. 5-7:30 p.m. at thePavilion at Reston Town Center. EveryWednesday through Sept. 4, dogs and ownerscan frolic in the Pavilion when it is transformedinto an off-leash play area each week. Treats,toys, areas to cool off, pet friendly giveaways,and more. Free. Operated by Healthy HoundPlayground and Isy’s Ways. Visitrestontowncenter.com for more.

THURSDAY/JULY 25Water Safety Presentation. 10:30 a.m. at the at

Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Learn the basics of water safetypresented by the Goldfish Swim School. Age 3-5with adult. Please register. Call 703-689-2700 orvisit librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.

Contemplate Art Meditation: Overlooked.12:30-1:30 p.m. at Greater Reston Arts Center,12001 Market St., Suite 103, Reston. GreaterReston Arts Center (GRACE) presentsOverlooked, a group exhibition featuring nineartists who are seeking to bring awareness toissues that are often unnoticed, ignored, orotherwise not part of “polite conversation.” Freeand open to the public. Visit restonarts.org

Dollars and Sense. 7 p.m. at Reston RegionalLibrary, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Monthly group discussion focuses on businessleaders and markets. We will be discussing “TheOnly Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need” byAndrew Tobias. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.

Take a Break Music: Tower House Band. 7-9p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza, 1609 WashingtonPlaza, Reston. Enjoy music under the stars eachThursday through Aug. 29. Dance instruction atseveral concerts. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com/TAB.

Calendar

Long-time Restonresident Ralph LeeSmith, 91 is one of thenation’s foremost play-ers of the mountaindulcimer. He will per-form in a free concertat City of Fairfax Re-gional Library withMadeline MacNeil onSaturday, July 27, 3-4:30 p.m.

“Through his perfor-mances and writings,Ralph helped save thedulcimer and its musicfrom extinction,” saidElizabeth Milner, Cityof Fairfax Regional Li-brary.

Smith said his affin-ity for the dulcimerruns deep. “I think thetrue cause of my inter-est in the dulcimer andmusic is that my par-ents were Pennsylva-nia antique dealers. Ilove old things andsongs, and this instru-ment came out of mist of the mountainpass,” he said.

Smith and MacNeil will present a pro-gram of songs and stories from the BlueRidge Mountains along with sing-alongs.“Everybody can sing,” Smith said. “Wewill also display three to four old moun-tain dulcimers along with few semi-mod-ern ones too,” he said.

Smith is one of the “foremost writersand authorities on the history of the in-strument,” according to Laura Wickstead,City of Fairfax Regional Library. In a state-ment, Wickstead noted Smith gave per-formances and demonstrations at the

Reston’s Dulcimer Player to Perform inLocal Concert

Reston resident and acclaimed dulcimer playerRalph Lee Smith, 91, will perform in concert.

White House, Metropolitan Museum ofArt, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Mu-seum of the Shenandoah Valley, Moun-tain Heritage Center and multiple othervenues.

As for Madeline MacNeil, Wicksteaddescribed her as “a master of both thehammered and Appalachian dulcimerand renowned storyteller.”

The City of Fairfax Regional Library islocated at 10360 North Street in FairfaxCity with ample free parking in the un-derground garage beneath the library.

— Mercia Hobson

Photo courtesy of Ralph Lee Smith

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