Westfield: State Champions After Double Overtime

Centre View ❖ December 14-20, 2016 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Providing ImmigrantsWith Jobs, Safety and DignityNews, Page 4

Westfield:State Champions

After DoubleOvertime

Sports, Page 16

‘Extraordinary EnterpriseThat’s Changing Lives’

News, Page 3

Providing ImmigrantsWith Jobs, Safety and DignityNews, Page 4

Westfield:State Champions

After DoubleOvertime

‘Extraordinary EnterpriseThat’s Changing Lives’

25 CENTS Newsstand PriceDECEMBER 14-20, 2016

Centreville ❖ Little Rocky Run

Calendar, Page 2

❖

C

lassifieds, Page 10

Pho

to

by W

ill Palenscar

HomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStylePage 9

HomeLifeStyle

Team captains for Westfieldand Oscar Smith huddle atmidfield for the coin toss forthe 6A Championship onSaturday, Dec. 10.

2 ❖ Centre View ❖ December 14-20, 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

C E N T R E V I L L ECOMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

To highlight your faithcommunity,call Karen at703-778-9422b

The Church of the AscensionTraditional Anglican Catholic Services

1928 Book of Common Prayer, 1940 Hymnal,and the King James Bible with Apocrypha

www.ascension-acc.org (703) 830-3176

Holy Communion 10 a.m. Sundays (with Church School and Nursery)

13941 Braddock RoadCentreville VA 20120

in the “Old Stone Church”of Historic Centreville

Email announcements to [email protected]. Include date,time, location, description and contact forevent: phone, email and/or website. Pho-tos and artwork welcome. Deadline isThursday at noon, at least two weeks be-fore event.

ONGOINGWhite House Ornament Sale.

GFWC Western Fairfax CountyWoman’s Club is selling 2016 WhiteHouse Christmas ornaments. Thisyear’s ornament honors our 31stPresident, Herbert Hoover. Theornament, inspired by a White Housefire on Christmas Eve, 1929, is a firetruck carrying a Christmas tree.Ornaments are $21. Call 703-378-6841 or 703-378- 6216. It is possibleto order previous years’ ornaments.

Art Guild of Clifton Exhibit. 10a.m.-8 p.m. at Clifton Wine Shop,7145 Main St., Clifton. Includes oilpaintings of European settings;doors, windows, and flower shops.Free. Call 703-409-0919 for more.

Carolina Shag Dance. Wednesdays,6:30-10 p.m. at Arlington/FairfaxElks Lodge, 8421 Arlington Blvd.,Fairfax. Free lessons at 7:30 p.m.; nopartners needed; dinner menu at6:45 p.m. Tickets are $8. Visitwww.nvshag.org for more.

Open Rehearsal. Wednesdays, 7:30p.m. at Lord of Life church, 13421Twin Lakes Drive, Centreville. TheFairfax Jubil-Aires barbershop chorusinvites men of all ages who enjoysinging. Free. Visitwww.fairfaxjubilairs.org for more.

Toddlin’ Twos. Tuesdays, 10:30 and11:30 a.m. at the Chantilly Library,4000 Stringfellow Road. Earlyliteracy storytime with songs andactivities included. Age 2 with

caregiver, free. Call 703-502-3883 toreserve a spot.

Storytime for Three to Fives.Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Stories and activities for children age3-5 with caregiver. Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve a spot.

English Conversation Group.Thursdays, 7 p.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Practice English with a group ofstudents and adults. Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve a space.

English Conversation Group.Selected Saturdays, 3 p.m. at theCentreville Regional Library, 14200St. Germain Drive. Practice Englishwith a group of students and adults.Free. Call 703-830-2223 for a list ofdates.

English Conversation Group.Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Practice English with a group ofstudents and adults. Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve a space.

Plant Clinic. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. atthe Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. A neighborhoodplant clinic with horticultural tips,information, techniques, and advice.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspace.

ESL Book Club. Mondays, 7 p.m. atthe Centreville Regional Library,14200 St. Germain Drive. Meet anddiscuss a book chosen by group. Free.Call 703-830-2223 with questionsand to reserve a spot.

ESL Book Club. Every other Saturday,11 a.m. at the Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. Adults learningEnglish are welcome to meet anddiscuss a book chosen by the group.To find out book title, call 703-502-3883.

Lego Block Party. Every other

Tuesday, 3 p.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Legos will be provided for anafternoon of building. Grades 3-6.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspot.

Duplo Storytime. Every otherWednesday, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. atthe Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. Develop andreinforce early literacy skills forreading success. Ages 1-3 with adult.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspot.

Live After Five. Fridays at 5:30 p.m.at The Winery at Bull Run, 15950 LeeHighway. Every Friday night a bandplays on the patio of the winery. Freeto attend. Visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com for a fullschedule.

Singing. 7:30 p.m. at Lord of LifeLutheran Church, 13421 Twin Lakes

Drive, Clifton. The Fairfax Jubil-Airesrehearse every Wednesday whichincludes training by an award-winning director. Visitwww.fairfaxjubilaires.org for more.

Legos Kids Club. Every otherTuesday, 10:30 a.m. at theCentreville Regional Library, 14200St. Germain Drive. Thousands ofLegos for children to play with. Ages6-12. Free. Call 703-830-2223 toreserve a space.

Starlight Storytime. Every otherWednesday, 7 p.m. at the CentrevilleRegional Library, 14200 St. GermainDrive. Stories under the stars for ages4-8. Wear pajamas and bring stuffedfriends. Free. Call 703-830-2223 toreserve a space.

PET ADOPTIONSAdopt a Cat or Dog. Fridays, 6:30-

8:30 p.m. at PetSmart, 12971 FairLakes Center, Fairfax. Visitwww.lostdogrescue.org for more.

Adopt a Dog. Saturdays, 12-3 p.m. atPetco, 13053 Lee Jackson Highway.Visit hart90.org for more.

Adopt a Dog. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. atPetco, 13053 Lee Jackson MemorialHwy. Adopt a puppy or dog.Visitaforeverhome.org for more.

Adopt a Dog. Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. atPetSmart, 12971 Fair Lakes Center,Fairfax. Adopt a puppy or dog. Visitwww.lostdogrescue.org for more.

FRIDAY/DEC. 16-SUNDAY/JAN. 1WRAP Sober Ride Program. 10

p.m.-6 a.m. each evening as a way tokeep local roads safe from impaireddrivers during this traditionally high-risk, holiday period. Washington-metropolitan area residentscelebrating with alcohol may call thetoll-free SoberRide phone number 1-800-200-TAXI and be afforded a no-cost (up to $ 30 fare), safe wayhome. (AT&T wireless users can dial#WRAP for the same service.)

THURSDAY-FRIDAY/DEC. 15-16INOVA Fair Oaks Hospital

Auxiliary $5 Jewelry andAccessory Sale. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. atthe Hospital Atrium 3600 JosephSiewick Drive.

SUNDAY/DEC. 1835th Annual Manassas-Bull Run

Christmas Bird Count. 7-11:30a.m. at Various points in a 15-milediameter circle around Centreville.Birders of all skill levels are invited toparticipate in the 35th AnnualManassas-Bull Run Christmas BirdCount, sponsored by the AudubonSociety of Northern Virginia.audubonva.org/contact-bob

MONDAY/DEC. 19PTA Spirit Event. noon-11 p.m. at

Buffalo Wild Wings, 11204 SwartCircle. 10 percent of the total bill(food, all beverages, carry-out anddine-in) goes to CentrevilleElementary School’s PTA. Don’tforget to mention, “CentrevilleElementary School.”[email protected]

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 28Celtic Sounds at Sully Historic

Site. 1 and 2 p.m., at Sully HistoricSite, 3650 Historic Sully Way. Enjoyfiddling, percussion and vocals thatblend musical traditions rangingfrom Ireland and Scotland to theAppalachians and Cajun country.703-437-1794 or visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully-historic-site/

Entertainment

Meet Sully’s SantaHear a reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” see a Christmas tree decorated accordingto an 1885 memory, and make a tree decoration based on a Victorian original. Take the45-minute house tour with start times every 15 minutes from 4:45-7 p.m. Stay after-wards to enjoy outdoor festivities until 8 p.m. $10. Saturday, Dec. 17, 4:45-8 p.m. atSully Historic Site, 3650 Historic Sully Way. 703-437-1794 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully-historic-site/

Co

urtesy o

f Fairfax C

oun

ty


News

See Extraordinary, Page 8

By Bonnie Hobbs

Centre View

Summer Simmons came from Chesa-peake, Va., to attend DRCE’s grandopening. It was important to her be-

cause that’s the company responsible for herhusband being able to drive again.

Her husband, retired Navy Lt. StevenSimmons, is a paraplegic. “When theFukushima [Japan] nuclear reactor melteddown in 2011, he and his ship — the USSRonald Reagan — were the first to respondwith humanitarian help,” said SummerSimmons. “He was exposed to high levelsof radiation and suffered a spinal-cord in-

jury caused by nerve damage from this ex-posure.”

She and her husband were introduced toTammy Phipps at Walter Reed hospital in2013, and Phipps worked with him to gethim back behind the wheel. “She taught himto drive again, using hand controls, andgave him back his independence and theability to not depend on me for everythinghe needed,” said his wife.

“This gave him one thing back and a littlehint of himself the way he used to be,” con-tinued Summer Simmons. “It gave him free-dom – and me, too. And with the help ofLaurie [Hollander] and Marybeth[Vandergrift], we received a van from HMH

in 2013.”As for DRCE opening in Chantilly, she

said, “I think it’s amazing. I’m a proud sup-porter of Tammy and Josh. They’re goingto make such a difference in this commu-nity. And as an Army veteran, myself, I’mproud to see one more veteran-owned busi-ness here.”

Josh Himan and Phipps started DRCE(Driver Rehabilitation Center of Excellence)so people with disabilities could be able todrive again. And Himan, a quadriplegic,knows firsthand how much it means to thembecause he’s been through it, himself. Aftersuffering a devastating injury in Afghani-stan, he had to learn how to drive a new

way; and in 2013, he finally did it.“It was the same feeling I had at 16 when

I drove without my parents for the firsttime,” he said. “I was able to be efficientand drive myself to work, school and hair-cuts and not depend on anyone else to takeme anywhere. Before then, my motherdrove me every day to GWU. Since 2009,she’s been my full-time caretaker.”

At DRCE, said Himan, “We do driver re-hab — figuring out a solution to people’simpairments to let them drive — and autoinstallations, all in one place. It’s a greatopportunity to help those in need. When Iwas looking for services, I couldn’t find any-thing like this in Northern Virginia.”

Helping Those Who Need It Restoring pride, independence, dignity.

By Bonnie Hobbs

Centre View

Owned by two military veter-ans, Driver RehabilitationCenter of Excellence helpspeople with disabilities drive

adapted vehicles — and change their lives.This Chantilly business was founded by

Josh Himan, wounded while serving withthe Marines in Afghanistan, and TammyPhipps, a retired Army major, occupationaltherapist and certified driving rehabilitationspecialist. And on Nov. 18, at 14101 ParkeLong Court, Suite E, it held its official grandopening.

Himan became a quadriplegic as a resultof an IED (improvised wxplosive device).After several years recovering/rehabilitat-ing from his injuries, he wanted to driveagain, but no therapist could help him doso until he met Phipps at Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center in Washington, D.C.

In 2008, she’d created the first and onlycomprehensive driving-rehabilitation pro-gram in the Defense Department, so shedevised a custom-plan that successfully gotHiman back on the road. He was one ofhundreds of severely injured wounded war-riors she’d help regain their independence,but he knew that many more needed it, too.So together, they established DRCE to makedriving accessible to everyone.

The grand opening was attended not justby dignitaries and business people, but alsoby a slew of wheelchair-bound people grate-ful for the company’s help.

“When you work with a company, you feela kinship with them,” said Gerald Gordon,president and CEO of the Fairfax CountyEconomic Development Authority. “But in33 years, I’ve never felt more pride thanstanding before this group of people todayand those who have made this [business]happen.”

After the EDA helped DRCE find this spotto lease, the company came to Chantilly inAugust. Delighted, Gordon said, “It’s a won-derful opportunity for us to help people whoare going to help a whole lot of others bemore independent, productive and leadbetter lives.”

Welcoming DRCE to the area, SupervisorKathy Smith (D-Sully) said, “This is a greatplace to have a business; anything we cando to help you, we will. We want to ensurethat you have what you need to be success-ful.”

Antonio Doss, director, Washington Met-ropolitan Area District Office, U.S. SmallBusiness Administration, said his organiza-tion helps small businesses start, sustain andgrow. “But Josh and Tammy help people getconnected to who they really are throughmobility and getting back behind thewheel,” he said. “So it’s great to see this –and at the SBA, we support businesses likethis.”

Keynote speaker was John Harvey Jr.,Virginia’s Secretary of Veterans and DefenseAffairs. He oversees all veteran-related is-sues in the state. “There’s no place I’d rather

DRCE helps peoplewith disabilities driveadapted vehicles.

‘Extraordinary Enterprise That’s Changing Lives’

Photo by Bonnie Hobbs/Centre View

Josh Himan (in front) with TammyPhipps and Help Our MilitaryHeroes supporter Frank Panessa.

Photo Courtesy of Alan Fogg

Cutting the ribbon are (from left) Gerald Gordon, Kathy Smith, JoshHiman, Tammy Phipps and DRCE Operations Manager Steve Morrison.

Photo by Bonnie Hobbs/Centre View

Tammy Phipps with the plaque and check from BraunAbility representa-tives (from left) Matt Swope, Joseph Young and Joe Garnett.

be today than with Josh and Tammy,” hesaid. “This is so important; [it’s] changinglives that were already changed — andchanging them back. This is an extraordi-nary enterprise.”

As a Navy vice admiral, he visited patientsand their families in Bethesda, and they’dasked him how they could drive again. “But

Centre View Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]


News

See Providing, Page 8

By Bonnie Hobbs

Centre View

When the Centreville LaborResource Center (CLRC)holds a celebration, it doesso with people, food, music

and fun. And its fifth-anniversary party Sun-day afternoon was no exception.

The speeches were short, but the Dec. 11event was long on warmth and camarade-rie. Local residents, volunteers and work-ers mingled, reminisced, enjoyed live en-tertainment and feasted on homemade ta-males, pupusas, arroz con pollo and cake.And children happily took swings at aflower-shaped piñata and scooped up thecandy that fell out when the piñata wasbroken.

“It’s such an amazing and positive envi-ronment,” said CLRC Director JasmineBlaine. “And it’s so great to see the volun-teers, the community, the workers and theirchildren all in the same room.”

But things weren’t always so friendly andwelcoming for Centreville’s mainly Guate-malan-born immigrant community. Untilthe CLRC opened in December 2011, daylaborers looking for jobs stood outside the

Centreville Square Shopping Center, on theoutskirts of Centrewood Plaza and near theCentreville Regional Library. And that ledto tension in the local community.

Store owners said the men’s presence dis-couraged customers from patronizing theirbusinesses. And some mothers felt uneasybringing their children to a library with menstanding outside.

Meanwhile, under the guidance ofCentreville resident Alice Foltz — and withsupport from local churches and others —

the Centreville ImmigrationForum (CIF) was estab-lished to help the immi-grants. Members made con-tact with the workers, di-rected them to social ser-vices that could help themand their families, and con-nected them to churchesoffering English-languageclasses. But they were still

hired from the streets.Then in early 2010, Al Dwoskin, owner

of the Centreville Square Shopping Center,proposed the idea for a worker center. Helater donated one of his storefronts for itand agreed to pay for utilities if the CIFwould run it. So the CIF began fundraising

Centreville LaborResource Centercelebrates fifthanniversary.

Providing Immigrants with Jobs, Safety and Dignity

Holding balloons are some of the workers’children, (from left) Luis Robalino, 6; MarcusSarmiento, 8 and Maya Sikes, 2.

Sully District SupervisorKathy Smith and Jerry Foltz.

From left are workers Francisco Gonzalez, Hector Perez andSebastian Raymundo.

Kennedy Raymundo, 4, prepares to hit the candy-filled piñata.

Worker Alberto Ramirez sings aballad.

Eating together are sisters (fromleft) Marlene and Milagro Sapaico.

CIF Executive Director TerryAngelotti and former Sully DistrictSupervisor Michael Frey.

and soliciting grants and donations to hirea director and an assistant.

It also invited the laborers to its planningmeetings, had them develop the center’srules and regulations and made sure theywere an integral part of the new facility sothey’d actually use it. And it acquired anally in former Sully District SupervisorMichael Frey, who supported the idea of a

Photos by Bonnie Hobbs/Centre View


News

See Police, Page 7

By Tim Peterson

Centre View

The Fairfax County Board of Su-pervisors voted 9-1 on Tuesday,Dec. 6 to establish a CivilianReview Panel to provide over-

sight of Fairfax County Police and to hearcomplaints of police misconduct or abuseof authority.

The independent panel wasone of the more controversial ofthe 142 recommendations fromthe Ad Hoc Police Practices Re-view Commission created byboard chairman Sharon Bulovain 2015. The commission, withrepresentatives from law en-forcement, the media and thecommunity at large, was set upin response to public outrageover lack of transparency and ac-countability surrounding the 2013 shoot-ing death of unarmed Springfield man JohnGeer by Fairfax County Police officer AdamTorres.

From the Ad Hoc Commission’s Use ofForce Subcommittee, chairman PhilNiedzielski-Eichner said the Dec. 6 vote wasa “tremendous accomplishment” and an-other opportunity to reinforce the majorprocess the police department and govern-ment are undertaking to improve.

“I see what we’re doing today as takinganother step in making a great police de-partment even better,” Chairman Bulovasaid, “[being a] model for the nation, con-tinuing to improve community policing andenhance trust between the community andpolice department.”

Fairfax County Police Chief EdwinRoessler said in an interview after the votehe’s not concerned about the cost of thepanel, the caseload or officer morale, issuesraised by Supervisor Pat Herrity, the lonevote against the proposal.

“I’m very proud of Fairfax County today,”Roessler said. “It showed how a community,political leaders and a highly engaged po-lice department can work together to cre-ate more transparency and accountability.”

FAIRFAX COUNTY will have a civilianreview panel for police oversight, but willthat body have the teeth to regain publictrust in law enforcement and local govern-ment? Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-HunterMill) proposed an amendment that wouldhave given the panel more investigativepower.

“While we have had some challenges inthe past, the absence of the receptivity tothe concerns of the community, has beenthe biggest burden of what we had,”Hudgins said Tuesday, Dec. 6 before shejoined the board in voting in favor of estab-

lishing a nine-member police review panelcomprised of citizens. The panel will havethe authority to review completed FCPDinvestigations into citizen complaints ofabuse or misconduct by Fairfax County po-lice.

After reviewing the investigation, thepanel would report to the Board of Super-visors with essentially a rating of how well

they think it was executed. Thepanel could, as Supervisor andPublic Safety Committee chair-man John Cook (R-Braddock)said, “send it back to be donebetter, say it was done great, sayit was done horribly, and passthat information to us and to thepublic.”

What that body would nothave the authority to do, andwhat Hudgins said concerns her,is conduct independent investi-

gations, take sworn testimony or compelofficers named in complaints to appear andtake part in public hearings with the com-plainant.

“Are those the limitations we want to ex-ist under?” Hudgins asked prior to the vote.“We will learn very quickly, if we move for-ward, that it is going to be something thatis lacking. We need to be prepared to ad-dress it.”

Hudgins alluded to the last several years,a period that included the 2013 fatal shoot-ing of Springfield resident John Geer byFairfax County Police officer Adam Torresand subsequent public outcry.

“We were unresponsive before,” Hudginssaid. “It was a very, very difficult environ-ment to live in. Citizens felt we were notlisteners, were not engaged.”

State law limits the authority of a panelsuch as the one proposed to conduct inves-tigations or take sworn testimony, and theAd Hoc Police Practices Review Commissiondid not propose that panel would conductinvestigations.

Supervisor Dan Storck (D-Mount Vernon)said he was similarly frustrated with thelimitations like Hudgins, but said the lessthan ideal solution still enables citizens tobe engaged.

“The most powerful thing we’re doingtoday, ensuring people are heard,” he said.“[That’s the] core of my support for this.”

The commission also recommended cre-ating a police auditor office. This full-timecounty government position with a smallstaff would be able to monitor investiga-tions and review complaints concerning theuse of force or police-involved shootings.The supervisors adopted that recommenda-tion in September this year and said theyhave since begin advertising for candidates.

As complement to police auditor, panel willreview abuse and misconduct complaints.

Supervisors Establish County’sFirst Police Civilian Review Panel

Herrity


www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

@CentreView

Newspaper ofCentreville

Little Rocky RunA Connection Newspaper

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

NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Steven Mauren Editor, 703-778-9415

[email protected]

Mike SalmonAssistant Editor

[email protected]

Bonnie HobbsCommunity Reporter, [email protected]

ADVERTISING:For advertising information

[email protected]

Karen WashburnDisplay Advertising, 703-778-9422

[email protected]

Andrea SmithClassified Advertising, [email protected]

Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal Kurspahic

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

CIRCULATION: [email protected]

A Connection Newspaper

Opinion

Last week, the Fairfax County Boardof Supervisors voted to establish aCivilian Review Panel, part of a two-pronged concept of independent

oversight of law enforcement recommendedunanimously by the Ad Hoc Police PracticesReview Commission.

On Sept. 20, 2016, the board voted to estab-lish the Office of the Independent Auditor, theother piece of oversight. The two branches ofoversight would not overlap.

The Independent Police Auditor will reportdirectly to the Board of Supervisors and pro-vide oversight in cases of police use of forcethat lead to serious injury or death, includingofficer-involved shootings. The Civilian ReviewPanel will respond to community concerns orcomplaints about alleged incidents of abuse ofauthority by FCPD by reviewing the investiga-tions conducted by the department.

The vote by the Board of Supervisors for theOffice of Auditor was unanimous, and for theCivilian Review Panel, 9-1, indicating thestrong commitment to independent oversightand the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Com-mission. The experiences from other commu-nities with civilian oversight have shown thatstrong, independent oversight builds legiti-macy and public trust through increased po-lice transparency and accountability to thepublic served. Oversight provides a meaning-ful voice or forum for the public and forms acrucial bridge between the public and the po-lice. Increased transparency, trust, and com-munication between the police and the publiccan lead to greater community cooperation inachieving the ultimate goal of decreased crime

and increased public safety.This very positive outcome seemed nearly

impossible in the wake of the death of JohnGeer in August 2013, shot by then Fairfax Po-lice Officer Adam Torres while standing un-armed in the doorway to his own home. Offi-cials had long opposed consideration of a Ci-vilian Review Panel.

Board of Supervisor Chairman SharonBulova deserves tremendous kudos, firstfor establishing the Ad Hoc Commissionin the wake of public outrage over theshooting and the blackout of informa-tion that followed, and then for her unwaver-ing support of the recommendations thatemerged.

In voting for the Civilian Review Panel, Su-pervisor Linda Smyth said: “We all know it’stime to put this in place. This is what the pub-lic has really asked us to do.”

John Cook (R-Braddock), chairman of thePublic Safety Committee, has been relentlessin moving the recommendations forward fordiscussion and approval by the board. Havingboth the auditor and the panel approved in2016 is no small accomplishment.

The recommendations for oversight alsohave the enthusiastic support of Police ChiefEdwin Roessler, whose support overall forchange in the FCPD has been admirable andessential.

Every member of the Board of Supervisorsdeserves credit for engaging on the details andsupporting recommendations of the commis-sion.

Other changes brought about by the Ad HocCommission’s recommendations include theimplementation of Diversion First, which pro-vides treatment rather than jail for nonviolentpeople with mental illness, resulting in some350 diversions from potential criminal arrest,and in police transporting more than 1,000people in mental health crisis to the Merrifield

Center for treatment; an emphasis on de-esca-lation and on crisis intervention training; therevamping of the order of officer training toemphasize the role of policing in a democracyand the sanctity of life ahead of firearms train-ing; and the significant amendment of Gen-eral Order 540 on the use of force. The FCPDhas been a leading force in these changes, andits leadership has played a pivotal role in seek-

ing out and implementing best prac-tices.

There are still miles to go, but evi-dence is that county and police lead-

ership are prepared to traverse those miles.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Mary Kimm served on the Ad Hoc Police PracticesReview Commission and continues to advocate for ongo-ing implementation.

SoberRide SafetyNet for HolidayCelebrations

The annual Holiday SoberRide program, of-fering free rides home to locals over 21 whohave been celebrating with alcohol, will oper-ate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. each eveningbetween Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 and Sunday, Jan.1, 2017 as a way to keep local roads safe fromimpaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk, holiday period. SoberRide is organized bythe nonprofit Washington Regional AlcoholProject. Area residents celebrating with alco-hol may call the toll-free SoberRide phonenumber 1–800–200–TAXI for a no-cost (up to$ 30 fare), safe way home. Last December,nearly 1,500 people took advantage of the pro-gram.

More information about WRAP’s SoberRideinitiative can be found at www.soberride.com.

History in Police Reform Part 2Civilian Review Panel— and they said itcouldn’t be done ….

Editorial

Free CarseatInspections

Certified technicians from the Sully DistrictPolice Station will perform free, child safetycarseat inspections Tuesday, Dec. 20, from 5-8:30 p.m., at the station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd.in Chantilly. No appointment is necessary. Butresidents should install the child safety seatsthemselves so technicians may properly inspectand adjust them, as needed.

Because of time constraints, only the first 35vehicles arriving on each date will be inspected.That way, inspectors may have enough time toproperly instruct the caregiver on the correctuse of the child seat. Call 703-814-7000, ext.5140, to confirm dates and times.

Help with Toys for TotsThe Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Depart-

ment is participating in this year’s Annual Na-tional Capital Region Fire and EMS Depart-ments’ 2016 Toys for Tots Campaign. The in-

tent of the campaign is to “bring holiday joyand deliver a message of hope to children.”

Last year, thanks to the generosity of thosewho live and work in Fairfax County, the Fireand Rescue Department collected more than13,000 toys.

Children who are served by this campaigninclude toddlers and youths through age 17.The campaign will only accept new unwrappedtoys and they can be dropped off at any of fireand rescue station. Toys used as weapons orconsidered to be weapons (i.e., toy guns orknives of any kind) will not be accepted.Checks or money orders for donations mustbe made payable to Toys for Tots.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations willaccept donations through Friday, Dec. 16.

Talking aboutPublic Schools

School Board members Tom Wilson, SullyDistrict; Ryan McElveen, At Large; JeanetteHough, At Large; and Ilryong Moon, At Large,

have confirmed that they will be attending thenext Sully District Council meeting at 7 p.m.,Dec. 21, at the Sully District GovernmentalCenter, 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly.The publicis invited to attend.

Food DonationsNeeded for WFCM

Western Fairfax Christian Ministries’ foodpantry needs donations of 1-2 pound bags ofrice; fruit juice; jelly; red, white or black beans(can or bagged); canned vegetables (no greenbeans of corn needed); macaroni and cheese;can pasta; pasta sauce; and pasta (spaghetti,rotini, elbow, etc.). Toiletries, which WFCMclients cannot purchase with food stamps,needed include diapers, toothpaste, shampooand solid deodorant.

Bring all items to WFCM’S food pantry’s newlocation at 4511 Daly Dr. Suite J, Chantilly from9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

Contact Terri Kelly at [email protected] ifwilling to coordinate a food drive.

Roundups


www.foha.org

Adopt Volunteer DonateThe Treasure Hound

14508-D Lee Road,Chantilly, VA

(Corner of Rt. 50 and Lee Rd.One light West of Rt. 28)

703-263-9073

A No-Kill Shelter for Cats & Dogs

Varietyof BeautifulTreasures

GreatPrices

Your LocalUpscale Resale StoreAll Proceeds Benefit

Friends ofHomeless Animals

5649 Mount Gilead Rd • Centreville, VA 20120-1906703-803-7500 • www.StJohnsCentreville.org

With God’s help, we offer healing, nurture hope and provide hospitality.The Rev. Carol Hancock, Priest-In-Charge

St. John’s Episcopal ChurchChristmas Services

Saturday, December 24, Christmas Eve• 4:00 PM - Family Service of Lessons and Carols, with Holy Eucharist• 9:30 PM – Christmas Carols by the St. John’s Choir• 10:00 PM – Service of Holy Eucharist

• 9:30 AM – Service of Holy EucharistSunday, December 25, Christmas Day

Find us on Facebookand become a fan!

www.Facebook.com/connectionnewspapers

www.connectionnewspapers.com

From Page 5

News

“I am proud of how far we’ve come in implement-ing recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Commis-sion, and establishing this panel represents a signifi-cant milestone,” Bulova said in a statement follow-ing the vote.

Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) was the lonedissenting vote and has previously voiced his sup-port for the auditor but not the panel.

“I see it as duplicative in a time when we’ve gotresource issues,” he said. “It makes us the only juris-diction in Virginia with two review boards.”

The auditor, approved by the Board of Supervisorson Sept. 20, will review all use of force incidentsthat result in serious injury or death, as well as othercitizen complaints about police use of force not re-sulting in serious injury or death. In addition, theauditor could engage in policy and practice analy-sis, as suggested by the Board of Supervisors, countyexecutive or chief of police.

BY CONTRAST, the civilian review panel would“review completed police internal administrative in-vestigations of civilian complaints concerning alle-gations of abuse of authority and serious miscon-duct.”

At the Oct. 25 meeting, Cook specified the civilian

review panel would not conduct investigations.Rather, the panel would review investigation files anddecide whether the police’s own review was “welldone, not well done or needs more work,” Cook said.If the panel determines more work is required, thepanel would be able to send the issue back to thepolice.

The fiscal impact of the panel is up in the air, ac-cording to the board’s agenda item. Though the panelmembers will be volunteers, they will be supportedby the auditor’s staff and the county expects there tobe other undetermined costs of time from FCPD, theCounty Attorney’s Office, independent counsel andother required materials.

Herrity said he was also critical of “a number ofissues with the implementation and the terrible im-pact on the morale of our great police departmentwhich keeps us the safest jurisdiction of our size inthe country.”

Unlike Hudgins, Herrity said he really hasn’t heardfrom the community “that we have a significant is-sue here.”

Panel members will be selected by the supervisorsfrom across all Fairfax County magisterial districts.Cook said that could take place as early as the spring.

The final version of the board’s action Item will beposted online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/govern-ment/board/meetings/2016/dec-6.htm.

Fairfax County firefighters responded toa reported house fire in the 6800 blockof Compton Heights Circle in the Cliftonarea of Fairfax County on Thursday, Nov.

24 at approximately 12:24 p.m.A unit from Fire Station 17, Centreville, arrived

on the scene of a two-story single family houseand reported light smoke was visible from a sec-ond floor window. Firefighters were able to quicklyextinguish the fire. Prior to fire department ar-rival, the occupants of the home had attemptedto extinguish the fire unsuccessfully.

The fire was discovered by one of the occupantswho called 911. There were working smoke alarmsin the house that alerted occupants to the fire.

Fire Investigators determined that the fire origi-nated on a mattress located in an upstairs bed-room. The cause of the fire was a juvenile using alighter inappropriately.

Two civilians were transported to area hospi-tals with non-life threatening injuries. Nofirefighter injuries were reported. Red Cross as-sistance was not needed. Damages as a result ofthe fire were estimated to be $18,750.

Firefighters Respond to House Fire

Photo courtesy of Derrick Wels/Northern Virginia Fire Buffs

Fire struck a home of Compton Heights Circle in Clifton.

Police Civilian Review Panel Established


From Page 3

From Page 4

News

and non-veterans, too, with physical, men-tal, visual and cognitive disabilities,” shesaid. “We see if a piece of equipment or anadapted approach could help them drive,and we custom-make their plan of care. Wealso install the adapted equipment – suchas hand controls and a left-foot accelerator– in their own vehicles.”

People interested in using DRCE’s servicesmay obtain a referral form atwww.driverrehabcenter.com to give to theirdoctor to fill out. Returning it clears themto call 703-345-2990 for a driver-evalua-tion appointment. All in all, said Himan, “It’sa great feeling helping others, and that’swhy we’re in business.”

we had a lot to learn then about what theywere going through and how to get peoplewho’d lost multiple limbs back to some sem-blance of a life, We realized how woefullyinadequate what we had was and that theVA [Veterans Administration] was unpre-pared.”

“We still haven’t solved it, but we’velearned an awful lot,” continued Harvey. “Ifwe can’t give someone a limb back, givingthem a feeling of independence is critical.But it takes people like Tammy to reallycare, see the need and have the extraordi-nary love in her heart and resources ofspirit.

“And it takes people like Josh – who’scome through his own journey, with thesupport of his family and his own strengthof purpose and will – to bring this to real-ity. Think of what this will do for a militaryperson facing the rest of their lives withextraordinary challenges. Tammy and Joshgive them their lives back, and it’s an extra-special act of great generosity and richnessof spirit.”

Noting that Virginia has the largest per-centage of veterans in the country, Harveysaid, “This type of activity is so desperatelyneeded by those men and women who’vedone right by us. And Gov. McAuliffe knowsthat investing in these veterans is investingin Virginia’s future.”

Also there was Marketing Director JoeGarnett of BraunAbility, which manufac-tures accessible vehicles. “These are heroeswho’ve paid dearly for their country, andhaving a wheelchair-accessible vehicle iscritical to them,” he said. Our tagline is‘Life is a Moving Experience,’ and who de-

labor center when — fearing the un-known — most of the community wasinitially against it.

Now, five years later, the CLRC is aregular part of the community. Employ-ers hire the workers from the center, andthe CLRC makes sure they get paid fortheir labor — which didn’t always hap-pen when employers picked them upfrom the streets. And now that local resi-dents realize what good jobs the work-ers do, they hire them on a regular ba-sis, as well.

CLRC volunteers and workers havecome to know and trust each other, andthe workers feel vested in the center theyhelped to create, so they want it to besuccessful. In fact, worker and CIF boardmember Pedro Brito arranged Sunday’scelebration.

“How impressed I was with the workPedro did to organize this,” said Blaine.“He spoke with the community, the work-

ers, the volunteers and me. He got every-one involved in planning this, and I’m veryproud of his leadership role.”

Before the meal, Supervisor Kathy Smith(D-Sully) addressed the crowd and thankedFoltz for all she did to bring the communitytogether. “She helped create a place wherepeople could come, find work, be safe andget the help they needed to learn Englishand life skills such as financial literacy,” saidSmith.

She also praised Frey, saying, “If it wasn’tfor his vision and hard work, we wouldn’tbe here. And I look forward to [this center]being here for many more years.”

Speaking next was Frey. “Can you believeit’s been five years since this center openedits doors?” he asked. “And it was on a cloudyday, like today, when we cut the ribbon. It’samazing that it worked, when there wereso many naysayers who said it was doomedto fail. But Alice, Al and I knew it wouldsucceed.”

To the workers, Frey said, “I give creditto you who came here knowing you could

find work and that it would change yourlives. As for the volunteers, so many are stillhere after five years, and it’s so heartwarm-ing. So when you think about what we’vedone in the past five years, think about thenext five and everything you’ll accomplishin the future. Thank you for all you’ve doneand for all you will do.”

Then Foltz, the CIF president, expressedher gratitude to the community “becauseyou make this whole thing possible.”

Later on, Smith called the CLRC “a greatresource because it provides the workerswith a safe place and ensures that they getpaid fairly. It’s also a resource in the com-munity for people needing to find others todo jobs for them. It just creates a great com-munity to live in.”

Also pleased with the way things haveturned out, Foltz said, “We have such awonderful community of workers and vol-unteers in the center, from all over theworld. And they all work together to makethis place a success.”

“When we began, we had a very small

group of workers, and none of us knewif we’d be able to create something thatwould be accepted by the community,”she continued. “But the residents havebecome our employers, too, and manyhave volunteered with us. And for every-body who participates here, the centeris a symbol of what happens when peoplework together to improve the commu-nity.”

Referring to a large banner in the win-dow advertising the anniversary, Foltzsaid the workers who created it camefrom Algeria, Afghanistan, the U.S. andGuatemala. “And that kind of coopera-tion is what happens here every day,” shesaid. “We work hard to encourage lead-ership by everyone here, so it’s not a cen-ter run by a few people to serve every-body else — it’s a center in whicheverybody’s leadership is respected andvalued.”

For more information about the cen-ter or to hire a worker, call 703-543-6272.

Providing Immigrants with Jobs, Safety and Dignity

‘Extraordinary Enterprise That’s Changing Lives’

Among the crowd, in the front row, are (from left) Gerald Gordon, JohnHarvey Jr., Kathy Smith and Antonio Doss.

Pho

to

s by Bo

nn

ie H

obbs/C

en

tre V

iew

Josh Himan and Tammy Phippswith an accessible van in thebackground.

serves it more than our wounded war-riors?”

Stressing Phipps’s work at Bethesda,BraunAbility Sales Director Matt Swope saidshe gave so many injured veterans the “keysto driving” again. “It’s just everyday life toothers,” he said. “And there’s no greatersense of freedom. Ralph Braun startedBraunAbility 44 years ago and broughtmobility to thousands of people across theworld, and Tammy is of of the most unsungheroes of our nation.”

Swope then presented her with the RalphW. Braun Spirit of Mobility award, plus$5,000 to donate to the charity, Help OurMilitary Heroes. In response, Phipps said,“I’ve been honored to work with you, allthese years. I’m ferociously protective of mybrothers and sisters in arms.”

Next, Himan shared his story, telling howrunning over an IED in a vehicle, aboutseven years ago, left him paralyzed fromthe chest down.

“Inside, I was shattered,” he said. “Allthese plans, I could never do, and I hadflashes of suicidal thoughts.” Then a Ma-rine colonel told him he could use his de-gree in business finance to have a career in

business and help others.“Tammy helped me drive again and gave

me my mobility back,” said Himan. “I’m oneof over 400 veterans she helped during hertime at Walter Reed. I told her I wanted tobe her business partner, and here we aretoday at our grand opening. It’s been a lotof hard work, but a labor of love.”

Phipps, of Fair Oaks, thanked her familyfor their support, her company’s donors andHMH – a nonprofit that supports post 9/1/1 veterans’ out-of-pocket costs for accessiblevans – for the 74 vehicles it’s given away.She also thanked BraunAbility and thecounty for supporting DRCE.

“We see people from age 16 to retirement,


www.lostdogandcatrescue.org

lost (adj): 1. unable to find the way.2. not appreciated or understood.

3. no longer owned or known

HelpingAnimals FindTheir WaySince 2001

Adopt/Donate/Volunteer

Save the Date!Fairfax Salvation Army

Women’s Auxiliary37th Annual Fashion Show/Fundraiser

March 24, 2017at the Waterford at Fair Oaks

Contact: Angela [email protected]

By Marilyn Campbell

Centre View

When Janet and Frank McDermott pur-chased their Alexandria home in1997, it was already outdated. Builtin 1970, the home had a layout that

lacked the natural flow the couple wanted, particu-larly in the kitchen. They only recently got aroundto updating it, however.

“We hadn’t had a chance to undertake big projectssince we both worked full time,” said JanetMcDermott.

The budget-conscious couple decided to remodelthe kitchen and wanted a design that was simple,clean and timeless. The kitchen project made use ofthe existing space with only minor changes to theoriginal blueprint.

In the original layout, the refrigerator was locatedin the middle of the room, disrupting the room’s flow,so they relocated the appliance to the opposite sideof the space. The new design incorporated a built-inmicrowave oven to free up counter space.

“The kitchen was very budget-oriented, so theydidn’t want to move things around that much,” saidElena Eskandari of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.,who was tasked with creating the design. “Fortu-nately, the plumbing was already in a good location.”

Eskandari optimized the existing layout of thecabinetry and saved money by adding a floor-to-ceil-ing pantry cabinet, rollout shelving and open shelvesfor easy access to cookbooks.

“We love to cook and having all new appliancesmakes the task so much more enjoyable,” said JanetMcDermott. “The new layout of the kitchen providesa great deal of cabinet space and our kitchen looksquite a bit bigger.”

The new pantry has rolling shelves, “so that wecan pull out the drawers and see what we have,”said Janet McDermott. “Our old pantry did not havethis feature.”

Flanking the microwave are glass-front cabinets,which give the McDermotts a space to showcase theircollectables. The kitchen finishes include a quartzcountertop, ceramic backsplash tile with crackledglazing, and a luxury vinyl tile floor with acrylic groutjoints.

“We wanted to keep the materials neutral so thatthey last a longer time,” said Eskandari. “Quartzcountertops are durable and don’t stain. We usedwide Shaker-style cabinetry with beading, which ispopular right now. And luxury vinyl tile had a badrap at one point, but now it’s made to look like realtile and is more budget friendly. Many of the kitchenfinishes were budget-oriented, but well-coordinatedto create an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive look.”

Local homeowners transform their kitchen,without breaking the bank.

A Stylish, Budget-friendly Kitchen

Photo by Stacy

Zarin Goldberg,

Case Design/

Remodeling, Inc.

HomeLifeStyle

This budget-friendlykitchen byElenaEskandariincludesfinishes suchas quartzcountertopsand ceramicbacksplashtile withcrackledglazing.

Address ................................ BR . FB .HB ... Postal City .... Sold Price ... Type .......... Lot AC ... PostalCode .................. Subdivision6200 SUDLEY FOREST CT ............... 6 ... 5 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $995,000 .... Detached ....... 12.58 .......... 20120 ........... CEDAR CREST ESTATES13524 HEATHROW LN .................... 4 ... 4 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $825,000 .... Detached ........ 0.34 ........... 20120 ............... FAIR LAKES CHASE II13653 SWEET WOODRUFF LN ........ 5 ... 4 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $800,000 .... Detached ........ 0.18 ........... 20120 ................. FAIRCREST NORTH6705 ROUND POST CT ................... 5 ... 4 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $692,000 .... Detached ........ 0.59 ........... 20121 ............... GATE POST ESTATES15101 STILLFIELD PL ...................... 5 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $655,000 .... Detached ........ 0.30 ........... 20120 ........................ VIRGINIA RUN14561 OLD MILL RD ....................... 5 ... 4 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $653,000 .... Detached ........ 0.35 ........... 20121 ..................... OLD MILL ROAD14334 COMPTON VILLAGE DR ........ 5 ... 3 ... 0 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $610,000 .... Detached ........ 0.24 ........... 20121 ................ COMPTON VILLAGE15395 TWIN CREEKS CT ................. 4 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $585,000 .... Detached ........ 0.44 ........... 20120 ........................ VIRGINIA RUN5470 SERVICEBERRY ST ................. 3 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $570,000 .... Townhouse ..... 0.06 ........... 20120 ... WINCHESTER AT FAIRCREST14507 CRIM STATION RD ................ 5 ... 4 ... 0 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $561,800 .... Detached ........ 0.22 ........... 20121 .............CONFEDERATE RIDGE5201 KNOUGHTON WAY ................ 4 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $539,000 .... Detached ........ 0.23 ........... 20120 ........... SULLY II & BELLE POND6504 WHEAT MILL WAY .................. 5 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $530,000 .... Detached ........ 0.26 ........... 20121 ...............................OLD MILL14528 WILLIAM CARR LN ............... 5 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $526,000 .... Detached ........ 0.26 ........... 20120 .............................. NEWGATE5617 SHEALS LN ............................ 3 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $525,000 .... Townhouse ..... 0.06 ........... 20120 ....................... SULLY MANOR5431 GLADEWRIGHT DR ................ 4 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $520,000 .... Detached ........ 0.24 ........... 20120 .................... SEQUOIA FARMS14716 PICKETS POST RD ................ 5 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $510,000 .... Detached ........ 0.24 ........... 20121 .............CONFEDERATE RIDGE13424 MATTHEWS VISTA DR .......... 3 ... 2 ... 2 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $499,950 .... Townhouse ..... 0.07 ........... 20120 ............................. FAIRCREST5707 REGIMENTAL CT .................... 5 ... 3 ... 1 .... CENTREVILLE ..... $495,000 .... Detached ........ 0.17 ........... 20120 .............................. NEWGATE

In October 2016, 81 Centreville homes sold between $995,000-$155,000.This week’s list represents those homes sold in the $995,000-$495,000 range.

For the complete list, visit www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Home Sales

Copyright 2016 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of November 15, 2016.


21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements


21 Announcements 21 Announcements





Find us on Facebookand become a fan!

www.Facebook.com/connectionnewspapers

www.connectionnewspapers.com

Zone 4 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 4:

• CentrevilleClassifiedClassified

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

NoUrge

It’s not often; heck, it’s extremely rare,that I don’t write a cancer column, as I callthem. And my reaction to not having the‘urge’ to write yet another cancer column is,somewhere between simply taking abreak/brake in the action and having noneed to impose my cancer-centric self-indul-gence on you faithful readers.

I’ll be the first to acknowledge that I writethese columns because I need to, andbecause I’m allowed to; thank you MaryKimm. Not that the related purpose is toavoid therapy (however, I did go on a hand-ful of appointments with a psychologist but itseemed pointless and especially so, when thetherapist expressed that she felt I was fairlywell-adjusted). Ergo, I really didn’t see a pur-pose per se.

Oh sure, I will admit that the writing ofthese columns gets out of me some very per-sonal and occasionally painful prose outliningthe anxieties and fears of a cancer patientundergoing life-sustaining treatment that isbetter out than in, if professionals are to bebelieved. And maybe I’ll further acknowl-edge that, based on feedback I’ve receivedin the six-plus years that I’ve been writingthem, that the content is, generally speaking,much appreciated (I’m not ready to charac-terize them as having served a greater pur-pose/been for the greater good however,because it’s only me I’m writing about andthere’s a much bigger world than what I per-ceive in my head) and helpful. Nevertheless,I can’t imagine that it’s just me I’m writingabout, mostly; and a la Las Vegas, sort of: inthat what happens to me only happens tome. Hardly.

Just because I’ve made public somethingvery personal and presumably private doesn’tmake me the go-to-guy for cancer chat, itjust makes me a person willing to open thedoors wider than are typically opened. Sowhat? A little honesty never hurt anyone;self-indulgence though, can be really boringand tiresome. (I mean, sometimes, too muchof a good thing is simply too much. To quotemy deceased mother: “It’s enough already.”)And as much as I’m cognizant of possiblydroning on and wasting what attention-spanyou’ve allocated in my direction, I am tryingnot to drone on and trying not to lose you inthe process.

Possibly there is a means to my hopefully-not premature end. Perhaps admitting theerror of my ways and/or addressing the can-cer concerns as I regularly do has contrib-uted/caused my rather unexpected (based onmy oncologist’s original “13 month to two-year prognosis from FEBRUARY 2009) living“unexpectancy.” Perhaps laughing in the faceof danger extends one’s life more than givingin to it. All I know is, whatever I’vedone/been able to do emotionally wasnot/has not been thought out. I’ve just con-tinued to be me, myself and I — which hasincluded my weekly cancer columns.Moreover, the three of us, collectively, havelikely survived for so long because so muchthat could have bothered us/me, didn’t.

Whether it was the outlet I had/have inmy column, my personality, encouragementfrom family and friends, or my connection toThe Connection, there’s no way to know.What I do know is, the weeks when I don’twrite a cancer column are my favorites.Those are the weeks when I feel that cancerdoesn’t have a hold on me and in turn, I feelthat I have a hold on cancer. And if there’sone thing us cancer patients want to feel, it’scontrol. Even if it’s only for a week or two,here or there, the benefit is exponentiallygreater than the time we actually get toexperience it.

CLASSIFIED

NEWSPAPERS

For AllYour

AdvertisingNeeds…

It Works.Week

After Week.

703917-6400

PlaceYourAd

Today!

to your community

For Local…

•Employment•Employees•Services•Entertainment•Announcements•Real Estate•Cars•Trucks•Vans•RV’s•Boats•Pets•Yard Sales•Crafts•Hobbies•And More!


Zone 4 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 4:

• Centreville

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

GUTTER CLEANINGGutters and Downspouts Cleaned

Small Repairs • Gutter Guards

PINNACLE SERVICESlic/ins 703-802-0483 free est.email [email protected]: lawnsandgutters.comFriendly Service with a Friendly Price!

GUTTER GUTTER

A&S Landscaping

703-863-7465LICENSED

Serving All of N. Virginia

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

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

Remodeling Homes, Flooring,Kitchen & Bath, Windows,

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

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

RN. CONTRACTORS, INC.

Phone: 703-887-3827E-mail: [email protected]

www.rncontractors.com

J.E.S. ServicesYour neighborhood company since 1987

703-912-6886

Landscaping & Construction

All work Guaranteed

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

Free Estimates - Fully Licensed & Insured

LAWN SERVICE LAWN SERVICE

GOLDY BRICKCONSTRUCTION

Walkways, Patios, Driveways,Flagstone, ConcreteFREE ESTIMATES

Licensed, Insured, Bonded

703-250-6231

PAVING PAVING

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

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

BATHROOM REMODELING

703-250-2872Licensed • Bonded • Insured

www.brennan-tile.com

by Brennan Bath and Tile

TILE/MARBLE TILE/MARBLE

Quality Tree Service& Landscaping

Reasonable prices. Licensed & insured.

24 Hour EmergencyTree Service

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

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

drainage problems, etc.

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

LANDSCAPING

SOD, Mulch, Clean-UpLeaf Removal

Hauling.703-863-7465

A&S CONSTRUCTION

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

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

Office 703-335-0654Mobile 703-499-0522

Licensed/Bonded/Insured

[email protected]

Do what you can, with

what you have,where you are.

-TheodoreRoosevelt

For a free digital sub-scription to one or allof the 15 ConnectionNewspapers, go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Complete digital rep-lica of the print edition,including photos andads, delivered weeklyto your e-mail box.

Questions? E-mail:[email protected]

Sports

By Will Palenscar

The Westfield Bulldogs opened theseason with losses to LakeBraddock and Yorktown. In their

game with Lake Braddock on Dec. 6, theBulldogs opened the game with a 15-8 ad-vantage in the 1st quarter.

In the 2nd quarter Westfield againoutscored the Bruins 16-15, taking a 31-23halftime advantage.

In the 3rd quarter Lake Braddock cut thedeficit in half, outscoring Westfield 14-10.In the 4th quarter the Bruins outscored theBulldogs 17-11. With the 54-52 loss,Westfield fell to 0-1 while Lake Braddockimproved to 1-2. Westfield was led by DJGregory with 24 points and Tavon Greene’s13. Lake Braddock was led by CoreyPelham’s 22 and Quentin James 17. Bothteams were 12-17 from the charity stripe.Lake Braddock connected on four three-pointers while Westfield did not make athree.

IN WESTFIELD’S second game on Dec.9, Westfield jumped out to an early 1st quar-ter advantage 14-9, but in the 2nd quarterYorktown was able to cut into the leadoutscoring Westfield 15-13, sendingWestfield to the locker room with a 27-24advantage.

In the 3rd quarter Yorktown againoutscored Westfield 14-6 and went to thefinal quarter up 38-33.

In the 4th quarter Westfield outscored thevisiting Patriots 21-19 to come up just short57-54.

Westfield was led by Nick Albert’s 17, DJGregory’s 14 and Jordan Hairston’s 13.Westfield shot 44 percent from the freethrow line .Yorktown was led by Connor VanKirk’s 16, Nate Kaniut’s 12 and DavidPatterson’s 10. Westfield falls to 0-2, andYorktown improved 5-1.

Jordan Hairston #12 goes under-neath a Lake Braddock defender.

Westfield Falls to Yorktown, LB

Pho

to

by W

ill Palen

scar

Email announcements to [email protected]. Include date, time, loca-tion, description and contact for event: phone, emailand/or website. Photos and artwork welcome. Dead-line is Thursday at noon, at least two weeks beforeevent.

ROTARY CLUBChantilly/Centreville Rotary Club, 11:45

a.m.-12:45 p.m. every Tuesday at EggspectationRestaurant, 5009 Westone Plaza, Chantilly. Jointhe men and women of the Rotary Club for theirweekly luncheon meeting and meal. Rotary is aservice club actively involved in the community.Email [email protected] to join thegroup as their guest.

BEFORE DEC. 15U.S. Postal Service Letters FROM Santa

Program. The U.S. Postal Service can help withSanta replies to a child’s letter — complete witha North Pole postmark.

Visit about.usps.com/holidaynews/letters-from-santa.htm to learn how a child can get a letterback from Santa. “Letters from Santa” must bereceived no later than Dec. 15. Santa’s helpers atthe Postal Service will take care of the rest.

FRIDAY/DEC. 16-SUNDAY/JAN. 1WRAP Sober Ride Program. 10 p.m.-6 a.m.

each evening as a way to keep local roads safefrom impaired drivers during this traditionallyhigh-risk, holiday period. Washington-metropolitan area residents celebrating with

alcohol may call the toll-free SoberRide phonenumber 1-800-200-TAXI and be afforded a no-cost (up to $ 30 fare), safe way home. (AT&Twireless users can dial #WRAP for the sameservice.)

THURSDAY/DEC. 18County’s Draft Chesapeake Bay TMDL

Action Plans Presentation. 6-8 p.m. atConference Rooms 2-3, Fairfax CountyGovernment Center, 12000 Government CenterPkwy.

Fairfax County has developed Draft Action Plans forthe Chesapeake

Bay, Sediment, Polychlorinated Biphenyl, andBacteria Total Maximum Daily Loads that haveassigned wasteload allocations to the county’sMunicipal Separate Storm Sewer System.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 21Sully District Joint Land Use and

Transportation Committee. 7 p.m. at theSully District Governmental Center, FrontMeeting Room, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. Topic isFairfax County Public School System. 703-814-7100

DEC. 26-JAN. 9Recycle Christmas greens. Northern Virginia

Electric Cooperative will accept evergreenChristmas trees, wreaths, and garland at itstechnical center at 5399 Wellington BranchRoad, Gainesville, VA 20155, near I-66. 703-392-1580; [email protected]

Bulletin Board

Email announcements to [email protected]. Photos are welcome.

Centreville resident Grace Coleman is on theStevenson University women’s volleyball teamearning the title of MAC Commonwealth Champi-ons. This will be Stevenson’s sixth year in a row,

heading to the NCAA Division III Women’s Volley-ball Championship.

At Wheaton College in Illinois, the 2016-2017Thunder wrestling team, includes brothers FrankAiello, Stephen Aiello and David Aiello ofCentreville.

School Notes


Sports

By Will Palenscar

Before perennial power-houses Westfield and Os-car Smith met for the Vir-ginia 6A State Champi-

onship, many expected anotherclose game. Just one year ago, thetwo schools battled for the 6AChampionship in Charlottesville. Agame in which Westfield prevailedin four overtimes, 49-42. In Marchof last year, the two schools met forthe 6A State Basketball Champion-ship in Richmond. Again Westfielddefeated Oscar Smith, 74-56.

Westfield came into this match12-2, while Oscar Smith came in at13-1. Leading up to Saturday’s game inHampton, Westfield had a huge challenge— to take down another opponent with onlyone loss. Three weeks ago Westfield de-feated Madison (11-1), followed by SouthLakes (12-1), and now Oscar Smith (13-1).

In the 1st quarter it was Oscar Smith whoput points up first when ThomasWoodhouse took a Shon Mitchell pass 68yards to put Oscar Smith up 7-0. Later inthe 1st quarter, Nolan Cockrill put Westfieldon the board with a 7 yard pass fromRehman Johnson.

In the 2nd quarter Sean Eckert scored ona 6 yard pass from Johnson. Following aBrian Delaney PAT, Westfield had its firstlead 14-7.

In the 3rd quarter Westfield’s NathanielChung rushed in from 4 yards out to putWestfield ahead 21-7 following another

Delany PAT. Westfield appearedto be cruising with 21 unan-swered points.

However, in the 4th quarterKhalik Perry took a ShonMitchell pass 33 yards for Os-car Smith’s second TD. The en-suing PAT was blocked byWestfield and the lead wasdown to 8, 21-13. Then withseven seconds to play in the 4th,Oscar Smith QB Mitchell wouldrun in from 1 yard out. OscarSmith was now within a 2 point conversionof tying the game. Deangelo White woulddo just that as he did his version of a Statueof Liberty.

The score was now 21-21. After the en-suing kickoff, Westfield elected to send thegame to OT and kneeled down the final

seconds of the 4th.In overtime Oscar Smith won the coin toss

and elected to be on offense first. On thefirst play, Oscar Smith QB Shon Mitchell hitCamron Kelly for a 10 yard pass and whichgave Oscar Smith the advantage 28-21.Westfield would not be outdone, Nolan

Cockrill would score his secondtouchdown of the game on 10 yardtouchdown reception. BrianDelaney’s PAT knotted it up at 28which forced a second overtime.

In the second overtime, Westfieldwould have the ball first andJohnson would throw his 4th TD ofthe game, when he connected withIvory Frimpong from 10 yards out.However, a missed PAT gave hopeto Oscar Smith when they took thefield.

Westfield defense as it had donemany times stopped the high-pow-ered offense at the 3 yard line on4th down and Westfield had re-peated as state champions.

Prior to the Westfield’s 34-28 vic-tory, the last time a 6A State Cham-pion was able to accomplish thiswas in 1998 and 1999 when CDHylton did so.

This was Westfield’s fourth 6AState Championship, the others

coming in 2003, 2007 and 2015. For thethird time in four years, Oscar Smith felljust short in the State Championship game,the other in 2013 to Centreville and last yearto Westfield.

Westfield was led by QB Rehman Johnsonwho completed 14-26 for 221 yards and 4TDs and 1 interception. Nolan Cockrillscored twice on three receptions, SeanEckert caught 3 passes for 29 yards and aTD, and Ivory Frimpong caught 5 for 95yards and 2 TDs including the game win-ner. Nathaniel Chung and Matt Cirillo eachrushed for a TD. Chung would carry the ball15 times for 60 yards.

Oscar Smith was led by Shon Mitchellwho completed 17-30 for 320 yards and 3TDs, and rushed for another. Khalik Perry,Camron Kelly and Thomas Woodhouse eachhad TD receptions.

Westfield: State Champions — AgainDefense stallsOscar Smith indouble overtime.

Reception by Kevin Petrillo # 32 put Westfield inside the red zone.Westfield’s Ladarian Rivers and Brian Delaney surprise Coach KyleSimmons.

The 2016 Westfield Bulldogsare 6A State Champions.

Coach Kyle Simmons and his WestfieldBulldogs hold the 6A State Championship forthe second consecutive year.

Pho

to

s by W

ill Palen

scar

Westfield: State Champions After Double Overtime

Documents