finding home in fairfax county - ellington...

Great Falls Connection ❖ November 21-27, 2012 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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November 21- 27, 2012

Great FallsGreat Falls

Dr. Barinder Singh Deu, duringprayer services at the Sikh Founda-

tion of Virginia in Fairfax Stationon Thursday, Nov. 14. The Virginiasuburbs are home to several thou-sand Sikh families, mostly middle-

class professionals of Indian de-scent. In today’s Connection, we

begin an ongoing series on immi-gration and diversity in Fairfax

County. During the next month, weexplore the ways immigrants have

impacted the county, with a par-ticular emphasis on faith, politics,

education and culture.

FindingHome in

FairfaxCounty

Beach Mill RoadPlans UnveiledNews, Page 3

Riverbend PreparesFor Budget CutsNews, Page 5

Page 17

FindingHome in

FairfaxCounty

Focus on Immigration, Page 10

FindingHome in

FairfaxCounty

Beach Mill RoadPlans UnveiledNews, Page 3

Riverbend PreparesFor Budget CutsNews, Page 5

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ November 21-27, 2012 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Let Us Help You Deck the Halls! We have all you need tomake your season bright! With Home Accessories, Gifts

and the Finest Holiday Decorations

Great Falls Connection ❖ November 21-27, 2012 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Alex McVeigh

The Connection

The Virginia Department of Transportationwill begin construction on the Beach MillRoad bridge over Nichols Run as early asnext May.

The bridge was originally destroyed by floodingcaused by the storm on Sept. 8, 2011, and a tempo-rary box culvert was installed. While the bridge hadbeen on a list of possiblereplacements, VDOT saysthat closing it for the nexteight to 10 months wasnot an option, so a tem-porary structure wasopened eight days afterthe storm.

While the temporarybox culvert is structurallysound, it does not meetstandards for hydraulic ca-pacity during stormevents. For a two-yearstorm event, the bridge is18 percent undersized,and for a 10-year stormevent the bridge is 40 per-cent undersized.

“I’ve gotten a lot of com-ments from the commu-nity, why can’t the box culvert stay, it’s certainly struc-turally sound, but it’s completely inadequate for thehydraulic standards set forth by the Department ofConservation and Recreation,” said Nick Roper,VDOT’s district bridge engineer. “In the aftermath of[Tropical Storm] Lee, if we matched the size of theold bridge, we didn’t have to go get additional per-mits for construction, it was an emergency situation,roads were closed all throughout the county.”

THE BRIDGE was originally scheduled to be re-placed from August to December of this year, butafter community objections, the contract was can-celled in August and slightly modified.

The road will be closed the weekend after schoollets out for the summer. The new contract offers anincentive of $750 per day for a maximum of 45 days.

“The only way the contractor can get the full 45days of incentives is if he takes advantage of some ofthose early weekends,” Roper said.

The new contract also added several stipulationsto accelerate construction, the most notable of whichallows the contractor the option to close the roadfor four weekends before the end of the 2012-13school year (with the exception of Memorial Dayweekend) to perform preliminary site work.

“Closing the road for the weekend is typically fromFriday night at about 9 p.m. to Monday about 4 a.m.I don’t think the contractor would begin Friday night,

I don’t see the benefit,”Roper said. “We think hecould be able to install H-columns, five or six perweekend, then bury it andre-open on Monday . . . wethink the maximum of fourweekends is more week-ends than he needs to ac-celerate construction.”

OTHER PROVISIONSthat VDOT hopes willspeed up construction in-clude the use of pre-castconcrete and the reloca-tion of a gas line locatednear the west abutment.There was also a provisionadded to the Route 7 wid-ening project contract that

work cannot be performed on Georgetown Pike whilethe Beach Mill Road bridge is closed.

“I certainly hope the developer takes advantage ofthe early days, as long as we’re notified in a timelymanner,” said James Anderson of Great Falls. “I thinkit’s going to be easier to plan around in little bitsthan the huge chunk of time when it’s closed.”

The earliest date the bridge could open would beJuly 16, 2013, and a disincentive begins after Aug.30. The bridge will cost about $1.5 million.

Beach Mill Road Plans UnveiledNew bridge will beinstalled summer 2013,contractor has incentivesfor early finish.

The VirginiaDepartmentof Transporta-tion hasreleased theupdatedschedule forconstructionof a newbridge overNichols Runon Beach MillRoad.

Photo by

Alex McVeigh/

The Connection

“I’ve gotten a lot of commentsfrom the community, whycan’t the box culvert stay, it’scertainly structurally sound,but it’s completelyinadequate for the hydraulicstandards set forth by theDepartment of Conservationand Recreation.”

—Nick Roper, VDOT’s district bridge engi-neer

What are you thankful for on thisThanksgiving Day?

—Jennifer Benitz

Viewpoints

Martha Martin, Great Falls“There are so many things I am grateful

for. I went to see a couple I’ve known for 41years and I took the man a teddy bear. I toldhim it was a bear that was brown with alittle white on it and told him it was out inthe snow. It was just a humorous thing tomake him laugh and break the ice. I amgrateful I got to see someone I haven’t seen

in a while and it gave me such a glow to connect with someonelike that. I am grateful for life, for friends, for the way wesupport each other in such a warm and helpful way.”

Gay Brock,teacher at Potomac School,Herndon

“I am grateful for my family, my life, mywork; my whole deal. I have been dealt avery sweet hand.”

Ben Such-Bear, 23,Great Falls

“I am grateful for opportunities—I just gota job, so I am grateful for job opportunities.”

Nancy Glasglow,teacher at St. Francis’ preschool,Great Falls

“I am grateful for my children and myhusband. I am grateful for my mom, my joband my dog, too!”

Kirk Boyd,commercial real estate advisor,Great Falls

“I am grateful for family and friends; forhealth, Great Falls, and our troops that areserving for us and keeping us safe here. I amalso grateful for the Starbucks—I’ve beentrying to get one here for 10 years!”

Lori Schafran,realtor,Great Falls

“I am grateful for the good health of ourfamily and generosity of our friends, andthis wonderful community we live in. Therehave been a lot of changes and it keepsgetting better.”

Ann Lee,secretary, 26,Great Falls

“I am grateful to be healthy and to havegood friends.”


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News

Julie Casso,New Director ofGreat FallsSchool of Art

Great Falls Foundation for theArts (GFFFTA) announced the ap-pointment of Julie Casso as theexecutive director of the founda-tion and as the new director of theGreat Falls School of Art. Cassowill manage the school and itsexciting offerings of art instructionclasses and art workshops foradults and children. As executivedirector, Casso will advise and co-ordinate the activities of thefoundation’s committees, includ-ing development, events, web site,long term planning and facilities.Casso comes to GFFFTA from acareer with non-profit associationsand community volunteer and pro-gram development roles in GreatFalls. Of the many positions shehas held locally, most notable areCelebrate Great Falls 4th of JulyParade chair, Friends of the GreatFalls Library chair, PTA presidentof Forestville Elementary, and co-chair of the Parent Advisory Com-mittee of Village Green DaySchool.

Great Falls School of Art’s 2012Fall Term still has a few remain-ing openings. For

more information on classes andregistration go to the GFFFTA website, http:// www.greatfallsart.org,where the school bulletin (con-taining information on coursesand instructors) and registrationinformation can be found. Or, con-tact Julie Casso, school director [email protected] or byphone at 703-232-1575. Theclasses will be held at the GFFFTAfacility, 1144 Walker Road, SuiteG, near Dante Ristorante in theColvin Run commercial area ofGreat Falls.

To have community events listed in theConnection, send to [email protected]. Deadline isFriday.

FRIDAY/NOV. 28Donate to the Tysons Regional

Chamber of CommerceChildren’s Fund to benefit theSixth Annual Children’s Holiday Party,which hosts up to 60 at-risk, homelesschildren, providing them with giftsfrom Santa, “wish list” items, andsupplies for crafts for them to use tomake gifts for family members. 703-281-1333 or [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 5McLean Children’s Academy Open

House. 9:30-11:30 a.m., 6900 ElmStreet, McLean. The KindergartenEnrichment and the morning, afternoonand full-day preschool classes invitefamilies to tour the school and registerfor fall 2013. 703-734-2353 orwww.childrensacademy.com.

Bulletin Board


News

By Alex McVeigh

The Connection

As Fairfax County prepares for apossible budget shortfall of $100million in Fiscal Years 2014 and2015, all county agencies have

been asked to submit budgets that cut fivepercent from FY2013 levels.

The Friends of Riverbend Park, a non-profit group of volunteers that advocate onbehalf of the park, gave a presentation atThe Grange Thursday, Nov. 15, expressingconcerns about the park’s future.

“At a time when we’re trying to get kidsaway from video games, and into the out-doors, we’re trying to enrich their mindswith nature education by providing freeaccess to our resources,” said Tim Hackman,president of the Friends of Riverbend Park.“It seems to me that the Board of Supervi-sors and the park authority ought to befunding some reasonable level of staff.”

The latest cuts would eliminate three ofthe four taxpayer-funded positions atRiverbend. The park authority had previ-ously asked Riverbend Park to be 60 per-cent self-funded, and according to theFriends of Riverbend, the park currently

sustains 54 percent of its annual costs.Since FY2002, the Fairfax County Bud-

get has increased from $2.3 billion to $3.5billion, yet Fairfax County Parks have re-ceived an additional $500 million.

“We think that there is great value to hav-ing Riverbend a free and open park that’seasily accessed. One of the solutions [tobudget problems] would be to have an en-trance fee,” Hackman said. “We’re not surethat it’s the right way to go, if we do gothere, it would probably be a last resort.”

Scarlet Parsons of Vienna, who comes toRiverbend about once a month, said a gatefee would change the way she thinks aboutthe park.

“To me, the best part about Riverbend isthat you can just drive in, no fee,” she said.“As much as I love it, it doesn’t have thefalls, or even trails that I think are superiorto Great Falls Park, but the fact that it’scounty and it’s free is a major plus for meand my friends. I know there are budgetissues, and I would support a lot of ways to

make up the shortfall, but a gate fee wouldbe a major turn-off, and I don’t think I’malone.”

John Dargle, director of the FairfaxCounty Park Authority, said the recent bud-get situations necessitate a more “business-like approach” to park funding.

“We are at a very critical point where be-ing more business-like is what is going tomake us sustainable,” he said. “These aretough times for us.”

He said that the five percent cut in theirbudget has been submitted to the county,but hasn’t been examined by the Board ofSupervisors, it’s still being reviewed by thecounty executive.

“Our park board was not very comfort-able with the staff’s recommendations forthe cuts,” Dargle said. “As we prioritize ourcuts, we’re looking at things like, if we wereto take staff away from a site like RiverbendPark, we would not be able to survive with-out the great things they’re doing there.”

Tim Hackman,president of theFriends ofRiverbend Park,speaks at TheGrange Thursday,Nov. 15 about thestate of park bud-gets and its effecton Riverbend Park.

Photo by

Alex McVeigh/

The Connection

Riverbend Prepares for Budget CutsWith five percent cuts looming, group looks to preserve 400-acre park.

“It seems to me that theBoard of Supervisors andthe park authority oughtto be funding somereasonable level of staff.”

— Tim Hackman, president of theFriends of Riverbend Park


Every yearbetween Christ-mas and NewYear’s, The GreatFalls Connectionturns its pagesover to the contri-butions of localstudents. We areseeking artwork,photography,poetry, opinions,short stories andreflections. Wewelcome contribu-tions from publicschools, privateschools and stu-dents who arehome schooled.

E-mail to:[email protected], ormail (.jpg and textfiles on disc only)by Dec. 5, to1606 King St.,Alexandria, VA22314. Please besure to include thestudent’s name,age, grade, schooland town of resi-dence along witheach submission.For information,call 703-778-9410.

Be a Partof

CHILDREN’S(& TEENS’)CONNECTION


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Proud Location of the Following Events:“Egg Hunt” “Spring Festival” “Junefest” “4th of July Parade”

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“Farmers Market”

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Opinion

Diversity Growing Tune in to our serieson immigration.

This week, the Connection kicks offa series about immigration, diver-sity and the growing population offoreign-born residents in Fairfax

County. County reporter Victoria Ross openswith a story that captures vignettes and statis-tics of the changing population.

It is a topic consistent with the originalThanksgiving story.

More than 28 percent of Fairfax County’spopulation is foreign born; that’s 317,000 resi-dents.

Consider Yesuf Beshir from Ethiopia, who twoyears ago settled in Springfield and now worksfor a government contractor. In May, he becamean American citizen. “The main thing here isdemocracy, the right to vote,” Beshir said.

These residents include nearly 20,000 whoare self-employed business owners, truly jobcreators, large and small. One of these is ShamiWalia who emigrated from India in 1982, andnow owns Burke Cigar Shop, a popular cigarlounge that’s become a neighborhood fixture.One part of our series will look at the businessimpacts of the foreign-born population.

Fairfax County Public Schools are harbingersof change: 38,760 Fairfax County elementaryschool students, that is 44 percent of all el-ementary school students in public schoolshere, spoke a language other than English athome as of May 2009. And between them, theyspeak more than 100 different languages. An-other part of our series will look at the chal-lenges and opportunities in Fairfax CountyPublic Schools.

Consider Hutchison Elementary in Herndon,where 63 percent of students have limitedEnglish. And Crestwood Elementary in Spring-field, where 68 percent of students have lim-

ited English. At Lynbrook Elementary, also inSpringfield, 74 percent of students have lim-ited English. At Mount Vernon Woods, in MountVernon, 52 percent of students have limitedEnglish. At Dogwood Elementary in Reston, 56percent of students have limited English.

Tune in and let us know what you think.You can submit a letter to the editor at

connectionnewspapers.com/contact/letter/ — Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Be Part of Children’sConnection

During the last week of each year, The Con-nection devotes its entire issue to the creativ-ity of local students and children. The resultsare always remarkable. It is a keepsake edi-tion for many families.

We publish artwork, poetry, essays, creativewriting, opinion pieces, short stories, photog-raphy, photos of sculpture or gardens or othercreative efforts.

We ask that all submissions be digital so theycan be sent through email or delivered on CD orflash drive. Writing should be submitted in richtext format (.rtf). Artwork should be photographedor scanned and provided in jpeg format.

Identify each piece of writing or art, includ-ing the student’s full name, age, grade and townof residence, plus the name of the school, nameof teacher and town of school location. Pleaseprovide the submissions by Monday, Dec. 3.

Some suggestions:Drawings or paintings or photographs of

your family, friends, pets or some favorite ac-tivity. These should be photographed or

scanned and submitted in jpeg format.Short answers (50 to 100 words) to some of

the following questions: If you could give yourparents any gift that didn’t cost money whatwould that gift be? What are you most look-ing forward to in the upcoming year? What isone thing that you would change about school?What do you want to be when you grow up?What is your favorite animal? What is yourfavorite toy? What makes a good parent? Whatmakes a good friend? What is the best or worstthing that ever happened to you? What is thebest gift you’ve ever given? Ever received?

Your opinion (50 to 100 words) about traf-fic, sports, restaurants, video games, toys,trends, etc.

Poetry or other creative writing.Opinion pieces about family, friends, mov-

ies, traffic, sports, food, video games, toys,trends, etc.

News stories from school newspapers.We welcome contributions from families,

public and private schools, individuals andhomeschoolers.

Email submissions for the Vienna/Oakton,McLean, Great Falls, Reston and Oak Hill/Herndon Children’s Connections [email protected].

Email submissions for Springfield, Burke,Fairfax, Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connec-tions to [email protected].

To send CDs or flash drives containing art-work and typed, electronic submissions, markthem clearly by school and hometown and mailthe CD to Children’s Connection, 1606 KingStreet, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Please send all submissions by Dec. 3. TheChildren’s Connection will publish the weekof Dec. 27, 2012.

Embracing Our DiversityFocus on Immigration

Connolly leads Pledge ofAllegiance for new citizens.

Pho

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co

ntributed

By U.S. Rep. Gerry

Connolly (D-11)

Special to the Connection

Newspapers

If you can ever find the timeto attend a federal naturaliza-tion ceremony in Fairfax

County for new citizens, do it. Itreinvigorates one’s patriotism andreminds us all how lucky we areto be Americans.

I’ve participated in several of thelarge swearing in ceremonies thatthe U.S. Citizenship and Immigra-tion Service holds each year inFairfax. After leading the Pledgeof Allegiance for the hundreds ofnewly-minted citizens and theirproud families, I have the honorof addressing them about what itmeans to be an American.

I tell them that America, a coun-try of immigrants, is a place ofopportunity where you can pursue

children clutch American flags,spouses hug, and tears well in theeyes of many of the family mem-bers in attendance.

These new Americans havehelped change the face of FairfaxCounty and the Northern Virginiaregion in many ways over the lastthree decades. The diversity of ourresidents has enriched the fabricof our society and their effortshave helped our economy grow.Today, Fairfax County has the sec-ond highest median family incomein the nation, some of the bestpublic schools in the nation, aquality of life second to none, andwe continue to create jobs in thecounty at a rate that outpaces mostother communities across the na-tion.

Here in Fairfax County we haveembraced the benefits that diver-sity brings to our community, andwe are better for it.

your dreams and raise your fami-lies without fearing thatsomebody’s government is goingto tell you what to think, how toexpress yourself, what to believe,or how to worship. Too often, wetake these rights for granted, but

many of our new neighbors do not.These new citizens come to

Fairfax from all over the world.Many come from places wherethey experienced violence or sup-pression of thought, or the sup-pression of their right to partici-pate in their government. Manyare professionals skilled in medi-cine, technology, and engineering,or entrepreneurs and small busi-ness owners who have workedhard and contributed to NorthernVirginia’s robust economy.

And when their day finallycomes and they recite their Oathof Allegiance to earn the title“American citizen,” their pride ispalpable, the mood is festive, andthe respect they show for theirnew flag and their new nation isinspiring.

The overall ceremony is an emo-tional and inspiring experience foreveryone in the room, as small

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NEWS DEPARTMENT:To discuss ideas and concerns,

Call: 703-778-9410e-mail:

[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Chelsea BryanEditorial Assistant

703-778-9410 [email protected]

Alex McVeighCommunity Reporter

[email protected]

@AMcVeighConnect

Victoria Ross County Reporter ❖ 301-502-6027

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Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal KurspahicPhotography:

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Great Falls


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Disrespectful‘A concerned Great Falls citizen’sent us this picture of a largeRomney sign stolen from a neigh-bor and planted in Arnon Cemeteryin Great Falls. “I just wanted thecommunity to see how we havedevolved into an angry, disrespect-ful society,” he said in an accompa-nying note.

Opinion McLean to CelebrateWinterFest on Dec. 2

On Sunday, Dec. 2, McLean residentswill welcome in the holidays as more than50 entries proceed down Old Chain BridgeRoad for the 5th annual WinterFestparade. This year’s Grand Marshal isVirginia Foley, who has contributedoutstanding volunteer service to thecommunity. The stage will be set in thecenter curb cut of Langley ShoppingCenter, with Peggy Fox from WUSAChannel 9 again calling the parade.Parade entries will begin at FleetwoodRoad and proceed down Old Chain BridgeRoad to Elm Street. Old Chain BridgeRoad will be closed to traffic from 2:45 to6:15 p.m. on the day of the parade.

10 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ November 21-27, 2012 Great Falls Connection ❖ November 21-27, 2012 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Residents Who Moved to Fairfax CountyDuring 2009

Population by Race/EthnicityFairfax County, 1970 and 2010

By Victoria Ross

The Connection

Rosemary Osei, 22, and Lillie Reynolds, 61,have been good friends for four years. Thetwo women, who help teach special needs

students at a Vienna elementary school, are some-times mistaken for mother and daughter.

They bonded over their faith — both are devoutChristians — and family values.

Recently, they attended a rally for PresidentObama at George Mason University. The 2012presidential election was the first time Osei wasexercising her right to vote as an American citi-zen, and Reynolds was proud of her.

“Voting is a powerful feeling,” Reynolds said. “It’sone of the best things about being an American.”

Although they have much in common, bothwomen said they’ve learned important lessons fromtheir differences.

“We both experience being Americans in differ-ent ways. Rosemary came here because she wantedto come here,” Reynolds said. “My family wasbrought here in chains. … We’ve both found a wayout of no way.”

Osei spent the first 12 years of her life in Ghana.In 2003, she and her younger brother, Reuben, re-united with her family in Centreville. She becamean American citizen on Aug. 25, 2012.

“In over nine years of living in the U.S., my proud-est moment was on Nov. 6, 2012, when I waited inline for over an hour to help re-elect the presidentof the United States. I am now proud to say I aman American citizen.”

LIKE MANY IMMIGRANTS, Osei said she grewup seeing America as a land of wealth and oppor-tunity. She said there was always a celebrationwhen family friends would come back fromAmerica, because they brought armfuls of clothes,candy and toys. “It was something special andmagical to me,” Osei said.

“Although I lived a comfortable life in Ghana, Ibelieved that America would be a better place tolive. To me America represents freedom and jus-tice. Since the money is higher in America, I be-lieved my family and I would become rich and havemore money than we had in Ghana,” Osei said.

She said she was disheartened when — as a 7thgrader at Liberty Elementary School — she did notreceive the welcome she anticipated.

“In my country, when we saw white people, wewelcomed them. We wanted them to think well ofus and come back. I thought everyone would wel-come me when I came here,” Osei said. Instead,Osei said she felt out of place “as though I didn’tbelong because of the complexion of my skin color.”She said she often cried, and ate lunch in theschool’s bathroom. Within a month, the 12-year-old yearned to return to Ghana.

“I wanted to go back ‘home’ to my friends. I wasvery unhappy because I wasn’t being welcomed andaccepted for who I am as a person,” she said.

Reynolds said she understands that feeling alltoo well. She grew up in Mobile, Ala. in the 1950sand ’60s, during state-sponsored segregation, atime when laws forced blacks and whites to usedifferent drinking fountains, public parks, poolsand transportation.

“I have a lot of friends from Africa. They didn’tunderstand why I was so excited to be voting forPresident Obama the first time. I had to explain tothem that we didn’t always have the right to vote,and I didn’t think I’d live to see the day I couldvote for a black man,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said she remembers when she and hersister would walk to go shopping in downtownMobile. “You could buy the clothes, but you couldn’ttry them on because white people didn’t want totouch anything a black person wore,” she said.

Osei said it was eye opening to learn about theUnited States’ recent history of racial discrimina-tion. “When Lillie tells me stories about growingup in America as a black girl in the ‘60s, it breaksmy heart,” Osei said.

“It’s one thing to watch a movie on TV abouthow horrible African Americans were treated inthe past, but it’s another thing to know someonewho lived through those experience.

“I was in my 40s, my 40s,” Reynolds said, paus-ing, “before I stopped hating myself for beingblack.”

“My daddy was a smart man,” she said. “He wasa lumber-checker, and he was really good at math.He did everybody’s taxes in our part of town. Buthe couldn’t ride in the front seat of a car with awhite person or he’d get arrested. He was talkeddown to by white people, called ‘boy.’ … I alwaysfelt hurt and angry for him.”

Reynolds said her grandmother had a saying thatstuck with her “She would say nobody is betterthan you and you’re no better than anybody else.My family was smart. I grew up strong in one wayand beat down in another.”

“It took me to become an adult and to witness ablack man become president of the United Stateof America before I could really feel proud aboutbeing an American,” said Reynolds. “And make nomistake about it, I am proud to be an American,and proud to live here.”

BOTH REYNOLDS AND OSEI said they like liv-ing in Fairfax County, where they get to experi-ence the benefits of such a vibrant, diverse cul-ture.

“I am proud of so many things now. It makes meproud of America for how far we, as people, havechanged for the better,” Osei said. “Most of all Iam proud of Lillie for not allowing her past experi-ence turns her into a bitter person—an angry blackwoman—but instead she is a stronger, indepen-dent black woman, who treats everyone with re-spect.”

Lillie Reynolds and Rosemary Osei inReston Town Center in November.

Two women—one African-American andone from Africa—learn tosee America through eachother’s eyes.

A Way Out of No WayPho

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By Victoria Ross

The Connection

Part one of an ongoing series.

Yesuf Beshir spent nearlythree years gathering themountain of paperworkhe needed to leave Ethio-

pia and emigrate to America. Twoyears ago, he settled in Springfieldand now works as a governmentcontractor. In May, he became anAmerican citizen.

“The main thing here is democ-racy, the right to vote,” Beshir said.“You can be what you want inAmerica. You can be president. Ifyou want to be a doctor, you canbe a doctor. I tell my daughter thatthe possibilities in America are end-less.”

Shahinaz Hassan of Fairfax,originally from Egypt, also becamean American citizen in May. “I amhappy for today. Everything getseasier here,” she said.

In 1982, Shami Walia emigratedfrom India. He was 18 years old,and worked in “every job you canthink of” all over Northern Vir-ginia. “I didn’t have anything whenI came here, but I worked hard.”He now owns Burke Cigar Shop, apopular cigar lounge that’s becomea neighborhood fixture.

Rosemary Osei came toCentreville in 2000 from Ghana.The 22-year-old voted in her firstpresidential election this month,and works as a special needsteacher in Vienna.

Srikanth Ramachandran came toAmerica 14 years ago from India.In 2002, he founded the Fairfax-based Multivision IT company; by2007 the company employed 200people and had $32 million insales.

Andy Ton came from Vietnam.He now owns Andy’s Barbershopin Vienna, where customers line upout the door on the weekends. Del.Mark Keam (D-35), the first KoreanAmerican and the first Asian-bornimmigrant to serve in the VirginiaGeneral Assembly, is one of hisregular customers.

Individually, immigrants bringtheir own talents, culture, hopes,fears, sorrows, skills and needs.Collectively, they have perma-nently altered the fabric of FairfaxCounty.

In the span of one generation,Fairfax County has seen an explo-

Fairfax County has become an immigrant gateway—a place immigrantschoose as their destination.

Finding Home in Fairfax CountyFocus on Immigration

sion in its immigrant population.In 1970, more than 93 percent ofFairfax County’s population waswhite and middle-class. In the fallof 1970, a white 6-year-old childbeginning elementary school inone of the county’s developingtowns—Chantilly, McLean, Vienna,Herndon and Centreville (whichdid not yet have one major grocerystore or drug store)—could look tohis left, or look to his right, andsee a classroom full of childrenwho, at least 90 percent of thetime, looked like him and whospoke English.

By 2010, a child entering el-ementary school in Fairfax Countywould almost certainly encountera classmate who did not speak En-glish as a primary language, andwhose parents or grandparentsimmigrated from places such asVietnam, India, Korea or a countryin Africa.

According to the 2010 U.S. De-cennial Census, more than 46 per-cent of the county’s population areof a racial or ethnic minority, andnearly a third are immigrants.

“I think the migrant population

is creating a richness and diversityand really enhancing our culture,”said Frederic Bemak, PhD, direc-tor of the Diversity Research andAction Center at George MasonUniversity. He said residents noticechanges in obvious ways and subtleones.

“There’s a language change;there’s a cultural change; there’s achange as you walk down the streetin the communities, there arechanges in signs on the storefrontbecause some of them are in dif-ferent languages . . . or in churches,religious institutions. I hear it allday, ‘It’s not like it used to be.’ Well,it’s not, and that’s positive,” Bemaksaid.

In comparison—from 1990 to2010—the United States doubledthe number of migrants settling inAmerica.

“By 2020—and this is astound-ing—the children and adolescentsof migrants will comprise one thirdof the U.S. population… one-third,” Bemak said. “People don’tknow that, if we’re talking aboutchildren... that’s our future. And ifthat’s only 2020, imagine what

2040 be like.”Bemak argues that a healthy pro-

cess of acculturation and adjust-ment—when existing cultural fea-tures are combined, and new fea-tures are generated—is possible,but only when the non-immigrantculture reaches out.

“We know racism and discrimi-nation have an impact on people’smental health. We say ‘you’ve gotto figure out how to be here,’ [Thework] is simultaneously with thelarger communities. . . . Those is-sues have to be attended to at thesame time we help people adjust,adapt, acculturate,” Bemak said.

Bemak said he disliked the word“tolerance,” because it suggeststhat we’re just “tolerating” immi-grants. “We need to respect andcelebrate immigrants,” Bemak said.

Parents often notice the increas-ing inflow of diverse cultures attheir children’s schools. Robert E.Lee High School in Springfield, forexample, reflects the increasingdiversity of the community in itsstudent body. The school, whichopened in 1958 with nearly allwhite students, now has studentsfrom 42 countries who speak morethan 34 languages.

In the 2009-2010 school year,according to FCPS, Lee HighSchool’s student body was slightlymore than 30 percent white, 26percent Asian, 24 percent Hispanicand about 16 percent black.

“Go to a high school graduationand listen to the names being read.It’s not just Smith and Jones any-more,” said Lee High School par-ent Paula Montero, who came withher parents from El Salvador whenshe was 6 years old.

Statistics show the breathtakingbreadth of change in diversity andimmigration in Northern Virginia:

❖ From 2000 until 2010, FairfaxCounty gained 91,165 immigrants.In 2000, Fairfax County had237,677 foreign-born residents; in2010, the number of foreign-bornspiked to 328,842, according to theAmerican Community Survey andthe U.S. Census Bureau’s 2000Decennial Census,

❖ Forty-four percent of FairfaxCounty elementary school studentscurrently speak a language otherthan English at home. That’s nearly40,000 students who go home tohouseholds that speak one of morethan 100 languages.

❖ Among new residents who

moved to the county in 2009,nearly half were racial or ethnicminorities, and nearly one-thirdwere immigrants.

❖ In the decade from 1990 to2000, the increase in the numberof foreign born in Fairfax commu-nities included: Centreville, 323percent; Herndon, 168 percent;City of Fairfax, 88 percent, Spring-field, 78 percent; Burke, 63 per-cent; and McLean, 10 percent.

❖ 19,301 (6.4 percent) immi-grants in Fairfax County are self-employed business owners. This ishigher than the 4.1 percent of self-employed business owners who areU.S.-born Americans.

Between 1990 and 2000, FairfaxCounty became an immigrant gate-way—a place immigrants chooseas their destination upon enteringthe United States, according to a2006 Fairfax County demographicreport. The trend continues. In2010, Kiplinger called FairfaxCounty one of the nation’s topeight gateways for immigrants.

“Immigrants to this region comefrom nearly every country in theworld, and some localities arehome to people from more than100 countries,” said Audrey Singer,a senior fellow in metropolitanpolicy at the Brookings Institution.

OPPORTUNITIESAND CHALLENGES

According to scholars at theBrookings Institute, localities and

their residents typically respond inone of two ways to newcomers:they either accommodate diversityor deflect immigrants through poli-cies and procedures.

The rate and intensity of immi-grants settling in Fairfax Countyhave pushed community leaders toacknowledge the scope of diversityand address the benefits, as wellas the challenges, created by therapid influx of immigrants.

When R. Scott Silverthorne be-came the 10th person to serve asmayor of the City of Fairfax in June,he made diversity a talking point,promising to recognize and reflectthe city’s growing diversity throughrepresentation on the city’s boardsand committees.

“It’s no secret that our commu-nity continues to diversify,”Silverthorne said during his swear-ing-in ceremony.

“When former Mayor RobLederer graduated high school, ourminority population was just over2 percent. When I graduated highschool 10 years later, the minoritypopulation was 10 percent. Today,it’s 40 percent,” Silverthorne said,noting that in the Fairfax Countyschool system, more than 100 lan-guages are spoken. “I believe wehave turned a blind eye to thistrend.”

Sharon Bulova, Fairfax County’sChairman of the Board of Supervi-sors, has emphasized and cel-ebrated Fairfax County’s diverse

cultures in a number of ways. In2009, she supported Filipino advo-cate Corazon Sandoval Foley’s ef-forts to organize and host the firstNaturalization Ceremony in theFairfax County Government Center.

“Everywhere you look, there aresigns of diversity in our commu-nity,” Bulova said. “And it’s madeus a richer, stronger place. It’s im-portant that Fairfax County is rec-ognized as a community that wel-comes people from all back-grounds.”

One of the basic ways thatFairfax County reaches new immi-grants is by publishing materials inlanguages other than English, tai-lored to specific immigrant com-munities. For example, the FairfaxCounty Guide to Emergency Pre-paredness, as well as many othercounty brochures, is available in sixlanguages—English, Arabic, Farsi,Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

The growing immigration popu-lation in Fairfax County has pre-sented some challenges. While thecounty’s “politics of place” may bewelcoming, the realities of rapidchange, in particular the chal-lenges and issues low-income im-migrants face, can be daunting.

According to a 2006 study, “Un-settling Immigrant Geographiesand the Politics of Scale,” the shift-ing of responsibility from the fed-eral government to localities for the

KhatiraAlvarez (left)of Springfield,and LauraSimon-Salzerof McLean,took the Oathof Allegianceand becamenaturalizedAmericancitizens at aceremony onJuly 10, held inthe HayfieldSecondarySchool audito-rium.

See Fairfax, Page 12

Photo by

Deb Cobb/

The Connection

In Upcoming WeeksDuring the next month, The Connection Newspa-

pers will feature stories, viewpoints and columnsabout the significant impact immigrants have inFairfax County.

❖ Part II focuses on immigration and Fairfax

County Public Schools;❖ Part III examines politics of immigration;❖ Part IV explores the religious and cultural

diversity immigrants bring to Fairfax County.We encourage your letters and thoughts as we

explore this topic.


integration, assimilation and socialwelfare of immigrants has causedfrustration and some resentment.

In Fairfax County, slightly morethan half of those who are classi-fied as “foreign born” live belowthe poverty line. Minority stu-dents, according to FCPS records,are less likely to graduate fromhigh school on time. The on-timegraduation rate for the class of2010 was 95.6 percent for whitestudents, 94.5 percent for Asianstudents, 87.5 percent for blackstudents and 75.3 percent for His-panic or Latino students. On theflip side, Asian students make upmore than 60 percent of studentsadmitted through a rigorous ad-missions process to Fairfax County’s elite magnetschool, Thomas Jefferson High School for Scienceand Technology.

Immigrants are less likely to have health care cov-erage. Although immigrants comprise about 30 per-cent of the county’s total population, they comprise63.5 percent of the county’s uninsured residents.

Immigrants are also more likely to experiencehousing discrimination. According to FairfaxCounty’s Office of Human Rights and Equity Pro-grams, the agency that enforces fair housing laws inthe county, discrimination cases have been on therise in Fairfax County in the past six years.

“Sadly, housing discrimination is alive and welland we’ve seen an uptick in complaints during thepast six years,” said Ken Saunders, executive direc-tor of Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs.

Although discrimination based on race remains anissue, Saunders reports that in recent years com-plaints received by his office are related to nationalorigin or involve disability-related issues.

In contrast to national trends, discrimination basedon nationality made up 25.6 percent of complaintsfrom 2008 to 2010. In comparison, about 9 percentof complaints to HUD fall under this category. Dis-crimination complaints, Saunders said, are not filedby one particular group.

“It runs the gamut. We have complaints from LatinAmericans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, individualsfrom the Continent of Africa,” Saunders said.Saunders said Office of Human Rights and EquityPrograms does a significant amount of education andoutreach to communities with limited English profi-ciency, by hosting seminars aimed at various ethnicgroups and by publishing and disseminating infor-mation in a number of languages.

VIBRANT CULTURETHROUGH IMMIGRATION

Most community leaders and residents in FairfaxCounty agree the benefits of diversity and immigra-tion outweigh the challenges.

“Fairfax County is proud to be a community inwhich companies of all descriptions can and do suc-ceed to a greater extent than in the rest of the re-gion, the state or the country,” said Gerald L. Gor-don, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Eco-nomic Development Authority.

In September, the county was recognized as a suc-cessful market for minority-owned businesses in sev-eral national business publication rankings. Busi-nesses owned by Hispanics, African-Americans andwomen generated nearly $1 billion in revenue and

provided more than 1,000 jobs,according to the Fairfax CountyEconomic Development Author-ity.

Eleven Fairfax County-basedcompanies were among the 500largest Hispanic-owned businessesin the nation based on revenue—more than the total in 40 states,according toHispanicBusiness.com.

The Fairfax County companiescomprise 22 from Virginia on the2012 Hispanic Business 500 list.In the Washington area, eightcompanies are from Marylandand two are from the District ofColumbia.

Together these companies gen-erated $655 million in revenue

and employed more than 3,000 workers in 2011,according to Hispanic Business.

CELEBRATING OTHER CULTURESThere are numerous ways to experience the cul-

tural diversity of Fairfax County, but perhaps one ofthe most accessible is by attending one of the county’sNaturalization Ceremonies.

“Immigrants bring talent and culture to our com-munity in many ways, and make us who we are,”said Bulova. “Every time I attend one of our Natu-ralization Ceremonies, I’m reminded of how impor-tant diversity is to Fairfax County.”

On May 25, 2012, Bulova presented the Certifi-cates of Naturalization to 75 new Americans in theFairfax County Government Center. The board roomwas packed with immigrants and their families fromevery corner of the globe—Afghanistan, The Congo,Costa Rica, Burma, India, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Ma-laysia, Morocco, Nepal, South Korea, the United King-dom, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

“Some of you have endured hardships to arrive atthis time and place,” Bulova said in her remarks.“All of you have invested your time, money and ef-forts to become citizens. Many of you came here toescape war or endless poverty. . . . You who are heretoday now officially have a seat at that table.”

Samuel DeVera, a captain with the county’s Fireand Rescue Department and a member of the FairfaxCounty Asian American Firefighters’ Association,gave the keynote address, telling the audience hispersonal story of coming to America from the Phil-ippines when he was 14 years old in 1983. Afterbecoming a paramedic in 1994, he received a Valoraward and, in 2010, scored first on the test to be-come a captain with the Fire and Rescue Depart-ment.

“Look at me. The one thing I can say is work hardto make you and your families better,” DeVera said.“If you’re vice president of the company, aim to bepresident. I’m not here to encourage you; I want tochallenge you.”

The room was quiet when U.S. Rep Gerry Connolly(D-11) stepped to the podium.

“My fellow Americans,” Connolly said with gravitas,pausing to let the meaning sink in. And when it did,75 immigrants, who had just raised their right handand taken the Oath of Allegiance to become Ameri-can citizens, erupted with applause and tears, wav-ing American flags and hugging family members.

“You now join us. . . . Every new wave of immi-grants refreshes us, makes us stronger,” Connolly said,leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Fairfax Becomes Immigrants’ Gateway

Focus on Immigration

From

Frederic Bemak

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Ellen Graves leads newly naturalized citizens in thePledge of Allegiance Saturday, Sept. 22 at Lake Anne.

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Viewpoints

Immigrants’ Experiences:Becoming Americans

On Sept. 22 at the Multicultural Festival on Lake Anne Plaza in Reston,25 people participated in a naturalization ceremony that made them Ameri-can citizens. Some of them talk about how they came to the U.S. and whythey chose to become citizens.

—Amiee Freeman

Saaeddine Zaghbani, currently livingin Burke, originally from Tunisia

“From today I can say I am an Americancitizen. It is a big honor. For me it is a greatopportunity. I can live my dream. My firststep as a citizen will be to vote freely. I havevisited 47 countries, lived in five of them.Here is where I want to stay.”

Bassam Ghazi, currently living inAshburn, originally from Lebanon

“I came here on a visit 25 years ago anddecided I would like to stay here. So, I gotmy green card. Now I will have time totravel and see more of the country.”

Seung Il Kim, currently living inFalls Church, originally from SouthKorea

“This is really a very special event. I havebeen a member of the community for a longtime, but not really. Until now I never hadthe rights or responsibilities of a citizen.”

Jose Zalles, currently living inWoodbridge, originally from Bolivia

“I came here as a very young person. Myparents came here first and then I followed.I grew up here. My parents already spokeEnglish. I never really felt the need tobecome a citizen until recently. Duringcollege I saw opportunities that were onlyavailable to citizens, so I thought it wastime for me to become one.”

Xiomara Artola, currently living inWoodbridge, originally from ElSalvador

“Since I was 18 I had thought aboutbecoming a citizen. But I was young then. Ihave lived here since kindergarten and Iwent to school here. Now that I am 23 I feltthat it was time to complete the naturaliza-tion process.”

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Visit These Houses of Worship

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA450 ORCHARD STREET, NW

VIENNA, VA 22180703-938-8525

[email protected]

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 11:00 AMCHURCH SCHOOL 9:30AM-10:30AMMIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM

To Highlight Your Faith Community, call Karen at 703-917-6468Assembly of God

Vienna Assembly of God ... 703-938-7736Washington Christian Church...703-938-7720

Cristo Es Mi Refugio...703-938-7727

Baha’iBaha’i Faith for Northern Virginia ... 703-821-3345

BaptistGlobal Mission Church ... 703-757-0877Peace Baptist Church ... 703-560-8462

Bethel Primitive Baptist Church... 703-757-8134

Cartersville Baptist Church ... 703-255-7075Fellowship Baptist Church ... 703-385-8516

First Baptist Church ... 703-938-8525The Light Mission Church ... 703-757-0877

Vienna Baptist Church ... 703-281-4400New Union Baptist Church... 703-281-2556

BuddhistVajrayogini Buddhist Center... 202-331-2122

Church of the BrethernOakton Church of the Brethern ... 703-281-4411

CatholicOur Lady of Good Counsel ... 703-938-2828

St. Athanasius Catholic Church ... 703-759-4555St. Mark’s Catholic Church ... 703-281-9100

CharismaticChristian Assembly ... 703-698-9777

Church of ChristBerea Church of Christ ... 703-893-7040

Disciples of ChristAntioch Christian Church ... 703-938-6753

EpiscopalChurch of the Holy Comforter ... 703-938-6521

Church of the Holy Cross ... 703-698-6991St. Francis Episcopal ... 703-759-2082

Jehovah’s WitnessJehovah’s Witnesses ... 703-759-1579

LutheranEmmanuel Lutheran Church...703-938-2119

Christ The King Lutheran Church...703-759-6068St. Athanasius Lutheran Church... 703-455-4003

MethodistAndrew Chapel United Methodist ... 703-759-3509

Church of the Good Shepherd ... 703-281-3987The Vine Methodist Church ... 703-573-5336Ephiphany United Methodist ... 703-938-3494Great Falls United Methodist... 703-759-3705

Oakton United Methodist ... 703-938-1233Vale United Methodist ... 703-620-2594

Smith Chapel United Methodist ... 571-434-9680Wesley United Methodist ... 703-938-8700

Non-DenominationalCelebration Center for Spiritual Living

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Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of Fairfax ... 703-281-4230

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

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The Rev. James Papile, RectorThe Rev. Jacqueline Thomson

The Rev. Laura Cochran703-437-6530

www.stannes-reston.org1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston

ST. ANNE’SEPISCOPALCHURCH • Reston

Progressive & Welcoming

The Langley High School Crew Team recently worked with local charity groups to support the 2012Thanks for Giving Thanksgiving Food Drive and charity event. Langley Crew provided manpower anddonated supplies including winter clothes and holiday food staples to help over 100 families in D.C., Vir-ginia, and West Virginia. The donations were collected at the Langley Crew Open House on Oct. 27 andwere packed and shipped on Nov. 10.

Crew loading boxes. Crew Thanksgiving boxes.

Langley Crew Gives Back

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The Knit, Purl Love ministry ofVienna Presbyterian Church, 124Park Street NE, Vienna, which knits andsends scarves to orphans in Eastern Eu-rope, invites knitters, and those who wishto serve to help with the ministry, whichas sent 1200-plus scarves to date and willdeliver several hundred more in Ukrainein December. Call 703-938-9050 orwww.metrochr i s t ian l iv ing .com/monthly-columns/knit-purl-love-a-knit-ting ministry/ to learn more.

A Walk through AncientBethlehem, Dec. 8-9, 2012. Walkthrough a replica of ancient Bethlehemduring the time of Jesus Christ’ birth. OnDec. 8 and 9, Parkwood Baptist Churchof Annandale will present its 12th an-nual re-creation of Bethlehem. Toursconducted from 4 to 8 p.m. will featurecostumed re-enactors including Romansoldiers and tax collectors, musical per-formances, and a nativity scene with liveperformers and animals. Activities andcrafts for children and refreshments forall. No admission charge. 8726Braddock Road, Annandale. Detailsavailable at www.bwalk.org or 703-978-8160.

Redeemer Lutheran Church,1545 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, at theintersection with Westmoreland Streethas Sunday worship with Holy Com-munion at 8:30 a.m., traditional styleworship; 9:45 a.m., contemporary styleworship; and 11 a.m., traditional styleworship. Sunday School and Adult Fo-rum is at 9:45 a.m.

Unitarian Universalist Congre-gation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton, offers a rich and uniqueReligious Exploration (RE) program forall children, from pre-K toddlers

through high school seniors, emphasiz-ing exploration of all religious traditionswhile developing a personal spiritualpath. Registration for the RE program,which offers classes on Saturday after-noons and Sunday mornings, is nowopen by calling 703-281-4230.

St. Francis Episcopal Church,9220 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls,offers three Sunday services and a hostof musical, educational, outreach, andfellowship ministries to enrich spiritualgrowth. Worship servces are at 7:45a.m. (without music); 9 a.m. WorshipService, Children’s Chapel andChildren’s Choirs; 10 a.m. SundaySchool and Adult Forum; and 11 a.m.Worship Service with Adult Choir. 703-759-2082.

Redeemer Lutheran Church,1545 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, offersa 9 a.m. traditional service and a 10:30a.m. contemporary service on Sundays.Also offers two services during the sum-mer – both of which will includechildren’s sermons. 703-356-3346.

Trinity United MethodistChurch, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.,McLean, Sunday worship services are at8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School foradults is at 9:30 a.m. and for childrenduring the 10:30 a.m. worship service.Youth Group for grades 7-12 meets Sun-days at 6 p.m. A 20-minute service ofHoly Communion is held each Wednes-day at 12 p.m. 703-356-3312 orumtrinity.org.

The Jewish Social ServicesAgency (JSSA) offers a wide variety ofsupport groups for those with emo-tional, social, and physical challenges.www.jssa.org/growth-learning.

FaithFaith Notes are for announcements and events in the faith community. Send to

[email protected]. Deadline is Friday.


Send announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is Thursday forthe following week’s paper. Photos/artwork encour-aged. For additional listings, visitwww.connectionnewspapers.com

FRIDAY/NOV. 23Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild

Holiday Market. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at ViennaCommunity Center, 120 Cherry Street S.E.,Vienna. Eighty-plus juried artisans offer original,handmade arts and crafts, decorative paintings,fused, etched, painted and stained glass,ceramics and pottery, hand-painted silk,woodworking, hand-weaving, photography,paintings and drawings, clothing and functionaltextiles and more. www.nvhg.org.

Annual Gingerbread House. Opening at 2 p.m.,daily hours from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd.,McLean. A life-sized Gingerbread House withculinary artwork large enough to walk under, aplace to shop for pastries and holiday treats, andon opening day, holiday confections, hot spicedcider, roasted chestnuts and hot cocoa; openthrough Christmas Eve. www.ritzcarlton.com/tysons.

Altar Boyz. 8 p.m., at 1st Stage, 1524 Spring HillRoad, Tysons Corner. A cheeky, pop-rockmusical comedy about a boy band of singingdancing heartthrobs from Ohio on the last nightof their national tour. $30; $15, students. 703-854-1856 or www.1ststagetysons.org.

The Grandsons. 8 p.m., at The Barns at WolfTrap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. DC-based rock ‘n’rollers play their annual post-Thanksgivingconcert. $18. www.wolftrap.org.

SATURDAY/NOV. 24 Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild

Holiday Market. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at ViennaCommunity Center, 120 Cherry Street S.E.,Vienna. Eighty-plus juried artisans offer original,handmade arts and crafts, decorative paintings,fused, etched, painted and stained glass,ceramics and pottery, hand-painted silk,woodworking, hand-weaving, photography,paintings and drawings, clothing and functionaltextiles and more. www.nvhg.org.

Altar Boyz. 2 p.m., 8 p.m., at 1st Stage, 1524Spring Hill Road, Tysons Corner. A cheeky, pop-rock musical comedy about a boy band ofsinging dancing heartthrobs from Ohio on thelast night of their national tour. $30; $15,students. 703-854-1856 orwww.1ststagetysons.org.

Messiah Sing-Along. 7 p.m., at the ViennaPresbyterian Church, 124 Park St., N.E., Vienna.The church orchestra combines with youthchoirs from Lewinsville, Falls Church and ViennaPresbyterian Churches in a community-widesing-along. www.viennnapres.org.

John Eaton. 7:30 p.m., at The Barns at Wolf Trap,1635 Trap Road, Vienna. The jazz pianist,vocalist and musicologist reinterprets Americancomposers’ classics; this particular night, Eatonplays the music of George Gershwin and HaroldArlen. $25. www.wolftrap.org.

SUNDAY/NOV. 25 Breakfast Buffet. 8 a.m.-noon, at the Vienna

American Legion, 330 Center St., Vienna.Omelets, scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes,bacon and more. $8, adults; $3, children. 703-938-1379.

Northern Virginia Handcrafters GuildHoliday Market. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at ViennaCommunity Center, 120 Cherry Street S.E.,Vienna. Eighty-plus juried artisans offer original,handmade arts and crafts, decorative paintings,fused, etched, painted and stained glass,ceramics and pottery, hand-painted silk,woodworking, hand-weaving, photography,paintings and drawings, clothing and functionaltextiles and more. www.nvhg.org.

Thanksgiving Food Drive at Wildfire. 11a.m.-8 p.m., at Wildfire Tysons Galleria, 1714International Drive, McLean. Proceeds fromWildfire sales on Thanksgiving Day go to Foodfor Others, the largest distributor of free fooddirectly to people in need in Northern Virginia;the restaurant will also donate all unopenedcans and boxes of non-perishables brought in onSunday. www.wildfirerestaurant.com/mclean.

Altar Boyz. 2 p.m., 7 p.m., at 1st Stage, 1524Spring Hill Road, Tysons Corner. A cheeky, pop-rock musical comedy about a boy band ofsinging dancing heartthrobs from Ohio on thelast night of their national tour. $30; $15,students. 703-854-1856 or

www.1ststagetysons.org.Fall Concerts of Traditional Celtic Music. 5

p.m. and 7 p.m. The Old Brogue Irish Pub, 760-C Walker Road, Great Falls. VA and BarnabyProductions, Inc. present the 10th season offamily friendly, fall traditional Celtic concerts;Bruce Molsky, American Celt extraordinaire, tiesthe Celtic influences that inform our owntraditions into a fascinating concert. Tickets forall 5 concerts, $65; $15 each for individualconcerts. All ages. Reservations must be made inadvance at the Old Brogue. 703-759-3309.

The Downtown Fiction. 6:30 p.m., JamminJava, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. The bandheadlines a hometown show after coming homefrom a 33-city nationwide tour. $15, generaladmission; $30, VIP. www.jamminjava.com.

MONDAY/NOV. 26Annual Church Street Holiday Stroll. 6-9

p.m., on Vienna’s Historic Church Street. Santaarrives at 6:15 in his fire truck to help the mayorlight the tree, followed by musical performancesand strolling singers on the street. Historicchurches including the Freeman House, ViennaPresbyterian’s Old Chapel, the Knights ofColumbus, the Caboose and the Train Stationwill be open along with a petting zoo,supervised bonfires with marshmallows to roast,shopping and a Toys for Tots collection. 703-938-5187 or www.historicviennainc.org.

WEDNESDAY/NOV. 28Dialogue & Friendship Dinner: Education

for Peace. 6:30 p.m., Tysons Corner Marriott,8028 Leesburg Pike, Tysons Corner. TheAmerican Turkish Friendship Association andthe Rumi Forum Fairfax bring officials, leadersand representatives from faith communities,businesses, media and academia together fordinner and speakers on education for peace.703-267-5751 or [email protected].

THURSDAY/NOV. 29Tysons Regional Annual Holiday Mixer.

5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Bank of Georgetown,1850 Towers Crescent Plaza, Suite 100, Vienna.New member of the Tysons Regional Chamberof Commerce, Bank of Georgetown, kicks off theholiday season at their new location in TysonsCorner; food from Dutch Mill Catering,networking and holiday cheer included. $15,members; $20, non-members.

Opening Receptions. 7-9 p.m., McLean Projectfor the Arts, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean. In the

Entertainment

See Entertainment, Page 15

1st Stage PresentsAltar BoyzThe Altar Boyz are jumping for joybeginning Nov. 23 at 1st Stage inTysons, From left - JonathanWalker (Juan), Ted Nagel (Mark),Zach Powell (Abe), BJ Gruber(Matthew) and Derek Tatum(Luke). See calendar for moredetails.

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Edges and Grids exhibit in the EmersonGallery is five artists’ work whichincorporates elements of edges andgrids; in the Atrium Gallery is EllynWeiss’s Primordial Soup Kitchen, fullof paintings which evoke early formsof life with tar; the Ramp Galleryexhibit shows Ron Paras’photographic works entitled SilentSymphony: A PhotographicComposition in Four Movements.703-790-1953 or www.mpaart.org.

FRIDAY/NOV. 3030th Annual McLean Holiday

Crafts Show. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., atMcLean Community Center, 1234Ingleside Avenue, McLean. The showfeatures fiber arts, wood, ceramicsand pottery, jewelry, glass, holidaydecor, items for children, gourmetfoods, paper art, photography, softsculpture, paintings and drawings.$2, adults; $1, ages 13 and under.http://www.pimmithills.org/pimmit-hills-events.

Altar Boyz. 8 p.m., at 1st Stage, 1524Spring Hill Road, Tysons Corner. Acheeky, pop-rock musical comedyabout a boy band of singing dancingheartthrobs from Ohio on the lastnight of their national tour. $30; $15,students. 703-854-1856 orwww.1ststagetysons.org.

Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul. 8p.m., at The Barns at Wolf Trap,1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Irish fiddleprodigy Eileen Ivers joins bandmatesplaying world music and traditionaland contemporary music.www.wolftrap.org.

SATURDAY/DEC. 1 The Chamber’s 16th Annual

ReindDog Pageant. 8-9:30 a.m.,at Langley Shopping Center, onChain Bridge Road between OldDominion Drive and Dolley Madison.At the pet event of the season, dogsparade in holiday or creative attirefor contest prizes while music,vendors, photo opps and Santasurround. A dog adoption eventoccurs simultaneously. 703-356-5424orwww.members.mcleanchamber.org.

30th Annual McLean HolidayCrafts Show. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., atMcLean Community Center, 1234Ingleside Avenue, McLean. The showfeatures fiber arts, wood, ceramicsand pottery, jewelry, glass, holidaydecor, items for children, gourmetfoods, paper art, photography, softsculpture, paintings and drawings.$2, adults; $1, ages 13 and under.http://www.pimmithills.org/pimmit-hills-events.

Gingerbread House DecoratingClass. 10 a.m., 1 p.m., at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 TysonsBlvd., McLean. Children ages 3-12can explore the life-size gingerbreadhouse at the hotel, then make theirown sugary homes in a decoratingclass taught by the pastry chefs;includes all ingredients as well as asouvenir. $70 per child.www.ritzcarlton.com/tysons.

The Nutcracker Tea. 10 a.m., 1 p.m.,at the the Ritz-Carlton TysonsCorner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean.Enjoy the Nutcracker Ballet withafternoon tea and treats whilemembers of the Creative DanceCenter put a contemporary twist onthe beloved classic and the pastryteam tantalizes palates with teasandwiches, pastries and sweets. $75(includes nutcracker doll for allchildren). www.ritzcarlton.com/tysons.

Djembe Drum and 50 Quilts forAIDS-Orphaned Children. 1:30-3:30 p.m., at Falls Church Episcopal,115 East Fairfax St., Falls Church.View the first 50 quilts crafted bymembers of St. Peter’s Episcopal

Church, made for South Africanchildren orphaned by AIDS;refreshments and live music by KofiDennis, djembe [email protected].

Altar Boyz. 2 p.m., 8 p.m., at 1stStage, 1524 Spring Hill Road, TysonsCorner. A cheeky, pop-rock musicalcomedy about a boy band of singingdancing heartthrobs from Ohio onthe last night of their national tour.$30; $15, students. 703-854-1856 orwww.1ststagetysons.org.

The 44th Annual Wolf TrapHoliday Sing-Along. 4-5:30 p.m.,at the Filene Center, 1645 TrapRoad, Vienna. Bring your brightestcandle, your shiniest bell, a Toys forTots gift and a grand holiday spirit;the president’s own United StatesMarine Band and 400 voices from toparea groups lead the audience intraditional holiday songs.www.wolftrap.org.

Christmas with FCS: CarolsThrough the Ages. 5 p.m., atVienna Presbyterian Church, 124Park Street NE, Vienna. ShareChristmas with the Fairfax ChoralSociety; 300-plus voices belt outpopular and unusual carols from

Christmases past. $25, adults; $15,students (in advance, adults are $30at the door). 703-642-3277 orwww.fairfaxchoralsociety.org.

Great Falls Celebration of Lights.6-8 p.m., at the Great Falls VillageCentre Hill, off State Route 681/Walker Road, Great Falls. The 22ndannual tree lighting ceremony hasnot only a host of lights, but also apetting zoo, pony rides, Santa Clauswith his old-fashioned sleigh bell, alive nativity, music from the LangleyMadrigal Singers, hot cider and anopen house featuring shops withtreats, cookies, hot chocolate andcoupons.

Big Sam’s Funky Nation. 7:30 p.m.,at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road,Vienna. A general admission dancewith “Big Sam” Williams and histroupe of urban jazz musicians. $22.www.wolftrap.org.

Ballroom Dance at Colvin RunCommunity Hall. 9-11:30 p.m.,Colvin Run Community Hall, 10201Colvin Run Road, Great Falls. DJ BillPowers and TJ play ballroom dancemusic from the 1930s to today;includes light refreshments. $4.www.colvinrun.org.

Catch A 'Canary' At Colvin RunLangley High School junior Emily Nesbitt became the first

“Colvin Run Canary” on Saturday, Nov. 3. Holding the dancersspellbound with her romantic interpretation of the 1940s favor-ite, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” Nesbitt was the firstfeatured singer in the Colvin Run Community Hall’s new youthoutreach program.

Director Alane Dashner explains, “A ‘canary’ is the old-fashionedword for a woman who lent vocals to the jazz bands and bigbands in the last century.” Colvin Run’s new “Canary” programoffers talented young soloists the opportunity to perform both acapella and with a live band and ballroom dancers.

Interested high school-aged soloists (male and female) shouldemail [email protected] for more details. A video ofNesbitt’s performance can be found at ww.colvinrun.org and athttp://youtu.be/yOObYtR41Pg.

Emily Nesbitt sang at Colvin Run Community Hall onSaturday, Nov. 3, becoming the first “canary” in theCanary Program, offering talented soloists the op-portunity to perform.

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Sports

Alex Andrejev (12) and Caroline Mannon (8), seen earlier this season, and the Langleyvolleyball team lost to Kellam in the state semifinals on Nov. 15.

Philip Novacki (2), seen earlier this season, and theLangley football team ended their season with a loss toStone Bridge in the Division 5 Northern Region footballsemifinals on Nov. 16.

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Langley Volley-ball Falls in StateSemifinals

The Langley volleyball teamended its season with a 3-0 loss toKellam in the semifinals of theVHSL AAA state tournament atVCU’s Siegel Center.

The Saxons finished the yearwith a 24-6 record, won theprogram’s first Liberty District titlesince 2007, finished Northern Re-gion runner-up and defeatedPatrick Henry, 3-1, in the statequarterfinals.

Langley won 19 of its final 22matches.

Langley FootballLoses in RegionSemifinals

The No. 5 Langley football teamreached the Division 5 NorthernRegion semifinals before ending itsseason with a 33-14 loss to top-seed Stone Bridge on Nov. 16.

According to stats from theWashington Post’s Web site, Lan-gley running back Philip Mun car-ried 15 times for 143 yards. He fin-ished the year with 1,846 yards onthe ground, second most in theWashington, D.C. metro area be-hind Robinson’s Joe Wilson, whohad 2,358. Mun was second with290 carries (Wilson, 336) and theSaxons back scored 17 of his 18touchdowns on the ground

Philip Novacki scored a rushingtouchdown. Quarterback Nick

Casso completed eight of 14 passesfor 165 yards and a touchdown.Garrett Collier had four receptionsfor 75 yards, Novacki had twocatches for 63 yards and BrianOchoa caught a 20-yard touch-down pass.

Langley finished the year with a7-5 record and defeated Hayfield,21-14, in the opening round ofregionals on Nov. 9.

Basketball SeasonApproaching

The Langley and McLean basket-ball teams will be opening their2012-13 seasons soon.

The Langley boys’ team will hosta scrimmage against West Potomacat noon on Saturday, Nov. 24 be-fore opening its season againstCentreville at 5:30 p.m. on Nov.29 at South Lakes High School.The girls’ basketball team will hosta scrimmage against LakeBraddock at 3 p.m. on Saturdaybefore opening its regular seasonat Broad Run at 7 p.m. on Nov. 27.

The McLean boys’ team willscrimmage at Wise on Nov. 26 andwill open the season againstWalsingham Academy at the Trin-ity Tip Off on Nov. 30. The girls’team will host a scrimmageagainst Elizabeth Seton at 1 p.m.on Saturday and will open its sea-son at Woodson on Nov. 29.

Vienna Thunder and Great FallsBeasts Win Championships

Of all the teams in the FairfaxCounty Flag Association, TheGreat Falls Beasts emerged asthe league champions on Sat-urday, Nov. 10 in the 5-8 Divi-sion. “It was a great game,”wrote the wife of the teamcoach, Michele Verity.

The team celebrated at Brixin Great Falls on Tuesday, Nov.13 at 6 p.m.

The Upper Division champwas the Vienna Thunder team.

Fairfax County Flag Associa-tion, a coed youth flag football

The Great Falls Beasts of Fairfax County Flag Associa-tion won the coed youth flag football league champi-onship on Saturday, Nov. 10.

league, aims to provide chil-dren with an environment fos-tering life skills like teamworkand good sportsmanship. Allthe coaches are volunteers whovalue and support communityspirit.

The Reston Terminatorsplaced as the 5-8 Division run-ner-up and the Reston Redskinsthe Upper Division runner up.

To learn more about theleague, visit http://l e a g u e a t h l e t i c s . c o m /?org=viennaflag.com.

Flint Hill Pitcher Doyle Commits to UVa

Flint Hill junior pitcherTommy Doyle has verballycommitted to the Univer-sity of Virginia.

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Flint Hill School junior

Tommy Doyle verbally co-mmitted to play baseball at

the University of Virginia. Doyle,a right-handed pitcher, gave hisofficial verbal commitment to theprogram in October.

“Knowing that I will be a studentat UVa and play baseball for suchan exceptional program is incred-ibly humbling,” Doyle said. “Eversince I thought I may have a shot atplaying at the collegiate level, it’sbeen my dream to play for Virginia.”

Doyle was the No. 1 startingpitcher for Flint Hill last spring.During the offseason, he plays forStars Baseball. The Northern Vir-ginia-based club travels up anddown the East Coast during thefall and summer seasons compet-ing in showcases and tourna-ments.

“Tommy has shown tremendousgrowth as a pitcher these past twoyears that I’ve coached him, andalong with his natural ability andwork ethic, his potential is unlim-ited,” said Flint Hill Head CoachTom Verbanic, who also playedbaseball for UVa. “For the next two

seasons at Flint Hill, we will counton him as the ace of our team andwill look forward to seeing his ca-reer unfold at the University ofVirginia.”

Son of George and Laura, Doylehas a twin sister, Katherine. Healso has two older siblings, Claireand Matthew, who play collegiatelacrosse at Bucknell University andbaseball at Harvard University, re-spectively.

Great Falls Connection Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]


By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Mark Fischer sat with his parents in theplush reception area of one of theregion’s elite independent schools,biting his fingernails and tapping his

left foot while waiting to speak with an admissionsofficer for the interview portion of his application.

“Yeah, I’m a little nervous,” he said.Admissions directors say the interview is a chance

for both students and their parents to get to knowthe schools and for the school to become familiarwith the applicants. But what do admissions teamswant to learn from interviews with applicants andtheir families?

“We really just want to get to know you better andhear what you have to say about your school yearand thoughts for next year,” said Ann RichardsonMiller, director of admission and financial aid at TheMadeira School in McLean.

“We like to see that the student is curious aboutlife, what he or she is interested in and what theyare passionate about,” said Diane Dunning, directorof admission and financial aid at St. Stephen’s & St.Agnes School in Alexandria.

Tim Simpson, director of admission and financialaid for Bullis School in Potomac, Md., adds thatschools value sincerity. “Does the student talk aboutthings that are important to them? Do they go intodetail so that I don’t have to dig? If I ask about aphysics class, does the student go into detail abouttheir own personal experience? It is always excitingfor me to hear different layers of a student’s experi-ences,” he said.

COMPETITION TO GET INTO independentschools can be fierce — some school admissionsteams accept only one out of every 10 applicants —so parents may wonder if they should hire educa-tion consultants or coaches to help their childrenprepare for interviews.

Mark Sklarow, executive director of the Indepen-dent Educational Consultants Association, says it’snot worth it: “A school is trying to get … an under-standing of who that student really is,” he said.“They’ll try to get past any planned or scripted an-swers.”

Richard Moss of The Heights School in Potomacagrees. “It is often easy to tell when a student is notinterested based on their knowledge of the schooland the reasons for wanting to attend,” he said. “Theinterview with the parents is important because youget a sense of the kinds of people you’re going to beworking with. We want to make sure our parents areon board with what our instructors are trying to do.”

Admissions directors say parents often ask howtheir families should prepare for interviews. “This isan opportunity to soul search about why they areinterested in the school,” said Moss, adding he no-tices a lot about a prospective student during an in-terview. “Does a student present well? Does he looksharp? Does he have a firm handshake? Does hethank you for having him? Does he look alive andengaged? Does he mumble?”

Sklarow says that while students should not over-prepare, they should know what to expect. “Every

school is not looking for the same kind of student.Every school is not looking for the same answer. Theyare trying to figure out whether that student fits thepersonality of the school. They want to know if thisis a student who will find friendships within theschool and fit into the school community.”

WHAT ROLE do the teacher recommendations playin admissions decisions? “Teacher recommendationsgive us a broader perspective on student effort andattitude, and often provide us with a different per-spective than what the application alone might show,”Michael Cresson, director of admissions, BishopO’Connell High School in Arlington.

“Families would be surprised by the thoughtful andinsightful comments most teachers make on the rec-ommendations,” Miller said. “Trust the teachers. Theyhave your child’s best interest at heart.”

Charlotte Nelsen, director of admission for thePotomac School in McLean said, “Potomac Schooltakes a particular interest in the current teacher’srecommendation for the applicant. We recognize ateacher has known the student far longer than wehave.”

Some experts say that reports from a student’s cur-rent instructors can raise red flags as well. “Teacherrecommendations can shed light on the difficult as-pects of a student’s personality that you don’t see ona report card,” said Moss. “Report cards don’t neces-sarily tell you how hard a student is working, howgenerous he is or what his true abilities are.

“We realize that teacher recommendations are sub-jective, but they are important,” Moss continued. “Ifa student is required, for example, to get a recom-mendation from a current English teacher and theyhave a terrible relationship with that teacher … theyshould … ask the previous year’s English teacher towrite a supplementary recommendation, just so theycan balance out the negative one. The one thing youdon’t want to do is get a bad recommendation andsay, ‘Well this is a horrible teacher who doesn’t likemy son.’”

Julie Jameson, director of admission and financialaid at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac,concludes: “The interviews and teacher recommen-dations offer multiple perspectives and wonderfulopportunities to learn more about each applicant aspart of the whole admission process.”

The Langley High SchoolModel UN Team at-tended The College of

William & Mary’s 26th AnnualHigh School Model UN Confer-ence and won a collection ofawards.

Langley won the Best LargeDelegation award, beating Tho-mas Jefferson High School forthe first time in school history.To gain the title, Langley alsodefeated Model UN power-house UChicago Lab School.

The team also took a collec-tion of individual awards, in-cluding: The Secretary-General’s Committee on Nego-tiation (Ad Hoc), Best Del-egate—Mujtaba Wani; Cabinetof the Federative Republic ofBrazil, Best Delegate—CynthiaDing; General Meeting of theEnglish Premier League, BestDelegate—Jiho Kim; UnitedNations Commission on Sus-tainable Development, Best Del-egate—Jenna Smith; Best Del-egate Organization of American

States (Spanish Speaking Com-mittee), Best Delegate—RachelStone; International MaritimeOrganization, Best Delegate—Cameron Davis and Rachel Wu;Joint Crisis Committee: Ameri-can Civil War: Union Cabinet,Outstanding Delegate—Brendan McConnaughay;United Nations EnvironmentalProgramme, Outstanding Del-egate—Shivali Marwaha andSahar Ghamary; Joint CrisisCommittee: American CivilWar: Confederate Cabinet, Ver-bal Commendation—GregoryAdams; and InternationalAtomic Energy Agency, VerbalC o m m e n d a t i o n — N a t a l i eFahlberg and Grace Sununu.

The Langley High SchoolModel UN officers are Secre-tary-General Mujtaba Wani,Under-Secretary-General JennaSmith, Treasurer Cynthia Dingand Communications OfficerHoonie Kim.

The team sponsor is JillianBusath.

The Langley High School Model UN Team at theCollege of William and Mary’s 26th Annual HighSchool Model UN Conference.

Winning BigLangley’s Model UN Teamwins a collection of awards atannual conference.

Admissions officers at localschools offer insight intothe application process.

Interviews and Recommendations

Photo courtesy of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

Instructor Laura Hoffman teaches a sci-ence class at St. Andrew’s EpiscopalSchool in Potomac, Md. Independentschool officials say interviews with appli-cants and their families help identifystudents who fit “the personality of theschool.”

The following students were namedsemifinalists in the 2013 NationalAchievement® Scholarship Program:Taylor N. Brown and Zakiy S.Gharad from McLean High School;Margaret C. Secor from James Madi-son High School; Misa C. Mori fromOakton High School.

The following students were namedsemifinalists in the 2013 National MeritScholarship Program: Patrick F.Sanguineti from Flint Hill School;Katherine Fowler, BenjaminHaines, Thomas F. Lomont, AtussaMohtasham, Jeremy K. Park,Amanda N. Rones, Abigail C.Skwara, Anna E. Stone and Faith C.Tetlow from James Madison HighSchool; Bridget J. Bauman, MelissaC. Chang, Ambareesh Gorle,Tamera R. Lanham, Irene S. Lee,

Andrew R. Seastram and Stewart C.Silver from Oakton High School; PaulBernstein, Ryan W. Cheng, AimeeA. Cho, Christie S. Goddard,Eunyoung C. Kim, Gene Kim, Mar-garet R. Mahoney, Yasmeen K.Mushtaq, Praveena Mylvaganam,Nadejda S. Nikolova, Kelvin Nui,Caitlin A. Rose and Mujtaba M.Wani from Langley High School; Tay-lor N. Brown, Shannon Chen, MaiaD. Foster, Joshua D. Higbee,Annemieke L. Janssen, Vivek V.Kunnath, Lewis C. Milholland,Madelyn S. Paquette, Polina V.Tamarina, Nivetha Vijayakumarand Cedric Whitney from McLeanHigh School; Stacey Y. Chiu, Char-lotte A. Ferenbach, Julia L. Keller,Nicholas M. Kensinger andCaroline J. Resor from PotomacSchool.

School Notes

Send School Notes to [email protected]. Deadline is Friday.


Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/OaktonClassifiedClassified

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED 2013 BUDGETFairfax County Water Authority (Fairfax Water) is proposing a $143.4 million budgetfor calendar year 20131.

On Thursday, December 13, 2012, Fairfax Water will conduct a public hearing on itsproposed 2013 Budget in its offices at 8570 Executive Park Avenue, Fairfax. The publichearing will begin at 6:30 p.m.A copy of the proposed budget can be viewed on our Web site athttp://www.fairfaxwater.org/. Those wishing to speak at this hearing or desiringa copy of the proposed budget should call Ms. Eva Catlin at 703-289-6017.

Revenues are expected to be $143.4 million in 2013. Water sales are expected to provide$124.6 million. Approximately $18.8 million is expected from connection charges, invest-ment income and other sources.

The major areas of operation and maintenance expense are:

-- $1,000s --Category 2012 2013

Personal Services & Employee Benefits $46,473 $48,367Power and Utilities 11,345 11,686Chemicals 6,694 7,968Fuel 916 960Postage 547 460Insurance 1,300 1,107Supplies and Materials 3,976 4,233Contractual Services 8,749 8,657Professional Services 1,656 1,902Other 2,005 2,285

Sub-Total 83,661 87,625

Transfer to Improvement Fund (9,559) (9,613)

Total 74,102 78,012

Net revenues are expected to be appropriated as follows:

Debt Payment $39,374,000 Improvement Fund $11,000,000 General Fund $14,068,000

1 Fairfax Water’s Board will continue to monitor economic factors and review revenuesand expenditures at mid-year to determine if additional action is needed.

NOTICE OF WATER RATEPublic Hearing

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 13, 2012, Fairfax Water will conduct apublic hearing on its proposed Schedule of Rates, Fees and Charges. Thehearing will be held in Fairfax Water’s offices at 8570 Executive Park Avenue,Fairfax, VA.

The proposed changes, to be effective April 1, 2013, include the following:

1. An increase in the Availability Charge from $3,700 to $3,850†.2. An increase in the Local Facilities Charge from $9,000 to $9,500.3. An increase in the Service Connection Charge from $1,000 to $1,050†.4. An increase in the Account Charge from $33 to $35.5. An increase in the Quarterly Billing Service Charge from $8.35 to $9.20†.6. An increase in the base Commodity Charge from $2.16 to $2.29 per 1,000 gallons of water.7. An increase in the Peak Use Charge from $3.20 to $3.45 per 1,000 gallons of water.8. An increase in the Turn Off / Turn On Charge from $46 to $50.9. An increase in the Fees for Use of Fairfax Water Fire Hydrants to include the increase in the

Commodity Charge and Peak Use Charge.10. An increase in the Installation of Sewer Use Meter Charge from $41 to $44.11. An increase in the Returned Payment Charge from $16 to $17.

A copy of the proposed changes can be viewed on our Web site athttp://www.fairfaxwater.org/rates/index.htm. Those wishing to speak at thishearing or desiring a copy of the proposed changes should call Ms. Eva Catlin at 703-289-6017.Interested parties also may submit written comments [email protected] or mail written comments to:

Fairfax WaterPublic Hearing Comments8570 Executive Park AvenueFairfax, VA 22031

All written comments must be received by close of business on Wednesday,December 12, 2012 to be included in the record of the public hearing.

†Charges reflect fees associated with a standard 5/8” residential meter. Changes in chargesfor larger residential and commercial meters are reflected in the Proposed Schedule of Rates,Fees, and Charges.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

On Thursday, 8 November,a 3.5 year old Occicat

went missing.She is a light color with dark spots(see picture). She weighs about 10lbs. She is missed very much andhope that someone in the neighbor-hood has seen her. Please contact Geoff at 703.731-8640

if you have any informationregarding this lost cat. Thank you.

32 Lost 32 Lost

HDI COMPUTER SOLUTIONSJENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

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21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements

ABC LicenseMWB DEVELOPMENT 1, LLCtrading as World of Beer, 901 N. Gleve Road, #105, Arling-

ton, Virginia 22203-1853. The above establishment is apply-ing to the VIRGINIA DEPART-MENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEV-ERAGE CONTROL for a Beer

On & Off Premises & Keg License to sell or manufacture

alcoholic beverages. Evan Matz, Managing Member.

NOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be

submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first two required

newspaper legal notices. Objections should be regis-

tered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200

ABC LICENSEThe Organic Butcher of Mclean, LLC trading as The Organic Butcher of Mclean, 6712 Old Dominion Dr., Great Falls, VA 22101. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and beer off premises license to sell or manufacture alcohol-ic beverages. Donald Roden ownerNOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Ob-jections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.goc or 800-552-3200.

26 Antiques

We pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

Danish/modernteak furniture, STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES, jewelry

and costume jewelry,paintings/art glass/clocks.

Schefer Antiques @703-241-0790.

Email:[email protected]

102 Instruction

Looking to start theschool year strong?

Tutoring is available in the Northern Virginia area!

Dean’s List College Graduate with 7 years of Experience.

Accounting/Finance Degree.All grade levels, specializing in Math, English, Spanish.Call Hal @ (703)864-6616.

Tutoring rate is $50/hr. Mention this ad and receive 20% off your first session!

l

205 Classic Cars

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396/350HP, original, $7800

OBO, email or call for details: [email protected] /

804-518-6012.

Join Our Team of ProfessionalPet Sitters and Mid-Day Dog Walkers!

REQUIREMENTS:– MUST be 18 Years Old– Must have a valid driver’s license– Must have a reliable car and

cell phone – Excellent written and verbal communications– Need access to the Internet

2 times per day – Professional and reliable

APPLY ONLINE TODAY: http://www.beckyspetcare.com/our-company/jobs/

TELEMARKETERSOur company is seeking telemarketers for part time positions. Hours are flexible be-tween 12:00pm - 8pm. Experience strongly preferred but not necessary. Must have good speaking voice. Clean, fun work environ-ment with excellent commission packages & contests. Located in Fairfax off Rt. 66.

Call Keith at 703-383-0400

VETERINARY RECEPTIONISTSmall animal hosp. Great Falls. Will train. 703-757-7570 • www.ourvets.com

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

☎☎

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

☎☎

21 Announcements

ClassifiedClassified

EmploymentEmployment

I'am a slow walker, but I never walk back.

-Abraham Lincoln


Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/Oakton

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

A CLEANING SERVICESince 1985/Ins & Bonded

Quality Service at a Fair PriceSatisfaction Guaranteed-

Angies List 2011-Super Service Award!Comm/Res. MD VA DC

acleaningserviceinc.com703-892-8648

CLEANING CLEANING

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

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

General RemodelingResidential & Commercial

Specializing in:Kitchen/Bathroom/Basement RemodelingPlumbing • Electrical • Custom Carpentry

Doors Windows • Hardwood FloorsCrown Molding • House Cleaning

Interior/Exterior Painting • Brick/Stone WorkCeramic Tile • Decks, Fences, Patios

HOA Maintenance, Granite Counter TopsRealtors Work and Much More

Hand and HandHandyman

Licensed and Insured Serving Northern Virginia

703-296-6409

HANDYMAN HANDYMAN

LicensedInsured

We Accept VISA/MC

703-441-8811

You have tried the rest - NOW CALL THE BEST!!Proudly serving Northern VA - 46 yrs. exp.

The HANDYMANA DIVISION OF NURSE CONSTRUCTION

BATHROOM REMODELING, DRYWALL,PAINTING, CERAMIC TILE, CARPENTRY,POWER WASHING & MUCH MORE

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

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

R.N. CONTRACTORS, INC.Remodeling Homes, Flooring,Kitchen & Bath, Windows,Siding, Roofing, Additions &Patios, Custom Deck, Painting

We Accept All Major Credit CardsLicensed, Insured, Bonded • Free Estimates • Class A LicPhone: 703-887-3827 Fax: 703-830-3849

E-mail: rncontractorsinc@gmail

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

R&N Carpentry

✦BASEMENTS ✦BATHS ✦KITCHENSForeclosure specialist/Power washing

✦Exterior Wood Rot More!Deck & Fence repair, Screen Porches

No jobs too large or smallFree est. 37 yrs exp. Licensed, Insured

703-987-5096

703-679-7553

CongressionalLawn

Service, LLC

Landscaping

http://congressionallawnservice.com

Complete Lawn & Leaf Removalat Affordable Prices

•Gutters •Mulch• Snow Removal

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

703.919.4456www.ReynoldsLandscapingOnline.com Licensed / Insured

Free Estimates

•No sub-contractors, or day labors. •15 Years Designing and Installing•The Owner is physically on your job site. •On time and Professional.

INSTALLATION SPECIALIST WET BASEMENT / WET YARDWater Proofing Foundations

Standing Yard WaterFrench Drains / SwalesDownspout Extensions

Dry River Beds

Paver & FlagstonePatios / WalkwaysRetaining Walls

Stacked Field StonePlants / Trees / Shrubs

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

J.E.S ServicesLANDSCAPE & CONSTRUCTION

Call: 703-912-6886Free Estimates

•Patios • Walkways•Retaining Walls•Landscape Makeovers

Drainage Problems

MOWING TRIMMING EDGING,HEDGE TRIMMING, MULCHING,SODDING, GUTTER CLEANING

LAWN MOWING

PINNACLE SERVICESlic/ins 703-802-0483 free est.

email:[email protected]: lawnsandgutters.com

Friendly Service with a Friendly Price!web: lawnsandgutters.com

Friendly Service with a Friendly Price!

Custom Masonry703-768-3900

www.custommasonry.infoPatios, Walkways, Stoops, Steps, DrivewaysRepairs & New Installs•All Work Guranteed

BRICK AND STONE

MASONRY MASONRY

3dr Generation Masonry CompanyFamily Owned & Operated Since the 1950s

MASONRY SPECIALIST, LLCFor All of Your Masonry Needs

Custom Design, Installation, Repairs & Restoration

Go to www.masonryspecialist.com for ideas, pictures & coupons!All Work Guaranteed - Licensed & Fully Insured

Class A License #VA2705087240A

BRICK - FIELDSTONEFLAGSTONE - CONCRETE

703-443-2308

EP Henry & Belgard PaversPatios, Walkways, Driveways, Retaining & Decorative Walls

New Installations & RepairsStone - Flagstone - Brick - Concrete

FREE ESTIMATES!!Lic. & Ins

potomac-masonry.com

Potomac Masonry703-498-8526

RBV DecoratorsPainting & Wallcovering SpecialistsInterior - Exterior - Since 1970

Drywall Repair - Wallpaper RemovalPower Washing - Deck Sealing

All Work Guaranteed - Good ReferencesLicensed & Insured - Very Reasonable Prices703-425-2329 - 703-314-6930

10% discountwith this ad

PAINTING PAINTING

Falcon RoofingRoofing & Siding (All Types)

703-975-2375falconroofinginc.com

Soffit & Fascia WrappingNew Gutters • Chimney Crowns

Leaks RepairedNo job too small

ROOFING ROOFING

Charles JenkinsTREE SERVICE

Seasoned FirewoodTopping, trimming, Stump Grinding

Lic. & Ins!540-829-9917 or 540-422-9721

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

The Heat of Wood

Tree Service

571 482 0996Best prices! Best work!

Lic. & Insured

HAULING

AL’S HAULINGJunk & Rubbish

Concrete, furn.,office,yard, construction debris

Low Rates NOVA703-360-4364

703-304-4798 cell

7 DAYS A WEEK

ANGEL’S HAULING

703-863-1086703-582-3709240-603-6182

Junk Trash Removal, Yard/Construction

Debris, Garage/ Base- ment Clean Out,

Furniture & Appl.

LANDSCAPING

703-863-7465

A&SLANDSCAPING

Planting • Mulching • SoddingPatios • Decks • Driveway Sealing,

Asphalt • Retaining WallsErosion Control • Drainage Solutions

Leaf &Tree Removal

ANGEL’SLAWN MOWING

703-863-1086703-582-3709240-603-6182

PAINTING

PATRIOTPAINTINGwww.PatriotPainting.net

Wallpaper Removal,Carpentry,

Power Washing.Int/Ext Painting

Free Est. • Satisfaction Guar.!Lic./Ins. Int./Ext.

703-502-7840Cell

571-283-4883

TREE SERVICE

ANGEL’S TREE REMOVAL

Angeltreeslandscaping-hauling.com

Brush & Yard Debris Trimming & Topping

Gutters & Hauling

703-863-1086703-582-3709240-603-6182

CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6........................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4........................Tues @ noon

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINESZones 5, 6...........................Tues @ 11:00Zones 1, 3.............................Tues @ 4:00Zone 2.................................Wed @ 11:00Zone 4...................................Wed @ 1:00

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/ Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria Gazette Packet

The Mount Vernon Gazette

Zone 4: Centre View North Centre View SouthZone 5: The Potomac AlmanacZone 6: The Arlington Connection

The Vienna/OaktonConnection

The McLean ConnectionThe Great Falls

Connection

Please Check Kenneth B. Column

Next Week!

LANDSCAPING


www.GreatFallsGreatHomes.com

DanJanJan Dan

Jan & Dan Laytham703-757-3222 Office

703-444-1991 HomeSusan CanisRealtor

Anne MorrowRealtor

Great Falls $2,199,000

Great Falls $820,000


Great Falls $725,000Great Falls $1,175,000


Reston $189,000


Vienna $1,460,000Great Falls $3,100,000

McLean $4,950,000



JUST

LIS

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6.5 A

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SWIMMING POOL

& TENNIS COURT

GREEN H

OME

STUNNING

POTOMAC RIVER VIE

WS

55+ CONDO

8 EQUESTRIAN

ACRES


50 ACRES

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