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Reston Connection ❖ August 5-11, 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Surrounded by SoundNews, Page 3

Now Showing: Sensory-FriendlyFilms at AMC Theatres

News, Page 4

STEM-Based Private School toOpen in Reston

News, Page 12

WellbeingPage 9

Artistic Director David Lang leadsthe Reston Chorale. “We singwidely varied repertoire, fromclassic musical to classic rock,”said Susan Meeks-Versteeg.

2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ August 5-11, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Julia Edith Marmorstein, ofReston, died Saturday, June 20,2015 after a long illness.

Born in New Jersey, shegrew up in Cincinnati andtrained to be a dental hygien-ist at Ohio State University.After the birth of her own chil-dren, she advocated forbreastfeeding mothers, lead-ing a five-state region for LeLeche League. Later, sheworked with other educa-tional innovators to found an elementaryschool focused on individualized instruc-tion and learning by doing. In the ‘90s,she returned to dental hygiene and ran asmall business specializing in wedding in-vitations and personalized stationery.

Obituary

Julia Marmorstein, of Reston, DiesDuring many of her 30 years

living in Reston, she was a tire-less volunteer at South LakesHigh School, starting traditionslike the All Night GraduationParty in 1987, and helpingfound the SLHS PTSA Aca-demic Boosters, which pio-neered programs like the B.U.G.(Bringing Up Grades) roll andvarsity letters for academicachievement. After a battle withcancer in 2000, she was a regu-

lar at Reston’s Relay for Life events.She is survived by her husband, Andrew

Marmorstein, her son and daughter, JackMarmorstein and Naomi Marmorstein,and grandchildren Phillipa, Sadie andJonah Marmorstein.

Faith Notes

Faith Notes are for announcements and eventsin the faith community. Send tovienna@connectionnews papers.com. Deadline isFriday.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589Chain Bridge Road, Vienna, is holding Sundayevening worship service in a less formal atmo-sphere and more intimate setting to help youget ready for the week ahead. Sundays, 6 p.m.Communion offered. No childcare. 703-938-2119 or www.elcvienna.org.

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220Georgetown Pike in Great Falls, offers musical,educational, outreach and fellowship ministries

in addition to worship services, including a7:45 a.m. worship service without music; 9a.m. worship service, children’s chapel andchildren’s choirs; 10 a.m. Sunday school andadult forum; and 11 a.m. worship service withadult choir. 703-759-2082.

The Antioch Christian Church offers atime of Prayer and Healing on Wednesday eve-nings at 6:30 p.m. for anyone wantingencouragement and healing through prayers.People are available to pray with you or foryou. Antioch Christian Church is located at1860 Beulah Road in Vienna.www.antiochdoc.org


NewsReston Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Ken Moore

The Connection

Ruth Overton has performed withthe Reston Chorale since 1976.She’s almost never missed Tues-day night rehearsals, all 2,000

of them.“I had six children that had to hear,

‘Mommy will be gone on Tuesday nights.’That’s me time,” said Overton, of Reston.

“It can be absolutely magnificent,” shesaid, of the choir’s sound. “It’s like an out-of-body experience. You are swept in some-thing like Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony,oh, that’s the closest you get to heaven with-out having to die first.”

The Reston Chorale scheduled auditionsfor the evenings of Tuesday, Aug. 11 andMonday, Aug. 24 in preparation for the up-coming 2015-2016 season.

“Everyone carries that instrument insidetheir body. It’s not like a trombone or harp,every voice has a personality and when itcomes together it’s magical,” said DavidLang, artistic director.

Robert E. Simon was one of the group’soriginal members and founders of theReston Chorale which began in 1967 to“promote community interest and partici-pation in, and enjoyment of, choral music,”according to its website.

“Singing with other people is a wonder-ful, wonderful experience,” said Overtonwho referred to scientific studies of the ben-efits of singing. “People who sing togetherare generally happy people.”

“When you are singing in it, you are im-mersed in it, you get to hear all the voices,”said Susan Meeks-Versteeg, once a per-former, now the managing director. “Beingat the back of the house, I get the best seat.They always amaze me with the power andthe unity of their voice.”

DON’T WORRY about the audition, justschedule it, enjoy it, each said.

“It’s not that kind of audition. It’s not ascary audition,” said Overton, president ofthe chorale.

“The audition is a friendly process,” saidMeeks-Versteeg. “It’s designed to assess thesinger’s range and voice type as well as theirunderstanding of music and singing.”

Just you and me, said Lang.“Although not necessarily for the very

beginner,” he said, he doesn’t need poten-tial performers to be conservatory virtuo-sos.

“We have a good time, we work hard, welearn a lot and the end product is thrilling,”said Overton.

Lang offers the opportunity to come to afew rehearsals to determine whether to try-out. He also offers opportunities for coach-ing to all members before rehearsals.

“It’s a team working together,” said Lang.“I give directions on how to use your voiceproperly, how to use your vowels, it’s myjob to show them how to make it easier.”

The chorale especially needs baritonesand tenors.

“Little boys sing as much as girls but thenyou get to first grade and they just don’tsing anymore. It’s really too bad,” saidOverton. “We have a young bass, and it’sjust wonderful to hear him.”

OF THE 91 MEMBERS last season, 35lived in Reston; 38 lived in the surround-ing areas of Herndon, Vienna, Oakton,Fairfax, Centreville, Oak Hill and Sterling;and 18 lived in outliers, including Ashburn,Leesburg, Annandale and Woodbridge.

Members range in age from teens to se-niors, and high school and college studentscould receive scholarships to participate.

“It’s a community, a community choir inthe best sense. It is a group that comes to-gether to create a beautiful work, to cometogether to produce a quality sound, and itis also a group that comes together in a cri-sis,” she said.

The Chorale rehearses on Tuesday nightsfrom 7:30 - 10 at the Reston CommunityCenter, Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts NeckRoad.

And there are health benefits.“Plenty of studies show that chorus is a

physical workout and a mental workout. It’sstimulates the brain. You have to be alert,”

said Lang, the director for the last five years.“He pays attention to those details that

are absolutely critical to a quality perfor-mance. I’ve noticed how they’ve grownmusically,” said Meeks-Versteeg.

THIS SEASON, the Reston Chorale willperform a range of music from classical togospel to holiday carols to the annual PopsConcert featuring music from the 1950s.

“We always like to team up with othergroups. It gives us experiences we wouldn’tordinarily have,” said Lang.

The chorale will team up with the Restonbased “Mosaic Harmony” and the GospelChoir of Shiloh Baptist Church for its firstconcert “Wade in the Water: Songs of Free-dom” in October.

A Holiday concert, “The Wonder of theSeason: Around the World” features carolsfrom around the world, including a carolthey will learn in Norwegian.

The day after Thanksgiving is the annualcarol sing-along for the community to par-ticipate in with the lighting of the tree atthe Reston Town Center.

And the group plans to continue what willbe an annual Patriotic concert “Star-Spangled Sing-Along” around MemorialDay and they will collect donated items tosend to members of the military. Lang said

veterans and members of the military fami-lies will be invited to their concerts for freethis season.

And in the spring, the group will returnto sing with the famous organ at McLean’sSt. Luke Catholic Church for a program ofFrench music, including Charles-MarieWidor’s grand Messe (Op. 36) for two choirsand two organs.

“The acoustics there are perfect for choir,”said Lang, an organist.

“I can tell you, it was absolutely incred-ible,” said Meeks-Versteeg of last year’s con-cert at St. Luke. “We had the choir in theback and the pipe organ in the front, youwere literally surrounded by sound. Theresponse was amazing.”

The Reston Chorale to hold auditionson Aug. 11 and 24.Surrounded by Sound

Photos contributed

Artistic Director David Lang leads the Reston Chorale. “We sing widelyvaried repertoire, from classical musical to classic rock,” said SusanMeeks-Versteeg.

The Reston Chorale in front of the pipe organ at St. Luke CatholicChurch.

Sing in the ShowsTo set up an audition, send an email to

[email protected] or call 703-834-0079, #4 to set up an audition time.

See the ShowsWade in the Water: Songs of Freedom

with Mosaic Harmony and theGospel Choir of Shiloh Baptist ChurchSaturday, Oct. 10, 20154:30 and 7:30 p.m.Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, Virginia

Carol Sing-AlongFriday, Nov. 27, 20156 p.m., FreeReston Town Center

The Wonder of the Season:Around the World

Saturday, Dec. 5, 20154:30 and 7:30 p.m.Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, Virginia

Reston Sings: Handel’s "Messiah!"Wednesday, Dec. 9, 20157:30 p.m.St. John Neumann Catholic Church11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, Virginia

Choral Splendor IISunday, March 13, 20164 p.m.Saint Luke Catholic Church7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean, Virginia

Reston Founder’s DaySaturday, April 9, 2016Noon, FreeLake Anne Plaza, Reston, Virginia

At the Hop: Music of the Fabulous 50sSaturday, May 7, 20164:30 and 7:30 p.m.Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, Virginia

Star-Spangled Sing-AlongSaturday, May 28, 20162 p.m., FreeReston Town Center

Support the ShowsSend a check to the “Reston Chorale Fund” to:The Reston Chorale Fundc/o The Community Foundation for Northern

Virginia, 2940 Hunter Mill Road, Suite 201Oakton, VA 22124


Northwest Federal Credit Union’scharitable arm, the NWFCU Foundation,recently awarded $100K in scholarshipsto 20 members as part of theFoundation’s annual Ben DeFelice Schol-arship program.

Named for the Credit Union’s longest-serving Board Chairman, the programrecognizes students who demonstrateleadership skills and dedication to theirschools and communities. On the 10th

anniversary of the program, NorthwestFederal’s President/CEO, ChrisMcDonald, remarked on the importanceof the program to Northwest Federal andits Foundation.

“The Ben DeFelice Scholarship pro-gram is about more than helping mem-bers defray the cost of their educations,”said McDonald. “It’s about celebratingtheir accomplishments, encouragingtheir growth, and rewarding their com-mitment. It’s about letting them know

Northwest Federal is with them on theirjourney.”

Since the program began in 2005, theFoundation has awarded a total of $754,000in scholarships to 166 recipients. BenDeFelice Scholarship recipients must beNorthwest Federal members in good stand-ing for at least one year and be pursuing afull-time graduate, undergraduate or asso-ciate degree program.

“A core part of our mission is to strengthenthe communities we serve through ourscholarship program,” said Executive Direc-tor of the NWFCU Foundation, Linda Rogus.“When individuals advance their educationand realize their potential, communitiesthrive. The Foundation is honored to be partof that process.”

2015 BEN DEFELICESCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTSJulia Black of Arlington is a 2013 graduate of

Yorktown High School and will attend ScrippsCollege.

Sydney Boll of Arlington is a 2014 graduate ofBishop O’Connell High School and will attendthe University of Notre Dame.

Jacqueline Churchwell of New York, N.Y. is2006 graduate of Herndon High School, a 2010graduate of the University of Virginia and willattend Columbia Business School.

Courtney Colahan of Oak Hill is a 2015graduate of Paul VI Catholic High School andwill attend the University of Virginia.

George Davis of Leesburg is a 2015 graduateof Heritage High School and will attendLongwood University.

Photo contributed

2015 Ben DeFelice Scholarship winners.

Northwest Federal Credit Union FoundationAwards $100K in Scholarships toCollege-bound Students

See Scholarship, Page 5

News

By Victoria Ross

The Connection

July is the hottest month forHollywood’s cavalcade of block-buster films, as studios competefor audience dollars and crash

into each other to be the first to release theirtent pole films, such as Avengers, JurassicWorld, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,and Fantastic Four.

Smuggling in snacks, snagging a ticketand finding parking are typically the big-gest hurdles for those who clamor to seethese blockbusters in a cool, dark theater.

But for children with autism and theirfamilies, the summer movie experience canbe a daunting array of sights, smells andsounds. And with sensory overload comesthe chance for an emotional meltdown.

“My 9-year-old son Jason can’t be exposedto overpowering or sudden noises, and hedoesn’t do well in very dark rooms,” saidMarjorie Williams of McLean. “When he getsexcited, he likes to jump around and flaphis arms, so he needs a good amount ofpersonal space.”

Fortunately for children like Jason, AMCTheatres (AMC) and the Autism Society ofAmerica have teamed up to offer the “Sen-

sory Friendly Films” program - an effort togive special needs children a chance to en-joy their favorite films in a safe and accept-ing environment.

“As a leading theatrical exhibition com-pany, we are so proud to be making a dif-ference in the estimated 1.5 million Ameri-cans living with an autism spectrum disor-der by offering families a chance to see amovie together — often for the very firsttime,” said Ryan Noonan, public relationsdirector for AMC.

Noonan said the concept of SensoryFriendly Films began in 2007 at the requestof a Maryland mother, who took her youngdaughter to a matinee of Hairspray, a filmher daughter was excited to see.

When her daughter began flapping herhands, dancing and jumping up and down,her family was asked to leave the screen-ing.

The next day, the mother called her localAMC Theatre in Columbia, Md. and askedthe manager if he would be willing to setup a special screening for children on theautism spectrum. He readily agreed, andAMC hosted its first sensory-friendly filmin Columbia, Md. in 2007. The demand was

so high, the theater sold out all 300 seats.AMC’s corporate office took note of the

success of the screenings, and contacted theAutism Society of America to join forces andmobilize affiliates and theatres in townsaround the country. AMC now offersmonthly sensory-friendly screenings at 152theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“The lights are turned up, the sound isturned down, and the ‘silence is golden’ ruleis lifted - singing and dancing along is en-couraged,” said a promotion for “SensorySaturdays” on the website of The AutismSociety of Northern Virginia (ASNV), lo-cated in Oakton. ASNV promotes the sen-sory-friendly films series to their commu-nity of more than 5,000 individuals andfamilies affected by autism throughoutNorthern Virginia.

Currently, AMC Theatres is the only na-tional theater chain that offers these sen-sory-friendly screenings.

In Northern Virginia, sensory friendlymovies are held monthly on Saturday morn-ings at AMC Tyson’s Corner 16 in Mclean,AMC Potomac Mills 18 in Woodbridge, andAMC Rio Cinemas 18 in Gaithersburg, AMCGeorgetown 14, and AMC Capital Center

Dancing, shouting,singing welcome atspecial screenings forchildren, families af-fected by autism.

Now Playing: Sensory-Friendly Films at AMC Theatres

12 in Washington.Movies are typically rated G or PG, and

they start promptly at 10 a.m. Previews andadvertisements are eliminated. The lightsare dimmed, but not turned off, and thesurround sound is muted. Because somechildren may have strict, special dietaryneeds, families are permitted to bring theirown gluten-free, casein-free snacks fromhome.

“Being able to relax and enjoy qualityfamily time without worrying if someonewill complain or be disturbed by noise ofmovement is a wonderful experience,” saidKen Chan of Fairfax, whose entire familyenjoys the screenings, along with his 7-year-old daughter, Emily, who has sensory-inte-gration issues.

Best of all, children are allowed to bethemselves.

They can shout out their thoughts, clapwhenever they feel like it, dance in the aislesor twirl in their seats. For once, parents ofchildren with autism can sit back, enjoy theshow and trade smiles instead of criticism.

“No one complains and no one is thrownout,” Chan said. “We never hear a single‘shhh’ from other parents. It’s such a relief.”

AMC Sensory Friendly Films Promo

Coming to AMCTysons Corner 16

The following list of Sensory-Friendly Films isscheduled at AMC Tysons Corner 16. All showsbegin at 10 a.m. For more information on thefilm series, go to amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films.Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015 - UnderdogsSaturday, Sept. 26, 2015 – Hotel TransylvaniaSaturday, Oct. 17, 2015 - PanSaturday, Nov. 14, 2015 – The Peanuts MovieSaturday, Dec. 5, 2015 – The Good Dinosaur


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Seena Honarvar of Leesburg is a 2015 graduate ofDominion High School and will attend the University ofVirginia.

Kailey Jaster of Bay Lake, Fla. is a 2012 graduate of O’FallonTownship High School and will attend Brigham YoungUniversity, Idaho.

Jordan Kittinger of Purcellville is a 2015 graduate ofLoudoun Valley High School and will attend VirginiaPolytechnic Institute and State University.

Daniel Kula of Winchester is a 2015 graduate of MillbrookHigh School and will attend Virginia Polytechnic Instituteand State University.

Kathryn Lee of Leesburg is a 2015 graduate of Heritage HighSchool and will attend Stanford University.

Levi Mattison of Amissville, Virginia is a 2015 graduate ofCulpeper County High School and will attend VirginiaWestern Community College.

India Mazzaro of Centreville is a 2015 graduate of WestfieldHigh School and will attend Northern Virginia CommunityCollege.

Crawford Millhouse of Purcellville is a 2013 Homeschoolgraduate and will attend Patrick Henry College.

Amina Nahavandi of Vienna is a 2015 graduate of IslamicSaudi Academy and will attend the University of Virginia.

Anastassia Perfilieva of Reston is a 2011 graduate of SouthLakes High School and will attend Hunter College.

Kimberly Reider of Herndon is a 2015 graduate of Paul VICatholic High School and will attend the University ofVirginia.

Samantha Schaeffer of Ashburn is a 2015 graduate ofStone Bridge High School and will attend the University ofPittsburgh.

Patrick Schopper of Ashburn is a 2015 graduate of BriarWoods High School and will attend the University ofVirginia.

Katelyn Seeger of Herndon is a 2015 graduate of BishopO’Connell High School and will attend the University ofVirginia.

Lauren Winger of Alexandria is a 2014 graduate ofWashington - Lee High School and will attend OldDominion University.

From Page 4

Scholarships Winners

Herndon High School Senior,Charlie Shen, earned four perfectscores consecutively on the NationalLatin Exam. He is one of 10 studentsin the entire country to have done so.Sophomore Kyle Nielsen will repre-sent Virginia as the History specialiston the Novice level Certamen teamat National Junior Classical LeagueConvention this summer. Sopho-more Dora Drezga, who earned thishonor last year, earned a spot as analternate on the Intermediate levelCertamen Team. The Certamen teamis sponsored by Latin Teachers,Emily Lewis and Bethany Abelseth

Momentum Realty and HollyWeatherwax are extremely proud toannounce the recipient of the 2015Momentum Realty Book Scholarshipat Herndon High School. This year’srecipient, Ester De La Cruz ofHerndon, will attend Northern Vir-ginia Community College where sheplans to study nursing. The award waspresented on June 11 at the HerndonHigh School Senior Awards Ceremony.

Emily George, of Herndon,has been placed on the Dean’s List inrecognition of academic excellenceduring the spring 2015 semester atNew River Community College.

School NotesSend school notes to north@

connectionnewspapers.com by Friday.


By John C. Cook

Supervisor (R-Braddock District)

For many of us summer vacation providesa time for our families to enjoy time offfrom the school year grind, and allows

children to participate in fun outdoor activi-ties. However, during summer break, some chil-dren fall behind in their academic achieve-ments, which can lead to steps backward in achild’s education. This is especially true whenit comes to reading.

According to the National Summer Learn-ing Association, approximately 22 percent ofthe school year’s instructional time is lost oversummer vacation. In fact, teachers often spendat least one month re-teaching material thatstudents have forgotten over the summer. Un-fortunately, the time that teachers spend cov-ering old material could be dedicated to new

material that students are potentially missingout on all together.

We may be more than halfway through thissummer, but there is still plenty of time to en-courage reading in your household before thekids get back to school. There are plenty ofcreative ways to help kids find time to read;children can combine reading with summeractivities like going to the pool or traveling fora family vacation. You can also encourage read-ing by leading by example: reading togetheras a family, picking up your own book whenyour child sits down to read, and spending timetogether reading aloud are all ways to makereading a fun family activity.

And don’t be afraid to make visiting the li-brary a regular activity of your summer sched-ule! Fairfax County has an extensive public li-

brary system, which can be a fun, cool placeto spend an afternoon when the summerweather isn’t cooperating.

The library is also providing ways to encour-age students to read during the summer. TheFairfax County Public Library Summer Read-ing Program runs until Sept. 5 and encourageschildren to read for pleasure during summerbreak. The program provides reading lists forthose in need of ideas, and the program evenoffers prizes.

To be eligible for the coupon book prize,children from birth until sixth grade must readfifteen books. They can also have books readto them. Seventh through twelfth grade stu-dents must read six books in order to be eli-gible for the prize. More information can befound at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/li-brary/srp/

Time to Encourage ReadingCommentary

Opinion

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

In 1982 my then legislative assistant cameto me distressed that her father had beenfound to have Alzheimer’s disease. Myresponse was similar to that of many at

the time to say, “What is that?” Not much wasknown about Alzheimer’s before the 1980s. Oldpeople were called senile; some had demen-tia. If testing to determine the reason formemory loss was negative, the patient wasdeclared to have Alzheimer’s disease—what-ever that was. Soon after I became aware ofAlzheimer’s Disease, national news storiesstarted to break about the number of peoplesuffering severe memory loss and the rapid rateat which that number was growing.

After consulting with researchers at theMedical College of Virginia, now the VirginiaCommonwealth University School of Medicine,who were doing work in the areas of demen-tia and Alzheimer’s, I introduced legislationestablishing the Alzheimer’s Disease and Re-lated Disorders Research Award Fund to pro-vide seed money for larger federal and foun-

dation grants. The Fund continues to today andhas shown a 10 to 1 return on money investedby the state in the first state level research fund.I also introduced legislation establishing theAlzheimer’s and Related Disorders Commissionthat continues to do studies and make recom-mendations on policies related to Alzheimer’s.Its work can be reviewed at http://alzpossible.org/, including the Dementia StatePlan along with lists and descriptions of re-sources on the subject.

What I never realized when I was first intro-duced to this subject was the extensive natureof it. The Alzheimer’s Association estimatesthat 5.3 million have the disease with womenalmost twice as likely as men to get it. Thedirect costs associated with the care ofAlzheimer’s sufferers is estimated to be $221billion. Projected to the year 2050, the num-ber of people with the disease is likely to be13.8 million Americans with a cost of care of$1.1 trillion.

The effect of the disease on the individualsis devastating; the loss of memory for somecan be gradual over many years and for others

can be rapid. In my experience from chairingthe Alzheimer’s Study Commission for severalyears I found that the effects on familycaregivers can be devastating as well. Whilesome resist institutional care, the 24/7 respon-sibility of caring for someone can take its toll.The number of day programs that can accom-modate individuals with Alzheimer’s Diseasehas expanded as have other opportunities forrespite care.

According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s is thesixth leading cause of death in the UnitedStates and the only one in the top ten for whichthere is no prevention, cure or effective treat-ment. Congress has been slow to appropriateincreased monies for expanded medical re-search. Although there continues to be somehopeful work going on, research and educa-tional programming is highly dependent onindividuals contributing through such organi-zations as the Alzheimer’s Association.

With the projected increase in the numberof people affected by Alzheimer’s and thepromising effects of genome research, fund-ing should be a priority.

Alzheimer’s EpidemicCommentary

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Reston

To the Editor:Thanks to Mary Kimm of the Con-

nection (Editorial — “Backpacks forAll,” Connection, July 15-21, 2015)and Ronald Baker’s letter to theConnection for highlighting theneed for backpacks and the way tosupport this initiative. However,your readers also need to knowabout the “Virginia Back to SchoolSupplies and Clothing Allowance”(aka: Backpacks for All) that wasintroduced in the Virginia GeneralAssembly in 2014 and 2015.

The Connection article notedthat we live in an affluent areawith these needs, however, inother areas of the state, less afflu-ent areas, the need is greater.

For example, the Richmond In-ternational Raceway, seating ca-pacity of 107,097, could be filledmore than twice with the numberof Virginia Children living in pov-erty, most of which are in familiesexperiencing the deepest poverty.

In addition to the Connectionappeal to support the backpackprogram via charitable contribu-tions, an approach that SALT alsoembraces, there is also need toadvocate for efforts by the state toaddress the issue. The article callsfor partnership, but the state isabsent, not a part of the neededpartnership. Funds are alreadyavailable for government supportof backpacks for impoverished stu-

dents via the federally fundedTANF Block Grant. What is miss-ing is public awareness and sup-port to tap these funds and usethem for the intended purpose.

Support has come from stu-dents, with the leadership of RaeMoar, a freshman at ThomasJefferson High School. In her sev-enth and eighth grade years ofschool and in her freshman yearat Thomas Jefferson, she collectedover 800 signatures from studentsat her school, her church and com-munity to help give impoverishedchildren a strong start in schooland give them a learning boost.These signatures were sent tomembers of the General Assembly,

and Del. Scott Lingamfelter andSen. Chuck Colgan (now retired).The legislation requires supportfrom your readers. Readers that donot know who represents themcan go to this web site: http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/.

SALT is proud to have advocatedfor the “Virginia Back to SchoolSupplies and Clothing Allowance”and promoted support for smartpolicies for kids and their families.Failing our children today is notonly morally wrong; it is alsocounterproductive, ultimatelyleaving us less competitive in theglobal community.

John HorejsiSALT Coordinator

Vienna

Morally Wrong and CounterproductiveLetters to the Editor


By Bonnie Schipper

The Connection

Hundreds of swimmers, 94 teams,50 events, and two brokenrecords.

On Aug. 1, Clifton’s Little Rocky Run poolhosted Northern Virginia SwimmingLeague’s 59th annual Individual All-Starmeet. Commencing at 9 a.m., the 5.5-hour-long meet highlighted the best young swim-mers in the area.

The participants in Saturday’s meet quali-fied by swimming in one of the league’s 17divisional meets. At these meets, each ofthe 102 NVSL teams can enter two swim-mers in each event. The swimmers with thetop 18 times in the league earn a spot in

the All-Star meet.“If [one of the swimmers] has a bad divi-

sional meet for some reason, unfortunatelythey may not make All-Stars even whenthey’ve been one of the top swimmers inthe event for the entire season,” RecordsCoordinator Linda Klopfenstein said.“Divisionals is like the preliminary meet andAll-Stars is the finals.”

In her first race of the day, 9-year-oldCourtney Watts of Highlands Swim Club setthe NVSL record for the 9/10 girls’ 50-meterbackstroke. Her time of 34.16 beat JanetHu’s 2006 time of 34.32.

“It’s cool [to have set the NVSL record]because I’ve been trying to get [that time]all season,” Watts said. “I just felt good. I’vebeen trying to go to as many practices as I

can and work hard at those practices and ithelped a lot.”

Watts also holds the record for the 8-and-under girls’ 25-meter backstroke, with atime of 17.70, which she set during the 2014All-Star meet.

In the 13/14-year-old boys’ 50-meterbackstroke, California resident Max Cruzalso set his second NVSL record with a timeof 27.28, just breaking Jaya Kambhampaty’s2014 time of 27.31. He also holds the recordfor the 11/12 boys’ 50-meter butterfly, whichhe set during the All-Star meet last year.

“I’ve focused a lot on my main twostrokes, the back and fly, and I’ve trained alot harder and worked for long amounts oftime to prepare for this meet,” Cruz said.“My hard work paid off today, and I’m grate-ful that I could [set a record],”

Cruz, swimming for the Holmes RunAcres Recreation Association, also took first

place in the 50-meter butterfly.Other standout performances of the day

were those of Lincolnia Park’s Lukas Wuhrer,who took first place in both the 8-and-un-der 25-meter butterfly and the 25-meterfreestyle, Fair Oaks’ Anthony Grimm, whowon both the boys’ 11/12 50-meter back-stroke and the 100-meter medley, and High-lands Swim’s Maggie O’Shaughnessy, whowon the 8-and-under girls’ 25-meter but-terfly and the 25-meter backstroke.Wakefield Chapel’s Nicholas Parker, Fairfax’sLeah Rogers, McLean’s Victoria Valko, andMosby Woods’ Leaya Ma also took first placein multiple events.

“[NVSL] is part of the reason this areaproduces such successful swimmers,”Springboard Pool’s Sarah Weinstein said.“It’s fun but it’s also super competitive andI love being a part of a league that teacheskids to love swimming fast.”

Watts, Cruz set NVSL records.

Young Swimmers Make Splash at Annual All-Star Swim Meet

Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Trey Taylor’s first season as headcoach of the South Lakes foot-ball team ended with a 2-8record, including a 49-0 loss to

rival Herndon.Entering his second campaign with the

Seahawks, Taylor said the team’s work inthe weight room should help lead to betterresults in 2015.

“Improvement, [making the] playoffs andbeating Herndon,” Taylor said, “would prob-ably be the big three on the list.”

Few Seahawks have shown more im-provement in the strength department than6-foot-5, 310-pound rising junior linemanDavid Kroll, who was a two-way starter lastseason.

“When we got here last May (2014), hebenched 140 and he squatted like 260 andhe was 300 pounds,” Taylor said. “I’m like,‘How do you get out of bed in the morn-ing?’ Now he’s benching like 240, squattinghigh [300s], low [400s], he’s power clean-ing 245. I think what we’re going to see withhim is his strength is so far ahead of whereit was last year. He’s got the body size wherehe’s hard to move, but he couldn’t alwaysget the push on the other guy. I think thisyear he’s going to have a lot more push be-cause of what he’s done in the weight roomin the off season.”

Kroll will play right tackle in South Lakes’spread option offense. Taylor said theSeahawks will huddle this year after fail-ing to gain an advantage from running anup-tempo attack last season.

RUNNING THE OFFENSE will be risingsophomore quarterback Devin Miles, wholed the freshman team to a 9-1 record in2014. Taylor said, at this point, Miles’ men-tal skills are ahead of his physical abili-ties.

“Devin’s a great leader and he’s going to

always work to get better,” Taylor said.“That’s the thing: If he does make a mis-take, then you know he’s coming back thenext play and he’s doing everything he canto correct it. … Once his body catches upto what his mind does, I think he’s going tobe one of the best in the area.”

Miles already has the respect of his mostexperienced pass-catching threat.

“Devin’s better than we’ve had, ever,” ris-ing senior Seth Ravenstahl said. “… He’sthe best quarterback that I’ve played with.”

Ravenstahl is entering his third season asa member of the South Lakes varsity. Hehas played multiple positions, including lin-ing up at quarterback as a sophomore. Thisyear, he could play receiver, tight end orrunning back.

“He is definitely the most versatile of theguys out there,” Taylor said. “… We don’tworry about where we put him. If we needto put him in position x, y, z, whatever, Iknow he can play anywhere on the field.”

South Lakes’ fastest receiving threat isrising senior Eric Kirlew, who is entering hissecond varsity season.

“When it just comes to running a route

on air, he’s as good as any of them,” Taylorsaid. “But he’s gotten much better at theactual how-to-work-against-a-defense[part] of things.”

Rising senior Anas Fain is also a receiv-ing threat.

Rising sophomore Albert Mensah, and ris-ing seniors Isaac Mensah and Kevin Damperwill likely rotate at running back.

South Lakes’ 4-2-5 defense will be led byRavenstahl at linebacker, Kroll at tackle andFain in the secondary.

SOUTH LAKES will scrimmage at Oaktonon Friday, Aug. 21 and at home againstWoodson on Aug. 27. The Seahawks willopen the season on the road againstMarshall at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4.The team’s first Conference 6 contest willbe on Sept. 18 at Yorktown.

South Lakes will host rival Herndon onOct. 9.

“I think that the people coming to watchus play will have lower expectations due toour record last year,” Fain said. “But as ateam, we set our expectations pretty highthis season.”

Taylor enters secondseason as SouthLakes football coach.

Seahawks Hoping Improved Strength Leads to Wins

Photos by Jon Roetman/The Connection

Rising sophomore Devin Miles takes over as South Lakes’ varsity quar-terback after leading the freshman team to a 9-1 record in 2014.

South Lakes rising junior right tackle David Kroll is 6 foot 5, 310 poundsand has improved his strength in the weight room, head coach TreyTaylor said.


Greater Reston ArtsCenter is one of 17Fairfax Countynonprofit arts or-

ganizations that have beenawarded the 2016 Project Sup-port Grant from the Arts Coun-cil of Fairfax County. The Cen-ter received the grant in supportof its 2016 gallery installationby widely acclaimed artist ShihChieh Huang. From April 22 toJuly 9, 2016, the Greater RestonArts Center will present Trans-formations, an exhibition bymultimedia artist Shih ChiehHuang. Huang, who is based inNew York City, will present aninstallation at GRACE featuringinteractive elements createdfrom a variety of materials in-cluding LED lights, motion sen-sors, computer parts, screens,and mundane materials such asplastic bags and Tupperware.With these humble materials,Huang creates magical,immersive environments, fea-turing sculptures that respondto the viewer’s presence withmovement, sound, and illumi-nation. “Thanks to this gener-ous grant from the Arts Coun-cil of Fairfax County, we aredelighted to bring Huang’s

work to the Reston communityand to Fairfax County,” saidHolly Koons McCullough, ex-ecutive director and curator atthe Greater Reston Arts Center.“Inspired in part by phosphores-cent deep sea creatures,Huang’s interactive installa-tions are a mesmerizing blendof art, science, and technology.”The Arts Council of FairfaxCounty is the voice of the arts,dedicated to fostering dynamicand diverse local arts, ensuringthat arts thrive by providing vi-sion, leadership, capacity build-ing services, advocacy, funding,education and information.“Across Fairfax County, arts andculture are helping to buildstronger communities, improv-ing the quality of life and fos-tering economic growth. TheArts Council’s grant programsprovide vital funds for basicoperation of local arts organi-zations and recognize the valu-able programs and services theyprovide to Fairfax County resi-dent,” says Linda S. Sullivan,president and CEO of the ArtsCouncil of Fairfax County.Greater Reston Arts Center islocated at 12001 Market Street,Suite 103 in Reston.

GRACE ReceivesProject Support Grant

From April 22 to July 9, 2016, the Greater RestonArts Center will present Transformations, an exhibi-tion by multimedia artist Shih Chieh Huang.

Send announcements to [email protected]. The deadlineis the Friday prior to the following week’spaper. Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGFrying Pan Farm Arts in the Parks.

Wednesdays, through Aug. 19. 10-11a.m. Frying Pan Farm ParkAmphitheater, 2739 West Ox Road,Herndon. Entertain children, teachthem the importance of protectingour natural resources, introducethem to live entertainment in aninformal kid-friendly atmosphere,and forge a connection between kidsand parks. Call 703-437-9101.

Herndon Friday Night Live. Fridays,through Aug. 28. 6:30 p.m. at 777Lynn Street, Herndon. Listen to greatmusic on Friday nights during thesummer. herndonrocks.com/schedule.php.

Take a Break Concert Series.Thursdays, through Sept. 3. 7-9 p.m.at Reston Community Center, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston. Listen tosome great music live.

Reston Concerts on the Town.Saturdays, through Sept. 5. 7:30-10p.m. at Reston Town Center. Bringlawn chairs or picnic blankets andenjoy live music in the PavilionSaturday nights. Free. Rain or shine.703-912-4062.www.restontowncenter.com/concerts

Summer Reading Program.Saturdays, through Sept. 5. 10 a.m.-5p.m. Reston Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Come to thelibrary all summer for books andevents. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/rr/.

THURSDAY/AUG. 6Family Game Night. 7 p.m. Herndon

Library, 768 Center Street, Herndon.Celebration of play and learning withboard games for the whole family. Allages welcome.

Food Truck Thursdays. 11 a.m.- 2p.m. 11900 Market St,, Reston. Onthe first Thursday of each month,through October, a variety of foodtruck vendors will provide lunch anddessert options. Cash and credit cardsaccepted.

Rock On, Reston! in Reston TownCenter Pavilion. 5:30-8:30 p.m.Bring a lawn chair or blanket andenjoy live music for the decades anddrinks in the Pavilion.www.restontowncenter.com.

All Join In. 10:30 a.m. Reston Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Fun stories and songs for youand your child. Age 2-5 with adult.

FRIDAY/AUG. 7Sheep Dog Detectives. 2:30 p.m.

Reston Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Kaydeepresents Dudley Dog and Friends,who solve crimes in a fun and fast-paced show. All ages.

SATURDAY/AUG. 8Special Consensus. 7:30 p.m. Holy

Cross Lutheran Church, 1090 SterlingRoad, Herndon. Traditional bluegrassmusicians headed by banjoistsupreme Greg Cahill. Cahill hasheaded this band for 30 some yearsnow and they have traveled theworld providing audiences with thefinest in vocal harmony and absolutemastery of their instruments.

Family Fun Entertainment Series:Magic By Geo. 10-10:45 a.m.Reston Town Square Park, 11900Market St., Reston. MagicianGeoffrey “Geo” Weber offers anunparalleled magic act featuringoriginal and innovative magic tricks.www.restoncommunitycenter.com.

Reston Concerts on the Town

Series: Matuto. 7:30-10 p.m.11900 Market St., Reston. Bring yourlawn chairs or picnic blankets to thePavilion for Brazilian roots-rock andfunk with Matuto.www.restontowncenter.com/concerts.

Dog Tales. 10:30-11:15 a.m. HerndonLibrary, 768 Center Street, Herndon.Bring your own book or chose a bookfrom the library and read aloud to atrained therapy dog. Call or sign uponline for a 15-minute session. Age5-12.

Reston Farmers Market. 8 a.m.-noon. Saturdays, May 2-Nov. 14.Named the best farmers market inNorthern Virginia by Virginia LivingMagazine. Lake Anne Village Center,11401 North Shore Drive,Reston.http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/restonmkt.htm

SUNDAY/AUG. 9Lake Anne Summer Film Festival:

West Side Story. 8 p.m. Lake AnnePlaza, 1609 Washington Plaza,Reston. The free outdoor festival willtake place each month on selectedSunday’s and will feature some greatflicks from classic to comedy. Grab adate, the family or a group of friends,bring the lawn chairs and a picnicand enjoy flicks under the stars.

MONDAY/AUG. 10Reston Fit Club at Reston Town

Center Pavilion. 11 a.m. 11900Market St., Reston. Enjoy variousfitness classes including yoga, dance,self-defense, cardio, and corestrength.

All Join In. 10:30 a.m. Reston Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Fun stories and songs for youand your child. Age 2-5 with adult.

Magic Book Club. 2:30 p.m. RestonLibrary, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Magic, music and funwith magician Brian Curry. Age 6-12.

Paddle & Explore. 8:30 a.m. LakeFairfax Park, 1400 Lake FairfaxDrive, Reston. Fish & Explore takescampers off-site to paddle kayaksalong local waterways, ponds andlakes. Campers learn kayaking skillswhile getting up close to nativewildlife. 703-609-8083.

TUESDAY/AUG. 11Pokemon Club. 2:30 p.m. Reston

Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Bring your pokemontrading cards to trade/play thepokemon game. Age 6-12.

Read to The Dog. 7-7:45 p.m. RestonLibrary, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Bring your own bookor choose from a book from thelibrary and read aloud to a trainedtherapy dog. Call of sign up onlinefor a 15-minute session. Age 5-11.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 12Precious Preschoolers. 11 a.m.

Herndon Library, 768 Center Street,Herndon. Explore fiction andnonfiction books about fun creatureswhile singing, playing and dancing.Age 3-5 with adult.

Wednesday Morning Book Club.10:30 a.m. Reston Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. BookDiscussion Group. Adults.

THURSDAY/AUG. 13Rock On, Reston! 5:30-8:30 p.m.

11900 Market St., Reston. Bring alawn chair or blanket and enjoy livemusic from the decades in thePavilion.

Sensory Friendly Storytime. 10:30a.m. Reston Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Storytime willprovide plenty of time for interactivestories, songs, music and socialinteraction geared toward childrenwith autism spectrum. Preschool.

School’s Out Book DiscussionGroup. 6 p.m. Reston Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. A book discussion group forboys and girls. Join us for a livelydiscussion of “The Boggart” by SusanCooper. School ages.

Traveling Players Middle SchoolEnsemble. 7 p.m. Reston Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Student actors will performMoliere’s classic comedy “TheLearned Ladies.”

FRIDAY/AUG. 14“Peter Pan.” 6:30 p.m. Reston

Association, 12001 Sunrise ValleyDrive, Reston. Join RestonAssociation for a chartered bus trip toexperience “Peter Pan” at theThreesixty Theatre in Tysons. Fly toNeverland in a whole new way with aspectacular innovative live stageproduction that combines intimatetheater-in-the-round, overheadsurround CGI projection, actors indazzling flying sequences forty feet inthe air, and whimsical puppets thatbring J.M. Barrie’s classic tale tofantastical life. $60-$72.

SATURDAY/AUGUST 15Reston Concerts on the Town

Series. 7:30-10 p.m. 11900 MarketSt., Reston. Bring your lawn chairs orpicnic blankets to the Pavilion forreggae, calypso, soca, and more withJambulay and The Panmasters SteelOrchestra. Free Admission.www.restontowncenter.com/concerts.

Reston Farmers Market. 8 a.m.-noon. Saturdays, May 2-Nov. 14.Named the best farmers market inNorthern Virginia by Virginia LivingMagazine. Lake Anne Village Center,11401 North Shore Drive, Reston.http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/restonmkt.htm

Special Consensus is a group of traditional bluegrassmusicians headed by banjoist supreme Greg Cahill. Seethem perform on Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Holy CrossLutheran Church, 1090 Sterling Road, Herndon.

Calendar


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By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Rain poured from a gray Marchsky. Drenched racers woundtheir way through Washington,D.C. before spilling across the

finish line at R.F.K. Stadium, their runningshoes heavy and soaking wet.

“We were freezing cold and shivering theentire time,” said Ann Goettman of McLean.“We looked like we’d been through a carwash.”

Goettman and others on her team ofwould not let the elements deter them fromcompleting the 2015 D.C. Rock’n’Roll HalfMarathon. They’d spent the last four monthsrunning, walking and lifting weights as partof a Team in Training (TNT) fundraising ef-fort to support the Alexandria, Virginia-based Leukemia & Lymphoma Society(LLS). Participants pledged to raise moneyfor a charity in which they believe by train-ing for and competing in marathons,triathlons, cycling and hiking. In turn, they

get access professional fitness coaches whoguide them as they set fitness goals, boosttheir endurance, lose weight, and get tonedtaut.

“You have an opportunity to give backfrom a philanthropic perspective, but you’realso putting yourself out there to get in thebest shape,” said Jaclyn Toll, Deputy Execu-tive Director of the Leukemia & LymphomaSociety.

“It brings you together with other like-minded individuals, people who are into thecombination of philanthropy and health andwellness.”

A central figure on Goettman’s team isLynne O’Brien. In fact, the group came to-gether in O’Brien’s honor after she was di-agnosed with leukemia three years ago.Daunted by the challenge, but motivatedby the prospect of hope, she ran her firsthalf marathon in 2013.

“A huge benefit is that we were all get-ting in shape and were uniting around acause,” said O’Brien. “I lost weight and itwas great for my stamina and overall health.I’m 53 and it’s great to know that I can runa half marathon.”

The coaching staff, says O’Brien, has aneffective program that whips racers intoshape before each event. Lessons rangefrom using proper form during a workout,stretching to prevent injury and hydration

Getting in shapewhile raising moneyfor charity.

Teams in Training

and nutrition to sustain the level energynecessary to complete race.

“They break it down into small parts, andon one day we’ll fast run for shorter dis-tance and the next day,” she said. “They getpretty specific. They’re telling you how tomove your arms and hold your head andeven how you should step.”

The metamorphoses are often beyond thephysical. “In terms of their outlook on ex-ercise and their new found love of long dis-tance exercise and endurance, the transfor-mation unbelievable transformation,” saidSkye Donovan, Ph.D., department chair andassociate professor of Physical Therapy atMarymount University in Arlington volun-

teers as coach for TNT.One of the factors in the evolution of the

mindset of the team members is camarade-rie and the knowledge of a higher cause.

“New drugs are coming down the line,”O’Brien said. “Doctors say it’s an excitingtime for them. Since I was diagnosed threeyears ago, five new drugs have come intothe market.”

Many train for and endure physical featsthat seemed unattainable at first thought.“I am not an athlete, I’m a busy, 53-year-old mom of five kids. I’m busy,” said BethO’Shea of McLean. “But the next thing youknow I’m getting myself in shape, meetingnew people and going on long walks.”

The LOL team in training crosses the finish line at the Nike Women’s HalfMarathon in Washington, D.C. McLean residents (from left) Chris Fraley,Mary Ellen Overend, Barbara Overstreet, Dorothy McAuliffe (McLean andRichmond. First Lady of Virginia), Lynne O’Brien, Beth O’Shea, LaurenO’Brien (Denver Colo.), Kim Aubuchon and Terry Lineberger.

Photo courtesy of Lynne O’Brien


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By KENNETH B. LOURIE

BackOn Track

Having reread last week’s column atime or two now, I’ve realized that Ineglected to update you regular readers– especially those of you who read mymost recent pre- and post-scan columns:“Abyssful” Ignorance and Scant Know ForSure Anymore – on the previous week’sscan results. Once again, I have defiedthe odds – maybe statistics would be abetter word? Nevertheless, my tumorsremain stable, as do I, and I remainamazingly lucky as well. As to the reasonswhy I continue to “thrive,” perhaps it’sdue to the marketing campaign of theHMO that is responsible for my care.

Certainly I’m living proof that all is notlost when lost is where you seem to be.Six and a half years ago at my diagnosticground-zero: 2/27/09, my oncologistoffered little hope. Though he was hon-est and direct in his presentation of thefacts, statistics, treatment, etc., he wasnot particularly encouraging. To invoke aquote from Lt. Col. Henry Blake from along-ago M*A*S*H episode: my oncolo-gist didn’t exactly “blow any sunshine upmy skirt.” It was quite the opposite, infact. When we questioned him furtherabout my chances of living beyond twoyears or even beyond five years (twotime frames he cited), he did acquiesceand agree that sure, it’s possible I couldbe the one (almost literally) that couldsurvive beyond the rather grim prognosisof “13 months to two years” that I wasgiven.

Not that I doubted him, but whenyou’re a lifelong non-smoker, asympto-matic with no immediate family historyof cancer; being told at age 54 and halfthat you have late-stage lung cancer andhave maybe two years to live, is not sim-ply a hard pill to swallow, it’s an impossi-ble pill to swallow and yet swallowingnow becomes the least of your problems,especially considering that heavy-dutychemotherapy was scheduled to begin insix days. That’s when you realize you’renot in Kansas anymore, and when yourhair falls out a few weeks later and youstart to look ashen gray in the face andhollow in the eyes – and feel even worsethan you look, it’s easy to start believingthe extremely discouraging news given toyou by your oncologist.

But somehow you must – not believe,because believing can be very disheart-ening. And “disheartening” leads to andcreates negativity, and negativity is almostas harmful as the chemotherapy itself.Cancer may have a mind of its own (fig-uratively speaking), but so do you, andusing it to “laugh, think and cry” as JimValvano encouraged (“a full day” as hecalled it) in his ESPY speech in 1993while accepting the first-ever Arthur AsheCourage and Humanitarian Award, isperhaps what makes one stronger – orpossibly strong enough, emotionally. Andgiven the ravaging effects of chemother-apy, you’re going to need that emotionalstrength to compensate for the physicalweakness you’re likely to experience dur-ing your treatment. Cancer is difficultenough on its own; you don’t need tomake it any worse.

Nothing is toosmall to know,

and nothing toobig to attempt.

-William Van Horne

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Obituary

William (Bill) Porter Short

William (Bill) Porter Short, of Reston, VA., a retired electrical engineer, passed away peacefully Saturday, Aug. 1st, at Re-ston Hospital. He was 84. He is survived by Helen (Miles) Short, his beloved wife of over 60 years, and by his six sons, Allen (wife Virginia), Vincent (wife Jane), David (wife Jenni-fer), Kenneth (wife Terri), Gregory (wife Anita) and Bradley(wife Sara). He also is survived by a brother, Harry, of Land O’ Lakes, FL, and by 22 grandchildren and 7 great grandchil-dren. He was preceded in death by his father Porter, mother Margaret and sister Peggy.

He was born in Baltimore, MD on Jan. 10, 1931 and graduat-ed from Baltimore Polytechnic High School. He served as a seaman in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before at-tending The Johns Hopkins University, where he earned aBachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He later obtained a Master of Science Degree in Engineering from George Washington University and worked for several major defense engineering firms in the Washington,DC area and for the Voice of America doing field work in Li-beria, Africa. In 1965, he moved his family from suburban Baltimore, MD to the new planned community of Reston, VA where they were among the town's earliest residents. He was a devoted father to his six boys, serving as their Little League coach and as an adult volunteer for Boy Scouts of America. Hewas an avid golfer and dog lover. He loved family vacations at the ocean and enjoyed body surfing at Cape Hatteras and Holden Beach, NC. A private memorial is planned. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital <https://shop.stjude.org/GiftCatalog/index.do> or JohnsHopkins Medicine <https://secure.jhu.edu/form/fjhm> may be made in memory/tribute of William Short.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

EmploymentEmployment

Climber / Ground PersonTree care company in Chantilly looking for

a climber and/or ground person.English speaking and experience preferred.

Call 703-263-3199.

HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

Engin 3, Prdct Devel Engin Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Reston, VA.

Maintain infrstrctre & SW for core apps of co.’s residential e-mail pltfrm. Reqs: Bach

in CS, Engin, or rltd & 2 yrs exp in UNIX/Linux systms admin, incl wrkng w/ DB clusters in large-scale, custmer-

facing entrprse env’t; designg & implmntng app montrng, config mgmnt &

automation pltfrms; writng automation scrptng w/ Perl, Python & Shell; &

working w/ DNS, HTTP & SMTP ntwrkng protocols. Apply to:

[email protected]. Ref Job ID #1055.


Front Desk Opportunity: Seeking a motivated, multi-task

individual to work in a busy medical specialty office. Must be able to

work on a computer all day, medical background preferred but not

necessary. Position available in Fairfax and Reston. No evenings or

weekends. This is a full time position, must be able to start by early

August.Send cover letter and resume

to:[email protected]


PART TIME RN, LPN, OR

MEDICAL ASSISTANTFriendly Internal Medicine office in Burke. 5 mornings a week. Email resume to [email protected]


Be a part of our Wellbeing pages,the first week of every month.

Delight in our HomeLifeStyle sec-tions, the second week of everymonth. Peek at the top real estatesales, glimpse over-the-top remod-eling projects, get practical sugges-tions for your home.

Celebrate students, camps, schools,enrichment programs, colleges andmore in our A-plus: Education,Learning, Fun pages, the thirdweek of every month.

Questions? E-mailsales@connection newspapers.comor call 703-778-9431

Zone 1 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 1: • Reston

• Herndon • LoudounClassifiedClassified

An expert is someone who knowssome of the

worst mistakesthat can bemade in his

subject and howto avoid them.

-WernerHeisenberg

Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several

thousand things that won't work.-Thomas A. Edison

Be a part of our Wellbeing pages, the first week of every month.

Delight in our HomeLifeStyle sections, the second week of every month.Peek at the top real estate sales, glimpse over-the-top remodeling projects,and get practical suggestions for your home.

Celebrate students, camps, schools, enrichment programs, colleges and morein our A-plus: Education, Learning, Fun pages, the third week of every month.

Questions? E-mail [email protected] or call 703-778-9431.

To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, send to [email protected] the Friday prior to the following week’s paper.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 5ESL for Intermediate Students. 11 a.m. Reston

Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Join Richard’s Wednesday conversational group.Adults.

THURSDAY/AUG. 6Dialog & Grammar: ESL For Advanced

Beginners and Intermediate Students.11:45 a.m. Reston Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Join Judy’s Thursdaysweekly class.

FRIDAY/AUG. 7Blood Donation. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Extended Stay

America, 12190 Sunset Hills Road, Reston. TheAmerican Red Cross is facing a looming shortageof the blood types most needed by patients andis calling on eligible donors with O negative, Bnegative and A negative blood to give now toprevent an emergency situation. Blood donationappointments can be quickly and easilyscheduled by using the Red Cross Blood DonorApp, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Let’s Talk- ESL For Intermediate Students.11 a.m. Reston Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Join Richard’s Fridayconversational group.

MONDAY/AUG. 10ESL for Intermediate Students. 4:30 p.m.

Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Join Juanita’s Monday conversationalgroup. Adults.

TUESDAY/AUG. 11Spanchats. 7 p.m. Reston Library, 11925 Bowman

Towne Drive, Reston. Join ongoing Spanchatsconversation group which meets on Tuesdaynights to improve conversational Spanishlanguage skills. Adults.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 12Blood Donation. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Accenture,

12018 Sunrise Valley Drive, 5th Floor. TheAmerican Red Cross is facing a looming shortageof the blood types most needed by patients andis calling on eligible donors with O negative, Bnegative and A negative blood to give now toprevent an emergency situation. Blood donationappointments can be quickly and easilyscheduled by using the Red Cross Blood DonorApp, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

Bulletin Board

Joining SummerBackpack Drive

For the 4th year, the NWFCU Foundationhas joined with Fairfax County PublicSchools (FCPS) as a credit union partner inthe Collect for Kids program—working tosupply the nearly 53,000 FCPS children whoqualify for free or reduced-price meals withitems they need for a successful schoolyear.Backpacks are needed for children ofall ages, and the suggested donation of $10will fill a backpack with the supplies neces-sary to start the school year. Executive Di-rector of the NWFCU Foundation, LindaRogus, said the Foundation believes thatinvestments in education are investmentsin communities.The Foundation activelycultivates relationships with local organi-zations that support its mission and dem-onstrate a commitment to helping youth onan individual level, knowing that it doesn’talways take a large donation to make a sub-stantial impact.The Foundation is accept-ing donations through Sept. 3 for the 2015drive. Individual donors and businesses candrop off backpacks and monetary contribu-tions at any Northwest Federal branch orgo online to donate through theFoundation’s website.

Week in Reston


News

By Ryan Dunn

The Connection

Two Thomas JeffersonHigh School alums,Oakton residentsJuliana and Ryan

Heitz, opened a teaching sciencecenter in 2010 for young learnersafter an unsuccessful search to finda science enrichment class for theirson. Originally located in Oakton,this science, technology, engineer-ing and math (STEM) educationalorganization will be soon movingto a location at 12340 PinecrestRoad, Reston.

“I wanted to create an environ-ment where children could experi-ment and try different things,” saysRyan Heitz, who has a Masters ofScience degree from the Universityof Virginia.

Ideaventions Academy is aSTEM-based private school forfourth-eighth graders and is theonly elementary/middle school inthe country to require computerscience as a part of its annual corecurriculum. The new location atReston is five times the size of the previousOakton site. For an art program, the schoolhas partnered with the Leesburg based TheArt Station. A shuttle service to the schoolstops at Reston’s Wiehle-Reston East Metroand at Oakton library.

The school’s hands-on labs are led by ex-perienced teachers who emphasize diver-gent thinking and seek to harness a child’snatural curiosity about the world.Ideaventions Academy employs about 16full and part-time staff, and is partneringwith a number of local organizations to

ensure students have the best experiencepossible. The programs are designed toshare and nurture children’s love for thesciences. “When we are not using spacesfor our academy, it will be used for enrich-ment programs… whiteboards will be setup for collaborative zones,” said Heitz.

Residents of Oakton, Ryan and Julianamet at Thomas Jefferson High School forScience and Technology. After high school,Juliana traveled to the Massachusetts In-stitute of Technology where she received herbachelor’s in Economics and Management

of IT. When the two decided to begin aschool, they both wanted to incorporatesome of the aspects they observed at Tho-mas Jefferson High School (TJHSST).TJHSST is one of 18 Virginia Governor’sSchools, and U.S. News & World Reportranked the school the best public highschool in the nation from 2007 to 2013. “Webelieve schools should not be contained justwithin the walls,” said Heitz.

The couple is very excited about the newfacility. Windows provide the new Restonlocation with plenty of natural light, and

rooms for labs includespace for 3D printers.Throughout July, work hasbeen underway at theReston site in preparationfor the new school. Archi-tecture firm Stantec helpedwith design, and theOakton site will close at theend of August. The finishedschool is designed to havea freshness similar toJefferson’s Monticello orDisney World.

School lunches will beprovided by Lokl Gourmet,a local catering companythat specializes in locally-sourced, all-natural foods.Foreign language classeswill be provided by Lan-guage Stars, a companythat shares IdeaventionsAcademy’s teaching phi-losophy of play-based,immersive learning. Once amonth educational field

trips will be planned, and students can seehow science ties in with the humanities.Ryan Heitz has made contact with one ofthe curators at the Smithsonian NaturalHistory Museum.

Ideaventions Academy combines hands-on, project-based learning with classicaleducation, providing a collegial environ-ment where students help design theirschedule, choosing from required coreclasses and a diverse set of electives.Courses include: computer science, cellu-lar biology, computational design, Androidapp development, engineering and more.

The Heitzs broke ground on theIdeavention Academy’s location onPinecrest Road in Reston on May 18, andthe school is slated to open for its first fullacademic year on Sept. 8.

Ideaventions Academy plans to open Reston school.

STEM-Based Private School to Open in Reston

Photo by Ryan Dunn/The Connection.

Two Thomas Jefferson High School alums, Juliana and Ryan Heitz, arerelocating their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)educational organization, Ideaventions Academy to 12340 PinecrestRoad, Reston.

Ryan Heitz, a longtime resident ofNorthern Virginia,opened a teach-ing science centerin 2010 for younglearners.IdeaventionsAcademy is aSTEM-basedprivate school forfourth to eighthgraders and willopen in Restonthis fall.

On Saturday, July 25, winners were an-nounced during a jam-packed receptionfor the 5th Annual Herndon Town Calen-dar Competition produced by theHerndon Foundation for the Cultural Artsin collaboration with the Council for theArts of Herndon.

The winners are: Public Works Clearsthe Way by Mike Madigan; Red Barn inWinter by Lisa Merkel (February); EggHunt by Jean Gibson (March); StaringContest at Jimmy’s by Lawrence Cohen(April); Farewell to Station 404 by MarkSawatzki (May); Festival by Maude GraceBertovich (June); Land of the Free byAndrew W. Rhodes (July); Toddler andHerndon Police Officer by Tanya Kendrick(August); Herndon Plein Aire by DoraRamirez (September); Herndon HighBand by Ryan Dunn (October); Shades of

Red by Katy Betti (November); Wreath byGregory Conrad McCracken (December).The People’s Choice award went to LawrenceCohen for Staring Contest at Jimmy’s.

Sixty-five people attended the reception,including many of the finalist photogra-phers. After Foundation President HarlonReece welcomed guests, Town Councilmanand CAH Board member Sheila Olem pre-sented honorariums to the competition’sjudges, Lee Love and Sabina Skulska. Lovelauded the high quality of this year’s entriesstating, “The people tell the story. Herndonis the people.” Finally, Vice-Mayor JenniferBaker presented certificates to the competi-tion finalists and the People’s Choice Award.

Herndon Town Calendar Winners,People’s Choice Announced

Staring Contest at Jimmy’sby Lawrence Cohen wonPeople’s Choice Award.

Photo by Peter Toth

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