raising $80,000 for life with cancer

Raising $80,000 For Life With Cancer

News, Page 4

History with Ghost StoriesNews, Page 2

Alliance Prepares Production Of ‘A Christmas Carol’News, Page 5

‘Freedom Isn’t Free’News, Page 4

Runners at the starting line for the 29th Annual Virginia Run Turkey

Trot on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 23, in Centreville.

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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November 29 - December 5, 2017 25 CENTS NEWSSTAND PRICE

HolidayGift Ideas

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2 ❖ Centre View ❖ November 29 - December 5, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

See Homes Tour, Page 11

By Mike Salmon

Centre View

When Mona Harrington’s sis-ter was over at her Cliftonhouse that dates back to1771, the door to a cabinet

in the second floor room kept mysteriouslyopening, so her sister got out her cellphoneand videoed the whole thing. They both at-tribute it to the ghost that lives in the house.“You can see the doors opening on thevideo,” said Harrington.

Visitors on the upcoming Historic CliftonHoliday Homes Tour will look for the ghostas they tour Harrington’s home, known asthe William E. Beckwith House, along withseveral others that are decorated with pe-riod items, one with another ghost, and onewith a miniature village that occupies sev-eral rooms.

In addition to the Beckwith House, thetour will stop at the Baber Home, circa1880; the Stein/Davis home, built in 1911;the Clifton Baptist Church, 1875; the CliftonPresbyterian Church, 1870; the PrimitiveBaptist Church from 1871; and the WyantHome and the Layfield Homes that werebuilt after 2000. The town holds the homestour every year, but changes the homes eachyear.

Melissa Milne is a tour coordinator alongwith co-chair Darah Curran. The ghost sto-ries don’t surprise anyone. “Almost every oldhouse in town has a ghost story, thesehouses are really old, who knows,” saidMilne. That’s the story with the BeckwithHouse ghost. “It migrates from upstair todownstairs, it’s peaceful,” she said.

Clifton began as a small village situatedat a railroad depot on the Orange, Alexan-dria and Manassas Railroad in the 1860timeframe, and in the advent of the CivilWar, several locations were part of the war,including the Beckwith House where theHarrington’s live. William Beckwith died in1863 and left the home to his slaves, Will-iam Harris, his wife Harriet Harris, and theirfive children. In March, 1869, the railroadstation was constructed and was known asDevereux Station and then the Clifton Sta

Clifton Homes Tourthis Saturday.

History with Ghost Stories

Photo by Mike Salmon

Mark Harrington and his daughterAna beside a wood stove that datesback to the Civil War Days.


Melissa Milne on her porch over-looking Clifton.

Photo Contributed

The holiday village set up occupies several levels.

Centre View ❖ November 29 - December 5, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Encore Presents, Page 8

News

By Bonnie Hobbs

The holiday season is here, andthat means it’s time for mistle-toe, gingerbread houses andEncore Theatrical Arts Project’s

new song-and-dance extravaganza, “Christ-mas at Quigley’s.” The show runs Dec. 8-17in the Richard Ernst Theater at NOVA’s

Annandale campus.There’s a cast of 28 students, plus adult

guest performers Jack Stein and NickMcDonough. The story begins at the NorthPole, where elf Albert (McDonough) is senton a mission to New York City. There, atQuigley’s Toy Shop, he meets Basil (Stein),who runs the toy shop.

Albert discovers the magic of Quigley’sworkshop and how — no matter howstrange and bizarre a toy is that a childwants — it’ll be in the store catalog andwill magically appear. He wants to knowhow this happens, so he investigates. Buthe causes chaos, which Basil has to sort out.

The actors and dancers have been re-

hearsing since August, and Director/Cho-reographer Raynor van der Merwe saysthings are going wonderfully. Calling herstudents “a joy to work with,” she said,“Watching them transform into young, pre-professionals is exciting for me. And know-ing the history of the performers that havegone before them at Encore and gone on toprofessional dance careers, I can envisionthem doing the same thing in the future.”

Van der Merwe said the show will be en-tertaining for all ages. “It’s got the glamourof New York City and the big, musical,Broadway numbers,” she said. “But at thesame time, it has the charm that’ll makepeople laugh because of the phenomenal

Maddy Spiewak gets in the holiday spirit inEncore’s “Christmas at Quigley’s.”

Erin Krobath (left) and Veronica Litschgi showtheir Christmas spirit.

From left: Ashley Wood, Tiffanie Jones andKendra Walsh are ready for snow and Encore’sChristmas show.

From left: Bea Tremblay, Maya Tischler, Faith Chun, Tiffanie Jones, OliviaTerry, Veronica Litschgi, Becca Perrone, Ashley Wood, and Erin Krobathrehearse a dance number.

From left: Erin Krobath, Maya Tischler, Tiffanie Jones and Anjali Nairare elves in the show.

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Putting People in the Holiday SpiritEncore presents“Christmasat Quigley’s.”

actors and the well-written script by Scottand Karsten Dees.”

“It’s upbeat and will put the audience inthe holiday spirit,” continued van derMerwe. “With some 18 song-and-dancenumbers, it features music they know, plussome new songs and surprises. And as theyleave the theater, they’ll be tapping theirtoes and humming a song.”

Erin Krobath plays Terri, one of the clerksat Quigley’s. “She’s trying to find Albert af-ter he runs off with Basil’s magical hat thatbrings the toy store to life,” said Krobath.“She goes along with things and is outgo-ing and friendly, but serious about her job,

To Go Show times are: Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 9 at noon, 4 and 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 10at noon and 4 p.m.; Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 16 at noon, 4 and 7:30 p.m.; and Dec. 17 atnoon and 4 p.m. Tickets range from $19-$26 via www.encore-tap.org or 703-222-5511.Location: Richard Ernst Theater, NOVA campus, 8333 Little River Turnpike in Annandale.


News

By Steve Hibbard

The 29th annual Vir-ginia Run Turkey Trotwas held on Thanks-giving morning,

Thursday, Nov. 23, in Centreville.About 3,500 runners and walkersraced down Pleasant Valley Roadhelping to raise $80,000 for InovaHospital’s Life With Cancer andthe Inova Schar Cancer Institute.

The first-place male wasJonathan Phillips of Fairfax, 24,now living in Boston, who finishedwith a time of 15:42. The first-place female was Kelly Rogers, 24,of McLean, who finished with atime of 18:42.

“We had a really great turnoutthis year. There were a lot of smilesout there; so I think everyone waspretty happy to be here eventhough it was cold,” said organizerMeghan Logan.

This year’s USATF-certified 5Krace and 2K walk was dedicatedto two women from the commu-nity who died in September: AmyMiller and Gail Shedlick. “Theirfamilies were here today and we’rehappy to honor them,” said Logan.

Logan said the 3,500 numberwas the perfect size for this year’srace. “There were years that it wasmuch larger; this year was perfect.It’s very very big, but to us, it’s avery nice manageable size. I thinkthe turnout was phenomenal. Wehope to keep this base of peopleand we’re glad we have so manyrepeat runners and walkers join usevery year,” she said.

29th annual event raises$80,000 for Life With Cancer.

3,500 People in Virginia Run Turkey Trot

The first-place female wasKelly Rogers, 24, ofMcLean, who finished witha time of 18:42. She re-ceived a $100 gift certifi-cate to The Running Store.

Gavin Peppler,who dressed as a

T-Rex dinosaur,passes out water

to runners.

Race organizer MeghanLogan

The first-place male wasJonathan Phillips ofFairfax, 24, now living inBoston, who finished with atime of 15:42. He receiveda $100 gift certificate toThe Running Store.

Wearing pumpkin pie hatsare runners Lisa Winch ofBristow and Lori Raden ofHaymarket.

Runners in the 29th Annual Virginia Run Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning,Thursday, Nov. 23, in Centreville.

A 12-person race committee andabout 100 volunteers helped toput on the race, said Logan —from county and state police, toEMTs, to Cub Scouts and BoyScouts to local churches as well aspeople from Life With Cancer whohave been patients.

The primary event sponsorswere American Windows & Sidingof Virginia, Ourisman ChantillyToyota, Korean Central Presbyte-rian Church, Skyline InsuranceAgency, Edelman Financial Ser-vices, InCadence Strategic Solu-tions, and RE/MAX, JeannieDonahue and Nicole Hillyard.

Photos by Steve Hibbard

After the race,runners snackedon apples andbananas.


21800 Towncenter PlazaSterling, VA 20164703-450-5453

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See Alliance Prepares, Page 8

News

By Steve Hibbard

The Alliance Theatre is present-ing the Charles Dickens’ classic,“A Christmas Carol,” from Dec.8 to Dec. 17 in Centreville. The

story follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a man well-known for his miserly ways, who is visitedby a series of ghosts and learns how hismeanness has affected those around him.It is a transformative tale that teaches thatit’s never too late to change.

The show will be presented on Dec. 8, 9,15, 16 at 7:30 p.m.; and Dec. 10 and 17 at2 p.m. at Mountain View High School, 5775Spindle Court, Centreville. Tickets are $18general; $15 for seniors and children.They’re planning to have Santa visit afterall the shows so children can visit and siton his lap. They’ll also be having cookies.

“In my mind it’s a sort of redemption story.It’s about a guy who is selfish, miserly, andonly cared about money and material thingsversus people. In the process of the ghostswho come to visit him, he sees a new wayto be. He becomes a new person andchanges,” said Maggie Swan of Chantilly,

The cast if Alliance Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol” during rehearsals last week.

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by Steve H

ibbard

Alliance Theatre Presents ‘A Christmas Carol’A story ofredemption.


Opinion

When the Virginia House of Rep-resentatives adjourned from its2017 session, Republicans con-trolled the house by 66 to 34.

The exact count following elections earlier inNovember is still unclear, but one party or theother could have a 51-49 majority, or even facea 50-50 split.

I don’t recall anyone predict-ing this level of change.

Three very close races arelikely headed for recount, in-

cluding one in Fairfax County, and since this isthe first time all voters have used paper bal-lots, it’s hard to predict how that will go. Butone way or the other, Northern Virginia locali-ties are likely to have more influence.

Fairfax County, along with Arlington andAlexandria, prepare a state legislative wish listeach year, made all the more urgent becauselocalities in Virginia have only the powers spe-cifically given to them by the General Assem-bly. If there is any reasonable doubt whether apower has been conferred on a local govern-ment, then the locality does not have thatpower.

That has meant, for example, localities canonly raise revenue from limited sources, can’trestrict where people carry guns, can’t set theirown minimum wage, and can’t fully controlland use within their boundaries. Some haven’tbeen able to ban discrimination on the basis

Next Week: More Local GivingNext week, we will publish our lists of local nonprofits for holiday giving. If you know

of an organization that should be included or whose listing needs updating, please [email protected].

Deadline Extended: Children’s EditionSubmissions of student art and writing are due by Friday, Dec. 8, an extended deadline.

You can see last year’s editions by visiting www.connectionnewspapers.com/PDFs/ andscroll down to Children’s Edition. Email submissions to the following editors:

❖ For Burke, Clifton, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, Great Falls, Herndon, Lorton, McLean,Reston, or Springfield, email to Kemal Kurspahic at [email protected].

❖ For Alexandria, Arlington, Centreville, Chantilly, Mount Vernon, or Potomac, Md.,email to Steven Mauren at [email protected].

Careful What To Wish ForCould changes in General Assembly mean some legislativerequests from Northern Virginia might not be dead on arrival?

Editorial

of sexual orientation and gender identity.Not all of these restrictions are based on

party affiliation.Aside from more local authority, the top wish

is for more funding.Fairfax County’s draft on funding schools:

“Public education funding in the Common-wealth is enshrined in the Virginia Constitu-tion as a joint responsibility of both state andlocal governments, so it is essential that thestate fully meet its Constitutional responsibil-ity to adequately fund K-12 education. Unfor-tunately, the Commonwealth continues to al-low critical gaps to persist between state fund-

ing and the actual costs of providing a high-quality education, placing more of the fiscalburden on localities while substantially limit-ing local revenue sources, creating a discrep-ancy that has become increasingly untenable.”

The one action that could produce signifi-cant funding and services with very low costto state coffers: expanding Medicaid in Virginiaunder the Affordable Care Act. Virginia hasturned away billions of dollars, plus the jobsand healthier citizenry that come with that.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

@CentreView

Newspaper ofCentreville

Little Rocky RunA Connection Newspaper

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.Published by

Local Media Connection LLC

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Steven Mauren Editor, 703-778-9415

[email protected]

Mike SalmonAssistant Editor

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Bonnie HobbsCommunity Reporter, [email protected]

Andrea WorkerReporter

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ADVERTISING:For advertising information

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Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

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David GriffinMarketing Assistant

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Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

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Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

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Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal Kurspahic

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

[email protected]

A Connection Newspaper

By Malene Davis, MBA, MSN, RN,

CHPN

Capital Caring

November is National Hospice and Pal-liative Care Month, and we encour-age Virginians to be more aware of

the innovative and compassionate end-of-lifecare available throughout the Commonwealth.

Capital Caring — a non-profit, community-based, hospice and palliative care organization— was founded in 1977 and is one of the oldestand most experienced non-profit hospices in the

United States. Our dedi-cated staff serve more than1,400 patients and familiesevery day in the mid-Atlan-

tic region. Our commitment to providing thebest medical care for patients with life-limitingillnesses is imperative, and we are fortunate tohave skilled medical professionals, caregiversand volunteers in a four-state region.

I would like to emphasize an increasingly-utilized program for honoring patients’ wishesthat is underway in Virginia. The Virginia POST(Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) ispart of the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Paradigm that origi-nated in Oregon in the 1990s to combat the

“failure of advance directives.” It is an approachto end-of-life planning that emphasizes ad-vance care planning conversations and shareddecision-making which culminates in the POSTorder set — an actionable set of medical or-ders that, according to the Journal of theAmerican Geriatrics Society, is far better thanadvance directives in following patient’swishes.

The Virginia POST Collaborative’s ExecutiveCommittee – consisting of members from hos-pital systems and other healthcare organiza-tions throughout the Commonwealth – hasdesignated Capital Caring as the organizationalhome of the program. We are deeply honoredby this responsibility and excited about theopportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Our greatest challenge is the lack of aware-ness and funding available for this meaning-ful program. Since the inception of the VirginiaPOST Collaborative in 2008, the program hasexisted only because of the in-kind donationof time and personnel by our member organi-zations. However, full implementation of thisimportant initiative throughout the Common-wealth requires financial assistance from part-ners so that we can offer comprehensive edu-cation, provide expert training, and achievenational certification for our POST program.

Frankly, Virginia got off to a late start withthe POST program and is lagging behind otherstates nationally and regionally. We have madegreat progress in the past few years, but thismonth should be a reminder of its importanceand need.

Capital Caring has assumed the major costsof education, training, and building awarenessfor the Virginia POST program. Matthew G.Kestenbaum, M.D., medical director, HealthInformation & Training at Capital Caring, andassociate medical director of the Virginia POSTCollaborative (703-957-1768 [email protected]) is our pointperson. For more details, one can contact Dr.Kestenbaum or visit our website atwww.virginiapost.org.

The estimated annual cost for the POST pro-gram is $200,000. Any contributions are tax-deductible, and will directly impact the mostfrail and vulnerable citizens of the Common-wealth. We need your support, but we alsoneed your dollars to help grow and to sustainthis valuable program. Thank you for yourconsideration.

Malene Davis, MBA, MSN, RN, CHPN, president andchief executive officer of Capital Caring based in FallsChurch and the home of the Virginia POST program, canbe reached at [email protected].

Honoring Patients’ Wishes

Commentary


News

By Mike Salmon

A five-year road project to buildexpress lanes on I-66 was kickedoff on Monday, Nov. 20 as offi-cials grabbed the golden shovels

and smiled for the cameras in westernFairfax County. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (VA-D) was there with officials from the VirginiaDepartment of Transportation, Departmentof Rail and Public Transportation, federal,state and local partners, and theCommonwealth’s private partner, I-66 Ex-press Mobility Partners.

“This project will reduce congestion,stimulate economic growth and improve thequality of life of commuters all over the

Northern Virginia region,” said McAuliffe,in a release issued by his office.

When completed, I-66 will have two ex-press lanes in each direction stretchingnearly 23 miles from I-495 to Gainesville,and three regular travel lanes. These ex-press lanes will be free for cars with at leastthree occupants, and a toll option for carswith one or two occupants. All tolling willbe done with the EZ-Pass, or the EZ-PassFlex for the carpool vehicles to avoid thetoll.

Initial construction will begin on theproject over the next few weeks, and by thespring of 2018, construction will be rampedup throughout the corridor. Regular con-struction-related updates will be availableon Transform66.org as well as through newsand social media channels.

For the portion of I-66 inside the beltwayduring rush hours, a toll option for singleoccupancy vehicles is beginning on Mon-day, Dec. 4. More details on this portion ofI-66 is available on Transform66.org as well.

Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Deadline isThursday at noon, at least two weeks before event.

ORNAMENT SALEGFWC Western Fairfax County Woman’s

Club is selling 2017 White House Christmasornaments. This year’s ornament honors the32nd President, Franklin D Roosevelt. The two-sided ornament features a gilded eagle, flagsand the Great Seal. 2017 ornaments cost $21.Proceeds benefit charity. Order now by calling703-378-6841 or 703-378-6216. It is possible toorder previous years’ ornaments when you call.

SATURDAY/DEC. 2Future Quest. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at GMU’s Johnson

Center, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax. Collegeand career conference for area middle and highschool students with disabilities, as well as theirparents, teachers and other professionals.Featuring more than 40 workshops and exhibitsrelated to successful life after high school. Free.There is free parking in Lot K, or in the MasonPond Parking Garage for $8. Visitww.futurequestgmu.org to register or email

[email protected].

THROUGH DEC. 3Coat and Blanket Drive. Nova Relief Center is

holding a blanket and coat drive for Syrian andIraqi refugees who have fled their homestoescape the violence from the civil war in Syria.Paxton Van Lines and Maersk are donating theirservices this year. Donated blankets and coatsshould be new or gently worn, and may bedropped off at any designated drop-off locationbelow. To make a tax-deductible donation, visitNOVA Relief Center’s website atwww.NOVAReliefCenter.org

❖ Centreville Elementary School, 14330 GreenTrails Blvd., Centreville

❖ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,14150 Upper Ridge Drive, Centreville

❖ Office of Supervisor Kathy Smith, Sully DistrictGovernmental Center, 4900 StonecroftBoulevard, Chantilly

FRIDAY/DEC. 8Academy Open House. 9:30-11:30 a.m.at

Clifton Children’s Academy Preschool, 14315Compton Road. Call 703-968-8455 or [email protected].

Construction set tostart on lanes outsidethe Beltway.

Launching I-66 Express Lanes


Led by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), center, delegates, county officials andtransportation officials break ground on the I-66 express lanes project.

Bulletin Board


News

From Page 3

Encore Presents ‘Christmas at Quigley’s’

Photo Courtesy of Linda Helms Photography

Dancers strike a pose during rehearsals forEncore’s upcoming Christmas show.

and I like her quirkiness.”Her favorite dance number is “Elf Lounge”

because, said Krobath, “We’re looking forAlbert with flashlights and it’s a smaller,group dance. And it’s fun choreography witha cool dynamic. This show is different fromwhat we’ve done before because an elf willdirectly interact with a human. We’re bring-ing back a lot of old, familiar dances, like‘Soldiers,’ but also doing some new versions,like ‘Disappearing Santas.’”

Rithika Ashok, a Chantilly High junior, hasbeen dancing since age 3 and has been withEncore eight years. “Dancing is a free spaceto express myself, and it’s super fun,” shesaid. “Being with Encore has taught memany life skills, such as respect, persever-ance and responsibility. It’s not just dance— you learn things that you can apply inthe real world.”

In this production, she sings “Santa ClausBoogie” with a group wearing various styles,prints and colors of elf costumes. “My fa-vorite dance is ‘Snow Biz,’ the jazz, Rockettenumber,” said Ashok. “I like the kickline atthe end, and it’s pretty cool to see every-body dancing in synch. DuringChristmastime, there are a lot of ‘Nutcrack-ers’ and classical holiday shows, but we’rea more family-friendly, Broadway-stylemusical.”

She said the audience will enjoy the di-verse array of dances. “We go from beingRockettes to toy soldiers to elves at theNorth Pole to clerks in a New York City toystore,” said Ashok. “So they’ll really getimmersed in the whole, holiday experi-

ence.”Fairfax High senior Veronica Litschgi

dances as an elf, a clerk, a Rockette, a dolland a soldier. “I especially like the tap num-ber, ‘Wreaths,’ because tap is my strongsuit,” she said. “It’s also my favorite cos-tume in the show; we look like candy canesdancing with Christmas wreaths.”

She also likes the song, “Let Yourself Go.”Litschgi said it was hard to learn because“It’s really fast and you have to build upstamina to do it, so it feels really good whenyou do. In it, we clerks are stocking the toyshelves, but telling the shoppers to relax.”

She’s danced nine years with Encore.“There are so many different styles, soyou’re not just doing the same thing everyday,” said Litschgi.

“And putting movements together withmusic is really fun. In this show, the audi-ence will enjoy how many dance numberswe have.

They’ll also like all the different costumesand will be amazed at how fast we changefor each number. And they’ll appreciate allthe detail in the set because our set designer,Tabitha Dees, is amazing.”

Agreeing, van der Merwe said, “The setis beautiful; the North Pole and Santa’s vil-lage are bright and vibrant. And in NewYork, people will see the outside of Quigley’s— and then it’ll open up into this gorgeous,magical toy shop with a large train, toysand jack-in-the-boxes that come to life. It’svisually exciting, with lots of color andsparkle.”

Faith Chun, an eighth-grader at TrinityChristian School in Fairfax, sings, dances

and portrays a snobby elfnamed Lavender. “Shedoesn’t like Albert andtries to get him in troubleat the North Pole,” saidChun. “She’s fun to play,and I often show hercharacter by her actionstoward Albert.”

Chun loves being inthe show because danc-ing is one of her favoritethings to do. An Encoremember for six years,she said, “Dancing is mypassion and what I wantto do when I grow up. Iespecially like the num-ber, ‘No Biz Like SnowBiz.’ It’s a Rockette-styledance, and we wearwhite leotards withruffles in the back, pluswhite gloves. It’s upbeatand fun to do.”

Chun said the audi-ence will like how both the dancing andacting tell the story. “It’s very enjoyable towatch,” she added. “And the colorful cos-tumes help bring the story to life, too.”

Becca Perron plays Snickers the elf in theNorth Pole scenes. “She’s kind of dumb, butloves the North Pole and Christmas, andshe’s happy, so she makes a good elf,” saidPerron. “The things she says aren’t thebrightest, so I have fun playing around withthat.”

Perron also portrays a clerk at Quigley’s,

where her favorite number, “Sparkle Jolly,”takes place.

“It’s about making everything moreChistmasy,” she said. “And it’ll help getpeople in the Christmas spirit.” Perron saidpeople will like the set because “It has aton of toys and bright colors. And the ‘Sol-diers’ number is one that the audience al-ways loves.” In her seventh year with En-core, she said, “Dance isn’t just a sport, it’san art form, so you get to play around withit.”

Alliance Prepares Production of ‘A Christmas Carol’From Page 5

“A lot of the peoplein this show arepeople who havebeen with Alliancefor a very long time.”

— Maggie Swan, President,Alliance Theatre

president of Alliance Theatre.With a cast of 20 people in the play, Swan

said this is the fourth time Alliance has done“A Christmas Carol.” Alliance Theatre wasfounded 15 years ago by Elaine Wilson andPat Kallman and meets at Mountain ViewSchool.

“We do about two tothree plays a year —musicals, straight plays,original shows. It’smostly for families, wehave kids of varyingages, all the way to se-niors. A lot of the peoplein this show are peoplewho have been with Al-liance for a very longtime,” said Swan.

Mike Cash, 63, ofOakton plays the role ofBob Cratchit in his 16th Alliance show. “BobCratchit is a man who has borne a lot ofstrain of carrying the family on a very mea-ger wage. He is beaten down at work butmanages to shed most of that at home withhis family. This is tough for me because Iusually do the comedic stuff,” he said.

He said his challenge this time was to be

serious. “My usual stock in trade is goingfor the laugh. Now I don’t really have anyof those opportunities. But that makes it funbecause I haven’t had to be serious before,and it’s the challenge of doing somethingnew that makes it fun.”

Anna Marie Carbaugh, 25, of Dumfries isplaying the role of the Spirit of Christmas

Present. “She is a lot oflaughs and she’s tryingto spread Christmascheer, in a nutshell,”said Carbaugh, whomajored in theater atEmory and Henry Col-lege. Having been in 10productions, this is hersecond role out of col-lege.

She said her challengewas that she’s only seenthe role played as a man

before, “So it was fun to do this as awoman,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I hadmany challenges because I could go at it ina new angle. I didn’t feel bound to the wayit had been done before.”

Ed McGee, 53, of Potomac Falls is play-ing the dual roles of Jacob Marley and theGhost of Christmas Future. “Marley is

Scrooge’s deceased business partner whocomes back to hopefully change Scrooge’sopinion on life so he doesn’t suffer the samefate as Marley on earth. Marley is doomedto wander eternity carrying the chains heforged in life,” he said.

He added: “Christmas Future is a silentghost; he quite often resembles the GrimReaper on what could be, especially ifScrooge doesn’t change his ways. So he pre-sents the future as if Scrooge doesn’t changehis ways, his outlook on life.”

He said the challenge was to be scary.“Both of my characters are the only scaryones, essentially in the whole play. I’ve gen-erally played kinder characters — I playedBob Cratchit in a different production in adifferent company.” Noah Fraize, 21, ofChantilly plays the role of Fred, who isScrooge’s nephew. “He’s very infected withthe holiday spirit. He loves Christmas andthe holiday season and all of its forms. He’sbasically trying to reach Scrooge and im-prove his view of Christmas,” he said.

He said the challenge was his limited con-nection to Christmas because he wasbrought up Jewish. “It’s not a subject mat-ter I connect to deeply. I’m usually not play-ing a very positive character. The closest toa character like this has been with children’s

theater so it’s been a bit of a difficult tran-sition,” he said.

Noah Tajudeen, 12, of Fairfax plays therole of Narrator One. “Basically I’m a townsboy, a turkey boy — he gets the turkey forScrooge in the end. He’s telling the story ofthe show from his perspective and how hesees everything. It’s subjective to him be-cause everyone sees Scrooge as a mean per-son, but he evolves,” said the Frost MiddleSchool seventh-grader.

He said the challenge was learning thecomplex Dickens-style lines. “But when youget entuned to the character, it becameeasier because you understood how theyflowed and it just clicked,” he said.

Jack Abidin, 9, of Fairfax is having a lotof fun playing the role of Urchin. “I don’treally have any lines; I just basically singsongs. I do have a few lines. I’m in a groupof urchins. We sing together,” he said.

The Alliance Theatre is presenting “AChristmas Carol” from Dec. 8, 9, 15, 16 at7:30 p.m.; and Dec. 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. atMountain View High School, 5775 SpindleCourt, Centreville. Tickets are $18 general;$15 for seniors and children. They’re plan-ning to have Santa visit after all the showsso children can visit and sit on his lap. Visitthe website at www.thealliancetheatre.org.

To Go Show times are: Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 9 at noon, 4 and 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 10 at noon and 4 p.m.; Dec. 15 at7:30 p.m.; Dec. 16 at noon, 4 and 7:30 p.m.; and Dec. 17 at noon and 4 p.m. Tickets range from $19-$26 via www.encore-tap.org or 703-222-5511. Location: Richard Ernst Theater, NOVA campus, 8333 Little River Turnpike in Annandale.


Learn About Adver� sing in the Connec� on

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or call 703.778.9431

Gift Ideas

By Marilyn Campbell

Consider eco-friendly gifts that are con-structed from recycled materials.

“Items made from reclaimedmaterials are a great way to give a

unique gift,” said Courtney Thomas of the PicketFence in Burke. “Reclaimed wood is especially popu-lar.”

Solemate Socks are another colorful option. Theyare made by repurposing recycled cotton yarn thatis then spun into vibrant, patterned socks. Thomasalso recommends decorative items made from re-claimed wood. “We have some beautiful churchesmade from wood salvaged from barns in Alabama,”she said.

Ornaments made from reclaimed paper are anotherenvironmentally conscious option. “Not only arethese beautiful decorations, but they help providejobs for people in third-world countries,” said Tho-mas.

Kevin Sweitzer of Thos. Moser, Handmade Ameri-can Furniture recommends items made from sustain-able North American hardwoods, “Namely cherryfrom the Allegheny Plateau in Pennsylvania andwalnut from the riverbanks of Missouri.”

Examples include stacks of food-safe woodenbowls, which are “are sustainable and reusable,[make] a perfect hostess gift … and a great conver-sation piece.”

GIFTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the livesof others are also on trend this year.

One example is Starling Project candles. Proceedsfrom the sales of these scented candles are donatedto UNICEF to help provide solar energy to under-resourced countries.

“Products that support a cause are also a great wayto both give a meaningful gift and help those inneed,” said Thomas. “We have pottery ornaments thatare made in Alabama by women escaping domesticviolence.”

Vintage-inspired gifts are trendy this season, saysSusan Nelson from Home on Cameron in Alexan-dria. “Wooden toys, [for example] appeal to all ages,as do vintage items such as magnifying glasses,” shesaid. “Gifts that are unique and offer a unique expe-rience are popular right now.”

Handmade gifts are another consideration, adds

Trends in Gift GivingFrom charitable to sustainable, shoppingideas to please even the pickiest.

Vintage items such as these at Home onCameron in Alexandria make uniqueholiday gifts.

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Todd Martz, also from Home on Cameron. “Visitors… love the handmade items for gifts, such as feltflowers from Nepal, hand painted vases, and thecustom pillows [which come] in a variety of colorsand patterns.

GIVING PRACTICAL GIFTS that the recipient willactually use can minimize the need for gift returns.Merchants who are on the receiving end of after-season holiday gift returns suggest customers thinkabout what it will be like for the recipient to actuallyown the gift, rather than the moment of receivingthe gift.

One example, says Madeline Fairbanks of CountryCasual Teak, “are accessories for those who enter-tain regularly such as … wine stopper or wine caddy,”she said. “Purchasers like the thoughtfulness of theitems and the durability of the products because theylast for many years.”


Sports

The Westfield Bulldogs hosted the 6A Re-gion final against South Lakes on Nov.25. The Bulldogs advanced to the finalby defeating Battlefield, and Patriot. South

Lakes defeated Yorktown and Madison to advance.Westfield scored first when Bizzett Woodley caught

the first of his two touchdown receptions with 8:09to play in the first quarter. Gavin Kiley put Westfieldup 14-0 with 10:26 to play in the second quarter.Later in the second quarter South Lakes scored whenJoseph Dagbe caught a pass from QB Devin Milesand lunged into the end zone. In the third quarter,Bizzett Woodley caught his second TD pass fromNoah Kim and the Bulldogs were up 21-7 with 4:45remaining in the quarter. In the fourth quarter, Kim

ran in from 5 yards out. A missed extra point wouldleave the score at 27-7.

For the game Kim, completed 10 of his 20 passesfor 114 yards and 3 TDs. Eugene Asante would runfor 139 yards on 19 carries and Woodley caught fourpasses for 60 yards and 2 TDs. South Lakes was ledby Miles who completed 12 of 22 passes for 92 yardsand a TD.

With the 27-7 win, the Westfield Bulldogs (13-0)will host the Woodbridge Vikings (12-1) who de-feated Hylton 28-14 in the VHSL semifinal game.South Lakes (11-2) season ends for the third con-secutive year to Westfield.

— Will Palenscar

Seizing 6A Region Championship

Bizzett Woodley #17 pullsin a 30 yard TD pass forWestfield with 5:09 left inthe first quarter.

Bizzett Woodley #17 catches his second TD pass of thegame with 4:45 to play in the third quarter.

Devonte Roberts #93 and Dylan Winesett#49 put a stop on South Lakes ball carrierAlbert Mensah #24.

Dylan Winesett #49 and teammate SaadiqHinton # 3 work together to stop SouthLakes RB Albert Mensah #24.

Westfield Head Coach KyleSimmons hoists the 6A

Championship trophy afterhis team defeated South

Lakes 27-7 on Nov. 25. TheWestfield Bulldogs (13-0)defeated the South Lakes

Seahawks (11-2), 27-7 in theRegion final and will play the

Woodbridge Vikings (12-1)who defeated Hylton 28-14.

Photos by

Will Palenscar


News

From Page 2

tion, and the town acquired the red caboosethat sits along side of the tracks in 1949.The houses exchanged hands through theyears, and eventually the train ceased stop-ping in Clifton, except during their annualClifton Day where the train acts as a modeof transportation from a stop in Springfieldwhere there is more parking.

Milne lives in a newer house on a hilloverlooking the town, but is still surroundedby the history of the area. When doing someyard work years ago, she found some “veryold bottles and the remains of a still fromthe prohibition days,” she said.

The Baber House, which dates back to1880, and was a boarding home in the1950s, that may have been the start of theghost experiences. Owner Kathy Kalinowskihas lived in the house since 1980, andknows the ghost story, but doesn’t have anypersonal experiences. “An old lady in thehouse who was taking care of a child whodied,” she said. The house sits on severallogs which is consistent other home foun-dations from that era. “We’ve had folkscome with their metal detectors and theyfound bullets,” said Kalinowski.

A newcomer to the tour is the Sawyer/Aspesi home, which is technically outsideof the Clifton town limits, but is part of thetour nonetheless. The bus will not stop atthe home, but it’s on the map and tour-goerscan stop on their own. The house was builtin 1989 but has an extensive holiday vil-lage set up, with one part named the “NorthPole,” while others are “Christmas in theCity,” “New England Village,” and “Nicho-las Nickleby.” The North Pole has 62 lightedbuildings, a sledding hill and stream.

During this visit to the Beckwith House, a set of carkeys vanished, only to turn up 15 minutes later in ahigh traffic spot that had been looked at minutesbefore. Everyone present attributed it to the ghost.

Homes Tour


A Listerine bottle dug up in theBeckwith House yard.

DetailsHISTORIC CLIFTON HOLIDAYHOMES TOUR

4-7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2Tickets Presale: $25 adult/$5 Child under 13Day of Tour: $30 adult/$5 Child under 13Credit card: $31Visit http://clifton-va.com/ for more.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Four hours up north with moderate hasslefirst thing Thanksgiving-Thursday morning.Dinner and all the fixings with family andfriends upon arrival, after a midday break.Conversations and such with young, mediumand old (with yours truly being the oldest ofour generation) until 1:15 a.m., (a recent timerecord for many). Up at 7:30 a.m. for break-fast with more casual talk and noshing. Outthe door at 9:15-ish heading back for animmediate day-after return trip home sched-uled to make an early Friday afternoon che-motherapy infusion. Infusion completed andon the final way home, a stop at the super-market at 4 p.m. – since we had noThanksgiving leftovers (turkey sandwiches inparticular) to satiate the deprived. Dinner assoon as possible since we were both hungryand tired after our up-and-back. Turkeybreast, mashed potatoes and peas for our ownleftovers, off-and-on television and nappingand then we both called it at 9:15 p.m. or so.

Twelve hours later, we were both awake.What a sleep! What a 24 hours! What a won-derful holiday! I wouldn’t characterize it as anordeal. However, it was a bit of an undertak-ing given my Friday afternoon commitment;my first-ever, post-holiday, having-to-rush-back-from-out-of-town excursion. Though inprevious years, we may have occasionallytravelled up and back in the same day, whenour route was two-hours to Pennsylvaniawhere the in-laws lived, we are older and pre-sumably wiser now and somewhat less ableand inclined to travel with as little margin andrest.

Compounded of course with Kenny-with-cancer being mostly behind the wheel, a per-manent designated driver since I don’t drinkand still see pretty well at night. Still, I’mhardly the driver I used to be and the affect ofthe holiday festivities on my fellow drivers isalways cause for concern.

But all’s well that ends well, except for thepiles of Thanksgiving day-afters left where welast saw them, miles away. Nevertheless, weare happy to have made the effort, despite theless-than-ideal timing. As difficult as this kindof schedule was/had to be, I can’t let, as muchas possible anyway, my cancer stuff: infusions,24-hour urine collection, pre-chemotherapylab work, quarterly scans and yearly MRIs andquarterly appointments with my oncologistimpact my semi-normal life. In fact, myoncologist has been a major proponent of my“quality of life,” an advisory he has regularlyencouraged.

I’ve always felt, from the beginning of mydiagnosis/prognosis, that I was not going tolive my life any differently than I had previousto 2/27/09. As challenging as that proved tobe on many occasions, my goal has been totry and integrate my life around my chemo-therapy – and vice versa, and to not let toomany chips fall along the wayside. Moreover,my philosophy has been not to bucket a listeither, but rather to simply live my usual andcustomary life and not be affected by my “13-month to two-year prognosis.” If I was doingbucket list-type things, things that I wouldordinarily not be doing, I felt that would bereinforcing a negative: that I was going to dieprematurely, rather than encouraging a posi-tive: that I am going to live.

For me, maintaining the status quo andcontinuing to do the little things that charac-terize who I am and what I value seemedmore appropriate and more Kenny-like. Notsharing Thanksgiving dinner with relatives withwhom I’ve shared a table going on nearly 40years wouldn’t have helped at all. Not now, orever.

Finding balance – and sanity in the midstof a battle royal – vs a “terminal” diagnosis,stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer, is all it’scracked up to be. A little fun, make that a lotof fun, never hurt anyone, especially those ofus fighting for our lives.

Giving Thanksfor the GoingBusiness Directory

To Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

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better is expected.

-Thomas Fuller


Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.

ONGOINGToy Collection. Through Dec. 10,

Sheehy Infiniti of Chantilly, 4145Auto Park Circle, Chantilly willcollect new and unwrapped toys aspart of the company’s annual SheehyCares Toy Collection to benefit theU.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys forTots Program, which will distributethose toys as Christmas gifts to lessfortunate children in the communityin which the campaign is conducted.

Bull Run Festival of Lights. ThroughJan. 7, Monday-Thursday, 5:30-9:30p.m., $15 per car; Fridays-Sundaysand holidays, 5:30-10 p.m., $20 percar. Bull Run Regional Park, 7700Bull Run Drive, Centreville. Afterenjoying two and a half miles of lightdisplays, stop at the Holiday Village,complete with bonfires, s’mores,holiday merchandise and freeactivities, the Holiday Village is funfor the whole family. Have a phototaken with Santa. Call 703-631-0550or visit www.novaparks.com/events/bull-run-festival-of-lights.

PET ADOPTIONSAdopt a Dog. Fridays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

at PetSmart, 12971 Fair LakesCenter, Fairfax. Visitwww.lostdogrescue.org.

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

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

Adopt a Dog. Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. atPetSmart, 12971 Fair Lakes Center,

Fairfax. Adopt a puppy or dog. Visitwww.lostdogrescue.org.

FRIDAY/DEC. 1Matt Walker in Concert. 4:30-8:30

p.m. p.m. at The Winery at Bull Run,15950 Lee Highway, Centreville. Call703-815-2233 or visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com.

Christmas Tree Lighting. 7 p.m. atChapel Road and Main Street inClifton. Set the holiday season inmotion with the official lighting ofthe town Christmas Tree. Carol, drinkhot chocolate, roast s’mores over thefire, and join in the holiday spirit.Visit clifton-va.com.

SATURDAY/DEC. 2Annual Holiday Train Show. 10

a.m.-5 p.m. at the Fairfax StationRailroad Museum, 11200 FairfaxStation Road, Fairfax Station. Bringbroken locomotives to the “TrainDoctor” to fix or advise on otheroptions. Stop and admire the antiquecars visiting for this event, weatherpermitting. Visit the gift shop forholiday gift items and Santa may stopby to visit. Museum members andages 4 and under, free; 5-15, $2; 16and older, $5. Visit www.fairfax-station.org.

Matt Walker in Concert. 1-5 p.m.p.m. at The Winery at Bull Run,15950 Lee Highway, Centreville. Call703-815-2233 or visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com.

Town of Clifton Holiday HomesTour. 4-7 p.m. at 12644 ChapelRoad, Clifton. Five homes in Townand a bonus home outside of Town,in addition to the caboose and twohistoric churches that will be open tothe public. Free admission.Call 703-517-7703.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 6Senior Exercise Class. 10:45-11:45

a.m. at Sully Senior Center, 14426Albemarle Point Place, Chantilly.Staying Active and Independent forLife (SAIL) is a fitness class forAdults 50 and better. Free. [email protected] orcall 703-322-4475.

FRIDAY/DEC. 8Sugarloaf Crafts Festival. 10 a.m.-6

p.m. at Dulles Expo Center, 4320Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly.$8 online, $10 at the door. Visit

[email protected] Angello in Concert. 4:30-8:30

p.m. p.m. at The Winery at Bull Run,15950 Lee Highway, Centreville. Call703-815-2233 or visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com.

SATURDAY/DEC. 9Sugarloaf Crafts Festival. 10 a.m.-6

p.m. at Dulles Expo Center, 4320Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly.$8 online, $10 at the door. [email protected]

Holidays at Walney Farm. 1-4 p.m.at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, 5040Walney Road, Chantilly. Learn about

the holiday traditions of past eras.Take a tour with a historian, makehistoric ornaments and drink hotcider around the campfire as youlisten to our volunteer bagpiper playholiday tunes. End your day with aholiday wagon ride. $10. Call 703-631-0013.

Ryan Forrester Band in Concert. 1-5 p.m. p.m. at The Winery at BullRun, 15950 Lee Highway,Centreville. Call 703-815-2233 orvisit www.wineryatbullrun.com.

SUNDAY/DEC. 10Sugarloaf Crafts Festival. 10 a.m.-5

p.m. at Dulles Expo Center, 4320Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly.$8 online, $10 at the door. [email protected].

Holiday Ornament Craft Day. 1-4p.m. at the Fairfax Station RailroadMuseum, 11200 Fairfax StationRoad, Fairfax Station. Museummembers and ages 4 and under, free;5-15, $2; 16 and older, $4. Visitwww.fairfax-station.org.

Lexi Jackson in Concert. 1-5 p.m. atThe Winery at Bull Run, 15950 LeeHighway, Centreville. Call 703-815-2233 or visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com.

SUNDAY/DEC. 15Levi Stephens in Concert. 4:30-8:30

p.m. at The Winery at Bull Run,15950 Lee Highway, Centreville. Call703-815-2233 or visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com.

SUNDAY/DEC. 16Ken Fischer in Concert. 1-5 p.m. at

The Winery at Bull Run, 15950 LeeHighway, Centreville. Call 703-815-2233 or visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com.

SUNDAY/DEC. 17Victorian Tea. 1-4 p.m. at the Fairfax

Station Railroad Museum, 11200Fairfax Station Road. Museummembers and under 4, free; ages 5-15, $2; 16 and older, $4. Visitwww.fairfax-station.org.

Brian Franke in Concert. 1-5 p.m. atThe Winery at Bull Run, 15950 LeeHighway, Centreville. Call 703-815-2233 or visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com.

FRIDAY/DEC. 22Phil Selz in Concert. 4:30-8:30 p.m.


SATURDAY/DEC. 23Britton James in Concert. 1-5 p.m.


SUNDAY/DEC. 24David Thong in Concert. 1-5 p.m.


THURSDAY/DEC. 28The Nutcracker. 2 and 7 p.m. at the

Ernst Community Cultural Center,8333 Little River Turnpike,Annandale. The Virginia BalletCompany is presenting its 68thannual production of “TheNutcracker.” This is a full-length,professionally-staged ballet. $30 foradults and $20 for children, seniorsand students at VABallet.org. [email protected] or call 703-249-8227.

Art GaloreThe Sugarloaf Crafts Festival the weekend of Dec. 8-10 atthe Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center,Chantilly, will feature artists of all types. $8 online, $10at the door. Visit [email protected].

Entertainment

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

To highlightyour faith

community,callDonat

703-778-9420

bThe Church of the Ascension

Traditional Anglican Catholic Services1928 Book of Common Prayer, 1940 Hymnal,

and the King James Bible with Apocrypha

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

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

13941 Braddock RoadCentreville VA 20120

in the “Old Stone Church”of Historic Centreville

The Church of the Ascension(703) 830-3176 www.ascension-acc.org

Centreville Baptist Church(703) 830-3333 www.cbcva.org

Centreville UnitedMethodist Church

(703) 830-2684 www.Centreville-UMC.org

raising $80,000 for life with cancer

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