the connection newspapers - clifton day festival turns...

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com October 5-11, 2017

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Senators Meet with Leaders of IndustryNews, Page 3

Challenges Remain For Police ReformOpinion, Page 6

Clifton Day Festival Turns 50

News, 2

Boris Populoh of Clifton — originally from Bad Lippspringe, Germany — pours beer in front of the General

Store on Clifton Day last year. This year’s Clifton Day is on Sunday, Oct. 8.

Inside

Senior Living

2 ❖ Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ October 5-11, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ October 5-11, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsEditor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

Fairfax County’s own nonprofit cablenetwork, Fairfax Public Access (FPA), willpresent a series of Spanish language ver-sions of young people’s movies, based onliterary works, in recognition of HispanicHeritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). Thespecials will air on FPA Channel 36. TheFPA cable network is carried by VerizonFiOS TV and Cox Communicationsthroughout Fairfax County, and byComcast in Reston.

The Spanish language versions of thefilms based on well-loved novels include“El Libro de la Selva” (“The Jungle Book,”

1942), based on the novel by RudyardKipling; “La Pimpernela Escarlata” (“TheScarlet Pimpernel,” 1934), based on thenovel by Baroness Orczy; “La PequeñaPrincesa” (“The Little Princess,” 1939),based on the novel, “A Little Princess,” byFrances Hodgson Burnett; and “Los ViajesDe Gulliver” (“Gulliver’s Travels,” 1939)based on the works of Jonathan Swift.

Fairfax County School Board ProvidenceDistrict Representative Dalia Palchik (whosenative language is Spanish) announced atthe School Board’s Sept. 28 meeting thatthe special movies, based on literary works,

are being presented in celebration of His-panic Heritage Month by the Fairfaxcable network.

“It is our hope that these movies willpique our young people’s interest, moti-vating them to read the original literaryworks upon which the movies are based,”states FPA Executive Director ChuckPeña.

❖ ❖ ❖The complete schedule of the movies over

FPA Channel 36 is available on the Internetat www.fcac.org/spanish.movies.2017

Movie Classics in Spanish Air during Hispanic Heritage Month

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

The governor of Virginia shouldpick one region of the common-wealth to compete for landinga second Amazon headquarters

in Virginia instead of trying to cheerlead forthree different areas simultaneously. Thefederal government should be allowed tonegotiate drug prices through Medicare tobring down the cost of prescriptions. Re-publicans in Congress should try to workwith Democrats on tax reform and infra-structure improvements instead of trying togo it alone if they want a deal that wouldhelp all Americans. These are some of therevelations that U.S. Sen. Mark Warner andU.S. Sen. Tim Kaine dropped on industryleaders this week at a meeting of the North-ern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

“When you heard some of the issues abouttax reform, immigration or how we can pos-sibly get Amazon here as a client in the met-ropolitan area or the state of Virginia,” saidJim Corcoran, president and CEO of theNorthern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.“I truly think everything we heard in therewould resonate with the business commu-nity.”

On the issue of Seattle-based Amazon, theonline retailer that’s transforming thecountry’s economy, Kaine said DemocraticGov. Terry McAuliffe and business leadersshould determine winners and losers. Cur-rently, Northern Virginia is competing withHampton Roads and Richmond to land thedeal. Kaine said that means Virginia mightbe undercutting itself in the long run.

“We’ve got to put our best foot forward,”said Kaine. “That means if a bunch of com-munities in Virginia are competing with oneanother ... I can see that as hurting us.”

On the issue of prescription drug prices,Warner announced a change of position.Instead of supporting Big Pharma in itslongstanding argument that America’s highdrug prices were necessary to fund researchand development, Warner said the Centersfor Medicare and Medicaid Services shouldbe able to negotiate drug prices throughMedicare. By engaging in this kind of ne-gotiation, which already happens at theDepartment of Veterans Affairs, Warner saysdrug prices would drop dramatically in theUnited States.

“I’ve changed on this, and I’ll get somedirty looks from some folks in the room onthis one,” said Warner. “But I think it’s nolonger right or fair for Americans to pay forthe R&D costs for all of the drugs for thewhole world.”

THE DISCUSSION veered from tax cutsand infrastructure investments tocybersecurity threats and gun control. Oneissue that seemed to resonate in the roomof business leaders was the backlog in se-curity clearances. Federal officials are cur-rently facing a backlog of more than700,000 security clearances, which Warnersaid was unacceptable. When asked aboutthe defense authorization, he said gettinga security clearance takes way too long.

“It should not take this long, to have thekind of backlogs on security clearances” saidWarner, eliciting a spontaneous round ofapplause.

“That is only an applause line in one roomin the United States,” added Kaine.

The backlog isn’t just a headache for gov-ernment officials and the contracting com-munity. It branches out into all kinds of in-dustries in Northern Virginia, some of whichmight not be immediately obvious. Businessleaders in the energy industry, for example,are just as concerned about the backlog insecurity clearances as people who work indefense contracting.

“If you don’t have the clearances, youcan’t receive information,” said KellyChapman, lobbyist for Dominion. “If there’s

information out there that could be poten-tially harmful, they can’t receive it if theydon’t have the clearance.”

One area where the senators saw someroom for potential compromise was thecoming discussion on tax reform. Kaine saidhe hoped the president would not seek tomove forward on the issue with reconcilia-tion, a process that would effectively shutthe Democrats out of the picture and allowRepublicans to move forward with a simplemajority vote. Warner said he hoped thepresident would take advantage of the mo-ment to make investments in thecybersecurity industry.

“Mark Warner mentioned having an in-centive for companies investment in thehuman capital of their workers to help themupgrade to higher skill levels and get a taxcredit for doing that the same way they geta tax credit for doing research and devel-opment,” said Whipple. “That’s something,in the heavily human capital developmentbusinesses that we have in Northern Vir-ginia, could really pay off for them.”

CYBERSECURITY ISSUES became a re-curring theme of the discussion, which in-cluded not only the prospect that tax re-

form might offer ways to help people ad-vance themselves professionally. The issueof Russian influence in the 2016 electionloomed over the discussion, in part becauseof Kaine’s role on the ticket. He was the firstVirginian to be on a major-party presiden-tial ticket since 1840, when John Tylerjoined ran with William Henry Harrison.

“I feel like I’ll be a Hollywood Squaresquestion sometime,” said Kaine. “It wassuch as bizarre race.”

And then there was the fake news. Kainesaid his staff alerted him to fake news sto-ries four times during the campaign. Onewas that he and his wife Anne Holton havean open marriage. Another was that he wascaught on tape yelling at his daughter. Yetanother fake news story was the HillaryClinton and Kaine had a secret deal for yearsthat he would be part of the ticket. He saidmost of them caused a laugh and then theywould move on. But then one emerged thatKaine was on tape yelling at his mistress.As it turns out, it was audio of Mel Gibsonleaving a mean-spirited voice mail.

“When I told the story and explained itwasn’t me it was Mel Gibson,” said Kaine,“somebody said, ‘Why was Mel Gibson yell-ing at your mistress?’”

In joint appearance,Warner and Kainetalk business inNorthern Virginia.

Julie Carey of NBC4 moderates a discussion between U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine at theFalls Church Marriott Fairview Park.

Senators Meet with Leaders of Industry


Schools

Going NationalLast week the United States Tennis Association hosted the14U Junior Team Tennis National Championships at theUSTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Fairfax team(4Star Junior Aces) competed in the tournament, finish-ing 16th in the intermediate division. Pictured, back row,from left: Michael Yao (Great Falls, Colvin Run Elemen-tary), Evan Zhu (McLean, Longfellow Middle), Elyse Ladia(Chantilly, Chantilly High), Drew Winters (Arlington,Williamsburg Middle), Lucas Mew (Centreville, RobinsonSecondary), Maia Barrett (Fairfax, St. Leo the Great),Coach Grace Kim. Front row: Chelsea Nguyen (Spring-field, Lake Braddock Secondary), Smriti Balasubramanian(Chantilly, Cub Run Elementary), Mia Kim (Fairfax, FrostMiddle), and Kyra Li (McLean, Longfellow Middle).

Photo contributed


Support. Information. Hope.

Please join us for coffee at our Second Saturday Divorce Workshop and get theinformation and support from professionals: a family law attorney, a financial advisor, a

family therapist, a private investigator, an estate planning attorney and other professionalswho will help guide you through the divorce process. Speakers vary for each workshop.

Registration at the door; however, pre-registrationis recommended as space is limited.

Online Registration: www.secondsaturdaynova.comEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (703) 591-7475

Saturday, October 14, 2017Saturday, November 11, 2017

9:00-9:30 a.m. – Registration9:30-1:OO p.m. – Workshop

Duff Kronfeld & Marquardt P.C.Fair Oaks Commerce Center11320 Random Hills Road/Suite 630Fairfax, VA 22030

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News

In celebration of the 230th anniversary ofthe signing of the U.S. Constitution, theFairfax Resolves Chapter of the Sons of theAmerican Revolution presented a framedcopy of the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rightsto the Lorton Library. Jeff Thomas, Presi-dent of the Fairfax Resolves, made the pre-sentation to Branch Manager Lyn McKinneyin honor of Constitution Week, celebratedeach year from Sept. 17-23. The U.S. Con-

stitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787 dur-ing the Constitutional Convention in Phila-delphia, Pa. Two Virginians played a keyrole in the signing of the constitution.George Washington was the presiding of-ficer at the convention and James Madisonis considered the Father of the Constitution.The Sons of the American Revolution isdedicated to efforts to sustain and preserveour history and constitutional principles.

Fairfax SAR PresentsU.S. Bill of Rights to Lorton Library

Photo contributed

Jeff Thomas, President of the Fairfax Resolves, made the presentation toBranch Manager Lyn McKinney.


Opinion

By Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner

Oct. 8 will be the second anniver-sary of the 2015 release of theAd Hoc Police Practices ReviewCommission Final Report. The

catalyst for the Ad Hoc Commission’s forma-tion by the Fairfax County Board of Supervi-sors was the August 2013 shooting death ofJohn Geer. The commission was charged withassessing the Police Department’s performanceagainst national best practices.

The commission made morethan 200 recommendations fortransforming an excellent Po-lice Department into one thatis “best in class” and for

strengthening the public’s trust and confidencein the department.

I served as commission member and as thechairman of Use of Force Subcommittee. I amalso a member of a loosely configured Imple-mentation Committee, a group of former com-mission members dedicated to helping to seethat our recommendations are effectivelyimplemented.

I commend both the Board of Supervisors(BOS) and Police Department for their progressimplementing the commission’s recommenda-tions. Significant reforms are underway thatwhen fully realized will generate increased ac-countability and public confidence. Major re-forms already in place include:

❖ forming the Office of the Independent Po-lice Auditor to determine the thoroughness,completeness, accuracy, objectivity and impar-tiality of investigations of death or serious in-jury cases.

❖ convening a Civilian Review Panel to re-view civilian complaints regarding “abuse ofauthority” or “serious misconduct” by a policeofficer;

❖ creating “Diversion First,” which offers al-ternatives to incarceration for people withmental illness or developmental disabilities;and

❖ recrafting the Use of Force General Orderto enshrine sanctity of human life as an orga-nizing principle, with de-escalation as the strat-egy of first resort when confronted with athreat rather than the use of deadly force.

WHILE MUCH HAS BEEN accomplished,more is work is needed. For example, the com-mission advocated in strong terms for infor-mation-sharing reform to promote timeliness,completeness and transparency. In this regard,a revised Police Department CommunicationPolicy is still in process.

The commissionalso called for all of-ficers to be outfittedwith body worn cam-eras, contingent onthe enactment oflaws, policies andprocedures that pro-tect individual pri-vacy. These camerasare to complementthe dashboard cam-

eras now mounted in each Fairfax patrol ve-hicle.

While a potential aid to criminal prosecu-tion, the body-worn camera’s equally impor-tant contribution is to foster greater transpar-ency and the accountability of all parties dur-ing the interactions of the police with the pub-lic. As the American Civil Liberties Union notedin an October 2014 report, body-worn cam-eras “[have] the potential to be a win-win,helping protect the public against police mis-conduct, and at the same time helping protectpolice against false accusations of abuse.”

While the county leadership has committedto deploying this technology, its approach hasbeen appropriately methodical. Key consider-ations are operational, privacy, data securityand cost. For example, the supervisors haveapproved a pilot project that will deploy cam-eras in two of the county’s nine magisterialdistricts and the department is currently evalu-ating proposals from prospective suppliers.

THIS PILOT PROJECT needs to generateanswers to following questions, among others:the county needs to establish when cameraswill be running and how will the public knowthe cameras are on? When can biometric tech-nology – such as facial recognition – be used?How will the video footage be secured fromhackers? Who will have access to the data andunder what procedures?

How will the massive amount of video databe stored and for how long? As the countyunderstands and appreciates, the cost of de-ploying body-worn cameras is not in the cam-eras themselves, but the storage of the mas-sive amount of data that is generated. As re-ported by the Center for Digital Governmentand Government Technology magazine, “Whenit comes to [body-worn cameras], data stor-age is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Video… is a data hog.”

This reality generates cost-driven data-reten-tion policy considerations. How long shouldnon-evidentiary video be maintained? Somepolice departments say it should be 60-90 days,

others say less or more. With regard to evi-dentiary data used in criminal prosecutions,the Virginia Commonwealth requires that evi-dence be stored for 99 years.

Finally, who controls access to the data? Thisquestion is becoming an increasingly signifi-cant issue nationally. Protecting evidencechain-of-custody for purposes of criminal pros-ecution is a necessary but not sufficient role towarrant the cost and the data protection risksinherent in the deployment of body-worn cam-eras. The real return-on-investment is the po-tential for influencing the behavior, throughgreater transparency and accountability, of allparties in a law-enforcement engagement.

The drive to use this technology is inexo-rable. A recent CATO Institute/YouGov pollfound that 92 percent of the public supportsthe use of body-worn cameras. Implicit in thislevel of support are high public expectationsthat this technology will make a difference inlaw enforcement practices. Heightened expec-tations alone should give our policymakerspause, particularly when we know that no tech-nology deployment is free of all mistakes anderrors. The only thing worse in today’s con-text than not collecting the data during a con-troversial use-of-force incident, is for the pub-lic to learn that video data under the PoliceDepartment’s control is missing.

We should therefore challenge the assump-tion that video-camera data must be main-tained under the sole access control of the Po-lice Department. Options that should be givenexplicit consideration by the Board of Super-visors, Police Department andCommonwealth’s Attorney include assigningvideo data access control to the IndependentPolice Auditor or alternatively assigning thisrole to a board composed of the Police Chief,Independent Auditor and Commonwealth’sAttorney.

On this second anniversary of the Ad HocPolicy Review Commission Report, the countyand Police Department have many accomplish-ments to be proud of with regard to implement-ing the commission’s recommendations.

Quality-driven change is hard; some changesare especially difficult. Body-worn camera de-ployment is one that requires careful study anddiligent attention to complex legal and opera-tional details. I commend the county for tak-ing the appropriate measured response tomeeting this recommendation and, especiallywith regard the matter of access to video data,challenge the conventional wisdom that accesscontrol to such data must be under the solepurview of the Police Department.

Phillip A. Niedzielski-Eichner is a member of theFairfax County Planning Commission, served on the AdHoc Police Practices Review Commission and a formermember of the Fairfax County School Board.

Challenges Remain for Police ReformIncluding communications and body cameras.

Guest

Editorial

On Friday, Sept. 22, theLeague of WomenVoters of Virginia

(LWVVA) held Workshops inFredericksburg, Va. attended bynew and long-time membersfrom among the 14 local

leagues in the state. The Work-shops’ objective was to help thesemembers discover ways to engagewith the League and to enhanceLeague impacts in communities.

Among the subjects coveredwere voter engagement through

VOTE411.org and election-relatedactivities, the LWV-VA’s engage-ment with state legislators throughthe weekly Women’s LegislativeRound Tables during the VirginiaGeneral Assembly, and engagingwith local governing bodies

through Observer Corps.LWV-VA, a non-partisan politi-

cal organization, encouragesparticipation in governmentand works to increase under-standing of major public policyissues. Visit www.lwv-va.org.

The League of Women Voters of Virginia Holds Workshops

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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SeniorLivingSeniorLivingSeniorLivingOCTOBER 2017OCTOBER 2017

By John Byrd

Julia grew up in the Fort Hunt sec-tion of Alexandria in a close-knitfamily. She started dating a

neighbor’s son, Jack MacInnis, while stillin high school and, in time, the two friendsmarried. In the late 1990s Julia’s father, Don

Sun Design Remodeling’s in-law additioncomplements existing architecture.

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Household Re-Forms, and Looks Forward

Clark, died leaving her mother, Lita Clark,alone in the family home. A survivor of theJapanese occupation of the Philippines,Clark (as always) remained upbeat, inde-pendent; a loving mother and friend.

Fast forward a few years and Jack andJulia MacInnis own a house not far fromClark with whom they are in daily contact.

Then, in 2010 — with two sons growingquickly — the couple purchased a four-bed-room contemporary on a 1.5 acre lot inFairfax. It’s only a half hour drive fromClark, but the timing for a larger house wasjust right.

In the intervening years, Clark (who turns84 this month) would visit the MacInnisresidence regularly, often staying over oneor two nights a week.

At this stage, the three of them beganactively planning ways to augment thehousehold by building an in-law suite on

some part of the existing property. Eventu-ally, attention focused on a side elevationof the existing house which offered viewsof surrounding wooded acreage.

THE LOT ITSELF presented challenges.The grade sloped radically on the northeastside where the lower-level (the intendedsite for the new in-law addition) exited froma pair of sliding glass doors to a small deck.Because of the slope, there were potential

See Looking Forward, Page 8


water run-off problems; also,Fairfax County’s building code re-quired that any new constructionhad to allow for a full 25 feet of“set-back” from the rear of theproperty.

“We knew an addition of thissize on this grade was going torequire careful engineering,” saidCraig Durosko, whose firm SunDesign Remodeling found both thedesign and structural solutionsthat would make the project fea-sible. “Still, it’s helpful when thehomeowners are proactive in thedecision-making process at everyjuncture.”

Added Julia MacInnis: “We werelooking for a plan that would pro-vide privacy and independence forMom, yet also fully incorporateher into the household. We’vefunctioned as a family for our en-tire lives. Mom helped to raise theboys, and she was raised in amulti-generational culture. Wesaw this change as a way of creat-ing an expanded environment thatwould work for everyone far intothe foreseeable future.”

Clark’s new suite would be a580-square-foot annex con-structed outside the existing housedirectly parallel to the lower level.A sliding glass door that accessesthe outside would be convertedinto an interior pocket door thatopens into a downstairs recreationroom.

The space plan would consist ofa 17-foot-by-17-foot master bed-room surrounded by windows onthree sides, a master bath with awalk-in shower and heated floors,and a sitting room/kitchenetteequipped with a small refrigera-tor, a sink and a microwave.

The sitting area includes a bis-tro table for four with a view of

the surrounding woodland. Theentire household, nonetheless,share meals and kitchen dutiestogether every day. By the same to-ken, Julia and Jack MacInnis andsons (Jackson and Harry) are freeto drop-in on Clark just about anytime.

“It’s a very comfortable, harmo-nious arrangement,” Clark said.“Very much what we hoped for.”

That said, engineering the suite’sdurable footprint was somethingof a feat.

“Because of the site’s grading,we ended up designing a slabfoundation with both stem wallsand integral footings,” said JohnBenedetto, the addition’s lead de-signer. “To assure structural integ-rity, there were two concretepours: one to form the stem wallson the new addition’s left side; asecond to form the slab with inte-gral footings on which the addi-tion is built.”

Footings are placed 30-inchesbelow grade; the slab itself is ap-proximately one foot above grade.The goal: assure that the weightof the new structure is adequatelysupported — soil compaction be-ing a key part of the equation.

FOR ALL THE DEFT engineer-ing, it’s the suite’s interior thatproves memorable. The three pri-mary living areas were designedspecifically to profile heirlooms,furnishings and other personalitems that Clark brought from theFort Hunt residence.

“There were two twin beds thathad been in the family for years,”Julia MacInnis said. “A chest ofdrawers, an old vanity. Sun Designused these pieces as focal pointsfor shaping the bedroom and sit-ting room. And it’s not just that ev-erything fits well … but also thatthe floor plan is well-rationalized.

Looking Forward,

Senior Living

From Page 7

Grab bars and a comfort-height elongated toilet areamong aging-in-place considerations in the master bath-room. Shower walls and flooring are finished in porcelaintiling.


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The twin beds, for instance, fit perfectly under highwindows that assure privacy, yet allow a lot of natu-ral light. Overall, the entire suite is spacious, andquite comfortable.”

On that note, the new addition has been fitted witha mini-split HVAC unit that allows Clark to adjustthe suite’s temperature to her requirements. Mean-while, the bathroom has a heated floor with its ownthermostat.

The addition’s exterior elevations are blended with

the existing house. Vinyl siding, fascia and soffits,gutters, and downspouts are all matched. Low-E Ar-gon glass vinyl windows allow for abundant naturallight and views while keeping temperatures wherethe thermostat requires.

In all, a comfortable accommodation … within athriving household.

Senior Living

BEFORE: A sliding glass door exiting froma lower-level rec room was identified as apotential link between the existing houseand new in-law suite. The exterior egresswas converted into an interior pocketdoor that enters Lita Clark’s sitting room.

At 580 square feet, the new suite isseamlessly married to the original house.Lead designer John Benedetto’s “massing”of the new construction preserves propor-tionality and scale. Siding, fascia, soffits,gutters and downspouts are all matched.

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Staying Put

Sun Design Remodeling frequently sponsors tours of recentlyremodeled homes as well as workshops on home remodelingtopics. Headquartered in Burke, the firm has a second office inMcLean. For more information, call 703-425-5588 or visitwww.SunDesignInc.com.

John Byrd ([email protected]) has been writing abouthome improvement for 30 years.


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Your “Nicely Done” Kitchen or Bath is Right Around the Corner!A “One-Stop Shop” That Goes Above and Beyond Your Imagination

Kings’s Park Shopping Center8934 Burke Lake Road, Springfield VA 22151703-764-3748 www.nicelydonekitchens.com

Find us on Houzz,Facebook, & Angie’s List!

See Calendar, Page 15

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

ONGOINGArtist Marilyn Harrington’s “Dyeing

to Change,” exhibit, is on display atthe Workhouse Art Center, 9518Workhouse Road, Lorton throughOct. 8. Call 703-584-2900.

Lake Accotink Park CarouselClosed, Mini-golf and MarinaOpen. The carousel at Lake AccotinkPark has been closed for theremainder of the 2017 operatingseason for needed repair work. Themini-golf and marina will continueoperating as normally scheduledthrough Oct. 16. Call 703-324-8745.

Photo Exhibition. Through Oct. 28,Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. atThe Civil War Interpretive Center atHistoric Blenheim, 3610 Old LeeHighway, Fairfax. “Binding Wounds,Pushing Boundaries: African-Americans in Civil War Medicine”looks at the men and women whoserved as surgeons and nurses duringthe Civil War and how their servicechallenged the prescribed notions ofrace and gender.Free. Call 703-591-0560.

THROUGH OCTOBERFall Festival and Pumpkin

Playground. Various times at BurkeNursery & Garden Centre, 9401Burke Road, Burke. Weekdays is $10per person and the weekend price is$14 per person. Call 703- 323-1188.

FRIDAY/OCT. 6Campfire Fridays. 7:30-9 p.m. at

Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Explorethe park, have s’mores. Call 703-451-9588 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/hidden-pond/.

SATURDAY/OCT. 7She Rocks the World. 9 a.m.–3:30

p.m. at George Mason University,4400 University Drive, Fairfax. 2017Virginia Girls’ Summit, teenage girlforum. Visitwww.sherockstheworld.org/.

Walking Tour of Old Town Fairfax.10-11:30 a.m. at Historic FairfaxCourthouse, 4000 Chain BridgeRoad, Fairfax. Tour includes includea short tour of the Ratcliffe-AllisonHouse, 10386 Main St. $10/adults;$5/youth, ages 6-12, children 6 andunder are free. Family rate (three ormore) $25. For reservations, callFairfax Museum and Visitor Center at703-385-8414.

Country-Western Dance. 6:30-10p.m. at Accotink UnitarianUniversalist Church, 10125Lakehaven Court, Burke. A NorthernVirginia Country-Western DanceAssociation dance. Admission forNVCWDA members $10; non-members $12; children under 18accompanied by a paying adult $5.Visit www.nvcwda.org or call 703-860-4941.

OCT. 7-8Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the

Whitehall Farm, 6080 ColchesterRoad, Fairfax. Featuring a large cornmaze in the shape of a chicken,pumpkin patch, farm animals,inflatable bounce houses, hay ride,and nature trail. $12, active dutymilitary and their families receive $2off per ticket. Visitwww.whitehall.farm.

MONDAY/OCT. 9Funday Monday. 10:30 a.m. at Old

Town Hall, 3999 University Drive,

Calendar


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Burke, Springfield,Fairfax, LortonFairfax Station

For a free digi-tal subscriptionto one or allof the 15ConnectionNewspapers,go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Be the first toknow – get yourpaper before ithits the press.

Complete digitalreplica of theprint edition,including photosand ads, deliv-ered weeklyto your e-mailbox.

Questions?E-mail:[email protected]

The Clifton Day Festival, turns50 years old this year. The family-friendly celebration will take placeon Sunday, Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. in the town of Clifton.

Under the theme “A Slice ofHeaven Since ’67,” the 2017 festi-val will feature a marketplace withapproximately 150 antique dealers,artists, bakers and other vendors.Festival goers can watch artisans atwork and learn about bread mak-ing, basket weaving and other tra-ditional crafts. Live music, danceperformances, pony rides,children’s activities and plenty of

History, Residents to HighlightClifton Day on Sunday, Oct. 8

File photos by Tim Peterson

Guests of Clifton Day 2016 enjoy live music outsideClifton’s Town Hall building.

Boris Populoh of Clifton pours beer in front of the Gen-eral Store on Clifton Day. Populoh is originally from BadLippspringe, Germany.

Clifton Day

food and beverage will be featured.Clifton Day is the only day of the

year when the train stops in thetown. The Virginia Railway Ex-press (VRE) will provide round-triptrain service to Clifton from allstops between Manassas and Roll-ing Road. The train ride to Cliftonis free and the return trip costs $5per person (children under age tworide free).

Admission is free. Parking startsat $5 per car. For more informa-tion about Clifton Day, visitwww.cliftonday.com or thefestival’s Facebook page.


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Announcements Announcements

Announcements Announcements

News

By David Siegel

The Connection

Celebrate the joy ofbooks in their manygenre at NorthernVirginia’s flagship

book festival, the “Fall for theBook.” Returning for its 19th year,the Festival aims to connect read-ers of both print and digitalbooks, with about 150 authors,poets, historians, graphic novel-ists expected at this year’s event.

With a format of interactive workshops, readings,award celebrations and special hands-on activities,“Fall for the Book” wants to encourage culturalgrowth and knowledge through active reading. Thisyear’s book festival is expected to attract 20,000 at-tendees. Events are free.

“There will be abundant opportunities for booksignings,” said Festival Manager Suzy Rigdon-Will-iams. This year’s event will even include food trucks.The festival will partner with the City of Fairfax’s“Fall Festival” as well.

National headliner authors include Colson White-head, author of “The Underground Railroad,” win-ner of a 2016 National Book Award. Lev Grossman(“Magicians” trilogy), poet Ellen Bryant Voig (“Head-waters”), writer David Shields (“Other People”), nov-elist Karan Mahajan (“The Association of SmallBombs),” poet Tarfia Faizullah (“Seam”) and MohsinHamid (“Exit West”) will participate as will JennineCapo Crucet (“Make Your Home Among Strangers”)about a young woman bridging two cultures.

Local Northern Virginia authors will be well rep-resented at the book fest.

L.M. Elliott (Northern Virginia) author of YoungAdult historical fiction such as “Suspect Red” will beat the festival. “Young readers are sophisticated. Fromreading historical fiction they can learn about thepast and how the past is relevant to their own lives

on issues that matter to them, such as injustice andxenophobia.”

Zach Powers (Fairfax) author of a short storiescollection, “Gravity Changes,” will be participating.“The Festival has a national reputation. Having it inour backyard is a huge benefit. As an author, it letsme connect with readers and writers. I always findinspiration in meeting other writers and readers.”

Jason Rodriguez (Arlington) who creates graphicnovels about the underrepresented in America willhave several sessions at the book festival. “I focus onusing graphic novels to talk about social justice andhistorical challenge,” said Rodriguez. “I want to in-spire and provide youth with tools to tell their ownstories. Right now I am focusing on Hispanic Ameri-can issues.”

“Fall for the Book” is a home-grown Northern Vir-ginia event offering attendees of all ages and interestsopportunities to meet writers; already admired or newlydiscovered in the company of other book lovers.

‘Fall for the Book’ Festival Returns

Courtesy of the artist

Jason RodriquezCourtesy of the artist

L. M. ElliottCourtesy of the artist

Zach Powers

Where & When“Fall for the Book” at George Mason University,

4400 University Drive, Fairfax, and locations aroundNorthern Virginia. Events are Oct. 11-14, 2017.Events are free; tickets not required. For details andfull schedule call 703-993-3986 or visitwww.fallforthebook.org. There is also a digital “Fallfor the Book” app available atwww.fallforthebook.org.

Advocating for Solar PanelInstallation on Public SchoolsOn Thursday, Sept. 28, more than 40 Fairfax County residents attended the FairfaxCounty School Board meeting in support of students delivering presentations and1,545 petition signatures, urging solar panel installations on public schools.


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Twice recently, in print, I have been askedthe same question. Once on an evaluation of aprevious doctor appointment, and within thelast week, on a pre-registration form for an oralsurgeon.

The question: “How is your health?” “Exce-llent.” “Good.” Fair.” “Poor.” The two times Isaw this question, I snickered. I mean, I havecancer: Stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer infact, the terminal kind.

And even though I’ve lived way beyond myoriginal “13 month to two-year” prognosis,(eight and a half years and counting, alwayscounting), I’m still undergoing treatment. I seemy oncologist every three months. I’m not inremission. My tumors, so far as I’ve been told,are not necrotic (dead). I’m still scheduling CTScans, brain MRIs and PET Scans quarterly,semi-annually and yearly, respectively. Andwhile amazingly thrilled to be still alive, my fateturns on the results of any one of these diagnos-tic scans so I wonder aloud: how is my health?

In the two most recent opportunities (I’vehad others) to answer this question, I haveerred on the side of reality (my reality) andanswered “Poor.” Whether I’m up and about ordown and out, cancer is sort of the definition of‘poor,’ isn’t it? Let’s be honest: who wants toreceive a diagnosis of cancer, regardless oftype and/or stage. Moreover, it’s hardly the giftthat keeps on giving. Quite the opposite. It’slike the houseguest who never leaves. It’salways there and the more it’s around, theworse it’s likely to get.

As much as one tries, a cancer diagnosis ishard to forget. Whether you’re still undergoingtreatment as I am, or have been told you’recancer-free/in remission/N.E.D. (no evidence ofdisease), the prospect of a life unaltered by theexperience is unrealistic, especially so whenquestions are asked pertaining to your health.It’s not as if you become stigmatized by yourcancer diagnosis and/or medical history, butyou do become a lifetime member of a clubyou’d rather not have joined (the more seriousand exact opposite of a feeling expressed byGroucho Marx when he so famously joked thathe wouldn’t want to belong to a club thatwould have him as a member). If only it werethat simple – and funny.

A straight forward question about one’shealth which requires a thoughtful and honestanswer. Yet, an answer which somehow must,in my opinion, educate the asker. I’m not a nor-mal respondent (no comments from the peanutgallery). I’m a cancer patient/survivor.Presumably, my immune system is somewhatcompromised. What’s good for the goose isprobably not good for this gander. My lifeexpectancy is all fouled up. Cancer is likely incontrol.

As much as I want to delude myself other-wise, the writing, if not necessarily on the walls,is certainly in multiple books and journals. Andnot that there aren’t exceptions to every rule(my survival is proof of that), generally speak-ing, a cancer diagnosis “spells trouble with acapital ‘T,’” if I may invoke the late actor,Robert Preston, from his career-defining role asHarold Hill in the 1962 movie, “The MusicMan.” Still, life is going on, and not too badly, Imay add. But on any given day ... .

I suppose the solution then is an asterisk.But how does one add an asterisk to a stan-dardized form. And given the evolving nature ofour almost-entirely inhumane (non-human)electronic contact, where does one go/whatdoes one say, to separate and be heard. I wantto be treated equally, but as a cancer patient,I’m not. I’m different. If there’s a box for that,I’ll gladly check it. I want the best outcome,naturally. But not giving me the opportunity toproperly define myself/my circumstances does-n’t help either one of us. And does even less forthe next respondent.

A QuestionWhich BegsWhat Answer

Business DirectoryTo Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422

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Fairfax. Music, movement, storytelling,performances, and crafts. Free. Call 703-385-7858 or visit www.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts.

TUESDAY/OCT. 10Story Time. 10:30 a.m. at Old Town Hall, 3999

University Drive, Fairfax. Story Times at OldTown Square for children every Tuesdaymorning. Call 703-385-7858 or visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts.

WEDNESDAY/OCT. 11UCM Ocktoberfest Benefit Night. 5-8 p.m. at

Forge Brew Works, 8532 Terminal Road, Lorton.A percentage of the evening’s sales will bedonated to UCM to help families in need. Flights$10, free snacks, food truck will be on site. Bringcanned food or other items to help stock theUCM Food Pantry. Visit www.ucmagency.org.

SATURDAY/OCT. 14Special Treasures and Used Book Sale. 9

a.m.-2 p.m. at the Church of the Good Shepherd,9350 Braddock Road, Burke. Houseware,furniture, sports equipment, toys, decor, smallelectronics, collectibles. Call 703-323-5400.

Fairfax Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. at OldTown Fairfax, Route 123 and Route 236,Fairfax. Over 400 arts, crafts, information, foodvendors, children’s activities and three stages ofmusic and entertainment for all ages. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov.

Fire Prevention Week. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., allFairfax County Fire and Rescue Stations will behosting an Open House, stop by the local stationthat day to meet the firefighters, see the firetrucks, join in the activities and learn about firesafety. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov.

❖ Station 19 Fire Station Tour — Lorton, 7701Armstead Road.

Anniversary Open House. 1-6 p.m. at FairfaxStation Railroad Museum, 11200 Fairfax StationRoad. Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of theFairfax Station Railroad Museum opening at itspresent location. Museum members and age 4and under, free; ages 5-15, $2; 16 and older,$4.$5 for Special Events. Visit www.fairfax-station.org, www.facebook.com/FFXSRR or call703-425-9225.

Benefit Musical. 6:30 p.m. at the The HistoricSydenstricker Schoolhouse, 8511 Hooes Road,Springfield. Friends of SydenstrickerSchoolhouse will hold a fundraising event at theSchoolhouse featuring a special musicalperformance by the Rossi Family and aperformance of Will Rogers’ USA, a one-manshow performed by Rob Cork. Visitwww.sydenstrickerschoolhouse.org.

OCT. 14-15Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Whitehall

Farm, 6080 Colchester Road, Fairfax. Featuringa large corn maze in the shape of a chicken,pumpkin patch, farm animals, inflatable bouncehouses, hay ride, and nature trail. $12, activeduty military and their families receive $2 offper ticket. Visit whitehall.farm.

SUNDAY/OCT. 15Rose Display. 2-4 p.m. at Merrifield Garden

Center- Fair Oaks, 12101 Lee Highway, Fairfax.Arlington Rose Foundation hosts seminar onnew and interesting roses for next year’s garden.Free. Call 703-371-9351 or [email protected].

Calendar

Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

SATURDAY/OCT. 7Metro – Fund It/Fix It. 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association,4301 Wilson Blvd. The League of Women Votersof the National Capital Area (LWVNCA) and theCoalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) will hold afree forum for the public to learn about fundingand fixing our Washington D.C. area Metrosystem. Event is free. Lunch will be available forpurchase ($10), but a request for lunch must bemade at the time of registration. Register atwww.eventbrite.com and search “Metro fund it.”

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