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Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 29 - April 4, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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March 29 - April 4, 2017

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ViennaViennaand Oaktonand Oakton

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Seven women from around Fairfax County were recognized March 22as “Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business” by the Fairfax CountyCommission for Women. From left are Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-

Hunter Mill), Siobhan Green, Ashley W. Chen, Constance “Connie”Cordovilla, Staci L. Redmon, Lovey Hammel, Patricia “Pat” Saah

Bayliss, Board Chairman Sharon Bulova and Sondra Seba Hemenway.

Seven women from around Fairfax County were recognized March 22as “Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business” by the Fairfax CountyCommission for Women. From left are Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-

Hunter Mill), Siobhan Green, Ashley W. Chen, Constance “Connie”Cordovilla, Staci L. Redmon, Lovey Hammel, Patricia “Pat” Saah

Bayliss, Board Chairman Sharon Bulova and Sondra Seba Hemenway.

Madison High SchoolStudents RecognizedAt State DECA CompetitionNews, Page 3

Wise, Comic MemoryOf Family LifeEntertainment, Page 13

Madison High SchoolStudents RecognizedAt State DECA CompetitionNews, Page 3

Wise, Comic MemoryOf Family LifeEntertainment, Page 13

Excelling inBusiness and Labor

News, Page 4

Excelling inBusiness and Labor

News, Page 4

Family

Connection

Family

Connection

2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ March 29 - April 4, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

FREE SEMINARSFairfax County is offering the following Free

Seminars for Family Caregivers of OlderAdults. Register for all seminars atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults or call 703-324-5205, TTY 711.

❖ Five Questions to Consider About Payingfor Long-Term Care — WEBINAR.Wednesday, April 5 — Noon-1 p.m. Yourcomputer or telephone. You will receive anemail with access instructions.

❖ Medicare 101 - Wednesday, April 12 — 2-3:30p.m. Reston Community Center – HuntersWoods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston.

❖ Strategies for Difficult Conversations -Monday, April 17, 2017 — 7-8:30 p.m. City ofFairfax Regional Library, 10360 North St.

❖ Caregiver Boot Camp – Dementia 101.Saturday, April 29, 2017 — 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.Insight Memory Care Center, 3953 Pender Drive,Suite 100, Fairfax

Fairfax County’s free Family CaregiverTelephone Support Group meets by phoneon Tuesday, April 11, 7-8 p.m. The group willdiscuss using the internet to help yourcaregiving journey. Register beforehand atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults and clickon Telephone Caregiver Support Group. Call703-324-5484, TTY 711.

Fairfax County is offering a free Chronic DiseaseSelf-Management program on Wednesdays,April 19-May 24 from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. atBethlehem Baptist Church, 7836 Fordson Rd.,Alexandria. Learn and share positive strategiesto better manage overall health. Register

beforehand at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults or 703-324-5489, TTY 711, oremail [email protected].

The Fairfax Commission on Aging meets onWednesday, April 19 at 1 p.m. at the McLeanGovernmental Center - Community Room, 1437Balls Hill Rd., McLean. The public is welcome toattend and join in the comment period thatbegins each session. Find out more atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/coa.htm. Call 703-324-5403, TTY 711 formeeting access needs.

ElderLink Support Group for Caregiversmeets on Wednesday, April 5, at 10 a.m. CalvaryHill Baptist Church, 9301 Little River Tnpk.,Fairfax. For more information, call 703-324-5489, TTY 711 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/elderlink.htm.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESThe Chronic Disease Self-Management

Program needs volunteer leaders to facilitateworkshops. Call 703-324-5374, TTY 711, or goto www.FairfaxCounty.gov/dfs/OlderAdultServices/chronic-disease.htm.

Fairfax County needs volunteers to drive olderadults to medical appointments andwellness programs. Call 703-324-5406, TTY711 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadultsand click on Volunteer Solutions

Meals on Wheels needs Drivers and Coordinatorsfor routes throughout the county. Call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and click onVolunteer Solutions

Community

Send to [email protected] is Friday at noon.

FRIDAY/APRIL 14Good Friday Services. Noon-3 p.m. at Oakton

United Methodist Church, 2951 Chain BridgeRoad, Oakton. The service will be the Seven LastWords of Christ featuring six half hour services

with six local clergy. Visit oaktonumc.org/ orcall 703-938-1234 for more.

First Baptist Church of Vienna located at 450Orchard Street, NW Vienna. Sunday services areheld at 7:45 and 10 a.m. weekly. WednesdayNight with the Family service is held at 6 p.m.followed by corporate singing at 7 p.m. Biblestudies take place Tuesday’s at noon.

Faith Notes


NewsVienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

More than 30 students from JamesMadison High School participated inthe Virginia State DECA competitionin Virginia Beach this past weekend.

Participating in both individual and group competi-tions, several of Madison High students “made it tothe stage” and were recognized for their leadershipand innovation. CeCe Xue, a junior, was elected asthe VA DECA Region 2 Vice President. The facultyadvisor of this chapter, Jen Gardner, was recognizedfor her outstanding leadership as an advisor.

Competition recognitions include:❖ Erika Atwood, received a $1,000 scholarship;❖ Rachel Jackson, high test score and role play

for Food Marketing Series. She was selected as a StateFinalist.

❖ Lauren Chadwick, high test scores and roleplay for Apparel and Accessories Series. She was se-lected as a State Finalist.

❖ Fatima Jerez, top score in role play in Mar-keting Communication Series. She was selected as aState Finalist.

❖ Harry Crafts, top score in role play in Busi-ness Service Series.

❖ Carla Azola, top scores in her test and presen-tation for Hospitality and Tourism Professional Sell-ing. She was selected as a State Finalist.

❖ Helen Roades, top test score in Principles ofHospitality and Tourism.

❖ Sami Pabley and Sam Hasley, top role playand test scores in Business Law and Ethics TeamDecision Making. They earned 2nd place.

❖ Anna Kelly and CeCe Xue, top role play andtest scores in Hospitality and Tourism Team Deci-sion Making. They earned third place.

❖ Will Gatchel, top test score in Sports and En-tertainment Team Decision Making

❖ Jamal El-Hindi and Justin Shayne, top roleplay and test scores in Sports and EntertainmentTeam Decision Making. They earned first place.

❖ Erika Atwood and Anna Bonaquist, top role

play and test scores in Financial Services Team Deci-sion Making. They earned first place.

❖ Sky Zoom, earned first place in Business Fi-nance Series.

❖ Stephanie Sternberg, selected as State Fi-nalist in Fashion Merchandising and Promotion Plan.

❖ Nehal Jain, Allison Janowski and EllieSocher, earned 3rd place in Community ServiceProject.

❖ Jack Goewey and Will Gatchel, state final-ists in Sports and Entertainment Team Decision Mak-ing.

❖ Paige Bateman, State finalist in Selling.❖ Vicka Heidt, state finalist in Job Interview.

Students left school at 7 a.m. to drive to Virginia Beach.

CeCe Xue, a Madison student, was elected to serve onthe DECA leadership team for the state of Virginia.

Jamal El-Hindi and Justin Shayne awarded for theirinnovation in Sports and Entertainment Decision TeamMaking.

Anna Bonaquist and Erika Atwood will becompeting at Nationals in Financial Ser-vices Decision Team Making.

Madison Students Recognized At State DECA Competition

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News

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

Constance “Connie” Cordovilla re-members signing up for collegecourses in the mid-’60s and being

interested in taking electrical engineering.“Nice girls go into English,” her counselortold her. “What makes you think I’m a nicegirl?” she said she responded.

Cordovilla is associate director, HumanRights and Community Relations, AmericanFederation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO. Shewas recognized as one of seven “TrailblazingWomen in Labor and Business” for 2017 bythe Fairfax County Commission for Women.

The recognition ceremony was resched-uled due to snow and held Wednesday,March 22 at the county government center.

Sondra Seba Hemenway, women’s com-mission vice chair and at-large commis-sioner, said the evening was about recog-nizing how women had made significantcontributions in labor and business, and hadan impact on history and the lives of oth-ers.

“Women have always worked, and notalways been paid the same, or at all,” SebaHemenway said. “This year we’ve identifiedseven truly remarkable women” to recog-nize.

This year was the first for which the com-mission accepted nominations for honorees.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisorschairman Sharon Bulova said her path forbeing elected and serving as both a super-visor and chairman — as a woman — wasmade easier by “strong women who came

before me.” Previous chairs Jean Packard,Audrey Moore and Kate Hanley helped resi-dents to be more comfortable with womenrepresenting them in local government.

“But there’s still work to do,” Bulova said.Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter

Mill) added they need to “work to makecertain, continue to see that everyone hasthe opportunity to excel.”

“This year, women’s rights and issues arefront and center,” said honoree Patricia “Pat”Saah Bayliss, former executive director, of-fice manager and secretary, American Fed-eration of State, County and MunicipalEmployees (AFSCME). “These are somethings we need to be more aware of.”

Bulova and Hudgins helped present aBoard of Supervisors proclamation namingMarch 2017 Virginia Women’s HistoryMonth.

In addition to Cordovilla and SaahBayliss, the other award honorees include:

❖ Dolores Trevino-Gerber, First Vice Presi-dent, NOVA Labor Federation; Secretary,Tenants-Workers United

❖ Staci L. Redmon, president, CEO andowner, Strategy and Management Services,Inc.

❖ Ashley W. Chen, president and CEO,ActioNet

❖ Siobhan Green, co-owner, CEO, LeadTechnology and Open Data Strategist,Sonjara, Inc.

❖ Lovey Hammel, president, EmploymentEnterprises, Inc.

More information about the CommissionFor Women’s 2017 honorees is availableonline at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cfw.

Women Excelling inBusiness and Labor

Seven women from around Fairfax County were recognized March 22as “Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business” by the Fairfax CountyCommission for Women. From left are Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill), Siobhan Green, Ashley W. Chen, Connie ConstanceCordovilla, Staci L. Redmon, Lovey Hammel, Patricia “Pat” SaahBayliss, Board Chairman Sharon Bulova and Sondra Seba Hemenway.

Commission for Women honors trailblazers.

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News

Comstock, Herrity at Teen Job Fair at Oakton HighU.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-10) and Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Spring-field) encourage students at the Teen Job Fair at Oakton High School onSaturday, March 18.

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On Wednesday, March 22 at 5:27a.m., units responded to a re-ported house fire in the 9800

block of Bridleridge Court in the Viennasection of Fairfax County.

Units arrived on the scene of a largetwo-story single family home with sig-nificant fire showing from a one-story sunroom above the garage. In addition,crews reported that the fire had alreadyextended into the first and second floorsand attic of the main house. Crewsworked aggressively on the interior andexterior of the home to contain, and limit,the fire to the areas that they encoun-tered upon arrival.

There were two occupants at homewhen the fire was discovered. One of theoccupants discovered the fire after hear-ing something fall down in the sunroom.The occupant saw smoke coming fromunderneath the sunroom door. A neigh-bor initially called 911 and reportedsmoke coming from the house. The oc-cupants of the home called 911 shortlythereafter to report their house was onfire and that everyone was safely out ofthe home.

There was one smoke alarm located inthe hallway of the home. The smokealarm did not alert the occupants to thefire because it had been disabled.

Fire Investigators determined that thefire originated in the sunroom. The firewas accidental in nature and was causedby an unattended space heater that ig-

nited ordinary combustibles.A total of two occupants were dis-

placed due to the fire. Red Cross assis-tance was offered and accepted. The twoadult occupants were transported to anarea hospital with non-life threateninginjuries.

One firefighter was also transported toan area hospital for evaluation.

Damages are estimated to be approxi-mately $176,250, according to FairfaxCounty Fire & Rescue Department.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue wouldlike to remind all residents that workingsmoke alarms save lives as well as prop-erty.

In addition, Fairfax County Fire andRescue would also like to remind all resi-dents about the safe use of space heat-ers:

❖ Use only appliances that cut off au-tomatically if tipped over.

❖ Use only models that have been ap-proved by a nationally recognized test-ing agency (UL or Factory Mutual).

❖ Space heaters need space — keepcombustible materials at least three feetaway from space heaters.

❖ If using an electric model, make surethe cord is not frayed or worn. Never usean extension cord with a portable heater.

❖ Keep children and pets away fromportable heaters. It only takes a secondfor curiosity to lead to a serious burn.

❖ Turn heaters off when you leavehome or go to bed.

Unattended Space HeaterCauses Vienna House Fire


Opinion

Virginia’s General Assembly has refusedto accept one of the key provisions ofthe Affordable Care Act, expansion of

Medicaid at almost no cost to Virginia thatcould have covered 400,000uninsured Virginians and wouldhave brought more than $10billion into the state. It has also

cost lives.Ironically, the failed bill to “repeal and re-

place” the Affordable Care Act includedchanges to Medicaid that would have penal-ized states, like Virginia, that did not expandMedicaid, permanently reducing federal fund-ing.

On Monday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposeda budget amendment restoring his authority

Expand Medicaid NowVirginia has missed outon $10 billion, 30,000jobs and care for400,000 citizens.

to pursue planning for Medicaid expansion inthe wake of the failed repeal effort in Congress.

Kansas and North Carolina are taking stepsthis week to expand Medicaid, hoping to jointhe 31 other states plus the District of Colum-bia that have already done so.

More than 140,000 residents of FairfaxCounty have no health insurance. More than40,000 residents of Arlington and Alexandriahave no health insurance. That’s more than 12percent of the people who live in one of thewealthiest areas in the nation.

A Harvard Medical School study determinedthat the decision by 25 states to reject the ex-pansion of Medicaid coverage under the Af-fordable Care Act would result in between7,115 and 17,104 more deaths than had allstates opted in. In Virginia, the number ofdeaths due to failure to expand Medicaid: be-tween 266 and 987.

From a practical perspective, declining fed-eral money to provide healthcare to uninsuredVirginians makes no more sense than declin-ing federal funds for transportation or educa-tion.

In Virginia, 102,000 uninsured people with

a mental illness or substance use disorder couldqualify for coverage if Medicaid were expandedunder the Affordable Care Act.

As Virginia and the rest of the nation wrestleswith heroin and opioid addiction, expandingMedicaid would allow for expanding treatmentprograms. One of the big obstacles to helpingpeople who are fighting addiction is the avail-ability of treatment when it is most needed.

“The time has come for us to bring our tax-payer dollars back to serve the individuals whoneed them the most,” said McAuliffe. “With thisamendment, I’m asking the General Assemblyto work with me to pursue Medicaid expan-sion and put this funding to work for our mostvulnerable Virginians.”

Primaries for candidates for the House ofDelegates plus governor, lieutenant governorand attorney general are in June, with all seatson the ballot in November. An important ques-tion as voters choose: What is their positionon Medicaid expansion? How did incumbentsvote?

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Editorial

FriendlyConversationsNeededTo the Editor:

Surrounded by all the dark newsof hate crimes, anti-Muslim slurs,and anti-immigration racist at-tacks, like the ones at Tysons mallin November and against an Asianman in Reston earlier this month( w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=TWxKPhSTPls), we arein desperate need of positive newsand shining the spotlight on effortsto spread healthy understandingand create healing bonds. I mettwo young people in our commu-nity, part of a small, but engaginggroup called #AskAMuslim, whoset up a table in front of the GreatFalls Library on March 18, offer-ing conversation, over donuts andcoffee, in an effort to build under-standing and start a dialogueabout what it is to be a Muslim andanswer questions about Islam.

#AskAMuslim seeks to tell you“Everything you wanted to knowabout Islam and Muslims but wereembarrassed to ask.” You can goto the website —www.AskAMuslim.net — air yourquestions/concerns, and someonewill respond. NPR did a segmenton AskAMuslim, on March 15,answering basic questions like:“What do Muslims believe?”“What is jihad?” “Are Muslims ac-cepting of other religions?” (Here’s

the link: the1a.org/shows/2017-03-15/ask-a-muslim).

I was surprised to hear thatAskAMuslim was turned away byother venues in the area. Obvi-ously, we need more such friendlyconversations to dispel some of theIslamophobia in our society, cre-ate awareness, and close the gapsin our understanding of eachother. The sticker I received says:“It’s all good - I asked a Muslimtoday!” So, go ahead, ask yourquestions and talk to some of thesewonderful people to see that it’snot “all bad.”

Shaila MuralidharGreat Falls

DisappointingVirtual TownHallTo the Editor:

For those of us who waited forU.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock’s (R-10) highly-anticipated virtualTown Hall meeting — it was a dis-appointment. Her teleconferencecenter connected me and manyother constituents 20 minutes af-ter the call had already started. Iattempted to get into the queue toask a question but was unable todo so.

Logistics aside, the call wasdominated by questions about therepeal and replacement ofObamacare, a topic important tothe 10th District. Unfortunately,

Ms. Comstock did not provide sub-stantive answers to any of thequestions of the call participants.Her responses about the GOP “Pa-tient-Centered” were echoes fromthe past eight years such as sell-ing insurance across state lines,tort reform, wellness programs,and, get this one — curing dis-eases.

None of these tactics have anychance of addressing the healthcare needs of working class folksin the near term.

Another constituent’s questionwas related to why Comstockvoted “yes” to implement theHolman Rule which gives Con-gress the power to reduce the sala-ries of individual federal workersto $1.

Ms. Comstock responded to theinquiry claiming that the HolmanRule implementation was tempo-rary for one year and she “hoped”it would not get abused. This isrisky business when a member ofCongress is casting votes in “hope”of things working out later.

After listening to the town hall,I now understand why Comstockwas a no-show at two previousconstituent meetings and thenused a virtual forum that insulatesher from serious questions of heraccountability to her constituents.We deserve better representationin the 10th District. We can startnow and demand more than vir-tual meetings and pre-screenedquestions. Given all the importantissues before Congress this year we

want a representative who willengage face-to-face with her con-stituents.

Jalmeen SoniMcLean

The BeesAre HungryTo the Editor:

In addition to pesticides andherbicides that kill bees, this year’slate hard freeze has turned brownmany of the nectar laden blossomsof our flowering trees. These flow-ers provide early food for our pol-linators, think bees. Trees that arenot adapted to this type of “Vir-ginia Freeze Surprise,” mainlynon-native trees such as star mag-nolia and Japanese cherry hadtheir blossoms turn brown in ourarea.

Bradford Pear trees, also suf-fered the brown blossom treat-ment. I was cheering these lessonsfor the people that plant the non-native and Bradford Pear treesuntil I remembered that if they arenot sterile, these flowers have nec-tar accessible to our bee popula-tion and now they are useless. So,we have choices, continue to planttrees and plants that are notadapted to our environment andwill not feed our pollinators, thinkbees, or plant the trees and plantsthat will feed our pollinators andcan handle our climate.

Kathryn FowlerHerndon

Letters to the Editor

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Vienna & Oakton


News

On March 17, the Fairfax CountyChamber of Commerce honoredfive Town of Vienna Police Offic-

ers at the 39th Annual Valor Awards Cer-emony. Retired Sergeant Michael Reeves,Master Police Officer Matthew Lyons andOfficer Gregory Hylinski were awarded Life-saving Award Certificates. Master PoliceOfficer Patrick Shaw and Officer AndrewSlebonick were awarded a Bronze Medal

From left: Lieutenant Thomas Taylor, Deputy Chief Daniel P. Janickey,MPO Matthew Lyons, Officer Andrew Slebonick, Master Police OfficerPatrick Shaw, Chief James A. Morris, Officer Gregory Hylinski andCouncilmember Carey Sienicki.

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Fairfax County Chamber of CommerceHonors Five Town of Vienna Police Officers

of Valor.Reeves, Lyons and Hylinski received a

Lifesaving Award for their actions whencalled to the scene of a suicidal person inJuly 2016.

Shaw and Slebonick were awarded aBronze Medal of Valor for their actions indisarming a suicidal subject who was in theprocess of cutting herself with a knife inJanuary 2016.

On March 16, 2017 Officer Gra-ham Williams graduated fromthe 68th Session of the Fairfax

County Criminal Justice Academy. Thegraduation ceremony was held at theCentreville Baptist Church. His gradua-tion marks the culmination of a six-month training session in which newlyhired police recruits receive training inall aspects of police procedures.

The basic recruit session is a non-resi-dential training program consisting ofmore than 920 hours of instruction. Thecurriculum includes 320 hours of aca-demic studies including crisis interven-tion, assisting individuals with mentalillness, de-escalation techniques and firstaid training, 94 hours of firearms train-ing, 84 hours of emergency vehicle op-

eration, 110 hours of physical trainingand 130 hours of defensive tactics train-ing. For the next 12 weeks Officer Wil-liams will be assigned a Field TrainingInstructor. During those weeks the FieldTraining Instructor will observe andguide Williams’ performance in the ar-eas of officer safety, traffic enforcement,interaction with citizens, report writing,investigation of vehicle crashes andmany other aspects of his law enforce-ment duties. Williams has a Bachelor’sDegree in Criminal Justice. He enjoysbike riding and playing his guitar in hisfree time. He grew up in Scranton, Pa.and went to Liberty University inLynchburg, Va. Williams is involved in hislocal church in Stafford and is passionateabout being involved in the community.

From left: Lieutenant Thomas Taylor, Chief James Morris, OfficerGraham Williams, Captain Daniel Janickey and Lieutenant ArturoSylmar.

New Town of Vienna PoliceOfficer Graduates from Academy

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Family Connection

See Spring Break, Page 9

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

For Katie Wendel, a spring break va-cation this year won’t mean loadingup the car and driving several hun-

dred miles or waiting in long lines at theairport. While the Bethesda mother of fiveis planning to enjoysome relaxing down-time with her family,she won’t venture farfrom home.

“We’re going to betourists this year andvisit the monumentsand museums in Wash-ington. We’re also go-ing to try to find everyavenue in the city that’snamed after a state,”said Wendel. “If youthink about it, there’s somuch to do in this areathat we all take forgranted. You reallydon’t have to leave thearea to feel like you’rein another city.”

From museum exhib-its to adventure cen-ters, a goldmine of fam-ily getaways aboundslocally. There are evenactivities for familybonding available without leaving home.

“Ask the kids what they would like to do.Involve them and give [them] a choice.Whatever it is they suggest, come up witha plan to document their adventure so theycan share it with grandparents or siblingsaway at college, said Lois Stover, Ph.D.,dean, School of Education and Human Ser-

vices at Marymount University. “Let themhelp plan the Metro route or just look atthe Metro map and randomly pick a stationand explore that area.”

“A lot of adults assume that kids want abig trip, but a lot of times a kid will say, ‘Iwant to blow bubbles in the back yard.’ It’simportant for children to have a say in how

the family uses its freetime,” said CarolynLorente, Ph.D., profes-sor of psychology atNorthern VirginiaCommunity College.

Among the recom-mendations that Sto-ver offers are activitiesat one’s neighborhoodlibrary and trips to in-door public swimmingpools. For animal-lov-ing families the Na-tional Zoo offers beastsranging from elephantsand eagles to tigersand frogs.

“Get outside andtake the family to oneof the lesser knownnational parks, likePrince William, or walkthe C&O Canal,” saidStover.

There’s also GravellyPoint Park near Reagan

Washington National Airport in Arlington,which is ideal for family picnics, games ofkickball or simply watching airplanes takeoff and land.

“If it’s warm, do a beach day in the back-yard [or] set up an indoor mini-golf coursewith Nerf balls [or use] Wiffle balls and

Local national parks like Theodore Roosevelt Island are ideal forfamily staycations, says Lois Stover, Ph.D. of Marymount University.

Backyard AdventureIdeas for a spring break family staycation.

“Ask the kids whatthey would like to do.Involve them and give[them] a choice.Whatever it is theysuggest, come up witha plan to documenttheir adventure sothey can share it withgrandparents orsiblings away atcollege.”

— Dr. Lois Stover,

Marymount University

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Easter Egg-Stravanza

and choose

April 8, 9, 15 or 16

Advanced tickets required.

Bring Your Own Basket!

9am-6pm

Free Face Painter,Bounce House &

Open Air Safari TourCamel Rides, Giraffe

and Camel Encounters extra.

Go to the booking calendar at:

roerszoofari.com

Hourly Easter Egg Hunts for separate age groups 10a-4p

Family Connection

Raising Funds for Best BuddiesTracy Crittenberger (left) and Linda Mathews (right), teachers withMcLean-based Madeira School get duct taped to a wall by studentsto raise funds for Best Buddies, a nonprofit that helps people withintellectual and developmental disabilities. Madeira studentsvolunteer with Best Buddies and other nonprofits throughout theyear as part of their co-curriculum program which engages stu-dents in community service, career placements, and Capitol Hillinternships.

From Page 8

Spring Break Ideasbats,” said Stover. “Have a dance party, a

science day. Have a ‘Today is Blue, or what-ever color works, Day,’ so everyone wearsblue, all foods are blue, you ride the blueline Metro just to see where it goes, [forexample].”

The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory onthe National Mall is where StephanieKleinman is planning to take her twindaughters during spring break.

“The girls call it a museum for plants, andit’s neat to go from the desert to the jungleall within one building,” said Kleinman wholives in McLean. “We’ll probably check outsome of the other museums while we’redowntown.”

There are times when a staycation canbe more relaxing than travel, says Lorente.“If you look at the list of the top 100 stres-sors in life, taking a vacation is on the list,”she said.

“A staycation, when done with purpose,can really be good.”

Advanced planning is a key to making thattime spent together meaningful, advisesLorente.

“A lot of times people say they’re taking astaycation and they end up doing choresaround the house. And everybody is on theirelectronics,” she said. “But it’s really aboutfamily bonding and everyone coming to-gether and creating shared experiences asa family.”


News

See Wings for All, Page 11

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Glenn Reges and InaLaemmerzahl are planning ontaking their 9-year-old son,Felix Reges, on a trip to Colo-

rado. Many couples would simply book theirflights, a hotel room and the rental car andwhen the day arrived would be off to theairport for a fun-filled family vacation, butthings are a bit more complicated for thisReston family. Felix has autism and is le-gally blind. His parents were worried howthey would manage the challenges of travelby air, and how Felix would react to an ex-perience that has been known to causestress even for the most prepared travellers.

The “Wings for All” program’s latest of-fering was one way to take a dry run at thetravel adventure.

The Metropolitan Washington AirportsAuthority (MWAA) teamed up with non-profit The Arc, local chapter The Arc ofNorthern Virginia, United Airlines, Travel-ers Aid, MarketPlace Development, and theTransportation Security Administration(TSA) to simulate a typical airport travelexperience for people with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities.

About 125 people — participants withdiffering special needs and their familymembers — arrived at Dulles InternationalAirport on Saturday, March 25 and wereguided through the travel process by anarmy of volunteers clad in neon-green t-shirts and directed by dozens of like-col-ored posters with directional arrows and ad-ditional instructions.

AT THE UNITED check-in kiosks, Unitedemployee May Hester helped each partici-pant use the screens to enter their informa-tion and her colleague Jeff Lattea printedout boarding passes. Lattea, whose motherwas a special education teacher, has volun-

teered to work this event several times. “Ilove doing this,” he said. “If it helps givethese families the confidence to take tripsthey may have avoided, it’s worth everyminute.”

To gain that kind of confidence is whyLauren Gibson brought her 8-year-old sonAiden out to participate in the program.Where would Aiden take his flight if giventhe choice? Without hesitation, the young-ster declared “Disney World!”

With boarding passes for United “Flight2839 to Baltimore” in hand, the “passen-gers” then made their way to the TSA check-points. Some accommodations for wheel-chairs had to be made. A back brace poseda momentary delay. A few of the parentsand guardians looked somewhat anxious,concerned that their participant would be-come distressed at the on-and-off shoe ac-

tion, the passing through the monitors, and,in one or two cases, a wave of the wand,but the piece of the pre-flight travel puzzlethat had worried many the most, went offwithout a hitch and it was on to the sub-way to Terminal C.

At Gate C12 there was the wait that sea-soned travelers have come to expect, asplanes are maintained and crews comeaboard. Not part of the regular routine,however, was the visit of First Officer JulieCallens, who circled the gate area and in-troduced herself to all of her passengers,offering souvenir wing pins and a smile.

At first, Kelsi Da Re, 11, was too shy toaccept Callens’ overtures and her gifts, butbefore long the girl, who had travelled fromHaymarket to experience the travel re-hearsal, was chatting with ease with thepilot, who was fresh off a flight from Frank-

furt, Germany. Callens has volunteered with“Wings for All” before and said she wouldn’thave missed this opportunity, “no matterwhat.”

Kelsi’s mom, Ann, was thrilled at howthings were going. Up to now, she wasn’tsure how her daughter would react to thenoises, the lines, and the typical whirlwindof humanity that can be found at the air-port. “There have been no plane trips,” shesaid. She’s thought about a trip to Maine,just for the peace and the beauty, or maybea trip to see family in Chicago. “I think wecan really start thinking about those tripsnow.”

Robbie Frost, an 11-year-old fromCentreville, didn’t seem too shy or reallytoo bothered by the wait at the gate. Sur-rounded by his grandparents Marsha andLawrence Frost, from Springfield, and ac-companied by his brother Tanner, Robbiehad one word for the day’s activities so far:“Awesome!”

AT LAST, the call was given to begin board-ing and everyone lined up according to theirboarding pass group number. The walkdown the jetway did bring on a few frowns,especially from Giovanni Solis-Sosa, but forthe youngster from Manassas, there weretoo many interesting things to check outonce he and his family had found their seats,so smiles once again became the order ofthe day.

The all-volunteer flight crew were pre-pared for their special passengers. Severalof the participants had to be carefully trans-ferred from their own wheelchairs onto spe-cial “aisle chairs” that can fit in the narrowcabin space, and then transferred again intotheir assigned seats. At the end of the“flight,” this process had to be performedin reverse, but was accomplished with mini-mal fuss and discomfort for the passenger.

United Airlines employees May Hester and Jeff Lattea assist Felix Regesand mom Ina Laemmerzahl of Reston to “check-in” to their “Wings forAll” simulated flight travel experience at Dulles International Airport.

“Captain” Julia Ferguson, a 16-year-old from Lorton, required someextra assistance to try out the Number One seat on the plane, but oncein place, she was ready to go.

Travel rehearsal offered for individuals with disabilities.Wings for All

The Frost family, grandparentsMarsha and Lawrence and brotherTanner, accompanied 13-year-oldRobbie from Centreville on thetravel adventure. United FirstOfficer Julie Callens lent her cap toher special passenger for thephoto.

Pho

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Kelsi Da Re gives her “Wings forAll” travel rehearsal a “thumbsup” as she boards the United planefor a simulated flight.


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News

Wings for All: Practice FlightJanene Shaw, the Dulles Terminal operations co-

ordinator who was on hand throughout the event,said that the airport and many of the airlines werepleased to accept training from Kymberly DeLoatche,The Arc of Northern Virginia’s travel training projectcoordinator. As part of her duties, DeLoatche teachesairport personnel how best to interact with specialneeds passengers, how to alleviate many of their fearsand make the experience the best possible for all.

Once everyone was safely belted in, the crew didtheir checks and the “flight” was underway, courtesyof an “engine-in-operation” soundtrack that wasplayed over the PA system. Just a few minutes after“take-off” the cabin crew offered a beverage service.

When the “We’ve reached our cruising altitude”announcement was made, those able and who wishedto do so were allowed to move about the cabin forsome exploration. Flight attendant Rosemary Koenigsaid that airplane bathrooms have caused anxietyfor some special needs passengers being such a smallspace, and equipped with louder-than-normal flush-ing mechanisms, so the fliers are welcomed to checkthem out during this travel walk-through.

There was one added bonus to the “Wings for All”journey that isn’t part of a typical travel experience— the chance to visit the cockpit. Many braved theclose quarters for a chance to see the heart of theirflying machine, and a lucky few, like 16-year-old JuliaFerguson from Lorton, even climbed into the captain’s

seat and tried out the wheel.

AFTER THE ON-BOARD ADVENTURE, thenewly-minted air travelers returned to the main ter-minal and the baggage claim area — a few of thepassengers had checked bags that were awaiting theirarrival near Carousel 2 — and a luncheon where theywere joined by many of the staff, volunteers and thecrew of Flight 2839.

MWAA media relations specialist Andrew Tull, whoalso joined the day’s “flight” hopes to help make morepeople aware of programs like “Wings for All.” Rizzaand Erwin Lai of Fairfax only found out about theevent a few days earlier, when they were research-ing the regulations regarding medications on flights.They want to take their 2-year-old son Ryle to visittheir family in the Philippines. “It’s a long flight andRyle has a lot of medications,” said Erwin Lai. “Wewere worried, so we looked it up and that is wherewe found out about this program.”

The Arc of Northern Virginia’s DeLoatche urges thefamilies of anyone with intellectual and/or develop-mental disabilities to contact them for assistance forany of their needs, concerns or questions. A “Wingsfor All” event is planned for the fall at Reagan Na-tional Airport, so more special passengers can be-come real-life travelers. Learn more about The Arcof Northern Virginia at www.thearcofnova.org.

As for Felix Reges, he passed all steps of the simu-lated travel day with flying colors and is ready forthat family trip to Colorado.


FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA

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Entertainment

By David Siegel

The Connection

In a seductive confessional of a theater produc-tion, 1st Stage embraces the audience with awarm blanket of knowing insights about grow-

ing up and getting comfortable in one’s skin. Thedelightful production is “Well,” written by TonyAward-winner Lisa Kron.

Director Michael Bloom provides a loving touchfor “Well,” plumbing the depths of a complicateddaughter-mother relationship over time. Bloom hasa gift for keeping a topsy-turvy work on course evenwith its unconventional structure.

“Well” is a play-within-a play, with characters mov-ing through time fluidly. At times characters evenleave the confines of acting to stop being charactersso as to address one another and the audience.

The play begins before any first words are uttered.A woman is quietly nap-ping on a recliner in acozy room. She is sur-rounded by books andshelves of knick-knacks.The eye-popping de-tailed realistic set designis by Luciana Stecconiwith props by Kay Rzasaand pin-point lighting by Catherine Girardi.

Enter a young woman named Liza (winningly por-trayed by Audrey Bertaux as an angst-filled, bundle

of nervous energy, out to make her points to the au-dience). Lisa points to the napping woman identify-ing her as Ann, her mother. Reading from 3x5 notecards as if at a seminar she says, “this play is notabout my mother and me.” Needless to say, thosewords are far from the truth.

Over the course of “Well,” Lisa is asking herselfand the audience: “If I got better, why couldn’t she?”How could her once energetic mother be so ill? Withaffection, Lisa even wonders if she could have beallergic to her own mother.

Other characters appear to provide recollections.Lisa’s childhood friends pop-up with humorous andsometimes annoying perspectives. Doctors, patientsand others appear with sharp-eyed views. LauraArtesi, Edward Christian, Marquis D. Gibson andLolita Marie are terrific at portraying these multiplecharacters.

But the key to the wondrous nature of “Well” isthat mother Ann asserts herself with her own memo-ries. As Ann, Elizabeth Pierotti is a charmer; a like-able, decent, engaging soul. Moving from mere ob-server to active participant, Peirrotti’s Ann with one

mesmerizing monologueopens her daughter’sgrudging eyes to livinglife.

1st Stage’s “Well” is fas-cinating and absorbing. Itis chock-full of well-ac-complished humanityand humor. It provides an

audience plenty of reasons to recall their own child-hoods, and perhaps wonder what their own childrenthink.

Wise, Comic Memory of Family Life1st Stage at Tysonspresents “Well.”

From left:Edward Chris-tian, MarquisD. Gibson,ElizabethPierotti, LauraArtesi, andLolita Marie in“Well” at 1stStage inTysons.

Where & When1st Stage presents “Well” at 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons.

Performances through April 23, 2017. Thursday at 7:30 p.m.,Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2p.m. Tickets: $15-$30. Call 703-854-1856 or visitwww.1ststagetysons.org Note: Venue is wheelchair accessible.

Photo by

Teresa Castracane

Courtesy 1st Stage

Calendar

Send entertainment announcements toconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.Deadline is Friday at noon for the follow-ing week’s paper. Photos/artworkencouraged.

ONGOING“Birds Eye View” Exhibit. Through

April 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays -Saturdays at Vienna Arts Center, 115Pleasant St., NW, Vienna. 703-319-3971 www.ViennaArtsSociety.org

“No Place Like Home.” Juried artshow on exhibit through April 8. atArtSpaceHerndon, 750 Center St,

Herndon. Great Falls Studiospresents. Visit www.artspaceherndon.com/ for more.

Stuff-a-Bus Food Drive. ThroughApril 15, various times at Christ theKing Lutheran Church, 10550Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. A fooddrive for non-perishable items tosupport Arlington Food AssistanceCenter. There will be drop off boxesfor donations of non-perishable foodthroughout the church. Then, onApril 1, look for the school busparked in front of the church. Call703-759-6068.

The Golden Girls of Northern

Virginia, a senior women’s softballleague, is looking for players. Anywoman over the age of 40 isencouraged to join. All skill levels arewelcome. Play on Wednesdayevenings and Saturday mornings inVienna. Visit www.goldengirls.org.

First Sunday Jazz Brunch 11-2 p.m.Recurring monthly on the 1st Sundayat Bazin’s on Church 111 Church StN.W., Vienna. Enjoy brunchaccompanied by the soft jazz soundsof Virginia Music Adventure. Visitwww.fxva.com/listing/bazins-on-church/1686/

The Freeman Store & Museum


Entertainment

Wednesday through Sunday noon-4 p.m.131 Church St. NE, Vienna. TheFreeman Store & Museum isdedicated to Preserving andpromoting Vienna’s heritage throughthe identification, preservation, andinterpretation of history significantplaces, events, and persons.Historicviennainc.org

Weekly Storytime. Wednesday andSaturday. 11 a.m. Barnes & Noble,7851 L Tysons Corner Center,McLean. Themes and titles vary. Freeadmission.

Bingo Night. Sundays. 4 p.m. FlameRoom, Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment, 400 Center St. S,Vienna. $10. www.vvfd.org/bingo.html.

Gentle Yoga. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Emmaus United Church of Christ,900 E Maple Ave. E., Vienna.Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax,2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Gentle Kundalini Yoga, one freeintroductory session, seniordiscounts. Increase flexibility,improve breathing and health, reducestress. Ravi Kaur has 15 yearsexperience teaching yoga. $15 persession. www.edimprovement.org.571-213-3192.

Tai Chi Beginners’ Practice.Saturdays, 8-9 a.m. St. Luke’sCatholic School Gymnasium, 7005Georgetown Pike, McLean. WeeklyTai Chi practice. Group has met forover 20 years. Free. FreeTaiChi.org.703-759-9141.

Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 PotomacHills St., Great Falls. Rentalsavailable during visitor center hours.Fishing tackle and live bait areavailable for purchase. Reservationsrequired for group rentals. $6/rental(2 hour max). Valid driver’s licenserequired. Rod/reel combinations areperfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwaterfishing license is required for those16 years or older. The park does notsell fishing licenses.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/

Colvin Run Mill open 11 - 4 p.m.daily, closed Tuesday. 10017 ColvinRun Road, Great Falls. FairfaxCounty’s operational 19th centurywater powered gristmill, offersrecreational and educationalactivities for all ages through dailytours, school programs and specialevents. Fees: $7/adult, $6 students16+ with ID, $5 children & seniors.Admission to park is free except forsome special events.

Fundamentals of Watercolors.Mondays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Artsof Great Falls, 756 Walker Road,Great Falls. Artist Lorrie Herman willhelp students get comfortableworking with watercolors andunderstanding this medium. Visitwww.greatfallsart.org for more.

Still Life Painting. Tuesdays 10:30a.m.-1 p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. Stilllife provides a great tool to honeskills. Recommended for students ofall levels. Visit www.greatfallsart.org.

Evening Painting. Tuesdays 6:30 -9:30 p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. JillBanks focuses on oil paintingfundamentals with two sessions eachof still life, landscapes, and portrait/clothed figure from a live model.Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.

Intro to Jewelry Design. Tuesdays 9a.m.-noon at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. JJSingh teaches a class for anyoneinterested in exploring the world ofmetal clay and its design possibilities.Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.

FRIDAY/MARCH 31Gluten Free Evening. 6:30 p.m. at

Wildfire, Tysons Galleria, 3rd floor,2001 International Drive, McLean.Chefs Moreno Espinoza and Edwin

Amaya will prepare a custom five-course menu, each paired with agluten free wine to complement. $80.Make reservations at 703-442-9110.

Family Fun Bingo. 7-9 p.m. at the OldFirehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road,McLean. Players will have freepopcorn and winners will take theirpick of prizes. Visitwww.mcleancenter.org or call 703-448-8336 for more.

MARCH 31-APRIL 8In Living Sound. Various times in the

Flame Room at the Vienna VolunteerFire Department, 400 Center St. S.Four short radio plays from early 20th

century American entertainment.Friday tickets are $14; Saturdaytickets are $25 and include the showas well as dinner at 7:15 p.m.Visitviennava.gov/webtrac for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 12017 Vienna Town Cleanup Day. 8

a.m.-noon at the Town Green, 144Maple Ave. E. For safety reasons,volunteers may wish to wear longpants. To sign up or for details,contact John King [email protected] or call 703-255-6336.

Great Falls Farmers Market. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Great Falls Village Centre,778 Walker Road Parking Lot.Opening day. Visitgreatfallsfarmersmarket.org.

Chance for Life Poker Event. MGMNational Harbor, 101 MGM NationalAve., Oxon Hill, Md. BradNierenberg, Mclean, resident andPresident/CEO of RedPeg Marketing,is holding a poker fundraiser where100 percent of all proceeds raisedthrough CFL are donated to directlyfund cancer research throughChildren’s National Hospital Centerand Alex’s Lemonade StandFoundation. Visit chanceforlife.net.

Warrior Chorus at Alden. 8 p.m. atThe Alden in McLean, 1234 InglesideAve. Area premiere of “The TrojanWar: Our Warrior Chorus,” aproduction that features Americancombat veterans. $35, $25 forveterans and current military and$20 for McLean Community Centertax district residents. Visitwww.aldentheatre.org or call 703-790-0123.

APRIL 1-2Potomac River Convention. 10 a.m.-

3:30 both days at the Great FallsGrange, 9818 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. 28th annual PotomacRiver Shape Note Convention, withsinging, bring a dish to share bothdays. Sponsored by the FolkloreSociety of Greater Washington. Visitvisit fasola.org orshenandoahharmony.com for more.

Organ Music.7 p.m. ViennaPresbyterian Church, 124 Park St.NE, McLean.The Organ, theOrchestra, and the Youthful Originals

show. Call 703-938-9050 for more.

APRIL 1-30Ed Behrens’ Photographs. Various

times at Katie’s Coffee House, VillageCentre, 760 Walker Road, GreatFalls. The showing will celebrate Ed’sten years as a member of Great FallsStudios, his very active 80th birthday.Call 703-759-0927 for more.

SUNDAY/APRIL 2Tours of Marie Butler Leven

Preserve. 1-4 p.m. at Marie ButlerLeven Preserve, 1501 Kirby Road,McLean. Tour guides Matt and EarthSangha; volunteers have been doinginvasive management and plantingnative plants there for 10 years. Free.Call 703-324-8702 for more.

MONDAY/APRIL 3Tyson’s Girls Night Out. 5-8 p.m. at

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, 7900Tysons One Place, McLean. Meet-upand networking social sponsored byMedical Aesthetic Center andNorthern Virginia Housewives. Emailwww.novahousewives.com for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 8Becky Love Foundation Run. 8 a.m.

at at Turner Farm Park, 925Springvale Road, Great Falls. Runsupports a family bereavement camp,which follows the run from noon-4p.m. at St. Mark Catholic Church,9970 Vale Road, Vienna. Visitwww.beckylovefoundation.org.

Notable Women Speakers. 8:30a.m.-6 p.m. at Madeira School, 8328Georgetown Pike, McLean.Headliners Include MSNBC’sBrzezinski and Elle Décor’s JuliaReed. $100. To register, visitwww.madeira.org.

Tree Giveaway. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at GreatFalls Village Centre, 778 WalkerRoad, parking lot. Fairfax ReLeaf isgiving away trees, including RiverBirch, Sugar Maple, Virginia Pine,Redbud, Black Chokeberry, and RedOsler Dogwood. First come, firstserved. Visit greatfallsfarmersmarket.org/ for more.

The Great Falls Garden Club. 9a.m.-1 p.m. at the Great FallsFarmers Market, 778 Walker Road.Accepting donations to fund theSTREETSCAPE Project along WalkerRoad. The Garden Club will fund andcoordinate the entire project. Visitgreatfallsfarmersmarket.org/ formore.

SUNDAY/APRIL 9Easter Spring Festival. 12:30-4:30

p.m. at Great Falls Village Centre,776 Walker Road, Great Falls.Games, rides, food and egg hunt at 4p.m., proceeds directly benefit thecommunity through the Great FallsOptimist Club. Visitwww.celebrategreatfalls.org.

SUNDAY/APRIL 9Easter Spring Festival. 12:30-4:30 p.m. at Great Falls Village Centre, 776

Walker Road, Great Falls. Games, rides, food and egg hunt at 4 p.m.,proceeds directly benefit the community through the Great Falls OptimistClub. Visit www.celebrategreatfalls.org/ for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 15Easter Egg Hunt. 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Nottoway Park, 9537 Courthouse

Road, Vienna. Bring a basket and hunt for candy and eggs filled withtreats, win door prizes and visit the Easter bunny. $10. Call 703-324-8569for more.

Holy Saturday Silent Retreat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Unity of Fairfax, 2854Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. Free. Spend a day in noble silence, meditatingand creating a space to be still and listen. Our day will be spentalternating between sitting and walking meditation with some periods ofstretching. Only a small fraction of meditation practices will be guided.Call 703-281-1767 or register online at unitysilentretreat.eventbrite.com.

Celebrate Easter


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I know severalthousand thingsthat won't work.

-Thomas A. Edison

OBITUARY Abraham Tsu-hsing Shen, age 67, died peacefully in his sleepat his home in Great Falls, VA on March 25. He is sur-vived by his beloved wife of 37 years, Sharon; his son Aaron; his daughter Jennifer; two older brothers; and two older sisters.

Abraham was born on December 6, 1949 in Taipei, Taiwan, the son of G.V. and L.F. Shen. He graduated from Jen-Guo High School and National Taipei University of Tech-nology. After university, Abraham met his wife, Sharon, at the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation where they bothworked. He and Sharon married in 1979 in Taipei.

In 1977 Abraham came to the United States to study at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA, where he received his master's degree in computer science. Abraham moved his family to Monroe, CT, where he worked as a soft-ware engineer for ITT and General Datacomm. In 1995 he joined Alcatel and later moved with his family to Great Falls, VA, where he resided for 20 years and worked for several companies.

Abraham was a Christian. He was saved while in high school by the Church in Taipei. In Virginia, he attended church services at the Church in Dunn Loring. Besides attend-ing church meetings and services on Lord's Day, Abraham greatly enjoyed traveling and working on do-it-yourselfprojects around his home. He was a devoted husband and fa-ther and was always diligent and responsible when dealing with others.

Throughout most of his life Abraham was in good health. In the spring of 2016 his health unexpectedly began to decline. His family sought treatment from several doctors but he was unable to recover, and in the early morning of March 25, 2017, Abraham went to be with the Lord.

A celebration of Abraham's life will be held at Adams-Green Funeral Home in Herndon, VA on April 1 at 10:00 AM. Memorial contributions may be made to the Church in Dunn Loring.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements

ABC LICENSE The Beer Lot, LLC trading as

The Lot, 3217 10th Street North. Arlington VA 22201. The above establishment is

applying to the VIRGINIA DE-PARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC)

for a Wine and Beer On Premises; Mixed Beverage

license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Michael Bramson and Naeem Mohd, Managing Members NOTE:

Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 dates from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper

legal notices. Objections should be registered at

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

I am easilysatisfied with the very best.

-Winston Churchill


EmploymentEmployment

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIERecently I went online to book a trip to

Topeka, Ks. to meet our new niece, SabellaRey. I went to Trivago for the hotel reserva-tions and Expedia for the plane/rental car res-ervations. That’s what I’m supposed to do,right? The process seemed simple enough andwithout too-much further adieu, I was able tomake all the arrangements, including renting acar for the four days we’d need one. And Ieven booked my father-in-law’s hotel reserva-tions as well, almost as if I knew what I wasdoing. Subsequently, I received all my emailconfirmations indicating that I had in fact suc-ceeded in one of my least favorite endeavors:computing my way to safe and secure travelplans.

For a few days, especially after receivingthe site’s emails and reviewing them for accu-racy, I thought all was right in my travel-plan’sworld. Then I started receiving multiple emailsand pop-up ads from sites promoting theirhotel and flight reservations/rates. Expedia, thesite on which I made my plane reservationsbegan bombarding me with flight and rentalcar deals. Trivago, the site on which I madeour hotel reservations, began bombarding mewith hotel and rental car deals. None of whichI needed. All of which had been completedwhen I went on their sites originally and mademy hotel, flight and car rental reservations.

Given the way in which the Internet haschanged the world and provided computer-ized access to almost everything, I was onlyslightly surprised by the bombardment. I’mclear on the concept, just not confident in theprocess. Nevertheless, I realize there reallyisn’t any alternative these days to researchinggoods and services — and prices. My dilemmaarose after the fact when I received all theseoffers on the exact goods and services I hadALREADY booked. What had I done, and howmuch extra money — and hassle had I donedoing it?

I thought I was solving a problem (travelplans which involved coordinating our flightarrival in Kansas City from Baltimore, with myfather-in-law’s flight arrival from New YorkCity), not creating one. After receiving allthese offers and inducements from Expedia,Trivago and others, I’m now wondering if Imissed an opportunity to simplify our travelplans and spend less for having done so?Obviously, I don’t have an answer since Inever clicked through the ads/opened theemails to see what the solicitation was allabout. I didn’t have the patience and besides,certainly concerning the airlines, wouldn’tthere be penalties for changing/canceling aflight? And what about my father-in-law’s air-line reservations? It was all too much to juggleso I stood pat. Soon, the ads and emailsslowed down to a trickle and I was no longerremained — regularly, about my presumptiveincompetence.

But I’m thinking about the next trip now,and perhaps that was the point. Maybe thereis a better way to minimize travel expensesand maximize benefits? But how do I accom-plish that, really? It’s not like I can fakehotel/plane/car rental reservations in hopesthat the site’s artificial intelligence will thinkI’m still a potential buyer rather than onewho’s already bought. What good would thatdo? The solicitations are designed for currentaction not for a definite maybe sometime inthe future, aren’t they?

I’m certainly more aware now of how theprocess sort of works. But I’m less certain howI could actually change my behavior in orderto become less of a victim and more of abeneficiary. I imagine it has to do with makingmy computer more of a friend, which doesn’tinterest me in the least. Of course, I want topay less for my travel plans, but I’m not sure ifthe cost of doing business that way is worththe pain and suffering it inevitably will cause.

How Do I KnowThen What IDon’t Know Now?

Adobe Systems, Inc. seeks applicants for the following F/T position at its McLean, VA worksite:

Sr. Migration Engineer (Job Code # 47321): Manage client migration from Digital Analytix platform to Adobe Analytics. Work w/clients, coordinating teams, to understand the technical nuances of both applications as well as customer specific requirements. Up to 25% travel. Ed or exp background must include: C# ASP.NET, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, R, Python; MS SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Greenplum; etc. Reqs: MS or Equiv & 3 yrs exp.

To apply, applications must indicate Job Code and mail resume and cover letter to: Adobe Systems, Attn: Arlene Batten, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110. Principals only. EOE.

PART-TIME RETAILEnergetic and friendly individual needed

for busy backyard naturestore in the Reston area. Must have knowledge of backyard birds and be

customer service oriented. 15-20 hours per week. Weekday & weekend

hours required. ph 703-403-1283

PEDIATRIC RN/LPNOur busy happy stimulating pediatric practice in Alexandria and Fairfax has an opening for a FT/PT position with some travel between offices. Ideal for

nurses returning to the workforce. Competitive salary with benefits.

Orientation provided. Fax resume to 703-914-5494 or email to [email protected].

RECEPTIONISTA Private Practice in McLean Virginia is

currently seeking for a receptionist. Responsibilities include, scheduling,an-swering the phone, checking in and out

of patients, calling insurance for coverage, etc. If you are interested

please email resume at [email protected].

Educational InternshipsUnusual opportunity to learnmany aspects of the newspa-per business. Internshipsavailable in reporting, pho-tography, research, graphics.Opportunities for students,and for adults consideringchange of career. Unpaid.E-mail [email protected]

To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, visit connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 29Public Safety Preparedness Program. 7 p.m.

at American Legion McLean Post 270, 1355 BallsHill Road, McLean. Public Safety PreparednessProgram, co-sponsored by the Greater McLeanChamber, the McLean Citizens Association, theGreat Falls Citizens Association and the FairfaxCounty Federation of Citizens Associations. Visitwww.mcleanpost270.org for more.

THURSDAY/MARCH 30Caregiver Seminar. 6:30-8 p.m. at Kensington

Falls Church, 700 West Broad St., Falls Church.“A Caregivers Guide to Behavior andCommunication Issues in Dementia.” Learn whathappens when a loved one passes through eachstage of dementia. Topics to be covered:Understanding changes in the brain, How toaddress behavioral and communicationdifficulties that commonly occur, drawingboundaries that honor loved ones whilepreserving a caregivers well-being and more.RSVP to [email protected] or 703-992-9868.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDShepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-

Falls Church, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.,McLean continues to have an urgent need fornew volunteers to help area senior citizens getto and from their medical and therapyappointments. To find out more about theShepherd’s Center and how you can volunteer toprovide transportation and other services, callthe Center at 703-506-2199 or e-mail the Centerat [email protected]. The Center’s website iswww.scmafc.org

THROUGHOUT MARCH 2017Free Public Service Seminars. March 1, 8, 15,

21, 29, at 7 p.m. on Selling Your Home, Aging inPlace, Downsizing, Retirement CommunitiesSeminars. Free public service seminars onSelling Your Home (March 1, McLean HighSchool, 1633 Davidson Rd., McLean), WorkingWith Builders (March 8, Falls Church HS, 7521Jaguar Trail, Falls Church), Financing YourRetirement (March 15, Marshall HS, 7731Leesburg Pike, Falls Church), Tax & EstatePlanning (March 21, Madison HS, 2500 JamesMadison Dr., Vienna), and Decluttering &Organizing (March 29, Oakton HS, 2900 SuttonRd., Vienna). For more information and seminarregistration go to RetireeRealEstate.org, or call703-772-3033.

ONGOINGMaster Gardener Training. The Fairfax County

Master Gardener Association offers plant clinics,home turf training or speakers for homeowner’smeetings. Fees vary. Visit fairfaxgardening.orgor call Dora Lockwood at 401-864-4778.

The Golden Girls of Northern Virginia, asenior women’s softball league, is looking forplayers. Any woman over the age of 40 isencouraged to join. All skill levels are welcome.The games are on Wednesday evenings andSaturday mornings in Vienna. For moreinformation, visit www.goldengirls.org

Passages DivorceCare If you are experiencingthe pain of separation or divorce, the caringcommunity at Vienna Presbyterian Churchinvites you to attend Passages DivorceCare. Thisprogram offers a path toward healing. The next15-week DivorceCare series will be heldTuesdays from 6:45 to 9 p.m. beginning on Feb.21. Vienna Presbyterian Church is located on thecorner of Maple Avenue (Rt. 123) and ParkStreet in Vienna. Cost to cover materials is $20,scholarships available. For more information orto register call 703-938-9050, go towww.viennapres.org, or send an email [email protected].

Are You A Caregiver? Shepherd’s Center ofOakton Vienna Caregivers’ SupportGroup takes place first & third Thursday ofeach month. February 2nd and 16th, 2017 from10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join us at theUnitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax(UUCF) - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRd, Oakton, VA. For more info contactfacilitator, Jack Tarr, [email protected].

Volunteers Needed. PRS is looking for

empathetic and caring volunteers to make phonecalls to older adults who may be feeling sociallyisolated. The commitment is one 3-hour shift perweek for one year. Located in Arlington. Ages 21& up. Intensive training provided. Learn moreand apply: https://prsinc.org/carering-volunteering/. Questions? [email protected].

The Northern Virginia Long Term CareOmbudsman Program needs volunteeradvocates for residents in nursing homes andassisted living facilities. Contact Lisa Callahan at703-324-5861, TTY 711 or [email protected]. Also visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/ltcombudsman/.

Fairfax County needs volunteers to drive olderadults to medical appointments andwellness programs. For these and othervolunteer opportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY711 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadultsand click on Volunteer Solutions.

Respite Care volunteers give family caregivers ofa frail older adult a well-deserved break so theycan go shopping, attend a doctor’s appointmentor just have coffee with a friend. Volunteers visitand oversee the safety of the older adult for afew hours each month. Support and training areprovided. Contact 703-324-7577, TTY 711, [email protected].

The Lewinsville Senior Center in McLeanneeds a Certified Arthritis ExerciseInstructor. For these and other volunteeropportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

The Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna hasan urgent need for volunteer drivers to take areaseniors to medical appointments and otheractivities. Opportunities to volunteer for otherservices are also available. No long-termcommitment and hours are flexible to fit yourschedule.Visit www.scov.org or contact theVolunteer Coordinator at 703-281-5086 or [email protected].

Vienna Toastmasters. 2nd and 4th Wednesdaysfrom 7:30-9 p.m., at the Vienna CommunityCenter on the 2nd floor room opposite theelevator, 120 Cherry St., S.E., Vienna. A friendlyplace to get comfortable with public speakingand impromptu speaking for new andexperienced speakers. Open to the public.

Run With the Doctor. Every other Saturday at 7a.m. 8230 Boone Blvd., Tysons Corner. TheCenter for Orthopedics and Sports Medicineoffers its services in a convenient format torunners at this running event. Free.facebook.com/runwiththedoctor.

Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute ScholarshipProgram. Those enrolled in a Virginia collegeor university who are pursuing a degree in thefield of criminal justice are eligible for theVirginia Sheriff’s Institute Scholarship Program;recommendation letter needed. 703-246-3251,[email protected] or http://vasheriffsinstitute.org/scholarship/.

Volunteers for Change. A program for adultswhich offers more than 50 weekend and eveningvolunteer opportunities per month.www.volunteerfairfax.org.

Haven of Northern Virginia Support Group.703-941-7000, www.havenofnova.org [email protected].

Brinker Toastmasters. 2nd and 4th Saturday,9:30 a.m. at Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124Park St. N.E., Vienna. Brinker.wordpress.com.

Pauline Shirley Toastmasters Club Meeting.2nd and 4th Tuesday, 7 p.m. McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean. Develop better speaking andpresentation skills, learn to think quickly andclearly on your feet. 703-893-5506 orpaulineshirley.freetoasthost.info.

Virginia Chronic Pain Support Group Meetsfrom 1:30 - 3 p.m. the 2nd Wednesday of eachmonth at Kaplan Center for IntegrativeMedicine, 6829 Elm St., Suite 300, McLean.Group leader, Jodi Brayton, LCSW. 703-532-4892.

Potomac Paddlers Volunteer Corps. ThePotomac Paddlers Corps is a volunteer groupwith the National Park Service under sharedmanagement between Great Falls Park and theC&O Canal national Historical Park. The primarymission of the Corps is to have trained,uniformed park volunteers on the Potomac Riverto assist the park in identifying and reportingincidents, watch out for risky park visitorbehavior, and to deliver safety messages to thepublic about the dangers of the Potomac Riverin the Potomac Gorge. Contact: VolunteerCoordinator 703-285-2965 ext. 225 or visitwww.nps.gov

Bulletin


On March 21, high school seniors from fourNorthern Virginia schools spent the day shad-owing bankers at United Bank as part of BankDay, a statewide effort sponsored by the VirginiaBankers Association (VBA) Education Founda-tion and the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders. Thepurpose of the day is to expose students to thebanking industry and provide them with an op-portunity to learn about banking, financial ser-vices and the vital role United Bank plays in itscommunity.

The third Tuesday in March was declared BankDay by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991.

From their experience, participating studentswill write an essay for the chance to win a schol-arship. Six regional scholarships of $2,500 eachwill be awarded, and from those six winners anoverall statewide winner will be chosen. Thestatewide winner will receive an additional$5,000 scholarship. There will also be six hon-orable mention scholarships of $1,000 each. Inall, 12 students will receive scholarships total-ing $26,000.

During their visit to United Bank, students metwith senior representatives from the branch ad-ministration, loan, credit, human resources andmarketing departments. After an introductionto the basics of banking and a tour of the branch,students learned about the loan process, the im-portance of good credit, the profile of a quali-fied borrower, tips on navigating a corporate hir-ing process, how United Bank is involved in thecommunity and more. Students also spent timewith United Bank President and CEO JimConsagra, who shared career advice and insightsinto the industry.

High School SeniorsShadow Bankers

The students enjoyed hearing insights and career guidance fromUnited Bank President & CEO Jim Consagra (pictured).

Photos contributed

On March 21, high school seniors from four Northern Virginiaschools spent the day shadowing bankers at United Bank as part ofBank Day, a statewide effort sponsored by the Virginia BankersAssociation. The purpose of the day is to expose students to thebanking industry and provide them with an opportunity to learnabout banking, financial services and the vital role United Bankplays in its community. The students toured United Bank’s TysonsCorner branch and posed with branch staff.

CommunityMeeting onWoodford RoadStreet Design

Fairfax County Department ofTransportation (FCDOT) will host acommunity meeting to discuss futurebicycle improvements on WoodfordRoad from Old Courthouse Road toElectric Avenue on Wednesday, April5, 6:30-7:30 p.m., in the cafeteria ofKilmer Middle School, 8100 WolftrapRoad, Vienna. A combination of bikelanes and sharrows have been pro-posed for the project.

Community members are invited togive feedback on traffic safety, bicy-cling and the pedestrian environmentin this area of the Providence Districtat the meeting or by submitting com-ments online.

The improvements are part of theVirginia Department ofTransportation’s (VDOT) 2017 repav-ing program, and are limited tochanges that can be made with road-way striping as part of the repavingprocess.

To view a map of the proposedproject area, visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/bike/woodford-street improvements2017.htm.

Week in Vienna

News

By Fallon Forbush

The Connection

Fairfax County residents are majorusers of the Nextdoor social networkand the Fairfax County Police De-

partment has taken advantage of it to con-nect with the communities they patrol andprotect.

Nextdoor spokesperson Joseph Porcellijoined the FCPD at the McLean District Po-lice Station on Thursday, March 23, for apress conference to acknowledge thecounty’s widespread adoption of its freeservice.

“Over the past year, we have seen thecommunity embrace Nextdoor as a valuableand reliable communication tool,” DeputyChief of Police for Administration Lt. Col.Tom Ryan, said during the press conference.“In fact, resident adoption has been sostrong that Fairfax County is now the fast-est growing county using Nextdoor in theMid-Atlantic and Northeast.”

Adoption of Nextdoor by neighbors acrossFairfax County has more than doubled overthe past year. Now more than 100,000 resi-dents, in more than 760 neighborhoods, areconnected to each other and the police de-

partment.These neighborhoods were acknowledged

for their adoption of Nextdoor at the pressconference:

❖ Most Members Enrolled – Fort Hunt-Stratford, Alexandria

❖ Most Talkative Neighborhood –Bentana Park, Reston

❖ Most Supportive Neighborhood – Hunt-ers Green Cluster, Reston

❖ Most Social Neighborhood – Reflection,Herndon

❖ Most Helpful Neighborhood – Memo-rial Heights, Alexandria

❖ Most Generous Neighborhood –

Chantilly Highlands, Herndon❖ Most Watchful Neighborhood – Old

Trail, Reston❖ Most Welcoming Neighborhood –

WVPCA, Annandale❖ Nextdoor Neighborhood Champions –

Burning Bush, Fairfax

EVER SINCE the department started us-ing Nextdoor a year ago, the social networkhas given them access to communicate withmore people than ever before, according toRyan.

“The residents need to understand thatwe work for them,” Ryan said. “They do not

work for us, we do not control them. Wework for them. We are your police depart-ment. I can’t emphasize that enough andtherefore you have a right to know what’sgoing on in your neighborhood. You have aright to know what’s going on in your com-munity.”

When crimes happen, crime preventionofficers use the social network as anotherplatform to post alerts and warnings thatare intended to keep their communities safeand help officers locate suspects.

These crime prevention officers alsomonitor the social network for chatter tostay abreast of happenings in their commu-nities.

“We could not do our jobs without thehelp of Fairfax County residents,” Ryan said.

Ryan then told the audience that he wouldlike to replace the term “community polic-ing” with the term “community engage-ment.”

“Nextdoor allows us to do that,” he said.“Nextdoor allows us to get the word out toa multitude of neighborhoods and a lot ofpeople in just a short amount of time.”

“Being proactive is getting the word outquickly,” Ryan said. “We can target infor-mation to certain neighborhoods that aremore impacted [by crime or crisis].”

The department created an Instagramaccount in September and also uses Twit-ter and Facebook.

Police Stations Turn To Their ‘Nextdoor’ NeighborsCops tout bettercommunity policing.

A year after the Fairfax County Police Department started usingNextdoor, the social network thanked officers and community membersfor helping the county become one of its top user areas in the country.

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