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Springfield Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Franconia ❖ Kingstowne ❖ Newington

SpringfieldSpringfield


Community Steps in to HelpFamily of Navy Yard Victim

News, Page 3


News, Page 3

Cuts Could ImpactSpecial Education GraduatesNews, Page 8

Cuts Could ImpactSpecial Education GraduatesNews, Page 8

Insight onFinding a

HomeNews, Page 9

Abdi Hamud and Agnes Bizzell-Colden of the Fairfax CountyDepartment of Housing andCommunity Development greetedvisitors to the 2014 NorthernVirginia Housing Expo at LeeHigh School in Springfield

Abdi Hamud and Agnes Bizzell-Colden of the Fairfax CountyDepartment of Housing andCommunity Development greetedvisitors to the 2014 NorthernVirginia Housing Expo at LeeHigh School in Springfield

Senior LivingSenior LivingSenior LivingSpringfield Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC


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APRIL 2014APRIL 2014

InsideInside

2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Don’t Fall For Tax Scams“Your driver’s license has been suspended.

You will be arrested. You will be deported.We are on our way to your home right now.”These are just a few of the many threatsscammers have made against hundreds ofFairfax County residents over the past sev-eral weeks. Police warn the public not to fallprey to them and, instead, to call and reportthem.

These telephone scammers are describedas demanding, aggressive, threatening and

easily angered when callers don’t immedi-ately agree to their demands of “overdue taxbalances.” Some have also had heavy accents.

Typically, callers demand between $4,000-$6,000 in immediate payment of unpaid taxbills. These scams are sophisticated and in-volve false names, numbers and phony IRSbadge numbers. Suspects often continue tocall and harass the recipient. So police urgeresidents to:

❖ Contact IRS at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Telephone-Assistance if they feel there’s any

discrepancy with their tax bills or they be-lieve they’re being scammed.

❖ Be skeptical if someone asks/demandstax payments with a Green Dot Moneypack.

❖ Report suspicious or harassing calls topolice at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/po-lice/120413citizenreportingsystem.htm

Once money’s been wired/sent, it’s impos-sible to recover. More information on com-mon scams may be found at http://w w w. f a i r f a x c o u n t y. g o v / p o l i c e /financialcrimes/commonscams.htm.

News

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Datedannouncements should be submitted atleast two weeks prior to the event.

Four Fairfax County PublicSchools (FCPS) students have re-ceived national awards for their writingfrom the Scholastic Art and WritingAwards. Three of the students receivedGold Medals, the highest form of recog-nition.

Aline Dolinh of Oakton High Schoolreceived the American Voices Medal, theequivalent of the best of show award, forher poetry, “Accent Marks, Exorcism,Model Minority, Second-generation.”

National winners include:❖ Melissa Halbrook of Woodson High

School, Gold Medal for humor, “KimJung-Un’s New Clothes.”

❖ Emma Hastings of Thomas JeffersonHigh School for Science and Technology(TJHSST), Gold Medal for short story,“Sight Without Vision, Vision WithoutSight;” and Gold Medal for writing port-folio, “I Sing Of.”

❖ Sara Warrington of TJHSST, SilverMedal for Journalism, “Overcoming Intol-erance.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards,a 91-year old program of the Alliance forYoung Artists and Writers, will honor thewinners at a special ceremony at CarnegieHall in New York City on Friday, June 6.

The Scholastic Writing Awards compe-tition is administered locally by WritopiaLab.

School Notes

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call703-778-9416. The deadline for submis-sions is the Friday prior to publication.Dated announcements should be submit-ted at least two weeks prior to the event.

SATURDAY/ APRIL 5Dog Adoption. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.,

Greenbriar Towncenter, 13053 LeeJackson Memorial Hwy., Fairfax.Homeless Animals Rescue Teamhosts this dog adoption event atPETCO. 703-817-9444 or hart90.org

Restore: The Journey Toward SelfForgiveness & Physical Health.9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Greater Little ZionBaptist Church, 10185 Zion Drive,Fairfax. To RSVP, call the church at703-764-9111 or email CancerSupport Team Ministry [email protected].

Navigating the Complexities ofLyme Disease. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124Park St, NE, Vienna. RSVP [email protected].

SUNDAY/APRIL 6The Effects of Mass Incarceration:

A Public Forum on CriminalJustice Sentencing Reform. 2-4p.m. Accotink Unitarian UniversalistChurch, 10125 Lakehaven Drive,Burke. www.accotinkuuc.org

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 9Free Dual Seminar. 7-8:30 p.m. 2700

Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 120, Fairfax.Simplified Stock InvestmentManagement and 1031 Tax-FreeProperty Exchanges. Register bycalling 703-969-4966.

Issues and Activities of VirginiaState Legislature 2014. 1:30 p.m.American Legion Post 176, 6520Amherst Avenue, Springfield.Delegate Mark Sickles (D-Franconia)will report on the issues andactivities of the 2014 Virginia StateLegislature and will include histhoughts on the influence of therecent Democratic party politicalchanges in the State Legislature. Q&Ato follow.

Bulletin Board


By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

Although there havebeen four recent inci-dents of teen suicides

in Fairfax County, the Police De-partment has planned to offerSuicide Awareness and Inter-vention Training for its officerssince October 2013.

So police and others whowork with youth recently tooka two-day course at the Crimi-nal Justice Academy inChantilly to learn how they canhelp prevent people at imme-diate risk of suicide from fol-lowing through.

“This is a collaboration be-tween school social workers,counselors, [police] School Re-source Officers [SRO] andschool security,” said police Lt.Christian Quinn, school liaisoncommander. “SROs are the li-aison between the Police De-partment and the school sys-tem.”

“This training will give the of-ficers some perspective andhelp them establish relation-ships with these other groupsbecause they see the kids first,”he continued. “The goal is tospot kids in crisis and providethem with meaningful inter-vention before they make tragicchoices.”

THE WORKSHOP focused onsmall-group discussions andskills that could help them savelives. Officers learned how torecognize a call for help, reachout and offer support and con-nect people with the particularresources they need.

“This is the means to identifykids struggling and maybe notvoicing it,” explained Quinn.“Not everybody who’s de-pressed commits suicide, andnot everybody who’s suicidalexpresses this feeling. So we tryto see what subtle behaviorsthey do in advance so we canprovide proactive measures.”

For example, it helps if po-lice, social workers or counse-lors can receive a peer referralbecause of something disturb-ing or unsettling that a teenposted on social media. Then,

said Quinn, “We can put in asafety plan and try some stepsto help [that teen].”

SROs get to know studentsand their friends personally. Sooften, said Quinn, “The kidswill go to the SRO and say, ‘I’mconcerned about So and So.’ Ifit prevents even one suicide, it’sworth the effort.”

He said teens often exhibitsome telltale behavior signal-ing they’re having some type ofproblems. Some of the warn-ing signs to look for are behav-ioral changes; threatening mes-sages; and a change in grades,friends and/or activities out-side of school. That’s why, saidQuinn, “Parental involvementis paramount. If parents seechanges in their kids, they canbring it to the attention of theSRO. They and the school so-cial workers and counselors arethe first net to provide safetyand catch something. Thenthere can be some interventionand kids can get help, such asa referral for long-term care.”

ABOUT 30 PEOPLE signedup for the mid-March class atthe Criminal Justice Academy.They were evenly divided be-tween SROs, school security,and school social workers, cli-nicians and counselors.

Master trainers from theASIST (Applied Suicide Inter-vention Skills Training) pro-gram – offered by a companycalled LivingWorks – providedthe instruction. Also sponsor-ing the course was the VirginiaDepartment of Criminal JusticeServices; it was funded by agrant. According to ASIST, asmuch as 6 percent of the popu-lation has serious thoughts ofsuicide. In Fairfax County, therewere 94 suicides in 2012 and95 in 2013. So far this year,there have been 19 – and 15 ofthem were teenagers.

‘Goal Is to SpotKids in Crisis’Police, otherstake suicidepreventiontraining.

Police Lt. ChristianQuinn

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News

By Janelle Germanos

The Connection

The community isstepping in tohelp the familyof Martin

Bodrog, a victim of the NavyYard Shootings in Septem-ber 2013.

When Bodrog died, hewas halfway through finish-ing repairs on his home. Butthanks to neighbor John Ru-therford, Immanuel BibleChurch in Springfield,where Bodrog was a mem-ber, and Thompson CreekWindow Company, the re-pairs have continued.

When things started to settle down after MartinBodrog passed away, Rutherford decided to put to-gether a list of all the things Bodrog had wanted tofix at the house.

Bodrog was an active member of Immanuel BibleChurch, where Rutherford also attends.

“My family is really close with the Bodrogs,” Ruth-erford said. “They are just such a great, humble fam-ily.”

Brian Wuest, a vice president of the Maryland basedThompson Creek Window Company, said an em-ployee of the company and a neighbor of the Bodrog’sheard about the community’s efforts and wanted hiscompany to help.

Last week, Thompson Creek traveled to theBodrog’s Annandale home and began installing 130-feet of gutters, 10 windows, and new siding. Thedonations totaled $30,000.

“The goal was really to give them a home withminimum maintenance,” Wuest said. “They won’thave to work to keep on track of all of that stuff.”

Bodrog taught Sunday school classes at theImmanuel Bible Church and worked with the church’sYoung Life program.

According to Holley, pastor of ministries atImmanuel Bible Church, the church has really feltthe loss of Bodrog and wanted to help in as manyways as they could. So that’s why Rutherford andthe church asked Melanie, Bodrog’s wife, if therewere any unfinished projects at the house.

“The church cares about its people and wants tohelp,” he said.

The sense of community felt at the installation,Wuest said, was great

“It was amazing,” Wuest said. “Melanie Bodrog wasso nice and just very thankful. They’ve been throughso much. It was touching to hear how many peoplereally came together to help her out and help herfamily out.”

Members from Bodrog’s church have been help-ing out the family with everything from helpingto repair the home’s foundation to painting anddrywall.


A Thompson Creek employee unloads awindow at the Bodrog home on March 26.Martin Bodrog, a victim of the Navy Yardshootings, was halfway through repairs onhis home in Annandale when he died inSeptember 2013.

Immanuel Bible Church in Springfieldcoordinated the effort to finish repairs onMartin Bodrog’s house. Here, an employeeof Thompson Creek installs a window, partof the $30,000 donation made to theBodrog house.

Photos Courtesy of Kate Hawken

Immanuel Baptist Church in Springfield and Thompson CreekWindow Company worked together to install new windows,gutters and siding to the Bodrog home.

Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield coordinatedthe effort.

“The people from the church couldn’t say enoughhow thankful they were to have us provide the win-dows and the installation,” Wuest said.

Springfield Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


News

The 36th annual Valor Awards, hon-oring public safety heroes, was pre-sented by the Fairfax County Cham-

ber of Commerce at a luncheon at the HiltonMcLean Tysons Corner on Monday, March31.

Certificates of Valor were bestowed uponPolice Department First Class Officers AdamP. Ankers, Sara R. Polowy, Beth L. Gardner,Daniel S. Goldman, Michael A. Lentz, MarkE. Tenally as well as Sergeant Camile S.Neville, Second Lieutenant Dwayne F.Machosky, Technician Thomas R. Barnes,Captain II David K. Gruendel and Captain IMarc. L. Straubinger. Fairfax CountySheriff ’s Office recipients included PrivateFirst Class Nicolas Barb, Daryl Shifflett andSergeant Shawna Wood.

The Bronze Medal of Valor was presentedto Fairfax County Police Officers Robert C.Hines, Scott H. Reever, Shannon L. Sams,Daniel W. Romanoff and Second Lieuten-ant Trafton C. Parr.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue crews 410and 418 responded to a high-rise buildingon Nov. 8, 2013 and rescued a barely con-scious woman before the hose line wasready to extinguish the fire engulfing thebuilding. For their heroic efforts, Captain IPatrick Sheehan, Technicians Kevin R.Dabney, Jorge H. Ochaita, Scott E. Herbertand Jeffery T. Pfeifer, Lieutenant MichaelS. Taylor, Firefighter Andres F. Martinez andVolunteer Firefighter Brian Pelletier werehonored with the Bronze Medal of Valor.

For their efforts in rescuing a crew mem-ber from a crash site in the Republic ofKyrgyzstan, Firefighter and Medic SallyDickinson, USAR Canine Handler ElizabethKreitler and Battalion Chief Michael C.Schaff were also honored with the BronzeMedal of Valor. Canines were also honoredfor that mission: Fielder and Garo, who wason hand to receive the medal around hisneck from Fire and Rescue Chief RichardBowers Jr. Master Deputy Sheriff HeatherLama from the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Of-fice was awarded the Bronze Medal of Valor

for her response to a high-risk domestic dis-pute in Chantilly. Lieutenant Antonio D.Trammell received the Silver Medal of Valorfor his quick response to an inflamed caraccident in Prince George’s County, Md.

The Gold Medal of Valor, which has notbeen handed out for years, was presentedto First Class Police Officers Keith J. Bakerand Edward L. Carpenter for displayinguncommon valor in the face of an extremelyviolent incident involving two armed assail-ants.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Depart-ment Engine 413, Rescue 401 and TowerLadder 430 responded to a fire that brokeout in a liquefied propane gas refilling andstorage yard in a densely populated area ofMerrifield area. Fire and Rescue crew mem-bers who prevented this disaster and werehonored included Battalion Chief James J.Walsh, Captain II Ronnie A. Rodriguez,Master Technicians Annette Corwin, Dou-glas L. Miller, Ronald G. Bauserman andDaniel M. Sova, Technician Jarrod A.Schmidt, Firefighters Todd E. Clist, JoshuaM. Morrison and Donald W. Rohr and Lieu-tenants Carmen Alessi and Daniel J.Kwiatkowski.

Connolly noted in his message to thosehonored: “Their efforts, made on behalf ofthe citizens of Fairfax County, are selflessacts worthy of our highest praise and re-spect.”

— Veronica Bruno

Bronze Medal of ValorAward recipients (from

left ) included FairfaxCounty Fire & Rescue

Department FirefighterAndres F. Martinez,

Technicians Jeffery T.Pfeifer, Jorge H.

Ochaita, and Kevin R.Dabney and Captain I

Patrick Sheehan.

First Class Police Officer Sara R.Polowy was awarded a Certificateof Valor by Police DepartmentChief Ed Roessler.

County Honors Its HeroesChamber of Com-merce hosts annualValor Awards.

Photos by

Veronica Bruno

The Connection


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News

On March 26, over 600 residentsand guests attended Greenspring’sannual Food & Wine Expo. Thisyear, the event highlighted thecommunity’s extensive wine selec-tion, healthy-choice menu options,and local food vendors, as well asculinary demonstrations byGreenspring’s chefs.

Greenspring’s own chefs wereon hand providing regular demon-strations and the community’s di-etitians were available to discussall aspects of healthy eating. AsNational Nutrition Month is cel-ebrated in March, residents andguests also had the opportunity tolearn more about My Nutrition, anonline source for nutritional factsand figures for every item serveddaily at the community.

Some of the vendors who exhib-ited at the event included CapitalSeaboard, Hershey’s Ice Cream,Metropolitan Meat, Seafood &Poultry, Sysco, Clements Bakery,Kellogg’s and Coastal Sunbelt Pro-duce, among others. They pro-vided a wide assortment ofsamples and information on glu-ten-free and sugar-free items, sus-tainable seafood products, andfarm-fresh produce.

Greenspring is home to nearly2000 residents and operates sev-eral dining venues across campus,including five restaurants in inde-pendent living. The communityrotates 1200 items monthly on itsmenus and also provides residentswith a selection of nearly twodozen wines on any given day.

Enjoying Food & Wine Expo

Photos by Jessica McKay

Residents and guests had the opportunity to taste andpurchase a variety of wines.

Residents enjoyed the wine tasting at the expo; presidentof the Greenspring Resident Council, Clint Lambert (onthe right), is a member of the wine club at the commu-nity.


Opinion

By Sharon Bulova

Chairman, Fairfax County

Board of Supervisors

As the Virginia General Assembly con-tinues to discuss the expansion ofMedicaid, the benefits and conse-quences of doing so have received a

great deal of attention. Debates rage in themedia, among businesses and around thekitchen tables of ordinary Virginians through-out the state. At our board meeting of March25 my colleagues and I reiterated, in a bi-par-tisan vote, our strong support for Medicaidexpansion in Virginia, and here’s why:

First and foremost, Virginians havealready paid for most of Medicaidexpansion through our federal taxdollars. Through the year 2022, Vir-ginians will pay $29.7 billion in AffordableCare Act related taxes and fees to the federalgovernment. The federal government willcover almost all of the cost for Medicaid ex-pansion with tax dollars collected from thestates, including Virginia. If Medicaid is ex-panded in Virginia, the federal government willpay 100 percent of the cost through 2016, de-creasing incrementally to 90 percent in 2020and subsequent years. If Medicaid is not ex-

panded in Virginia, we willstill pay those same taxesbut will see no correspond-ing benefit to our unin-sured population — rather,our tax dollars will be usedto pay for uninsured indi-viduals in other states.

Second, the economicbenefits of expanding Med-

icaid, aside from the obvious return of taxpayerdollars to our state, far outweigh the costs. Toput it plainly, not addressing affordable healthcare coverage in Virginia costs Virginia money.Employed Virginians with insurance already

subsidize care provided for unin-sured Virginians needing urgenttreatment when they show up inemergency rooms. These visits result

in higher premiums for employed Virginiansas well as increased provider costs. Medicaidexpansion would increase less expensive pre-ventative care thus reducing more expensiveemergency care. This would not only drivedown costs but could also improve the overallhealth of Virginia residents.

A largely unseen cost of our current situa-tion is the existing financial burden on county-funded safety net providers, including non-

profit organizations that assist lower incomeresidents. The Fairfax-Falls Church CommunityServices Board estimates that the percentageof clients receiving substance abuse treatmentor mental health services who are covered byMedicaid will rise from 38 percent to 50 per-cent under the proposed expansion, freeing upCounty funding for other critical needs.

Lastly, Medicaid expansion provides a tre-mendous opportunity to do more to help ourmost vulnerable residents. In Fairfax Countyalone, up to 30,000 low-income residentswould become eligible for Medicaid throughexpansion, including: individuals earning lessthan $15,302 per year; families earning lessthan $31,155 per year; low-income childrenwho lose Medicaid when they turn 19; and,adults with disabilities not eligible for Supple-mental Security Income or Social Security Dis-ability Insurance. Under Medicaid expansion,Virginia’s health care delivery system will havethe resources needed to provide quality ser-vices to those in need.

The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerceand Fairfax County’s local hospitals recognizethese facts, and have strongly endorsed Med-icaid expansion. Let’s keep Virginia’s tax dol-lars in Virginia and increase access for unin-sured Virginians at the same time.

Why I Support Medicaid Expansion

Letters to the Editor

Commentary

See Human, Page 10

To the Board of Supervisors:

The following open letter to the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors concernshousing and human services budget rec-ommendations from the Fairfax CountyBudget Advocacy Coalition for Housingand Human Services.

nificant amounts of private capi-tal to provide a return on thecounty’s investment. These invest-ments help us maintain a diverse,caring community that providesaccess to opportunities for all.

The guiding principles that in-formed our decisions are as fol-lows:

❖ No one recommendationtakes priority over the others;

❖ Each recommendation funds

To the Editor:Supporting the public schools is

Fairfax County’s number one pri-ority. Proof of that lies in the factthat over 50 percent of thecounty’s budget supports schoolprograms. This large expense hasgenerated considerable debateamong county taxpayers over theyears. However, this year the dis-cussion has become toxic and per-sonal. I went to the Lee Districtbudget hearing on Wednesdayevening, the 26th, to hear present-ers from Fairfax County andFairfax County Public Schools ex-plain their respective proposedbudgets. Although the financialpicture has improved, the countyis still not free of the impacts ofthe economic downturn at the end

of the last decade. Two issuesdominated the audience discus-sion: the possible increase in realestate taxes and the request by theschool board for a funding in-crease over last year’s budget.

One of the very worst publicmeetings I’ve attended! Two older,retired persons in the audienceworried about the impact of in-creased home assessments and taxrates; audience members repre-senting the schools were belliger-ent and insulting to the point ofbullying. “My kids deserve the bestschools, so quit your whining andpay,” was the gist of their attack.The school board member repre-senting Lee District rolled her eyes,made faces, and played with heriPad during the County’s budget

Toxic Debate on School Budgetpresentation and the countysupervisor’s subsequent responsesto questions. It is clear that someparents and school board mem-bers are passionate about theschools. I understand that. Butthere needs to be some minimumlevel of decency and respectfulnessduring this debate. Those who cryout, “Fully fund Fairfax CountySchools,” need to stop and think.Over 70 percent of the taxpayersin Fairfax do not have kids incounty schools. You are asking usto pay for your child’s educationat the expense of other importantservices. Social workers in themental health field, for example,are today handling caseloads of 50clients or more. This is almostdouble the recommended norm.

Clients must wait up to threemonths for an intake interviewand up to six weeks after that fortreatment. These are some of thetrade-offs you are asking taxpay-ers to make. You need to convinceus that the school programs aremore important than taking careof those with disorders of thebrain, law enforcement, fire emer-gencies, the list goes on and on.Insults and threats do not con-vince! It is also not a good examplefor those very children aboutwhom you care. I left the meetingangry at and ashamed of my fel-low citizens...and much less as-sured about the abilities of thosemanaging my county schools.

Terry AtkinsonFairfax

As you consider the proposed FY 2015 countybudget, we urge you to

make additional and needed in-vestments in housing, health andhuman services programs. Theserecommendations were developed

through a collaborative process ofnonprofit housing developers, hu-man service providers, and advo-cacy organizations identifyingcommunity needs. Strategic pub-lic investments in housing andhuman services can leverage sig-

Maintaining a Viable, Diverse CommunityWhile need for housing, childcare, healthcare andother human services have grown, these programshave faced significant cuts over past few years.

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Springfield


Paul H.Weisshaar, M.D.

will close hisGynecologypractice on4/30/2014

WEEKDAYS • SATURDAYS • EVENINGS 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CAREMET LIFE, DELTA, BCBS/CAREFIRST, & UNITED CONCORDIA PROVIDER

Nancy and Alan Soschin ofSpringfield announced the en-gagement of their son, Charles Jayto Erin Rose Searer.

Charles, “CJ” Soschin is a 2000graduate of West Springfield HighSchool and a 2005 graduate ofGeorge Washington University.Charles earned his J.D. from Wid-ener University School of law in2009.

Erin is the daughter of Susan

and Timothy Searer of Lewistown,Pa. She graduated from LewistownArea High School in 2001 and LaSalle University in 2005. Erin alsoearned her J.D. from WidenerUniversity School of Law in 2009.

Erin and Charles are attorneyspracticing law in the District ofColumbia and Northern Virginia.They reside in Shirlington. Theirwedding is planned for November2014 in Leesburg.

Charles Jay Soschin and Erin RoseSearer Engaged

Photo contributed

Charles “CJ” Soschin and Erin Rose Searer

Engagement

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. Deadline is Fri-day. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior tothe event.

Mothers and daughters, cometogether to enjoy Bingo, crafts, games,refreshments and more. Bring yourfavorite teacup and wear your best teaparty hat for special contest categories.The cost is $25/couple with an extra$5 for each additional sibling.

The Tea is Saturday, April 5, from2-4 p.m. at Burke United MethodistChurch. There will also be a silent auc-tion with a portion of the proceeds tobenefit SHARE - Share Her AnnualReal Expenses - a Girl Scout Council ofthe Nation’s Capital program that pro-vides funding for Girl Scout campsites,leader training and financial aid.

For reservations contact SandyLatta at 703-495-0063 or [email protected]. Reservations closeMarch 29.

The Cancer Treatment Cen-ters of America, sponsored by theCancer Support Team, Ministry ofGreater Little Baptist Church, Fairfax,will present “Restore: The JourneyToward Self Forgiveness & PhysicalHealth” on Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m.to 1 p.m. at the Greater Little ZionBaptist Church, 10185 Zion Drive,Fairfax. This is a free event. To RSVP,call the church at 703-764-9111 oremail Cancer Support Team Ministryat [email protected]

The speaker will be Rev. Dr.Michael Barry author of the Forgive-ness Project and Director of PastoralCare at Cancer Treatment Centers ofAmerica in Philadelphia, Pa.

The Effects of Mass Incarcera-tion: A Public Forum onCriminal Justice Sentencing Re-

form will be held on Sunday, April 6,2 - 4 p.m. at Accotink Unitarian Uni-versalist Church, 10125 LakehavenDrive, Burke. The panelists includestate Sen. Dave Marsden, the Sentenc-ing Project’s Nazgol Ghandnoosh,Fairfax’s Deputy County ExecutiveDavid Rohrer. They will engage theseconcerns: the United States has morepeople in jail than any nation in thehistory of the world. Unintended con-sequences of this Mass Incarcerationare especially devastating to poor com-munities of color. YoungAfrican-American Men are more likelyto go to jail than to college. Many drugoffenders are discriminated against inhousing, voting and education afterthey have served their sentences. Howdo we minimize the human costs ofthe Drug War and Mass Incarcerationand fix this crisis? For more info got towww.accotinkuuc.org - or call 703-503-4579 and ask for Reverend ScottSammler-Michael

Fairfax Baptist Temple, at thecorner of Fairfax County Parkway andBurke Lake Roads, holds a bible studyfellowship at 9 a.m. Sundays followedby a 10 a.m. worship service. Nurserycare and children’s church also pro-vided. 6401 Missionary Lane, FairfaxStation, 703-323-8100 orwww.fbtministries.org.

The Guhyasamaja BuddhistCenter, 10875 Main St., Fairfax Cityprovides free classes to both newcomersand advanced practitioners of TibetanBuddhism. The center emphasizes work-ing with the mind and learning how tounderstand the workings of the mind,overcoming innner causes of suffering,while cultivating causes of happiness.Under the direction of Lama ZopaRinpoche, the center is a place of study,contemplation and meditation. Visithttp://www.guhyasamaja.org for moreinformation.

Faith Notes

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News

By Janelle Germanos

The Connection

Lynn Ruiz’s daughter Lydia, whohas Down syndrome, will begraduating from Fairfax CountyPublic Schools this June. Ruiz, a

Springfield resident, had originally plannedfor her daughter to participate in an em-ployment program that helps students withspecial needs transition into adulthood.

The $1.3 million funding increase to theCommunity Services Board budget for thisprogram that is necessary to support com-munity members like Lydia was includedin County Executive Ed Long’s budget pre-sentation on Feb. 25.

However, when Long presented furtherreductions to the Fairfax County Board ofSupervisors on March 18, as the supervi-sors requested, the $1.3 million for day sup-port and employment programs was amongthe possible reductions.

If these reductions are approved, Lydiawill be one of the estimated 74 special edu-cation graduates this year without fundingfor these services.

“I think this is just really, really poor plan-ning to throw at people just a couple monthsbefore graduation,” Ruiz said. “We reallydidn’t see this coming this year.”

Ruiz, who works as the director of com-munity relations at the Arc of Northern Vir-ginia, an organization that advocates forindividuals with special needs and theirfamilies, isn’t sure what she is going to doif these cuts are made.

“She needs to have something productiveto do,” Ruiz said. “My daughter sitting athome means I’m sitting at home.”

She said her daughter is ready for em-ployment, but needs funding for servicesthat provide employment skills and jobtraining. For years, Fairfax County has pro-vided these funds for special educationgraduates, allowing them to enroll in pro-grams that provide transitional life skills.

“Fairfax County realized that’s the mostproductive and the best way to keep thesestudents productive and active in the com-munity. It benefits the whole community,”Ruiz said.

If Ruiz were to pay for a transition ser-vice out of pocket, she said it would costher up to $3,000 a month.

Many of the 74 students, including Lydia,are on the waiting list for Medicaid waiv-ers, which would provide the necessaryfunding for these programs. But Lydia’sbeen on the waiting list for 12 years.

Ruiz, along with numerous other fami-lies of children in Fairfax County, was count-ing on this program.

“This is a huge surprise to many parents.

A lot of parents aren’t even understandinghow exactly this is going to affect them,”Ruiz said.

FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION GRADU-ATES, the transition process can sometimesbe difficult. Without these programs, theyare unable to receive the support they needin the workplace, Ruiz said.

“If there is no support in that workplace,they are going to get fired,” she said.

Special education students exit the pub-lic school system when they turn 22. If theprogram is cut, Ruiz says the momentum

the students have from being in school fornearly two decades will be lost.

“You’ve learned to read, write, count yourmoney; you’ve learned to do all thesethings. You’re all prepared to be an adult,just like those other kids who are going offto college, and suddenly you’re told schoolsover, and there’s no funding out there,” Ruizsaid. “You have nothing in your life, unlessof course you have maybe a mom and dadtake off and do things like an almost home-school situation.”

And often, that type of situation does oc-cur, either by choice or because of a lack of

funding.Because Ruiz is still waiting for Lydia’s

Medicaid waiver, and the funding fromFairfax County for these programs may becut, she may have to quit her job and starther own business, providing her daughterwith an employment opportunity.

“She needs something productive to do. Iwas thinking maybe I’ll go back to my busi-ness I used to do — I was a photographerbefore, and she could be my assistant. Idon’t know,” Ruiz said.

Possible cuts to human services programsare nothing new, but the Arc was just notexpecting them this year.

“There is a cruel irony in seeing this pro-posal put forth as a way to allocate morefunding for the Fairfax County educationalsystem by robbing the most vulnerablegraduates of post-school opportunities,”Rikki Epstein, executive director of the Arcof Northern Virginia, said in a press release.

“Fairfax’s special education students workhard to develop skills that will help themwork and be as independent as possiblepost-graduation. Fairfax County teachers,transition coordinators, and school admin-istrators invest in that potential. To allowthese students to graduate without oppor-tunities for support services in the voca-tional world is a disservice to the work ofall involved and a painful misuse of an in-credible investment and potential,” Epsteinstated.

Now, Lydia will be on yet another wait-ing list, this time for funding for a programthat Ruiz was expecting her daughter tostart after graduation.

IN A LETTER to Kevin Bell, chairman ofthe Fairfax County Human Services Coun-cil, Ken Garnes, chair of the Fairfax-FallsChurch Community Services Board, askedthe council to do as much as possible toconvince the Board of Supervisors to keepthe funding for these employment services.

“Just last month, the Board of Supervi-sors issued a proclamation supporting andcelebrating the inclusion of individuals withintellectual and developmental disabilitiesin our community. We need to show theseJune 2014 special education graduates that,as a county, we mean what we say,” Ruizwrote.

The Arc of Northern Virginia is encour-aging families that will be impacted by thebudget cuts to speak at the public hearingsin front of the Board of Supervisors on April10 at 3 p.m. at the Fairfax County Govern-ment Center.

Cuts Could Impact Special Education GraduatesFamilies will speakagainst proposed bud-get cuts at publichearing on April 10.

County Executive Ed Long speaks in Mount Vernon in February. Long wasrequested by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to present a list offurther possible budget cuts. Those cuts, which Long presented onMarch 18, include a $1.3 million cut to employment programs for spe-cial education graduates.

Lydia Ruiz and Melissa Saunders are graduating from Fairfax CountyPublic Schools this June. Melissa attends Falls Church High School, andLydia attends the James Earl Pulley Center in Alexandria.

“This is a huge surpriseto many parents. A lot ofparents aren’t evenunderstanding howexactly this is going toaffect them.”

— Lynn Ruiz

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By Janelle Germanos

The Connection

Am I qualified to buy a home?What does my credit score needto be? Where is affordable hous-ing located in Fairfax County?

Those were just a few of the many ques-tions that Gail Lee of the Fairfax CountyDepartment of Housing and CommunityDevelopment answered at the 2014 NOVAHousing Expo at Lee High School on March27. Lee was stationed at Fairfax County’stable, one of the dozens of booths with in-formation on buying or renting a house setup at the fair. She distributed informationon the Fairfax County First-TimeHomebuyers program, which helps familieswith moderate incomes find a home in thecounty.

“I got a lot of questions on what the pro-cess is for enrolling in this program,” Leesaid.

To be eligible for the First-TimeHomebuyers program, applicants have tobe first-time homebuyers, have an incomeof at least $25,000 and less than the maxi-mum income limits, have a credit score of640 and above, and meet additional crite-ria including conditional lender approvaland a three percent down payment, clos-ing costs and one month of savings.

THOSE INTERESTED in enrolling in theprogram have to attend an orientation ses-sion and a certified homeownership class,meet with a lender, and attend an applica-tion session.

Xiomara Fleming, a housing service spe-cialist for the Fairfax County Departmentof Housing and Urban Development, saidshe was kept busy at the expo answeringquestions on renting in Fairfax County. Thecounty offers programs such as theWorkforce Dwelling Unit Rental program,which helps people with modest incomesfind an affordable place to live. The eventalso included free workshops that offeredpractical advice on buying or renting in thearea, including household budgeting andfinance, condominium 101, maximizingenergy efficiency, and “Are you ready torent?” Noel Shepherd, a home lending of-ficer for CitiBank, taught one of the three“Are You Ready to Buy?” workshops. Shep-herd has been a loan officer for over 17years. “I’ve seen the good, the bad and theugly,” Shepherd said.

According to Shepherd, prospectivehomeowners need to be pre-approved for aloan before beginning the search for a houseand to be taken seriously as a homebuyer.

“There is a big difference between beingpre-approved and being pre-qualified,”Shepherd said. “In order to be pre-ap-proved, you need to have completed a fullapplication. You need to have supplied the

lender with your income documentationand your asset documentation, so that theycan be reviewed by the underwriter and youcan be issued a pre-approval.”

Shepherd said that in today’s home buy-ing environment, pre-approval is the wayto go. Everything on the application is scru-tinized, and honesty is important.

“As a loan officer, I become your very bestfriend while you go through this process,”Shepherd said.

After being pre-approved for a loan, po-tential homebuyers can begin the processof finding a property for purchase.

Shepherd then asked those present at theworkshop what they saw as the major prosof home ownership.

“The American dream,” answered JohnnyAlexander, an employee of the City of Alex-andria. According to Shepherd, however,tax benefits are a major plus to being a ho-meowner. The cons include home mainte-nance, which Shepherd says potentialhomeowners need to budget in when be-ginning the process of buying a home.

THE WORKSHOP also gave advice oncredit scores and reports. According toShepherd, the minimum credit score peoplelooking to purchase a home can have is 350,and the maximum is 850.

“Typically, lenders will not lend to you ifyou’re under a 620 credit score. It is verydifficult to do a loan with a credit scorebelow 620,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd recommended that individualswith a credit score below 620 should meetwith a counseling agency to increase theirscore. In addition, before consulting a loanofficer, potential homebuyers should knowwhat is on their credit report. Everyone isentitled to a free credit report annually,Shepherd said.

“Do not go with that commercial that yousee on TV with the lovely jingles. You haveto pay for that. The place to go isannualcreditreport.com where you get yourcredit report free,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd also advised the class to keepbalances on credit cards below 50 percentof the credit limit.

After learning about types of loans, creditscores and more, Alexander, who attendedShepherd’s class, said he is more informedabout the process of buying a home.

“Really, everything that he taught washelpful,” Alexander said.

And despite the rainy weekend, AbdiHamud of the Fairfax County Departmentof Housing and Community Developmentsaid the turnout was pretty high.

“The event went really well. We hadpeople from all income spectrums attend,”he said.

Housing Expo Provides Insight on Finding a HomePotential renters andbuyers flock to 2014NOVA Housing Expo.

The 2014 Northern Virginia Housing Expo featured free exhibits andworkshops focused on buying or renting a home.

The 2014 Northern Virginia Housing Expo included workshops onimproving credit score, renting, buying, energy efficiency, and house-hold budgeting. Attendees of this session of “Are You Ready to Buy?”taught by Noel Shepherd of CitiBank, learned about the steps needed tobuy a house in the current market.

Gail Lee and Carol Erhard, director of the Rental Services Division atFairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development,presented information on housing programs in Fairfax County at the2014 Northern Virginia Housing Expo.

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“Typically, lenders willnot lend to you if you’reunder a 620 creditscore.”

— Noel Shepherd of CitiBank


Opinion

Human Services: Between Growing Needs and Budget CutsFrom Page 6

a program that is an essential componentof a system of housing and services thatoffer individuals and families in need theoptimum chances for success;

❖ These recommendations support a widespectrum of households along the housingcontinuum;

❖ No funding for new initiatives is re-quested. Instead, these recommendationsfund coordinated efforts between housingand service providers to deliver criticalsafety net supports with maximum effi-ciency and adoption of best practices.

Our coalition supports the limited hous-ing and human services funding in theCounty Executive’s Budget, and respectfullyurges no further cuts to these budgets. Thisrequest is made in light of significant cutsto these programs over the past few years,even as the need for housing, childcare,healthcare and other human services havegrown. In supporting the County’s Execu-tive proposals, we would like to highlightthe following:

Contract Rate Increases for Human Ser-vice Providers: We support the CountyExecutive’s inclusion of $2.17 million for acontract rate increase for human servicesproviders in the County, especiallynonprofits. These providers offer criticalservices to low and moderate income house-holds that would fall to the county alone ifthe nonprofit partners did not exist. Thesecommunity-based organizations have builtcorporate and private sector support fortheir efforts to leverage public resources.However, funding for these organizationsthat provide services must keep pace withinflation, our high cost of living, pay andbenefits, to attract and retain their staff.

Consolidated Community Funding Pool(CCFP): We support the increase of$743,388 (7.5 percent over the FY 2014Adopted Budget amount of $9.9 million)for the first year of a two-year CCFP cyclethat begins in FY 2015. FY 2015 Commu-nity Development Block Grant funding isprojected to be $1.8 million, an increase of$250,791. The total FY 2015 CCFP fundingis therefore anticipated to be $12.4 million,an increase of $944,179 over the FY 2014amount of $11.4 million. This additionalfunding strengthens the county’s investmentin community-based programs and is wel-comed.

Mondloch Place $275,000 (Office to Endand Prevent Homelessness): We supportfunding needed for on-site supportive ser-vices to formerly homeless single adults.The funds will pay the contract costs tooperate the program, including staffing thefacility, and leverages the county’s invest-ment in the substantial renovation of thebuilding.

Employment Services $200,000 (Office toEnd and Prevent Homelessness): We sup-port continued funding for a pilot programintegrating employment services into theexisting Bridging Affordability frameworkof the Housing Blueprint. Providing servicesthat adequately address the special needsof many in the Bridging Affordability pro-gram — something that is lacking in exist-

ing employment services programs — isessential for these households to achievegreater financial security and self-suffi-ciency. This funding was originally includedin the FY 2014 budget, but was held in re-serve pending approval of the plan.

Katherine K. Hanley Townhomes$235,220 (Office to End and PreventHomelessness): We support funding to pro-vide supportive housing and services tofamilies with children. Two 3-unit buildingsare scheduled to open in December 2014.

Domestic and Sexual Violence Services$139,973 (Department of Family Services):We support funding for one new programmanager position to address both increas-

of extremely low income families have ac-cess to stable housing options and don’tcycle back into homelessness.

The FY2015 advertised budget also in-cludes $5 million for the New Private Part-ner Acquisition to increase the county’sstock of committed affordable housing. Thisfunding would be used to preserve or de-velop 120 units of affordable housing forlow income working families, but thisamount is inadequate to provide the gapfinancing for such a project, especially if thegoal of serving formerly homeless persons,as stated in the Blueprint, is to be achieved.

In considering these requests, please notethe following statistics:

sured clients to travel to Charlottesville,spending scarce money and missing daysat work. It is our understanding that a work-ing group of public and private providersand leaders has recently initiated efforts tobuild and sustain a local specialty networksystem.

Therefore, rather than recommend res-toration of the funding at this time, we sug-gest that the county continue to support thiseffort and play an appropriate role in de-veloping solutions to this problem. By thetime of Carryover, we should all have a bet-ter understanding about the needed re-sources, if any.

This coalition appreciates the significantbudget challenges you face for FY2015, andthanks you for our partnership as we worktogether in support of the most vulnerablein our community. However, we are deeplyconcerned that the housing and human ser-vices system has reached a “tipping point”where it will not be possible to decreasefunding without sacrificing services andfailing to meet the human services needs ofcounty residents. We believe that there isvery little margin for error, and that anyfurther cuts will result in program reduc-tions, eliminations, or waiting lists for ser-vices. If Fairfax County is to remain a placeof excellence, we must come together as acommunity to discuss a long term strategyfor funding and maintaining adequate, an-nual investments in housing and humanservices in future budgets.

Signed by:Alternative House, Judith Dittman, Executive

Director; Centreville Immigration Forum/Centreville Labor Resource Center, Alice Foltz,Board President; Cornerstones, Kerrie Wilson,CEO; Community Residences, Inc. Dennis J.Manning, LCSW, President and CEO; FACETS,Inc., Amanda Andere, Executive Director; FairfaxArea Disability Services Board; Fairfax CountyAlliance for Human Services, Shannon Steene,Chair; Fairfax Education Association, KimberleyAdams, President; Governing Board of theFairfax Falls Church Partnership to Prevent andEnd Homelessness, Michael L. O’Reilly, Chair-man; Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia,Rev. Jon Smoot, Executive Director; James MottCommunity Assistance Program, Inc., CherylMavritte, Executive Director and RebeccaJohnson, Acting Board Chair; Literacy Council ofNorthern Virginia, Patricia Donnelly, ExecutiveDirector; Lorton Community Action Center,Linda Patterson, Executive Director; New HopeHousing, Pam Michell, Executive Director;Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance,Michelle Krocker, Executive Director; NorthernVirginia Family Service, Mary Agee, Presidentand CEO; Our Daily Bread, Lisa Whetzel,Executive Director and Richard Haynes, BoardPresident; Pathway Homes, Inc., Sylisa Lambert-Woodard, President and CEO; PRS, Inc., WendyGradison, LCSW, President and CEO; ShelterHouse, Inc., Joe Meyer, Deputy ExecutiveDirector and Denise Miller, Board President;United Community Ministries, Shirley Marshall,Executive Director and Jim Seeley, Boardmember and Chair of the Advocacy Committee;Volunteers of America Chesapeake, Russell K.Snyder, President and CEO; Wesley HousingDevelopment Corporation, Shelley Murphy,President and CEO; Western Fairfax ChristianMinistries, Melissa Jansen, Executive Director;Individual citizen advocates Marlene Blum,Vienna (Providence District); Alvin W.Smuzynski, Fairfax Station (Springfield District);Francis J. Pettit, Burke (Springfield District), andEllen Hayes, Fairfax (Braddock District)

Securing safe, decent affordable housing remainsone of the greatest challenges for low and moderateincome households in Fairfax County and is aconsiderable barrier to a family’s ability to achievestability and self-sufficiency.

ing caseloads and the complexity of workin the Office for Women and Domestic andSexual Violence Services.

Investment in School Readiness $714,000(Office of Children): We support the CountyExecutive’s proposal in the FY2015 budgetto expand community-based programs forchildren living in poverty to reach schoolbenchmarks.

Affordable Housing (Housing and Com-munity Development): Securing safe, de-cent affordable housing remains one of thegreatest challenges for low and moderateincome households in Fairfax County andis a considerable barrier to a family’s abil-ity to achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

Housing Blueprint: The FY 2015 adver-tised budget includes $1.95 million to fundthe Bridging Affordability rental programas a portion of the budget for the FY 2015Housing Blueprint. The funding for this pro-gram was reallocated in the FY2014 bud-get, and the proposed FY2015 allocation isapproximately $2 million less than FY2013.

Bridging Affordability was adopted as thecounty’s signature program within theHousing Blueprint to move families out ofhomelessness and onto a more sustainablefuture. This program provides rental subsi-dies and case management to extremelylow-income households, and has success-fully served over 281 families. BridgingAffordability works. Nearly 70 percent ofhouseholds that have successfullytransitioned out of Bridging Affordabilityinto permanent housing have moved on tofair market housing.

With the current Bridging Affordabilityprogram funding, we are positioned to con-tinue to serve approximately 150 newhouseholds through FY14 and FY15. Begin-ning in FY16, it is critical that Fairfax Countycontinues to invest in this high-impact, high-demand program to ensure that hundreds

❖ U.S. Census Bureau statistics show anestimated 73,916 households in FairfaxCounty earning less than $50,000 annually,or about 47 percent of the area’s medianincome for a family of four ($107,300);

❖ Census data also shows an estimated67,293 persons living below the povertylevel in Fairfax County;

❖ According to the Center for HousingResearch at Virginia Tech, the total afford-able housing gap in Fairfax County for lowand moderate-income renters (earning nomore than $85,000 for a family of four) is28,405 units;

❖ The Blueprint for Housing shows ashortfall of 1,818 units for FY2015 in meet-ing the goals of the 10 Year Plan to Preventand End Homelessness;

❖ Nearly 1,650 CSB clients need afford-able housing.

Communities who are successful in ad-dressing their unmet housing needs haveadopted a dedicated, reliable source offunding to preserve or develop housing thatis affordable. The county’s greatest stridesin affordable housing were made during theyears when one penny of the real estate taxwas dedicated to housing preservation.Whether it’s a dedicated revenue source oran annual, reliable commitment to a hous-ing trust fund, we urge Fairfax County toonce again consider this investment in hous-ing that is affordable and needed for a sig-nificant and growing percentage of theCounty’s population.

Community Health Care Network(CHCN): In FY 2014, funding for CHCN wascut by $752,000. The $250,000 reductionin specialty care contracts that resulted hasworsened an already insufficient supply oflocal specialists. CHCN has therefore in-creased its utilization and reliance on Uni-versity of Virginia Medical Center special-ists, requiring CHCN’s low income, unin-


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Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. The deadline is theFriday prior to the next paper’s publica-tion. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior to theevent.

SATURDAY/ APRIL 5 In the Name of Love: A Jazz

Poetry Slam. 7-10 p.m., 10125Lakehaven Drive, Burke, AccotinkUnitarian Universalist Church. Joinpoets from around our region as theycompete for prize money; hosted byby Regie Cabico and Sarah D. Lawsonfrom Busboys and Poets.www.accotinkuuc.org or 703-503-4579.

Jubil-Aires Concert. 2 & 7 p.m.Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124Park Street NE, Vienna. The FairfaxJubil-Aires Annual Spring Show willbe a joint fundraiser for both theJubil-Aires and the Shepherd’s Centerof Fairfax-Burke. Tickets are $20 andallow you to attend either concert. Ifyou buy your tickets ahead of timefrom the SCFB office at 703-425-2824 or a SCFB Council or Boardmember, $10 of the ticket price is adonation directly to SCFB. Allproceeds from tickets sold at the doorgo only to the Jubil-Aires.

Cabaret Series: It’s A ComedyNight. 8 p.m. Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9518 Workhouse Way,Lorton. Featuring a wide gamut ofmusic intended to tickle your funnybone, from Broadway to standards tonovelty songs, there’s something foreveryone who enjoys a good laugh.Tickets: $30.

Children’s Cherry BlossomCelebration. 1-3 p.m. Green SpringGardens, 4603 Green Spring Road,Alexandria. For ages 3 and up, learnabout the cherry tree history and thespringtime tradition that brings somany visitors to Washington everyyear. This open house formatincludes origami, a paper lanterncraft, and a cherry tree ‘hunt’.Register at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173.

SUNDAY/ APRIL 6Potomac Ensemble. 4 p.m., 6509

Sydenstricker Road, Burke, St.Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Enjoy agroup of 10 of the DC area’s finestprofessional singers, in a program ofgreat music for 5-part [email protected].

In the Bunker with the VicePresident on 9/11. 7 p.m. StacySherwood Community Center, 3740Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. Thelecture is free and open to all. Booksigning and refreshments.

Seminar: “Feeding Hungry

Roses.” 2-4 p.m. Merrifield GardenCenter, 12101 Lee Highway, Fairfax.Learn how to feed your roses forbeautiful blooms.

Pet Photos with the Easter Bunny.11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Olde Towne PetResort, 8101 Alban Road,Springfield. The Easter Bunny wantsa pic with your pet to benefit TheFairfax County Animal Shelter. Bring$10 to benefit the shelter, andreceive a 4x6 printed photo. RSVP toKaty [email protected];703-455-9000.

Cabaret Series: It’s A ComedyNight. 1 p.m. Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9518 Workhouse Way,Lorton. Featuring a wide gamut ofmusic intended to tickle your funnybone, from Broadway to standards tonovelty songs, there’s something foreveryone who enjoys a good laugh.Tickets: $30.

Japonism in Fashion TeaProgram. 1-3 p.m. Green SpringGardens, 4603 Green Spring Road,Alexandria View gorgeous avant-garde designs that combinedJapanese motifs with 19th and 20thcentury Western silhouettes. Discoverelements of the kimono in tea gownsand opera coats and hear aboutJapanese designers who areredefining fashion worldwide today.To make reservations, call HistoricGreen Spring at 703-941-7987.

TUESDAY/APRIL 8Slam Poetry Cafe. 6-8 p.m. Richard

Byrd Library, 7250 Commerce Street,Springfield. Slam poetry is the art ofperformance poetry. Performers,come share your original orpreviously published pieces. [email protected] withyour name and poem.

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 9 - SUNDAY/APRIL 20Ringling Bros. and Barnum &

Bailey Presents Built to AmazeCircus. GMU Patriot Center, 4400University Drive, Fairfax. Tickets:$15-$30. For more information andshowtimings visit,www.ticketmaster.com.

FRIDAY/APRIL 11-SUNDAY/APRIL 13 Virginia Opera’s “Carmen.” Friday

at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. GMUCenter for the Arts, 4400 UniversityDrive, Fairfax. Virginia Opera, willpresent George Bizet’s sultry tragedyabout opera’s most famous femmefatale, “Carmen.” The opera hasenthralled audiences for more than acentury and is one of the mostpopular. Tickets are Friday: $44-$86;Sunday: $48-$98. Youth Discount:tickets are half price for youththrough grade 12. Call 888-945-2468or visit cfa.gmu.edu

SATURDAY/APRIL 122nd Saturday Art Walk. 6-9 p.m.

Workhouse Arts Center, 9518Workhouse Way, Lorton. The 2ndSaturday Art Walk at the Workhouseshowcases the diverse work of morethan 100 visual artists in a uniquehistoric venue, creating anatmosphere that encourages visitorsto immerse themselves in therichness of this creative community.Guests can tour seven unique studiobuildings, mix and mingle withartists, buy original works of art,experience ever-changing.

Once Upon A Time…7:30-10 p.m.Workhouse Arts Center, 9518Workhouse Way, Lorton. A fairy talethemed costume ball. The eveningincludes music, social dancing,unique silent auction opportunities,food, laughter and special liveperformances by cabaret vocalists.Admission includes entertainment,light refreshments and two beveragetokens. Tokens may also be used forvoting for the “Queen” of the night.Costumes are not required for entry,but do we encourage all to find somefairy tale inspiration for their attire-there will be a ‘door prize’ or two forthe most imaginative costumes!Limited admission, early reservationsstrongly recommended. $40 perperson. http://workhousearts.org/events/performing-arts/once-upon-time

Easter Egg Hunt and Bake Sale. 9a.m.-12 p.m. Franconia UnitedMethodist Church, 6037 FranconiaRoad, Alexandria. children (2 yearsold - 6th graders) are welcome to thefree Easter Egg Hunt and bake sale.http://www.franconiaumc.org.

SATURDAY/APRIL 12- SUNDAY/APRIL 13Spring Show. Merrifield Garden

Center, 12101 Lee Highway, Fairfax.The Northern Virginia Bonsai Societyis proud to announce that its SpringShow. Bonsai from beginning toexpert will be exhibited and the Clubwill be demonstrating how to make abonsai. Visitors may cast secretballots on which of the bonsaiexhibited should go onto thePotomac Bonsai Association show.Contact Person: Gary A. [email protected]. 703-860-3374

SUNDAY/APRIL 13Table Top N Gauge Model Train

Show. 1-4 p.m. Fairfax StationRailroad Museum, 11200 FairfaxStation Road in Fairfax Station.Admission is $4 for adults 16 andover; $2 for children 5-15; free forchildren under5 and for Museummembers. For more information on theMuseum events, visit, www.fairfax-station.org. 703-425-9225.

Ginger Costa-Jackson as Carmen in Virginia Opera’sproduction of “Carmen,” playing April 11 and 13 atGMU’s Center for the Arts.

Bring out your pet on April6 to Old Towne Pet Resort,8101 Alban Road, Spring-field, to take a photo withthe Easter Bunny. Proceedsbenefit the Fairfax CountyAnimal Shelter.

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Cats benefit from being in a foster home. We needlong- and short-term fosters for cats of all ages,mothers with litters and kittens on their own.

Adopt/Donate/Volunteer at www.lostdogrescue.org

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SportsSpringfield Connection Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

Robinson Girls’ Lax Starts 3-0The Robinson girls’ lacrosse team won its first three games of the season, scoring

at least 20 goals in two of the contests.The Rams defeated South County 20-7 on March 31 to improve to 3-0. Robinson

beat Chantilly 22-6 on March 27 and Woodson 16-14 on March 24.Robinson faced Lake Braddock on Wednesday, after The Connection’s deadline.

The Rams will travel to face T.C. Williams at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8.

Lake Braddock Softball Improves to 3-0The Lake Braddock softball team defeated West Springfield 21-0 on Tuesday with

Bruins pitchers throwing a combined no-hitter. The victory improved Lake Braddock’srecord to 3-0.

The Bruins will host West Potomac at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4.

Sports Roundups

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The Marshall and Robinson base-ball teams took turns on March27 capitalizing on each other’smistakes. Down by two runs in

the bottom of the seventh inning, Robinsonrallied to ensure Marshall’s next miscuewould be its last.

Robinson senior Kaden Darrow tied thescore with a two-run single and Marshallcatcher Mitch Blackstone’s throwing errorallowed the winning run to score as theRams pulled out a 6-5 victory at RobinsonSecondary School.

Robinson trailed 5-1 in the second inningand 5-3 entering the bottom of the seventh,but found a way to improve to 3-0 with itssecond consecutive walk-off victory. TheRams defeated West Springfield 4-3 onMarch 24 and opened the season with a 7-2 win over Woodson on March 22. Marshallfell to 1-2.

“We played five innings, six innings,things weren’t really going our way and wefound a way to pull it out,” Robinson headcoach John James said, “and that’s a confi-dence builder.”

ROBINSON ENTERS the 2014 seasonwith 10 seniors on the roster, including sixathletes in their third year on the varsity —pitcher/outfielder Chris Lohr, outfielderAdam Sisk, infielder/outfielder Zach Beck,outfielder Tyler Fitchett, pitcher/infielderDanny Herrera and Darrow. That experiencepaid off in the bottom of the seventh in-ning as the Rams, who had struggled at theplate for much of the contest, found a wayto rally against 6-foot-5 Marshall left-hander Riley Cummins, who will pitch forthe University of Virginia.

Leading 5-3 in the seventh, Marshall headcoach Aaron Tarr moved Cummins fromright field to the mound to close it out. ButRobinson loaded the bases with one outafter two walks, a strikeout and a States-men error. Darrow’s two-run single tied thescore at 5 and gave the Rams runners atthe corners. During Fitchett’s ensuing at bat,Blackstone tried to throw behind the Ramrunner at third base, but the catcher’s at-tempted pick-off sailed into left field, allow-ing the winning run to score.

Blackstone went 3-for-4 with a double atthe plate and threw out two would-be base-stealers before his seventh-inning miscue.

“[The runner at third] seemed to me thathe was a little farther off the base then mostpeople were,” Blackstone said. “I thought Icould get [Cummins] a quick out. … [The]ball just got away from me.”

Darrow’s two-run single put the Rams ina position to capitalize on the error.

“He’s been kind of an under-the-radarguy,” James said. “He’s been a three-yearstarter here, too, and has been very pro-ductive for three years. … He’s a utility guy.

“That senior leadership and that experienceis invaluable, especially in games like thiswhen our backs are to the wall and theybring in their horse. You’ve got to have guysthat aren’t bothered by that — aren’t both-ered by the situation and aren’t botheredby who is on the mound and they’re justgoing to compete. Our backs were to thewall and they came up big for us.”

The Statesmen took a 5-1 lead in the sec-ond inning thanks to a Rams error. Withthe score tied at 1, Marshall had the basesloaded with two outs when Blackstone hitan infield pop-up. Robinson starting pitcherShane Hopkins dropped the ball in front ofhome plate, allowing two runs to score.Marshall first baseman Patrick Evans fol-lowed with a two-run single, giving theStatesmen a 5-1 advantage.

Marshall returned the favor in the bot-tom of the fourth. Robinson had the basesloaded with two outs when Statesmen start-ing pitcher Will Brooke got Robinson seniorHerrera to pop up. But Marshall infieldersappeared to lose sight of the ball, which fellto the ground for a two-run single, cuttingthe Statesmen lead to 5-3.

THE PERFORMANCE of William & Mary-bound pitcher Lohr also played a pivotalrole in the Robinson comeback. Lohr cameon in relief with one on and two outs in thetop of the second inning and Marshall lead-ing 5-1.After allowing a single to junior ShaneRussell, Lohr picked the runner off first baseto get out of the inning. The right-handerwent on to pitch 5 1/3 innings of scorelessrelief and earn the win.

“In that situation, I just try and pitch likeit’s the start of the game,” Lohr said. “[Ineeded to] take the runners on base out ofmy mind and just get the batters one at atime until I get out of that inning and thenit’s really just inning by inning.”

Lohr allowed three hits. He walked one,hit two batters and struck out seven.

“Obviously, he did a fantastic job for us,and that’s what we rely on him to do,”James said. “He’s a senior and he’s beenwith us for three years and that’s what he’scapable of doing and that’s what we needhim to do — is come in and settle thingsdown for us and give us a chance to winand he did.”

Brooke pitched well for Marshall but re-ceived a no decision. The junior right-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowingthree runs and five hits while walking fourand striking out two.

Cummins took the loss, surrenderingthree runs — one earned — and one hit in1/3 of an inning. He walked two and struckout one.

Robinson’s Hopkins went 2-for-3 againstMarshall. Herrera and Darrow each had ahit and two RBIs, Fitchett had a hit and anRBI, and Will Miller had a hit.

Robinson was travel to face Annandaleat 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5.

“We’ve been running short on regionalsfor the last few years,” Darrow said, “but Ihave high hopes for this year.”

Robinson Baseball Rallies to Beat MarshallRams have 10 seniorson this year’s team.

Robinson senior Chris Lohr pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief toearn the victory against Marshall on March 27.

Robinson senior Adam Sisk, right, scores a run after collidingwith Marshall catcher Mitch Blackstone on March 27.

We put him everywhere in the field. Heplays anywhere defensively.”

James said experience played a major role

in the Rams’ comeback.“Every guy that came to the plate there

in the last inning was a senior,” he said.

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21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements


LEGAL NOTICENotice is hereby given that on Monday, April 21, 2014 com-mencing at 10:00 AM, at 5801 Rolling Road, Springfield, Vir-ginia 22152, in order to enforce the warehousemen's lien for storage and related services, we will sell by Public Auction the personal effects in the accounts of: Antonio Adair, Mark Bees-ley, Judith Boston, Greg Devane, Thomas Manski, Donna Per-ry Mmoh, Randolph Modlin, Spiro Nomikos, David Parker, and Leona Taylor.These effects are stored with any of the following: Ace Van & Storage Co., Inc.; Interstate Moving & Storage, Inc.; Interstate Moving Systems, Inc.; Interstate Relocation Services, Inc. dba Ambassador International, Ltd.; Ambassador Relocations, Inc.; Ambassador Worldwide Moving, Inc.; or Interstate Van Lines, Inc., at 3901 Ironwood Place, Landover, Maryland; 22455 Pow-ers Court, Sterling, Virginia; or 5801 Rolling Road, Springfield, Virginia. All parties in interest please take notice.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements



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ABC LICENSEHa To Pham Trading as Rice

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license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Ha To

Pham, OwnerNOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later that 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. ob-jections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

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Reverend C. L.Bryant to Speak atRepublican Women ofClifton April Meeting

Reverend C. L. Bryant, former presidentof the Garland, Texas chapter of the NAACPand noted speaker will speak at the April16 meeting of the Republican Women ofClifton (RWC). Rev. Bryant is a conserva-tive activist and frequent commentator onFox News. He dazzled audiences at GlennBeck’s FreePAC event when he encouragedthousands in the audience to “defend therepublic” while also tackling the enslave-ment of government dependency. Rev.Bryant is a radio and television host andcreator of the independent film, The Run-away Slave, a movie about the race to freethe Black community from the slavery oftyranny and progressive policies. The meet-ing will be on Wednesday, April 16 at theFairview Elementary School, 5815 Ox Road,Fairfax Station. The social hour will beginat 7 p.m. when refreshments will be servedand President Alice Butler-Short will openthe business meeting at 7:30 p.m., afterwhich Reverend C. L. Bryant will delivercomments and entertain questions.

Guests will be asked for a $5 donation atthe door for TAPS - the Tragedy AssistanceProgram for Survivors of our Fallen Heroes.

For more information, visit http://cliftongop.com/.

News

Main Street Recog-nized for ‘ExemplaryInclusion’

On Tuesday, March 25, Main Street ChildDevelopment Center was recognized byFairfax County Public Schools with an Ex-emplary Inclusive Practices Award for con-tinually demonstrating exemplary inclusivepractices for students with disabilities.Awards also were given to Bonnie Brae El-ementary School and Halley ElementarySchool. Main Street is the first center to berecognized with an Exemplary InclusivePractices Award. Previous awards weregiven solely to individuals. In addition toplaques, all of Main Street’s lead teachersreceived certificates and gift bags. MainStreet will be honored with a luncheon onApril 16. Awards were presented by EarlyChildhood Identification & Services Coor-dinator Denise Forest at the Green AcresCenter, which houses Main Street. Fittingly,the ceremony coincided with the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors designation ofMarch as “Intellectual and DevelopmentalDisabilities Inclusion Month.”

Fairfax County Public Schools’ focus ofincreasing inclusion opportunities forpreschoolers lies at the heart of Main StreetChild Development Center’s mission. “Weare proud of the achievements that the Ex-emplary Inclusive Practices Award repre-sents,” said Main Street Director CarolLieske. “It motivates us as we seek new andbetter ways to be an even more inclusiveprogram.”


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Carol Hermandorfer 703-503-1812

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Ngoc Do 703-798-2899

Fairfax $649,999Cul-de-sac location. Contemporary Rambler. Main Floor MasterBR with Luxury Master BA & Glass Slider to Private Deck.Large Great Room with FP & High Ceilings + 2 Sets of GlassSliders opening to Deck. Open Floor Plan, Skylights. 4 BRs, 3Full BAs. Large Lower Level Fam Rm with Glass Slider to Yard.

Ann Witherspoon 703-863-9171Sheila Adams 703-503-1895

Burke $574,900Burke Centre colonial. First time on market. 3 levels with 4bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Large unfinished walkout base-ment. Family room with fireplace. 2 car garage. Nice lot.Close to elementary school, transportation, shopping.

Buzz Jordan 703-503-1866

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Charles Shaw 703-989-7169

REDUCED

Springfield Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC


Springfield


Springfield

SeniorLivingSeniorLivingSeniorLiving

APRIL 2014APRIL 2014

2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Senior Calendar

See Senior Calendar, Page 8

SATURDAY/APRIL 5Navigating the Complexities of Lyme

Disease. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Vienna PresbyterianChurch, 124 Park St, Vienna. Topics include:diagnosis & treatment, emotional and spiritualeffects, and navigating the medical maze. Cost$15 preregistration/$20 at door. To register,visit http://bit.ly/lymecomplexities.

Reston 50/100 Founder’s Day Celebration.12-3 p.m. Lake Anne Plaza, 11426 WashingtonPlaza W, Reston. Fifty years after Robert E.Simon, Jr. founded Reston, it continues toflourish and over 50,000 residents call Reston“home.” Join the Reston Historic Trust andMuseum for Founder’s Day as they celebrateReston’s 50th anniversary and the 100thbirthday of founder, Robert E. Simon, Jr.

TUESDAY/APRIL 8Luncheon and Tour. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at

Westminster at Lake Ridge, 12191 Clipper Drive,Lake Ridge, Va. Explore retirement living atWestminster at Lake Ridge, a continuing careretirement community near Occoquan Village.Complimentary lunch and tour. RSVP to Michelle703-496-3440, or visit wlrva.org for more.

TUESDAY/APRIL 8NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal

Employees) Vienna Oakton Chapter 1116Meeting. 1:30 p.m. Vienna Community Center,120 Cherry Street, Vienna. The program will beabout the Vienna Town Council and mayorcandidates. The meeting is open to all membersand their guests. Refreshments will be served.

SUNDAY/APRIL 13Book Look: Child of the Civil Rights

Movement. 2 p.m. Artspace Herndon, 750Center Street, Herndon. Poignant, moving, andhopeful, Child of the Civil Rights Movement isan intimate look at the birth of the Civil RightsMovement. Each Book Look event features areading and craft project related to the book.Books will be available for purchase and signingby the author. The readings are free and open tothe public, but seating is limited so reservationsare recommended. Visitwww.artspaceherndon.org for more informationand to register.

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 16125th Birthday Celebration for Charlie

Chaplin. 7:30 p.m. The Alden, 1234 Ingleside

Avenue, McLean. The Alden in McLean willcelebrate Charlie Chaplin’s 125th birthday withan evening of silent films with live musicalaccompaniment. For more information or topurchase tickets online, visit:www.aldentheatre.org or call 703-790-0123.

THURSDAY/APRIL 17Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter

Meeting. Neighbor’s Restaurant, 262D CedarLane, Cedar Lane Shopping Center, Vienna.Edward D. Connor, WW II Army Air Corpsveteran, will discuss the Battle of the BismarckSea of March 2-4, 1943. Admission is free. Forinformation, call Len Ignatowski at 703-255-0353 or visit www.vva227.org.

Springfield Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Senior Livingis produced by

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Local Media Connection LLC

For more information,

call 703-778-9431 or email

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Springfield

Senior Living

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Shortly after 10 a.m. on any givenTuesday or Thursday morning, 84-year-old Lola Wulchin can be foundslowly stretching into a downward

facing dog pose or lunging into a warriorone posture. The Vienna resident has beena yoga devotee at East Meets West YogaCenter in Vienna for slightly more than twoyears. In fact, she credits twice-weekly,gentle yoga practice with boosting herhealth and improving her quality of life.

“I had been bothered by a lot of neck painfrom arthritis,” said Wulchin. “I had seen apain management doctor who gave meshots, I had physical therapy, but I still hadneck pain and very little range of motion.”

A turning point came after she was struckby a passing comment from one of her doc-tors. “My neurologist mentioned that hiswife had been doing yoga for back pain andit had helped. So I decided to try it.”

Wulchin embarked on a twice-weeklyritual that she describes as life changing.“My gentle yoga classes have been a God-send,” she said. “I have less pain now. I still

have some stiffness, but I have a betterrange of motion.”

She isn’t the only senior to reap the ben-efits of yoga. Researchers at the American

Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and theAmerican Academy of Physical Medicineand Rehabilitation conducted an eight-weekstudy of 23 adults aged 62 to 83 years old.

They designed a yoga program for that agegroup with the goals of improving lower-body strength and flexibility. Participants

Yoga teachers, research pointto health benefits for seniors.Seniors Rush to Yoga

Linda Liberatucci, 67, Colette Ashley, 70+, Ann Mandelbaum, 68, Lola Wulchin, 84 and Frankie Gibson, 74, doa downward facing dog pose during gentle yoga class at East Meets West Yoga Center in Vienna.

See Yoga, Page 6

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

The AARP reports that nearly 80 per-cent of adults age 65 and olderwant to remain in their current

homes as long as possible. That populationis growing. According to the Departmentof Health and Human Services’ Administra-

More Seniors Plan To Age in PlaceMany local techniques and programs canhelp seniors stay in their homes longer.tion on Aging, the population 65 years orolder numbered 39.6 million in 2009. By2030, that number will grow to about 72.1million.

While people are living longer andhealthier lives, there are still barriers toaging in place, including medication man-agement, self-care, socialization and trans-portation. But there are innovative strate-gies and initiatives to help combat theseroadblocks.

“We’re showing people how to modifytheir home so that it is accessible,” said saidRobert C. Eiffert, the Long Term Care Pro-gram manager for the Fairfax County HealthDepartment. Fairfax and other local coun-ties are conducting workshops on how tomake a home safe for a senior who wantsto live alone. “We’re talking about thingslike adding a ramp to your front door,changing your door knobs and cabinethandles for people who have arthritis intheir hands.”

“There are wonderful emerging technolo-gies that allow adult children to monitortheir parents who live alone,” he said. “It isnot intrusive. There are not cameras in-volved, but there are motion sensors. Forexample, if there is no movement in themorning, an adult child might think,‘Hmmm, I need to check.’”

Andrew J. Carle, director of the SeniorHousing Administration at George Mason

University, recommends First Street forBoomers and Beyond(www.firststreetonline.com) which offersproducts for seniors and their caregivers.“Products like a nice walk in bathtub forseniors or an alarm that reminds you whento take your medicine are things you cando to change your home and make it safe.”

A LACK OF SOCIAL interaction and men-tal stimulation can contribute to depressionand mental deterioration, Carle said. Or-

Photo courtesy of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at GeorgeMason University take an educational field trip. Opportunities for social-izing and learning are important as one ages.

See How To Age, Page 4

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Senior Living

From Page 3

ganizations like the Osher Lifelong Learning Insti-tute (OLLI) at George Mason University, offer op-portunities for intellectual stimulation and culturalexperiences for retirees in Northern Virginia.

“OLLI, as we call it, is for people who don’t wantto sit around and watch television all day,” said Carle.“Professors volunteer their time to give lectures onart, history, science and other topics. Listening to pro-fessors speak about stimulating topics helps keeptheir brains sharp.”

Jennifer Disano, OLLI’s executive director, says thegroup has 1,200 members, and is funded by an en-dowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation. Thegroup’s main campus is in Fairfax, but other cam-puses are in Reston and Sterling. It serves the needsof those who might not feel comfortable in tradi-tional college classrooms and don’t want the pres-sure of writing papers and taking tests, but are stillinterested in learning.

“We have people here who were economists andworked with finance, but in their retired life theywant to explore areas … like art classes or historyclasses,” she said.

One of those members is 76-year-old John Woods.He has attended three to four OLLI events a weekfor 10 years. “We have a wide variety of profession-als and a wide variety of groups that meet,” he said.“We have a group that meets to talk about financial

investments. Anothergroup meets every Mondaymorning at 9 a.m. andlooks at the past week’sheadlines from the Wash-ington Post, New YorkTimes and Wall StreetJournal. They have insightsthat are important. Thestimulating thing is sharingideas among ourselves.Ó

VILLAGES AREcommunity-based organi-zations designed to helpmembers help each otherremain independent and inthe communities of theirchoice. “Back in 2000, vil-lages started with a groupin Boston, and in 2007there was a big boom,” saidBarbara Sullivan, execu-tive director of MountVernon at Home in MountVernon. “It is community-based. Every village is dif-ferent, but they’re there for

people who want to age in place.”Eiffert, of George Mason, says village mem-

bers define the type and scope of services. “Agood starting point when creating a village isto survey the community members to deter-mine their needs,” he said. “We provide tech-nical assistance to community groups that areinterested in putting together a village andencouragement on what models work best fortheir community. Fairfax County is workingwith Montgomery County to rewrite themanual on how to start a village.”

Programs, Technology Aid Aging in Place Gracefully

Photos courtesy of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University play musicfor their peers. Below, other members listen to a lecture.

Local VillagesFairfax County Villages

For more information about current Villagesin Fairfax County, call, email or visit the webpage of one of the Villages listed below:

❖ Braddock District Council Aging inPlace Program — Email:[email protected]

❖ Franklin Park Village — [email protected] or call 703-534-4964

❖ Herndon Village Network (HVN) —703-582-9482

❖ Lake Barcroft Village —www.lakebarcroftvillage.org

❖ McLean Community: A Village forAll Ages (MCVA) — [email protected] or visitwww.mcva.weebly.com

❖ Mosby Woods Village —[email protected]

❖ Mount Vernon at Home Village —www.mountvernonathome.org

❖ Reston for a Lifetime —www.restonforalifetime.org

❖ Reston Useful Services Exchange —www.restonuse.org

To learn more, visit the Village to VillageNetwork at www.vtvnetwork.org.

There are a few different models, including the“Concierge Village,” which is a non-profit model thatcoordinates access to an array of services throughvetted providers, including transportation, home re-pairs, care coordination and computer technicians.Most also include social and educational activities.Members arrange for services by calling a centralphone number, and pay annual dues that can rangefrom $500 to $800 for an individual and $700 to$1,200 for a couple.

The “All Volunteer” model organizes communityvolunteers to provide services and support to oth-

ers. There are no paid staff. In some cases, hoursdonated by volunteers are “banked” and can beused in the future if the volunteer needs servicesor assistance. The “Neighborhood Network” is alsoinformal. Groups meet on a regular basis to hearspeakers on topics of interest selected by mem-bers.

ANOTHER BIG GAP is medication manage-ment, Eiffert said. “If someone can’t manage theirown medication and can’t afford to pay someoneto come in to do it for them, that is a service gapthat forces people into assisted living facilities.”

Carle agrees that the decision to age in place iscomplicated. “The first knee-jerk reaction is thatwhen asked, seniors want to stay in their ownhomes,” he said, adding that those surveys canbe misleading: “The surveys are not always cred-ible if you’re surveying people who are 50-plus.I’m 54 and of course I want to stay in my house,but ask me again in 20 years. I think they shouldbe surveying people who are 75-plus.”

In addition, “people don’t always understandthe economic, social and safety aspects of it,” headded. “You can create all kinds of technologyand universal designs to create a house for agingin place, but a senior might not be able to affordit. It could end up costing far more than the bestassisted living facility in town.”

Granny Pods, small prefabricated homes that al-low families to house their relatives in small back-yard cottages, are another alternative. “These smallliving units allow you to put an elderly relative inyour backyard and hook up to your electricity,”said Carle.


From Page 3

attended two 90-minute yoga classes perweek, and were asked to complete at least20 minutes of directed home practice onalternate days.

The study found yoga programs tailoredto elderly adults can be a cost-effective wayto prevent or reduce age-related changes,specifically an increased risk for falls, de-pendency and other ailments.

Local yoga teachers agree, saying thatwhile yoga classes designed for the 55 andolder crowd are increasing in popularity,myths about the practice keep some seniorsout of yoga studios.

“The main thing that I hear is that youhave to already be flexible to do yoga,” saidSandy Pradas of Joyful Heart Yoga in MountVernon. “People look at pictures in maga-zines of people wrapping their legs aroundtheir necks or doing other advanced posesand they think, ‘If I can’t do that, then I can’tdo yoga.’”

Pradas, whose students are mostly be-tween 50 and 75 years old, said, “Every-body can do yoga, but there are a lot of typesof yoga and not every type is good for ev-erybody.”

Dawn Curtis, owner of East Meets WestYoga Center, recently completed a courseat Duke Integrative Medicine and believesan increasing interest in yoga among seniorswill be known as the Silver Tsunami.

“That is baby boomers going into yoga,”she said. “Yoga for seniors is going to bethe biggest target audience that yoga teach-ers are going to have because of the num-ber of baby boomers who are looking foralternative ways of exercise because theyare not going to be able to keep up withimpact exercises like running.”

In fact, she says gentle yoga classes areamong the most popular at her studio. “Ihave students who are as old as 84. We dealwith people who can’t get on the floor,” shesaid. “We use chairs. We work on balance

Yoga for All Ages

Arlington seniors take a hatha yoga classes. A recent study showed yogaprograms specifically designed for seniors can improve strength andflexibility.

Senior Living

because that is a main concern among se-niors. We work on coordination becausethat is another thing that tends to diminishas we age.”

Jennifer Collins, a countywide programspecialist in the Office of Senior Adult Pro-grams in Arlington, said that yoga classesthat are specifically tailored for those 55 andolder are among her office’s most popular.

“Some of our [yoga] classes fill up withinminutes of opening,” said Collins. “We havepeople sitting at computers at our seniorcenters ready to register as soon registra-tion opens because they know the classesare going to fill.”

Sean .FM (yes, that is his name) ofOneAum in Potomac, works with seniorswith a wide range of abilities. He said it’simportant to find a class that is a good fit.

“There are many kinds of seniors,” hesaid. “There are seniors that are immobileand some who are really active. We have astudent who is almost 70 and I just taughthim how to do a handstand. We createdYoga Rx for those with mobility issues. Wework them in the chairs. We also do a lot ofprivate sessions.”

George Lynch, fitness director at VinsonHall Retirement Community in McLean, isplanning to incorporate yoga classes intothe community’s fitness program. The in-struction will be tailored to meet the needsof his clients. “We have residents who arein their 80s, 90s and some in their 100s.Everything we do is designed specificallyfor seniors.”

Andrew J. Carle director of the SeniorHousing Administration at George MasonUniversity said an increasing number ofretirement communities are offer yogaclasses as part of their fitness programs.“The future of senior housing will includescience-based wellness activities like yoga,”he said. “Anything that gets us beyond se-nior activities such as birthdays, Bibles,bingo and bridge is a step up.”

By John Byrd

How can you tell when in an-law suite is outperformingthe usual requirements?Well, for starters, when the

owners themselves decide to occupy thenew accommodation as their primary liv-ing space.

Such was the recent choice of Gee andAycha Saad, two Northern Virginia se-niors who started investigating optionsfor retrofitting their three-level homewhen the wife, Aycha Saad, transitionedfrom a walker to a wheelchair.

The idea was to improve everyday mo-bility and even incorporate equipmentneeded for physical therapy treatmentswhile preserving the home’s upper twolevels should the couple later decide tosell the house and move to a retirementfacility.

After weighing several scenarios, thecouple summoned Russ Glickman, presi-dent of Glickman Design Build and an ex-pert in aging-in-place, to explore options.

“We began by looking at ways to addan elevator,” Glickman said. But themodifications for the elevator would dis-rupt the existing second floor plan with-out fully solving the accessibility issues.

The home’s mostly unfinished 2,000-square-foot lower level, however, pro-vided opportunities, and the Glickmanteam proposed a plan for a largely self-sufficient suite complete with accessiblebath, kitchenette and other amenities.

Configured as an open floorplan thatincorporates a sizable master suite, thenew layout is differentiated into usezones that emphasize privacy.

Key components include: A kitchenetteand dining zone finished with cherryShaker-style cabinet facings, granitecounter surfaces and ceramic tile floor-ing. A den/family room contiguous to the

DetailsGlickman Design Build periodically offers

workshops on accessibility solutions for se-niors. Visit www.GlickmanDesignBuild.com.

Accessibility on aDifferent Level

dining area that offers direct access tothe rear yard. The space has been fittedwith a large-scale plasma TV and a“Sensurround” sound system. A privatemaster suite with spacious bedroom anda bath that includes a 5-foot-by-8-footcurbless “roll-in” shower with a pull-down seat. The bathroom connects to afully-equipped laundry room.

To assure a suitable space for physicaltherapy treatments, Glickman custom-designed a wall cabinet in the dining areathat contains a pull-down table with areinforced steel frame.

To accommodate a wheelchair plat-form lift, the steps leading to the suitefrom the first floor were widened from30 inches to 46 inches.

To make it easier for the Saads to iden-tify visitors, the home’s front door hasbeen equipped with a security cameralinked to a laptop. Glickman also intro-duced technologies that enable thecouple to lock and unlock the front doorfrom the lower level suite.

Aesthetically, the suite’s carefully de-veloped interior design confers bothwarmth and spatial cohesion. Mosaic tileflooring differentiates the kitchen/diningzone from the adjacent den and enter-tainment area. In short, it’s a pretty, com-fortable home that’s also healing andsupportive.

“Our goal was to satisfy immediateneeds while implementing a makeoverthat will add re-sale value,” Glickmansaid. “The house has simply been re-de-fined as a traditional single family homethat includes a full-size in-law suite. It’sa very marketable improvement, yetmeets all the present requirements.”

cp040214-103

shower

The curbless roll-in shower was designed for wheel-chair access.

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Senior Living

“Living healthy longer is themission of the Northern VirginiaSenior Olympics,” said DaveJerome, of Burke, chairman of theNorthern Virginia Senior Olym-pics. “It is our goal to promotehealthy aging through both men-tal and physical activity, which iswhy NVSO offers such a widerange of events from sports toboard games.”

The 2014 Northern Virginia Se-nior Olympics will take place Sept.13-24 at 18 venues throughoutNorthern Virginia. Adults 50 yearsof age and over who live in one ofthe sponsoring jurisdictions areeligible to participate.

Events include swimming, div-ing, track, field, tennis, table ten-nis, racquetball, pickleball, dupli-cate bridge, chess, scrabble, crib-bage, men’s basketball, handball,ERG rowing, Wii bowling, ten pinbowling, eight ball pool, horse-

shoes, softball hit and throw, yo-yo tricks, bocce, Frisbee throw,golf, miniature golf, bunco, men’sand women’s basketball freethrow, team line dancing, volley-ball, badminton, cycling and more.Gold, silver and bronze medals areawarded after each event. Allevents are open to the public.

Online registration will be avail-able at www.nvso.com after July1. Registration forms will be avail-able at senior residences, commu-nity centers, seniors centers or bycalling 703-228-4721. Registra-tion fee is $12 which covers mul-tiple events. There is no onsite reg-istration. Registration deadlinesare Aug. 29 (mail) and Sept. 5(online). The Northern VirginiaSenior Olympics is sponsored bythe counties of Arlington, Fairfax,Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince Wil-liam and the cities of Alexandria,Fairfax and Falls Church.

Northern Virginia Senior OlympicsMission: Living Healthy Longer

The Lee Center Dancers, who came in third in a 2013Senior Olympics line dancing event, are: Kathy Fanelli,Annandale; Neelima Gokhale, Arlington; Inga Ercolano,Arlington; May McWilliams, Arlington; Marcia Diamond,Arlington; Janey Brauninger, Arlington; Melissa Mendell,Arlington; and Bill Wong, Fairfax.

Be a part of ourWellbeing pages,the first week ofevery month.

Delight in ourHomeLifeStylesections, thesecond week ofevery month.Peek at the topreal estate sales,glimpse over-the-top remodelingprojects, get prac-tical suggestionsfor your home.

Celebratestudents, camps,schools,enrichmentprograms,colleges andmore in ourA-plus:Education,Learning, Funpages, the thirdweek of everymonth.

Questions? [email protected] call703-778-9431


Senior CalendarFrom Page 2

TUESDAY/APRIL 18Genealogical Society Meeting. 1 p.m. at Hollin

Hall Senior Center, room 112, 1500 ShenandoahRoad. Mount Vernon Genealogical Societymeeting will feature a presentation entitled“Experiences of a Young Waist Gunner in WWII” by Ray Bailey. What was it like for an 18 yearold high school graduate from a small Ohiotown to go off to war, fight the Germans andsurvive his plane “going down?” Visitwww.MVGenealogy.org. Questions about theprogram should be directed to Karen Jenkins at703-866-2478 or [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 23Author Lecture: Cheat the Clock.1 p.m. at

Westminster at Lake Ridge, 12191 Clipper Drive,Lake Ridge, Va.Margaret Pressler will discussher book, “Cheat the Clock: How New ScienceCan Help You Look and Feel Younger.” First 20registrants receive free copy of the book. Call703-496-3440 to attend. Visit wlrva.org formore.

THURSDAY/APRIL 24Condo Living Class. 7-9 p.m. at The Station at

Potomac Yard, 650 Maskell St. The City andArlington and Fairfax Counties will host a two-hour “Understanding Condominium Living”class. Free, seating is limited. Confirmattendance at 703-746-4990 or [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 30How to Protect Yourself From Identity

Theft. 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Westminster at LakeRidge, 12191 Clipper Drive, Lake Ridge, Va.Courtney Sweeney of Wells Fargo AssetManagement will share tips to prevent identitytheft before. RSVP to Michelle 703-496-3440, orvisit wlrva.org for more.

ONGOINGSenior Fall Prevention Classes. 1:30-2:30 p.m.

and 2-3 p.m., The Woodlands RetirementCommunity, 4320 Forest Hill Drive, Fairfax.Classes are held in a heated indoor pool and aredesigned to work on balance and core muscles.$10. 703-667-9800.

New Neighbors League Club of NorthernVirginia. For women, the club includes Bridge,mah jong, gardening, quilting and many otheractivities. www.newneighborsvirginia.com.

Join Jewish War Veterans of the USA. TheBurke Post E 100 at 5712 Walnut Wood, Burke,invites Jewish veterans and service members tojoin. 703-209-5925.

Singers Wanted for the Celebration Singers.The women’s show choir is interested in newtalent to perform at various Northern Virginiacommunity sites. Practices are Wednesdays10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in Burke. Contact GayleParsons, 703-644-4485 or [email protected].

American Red Cross CPR, First Aid andAED. Various times, at 2720 State Route 699,Suite 200, Fairfax. One-year certification, digitalor print materials and continued education onMondays through Thursday and Saturday. $70-110. Visit www.redcrossnca.org.

The Groveton High School class of 1964 islooking for contact information for as manyclassmates as possible. The planning for the50th reunion is underway, however only a smallnumber of people have been contacted.Groveton graduates of ’64 interested inattending next September’s reunion shouldemail contact information [email protected].

Band musicians are invited to join the MountVernon Community Band. Rehearsals areTuesday 7:30-9:30 p.m. in the Mount VernonHigh School band room, 8515 Old MountVernon Road. There are no auditions. TheMount Vernon Community Band is a nonprofitcommunity service organization that hasperformed in the Mount Vernon area since 1978.703-768-4172 or www.mvbands.com.

Strength & Stretch For Seniors. Mondays andThursdays at 1 p.m. Improve range of motion,strength & bone health. All abilities welcome.$42. Mondays at Virginia Hospital Center, 1701N. George Mason Dr. Thursdays at HealthPavilion, 601 S. Carlin Springs Road.

Gentle Pilates. Saturdays at 9 and 11:35 a.m. Anon-traditional mat Pilates class withmodifications to suit all abilities. Learn properform, strengthen core muscles and improve

posture. $78. Virginia Hospital Center, 1701 N.George Mason Dr.

Gentle Yoga. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30a.m. Restore flexibility, strength and easetension. All levels welcome. $66. HealthPavilion, 601 S. Carlin Springs Road. Call 703-558-6859.

Tai Chi. Thursdays at 6: 15-7:15 p.m. Combineslow, flowing movements of Tai Chi and QiGong postures to foster a healthy, balancedmind and body. $80. 601 S. Carlin SpringsRoad. Call 703-558-6859.

Yoga for Everybody. Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.This traditional approach to yoga reduces stressand increases strength and flexibility. $66.Health Pavilion, 601 S. Carlin Springs Road. Call703-558-6859.

Adaptive/Seated Yoga. Tuesdays at 11:15 a.m.For older or physically challenged adults withlimited mobility, chronic pain or neuropathy.Adaptive yoga emphasizes breathing, gentlestretching and going at your own pace. $66Health Pavilion, 601 S. Carlin Springs Road. Call703-558-6859.

Call For Articles. The Arlington HistoricalSociety welcomes articles for publication in theannual Arlington Historical Magazine. Althoughthe focus is on Arlington County history,subjects dealing with the history of NorthernVirginia, or the metropolitan Washington, D.C.area, are also appropriate and welcomed.Articles should be 1,500 to 6,000 words inlength. The deadline for receipt of copy is July1, 2014. There is a prescribed format, especiallyfor endnotes. A style sheet will be providedupon request, and the editor will assist authorsand/or make corrections as needed. Pictures andmaps are encouraged, but should be submittedseparately, and credit information and suggestedcaptions should also be included. Directquestions to Editor W. Karl VanNewkirk at 703-536-5916, [email protected]; or1116 North Rochester St., Arlington, VA 22205-1741.

Free mall walking program for seniors will beheld Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-9:30a.m. at Ballston Common Mall, 4238 WilsonBlvd. Participants walk at their own pace. Therewill be a group stretch and cool down led byVirginia Hospital Center staff. 703-558-6859.

Choral Rehearsal. Encore Chorale’s springseason will start Jan. 14 from 2-3:30 p.m. atLangston Brown Senior Center, 2121 CulpeperSt. Anyone over the age of 55 can participate.Registration information is available atencorecreativity.org, or by calling 301-261-5747or via e-mail to [email protected].

The Arlington Senior Golf Club, sponsored bythe Office of Senior Adult Programs, is lookingto expand its membership roster of players.ASGC is open to Arlington residents, men andwomen, 55 years of age and older. All skill levelsare welcome. ASGC members play on Tuesdaysand Thursdays at more than 20 courses inNorthern Virginia with reasonable green feesbetween April and October. Tee times areavailable from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. ContactPresident John Mashaw at 703-892-3793,[email protected]_ or MembershipChairman Terry Townshend at 703-971-3124.

Lifeline Personal Alert System. VirginiaHospital Center Senior Health staff locallymanage the personal emergency responsesystem. Help is available 24 hours a day, sevendays a week. Monthly cost starts at $42. Call703-558-6859 for more information.

Senior Fall Prevention Classes are held in aheated indoor pool and are designed to work onbalance and core muscles in order to preventinjuries and falls. Instructor is certified in backand hip rehab. Classes are held Tuesdays and/orThursday, 1:30-2:30 p.m.; at The WoodlandsRetirement Community, 4320 Forest Hill Drive,Fairfax. $10 per class. Registration required, call703-667-9800. Space is limited. Instructor iscertified in back and hip rehab.

Centreville Garden Club Meeting. 7 p.m.every third Monday at Sully Government Center,4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly. Learn more atcentrevillegardenclub.blogspot.com or e-mail:[email protected]. Visitorswelcome. Phone 703-830-2942.

The League of Women Voters of the FairfaxArea, a non partisan organization that isconcerned with election processes, voterparticipation and civic engagement, iswelcoming new members. All women and meninterested in civic affairs are invited to join thegroup. Visit www.LWV-Fairfax.org. or call 703-658-9152.

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