Opinion, Page 4 Kids Hooked on Fishingconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · Murano...

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com April 3-9, 2019

Opi

nio

n, Pag

e 4 v

Enter

tai

nm

ent, Pag

e 8 v

C

lass

ified

s, P

age

10Photo b

y M

ercia

Hobs

on/T

he

Connec

tio

n

Postal CustomerECR WSS

Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material.

Requested in home 4-4-19

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDEaston, MDpermit #322

Senior LivingPage 2

More Public Input Sought On Parkway StudiesNews, Page 3

It’s Gold and Silver For Special OlympiansNews, 2

Kids Hooked on FishingNews, Page 9

Penelope Harr, 4, holds her first catch of the day after Sergeant Hank Ruffin of the Town of Herndon Police Department helped her hook the Rainbow Trout during the 2019 Kids Trout Fishing Derby produced by Herndon Parks and Recreation.

2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Senior Living

The Garden Club of Fairfax willhost this year’s House & GardenTour, part of the 86th HistoricGarden Week in Virginia.

McLean is the site for this year’s tour hostedby The Garden Club of Fairfax.

Visitors to the McLean Tour will explorefive picturesque gardens and four privatehomes spanning four centuries. Historybuffs and garden enthusiasts will delight inin the mix of historic, traditional and con-temporary properties.

The McLean tour on Tuesday, April 30,from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. showcases excitinggardens, creative flower arrangements, andunusual private homes, each with intrigu-ing stories behind them.

The tour includes a mix of historic, tradi-tional and contemporary homes rangingfrom a home built in the 1750s with ties tothe Revolution and used as a hospital dur-ing the Civil War, to a contemporary Japa-nese-influenced home built on a hillsidewith terraced gardens, a pool and patio thatare perfect for entertaining.

BIENVENUE, CHURCHILL ROAD,

McLean. Previously called “Benvenue,” thename of this 18th century Colonial homewas reportedly changed when General

Charles de Gaulle visited and said that thecorrect spelling was “Bienvenue.”

Built in 1754 using sandstone from anearby quarry. Furnishings and decorativeart throughout the home combine historic,contemporary and whimsical pieces col-lected by the homeowner from travels andlocal and international sources. Uniontroops occupied the property during theCivil War when the house served as a fieldhospital. Bullets and a cannonball werefound in the walls, while medicine bottles,surgical instruments and horseshoes werediscovered under the carriage house floorduring renovation. A massive sycamore treenext to the house is believed to be the old-est and largest in Fairfax County. Dr. KarenL. Kierce, owner.

OLD LANGLEY ORDINARY 1101 ChainBridge Road, McLean. Built shortly beforethe Civil War, this Federal Farmhouse stylebuilding served as headquarters for UnionGen. George McCall. After the war it be-came an ordinary, a tavern or meeting-house. Located just a few miles from thePotomac River crossing at Chain Bridge, itwas an important stopping-place for trav-elers and for farmers transporting livestockand wagons to merchants across the riverin Georgetown. The homeowner’s extensivecollection of traditional Americana is dis-played throughout. Wraparound porch withoutdoor living space includes a kitchen anddouble-sided outdoor fireplace. The origi-nal carriage house is now a guest-housewith American flags, painted by the home-owner, displayed on an exterior wall. Gar-den beds surrounding the home feature in-digenous Virginia plantings with roses, se-dum, hydrangea and 900 tulips.

OLD CHESTERBROOK ROAD , McLean.Built on a hillside, the long, clean horizon-

tal lines of natural stone, wood and glassin this contemporary home reflect Japaneseinfluence. In addition to subtle indirectlighting throughout the home, a paper chan-delier by artist Oh Mei Ma is suspendedfrom a soaring ceiling above the dining areaand the sitting room has a red ItalianMurano glass chandelier. The focal point atthe top of the hill is a children’s playhousecomplete with Dutch doors, kitchen andskylight. Additional points of interest are aJapanese gate (Torii) built by thehomeowner’s parents, a standing stone Bud-dha and a stone birdbath in the shape of abird in flight.

WOODLEY MILL ROAD, McLean. Builtin 2000, this Italianate villa with yellowstucco has a traditional orange clay barrel-tile roof. The front features European sculp-tured gardens with boxwood parterres,three arched doorways, balconies and ve-randa. Two fountains greet guests as theyenter the front property. The home’s gal-lery-like foyer features marble floors, a 20-foot ceiling and walls displaying large scalepaintings, Belgian tapestries and a metallicfinish bas-relief. From the pavilion, a wideTennessee buff flagstone path lined on bothsides with carefully maintained topiaries inTuscan style pots leads to a large bronzefountain. Extensive hardscaping with ma-ture evergreens, roses, hydrangeas, crepemyrtles and other plantings creates multiplegarden rooms surrounding the home.

DAVISWOOD DRIVE, McLean. (Gardenonly) More than 40 mature ‘Green Giant’arborvitae provide the background, shad-ing and privacy for this garden oasis. Thisformal garden features multiple gardenrooms showcasing crepe myrtles, hostas,hollies, boxwood, hydrangeas, rhododen-drons and ninebarks with water features,statuary, travertine walkways and a hiddenputting green. The garden’s centerpiece isthe saltwater swimming pool.

Historic Garden Week in McLean is Tues-day, April 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with head-quarters at Trinity United Methodist Church,1205 Dolley Madison Boulevard, McLean.Advance tickets are $40 per person online atwww.vagardenweek.org, or by mail, untilApril 20. Tickets on the day of tour are $50at headquarters or tour homes.

History buffs and garden enthusiasts will delight in in the mixof historic, traditional and contemporary.

Bienvenue on Churchill Road in McLean was built in 1754 using sand-stone from a nearby quarry. A new wing was added in 1929 to includeindoor water.

Photos by Donna Moulton/Fairfax Garden Club

Historic Garden Tour Comes to McLeanHISTORIC GARDEN WEEK IN MCLEANApril 30 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.Visitors to the McLean portion of the Virginia

Historic Garden Week will explore fivepicturesque gardens and four private homesspanning four centuries.

❖ Headquarters – Trinity United Methodist Church,1205 Dolley Madison Boulevard, McLean.Complimentary refreshments served from 10a.m. to 3 p.m.

❖ Tickets: Advance tickets - $40 online atwww.vagardenweek.org, or by mail, until April20, 2019. Tickets Day of Tour - $50 atHeadquarters or Tour Homes

❖ Questions? Google Garden Club of Fairfax oremail [email protected]. For moreinformation on this tour or to see the HistoricGarden Week statewide schedule of tours, go towww.vagardenweek.org.

Photos by Donna Moulton

Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

It’s time for the public to weigh inagain on improvements to the FairfaxCounty and Franconia-Springfieldparkways.

Last fall, Fairfax County Department ofTransportation (FCDOT) took their show onthe road for three public outreach meetings,seeking input from residents as they con-duct the “Alternatives Analysis and LongTerm Planning Study” of the two major thor-oughfares.

The study aims to review the deficienciesalong the 31-mile corridor that starts atRoute 7 (Leesburg Pike) in the north andruns to Route 1 (Richmond Highway) in thesouth and includes 17 interchanges and 83intersections. Ultimately studies will leadto recommendations to improve the often-congested roadways in the near-term, andas far into the future as 2040.

Some improvements are already under-way, as FCDOT representatives told attend-ees at the 2018 meetings.

Resulting from an “Existing Conditions”study conducted by the Virginia Departmentof Transportation (VDOT) in 2017, 49 ofmore than 350 road improvement recom-mendations have already been imple-mented, are underway, or are funded, asstate and county work together on theproject. Many actions are possible withoutchanges to the county’s ComprehensivePlan, but others require amendments to thePlan and passage by the Board of Supervi-sors.

“Public input is critical in making suchchanges and in considering improvementsfrom all angles,” FCDOT Planner ThomasBurke said at the fall outreach sessions.

During the October meetings, and for 45days after, residents were given the oppor-tunity to provide their own suggestions onhow best to improve travel conditions onthe parkways. FCDOT solicited the public’sideas via a number of on-line, interactiveexercises and comment forums.

Expecting participation by 3,000-to-4,000county residents, FCDOT instead received15,150 responses through the survey, an-other 108 responses via emails and thewebsite comment form, and another 71comments came through on FCDOT’sFacebook page.

THE BIGGEST TAKE-AWAY from thesurvey – overwhelming opposition fromimposing tolls on either road - alreadymade headlines, and Burke assures that themessage was received.

“There is no plan that includes tolls oneither the Fairfax County or Franconia-Springfield Parkways.”

After presenting an update on the studyand the analysis of the public’s response ata Board of Supervisors Transportation Com-mittee meeting in February, Burke and hisFCDOT colleagues held the first session inthe second round of public engagement atthe Willow Springs Elementary School inFairfax on March 27 with opening remarksby Supervisor Pat Herrity.

Updated “story” boards were displayedaround the school’s cafeteria, reflecting afew changes made based on the feedbackalready received and on requests from Su-pervisors John Cook (Braddock) and PatHerrity (Springfield) that FCDOT take amore regional outlook, rather than micro-focusing on the roadways.

Burke used graphs and charts to illustrateanalysis of the public’s preferences.

Several general themes emerged, whichBurke discussed, before summarizing thepublic’s responses by surveyed roadwaysegments.

After taking toll lanes out of the equa-tion, general support was shown for wid-ening the parkways, although there wasconcern expressed about homes and busi-nesses that might be lost in the process.There was significant approval for the ad-dition of interchanges to replace signalizedintersections.

HOV-3+ lanes were not much appreciatedby the respondents, although there wasmore interest in HOV-2+ lanes. High Oc-cupancy Vehicle lanes drew some criticismfrom residents who worried that their ad-dition would divert solo-driver parkwaytraffic onto neighborhood roads.

Burke responded that in the first place,the parkways would always include “gen-

eral purpose” lanes and not be convertedto strictly HOV, even during peak times. Healso assured that test models would be vig-orously employed before any recommenda-tions became final.

“But, I think it’s clear that an HOV lane isnecessary for successful enhanced transit,”he added.

Enhanced transit was a winner in thepublic’s opinion, with many residents ask-ing for more high-capacity options. Severalattendees championed transit, saying theplans should go further than just addingexpress buses. Suggestions included busroutes that intersected – allowing parkwaycommuters to change to buses travellingeast or to Metro stations. One audiencemember even recommended light rail trans-portation to run in the center of the park-ways.

PUBLIC OPINION HIGHLIGHTS by seg-ment:

Route 7 to Franklin Farm Road❖ Interest in connecting the gaps in

McLearen Road❖ Concern regarding congestion at inter-

sections, interest in interchanges, particu-larly at the Dulles Toll Road and south (i.e.FC Pkwy. at Sunrise Valley)

Franklin Farm to Route 123 – thissection includes the VDOT projects widen-ing projects

❖ Strong support for widening and addi-tion of over or under pass at intersectionslike Pope’s Head Road.

Route 123 – Rolling Road– split withFranconia-Springfield Parkway

❖ Concerns at Huntsman and Lee Chapel❖ Congestion at intersections❖ Concern for tree preservation and en-

vironmental impacts, particularly nearBurke Lake and South Run parks

Fairfax County parkway from parkwaysplit to Richmond Highway

❖ General approval for the Comprehen-sive Plan as is with interest in improvedsignage for ramps

Franconia-Springfield Parkway from splitto Beulah

❖ General satisfaction with the currentplan to widen to 8 lanes

Two more general meetings are sched-uled, but FCDOT hopes for the same levelof participation in the new online survey,launching on March 27 atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/study/fairfax-county-parkway.

A Baseline Improvements Map is avail-able on the department’s website. TheBaseline is assumed to be in place, butFCDOT wants the public to provide feed-back on five strategies to build on thebaseline assumptions. The strategies are:

1. Expanded Bike and Pedestrian Fa-cilities

2. Capacity improvements – intersec-tions/interchanges

3. Capacity improvements – wideningwithout HOV

4. HOV Feeder5. HOV-2+The strategies are further explained on

the website.Residents can choose whether to provide

input for the entire length of both theFairfax County and Franconia-SpringfieldParkways, or for specific segments. A forumfor general comments and other suggestionsis also available in the survey.

The survey will be open until May 6.Burke will come back to the public with thenew results in late summer of 2019, antici-pating recommendations and prioritizationby early 2020 and Board consideration laterin that year.

Fairfax County andFranconia-SpringfieldParkways studymoves to next phase.

More Public Input Sought on Parkway Studies

FCDOT has boards displayedaround the meeting hall like thisone, illustrating a possible HOV“feeder” to provide better accessand exit from proposed HOV laneson the parkways.

Supervisor Pat Herrity (Springfield) welcomes residents to the FairfaxCounty Department of Transportation’s public outreach session to discussimprovement to the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways.

Pho

to

s by A

ndrea W

orker/T

he C

on

nectio

n

Herndon Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


Opinion

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

The House of Delegatesand the State Senateare in session today(April 3) for the an-

nual reconvened session as re-quired by the constitution. Oftenreferred to as the veto session, partof its business is to consider billsvetoed or with amendments pro-posed by the Governor. During the regular odd-numbered short session that adjourned on Feb.24 after 46 days, there were 3,128 bills andresolutions considered. Setting aside resolu-tions that do not have the force of law of bills,there were 883 bills that passed the legisla-ture all of which must have the signature ofthe Governor in order to become law. TheGovernor’s veto can be overturned by a voteof two-thirds of the members of both houses.

The governor in Virginia has the unique abil-ity among executive officials to proposeamendments to bills that previously passed butthen must be approved by the General Assem-

bly in the reconvened session withthe amendments proposed. Thisability for the governor to makecorrections or to change the pro-visions of a bill gives the gover-nor important legislative powersand enhances the importance ofthe reconvened session that typi-cally lasts for a single day but cango up to three days.

Among the bills on the docketfor this reconvened session is a bill that hadpassed both houses of the legislature but diedat the last moment of the regular session. Thedispute was over legal language to prohibit theuse of cell phones that are not hands-free. Thebill will be back before the legislature thanksto an amendment by the Governor, and it islikely to finally pass.

I expect to support the Governor in his ve-toes of bills. One bill that he vetoed would limithis authority to involve Virginia in the RegionalGreenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-tradeprogram among Northeastern and Mid-Atlan-tic states that mandates emission reduction in

the power sector. Virginia’s involvement in thisprogram is among the most important stepsthe state can take in reducing greenhouse gasesand tackling climate change.

Governor Northam has also vetoed a bill thatI had opposed during the regular session thatwould force law enforcement agencies to useprecious resources to perform functions of fed-eral immigration law that are part of the cur-rent immigration hysteria. He also vetoed a billthat would have limited the ability of localgovernments in making decisions about theirlocal employment and pay consideration.

Included among the bills that passed are billsthat passed in identical form but were onlyintroduced in one house. Some advocates andlegislators believe that there is more certaintythat a bill will finally pass if it moves throughthe legislature on two separate tracks. Thegovernor signs both identical bills to keep fromchoosing among competing bill sponsors. Noone that I know has taken the time to countthese bills, but I believe that more than halffall into this category. I question that ap-proach—it seems like unnecessary duplicationin an already complex system.

Back in RichmondCommentary

Bald Eagle OverLake NewportBald eagle spotted overLake Newport in Reston ataround 5 p.m. on Friday,March 29, 2019.

Submitted by Logan Kleinwaks

To the Editor:As we look back on the recently

concluded General Assembly ses-sion in Richmond, there is notmuch to mark as progress on en-vironmental issues.

Only because they are a veryvisible and present danger, didcoal ash pits get dealt with. We areleft to rely on vetoes from Gover-nor Northam in order for any re-gional coordination efforts on re-ducing greenhouse gases to havea chance to proceed.

Sensible solar bills? Common

sense community controlledsingle-use plastics legislation? Amoratorium on new fossil fuel in-frastructure? Good things wereproposed, but we got nothingthrough our representation inRichmond.

Which is why the timing of somegood news from our Virginia del-egation in Congress on climate andrelated social justice issues is sowelcome.

Rep. Gerry Connolly co-spon-sored the ‘Green New Deal’ HouseResolution - an aspirational set of

goals for sure, but he has now fol-lowed it up with co-sponsorship ofa piece of detailed climate legisla-tion - the Energy Innovation andCarbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763).Following all the dire climate pro-jections, global experts concur thatpricing carbon (CO2) is the bestfirst step to address emissionscausing climate instability. Return-ing all net revenues, in form of amonthly dividend, protects fami-lies and ensures support for thetransition to renewables at thehousehold level. Border adjust-

ments ensure an equal playingfield for international trade. Thankyou, Rep. Connolly, and may therest of the Virginia delegation pickup the call.

While the climate threat is notso visible and measurable as thatfrom a coal ash pit, nor the solu-tion so engineerable, it must betreated at an emergency scale ofeffort and urgency.

Meredith HainesVienna

Letters to the Editor

A Welcome ‘Green New Deal”

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

@HerndonConnect

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.Published by

Local Media Connection LLC

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Mercia HobsonCommunity Reporter

[email protected]

Andrea WorkerContributing Writer

[email protected]

Jean CardProduction Editor

[email protected]

ADVERTISING:For advertising information

[email protected]

Debbie FunkDisplay Advertising/National Sales

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Classified & EmploymentAdvertising703-778-9431

Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal Kurspahic

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

[email protected]

Oak Hill & Herndon


See Bulletin, Page 7

Submit civic/community announce-ments at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos and artwork welcome.Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least twoweeks before event.

VOLUNTEERS WANTEDGreater Reston Arts Center’s

(GRACE) Northern Virginia Fine ArtsFestival returns for its 28th year.Support the Northern Virginia FineArts Festival by signing-up tovolunteer. Volunteer opportunitiesinclude Family Art Park, ArtistHospitality, Festival Ambassador, andmore. All volunteers receive a 2019Festival t-shirt, a Festival programwith restaurant coupons, and waterthroughout the day. Credit forcommunity service hours is available;middle school volunteers arewelcome with a guardian. Visitrestonarts.org/fineartsfestival/volunteer/ to register.

FRIDAY/APRIL 5Sibshops. 9 a.m.-noon at Providence

Community Center, 3001 VadenDrive, Fairfax. The Sibshopworkshops are for children in grades2-5 who have siblings with specialneeds enrolled in Fairfax CountyPublic Schools. Meet other siblings ina fun, recreational setting; celebratesiblings; share sibling experiencesand receive peer support; play gamesand more. A snack will be provided.Registration is free, donations will beaccepted to support the cost ofmaterials and food. Visitwww.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-centeror call the FCPS Parent ResourceCenter at 703-204-3941 to register.

SATURDAY/APRIL 62019 Special Education

Conference. 7:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. atLake Braddock Secondary School,9200 Burke Lake Road, Burke. FCPSwill hold its 14th Annual SpecialEducation Conference with a focuson building inclusive and post-secondary practices to support thedevelopment of 21st Century skillsand Portrait of a Graduate (POG)attributes. Visit www.fcps.edu/spedconference2019 for details, a listof workshops, exhibitor informationand to register.

Caregiver Bootcamp. 9:30 a.m.-3p.m. at Insight Memory Care Center,3953 Pender Drive, #100, Fairfax.Join IMCC for a day-long trainingevent covering many essentialcaregiving topics. A continentalbreakfast and lunch will be providedfree of charge. Sessions include:Dementia 101 & Clinical Trials;Understanding Veterans Benefits;Practical Tools for Caregivers; and APerson-Centered Approach. Registeronline at www.insightmcc.org, orcontact Lindsey Vajpeyi at 703-204-4664 [email protected].

Dementia Care Support. 10-11 a.m.at Hunters Woods at Trails EdgeShowroom, 2254B Nunters WoodsPlaza, Reston. Dementia CareSupport Group - 1st Saturday of themonth. Distinguish between normalaging and dementia, understanddifferent types of dementia, theimpact of changes to the brain andhow family caregivers can best copewith these changes. Free. Call 703-708-4047 or visitwww.integracare.com.

Money Matters 2.0. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. atHeritage Fellowship Church inReston. The Reston (VA) Chapter ofthe Links, Incorporated, inpartnership with AARP, are hosting

Bulletin


News

Registration Opensfor Herndon YouthPolice Academy

The Town of Herndon Police Depart-ment announced on its Facebook page itopened registration for its 2019 YouthPolice Academy that will meet June 24-28, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Youth ages 13-17 may enroll. Class limit is 20 studentsand will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis. Applications must be sub-mitted by June 3, 2019.

According to the registration form, “ex-cept for sickness, emergencies and pre-

approved absences, participants should notbe absent from any of the training sessions.… Some of the topics covered include traf-fic enforcement and drunk driving, K-9Units, forensics and evidence collection,polygraph examinations (and) careers inlaw enforcement. ...The goal of the Acad-emy is to eliminate misconceptions betweenyoung people and police, promote a greatersense of unity and encourage youth to en-ter the field of law enforcement.”

For more information or a registrationpacket, contact: SPO Michael MurnHerndon Police Department– Youth Re-source Officer at [email protected].

— Mercia Hobson

Spring Clean-upWeek Is April 8-12

The annual spring clean-up will take placethroughout the Town of Herndon during theweek of April 8-12. Spring clean-up pro-vides an opportunity for residents to placelarge or bulky items curbside for pick-upon their scheduled trash collection day.Items can include:

Appliances (remove doors); Furniture;Vehicle parts and plumbing fixtures (allunder 50 lbs.); Tires (maximum 2 perhousehold); Limited amount of buildingmaterials (approximately one cubic yard,lengths not to exceed 4 feet)

Loose yard waste, auto parts in excessof 50 lbs., large quantities of building ma-terials, brick & block, electronics (includ-ing televisions, stereos, computers & pe-ripheral) and household hazardouswaste will not be picked up.

Items should be placed curbside by 7a.m. on your trash day only, but no ear-lier than 24 hours prior to pick-up.

Residents may contact the Departmentof Public Works at 703-435-6853 [email protected] formore information, or visit the town’swebsite at

herndon-va.gov/RefuseandRecycling.

Week in Herndon

Lauren Bradshaw of Chantilly andMatthew Lawley of Herndon bothhad to win their respective con-tests sponsored by the Fairfax

Resolves Chapter of the Virginia Society ofthe Sons of the American Revolution(VASSAR) before moving on to the 2019annual state-wide competition. Havingearned that achievement, they faced en-trants from the 28 eligible Virginia SARchapters before they were declared the win-ners.

In February, Bradshaw and Lawley trav-elled to Richmond to compete, and werethen awarded medals, certificates and$1,000 in prizes each when they emergedvictorious among many worthy young com-petitors.

BRADSHAW is a homeschooled ninthgrader and was only 13 when she competedfor the Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Ora-tion Award, delivering from memory a six-minute discourse regarding the need tomaintain history as a critical component ofour educational curriculum.

While recognizing the importance ofSTEM-focused education, Bradshaw stillmakes a case for learning about our nation’sfounding and cautions against de-prioritiz-ing history studies. She sees them as neces-sary to a well-rounded education.

The confident young winner says she “al-ways liked public speaking,” finding it“easier to pass on a message because inwriting you can’t put in a personal tone,emphasis, or inflection on things like youcan in oratory.”

The judges of the contest which is opento students from the 9 – 12th grades, musthave agreed and appreciated her use ofthose elements in her speech.

Bradshaw doesn’t just let history remainin books or bring it out only for competi-tive purposes. To truly demonstrate her in-terest, she led an effort to restore an over-grown cemetery in her own neighborhoodthat contained the graves of RevolutionaryWar Virginians.

Herndon High School graduate and cur-rent Northern Virginia Community Collegefreshman Matthew Lawley also had to makeit through the local round of competitionbefore he won the nationally-sponsored

Arthur M. and Berdena King Eagle Scouttop honors. The award is open to all EagleScouts interested in the American Revolu-tion who are registered in an active scout-ing unit and under the age of 19 during theyear of application.

SAR gives extra credit to applicants thathave secured the American Heritage, Lawor Genealogy merit badges. Among the im-pressive 101 merit badges that Lawley hasearned during his scouting career are in-cluded all three of these distinctions most-prized by the competition judges.

LAWLEY met the contest requirements pre-paring a four generation genealogy chartof his family and highlighting his leader-ship roles through scouting, through hischurch, and in his community. For the es-say portion of the competition, Lawleycrafted an essay that presented a persua-sive argument on the need for a monumentto John Adams in Washington, D.C. Adamsis one of the few founding presidents to notbe so memorialized.

“It would be amazing,” said Lawley, to beable to someday “join SAR and see a monu-ment built to John Adams in Washington.”

Lawley also expressed his gratitude forthe opportunity to compete, and for therecognition of scouting programs by SAR,and the Virginia and local chapters.

Both Bradshaw and Lawley are now eli-gible to move on to the national competi-tion, to be held this summer, where topawards take home up to $10,000.

Among their mission objectives, the Na-tional Society of the Sons of the AmericanRevolution, the VASSAR, and local chapterslike Fairfax Resolves exist to “inspire…thecommunity at large with a more profoundreverence for the principles of the govern-ment founded by our forefathers; to fostertrue patriotism; to maintain and extend theinstitutions of American freedom.”

Together they sponsor a range of competi-tive educational programs for youth fromfourth through 12th grades, with no require-ments for Revolutionary War ancestry inorder to compete.

For more information, see their websitesat www.sar.org/education/youth-contests-and-award,www.virginia-sar.organdwww.fairfaxresolvessar.org.

—Andrea Worker

Local Youth Win Sons of the American Revolution Annual Awards

Matthew Lawley, a Herndon High School graduate and current fresh-man at Northern Virginia Community College was awarded the 2019Arthur M. and Berdena King Eagle Scout Award by the Virginia Sons ofthe American Revolution. Matthew is pictured with Virginia SAR EaglesScouts Chair on the left, and Bill Denk of McLean, Fairfax ResolvesEagle Scouts Chair.

Ninth graderLauren Bradshaw

receives the tophonors for the 2019

Joseph S.Rumbaugh Histori-

cal Oration contest,sponsored by the

Sons of the Ameri-can Revolution,

Virginia state andlocal chapters,

presented by TimDioquino, president

of the Fairfax Re-solves Chapter of

the SAR.

Pho

to

s co

ntributed


Learn About Adver� sing in the Connec� on

and Digital Op� ons!Adver� sing in the Connec� onAdver� sing in the Connec� on

and upcoming special sec� ons: and upcoming special sec� ons:

connectionnewspapers.com/advertisingconnectionnewspapers.com/advertising

or call 703.778.9431

Kyle Knight Ins Agcy IncKyle Knight, Agent11736 Bowman Green DriveReston, VA 20190

ACROSS FROM RESTON TOWN CTR.WWW.KYLEKNIGHT.ORG703-435-2300

I understand you work really hard for your home and car, and I’m here to help protect them

STOP IN OR CALL ME TODAY.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance CompanyState Farm Fire and Casualty Company

Bloomington, IL

News

See Bulletin, Page 11

On Tuesday, March 26 at4:06 p.m., units re-sponded to a reported

house fire in the 12700 block ofBradwell Drive in the Fox Mill areaof Fairfax County.

Units arrived on the scene of atwo-story, single family home withsignificant fire visible throughoutthe attached garage and roof.There was some extension into theattic and first floor areas of thehome. Crews quickly brought thefire under control. Three occu-pants were transported to an areahospital for a check-up. Therewere no reported firefighter inju-ries.

Three occupants were home atthe time of the fire. A neighboralerted the occupants of the firewithin the attached garage and

called 9-1-1. Working smokealarms were present, however itis unknown if they activated dueto the location of the fire.

Fire Investigators determinedthe fire started in the attachedgarage.

The cause of the fire is underinvestigation.

Three people were displacedbecause of the fire. Red Cross as-sistance was offered and accepted.Damages as a result of the firewere approximately $107,500.

Fox Mill HouseFire DisplacesThree

Damages as a result of the fire were approximately$107,500.

Co

urtesy o

f Fairfax C

oun

ty Fire & R

escue D

epartm

en

t

Northwest Federal employees speak with Community Partner organizations.

Northwest Federal Holds First Community Partners Fair

On March 20th Northwest Federal heldits first Community Partners Fair wherelocal partner organizations were able to

speak with employees about their missions andvolunteer opportunities. The organizations in-cluded groups from the credit union’s four paths

of community service — health and wellness, ani-mal welfare, children and special needs, and en-vironment and the arts.Last year Northwest Federal employees volun-teered more than 7,800 hours at nonprofit orga-nizations.

Pho

to

co

urtesy o

f N

WFC

U

Bulletin Board

From Page 5

Money Matters 2.0 - A Blueprint toAchieve Financial Wellness andEntrepreneurial Success. Financialawareness, literacy, and educationare major areas of need in theAfrican American community.Finance experts share knowledge intwo tracks: adults and youth/teens(focused on ages 13-20). Free. Visitwww.RestonLinks.org to register.

SUNDAY/APRIL 7Low Cost Rabies Vaccine Clinic. 9-

11 a.m. at Fairfax County AnimalShelter, 4500 West Ox Road, Fairfax.Cost is $15 per pet, cash and checkonly. Dogs, cats, and ferrets may bevaccinated at the clinic. Dogs must beon leashes; cats and ferrets must bein carriers. All pets will receive a 1-year rabies vaccination. To obtain a

3-year vaccine, bring pet’s rabiescertificate (not tag) showing thecurrent rabies vaccination expirationdate. 2019 county dog licenses willbe sold for an additional $10 perlicense. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/communityassistance/rabiesclinics for more.

MONDAY/APRIL 8


By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Dark Horse TheatreCompany presentsthe regional premiere

of the dark comedy, “The Valueof Moscow,” by Playwright AmyDellagiarino, April 12-27 atArtSpace Herndon, 750 CenterStreet located in the HerndonArts District. “This is a uniqueopportunity to have a play writ-ten by a Reston-Herndon na-tive, now successful LA play-wright and Dark Horse return

to Herndon,” said NatashaParnian, Managing Artistic Direc-tor.

Both Dellagiarino and Parnianwere originally from Reston andgraduated from South Lakes HighSchool in the early 2000s.

According to the production pre-view, “Three grown ‘adult’ sistersare thrust back into living togetheras a last resort after their variouslives have fallen apart. This triocan’t even agree on how to unpacktheir stuff much less their relation-ships and pasts. And before theycan finish the bottle of vodka they

found in the kitchen, everythinggoes from bad to worse, to a lot,LOT worse. Can they set asidetheir grievances long enough towork together and save them-selves? Probably not. But withacerbic wit and an encounter withthe pizza man, these three sistersaim to find out.” Parnian cau-tioned that the play is recom-mended for an adult audience. “Itcontains strong language and co-medic violence,” she said.

“ArtsHerndon is delighted topartner with Dark Horse Theatre,”said Joanna Ormesher, President

& CEO Arts Herndon. The op-portunity for modern theatrewriters and performers to haveblack box space to produce newworks is invaluable. Artspaceallows just that prospect. Laterin the season, we will be col-laborating on a similar projectwith NextStop Theatre Com-pany. These are new andgroundbreaking opportunitiesfor the Arts in Herndon.”

For tickets and information,visit www.darkhorseva.com orcall 703-537-1071. Limited en-gagement and seating.

From left, Catherine Gilbert (Clara), Sarah Akers (Emily), Jessie Burns(Rose) and Andrew Farms (Cliff) rehearse ‘The Value of Moscow,’ a newcomedy by Reston native and Playwright Amy Dellagiarino.

Reston native and South Lakes HighSchool alumni, playwright AmyDellagiarino returns to the area to seeDark Horse Theatre Company’s pro-duction of her play, ‘The Value ofMoscow.’

Reston Natives Bring Home ComedyDark Horse Theatre Company presents “ The Value of Moscow.”

Pho

to

s by A

rian

ne’ W

arn

er

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

ONGOINGArt Exhibit: Looming Connections.

Through April 6, gallery hours at ArtsHerndon, 750 Center St., Herndon.Looming Connections is a solo showfocusing on the artwork of Marylandartist Alyssa Imes. The sculptures anddrawings reference the formation ofrelationships and theinterconnectedness of culture. Visitwww.ArtSpaceHerndon.org or call703-956-6590.

Art Exhibition: IRL. Through April23, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.at The Signature at Reston TownCenter, 11850 Freedom Drive,Reston. IRL is a solo exhibitionfeaturing work by painter and videoartist Monica Stroik. Through acombination of video and paintingsselected from her ongoing Cyberseries, IRL (online shorthand for “inreal life”) investigates concepts ofsimultaneously being present anddisconnected and how the naturalworld becomes entangled in digitallives. Free and open to the public.Visit restonarts.org for more.

Founder’s Day Show at Lake Anne.Through April 29, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. atthe JoAnne Rose Gallery, RestonCommunity Center at Lake Anne,1609 Washington Plaza, Reston. TheLeague of Reston Artists presentstheir annual Founder’s Day exhibit inhonor of the group’s founder, PatriciaMacIntyre. MacIntyre will judge thepainted and mixed media entries thatillustrate the theme of “Fine Lines.” Areception will be held Sunday, April7, 2-5 p.m. at the gallery. Visitwww.leagueofrestonartists.org formore.

FRIDAY/APRIL 5Open Mic and Poetry with Mike. 7-

9 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. The first hour isfeatures poets Sid Gold and SallyZakairya. The second hour is open toanyone. Call 703-956-6590 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.org.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/APRIL 5-6Genealogy Conference/Expo.

Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 9a.m.-3:45 p.m. at Sheraton RestonHotel, 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive,Reston. Fairfax Genealogical Society’stwo-day spring conference and expo.Lectures, workshops, individualconsultations, vendors with items/services of interest to familyresearchers. Topics include:Beginning and intermediate DNA;African American Research; LandPlatting; Colonial Law and Religion;Southern Migration, and more. FxGSmember, $100; non-member, $120.Details at www.fxgs.org.

MONDAY/APRIL 8Northern Virginia Positive Aging

and Wellness Fair. 8:45 a.m.-4p.m. at Fairfax County GovernmentCenter, 12000 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax. In collaborationwith Fairfax County and communitypartners, the Northern VirginiaPositive Aging and Wellness Fair willoffer tools, workshops, exhibits andinformation to educate and inspireadults to achieve a fulfilling andhealthy lifestyle as they age. PatCollins, an award-winning NBCNews4 reporter, will be the keynotespeaker. Free and open to the public.To register and for more information,visit positiveagingfair.com. Forcounty services for older adults andcaregivers, go towww.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults.

Toddler Story Time. 10:30 a.m. atReston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Joinus for fun stories, songs and fingerplays. Age 2 with adult. Registration

now open. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.

E-book Help. 2 p.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Those whoneed assistance downloading librarye-books onto an electronic device cancome on by and get help. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.

SATURDAY/APRIL 6Runnymede Park and Sugarland

Run Watershed Cleanup Day. 8a.m.-noon at Runnymede Park, 195Herndon Parkway between Elden andQueens Row streets. Join communitymembers and help clean-up park andstream locations. Volunteers shoulddress for the weather, wear bootswith sturdy soles, and bring workgloves. Interested groups orindividuals can sign-up by contactingJohn Dudzinsky, Community Foresterat 703-435-6800, ext. 2014, or byemail at [email protected]. There will be a free securedocument shred truck at RunnymedePark, 9 a.m.-noon.

Explore Lake Fairfax Park with aNaturalist. 10-11:30 a.m. at LakeFairfax Park, 1400 Lake Fairfax

Drive, Reston. Learn about the floraand fauna that give Lake Fairfax Parkits character. Designed forparticipants 3-adult. $8 per person.Dress for the weather. Call 703-471-5414 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-fairfax.

Otto the Auto. 11 a.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Otto thetalking car engages children in funand memorable traffic safetyexercises. Age 3-6 with adult.Registration now open. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.

Celebrate National Grilled CheeseMonth. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Frying PanFarm Park, 2739 West Ox Road,Herndon. Experience the cheesiestevent of the year at Frying Pan Farmas the park celebrates NationalGrilled Cheese month. “You GoudaBrie Kidding!” will feature cooksfrying up sandwiches. Learn aboutthe diverse cultural takes on thefavorite melted cheese treat, too.There will be a variety of cheeses tosample and demonstrations.Designed for participants age 3-adult.$3 per person. Call 703-437-9101 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/frying-pan-park.

Founder’s Day. Noon-4 p.m. at LakeAnne Plaza. Join the Reston HistoricTrust & Museum (RHT) as itcelebrates Founder’s Day. Rememberfounder Robert E. Simon Jr. andcelebrate the 55th anniversary ofReston with a full slate of family-friendly activities at Lake Anne Plaza.Visit www.restonmuseum.org/foundersday or call 703-709-7700.

Life Lessons from Mt. Kilimanjaro.1:30 p.m. at Reston Regional Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Local author Robert Perrywill share the inspiring story of histrek to the highest peak in Africa. Hewill sign copies of his book “Takingthe 12 Steps Up- and Down-Kilimanjaro”. Adults, Teens. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.

Kwame Alexander & RandyPreston: Poetry andPerformance. 4 p.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. RestonRegional Library partners withScrawl Books to welcome Newberyaward-winning author KwameAlexander and musician RandyPreston for a performance celebratingthe paperback release of Booked andThe Crossover as well as the release

of Kwame’s new picture book TheUndefeated. Books will be availablefor purchase. Ages 6 and up. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.

SUNDAY/APRIL 7Casey’s Car Show. 12:30-3:30 p.m. at

Casey’s Automotive, 4260A EntreCourt, Chantilly. The 3rd AnnualCasey’s Car Show & Spring Fest is aneffort to support a good cause whileenjoying music, food, ice cream, andlots of cool cars and trucks. Proceedsfrom this event go directly to Ellie’sHats. The family-friendly event willbe boasting a free bounce house andfree face paintings, and Star Warscharacters for children to takepictures with. Free admission. Visitwww.caseysutomotive.com/2019-car-show-spring-fest/ or call 703-802-6300.

History of World War II. 2 p.m. atReston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Dr.Harry Butowsky of George MasonUniversity presents Part 4 of his 6-part lecture series on World War II –Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic1939-1944. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.

Entertainment


News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

For families who wanted to intro-duce their children to trout fish-ing and perhaps provide themwith a deeper understanding of

the environment, the 2019 Kids Trout Fish-ing Derby held at Sugarland Run Streamlocated behind the Herndon Police Stationoffered the perfect opportunities.

Organized by Herndon Parks and Recre-ation Department and supported by manyorganizations and volunteers, the half-dayevent held Saturday, March 31 afforded lo-cal youth ages of 2-15 a chance to get outin nature, and access Rainbow Trout fish-ing close to home, said Tim Lander ofHerndon Parks and Recreation.

“They learn a little about how to fish,about the trout species and conservation,”added John L. Dudzinsky, Community For-ester, Town of Herndon who was on handto support the derby.

Since Northern Virginia lacks cold fresh-water streams where wild trout can surviveand spawn, the day before the derby theDepartment of Parks and Recreation ac-cepted the delivery of three hundred Rain-bow Trout purchased by the Herndon Fra-ternal Order of Police Lodge # 64 from Lau-rel Hill Trout Farm, Inc. The Department ofPublic Works assisted in transferring thetrout to the stream, said Lander.

With the stream stocked for success, morethan one hundred children arrived for theexciting springtime angling experience, saidLander. Veteran youth anglers brought theirtackle boxes and rods. They quickly casttheir lines trying to outsmart the crafty sportfish. Those who did triggered exciting re-action strikes from the Rainbow Trout as

they thrashed wildly about often leaping outof the water some getting away in the pro-cess.

NOVICE ANGLERS like Zhion Fabian, 10of Centreville, borrowed one of the providedrods. Shortly into the second hour, Fabianpitched his line into a high-percentage areaof pocket water where trout hid. One struck,and Fabian hauled in his catch. He hurriedto the cleaning table staffed by NVATU.

Since the fish was not a catch and release,Tim Quinn of NVATU showed Fabian howto hold the trout by the gill for a photo.“This is the first fish I’ve ever caught,”Fabian excitedly said as he held it up. Askedwhat it felt like to hold the fish, Fabian said,“It’s the weirdest thing, rubbery.”

Logan Harr and his daughters Penelope,4, and Genevieve, 3, fished from the shore-line. Standing nearby, Sergeant Hank Ruffinof the Herndon Police Department showeda group of children how to spot RainbowTrout in the deeper shady water and drifttheir lines to ensure success. When a troutshowed interest, Ruffin quickly handed therod to Penelope Harr. Together they reeledin the catch.

Sgt. Ruffin admitted he is a man stokedfor sharing his joy and thrill of fishing withothers.

“I have a passion for fishing,” he said.Ruffin said he, his police friends and othervolunteers were there to teach children howto fish, hopefully sparking a life-long loveaffair with the sport. “The whole point ofthe Kids Fishing Derby is to get the nextgeneration of anglers for Herndon,” Ruffinsaid.

LANDER said that the Herndon FraternalOrder of Police Lodge #64 donated prizes

for the children such as rod/reel combos,drawstring backpacks, polarized fishingsunglasses and quick measuring tapes. “Theevent is a multi-departmental collaborationbetween Parks and Recreation, HerndonPolice Department, Community Develop-ment and Department of Public Works.Northern Virginia Chapter of Trout Unlim-ited, the Herndon Fraternal Order of Police

Lodge #64 and volunteers from LongfellowMiddle School in McLean supported thederby,” said Lander.

George Paine, Secretary, NVATU praisedthe town for its efforts and called attentionto Town Forester John Dudzinsky who Painesaid, “helps introduce young people to fish-ing … the window to the environmentaround us.”

Families enjoy a warm spring morning along the stream banks ofSugarland Run in Herndon during the 2019 Kids Trout Fishing Derby.

Carys Dahlin, 6 of Herndon, casts her line baited with a worm with alittle help from her mom during the Kids Trout Fishing Derby hopingto land a trout for dinner.

Kids Hooked on Fishing Trout Derby stockedfor success in Herndon.

Zhion Fabian, 10 of Centreville,gingerly holds the first fish he’sever caught in his life. Fabianparticipated in the 2019 Kids TroutFishing Derby put on by HerndonParks and Recreation.

Penelope Harr, 4, holds her firstcatch of the day after SergeantHank Ruffin of the Town ofHerndon Police Department helpedher hook the rainbow trout duringthe 2019 Kids Trout Fishing Derbyproduced by Herndon Parks andRecreation.

Pho

to

s by M

ercia H

obso

n/T

he C

on

nectio

n


News

Egg hunts will be hatching at parks throughout Fairfax County in the month of April,and the Easter Bunny will be making someappearances, too. Contact the sites directly

or visit Eggcellent Events for a full list of egg huntsand programs.

Things kick off on Sunday, April 7, with the “Eas-ter Eggstravaganza” at the Frying Pan Farm Park Visi-tor Center. Children ages one to six can hunt for eggsfilled with treats and prizes and visit animals out-doors. Hunts are scheduled by age from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. The cost is $8 per child.

On that same afternoon Hidden Oaks Nature Cen-ter hosts a “Woodland Wildlife Egg Hunt” for chil-dren age three to eight. Enjoy an easy walk to meetcostumed woodland characters and collect 10 eggswith non-candy treats. See live frog eggs and meetsome spring critters. Programs begin at 1 and 1:30p.m., and the cost is $9 per child.

On five days in April, go on a “Dinosaur Egg Hunt”at Hidden Oaks. Enjoy a dinosaur-themed programand outdoor egg hunt and make a dino craft. Theprogram for children ages two to eight runs on April13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 at various times. The cost is$10 per child.

The “Easter Egg Hunt at Sully” takes place theweekend of April 13 through 14. Children ages oneto eight can bring baskets and go on an egg huntlike the Noltings had at Sully in the early 1950s andparticipate in an egg roll and egg carry. The Easter

Bunny will be there, too. The cost is $8 per child.Children age two to nine can join the Easter Egg

Hunt at Colvin Run Mill on Saturday, April 13. Huntfor eggs and make crafts to take home. Hunts arescheduled by age from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., andthe cost is $8 per child.

On Sunday, April 14, register for the Easter EggHunt at Lake Fairfax Park for children age one tofour and hunt for eggs filled with treats and trea-sures. Hunts are scheduled by age from 11 a.m. to 2p.m., and the cost is $8 per child.

Saturday, April 20, is also a big day for egg-citingevents.

Burke Lake Park hosts its annual “Baskets & Bun-nies” celebration featuring egg hunts, rides, mini-golf, vendors and other activities from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Purchase a pass in advance for $12 to savemoney. This event is for family members of all ages.

The Easter Egg Hunt at Clemyjontri Park gives chil-dren ages one to nine a chance to enjoy egg hunts,crafts, photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny andmore. Egg hunts are split by age and run every 30minutes from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $7 perchild. Carousel rides are available for $3 per child.

Bring your own basket and hunt for candy and eggsfilled with treats at the Easter Egg Hunt at NottowayPark for children ages one to nine. Hunts are sched-uled by age from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The cost is $10per child (cash only).

For the science-minded, don’t miss The Egg Chal-lenge at Riverbend Park. All ages are invited to joina classic STEM design challenge — the Egg Drop.Build a structure that will protect your egg in a 10-foot-plus drop, then participate in a fun egg hunt forchildren age one to nine by the Potomac River. Theprogram runs from 1 to 3 p.m., and the cost is $10per person.

Grab a basket and hunt foreggs at parks throughoutFairfax County.

Hunting for Eggs in County Parks

Egg hunts will behatching at parksthroughout FairfaxCounty in the monthof April.

Courtesy photo


From Page 7

Bulletin

DMV2Go at the Pavilion. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. atReston Town Center. The wireless office onwheels offers all DMV services: driver’s licenseand ID card applications and renewals, drivingrecords, vehicle titles, license plates, decals,order disabled plates, and more. Visitdmv.virginia.gov/general/#dmv_2go.

TUESDAY/APRIL 9Park Authority Summer Jobs. 5-8 p.m. at

Fairhill Elementary School, 3001 ChichesterLane, Fairfax. This year the Fairfax County ParkAuthority’s Rec-PAC summer camp program willoperate at 45 elementary school locationsaround Fairfax County on weekdays from July 1-Aug.8, 8:15 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Applicants arerequired to bring an original Social SecurityCard and a DMV photo ID. Only those who are18 years of age and older will be considered.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/rec-pac/jobsor email [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 10Fairfax County Park Authority Board

Meeting. 7:30 p.m. in the Herrity Building,12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 941,Fairfax. The Park Authority Board is a 12-member board appointed by the Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervisors to set policy and establishstrategic policy and direction for the ParkAuthority. Open to the public. For informationregarding meeting agendas, Park Boardmembers, opportunities for public comment, orto view meeting materials, board minutes andarchival materials, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/boardagn2.htm or call 703-324-8662.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY/APRIL 11-12Fairfax County Job Fair. 4-7 p.m. at Fairfax

County Government Center, 12000 GovernmentCenter Parkway, Fairfax. Come attend the 2019Fairfax County Job Fair. Learn about a variety ofcareers with various county agencies.Representatives of SkillsSource and DARS willalso be on site. Free. [email protected] or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/hr/sites/hr/files/assets/documents/jobfair2019flyer.pdf for more.

FRIDAY/APRIL 19Application Deadline. Leadership Fairfax is now

accepting applications for its premierprofessional leadership development programs –Leadership Fairfax Institute and EmergingLeaders Institute. The 10-month programs beginSeptember 2019. Classes meet once a monthand participants work outside of class with acohort to plan and implement projects. Theprograms build participant knowledge ofcommunity topics, legislative processes,leadership assessments, and strategicinteractions. Limited scholarships available.Applications are due April 19. Call 703-752-7555 or visit leadershipfairfax.org.

SATURDAY/APRIL 27Reston Community Yard Sale. 8:30 a.m.-noon

at 1900 Campus Commons Drive, Reston. Eightyfamilies will be selling a variety of items. Noearly birds as gates open at 8:30 a.m. Vendorspace is sold out. For a recorded, weatherrelated message, call 703-435-6577 the morningof the event. Email [email protected] formore.

SATURDAY/MAY 4Dementia Care Support. 10-11 a.m. at Hunters

Woods at Trails Edge Showroom, 2254B NuntersWoods Plaza, Reston. Dementia Care SupportGroup - 1st Saturday of the month. Distinguishbetween normal aging and dementia,understand different types of dementia, theimpact of changes to the brain and how familycaregivers can best cope with these changes.Free. Call 703-708-4047 or visitwww.integracare.com.

SUNDAY/MAY 5Low Cost Rabies Vaccine Clinic. Noon-2 p.m.

at Mount Vernon Governmental Center, 2511Parkers Lane, Alexandria. Cost is $15 per pet,cash and check only. Dogs, cats, and ferrets maybe vaccinated at the clinic. Dogs must be onleashes; cats and ferrets must be in carriers. Allpets will receive a 1-year rabies vaccination. Toobtain a 3-year vaccine, bring pet’s rabiescertificate (not tag) showing the current rabiesvaccination expiration date. 2019 county doglicenses will be sold for an additional $10 perlicense. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/communityassistance/rabiesclinics for more.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Being totally honest with my oncologist, that is. I mean, it’s not as if being diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer, stage IV isn’t a “terminal” disease.

Oh wait, it is. As my oncologist said to me at the initial Team

Lourie meeting: “I can treat you, but I can’t cure you.”

Huh? Followed fairly soon after by the equally distressing prognosis: “13 months to two years.” Wait. WHAT!? (As Curly Howard of The Three Stooges said years ago while looking into a mirror: “I’m too young to die, too handsome, well, too young anyway.”)

That prognosis – as you regular readers know – is old news, as I recently passed my 10-year anniversary; my oncologist’s “third miracle,” as he characterizes me. And as life goes on, so too do the studies and research and clinical trials.

As much progress as has been realized, still there are few guarantees for lung cancer patients. Although there are many more of us living beyond the years our respective oncologists initially gave us (our wildest dreams, I often say).

Living as a cancer patient/survivor, especially one still undergoing treatment, requires regular sit-downs with one’s oncologist to discuss and/or assess lab work, results from diagnostic scans and side effects – or as I refer to them: “straight-on effects.” At these sit-downs, the oncologist will sit down behind his computer and review my past and inquire about the present, typing away as I respond.

The questions are all too familiar. My answers, maybe familiar as well. Because

if they’re not, they may catch the attention of the doctor. And if they do catch his attention, he likely will probe further into their occurrence; their frequency, their location, their pain, their intensity, etc. And in so doing, he may learn things that could possibly alter/maybe even stop your treatment.

The doctor may become so worried about the symptoms you’re describing, he may focus on the symptom, not the cause. And that’s my fear in being honest: he may stop the treatment. I realize it might be counter-intuitive, but cancer scares the hell out of me. As a direct consequence, dishones-ty sometimes becomes one’s best policy.

Granted, being dishonest, or rather not totally forthcoming, with the person entrusted in extend-ing your life, doesn’t exactly win one the patient-of-the-year award. But when that same one is diagnosed with a “terminal” disease at age 54 and a half, there’s a certain amount of clear thinking that quickly dissipates.

And if that same one is “ambulanced” to the hospital (in August 2013) for a week long stay in SICU (surgical intensive care), the fear of God

judgment. If you live long enough, your judgment im-

proves but so too does your chance of dying. As I

this thing, can I? I mean, I was diagnosed with a ‘terminal’ disease. They don’t call it ‘terminal’ for nothing.” But here I am, 10 years, post diagnosis, and living the dream, so to speak.

So how do I answer the doctor’s questions when doing so honestly might lead to a gruesome outcome: hospitalization, and then, well, you know.

Let me be clear then about my answers. Maybe I’m not so certain about the “straight-on” effects? Maybe, they’re not that bad and continuing the treatment will moderate the effects somehow while continuing to keep the cancer in its current place – without growing or moving?

I don’t mean to understate my condition, but neither do I want to overrate it. Perhaps this mental anguish I’m describing makes no sense. But that’s what cancer seems to do.

Nevertheless, I realize being honest with one’s doctors is kind of important. Still, I may be too afraid of the consequences to be so inclined.

It’s Not As If MyLife Depends On It


Sports

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Local Special Olympics athleteshave proudly returned homefrom Abu Dhabi with an impres-sive amount of hardware to

show off and even more memories to share,”announced Special Olympics Virginia.

Four athletes from Northern Virginia com-peted in the Special Olympics World GamesAbu Dhabi 2019 held March 14–25.

Together the athletes picked up a total ofeight medals, three golds and five silvers.

Two days after a crushing technical dis-qualification in the 200m freestyle, JoeyRoney of Herndon earned a silver medal inthe 100m freestyle finishing with a time of00:01:20.72. “I appreciate the silver medalfrom the World Games more than my goldfrom the USA games because I competedagainst the best in the world. It was theexperience of a lifetime,” said Roney.

Jennifer Mitchell of Alexandria set hersights high and dominated the1500m OpenWater Swimming competition capturinggold with a time of 00:41:27.00.

Victoria Martin of Woodbridge took twosilvers, one in the 100m individual medleyand another in the 200m freestyle. Martinultimately captured gold during her last dayof competition as she blazed through thewater in the 100m breaststroke with a win-ning time of 01:35.99.

Runner, Karen Dickerson of Springfieldtook home gold in her first of three eventswith a time of 1:50:12 in the half mara-thon. Dickerson also earned silver in the10,000m run. “I’m just doing my best torepresent the USA and doing it for a longhard run … Always start strong, finishstrong, because that is what counts,” saidDickerson. The USA Special Olympics del-egation included 215 athletes, 65 coachesand 34 delegation members who supportedteam operations. More than 7,000 athletesfrom 170 countries competed in the eventheld across the seven Emirates. SpecialOlympics described it as “the world’s larg-est humanitarian sporting event and a glo-bal movement which focuses on the empow-erment of People of Determination with in-tellectual disabilities through the power ofsport.”

Special Olympics USA team athlete Jennifer Mitchell of Alexandria learnsshe takes the gold in the1500m Open Water Swimming competition witha time 00:41:27.00.

Special Olympics USA team athlete, swimmer Dylan Joseph “Joey”Roney of Herndon after he earns a silver medal for his win in the100m freestyle.

Special Olympics USA team athlete, swimmer Victoria “Tori” Martin ofWoodbridge poses with her silver and gold medals.

It’s Gold and Silver!Local athletes return from SpecialOlympic World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.

Special Olym-pics USA teamathlete, KarenDickerson ofSpringfieldshows off hergold after sheswept the half-marathonwith a time of01:50:12.

“

Pho

to

s co

urtesy o

f Special O

lym

pics Virgin

ia

Opinion, Page 4 Kids Hooked on Fishingconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · Murano...

Documents

Transcript of Opinion, Page 4 Kids Hooked on Fishingconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · Murano...