Star-Spangled Salute By The Reston Choraleconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/052919/Reston.pdf ·...

Star-Spangled Salute By The Reston Chorale

News, Page 6

The Reston Chorale directed by Allan Laino, Principal Guest Conductor, and featuring Brass

of the Potomac perform during A Star-Span-gled Salute 2019 honoring those who served

and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com May 29-June 4, 2019

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Let the Jury Decide Race for Commonwealth AttorneyNews, Page 3

South Lakes Girls Win Regional Championship

News, 2

2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ May 29 - June 4, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

New Trail Cycling Studio had a suc-cessful Six-Month-AnniversaryParty and Ride for a Cause. The

studio raised more than $1200 for localnon-profits. Rides supported Mid-AtlanticOff Road Enthusiasts, Cornerstones, Shel-ter House, CORE Foundation, TheAlzheimer’s Association and Heeling House.Fun was had by all as the studio had give-aways from various local businesses. The

Reston Project and MVB Bank both sup-ported rides with $1/mile donations.Rider, Melanie Miller-Cvilikas, noted “NewTrail is such a special place.It was full of smiling sweaty faces andpeople happy to support local charities.”Owner, Liz Kamp, said she looks forwardto many years to come at Lake Anne andplans to continue her frequent charitablerides.

Owner, Liz Kamp starting her ride to support CORE Foundation.

Riding for a Cause at Lake Anne

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Reston Connection ❖ May 29 - June 4, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Commonwealth’s AttorneyRaymond (Ray) F. Morrogh isthe chief law enforcement officer for Fairfax County, serv-

ing a population of more than a million resi-dents in the County, the City of Fairfax, andthe Towns of Herndon and Vienna. He left

private practice in 1983 to join the FairfaxCounty criminal justice system as a pros-ecutor, then became an AssistantCommonwealth’s Attorney, then ChiefDeputy before being elected to the top slotin 2007. He was re-elected to another four-year term in 2011, and again in 2015, whenhe ran unopposed.

This year, Morrogh is facing a challengerin Steve Descano – one who is determined

to unseat him and vocal in his criticism ofan incumbent and an office that he says“lacks transparency and accountability” andthat has become distanced from the peoplethat they serve.

The two men have squared off on severaloccasions to make their cases before the“jury” of Fairfax County voters.

The Connection invited both to respondto an identical questionnaire.

Note: Morrogh did not respond despiterepeated requests, so information has beensummarized from his campaign website.www.RayMorrogh.com.

Incumbent Morrogh and challengerDescano make their cases to serve asFairfax County Commonwealth Attorney.

Let the Jury Decide

Ray MorroghSteve Descano

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

THURSDAY/MAY 30Interfaith Ramadan Dinner. 7:30 p.m.

(registration); 8 p.m. (program starts) atFairfax County Government Center –Cafeteria, 12000 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax. Join for an InterfaithRamadan Dinner hosted by Fairfax CountyChairwoman Sharon Bulova. Call to prayerand dinner are at 8:30 p.m. Register atbit.ly/fxcounty2019.

Forum for Democratic Candidates forChairman of the Board ofSupervisors. 7:30-9 p.m. at Alden Theatre,McLean Community Center, 1234 InglesideAve., McLean. The Greater McLean Chamber

of Commerce will host a forum for theDemocratic candidates. Peggy Fox, of CBSNews affiliate WUSA9, will serve asmoderator. Each candidate will have theopportunity to make a three-minute openingstatement and a two-minute closingstatement. Questions will come from theChamber’s Legislative Committee and fromamong those submitted by attendees. Visitwww.mcleanchamber.org for more.

SATURDAY/JUNE 1Vienna Quarterly Recycling Day. 8 a.m.-2

Bulletin Board

See Bulletin, Page 11

Reston Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

Name: Steve DescanoAge: 38Education: Bachelor of Science, United

States Military Academy (West Point, NY)1998 - 2002; Juris Doctor, Temple Univer-sity – Beasley School of Law (Philadelphia,PA) 2006 - 2010

Family: Ryanne, wife of 16 years, daugh-ter Charlotte, 7 years old

Native of: Philadelphia, Pa.Moved to Fairfax County: 2010Professional Experience:❖ COO/General Counsel, Paragon Autism

Services, 2016 - present❖ Federal Prosecutor (Trial Attorney), US

Dept. of Justice, 2010 - 2016❖ Aviation Officer, US Army, 2002 - 2004Civic/Community involvement:❖ Member, Fairfax County Democratic

Committee, 2015 - present❖ Member, Fairfax County Police Civil-

ian Review Panel, 2017 - 2018❖ Board of Directors member, NARAL

Pro-Choice Virginia, 2016 - 2018❖ Member, Fairfax County NAACP Crimi-

nal Justice Committee, 2016 - 2018Why are you running?“I am running for Commonwealth’s At-

torney to create a modern criminal justicesystem so that no one, no matter how pow-erful, is above the law. I’ll work to ensurethat systemic discrimination based on race,wealth, status, and zip code is in the past.I’ll take a holistic approach to justice thatbuilds up our communities. Reforming oursystem means that we will break the cycleof decreased opportunity, increased poverty,and increased crime that is the story of fartoo many of our neighbors.”

Top 3 issues in your district andwhat solutions do you propose?

“Transparency and accountability– Currently there is no publicly availabledata or measures for holding the electedCommonwealth’s Attorney accountable dur-ing times of crisis. I will invite an outsideorganizations that will, for no cost to thetaxpayer, generate demographic, socioeco-nomic and geographic data to compare out-comes of cases. This will help identifysources of systemic discrimination. To im-prove accountability, I will hold regular in-person and electronic town halls to informconstituents about policies and progresstowards goals set by the data collected.

Cash Bail – Currently in Fairfax County,45.9 percent who are eligible for pretrialrelease have cash bail as a stipulation. Theseare people deemed not dangerous to them-

selves or others, but must sit in jail becausethey cannot payÉa system that unfairly pe-nalizes poor people simply for being poorand increases recidivism.

Treatment, not incarceration –People who are addicted to drugs are ill andneed our help we need to help them over-come their addition and come out the otherside without the type of criminal record thatlimits their opportunities in the future. Todo this, I will overhaul our diversion pro-grams which currently only address the firstpart of the equation.

I have written a 20-page plan for reformcalled “Progressive Justice” that goes fur-ther into depth about specific policies andprocedures I will implement while in office.(The Plan is available on the candidate’swebsite at www.stevedescano.com)”

Key ways you differ from youropponent(s)?

“There are many differences, but I willoffer two here.

First, I am committed to ending a two-tiered system of justice that disproportion-ately affects people based on race, wealth,and zip code. My opponent signed on in2016 to the Republican lawsuit to stop then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe from restoring votingrights of nearly 200,000 people who hadfinished their sentences. He has since al-tered his reason, but earlier he noted thathe did not want ‘those people’ on his juries.

Second, I have been a leader on criminaljustice system reform as a member of theFairfax County NAACP’s Criminal Justiceand Legal Redress Committees, and as amember of the county Police Civilian Re-view Panel. On the other hand, my oppo-nent, in 2014, as the Executive Director ofthe conservative National District AttorneysAssociation testified against the ObamaAdministration’s plan to reduce mandatoryminimum sentences and curtail the War onDrugs.”

Name: Ray MorroghAge: 61Education: Juris Doctor, George Mason

University School of Law, 1982Bachelor of Science, George Mason Uni-

versity, 1979West Springfield High School, 1975Family: MarriedResident of Fairfax County since 1974Prior and current professional, political

and civic experiences, community involve-ment:

Professional Experience:❖ Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney,

2007 - present❖ Fairfax County Assistant/Chief Deputy

Commonwealth’s Attorney, 1988 - 2007❖ Prosecutor, Fairfax County, 1983 – 1988Civic/Community involvement:❖ Chairman, Fairfax County Alcohol

Safety Action Program❖ Board of Directors – Fairfax County Bar

Association and Bar Foundation❖ Member – Fairfax Criminal Justice Ad-

visory Board❖ Faculty – Virginia State Bar’s Harry L.

Carrico Professionalism Course

❖ Adjunct Professor – George MasonUniversity

❖ Board of Directors & President – Vir-ginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attor-neys

❖ 2018 & 2004 Robert F. Horan Award –Virginia Association of Commonwealth’sAttorneys

❖ 2004 Director’s Award – U. S. Bureauof Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explo-sives, for the prosecution of sniper Lee BoydMalvo.

According to his campaign website,Morrogh lists continuing improvement todiversion programs for drug offense indi-viduals, Veterans Treatment in the FairfaxCounty court system to help veterans gettreatment for substance abuse or mentalillness rather than be incarcerated, continu-ing support for the Diversion First Program,support of Supervised Release Programs forpre-trial defendants who are not deemeddangerous, protection of seniors from abuseand crime, and continuation of SafeSpotChildren’s Advocacy Center of FairfaxCounty that provides a safe community forchild victims of sexual and physical abuse.

Fairfax Commonwealth’s AttorneyCandidate Forum. Monday/June 3. 7 p.m. atthe First Baptist Church of Vienna, 450 OrchardSt., NW, Vienna. Meet the Fairfax, Va.,Democratic candidates for Commonwealth’sAttorney and find out where they stand on keycriminal justice issues. This is an opportunity toask the candidates what they will do to reducemass incarceration, reduce racial disparities, andde-criminalize poverty. The event is co-sponsored by the Virginia Interfaith Center forPublic Policy, the League of Women Voters ofthe Fairfax Area, the ACLU of Virginia, and theFairfax County NAACP. Free and open to thepublic. RSVP at tinyurl.com/fairfaxcandidates.


Opinion

By Supervisor

John C. Cook

Braddock District

The last month ofSenior year inhigh school isan exciting time

for students and their fami-lies. Our children are moving on to a new stagein life after four years of hard work and inten-sive studies. When one considers the caliberof our schools, graduation is an even moreimpressive milestone.Amidst these great achievements, I urge par-ents to talk to their teens about the dangers ofalcohol and to prohibit teens drinking in theirown homes.

The Fairfax County Police Department willarrest parents who knowingly host teen par-

ties with alcohol. This may seem harsh to some,but this is a public safety issue. Teens are notyet ready to make good choices about alcohol.When adults serve it to them they send thewrong message and encourage the wrongchoices.

It is no secret that teen drinking is wroughtwith dangerous consequences. Since teens whodrink are more likely to binge drink, they arealso more likely to make poor choices, such asdrunk driving. In fact, the National HighwayTraffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA)reports that every year hundreds of youngpeople get behind the wheel intoxicated andcause deadly accidents: 648 people aged 16-20 were involved in a fatal accident with a BAChigher than .08 in 2017. Furthermore, teendrinking can also lead to sexual assaults andother crimes.

I cannot remember one year without hear-

ing of a tragic local teen death caused by drunkdriving. It is up to us as parents to do every-thing we can to encourage smart choices andsafe celebration. That starts with clearly set-ting the boundary with your children that noalcohol will be served at any parties your fam-ily is hosting.

This is a community wide problem and willrequire community support. If you suspectthere is underage drinking happening in yourneighborhood, you can call the West Spring-field Police Station at 703-644-7377 (or yourDistrict station).

Graduation season should be a time of merrymaking, reveling, and kudos for all the hardwork our children have done. It should notinclude jail cells, ambulances, or coffins. Pleasejoin me in promoting a safe environment inour community by keeping alcohol out of teenparties.

Help the Class of 2019 Celebrate Graduation Safely

By Kenneth

R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

Before we tear off theremaining couple ofpages on the May

calendar, I want to addressthe important recognitionof May as Mental Health Awareness Month.While Virginia is credited with having the firstmental health hospital, or asylum as they were

called in the eighteenthcentury, the Common-wealth has had difficulty inrecent times coming to

grips with the enormity of the need and theprovision of funds to respond to those needs.In fact Virginia is ranked 40th in the nation inmental health care according to the results ofa national study of the issue. It took a statesenator’s mentally ill son attacking his fatherwith a knife to shock the state to greater ac-tion. That father now chairs the Joint Subcom-mittee on Mental Health Services in the 21st

Century, or the Deeds Commission, that in-cludes Senator Janet Howell as a member andhas made critically important recommenda-

tions on which the state has made significantprogress.

A special thanks goes to the The Common-wealth Institute(thecommonwealthinstitute.org) for docu-menting recent progress and remaining oppor-tunities in behavioral health in a recent edi-tion of The Half Sheet. The Institute which isa nonprofit organization focusing mostly onhuman service needs used the term “behav-ioral health” to be more comprehensive than“mental health” to include mental health ser-vices and supports such as substance abusetreatment. The Institute recognized accom-plishments this past year to include a 21 per-cent increase in Medicaid reimbursement toencourage more licensed mental health pro-fessionals to accept Medicaid thus increasingaccess to services for people with low income.Additional funding for emergency opioid kitswill expand the access to and availability ofNaloxone which is used to reverse the effectsof an opioid overdose. The General Assemblyalso passed and the Governor signed my billto expand the health care providers authorizedto dispense Naloxone to make it more readilyavailable.

Increased funding was provided to increase

staffing at state mental health facilities thatare struggling to keep up with demand. Fund-ing was also approved to replace the agingmental health facility Central State Hospital.In addition, monies have been made availablefor transportation of persons needing mentalhealth hospitalization from having to be trans-ported by law enforcement.

The Department of Behavioral Health andDevelopmental Services indicates that there isa need for 5,000 permanent housing units forthose who need supportive housing in the state.This year’s funding along with an increase lastyear will provide 1,300 units of supportivehousing. Obviously, there is a severe need todo more in this area with a price tag of about$47 million.

Challenges remain to be addressed in pro-viding greater access to programs and servicesfor those who live in rural areas and to thosewho have experienced the trauma of havingbeen exposed to the immigration and refugeesystem. A task force is looking at ways to in-crease the number of mental health profession-als in the state.

Our awareness of mental health needs can-not end with the month of May. More needs tobe done!

Mental Health Awareness Month

Commentary

To the Editor:Regarding The Connection’s re-

cent article on healthdisparities in Virginia (March

25, 2019, “Report Shows Geo-graphic Disparities in Health inVirginia,”) I want to highlight an-other threat to care in our region:the Health Insurance Tax.

As a senior who depends onMedicare Advantage for affordablehealth care to help manage debili-tating chronic migraines and backpain, I am appalled by the lack ofcongressional action on the HealthInsurance Tax (HIT).

Medicare Advantage coverage

has helped me get my life and myhealth back, but the HIT is noth-ing short of an attack on seniors.It would raise annual costs formore than 22 million MedicareAdvantage beneficiaries by asmuch as $241 per person annually,imposing a huge

burden for those living on fixedincomes. Seniors on Social Secu-rity often live on significantly lessthan the mean income in Appala-chia.

Key legislation before Congress(H.R. 1398 and S. 172) would stopthe HIT and protect seniors, butSenators Kaine and Warner andCongressman Connolly have re-

fused to sign on as co-sponsors. Itseems like Congress

has forgotten we are here.If Congress allows a tax on my

healthcare premiums, I won’t beable to afford coverage. If costs goup, I’m out of the game. Seniorhealth isn’t a game – and the HITis a multi-billion-dollar tax onhealth insurance premiums thatwill go into effect in 2020 unlessCongress acts soon.

It’s time for congressional actionto stop the HIT and protect ourcare.

Carol FrysingerHerndon

Health Insurance Tax: An Attack on Seniors?WriteThe Connection welcomes views

on any public issue.The deadline for all material isnoon Friday. Letters must besigned. Include home address

and home and businessnumbers. Letters are routinelyedited for libel, grammar, good

taste and factual errors.Send to:

Letters to the EditorThe Connection1606 King St.

Alexandria VA 22314

By email:[email protected]

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Reston


Opinion

By John Lovaas

Reston Impact Producer/Host

Our Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervi-sors’ races in theJune 11 Demo-

cratic Primary are wild and wideopen, opening doors to genuinechange in five of the ten Boardseats. The Chairman’s race, withfour candidates including twofirst-time office seekers, and ourHunter Mill District race with fournewcomers and one experiencedpolitical appointee offer voters achallenge just getting to know allthe players. A good challenge, Ithink!.

The Chairman’s race has beenclouded by ethical questions aboutDemocratic establishment favor-ite, Lee District Supervisor JeffMcKay. After interviewing the can-didates and watching them for acouple of months, I’ve concludedthat I cannot support Mr. McKayfor two major reasons. He is ethi-cally challenged and has an unim-pressive record of accomplishmentin his 12 years as a Supervisor. Hetakes gobs of developer money—over $70,000 in this cycle alone,

$50,000 of it from hisbiggest donor, giventhrough five differentcorporate disguises.In addition, there areallegations of possiblewrongdoing involvinga rezoning request bythe same donor,which came be-fore the Board inJune 2016 andthe subsequentacquisition of a house by Mr.McKay. Attorneys hired by Mr.McKay claim the allegations of apossible quid pro quo in that mat-ter are baseless. Nothing in hislawyer’s response, however,changes the fact that his biggestdonor transferred land to McKay’sfriend (a developer who also doesbusiness before the BOS) whobuilt and sold the house to McKay.According to his lawyer’s memo,“The property was not listed in theMLS to save the expense of this di-rectly negotiated sale. The prop-erty could then be purchased at aprice Supervisor McKay and hiswife could afford…” Thus, it seemsMcKay got a discount which couldbe a troubling ethical violation.

In this electionyear, the currentCommonwealth At-torney is unwilling toinvestigate the alle-gations and McKay’sresponse to find thetruth. Whether theCommonwealth of

Virginia mightlook into it andthis would leadto a full investi-

gation is still unclear. Chairmancandidate Ryan McElveen, afterreading the allegations and thememo from McKay’s attorney,stated, “The appearance of a con-flict of interest is unequivocal. Mydiscomfort with the fact that a su-pervisor has such a close relation-ship with a developer is my pri-mary and enduring concern, andthat concern is not alleviated bythe response.” I share McElveen’sconcern. Furthermore, Jeff McKayis a cog in a Board of Supervisorsknown for its glacial, lowest com-mon denominator decision pro-cess. The outcomes of its processlack inspiration and innovation,often resulting in policies withglitzy names but lacking content

or real world impact. McKayclaims he’ll solve the pre-K defi-cit, get rid of school trailers, getbody cameras on cops, etc. ifelected Chairman, but there hasbeen little or no progress on thesematters on his watch. It seems rea-sonable to expect more of thesame if he were elected Chairman.

Meanwhile, the other candi-dates have records of accomplish-ment, including my preference,Tim Chapman, who has run a verysuccessful affordable housing firmand served as the Chairman of theBoard of the Virginia Housing andDevelopment Corporation, a $13billion operation.

Alicia Plerhoples, a GeorgetownUniversity law professor and smallbusiness advisor, and RyanMcElveen, with a record of impor-

tant accomplishments servingcounty-wide on the Fairfax CountySchool Board, are fine alterna-tives. Neither will take developercash.

Turning briefly to Hunter MillDistrict. Here we have a differentsituation. No allegations of ethi-cal lapses yet. However, I worryabout Walter Alcorn, who equivo-cates. His position is that he willtake developer money (in anyamount?) as long as it is not froma developer with land-use businessnow in the Hunter Mill District.He seeks election for a first time.If from day one he has this laissezfaire approach, how might thisgood man evolve with his hand outto all developers, except those inHunter Mill. Laurie Dodd is un-equivocal.

Ethics, Leadership and Accomplishment Matter

Independent Progressive

The Connection welcomes views on any public issue.The deadline for all material is noon Friday. Letters must be signed.Include home address and home and business numbers. Letters are

routinely edited for libel, grammar, good taste and factual errors. Send to:

Letters to the Editor • The Connection1606 King St., Alexandria VA 22314

By email: [email protected]

Write


News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

On Saturday, May 25 of Memo-rial Day weekend, The RestonChorale presented, A Star-Spangled Salute, with David

B. Lang, Artistic Director and Allan Laino,Principal Guest Conductor. The Choralepartnered with the Brass of the Potomac,led by Stephen Bull, Conductor. Accordingto the evening’s emcee, Andy Sigle, a bari-tone in the Chorale, the event was to honorthe men and women of America’s ArmedForces and remember those who gave theirlives defending freedom.

Before the performance, The Reston Cho-rale provided opportunities for the public to support an Air Force unit serving in the Middle East through activities such as mak-ing 4th of July cards. Noah Delaune, 8, and brother, Luke, 12, participated as mom, Kelly Delaune lent a hand.

On the other side of the Pavilion, Opera-tion Care Package was underway. Susan Meeks-Versteeg, managing director of The Reston Chorale explained the public could donate snack foods, s’ more fixings, light sports equipment and the makings of a Fourth of July celebration. Meeks-Versteeg said when the Commander learned the Cho-rale adopted his unit and would be sending a large shipment of items; he sent them an email expressing his thanks.

The email read, “Thank you so much. I’m always amazed by the outpouring of sup-port we receive from the home front. We are very grateful.” Due to security, Meeks-Versteeg said neither the name of the unit nor the Commander’s name could be re-leased.

Sigle welcomed guests to the perfor-mance. “Today, we honor the men and women of America’s Armed Forces, and we remember those who gave their lives de-fending freedom … Over the next hour, you’ll hear a mixture of patriotic pieces and songs that capture the American spirit, from a great Sousa march to an homage to our home town, Reston,” he said.

During the event, the Chorale recognizedand thanked service men and women, mili-tary families and veterans there that night.

Sigle asked, “As we sing the ‘Armed Forces Salute,’ please stand or wave your flag when you hear your or a loved one’s branch of the service.” Brass of the Potomac played “The Washington Post” by John Philip Sousa.

The performance closed with, “a moment to honor and remember all those who gave their lives for our country,” Sigle said. The 24 melancholy notes of “Taps” filled the

pavilion, followed by “America the Beauti-ful.”

On behalf of The Reston Chorale, Sigle thanked Brass of the Potomac and Stephen Bulla for joining them, and Reston Town Center and Northrop Grumman for their support, both for the event and Operation Care Package.

He also thanked volunteers and members

Star-Spangled Salute by The Reston ChoraleHonoring U.S. mili-tary members whomade the ultimatesacrifice and thosewho serve.

Wanla Freer volunteers at Mail Call, an art activity to create 4th of Julycards for troops. “Artists” (from left) Suhani Thatiparnula, PrashanthiBejigam, Anshika Pola, Noah Delaune, 8, Kelly Delaune, and LukeDelaune, 12, make cards.

of the Wayne M. Kidwell American LegionPost 184 Herndon/Reston.

For information about joining The RestonChorale, Operation Care Package now ineffect through June 3, and Gardens of Note,a ticketed self-guided tour of Reston gar-dens with pop-up musical entertainmentwith The Reston Chorale on June 1, visitwww.RestonChorale.org.

The Zare family of Reston (left) enjoys ice cream with the Soheily familybefore the start of the music.

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What DoesMemorial DayMean to You?

“It’s a time to spend withfamily, to interact with othersin ways I don’t get to othertimes of the year.” - RuthannaWantz, a new member of TheReston Chorale

“As an artist, Memorial Day isa great time to rememberthose who serve and sacrifice,allowing me to do the workthat I do” - Allan Laino, Princi-pal Guest Conductor

“We commemorate the servicemen and women who gavetheir lives for our country.” -Ken and Kathy Lanfear, “long-time Restonians”

“Well, it’s a time to rememberthe great sacrifices the troopsmade over the years. Mydaddy was a Naval Aviator inWorld War II.” - Jo Marshal,member of The Reston Chorale

Photos by Mercia Hobson

The Connection


News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

There are so manyplaces to cycle inReston and RestonCommunity Center

is bike-friendly,” said LaTanjaJones, outreach director for RestonCommunity Center. She handledthe RCC table at Wiehle-RestonEast Metro Station during Bike toWork Day 2019. Held Friday, May17, 6:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. on thePlaza at the Reston Station, cyclistsreceived a free T-shirt, enjoyedlight refreshments, could win doorprizes every half hour and wereentered into a raffle for a free bi-cycle.

Reston Association hosted thepit stop on behalf of organizersCommuter Connections and theWashington Area Bicyclists Asso-ciation (WABA). At the Restonstop, riders from surroundingcommunities arrived to start theirday, wheeling to work or to puttheir bikes on the Connector busand ride to another Metro Station.Jennifer Douglas of Falls ChurchFairfax Connector showed cyclistshow to secure their bikes on thebus rack and reminded them al-ways to flip the rack back up whenremoving their bikes. According toFairfax County, the annual celebra-tion was meant to increase aware-ness and expose people to the ben-efits of bicycling to work or to tran-sit. Indrajit Aich worked in Restonand stopped to pick up his t-shirt“This is my first time cycling to

work. I didn’t know biking couldbe so rewarding. I’m planning onbiking every Friday, except in therain.”

Father/son team Ian Macdonaldand Callum, 8, of Herndon, rodeinto Reston just for the fun of it. “Ilike to commute with Callum to hisschool, Lake Anne Elementary asmuch as possible. It’s about athree-mile ride. Then I go backhome. We’ve done 2000 miles of

cycling together,” said dad Ian. “Ithink it’s fun to ride, said Callum.

The Bike Team for FairfaxCounty Police Department RestonDistrict Station stood ready, MPOB. McMahon, Second Lt. MattDehler, PFC L. Hopson, PFC D.A.Rocco and PFC M. Duffy. “Fitnessis an everyday commitment. Lookfor us on the trails. Reston’s had abike team for 20 years,” said Sec-ond Lt. Matt Dehler.

Cyclists gather in Reston for bike repairs,refreshments and to enter the raffle onBike to Work Day 2019.

LaTanja Jones, Collaboration & OutreachDirector Reston Community Center givesa collapsible metal straw to Bob Evans,W & OD Trail Patrol member at theWiehle-Reston pit stop during Bike toWork Day 2019.

Bike to Work Day in RestonGood for the cyclist, traffic and the environment.

“

The Bike Team for Fairfax County Police DepartmentReston District Station, from left, MPO B. McMahon,Second Lt. Matt Dehler, PFC L. Hopson, PFC D.A. Roccoand PFC M. Duffy stand ready at Wiehle-Reston EastMetro Station during Bike to Work Day 2019.

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Artists, Art LoversReflect on Fine Arts Festival

Board Chair GreaterReston Arts Center

Robert Goudie: “Thedraw is our artists,

some of the best in thecountry. They are the

reason this is a na-tional reviewed (arts

festival). We are acontent organization,

all about celebration.”

Executive Directorand Curator ofGreater RestonArts Center Lily

Siegel:“I think this is

one of our stron-gest festivals yet.

It’s because welisten to our

artists and con-tinue to makeimprovementsbased on their

feedback. Thankyou to all our

artists. It’s greatto connect withold friends and

new.”

Reston CommunityCenter Executive

Director Leila Gor-don, with husband,

Robert:“I think the Fine

Arts Festival isremarkable for the

caliber of the artists,the enthusiasm of

the community andthe beauty of the

setting.”

Patron MichelleJohnson of

Reston with son,Atlas, 1, and

SanderjnJohnson of

Reston“What I like

about this showis all the art isvery different.

They did a goodjob curating.”

Photos by Mercia Hobson

The Connection

—Mercia

Hobson


See Calendar, Page 9

Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Thedeadline is noon on Friday. Photos/artwork encour-aged.

ONGOINGArt Exhibit: Things That Don’t Have Names.

Through June 22, gallery hours at GreaterReston Arts Center, 12001 Market St., Suite 103,Reston. Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE)presents a site-specific sculptural installation byDC-based artist Stephanie J. Williams, whosework explores themes of identity throughomission and inclusion. Visit restonarts.org orcall 703-471-9242.

Golden Age Musical. Through June 23, atNextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive,Herndon. From Artistic Director Evan Hoffmanncomes a wildly inventive re-imagining of anAmerican mega-musical as no one has seen itbefore. Singin’ in the Rain has all the magic andglamour of the greatest movie musical evermade. So, when the projector at a super-fanscreening of the film goes up in smoke, the hostssave the day… after all, in theatre, the showmust always go on. $40-55. Visitwww.nextstoptheatre.org/shows/singin-in-the-rain.

Art Exhibit: A Purposeful Manner Towardsa Vague Destination. Through Aug. 27,Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at TheSignature at Reston Town Center, 11850Freedom Drive, Reston. Gallery hours at GreaterReston Arts Center (GRACE) presents APurposeful Manner Towards a VagueDestination, a solo exhibition featuring work bypainter Douglas Moulden. Maryland basedpainter Moulden exhibits a series of large-scaleacrylic on panel paintings developed fromphotographs and memory inspired byexploration of the woods near his home. Visitrestonarts.org for more.

Mr. Knick Knack! Mondays through September,10:30-11:15 a.m. at Reston Town Square Park.Free performances of heart-centered music forchildren. No performances on Memorial Day orLabor Day. Visit restontowncenter.com/eventsfor more.

Herndon Farmers Market. Thursdays, throughmid-November, 8 a.m-12:30 p.m. in HistoricDowntown Herndon, Lynn Street. Vendors willoffer seasonal plants, produce, baked goods,meats and more; all sold by local growers andproducers. Additional enhancements to themarket include seasonal events andentertainment, including “Farmers’ Market FunDays,” free performances for the whole family.Visit www.herndon-va.gov/FarmersMarket formore.

THURSDAY/MAY 30Dollars and Sense. 7 p.m. at Reston Regional

Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Monthly group discussion focuses on businessleaders and markets. Discussing “Freakonomics”by Steven Levitt. The event is free and open tothe public. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.

THURSDAY/MAY 30-SUNDAY/JUNE 2Herndon Festival 2019. At Northwest Federal

Credit Union, 200 Spring St, Herndon.The four-day festival, which is produced by the Town ofHerndon’s Parks and Recreation Departmentwith assistance from area civic organizationsand businesses, will feature entertainment ontwo stages, a carnival, a children’s hands-on artarea, arts & crafts show, business expo, 10K/5Kraces and fitness expo, and an eclectic variety oftop-quality food vendors. Visitwww.herndonfestival.net.

FRIDAY/MAY 31Live Music: Something’s Brewing. 9:30 p.m.-

1:30 a.m. at Kalypso’s Sports Tavern on historicLake Anne in Reston. Bands play inside thesports bar on a dedicated stage. No cover. Visitwww.kalypsossportstavern.com.

SATURDAY/JUNE 1Gardens of Note. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. around Reston.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of notable gardenson The Reston Chorale’s exclusive tour withpop-up performances, beekeeping talks, and theHidden Lane garden party. $22/advance; $25/tour day. [email protected] or visit

www.restonchorale.org for more.Reston Pride Festival. 2-7 p.m. at Lake Anne

Plaza. The Second Annual Reston Pride Festivalwill celebrate and support Greater Reston’sLGBTQ+ community. The festival will featurechoral groups, dancers, performers, speakers –both political leaders and faith leaders – allcoming together to support the LGBTQ+community. In addition, more than 40 LGBTQ+friendly exhibitors. This child-friendly event isfree and open to the public. Visitwww.facebook.com/RestonPride/ for more.

FRIDAY/JUNE 7Grand Opening. 5-8 p.m. at Optimal Motion

Physical Therapy, 950 Herndon Parkway, Suite425, Herndon. Optimal Motion Physical Therapywas created by Secili DeStefano and MattBarnes. They bring a combined 40 years of

experience. The community is invited to join themfor a grand opening celebration. RSVP atwww.optimalmotion-pt.com or call 703-665-1444.

Live Music: The Jones. 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. atKalypso’s Sports Tavern on historic Lake Anne inReston. Bands play inside the sports bar on adedicated stage. No cover. Visitwww.kalypsossportstavern.com.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/JUNE 7-9Celebrate Fairfax! Festival. Northern Virginia’s

largest community-wide event, the 38 th annualCelebrate Fairfax! Festival, is set to take placeon the grounds of the Fairfax CountyGovernment Center, 12000 Government Center

Parkway, Fairfax. The Celebrate Fairfax! Festivalfeatures 25 acres of concerts, family programs,exhibits, carnival rides and nightly fireworks.Among the festival’s highlights are more than120 performances on seven stages, includingBetter Than Ezra and Smash Mouth. Call 703-324-3247 or visit www.celebratefairfax.com.

SUNDAY/JUNE 9“Love Your Body Yoga Festival.” 10 a.m.-5

p.m. at Reston Town Center.11th Annual “Love Your Body Yoga Festival” fat

Reston Town Center. Yoga classes all day, kidsyoga tent, Bhakti music tent, YED wellness talks,and over 80 eco-conscious vendors. This yearwill feature for the first time, DC area non-profitorganizations that include Yoga in theirofferings. ONE Common UNITY is among thenon-profits. Visitwww.loveyourbodyyogafestival.com.

WEDNESDAY/JUNE 12Author Event: Rachel Louise Snyder. 7 p.m.

at Scrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive, RestonTown Center.

In No Visible Bruises, journalist Rachel LouiseSnyder gives context for what we don’t knowwe’re seeing.

Through the stories of victims, perpetrators, lawenforcement, and reform movements fromacross the country, Snyder explores the realroots of private violence, its far-reachingconsequences for society, and what it will taketo truly address it. Free. Register ateventbrite.com, search Scrawl Books.

FRIDAY/JUNE 14Live Music: The Vandelays. 9:30 p.m.-1:30

a.m. at Kalypso’s Sports Tavern on historic LakeAnne in Reston. Bands play inside the sports baron a dedicated stage. No cover. Visitwww.kalypsossportstavern.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/JUNE 14-15Taste of Reston. Friday, 4-11 p.m.; Saturday, 11

a.m.-11 p.m. at Reston Town Center. Taste ofReston features the region’s best cuisine, familyactivities, live entertainment and a Wine ‘n Dinesection with cooking demonstrations from localchefs, a Family Fun Zone and free garageparking. Live music will fill the air both dayswith favorites such as Cherry Crush Band, NewBlue Soul, Delta Spur, and Vinyl Rhino. Taste ofReston event admission and parking are free.Food tickets are $1 per ticket or $20 for 24tickets. Advance tickets are on sale online, atwww.RestonTaste.com.

SUNDAY/JUNE 16Sully Antique Car Show. 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at

Sully Historic Site, 3650 Historic Sully Way,Chantilly. Take Dad for a stroll down memorylane this Father’s Day with a visit to the AntiqueCar Show at Sully Historic Site. Relive a timewhen chrome was king and V-8 engines ruledthe land. Car show tickets are $10 for adults, $8for seniors, and $6 for children, and will be soldat the gates. Call 703-437-1794.

WEDNESDAY/JUNE 19Author Event: Tracey Garvis Graves. 7 p.m.

at Scrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive, RestonTown Center Tracey Garvis Graves is the NewYork Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Todaybestselling author of contemporary fiction. Herdebut novel, On the Island, spent nine weeks onthe New York Times bestseller list, has beentranslated into 31 languages, and is indevelopment with MGM and Temple HillProductions for a feature film. She is coming toScrawl to discuss her latest novel, The Girl HeUsed to Know. Free. Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com.

SATURDAY/JUNE 22Summer Vibes: Tie-Dye. 9-10:30 a.m. at

Herndon Town Hall Green, 730 Elden St.,Herndon. Celebrate the start of Summer. Bringthe good vibes and Herndon will supply theshirts (while supplies last) along with all othermaterials needed to create awesome tie-dye. Allages welcome. Pay on-site day of event, cash orcheck only. $5. Call 703-787-7300, ext. 2115 orvisit www.herndon-va.gov/about-us/recreation/special-events.

FRIDAY/JUNE 28Live Music: Holly Montgomery Band. 9:30

p.m.-1:30 a.m. at Kalypso’s Sports Tavern onhistoric Lake Anne in Reston. Bands play insidethe sports bar on a dedicated stage. No cover.Visit www.kalypsossportstavern.com.

FRIDAY/JULY 5Live Music: Chris Timbers Band. 9:30 p.m.-


FRIDAY/JULY 12Live Music: Sista Pat’s One Vibe. 9:30 p.m.-


FRIDAY/JULY 19Live Music: Free Soul. 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. at

Kalypso’s Sports Tavern on historic Lake Anne inReston. Bands play inside the sports bar on adedicated stage. No cover. Visitwww.kalypsossportstavern.com.

FRIDAY/JULY 28Live Music: Run For Cover. 9:30 p.m.-1:30

a.m. at Kalypso’s Sports Tavern on historic Lake

Entertainment

Gardens of NoteTake a few hours or a full day to enjoy the sights and sounds of notable gardens in Reston on this 3rd

annual self-conducted tour, featuring The Reston Chorale’s exclusive tour with pop-up performances,beekeeping talks, and the Hidden Lane garden party. Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. around Reston.$22/advance; $25/tour day. Email [email protected] or visit www.restonchorale.org formore.

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By David Siegel

The Connection

Open for some good fun. Stepback from the 24 hour, 7 daya week news cycle and putaway the mobile device for an

evening of tongue-in-cheek humor and in-sight with Nancy Giles, commentator andcomedian. It’s an evening titled “The Acci-dental Pundette: Musings, complaints,shrieks & sighs on American politics”

“I want to make people laugh, and I wantto entertain them, but I also want to pro-voke thought and discussion.’’ said Giles.Giles is an Emmy Award-winning, long-timecontributor to “CBS News Sunday Morn-ing.”

Asked why she is called the “AccidentalPundette” Giles said, “I ended up on‘Hardball with Chris Matthews’ after he sawa mildly funny commentary I did on ‘CBSSunday Morning’ about politics. It was apiece about how politics had become po-liticized, and ‘Hardball’ took it way moreseriously than I intended, and they askedme some hard-hitting questions about whatI’d written.

“I’m not a political pundit at all, and didn’thave facts or figures to backup my opin-ions - they were merely the opinions of amouthy lady; hence the ‘pun-dette’ label.In the end, I think the fact that I wasn’t a

political operative or a policy wonk workedin my favor.”

As for show title “Musings, Complaints,Shrieks and Sighs on American Politics”?“Well, I like to muse, complain, shriek andsigh about stuff! Life comes at us so quicklythese days, and social media keeps up con-nected and up-to-the-minute at a dizzyingpace. And while millions of people tweet,post, and shoot videos all day long - I pre-fer to muse, to take a breath, to think a littlebefore reacting. And as a native New Yorker,I’m a big whiner/complainer - our sharedcomplaints to one another are part of ourunique way of communicating.”

Giles hopes that the CenterStage audiencewill “know a little more about me and wheremy ideas and opinions come from, andmaybe that will shake up some stereotypesin funny ways.

I hope they’ll laugh and think and havequestions and share some of their storieswith me (we’ll have some time for a Q&Aafterwards). When we take the time to lis-ten to each other, it’s amazing how muchwe have in common, despite how dividedit feels at this moment. Humor helps, andheals.”

Be ready to for a memorable time withNancy Giles at CenterStage.

‘An Evening with Nancy Giles’ at Reston CenterStageNancy Giles,

performing in“The Accidental

Pundette:Musings, com-

plaints, shrieks& sighs on

American poli-tics,” at

CenterStage,Reston Commu-

nity Center.

Whereand When

Reston Community Cen-ter presents “An Eveningwith Nancy Giles: The Acci-dental Pundette: Musings,complaints, shrieks & sighson American politics,” atReston CenterStage, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston,Saturday, June 1, 2018 at 8p.m. Tickets: $25; for non-Reston Ticket Price: $35.Call: 703-476-4500 or visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com.

Photo courtesy

Reston Community Center

Entertainment

Calendar

From Page 8

Anne in Reston. Bands play inside the sports bar ona dedicated stage. No cover. Visitwww.kalypsossportstavern.com.

THURSDAY/AUG. 8Curator’s Talk: A Purposeful Manner

Towards a Vague Destination. Noon-1 p.m.at The Signature at Reston Town Center, 11850Freedom Drive, Reston. Gallery hours at GreaterReston Arts Center (GRACE) presents APurposeful Manner Towards a VagueDestination, a solo exhibition featuring work bypainter Douglas Moulden. Maryland basedpainter Moulden exhibits a series of large-scaleacrylic on panel paintings developed fromphotographs and memory inspired byexploration of the woods near his home. Visitrestonarts.org for more.

MORE ONGOINGTrivia Night at Crafthouse. Tuesdays, 8-10

p.m. at Crafthouse, 1888 Explorer St., Reston.Call 571-926-9931 or visit crafthouseusa.comfor more.

Karaoke at Crafthouse. Wednesdays, 8-10 p.m.at Crafthouse, 1888 Explorer St., Reston. Call571-926-9931 or visit crafthouseusa.com formore.

The Elden Street Tea Shop. Saturdays inArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St., Herndon. Siptea and enjoy a variety of locally made snacksand pastries while enjoying the latest artinstallations in the gallery. Visitwww.eldenstreettea.com.

Small Business Support Sundays. Visitindependent stores and restaurants, and thosethat support small businesses at Reston TownCenter, offering specials, discounts, tastings, andlocalized treats every Sunday. VisitSmallBusinessSupportSundays.com.

All-comers’ Group Fun Run. Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Potomac River Running, RestonTown Center, 11900 Market St., Reston. Forbeginners or competitive runners, come out for afun, low-key run that is safe and social. Call703-689-0999 or visitwww.potomacriverrunning.com/reston/.

Over-40 Softball League. A Fairfax-basedleague is looking for enough players to formanother team. Players must be at last 40 years ofage to be eligible. All games are doubleheaders -played on Sundays at Bready Park in Herndonbetween 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. If interested, [email protected] for more.

IMPROVING ENGLISHOne-To-One English Conversation. Mondays,

1 p.m. at Reston Library, Reston Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Free. Multipleone-on-one practice sessions with a volunteerare available each week. Call 703-689-2700 toreserve a spot.

Pre-Beginners. Wednesdays 10-11 a.m. at RestonLibrary, Reston Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Free. Call 703-689-2700 toreserve a spot.

Beginners. Tuesdays 10-11 a.m. with Beth;Thursdays 10-11 a.m. with Genie; Fridays 10-11a.m. with Ivan. At Reston Library, RestonLibrary, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Free. Call 703-689-2700 to reserve a spot.

Intermediate. Mondays 10-11 a.m. with Rick;Wednesdays, 1-2 p.m. with Susan; Wednesdays2-3 p.m. with Sharoni. At Reston Library, RestonLibrary, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Free. Call 703-689-2700 to reserve a spot.

Advanced. Thursdays 10-11:30 a.m. with Richard;Fridays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with Mary. AtReston Library, Reston Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Free. Call 703-689-2700to reserve a spot.

Vocabulary Building. Mondays 11 a.m.-1:15p.m. at Reston Library, Reston Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Free. Call 703-689-2700 to reserve a spot.

Speak & Write. Mondays, 1:30-3 p.m. at RestonLibrary, Reston Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Free. Call 703-689-2700 toreserve a spot.

Dialogs & Grammar. Tuesdays, 11:15-12:30p.m. at Reston Library, Reston Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Free. Call 703-689-2700 to reserve a spot.

Pronunciation. Thursdays, 1-2:30 p.m. at RestonLibrary, Reston Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Free. Call 703-689-2700 toreserve a spot.


News

McLean Rotary President Gene Durman and mem-ber Jan Auerbach attended the Literacy Council ofNorthern Virginia Board Meeting on May 20 to presenta check for $1250 which coupled with another check

McLean Rotary Provides Funding forLiteracy Council of Northern Virginia

for $1250 earlier in the year was a grant to support aclass which is conducted onsite in cooperation withDoubletree Hilton of Tysons to improve the English ofthe hotel’s banquet and housekeeping employees.

Board members Bo Davis, Carol Ashworth, Jean Ku, Anupam Kumar (LCNV BoardPresident), Gene Durman (Rotary), Paul Byrne, Jan Auerbach (Rotary), John Thomas(in back) and Michael Gavin.

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Assistance League® of Northern Virginia, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, held its annualSpring Fundraiser on April 26 at the Country Clubof Fairfax to raise funds for its programs that servethe needs of low-income children in 11 Title I el-ementary schools in Fairfax and Prince William Coun-ties and the City of Alexandria. During the pre-lun-cheon reception, the 145 guests in attendance hadan opportunity to bid on an array of silent auctionitems donated by local businesses.

Kathryn Jackson, president of the Northern Vir-ginia chapter of Assistance League, emceed the eventand described the positive impact the organization’songoing programs, including Weekend Food for Kids,New Clothing for Kids, Literacy for Kids and HugsPillows, have in the community. Attendees weretreated to a slide show that provided a visual por-trayal of the nonprofit’s programs and activities.

During the current school year, Weekend Food forKids will deliver 18,000 bags of nonperishable fooditems to students at risk of hunger to take home onweekends when school meals are not available. TheNew Clothing for Kids initiative provides essentialclothing items, and personal grooming products toimprove the well-being of students, and layettes tohelp new mothers in need. Literacy for Kids deliversindividualized tutoring to first graders and suppliesbooks to support summer school reading programs,in addition to providing books to allow individualstudents to build their home libraries. Hugs Pillowsdistributes hand-made pillows to comfort childrenundergoing treatment at a local clinic.

Key sponsors of the charity luncheon were recog-nized for their support: Quadrant, Inc., Panda Stone-wall, Bob’s Discount Furniture Charitable Founda-tion, Marines Plumbing, and Spine Care of ManassasChiropractic Center. Several partners that have pro-

vided support for the organization’s food program,including Dominion Energy, Allstate, Intelsat andSandy Spring Bank, also received praise. A specialthank-you was extended to principals and other rep-resentatives from the schools served.

For the ninth year, Auctioneer Daniel Sanders, withFour Sales Ltd., donated his services to help raisefunds during the live auction and special appeal seg-ment of the program. Two luxury South African PhotoSafari packages were just some of the items avail-able for bid this year.

Christopher Baity, a veteran Marine Corps dogtrainer and Founder and Executive Director of Sem-per K9 Assistance Dogs, delivered the keynote address.

For further information, visit: www.alnv.org.

Assistance League of Northern Virginia:Fundraising to Support Low-Income Children

Kathryn Jackson, president of the North-ern Virginia chapter of Assistance League,emceed the event.

Photo contributed


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

All’s well that ends well. -

nally ended and I am here to write that my warran-ty has been extended for another two months. The CT scan showed no tumor growth or movement. The “promise” of immunotherapy so far is keeping its ‘promise’ – keeping the tumors stable.

Throughout my extremely fortunate cancer experience, I have felt reasonably well and manifested few symptoms/side effects; at least the kind of symptoms/side effects: shortness of breath, coughing, expectorating blood, mind-numbing neuropathy and headaches, among others, about which my oncologist regularly inquires.

Generally speaking then, my health status has always been about the tale of the tape – to invoke a boxing reference – meaning the diagnostic scans: brain MRI, CT scan of the neck/lower abdomen, PET scan and the initial X-Ray which started the

so to speak.It is not until my oncologist shares/summarizes

us the actual computer images themselves, that yours truly/Team Lourie knows where we stand.

And, where we stand typically is where we are sitting, in a cramped exam room, face to face with the man who holds my life in the palm of his hand

and the gesture/body language he exhibits. It’s not exactly “Bath Fitter,” but “the reveal” is imminent.

It never gets easy, but it does get easier to en-dure this kind of potentially life-altering/life-ending moment. Though the familiarity of it hasn’t dulled the pain, it has enabled us to balance the pros and cons, up and downs and all-arounds, as we antici-pate the words we are about to hear.

During most of these post-scan visits, we’ve exhaled in relief, but we have had our share of disappointment.

On one occasion, back in late July 2013, I was hospitalized for a week when my lungs accumu-

internal problems (lung collapsing). Externally, I was unable to speak more than a

few words before needing to regroup. As a matter of humorous fact, when my long-time oncology nurse, Ron, saw me that infusion day, he thought I “was a goner,” since my oxygen level was so low.

Within a few hours, I was a ‘goner’ in an ambu-lance to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md. where I was eventually admitted. Two days later, a thoracic surgeon operated, and a day or two after

As a result, in my head and in my gut, (though I’m no Jethro Gibbs from NCIS), when I show up for my infusions and for my post-scan appoint-ments, there’s always a part of me that thinks I might not be spending that evening in my own bed.

When you’re a cancer patient/survivor, and this kind of whisking off not to Buffalo but instead to

happened once, it’s only a matter of time (it’s im-possible not to believe it’s inevitable when you’ve been staged a IV) before it will happen again. I’m not being negative, I’m just saying.

As we sit and wait at home for my oncologist to email us the scan results, or whether we sit and wait in the on-site exam room, I wouldn’t say our respective lives pass before us, but I will certainly admit to the total unpleasantness of it.

That being said, we’re the lucky ones. There are nearly 160,000 lung cancer patients who succumb to this terrible disease every year who aren’t nearly so lucky.

So when I hear the words “stable” from my on-cologist, I am humbled as much as I am relieved,

my next scan is scheduled and my next fortnight is fought.

And that’s how I live my life: in increments. Increments which I’m grateful to have. It may not be ideal, but it’s a living, and it sure beats a dying.

The WeakThat Was

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p.m. at the Northside Property Yard. In addition tothe usual auto waste products and electronicsaccepted at the Town’s Quarterly Recycling Day,metal will be accepted at the Town’s nextrecycling event. Metal products, such as steel,copper, and aluminum, may be brought to theNorthside Property Yard. No TVs or computermonitors of any kind will be accepted. [email protected] or call 703-255-8630.

Peripheral Neuropathy Support Group. 2-4p.m. at Mason District Governmental Center,6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale. The PeripheralNeuropathy Support Group for greaterWashington meets the first Saturday of themonth. All are welcome. RSVP for availableseating. Call 301-263-0616 or visitwww.dcpnsupport.org for more.

SUNDAY/JUNE 2EarthCare Sunday. 10-11 a.m. at Lewinsville

Presbyterian Church, 1724 Chain Bridge Road,McLean. Earlier this year, LewinsvillePresbyterian was certified as an Earth CareCongregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA).On Sunday, June 2, the 10 a.m. worship servicewill focus on the theme of stewardship of theearth. Free. Call 703-356-7200 or visitwww.lewinsville.org/events/earth-care-sunday/.

Solar Array - Home Display. 2-3:30 p.m. AMcLean resident is opening his family’s solararray to the public to view his solar panels at hishome. The homeowner and solar experts fromMountain View Solar, the local solar businesswhich installed his solar array, will be on handto show his solar power system as well asanswer any questions attendees may have.Appetizers and refreshments will be provided.Free and open to the public. RSVP at bit.ly/mcleanvasolaropenhouse or 304-886-3389.

Jefferson Obama Dinner. VIP reception, 5:30-6:30 p.m.; silent auction, 6-7:15 p.m.; dinner, 7-9 p.m. at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920Jones Branch Drive, McLean. Confirmedspeakers include former Gov. Terry McAuliffe;U.S. Rep. Don Beyer; and U.S. Rep. JenniferWexton. Fairfax Democrats will be presentingtheir award winners and honoring electedofficials who are retiring. Visitrfaxdemocrats.org/2019/02/19/2019-jefferson-obama-dinner.

MONDAY/JUNE 3Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney

Candidate Forum. 7 p.m. at the First BaptistChurch of Vienna, 450 Orchard St., NW, Vienna.Meet the Fairfax, Va., Democratic candidates forCommonwealth’s Attorney and find out wherethey stand on key criminal justice issues. This isan opportunity to ask the candidates what theywill do to reduce mass incarceration, reduceracial disparities, and de-criminalize poverty.The event is co-sponsored by the VirginiaInterfaith Center for Public Policy, the League ofWomen Voters of the Fairfax Area, the ACLU ofVirginia, and the Fairfax County NAACP. Freeand open to the public. RSVP at tinyurl.com/fairfaxcandidates.

SATURDAY/JUNE 4SCOV Driver’s Coffee Chat. 10-11:30 a.m. at

Vienna Baptist Church, 541 Marshall Road, SW,Vienna. Drivers are the front line volunteerworking directly with SCOV clients. Theirimpressions and opinions are invaluable. New toSCOV? Learn about becoming a driver. RSVP byMay 29 at 703-281-0538.

Park Authority Summer Jobs. 5-8 p.m. atOakton Elementary School, 3000 Chain BridgeRoad, Oakton. 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].

Climate Change in Virginia. 6:30-7:30 p.m. atOakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place,Oakton. Dr. Jim Kinter from GMU will describeresearch about where, when, and by how muchclimate will change in Virginia in the future. Noregistration required. Free. [email protected] or call 703-242-4020 for more.

Bulletin


Sports

The Second AnnualReston Pride Festivalwill be held on Satur-

day, June 1 from 2 to 7 p.m. atLake Anne Plaza to celebrateand support Greater Reston’sLGBTQ+ community. The festi-val will feature choral groups,dancers, performers, and speak-ers. The event will be co-emceedby Delta B. Knyght, a Washing-ton, D.C.-based Drag Enter-tainer, and Ken Williamson,music director for WashingtonPlaza Baptist Church and aformer Las Vegas entertainer. Inaddition, the festival will havemore than 40 LGBTQ+ friendlyexhibitors. This child-friendlyevent is free and open to thepublic. The Second Reston Pride

Festival is co-sponsored by theUnitarian Universalist ChurchinºReston, St. Anne’s EpiscopalChurch, and United ChristianParish, with key support fromLake Anne Plaza, Reston Com-munity Center, Cornerstones,Reston faith communities,nonprofits, and other local or-ganizations.

The Reston Pride Festival,begun in 2018, was created andhosted by the Unitarian Univer-salist Church in Reston “tobreak the silence in the greaterReston/Herndon area aboutLGBTQ+ people and issues,”said the Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner,minister of the Unitarian Uni-versalist Church in Reston andco-chair of Reston Pride.

The first Reston Pride Festival was held in 2018.

Reston Pride Festival to Be Held June 1

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The first Reston Live washeld at Lake Anne Plazaon Sunday afternoon.

This inaugural music festival fea-tured a Children’s Area, a talentcompetition, a raffle, vendorbooths, and special guest perfor-mances by Reston band, Catchin’Toads, and Reston’s own singer/songwriter, Lindsey Hershfeld. Theevent was hosted by “ShowJoe”Joseph Dagbe, Founder ofYuniverse Foundation, a CORECause.

The event was designed to high-light Reston’s many talented art-

ists and entertainers while raisingmoney and awareness for COREFoundation. “We wanted to ex-pand our reach and create a fam-ily friendly event that would high-light one of the great things aboutReston, our live music scene andfamilies and let everyone knowabout the good work CORE Foun-dation is doing in the community,”said Traci Waller, Director ofReston Live. The winner of the tal-ent competition was a local teenband, Fourth Electric, who re-ceived a trophy and a roaringround of applause from the crowd.

The slacker rock quartet from Reston, Fourth Electricwon the talent competition at Reston Live, a festivalpresented by the CORE Foundation. Band membersKacey Banga, Charlie Moore, Elijah Bishop and EdwinSchoenborn display their winning trophy.

Reston Live Held at Lake Anne Plaza

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Winning all three re-lays combinedwith dominatingperformances in

the jumps and sprints propelledthe South Lakes High School girlsteam to the 6A Region D track andfield championship May 23 atJames Robinson Secondary Schoolin Fairfax. The Lady Seahawksscored 166.50 points to win thetitle, more than 100 points aheadof second place George C.Marshall High (65) and third placeWashington-Lee (63.50).

Senior Isabelle Gulgert, juniorsCaitlyn Morris and Emily Lannenand freshman Annika Yu won the4x800 in 9:26.50 on the first dayof competition to begin the relaydomination. On Day 2, seniorsJordan Anderson, Nicole Post, jun-ior Rhema Konadu and sophomoreJuviannadean Mullings ran a48.83 to win the 4x100 meter re-lay. Anderson, Lannen and juniorsMary Gregory and Hannah Wallerclosed down the meet by winningthe 4x400 meter relay in 3:56.41.

In between the relays, the girlsshowcased their talents in severalindividual events led by Waller’srecord-setting performances.Waller, who finished second in thelong jump (17-06.25) on Day 1,came back the second day andwon the triple jump (38-06.00),100 meters (11.98) and 200meters (24.21). In winning the100, she broke the region record11.99 set by Olympian MurielleAhoure in 2005, when she was astudent at Hayfield SecondarySchool.

Along with Waller, region cham-pions for the Lady Seahawks in-clude:

❖ Gulgert in the 1,600 meters

(5:02.46). Morris was fifth(5:05.44).

❖ Gregory in the 400 meters(56.16). Howard finished fourth(57.80). Gregory was also third inthe 200 meters (25.48).

❖ Post in the 300 meter hurdles(45.22).

Lannen finished second in the800 meters (2:16.22) as didMullings in the 200 meters (24.85)and Konadu in the 100 meters(12.32).

Sophomore Amelia DiBiase fin-ished fourth in the pole vault (9-03.00), marking the first time in

school history that both genderswill be represented by SLHS at thestate meet. For the SLHS boysteam, junior Caleb Miller won theshot put (50-02.25) and finishedthird in the discus throw (137-00.00). Junior Jackson Cooley fin-ished third in the 100 (11.01)meters and fourth in the 200meters (22.25). Senior NickyNapolitano was fourth in the 400meters (50.59).

South Lakes will compete in the6A State Championship meet May31-June 1 at Todd Stadium inNewport News.

SLHS Girls Win 6A Region D Outdoor Championship (May 23, 2019)

In winning the 100, Junior Hannah Waller broke theregion record of 11.99 set by Olympian Murielle Ahourein 2005, when she was a student at Hayfield SecondarySchool.

South Lakes Girls Win RegionalTrack and Field Championship

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