classifieds, page 14 entertainment, page 10 opinion, page...

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com November 22-28, 2017

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Planning Changes to Planning CommissionNews, 2

The Season of GivingNews, Page 16

Turkey Train at Lake Fairfax Excites Young and Old

News, Page 8

From left: Jennifer Thomas, her son Grady, 1, daughter Chelsea, 3, and Todd Thomas were waiting for the train to pull off from the front of the visitor’s

center Saturday at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston.

2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Reston Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Andrea Worker

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11)says that he and his Democraticcolleagues are more than will-ing to work in a bipartisan ef-

fort on meaningful tax form. “As a leader ofthe New Democrat Coalition, a group of pro-business Democrats, I have written on sev-eral occasions to Speaker Paul Ryan andWays and Means Chairman Kevin Bradyasking them to partner with us … to sim-plify the tax code, create revenue … andprovide middle class tax relief.”

Speaking at a roundtable gathering thatthe congressman hosted at the offices of theNorthern Virginia Association of Realtors(NVAR) on Monday, Nov. 13, to discuss theconsequences of the GOP tax plans,Connolly says those overtures have beenrejected.

“Congress had a real opportunity to pur-sue neutral tax reform that would lowercorporate tax rates and benefit the middleclass.” Connolly expressed “deep disap-pointment” at the House and Senate billsbeing proposed, categorizing both as“shameful, corporate giveaways” that willhave unprecedented and far-reaching nega-tive effects on Northern Virginia, the Com-monwealth of Virginia, and the nation.

Connolly reported that by using “dynamicscoring” – a method of analysis that includesthe potential feedback effect certain tax cutscan have, and that he said Republicans of-ten advocate “because it provides more gen-erous deficit projections for tax cuts” — theproposals actually increase the country’sdeficit to $1.5 trillion over 10 years, “andsomebody has to pay that bill.”

An assessment of the tax plans by Con-gress’ nonpartisan Joint Taxation Commit-tee released on Monday, Nov. 20, seems tosupport the congressman’s concerns. Thecommittee’s analysis projects that some 13.8million moderate-income American house-holds would actually see a tax increase as aresult of the Senate plan by 2019. House-holds earning less than $200,000 per yearwould face increases of $100 to $500. Thetax liability rises even more for earners be-tween $75,000 and $200,000. According tothe analysis, tax increases would be felt by21.4 million households by the year 2025.

Connolly likened the plans to previouslyfailed “trickle-down” attempts at tax reformand economic stimulus.

“1981, 2001, 2003. The Reagan and Bushtax cuts. So disastrous that they had to en-act tax increases in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987and 1990” to raise the needed funds. “Thenin the early 2000s, President George W.

Bush took the record surpluses of theClinton era and created record deficits.”Connolly added that the trickle-downtheory is based on “the hope and the prayerthat such tax cuts will someday pay forthemselves,” but that history has alreadyproven “that assumption to be false.”

TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT of the pro-posed legislation on the Northern Virginiaregion, Connolly convened a group of localbusiness leaders, economists and financialexperts, as well as participants represent-ing social service providers, persons withlong-term medical and care needs, econo-mists, parents of students with significantstudent debt, and seniors.

Connolly set the stage for the discussionwith a few more facts and figures, althoughhe cautioned that “we still haven’t seen thewhole of either proposed legislation.”

* The plans either repeal or limit severaltax breaks that are crucial to Northern Vir-ginians, including medical and dental ex-pense deductions, premiums for long-termcare insurance, in-home and nursing homecare, and mortgage interest deductions.

* The state and local income tax (SALT)deductions would be limited or even re-pealed. In Connolly’s 11th District, 50 per-cent of tax filers claim the SALT deduction,

with 75 percent of the claimants being inmiddle income tax brackets. The numberof SALT claimants throughout FairfaxCounty is as high as 280,000 households.

* The plans call for the repeal of EstateTax, which only applies to about thewealthiest 5,000 decedents each year, whilecutting adoption tax credits and credits forsmall businesses that invest in accessibilityimprovements for persons with disabilities.

* According to the Tax Policy Center, af-ter-tax income for the top 1 percent of earn-ers would rise by about 2.6 percent by 2027,while those at the bottom 80 percent wouldsee after-tax increase of between 0.0 per-cent and 0.6 percent.

After Connolly’s remarks, Bob Adamson,chairman of the board of the Northern Vir-ginia Association of Realtors, was the firstof the gathering to offer comments.

Representing some 12,000 Realtors in theregion, Adamson stated that the NVAR“wants to be part of the solution,” but findsthe proposed legislation to be “unfair tohomeowners,” disproportionately placingthe burden of “filling in the financial gaps”directly on them.

NVAR Chair-elect Lorraine Arora agreed,adding that “real estate bolsters theeconomy” with so many related jobs andservices, and that any plan that suppresses

home buying will cause a “ripple effect ofharm.”

The Realtors at the table also worried thatthe proposed tax reform will actually lowerexisting house values. NVAR CEO RyanConrad said that in the NoVa region, thatdecrease could be as much as $30,000 lostin home equity.

ADDITIONALLY, THE REALTORS fore-see a decrease in housing stock that is al-ready an issue, and even see FairfaxCounty’s successes toward ending and pre-venting homelessness, slip into reverse, asdevelopers are less able than ever to profit-ably build affordable housing.

Continuing the “ripple effect” theme,JoAnne Carter, managing director of PFMFinancial Advisors, LLC, said that the pro-posals threaten the means by which munici-palities, nonprofits and other businessesfund their services and investments in im-provements and expansion.

“Eliminating Private Activity Bonds andcausing cuts to ‘advance refinancing,’” saidCarter is severely hampering the ability tofinance the basics, like “schools, roads, hos-pitals, transportation, airports, sea ports, allof it.”

That in turn “increases the burden on thecounties,” said Adamson, while potentiallydepleting their main source of revenue. Formunicipalities like Fairfax County, that are,in essence, only able to raise funds throughproperty taxation, the choices are daunt-ingly few. Either raise those taxes signifi-cantly, or reduce expenditure on infrastruc-ture and public and social services.

“And if we damage our AAA Bond rating,”added Carter, “it costs more for these mu-nicipalities and service providers to borrow.”According to Carter, Fairfax County couldsave between $3-12 million when re-financ-ing with a Triple A Bond rating. “Losing thatcould mean that public structures just don’tget built.”

Nancy Mercer, a licensed clinical socialworker and the former executive directorof the ARC of Northern Virginia, and RidgeMultop, an economist, former AARP Con-gressional Affairs and former House Bud-get Committee staffer, both discussed theimpact the proposed tax bills could have onseniors, those with long-term care and/ormedical issues, and those most in need andmost vulnerable in the community.

Multop “put a face” on the discussion,speaking about an economist friend. “He’s85 years old, on a fixed income, in assistedliving. He looked at how these bills wouldimpact him based on his 2016 tax filing andsaid it would raise his taxes by more than$3,000. How do people like him cope withthat?”

Eliminating tax deductions for medicalexpenses and long-term care would beharmful to seniors, Multop said, possiblyforcing more into custodial care and plac-ing an additional burden on municipalities

‘A Disaster for Northern Virginia’Connolly holdsroundtable oncongressionaltax plan.

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) meets with local leaders to discuss theconsequences of the proposed Senate and House GOP Tax Reform Bills.Connolly admitted from the start that he wasn’t there to “sing theirpraises.”

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Bob Adamson,chairman of theboard of the North-ern Virginia Asso-ciation of Realtors,views the proposedlegislation as “un-fair tohomeowners,” andthat they will have anegative “rippleeffect” on the localeconomy and resi-dents of the com-munity.

See Roundtable, Page 15

Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


News

Winning the Life Impact AwardMaureen Loftus, owner and executive director of LearningRx Reston andLearningRx Vienna, took home the 2017 Life Impact Award and the 2017Community Impact Award from LearningRx’s national convention heldin Colorado Springs recently. The Life Impact Award is given toLearningRx Reston for fulfilling the brain training needs of a clientthrough multiple stages of life. Pictured, from left, is Irene Ward,LearningRx Reston Center Director; Kim Hanson, CEO LearningRx Fran-chise; Maureen Loftus, Executive Director, LearningRx Vienna/Reston;and Gina Forster, LearningRx Tysons/Vienna Center Director.


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Viewpoints

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Jason Bruno, 19, ofHerndon, a Lake Fairfaxmanager on duty

“I’m thankful for the weather,food, school, family, and friends.Especially I’m thankful for my jobbeing in the outdoors and beingin nature. I go camping in the win-ter in a heated tent with a spaceheater. A silicone mat keeps youinsulated!”

Joseph Allen, 28, manageron duty with Fairfax CountyParks Authority

“I’m thankful for this lovelycounty, our customers, our boss,and obviously friends and family.I am grateful for this opportunityand people reaching out and help-ing each other. I am also thankfulthat winter is on the way. I wasborn in it!”

Andrew Edelman fromGreat Falls, a park managerat Lake Fairfax

“I’m thankful for having a jobhere at Fairfax County Parks Au-thority. I am also thankful for myfamily and friends and working.During Labor Day and other me-morial holidays are the busiestdays for us here, when everyone’soff, we’re on!”

— Colin Stoecker

Photos by Colin Stoecker/The Connection


Opinion

An effort to support locally ownedbusinesses has resulted in the rec-ognition of Small Business Saturday,the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

This year that is Nov. 25. Black Friday, the dayafter Thanksgiving, is promoted as a day ofnational zeal for shopping. Presumably thenext day shoppers can focus on local shopping.

There is a joy to shopping inlocal stores at the holidays, towalking along a sidewalk withthe streets decked out for the

holidays, to being greeting by someone likelyto be the owner of the store, to finding giftsthat are not mass-produced.

Shop Locally, Give LocallyEvery day is for shopping small and shopping locally.

Editorial

We all benefit when local stores thrive,when local business districts beckon.

Locally owned retail shops, services, restau-rants depend on vibrant local communitiesto thrive. Most small, locally owned busi-nesses invest in community, helping to trans-form our towns and communities with a senseof place.

Supporting small businesses, locally ownedbusinesses, has to be more than a one-dayaffair. And in this area, there doesn’t have tobe anything small about shopping locally.

But still, local families will shop and ex-change gifts during the next month, spend-ing tens of millions of dollars in a variety of

places.One way to be sure holiday shopping comes

with some holiday spirit is to do a portion ofyour shopping in some of the area’s locallyowned stores. There is special holiday ambi-ance available by shopping in the heart of atown that is decked out for the season. Smallretail shops are part of defining any commu-nity. Their livelihood depends on the livabilityand quality of the neighborhoods around them.A small business owner pays attention to ev-ery detail in his or her business in a way thatno chain can.

The small business owner is often the leaderfor fundraising for local charities, for fire andrescue service, for local schools and in orga-nizing holiday events.

Local shoppers should be sure to save someshopping time and dollars for local stores.Spend some time shopping in your own com-munity, and also plan an excursion to a nearbytown to check out the holiday spirit there.

See Connection’s Holiday Calendar for greatcelebrations near you.❖ Fairfax County:

www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/16/holiday-calendar-2017/

❖ Arlington:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/15/arlington-holiday-calendar-2017/

❖ Potomac:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/15/potomac-almanac-holiday-calendar-2017/

❖ Alexandria:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/20/alexandria-holiday-calen-dar-2017/

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

During the last week of each year, thisnewspaper devotes its pages to the creativ-ity of local students and children. The re-sults are always remarkable. It is a keep-sake edition for many families. Even read-ers without children of that age spend timeadmiring and chuckling over the issue. Theannual Children’s Connection (includingChildren’s Gazette, Children’s Almanac andChildren’s Centre View) is a tradition of wellover a decade.

We publish artwork, poetry, essays, cre-ative writing, opinion pieces, short stories,photography, photos of sculpture or othercreative efforts.

We ask that all submissions be digital sothey can be sent via email, dropbox orgoogle drive or delivered on CD or flashdrive. Writing should be submitted in richtext format (.rtf). Artwork should be pho-tographed or scanned and provided in jpeg

Short Deadline for Children’s Editionformat.

We welcome contributions from publicand private schools, individuals andhomeschoolers. To be published, we musthave first and last name of the student.Please include the student’s age and/orgrade, school attended and town of resi-dence, plus the name of the school, nameof teacher and town of school location. Pro-vide submissions by Friday, Dec. 1.

Email submissions for the Children’s Edi-tion to the following editors:

❖ For Burke, Clifton, Fairfax, Fairfax Sta-tion, Great Falls, Herndon, Lorton, McLean,Reston, or Springfield, email to KemalKurspahic at [email protected].

❖ For Alexandria, Arlington, Centreville,Chantilly, Mount Vernon, or Potomac, Md.,email to Steven Mauren at [email protected].

To the Editor:In response to:

www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/nov/08/commentary-i n d e p e n d e n t - p r o g r e s s i v e -doublespeak-imm/

Fairfax County police officers donot conduct immigration enforce-ment sweeps or stop individualssolely to inquire about immigra-tion status. Fairfax County policeofficers follow General Order 601and cannot arrest someone unlessthere is reasonable suspicion thata crime was committed or is be-ing committed.

Operation and policy decisionsregarding the Fairfax County AdultDetention Center fall under theauthority of the Sheriff, an electedconstitutional officer, independent

of the Board of Supervisors. PerCode of Virginia 19.2-83.2, whenindividuals are arrested andbooked into the Fairfax CountyAdult Detention Center, their com-puterized fingerprints are auto-matically transmitted to the Vir-ginia State Police’s Automated Fin-gerprint Identification System(AFIS), regardless of their immi-gration status. The Virginia StatePolice forwards the information toother state and federal databasesper their guidelines. From there,it is up to ICE to determine who isa priority for deportation. Before2016, ICE operated under the Pri-ority Enforcement Program andfocused its efforts on deportingundocumented immigrants withserious criminal records. Under

the Trump Administration, the Pri-ority Enforcement Program nolonger exists, and any immigrantwho is in the country illegally maybe selected by ICE for deportation.

If ICE places an arrest warrantand an order to detain on an in-mate in the Fairfax County AdultDetention Center, the Sheriff’s Of-fice will hold that inmate for upto 48 hours (not counting week-ends and holidays) past his or herscheduled release date. If ICE doesnot take custody of the inmatewithin that time frame, the inmatewill be released.

The Board of Supervisors, thePolice Department, the Sheriff ’sOffice and all Fairfax County gov-ernment agencies comply withstate and federal laws, and immi-

gration is a federal matter. Anychanges regarding deportations orthe focus and direction of ICE mustcome from the federal level. Onthe local level, we continue to fo-cus on community policingthrough positive outreach andbuilding trust with the residentswe serve. All residents of FairfaxCounty should know that FairfaxCounty police officers are here toprotect and serve any and all com-munity members, regardless ofcitizenship. No person should beafraid to call the police out of fearof deportation — our police offic-ers are not in that business.

Sharon BulovaChairman,

Board of Supervisors

Letter to the Editor

Focus on Community Policing, Positive Outreach

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Reston


In our comfortable community inReston, it’s easy to let the horrorsof the Holocaust slip out of mind.

Yet as recent events in Charlottesvilleand other places remind us, there aremany people who do not forget — sothey can threaten and scare us again.When we gather to retell the stories,we ensure that we will understandwhy we must stand up to the forcesof hate. Commemoration weekendevents will take place at Northern Vir-ginia Hebrew Congregation, 1441Wiehle Ave., Reston. For more infor-mation call 703-437-7733 or visitnvhcreston.org.

CommemorationWeekend EventsTHURSDAY, NOV. 30, 8 P.M.Petr Papousek, president of the Federation of

Jewish Communities in the CzechRepublic will speak on Czech Jewrytoday.

FRIDAY EVENING, DEC. 1A special reading from the Czech scroll,

along with a sample of Czech Jewishmusic from Kol Shirah and other musichonoring the victims of the Holocaust. Atthis service, we will be chanting from thisscroll as part of our service, and for theAliyah would like to invite up anyonewho is a Holocaust survivor or related toa survivor. Please be in touch with CantorCaro directly if you would like to becalled up for this honor.

SATURDAY, DEC. 2 DURING SERVICESThe b’nai mitzvah will read from the scroll.Following services, Shabbat lunch and

conversations with two experts on boththe experience of being deported andcoming to grips with the aftermath.

Michlean Amir will speak on the experiencesof Czech Jews before, during, andimmediately after the war. The Amirfamily obtained a Torah from HermanuvMestec from the Memorial Scrolls Trustand donated it to Congregation Beth El inBethesda.

Mark Talisman will speak on the fate of theCzech Jews’ possessions, both withrespect to the Czech Torahs that wereobtained by the Memorial Scrolls Trust inLondon and distributed worldwide andthe other goods processed by the CzechJewish Museum, many of which wereincluded in the Smithsonian’s PreciousLegacy exhibit. If there is time, he willspeak on the early years of the HolocaustMuseum.

To join for lunch, make a reservation bycontacting [email protected].

SUNDAY, DEC. 3, 11 A.M.Our fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students,

their families, and anyone else who maybe interested, are invited to attend apresentation by Czech Holocaust survivorMarty Weiss, followed by a brief Q&Asession.

Standing Up toForces of HateCommemoratingJewish experiencein Holocaust.

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

What happens if a dog thatchases vehicles catchesone? What happens if a po-litical party that struggles

for nearly a decade to regain the majorityin a political body realizes its goal? Thequestion is not theoretical. Democrats in theHouse of Delegates have been working at a34 to 66 seat disadvantage for the last sev-eral years. In an election that produced re-sults seemingly impossible, before recountsDemocrats are down by one vote from be-ing tied for control of the House. An even50-50 or a one vote advantage are possibleas soon as the official vote tallies in threeelections are determined.

Regardless of the final number, the Houseof Delegates will have to operate more onconsensus than on an absolute dominanceof one party over the other. That is a goodthing. Rather than either party having toplay defense all the time, both parties willbe responsible for the ultimate outcome ofa legislative session. The new shift in thebalance of power should be good for the

Commonwealth. There shouldbe less bottling up tough billsin a committee or subcommit-tee without a hearing or vote.Legislators will be put on thespot to cast tough votes, butthat is the way the legislativeprocess should work. Some is-sues that have been side-stepped in recent years shouldreach the floor for a public vote.

For years members of themajority party of the House of Delegateshave refused to allow a vote on health in-surance for 400,000 of our most vulnerablecitizens leaving more than 10 billion fed-eral dollars on the table.

I think the vote in the recent election re-flected in part a disgust on the part of citi-zens for the legislators who refused to dealwith a real public health issue. An early voteon agreeing to Medicaid expansion wouldsend a signal to voters that their messagehas been received.

Election results also demonstrated theimpact of gerry-rigging election district linesthat has been going on for many years. Es-tablishing a non-partisan redistricting com-

mission as I have advocated formany years and as proposed bythe OneVirginia2021 organiza-tion will reduce the politics inthe redistricting process thatwill come again after the 2020federal census. Voters willchoose their representativesrather than having legislatorschoose their voters.

I believe that a newly con-stituted House of Delegates

made up of members elected by the high-est level of voter participation in decadeswill also be less prone to involve themselvesin the personal lives and social issues of thetimes.

Too much time has been expended in therecent past debating who someone shouldbe able to love or marry or who should makehealth decisions for women.

Some incumbents may find difficulty ad-justing to a wonderfully more diverse Housemembership or feel uncomfortable in a newpower-sharing agreement with anotherparty, but the outcome should be good forVirginia. What now? Great opportunities formoving Virginia forward!

Commentary

What Now?

By John Lovaas

Reston Impact Producer/Host

And the beat goes on. We’ve had ourlast community meeting on FairfaxCounty’s plan to rezone Reston’s

PRC (Planned Residential Community) ar-eas from 13 to 16 persons per acre, accord-ing to the Zoning Administrator. The nextstep presumably will be the “public hear-ing” at the County Planning Commission,followed by final approval by the Board ofSupervisors in Spring 2018?

The last in a series of town hall meetingsat South Lakes High School attended by 800or more was all heat, little light. It did serveto demonstrate deep and widespread com-munity opposition to the plan. Lost in up-set and anger was Supervisor CathyHudgins’ suggestion in a prior meeting ofpossible compromise between 13 and 16 peracre. A senior County planning official laterconfirmed that compromise was still on thetable, but as far as I know the Supervisorhas not mentioned it again. Without it, dia-logue is not in sight.

This push for massive growth is, I believe,driven by County staff and politicians thirstyfor revenue from the limitless high endgrowth potential they see in a prostrate,powerless community. Fairfax cannotratchet up growth for their coffers inHerndon, Fairfax, or Vienna, for example,because, despite their smaller populations,they are self-governing. Reston is not.

Growth need not be a bad thing. In fact,a more urban Reston was part of Mr. Simon’s

vision. However, support formajor new growth must be con-ditioned on Fairfax providinggenuine guarantees that suchgrowth will not include furtherdecline in our quality of life, adecline which is already under-way. Unfortunately, when Su-pervisor Hudgins and ZoningAdministrator Johnsonspeak of increasing per-sons per acre from 13 to16 — and much more inthe transit station areas — they offer no tan-gible assurances that quality of life will notbe trampled in the process.

What do I mean by “quality of life?” Forme, quality of life includes: transportationinfrastructure that enables us to travelaround Reston without humongous hassleand delay; public schools to fully serve kidsK thru 12 and even university as Simonenvisioned; adequate fire & rescue service;and, parks, open spaces, and recreation fa-cilities proportionate to what we have hadfor all ages — all part of Mr. Simon’s visionof “the good life” in Reston.

But the County provides no credible as-surances, and no actual plan or financialscheme for doing any of it. If you look inthe new Reston Master Plan, you’ll find tonsof planned new density and density bonusesfor residential and commercial developmentshoehorned into maps. Now, look for theadditional parks, open spaces, recreationalfacilities, schools, firehouses, etc. You won’tfind them because they are not there. What

scraps you may find are no-where near proportional towhat exists. Yet, all of theseplan elements are within thepower of Fairfax County (notReston) to fund and provide.

Notice I’ve not mentionedtransportation infrastructure?That’s because Fairfax County

does not have the author-ity to approve/build any-thing beyond tiny neigh-borhood streets — and

these they can only do with the good willof developers through “proffers” in thisDillon Rule state. Most streets and mainarteries, including three additional cross-ings of the toll road, are strictly the pur-view of the Commonwealth of Virginia, typi-cally requiring 20 or more years from con-cept to construction as is the case for theSoapstone crossing, for example.

In order for Reston to grow and be faith-ful to the Reston vision, Fairfax Countyneeds to do one of two things: either cut itsplans for growth to levels commensuratewith Reston standards and actually feasible,say for a population of 70,000 20 years fromnow — not 120,000; or, demand that theVirginia legislature authorize a referendumasking Reston residents if they wish to de-cide these matters as a self-governing en-tity OR remain subjects of Fairfax County.

Next: Reston Association, in its franticsearch to use Lake House, now providessubsidized child care for 19 kids in a mar-ketplace loaded with alternatives.

Proposed Zoning: Way Too Much,Way Beyond Fairfax County Competence

Independent Progressive

8 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 Reston Connection ❖ November 22-28, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

A program connecting neonatalspecialists from Reston HospitalCenter’s Neonatal Intensive Care

Unit (NICU) to StoneSprings HospitalCenter will allow experts to collaborate,diagnose and treat babies in distress.

“We are pleased to implement this newprogram which allows the NICU team atReston Hospital to provide that additionalsupport for a higher level of care via thelatest technology to the families atStoneSprings Hospital Center,” said JohnDeardorff, President and CEO of Reston

Hospital Center and the Northern VirginiaMarket. “The TeleNICU program exempli-fies our deep commitment to innovation andthe use of proven technology to extend thereach of our expertise beyond the walls ofour hospital,” said Lance Jones, CEO,StoneSprings Hospital Center.

Pediatricians at StoneSprings HospitalCenter, located in Dulles, Va., can now con-nect in real-time to neonatologists at RestonHospital Center using specialized equipmentthat includes medical-qualityvideoconferencing, secure data transfer and

a specialized stethoscope and camera for thephysical examination.

The TeleNICU program can be used for awide range of consults, including interpret-ing medical data and images, confirmingdiagnoses, and conferring on treatmentplans. If further care is needed, this programallows for coordinated care and transportto the Level III NICU at Reston Hospital Cen-ter. “This program allows physicians, nurs-ing staff and other healthcare professionalsto collaboratively participate in cutting edgecare of these patients and families,” said Dr.

Timothy Shaver, Medical Staff President,StoneSprings Hospital Center.

“With families growing at exponentialrates, it makes complete sense for ourNICU team based at Reston Hospital toextend our services to the communitiesbeing served by StoneSprings Hospital.”said Dr. Kenneth Harkavy, head of Neo-natal Medicine at Reston Hospital Cen-ter. “The collaboration between our clini-cal teams will help to decrease delays incritical care that babies in distress mayneed.”

Bringing Babies High-Tech Medical CareReston Hospital Center and StoneSprings Hospital Center partner in telemedicine.

By Colin Stoecker

The Connection

Children and parents piled ontothe Holiday train at Lake FairfaxPark on Saturday to celebrateThanksgiving early with a ride

on the Turkey Train. The event was held atLake Fairfax Park in Reston on Saturday andoffered families a chance to ride for $5 aperson.

“I think it’s really nice,” said Pauline Tsai,a local doctor whose children were ridingthe train with her husband. “A lot of littleboys love moving vehicles and mine is noexception! You can see all of the leaves thistime of year in the fall,” she said. This washer first time at the event.

“This time of year, I am thankful for mykids, my two little boys,” said Tsai. “It maynot seem like a big thing to adults, but forthe kids its pretty awesome,” she said.

Other young families with little childrenwere lined up to ride the four-car train afterit returned from its steadily paced looparound the circle and the edge of Lake

Fairfax.Todd Thomas of Vienna and his wife Jen-

nifer were also waiting for the train to pulloff from the front of the visitor’s center with

their two children, Chelsea, 3, and Grady,1. “We’re excited, and we enjoyed wavingas it rode by the first time,” said JenniferThomas.

Christina Wu, assistant park supervisor,was in charge of arranging the event. “It is agreat opportunity for families to get out-doors and enjoy a train ride in the park,”she said.

The event has been going on for about fiveor six years. Saturday there were at least 30families on a waitlist, as train conductorAndrew Edelman used a clipboard to keeptrack of whose turn it was to board.

“I just love to bring smiles to everyone andmake sure that they’re happy. I also enjoygetting a good view of the lake,” saidEdelman.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Edelmanshared what he was thankful for this holi-day season.

“I’m thankful for having a job here atFairfax County Parks Authority. Labor Dayand memorial holidays are the busiest daysfor us here, when everyone’s off, we’re on!”he said.

Cullen Monk, who works for the U.S. Treasury Department, with his son,Faelan, 1 and a half years old, and Elizabeth Monk, who works withFEMA, riding the Turkey Train at Lake Fairfax Park on Saturday in Reston.

The Turkey Train at Lake Fairfax Park makes a lap on Saturday in Reston.Adults and children could sign up to ride for $5 each.

Turkey Train at Lake Fairfax Excites Young and Old

Devin Nguyen, 2 and a half, rides the Turkey train with his mother BrendaNguyen and sister Sofie, four years old, at Lake Fairfax Park in RestonSaturday.


Entertainment

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

ONGOINGCotton Collective Art. Through Dec.

2 at ArtSpace Herndon, 750 CenterSt., Herndon. Exhibit called “TheFabric of Families Center StreetCotton Collective.” Call 703-956-9560 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.com.

Reston Farm Market, Saturdays,through Dec. 9, 8 a.m. - Noon, LakeAnne Village Center, 11401 NorthShore Drive, SNAP accepted, bonusdollar program. (CLOSED forMulticultural Festival Sept. 23)

Jazz in the City Exhibit. Varioustimes at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. Kristine Kellerand Robert Gilbert paint with aninterest in New York. Call 703-956-9560 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.com.

All-comers’ Group Fun Run atPotomac River Running.Tuesdays and Thursdays. RestonTown Center, 11900 Market St.,Reston. For beginners or competitiverunners, come out for a fun, low-keyrun that is safe and social. Call 703-689-0999 potomacriverrunning.com.

Art Exhibit through Jan. 8 at Artsights,Reston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt. “Drag, Disney, Art Insights andArt Outsiders: The Art of TennesseeLoveless,” see the new collection byTennessee Loveless including hisretrospective book 10x10x10 andimages from his projects. Call 703-709-6720 or visitrestontowncenter.com.

THROUGH DEC. 15Toys for Tots . 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at

National Realty, 11890 SunriseValley Drive. Weekdays from 9-4 anddrop a new, unwrapped toy in thedonation box in the lobby. Call 703-860-4600.

THROUGH NOV. 30Sweats for Vets Drive. Not Your

Average Joe’s is partnering with theNorthwest Federal Credit UnionFoundation in Reston to raise moneyto help area veterans. Mention the“Sweats for Vets,” drive while beingserved lunch or dinner in therestaurant and NYAJ’s is donating 15percent of the cost of your meal toour Sweats for Vets veteransprogram. Visitwww.nwfcufoundation.org.

FRIDAY/NOV. 24Black Friday Brunch. 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

at the Community Canteen in RestonTown Center, 11900 Market St.Breakfast menu includes customomelets, breakfast sandwiches,Belgian waffles, and more, plus fresh-baked treats at the counter,Metropolis Coffee and Rishi Tea. Call703-707-9442 or visitcommunitycanteen.com.

27th Annual Reston HolidayParade. 11 a.m. at Reston TownCenter, 11900 Market St. Day ofholiday activities including treelighting and singing. Call 703-709-6720 or visit restontowncenter.com.

Meet the Authors. 11:30 a.m. atScrawl Books, in Reston TownCenter, 11862 Market St. LezlieEvans and Joan Waites will be doinga storytime and book signing withtheir new Christmas books “FindingChristmas” and “An Artist’s NightBefore Christmas.” Call 703-966-2111, or visit www.scrawlbooks.com.

NOV. 24-JAN. 4Gingerbread Village. Various times

at at the Hyatt Regency Reston,

Reston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt. See the annual display in thehotel lobby. Call 703-709-1234 orvisit reston.hyatt.com.

THURSDAY/NOV. 30Meet the Author. 7 p.m. at Scrawl

Books, Reston Town Center, 11862Market St. Poet Alan King will readfrom and sign his new book “PointBlank.” Visit www.scrawlbooks.com.

SATURDAY/DEC. 2Jingle on Lake Anne. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at

Lake Anne, Reston. The free holidayevent hosted by Lake AnneMerchants, will include a visit fromSanta arriving on a lake barge,music, merchant specials, children’scrafts, cookie and ornamentdecorating, holiday arts and craftsmarket. [email protected].

Museum Open House. 10 a.m.-noonat Lake Anne, Reston. Browseexhibitions, find Reston-inspiredgifts, hot chocolate and cookies whilethey last. Author Watt Hamlett andillustrator Jill Ollison Vinson willhave a book signing of “Reston A toZ.” Visit [email protected].

Meet the Christmas Author. 11 a.m.at Scrawl Books, Reston TownCenter, 11862 Market St. Sue Fliesswill be doing a storytime reading andbook signing with her new Christmasbook “We Wish for a MonsterChristmas.” Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com.

Horse-drawn Carriage Rides. 4-9p.m. at Reston Town Center, 11900

Market St. $5 per person; children 5and under ride free with adult.Proceeds go to local charities. Call703-709-6720 or visitrestontowncenter.com.

Meet the Author. 8 p.m. at ScrawlBooks, Reston Town Center, 11862Market St. Terry Tempest Williamswill talk about her book “The Hour ofLand.” Visit www.scrawlbooks.com.

DEC. 2-18Willy Wonka on Stage. Various times

at NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset ParkDrive, Herndon. NextStop’sprofessional company on stage forCharlie Bucket’s visit to WillyWonka’s mysterious chocolatefactory. $25; family (4+) and group(10+) discounts available. Call 866-811-4111 or visitwww.nextstoptheatre.org.

SUNDAY/DEC. 3Run with Santa 5K. 8:30 a.m. at

Reston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt. Jump into the season’s spirit andwear the favorite holiday gear orcostume. Free kids fun-run withfinisher medals.Call 703-689-0999 orvisit prraces.com/runwithsanta.

Herndon’s 39th Annual HolidayArts and Craft Show. 10 a.m.-4p.m. at the Herndon CommunityCenter, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon.Over 80 artisans and crafts willexhibit and sell their handmade workat this annual arts and crafts showsponsored by the Herndon Parks andRecreation Department. Call 703-435-6800, ext. 2109 or email

[email protected] Rides. noon-4 p.m. at

Reston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt. Proceeds go to local charities. Call703-709-6720 or visitrestontowncenter.com.

Holiday Crafts Day. Various times atFrying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West OxRoad, Herndon. Enjoy Christmas atthe Farm, write letters to Santa,decorate cookies, take a wagon ridewith Santa, and enjoy seasonal craftprojects. Call 703 -437-9101.

THURSDAY/DEC. 7Meet the Author. 7 p.m. at Scrawl

Books, Reston Town Center, 11862Market St. Suzanne Scurlock-Duranawill be doing a guided meditation/reading/ book signing of her book“Reclaiming Your Body: Healing fromTrauma and Awakening Your Body’sWisdom.” Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com.

DEC. 8-9Christmas Store Help Needed.

Friday night for set up and Saturdayto escort shoppers at ViennaPresbyterian Church, 124 Park St.,NE. Call 703-938-7213.

SATURDAY/DEC. 9Meet the Author. 11 a.m. at Scrawl

Books, Reston Town Center, 11862Market St. Dar Williams will be at thestore to sing and sign copies of herbook “What I Found in 1000 Towns:A Traveling Musician’s Guide toRebuilding America’s Communities

— One Coffee Shop, Dog Run, andOpen-Mic Night at a Time.” Visitwww.scrawlbooks.com.

Gray Goose Studios Class. 2-4 p.m.at ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,Herndon. Children and teens cancreate art in the medium of theirchoice with assistance from theinstructor as needed. Drawing,painting, collage, mosaic, andsculpture supplies provided. Artistscan choose one medium or work inmixed media. $25. Call 703-956-9560 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.com.

Horse-drawn Carriage Rides. 4-9p.m. at Reston Town Center, 11900Market St. $5 per person; children 5and under ride free with adult.Proceeds go to local charities. Call703-709-6720 or visitrestontowncenter.com.

SUNDAY/DEC. 10Mini-Train Rides. noon-4 p.m. at


Holiday Crafts Day. Various times atFrying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West OxRoad, Herndon. Enjoy Christmas atthe Farm, write letters to Santa,decorate cookies, take a wagon ridewith Santa, and enjoy seasonal craftprojects. Call 703-437-9101.

Meet the Author. 2 p.m. at ScrawlBooks, Reston Town Center, 11862Market St. Alan Tom will belaunching his new book “TheDisgusting Adventures of Bugabooand Buzz Buzz: Into the Toilet ofDoom.” Visit www.scrawlbooks.com.

TUESDAY/DEC. 12Folk Music. 7:15 p.m. at Amphora

Deluxe Diner, 1151 Elden St.,Herndon. Abbie Gardner presentedby The Folk Club of Reston-Herndon.$11 ($10 members) Call 703-925-0900 or visitwww.amphoragroup.com.

FRIDAY/DEC. 15Games with the Author. 6 p.m. at

Scrawl Books, Reston Town Center,11862 Market St. Challenge 5 youngadult authors are coming to the storefor a game night. They will beplaying Mad Libs, Pictionary etc withthem.Visit www.scrawlbooks.com.

SATURDAY/DEC. 16Horse-drawn Carriage Rides. 4-9

p.m. at Reston Town Center, 11900Market St. $5 per person; children 5and under ride free with adult.Proceeds go to local charities. Call703-709-6720 or visitrestontowncenter.com.

SUNDAY/DEC. 17Mini-Train Rides. noon-4 p.m. at


SATURDAY/DEC. 23Horse-drawn Carriage Rides. 4-9

p.m. at Reston Town Center, 11900Market St. $5 per person; children 5and under ride free with adult.Proceeds go to local charities. Call703-709-6720 or visitrestontowncenter.com.

MONDAY/JAN. 1New Year’s Day 5K. 10 a.m. at

Reston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt. music, food, awards, and funcelebration following the race.Presented by Potomac River Running.Call 703-709-6720 or visitrestontowncenter.com.

Wall hanging by Lynn Purple

Art ExhibitWall hanging is part of a cotton collective art show on exhibit through Dec. 2 at ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,

Herndon. Exhibit called “The Fabric of Families Center Street Cotton Collective.” Call 703-956-9560 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.com for more.


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News

By David Siegel

The Connection

Naturalist Terry TempestWilliams is recognizedfor potent writing about

her reverence and respect for thenatural world, especiallyAmerica’s National Parks. Williamsis considered a writer with a clearethical vision on behalf of the en-vironment.

Williams is also acknowledgedfor her eloquence and compellingpresentations about the connec-tions between the nature worldand social issues. In an address at

America’s RelationshipWith Its EnvironmentTerry TempestWilliams atCenterStage.

vironmental and social justice, especially in regardsto marginalized communities,” said Williams.

“Environmental issues are issues of health and well-being,” added Williams. “Healthy landscapes contrib-uting to healthy communities. It’s all interrelated andinterconnected.

Reston Community Center’s Arts and Events Di-rector Paul Mischnewicz, said, “When I read ‘TheHour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’sNational Parks’ I was riveted by the passion and po-etry which with Terry Tempest Williams explores notonly our National Parks but also our national soul.”Northern Virginians will be able to have their per-sonal opportunity to be riveted by Terry Tempest Wil-liams and “The Hour of Land: A Personal Topogra-phy of America’s National Parks.” As Williams noted,America’s National Parks and wilderness areas areplaces to “encounter the miraculous.”

Photo by Cheryl Himmelstein/Courtesy Reston Community Center

Environmental author and activist Terry Tempest Will-iams

Where & WhenReston Community Center presents Terry Tempest

Williams with “The Hour of Land: A Personal Topog-raphy of America’s National Parks” at RestonCenterStage, Hunters Woods Village Center, 2310 ColtsNeck Road, Reston. Performance: Saturday, Dec. 2,2017 at 8 p.m. Tickets $15 - $20 (non-Reston). Call703-476-4500 or visit restoncommunitycenter.com.

Reston’s CenterStage, Williams will express her viewsabout the current state of America’s public lands andtheir future. The presentation will be based uponWilliams’ recent book “The Hour of Land: A PersonalTopography of America’s National Parks.” The bookis a collection of a dozen essays about the currentcondition of some of America’s most famous nationaltreasures, accompanied by photographs to illustrateher words.

“I am so looking forward to visiting the RestonCommunity Center which is committed to diversityand inclusivity,” said Wiliams. “I hope to show howAmerica’s National Parks are also diverse and fostera respect for the nation’s multiplicity of storied land-scapes and personal histories.

The first national park, Yellowstone, was estab-lished by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872. TheNational Park system was established in 1916 whenPresident Woodrow Wilson signed a bill creating theNational Park Service. More than 300 million visitedthe parks last year. “These lands belong to all of us,”said Williams.

“When you think of basic human rights like cleanair and clean water this is an environmental issue,but when you think of the polluted waters in Flint,Michigan and the toxic situation for its residents fromchildren to the elderly, this becomes an issue of en-


News

By Ken Moore

Two seats on the 12-memberFairfax County Planning Com-mission remain open.

And earlier this month,Hunter Mill District Supervisor CatherineM. Hudgins announced Frank de la Fe’s de-cision to retire at the end of the calendaryear.

“After 16 years of dedicated service, theHunter Mill District Planning CommissionerFrank de la Fe has announced his intentionto retire,” Hudgins told the Board of Su-pervisors at its meeting on Nov. 2. De la Fehas served on the planning commissionsince 2001, and currently is vice chair.

Hudgins will appoint a new commissionerto begin on Jan. 28, 2018.

“We will have lotsto say about Frank inthe future,” saidHudgins.

Sully District Su-pervisor Kathy L.Smith will alsosearch for a newplanning commis-sioner.

“I guess it’s a dayfor Planning Commission announcements,”she said at the supervisors’ meeting.

Smith’s Planning Commissioner KarenKeys-Gamarra announced her resignationeffective Oct. 25. Keys-Gamarra won a spe-cial election in August to fill the at-large

School Board seat vacated by JeanetteHough two years into serving her four-yearterm. Hough resigned after her husbandaccepted a position overseas.

Of Keys-Gamarra, Smith said, “As muchas I would have loved for her to continueas my planning commissioner, it’s just notpossible to do both jobs.”

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrityfollowed.

“I have no news on my planning commis-sioner,” he said. “That is good.”

Herrity’s Planning Commissioner is PeterMurphy who also serves as chair of the Plan-ning Commission and was first appointedto the commission in 1982.

MURPHY ANNOUNCED at-large com-missioner Janyce Hedetniemi’s immediate

resignation at theopening of the Plan-ning Commission’spublic hearing onOct. 26.

“It’s a great loss tothe commission, sheknows it, we allknow it,” saidMurphy. “We appre-ciate everything

you have done for us.”Chairman Sharon Bulova appointed

Hedetniemi in 2013 and plans to appointher successor at the Board meeting on Nov.21.

Murphy read a full version of

Planning Changes to Planning CommissionTwelve-member commission enduresmultiple changes through grief, triumphs,retirement and more during 2017.

Frank de la Fe,Hunter Mill District

Karen Keys-GamarraPhillip Niedzielski-Eichner, ProvidenceDistrict

Peter Murphy, chair,Springfield District

Janyce Hedetniemi,at-large

James Hart, at-large

KennethLawrence,formerProvidenceDistrictcommis-sioner

Hedetniemi’s statement to the commission:“Tonight, I step away from this wonder-

ful experience as an at-large member of theFairfax County Planning Commission. …From capital improvements to land use andparks, schools, the environment and more,here it is, we give it all, through regulations,procedures, judgement and intuition, al-ways in public view, and sometimes until 2in the morning.”

“I am proud to have shared the title ofcommissioner with my esteemed col-leagues,” she wrote. “Commissioners, thehonor has been mine. I wish you all the bestin your continuing efforts for the bettermentof Fairfax County.”

THE PLANNING COMMISSION on Sept.14 voted to change the start time of publicmeetings in January from 8:15 p.m. to 7.30p.m., in part to encourage additional citi-zen participation and to keep meetings fromlasting as late into the night.

The Planning Commission advises theBoard of Supervisors on all matters relatedto land use in Fairfax County, a particularlybusy time right now reviewing redevelop-ment along the Silver Line. The commis-sion holds public hearings, often multipletimes a week, and often brings togetherresidents, developers and county plannersto work through concerns and conflicts.

This includes the location and characterof public facilities; amendments to the Com-prehensive Plan; amendments to the Zon-ing Ordinance, the Public Facilities Ordi-nance, and the Subdivision Ordinance;rezonings and special exceptions; approv-als of final development plans; and alsosometimes advises the Board of ZoningAppeals.

Planning commissioners are appointed bythe Board of Supervisors for four-year terms

on a staggered basis. Each of the nine su-pervisory districts has a representative, andthree members are appointed at-large.

PHILLIP NIEDZIELSKI-EICHNER re-placed Kenneth Lawrence as the ProvidencePlanning Commissioner on Jan. 11, 2017.

Lawrence died in December 2016 afterserving 13 years on the Planning Commis-sion.

“Ken had a difficult role, responsibility forProvidence District at an exciting time, do-ing new and ambitious things in Tysons andelsewhere,” said colleague James Hart, at-large planning commissioner.

“His public service responsibility was apart of his core being. He gave the Countyall he had,” said Hart.

Hart and Lawrence were sworn in on thesame day 13 years ago.

“I could count on one hand the numberof votes Ken and I disagreed in that 13years. I couldn’t begin to count the numberof hours we spent in meetings together, somany topics,” he said. “Ken’s legacy addedso much to Fairfax County. ... We absolutelywill have more and better parks in Tysonsthanks to him. His commitment improvedour quality of life.”

“His public serviceresponsibility was a partof his core being. He gavethe county all he had.”

— James Hart, on Ken Lawrence

Bulletin Board

See Bulletin Board, Page 15

Submit civic/community announce-ments at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Deadline is Thursday at noon,at least two weeks before event.

THROUGH NOV. 26Parking Garage Closing. Due to

construction of the new FairfaxCounty commuter parking garage atthe future Metrorail Silver Line’sHerndon Station site, the access roadfrom Sunrise Valley Drive to theHerndon-Monroe Park and Ride

facility will be closed throughSunday, Nov. 26. Commuters whowish to use the existing Herndon-Monroe garage during this time willneed to enter and exit the facility viathe Dulles Toll Road (Rt. 267). Thisdetour will require drivers to pay a$1 toll upon exiting the garage withan E-Z Pass or exact change. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov for more.

ORNAMENT FUNDRAISERWhite House Ornaments Sale.

Through Dec. 15, 2017 White HouseOrnaments available for purchasefrom Assistance League of NorthernVirginia for $22 per ornament.Proceeds benefit the nonprofit’schildren’s programs. Local deliverycan be arranged. Visitnorthernvirginia.assistanceleague.org.

THROUGH DEC. 3Coat and Blanket Drive. Nova Relief

Center is holding a blanket and coatdrive for Syrian and Iraqi refugees

who have fled their homesto escapethe violence from the civil war inSyria. Paxton Van Lines and Maerskare donating their services this year.Donated blankets and coats shouldbe new or gently worn, and may bedropped off at any designated drop-off location below. To make a tax-deductible donation, visit NOVARelief Center’s website atwww.NOVAReliefCenter.org

❖ Oak Hill Elementary School, 3210Kinross Circle, Herndon

❖ Town of Herndon – Town Hall, 777Lynn St., Herndon

❖ The Episcopal Church of theEpiphany, 3301 Hidden MeadowDrive, Herndon

❖ Congregation Beth Emeth, 12523Lawyers Road, Herndon

❖ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints, 2727 Centerville Road,Herndon

❖ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daySaints, 1515 Poplar Grove Drive,


News

By Marti Moore

The Connection

Holidays are here” pro-claims the red andwhite banner strung

across Market Street at the RestonTown Center near the square andpavilion. Visitors to this shoppingand dining destination are readyas early as Nov. 12.

Local resident Ryan McKinneysaid he and wife went on their firstdate here at the Reston Town Cen-ter ice rink “when we were 15years old.” On a Sunday afternoon,the 1998 graduates of LangleyHigh School in McLean broughttheir young sons to this specialplace they hold near and dear totheir hearts.

“This is their first day skating,”says Jessie McKinney as she holdsher toddler, Finn, while he getsused to standing his ground on aslick surface.

His older brother has this newskating adventure under control atthe ripe old age of 3 years old.Bryce McKinney’s little happy feetmove quickly across the ice as hesteers his skating partner — a pen-guin ice scooter. No worries:Bryce’s dad is both wingman anddefensive player on the ice, andRyan is poised to catch his centerif necessary.

The Reston Town Center kicksoff Black Friday in a bright wayNov. 24 for the whole family —starting at 8 a.m. with gingerbreadraces for kids, followed by its 27thannual parade at 11 o’clock.

Afternoon fun includes mini-train rides along Market Street andphoto opportunities with SantaClaus. The Fountain Square takescenter stage at 5 p.m., with a per-formance by Reston dance acad-emy — the Conservatory Ballet —and a tree-lighting ceremony at 6p.m. Visitors also can make dona-tions to local non-profit VolunteerFairfax and experience horse-drawn carriage rides for $5 eachfrom 6:30-10 p.m. Call the RestonTown Center at 703-579-6720.Learn more about the RTC winterfestivities online atwww.restontowncenter.com/event/holidays.

Local Residents Hit the Ice in RestonReston Holiday Parade Nov. 24.

“

Visitors to the Reston Town Center pavilion take a spinaround the ice rink during a peaceful Sunday afternoonas Veterans Day weekend comes to a close. It won’t belong before Market Street is filled with holiday shopperson Black Friday. The Reston Town Center winter seasonkicks off Nov. 24 bright and early at 8 a.m. with ginger-bread races for kids, followed by its 27th annual RestonHoliday Parade at 11 a.m.

Ryan McKinney, left, applauds his 3-year-old son, Bryce,Sunday afternoon at the Reston Town Center pavilion. Hiswife, Jessie McKinney, right, holds onto their other tod-dler, Finn, so his feet can get used to the slick surface.Both parents admit it’s a blast teaching their kids how toskate for the first time Nov. 12. This particular rink holdsa special place in their hearts. “We went on our first datehere when we were 15 years old,” says Ryan, 38.

Photos by

Marti Moore

The Connection

Olivia Beckner

From left: Coach Joseph Schuler, Coach MoisesJoseph, Mark Beckner, Olivia Beckner, Sonia Cor-nish, and Coach Scott Raczko.

Olivia Beckner of South Lakesto Run for Syracuse University

Olivia Beckner, a seniorat South Lakes HighSchool and the Lib-

erty District, Region D and 6AState Champion in cross coun-try this season, signed a Na-tional Letter of Intent with Syra-cuse University on Tuesday,Nov. 14.

Beckner led the SLHS girlscross country team to its firstdistrict/conference champion-ship since 2001 last month bysuccessfully defending her con-ference title. She followed thatwith the region victory that

helped the team finish thirdand advance to the state cham-pionship. She won the statetitle last week after finishingsecond last year.

She has been All-Confer-ence, All- Region and All-Statefor the past two years in crosscountry.

Beckner also competes forthe SLHS indoor and outdoortrack and field teams, whereshe has been an 11-time All-State competitor and has beennamed to the Washington PostAll-Met team.

Pho

to

s by Valerie Lister


Faith Notes are for announcements andevents in the faith community, includingspecial holiday services. Send [email protected] is Thursday.

Washington Plaza BaptistChurch will hold Adult Bible Study at9:30 a.m. Sundays at Lake Anne VillageCenter. The group is studying the Gos-pel of Mark. Services follow at 11 a.m.

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Churchneeds knitters the first and thirdWednesdays of the month at 7 p.m., at432 Van Buren St., Herndon. Thechurch’s Prayer Shawl Ministry is offer-ing free knitting instruction whileproviding shawls, blankets and otherknitted items for people in need. No costand yarn can be provided. [email protected] or visit thePastoral Care page at www.saint-timothys.org.

Nondenominational Christianbusinessmen meet for prayer, Biblicaldiscussion and fellowship 7 p.m. Fridaysat Anita’s, 1051 Elden St., Herndon andnoon Thursdays at 555 Grove St., Suite200, Herndon. Call 703-795-1257.

Trinity Presbyterian Church,651 Dranesville Road, Herndon, hasSunday worship services at 10 a.m. dur-ing the summer. Nursery and childcareare provided starting at 8 a.m. until theend of the service. Call 703-437-5500 orvisit www.trinityherndon.org.

Vajrayogini Buddhist Center,Unitarian Universalist Church, 1625Wiehle Ave., Reston, holds weeklyclasses starting Sept. 12, Thursdays7:30-8:30 p.m., for the general publicwhich use Buddhist teachings to prac-tice meditation.

$12 or $6 for students, seniors andunemployed. Call 202-986-2257 or visitwww.meditation-dc.org.

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church,1700 Wainwright Drive, Reston, holdsSunday services at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. andcontemporary service at 5 p.m. duringthe summer. Nursery, Sunday schooland adult education available. Call 703-437-6530 or visitwww.stannes-reston.org.

HAVEN of Northern Virginia of-fers a variety of free bereavementsupport groups, meeting on a weeklybasis. Call 703-941-7000 or visitwww.havenofnova.org for schedulesand registration information.

The Mount Pleasant BaptistChurch of Herndon invites the commu-nity to join them for praise and worshipfollowed by a stirring message from theWord of God on Sundays starting at8:30 and 10:30 a.m. (with Sundayschool at 7:30 and 9:30 a.m.). Visitwww.mtpleasantbaptist.org or call 703-793-1196.

The Jewish Federation ofGreater Washington and the Jew-ish Outreach Institute offer theMothers/Parents Circle, an umbrella offree educational events and resources.Jewish rituals, ethics and the creation ofa Jewish home, regular meetings andgroup Shabbats and holidays. Partici-pants include Sha’are Shalom,Congregation Beth Emeth, TempleRodef Shalom and the Jewish Commu-nity Center of Northern Virginia. VisitShalomDC.org.

Epiphany United Methodist Pre-school, 1014 Country Club Drive, N.E.in Vienna, is now enrolling 3- to 4-year-old students.

Call 703-938-2391 or visitwww.epiphanypreschool.com.

Faith

Announcements

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

“Some club,” as my late mother would likelyscoff. And the club to which I refer is, to spin anold Groucho Marx joke: a club you’d rather notjoin especially if they’d have you as a member.This is of course, the cancer club, a club whosemembership continues to grow despite world-wide efforts to the contrary. According toMedscope.com, one in two men and one inthree women will be affected by cancer in theirlifetime. Hardly a statistic to be ignored. Andso, even though I had a rather unevent-ful/healthy upbringing and further on into adult-hood, in late middle age, 54 and five months,Feb. 27, 2009, I was impacted and rudelyawakened with a non-small cell lung cancer,stage IV diagnosis – out of the blue, and given a“13 month to two-year” prognosis to boot. As alife long non-smoker with no immediate familyhistory of cancer, whose parents both lived wellinto their 80s, I was more inclined to worryabout the Boston Red Sox pitching depth than Iwas about cancer.

But cancer, for the past nearly nine years hasbeen my life and amazingly, so far anyway, notthe cause of my premature death (what deathisn’t ‘premature?). And what brightens my dayand lifts my spirits more than anything else(other than a Red Sox World SeriesChampionship) is when I meet a newly-diag-nosed lung cancer patient who exhibits thecan/will do positive-type attitude necessary toendure the inevitable ups and downs to follow.To be selfish, it empowers me and strengthensmy own resolve to live life to the fullest (it’s notas simple as saying it) and damn the torpedoes.

Within the last few months, I have met, overthe phone, two such individuals. The first man,Lee, I met before he even had his first infusion.The second man, Mark, a bit more experi-enced, I met a year and a half after his first infu-sion. Each man was engaging, outgoing, confi-dent, enthusiastic and quite frankly, happy tomake my acquaintance. You see, after beinggiven a less-than-desirable prognosis, it’s help-ful to meet someone who, despite havingreceived a similar diagnosis, has neverthelessmanaged to live almost nine years post diagno-sis. (If he can do it, I can do it kind of feeling.)

As for me, the nearly nine-year survivor,meeting cancer patients who are at the begin-ning of their respective cancer journeys, helpsme to reconnect with my roots, so to speak,and share and share alike some memorableexperiences, both cancer-related and not. In away, we get to live vicariously through oneanother which for me reinforces how lucky I’vebeen to survive for as long as I have.

And not that I need reminding, but it’s easyto take for granted one’s good fortune and for-get – occasionally, the seriousness of my situa-tion and the cloud that hangs over my head.The sword of Damocles has got nothing on me,literally or figuratively. Living with cancer is akinto nothing really. The chance that you’ll survivebeyond your prognosis, maybe even have yourtumors shrink, or see your scans show “no evi-dence of disease,” creates a kind of tease thatcause your emotions to run the gamut. Thepossibility of living after being told you’re dying– and vice versa, perhaps more than once, overyour abbreviated – or not, life expectancy, issimply too much to handle/absorb sometimes.It’s a roller coaster for sure, but one that rarelycomes to a complete stop and never allows youto get off. Moreover, it’s not multiple rides, it’sone long, endless ride with no guaranteesabout what happens next – or where it evenhappens.

Meeting people who are ready, willing andable to confront their cancer future is just asimportant and stimulating as meeting someonelike me who hasn’t succumbed to this terribledisease. It’s a win-win situation. Particularly sig-nificant when at date of diagnosis, it appearedto be a lose-lose. I’m proud to be a member ofthe cancer club, especially so when I meet peo-ple like Lee and Mark.

Welcome tothe Club

and nonprofits. “We are cutting our so-cial safety network, one strand at a time,”said Mercer.

Multop donned his economist’s hat oncemore to also note that so far he had heardno mention from the GOP plan makers ofthe debt service on the increasing deficit.“That’s another $200 billion in interest coststhat I don’t hear them having accountedfor.” Multop’s concern is that Medicaid,Medicare and Social Security benefits willbecome the targets to shore up the finan-cial levee in the wake of these tax cuts andthe domino effect of their implementation.

Another personalized example of the theproposed reforms was offered by attendeeEdythe Kelleher. The executive director ofSoutheast Fairfax Development Corpora-tion, Kelleher could have spoken about im-pacts to development in that region, butinstead, told how cuts to student loan in-terest deductions and a proposal to taxteacher’s assistant stipends would affect hergraduate-school son.

“He works, he goes to school, he lives fru-gally. We provided him with a cheap car.”Kelleher says that if a tax on the modestteacher’s assistant stipend is adopted, “that’s$6,000 more each year, and he doesn’t knowwhere that money will come from.”

Connolly responded to this story by say-ing the need to educate for competitivenessin the world’s marketplace is greater thanever. The congressman said that making get-ting an education even more difficult means“some will have to leave school. That’shardly ‘making America great again.’”

As the session came to a close, NVAR CEOConrad asked Connolly, “What’s your ad-vice? What do we do next?”

In addition to the rally call to NVAR mem-bership and AARP members, Connolly re-plied, “Run, don’t walk and immediatelyexpress your concerns to your representa-tives” at every level of government, and “telleveryone you know. This plan does not re-flect our values and priorities. We can andshould do better than this.”

From Page 3

RoundtableNews

Bulletin Board

From Page 12

Reston❖ Office of Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, North

County Governmental Center, 1801 CameronGlen Drive, Reston

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 6Supervisor Hudgins Holiday Open House.

4:30-6:30 p.m. at the North CountyGovernmental Center Community Room, 1801Cameron Glen Drive. [email protected] for more.

SATURDAY/DEC. 16Application Deadline. The Reston Planning and

Zoning (P&Z) Committee is seeking volunteersto serve on the committee. All residents ofReston, over 18 years of age are eligible toserve. The committee consists of fifteen (15)members with five (5) positions expiring eachyear, and three (3) associate members that serveone year terms. To serve on the Reston P&ZCommittee, find the application atrpz.myreston.org and return it with yourresume, as per the instructions on theapplication.


News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

For the United States ofAmerica, 2017 has beena year like no other. Di-saster after disaster

struck, from one end of the coun-try to the other, and even beyondits shorelines. Hurricanes, fire,floods, even earthquakes that hitour neighbors to the south.

The “six degrees of separation”theory was definitely in evidence.Mention Hurricane Harvey, or talkabout memories of vacations in KeyWest or Puerto Rico before they,too, were devastated by winds andwater, or have a glass of cabernetfrom California with friends, andsomebody will tell you of a friendor a family member, or even them-selves, who have experienced thedestruction, the upheaval, or eventhe loss of life that accompanied theseevents. Perhaps that line of connection wasthe reason that so many pitched in and do-nated a lot, or a little, whatever they could.Food, water, clothes, money, school sup-plies, or even their own time and physicallabor were given unselfishly to the victimsof these disasters, who so needed, and whoso many still need, our assistance.

ODDLY, that line of connection seems toblur when we look into our own “backyard.”Maybe it’s because there are no large-fontheadlines to announce the needs of ourNorthern Virginia neighbors. There is noone single event to blame. Maybe it’s be-cause when it’s the family next door, thatvery proximity makes those in need reluc-tant to let us see their struggle, and us,sometimes less willing to acknowledge thatthere could be a need so great right besideus.

Whatever the reasons, the needs of ourlocal neighbors are just as great, and ourlocal government agencies and nonprofitshope that the community will come to theiraid as well, especially during the traditional“Season of Giving.”

“The disasters that have impacted ournation are terrible and devastating. Theyneed our attention and assistance,” says LisaGroves, Executive Director of nonprofitHerndon-Reston FISH (Friendly InstantSympathetic Help), “yet we cannot forgetthat we still have households struggling inour local communities. We need to addresstheir personal crises while we do our partto support other needs in our nation.”

Groves shared with the Connection just afew of the stories that accompanied requestsfor assistance, from both private and pub-lic partner referrals, and directly from someof those in need. (Details from the emailedrequests have been edited to protect theprivacy of the clients, but much is exactlyas written.)

❖ “I am a single mother. I do work, but afew weeks ago I got sick and was hospital-

ized. I lost time off from work and fell be-hind on my rent. Can someone please help?I do not want to lose my apartment, espe-cially because of my kids.”

❖ “In dire straights. I have sold almosteverything, used all my savings, exhaustedeveryone to borrow from. I have never hadthis. I don’t have anywhere to go…no gasfor the car, no money for medication.”

❖ “Homeless and raising daughters in thisarea. I found a place, but need some finan-cial assistance if possible, just to get startedagain.”

❖ Fairfax County Police Department, Vic-tim Services Section sent in a request for afamily where the mother had just obtainedfull emergency custody of her two children.On her behalf, FC Victim Services was seek-ing funds to replace the items for the fam-ily that they could not access. The motherhad also fallen behind on essential bills, asshe was using that money to purchase foodand basic necessities for her family.

❖ A social worker with the Fairfax CountyServices for Older Adults asked for assis-tance for a homebound client who is fall-ing further and further behind on rent andother bills, as she struggles to pay medicalbills and afford more medical testing. “Sheis even having trouble paying for grocer-ies.”

THESE ARE JUST a few of the many re-quests – and heart-breaking stories – thatFISH juggle to respond to, especially sincedonations have been slower to come in thisyear, according to Groves. “We have manywonderful donors, like the employees atCDW, who gave thousands of dollars in foodand gift cards, the employees of Sallie Maewho prepare ready-to-distribute food packs,and the Cub Scouts who go collecting inReston neighborhoods. Grocery stores likeSafeway South Lakes and Giant FranklinFarm are also generous partners,” she said,“donating tons of canned vegetables and

holding donation campaigns, but it’sgoing to take everyone pitching in,even just a little, to help all thosewho need it.”

With so many in need of the ba-sics that FISH and other agencies andnonprofits in the area do their bestto provide, it’s easy to forget thatparticularly in this season thestruggle for those less fortunate ismade more difficult when they maynot be able to share in the “luxuries”of holiday meals and gifts.

“Everything is so pretty,” said a cli-ent of the Embry Rucker Shelter inReston. “Commercials with everyonegetting lots of presents. A bigThanksgiving meal. I am happy forthose people, but it makes me sad-der that I can’t give that to my fam-ily.”

THANKFULLY, a number of area or-ganizations are trying to lessen that

sadness with Thanksgiving meal kits andChristmas presents for children and theirparents. Nonprofit Cornerstones of Restondistributes Thanksgiving meal baskets eachyear and organizes a “Gifts for Kids” pro-gram.

LINK, Inc. also provides essential itemsto those in need, all year long. This year, arecord number of families signed up for helpduring the holidays – 887 families and 4628individuals. The LINK website, atwww.linkagainsthunger.org is still lookingfor donations of food, new or gently usedcoats and winter clothing, new toys, andpeople to help distribute for the Christmasprograms. These are just a few of the agen-cies and organizations – many staffed byvolunteers – that are doing their best tobrighten the holiday season for our North-ern Virginia neighbors in need. The Con-nection ran a longer list in the Nov. 9-15editions and will re-run the list after Thanks-giving. The list is certainly not all-inclusive.If you’re looking to get in on the giving ac-tion, there are more agencies and nonprofitsout there, and many faith-based communi-ties have special holiday season campaigns,as well. As Lisa Groves of FISH suggested,donations don’t have to be grand gestures,since “every little bit helps a lot.” Grocerystore donation events, like GIANT of FoxMill’s “Buy a Pie for $3.99” as a holiday mealdonation, cost little and don’t require anyspecial shopping activity or drop-off ofgoods. Sharing can even be a fun familyevent if you take one of the $5 Saturdays inDecember Reston Town Center carriage ridewhere proceeds benefit local charities. Evenyour time is valuable, if you can donatesome to to a distribution effort.

2017 was a tough year, but millions ofpeople, including thousands here in North-ern Virginia, generously reached out acrossthe country and even the globe to lessenthe pain and the want of others. For orga-nizations like FISH, LINK, Cornerstones,and others, their hope is that in this “Sea-son of Giving” area residents will reach outone more time, a little closer to home.

Our neighbors still need our help.The Season of Giving

Herndon-Reston FISH volunteers gathering holiday meal kits, ready for distribution.

Talk about considerate: The folks at nonprofit Herndon-Reston FISHcarefully assembled donations to meet individual dietary needs andallergies during the holiday food drive.

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