giving bianca a second chancemon-sat 10 am-2 pm • 703-356-1391 all are warmly welcomed...

McLean Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

Opinio

n, Page 6

❖

Entertainm

ent, 1 ❖

Spo

rts, Page 12

❖

C

lassifieds, Page 14

February 26 - March 4, 2014

Pho

to

co

ntributed

McLeanMcLean

Pet ConnectionInside

McLean TeenRecognized asTop VolunteerPeople, Page 7

Fashion SecretsRevealed atLangley HighNews, Page 4

McLean TeenRecognized asTop VolunteerPeople, Page 7

Fashion SecretsRevealed atLangley HighNews, Page 4

Giving Bianca aSecond Chance Pet Connection, Page 8

Giving Bianca aSecond Chance Pet Connection, Page 8

Bianca playing with toys at her new home: She went homewith her new mom on Feb. 19, and she is doing great.

2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

McLean Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See 911, Page 5

By Michael Lee

Pope

The Connection

When city offi-cials in Alex-andria re-

leased the audio of a911 call in a high-pro-file murder case, manypeople interpreted themove as a step forwardfor transparency in acommonwealth knownfor opaque government. Butthen reality set in. The releasewas a mistake. The cityattorney’s office failed to con-sult with the police department,which carefully guards its privi-lege to withhold informationfrom the public.

“It was a clerical error thatthe 911 call was released,” saidCrystal Nosal, spokeswoman forthe Alexandria Police Depart-ment. “We didn’t waive theprivileges under FOIA, so theyare not going to release itagain.”

Across Virginia, police agen-cies routinely deny access tobasic information and docu-ments available in other states.One key example of the lack oftransparency is audio from 911calls, which are regularly re-leased in most states acrossAmerica. But not in Virginia,which is one of the reasons whythe commonwealth got a fail-ing grade for transparency fromthe State Integrity Investigationin 2012. Advocates for opengovernment say audio from 911calls should be available to thepublic so people know howtheir government is — or isn’t— working on their behalf.

“If anything, it seems themore public input that can besought on this the better, andthe more information the pub-lic has the better,” said EmilyGrannis, a legal fellow at Ar-lington-based Reporters Com-mittee for Freedom of the Press.“This is a scary kind of case, andit’s a scary kind of case to haveopen and the more the publiccan know about it the better thepublic will be equipped to beable to help police investigate.”

POLICE AGENCIES in Vir-ginia don’t see it that way. TheVirginia Freedom of Informa-tion Act gives them sweeping

power to withhold documentsand information, a power thatis unprecedented in any state inAmerica. And even though partof the law talks about publicrecords being presumed open,Virginia police officials tend toview them as presumed closedbecause they have the power toprevent the public from havingaccess.

“A lot of the time, what youget with 911 tapes is someonecalling in is someone who isafraid of being identified,” saidDana Schrad, executive direc-tor of the Virginia Associationof Chiefs of Police. “They wantsome kind of understandingthat they are not going to havetheir name released.”

Advocates for open govern-ment disagree with that per-spective. They say 911 callsshould be available to the pub-lic so people know how theirgovernment is working on theirbehalf. Instead of denying ac-cess to public records alto-gether, which is how Alexandriais now handling subsequent re-quests for the 911 audio in theRuthanne Lodato murder, thosewho support public access togovernment documents say theinformation could be partiallyredacted to protect sensitiveinformation. But that’s not howthe Alexandria city governmentis handling the situation. In re-sponse to a Freedom of Infor-mation Act request from Con-nection Newspapers, the cityattorney’s office said the recordwas being “entirely withheld”even though it was already re-leased to the Washington Post.

“They can’t discriminate fromone media source to the next,”said Ginger Stanley, executivedirector of the Virginia PressAssociation. “And they can re-

Police agencies refuse to releaseaudio from 911 calls, promptingquestions about transparency.

Secrets of 911

Michael Lee Pope/The Connection

Across Northern Virginia,police agencies routinely denyaccess to basic informationsuch as audio from 911 calls.

News

See MWAA, Page 15

By Ethan McLeod

The Connection

Phase I of the Silver Line is still not quiteready for final testing by Metro authori-ties, according to a Monday statement issued by Metropolitan Washington Airports

Authority (MWAA). With the handover of the SilverLine project to Metro authorities looming, NorthernVirginia residents will have to be patient despite theirreadiness to hop on the train at new Tysons Cornerand Reston Metro stations.

The Monday afternoon release stated that sevenof 12 key criteria had not been met by Dulles TransitPartners (DTP), who submitted their notice of “sub-stantial completion” to MWAA on Feb. 7. Unmet cat-egories included missing certificates of occupancyfor stations and tunnel facilities, elevator and esca-lator problems, water leaks, and incomplete docu-mentation for testing and security verifications. Mostnotably, the release reported performance issues withthe Automatic Train Control System for the train,which — until resolved — will prevent Metro frombeginning full operational testing.

There are no current penalties being assessed to-ward DTP as of Feb. 24, according to MWAA spokes-person Marcia McAllister. MWAA is still putting to-gether a timeframe for how long it will take beforePhase I testing can be handed over to Metro.

“The Airports Authority has instructed DTP to pro-vide a plan and date of conclusion for addressingthe outstanding items as quickly as possible. We willwork closely with DTP, WMATA and our other part-ners to monitor progress and assure that all contrac-tual obligations are satisfied,” said the statement is-sued by MWAA.

Del. Ken Plum (D-36) said that he hoped the de-lays would not last longer than a few weeks and re-mained optimistic about the Silver Line’s progress.“I share the same anticipation as everyone else forthe opening, but as projects of this size go, it’s pretty

close to schedule,” said Plum.Mark Ingrao, President and CEO of the Greater

Reston Chamber of Commerce, expressed similarviews about the delay. “When you have a project thislarge there are going to be unanticipated delays. Aslong as when they open it it’s open for good, we willbe happy,” said Ingrao.

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, MWAA Project DirectorCharles S. Carnaggio, P.E., presented the latestprogress of Phase I at a luncheon in Herndon. Inaddition to showing the various stages of comple-tion of each station from 2009 up to Feb. 2014,Carnaggio pointed out signs of budding economicdevelopment and provided a closer look at planningfor Phase II construction.

“This is a tremendous success not only for this areabut for the nation. Everyone is looking in at this

Performance issues and unmet safety testingrequirements cited as reasons for the continued delay.

Additional Delays SlowHandover of Silver Line to Metro

McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

TIFIA Loan Could HelpFreeze Toll Increases

The U.S. Department of Transportation has formallyinvited MWAA to apply for a federal low-interest loan of upto $1.9 billion through the Transportation Infrastructureand Innovation Act (TIFIA). The loan, which still awaitsfederal approval according to Feb. 21 statement, wouldbenefit the Silver Line project by providing funding at alower interest rate than through private capital.

“It’s very significant because what it does is significantlyreduce the cost of the second phase of the project,” saidDel. Ken Plum (D-36). “By 2018 the other project costs willbe met and spread across a number of years. That adds upto no more toll increases.”

MWAA has worked closely with Loudoun and Fairfaxcounties to apply for the loan over the past several years.Receiving an invitation to apply for the loan essentiallymeans the project will receive it, according to Plum.

Commuters first saw Dulles Toll Road rates increase in2005, and MWAA has continued to increase tolls over theyears in order to pay for the project. After last year’s statebudget allotted an additional $300 million in funding, itbecame more likely that MWAA would receive the formalinvitation to apply.

A view of thebending tracksabove Route123 nearMcLean Stationin TysonsCorner.

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority


News

Fashion SecretsRevealed atLangley High

Alisa Bondar shows her style while walking the runwayduring the ‘Enchanted: Revealing the Secret of Style’fashion show at Langley High School on Saturday evening.

Katarina Georgelas shows her style while walking therunway during the ‘Enchanted: Revealing the Secret ofStyle’ fashion show at Langley High School on Saturdayevening. The fashion show was organized and planned bystudents of the Advanced Fashion Marketing class.

Langley High School students and teachers participate in the school annual fashion showentitled, ‘Enchanted: Revealing the Secret of Style,’ at the school on Saturday evening.The show was planned and organized by advanced fashion students at the school.

Langley High School stu-dents and teachers partici-pate in the school annualfashion show entitled,‘Enchanted: Revealing theSecret of Style,’ at theschool on Saturdayevening. The show wasplanned and organized byadvanced fashion studentsat the school.

Meryl Simon, a specialeducation teacher atLangley High School, andher daughter Liliana,walk the runway duringthe school’s fashionshow Saturday night.

Sahar Ghamary and ChloeLorenze were co-hosts of theLangley High School ‘En-chanted: Revealing the Secretof Style’ fashion show.

Photos by Robbie Hammer/The Connection


Attorney/Accountant,Former IRS Attorney

Admitted to DC, MD, VA & NY Bars

All Types of Federal, State,Local & Foreign Taxes

Individual • BusinessTrusts • Estates • Wills

Amended & Late ReturnsBack Taxes • IRS Audits

• Civil LitigationBusiness Law • Contracts

Robert Beatson II

703-798-3590 or301-340-2951

www.beatsonlaw.com

TWO POOR TEACHERSKitchen and Bathroom Remodeling

Select your remodeling products from our MobileKitchen and Bathroom Showroom and Design Center!!

Fully Insured & Class A LicensedEST. 1999

Free Estimates703-969-1179

Celebrating 15 Years in Business!!

Visit our website:www.twopoorteachers.com

Bath PackagesAvailable!!

To highlight your Faith Community, call Karen at 703-778-9422

DAILY EUCHARIST:WeekdaysMonday-Friday, 6:30 AM & 8:30 AMSaturday, 8:30 AM

SUNDAY LITURGY SCHEDULE:Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PMSunday: 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 AM1:30 PM Spanish Liturgy5312 North 10th StreetArlington Virginia 22205Parish Office: (703) 528-6276

PARISH WEBSITE:www.rc.net/arlington/stann

All AreWelcome!

CSMclean.org, ChristianScience.com,christianscienceDC.org,

To learn more about Christian Science, visit:

Discover Spiritual Solutions at the

Christian Science Reading Room6825 Tennyson Drive

McLean, VA 22101Mon-Sat 10 am-2 pm • 703-356-1391

All are warmly welcomed

Integrity--Being true to who you are

9023 Arlington Blvd.,Fairfax, Virginia

2 miles west of I-495 on Rt. 50. 1 mile from I-66 (Vienna Metro)

Open 7 days a week703-573-5025

Visit our new Web site: www.cravensnursery.com➠

25%-75% OFFTrees, Shrubs & Perennials25%-75% OFFTrees, Shrubs & Perennials25%-75% OFFTrees, Shrubs & Perennials25%-75% OFFTrees, Shrubs & PerennialsTrees, Shrubs & Perennials25%-75% OFF

50-75% Off Pottery50-75% Off Pottery50-75% Off Pottery606060

Lowest

Prices

Since 2

008!Oriental Fishbowls, Orchidand Bonsai Pots now40% Off

Oriental Fishbowls, Orchidand Bonsai Pots now40% Off

Oriental Fishbowls, Orchidand Bonsai Pots now40% Off

It’s Spring in OurGreenhouse!

Primroses, Citrus,Succulentsand More!

Landscape/Hardscape Sale

Off-Season PricingBest Prices of the Year!

Patios, Walkways,Retaining Walls,

LandscapingFREE ESTIMATES!













From Page 3

dact parts of the call they thinkmight jeopardize the investiga-tion, but they aren’t supposedto redact the whole thing.”

IN VIRGINIA police agencieshave the ability to withhold avariety of information from thepublic, including “documentsand information, includingcomplaints, court orders,memoranda, notes, diagrams,maps, photographs, correspon-dence, reports, witness state-ments, and evidence.” Policeagencies regularly use this partof the Freedom of InformationAct to prevent the public to hav-ing free access to information.

“I think they are exercisingtheir discretion too broadly,”said Grannis. “This sort of in-formation should be made pub-lic by default, particularly inthis situation where they havealready released the tape andit has already been made pub-lic, there really cannot be a jus-tification for withholding itfrom future requesters.”

Alexandria police officials saythe justification is that thetransparency was a mistake —that they never intended onsharing the audio with the pub-lic. Perhaps most importantly,police leaders underscored,they did not ever waive theirprivileges to withhold informa-tion from the public. AcrossNorthern Virginia, governmentofficials say the public’s right toknow is tempered by thegovernment’s desire for secrecy.That means that the presump-tion is that 911 calls associatedwith criminal complaintsshould be secret.

“If there are any kinds ofcriminal charges tied into a caseor if it’s an ongoing investiga-tion or if it’s ever been part ofan investigation, then it’s ex-empt from release under FOIAand can only be released undera court order,” said ErikkDaniel, custodian of records forFairfax County Department ofPublic Safety. “Once there’s acriminal incident associatedwith a record, then it’s exemptfrom FOIA.”

911 ControversyNews

HBC Realty Group, Keller Williams Realty has an-nounced that Historic Cornwell Farm will be open tothe public on Saturday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. People wanting to see the home can come onthis day and take in the history and architecture allwhile supporting a worthy local charity. Proceedsfrom the day go to support LiftMeUp! TherapeuticRiding Program. For more information and questionscontact Laura Smith at 571-331-7709,[email protected] or Karen Briscoe at 703-734-0192, [email protected].

The Cornwell Farm residence in Great Falls hassurvived as a well-preserved example of NorthernVirginia antebellum plantation architecture. Theproperty was accepted into the National Register ofHistoric Places on April 13, 1977. It is one of thearea’s most significant residential properties with aNineteenth Century Manor House, circa 1831. It isscenically important in that it is the major architec-tural element to be seen along the historicGeorgetown Pike, the first road in the state to bedesignated a Virginia By-Way. The entry features acedar tree-lined private drive arriving at a pea gravelmotor court. The gently rolling land and country vis-tas are some of the most gorgeous this close to Wash-ington, D.C. The property features a 4—stall barn,fenced and cross-fenced pasture land and run-in shedfor horses.

Proceeds from the day support the LiftMeUp!Therapeutic Riding Program. LiftMeUp! is a thera-peutic horseback riding program that is dedicatedto providing safe and effective instruction to chil-dren and adults with a variety of disabilities. Themoney raised will help maintain and improve the

facilities and grounds to ensure a comfortable andsafe place for the riders and horses.

“Good fences make good neighbors, we need goodneighbors to help us build good fences to keep ourhorses safe and out of our neighbors’ yards. A sec-tion of fence—or even an entire field, can be pur-chased in honor of a loved one, human or equineand your donations are tax deductible. I am so grate-ful to Karen Briscoe for organizing this wonderfulcommunity event for Lift Me Up!”—said Laura Smith.

For more information about how you can supportLift Me Up! contact Laura Smith 571-331-7709,[email protected], or visit www.liftmeup.org.

Historic Cornwell Farm Open to the Public March 8

Photo Contributed

Cornwell Farm, a historic property inGreat Falls, will be open to the public onSaturday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.


www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.Published by

Local Media Connection LLC

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

NEWS DEPARTMENT:To discuss ideas and concerns,

Call: 703-778-9410e-mail:

[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Amna RehmatullaEditorial Assistant

703-778-9410 [email protected]

Victoria Ross County Reporter ❖ [email protected]

ADVERTISING:For advertising information

e-mail:[email protected]

Trisha HamiltonDisplay Advertising

[email protected]

Andrea SmithClassified Advertising

[email protected]

Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

[email protected]

Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]

@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal KurspahicPhotography:

Deb Cobb, Craig SterbutzelArt/Design:

Laurence Foong, John HeinlyProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]

@TheismannMedia

CIRCULATION: 703-778-9426Circulation Manager:

Linda [email protected]

McLeanOpinion

By Sharon Bulova

In Fairfax County, when weadopt the budget, we are in-vesting in the priorities andneeds of the community. At the

center of this open and transparentprocess is community engagement. Itis critical that we have the commu-nity at the table with us when we areconsidering changes to the budget that theCounty Executive released for advertisementat our Board Meeting on Feb. 25. Below aresome opportunities to learn about the budget,ask questions and make suggestions during themonths of March and April. I look forward tohearing from you.

❖ Ask Fairfax Chat: The Ask Fairfax Chatis a great opportunity for residents to submitquestions about the County’s proposed Fiscal2015 budget directly to County Executive EdLong. The chat takes place online from 2-3 p.m.on Friday, Feb, 28. To submit questions andjoin the chat visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/askfairfax.

❖ Track BOS Budget Questions: You canview the answers to budget questions askedby the Board of Supervisors throughout thebudget process at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/qa_search.htm.

❖ Sign up to speak: All publichearings take place in the Board Au-ditorium at the Fairfax County Gov-ernment Center (12000 GovernmentCenter Parkway, Fairfax, Virginia22035) and are open to the public.To sign up to speak at a hearing,please visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speaker_bos.htm or call703-324-3151.

❖ Important public hearing dates:Effective Tax Rate Hearing - Board Audito-

rium - Govt. Center - 3 p.m., April 8, 2014Public Hearing - Board Auditorium - Govt.

Center - 6 p.m., April 8, 2014Public Hearing - Board Auditorium - Govt.

Center - 3 p.m., April 9, 2014Public Hearing - Board Auditorium - Govt.

Center - 3 p.m., April 10, 2014

BUDGET FORUMS AND TOWN MEET-INGS will be hosted by Supervisors and com-munity organizations throughout the county.Below is a list of currently scheduled meetings.Information on additional forums, as well as acurrent full budget calendar, will be listed inthe coming weeks at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb.

❖ Hunter Mill District Meeting, FryingPan Park, 2709 W. Ox Road, Herndon — Sat-

urday, March 1, 9 a.m.❖ Dranesville District Budget Meet-

ing, Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls — Wednesday, March 5, 7 p.m.

❖ Braddock District Budget Meeting,Kings Park Library, Braddock Hall, 9000 BurkeLake Rd, Burke — Wednesday, March 12, 7:30p.m.

❖ Herndon Town Council, HerndonTown Council Chambers, 765 Lynn Street,Herndon — Thursday, March 13, 7 p.m.

❖ Mason District Budget Meeting, TBD— Tuesday, March 18 - 7 p.m.

❖ Providence District Budget Meeting,Dunn Loring Admin Center, 2334 GallowsRoad, Dunn Loring — Tuesday, March 18, 7p.m.

❖ Dranesville District Budget Meet-ing, McLean Community Center, 1234Ingleside Ave., McLean — Thursday, March 20,7 p.m.

❖ Lee District Budget Meeting,Franconia Government Center, 6121 FranconiaRoad, Alexandria — Wednesday, March 26,7:30 p.m.

❖ Braddock Town Hall, Robinson Sec-ondary School, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax— Tuesday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.

I hope you will take the time to learn aboutand participate in this year’s budget process.You can contact my office directly by calling703-324-2321 or [email protected].

Chairman gives blueprint for communityengagement in Fairfax County budget process.

Budget Process: Get Involved

OakcrestCommunityHopes forApprovalTo the Editor:

Disappointment was the generalsentiment of the Oakcrest commu-nity when we heard that no actionwas to be taken by the Board ofSupervisors on Feb. 11 concerningour SEA.

However, we appreciate the re-sponsibility displayed by Supervi-sor Hudgins in her motion to de-fer, because we understand theimportance of a thorough, fair re-view of our application.

There has been an intense levelof community involvement in thisSEA process, coordinated by Su-pervisor Hudgins. Oakcrest metwith the surrounding communityin a series of well attended meet-ings with the Hunter Mill Land UseCommittee from January throughMarch of 2013. We met directlywith representatives of the HunterMill Defense League and had dis-cussions with their traffic consult-ant in order engage in healthy dia-

logue about our amendment pro-posal. From

September 2013 through Janu-ary 2014, Oakcrest participated ina special community outreachcommittee formed by SupervisorHudgins to continue reviewingand analyzing options. CountyDOT and/or VDOT were presentat each of those meetings. Duringthis process, at least 22 alterna-tives were studied. None of thealternatives mitigates traffic andimproves existing conditions aswell as the proposed traffic signaloutlined in our SEA.

We want to publicly address ouropponents’ latest proposal. A fullmovement school entrance ontoHunter Mill Road has been exten-sively evaluated and rejected byboth VDOT and FCDOT.

Conversely, the Crowell Roadentrance shown in our SEA appli-cation has been deemed to be safeand meets all applicable stan-dards. County staff has also con-cluded that the installation of thetraffic signal mitigates any trafficgenerated by our School and sub-stantially improves a currently fail-ing intersection. Finally, despitevoices to the contrary, our SEAproposes no change to the Com-

prehensive Plan or the existingzoning.

The persistent focus on alterna-tives that do not fix the criticalintersection reflect a view held bysome that an improved intersec-tion somehow leads to future re-development on nearby land. Thisspeculation hijacks the earnest dis-cussion of substantive issues andunnecessarily obscures the uncon-troverted facts.

An approval of our SEA will en-hance the Hunter Mill district,both by alleviating traffic conges-tion and by giving it a beautifulschool, with a design that compli-ments the surrounding area and amission of service to young people,families and its surrounding com-munity.

As we approach the fourth an-niversary of our SE (March 23,2010), we find ourselves waitingrather anxiously to see if we cancontinue serving the families ofFairfax County. Oakcrest is a smallschool, with deep and profoundties to its current families and acommitment to service.

We remain confident that theprocess is fair and objective andthat the Board of Supervisors willmake a correct, informed decision.

We eagerly hope that this processwill end on Feb. 25 with a resolu-tion that objectively recognizes thehard work, good faith, and prayerswe have invested in these years.

Mary T. Ortiz, Ph.D.Head of School

Life-saving BillDefeatedTo the Editor:

Thanks to Senator BarbaraFavola, the Virginia General

Assembly had the opportunity tokeep guns out of the hands ofthose convicted of sexual batteryand the assault of family members,not permanently, but for five yearsfollowing the conviction. Researchshows that, in domestic conflicts,victims are five times more likelyto be murdered when the abusiveperson has a gun. Those who ad-vocate for gun rights oppose manyreforms, like background checks,claiming they would not stop “thebad guy with the gun.” This bill,however, was designed to do pre-cisely that – keep guns from con-

Letters to the Editor

See Letters, Page 11


People

William Thomas, 15, of McLean,a ninth grader at Gonzaga CollegeHigh School in Washington, D.C.was named one of the Virginia’stop two youth volunteers of 2014by the PrudentialSpirit of Commu-nity Awards, a national programhonoring young people for out-standing acts of volunteerism.William has raised more than$100,000 for charities supportingU.S. Special Operations Forces byshooting basketballs, while rally-ing thousands of individuals andorganizations to join his cause.William was playing basketball athis home in August 2011 when heheard the news that a helicoptercarrying 30 American servicemenhad been shot down in Afghani-stan. To honor the fallen heroes,he proposed shooting thousands ofbaskets over the Labor Day week-end, and his father pledged to do-nate a penny for each shot hemade. As word spread, pledgescame in from other family mem-bers, friends and strangers. Will-

iam collected $50,000 by sinking20,317 baskets in 50 hours.

Since then, William has held sev-eral more “shooting challenges”and developed his “OperationHawkeye” into a wide-ranging ef-fort to support Special OperationsForces (SOF) and their families,and to focus attention on their sac-rifices. He has assembled a net-work of basketball players and

coaches, companies, nonprofitsand others who are committed tohis mission; built a website andleveraged social media to encour-age support for SOF community;and attracted donations of money,products and services totalingmore than $100,000 for the ben-efits of SOF charities.

“We are helping those serving inSOF, and those that have lost a

William Thomas,15, of McLeanRecognized asTop Volunteer

Photo courtesy of Bill Thomas

Will Thomas on the court.Photo by Montie Martin/The Connection

Will Thomas and his driveway basketballhoop.

loved one,” said William. “Theyknow we care, that they have oursupport and gratitude, and that wewill remember these SOF heroes.”

As state honoree, William willreceive $1,000, an engraved silvermedallion and an all-expense-paidtrip to Washington, D.C. in early

May where two Virginia honoreeswill be joined by the top two hon-orees from each of the other statesand the District of Columbia forfour days of national recognitionevents. During the trip, 10 stu-dents will be named America’s topyouth volunteers of 2014.

8 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2014 McLean Connection ❖ February 26 - March 4, 2014 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Fairfax County Animal Shelter4500 West Ox Road,Fairfax, VA 2203703-830-1100, ext. 2

fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/trapneuterreturn.htm

• Getting cats and kittens spayed/neutered and vaccinated FREE!

• Deterring unwanted catsfrom your yard

• Accessing free and low-cost spay/neuter and vet services

• Practical aspects of trap-neuter-return• Be part of the humane solution!• Meet other concerned animal lovers &

learn how you can help cats & kittensin your neighborhood.

By Deb Cobb

The Connection

Animals at the Fairfax County Animal Shel-ter were given the celebrity treatment onFeb. 23 when a team from the nonprofit

Shelter Art Foundation taught shelter staff andvolunteers how to use Hollywood-style portraittechniques to photograph their adoptable animals.

“We believe that every animal is a celebrity. Wewant to give them the same exposure that wewould give a budding star in Hollywood. We dothis because it works. Great portraits get actors andactresses noticed and leading roles. We want theseanimals to get leading roles in new homes,” saidShelter Art Foundation founder Steve Sloop afterthe Sunday workshop.

“We have conducted photo team workshops at19 shelters in eight states, enabling these sheltersto build the skills necessary to show off their stars.All of the shelters we have worked with have saidthat the better images make a difference,” saidSloop.

“When I was a kid if you wanted an animal, youwent to the shelter. And now, if you want an ani-mal you go online. If the online image isn’t beauti-ful and inviting and something you would want tohave at your house, you’ll keep clicking until youfind it. But when you have that animal that looksat you and grabs your heart, you’ll go into the shel-ter. That may not be the one that you come homewith, but we’ve got you into the shelter so you canfind the one you connect with,” said Sloop of theconcept that drove him to create the Shelter ArtFoundation.

IN THE PAST YEAR, under the leadership ofTawny Hammond, the Fairfax County Animal Shel-ter has implemented a multi-faceted social mediacampaign to engage with the community in newways and to increase adoptions. “A strong photog-raphy program coupled with a strategic socialmedia program is paramount to success. With train-ing and attention, we all can do it.”

When the Shelter Art Foundation contactedHammond about hosting a workshop, she said,

“How soon can we do it?” Not only did volunteersfrom the Fairfax County Animal Shelter participate,but representatives from humane societies in theDistrict of Columbia and Montgomery County,Maryland were also present.

The non-profit Shelter Art Foundation wasfounded in 2010 when Sloop realized that he andhis volunteer photo team at the Monterey SPCAhad figured out an easy to learn, low cost tech-nique that combined advanced animal wranglingstrategies with a basic studio photography setup.He founded the non-profit and started traveling toshelters around the country.

“At first, I’d visit a shelter whenever I was travel-ing to see family or friends,” says Sloop. In late2013 he was contacted by Purina to see if supportfrom them would enable the Foundation to expandtheir program. Once they conduct the workshop,they are able to provide the shelters they visit withthe equipment needed to set up the shelter studioat no cost.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY 25 shelters in Cali-fornia, two in Nevada, one in Alabama, one in Loui-siana, one in Missouri and one in Virginia sched-uled for this spring.

“Our goal is to empower as many shelters andrescue organizations as possible with the trainingand equipment they need to improve their images,”says Sloop. For more information about the orga-nization, go to their website atwww.ShelterArtFoundation.org.

Hollywood Comes to FairfaxHow to use Hollywood-styleportrait techniques tophotograph adoptable animals.

Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Animal Shelter

A leopard-eared rabbit gets its Holly-wood makeover at the Fairfax CountyAnimal Shelter on Feb. 23 during aworkshop taught by the nonprofit Shel-ter Art Foundation. Volunteers at FCAStook this photo after learning profes-sional animal wrangling strategies andstudio photography techniques.

Rani Hart, avolunteer at theFairfax CountyAnimal Shelter,“wrangles” arabbit during aphoto workshopon Feb. 23.

Photo by Barbara Autrey

Pet Connection

Bianca, a nine-year-old, fe-male, German shepherdmix dog, had been livingher life on the end of a

chain in a rural part of Virginia. Inlate January, an unknown stray dogapproached Bianca and attackedher. Bianca’s owner came outsideand in an attempt to stop the at-tack he hit both dogs with a shovel,striking Bianca over the head andinjuring her. Rather than pursuevet care, the owner drove Biancato the local pound and surrenderedher. For the next 36 hours, Biancasat with no medical care, until asympathetic staff person called theshelter’s rescue partner at the High-land County Humane Society in

rural Virginia.Highland County Humane Soci-

ety rescued Bianca from the poundand got her emergency medicaltreatment. She was taken to a fos-ter home to recover and receivefurther treatment and was trans-ported to the Fairfax County Ani-mal Shelter on Valentine’s Day. Shewas made available for adoptionand her story was shared on theshelter’s Facebook page, where itcaught the attention of a long-timeshelter supporter and adopter. Thewoman’s beloved dog Princess(adopted from the shelter in 1999),died on Valentine’s Day at the ageof 18, on the same day thatBianca’s story was posted. Sheknew that she was meant to helpgive poor Bianca a second chance.She immediately contacted theshelter and made plans to comeand meet Bianca. Bianca wenthome with her new mom on Feb.19, and she is doing great.

Giving Bianca a Second ChanceA Fairfax CountyAnimal Shelterhappy ending.

Photo contributed

Bianca sleeping at her new home.

Sandy Comes Home Krista Gatt of Great Falls sent us this photo of Sandy, thefamily’s treasured Cocker Spaniel, 6, and Joey, 9. Sandycame from a broken home in 2008 and has become animportant member of the family. She enjoys taking longswalks, chasing squirrels and eating (almost) anything.

Corky’s StoryMy name is Corky, I’m a 14 1/2-year-old Rag Doll. To knowme is to love me. I love people and I’m friendly with otherpets, including dogs when they come to visit. When I wasa kitten my mom, dad and grandmother walked me on aleash and I went “pottie” outside like my dog friends. Acouple years ago we moved to a house that has a fenced inyard so now I can go out on my own without a leash and Ijust love it. When I’m ready to go inside all I have to do isgo to one of the doors and someone will let me in, usuallyby then I’m ready for a nap. I hope everyone will like mystory as much as my grandmother enjoyed sharing it. Mygrandmom is Monica Parks, she lives in McLean.

For a free digital subscription toone or all of the 15 ConnectionNewspapers, go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Be the first to know – get yourpaper before it hits the press.

Complete digital replica of the printedition, including photos and ads,delivered weekly to youre-mail box.

Questions? E-mail:[email protected]


By Ethan McLeod

The Connection

Five young musicians spanning an age rangeof seven years were given the chance toshine in front of a large crowd at the AldenTheater on Sunday, Feb. 23. While the au-

dience heard lovely renditions of Chopin andBeethoven’s works, the performers were able to re-lax a bit performing in a non-competition setting.

“Usually in competitions you perform for judges,but it’s very rare that you actually get to play forpeople who have just come here to listen to yourmusic,” said 13-year old Kevin Wang, a student atRachel Carson Middle School. Wang was joined byfellow pianists Victor Pan, 10, Evan Hu, 11, and AdamHeins, 17, as well as violinist ShankarBalasubramanian,16.

The “Young Soloists Recital” on Sunday, Feb. 23was one of several youth performances that takeplace at the Alden Theatre each year. Anita Lamkin,a former Fairfax County music librarian, has beenorganizing the Concerts at the Alden series since1973. The Young Soloists program began after herfirst year, when she realized that there are a largenumber of younger musicians who had to competewith more experienced adults from around the area.

“It’s the only concert series that we know of thatoffers an opportunity like this,” said Lamkin, nowretired. “It gives them a chance to do a little recitallike a concert artist, with a first-class piano in a con-cert hall setting. It’s a great opportunity for them,plus it’s free for the public.”

Though each young performer has won numerousstate and national awards, they were able to take abreak from competing to play in front of the Sundayafternoon crowd. Parents and teachers alike agreed

that the concerts are hugely beneficial due to thelow-stress setting.

“It’s great that Alden is providing these kids theexposure in a formal theater setting where they canperform their hard work,” said, June Zheng, EvanHu’s mother. Like Zheng, Marjory Lee, Hu’s teacher,couldn’t have been prouder following Sunday’s per-formance. Lee has worked with Hu for over five yearsand has watched his talents develop.

“They come and are inspired as children by theseconcerts. Here they can really express themselvesinstead of worrying about their scores,” said Lee.

The Concerts at the Alden series is provided thanksto the generous support of the Music Friends of theFairfax County Public Library. The next performanceon March 9 at 3 p.m. will feature violinist James Sternand pianist Audrey Andrist, better known as theStern/Andrist Duo.

Young Musicians Dazzle at theAlden TheaterThe “Young Soloists Recital”at the Alden Theaterfeatured four talentedpianists and one violinist.

Anita Lamkin, a sponsor for Concerts atthe Alden, and Robert Ames Alden, theman for whom the theater was named,stand in front of Alden’s hanging picturein the lobby before the concert.

The musicians standtogether in theAlden Theatre lobbyfollowing the per-formance. Fromleft: Victor Pan,Evan Hu, ShankarBalasubramanian,Adam Heins, andKevin Wang.

Photos by Ethan McLeod/The Connection

Entertainment


FRIDAY/MARCH 7Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington’s (BGCGW) Fairfax

County Region Inaugural Casino Night Fundraiser. 6:30-11:30p.m. The Ritz-Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd, McLean.

The Fairfax Regional Board will bring a bit of friendly Vegas-like fun tosupport the programming for the region’s two Clubs. Unlike the money andchips found in real casinos, Casino Night guests will receive funny moneyand a bidder number. They will use their winnings from casino-favoritessuch as Black Jack, Texas Hold ‘Em, and Craps to bid on fabulous raffleprizes. The more chips players accumulate at the gaming tables the bettertheir chances to win great raffle prizes at end of evening

The Fairfax Region of BGCGW provides a safe haven for more than 580 youngpeople between the ages of 5 and 18 years old at two sites: CulmoreCharacter Club and Murrygate Village Club. The clubs serve poor children,providing support for homework and academic success, life skills training,character building and fun. Ninety-Two percent of the Clubs’ membersqualify for free lunch.

Casino Night will not only be a night of fun and excitement, it will be athrilling opportunity to support youth in the Fairfax community who needus most. The evening includes Ritz-Carlton dinner buffet, open bar, casinogames, raffle, dancing, DJ and more, for $95 a person or $175 per couple.Special overnight room rate of $119 available.

Register now. To purchase tickets for Casio Night & and more informationabout Fairfax Region of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington visit:www.bgcgw.org/fairfax/casino-night/

Photo by Teresa Castracane/Courtesy of 1st Stage

From left: Brian Keith MacDonald as Cosme McMoon andLee Mikeska Gardner as Florence Foster Jenkins in ‘Sou-venir: A Fantasia on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins’ at1st Stage Now playing Friday, Saturday, Sunday throughMarch 2.

From Page 6

victed bad guys – yet it was op-posed, too. This likely life-sav-ing legislation (SB 510) had bi-partisan support in the VirginiaSenate but was defeated by theRepublicans in charge of theHouse Courts of Justice Com-mittee. Shame on them. They

do not deserve the honor ofserving the Commonwealth ofVirginia. It is time we had lead-ers who choose to protect vic-tims and the vulnerable ratherthan criminals.

Ame BurgoyneMcLean

Letters

Send announcements to [email protected]. Deadline isFriday for the following week’s paper.Photos/artwork encouraged.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 26-FRIDAY/FEB. 28“Here and There: Paintings of the

Brogue and Beyond.” Paintingson exhibit by artist Jill Banks. Katie’sCoffee at the Old Brogue Irish Pub,760C Walker Road, Great Falls.www.JillBanks.com.

Fine Arts Photography Exhibition.Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Great Falls artistRichard Suib depicts many scenesfrom Venice, Florence, Slovenia, andRussia.

SATURDAY/MARCH 1Ballroom Dance. 8-9 p.m. Merengue

lesson, 9-11:30 p.m. dance. ColvinRun Dance Hall, 10201 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. Live music fromHelmut & Andre playing favoritedance tunes from the 1930s to today.Attire is ballroom casual, no partneror experience is needed. $20 for theevening. 703-759-2685 orwww.colvinrun.org.

Concerts at the Alden. 3 p.m. TheMcLean Community Center, 1234Ingleside Avenue, McLean. A classicalmusic concert cosponsored by theMusic Friends of the Fairfax CountyPublic Library and The Alden.

SUNDAY/MARCH 2Jazz Sunday. Special music will be

offered at both the 9:00 and 11:15morning services including ComeSunday by Duke Ellington and thespiritual, Ain-a that Good News. Allare welcome for jazz and worship. St.John’s Church, 6715 GeorgetownPike, one mile east of the beltway atExit 44. For more information, pleasecall 703-356-4902, or visitwww.stjohnsmclean.org.

Free Band Concert. 7 p.m. ViennaCommunity Center, 120 Cherry StreetSE, Vienna. Admission is free andseating is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Space is limited.Selections include music from famousBroadway musicals including GeorgeGershwin’s Porgy and Bess, AndrewLloyd Webber’s Phantom of theOpera, John Kander’s Chicago andHarold Arlen and Yip Harburg’sWizard of Oz. For more information,call 703-255-6360 or visitwww.viennacommunityband.org.

TUESDAY/MARCH 4Great Falls United Methodist

Church Annual Shrove Pancake& Sausage Dinner. 5:30-7:30 p.m.10100 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Free- no reservations necessary.Donations accepted for Society of St.Andrew’s food gleaning programs.º

Northern Virginia Bead SocietyProgram Monthly Meeting. 7p.m. Their purpose is to encouragemembers of the community toappreciate and participate in thevisual arts through beads. Theyendeavor to provide a network foreducation opportunities and theexchange of ideas about beads andtechniques in beading.www.nvbs.org.

Great Falls Senior Center PresentsDistinguished Scholar Mark W.Cannon. 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. St.Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church,1020 Springvale Road, Great Falls.Cannon has lectured at more than 70institutions in 18 countries. He hasheld high positions in each of thethree branches of government.

Hunger Relief Pancake Dinner. 5-7p.m. The Hunger Church, CharlesWesley United Methodist Church,6817 Dean Drive, McLean. Annualfree pancake dinner with monetarydonations to directly benefit theSociety of St. Andrew (Sosa), anational nonprofit hunger-reliefministry that rescues 30-35 million

pounds of fresh, nutritious, excessproduce each year that wouldotherwise go to waste. Kids willenjoy crafts and decorating theirpancakes. Sponsored by the UnitedMethodist Men of The HungerChurch. http://www.TheHungerChurch.org

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 5 Ash Wednesday Services at St.

John’s Episcopal Church. 7-11a.m. St. John’s Episcopal Church,6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean.

SATURDAY/MARCH 8Mardi Gras Party. 8 p.m. Vienna’s

American Legion Post 180, 330Center St, N, Vienna. Tickets $25before February 23, $25 after.Contact 703-938-9535 orwww.Legion180.net.

SUNDAY/MARCH 9The Stern/Andrist Duo Concert. 3

p.m. Alden Theatre of McLean, 1234Ingleside Avenue, McLean. This freeconcert will feature violinist JamesStern of the University of Marylandand multi-talented pianist AudreyAndrist in a program that includes asonata by Janacek, Four Pieces bySuk, Theme and Variations byMessiaen, and the Sonata in C minorby Beethoven.

Calendar


South Lakes IndoorTrack Qualifies 20for States

Victories in the boys’ 500 meters, longjump and 4x400 meter relay highlightedthe South Lakes indoor track team’s per-formance at the 6A North RegionalChampionship, Wednesday, Feb. 19 at thePrince George’s Sportsplex in Landover,Md.

SLHS will be represented by 20 ath-letes at the 6A State Indoor Champion-ships Feb. 27-March 1 in Hampton.

Senior Daniel Johnsen won the 500meters in 1:06.08. He also anchored thewinning 4x400 relay team (3:28.16) ofseniors Michael Kerr, Luis Rivas and jun-ior Sam Arpee. Johnsen also finishedfourth in the 300 meters with a 36.87.

The top six finishers in each of the re-gional events advance to the state trackmeet.

Khayri Denny jumped 22-5 1/4 to win theregional title in the long jump. The senioralso finished fifth in the 55 meters (6.65),sixth in the 300 meters (37.22) and 15th inthe triple jump (39-3 1/2). Denny teamed

with seniors BenO’Connor, Marcus Harrelland Anthony Mayo for afourth place finish in the4x200 (1:34.72).

Junior DelaneyWickman was second inthe 500 meters (1:16.67)while sophomore GoldenKumi-Darfour finishedfifth (1:17.56). FreshmanDevyn Jones ran a 8.90 inthe 55-meter hurdles forfifth place and a trip tostates and junior ComfortReed placed fourth in thetriple jump with a leap of36-2. Reed was also 12thin the long jump (16-2).

Other top-six perfor-mances at the regional meet include: girls’4x400 relay team of juniors OziomaChinaka, Maya Rodriguez, Kumi-Darfourand Jones ran a 4:10.20 for sixth place, andsenior Abby Reinhold, juniors Erin Bidwell

and Gabrielle Acosta and sophomoreMonica Lannen placing sixth in the girls4x800 (10:03.14).

McLean Boys’, Girls’Basketball TeamsLose at Regionals

The McLean boys’ basketball team lostto Lake Braddock 73-44 on Monday nightduring the opening round of the 6ANorth region tournament.

McLean, the No. 4 seed form Confer-ence 6, finished the season with an 8-17record, including a 64-57 victory overLake Braddock on Dec. 26.

The McLean girls’ basketball team lostto T.C. Williams 45-44 on Monday. TheHighlanders, the No. 3 seed from Con-ference 6, finished the season with a 20-5 record. McLean started the season bywinning its first 13 games and 19 of itsfirst 20.

Photo by Gabrielle Lozama

South Lakes’ Khayri Denny, left, and DanielJohnsen compete at the 6A North regional indoortrack meet.

Sports Roundups

Sports

After some earlystruggles, the McLeangymnastics team man-aged to finish in the

top two at the 6A North regionmeet on Feb. 18 at Lake BraddockSecondary School and earn a tripto states.

The Highlanders were in a three-team race with Washington-Leeand T.C. Williams for the top twospots. McLean finished runner-upfor the third straight year, finish-ing less than a half-point behindthree-time champion W-L.

“I had no idea what the scoreswere going to be,” McLean head

coach Courtney Lesson said afterthe meet. “I was a little nervousthat we weren’t quite there, but Iwasn’t sure.”

McLean overcame a rough startto finish with a score of 140.077.W-L totaled 140.449. T.C. Williamsfinished third with a score of138.459.

“They moved on from one eventto the next,” Lesson said of theHighlanders, “moving forwardwith all their routines.”

What were Lesson’s expectationsfor states?

“I just want the girls to havefun,” she said, “and go in and hit

all their routines.”The Highlanders did more than

have fun during the state meetFeb. 21-22 at Salem High Schoolin Virginia Beach. McLean finished6A state runner-up, posting a scoreof 143.725. Cox won the statechampionship with a score of144.95. Washington-Lee(143.125) took third, and Stafford(142.875) finished fourth.

McLean’s Nathalie Thomas tiedwith Marshall’s Morgan Stahl forfifth on beam with a score of 9.6.Thomas also tied with Westfield’sKatie Freix for sixth on floor.

Hayfield’s Molly Overstreet won

McLean Gymnastics FinishesRegion, State Runner-Up

McLean’s Lizzy Brown-Kaiser performs on beam duringthe 6A North region meet on Feb. 18 at Lake BraddockSecondary School.

a state title on bars with a score of9.925. Stuart’s Eleanor Freed wonthe vault title with a score of 9.9.

At regionals, Thomas placedthird on beam (9.317) and floor(9.35). Lizzy Brown-Kaiser fin-ished sixth on vault (9.525) and

eighth on beam (8.817).Jacqueline Green finished seventhon beam (8.9).

The top five individuals in eachevent qualified for states.

— Jon Roetman

JacquelineGreen and theMcLean gym-nastics teamfinished run-ner-up at the6A Northregion meet onFeb. 18 at LakeBraddockSecondarySchool.

Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection


Casino for a Cause

News

Photo by Elmira Togliatti

An Igloo in McLeanEnvisioned by Mastermind Peter Classen and executed by Johnny, 6, andLilly, 4.


Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/Oakton

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

A CLEANING SERVICESince 1985/Ins & Bonded

Quality Service at a Fair PriceSatisfaction Guaranteed-

Angies List 2011-Super Service Award!Comm/Res. MD VA DC

acleaningserviceinc.com703-892-8648

CLEANING CLEANING

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

GUTTER CLEANINGGutters and Downspouts Cleaned

Small Repairs • Gutter Guards

PINNACLE SERVICESlic/ins 703-802-0483 free est.email [email protected]: lawnsandgutters.comFriendly Service with a Friendly Price!

GUTTER GUTTER

General RemodelingResidential & Commercial

Specializing in:Kitchen/Bathroom/Basement RemodelingPlumbing • Electrical • Custom Carpentry

Doors Windows • Hardwood FloorsCrown Molding • House Cleaning

Interior/Exterior Painting • Brick/Stone WorkCeramic Tile • Decks, Fences, Patios

HOA Maintenance, Granite Counter TopsRealtors Work and Much More

Hand and HandHandyman

Licensed and Insured Serving Northern Virginia

703-296-6409

HANDYMAN HANDYMAN

LicensedInsured

We Accept VISA/MC

703-441-8811

You have tried the rest - NOW CALL THE BEST!!Proudly serving Northern VA - 46 yrs. exp.

The HANDYMANA DIVISION OF NURSE CONSTRUCTION

BATHROOM REMODELING, DRYWALL,PAINTING, CERAMIC TILE, CARPENTRY,POWER WASHING & MUCH MORE

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

A&S Landscaping

703-863-7465LICENSED

Serving All of N. Virginia

• All Concrete work• Retaining Walls • Patios• Decks • Porches (incl. screened) • Erosion & Grading Solutions• French Drains • Sump Pumps• Driveway Asphalt Sealing

R.N. CONTRACTORS, INC.Remodeling Homes, Flooring,Kitchen & Bath, Windows,Siding, Roofing, Additions &Patios, Custom Deck, Painting

We Accept All Major Credit CardsLicensed, Insured, Bonded • Free Estimates • Class A Lic

Phone: 703-887-3827 Fax: 703-830-3849E-mail: [email protected]

www.rncontractors.com

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

R&N Carpentry

✦BASEMENTS ✦BATHS ✦KITCHENSForeclosure specialist/Power washing

✦Exterior Wood Rot More!Deck & Fence repair, Screen Porches

No jobs too large or smallFree est. 37 yrs exp. Licensed, Insured

703-987-5096

Remodeling Interior, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Floors, Ceramic Tile,

Painting, Decks, Fences, Additions.703-863-1086

MOWING, TRIMMING, EDGING,MULCHING & TRIM HEDGES

PINNACLE SERVICES, INC.LAWN SERVICE

Friendly Service for a Friendly Price

703-802-0483703-802-0483

LAWN SERVICE LAWN SERVICE

Quality Tree Service & LandscapingReasonable prices. Licensed & insured

25 years of experience – Free estimates 703-868-5358

Winter Savings...Tree removal, topping & pruning,

shrubbery trimming, mulching, leafremoval, planting, hauling, gutter cleaning,

retaining walls, drainage problems, etc.

24 Hour Emergency Tree Service

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

HAULING

AL’S HAULINGJunk & Rubbish

Concrete, furn.,office,yard, construction debris

Low Rates NOVA703-360-4364

703-304-4798 cell

7 DAYS A WEEK

ANGEL’S HAULING

703-863-1086703-582-3709240-603-6182

Junk Trash Removal, Yard/Construction

Debris, Garage/ Base- ment Clean Out,

Furniture & Appl.

LANDSCAPING

703-863-7465

A&SLANDSCAPING

Planting • Mulching • SoddingPatios • Decks • Driveway Sealing,

Asphalt • Retaining WallsErosion Control • Drainage Solutions

TREE SERVICE

ANGEL’S TREE REMOVAL

Angeltreeslandscaping-hauling.com

Brush & Yard Debris Trimming & Topping

Gutters & Hauling

703-863-1086703-582-3709240-603-6182

I made it. It’s five years after receiving a ter-minal diagnosis on February 27, 2009 from myoncologist: stage IV non-small cell lung cancer,accompanied by a “13-month to two-year”prognosis. Let’s be honest, medical profession-als don’t toss around the word “terminal”because you’re going to be treated at an air-port. Presumably, they know their facts and fig-ures as well as the patient’s present condition,confirmed by a variety of diagnostic results fromX-Rays, CT Scans, P.E.T. Scans, lab work and ofcourse the ever-popular biopsy, so their diagno-sis/prognosis is a bit more than an educatedguess. Nevertheless, there are exceptions toevery rule and until proven otherwise, I was notabout to succumb to their statistics. Still, basedon the best medical knowledge available at thetime, this patient (yours truly) was given a lim-ited life expectancy and encouraged to take thevacation I had always dreamed of – for obviousyou’re-life-is-now-shorter-than-you-ever-imagined-type reasons, and yet, five yearshence, here I am.

I have to admit, surviving, at least from myperspective, is indeed all it’s cracked up to be.Aside from beating the alternatives, it has been,for me, empowering in a way. Not that I think Iwrote the book on what one need do to fendoff the ravages of this insidious disease – thoughI have made my share of changes and accom-modations, but I have persevered. And forthose closest to me who knew me when (pre-diagnosis), I have switched and fought – I haveoccasionally looked back. And even though Inever was a smoker and rarely exposed tosecond-hand smoke, I may very well have beena victim of some of my own circumstances.Although I didn’t/don’t drink much or consumedrugs to any extreme degree, my eating habitsmay have contributed to a weakened immunesystem which in some way kick-started the can-cer cells in my body (which we all have, by theway); and if you believe any of the like-mindedliterature coming out of Johns Hopkins andother respected medical institutions: we all mayvery well be what we eat – or don’t eat. Andapparently, there may be consequences – bothgood and unfortunately, bad.

For the past nearly five years (beginning inJune, 2009), I have chronicled my life as a can-cer patient. Every week, save for a few non-cancer columns as we call them, I have writtenabout cancer and the range of emotions I’veexperienced. I don’t think I’ve not shared oneemotion with you that I’ve felt. Not that it wasever important that it was me doing the talking,because it wasn’t/isn’t, it’s simply that I had aforum/space and the support of my publisherand editor to unburden myself in this very pub-lic way. And since writing with such honestycame easy to me (I had been writing non-can-cer columns in the Connection since December1999), having such a juicy and compelling sub-ject on which to write was not particularly chal-lenging to me. Moreover, given the incrediblyappreciative and super-positive feedback I havereceived from readers over the years, I have feltencouraged to continue.

Some weeks however, especially after che-motherapy, the words don’t exactly flow, but fornow, life is going on. I have another CT Scan onthe day this column publishes, 2/26/2014.Within a day or two, my oncologist will e-mailthe results to me. Within a day or two after that,I will likely write my next column. I hope thenews is good. It might not be though. Whenyou’ve so far outlived your original prognosis asI have, it’s hard not to think you’re borrowingtime – and as most of us will readily admit, pay-backs are hell.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

High Five EmploymentEmployment

Local Drivers-ArlingtonMust have own vehicle,

(sm SUVs, minivans, sm pickups) $560/wk, no sales involved, must

have a clear background 877-973-7447.

MUST LOVE CATSVolunteers needed for cat caretaker shifts with

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation at 7 Corners/Falls Church, Tysons Corner, Reston or Leesburg PetSmart locations. Morning, mid-day or evening shifts available, need varies by location. Shifts are generally 60-90 minutes,

training provided. Great opportunity for student service hours. Also opportunities for

transport volunteers and fostering. Email [email protected] with questions

or interest.

P/T Help WantedFlower Garden Delight

Providing gardening services for residential clients

Own transportation / Vienna VA703-242-2421 or respond to:

Email [email protected]

Seasonal Garden CenterMerchandiser

Bell Nursery, a nationally recognized grower/vendor is looking for hardwork-ing people to work at a garden center near you. Must be flexible for weekend work. For job descriptions and locations go to www.bellnursery.com/jobs.

BUSINESS OPP

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

☎☎

BUSINESS OPP

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

☎☎

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com


project,” said Carnaggio to a room of de-velopment and contracting industry em-ployees. Carnaggio, an engineer who hasworked on the project for over ten years,pointed out that the planned 23-mile ex-tension edging out to Loudoun County willincrease the size of the Metro system by 25percent, a nearly unparalleled increase insize in American transit systems.

In addition to five new Metro stations inTysons Corner and Reston, Phase I contrac-tor Dulles Transit Partners also built a re-designed West Falls Church station with anew inspections facility and sound box, aswell as a parking garage at Wiehle-RestonStation.

Speaking on potential risks in handing thesystem over for final testing, Carnaggio ex-pressed the importance of creating a “safeand reliable system.”

“During Phase I our job was to do ourdue diligence and make sure that the con-tractor built a safe and reliable system,” saidCarnaggio. “In Phase II, it’s just as impor-tant to get off to a good start. We’ve gotsome good partners, and that’s our expec-tation.”

Just as DTP, a partnership between de-velopers Bechtel and URS, was put in chargeof Phase I construction, Capital Rail Con-structors, composed of Clark ConstructionGroup and Kiewit Infrastructure South, willbe responsible for the next 12 miles of railin Phase II.

Capital Rail’s assigned task list includessix more stations, beginning at Reston TownCenter and ending at Route 772 in LoudounCounty. Along with those new stops, thecontractor is also tasked with procuring fivenew parking garages and a railyard andmaintenance facility built from the groundup at Dulles Airport.

In Dec. 2013, MWAA began geotechnicalwork near Dulles Airport that involves us-

ing soil boring equipment to test the groundas deep as 30 feet below the earth, accord-ing to Carnaggio. More than 1,300 boringtests will be completed in western Fairfaxand Loudoun counties before Phase II con-struction begins.

Though Herndon and Reston residentsare clearly anxious for their brand newMetro stations, it’s easy to forget that allparts of Northern Virginia will be affectedby the arrival of the Silver Line.

“I’m very excited about the Metro com-ing out West,” said Katie Rundquist, aPurcellville resident who works for contrac-tor Hensel Phelphs, prior to Carnaggio’spresentation Tuesday. “Living in Purcellvillewe don’t have many transportation optionsother than the Loudoun County Connector,so this will make getting into D.C. a littlebit easier.”

News

From Page 3

MWAA Prepares To BreakGround on Phase II

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

A map of the entire planned 23-mile extension from West Falls ChurchMetro to Route 772 in Loudoun County.

Photo by Ethan McLeod/The Connection

MWAA Project Director SamCarnaggio presented Silver LinePhase I progress and Phase IIplans on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/OaktonClassifiedClassified

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements



HDI COMPUTER SOLUTIONSJENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

➣ Speed up Slow Computers➣ Troubleshooting➣ Virus Removal➣ Computer Setup

(571) [email protected]

101 Computers 101 Computers 26 AntiquesWe pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

Danish/modernteak furniture, STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES, jewelry

and costume jewelry,paintings/art glass/clocks.

Schefer Antiques @703-241-0790.

Email:[email protected]

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

CLASSIFIED • CHOOSE 1 TO 6 ZONESE-mail [email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENT • CHOOSE 1 TO 6 ZONESE-mail [email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

ABCPublishing

NoticeWestwood Country ClubInc trading as WestwoodCountry Club, 800 MapleAve E., Vienna, VA 22180.The above establishmentis applying to theVIRGINIA DEPARTMENTOF ALCOHOLICBEVERAGE CONTROL(ABC) for a Wine and BeerOn and off Premiseslicense to sell or manufac-ture alcoholic beverages.James Evans, DirectorNote: Objections to theissuance of this licensemust be submitted to ABCno later than 30 days fromthe publishing date of thefirst of two required news-paper legal notices.Objections should be reg-istered atwww.abc.virginia.govor800-552-3200.

The biggestthings arealways the

easiest to dobecause there isno competition.

-William Van Horne

21 Announcements

For a free digital sub-scription to one or allof the 15 ConnectionNewspapers, go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Complete digital rep-lica of the print edition,including photos andads, delivered weeklyto your e-mail box.

Questions? E-mail:[email protected]

giving bianca a second chancemon-sat 10 am-2 pm • 703-356-1391 all are warmly welcomed...

Documents