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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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HerndonOak HillHerndonOak Hill

Citizens ConnectWith Cops

Over CoffeeNews, Page 3

Committed to PeacemakingNews, Page 3

Thumbs-Up forHospitality OutlookNews, Page 9

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Herndon Police Department Lt. Michael Berg scoops up4-month-old Lila Cannell while he speaks with her mom,Shannon Cannell, during the “Coffee with a Cop” eventat the Virginia Kitchen restaurant on Monday, March 13.

2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

A diverse group of Nysmith Schoolfor the Gifted students and teamshas recently recorded a numberof academic accomplishments.

Here are the details having to do with eachof the competitions:

❖ Nysmith’s Science Bowl team won lastweekend’s Virginia State Championship toadvance to the National Finals April 27-May1 at the National 4-H Youth ConferenceCenter outside Washington, D.C. Createdand presented by the U.S. Department ofEnergy, the nationwide event tests students’knowledge in a range of science disciplinesincluding biology, chemistry, Earth science,physics, energy and math. Coached byMaria-Theresa Dragg of Herndon, the teamincludes four eighth graders:

Captain Kaien Yang (from Chantilly),Aneesh Edara (McLean), Anuraag Kaashyap(Herndon) and Yuvy Sethi (Great Falls).

❖ Nysmith eighth grader Vance Kreiderof Herndon participated in the “You Be The

Chemist” (YBTC) local event held lastweekend at Marymount University in Ar-lington and advanced to compete in theYBTC State Challenge on April 29 in Rich-mond. The competition encourages stu-dents in grades 5-8 to explore chemistryconcepts and their real world applications.Alisha Luthra, a sixth grader from McLean,also represented Nysmith at the local con-test.

❖ Several Nysmith debaters had impres-sive showings in this past weekend’s MarchDC Urban Debate League (DCUDL) tourna-ment. Two eighth graders—Alex Misiaszekof Ashburn and Vikram Bala from GreatFalls—won the varsity level competition.Seventh graders Sarang Arun (Fairfax) andMcKenzie Hiek (Great Falls) recorded a sec-ond place finish in that same division. Thedebate topic was “Resolved: The UnitedStates should no longer pressure Israel towork toward a two-state solution to theMideast situation.”

News

Nysmith Teams Win, AdvanceIn Academic Competitions

Front Row: Aneesh Edara, Kaien Yang, and Yuvy Sethi; Back Row:Anuraag Kaashyap and team parent Fengrong Li.

Alex Misiaszek, coachMaria-Theresa Dragg,and Vikram Bala.


NewsHerndon Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Fallon Forbush

The Connection

The Herndon Police Departmentinvited the public to sit downand have a cup of coffee withofficers at the Virginia Kitchen

restaurant on Elden Street on Mondaymorning, March 13.

A handful of people, including HerndonCouncilmember Sheila Olem, took them upon their offer.

“I wanted an update about activities inthe town,” said Bill Davis, president of theFour Seasons Homeowners Association inthe town of Herndon. “I followed up onsome issues that I reported. Most of themhad been taken care of, but they’re stillworking on one of them.”

He was glad the department held theevent and hopes they do more.

This was the department’s second “Cof-fee with a Cop” event. The first one was atAmphora’s Diner Deluxe on Elden Street inMarch 2016.

“It’s about meeting with the community,”said Jane Ross, the department’s spokes-person. “There’s no agenda. It’s just achance for officers to sit with the commu-nity and talk about anything. People getto know the officers in a relaxed atmo-sphere.”

Shannon Cannell came to eat breakfastat the restaurant without knowing the de-partment was hosting the coffee hour.

“I was surprised to see the chief is a fe-male,” Cannell said. “That’s awesome.”

She walked her two youngest children —4-month-old daughter Lila and 3-year-oldson Reed — over to meet the officers.

roll out planned for next month, which issooner than expected.

“The bodycams aren’t expensive, but thestorage of the video is,” DeBoard said.

The Herndon Town Council approved$71,000 of new funding for the bodycamsin its fiscal year 2017 mid-year budget onFeb. 14.

“We wanted to really take our time,”DeBoard said.

DeBoard’s bodycam forum will be onThursday, March 30, at 7 p.m. at theHerndon Police Station.

Bodycams comingnext month.

Citizens Connect with Cops Over Coffee

Bill Davis of the town of Herndon talks with Herndon Police DepartmentChief Maggie DeBoard about his neighborhood’s concerns on behalf ofthe Four Seasons Homeowners Association. DeBoard takes notes on ayellow notepad.

Herndon Police Department Cpl. Mark Fraser listens to a family whilethey wait for their breakfast to be served: Paul Cella and son Seth Cella,9, and Jeanne Travis and her daughters Kaitlyn Travis, 10, and RachelTravis, 8.

Herndon Police Department Officer Devin Sullivan chats with Jake Geyer,19, of the town of Herndon.

“It’s good for the kids to know they’rearound and that they’re friendly,” she said.

Ross said the department hopes to growthe event and hopes more people come tobanter at the next one.

“The more interaction, the better,” shesaid.

The department is hosting its next publicforum at the end of the month, where ChiefMaggie DeBoard will address thedepartment’s deployment of body cameras.

“I expect positive reaction, but some con-cerns about how they’ll be used, whichmakes sense,” DeBoard said.

She wants people to know that thebodycams will be used responsibly.

All uniformed officers on patrol or inter-acting with the community will be requiredto wear them and will not be able to deletevideos, according to DeBoard. There will

also be an auditing process to ensure offic-ers turn them on when they are supposedto do so, she said.

“I hope people turn out so we can taketheir input and show that we’re going tohave a consistent application,” she said. “It’sfor our transparency and accountability andI want people to be comfortable that we’redoing things well and responsibly.”

DeBoard started seriously consideringbodycams for her officers two years ago anddecided that the department needed othervideo enhancements first.

Last summer, the department replaced itsinterview cameras at the police station andall its vehicle cameras. The body cameraswere the final step in the department’s videoupgrade, according to DeBoard.

A bodycam pilot program was imple-mented at the end of last year, with the full

Herndon Police Department Lt.Michael Berg scoops up 4-month-old Lila Cannell while he speakswith her mom, Shannon Cannell,during the “Coffee with a Cop”event at the Virginia Kitchen res-taurant on Monday, March 13.

Photos by Fallon Forbush/The Connection


By Tim Peterson

The Connection

Suraya Sadeed said hearing morethan 20 stories of students promot-ing peace in and out of theirschools made her believe “there is

still hope for a brighter future.”Sadeed is a native of Kabul, Afghanistan

who made a new home in the United Statesin 1982, fleeing the aftermath of the Sovietinvasion. She founded the non-governmentorganization Help the Afghan Children andis author of “Forbidden Lessons in a KabulGuesthouse.”

The former owner of a real estate com-pany, Sadeed has risked dangerous situa-tions to deliver humanitarian aid to womenand children in war-torn Afghanistan. OnSunday, March 12, she addressed highschool students from around Fairfax Countybeing honored at the Student Peace Awards.

Sadeed spoke about the importance ofpromoting peace through education, as apreventative measure against bullying, ha-tred and violence later in life.

“The cost of providing peace educationto 8 million children in Afghanistan is less,”she said, “than buying one military plane.”

The student peace awards are offered inall Fairfax County public high schools andsome private schools. Schools choose theirwinners based on their work to promotepeace as well as prevent causes of violence:poverty, discrimination and injustice.

Each of the individual or groups of stu-dents not only took action for peace, butdid so with creative, entrepreneurial energy— founding clubs, organizing charityprojects, leading training sessions or creat-ing documentary films.

Fairfax County School Board chair SandyEvans said she was deeply impressed withthe work of the students being honored atthe Stacy Sherwood Community Center inFairfax, from anti-bullying to human traf-ficking awareness to anti-genocide.

“Few goals are more important in theworld today,” Evans said, “than promotingpeace, acceptance, kindness and tolerance.”

Evans was joined in congratulating the

students by fellow board members RyanMcElveen (at-large) and Dalia Palchik(Providence).

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors vicechairman and Mason District representativePenny Gross (D) read a letter of recogni-tion from board chairman Sharon Bulovathat thanked the students for their commit-ment to peacemaking.

All the students have come together, Grossread from Bulova’s letter, “in one goal,strengthening peace and unity.”

Del. Kenneth Plum (D-36) joined theother elected officials in congratulating theaward-winners.

The 2017 Student Peace Awards of FairfaxCounty winners are as follows, bios accord-ing to the event program:Ethan Mirani, junior at the CedarLane School in Vienna

Mirani was a member of the school’s Anti-Bullying Commitee for two years andworked to grow the group as well as planactivities and keep things organized.Jasmine Howard, senior atCentreville High School

Howard organized members of theCentreville Key Club to sell 240 wristbandsfrom Guatemala, made out of leather andpieces of coconut shell with colored string,raising $1,700 in sales and donations thatwent back to the wristband artisans anddisadvantaged foreign youth.Shaan Chudasama, senior atChantilly High School

Chudasama co-founded and is vice presi-dent of Young at Art, a non-profit organiza-tion using art-related activities to improvethe quality of life of seniors, less fortunatechildren and veterans. With his sister, theother co-founder, they’ve partnered with theSpecial Olympics and Sunrise Assisted Liv-ing.Vanessas Mae Avendano, senior atFalls Church High School

Avendano is vice president of FallsChurch’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual andTransgender club and also founded FallsChurch High School United, a group of clubsunited to spread peace and acceptance. Thegroup has produced a series of videos deal-

ing with anti-bullying and giving respect.Sabah Munshi, senior at HayfieldSecondary School

Munshi helped organize a project calledWalking for Water and raised both aware-ness of the world’s water crisis and morethan $2,000 for the Tap Project by UNICEF.She has also volunteered at Virginia Hospi-tal Center in the renal unit.Surabhi Khanal, senior at HerndonHigh School

Khanal has been a member of theHerndon Leo Club and founded MedLove,Inc, a non-profit organization with the mis-sion of helping rescue women in the UnitedStates and abroad who are human traffick-ing victims. Through the Key Club, Khanaland other students also organized a benefitgala to raise awareness of local traffickingand $3,000 for combatting HIV and AIDSin her native Nepal.Naba Khan and Shafia Tala, juniorsat King Abdullah Academy inHerndon

Khan and Talat founded the organizationWomen of the World (WOW) to promotewomen’s rights and help women strugglingwith homelessness, hunger, oppression orabuse. Some of their projects include open-ing a sewing institute in Nalgona, India andfundraisers involving the whole studentbody.Jamie Hunstad, senior at LakeBraddock Secondary School

Hunstad set up a Special Olympics pro-gram at Lake Braddock, starting with a bas-ketball team and adding track and field. Shecoaches both teams, and also helped theRachel’s Challenge program find a presenceat her school. Rachel’s Challenge deals withstomping out bullying and promoting tol-erance and inclusion.Donya Momenian and ChrissieIvanova, seniors at Langley HighSchool

The two seniors co-founded a chapter ofthe Girl Up Club at Langley, growing it fromtwo to 30 members who meet bi-monthly.The national and international club empow-ers young women in education, fundraising,

advocacy and service, as well as runs de-velopment programs in Guatemala, India,Liberia, Malawi, Uganda and Ethiopia.Naomi Soquar, senior at Robert E.Lee High School

Soquar helped found a chapter of theAmnesty International Club at Lee — shecurrently serves as its president. She ledclub members and volunteers in writing let-ters against human rights violations, whichin one case contributed to two political pris-oners in the Democratic Republic of Congobeing released. Soquar also serves with GirlsLearn International, the Capital Area FoodBank and Habitat for Humanity.Sean Doyle, senior at James Madi-son High School

A member of Madison’s Amnesty Inter-national Club Doyle is coordinating activ-ism with others on such issues as abolish-ing the death penalty, reducing gun violenceand police brutality, and convincing theVienna Town Council to make Vienna a “IWelcome Refugees” town.Aidan Kemp, senior at George CMarshall High School

Kemp is the lead senior mentor for theMarshall Freshman Transition program anddoes community service work through St.Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean.Josh Leong and Sam Gollob, jun-iors at McLean High School

The two juniors created a 10-minute filmdocumenting the struggles of HermanWainggai, a human rights advocate fromWest Papua who escape political imprison-ment by taking a boat to Australia. “HermanWainggai: A Hidden Genocide” premieredat the Garifuna Indigenous Film Festival inLos Angeles in April, 2016.Yosaph Boku, senior at MountVernon High School

Boku helped create a program thatteaches disadvantaged youth and adults inhis community computer skills. The senioralso gives groups of counselors feedback,suggestions for encouraging more minor-ity students to take advantage of advanced

Student Peace Awards of Fairfax Countyreception honors activists and advocates.Committed to Peacemaking

Photos by Tim Peterson/The Connection

South Lakes senior Emily Lockwood mentors freshmen transitioning tohigh school and coaches track for children with special needs.

Herndon senior Surabhi Khanal has been a member of the Herndon LeoClub and founded MedLove, Inc, a non-profit organization with themission of helping rescue women in the United States and abroad whoare human trafficking victims.

See Peace Awards, Page 5

News


From Page 4

News

courses.Roza Al Barznji, senior atMountain View AlternativeHigh School

Al Barznji came to the UnitedStates three years ago as a refu-gee from Northern Iraq, and worksto help her classmates understandher Kurdish heritage using photog-raphy. She’s also published sevenstories about her own journey be-coming a Kurdish American, thepeople of Syria and refugees inAmerican communities, as well asmade a documentary about Ameri-can Thanksgiving traditions.Members of BlossomingBeauties at Quander RoadSchool

Young women in the Blossom-ing Beauties program work onboth becoming more well-roundedand confident, as well as carryingout school and communityprojects together. In 2016, thegroup raised money for BethanyHouse shelter for female victimsof domestic abuse; they’ve alsoalso produced fleece blankets forNew Hope Housing and their mis-sion to end homelessness. In 2017,

Peace Awards Presented

The Student Peace Awards are offered in all Fairfax County public high schools andsome private schools. Schools choose their winners based on their work to promotepeace as well as prevent causes of violence: poverty, discrimination and injustice.This year’s awards were given out March 12 at the Stacy Sherwood Community Centerin Fairfax.

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Blossoming Beauties is collaborat-ing with A Space of Her Own totarget and support fifth grade girlsavoiding delinquency.Narjes Bencheikh, senior atSouth County High School

The South County senior helpedco-found a Muslim Student Asso-ciation and International Club ather school. The 50-person MuslimStudent Association carries outrole-playing exercises and dis-cusses issues encountered in thecommunity.Emily Lockwood, senior atSouth Lakes High School

Lockwood mentors freshmentransitioning to high school andcoaches track for children withspecial needs. For a school assign-ment, she worked with the Insti-tute of Peace in Washington, D.C.,to find primary and secondarysources looking at improving stateand societal relations in Myanmar(Burma).Maiss Mohamed andDeema Alharthi, juniors atJEB Stuart High School

The Stuart juniors revitalizedtheir school’s Model United Na-tions Club and have become ac-tive with Students in Training for

Advocacy and Responsibility. Theyalso participate in Key Club, GirlsUp and Interact, and volunteerwith groups including the VirginiaCoalition of Latino Organization.Members of TJ MindsMatter, Thomas JeffersonHigh School for Scienceand Technology

The student-led group offerssupport for handling stress anddisappointment, and provides re-sources for learning how to engagewith someone in a crisis and non-crisis situation. TJ Minds Matter

hosted a Mental Wellness Week inJanuary this year, including daysdedicated to random acts of kind-ness and stomping out stigma (sur-rounding mental illness).Students with CombattingIntolerance at WestPotomac High School

The Fairfax County class Com-batting Intolerance was created in2015 — West Potomac teacherRobert Kerr molds the curriculumaround social justice topics, rac-ism, sexism, welcoming immigrantand refugee students, and advo-

cating for the rights of lesbian, gay,transgender and asexual students,staff and other people in the com-munity. The 22-member classraises money to support small lo-cal non-profits and sponsored aschool-wide Diversity Week.Rodney Wrice, senior, andAudrey Wever, junior, WestSpringfield High School

Friends Wrice and Wever starteda kindness campaign using candybars and sticky notes to encouragepositive messaging around the timeof the 2016 Presidential election.


Opinion

By U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) and

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11)

Republicans hold control of all threebranches of government, and there-fore have a responsibility to leadthe civil service that employs mil-

lions of Americans, and every American reliesupon for myriad services. The overwhelmingmajority of federal workers are hardworkingpeople who devote themselves to public ser-vice. They secure borders, keep food safe, ad-vance scientific and medical research, deliverour mail, and provide care to many of us, in-cluding our veterans.

Republican leaders have repaid this servicewith repeated attacks.

In 2013, they shut down the government asa political stunt, and came hours away fromdoing it again in 2015 at the Department ofHomeland Security. They enacted the BudgetControl Act, which ultimately led to Seques-tration, cutting the budget of every federalagency with the surgical precision of a meat-ax.

But since Republicans acquired total controlover government, their treatment of federalworkers has been beyond the pale.

On the first day of the new Congress, HouseRepublicans passed a rules package over ourloud objections containing a reinstatement ofthe Holman Rule, which would potentially al-low Congress to engage in political retributionagainst federal workers by reducing any givenemployee’s salary to $1. Only three Republi-cans opposed the measure on the floor, nonefrom Virginia or Maryland.

The Holman Rule was especially troublingin light of the new administration’s so-called“enemies list” of employees who had worked

on specific policy areas for the Obama Admin-istration, such as climate policy.

As one of his first actions, President Trumpannounced a hiring freeze for federal work-ers. This is terrible policy and a mindless ap-proach to management that dodges hard deci-sions.

The Government Accountability Office stud-ied past hiring freezes and found them “noteffective.” The government is more likely torely on overtime and contract work, which of-ten costs taxpayers more. Meanwhile, tens ofthousands of Americans have total uncertaintyin their professional lives. Agencies are unableto make efficient, long term plans, driving upcosts and hurting morale. Over time, Ameri-cans trying to manage social security benefits,travel in airports, or secure healthcare will seethe impact of this freeze when benefits are notmailed or airport security lines move muchmore slowly.

Two other classes of citizen are hit particu-larly hard: people with disabilities and veter-ans.

In 2015, due to Obama Administration ini-tiatives, 19 percent of the federalgovernment’s new hires were people with dis-abilities. The federal government has hired

109,000 people with disabilities in the pastfive years.

Veterans stand to be among those hardesthit by the hiring freeze. The Veterans Admin-istration is one of the largest federal employ-ers, but is also significantly understaffed. De-livering the care promised to those who servedin the armed forces depends on having effec-tive staff to deliver that care.

Over 30 percent of the civilian federalworkforce is made up of veterans, a numberwhich has grown consistently as agencies pri-oritized hiring vets. Many of the positions heldvacant by the hiring freeze would have goneto vets, and the progress we have made onveteran unemployment will be halted.

Contrary to this administration’s claims, thefederal workforce is dwindling as a share ofthe population. And 85 percent of federal work-ers are located outside the beltway. It is alsoaging, and over a third of the current feds willbe eligible for retirement by September. Fed-eral workers have been treated as a piggy bankby Congress for years now, their pay raisesdelayed or denied, they’ve been furloughed andhad their benefits cut. Now their morale is hitby politicians who make them a politicalpunching bag. A bill just proposed in Congresswould make all federal workers “at-will” em-ployees, exposing them to political retributionand punishment by a hostile administrationwithout recourse.

The federal workforce is not, as Mr. Trumphas said, a “swamp.” It is a group of commit-ted Americans who serve us, and they deservebetter from Congress. The Republican Party hastotal control over the levers of government.Will any of its leaders have the decency or thecourage to fight for the civil service whichserves us all?

Stop Bullying Federal Workers

ConnollyBeyer

Who PaysTaxes?To the Editor:

It is tax time again and one’sthoughts turn to the question ofjust who in America is paying thetaxes that keep our country run-ning. Who pays the expenses forthe White House and the Presi-dent as well as the security pro-tection for him and his familyhere and on their worldwidetrips? Who pays the salaries andbenefits of our elected officialsand their staffs? Who pays forour schools and libraries and forour roads and infrastructure?Who pays for police and fire pro-tection? Who pays for govern-ment agencies and for our mili-tary and our veterans? Who paysfor wars and walls and prisons?Who pays for public transporta-tion? Who pays to help stateswhen a natural disaster occurs?Who pays profitable businessesto move to our city, county or

Letters to the Editor

Preparing to combat that timeof year when, according to theNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA), nearlyone-third of all U.S. traffic deathsare caused by drunk drivers, freeLyft rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout theWashington-metropolitan areanext Friday, March 17, 2017 (St.Patrick’s Day).

Offered by the nonprofit Wash-ington Regional Alcohol Program(WRAP), the 2017 St. Patty’s DaySoberRide program will be in op-eration beginning at 4 p.m. on Fri-day, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day)and continue until 4 a.m. on Sat-urday, March 18 as a way to keeplocal roads safe from impaired

drivers during this traditionallyhigh-risk holiday.

During this 12-hour period, arearesidents celebrating with alcoholmay download Lyft to theirphones, then enter the codeSOBERRIDE in the app’s ‘Promo’section to receive their no cost (upto $ 20) safe transportation home.The SoberRide code is valid fornew and existing Lyft users.

Last year, 250 persons in theWashington-metropolitan areaused WRAP’s St. Patrick’s DaySoberRide program rather thanpossibly driving home impaired.The charity also offers itsSoberRide program on Cinco deMayo, Independence Day, Hallow-een and the winter holidays this

Free St. Patrick’s Day Lyft Rides Offered in Areayear starting on Dec. 15, 2017 andoperating through and includingNew Year’s Eve.

Lyft will provide SoberRide tripsthroughout the Washington-met-ropolitan area to local residentsage 21 and older who otherwisemay have attempted to drive homeafter drinking.

SoberRide is offered throughoutLyft’s Washington, D.C. coveragearea which includes all or parts of:the District of Columbia; the Mary-land counties of Montgomery andPrince George’s; and the NorthernVirginia counties of Arlington,Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William.

More information about WRAP’sSoberRide initiative can be foundat www.soberride.com.

state or to stop them from leav-ing? The list goes on and on andon.

Big business tries to pay as littletax as possible with the help ofloopholes or a move to another

country or both. Rich people, withthe help of tax laws, hire accoun-tants and lawyers to help them payas little tax as possible in this lifeand even when they’re dead. Heck,even our President pays no taxes

and is very proud of that fact.So, who is left to pay? The

people who can least afford it!

Rebecca HorahanMcLean

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Fallon ForbushReporter

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Ryan DunnContributing Writer

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ADVERTISING:For advertising information

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Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

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Oak Hill & Herndon


Visit our website www.soccer-academy.comor call 703-393-7961 for more details.

Summer Day and Residential Soccer CampsFor ages 5-18 in Virginia

Soccer Academy began in 1981 in NorthernVirginia with a vision to provide opportunitiesfor young players to play, learn and enjoy soccer.From 5-year olds just learning the game,to 14-year-olds dreaming of playing for the U.S.National Team, to 18-year olds preparing for acollege career, players of all abilities can benefitfrom a Soccer Academy program.

We didn’tinheritthe earthfrom ourparents.We’re bor-rowing itfrom ourchildren.

—Chief Seattle(1788-1866)Suquamish/

Duwamish chief

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

When Linda Gulyn’s sonreached high school ageand asked to quit his clari-net lessons, the Arlington

mother of four declined his request.“My son Timmy is an excellent clarinet

player. The philosophy I’ve established inmy house is that music is part of your over-all education like science or math, so youcan’t just quit,” said Gulyn, saxophonist,former music teacher and professor of psy-chology at Marymount University.

During the month of March, which is des-ignated at Music in our Schools Month,educators highlight the benefits of qualitymusic education programs. Part of a musiceducation is practice, encouraging that inchildren can be daunting for some parents.

For children who play a musical instru-ment, regular practice is not only a pathtoward proficiency, it helps establish disci-pline that is useful in other areas of onelife’s. This habit, however, must be estab-lished purposefully says John Kilkenny, as-sistant professor of music at George Mason

University. “Treat practice time like a partof child’s daily routine,” he said. “They haveto have a consistent time for practice. Forexample, they come home from school eachday, have a snack and practice for 30 min-utes.”

One key to keeping children motivatedto practice is setting goals, be they long-term or for the current practice session.“Goal-oriented practice for younger kids,like a recital to work toward, for exampleis a good motivator,” said Kilkenny. “Thebiggest thing is consistency, practicing at ornear the same time every day just like ev-erything else they do so that it becomes partof their routine.”

Adding a light-hearted element to prac-tice, which can be seen by some children aslaborious, also encourages students to prac-tice. “There should be some sense that play-ing the instrument is supposed to be funand students should … have some flexibil-ity beyond a rigid experiences,” saidKilkenny. “It shouldn’t feel like it’s a nega-tive experience.”

For parents who have trouble getting achild to start a practice session, McCoy rec-ommends trying different times of the day.

Local educators share strategies forgetting children to practice music.

Practice Makes Perfect

Fifteen-year-oldTimothy Gulynplays Christmasmusic withfellow clarinet-ists. Histeacher bringstogether all herclarinet stu-dents to per-form with eachother severaltimes a year.

Photo courtesy of

Linda Gulyn


Send announcements towww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. The deadline is noon onFriday. Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGSlave Life Exhibit. Through March

31, various times at the Sully HistoricSite, 3650 Historic Sully Way,Chantilly. $7 adults, $6 students, and$5 seniors and children age 5-15.Artifacts excavated from aroundSully’s 18th-century slave cabins.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully-historic-site/ or call 703-437-1794 for more.

Mosaic Art with Anita Damron.Mondays through April 3, 10 a.m.-1p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. All mosaicmethods taught in this class. $200 +a $50 supplies. Call 703-956-9560 orvisit www.artspaceherndon.com formore.

Ice Skating in the Pavilion 8 a.m.-11 p.m. open daily through March.College Night Skate, Rock N Skate,Cartoon Skate at the Ice SkatingPavilion Every Thursday, 6-9 p.m.;every Friday, 8-10 p.m. Skate Shop,1818 Discovery Street, Reston TownCenter. 11900 Market Street. Receive$2 off admission with valid collegeID. Live DJ & music, games & prizes;skating continues until 11 pm. Sharethe ice with Scooby-Doo, Cat in theHat and more. [email protected]/skating

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

Over-40 Softball League. A Fairfax-based league is looking for enoughplayers to form another team. Playersmust be at last 40 years of age to beeligible. All games are doubleheaders- played on Sundays at Bready Parkin Herndon between 11 a.m. and 6p.m. If interested, [email protected] for moreinformation.

“A Bird in the Hand” through spring2017 Reston Town Square Park,11990 Market Street, Reston TownCenter. See and explore PatrickDougherty’s monumental public artsculpture made from tree saplings.Presented by GRACE in collaborationwith IPAR. 703-471-9242restonarts.org

Teen and Adult Art ClassesArtSpace Herndon Every Mondayfrom 5:30-8:30 p.m. 750 CenterStreet, Herndon. Drawing and MixedMedia with Melanie Stanley - DuringFall and Winter of 2016. Cost: $45/class. The class will use a variety oftechniques for drawing, painting,mark making, and collage using finearts tools and materials. Studentswill be taken down a creative path tolearn to use drawing tools andbrushes more effectively. Register byemailing Melanie, and she will sendyou the supply list and paymentoptions/information:[email protected]. 703-956-9560. www.artspaceherndon.com.

THURSDAY/MARCH 16Farm Animals Bedtime. 7-8 p.m. at

Frying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West OxRoad, Herndon. Learn how animalssuch as cows, pigs and goats getready for some shut-eye. Bring aflashlight or lantern along, andplease dress for the weather. Call703-437-9101 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fryingpanpark/.

MARCH 17-19From the Mouths of Monsters.

Calendar

Kids’ Trout Fishing Day,Saturday, March 25 from 8a.m.–noon at Sugarland TrailStream behind the HerndonPolice Station, 397 HerndonParkway. Stream will be wellstocked with hundreds oftrout. All necessary equip-ment will be provided andTrout Unlimited memberswill help clean the fish.Registration is required.Ages 2-12. To register, re-serve a fishing rod go tobit.ly/2017TroutFishingDay.Call 703-435-6800, ext. 2106or [email protected] for more.

Pho

to

co

ntributed

Maestro Fleary and the Orchestra will perform the “WithYouth in Mind: Birds, Bees and Odditease,” show onSunday, March 19, 4 p.m at Reston Community Center,Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com for more.

On Thursday, March 23, BeverlyCosham sings cabaret favorites2:15-3:30 p.m at Reston Commu-nity Center, Hunters Woods, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.comfor more.

Photos contributedVarious times at Herndon HighSchool Auditorium, 700 BennettSt., Herndon. $5 for students,$15 for adults, appropriate forstudents in grades 7-12. Visitherndonhighschooltheatre.ticketleap.com for more.

MARCH 17-APRIL 1Emerging Visions:

Interactions. Various times atthe Greater Reston Arts Center(GRACE), 12001 Market Street,Suite 103, Reston. After viewingShih Chieh Huang: SyntheticTransformations, students wereasked to explore differentinterpretations and aspects ofinteractions. The final selectionswill be on view in the gallery.Opening reception, March 18, 6-8 p.m. Visit restonarts.org or call703-471-9242 for more.

SATURDAY/MARCH 18Family Fun Saturdays.

Throughout the day at FountainSquare, Reston Town Center,11900 Market St,, Reston.Activities include:

❖ Horse Carriage Rides noon-5 p.m.❖ Free Funnel Cakes, 1 p.m., while

supplies last❖ Meet Reston Town Center

Mascot, “Resty” the DogVisit cornerstonesva.org/rest-on, email

[email protected], or callCornerstones at 571-323-9555 formore.

St. Patrick’s Day Party. 6-9 p.m., atSt. Veronica’s Church parish hall,3460 Centreville Road, Chantilly. Afamily event that includes food,drink, sing-alongs, Irish dancers andplenty of smiling Irish eyes. Adults$7, Children $5, drinks extra. Visitwww.stveronica.net/ or call 703-773-2000 for more.

Opening Reception. 6-8 p.m. atGreater Reston Arts Center, 12001

Market St., Reston. Emerging Visions:Interactions featuring works of artcreated by Fairfax County studentsfrom Herndon, South Lakes andOakton High Schools, on exhibitthrough April 1. Visitwww.restontowncenter.com formore. Visit restonarts.org or call 703-471-9242 for more.

SUNDAY/MARCH 19Maker Faire NoVa. 11:00 a.m. until 5

p.m. at South Lakes High School andLangston Hughes Middle School,

11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston.Tech enthusiasts, inventors,entrepreneurs, educators and curiousminds. Visit nova.makerfaire.com/for more.

Opening Reception. 3-5 p.m. atArtSpace Herndon, the Art Galleryand Performance Space, 750 CenterSt., Herndon. “There’s No Place LikeHome” exhibit by members of theGreat Falls Studios, on display March14,–April 8. VisitArtSpaceHerndon.com for more.

Maestro Fleary and the Orchestra.4 p.m at Reston Community Center,Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts NeckRoad, Reston. “With Youth in Mind:Birds, Bees and Odditease” show.Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com for more.

TUESDAY/MARCH 21Design and Wine Workshop. 7-9 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. Artist RonniJolles will be teaching the techniqueshe’s developed over the past 16years called “Painting with Paper.”Call 703-956-9560 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.com formore.Runaway Home Concert. 7:15p.m. at the Folk Club of Reston-Herndon, 110 Devil’s BackboneOverlook, Stephenson. Guitar, fiddleand vocals give the group a rock-country sound. $12 Members, $13Non-members. [email protected] for more.

THURSDAY/MARCH 23Cabaret Singer. 2:15–3:30 p.m atReston Community Center, HuntersWoods, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. Beverly Cosham singscabaret favorites. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.comfor more.Sip, Shop, and Stroll. 7-9 p.m. atReston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt., Reston. Shopping event thatincludes one night only offers, gifts,and giveaways. Free. Visitwww.restontowncenter.com formore.

FRIDAY/MARCH 24Student’s Short Films. 7-9:30

p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. Nine short filmsfrom the Film and Video Studiescurriculum at George MasonUniversity. $20. Call 703-956-9560or visit www.artspaceherndon.comfor more.

Bluegrass Concert. 8 p.m. at HolyCross Lutheran Church, 1090 SterlingRoad, Herndon. Eddie’s wife Marthaadds her vocal talent to the groupand the resulting sound of this trio isa hit, whether singing or playinginstrumentals. $15 children 12 andyounger free. Call 703-435-8377 formore.

SATURDAY/MARCH 25Kids’ Trout Fishing Day. 8 a.m.–

noon at Sugarland Trail Streambehind the Herndon Police Station,397 Herndon Parkway. Stream willbe well stocked with hundreds oftrout. All necessary equipment willbe provided and Trout Unlimitedmembers will help clean the fish.Registration is required. Ages 2-12.To register, reserve a fishing rod goto bit.ly/2017TroutFishingDay. Call703-435-6800, ext. 2106 [email protected] formore. (Rescheduled from March 18)

Family Fun Saturdays. Throughoutthe day at Fountain Square, RestonTown Center, 11900 Market St,,Reston. Activities include:

❖ Mini Train Rides noon-5 p.m.❖ Caricature Artist, noon-4 p.m.❖ Free Sweet Treats, 1 p.m., while

supplies last

❖ Balloon Artist 1-4 p.m.❖ Meet Reston Town Center Mascot,

“Resty” the DogVisit cornerstonesva.org/rest-on, email

[email protected], or callCornerstones at 571-323- 9555 formore.

SUNDAY/MARCH 26Choral Symphony. 3 p.m. at the

Hylton Performing Arts Center,10960 George Mason Circle,Manassas. The Reston Chorale andthe Piedmont Symphony Orchestra,under the baton of Maestro GlennQuader, will be performingBeethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the“Choral Symphony.” Visitwww.HyltonCenter.org for more.

Women’s Choral Festival. 4-6 p.m.at the Community of Faith UnitedMethodist Church,13224 FranklinFarm Road, Herndon. Featuring theOakcrest School Girls Concert Chorusalong with piano and string quintet.Call 703-620-1977 for more.

TUESDAY/MARCH 28Reston Art Films. 7:30 p.m. at

CenterStage, Reston CommunityCenter, Hunters Woods VillageCenter, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. Watch three films by filmdirector Rebekah Wingert-Jabi, aPeabody Award recipient and Restonnative. Visit www.publicartreston.orgfor more.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 29Raul Midón Concert. 8:00 p.m. at the

CenterStage, Reston CommunityCenter, Hunters Woods, 2310 ColtsNeck Road, Reston. Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalistplaying from his ninth album,”BadAss and Blind.” $15 Reston/$20 Non-Reston.Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 1Watershed Cleanup Day. 8 a.m.–

noon at Runnymede Park, 195Herndon Parkway. Runnymede Parkand Sugarland Run watershedcleanup day and shred. Volunteersshould dress for the weather, wearboots with sturdy soles, and bringwork gloves, and there will be a freesecure document shred truck on thepremises too. Visit tinyurl.com/HerndonCleanup or call 703-435-6800 x 2014 for more.

SUNDAY/APRIL 2Tidewater Guitar Quartet. 4-6 p.m.

at ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,Herndon. Tidewater Guitar Orchestramembers John Boyles, Sam Dorsey,Todd Holcomb and Cliff Morris haverecently come together with guitars.Call 703-956-6590 for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 8Classical Ballet Theatre. 7:30 p.m.

at CenterStage at Reston CommunityCenter Hunters Woods, 2310 ColtsNeck Road, Reston. Complimentarypre-performance cocktails at 6:30p.m. Visit www.cbtnva.org or call thebox office at Box Office: 703-476-4500.

APRIL 11-13Spring Break Art Camp. 8:30 a.m.-

12:30 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. Art teacherEmily VanDeburgh will focus ondrawing, acrylic painting, and mixedmedia with an emphasis on specificstyles and master’s work. Call 703-956-6590 or [email protected] more.


bTo Highlightyour Faith

Community,Call Karen at703-917-6468

7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Sunday School: preschool - grade 2Music: grades 3 - 7

10:25 a.m. Sunday School Grades 3 to 6Music 4 years to 2nd grade

11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II5:00 p.m. Come Just as You Are Contemporary Service

Nursery care provided at 9:00 a.m. service

The Rev. John C. N. Hall, RectorThe Rev. Laura Cochran

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News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

The Northern Virginia Chamber of Com-merce gathered some heavy hitters tooffer their thoughts and answer questionsfrom a standing-room-only audience at

the “State of Hospitality Under the New Administra-tion” symposium on March 6. While they weren’tforecasting a banner year, the panelists were cau-tiously optimistic about how the local industry wouldfare under the new administration.

❖ Barry Biggar, president and ceo of Visit Fairfaxsince 2008, with tenures in similar positions for Con-vention and Visitors bureaus in Texas, Kentucky, andCalgary, Canada.

❖ Mark Carrier, senior officer with D.C.-based B.F.Saul Hospitality Group, owners and operators ofbusiness class hotels, including the Hay-Adams. Car-rier is also the current chairman of the AmericanHotel and Lodging Association, the advocacy voicefor the industry.

❖ Chris Klauda, director of Destination Researchfor STR, the company that has been providingmetrics, trend information and benchmarking for theindustry since 1985.

❖ Carroll Rheem, vice president, Research andAnalytics for Brand USA, the public-private organi-zation established by the Travel Promotion Act in2010 to promote the United States as a premier traveldestination.

THINGS HAVE BEEN LOOKING UP of late. Whilethe economic woes that began in 2008 did not hitthe region as hard as they did other parts of the coun-try, lodging had not begun experiencing any real re-turn to pre-crash prosperity — until last year, ac-cording to Biggar and his panel colleagues.

“Revenue per occupied room (RevPar) was up 5percent locally, versus 3.2 percent nationally,” saidB.F. Saul’s Carrier, who added that it “had been awhile” since the region had outperformed the coun-try in these statistics. Carrier placed the blame onsequestration and the effects of budget cuts and gov-ernment shutdown threats for keeping the DMV’shospitality sector depressed in comparison to otherU.S. markets.

Biggar concurred. “Seque-what?” is a response hesaid he has frequently received when asking peersaround the country if the mandated budget cuts hadaffected hospitality in their localities. In 2013, whenthe rest of the nation was beginning to rise from thedownturn, the negative impact of sequestrationmeant that all industry sectors and economic driv-ers in this region couldn’t keep pace.

In addition to the increases in RevPar in 2016, oc-cupancy rates have also been on the rise: “71.3 per-cent in Fairfax County are the latest figures for last

year, “again, something we haven’t enjoyed for awhile,” said Biggar.

Being a “company town” can also have its benefits,as well as its disadvantages. Carrier and Biggar bothsaw opportunities in the proposed funding increasesfor the military. Those benefits may be more largelyfelt in the southern part of the states, if monies areallocated to building new naval vessels and equip-ment, but increased support services in NorthernVirginia could also translate into additional roomnights for local lodging establishments.

The overall positive outlook of the panel memberscame with some concerns and cautions of challengesby the industry experts.

Brand USA’s Rheem noted that airline bookings,an important measuring tool used to predict lodgingtrends, were down significantly since the start of theyear.

“Vacation travel is a lot about emotion,” saidRheem. Travel bans and the perception of culturaldivides can create an atmosphere of personal inse-curity, and “security always ranks at the top of travelsurveys,” added Biggar.

Rheem has found in her research that travellersfrom Canada and Europe, “and, to no one’s real sur-prise, Mexico seem to view the new administrationthe most negatively.” More discretionary travellersfrom those places indicate that they will wait andsee how things shape up before visiting the UnitedStates, as opposed to Chinese and other Asian trav-ellers for whom politics seem less of a factor in theirtravel decisions. “In some places, we use local voicesto push our message that the U.S. is still a great placeto come to,” said Rheem.

Biggar held up an article from a newspaper inCanada that suggested its citizens also wait, “maybeas long as four years. The Grand Canyon and DisneyWorld will still be there.”

Brand USA has also found that currency rates areplaying a big role in travellers’ choices. For other thanpolitical reasons, many Canadians and others arechoosing Mexico for their sunshine holidays. “Whynot?” remarked Rheem. “Mexico is 30-40 percentcheaper, the U.S. 20-30 percent more expensive rightnow.”

BUDGET AND POLICY uncertainties add to theconcerns that hoteliers and other Northern Virginiabusinesses have when trying to assess the impact ofthe new administration on the regional economy.Reports that major cuts to agencies and programslike the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration, the Federal Emergency Management System,and even the Coast Guard, as the President seeksways to pay for the promised protective wall alongthe country’s southern border, have all local busi-ness on high alert.

Still, when asked by event moderator Jim Corcoran,the CEO of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Com-merce, if they voted “positive or negative” for the2017 hospitality outlook, all four of the panelistsultimately gave their thumbs-up.

“Of course, it’s early days,” said Biggar, “but in thelong run, Trump knows our business. He is all abouttrade. This could be a positive.”

Photo by Andrea Worker/The Connection

Jim Corcoran, (far left) CEO of the North-ern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, mod-erates a panel of industry experts at the“State of Hospitality under the New Ad-ministration” forum.

Panelists at NorthernVirginia ChamberForum discuss state ofhospitality under thenew administration.

Optimistic AboutState of theHospitality


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By KENNETH B. LOURIEA not-so-necessarily fashionable set of people

involved in the care and feeding of cats; morespecifically, the purchase, cleaning, replenishingand discarding of their leavings/litter.

At present, and going on for nearly five yearsnow, we live with five indoor cats: brothersBiscuit and Chino, siblings Andrew and Sloane,and one single female named Twinkle. Havinglost our previous cat, Smokey, prematurely tooutside effects: cancer at age 10, we decided onour next feline go ‘round, that we would not letthem out. It’s much healthier for the cat, wewere told, and so as our current brood grew, wecommitted to keeping them all inside. And insidecats, like Forrest Gump in The White House,have to go. And if their box/boxes are notcleaned and refreshed regularly, you might notbe so happy about where they do go. Therefore,to avoid the inevitable, we are extremely littercentric. Although we may not have the requisitenumber of boxes available for their disposal (theunofficial mandate is one box per cat), neverthe-less, we try to be extra busy with the task athand. After years of this arrangement, the catsand our house seem none the worse for wear.It’s not exactly a small price to pay (litter is notinexpensive and its weight sometimes makes foran awkward transport home), but there is abso-lutely no alternative.

With respect to the cats’ litter box-use andoccasional abuse, their behavior really is remark-able. Getting them to use their litter box doesn’trequire any training per se, as in house-training apuppy. In our experience, it’s simply been a mat-ter of availability and proximity, though I can’tsay for sure if unboxed residue has anything todo with location. If anything, it has to do withtheir owners negligence in providing a freshlyscooped box. All we have ever done is place thekitten in the litter box and then they seem toknow how to do the rest. Except for the cleaningof the box. They don’t exactly fend for them-selves. However, so long as the owners scoopand refill regularly, the cats are relatively lowmaintenance. The litter box remains high main-tenance though.

To secure that maintenance, there are a fewtools of the trade to consider. One is the litterscoop. Having broken numerous plastic scoopsover the years, I made a commitment (in money)years ago to an industrial strength, commercialgrade-type scoop; a metal scoop with a rubberhandle. I haven’t looked backwards since or for-wards in a store. That scoop has been indestruc-tible and has been worth every penny/dollar ofits extra cost. My advice: don’t skimp on thescoop.

As for litter boxes, size probably does matter,so far as avoiding “unpleasantness” is concerned.As to using boxes with covers (rather than thestandard open-air boxes) or moving parts,recently, for the first time in our respective 50years or so of cat ownership/accommodation, webought a box with a cover and a swinging flap,providing the cats privacy, and access to go inand out (like a doggie door) and also to controllitter spillage and to manage odors. Skeptical atfirst about the cats’ likely reaction, within a veryshort time, all five were “flapping” and “littering”without any further adieu or mess. Initially, Ithought the flap would intimidate them and thecover would crowd them. Moreover, I thoughtone or another would have a problem withsomething or other causing us to scrap the wholeproject. Amazingly, the exact opposite hastranspired.

As much of a success as the metal scooperhas been for me, I am now able to add, withoutany hesitation or reservation, that thecover/enclosed box with the plastic flap has simi-larly breathed fresh air (literally) into our multi-cat, litter box existence. There’s also a charcoalfilter in the box to absorb odors (to which we’velikely gone nose-blind). Turns out to be a win-win, when one (this one in fact), might havethought (did think) it would be a lose-lose.However, unless we remain vigilant with thescooper, this situation could certainly take a turnfor the worse.

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Bulletin Board

To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, send to connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/by noon on Friday.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 15Home Buying Basics. 7 p.m. at Reston Regional

Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Find out what every new buyer needs to knowfrom planning to financing, to shopping, toclosing. Free. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library for more.

ONGOINGExercise for Parkinson’s. Every Monday, 1:15-

2:15 p.m. Reston Sport&Health, 11445 IsaacNewton Square, Reston. This program bringstogether people impacted by Parkinson’s Diseaseto participate in various physical exercises aimedat improving posture, balance and circulationand increasing strength, muscle control andmobility. Free. [email protected] 703-621-4148.

Master Gardener Training. The Fairfax CountyMaster Gardener Association offers plant clinics,home turf training or speakers for homeowner’smeetings. Fees vary. Visit fairfaxgardening.orgor call Dora Lockwood at 401-864-4778 formore.

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

Hypothermia Prevention: An EmergencyProgram for the Homeless. To help ourvulnerable neighbors survive the winter, weprovide overnight shelter with a “no turn-away”policy at all emergency homeless shelters duringfreezing weather. Through the coldest months ofthe winter, we also provide the HypothermiaPrevention Program, a countywide communitynetwork of 45 overnight shelters. Through thisprogram last winter, our nonprofit and faith-based community partners served almost 1,000men and women with a safe, warm place tosleep. If you see someone at night who isunsheltered and you think could be at risk ofhypothermia, call the county’s non-emergencyphone line at 703-691-2131, TTY 711.

Passages Divorce Care. Tuesdays 6:45 to 9:00p.m. beginning Sept.13 through Jan 7. ViennaPresbyterian Church is located on the corner ofMaple Avenue (Rt. 123) and Park Street inVienna, Virginia. Cost to cover materials $20,scholarships available. 703-938-9050,www.viennapres.org, or send an email [email protected]

The Herndon Adult Day Health Care Centerneeds volunteers to assist with fitness activities,arts and crafts, mealtime, entertainment andmuch more. For these and other volunteer

opportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

The Northern Virginia Long Term CareOmbudsman Program needs volunteeradvocates for residents in nursing homes andassisted living facilities. Contact Lisa Callahan at703-324-5861, TTY 711 or [email protected] . Also visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/ltcombudsman/.

Submit a Nomination for Volunteerism &Community Service Awards The VirginiaGovernor’s Volunteerism and CommunityService Awards is looking to recognizeindividuals and groups whose volunteeractivities contribute to the life and welfare ofVirginia citizens. There are a variety ofcategories for both individuals as well as groupsso if you have a special volunteer in yourorganization or know of a group that should benominated, please visit the website to getstarted: http://virginiaservice.virginia.gov/volunteering/governors-volunteerism-awards/

Fairfax County needs volunteers to drive olderadults to medical appointments and wellnessprograms. For these and other volunteeropportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

Respite Care volunteers give family caregivers ofa frail older adult a well-deserved break so theycan go shopping, attend a doctor’s appointmentor just have coffee with a friend. Volunteers visitand oversee the safety of the older adult for afew hours each month. Support and training areprovided. Contact 703-324-7577, TTY 711, [email protected].

Fairfax County’s Meals on Wheels urgentlyneeds drivers in the Annandale, Franconia/Kingstowne, Reston, Mount Vernon and McLeanareas. 703-324-5406, TTY 711 orwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults.

Habitat Heroes Project. The fourth Saturday ofeach month from 10 a.m. - noon. Join theHabitat Heroes in protecting Reston’s forestsfrom aggressive plants and restoring them totheir natural state. Wear long sleeves, longpants, and if possible, gardening gloves toprotect from insects and dangerous plants. R.A.will provide tools, gloves, snacks, and water. Tovolunteer and find more information, [email protected] or 703-435-7986.

ARTSPACE HERNDON. ArtSpace Herndon needsvolunteer docents to greet guests, answer thephone and complete sales during normal galleryhours. Volunteers are also needed a few hourseach month to assist with exhibit installationand special performing arts events. Training isprovided. Flexible shifts are available. Foradditional information see our websitewww.artspaceherndon.com. Or contact us at703-956-9560, [email protected]. ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center Street, Herndon.

Prepare forSpringWith spring nearing, theFairfax County MasterGardener Association(FCMGA) is spreadinggardening news andfostering camaraderieamongst area garden-ers. The FCMGA haveset up plant clinics invarious places aroundthe county, booths at farmer’s markets and libraries, and a help desklocated at Government Center, Pennino Building (10th floor) to offerfree, unbiased, and research-based advice on selecting and caring forornamental plants, vegetables, and lawn. Residents can take advantageof in-person answers to gardening questions, plant and insect identifica-tion, soil tests, and more. For a fee of $30, FCMGA volunteers will visitthe homeowner’s property to assess the general condition of theturfgrass, survey and identify major weeds, measure the lawn area, takea soil sample and provide recommendations. FCMGA also has speakerscome out to citizens groups and HOA meetings to highlight a wide rangeof gardening topics. For exact times and locations, check out the plantclinic schedule on the FCMGA website: http://fairfaxgardening.org/plant-clinics/2017-plant-clinic-schedule.

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ABC LICENSEPoyraz, LLC trading as Anatolian Bistro, 13029

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issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later

than 30 days from the publish-ing date of the first of two required newspaper legal

notices. Objections should be registered at

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Zone 1 Ad Deadline:

Tuesday 4 p.m.

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News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

On Friday, March 10, Leader-ship Fairfax (LFI) held its an-nual Breakfast with theFairfax County Board of Su-

pervisors for the 26th time. The county’sgoverning elected officials are usually onlycaptured on film in their professional per-sonas, but this time each supervisor was an-nounced in the style of a college hoops stara la March Madness. One after the otherthey high-fived, fist-bumped and attitude-gestured with an LFI partner as they madetheir way to the dais.

There were more laughs during the “Askthe Supervisors” portion of the program,particularly when the speakers were askedto name their favorite childhood snack food.Supervisor Kathy Smith, Sully District, con-fessed to something with white bread andsugar to looks of horror from some of hercolleagues.

Moderator Casey Veatch, principal ofVeatch Commercial Real Estate, balancedhumorous interludes with serious questions.The supervisors were called upon to high-light some of the county’s successes in 2016,as well as the obstacles that were faced andthat may still lie ahead. “We’re going to getnews you can use today. No fake news here,”he said.

CHAIRMAN SHARON BULOVA rose tothe challenge of presenting a State of theCounty address in less than three minutes.The establishment of a civilian Police Re-view Panel, whose nine members were re-cently announced, was one of the year’shigh notes, according to Bulova. The panel“will act as an independent portal for resi-dents to submit concerns or complaints andwill promote further transparency in ourcommunity policing,” she said.

Bulova also spoke of the success of theDiversion First program, which kept 375people from potential arrest in 2016. Di-version First is designed to seek alternatives

to incarceration for persons with mental ill-ness or developmental disabilities whocome into contact with the criminal justicesystem for low-level offenses. “It’s the rightthing to do,” she said, “to get people assis-tance instead of jail time where possible,”and it also saves county dollars and policeresources.

After Bulova’s remarks, Veatch called fora “speed round,” with each supervisor com-menting on an important project, event, orchallenge. Some of their responses in-cluded:

❖ John Cook (Braddock) – Continuing thework of the Diversion First program.

❖ John Foust (Dranesville) – EconomicGrowth Fund. Foust supports providingstart-up and entrepreneurial funds and“maker spaces” to make Fairfax a leader indiverse economic innovation. He encour-aged everyone to read the county’s eco-

nomic success strategic plan.❖ Penny Gross (Mason) – Environmental

protection and energy efficiency are criti-cal, particularly with threatened cuts to theEnvironmental Protection Agency and simi-lar organizations.

❖ Pat Herrity (Springfield) – The grow-ing opioid abuse and deaths crisis. “It’s inyour neighbourhood. A partnership forawareness, prevention and treatment” isneeded.

❖ Cathy Hudgins (Hunter Mill) – Wash-ington Metropolitan Area Transit Author-ity (Metro) improvements. “We need to re-member that 1.1 million services were pro-vided during the Inauguration and theWomen’s March in January without inci-dent,” but there are no federal funds formaintenance and operations for Metro, al-though 45 percent of its riders are govern-ment workers. “We need everyone involved

in the funding.”❖ Jeff McKay (Lee) – “One Fairfax is one

of the most important things we’ve done.”In a joint resolution with the Fairfax CountyPublic Schools Board, the supervisorspassed the written policy that demands allpolicies and decisions be put to the test,using a “lens of equity.” “A zip code shouldn’tdetermine your potential,” McKay insisted.

❖ Kathy Smith (Sully) – Working on theFairfax County Zoning Ordinance, whichhasn’t been amended since 1978. “There areprocesses to make changes, but it takes toolong and inhibits growth.” And, she noted,“We’re getting a Wegman’s in Sully District,”

❖ Linda Smythe (Providence) – Continueefforts to revitalize communities likeMerrifield. “Has anyone been to Mosaic?That’s what can be done.”

❖ Daniel Storck (Mount Vernon) – Pro-moting public/private partnerships that arehaving significant success in his district with“gateway projects” and school innovations.

IN ADDITION to putting the Board ofSupervisors on the hot seat, this annualevent is also the time when the KatherineK. Hanley Award for Public Service is pre-sented. The award’s namesake, formerFairfax County Board Chair and Secretaryof the Commonwealth Katherine Hanley,was on hand to bestow this year’s honor onPatricia Harrison, Fairfax County deputyexecutive.

With 30 years of service in Fairfax County,Harrison, who oversees the county’s humanservices agencies and programs, “has playedan integral role in improving the lives offamilies in our community,” said co-pre-senter Rodney Lusk of the Fairfax CountyEconomic Development Authority and anLFI alum.

Leadership Fairfax offers three differ-ent educational programs: The SignatureProgram, the Emerging Leaders Instituteand the Lifetime Leaders program forthose newly retired or preparing to re-tire. See www.leadershipfairfax.org formore information.

Leadership Fairfax Hosts Breakfast with Supervisors

Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) gets into the swing of thingsduring her introduction.

A bit of attitude. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors poses aftertheir appearance at the Leadership Fairfax Breakfast with the Board.

Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection

Patricia Harrison, Fairfax County Deputy Executive, (middle) receives theKatherine K. Hanley Award for Public Service from Rodney Lusk, andaward namesake Katherine Hanley.

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