Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Herndon High To Present‘The Lion, The Witchand The Wardrobe’Entertainment, Page 10

Herndon High To Present‘The Lion, The Witchand The Wardrobe’

Transportation StrategyUpdate LaunchedNews, Page 3

Truly Cultivating CommunityNews, Page 5

Transportation StrategyUpdate LaunchedNews, Page 3

Truly Cultivating CommunityNews, Page 5

WellbeingPage 9

Herndon senior Annie Taylor, who will beusing stilts in her role of the White Witch,rehearses for the December production ofthe “Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

There will be 16 tech students working ontechnical aspects of the production which

will be produced at Herndon High.

Oak Hill ❖ HerndonOak Hill ❖ Herndon

2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Members of the Northern Vir-ginia Transportation Au-thority (NVTA) chose an ap-propriate location to an-

nounce the launch of the organization’sTransAction update efforts last week. NVTAchairman Martin Nohe, a supervisor on thePrince William County Board of Supervi-sors, and Sharon Bulova, chairman of theFairfax County Board of Supervisors and amember of the NVTA, met with other trans-portation agency representatives and mem-bers of the media in a gravel-filled construc-tion staging area alongside the interchangebetween Route 7 and the Dulles Toll Road.In the months to come, the ground theystood on will be transformed into a majorcomponent of a roadway expansion and im-provement project in the heavily traffickedarea.

IN AUGUST, NVTA began a major updateto TransAction 2040, the plans developedto address transportation in Northern Vir-ginia through the year 2040. It is the firstupdate to the plan since the passage of HB2313 by the Virginia Legislature in 2013,the bill that provided the region with a sus-tainable, dedicated revenue stream of more

than $300 million annually with which totackle the transportation problems of thenine jurisdictions that are covered by theNVTA.

Many residents in those jurisdictions don’tknow that NVTA has a comprehensive, long-range transportation strategy. A recentlycompleted survey, commissioned by theNVTA as part of the update, revealed thatonly 8 percent of Northern Virginians were

aware of the existence of TransAction. “Infact,” said Nohe, “the number may be evenlower,” since he believes that some respon-dents may have answered that they wereaware of the plan “without really knowingwhat it’s all about.” Some might not evenknow about the NVTA itself. These are twoomissions of knowledge that Nohe and theNVTA have plans to remedy.

A new, interactive website is step one of

the NVTA’s endeavor to educate the publicand will include a number of “avenues toparticipate” in the process. Both the NVTA’sweb site, www.thenovaauthority.org, andthe new site, www.NVTAtransaction.orgprovide easy-to-read documents that de-scribe and track the organization’s manyprojects, either completed, in progress, oron the books.

Next will be a major outreach campaign.NVTA staff will be heading out, armed withtablets, to “the places where people live,work, and play,” said Nohe, educating, butmore importantly, gathering input from con-stituents. The NVTA can speak with onevoice on behalf of Northern Virginians, butNohe and Bulova acknowledged that trans-portation problems and potential solutionswere not necessarily “one-size fits all” acrossPlanning District Eight, from rural portionsof Loudoun County to the congestion facedby residents of Arlington, or from Metrorailusers to drivers on the choked major arter-ies connecting the region. Input from allareas is essential to the success of any plansand critical to meeting the authority’s man-date.

THE UPDATE process is expected to lastabout two years, targeted for completionin late summer/early fall of 2017. Whenadopted, the final version of the update willbe known simply as TransAction and it willguide the NVTA’s Six Year Program, cover-ing FY2018-2023, and allocating over $1billion to multi-modal transportation im-provements during that period.

Bulova urged citizens to visit bothwebsites, to review the findings of the sur-vey and to provide feedback. “It’s my corebelief,” she said, “that a well-informed andeducated community is a well-served com-munity.”

Transportation Strategy Update LaunchedNorthern VirginiaTransportation Au-thority launches workon a six-yearTransAction program.

From left: Martin Nohe, chairman of the Northern Virginia Transporta-tion Authority, launches the update of the organization’s TransActiontransportation plans for the region with Authority member and Chair-man of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova. Dr. DeeAllsop, CEO of Heart+Mind Strategies, was available for questionsregarding the survey his company conducted for NVTA as part of theupdate process.

The Fairfax County Board of Su-pervisors presented the BarbaraVaron Award to Sidney Johnson,

Voter Services chair of the League ofWomen Voters of the Fairfax Area(LWVFA), on Nov. 17. This Award wascreated to honor Barbara Varon, whoserved as Chairman and Vice Chairmanof the Fairfax County Electoral Board. Itis awarded annually and shows appre-ciation for a county resident’s “dedica-tion to improving the communitythrough volunteer service”.

Nominees for the award must be aFairfax County resident, demonstrate anappreciation for the diversity of ourcommunity’s population and exhibit pa-triotism by participating in electoral pro-cess, educating others about the rightsand privileges of all citizens to partici-pate in electoral process, and/or partici-pating in voter registration outreach.

Johnson, in her volunteer position asVoter Service Chair for three years, has

organized and participated in many voterregistration drives as well as in a variety ofvoter outreach projects. She reached out to

a variety of diverse groups to increase voterparticipation and has been especially pas-sionate about getting underrepresented citi-

zens engaged in activities that are civic,including voting. She has coordinatedand overseen the publication of variousvoter guides such as Facts for Voters, theVoters’ Guides, and a handout that listsall issues as well as candidates on theballots.

This year Sidney organized 13 Meetand Greet Candidate Forums through-out Fairfax County, with the help of vol-unteers. These forums aimed to informthe public and give voters an opportu-nity to meet and interact with the can-didates as well as to learn their positionson the important issues. In an attemptto reach more voters, Sidney helped or-ganize the first televised Meet and Greetforums for the candidates for the Sen-ate, House of Delegates, Sheriff, Clerkof the Court, and Soil and Water Com-missioners.

—Hellen Kelly

and Peggy Knight

Voter Services Chair Recognized by Board of Supervisors

Sidney Johnson, of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area,receives the Barbara Varon Award for improving community throughvolunteer service.

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4 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Wreaths Across America Honor Local HeroesNational nonprofit Wreaths Across America is working hard to ensure no

veteran from Herndon is forgotten this holiday season and fundraising hasbegun for this year. On Dec. 12, National Wreaths Across America Day, live,balsam remembrance wreaths will be placed at the graves of fallen veterans atnearly 1,000 locations across the country and overseas. In Herndon, a remem-brance ceremony will be held at Chestnut Grove Cemetery on Saturday, Dec.12 at noon to ensure that the over 500 veterans, who served to protect freedomare not, and never will be, forgotten. The ceremony is open to all.

For the second year, the Town of Herndon in partnership with the HerndonWoman’s Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic organization, will join Wreaths AcrossAmerica to honor veterans laid to rest at Chestnut Grove Cemetery. The clubwill remember the fallen, the prisoners of war, the missing in action and honorthose who have served and are serving this great nation with a short ceremony.The goal is to place commemorative wreaths on every veteran’s grave. Volun-teers, including Girl Scouts, Eagle Scouts, and Boy Scouts from Herndon willassist with the wreath placement.

Officially established in 1872, Herndon’s Chestnut Grove Cemetery is thefinal resting place of veterans, dating back to the War of 1812.

The cemetery is located at 831 Dranesville Rd, Herndon.

Herndon Foundation for the Cultural ArtsReceives Grant

The Herndon Foundation for the Cultural Arts has been selected to receive a2016 Arts Council of Fairfax County Operating Support grant in the amount of$8,214.66. The award, which is more than double the amount the Foundationreceived in the previous year, will help support building and staff costs duringthe Foundation’s current fiscal year.

On the award, the Foundation’s Executive Director Kitt Potter said, “We havemade great strides this year to advance our visual and performing arts andeducation offerings on behalf of our local, regional and national patronage.This generous award from the Arts Council of Fairfax County is a great vote ofconfidence in our mission and accomplishments.”

For further information about upcoming art exhibits, concerts, workshopsand classes please visit www.artspaceherndon.org.

Week in HerndonNews

Herndon HSNJROTCCompetes inField Meet,RaisesAwareness forCancer

Herndon High SchoolNavy Junior ReserveOfficers Training Corps(NJROTC) cadets hostedand competed in theGeorge WashingtonUniversity Field Meet onSaturday, Oct. 17. GWUNavy ROTC midshipmenofficiated. The Herndoncadets were joined by sixother units from Virginiaand Maryland in a show ofgrueling physical fitnesscompetitions and goodsportsmanship. TheHerndon group wore brightpink shirts bearing “StingCancer” to raise awarenessfor breast cancer research.

To learn more aboutHerndon High School’sNJROTC program, visithttps://sites.google.com/a/navyjrotc.us/herndon-njrotc/.

Members of Herndon High School’s NJROTC competeagainst six other teams in a field meet on Saturday,Oct. 17

Herndon High School NJROTC cadets puts teamwork tothe test in an exercise called the Australian Trolley.

Photos contributed

Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Ken Moore

The Connection

Eleven different neighbors nominated Marioand Andrea Weber to receive the Town’sGood Neighbor Award.

“Knowing Mario and Andrea are here inHerndon gives us peace of mind,” according to neigh-bors. “Their thoughtful and genuine love for theirneighbors and the Town of Herndon are evident eachand every day.”

Barbara Glakas and Tooran Shadman from thetown’s Cultivating Community Initiative presentedthe award at Herndon’s Town Council meeting onNov. 10.

“It is easy to be a good neighbor when you live ina good neighborhood,” Mario Weber said after re-ceiving the award and hearing what the neighborssaid about him and his wife.

He and Andrea moved to Bruce Court in Herndonon Nov. 10 four years ago, the same date the awardwas given to them.

“These guys opened their arms to us,” said MarioWeber. “They are the best neighbors.”

THE NEIGHBORHOOD celebrated with the We-bers at the Town Council meeting; they said theWebers have made the neighborhood a part of theirfamily.

The Town’s Cultivating Community Initiative givesthe award annually to recognize citizens “who giveover and beyond the call of duty, to help out theirneighbors, and do things to make the neighborhooda better place to live.”

“You weren’t just nominated by one neighbor, youwere nominated by 11 neighbors. Your neighbors tellus that when you moved here a few years ago, youembraced living in the Town of Herndon,” saidGlakas.

“They tell us you always make yourselves avail-able to anyone for anyone who needs you, youbrighten everybody’s day with constant good cheer,you are true friends,” she said.

Glakas gave numerous examples of the Webersproviding help — installing windows, taking care ofpets, shoveling snow and sidewalks, helping withheavy lifting, fixing rooftops or bathrooms, invitingthe neighborhood to cookouts, and cooking a mealfor 120 people at the Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston.

“Their sense of community in unparalleled,” Glakassaid neighbors told her. “They embody all the valueswe espouse to as a community, Town and a country.”

Herndon couplereceives good neighboraward along with amountain of gratitude.

Truly Cultivating Community

Mario (white shirt) andAndrea (holding certifi-cate) Weber, surroundedby friends and membersof the Cultivating Com-munity Initiative, thevolunteer group thatproduces the GoodNeighbor Award.

Photo contributed

Trinity Presbyterian Church,651 Dranesville Road, Herndon, hasSunday worship services at 8:30 a.m.and 11 a.m. Nursery and childcareare provided and youth and adultSunday school classes are held prior,from 9:40-10:45 a.m. 703-437-5500or www.trinityherndon.org.

Vajrayogini Buddhist Center,Unitarian Universalist Church, 1625Wiehle Ave., Reston, holds weeklyclasses starting Sept. 12, Thursdays7-8:30 p.m., for the general publicwhich use Buddhist teachings topractice meditation. $12. 202-986-2257 or www.meditation-dc.org.

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church,1700 Wainwright Drive in Reston, holdsSunday services at 7:45 a.m., 9 a.m.,11:15 a.m. and contemporary service at5 p.m. Nursery, Sunday school and adulteducation available. Morning prayer onMonday at 9:30, Holy EucharistWednesday at 8:15 a.m. 703-437-6530or www.stannes-reston.org.

Adult Sunday school will be held9:30 a.m. Sundays at the WashingtonPlaza Baptist Church at Lake Anne Vil-lage Center. The group is studying theGospel of Mark. Services follow at 11a.m.

HAVEN of Northern Virginiaoffers a variety of free bereavementsupport groups, meeting on a weeklybasis. Contact 703-941-7000 orwww.havenofnova.org for schedulesand registration information.

Hope Fellowship Church willtemporarily be meeting at Woody’s GolfRange, 11801 Leesburg Pike, Herndon.Sunday worship services for the South-ern Baptist church are at 10:45 a.m. Thepublic is invited to join a Bible believing,multi-ethnic/multi-cultural congrega-tion, with Bible-based sermons anduplifting music. 703-599-3527 orwww.hopefellowshipchurchloudoun.org.

Faith Notes Faith Notes are for announcements and events in the faith community,including special holiday services. Send to reston@connectionnewspapers.com.Deadline is Thursday.

Members of the community are invited to drop offnew, unwrapped toys at the Weichert Company salesoffices through Dec. 11. The toys will be deliveredthroughout the holidays in conjunction with localcharities that assist financially and physically disad-vantaged children.

“As we get into the holiday spirit, it’s important toremember those children who are less fortunate, andto do our part to help brighten their holiday sea-son,” said Jim Weichert, president and founder ofWeichert, Realtors.

Weichert employees at the company’s corporateheadquarters, as well as in other company locationsthroughout the United States, will also participate inthe yearly community service event. To date, the an-nual toy drive has yielded hundreds of thousands ofitems for underprivileged children in the communitiesWeichert serves. Last year, more than 13,000 toys weredistributed to charitable and service organizations.

To make a donation, visit any Weichert, Realtorssales office. To find your local office, please go towww.weichert.com/offices/.

Weichert Offices Host Toy Drive

6 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

To the Editor:The League of Women Voters of

the Fairfax Area (LWVFA) com-mends the Fairfax County Board ofSupervisors (BOS) for their 2016Legislative Program that includesspecific requests in support ofqualified Virginians’ right to vote.

The Legislative Program asks for“no-excuse” absentee voting and ex-

tended polling hours; legislation tofind an appropriate balance between“maintaining integrity of elections”without interfering with the right tovote; examining effects of voter IDlaw before enacting any future voterID laws. In addition, ….“reactions atthe state and federal levels to therecent Supreme Court decision, strik-ing down Section IV of the Voting

Rights Act which eliminated the re-quirement that changes to Virginia’selection laws be ‘pre-cleared,’ shouldbe closely monitored. Additionally,the Legislative Program also requestsgreater state financial support forelection administration.”

The LWVFA also commends theBOS for their foresight in recentlypurchasing new voting machines and

in training election staff to use thembefore the 2016 Presidential election.

The LWVFA will continue tolobby for the introduction and pas-sage of bills that would increasevoter participation in elections andwould protect eligible Virginians’constitutional right to vote.

Helen KellyLeague of Women Voters of the

Fairfax Area

Board of Supervisors Promotes Right to VoteLetters to the Editor

By Joe Meyer

Executive Director & CEO

Shelter House, Inc.

What if you wake up one day in fearof your physical safety? Whatwould you do if you had absolutely

no access to any of your bank accounts? What ifyou found yourself completely isolated from yourfriends and family and had no resources? Unfor-tunately, these are the very real situations thatvictims of domestic violence find themselves inbefore they seek out support and shelter.

Shelter House, Inc. operates Fairfax County’sonly 24-hour emergency domestic violence shel-ter, Artemis House. This past year, Artemis Houseincreased its bed capacity from 34 to 42 tryingmeet the needs of the 60-100 individuals who callthe Artemis House hotline on a monthly-basis.

One recent Artemis House resident “had noaccess to the family account, credit/debit cards.[The abuser] did not even give her, as we oftensee, an ‘allowance.’ She could not even ask forfeminine hygiene products. He made all the fi-nancial decisions and still accused her of steal-ing money,” says Suzanne Pigg, director ofArtemis House.

Statistics show that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7men will experience domestic violence in theirlifetime. Chances are you either have been orknow someone who has been in a situation ofdomestic violence. And in 2015, 41 percent ofadults in families who were homeless reportedthat it was because of domestic violence. Thisis an alarming increase from 33 percent in 2014.

Because of the overlapping circumstances ofhomelessness and domestic violence, ArtemisHouse isn’t the only safe-haven for victims ofdomestic violence. Shelter House operates twoother family shelters — Katherine Hanley andPatrick Henry Family Shelters, that house anoverwhelming amount of homeless familieswho have also experienced and been affectedby domestic violence. This is an addition toShelter House’s transitional and permanentsupportive housing services — programs thatalso see a large amount of cases where fami-lies are affected by domestic violence.

Why are so many families who are homelessaffected by domestic violence? One big reason is98 percent of domestic violence cases involve fi-nancial abuse. Many families who are homelesshave experienced having an abuser control theiraccess to accounts, imposing a strict allowance

of funds or coercing them into signing documentsfor loans or leases. The ways in which financialabuse occurs varies, but is consistent threat andserves as an effective and damaging way for anabuser to keep a victim under their control.

Domestic violence, and the homelessness thatit can lead to, are not separate or isolated is-sues. They are intertwined issues that affectindividuals and families and communities. It isup to us as a community to speak out againstabusers and stand in solidarity with those whohave been victim of domestic violence and fi-nancial abuse. Part of Shelter House’s outreachefforts this year have included participating inthe Purple Purse Challenge, a national month-long awareness and fundraising campaign heldin October aimed at promoting financial em-powerment. But much like homelessness anddomestic violence, our outreach does not endin October. Help us raise awareness and makean impact by visiting www.shelterhouse.org andfind out ways you can get involved.

If you or someone you know is experiencingdomestic violence, contact the 24-hour county hotlineor Artemis House hotline to discuss: 24 hour hotline/helpline: 703- 360-7273, TTY: 703-435-1235 ArtemisHouse: 703-435-4940

Where Domestic Violence and Homelessness Meet

Opinion

By Stewart Schwartz

Coalition for Smarter Growth

We all know I-66 is a mess. Butpolitics have made it difficultto have an objective discussionabout the causes and potential

solutions. Not only did the recent election in-clude dramatic T.V. ads about tolls, the first billproposed for the coming General Assembly ses-sion would ban tolls inside the Beltway. Itssponsor favors widening all the wayto the Roosevelt Bridge in D.C. in-stead. To some that seems intuitive,but will it actually solve the problem?

At its most basic we have too many cars try-ing to use limited road space during peakhours. The traditional approach has been towiden highways – again and again, but hasmeant significant impacts on our homes, neigh-bors, parks, and our health. And “if you builtit we will come” — new highway lanes in met-ropolitan areas can fill up again in as few asfive years. In the particular case of I-66, wherewould all of the additional cars go when theyhit Constitution Avenue in D.C. or exit onto

local roads in Arlington? In contrast to the $40million for toll infrastructure, widening of I-66 could cost hundreds of millions of dollarsand lead to years of construction-related traf-fic delays.

The Governor’s proposal for variable tolling,carpools, and transit will move twice as manypeople through the corridor as today, with fargreater reliability and a minimum guaranteedspeed of 45 mph. And, unlike today, single-occupant vehicles will be able to use the high-

way in the peak direction for the firsttime, albeit by paying a variable toll.No one who is currently using thehighway for free today (HOV-2 and

above) will have to pay anything when the planis implemented in 2017. The public will alsoretain ownership of the revenues, allowingfunding for transit to carry even more people.

Outside the Beltway, the state proposes pri-vately-operated HOT (high-occupancy toll)lanes like those on I-95 and the Beltway. Un-like the two prior projects, I-66 would includefunding for more commuter express buses. Butthe new lane capacity may well lead to stillmore growth 30 miles beyond D.C. and yet

more traffic in the future.Under both Republican and Democratic ad-

ministrations, Virginia failed to evaluate thelonger-lasting benefits of a transit-first ap-proach combining Metro, Virginia RailwayExpress, and commuter express buses, withbetter land use and fixes to bottlenecks likethe Route 28/I-66 interchange. Providing morehomes closer to jobs, and creating the com-pact, walkable, mixed-use and transit-acces-sible neighborhoods that are so much in de-mand today will reduce the amount we haveto drive.

We have to think more carefully about howwe handle growth. Do we keep expandinghighways, destroying our neighborhoods andquality of life in the process? Or do we ad-dress where we build and how we design ourcommunities, in such a way that we can driveless and for shorter distances, and have ac-cess to more options like Metro, VRE and ex-press buses? This is the conversation we needto have.

Stewart Schwartz is executive director of theCoalition for Smarter Growth

www.smartergrowth.net

Politics is getting in the wayof long-term solutions.Fixing I-66

Commentary

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News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Dawn kisses the grasslands ofthe savanna. A lion roars.Long vocal cords vibrate inhis throat – back and forth,

back and forth. The cords make the airaround them move. When one molecule ofair moves, its neighbor moves – back andforth, back and forth.”

So opens award-winning author TerryCatasus Jennings’ new book, “Sounds of theSavanna.” Born in Havana, Cuba, Jenningsmoved to the United States as a teenager,ultimately becoming a Restonian aftergraduating from the University of Richmondin the fields of Maths and Physics. No won-der her books and other writings, aimed atyoung readers from kindergarten throughfifth grades, are centered on science andunderstanding the natural world around us.

Her first book, “Gopher to the Rescue! AVolcano Recovery Story,” follows the adven-tures of gopher and a variety of his wood-land animal and plant neighbors who sur-vive a volcano and then participate in thejourney to bring the seemingly “dead”mountain back to life with the routines oftheir daily lives.

On a recent drizzly Saturday afternoon,Jennings greeted visitors to the Reston’sUsed Book Shop in Washington Plaza onLake Anne with homemade cookies andread her new book to a number of young-sters – and quite a few equally enthralledadults. No matter how many times she readthe story as a new group wandered in,Jennings made each telling seem like thefirst. Her reading style soon had her listen-ers joining in, answering questions, guess-ing what came next, and relating what theyheard to an experience of their own.

MOST OF THE TIME she sat with heryoung audience on the floor, turning the

pages for all to see and sharing the story’sillustrations by Maryland artist PhyllisSaroff. “Her drawings really help bring theaction to life, like you are on the savanna,”complimented Jennings. The audienceseemed to agree as they studied the draw-ings on each page before moving on to thenext.

In “Sounds of the Savanna,” the authoreducates on a number of topics, from themechanics of animal vocalization and theway in which animals use sounds to com-municate, to the cycle of life performed bypredator and prey. Not all of the creaturesbetween the pages survive, but the gentleway in which Jennings explains how that

cycle is necessary for the survival of all thespecies keeps the story from falling into a“Bambi”-type tearfest. “You feel sorry forthem, you know, the ones who don’t makeit,” said 10-year-old Tommy McKeon fromNew Jersey who was visiting cousin KaceyBanga in Reston. “But it’s the food chain,and you need it to keep all of them.”

Jennings is already at work on anotherbook for publication in 2016. Titled “Mag-netic Magic,” the book will feature a youngfemale character that Jennings says willappear in other adventures in the future andit will center on “I bet you can guess,” shelaughed. Even the youngest of her audiencehad no trouble shouting out “magnets!”

JENNINGS adds interesting facts and evenexperiments and research projects at theend of her books, and additional teacherresources for both “Gopher” and “Sounds”are available on her website atwww.terrycjennings.com.She is a much sought after speaker andappears at schools, libraries, conferences,and even zoos! In addition to her books,she has written for The Washington Postand Ranger Rick and contributes to theScience and Technology for Children Con-cepts series.

“Sounds of the Savanna” is available atthe Reston’s Used Book Shop and on Ama-zon, both in hardcover and Kindle editions.

Tatum and John-Michael Lyons help author Terry Catasus Jennings makesome faces to try and imitate the vocalizations described in Jennings’new book “Sounds of the Savanna.” Wonder which animal looks likethat when it “speaks?”

It wasn’t just the youngsters who enjoyed a reading by local authorTerry Catasus Jennings (left). Restonian Pat McDonnell stopped by tovisit her friend and check out the recently published book.

Reston Author Shares New Book“

Just waiting for the next reader to wander by atReston’s Used Book Shop and pick up “Sounds of theSavanna.” Aimed at readers from kindergarten to fifthgrade, the story is a fun learning lesson for all ages.

From left — Tommy McKeon, 10, TerryCatasus Jennings and Kacey Banga, 9, enjoy areading of Jennings’ new book “Sounds of theSavanna” at Reston’s Used Book Shop at LakeAnne. Kacey and her cousin Tommy came inand were initially attracted by the homemadecookies that Jennings had brought with her,but soon found themselves engaged in thestory, answering questions and guessing whatwas coming next as the pages were turned.

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The Connection

Just after 7:30 on a recent Sundaymorning, the steady beat of ColdPlay’s “Viva la Vida” pulsedthrough the warm, sleepy air. In

the back of the dim room, lit only by a lav-ender florescent strobe, were four womenperched on stationary exercise bikes. At thecommand of the instructor, they stood upon the pedals, leaned in to the space in frontof them and started to climb a virtual hill.

“If these classes and our workouts weren’tfun it’d be hard to get motivated, especiallythis early in the morning,” said JenniferHenry, one of the women.

The women, all friends, are taking an earlymorning spin class in an effort to achieve acommon goal: to stay in shape and fend offweight gain during the holidays. They’veformed what they refer to as a holiday fit-ness team. During the days between Thanks-giving and New Year's Day, the averageAmerican will pack on at least an extrapound that they won’t shed, according tothe New England Journal of Medicine.

So seeking out like-minded people andforming a support group with the goal ofstaying motivated, disciplined and account-able when it comes to health and fitness is

an effective weapon in the war on holidaybulge. The group concept is a fitness trendthat becomes more useful during the sea-son of indulgence, say experts.

“Working out in groups offers camarade-rie and accountability,” said Paul Raker,YMCA Alexandria, Virginia, which offereda “Find Your 150” program aimed at encour-aging healthy eating and at least 150 min-utes of cardio exercise each week. “Whatyou’ll find is that people are more likely toshow up [for exercise] when they have afriend or small community as opposed tothe person who tries to do it on their own.”

Henry says her group has created a sched-ule that, in addition to their Sunday morn-ing spin class, will include a once-weeklypower walk at 8 o’clock in the evening, aweekly standing appointment with a trainerand an early morning bike ride. While theysay that it is unlikely that each woman willmake all of the sessions during the entireholiday season, they hope that having aroad map will keep them on track. “If wedidn’t have any sort of plan, our groupwould totally fall by the wayside,” she said.“We’re making it as convenient for ourselvesas possible to make sure we stick with it.”

Before developing a schedule, there needsto be an acceptance by group members thatthe season will likely have an impact on

one’s diet and ability to exercise, saidBethesda, Maryland-based Kate Heller, acertified personal trainer and CrossFittrainer.

“Even if you find yourself missing aZumba class or with less time to spend atthe gym, it’s still important to make exer-cise a priority,” she said. “If you are overscheduled and can’t get in a full workout,set aside time to at least do something tobreak a sweat and get your heart rate up.”

Heller suggests maintaining a schedule bysetting a calendar or smartphone reminderas you would for a doctor’s appointment.Planning early morning workouts, like thoseof Henry’s group, can head off schedulingconflicts.

“No one will have an office holiday partyor meeting scheduled for 5 a.m.,” saidLauren Blumenthal, an Arlington-basedwellness coach. “Even a short cardio rou-tine that gets your heart rate up and boostsyour metabolism can help you feel healthierduring the rest of the day.”

Meeting a group of friends to plow thougha Crossfit workout DVD or having pool ofbuddies to source when looking for health-ful recipes that will hold up against calo-rie-laden holiday fare is another benefit ofgroup fitness. “We found that when we of-fered nutrition seminars and then had a

potluck dinner where all of the group mem-bers prepared and brought a healthy dish,it was a great way to benefit from sharedknowledge,” said Raker.

When an evening holiday party is on yourcalendar and the temptation of heavychocolate Yule logs and rum-spiked eggnoglurk in the subconscious, meal skipping toconserve calories should not be part of thehealth plan, says Sarah Leonard, an Oakton-based dietitian.

“You’ll be ravenous by the evening andready to eat everything in sight,” she said.“If you know you’ll be in a situation whereyou’re tempted to eat rich and unhealthyfood, eat small, vitamin-packed bitesthroughout the day. Try half of an avocadowith a tomato or celery with a teaspoon ofpeanut butter. These are vitamin-packedand have good fat, so they’re filling.”

The group should acknowledge that theholiday season will be filled with merrimentand temptations to indulge, and it’s ok toyield to those desires with caution, saysBlumenthal. “The goal of a fitness groupshouldn’t be to lose 10 pounds before theNew Year. That’s too restrictive and unreal-istic and could backfire,” she said. “Focus onnot gaining any weight and on maintainingany fitness achievements you’ve acquired thisyear, like increased endurance.”

Support groups help members maintainfitness during the season of indulgence.Merry and Fit

Wellbeing

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10 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Calendar

See Calendar, Page 11

By Ryan Dunn

The Connection

Since September, stu-dents at HerndonHigh School Theatrehave been preparing

an action-packed presentationof C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, theWitch and the Wardrobe.” Thisdramatization will delight au-diences young and old with astory of love, courage and faith.It is also the school’s first pro-duction directed by HerndonHigh’s new drama teacher,Morganne Davis. Davis replacestheatre director Zoë Dillard,who has retired. “I think Ms.Davis has brought a new ele-ment to the production,” saidsenior Melanie Simpson, whoplays the Unicorn.

Davis has a background as aprofessional actor and theatreartist. “I am thrilled to havefound a community as vibrantas Herndon High School(HHS). I am overwhelmed bythe support and excitementfrom the parents, students, fel-low faculty and staff members,administrators and the commu-nity at large…My goals for theprogram are to give students asafe and welcoming space inwhich they can discover them-selves as theater artists. I aimto continue to expand and ques-tion their idea of what theateris, as well as enrich theHerndon High School commu-nity by providing meaningfuland relevant theatrical experi-

ences,” said Davis.“The Lion, the Witch and the

Wardrobe” is a fantasy novel pub-lished in 1950. It was the first ofseven novels in The Chronicles ofNarnia and one of C.S. Lewis’ bestknown books. Most of the novel isset in Narnia, a land of talkinganimals and mythical creatures.“This is one the more tech heavyshows I have been in,” said seniorAnnie Taylor, who will be usingstilts in her role of the WhiteWitch. There will be 16 tech stu-dents working on technical aspectsof the production. Although theproduction has many elements in-cluding duels and narrow escapes,it will not be entered into theCappies (Critics and Awards Pro-gram) competition.

HHS senior Nathan Burns wholast year portrayed Peter Pan playsPeter Pevensie, eldest of four sib-lings who journey into Narnia. “Wemiss Ms. Dillard, but now we areexploring new acting techniquessuch as American realism andmethod acting… I think it is go-ing to be an awesome show,” saidBurns. “Ms. Davis has been a bighelp, be prepared for a lot of sur-prises,” said senior RobinMcGrath, who has the role of LucyPevensie. Playing Susan Pevensieis Jessie Jorgensen, and cast asEdmund is Ryan Muha.

PARENTS AND FAMILIES canlook forward to seeing how theNarnia world will be brought tolife. “One of the hardest things wasgetting some of the physical mo-tion down for animal characters,”

said sophomore Hannah Overton,who plays the White Stag. Theplay features fight scenes, soundeffects, as well as a puppet for thecharacter Aslan, voiced by seniorThomas Phelps. Three guest art-ists from the professional D.C. the-ater scene have worked on thisproduction with the students:Rachel Hynes was the movementcoach; Joshua Rosenblum led thestudents in puppet design and con-struction; and Megan Behm cho-reographed the battle scenes. Con-struction team leader ChrisOverton and other volunteershelped prepare the sets for theproduction.

Davis has supported partneringthe Herndon Theatre programwith community programs. The

first partnership is with localnonprofit Cornerstones.“We are bringing their afterschool programs to see LionWitch Wardrobe to exposethose students to the theater-going experience and will bepartnering with them on theirwinter Talent Show,” said Davis.

“For my first show, I wantedto choose a show that is fam-ily-friendly and that fits our sea-son theme of Self-Discovery,”said Davis. Through their expe-riences in Narnia, the Pevensiechildren become mature andresponsible leaders. “Our pro-duction contains a lot of excit-ing elements such as puppetry,stilt walking, exciting stagecombat, but it is strongly rootedin this idea of discovering andliving up to our full potential,”said Davis.

Ticket prices are $10 for re-served tickets and $12 for tick-ets sold at the door and not onthe reservation list. Shows willbe Dec. 3 through Dec. 6 atHerndon High.

OTHER UPCOMINGHerndon High events includethe Saturday, Dec. 5 HerndonTree Lighting at downtownHerndon which is open to thepublic, and the Dec. 14 winterperformance of the HHS Choirprogram at the school audito-rium. Herndon High School willhave a Holiday Vendor Sale onSaturday, Dec. 12, 8 a.m.-1:30p.m. The event will be a morn-ing of shopping, and a silentauction. For more informationon Herndon High Drama visitwww.herndondrama.org.

Send announcements to herndon@connectionnewspapers.com. The deadlineis the Friday prior to the following week’spaper. Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGEthereal and Natural Reactions.

Through Sunday, Dec. 6. ArtSpaceHerndon, 750 Center St., Herndon.Ethereal is series of abstract,contemporary art paintings by artistAnne Cherubim. In Natural Reaction,sculptor Brian Kirk reshapes andtwists steel into new forms usingblacksmithing techniques that focuson the beauty of rust as a surfacetreatment. Free. http://www.artspaceherndon.com/ethereal-and-natural-reaction. 703-956-6590.

Seussical the Musical. Dec. 4-20.Times vary by performance. NextStopTheatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive,Herndon. Bring the whole familyalong for this musical spectacularfeaturing all your favorite Dr. Seusscharacters! The cast of Seussicalfeatures local young actors in 3rdthrough 11th grades. $25. 866-811-4111.boxoffice@nextstoptheatre.org.

Gingerbread Village at HyattRegency Reston. Saturday, Dec. 5through Thursday, Dec. 31. TheHyatt Gingerbread Village is aholiday tradition presented annuallysince the hotel’s opening in 1990.The sweet, whimsical, classic holidayvillage scene is on display in themain lobby. reston.hyatt.com.

Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides.Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19. 4-9p.m. Departures on Market Street infront of Talbots at Reston TownCenter. $5 per person; children 5 andunder ride free. All proceeds benefitlocal charities.www.restontowncenter.com/holidays.

Mini-Train Rides. Sundays, Dec. 6,13, 20. Noon-4 p.m. Pick up onMarket Street in front of Talbots atReston Town Center. Donatedproceeds benefit local charities.www.restontowncenter.com/holidays.

Holiday Gift Wrapping. Dec. 19-22,Noon-6 p.m. Dec. 23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. HyattRegency Reston, 1800 Presidents St.,Reston. Gifts will be beautifullywrapped while you shop or work,same-day service. Donations benefit22,000 needy kids with schoolsupplies. Presented by Kids R Firstwith support from the Hyatt Regencyand Appalachian Spring.kidsrfirst.org.appalachianspring.com.

Rebecca Kamen: Continuum. Dec.1-Feb. 13. Greater Reston ArtsCenter, 12001 Market St., Suite 103,Reston. Kamen. Informed by researchinto cosmology, neuroscience, historyof science, and philosophy, Kamen’sabstract sculptures and paintingsconnect common threads acrossvarious scientific fields to captureand re-imagine what scientists see.restonarts.org. 703-471-9242.

Reston Town Center Ice SkatingPavilion – 2015-2016 Season.November through March. Opendaily. 11900 Market Street, Reston.For more information on rates,rentals and schedules, call 703-709-6300 or visitskating@restontowncenter.com.

Portrait and Figure Painting withJordan Xu. Wednesdays, Nov. 4-Dec. 23. 7-10 p.m. ArtSpaceHerndon, 750 Center Street,Herndon. Come and learn how topaint portraits and figures in oil,acrylic or pastel from a live model. Inthis class you will gain theknowledge of basic painting conceptsand techniques such as value, colortemperature, composition andtransition. Step-by-step instructionswill take you through the entire

New drama teacher brings Narnia to Herndon.

Herndon High To Present ‘The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe’

Herndon High students rehearse for the Decemberproduction of C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and theWardrobe.” Lewis dedicated the book to his goddaugh-ter Lucy Barfield. Most of the play is set in Narnia, aland of talking animals and mythical creatures.

Herndon senior Annie Taylor, who will be using stilts inher role of the White Witch, rehearses for the Decem-ber production of the “Lion, the Witch and the Ward-robe.” There will be 16 tech students working ontechnical aspects of the production which will beproduced at Herndon High.

Herndon High’s new dramateacher, Morganne Davis,replaces theatre director ZoëDillard, who has retired.From Dec. 3 through Dec. 6,the Herndon drama class isshowing a production of C.S.Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witchand the Wardrobe.”

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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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. James Papile, RectorThe Rev. Laura Cochran

703-437-6530www.stannes-reston.org

1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston

ST. ANNE’SEPISCOPALCHURCH • Reston

Welcoming, Diverse, Progressive COMMUNITIES

OF WORSHIP

From Page 10

Calendar

process of a painting. Fee: $250.Registration required at http://www.artspaceherndon.com/portrait-and-figure-painting-with-jordan-xu/.For more information, call 703-956-6590.

Community Performances.December through the holidayseason. 11900 Market Street, Reston.Street performances of music anddance performed by a variety of localgroups. For more information andschedules, visit http://www.restontowncenter.com.

THURSDAY/DEC. 3Community Holiday

Performances. 6:30 p.m. FountainSquare, 11900 Market St., Reston.Musical performances by communitygroup from Sunrise ValleyElementary.

Adrien Duke. 7-10 p.m. CafeMontmartre, Lake Anne VillageCenter, 1625 Washington Plaza N,Reston. New Orleans blues, classicsoul, Americana music. 703-904-8080. www.cafemontmartre.com.

THURSDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 3-6Narnia at Herndon High School.

7:30-9:45 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m.Herndon High School, 700 BennettSt., Herndon. CS Lewis’ “The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe,”dramatized by Joseph Robinette.$10, $12. 703-401-0428.www.herndondrama.org.

SATURDAY/DEC. 5Jingle on Lake Anne. 8 a.m.-6:30

p.m. Lake Anne Plaza (Waterfront),1609 Washington Plaza, Reston.Variety of festive activities rangingfrom the ever popular special visitfrom Santa (arriving on a lakebarge), strolling carolers, music, winetastings, merchant specials, children’scrafts, cookie and ornamentdecorating, holiday arts and craftsmarket, holiday entertainment andmuch more. Santa arrives at noon.Tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. Free.www.lakeanneplaza.com.

The Wonder of the Season:Around the World. 4:30 and 7:30p.m. Reston Community Center, 213Colts Neck Road, Reston. Celebratethe holidays with beloved carols fromaround the globe, plus DanielPinkham’s Christmas Cantata,featuring the Washington SymphonicBrass Quintet. Adults/$25, Seniors/$20, Military/Free and Youth 17 andunder/Free (with adult/seniorticketholder).www.restonchorale.org.

Alternative Gift Market. 10 a.m.-2p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church ofReston, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston.The 2015 Alternative Gift Market andCraft Fair offers more than 60 giftopportunities from nearly 30 localand international organizations.Details and a complete list ofavailable gifts can be found at http://www.uureston.org/agm. Free.

The Larry Stephenson Band. 7:30p.m. Holy Cross Lutheran Church,1090 Sterling Road, Herndon.Bluegrass vocalist with one of thefinest high tenor voices in thebusness. He has been entertainingfolks for well over two decades withthe very best in traditional bluegrassand bluegrass gospel music. His bandhas also been a multi-award winninggroup over the years and theharmonies they attain are absolutelystellar. $15. Free to children 12 andunder. For information or to reserve703-435-8377.

SUNDAY/DEC. 6Holiday Arts and Crafts Show. 10

a.m.-4 p.m. Herndon CommunityCenter, 814 Ferndale Avenue,Herndon. A variety of handcrafted

items and fine art will be on saleincluding wreaths, quilts, jewelry,Christmas ornaments, decorations,original artwork, photography,stained glass and more. Visitwww.herndon-va.gov.

Holiday Caroling in the Closet. 4-6p.m. The Closet, 845 Station St.,Herndon. Listen to carolers, shop,

enjoy free hot chocolate and cookies,and more. Santa will pose forpictures with kids of all ages. Pleasejoin the fun and bring a canned orboxed nonperishable food item tosupport the Western Fairfax ChristianMinistries Food Bank. Free.www.theclosetofgreaterherndon.org.www.dranesville.org.

Photo contributed

Seussical the Musical will be at the NextStop Theatre inHerndon from Dec. 4-20. Bring the whole family for themusical spectacular.

ArtSpace Herndon is invitingthe public to the New Year’s Evecelebrations for children andadults on Dec. 31.

From 2-4 p.m., parents willcelebrate the New Year withtheir children ages 5 to 12 atthe Children’s Crafts and DanceWorkshop led by one of theregion’s most celebrated youthart and dance instructors -Acoatzin Torres. This two—hour program includes a funscarf design crafts workshopalong with Acoatzin’s popularBollywood, Latin and Americanfolkloric dance lessons. The costis only $5 per child and includescomplimentary cocoa andsnacks. Children should wearold clothes because the craftactivity involves fabric dyes.

Children must be accompaniedby an adult.

For the adults, ArtSpaceHerndon is happy to announcethe return of Herbie D and theDangermen - back by populardemand, for the annual NewYear’s Eve Celebration. Dancethe night away to traditionaland New Orleans jump blueswhile enjoying complimentaryhors d’oeuvres, soft drinks anda champagne toast at midnight.The donations for wine and beerwill be accepted. The celebra-tion is from 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.and tickets are only $25/person.

Both events are expected tosell out fast, so be sure to re-serve your seats early by visit-ing ArtSpaceHerndon.org orcalling 703-956-6590.

ArtSpace Herndon to HostNew Year’s Eve Celebrations

Photo contributed

Herbie D and the Dangermen return for the annualNew Year’s Eve Celebration at ArtSpace Herndon.

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DECEMBER12/16/2015..............A+ Camps & Schools; Holiday

Entertainment & Gifts Pages12/23/2015.....Special Issue – Safe for the Holidays12/30/2015............................Children’s ConnectionJANUARY1/6/2016...............Wellbeing, Renewal, Resolutions1/13/2016...........................................HomeLifeStyleMartin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 181/20/2016................................A+ Camps & Schools1/27/2016.....................................Community Guide1/27/2016.........................Winter Fun, Food, Arts &

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12 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Herndon Boys’Basketball toHost W-L

The Herndon boys’ basketball teamwill host Washington-Lee at 7:15 p.m. onWednesday, Dec. 2 as part of a five con-secutive home games to start the 2015-16 season.

The Hornets hosted Fauquier on Mon-day, after The Connection’s deadline.

Herndon finished 16-10 last seasonand reached the Conference 5 champi-onship game, where the Hornets lost toeventual state runner-up Westfield.Herndon reached the regionquarterfinals, losing to Battlefield.

Herndon, led by head coach Gary Hall,will host rival South Lakes on Friday, Dec.11.

Herndon Girls’Basketball BeatsDominion

The Herndon girls’ basketball team

opened the 2015-16 season with a 47-36victory over Dominion on Nov. 30.

Herndon’s Indeya Sanders finished with16 points, six rebounds, five assists, foursteals, according to the school’s athleticsWeb site. Shawnice Gresham had nine

points, eight rebounds, two blocks and twosteals.

The Hornets, led by head coach CorneliusSnead, will host Yorktown at 5:45 p.m.onWednesday, Dec. 2.

South Lakes to HostRAL Tournament

The South Lakes boys’ basketball teamwill host the Readers are Leaders Tip OffThursday and Friday, Dec. 4-5.

The Seahawks will face Robinson at 7:30p.m. on Thursday and will take on Arch-bishop Carroll at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

South Lakes finished 16-9 last seasonunder head coach Andrew Duggan andreached the region quarterfinals.

The Seahawks will travel to face rivalHerndon on Dec. 11.

South Lakes Girlsto FaceWest Springfield

The South Lakes girls’ basketball teamwill travel to take on perennial powerWest Springfield at 7 p.m. on Monday,Dec. 7.

The Seahawks faced Westfield on Tues-day, after The Connection’s deadline.

South Lakes is led by head coachChristy Winters Scott.

Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

Head coach Gary Hall and the Herndon boys’ basketball team will hostWashington-Lee on Wednesday.

Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Langley girls’ basketball coachAmanda Baker said her team ex-ceeded expectations last seasonafter the Saxons won 21 games,

reached the Conference 6 tournament finaland advanced to the region quarterfinals.

This year, Langley has its sights set onbringing home some hardware.

“Our primary goal this year,” Baker wrotein an email, “is to position ourselves to com-pete for championships this postseason.”

Langley hasn’t won a conference/districtchampionship since 1988.

Langley graduated just one starter froma team that won 17 of its first 18 gameslast year, including a victory against even-tual region runner-up Madison. The Sax-ons split their two regular-season meetingswith the Warhawks before losing to Madi-son 32-28 in the conference championshipgame.

Defense was Langley’s calling card lastyear. The Saxons allowed an average of 36points per contest, and held opponents to40 or fewer points in 16 of 26 games.

“Defense will always be a huge focus ofthe program,” Baker said. “We have spent alot of time already on making sure our de-fensive principles are sound. We expect thatwe will continue to improve on it each week

and play with a great dealof pride all season.”

While defense remains afocus for Langley, the Sax-ons are also looking to im-prove at the offensive end.Senior guard Paige Galianiled the team in scoring as ajunior, averaging 16 pointsper game while knockingdown 60 3-pointers andshooting 80 percent fromthe free-throw line. Galiani’s19 points accounted formore than half of Langley’soffensive production duringthe Saxons’ season-ending47-37 loss to West Spring-field in the regional tourna-ment.

“We expect Paige to haveher best season this year asa senior,” Baker wrote. “Sheput in a tremendousamount of time thisoffseason working on newways to score and on howto be an even more effec-tive playmaker. Paige hasreally stepped up her lead-ership role this year, beingmore vocal and being ahuge source of energy thatthe team feeds off of.”

Several Saxons appearready to pick up the scoringslack, including sophomore point guardJordyn Callaghan, who enters her secondvarsity season.

“Jordyn has always been a steady ball

handler and distributor,” Baker wrote, “butthis year we will be looking for her to bemore aggressive in looking for her own scor-ing opportunities."

Junior guard/forward Ariana Aulisi andsenior guard Lizzy Shamloo are also ex-pected to be key contributors.

“Ariana Aulisi and Lizzy Shamloo are bothpositioned to have really strong seasons thisyear,” Baker wrote. “Ari, entering her jun-ior season, is a matchup nightmare andLizzy is playing her best basketball at thestart of her senior season. Both players lookvery confident and will round out a bal-anced scoring attack.”

Galiani, Callaghan, Aulisi, Shamloo andsenior center Stephanie Sipple compose theprojected starting five.

“We lost several role players who broughtenergy to the floor and off the bench,”Galiani wrote in an email. “However, I be-lieve that the skill has improved all aroundas many players were training hard in theoffseason. In order to be better than lastyear we need players to step up to fill thosemotivating roles. …”

Langley opened the season on Tuesdayagainst Osbourn, after The Connection’sdeadline. The Saxons will travel to faceEdison at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Saxons graduated onestarter from team thatwon 21 games.

Langley Girls’ Basketball in Search of Championships“Our primary goalthis year is to positionourselves to competefor championshipsthis postseason.”

— Langley girls’ basketballcoach Amanda Baker via email

Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

Paige Galiani was the Langley girls’ basketballteam’s leading scorer last season.

Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

Environmental Quality of Life

By Ken Moore

The Connection

Flooding will rise in concern inFairfax County as a result of cli-mate change, warned Stella Koch,chairperson of the county’s Envi-

ronmental Quality Advisory Council.“We want the county to develop policies

on development and redevelopment in ar-eas that are vulnerable to sea rise,” she said.“We’ve all seen increased flooding in partsof the county and that will only increaseover time. We ask the county to take a fo-cused look.”

Preparing for flooding could involvelevees, berms and changes in land use, ac-cording to the report. Fairfax County wouldbe impacted in a number of locations, butespecially in the Belle Haven/New Alexan-dria area of Mount Vernon, along the tidalPotomac River.

Providence Supervisor Linda Smyth wantsthe county to find a solution to recyclingglass, which is not currently being recycled,according to the report.

“People really appreciate recycling andglass is something you can recycle forever,”said Smyth. “This is causing our whole re-cycling ability not to work the way we wantit to.”

According to the report: “The majority ofrecyclables collected in Fairfax County aredelivered to third-party material processors

that sort, purify and package targetrecyclables for resale. As a result, some col-lected recyclables do not ultimately go tomarket, due to contamination or the ab-sence of a willing buyer. For example, suchis currently the case for glass, for whichnone of the processors used by county col-lectors are actually recycling this material;

it is currently considered a discard at arearecycling plants and is shipped elsewherefor disposal.”

“Has our solid waste ever looked into aseparate program for recycling of glass?”asked Smyth.

“We have this discussion frequently be-cause it is not simple,” said Koch. “We’reworking on it.”

THESE ARE JUST TWO issues raised inthe 512-page annual report on the environ-ment, which the Board of Supervisors ap-proved at its Nov. 17 meeting beforeThanksgiving.

The nine chapters of EQAC’s annual re-port on the environment present thecounty’s vision on topics ranging from deermanagement, light pollution, stormwater,recycling and more.

“I always use your report, your annualreport as a model and an example of ourbeing able to track our progress on our en-vironmental agenda and making sure thingsdon’t fall off our radar screen,” said Chair-man Sharon Bulova. She said having envi-ronment vision is a way “to make sure westay on top of the recommendations and thethings we have committed to do,” saidBulova.

Koch recommended increased funding inwatershed and environmental improvementprograms, as well as funding two positions,an ecologist in the park authority and awildlife management specialist.

“Most of those projects are cost effective,and they actually save the county moneyover time,” said Koch.

“Funding for the additional wildlife spe-cialist would be really needed,” she said.

She asked the Board “to continue to sup-port the environmental projects that youhave established.These programs are impor-tant if we are to maintain the high qualityof life we have in Fairfax County and thehigh standards we have set for ourselves.We note that for Fairfax County residents,quality of life is not just about good schoolsand jobs but also about having a clean andhealthy environment in which to live andrecreate.”

Supervisor Jeff McKay asked that EQACkeep monitoring advancing technology andmethods to be used to control the white-tailed deer population.

“Obviously controlling the deer popula-tion is critical to the natural environment,”said McKay.

SUPERVISOR Cathy Hudgins asked if thecounty could find the proper balance be-tween light pollution and creating pedes-trian friendly environments especially intransit areas.

“We’ve made some progress in terms ofaddressing light pollution and recognizingthat the urban settings that we have requirea given amount of light for pedestrians,”said Hudgins. “Our desire is to be a non-polluting environment but one that is pe-destrian friendly.”

“We’ll be happy to get back to you,” saidKoch. “We like our homework assignments,because they help us focus.”

See http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/eqac/report2015/.

Advisory Council issues 512-page vision forcounty environmental policy.

The cover of the county’s annualreport on the state of the environ-ment features Scotts Run, inMcLean.

Weapon Law Offenses - Nov. 20, 13000block Worldgate Drive. Officers re-sponded for a report of gunshots in theparking garage of the Worldgate Center.Officers found evidence that a firearmhad been discharged in the area. No in-juries were reported. This case is cur-rently under investigation.

BURGLARY – Residential - Nov. 20,1200 block Magnolia Lane. Officers re-sponded for a report of a burglary froma residence. A witness reported seeingthe suspects, described as two Hispanicmales between 18 and 22 years of age,running from the residence. The investi-gation determined entry was madethrough a back door. Items valued at$400.00 were taken from the residence,no damage was reported.

Nov. 16, 10:44 a.m. Larceny-All Other,13000 Worldgate Drive

Nov. 16, 11:15 a.m. Fraud-Fraud byImpersonation, 2200 Westcourt Lane

Nov. 19, 10:33 p.m. Drug/Narcotic Vio-lation, 13000 Worldgate Drive

Nov. 20, 4:03 p.m. Weapon Law Of-fenses, 13000 Worldgate Drive

Nov. 21, 12:37 p.m. Drunkenness (dip),900 Herndon Parkway

Nov. 16, 1:57 a.m. Drug/Narcotic Viola-tion, 600 Dulles Park Court

Nov. 17, 10:41 p.m. Assault-Simple, 1200Elden St.

Nov. 19, 4:42 p.m. Larceny-Shoplifting,1200 Elden St.

Nov. 20, 12:01 p.m. Burglary-Residential,1200 Magnolia Lane

Nov. 21, 12:41 a.m. Disorderly Conduct,1000 Elden St.

Nov. 22, 5:12 p.m. Drunkenness (DIP),1000 Alabama Drive

Nov. 17, 9:34 p.m. Drunkenness (DIP),900 Elden St./Sterling Road

Nov. 18, 9:29 a.m. Destruction of Prop-erty, 1000 Sterling Road

Nov. 19, 6:22 p.m. Assault-Intimidation,800 Ferndale Ave.

Nov. 21, 1:58 a.m. Driving Under the In-fluence, 1300 Summerfield Drive

Nov. 22, 1:35 a.m. Drug/Narcotic Viola-tion, 800 Ferndale Ave./Bike Terrace

Nov. 17, 7:40 p.m. Larceny-Shoplifting,400 Elden St.

Nov. 17, 8:52 p.m. Larceny-Shoplifting,100 Elden St.

Nov. 18, 6:45 p.m. Trespass - Banned, 400Elden St.

Nov. 18, 8:08 p.m. Larceny-Shoplifting,600 Post Drive

Nov. 20, 1:41 a.m. Drunkenness (DIP),200 Elden St.

Nov. 16, Midnight. Fraud-False Pretenses,800 Colvin Court

Nov. 17, 11:03 p.m. Assault-Simple, 500Fillmore St.

Nov. 18, 12:28 p.m. Fraud-False Pre-tenses, 800 Grace St.

Nov. 20, 9:12 p.m. Destruction of Prop-erty, 700 Elden St.

Nov. 21, 8:31 a.m. Fraud-Credit Card/ATM, 600 Worchester St.

ARRESTSArrests may be related to incidents listed

above/or previous incidentsNov. 16, Pornography/Obscene Material,

67 MNov. 16, Drug/Narcotic Violation, 30 MNov. 19, All Other Larceny, 30 MNov. 18, All Other Larceny, 30 MNov. 17, Drunkenness, 27 MNov. 17, Assault, Simple, 26 MNov. 21, Disorderly Conduct, 42 MNov. 21, Driving Under The Influence, 26

F

Nov. 21, Drunkenness, 24 MNov. 20, Drunkenness, 34 MNov. 22, Drug/narcotic Violation, 24

M

TRAFFICDWI/Driving Under the Influence, 3No Operators License, 8DOS/Driving While Suspended, 3All Other Traffic Summonses, 86Total of all summonses for the week,

97There were eight (8) reported traffic

accidents in town during the week.

SEEKING INFORMATIONThe Town of Herndon Police Depart-

ment is seeking the public’s assistancefor information. On Nov. 1, a female wasassaulted as she was walking on thesidewalk in the area of Magnolia Laneand Alabama Drive. The assault oc-curred between 5:45 a.m. and 6 a.m.by a male suspect. The male is describedas five feet nine inches to six feet tallwith a medium build. If you have anyinformation that may help solve thiscase, please contact Detective KevinNuckolls at 703-435-6886. Please ref-erence case #2015-04805.

Notable incidents from Nov. 16-22Herndon Crime Reports

14 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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SlipperyHope

As much as I want to believe that therewill be no adverse cancer/health conse-quences to my recent decision to extendmy chemotherapy infusion from threeweeks to four, the truth is: no one knows,really, and it’s that unknown more than theknown that really scares me. And by“known,” I suppose I mean experience, asin the last nearly seven years of chemo-therapy every three weeks (save for a yearor so when I was not infusing but insteadtaking two Tarceva pills per day). There’ssomething to be said for routine – at leastin my mind, anyway. But routine might notbe the best methodology for treating can-cer. In fact, in my experience, it’s the can-cer that dictates the terms and conditions,not the patient or the patient’s preferencefor routine.

It’s not as if the cancer is in control, butit’s certainly calling the shots. And as muchas being proactive is an intelligent strategyto fend off the evil spirits, the fact of thewhat’s-the-matter in the cancer-preven-tion/cancer-treatment world is that we’remostly reacting. As soon as my scans indi-cate tumor growth or movement – or fluidincrease – changes, or not, in protocols aresuggested; and with my/the patient’sapproval, off we go into the wild blue yon-der of doing something different than wehad most recently been accustomed to,and not being at all sure what will happenbecause of it. And again, the presumptivesolution is not continuing treatment justbecause you’ve become “accustomed” toits side effects; the reality is, one’s pros-pects hang in the balance, and sincechange is not simply for the heck of it, butrather for the necessity of it, the guaran-tee/expectation that continued success liesahead is likely the exception.

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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 ❖ 15www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/

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The Vienna/Oakton ConnectionThe McLean ConnectionThe Great Falls Connection

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

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:goinggreen@connectionnewspapers.com

To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, send to north@connectionnewspapers.com bythe Friday prior to the following week’s paper.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 2Legal Committee Meeting. 6-8 p.m. Reston

Association, Conference Center, 12001 SunriseValley Drive, Reston. Reston Association’s LegalCommittee is responsible for recommending tothe Board of Directors proposed enforcementactions, the imposition of sanctions and thefiling of legal proceedings. 703-435-6530.

New and Prospective Member Orientation.8-10 a.m. Greater Reston Chamber ofCommerce, 1886 Metro Center Drive, Suite 230,Reston. New to the chamber? Interested injoining? The Greater Reston Chamber ofCommerce invites your business to get engagedin our thriving community and the center forfuture business growth. Meet the chamber staffand learn from committee participants on howmembership benefits both nonprofit and for-profit companies of all sizes. Free. Registrationat http://www.restonchamber.org/events.

2015 Tax Planning Seminar. 7 p.m. RestonRegional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. CPA Dan Gilliland will offer taxplanning strategies to help you reduce your2015 taxes. For both individual taxpayers andsmall business owners. Register for this event atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/.

InnovateHER Reston. 6-10 p.m. South LakesHigh School-Lecture Hall, 11400 South LakesDrive, Reston. InnovateHER Reston is the initialround of the national InnovateHER Challengepresented by the SBA in partnership withMicrosoft. The SBA is

looking for innovative products and services thathelp impact and empower the lives of womenand families. The top 10 finalists ofInnovateHER Reston will receive theopportunity to pitch live to our panel of judgeson Wednesday, Dec. 2. Free.www.InnovateHERreston.com.

THURSDAY/DEC.3Coffee and Contracting: GovCon

Networking. 8-9:30 a.m. Greater RestonChamber of Commerce, 1886 Metro CenterDrive, Suite 230, Reston. Join the GreaterReston Chamber of Commerce and DempseyFontana, PLLC for Coffee and Contracting, aninformal networking breakfast for governmentcontractors with guest speakers Kevin Boshearsof the U.S. Department of Homeland Securityand Jim Fontana of Dempsey Fontana. Cost:$10/member; $20/future member. Registrationat http://www.restonchamber.org/events.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 4-6Reston Lions Club Annual Citrus Sale.

Friday, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Sunday, 8 a.m.-noon. All proceeds benefit sightand hearing programs and other club charities.Eyeglasses and hearing aids accepted forrecycling at sales site. www.RestonLions.org.

TUESDAY/DEC. 855+ Advisory Committee. 2-3:30 p.m. Reston

Association, Conference Center, 12001 SunriseValley Drive, Reston. The 55+ AdvisoryCommittee is charged with developing andimplementing programs to benefit Reston’ssenior adults. We are looking for new ideas andfresh perspectives. Give something back to yourcommunity by sharing your talents and ideas.703-435-6530.

TUESDAYS/DEC. 8, 15Design Review Board Meeting. 7-9 p.m.

Reston Association, Conference Center, 12001Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. The Design ReviewBoard (DRB) is responsible for reviewing alladditions and alterations to many different typesof Reston properties. To assist in the reviewprocess, the DRB develops Design Guidelinesand review procedures, and establishes designstandards for clusters. 703-435-6530.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 9Covenants Committee Meeting. 6:30-9 p.m.

Reston Association, Conference Center, 12001Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. The CovenantsCommittee is responsible for administering theUse and Maintenance Covenants set forth in theReston Deed of Dedication. In doing so, the

Committee considers and decides violations inaccordance with adopted procedures that arefound by staff or other Association Members,develops Use and Maintenance Standards, andconsiders requests for temporary exceptionpermits. 703-435-6530.

Business Education Series Workshop. 8:30-10 a.m. Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce,1886 Metro Center Drive, Suite 230, Reston.Discover how to fill your pipeline with qualifiedleads just by improving how you network! Inthis discussion, James Lawson, Co-Founder &Marketing Strategist of Impact BusinessSolutions LLC., will show you exactly how tocreate a simple, yet effective, networkingstrategy and system. Cost: free/member; $15/future member. Registration at http://www.restonchamber.org/events.

League of Women Voters Program. 7:30-9p.m. Hunter Mill District Community Room B.,1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston. “Money inPolitics” will be the topic. Free. Open to all. 202-263-1311. www.lwv-fairfax.org.

Ready, Set, Buy: Preparing for a SpringHome Purchase Webinar. Noon-1 p.m. Ifyou’re thinking of purchasing your first homeyou’re probably wondering, am I really ready tomake such an important investment? Attend thisfree webinar to learn the home buying basicsyou’ll need to get ready, get set, and buy.Offered by Northwest Federal Credit Union inHerndon. Register at www.nwfcu.org. Click onUpcoming Events.

THURSDAY/DEC. 10Workshop: Preparing Your Home For

Winter. 6:30-8 p.m. Reston Association,Conference Center, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive,Reston. Contractors will provide information onwinterizing the home, home inspections, etc.Free. Comments, questions, and RSVP’s,covenantsworkshops@reston.org.

MONDAY/DEC. 14Rabbi Jonah Pesner. 8-9 p.m. Northern Virginia

Hebrew Congregation, 1441 Wiehle Ave.,Reston. Discussion by Pesner, director of theReligious Action Center of Reform Judaism,entitled “American Judaism and EconomicJustice.” Free. 703-437-7733.

THURSDAY/DEC. 17Board of Directors Meeting. 6-10 p.m. Reston

Association, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston.Community members are encouraged to join inand contribute their ideas, comments andsuggestions. Monthly meeting of the Board ofDirectors where formal action is taken on policyissues pertinent to the association. 703-435-6530.

TUESDAY/DEC. 22Inova Blood Drive. Noon-7 p.m. Beside the

Pavilion at Reston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt., Reston. Schedule appointments at 866-256-6372 or inova.org/donateblood. On-siteregistration.

ONGOINGFree Support Group for Parents with

Children with Autism. Saturdays at 10-11a.m. 462 Herndon Parkway, Suite 202,Herndon.

Blanket and Children’s Winter Coat Drive.Nov 7-Dec. 5. Region-wide effort to help morethan 4 million refugees fleeing from Syria andIraq due to ISIL and civil war violence. Gentlyused blankets and children’s winter coats will becollected at various locations throughoutNorthern Virginia and will be shipped torefugees who have fled to Turkey.www.helpsyrianrefugees.us

Food Addicts in Recovery. Wednesdays at 7p.m. at The Vine Church, 2501 Gallows Road,Dunn Loring. Are you having trouble controllingthe way you eat? Food Addicts in RecoveryAnonymous (FA) is a free 12 step recoveryprogram for anyone suffering from foodobsession, overeating, under-eating or bulimia.For more information or a list of additionalmeetings throughout the U.S. and the world, call781-932-6300 or www.foodaddicts.org.

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.

Bulletin Board

16 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ December 2-8, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com