‘the phantom of the opera’connectionarchives.com/pdf/2018/041818/chantilly.pdf · ·...

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com April 18-24, 2018

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Two Sides to Two and a Half CentsNews, Page 3

‘The Phantom Of the Opera’

News, Page 4

John Henry Stamper and

Molly Van Trees star in Westfield

High’s “Phantom of the Opera.”

2 ❖ Chantilly Connection ❖ April 18-24, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Chantilly Connection ❖ April 18-24, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Vote on Budget, Page 10

News

See Their

Own Words,

Page 10

By Ken Moore

James Parmelee was the seventhspeaker before the Board of Su-pervisors on the proposed budget.Following school personnel,

county employees and a speaker from thePTA, Parmelee was the first to oppose theproposed real estate tax increase.

“I figured somebody in the room shouldtry to speak for the average taxpayer,” saidParmelee, a perennial opponent of taxes,when he gave his opinion of the proposedbudget on the first of three days of publiccomment.

More than 150 speakers testified, 158signed up to speak, during the three daysthe Board of Supervisors allotted to hearfrom the public on the FY 2019 budget andproposed tax rate. The public commentslasted more than 11 hours and 20 minutes.

Advocates voiced passion on topics rang-ing from the environment, health and hu-man services, people with disabilities andwho are aging, early childhood education,fire and rescue services, pay for public safetypersonnel, the opioid epidemic, affordablehousing, diversity, mental health treatment,school bonds and capital improvements, thetriple A bond rating, the arts, libraries, com-petitive pay for teachers, and more.

But the issue for the board to decide onMay 1 is whether to support County Execu-tive Bryan Hill’s proposed budget includ-ing a two and a half cent real estate taxincrease. The board can accept the real es-tate tax increase or vote for a smalleramount but can not raiseHill’s suggested increase.

“When the voters inFairfax County have hadan opportunity to vote ontax increases, you sawwhat happened lasttime,” said Parmelee.“The voters of FairfaxCounty, on the very sameday that they overwhelm-ingly voted for HillaryClinton, they also over-whelming voted againstthe tax hike.”

If the Board of Supervisors were to adoptthe full two and a half cent tax rate increase,it would amount to an additional $268 onthe average homeowner’s annual tax bill.

Only four speakers, and approximately 21minutes, divided Parmelee from speaker No.12, Kimberly Adams, of Clifton.

“Aa a mother, taxpayer and employee herein Fairfax County, my life and livelihood are

impacted by every budget that this countryadopts,” said Adams.

“We have to remember that we are pre-paring the future for more than 185,000students each year. I would encourage theschool system to go under a similar lines ofbusiness review that the county has gonethrough,” said Adams, who suggested thatsavings from collaboration between schools

and the county could beidentified.

“If at the end of thatexercise, savings are notidentified, then we mustmove forward in a re-sponsible manner thatmay mean raising taxesonce more or looking forpossible alternatives toproperty taxes that wehave found to be so elu-sive here in the county,”said Adams.

THE PROPOSED $4.29-BILLION bud-get would transfer 54 percent of the totalto the school system to fully fund FCPS’sbudget request. It would also fund pay in-creases for teachers and county employees.

Adams spoke for many others when sheaddressed quality of life.

“Like so many here, I am happy to haveamazing schools, fire and rescue profession-

als, human services, parks and librarieswithin my reach. It is why my family liveshere,” she said, in the three minutes givento each individual speaker.

“All residents deserve an equitable oppor-tunity to succeed if they work hard, butfamilies that cannot afford homes in thisarea are a growing group. Many familiesare working hard but there are not enoughgood-paying jobs, not enough affordablecare options, and certainly not enough af-fordable homes in this area. … I appreciateit when you spend my tax dollars to sup-port many who live in need alongside thoseof us who are doing well. We are FairfaxCounty and the people who live here wantan inclusive and welcoming community forall.”

BECAUSE OF VIRGINIA LAW, FairfaxCounty depends almost entirely on real es-tate taxes for revenue, putting a burden onhomeowners in particular, whose increas-ing property values don’t always demon-strate an ability to pay more.

“For nearly 20 years, this board has beenraising real estate taxes two or three timesfaster than household income,” said ArthurPurves, of Vienna.

“This goes on year after year,” said CharlesMcAndrew, of Oak Hill.

Phil Niedzielski-Eichner is the Providence

Two Sides to Two and a Half CentsSupervisors to voteon proposed budget,possible real estatetax increase onMay 1.

Enrique Carrero, Fairfax County employee standing with many unionmembers, says that as a millenial, he cares very much about retirementbenefits.

James Parmelee,Centreville

Arthur Purves,Vienna

Phil Niedzielski-Eichner, Oakton

“We are FairfaxCounty and thepeople who live herewant an inclusiveand welcomingcommunity for all.”

— Kimberly Adams, Clifton

Their Own Words,A Glimpse

Kofi Annan,Fairfax CountyNAACP

“Fairfax County’sdemographics are rap-idly changing as youknow. It is becomingincreasingly diverse,and with thesechanges often come aunique set of chal-lenges.

“The county’s rev-enue outlook is themost promising it’sbeen in years. How-ever the rate ofrevenue increase is not reflected in the rate of in-vestment in the poor and working classcommunities. The low income Fairfax residents, adisproportionate amount of whom are minorities,will not automatically benefit from the improvedeconomy. Thousands will remain reliant on low-wage service sector jobs and many will not receivepay increases. Many of them will not be able to pro-vide for their kids with pre-K education or haveaccess to affordable housing. Therefore, we requestthat the county direct greater attention and re-sources to serving the needs of the less fortunateamong us.”

Annan expressed concern that the county isunderfunding Pre-K education for needy families.

“This opportunity gap eventually turns into anachievement gap, and that widens over time.

“Fairfax County NAACP calls on the county tocommit the resources to enroll at least 300 addi-tional kids into Pre-K in 2019 budget and devise along-term plan to fund at least 2,000 over the nextfive years.

“Expand access to affordable housing. Many lowincome residents will not be able to afford to livein Fairfax County. Many of these families willspend up to half or more of their annual budget”on housing.

“For the past few years, 40 percent of police useof force has been directed toward African Ameri-cans, who only make up about 10 percent of thecounty.

“And for the past few years, we have been ask-ing the county to fund an outside organization toconduct a study to determine the causes of this dis-parity, so we can begin the process of reversing thattrend.”

Helen Kelly,Herndon, Leagueof Women Voters

“We support thenew property tax ratebecause we believe itgives you more flex-ibility in meetingunexpected chal-lenges and weapplaud your in-creased contributionsto the reserve funds tosatisfy the bond ratingagencies. As taxpayerswe appreciate your ef-forts to the county’striple A rating.” Kelly supported Diversion First,gang prevention, the opioid task force, the SouthCounty police station and the Office of Elections.

Dale Stein,president, McLeanCitizens Associa-tion

“MCA is concernedabout the context ofthe increases inspending and the ap-parent lack of costsavings. MCA feelsthat each budget

Kofi Annan,Fairfax CountyNAACP

Helen Kelly,Herndon, Leagueof Women Voters

Dale Stein,McLean CitizensAssociation


News

By Bonnie Hobbs

Featuring a cast and crew of nearly60, “The Phantom of the Opera”— one of the most revered Broad-way musicals of all time — will

soon grace the Westfield High stage. It’s theschool’s Cappies show, and Director RachelHarrington says it’s something that “willmesmerize the whole family.”

“‘Phantom’ has been performed for 30years now and has only recently been al-lowed to be performed by high-school stu-dents,” she said. “Its intriguing charactersand beautiful orchestration make it standout. We have a lot of really talented kids inour theater, band and choral programs, andI thought, ‘If not now, when?’”

The curtain rises Friday-Saturday, April27-28, and May 4-5, at 7 p.m., and Sunday,April 29, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 at thedoor and $10 viawww.westfieldtheatre.com

Westfield band and orchestra studentscomprise the 27-piece pit orchestra. “Themusic is complex, but they and the actorsare doing a really good job of taking onsomething advanced beyond their years,”said Harrington. “We transformed our spaceinto a French opera house with baroque styl-ing and intricate design. The scenes takeplace in and around the opera house or inthe phantom’s lair — which is dark andscary, with a rocky terrain.”

“The audience will love the beauty of themusic and the heartwarming story of anunrequited love,” she continued. “They’llalso appreciate all the technical prowess thestudents have brought to the stage. And wehave amazing voices — some of the best inFairfax County. The students are highlytrained and have worked on this show along time to get it where it needs to be.”

Portraying the phantom is sophomoreJohn Henry Stamper. “People think he’s aninsane sociopath, but all he wants is affec-tion because he’s never had it in his life,”said Stamper. “He’s had a facial deformityfrom birth, which has always made him aoutcast. He doesn’t understand social cues,so he can come off as creepy.”

The story takes place in late 1800s France,where the phantom is obsessed and infatu-ated with Christine, a ballet dancer in thetheater company. He lives under the operahouse and has given her voice lessonsthrough the walls. “But he doesn’t knowhow to show her what she means to him,so he comes off as smooth, seductive andpredatory,” said Stamper. “To others, he’scoarse and mean and they’re scared of him.And to the opera company, a whole mys-tery surrounds him.”

Saying he’s both excited and nervousabout it, Stamper enjoys his role because“The phantom is such a complex and dy-

namic character. The music is complicated,but also phenomenal. And I like how he’sthe protagonist, but also the bad guy — anantihero, and something I’ve never donebefore. But once I put on the facial defor-mity, I really get into character. Our headof makeup, senior Kaili Fox, made a moldof my face and created the prosthetic fromthere. And the mask I wear — which isiconic in musical theater — is awesome,too.”

Stamper’s favorite song is “Down OnceMore” because it’s when the love trianglebetween the phantom, Christine and herchildhood friend Raoul comes to a head.And they’re all singing about their feelingsat the same time.

He said the audience will be impressedwith the set design and the music performedby the pit orchestra. “It’s breathtaking be-cause the songs are full, orchestra pieces,complete with violas, cellos and horns,” saidStamper. “And the set has a grand staircaseand golden box seats. The entrance to thephantom’s lair is through a mirror inChristine’s dressing room, and the phantomsings to her through it and also emergesthrough it when he first comes onstage.”

Senior Molly Van Trees plays ChristineDaae. “She’s tentative, reserved and scaredbecause she’s had to deal with the loss ofher father,” said Van Trees. “In the begin-ning, she’s nervous; but in the second act,she’s more courageous and sure of herself.The phantom takes notice of her, but shedoesn’t know who he is. She thinks he’s theangel of music, sent by her dead father soshe can learn more about music.”

Van Trees says it’s the most challengingrole she’s ever played because “vocally, it’sso demanding, and my character is a littleodd. But ‘Phantom’ has always been my fa-vorite play, and Christine, my dream role,

so I’m very honored, excited and privilegedto get to do it.”

She especially likes the number, “NotesPart II,” sung by an ensemble with the maincharacters. “It’s the second time that every-one has received letters from the phantom,”she said. “And what’s cool is that you get tosee a different side of Christine — it’s thefirst time she stands up for herself.”

“It’s such a classic show; and becausewe’re a younger cast, we’re bringing a dif-ferent energy to it,” continued Van Trees.“We have a very talented ensemble,everyone’s working hard to make this agreat show and all that work has paid off.”

Portraying Piangi, the opera house’s leadtenor and sidekick of the lead soprano,Carlotta, is sophomore Alan Gutierrez-Urista. (He’s also Stamper’s understudy).“Piangi’s a male diva who thinkseverything’s about him,” said Gutierrez-Urista. “He puts himself first, except aroundCarlotta. He’s an Italian tenor, so hestruggles with the lyrics’ dialect in theirshow and is hard to work with.”

Gutierrez-Urista loves his part because“Piangi is kooky, funny and conceited.” Andit also makes him stretch because he singsreally high notes, including high C — which,he says, is “tough for a male. It’s a hard showvocally because of the difficult music. Butonce our cast puts it all together, it soundsglorious, as if we were an actual opera com-pany. This is my dream show because it wasthe first show I saw that made me want todo musical theater for the rest of my life.”

His favorite song is the overture at thestart. “It’s powerful and its theme comes outof nowhere,” he said. “And it lets the audi-ence know this is a dramatic show. At theend, they’ll be in tears because of the wayit intensifies and pulls at their heartstrings.They’ll like every aspect — the costumes,

set, dances, songs and story. Every part isspecial, and it’s going to be jaw-dropping.”

Gutierrez-Urista also designed the cos-tumes and is hand-beading the phantom’scape. In keeping with the period, womenwear long, extravagant gowns, and the menwear suits and tailcoats. In addition, theopera members wear Greek-soldier cos-tumes for the show they’re performing. Thephantom wears a suit, cape, feathered hatand iconic half-mask; and during a mas-querade ball, the guests are in elaboratecostumes and masks.

“I started designing in early Decemberand like seeing my drawings on paper cometo life,” said Gutierrez-Urista. “I was nameddesigner after winning second place in theVTA [Virginia Theater Association] cos-tume-design competition in October.” Jun-ior Annabelle Lassiter helped organize theexecution of all the costumes.

Senior Gene Kim plays the opera’s richpatron and Christine’s childhood friend,Raoul. “When he sees her onstage andmeets with her again, he falls in love withher,” said Kim. “He doesn’t believe the phan-tom is real, but sees that Christine’s dis-turbed by him, so he provides comfort andsupport for her. He’s caring, confident andbold.”

Calling Raoul “a big character in a bigshow,” Kim said it’s new for him to portraya love interest and someone giving strengthto the main character, but he likes expand-ing his acting abilities. He also enjoys sing-ing “Prima Donna” because of its “beauti-ful harmonies plus conflicting melodies”while the opera members coax Carlotta toperform. Overall, he said, “This productionexplores the whole range of emotions —joy, laughter, rage, sadness and love. Andlots of intense moments will keep the audi-ence at the edge of their seats.”

Westfield Highpresents “The Phantomof the Opera.”

‘Breathtaking Music and Complex Characters’

Rehearsing a scene are (from left) Braeden Anderson, Lauren Levine, John Henry Stamper, Molly Van Trees,Lilly Whitman and Colin Brown.

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TJHSST Admissions Statistics for Class of 2022Applicants Percent Admitted Percent

Reduced Fee or 336 10.6% 7 1.4%Waived Fee Paid

GENDERMale 1,683 53.3% 278 57.3%Female 1,477 46.7% 207 42.7%Total 3,160 485

ETHNICWhite 870 27.5% 111 22.9%Black 220 7.0% 10 2.1%Hispanic 276 8.7% 23 4.7%Asian 1,633 51.7% 316 65.2%Multiracial/Other* 161 5.0% 25 5.2%Total 3,160 485

SCHOOL TYPEPublic 2,996 94.8% 460 94.8%Private/Home 164 5.2% 25 5.2%Total 3,160 485

* This category includes students who checked “Multiracial” on their application and/or studentswhose ethnic designation numbered ten or fewer.

News

Fairfax County Public Schools(FCPS) has offered admission to485 students for the Class of 2022at Thomas Jefferson High School

for Science and Technology (TJHSST).A total of 3,160 students applied for ad-

mission.❖ White students made up 870, or 27.5

percent of the applicants, and 111, or 22.9percent of accepted students.

❖ Black students made up 220, or 7.0 per-cent of applicants, but only 10 black stu-dents were admitted, making up 2.1 per-cent of the incoming class.

❖ Latino students made up 276, or 8.7percent of applicants; 23 Latino studentswere 4.7 percent of the incoming class.

❖ Poor students made up 336, 10.6 per-cent of applicants, with seven students whoreceive subsidized meals admitted, for 1.4percent of the incoming class. About 28percent of Fairfax County Public School stu-dents, or more than 51,000 students qualifyfor Free or Reduced Meals, a measure ofsignificant poverty.

❖ Asian students made up 1,633, or 51.7percent of the applicants and 316, or morethan 65 percent of the incoming class.

Approximately 71.9 percent of the stu-

dents offered admission reside in FairfaxCounty and 28.1 percent are from Arling-ton, Loudoun, and Prince William countiesand the City of Falls Church.

Approximately 94.8 percent of studentsoffered admission are currently attendingpublic schools.

Established in 1985, TJHSST is agovernor’s school offering a comprehensivecollege preparatory program emphasizingthe sciences, mathematics, and technology,and is often cited in rankings as the top highschool in the country.

Specialized technical laboratories, includ-ing a technological computational center,enhance the academic curriculum and pro-vide students with experience in state-of-the-art technology, opportunities for inde-pendent research and experimentation, andinteraction with professionals from the sci-entific, technological, engineering, and in-dustrial communities.

The selection process for admittance toTJHSST involves a holistic review of eachcandidate’s semifinalist essay, teacher rec-ommendations, and student-authored infor-mation sheet, as well as consideration ofgrades and test scores on the admissionsexamination. A summer round of admis-

Crash ImpactsBoth DirectionsOf I-66

Virginia State Police responded tocrashes in both directions of Interstate66 at the 57 mile marker in FairfaxCounty.

At 3:33 p.m., Wednesday, April 11,a tractor-trailer traveling east on I-66ran off the left side of the interstateand struck the cement Jersey wall.The impact of the crash sent pieces ofthe cement wall into the westboundlanes of I-66 causing a box truck andat least one passenger vehicle to crash.

One driver was transported to InovaFair Oaks Hospital for treatment ofnon-life threatening injuries.

The crashes remain under investi-gation.

The following incidents were reported by the FairOaks District Police Station.

ALCOHOL ENFORCEMENTOfficers from the Fair Oaks District’s Neighbor-

hood Patrol Unit (NPU) and Traffic Safety ServicesUnit conducted business compliance checks at 12businesses in the Fair Oaks District. Eleven busi-nesses were found to be in compliance anddeclined the sale of alcohol to our cadets. GiantFood at 13043 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway wascited for completing a sale.

APRIL 16LARCENIES4500 block of Andes Drive, credit cards from

vehicle9300 block of Branch Side Lane, airbag from

vehicle11900 block of Fair Oaks Shopping Center, mer-

chandise from business11600 block of Monument Drive, purse from

business12200 block of Price Club Plaza, merchandise

from business9600 block of Scotch Haven Drive, laptop com-

puter from vehicleAPRIL 12LARCENIES12900 block of Fair Lakes Shopping Center,

merchandise from business

13800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, laptopscomputers from business

STOLEN VEHICLES10400 block of Fairfax Village Drive, 2012 Ford

FocusAPRIL 11LARCENIES4600 block of Hummingbird Lane, identification

card from residence9700 block of Rhapsody Drive, rim from vehicleAPRIL 10LARCENIES13000 block of Fair Lakes Shopping Center,

merchandise from business4200 block of Kerrigan Lane, jewelry from resi-

denceAPRIL 9LARCENIES11600 block of Cavalier Landing Court, laptop

computer and wallet from vehicle2900 block of Deer Hollow Way, airbags from

vehicles4100 block of Jeremy Grove, wallet from vehicle9700 block of Kingsbridge Drive, wallet from

vehicle13000 block of Lee Jackson Memorial Highway,

merchandise from business3900 block of Penderview Drive, license plate

from vehicle

12200 block of Price Club Plaza, merchandisefrom business

APRIL 6LARCENIES13000 block of Fair Lakes Parkway, purse from

business11900 block of Palace Way, cell phone and case

from businessAPRIL 5LARCENIES12900 block of Katherine Hanley Court, tires

from vehicle10500 block of Rosehaven Street, bicycle from

residenceAPRIL 3LARCENIES13000 block of Fair Lakes Shopping Center,

headphones from business3700 block of Golf Trail, wallet from business12400 block of Lee Jackson Memorial Highway,

driver’s license from businessAPRIL 2LARCENIES4200 block of Fairfax Corner Avenue, cash from

business12200 block of Fair Lakes Circle, jewelry from

business12800 block of Fair Lakes Parkway, glasses from

business

Admissions to TJ Continue to Exclude Poor and Black Students

sions for eighth graders newly moved to aparticipating district after Sept. 30 of theprevious year will add to the 485 offers at

the end of June. For more information, con-tact the TJHSST Admissions Office at 571-423-3770.

Crime Report


Opinion

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13this year, and as every year atthis time, This newspaper callsfor submissions to our Mother’s

Day photo gallery.Send photos of mothers, grandmothers,

great-grandmothers, with children or withoutchildren in the photos. Please name everyonein the photo, the approximate date taken, de-scribe what is happening in the photo and in-clude your name, address, email address andphone number. We will not print your full ad-dress or contact information.

You can upload photos andinformation directly towww.connectionnewspapers.com/mothersday/ or email to

[email protected]’s Day is just one of many occasions

throughout the year that we would love to re-ceive photos from our readers. Send us photosand notes when anything of note is happeningin your family, neighborhood, school, club …Be sure to include basic information: Nameeveryone in the photo, the approximate datetaken, describe what is happening in the photoand include your name, address, email addressand phone number. We will not print your fulladdress or contact information. Send [email protected]

Soon after we publish our Mother’s Day

photo galleries, we will begin to ask for sub-missions for our Father’s Day galleries. Father’sDay is June 17 this year.

Each year we seem to receive many morephotos for Father’s Day. We’re curious whetherthat is because it is the second of the set soreaders are more aware or because mothersare more likely to send in images of the Dads.

Twice a year we ask you to send photos andtell us stories about your pets and how theyhave come into, touched and left your lives,publishing the last week in July and the lastweek in February.

In late summer, we invite readers to sharewhat they know about their community forneighbors and newcomers alike.

And wrapping up the year, we gather writ-ing and art from local students to fill our holi-day edition. Each year, through an enormouseffort by area teachers and school staff we re-ceive an amazing display of student talent.

Regular contributions to our entertainmentcalendars, community bulletin boards, schoolnotes, and business notes help us to share newsin your community. We also always welcomephotos and captions from community organi-zations (Scouts, sports teams, faith groups,school activities, etc.) and local businesses.

Please start by sending in photos for Mother’sDay, preferably by May 4.www.connectionnewspapers.com/mothersday/.

Virginia PressAssociation Winners

Connection writers and photographers gar-nered awards at the Virginia Press Associationannual award banquet. Here is the list of ourwinners, with more details to come in the fu-ture:First Place, Michael Lee Pope, Business and Financial

Writing, Great Falls ConnectionFirst Place, Bonnie Hobbs, Public Safety Writing,

Chantilly ConnectionFirst Place, Mark Mogle, Pictorial Photo, Great Falls

ConnectionFirst Place, Mark Mogle, General News Photo, Arlington

ConnectionFirst Place, Eden Brown, Public Safety Writing,

Arlington ConnectionSecond Place, Dan Brendel, Government Writing,

Alexandria Gazette PacketSecond Place, Vernon Miles, Feature Series or

Continuing Story, Alexandria Gazette PacketSecond Place, Fallon Forbush, Breaking News Writing,

McLean ConnectionSecond Place, Fallon Forbush, General News Writing,

Reston ConnectionSecond Place, Bonnie Hobbs, General News Writing,

Fairfax ConnectionSecond Place, Marilyn Campbell, Education Writing,

Great Falls ConnectionThird Place, Shirley Ruhe, Personality or Portrait Photo,

Arlington ConnectionThird Place, Fallon Forbush, Education Writing, Great

Falls ConnectionThird Place, Mary Kimm, Editorial Writing, Great Falls

Connection

Send in Mother’s Day Photos

Editorial

At SpringCourt ofHonorTroop 893gathers for agroup shot atits spring 2018Court of Honorheld at theCentrevilleUnited Meth-odist Churchon April 3.

The Sons of the AmericanRevolution (SAR) Fairfax Chapter

stand behind the Troop 893Eagle Scouts who were presented

certificates for their Eagleaccomplishments. Troop 893Eagles from left are Scott M.,

Taaren S., Ian L., Andrew A., andWilliam S. The Sons of the

American Revolution waspresent to provide the Color

Guard for the opening andclosing ceremony.

Photos by Kimberly Powers

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Chantilly


News

By Bonnie Hobbs

Centreville High first performed“The Laramie Project” 11 yearsago. But, said Director MikeHudson, “With all the school

shootings, bullying and bizarre things go-ing on today, we’re doing it again.”

Show times are Friday, April 27, at 7:30p.m.; Saturday, April 28, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.;and Sunday, April 29, at 3 p.m. Tickets are$10 at the door or via www.theatrecentreville.com.

This PG-13 show is about the brutal deathof Matthew Shepard, a gay young man inLaramie, Wyo., in October 1998. “This eventchanged the way America viewed the gaycommunity,” said Hudson. “What we hopeto accomplish with this play is to show theaudience that hatred can cause people tothink and act in reprehensible ways.’

The cast and crew of 35 has been rehears-ing since February, and when the story be-gins, the violence has already happened. Soalthough people will talk about Shepard’sdeath, it won’t be shown. Instead, they’llsee how a theater company interviewedcommunity members afterward to create aplay.

“Some seem to be upright people, but areactually closeted bigots who don’t acknowl-edge that,” said Hudson. “So we’ve gotteninput from our school’s Human Rights Club[HRC]. And I contacted the MatthewShepard Foundation, which supplied uswith actual photos and videos from thattime period and the incident.”

Furthermore, he said, “We’re planning tohave a guided, talk-back session after theSaturday matinee, and we hope someonefrom the foundation will attend. We alsoinvited the appropriate groups from ourFCPS schools to attend. And we’re alsoworking with the counselors here to turnthis into a building-wide initiative, duringthe run of the play, to identify and fighthatred. The HRC will help organize andoversee both these things.”

Noting that this is an “extremely serious”show for young actors, Hudson said, “It’sbeen a sobering experience for them. Butthey’ve approached a very mature topic withintelligence and compassion, and I’m veryproud of the choices they’ve made in creat-ing their characters.”

The play will also have some creative andeye-catching special effects. “We’re using300 gallons of water to make it rain, andthere’ll be a full-out thunderstorm onstage,”said Hudson. “It’s also going to snow.”

The scenes will occur at various locationsthroughout the town. The front of the stagewill be built out toward the audience to al-low the actors to speak directly to attend-ees for more of a dramatic impact. And vid-

eos and still projections will be shown be-hind the actors while they perform.

“It’s a heartbreaking play, but also inspir-ing,” said Hudson. “And hopefully, it willstart discussions across the communityabout how hatred can manifest itself any-where.”

LIKE MOST OF THE ACTORS, senior An-drew Dettmer plays multiple roles, includ-ing Matthew’s father, Dennis Shepard. “Af-ter his son’s death, he’s become a vocal ad-vocate of LGBTQ rights,” said Dettmer. “Hewas an oil-industry safety manager, so hisjob kept him away from home a lot, and heregrets not having spent as much time withMatthew. It’s a hard time for him, so he givesa harsh statement about his son’s killers.”

Calling it “one of the more emotionalmoments of the whole play,” Dettmer said,he has to find the right balance betweenbecoming too emotional and staying fo-cused on what I’m saying. It’s interestinglearning more about Matthew and his fam-ily and gives me a unique insight.”

“I was born after this happened and didn’thave any knowledge of it,” he continued.“So especially for my age group, I hope thisplay sparks a discussion about hate and howwe, as a society, deal with it and its reper-cussions and how we move past it. And it’sclear that, in the 19 years since this hap-pened, our culture’s ideas about this topichave changed, and we’re more open to dis-course about it.”

Senior Jack Wood has two roles. As theRev. Fred Phelps, he portrays an extremelyhomophobic pastor from the Westboro Bap-tist Church. “He protests at Matthew’s fu-neral and screams hateful, anti-gay rheto-ric at the mourners,” said Wood. “It’s chal-lenging and draining because I do this for

five minutes.”But, he added, “It wakes people up to the

reality that this hate still exists today to-ward people, just because of their sexual-ity. It’s also an important part because thishelps the audience feel more sympathetictoward Matthew, and it enables the hatredto become manifest on stage.”

As Greg Pierotti, Wood plays a memberof the theater company interviewing thetown residents. “He’s a gay man, so whathappened is personal to him,” said Wood.“In one scene, he touches the fence whereMatthew was found, and he breaks downand cries. But this role is a lot easier to stom-ach than my other one.”

“It’s challenging because I’m not gay, butI have to put myself in his shoes to under-stand what he’s experiencing — knowingthat someone like himself was brutallymurdered because he was gay. It’s a verypowerful show. And it’s about real peopleand events — and that’s not something youget to do a lot in theater, or experience asan audience member.”

Portraying Romaine Patterson, who wasbest friends with Matthew and knew himwell, is sophomore Jules Hoffman. “She’s alesbian and a powerhouse,” said Hoffman.“She’s headstrong, is a leader and isn’tafraid to speak her mind about her beliefs.I also think she might have gotten a littlepush-back about it.”

Hoffman said Patterson is now someoneshe looks up to. “Once I read her mono-logue, I wanted this part because she’s sopowerful and bold and leads a group ofpeople against another group of, arguably,the most hatred-filled people on the planet.This is my favorite role I’ve ever played be-cause I relate to her on so many, differentlevels. And in a way, when I’m speaking for

Romaine, I’m speaking for myself — whichmakes it more authentic and, hopefully, willconnect even more with the audience.”

In this play, said Hoffman, “You learnabout this kid who’s come to Laramie toattend college and make a living and is thenbeaten to death. But what people will cometo love about this show is how we’ve grownas a society since then. This incident is thereason why we have hate-crime laws and amore developed human-rights campaign.It’s also why people now feel safer to lovewho they want to, without their lives beingin jeopardy.”

Sophomore Aswathi Menon playsZubaida Ula, a Muslim college student inWyoming. “She’s really fiery and opinion-ated about how the Laramie residents areacting as if this was the first act of injusticedone there against minorities,” said Menon.“As a Muslim woman, she’s faced it, herwhole life, and she’s calling the town outon it. Her parents are immigrants fromBangladesh, and she came here at 4 yearsold, so both cultures have influenced herpersonality.”

Menon enjoys her role because “Laramiethinks of itself as a place of acceptance andforgiveness, but Zubaida knows that’s nothow it really is. People of the Islamic faithare often painted in a bad light and ascloseminded, in the news, but she’s strongand is an example of how that’s not true.”

Menon says the audience will appreciatethis play’s “rawness and authenticity. We’reportraying real people who’ve actually saidthese words and gone through these experi-ences. And I feel like we owe it to everyonewho’s faced injustice — whether about theirsexual orientation, skin color, faith or amountof money in their bank account — to givethe best performance we possibly can.”

Centreville Highpresents “TheLaramie Project.”

‘A Powerful Show about Real People’

Cast members portray TV news crews interviewing the townspeople of Laramie.

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ONGOINGFitness for 50+. Daytime hours,

Monday-Friday at Sully SeniorCenter, 14426 Albemarle Point Place,Chantilly. Jazzercise Lite, ZumbaGold, Hot Hula Fitness (dancingPolynesian style), Strength Training,Qi Gong, Tai Chi and more.Membership is $48 a year, andwaivers are available. [email protected] or call703-322-4475 for more.

History Volunteers Needed. FairfaxStation Railroad Museum needshistory buffs. The Museum offers avariety of volunteer opportunities inMuseum events, programs andadministration. [email protected] or call703-945-7483 to exploreopportunities. The Museum is locatedat 11200 Fairfax Station Road inFairfax Station. It is open everySunday, except holidays, from 1-4p.m. www.fairfax-station.org, 703-425-9225.

Art Guild of Clifton Exhibit. 10a.m.-8 p.m. at Clifton Wine Shop,7145 Main St., Clifton. Includes oilpaintings of European settings;doors, windows, and flower shops.Free. Call 703-409-0919 for more.

Carolina Shag Dance. Wednesdays,6:30-10 p.m. at Arlington/FairfaxElks Lodge, 8421 Arlington Blvd.,Fairfax. Free lessons at 7:30 p.m.; nopartners needed; dinner menu at6:45 p.m. Tickets are $8. Visitwww.nvshag.org for more.

Open Rehearsal. Wednesdays, 7:30p.m. at Lord of Life church, 13421Twin Lakes Drive, Centreville. TheFairfax Jubil-Aires barbershop chorusinvites men of all ages who enjoysinging. Free. Visitwww.fairfaxjubilairs.org for more.

Live After Five. Fridays at 5:30 p.m.at The Winery at Bull Run, 15950 LeeHighway, Centreville. Every Fridaynight a band plays on the patio of thewinery. Free to attend. Visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com for a fullschedule.

Mondays are Family Night. 5-7 p.m.at Villagio, 7145 Main St. $45 for afamily of four. Call 703-543-2030 formore.

LIBRARY FUNToddlin’ Twos. Tuesdays, 10:30 and

11:30 a.m. at the Chantilly Library,4000 Stringfellow Road. Earlyliteracy storytime with songs andactivities included. Age 2 withcaregiver, free. Call 703-502-3883 toreserve a spot.

Storytime for Three to Fives.Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Stories and activities for children age

Car Show this SaturdayCasey’s Automotive, at 4260-A Entre Court, (off Willard

Road) in Chantilly, will hold a car show Saturday, April 21,from 12:30-3:30 p.m. The fun also includes face-paintingand food trucks. Owners Mary and Bryan Jewett are do-nating 100 percent of the proceeds to Ellie’s Hats, whichdonates hats to children with cancer who’ve lost their hairdue to chemotherapy.

Free Carseat InspectionsCertified technicians from the Sully District Police Sta-

tion will perform free, child safety carseat inspectionsThursday, April 26, from 5-8:30 p.m., at the station, 4900Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. No appointment is necessary.But residents should install the child safety seats them-selves so technicians may properly inspect and adjust them,as needed.Because of time constraints, only the first 35vehicles arriving on each date will be inspected. That way,

inspectors may have enough time to properly instruct thecaregiver on the correct use of the child seat. Call 703-814-7000, ext. 5140, to confirm dates and times.

Erin Peterson FundPlans Gala

It has been 11 years since theVirginia Tech shooting that tookthe life of Erin Peterson. To honorErin’s legacy of academic excel-lence, her kindness, and empathyfor those in need, the ErinPeterson Fund was established.Since its inception the fund hasawarded more than $184,000 ingrants and scholarships.On Friday,April 27, the fund will hold its Inaugural Scholarship Galaat Foxchase Manor in Manassas. Participants will hit the

red carpet at 6:30 p.m. for an evening of food, fellowshipand entertainment featuring musical artist Clarence T.Brown, III. The Erin Peterson Fund (EPF) was establishedMay 9, 2007 as a result of gifts and monetary donationsfrom all over the United States. The Fund, a 501(c) (3)non-profit organization, continues Erin’s legacy to work tochange the lives of young people.Visit http://www.erinpeterfund.org/gala-sponors for sponsorship andticket information.

Clean Out Medicine CabinetsTake advantage of a free, convenient, confidential, and

safe disposal of unused or expired medications duringOperation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout on Saturday, April28. Drop off medications (pills or liquids only, no pressur-ized canisters or needles) at the Fair Oaks District Station,12300 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax, or the SullyDistrict Station, 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly, be-tween 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Roundups

hikes and a chance to make sodabottle bird-feeders. Call 703-631-0013 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence.

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 25Adventures in Art. 7-8 p.m. at

Chantilly Regional Library, 4000Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. Explorethe world of art through stories andart projects. Come dressed to getmessy. Ages 4-7 with a caregiver.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/chantilly-regional for more.

FRIDAY/APRIL 27Erin Peterson Fund Gala. 6:30 p.m.

at Foxchase Manor, 8310 ChatsworthDrive, Manassas. It has been 11 yearssince the college shooting that tookthe life of Erin Peterson. To honorher legacy, the Erin Peterson Fundwas established in 2007. Since itsinception the fund has awarded morethan $184,000 in grants andscholarships. The fund will hold itsInaugural Scholarship Gala with anevening of great food, fellowship andentertainment featuring musicalartist Clarence T. Brown, III. Visitwww.erinpeterfund.org/gala-sponorsfor sponsorship and ticketinformation.

SATURDAY/APRIL 28Fairfax Run for the Children. 8 a.m.

at Fairfax County CourthouseComplex, 4110 Chain Bridge Road,Fairfax. Join Fairfax Court AppointedSpecial Advocates (CASA) for the 8thAnnual 8K and 3K races. Thesuperhero-themed race attractsnearly 1,000 runners and walkers,250 volunteers, and raises almost$85,000 each year to support FairfaxCASA’s advocacy work with abusedand neglected children in thecommunity. Participants can enjoythe after race celebration, includingsuperhero meet and greets, a DJ, freefood, face painting, kids’ crafts, photobooth, and more. Visitwww.fairfaxrunforthechildren.com/.

SUNDAY/APRIL 29Railroad Communications Event.

1-4 p.m. at the Fairfax StationRailroad Museum, 11200 FairfaxStation Road, Fairfax Station. Takepart in demonstrations of the manymeans by which railroadscommunicated vital informationthrough their networks. Ages 16 andolder, $4; 5-15, $2; 4 and under,free. Visit www.fairfax-station.org,www.facebook.com/FFXSRR, or call703-425-9225.

3-5 with caregiver. Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve a spot.

Plant Clinic. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. atthe Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. A neighborhoodplant clinic with horticultural tips,information, techniques, and advice.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspace.

Lego Block Party. Every otherSaturday at 10:30 a.m. at theChantilly Library, 4000 StringfellowRoad. Legos will be provided for anafternoon of building. Grades 3-6.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspot.

Duplo Storytime. Every otherWednesday, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. atthe Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. Develop andreinforce early literacy skills forreading success. Ages 1-3 with adult.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspot.

Legos Kids Club. Every otherTuesday, 10:30 a.m. at theCentreville Regional Library, 14200St. Germain Drive. Thousands ofLegos for children to play with. Ages6-12. Free. Call 703-830-2223 toreserve a space.

Starlight Storytime. Every otherWednesday, 7 p.m. at the CentrevilleRegional Library, 14200 St. GermainDrive. Stories under the stars for ages4-8. Wear pajamas and bring stuffedfriends. Free. Call 703-830-2223 toreserve a space.

SATURDAY/APRIL 21SpringFest Fairfax. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at

Sully Historic Site, 3650 HistoricSully Way, Chantilly. Participate in aday full of free, environmental, andhealth-focused family-friendlyactivities and games at this year’sSpringFest Fairfax –a celebration ofEarth and Arbor Days. Admission isfree and parking is $5 per car. Call703-324-5470 or 571-338-6710 orvisit www.springfestfairfax.org.

Student Poetry: Celebrate theSenses. 10:30 a.m. at Sully HistoricSite, 3650 Historic Sully Way,Chantilly. To honor National PoetryMonth in April, the Park Authorityasked young people in grades K-8 tosubmit poems inspired by what theysee, hear, touch, smell or taste inFairfax County parks. The twowinners in each grade category (K-2,3-5 and 6-8) will share their works atthe Springfest Poetry Showcase. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.

Nutrition Information. 11 a.m.-3p.m. at all Wegman’s Food Markets.Learn about Wegman’s Food You FeelGood About products, and incelebration of Earth Day, learn aboutsustainability at Wegmans andparticipate in the company’s plasticbag exchange. Samples will beoffered in a variety of departments.Visit www.wegmans.com.

Centreville InternationalShowcase. 5:30-9 p.m. at KoreanCentral Presbyterian Church, 8514

Forrester Blvd. Springfield. The 8thAnnual Centreville InternationalShowcase will feature food, song anddance reflecting the cultural heritageof Centreville residents includingGuatemala, Ireland, India, Ghana,Peru and Korea. Admission is free.The showcase raises money for CIFthrough the Showcase Silent Auction,50/50 Raffle, food sales, anddonations during the evening.Contact the Centreville LaborResource Center [email protected], 703-543-6272 orcentrevilleimmigrationforum.org/.

SUNDAY/APRIL 22NTRAK Scale Model Train Show. 1-

4 p.m. at the Fairfax Station RailroadMuseum, 11200 Fairfax StationRoad, Fairfax Station. The NorthernVirginia NTRAK members will holdan N gauge model train show. Ages16 and older, $4; 5-15, $2; 4 andunder, free. Visit www.fairfax-station.org, www.facebook.com/FFXSRR, or call 703-425-9225.

Earth Day Celebration. 1-4 p.m. atEllanor C. Lawrence Park, 5040Walney Road, Chantilly. Join the freecommunity celebration, “What onEarth Are We Doing for Earth Day?”Learn how plastics affect theenvironment and the park. Exploreways to reduce, reuse, restore andrecycle. Ongoing activities thatinclude games, bird walks, trash

Submit entertainment announcements at www.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.The deadline is noon on Friday. Photos/artwork encouraged.

Entertainment

Centreville International ShowcaseThe 8th Annual Centreville International Showcase will feature food, song and dance reflecting the cultural heritage of

Centreville residents including Guatemala, Ireland, India, Ghana, Peru and Korea. Admission is free. The showcase raisesmoney for CIF through the Showcase Silent Auction, 50/50 Raffle, food sales, and donations during the evening. Saturday,April 21, 5:30-9 p.m. at Korean Central Presbyterian Church, 8514 Forrester Blvd. Springfield. Contact the Centreville LaborResource Center at [email protected], 703-543-6272 or centrevilleimmigrationforum.org/.


By Marilyn Campbell

In an era when consumers can purchase mer-chandise and deposit money into a bank ac-count using a smartphone, teaching moneysmarts to children can be fraught with compli-

cations. April is Financial Literacy Month and localfinancial advisors say teaching children how to man-age their money respon-sibly is a necessary partof becoming a finan-cially responsible adult.

“How a parent treatscash is the way their kidswill treat cash; lead byexample,” said AndreaFoster, professor and de-partment chair of Busi-ness, Economics, Ac-counting, Computer Ap-plications and ParalegalStudies (BEACAPS) atMontgomery College. “Ifyour kid sees you cuttingcoupons and budgeting,when they grow up theywill do the same. Theywill see the benefits andthe value of your thrifti-ness. “

One of the most im-portant financial lessonsthat a parent can teachis how to save, advisesFoster. “Teach them howto budget so that theycan learn how to save forwhat they want,” shesaid.

Children pay attentionto and learn from theways in which their parents manage money and it’scritical that they learn financial literacy at home, sug-gests Victoria G. Henry, assistant vice president atWest Financial Services, Inc. in McLean.

“Explaining the concept of savings early to chil-dren is key,” added “It isnatural to want to spend ev-erything right away, so itmay be hard to understandwhy it is important to set alittle aside for future ex-penses. Perhaps it could beexplained by saying the sav-ings will come in handy if afavorite toy breaks or islost.”

An ideal time to offer a les-son in saving is when a childreceives money as a presentfor a birthday or other occa-sion, says Henry. “It is a goodpractice to have them saveeven 10 or 20 percent of thegift, and let them have therest to spend how theywant,” she said. “If they decide to spend their funmoney on something and then quickly return asking

for money for something else, it is a good to remindthem that maybe they should think more carefullyabout how they want to spend their money in thefuture. This will help them get into the practice ofmaking wise choices with spending and saving downthe road when they start earning money as well.”

Foster also suggests helping children develop sav-ings goals.“[Whether] by piggy bank, envelope, can,or jar, a vessel is an important tool for teaching kidshow to save for major milestones,” said Foster. “Iden-tify a goal for the saving and have them save towardsthat goal.”

Transparency builds enthusiasm, adds Foster. “Us-ing a clear jar for sav-ing creates enthusi-asm and motivation asthe kids see it fill upwith the coins,” shesaid. “[Saving] alsoteaches then self-reli-ance and not countingon their parents tohelp them for every-thing. By giving a re-ward, kids can learnthe value of moneyand how to spendmoney.”

Foster also suggestsencouraging childrento keep a spending di-ary and limiting theamount of money theycan spend or the num-ber of items they canpurchase when shop-ping for themselves.“Show them that stuffcosts money,” she said.“Have them keep trackof all the money thatmom and dad spendon them in onemonth, from food toclothing and otherthings. They will real-

ize how much it costs to maintain them and howmuch all the stuff that they want costs.”

Involve children in a family’s charitable donations,advises Henry. “Ask your children to think about whatkinds of charitable efforts the family should support,”

she said. “Have them re-search and pick a charity andthen make a small contribu-tion to that organization ontheir behalf.”

“Have children earn theirallowance and let childrenexperience the pain of nothaving enough money if theydon’t budget correctly,” saidDr. Brian Hollar assistant pro-fessor of Accounting, Eco-nomics & Finance atMarymount University. “Ex-perience is a good teacherand learning when the stakesare low is invaluable.”

Hollar underscores the im-portance of teaching solidmath skills. “It’s hard to de-

velop strong financial literacy without understand-ing exponential growth,” he said.

April is FinancialLiteracy Month.

Photo by Marilyn Campbell

Teaching young children about the concept ofsaving money is a critical part of financialliteracy.

“Explaining the concept ofsavings early to children iskey. It is natural to want tospend everything rightaway, so it may be hard tounderstand why it isimportant to set a littleaside for future expenses.”

— Victoria G. Henry,West Financial Services, Inc.

Teaching Money Management


News

Vote on Budget on May 1From Page 3

District Planning Commissioner and former schoolboard member. But last week, Niedzielski-Eichnerspoke as an individual from Oakton and was the 23rdspeaker.

“The key, of course, is attracting and retaininghigh-quality personnel to both [schools and county].This budget begins to recover our competitivenessin relation to compensation offered by other gov-ernmental jurisdictions. I also support the $25 mil-lion annual increase in FCPS bonding authority toexpedite its school renovation and support new con-struction that will alleviate severe overcrowding insome of the county’s fast developing areas,” saidNiedzielski-Eichner.

“As one who was on the front lines advocating forpassage of the Meals Tax, I find this reality ironic inlight of the significant voices arguing against themeals tax due to its regressivity. Since each one per-cent of the property tax rate is projected to generateapproximately $25 million in revenue, the proposed2.5 cent increase in the real estate tax rate will gen-erate about $62.5 million. The meals tax was pro-jected to generate a $100 million per annum, with

almost a third of this revenue, $28 million, to be paidby tourists and visitors to Fairfax.”

Kofi Annan, president of the Fairfax County NAACPexpressed concern that the county is underfundingservices to low income families, including housingand Pre-K education for needy families.

“This opportunity gap [of not having access to PreKeducation] eventually turns into an achievement gap,and that widens over time.

“Fairfax County NAACP calls on the county to com-mit the resources to enroll at least 300 additionalkids into Pre-K in 2019 budget and devise a long-term plan to fund at least 2,000 over the next fiveyears.” Annan asked the supervisors to fund an out-side study of racial disparities in police use of force.

“For the past few years, 40 percent of police use offorce has been directed toward African Americans,who only make up about 10 percent of the county,”Annan said.

“And for the past few years, we have been askingthe county to fund an outside organization to con-duct a study to determine the causes of this dispar-ity, so we can begin the process of reversing thattrend.”

From Page 3

Their Own Words, A Glimpseshould include new efficiency, in operations particularly

in budgets of $4.3 billion. ... “

Louise Epstein, chair,McLean CitizensAssociation’s budget andtaxation committee

“We really support teacherraises” while also expressingconcern about allotting millionsfor raises for administrators inthe school system.

Kay Larmer, McLean,Commission on Aging

“We applaud your commit-ment to making Fairfax a livablecommunity for people of allages.

“Currently in Fairfax County, about one in seven residentsare older than 65. By 2020, the proportion will nearly be onein five. “We will need more affordable and accessible hous-ing, improved and more creative transportation services ,increased home based and community based services, newcommunications technology, programs that promote ethnicand cultural diversity.”

Leann Alberts, Springfield, Disability ServicesBoard

“Working age people with disabilities make up nearly 15percent of the Virginia’s population and are far more likely

to be unemployed and to live inpoverty than people without dis-abilities. Supports for people withdisabilities are vital to the fabricof our community. They are everybit as essential to Fairfax Countyas our roads, emergency first re-sponders, schools andenvironmental services. They arevalue added services that em-power people with disabilities tolive and prosper in the commu-nity.”

Enrique Carrero, FairfaxCounty employee

“I am proud to be the first onein my family to graduate fromcollege, and I feel it’s importantto give back to the communitythrough my job as a public em-ployee. I help families in need getheating in the winter and air con-ditioning in the summer. I’veheard some people say millennialworkers don’t care about retire-ment. So, let me clear that up. Asa 23-year-old millennial, I caredeeply about my future and be-lieve that we all deserve to livecomfortably when we’re too oldto work.”

Louise Epstein,McLean CitizensAssociation

Kay Larmer,McLean, Commis-sion on Aging

Leann Alberts,Springfield,Disability Ser-vices Board


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

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONChild turning 5 years old by Sept. 30? If so,

contact your child’s school to makearrangements for kindergarten enrollment. Mostschools begin getting information together nowfor parents of incoming kindergartners, andmany host an orientation or open house. Allkindergarten programs are full-day and locatedin FCPS elementary schools. Check your school’swebpage or contact the school directly forspecific enrollment information and dates oforientationor visit www.fcps.edu/registration/kindergarten-registration.

Centre Ridge Elementary School inCentreville is open for kindergarten registrationfor the school year 2018-19. Forms and otherinformation are available on line at https://www.fcps.edu/registration/kindergarten-registration. They are also available in the frontoffice. Call 703-227-2600 with questions.

Greenbriar West Elementary School is nowaccepting information for next year’sKindergarten classes. Families who live withinthe school’sr boundaries and have a child whowill turn 5 years of age by Sept. 30, 2018, callthe school office at 703-633-6700.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/APRIL 20-21Westfield Mulch Delivery. Mulch delivery was

postponed due to inclement weather. Deliverywill take place Friday, April 20 and Saturday,April 21.

SATURDAY/APRIL 21Special Education Conference. 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 TelegraphRoad, Alexandria. Dr. Pamela Mims, the keynotespeaker, will present Using Evidence to GuidePractice: Justifying Inclusion for All. Choosefrom over 60 workshops. Register online atwww.fcps.edu/spedconference2018 or call 703-204-3941.

Volunteers Needed: 2018 Springfest EarthDay Festival. Sully Historic Site, 1350 HistoricSully Way, Chantilly. Springfest is FairfaxCounty’s premier Earth Day festival held onApril 21 at Sully Historic property. The theme ofthis year’s event is “Healthy Planet-HealthyPeople.” Volunteers (14 and older) are neededto assist throughout the day in a variety ofcapacities. To volunteer, call Wanda Lohr at703-324-8569 or [email protected].

MONDAY/APRIL 23Senior Volunteer Orientation. 3:30 p.m. at

Chantilly Regional Library, 4000 StringfellowRoad, Chantilly. RSVP Northern Virginia willhold a volunteer orientation. The hour-longevent is free and open to anyone 55-years-youngor better. RSVP (Retired and Senior VolunteerProgram) is the region’s largest volunteernetwork for people 55 and older and providesindividualized support to seniors seeking serviceopportunities in and around Fairfax County,Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. Tosign up, email RSVP Volunteer Specialist CarlyHubicki at [email protected] or callthe RSVP Hotline at 703-403- 5360. Visitwww.rsvpnova.org.

TUESDAY/APRIL 24Sully District Council Membership Meeting.

7 p.m. at the Sully District GovernmentalCenter, 4900 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly.Meeting topic: Fairfax County Park Authority,with presentations by Maggie Godbold, SullyDistrict Park Authority Board member and ParkAuthority staff. Visit www.sullydistrict.org.

SATURDAY/APRIL 28A Community Conversation about the

Opioid Crisis. 1-5 p.m. at Epiphany EpiscopalChurch, 3301 Hidden Meadow Drive, Herndon.For students in 7th-12th grades and theirparents. Register online at epiphanyes.org/occc.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/news/2018/battling-opioid-crisis.

Bulletin Board

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Though I immerse you regular readers inthe excruciating details of my cancer-affectedlife, rarely do I bombard unsuspecting con-versationalists who unknowingly yet sincerelywander into territory with which many of youare intimately detailed. Not that I don’t havestories to tell, and/or perhaps even unsolic-ited advice to offer; generally speaking, if Ican avoid it, I don’t want to drag the conver-sation into a cancer-centric black hole.

It’s not because I’m uncomfortable talkingabout cancer, or that I would feel it an inap-propriate invasion of my privacy, or that Iwould feel the need to blather on non-stop.Hardly. But I would see it as the end of aninnocent inquiry undone that then takes on amore empathetic, sympathetic and possiblyeven pathetic tone, some of which mightmake me uncomfortable.

The reason being: part of what feeds myself-preservation and sense of well-being isreading and reacting to the feedback I receivefrom others when the subject matter turns tocancer, however well-meaning their inten-tions may have been.

Sometimes the reactions I get aren’t help-ful (“Tell me Ken, how’s it feel to knowyou’re going to die?”). Sometimes, I findmyself rationalizing, explaining and revisitingissues and experiences more helpful and ofinterest to the party that asked the questionrather than to yours truly who’s now havingto answer the question. Not that I don’t wantto be helpful or have difficulty empathizing;nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s more that I don’t want to see theirexpressions/hear their apologies when theirinnocent question (“So what do you do?”)elicits an extremely unexpected answer. “Nottoo much. I have stage IV, non-small cell lungcancer.”

Then I have to decide how I involved Iwant to get them in my life. Since I’d just assoon not get them involved for all the reasonsI’ve outlined, usually I deflect their questionsand/or redirect them away from me and backto them. I don’t exactly shut them down. It’smore like a gentle closing. I’m not rude orthe least bit off-putting. I’m more like a trafficcop re-routing emotions to avoid any acci-dents – for all parties engaged.

My experience has been that respondingto an innocent question with a “I haveterminal-cancer”-type bombshell tends totake the conversation in an entirely differentdirection than likely intended. The serious-ness of my response/situation and the emo-tions – maybe even memories it stirs in theperson who asked the question, can hijack anevening and cause at least for a few minutesanyway, a rather dreary dynamic. All of whichI don’t want to happen and more so, don’tneed to happen. As a cancer patient, I don’tneed dreary. I don’t need pity. I don’t neednegativity. I need humor. I need encourage-ment and compliments. I need to be made tofeel, as Tony the Tiger might say: “Not justgood, but GREAT!”

When I assess my nine-plus years post-diagnosis; having lived now years beyond myoriginal “13 month to two-year” prognosis, Ican’t quite attribute my amazing good for-tune to anything in particular. However, I willadmit to this: trying not think about my diag-nosis/prognosis too much, trying to remainpositive, trying to be funny and self-effacing,and trying to avoid people and situationswhere I might feel bad, are all components.Are they working to keep me alive more thanthe medicine, my pills and my miscellaneousnon-Western alternatives are?

Yet another question or two I’d rather notanswer.

If Only It WereThat Simple

‘the phantom of the opera’connectionarchives.com/pdf/2018/041818/chantilly.pdf · ·...

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