100 Books of Summer - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/...2014/08/29 · 4 Great Falls Connection August 27 - September 2, 2014 News By Donna

Great Falls Connection ❖ August 27 - September 2, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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Great FallsGreat Falls

Newcomers& Community Guide

Inside


Inside


Inside

Great Falls Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2014-15 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

2014-2015

online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

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Newcomers &

Community Guide

Newcomers &

Community Guide2014-2015

Jennifer, of NorthernVirginia, brought Teddy to

Riverbend Park, becausehe loves the water.




Many HandsMake LightWorkNews, Page 9

100 Booksof Summer

News, Page 5

Great FallsSchoolsFocus onCreative ThinkingNews, Page 3

Alina Bujnowski, 5, of Great Falls,has read more than 130 books

this summer by herself.

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ August 27 - September 2, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Great Falls Connection ❖ August 27 - September 2, 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Neeka Eghbali

The Connection

As a brand new academic year ap-proaches, teeming with students,parents and teachers, elementaryschools in the Great Falls are

gearing up for significant changes whilemanaging to maintain platforms already inplace. Although each elementary school hasthe expected slight differences in variousprograms, Forestville, Great Falls and ColvinRun Elementary Schools are united in sus-taining one particular program of 21st cen-tury education: Portrait of a Graduate.

The initiative, launched by FCPS Super-intendent Dr. Karen Garza in 2013, aims tofocus directly on cultivating the skills andknowledge students will need to be success-ful in their future endeavors. Since then,each of the three elementary schools has

implemented classes that stress critical andcreative thinking to its students, one facetof Garza’s initiative.

“[The critical and creative thinking class]is unique for us this year because it’s new,but certainly there’s all different types ofofferings that many schools have. We’reexcited because it’ll allow us to build dif-ferent technology platforms for students aswell as teach them problem-solving andsocial skills,” Principal Todd Franklin ofForestville Elementary School said.

CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING

classes play an equally vital role in the de-velopment of students’ minds at Colvin RunElementary School, according to its princi-pal, Ken Junge. “We will continue to focuson the importance of utilizing 21st centuryskills and critical and creative thinking strat-egies to help students become self-directedand responsible citizens in our global com-munity,” he said.These lessons that instill a background forcritical thinking are at the heart of the ad-vanced academic programs at all threeschools, a program centered at Colvin RunElementary School.

With Portrait of a Graduate well underway,each of the schools’ preexisting platformsare gradually molding to follow its estab-lished facets.

Portrait of a Graduate does not merelyencourage critical and creative thinking. Italso promotes four remaining components:becoming an effective communicator, a col-laborator, a global citizen and a goal-di-rected/resilient individual. Each of the threeschools already has in place the CharacterEducation Program, one that focuses on oneparticular aspect of Garza’s initiative. “Theprogram has four character traits: respect,responsibility, caring and honesty. We al-ways think that if our kids will show that asthey work with others, they can be a bettercollaborator,” said Principal Ray Lonnett ofGreat Falls Elementary School.

Furthermore, Great Falls, like the otherelementary schools, is working to expandtechnology. “The devices will provide kidswith technology where they can do researchthings and prepare presentations,” he said.

GREAT FALLS will also be bringing in anew first grade, fifth grade and Japaneseteacher to promote these ideals.New teachers at any Fairfax County elemen-tary school are required to attend GreatBeginnings, an induction program that pro-vides these new teachers with the opportu-nity to meet teachers with similar interestsfrom other schools.

Forestville Elementary Principal Todd Franklin.Principal Ray Lonnett and Assistant Principal Barbara DeHart of GreatFalls Elementary.

Great Falls Schools Focus on Creative Thinking

Principal of Colvin Run Elementary Ken Junge.

Principals ofForestville, GreatFalls and Colvin RunElementary discusspriorities of the newschool year.

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RemembranceCeremony to beHeld on Sept. 11

On Thursday, Sept. 11, at 7p.m., the Friends of the GreatFalls Freedom Memorial willhold their annual September 11Remembrance Ceremony at thesite of the Freedom Memorial(behind the Great Falls Libraryat 9830 Georgetown Pike). The

event will include the Pledge ofAllegiance led by Boy Scout Troop55, patriotic songs, remarks byRichard R. Bowers, Jr., Chief of theFairfax County Fire and Rescue De-partment, and a bell-ringing foreach of the residents of Great Fallswho perished on September 11. Ithas been said that Great Falls suf-fered the highest per-capita casu-alties on September 11 of any lo-cale in the country. The proceed-ings will conclude with a wreath-laying by local dignitaries.

This ceremony is open to all andample parking is available in theLibrary parking lot. In case of rain,the ceremony will move into theLibrary’s meeting room.

Loebig Chiro-practic to HostBlood Drive

Loebig Chiropractic & Rehab, inpartnership with The American

Red Cross, will be hosting anothercommunity blood drive in GreatFalls at the office of Dr. GlennLoebig, 754 Walker Rd, Great Fallson Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 1 – 6p.m.

“The turnout for our last blooddrive was so amazing, we decidedto host another event to assist withour local blood shortage,” saidLoebig.

The American Red Cross men-tions that people can donate a pintof blood every 56 days and each

Week in Great Falls

donation can help save up tothree lives.

Prospective blood donorsshould bring a photo ID, weigha minimum of 115 pounds andbe at least 17 years of age. A16-year old may donate bloodwith written parental consent.Many health conditions andmedications do not preventsomeone from donating blood,so all interested parties are en-couraged to call 703-757-5817with any questions.

Great Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


News

By Donna Manz

The Connection

Food and festival-lovers alert! Theannual Labor Day weekendMiddle Eastern Food Festival isupon the McLean/Vienna area

once again. And if you’ve wondered how aNorthern Virginia foodfest can go through200 pounds of lamb, 400 pounds of beef,450 pounds of chicken, 180 pounds of but-ter and 12,000 pieces of sweets, this is youropportunity to find out.

On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 30 - 31,Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catho-lic Church, on Lewinsville Road in McLeanhosts its annual Labor Day weekend MiddleEastern Food Festival, featuring an abun-dance of meats, savories and sweets, folk-loric music, and activities for children. Thetwo-day festival is open to the public andno admission is charged. “This is our op-portunity to share our foods and traditionswith the community,” said sweets chair,Samira Bailey.

Baking and food preparation began inJune. The freezers in the church kitchenhold hundreds of cookies. “We use the bestingredients we can find,” said Bailey. “Webring in our traditional foods, especially theholiday sweets. To us, holidays are veryimportant and food and sweets are a partof family traditions.” Many of the sweetsare symbolic, Bailey said, and Grandma,Auntie, and Mama would remind the chil-dren why they were making what they were.Baklava, a favorite Arabic treat in America,would have been served at weddings andbirths. “When there is baklava, there’s some-thing to be happy about,” Bailey said. Anddesserts are not served at funerals, only at“happy occasions.”

THE FESTIVAL’S MAIN ROLE is to sharethe food traditions, culture and faith of Holy

Transfiguration parishioners with othersoutside the church. Family and hospitalityare treasured. “When you share a meal withsomeone, especially at their table, thenthere is a bond created, a bond of hospital-ity and friendship,” said Holy Transfigura-tion pastor, Father Joseph Francavilla. “So,how can I be your enemy if I’ve brokenbread with you?”

He said the food festival builds bridgesof understanding between different culturesand different faiths.

The festival draws diverse ethnic groups,various faiths, from through the metro-D.C.area, who share communal dining tables.

In its 21st year, the festival has helped

raised funds for the church. In 2013, pa-rishioners decided to donate 10 percent ofthe proceeds from the festival to childrenof refugees in the Middle East. They will bedoing the same this year. “The children arethe most vulnerable,” said FatherFrancavilla. “They don’t understand whatis going on around them. They see the hard-ships, the bodies.” Refugees, said the priest,come to churches for help because socialassistance in the Middle East countries ispoor. “Even the churches are being over-whelmed,” he said. “We give assistance toanyone who asks, regardless of faith.”Church and community response was gen-erous last year. Along with the congrega-

tion, festival guests donated to the fund.Father Francavilla said the church took whatit made and added to it, rounding off thefigure to $10,000 and sending the moneyto bishops in the dioceses of Egypt Syria,and Lebanon. In September, Patriarch of theMelkite Greek-Catholic Church, comingfrom Syria, will accept the contribution.

Father Francavilla said the festival hasbeen voted the “best” Labor Day food festi-val by readers of Washingtonian magazine.

“You should come because it’s a chancefor you to have a wonderful time, eat deli-cious food, make new friends and learnabout our faith and our folklore,” saidBailey.

ADMISSION to the festival and parkingare free. Sweets are sold by the piece – andkeep in-mind that there are 12,000 pieces– and entrees and a la carte are sold byplates. Shawarma wraps (lamb, beef orchicken) and chicken shish kebab sell forabout $8 each. Mixed platters range fromabout $7 to $10, and the spit-roasted lambdinner is priced at $14. A la carte itemsrange from $3 to $6 each. Sweets pricesvary, and the baklava and the date or nut-filled maamoul are stand-outs.

Kids’ activities include pony rides and abounce house. Vendors sell Middle Easterngoods, and, on the back lawn, meats aregrilled, carved and served.

For more information, go towww.MiddleEasternFoodFestival.com orcall 703-734-9566.

Festival hosted by Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Churchfeatures, food and sweets, family activities and traditional culture.

Middle Eastern Food Festival Returns for 22nd Year21st Annual MiddleEastern Food Festival

Labor Day weekend, Saturday, Aug. 30,11a.m. to 11p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 31, noon to6 p.m., Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, 8501 Lewinsville Road,McLean. Middle Eastern dishes – fromshawarma wraps to plated dinners - sweets,Arabic coffee, and activities for families andchildren. Lamb dinner Saturday at 6 p.m.and Sunday, all day, $14.

For more information, go towww.MiddleEasternFoodFestival.com orcall 703-734-9566. Free admission.

Photo by Donna Manz/The Connection

Father Joseph Francavilla and Middle Eastern Food Festival “sweets”chair Samira Bailey, of Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-CatholicChurch in McLean, are ready for the church’s 21st Annual Middle East-ern Food Festival on Labor Day weekend.


Young Holy Transfiguration church members help out during the foodfestival held over Labor Day weekend for two days.

Photo courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, McLean

Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church volunteers sellsweets hand-made by church members. The festival will sell 12,000pieces of sweets over the two-day festival on Labor Day weekend.


News

By Reena Singh

The Connection

To say Alina Bujnowski loves to read is an un-derstatement. With more than 130 books un-der her belt in the past three months, the 5-

year-old super reader has out-read every other childduring Great Falls Library’s summer reading program.

“I don’t know why I like to read,” said Alina after arecent trip to the library. “The books make me laugh.”

In the last few months, her interests in fiction havegone from simple picture books to chapter books,according to her mother Josie Bujnowski.

“We started her when she was young,” she said.“My parents didn’t encourage reading. They justwanted me to do well in school. I love the fact thatshe loves to read on her own.”

Unlike many others her age, she reads chapterbooks up to a second grade reading level by herself.Recent favorite books have been a series on fairieswith different hobbies and interests. Josie can tellher daughter understands what she is reading by theway she reacts to different scenes.

“The comprehension is absolutely there,” she said.“I see her reading, and I know she understands itbecause she’s laughing.”

When Alina is not reading or at the library threeto four times a week, she’s playing outside with herfriends or watching Star Wars - her new favorite

movie series - with her dad Ben Bujnowski.Dee Dee Vachon Lee was one of Alina’s preschool

teachers for two years at Village Green Day School.She said she has never seen a child so interested inbooks.

“She loves books more than any child I’ve everknown,” she said. “She reads more than any child Iknow.”

She said most other students her age are just be-ginning to master letter sounds or recognizing sightwords.

“We started reading to her when she was a baby,”said Josie. “We provide the environment, but if they’renot interested, it’s just not going to happen.”

100 Books of SummerGreat Falls 5-year-old is asuper reader.

Alina Bujnowski, 5, has read more than130 books this summer by herself.

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Opinion

The first day of school in FairfaxCounty is Tuesday, Sept. 2, butMonday, Sept. 8 is the beginningof something important.

For the first time in decades, elementaryschool students will have a full day of schoolon Mondays instead of being sent home hoursearly. This action makes so much sensein for families with children in elemen-tary school. The ability of Superinten-dent Karen Garza to facilitate thischange to go into effect right away is remark-able, and we hope a promise for more changesahead.

Earlier this week, the American Academy ofPediatrics issued a policy statement calling forlater start times — not earlier than 8:30 a.m. —for high school and middle school students. It’s

not impossible although some school systemswould have you believe that it can’t be done. It’stime to make that change in Fairfax County.

The science is undisputed. From the abstract:“A substantial body of research has now dem-

onstrated that delaying school start times isan effective countermeasure to chronic sleep

loss and has a wide range of potentialbenefits to students with regard tophysical and mental health, safety, andacademic achievement. The American

Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports theefforts of school districts to optimize sleep instudents and urges high schools and middleschools to aim for start times that allow stu-dents the opportunity to achieve optimal lev-els of sleep (8.5–9.5 hours) and to improvephysical (eg, reduced obesity risk) and mental

(eg, lower rates of depression) health, safety(eg, drowsy driving crashes), academic perfor-mance, and quality of life.”

You can read the report here: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/08/19/peds.2014-1697.full.pdf

Back to school nights begin this week and runinto October. For parents and students, there isno more important event that to turn up at Backto School Nights for your children, introduceyourself to teachers and open the lines of com-munication. Here is a link to a daunting list ofBack to School Nights in Fairfax County:

http://www.fcps.edu/news/backtoschool/bts-chonological.shtml

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Back to School: Good Steps, Good Intentions

Editorial

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Great Falls

Well DeservedEndorsementsTo the Editor:

The recent endorsement of Bar-bara Comstock by both the Na-tional Association Realtors and theVirginia Association of Realtors isnot only well deserved, but speaksvolumes as to the impact that bothBarbara and Congressman FrankWolf have played in helping further

both our local economy and thatof the country. As a Virginia resi-dent for nearly 30 years and a Re-altor for nine years, I know first-hand what Barbara has meant toour community. Barbara receivedthese endorsements because of herlongstanding commitment to pro-growth economic policies and com-mon sense legislation. I am confi-dent that she will be a strong voicein furthering this approach onceshe is elected to the U.S. Congress.

Letters to the Editor

Having met Barbara Comstock in2009 when she was running her firstcampaign for state delegate, I haveproudly endorsed her since then. Isay proudly because she has yet todisappoint either myself, or ourcommunity, in what she has accom-plished in Richmond. Whether it’sstepping in to break deadlocks onroadway construction projects orensuring that communities im-pacted by past storms received theappropriate attention, she has al-

ways been there. I have no idea howshe manages to do so, but Barbarais always there for Memorial Dayremembrances, Fourth of July pa-rades or our local Military Appre-ciation Monday events.

I personally can’t wait to seehow she takes this same level ofcommitment, energy and un-abashed patriotism to the Hill asour next Congresswoman!

Bob NelsonGreat Falls

What Are Your Plans forLabor Day Weekend?

— Reena Singh

Viewpoints

Charley Mays, ProjectsEngineer, Great Falls

“We’re going to Virginia Beachfor a music festival.”

Lindsay Spanier, FinancialAdvisor, Great Falls

“I’m going to Europe. We’regoing for a cruise for 12 days.”

Kristen Parisot, Consultant,McLean

“Maybe I’m going into labor.I’m planning to have a barbecueif I’m not going into the hospi-tal.”

Zdenka Willis, Oceanog-rapher, Great Falls

“I don’t have great plans forLabor Day. I have to be on aplane for a business trip toChina.”

Charlie Bish, CertifiedPublic Accountant, GreatFalls

“We’re headed to the beach.We’ve done that for that lastfew years.”


Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Shaun Blair spent eight sea-sons as an assistant coachwith two of the more suc-

cessful high school football pro-grams in Northern Virginia. Nowa first-time head coach, Blair, 35,is in charge of transforming an av-erage team into a winner.

Blair enters the 2014 season asthe head coach of the McLean foot-ball team. He takes over a programthat finished 15-16 over the lastthree seasons, including a trip tothe playoffs in 2011. From 2007-2013, McLean posted a 31-42record, including an 8-3 mark in 2010, with threeplayoff appearances, but no postseason victories.

Winning seasons and playoff victories were partof the culture at Blair’s previous two coaching stops.From 2006-2010, he was an offensive assistant atRobinson under then-head coach Mark Bendorf, wholed the Rams to state championships in 1997 and2001. In Blair’s last two seasons with Robinson, theRams went 19-5 with a pair of playoff wins.

From 2011-2013, Blair was a defensive assistantat Lake Braddock under head coach Jim Poythress,who led the Bruins to the state playoffs in 2009 and2010. In Blair’s three seasons with Lake Braddock,the Bruins went 28-8 and reached the 2013 regionsemifinals.

“Bringing that kind of football culture from whatthe Burke area has been exposed to with CoachBendorf and Coach Poythress [is a focal point],” Blair

said, “[along with] instilling val-ues about school and your pro-gram and playing for more thanyourself.”

Offensively, Blair and coordina-tor Chris Weiler have imple-mented a spread attack led by se-nior quarterback Brian Maffei.

“He is one tough guy,” Blair said.“… His development has beenexponential from the kid we’veseen on film.”

Maffei’s top receiving threat issenior Jordan Cole. Tight endOwen Pilewski will also figure intothe passing game.

Leading the way on the groundwill be running back Chris Merrill.

“He’s elusive,” Blair said. “Thething that sets him apart is he hasphenomenal vision. He sees it alldevelop as he’s carrying the foot-ball.”

Jack Holland, Tom Shue andPilewski could also receive carries.

Defensively, the Highlanderswill operate out of a base 4-3

alignment. Cole and Shue will be the safeties. Se-nior Nelson Sera is an enforcer at middle linebacker.

“He gets [to the ball carrier],” Blair said, “with apretty angry attitude.”

Sam Higbee will be another difference maker atlinebacker. Brandon Hill is a standout along the de-fensive line. Blair said one goal for the Highlandersis to improve by one game from last year’s 5-5 record,giving McLean a winning season. Another goal is toget in the playoffs.

“They’re a proud group of young men,” Blair said,“and we want to get a game better than they’ve beenbefore.”

McLean will open the season on the road againstWashington-Lee at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5. TheHighlanders’ first home game is Sept. 19 against FallsChurch.

McLean will operate out of the spread offense under first-year head coach Shaun Blairand coordinator Chris Weiler.

Blair Looks to InstillWinning Culture at McLeanHighlanderstrying for firstplayoff berthsince 2011.

Jordan Cole will be animpact player as receiverand safety for the McLeanHigh football team.

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The Oakton field hockeyteam trailed early in itscontest against

Osbourn Park on Monday as theYellow Jackets scored in theopening minutes.

As it turned out, a little ad-versity was all the Cougarsneeded to get going.

Oakton responded with apair of first-half goals andadded three in the second halfduring a 5-1 victory overOsbourn Park at the Under theLights tournament at Lee HighSchool.

Sophomore Maddie Rouseand junior Makenzie Brookseach scored a pair of goals forOakton, and senior SydneyApplegate had one.

“I think it was almost goodfor [Osbourn Park] to scorebecause it woke [the Cougars]up and made them realize theyneed to be ready as soon asthey’re going into the game,”first-year Oakton head coachAllison Ryneski said. “I thinkthey responded very well as we

dominated pretty much the restof the first half.”

Rouse’s goal with less than 19minutes remaining in the firsthalf tied the score at 1-all.Brooks scored with less than 15minutes left in the opening half,giving the Cougars a lead theywouldn’t relinquish.

“Definitely, that’s what weneeded,” Oakton senior JackieToye said of Osbourn Park’searly goal. “Sometimes it justtakes that mistake in order forus to get going again. From thatpoint on, we seemed a lot morewith it, our passes were betterand we just overall played a lotbetter.”

Ryneski said Toye and seniorDevon Thomas are two ofOakton’s top players.

“They know the game,”Ryneski said, “[and they] knowwhere to put the ball.”

Oakton will travel to faceMadison at 7:30 p.m. onWednesday, Sept. 3.

— Jon Roetman

Oakton sophomore Maddie Rouse, right, scored twogoals during the Cougars’ 5-1 victory over OsbournPark on Monday.

Madeline Weaver and the Oakton field hockey teamovercame an early Osbourn Park goal to beat theYellow Jackets 5-1 on Monday.

Oakton Field HockeyBounces Back

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THURSDAY/AUG. 28-FRIDAY/AUG. 29All-American Girl- Living Dolls

Camp. 9 a.m. Colvin Run Mill,10017Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.Children bring their American GirlDolls to camp and participate inactivities with them. $190-$205. 703-759-2771.

THURSDAY/AUG. 28Great Falls Rotary Club Weekly

Speaker Series. 7:30-8:30 a.m.River Bend Country Club, 375 WalkerRoad, Great Falls. Visit http://www.rotarygreatfalls.org/ to join.

Artists Meet for Coffee. 8:30-10 a.m.Katie’s Coffeehouse, GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Local Artists meetfor Coffee; do drop in! 703-759-2759.

FRIDAY/AUG. 29 Great Falls Library Drop-In Chess.

1-5 p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Drop-in and play chess. All skill levels andages welcome. 703-757-8560.

Look at the Stars! ObservatoryOpen. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Turner FarmPark, Springvale Road, Great Falls.Come to the observatory park forFriday Nightviewings.www.analemma.org.

Play Date Cafe. 10 a.m. Great FallsLibrary,9830 Georgetown Pike, GreatFalls. Cafe and play area for children.703-757-8560.

SATURDAY/AUG. 3021st Annual Middle Eastern Food

Festival. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. HolyTransfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, 8501 LewinsvilleRoad, McLean. Middle Eastern dishes– from shawarma wraps to plateddinners - sweets, Arabic coffee, andactivities for families and children.Visitwww.MiddleEasternFoodFestival.comor call 703-734-9566. Freeadmission.

Cars & Coffee. 7-9 a.m. Katie’s CoffeeHouse, 760 Walker Road, Great Falls.Early on Saturday mornings you’llfind a gathering of cool cars –antique, custom, hotrods, exotic,sports cars, they’re all here. 703-759-2759.

Great Falls Farmers Market. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Great Falls Village, 778Walker Road, Great Falls. Don’tforget to bring your recyclable bag.www.greatfallsfarmersmarket.org.

TUESDAY/SEPT. 2Colvin Run Tuesday Dance for

Everyone. 6:30-10 p.m. Colvin RunCommunity Gall, 10201 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. Come participatein weekly dance lessons ranging from‘Dance of the Month to Generl with

Hustle, Shug, Latin and more.Admissions: $12. 703-435-5620 orEd Cottrell, [email protected].

Great Falls Citizen’s AssociationEnvironment, Parks & TrailsCommittee Meeting. 7:30-9:30p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Monthly meeting.

WEDNESDAY/SEPT.3Pokemon League, 4:30-6 p.m. Great

Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Come play in Pokemonwith friends, or meet new ones. Forages 5-15.

THURSDAY/SEPT. 4 Great Falls Rotary Club. 7:30 a.m.-

8:30 a.m. River Bend Country Club,

375 Walker Road, Great Falls.Weekly meeting and speaker series. Ifinterested in joining, visit http://www.rotarygreatfalls.org.

Artists Meet for Coffee. 8:30 a.m.-10a.m. Katie’s Coffeehouse,Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Localartists get together for weekly coffee.Drop in!

FRIDAY/SEPT. 5Drop-in Chess. 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Weekly drop-inchess games in the library meetingroom. All ages welcome.

Look at the Stars! OpenObservatory. 7:30-10:30 pm.Turner Farm Park, Springvale Road,Great Falls. Friday night viewings ofthe sky at the observatory park. Visithttp://www.analemma.org for more

information.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 6Cars & Coffee. 7-9 a.m. Katie’s Coffee

House, 760 Walker Road, Great Falls.Every Saturday come find anassortment of antique, custom,exotic, sports cars and more! Withcoffee!

Great Falls Farmers Market. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Great Falls Village, 778Walker Road, Great Falls. Bring yourrecyclable bag and participate in thelocal movement. Farmers fromaround the area sell their vegetables,fruits, crepes, drinks and more.

Ballroom Dance. 8 - 9p.m. WaltzLesson. 9 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. ColvinRun Dance Hall, 10201 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. Live music withMike Surratt & the ECB playingfavorite dance tunes from the 1930sto today. Attire is ballroom casual,everyone is welcome. $20. 703-759-2685 or www.colvinrun.org.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 7Grinding Grain at Colvin Run Mill.

12-3 p.m. Colvin Run Mill, 10017Colvin Run Road, Great Falls. Comewatch the miller grind grain;cornmeal, grits, whole wheat for salein General Store. 703-759-2771.

MONDAY/SEPT. 8 Read to the Dog. 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Beginning readerscan practice reading to a furry friend.Call to sign-up. 703-757-8560.

TUESDAY/SEPT. 9Colvin Run’s Dance for Everyone.

6:30-10 p.m. Colvin Run CommunityGall, 10201 Colvin Run Road, GreatFalls. Come participate in weekelydance lessons ranging from ‘Dance ofthe Month to Generl with Hustle,Shug, Latin and more. Admissions:$12. 703-435-5620 or Ed Cottrell,[email protected].

WEDNESDAY/SEPT. 10Pokemon League, 4:30-6 p.m. Great

Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Come play in Pokemonwith friends, or meet new ones. Forages 5-15.

THURSDAY/SEPT. 11Great Falls Rotary Club. 7:30 - 8:30

a.m. River Bend Country Club, 375Walker Road, Great Falls. Weeklymeeting and speaker series. Ifinterested in joining, visit http://www.rotarygreatfalls.org.

Artists Meet for Coffee. 8:30 -10a.m. Katie’s Coffeehouse,Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Localartists get together for weekly coffee.Drop in!

9/11 Ceremony. 7-8:30 p.m. GreatFalls Freedom Memorial (behindGreat Falls Library), 9830Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Ceremony to especially remember thesix citizens who died on Flight 77.Ceremony open to all.

Watercolor Pouring. 7:30 p.m.Vienna Art Center, 115 PleasantStreet, NW, Vienna. Demonstrationby artist Patricia Farrell. Free. 703-319-3971.www.ViennaArtsSociety.org.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 12Drop-in Chess. 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Weekly drop-inchess games in the library meetingroom. All ages welcome.

Look at the Stars! OpenObservatory. 7:30-10:30 pm.Turner Farm Park, Springvale Road,Great Falls. Friday night viewings ofthe sky at the observatory park. Visithttp://www.analemma.org for moreinformation.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 13 Tysons World Music Festival. 12-

10 p.m. Town Square at Tysons II,Tysons Boulevard, Tysons Corner.Experience a full day ofperformances, art and beverages. Aportion of the proceeds will bedonated to charity.

McLean Fall Community FleaMarket. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 1420 BeverlyRoad, McLean (behind the GiantShopping Center). Almost 60 sellers!www.mcleancenter.org or 703-790-0123.

Cars & Coffee. 7-9 a.m. Katie’s CoffeeHouse, 760 Walker Road, Great Falls.Every Saturday come find anassortment of antique, custom,exotic, sports cars and more! Withcoffee!

Great Falls Farmer’s Market. 9a.m.-1 p.m. Great Falls Village, 778Walker Road, Great Falls. Bring yourrecyclable bag and participate in thelocal movement. Farmers fromaround the area sell their vegetables,fruits, crepes, drinks and more.

Dance for Everyone. 6:30-11:30 p.m.Colvin Run Community hall, 10201Colvin Run Road, Great Falls. Comeparticipate in dance lessons rangingfrom ‘Dance of the Month to Generlwith Hustle, Shug, Latin and more.Hosted by Ed Cottrell. Admissions:$12. 703-435-5620 or Ed Cottrell,[email protected].

SUNDAY/SEPT. 14Concerts at The Alden. 3 p.m. The

Alden Theatre, McLean CommunityCenter, 1234 Ingleside Avenue,McLean. Co-sponsored by The Aldenand the Music Friends of the FairfaxCounty Public Library.www.mcleancenter.org or 703-790-0123.

Calendar Send announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is Fridayfor the following week’s paper. Photos/artwork encouraged.


Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Churchvolunteers will sell traditional dishes and hand-madesweets at the 21st Annual Middle Eastern Food Festivalon Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30 -31 at 8501 LewinsvilleRoad, McLean.


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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA

450 ORCHARD STREET, NWVIENNA, VA 22180

[email protected]

www.fbcv.org

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 11:00 AMCHURCH SCHOOL 9:30AM-10:30AMMIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM

Visit These Houses of WorshipTo Highlight Your Faith Community,

call Karen at 703-917-6468

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II 5:00 p.m. Come Just as You Are Contemporary Service

Nursery care provided at 10:00 a.m. service

The Rev. James Papile, RectorThe Rev. Laura Cochran, Assoc. Rector

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

1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston

ST. ANNE’SEPISCOPALCHURCH • Reston

Welcoming, Diverse, Progressive

News

By Reena Singh

The Connection

In an effort to drum up volun-teers, Celebrate Great Falls ismaking some changes soon.

A more membership driven ser-vice and a new event under itswing - the Turner Farm Indepen-dence Day fireworks - it hopes todrive the number of people will-ing to donate their time to makeCGF’s events happen.

“We have seven major commu-nity events annually, and we’reasking for them to operate just oneso they can enjoy the other six,”said CGF board member MikeKearney.

He said that in the future, mem-bers can only join if they agree tosign up to volunteer for at leastone event - even if just for a fewhours.

“We’re not looking for eventchair people,” he said. “We’re look-ing for people who want to help.”

THE FOUNDATION director,Erin Lobato, said there are 50people in the community who getcalled whenever a position needsto be filled for an event. However,she said more - up to 300 - wouldbe preferable so no one gets over-worked.

She said the foundation is agreat way to learn more about thecommunity and make new friends.

“We moved here in 2012, andI’ve been struck by how quickly allof us felt we were a part of a com-munity,” she said.

She was invited to a coffee so-cial and volunteered forSpooktacular. Through the foun-dation, she made friends she regu-larly socializes with.

“While you’re giving back, you

can meet someone you can reallyhit it off with,” said Lobato. “In the21st century, to maintain thatsense of community, it’s nice to beable to slow down and do some-thing like that.”

Great Falls is unique in that it isoften touted as a small town justoutside of the nation’s capital. Ac-cording to George Mason Univer-sity Senior Research Associate atthe Center for Regional AnalysisDavid Versel, that may be part ofthe problem with CGF’s volunteershortage.

“In Great Falls, I would ventureto say that if you like there, youhave to go elsewhere to earn yourpaycheck,” he said. “There aredozens of places in D.C. that havea small town feel. You have peoplewho live in proximity of the busi-ness center - biking or walking dis-tance - who are there every day ofthe week.”

He said the only surefire way ofa bedroom community to get theresidents to become communityminded is to give them an incen-tive.

“People are only going to volun-teer if they feel it is worth theirwhile,” he said.

To create that small-town feel-ing, Lobato said the foundation ishoping to have five or six potluckdinners at local businesses so vol-unteers can meet their neighborsand make new friends.

She also said that when the In-dependence Day fireworks did notgo off at Turner Farm this year,many residents learned it hadnothing to do with a lack of funds- it was because the organizationthat was planning it did not haveenough volunteers. Next year, thefireworks will be under CGF’s wingto organize.

“The Fourth of July is a caution-ary tale of what happens whenpeople can’t donate their time,”said Lobato.

The group’s current volunteersare looking forward to meetingpeople interested in joining thegroup.

“It’s the best kept secret,” saidBarbara Morehouse. “If you onlyknew how much fun it is to go toa meeting at The Old Brogue andhave a beer or glass of wine. Andwe get so much work done.”

She said interested communitymembers might worry about thegroup being cliquey or exclusive,but they are always looking fornew people to help out.

ANOTHER RESIDENT, ReenaNagra, organized the Indepen-dence Day parade this year.

“The parade was my first volun-teer experience with them,” shesaid. “I was raised here so I got togo to a lot of the events CelebrateGreat Falls put on. “

She agreed with Lobato’s state-ment that many residents just ex-pect the events to happen and donot know how much volunteerhours each of the members haveto put into it because of the smallnumbers.

“I think because it’s been a lotof the same people every year sothey just think these events willhappen no matter what,” she said.“Having those same people do itevery year maybe made otherscomplacent, but when they volun-teer for an event, they get excitedand want to volunteer for anotherright then.”

For more information about Cel-ebrate Great Falls or to sign up tovolunteer, visit http://celebrategreatfalls.org.

Celebrate Great Falls intern Mike Stys anddirector Erin Lobato at the informationbooth during the Concerts on the GreenSunday.

The Concerts on the Green is just one ofthe events Celebrate Great Falls organizesannually.

Many Hands Make Light WorkCelebrate Great Falls searching for volunteers.

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Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/OaktonClassifiedClassified

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements


LEGAL NOTICEElizabeth Morris, Plaintiff v.Joseph Edward Morris,Defendant. to the abovename Defendant: A complainthas been presented to thisCourt by the Plaintiff, ElizabethMorris seeking Complaint forAnnulment of Marriage.

21 Announcements



HDI COMPUTER SOLUTIONSJENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

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

(571) [email protected]

101 Computers 101 Computers

95.6K miles (white/minor dings). Runs great! 5-spd. StandardTransmission; Sunroof; AM/FM/Cassette Deck/4 Speakers;Power Side Mirrors; 1-yr. old tires; Pampered with SyntheticOil every 3 mos./3K mi. for 20 yrs; Fully Detailed; Price: $2K.

Call: 571/338-1576 or 703/222-4492 (Fairfax)

FOR SALE-1994 GEO PRIZM LSi

202 Domestic Auto 202 Domestic Auto

26 Antiques

We pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

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

and costume jewelry,paintings/art glass/clocks.

Schefer Antiques @703-241-0790.

Email:[email protected]

28 Yard Sales

Moving sale Sat 8/30 7:00am -1:00pm

10422 Deer Foot Drive Great Falls

Furniture, clothes kids itemsAnd more

CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6 ....................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4 ....................Tues @ noon

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINES

Zones 1, 5, 6 ....................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4 ....................Tues @ noon

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/ Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria Gazette Packet

The Mount Vernon Gazette

Zone 4: Centre View North Centre View SouthZone 5: The Potomac AlmanacZone 6: The Arlington Connection

The Vienna/OaktonConnection

The McLean ConnectionThe Great Falls

Connection

EmploymentEmployment

MUST LOVE CATSVolunteers needed for cat caretaker shifts with

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

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

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

or interest.

VET RECEPTIONISTSmall animal hosp. Great Falls.

Will train. 703-757-7570 • www.ourvets.com

BUSINESS OPP

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Not only did last week’s CT Scan indi-cate shrinkage, where necessary – and sta-bility, where hoped for – it also accom-plished these hoped-for goals after onlytwo months of chemotherapy (still infusedevery three weeks) rather than the normalthree months of chemotherapy. So depend-ing on how the calendar/treatment sched-ule actually fell, I probably received twofewer infusions than usual, yet all the radio-logical indications – and interpretations –continue to be encouraging; after five anda half years, no less. I think I’m entitled touse the word amazing – and lucky, too.

Certainly I’ve made lifestyle changes, asyou regular readers know, though I’mhardly the poster child for outliving-your-terminal-stage-IV-non-small-cell-lung-cancer-diagnosis. I haven’t incorporated allthe suggestions made to me, but I have lis-tened – and learned, of course. Still, I’mproud of the path I’ve traveled, whichwouldn’t have happened without the helpand guidance of friends and family who Itrusted, and who I know had my best inter-ests at heart. And I have survived, thrivedalmost, because of their persistence.

But change is not, and has not beeneasy for me. In fact, “change” might as wellbe a four-letter word, although I do use myshare; never in print, and less frequently inpublic probably wouldn’t kill me. But I’malso good at rationalizing my behavior –both good and bad, so doing/not doing andproviding plausible, semi-defensible expla-nations (maybe even denials) has becomeone of my best mechanisms. Ultimately, mybottom line in all of these attempts atmodifying my behavior is stress reduction –which equates to self-preservation, if youwant to know the truth – and doing so in away that is consistent with my personality,allowing me to maintain the effort. I don’tsuppose starting and stopping would solvemuch. It’s sort of like a placebo effect. If Ithink something I’m doing is working, thenmaybe it is. The mind is a terrible thing towaste and I want to give it every opportu-nity to bring me back to “normal” health.For all I know, some new pill I’ve started,some new behavior I’ve assimilated, some-thing (like sugar) I’ve reduced is all workingtogether to make me whole again. Andsince I generally don’t look for trouble –considering that trouble has already foundme, I try to leave well enough alone until alittle birdie tells me otherwise (anybody,anywhere; any source, anyhow; anymedium, any way). Now I don’t want toknee-jerk myself into a decision. I’ll make afew inquiries, I’ll do a little research, butoverall, I won’t make the pursuit my life’swork.

In spite of it all, and in spite of me andmy peculiarities, I approach this week’sfive-and-a-half-year, post-diagnosis anniver-sary with less fear and trepidation than per-haps I should. But as I’ve said many timespreviously, and again in this column: “Whatdo I know?” Enough to keep me up and at’em and alive and reasonably well, I sup-pose. And way more than I had a right toexpect and almost too much to understand.I’ve never asked “why me?” but I’ve alwaysthought “why not me?” And so it goes –and has gone; maybe my level of ignorancehas been a sort of bliss. However, if I reallyunderstood what ails me, I might not be soglib about it.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

And Another Thing I’m“Righting” On

Educational InternshipsUnusual opportunity to learn many aspects ofthe newspaper business. Internships available inreporting, photography, research, graphics.Opportunities for students, and for adults consid-ering change of career. Unpaid. [email protected]


Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/Oakton

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

Recessed LightingCeiling FansPhone/CATVComputer Network CablingService UpgradesHot Tubs, etc…

Office 703-335-0654Mobile 703-499-0522

Licensed/Bonded/Insured

[email protected]

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

GUTTER CLEANINGGutters and Downspouts Cleaned

Small Repairs • Gutter Guards

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

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LicensedInsured

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

The HANDYMANA DIVISION OF NURSE CONSTRUCTION

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

A&S Landscaping

703-863-7465LICENSED

Serving All of N. Virginia

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

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

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

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

www.rncontractors.com

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

JUAN’S LANDSCAPING Since 1987

Res./Com. • Free Estimates

• CELL 703-732-7175

• COMPLETE TREE SERVICE • MASONRY • HAULING• BACKHOE • EXCAVATING • POWER WASHING• HANDYMAN • PAINTING • TRASH REMOVAL • DRYWAL

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

MOWING, TRIMMING, EDGING,MULCHING & TRIM HEDGES

PINNACLE SERVICES, INC.LAWN SERVICE

Friendly Service for a Friendly Price

703-802-0483703-802-0483

Custom Masonry703-768-3900

www.custommasonry.infoPatios, Walkways, Stoops, Steps, DrivewaysRepairs & New Installs•All Work Guranteed

BRICK AND STONE

MASONRY MASONRY

GOLDY BRICKCONSTRUCTION

Walkways, Patios, Driveways,Flagstone, ConcreteFREE ESTIMATES

Licensed, Insured, Bonded

703-250-6231

PAVING PAVING

Quality Tree Service & LandscapingReasonable prices. Licensed & insured

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

Spring Cleanup...Tree removal, topping & pruning,

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

retaining walls, drainage problems, etc.

24 Hour Emergency Tree Service

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

HAULING

AL’S HAULINGJunk & Rubbish

Concrete, furn.,office,yard, construction debris

Low Rates NOVA703-360-4364

703-304-4798 cell

7 DAYS A WEEK

ANGEL’S HAULING

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

Junk Trash Removal, Yard/Construction

Debris, Garage/ Base- ment Clean Out,

Furniture & Appl.

LANDSCAPING

Bathrooms, Kitchens,Flooring, complete

remodeling.703-863-7465

A&S CONSTRUCTION

JUNK HAULINGJunk, Rubbish,Homes, Offices,

Commerical,Yard/ConstructionDebris, Lot Clearout, 24 hrs day,

General Hom Work.

703-520-4338 N-VA

PAVING

Joseph Sealcoating

FreeEstimates!

703-494-5443

35 YearsExperience!

PAVINGSpecialist

TREE SERVICE

ANGEL’S TREE REMOVAL

Angeltreeslandscaping-hauling.com

Brush & Yard Debris Trimming & Topping

Gutters & Hauling

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

LANDSCAPING

Great Papers • Great Readers • Great Results!

Employers:Are your recruiting ads notworking in other papers?

Try a better way to fill your employment openings

[email protected]

• Target your best job candidateswhere they live.

• Reach readers in additionto those who are currentlylooking for a job.

• Proven readership.• Proven results.

Rockville

Potomac

BethesdaChevyChase

NorthPotomac

Washington,D.C.

Herndon

Reston

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GreatFalls

ViennaOakton

Arlington

McLean1

4

HistoricClifton

Fairfax

FairfaxStation

Burke

Springfield

2

6

5

3

NorthClifton

Centreville

LaurelHill

DullesAirport

To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, send to [email protected]. Thedeadline for submissions is the Friday prior to pub-lication.

THURSDAY/AUG. 28Computer-one-on-one. 11 a.m.10304

Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Learn how to workwith the Internet, Microsoft Word, Excel, andPowerPoint. 703-242-4020.

FRIDAY/AUG. 29Drop-In-Chess. 1 p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830

Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. All skill levelswelcome. 703-757-8560.

English Conversation Group. 10 a.m. PatrickHenry Library,101 Maple Avenue East, Vienna.Practice English conversational skills. 703-938-0405.

TUESDAY/SEPT. 9 American Red Cross Blood Donation. 8 a.m.

- 1:30 p.m. Federal Highway Administration,6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean. redcross.org or1-800-RED-CROSS.

MONDAY/SEPT. 15MCC Governing Board Work Session and

Public Hearing on FY 2016 Budget. 7:30p.m. McLean Community Center, 1234 InglesideAvenue, McLean.

Open to the public. www.mcleancenter.org or 703-790-0123.

THURSDAY/SEPT. 18Chapter Meeting Vietnam Veterans of

America Chapter 227. 7:30 p.m. Neighbor’sRestaurant, 262D Cedar Lane, Vienna. VietnamWar veteran, journalist, and author MarcLeepson will discuss latest book, “What SoProudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life.”Free. Call Len Ignatowski, 703-255-0353 orwww.vva227.org.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 27McLean Child Safety Inspection. 9:30 a.m. –

12 p.m. Lewinsville Center, 1609 Great FallsStreet, McLean. The Mclean District PoliceStation holds child safety seat inspections onceper month.

SATURDAY/OCT. 25McLean Child Safety Inspection. 9:30 a.m. –


SATURDAY/NOV. 22McLean Child Safety Inspection. 9:30 a.m. –


ONGOINGVienna Toastmasters. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays

at 7:30 p.m., at the Vienna Community Centeron the 2nd floor room opposite the elevator, 120Cherry St., S.E., Vienna. A friendly place to getcomfortable with public speaking andimpromptu speaking for new and experiencedspeakers. Open to the public.

Run With the Doctor. Every other Saturday at 7a.m. 8230 Boone Blvd, Tysons Corner. TheCenter for Orthopedics and Sports Medicineoffers its services in a convenient format torunners at this running event. Free.facebook.com/runwiththedoctor.

Senior Fall Prevention Classes. 1:30-2:30 p.m.and 2-3 p.m., The Woodlands RetirementCommunity, 4320 Forest Hill Drive, Fairfax.Classes are held in a heated indoor pool and aredesigned to work on balance and core muscles.$10. 703-667-9800.

Coffee/Tea Poetry Group. Poets and poetrylovers seek to form a group to meet once amonth at a local coffee/tea shop to enjoy eachother’s creations. 703-819-1690.

Virginia Sheriff’s Institute ScholarshipProgram. Those enrolled in a Virginia collegeor university who are pursuing a degree in thefield of criminal justice are eligible for theVirginia Sheriff’s Institute Scholarship Program;recommendation letter needed. 703-246-3251,[email protected] or http://vasheriffsinstitute.org/scholarship/.

Everest College Free GED Test Preparation.Tysons Corner, Vienna. Free GED testpreparation and credential completion program,GED Advantage, open to the public. 1-888-201-6547.

Bulletin Board


www.GreatFallsGreatHomes.com

Susan Canis703-757-3222 Office

Jan & Dan LaythamDianne Van Volkenburg

Great Falls $1,320,000

Great falls $1,100,000


Vienna $1,695,000




Great Falls $3,999,000 Great Falls $1,895,000


Great Falls $1,739,000 Great Falls $1,197,000

Reston $1,150,000 Great Falls $1,399,000 Great Falls $1,099,000

JUST

LIS

TED

Great Falls Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2014-15 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

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2014-20152014-2015

Newcomers &

Community Guide

Newcomers &

Community Guide

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2014-15 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

9841 Georgetown Pike

Great Falls, VA 22066

703-759-9190

Karen Washburn

703.598.2841

Eileen Summers

703.244.3190

Twee Ramos

703.217.0200

McCue Ct, Great Falls

$1,125,000

Dutchman’s Knoll

Lovettsville

Jefferson Run Rd, Great Falls

$1,750,000

Allenwood, Great Falls

$1,449,000

Gouldman Ln, Great Falls

$1,595,000

$10K

Sel

ler

Credi

t to

Buyer

Park Garden, Reston

$553,000

Springvale Rd, Great Falls

$1,199,000

716 Ellsworth, Great Falls

$675,000

Caboose Terrace

Sterling

Comin

g So

on!

Under

Con

tract

Under

Con

tract

SOLD

!!

SOLD

!

Broug

ht B

uyer

!


Newcomers & Community Guide

By Sharon Bulova/Chairman

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Welcome to Fairfax County,the best place in the coun-try to live, work and play.Fairfax County is home to a

fantastic public school system, top tier busi-ness and shopping opportunities, compas-sionate human services, and some of thebest parks and open spaces in the D.C. Met-ropolitan region. This summer featured thelong-awaited opening of the WMATA SilverLine, which connects the Reston and theTysons areas of the county to the entireMetrorail system.

Last June, I cut the ribbon to open a newsegment of our Fairfax County Cross CountyTrail, named after former Chairman (nowcongressman) Gerry Connolly. It was hisvision, while serving on our board, to buildand connect trail sections to make it pos-sible for someone to hike through all ninecounty magisterial districts. The northernend of the trail begins in Great Falls Na-tional Park at the breathtaking PotomacRiver and travels south to the historicOccoquan River.

The trail passes through stream valleysand meadows, then winds through fascinat-ing Laurel Hill, site of the former LortonPrison. In addition to parkland and a golfcourse, these grounds are now home to theWorkhouse Arts Center where visitors canwatch artists in action and enjoy plays, per-formances and community events such as

Springfest every April.Fairfax County has something for every-

one. Northern Virginia Community Collegeoffers more than 160 degrees at theassociate’s level and numerous certificateprograms. Its partnership with George Ma-son University provides families and stu-

dents with a seamless, cost-effective pathto a four-year degree.

George Mason University, recently namedone of the top five “Up-and-Coming Uni-versities” by U.S. News and World Report,is also recognized as one of America’s BestCollege Buys by Forbes magazine. Under the

presidency of Dr. Angel Cabrera, Mason isfast taking its place as a university for theworld.

Fairfax County is known for its business-friendly climate. Time Magazine has de-scribed us as “the epicenter of the Wash-ington region’s job boom” and “one of thegreat economic success stories of our time.”Although home to eight Fortune 500 com-pany headquarters (corporate giants suchas Northrop Grumman and Booz AllenHamilton) about 97 percent of the compa-nies in Fairfax County are small businesseswith fewer than 100 employees. We are agreat location for startups.

Of course, Fairfax County’s greatest assetis a population that is welcoming and en-gaged. People from all over the globe havemade Fairfax County their home, enrichingour community with diverse cultures andentrepreneurship. Visit Fairfax County’swebsite at www.fairfaxcounty.gov to learnmore about what Fairfax has to offer.

As chairman of the Board of Supervisors,I am elected at-large by all registered vot-ers. My office is here to serve you. If youhave any questions or concerns, pleaseemail me at [email protected] orcall me at 703-324-2321. I hope you willsign up to receive my monthly Bulova By-line newsletter that will keep you up-to-dateon what is happening and how you canparticipate in all that Fairfax County has tooffer you and your family.

Thanks for making Fairfax County yourhome.

Photo contributed

Thumbs up for Silver Line: The long-awaited opening of the WMATASilver Line, which connects the Reston and the Tysons areas of thecounty to the Metrorail system.

Welcome to Fairfax County

See Hot Issues, Page 12

By Reena Singh

The Connection

Great Falls, a unique village justoutside of D.C., will be under-going major changes in the next

five years and beyond.Great Falls Citizens Association and

Fairfax County will be working on rangeof issues like deer management, land use,historical preservation and water purifi-cation, among others to create a betterquality of life for citizens.

Great Falls Citizens Association is whatboard member Phil Pifer calls the “quasi-town council of Great Falls.”

One of the most recent issues they’vediscussed at the monthly board meetings- usually held at The Grange - is howTurner Farm, a historic farmhouse, canbe saved from its current shambled state.

“The Turner family owned it since thelate 1800s and it has been essentially adairy farm since then,” said Pifer.

It was only four years ago, that thehome, abandoned by family, was boughtby the Fairfax County Park Authority.

GFCA is currently looking into havingthe master plan changed, because thecurrent plan for Turner Farm park does

not include the farmhouse.“There’s a process you have to go

through, and it will commence sometimenext year,” said GFCA Vice President BillCanis.

If the house is turned over to a pos-sible countywide resident curatorshipprogram, the resident would have to bewilling to invest $150,000 into the cur-rent building. Both the Analemma Soci-ety and the equestrian clubs that use thepark have been fighting to keep the arealow-impact and unlit at night, whichPifer said is causing friction between or-ganizations that hope to invest in it andsome of the town’s residents.

ANOTHER RECENT ISSUE the asso-ciation has been tackling is deer man-agement. A survey about residents’ opin-ions on how to handle the deer popula-tion is being finished and may be re-leased as soon as next month.

Canis explained why deer overpopu-lation has been an issue as of late.

“We’re in a heavily forested area andthe deer are eating all the new saplings,”he said. “If we want to have forests herein 25 years, we have to start planningright now.”

Turner Farm, deer management, trails,roads among hot topics for village.

Hot Issues Facing Great Falls

Photo by Reena Singh/The Connection

The village is looking for the best wayto preserve the Turner farmhouse.

Canis said more than 700 people re-sponded to the survey.

“There’s strong support for action,”he said.

What type of action? Pifer said thatis still a question GFCA hopes to an-swer soon.

One of the options being exploredare neighborhood archery clubs. Inthat case, all the neighbors in that areawould have to come to an agreementabout who can have their land huntedon and who do not want a deer to becollected from their property if a deerruns off and dies later.

Now that the Silver Line has startedits service, many residents are hopingthat system of trails throughout towncan be improved and expanded.

“There’s a high degree of support foran interconnected system of multi-usetrails,” said Pifer.

He said local landmarks like theTurner Farm, local parks and the li-brary will be connected as well as busstops that could take town residentsto the Wiehle-Reston East metro sta


By Kathleen J. Murphy

President/Great Falls Historical

Society

There are certain old-timers inGreat Falls whose families arefilled with memories that spangenerations and even centuries

in this area, connecting them deeply withthe local story.There are newcomers – some come for afive-year stint for work, with plans to re-main in touch and return to their home-town; some immigrate from far awayplaces, adopting our village as their newhome; some come to sleep in Great Falls,only to work and play in other locationsthroughout the D.C. area. Some look at theland, enjoy the wide-open spaces, the pas-toral setting, the peace and quiet, the crit-ters running to and from and say that thisplace is sublimely beautiful. Others see theland and say that it can hold an immensehouse – it must be filled in with somethinghugely man-made to be assuredly presti-gious.

CERTAIN LANDMARKS, great and small,serve as symbols of the unfolding story oflocal aspirations over the centuries…

❖ The Potowmack Canal at Great FallsPark - Concept, 1785, Operation, 1801-1830

A young, 16-year-old George Washingtonwas asked to survey the land from theShenandoah to Georgetown for LordFairfax, a large local landowner.

That careful survey awakened a vision ofthe potential of the Potomac River, and thepossibility it held to move produce andcargo from the Ohio River and theShenandoah to Georgetown, where it couldbe shipped to Europe. Washington pur-chased the land where the Colvin Run Millnow stands, realizing the potential of theDifficult Run stream to power a flour mill.His early vision later inspired the formationand early management of the PatowmackCompany, where he gathered investors tobuild a series of locks along the PotomacRiver to facilitate boat travel up and downthe river.

The meetings and negotiations he heldamong representatives of neighboringstates, initially between Maryland and Vir-ginia, and then others, effectively formedthe basis of the first continental congressand opened the way for states to discussand prepare a shared constitution. Whilethe Patowmack Company ultimately wasshort of capital and went bankrupt, al-though recognized retroactively as accom-plishing one of the great engineering featsof the 18th century, it accomplished a moreenduring purpose – to unite disparate statesinto a nation with a common vision that

has endured through today.❖ Brown Farm’s Milk House at Colvin Run

Road, 1851The Brown Farm’s Milk House stands at

the west entrance to the Colvin Run Road.The plaque on the door notes that the milkhouse has been standing since 1851. TheBrown family came to the Colvin Run areaat that time, a minister, Jesse Brown andhis father, Augustus, and their families, toset up a missionary church and to farm.They built Brown’s Chapel, which has sincebeen moved to the Reston area and can befound on Baron Cameron Road; there is agraveyard, Brown’s Memorial Cemetery,with the various distinguished members ofthe Brown and Van Patten family just westof the milk house on Leesburg Pike, andthere was a substantial farm at the site justbehind the milk house.

The Brown family made an importantcontribution to the Colvin Run area. Arriv-ing in the area a decade before the CivilWar, they brought knowledge of better farm-ing techniques, which they were able toshare with their neighbors. Brown’s Chapelserved as a gathering place for local resi-dents.

They are a testament to the contributionnewcomers can make to a local community,sharing expertise in ways that make a sub-stantial and enduring different in the localculture and economy.

❖Great Falls Grange, 1929The Great Falls Grange was formed in

1920, just over 30 years after the forma-tion of the National Grange. Local residentswere encountering pricing pressures ontheir dairy products and needed to negoti-ate jointly, rather than individually, to besufficiently effective. By 1929, the localGrange had raised and borrowed enoughmoney to build the Grange building, stillstanding today. The Grange served to orga-nize and unite a group of local families ofmostly farmers into a structure and institu-tion that served their mutual interest in aspirit of collegiality and cooperation.

THE HALLMARK of the Grange was theimportance placed on character develop-ment, integrity, and shared values. Mem-bers were cultivated through a series of “de-grees” or levels within the local Grange be-fore participating at the Pomona (county),State, and National levels.

The Grange is noted for giving everyonean equal voice, nurturing skills and valuesthrough a structured development programfor all members, regardless of age or sex. Alandmark to neighborly collegiality andfriendship, the Grange stands to call us to ahigher level of community involvement andvolunteerism.

It is the mission of the Great Falls His-torical Society to capture the ever-evolvingstory of our village, to preserve it for allwho come to live here, securing its accessi-bility for future generations to appreciateand enjoy.

GFHS has monthly programs and socialevents and is present weekly at the GreatFalls Farmers Market. www.gfhs.org.


Great Falls, Virginia: Landmarks of Local AspirationsCapturing andpreserving theever-evolving storyof our the village.

Re-enactors pole through the Patowmack Canal at Seneca Falls, June1987.

Brown Farm’s Spring House on Colvin Run Road.

Great FallsGrange onGreat Falls

Day, May 5,2014.

Brown’s Chapel Congregation, 1950s.

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Photo courtesy of Great Falls Historical Society

Photo by

Archie Brown

Photo courtesy of Great Falls Historical Society



Keep in TouchLETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Email to [email protected] or submit online at

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FACETS FACETS began as a meal distribution

outreach effort in 1988, today is an estab-lished nonprofit organization with programsto provide shelter, food, and medical atten-tion for those unable to provide forthemselves. FACETS offers a multifacetedarray of volunteer opportunities across all ofour programs to include administrative andoffice opportunities at our main office inFairfax City. Take a moment to learn moreabout available volunteer opportunities,then kindly sign up for an orientation whereyou will learn more about becoming a vol-unteer for FACETS as well as complete anapplication. 703-352-5090 or http://facetscares.org/

Affordable HousingCorporation (AHC)

AHC, a nonprofit developer of affordablehousing, operates in Vienna to provide qual-ity homes for low- and moderate-incomefamilies. AHC also offers services for resi-dents and homeownership opportunities.www.ahcinc.org/index.html.

Northern VirginiaFamily Service

NVFS addresses the needs of many com-munities in our region by providing serviceslike foster care and multicultural humanservices. See extensive volunteer opportuni-ties on their website. 703-385-3267 orwww.nvfs.org/.

Committee forHelping Others (CHO)

CHO is a Vienna organization committedto providing simple, loving charity to thosein need. CHO is currently seeking volunteerdrivers for their furniture and transportationprograms. Their 14th Annual ThanksgivingInterfaith Service is Tuesday, Nov. 20, 7:30p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589Chain Bridge Road. 703-281-7614 orwww.cho-va.com.

Family PASSFamily PASS strives to step in before fami-

lies lose their housing by providing rentalsubsidies, extensive case management andother assistance including education, jobtraining, child care, food, transportation,health care, help with children’s issues andcounseling. Volunteer opportunities includedrivers, event hosts, food drive organizersand tutors. 703-242-6474 or http://familypassfairfax.org/.

Kurdish HumanRights Watch

KHRW began in 1989 with the mission toenable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),refugees, asylee newcomers and homelessindividuals to achieve self-sufficiency andeconomic independence through direct as-sistance and capacity-building. Volunteersand advocates can adopt a refugee or refu-gee family, sponsor a critically ill child fromIraq to receive medical care, promotewomen and democracy in Iraq, promotehuman rights in Iran, and donate to thescholarship fund for refugee youth. 703-385-3806, [email protected], or www.khrw.org.

Shelter HouseShelter House follows the Housing First

model, with the main priority to re-houseevery family that begins one of their sixunique housing programs. Formed in 1981,when several ecumenical groups came to-gether to better serve Fairfax County’s

Nonprofits

See Nonprofits, Page 9


As your local, weekly newspaper,the Connection’s mission is todeliver the local news you need,to try to make sense of what is

happening in your community, to gatherinformation about the best things in andnear your community, to advocate for com-munity good, to provide a forum for dia-logue on local concerns, and to celebrateand record achievements, milestones andevents in the community and people’s lives.

Here in our Newcomers and CommunityGuide, we’ve included an expanded andupdated version of our award-winningInsider’s Guide to the Parks, plus details ofhow to vote in the upcoming elections, in-formation on local government, nonprofitsand business organizations, plus tips andtidbits from the community.

We invite newcomers and long-time resi-dents alike to let us know how we’re doingand let us know what is going on in yourpart of the community. If you have ques-tions or ideas, send us an e-mail or call us,contact us on Facebook or send us a tweet.We invite you to send letters to the editoror to send an email with feedback aboutour coverage.

We want to know if someone in your fam-ily or your community published a book,started a business, became an Eagle Scout,raised money for a good cause, accom-plished some feat like running a marathon,supporting a cause or having art includedin an art show. We publish photos and notesabout personal milestones and communityevents, including births, engagements, wed-dings, anniversaries, awards and obituar-ies. We are also interested in events at yourchurch, mosque, synagogue, communitycenter, pool, school, club, etc. Email us anote about the event, being sure to includewhen and where the photo was taken andthe names of all the people who are in aphoto. We also publish notes about newsand events from local businesses. Notesabout openings, new employees and anni-versaries are welcome. It is especially im-portant to us to let people know aboutevents ahead of time in our calendar ofevents. We appreciate getting notice at least

two weeks ahead of the event, and we en-courage photos.

Your community Connection newspaperis one of 15 papers published by the inde-pendent, locally owned Local Media Con-nection LLC, serving the suburbs of Metro-politan Washington in Northern Virginiaand Potomac, Md.

Our flagship paper, the Alexandria Ga-zette Packet, is one of the oldest continu-ously publishing papers in the country, be-ginning publication in 1784.

The Connection Newspapers have wonhundreds of press awards in just the pastfew years, including the Virginia Press As-sociation Award for Journalistic Integrityand Community Service, Best in Show forour Insiders Guide to the Parks, first placefor our community guides, plus awards innews, art, business, special projects, sports,entertainment, design, photography andmuch more.

We have staff and contributors here at theConnection with remarkable talent and ex-perience, far greater than one might expect.We continue to publish 15 distinct papers

every week that serve their communities indistinct ways. We welcome contributingwriters, with the caveat that our freelancepay is nominal; if you are interested in cov-ering news or events in your community,email [email protected] offer summer and year-round educa-tional internships with information atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/intern-ships.

In addition to our weekly coverage, wehave monthly special focus pages onWellbeing; Education, Learning, Fun, andHomeLifeStyle, plus other seasonal specialsincluding Real Estate, Senior Living, FallFun, Food and Entertainment (also Winter,Spring and Summer), a twice a year PetConnection, and others. If you have storyideas for these, [email protected]; if areinterested in marketing, [email protected].

Mary Kimm,

[email protected],

@marykimm

About the Connection

Find a comprehensive online listing of countybusiness resources at www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/business-resources.

Greater McLean Chamber of Com-merce

The chamber covers all of McLean and themajority of Tysons Corner.www.mcleanchamber.org.

Tysons Regional Chamber of Com-merce

The chamber offers business-related programsand services to members in the region.www.vtrcc.org/.

Fairfax County Chamber of CommerceThe chamber facilitates industry-focused

councils, thought leadership groups, communitypartnerships and many other opportunities for itsmore than 600 member companies to expandtheir networks and raise their profiles in thehighly competitive Northern Virginia market.

www.fairfaxchamber.org/ or 703-479-9075.-0

Asian American Chamber of Com-merce

Located in Tysons, it offers programs to Asianand Pacific business communities in the region.www.asian-americanchamber.org/.

U.S. Lebanese Chamber of CommerceA privately held business association founded

in 2010 offering networking and resources toLebanese Americans. 703-761-4949.

Great Falls Business and ProfessionalAssociation

Advances community welfare by encouraginghigh business and professional ethics and prac-tices. Supports patronage of local retail andprofessional services. Supports Celebrate GreatFalls Day, the Great Falls Freedom Memorial andother community developments and events. 703-759-3011, 703-759-4155 orwww.greatfallsbpa.com.

Chambers

is produced by

Connection Newspapers

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Local Media Connection LLC

Community Guide content compiled byAbby Aldridge, Kara Coleman, Ashley Dietz,Neeka Eghbali, Emma Harris, Taylor Horner,

Alexis Hosticka and Elizabeth Schneider

For more information,

call 703-778-9431 or email

[email protected]

Great Falls

& Community Guide

Newcomers


Dermatology & AllergySPECIALISTS OF VIRGINIA

www.dermspecial is tsva.com

Phone 703-709-1492 • Fax 703-709-5111

1800 Town Center Dr., Ste. 415Reston, VA 20190

1715 N. George Mason Dr., Ste. 105Arlington, VA 22205

Accepting New Patients

Allergy Patch Testing • Asthma • Hives • Allergy EczemaFood & Environmental Allergy Testing • Sinusitis

Insect Venom Allergy Testing • Immunotherapy • Allergic Rhinitis

Dr. Sowerwine has specialized training and experienceto find out what causes your allergies, prevent andtreat symptoms, and help keep them under control.

Dr. Kathryn J. Sowerwine is a boardcertified Allergist and Immunologistwith a special interest in dermatologicaldiseases linked to allergy. She completeda residency in Internal Medicine atGeorgetown University Hospital and herclinical and research fellowship in allergyand immunology at the National Institutesof Health in Bethesda, MD.

Kathryn J. Sowerwine, MD


By Janie Strauss

School Board Member/Dranesville

Herndon, Langley andMcLean High Schools of-fer a rich program ofcourses, extracurricular

activities and events. Check theirwebsites for detailed descriptions.www.fcps.edu/HerndonHS, www.fcps.edu/LangleyHS and www.fcps.edu/McLeanHS

Concerts, plays and athletic events are open to thepublic and a great way to get to know a school com-munity.

Here is a sampling of recent school news.

HERNDON HIGH SCHOOL❖ HHS will complete the planning phase this year for their

renovation. Construction will likely begin in 2016-17.❖ The Step Team has won their second world championship

and the marching band will perform at Disney World inApril.

❖ The Virtual Business Enterprise class has representedVirginia three times in national competitions.

❖ HHS has the largest number of National Board Certifiedteachers in a single FCPS schools.

❖ Herndon continues to field a competitive robotics team andoffers a Navy JROTC program.

❖ Herndon is a “kids at Hope” school with an expectation ofsuccess for all students.

LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL*Langley High School will begin theirrenovation in December of this year. Classeswill continue with the help of 32 temporaryclassrooms in the new Quad Ville located in theparking lot. On campus parking will be reduced.With the auditorium under construction in thefirst phase this year, orchestra, band and dramaperformances will take place in other spaces.Please continue to come to events, but check fornew locations.*Last year, the volleyball team won the statechampionship, the science Olympiad team wassecond in the state and the Saxon Stage’sperformance of “The Children’s Hour” won aCappie for the best play and Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf won for graduating critic.❖ The All Langley Read is “The Adoration of

Jenna Fox” by Mary Pearson.❖ The Langley Leap, a senior internship program, will be

offered again in June through Government classes.

MCLEAN HIGH SCHOOL*MHS, renovated some years ago and having experienced

enrollment growth in the last few years, may see no uptickin enrollment this year.

❖ McLean’s Critics team, Emma Paquette (rising critic) andAlex Stone (lead actor in a musical) won Cappies.

❖ Luke Ferris, a member of the USA Aquatics Special OlympicsTeam, has made the Team USA for the World SpecialOlympics.

❖ The Symphonic Band will perform at the National ConcertBand Festival in Indianapolis.

❖ Dawn Allison, a MHS counselor, has been selected as the2013-2014 FCPS Outstanding Career Center Specialist.

❖ McLean’s principal, Ellen Reilly, has a special page on theschool website called Reilly’s Raves that highlights variousstudent and staff accomplishments – like CatherineOverberg who graduated with perfect attendance fromkindergarten through high schools. Check it out.

Recent news fromHerndon, Langleyand McLean High.

High Schools Aiming High

Photo contributed



Great Falls Friends &Neighbors [GFFN] isa women’s club de-

signed to connect new withcurrent residents of GreatFalls and the surroundingcommunities. For all mem-bers young or old, it is a won-derful way to establish friend-ships and community con-tacts through the social, edu-cational and cultural activi-ties that GFFN provides. Inaddition, the club providesservice, support, and dona-tions to philanthropic andcivic organizations, particu-larly in and close to the GreatFalls community. GFFN is anonprofit organization.

Our social interests arequite varied, there is some-thing for everyone. Interestsinclude restaurant dining, fit-ness/exercise groups, bookclub, bridge, gardening, winetasting, theatre, dancing andmuch more. There are alsospecial events that includefamily picnics, holiday partiesand champagne brunches.

The civic focus of the clubincludes participation andsponsorship in local commu-nity events such as the annualFourth of July Parade, thePoetry Contest for localschool students and the Hal-loween Haunted House.

The philanthropic endeav-ors of GFFN highlight the tal-ent, compassion, and dedica-tion of its members. Club phi-lanthropy works towards avariety of programs benefit-ing women and children.

Join GFFN at their kick-offluncheon on Friday, Sept. 19at River Bend Country Club.

For more information visithttp://www.gffnva.org/ oremail at [email protected].

Friends &Neighbors toHost Kick-offLuncheon

What’s the Best PartAbout Living in Great Falls?

Ava Nguyen, Resident for three years“It’s hard to explain. I think it’s the sense of

community; it’s so large, but you can still makea difference. Everyone still knows everyone.I’m a part of the Great Falls Rotary Club, andwe support local schools, and donate to vari-ous international charities. It’s the first ser-vice club like it in Great Falls. There’s greatcommunity events too, like the concerts!”

Andy & Ed Smith, Residents for 17 years“For me, it’s the elbow room, the space, the green. You have this

almost rural feel, but are only 30 minutes from everything D.C. has tooffer. Well, without traffic that is!”

Emma Mercer, Resident for 20 years“The best part about living in Great Falls is being close to D.C. and

still living in an open area. It’s feeling close to a city without being inthe city.”

Irma McDonald & Lucy Slamon, Residents for 28 yearsand 18 years

“I love nature. It’s so beautiful here. My brother lives in California,and it’s nothing compared to this, to all the trees. The people are alsovery friendly.”

Eric Guidi, Resident for 22 years“It’s definitely the community. There are parades, concerts, car shows,

that kind of stuff. Just all the activities but still the small town feel.”— Nikki Cheshire

Photos by

Nikki Cheshire

The Connection

Tips for

Newcomers

Élite Piano Academy

www.Hyun-MiChung.net

8230 Boone Blvd., Suite 100AVienna, VA 22182

202-674-0499Miss Hyun-Mi Chung, a graduate

of Juilliard School (B.M. & M.M.) withover 20 years of teaching experience.

Andrew Ajamian, Student

Private Lessons forAll Levels & All Ages

Register Now for Fall Session.

Build YourCommunity

Support YourLocal Businesses.

www.connectionnewspapers.com


www.villagegreendayschool.com • 703-759-4049

A community school since 1979

Select openings still available for 2014-2015 school yearPlease call to schedule a tour!

Offering Preschool, Kindergarten & Montessori, Childcare Programsand School Age Before & After Care (K-6) Programs

Where Learning Feels Like FamilyFrom Page 6

Nonprofits

low-income population. Volunteer op-portunities vary by shelter; see websitefor details. 703-955-7876,i n f o @ s h e l t e r h o u s e . o r g ,www.shelterhouse.org.

CelebrateGreat Falls

Hosts annual events such as the Christ-mas Tree Lighting and a Fourth of JulyParade, and raises funds for the threelocal elementary schools. Celebrate GreatFalls is currently looking for volunteersto help with general tasks, events andmarketing. 571-293-0474,www.celebrategreatfalls.org [email protected].

Friends of theGreat Falls Library

A group of book-lovers that raisesmoney to expand programs for childrenand outreach at the Great Falls Commu-nity Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike.703-757-8560, 202-429-3806 orwww.fa ir faxcounty .gov/l ibrary/branches/gf/.

Great FallsOptimist Club

A group of men and women commit-ted to programs that educate youth andhelp them expand their horizons andavoid pitfalls as they mature. The Opti-mists sponsor the “Just Say No” programand an oratorical contest as well as theAdeler Jewelers Children’s Festival.They sponsor boys and girls softball andbaseball teams and Operation Smile.703-938-5858.

Great FallsWoman’s Club

This diverse group makes things hap-pen in the community and looks toresidents to join in. For the last twoyears, the club has raised thousands ofdollars with a Casino Night Gala andfundraiser to support construction of anew fire station for professional andvolunteer firefighters and paramedics inGreat Falls. While they perform commu-nity service, raise money and awardwomen’s scholarships, members of theGreat Falls Woman’s Club have pro-grams that foster camaraderie withinthe club. Membership includes manyformer Great Falls Newcomers. 703-757-6234.

Friends ofColvin Run Mill

Friends of Colvin Run Mill is dedicatedto assisting the Fairfax County Park Au-thority in enhancing the Colvin Run MillHistoric Site and its educational pro-grams. The restored Colvin Run Mill, aworking example of 19th century waterpowered grist milling technology, servesas an educational focal point for visitors,children and families. 703-759-2771 orwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/crm/.

Great FallsEcumenical Council

The Great Falls Ecumenical Council

See Nonprofits, Page 13


Great FallsZip code: 22066Population: 18,099Race: White-14,428 (79.7%), Black/African American-370 (2%), American Indian and

Alaska Native-29 (0.2%), Asian-2,548 (14.1%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-778(4.3%)

Total housing units: 6,153Owner-occupied housing units: 5,497 (94.3%)Households with individuals under 18 years: 2,678Households with individuals 65 years and over: 1,526Median household income: 207,949Mean family income: 305,426Population 5 years and over who speaks a language other than English at home: 24.8%Source: U.S. Census 2010; American Community Survey 2012

McLeanZip code: 22102Population: 21,985Race: White-14,668 (66.7%), Black/African American-14,688 (66.7%), American Indian

and Alaska Native-43 (0.2%), Asian-5,175 (23.5%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-1,481(6.7%)

Total housing units: 10,471Owner-occupied housing units: 5,476 (56.2%)Households with individuals under 18 years: 2,626Households with individuals 65 years and over: 2,075Median household income: 117,885Mean family income: 261,962Population 5 years and over who speaks a language other than English at home: 41.3%

Zip code: 22101Population: 29,887Race: White-24,098 (80.6%), Black/African American-498 (1.7%), American Indian and

Alaska Native-42 (0.1%), Asian-4,130 (13.8), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-1,549(5.2%)

Total housing units: 11,345Owner-occupied housing units: 9,034 (83.1%)Households with individuals under 18 years: 4,190 (38.5%)Households with individuals 65 years and over: 3,813 (35.1%)Median household income: 175,926Mean family income: 273,397Population 5 years and over who speaks a language other than English at home: 28.7%

Zip code: 22043Population: 24,302Race: White-15,725 (64.7%), Black/African American-1,095 (4.5%), American Indian

and Alaska Native-107 (0.4%), Asian-4,732 (19.5%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-4,013 (16.5%)

Total housing units: 9,735Owner-occupied housing units: 5,575 (59.5%)Households with individuals under 18 years: 2,985 (31.9%)Households with individuals 65 years and over: 1,847 (19.7%)Median household income: 102,057Mean family income: 141,315Population 5 years and over who speaks a language other than English at home: 39.6%Source: U.S. Census 2010; American Community Survey 2012

Vienna/OaktonZip code: 22182Population: 24,863Race: White-18,425 (74.1%), Black/African American-695 (2.8%), American Indian and

Alaska Native-22 (0.1%), Asian-4,594 (18.5%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-1,304(5.2%)

Total housing units: 9,020Owner-occupied housing units: 7,099 (82.5%)Households with individuals under 18 years: 3,530Households with individuals 65 years and over: 2,233Median household income: 164,388Mean family income: 217,756Population 5 years and over who speaks a language other than English at home: 29.8%


Alaska Native-45 (0.3%), Asian-2,230 (15%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-1,197 (8%)Total housing units: 5,429Owner-occupied housing units: 4,234 (79%)Households with individuals under 18 years: 2,055 (38.3%)Households with individuals 65 years and over: 1,231 (23%)Median household income: 157,036Mean family income: 209,649Population 5 years and over who speaks a language other than English at home: 29.4%


Alaska Native-74 (0.3%), Asian-3,907 (16.6%), Hispanic or Latino (of any race)-2,628(11.2%)

Total housing units: 8,386Owner-occupied housing units: 6,379 (75.2%)Households with individuals under 18 years: 3,172 (37.4%)Households with individuals 65 years and over: 2,093 (24.7%)Median household income: 125,905Mean family income: 168,627Population 5 years and over who speaks a language other than English at home: 34.7%Source: U.S. Census 2010; American Community Survey 2012

Area Demographics


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By Karen K. Garza

Superintendent of Fairfax

County Public Schools

Welcome to the 2014-15school year. The startof a new school year is

always an exciting time for stu-dents, parents, and educators. Ourdedicated staff has been workinghard to prepare for another schoolyear that builds on our traditionof excellence at Fairfax CountyPublic Schools (FCPS). Fairfax isa community that embraces its

newest resi-dents and thecultural diver-sity that makes

our county such a desirable placeto be. For many families and busi-nesses, the decision to relocate toa new area is often dependent onthe quality of the local publicschools. FCPS has a well-deservednational reputation for excellence.

As we enter a new school year,we are projecting an enrollmentof 186,785 making FCPS thenation’s 10th largest school dis-trict. Fairfax County high schoolsare among the most academicallyrigorous in the U.S. and are cited

every year asamong the tophigh schools inthe country.Our class-rooms are ledby teacherswho inspire,motivate, andprepare stu-dents with the

knowledge and skills they willneed for the future. Our dedicatedteachers promote the success ofevery student and create a caringlearning environment where everystudent is valued and recognizedas an active learner.

Working closely with our schoolboard, parents, teachers, and com-munity stakeholders, we havemade a number of positive andexciting changes for our systemduring my first year as superinten-dent. We developed the FCPS Por-trait of a Graduate that will serveas a foundation on which to builda long-range strategic plan for theschool system and will lessen thefocus on standardized, high-stakestesting and place greater empha-sis on engaged students, project-based learning, and authentic as-

sessments of student learning. ThePortrait of a Graduate will ensurethat our students are collabora-tors, communicators, creative andcritical thinkers, global citizens,and goal-directed and resilient in-dividuals when they leave FCPS.

Other significant changes thatwe have made include:

v The launch of full-day Mon-days for all elementary students.The change will increase instruc-tional time for students and dedi-cated planning time for teachers.The change to full day Mondaysreceived overwhelming support inour community and will benefitstudents, teachers, and our fami-lies.

v A new standard school calen-dar that eliminates the need tomake up inclement weather daysat the end of the school year iffewer than 13 days are missedwhile providing two full weeks forwinter break.

v The new Bailey’s Upper El-ementary School for the Arts andSciences. A first of its kind forFairfax County, this new school isbeing converted from a five-storyoffice building at 6245 LeesburgPike to provide enrollment relief

A County of 186,785 Students

for the overcrowded Bailey’s El-ementary School for the Arts andSciences. The new campus willhouse grades 3-5, while the exist-ing campus will house preschoolto grade 2.

v A new CrisisLink text messag-ing tool for students and parentsneeding mental health supportand resources. Crisis line staff re-

spond to the text messages 24hours a day. The text number is703-997-5444.

The future remains very brightfor FCPS families, students, andemployees. I look forward to wel-coming your children to ourschools on Sept. 2 and making thisyear an exciting and rewardingyear for all of our students.

Langley High graduates scan the balconies looking forfamily and friends at the graduation ceremony onTuesday, June 17, 2014.

Karen K.Garza

Commentary

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From Page 3

tion.“It’s going to be an incremental affair,” he said.

“Evolving.”Canis said the GFCA will host community discus-

sions about the trails in the next year.“Some of Great Falls trails are in the Fairfax County

Comprehensive Plan,” he said. “If, for example, wewanted to change the path in front of the library to ahard surface, the county plan would have to bechanged, because right now, it can only be made withstone dust.”

In addition to trail work, the association will alsobe working on how to improve the roads - specifi-cally Route 7 - in the upcoming years.

“Phase I is just being built right now,” said Pifer.“It’s going to take eight or nine years to build, thetotal expansion of it.”

Canis and Pifer said the association played a rollin making sure the neighborhoods along Route 7would be able to make left turns out into the roadrather than taking a right and making a U-turn.

Until the expansion is finished, however, it couldwreak havoc on the already traffic congestedGeorgetown Pike during morning and evening rushhour.

“All through the morning, traffic from Sterlingbacks in in Loudoun County resolves itself in twolane on the Reston Parkway,” said Pifer. “It could justas easily flow onto Georgetown Pike.”

IN THE PAST, left turn lanes have been added tothe Pike to relieve traffic congestion. However, be-cause Georgetown Pike is a historic byway, it cannot

be widened.“The ability to drive freely on Route 7 will dimin-

ish the traffic on Georgetown Pike,” said Canis.An ongoing issue that will take several more years

to tackle is the groundwater contamination underthe old Exxon station at the corner or Walker Roadand Georgetown Pike.

Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether, also known as MTBE,is a chemical used to boost octane in gasoline until itwas banned by the Environmental Protection Agencyseveral years ago.

Because Great Falls residents all use a system ofseptic tanks and well water, there was a fear thatthis well water would become polluted due to thegasoline leak.

“The good news is that there is no drinking wellwater in the area,” said Pifer. “Now, we’re just wor-rying about when the groundwater will be treated.”

The treatment will be a multi-year process, he said.Because of the unique water and sewage system

the village uses, national experts were called in bythe EPA to find a quick solution in order to keep drink-ing water from becoming contaminated.

Internally, GFCA is hoping to improve benefits andcommunication with their members.

“We’re putting out a lot of energy to improvingcitizens’ experiences,” said Pifer.

Benefits could include discounts to local merchantsand better prices for necessities like propane.

As a part of the new initiative, a monthly emailnewsletter was sent out this month. Pifer said otherplans may also be in the works, but did not want toelaborate yet.

“Every element of how we communicate, we’relooking at it,” he said.

Hot Issues to Tackle

The old Exxonstation hasbeen the siteof issues.

Photo by Reena Singh/The Connection

Cats benefit from being in a foster home. We need long- and short-termfosters for cats of all ages, mothers with litters and kittens on their own.

Adopt/Donate/Volunteer at www.lostdogrescue.org

Consider Fostering

You Can Make a Difference

visit our website,cl ick on Participate


From Page 9

Nonprofits

has members from all the churches in Great Falls.The group supports Habitat for Humanity, Mealson Wheels, the Good Shepherd alliance housing forthe homeless, Pedals for Progress in April, after-graduation parties for local high schools, CampFraser and a 5K walk/run and blood drive on July4. It also sponsors blood drives throughout theyear. The council hosts ecumenical worship ser-vices at Thanksgiving, on Good Friday, a sunriseservice at Great Falls National Park on Easter Sun-day and a January ecumenical service.703-759-6068.

Great Falls Rotary Cluband Foundation

The newly founded organization has plans in theworks to fund scholarships and currently is look-ing for volunteers to offer whatever combinationof time, talent or resources works for them.www.rotarygreatfalls.org/.

Great Falls TrailblazersThe Trailblazers support development and main-

tenance of trails, both stonedust and naturalsurface, in Great Falls. They monitor developmentto ensure compliance with the trails designated inFairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan trails mapand actively work to complete trails onGeorgetown Pike and Walker Road. They meetmonthly at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday, ex-cept August and December, at the Old Schoolhouse

Fraser, Lift Me Up and the Great Falls VolunteerFire Department. 703-757-7962 orwww.gffnva.org/.

The Turner Farm TeamA group of community volunteers who raise

money and public support for a public park thatwas once a dairy farm at Georgetown Pike andSpringvale Road.

The Turner Farm team is a liaison with theFairfax County Park Authority and supports com-munity efforts to build a picnic pavilion, a tot lot,equestrian features and an astronomy observatoryat The Turner Farm. 703-406-2487 or [email protected].

in Great Falls. 703-759-2059 orwww.geocities.com/greatfallstrails/.

Friends and Newcomersof Great Falls

Newcomers of Great Falls helps new residents ofGreat Falls and its school district meet each otherand assimilate into the community.

The nonprofit organization offers more than 300members a variety of activities and programs alongwith opportunities for leadership, community ser-vice and support to local charitable and civicorganizations. The Newcomers provide financialsupport for such community charities as Camp

14 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2014-15 Great Falls Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2014-15 ❖ 15www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Katie’s Coffee: A central hub inthe Village Centre, Katie’s Coffee

serves as a meeting place formany local events. Pictured isSaturday morning’s Cars and

Coffee, where a weekly car showgathers car enthusiasts and own-

ers alike from 7-9 a.m., Aprilthrough October. From hostingsocial gatherings to organized

events, it’s likely that if somethingis happening in Great Falls, it’s

happening at Katie’s.

Riverbend Park: With both calmwater and wooded trails to offer,

Riverbend Park is the perfect placefor those who love the outdoors.

Kayaking, fishing, hiking and pic-nicking are only a few of the activi-

ties available at the park. Parkingand admission is free, and the park

is open during daylight hours.

Great Falls Park: A revered Na-tional Park, the Falls combine thebeauty of nature with its remark-able power. Hiking trails androcky cliffs surround the outskirtsof the park, while flatter walkingtrails connect the overlooks.Kayakers often brave the falls,though only advanced partici-pants are recommended to enterthe water. Swimming is strictlyprohibited, as even the calmerparts of the river can be danger-ous. Parking is $5 per car.

Photos by

Nikki Cheshire/

The Connection

— Nikki Cheshire


The Village Centre and Green: The Centre is the heart of Great Falls village, flanked by many local businessesand home to town events. Here, there’s everything from the Great Falls Creamery and the Old Brogue to sum-mer concerts and festivals. The centerpiece on the Green is the gazebo, which is often used by musical groupson busier days, and by residents looking to relax on quieter days.

Great Views of Great Falls

Forestville School: This schoolhouse – located on the Grange in Great Falls Village – has been around since 1889.Since its construction, it’s been used as a school, a residence, a bank, a library and even a post office. Now, itsymbolizes and celebrates the rural history of Great Falls.

The FreedomMemorial:

Tucked awaynear a corner

of the GreatFalls Library,the Freedom

Memorialstands as asolemn re-minder ofthose lost

defending ourcountry. In-spired by acandlelightvigil on the

first anniver-sary of 9/11,

the memorialincludes anHonor Roll

(available inthe library),

which lists allGreat Falls

residents whohave died

while servingthe nation.

Colvin RunMill: On the

corner ofRoute 7 andColvin Run,the Mill is a

historic land-mark of Great

Falls’ past.Home to many

seasonalevents, the

Mill includes aperiod

blacksmith’sworkshop as

well as acountry store.



By Kathleen Murphy

Market Manager

Please know that you have a stand-ing invitation to join us every Sat-urday morning (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)at the parking lot next to the Wells

Fargo Bank for a spirited community event,the Great Falls Farmers Market – immedi-ately following Cars & Coffee. Now in itsseventh year, our local farmers market is awork in progress, defined by the freshnessof our produce, the quality and uniquenessof our vendors, the delight of our musicians,the warmth of our visitors, the loyalty anddedication of our “devotees,” and the spiritof our local community as evidenced by lo-cal nonprofit presence, special guests andunique events.

vFresh: We have a core of long-standingvendors who bring local and certified or-ganic vegetables and fruits, meats, eggs, andbaked goods – Penn Farm, Diaz Berries &Veggies, High View Farm, Tuscarora OrganicGrowers Coop, and Tyson Farms (new thiswinter), as well as Dimitri unfiltered extra-virgin Olive Oil and aged Balsamic Vinegars.

vNew Great Falls Businesses: We are veryproud of our delightful made-in-Great-Fallsofferings such as Backyard Eden’s localhoney, Jeff Rainey, Apiarist; Plain & Simple’samazing muffins and quiches; andAmalthea Ridge Farm’s artisan goat-milk-based soaps and lotions. Tasteful Land-scapes plants wonderful herb gardens, whileState Gardens landscapes fruit orchards andmore. Most amazing, 11-year-old Carolynof Caro’s Creations crafts hand-made duct-tape wallets and more. Other nearby (i.e.Sterling & Herndon) local businesses in-clude Little Corners Petit Fours, a masterbaker, and Puttering Mom, a maker of hand-crafted gift items and artistic cards.

vDense Nutrition Options: Who wouldimagine when we started in the early dayswith all the wonderful gourmet items ar-ranged by Robb Watters when he launchedthe initial farmers market that we wouldalso have a thriving raw food vendor(Postmodern Foods), an amazing thor-oughly gluten-free vendor (ViolAmi Cui-sine), two fermented vendors (Number 1Sons pickles, krauts and komchi, etc.; andDaisy’s Probiotics – fermented ginger aleand kombucha), a paleo (& more) baker(Bonn Boni)?

vBreakfast or Lunch at the Market: Needa quick bite? Happy Crepes prepares a cus-tom European-style crepe for you while youwait. Del Sur offers Peruvian empanadas,warm and ready to eat. Baguette Republicoffers all your favorite muffins, Danish,croissants, scones, and more – all baked thenight before the good old-fashioned Euro-pean way. Having a community farmersmarket where you can meet and greet yourneighbors, learn about local non-profits, bea central point for information on our com-

The Great Falls Farmers MarketWhere Saturdays are Local

munity and more, is the collective achieve-ment of all who support local. Serving ourcommunity all year round through all sea-sons, our farmers market is a work inprogress, growing through the influence of

your footsteps. What we become dependson those who come forth to incubate theirfledgling businesses with us — bringingwhat they grow, cultivate, or make — andthose who come by to encourage their very

local efforts. For information on weeklyevents and specials, please visitwww.greatfallsfarmersmarket.org or visit usat www.facebook.com/GreatFallsCommunityFarmersMarket

The Difficult Run String Band plays at the Great FallsFarmers Market as local residents enjoy the music.

Denise Hicks, owner of Postmodern Foods, offersnutrient-dense raw juices, smoothies, salads, savoriesand desserts made from raw ingredients.

Local families hang out on the hay bales as theStewart Sisters play country music. Tuscarora OrganicGrowers Coop and the Great Falls Historical Societytents flaunt either side.

Jo So, a local resident of Great Falls and owner ofPlain & Simple Baked Goods, bakes the most amazingmini-quiches and muffins. She sells out every week.

Pho

to

s co

ntributed


See Entertainment, Page 18

List compiled by Emma Harris

August 2014SATURDAY/AUG. 30Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival. 1 p.m. Lake

Anne Plaza (Waterfront), 1609 WashingtonPlaza, Reston. Showcasing a variety of talentedlocal emerging artists and national jazzperformers. Visit lakeanneplaza.com/event/8th-annual-jazz-blues-festival/30.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/AUG. 30-31War of 1812 Signature Event. Noon-5 p.m.

Alexandria Waterfront, 3 Cameron Street,Alexandria. Visitors are invited to delight ininteractive historical exhibits, boating activitiesand food trucks. Features a tug-of-war, cricketmatch and yacht race as well. 703-746-4242.Free. Visit www.visitAlexandriaVA.com/1812

September 2014MONDAY/SEPT. 1 - SUNDAY/SEPT. 7Annual Workhouse Clay National Ceramics

Exhibition. Workhouse Arts Center, 9518Workhouse Way, Lorton. This exhibitionrepresents the depth and breadth ofcontemporary functional and sculptural ceramicartworks being created throughout the country.Visit http://www.workhouseceramics.org/index.php?p=1_15_Clay-National-2014.

MONDAY/SEPT. 1Herndon Labor Day Festival. 12-6 p.m.

Herndon Town Green, 777 Lynn Street,Herndon. Downtown Herndon celebrates LaborDay with an annual festival - ºgreat music, acraft show, food, wineries, micro-brews andculinary demonstrations will all be there. Visit

www.herndon-va.gov

SATURDAY/SEPT. 6Virginia Indian Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills Street,Great Falls. Tribal dancing, songs and drummingmake history come alive each September at theVirginia Indian Festival at Riverbend Park. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes/quicktakes/#FA14QT7.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/SEPT. 6-737th Annual Burke Centre Festival. 9:30

a.m.-10 p.m. 6060 Burke Centre Parkway,Burke. Burke Centre’s signature event, whichcelebrates the spirit of the community each yearwith rides, activities and live entertainment forall ages to enjoy. Visit http://www.burkecentreweb.com/sub_category_list.asp?category=37&title=Annual+Festival.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 7Reston Triathlon. 7 a.m. Lake Audubon, Twin

Branches Road, Reston. Swim, bike and run inthe “Reston World Championships.” Visitwww.restontriathlon.org/tri.

THURSDAY/SEPT. 11-1816th Annual Fall for the Book Festival.

George Mason University, 4400 University Drive,Fairfax. A week-long, multiple-venue, regionalfestival that brings together people of all agesand interests. Visit www.fallforthebook.org.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 1318th Annual CCÉ Irish Folk Festival. Noon-

8:30 p.m. Sherwood Community Center, 3740Old Lee Highway, Fairfax and The Auld ShebeenIrish Pub, 3971 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax.

All are invited to enjoy, free of charge, the “puredrop” - the beauty and depth of Irish music,dance, language and sport as it has taken rootand come into full flower in our community.Visit http://www.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/fairfax-irish-folk-festival

Silver Live Music and Food Truck Festival.

12-10 p.m. 1800 Tysons Blvd., McLean. Listen toperformances from renowned local and nationalacts and find displays of fine arts and a varietyof refreshments to benefit the Spirit of HopeChildren’s Foundation. Visit http://tysonspartnership.org/event-calendar/tysons-world-music-festival/.

Lorton’s Fall Festival. 11 a.m. Lorton StationTown Center, 8998 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton. Enjoy a magic booth, pumpkin painting, photobooth, games, prizes and more. Visitwww.lortonstationtowncenter.com/calendar-of-events.html

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/SEPT. 13-14King Street Art Festival. 10 a.m.-7p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Old Town,King Street, Alexandria. At this communityfestival, art enthusiasts can discover spectacularpaintings, life-size sculptures, jewelry,photography, ceramics and more. Visitwww.artfestival.com/Festivals/Alexandria_Festival_of_the_Arts_Alexandria_Virginia_September.ASPX

SATURDAY/SEPT. 205K/10K Dulles Day on the Runway. 7:30 a.m.

14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., Chantilly.The full length of the runway will be closed offfor runners to experience a flat, fast course anda unique look at the airport grounds. All raceproceeds will benefit Special Olympics Virginia,the Committee for Dulles Community Outreachand the Washington Airports Task Force. Visithttp://committeefordulles.org/5-10K.html.

Dulles Day Plane Pull. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. DullesInternational Airport. Teams of 25 are pittedagainst one another to see who can pull a164,000+ pound Airbus 12 feet the fastest inSpecial Olympics Virginia’s “heaviest”fundraiser. Visit http://www.planepull.com.

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Fest. 12-6 p.m. 8025Galleria Drive, McLean. Attend for a day of beersippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigarsmokin’ and barbecue eatin’. Your admissionbuys a sampling glass so you can enjoy all youcare to taste while attending seminars in thetasting theater and enjoying live music all day.Visit www.tysonspartnership.org/event-calendar/tysons-bbq-bourbon-and-beer-festival.

Mount Vernon Colonial Market and Fair. 9a.m.-5 p.m. 3200 Mount Vernon MemorialHighway, Mount Vernon. Fifty colonial-attiredartisans demonstrate 18th-century crafts and selltraditional wares such as baskets, woodcarvings,tin and ironwork, leatherworkings, weavings,furniture and much more. Visit http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/colonial-market-fair/

Paint Herndon Celebrate the Arts. 9:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m. ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center Street,Herndon. The annual Paint Herndon event is acelebration of the arts and the anniversary of the

opening of ArtSpace Herndon, complete with apainting competition. Visitwww.artspaceherndon.com/paint-herndon/.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/SEPT. 20-212nd Annual Arlington Festival of the Arts.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Highland Street in the ClarendonDistrict, Arlington. More than 100 artists willshowcase their work including paintings,jewelry, pottery, glass, and much more. Visitartfestival.com for more.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 21Herndon Kids Triathalon. 7:30 a.m. Herndon

Community Center, 814 Ferndale Avenue,Herndon. This kids triathlon gives youngsters anopportunity to compete in one of the fastestgrowing sports in the United States. The event isdesigned for any youth, ages 6-16, regardless ofathletic ability or prior triathlon experience.Visit www.herndon-va.gov.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 27Clarendon Day. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Near Clarendon

Metro station, 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Acelebration of the Clarendon neighborhood anda showcase for the people who make theneighborhood great with activities, liveentertainment and food. Visitwww.clarendon.org/clarendon-day.

Reston Multicultural Festival. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. A celebration ofthe diversity and community spirit that is foundin Reston, this annual event brings together thepeople of Reston to celebrate the rich medley ofcultures. Visit http://www.restoncommunitycenter.com/MulticulturalFestival.shtml.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 28Walk to End Alzheimer’s. 3 p.m. Reston Town

Center, 11900 Market St., Reston. Walk andfundraise to further the care, support andresearch efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association.Visit http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk/General?pg=informational&fr_id=5817&type=fr_informational&sid=18124

NatureFest. 1-5 p.m. Runnymede Park, 195Herndon Parkway, Herndon. Explore variousnature stations throughout the park includingbutterflies, bees, life in the meadow, web of lifeand much more with live animal showsthroughout the day. Visit www.herndon-va.gov.

October 2014THURSDAY/OCT. 23rd Annual Reston Town Center Help the

Homeless Walk. 12 p.m. Reston Town Center,11959 Market St, Reston. Walk from Mayflowers

Floral Design Studio on The Promenade to theEmbry Rucker Community Shelter and back.Funds will enable Cornerstones to provideessential resources and services for individualsand families in the community who arehomeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Visithttp://www.cornerstonesva.org/events_list/hth.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 3-5Fall Wine Festival and Sunset Tour. 6-9 p.m.

Mount Vernon Estate, 3200 George WashingtonMemorial Pkwy., Mount Vernon. Enjoy live bluesand spectacular views of the Potomac Riverwhile sampling wine from 16 Virginia wineries.Visitors learn about the successes and failures ofour Founding Father’s wine endeavors, enjoylive blues music, and meet “George and MarthaWashington” on the Mansion’s piazza. Visitwww.mountvernon.org.

SATURDAY/OCT. 4Art on the Avenue. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 2301 Mount

Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. A multicultural artsfestival celebrating the community’s diversitythrough the arts in the Del Ray neighborhood inAlexandria, Virginia. Visitwww.artontheavenue.org.

Oktoberfest Vienna. 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. HistoricChurch Street, Vienna. Enjoy beer, wine, food,music, kids activities and more. Visit http://viennaoktoberfest.org/

SUNDAY/OCT. 5McLean Project for the Arts ArtFest. 10 a.m.-

5 p.m. McLean Central Park, 468 DolleyMadison Blvd., McLean. The park is transformedinto a lively landscape of mini art galleriesshowcasing and offering for sale the work of adiverse group of 50 juried artists. Visitwww.mpaart.org.

19th Annual Paws for a Cause 3K Walk. 12p.m. Weber’s Pet Supermarket, 11021 LeeHighway, Fairfax. Paws for a Cause benefitsFairfax Pets on Wheels, Inc., an all-volunteerorganization dedicated to providing petvisitation to residents of nursing homes andhospitals since 1987.

Visit www.fpow.org/event-685795.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 11-12Oktober Fest Reston. Reston Town Center,

11900 Market St., Reston. Enjoy food, wine,beer, live entertainment, a carnival and theAnthem Great Pumpkin 5K at NorthernVirginia’s largest fall festival. Visit http://www.oktoberfestreston.com.

SATURDAY/OCT. 11Fall Festival in Old Town Historic Fairfax.

10209 Main Street, Fairfax. What started out asa small market for artisans has grown to afestival with over 400 arts, crafts and foodvendors, children’s activities and entertainmentfor all ages. Visit http://www.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/fall-festival.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY/OCT. 16-NOV. 1Great Pumpkin Gathering. 6-10 p.m. 1800

Tysons Blvd., McLean. Artisan pumpkin carversshowcase a dazzling display of pumpkin artbeyond your wildest imagining. Visitwww.tysonspartnership.org.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 17-1919th Annual Craftsmen’s Fall Classic Art &

Craft Festival. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Dulles ExpoCenter, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center,Chantilly. Features original designs and workfrom hundreds of talented artists andcraftspeople from across America. Visit http://www.gilmoreshows.com/craftsmens_classics_chantilly_fall.shtml.

SATURDAY/OCT. 18Historic Hallows Eve. 4 p.m. Sully Historic Site,

3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly. Experiencethe traditions of Virginians in the 18th and 19thcenturies by celebrating All Hallows Eve with

Entertainment

Year-round Festivals A list of annual events in the area.

Great Falls citizens of all ages were encouraged to take part in theparade and participate in the July 4th celebration this year.

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Free Admission!

Special Feature!

Roast Lamb Dinner

Sat., Aug. 30, 6-9 p.m.

Sun., Aug. 31, All Day

Saturday, Aug. 30, 11:00 am–11:00 pmSunday, Aug. 31, 12:00 noon–6:00 pm

Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church8501 Lewinsville Road, McLean, Virginia (near Spring Hill Road)

703-734-9566 • www.holytransfiguration.org

MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD FESTIVALLabor Day Weekend

Live Music & Folk Dancing

Moon Bounce

Kids’ Games

Vendors

Backgammon & Chess

50-50 Raffle

Church Tours

Icon Shop

Middle Eastern Food

Kabobs

Gyros

Grape Leaves

Falafel

Fattoush

Baklava &

Other Favorites!

Our Lady ofGood Counsel School

Vienna, VA

Developing character,faith and life-long learnersin the Salesian tradition

We have been providing aquality Catholic educationfor over 50 years...

www.olgcschool.org

and find out whyOLGC School isthe right choicefor your children.

Call to arrange a tourof our campus

8601 Wolftrap Rd.703.938.3600

Full Day Grades K-8

Nationally recognizedfor academic excellence

From Page 17

Entertainment

See Entertainment, Page 19

storytelling, fortune telling, fall foodsand family gatherings. Visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully-historic-site.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 18-19Claude Moore Colonial Farm 1771

Market Fair. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.6310 Georgetown Pike, McLean.Warm yourself by the fires and enjoythe splendor of autumn with crisplocal apples, warm savory meat piesand hearty breads, or let Market Fairentertainers, tradesmen and themilitia amuse and educate you. Visitwww.1771.org.

Tysons Harvest Festival. 12-6 p.m.1800 Tysons Blvd., McLean. Strollthrough the arts and crafts boothsand taste some of the fun flavors offall. Visit http://tysonspartnership.org/event-calendar/tysons-harvest-festival.

SUNDAY/OCT. 19Neighbors Feeding Neighbors 5K.

9 a.m. 7925 Jones Branch Dr.,McLean. Even though NorthernVirginia is considered one of thewealthiest jurisdictions in thecountry, we still face a poverty rateof about 5 percent - more than90,000 people are living in povertyand 30 percent are children. Comerun or walk to help feed ourneighbors. Visit https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/McLean/NeighborsFeedingNeighbors5K.

FRIDAY/OCT. 24Spooktacular. 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Herndon Community Center, 814Ferndale Avenue, Herndon. Enjoyghoulish games, a spooky craft and achildren’s show. Visit www.herndon-

va.gov.

SATURDAY/OCT. 25Volunteer Fest 2014. A region-wide

day of community service thatmobilizes hundreds of volunteers tohelp nonprofits accomplish tasks thatthey would not have the time orresources to do on their own. Visithttp://www.volunteerfairfax.org/non-profits/volunteerfest.php fortimes and locations.

Clifton Haunted Trail. 7-10 p.m.Chapel Road, Clifton. A terrifyingannual event that winds throughClifton’s 8 Acre Park. Visitcliftonhauntedtrail.com.

Air and Scare. 2-7 p.m. Steven F.Udvar-Hazy Center, 14390 Air andSpace Museum Pkwy., Chantilly. Seethe spooky side of air and space atthe annual Halloween event. Arrivein costume for safe indoor trick-or-treating, creepy crafts, spookyscience experiments and otherHalloween-themed activities. Visithttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/air-and-scare/.

WEDNESDAY/OCT. 2968th Annual Vienna Halloween

Parade. 7 p.m. Maple Avenue,Vienna. With the theme of“Celebrating the Tradition of ViennaGirls Sports,” come in costume tocelebrate Halloween. Visitwww.viennava.gov.

November 2014SATURDAY/NOV. 1The Robinson Marketplace. 10

a.m.-4 p.m. 5305 Sideburn Road,Fairfax. Shop at over 80 vendors atthe Holiday Market, raffle and silentauction sponsored by the Robinson

Secondary School PTSA. Visitwww.robinsonptsa.org.

TUESDAY/NOV. 4Election Day. General Election. Visit

www.sbe.virginia.gov/ andwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/

upcoming.htm

TUESDAY/NOV. 11Arlington National Cemetery

Veterans Day Ceremony.Arlington National Cemetery,Arlington. About 5,000 visitorsattend the annual remembranceceremonies in the MemorialAmphitheater. Visitwww.arlingtoncemetery.mil.

SATURDAY/NOV. 22Turkey Trot 5K Race. 4 p.m.

Herndon Community Center, 814Ferndale Avenue, Herndon. Thecourse takes you through HerndonCentennial Golf Course grass andpaved paths, parts of the W&ODpaved trail and vehicular paved road.All canned food will be donated toLINK. Visit www.herndon-va.gov

WEDNESDAY/NOV. 19 - SUNDAY/JAN. 4Lights Festival. 7700 Bull Run Drive,

Centreville. Almost two and a halfmiles of light displays and a HolidayVillage to celebrate the season. ºVisitwww.bullrunfestivaloflights.com.

FRIDAY/NOV. 28Alexandria Tree Lighting. 7-9 p.m.

Market Square, 301 King St.,Alexandria. Annual event featuringlighting the City tree, performances


From Page 18

Entertainment

and a visit from Santa to open theChristmas season. Visitwww.alexandriava.gov/Calendar.

FRIDAY/NOV. 28 -TUESDAY/JAN. 6Christmas in Mount Vernon. 9 a.m.

- 4 p.m. 3200 Mount VernonMemorial Highway, Mount Vernon.Mount Vernon decks the halls withthemed Christmas trees on the estateand festive greenery in the Mansion.Visit www.mountvernon.org/christmas.

December 2014MONDAY/DEC. 1Church Street Holiday Stroll. 6-9

p.m. Freeman House and Store, 131Church St. N.E., Vienna. Enjoy funfamily-friendly activities including avisit from Santa, petting zoo, free hotchocolate and roasting marshmallowsat supervised bonfires. Visitwww.viennava.gov.

SATURDAY/DEC. 6City of Fairfax Festival of Lights

and Carols. Sherwood CommunityCenter, 3740 Old Lee Highway,Fairfax. Come enjoy live holidaymusic, hot cider, s’mores by the Yulelog, petting farm, ferris wheel,caroling and lighting of theChristmas tree in the winterwonderland. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/festival-of-lights-and-carolsfor times and locations.

Great Falls Celebration of Lights.5:30-8 p.m. Great Falls VillageCentre Hill. Watch Santa and Mrs.Claus arrive to light the Great FallsTree, drink hot chocolate and ciderand listen to beautiful holiday music.

Visit www.celebrategreatfalls.org/Christmas.html.

44th Annual Campagna CenterScottish Walk Parade. 11 a.m.Old Town Alexandria, parade beginsat St. Asaph and Wolfe Streets. Morethan 100 Scottish Clans, pipe anddrum bands, Scottish dancers, re-enactment groups, Scottie dogs,dignitaries and, of course, SantaClaus will march through the streetsof Old Town. Visitwww.campagnacenter.org/events/scottish-christmas-walk-weekend orwww.visitalexandriava.com/events/44th-Annual-Campagna-Center-Scottish-Walk-Parade/983/.

SUNDAY/DEC. 7Holiday Arts and Crafts Show. 10

a.m.-4 p.m. Herndon CommunityCenter, 814 Ferndale Avenue,Herndon. A variety of handcrafteditems and fine art will be on saleincluding wreaths, quilts, jewelry,Christmas ornaments, decorations,original artwork, photography,stained glass and more. Visitwww.herndon-va.gov.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 13-14Great Falls Studios Holiday Show

and Sale. Wolf Trap Center forEducation, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna.This annual show includes paintings,pottery, traditional and digitalphotographs, jewelry, drawings, artquilts and hand pulled lithographicprints, plus artful gifts and cards. Allof the artwork is created by GreatFalls artists, most of whom work outof their home studios. Visitwww.greatfallsstudios.com.

January 2015FRIDAY/JAN. 9 - SPRING

Live Music at Paradise SpringsWinery. Fridays 5-9 p.m. andSaturdays 2-6 p.m. Various liveartists perform every Friday andSaturday. Visitwww.paradisespringswinery.com/winery-events.html.

February 2015MID-FEBRUARYCommunity Tax Assistance Day.

Fairfax SkillSource Center, 7611Little River Turnpike, Suite 300 West,Annandale. The IRS VolunteerIncome Tax Assistance (VITA)program offers free assistance with2015 Federal and state tax returnsfor households with a total income of$52,000 or less. Visitwww.volunteerfairfax.org/individuals/vita.php.

March 2015SECOND TUESDAY IN MARCHClarendon Mardi Gras Parade.

Annual parade to celebrating FatTuesday. Visit www.clarendon.org/mardi-gras/.

SECOND SUNDAY IN MARCHChantilly Egg Hunt. Saturdays and

Sundays. 26469 Ticonderoga Road,Chantilly. Join the Easter Bunny andsearch for candy and toy-filled eggs.Visit www.ticonderoga.com/about.

THIRD WEDNESDAY IN MARCHHerndon Bluegrass Concert

Series. Friday and Saturdayevenings. Holy Cross LutheranChurch, 1090 Sterling Road,Herndon. Listen to differentbluegrass concerts every week. Visitwww.holycrosslutheranchurch.net.

• 737 Walker Rd. SUITE 1, Great Falls, VA 22066.• One office available.• $550 / Monthly.• Shared Reception, Kitchen and Conference Areas.

Professional Center AssociatesRalph Lazaro • 703 477 6736

[email protected]


One of the beautiful features of the grounds at

Meadowlark is the Korean Bell Tower and its

surrounding garden.

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National ParksGF Great Falls National Park

9200 Old Dominion Drive, McLeanwww.nps.gov/grfaGreat Falls Park is open daily from 7 a.m. until dark. The Visitor Center

and bookstore are open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, springthrough fall seasons. Picnic, hike along the Potomac River.Swimming and wading in the Potomac are prohibited.

GW George Washington Memorial Parkway

www.nps.gov/gwmp703-289-2500The GW Parkway includes more than 25

sites, ranging from historic homes towildlife preserves. Join a ranger for a freeprogram or explore sites independently. Some parksites, including Turkey Run Park, TheodoreRoosevelt Island, Great Falls Park, etc., close atdark. The Parkway itself remains open 24 hoursa day to vehicle traffic.

WTWolf Trap National Park

for the Performing Arts1551 Trap Road, Viennawww.nps.gov/wotr/The only national park dedicated to

presenting the performing arts.From May through September,multiple amphitheaters in the parkpresent musicals, dance, opera, jazz,and popular and country music. Explorethe park without the crowds from October- April. The Barns at Wolf Trap offer indoorentertainment through the winter months.

State Park

FH Fountainhead

Regional Park7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Stationwww.nvrpa.org/park/fountainhead/703-250-9124The observation deck of the Marina

Building at Fountainhead commands aspectacular view of the widest point of theOccoquan Reservoir. Summer activities includecatfish tournaments, children’s fishingtournament, paddleboat tours and more.

HO Hemlock Overlook Regional Park

13220 Yates Ford Road, Cliftonwww.nvrpa.org/park/

hemlock_overlook/800-877-0954; 571-281-

3556;Hemlock

OverlookRegional Parkoffers a variety ofoutdoor andenvironmentaleducation. Programs atHemlock Overlook are opento the public and groups byreservation. Only the hiking andhorse trails may be used withoutprior arrangement.

MBG Meadowlark Botanical

Gardens9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court,Viennaw w w . n v r p a . o r g / p a r k /meadowlark_botanical_gardens/703-255-3631This 95-acre complex of large ornamentaldisplay gardens and unique native plantcollections is open year round and includewalking trails, lakes, more than 20varieties of cherry trees, irises, peonies,an extensive shade garden, nativewildflowers, gazebos, birds, butterflies,seasonal blooms and foliage. TheAtrium’s indoor tropical gardensetting is a popular meeting,reception, wedding and workshoplocation. Interpretive displays

accompany a restored 18th-century cabin.A picnic area beside the Gardens is available tovisitors. Meadowlark presents gardening and

horticulture workshops,tours, field trips, concertsand volunteer programs.

OR Occoquan

Regional Park9751 Ox Road, Lorton

www.nvrpa.org/park/occoquan/703-690-2121

This park offers 400 acres of recreational space anda touch of the past with its historic brick kilnsand the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial. Parklands, trails and associated waters are part ofthe Fairfax Cross-County Trail. Kayak rentals.One hour Tour Boat Rides on the OccoquanRiver to Belmont Bay and back. OfferedSaturdays noon-5 p.m., Sunday 1- 8 p.m., April2 through Nov. 27. $10 adults, $5 children 12and under, under age 4 are free.

PB Pohick Bay Regional Park

6501 Pohick Bay Drive, Lortonwww.nvrpa.org/park/pohick_bay/Pohick Bay is located on the Potomac River 25 miles

south of the nation’s capital. The boat launchfacility is one of only three public access pointsto the Potomac River in northern Virginia.

An Insider’s Guide to

Major Parks in Fairfax CountyParks

MN Mason Neck State Park

7301 High Point Rd. Lortonwww.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/

mas.shtml#703-339-2385 or 703-339-2380 (visitor center)[email protected] park’s visitor center was expanded in 2010 to

include a new exhibit room, gift shop andmeeting room. There are several exhibits in thecenter, and with a view of Belmont Bay. Visitorcenter staff can answer questions and provideinformation on park trails, facilities and localpoints of interest. Pond study, bird watching,canoe trips, nature walks and talks, and GPSadventures are just a few of the excitingprograms offered by park rangers.

Regional ParksBR Bull Run Marina Regional Park

7700 Bull Run Drive, Centrevillewww.nvrpa.org/park/bull_run/Main park open all year for picnicking, hiking and

family camping. Bull Run Public ShootingCenter open all year. Group Camping open dailyJan. 7 though Nov. 11. Mini and disc golfopen April through October. Hoursvary.

BR Atlantis Waterpark

(at Bull Run Marina RegionalPark)

7700 Bull Run Drive, Centrevillewww.atlantisbullrun.com/703-631-0552Atlantis Waterpark features pools, a

giant dumping bucket,waterslides, and fun-filledactivities for all ages. Atlantis isopen from Memorial Day weekendthrough Labor Day, and is a memberof the Northern Virginia RegionalPark Authority Family of Waterparks.Aantis also features picnic pavilions, adeck great for sunning and playing, aswell as plenty of shade. Neptune Reefsnack bar sells food, beverages andsweets.

Belmont Bayprovides abeautiful back-drop as ScottMcLallen jogsbeside hisdaughter Lucy,while she gainsconfidenceriding withouttraining wheelsat Mason NeckState Park.

MBG

MN

Sources: National Park Service, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, Virginia State Parksand Fairfax County Park Authority. Map courtesy of Fairfax County Park Authority. Designed & com-piled by Jean Card and Laurence Foong. Photos by Renée Ruggles.


Pohick Bay offers canoes, kayaks, paddle boats andjon boats for rent on the weekends, as well asfamily and group camping, hiking, picnic areasand a large play area for children. For thoseinterested in swimming, the park offers one ofthe largest, outdoor freeform pools on the eastcoast. Pohick Bay Regional Park, located onMason Neck Pennisula is an ecologically fragileland that shelters an abundance of wildlife,including the bald eagle. Nature lovers canexpect to see blue birds, osprey, heron, deer,beavers and rare sightings of river otters.

PB Pirates Cove Waterpark

(at Pohick Bay Regional Park)6501 Pohick Bay Drive, Lortonwww.piratescovepohick.com703-339-6102Pirates Cove Waterpark is located at Pohick Bay

Regional Park. Visitors can cool off under the300-gallon dumping bucket, fire the watercannons and splash down the waterslide orsearch for buried treasure at Buccaneer Beachsand play area. Pirates Cove also features picnicpavilions, a deck for sunning and playing, aswell as plenty of shade. Captain’s Galley snackbar features food, beverages and sweets. PiratesCove is open from Memorial Day weekendthrough Labor Day.

PB Pohick Bay Golf Course

10301 Gunston Road, Lortonwww.nvrpa.org/park/pohick_bay_golf_course703-339-8585This scenic golf course is located on the Mason

Neck Peninsula in Lorton. Pohick Bay’s practicefacility features a driving range with practiceputting and chipping greens, and lessons fromPGA pros. A full-service pro shop features anarray of name-brand golf clubs, equipment andapparel. Other services include club making,custom club fitting, regripping, reshafting andtournament coordinating.

SR Sandy Run Regional Park

10450 Van Thompson Road, Fairfax Stationwww.nvrpa.org/park/sandy_run/703-690-4392The park is open to the public for the purpose of

education, training, practice, and racing forcompetitive and recreational sculling androwing. Only shells and other boats authorizedby the Northern Virginia Regional ParkAuthority may be launched from the docks orshoreline of Sandy Run. Sandy Run offers afacility for team training and competition forOlympic, college, high school and club canoe,kayak and crew athletes.

Arts CenterLAC Workhouse Arts Center

9601 Ox Road, Lortonwww.lortonarts.org703-584-2900The Workhouse Arts Center consists of seven studio

buildings, the main galleries and the recentlyopened Youth Arts Center. Visitors areencouraged to interact with artists. In additionto visual arts, the Workhouse Arts Center ishome to performing arts, including theater, film

A stunning spot to fish, found in the middle of Great Falls National Park.

institute, musical and dance performances. Theeducation department supports both the visualand performing arts, offering classes andworkshops in a variety of disciplines. Futureplans for the Workhouse include an eventcenter, amphitheater, Workhouse Theatre,restaurants, apartments, music barn andgarden/horticultural area. Other buildings onsite, yet to be renovated, may provide for otheractivities such as a visitors center, a blacksmithshop, theatre scene shops and rehearsal space.

Major FairfaxCounty ParksBLP Burke Lake Park & Golf Course

7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Stationvolleyball, driving range, 18 hole, par 3, minigolf,

trails, playground, campgrounds, fishing883.4 acres, multiple resource park

CJP Clemyjontri Park

6317 Georgetown Pike, McLeanfitness, picnic areas and playgrounds18.6 acres, special purpose park

ELP Ellanor C. Lawrence Park

5040 Walney Road, Chantillybaseballl, soccer/football (unlit), basketball (unlit),

community center, nature center, amphitheater,trails

650 acres, multiple resource parkFPF Frying Pan Farm Park

2717 West Ox Road, Herndonhistoric structure, biking/equestrian/hiking trails,

open areas, playground135.3 acres, multiple resource park

GSG Green Spring Gardens

4603 Green Spring Road, AlexandriaCommunity Center, historic structure, biking/hiking

trails, open areas, gardens30.9 acres, special purpose park

HPP Hidden Pond Park

8511 Greeley Boulevard, Springfieldtennis (lit), nature center, amphitheater, hiking/

nature trails, playground, fishing25.6 acres, community park

HMP Huntley Meadows Park

3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandrianature center, historic structure, biking/hiking/

nature trails, observation tower, boardwalk1444.8 acres, natural resource park

The Meredith family came to the Mason Neck

State Park, from Arlington, to do some

exploring and wildlife spotting.

LAP Lake Accotink Park

7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfieldbasketball, volleyball, minigolf, trails, picnic448.1 acres, multiple resource park

LFP Lake Fairfax Park

1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Restonsoftball (lit), soccer/football (unlit), amphitheater,

carousel,campground, tour boat, picnic shelters479 acres, multiple resource park

FRA Lee District Park

6601 Telegraph Road, Franconiasoftball, soccer/football, tennis, basketball,

volleyball, trails, treehouse, sprayground,accessible playground

138 acres, district park

MDP Mason District Park

6621 Columbia Pike, Annandalesoftball (lit), soccer/football (unlit/lit), basketball

(lit), tennis (lit), shuffleboard, dog park,amphitheater, biking/hiking/fitness

121.2 acres, district park

NWP Nottoway Park

9537 Courthouse Road, Viennabaseball (lit), soccer/football (lit),basketball (lit),

tennis (lit), trails, picnic90.9 acres, district park

RBP Riverbend Park

8700 Potomac Hill Street, Great Fallsnature center, historic structure, biking/equestrian/

hiking trails, picnic areas, craftroom411.2 acres, multiple resource park

SRN Scotts Run Nature Preserve

7400 Georgetown Pike, McLeanhistoric structure, historic/hiking/nature trails,

fishing384.3 acres, natural resource park

SRD South Run District

7550 Reservation Drive, Springfieldbaseball, soccer/football, basketball, tennis,

recenter, equestrian, playground, swimming196 acres, district park

WFP Wakefield Park & RECenter

8100 Braddock Road, Annandalesoftball, soccer/football, basketball, tennis,

recenter, biking, fitness trail, skate park292.6 acres, multiple resource park

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Charlotte, from Vienna, shares asketch that she made of the bridge,across the pond from theChildren’s Garden at MeadowlarkBotanical Gardens.

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ParksA Guide to Fairfax County Parks in the

Great Falls, Reston & Herndon Areas

Photos by Renée Ruggles

Featuring Riverbend Park

Map Number Park NameAddress, CityProperty Class

1 Hutchison ES13209 Parcher Ave., HerndonCommunity Park

2 Coppermine Crossing SS2744 Cooper Creek Rd, HerndonSchool Site

3 Arrowbrooke2351 Field Point Road, HerndonCommunity Park

4 Dulles Corner2446 Dulles View Drive, HerndonCommunity Park

5 Franklin Farm13590 Franklin Farm Road, HerndonCommunity Park

6 Reston Town GreenCameron Glen Dr, RestonNeighborhood Park

7 Shaker Woods1225 Stuart Road, RestonCommunity Park

8 Hickory Run SSSheshue St, Great FallsSchool Site

9 Sully Historic3650 Historic Sully Way, ChantillyCultural Resource Park

10 Dranesville Tavern11919 Leesburg Pike, HerndonCultural Resource Park

11 Grand Hamptons1081 Safa Street, HerndonNeighborhood Park

12 Stanton910 Third Street, HerndonCommunity Park

13 Alabama Drive1100 Alabama Drive, HerndonCommunity Park

14 Bruin415 Van Buren Street, HerndonCommunity Park

15 Chandon900 Palmer Drive, HerndonCommunity Park

16 Fred Crabtree2801 Fox Mill Road, HerndonDistrict Park

17 Franklin Oaks2961 Franklin Oaks Drive, HerndonNeighborhood Park

18 Stratton Woods2431 Fox Mill Road, RestonCommunity Park

19 Floris School Site2621 Centreville Road, HerndonCommunity Park

20 Frying Pan Farm2717 West Ox Road, HerndonMultiple Resource Park

21 Baron Cameron11300 Baron Cameron Avenue, RestonDistrict Park

22 Lake Fairfax1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, RestonMultiple Resource Park

23 South Lakes Drive11851 South Lakes Drive, RestonCommunity Park

24 Reston North1635 Reston Parkway, RestonCommunity Park

25 Stuart Road12001 Lake Newport Road, RestonCommunity Park

26 Holly Knolls1010 Redberry Court, Great FallsNeighborhood Park

27 Great Falls Nike1089 Utterback Store Road, Great

FallsDistrict Park

28 Windermere11000 Georgetown Pike, Great FallsCommunity Park

29 Lockmeade1104 Riva Ridge Drive, Great FallsCommunity Park

30 Lexington Estates10401 Shesue Street, Great FallsNeighborhood Park

31 Colvin Run MillSite

10017 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls

Cultural Resource Park

32 The TurnerFarm

925 Springvale Road,Great Falls

Community Park

33 Great FallsGrange

9818 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls

Community Park

34 Riverbend8700 Potomac Hill

Street, Great FallsMultiple Resource Park

Kaitlyn (left, from Manassas) andMadeleine (from Great Falls) camewith their moms to ride scooters andenjoy the river view.

Ray (yellow helmet) instructs his beginning KayakingClass, out on the water. Several Park Authority coursesare held at Riverbend Park, which also rents boats tothe public.


The Madeira School • 8328 Georgetown Pike • McLean, VA 22102

ADMISSION OPEN HOUSEAllow us to introduce you

to Madeira’s academic programsand school community at one of

our fall open house events.Meet teachers, take a campus tour,

and experience the magic of Madeira.

Sunday, October 5 • 1:00 pmSunday, November 9 • 1:00 pm

or by appointment throughout the year

For more information call703-556-8273

or begin your journeyonline atwww.madeira.org.

Now offering transportation from D.C.,Alexandria, and Tysons Metro.


Planned activities for theGreat Falls Optimist Clubthat provide opportunity

for all ages to learn, serve, leadand to help youth who influencethe future. More info [email protected] optimist.org

We welcome your support& par-ticipation. there are 0ther youthand family programs available.

❖Oct. 31, 2014 - HalloweenGreat Falls Optimist Club joins

Celebrate Great Falls Foundationto provide family portraits at theGazebo on the Green.www.celebrategreatfal ls [email protected]

❖Nov. 2014 - Great Falls Opti-mist Club, partnering with

Generosity Feeds, will provideholiday meals for families and stu-dents including regular Thanksgiv-ing meals plus up to 4,000 pre-packaged individual meals on Nov.23, at Dominion

High School.g e n e r o s i t y f e e d s . o r g [email protected]

❖Dec. 2014 - Package and de-

liver holiday meals and gifts.Happy holidays and thanks to ourvolunteers, business and non-busi-ness partners, friends, educatorsand reporters.

[email protected]@aol.com; 703-

938-1609.

❖Feb 2015 - Great Falls OptimistClub Essay Contest

How to Enter: Interested stu-dents must contact the Great FallsOptimist Club or the programs/activities teacher at your middleschool (Pyramid Schools to Lan-gley and Dominion High Schools).They need to submit an essay onthe pre-assigned topic. Topic: “Op-timism Should be a Priority.” AllClub-level contests are held byearly February. Student submis-sions will not be accepted after theClub-level contests have closed.

❖ March 2015 - Great Falls Op-timist Oratorical Contest

Topic: “How My Optimism WillHelp Me Press On To GreaterAchievements of the Future.”

The Optimist Oratorical Contestgives youngsters the chance to

speak to the world. More than$150,000 in college scholarshipsfunded by the Optimist Interna-tional Foundations are awardedannually from this program.

How To Enter: Interested stu-dents must contact the Great FallsOptimist Club or the programs/activities at your middle school.(Pyramid Schools to Langley andDominion High Schools).

❖March 29, 2015 - Great FallsOptimist Club/

Adeler Jewelers 31st annualchildren’s spring festival. (Fam-ily Fun Day - Great Falls Green).Over 20,000 children plus parentshave enjoyed a fun day togetherwith rides, games, food and thegathering of Easter eggs and gems.

❖ April 2015 - Great Falls Opti-mist Club helping hands volun-teer recognition award. One sixthgrade student from each elemen-tary school will be honored foroutstanding volunteer service. Stu-dent is selected by school search-ers and principals in elementaryschools in the Langley and Domin-ion High School Pyramids.

❖ April 2015 - Partners in Edu-cation awards to outstanding Ca-reer Center Specialists who servein our local high schools who arerecognized for their dedicated ser-vice over the years in preparingour high school students as theytransition to college and prepareto pursue lifelong careers. In ad-dition, these educators will havepartnered with the Optimist Clubof Great Falls to help us identifystudents worthy of recognitionand honor for their academicachievements and contributions tothe community.

❖ May 2015 - Great Falls Opti-mist Youth Award of Excellence;

Outstanding junior students arerecognized in six categories

of excellence. Nominees are se-lected by teachers and judged byexperts in selected categories.

Nominee Categories:Academics NomineesCitizenship NomineesFine Arts NomineesScience NomineesSports NomineesTechnology Nominees

The Fairfax CountyAnimal Shelter(FCAS) estimates

that between 4,000 and5,000 small animals comethrough its doors each year,according to its website.The shelter deals primarilywith dogs and cats, but alsoother small animals like rab-bits and birds. A foster pro-gram is available throughFCAS for the care of dogsand cats, and families whowish to be part of the fosterprogram must go through atraining session before tak-ing animals into theirhomes.Other volunteer opportuni-ties with the shelter rangefrom telephone assistant topet groomer and bather tocat socializer. Potential vol-unteers may submit anonline application atf a i r f a x c o u n t y. g o v /animalshelter, and must at-tend a volunteer orienta-tion. For more informationon volunteering or adoptinga pet, visit the shelter’swebsite, or call 703-830-1100.

Fairfax CountyAnimal Shelter

Great Falls Optimists’ Planned Activities


Every year is Election Year in Vir-ginia. This year, every Virginiavoter will choose one member ofthe U.S. Senate and their mem-

ber of the U.S. House of Representatives.Two of Northern Virginia’s three house seatsare open seats with the retirement of twolongstanding members, Jim Moran (D-8)and Frank Wolf (R-10).

This area has very high rates of voter reg-istration, but voter turnout varies signifi-cantly from year to year. For example, twoyears ago in 2012, a presidential electionyear, 71.78 percent of Virginia registeredvoters turned out to vote. But in 2010, morecomparable to this year, only 44.01 percentof Virginia registered voters turned out tovote.

In Fairfax County, with a populationaround 1,130,900, there are 713,025 reg-istered voters as of July 1, 2014, up from676,802 in 2012. (Population data fromU.S. Census and voter data from VirginiaDepartment of Elections.)

In Alexandria, with a population of about148,900, there are 97,883 total registeredvoters as of July 1, 2014. That’s down from101,887 total registered voters as of July 2,2012.

In Arlington, with a population of about224,900, there are 162,100 total registeredvoters as of July 1, 2014, up from 157, 236on July 2, 2012.

REGISTER, CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Inorder to vote on Election Day, you must beregistered at your current address no laterthan Oct. 13, 2014. You can check your reg-istration status online by going towww.sbe.virginia.gov.

VOTING EARLY, ABSENTEEVirtually every voter in Virginia is eligible

to vote absentee, which includes voting in-person absentee at a variety of locationsbetween Sept. 19 and Nov. 1.

There are many reasons that voters areallowed to vote absentee, but the mostbroad of these applies to almost anyonewith a job: “Any person who, in the regularand orderly course of his business, profes-sion, or occupation, will be at his place ofwork and commuting to and from his hometo his place of work for eleven or more hoursof the thirteen that the polls are open (6a.m. to 7 p.m.).

7 p.m.Saturdays, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25

and Nov. 1, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Closed Monday, Oct. 13 for Columbus

DayFor more, call 703-222-0776 or visit

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee.htm

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT?Every voter in Virginia will vote for U.S

Senator and their member in the U.S. Houseof Representatives.

One constitutional question will appearon all Virginia ballots, Proposed Constitu-tional Amendment - Question: Shall theConstitution of Virginia be amended to al-low the General Assembly to exempt fromtaxation the real property of the surviving


You can download an absentee ballot andmail it to your local voter registration of-fice, or you can vote “absentee in person.”

IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTINGBEGINS AT FAIRFAX COUNTYGOVERNMENTAL CENTERBEGINNING SEPT. 19, 2014.

Office of Elections, 12000 GovernmentCenter Pkwy, Conf. Rooms 2/3, Fairfax,22035

Sept. 19 - Oct. 10: Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday and Friday - 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Thursdays: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.Oct. 14 - Oct. 31, Monday thru Friday - 8

a.m. - 7 p.m.Saturdays, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25

and Nov. 1, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Closed Monday, Oct. 13 for Columbus

Day

SATELLITE VOTING LOCATIONSBEGIN FRIDAY OCT. 14

v Franconia Governmental Center - 6121Franconia Rd., Alexandria, 22310

v Dolley Madison Library - 1244 OakRidge Ave., McLean, 22101

v North County Human Services Bldg. -1850 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston, 20190

v West Springfield Governmental Center- 6140 Rolling Rd., Springfield, 22152

v Mason Governmental Center - 6507 Co-lumbia Pike, Annandale, 22003

v Mount Vernon Governmental Center -2511 Parkers Ln., Alexandria 22306

v Sully District Governmental Center -4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly 20151

Monday - Friday, Oct. 14 - 31, 3:30 p.m. -

spouse of any member of the armed forcesof the United States who was killed in ac-tion, where the surviving spouse occupiesthe real property as his or her principal placeof residence and has not remarried?

U.S. SENATEOne-term incumbent Sen. Mark R.

Warner (D) is challenged by Republican EdW. Gillespie and Libertarian Robert C.Sarvis.

v Republican Ed W. Gillespie,www.edforsenate.com

v Democrat Mark R. Warner,www.markwarnerva.com

v Libertarian Robert C. Sarvis,www.robertsarvis.com

Map provided by Fairfax County government

Map of Congressional districts serving Fairfax County.

What’s onthe Ballot;How to VoteElection Day is Nov. 4,2014, but you can voteas early as Sept. 19.

See Every Year, Page 25



From Page 24

THE 8TH DISTRICT is an open seat be-cause of the retirement of incumbent Rep.Jim Moran (D), who was elected in 1990.Democrat Donald S. Beyer Jr. will face Re-publican Micah K. Edmond plus three in-dependent candidates. The 8th district in-cludes all of Alexandria and Arlington, plusparts of Fairfax County including MountVernon, Lorton and parts of McLean,Tysons and Falls Church.

v Republican Micah K. Edmond,www.micahedmond.com

v Democrat Donald S. Beyer Jr.,www.friendsofdonbeyer.com

v Libertarian Jeffrey S. Carson,jeffreycarson.com/

v Independent Green Gerard C. “Gerry”Blais III, www.votejoinrun.us

v Independent Gwendolyn J. Beck,www.gwendolynbeck.com

IN THE 10TH DISTRICT, an open seatwas created by the retirement of Frank Wolf(R), who was elected to office in 1982. Bothmajor party candidates are elected officialsfrom McLean, with Republican BarbaraComstock, a member of the Virginia House

of Delegates, facing Democrat John Foust,a member of the Fairfax County Board ofSupervisors. The 10th district sprawls fromMcLean to Winchester, and includes GreatFalls, Chantilly, parts of Fairfax Station, theTown of Clifton, part of Burke and Spring-field.

v Republican Barbara J. Comstock,www.barbaracomstockforcongress.com

v Democrat John W. Foust,www.foustforvirginia.com

v Libertarian William B. Redpath,billredpath.com

v Independent Green Dianne L. Blais,www.votejoinrun.us

v Independent Brad A. Eickholt,www.eickholt4congress.com/

IN THE 11TH DISTRICT, GerryConnolly (D), former chairman of theFairfax County Board of Supervisors,elected to congress in 2008, will face Re-publican Suzanne K. Scholte and two in-dependent candidates.

v Republican Suzanne K. Scholte,www.suzannescholteforcongress.com/

v Democrat Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly,incumbent, www.gerryconnolly.com

v Green Joe F. Galdo www.joegaldo.com

Every Year is Election Year in Virginiav Libertarian Marc M. Harrold,

www.marcharrold4congress.com

IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, all voters will voteyes or no for more money for transporta-tion projects. Transportation Improve-ments Bond Question: Shall the Boardof Supervisors contract a debt, borrowmoney and issue bonds of Fairfax County,Virginia, in addition to bonds previouslyauthorized for transportation improve-ments and facilities, in the maximum ag-gregate principal amount of $100,000,000for the purpose of providing funds to fi-nance the cost of constructing, reconstruct-ing, improving and acquiring transporta-tion facilities, including improvements toprimary and secondary State highways,improvements related to transit, improve-ments for pedestrians and bicycles, andancillary related improvements and facili-ties?

IN THE CITY OF FAIRFAX, voters willalso vote on an advisory Referendum re-garding length of term for Offices of Mayor,City Council and School Board, andwhether the term of office should be in-creased from two years to four years.

By Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D.

If you are a newcomer to FairfaxCounty, allow me to welcome youto one of the most dynamic commu-

nities anywhere in the world to live andwork. It was the vision of many people tocreate this kind of community, so pleaseallow me to offer a quick history lesson.

The Capital Beltway was completed in1964. The same year the iconic highwayopened, the Virginia General Assemblypassed a law that created what is nowcalled the Fairfax County Economic Devel-opment Authority. In the last 50 years, cre-ation and growth of a diversified businesscommunity and local economy trans-formed a sleepy bedroom community inthe shadow of the nation’s capital into whatTime magazine has called “one of the greateconomic success stories of our time.”

How much of a success story? FairfaxCounty was home to no Fortune 500 com-panies in 1964, and today 10 of those busi-nesses are based here. That’s more than30 states. Today more than 400 foreign-owned businesses have a presence here,as do four companies on Black Enterprisemagazine’s list of the 100 largest AfricanAmerican-owned companies, three com-panies on HispanicBusiness.com’s list ofthe 100 largest Hispanic-owned compa-nies, and top companies that are Asian-,woman- and veteran-owned.

Today Fairfax County is the second-larg-est suburban office market in the UnitedStates. Almost no matter where you live,you can see how the county continues toevolve as a business location. The firstphase of Metro’s Silver Line rail servicefurther enhances the attractiveness ofTysons Corner and Reston, while the sec-ond phase will link Herndon and Wash-ington Dulles International Airport to therest of the Washington region in 2018.

Southeastern Fairfax County (Spring-field, Lorton and the Richmond Highwaycorridor) are becoming important officecenters thanks to growth at Fort Belvoir.The Mosaic District in Merrifield is a popu-lar destination, and the Springfield TownCenter opening this fall promises to be amagnet for that area.

As I suggested earlier, this evolution ofFairfax County has been no accident. It hasbeen a strategy driven by a consistent vi-sion: A strong and consistent economic de-velopment program that attracts companiesand helps them stay and grow here createsjob opportunities, builds a strong commer-cial tax base that holds down residentialtaxes, and allows the Board of Supervisorsto provide high-quality public services thatenhance the quality of life here.

Yes, Fairfax County has changed tremen-dously since 1964. But, even with all theprogress that has happened, we believeeven better times lay ahead.

Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., is president andCEO of the Fairfax County Economic Develop-

ment Authority.

50 Years in the Making

Fairfax’sSuccess Story

As of this summer, there are new require-ments for voter identification that votersmust bring with them to the polling place.

Virginia law requires all voters to pro-vide an acceptable form of photo identi-fication at the polls. Voters arriving to thepolls without photo ID will be allowed tovote a provisional ballot and will haveuntil noon on the Friday after the elec-tion to deliver a copy of identification totheir locality’s electoral board in order fortheir provisional ballot to be counted.

Virginia’s photo ID requirements alsoapply to absentee voters who vote in-person in all elections.

Here are the “acceptable” forms ofidentification:

v Valid Virginia Driver’s License orIdentification Card

v Valid Virginia DMV issued Veteran’sID card

v Valid United States Passportv Other government-issued photo iden-

tification cards (must be issued by USGovernment, the Commonwealth of Vir-ginia, or a political subdivision of theCommonwealth

v Valid college or university studentphoto identification card, must be froman institution of higher education locatedin Virginia.

v Employee identification card contain-ing a photograph of the voter and issuedby an employer of the voter in the ordi-nary course of the employer’s business

v or a Virginia Voter Photo ID Card ob-tained through any local generalregistrar’s office

“Valid” is defined as a genuine docu-ment, bearing the photograph of the

voter, and is not expired for more than12 months.

A voter who does not bring an accept-able photo ID to the polls will be offereda provisional ballot.

DON’T HAVE ONE OF THESE?Any registered voter who does not pos-

sess one of the above mentioned forms ofphoto ID, may apply for a free VirginiaVoter Photo Identification from any gen-eral registrar’s office in the Common-wealth. Voters applying for the VirginiaVoter Photo ID Card will have to completethe Virginia Voter Photo IdentificationCard Application, have their picture taken,and sign the digital signature pad. Oncethe application is processed, the card willbe mailed directly to the voter.

Provisional Ballot ProcessA voter who arrives at the polling place

without an acceptable form of photo iden-tification will be given the opportunity tovote a provisional ballot. After complet-ing the provisional ballot, the individualvoting will be given written instructionsfrom the election officials on how to sub-mit a copy of his/her identification so thathis/her vote can be counted.

A voter will have until noon on the Fri-day following the election to deliver acopy of the identification to the local elec-toral board. Voters may submit a copy oftheir ID via fax, email, in-person submis-sion, or through USPS or commercialdelivery service. Please note that the copyof the ID must be delivered to the elec-toral board by noon on Friday, or the pro-visional ballot cannot be counted. A Fri-day postmark will not be sufficient. Writ-

New Voter Identification Requirements ten notice given to the voter will providethe necessary information, includingemail, fax, and address of where the IDshould be delivered.

IF YOU VOTE A PROVISIONAL BAL-LOT but don’t have an “acceptable ID,”you can appear in-person in the office ofthe general registrar in the locality inwhich the provisional ballot was cast bynoon on Friday following the election andapply for a Virginia Voter Photo ID Card.At the completion of the application pro-cess, the voter may request a TemporaryIdentification Document. This documentcan be provided to the electoral board asacceptable identification and the voter’sprovisional ballot will be counted.

SOURCE: Virginia Department of Elec-tions, www.sbe.virginia.gov

For More ElectionInformation:

Fairfax County Board of Elections, 703-222-0776, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/

12000 Government Center Parkway,Fairfax, Suite 232, Fairfax, 22035; FAX 703-324-2205; email [email protected]

City of Fairfax General Registrar, 703-385-7890, http://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/general-registrar

10455 Armstrong Street, Sisson House,Fairfax, 22030; FAX 703-591-8364; [email protected]

State Board of Elections, 804 864-8901Toll Free: 800 552-9745 FAX: 804 371-0194

email: [email protected]://www.sbe.virginia.gov



Langley High SchoolMascot: Saxons.School Colors: Green and gold.Athletic Director: Geoff Noto, 703-287-2750.Football Coach: John Howerton.The Saxons finished the 2013 season with a 9-3

record and reached the 6A North regionquarterfinals. Along the way, Langley turned in themost prolific scoring season in program history,producing 481 points, an average of 40 per contest.

Field Hockey Coach: Jennifer Robb.Volleyball Coach: Susan Shifflett.Boys’ Basketball Coach: Scott Newman.Baseball Coach: Kevin Healy.Boys’ Lacrosse Coach: Earl Brewer.Rival School: McLean.What Happened Last Year: The volleyball team

won region and state championships. The boys’lacrosse team finished region and state runner-up.The softball team reached the region semifinals.The baseball team finished Conference 6 runner-up and reached the region quarterfinals.

From The Connection’s Top 100 Athletes:v74. Taline Tahmassian, a 2001 graduate,

was a soccer star for the Saxons, finishingher high school career with 96 goals. Shewon a national championship at Santa Clarabefore transferring to William & Mary.

From BJ Koubaroulis’ 2006 profile for TheConnection’s Top 100 Athletes: “‘She wasthe best forward to go through Langley,’ said[then-Langley] coach Melissa Bibbee, whorecently secured her place in Langley’s sto-ried soccer history by recording her 100thcareer coaching victory. ‘She was our go-toplayer. She was a sophomore my first year[at Langley]. For three years, my game-plan,as a coach, was just pass the ball to Taline.That was not only because I was 24 yearsold, but when you have a player of that cali-ber [that’s what you do].’

“…Tahmassian spent her freshman yearof college at Santa Clara University, whereshe helped the Broncos win an NCAA title.She played in 25 games, scored eight goals[50 shots], recorded 5 assists [21 points],and had two game-winning goals. She wasthe team’s fourth-leading scorer in pointsand goals in 2001 — SCU’s championshipseason. Despite reports of feuding withcoaches, Tahmassian maintains that shetransferred to William and Mary to be closerto family, but acknowledged that soccer waspart of the decision.

‘I kind of realized after winning a nationalchampionship, I just realized that there wasmore things out there,’ said Tahmassian,who will graduate in December. ‘Yeah, thesoccer aspect [at Santa Clara] was amaz-ing, but I felt that there was a little morethan that.’ She admits that playing time wasan issue at Santa Clara, but that it was notthe only reason she left the West Coast.

At William and Mary, she led the Tribewith 15 goals in 16 games in her junior sea-son leading the team to the Colonial Ath-letic Association conference title and intothe NCAA tournament. For all four years of

college Tahmassian totaled 40 goals in 83games (60 starts) on 224 shots with 21 as-sists.”

v84. Lindsey Ertter, a 2001 graduate, wasa state-cham-pion swim-mer for theSaxons.

F r o mKoubaroulis’2006 profilefor TheConnection’sTop 100 Ath-letes: “By theage of 12, shehad made herfirst Olympictrials whileswimming atthe Senior Nationals tournament in Ft. Lau-derdale, Fla.

‘When I made the Olympic trials, I hadno idea what I had done,’ said Ertter, whosaid she had to wait four more years beforeshe could compete in those trials (2000)because she swam her fastest time duringan Olympic year.

Ertter, who competed in the 100-meterbreaststroke, took 11th place in the 2000trials after considering herself a long shot.She went back four years later and took fifthplace in 2004 trials in Long Beach.

“…Even without pressure, Ertter won sixstate championships and set records in allthree of her years at the AAA state tourna-ment. She won three gold medals in the 200individual medley and three gold medals

in the 100 breaststroke from 1999-2001.She also helped the Saxons to four teamAAA state championships from 1998-2001.She was simply dominant at the high school

level, but likemost year-round com-petitive swim-mers, highschool was achance for herto relax. …Ertter, whowent on tobecome anAll-Americanin 2003 and2004 at theUniversity ofGeorgia, re-

turned home for a while after graduatingand retiring from swimming in December.While at Georgia, Ertter was a team cap-tain and made a trip to the NCAA Champi-onships in all of her four years. She finishedthird in the 100-yard breast with a personalbest time of 1:01.07 in 2005 and led herteam to a second place finish in the SECtournament. Ertter credits her upbringingin the pools of Northern Virginia for hersuccess.”

v89. Robbie Maclay, a 2006 graduate, wasa versatile athlete for the Saxons, whoseprimary sport was lacrosse.

From Koubaroulis’ 2006 profile for TheConnection’s Top 100 Athletes: “Langley2006 graduate Robbie Maclay’s impact isstill fresh in the minds of lacrosse fans, play-

ers and coaches in the Northern Region.Maclay just graduated from Langley afterhaving competed in 12 seasons of sports andafter becoming the first athlete to do so in10 years at the McLean-based high school.He also shattered records while with theSaxons lacrosse team.

Maclay, who will continue his lacrossecareer at Div. I University of Vermont nextyear, was selected as a US Lacrosse All-American this past season after leading theSaxons to the consolation round of theNorthern Region tournament. … Maclaywas named Langley’s Most Valuable Playerand he was also recently named Langley’sMost Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year.Maclay was also selected, as one of only fiveplayers from Virginia and 300 playersthroughout the country, as a High SchoolAll-American by US Lacrosse. … Maclay let-tered nine times while at Langley. He was autility player for the Saxons 4-6 footballteam and spent time with both the trackand wrestling teams. Maclay was the firstathlete at Langley in 10 years to play 12seasons of sports.”

v97. Jimmy Sbarra, a 1999 graduate, wasa lacrosse standout who went on to play atthe University of Maryland.

From Koubaroulis’ 2006 profile for TheConnection’s Top 100 Athletes: “After play-ing four years at Langley High School inwhich he recorded 120 points, Jimmy, whohelped Langley to three Liberty District la-crosse titles en route to all-district selectionsin his junior and senior seasons, followedin his father’s footsteps and played his col-lege lacrosse at Maryland.”

The Langley volleyball team won the 2013 6A state championship.

Pho

to

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ntributed

Getting to Know Langley SportsVolleyball teamwon the 6A statechampionship.

“I think the fact that most of theplayers had been to states theyear before helped a lot withpreparation and the mentalaspect of the game. Obviously, wewere very talented as well.”— Volleyball coach Susan Shifflett about why the

Saxons were able to win the state title.

The Langley volleyball team wonthe 2013 6A state championship.

Langley High SchoolMascot: Saxons.School Colors: Green and gold.Athletic Director: Geoff Noto, 703-287-2750.Football Coach: John Howerton.The Saxons finished the 2013 season with a 9-3

record and reached the 6A North regionquarterfinals. Along the way, Langley turned in themost prolific scoring season in program history,producing 481 points, an average of 40 per contest.

Field Hockey Coach: Jennifer Robb.Volleyball Coach: Susan Shifflett.Boys’ Basketball Coach: Scott Newman.Baseball Coach: Kevin Healy.Boys’ Lacrosse Coach: Earl Brewer.Rival School: McLean.

Pho

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ntributed


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Address .................................. BR FB HB ... Postal City ... Sold Price .... Type ....... Lot AC PostalCode .......... Subdivision ............ Date Sold

1 904 CHINQUAPIN RD ............. 7 .. 7 .. 4 ...... MCLEAN ..... $6,500,000 .... Detached .... 3.80 ...... 22102 .............. CHINQUAPIN ............. 06/20/14

2 8112 SPRING HILL FARM DR ... 5 .. 5 .. 3 ...... MCLEAN ..... $4,000,000 .... Detached .... 0.88 ...... 22102 .......... SPRING HILL FARM ......... 05/09/14

3 828 MACKALL AVE ................. 6 .. 7 .. 2 ...... MCLEAN ..... $3,875,000 .... Detached .... 1.19 ...... 22101 ........... LANGLEY FOREST .......... 06/27/14

4 211 CLARKS RUN RD ............. 5 .. 5 .. 3 ... GREAT FALLS .. $3,675,000 .... Detached .... 6.83 ...... 22066 .......... BRANDES ESTATES ......... 04/01/14

5 1239 DALEVIEW DR ............... 5 .. 7 .. 3 ...... MCLEAN ..... $3,600,000 .... Detached .... 1.53 ...... 22102 ......... WOODSIDE ESTATES ........ 05/15/14

6 888 ALVERMAR RIDGE DR ...... 6 .. 6 .. 2 ...... MCLEAN ..... $3,460,000 .... Detached .... 0.83 ...... 22102 .............. THE RESERVE ............. 06/05/14

7 8103 SPRING HILL FARM DR ... 5 .. 5 .. 2 ...... MCLEAN ..... $3,450,000 .... Detached .... 1.01 ...... 22102 .......... SPRING HILL FARM ......... 06/06/14

8 6718 BENJAMIN ST ............... 7 .. 7 .. 2 ...... MCLEAN ..... $3,400,000 .... Detached .... 0.94 ...... 22101 ........... LANGLEY FOREST .......... 04/30/14

9 6810 WEMBERLY WAY ........... 6 .. 5 .. 2 ...... MCLEAN ..... $3,337,667 .... Detached .... 0.58 ...... 22101 ........... LANGLEY FOREST .......... 05/09/14

10 906 GEORGETOWN RIDGE CT 5 .. 5 .. 1 ...... MCLEAN ..... $3,295,000 .... Detached .... 0.83 ...... 22102 ........ GEORGETOWN RIDGE ....... 06/30/14

Copyright 2014 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of July 15, 2014.

January~June, 2014 Top Sales in Great Falls and McLeanLocal REAL ESTATE Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

1 904 Chinquapin Road, McLean — $6,500,000 2 8112 Spring Hill Farm Drive, McLean — $4,000,000

3 828 Mackall Avenue, McLean — $3,875,000 4 211 Clarks Run Road, Great Falls — $3,675,000

5 1239 DaleviewDrive, McLean —

$3,600,000

6 888 AlvermarRidge Drive,McLean —$3,460,000


Documents

100 Books of Summer - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/...2014/08/29 · 4 Great Falls Connection August 27 - September 2, 2014 News By Donna