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Representing Reston, Vienna in Winter OlympicsCommentary, Page 4
Session Brings Sea ChangeNews, Page 3
Rising Pop Star Rorie Comes to Vienna
News, Page 6
WellbeingPage 9
Singer-songwriter Rorie is playing her EP called “Dawn,” at Jammin’
Java in Vienna on Jan. 14.
2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
What’s Your New Year’s Resolution for 2018?— Colin Stoecker
Viewpoints
SatharMuhammad,lives in Viennaand is themanager ofCrepe Amor:
“We want toincrease ourbusiness. Wechanged ourcoffee fromLavazza to Illyfor our customers, to get the best Italiancoffee. Crepe Love is our food truck andwe go everywhere in Washington, D.C.and the metro area. We also do partiesand graduations.”
Sharon Hol-land, fromFairfax ownsMerle NormanCosmetics inVienna:
“I’m hoping tobe more positiveand moreempathetic. Youare just happier ifyou are more
positive and trying to see the better sideof things that makes you a happierperson.”
Katie Walsh,who lives inMcLean, abeauty advisorat MerleNorman Cos-metics inVienna:
“My New Year’sresolution is todefinitely moveout of myparent’s place. I’m almost 22 so it’s abouttime to get out there and get on my own,to focus on growth and do my own thing.I hope to move somewhere like FallsChurch or Washington, D.C. I want it tobe close to home but far enough to beaway from my family.”
John Blair, aFairfax resi-dent, a lettercarrier inVienna:
“I don’t haveany resolutionsthis year becauselife is good. Ihave everything Iwant to have.The wife loves
me, the kids are happy, and the bills arepaid!”
Kam Spain,21, Viennaresident andbarista atStarbucks isexcited tohave moresnow in thenew year.
“I hate snow,but I have to lookforward to because it’s going to happenanyway. It’s because I lived in Louisianapretty much all of my life so I have neverseen snow.” (Spain has lived in the areafor four years.)
Hugo Estrada,a softwaredeveloperfrom FallsChurch hasongoingresolutions.
“One of myresolutions islanguage learn-ing, so I amlearning Japa-
nese with my daughter. We dedicate 30minutes every day, we have two textbooks and we work on it together at theend of every day.”
Peter Kunzel,half Germanand halfAmerican,lives inMcLean and isan economist.
“I think I wantto exercise moreand spend moretime with thefamily. I do a
little bit of everything; cross training,running, swimming, squash, tennis, and Iwant to try to do a little bit more of all ofthe above.”
RebeccaOwen, aRestonresident,themanager ofJinny BeyerStudio inGreat Falls.
“I want to quiltmore and tofinish some of thequilts that I have
already started. I find quilting veryrelaxing and I love making somethingwhere I have something to show for it atthe end.”
Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or [email protected]
News
By Michael Lee Pope
The Connection
This year’s General Assemblywill be like no other. For start-ers, the members walking thehalls of the Capitol will not look
the same. The crop of freshman includes thefirst transgender woman to serve in the Vir-ginia General Assembly, the first lesbian, thefirst Asian-American woman and the firsttwo Latinas. Gone are the 12 Republicanmembers who were unseated, all whitemales. Also gone are the three members whogot out before the bloodbath that flippedtheir seats from red to blue, also all whitemales. In their place is a diverse and younggroup of new members who are eager tomake their mark on the commonwealth.
At the top of the agenda for the Demo-cratic freshmen is expanding Medicaid to400,000 people who would be eligible un-der the Affordable Care Act.
“I think what’s really important for us, asDemocrats, is to identify on the other sidewho we could have come over and join us,”said Kathy Tran, who flipped a formerlyRepublican seat held by Del. Dave Albo (D-42) for more than 20 years. “We’re going tohave to reach out and basically identifywho’s really vulnerable and who’s going tobe in a position where they’re going to haveto be supporting the progressive values thatwere voted in as a wave across the com-monwealth.”
Even if they’re successful navigating thediminished House Republican caucus,House Democrats will still have to deal witha Republican-controlled Senate. But theculture in the Senate is more moderate, andRepublican senators have a history of sup-porting bills that have been routinelyblocked in the House.
For example, Senate Republicans have ahistory of supporting the effort raising thethreshold for grand larceny. That’s an issuethat Democrats have been pushing unsuc-cessfully for years that may now finally havea chance in 2018.
“We heard during the gubernatorial cam-paign, Ed Gillespie was supporting an in-crease so this is one of those issues that —especially with the outcome of the election— I think you can see some support behind,”said Del. Patrick Hope (D-47), who is in-troducing a bill that raises the thresholdfrom $200 to $500. “If someone makes adumb mistake and walks out of a store withsomething small we shouldn’t make a felon
out of them.”
THE WAVE ELECTION of 2017 waswidely seen as a reacting to the Trump ad-ministration, and some of the bills that arenow being crafted are also a reaction to theRepublican agenda in Washington. StateSen. Dave Marsden (D-37) is putting to-gether a tax reform plan as a Virginia an-swer to federal tax reform that gives tax cutsfor the wealthy and corporations. Marsdenwants to eliminate the food tax, reinstitutethe inheritance tax and increase the gas tax.His tax-reform plan also taxes some servicesfor the first time. For example lawn careand dry cleaning would be taxed but law-yers and doctors would not.
“Ever since I’ve been in the legislature I’veheard complaints that we have a 19th cen-tury agriculture and manufacturing tax basebut we’re now a service economy. So thiswill start to tax some of those services,” saidMarsden. “We’re trying to draw a distinc-tion and get the discussion going aroundwhich services are optional for people andwhich ones are really necessary that weshouldn’t burden them with taxes on.”
Democrats are also eager to finally getsome traction on gun control, which HouseRepublicans have blocked for years. Backin 2015, Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffewas able to forge a deal with Republicansto make state police available for voluntarybackground checks at gun shows. NowDemocrats are hoping that newly reconsti-tuted House committees and subcommitteesmight give them a chance to at least getgun control legislation on the floor ratherthan having it killed in subcommittee, astrategy Republicans used that allowedthem to avoid being on the record voting
against banning assault weapons, for ex-ample. State Sen. George Barker (D-39) isintroducing a bill that would allow judgesto confiscate firearms from individuals theyconsider dangerous.
“It would have to go to court, and a judgewould have to issue a ruling that there’sprobable cause and it’s a serious situationand the gun should be temporarily re-moved,” said Barker. “In some states, it al-lows police officers to confiscate it. But thebills that we are putting in do not. Youwould have to go to court.”
MANY OF THE BILLS lawmakers areworking on involve unfinished businessfrom previous sessions. State Sen. ScottSurovell (D-36) is working on a bill thatwould force Dominion to clean up decadesof pollution at several coal ash pondsthroughout Virginia. Dominion Energyplans to seal the pollution in place and puta cap on the ponds, which is significantlycheaper than cleaning up the pollution. ButSurovell wants to require that the utilityrecycle the coal ash into concrete or ceram-ics. And, Surovell adds, it won’t actually bemore expensive for Dominion at all becausethe utility will end up passing along the costto people who are paying for electricity .
“You eliminate the possibility that thistoxic gunk will continue to leak arsenic, leadand other chemicals into our groundwaterforever,” said Surovell. “Landfilling is theshort-term cheap solution. But long-term ithas the worst potential effects because thestuff continues to leach out chemicals andgive people cancer and poison fish and birdsand ruin our groundwater.”
State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30) is also re-turning to a familiar theme: decriminaliz-
ing marijuana. Several states across thecountry have already done this, and nowthat California has legalized pot for recre-ational use many feel that the tide may beturning on this issue. According to a recentreport by the Virginia State Crime Commis-sion, law enforcement officers have arrestedmore than 130,000 people for possessionof marijuana in the last decade — 84 per-cent of them first-time offenders.
“I think people are realizing how inap-propriate it is to give people a criminal pen-alty for a drug that so many people havetried and used and is arguably less signifi-cant and harmful than alcohol,” said Ebbin.“It’s still a tough fight. But we’ve got Sen-ate Majority Leader Tommy Norment sup-porting it generally. And we’ve got Govenor-elect Ralph Northam supporting it, gener-ally.”
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL last year,Republicans and Democrats both supportedseveral key agenda items — an indicationthat members from both sides of the aislemay end up working together this year oncertain issues. One of those is ethics reform,a hot topic in Virginia since former Repub-lican Gov. Bob McDonnell was convicted ofcorruption then cleared of wrongdoing bythe U.S. Supreme Court. During the cam-paign last year, Republican candidate forgovernor Ed Gillespie and Republican can-didate for lieutenant governor Jill Vogelboth talked about closing a loophole thatallows candidates to use campaign moneyfor personal use. That’s an issue that alreadyhas support among Democrats, althoughdrawing a distinction between official useand personal use can be a gray area.
“I think we’ve got a consensus that weneed to do something,” said Del. MarcusSimon (D-53). “Whether we make it a weakban or a strong ban — a civil violation or acriminal act — I think we’re going to out-law it one way or another.”
Another issue where Republicans andDemocrats are in agreement is expandingbroadband to rural areas. Of course thedetails of how to make that happen and whobenefits are where lawmakers get divided,although this is one of those issues whereparty ideology is less important than re-gional ties. Last year, for example, Republi-cans were divided about whether to createnew hurdles for local governments to setup broadband networks in places wherethat might create competition for privateproviders. This year, the issue of broadbandwill once again be an important topic ofconversation.
“I’m looking at ways to reduce regulatoryburdens,” said Del. Jennifer Boysko (D-86).“So I’m talking about including broadbandin your municipal comprehensive plan, set-ting up a dig-once policy and creating a datagovernance board for smart communities.”
Session Brings Sea Change
Photo contributed
Republicans were unseated in 12 House districts, and Democrats flippedthree seats where GOP incumbents decided against running in a yearthat ended up being a Democratic wave.
Wave electionswamps Richmondwith freshmanmembers eager tomake their mark.
See Assembly, Page 11
4 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
Virginia’s election last November, justtwo months ago, was the first in thenation since the current administra-tion took over in Washington.
Here in Virginia there was some anxiety anduncertainty rolling into Election Day. First, atleast one race will not be decided until laterthis week. Second, the Democrats swept the
statewide races, Governor,Lieutenant Governor, and At-torney General.
Democrats hoped to makegains in the House of Delegates. It’s fair to sayno one anticipated the Democrats taking theHouse. After all, Republicans held held a 66-34 majority, a nearly insurmountable advan-tage.
Democrats gained at least 15 seats in a turn-about that could leave the House split 50-50.
New members include the first transgenderwoman to serve in the Virginia General Assem-bly, the first lesbian delegate, the first Asian-American woman delegate and the first twoLatina delegates.
2018 A Happy New Year? At leastsome cause for hope .…
Virginia’s success has generated buzz aboutpursuing sweeping change in other state leg-islatures around the country.
Del. Marcus Simon said it well recently (onFacebook): “If someone had told me on Jan.1, 2017 that one year later Democrats wouldhave picked up no fewer than 15 and prob-ably as many as 17 seats in the Virginia Houseof Delegates I would have said, ‘Love your op-timism, but don’t get carried away.’
“My advice to anyone running for office orthinking about running for office, or workingfor people running for office in 2018: Get car-ried away.”
The new look and balance in the GeneralAssembly could provide progress on some longstalled issues. (More Democrats in office donot equate to progress in all of these areas, it’simportant to note.)
❖ Expanding Medicaid under the AffordableCare Act to cover hundreds of thousands ofpoor people without coverage
❖ Nonpartisan redistricting and use of na-tional best practices when it comes to drawing
political district boundaries after the next cen-sus.
❖ Progress in transparency, and making pub-lic information public. This includes lawmak-ers killing most proposed legislation with un-recorded voice votes in subcommittee, with noaccountability or record of how membersvoted. It should also include rolling back someof the many exemptions to the Freedom of In-formation Act passed by the General Assem-bly.
❖ Ethics reform, campaign finance reform.❖ Making it easier, not harder, to vote.❖ More control over utility rates and pollu-
tion.❖ Criminal justice reform, including raising
the threshold for a felony from $200 to $500.❖ Tax reform.A “wish list” could go on at some length.The 2018 session of the Virginia General
Assembly begins Jan. 10.
— Mary Kimm
Editorial
By Supervisor Cathy
Hudgins
(D-Hunter Mill District)
As the year 2017 draws to aclose, I would like to takea moment to reflect on
three community values that wereparticularly evident this year. Wehave invested enormous time andenergy creating our values andthey can be seen in the implemen-tation of the One Fairfax Resolu-tion.
With the July 2016 adoption ofthe One Fairfax Resolution, theFairfax County Board of Supervi-sors laid the foundation of a ra-cial and social equity policy to en-sure all individuals have an oppor-tunity to reach their highest levelof personal achievement. The reso-lution is a public commitment toachieving racial and social equitythrough county policy which in-clude collective leadership, com-munity engagement, equity toolsand infrastructure to sustain sys-temic changes, and shared ac-countability.
One Fairfax moves us beyondembracing our growing diversepopulation to implementing agrowth model driven by equity.Actions introduced by One Fairfax
and completed in 2017 would bethe establishment of the PoliceReview Panel and the hiring of anindependent police auditor, Juve-nile Justice Reform and the Pre-Kinitiative.
I am excited about building onthese initial accomplishments in2018.
Fostering andExpandingCommunity
Crafting anything starts withVision and Planning. Which re-minds me that nothing occurs in a
vacuum because Nature alwaysrushes in willy-nilly to fill it. In thecase of a Vision Vacuum, input andinformation are critical to the for-mation of a Plan. Together thosefundamentals can nurture and ex-pand community. To be successful,however, requires good publicpolicy, community engagement,and professional expertise. Goodneighborhoods don’t just happen;they result from vision, planningand community support.
Last year witnessed multipleexamples of diverse groups ofstakeholders gathering in a publicmeetings. Thank you for voicingyour concerns, contributing yourideas. I recognize that is a special
kind of civic service demandingtime, talent and treasure from usall. In the final analysis, it is notthe loudest voices or the mostmassive audience but that whichis of the most long term benefit tothe community that defines theright Vision and Planning.
Belief in aBright Future
Two remarkable young women– Maame Biney and Veronica Day– boldly remind us that the bestmay be yet to come.
See Hudgins, Page 6
Maame Biney (center, in pink) received recognition from the Board of Supervisors forher U.S. Speedskating Short Track National Championship in 2012. At the time of thepresentation, Maame was a sixth grader at Terraset Elementary School in Reston.
Pho
to
co
ntributed
Representing Reston, Vienna in Winter OlympicsWhat to lookforward toin 2018?
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Vienna & Oakton
Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Being a caregiver for a familymember with dementia is exhaust-ing, whether the person is athome, a nearby facility or in an-other state. The caregiver mustdeal with medical and personalissues of the loved one, all thewhile losing him or her a little bitevery day.
For 14 years, Shepherd’s Centerof Oakton-Vienna (SCOV) hashosted a free half-day forcaregivers to give them a breakand to recognize their sacrifice.Our Lady of Good Counsel Churchin Vienna provided the venue.Additional support was providedby sponsors AARP and ArdenCourts. This year’s SCOV eventhad 41 caregivers. SCOV staff andvolunteers assisted during thefour-hour event.
Attendees were caregivers ofparents, siblings, aunts and uncles.Some of the caregivers were in theearly stages of realizing that theirfamily member had a form of de-mentia.
The loved one of several attend-ees’ had passed away, but the in-credibly difficult journey is notover when the patient dies. Thosewhose loved ones have passedaway have experiences and feel-ings that help other members oftheir support groups. A dedicated
group of volunteers took care ofthe care receivers in a separateroom to give the caregivers a muchneeded break.
Free massages were again pro-vided by American Massage &Bodywork and were the highlightof the day. The students of theMassage School gave in-chair mas-sages to everyone.
Tony Haney of Senior Helpersgave the attendees some workableideas for caregiving. Christi Clark,Insight Memory Center, talkedabout A Person Centered Approachto Care. Cheryl Harlan led a relax-ation session that left caregiverssmiling. A question and answerperiod led by support group lead-ers got everyone involved and pro-vided useful information.
Caregivers had a chance to ex-change ideas with each other. Thevalue of a support group such asthe one sponsored by SCOV wasemphasized. A highlight was themusic of the Hunter Mill Bog Trot-ters, a bluegrass band of four thathad everyone tapping their feet.One of the Bog Trotters had at-tended the SCOV support grouppreviously.
To volunteer, donate or learnmore about how you can help, visitwww.scov.org/ or contact the officeat 703-281-0538, [email protected].
Shepherd Center ProvidesTreat for Caregivers
Photo courtesy of SCOV
The Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna (SCOV) hostedtheir annual Caregivers Treat event in November. Pic-tured are students from American Massage andBodyworks giving massage for those in attendance. Formore information about SCOV and their programs forseniors visit www.scov.org/.
News
Faith Notes are for announcements andevents in the faith community. Send [email protected] is Friday at noon.
Vienna Assembly of God, 100Ayrhill Ave, NE, Vienna, will holdChristmas Eve, Dec. 24, and New Year’sEve, Dec. 31, services on Sunday morn-ing at 10:30 a.m. There will be noevening services. Installation of newPastor Brenda Burns will occur on Janu-ary 7, 2018 during the 10:30 a.m.service.
Wesley United MethodistChurch located at 711 Spring St., SE,Vienna, Virginia 22180, at the corner ofSpring Street and Moore Avenue. 10:30a.m. fellowship time in the fellowshiphall; 11 a.m. traditional family worshipin sanctuary. If you are seeking a churchhome which encourages: caring andsupportive fellowship, an active anddevoted prayer life and study of scrip-ture, support for local and worldmissions, an open, responsive aware-ness to the presence and power of God’sHoly Spirit.
Faith Notes
See Faith, Page 6
6 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
The new Colorado Center for Re-productive Medicine NorthernVirginia (CCRM), at 8010 Tow-ers Crescent Drive, fifth floor,
Vienna, announced their head anesthesiaprovider, Dhiraj Jagasia, M.D., M.B.A., re-ceived the “2017 Excellence in Service andProfessionalism” award from Johns HopkinsMedicine on Nov. 7.
According to Hopkinsmedicine.org, “TheExcellence in Service and Professionalismaward is presented to the physician whoactively promotes a culture that embraces,expects, and rewards the delivery of patient-and family-centered care.”
Jagasia, who currently resides in Arling-
ton, was recognized for his work in the de-velopment of a “Pain Passport” that walkspatients through the use of non-narcoticpain control options. When patients areactively engaged in their care, they reportbetter physical and emotional health.
Jagasia said, “One of the things we cameup with is the Pain Management Passport...The first couple of lines say I know I haveoptions for managing my pain. The tokensin this passport represent my commitmentto exploring these options for my ownhealth and well-being. This is all centeredaround the four tenets really of patient-cen-tered care, which are respect and dignity,information sharing, participation, and col-laboration.”
CCRM Northern Virginia is one of the 10locations of Colorado Center for Reproduc-
tive Medicine (CCRM) across the UnitedStates and Canada. The Vienna facility housesan all-inclusive center with an on-site clinic,surgery center, IVF laboratory and clinicallaboratory. CCRM’s website reports their cen-
ter is one of the nation’s leading fertility clin-ics providing a wide variety of fertility treat-ments, ranging from basic infertility care tothe most advanced in vitro fertilization (IVF)technology available today.
Photo courtesy of Astonish Media Group, LLC
Dhiraj Jagasia, M.D. was recognized by Johns Hopkins Medicine for hiswork in the development of a “Pain Passport” that walks patientsthrough the use of non-narcotic pain control options. Jagasia receivedthe “2017 Excellence in Service and Professionalism Award.”
Dhiraj Jagasia, M.D. leads the developmentof a “Pain Passport” for non-narcotic paincontrol options.
Vienna Physician Receives ‘Excellence in Service’ Award
The Reverend BrendaBurns will be installed asLead Pastor of Vienna As-sembly of God by the Super-intendent of the PotomacMinistry Network, Rev. KenBurtram, on Jan. 7, 2018.Brenda Burns is not unfa-miliar to the congregationas she has been servingalongside her husband, Rev.Craig Burns, for over 30years in the church. She hasheld positions in Children’s Ministry andWomen’s Ministry while concurrentlyleading in the position of Worship Pastor.
Craig Burns informed the church ofhis decision to step down from the po-sition of Lead Pastor early in 2017. Hesays, “In the era of the #metoo move-ment, we want to elevate women inplaces of leadership. For too long menhave overpowered and abused womenand that has to change. Vienna Assem-bly of God has always been a safe place,but it’s now going to also be an empow-ering place for women.”
Brenda Burns was electedas the new Lead Pastor inNovember 2017 by a unani-mous vote of the churchmembers. During the transi-tional period, Craig andBrenda Burns shared the pul-pit and other pastoral duties.
After her installation, theBurns’ will be taking sometime off to rest. Once they re-turn Brenda Burns is excitedto re-engage with the Vienna
community and to bring her vision to thechurch. She says, “my first job is to be agood shepherd to the people who arehere. Making sure that everyone that isa part of this congregation is being en-couraged towards transformation – thatwe’re all being discipled and moving for-ward together in whatever God has forus – will be my first priority.” She alsodesires to bring to the church a renewedemphasis on prayer and has shared thatracial reconciliation is a core value thatwill flavor sermons, outreaches, andother ministries of the church.
Vienna Assembly of GodInstalls a New Lead Pastor
Photo contributed
Rev. Brenda Burns
The Vienna Area Branch of The Ameri-can Association of University Women(AAUW) will host a free event, Women atthe Helm, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018 at PatrickHenry Library. Refreshments at 10 a.m. Pro-gram at 10:30. Vienna Mayor LaurieDiRocco and Town Council Members CareySienicki and Linda Colbert will share their
experiences of leading the Town of Vienna.AAUW is the nation’s leading voice pro-
moting equity and education for womenand girls. Founded in 1881, AAUW mem-bers examine and take positions on the fun-damental issues of the day — educational,social, economic, and political. Visit vienna-va.aauw.net/.
Women at the Helm toSpeak at Vienna Library
Week in Vienna
THURSDAYS/JAN. 4 & 18, 2018Caregivers Support Group. For caregivers to
adult family members with dementia. First andthird Thursdays of every month at UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF) -Program Building, 2709 Hunter Mill Road,Oakton, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Free. Hosted byShepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna, scov.org.For more information, contact facilitator: JackTarr, 703-821-6838, [email protected].
THURSDAY/JAN. 11, 2018Adventures in Learning Open House. Sign up
and get those brain cells growing again. 10 a.m.-noon at UUCF, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Light refreshments provided by Sunrise atHunter Mill. For class schedule: visitwww.scov.org. Classes run Jan. 18-March 15,2018.
FRIDAY/JAN. 12, 2018“Dining with Dorothy.” 12:30 p.m. Join friends
or make new ones at another “Dining withDorothy” socializing/dining event at Skorpio’sMaggios Greek Family Restaurant, 421 MapleAve. E., Vienna. To reserve a space contactDorothy Flood at [email protected].
Shepherd’s Center ofOakton-Vienna: Upcoming Events
Youth Activities at WesleyUnited Methodist Church. Activitiesare open to all 6th-12th graders. YouthSunday School meets every Sunday at10 a.m. in the upper room. Youth BibleStudy will meet every Sunday at 4:30p.m. off-site. Following bible study, ridetogether to the church for youth group.Email the Youth Ministry Staff for theaddress. The Anchor meets every Sun-day from 6-8 p.m. in the fellowship hall.Join us for dinner, games, worship, and
diving deeper into the Word. During thesummer, Youth Sunday School meetsmost Sundays at 9 a.m. in the upperroom.
To receive the newsletter or for moreinformation contact [email protected].
St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church,at the intersection of Lewinsville andBrook roads in McLean, invites you fora casual Saturday Service at 5 p.m., fol-lowed by conversation and fellowship orfor Sunday Services at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m.Sunday School for Youth and Children
takes place during the 10 a.m. Service.Check www.stthomasmcleanva.org forspecial events and services through theyear. St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church,8991 Brook Road, McLean, 703-442-0330.
Church of the Holy Comforter,543 Beulah Road, NE, Vienna, offers amonthly Healing Eucharist with the Lay-ing on of Hands and Anointing forHealing (first Sunday of the month, 5p.m. at St. Mary’s Chapel). The HealingMinistry is led by the Rev. Valerie Hayesand Alexandra MacCracken and in-
cludes a team of lay healers who havegone through intentional training andformation. Contact the Rev. ValerieHayes at [email protected].
Yoga Class with a Christian Fo-cus is held Saturdays, 3-4 p.m., McGillHall or the Library at the Church of theHoly Comforter, 543 Beulah Road, NE,Vienna. This group is suitable for thosewith beginner and/or intermediate yogaexperience. Dress comfortably and bringa mat. Feel free to bring a towel,block(s) or strap. Contact the ChurchOffice at 703-938-6521.
Mom’s Group meets second andfourth Thursday of the Month, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Church of the HolyComforter, 543 Beulah Road, NE,Vienna. Join the group for coffee andfellowship. The group meets in theLillian Croy Room, near the Church Of-fice. Childcare will be available justacross the hall in the Childcare Center.If you are interested in joining thegroup, contact the Church Office at 703-938-6521 so that we can planappropriately for materials andchildcare.
Faith Notes
From Page 5
Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Sports
South Lakes High School’s Var-sity Swim and Dive teams emergedvictorious in their first leaguematch-up against Herndon HighSchool on Friday, Dec. 15, at theHerndon Community Center. Thegirls team won with 177.5 pointsover Herndon’s 136.5. The SouthLakes boys gained their first winof the season with 199 points toHerndon’s 115.
The boys dominated from thestart with one-two finishes in the200 yard Medley Relay and the200 yard Individual Medley. The200 medley relay team of HunterEllis, Jacob Lewis, Jack Edgemond, and SolomonBlackmon came in first with Kyle Diederich, WillDunne, Matthew Fritz, and Kyle Thomas taking sec-ond. In the IM, Edgemond swam a state-qualifyingtime of 1:56.44 for first, with Diederich coming insecond.
Other highlights for the boys included:❖ A sweep of the 50 yard Freestyle by Blackmon
(first), Ellis (second), Thomas (third), and DirkStassinos (fourth)
❖ A sweep of the 100 yard Butterfly by Edgemond(first) with a state-qualifying time, Fritz (second),Matthew Beach (third), and Lewis (fourth)
❖ A first place finish for the 200 yard Freestyle
The Madison Warhawk VarsityIce Hockey team defeated theOakton Cougars 4-3. Oaktonscored two goals midway in thefirst period but the Hawks cameback late in the first with an unas-sisted goal from forward MattHetherington.
The Cougars would hold theirlead thru much of the second pe-riod however an onslaught of pen-alties would hamper their offense.Forward Luke Pohlman, assistedby Jeff Hunter would tie the gameup late in the first and defensemanNick Willey, assisted by TJ Ezzardwould score the go ahead goalearly in the third period. MattHetherington, assisted by JeffHunter would give the Warhawksand insurance goal midwaythrough the third period. The Cou-
Warhawks Hockey Team Wins Against Cougars
South Lakes Swim & Dive Triumphs Over HerndonRelay team of Ellis, Thomas,Edgemond, and Blackmon
❖ A one-two finish in the 100yard Backstroke for Ellis (first) andConnor Lewis (second)
❖ A first place finish in the 400yard Freestyle Relay for Diederich,Fritz, Beach, and Connor Lewis.
For the girls, one-two finishes inthe 200 yard Individual Medleyand the 500 yard Freestyle, alongwith a sweep of Diving were high-lights. Anna Redican touched firstin the IM with Emily Fritz comingin second. In the 500, HannahLane finished first with Rachel
Mietlicki second. In diving, Emma Bulger (first),Devon Allesandrino (second), Aggie Allesandrino(third), and SJ Brown (fourth) got the sweep.
Other highlights for the girls included:❖ A first place finish for the 200 yard Freestyle
Relay team of Katie Nguyen, Megan Slater, Redican,and Sophia Landeryou
❖ A regional’s-qualifying time and first place fin-ish in the 100 yard Backstroke for Redican
❖ A first place finish for Fritz in the 100 yardBreaststroke.
South Lakes returns to the pool at 6:30 on Friday,Jan. 5 to take on Washington & Lee High School atSpring Hill RECenter.
Photo contributed
South Lakes’ Emily Fritzmoves to pass her Herndonopponent to win the 100yard Breaststroke in thematchup between theteams on Dec. 15.
Photo by Adam Shayne
Warhawk forward Jeff Hunter skates for clear ice duringthe game against the Oakton Cougars. Hunter would tally2 assists in Madison’s 4-3 win over the Cougars. GoalieBen D’Haiti stopped 32 shots
gars would score late in the thirdhowever it was too little too late.
Warhawk goalie Ben D’Haititurned away 32 shots as the Cou-
gars outshot the Warhawks 35 to16. Madison’s next game is againstWoodgrove, Sunday Jan. 7, 2018at 8:10 p.m. at Ashburn Ice House.
8 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.
ONGOINGWinter Walk of Lights. At
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna.During the Winter Walk of Lights, thegarden is transformed into a half-mile, walk of lights. Revisit perennialfavorites such as the animatedLakeside Lights, the Fountain ofLights, and the Holiday Nature Walk– and look for new displays eachyear. Round out a visit roastingmarshmallows and sipping on hotbeverages, available for purchase.Visit www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights.
Textures Exhibit. Through Jan. 7,various times at the Vienna ArtsCenter, 115 Pleasant St., NW. Call703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org.
Great Falls Farmers Market.Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 778 WalkerRoad, Great Falls. Music, vendors,fresh produce, fresh prepared food,delightful bakery, spices from aroundthe world, wild-caught fish, grass-fed, free-range meats, organic-fedpoultry and eggs. Email [email protected].
McLean Farmers Market, Fridays,through Nov. 17, 2017; 8 a.m. tonoon, 1659 Chain Bridge Road,McLean, Master Gardener PlantClinic on site to answer questionsabout plants in your landscape
Free Tai Chi. Every Saturday, from7:55-9 a.m., Introduction andBeginners’ Practice, meet on theoutdoor basketball court locateddirectly behind the Dolley MadisonPublic Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave.in McLean Central Park, McLean. Call703-759-9141 or visitwww.FreeTaiChi.org.
The Freeman Store & MuseumWednesday through Sunday noon-4p.m. 131 Church St. NE, Vienna. TheFreeman Store & Museum isdedicated to Preserving andpromoting Vienna’s heritage throughthe identification, preservation, andinterpretation of history significantplaces, events, and persons.Historicviennainc.org
Weekly Storytime. Wednesday andSaturday. 11 a.m. Barnes & Noble,7851 L Tysons Corner Center,McLean. Themes and titles vary. Freeadmission.
Bingo Night. Sundays. 4 p.m. FlameRoom, Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment, 400 Center St. S,Vienna. $10. www.vvfd.org/bingo.html.
Gentle Yoga. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Emmaus United Church of Christ,900 E Maple Ave. E., Vienna.Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. Unitarian
Universalist Congregation of Fairfax,2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Gentle Kundalini Yoga, one freeintroductory session, seniordiscounts. Increase flexibility,improve breathing and health, reducestress. Ravi Kaur has 15 yearsexperience teaching yoga. $15 persession. www.edimprovement.org.571-213-3192.
Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 PotomacHills St., Great Falls. Rentalsavailable during visitor center hours.Fishing tackle and live bait areavailable for purchase. Reservationsrequired for group rentals. $6/rental(2 hour max). Valid driver’s licenserequired. Rod/reel combinations areperfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwaterfishing license is required for those16 years or older. The park does notsell fishing licenses.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/
Colvin Run Mill open 11 - 4 p.m.daily, closed Tuesday. 10017 ColvinRun Road, Great Falls. FairfaxCounty’s operational 19th centurywater powered gristmill, offersrecreational and educationalactivities for all ages through dailytours, school programs and specialevents. Fees: $7/adult, $6 students16+ with ID, $5 children & seniors.Admission to park is free except forsome special events.
Fundamentals of Watercolors.Mondays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at The Artsof Great Falls, 756 Walker Road,Great Falls. Artist Lorrie Herman willhelp students get comfortableworking with watercolors andunderstanding this medium. Visitwww.greatfallsart.org.
Evening Painting. Tuesdays 6:30 -9:30 p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls,756 Walker Road, Great Falls. JillBanks focuses on oil paintingfundamentals with two sessions eachof still life, landscapes, and portrait/clothed figure from a live model.Visit www.greatfallsart.org.
SATURDAY/JAN. 6Rainbows, Haloes, and Glories. 10-
11 a.m. at Turner Farm Park, 925Springvale Road, Great Falls. AtObservatory Park at Turner Farm,explore phenomena that can be seenin the open sky. Learn aboutrainbows, haloes and glories, thegreen flash and purple light, and whythe sky is blue and sunsets areorange. $8. Call 703-324-8618.
Aesop’s Fables. 11 a.m. at ChurchillRoad Elementary School, 7100Churchill Road, McLean. Barterplayers act out “Androcles and theLion,” “The Oak and the Reed,” “TheFox Without a Tail,” “The Beast inLove,” “The Tortoise and The Hare”and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” $15,or $10 to McLean Community Center
members. Call 703-790-0123.Dog Sled Drama. 3 p.m. at Churchill
Road Elementary School, 7100Churchill Road, McLean. BarterPlayers presents “The Call of theWild.” $15, or $10 to McLeanCommunity Center members. Forages 12 and older. Call 703-790-0123.
SUNDAY/JAN. 7Meet the Plant Artist. 1-3 p.m. at
Green Spring Botanical Gardens,4603 Green Spring, Road,Alexandria. Great Falls artist, BettyGanley will be presented with theFirst Place award for her watercolor,La Plumage at the event. Vienna ArtSociety multi media art exhibit, “UpClose To Mother Nature” will be onexhibit until Feb 25. Call 703-642-5173.
A Gershwin Celebration. 4 p.m. atSaint Francis Episcopal Church, 9220Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Featuring Millicent Scarlett, soprano;Brian Quenton Thorne, tenor; AlvyPowell, bass-baritone; and FrankConlon, pianist and host.A pre-concert lecture by Music Director A.Scott Wood will begin at 3:15 pm, 45minutes prior to the start of theconcert. Visit amadeusconcerts.com.
TUESDAY/JAN. 9Civil War in Fairfax. 7:30 p.m. at the
McLean Governmental Center, 1437Balls Hill Road, McLean. Theprogram will feature noted historianDon Hakenson who will discuss “RareCivil War Stories in Fairfax County.”Call 703-356-8223.
THURSDAY/JAN. 11McLean Traveler Day Trip. 9:30
a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Churchill RoadElementary School, 7100 ChurchillRoad, McLean. Trip to NationalGallery of Art in Washington, D.C. tosee “Johannes Vermeer and theMasters of Genre Painting.” Call 703-790-0123.
Adventures in Learning OpenHouse. 10-noon at UUCF UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax -Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. Increase brain power.Visit www.scov.org.
FRIDAY/JAN. 12Dining with Dorothy. 12:30 p.m. at
Skorpio’s Maggios Greek FamilyRestaurant, 421 Maple Ave. E,Vienna. Socializing and dining event.Email [email protected].
5th and 6th Grader Party. 7-9 p.m.at The Old Firehouse, 1440 ChainBridge Road, McLean. Patrons willenjoy free catered food andbeverages, music played by aprofessional disc jockey, dancing on
By Marilyn Campbell
Frigid temperatures andthe chill of winter canusher in dangerous
health conditions, particularlyfor those most vulnerable: theelderly and young children.Two of the most prevalent cold-weather ills are hypothermiaand frostbite. For those whohave to be outside when it isdangerously cold, knowing thewarning signs and preventiontechniques for these conditionsare the keys to keeping them atbay, say health care providers.
“Even a typical winter in thisarea can be dangerous,” saidAmy Talbot, Ph.D, of GeorgeMason University. “But extremeconditions can make it evenworse for those most vulner-able.”
Hypothermia, which occurswhen one’s body core tempera-ture drops, can develop morequickly than many people real-ize, says Talbot. “Obviously feel-ing very cold is a warning sign,but also shivering and experi-encing signs that the cold is af-fecting your brain, so feeling
disoriented, stumbling or losingbalance easily, unusual speechpattern or changes in personal-ity.”
Frostbite is when the skin andunderlying tissue are damagedby cold temperatures, says BethLowe, RN, a private-duty nursein Arlington. “During the begin-ning stages of frostbite, youmight see your skin turn redand you’ll feel numb or tingling
Entertainment
See Dangerously, Page 9
Ready for the ColdWellbeing
Preventing, recognizingand treating hypothermiaand frostbite.
Photo by Marilyn Campbell
Record cold tempera-tures can lead to frost-bite and hypothermia.
an open dance floor and otherattractions, such as a photo booth,temporary tattoos and board games.$35/$25 MCC district residents. Call703-448-TEEN.
SATURDAY/JAN. 13Women at the Helm. 10 a.m. at the
Patrick Henry Library, 101 MapleAve. E. Vienna Mayor Laurie DiRoccoand Town Council Members CareySienicki and Linda Colbert will sharetheir experiences of leading the Townof Vienna. Visit vienna-va.aauw.net/.
Star Gazing. 10-11 a.m. at TurnerFarm Park, 925 Springvale Road,Great Falls. Enjoy guided star gazing,look through a telescope, and listento constellation stories around thecampfire at Observatory Park atTurner Farm. $10. Call 703-324-8618.
SUNDAY/JAN. 14MLK Speaker. 2 p.m. at The Old
Firehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road.Award-winning sports columnistWilliam Rhoden will speak on thetimely subject of “Activist Athletes.”$20, $10 for McLean CommunityCenter tax district residents. Visit:www.aldentheatre.org or call 703-790-0123.
Rorie in Concert. 7 p.m. at Jammin’
Java, 227 Maple Ave E, Vienna. Localmusician plays her new EP called“Dawn.” Call 703-255-1566 or visitwww.roriemusic.com.
TUESDAY/JAN. 16Meet the Civil War Author. 10 a.m.-
1 p.m. at St. Francis EpiscopalChurch, 9220 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. James G. Lewis talksabout his book “Confederate CalvaryGeneral Jeb Stuart” and Civil Warhistory around Great Falls. Lunch willbe served and reservations arerequired. Call 703-938-6471 or [email protected].
WEDNESDAY/JAN. 17Art Workshop. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the
Vienna Arts Center, 115 Pleasant St.Artist Jacqueline Saunders is hostinga one day workshop. Call 703-319-3971 or visit ViennaArtsSociety.org.
FRIDAY/JAN. 26Artists Reception. 6-9 p.m. at
Torpedo Factory Artists @ Mosaic,2905 District Ave, Suite 115,Fairfax.Artist Susan Gulick will bethere discussing her show“Uncommon Visions,” which will beon display Jan. 24-Feb. 25. Visittorpedofactory.org.
‘Aesop’s Fables’Aesop’s Fables are thefeatured act on Saturday,Jan. 6, 11 a.m. atChurchill Road Elemen-tary School, 7100Churchill Road, McLean.Barter players act out“Androcles and the Lion,”“The Oak and the Reed,”“The Fox Without a Tail,”“The Beast in Love,” “TheTortoise and The Hare”and “The Boy Who CriedWolf.” $15, or $10 toMcLean CommunityCenter members. Call703-790-0123.
Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Dr. Laura Pickford received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and attended medical school at the University of Virginia. She has practiced in Northern Virginia since 1999, and is the Perinatal Safety Officer at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. Dr. Pickford is Board Certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Fair Ridge OB/GYNis pleased to announcethe addition of two new providers!
Cynthia Stone, MSN-FNP, received her Master’s degree as a family Nurse Practitioner from George Mason University in collaboration with George Washington University in 2004. After spending 2 years working in a family practice, she chose to focus on women’s health and has been working in OB/GYN since 2006.
3620 Joseph Siewick Drive, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA(703) 264-7801 www.fairridgeobgyn.com
Fair Ridge OB/GYN Associates3620 Joseph Siewick Drive, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033
Office: (703) 264-7801www.fairridgeobgyn.com
Wellbeing
From Page 8
Dangerously Cold, Take Precautionsor stinging,” she said. “The main thing to remem-
ber is not to try to re-warm your own skin, becauseyou can do more damage. It’s best to seek emergencymedical treatment.”
Dressing in layers and wearing shoes that are ap-propriate for extreme cold are keys to preventinghypothermia and frostbite, advises Carolyn Johnson,Ph.D. of Montgomery College. “When it’s extremelycold you want to wear clothing that traps your bodytemperature and protects you from cold air andwind,” she said. “A basic formula to keep in mind: abase layer that should be made from a fabric thatwicks away moisture. The second layer should trapheat so it should be made of a polyester fleece oversomething similar. The top layer should be water-proof and windproof.”
Lowe recommends avoiding cotton clothing dur-ing the extreme cold because if it gets wet, it canmake you cold. “Many of these preventative mea-sure are things that most people already know, butmay not think about until it’s too late,” she said.
Another preventative component, says Talbot, isnutrition. Both food and liquids can help keep one’sbody warm. “Skipping a meal can make you moresusceptible to hypothermia and frostbite,” she said.“It’s important to eat carbs and protein for energywhen you’re going to be outside for a prolonged pe-riod of time, like if you’re hiking or playing sports.”
If you believe that you are beginning to develop
frostbite or hypothermia, Lowe says in order to avoidadvancing the seriousness of the condition, moveyour body by doing jumping jacks or some other vig-orous movement and get out of the frigid elements.“There’s no set amount of time that it takes for [hy-pothermia or frostbite] to develop, so it’s importantto keep an eye on those who are most vulnerable.But once you notice the warning signs you can try tostop the conditions before they advance, by drink-ing plenty of fluids, eating carbs and getting insideto a warmer temperature.”
Local Shelters
For those who are not able to seek shelter, social ser-vice providers in Virginia and Maryland are ramping upefforts to provide shelter to those who need to get outof the cold. For more information:
Fairfax County703-691-2131 or fairfaxcounty.gov
City of Alexandria703-548-7500 or alexandriava.gov
Montgomery County240-777-3289 or montgomerycountymd.gov
Arlington County703-228-1300 or 703-228-1010publicassistance.arlingtoncounty.gov
10 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
From Page 4
The “Laugh until you can’t laugh anymore” 17-year-old Maame Biney will be representing the U.Sand her hometown, Reston, in February at the 2018Winter Olympic Games. Which speaks volumes forsomeone born in Ghana and who didn’t even graspthe concept of ice until age 6. Her sport: short trackspeed skating.
With her infectious giggle and joy at winning, sheis also the first African-American woman to join theU.S. Olympic Speed Skating Team. And after theOlympics, will she hang up her skates? Probably not.
According to Anthony Barthell, Women’s ShortTrack National (Olympic) Team Coach, “She’s a natu-ral athlete. Most natural athletes have a hard transi-tion to skating because speed skating is so unnatu-ral. It goes against everything you’re taught as anathlete. So for her, she’s learned how to skate and isable to use her natural athletic abilities... In my eyes,I feel she can be one of the top girls in the world. It’sgoing to take a little bit of time, but she has thepotential.”
Remarkably, she hasn’t lost sight of the long-rangebig picture. With a goal of becoming a chemical en-gineer, graduating on time – with her friends – is as
important a goal as short track skating and applyingto college. Now, that is a comprehensive life view.
Think for a moment: What is it when you have a64-pound, head-first, face-down toboggan withoutsteering, an engine, brakes, or seat belt, hurling alongat 90 miles per hour, through ice-covered turns? An-swer: A skeleton sled, very possibly held by Viennanative and Madison High 2007 grad, Veronica Day.She is also an Olympic hopeful for the 2018 U.S.Winter Olympic Skeleton Team.
Wait a minute, you’re probably puzzling, how didthis happen? Wasn’t she a high school track and fieldstand-out? Besides, there isn’t much snow in NorthCarolina where she graduated from college with adegree in international business and internationalstudies.
Both true – clearly, this is someone who continuesto learn and grow physically as she continues to ex-pand culturally and globally. Equally true is her spunkand determination in her growth potential: “Do Ithink I can be number one or two in the U.S.? Abso-lutely, I don’t think it’s a pipe dream at all.”
All I can say is that with strong public policy andpublic participation and local schools educating crack-erjack female student athletes, I have every confi-dence in and am looking forward to another produc-tive, successful year in 2018! With every good wishto the entire Hunter Mill community for warmerweather and a Happy New Year.
Hudgins
Opinion
The Fairfax County delegation to the GeneralAssembly will hold a hearing for public commentregarding the upcoming 2018 session on Satur-day, Jan. 6. The forum begins at 9 a.m. in theboardroom of the Fairfax County GovernmentCenter, 12000 Government Center Parkway,Fairfax with parking available in front of the Gov-ernment Center Building. Only Fairfax Countyresidents may register to speak, and individualsmay speak on their own behalf or on behalf of anorganization serving County residents.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors ChairmanSharon Bulova will welcome the delegation to theGovernment Center on behalf of the Board of Su-pervisors and deliver brief remarks. Fairfax Countyresidents who want to sign up in advance to speakat the hearing should register online using the formor contact the Office of the Clerk to the Board ofSupervisors at 703-324-3151, TTY 711, by noonon Friday, Jan. 5. Requests for ADA accommoda-tions should be made as soon as possible but nolater than 48 hours before the public hearing.
All speakers are asked to personally register fortheir speaking slot (residents needing assistancewill be helped on a case by case basis). Organiza-tions are encouraged to limit their number of
speakers to a maximum of five. Additional attend-ees in support of said organization at the publichearing may be recognized by the chair. Speakingslots will be numbered based on a first come, firstserved allocation. Point of contact for other ques-tions or requests for ADA accommodations: ArielleMcAloon (703-324-2649) or Chris Camarca (703-324-2683).
Each speaker will be allocated three minutes toaddress the delegation. Speakers must be presentwhen called to the podium, and people who misstheir turn will be added to the end of the list ofspeakers. The Chair reserves the right to modifythe guidelines on site for the smooth operation ofthe public hearing.
The hearing will be televised live on FairfaxCounty Television Channel 16 (Channel 1016 inHD on Cox; Channel 16 on Verizon or Comcast),and can also be viewed on-line through the Chan-nel 16 stream.
Further information on the public commenthearing is available from members of the FairfaxCounty legislative delegation. Contact informationfor individual delegation members is available onthe Virginia General Assembly web page atwhosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/
General Assembly Delegation to Hold Public Hearing
Nine students at Neil Armstrong El-ementary School in Reston have beenhonored by the School PTA for partici-pation and achievement in the 2017-18National PTA Reflections arts in educa-tion program.
The reflections program honorsimagination, creativity and interpreta-tion of the theme “Within Reach.”Students were encouraged to create anoriginal work of art in one or more ofthe following categories: dance choreog-raphy, film production, literature, 3-dart, musical composition, photography,visual arts and special artist division forstudents with disabilities.
The following achievement awards
Armstrong Elementary Students Honored for Achievementwere earned for each category andgrade division:
❖ Award of Excellence: This award isgiven to a student in each arts category,in each grade level division, that bestinterprets the theme. This award ad-vances to local awards program.
Photography – Andrew Das (Interme-diate)
Literature – Asha Das (Intermediate)Visual Arts – Ben Fox (Intermediate)3D Sculpture – Evie Lenz Miller (Pri-
mary)❖ Award of Merit: This award is given
to the next highest scores for each artscategory in each grade level division.
Visual Arts – Julia Cochran (Interme-
diate)Photography – Andrew Das (Interme-
diate)Visual Arts – Asha Das (Intermediate)Visual Arts – Madeline de Clerck
(Middle School)❖ Honorable Mention: This award is
given to the next highest scores for eacharts category in each division.
Literature – Sofia Bentolila (Interme-diate)
Visual Arts – Charlotte de Clerck (Pri-mary)
Visual Arts – Matthew de Clerck (In-termediate)
For more information about the pro-gram, visit PTA.org/Reflections.
Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
Since I don’t have to write for a deadlinethis week (12/27/17 papers have already goneto press), maybe I’ll write for pleasure. Notthat writing this column is ever not my pleas-ure, but it is time-sensitive, at least on aweekly basis. And though that “weekliness”can occasionally induce some pressure, mostlyI can manage it. Besides, it contributes towhat you read and my feelings about havingwritten. As such, my columns are rarely aboutthe past, well, only in so far as it gives the pre-sent and future concerns some context.Generally speaking however, I am writingabout extremely-current events. It’s notexactly real time, but the timing is exception-ally real.
This sort of holiday break occurs at TheConnection every year as we condense ourpublication schedule and finish/publish threeweeks of newspapers in nine business days.And even though this “condensation” is noth-ing new for any of us long-sitting employees, itdoes present its own unique set of challenges,yet it is a schedule which has stood the test oftime. Time which eventually leads to pleasure.
And time off is part of what drives this mid-to-late December rush. Because in the news-paper business, especially considering the24/7 news cycle, with which we are all famil-iar, even for a weekly publication – for botheditorial and sales, you are mostly on. So get-ting a chance to publish and then pause, givesus all an opportunity to refresh and recharge.And since I’m honeymooning, so to speak,(see column dated 12/13/17 titled “As GoodAs It Gets”), I have nothing particularly cancer-centric to write about and/or worry about,well, top of mind anyway. There’s plenty ofcancer stuff bottom of mind though. The diffi-culty is keeping it there.
The problem/reality is, even when you’remeandering around in your head, in order towrite, there is a cancer section which inevita-bly fights its way to the top. It’s not as if I havea multiple personality disorder: Kenny-without-cancer and Kenny-with-cancer (mywebsite, by the way:www.KennyWithCancer.com), but sometimesI think I must. Thinking one could totally com-partmentalize the facts and fissures that a “te-rminal” lung cancer diagnosis/”13 month totwo year” prognosis imposes is an admirable,much talked about goal but in truth, it’sprobably unrealistic and likely leads to thatdual personality. But who’s kidding whom? It’shard/IMPOSSIBLE to know.
So for the moment, I can pretend/presumethat Kenny-without-cancer is front and center,top of mind and in control, free to wanderaimlessly in print and ponder his fate as ifnothing much – other than one’s own mortal-ity, is effecting his judgment. Ah, one candream. And oddly enough, I have beendreaming more, and sleeping longer anddeeper, too. I’m sure it’s simply a coincidencethat having five weeks off from any cancer-related activities/obligations, and likewise hav-ing nine days off from any newspaper-relatedactivities has contributed to this semi peaceand quiet. A quiet which will soon end whenwe leave for two days in Pennsylvania tospend Christmas with my wife Dina’s cousins,which, along with the cheesesteak I plan oneating, provides it’s own sort of comfort andjoy.
Still, any port in the cancer storm providesa welcome respite from the – with apologiesto Shakespeare – slings and arrows of outra-geous misfortune (Shakespeare’s quote was“fortune”), however real or imagined. To besure, cancer is no joke, neither is being diag-nosed with a “terminal” form of it: non-smallcell lung cancer, stage IV, at age 54 and a half.But making fun of it and the circumstancessurrounding it, has been my stock and tradesince I first went public – in print, in June2009. The means I’ve justified to prevent mypremature end. So far, so good.
I’m Very SeldomWrong, But ThisTime I’m Write
IT MAY SEEM like the elections nevercease in Virginia, where voters go to thepolls multiple times every year. And al-though Washington is already focused onthe 2018 campaign, Richmond is alreadypreparing for an epic election in 2019. Notonly will that election include all membersof the House and the Senate, it will also setthe scene for who controls the redistrictingprocess. Both parties are eager to controlas much of the process as possible, andDemocrats have already won a major vic-tory by electing a governor who will haveveto power over the maps drawn by law-makers.
“The one piece of this that I’m interestedin doing is having a factor of competitive-ness and competition being part of the equa-tion,” said Del. Mark Keam (D-35). “Rightnow all the standards that they use for re-districting are things like partisanship, de-mographics and minority status. But there’snothing that talks about whether a districtis competitive or not.”
From Page 3
Assembly
Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.
TUESDAY/JAN. 9Vienna Oakton Chapter of NARFE. 1 p.m. at
the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry StSE. Speaker will be Lisa Mottesheard, AccountManager for Caption Call, of Eastern Virginia.Call 703-938-9757 for more.
English as a Second Language Classes. 7-8p.m. at at St. Mark Christian Formation Center,9972 Vale Road, Vienna. Come help 150+ adultlearners master the English language, preparefor American citizenship, learn to conversefluently in English, improve their writing skills,and integrate into the local community. Call703-980-9380, email [email protected], orvisit www.stmarkesl.org.
THURSDAY/JAN. 11English as a Second Language Classes. 7-8
p.m. at at St. Mark Christian Formation Center,9972 Vale Road, Vienna. Come help 150+ adultlearners master the English language, preparefor American citizenship, learn to conversefluently in English, improve their writing skills,and integrate into the local community. Call703-980-9380, email [email protected], orvisit www.stmarkesl.org.
THURSDAY/JAN. 18Caregivers Support Group. 10-11:30 a.m. at
UUCF Unitarian Universalist Congregation ofFairfax - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. For caregivers to adult familymembers with dementia, meets first and thirdThursdays of every month. Call 703-821-6838 ofemail [email protected] for more.
SUPPORT GROUPSAre You A Caregiver? Shepherd’s Center of
Oakton Vienna Caregivers’ SupportGroup takes place first & third Thursday ofeach month. February 2nd and 16th, 2017 from10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join us at theUnitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax(UUCF) - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRd, Oakton, VA. For more info contactfacilitator, Jack Tarr, [email protected].
Haven of Northern Virginia Support Group.703-941-7000, www.havenofnova.org [email protected].
Bulletin
12 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 3-9, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Mike Salmon
The Connection
New York has had an influenceon musicians through theyears, and the big apple waspart of the picture when Erin
Rea Ochocki, aka “Rorie,” broke away fromthe 9-5 world, adopted the one-name genreof Rorie and hit the stage as a singer. Shehasn’t looked back either. “I traveled aroundthe city, playing shows by myself and real-ized that was my passion,” the 20-some-thing singer said.
Fast forward a few years and Rorie has aname of her own, and several EP’s, includ-ing one called “Dawn,” that consists of foursongs she’s highlighting at her show atVienna’s Jammin’ Java on Jan. 14.
“Dawn” focuses on overcoming obstaclesand struggles that crop up in life, and Roriehas seen a few of these struggles to knowfirst hand. In New York, for example, sheworked for a non-profit, devoting her timeto combat human trafficking, and workedwith a roommate on a music video to raiseawareness. The roommate, Jordan Ippolito,danced a choreographic routine in a deserted,dusty structure to drive home the point.
Rorie even did some video work in OldTown, Alexandria where she lives now. Avideo company called Open Valve Studiosfrom Los Angeles, flew into town with theirequipment and they spent a few days film-ing, including part in Killer ESP coffee shopright on King Street. “They were really fun,we filmed for three days, we were reallygood friends after that,” she said.
Video production guru Franck Tabouringof Open Valve Studios, was happy with thefolks at Killer ESP and the City of Alexan-dria as well. He came into town withouthaving much time to scout locations, andjust popped into Killer ESP and it allworked. Killer ESP is an independent cof-fee shop run by Rob Shelton, and theirhandmade mugs, local art on the walls and
independent attitude was just what theyneeded. “When you deal with tight locationslike this one, you just have to adapt andkeep equipment down to a minimum andsimply go with the flow, which was very easyto accomplish given the overall naturallyrelaxing atmosphere in Alexandria,” saidTabouring.
The Open Valve film crew likes to shootvideo on location, and the atmosphere inOld Town Alexandria worked out well. Hescouted places via the internet and Google
Satellite, and then contacted city officialsand it was “smooth sailing,” he said. “It’swonderful when you get to travel to a placewhere filming is encouraged and wel-comed,” he said.
Rob Shelton, the manager at Killer ESP,has seen Rorie in for a cup of coffee a fewtimes and was enthusiastic when OpenValve called. Although he couldn’t be therein person for the video shoot, “I just toldthem to come in and make themselves athome,” he said, even suggesting the front
room as a good spot because of the light.“She’s super talented and takes a warm,organic approach to production,” he saidof Rorie.
It’s not her first experience in Alexandriathough. They also played at Alexandria’sFirst Night on New Year’s Eve last year.
Singer-SongwriterRorie likes to write her own music and
bases most themes on her own life, as mostmusicians do. Some influences on her styleinclude Joni Mitchell of the 1960s fame, orthe X Ambassadors. The rest of her bandare Dwayne Butler on drums, Doug Kuruczon bass and Patrick McLaughlin on guitar,all from Northern Virginia. In the videos,she waltzes around, searching for some-thing just out of reach, sporting a hairstylehighlighting her bangs, similar to ZooeyDeschanel of TV fame. She is familiar withthe hipster genre, and embraces it. “I thinkit’s a cool thing to be a hipster,” she said.
“Climate,” is one of the songs on her OldTown video, and she seemed to know whatshe wanted to video to resonate, saidTabouring. “She connected with our styleand always welcomed our input, while wemade sure to stay true to the song’s mes-sage and what she had in mind both visu-ally and emotionally,” he said. Rorie admitsto carrying around a notepad and takingdown notes of inspiration from time to time,like authors and musicians do to jot downideas that pop up.
She’s played at Jammin’ Java a few timesbefore, so they know her music. “As awhole, Rorie’s music tells stories of bothheartache and hope,” it said on the Jammin’Java show preview.
Local Pop Star Rorie Sings Her Way to the Big TimeWhere & When
Rorie is playing at Jammin’ Java, 227Maple Ave. E. on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 7p.m. Visit www.jamminjava.com or call703- 255-1566 for more.
Singer-songwriter
Rorie is play-ing her EP
called “Dawn,”at Jammin’
Java in Viennaon Jan. 14.
Photos by Mike Salmon/The Connection
Rorie embraces life in her songs.
Rorie and her band have been at Jammin’ Java several times over thepast few years.
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