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n House of Delegates Candidates Square Off in DebateNews, Page 3
Conversations Brew During ‘Coffee With a Cop’ DayNews, Page 5
Fire Station Welcomes
Community News, Page 4
Mac Reed of McLean, a volunteer emergency medical technician with the McLean Volunteer Fire Depart-
ment, pushes Kameron Kruse, 3, of McLean through a driving course
on a 22-inch tall Little Tikes “Spray & Rescue Fire Truck,” complete
with a pressurized water tank and hose to squirt water onto a pretend
fire at the end of the course.
Page 7
2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
NewsEditor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or [email protected]
By Fallon Forbush
The Connection
There are only three weeksleft until Election Day andthe race for the area’s rep-resentative in the House of
Delegates is heating up.The two candidates vying to represent
District 34, which includes Great Falls,McLean and parts of Vienna, in the VirginiaGeneral Assembly debated at the Great FallsGrange on Thursday evening, Oct. 12. Theevent was hosted by the Great Falls Citi-zens Association, an organization that doesnot endorse candidates but encourages awell-informed community.
Incumbent Democrat Del. KathleenMurphy of McLean was at ease throughoutthe event, prodding the debate moderatorto make sure the debate started promptlyat 7:30 and ended on time. A WashingtonNationals game was scheduled to start at 8o’clock and the debate was scheduled to endat 9 o’clock, and she was determined tocatch the ending.
“I’m a very big baseball fan,” she said,proud to represent several players on theteam who live in the district.
In contrast, events like this were atypicalfor her Republican challenger, CherylBuford of Vienna.
“This is a new experience for me,” Bufordsaid before the debate. Unlike Murphy, shehas not received any organizational en-dorsements.
Though the event ended on time,Murphy’s team lost to the Chicago Cubs 8-9, undoing its chance of competing in theWorld Series.
However, Murphy cannot say she has got-ten everything her way as a member of theminority party in the capitol. Murphy ischief patron of 12 bills this legislative ses-sion, three of which became law.
The first bill was an effort to combatVirginia’s opioid overdose epidemic. Opio-ids are drugs that mimic the properties ofopiates like morphine and codeine, and in-clude illegal drugs like heroin and legal drugslike fentanyl and prescription painkillers.
In February, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signedseveral bipartisan bills into law supportingneedle-exchange programs, increased ac-cess to overdose-reversal drug naloxone,changes to opioid prescription policies andprocesses for providing care to infants ex-posed to opioids in utero.
MURPHY’S BILL required the Board ofPharmacy to develop guidelines for phar-macists in order to provide counseling andinformation to patients who are prescribeddrugs regarding proper disposal of unuseddrugs.
The second bill, passed in March, prohib-its postsecondary schools that are requiredto be certified by the State Council of HigherEducation for Virginia from enrolling stu-dents without first informing them whethertheir credits are transferrable and if theschool is accredited.
The third bill, also passed in March, re-quires each school board in the common-wealth to publicize the actual public-teacherratios of each middle and high school forthe current school year.
Murphy was successful in passing thesethree bills this year because of their bipar-tisan support.
“I have to admit that it’s a challenge be-ing in the minority,” Murphy said during thedebate. “You do learn that you have to goand work together to get things done, andit is a little harder — for sure.”
But it isn’t a problem if she really wantsto get it done.
“I am relentless when I see an issue that Ibelieve we need to address and I go after acomrade on the other side; and so far, I’vebeen very successful,” she said.
However, her legislative scorecard was apoint of attack for her opponent, who didn’tlet nerves get in the way of her performance.
“Over three sessions, she has gotten sevenpieces of legislation passed,” Buford said.“If you go to her website, it doesn’t look allthat much different from my website in thesense that it’s very aspirational in terms ofwhat she will do, what she hopes to do.”
What Buford hopes to do has been en-capsulated into an acronym that she hasused to build her campaign, which she madesure to deliver to the crowd: SERVE. Itstands for: “Shortening your commute, En-
ergizing the commonwealth’s economy,Rebooting our public schools, Vanquishingthe opioid epidemic and Ensuring ourneighborhoods are safe.”
The questions in the debate focused ontransportation, education, economy and theopioid crisis.
Both candidates are focused on increas-ing funding for transportation infrastruc-ture, both telling the crowd that work onthe American Legion Bridge is a priority.
Both candidates are also focused on in-creasing funding for public schools withBuford dead set on changing common-wealth funding formulas so school districtsthat have larger populations of studentswho speak English as a second languagereceive more funding for ESL programs.
Murphy emphasized the need to increaseteacher pay in Fairfax County because sala-ries are not competitive with neighboringcounties, while Buford argued that aboveaverage pension benefits level the playingfield.
“Of course, we want to be generous, butthere is an issue with the pensions that re-ally needs to be resolved,” Buford said.“When you look at the total compensationfor our teachers, it really is relatively thesame with the other districts. The differenceis that it is deferred into the pensions.”
AS FAR AS THE ECONOMY GOES, the
two candidates vastly differ.“We have quite a maze of regulations, so
I would propose that any regulations thatwe pass from the General Assembly has topass an economic analysis first,” saidBuford, whose campaign platform calls forslashing regulations imposed on the busi-ness community, especially smaller busi-nesses.
While Murphy’s view of regulations dif-fers, she was sure to strut her pro-businesspurview.
“I support and have supported cutting redtape on our local, small businesses,” Murphysaid. “I think that it’s got to be easier forsmall businesses to have access to capitalso they can continue to grow. That is one ofthe reasons that I’ve been endorsed by theNorthern Virginia Chamber of Commercebecause I work very hard with them to tryand be helpful to our business communityand to make sure that we’re doing the rightthings to make it a welcoming economy forbusinesses.”
The candidates seemed to agree in ap-proach to handling the opioid epidemic.
“We are losing three Virginians a week tothe opioid epidemic,” Buford said. “That isunconscionable. And we cannot incarcer-ate our way out of the problem.”
Murphy agreed.“We need more funding for mental health
programs, we need more treatment pro-grams and I agree totally that drug addic-tions cannot be cured with prison,” Murphysaid.
ROUND TWOThe candidates will debate again on Mon-
day, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at LongfellowMiddle School, which will be hosted by theMcLean Citizens Association.
Short BiosKathleen Murphy, 60, is a native of Chicago who
spent her childhood moving around as amember of a military family. She graduatedfrom high school in Phoenix and earned abachelor’s degree in political science andpsychology. Professionally, she was a writer fora Nickelodeon show called “Beyond Belief”before working as a congressional aide onCapitol Hill for U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Texas). During the Bill Clinton administration,she was appointed as a congressional liaison atthe U.S. Agency for International Development,later serving as a senior advisor on internationaltrade issues at the Department of Commerce.She is a member of the Finance and thePrivileges and Elections committees and amember of the Virginia Board of VeteransServices.
Cheryl Buford is a native of Topeka, Kansas, whowas raised in a suburb of Kansas City. Sheearned a bachelor’s degree in education and amaster’s degree in family economics, both fromKansas State University. She also has a master’sdegree in public affairs from the University ofTexas LBJ School of Public Affairs.Professionally, she started her career as a homeeconomics teacher in Chicago. After that, shebecame a consultant for government agenciesspecializing in transportation and economicdevelopment. She is vice president of businessdevelopment and marketing for Reston-basedSocial Capital Valuations, LLC. She says she wasrecruited to run for the House of Delegates by JoThoburn, chairwoman of the 10th CongressionalDistrict Republican Committee.
House Of Delegates Candidates Square Off In Debate
Republican Candidate Cheryl Buford, 64 (left), squared off with Demo-crat incumbent Kathleen Murphy, 60 (right) during a debate hosted bythe Great Falls Citizens Association.
Tim Thompson, Dranesville District representative on the 2017 Chamberof Commerce School Bond Committee, spoke before the debate andencouraged the audience to vote yes for the $315 million school bondreferendum that is on the ballot for the Nov. 7 general election.
Photos by Fallon Forbush/The Connection
4 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Fallon Forbush
The Connection
In celebration of Fire Prevention
Week Oct. 8-14, all Fairfax CountyFire and Rescue Department stationshosted open houses on Saturday, Oct.
14, where the public was invited to meettheir local firefighters.
McLean Station No. 1 Fire Chief Lt. JohnHootman and Board of Directors PresidentKay Hartgrove and their firefighters, para-medics and emergency medical technicianswere on site to show off their vehicles andequipment and teach children andgrownups alike about fire safety.
“We had a huge crowd,” Hootman said.A popular question curious guests asked
was: “Why do fire engines show up formedical emergencies?”
It’s a matter of response time, accordingto Hootman.
“There are more fire engines than ambu-lances that have trained paramedics,” hesaid.
THE FIRE STATIONS in the county alsohave automatic aid agreements with
Loudoun and Arlington counties, accordingto Hootman.
“The lines are transparent from dispatch,”he said. “It all depends on what the personsays who calls 911.”
However, the most popular question topicduring this year’s open house was aboutVirginia’s opioid overdose epidemic. Opio-ids are drugs that mimic the properties of
Fire Station Opened Its Doors for A Day
As a crowd watches, pilot Andrew Wiseman of Loudoun County takes offfrom the McLean Volunteer Fire Department during the open housecarrying police officers and paramedics Ali Sepehri of Fairfax and RobMurray of Centreville. The three work for the Fairfax County PoliceDepartment Helicopter Division, which provides support to the FairfaxCounty Fire and Rescue Department for aeromedical evacuation, searchand rescue and other specialized air support as needed.
Alex Paal, a master technician with the station, operates the Jaws of Lifehydraulic tool during a vehicle extrication exercise for open housespectators.
Joel Fry, a master technician with the station, oper-ates the Jaws of Life hydraulic tool during a vehicleextrication exercise for open house spectators. Whencar accident victims cannot be removed safely from avehicle, firefighters are trained to remove doors, theroof and the dashboard of a vehicle to make moreroom for paramedics and EMTs.
Alan Chun of McLean and his daughter Eileen, 3, peekinside a helicopter parked in front of the McLeanVolunteer Fire Department during the open house.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department McLean Station No. 1 ChiefLt. John Hootman explains the process, step-by-step, as firefightersbehind him conduct a vehicle extrication exercise for open house specta-tors. The station has approximately 60 volunteers and 45 full-timeemployees, with 15 working per shift.
and legal drugs like fentanyl and prescrip-tion painkillers.
“We told them: Yes, we’ve gotten morecalls about it,” Hartgrove said.
In February, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signedbipartisan bills into law supporting needle-exchange programs, increased access tooverdose-reversal drug naloxone, changesto opioid prescription policies and processesfor providing care to infants exposed toopioids in utero.
Some guests were concerned aboutwhether the station had access to naloxone.
“Our medical providers already have thescope to deliver [overdose-reversal drugs],”Hootman said. “Typically, our paramedicscan take care of [overdoses].”
The National Fire Protection Association,a global nonprofit organization that devel-ops fire, sprinkler and electrical codes andstandards, has a goal of eliminating deathand injuries from fire, electrical and relatedhazards. In that effort, it develops educa-tional programs to inform the public aboutthe adoption of codes and safety issues.
NFPA has advertised Fire Prevention Weeksince 1922. This year’s theme was, “Every
Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!”
EVACUEES could have less than two min-utes to escape to safety after smoke alarmssound, according to the NFPA. Here are thekey messages to the NFPA’s annual cam-paign for preparing an escape plan:
❖ Draw a map of your home with allmembers of your household, marking twoexits from each room and a path to the out-side from each exit.
❖ Practice your home fire drill twice ayear. Conduct one at night and one duringthe day with everyone in your home, andpractice using different ways out.
❖ Teach children how to escape on theirown in case you can’t help them.
❖ Make sure the number of your homeis clearly marked and easy for the fire de-partment to find.
❖ Close doors behind you as you leave— this may slow the spread of smoke, heatand fire.
❖ Once you get outside, stay outside. A “Plan Your Home Fire Escape” mini-
lesson can be downloaded from the NFPA’swebsite at www.FirePreventionWeek.org.
Photos by Fallon Forbush/The Connection
opiates like mor-phine and codeine,and include illegaldrugs like heroin
McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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News
The first Wednesday inOctober has beendeemed National “Cof-fee with A Cop” Day
and police officers in the countytook time to brew up conversa-tions in their communities — onecup of coffee at a time.
The Fairfax County PoliceDepartment’s Sully, Mount Vernon,McLean, Mason, Reston,Franconia, West Springfield andFair Oaks district stations partici-pated at various Starbucks,Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’slocations.
The national observance of vis-iting coffee shops wasn’t out of theordinary for the McLean officersat the only local coffee spot par-ticipating in the national event atGreenberry’s Coffee Company inMcLean.
“This is our coffee hang out,”
Photo by Fallon Forbush/The Connection
Police officers from the Fairfax County Police DepartmentMcLean District Station visited with the communityoutside on the patio at Greenberry’s Coffee Company inMcLean on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 4, for “Coffeewith A Cop” day.
ferred to call the gathering by a nickname of fineraccuracy for what people were drinking: “Latte withthe Law.”
— Fallon Forbush
Conversation Brew During‘Coffee with A Cop’ Day
McLean District Station Commander Capt. John Tracesaid. “We’re always out here supporting our com-munity and to get some coffee.”
Trace and McLean District Station Crime Preven-tion Officer Master Police Officer Patrick Lucas pre-
6 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
By Stephen R. Ruth
Schar School of Policy and Government
Professor of Public Policy
George Mason University
We should fear Artificial Intelli-gence. Not in the future butnow. Ask Sheryl Sandberg,chief operating officer of
Facebook. She announced that her company,with its over 2 billion users, built software itcannot fully control. “We never intended oranticipated this functionality being used thisway,” Sandberg said, “— and that is on us.”Facebook’s operating systems had al-lowed Russian operatives to createaccounts and ads aimed at influenc-ing the 2016 U.S. presidential elec-tion. The gigantic network seems to have cre-ated systems that are ungovernable.
Facebook’s problem hints at the extremedangers lurking within Artificial Intelligenceas it grows throughout the world. AI Expertsare already talking about a “nightmare sce-nario,” where nations’ AI systems could ignitereal-time conflicts. Consider, hair-trigger AIsystems could eventually control several na-tions’ military responses’ and some error in anyone algorithm could possibly lead to a nuclearcatastrophe.
Between the Facebook case and the night-mare scenario is the immediate problem ofmillions of people losing jobs. Around theglobe, programmable machines — includingrobots, cars and factory robots — are replac-
ing humans in the workplace. Automationthreatens 80 percent of today’s 3.7 milliontransportation jobs, one U.S. government re-port estimated, including truck and school busdrivers, taxi drivers and Uber and Lyft drivers.Another report indicates AI is threatening as-pects of the many different jobs, including callcenter operators, surgeons, farmers, securityguards, retail assistants, fast food workers andjournalists. A 2015 study of robots in 17 coun-tries found that they accounted for over 10percent of the countries’ gross domestic prod-uct growth between 1993 and 2007. Consider,a major supplier for Apple and Samsung cell
phones and computers, China’sFoxconn Technology Group, is plan-ning to automate 60,000 factory jobswith robots, replacing its existing
employees. Meanwhile, Ford’s factory in Co-logne, Germany, not only replaced humanworkers with robots but also on some jobs sta-tions position robots beside human workers —they are called cobots.
But these employment issues, as troublingas they are, cannot compare to the dangersenvisioned by Elon Musk and Stephen Hawk-ing. They are among the dozens of thoughtleaders who signed a letter harshly condemn-ing governments’ increasing reliance on AI formilitary use. Their chief concern is autonomousweapons, another example of AI. The U.S. mili-tary is already developing armaments that donot require humans to operate them. Theseweapons are being created to offer battlefieldsupport for human troops. Autonomous arms
are dramatically easier to develop and mass-produce than nuclear weapons. They will likelyto soon appear on black markets around theworld, certain to be favored by terrorist groups.To quote from the open letter, the new autono-mous weapons would be ideal for dark actionsincluding “assassinations, destabilizing na-tions, subduing populations and selectivelykilling a particular ethnic group.”
There are some economic optimists likeMIT’s Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee,who feel that AI will eventually bring long termprosperity to the world, but even they admitthat finding common ground among, econo-mists, technologists and politicians is daunt-ing. Obviously, it will be very difficult to craftlegislation about AI without more agreementabout its potential effects.
We should definitely be fearful of artificialintelligence, not just because it is clearly des-tined to affect the number of available jobs,including those in middle and even uppermiddle class domains, but because its poten-tial military use can lead to a perilous fu-ture, if not controlled. As the open lettersigned by Musk and Hawking concluded,“Starting a military AI arms race is a badidea, and should be prevented by a ban onoffensive autonomous weapons beyondmeaningful human control.”
The author is director of the InternationalCenter for Applied Studies in InformationTechnology (ICASIT) http://policy-icasit.gmu.edu/
What To Do Against the ‘Nightmare Scenario’?
Commentary
By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
State Delegate (D-36)
Just when you think thingsare changing you can beshocked to realize just how
much they stay the same. Politicsin Virginia are a prime example.
For more than a century afterthe Civil War the consistent factorin politics was race baiting. Thethen-called Democrats in theSouth, who later became knownas Dixiecrats and today are the conservativewing of the Republican Party, were successfulwith a variety of laws that disenfranchised Af-rican Americans.
Even with the few African Americans whocould get through the labyrinth of laws thatincluded blank sheet registration forms, lit-eracy tests and poll taxes the scare tactic em-ployed by too many candidates was to suggestthat their opponent was a lover of black people— but using a derogatory term. That fear ofblack people has its roots back to the centu-ries where black people were enslaved andbrutal enforcement and fear were used to keepthem that way.
The Civil War did not resolve the feelingbetween blacks and whites, and slave codeswere replaced with Jim Crow laws that whitescould use to assert supremacy over blackpeople.
For a candidate to take a posi-tion that could be interpreted asbeing favorable to African Ameri-cans would mean almost certaindefeat at the polls. Only SupremeCourt decisions and federal lawslike the Civil Rights Act and theVoting Rights Act created a morelevel political playing field be-tween the races. Continued efforts
to suppress the votes of minorities and to un-necessarily complicate the voting process arestill employed by some trying to maintain astructured society of white supremacy.
More recently those who want to keep orexpand their political power have swept im-migrants — whatever their status — into therealm of those who are to be feared and sup-pressed from participating in the democraticprocess.
Many strive to gain maximum political ad-vantage through whatever means while at thesame time wanting to keep the appearance ofrespect and patriotism. The recent televisionad with scary images and references to fearand the MS 13 gang intends to scare votersinto rejecting a compassionate medical doctorwith an ad that fact checkers have found to beuntruthful.
Another concern from the current campaign
is the suggestion from a white female candi-date for lieutenant governor that her blackmale opponent does not understand the issueswell enough to discuss them “intelligently.” Dis-regarding the excellent academic credentialsof her opponent, her comments had the toneof the past that one observer said seemed moreappropriate for 1957 than 2017.
At the national level, there are daily state-ments and actions that hearken back to theracial climate of the Old South. This year InVirginia, we have a unique opportunity on Nov.7 to make a statement with our votes that wereject the discrimination of the past. It is al-ways important to vote, but it is more impor-tant than ever this year. Despite efforts to ro-manticize the Old South and the Confederacy,we need to learn the truth and understand whywe need to move on.
It is always important to vote, but it ismore important than ever this year.
Shades of the Old SouthCommentary
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McLean
McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Education●Learning●Fun
By Marilyn Campbell
One of the greatest gifts that a par-ent can give a child is a healthyself-esteem. Positive feelings
about oneself can lead to success in a gamutof situations ranging from school to socialcircles, say child development experts.
“Self-esteem plays an important role atall stages of our lives,” said psychologistStacie B. Isenberg, Psy.D. “As adults, it canaffect how one approaches situations andinteracts with other people. When self-es-teem is low, it may, for example, affect workperformance or one’s ability to recognizeand enjoy accomplishments.”
Parents play an essential part in the de-velopment of their child’s self-esteem, ad-vises Cheryl Giacomelli, who teaches psy-chology at Northern Virginia CommunityCollege. “Parents foster self-esteem in manyways including leading by example, beingemotionally available, engaging with theirchildren, and providing a loving and sup-portive environment that allows children tosucceed and fail,” she said.
Parents can model this behavior in every-day tasks. “For example, while helping achild with a math assignment and not un-derstanding the math problem, the parent
Boosting a Child’s Self-Esteem A positive self imageis a lifelong gift.
who says ‘I can’t believe I don’t understandthis, I was always terrible at math” is send-ing a different message than the parent whosays, ‘I’m not sure about this one. Let’s askyour teacher to explain it to us in a differ-ent way,’” said Isenberg. “Parents can ben-efit themselves and their children by learn-ing to describe situations according to thespecific circumstances and resisting puttinga generalized label on the situation or theirbehavior.”
Since children learn by observation, mod-eling healthy relationships and habits is avital component of developing a healthyself-esteem, suggests Giacomelli. “Choosean activity once a day in which you are fullyengaged with your child,” she said. “Thismay sound like common sense, however intoday’s busy world, it’s sometimes difficultto devote all of your attention to one task.This means playing a game or reading abook and ensuring your cell phone is no-where in sight.”
“Experiences that may negatively impactthe development of a strong sense of selfoccur when we do not fully engage withour children, when we do not allow ourchildren to fail, and when we do not ac-knowledge our own faults,” continuedGiacomelli
Avoid harsh criticisms and display expres-sions of love, warmth and affection, advisesJoanne Bagshaw, PhD, LCPC, professor ofpsychology at Montgomery College-Germantown.
“Children’s self-esteem develops based onhow well their parents love them,” she said.“The best thing parents can do is to openlyand unconditionally love and accept theirchild. Parents … can do so verbally, by tell-ing their children often that they love themand by being openly affectionate, with hugs,for example. Parents can also communicatewarmth through their tone of voice, and eyecontact.”
PRAISING CHILDREN is important, butit must be sincere. Even setbacks can offeropportunities for developing a healthy self-esteem, suggests Isenberg. “Children feelgood about themselves when they have re-ceived genuine, positive reinforcement frompeople and situations,” she said. “Praisinga child’s efforts is one of the best thingsparents can reinforce, because a child cancontrol his effort, whereas outcome isn’talways within one’s control.”
One example that Isenberg offers is say-ing something like, “I’m so proud of howhard you studied for that science test. You
spent a lot of time reviewing the materialand were really dedicated to being pre-pared.”
Allowing children to learn to do thingson their own and even experience a setbackwithin a supportive environment may in-crease feelings of confidence and compe-tence, says Jerome Short, Ph.D., associateprofessor of psychology at George MasonUniversity.
“Parents may do too much for childrenor protect them from failure so that chil-dren do not learn to cope with difficult situ-ations and soothe themselves,” he said.“Children should believe that they haveworth for being a unique person.”
Fostering opportunities for positive socialinteraction with their peers can lead to ahealthy self-esteem, says Short. “Childrenwho have close friendships and reciprocalsharing with friends tend to have higherself-esteem,” he said. “Children’s success-ful accomplishment of goals also boosts self-esteem.”
Establishing boundaries and setting lim-its with children can instill a sense of safetyand security, advises Short. “Authoritativeparenting that is high in support and highin structure and expectations contributes tochildren’s positive sense of self,” he said.
8 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Entertainment
Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.
WEDNESDAY/OCT. 18Dining with Dorothy. 12:30 p.m at
Legal Seafoods, Tysons Galleria,2001 International Drive, McLean.This socializing/dining event ishosted by the Shepherd ‘s Center ofOakton-Vienna. [email protected].
Tree Talks. 7-9:30 p.m. at ChurchillRoad Elementary School Cafeteria,7100 Churchill Road, McLean. Topic:“Trees in McLean’s ChangingLandscape–Planting and Protecting.”Visit www.mcleancitizens.org.
FRIDAY/OCT. 20Lunch and Learn. noon at The
Providence Community Center, 3001Vaden Drive. RSVP lecture on thevalue of volunteering. Email CarlyHubicki at [email protected].
Drumming and Drum CircleWorkshop. 3:30-10 p.m. at The OldFirehouse Teen Center, 1440 ChainBridge Road, McLean. Teens can getin the Halloween spirit and spend aFriday night with the Old Firehouse.Only the brave-hearted are invited onthis journey. The night will start witha group dinner $60/$50 MCC districtresidents. Visitwww.mcleancenter.org.
An Evening Service of Song,Scripture and Prayer. HolyComforter will welcome two visitingchoirs from Delaware: ImmanuelChurch on the Green, Newcastle, andSt. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lewes.Under the direction of ChoirmastersT. J. Thomas and Jack WarrenBurnam, the combined choirs willpresent an evening service of song,scripture, and prayer. This liturgywill be followed by a festivereception.
OCT. 20-22Vienna Theatre Company
Production. Various times at theVienna Community Center, 120Cherry St. SE. Upcoming production“In Living Sound - Back Home!,” liveradio drama directed by PatriciaBoswell Kallman. $14. Visitwww.viennatheatrecompany.org.
Great Falls Studios Tour. 10 a.m.-5p.m. at various venues in Great Falls.A self-guided driving tour of localartists in their personal studios. Thisthree-day event is family-friendly,free, and offers the opportunity tosee art being made in the community.Artists will be available 10 a.m.-5p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday,rain or shine. Visitwww.greatfallsstudios.com.
SATURDAY/OCT. 21Damselwings Art Show. 3-6 p.m. at
the Home of Martha Brettschneider,2203 Abbotsford Drive, Vienna.Exhibit and sale of MarthaBrettschneider’s floral metal printsand notecards. Portion of sales willsupport Metavivor’s breast canceradvocacy. Free. Visit bit.ly/DamselwingsArtShow or call 703-919-4230.
Astronomy Campfire. 6-7 p.m atRiverbend Park, 8700 Potomac HillsSt., Great Falls. Hear tales about theconstellations and make s’mores overthe campfire’s embers. Ages 4 andup. $8. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/.
OCT. 21-2218th Century Autumn Market Fair.
11-4:30 p.m at the Claude MooreColonial Farm, 6310 GeorgetownPike, McLean. Learn to dip candlesand watch the blacksmith and rope
maker at work. Children’s games,puppet theater and live music. Meetstaff and volunteers in costume andcharacter. $8; children and seniors:$4; children under 3 free. Visitwww.1771.org.
SUNDAY/OCT. 22Capitol Steps Comedy Troupe. 3
p.m. at Oakton High School, 2900Sutton Road, Vienna. A singing,dancing, satirical show that focuseson politics, proceeds go to theShepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna.$35. Visit www.scov.org/fundraiser-tickets or call 703-281-0538.
Bonis Ensemble. 4 p.m. at SaintFrancis Episcopal Church, 9220Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. PlayingMozart, Mahler and Bonis. Visitwww.amadeusconcerts.com.
The Music of Simon andGarfunkel. 7:30 at Jammin’ Java,227 Maple Ave. E. The Music ofSimon & Garfunkel performed byAmericana-folk duo Swearingen andKelli. $20. Visitwww.themusicofsimonandgarfunkel.com.
WEDNESDAY/OCT. 2571st Annual Halloween Parade. 7
p.m. on Maple Avenue, Vienna. Joinfriends and neighbors, ghouls andgoblins for one of Vienna’s traditions:the 71st annual Halloween Parade,hosted by the Vienna BusinessAssociation. Pre-registration isrequired for businesses andorganizations who wish to march inthe parade. No registration neededfor children who want to wearcostumes and walk in the parade;children must be accompanied bytheir mummy or another adult. Visitbit.ly/2huu6L0.
OCT. 27-28Vienna Theatre Company
Production. Various times at theVienna Community Center, 120Cherry St. SE. Upcoming production“In Living Sound - Back Home!,” liveradio drama directed by PatriciaBoswell Kallman. $14. Visitwww.viennatheatrecompany.org.
The Recital on Stage. 7:30 at 1stStage Theatre, 1524 Spring HillRoad, McLean. Premiere of TheRecital with live piano performed byMusicLink, Saturday’s ticket includesaccess to the Post-Performance. $30-50. Call 703-854-1856.
SATURDAY/OCT. 28Arlington Free Clinic Annual
Benefit Gala. 6 p.m.-midnight atRitz-Carlton, Tysons Corner TysonsGalleria, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean.
Cocktail reception and silent auction,which includes getaways, art andphotography, sports items, and muchmore. $300. Visitwww.gala.arlingtonfreeclinic.org.
Ellis Paul in Concert. 7:30 p.m. atJammin Java, 227 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Ellis Paul with Sophie B.Hawkins in celebration of 25 years oftouring. Visit www.jamminjava.com.
SUNDAY/OCT. 29Pumpkin Carving Lessons. 10 a.m.-
4 p.m at Wildfire, Tysons Galleria, 3rd
floor, Mclean. Executive Chef EdwinAmaya shares his best-kept secretsfor carving pumpkins and EmmaChoi, student representative to RealFood for Kids, will be the specialguest followed by a costume contest.$20.00 per child and a portion of theproceeds will be donated to “RealFood for Kids.” Call 703-442-9110.
Spookappella Halloween Jam. 2p.m. at Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave.E., Vienna. Cover band rocking R&B,Hip-Hop, Funk, and soul hits of thelast five decades. $10 in advance,$15 at the door. Visitwww.jamminjava.com.
FRIDAY/NOV. 3Scott Miller Concert. 2 p.m. at
Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Rock singer/songwriterhighlights his first full album in fouryears, “Ladies Auxiliary.” Visitwww.jamminjava.com.
NOV. 6-JAN. 7Textures Exhibit. Various times at the
Vienna Arts Center, 115 Pleasant St.,NW. Call 703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org.
WEDNESDAY/NOV. 8Astronomy Lecture. 7:30-9 p.m at
Turner Farm, 925 Springvale Road,Great Falls. Topics may includeplanets, open clusters, double stars,stellar color spectrum, globularclusters and galaxies. After class,view the objects that were discussedthrough the observatory’s telescopes,if weather allows. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/turnerfarm/.
SATURDAY/NOV. 11Fall Bazaar. 10 a.m.-4 p.m at Vienna
Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary,400 Center St., South. The ViennaVolunteer Fire Department Auxiliaryis sponsoring this event with crafts,bake sale, holiday items. [email protected] or call 703-309-3468.
MusicThe Music of Simon & Garfunkel per-formed by Americana-folk duoSwearingen and Kelli. will be performedSunday, Oct. 22, 7:30 at Jammin’ Java,227 Maple Ave. E. $20. Visitthemusicofsimonandgarfunkel.com.
Melissa Minosings with theTysons McleanOrchestra onHome for theHolidaysMusical onSaturday, Dec.2, 7:30 at TheFalls ChurchEpiscopal, 115E. Fairfax St.,Falls Church.Call 703-893-8646.
McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
For a free digi-tal subscriptionto one or allof the 15ConnectionNewspapers,go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe
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2 Great Shows
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10 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Monday 11:00 am 703-778-9411
WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM
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We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN’S WATCHES,
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Announcements Announcements
News
The autumn air was filled with joy as chil-dren smiled and laughed at this year’sMclean Community Center Harvest Hap-penings. All of the activities were geared
towards children 3-8 years old. From a speedy babypig to a magician, children could have fun with otherchildren.
Squeals on Wheels, based out of Maryland, hadchildren petting goats, chickens, pigs and alpacas.The Amazing Kevin, a magician from Stafford, hadchildren in stitches after he created the illusion thata child was pouring milk from her finger.
Little ones got to meet Belle from Disney’s Beautyand the Beast in a bright yellow dress. They couldalso paint and make arts and crafts with
Abrakadoodle Inc. a children’s painting class fromFalls Church. An egg race, photo booth and pump-kin patch were also part of the Harvest Happenings.
With McLean Community Center under renovation,the event was held at St. Luke’s School in McLean.
Julie Thatcher, from Fairfax Circle, said this eventconnects people in the community.
Lydia Keffer from McLean says she loves the eventbecause it is inclusive to all people, no matter yourage or ethnicity.
Sue Dorsey from McLean said she is proud to dothe event each year because “she sees the joy in [thechildren’s] faces.”
— Robert Healy
All-day Fun at Harvest Happenings
Sarah Merchak of McLean and her daugh-ter get a glimpse of the Alpaca.
Lydia Keffer of Langley High school cheerson the Egg Race participants.
StephanieLamoreau of Falls
Church waves tochildren as Bellefrom Beauty and
the Beast.
Photos by
Robert Heal
The Connection
Francisco Castillejosand his daughter
Lucy from McLeanpet the goats.
McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.
WEDNESDAY/OCT. 18McLean Newcomers Luncheon. 11:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m. at Mylo’s Grill, 6238 Old DominionDrive. Nancy Harvey Steorts, a former Chairmanof the Consumer Product Safety Commission,will discuss “How Safe is Your Home?”. $30.Visit www.McLeanNewcomers.org or [email protected].
Tree Lecture. 7-9:30 p.m. at Churchill RoadElementary School Cafeteria, 7100 ChurchillRoad, McLean. Introduction by Supervisor JohnFoust. Hear from county staff about infilldevelopment and tree protection rules, from theMcLean Trees Foundation on how to plant tobest kinds of trees for your yard, and from localdevelopers in the area. Exhibits. Visitwww.McLeanCitizens.org for more.
FRIDAY/OCT. 20Retailer Job Fair. 1-8 p.m. at Tysons Corner
Center-Fashion Court, 1961 Chain Bridge Road.Tysons Corner Center will be hosting a multi-retailer job fair showcasing over 30 retailers andrestaurants. Come meet the brands, engage withpotential coworkers, and come ready for on-the-spot interviews. [email protected] or call 703-770-1123 for more.
SATURDAY/OCT. 21Incarceration Lecture. 4-6 p.m at Emmaus
United Church of Christ, 900 Maple Ave E.,Vienna. Dr. Vesla M. Weaver, Bloomberg,Associate Professor of Political Science andSociology at Johns Hopkins University, willdiscuss how low-income Black and Latinocommunities experience policing andincarceration. Call 703-938-1555 for more.
SATURDAY/OCT. 28Operation Medicine Cabinet Cleanout. 10
a.m.-2 p.m. at McLean District Station, 1437Balls Hill Road, McLean. Drop off unused orexpired medications at a Fairfax County Policedistrict station. Pills or liquids only, nopressurized canisters or needles. Safe disposal ofunused or expired medications prevents drugabuse and misuse, accidental poisoning, andprotects the environment. Disposal is free,convenient, confidential, and safe. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/stations/ orwww.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html for more.
MONDAY/NOV. 13Community Meeting. 6-8:30 p.m. at the Oakton
High School Cafeteria, 2900 Sutton Road,Vienna. Design Public Hearings on theTransform 66 Outside the Beltway Projectregarding plans for the 22.5 mile corridor fromI-495 to University Boulevard in Gainesville.Visit transform66.org for more.
MONDAY/DEC. 11FCPS Community Conversations. 6:30-8 p.m.
at Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road,Falls Church, Cafeteria (Region 2). FairfaxCounty Public Schools (FCPS) SuperintendentScott S. Brabrand will host CommunityConversations to hear what students, parents,employees, and members of the community arethinking about and what issues are important tothem. Brabrand welcomes citizens to attend andtake part in any of the upcoming sessions thatare convenient for them. Citizens needing atranslator can make a request for servicesonline. Visit www.fcps.edu/news/superintendent-brabrand-schedules-five-community-conversations-fall.
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].
Bulletin
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
So I’ve been told mnemonically for years. Butwhen you’re home and automotive-repair chal-lenged as I am, everything is much easier said thandone, especially when the mnemonic device is eas-ier to handle/figure out than whatever tool and/orschematic is necessary/advisable for the at-home/in-driveway repair. (We don’t have a garage,or much of a basement for that matter. It’s more ofa cellar, actually. In fact, I call it “the dug out,” solack of spatial accommodations can exacerbate theproblem).
And that’s sort of how I feel whenever I attempta home/car-owner-type repair. Soon after I organ-ize whatever thoughts and tools I guess I mightneed: within minutes of the initial effort, I will havelikely complicated the repair and will be forced todig myself out, sometimes literally. I’ll spare you thedetails, but suffice to say, I am a man of my wordand that word is disaster. To invoke the great andoften-quoted Dirty Harry: “A man’s got to know hislimitations,” (Magnum Force, 1973), and believeme, I do.
Granted, replacing bulbs in my house, as writ-ten in the final paragraph of last week’s column:“What To ‘Ware,” ranks pretty low on the homeowner’s list of honey-can-you-do?. Nevertheless,challenges do present themselves, especially whenheight and a ladder – or a step stool, with no spot-ter, are involved. And when I’m looking up witharms outstretched attacking the problem: light fix-ture from multiple angles, sometimes, when I placemy hand on the bulb, I begin to lose my orienta-tion and am unsure where’s ‘Righty and where’s‘Lefty.’ And even though I always remember ‘Tightyand ‘Loosey,’ when ‘Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey’doesn’t immediately bring results, I tend to losepatience – and confidence, and slowly retreat tolower ground to reassess.
Unfortunately, there’s no one to call. I mean,when you fail at the most basic and fundamentalresponsibility a home/car owner has, it’s difficult,even for someone with as little ego as me, to admitabject failure. Repairing a toilet, installing light fix-tures and/or ceiling fans; sawing, sanding, measur-ing, leveling and drilling; lifting, balancing and car-rying; and anything else involving plumbing, elec-trifying; and even hammering and screwing in gen-eral, are tasks I don’t mind asking and/or paying for.Having been down this road many times before, Iknow it’s a path that won’t lead to my redemption.
So not wanting to make a bad situation worse,or create a problem where one or two previouslydidn’t exist, I have to employ the simplest of solu-tions. And what’s simpler than “a pithy observationthat contains a general truth:” an aphorism (Dictio-nary. com), an aid to one’s lack of memory andability to perform even the most basic of tasks, par-ticularly as it pertains to a home owner: bulbreplacement.
Not that this inability is at all defensible. It’s not.It’s totally indefensible and one whose defense isnot all explainable by the most offensive of terms:cancer. Which as you regular readers know hasbeen the bane of my existence going back to lateFebruary 2009. That’s when my Internal Medicinedoctor called me at work to share the results of myprevious week’s surgical biopsy. His suggestion wasthat we meet in his office to discuss the results. Ishook my head in disbelief. If he wants to meet mein person, the results must be bad, I thought.Otherwise, he’d just tell me, right? I asked him tohold on as I found a private office for us to talk (meto react) and braced myself. He told me the growthwas malignant and suggested I see an oncologist assoon as possible. An appointment was set for thefollowing Thursday.
Much has changed in my life ever since thatfateful day, but not as it concerns this home/carowner’s inability to handle the most mundanetasks. Might haven actually gotten worse. As for“the cancer,” as “Forrest, Forrest Gump” describedthe cause of his mother’s death, not so bad. I amalive and reasonably well, eight years and nearlytwo months out, six years plus past the end date ofmy original “13 month to two year” prognosis. Ofthat I’m proud. As for the home and car repairdeficiencies, I couldn’t care less. I have to admitthough, it is laughable – and pathetic.
“Righty Tighty,Lefty Loosey”Business Directory
To Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM
ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL
GUTTER GUTTER
IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS
LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING
TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE
TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE
Good is not good, where
better is expected.
-Thomas Fuller
12 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 18-24, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
