Honoring a Half-Century of Service

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com February 20-26, 2019

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Assisted LivingProposal RevisedNews, Page 4

PreservingGreat Falls HistoryNews, Page 9

Honoring a Half-Century of Service

News, Page 3

The man of the hour, Homer Johns, volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician retiring after 52 years of service in McLean and Great Falls, is flanked by Fairfax County Super-visor John Foust (D-Dranesville) and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Dept. chief John Butler at his retirement bash.

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

By Marilyn Campbell

Despite his predilection for visualarts, Allen Carter, an AfricanAmerican boy growing up inpre-civil rights era Arlington,

might not have been granted entrance intosome the nation’s museums due to segre-gation. Still, he persisted, and years laterhe became a lauded artist, distinguishedteacher and mentor to underprivileged chil-dren. And in February — African AmericanHistory Month — his work is being shownin an exhibit, “Big Al Carter: A Retrospec-tive,” at the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art.While his work is part of the permanent col-lections of both the Smithsonian Institutionand the Corcoran Gallery of Art, this is thefirst exhibit of Carter’s work in the Wash-ington, D.C area since his death in 2008.

“Big Al’s family has given us an incred-ible gift by sharing his art, allowing us tocontinue to reflect on his life, his art andhis message for future generations,” saidMarty Schnider, president of Fred SchniderInvestment Group and founder of FredSchnider Gallery of Art.

As a painter, printmaker, sculptor andmuralist, Carter, also known as “Big Al”drew inspiration from his life experiences,

art history and everyday life. He believedthat his life’s purpose was to use art to heal.“Art is my emotion. Art is my memories. Artis my life. I create the essence,” he once said.

“He paints poor people, he paints peoplewho are fishing or people who are havingdinner at the table … his work is very vast,”said Carter’s daughter, Cecilia Carter.

Carter’s exhibit is particularly notewor-thy to some African-American art histori-ans who point to a recent study showingthat just 2.4 percent of all acquisitions andgifts and 7.6 percent of all exhibitions at30 prominent American museums havebeen of work by African American artists.The recent Andrew W. Mellon FoundationArt Museum Staff Demographic Survey of181 art museums in North America foundthat African Americans are greatly under-represented in mainstream art museums asdirectors, curators, conservators and edu-cators. Those who study African Americanart say that solving this dilemma requires ayear-round approach.

“We can’t just focus on it during BlackHistory Month,” said African American arthistorian Crystal Johnson, Ph.D. “These twostatistics go to hand-in-hand and provewhat we already know. We need more Afri-can American students to explore their ar-

tistic talents and we need more students totake chance on a non-mainstream careerand pursue jobs in museum administration.In order to make any changes, we need tohave a seat at the table.”

One such aspiring decision maker is re-cent a George Mason University graduatewho landed a position as the co-curator ofan exhibit at Howard University. “I’d workedwith an exhibition, but I’ve never had thechance to curate before. I was excited and

Carter’s exhibit, which features rarelyseen artwork from his daughters’ privatecollection, runs through March 3 at the FredSchnider Gallery of Art, 888 N. QuincyStreet, Arlington. Several pieces will beavailable for sale.

“The exhibit and his work reflect every-thing that he’s been through, what he’s seen,and what other people have been throughand seen,” said Big Al’s daughter Flora O.Stone, Carter’s daughter.

Promoting and preserving a part of history.Black History Month: A Look at African American Art

President of Fred Schnider Investment Group, LLCand Founder of the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art,Marty Schnider with Allen “Big Al” Carter’s daugh-ters, Cecilia Carter (left) and Flora O. Stone (right)

nervous,” said KourtneyRiles of the exhibitcalled, “An Examinationof Feminist(s) Subjec-tivity in Modern andContemporary AfricanAmerican Art.”

Art plays a vital, butoften overlooked role inAfrican American his-tory, not just duringBlack History Month,but all year long, ad-vises Angela Black, whohas taught art history.“Art is a way of preserv-ing our history,” shesaid. “It tells our storyand we need more pro-fessionally trained art-ists who can do that.”

Great Falls Connection ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

service in McLean and while working his“day job” as a career employee with the CIA.

“He’s one of the bricks in this building,”agreed Justin Green. Green is a Great Fallsresident who also works as a LoudounCounty firefighter and has been volunteer-ing at Station 12 for 23 years. “Homer hasjust always been here and always been animportant part of what goes on here andgetting things done.”

Johns has firefighting in the family back-ground, with an uncle who worked the jobin Baltimore.

“I used to visit him at the station with mycousin,” said Johns, but as interesting as hisuncle’s activities were to the young Homer,it wasn’t until he was already working forthe CIA that Johns really got hooked on the“hook and ladder” life.

A fellow carpooler from the CIA was avolunteer firefighter for the McLean serviceand kept his radio scanner live as they trav-elled to and from work. Listening to theaction, and being cajoled by the workmateto consider joining the volunteer ranks,Johns finally did just that in 1967.

TEN YEARS LATER he became the Chief

of the McLean Volunteer gang, while – youguessed it! - still working full time for thegovernment and having already movedfrom McLean to Great Falls and started hisvolunteer work in his new community.

Over the course of those 52 years servingboth “houses,” Johns has held every posi-tion imaginable, including chief (once si-multaneously as chief for both communi-ties), president, assistant chief, treasurer,secretary, trainer, and more – and he’s seena lot of changes to the service and helpedusher in more than a few.

The first full Chief to become an EMTwhen the program was initiated, Johns sayshe has always been focused on the life-sav-ing “rescue” aspect of the work. He drovethe very first ambulance vehicle in FairfaxCounty with the McLean squad.

“I probably shouldn’t tell that story,” hesaid, since he recalls being so “mesmerized”by the mobile first responder conveyancethat it wasn’t until he arrived at that inau-gural call-out that he was told by those al-ready on scene that he had rolled up with-out his headlights on.

“The emergency lights were so bright, Inever even noticed!”

The “career” personnel, present and past, gather to wish a fond farewellto their retiring volunteer partner Homer Johns at the party in his honor.

NewsConnection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

See Homer Johns, Page 10

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

There’s no shortage of volunteersready and willing to step up andadd their words of acclamationabout their friend, their col-

league, their mentor, their leader, HomerJohns – not a surprise when considering thatvolunteerism has been the cornerstone ofJohns’ life and many of those around him.

Johns played all those roles – usually con-currently – over the course of his 52 yearsas a volunteer firefighter and emergencymedical technician (EMT) for both the GreatFalls and the McLean Volunteer Fire andRescue services.

Now, at 87-years of age, Johns, who hasstill been heading six days a week into GreatFalls Station 12 - the state-of-the-art build-ing he helped bring into existence back in2012 - to handle a variety of administra-tive, training, and fundraising duties, is fi-nally ready to hang up that helmet.

“Well, sort of ready,” he acknowledges.“There’s a lot of my history here, and a lotof good people that I will miss.”

Johns is retiring, selling up his Great Fallshome and moving to Staunton to be closerto his son and grandchildren, and many ofhis fellow volunteers, as well as “career”personnel are wondering just how they willget along without him.

“He’s part of the building. I have neverknown this place without him,” saidAmanda Liston, who’s been a Station 12volunteer since 2001 and “inherited” theposition of station “historian,” collectingarticles and photos about the history of thefire and rescue service in Great Falls. Manyof those articles and photos feature Johns,who first began serving the community in1971 when he moved there from the PimmitHills area of McLean, while continuing his

Johns also had a hand in the acquisitionof the Fire Safety Trailer and Hazard Housefor the McLean VFD, now used throughoutthe community to teach children abouthousehold fires and how to plan a fire es-cape route.

“A little different than the on-the-job train-ing that we got as the actually fire and res-cue team,” Johns notes.

“I don’t think I was ever so scared as onthose first few learn-it-as-you-go experi-ences.”

Back in his early days on the volunteerjob, trainees were mostly taught by setting

Great Falls and McLean Volunteer Firefighter Homer Johns retiresafter 52 years of service.

Honoring a Half-Century of Service

Photo contributed

Homer Johns and the Great Falls Fire and Rescue volunteers he calls his‘Three Musketeers’ at his retirement party on February 13. L-R: KeriHamel, Johns, Leslie Smith, and Sarah McMichael.

Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection

Everyone had words of praise for Homer Johns on his retirement, in-cluding, from left: Frank Smith, president of the Great Falls VFD, FairfaxCounty Fire and Rescue chief John Butler, and Great Falls VFD chief,Doug Wessell.

The man of the hour, Homer Johns,volunteer firefighter and emer-gency medical technician retiringafter 52 years of service in McLeanand Great Falls, is flanked byFairfax County Supervisor JohnFoust (D-Dranesville) and FairfaxCounty Fire and Rescue Dept. chiefJohn Butler at his retirement bash.


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News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the GreatFalls Citizens Association(GFCA) hosted a meeting forarea residents to review the

revised plans for an assisted living commu-nity that developers hope to see approvedin the coming months.

The meeting was kicked off by commentsfrom GFCA president Bill Canis and FairfaxCounty Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville). Foust expressed support forthe project, saying he was pleased “we areat the point of taking this to a PlanningCommission Hearing” later this month.

A lot of the pre-construction work is al-ready behind them, but Herman Diebler,principal of developer Verity Commercialtold the gathering that their application wasstill pending and there was plenty of timeyet for modifications as requested by theCounty or after further consultation withGreat Falls residents and the design con-sultants.

Even the the 2.8-acre parcel, located offWalker Road near the intersection of ColvinRun, is not in their control at this time, stillowned by long-time Great Falls residents,the Foley family of W. M. Foley Construc-tion Corporation. The property is mostlyzoned for commercial use, and the Foleyshad already prepared designs for a retailproject on the site.

OVER THE LAST 14 MONTHS, Diebler,and a team of architects, civil engineers,land use attorneys, landscaping experts, aswell as CEO Rick Irwin of partner companyIntegraCare that would operate the facility,have been meeting with Great Falls citizensand various organizations “to make sure wefit in, address the needs and concerns ofthe community, and to learn about the areabefore making even the first move.”

Verity Commercial is based in Reston, andDiebler said that he and the company were

“neighbors of Great Falls” and sensitive to“doing things the right way” to maintain itscharacter and protect the look, feel, andenvironment of the area.

“Ultimately, the outcome will be my re-sponsibility,” he stated.

“We’ve been talking – and listening – toeveryone involved or interested in, or po-tentially affected by” the proposed 62-unit“Residences at Colvin Run” complex thatwould have separate sections for assistedliving and memory care residents.

As Bill Canis averred, Verity and grouphave met not only with the owners of resi-dential property that would border the fa-cility, but also with the GFCA, the Great FallsHistorical Society, the Garden Club, theGreat Falls Senior Center, and neighboringbusinesses, “and continue to do so.”

William “Buzz” Drury with ArchitectureIncorporated of Reston explained the dif-

ferences between the previous plans and themodified version. In this new iteration, TheResidences at Colvin Run would now in-clude more green spaces. Additional “greenscreening” was now possible between thecomplex and its neighbors.

The entry portico was moved to allowbetter access for emergency vehicles andbetter parking facilities. The main entrancewas realigned to face the entrance to theretail center across Walker Road for safetypurposes.

Stormwater treatment changes were alsomade, moving to an underground system,versus a dry pond method above groundthat posed numerous challenges and mayhave affected the neighboring residentialproperty. This adjustment also protectedmore of the large trees on the property – achange that met with comments of approvalfrom several attending residents.

In the revised plan, sidewalks would be

extended to improve pedestrian accessalong Walker Road to the retail businessesand restaurants like Mookies BBQ.

There were a few comments and sugges-tions from attendees, mostly about land-scaping, lighting and hopes that more couldbe done to improve general safety at theintersection of Walker and Colvin RunRoads, but no opposition was expressedconcerning the proposed development.

DIEBLER AND PARTNERS have highhopes for a start on the project in the nearfuture.

“Great Falls has a population of 17,834.There are more than 6,000 citizens over 55– 34.8 percent of the people in the area -and the 65+ population has grown by 5.7percent since 2017,” Diebler quoted. Evenwith the addition of the 88-unit BrightviewAssisted Living in 2014, “there is still a realneed for more great places for seniors tocall home in Great Falls.”

Developers present revised plan forassisted living facility to Great Falls residents.

Assisted Living Proposal Revised

Herman Diebler, principal of development, design andconstruction firm Verity Commercial of Reston ex-plains the boundaries and specifics of the proposedResidences at Colvin Run Assisted Living Communitythat he and partners hope to build on Walker Road inGreat Falls.


Bill Canis, president of the Great Falls Citizens Asso-ciation, welcomes the attendees to the meeting,hosted by the group “to keep residents in the loopand allow them a voice.”


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Opinion

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

As you read this columnthe Virginia GeneralAssembly will be nearing its adjournment

sine die for the 400th year of itsexistence, having first met in thechurch on Jamestowne Island in1619. During this commemorativeyear there will be many opportu-

nities to learn more aboutVirginia and to reflect onhow its history influencesit to today even in the cur-

rent legislative session and in what on anotheroccasion was referred to as its “recentunpleasantries.”

That first session of what became known acentury and a half later as the General Assem-bly was composed of a representative of the22 plantations that had sprung up along themajor rivers of the state as there were no localgovernment, political boundaries, or transpor-tation networks in existence. The representa-tives were all white males who were land own-ers. African Americans had to wait for the out-

come of the Civil War and womenthe twentieth century before theybecame part of the electorate.While the right to vote has be-grudgingly expanded over timethere continues to be a resistanceto making it easier to vote. In thecurrent session there were propos-als to allow people to vote earlyor vote absentee without an ex-cuse and to make election day aholiday for the convenience of

voters, but it does not appear that any willbecome law. Establishing a fair way to drawlegislative boundaries has been hotly debated,but the decision to establish an independentredistricting commission will await the clos-ing hours of the session.

Slaves were brought to the colony of Vir-ginia in 1619 to work the tobacco fields thatwere the mainstay of the colony’s economy.They had none of the rights that Englishmenclaimed and beginning in the 1640s were sub-jected to “slave codes” that defined them asproperty to be bought and sold with no ac-cess to learning to read and write or to moveabout freely. After the Civil War these restric-tive laws became the Jim Crow laws that con-

tinued to limit the rights of black people whowere kept in line by the Ku Klux Klan and bypublic lynchings. White supremacy reignedwith black-face entertainment intended todegrade black people through crude humor.Happenings during this legislative sessionshowed how little we have progressed on is-sues of human rights and respect, but there ishope. The reminder to the Governor of hisracist past will make him an even more en-lightened person who if he continues can pro-vide important leadership to dismantling rac-ism in the state. The incredible people of colorwho were elected to the House of Delegatesin the last election bring strong voices to theneed for greater equity and justice in the Com-monwealth. Some limited reforms that willhelp establish equity and remove racism inthe criminal justice system are on their wayto passage.

Women first came to the Virginia colony in1619. While rights of women have expandedslowly over the centuries, having Virginia ratifythe Equal Rights Amendment is still in doubt.May the lessons of this historic legislative ses-sion move us forward in future years.

To check on the fate of specific bills, go tohttp://lis.virginia.gov.

A Historic Session

Commentary

By Michael Timothy Gocke

DDS, CEO

On Jan. 26, 2019 a team from teamVirginia Oral, Facial & Implant Surgery of McLean flew from Dulles Air-

port to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.The excitement from the team was palpable,

yet this being the team’s first medical missiontrip there was a little fear of the unknown. Wewere greeted by our contacts from the missionand oriented on how the week would flow. Asthe next morning arrived, so began the jour-ney. The team drove to La Romana to deliveroral and maxillofacial surgical care to those inneed. World Mission Partners (http://www.worldmissionpartners.org), a non-profit

501 (C)-3, coordinated the logistics of ourmission trip. In La Romana, we treated bothchildren and adults of Dominican and Haitianbackground. The current state of the infrastruc-ture and quality of life in Haiti is still dire. Af-ter the earthquake which devastated Haiti in2010 followed by a tsunami, many people fledto neighboring Dominican Republic to seekrefuge. Many Haitians are living in the Bateyes(small villages) and work in the sugarcanefields. There are several hundred Bateyes inLa Romana and these Haitian residents havenot had any medical or dental care since theyhave arrived. A majority of the treatments andpatients, during our trip, were performed atThe Good Samaritan Hospital. (http://www.laromana.org)

In order to provide the medical attentionneeded for the Haitians in the Bateyes, we trav-eled to them in a medical RV that was outfit-ted with 2 treatment rooms. The Bateys do nothave running water so this was mandatory inorder to provide care. We also knew the resi-dents there lack the funds and ability to travel.We were able to treat many adults, most ofwhom have been living in pain for months byperforming extractions under local anesthetic.

Approximately 50 children were also pro-vided prophylactic care with a caries prevent-ing varnish by our team. In the dental clinicand the operating room, at the Good Samari-tan Hospital, we performed dental and facial

McLean Team on a Mission to Help

Alejandra Duran, Julie Benalja and Michella Saad (surgi-cal assistants) getting ready to assist in Amelioblastomaremoval with Dr. Gocke as the surgeon/

Photos contributed

Dr. Gocke in surgery

See Mission Report, Page 11

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Great Falls


SHOP GREAT FALLS!Great Falls Village Centrewww.GreatFallsVillageCentre.com

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Photos by Walt Lawrence

Easter Egg Hunt4th of July Parade

Concerts on the GreenHalloween Spooktackular

Celebration of LightsCars and CoffeeFarmers Market

The HEART Of The Great FallsCommunity & Proud Location

Of The Following Events:

News

By Ananya Amirthalingam

Senior at Langley High

Set for Tuesday, Feb. 26,Langley High SchoolOrchestra’s annual pyramid concert is an event

showcasing Langley’s and CooperMiddle School’s orchestras. Thisyear the concert will also be thevenue for the Langley OrchestraSociety’s Silent Auction.

The Silent Auction is just one ofmany pre-concert festivities. Duringthe reception, concertgoers can alsoenjoy Hungarian sweets from a freedessert bar and musical perfor-mances. Seniors Lauren Cain andAlex Tran will perform a piano duet.Junior Cao Linh Pham will performFranz Liszt’s Hungarian RhapsodyNo. 2, rumored to be one of themost difficult piano pieces. EvenLangley’s and Cooper’s respectiveconductors (Dr. McCormick and Ms.Leung), and Langley’s Mr. Willettand Dr. Lee will be showcasing theirmusical talent.

At 7 p.m., the bidding will ceaseand the Hungarian showcase willstart. Inspired by LangleyOrchestra’s spring trip toBudapest, Pyramis (the Hungarianword for Pyramid) is sure to wowits audience with spirited and fa-miliar tunes.

Langley’s Concert Orchestra willbegin the event with their renditionof Johannes Brahms’ HungarianDance No. 5, and will be followedby Cooper’s Concert Orchestra.

After a brief intermission andthe last call for bids, Langley’sSymphonic Orchestra will ascendthe stage to perform HectorBerlioz’s lively Rakoczi March.

Cooper’s Symphonic Orchestrawill follow with their version ofLiszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.Finally, Langley’s PhilharmonicOrchestra will bring the night to aclose aptly serenading the audi-ence with Erno Dohnanyi’s me-lodic Serenade Op. 10.

Music aside, orchestra students

Silent AuctionStarting at 6 p.m., concertgoers will

have an hour to place bids on a varietyof items, all donated by local businesses.These items range from gift cards to res-taurants like Teas’n You Fusion TeaHouse and Listrani’s, to an SAT coursefrom Georgetown Learning Center, andeven four tickets to a National Philhar-monic Orchestra Concert. Thank you toall the donors: Amoo’s Restaurant,Chipotle, Honeygrow, Lebanese Taverna,Listrani’s, Lost Dog Café, Lei’d Poke,McLean Family Restaurant, Moby Dick’sKebabs, Roll Play Vietnamese Grill,Teas’n You Fusion Tea House, J. Gilberts,Urban Plates, Rocco’s Italian Restaurant,Corner Bakery, Pulcinella, The OldBrogue, Class-y cookies, RainbowCon”egg”tion, Parcel Plus, GeorgetownLearning Center, Eclips Salon, YonChung Photography, The Artisans, BestBuy, National Philharmonic Orchestra,Washington Bach Consort, and the Bos-ton Red Sox. All proceeds raised from theauction will be used by the Langley Or-chestra Society for instrument repairsand purchases, orchestral coaches, andconcert programs.

Pyramid Concert features orchestral sounds of Hungary

Langley High Orchestra to Present Pyramis

Photo by Helen Beckner

A former Langley Orchestra assistant conductor, Ms.Leung will return to Langley’s stage as conductor ofCooper Orchestras on Tuesday, February 26.

and families look forward to thispyramid concert. Several highschool musicians have remarkedthat playing in the pyramid con-cert made the transition from Coo-per to Langley much easier. Theconcert also provides incomingparents and students with the op-portunity to see all that a future

in high school orchestra holds: in-cluding but not limited to deliciousfood, lifelong friends, inspiring

music, and of course, fun.This concert is free and community

members are encouraged to attend.


Entertainment

Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGCamp Grow Registration Open.

Camp Grow at Meadowlark BotanicalGardens, in Vienna, invites childrento explore nature through hands-onactivities, gardening, discoverywalks, crafts, music, storytelling, andanimal programs. Camp Grow isdesigned to engage, challenge,educate and encourage a sense ofcommunity. Camp Grow values andencourages inclusion of all campersin every activity. Visitwww.novaparks.com/things-to-do/camps/.

The Golden Girls of NorthernVirginia, a senior women’s softballleague, is looking for players. Anywoman over the age of 40 isencouraged to join. All skill levels arewelcome. Games are on Wednesdayevenings and Saturday mornings inVienna, April-October. Otheractivities during the year. Visitwww.goldengirls.org.

FRIDAY/FEB. 22Waterfowl Wintering Along the

Potomac. 9-11 a.m. at RiverbendPark, 8700 Potomac Hills St., GreatFalls. Fairfax County is an attractivespot for waterfowl that don’t mind alittle cold. Take the “WinterWaterfowl Hike” at Riverbend Park tosee what avian creatures are makingtheir residence here over the winter.Hike with a naturalist at the park tosearch for winter waterfowl along theUpper Potomac River. Bringbinoculars and spotting scopes.Designed for participants age 14-adult. $8 per person. Call 703-759-9018 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend.

Unruly Theatre Project. 7 p.m. atThe Old Firehouse, 1440 ChainBridge Road, McLean. (The) UnrulyTheatre Project (UTP) is The Alden’sprofessional teen improv companydedicated to bringing comedicproductions to the community. Makeplans now to attend a hilarious andunpredictable performance.Admission is free. Visitmcleancenter.org/performing-arts/unruly-theatre-project.

BRAWS Hosts Mardi Bras. AtWestwood Country Club, 800 MapleAve. E, Vienna. BRAWS, a volunteer-driven, community-based 501(c)3nonprofit organization that provideshomeless women and children withnecessities including new bras andunderwear as well as menstrualsupplies. Tickets are on sale now atwww.braws.org/mardi-bras-2019.html for $100. Visit braws.org.

SATURDAY/FEB. 23Wolf Trap Tickets On Sale. Tickets

go on sale to the public Feb. 23 at 10a.m.; Wolf Trap members are buyingnow. Additional shows to beannounced in March. Buy ticketsonline at wolftrap.org; by phone at877-WOLFTRAP; or in person at theFilene Center Box Office, 1551 TrapRoad, Vienna or after Feb. 24, at TheBarns at Wolf Trap Box Office, 1635Trap Road, Vienna.

Touch Visitors from Space. 11 a.m.-noon at Observatory Park at TurnerFarm, 925 Springvale Road, GreatFalls. “Meteorites: Explore Visitorsfrom Space” will be held in the roll-top observatory classroom.Participants will also have theopportunity to touch and examineactual meteorites, includingspecimens from the moon and Mars.Designed for participants age 5-11and runs from 11 a.m. to noon. $8per person. Call 703-324-8618 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/

turner-farm.Winter Wine and Beer Tasting. 7-

10 p.m. at the Great Falls Grange,9818 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Sample a variety of red wines, whitewines and selected by Richard Ashtonof Classic Wines of Great Falls andfour locally crafted beers from LostRhino Brewery in Leesburg. $50.Tickets are available through Feb. 21(or until sold out). Visitcelebrategreatfalls.org.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/FEB. 23-24Scrapbooking Weekend. Friday, 6

p.m.-midnight; Saturday, 9 a.m.-7p.m. at Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment, 400 Center St., South,Vienna. Registration fee includescropping space, lunch on Saturday,coffee, tea, lemonade, goody bag anda raffle ticket. Dinner available for$15 for both nights, or $8 each. $50if registered by Feb. 2; $55 by Feb. 9;$65 if registered later; $70 to registerat the door, if space is available.Email [email protected] orcall 703-981-4504.

SUNDAY/FEB. 24Maple Syrup Fresh from the Trees.

Noon-2 p.m. at Colvin Run Mill,10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.See sap dripping into collection pailson the trees, and discover thesurprising amount of sap it takes tomake just a little syrup. Taste thecombination of maple syrup overcornbread made from the mill’scornmeal, while supplies last. $5 perperson for visitors age 3-adult. Noreservations are required. This is anoutdoor program, dress for theweather. Call 703-759-2771 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/colvin-run-mill.

Perspectives Speaker Series:Walter Mosley. 2 p.m. at TheAlden Theatre at McLean CommunityCenter, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean.Presented in partnershipwith the Fairfax County PublicLibrary, Author Walter Mosley willgive a 60-minute talk followed by abook signing. NAACP Image Award-winning writer of mysteries andcrime fiction, in 2016 Mosley wasnamed Grand Master by the MysteryWriters of America (Edgar Award).Free. Pre-registration required. Visitmcleancenter.org/alden-theatre.

The Capitol Steps BenefitPerformance. 7 p.m. at FairfaxHigh School, 3501 Rebel Run Road,Fairfax. Join in for a SILLYariousevening as the Capitol Steps politicalsatire comedy troupe performs ashow to benefit high school theatrefor the Cappies of the NationalCapitol Area. Free parking. Adults,$30; students/senior citizens, $20;children 12 and under, $10; and

groups of 10 or more, $15. [email protected] or visitwww.cappies.com/nca.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 27Foreign-Language Film. 1 p.m. At

The Alden, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean. Free admission. Come enjoyforeign films selected by The Aldenstaff, then stay after for a discussionbackstage in The Alden’s green room.These movies are chosen for adultaudiences and may contain maturecontent, language and themes. Visitwww.mcleancenter.org.

Holy Happy Hour Recital Series.6:15 p.m. at Lewinsville PresbyterianChurch, 1724 Chain Bridge Road,McLean. Featuring NicholasQuardokus, Organ Scholar at St.Paul’s Parish in Washington, D.C., the30-minute musical offering will befollowed by wine, hor d’oeuvres andfellowship. Free and open to thepublic; a good will offering tosupport the music department will betaken. Visit www.Lewinsville.org orcall 703-356-7200.

THURSDAY/FEB. 28Movie Screening: “Angst.” 7-8:30

p.m. at Langley High SchoolAuditorium, 6520 Georgetown Pike,McLean. Join the Safe CommunityCoalition and Langley High SchoolPTSA for a showing of “Angst:Raising Awareness Around Anxiety.”Free. Recommended for 6th gradeand up. [email protected].

SUNDAY/MARCH 3Maple Syrup Fresh from the Trees.

Noon-2 p.m. at Colvin Run Mill,10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.See sap dripping into collection pailson the trees, and discover thesurprising amount of sap it takes tomake just a little syrup. Taste thecombination of maple syrup overcornbread made from the mill’scornmeal, while supplies last. $5 perperson for visitors age 3-adult. Noreservations are required. This is anoutdoor program, dress for theweather. Call 703-759-2771 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/colvin-run-mill.

Winter Concerts: Al Petteway &Amy White. 4 and 6 p.m. seatingsat The Old Brogue Irish Pub, 760-CWalker Road, Great Falls. The OldBrogue Irish Pub of Great Falls andBarnaby Productions, Inc. present the30th season of family friendly,Winter Traditional Celtic Concertsperformed in a listening room by thefireside. Tickets must be purchased inadvance at oldbrogue.com: $18general admission; $12 children.

WinterConcerts:IONA

The Old Brogue IrishPub of Great Falls andBarnaby Productions, Inc.present the 30th season offamily friendly, WinterTraditional Celtic Concertsperformed in a listeningroom by the fireside. Fea-turing IONA, Sunday, Feb.24, 4 and 6 p.m. seatingsat The Old Brogue IrishPub, 760-C Walker Road,Great Falls. A third seatingwill be added if the firsttwo sell out. Tickets mustbe purchased in advance atoldbrogue.com: $18 gen-eral admission; $12children.

IONA, from left: Chuck Lawhorn,Barbara Ryan, Bernard Argent, andJim Queen.

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News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Family and friends gathered on Feb. 12 tohonor Jacque Olin, this year’s recipient ofthe Great Falls Historical Society’s (GFHS)Jean Tibbetts Award. Named after the late

Jean Tibbetts, a former president of the nonprofit or-ganization dedicated to preserving the history of thearea, the distinction is awarded annually to an indi-vidual who exhibits “outstanding contributions to theresearch, articulation, dissemination and preservationof life along the Potomac River corridor from McLeanto west of Dranesville and south through Herndon.”

Olin more than fits the criteria.While serving as president of the GFHS from May

2000 to May 2002, she presented programs aboutthe action and impact of the Civil War in Great Falls,and others, including the history of horses in the areaand of the Potomac River Watershed.

Olin also formed a “Committee for Inventories ofGreat Falls Historical Sites,” combining photos wherepossible, and historical writings. Great Falls Day, OldSchoolhouse Day, and The Grange and CommunityDays have all been on Olin’s agenda as a resident ofGreat Falls since 1971, after living 8 years in neigh-boring McLean.

The Society also cites Olin’s leadership as havingbeen instrumental in securing a county curatorshipfor the Turner Farm House, a historic property inGreat Falls that is currently being restored and willnow be maintained with the care deserving of suchan important piece of the area’s historic landscape.

History and preservation are not foreign to Olin,who moved to the region in 1963 to take up a full-time position with the Smithsonian Institute, alongwith her husband, Charles. Olin’s background is inChemistry. She pioneered a method of archaeologicalanalysis of items in the Smithsonian collection, found-ing the department of Archaeometry. She has authorednumerous articles on this scientific methodology. Herlove of the sciences continues today, as a Board mem-ber of the Analemma Society, the astronomy clubfounded by Charles that collaborated with the FairfaxCounty Park Authority to build the roll-top Observa-

tory at the Turner Farm. The Analemma group offersnight-sky viewing and educational programing.

The Tibbetts Award was presented to Olin, accom-panied by her husband Charles and son, David, byGFHS’s Karen Washburn after a dinner at The OldBrogue in Great Falls. Jan Schar, president of thesociety, gave the welcoming and closing remarks.Along with a certificate to commemorate her selec-tion, Olin will receive a $200 stipend and her namewill be etched on the plaque honoring Tibbetts Awardwinners for display in the Great Falls Library.

Olin continues to be committed to her belief thatthe Great Falls Historical Society must fulfill its roleas educator, collector, and conservator of the fasci-nating heritage of Great Falls.

Jacque Olin chosen2019 Tibbetts Awardwinner by Great FallsHistorical Society.

Preserving Great Falls History

Jacque Olin is the Great Falls HistoricalSociety’s 2019 Jean Tibbetts Award win-ner. Honored for her continuing dedica-tion to the preservation of the area’shistory and her efforts to educate andengage the public, Olin was feted at TheOld Brogue for the ceremony, and escortedby her husband, Charles, also an activeparticipant in the community.

Jan Schar, president of the Great FallsHistorical Society, displays the framedcertificate that was presented to winnerOlin along with a monetary stipend. Scharsaid that “no one could be more deservingof this award than Jacque. She has done somuch to not only preserve our history, butrecord it, and educate the community.”



From Page 3

News

fire to old homes donated for thepurpose, or just “suiting up andgoing out with a partner to teachyou the ropes at an actual fire.Things have changed a lot sincethen.” Nowadays, career and op-erational volunteer firefightersand emergency medical personnelare both trained to the same highstandards at the Fire and RescueAcademy on West Ox Road, dedi-cated in 1995.

For the last several years, Johnshas abandoned the truck-drivingand rescue action for equally im-portant work at the station housesof number 12 in Great Falls andTower 401 in McLean.

Capt. Mike Allen who com-mands Station 12 praises Johns asa “linchpin” in the operation of theservice, the liaison between thevolunteers and the career personnel, “willing to dowhatever it takes for both to operate efficiently andin collaboration.”

Allen, who laughs that “I was born the year thatJohns started volunteering,” joined a virtual battal-ion of colleagues, firefighting hierarchy and publicofficials who gathered at the River Bend Country Clubon Feb. 13 to honor Johns and “give him the best,much-deserved send-off toward his next adventure.”

THE RECEPTION AND DINNER was organizedby Leslie Smith, another volunteer at Station 12, andone of the trio of volunteers that Johns calls his “threemusketeers.”

Smith and fellow volunteers Kerin Hamel and Sa-rah McMichael have grown close to Johns, eventhough they are among some of the newest recruits.

“He took us under his wing from day one,” saidHamel. “He always takes the time to talk, help youthrough anything,” added McMichael. “He reallycares and it shows.”

From his perspective, John says the “three muske-teers” are worth every minute he has spent workingwith them, since they are so obviously serious andcommitted to the work. “They are really just my fam-ily now.”

“I just don’t know what we will do without him,”said Smith, who worked tirelessly to pull off his re-tirement bash. “I don’t know what I will do withouthim, quite frankly.”

At the party, in addition to accolades from FairfaxCounty Fire and Rescue Department chief John But-ler, Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville), Capt.Allen, Great Falls VFD Capt. Doug Wessell, and GreatFalls VFD president Frank Smith, letters from Sena-tors Time Kaine and Mark Warner were read, thank-ing the retiree for his service and presenting himwith an American flag that had been flown over theU.S. Capitol Building in his honor.

U.S. Senator Jennifer Wexton sent a representa-tive to the event and State Sen. Barbara Favola andDel. Kathleen Murphy also sent letters of congratu-lations and thanks, and a flag flown for him overthe Virginia Legislature.

Supervisor Foust also used the occasion to an-nounce the selection of Johns as the DranesvilleCommunity Volunteer of the Year, and to present acertificate of proclamation from the Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervisors declaring Feb. 13, 2019 offi-cially as “Homer Johns Day.”

Over his long volunteer career with the county,Johns has received numerous awards and recogni-tions for his service, but these many tokens of appre-ciation on the occasion of his retirement seemed toleave the usually talkative gentleman almost speech-less at times during the event.

In the end, Homer Johns, the man who gave somuch to so many in two communities of the countyover more than half a century, could only thank thosethanking him for the opportunity to serve and makea difference, and for the chance to have made so manyfriendships and memories throughout the years.

Those friends insist that Johns return to visit asoften as possible and if he “doesn’t volunteer to doso” according to Capt. Allen, the Shenandoah Valleyarea might soon see a Great Falls Fire and Rescuevehicle arriving in their neighborhood to escortHomer Johns “back home.”

Homer Johns Retires


The tables at Homer Johns’ retirement event at the RiverBend Country Club in Great Falls were decorated withphotos of the 52-year volunteer veteran and some festivefun items, courtesy of fellow volunteer and party orga-nizer Lesli Smith.

On the job in 1976, volunteer fire andrescue worker Homer Johns worksthe scene of a tanker and car collisionfrom a bridge overlooking 1-495 nearTysons Corner.


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

At least that was my intention when I sat down to write this column. I was planning on highlighting a couple of my pet peeves: One was about people who back into parking spac-es, an all-too common practice (which does not make perfect) that irks me no end and often in-conveniences me while idling in my car waiting for the driver to crane his neck and coordinate

space, all while blocking my passage. The second peeve also involves cars, but this

action has potentially far more dangerous con-sequences: Drivers who, while motoring along, completely ignore my car’s blinkers/indicator lights – WHEN THEY’RE FLASHING.

I was taught that when driving a vehicle and needing to turn/switch lanes, I was to indicate that to other drivers by using my blinkers, look into my mirrors and then move right or left accordingly. Moreover, when I observed those

respect their intentions and give them a wide berth. I was not to speed up and interfere with their indications. Unfortunately, the exact oppo-site often happens.

Though I am still respectful when drivers

many of my driving brethren see those lights, they react much the same way as a bull does when he sees red: they SPEED UP, and in their vehicle’s acceleration, they put me and my pas-sengers at risk. If it has happened once – which it has – it has happened a thousand times.

Unfortunately, neither of these car-related “misbehaviors” has been able to block out one of my key cancer anniversaries: Feb. 20, 2009, and as such, I will now be returning to the scene of the semi crime. And though I am not Billy Shears 20 years after the band taught me how to play, I am a lung cancer survivor who 10 years ago on Feb. 20 learned that I had cancer. That was the day when my primary care physician called me at work, about noon-ish on a Thursday to discuss the results of my previous week’s surgical biopsy.

After declining the offer to come to his

he did: the growth was malignant. Dumbfound-ed, I asked for further details, which he politely deferred to an oncologist (a specialty with which I was totally unfamiliar), with whom, while we spoke on the phone, my primary care physician scheduled a Team Lourie appoint-ment for the following Thursday.

which had been going on since I showed up at the Emergency Room on Jan. 1, 2009 complain-ing of pain in my right side, an inability to take

With an inconclusive X-Ray to not corrob-orate, an otherwise healthy patient with no family history of anything relevant – especially cancer, the doctor was perplexed. Fifty days later I learned I had cancer. And so I remember that day/date, a day which will go down in infamy, so to speak – in my family anyway.

The intervening days, as I have written about recently, were spent investigating the cause of my original symptoms. Eventually all test results led to one conclusion: non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV.

Meaning metastatic and inoperable, mean-ing “terminal.” It was Feb. 20 when I learned my fate. (The following Thursday, Feb. 27, is another anniversary; that’s when we met my

life would never be the same, or last nearly as long.)

But yet here I am, alive and reasonably well, writing about nonsense, mostly, instead of cancer, for this week, anyway. Good therapy for sure, and a nice change of pace.

EnoughAbout Cancer

surgeries of varying kinds and our assistantsalso provided dental cleanings for most ofthese patients as well.

In the variety of surgical patients Dr. Gockemet and treated, there are two that wewould like to share as an example of whatwas encountered. Dr. Gocke met, examinedand diagnosed an 18 year old Hatian femalewith an ankylosed TMJ (jaw bone fused tothe skull). She has not been able to openher mouth since birth and is deformed be-cause of it. The basic function of eating isnot possible for her except for a small spacebetween her teeth in which she consumesonly liquids and pureed food. She is under-weight and has been teased by the other kidsher age because of this condition all her life.The main hospital in Santo Domingo de-clined care to her because of the complex-ity of her condition. Dr Gocke will be flyingback as soon as possible with the propertreatment planning and equipment (whichwill be significant) to replace her joint witha prosthesis, perform jaw surgery to restorefunction to the jaw and to make her facemore symmetric and harmonious. He mayhave to remove a rib in order to create ajaw for her as well. She also has an infectedtooth which cannot be accessed because shecannot open her mouth which can be a lifethreatening condition for her. This patient’scondition deeply affected the entire team.Dr. Gocke has decided to do what he canwith his expertise to help her in any way hecan to improve the quality of life for thisyoung lady.

In another case, a young Dominican man,with pain for 6 months, presented with atumor of his jaw. In the hospital operatingroom, under general anesthesia, Dr. Gockeresected the tumor.

The patient had to lose 8 teeth and a largeamount of bone, as part of the resection.This tumor was approximately the size of aping pong ball. Once he has healed and thecancer has remained clear, Dr. Gocke willreturn to reconstruct his jaw with bonegrafting from his hip.

Eventually, he will be replacing his teethwith dental implants and hoping to give hima second chance at a normal healthy life.

This trip was a great success and wewould like to thank all of our supporters.As you can imagine, this trip was a true jour-ney. We feel humbled and grateful to havethe opportunity to serve our fellow man-kind. Ours souls feel nourished and full ofgratitude. We are particularly grateful to ourfamily members who supported us on thisventure. This would not have been possiblewithout them. We would also like to thankour our surgical supply vendors who do-nated many disposable supplies. We thankour Virginia patients who donated clothes,toys, hats and sandals. Lastly, we are espe-cially grateful to our friends and familymembers who made cash donations. Every-one involved was a part of changing aperson’s life for the better!

May we all continue to strive to make ourcommunities and world a better place.

Thank you all for being a part of this andmaking an impact on this life changing care.

From Page 6

Mission ReportOpinion


Documents

Honoring a Half-Century of Service