Hot Topics at School Board Candidates Debateconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/100219/Great Falls.pdf · 2020. 7. 25. · guest emcee, DJ Chris Styles. Following in-troductions, words

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com October 2-8, 2019

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WellbeingPage 6

Great Falls Teen Named on Horse Show Junior CommitteePeople, Page 7

St. Francis To Host Fall Fest News, Page 9

Three candidates running for the Dranesville Dis-trict seat on the School Board: Anastasia Karlout-

sos endorsed by the Republican Party; Elaine Tholen endorsed by the Democrats; and Ardavan

Mobasheri, an independent candidate, participate in a Town Hall forum in Great Falls on Sept. 25.

Hot Topics at SchoolBoard Candidates Debate

News, Page 3

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Mercia Hobson The Connection

On Saturday, Sept. 28, the non-profit medical group practice,Pediatric Specialists of Vir-ginia (PSV) located in Fairfaxheld its 5th annual 5K & Family Health Fair:Race To Make It All Better at Reston TownCenter attracting a reported 334 partici-pants and 32 teams. By Monday, Sept. 30,$43,874 showed as raised according tofirstgiving.com benefitting Pediatric Special-ists of Virginia. Top Team, Team Thaitan,named after Thaitan Vinyoopongphan di-agnosed with Neuroblastoma Stage 4 Can-cer since May 2018, raised $4,010.

The specialists at Pediatric Specialists ofVirginia care for children from NorthernVirginia and surrounding areas during theirhospital stays at Children’s National andInova Children’s Hospital and throughouttheir childhood on an ongoing, outpatientbasis. Proceeds from PSV’s yearly fundraiser,its charity 5K and Health Fair, support itsphilanthropic mission “to provide superbpediatric specialty care to children of North-ern Virginia, including children and fami-lies dealing with serious or chronic illnesses,experiencing hardship.”

Christopher Lawlor, MD Medical Directorof Cancer and Blood Disorders, works at theFairfax office. As Chair of the Pediatric Spe-cialists of Virginia Philanthropy Committee,he looked forward to the opportunity toparticipate. “Proceeds from the event go todirect patient care as well as research, edu-cation and innovations. We have charitycare for patients who have limited re-sources. We care for tens of thousands eachyear, from infancy to twenty-one with somepatients continuing after that,” he said.

NEAR THE START line, nine-year-oldMatteo Lambert of Vienna, sat on a benchwith his dad, Brandon. He wore a blue andred cape with the image of a boy from Al-

exandria, on it; someone Matteo Lambertdid not know personally but understoodwas fighting cancer. Matteo Lambert said,“I run because I want to help other people,and it’s fun.” Matteo added he remainedcommitted to his original goal of running32 5K races in 2019 to raise awareness forchildren with cancer and Hopecam, hischarity passion. The 5th annual 5K & Fam-ily Health Fair: Race To Make It All Betterat Reston Town Center would be the 28thrace he’d run to benefit Hopecam, whosemission is to overcome the social isolationexperienced by children in treatment forcancer.

According to Matteo, his father intro-duced to him a co-worker of his, Len Forkas,founder of the nonprofit organization,Hopecam. Matteo Lambert explained,“Hopecam helps (seriously ill) kids by con-necting them with their classmates using acomputer or iPad. The kids are going

through some tough stuff.”Near the Lamberts, many parents and

children mingled, feeling the camaraderieand fellowship. Lizbeth Molina, who worksin Pediatric Specialists of Virginia’s Fairfaxoffice, said, “Seeing what the practice isdoing for the children is awesome.” LaurenLipchak of Reston recognized not only whatPediatric Specialists of Virginia did for hersister but also what it offered her parents.“My sister has cystic fibrosis, and when shewas younger, she spent much time in thehospital. It was important to my parentshow much support they received, and dif-ferent organizations made a difference,” shesaid.

The Swingle family of Springfield, An-drew, 11, Joseph, 6, and mom, Vivian un-derstood first-hand. Joseph said, “We runfor diabetes because my brother goes to PSVfor his endocrinology care.”

For brother Andrew Swingle, though,

competition and record-breaking drove himto the event. “I want to break a nine-minutemile.”

Peter Batista of Oakton said he chose torun because he interpreted at Pediatric Spe-cialists of Virginia, and they provided “greatcare.”

With the race set to kick off at 8:30 a.m.,participants visited the health booths, bidon auction items via the PSV Silent Auctionwebsite and enjoyed the music courtesy ofguest emcee, DJ Chris Styles. Following in-troductions, words of thanks to sponsorssuch as Platinum Sponsor AbbVie, GoldenSponsors Novo Nordisk and Alliance andothers, and a brief warm-up, racers as-sembled at the start line.

LIKE SO MANY OTHER CHARITYRACES, the mood appeared light with afeeling of fellowship. Among the hundredsof racers running for Pediatric Specialistsof Virginia, Mateo Lambert waited quietly,joined by Joseph Dagbe, 17, of South LakesHigh School. Dagbe said he came to race torun beside Matteo because he “is an inspi-ration to me.”

Virginia Del. Ken Plum (D-36) also foundMateo Lambert. “Always glad to be withyou, young man,” said Plum. Not to worry,Mateo said. He explained he got his super-powers from the super kid whose image wason his cape.

As the horn blasted, racers took off, anda short time later Matteo Lambert, 9, ofVienna crossed the finish line. He placed9th overall and 1st in his age group, chiptime 28:02.1. Lambert said he would mailhis award medal and cape to Lucas; theybelonged to Lucas as he gave Mateo thepower to run.

James Casey, 39 of Fairfax Station placed1st, chip time 22:12.6. After the race, askedwhy he ran, Casey replied, “I had a daugh-ter born at 24 weeks. Pediatrics was impor-tant to me because of my daughter.”

Charity 5K‘Makes It All Better.’Running for Many Reasons

Parents help their children during warm-ups before the start of the 5thannual 5K & Family Health Fair: Race To Make It All Better at RestonTown Center to benefit the nonprofit medical group practice, PediatricSpecialists of Virginia (PSV) located in Fairfax.

The Minh Bui Family gathers for a group photo before the start of the5th annual 5K & Family Health Fair: Race To Make It All Better at RestonTown Center benefiting Pediatric Specialists of Virginia.

Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

Virginia Del. Ken Plum (D-36)wishes Matteo Lambert good luckbefore he takes off to supportHopecam at the 5th annual 5K. Itwas Mateo’s 28th charity race of32 he pledges to run in 2019.

Lauren Lipchak of Reston with herson Wesley before the start of the5th annual 5K & Family HealthFair: Race To Make It All Better atReston Town Center benefitingPediatric Specialists of Virginia.

Great Falls Connection ❖ October 2-8, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

Bu Nadezhda ShulgaThe Connection

On Sept. 25, the Great FallsCiti-zens Association hosteda Town Hall Forum atForestvil le ElementarySchool with candidates for Fairfax CountySchool Board.

Many in the audience came to the meet-ing well prepared. A group in the yellowhats came to support Abrar Omeish. Othergroups were equipped with only the home-made signs in a show of support or protest.Some were just armed with stickers. Theycame to the debate to get to know the can-didates better and to support particular can-didates.

The cafeteria of Forestville Elementarywas full of people, and no one was indiffer-

ent. Sometimes school board debates areeven hotter than presidential debates - es-pecially when parents are in the room.

Nobody who came Wednesday night wasthere to stay on the sidelines.

The election for the Fairfax County Pub-lic School Board will take place on Nov. 5.The 12 School Board members are electedby district for four-year terms. Nine of themrepresent the magisterial districts and threemembers serve at-large. All 12 seats are upfor this election.

For 26 years, the Dranesville District hasbeen represented on the school board byJane Strauss. She is now retiring. Threecandidates who are running for this seat areAnastasia Karloutsos endorsed by the Re-publican Party; Elaine Tholen endorsed bythe Democrats; and Ardavan Mobasheri, anindependent candidate. All of them partici-pated at the debate. In addition, there werefive of six candidates who are running forthe three at-large seats.

“Interestingly enough,“ Great Falls Citi-zens Association President Bill Canis saidopening the meeting, ”I found out that theschool system in Fairfax County is the third-

largest employer in the state of Virginia. Wehave one of the largest bus fleets in thenation, 1600 buses. I sometimes feel on theway to work that all 1600 of those are aheadof me.”

In total, the audience asked 65 questions— more than the candidates were capableof addressing during the meeting. The mod-erators selected the questions submitted bythe audience. All candidates got to offer aone-minute pitch on the selected topic orquestion.

The debate was moderated by Matt Haley,20-years Great Falls resident.

The first question addressed to all candi-dates was what they felt about the latestchanges in the FCPS boundary policy8130.8 which regulates the local schoolboundaries, program assignments, andschool closings.

The changing school boundaries is a seri-ous and weighty matter. The issue thatMcLean High School is overcrowded hasbeen discussed over the last few years. Theproblem is getting worse every year. McLean

In 2018, the School Board began discus-sions regarding the FCPS boundary Policy8130. The Facilities Planning AdvisoryCouncil (FPAC) annual report (page 10,recommendation 23), requests the SchoolBoard develop recommendations for updatingthe boundary policies and processes. FPAC isa committee of citizens appointed by theSchool Board.

The School Board has held four worksessions to discuss boundary policy (Oct. 15,2018, Feb. 25, 2019, March 11, 2019, andJuly 22, 2019). All of the meetings have beenadvertised and open to the public.

The review of the boundary policy wasinitiated because of the following issues:

❖ Overcrowding at several schools❖ Recognition that the current level of

bond funding is not sufficient to addresscapacity demands, renovations (currently a37-year cycle) and major maintenance in a

timely manner❖ Reliance on trailers (over 750)❖ Planned growth in specific areas of the

county❖ Demand for additional pre-k classrooms❖ The current boundary policy has not had a

comprehensive review since its 1986 adoption.The county and the school system were signifi-cantly smaller at that time.

A modification that allowed a single boardmember and the Superintendent to makeboundary changes impacting 5% or less of aschool annually was introduced in 2000 and anexpedited process was included in the regulationin October 2015. In 2018, the Superintendentstopped that less than transparent approach.

The One Fairfax policy, adopted in 2017,commits the county and schools to intentionallyconsider equity when delivering policies,programs, and services.

July 22, 2019 School Board Work Session

FCPS staff presented a draft policy in which“capacity surplus or deficit of an existing school”was listed as a reason to revise school bound-aries.

The draft policy does not recommend movingstudents outside of their communities to balancedistricts based on racial and socioeconomiccriteria.

The draft policy does not recommend “openboundaries” which would allow students toenroll in schools other than their base school.

The existing and proposed boundary policyincludes the consideration of criteria such aswalking and busing routes, travel times, andsocio-economics.

FCPS provides transportation services for139,000 eligible students every day to and fromtheir neighborhood schools or to specialprograms away from their base schools.

While the majority (76%) of the bus routes inFCPS allow students to spend less than 30

minutes in transit each way, the increasedroadway congestion and length of bus ridescontinues to concern the School Board.

School Board Requested the Superinten-dent:

❖ Hire an outside consultant to work withthe Board to identify best practices inboundary policy and engage the communityin the discussion.

❖ Identify “hot” areas of overcrowding thatare not included in the current FCPS CapitalImprovement Program but may need aboundary adjustment.

The School Board understands the sensitivityof discussing boundary policy and is committedto continuing its work in a transparent mannerwhich involves the community. In the eventthat specific proposals for changing schoolboundaries are considered, they will continueto be done in a transparent manner thatincludes community engagement.

From FCPS, Boundary Facts Review of Boundary Policy 8130

After the meeting Abrar Omeish, candidate running for the for the At-Large seat, answers the questions from the audience.

The debate was moderated by Matt Haley, 20-years Great Falls residentwho previously served as chair of the FY2017 FCPS Budget Task Force.

School Board Candidates Debate in Great FallsTown Hall Debate at Forestville Elementaryattracts full-room audience;no one was indifferent.

See Boundaries Issue, Page 6

Bill Canis, Great Falls CitizensAssociation President, opens theTown Hall Forum.

Photos by Nadezhda Shulga/The Connection


Great Fallswww.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Letters

To the Editor:It was going so well. I’m talking

about the Sept. 25school board candidate town

hall hosted by the Great Falls Citi-zens Association (GFCA) atForestville Elementary School. TheGFCA president used all the rightwords about the association’snonpartisanship and

policy of not endorsing candi-

dates. The rules laid down by themoderator were fair and respect-ful. Disruptive behavior was notgoing to be tolerated.

The Forestville audience politelyapplauded their favored candi-dates. Aside from a few placard-wielding demonstrators who triedto intimidate Democratic endorsedcandidates Elaine Tholen, AbrarOmeish, Rachna Sizemore Heizer

and Karen Keys-Gamarra, the au-dience was pretty chill, as theyoung people say. Even all of theeye-rolling and head shaking fromthe Republican Dranesville candi-date failed to encourage her sup-porters to misbehave.

Everything was going well untilthe final two questions prior toclosing remarks. The moderatorexplained he had questions spe-

cific to Elaine Tholen and KarenKeys-Gamarra. My ears perked. Heproceeded to read from submis-sions scribbled on both sides oftwo 3 by 5 cards. The words wereclearly geared to embarrass Elaineand Karen rather than elicit policy-related answers.

And, obviously submitted byVoices of Fairfax (VoF).

VoF, for the uninitiated, is anecho chamber that trafficks in aconspiracy that descends to near-Pizzagate levels. It is an amalgamof gotchas, gaslights andwhatabouts designed to spreadfalse information and fear aheadof the Nov. 5 general election.

I seethed for a few minutes thenlodged a complaint with the GFCA

Voices of Partisanship

To the Editor:Every election since graduating

from Langley in 1971, I have goneto the polls to cast votes for Demo-cratic nominees up and down theballot, beginning with GeorgeMcGovern. When it comes to thisyear’s County level races that willnot happen. Since my sons gradu-ated from

Langley in the mid 2000s I havebeen less tuned into local politics.

This year as I prepare to retire, Ifind out that the One Fairfax policyvoted into effect earlier has realrepercussions for Great Falls resi-dents.

One Fairfax is a “racial and so-cial equity policy that providesboth the direction and means toeliminate disparities.” While thisis very much in line with my val-ues, I had no idea that it could beused to change the process bywhich Fairfax County createsschool boundaries.The school

board has floated the idea of hir-ing consultants to implementboundary changes. Pat Hynes(who endorsed Tholen) says,”toachieve that right demographicmix.” This will inevitably meaneventually removing neighbor-hoods from Langley to dilute the“island of excellence” that existsthere.

To get a better grasp of what isreally going on I watched the July2019 school board meeting twiceand was surprised to see that Eliza-beth Schultz, a Republican mem-ber from Springfield, was repre-senting my interests better thanmy own Democratic representa-tive in Dranesville. I am now leftwith no choice but to protect myinterests and vote for the mostqualified candidate to do so:Anastasia Karlotsos.

Amy Sinclair DahmGreat Falls

‘One Fairfax’ PolicyAffects Great Falls

The Connection welcomes views on any public issue. Letters must be signed. Include home address and home and business

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factual errors.

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WhatDo YouThink?

president. He had, in my opinion,veered – unwittingly or otherwise— into partisan territory by allow-ing the two questions. He an-swered that they were the onlytwo questions for specific candi-dates. Exactly my point, sir!

Greg BrandonMcLean


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News

HS is already overcrowded by 15 percentwhile neighboring Langley High School op-erates at less than 85 percent of its capacity.

Changes in boundaries raise concernsamong families who might have purchaseda home in the area so their children canattend a specific school.

The School Board has been amending thepolicy to ensure equity and effectivenesswhen considering school boundaries. Onefactor that can be included is the “OneFairfax,” to consider equity. The One Fairfaxpolicy, adopted in 2017, commits the countyand schools to intentionally consider equitywhen delivering policies, programs, and ser-vices.

The candidates for Dranesville Districtmember of the Fairfax County School Boardwere asked to briefly comment on the posi-tion on the revised draft.

“I’m against taking children from oneschool based on their race, and how muchmoney their parents have, their bank ac-count and moving them for that sole rea-son”, Anastasia Karloutsos explains her po-sition. “I believe that we need to look atboundaries based on overcrowding and

looking at how we actually revise our Capi-tal Improvement Program.”

Elaine Tholen said, “The statement saysthat the biggest reason that we wouldchange boundaries would be capacities,such as what we’re seeing between McLeanHigh School and Langley. And I fully agreewith that.”

“Fairfax One doesn’t say anything aboutequality of outcome one. It doesn’t say any-thing about making sure schools one placeor another are the same,” added ArdavanMobasheri.

One minute was too short a time for can-didates to formulate and deliver a substan-tive response.

The panel was challenged as to whetherthey support a schools decision to hire con-sultants to help with boundary conditions.There were differing views on that, but themajority supported handling this in-house.There were topics related to having moremagnet schools and more advanced aca-demic programs.

The organizers of the debate, Great FallsCitizens Association, published the full re-play of the two-hour debate on their pageon Facebook (facebook.com/GreatFallsCitizensAssociation/)

Parents Raise SchoolBoundaries Issue

Three candidates who are running for the Dranesville District seat onthe School Board are Anastasia Karloutsos endorsed by the RepublicanParty; Elaine Tholen endorsed by the Democrats; and ArdavanMobasheri, an independent candidate.

For the timekeeper Jim Trent, GFCA treasurer, every second counts.

Photos by Nadezhda Shulga/The Connection


Wellbeing

By Marilyn CampbellThe Connection

W hen Florence Murrian was diag-nosed with stage two breast can-cer last December, the treatmentrecommended by her oncologistwas a lumpectomy and radiation. In an attempt tohelp, Murrian’s sister urged her to seek multiplemedical opinions and insisted she ask for a moreaggressive treatment. Murrian, 54, felt over-whelmed by the barrage of advice.

“It was the friends who just listenedto me as I sometimes rambled on andon that gave me comfort,” she said.“There were times when I didn’t wantto talk about it or cry about it. I neededto feel normal and sometimes was indenial. What I didn’t want is someoneasking me why I wasn’t acting a cer-tain way.”

When a close friend of loved one isdiagnosed with breast cancer, the reac-tion can range from aggressive advicegiving as in Murrian’s case to excessivequestioning to learning every detail.During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month,some survivors and mental health professionals shareinsight on offering support.

“Sometimes I had conversations with friends thatmade me feel worse that I already felt,” said Murrianwho lives in Arlington. “I was so overwhelmed that Ididn’t want advice and I didn’t want to have to cheerup my friends.”

Conversations designed to convey concern can goawry. “I recommend avoiding invalidating comments

like, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ or forecast-ing comments such as ‘Everything will be fine,’” saidJoanne Bagshaw, PhD, Professor of Psychology atMontgomery College.

Though it is natural to be concerned and want spe-cific details about a loved one’s condition, sometimesthe best words are no words at all, says Professor ofPsychology at George Mason University. “There maybe times to mostly listen and other times to jokearound,” said Short. “Plan to continue enjoyable ac-tivities together, but confirm whether your loved onewants to get together.”

Avoid non-specific offers to help, says Short. “I rec-ommend taking the perspective of your friend andloved one and imagining what she might like to hear,”he said. “You should express empathy and support… prepare small meals or snacks to share. Offer to

help with household tasks, errands, orcaring for family members or pets.”

For those who are unsure, consider-ing your loved the best source of in-formation about her needs is more ef-fective than making assumptions, sug-gests Bagshaw. “I do recommend ask-ing how you can be of support,” saidshe said. “One can simply say, ‘Just letme know how I can help.’”

“It is good to be encouraging, butrealistic,” added Short. “Follow cuesfrom your friend or loved one on howto interact.”

Listening, validating and inquiringabout her overall wellbeing can be more comfortingthan offering opinions or sharing stories about otherwomen who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer.“Everyone’s situation and diagnosis is different,” saidBagshaw.

“Avoid advice and assumptions unless you areasked for your opinion,” added Short. “Some ex-amples [of things] to say are, ‘I am sorry that thishappened to you. I want you to know that I careabout you. How are you doing? I want to help’”

Choosing words andactions that don’t causeadditional pain or anxiety.

Supporting Friends and LovedOnes with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer survivors Florence Murriangets together with friends to volunteer fora supplies drive.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month,survivors like Florence Murrian and men-tal health professionals share insight onoffering support.

Photos courtesy of Florence Murrian

“ Everyone’ssituation anddiagnosis isdifferent.”

— Joanne Bagshaw,PhD, Professor of

Psychology at Mont-gomery College


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Area Teens Named on Horse Show Junior CommitteeKendall Schuler, 15, of Great Falls attends Connelly School of the HolyChild in Potomac, and was selected to serve on the 2019 WashingtonInternational Horse Show Junior Committee presented by SignatureAcademics. The show is Oct 22-27, see www.wihs.com

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CalendarSubmit entertainment announcements at

www.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Thedeadline is noon on Friday. Photos/artworkencouraged.

ONGOINGCountless Shades of Black. Through Oct. 12,

Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at The FrameFactory Gallery, 212 Dominion Road N.E.,Vienna. Countless Shades of Black features localartist Alfredo Milian and Discovery Graphics.Free. Visit www.theframefactory1.com for aslideshow.

Pop-Up Selfie Museum. Through Nov. 3, onselect dates and times at Tysons Corner Center,Lower Level near Lord & Taylor. The AmericanScream Selfie Museum will feature interactiveexhibits that will make visitors laugh and screamand the star of eye-popping selfies. The museumwill feature an array of custom-built Halloweenthemed sets individuals can interact with: sit onthe Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms,stand in an ancient Egyptian tomb and face theMummy; visit a gruesome morgue; andmore.$15-$18. Visit www.american-scream.comfor timed tickets and schedule.

Oak Marr Farmers’ Market. 8 a.m.-noon atOak Marr RECenter, 3200 Jermantown Road,Oakton. Every Wednesday through Nov. 13, rainor shine. Vendors include produce, meats, eggs,cheeses, pies, cured and smoked meats,popsicles, sorbet, bread, croissants, falafelsandwiches, humus, and pesto. Call 703-281-6501 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/oak-marr for more.

McLean Farmers Market. Fridays, through Nov.15, 8 a.m.-noon at Lewinsville Park, 1659 ChainBridge Road, McLean. Sixteen local farmers andproducers will sell fresh produce and fruits;meats; breads and pastries; jams; dairy productsand eggs; herbs; flowers, coffee, and more. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/mclean.

Great Falls Farmers Market. Year-round,Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 778 Walker Road,Great Falls. Music, vendors, fresh produce, freshprepared food, delightful bakery, spices fromaround the world, wild-caught fish, grass-fed,free-range meats, organic-fed poultry and eggs.Email [email protected] formore.

Oakton Farmers Market. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1p.m. at Unity of Fairfax Church, 2854 HunterMill Road, Oakton. Year-round weekly farmersmarket in Oakton. Local produce, meats/eggs,dairy, baked goods, and more. Admission is free.Visit community-foodworks.org.

Mah Jongg Cards. Order cards through Jan. 15,2020, from Temple Rodef Shalom, 2100Westmoreland St. 2020 Mah Jongg cards are $8for small cards and $9 for large cards. Officialcards and will be sent directly from the NationalMah Jongg League in late March/early April2020. Go to bit.ly/mahjonggcards2020 or [email protected] to order.

WEDNESDAY/OCT. 2Community Coffee. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the

Community Room of the Regency at McLean,1800 Old Meadow Road, McLean. The McLeanNewcomers and Neighbors will host a coffee formembers and for non-members who might beinterested in joining. Visitwww.McLeanNewcomers.org or [email protected].

THURSDAY/OCT. 3Strong Girls Celebration. 6-9 p.m. at The

Atrium at Meadowlark , 9750 MeadowlarkGardens Court, Vienna. Join in a night of funand help raise funds to support Girls on the Runof Northern Virginia. A joyous event thatensures more girls gain the skills they need to bestrong, confident, and healthy. $85. Visitwww.gotrnova.org or call 703-273-3153.

Selling Suffrage: Words and Symbols toWin the Vote and the ERA. 6-9 p.m. atTower Club-Tysons Corner, 8000 TowersCrescent Drive, Suite 1700, Vienna (entrance atback of building). Powerful arguments andcompelling visual images were essential inconvincing the American public to support votesfor women. The need to “sell” the Equal RightsAmendment has also faced communicationchallenges. Come hear experts and advocatesdescribe the written and graphic messages thatsuffragists used to change public opinion, andlearn how those messages connect to latercampaigns for the Equal Rights Amendment.Heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and soft drinks

SATURDAY/OCT. 12Celebrating Lady Liberty’sBirthday. 6-8 p.m. at The Gardenby Building Momentum, 5380Eisenhower Avenue, #Suite C,Alexandria. A night of music,cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, silentauctions and more. Party hosted bylocal non-profit Just Neighbors tosupport legal services for low-income immigrants andrefugees.Childcare will be availableat Scramble next door to the venue.More information at Just Neighbors(www.justneighbors.org)

Model Railroaders OpenHouse. 1-5 p.m. at the ViennaDepot, 231 Dominion Road NE.Northern Virginia ModelRailroaders hold an open house atthe Vienna Depot each month andon Vienna celebration days,including Viva! Vienna and theVienna Holiday Stroll. Freeadmission. Call 703-938-5157 orvisit www.nvmr.org.

THURSDAY/OCT. 17Celebrate “Hitchcocktober.” 7p.m. at Angelika Film Center –Mosaic, 2911 District Ave., Fairfax.The Birds (1963). Every Thursdaynight in October, a classic film byAlfred Hitchcock will be featuredculminating with a showing ofPsycho on Halloween. $14.50. Visitwww.AngleikaFilmCenter.com formore.Meet Bill Lewers. 7:30-9 p.m. AtPatrick Henry Library, 101 MapleAve. E, Vienna. Meet the author ofthe Gatekeepers of Democracyseries, fiction books that celebratethose who volunteer on ElectionDay to serve as election officers.

Learn about “a day at the polls” as seen thoughthe eyes of the election officers, who are trulythe unsung heroes of the American electionsystem. Books available for sale and signing.Visit https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/5247267.

SATURDAY/OCT. 19Fearless Girls. 2-3 p.m. At Patrick Henry Library,

101 Maple Ave. E, Vienna. “Fearless Girls”: AnAfternoon of Storytelling. Folk stories of bravewomen and fearless girls can be found aroundthe world. Kristin Moyer will tell two storiesabout Molly Whuppie, from the collection TheAdventures of Molly Whuppie and OtherAppalachian Folktales, with a musical interlude.Visit https://vienna-va.aauw.net/.

Bingo. 7-10 p.m. At Unity of Fairfax, 2854 HunterMill Road, Oakton. The community is invited tojoin Unity of Fairfax for an evening of fun andconnection as they play different Bingo games.Snacks and drinks are available for sale.Participants can make donations at the door toplay. Suggested donation is $20 for adults, $10for youth under 18. Additional cards will beavailable for an extra donation. The pot will besplit between the church and winners of thevarious games. Visit https://unitybingooctober.eventbrite.com.

SUNDAY/OCT. 20Conversations in Consciousness. 2-4 p.m. at

Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road,Oakton. What can the final words of the dyingtell us about life after death? What doeslanguage tell us about altered states and newdimensions? Find out in this workshop! Cost is$25. Visit https://consciousnessconversation.eventbrite.com/.

I Dream a World. 4-6:30 p.m. At St. LukeCatholic Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike,McLean. The Reston Chorale presents I Dream aWorld, a concert of music by African-Americancomposers, from stirring arrangements oftraditional spirituals to contemporary choralsettings of Langston Hughes’ poems, plusinstrumental works by Daniel Hurd and ScottJoplin. Guest artists include Soprano SimonePaulwell, Baritone James Martin andComposers Evelyn Simpson Curenton and Rev.David North. Visit www.restonchorale.org.

will be served. $75. Visitsuffragistmemorial.org/ toregister.

Celebrate “Hitchcocktober.” 7p.m. at Angelika Film Center –Mosaic, 2911 District Ave.,Fairfax. Dial M for Murder (3D).Hitchcock’s 1954 classic wasoriginally shot in 3D but rarelyseen in this format. EveryThursday night in October, aclassic film by Alfred Hitchcockwill be featured, culminatingwith a showing of Psycho onHalloween. $14.50. Visitwww.AngleikaFilmCenter.comfor more.

OCT. 3-27The Glow: A Pumpkin

Wonderland. Thursday-Sunday nights in Lake FairfaxPark, 140 Lake Fairfax Drive,Reston. Enjoy an immersiveHalloween stroll along a traililluminated by thousands ofintricately carved pumpkins,many highlighting the CapitalCity’s most famous includingpumpkin look-a-likes of iconiclandmarks, musicians, moviestars, superheroes andprincesses. Autism Speaks Nighton Sunday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. withadjustments made for guests onthe autism spectrum. Advancedtickets are required. $16.99 forchildren; $22.99 for adults, atwww.glowpumpkin.com/washington-dc.

FRIDAY/OCT. 4OLGC Golf Classic. 11 a.m.-8

p.m. at Westfields Golf Club,13940 Balmoral Greens Ave.,Clifton. Join Vienna’s Our Ladyof Good Counsel CatholicChurch for a fun-filled day with contests, foodand drink, and company to share it with.Register by Sept. 23. $200. Visitwww.olgcva.org/fellowship/golf-classic or call703-896-7425.

Raise the Region Gala. 6:30-10 p.m. at HiltonMcLean Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones BranchDrive, McLean. A fundraiser for the CommunityFoundation for Northern Virginia supportingtheir work to grow philanthropy to respond toneed, seed innovation, and lead and convene thecommunity. The evening includes a cocktailreception, silent and live auctions, an elegantseated dinner, and the Community LeadershipAward presentation. Black tie attire. $300. Visitwww.cfnova.org/ for tickets.

SATURDAY/OCT. 5Vienna Oktoberfest. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. On Historic

Church Street in Vienna. At the 12thAnniversary, celebrate with loads of food,vendors, music, entertainment, kids’ activities,and beer and wine. Presented by the ViennaBusiness Association and Town of Vienna. Thefestival draws 20,000-30,000 attendees. Visitwww.viennaoktoberfest.org.

3rd annual DC-Metro Modern Home Tour.11 a.m.-5 p.m. in areas including Arlington,Fairfax, and Great Falls. The DC-Metro ModernHome Tour, a self-guided event, provides a dayof local sight-seeing and open-house-style visitsfor lovers of architecture, design, real estate,and anyone on the hunt for ideas andinspiration. $20-$50. Visitwww.dcmetromodernhometour.com for tickets.

Tea Seminar: Exploring Teas. 1-3 p.m. atColvin Run Mill, 10017 Colvin Run Road, GreatFalls. An advanced workshop for those who haveattended past basic tea seminars. An explorationinto unique teas - by process, terroir, and/orscarcity. Tea infused treats and a take home teasampler included. $35 per person. Use ID Code731.1973. Register at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes or call 703-222-4664.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 5-6Book Sale. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 10

a.m.-2 p.m. (fill a bag for $5) at Patrick HenryLibrary, 101 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Featuringthousands of used books, CDs, DVDs, and bookson CD. Free parking and admission. Pricesremain the same: hardbacks $2, trade

paperbacks $1, pocket paperbacks 50 cents, kidsbooks 25 and 50 cents. CDs and videos $1-$2.Credit cards accepted. All proceeds benefit thelibrary. Email [email protected] or call703-568-0104.

SUNDAY/OCT. 6MPAartfest. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in McLean Central

Park; 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd; McLean. TheMcLean Project for the Arts will host its annualMPAartfest. During MPAartfest, Central Park istransformed into a landscape of mini artgalleries and features live music throughout theday, a Children’s Art Walk, hands-on art studio,STEAM experiences, food vendors, and more.Free admission. Visit www.mpaart.org or call703-790-1953.

Barn Sale. Noon-4 p.m. at Lift Me Up!, 9700Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Support Lift MeUp! a local non-profit organization. Deals onsaddles to riding apparel to blankets and more.Prices are as low as $1. Rain or shine. Donationsaccepted. Email [email protected] orvisit liftmeup.org for more.

Vienna Hunger Stroll. 2-4 p.m. at Committeefor Helping Others, 133 Park St. NE, Vienna. Analternative to Vienna’s CROP Hunger Walk, the“Cafe Stroll” is less than a mile and stops atBards’ Alley, Rita’s, and Cafe Amouri. Proceedssupport hunger relief. Free, donations areencouraged. See crophungerwalk.org/viennava.

THURSDAY/OCT. 10Celebrate “Hitchcocktober.” 7 p.m. at

Angelika Film Center – Mosaic, 2911 DistrictAve., Fairfax.North by Northwest (1959). EveryThursday night in October, a classic film byAlfred Hitchcock will be featured culminatingwith a showing of PSYCHO on Halloween.$14.50. Visit www.AngleikaFilmCenter.com formore.

FRIDAY/OCT. 11Great Decisions: Cyber Conflict and

Geopolitics. 1-3 p.m. at Great Falls PublicLibrary. Great Falls Senior Center is partneredwith the Fairfax County Department ofNeighborhood and Community Services in allventures and events. Visit gfseniors.org formore.

MPAartfestThe McLean Project for the Arts will host its annual MPAartfest. During

MPAartfest, Central Park is transformed into a landscape of mini art galleries andfeatures live music throughout the day, a Children’s Art Walk, hands-on art stu-dio, STEAM experiences, food vendors, and more. Sunday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.in McLean Central Park; 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd; McLean. Free admission. Visitwww.mpaart.org or call 703-790-1953.


Say goodbye to summer and hello to fallat the St. Francis Fall Fest. Held from 3-7p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, St. Francis Epis-copal Church invites the entire communityto an afternoon of bluegrass music, foodtrucks, kids’ activities, Great Falls Cream-ery treats and wine tasting by the WineOutlet. Festival admission is free.

Proceeds from the festival will support theministries of St. Francis.

This annual event coincides with theFeast of St. Francis, the church’s patronsaint. The Fall Fest will be followed on

St. Francis Fall Fest to Be Held in Great Falls

Photos contributedChildren take a break from pumpkin painting to dance with the blue-grass music of the Andrew Acosta Band.

Community

Sunday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. with the annualBlessing of the Animals, where creaturesgreat and small (and their owners) receiveblessings for the year ahead. You do nothave to be a member of St. Francis to bringyour animals to be blessed. Information onthe Fall Fest and St. Francis Church can befound at: stfrancisgreatfalls.org or by call-ing the church office at: 703-759-2082. St.Francis is located at 9220 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls – at the intersection ofGeorgetown Pike and Riverbend nearGreat Falls Park.


News

Thomas Godwin of McLean concentrates as he prepares to throw in the frisbeecompetition.

Frisbee, Football ThrowingEvents Held at Senior OlympicsThe 2019 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics(NVSO) featured the frisbee and footballthrowing events, including the softball hitand throw events, at Wakefield Park in Annandale

on Sept. 18. The 37th annual NVSO provides senioradults with an opportunity for competition, self-im-provement, and fellowship through various athleticand recreational events.

Vienna resident Ken Unger won a silvermedal with a throw of 125’ 5”. It wasUnger’s first time competing in the NVSO.

Falls Church resident Mary LouD’Alessandris makes contact with thesoftball to win a gold medal in the 80-84age group.

GharemonSuleymon

fromMcLean

throws thesoftball 100feet to come

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is one thing, and certainly a big thing, but I’m much better dealing with it when the 50 million other things we all have to deal with are not having to be dealt with (ending a sentence with a preposition notwithstanding) at the same time. And not that I’m the least bit unique in having all these other tasks and concerns or even the most bit interest-ing in that I have them. Hardly. They are simply the elements that sometimes make living more of a job and less of an adventure. That being said, when I am uncluttered by these mundane re-sponsibilities and am able to focus on the things I want to do rather than the things I have to do, I am so much more able to fend off the inevitable demons that haunt any of us diagnosed with a serious/in my case “terminal,” disease.

The last month was, and still is, such a month. It all started with my application for a reverse

up, I met another, local company who so far has exhibited the wherewithal to get the application approved. However, the structural integrity prob-lem you regular readers know about has impeded the progress I was hoping to have made by now. Not knowing yet the estimate to right this wrong, I am twisting in a bit of an ill wind, and I assure you, it is not improving my demeanor.

Yes, “Medicare is in The House,” but as of September 27, it’s sort of a house divided. Because even though its effective date was September 1st, I’ve not received an invoice. And since I haven’t paid for any new coverage, am I still supposed to cancel my old, in-force “Obama Care?” Moreover, if I don’t know exactly what I have, am I supposed to buy a Medicare Supple-ment for coverage I don’t know for sure even exists? I mean, it’s not as if my medical welfare/

more worried, and obviously confused.If the unresolved reverse mortgage and health

to stress over, consider my concern for the “Di-abetic Duo,” our two cats with diabetes. Other than the real possibility that either, if not both, of these cats will die on our watch, the expense of sustaining their lives is past adding up. Items include insulin, syringes, prescription wet food, prescription dry food, two sizes of pee pads (because the liter box has less interest to them or they can’t quite see it) and since they’re eating and drinking constantly, we’re buying more liter than ever before, and vet bills: diabetic boarding when we’ve been away for a weekend or two and glucose monitoring every week to 10 days to check their sugar level, all times two. Can you say credit card?

Two other extremely mundane tasks have also fallen on me during this time line. Both involving the M.V.A., never an easy process: emissions inspection and a driver’s license renewal. Again, not Herculean tasks, but in the middle of all this other stuff. The issue? More money and possibly more hassle to resolve their respective ‘issues:’ possibly replacing a catalytic converter in the 29 year-old Honda Accord, which has happened previously under identical circumstances, and re-newing one’s driver’s license, which now comes

requirements which if I don’t have/can’t prove, present another slew of potential entanglements. And of course, the eye test. I don’t wear glasses. What if I fail the test and they tell me I need glasses. Then I have to see my way through that morass, and delay resolving another task.

And just to complicate matters, I am waiting for results from my bi-monthly CT scan and my wife, Dina, is waiting for results from a scan she recently completed. Though neither one of us is the least bit symptomatic, we are hardly dealing in absolutes here. Absolutely though, I will say, I

check the rest, I’ll be back to abnormal and then I can plan for the future rather than plod through the present.

WhenCompounding

isn’t a Good Thing

BulletinSubmit civic/community announcements at

ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

THROUGH OCT. 23How to Build a Better Budget. At the McLean

Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean. The McLean Community Center (MCC)Governing Board invites residents of SmallDistrict 1A-Dranesville to engage with planningCenter’s fiscal year 2021 budget. All meetings ofthe Governing Board are open to the public. Thepreliminary consolidated budget will be postedon the Center’s website and available at theCenter’s reception desk a week prior to thepublic hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Visitwww.mcleancenter.org/news-items/404-board-holds-meetings-on-fy2021-budget-proposal formore.

❖ Residents may submit written comments throughMonday, Oct. 21 - by mail to McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean VA 22101; fax 703-653-9435; or emailto [email protected].

❖ The Board will approve the FY2021 budget whenit meets at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23.The final budget will be approved by the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors in spring 2020.

WEDNESDAY/OCT 3CarFit. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Vienna Volunteer Fire

Department (parking lot), 400 Center St. S.,Vienna. Program offers older adults theopportunity to check how well their personalvehicles “fit” them. CarFit is an individualized,personal instruction to educate drivers on howto best position themselves (by adjusting thecar’s safety features) to maximize their safedriving experience. Schedule an appointment at703-255-7801. Learn more about the program atwww.car-fit.org.

SATURDAY/OCT. 5Mental Health and Wellness Conference. 8

a.m.-4 p.m. at Fairfax High School. The morningwill focus on social and emotional learning, witha keynote address given by Dr. Marc Brackett,founding director of the Yale Center forEmotional Intelligence. A special session forhigh school students, the Our Minds MatterTeen Summit, will take place in the morning aswell. Attendees are encouraged to stay forInova’s Act on Addiction Summit, which will beheld from 12:30-4 p.m. Breakout sessions,exhibit tables, and resources will be available toall attendees throughout the day. Lunch will beprovided. Visit www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/mental-health-and-resiliency/mental-health-and-wellness toregister.

Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at The Church of theGood Shepherd (United Methodist), 2351Hunter Mill Road, Vienna. The second “FallFestival: Where Fun and Kindness Connect!”includes a food packing event, as well as a blooddrive, children’s program, moon bounce, first-ever animal blessing (noon) and food andrefreshments. Free, though canned fooddonations accepted. A Pet Blessing, a first-timeevent for the church, will take place at noon tocelebrate the feast day of St. Francis.Visitwww.GoodShepherdVA.com or call 703-281-3987.

WEDNESDAY/OCT. 9Fairfax County Park Authority Board

Meeting. 7:30 p.m. in the Herrity Building,12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 941,Fairfax. The Park Authority Board’s 12appointed members establish strategic policyand direction for the Park Authority. Open tothe public. For agenda and more information,visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/boardagn2.htm or call 703-324-8662.

THURSDAY/OCT. 10Social Media Wellness. 7-8:30 p.m. At Langley

High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean.The Safe Community Coalition hosts a freecommunity showing of the IndieFlix OriginalDocumentary “LIKE.” The movie explores thesocial impact of social media on our lives andthe effects of technology on the brain. After thefilm, discussion will be led by Dr. Cliff Sussman,a DC-based psychiatrist and expert on helpingpeople achieve a more balanced relationshipwith digital technology.This event is free andrecommended for adults and students of any agewho have phones. Visit www.mcleanscc.org

Documents

Hot Topics at School Board Candidates Debateconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/100219/Great Falls.pdf · 2020. 7. 25. · guest emcee, DJ Chris Styles. Following in-troductions, words