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Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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FairfaxFairfax
Thespians’ Next Stop:The Kennedy CenterNews, Page 4
‘Ride of the Patriots’To Be Held Sunday, May 28News, Page 14
Ellie Whitfield andteacher JayCoakley, whofounded Ellie’sHats for her.
Pancakes, SmilesAnd a Good Cause
News, Page 3
Pancakes, SmilesAnd a Good Cause
News, Page 3
Summer FunPage 8
Summer Fun
2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
NewsFairfax Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or [email protected]
City of Fairfax resident JenniferPassey has filed her candidacyfor the Sept. 12 special election
for the open City Council seat. The elec-tion will fill the position vacated byformer Councilman David Meyer, whowas elected mayor in February. Sincethen, Dan Drummond has served as tem-porary Councilman.
Passey has served on the City’s Plan-ning Commission, Parks and RecreationAdvisory Board and the Country ClubHills Civic Association Board as VicePresident of Civic Affairs.
She believes that, if elected, she willbring a fresh perspective to the CityCouncil and continue advocating for itsresidents.
“The City of Fairfax is at a pivotal time
in its growth, with a number of redevelop-ment projects in the pipeline,” she said. “Ibelieve responsible planning today yieldsgood growth tomorrow. We need to con-tinue moving forward as a vibrant, safe,close-knit community for all. I look forwardto meeting and hearing from residents overthe next few months and earning their voteon Sept. 12.”
Residents may meet Passey at her ice-cream social, campaign-kickoff event, Fri-day, June 9, from 6-8 p.m., in the upperpavilion at Van Dyck Park. She currentlyworks for Girls on the Run of NOVA, a non-profit based in the City. She is a parishio-ner of St. Leo the Great Catholic Churchand an involved parent at St. Leo the GreatCatholic School.
— Bonnie Hobbs
Passey Throws Hat in Council Ring
Jennifer Passey filing to run for Fairfax City Council.
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By Bonnie Hobbs
The Connection
Gourmet pancakes, balloon ani-mals, characters from “StarWars” and “Frozen,” a silentauction, a raffle and lots of fun
– all these elements combined to make thesecond annual Ellie’s Hats Pancake Break-fast a big success. Held Saturday morning,May 20, at American Legion Post 177 inFairfax, it raised more than $14,000 forchildren with cancer and their families.
“We’ve had a great turnout,” said eventorganizer Brian Drummond. “It’s even big-ger and better than last year.” Besides theevent proceeds and contributions from lo-cal residents, Allstate donated $8,000, andsponsors Mystek Systems, Jim McKay
Chevrolet and Allstate Agency Owners Mikeand Christine Angles donated $2,000.
Ellie Whitfield was diagnosed with acutelymphoblastic leukemia in 2013; and by thetime she started kindergarten at WoodburnElementary, she’d lost her hair and waswearing hats to school every day. Her P.E.
teacher, Jay Coakley, noticed how happy herhats made her and organized a hat drivefor her.
He also wanted to bring that same joy toother children suffering from cancer, whileraising awareness of the disease, so hefounded the nonprofit Ellie’s Hats. Today,
besides collecting and donating hats forthese children, it also helps their financiallystruggling families and contributes to thehospitals and clinics that treat them.
Ellie’s long, red hair has now grown back.Introducing her to the crowd at the pan
From left: Mindy Rubin and Vicky Rosa, both with Allstate, selling Ellie’sHats T-shirts, hats and magnets.
Bobby and Janet Hartoon with son Gabe, 7, currently undergoingcancer treatment.
Enjoying their pancakes, sausage and eggs are thePavlocak sisters, (from left) Tasiya, 5 1/2, andPeytra, 3.
The Halpern brothers, (from left) Lane, 8, and Jack-son, 10, are ready to eat their pancakes, sausage,bacon and biscuits.
Pancakes, Smiles and a Good CauseBreakfastraises moneyfor Ellie’s Hats.
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4 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Transform 66 Outside the Beltway
Fairfax County and Prince William CountyPublic Information Meetings
All meeting times are 6-8:30 p.m. A brief presentation at
each meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
Monday, June 12, 2017
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
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Thursday, June 15, 2017
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Find out about plans to transform 22.5 miles of I-66 from I-495/
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congestion relief and enhanced safety, as well as new travel choices
and reliability.
Stop by between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to view the preliminary
concept plans submitted by I-66 Express Mobility Partners, VDOT’s
selected partner for the project, and learn more about the proposed
improvements. Attend the formal presentation at 7 p.m. VDOT and
questions.
Review project information at www.Transform66.org, at the meet-
Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. Please call 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-
7623) or TTY/TDD 711 to ensure the availability of appropriate
personnel to answer your questions. Preliminary concept plans and
project schedule will be available at the meetings for review and
regarding environmental, right of way and civil rights information.
Give your oral or written comments at the meetings. You may
also email comments to [email protected]. or mail
them to Susan Shaw, P.E., Megaprojects Director, at the VDOT
“Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” in the subject line. A summary
of comments submitted by June 30, 2017 will be posted on the
project website.
VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all
programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special
contact VDOT’s Civil Rights at 703-259-1775 or TTY/TDD 711.
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From left: Solomon Odom (Stormtrooper),City Police Chief Carl Pardiny, event orga-nizer Brian Drummond and Carly Kennedy(X-Wing pilot).
American Legion member Luke Munsonmakes a batch of lemon-blueberry pan-cakes.
From Page 3
Breakfast Supports Ellie’s Hatscake breakfast, Coakley said, “She’s now a third-
grader at my school. When I started this, she had alot less hair and I had a little more.” He also thankedthe American Legion and all the volunteers helpingSaturday, plus the costumed movie characters.“They’re doing what we try to do – brighten kids’days,” said Coakley.
The Star Wars characters were from the 501st Gar-rison Tyranus. Portraying “Frozen’s” Elsa was RachelGray of Joy to the Kids, and playing Anna was Lind-say Bowie from The Princess Performer.
ELLIE, who likes playing tag and soccer with herfriends, called the event “cool, because I got to holda stormtrooper’s gun and wear his helmet.” She alsoenjoyed eating some strawberry-topped pancakesand said, “I think Ellie’s Hats has made a lot ofprogress, and it helps kids feel better.”
“This breakfast is a wonderful event that bringstogether a lot of people who care about kids withcancer,” added her mom, Jennica Whitfield. “It’s agood turnout, and the people here have loved onour daughter for the past two years and helped usthrough some tough times.”
Also there was Kelcey Pavlocak with her two,
young daughters, Tasiya and Peytra, eating pancakeswith chocolate chips and strawberry compote. “I toldthem who Ellie is and what she went through,” saidPavlocak. “I said she’s a very brave girl and that thisbreakfast is to raise money and awareness for kidslike Ellie.”
Bobby and Janet Hartoon came from Virginia Beachwith their 7-year-old son Gabe. “He has cancer andgets treated up here,” said Janet Hartoon. “We knewabout Ellie’s hats and we also know Jay because hecomes and visits Gabe when he’s here. We met himat another event and he told us about Ellie’s Hatsand brought Gabe some hats to wear. Gabe was soexcited, he was dancing in his hat.”
Event attendees enjoyed a buffet of pancakes, ba-con, eggs, sausage, hash browns, ham, orange juiceand coffee. And among those cooking the pancakeswas Army vet and American Legion member LukeMunson. He made lemon-blueberry pancakes toppedwith blueberries, pink velvet pancakes topped withwhite-chocolate sauce, strawberry-orange pancakestopped with strawberry compote, plus plain pancakesto top with chocolate chips and whipped cream.
Munson is also third vice-commander of Post 177and a member of the Sons of the American Legion.
See Breakfast, Page 13
Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Bonnie Hobbs
The Connection
The 2016-17 National CapitalArea Cappie nominations areout, and Fairfax, Woodson andPaul VI high schools received a
total of 17 nominations. Fairfax received 10;Woodson, five; and Paul VI, two.
The three schools and all the other nomi-nees will find out who’ll win what, Sundaynight, June 11, at the 18th annual CappiesAwards Gala at The Kennedy Center inWashington, D.C. Meanwhile, the directorsat these schools are delighted with the rec-ognition their students and theater pro-grams are receiving.
Fairfax High SchoolFairfax’s nominations were for its produc-
tion of the rollicking musical, “Guys andDolls,” about love and gambling in 1950sNew York. “The cast, crew and creative teamof ‘Guys and Dolls’ is thrilled to have beenrecognized so generously by the Cappiesorganization’s team of student critics,” saidDirector Erich DiCenzo. “This year’s 10nominations add up to a total of 50 nomi-nations over the past four years.”
“While we could not feel more honoredand gracious from our recent success, wealso want to congratulate all other partici-pating schools in the Cappies program,” hecontinued. “Our favorite part of the year isbeing able to dress up and celebrate the artswith the peers, friends, colleagues and sup-porters who make up our theater family.”Fairfax’s nominations are as fol-lows:
Graduating Critic – Sierra HoffmanMarketing & Publicity – Andy Giron,
Sierra Kaplan, Chlyne Lillo, CarolineWhitacre
Special Effects and/or Technology – Tho-mas Iodice
Costumes – Neva Sedlak
Sets – Thomas IodiceChoreography – Sophia Poteet,
Michael SulpizioFemale Vocalist – Tori GarciaMale Vocalist – Zion JangComic Actress in a Musical – Emily
Dillard
Woodson High SchoolWoodson’s Cappie nominations – includ-
ing Best Play – were for “Peter and theStarcatcher,” the prequel to the iconic taleof “Peter Pan.”
“I’m so proud of my cast and crew for theirtotal commitment to this show, on stage and
off,” said Director Terri Hobson. “There isso much talent there, and it was recognized,over and over again, in critics’ reviews andby patrons with comments about how en-gaged and engaging the cast was – and thatreflects on the crew, as well – in their per-formances.” “This play was so liberating foreveryone, allowing cast and crew alike tomake fun choices with no apologies,” she con-tinued. “That kind of ‘permission’ was so posi-tive for everyone, and it made the show magi-cal. I’m really proud of our nominees, and ofevery single person who made ‘Peter and theStarcatcher’ a very special show.”Woodson’s nominations are asfollows:
Ensemble in a Play – The Lost BoysComic Actress in a Play – Meryn
HoltslanderComic Actor in a Play – Andrew BlackLead Actor in a Play – Jack HopewellBest Play
Paul VI High SchoolPaul VI was nominated for “Little Shop
of Horrors,” a quirky mix of music, romanceand a man-eating plant. And Kathy d’Alelio,in her first year as head theater director atthe school, couldn’t be happier.
“The response to our musical was won-derful,” she said. “I am so very proud of thequality of the production and the perfor-mances all of our students gave. To havefour of our students recognized as amongthe top five – out of 60 schools in their re-spective categories – is the chocolate-marsh-mallow frosting on the cake.”
Senior Drew Goldstein, who portrayedthe sadistic dentist, received a nominationfor Comic Actor in a Musical. “Being nomi-nated for a Cappie is such an honor, and Iam extremely excited to represent ourschool at The Kennedy Center,” he said.“The dentist was one of the most fun roles Ihave played, and I feel extremely blessedto be recognized.” Nominated for Best Setwere Andrew Conley and twin brothersBobby and Tommy Kelleher. “I was verypleased to hear about our Cappie nomina-tion for Sets,” said senior Bobby Kelleher.“It’s a pleasure to know that the hard workand the long nights we spent constructingand finishing the set paid off.” “Of all myother Cappie nominations, I’m most excitedabout this one,” added Tommy Kelleher. “It’snot because it’s another one to add to mybelt; but rather, because I really believe thatthis set deserves to win.” Furthermore, heexplained, “I believe my brother deservesto be on that stage and thank those whobelieved in him and helped him through thestruggle of designing and building this mas-sive set. And I’m also quite excited that heand I get to go to The Kennedy Center andsit with all the other nominees and with oneof our best friends, Andrew Conley.”Paul VI’s nominations are as fol-lows:
Comic Actor in a Musical – DrewGoldstein
Sets – Andrew Conley, BobbyKelleher, Tommy Kelleher
The romantic couples in Fairfax’s “Guys and Dolls” are (from left)Hayden Giles and Emily Dillard (as Nathan and Adelaide) and Zion (ZJ)Jang and Tori Garcia (as Sky and Sarah).
CarolineOrejuela,as Molly,and Jack
Hopewell, asPeter, share
their dreamsin Woodson’s
“Peter and theStarcatcher.”
The Doo Wop Girls surround Drew Goldstein, as the dentist, in Paul VI’s,“Little Shop of Horrors.”
Thespians’ Next Stop: The Kennedy CenterFairfax, Woodson,Paul VI nominatedfor Cappies.
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Bonnie Hobbs
The Connection
6 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
sympathy or contempt for those affected by it.For others it might be a fear of it possibly hap-pening to them. The desire to find out howpeople felt on this subject served as the cata-lyst for my project team in a George MasonUniversity communications class.
As part of the class project we had the op-portunity to partner with the Fairfax CountyOffice of Public Affairs and the Office to Pre-vent and End Homelessness. When we wereinformed about the current situation involv-ing homelessness in the county, I was shocked.We were told that back in 2008, approximately1,800 people were found to be homeless in thecounty. Although there has been an almost 50percent reduction in homelessness since then,it had never occurred to me that a significantnumber of people in the area were goingthrough this problem.
We wanted to know more about what oth-ers thought about homelessness in the county.We decided to do a survey of county residentsabout their thoughts on homelessness and re-port on what we found out. We sent the sur-vey out on March 23 and promoted it throughsocial media and email. After two weeks, wegot the results and I think what we learnedsurprised all of us.
Almost 1,600 people filled out the survey.One of the responses revealed that 65 percentof those who responded believe homelessnessaffects them personally. Some people said theyoften saw people who were homeless, whileothers said they have never seen a person whois homeless in the county. Yet, what broke myheart were the comments that read “They are
Virginia Needs toAdopt California FuelEconomy GoalsTo the Editor:
In response to Governor McAuliffe’s direc-tive to Virginia’s DEQ to cut carbon pollution,Virginia should adopt Obama’s and California’sfuel economy goals: 54.5 mpg by 2025. Do cli-mate-change dismissives — especially thosewho drive gas-guzzlers — ever go outside? Dothey ever run, walk, or ride a bike beside aroad so that they have to breathe in car ex-haust?
I loathe walking beside roads, and when I’vegone on long bike rides, I’ve noticed that “ya-hoos” in pickup trucks — especially the dieselmodels, like to “floor it” when they pass a groupof bike riders, so that we are forced to get alungful of carbon monoxide, methane, sulfurand nitrous oxides, polyaromatic hydrocar-bons, and heavy metals. I’d like to see if theycould get out of their three-ton “exhaust spray-ers” and pedal up a two-mile grade.
Have they ever hiked in the mountains, awayfrom traffic noise (which I despise), andbreathed in pure, oxygen-rich air? My grand-father, a doctor from Marion, N.C., used to takea bicycle inner tube filled with mountain airwhen he went to the city, so that he couldbreathe the air from that tube with his car win-dows rolled up. To him (even with the rubbersmell), that air was better than the exhaust-filled city air.
To Trump, those bike-riders and hikers arelosers, especially compared to selfish status-
seekers who can afford a Cadillac Escalade,Lexus LX 570, Dodge Viper, or other ridicu-lously heavy and/or powerful gas hog. Andwho cares about wildlife, the hapless victimsof our pollution? I do, for one! Shouldn’t ev-eryone be outraged to learn that:
❖ 25 percent of cars are causing 90 percentof the air pollution we breathe;
❖ in 2016, about 76 different models of ve-hicles weighed at least 6,000 lbs. (which areexempt from annual depreciation caps);
❖ eight of the most expensive luxury carsget the worst gas mileage (e.g., 14 miles pergallon or less overall).
With the strong evidence correlating demen-tia, Alzheimer’s, and cancer with breathing carexhaust, Trump and the GOP plan to roll backnational car emission standards. (My veryhealth-conscious wife was just diagnosed withcancer, and with all the walking we do, breath-ing exhaust likely contributed to its onset.)Why doesn’t Virginia join California to adoptthe 54.5 mpg-by-2025 goal? It’s the very leastwe should do!
John H. Fringer, III, P.E.Reston
Heart-BreakingResponses onHomelessnessTo the Editor:
Homelessness is a word that can conjure upa variety of emotions. For some it might be See Letters, Page 15
By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
State Delegate (D-36)
For more than a half century signsalong the roadsides and ads in localnewspapers featured Smokey theBear with a message “Keep Virginia
Green.” His reference was to forest fire pre-vention, of which he said 9 out of 10 could beprevented. Forest fires were a big concern be-cause wood products were big business in Vir-ginia.
A campaign continues today with a “KeepVirginia Green” theme as part of the “Keep Vir-ginia Beautiful” effort. It has a broader mean-ing as it now includes stopping littering andother actions consumers can take as part ofcaring for the environment in the Common-wealth.
Maybe the most meaningful effort ever takento protect Virginia’s environment was an-nounced last week by Gov. Terry McAuliffe —that he had signed an Executive Directive or-dering the Department of Environmental Qual-ity to begin the process of establishing regula-tions in Virginia that will reduce carbon emis-sion from power plants. As the Governor ex-plained, “As the federal government abdicatesits role on this important issue, it is critical for
states to fill thevoid…Virginia willlead the way to cutcarbon and lean in onthe clean energy fu-ture.” The currentfederal administra-tion has moved to re-scind actions of theEnvironmental Pro-tection Agency to re-duce carbon in the at-mosphere and to acton climate change.
While proponents of states’ rights may ap-plaud the shift from the federal to the stategovernments, wind currents from power plantsand airborne pollutants do not recognize stateboundaries. It is critically important that otherstates follow the actions of Gov. McAuliffe.
According to the press release announcingthe Governor’s Executive Directive, the Com-monwealth has seen an increase from just 17megawatts of solar installed to more than1,800 megawatts in service or under develop-ment. Revenues in the rapidly growing cleanenergy sector have risen from $300 million to$1.5 billion between 2014 and 2016. In thelast year alone, solar installations have risen
nearly 1,200 percent. The number of Virgin-ians employed by the solar industry rose 65percent to 3,236 — twice the number of jobssupported by coal. An analysis by The SolarFoundation quoted in the release said that Vir-ginia is now second in the Southeast and ninthin the nation for year-over-year solar growth.As of 2017, Virginia is first in the Southeastfor corporate clean energy procurement.
Dominion Energy, the Commonwealth’s larg-est electricity producer, announced earlier thatit intends to follow the federal Clean PowerPlant regulations even if they are rescinded bythe current administration. Older coal-poweredplants are being converted to natural gas orclosed. The company will be subject to anyadditional regulations that result from theGovernor’s Executive Directive.
It is heartening to see the number of citizenswho have expressed a greater interest in envi-ronmental matters as they realize the threatto current protections under the new adminis-tration. We need to thank and applaud theGovernor for his action and at the same timekeep the pressure on federal and state electedofficials to see that our air is kept clean andsafe. I am pleased that both the Sierra Cluband the League of Conservation Voters haverecognized my efforts in this regard.
Keep Virginia Green
Letters to the Editor
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Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
People
This Mother’s Day month MeenaBhinge of Fairfax was one of 12local mothers selected as “Moms of
the Year” by the Washington Family maga-zine. The selection was made for involve-ment in the children’s activities and com-munity service.
The Bhinge family loves to learn, traveltogether and support non-profits byfundraising. Their boys Rohil (age 13, FrostMiddle School) and Samik (age 12, MosbyWoods Elementary) are 2016 NationalChampions with the United States Geogra-phy Olympiad and Rohil was declared the2017 US Division champion for the Inter-national Geography Bee and won a ticketto compete in Berlin for the final competi-tion in 2018.
The family has organized five fun runs toraise $10,000 to help build fully accessibleChessie’s Big Backyard in Lee District andfor Pencils of Promise, a non-profit whichbuilds schools in developing countries. Thefun runs were supported by County Boardof Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova;State Sen. Chap Petersen(D-34); Roberta
Longworth, director, Fairfax County ParkFoundation; and more than 100 families,teachers, friends and local businesses.
For the past five years, Rohil and Samikalso organized a campaign called Hungeris Scary during Halloween and collectedfood supplies instead of candy. They do-nated the collection to Britepaths, Fairfax.The boys receive a lot of support and en-couragement from their parents – Deepakand Meena. Deepak is an engineer work-ing for Fairfax County’s Department of Pub-lic works and Environmental Services.
Meena has an MBA in Human Resourcesand MA in Economics. She is a Commis-sioner on the Fairfax County Board of Hu-man Rights. She is also the Founder ofSpeakers Academy (www.bhinge.com) thatconducts public speaking classes for chil-dren and adults. She provides career ad-vancement training for individuals andgroups. Meena is interested in guiding otherfamilies get involved in community serviceand raise money by organizing fun runs. In-terested families can contact her [email protected].
Rohil,Meena
andSamik
Bhinge.
Fairfax Resident Named ‘Mom of the Year’
Rohil Bhinge of Fairfax won the 2017 US Division of International Geog-raphy Olympiad.
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8 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Send entertainment notes to the Connectionat connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/ orcall 703-778-9416. The deadline is the Fridayprior to the next paper’s publication at noon.Dated announcements should be submitted atleast two weeks prior to the event.
ONGOINGStorytime in the Park. Tuesdays through
May 30, 10:30 a.m. at Old Town Square.Fairfax. Visit fairfaxva.gov/parksrec or call703-385-7858.
Senior Line Dancing 1-2 p.m. Little RIverGlen Senior Center 4001 Barker Court,Fairfax. Line Dancing is a gentle, socialform of aerobic activity. Studies haveshown it aids in warding off Alzheimer’sdisease. No previous experience needed.Cost: $5 per 8 week [email protected] 703-524-3739
Fairfax Pets on Wheels New VolunteerOrientation First Wednesday of eachmonth. 7:30-9 p.m. 3001 Vaden Drive,Fairfax. An orientation for new volunteersinterested in visiting residents of nursinghomes and assisted living facilities withtheir approved pets through the FairfaxPets On Wheels program is held the firstWednesday of every month starting at 7:30p.m. Visit www.fpow.org for each month’slocation. Prior to attending, complete theonline application found www.fpow.org/volunteer. Please do NOT bring pets to thisorientation. Also, see weather policy forpossible cancellations. www.fpow.org,703-324-5424 [email protected].
Carolina Shag. Wednesdays. 6:30-10 p.m.Arlington/Fairfax Elks Lodge, 8421Arlington Blvd., Fairfax. Free lessons at7:30 p.m. No partners needed. Dinnermenu. $8. Under 21 free. nvshag.org.
FUN-Exercise Thursdays, noon-12:50 p.m.Grace Presbyterian Church Family Room,7434 Bath St., Springfield. Inova certifiedexercise instructor leads a moderate levelexercise class with music and currentevents conversation. Muscle, Balance,Strength Training using stretch bands and
weights both standing and seatedexercises. Instructor donation is [email protected] or 703-499-6133.
Exercise Program Mondays and Fridays at9:30 a.m. year-round at Lord of LifeLutheran Church, 5114 Twinbrook Rd.Fairfax. The exercises are for strength,balance and maintaining limberness.Contact SCFB office at 703-426-2824 formore information.
Cafe Ivrit (Hebrew Cafe). Wednesdays.8:15-9:15 a.m. Jewish Community Centerof Northern Virginia, 8900 Little RiverTurnpike, Fairfax. Shalom (hello) Did youalways want to converse in Hebrew? JoinNa’ama each week for conversationalHebrew. You will learn and practiceHebrew in a fun and interactive way whilelearning more about Israel. Free, howeverwe ask that you try to attend regularly.RSVP [email protected].
Smoke Free Bingo. 7 p.m. Every Friday.Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, 4081University Drive, Fairfax. Free coffee,entertaining callers, $1,000 jackpot (withbreaks for smoking friends).www.fairfaxvd.com. 703-273-3638.
English Conversation Groups weekly atGeorge Mason, Burke Centre, and LortonLibraries Practice and improve yourEnglish. Day and start times vary. Visit:va.evanced.info/fairfaxcounty/lib/eventcalendar.asp
Stories From Strawberry Park 10-11a.m. Tuesdays in Mosaic, Strawberry Park,2910 District Ave., Fairfax. Enjoy a liveinteractive performance each week. Forages 10 and under. Held outside inStrawberry Park. In inclement weatherand October through April, storytime willbe held in Angelika Film Center. Visitwww.fxva.com/listing/mosaic-district/2326/.
Funday Monday 10:30 a.m., every Mondayat Old Town Hall, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. There will be music, movement,storytelling, performances, crafts, andmore. It is open to children of all ages,however especially for those who haven’tyet started school. Programs are free and
open to the public, donations are gratefullyappreciated. There is ample free parking inthe downtown area, and stroller access atthe rear of Old Town Hall on Main St. 703-385-7858 www.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts
Kingstowne Farmers Market opens. 4-7p.m. every Friday through Oct. 27, atKingstowne Giant Parking Lot, 5870Kingstowne Center, Alexandria. Freshlypicked, producer-only vegetables and fruit,from-scratch bread (including gluten free),baked goods, kettle corn, salsa, hummus,cake pops, fruit popsicles, and ice cream.Email [email protected] call 703-642-0128 for more.
CAMPS & CLASSESDrawing Plus Color and Craft Fun Camp.
July 3-7, 9:30-11:45 a.m. at WoodsCommunity Centre, 10100 Wards GroveCircle, Burke. Instructor Carol Zeitlin. Ages5-8. Visit www.czartlessons.com or call 703-250-6930 for more.
Drawing Camp. July 3-7, 12:30-3:15 p.m. atWoods Community Centre, 10100 WardsGrove Circle, Burke. Instructor Carol Zeitlin.Ages 8 and up. Visit www.czartlessons.comor call 703-250-6930 for more.
Fine Arts and Crafts Camp. July 24-28,12:30-3:15 p.m. at Burke PresbyterianChurch,5690 Oak Leather Drive InstructorCarol Zeitlin. Drawing and/or watercolor,mixed medias. Ages 8 and up. Visitwww.czartlessons.com or call 703-250-6930.
SUNDAY/MAY 28Burke Historical Society. 3:30 p.m. at
Pohick Regional Library, 6450 SydenstrickerRoad, Burke. Jon Vrana, BHS President, willspeak on the Civil War’s effects on localcivilians. Visitwww.burkehistoricalsociety.org/ for more.
MONDAY/MAY 29Memorial Day Ceremony. 2 p.m. at Ox Hill
Battlefield Park, 4134 West Ox Road,Fairfax. The Father William Corby Division
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians willoffer a program that blends music withhistorical remembrance, the laying offlowers, and a color guard. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/oxhill/ orcall 703-324-8662 for more.
THURSDAY/JUNE 1Hometown Thursdays Kickoff. 6:30-8:30
p.m. at Old Town Square, 3999 UniversityDrive, Fairfax. The Back Pages Band is thefirst of a series of local bands that play onThursday nights. Free. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov for more.
FRIDAY/JUNE 2Bingo. 7 p.m. at 4081 University Drive,
Fairfax. The Fairfax Volunteer FireDepartment hosts smoke-free Bingo everyFriday night. All proceeds go to purchasingfire and rescue equipment. Visitwww.fairfaxvfd.com or call 703-273-3638.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY/JUNE 2-3“The Mad Adventures of Mr. Toad.”
Friday, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, at 1 p.m.and 7 p.m. at Thomas A. Edison HighSchool, 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria.Performance by Rose Hill ElementarySchool’s Rose Hill Players. Visitedisonhs.fcps.edu/ for more.
SATURDAY/JUNE 3Walking Tour of Old Town Fairfax. 10-
11:30 a.m. at Historic Fairfax Courthouse,4000 Chain Bridge Road. Tours lastingapproximately 90 minutes will begin infront of the Historic Fairfax CountyCourthouse, corner of Chain Bridge Roadand Main Street, and include a short tourof the Ratcliffe-Allison House, $10/adults;$5/youth, ages 6-12, children 6 and underare free. All proceeds benefit thepreservation of the City of Fairfax’s publichistoric properties. Call 703-385-8414.
Scent Workshop. 10:30-11:30 am at FairOaks Mall, 11750 Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax.
Summer Fun, Food & Entertainment
Family Workshop opens with Lawrence F.Lowery’s illustrated book, “Fragrant as aFlower,” and includes hands-on sensoryexperiences that help children and theirgrown-ups learn about our sense of smell.$25. Children in grades pre-K to 1. Visitwww.shopfairoaksmall.com for more.
Kidz Korner Summer on the Square.10:30-11:30 a.m. at Old Town Square,3999 University Drive. A variety ofchildren’s activities and entertainment inOld Town Square. Free show. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/ for more.
Fido Fest. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at SherwoodCommunity Center, 3740 Old Lee Highway.Visit www.fairfaxva.gov/ for more.
Climate Change Documentary. 1 p.m. atKingstowne Library, 6500 LandsdowneCenter, Alexandria. The Kingstowne CaresConservation Club hosting a post-screeningdiscussion with special guests State Sen.Scott Surovell (D-36) and Seth Heald,Chair, Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club.Free. Space is limited, RSVP [email protected].
Sounds of Pohick. 4 p.m. at Historic PohickChurch, 9301 Richmond Highway, Lorton.St. Francis Choir and St. Cecelia/St. AlbanChoir, both for children; the Pohick Pickers,the Pohick Bell Choir, the Pohick EarlyChurch Music Ensemble, Choir of Pohickwill perform. Call 703-339-6572 or visitwww.pohick.org for more.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY/JUNE 3-4Civil War Living History Weekend.
Various times at the Fairfax StationRailroad Museum, 11200 Fairfax StationRoad. Demonstrations of camp life, musketfirings, candle making, Civil War re-enactors from the Victorian DanceEnsemble of the Civil War DanceFoundation in formal ball dress of the timedancing and teaching authentic dance stepsof that period. Admission: museummembers and ages 4 and under, free; ages5-15, $2; 16 and older, $5. Visitwww.fairfax-station.org, or call 703-425-9225 for more.
Springfield Days. Various times, in
Over the weekend of June 9-11, the grounds atthe Fairfax County Government Center will be fullof rides, games, food and entertainment as the 36thAnnual Celebrate Fairfax! Festival celebrates thecounty. Kicking off the entertainment Friday nighton the main stage is the rock band Bush, followedby Everclear the next night and a Sunday Brew Festto wrap up the festival.
Over the three days, there will be 300 exhibitors,food vendors, and interactive activities. CelebrateFairfax! showcases live concerts on eight stages, In-novation Health Children’s Avenue, a petting zoo,the Fairfax County Karaoke Championship, carnivalrides, and great festival foods. The free Fairfax Ex-press Trackless Train Ride circles the fair grounds
offering rides for all.Schedule:
❖ Friday, June 9, 6 p.m.-midnight❖ Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m.-midnight❖ Sunday, June 11, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Festival Location:12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA
22035Free Parking:
Fair Lakes Circle and Fair Oaks Mall – Shuttles toand from festival entrance. Visitcelebratefairfax.com/info/travel-lodging/ for addi-tional shuttle bus information and a map.
For more information, call 703-324-3247 or visitwww.celebratefairfax.com.
Photo courtesy of Celebrate Fairfax!
People, food and monkeys are part of thescene at Celebrate Fairfax!
By Mike Shupp
The petting zoo is always popular.
36th Celebrate Fairfax! FestivalArt Cole Photography
At night, the spinning wheel lightsup the sky.
Various acts willbe featured onseveral stagesthroughout thegovernment centergrounds.By Matt Bryant
Calendar
10 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Summer Fun
Springfield Plaza, 7206 Old Keene MillRoad. Events begin with a fun runand conclude with a cardboard boatregatta. Visitwww.springfielddays.com for more.
“Mulan” Performance. 12:30, 4:30,and 7:30 p.m. both days at the GMUCenter for the Arts, Harris Theatre,4400 University Drive. Acting forYoung People acting school is doing astage adaptation of Disney’sanimated film. Visit www.afyp.org.
SUNDAY/JUNE 4Yoga on the Square. 10 a.m. at the
Old Town Square, 3999 UniversityDrive. Bring a yoga mat and a waterbottle. Call 703-385-7858 for more.
Historic SydenstrickerCelebration. noon at the HistoricSydenstricker Schoolhouse, 8511Hooes Road, Springfield. FairfaxCounty Historic Marker dedicationand celebration at the HistoricSydenstricker Schoolhouse. Free. Call703-455-2935 or [email protected].
Wine, Whiskers and Wags. 1-5 p.m.at Paradise Springs Winery, 13219Yates Ford Road, Clifton. Benefithosted by Friends of the FairfaxCounty Animal Shelter. Wine tasting,food, a Silent Auction, raffle andmuch more. Well-behaved childrenand dogs welcome. Admission is$40/person in advance and $45 atthe door. Visit ffcas.org for more.
FRIDAY/JUNE 9Meet the Author. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. at Springfield Golf & CountryClub, 8301 Old Keene Mill Road,Springfield. Great Harvest BreadCompany Jeff Connelly, will sharehow they may be a nationalcompany, but they have the spirit
and heart of a locally owned smallbusiness. Also Keith Clemons, will bespeaking about the book he authored.Call 703-922 6438/703-913-9844 orvisit [email protected].
JUNE 9-11Celebrate Fairfax. various times at the
Fairfax County Government Center,12000 Government Center Pkwy.,Fairfax. Community-wide celebrationwith art, musical performances, andrides. Everclear is on the main stageon Saturday night. Visitcelebratefairfax.com/ for more.
SATURDAY/JUNE 10Hypothermia Skills. 11 a.m.-noon at
Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Road,Fairfax Station. Mark Chapin, thefounder of the MountaineerWilderness outdoor program inVirginia and West Virginia, an AirForce veteran and graduate of theWilderness Survival School and SeaSurvival School will be sharing hisknowledge with teens and adults.$10. Call 703-323-6600 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelakepark/ for more.
TUESDAY/JUNE 13Women Only Golf Tournament. 9
a.m. at Greendale Golf Course, 6700Telegraph Road, Alexandria. It’sCaptain’s Choice on the front 9 andbetter ball on the back 9 for two-person teams. $45.Call 703- 971-6170 for more.
BHS Research Seminar. 7-9 p.m. atBurke Centre Library, 5935 Freds OakRoad. “Using the Washington Libraryat Mount Vernon” is the topic. Stafffrom the Washington Library atMount Vernon will describe theresources available and procedures
for researchers at this archive. Visitwww.burkehistoricalsociety.org.
THURSDAY/JUNE 15Historic Interpretation. 7-9:30 p.m.
at the Sherwood Community Center,3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax.Event topic is “Nicholas Fairfax, 14thLord Fairfax of Cameron.” [email protected] or visitFairfax275.org for more.
THURSDAY/JUNE 17Fairfax County’s 275th
Anniversary. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at theSherwood Community Center, 3740Old Lee Hwy, Fairfax. Familyfriendly activities, liveentertainment, history exhibits,living history, historical organizationbooths and displays. [email protected] or visitFairfax275.org for more.
Father’s Day Golf Tournament. 8a.m. at Burke Lake Golf Course,7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station.Compete in closest-to-the-pin-contests, and prizes will be awardedfor the top three places in all threedivisions. $65 per team.Call 703-323-1641 for more.
SUNDAY/JUNE 18Father’s Day Jazz Brunch. noon-
1:30 p.m. at Hilton Garden InnFairfax, 3950 Fair Ridge Drive. ByFairfax NAACP. Visitfairfaxnaacp.org for more.
SATURDAY/JUNE 24Mosby Spring Bus Tour. 8 a.m. at
the Truro Rectory, 10520 MainStreet, Fairfax. Local Civil Warhistoric tour. Call 703-971-4984 oremail [email protected].
Cardboard BoatRegattaSpringfield Days,featuring rides,games and a card-board boat regatta atLake Accotink, takeplace the weekend ofJune 3-4, at multiplesites in Springfield.VisitSpringfieldDays.com.
Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
For girls and boys entering the 3rd - 9th grades
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News
The City of Fairfax School Board hashired Ann Monday to be the InterimSuperintendent to replace outgoing
Superintendent Peter Noonan. Monday as-sumed this role May 15, when Noonan be-came superintendent of Falls Church CityPublic Schools.
“Ann Monday is a strong leader who isfamiliar with our unique school system asa former Superintendent and City of Fairfaxresident,” said Jon Buttram, City of FairfaxSchool Board Chairman. “In addition, Ms.Monday will also be an integral in oursearch for a new superintendent so we arethrilled she is returning to help ensure thisis a smooth transition.”
Monday is a former high-school adminis-trator, Assistant Superintendent for FairfaxCounty Public Schools and Superintendent
for the City of Fairfax Schools from 2007-2012. Since her retirement in 2012, Mon-day has been working with Hazard, Youngand Attea executive search firm focusing onnational superintendent searches.
“The City of Fairfax school system willalways have a special place in my heart bothpersonally and professionally so I am proudto return to help with their transition to anew superintendent,” said Monday. “This isa wonderful city and school district and Ianticipate a high interest in the position.”
The City of Fairfax School Board is cur-rently soliciting feedback from the commu-nity in regards to the search for a new super-intendent. For more information, please goto the schools website atcityoffairfaxschools.org/school-board/superintendentsearch/ or call 703-385-7911.
Monday Named InterimSchools Superintendent
FidoFest is June 3It’s fun time for dogs in the City of Fairfax. On Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m.-2
p.m., the Parks and Recreation Department will host the second annual FidoFest.It’ll be held outside the Sherwood Center, 3740 Old Lee Hwy., in Fairfax, and willfeature a variety of fun activities for dogs.
Week in Fairfax
12 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
To honor dad on Father’s Day, send us yourfavorite snapshots of you with your dad andThe Connection will publish them in ourFather’s Day issue. Be sure to include someinformation about what’s going on in the photo,plus your name and phone number and townof residence. To e-mail photos, send to:
“Me and My Dad”
Theater
By David Siegel
The Connection
Christopher Durang’scomic “Vanya and Soniaand Masha and Spike” is
an inventive melding of AntonChekhov’s masterworks, deftlypacked together with modernAmerican components. Knowl-edge of Chekov is unnecessary toenjoy the Providence Players’ up-coming production of the show.
“We are always looking for acontemporary comedy that willboth challenge our audiences.‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha andSpike’ is just that kind of play,” saidJayne Victor, Providence Boardpresident. She also plays Sonia.
Playwright Durang transportedChekov to a family living a mun-dane, subdued life in BucksCounty, Pa. The family includesmiddle-aged Vanya, and his sisterSonia who are visited by theirflashy sister Masha with heryounger boyfriend, Spike.
For director Jimmy Gertzog,“Vanya and Sonia and Masha andSpike” is an opportunity to giveaudiences “a witty, fastcomedy…about relationships;ones that at first appear odd orcaricatured but quickly becomefamiliar.”
As the play progress, “we rootfor them to get a wake-up call, togo out and live,” added Gertzog.
“Vanya is the peace keeper be-tween his two polar opposite sis-ters. Life hasn’t been kind to himbut he finds that it is never toolate to take a chance for the bet-ter,” said Christian Faulkner whoplays Vanya.
“Sonia yearns to have a life out-side of Bucks County, Pa., but sinceshe can never make a decision, lifegoes on day by day,” said Victor.“Does Sonia want the life of hersemi-famous sister Masha?” Well,tomorrow could bring change.
Masha is played by ConnieShabshab. Shabshab describedMasha as a “glamorous ‘movie
star’ who is actually quite insecurebut lives to cover this up with heractress facade.”
Ari Post portrays Spike as “ayoung, hot trophy boyfriend toMasha. He has no worries, no re-grets, no inner turmoil, which con-fuses and agitates the rest of thebrooding, self-doubting charac-ters.”
Rachel Arling Samson playsCasandra, a housekeeper whocares deeply for Vanya and Sonia.“She believes that she has clairvoy-ant powers. She prefers to spendher time making gloomy prophe-cies rather than cleaning thehouse.” And there is Nina, an as-piring young actress, played byLindsey Doane. “She reminds us
Comic Sibling RivalriesProvidence Players presents “Vanyaand Sonia and Masha and Spike.”
Where & WhenProvidence Players present “Vanya
and Sonia and Masha and Spike” atJames Lee Community Center The-ater, 2855 Annandale Road, FallsChurch. Performances June 2 to June17, 2017. Thursday, Friday and Sat-urday 7:30 p.m. with Sunday 2 p.m.matinees on June 4 and June 11.Adults $20, seniors (62+)/students$17. Call 703-425-6782 or visitwww.providenceplayers.org
Providence Players presents “Vanya and Sonia andMasha and Spike.” Cast members, from left: ChristianFaulkner (Vanya), Connie Shabshab (Masha), Ari Post(Spike) and Jayne Victor (Sonia).
Pho
to
by C
hip G
ertzo
g/C
ourtesy Pro
viden
ce Players
how easy it is to see the beauty inlife before it smacks us in the face.”
Providence Players’ “Vanya and
Sonia and Masha and Spike,” is acomedy full of sibling rivalries,love and much humanity.
Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
He and his late father and grandfather all belongedto this post, and Munson even held his wedding re-ception there.
Happy to help out at the breakfast, he said, “It’s agreat event to help kids with cancer. We also do otherfundraisers here for veterans’ organizations and do-nate a lot of money to Fairfax High, the City of Fairfaxand 30-40 different organizations.”
Carrie and Mike Halpern brought their two sons,Lane and Jackson, to the breakfast. The boys attendGreenbriar East Elementary and, said their mom, “Atschool, I’ve headed up our Ellie’s Hats collection fortwo years and dropped off about 50 hats today.”
“Jay was my elementary-school P.E. teacher, andhe’s really grown this program and done a fantasticjob,” she continued. “Childhood cancer is somethingthat needs attention drawn to it, and it’s importantfor my kids to see Ellie, herself, who they’ve heardabout. We’re so excited to be here today.”
Pleased to be there, as well, were Cristy Gallagherand daughter Meg, 15, who’s been battling leuke-mia for 16 months. “She got several hats from Ellie’sHats, and her middle school did a hat drive last year,”said Gallagher. “She’s feeling good now and her haircame back.”
Noting that Ellie’s Hats sometimes delivers dinnersto youth cancer patients at Inova Fairfax Hospital,Gallagher said Meg was there last fall when Coakleybrought dinner to her and everybody else on the 10th-floor oncology unit. “It was wonderful because youget sick of that hospital food,” said Gallagher. “That’s
another great service that Ellie’s Hats and Jay pro-vide.”
She said it was “great fun” to see many of theirfriends – who get treatment in this area with Meg –at Saturday’s breakfast. Meg had a good time, too,saying, “The pancakes were delicious.”
REPRESENTING one of the event’s sponsors,Mystek Systems, was Misty Gutierrez, who owns thecompany with her husband Rick. “Jay was my gym-nastics coach at Lake Braddock Secondary,” she said.“And when he first posted on Facebook about Ellieand that he was collecting hats for her, it touchedmy heart.”
Eventually, said Gutierrez, “Our involvement inEllie’s Hats blossomed into what it is today. Now wesponsor them and volunteer at their events. LastChristmas, we bought a bicycle and a couple iPadsfor some young cancer patients who had them ontheir wish list. And today I sold raffle tickets andhelped wherever I could to support Jay.”
Coakley said the breakfast went very well. “TheAmerican Legion people donated their time andvenue and cooked all the food,” he said. “We alsohad six volunteers from Allstate helping out. Our slo-gan is ‘More than Just a Hat,’ and events like thisallow us to do things besides donating hats, such asdonating gas gift cards and helping families in fi-nancial crisis.”
But, he added, “We can’t do it without the supportof the people who follow Ellie’s Hats and come outto events like this pancake breakfast.” For more in-formation, go to ElliesHats.org.
News
From Page 4
Breakfast Supports Ellie’s Hats
14 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Tuesday 11:00 am 703-778-9411
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Announcements
PHILLIPS Programs invites contractors to submit sealed bids for providing
food service for its sites that participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and proposals may be obtained at the address below beginning on May 22, 2017
from 8:30 am until June 05, 2017 at 4:00 pm.
Proposals presented in duplicate will be received by PHILLIPS Programs, 7010 Braddock Road, Annandale VA 22003, Attn: Julie Lien until June 23, 2017 at
4:00 pm for the period of August 15, 2017 through August 14, 2018 inclusive.
June 26, 2017 at 9:00 am with award to be made on or about July 3, 2017 at
9:00 am. PHILLIPS Programs reserves the right to check all outside references.
PHILLIPS Programs reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids and
to waive any informalities in proposals received. All awards are made pending
Maryland State Department of Education review for USDA regulatory compliance.
PHILLIPS PROGRAMSNotice of Request for Proposals for Food Service
Announcements Announcements
ABC LICENSERestaurant Eve on the Water, LLC trading as Hummingbird, 220 South Union St, Alexan-dria, VA 22314. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC)
for a wine and beer on premises, mixed beverage on premises license to sell or man-ufacture alcoholic beverages. Troy Englert/Member. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date
notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
Legals
News
As many as 4,000 motor-cycles will flock to theFairfax Harley Owners
Group and Patriot Harley-Davidson’s 19th Annual “Ride ofthe Patriots” for the Memorial DayWeekend gathering of the motor-cycle riding community to pay trib-ute to America’s servicemen,women and veterans and raiseawareness of American POW andMIA soldiers of all wars.
After assembling at PatriotHarley-Davidson on Lee Highwayin Fairfax on Sunday, May 28, theparade of bikers will follow a routeto the Pentagon where it will joinwith hundreds of thousands ofother bikers from around thecountry and the world for the 30thannual “Rolling Thunder.” Themassive parade of bikes will thenhead to the National Mall and theVietnam Veterans’ Memorial inD.C. to pay their respects to fallencomrades and to remember thosewho have given their lives for theircountry. All motorcycle riders andthe public are invited to attend.
Motorcycles will begin to line upin the eastbound lanes of FairfaxBoulevard between Draper Driveand Eaton Place starting at 6:30a.m. A short parade featuring bothCity and County of Fairfax officialsalong with State and Congres-sional representatives, police, fireand rescue units, Veterans groups,the Fairfax High School MarchingBand, and the Firefighters’ Emer-
ald Society Pipe Band will beginat Captain Pell’s at 7:30. A send-off ceremony will begin at 8 a.m.,and will feature keynote speakerLt. Col. Jonathan M. Velishka whohas held various Field Artillerycommand positions around theworld including Iraq, Afghanistanand Korea. Velishka is currentlyattending the National War Col-lege at the National Defense Uni-versity.
Following the ceremony, therewill be a full police escort of theRide of the Patriots to the Penta-gon by the Fairfax County MotorSquad and units from the City ofFairfax, Fairfax County Sheriff,Arlington County Motor Squadand other local jurisdictions. Theroute will follow Lee Highway toNutley Street to Route I-66 toRoute 110 to the Pentagon. To putthe size of this procession of bikesinto perspective, the leading bikeswill have arrived at the Pentagonbefore the final bikes have left thestarting point in Fairfax.
To show support, fellow citizensline streets and overpasses alongthe route, wave flags, cheer andhonor the riders and the war he-roes they represent. Recom-mended observation points forspectators include locations alongLee Highway eastbound towardNutley Street, The Pan Am Shop-ping Center and all overpasses in-side the Beltway on eastboundRoute 66.
A motorcycle blazes by, flying an American Flag and aPrisoners of War and Missing in Action flag, as part ofthe Ride of the Patriots on Sunday, May 25, 2014.
Pho
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by Em
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‘Ride of the Patriots’To Be Held Sunday, May 28
Send notes to the Connection atconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/ orcall 703-778-9416.
THURSDAY/MAY 25Teen Resilience and Coping
Strategies. 6-8 p.m at MerrifieldCenter, 8221 Willow Oaks CorporateDrive, Fairfax. conversation onstrengthening connections within
families and helping teens cope withadversity and emotionalchallenges.Visit www.inova.org.
SUNDAY, MAY 28Patriotic Sunday. 8:45 and 11 a.m at
Jubilee Christian Center, 4650Shirley Gate Road. Special music andmessage. Call 703-383-1170, or seewww.jccag.org for more.
Bulletin Board
Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 ❖ 15www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Business DirectoryTo Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422
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LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING
TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE
TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE
Good is not good, where
better is expected.
-Thomas Fuller
An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mis-
takes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.-Werner Heisenberg Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative for
The Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIEWhen I think about being diagnosed with
lung cancer, I don’t think, why me. I mightthink, why not me, but I definitely think, nowwhat. The idea/strategy being: moving forward,not recriminating or regretting backward. AsPopeye the Sailor man so often said: “I y’amwhat I y’am.” Although I doubt he was talkingabout having lung cancer. How could he? Heate all that spinach, canned though it was.Besides, he’s a cartoon character.
And as much and as often as he ate it —and it always helped him overcome whateverpredicament Brutus had put him in, is as littleand infrequent as I ate it. Perhaps that wasbecause my mother cooked vegetables in apressure cooker so by the time I saw them onmy plate, they no longer resembled a vegetablenor were they the least bit appetizing. To saythe vegetables were limp and lifeless does a dis-service to all things characterized as ‘limp andlifeless.’ In fact, I can still remember the firsttime I ate a vegetable that was not d.o.a. It wasat my mother-in-law’s house; she was a won-derful cook. She made asparagus for thismemorable meal and served it in a beautifulantique china serving dish. When the dish camemy way, I stuck my fork in the asparagus toserve myself and heard a sound, a poof. I wastaken aback, sort of. It was a sound I had neverheard before — from a vegetable. As I learnedthat night, it was the sound of a vegetable thathad not been cooked beyond its edible life.
That’s not to imply that avoiding vegetablescontributed to my diagnosis. Hardly. It simplysays that vegetables were not a part of my child-hood. Meat and potatoes were, as was my stan-dard go-to meal: cream cheese and Americancheese on bread. It was the sandwich of myyouth and it has remained very much a part ofmy adulthood as well. It may not sound appe-tizing to you; to me, it represents all the com-forts of home — heaven on Earth between twoslices of bread or open-faced on a bagel orEnglish muffin. Simple but oh so effective —and delicious.
Not to be totally oblivious to my underlyingmedical condition, I do realize that modifyingmy eating habits is a prudent and sensible con-sideration. However, I rationalize that need-to-feed with the explanation that, as a cancerpatient (and anyone else, really), if I am to con-tinue to attempt to thrive while I survive, I needto be happy, positive and relatively stress free.After all, this cancer business: characterized as“terminal” by my oncologist; chemotherapy (and its well-known side effects) every fiveweeks, C.T. Scans quarterly, M.R.I.s every sixmonths, P.E.T. and Bone scans every so often,face-to-face quarterly appointments with myoncologist and all the associated fears and anxi-ety surrounding this rather unpleasant experi-ence, and you can imagine, even agree per-haps, that living in the trenches as us cancerpatients do, we need help — in any number ofways; personal and professional.
And though I am mindful of what I eat, Idon’t want to abuse the privilege of survival I’vebeen given. I never want to take it for granted,especially considering my original “13-month totwo-year” prognosis. By the same token, life isfor living. As Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) saidto “Red” (Morgan Freeman) in the movie “Sha-wshank Redemption:” “Get busy living or getbusy dying.” Since I’m in no hurry to die, Ineed to find a balance in how I live. Being mis-erable because of what I can’t eat won’t workfor me. I’m just not flexible/mature enough inmy eating choices; never have been. I still eatlike a child, but now I have a man-sizedproblem.
I imagine the longer I live with cancer, themore vigilant I have to be. Then again, if it ain’tbroke, is there any reason to fix it? Do I leavewell enough alone or do I try to grow up andeat my age, not my shoe size? I mean, I am eli-gible for Social Security.
Woe IsNot MeFrom Page 6
Letters
like pigeons, you feed one with moneyand more will flock in” and “You don’t wanthomeless people in your neighborhood be-cause they create trash.” It seemed thatmany people were more hung up on thenegative image they feel homeless individu-als create for the county instead of theirplight. Some of the comments were diffi-cult for us to read, while others were heart-felt and inspiring.
My classmates and I learned a lot throughour project on homelessness, but mostly Ithink it is that we (even college students)all have the ability to assist those in need.
Giovonny BlandCommunications/Public Relations
George Mason University
Illegally ParkedTrailersTo The Editor:
What does it take to remove illegallyparked or unregistered trailers, abandonedboats and commercial trailers from publicroads?
The HOAs along Coffer Woods Road haverepeatedly asked Fairfax PD to ticket andtow these items along a stretch from BurkeTowne Court to Hill Top Court. Yet aftermonths (one trailer has been reported nu-merous times and remains parked in thesame place over a year and has weeds grow-ing through it) they remain.
Can you help?
A. Matt TangBurke Village
Send notes to the Connection at [email protected] or call 703-778-9416.Deadline is Friday. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior to the event.
St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church,8617 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, offers a tra-ditional service on Sundays at 8:15 and 11:15 a.m.and a contemporary service on Sundays at 9:45 a.m.www.stmatthewsumc.org or 703-978-3500.
The Immanuel Bible Church MOPS groupmeets on Mondays at 7 p.m. at Immanuel BibleChurch, 6911 Braddock Road, Springfield. MOPS isfor pregnant or parenting mothers of children frominfancy to kindergarten. 703-922-4295 orwww.MOPS.org.
First Baptist Church of Springfield, 7300Gary St., Springfield, has traditional and contempo-rary Sunday services at 10:30 a.m., Sunday schoolat 9:15 a.m. Special worldwide services offered atspecial times throughout the year in English, Span-ish and Ethiopian. The pastors are Jim Weaver andJason Mitchell. 703-451-1500 orwww.fbcspringfield.org.
The following is a list of events at MountCalvary Baptist Church, 4325 Chain BridgeRoad, Fairfax:
❖ Adult Bible Study every Wednesday starting at7 p.m., Youth Bible Study at 7:15 p.m.
❖ Full Praise and Baptism Service at 7 p.m., thelast Wednesday of every month
❖ Sunday School at 9 a.m.❖ Sunday morning service at 10 a.m., the 4th Sun-
day of every month❖ Men’s Ministry Bible Class, the Saturday before
the 4th Sunday of every month❖ Commonwealth Care Center ministry every
first and third Thursday night. 703-273-1455.
Faith Notes
16 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ May 25-31, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
