Vienna New Exhibition Opens at Vienna Arts

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 15-21, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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‘Really Strong Dancers,Powerhouse Singers’News, Page 4

Let Sun Shine on Virginia’sFinancial Disclosure LawsNews, Page 3

‘Really Strong Dancers,Powerhouse Singers’News, Page 4

Let Sun Shine on Virginia’sFinancial Disclosure LawsNews, Page 3

New ExhibitionOpens at Vienna Arts

Society CenterNews, Page 8

New ExhibitionOpens at Vienna Arts

Society CenterNews, Page 8

Ursula Nogic, Wei Lu, DebiElliott and Grace Rooneyof the Vienna Arts Societyshare their artisticthoughts at the artistsreception celebrating theopening of the Januaryexhibition, Winners’ Wall,on Jan. 12 at the art centeron Pleasant Street. Lu isholding one of her works.Behind the artists is one ofElliott’s art pieces.

Ursula Nogic, Wei Lu, DebiElliott and Grace Rooneyof the Vienna Arts Societyshare their artisticthoughts at the artistsreception celebrating theopening of the Januaryexhibition, Winners’ Wall,on Jan. 12 at the art centeron Pleasant Street. Lu isholding one of her works.Behind the artists is one ofElliott’s art pieces.

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2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 15-21, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 15-21, 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsVienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Victoria Ross

The Connection

As members of the Virginia Gen-eral Assembly convene for thefirst time since last February, leg-islators are stampeding to intro-

duce ethics legislation in response to thegift scandal which engulfed then Gov. Rob-ert F. McDonnell (R).

The revelations last spring about numer-ous undisclosed gifts and purported loansfrom businessman Jonnie Williams toMcDonnell — including a $6,500 Rolexwatch engraved to the “71st Governor ofVirginia” and $35,000 in gifts and cateringfor his daughters’ weddings — shined aspotlight on Virginia’s porous financial dis-closure laws.

McDonnell, who remains under federalinvestigation over his relationship withWilliams, pointed to various loopholes inexisting state law as reasons for not disclos-ing gifts, noting that state law requires onlythe disclosure of gifts directly to officehold-ers, and not their families.

Following the principle cited by SupremeCourt Justice Louis Brandeis that “Sunlightis said to be the best of disinfectants,” stateSen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) has intro-duced an ethics reform package which hesays “makes the Freedom of Information Act(FOIA) a centerpiece.”

PETERSEN’S BILLS would increase dis-closure, limit contributions and gifts, pro-hibit the use of private law firms for statebusiness, and create an ethics commission,ideally with subpoena power, to hold legis-lators accountable and increase transpar-ency.

“The era of Rolexes, lake-house vacations,and $150,000 loans must end,” Petersensaid. “For far too long those of us who servein Richmond have relied on super-sizedpolitical contributions to fund our cam-paigns. That is a part of our current flawedculture. Working Virginians don’t see cam-paign donations larger than their yearlyincomes as ‘no strings attached.’ They see atransaction.”

Petersen’s package of ethical reform billstakes its place alongside several others an-nounced last week, including a bipartisanreform package unveiled Tuesday, Jan. 7,by House Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox(R-Colonial Heights) and House MinorityLeader David J. Toscano (D-Charlottesville).

Under the Kirkland-Toscano bill, reformsinclude:

❖ A $250 cap on tangible gifts to offi-cials and their immediate family members

from lobbyists or people with business be-fore the state.

❖ A ban on solicitation of those gifts.❖ The requirement that family members’

finances and gifts be disclosed.❖ The creation of an ethics commission

that would serve as a resource, providinglegislators guidance on issues that may posea conflict of interest.

“What we have really tried to do here istake the best parts of our current system,which is fairly strict reporting accountabil-ity, and in targeted areas, we’ve really triedto beef that up and really get at some ofthe problems,” Cox said at a news confer-ence in Richmond last week with Republi-can and Democratic leaders.

Petersen said his proposals differed sig-nificantly from the House bill.

“I’m not overly impressed by the ‘biparti-san compromise’ announced in the Housethis week. My package has teeth. My inten-tion is to change the culture, not just closethe loopholes,” Petersen said in an inter-view on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

“The other issue that’s part of my proposalis making FOIA the centerpiece,” Petersensaid. “I think my FOIA bill is critical forbringing more transparency to this process.That’s a huge difference, because withoutthat it’s really hard to know what’s going

on and it’s for people and the media to in-vestigate. ”

Petersen said he wants his ethics commis-sion to have subpoena power, which wouldgive the group the authority to compel law-makers to testify and produce evidence, orface a penalty for failure to comply.

According to the National Conference ofState Legislatures, more than 40 states havesimilar ethics commissions, most with sub-poena power.

Petersen said he has long been botheredby the lack of financial transparency in Vir-ginia, and the ensuing erosion of the public’strust.

WHEN REPORTS ABOUT THE ROLEXsurfaced last July, Petersen sent a letter tothe governor asking him to “come clean onthis matter” by explaining the gifts, deny-ing the reports, or resigning from office. Hebecame the first Virginia lawmaker to sug-gest McDonnell’s resignation in the wakeof the deepening controversy over the lav-ish gifts.

“For too long, we’ve said ‘hey, we’re hon-orable gentleman, we can police ourselves,’Unfortunately, there have been too manyrecent incidents to contradict that,” Petersensaid.

“That’s why I’ve introduced four bills that

will increase the public’s right to know, limitcampaign contributions to $20K per candi-date from a single donor, end the soakingof taxpayers by white-shoe law firms, andstart a truly independent and distinguishedethics commission that includes everydaycitizens to hold legislators accountable.”

But Del. Dave Albo (R-42) said he wasn’toverly impressed with Petersen’s bills, andhe supports the bipartisan compromise.

“The bipartisan House proposal includesan ethics commission, so I don’t know whySenator Peterson thinks that his ethics com-mission is better,” Albo said Friday, addingthat it’s unrealistic for state lawmakers toimpose certain campaign contribution lim-its.

“If a bill could be crafted that wouldequally limit [all campaign contributions],then I would support it. But it has to be alevel playing field,” Albo said.

“It takes a long time to start earning backthe trust that you have lost, and as Virgin-ians, and as public officials, we need to startnow,” Petersen said.

Let Sun Shine on Virginia’s Financial Disclosure LawsState legislators turnattention to ethics inwake of McDonnellgift scandal.

Photo by Victoria Ross/The Connection

Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34), sitting, confers with a colleague during lastyear’s General Assembly session. After the session ended in February, itwas disclosed that federal and state authorities had launched an investi-gation regarding gifts given to then-Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) and hisfamily. The investigation served to heighten public awareness ofVirginia’s lax financial disclosure laws.

What Petersen’s EthicsPackage Would Do❖ SB212: FOIA for General Assembly members

and staff - SB212 removes the GeneralAssembly’s exception from the Virginia FOIA act.This bill repeals the 2013 General AssemblyFOIA exemption act (HB1639), patroned by Del.Tag Greason (R-Potomac Falls).

❖ SB218: Limits on Campaign Contributions andGifts - SB218 Limits General Assembly membersand Executives in the Commonwealth to a totalof $2,000 in gifts per year. All gifts over $50 willcontinue to be itemized and reported. “Super-sized” campaign donations will be limited to$20,000 per individual donor per candidate.

❖ SB220: Prohibiting the Use of Private Law Firmsfor State Business -SB220 requires the office ofthe Attorney General to contract local city orcounty attorneys, rather than private counsel,when it experiences a conflict of interest. Thisbill will remove the incentive for private lawfirms to exploit the current law and over-bill thestate on a public matter. This bill was broughtabout due to the ongoing attorney’s fees chargedby two firms employed by Attorney Gen. KenCuccinelli’s office to defend Gov. BobMcDonnell, reportedly more than $780,000.

❖ SB219: Establishment of the Virginia EthicsCommission -SB219 requires that all loans, gifts,and statements of economic interests disclosuresshall be filed with the Virginia EthicsCommission. Currently these disclosures arefiled to the clerks of each house. The VirginiaEthics Commission will be a body independentof both houses, comprised of both formerlegislators and distinguished independentcitizens whom have never held office. Thecommission will be able to makerecommendations for disciplinary proceedingsagainst legislators found in violation ofdisclosure laws to their respective house, wheremembers will vote on any disciplinary action.

For more information on these bills, go to:http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/

legp604.exe?141+sum+SB212SB220 (Petersen)http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/

legp604.exe?141+sum+SB220HB1639: (Greason, 2013)http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/

legp604.exe?131+sum+HB1639SB218 (Petersen)http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/

legp604.exe?141+sum+SB218SB219 (Petersen)http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/

legp604.exe?141+sum+SB219


Officials from theFairfax County Po-lice, public schools,

Office for Women & Domesticand Sexual Violence Services,and the Northern Virginia com-munity gathered last Friday,Jan. 10, in Fairfax, to kick off anew education and preventioncampaign on teen sex traffick-ing. Defined as “the act of ma-nipulating or forcing anyoneunder the age of 18 to engagein a sex act in exchange for any-thing of value (money, drugs,shelter, food, clothes, etc.),”police identify an average oftwo new potential victims perweek.

Many people believe teen sextrafficking only happens to run-aways or in other more urbansettings. But it’s on the riseacross Northern Virginia andteens are now being targeted inpublic venues — bus stops,walking down the street, par-ties, shopping malls, throughsocial media outlets and more.

Sex traffickers don’t discrimi-nate; they recruit victims acrossethnic, economic and genderstrata. Most teens are unawarethey’re being drawn in and of-ten don’t recognize the signs ofmanipulation until it’s too late.Traffickers aren’t just gangmembers or criminals; theymay be business professionals,family members, students andteens they know. The trafficker

may not be a stranger; rather itmay be a friend or acquaintancefrom the classroom.

The Just Ask PreventionProject is a new public-aware-ness campaign addressing theincreasing prevalence of teensex trafficking in the region.The goal is to inspire residentsto get involved with preventionand encourage them to learnmore about spotting and report-ing manipulative recruiters.

The campaign incorporatesage-appropriate and illustrativenew videos into the FCPSHealth & P.E. Family Life Edu-cation curriculum. There’s aninteractive Website,www.JustAskVA.org, plus a JustAsk Facebook page. There’llalso be posters for buses,schools and other locations.Schools will create a plasticbracelet awareness campaign.

Additionally, the campaignpartners with the Office forWomen & Domestic and SexualViolence Services which willfund several prevention andeducation programs to betterprepare personnel on the frontlines to respond to human traf-ficking victims and survivors.Parents, family, teachers andfriends will learn how to recog-nize the signs and symptoms ofteen sex trafficking situationsand be urged to report suspi-cious activities to the FCPDHuman Trafficking Unit.

New Campaign TargetsTeen Sex Trafficking

There’ll beposters forbuses,schools andother loca-tions insupport ofJust Askcampaign.

Photo

contributed

News

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

If Oakton High seniorShanelucas Ramsey hasbeen acting a bit catlikerecently, there’s a good

reason. He has a featured rolein the Fairfax Academy’s up-coming production of “Cats.”

Featuring a cast and crew ofnearly 85, it will burst uponthe Fairfax High stage in whatpromises to be a treat for boththe eyes and ears. It’s directedby Mike Replogle, director ofthe Musical Theatre Academy,and choreographed by AndreaHeininge, who heads theDance Academy.

SHOWTIMES are Friday-Sat-urday, Jan. 17-18 and 24-25,at 7:30 a.m., and Sunday, Jan.19 and 26, at 2:30 p.m. Tick-ets are $12.50 presale at http://fxdance.ticketleap.com or$15 at the door. Saturday, Jan.18 and 25, at 2:30 p.m., withthe Young Artists Series, shorter performances with$5 tickets and special activities for children.

There’s no script, just a musical score based onT.S. Eliot’s poems, and the story’s about a tribe ofcats. But this hit musical is the second-longest-run-ning show on Broadway. “All cats have to earn theirnine lives by serving the tribe or learning somethingto teach to the next generation,” explained Replogle.“And in each vignette, each cat pleads their case forwhy they should be renewed.”

Ramsey and Woodson High junior Lara Taylor playburglar cats Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, respec-tively. “They’re not bad, just mischievous,” said Tay-lor.

“They’re the neighborhood punks,” added Ramsey.“Mungojerrie’s cocky, but not particularly brave. Buthe’s definitely goofy and weird. He’s a cool cat whoenjoys causing mayhem. I love playing him and do-ing the song and dance we have together. My cat hasno boundaries; he’s fun, energetic, cheerful and care-free.”

Taylor said they “don’t hold back” and actuallyembrace acting like cats. “We’re open to just goingfor it and giving 100 percent,” she said. “If we giveour all, we know the audience will relate to it more.”For example, Ramsey gets into character by gettingdown on all fours, arching his back and deliberatelyfocusing on making his motions catlike.

“It’s definitely a different experience because it’s afeline-type interaction,” he said. “Sitting down, youcan’t cross your legs – and you have to think aboutthe little details of what cats can and can’t do.”

In their number called “Mungojerrie andRumpleteazer,” said Taylor, “We do lots of physicalthings, besides singing. Rather than being slinky cats,we’re athletic, energetic, funny and in-your-face.”

“I’ve never had a role with vigorous dancing andsinging at the same time,” said Ramsey. “It’s an up-beat, character song and comic relief to what’s go-ing on.” He said all the show’s musical numbers willwow the audience because “we have some reallystrong dancers and powerhouse singers. But I thinkthe highlight is the dancing.”

“The costumes are all airbrushed and unique, andevery one is different,” added Taylor. “That, plus thesongs, dances, makeup and characterizations of thecats will make it an experience the audience will re-ally enjoy. It’s great for kids, too, with different mean-ings for multiple generations.”

THE FAIRFAX ACADEMY draws performing-artsstudents from 20 different schools and these actorshave been rehearsing since October. Calling AndrewLloyd Webber’s music memorable, Replogle said,“Most of it is victorious, uplifting and fun. AndAndrea’s really outdone herself and has created somebeautiful dances.”

Because the actors are portraying cats, the set’san oversized end of an alley with trash, tuna cans,broken windows and a fence. Replogle said themakeup is also spectacular. “Each cat’s face will il-lustrate their personality,” he said. “I hope peopleleave here remembering why they liked this showso much in the ’80s.”

‘Really Strong Dancers,Powerhouse Singers’Oakton Highsenior is in themusical, ‘Cats.’

Photo by Bonnie Hobbs/The Connection

Oakton High senior Shanelucas Ramsey plays mischievous,burglar cat Mungojerrie.


News

For the last fifteen years, theShepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna (SCOV) has been hostingtheir Community ThanksgivingService along with participatingcongregations. The moniesraised from the service offeringare then distributed to localcharities. This year’s recipientswere Our Daily Bread and TheCommittee for Helping Others.Each charity received $820 fromthe service collection. In 2012SCOV’s services, personal enrich-ment and volunteer opportuni-ties reached more than 3,000older adults (50+) in the region.SCOV serves seniors in theOakton, Vienna, Dunn Loring,Merrifield and portions of Fairfaxand Reston areas.

Founded in 1997, the ShepherdCenter of Oakton-Vienna is a 5013© nonprofit organization dedi-cated to providing opportunities for adults(50+) to seek rewarding lives and to liveindependently in their homes for as long aspossible. SCOV was voted the Best Non-profit of the Year (2012) by the Tysons Re-gional Chamber of Commerce. In Septem-ber 2013, SCOV was selected the Charityof the Month by WTOP 103.5FM Radio. In

Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna RaisesFunds for Two Local Charities

Photo contributed

From left — Christina Garris, representingOur Daily Bread Fairfax; Michelle Scott,Executive Director for the Shepherd’sCenter of Oakton-Vienna; and GeorgeBergquist, representing the Committee forHelping Others.

2012 the charity was selected for inclusionin The Catalogue for Philanthropy for theiroutstanding service.

To volunteer, donate or learn more aboutthe Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna,visit their website at www.scov.org or con-tact Michelle Scott, Executive Director at703-281-5088 or [email protected].

For a free digi-tal subscriptionto one or allof the 15ConnectionNewspapers,go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

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Opinion

The Virginia General Assembly began its annual session last week onJan. 8.

The actions of the Virginia Gen-eral Assembly matter more to localities than itwould in many other states. In Virginia, locali-ties have only the power specificallygranted by the General Assembly, theDillon rule.

So, for example, MontgomeryCounty and Prince Georges County in Mary-land recently voted to increase the minimumwage in those localities. They didn’t need per-mission from Maryland General Assembly todo so. Arlington and Alexandria might be in-clined to follow suit (the District governmentalso voted to increase the minimum wage) butdo not have that power.

The General Assembly limits how localitiescan raise revenue, what kinds of traffic regu-lations they can implement, whether they cancontrol where guns are allowed, whetherschool districts can begin classes before LaborDay, and much more.

Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria sent theirmembers of the Northern Virginia delegationof state senators, all Democrats, and delegates,overwhelmingly Democrats (13-5), to Rich-mond, where the House of Delegates is over-whelming Republican and control of the Sen-ate is still up in the air pending special elec-tions.

Del. Ken Plum (D-36) filed HB536 whichwould “increase the minimum wage from itscurrent federally mandated level of $7.25 perhour to $8.25 per hour effective July 1, 2014,and to $9.25 per hour effective July 1, 2015,unless a higher minimum wage is required by

the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.” It isn’tlikely to see the light of day.

Anyone can watch the Virginia House ofDelegates or Senate on streaming video wheneither is in session, and the Virginia GeneralAssembly proved last year that it can be wor-

thy of national attention for entertain-ment. It is in fact well worth tuning inonce or twice or more. Visit http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/ and click

on “members and session,” and see the “quicklinks” section for video links.

Legislators will consider literally thousandsof bills between now and March 8.

Some quite random examples of proposedlegislation from local delegates and senators:

❖ Del. Dave Albo (R-42): Driving while in-toxicated; refusal of blood or breath tests. Thisbill would allow a person who has been ar-rested for driving while intoxicated and whohas refused to submit to a blood or breath testbe given another opportunity to consent to test-ing after the arresting officer has advised theperson of the consequences of his refusal.

❖ Del. David Bulova (D-37): One bill wouldallow the employment of lights for the obser-vation of deer (spotlighting) for certain activi-ties authorized by the Department of Game andInland Fisheries. Another would provide thatproperty used in connection with certaincrimes associated with human trafficking issubject to forfeiture to the Commonwealth.

❖ Del. Scott Surovell (D-44) has propose therepeal of last year’s hybrid tax, plus a bill thatwould place a cap on the compensation thatmay be paid to a special counsel appointed tohandle certain legal matters where it wouldbe improper or uneconomical for the Attorney

General, or the Attorney General is unable, tohandle such matters. That cap would be thesame as allowed for a court appointed attor-ney, a very small amount.

❖ Del Barbara Comstock (R-34) proposes toallow local school districts to set their owncalendars. Another bill would include non-motor vehicles including bicycles among ve-hicles that any driver must not tailgate. An-other would require most state colleges anduniversities to allocate 75 percent of their slotsfor in-state students by 2019-2020 school year.

❖ Del. Patrick Hope (D-47) proposes to pro-hibit firearms on the floor of the House of Del-egates. Another bill would require public in-stitutions of higher learning in Virginia to pro-vide a dedicated page on its website to infor-mation on mental health resources availableto students.

❖ Del. Mark Sickles (D-43) proposes to cre-ate the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange,which will be established and operated by anew division within the State CorporationCommission.

❖ Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37) would make ita Class 1 misdemeanor for the owner of awebsite to both post an arrest photo and so-licit, request, or accept money for removingthe photograph.

❖ Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) proposes to re-quire drivers and passengers to wait for a rea-sonable opportunity to open vehicle doors onthe side adjacent to moving traffic, an effortto prevent the “dooring” of bicyclists.

Why the General Assembly matters more inVirginia than most states.

From Late Night Comedy to Your BedroomSee for Yourself

Visit http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/ andclick on “members and session,” and see the “quicklinks” section for live video links, information onwho your legislators are and how to track bills.Every resident is represented by one state delegateand one state senator; look up your and email to beplaced on their mailing lists. Consider attendingtheir local meetings.

Editorial

By Kenneth R. “Ken”

Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

Virginia taxpayer dol-lars not returned tothem has amounted

to five million dollars each daysince Jan. 1, and will continue atthat rate each day that Virginia re-fuses to expand its Medicaid pro-gram. In addition, at least 400,000working Virginians will continueto be uninsured.

The 2013 session of the GeneralAssembly created the MedicaidInnovation and Reform Commis-sion (MIRC) to consider whetherreforms to Virginia’s Medicaid pro-gram were sufficient to allow Vir-ginia to proceed with some formof coverage expansion through theAffordable Care Act. MIRC mem-bers have been assured by staffthat all requested reforms have

been made, but the Com-mission members from theHouse of Delegates haverefused to acknowledge thereforms and continue alongwith the Speaker of theHouse of Delegates to op-

pose expansion of Medicaid. Forotherwise fiscal conservatives toturn down five million dollars ofVirginia taxpayer dollars being re-turned to them to pay the full costof Medicaid expansion shows thecontinued animosity that someRepublicans have toward the Af-fordable Care Act that they referto as Obamacare. To the concernthat the federal government willnot be able to continue funding theprogram into the future, Virginiacould make a decision to withdrawat that time.

At the same time, the VirginiaChamber of Commerce businessplan for the Commonwealth, “Blue-

print for Virginia,” supports theMedicaid reforms that have beenmade and recommends Medicaidexpansion. Chamber leadership hastermed Medicaid expansion to beboth an economic development aswell as a workforce issue. Most ofVirginia’s one million uninsuredresidents are employed. It is pro-jected that the expansion wouldcreate an estimated 33,000 jobsand bring $21 billion dollars backto the Commonwealth.

Governor Terry McAuliffe is astaunch supporter of Medicaidexpansion. As he stated to theChamber, “Let me be clear on onepoint. If Medicaid expansion is notthe business community’s numberone priority in your communica-tion with the General Assembly, itwill not happen.” He calls for“coming together, putting old ideo-logical differences aside and focus-ing on what makes sense from a

business perspective.”The case for Medicaid expan-

sion goes beyond the strong busi-ness case; it is also a humanitar-ian cause. Social justice organi-zations, faith communities, andindividuals need also to give pri-ority to making their viewsknown to legislators. Give prior-ity to writing or calling Houseand Senate leadership and mem-bers of the House Appropriationsand Senate Finance Committeesand ask them to approve the ex-pansion of Medicaid. Contact in-formation is available at http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/membersAndSession.php?secid=1&activesec=0#!hb=1&mainContentTabs=0.

Five million dollars a day is a lotof money. It is too much to turndown, especially when it can im-prove the health and well-being ofVirginians. Please make sure yourvoice is heard on this issue.

Five Million Dollars a Day

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News

Governor-elect Terry McAuliffecreated a day of volunteer ser-vice to kick off his term as gov-ernor of the Commonwealth of

Virginia. On Saturday, Jan. 4, more than 75people came to the American Legion hallon Center Street to explore volunteer op-portunities that make the community a bet-ter place to live in.

Vienna Day of Service organizer CherieLejeune said the event had a “great” turn-out of high school students from Oakton,Marshall, Madison and Paul VI. Lejeune saidthe students agreed that they would pushvolunteering for the next 5 months ofschool.

Incentives will be given to the teens whodo their 10 hours of required communityservice by March 15, Lejeune said. The

school that contributes the most number ofhours by March 31 and then again by June1 will get a reward to encourage more par-ticipation.

“I was really happy so many parents caredto bring their kids out to understand moreabout the process of volunteering,” saidLejeune. “Too many kids just do their 10hours without really connecting with theorganizations they help.”

Nonprofits and service organizations whoparticipated in Vienna’s Day of Service in-cluded Committee for Helping Others[CHO], Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna, Women’s Auxiliary Post 180, HonorCard, Volunteer Fairfax, Capital Caring,Toastmasters, Sierra Club, Lands and Wa-ter, High Performance Aging, and the Townof Vienna. The town allows for volunteerposts on many of their commissions.

“We figure the individuals who came, aswell as the organizers, will give back to theircommunity, at least, 1000 volunteer hours,which makes us very, very happy,” saidLejeune. Not included in that number arepeople like Lejeune and others there whogive back hundreds of hours each year,Lejeune said.

— Donna Manz

More than 75 peopleexplored servicevolunteeringopportunities inthe community.

Vienna Day of Service Brings Together Nonprofits, Volunteers

Photo by Cherie Tripp Lejeune

Volunteers describe the mission of Lands and Waters to potential volun-teers at Vienna’s Day of Service gathering on Jan. 4. Students fromcommunity high schools learned about the volunteer opportunitiesoffered by local nonprofits and service organizations.

[email protected] complete our online form at

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8 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 15-21, 2014 Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ January 15-21, 2014 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

There are a lot ofthings the ViennaArts Society [VAS]does well: it offers

art classes to adults and chil-dren; it sponsors and hosts amajor art show each fall; it sup-ports a local nonprofit everyyear with art pieces donated byits artists; it provides children’sactivities at community events.Its claim to fame, however, isprobably the new exhibitions bylocal artists it produces everymonth.

The newest showing, “Win-ners’ Wall,” open now, runsthrough Saturday, Feb. 1. Hungpieces include landscapes, por-traits and still life.

“The Vienna Arts Society in-sists that all work on display in

and just about any other art-work you can think of.

When a visitor comes into thearts center, they will find “ …friendly artists and a vast col-lection of affordable artwork ina variety of forms, from awardwinning paintings to unique ar-tistic gift items …” said Elliott.

To learn more about the artclasses and workshops presentedby the Vienna Arts Society, go tohttp://viennaartssociety.org. Aschedule of events at the artscenter on Pleasant Street, as wellas events open to Northern Vir-ginia artists throughout the re-gion, is listed on the art society’swebsite.

The Vienna Arts Society Art Cen-ter is located at 115 Pleasant StreetNW, Vienna. Phone 703-319-3971for information or [email protected] VAS Art Center is open to thepublic Tuesday through Saturday,10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

— Donna Manz#

New Exhibition Opens at Vienna Arts Society CenterAward-winningart showcasedthrough January.

its venues is original work createdby the hand of the artist,” saidDore’ Skidmore of the arts society.“I suppose this is one of our mostimportant differences from other‘art galleries’, which often mixgiclees and other copies - which areoften quite good - among the origi-nal artworks.”

VAS hosted a second-Sunday re-ception featuring award-winningartists on Jan. 12. VAS Artist of theYear Debi Elliott, first-place Trea-sury of Art Show winner UrsulaNogic and Treasurey of Art Honor-able Mention Wei Lu were on-hand. Their works, as are theworks of all VAS artists, are for sale.

“Hung’ pieces start at about $250and go up from there, while binpieces – unframed – begin at un-der $50.

This past fall, VAS introduced agift emporium, a cornucopia ofhandcrafted art pieces, from dich-roic glass jewelry (think Muranojewelry) to hand-painted real-silkscarves to beaded jewelry, hand-painted fabric art and paintings,

Ursula Nogic, Wei Lu, DebiElliott and Grace Rooney ofthe Vienna Arts Society sharetheir artistic thoughts at theartists reception celebratingthe opening of the Januaryexhibition, Winners’ Wall, onJan. 12 at the art center onPleasant Street. Lu is hold-ing one of her works. Behindthe artists is one of Elliott’sart pieces.

The gift emporium, a cornucopia ofhandcrafted art pieces for sale to thepublic, was launched in the fall of 2013.

Hand-painted silk scarves start at $30. The fabric arts are unique andcolorful.

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THURSDAY/JAN. 16-FRIDAY/JAN. 17International Guitar Night. 8 p.m.

Wolftrap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna.The International Guitar Night (IGN)is the world’s premier touring guitarfestival, each show bringing togetherthe most interesting and innovativeacoustic guitarists to exchangemusical ideas in a public concertsetting. Tickets: $25-27.

SATURDAY/ JAN. 18Ballroom Dance. 8-9 p.m. Quick-Step

lesson, 9-11:30 p.m. dance. ColvinRun Dance Hall, 10201 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. DJ music fromCraig Bukowski playing favorite dancetunes from the 1930s to today. Attireis ballroom casual, no partner orexperience is needed. $15 for theevening. 703-759-2685 orwww.colvinrun.org.

Six Degrees Singers. 7:30 p.m. 2709Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. SilverSpring’s premiere young professionalchoir, will perform inspirationalchoral masterpieces. Tickets are $15at the door, students under 18 arefree. http://singsix.com/

SUNDAY/JAN. 19Breakfast Buffet. 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. 330

Center Street, N., Vienna. Adults $8,children $3. 703-938-1379.

National Choir Appreciation. 9:30a.m. & 11 a.m. Antioch ChristianChurch, 1860 Beulah Road, Vienna.The community is invited to shareappreciation for choir members atboth services. For more informationgo to www.antiochdoc.org or call703-539-8238.

Mission Sunday: Sudan. 10 a.m.Great Falls UMC, 10100 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. A sermon servicehosted by Great Falls UnitedMethodist Church.

THURSDAY/JAN. 23Music from Oberlin at Oakton,

10th Season! 7:30 p.m. UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax,2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. TheDarwin String Quartet performingworks by Mendelssohn, Haydn, andPiazzolla. 703-842-3156

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/JAN. 24 & 25THIS. 8 p.m. Vienna Community Center,

120 Cherry Street, SE, Vienna. THIS is abright, tart, and melancholy comedy thatcaptures the uncertain steps of a circle offriends entering the choppy waters ofmiddle age. Contains adult language; fortheatre-goers over 16. http://www.viennatheatrecompany.org/

SATURDAY/JAN. 25Gustafer Yellowgold’s Show. 10:30

a.m. Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave E ,

Vienna. Groovy Gustafer Yellowgoldis a small, yellow, cone-headedfellow, who came to Earth from theSun and has a knack for findinghimself neck-deep in absurd situationsas he explores his new life in theMinnesota woods.º Equal parts poprock concert and animated storybook,Gustafer Yellowgold concerts are atruly different multimedia experiencethat entrances children and adultsalike. Tickets: $10. https://jamminjava.com/events/gustafer-yellowgold

“Othello.” 8 p.m. McLean CommunityCenter, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean.Tickets: $20 MCC District residentsand $30 for non MCC Districtresidents. Visit:www.aldentheatre.org or call 703-790-0123.

SUNDAY/JAN. 26McLean Chocolate Festival. 11 a.m.

– 5 p.m. McLean Community Center.Wide variety of chocolate vendors.Plenty of parking. Children’s gameroom with chocolate-themed games.Admission fee is $2, with $1 goingtoward the purchase of chocolate.Kids under 6 get in free. McLeanRotary uses proceeds to fund localcharitable organizations.www.mcleanchocolatefestival.org.

Music from Oberlin at Oakton. 7:30p.m. Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of Fairfax, 2709 HunterMill Road, Oakton. Music fromOberlin at Oakton hosts currentOberlin Conservatory students threetimes a year to provide top-notchmusic to the local community. ºIn its14th season, this program will featuretwo pianists, a percussionist, and asoprano. (703) 281-4230

You Can Change Your World. 10a.m. Great Falls UMC, 10100Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Asermon service hosted by Great FallsUnited Methodist Church.

FRIDAY/JAN. 31THIS. 8 p.m. Vienna Community Center,

120 Cherry Street, SE, Vienna. THIS is abright, tart, and melancholy comedy thatcaptures the uncertain steps of a circle offriends entering the choppy waters ofmiddle age. Contains adult language; fortheatre-goers over 16. http://www.viennatheatrecompany.org/

SATURDAY/FEB. 1Ballroom Dance. 8-9 p.m. Samba

lesson, 9-11:30 p.m. dance. ColvinRun Dance Hall, 10201 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. Live music fromMike Surratt & the ECB playingfavorite dance tunes from the 1930sto today. Attire is ballroom casual, nopartner or experience is needed. $20for the evening. 703-759-2685 orwww.colvinrun.org.

Entertainment

Photo by Michael Bailey/Courtesy of American Shakespeare Center

Stephanie Holladay Earl as Desdemona and FernandoLamberty as Othello will perform Shakespeare’s "Othello"on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Alden Theatre, McLean Com-munity Center.

Send announcements to vienna@ connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday forthe following week’s paper. Photos/artwork encouraged.

SHILLELAGHS TRAVEL CLUB100 East Street SE, Suite 202 • Vienna, Virginia 22180

703-242-2204 1-800-556-8646Please visit our Web site at: www.shillelaghtravelclub.com

for a listing of all our upcoming trips and socials.

Fans of Writer, NORA ROBERTS! April 4.............................................$129Day Trip to Boonsboro, MD to meet Nora & Get an Autographed Book“The Collector”; Lunch at South Mountain Inn.

ALASKA CRUISE, May 23-30..............................................................$1,403Air from Dulles, 7-Nights Cruise on Celebrity’s “Solstice” with all meals &entertainment. Call for Details.

ENGLAND, DOWNTON ABBEY & JANE AUSTEN! August 2-9...$2,799Explore the Worlds of Downton Abbey with 6-nights Hotel, Daily Breakfast,2 Lunches, 2 Teas, 1 Dinner, All Sightseeing – CALL FOR ITINERARY!


Vienna Second Grader Chelsea HuPerformed at McAuliffeInaugural CeremonyVienna Louise Archer Elementary School secondgrader Chelsea Hu performed “America the Beauti-ful” with her World Children’s Choir at the Saturday,Jan. 11 inauguration of Terry McAuliffe as the 72ndGovernor of Virginia.

Bank Robbed in OaktonFairfax County police are looking for the person who

robbed a BB&T Bank, last Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Oakton.The incident occurred around 11:29 a.m. when a manentered the bank at 2941 Chain Bridge Road.

Police say he handed a teller a note demandingmoney and implying that he had a weapon; how-ever, no weapon was seen. After receiving an undis-closed amount of cash, he fled the bank on foot. Noone was injured.

The suspect was described as black, approximately29-34 years old and between 5 feet 9 inches and 6feet tall. He wore all dark clothing. The police heli-copter and a K9 team responded to the area in searchof the robber, but to no avail.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 forinformation leading to the identification, arrest andconviction of this bank robber. The FBI and police areinvestigating this crime together and request that any-one with information call the FBI at 202-278-2000.

People may also contact Crime solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org,text “TIP187” plus a message to CRIMES/274637 orcall police at 703-691-2131.

What’s Next for I-66VDOT will hold a public information meeting on

the next steps to identify potential traffic improve-ments in the I-66 Corridor. It’s set for Thursday, Jan.30, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Oakton High School,2900 Sutton Road in

Vienna. (If cancelled due to weather: Tuesday,Feb. 4).

VDOT and the Department of Rail and Public Trans-portation have identified 10 concepts to increase

capacity within the I-66 corridor, plus options to in-crease travel-mode choices, improve individual in-terchanges, address spot safety needs and enhancetravel efficiency.

Volunteer DriversAre Needed

The Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna has anurgent need for volunteer drivers to take area seniorcitizens to medical appointments and other activi-ties. Opportunities to volunteer for other services arealso available.

Hours are flexible. For more information, go towww.scov.org or contact the Volunteer Coordinatorat 703-281-5088 or [email protected].

Community Volunteers toBe Honored

Town of Vienna Mayor M. Jane Seeman invitesVienna area residents to nominate an outstandingvolunteer in recognition of his or her service to theTown. Mayor Seeman will honor these volunteers ata special ceremony on Tuesday, April 8, at the ViennaVolunteer Fire Department.

Nomination forms for outstanding community vol-unteers are available at Vienna Town Hall, 127 Cen-ter Street S, online at www.viennava.gov/index.aspx?NID=850 and in the January and Febru-ary Town Newsletters. Completed forms must besubmitted by March 3 to the Mayor’s Office.

For more information, call the Mayor’s Office at703-255-6311, e-mail [email protected] or visitwww.viennava.gov/index.aspx?NID=850.

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By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

K.J., 8, and his sister Kalina, 3, lovereading books, particularly booksthey’ve written themselves orwith their mother. In fact, K.J. is

an avid reader of both homemade and tra-ditionally published books, and his sister isfollowing in his footsteps.

“When they were younger, I took picturesand copied them on a home printer,” saidtheir mother, Holly Karapetkova, an associ-ate professor of literature at MarymountUniversity in Arlington. “Once they wereolder, they illustrated the books or chosethe item they wanted to include like for aspecific letter in an alphabet book.”

Karapetkova and other researchers saidthat creating books like this with childrenis not only easy and inexpensive, it’s one of

the best ways to help them develop a loveof books and reading, which Karapetkovasaid is one of the greatest gifts a parent cangive a child.

“Reading is one of the fundamental waysthat we interact with the world and par-ticularly with knowledge,” she said. “As acollege professor, I find that my studentswho can read well can also think well andwrite well. They are thinkers on a muchdeeper level. Research has shown that read-ing makes you more contemplative, buildspatience, concentration, and you have touse your imagination.”

MAKING YOUR OWN BOOKS stretchesthe imagination. M. Susan Burns, Ph.D., amember of the early childhood educationand human development and family sci-ences faculty at George Mason Universitysays there are a few things that parentsshould keep in mind when making bookswith their children, however.

“Parents need to make it a positive expe-rience,” she said. “Children need to havebooks available [on topics] that are of trueinterest to them. When a book is being made

Creating Books With ChildrenExperts say helpinglittle readers becomeauthors can deepen alove of reading.

Photo courtesy of Holly Karapetkova

K.J., 8, and his sister Kalina, 3, make books with their mother, HollyKarapetkova, a professor of literature at Marymount University in Ar-lington. Experts say making books with children can help them developof a love of reading. See Little Readers, Page 15

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Oakton High School’s Varsity Swim andDive went head-to-head with theChantilly Chargers Friday night at OakMarr RECenter. Oakton won the meetto give the team a record of 4-1. The girlswon with 194 points over Chantilly’s 106.The boys scored 175 points to beatChantilly’s 140.

Bennett Fagan placed first in the boys’diving event. Corina Gribble came in firstplace for the girls.

Oakton already has 15 state and 21 re-gion cuts after this meet.

Both the boys’ and girls’ 200-yardfreestyle relay placed first. MichaelAmbrose, Michael Pettinichi, NathanPawlowicz, and Denny Nguyen swam forthe boys. Elise Bourdelais, Megan Byrnes,Julia Capobianco, and Laura Branton racedfor the girls. The boys’ and girls’ 400-yardfreestyle relay also placed first. For the boys,John Shebat, Drew Weber, NathanPawlowicz, and Denny Nguyen dominated.Laura Branton, Megan Byrnes, KendallLawhorn, and Janet Hu won for the girls.

Hu came in first in the 50-yard freestyle

and in the 100-yard butterfly. Branton fin-ished first in the 200-yard freestyle and the100-yard breaststroke. Byrnes came in firstin the 100-yard freestyle and second in the50-yard freestyle. Madelynne Norton placedsecond in the 200-yard freestyle and in the500-yard freestyle. Caroline McCleskey fin-ished second in the 100-yard backstroke andthird in the 500-yard freestyle. Bourdelaisplaced second in the 200-yard individualmedley and third in the 100-yard freestyle.Capobianco finished third in the 100-yardbutterfly and third in the 100-yard back-stroke.

Shebat finished first in the 200-yard In-

dividual Medley and in the 100-yardbreaststroke. Michael Ambrose came infirst in the 100-yard freestyle and sec-ond in the 50-yard freestyle. Pawlowiczplaced first in the 200-yard freestyle andthird in the 100-yard breaststroke.Nguyen came in second in the 100-yardbutterfly and third in the 200-yardfreestyle. Jonathan Wen finished secondin the 500-yard freestyle and third in the100-yard backstroke.

Oakton swim and dive will be back inthe pool at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17,against Robinson at Cub Run for Oakton’ssixth meet of the season.

Oakton Swim and Dive Beats Chantilly

Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Few opponents can match the sizeand skill of South Lakes post play-ers Abby Rendle and PrincessAghayere, who helped the

Seahawks win 10 of their first 11 games.At 6 feet 4, Rendle is a game-changer at

each end of the floor. She can score in thepaint or from the perimeter, and can alteran opponent’s shot with her long arms.Aghayere is an aggressive athlete whoscored 15 points and grabbed 22 reboundsduring a Jan. 8 contest against Fairfax.

On Jan. 10, the South Lakes girls’ basket-ball team traveled to face Madison and 6-foot-2 forward Kelly Koshuta, providingRendle and Aghayere a rare opportunity toface a foe of similar size and skill.

“I know personally I was looking forwardto this game because she’s really known andshe plays very well,” Aghayere said aboutfacing Koshuta, “so I was really excited for

this game.”Koshuta proved a worthy advisory, scor-

ing a game-high 28 points. But Aghayereand Rendle each produced a double-doubleand spearheaded a dominant team-re-bounding effort during a 60-52 South Lakesvictory.

South Lakes out-rebounded Madison 50-14, including 24 offensive boards. While theWarhawks kept the score close, pulling towithin four in the final minute, theSeahawks’ second-chance opportunitiesproved too much for Madison to overcome.

“It’s all about possessions for us,” SouthLakes head coach Christy Winters Scott said.“The way that we’ve won a lot of games isto save possession for our team. Whetherwe score off of it or not, we get the clock[moving]. When we had the lead, it wasvery important for us to use that clock andget the extra possession from our boards.”

Aghayere grabbed 19 rebounds, givingher 41 in two games. She also scored 18points, including a pair of free throws togive South Lakes a 44-37 lead late in the

third quarter.“They’re just very athletic and they work

very hard,” Madison head coach KirstenStone said about the Seahawks. “I feel likethey really wanted to beat us. … They’re atough rebounding team, we knew that go-ing in.”

Rendle finished with 15 points and 12boards. Her bucket with 5:56 remaining inthe fourth quarter capped an 8-0 run andgave South Lakes a 52-42 advantage.

“Every game we’ve played [againstKoshuta], she’s always been a threat to us,”Rendle said. “She’s a really good post player,so being able to play against her also helpsus get better as post players [and] as de-fensive and offensive players.”

Despite getting in early foul trouble,Koshuta helped Madison take a 25-19 leadwhen she converted a three-point play with3:01 remaining in the second quarter. Butwith Koshuta on the bench late in the firsthalf, Rendle scored a pair of buckets in thepaint, helping South Lakes close the halfon an 8-0 run. An Aghayere bucket early inthe third quarter gave South Lakes a 29-27advantage and the Seahawks would leadfor the remainder of the contest.

Madison’s Koshuta scores 28 points in defeat.

South Lakes’ Aghayere, Rendle Dominate Boards in Victory“I look forward to this game all the time,”

Koshuta said. “Most of the teams we playdon’t have anyone who is even 6 foot, soit’s good to have this competition. I loveplaying against it. I get very psyched andpumped for it.”

Koshuta scored a game-high 28 points,including 19 in the second half, but grabbedjust three rebounds.

Koshuta’s coach praised Aghayere’s effort.“Princess is just that quiet, athletic

[player],” Stone said. “She’s fast when sheneeds to be fast, she slows down when sheneeds to be slow. She has that tenacity toget the ball. She knows where it is and goesfor it. It’s hard to defend that.”

Madison sophomore guard AidanMcWeeney finished with 17 points, connect-ing on 5 of 9 from 3-point range.

South Lakes improved to 11-1, with itsonly loss coming against Central Bucks West(Doylestown, Pa.) during the Boo WilliamsClassic holiday tournament. The Seahawkswill host Langley at 7:30 p.m. on Friday,Jan. 17.

Madison fell to 5-7. The Warhawks willtravel to face McLean at 7:30 p.m. on Jan.17.

South Lakes junior Princes Aghayere scored 18 points and grabbed 19rebounds against Madison on Jan. 10, giving her 41 rebounds in twogames.

Madison junior Kelly Koshuta scored a game-high 28 points againstSouth Lakes on Jan. 10.

Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection


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Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

With one of its mostskilled gymnastsunable to com-pete, the Oakton

gymnastics team received a clutchperformance from sophomoreNatalie Weaver to help pick up theslack.

Weaver, one of two club gym-nasts on the team, won the all-around competition, leading theCougars to victory during a homemeet on Jan. 9.

With freshman Stephanie Weir,a club gymnast, unable to com-pete, Oakton managed to producea score of 129.625, the Cougars’best score of the season. Chantillyplaced second with a score of128.375, followed by SouthCounty (118.225), Langley(114.650), Hayfield (102.575)and West Springfield (97.55).

“They all came together and per-formed wonderfully,” Oaktoncoach Frankie Orbacz said. “…Every girl is an asset regardless oftheir skill or if they’ve done clubbefore. It was wonderful. It was apleasant surprise tonight. They allcame out and did their best.”

Weaver led the way for Oakton,winning the all-around with ascore of 34.625.

“She did wonderful,” Orbaczsaid. “She’s definitely one of oursolid competitors. She can pullthrough in times of need. All thetime, she does wonderfully, butespecially when we know that acouple of the other girls withhigher skill aren’t competing. Shepulls her game up and does reallywell for the team.”

Weaver won beam (8.7) andbars (8.575), placed third on floor(8.875) and finished fifth on vault(8.475).

“I think we came together as ateam,” Weaver said, “and I justused everyone else’s energy topump myself up.”

As one of the two club gymnastson the team, Weaver said she triesto help her teammates.

“I give them advice on skills be-cause I’ve been there and I’velearned them just like they’relearning them now,” she said. “It’sgood to have support.”

Oakton junior Katarina Jonesand sophomore Amanda Gore tiedfor fourth in the all-around with ascore of 32.725.

Chantilly’s Elise Mazzone placedsecond in the all-around with ascore of 33.4, and Langley’sNatalie Volpicelli took third(33.125).

Oakton’s Weaver LeadsGymnastics Team to VictorySophomore winsall-aroundcompetition.

Oakton sophomore Natalie Weaver won the all-aroundcompetition during a home meet on Jan. 9.

Oakton junior KatarinaJones tied for fourth in theall-around during a homemeet on Jan. 9.

Oakton sophomore AmandaGore competes on vaultduring a home meet onJan. 9.

Orbacz said Oakton has its sightsset on a return to the region meetby placing first or second at theconference meet on Feb. 6 atCentreville.

The Cougars will compete at theAloha Invitational on Jan. 25 atPatriot High School.

Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

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I don’t mind being alive, really I don’t.Occasionally though, I receive well-intendedinquiries – electronic and otherwise, frompeople (who know my cancer story) who aresort of wondering if perhaps I’m not. Whenpeople haven’t heard from me in a while –and this is a category of people with whom Idon’t have regular/recurring interactions, butrather a group of people who reach out andattempt to touch me (figuratively speaking)every three or four months or so – there is apresumption on their part that my silence (sofar as they know) is not in fact golden, butrather ominous, as in the cancer might havewon and yours truly didn’t. And when Irespond, their pleasure/relief at my not hav-ing succumbed to the disease is quite posi-tive, generally speaking. Their honesty andjoy in learning that I’m still alive is bothrewarding and gratifying. Rewarding in thatthey care and gratifying in that I must bedoing something right which enables me tosustain myself through a very difficult set ofmedical circumstances: stage IV, non-smallcell lung cancer, the terminal kind (is thereany other kind?).

Statistically speaking, stage IV (there is nostage V) non-small cell lung cancer patients,according to various studies by The AmericanCancer Society, The National CancerInstitute, N.I.H. are not long-term survivors(the understatement of the year). Those of uswho survive five years should have a parade,but very few would be alive to attend.February 27th, 2014 will be my five-yearanniversary. Lucky doesn’t begin to accu-rately describe my feelings. Amazing beginsto scratch the surface.

Obviously, I understand the underlyingconcern of those individuals who don’t hearfrom me and can’t help but wonder (pre-sume even; let’s be realistic) that I’ve joinedthe ranks of the undesirables: those whohave died and not left a forwarding address.In a peculiar way, these queries are my mostfavorites. They reinforce to me everythingI’ve done right and minimize anything I’vedone wrong. They make me proud of who Iam and how long I’ve survived with a“terminal” disease. And the longer I continueto receive them, the longer I will havesurvived. What’s better than that? (That’s arhetorical question). Nothing is better thanthat!

Still, there are many ongoing challenges Iface every day. Perhaps as alluded to in theprevious paragraph, grasping at straws (figur-atively) is one of my enduring pursuits:attempting to find solace, comfort, under-standing, support and an indescribable num-ber of non-quantifiable emotions which buildme up and make me feel whole againdespite being splintered into a million figura-tive pieces when unexpectedly diagnosedwith an inoperable, incurable, terminal dis-ease at age 54 and a half. After having neversuffered a broken bone in my entire life oreven spent a single night in a hospital (andonly one visit to the E.R.), here I was, in theprime of my middle age, being told in effectthat my life (certainly as I knew and under-stood it) was over. If I was in college, I wouldhave put that in my pipe and smoked it.However, as a mid-fifties-aged adult, recentlyorphaned, I was left to ordinary devices,which had never been so thoroughly tested.

Presently, five years after the fact, the testsstill left to be taken mostly involve well-meaning friends and acquaintances wantingto know my status. A little awkward? Sure. Alot of care and concern? Absolutely! InquiriesI can live without? Not a chance.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

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From Page 11

with parents, it may not be engaging if thebook is only of interest to the parent.

“Sometimes it gets sickening to have yourkid tell you another princess story or an-other train story, but it is really importantthough to go with the child’s interest,” shecontinued. “You can take a little bit of a twiston the story by maybe adding a map thatshows that places where the train might go.”

Children may also want to turn to real-life for their books. “Children love to cre-ate stories based on their own experiences,and begin to develop a love of art and lit-erature at an early age,” said Sharon Fishel,ArtReach director for the McLean Projectfor the Arts in McLean. “Parents can fosterthe link between drawing, writing and read-ing by having their child draw pictures oftheir daily routine or special events, suchas field trips, family outings or unplannedadventures.”

When creating a homemade book, thetext doesn’t have to be original either. “Youcan take a familiar song and adapt the lyr-ics,” said Karapetkova. “For example, a bookabout a daily routine can say ‘This is theway we brush our teeth, brush our teeth,brush our teeth early in the morning.’”

The techniques for young children are alittle different. “You want a little one toengage with a book,” said Fishel. “A par-ent-child idea is nice. We do a lot of parent-child workshops here [at the McLean Projectfor the Arts] where one parent does one side[of the page] and child does the other.”

The books children and their parents cre-ate don’t have to be fancy, however. “WhenI’ve made books like this with my children,we’ve taken photos, we cut out picturesfrom magazines, glue sticks, something toput the picture onto,” said Burns. “You canmake those books fun by using artifacts. Ifyou’re doing a book from your beach trip,your child may want to put some sand inthe book, but it is important to have a childinitiate it.”

“I like the thicker paper stock and some-times it makes it easier to hold onto,” sheadded. “The other thing is to get the clearlaminating paper and putting a plastic sheetover it.”

Even “folded paper, bound with a pencilbecomes a writer’s journal,” saidKarapetkova. “You can also take plastic zip-lock bags, punch holes in the bags, fill themand they become bath time books becausethey are waterproof.”

Fishel suggests sticking with the basics:“Composition book, crayons, colored pen-cils. Go to a crafts store [and get] bags oforigami papers or printed pattern papers,”she said, noting that “each part of it can become a lesson plan. Get a patterned piece

of paper and explore with your childwhat makes that a pattern. Don’t as-sume that your child knows.”

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STU-DENTS at St. Andrew’s EpiscopalSchool in Potomac create their ownbooks as part of the elementary schoolcurriculum. Jordan Love, head of theLower School, said that parents can“create a writing center at home byproviding a child with an area dedi-cated to their work and ideas. All chil-dren need is blank paper, coloringcrayons or markers, and a quiet placeto work, preferably at a table that istheir size. Elementary-age childrenshould be provided paper that has ablank section at the top and lines onthe bottom.

“For preschool age children,” Lovesaid, “parents can ask their child todictate or describe in order the illus-trations. Parents should describe whatthey are writing while the childwatches them transcribe their ideasto the paper. This reinforces that lan-guage can be printed.”

Experts add that it’s important toemphasize that mistakes, correctionsand changes are OK. “I usually saydon’t let them erase what they writeor draw 150 times. It is not aboutperfection,” said Fishel.

Burns agrees. “In books for pleasureyou don’t want to make big correc-tions,” she said. “It’s the relationshipwith parents that will make it posi-tive.”

Love suggests that parents displaytheir children’s books. “Writing andreading go hand in hand, and throughsupporting the writing process, par-ents are enhancing their child’s abil-ity to be a more effective and efficientreader. Writing together helps to ex-pand a child’s vocabulary, encouragecreativity, activate prior knowledge,and build self-esteem.”

Little Readers

“As a college professor, Ifind that my studentswho can read well canalso think well and writewell. They are thinkers ona much deeper level.”

— Holly Karapetkova, Ph.D.,

Marymount University.


By Ethan McLeod

The Connection

Many know the story of Secretariat, athoroughbred horse who overcamegreat physical limitations to win the

1973 Triple Crown, taking home wins at the Ken-tucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the BelmontStakes. However, many may not be aware of North-ern Virginia’s historical ties to Secretariat’s owner,Penny Chennery, who rode for the equestrian teamfor the Madeira School in McLean before graduat-ing in 1939.

During January and February 2014, Great Fallsnonprofit Lift Me Up! will share Secretariat’s storywith Great Falls and Reston residents in a filmscreening of Disney’s Secretariat, as well as a booksigning featuring Chennery’s daugher, KateTweedy, co-author of Secretariat’s Meadow: TheLand, The Family, The Legend. In the book, Tweedyand her co-author Leeanne Ladin detail the his-tory of The Meadow, a thoroughbred farm inCaroline County, Va., once owned by the Chenneryfamily. In the movie Secretariat, for which Tweedyserved as a consultant, the champion thorough-bred horse helps to financially save The Meadowafter winning the Triple Crown in 1973.

LIFT ME UP!’S THERAPEUTIC RIDING PRO-GRAM offers horseback riding lessons to both thephysically and mentally disabled, as well as mili-tary veterans injured in battle through its Back inthe Saddle program. Many of the riders have men-tal health conditions ranging from autism to ce-rebral palsy, down syndrome and post-traumaticstress disorder, to name a few, and they all ben-efit greatly from renewed balance, coordinationand confidence from riding with Lift Me Up!’stherapy horses.

Georgia Bay, Director of Programs for Lift MeUp! notes that while its 13 therapy horses maynot be championship-winning thoroughbreds, theydo make a difference in riders’ lives every day.“We see these wonderful little victories – the childwho develops the ability to sit balanced, whenbefore he could just lean to the side; the riderwho decides to talk after months of riding in si-lence,” said Bay, adding fondly, “Of course thatfirst comment is always about the horse.”

The nonprofit receives help from communitydonors and volunteers as well as student interns,equestrian students from the Madeira School, whowork with riders each week. “If Penny were at-tending there now, I imagine she would likely vol-unteer too,” said Laura Smith, Director of DonorRelations. Smith also noted that Penny’s father,Christopher Chennery, helped to train militaryveterans in horseback riding here in Northern Vir-ginia. “Penny has long been a champion for horsesand people with disadvantages.”

ONE OF THE PROGRAM’S HORSES is actu-ally a former racing thoroughbred named Radar,

who, after a short-lived racing career, has takenhome awards with young riders at the Therapeu-tic Riding Association of Virginia’s statewide horseshow in Lexington, Va. Radar’s former ownerDonna Zimmerman, a Great Falls resident, do-nated him to Lift Me Up! after her daughter Jenna,now a volunteer with the organization, outgrewthe former competition racing horse.

“He was the most gentle, caring soul that I hadever seen in a horse, and for me at the time, Iknew that this horse was going to be safe with mydaughter to learn on,” said Zimmerman of Radar.When her daughter moved on to higher competi-tion levels, Zimmerman saw that Radar wouldmake a great training horse and notified ProgramDirector Georgia Bay. “He’s not a high-strung thor-oughbred at all,” added Zimmerman. “We knewthat he would be a perfect horse for the riders tolearn on at Lift Me Up! It’s great to see him bringso much joy to so many people.”

Lift Me Up!’s major fundraising program for2014 is called Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.The organization is collecting donations from thecommunity in order to fund the building of newfences surrounding the nonprofit’s property inGreat Falls. “We need to reinforce our fences toprotect both our horses and the properties of ourneighbors,” said Lift Me Up! President Bob Bestabout the fundraiser.

In addition to the organization’s upcomingfundraising events in January and February, TheSaddlery, located at 731 Walker Road in GreatFalls, is also selling copies of Secretariat’s Meadowfor $35 to contribute to the fundraiser.

Lift Me Up! Shares Historyof SecretariatThe nonprofit kicks off itsGood Fences Make GoodNeighbors fundraiser inReston and Great Falls.

Photo by Ethan McLeod/The Connection

The Saddlery, at 731 Walker Road inGreat Falls, is selling copies ofSecretariat’s Meadow: The Land, TheFamily, The Legend by Kate Tweedy andLeeanne Ladin for $35.

UPCOMING EVENTS❖ Film Screening of Disney’s Secretariat from 1-3 p.m., Jan.

31. Free. Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls, VA 22066

❖ Book signing featuring Kate Tweedy, daughter of PennyChennery and co-author of Secretariat’s Meadow: TheLand, The Family, The Legend, 5-8 p.m., Feb. 8, 2014.

Cost: $50 for entrance, $35 per book copy. Fairfax HuntClub, 1321 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston.

Del. Mark Keam(D-35) beganhis third termin the Virginia

General Assembly on ahigh note, garnering a newcommittee assignment andintroducing 10 bills. He took theoath of office last Wednesday, Jan.8, at noon.

When he first came to Richmondin January 2010, he was assignedthe most junior ranking position –number 100 out of 100 membersin the House. But last week, hemoved up to number 64 in senior-ity as a result of last November’sand recent special elections.

In addition, on the first day ofsession, Speaker of the House Wil-liam J. Howell added Keam to theHouse Courts of Justice Commit-tee, besides his ongoing member-ships on three other House com-mittees – Finance; Education; andAgriculture, Chesapeake andNatural Resources.

It’s unusual for a member of theminority party to serve on fourcommittees. In fact, out of 33Democratic members of theHouse, only four delegates hold asmany as four committee member-ships.

The Courts of Justice Commit-tee considers matters relating toVirginia state courts, such as nomi-nations of judges and justices. Thiscommittee also receives more leg-islation than any other committeein the House and addresses crimi-nal laws, contracts, juvenile anddomestic relations, eminent do-main, fiduciaries, garnishments,magistrates, mechanics’ and otherliens, property and conveyances,as well as wills and estates.

Also on this session’s first day,Keam introduced 10 bills address-ing a wide range of problems fac-ing Virginians and their state gov-ernment:

❖ HB 829 would prohibit thesale or use of automated sales sup-pression devices, which are elec-tronic tools that help criminals fal-sify records of cash registers toavoid paying the full amount ofsales taxes owed to the state.

❖ HB 830 would prohibit anyemployer from denying initialemployment based on theapplicant’s military status, in an

effort to reduce unacceptably highrate of unemployment among ourmilitary veterans.

❖ HB 831 would create a work-ing group to study and makerecommendations related tothe provision of care for in-dividuals with dementia re-siding in nursing homes andfacilities in the Common-wealth, as more and moreVirginians live longer whilefacing a shortage of quali-fied caretakers.

❖ HB 832 would create a work-ing group to study the effective-ness of communication and coop-eration among law enforcementand behavioral health services pro-viders in an effort to create a seam-less web of services for all Virgin-ians who face dangerous mentalhealth challenges.

❖ HB 833 would create a newcategory of leave for workerscalled, “Safe Days,” which wouldallow employees to take paid daysoff to seek medical attention orcounseling assistance should theybecome victims of domestic vio-lence, sexual assault, or stalking.

❖ HB 834 would expand the ex-isting Virginia law that prohibitsharassment by computer to alsoinclude bullying behavior as thatterm is already defined in Virginialaw, to address “cyber bullying.”

❖ HB 835 would add the pres-ence of any underground pipelinesor storage tanks carrying hazard-ous material such as natural gasor oil to the list of items to be dis-closed by owners or sellers of resi-dential properties, to raise aware-ness of such potential hazards tohomeowners.

❖ HB 836 would provide work-ers with the option of receivingtheir pay from their employersthrough prepaid debit cards, in-stead of the current policy that al-lows employers to choose the debitcard payment option for theirworkers.

❖ HB 837 would amend the Vir-ginia Freedom of Information Actby requiring government agenciesto post on their websites a rangeof charges that they may assess tomembers of the public for comply-ing with FOIA requests.

❖ HB 838 would address an in-consistency in the voting processby treating all absentee ballots tobe accepted the same way,whether they were mailed to Vir-ginia from within the Unites Statesor from overseas.

Details on all of these bills areat http://lis.virginia.gov.

Del. Keam IntroducesHis New LegislationNamed to HouseCourts of JusticeCommittee.

Keam

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