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Senior LivingPage 6
County Studies State Budget News, Page 3
Great Falls Troop 673 Celebrates Court of HonorNews, Page 2
Sweetest Weekend in McleanNews, Page 7
Staff members from Cameron’s Chocolates greet visitors, their products enticing every passerby at Sunday’s 9th annual McLean Chocolate Festival.
2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Michael Lee Pope
The Connection
The days of unregulated high-in-terest lending may be coming toa close in Virginia. Now thatDemocrats have seized control
of the General Assembly, members of theLegislative Black Caucus say cracking downon predatory lending is one of their top pri-orities for the 2020 session. Del. LamontBagby (D-74) and Sen. Mamie Locke (D-2)have introduced a legislative effort they’recalling the Fair Lending Act. The bill wouldcap all loans at 36 percent and institute amaximum monthly fee of $25.
“All of these lenders make the same loansin Colorado and Ohio and charge one thirdas much as they charge Virginians,” said JaySpeer, executive director at the VirginiaPoverty Law Center. “So it’s pretty clear theycharge the maximum they’re allowed tocharge and it has nothing at all to do withmarket forces.”
The current state of Virginia law is ahodgepodge of different approaches for dif-ferent loans. Some are regulated andcapped at 264 percent. Others are totallyunregulated, so nobody knows how manyof them are being made or what the inter-est rates are. The Fair Lending Act wouldrequire all lenders get a Virginia license andregister with the State Corporation Com-mission, which would track how many loansare made and many other details about thetransactions. Advocates for reforming thesystem say the current system takes advan-tage of people who are already in a vulner-able financial situation.
“It’s designed to bankrupt them,” saidMark Levine (D-45), who introduced a billto regulate open-end lines of credit. “It’s de-signed to take every single asset they own.”
HIGH-INTEREST LENDERS have beenunder increasing scrutiny in recent years,and campaign-finance disclosures show
these companies are spreading their moneyaround to Democrats and Republicans in aneffort to influence the General Assembly.During the last election cycle, the industrygave $1 million in campaign contributions.Car-title lender LoanMax was the top con-tributor, giving $250,000; online lenderEnova gave $176,000; open-end-line-of-credit lender Check Into Cash gave $88,000.
“There’s no question that when it comesto car-title lenders, that has been contro-versial,” said Bob Denton, professor at Vir-ginia Tech. “Republicans have protected thatindustry by and large.”
Republicans are no longer in charge, andthat has created a momentum for reform-ing an industry that many lawmakers be-lieve preys on vulnerable people who are
desperate for money and don’t fully under-stand the consequences of getting caughtin a debt trap. One of the key Republicanswho helped thwart efforts was former Del.Tim Hugo (R-40), who was chairman of asubcommittee that often served as grave-yard for reform efforts. He was one of thefour Republican incumbents unseated lastyear, giving Democrats a majority in theHouse and shifting the balance of power.
“Far too often I’m riding into work or intosession, and I hear the commercials on theradio knowing that there’s somebody listen-ing to that who desperately needs a loan topay for their electrical bill, to pay a childcare payment, pay a college loan,” saidBagby, who is leading the reform effort inthe House. “They are going to be calling
that number that’s on the radio or online toreceive that loan not knowing what the ratesare, and not understand what the fees areassociated with that.”
ONE OF THE key provisions in the FairLending Act is that it creates a cap on howmuch these companies can charge in inter-est and fees — no more than 50 percent.This is designed to prevent these companiesfrom bilking consumers into forking over sig-nificantly more money than they borrowedin the first place, a key feature of the indus-try that helped earn the title “predatory.”
“We want to make sure that the borrow-ers have terms that make sense and are rea-sonable because they can’t negotiate thoseterms,” said Jennifer Carroll Foy (D-2). “Allthey know is that they need the money, andthey need it now.”
Current rules allow for a wide variety oflending. Some are regulated and some arenot. For example, payday loans and car-titleloans are monitored by the State Corpora-tion Commission. But open-end lines ofcredit and installment loans made onlineare not, leading to confusion about the scaleof the industry and what kind of interestrates they charge. That’s why the Fair Lend-ing Act requires all businesses making loansin Virginia get a license, which will allowstate regulators to track their activity. Crit-ics say this creates a new loophole.
“We have no statute to cover somebodyoffshore,” said Terry Kilgore (R-1). “It’s go-ing to drive a lot of people to the internetand offshore lending.”
Supporters of the bill say the legislationhas a solution to that problem: the attor-ney general.
“All you do is complain to the attorneygeneral, and you don’t have to pay a singledime,” said Levine. “Sorry Russian company.Sorry German company. You’re getting noneof it back because under Virginia law, theloan is void.”
Michael Lee Pope/The Connection
Campaign-finance records show that in the last election cycle, LoanMaxgave $150,000 to Republicans and $100,000 to Democrats.
Democrats poised to impose new regulationson high-interest lenders.
Closing All the Loopholes
The Eagle Scout Court of Honorcelebrated by Troop 673 in earlyJanuary was the last one for thoseGreat Falls boys who graduated fromhigh school in 2019. This particularcohort was remarkable for having sucha high number becoming Eagle Scouts.Not only did sixteen Scouts from thisclass make Eagle rank, but all wereactive in their troops well into highschool, all but one participated in atleast one High Adventure, sevenattended either a National or WorldJamboree, and eight were also mem-bers of the Order of the Arrow, the BSAhonor society. For high school, threeattended boarding school, one gradu-ated from Thomas Jefferson HighSchool for Science and Technology(TJ), and twelve graduated fromLangley High School. All are now in
college, attending sixteen universities ineleven different states. Glenn Prickettwas the Scoutmaster for the majority ofthe time for most of the boys; DavidDankworth, Jon Porter, and Gary Pan(Troop 55) were also Scoutmasters andmentors for these young men.
The other remarkable fact about thiscohort is that thirteen of the sixteencrossed over to Boy Scouts from the sameCub Scout den of Pack 673, based atGreat Falls Elementary School. The parentleader from the den’s inception in 2007when the boys were in 1st grade was EricRaudenbush. Sixteen Webelos from Eric’sden joined Boy Scouts after they crossedover in March 2012 when they were in5th grade, and 80 percent of thoseeventually became Eagle Scouts.
—Cindy Gersony
Troop 673 Celebrates Court of Honor
The “class of 2019” Eagle Scouts; all from Troop 673 of Great Falls,unless otherwise noted. From left, front and middle rows: NatRaudenbush (Troop 55), Greg Roszyk, Jr., Cameron Williams, Neal Kelly,Sawyer Blazar, Matt Stephens, Mitch Williams, Jackson Sayers, and BenjiPrickett. Back row: Zane Givans, Alex Marjanovich, and Greg Gersony.
Photo courtesy of Greg Roszyk, Sr.
Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
NewsConnection Editor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or [email protected]
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
The Fairfax County Board of Su-pervisors held their first 2020Legislative Committee Meetingon Fri., Jan. 17 with James
Walkinshaw, (D-Braddock), chairman of thecommittee, and Jeffrey McKay, (D) vice-chairman. During the nearly three-hourmeeting, staff reported to the LegislativeCommittee items deemed important andspecific to Fairfax County.
Staff began their presentation with itemson Gov. Northam’s proposed 2020-22 Bien-nial Budget and amendments to the 2018-20 budget,” followed by House and Senatebills introduced to the Virginia General As-sembly by the Fairfax County Delegation.
The meeting kicked off with Claudia Arko,Legislative Director reading theCommittee’s approved “Five Priority Prin-ciples For Reviewing Legislation: Ad-equately fund K-12 education; Restore fund-ing to the Northern Virginia TransportationAuthority; Build upon the successful enact-ment of significant transportation revenuesby the 2013 General Assembly; Restore thefunding partnership between the state andlocalities; and Preserve local governmentauthority, particularly in taxation and landuse; and allow greater flexibility in the ad-ministration of government.”
Albena Assenova, Revenue Coordinator ofDepartment of Management and Budget,had tracked items of interest to FairfaxCounty that were included in the budget aswell as the impact of these relative to countyand school budgets and shared updates withthe Committee. “The governor’s budget didnot include across the board salary adjust-ments for constitutional officers and state-supported local employees...the governorincluded funding to fully reimburse the gen-eral registrar and electoral board salariesin the localities, and we think that thiswould result in an increase of $41,000,” shesaid.
Assenova said, “The governor proposalincluded an increase in state cigarette taxrate from 30 cents per pack to 60cents...allowing the Board of Supervisors toincrease the cigarette tax and that wouldresult in an increase of 5.4 million to FairfaxCounty...deposited in the general fund.”
According to Assenova, in the judicial de-partment, the County expected they mightsee an increase in four positions, given thegovernor’s budget included funding for 59additional positions for public defendersacross the state. Still, it was unclear howmany additional district court clerk posi-tions. “We need more than 21 additionalpositions in the district court and more than9 positions in the juvenile court,” Assenova
said. The budget did include one new gen-eral district court judgeship and one clerksupport staff for Fairfax County, funding forlocal stormwater assistance, Virginia Hous-ing Trust Fund and for the 2020 Presiden-tial Primary, reimbursement to localities fortheir expenditures.
As for the school budget, GovernorNortham’s Proposed Budget targeted morethan one-third of new spending on educa-tion. According to Assenova, the governor’sbudget includes a total of $69.2 million in-crease for fiscal year ’21 compared to thecurrent year budget…There were noteacher salary increase proposed for the firstyear of the biennium. Assenova remindedthe supervisors that the County did receivestate funding towards salary increases ofteachers for fiscal year 2020, and the gov-ernor included another increase for fiscalyear 2022. The proposed budget includesfunding for additional counselors related toschool safety at $2 million.
In the Human Services section of staff pre-sentations, Ellen Volo, Deputy LegislativeDirector, Office of the County Executive saidthe governor’s proposal would provide a 3percent increase for state-supported localemployees of social service departments,“We do think that we would get about re-ceive $2.2 million for a 3 percent increase…if this component of the budget is passed,the County will receive $2.2 million in FY
2021,” she said. There would be an approxi-mate $400,000 match required.
Noelle Dominguez, Legislative Liaison,Department of Transportation, said the pro-posed budget did provide about $50 mil-lion more than the last projections forNorthern Virginia Transportation fundingdue to legislation passed in the previousyear related to sales of items to the internetas well as revenue from the I-81 bill lastyear that provided some funds back toNorthern Virginia Transportation Authority.
The second item Dominguez presentedhad to do with regional transportation en-tity appointments. “Two years ago the Gen-eral Assembly put language in the budgetthat allowed the Speaker of the House toappoint non-legislative members to theNorthern Virginia Transportation Commis-sion, the Northern Virginia TransportationAuthority and the Potomac andRappahannock Transportation Commission.Some members are currently not generalassembly members,” said Dominguez. Thebudget would remove the language for thenext appointments; appointees would haveto be from the General Assembly.
ONE ITEM concerned the Department ofMotor Vehicles and the proposal for 100more employees given the need for a REALID compliant driver’s license. “About 1 mil-lion or at least more than a million peoplemight get those licenses in Virginia... Pro-
portionately nine of the ten busiest DMVsare in Northern Virginia, two I think areright in our area,” Dominguez said.
Moving on, the Committee received de-tails on three County Initiatives of SpecialLegislation that they had asked the FairfaxCounty Delegation to move through theGeneral Assembly, among them SB-23 bySenator Adam Ebbin (D-30) that prohibitsdiscrimination in employment and publicaccommodations based on sexual orienta-tion or gender identity.
Next, the Committee received reports forcontinuous support of historical positionsfor legislation such as Courthouse SecurityFees SB 149 (Howell); Equal Rights Amend-ment HJ 1 (Carroll Foy) (Passed House;SPE)/SJ 1 (McClellan) (Passed Senate;HPE) ratifies the Equal Rights Amendmentto the Constitution of the United States thatwas proposed by Congress in 1972; SolarFreedom HB 572 (Keam) and others.
Referring to the four bills in front of theLegislative Committee that spoke to SolarFreedom, Vice Chair McKay said, “ I sug-gest that we do an individual letter on these,what this means to Fairfax County; to comeforward from the chairman at our nextboard meeting, so we can be on record spe-cifically on this issue, and specifically put-ting it down in terms of what this meansfor Fairfax County and how far along weare in this. And this would put a halt if theseare not approved.”
Highlights ofNew Bills 2020General AssemblyHB 1391 (Leftwich) (HCT)/SB 253(Chafin) (SJUD) - Recommendoppose.
Chris Sigler, Assistant County Attorney: Ithink the issue with the bill is that our af-fordable housing, ADU program relies onthings like affordable housing restrictionsand covenants that don’t appear in the Deedof Trust, but when there is a foreclosure wewant those restrictions and covenants to beprotected by the Trustee and honored...Ithink this bill may say they might not haveto do that, and that gives us great concernfor the ADU Program.
HB 1534 (Samirah) (HCCT)/SB 649(Boysko) (Senate Floor)-Recom-mend support.
Chris Sigler, Assistant County Attorney:It allows Fairfax County, to enter into agree-ments with towns either wholly or partiallywithin its boundaries for the collection andenforcement of property taxes. So we wouldbe able to collect those by agreement withHerndon.
See Legislative, Page 10
County Studies State BudgetBoard of Supervisors Legislative Committee: Tracking items of interest to FX CO againstGovernor’s proposed budget and specific legislation.
Albena Assenova,Revenue andEconomic Coordi-nator
Ellen Volo,Deputy Legisla-tive Director,Office of theCounty Executive
NoelleDominguez,Legislative Liai-son, Departmentof Transportation
Chris Sigler,AssistantCounty Attorney
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Legislative Committee Meeting,Jan. 17, 2020
Screenshots via Fairfax County video
4 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
State Delegate (D-36)
The General Assemblyhas shifted into highgear to get through itsagenda of thousands
of bills in sixty days. The old say-ing that you cannot be in twoplaces at one time is disprovenevery day as the 140 members ofthe House and Senate scurry
among sub-c o m m i t t e e sand standingcommittees on
which they serve and the subcom-mittees and committees beforewhich they have to present theirbills. By strategically placing anassistant or intern in one meetingwhile the member moves quicklyamong several meetings, it mayeven appear that a member is inmore than even two places at onetime. The legislature is not a placefor lengthy contemplation butrather is a place for action. Afterall, we ran on a platform of what
we promised we weregoing to do, and thelegislative session isthe time of action todeliver on our prom-ises.
With such a “meatgrinder” approachcan we trust the out-come of a legislativesession? Considerthat in order for a bill to become alaw it must meet the approval of asubcommittee and full committee,passage twice in the full house ontwo different days, the same pro-cess in the other house of the leg-islature, and the signature of thegovernor.
All that time there are hundredsof advocates, constituents, lobby-ists and others looking over yourshoulder and providing commentson what you are doing. Bills getintense scrutiny before they arepassed. It is easier to describe howa bill does not make it than it is totell how a bill becomes a law.Fewer than half the bills intro-
duced become law.Election outcomes
do matter for tochange the outcomeof debate on impor-tant issues it may beeasier to change thepeople in the legisla-ture through the bal-lot box than it is tochange the minds of
incumbent legislators. A case inpoint is ratification of the EqualRights Amendment that was de-bated for decades but approvedwithin a week in a General Assem-bly made up of new members sup-porting the rights of women.Those same new members, join-ing the progressives who were al-ready there, have even now ap-proved sweeping new common-sense gun safety laws such as myuniversal background check billthat had been defeated for two de-cades by previous members of asubcommittee of the House. Lawsthat put barriers in the way ofwomen in making choices con-
cerning their own reproductivehealth are being repealed. Lawsthat disproportionally affectedpeople of color are being repealed.The criminal justice system is un-dergoing a major shift to make itwork more fairly for all people.Challenges to the environment arebeing met with meaningful legis-lation.
It is impossible to list in a shortcolumn the thousands of bills be-fore the legislature. You can how-ever review the full list with de-scriptions and status atlis.virginia.gov and for the firsttime this year you can seelivestreaming of most full and sub-committee meetings atvirginiageneralassembly.gov/house/chamber/chamberstreamand virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3.And you can visit the Capitol inRichmond; all meetings are opento the public. Some say the pro-cess is like making sausage. Theimportant thing is it is doing thepeople’s business.
The People’s Business
Commentary
Rep. Don Beyer (D-8), alongtime supporter of theEqual Rights Amendment
(ERA), and cosponsor of legisla-tion to extend the deadline for rati-fication, issued the following state-ment after the Virginia GeneralAssembly voted to ratify the ERA:
“Today, Virginia became the 38th
state to ratify the Equal RightsAmendment, and I could not bemore proud. Ratification of theERA is long overdue, but it is won-derful that Virginia took the his-toric step today which brought theAmendment across the three-fourths threshold necessary forratification.
“I congratulate and applaud ev-eryone in the Virginia General As-sembly, including SenatorMcClellan, Senator Locke, andDelegate Carroll Foy for making
this long-overdue legislation a toppriority, and seeing it through suc-cessfully.
“The recent legal opinion issuedby the Trump Administration viathe Justice Department makes itclear that the next steps dependon Congress. I am determined todo everything I can in Congress tohelp pave the way for the final rati-fication of the Equal RightsAmendment. Equality, justice, andhistory demand nothing less.”
Beyer is a cosponsor of Houselegislation to extend the deadlinefor ratification of the Equal RightsAmendment, sponsored by Rep.Jackie Speier (D-CA). The issue of
After Virginia Ratification Of Equal Rights AmendmentBeyer: ‘Next Steps Depend On Congress’
Rep. DonBeyer (D-8)
the deadline was raised most re-cently by a Trump Administrationlegal opinion arguing that the ERAcould not be ratified because of theexpiration of the original deadline.Beyer is also a cosponsor of newEqual Rights Amendment legisla-tion introduced by Rep. CarolynMaloney (D-NY).
Beyer’s most recent AnnualWomen’s Conference and Forumfocused specifically on the need topass the Equal Rights Amendment,with a panel discussion that fea-tured speakers from VA Ratify ERA(Virginia’s campaign to ratify theERA) and the ERA Coalition.
Rep. JenniferWexton (D-10)
In response to the final passageof the Equal Rights Amendment in the Virginia General
Assembly, Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-10) issued the following statement:“Today, Virginia sent a powerfulmessage to the rest of the country— that ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ isa constitutional right for women.
“I was a sponsor of the EqualRights Amendment during mytime in Richmond, and I am proudof my former colleagues in Rich-mond who made this issue a pri-ority in this year’s session.
“This is a historic moment nearlyone hundred years in the making.Thanks to the tireless work of so
Wexton: ‘A Historic Moment’
many trailblazers and activistsover the years, women — finally— are one step closer to being in-cluded in our nation’s foundingdocument.”
The Connection welcomes views on any public issue.The deadline for all material is noon Friday. Letters must be signed.Include home address and home and business numbers. Letters are
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Letters to the EditorThe Connection1606 King St.
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Great Falls
Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
IN GREAT FALLS
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QUICK GUIDE AVAILABLEFor 26 years the Northern Virginia Regional
Commission has published a Quick Guide whichis a pocket index to the most frequently soughthuman services in our region. The Guide isdesigned to meet the needs of all those in theregion seeking to deal with difficult situations.You can search services for the Guide by visitingthe following link: https://novaquickguide.org/You can also save the link to your Smart Phone.Just enter the url https://novaquickguide.orginto the browser of your phone and save it toyour home screen. You will have the fullfunctionality of the website.
RUN FOR SEAT ON GOVERNING BOARDAre you a resident of Small District 1-A Dranesville?
Are you looking for ways to make a difference inthe community? Consider running for a seat onthe McLean Community Center’s (MCC) 2020-2021 Governing Board. MCC is seeking districtresidents to run for seats on its 11-membervolunteer board, which provides oversight andguidance for MCC programs and facilities,including the Robert Ames Alden Theatre (“TheAlden”) and The Old Firehouse Center (OFC).An agency of Fairfax County Government, MCCis located at 1234 Ingleside Ave. To run for aseat on the volunteer board, a candidate mustreside in the Center’s tax district (Small District1A-Dranesville). Three adult positions and twoyouth positions are open this year. To have theirnames placed on election ballots, candidates arerequired to obtain the signatures of 10 McLeantax district residents in their respectivecategories. Candidate petition packets will beavailable at MCC starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday,Jan. 21.
Key Election Dates:❖ Friday, March 13: Completed Petition Packets are
due at MCC by 5 p.m.❖ Saturday, March 14: Candidates’ Orientation.
❖ Wednesday, March 18: Absentee Voting begins atthe MCC and The Old Firehouse Center, 1440Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, Va. 22101.
❖ Wednesday, May 13: Absentee Voting ends at 5p.m.
❖ Saturday, May 16: Elections at McLean Day(Lewinsville Park) from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Call the Center at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, orlogon to the Governing Board Candidates’webpage: https://bit.ly/2QwOURj.
FRIDAY/FEB. 7Preschool Transition to Kindergarten for
Students with Disabilities. 10 a.m. to noon.At Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services, 2334Gallows Road, Dunn Loring. The transition tokindergarten is a big one for kids and can beeven more so for children with disabilities.Learn how parents can collaborate with FCPS toensure their students have a smooth transitionto Kindergarten.
TUESDAY/FEB. 11Valentine’s Day Luncheon. 12 noon to 2 p.m.
At Vienna Community Center, 120 CherryStreet, SE, Vienna. Cost is $18/person. Hostedby SCOV and The Vienna Community Center.Registration required by Feb. 3. Call 703-281-0538. You must be registered to attend. Nowalk-ins please.
NARFE Chapter Meeting. 2 p.m. At ViennaCommunity Center, 120 Cherry Street, SE,Vienna. NARFE (National Active and RetiredFederal Employees Association) ChapterMeeting. Guest speaker – Marge Van Lierde -“The Road Ahead” - Transitioning into aretirement community. Refreshments will beserved. Free. Members and guests. Call 703-205-9041.
Submit civic/community announcements at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar.Photos and artwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least two weeks before event.
Bulletin
6 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
www.lostdogandcatrescue.org
lost (adj): 1. unable to findthe way. 2. not appreciatedor understood. 3. no longer
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Helping Animals FindTheir Way Since 2001
Adopt/Donate/Volunteer
Volunteers needed for adoption events, fostering,transportation, adoption center caretaking and more.
By Marilyn Campbell
The Connection
Tax season and tax scams often go hand-in-hand. Scammers will try to steal taxdocuments, money and even a person’sidentity and seniors are often their prime
target.“Con artists will target anyone, but older adults
are targeted at higher rates because criminals gowhere the money is, and older adults have the ma-jority of wealth because of their years of hard workand savings,” said Amy Nofziger, Director of FraudVictim Support at the AARP. “Plus, older adults havenot grown up with the technology of today, whichhas grown so fast.”
“Older Adults are often targets because they aregoing through life transitions and scammers can bevery convincing,” added Rachel Coates, Director ofthe Arlington County Agency on Aging. “Awarenessis critical.”
While numerous scams abound, there are somethat are currently more prevalent than others. “Thecomplaints we hear…is the IRS phone scam,” saidStacy Northrop of the Fairfax County Office of Pub-lic Affairs. “This is where the caller will state that awarrant of arrest has been is-sued for the victim.”
“The crook will claim thatthe recipient in trouble for notpaying enough in taxes or notfiling properly,” added EricFriedman, Director of theMontgomery County Office ofConsumer Protection. “Crooksinstill a sense of fear and ur-gency, then they’ll trick theconsumer into wiring moneyor paying over the phone witha prepaid gift card. Consum-ers make quick decisions thatthey wouldn’t make if therewasn’t a sense of urgency.”
Some of the features com-monly thought to be safe-guards may not be so, saysFriedman. “You cannot trustCaller ID to tell you who’s re-ally on the other end of thephone,” he said. “Caller ID is of no value becausecrooks can say anything over the phone. They canhave IRS as the name that appears to make it lookofficial.”
Telephone calls and emails are two warning signsof a scam.
“This is not how the gov-ernment actually operates,”said Nofziger of AARP. “Youwould always first receive aletter from the IRS, and theywould never threaten youwith arrest or use foul lan-guage. If you receive thistype of call, hang up thephone.”
Fraudulent emails andwebsites can be created tolook as though they are froma government agency.
“Many older adults are un-aware that criminals are lurk-ing on what we consider inno-cent websites or apps, like“Words with Friends,”Instagram or other social me-dia platforms,” said Nofziger.“This is why education andwarning people about the redflags is crucial.”
Identify theft is also preva-lent during tax season, saysFriedman of MontgomeryCounty. “Crooks will stealsomeone’s social security num-ber and file [taxes] really early,like in January or February, be-fore the consumer files theirreturn,” he said. “When theconsumer really does file, theIRS rejects it. When the prob-lem is reported, the IRS will
have to investigate which takes months to resolve,which is not good if you’re getting a refund.”
Scammers seek to obtain money from a victimoften in the form of wire transfers or cash, saysNorfziger. “It’s important to know the red flags of
scams,” she said. “Eventhough the scam tacticsmight vary, the criminals’demands never change.They want money or per-sonal information. So ifanyone calls, mails, emailsor texts you asking formoney, that is a red flag. Ifthey ask you for personal in-formation such as yourMedicare number, SocialSecurity number or finan-cial information, it’s a hugered flag.”
Photo by Marilyn Campbell
Know the warning signs to avoid scamsthis tax season.
The most common tricksand have to avoid them.
Tax Season, Tax ScamsSenior Living
For Help and More Information❖ AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/
FraudWatchNetwork. AARP Fraud Watch Network Helplineand our trained fraud specialists can help walk you throughit: 877-908-3360.
❖ Free Help at Montgomery County Libraries: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteercenter/Resources/Files/taxaideflyer.pdf
❖ Tax ID Theft Awareness Week: https://www.idtheftcenter.org/tax-identity-theft-awareness-week-2020/
❖ Arlington Adult Protective Services 703-228-1700❖ Fairfax County Silver Shield Anti-Scam Campaign https://
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/older-adults/fairfax-county-silver-shield-anti-scam-campaign
“If anyone calls, mails,emails or texts youasking for money, that isa red flag. If they askyou for personalinformation such asyour Medicare number,Social Security numberor financial information,it’s a huge red flag.”
— Amy Nofziger, Director of FraudVictim Support at the AARP
“Crooks instill a sense offear and urgency.Consumers make quickdecisions that theywouldn’t make if therewasn’t a sense of urgency.”
— Eric Friedman, Montgomery CountyOffice of Consumer Protection
Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Olivia Anello
The Connection
It’s safe to say that more than a fewsweet tooth’s were satisfied this pastweekend.
On Sunday afternoon, the RotaryClub of McLean hosted their 9th annualMcLean Chocolate Festival. Held at theMcLean Community Center, eighteen ven-dors from all over the DMV area came to-gether to share their confections with thetri-state community. Eva Sereghy, Secretaryof the Rotary Club of McLean was “pleasedwith everyone that came out, especiallythose from Maryland and the D.C. area.”She continued, “It’s a nice feeling to be sup-ported by so many visitors, from McLeanand beyond.”
Of the eighteen chocolate-relevant busi-nesses in attendance, fifteen were return-ing vendors, including Cameron’s Choco-lates from Fairfax. Madeline Porth, a staffmember of the Cameron’s Chocolate store-front, was eager to share the many won-derful qualities about the business, and notjust because fresh made baked goods areavailable in the store every single day.Cameron’s Chocolates is a business thatemploys adults with intellectual disabilitiesand has an appreciation for the opportu-nity for meaningful employment. Cameron’sChocolates takes pride in delivering extraor-dinary chocolates made by extraordinarypeople. Porth spoke passionately about theirmany homemade goods available on Sun-day, including their milk salted caramelswhich were worth their cost in treat ticketsand more.
A first-time vendor at the McLean Choco-late Festival was The Dough Jar. With storesin Georgetown and National Harbor, D.C.,The Dough Jar makes edible cookie doughin every flavor that is completely safe to eat.Owner, Lindsay Goldin, skips the raw eggand uses a pasteurized flour, allowing her
customers to safely enjoy the best part ofmaking cookies. Goldin shared how muchshe “loves the opportunity to connect withnew people” at events like the ChocolateFestival. She went on, “the traffic [in thestores] is not always immediate, but I lovewhen people come in weeks or months laterand say ‘I was at that Chocolate Festival andremember having your cookie dough.’”
Jan Auerbach, Treasurer of the RotaryClub of McLean and chair of the event’scommittee, expressed her gratitude for themany families and individuals who visitedthe Chocolate Festival. “The beauty of thisevent is that it really is for all ages. We’veseen families with young children, teenag-ers with their friends, couples, seniors…”Auerbach said.
The Rotary Club of McLean is a memberof Rotary International which is a serviceorganization whose mission is to improvethe lives of others throughout the world.Chocolate is certainly a great way to bringpeople together, but the list of services theRotary Club has accomplished on behalf oflocal and international organizations is trulyextensive. In 2019 alone, the Rotary Clubof McLean devoted their service to 10 localorganizations, including Cameron’s Coffeeand Chocolates, and 4 international orga-nizations, many for health-related conflictsin Africa. The Rotary Club of McLean meetson Tuesdays at noon in the Lutheran Churchof the Redeemer in McLean.
McLean Chocolate Festival:Sweetest Weekend in Mclean
This festive children’s Valentine basket was one of the many raffle itemsavailable at the Chocolate Festival.
Photos by Olivia Anello/The Connection
Chocolate-covered Oreos in every color and flavor from the CapitalCandy Jar quickly disappeared from these boxes.
Dave of Dave’s Candy Kitchen setup shop, displaying his Englishtoffee candies and chocolate cov-ered pretzels for sale.
Cake pops and chocolate-dippedrice krispie treats line the tableof business, Fluffy Thoughts inMcLean.
Laid out on the raffle tablewas a real chocolate pearljewelry set, as well as choco-late baskets for all ages. All ofthe proceeds from the raffleare going to the organizationssupported by the Rotary Clubof McLean.
8 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.
ONGOINGThe Golden Girls of Northern Virginia, a
senior women’s softball league, is looking forplayers. Any woman over the age of 40 isencouraged to join. All skill levels are welcome.They play on Wednesday evenings and Saturdaymornings in Vienna. For more information,visit the web site www.goldengirls.org
Beginners Mah Jongg Class. Tuesdays thruFeb. 18. 12:30-2:30 p.m. At Great Falls Library,9830 VA-193, Great Falls. Learn to play the fun,fast-paced game of Mah Jongg. Registration isnow open for an Adult Beginners Mah Jonggclass. The class will run for six weeks onTuesday afternoons from 12:30-2:30 p.m.beginning January 14 through February 18.Attendees should plan to attend all six sessions.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov.
WEDNESDAY/JAN. 29Playdate Meetup. 10:30 a.m. At Oakton Library,
10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Toys and playspace for children. Birth-5 with adult. Visithttps://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/oakton
Qigong Introduction. 2 p.m. At Oakton Library,10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Learn topractice the Ancient Chinese exercises of Qigongto improve your health and increase yourvitality. Adults and Older Adults. No registrationnecessary, but space is limited to first 20 people.First come, first served. Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/oakton
Drawing the Figure Class. 6-8:30 p.m. At TheArts of Great Falls School, 756 Walker Road,Great Falls. Six weekly classes with MarciaKlioze; cost is $275. Interested in painting ordrawing the figure? This class is designed for alllevels of artists. Students will be painting thehuman figure from a model. In this class youwill gain the knowledge of basic paintingconcepts and techniques such as value, color,temperature, composition, and transition,through one-on-one instruction anddemonstration. Visit the website:www.greatfallsart.org
THURSDAY/JAN. 30Lunch & Learn on Senior Housing Options.
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At Trinity United MethodistChurch, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd., McLean.Huckaby Briscoe Conroy (HBC) Group at KellerWilliams McLean has organized a Lunch & Learnon Senior Housing Options. Seniors Real EstateSpecialist Karen Briscoe, HBC Principal, andHBC partner Lizzy Conroy are hosting thisdiscussion for seniors in the Northern Virginiaarea. Also participating is Jeanina DiVittorio, aSenior Living Expert. Subjects to be discussedinclude: In-home care vs. retirement communityliving; Elder nourish and senior communityprograms; Retirement community options andtheir costs; How to decide when to downsizeand move; and Selling your home to help payyour long-term needs. RSVP by Jan. 23 to 703-734-0192 or [email protected] .
Pet Therapy for Teens. 6:30 p.m. At OaktonLibrary, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Hangout with therapy dogs. Pets have been proven tobenefit mental health and they’re pretty cute!Teens. Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/oakton
Unruly Theatre Project ImprovPerformance. 7 p.m. At McLean Project forthe Arts, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean. Freeadmission. The Unruly Theatre Project is TheAlden’s professional teen improv companydedicated to bringing comedic productions tothe community. Call the Center at 703-790-0123, or visit the website,www.mcleancenter.org.
JAN. 30 THRU FEB. 23”The Royal.” At 1st Stage in Tysons, 1524 Spring
Hill Road, Tysons Corner. “The Royale” byMarco Ramirez, Directed by Paige Hernandez.Jay “The Sport” Jackson dreams of being theundisputed heavyweight champion of the world,but in the racially segregated world of boxing in1905, the odds are stacked against him. When acrooked boxing promoter hatches a plan for “thefight of the century,” “The Sport” might land aplace in the ring with the reigning white
Register at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes or call 703-222-4664.
Author Talk. 1:30-3 p.m. At Patrick HenryLibrary, 101 Maple Ave. E, Vienna. AuthorJulianna Miner shares insights from her book onhow parents can help their kids navigatechildhood and adolescence while they learn touse smartphones, apps, and websites — andreduce unexpected consequences. Adults. Free.Visit the website: https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/5815506
MONDAYS/FEB. 3, 10, 24Baby Storytime. 10:30 a.m. At Oakton Library,
10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Have fun withbaby while building early literacy foundationsfor reading success. Birth -18 months withadults.
TUESDAYS/FEB. 4, 11, 18Toddler Tales. 10:30 a.m. At Oakton Library,
10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Have fun withyour child and build early literacy foundationsfor reading success. Age 18 months-3 years withadults.
TUESDAY/FEB. 4Entrepreneurship 101: Starting a Business
in Fairfax County. 7:30-10:30 a.m. At FairfaxCounty Economic Development Authority, 8300Boone Blvd., McLean. Held in partnership withthe Virginia Department of Small Business andSupplier Diversity (SBSD), U.S. Small BusinessAdministration (SBA), and Community BusinessPartnership (CBP), the sessions have attractednearly 4,000 attendees. The sessions provideoverviews of: Business start-up basics (licensesand permits); workforce services and trainingprograms; SBA financing and resources; SDB,MBE and 8(a) certification. There is no charge,but pre-registration is required and theworkshops almost always fill up. Visit thewebsite: https://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/event/5437/
GFHS Award Dinner. 6:30-8:30 p.m. At The OldBrogue, 760 Walker Road, Great Falls. Join TheGreat Falls Historical Society in honoring MikeHenry as the 2020 recipient of the TibbettsAward. Mr. Henry works tirelessly for the ColvinRun Mill and they are excited to celebrate him.Cost is $50. Visit the website GFHS.org
WEDNESDAYS/FEB. 5, 12, 19Preschool Storytime. 10:30 a.m. At Oakton
Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Havefun with your child and build early literacyfoundations for reading success. Age 3-5 withadult.
THURSDAY/FEB. 6Teen Advisory Board (TAB). 6 p.m. At Oakton
Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Gainleadership experience and discuss what thelibrary can do for you. Grades 7-12.
Meme Fest. 6:30 p.m. At Oakton Library, 10304Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Game focused onidentifying and determining appropriate use ofmemes. Teens.
FRIDAY/FEB. 7, 14, 21Karate for Kids. 5 p.m. At Oakton Library, 10304
Lynnhaven Place, Oakton. Join the Karate togain powerful tools for self-defense, inner-strength and a strong, healthy body. Ages 4 andup.
FRIDAY/FEB. 7Waterfowl Hike. 9-11 a.m. At Riverbend Park,
8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls. Somewater birds stick around all winter and othersmerely pass through our region. Go on a “WinterWaterfowl Hike” at Riverbend Park and seewhat birds you can find. Bird lovers age 14 toadult are invited to hike with a naturalist tosearch for winter waterfowl along the UpperPotomac River. Participants should bringbinoculars and spotting scopes. Cost is $8 perperson. Call 703-759-9018 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend.
Bilingual Storytime. 10:30 a.m. At OaktonLibrary, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton.Bilingual Storytime in English and Hindi. Enjoystories, songs and activities. Birth-5 with adult.
Calendar
“We Shall Overcome”Musician Damien Sneed will perform at The Alden Theater in McLean onThursday, Jan. 30.
THURSDAY/JAN. 30Musician Damien Sneed. 7 p.m. At The Alden Theater, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean. “We Shall
Overcome: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring Damien Sneed” will arrive at TheAlden for one performance. This is the only DMV stop in the 40-city “We Shall Overcome” tour. Sneed isa graduate of Howard University, and he will be joined by the Howard University Choir. Tickets are $45for the general public, $25 for seniors and students and $20 for McLean Community Center tax districtresidents. Visit: www.aldentheatre.org or call 703-790-0123.
Lilt in ConcertLilt is Tina Eck on wooden flute and whistle and Keith Carr on 10 stringbouzouki, mandolin, tenor banjo and vocals.
SUNDAY/FEB. 9Celtic Music Featuring Lilt. 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. At The Old Brogue Irish Pub, 760-C Walker Road,
Great Falls. The Old Brogue Irish Pub and Barnaby Productions, Inc. present the 31st season of familyfriendly, Winter Traditional Celtic Concerts. Featuring internationally recognized Celtic musicians, theconcerts are performed in a listening room by the fireside. Tickets must be purchased in advance; $20general admission/$15 children under 12. Season ticket: $108. Visit www.oldbrogue.com or call theOld Brogue at 703-759-3309.
heavyweight champion. Show times areThursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m.,Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.Tickets: $42 general admission, $39 seniors(65+), $15 students and military. Purchaseonline at www.1ststage.org or 703-854-1856.
FRIDAY/JAN. 31Little Explorer’s Playgroup. 10:30 a.m. At
Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place,Oakton. Join in an adventurous STEAM centeredplaygroup that engages the senses. Age 2-5 withadult. Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/oakton
TMO — Tysons McLean OrchestraReception. 5:30-7:30 p.m. At Bank of America,8300 Greensboro Drive, McLean. Join the
Orchestra Board of Trustees for an eveningreception sponsored by Merrill Lynch, whereTMO will unveil the 50th Season Repertoire,Development Plan and Calendar for the year.RSVP to [email protected].
SATURDAY/FEB. 1Pairing Premium Teas and Chocolate. 1-3
p.m. At Colvin Run Mill, 10017 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. This favorite seminar is back!Learn about the similarities of theobroma cacaoand camillia sinensis, from their growing regionsto their processing methods as you taste,compare, and pair special teas andchocolates.Taste some treats made with thesetwo delectable ingredients. A take home samplerincluded. Cost is $35. Use ID Code 4C6.790B. See Calendar, Page 9
Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Calendar
From Page 8
Catholic Charities Ball. 7 p.m. At theRitz-Carlton, 1700 Tysons Blvd.,McLean. The event is the largestannual fundraiser for CatholicCharities, providing a significantportion of the resources needed tosupport 21 programs serving those inneed throughout the 21 counties andseven cities of the Diocese. Thisyear’s theme is “With Love andCharity.” Tickets for both events canbe purchased at www.ccda.net.
SATURDAY/FEB. 8Star Trek to Astronomy Festival.
5:30-7:30 p.m. At Turner Farm, 925Springvale Road, Great Falls. Therewill be guided stargazing andopportunities to get a close-up lookat the stars through a telescope at theroll-top observatory. Join in gamesand warm yourself by the campfire asyou listen to ancient stories about theconstellations. Hot chocolate andsnacks will be available for purchase.This event is designed for stargazersage 3 to adult. Cost is $10 perperson. The festival will be canceledif it is raining or snowing. Call 703-324-8618 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/turner-farm.
Flamenco Vivo/Carlota Santana. 7p.m. At The Alden Theater, 1234Ingleside Ave., McLean. “ReflejosFlamencos” (“Flamenco Reflections”),the newest production by FlamencoVivo Carlota Santana, celebrates thefundamental emotions that connectus while honoring the individualhuman spirit inherent in flamenco.Tickets are $40/$35 senior/$30 MCCtax district residents.
SUNDAY/FEB. 9 AND 23, MARCH 1Maple Syrup Boil-Down. Noon to 2
p.m. At Colvin Run Mill, 10017Colvin Run Road, Great Falls. Howdoes maple syrup get from the tree toyour breakfast table? See the old-fashioned process from beginning toend at the “Maple Syrup Boil-Downat Colvin Run Mill.” When the sapstarts to rise, the maple trees aretapped at Colvin Run and the drip,drip, drip begins. Now, it’s sugaringtime! Bundle up, watch and learn assap is boiled down into sweet syrupover an outdoor, open fire. Samplethe delicious maple syrup served overcornbread that’s made from ColvinRun Mill’s own cornmeal. Cost is $8per person. No reservations arerequired. Call 703-759-2771 or visithttps://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/colvin-run-mill.
MONDAY/FEB. 10English on the Go. Registration 6:30-
8 p.m. At James Lee CommunityCenter, 2855 Annandale Road, FallsChurch. Do you need to learn Englishbut can’t find the time? The LiteracyCouncil of Northern Virginia has theright course for you. Cell-Ed Englishon the Go combines a limited numberof classes with an easy-to-followhome learning program. Learn onyour phone by texting, no Wi-Fi isrequired. The class is offered at $85per semester. Go to lcnv.org/learn orcall 703-237-0866.
TUESDAY/FEB. 11Valentine Senior Social Event. 12-2
p.m. At Vienna Community Center,120 Cherry Street, SE, Vienna. TheShepherd’s Center serving Oakton-Vienna-Reston-Herndon and ViennaParks and Recreation will present itsValentine Senior Social event. Heldthroughout the year, The Shepherd’sCenter Senior Socials afford gueststhe opportunity to socialize and stayconnected in the community. TheseSenior Social events help to addressthe Vision Statement of TheShepherd’s Center: A World Without
NDWC FundraiserThe NDWC Fundraiser will be held Sunday, Feb. 9 at ChainBridge Cellars in McLean.
SUNDAY/FEB. 9New Dominion Women’s Club Fundraiser. 3-5 p.m. At Chain Bridge Cellars,
1351 Chain Bridge Road, McLean. This is a great opportunity to stock up onwines and bubbly prior to Valentine’s Day and the start of spring. Host DougHouse will donate 15 percent of purchases from that day to the NDWC. Can’tmake it to the event? Stop in anytime that day, mention “NWDC” and Doug willapply the donation. Tickets $20. Visit the website: ndwc.org/wine-and-cheese-party.html
Loneliness. Entertainment will beprovided by Jody Marshall onhammered dulcimer and Jim Queenon fiddle. Tickets are $18 per person.To register, call 703-281-0601 byFeb. 3, 2020. Registration isrequired. No refunds. No walk-ins.
THURSDAY/FEB. 20Brain and Breathing. 10-11 a.m. At
Vienna Community Center, 120Cherry Street, Vienna. In this course,you will learn breathing exercisesdesigned to help support brainfunction. Instructor: Dr. CharlesMasarsky of Vienna Chiropractic.Free. Call 701-255-7801.
Acoustic Autumn Live Music. 6:30-9 p.m. At Blend 111, 111 ChurchStreet, NW, Vienna. Laissez Foure isan acoustic swing quartet playingclassics from the ‘30s and ‘40s. Thegroup consists of acoustic bass, swingrhythm guitar, saxophone/clarinet,and trumpet. In the tradition of NewOrleans jazz, the quartet emphasizesan acoustic sound when feasible andplays charts by Armstrong, Ellington,Count Basie and others from the era.
The ABCs of CBD and MedicalMarijuana. 7:30-9 p.m. At PatrickHenry Library, 101 Maple Ave., E,Vienna.The discussion will providemedical information about CBD/THC, the differences between CBDand medical marijuana, and howpeople can legally obtain medicalmarijuana in Virginia. Free. Visit thewebsite: https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/5843108
FRIDAY/FEB. 21Nora Jane Struthers Concert. 8
p.m. At Jammin Java, 227 MapleAve., E, Vienna. Nashville-basedsinger/songwriter Nora JaneStruthers is a rootsy artist with a benttoward mixing traditional countryand contemporary rock stylings intoher passionate Americana sound.Also on stage, Sarah Borges and theBroken Singles. Tickets $15-$25.Visit www.jamminjava.com
SUNDAY/FEB. 23Capitol Steps Performance. 7 p.m.
At Langley High School Auditorium,6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean. TheCapitol Steps will perform with newmaterial for the 2020 election.Tickets cost $37. This is a one-timeevent and the main fundraiser for theLangley High School Class of 2020All-Night Grad Party (ANGP). Buyonline at https://form.jotform.com/
LangleyPTSA/angp2020.
SATURDAY/MARCH 10, 2020Free Black History Concert. 3 p.m.
At Historic Pleasant Grove Church,8700 Lewinsville Road, McLean.Featuring the Washington RevelsJubilee Voices in a free concertcelebrating African American musicaltraditions. This event will take placein a quaint 1895 church setting, nowan historic site. For information, seewww.HistoricPleasantGrove.org.
SATURDAY/APRIL 1832nd Annual Potomac River
Watershed Cleanup. 9 a.m. to 12p.m. Hosted by the Alice FergusonFoundation, 2001 Bryan Point Rd,Accokeek. The Annual Potomac RiverWatershed Cleanup has become acatalyst for progress that ignitespeople’s interest and passion for theenvironment and community action.The largest regional event of its kind,the Cleanup provides a transformingexperience that engages residentsand community leaders andgenerates momentum for change.ThePotomac River Watershed Cleanuphas grown from a small shorelinecleanup at Piscataway National Parkto a watershed wide network. Whatstarted as a few cleanup events alongthe Potomac River is now a regionalevent spanning Maryland, Virginia,the District of Columbia, WestVirginia, and Pennsylvania. If youcan’t make this date or location checkout PotomacCleanup.org to findanother cleanup near you.
ONGOINGDrop-in Mah Jongg. Wednesdays,
9:30 a.m.-noon at McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 InglesideAve., McLean. Players should have abasic understanding of the rules andshould bring their current AmericanMJ League card. For McLean Districtresidents. [email protected] for more.
Camp Grow Registration Open.Camp Grow at Meadowlark BotanicalGardens, in Vienna, invites childrento explore nature through hands-onactivities, gardening, discoverywalks, crafts, music, storytelling, andanimal programs. Camp Grow isdesigned to engage, challenge,educate and encourage a sense ofcommunity. Camp Grow values andencourages inclusion of all campersin every activity. Visitwww.novaparks.com/things-to-do/camps/ for more.
10 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
From Page 3
SB 631 (Surovell) (SLG)-Recommendsupport.
The County supports expanded local authority buthas concerns about its ability to implement this au-thority.
Chris Sigler, Assistant County Attorney: “(May al-low by ordinance) the County to fine people whohave essentially stolen or removed the shopping cartfrom the shop that it belongs to and can fine themup to $500... There’s concern that there are shop-ping carts that end up in our creeks.”
Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk (D- Lee): “I’m not sureif the punishment fits the crime...I have some issuesthat the $500 penalty will probably be assessed tosomeone who is homeless.”
Supervisor Dalia Palchik (D-Providence): “This ispenalizing poverty. This is how my family shoppedwhen we first moved here.”
Supervisor John Foust (D- Dranesville): “If this billis passed, we do not have to implement any fine atall...I support it...Fining someone $500 or anyamount would be inappropriate, but putting theburden on the store owner to retrieve these and getthem back is reasonable.”
HB 812 (Ward) (HPS)/SB 69 (Locke)(Passed Senate)-Recommend support.
The bill would reinstate one handgun a month.
SB 297 (Favola) (SRSS)-Recommend sup-port.
Creates the Virginia Sexual and Domestic ViolencePrevention Fund-Recommend support.
Sue Rowland, State Legislative Consultant, SR Con-sulting, Inc.: “This is a good bill; we recommend yousupport... The idea is that there would be fundingfor local programs such as ours to focus on preven-tion prior to the support that we give when peoplehave had a bad experience.
HB 151 (Samirah) (HCCT)—Recommendoppose.
Provides that all localities shall allow for the de-velopment and use of one accessory dwelling unit(ADU) per single-family dwelling (SFD), notwith-standing any contrary provision of zoning ordinance.
Chris Sigler, Assistant County Attorney: “I think theissue we have with this bill is that we are erodingour land use authority number one. And number two,I think this bill is driving at the affordability crisis…to resolve some of the affordability issues…Right now,our staff is looking at our accessory dwelling unitpolicy and will be coming back to you...This bill is amandate that goes a little bit too far.”
Visit http://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=9 for Meeting Materialand the archived video for the Jan. 17, 2020 FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors Legislative CommitteeMeeting.
Legislative Committee TracksPriority Bills
Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
I couldn’t before, Mr. Rogers, but now I can. And I even know what it means, which 10 days ago, in my neighborhood, I wouldn’t have had a clue. Now, not only do I have a clue, I have a date for surgery: Jan. 27. Moreover, in addition to a date (and I don’t mean my wife, Dina), I have a time and a place, a list of pre-surgi-cal dos and don’ts, and a few items to buy: a post-surgical healing ointment and a special scrub to help minimize the risk of infection. And
clothing, perhaps a button down cardigan will do. If all goes well, I’ll be home in my jammies around supper time when my recovery begins. Details of which are still a bit sketchy. I suppose
Let me amend that last sentence: I’ll be on
jump at you is that I don’t eat many soft foods (M&Ms melting in one’s mouth instead of their
and quite out of my ordinary, my wife, Dina will be managing and controlling my menu. So far that menu includes eggs, pudding, apple sauce; all good but her last two items: spinach and kale, not good at all. I imagine I’ll survive the surgery, but given how rarely Dina and have shared meals together over the years, I may not survive the recovery. And though her heart and head might be in the right place, I’m afraid my knife and fork won’t be. During the best of times, I’m challenging to feed. After my surgery, I’m likely going to be at my worst. Although I certainly don’t look it, food has always been the bane of my existence.
But at that post-surgical point, aren’t I enti-tled? I mean, when I was a little boy and had my tonsils removed, I remember being given ice cream to eat - in bed. That had never happened before - or since, quite frankly. Soft foods.
deprived? I have two types of cancer. Yet so far, I don’t see ice cream on the list. Maybe Dina’s
cold foods are just as soft as hot. If true, I think I’m going to need that in ALL CAPS to convince my wife to give in to my indulgences. After all, one’s thyroid gland isn’t extracted every day so shouldn’t I scream (perhaps whisper would be
savage beast that I might be after surgery? Pre-sumably there will be some pain or discomfort and/or side effects from prescription medica-tions I’m obliged to take so why not humor me; I like to laugh.
Except there’s really nothing funny about surgery, other than the old joke: it’s minor surgery when it’s someone else, when it’s me, it’s major. So even though I’ve been told on rela-tively good authority that a thyroidectomy is not exactly major surgery, it’s still me that’s being anesthetized and operated on for four hours. And though I’d rather it would be somebody else, I don’t see how that would help remove my thyroid gland which apparently has spread cancer to my neck and a lymph node. I guess if it has to come out, it might as well come out of me. And then we can get on to the business of learning whether I have one cancer or two and perhaps get an updated assessment of my life expectancy. If I had my druthers, I’d just as soon have only one cancer. Two is too much.
That being said/vented, right now, I just want to wake up after surgery and get home. And when I get there, either that night or for break-fast the next day, there better be a pint or two of ice cream with my name on it. I think it’s only fair, don’t you?
Can You Spell Thyroidectomy? (Or Ice Cream?)From Page 5
THURSDAY/FEB. 13Fostering Protective Factors in Children. 10
a.m. to noon. At Dunn Loring Center for ParentServices. 2334 Gallows Road, Entrance 1, Room100, Dunn Loring. Every adult can fosterprotective factors and build resiliency inchildren and adolescents. Presented by RyanDickerson, FCPS School Psychologist and JennSpears, FCPS Mental Wellness Specialist. Topicsinclude: What does the Fairfax County YouthSurvey data show us? Identifying ProtectiveFactors and Assets (Three to Succeed);Strategies for building protective factors andassets; Understanding resilience and how toincrease your child’s ability to respond tochallenges.
SUPPORT GROUPSParent Support Partners, a service of the
Healthy Minds Fairfax initiative, are all parentswho have received training and are qualified tooffer education, support and assistance at nocost to families or caregivers. They providereliable information that families can use indecision-making and are familiar with servicesand resources that can help families in distress.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/healthymindsfairfax or www.nami-northernvirginia.org/parent-peer-support.html.
Shepherd’s Center of Oakton ViennaCaregivers’ Support Group takes place firstand third Thursday of each month, 10-11:30a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregationof Fairfax (UUCF) - Program Building, 2709Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. For caregivers toadult family members with dementia. First andthird Thursdays of every month. Hosted byShepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna, scov.org.Contact facilitator Jack Tarr at 703-821-6838 [email protected].
Haven of Northern Virginia Support Group.703-941-7000, www.havenofnova.org [email protected].
Virginia Chronic Pain Support Group Meetsfrom 1:30-3 p.m. the 2nd Wednesday of eachmonth at Kaplan Center for IntegrativeMedicine, 6829 Elm St., Suite 300, McLean.Group leader, Jodi Brayton, LCSW. 703-532-4892.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDSTEM Professionals Needed. Volunteers are
needed to assist K-12 STEM teachers in northernVirginia as part of the American Association forthe Advancement of Science’s STEM VolunteerProgram, stemvolunteers.org, during the 2019-20 school year, beginning in September. Pleasecontact Don Rea at 571-551-2488 [email protected].
Assistance League of Northern Virginia, avolunteer nonprofit, invites community membersto join the organization to participate in itsReading Express program. Volunteers provideone-on-one tutoring to first grade studentsduring the school year. To learn more contactVP Membership Mary Gronlund [email protected] or Program Coordinator LynnBarron at [email protected].
Volunteer Adult Mentors Needed. Help assistthe Department of Family Services’ BeFriendA-Child mentoring program. The mentors provideopportunities for companionship, guidance andsupport to children who have been abused andneglected, or who are at risk of abuse andneglect. Contact Ibrahim Khalil [email protected] or 703-324-4547.
Volunteer Victims Needed. Virginia Task Force1 (VA-TF1) is holding a full scale exercise andneeds volunteers to act as victims in need ofrescue. The exercise will take place from theevening of Monday, April 23 through afternoonof Thursday, April 26. A minimum shift of sixhours is expected – overnight volunteers areespecially needed. “Victims” will need to be ableto crawl in and out of rubble piles, capable ofsitting or lying in place for extended periods oftime, and don’t mind getting dirty. ContactChristopher Yorty [email protected].
Operation Paws for Homes, a Virginia based501(c)(3) organization seeks volunteers,especially to foster dogs. Seewww.ophrescue.org for information and allvolunteer opportunities.
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12 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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