Alexandria Gazette Packetconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2014/122414/Alexandria.pdf · nated by seventh grade math teacher Sara Odioso. W hen George Mason University Professor Karen L

Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ December 25-31, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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See Open Carry, Page 3

See Joyful Team, Page 4

The community room at the Department of Community and Human Services wasbrimming with donations of packages, bikes and toys received for the HolidaySharing progam.

Megan Beyeris greeted bySuzanneKratzok,retiringDepartmentof Commu-nity and

Human Services’ community resourcescoordinator, head of the Holiday Shar-ing Program, and incoming resourcecoordinator Krystal Fenwick after drop-ping off gifts for a family with fourchildren on Tuesday morning, Dec. 16.

Volunteers at the Department of Com-munity and Human Services separateholiday gifts into bags for each familyon the receiving roster.

Holiday Sharing in AlexandriaT

hrough gifts of household necessities,clothing, toys, and gift cards, HolidaySharing at the Alexandria Department of

Community and Human Services works to ensurethat no Alexandria residents are left wanting dur-ing the holidays.More than 400 individuals, neighborhood groups,

faith organizations and businesses become spon-sors this year to more than 400 families, 100 fos-ter children and 174 senior citizens and personswith disabilities. An additional 300 families re-ceived an array of toys for their children at theCommunity Toy Drive spearheaded by VolunteerAlexandria.

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By Veronica Bruno

Gazette Packet

Imagine paying $300 eachtime you need to dry cleanyour suit for work. That’s

what Jack Arthur does severaltimes during the holiday season.You probably know his alter ego,Santa Claus, or Santa Jack as he’salso referred to. And it’s not justhis outfits, but those of Mrs. Claustoo, played with proper glee by hiswife Sharon.

“We’ve spent at least $5,000 onclothing,” Jack Arthur said as he

described his complete roster ofSanta outfits for every occasion.There’s the swimming attire nec-essary for July 4 and summerevents complete with 1890’s swim

trunks and straw bowler. But let’snot forget the apparel for the Mrs.,which includes red and whitestriped bloomers, bathing skirt,

Tales from Santa and Mrs. Claus Bringing joy to the season — and year round.

Santa (JackArthur) and

Mrs. Claus(SharonArthur)

Photo

courtesy of

Jack Arthur

By Vernon Miles

Gazette Packet

When Jason Spitzeraddressed the CityCouncil on the im-portance of open

carry laws in Virginia, he did sowith an American flag drapedacross one shoulder and a rifleslung on the other. The sight of arifle and pistols at City Councilmeetings is typically unusual, butwhen dozens of open carry rightsactivists as-sembled at thecouncil’s publichearing on Dec.13, most showedup carrying atleast one fire-arm. The groupflooded the pub-lic forum to ex-press their frus-tration with re-cent actionstaken by the Al-exandria police.

“Some flyerswere sent out tovarious businesses about opencarry, [and the] police wentaround handing out the flyers,”said Philip Van Cleave, presidentof the Virginia Citizens DefenseLeague. “People became less edu-cated, not more. Things in the flyer

made people leery of somebodyopen carrying. Police did a newflyer that got rid of the originalflyer and went around to busi-nesses and distributed the newflyer.”

What would later become a rallyat City Council started over a poston Facebook which expressed con-cerns about the content of theflyer. A week later, the Police De-partment published a revised flyerwith much of the original contentremoved. On a list of sites where

openly carryingfirearms was pro-hibited, the flyeroriginally in-cluded govern-ment facilities.The activists,many of themf r o mFredericksburgand other parts ofVirginia, defiedthis by carryingunloaded longguns and loadedpistols into CityHall.

“Maybe I’m just another gunnut,” said Nicholas Ignacio, aFredericksburg resident, “but wewake up every day in a worldwhere we find our freedoms ever

Open Carry ActivistsEducate CouncilOpen carry flyer and police signincite protest at public hearing.

“It’s a teeth pullto try to get youto listen to logicand law that I’vebrought to yourattention.”

— Ed Levine,Founder, Virginia Open

Carry and DC Carry

2 ❖ Alexandria Gazette Packet ❖ December 25-31, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


NewsAlexandria Gazette Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

Open Carry Activists Criticize City Council, Policefleeting, and there’s nothing anyone herecan say that [makes] that not true.”

The flyer noted that demonstrations sup-porting open carry laws can cause alarm inthe community and asked that if anyonewitnesses anything suspicious or of concern,to notify the police on a non-emergencyline. The revised flyer removed referencesto demonstrations and open carry activists.

While the activists mingled outside CityHall, some local citizens expressed concernsabout the group.

“I cannot say that I feel more or less safewith the activists around as people,” saidAlexandria resident Laurie Lieberman, “Ifeel much less safer when they or anyonethat is not a law enforcement official isaround with guns.”

While some open carry activists said theywould not feel comfortable shopping in lo-cations that they considered unwelcomingto firearms, other residents said they’d feelless safe at locations that welcomed fire-arms.

“I would probably not take some individu-als with me on occasions because I wouldnot want to expose them to the circum-stances,” Lieberman said.

Van Cleave said that the group had con-cerns that the original content of the letter

exandria, there’s preemption law againstthat.”

Mayor William Euille acknowledged theconcerns of the group, but said that noneof the activists had asked to meet with himor other members of City Council.

“Your purpose, your content, and yourconcerns are very well expressed here thismorning,” said Euille. “That being said,there have been questions in terms of ‘isthis a policy of City Council’ or ‘is this thepolice responding to how the citizens thinkor feel.’ I don’t know, that’s a question thatneeds to be asked of the police.”

Euille offered to have a meeting with lead-ers in the Open Carry activists to make surethat, if mistakes were made, they won’thappen again.

“As a city, we cannot usurp the state con-stitution,” said Euille.

Ashley Hildebrandt, public informationofficer for the Alexandria Police Depart-ment, said that the police had worked withpeople who’d contacted them with con-cerns.

“The purpose of the flyer was to educatepeople who might not know much aboutopen carry,” said Hildebrandt. “[We were]trying to provide information to assuagefears, but it can be a very sensitive subject.The second flyer leans towards that.”

Torpedo Factory Rings in the HolidaysHoliday open housebrings in musicians,artists, food, drink,and lots of visitorsas well as plenty ofcheer.

Lively holiday music filled theair — both from above and onthe ground — at the TorpedoFactory holiday open house on

Dec. 6. Artists kept their studios openlate for visitors to come in and peruseone-of-a-kind handmade gifts and origi-nal works of art.

The Alexandria Choral Society sangseveral seasonal classics from above onthe second floor throughout the eveningand the Braddock Brass Quintet com-pleted the night with their fun renditionof holiday songs. Yelp provided an arttable at the entrance where children ofall ages got to create luminarias of vari-ous colors. Many of the artists had wel-come tables in their studios filled withcookies, brownies, and cheese and veg-etable trays. And there was even some-thing for the adults with plenty of wineto go around.

— Veronica Bruno

Alexandria Choral Society (ACS) singers included Sopranos Erin Barnett, Kate Campbell Deglans, LizFielden, Kyle Jennings, and Heather Philips; Altos Sara Alipanah, Heather Cruz, Emily Goodell, BeckyGrisso, and Kristina Meacham; Tenors Cameron Farley, Howard Jaffe, Jason Kezmarsky, and Jeff Simmons;as well as Bass singers Rocky Ebener, Cliff Gay, Russ Moll, David Pritzker, and Scott Snyder.

Briana Morris, age7, from Alexan-dria, tells Santa(John Skudlarek)what she wants forChristmas whilemunching on acookie from one ofthe artist studios.

AlexandriaChoral SocietysoloistHeatherPhillips sangfrom above.

Jason Spitzer, a Richmond resi-dent, addresses Alexandria citycouncil.

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in violation of VA code15.2-915. “No agentof such locality shall take any administra-tive action, governing the purchase, posses-sion, transfer, ownership, carrying, storageor transporting of firearms, ammunition, orcomponents or combination thereof otherthan those expressly authorized by statute,”says Virginia code. “The provisions of thissection applicable to a locality shall alsoapply to any authority or to a local govern-mental entity, including a department oragency.”

While the code prohibits the carrying offirearms into courthouses and juvenile de-tention centers, it does not exempt policedepartments. The Alexandria Police havesince removed the sign. Levine also ex-pressed disappointment that no one on theCity Council was wearing the orange “GunsSave Lives” stickers the group was provid-ing.

““Every time I’ve dealt with the City ofAlexandria, it’s a teeth pull to try to get youto listen to logic and law that I’ve broughtto your attention,” said Levine. “If I’m driv-ing down the road in one of your 25 mphzones and I’m going 55 and the police aregoing to pull me over and give me a ticket.… The City of Alexandria does not followthe law in many of those regards … youcan’t make gun laws here in the City of Al-

would lead to Swatting, where a false re-port of a critical incident leads to the de-ployment of SWAT (Special Weapons andTactics) and other police units.

The second issue the activists brought tothe City Council was a sign posted in theAlexandria Police Headquarters that said“No Guns Allowed.”

According to Ed Levine, founder of Vir-ginia Open Carry and DC Carry, the sign is


People

‘Tis the SeasonStudents from St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Middle School gather Dec. 10 with some ofthe 160 toys and gift cards collected for the Firefighters and Friends annual ToyDrive. The Upper School also contributed more than 100 toys in an effort coordi-nated by seventh grade math teacher Sara Odioso.

When George Mason University ProfessorKaren L. Bune learned that Officer PeterLaboy of the Alexandria Police Depart-

ment had been shot in the head in February 2013,she wanted to do more than write about the case asa freelance writer. Bune, who teaches victimology tostudents at GMU, in the Department of Justice, Lawand Society, understood the impact of the crime andhow it would affect Laboy and his family.

She walked around for awhile with an idea in herhead to create a badge pendant that people couldwear around their necks and show support for Laboyand his family as well as his law enforcement col-leagues who were also affected. She envisioned theplates of the badge reading, “Motor 8” — for Laboy’scall sign — and Superman — for his favorite charac-ter hero.

Bune approached a long-time friend, Vicki Forness,the owner of B&C Jewelers, in Alexandria. Vickiagreed to collaborate with her on the project, andthey became partners in the fundraising effort.Forness ordered the badges and did the engravingfor free. It was agreed that all the proceeds wouldgo to the Laboy family.

The fundraising effort wasunderway for almost 1 and ahalf years, and it culminated onFriday, Dec. 5, when Bune andForness presented a check toLaboy in the amount of $8,312.

“I feel really good about this.It was my pleasure and privi-lege to create this idea to thankand honor Officer Laboy for hisservice and sacrifice and as ashow of support by all whowear the pendants that we em-

From Page 1

Joyful Team

The formal attire — one ofmany outfits Jack andSharon Arthur employ as atouring Santa team.

parasol and bathing hat. For theirvarious bookings, they employ acivilian suit with a bowler hat,workshop Santa and a cookie-making outfit for Mrs. C., and ofcourse the traditional suit. TheArthurs custom-order all of themfrom Adele’s of Hollywood. And ifyou’ve visited Santa Jack at theChristmas Attic on Veteran’s Day,you would have seen him in hisspecial ordered military suit. “Iwas the first to have the camou-flage Santa outfit,” he said.

A bagpipe-playing Santa with anoperatic voice, Jack Arthur gradu-ated from the U.S. Naval Academyand flew carrier planes for 21years. He retired from the Navyand then taught computer scienceat the University of West Floridafor 20 years.

Sharon Arthur started out as anurse in the Navy and became onlyone of two social directors of theNaval Aviation Schools Command.So this Mrs. Claus knows a thingor two about etiquette and proto-col.

Jack Arthur always had a boom-ing voice. While in the Navy, hedecided to grow a beard alongwith a group of friends as part ofa dare. He also picked up the bag-pipes and along with his group,performed at McGuire’s Irish Pubin Pensacola. Asked by the chap-lain to show up at a Christmasparty for underprivileged children,Santa became a regular role.

After performing Saint Nicholasat the Winterfest in Pensacola —where a girl declared that he wasclearly the “real” Santa. He askedSharon to fill the role of wife inthe act as well and they became ateam. They decided to take theshow on the road and tried outgigs in other locations such asGatlinburg, Tenn.

They also went to Santa school.There are several throughout thecountry and the first one they at-tended was the Professional SantaClaus School of Denver in Denver,Colo., with Tim Connaghan, theofficial Santa from the HollywoodChristmas Parade. They have sincegone a few more times and find itprovides a great opportunity tocommiserate with other Santas.“We swap war stories,” laughedSharon Arthur. “We review differ-ent questions that children ask. Wehelp each other.”

Playing the bagpipes also comesin handy for the Scottish paradein Old Town, where he has beenthe big man for the past threeyears. “Because I play the bag-pipes, it fits quite well,” Jack

Arthur said.They also split their time be-

tween their homes in Pensacola,Fla. and Fredericksburg, Va. “We’rereverse snowbirds.”

And it gets busy. Most times theyare booked for four or five sepa-rate appearances each day of theweekend.

There are also the difficult partsof the job, like questions with noeasy answers. Jack Arthur said, “Iasked a little girl once what shewanted for Christmas and she said‘my daddy to let my sister back inthe house.’” Sharon Arthur added,“My mother’s got cancer. Can youcure my mother?” The Arthurshave found the best answer forsuch sensitive topics is found inthe solace of the child’s familyfaith. Jack Arthur said, “I told herI know baby Jesus” and gave hersuggestions on how she can speakwith her church minister aboutsupport for her mother’s illness.

Grandparents and great-grand-parents themselves, they recalleda time when their great-grand-daughter, Cecilia-Claire was toldby several children in her schoolthat Santa didn’t exist. This wasnews to 6-year-old Cecilia-Clairebecause not only does she believe,but according to Sharon Arthur,“she truly believes we’re the realSanta and Mrs. Claus.” And toprove it, she asked them to visither school. Equipped with a secretservice earpiece receiver, radiotransmitter and microphone, JackArthur with the help of the teacherwas able to go around the roomand say hi to each student by theirname as he approached them oneby one. Thanks to help from theteacher’s prompting in his earpiece, this Santa clearly knew allabout each child.

Sharon Arthur laughed and said,“[Cecilia-Claire] turned around tothe class and had this big look of‘I told you so.’ They will believefor the next five years.”

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Pendant Honors LaboyFundraiser yields $8,312.

Karen L. Bune, Officer Peter Laboy andVicki Forness

brace him with support and thatwe truly care. In a time whenmany now question the roleand deeds of law enforcement,we remain Laboy Strong. I ex-tend a special thanks to VickiForness for her willingness tobring my idea to fruition,” Bunesaid.

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The Spice & Tea Exchange® of Alexandria320 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314

facebook.com/SpiceAndTeaAlexandria • spiceandtea.com

December 21: Last Sunday in Advent9:15 and 11:15 am: Lessons and Carols,Holy Eucharist

December 24: Christmas Eve5:00 pm: Christmas Pageant and Holy Eucharist(at Calloway Chapel, campus of EpiscopalHigh School)10:15 pm: Special Christmas music with choir,orchestra and bells11:00 pm Festival Holy Eucharist

December 25: Christmas Day11:00am Holy Eucharist for Christmas Day

Christmas at Immanuel Church-on-the-HillPlease join us for worship – all are welcome!

3606 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, corner of Quaker and Seminary“The Pumpkin Church” www.icoh.net

News

Toe-tapping, fiddler music and a full crowdtook in Scottish country dancing demonstra-tions at The Athenaeum in Old Town on Dec.

6 right after the Scottish Walk. Members of the RoyalScottish Country Dance Society (the Northern Vir-ginia chapter) took over the space with jigs anddances that got everyone participating. Enthusiasticparticipants twirled, did passes, performed multiplecrosses and dance reels and had a lot of fun through-out. Maria Ward, member of the troupe, gave instruc-tions before each dance, and the crowd quicklypicked them up. They got to participate in danceswith names such as the Sugar Candie, The WhiteCockade, The Wild Geese and the Christmas Walk.

Many of those who attended were members of thetroupe, but some were taken in with the atmosphereand decided to join as walk-ins. Joni Watt, from An-napolis, Md., was at a friend’s party nearby and no-ticed the activity and decided to drop in. Althoughshe hails from a Scottish background, she had neverdone this before. She was glad she had stopped by.

Scottish Country Dancing, the social dancing ofScotland has been enjoyed in barns, ballrooms, andvillage halls in Scotland for over 250 years, but youcan take it up more locally at the Durant Center at1605 Cameron Street. For more information visitwww.rscds-greaterdc.org.

— Veronica Bruno

Fiddler David Knight keptthe crowd toe-tapping andstepping throughout theafternoon.

Royal Scottish Country Dance Society member MariaWard led the demonstrations throughout the event.

From Scotland to Old TownThe country dances and music of Scotland took overthe space at The Athenaeum after the Scottish Walk.

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People

The Board of Lady Man-agers of Inova Alexan-dria Hospital, celebrat-

ing 142 years of service to thehospital, presented a check for$111,000 to interim CEO, Su-san Carroll, at a holiday lun-cheon on Thursday, Dec. 11.The donation is the first install-ment of the board’s pledge topurchase two neurosurgicalmicroscopes which will supportthe hospital in its move to thehigher level of stroke care for thecommunity. Additional donationsof over $3,500 from memorialfunds for the hospital’s CancerResource Center, Cardiovascularand Needy Patient Funds werealso presented.

President of the InovaAlexandria Board of LadyManagers Ruth Corlettpresents checks totallyover $114,000 to interimCEO of the Inova Alexan-dria Hospital SusanCarroll at the holiday

Supporting Inova Alexandria

Gift from Gift ShopAt its annual volunteer luncheon on Saturday, Dec. 13,the Christ Church Gift Shop volunteers presented a checkfor $500 from the proceeds of Gift Shop sales to SeniorServices of Alexandria. The donation will benefit twoprograms for seniors: Meals on Wheels and AniMeals, ajoint program of the Alexandria Animal Welfare Leagueand Senior Services. AniMeals provides food for seniors’pets who, research shows, are of vital importance to theirowners’ health. Representing the volunteers who operateand staff the Christ Church Gift Shop (from left) areSusan Cambon, Joyce Soyster and Kathy Moore (far right)who present a check for $500 to Mary Lee Anderson,executive director of Senior Services of Alexandria.

Decorating Mayor’s OfficeStudents from James K. Polk Elementary School deco-rated Mayor William D. Euille’s office for the holidayswith homemade ornaments and Rudolph the Red-NoseReindeer representations created from Popsicle sticks.Polk students will be going to U.S. Sen. Mark Warner’soffice in April to decorate it for spring.

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By Jeanne Theismann

Gazette Packet

In November 2006, Senior Airman AnthonyDeMarino was part of a two-man Explosive Ord-nance Disposal team that was tasked to dispose

of a weapons cache in the Diyala Province of Iraq.But before the mission could be completed, the ar-mored vehicle he was riding in rolled over when theroad beneath it collapsed. Still inside the vehicle,DeMarino landed upside down in a canal submergedunder water.

“We were extricated from the vehicle only to gatherour equipment and explosives and continue the mis-sion with another Army unit,” said DeMarino, a resi-dent of Del Ray. “After the disposal, we went back tothe site of our vehicle where we were told that itwas too dangerous for the civilian tow truck and crewto come get us. We ended up spending the night atthe site in an operation that would last almost 36hours.” DeMarino suffered significant injuries to hisback, although it would take doctors four years torealize the extent of the damage to his spine.

“In 2008, I returned to Iraq for another deploy-ment where I reenlisted for five more years,”DeMarino said. “Serving in the Air Force is what Iwanted to do with my life. But in 2010, I underwentspinal fusion surgery to fix the ruptured discs thatwere a result of the rollover. The extent of my inju-ries and resulting surgery ended my EOD and mili-tary career.”

DeMarino, 30, shared his story with more than 500people who turned out Nov. 9 for the second annualSons of the American Legion EOD Warrior Founda-tion fundraiser. Held in partnership with the OldDominion Boat Club, the event raised more than$90,000 for troops wounded during the disarmingand disposal of improvised explosive devices.

“This was not a typical American Legion function,”said SAL Post 34 Commander Frank Tobin. “It was ateam effort with the entire Alexandria communitycoming out to support our veterans and our verygenerous sponsors stepping up to make this a suc-cess.”

Additional sponsors for the event included Nabco,Inc., Veterans United Foundation and Marion Moonin memory of Major Craig Moon, an Alexandria resi-dent and Air Force fighter pilot. Local restaurants

No Warrior Left BehindFundraiser nets $90,000for EOD Warriors.

Marion Moon listens toremarks with event co-chairCol. Jim “Chili” Lindsay(USAF ret.). Moon was aGold sponsor of the event inmemory of her son, AirForce Major Craig Moon.

Post 34 past commander A.D. Carter, right, is joined atthe EOD Warrior Foundation fundraiser by Lisa Lindsay,16, Shirley Lindsay, event-co-chair Col. Jim “Chili” Lind-say (USAF ret.) and Mark Lindsay, 11.

Alexandria resident Anthony DeMarinotalks about how he was helped by theEOD Warrior Foundation after beinginjured in the line of duty while servingin the Air Force.

donated food for the event and music was providedby The Bahamas Band.

“The members of the Old Dominion Boat Club arehonored to be a partner in this event,” said ODBCevent chair Carolyn Bell. “We are grateful to all ournation’s EOD warriors who have placed themselvesin harm’s way to ensure our freedom as well as thesacrifices made of their families.”

The EOD Warrior Foundation provides assistanceto active-duty wounded, injured or ill EOD warriors,wounded EOD veterans and families of fallen EODwarriors.

“I would not be where I am today without the sup-port of the EOD Warrior Foundation,Ó saidDeMarino, who currently serves as Special Assistant/Wounded Warrior Fellow at the U.S. House of Rep-resentatives. “Navigating the web of medical evalu-ation boards and Veterans Affairs disability was frus-trating but the EOD Warrior Foundation remainedcommitted to help me through the transition pro-cess.” Bombs known as improvised explosive devices(IEDs) are responsible for the majority of injuriesand fatalities on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghani-stan and EOD technicians are considered to have oneof the most dangerous occupations in the military.

“At times veterans can feel lost or alone in the fight,”said DeMarino, who is completing a master’s degreeat Georgetown University. “But because of organiza-tions like the EOD Warrior Foundation and support-ers of events like this, that doesn’t have to be thecase.” Visit www.eodwarriorfoundation.org.

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Opinion

Merry Christmas. It’s a magicaltime of year, and perhaps theGazette Packet has over in-dulged in displaying the many

rituals of Christmas on our pages in the pastfew weeks. In events around the area, a senseof community has infused holiday parades,Christmas tree lightings, menorahlightings, choral performances, singingof carols and other traditional eventswith warmth and joy.

But Christmas is about the birth of JesusChrist. Whether you believe the Christmas storyliterally or in spirit, you know it is the story ofjoy, hope and love, the promise of redemption.So here, let us share the verse from the Bible,Luke 2: 4-19:

“So Joseph also went up from the town ofNazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem thetown of David, because he belonged to thehouse and line of David. He went there to reg-ister with Mary, who was pledged to be mar-ried to him and was expecting a child. Whilethey were there, the time came for the baby tobe born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, ason. She wrapped him in cloths and placed himin a manger, because there was no room for

them in the inn.“And there were shepherds living out in the

fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocksat night. An angel of the Lord appeared tothem, and the glory of the Lord shone aroundthem, and they were terrified. But the angelsaid to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you

good news of great joy that will be forall the people. Today in the town ofDavid a Savior has been born to you;he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign

to you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothsand lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great com-pany of the heavenly host appeared with theangel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to Godin the highest, and on earth peace to men onwhom his favor rests.’

“When the angels had left them and goneinto heaven, the shepherds said to one another,‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing thathas happened, which the Lord has told usabout.’ So they hurried off and found Mary andJoseph, and the baby, who was lying in themanger. When they had seen him, they spreadthe word concerning what had been told themabout this child, and all who heard it wereamazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things andpondered them in her heart.”

Happy HanukkahHappy Hanukkah, which lasts for eight

days and this year began Tuesday evening.While Hanukkah is not one of the most im-portant Jewish religious observances, it is acelebration that gets added attention fromtiming. Hanukkah celebrates the miracle ofa one day supply of oil for the temple lastingeight days.

Editor’s Note about the Rest of 2014This is our last regular edition of 2014. Next

week, after Christmas, we will publish thechildren’s edition, devoted entirely to the art-work and writing of local students. Our nextregular editions will publish Jan. 7-8, 2015, withdeadline for content and advertising of Jan. 2.In the meantime you can reach the editors [email protected] and sales/marketing at [email protected].

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

A message ofpeace and joy.Merry Christmas

Editorial

By Michael McMorrow

Gazette Packet

At Christmastide, the tradi-tional hymn “O LittleTown of Bethlehem” is in-

escapable.Some are attracted by the tune,

others by the lyrics, yet others byboth. Most people, however, areunacquainted with the connection

between the carol, the City of Al-exandria, or more accurately theVirginia Theological Seminary, anda Fairfax County church.

Before and after the Civil War,the population of Alexandria andFairfax was small and thinlyspread across a sizable area. Gath-erings for Sunday services were ahardship and those who gatheredwere hard-pressed to support resi-

dent clergy. For nearly a century,the practical solution was to haveservices conducted by Seminarystudents in a dozen or so “missionchapels” where the seminarianswere called “practisers.”

One such site was SharonChapel, presently and formallyknown as All Saints EpiscopalChurch – Sharon Chapel, then andnow located on Franconia Road

close-by Telegraph Road. Theproperty donor prescribed its use“for Christian education,” and soit has been for over 150 years asthe establishment grew fromchapel to church to parish.

Harvard University graduatePhillips Brooks came from Bostonin 1856 to study at the Seminary.Decades later he rose to be Epis-copal Bishop of Massachusetts.Throughout his career Brooksauthored many scholarly tractsand was acclaimed as one of thegreatest preachers in the country.Both outcomes likely were a sur-prise, to him and others. Academicstudy did not come easy, butBrooks persevered and did well.Public speaking was an evengreater challenge. Both effortsmay have been undermined by hisdistaste for Northern Virginia —in his words “a mean andwretched country” and everything“seems a half century behind theage.”

During senior year at the Semi-nary, Brooks was student-in-charge of services at SharonChapel. As the story goes, his ef-forts at preaching were extremelywanting. On one occasion, he feltshame and embarrassment sogreat that he jumped from a win-dow behind the pulpit and ranthree miles to the Seminary. Eachnew building raised by the congre-

A Christmas Carol — With local roots.

See ‘O Little Town,’ Page 9


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‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’gation has had a “Phillips Brooks Door” constructednext to the pulpit. According to longtime parishio-ner Joyce Goins, no preacher ever has had use of it.Eventually, Brooks overcame his oratorical shortcom-ings. A biographer reports that the mission chapel“was always crowded with people standing in thedoorways or outside the windows.”

In 1865, Brooks went on pilgrimage to religioussites in Europe and the Middle East. Within days ofChristmas, he was at Bethlehem and noted “some-where in those fields we rode through, the shepherdsmust have been.” A couple years later the memoryof that little town inspired the poem which providedlyrics to the now famed carol. Brooks described theorigin of the rhyme this way: “The ‘Little Town ofBethlehem’ was written more than 20 years ago fora Christmas service at my Sunday School [of theChurch of the Advent] in Philadelphia ... Where thenewspapers found it all of a sudden I do not know.”The church organist had set the words to music over-night.

The Rev. Cayce Ramey is rector of the parish but acouple or three months. Asked whether services atChristmastide give special prominence to “O LittleTown of Bethlehem,” Ramey deferred to Music Min-ister Meredith Meersman. She noted that the hymn

Opinion

From Page 8

Photo by Michael McMorrow/Gazette-Packet

The pulpit and the Phillips Brooks door

is featured in the musicale that, by tradition, pre-cedes the Christmas Eve worship service. The carolalso is incorporated into that evening’s liturgy.

A sculpted bust of Brooks is found at the Seminary’slibrary entrance, and the parish’s hall features hisimage in a stained glass window and a painting.


People

Holiday LuncheonAlexandria’s seniors were treated to a festive holiday luncheon atFirst Baptist Church on King Street. Participants were serenaded bythe Alexandria Harmonizers (above), treated to lunch and Santa Clauspaid a special visit.

City of Alexandria’s Successful Aging Committee hosted the seniorholiday luncheon.

By Vernon Miles

Gazette Packet

Normally, a trip to New Zealandfor Alexandria poet VelatorSmith wouldn’t be an issue,especially when it’s to fulfill

her dream of participating in the interna-tional level speech contest for Powertalk In-ternational. But in 2011, a surgery meantto ease the strain of a tumor on her spineleft her paralyzed from the waist down.Suddenly it wasn’t just an issue of getting aflight to New Zealand, she would need tobring along assistants and find lodging thatcould accommodate her needs.

At a fundraising event on Dec. 7 featur-ing music, poetry, and dance, her friendscame together to support her. Thefundraiser set out to raise $5,600 by March15. That includes the $3,400 airfare to andfrom New Zealand as well as the $850 con-ference fee. Midway through the fundraiser,a tearful Smith told the room that she’d justreceived a note from a donor that said “youcan take the hotel off the list, it’s done”.

Smith started writing and performingpoetry when she was 12. As a youngwoman, Smith was invited by her friendGregory Adams to perform for his writer’scollective Station to Station. Adams was inattendance at the fundraiser and recitedseveral original poems.

““I wouldn’t be here today if not forSmith,” said Adams, “but she asked, so howcan I say no?”

Smith said she writes from her life’s ex-periences, which changed dramaticallywhen doctors discovered a tumor wrappedaround her spinal cord.

“I’ve had seven surgeries to have it re-moved, but since it’s intertwined around thecord they could not fully remove it,” saidSmith. “In [October], 2011, I had a surgeryto remove fluid built up around the cord. Iwoke up, and usually after surgeries it takesabout six weeks of physical therapy, and

then I come back strong. This time, I didnot … I couldn’t get around the fact that Icouldn’t walk.”

Smith says she fell into a deep depres-sion after that and refused to take visitors.However, her mother ignored that requestand continued to visit her anyway. Smithsaid there were two things that helped pullher out of her depression: the children thatwould regularly visit the hospital, and par-ticipating in Powertalk International. Hersurgeries and her paralysis have forcedSmith to change the way she performs, butsays the nature of her work remains thesame.

“My art is more spirit-felt,” said Smith. “Irealized I could have gone in the other di-rection and been really depressed about notbeing able to perform the way I used to …then I realized I had friends that loved me,and it didn’t matter that I couldn’t walkanymore. I started my physical therapy andstarted working again.”

Smith’s friends kept asking her to con-tinue doing her storytelling, but Smith hadreservations.

“In my storytelling, I always dance,” saidSmith. “I thought, ‘how am I going to dothis story I tell about African dance when Idon’t have the use of my legs?’ Again, I wasblessed, and I did the movements from mychair. At that time I had a manual chair, I

wasn’t able to turn, but now Ihave a motorized chair.”

As she spoke, Smith seemedto subconsciously push thechair forward and backwards alittle as she emphasized herpoints. It’s not the same as be-ing able to walk, but the move-ments in the wheelchair havebecome their own form ofdance.

“When I’m in church, and thespirit hits me,” said Smith,“sometimes I close my eyes andforget I’m in a wheelchair.”

Confidence restored, Smithattended the local council levelof the Powertalk internationalconference and won first place.At the regional competition,which encompasses NorthCarolina, Maryland, D.C. andVirginia, Smith also won firstplace and the opportunity tomove on to the highest level,international. The internationalcompetition is held once everytwo years at a different part ofthe world — in 2015 it takesplace in New Zealand.

“We’ve been to places like South Africaand Japan,” said Beatrice Squire, who rep-resented the Blue Ridge region at the 2007competition in Brisbane . “When everythingwas over, I spent some time in New Zealandand I loved it. I loved the weather and thefood, the people were so nice … I had agood time.”

For Smith, this will be her first journey inher wheelchair, but says right now her mainconcern is getting the funds to make thetrip.

“I think I’m going to soar,” said Smith. “IfI conquer travelling, 24 hours, to NewZealand, and can come back … you’re talk-ing about unstoppable.”

Following the fundraising event, Smith

received words of comfort from friends andstrangers who’d come out to attend theevent.

“I feel in my heart that you’re going toNew Zealand,” said Patricia Lomax, motherof Brandy Robertson, who performed adance during the program. “You’ve got morewaiting for you, you will be there.”

In the final poem she performed, Smithexpressed her belief that a higher power ishelping to guide her to New Zealand.

“I will strive on, I will get to New Zealand,I will overcome, go through, pass by,” saidSmith in her final poem at the event. “ForGod within me and friends like you don’ttolerate giving up. I have my health, mystrength, and my life.”

Paralyzed Alexandria poet hosts fundraiser fortrip to international contest in New Zealand.Wheels on Wings

Velator Smith at her New Zealandfundraiser.

Brandy Robertson performs a danceroutine at Smith’s fundraiser.

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Opinion

By Katharine Dixon

President and CEO

Rebuilding Together Alexandria

The holidays are here, so Istarted reviewing RebuildingTogether Alexandria’s clientwish list from the year. These

included requests for free repairs andmodifications from strugglinghomeowners throughout the city to helpthem maintain and stay in their homes. Here aresome of the items we were able to check off the list:Quantity Item

52 Plumbing Repairs88 Smoke/CO2 Detectors & Fire

Extinguishers Installed31 Electrical Repairs16 Heating/AC Fixes34 Roof Repairs58 Paint Projects26 Homes Weatherized during

Energize Alexandria53 Grab Bars & Handrails Installed

This list reveals many homes in our communitythat are safer and healthier places to live for the eld-erly, low-income, disabled and others we serve. Whatthis list doesn’t show are the real people behind thenumbers.

Strong neighborhoods come from a combinationof factors — some easily quantifiable and some thataren’t, including the intangible of having long-timeneighbors who look out for each other. One of theseis Mary, a long-time Alexandria homeowner, whoknows the history of Alexandria and whose kidsbabysat the other neighbor kids. Mary is one of thepeople we helped this year. Our volunteers painted

her house and provided upgrades thatmade it safer for this grandmother to getaround.

So too is Anthony, alife-long Alexandrian.Over the years, heworked hard as a

landscaper to provide for his six children.The work took its toll on his body, and hehas been forced to go on disability. De-spite the set-back, he has an unfailing be-

lief that his children can and should succeed and hasused his savings to invest in his children’s futures.Partnering with Anthony, we are able to help himcontinue focusing on his children by making his homesafe for him and his children.

Another is Alice, whose disabling medical conditionsand loss of her husband have made it difficult for herto maintain the house she loves. Our volunteers helpedher de-clutter her home as well as fix more seriousproblems in her house. In the process, Alice has em-braced our volunteers in a special way, sending “ThankYou” cards that mention them by name. Recently, whenour volunteers came to help, she joined them for apicnic in the front yard. Her eyes tear up as she remi-nisces about the volunteers’ generosity.

It’s the real people behind the list that makes ourwork special and puts into context the lives we arehelping improve. But the real people aren’t just theclients. They are also the network of neighbors whovolunteer their time and help forge bonds with neigh-bors in need.

Now it’s time to start next year’s list as we continueour work to preserve affordable homeownership andrevitalize the Alexandria community. If you know anAlexandria homeowner who could use our help,please visit www.RebuildingTogetherAlex.org or call703-836-1021.

Making a List, Checking It Twice

Commentary

What are your hopes for the New Year?Viewpoints

Kathy Partain and daugh-ter, Grace. Kathy: “I wouldlike a sense of calm for theworld and for myself.”Grace: “I would like snow.”

George McCree and daugh-ter, Cameron. George: “Ihope for good health forthe families. We have hadsome health problems, thisyear.” Cameron: “I want apuppy.”

Angela General, USAF:“This might sound corny.But, I hope everyone hasthe most peaceful andprosperous year. I hope allresolutions come true andthat they stick to them.”

Photos by Renée Ruggles/the Gazette


Entertainment

By Jeanne Theismann

Gazette Packet

The largest New Year’s Eve fire-works display in the Washing-ton region will take place alongthe Alexandria waterfront as

First Night Alexandria celebrates its 20th

anniversary with a day filled with children’sactivities, dancing and live performances.

“The First Night board began brainstorm-ing new ideas in March and we’re pleasedto introduce the #FNA20th Instagram Con-test,’” said First Night executive director AnnDorman. “It’s another way for participantsto engage with us and be eligible to wincash prizes.”

What began 20 years ago as a small, fam-ily-friendly event has grown into the pre-mier New Year’s Eve celebration in the areaattracting tens of thousands of visitors tothe streets of Old Town.

The festivities begin at 2 p.m. with thesixth annual Fun Hunt, which will featurenew activities for couples and families. Fi-nalists in the student Battle of the Bandscompetition will be featured throughout theevening, along with more than 100 perfor-mances at 22 venues in Old Town and onein Del Ray.

“The Mount Vernon Recreation Center isonce again a venue for children’s activities,”

Dorman said. “First Night has turned into afun-filled all-day event with participationby many retail shops, museums and restau-rants.”

Additional daytime activities range fromtasting events to interactive art lessons andpet-friendly gatherings hosted by the Ani-mal Welfare League of Alexandria. Return-ing kid-friendly activities are presented bythe Torpedo Factory Art Center, The ArtLeague, the Alexandria Archaeology Mu-seum and Hooray for Books!

Live performances kick off at 7 p.m. fea-turing rhythm and blues, traditional Irishmusic, acoustic folk and more. New actsinclude the vocals of Virginia nativeKatherine Archer and 2nd Story Band Duo,performing a world blend of jazzy blues,pop rock, Caribbean and Samba rhythms.

Children’s activities continue throughoutthe night, including face painting, a moonbounce, clowns doing balloon sculpturesand interactive games. New this year,children’s performer Groovy Nate will bringhis unique blend of music, movement, pup-pet skits and comedy to First Night, and theOld Fashioned Carnival in Del Ray will fea-ture a ring toss, fortune teller, line dancingand more.

“We’re excited about the Instagram chal-lenge ‘Extraordinary Exposures,’” Dormansaid. “This ‘selfie’ contest is open to every-one that purchases an admission badge andattends First Night Alexandria’s eveningperformances. Details and information onthe cash prizes is available on our website.”

THE GRAND FINALE takes place at mid-night, with a spectacular fireworks displayover the Potomac River. Volunteers for theevent are still being accepted. Visitwww.firstnightalexandria.org and click onGet Involved. All volunteers receive freeadmission, a box dinner and a First Nightapron to keep.

Countdown to 2015Fireworks to culminate 20th anniversaryof Alexandria’s First Night celebrations.

Fireworks will light up the sky over the Potomac River to ring in 2015 aspart of First Night Alexandria.

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Acclaimed saxophonist Vaughn Ambrose will returnto perform at the Principle Gallery as part of FirstNight Alexandria.

If You Are GoingWHAT: First Night AlexandriaWHERE: Event: 22 venues in Old Town Alexandria

Headquarters: Durant Arts Center, 1605 Cameron St.Fireworks Finale: Unit block of King Street and alongthe waterfront

DATE: December 31, 2014TIME: Afternoon activities: 2-5 p.m. including Sixth Annual

Fun HuntPerformances: 7 p.m.-midnight at venues throughoutOld TownFireworks: Midnight along the Potomac River at thefoot of King Street

ADMISSION: $20; children 12 and under and active militaryfree.For more information and to purchase badges, call 703-746-3301or visit www.firstnightalexandria.org.

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Madeleine Quill, 11, and CarmenRivera, 7, pose for a photo withFirst Night Alexandria mascotProfessor Arts Safari following lastyear’s Fun Hunt.

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“As First Night Alexandria celebrates its20th anniversary, we want to thank the in-credible long-time sponsors that have madethis event possible,” Dorman added. “They

include the City ofAlexandria, Domin-ion Power, the Alex-andria Hotel Asso-

ciation, ACVA, LCOR, Burke & HerbertBank, Virginia Paving and our media spon-sors.”

For more information and a completeschedule of events, call 703-746-3301 orvisit www.FirstNightAlexandria.org. Ticketsare $20. Admission is free to children un-der 12 and active duty military.


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Email announcements to [email protected]. Include date,time, location, description and contact forevent: phone, email and/or website. Pho-tos and artwork welcome. Deadline isThursday at noon, at least two weeks be-fore event.

ONGOINGMiddle School Artists. Art display by

George Washington Middle Schoolstudents, at St.Elmo’s Coffee Pub,2300 Mount Vernon Ave.,Alexandria. Working in peer groups,the students created a writtenexplanation of their intent toaccompany the display. Visitwww.stelmoscoffeepub.com.

Mount Vernon Virtual Tour.Website users can now transportthemselves to George Washington’sMount Vernon in a click of a mouseor touch of a screen through a newvirtual tour. Featuring 29, 360-degree panoramic images, more than200 points of interest, and dozens ofin-depth videos highlightingarchitectural details, objects andanecdotes, the tour recreates theexperience of being at the estate inan unparalleled way.www.mountvernon.org/virtualtour

Tavern Toddlers. Weekly openplaytime continues every Mondaythroughout holiday season. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum,North Royal Street, Alexandria.Caregivers, toddlers (walkers through3 years) and visiting relatives arewelcome to play, read, dance andcolor in the historic ballroom. Noreservations required. Each weekcosts $7 for a group of three, whichmust include one adult, andadditional people are $3. A three-visit pass costs $18. On Monday, Feb.

16 Tavern Toddlers will be closeddue to President’s Day.www.gadsbystavern.org or 703-746-4242

Broadway Christmas Carol. Runsthrough Dec. 28 at MetroStage, 1201N. Royal St. Enjoy the showWednesday-Thursday, 8 p.m.,Fridays, 8 p.m., Saturdays, 3 p.m.and 8 p.m, and Sundays, 3 p.m. and7 p.m. Tickets are $50. Visitwww.metrostage.org for more.

Art Exhibit. Through Jan. 2 at 1717King St. and 300 S. Washington St.BB&T Bank hosts an exhibition ofportraits of African American andwomen Living Legends of Alexandriaat its Old Town branches. Monday-Thursday 9 a.m- 5 p.m. and Fridays 9a.m.-6 p.m. Visitwww.AlexandriaLegends.com. formore.

“Friend Me” Exhibit. ThroughMonday, Jan. 5. Opening receptionThursday Dec. 11, 6:30-8 p.m. TheArt League Gallery, Studio 21, 105North Union St., Alexandria. JewelerWhitney Staiger melds together herfriends’ public avatar with an aspectof their private selves on herhandmade brass cameos in a soloexhibit. www.theartleague.org 703-683-1780.

Christmas in Mount Vernon.Through Tuesday, Jan. 6, 9 a.m.-4p.m. at 3200 Mount VernonMemorial Highway, Mount Vernon.Mount Vernon decks the halls withthemed Christmas trees on the estateand festive greenery in the Mansion.Visit www.mountvernon.org/christmas for more.

Painting by John Trumbull. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. through Jan. 7. at MountVernon, 3200 Mount VernonMemorial Highway. On loan from theWinterthur Museum, this portraitwas painted by Washington’s former

aide-de-camp as a gift to MarthaWashington in 1790. Regularadmission rates: adults, $18; seniorcitizens, $16; children age 6-11,when accompanied by an adult, $9;and children under age 5, free. VisitMountVernon.org for more.

“Beyond the Board” Art Exhibit.Through Feb. 22. Prudential PenFedRealty, 4900 Seminary Road,Alexandria. Del Ray Artisans’presents “Beyond the Board.” Aportion of artists’ sales go to the

PenFed Foundation, supportingactive military families, veterans andtheir families. Visitwww.thedelrayartisans.org/shows/gww/ for more.

New Exhibit. Mount Vernon invitesvisitors to explore GeorgeWashington’s design for the groundsof his estate, through a newexhibition, “Gardens & Groves:George Washington’s Landscape” atMount Vernon through Jan. 12,2016. Gardens & Groves is the firstmuseum exhibition to focus

specifically on Washington’slandmark achievements as alandscape designer combining rarely-seen original documents, artwork,and books with period garden tools,landscape photography, and a scalemodel of the Mount Vernon estate.Included in admission $18/adult;$17/senior citizen; $9/child age 6-11; children under 5 are free. Visitwww.mountvernon.org for more.

Alexandria Cars & Coffee invites carenthusiasts to meet for coffee atHollin Hall Shopping Center in frontof Roseina’s, 1307 Shenandoah Road.Owners of classic cars, hot rods,exotic cars, motorcycles and moremeet to share car stories and drinkcoffee. Group meets the first Sundayof every month. 8:30-11 a.m.

George Washington’s MountVernon has joined ThomasJefferson’s Monticello and JamesMadison’s Montpelier to expand the“Presidents Passport,” Virginia’spremier presidential trail. As anadded bonus to this year’s program,visitors to the Alexandria VisitorsCenter at 221 King St. showing orpurchasing a ticket to any of thethree presidential estates will, uponrequest, receive for free Alexandria’s“Key to the City” pass, which grantsaccess into nine historic sites andmuseums in Alexandria-a $26 addedvalue. Visitwww.PresPassport.Monticello.org formore.

Fifty Years of Collecting. Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundaysnoon to 5 p.m. Fort Ward Museum4301 West Braddock Road. Ananniversary exhibit of objects fromthe Fort Ward collection. Free. Visitwww.fortward.org or call 703-746-4848.

Dinner for the Washingtons. Noonat George Washington’s Mount

Food & Drink

“Reveillon de Noel” Christmas Eve Dinner. At Bastille, 1201 N. RoyalSt., Alexandria. Chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux will serve a four-course prix fixe feast, with wine pairings upon request. Menu highlightsinclude lobster bisque with poached oysters; pan-roasted foie gras; tartareof Skuna Bay salmon; grass-fed Angus beef filet roasted whole in saltcrust; Hudson Valley Moullard duck breast; and a chocolate hazelnut“Buche de Noel” with cranberry ice cream. $85 per person, exclusive oftaxes and gratuities. Call 703-519-3776 for more.

“Reveillon de la Saint Sylvestre” New Year’s Eve Dinner. AtBastille, 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria. The first seating from 5-6:30 p.m.is a three-course prix fixe for $79, exclusive of taxes and gratuities, withwine pairings upon request. After the market surprise amuse bouche,guests will enjoy menu highlights including butternut squash risotto andparmesan broth; braised lobster in a curried coconut emulsion; bacon-wrapped rabbit loin; and coconut cake with caramelized pumpkin butterand curry ice cream. Taking things to the next level with the secondseating from 8-10 p.m., guests will enjoy a four-course prix fixe for $99, or$139 with wine pairings, exclusive of taxes and gratuities. After themarket surprise amuse bouche, guests may choose from dishes includingsteak tartare; seared foie gras; sautéed Wild Turbot filet; and roastedspiced pineapple marmalade almond cake. Call 703-519-3776 for more.

Old Town Farmers Market. 7 a.m.-noon, Saturdays year round. Localfarmers and artists have been selling products there since 1753. Located atMarket Square, 301 King St. Call 703-746-3200 or [email protected].

Del Ray Farmers Market. 8 a.m.-noon, Saturdays year round. Featuresfresh vegetables and fruits in season, meats, eggs, fresh pasta and sauces,Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods and more. Located at the corner ofEast Oxford and Mount Vernon avenues. [email protected] for more.

Entertainment

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127 N. Washington St., Alexandria • 703-548-4661Smoke-Free Restaurant

www.lerefugealexandria.com

Please make reservations early forChristmas Eve and New Year’s Eve

Winter Specials

RestaurantRestaurantRestaurant

• Split Pea Soup• Venison Medallions• Beef Wellington

• Dover Sole • Coq au Vin • Cassoulet

• Frog Legs

Vernon, 3200 Mount VernonMemorial Highway. A walking tourthat goes behind the scenes to findout how food was prepared andserved before the era of microwavesand TV dinners. $5 in addition toestate admission. Visitwww.mountvernon.org/ for more.

Second Thursday Music.Athenaeum, 201 Prince St. 7 pm.Second Thursday of every month.Visit nvfaa.org to view concertcalendar and listen to upcomingSecond Thursday Music artists.

The Monday Morning Birdwalk hasbeen a weekly event at HuntleyMeadows since 1985. It takes placeevery week, rain or shine (exceptduring electrical storms, strongwinds, or icy trails), at 7 a.m. (8 a.m.November through March), is free ofcharge, requires no reservation, andis open to all. Birders meet in theparking lot at the park’s entrance at3701 Lockheed Blvd. Direct questionsto Park staff during normal businesshours at 703-768-2525.

CAMPS, CLASSES & WORKSHOPSTavern Toddlers. Every Monday

(except Federal Holidays) 10:30-11:30 a.m. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum,134 North Royal Street, Alexandria.Join other families with toddlers(walkers through 36 months) to havefun in Gadsby’s historic ballroom.Playtime features a craft table, bookcorner, toys and group dancing. $7for a group of three. Visitwww.alexandria.gov/gadsbystavernor call 703-746-4242.

Photography Workshop. 10:30 a.m.-noon at Multiple Exposures Galleryon 105 N. Union St. Photographersand enthusiasts of all skill levels areinvited to share work, ideas, andquestions at this free workshop heldon the last Sunday of each month,except December. No reservations.Call 703-683-2205.

Life Drawing. Del Ray Artisans offers arange of open life drawing sessionsfor anyone to develop life-drawingskills further. Just drop-in for thesession and bring your supplies todraw or paint our live models. Feeranges from $8-$12. All skill levelsare welcome. Del Ray Artisans islocated at 2704 Mount Vernon Ave.Visit www.TheDelRayArtisans.org fora schedule.

DECEMBERTree Sale. Weekends through

December, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at St.Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 8531Riverside Road, Alexandria. Enjoymusic, warm drinks and cookies bythe fire, while surrounded by frasierfir trees. Sales benefit of communityoutreach programs and local schools.Choose to have 10 percent of the saleamount go to St. Aidan’s Day Schoolor a local, public elementary school.St Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 8531Riverside Road, Alexandria. Visitwww.staidansepiscopal.com formore.

Alexandria’s Holiday Market. At at300 John Carlyle St., Alexandria.Vendors will sell traditionalEuropean food, sweets and drinkscombined with art and craft vendorsto create a European holiday marketshopping experience. The event alsofeatures the Holiday Sharing - ToyDrive program to support families inneed, as well as the Hunger FreeAlexandria initiative. Visitwww.alexandriaholidaymarket.comfor more.

❖ Dec. 22 and 23 —11 a.m.-8 p.m.❖ Dec. 24, Christmas Eve —11 a.m.-2

p.m.

MONDAY/DEC. 22A John Waters Christmas. 7:30 p.m.

The Birchmere, 3701 Mount VernonAve. $49.50. Visit

www.birchmere.com for more.

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY/DEC. 22-24Breakfast with Santa. 8:30 a.m.-

12:30 p.m. Union Street PublicHouse, 121 South Union St.,Alexandria. Have breakfast withSanta and Mrs. Claus before theytake off for the big night. $10 perchild (age 0-12) and $15 per person(age 13+) includes a continentalbreakfast, visit with Santa and Mrs.Claus and tax. Tickets required.Limited amount for every seating.Reservationswww.unionstreetpublichouse.com/breakfast.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 24Water-skiing Santa and his

Kneeboarding Reindeer. 1-1:30p.m. at Old Town Waterfront,between King and Oronoco streets,Alexandria. This is the 29thAnniversary of this one of a kindWashington, D.C. tradition andincludes the Flying Elves, theJetskiing Grinch, and Frosty theSnowman in a dinghy. [email protected] for more.

SATURDAY/DEC. 27Live Music. 7:30 p.m. at the

Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave.Performance by Southside Johnnyand The Asbury Jukes. $39.50. Visitwww.birchmere.com for more.

SUNDAY/DEC. 28Hank Williams Tribute Show. 7:30

p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701 MountVernon Ave. Tickets $29.50. Visitwww.birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 31First Night Alexandria. Events take

place throughout the day atnumerous venues around the City ofAlexandria. Visitwww.firstnightalexandria.org formore.

Live Music. 8 p.m. at The Birchmere,3701 Mount Vernon Ave. WatchSeldom Scene, Bumper Jackson andThe Hello Strangers perform. Tickets$39.50. Visit www.birchmere.com orcall 703-549-7500.

SATURDAY/JAN. 3Hal Ketchum. 7:30 p.m. at The

Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave.Tickets $35. Visitwww.birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500.

SUNDAY/JAN. 4Evening of Musical Comedy. 7:30

p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701 MountVernon Ave. Tickets $49.50. Visitwww.birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500.

TUESDAY/JAN. 6“Self Portraits: How Our Artists

View Themselves.” 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Through Feb. 8 at Potomac Fiber ArtsGallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center,105 North Union St., Studio 18,Alexandria. A self portrait can bewhat our face/body looks like or itcan be what we stand for, what webelieve, what we love. Visitwww.Potomacfiberartsgallery.com

for more.Choral Evensong on the Feast of

the Epiphany 7:30 p.m. at St.Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 SouthPitt St., Alexandria. Grant Hellmers,organist and choirmaster of St. Paul’sEpiscopal Church, will direct theadult choir in a Choral Evensong onthe Feast of the Epiphany. Music byWilliam Byrd, Edward Bairstow,Malcolm Archer, and William Smithof Durham will be featured. TheThree Wise Men will appear at thisservice. Open to all, followed by areception. Donations and non-perishable foods will be accepted forSt. Paul’s Lazarus Ministry. ContactGrant Hellmers at 703-549-3312 [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/JAN. 7Boomerangs Square Dance

Teaching Council. 7:30-9:30 p.m.at Lincolnia Center, 4710 NorthChambliss Street, Alexandria. SquareDance Lessons. Welcome singles,couples, and families for an eveningof fun. Free. Call Nancy at 571-210-5480 or [email protected] or visitwww.boomerangssquaredance.org.

THURSDAY/JAN. 8Second Thursday Live: Cynthia

Marie Concert. 7 p.m. at TheAthenaeum, 201 Prince St.,Alexandria. Cynthia Marie returnswith her soulful voice and captivatingpiano playing. Special guests join herthis evening. Admission $15. Call703-548-0035 or visit www.nvfaa.org for more.

JAN. 8-FEB. 22Exhibition “Unearthed |

Unleashed.” In the AthenaeumGallery 201 Prince St., Alexandria.An exhibition of the works of MichaelGessner and Joanne Kent. Gessner’smixed media sculptures are lyricaland reference a wide variety ofnatural forms. Kent’s minimal workswith thickly applied paint and waxappear to be a subtle, meditativereflection on organic elements andartifacts. Free. Visit www.nvfaa.orgfor more.

SATURDAY/JAN. 10Chords of Courage Benefit

Concert. 7 p.m. at Church of St.Clement, 1701 N. Quaker Lane,Alexandria. Chords of Courage,founded by Caron Dale, tells thestories of people who have performedan act of courage and suffered in theprocess or performed an act ofinspiration born of tragedy. She willbe joined by fellow folk musiciansKevin Dudley, Laura Baron, BainEnnis and Matt Kohut, and membersof the band R.S.V.P. With specialguest Allison Silberberg. $18/$15 inadvance. Call 703-380-3151 or visitwww.focusmusic.org/venue_alexandria.php orchordsofcourage.org.

SUNDAY/JAN. 11Opening Reception of exhibition

“Unearthed | Unleashed.” 4-6p.m., in the Athenaeum Gallery 201Prince St., Alexandria. An exhibitionof the works of Michael Gessner andJoanne Kent. Free. Visitwww.nvfaa.org for more.

Torpedo Factory Associate Artist Gallery

Studio 12. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. About 20 artists will be showing their workin two-week exhibitions through the end of 2014. This dynamic pop-upgallery provides an opportunity for many of the associates to have theirwork on view. Visit torpedofactory.org/events/ for more.

❖ Dec. 15-28: Fritz Des Roches, paintings; Barbara Muth, paintings; NormaHintze, ceramics; and Marilynn Spindler, paintings

Entertainment


Sports

By Jon Roetman

Gazette Packet

Rick Sofield started coachingwhen he was in high school,helping his father coach hisyounger brothers in football.

He continued when he was in law school,when he made extra money coaching vari-ous middle school and high school sports.

After starting a family with his wife, Alice,Sofield couldn’t wait to coach his own chil-dren. The Sofields’ first child was a girlnamed Charlotte, who turned out to bequite the athlete.

Sofield, who played four sports in highschool on Long Island and four years of foot-ball and lacrosse at Harvard University,helped coach Charlotte in peewee soccerand T-ball. When she was in the first grade,Sofield coached Charlotte’s lacrosse teamafter convincing the commissioner of a FortHunt rec league to let Charlotte play againstgirls several years older.

While eager to suc-ceed, Sofield initiallystruggled as a youthlacrosse coach.

“I had no idea whatI was doing and wegot killed in our firstgame,” Sofield wrotein an email. “After-ward, a mom gave methe rule book andsuggested that I readit. We got better afterthat.”

More than a decadelater, Sofield is stillcoaching Charlotte.In the spring of 2014,the duo led theBishop Ireton girls’lacrosse team to a his-toric season of suc-cess, including theprogram’s first WCAC championship andfirst VISAA state title. The Cardinals endedtheir 20-win season with their first-ever vic-tory against national power St. Stephen’s& St. Agnes, 9-7, in the state championshipgame.

Charlotte, then a junior, led Ireton inpoints with 48 goals and 67 assists. She wasan Under Armour Underclass All-Americanand WCAC Player of the Year, and latersigned to play lacrosse at the University ofNorth Carolina. Sofield was named VISAACoach of the Year and WCAC co-Coach ofthe Year.

Bishop Ireton will return the majority ofits impact players for Charlotte’s senior sea-son in 2015.

“My dad started coaching me when I was

in first grade,” Charlotte wrote. “He hasn’tbeen my only lacrosse coach, but he hasbeen my main coach for as long as I canremember.”

From first grade through high school,Charlotte and her dad experienced ups anddowns on and off the field. As severalcoaches and athletes in the area acknowl-edged, a parent coaching his or her childcan be a difficult, yet rewarding process.

“When my wife, Alice, and I started ourfamily, I couldn’t wait for the kids to getold enough to coach,” Sofield wrote. “I havecoached all four of our kids in a variety ofsports: football, basketball, wrestling, icehockey, T-Ball, and lacrosse.”

Charlotte was the oldest child, and Sofieldadmits she was forced to deal with his mis-takes as a first time parent/coach, includ-ing not being able to separate the two roles.

“The middle school years were particu-larly tough for me and Char,” Sofield wrote.“I hadn’t learned how to separate Dad fromCoach. I also saw exceptional talent in Charand felt compelled to try and maximize herability. She has always wanted to be her bestso she didn’t need all the extra pushing thatI was giving her. Unfortunately for Char, Ilearned my lessons and made my mistakeson her as our eldest and I have been muchmore patient and understanding with her

three younger broth-ers.”

Charlotte also ac-knowledged middleschool was a toughtime.

“Every practicewas a disaster,” shewrote. “But I’mhappy he didn’t stopcoaching. I wouldnot be the player Iam today withouthim.”

Sofield said hiswife helped him re-alize the need forseparation betweenfather and coach.

“By the time Chargot to middle school,we used to talkabout virtually noth-

ing but lacrosse,” Sofield wrote. “It wasaround that time that Alice gently, butfirmly, reminded me through a series of con-versations that there was much more to myrelationship with Char off the field than la-crosse. She reminded me to keep lacrosseon the field, and be a father at home.”

Sofield said he still struggles at times dif-ferentiating between Charlotte as hisdaughter and Charlotte as No. 15 on theBishop Ireton girls’ lacrosse team.

“I’ve gotten much better over the past 10-plus years in separating player and child,”Sofield wrote. “I’m still not always as goodat it as she deserves: I sometimes find my-self projecting my own ambitions for heronto her. I’m aware of it now, though, andremind myself (or sometimes she reminds

me) that it’s her journey, not mine.”Keith A. Kaufman, Ph.D., a sport psycholo-

gist with offices in Washington, D.C. andOld Town Alexandria, said two potentialissues stand out for a young athlete coachedby a parent.

“I think two issues that jump out to meare the athlete feels like they can never es-cape talking about the sport,” Kaufman saidin a phone interview, “or they feel too muchscrutiny or not enough; like they feel likethey’re treated differently [than other mem-bers of the team].”

Kaufman said “it’s absolutely essentialthere are boundaries,” when a parent iscoaching his or her child, and it’s impor-tant the child is treated in the same man-ner as his or her teammates. While each caseis different, he said the relationship can bebeneficial.

“I think in an ideal situation,” Kaufmansaid, “it can be a great way to connect or toshare something, or to feel supported orencouraged or instructed by a parent.”

While the potential for burnout exists,Charlotte said she often talks lacrosse withher father, and that’s not a bad thing. Shealso said she never views Sofield as just acoach.

“During practices and games, my dad isstill my dad,” Charlotte wrote. “He will al-ways be my dad. Sure, he is my coach, andpersonally I think he is the best coach I’veever had, but he is my dad. On or off thefield.

“Having my dad as a coach gives me anedge over other players. I am constantlyaround the game. And I always have asounding board to vent my lacrosse prob-lems

“As I said previously, my dad will alwaysbe my dad. That includes throughoutmessed-up drills and poor games. Wheneveryone else goes home and leaves lacrosseon the field, I bring it to the dinner table,to family events, everywhere. Lacrosse isn’tjust on the field. I have my coach watching

over me 24/7.“Lacrosse is a huge bond for my dad and

I. It’s our thing together. Lacrosse is a con-stant. But it’s not a bad thing. It is some-thing that he and I both love.”

Hayfield assistant gymnastics coachKristin Overstreet started coaching herdaughter, Molly, at a young age, as well,but it didn’t take long for Molly to surpassher mother’s teachings.

“I also coached Molly when she was Level3 at Cardinal Gymnastics,” Overstreet said.“She quickly surpassed my coaching abili-ties and moved up through the Level sys-tem in club gymnastics and became a Level9.”

Molly gave up club gymnastics prior toher sophomore year, but still competes atthe high school level for Hayfield. Now ajunior, Molly has already captured a pair ofstate championships, finishing in a three-way tie for first on vault as a freshman, andsetting a state record on bars as a sopho-more.

At the high school level, Molly rarelyneeds coaching help, allowing Overstreetto focus her attention on the team’s less-experienced gymnasts.

“Molly is so knowledgeable that she cancoach herself,” Overstreet wrote in an email.“She knows the corrections she needs tomake. I just remind her to have fun and doher best. She is also a great coach to theyounger/newer girls. She demonstratesskills and gives them cues for making skillseasier for them.

“I love working with the Hayfield girls.We have nine girls who have never com-peted in gymnastics before and they im-prove daily. They usually need my time atpractice more than Molly does, but I amalways watching her out of the corner ofmy eye. I rarely have to set limits on her.She knows what is expected and she doesit.”

Molly struggles with back pain “fromyears of overuse, training up to 25 hours aweek and the constant pounding and hardlanding,” her mother wrote. The pain is tothe point that Molly might have to walkaway from gymnastics this year, accordingto Overstreet.

Molly said one of the greatest benefits ofhaving her mom as a coach is when it comesto dealing with pain.

“Some benefits for having my mom as acoach are that she knows me the best, sowhen I’m in pain or anything like that, shecan tell,” Molly wrote. “My mom is a veryunderstanding person and her being mymom and coach, it makes it that much easierto communicate with her about what’s go-ing on, or if I don’t want to do something.”

Like others in the same situation, Mollyand her mother experience stressful timestogether. However, Overstreet, who used tocoach at Edison and coached her two otherdaughters, as well, said coaching her childhas benefits.

“Special time together, great memories,great pictures, laughing together,”Overstreet wrote about coaching benefits.

Coaching one’s ownchild can be stressful,rewarding.

Parent Coaches Searching for Balance

Head coach Rick Sofield and hisdaughter, Charlotte Sofield, left,are seen during a Bishop Iretongirls’ lacrosse game.

“I think two issues thatjump out to me are theathlete feels like theycan never escape talkingabout the sport, or theyfeel too much scrutinyor not enough; like theyfeel like they’re treateddifferently [than othermembers of the team].”

— Sport psychologistKeith Kaufman, Ph.D.

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Alexandria Gazette Packet Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-752-4031 or [email protected]


Mark Carlson and Associates • Alexandria, VAOffice 703-660-6212 • Mobile 703-863-1758

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News

Old Town Walled Garden Club judges wereon the prowl this week in the Old andHistoric District of Alexandria to surveythe doorways decorated for the holidays

and select the winners of the 47th annual Holiday DoorDecorating Contest. Winners of this year’s contest willreceive prizes donated by Patina Polished Living at 605Franklin St., Metro Stage at 1201 N. Royal St., andAbaca Imports at 121 N. Royal St.

First place, receiving a $100 gift certificate from Pa-tina Polished Living, was the homeowner at 630 S.Fairfax St., for a beautifully orchestrated series ofwreaths on the door to the home as well as the frontgate and the door to the adjacent walled garden. Mag-nolia, fir and Scotch pine evergreens formed the back-drop to charming ornamentation with orange slices,artichokes, white tallow berries, and yellow yarrowoffset with dried seed pods, and cotton brackets.

In second place, winning two tickets to MetroStage’sproduction of “A Broadway Christmas Carol,” was thehome at 207 S. Lee St. This home also carried a themeacross the property with the front door, the gardengate and the bay window sill featuring similar ar-rangements. In this case the theme was an unusualcombination of magnolia and boxwood greens withthistle and antlers.

Winners selected in 47th

Annual Old Town HolidayDoor Decorating Contest.

Honoring FestiveDoor Decorations

Photos by Louise Krafft/Gazette Packet

First place, 630 S. Fairfax St., carried itsartichoke and orange-themed swags fromthe door to the walled garden.

The second place winningwreaths at 207 South LeeStreet featured boxwoodand magnolia greens withthistle and moose and deerantlers.

An honorable mention goesto the golden champagnecork and holly wreath at510 S. Fairfax St.

The third place winningwreath at 611 S. Fairfax St.featured dried lotus pods,quince and citrus fruitslices and nuts on a box-wood wreath.

Third place, winning a $50 gift certificate to AbacaImports at 121 N. Royal St., went to the home at611 South Fairfax St. This door featured a boxwoodwreath adorned with lotus pods, dried quince andcitrus fruit slices and nuts wrapped in a bright goldribbon encircling the door’s unusual knocker, a Ha-waiian clam shell.

An honorable mention was given to the wreathof champagne corks painted gold intertwined with

holly leaves and berries at 510 S.Fairfax St.


21 Announcements

LEGAL NOTICEPursuant to the provision of section 4-1-16 of the code of

the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Police Department located at 3600 Wheeler Ave-nue, Alexandria, VA 22304 is

now in possession of un-claimed bicycles, mopeds, lawn equipment, money,

scooters, and other items. All persons having valid claim to

the property should file a claim to the property with reasona-ble proof of ownership or the items will be sold, destroyed, converted or donated. For a

complete listing go to http://alexandriava.gov/police/and contact the Police Proper-ty Section at (703) 746-6709.

26 Antiques

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People

David Xing and Dana Schlafmantrim 4x4 beams for the new acces-sible planter garden.

Blake Harris and AleksandraSoominski assemble a new bench.

Assisting Adult Day Services Center

Sixty volunteers from Fannie Maeteamed up with Rebuilding TogetherAlexandria to make upgrades of the

Adult Day Services Center in Alexandria inSeptember.Adult Day Services is a non-profit programdesigned to offer services to seniors 55 yearsand older who may need assistance and whomay not want or cannot stay at home aloneduring the day. Volunteers screened-in anoutdoor gazebo; built garden beds that are

wheelchair accessible; installed handrails,exterior benches and wheelchair accessiblepicnic tables; and put in a wall to honorvets as part of their efforts to spruce up theseniors’ indoor recreation space.The population of seniors receiving servicesat the center is comprised of nearly 25 per-cent veterans and 33 percent who arewheelchair bound. The center is located inthe Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center onJefferson Street.

CFNC director of social services AnsleyShackelford talks with a couple at theturkey distribution.

Photos by Louise Krafft/Gazette Packet

CFNC and Westminster Presbyterianvolunteers set out holiday themed booksfor the CFNC students and their parentsto choose from.

DistributingFood

The Child and FamilyNetwork Centers andWestminster Presbyte-rian Church distributed175 frozen turkeys andall the fixings to low-in-come families forThanksgiving in Novem-ber. The distributiontook place at theBirchmere on MountVernon Avenue.

A Day To ServeMembers of threecongregations of theChurch of JeusChrist of Latter-daySaints and OaklandBaptist Church cameto Fort Ward Park inthe fall for the parkcleanup, as part ofDay to Serve. SarahArcher Beck givesvolunteers instruc-tions, before send-ing them off to workin the park.

Njuguna Kabugi and his son Maganarepresented Oakland Baptist Churchfor the Day to Serve event. Thechurch has a historic cemeterylocated inside Fort Ward Park.

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Taylor RunSherry for Ladies

More than half a century ago the late Del.Marion Galland invited all the women whohad helped her to victory to an afternoonparty.

Time rolled on, Marion represented uswell. She succeeded in stopping City Coun-cil from hanging Confederate flags on allthe lamp posts for George Washington’sbirthday.

She asked the same women who helpedher to victory to do more. “Liquor by thedrink,” surprisingly, was one issue wepushed. Two gentlemen who ran restau-rants gave us a lovely luncheon of filet mi-gnon and champagne, and asked for help.

Alexandria could become a center for finedining, they declared, if we escaped therestrictions of our then-current Virginialaws, a leftover from Prohibition.

I don’t suppose that many of the visitorswho enjoy our fine restaurants know towhat they owe their existence.

The ladies sherry party is still goingstrong. This year, it was at Lucy Thomson’shouse on Quaker Lane. Hostesses wereSherry Brown, Harlene Clayton, BeckyMoore, Patsy Ticer, Marian Van Landinghamand Christa Watters.

CorrectionThe Shooter’s Hill Carollers will go out

on Saturday, Dec. 27, not Friday, Dec. 26.Everyone is welcome to help and eat a

potluck dinner afterward. Please meet at310 Park Road at 5 p.m.

— Lois Kelso Hunt

NeighborhoodClassifiedClassified

Obituary

John Alfke Campbell,beloved father and faithful friend, died on Monday November 24, 2014 in Alexandria, Virginia. John is survived by his two daughters, Barbara C. Holt of California and Elizabeth C. Wilmot of Virginia. He will be deeply missed by his grandchildren, Lauren G. Wilmot and Jack Holt and his son-in-laws, Peter Adler and David Holt. He is predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Janet Campbell.

He was born in Bronxville, New York in 1924. He attended Middlebury College for a short while before enlisting in the Army Air Corps. He was a bomber pilot in World War II. He was a 1st lieutenant who flew 35 missions in a B-17. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and an air medal with 3 clusters plus 6 battle stars.

When he got out of the service he went to Columbia University on the GI bill where he met his future wife. He earned both his undergraduate and his Master’s degree from Columbia.

He made his living as a salesman which was a career he was perfectly suited for as he could charm anyone into any-thing and made everyone who knew him feel special. He retired from Lord Abbett, a mutual fund company on Wall Street, having risen to the position of national sales manager. He and his family lived in New Canaan, CT for 40 years be-fore retiring to Lake Placid, FL. He spent his summers at a cottage in the 1000 Islands. He moved to Virginia after the death of his wife to be with his daughter.

In Connecticut, he was active in the Senior Men’s club and ran the Saint Marks Fair for many years. He was a fabulous bridge player having played on the train to New York City and he was in much demand as a bridge partner. He was an avid investor who carefully watched the market and was part of the “Ticker Club” in Florida. He loved music and the outdoors. He enjoyed skiing, hiking, fishing and travelling.

He was an outgoing man who found the best in every situa-tion and the best in every person. He always had a twinkle in his eye, a smile and a kind word. He was a true gentleman. He is already deeply missed. A service was held for him at Paul Springs Retirement home and he will be interred at Ar-lington National Cemetery at a later date. Donations in his name may be made to the Church of the St. Lawrence in Alexandria Bay, NY.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

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Documents

Alexandria Gazette Packetconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2014/122414/Alexandria.pdf · nated by seventh grade math teacher Sara Odioso. W hen George Mason University Professor Karen L