Burke - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/2015/1… · 21/12/2015 · Award-Winning Award- ... (D-41): “Several of my legis-lative priorities

Burke Connection ❖ December 24-30, 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

‘Honor, Humility, Humanity’News, Page 4

A Year in Review:Highlights of 2015News, Page 3

Lake Braddock Student Dies in CrashNews, Page 7

‘Honor, Humility, Humanity’News, Page 4

A Year in Review:Highlights of 2015News, Page 3

Lake Braddock Student Dies in CrashNews, Page 7

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online at www.connectionnewspapers.comDecember 24-30, 2015

BurkeBurke John Cook (R), re-elected to his third termas the Braddock district supervisor, takes

the oath of office from Judge Penney S.Azcarate. Cook was first elected in 2009.

2 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ December 24-30, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

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Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday.Dated announcements should be sub-mitted at least two weeks prior to theevent.

Clifton Presbyterian Church is offer-ing a Grief Support Group. Offeredfor eight sessions on Thursdays fromDec. 3-Feb. 3 from 10:30 a.m.-noon forthose who have experienced a recentdeath and loss in their lives. This groupwill offer a safe and supportive place forparticipants to explore ways to walk thejourney of grief and to “wrestle” with dif-ficult, and sometimes unanswerable,questions. Dec. 3, 10, 17; Jan. 7, 12, 21,28; Feb. 3. Clifton Presbyterian Church islocated at 12748 Richards Lane, [email protected]. 703-830-3175.

Join Harvester PresbyterianChurch, 7800 Rolling Road, Spring-field, for Light of Hope, a traditionalChristmas Eve service with candle-light-ing on Thursday, Dec. 24 from 8-9 p.m.www.harvesterpca.org. 703-455-7800.

Fairfax Baptist Temple, at thecorner of Fairfax County Parkway andBurke Lake Roads, holds a bible studyfellowship at 9 a.m. Sundays followedby a 10 a.m. worship service. Nurserycare and children’s church also pro-vided. 6401 Missionary Lane, FairfaxStation, 703-323-8100 orwww.fbtministries.org.

The Guhyasamaja BuddhistCenter, 10875 Main St., Fairfax Cityprovides free classes to both newcomersand advanced practitioners of TibetanBuddhism. The center emphasizes work-ing with the mind and learning how tounderstand the workings of the mind,overcoming inner causes of suffering,while cultivating causes of happiness.Under the direction of Lama ZopaRinpoche, the center is a place of study,contemplation and meditation. Visithttp://www.guhyasamaja.org for moreinformation.

Lord of Life Lutheran offers ser-vices at two locations, in Fairfax at 5114Twinbrook Road and in Clifton at 13421Twin Lakes Drive. Services in Fairfax areheld on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sun-days at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Services inClifton are held on Sundays at 8:15 and10:30 a.m. 703-323-9500 orwww.Lordoflifeva.org.

First Baptist Church of Spring-field offers Sunday school at 9:15 a.m.,followed by a 10:30 a.m. worship ser-vice at 7300 Gary St., Springfield.703-451-1500 orwww.fbcspringfield.org.

Clifton Presbyterian Church,12748 Richards Lane, Clifton, offersSunday worship services at 8:30 a.m.and 11 a.m. Nursery care is provided.Christian education for all ages is at9:45 a.m. 703-830-3175.

St. Andrew the Apostle CatholicChurch, 6720 Union Mill Road, Clifton,conducts Sunday masses at 7:30 a.m.,8:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Italso offers a Saturday vigil at 5:30 p.m.and a Thursday Latin mass at 7 p.m.703-817-1770 or www.st-andrew.org.

Prince of Peace LutheranChurch, 8304 Old Keene Mill Road,Springfield, offers casual worship ser-vices on Saturday evenings at 5:30 p.m.featuring contemporary music. Moretraditional services take place on Sun-day mornings at 8:15 and 11 a.m.Sunday School is from 9:45-10:45 a.m.for children and adults. The church alsooffers discussion groups for adults. 703-451-5855 or www.poplc.org.

Faith Notes

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• Oak Hill/Herndon Connection• Potomac Almanac• Reston Connection• Springfield Connection• Vienna/Oakton Connection

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SPECIAL CONNECTIONS CALENDAR

Award-WinningAward-

Winning


A Year in Review

Busy but Productive Year

Eileen Filler-Corn

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn(D-41): “Several of my legis-lative priorities were signedinto law by GovernorMcAuliffe in 2015. One bill,allowing elementary andmiddle school students an ex-pedited retake of a SOL exam,was included in the omnibusSOL reform bill. This helpsavoid delays, giving studentsthe same opportunity as thosein high school. A bill I workedon again this year, requiring local or cam-pus law enforcement to report investiga-tions of campus sexual assault to theCommonwealth’s Attorney within 48

hours of the victim filing a re-port, was incorporated intoanother bill and became law.Elements of my bill requiringfingerprint backgroundchecks for child-care provid-ers were combined into anomnibus child-care safety bill.My bill, the Virginia ABLE Act,will allow families of childrenwith disabilities to create tax-exempt, 529-like savings ac-counts for living expenses and

the future security of loved ones. Busy butproductive year in the General Assembly.”

Congressman GeraldE. Connolly (D-11): “Itwas a busy year for Congresswhich saw bipartisan actionon major, long-overdue ini-tiatives that will benefit ev-ery segment of our commu-nity. For starters, Congresspassed another two-year bi-partisan budget agreementthat replaces some of thedraconian sequester cuts,which have disproportion-ately harmed Northern Virginia. It’s criti-cal we maintain domestic and defenseinvestments, and I will continue to pushfor relief from sequestration.

I was proud to represent Northern Vir-ginia on the House-Senate conferencecommittee that negotiated the new long-term transportation bill – the first in 10

Highlights of 2015

Gerald E.Connolly

years, which will providemore than $530 million innew road, transit, and safetyimprovements across Vir-ginia. Congress also passedreforms to the Medicare pay-ment formula to protect se-niors and their doctors fromharmful cuts, a perennialproblem, and place it on amore sustainable path. Wereplaced the unpopular NoChild Left Behind Act in fa-

vor of more flexible standards, and wepassed new Trade Promotion Authority,setting rigorous labor, environmental,and enforcement standards for futuretrade deals. As you can see, Congress fi-nally got something substantial done thisyear, and I hope these bipartisan suc-cesses will continue into 2016.”

Bipartisan Successes

Sharon Bulova

Thank You to Retiring SupervisorsSharon Bulova, Chair-

man of the FairfaxCounty Board of Super-visors: “This summer,Fairfax County showcasedour impressive public safetycapabilities during the excit-ing World Police and FireGames.

In March, to build on andenhance an already greatPolice Department, I con-vened a Police Practices Review Commis-sion.

Recommendations from this 30+member Commission centered on use offorce, response to offenders sufferingfrom mental illness, communications,oversight and recruitment. Changes re-sulting from the work of the Commission

will help foster our cultureof public trust and ensurethe fair and timely resolutionof police-involved incidents.

I signed on to MichelleObama’s “Mayor’s Chal-lenge” to end VeteranHomelessness by the end of2015. Thanks to our strongpartnership with nonprofitsand faith-based organiza-tions, homeless veterans are

now quickly identified and connected tosupport services and housing.

The year 2015 was an election year forlocal government. Please join me in say-ing ‘Thank you’ to retiring supervisorsGerry Hyland and Mike Frey and ‘Wel-come’ to new Supervisors Dan Storck andKathy Smith.”

NewsBurke Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

See Highlights, Page 5

See A Year In Review, Page 9

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

When Fairfax County releasedthousands of pages of docu-ments and media related tothe shooting death of

Springfield resident John Geer on Jan. 30,2015, under court order, it was the firstmajor act of transparency since his deathin August 2013.

Questions of accountability, transparencyand use of force by the Fairfax County Po-lice Department and Sheriff’s Office werediscussed and debated over the course of2015. In Geer’s case, County officials andPolice Chief Edwin Roessler initially justi-fied the length of time spent without re-leasing information, such as the name ofthe officer who shot Geer, with ongoing in-vestigations being carried out by theCommonwealth’s Attorney and the Depart-ment of Justice.

RESPONDING to the public demands,Board of Supervisors Chairman SharonBulova convened a 37-member Ad HocCommission to review police practices andpolicies. The body met eight times betweenMarch and October, and delivered a finalset of 142 recommendations that included

calls for creating an independent auditorposition, a civilian review board and morerobust crisis intervention training and man-agement for dealing with individuals withintellectual disabilities or other mentalhealth issues.

“We should understand policemen aregoing to make mistakes, no question aboutit,” commission Chairman MichaelHirshman said when presenting the recom-mendations to the Supervisors on Oct. 20,“but we’ve got to make sure policies andprocedures are in place to make sure mis-takes are fewer and less.”

In her inauguration address on Dec. 15,Bulova acknowledged the “recommendedchanges will help foster our culture of pub-lic trust and ensure the fair and timely reso-lution of Police-involved incidents. Our newBoard of Supervisors is tasked with follow-ing through on the Commission’s recom-mendations.”

Adam Torres, a former Fairfax CountyPolice Officer, was charged with murderingGeer after Commonwealth’s AttorneyRaymond F. Morrogh convened a specialgrand jury to decide on the matter over thesummer. Torres had remained an adminis-trative employee of the department nearly

John Geer shooting death documentsreleased, police practices reviewed,in-custody deaths questioned.

2015 in Review:Calls for Transparencyand Accountability

Photo by Tim Peterson/The Connection

Commissioner Shirley Ginwright, Chairman, Communities of Trust Com-mittee and President of the Fairfax County chapter of the National Asso-ciation for the Advancement of Colored People, responds to protestersfor Natasha McKenna at the public forum of the Fairfax County policepractices review commission.


News

Hundreds of friends, family,constituents and county em-ployees came on Tuesday,Dec. 15 to see the swearing-

in of the members of the Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervisors and constitutional of-ficers.

Music was provided by the Chantilly HighSchool Orchestra. Deputy Sheriff Rob Deerplayed the bagpipes, and the Fairfax CountySheriff’s Office Singing Stars, Myrna Kinney,Sommer Grasty and Nicole Arnet, sang thenational anthem and "America the Beauti-ful."

Sharon Bulova was sworn in for her thirdterm as chairman of the Board of Supervi-sors, although she began as Braddock Dis-trict supervisor in 1988 and has served onthe board since then. The Board of Super-visors consists of the chairman, elected atlarge, and nine district members.

With two members of the board retiring,there are two new members, both previ-ously serving as members of the schoolboard. Daniel Storck (D-Mount Vernon) willreplace longtime supervisor Gerry Hyland

Members of Fairfax County Board of Supervisors,constitutional officers,sworn in.

‘Honor, Humility, Humanity’

Newly elected officials listen to Judge Penney S. Azcarate, who onceworked as a prosecutor for Fairfax County Commonwealth’s AttorneyRay Morrogh.

Fairfax County Sheriff’s office singing stars, Myrna Kinney, SommerGrasty and Nicole Arnet, sang the national anthem and "America theBeautiful."

Supervisor Jeffrey C. McKay (D-Lee) takes the oath of office fromJudge Penney S. Azcarate. McKaywas first elected in 2007. McKaychairs the Board’s TransportationCommittee, Legislative Committeeand co-chairs the Board’s Commit-tee on Community Revitalizationand Reinvestment.

Supervisor John Cook (R), re-elected to serve the Braddockdistrict, takes the oath of office.Cook was first elected in 2009when Sharon Bulova becamechairman, and is managing partnerof the Fairfax law firm Cook, Craig& Francuzenko. Cook serves as theBoard of Supervisors’ representa-tive to the Domestic ViolencePrevention, Policy CoordinatingCouncil of Fairfax County.

Judge Penney S. Azcarate adminis-ters the oath of office to Supervi-sor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield).Herrity was first elected to theFairfax County Board of Supervi-sors in 2007 and is a graduate ofWest Springfield High School andVirginia Tech. He is is the chieffinancial officer of a local govern-ment contractor.

(D). Kathy Smith (D-Sully) will replaceMichael Frey (R).

Other members sworn in include: JohnCook (R-Braddock), John Foust (D-Dranesville), Penelope Gross (D-Mason),Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), CatherineHudgins (D-Hunter Mill), Jeffrey McKay (D-Lee), and Linda Q. Smyth (D-Providence).

Also sworn in on Tuesday were the threeconstitutional officers, Commonwealth’s

Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh, SheriffStacey A. Kincaid and Clerk of the FairfaxCircuit Court John Frey. Three members ofthe Northern Virginia Soil and Water Con-servation District also took oaths as direc-tors, Scott Cameron, George Lamb andGerald O. Peters Jr.

Judge Penney S. Azcarate, who adminis-

tered the oath of office to each, remindedelected officials to serve with “honor, hu-mility and humanity.”

Bulova’s inaugural speech included a noteof serious gratitude:

“In light of recent racial and cultural ten-sions rising across the country, let us begrateful we live in a county that celebratesour differences and demonstrates accep-tance and compassion for others.”

Sheriff StaceyA. Kincaid (D)takes the oathof office.

Sharon Bulova (D),re-elected to herthird term as chair-man of the Board ofSupervisors, takesthe oath of office onDec. 15. Bulova wasfirst elected chair-man in a specialelection in 2009, andserved as BraddockDistrict supervisorfrom 1988-2009.

Photos by Mary Kimm/The Connection


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Supervisor John Cook (R-BraddockDistrict): “A number of important thingshappened in Fairfax County this year.

In March, Fairfax County created anad hoc commission to review FairfaxCounty Police Department policies andpractices. In October, the Ad Hoc PolicePractices Review Commission providedits final report, including 142 recommen-dations, to the Board of Supervisors.

This year, over 50 community andFairfax County government leaderslaunched the ‘Diversion First’ initiative to reduce in-carceration of those with mental illness by divertingnonviolent offenders to treatment instead.

Also this year, the Board of Supervisors helped

develop the Strategic Plan for EconomicSuccess. This plan focuses on sustain-able economic growth and developmentby creating the necessary environmentand infrastructure. As a part of this, aworking group was created to devisenew, innovative strategies to repurposeolder, vacant office buildings for whichthere is little or no demand. This issueof vacant properties has been identifiedas a key piece of the region’s economicfuture.

Finally, this year both the Kings Park andRavensworth shopping centers received much neededrenovations. These efforts are a vital step in rejuve-nating our area’s economy.”

Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield):“This year the County implemented sev-eral initiatives that will have a positiveimpact on County residents. ‘Text 911,’a program that I championed, allows forpersons unable to speak to send a text to911 operators. We began implementationof the 50+ Community Action Plan toaddress issues critical to our growingsenior population. Springfield Mall re-opened as Springfield Town Center be-ginning the redevelopment of downtownSpringfield. We also successfully showcased theCounty to the world during the World Police and FireGames hosting 10,000 athletes plus their families,friends and fans.

On the transportation front I washappy to see my efforts to allow use ofthe I-66 shoulder lanes outside of HOVhours during periods of congestion cometo fruition. We also opened the 95 Ex-press Lanes and began planning PopesHead Interchange.

2016 will bring Fairfax County manychallenges including addressing a signifi-cant budget shortfall on both the Countyand school sides, tackling the rise ofheroin and prescription drug abuse, im-

proving and diversifying our economy, fixing ourzoning and permitting process and relieving trafficcongestion in the region.

Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee District):On my initiative, Fairfax County is work-ing with the Virginia Association of Coun-ties (VACO) to pressure the General As-sembly to adequately fund K-12 educa-tion. It’s shocking that we have the tenthhighest national income and the tenthlowest state education funding. Thetransportation bill that the General As-sembly passed two years ago (after yearsof legislative inaction) succeeded whenVACO got involved and mobilized pres-sure and support for numerous jurisdictions through-out the state and elected representatives heard con-

stantly from their constituents abouttransportation needs. The Fairfax Cham-ber of Commerce is on board also andeducation is its top priority in its legisla-tive package.

Diversifying our business tax base andmoving away from reliance on federalcontracting is critically important. We’reseeing success in Lee District—our De-partment of Tax Administration reportssubstantial tax receipts from the NewSpringfield Town Center. I expect simi-

lar good news from the Hilltop Village Center andthe wildly popular Wegmans.

Strategy for Success

John Cook

Successes of 2015, Challenges of 2016

Pat Herrity

Top Priority: Education

News

Jeff McKay

Highlights of 2015From Page 3


Opinion

The pages of the Connection havebeen full of holiday spirit for morethan a month. Menorah lightings,group and individual efforts to help

the needy, stories of giving, secular celebra-tions, religious celebrations. Shopping locally.Giving locally.

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ.Whether you believe the Christmas story liter-ally or in spirit, you know it is the story of joy,hope and love, the promise of redemption.

It is also about embracing the teachings ofJesus: to love thy neighbor as thyself; to helpthe needy; to feed and clothe the poor; to carefor those who are sick; to treat others as youwould have them treat you.

Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to oth-ers what you would have them do to you, forthis sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and yougave me something to eat, I was thirsty andyou gave me something to drink, I was astranger and you invited me in, I neededclothes and you clothed me, I was sick and youlooked after me, I was in prison and you cameto visit me.”

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord,when did we see you hungry and feed you, orthirsty and give you something to drink? Whendid we see you a stranger and invite you in, orneeding clothes and clothe you? When did we

see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of

the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,you did for me.’”

So let us share the verse relating the birth ofJesus from the Bible, Luke 2: 4-19:

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, outof the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto thecity of David, which is called Bethlehem; (be-cause he was of the house and lineage ofDavid:) To be taxed with Mary his espousedwife, being great with child. And so it was, that,while they were there, the days were accom-plished that she should be delivered. And shebrought forth her firstborn son, and wrappedhim in swaddling clothes, and laid him in amanger; because there was no room for themin the inn.

And there were in the same country, shep-herds abiding in the field, keeping watch overtheir flock by night. And, lo, the angel of theLord came upon them, and the glory of theLord shone round about them: and they weresore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fearnot: for, behold, I bring you good tidings ofgreat joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of Davida Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shallbe a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrappedin swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'

And suddenly there was with the angel amultitude of the heavenly host praising God,and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, andon earth peace, good will toward men.’

And it came to pass, as the angels were goneaway from them into heaven, the shepherdssaid one to another, ‘Let us now go even untoBethlehem, and see this thing which is cometo pass, which the Lord hath made known untous.’ And they came with haste, and found Mary,and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.And when they had seen it, they made knownabroad the saying which was told them con-cerning this child. And all they that heard itwondered at those things which were told themby the shepherds.”

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Editor’s Note about the rest of 2015: This is ourlast regular edition of 2015. Next week, afterChristmas, we will publish our annual Children’sConnection, devoted entirely to the artwork andwriting of local students. Our next regular editionswill publish Jan. 6-7, 2016, with deadline for contentand advertising of Dec. 30 (late ads accepted).

In the meantime you can reach the editors [email protected] and sales/marketing/advertising [email protected].

Digital replica editions of the most recent week’spapers are available atwww.ConnectionNewspapers.com/PDFs

Past issues of the Connection back to 2008 areavailable at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/

Advertising information, Special Section detailshere www.connectionnewspapers.com/advertising

Sign up for a free digital subscription atwww.ConnectionNewspapers.com/subscribe

We wish you hope, peace, love and joyduring this holiday season.

Merry Christmas

By Wendy Lemieux

Fairfax County Office of

Public Private Partnerships

(OP3)

It’s the most wonderful time ofthe year … to help others.Fairfax County has made it

easy with its “Forget the Fruitcake— Ways to Give Campaign” thatpromotes 11 ways to give back toyour community. Running throughthe end of the year, you can do-nate to any of these 11 countynonprofits, foundations and agen-cies in honor of anyone on your giftlist. It makes shopping easy andoffers you a nice tax deduction. Butbest of all, it helps those organiza-tions succeed in bringing goodsand services to those who needthem most at this time of year.

On any given day more than67,000 people go hungry in thecounty and more than 30 percentof the students in Fairfax County

Editorial

schools are eligible for free andreduced lunch. Despite its affluentstatus, Fairfax has a populationthat benefits from programs suchas “Ways to Give.” There is some-thing for everyone on your listwhether they like animals, educa-tion, summer fun or communityspirit. Gifts that give back includebooks, a week at camp, medicalcare, bikes, trees and food for thehungry.

Through a partnership with adagency Williams Whittle, FairfaxCounty’s Office of Public PrivatePartnerships has honed the mes-

sage and the graphics which hasmade a difference in the look andfeel of the campaign. WilliamsWhittle liked the campaign in pre-vious years and offered their pro-fessionals services and contacts tomake the program even better.And it’s resulted in numerous probono advertisement and engage-ment from community stakehold-ers. One beneficiary of the in-creased exposure was the FairfaxCounty Restoration Project (FCRP)— whose mission is to restore thetree canopy in Fairfax County.When the first ad was placed in

the Connection in mid-November,FCRP reported a 70 percent in-crease in visits to their website thatoffers to plant five native trees inhonor of a family member orfriend.

This is the fifth year of the “Waysto Give” campaign that so far hasresulted in an increase of 50 per-cent in web traffic. Although do-nation numbers won’t be availableuntil January, participating agen-cies and nonprofits have reporteda surge in traffic to their sites.

To donate and learn more visitwww.GiveFairfax.net.

County promotes 11 ways to giveback to your community.

The Time to Give

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Burke


News

By Gillian Wright

McLean High School

Sardines fell from above andsquelched underfoot. The setrocked as actors fell down stairs

and broke through windows. Clotheswere lost, secrets were spilled, and heartswere crushed. Through mishap after di-sastrous mishap, Rambunctious TheatreCompany’s production of “Noises off” atRobinson Secondary School was a smash-ing hit.

Written by Michael Frayn in 1982, thisBritish farce follows a cast of six actors

along with their director andstage managers as they tryto produce their own play,“Noises On.” Unfortunately,messy personal relation-

ships, lack of rehearsal, and an overabun-dance of emotion prevent the dress re-hearsal and subsequent performancesfrom going quite as planned. The popu-lar show opened on Broadway in 1983,was adapted into a film in 1992, returnedto Broadway in 2001, and is scheduledfor another Broadway revival in Januaryof 2016.

Trying tenaciously to orchestrate a ca-lamitous dress rehearsal, Director Lloyd

Dallas (Matthew Cook) soon lost his coolsense of authority. Dallas’s frustrationexponentiated as the actors forgot props,confused their cues, and peppered him withquestions, resulting at first in sarcastic de-rision and eventually in volcanic outbursts.Storming with exasperation throughout theauditorium, Cook’s hyperbolic portrayal ofa director at his wit’s end was flawless.

Dotty Otley (Hannah Kornell), a ratherdense older woman playing a housekeeperin “Noises On,” was the first to experienceDallas’s wrath. Backstage, Otley tried withonly middling results to mother the otheractors, while onstage she remained be-fuddled by the timing and frequency of herprop changes. Otley’s reactions as she grewincreasingly frustrated were thoroughly

entertaining. Owner of the house Otleykept, Frederick Fellowes (Matthew Ross)was comedic gold. What he had hopedwould be a romantic afternoon quicklyturned disastrous as he stumbled about thestage with tax forms glued to one hand, aplate of sardines stuck to the other, and hispants caught around his ankles. When notin character, Fellowes portrayed a dopey yetapologetic actor who was frequently con-soled by Belinda (Madyson Hanton), hiswife in the staged show. Hanton’s genuinenature among fellow cast members and dis-tinct personality when playing Fellowes’wife made her a favorite performer.

When the Fellowes’ stumble home fromtravels abroad, they are unaware that an-other couple is already in the house with

the same idea. Garry Lejeune (RJ Pratt),a house agent when acting and a pas-sionately emotional yet ineptly inarticu-late actor when out of character, hasbrought his lover, Brooke Ashton (AlexLane), to the house. Lane ranged fromseductive to ditzy, but her confidentmovement and suggestive interactionswere hilarious no matter what sentimentshe was conveying. Among the most be-loved characters was Selsdon (DanielWilliams), an absent-minded elderly ac-tor with a drinking problem. His com-mitted physicality demonstrated his agesuperbly, and his oblivious commentsand telling facial expressions frequentlyleft the audience in peals of laughter.

Props are essential to the plot of theshow, but Robinson’s tech crew exceededexpectations with the amount and levelof detail of their props. The multilevelset was well-constructed to show a dis-tinct, appealing onstage and an unfin-ished offstage.

Somewhat paradoxically, RobinsonSecondary School produced an excellentperformance regarding a terrible play.The vacillating emotions, raging hor-mones, anxious stress, and unfortunatecircumstances displayed onstage were alltoo familiar to audience members whohave been involved in theatrical produc-tions. Nothing quite epitomizes the feel-ing at the end of a cataclysmic run likeSelsdon’s remark, “When all around youis strife and uncertainty, there’s nothinglike an old-fashioned plate of...curtain!”

An Excellent Performance Regarding a Terrible PlayRobinson Second-ary School’s produc-tion of “Noises Off.’

From left to right: Hanna Kornell, RJ Pratt, Madyson Hanton, MatthewRoss, Matthew Cook, Colin Diggs.

Cappies

Review

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Friends, family and members of theLake Braddock Secondary Schoolcommunity gathered Sundaynight Dec. 21 to mourn the loss of

Laween A. Akrawi, 18, a Lake BraddockBruin who died at the scene of a single-ve-hicle crash on Dec. 18. They laid candlesand flowers by an easel holding his seniorpicture.

Fairfax County Police said officers re-sponded to the crash site in the area of theFranconia Springfield Parkway and Inter-state 95 around 11 p.m. Friday night.

Investigators initially determined Akrawi,a Fairfax Station resident, was headingwestbound on the Parkway in a BMW 3-Series when he lost control of the car, leftthe road and hit several trees.

Akrawi’s 17-year-old passenger sustainednon-life-threatening injuries and was trans-ported to Fairfax Hospital.

Police believe speed was a factor in thecrash.

In a letter to the Lake Braddock commu-nity, Principal Dave Thomas wrote, “Ourthoughts and support go out to the student’sfamily and friends at this very difficulttime.”

The Lake Braddock Twitter account@FCPSLBSS announced that a Janazah

prayer for Akrawi would be held at Dar Al-Hijra Islamic Center in Falls Church on Sun-day at midday, followed by a burial at Na-

tional Cemetery and funeral at a home inFairfax Station.

The hashtag #RIPLaween has been used

Lake Braddock Student Dies in Crash

Laween Akrawi, 18, died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on Friday, Dec. 18.

Lake Braddock students, family and communitymembers mourned the loss of Laween Akrawi witha vigil held Sunday night, Dec. 20 in the schoolparking lot.

to flag social media posts about Akrawi.

—Tim Peterson

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Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The year 2015 included a pair oflocal programs winning bothboys’ and girls’ state championships on the same day.

During the spring, the Robinson boys’ andgirls’ lacrosse teams took home state titlesat Lake Braddock Secondary School. In thefall, Lake Braddock took home boys’ andgirls’ cross country championships at GreatMeadow.

The following is a look at some of the topmoments in Burke/Springfield/Fairfax/Fairfax Station sports from the year 2015.

Robinson LacrosseWins Two State Titles

The Robinson boys’ lacrosse team re-turned to the top of the mountain with athrilling victory over nemesis Chantilly. TheRobinson girls’ team got there for the firsttime, putting the finishing touch on a domi-nant season.

June 13 was a good day for the Rams.The Robinson boys’ and girls’ lacrosse

programs each won a state championshipon the same day at Lake Braddock Second-ary School. The boys defeated Chantilly 10-9 in double overtime, giving the Rams back-to-back state titles, and the girls beatOakton 16-12 for their first state champi-onship.

For the boys, it was their fourth meetingwith Chantilly during the 2015 campaign.After Robinson won the regular-seasonmeeting, Chantilly defeated the Rams in theConference 5 championship game and the6A North region final. The Chargers led 9-8 in the final minute of regulation of thestate final, but Robinson’s Johnny Danielscored with 36 seconds remaining andforced overtime. Chapman Jasien scored thegame-winner in the second overtime.

Jasien, Daniel and Chris White eachscored three goals for Robinson.

The Robinson girls defeated Oakton forthe third time, including a 15-6 victory inthe region final. The Rams finished the sea-

son with a 21-1 record, won their final 15games and captured Conference 5 and 6ANorth region championships along withtheir state title.

Izzy Obregon scored four goals forRobinson. Elli Kluegel, Katie Checkosky andMackenzie Schuler each scored three goals.

Lake Braddock Boys,Girls XC WinState Titles

The Lake Braddock boys’ and girls’ crosscountry teams took home state titles on Nov.13 at Great Meadow.

The boys’ team repeated as state championand finished in the top two for the third straightseason. The Bruins posted a score of 46, wellahead of second-place Madison (106).

Senior Colin Schaefer (fourth, 16:02),junior Conor Lyons (eighth,16:16), seniorSpencer Jolley (11th, 16:24) and seniorCavanaugh McGaw (14th, 16:26) eachearned individual all-state honors for theBruins.

The girls’ team won its first state title since2012 and finished in the top two for thesecond straight year. The Bruins finishedwith a score of 44, knocking off two-timedefending state champion Oakton (76).

Lake Braddock junior Kate Murphy wonthe individual state title with a time of18:20. Sophomore Sarah Daniels (10th,19:07), junior Emily Schiesl (11th, 19:10)and senior Sonya Butseva (14th, 19:19) alsoearned all-state honors for the Bruins.

SoCo Football BeatsLake Braddock in OT

South County and Lake Braddock enteredtheir regular-season matchup on Nov. 6 asthe last two undefeated football teams re-maining in the 6A North region.

The Bruins built a 27-7 first-half lead on

their home field and appeared to stop theStallions on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yardline. However, an observant play by SouthCounty quarterback DeAndre Clayton re-sulted in a touchdown and the first step ina Stallions comeback.

South County running back DeMarcusRamsey fumbled on the fourth-and-goalcarry and Clayton scooped the ball up andscored a touchdown, cutting the LakeBraddock lead to 13. By the end of the night,South County had overcome a 20-pointdeficit and defeated Lake Braddock 33-30in overtime in both teams’ regular-seasonfinale. The victory wrapped up an unde-feated regular season and the Conference7 championship for the Stallions, who en-tered the postseason as the region’s No. 1seed.

Lake Braddock had won at least a shareof the previous six Conference 7/PatriotDistrict championships.

Ramsey finished the night with 30 car-ries for 157 yards and two touchdowns, in-cluding the game-winning 10-yard touch-down run on the first play of the Stallions’overtime possession.

Top Sports Moments from 2015

Photo by Ed Lull

Lake Braddock junior Kate Murphywon the individual 6A state crosscountry title and helped the Bruinscapture the team championship onNov. 13.

Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

The Robinson girls’ lacrosse team won the program’s first state title in2015, beating Oakton in the 6A state final on June 13.

Photo by Ed Lull

The Lake Braddock boys’ cross country team repeated as state championon Nov. 13.

Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

The Robinson boys’ lacrosse program repeated as 6A state championwith a 10-9 double overtime win over Chantilly on June 13.

Rams lax, Bruins XC win boys,girls state titles


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until his indictment.At his Aug. 19 arraignment, the trial

date for Torres was set for Dec. 14, how-ever a recent extension was granted tothe defense, pushing the trial back toApril 2016.

Bruce Waggoner, President of theSpringfield Civic Association, said thework of the Police Department is admi-rable for the most part, as are the effortsof the Ad Hoc commission. But the han-dling of the Geer incident, he said, “justundermined it all. They’ve got to rebuildthat.”

The case of 37-year-old NatashaMcKenna was another that developed theuse of force dialog. McKenna died whileincarcerated and in the custody of theSheriff ’s Office in February. In Septem-ber, the office released a video ofMcKenna, an African-American womanwho struggled with mental illness, be-ing removed from her holding cell fortransportation to Alexandria police. Asshe resisted multiple deputies, she wasforced to the ground and restrained be-fore receiving four blasts from a deputy’staser.

Local community members and sup-

porters from around the region demon-strated before and during a public forummeeting of the Ad Hoc commission atWalt Whitman Middle School in MountVernon on Sept. 14.

McKenna’s death was attributed to “ex-cited delirium” by the medical examiner’soffice. Commonwealth AttorneyRaymond F. Morrogh stated in a 52-pagereport after he concluded his investiga-tion that it was a “tragic accident” andnone of the deputies had committed acriminal offense.

IN RESPONSE to those results, theFairfax County NAACP staged a rally forMcKenna at the Fairfax County Court-house on Sept. 27.

“Anyone who watched the 48-minutevideo released last week of NatashaMcKenna’s last conscious moments can-not help but be horrified,” Fairfax CountyNAACP President Shirley Ginwright saidin a statement at the time. Ginwright wasalso a member of Bulova’s Ad Hoc com-mission. “Those who have read the 52-page report from Fairfax CountyCommonwealth’s Attorney RaymondMorrogh and his conclusion that it wasa ‘tragic accident’ cannot help but won-der, ‘What video was he watching?’”

A Year In Review

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call 703-778-9416. The deadline is the Friday prior to the nextpaper’s publication. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior to the event.

Ongoing”Vietnam Combat Art.” Through Jan. 25.

Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209 MainSt., Fairfax. The reproductions of studio art includesketches, paintings, and illustrations done by teamsof artists employed by the U.S. Army to record thesoldier experience in Vietnam. Free. 703-385-8414.

Inaugural Workhouse Glass National2015. Through Jan. 17. W-16, Vulcan Gallery,Workhouse Arts Center, 9518 Workhouse Way,Lorton. Join for the family-friendly exhibitions ofglass art and the opening reception on Tuesday,Nov. 10, 6-8 p.m. workhousearts.org, 703-585-2900.

Children’s Theatre: “The Nutcracker.” 1-2:15 p.m. & 3-4:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26. W-3Theatre, Workhouse Arts Center, 9518 WorkhouseWay, Lorton. Presented by Mestey Films Produc-tions. Playwright Vianlix Mestey produces anoriginal re-telling of the favorite holiday story inplay form. Running time 75 minutes with one in-termission, appropriate for all ages. $9-$13.workhousearts.org. 703-585-2900.

Iconic Images from the American CivilWar. Through Dec. 31. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Civil War Interpretive Center at HistoricBlenheim, 3610 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. Theexhibition, Between the States: Photographs of theAmerican Civil War, features a selection of 110 his-torical photographs of the Civil War byphotographers (including renown photographersGeorge Barnard, Mathew Brady, and AlexanderGardner from the George Eastman House Collec-tion in Rochester, N.Y. 703-691-0560.

Cafe Ivrit (Hebrew Cafe). Wednesdays. 8:15-9:15 a.m. Jewish Community Center of NorthernVirginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. Sha-lom (Hello)! Did you always want to converse inHebrew? Join Na’ama each week for conversationalHebrew. You will learn and practice Hebrew in afun and interactive way while learning more about

Israel! Free (we ask that you try to attend regu-larly). RSVP [email protected].

FRIDAY/DEC. 25Fourth Annual Christmas Day “Giving

Back.” 1-5 p.m. Ravensworth Shopping Center,5236 Port Royal Road, Springfield. Join us forcamaraderie, fellowship, munchies andbeverages - as we pack Care Packages for ourDeployed write Care Letters for our Veterans inVeterans Homes and Hospitals and accept, cleangently used or new winter coats for our localhomeless veterans. To participate or volunteergo to www.americasadoptasoldier.org.

J Fest and Movie Screening. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.The Jewish Community Center of NorthernVirginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax.“Yentl” at 3 p.m. Interactive entertainment,arcade games, moon bounces, etc. Plus magician

Benjamin Corey. $20/$16 per family (up to sixpeople). jccnv.org. 703-323-0880.

SATURDAY/DEC. 26Children’s Theatre: “The Nutcracker.” 1-

2:15 p.m. 3-4:15 p.m. W-3 Theatre, WorkhouseArts Center, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton.Presented by Mestey Films Productions. LIVEonstage! Playwright Vianlix Mestey produces anoriginal re-telling of the favorite holiday story inplay form! Running time 75 minutes with oneintermission, appropriate for all ages. $9-$13.workhousearts.org. 703-585-2900.

THURSDAY/DEC. 31Cool Cow Comedy: New Year’s Eve Special

Engagement. 7-8:30 p.m. W-3 Theatre, 9518Workhouse Way, Lorton. Quinn Dahle headlinesa special New Year’s Eve Edition for Cool CowComedy. Quinn is a smart, clean and wittycomic with impeccable timing. Adults. $35-$50.http://www.coolcowcomedy.com/.

New Year’s Eve Party. 9 p.m. W-16, 9518Workhouse Way, Lorton. Ring in Sweet ’16 instyle at the Workhouse New Year’s Eve Party!Your ticket includes admission to the party,heavy hors d’oeuvres, party favors andchampagne to toast the final countdown of2015. Headlining the entertainment will beaward-winning rock-n-rollers, The SixthGeneration, performing live in the McGuireWoods gallery with plenty of room to dance thenight away. $40-$50. workhousearts.org. 703-585-2900.

SATURDAY/JAN. 2”Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast.” 11

a.m. Barnes and Noble Springfield, 6646Loisdale Road, Springfield. Lady Pancake andSir French Toast have a beautiful friendship —until they discover that there’s ONLY ONE DROPof maple syrup left. Activities to follow. 703-971-5383.

WEDNESDAY/JAN. 6Read! Build! Play! 10:30 a.m. Burke Centre

Library, 5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke. Let’s reada story, build with DUPLOs, and play withfriends! Have fun with your little one whilebuilding early literacy skills. Ages 3-5 withcaregiver. 703-249-1520.

THURSDAY/JAN. 7Legos in the Library. 4:30 p.m. Burke Centre

Library, 5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke. LEGOSawait you and your imagination! Bring a friendor make new ones while you build. Age 6-12.703-249-1520.

SATURDAY/JAN. 9”I’ll Never Let You Go” Storytime. 11 a.m.

Barnes and Noble Springfield, 6646 LoisdaleRoad, Springfield. When you love someone, youstand by them no matter what happens. In thismonth’s Picture Book of the Month, I’ll Never Letyou Go, we celebrate the beauty ofunconditional love. 703-971-5383.

Kristen Ford. 9-11 p.m. Dogfish Head Alehouse,13041 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax.Kristen Ford’s indie music fuses folk, reggae,country, and blues with a healthy dose of rockand roll. www.kristenfordmusic.com.

Second Saturday at the Workhouse. 6-9 p.m.9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton. See thehappenings at the Workhouse.www.workhousearts.org. 703-585-2900.

SUNDAY/JAN. 10Historic Cemeteries of Northern Virginia. 2

p.m. Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209Main St., Fairfax. Book talk and signing withlocal historian and author Charles A. Mills, whowill explore the stories of the famous and not-so-famous people buried in local cemeteries.Free. 703-385-8414.

Photo contributed

Magician Ben Covey delights all atthe Jewish Community Center ofNorthern Virginia in Fairfax onFriday, Dec. 25.


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ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/

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News

The Fairfax ChoralSociety Adult

Symphonic Chorusjoined the City of

Fairfax Band onseveral pieces as

part of the “Christ-mas in Fairfax”

program.

Conductor Robert Pouliot (right) leads the City of Fairfax Band in its“Christmas in Fairfax” program on Dec. 19 at Fairfax High School.

A City of Fairfax Bandbrass quintet per-forms prior to the

full band’s programon Dec. 19.

Fairfax Band Premieres NewPiece at Annual Christmas ConcertR

eturning guest host John Lyon mayhave rolled out the same traditionalfolk songs “Santa Claus Express”

and “The Marvelous Toy,” but the City ofFairfax Band balanced the old with the new,premiering “Laudem Nativitatis” by RandolAlan Bass.

Bass was present in the packed FairfaxHigh School auditorium for the band’s free“Christmas in Fairfax” performance on Dec.19. Prior to the premiere, the band per-formed his arrangement of “The Night Be-fore Christmas” with Lyon narrating.

The night’s program also featured severalexcerpts from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nut-cracker” suite, collaboration with the FairfaxChoral Society Adult Symphonic Chorus and“A Christmas Celebration” medley by AlfredReed.

—Tim Peterson

Photos by Tim Peterson

The Connection

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call 703-778-9416. The deadline for submissions is theFriday prior to publication. Dated announce-ments should be submitted at least two weeksprior to the event.

THURSDAYS/DEC. 3-FEB. 3Grief Support Group. 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Clifton Presbyterian Church, 12748 RichardsLane, Clifton. The Clifton PresbyterianChurch is offering to the church andcommunity a Grief Support Group for thosewho have experienced a recent death andloss in their lives. This group will offer a safeand supportive place for participants toexplore ways to walk the journey of grief andto “wrestle” with difficult, and sometimesunanswerable, questions. Dec. 3, 10, 17; Jan.7, 12, 21, 28; Feb. 3. [email protected].

SATURDAY/JAN. 9Sickle Cell Anemia Disease and Trait

Seminar. 12:30 p.m. Fairfax CountyGovernment Center, 12000 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax. Come get the facts and whatyou need to know about the disease and traitfrom guest speaker Barbara Harrison, MS,Certified Genetic Counselor, Howard UniversityCenter for Sickle Cell Disease. Free. RSVP byJan. 5 to [email protected].

THURSDAY/JAN. 14How to Get the Best from Your Cable

Company. 7-8:30 p.m. Kings Park Library,9000 Burke Lake Road, Burke. Having troublewith your cable services? Learn how deal withcable service problems like outages, blurryscreens and frustrating customer service. Learntips to save money, file complaints and makeyour community safer from an expert. Adults.703-978-5600.

FRIDAY/JAN. 22Keeping up with the Kids. Kings Park

Library, 9000 Burke Lake Road, Burke. Learnthe basics with our one-on-one technologyvolunteer about the social networking toolsthat can help you stay in touch with yourkids and grandkids. Adults. 703-978-5600.

TUESDAY/JAN. 26Fairfax 50+ Community Ambassador

Program. 9:30 a.m.-noon. PenninoBuilding, 12011 Government CenterParkways, Suite 206, Fairfax. This volunteerprogram trains members of Fairfax Countycommunity organizations to help link theirfellow members to the county’s services forolder adults and caregivers. Contact MenaNakhla at 703-324-5859 or by email [email protected] byWednesday, Jan. 20.

Bulletin Board

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PUBLIC HEARING FOR TOWN OF CLIFTONPROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SPECIAL USE PERMIT

PUBLIC HEARING OF TOWN OF CLIFTON TOWN COUNCIL

JANUARY 5, 2016

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Clifton Town Council will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 7:30 P.M. at the Town Meeting Hall, 12641 Chapel Road, Clifton, VA 20124 to consider the amendment of the special use permit of the Clifton Café, located at 7144 Main Street, to include an expansion of the use, including, but not limited to, theincrease in number of seats, inside and outside; an increase in parking onsite; expansion of the hours of operation; increase in employees. The application for the proposed amendment to the Clifton Café’s special use permit is available for review and downloading on the Town’s website at www.clifton-va.com and a hard copy may be examined at the Clifton PostOffice, 12644 Chapel Road, Clifton VA, 20124. All interested parties are invited to attend and express their views with re-spect to the requested amendment to the Clifton Café’s special use permit.

PUBLIC HEARING FOR TOWN OF CLIFTONPROPOSED CHANGES TO THE TOWN CODE

JANUARY 5, 2016

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Clifton Town Council and the Town of Clifton Planning Commission will hold a joint Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at the Town Meeting Hall, 12641 Chapel Road, Clifton, VA 20124, directly after the special use permit hearing at 7:30 P.M, to reviewand implement proposed changes to the fee schedule for use permit applications and other items pertaining to the adminis-tration of use permit applications in the Town Code Section 9-10 c. The proposed changes are available for review and downloading on the Town’s website at www.clifton-va.com and a hard copy may be examined at the Clifton Post Office, 12644 Chapel Road, Clifton VA, 20124. All interested parties areinvited to attend and express their views with respect to the proposed changes to Clifton’s Town Code.


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➣ Virus Removal

➣ Computer Setup➣ Help with Windows 8

571-265-2038

HDICOMPUTER SOLUTIONS

[email protected]

101 Computers 101 Computers


ALEXANDRIATOYOTA

POTOMACRIVER

703-684-0700 | ALEXANDRIATOYOTA.COM

ServiceCentersKeep Your Toyota

a ToyotaLet’s Go Places

TOYOTALIFETIME GUARANTEE

Mufflers•Exhaust Pipes•Shocks•StrutsToyota mufflers, exhaust pipes, shocks, strutsand strut cartridges are guaranteed to theoriginal purchaser for the life of the vehiclewhen installed by an authorized Toyota dealer.See us for full details.

ToyotaOwnersOnline.com

29 YEARS OFRECEIVING

THISHONOR

1 OF 4DEALERSHIPS

IN THE NATIONTO RECEIVE THIS HONOR

New RAV4s, PriusesScion IMs and IAs

PRE-WINTERSAVINGS

ALL ON SALELIKE NEVER BEFOREFall is here and so are the SAVINGS!

Ask one of our sales managers,George, Mike, Yared or Rocky

703-684-0700WE ARE HERE

TO MAKE DEALS!

You Have Saturdays OffThat’s Exactly Why We Don’t!

Make your next service appointment at:

alexandriatoyota.com

ALEXANDRIATOYOTA

ALEXANDRIATOYOTA

ALEXANDRIATOYOTA

ALEXANDRIATOYOTA

ALEXANDRIATOYOTA

ALEXANDRIATOYOTA

3750 Jefferson Davis Hwy.Alexandria, VA 22305

703-684-0710www.alexandriatoyota.com











NEW! Extended Service Department Hours:Monday – Friday, 7 am to 9 pm

Saturday, 8 am to 5 pmSunday, 10 am to 4 pm

Sunday by appointment only.
















Documents

Burke - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/2015/1… · 21/12/2015 · Award-Winning Award- ... (D-41): “Several of my legis-lative priorities