Great Falls Langley, Cooper Orchestras Share the Spotlightconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/... · 2014. 3. 18. · online at Falls Connection March 19-25,

Great Falls Connection ❖ March 19-25, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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Great FallsGreat Falls Langley, CooperOrchestras

Share theSpotlight

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Great Falls LiteraryTalent on DisplayNews, Page 10

Great Falls CitizensAssociation TalksTicks and TrailsNews, Page 3

Conductor Bo-Min Son leads theCooper Symphonic Orchestra indel Borgo’s ‘Arlington Sketches’in joint performance with LangleyHigh Orchestra.

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2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ March 19-25, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Great Falls Connection ❖ March 19-25, 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

By Quan Pham

Senior/Langley High

On the evening ofMarch 13, theLangley High School

Orchestra and Cooper MiddleSchool Orchestra shared thestage in the annual Pyramidconcert. Before the

concert, a dinner was held towelcome the Middle School stu-dents and give them a chanceto mingle with the older musi-cians.

The concert featured sevendifferent orchestras; three fromCooper and four from Langley,and each orchestra was led byeither Cooper MS conductor,Ms. Bo-Min Son, or Langley HSconductor Dr. Scott McCormick.Langley’s Freshman Orchestra

opened the concert with twopieces by Shostakovich andGilière.

The freshmen were followedby the Cooper ConcertOrchestra’s performance of“Conquistador!” The concertcontinued with Langley andCooper Orchestras switchingbetween orchestras and per-forming a variety of musicalthemes. The Langley

Sophomore Orchestra per-formed “Point Lookout” byBrian Balmages, which captures

the songs and scenery duringthe Civil War. Cooper Sym-phonic Orchestra treated theaudience to “ArlingtonSketches” by Elliot del Borgo.The Langley SymphonicOrchestra’s performance of“Carmen Suite” by GeorgesBizet changed the atmosphereof the auditorium into an op-era house. Cooper’s ChamberOrchestra played “Iditarod”

by Soon Hee Newbold towrap up the selections fromCooper. There were Interludeperformances on the piano byLyric Yu and Theron Masters,which captivated the audience.The last piece of the eveningwas “Tema Russo” from “Ser-enade for Strings” by Pyotr I.Tchaikovsky, performed by thetop musicians of Langley com-bining the Philharmonic Or-chestra and the Chamber Or-chestra.

The Pyramid Concerts are atime for Cooper and Langleystudents to unite and play forone community. It is also anopportunity to inspire youngermusicians to continue playingand join these organizations.David Cramer (father of

senior violinist AlexandraCramer) said, “It was a wonder-ful concert and ran verysmoothly.”

Langley, Cooper Orches-tras Share the Spotlight

Photos by Chi Pham

Langley HS Orchestra freshmen students pose for thecamera after a fantastic performance in the PyramidPride Concert.From left: Violist Katherine Quion,violinists Su Yeon Yoo, Jackie Fraley, and SadafSizdahkhani.

Cooper Cham-ber Orchestra’sJames Rau(left) and BellaValcourt holddown the cellosection fortheir entireorchestra.

News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Braving frigid gusts of wind that left someof them without power at home, residentscame out in force for the Great Falls Citi-zens Association (GFCA) Town Hall Meet-

ing on the night of Wednesday, March 12. The agendaconsisted of only two topics – “Deer Management”and the future of “Trails, Paths and Sidewalks” inthe village, but there was enough material and dis-cussion to fill the 3 hours allotted.

Bill Canis, Vice President of the GFCA as well asCo-Chair of its Environment, Parks and Trails Com-mittee, was the evening’s facilitator, introducing atrio of expert speakers during the portion of the pro-gram related to the increasing deer population andtheir impact on the environment, personal health andvehicular safety. Before yielding the floor, Canis in-formed the audience that the Deer Management topicwould be addressed in two parts, starting with thismeeting, and continuing at the association’s nextmeeting on April 8. He also urged them to partici-pate by taking an online survey on the topic atwww.surveymonkey.com/s/FOREST2TH, or by a linkon their website at www/GFCA.org.

Jim McGlone, an Urban Forest Conservationist withthe Virginia Department of Forestry, was the first totake the podium, and gave a comprehensive over-view of the structure of a forest, and what it shouldlook like if it is healthy, in balance, and sustainablefor the future. Citing a long term study of the MasonNeck State Park in Lorton, which has similar charac-teristics to the local forests, McGlone demonstratedhow the deer population explosion, due to the lackof what he termed an “apex predator” to naturallycontrol their numbers, was gradually destroying thelower layers of the forests. “And my backyard,” com-mented an attendee to some laughs and a lot of head-nodding in agreement. By devouring the lower lev-els of the forest, “that starts to affect other forestconsumers like songbirds and small mammals,” saidMcGlone. “Then there are fewer birds to eat the in-sects and you start to see more insect-borne disease.”He also spoke to issues of storm water managementand air quality when the young trees and shrubs and

grasses of the lower forest are wiped out. Possiblythe worst effect of all, “they are eating the futureforest,” he added. “There is nothing left to continuethe growth of the forest.”

NEXT UP was Josh Smith, an environmental healthspecialist and biologist with Fairfax County Dept. ofHealth, who took the audience through the lifecycleof a tick, specifically the “black-legged” or “deer tick,”the culprit that can carry Lyme disease with its bite.“Deer are the hosts, but not the carriers,” explainedSmith. “This is the time of year when the ticks arehatching, and many people get infected at the earli-est stage in the tick’s lifecycle because it is so smalland hard to spot. Most cases of Lyme disease arereported between April and July, “but remember,”he warned, “any nice day can bring out ticks. We’veseen them active between Christmas and New Year’sDay, just because the temperatures spiked a bit higherthan normal for that time of year.” In 2013, 202 casesof Lyme disease were reported in Fairfax County; 20cases of Spotted Fever and 10 of Anaplasmosis werealso reported last year.

Smith provided a number of practical approachesto prevent becoming a victim of Lyme disease, “someof which you won’t like, like wearing long sleevesand long pants and tucking those pants into boots.Not the most comfortable summer outfit!” he joked.“But at least always take a shower when you comeindoors, and do a complete tick check. Get a friend,spouse, whomever to help check those spots it’s hardfor you to see. If you find one, or more than one,remove it and for your health’s sake, have it identi-fied.” Fairfax County Health Department at 10777Main Street in Fairfax will identify ticks at no charge.A video, showing close up the most effective way toremove a tick –“always use tweezers and prop thebody of the tick up before you pull up and away,” –was shown to some groans from the viewers.

Several audience members asked about chemicaltreatment against ticks. “Treatments that containDEET are the only ones that repel ticks,” respondedSmith. “But read those labels and follow them care-fully,” he cautioned. “And be aware, many broad-spec

Great Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

Town Hall Meeting addresses ‘Deer Management’ andthe future of ‘Trails, Paths and Sidewalks’ in the village.

Great Falls Citizens AssociationTalks Ticks and Trails

Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection

See Town Hall, Page 4

Great Falls Citizens Asso-ciation Vice President BillCanis runs the Town HallMeeting. His panel ofexpert speakers on topicsrelated to deer manage-ment were Jim McGlonewith the Virginia Dept. ofForestry, Josh Smith withFairfax County Dept. ofHealth, and Virginia StateTrooper Hendrick.


From Page 3

News

trum insecticides will kill all other insects,not just the ticks, and could effect othersmall mammals, as well.” Smith also rec-ommended clothing treated withPermethrin.

The final guest speaker on the topic ofthe deer and human relationship was StateTrooper Hendrick, who showed a video thatdemonstrated how deer see cars. “There’sa reason for the saying ‘a deer in the head-lights look.’ Deer are actually blinded byheadlights because of their exceptionalnight vision,”said TrooperHendrick. “Theirpupils are thatlarge. And theysee a car comingstraight at themas a stationaryobject.” Hendrickstated that in2013, of the11,685 report-able car crashesin Fairfax County,only 83 weredeer crashes.“But that number does not reflect incidentsthat were not classified as ‘reportable’ orthat were not reported to law enforcementin the first place,” he noted. If a deer is killedduring a collision, or if someone notices adead deer, Hendrick advised that they callthe Virginia Department of Transportation,the authority charged with the removal ofdead deer on the roadways.

THE SECOND PORTION of the evening’sprogram was a presentation by RobertMobley, a resident of Great Falls since 1973,and an architect who has been practicing

in the village since 1979. Mobley has spentcountless time and energy researching andreviewing the current state of paths, side-walks and trails and came before the as-sembly with suggestions and recommenda-tions to make Great Falls more walkable andconnected. His vision includes soft roadsthat would connect neighborhoods to eachother and to area parks, with hard surfaceroads connecting to the village center andbeyond to the new paths being constructedalong Rte. 7 that would then connect toReston, the Washington and Old DominionTrail and to the new Metro Station at Wiehle

Avenue. For thehard surfaceroads, Mobleysays “porous as-phalt would bethe best.” Despitethe fact that it ismore expensiveat installation, itrequires lessmaintenance andre-surfacing, andcan be partlymade from re-cycled materials.“Reston says they

haven’t re-surfaced in twenty-five years,whereas stone dust roads really need to bere-done twice a year in order to be prop-erly maintained.”

More on Mobley’s approach to connect-ing Great Falls via trails, paths and side-walks, and more detail from the speakers’presentations is available on the GFCAwebsite at www.gfca.org. The Great FallsCitizens Association fiscal year is comingto a close and they are offering discountedmemberships for the rest of this year, andreminding residents they purchase member-ship online at their website.

Town Hall Meeting TalksTicks and Trails

Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection

Fairfax County Department ofHealth environmental healthspecialist Joshua Smith speaks tothe Great Falls Citizens AssociationTown Hall Meeting. Smith offeredsuggestions on how to prevent tickbites and how to safely remove theinsects.

Architect Robert Mobley, AIA, is along term resident of Great Falls.At the Citizens Association TownHall Meeting, Mobley gave a com-prehensive presentation thatdiscussed the history of trails,paths and sidewalks in the villageand surrounding area, and madeseveral recommendations onmaking Great Falls “morewalkable, more connected, andmore accessible.”

“This is the time of yearwhen the ticks are hatching,and many people get infectedat the earliest stage in thetick’s lifecycle because it isso small and hard to spot.”

— Josh Smith, an environmental healthspecialist and biologist


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Windstorm Hits Great FallsThis large tree came down across Beach Mill at Falcon Ridgesubdivision during last Tuesday night’s (March 11) windstormcausing power outages for the surrounding neighborhoods.Beach Mill was closed until late into the night.

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St. Patrick’s Snow Day in Great FallsEnjoying a St. Patrick’s Day Snow Day, from left: Averyand Lexie Perez, Allie Wakeman; Front: CaitlynShumadine.

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Opinion

Northern Virginia is a place ofwonder and plenty. So says theNew York Times this past weekin, “Income Gap Meet the Lon-

gevity Gap,” (March 15, 2014).Fairfax County is cited as place whose resi-

dents “are among the longest-lived in the coun-try,” and compared to McDowell County, W.Va.,where residents have one of the shortest lifeexpectancies. In Fairfax, “men have an aver-age life expectancy of 82 years and women,85, about the same as in Sweden. In McDowell,the averages are 64 and 73, about the same asin Iraq.”

If you are reading this, chances are that theConnection was delivered to your single fam-ily home in an affluent neighborhood. In fact,many of us do live in the Northern Virginiadescribed in the New York Times. All it takesis money.

“In Fairfax, there are ample doctors, hospi-

tals, recreation centers, shops, restaurants,grocery stores, nursing homes and day carecenters, with public and private entities pro-viding cradle-to-grave services to prosperouscommunities.”

But here is where the crack in the wall ap-pears: “The jobs tend to be good jobs, provid-ing health insurance and pensions, even if thereis a growing low-wage work force of healthaides, janitors, fast-food workers and the like.”

In Fairfax County Public Schools, more than49,000 of the 185,000 students are poorenough to qualify for subsidized or free meals.In Fairfax County, more than 100,000 peoplelack health insurance, including 35,000 whocould be covered now at no cost to themselvesor the state if they lived in West Virginia be-cause West Virginia has embraced the expan-sion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act,so its poorest residents do have access to healthcare. Not so in Virginia.

In Northern Virginia, we have our own in-come gap, and likely our own longevity gap.In Northern Virginia, we have a health carecrisis. In Northern Virginia, we do have an af-fordable housing crisis.

Tens of thousands of working poor peoplein Northern Virginia, families with at least onefull time job, cannot afford to rent an apart-ment. Earnings of at least $1,100 a week wouldbe required to afford market rate rent in FairfaxCounty according to the Northern Virginia Af-fordable Housing Alliance. But the county’s50,000 retail workers, for example, averageabout $635 a week according to the VirginiaEmployment Commission. The county’s40,000-plus food service workers average $415a week. Even the county’s 38,000 local gov-ernment employees average $950 weekly, astretch in this area.

To read the story in the New York Times, goto www.NYTimes.com and search “incomegap.”

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Income Gap Alive and WellStatistics make life in the area sound idyllic,but many families are left out in the land of plenty.

GFCAAppeals forGreater CitizensInvolvementTo the Editor:

In recent weeks several lettershave raised questions about theconstruction of the Walker Road“Diet Plan,” which is reshaping theroad between Great Falls’ twoshopping areas. While the con-struction has been disruptive,Great Falls Citizens Association(GFCA), Fairfax County

and the Virginia Department ofTransportation (VDOT) believethat when work is completed, thechanges will improve safety forcars and pedestrians and improvethe appearance of the village com-mercial area.

Previously, five lanes of trafficmade crossing Walker Road haz-ardous for pedestrians and bicy-clists.

This current plan was precededby a 1999 traffic calming studythat found speeding in that stretchof roadway was a chronic problem.The study led to the recommen-dation to reduce the speed and putin a crosswalk. The current DietPlan followed on this 1999 planand was actively shaped duringthe years 2006-2011 by publicmeetings of residents and theGreat Falls Business and Profes-sional Association

(BPA) and was a fact-based pro-

cess. The former owner of GreatFalls Hardware, who was amongthe first businessmen to supportthe Diet Plan, said his only regretwas that the project didn’t comesoon enough to save his business.The vast majority of BPA membersagreed it would make the down-town area more pedestrian-friendly. No less than seven ar-ticles, some that included designproposals, were published in theConnection and other local papersand after consideration of severaloptions, a final design was chosenby Fairfax DOT and approved byVDOT.

While not everyone will agreeon the Diet Plan or other civic is-sues, GFCA encourages and seeksparticipation by all, with the con-viction that broad citizen partici-pation will lead to a better com-munity. The Walker Road Diet Planwas discussed publicly at monthlyGFCA meetings, repeatedly inGFCA newsletters, on the GFCAwebsite (www.gfca.org) and inConnection articles over manyyears. GFCA’s commitment to citi-zen involvement is demonstratedby 3 recent community surveys –on the Exxon Groundwater Con-tamination, on Transportation &Paths, and now on Forest & DeerManagement. The latter is justlaunched and residents are en-couraged to visit our website toregister their opinions.

Those that send letters that com-plain about lack of public noticewould do better to attend GFCAmeetings at the Grange on the sec-

ond Tuesday of every month – ourmeetings are open to all. Thewww.gfca.org website

provides details for each TownHall meeting. Both GFCA and TheConnection try to inform the pub-lic as to community issues. So resi-dents can weigh in when subjectsare being discussed and plans arebeing laid. Complaining afterprojects have been approved bycounty and state governments isnot as constructive as participat-ing in their formulation. We en-courage the community and thereporters to attend GFCA meetingsand hearings, visit the Web siteand read the paper, voice theiropinions, and play a role in creat-ing solutions.

Our little village sits on the edgeof Tysons, the fastest growing ur-ban area in Virginia. Over the nextfew years, many developmentchallenges will face our semi-ru-ral area. Route 7 and Silver Linetransportation projects are amongthem. Only the active participationof all parties, the citizens, theGFCA and the paper to serve ourresidents can provide the best forour community. GFCA asks all in-terested Great Falls citizens tocome to our meetings and join ourcommittees. No other organizationin Great Falls is looked to more bypublic officials, or has as muchinfluence in shaping local initia-tives, so we ask all Great Falls citi-zens to join us in this cause.

Eric KnudsenGFCA President

CommendingElection OfficialsDuring SunshineWeekTo the Editor:

During this year’s SunshineWeek, the League of Women Vot-ers of the Fairfax Area salutes theFairfax County Electoral Board,General Registrar and employeesof the Fairfax County Office ofElections for their transparencyand willingness to share informa-tion with the public in the follow-up to the 2013 general election.

Their handling of the electionreporting, canvass, provisionalballot determinations and re-counts in the races for VirginiaAttorney General and 33rd DistrictSenate seats exemplified the bestprinciples of open government.The Office of Elections frequentlypublished updates on election re-porting problems and the ex-tended provisional ballot determi-nation process, later on providingdetails about the progress of therecounts, all the while describingthe safeguards in place to protectthe integrity of the ballot.

That integrity is essential for oursystem of government to work.

This is why during SunshineWeek we commend the FairfaxCounty Office of Elections for shar-ing important voting results and

Letters to the Editor

See Letters, Page 7

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Call: 703-778-9410e-mail:

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IncorrectAssertionTo the Editor:

In a letter [“A ManufacturedCrisis,” Connection, March 12,2014] Jack Kenny states thatthe ObamaCare Medical De-vices tax applies to fishing polesand tires, and that “the Depart-ment of Health and Human Ser-vices has asked retailers to notshow the tax on your sales re-ceipt.”

I found this rather hard to be-lieve and, as I do with many

emails I receive regarding suppos-edly outrageous governmental ac-tions, I did an Internet search. Sureenough, according to many fact—checking websites, this incorrectassertion has been making therounds for over a year. Briefly sum-marizing, the Affordable Care Actimposes a 2.3 percent tax onmanufacturers and importers ofcertain medical devices, but it doesnot apply to fishing poles or tires.It appears this misunderstandingoriginated due to a mistake in soft-ware used by Cabela’s, a seller ofhunting, fishing and outdoor gear.

According to the Star-Herald, aNebraska newspaper (Cabela’sheadquarters are in Nebraska), onJan. 1, 2013, “A companywideglitch in Cabela’s cash register sys-tem that added a 2.3 percent‘Medical Excise Tax’ to customers’purchases — everything fromboots to bullets — was an errorand will be refunded, a companyspokesman said Monday.”

http://www.starherald.com/news/ loca l_news/cabe la - s -blames-glitch-for-jan-tax-error-p r o m i s e s - r e f u n d s /article_9ba2f422-5a0d-11e2-

b22a-0019bb2963f4.htmlUnfortunately, a copy of one

of the receipts showing the taxwas posted on the Internet andthe fun began.

I should note there are manu-facturers taxes on a variety ofitems, including fishing polesand tires (IRS Publication 510;www.irs.gov/publications/p510/ch05.html), but they arenot related to the AffordableCare Act.

Fred SiskindMcLean

From Page 6

Letters

information with the residents ofFairfax County, detailing exactlyhow their votes in these importantelections were counted and pro-tected.

Jones and Helen Kelly,Co-Presidents

League of Women Voters of theFairfax Area

Saying ‘No’ WithNo AlternativeTo the Editor:

Thank you for your considerateopinion that a vote against Med-icaid expansion is a vote againstVirginia. This opinion unfortu-nately gets little attention in thedebate.

Those opposed to health care forthe working poor in Virginia alsoopposed an increase in the mini-mum wage, which has not beenincreased at the Federal level since2009.

And there is no logic to theirreasoning why they oppose an ex-pansion in health care coverage foras many as 400,000 Virginians.Nor do they offer an acceptablealternative.

Bruce NeilsonFairfax

Not Cute at AllTo the Editor:

There you go again, Mary, spot-ting that “free” federal money[“Voting against Virginia?” – Con-nection, March 12-18, 2014].Don’t you realize that many, if notmost, of your readers see throughyour flowery attempts to sell animaginary utopia? I mean, it usedto be cute to read your “pie in thesky” collectivist fantasies whenone could assume that your “in-tentions were good.” But thatsame old intellectually deficient,emotional appeal doesn’t manageto pass the sniff test anymore. Itisn’t cute at all, but rather sad; forthose that unknowingly read yourpredictable, shortsighted andpoorly vetted “opinion” with thehope that there is a feasible, sus-tainable solution to be found inthere somewhere. But also ratherinsulting; that you do not realizethat most of your readers are notso gullible. At least the Connec-tion is “free;” even if federalmoney isn’t.

Brent EmoryVienna

8 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ March 19-25, 2014 Great Falls Connection ❖ March 19-25, 2014 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Send announcements [email protected] is Friday for the followingweek’s paper. Photos/artwork encour-aged.

TUESDAY/MARCH 18-SATURDAY/MARCH 29Great Escapes. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tues.-

Sat. Vienna Art Center, 115 PleasantSt., NW, Vienna. Dozens of originalartworks by artists throughout theregion inspired by travel at home andabroad. Free. 703-319-3971.www.ViennaArtsSociety.org

THURSDAY/MARCH 20William Bird at the Great Falls

Library. Noon to 1:30 p.m., GreatFalls Public Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls.The Great FallsWriter’s Group will host William Bird,curator of the Division of PoliticalHistory at the National Museum ofAmerican History at the Smithsonian,for a light luncheon and forum. 703-757-8560.

Tom Principato Band. 8 p.m., TheBarns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road,Vienna. The Tom Principato Bandfeatures everything from harmonica-heavy rock to reggae and funk infusedtracks, as well as a locally inspiredinstrumental song, “22042 FallsChurch, Virginia.” $25.1.877.WOLFTRAP or wolftrap.org.

SATURDAY/MARCH 22Celebrate the Cherry Blossom

Festival. 1-3 p.m. Colvin Run Mill,10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.Taste the many styles beyond what isused in the Japanese tea ceremony inthis fascinating tasting. Shade grown,roasted, twig style, are just a fewexamples. Experience Japanese teas

and tea treats beyond the traditionaland take home tea samples includinga Cherry Blossom Blend. Advancereservations and payment ($30 each)required through the Mill at 703-759-2771.

Superman 2050. 8 p.m. The Alden,1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean. Thestory is set in a fictional 2050

metropolis (with a remarkableresemblance to Chicago). The show’simaginative, resourceful castmembers, using only their bodies andvoices, create every prop, scene,sound effect and character in a battlebetween Superman and Lex Luthorfor the future of the Midwest’sbeloved high-speed rail network.

Purchase tickets atwww.aldentheatre.org.

SUNDAY/MARCH 23Jump for Joy! 2-4 p.m. Providence

Baptist Church, 8980 Brook Road,McLean. A community event forelementary age children. Pre-schoolchildren accompanied by parents are

also welcome. The event will involvegiant inflatables, the ProvidenceHouse of Bounce, inside their gym.

Music from Oberlin at Oakton. 7:30p.m. 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Music from Oberlin at Oakton hostscurrent Oberlin Conservatory studentsthree times a year to provide top-notch music to the local community.In its 14th season, this program willfeature two pianists, a violinist,clarinetist, and a bassoonist. Freeadmission. 703-281-4230.

MONDAY/MARCH 24It’s a Jungle Out There. 1 p.m.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church on 2589Chain Bridge Road, Vienna. Free andopen to the public. Ayr Hill GardenClub will feature “Boka Joe” on howto grow a tropical garden in a non-tropical climate. Joe Seamone, amanagement consultant andhorticultural with McFall & BerryLandscape Management, will detailhow to create, grow and over-winteryour own piece of paradise. He willreveal which plants are best and mostdramatic, and show pictures of someamazing gardens in the Washington,D.C. area. If interested, contact CherieLejeune at [email protected] sothe Club can adjust refreshments andseating.

TUESDAY/MARCH 25Annual Children’s Printmaking

Workshop. 4-5 p.m. Patrick HenryLibrary, 101 Maple Ave. E, Vienna. Adozen members of the Vienna ArtsSociety will assist children ages 7 - 12as they create original prints, toinclude printing a fish, making reliefprints and mono-prints, etc. Free.Registration required by contactingthe Children’s Librarian at 703-938-

0405.

FRIDAY/MARCH 28- SUNDAY/APRIL 20“The Cripple of Inishmaan” Fridays

at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7p.m. 1st Stage in Tysons, 1524 SpringHill Road, Tysons Corner. Excitementripples through the sleepy Irishcommunity of Inishmaan abuzz withthe news that a Hollywood filmmakerplans to shoot a movie on aneighboring island. When youngCripple Billy lands a screen test, theoddball citizens of Inishmaan mount aheartbreakingly hilarious campaignbursting with dark humor andtouching devotion. Generaladmission: $27. Seniors $22. Studentsand Military $15. Purchase online atwww.1ststagetysons.org or 703-854-1856.

SATURDAY/MARCH 29Great Falls the World Hub of

Innovation & Invention. 1-3 p.m.Great Falls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Students, hobbyists,and academics from around the worldare competing and collaborating indevelopment small robotic aircraft tohelp protect endangered speciesincluding rhinos, elephants, and snowleopards. Using computer aideddesign, 3D printing and simplearduino-based robotics kits, the teamsare able to create unmanned aerialvehicles that are optimized for themission, exceeding the performanceof aircraft that cost thousands oftimes more.

SUNDAY/MARCH 30“Capitol Steps” at James Madison

High School. 4 p.m., James

Madison High School, 2500 JamesMadison Dr, Vienna. Capitol Steps,the quick witted multi-facetedcongressional staffers, will beperforming their popular fast-pacedmusical political satire live. [email protected].

ONGOINGStraight Ahead Jazz. 8 p.m., at the

Maplewood Grill, 132 Branch Road,Vienna. Every Monday drummer KarlAnthony hosts a night of straightahead jazz featuring guest musiciansand open to sit-in musicians.www.maplewoodgrill.com.

Personalized ebook/e-ReaderInstruction. Dolley MadisonLibrary, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave.,McLean. Learn about your e-readerand downloading eBooks; eventcontinues through March 31.

Calendar

Catch your favorite superhero in action at McLean’s Alden Theatre on March 22, Super-man 2050.

View “Birches nearKiev,” an oil paintingby Viktoriya Maslova

and more greatescapes at the Vienna

Art Center. The ex-hibit runs through

March 29.


News

By Christina Tyler Weeks

More than a dozen local pub-lished authors are joiningtogether for “An Eveningwith the Authors,” featuring

many genres as the writers discuss with visi-tors how and why they journeyed into writ-ing. The event will be Saturday, April 5,from 7 to 10 p.m., at the Great Falls Libraryand allows authors to sell and sign theirworks.

The event is hosted by the Great FallsWriter’s Group (GFWG), which started lastAugust – the brainchild of former WhiteHouse Director of Media Relations, KristinClark Taylor.

“Until we came together to form the GreatFalls Writer’s Group six short months ago, Idon’t think anyone really recognized thedepth and breadth of the tremendous liter-ary talent we have right here in Great Falls,”Taylor says. “I’m excited about this eventnot only because it recognizes and cel-ebrates our local authors, but because itweaves together our community and ourauthors into one, whole cloth.”

While the event features many of theGFWG members with published works,other GFWG members are learning the pro-cesses of publishing. Fifteen authors willhave their published works for sale andsigning at the event.

ONE OF THE EVENT’S featured authors,Jennifer Abernethy, has helped GFWG mem-bers build a social media presence and tar-get audiences. Abernethy’s book “The Com-plete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Market-ing” uses non-technical language for nov-ices learning how to navigate social mediaand build business.

Great Falls author Clarence Ashley willdiscuss what led him to write about a per-sonal friend for whom he’s named his non-fiction hardcover entitled “CIA SpyMaster,”which details Cold War history and espio-nage.

B.W. DeCaro’s “Grown Men Don’t Cry” isa story of sacrifice, friendship, mortality, and

the will to persevere. The work of fiction isabout how life changes and reshapes us.DeCaro, also of Great Falls, is donating aportion of his book’s proceeds to causessupporting persons who suffer from depres-sion and other anxiety disorders such asObsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) andPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Working as a nurse for more than 20years, author Nancy Hannan of Great Fallsnever intended a writing career, but sheused her experience to help others and thenwrote about her life as a means to help evenmore.

“‘A Way Out’ is a memoir about an abu-sive relationship and offers informationabout how others can protect themselvesphysically, mentally, emotionally, and spiri-tually until they find a way out,” saidHannan. In her second book, “A MotherNever Forgets,” Hannan chronicles her real-life journey as she searched for the daugh-ter she gave up for adoption at birth.

“The ABBA Tradition” is a spiritual bookwritten by Dr. Michael Hattwick, who has amedical practice in Great Falls. In this book,Hattwick shares a topic he has lecturedabout around the world. “It’s a spiritual andmystical tradition that lies deep within usand behind Judaism and Christianity,” heexplains. “Sometimes called the four-worldtradition, this book reminds us that we livein four inter-related realities.”

Susan Smith Blakely offers advice for fe-male lawyers and women seeking law ca-reers. Blakely’s books “Best Friends at theBar: What Women Need to Know About aCareer in the Law” and “Best Friends at theBar: The New Balance for Today’s Woman

Literary Talent on DisplayGreat Falls Writersunite for ‘An EveningWith the Authors.’

Photo contributed

Kristin Clark Taylor

Authors and Works FeaturedJennifer Abernethy, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing”Clarence Ashley, “CIA SpyMaster”Susan Smith Blakely, “Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know About a Career in the Law”

and “Best Friends at the Bar: The New Balance for Today’s Woman Lawyer”Patricia Britz, “Animals Need Zzzz’s, Too”Burrus Carnahan, “Act of Justice: Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the Law of War”Brandon DeCaro, “Grown Men Don’t Cry”Lesley Hackman, “Bearabesque and the Humility Slippers”Nancy Hannan, “A Way Out” and “A Mother Never Forgets”Michael Hattwick, “The ABBA Tradition”Charles Mauro, “A Southern Spy in Northern Virginia; The Civil War Album of Laura Ratcliff,” and

“The Civil War in Fairfax County”Catherine Mathews, “My Family’s Journey”Mindy Mitchell and Ed Land, “Lube of Life: A Tribute to Sex, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness in the

Boomer Age”Sharon Rainey, “Making a Pearl from the Grit of Life”Bill Stamper, “Reality Checks”Kristin Clark Taylor, “The Forever Box”

See Library, Page 13


By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Brightly colored self-por-traits, landscapes dottedwith spring flowers andhand-carved sculptures

fill a gallery at the McLean Projectfor the Arts in McLean. All of theart was created by local schoolchildren. Meanwhile, in Alexan-dria, parents and tots dip their fin-gers in glue, clay and paint to cre-ate collages, sculptures and paint-ings.

“It is a true delight to see par-ents and children making thingstogether in the studio. Joy is foundin the stuff they make — the col-lages, paintings, drawings andsculptures — as well as the moreintangible things we build: rela-tionships, confidence, creativity,persistence and the many ways wemake meaning through art,” saidKathryn Horn Coneway of Art atthe Center in Mount Vernon.

These are just some of the localart activities for children. In fact,Youth Art Month is an annual ob-

servance held each March to em-phasize the value of art and arteducation. This year’s theme is“Start With Art, Learn for Life,”which was chosen by the Councilfor Art Education, a sponsor ofYouth Art Month.

Local art educators are using themonth as an opportunity to em-phasize the importance of art edu-cation and raise awareness aboutthe important life skills it canbuild.

“We believe art is important tostudy for its inherent value, but artalso promotes life skills, includingcreativity, problem solving, deter-mination, concentration, collabo-ration and confidence,” saidSamantha Marques-Mordkofsky,education and outreach managerfor the Arlington Arts Center inArlington. “Regardless of whatfield a child pursues later in life,these skills will translate and heor she will be better rounded be-cause of … art. We also offermultidisciplinary classes like BookIllustration, Amazing Architects &Engineers, and Murals: Big Art,

Big Ideas where students have theopportunity to master technicalskills in art while simultaneouslylearning about other subjects.”

“What our art educators haveknown for many years research is

now confirming,” said BenitaCathey, director of admissions atGrace Episcopal School in Alexan-dria. “Art helps develop criticalthinking and reading skills. Arteducation is vital because it buildsconcentration, motivation andconfidence.”

Jorge Luis Somarriba, artteacher and artist-in-residence atNorwood School in Bethesda,Md., says the school is a commu-nity of artists. “We believe in aprocess-oriented and child-cen-tered philosophy,” he said. “Artnurtures self-confidence throughself-discovery and personal visualexpression. Art education is in-strumental in the holistic devel-opment of a human being: spiri-tual, mental, emotional andphysical. Art making develops theright brain, empowering individu-als to become creative, problem-solvers who may think ‘outsidethe box.’”

Experts said art education alsodevelops self-expression and anappreciation for the work of oth-ers. “Elementary school studentscreate art with such unbridled en-thusiasm for painting, drawing

and creating things,” said DabneyCortina, communications directorfor the McLean Project for the Arts.“I think it’s because they haven’tbeen told that there is anythingwrong with how they create art.Currently going on is our youth artshow featuring Fairfax CountyPublic Schools in the McLean area.It is incredible to look at. You seethe talent they have. It is totallyamazing.”

Stacie Steinke, chair of the ArtsDepartment at The Madeira Schoolin McLean suggests art educationmight not be taken as seriously asother disciplines. “Schools in gen-eral have been responding totrends that you need more scienceand math education and have beenteaching to tests. Not at Madeira,but at some other schools, art edu-cation has diminished,” she said.“We look at arts as a process. Ourstudents learn to work effectivelywith others. Our approach drawson a student’s natural curiosity,ability to perceive art in differentforms and ability to think spatially.They develop cognitive growth, sothey learn to see how parts relateto a whole.”

Experts say art can teach valuable life skills.

Local Art Educators, Galleries Celebrate Youth Art Month

A student at The MadeiraSchool in McLean enjoys artin the school’s art room.

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By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The return of all-state center fielder ChristiGeisler and a group of talented under-classmen have the McLean softball teamthinking state tournament in 2014.

Last season, Geisler helped the Highlanders win20 games and finish Liberty District runner-up.McLean fell one victory shy of advancing to the statetournament. Geisler, who batted over.500 en route to first-team all-district,first-team all-region and second-teamall-state honors, returns for her seniorseason and will be key element inMcLean’s efforts to get to states.

“Christi Geisler, our center fielder,was all-everything last year,” McLeanhead coach Maurice Tawil said. “…I’m expecting that and then some [this season].”

While Geisler provides varsity experience, McLeanwill also receive significant contributions from sometalented younger athletes. Sophomore catcher BellaNorton, who is committed to Indiana University, isone of the team’s best players and will be looked tofor leadership despite being an underclassman.

“She’s just growing. She’s learning a lot,” Tawilsaid. “We’re putting a lot of responsibility on her right

now and she’s handling it very well.”McLean has four freshmen on the roster, including

starting first baseman Zoe Dobson, who hit an over-the-fence home run during a recent scrimmage. KateCovington will see time in the outfield, NicoleWoolridge will see time at first base and catcher, andAbby Prather will see time at first base and in theoutfield.

“Our four freshmen that came in are incredible,”Norton said. “I’m really excited to play everybody.We’re going to be really good this year.”

Can it be tough for a talented freshman to com-pete with older teammates for playing time at thevarsity level?

“There’s definitely something to that if you’re com-ing in as a pretty dominant player[and] have a name,” Norton said.“There’s definitely going to be sometension. [As a freshman], I just kindof went out there and did my thing,just played my own game.”

McLean’s ace pitcher will be juniorleft-hander Maddy Witchey, who sawsome time in the circle last season.

McLean will open the season on the road againstrival Langley at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21. TheHighlanders’ first home game is March 28 againstMarshall.

“We have a nice little team,” Tawil said. “We ex-pect to compete for a conference championship …and we hope to go to the state tournament, as well.”

McLean won the AAA state championship in 2010.

Senior Geisler, sophomoreNorton lead Highlanders.

McLean Softball BlendsExperience, Youth, Talent

Junior left-hander MaddyWitchey enters2014 asMcLean’s No. 1pitcher.

Sports

McLean fresh-man firstbaseman ZoeDobson figuresto be a keycontributorthis season.

“We have a nicelittle team.”

— McLean softballcoach Maurice Tawil

Photos by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

Photo contributed

Playing to Stop Hunger NowGreat Falls and Colvin Run elementary schools par-ticipated in a sixth-grade charity basketball gamethat raised more than $800 for Stop Hunger Now.Colvin Run won 57-52 in overtime. Colvin Run ros-ter: Colin O’Connor; Lucas Gauthier; LukeAddington; Jacob Rose; John Kelly; Rex Kerrigan;Sam Sachtleben; Will Rissing; William Bean; ZacharyCrumes; Zack Baskin; Coach Jim Rose; and CoachRich Gauthier. Great Falls Roster: Andrew Walker;Bradley Carvajal; Cameron Dhillon; Carson Volanth;Cole Walmsley; Ian Walker; Jack Fitzgerald; NateMazich; Pierson White; Sam Maruca; Simon Medina;Tre Vasiliadis; Coach John Fitzgerald; Coach DougWhite; and Coach Todd Walmsley.

The Great Falls Goonies (9-2), the top seeded team in theleague met the third seed teamfrom Vienna (8-3) for the divi-sion 1 fifth grade girls basket-ball FCYBL Select tournamentchampionship. Vienna hadbeaten the Goonies in their onlymatchup during the regularseason. This was a battle of thesmallest versus the tallest teamsin the league. To get to the fi-nals, the Goonies beat ForthHunt 36-18 and SYA 25-16.

The Goonies started the gameby hitting their first shot, butVienna scored the next 6 pointsto take a 4 point lead. TheGoonies went on a 17-2 run totake a 19-8 lead but Vienna fin-

ished the half strong by scoringthe final 3 points to make it 19-11 in favor of the Goonies.Vienna also started strong in thesecond half by outscoring theGoonies 10-2 to tie the game at21. From there, the two teamsexchanged the lead severaltimes before the Goonies pulledahead for good with 6 minutesto go and won by a final scoreof 45-40 in a well played gameby both teams, finishing theyear with a 12-2 record. OmaMere from the Goonies wasnamed tournament Most Valu-able Player. The Goonies alsoplaced two players on the AllLeague team, Megan Baxterand Isabella Perkins.

Great Falls Girls Win D1 Tournament

Photo contributed

Shown holding their first place regular season andtournament championship trophies, first row: AllieWakeman, Caitlyn Shumadine, Megan Baxter,Isabella Perkins, Lynley Birchard, AnnabethHolsinger. Second row: Devran Johnson, FionaBarber, Oma Mere, Dani Grieco. Third row: assistantcoach Mark Baxter and head coach Phil McConnell.


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News

Lawyer” cover such topics as low retentionrates for female lawyers, defining success,and work-life challenges – subjects thisGreat Falls lawyer and writer addresses atuniversities and conferences throughout thecountry.

Another legal-minded writer mixes hisprofession with history. In addition to lec-turing about law at George WashingtonUniversity and working with the U.S. De-partment of State, Vienna’s Burrus M.Carnahan is an expert about the life ofAbraham Lincoln. Carnahan joins the“Evening with the Authors” with one of hisbooks, “Act of Justice: Lincoln’s Emancipa-tion Proclamation and the Law of War.”

LOCAL HISTORIAN Charles V. Maurotakes readers on historic journeys through-out Fairfax and Loudoun counties. InMauro’s book, “A Southern Spy in North-ern Virginia; The Civil War Album of LauraRatcliffe,” Mauro brings to life secret eventsof a community once known as Frying Pan,now called Herndon. Mauro’s historic jour-neys include his books “The Civil War inFairfax County,” “The Battle of Chantilly,”and “Mosby’s Combat Operations in FairfaxCounty.” Mauro’s also compiled historiesup to the present in “Herndon: A History inImages,” and “Herndon: “A Town and ItsHistory.”

Revisiting her life during the Great De-pression, witnessing World War II from thehome front, joining the Foreign Service, andplaying a role in America’s post-World WarII expansion, Catherine Mathews of GreatFalls penned her memoirs, “My Family’sJourney.” “I wrote the book to tell my grand-children how life was different than whatthey are experiencing.” Mathews, who is 70years older than her first grandchild, said.“By the time they are ready to ask ques-tions, I may be unable to answer.”

Family history, love, and the enduringbonds of family and friendship are the cen-tral themes in “The Forever Box,” the fourthbook published by former journalist and

GFWG founder Kristin Clark Taylor, whoembraces the importance of memories. ForTaylor, cherished childhood items such as aperfume bottle and a church hat are me-mentos that still hold meaning in her lifetoday.

In “Making a Pearl from the Grit of Life,”

Sharon Rainey of Great Falls hopes to in-spire readers to gain inner strength andhappiness through hard-won lessons. SaysRainey, “We learn how to see life from anew, higher perspective, by living in thesolution instead of the problem – whilepracticing the compassion for people who

err.”Authors Mindy Mitchell and Ed Land

share their personal story of searching forlove in mid-life and online dating. “Lube ofLife: A Tribute to Sex, Love and the Pursuitof Happiness in the Boomer Age” remindsreaders that age is just a number. Mitchellsays, “Lube of Life is the emotional, physi-cal, and spiritual juice that keeps us young,excited and open to possibilities.”

Completing his first novel was BillStamper’s life-long dream. Stamper’s fictionaction thriller “Reality Checks” is about acrime’s witness whose circumstances makehim appear as a perpetrator. Narrow escapesand grim reality then ensue.

While the event itself is intended foradults, children’s books will be featured,too.

Vienna author Patricia Britz’s non-fictionbook “Animals Need Zzzz’s, Too” teacheschildren the importance of sleep and howmany animals adapt their sleeping habitsto their environment for survival. The bookincludes tips to help parents establishhealthy sleep habits for children, too.

Lesley Hackman will talk about and signa book she co-authored with Lin Story called“Bearabesque and the Humility Slippers,”an inspirational book about a bear inUkraine who follows her dream to becomea famous ballerina – a feat the bear learnsrequires more than talent, but also forgive-ness, kindness, generosity, honor, patience,and humility.

The fifteen authors participating in “AnEvening with Our Authors” represent ahealthy cross-section of local talent, butTaylor is certain there are more out there:“It’s about time we celebrated the talent ofour literary artists. We’re our own best-keptsecret, and we shouldn’t be!” said Taylor.

In addition to the conversation, harpistMelissa Tardiff Dvordak is performing softsounds for the evening. Among the event’ssponsors are Catering by Anna, providingthe evening’s edibles; SunDesign, a remod-eling and construction design firm based inMcLean; Kate Holland, and Joe and MollyReynolds.

Great Falls Library to Host Writers for ‘An EveningWith the Authors’From Page 10

JenniferAbernethy’s TheComplete Idiot’sGuide to SocialMedia Market-ing” Book Cover

Susan SmithBlakely, Author

Bill Stamper,Author

Sharon Rainey,Author

Ed Land, AuthorMindy Mitchell,Author

CatherineMathews, Au-thor

Charles V.Mauro

Burrus M.CarnahanB. W. DeCaroNancy Hannan Patricia Britz

Photos contributed


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EmploymentEmployment

MUST LOVE CATSVolunteers needed for cat caretaker shifts with

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation at 7 Corners/Falls Church, Tysons Corner, Reston or Leesburg PetSmart locations. Morning, mid-day or evening shifts available, need varies by location. Shifts are generally 60-90 minutes,

training provided. Great opportunity for student service hours. Also opportunities for

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P/T Customer ServiceSelf Storage Plus in Arlington seeks

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incentives. E-mail resume to [email protected]

Sr. Software Architect (Master’s with 3 yrs exp or Bachelor’s with 5 yrs exp;

Major: CS, Engg, Math or equiv.; other suitable qualifications acceptable) – Great Falls, VA. Job entails working with and re-quires experience including: Java, Oracle,

Weblogic, Web Services, XML Beans, JMS, Apache, Java Security API, Perl,

GWT, EJB, Open Adaptor, Spring MVC, Axis, Workflows and Callflows. Must have designing and developing experience. Re-location and travel to unanticipated loca-tions within USA possible. Send resumes

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I felt a bit of a dope this week when,after reading last week’s column,“Whew!”, multiple friends called toinquire specifically as to the “Tony-the-Tiger Great” news I wrote that I receivedfrom my oncologist, and I couldn’tanswer them in any detail: shrinkage,less fluid, “partial stable remission”?Nothing. And though I tried to get myoncologist to explain to me exactly whatwas so encouraging about this mostrecent CT Scan – compared to the one Itook three months ago (as opposed tothe one I had nine months ago whichwas mistakenly compared to this mostrecent scan and resulted in the “Somebetter, some worse. I’ll explain more onFriday” e-mail I received from my doctorand talked about in “Whew!”) – I wasrebuffed. Rebuffed in the best possibleway: being told instead how great I wasdoing, how great my lab results were (forthis most recent pre-chemotherapy) andhow I could live a long time like this(presumably continuing to be infusedwith Alimta) – it was almost disconcert-ing; especially when you consider theoriginal e-mail assessment we receivedand our less-than-positive interpretationof it. Moreover, the oncologist’s exuber-ance and smiling countenance, alongwith his offer of a congratulatory hand-shake led me away from the missingfacts and immediately into these new-found feelings.

There’s and old advisory among sales-people: “Don’t be afraid to take a ‘Yes.’”Well, I took a yes (figuratively speaking),and didn’t feel compelled to press mydoctor to further explain the reasons forhis excitement. I became very happy tak-ing the good news, and extremely fortu-nate that what Tuesday’s inaccurate e-mail suggested: trouble, was turnedcompletely on its figurative ear Fridaywhen in person, my oncologist explainedthe semi-miscommunication. Believeme, when your oncologist gives younews with which you can live – punintended, your reaction, at least mine, isnot to question his judgment too muchfurther in pursuit of some heretoforeuntold truth that could ruin what super-amazing-positive words you just heard.Call me naïve, “Simple Simon,” what-ever, but since I am still alive five yearspost-diagnosis, you can call me anythingyou want.

A week later, a few of these phonecalls have given me pause for reflection.And though I’ve tried to answer theirqueries in a sort of intelligent way, I’msure I’ve failed. But I’m moving on. I willenjoy relative peace over the three-month interval until my next CT Scan onMay 28th and follow-up appointmentwith my oncologist to discuss the results– in person. Then, we’ll do this all overagain. For the time being, I’m very luckyto have received such good news, how-ever incomplete it originally may haveseemed. Nevertheless, I can certainlyappreciate the message even if I wasconfused by the delivery.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

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Documents

Great Falls Langley, Cooper Orchestras Share the Spotlightconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/... · 2014. 3. 18. · online at Falls Connection March 19-25,