Great Falls Memories of a Bittersweet Year Falls.pdfaturday, June 21, marked the sum-mer solstice –– that is, the longest day of the year. The Alzheimer’s As-sociation marked

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Memories of aBittersweet Year


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Entering the Hallthe Langley Highgraduates scan thebalconies lookingfor family andfriends at thegraduation cer-emony on Tuesday,June 17.

Great FallsGreat Falls

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By Reena Singh

The Connection

Hoofbeats by day, starlight by night.That’s the way Save the Farm ad-vocate Beverly Bradford wanted

Turner Farm Park to end up.Years after money first began being raised

to revitalize the land for a park, the pavil-ion had a ribbon cutting and the roll-topobservatory had its groundbreaking on thedrizzly Saturday morning.

“All people long for peace, and this is a

Pavilion Ribbon Cutting,Observatory GroundbreakingTurner Park’s facelift gets underway.

place peace outlasted war,” she said duringthe ribbon cutting event.

She said a community center, Colvin RunElementary and an art studio have all beenproposed for the land, but Bradford wantedthe park to remain an open space, a placewhere people could go to seek peace,whether that be by riding a horse or look-ing up at the night sky.

“None of this would have been possibleif we hadn’t saved Turner Farm,” saidDranesville supervisor John Foust.

As others mentioned in their speeches, he

noted that the project was a long time com-ing for Great Falls residents.

Mike Kearney, board member for Cel-ebrate Great Falls, talked about the birth ofCGF and the effort to raise hundreds ofthousands of dollars to buy Turner Farm andturn it into a park people will use.

“This is like the end of our chapter here,”he said. “We’ve done our deal.”

Great Fall’s Analemma Society is also get-ting a roll-top observatory that is slated togo to construction in late summer to earlyfall.

Fairfax County Park Authority Boardmember Mary Cortina talked about herson’s interest with space and how he got a

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust speaks before the roll-top observatory groundbreaking onSaturday.

Officials and Analemma Society members breakground for the roll-top observatory on Saturday.

Raylynn Oliver, on behalf of the GreatFalls Friends and Neighbors, presenteda check for $545 to Friends of River BendPresident Tim Hackman, Vice PresidentJohn Hughes-Caley and Board MemberOdiorne Beebe. The contribution helpssubsidize school trips to River Bend Parkfor students who cannot afford the fieldtrips' costs and for Title 1 schools.

From left — Friends ofRiver Bend (FORB) VicePresident John Hughes-Caley, FORB PresidentTim Hackman, GreatFalls Friends and Neigh-bors Raylynn Oliver,FORB board memberOdiorne Beebe.

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chance to talk to a NASA astronaut whosparked his interest in science. She saidhaving an observatory in Great Falls is cru-cial to getting young people interested inscience.

“It keeps that flame alive as they growolder,” she said.

The older building on the site, a remotelyaccessed telescope observatory was usedwhen the land was the Nike Missile Con-trol Site. The new roll-top observatory willhave four telescopes permanently alignedtoward the North Star, according to Presi-dent of the Analemma Society Charles Olin.

“The concept of the park itself is not as-tronomy,” he said. “It’s basically science.”


Remembering Elaine — MacKenzie Reagan

Viewpoints

Emmalyn Smith [withhusband Ron]

“Elaine loved to dance, andthis is the best way to rememberher.”

Darlene Murphy“[Elaine] was ill when I met her,

but that didn’t stop her. She cameevery week.”

Frieda Errico [with hus-band Bill]

“We became friends with [theKrawitzes] three years agothrough dances here. We’rethrilled by the response [of thesponsors and attendees helpingto raise funds].”

Ellen Greene“I want to make a difference. I’m

here for everyone who’s helping orwho has been hurt by dementia.”

News

By MacKenzie Reagan

The Connection

Saturday, June 21, marked the sum-mer solstice –– that is, the longestday of the year. The Alzheimer’s As-sociation marked the occasion with

its worldwide “The Longest Day”fundraising event, forwhich local teams allacross the globe united toraise awareness ofAlzheimer’s and to raisefunds for the association.

In the historic ColvinRun Community Hall, lo-cal team Step and Swingfor Elaine held afundraiser in memory ofElaine Krawitz, who diedlast July of dementia.

But this was no ordi-nary fundraiser.

Elaine and her husbandGil, who organized theevent, frequently at-tended dances at the hall.

“She danced up until the very end,” re-calls friend Emmalyn Smith. When Smithand her husband Ron met the Krawitzes ata Colvin Run dance three years ago, Elainehad already been battling dementia forsome time. While the Smiths never knew“well” Elaine, “We knew ‘brave’ Elaine,” saidEmmalyn.

So Gil decided the best way to rememberElaine, and to raise awareness of the illnessthat claimed her, would be through a day-long dance, featuring lessons from localinstructors interspersed with periods of freedance.

“We want the community to dance andto realize that one in three people will bediagnosed with dementia. We want to makea difference now so we can stay on thedance floor longer,” said event co-captainEllen Green, who was a close friend ofElaine’s.

The event, which ran from 10 in themorning to 8 in evening, featured instruc-tion from local dancers like Ed Cottrell, GailCrum, Erica Smith and Don Herron. In ad-dition to teaching Saturday’s crowd, manyof the instructors auctioned off the chancefor a private dance lesson, with the proceedsgoing towards the team’s fundraising ef-

forts. Local businesses likeThe Old Brogue, DanteRistorante and MatisseSalon and Spa pitched inas sponsors and donatedprizes to be raffled off atthe event.

While supporters camefrom all over, perhaps theattendee who understoodthe therapeutic and uni-fying power of dance thebest was Kirk Tuey, whocame all the way from LosAngeles to support theteam’s cause. Tuey, whosuffered a traumatic braininjury in a skiing incidenteight years ago, credits

dancing with his recovery. Initially in thearea to visit family, Tuey spent Saturday atthe event using his relearned dance skillsto raise awareness and funds for the team.

Before the day even started, the team hadraised nearly $14,000. In all, Step andSwing for Elaine raised over $20,000 –twice as much as their original goal of$10,000.

“One hundred percent of [the moneyraised] goes to the Alzheimer’s Association,”explains Gil.

“We’re thankful for all the efforts and sup-port,” adds Gil’s son, Justin.

Colvin Run danceraises funds forAlzheimer’s research.

Dancing for a Cause

Team captain Gil Kravitzorganized the event inmemory of his wife,Elaine, who died of de-mentia last July.

Instructors Gail Crum and Ed Cottrell lead attendees in the West CoastSwing. Attendees step and swing in memory of Elaine Krawitz.



Fairfax County’s Respite CareVolunteers give family caregivers ofa frail older adults a well-deservedbreak so they can go shopping, attenda doctor’s appointment or just havecoffee with a friend. Volunteers visitand oversee the safety of the olderadult for a few hours each month.Support and training are provided.Contact Kristin Martin at 703-324-7577, TTY 711, [email protected].

The Herndon Senior Center,873 Grace Street, Herndon, needs avolunteer mosaic instructor and knit-ting instructor. For these and othervolunteer opportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults

and click on Volunteer Solutions.The Lewinsville Senior Center,

1609 Great Falls Street, McLean, needsa certified volunteer Zumba iInstructorand an office assistant. For these andother volunteer opportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

Fairfax County needs volunteerOn-Call IT Specialists are needed to helpolder adults. Schedule is flexible. Forthese and other volunteer opportunities,call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

The Bailey’s Senior Center, 5920Summers Lane, Falls Church, needs of-fice assistance with the front desk and

data entry, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2p.m. For these and other volunteer op-portunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and click on Volunteer So-lutions.

Meals on Wheels needs drivers inFranconia, Reston, McLean and FallsChurch. For these and other volunteeropportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY711 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and click on Volunteer So-lutions.

Fairfax County needs volunteers todrive older adults to medical appoint-ments and wellness programs. For theseand other volunteer opportunities, call703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and

click on Volunteer Solutions.The Wakefield Senior Center,

8100 Braddock Road, Annandale, needsa volunteer art teacher, certified instruc-tors for Zumba Gold and Pilates, a coincollector to lead groups, an experiencedcanasta player to lead groups and Span-ish-speaking interpreters. For these andother volunteer opportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

The Sully Senior Center, 5690Sully Road, Centreville, needs a certifiedpersonal trainer to work with olderadults, for one hour two days per week.For these and other volunteer opportu-nities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/

olderadults and click on VolunteerSolutions.

The Mount Vernon Adult DayHealth Care Center, 8350 Rich-mond Highway, Alexandria, needssocial companions for participantson Fridays from 3-5 p.m. and frontdesk volunteers on Tuesdays andWednesdays from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.and 3:30-4:30 p.m. For these andother volunteer opportunities, call703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadultsand click on Volunteer Solutions.

Find out more about the NorthernVirginia Long-Term Care Ombuds-man Program atw w w . f a i r f a x c o u n t y . g o v /ltcombudsman.

Volunteer Opportunities

News

By Rachel Stone

The Connection

When members of the Wash-ington Coalition for Com-fort Women Issues unveileda new memorial on May 30,

they also illuminated the issue of local hu-man trafficking in Northern Virginia.Elected officials including Supervisor JohnFoust, Japanese and Korean representatives,and human rights activists gathered to re-member the women and girls who wereforced into sexual slavery during WWII.Now the memorial stands sunlit on the backlawn of the Fairfax County GovernmentCenter, as a reminder for today’s commu-nity to take a stand against these crimesagainst humanity in their own neighbor-hoods.

The unveiling ceremony comprised a cer-

emonial ribbon cutting and butterfly re-lease, artful performances, and a series ofcongratulatory and solemn remarks. The

recent words of President Obama were re-peated by Washington Coalition for Com-fort Women Issues President Christine Choi,“‘Any of us who look back on the history ofwhat happened to the Comfort Women here… have to recognize that this was a ter-rible, egregious violation of human rights.Those women were violated in ways that,even in the midst of war, was shocking.’”

Comfort Women survivor Il Chul Kangbore testimony of being kidnapped from herJapanese home to “serve” the military menwho were stationed in South Korea. Manycomfort women have since forgiven theJapanese for these actions, but are abashedit has taken over 50 years to address thesewrongdoings. Del. Mark Keam (D-35) rec-ognized the timely anniversary of D-Day.“We can’t undo the past … but we can en-sure that this never happens again,” he said,“Those women didn’t die in vain.”

“We as a community must care for eachother,” said Sharon Bulova, chairman of theFairfax County Board of Supervisors. Inquir-ies about building the memorial initiallybegan in her office, and the recent ceremonywas the culmination of 18 months’ advo-cacy by Washington Coalition for Comfort

Women Issues. The project not only paysrespect to the county’s prominent Asiancommunity, but also underlines its ownauthentic issue with human trafficking.

“Nobody really wants to talk about it,”said Grace Han Wolf, who served as honor-ary co-chair of the coalition’s MemorialPeace Garden Committee." “With two inter-national airports and the nation’s Capitol,no one thinks twice about seeing a multi-ethnic group of women in this area.” Butthese are silent, often unseen crimes nestledin homes and shopping centers. And theywon’t go away without the consciousnessof the community. “Be on the lookout. Don’tbe complacent; be vigilant,” she said.

The website www.justaskva.org is the ul-timate resource of 24/7 telephone hotlinesand awareness information for the state ofVirginia. The county has also collaboratedon the Polaris Initiative, offering resourcesdevoted to alleviating the issue of humantrafficking in the area.

The Polaris Hotline can be reached at anytime, any day of the year at 1-888-373-7888. Call 911 in case of immediate emer-gency. Crime tips can also be reported to703-246- 4006.

New Peace Gardena beacon of hopefor victims.

Comfort Women Memorial Highlights Human Trafficking

Grace Han Wolf, who co-chairedthe memorial committee, re-minded the audience of an appli-cable lesson, “All that is requiredfor evil to prevail is for good mento do nothing.”

Photos by Rachel Stone/The Connection

Monarch butterflies were released as a symbol of freedom from oppres-sion, and hope for the future.

WCCW Founder Dongwoo Lee Hahm, left, sits on a butterfly-shapedbench with Comfort Women Survivor Il Chul Kang, right.



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Great Falls

By Joan Brady

A foster child alumni re-cently told me that whathelps her to keep moving

forward are the happy memoriesshe has stored in her heart. Curi-ous, I asked if she would share afew with me.

Each of her examples repre-sented a time that someone wassimply kind to her. And her list,after 22 years in and out of fostercare, is depressingly short.

Last Sunday, I was doing someearly evening weeding, when mybeagles started barking like crazy.I looked up to see a man peeringthrough my garden gate.

I didn’t recognize this older,mustachioed gentleman in hisshorts and t-shirt. And I guess Ishould have been a little nervousas he brazenly walked through thegate.

But ever since we filled in our

Small Acts of KindnessEvidence of thelong-lastingeffects ofkindness toothers in dailylife.

swimming pool to plant vegetablesand berries, we get the occasionallooky-loo, interested to see thepool-turned-garden.

He seemed friendly enough call-ing out a warm greeting as he ap-proached. He said he had beenwanting to come by and see me asI “had always been so nice to him.”

I wracked my brain, trying torecall this man who seemed so fa-miliar with my dogs, my gardenand me.

“Whenever I have seen you overthe past years, you always askedabout my wife. I wanted you toknow,” he said, voice shaking,“that she died.”

In that moment, I realized that

this is a man I have known formany years. A man I didn’t recog-nize without his PETRO uniform.A man whose name, I could notcome up with, without the help-ful stitching that adorns his workshirt.

We met, he and I, just after myhusband and I moved into ourhouse, over 13 years ago. Con-cerned about the potential envi-ronmental hazard our in-groundoil tank presented, we decided toremove it.

There was a bit of drama dur-ing the removal process when thebackhoe severed the main powerline into the house (a bit of a util-ity-marking snafu).

The fairly large explosion wasfollowed by a realization that wehad knocked out the electricity.The guys couldn’t continue untilthe Fire Marshal arrived and Icouldn’t work until electricity wasrestored. So, the group of us (twofrom PETRO, Fred-the-Beagle andI) bonded over pizza and the longwait for the Fire Marshal and Do-minion Power to arrive.

I think it was then that he toldme about his wife’s illness. Wedidn’t speak every time he cameto fill our new oil tank. But occa-sionally we would see each other,exchange a few pleasantries, andI would ask about his wife. Therewere ups and downs over theyears, but mostly downs.

We both cried a little, as he toldme that she had passed last month.And that it was very hard. Whilehe does have friends, every nighthe returns to an empty house. Hedidn’t want to have a drink. Hedidn’t want to sit for a while. Hejust wanted me to know.

As he walked slowly to his car,head bowed, I turned back to myweeding and considered life’ssmall interactions and their im-pact.

Joan Brady is a professional photogra-pher; mentor and advocate for currentand former foster children; volunteer withpaws4People, Fairfax Families4Kids, andothers; and a resident of Great Falls.Reach her [email protected]

Joan’s Garden, created by filling in the former swimmingpool.

The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly spe-cial edition, will publish on July 23, andphotos and stories of your pets with you andyour family should be submitted by July 16.

Our favorite pictures include both petsand humans. We welcome short storiesabout how you got your pet, a noteworthytalent or anecdote about your pet, tales ofthe bonds between your family and your pet,plus drawings, paintings or other artworkof your pet by children or adults Please tellus a little bit about your pet, identify every-one in the photo, give a brief description

what is happening in the photo, and includeaddress and phone number (we will notpublish your address or phone number, justyour town name).

We welcome short stories about how yougot your pet, a noteworthy talent or anec-dote about your pet, explanations of thebonds between your family and your pet,plus drawings, paintings or other artworkof your pet by children or adults. Email [email protected]. Foradvertising information, [email protected].

Call for Pet Connection

Opinion

Independence Day is a national celebra-tion, and for many, that celebration in-cludes alcohol. The summer overall andJuly 4 in particular are times of greater

risk for drinking and driving.Make a plan. Plan to celebrate with access

to public transportation. Plan to have a desig-nated driver. Plan to celebrate in aplace safe and comfortable to spendthe night.

But in case those plans go awry, hereis a safe alternative.

The Washington Regional Alcohol Programwill offer free taxi rides home (up to $30) be-ginning 10 p.m. the night of July 4 for six hoursuntil 4 a.m. the morning of July 5. Participantsmust be at least 21. Call 1-800-200-TAXI.

On July 4, 2013, nearly 300 people usedWRAP’s SoberRide service rather than possi-bly driving home impaired.

In summer, 44 percent of all U.S. trafficdeaths are caused by alcohol-impaired drivers,according to statistics provided by WRAP.SoberRide is a way to help keep local roadssafe from impaired drivers during this tradi-tionally high-risk holiday.

For parents of young adults who may be liv-ing at home and parents of those under 21,

this is time to talk. Ask about plans, ask spe-cifically about getting home. Remind thoseover 21 to take the WRAP phone number withthem.

While you hope that young adults under 21aren’t drinking — because there are lots of dan-gers to binge drinking beyond drinking and

driving — you know that many of themwill be drinking. Let your younger fam-ily members know that you would

much rather pay for a cab or come get themyourself than run the risk of losing them.

Since 1993, WRAP’s SoberRide program hasprovided 60,565 free cab rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washingtonarea.

For more information, visitwww.soberride.com.

—Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Talking and planning are the best safetymeasures; SoberRide offers a safety net.Safe Fourth

Editorials


To the Editor:I commend the Great Falls

Connection for doing every-thing to protect and expand theWhite Oaks in Great Falls [Pro-tecting the White Oak, GreatFalls Connection, June 18-24,2014]. I had one huge WhiteOak in my yard, which was inpoor condition upon my arrivalwhen I moved into my house in1974. I would cut the dead, fer-tilize the roots and nursed italong for 30+ years. Finally, itwas struck by lightening and itdied within two years. I con-sider that death more or lessnatural causes.

The above said, in the last fiveyears I have lost one maple tree(approximately 30+ inches indiameter) and one large RedOak which was approximately25+ inches in diameter. Bothtrees were within the 15 feet ofthe center line of the state roadwhich meant the VDOT had tocontract their removal becausethey presented a safety issue totraffic traveling on UtterbackStore Road. These two treeswere on the property when I

Protecting Great Falls Trees

Letters

bought it in 1974 and they sur-vived until VDOT decided to in-crease the amount of salt/brinespread on the road during thewinter about five years ago. Ihave called and emailed VDOTa number of times attemptingto get them to lighten up on thewinter salt, all to no avail. Ihave one Red Oak approxi-mately 40 inches in diameterleft along the road side. Withthe continued salt spread on thewinter road I will be surprisedif that one lives two or threemore years. It is unbelievablethe amount of salt and nowbrine dumped on Utterbackduring the winter season. Onewould think Utterback is HWY193 instead of a side road. Notthat the Great Falls Citizen’s As-sociation needs another causeto take up, but the environmen-tal damage being caused by theexcessive salt/brine on theroads would be good one toaddress.

Dudley LosselyongGreat Falls

10 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ June 25 - July 1, 2014 Great Falls Connection ❖ June 25 - July 1, 2014 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

By Reena Singh

The Connection

They said their goodbyes with alittle bit of old and a little new.

More than 400 Langley HighSchool seniors moved their mor-

tarboard tassels from right to left Tuesday,June 17, at Constitution Hall, marking theirtransition into alumnus of their high school.

“No matter what happens, we will foreverbe a part of the fraternity that is the Lan-gley Class of 2014,” said class presidentJonathan Meyer during the student address.

The graduation was a bittersweet one,with many references to the two studentsthat committed suicide in February. Althoughthe graduation speakers interspersed jokesthroughout their speeches, there was nary adry eye among students and parents by thetime the diplomas were being handed out.

Meyer’s speech began as an ego boost tothe class of 2014, with vocal chants statinghow great the seniors are and how studentsare heading to seven of the eight Ivy Leaguecolleges.

“We would have had students go to alleight Ivy League schools, but one of them is

Brown, and we don’t see color,” Meyer’s saidjokingly.

However, his speech ended with a quotefrom one of the students who committedsuicide this year, bringing the student com-munity together to mourn and seek changewithin the school.

“We are all each other’s friends, and we’reall each other’s family,” he said.

Principal Matt Ragone relayed how hisfavorite song, Don McLean’s “American Pie,”is actually about the 2014 graduates eventhough it was written in 1971.

“One of the lines is ‘February made meshiver,’” he said. “Buddy Holly died in Feb-ruary, and that’s when we had our tragedy.”

He said it relates to the tragedies LHS hasgone through in the last year and how thecommunity gathered to heal together.

“It’s about the loss of innocence,” he said.“It’s about young people.”

Although the song keeps stating, “this willbe the day that I die,” he said, it shows howalive the singer - and the class of 2014 - is.

“Class of 2014, every time I hear the song,I will think of you,” he said. “You guys willlive forever.”

Fairfax County School Board member

Ryan McElveen talked about rejection andTwitter, sprinkling hashtags throughout hisspeech.

“You’re graduating from a world full ofrejection, far removed from the rejection youexperienced in high school,” he said.

McElveen is a researcher for TheBrookings Institution John Thornton ChinaCenter and the youngest person to be electedto the FCPS school board.

He talked about losing all of the hair onhis body to a rare disorder his senior year inhigh school. He remembers shopping for ahairpiece at that age at a wig shop filled withelderly women.

“Let me tell you, you have not experiencedtrue angst until you try to fit a mortarboardover a hairpiece,” he said.

He said he was rejected by his hair andrejected by the public the first time he ranfor the school board. However, he said hedated his wife and pursued the school boardposition again because he was not afraid ofrejection, just like the students in the audi-ence shouldn’t be afraid of it.

“Go out and live your life on the edge ofwhat’s possible,” he said. “Go out and getrejected.”

Langley Class of 2014 graduates, remembering the two who died.

Memories of a Bittersweet Year

Langley senior Aram Tahmassian stops for a breakfast snack at a hot dogstand outside of Constitution Hall on Tuesday morning.

Class officers Courtney Cuppernull and Will Gent practice their stagehandshake.

Mirelle Iverson and Garrett Collier gather in the wings of the hall for thecall to line up for the processional.

Graduation 2014

Class president and vice president Jonathan Meyerand Edric Wung lead the processional into Constitu-tion Hall.

Senior SGA representatives Katharine Altman, TimothyClaude and Brian Plunkett join class officers treasurerWill Gent, secretary Courtney Cuppernull, vice presi-dent Edric Wung and president Jonathan Meyer onstage.

Students applaud atthe conclusion of thegraduation proces-sional.

Senior SGA representativesKatharine Altman, TimothyClaude and Brian Plunkett joinclass officers treasurer WillGent, secretary CourtneyCuppernull, vice presidentEdric Wung and presidentJonathan Meyer on stage.

Photos by Louise Krafft/The Connection


THURSDAY/JUNE 26Artists Meet for Coffee. 8:30-10 a.m. Katie’s

Coffeehouse, Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Local artists drop in to meet for coffee. 703-759-2759.

Reading Buddies. 4:30 p.m. Great Falls Library,9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Grab a book,grab a buddy! Beginning readers and teenspractice reading together. Teen volunteersplease arrive at 4:15.

FRIDAY/JUNE 27Handel Giulio Cesare. Check website for exact

showtimes (also on Sunday, June 29 andTuesday, July 1). Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road,Vienna. New production, sung in Italian withEnglish supertitles. Inside the Opera preshowtalk begins one hour before curtain. Tickets:$36-$88. www.wolftrap.org/

Kayak Tour Island Hopping. 5-7 p.m.Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St., GreatFalls. Explore the upper Potomac River islandsby kayak. Ages 14+. $59-$74. Register at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

Great Falls Library Drop-In Chess. 1-5 p.m.Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Drop-in and play chess. All skilllevels and ages welcome. 703-757-8560.

Look at the Stars! Observatory Open. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Turner Farm Park, Springvale Road,Great Falls. Come to the observatory park forFriday Night viewings.www.analemma.org.Playdate Café. 10 a.m.Great Falls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Play area for toys for children.Coffee and conversation for grown-ups. Ages 0-Preschool with parent or caregiver.

Drop-In Chess. 1 p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Drop in and playchess. All skill levels welcome.

SATURDAY/JUNE 28Great Falls Farmer’s Market. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Great Falls Village, 778 Walker Road, GreatFalls. Don’t forget to bring your recyclable bag.www.greatfallsfarmersmarket.org.

Oakton Farmers Market. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Yearround. Unity of Fairfax Church, 2854 HunterMill Road, Oakton.ºwww.smartmarkets.org/

Vienna Farmers Market. 8 a.m.-12 p.m. FaithBaptist Church Parking Lot, 301 Center StreetSouth, Vienna.ºwww.viennafarmersmarket.com.

Cars & Coffee. 7-9 a.m. Katie’s Coffee House, 760Walker Road, Great Falls. Early on Saturdaymornings you’ll find a gathering of cool cars –antique, custom, hotrods, exotic, sports cars,they’re all here. 703-759-2759.

Colvin’s Dance for Everyone. 6:30-11:30 p.m.Colvin Run Community Hall, 10201 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. Beginner West Coast lesson,intermediate lesson and ‘Dance for Everyone.’$12. 703-435-5620.

Lego Club. 2 p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Drop-in and playwith LEGOs! Age 3+.

Beethoven’s 9th. 8:15 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645Trap Road, Vienna. Triumphant performance ofBeethoven’s “Ode to Joy” masterpiece and moreby preeminent singers and one of the world’sleading orchestras in its only 2014 DC-areaappearance. Tickets: $25-$65.www.wolftrap.org/

SUNDAY/JUNE 29 Tysons Farmers Market. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. NADA

Campus, Greensboro & Westpark Drive.www.tysonspartnership.org

Intro to River Kayaking. 1-1:30 p.m. RiverbendPark, 8700 Potomac Hills St., Great Falls. Thisintroductory level course covers river hazards,water safety and paddling basics. Ages 14+.$28-43. Register at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

Concert on the Green – Rock/The Dusty45’s. 6-8 p.m. Great Falls Village Centre,Georgetown Pike & Walker Road, Great Falls.Come out with your picnic baskets and chairs foran entertaining evening of live [email protected].

Summer on the Green Concert. 6:30 p.m.Vienna Town Green, 144 Maple Avenue E,Vienna. Bring chairs and blankets to come hearThe Tonics and some bluesy-rock. No alcoholicbeverages allowed; recommended pets be left athome.

Diana Ross. 8 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road,Vienna. Motown’s supreme legend has inspiredgenerations of singers with an endless stream ofNo. 1 hits from “You Can’t Hurry Love” to “I’mComing Out.” Tickets: $35-$60.www.wolftrap.org/

Handel Giulio Cesare. Check website for exactshowtimes (also on Tuesday, July 1). Wolf Trap,1645 Trap Road, Vienna. New production, sungin Italian with English supertitles. Inside theOpera preshow talk begins one hour beforecurtain. Tickets: $36-$88. www.wolftrap.org/

HYPERLINK “http://www.tysonspartnership.com/”2nd Annual Tour de Tysons BicycleRaces. 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Jones Branch Drive,Tysons Corner. Ten bicycle races, food trucksand vendors. The Tour de Tysons is a funexperience for the whole family — compete orsimply enjoy. Visit www.tysonspartnership.comfor more.

MONDAY/JUNE 30 – JULY 9Teen Yoga. 5 – 6 p.m. Margaret Haddad Studio of

Classical Ballet, 9911 Georgetown Pike, GreatFalls. Classes are held Mondays andWednesdays. The cost is $60/session. Noprevious experience required. Please bring ayoga. To register, email [email protected].

MONDAY/JUNE 30Read to the Dog. 4 p.m. Great Falls Library,

9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. TonyPepperoni wants someone to read to him! Canyou help? School age children.

Top Secret. 2:30 p.m. Dolley Madison Library,1244 Oak Ridge Ave, McLean. Amazing magictricks, silly puppets and music with SteveSomers. All ages.

American Giants of Science. 7 p.m. PatrickHenry Library, 101 Maple Ave E, Vienna. MeetAmerica’s most famous inventors and see themcome to life onstage with Bright Star Theatre.Age 6-12.

Top Secret. 2:30 p.m. Dolley Madison Library,1244 Oak Ridge Ave, McLean. Amazing magictricks, silly puppets and music with SteveSomers. All ages.

Spectacular Science. 2:30 p.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Explore the secrets of fireworks, bubbles andmore with Mad Science. Ages 6-12.

American Giants of Science. 7 p.m. PatrickHenry Library, 101 Maple Ave E, Vienna. MeetAmerica’s most famous inventors and see themcome to life onstage with Bright Star Theatre.Age 6-12.

TUESDAY/JULY 1Pilobolus. 8:30 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road,

Vienna. Wild creativity and daring, athleticmodern dance. Tickets: $10-$48.www.wolftrap.org/

Handel Giulio Cesare. Check website for exactshowtime. Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna.New production, sung in Italian with Englishsupertitles. Inside the Opera preshow talk beginsone hour before curtain. Tickets: $36-$88.www.wolftrap.org/

THURSDAY/JULY 3Crosby, Stills & Nash. 8 p.m. Wolf Trap, 1645

Trap Road, Vienna. Folk royalty of Woodstockreunite in musical celebration of one of the mostcreative supergroups in rock ’n’ roll history.Tickets: $35-$60. www.wolftrap.org/

FRIDAY/JULY 4Great Falls Fourth of July Celebration. 9

a.m.-1 p.m. Great Falls Village Centre, 776Walker Road, Great Falls. Walk/run, parades,festivities, fun and food. Fireworks at TurnerFarm Park on Saturday, July 6. Visitwww.celebrategreatfalls.org for more.

Vienna 4th of July Festival and FireworksShow. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Live musicalentertainment, arts and crafts for kids, antiqueand classic car show and fireworks. Visitwww.viennava.gov.

SATURDAY/JULY 5 Sunrise Kayak Tour. 7-9 a.m. Riverbend Park,

8700 Potomac Hills St., Great Falls. Paddle witha naturalist and learn about the historical andnatural beauty of the Potomac. Ages 14+. $59-$74. Register at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/

CalendarSend announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is Friday for the following week’s

paper. Photos/artwork encouraged.

July 4th is right around the corner. Hereare the activities taking place in GreatFalls on that day:

*Freedom Memorial 5K Run/Walk. 8a.m. The Great Falls Trailblazers arebringing the Annual 5K Walk/Run to ourlocal trails. Join us at the Freedom Me-morial on the Library grounds. Fromthere, go off-road on the Lucy HanesTrail, along Arnon Chapel and past GreatFalls Elementary before heading back tothe Freedom Memorial.

*Great Falls Volunteer Fire DepartmentINOVA Blood Drive. 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.Great Falls Village Centre, 776 WalkerRoad, Great Falls. The Great Save Lives,Give Blood. Everyone who completes thedonor screening procedure will receivea free donor t-shirt. Photo ID required.Allow one hour for donor visit. Call 866-256-6372 to schedule your appointment.

*Little Patriot Parade. 9 a.m. Great

Falls Village Centre, 776 Walker Road,Great Falls. Babies and Toddlers up toage 5 are welcome to parade their finestpatriotic display around the Green.Awards for “Young George Washington,”Little Miss Betsy Ross,” and “The StarSpangled Family.”

*Main Parade. 10 a.m. Great Falls Vil-lage Centre, 776 Walker Road, GreatFalls. See the floats, horses, antique carsand pets making a loop in the Main Pa-rade. Be sure to spot the winning floatsfor Best Neighborhood, Best Business andBest Organization.

*Festivities and Fun. 10 a.m. – 12:30p.m. Great Falls Village Centre, 776Walker Road, Great Falls. After the pa-rade, enjoy burgers, dogs and snow conesalong with music, field games and fes-tivities on the Village Centre Green withyour Great Falls neighbors.

There will be no fireworks this year.

Photo by Alex McVeigh/The Connection

The Celebrate Great Falls float makes its way down ColumbineStreet during the annual Great Falls Fourth of July parade last year.

July 4th Festivities in Great Falls

The McLean Community Center’s(MCC) annual Independence Day Cel-ebration will be held on Friday, July 4,on the sports fields at Langley HighSchool, 6520 Georgetown Pike. Thegrounds will open at 8 p.m. The fire-works show will begin at approximately9:15 p.m. Admission and parking arefree.

In case of inclement weather, the fire-works display will be presented on therain date, Saturday, July 5, at 8:30 p.m.Smoking, pets, fireworks, sparklers andalcohol are not allowed on schoolgrounds. The fireworks display will beprovided by East Coast Pyrotechnics.MCC Governing Board Chair Chad Quinnwill be the guest speaker and the JointArmed Forces Color Guard of the Mili-tary District of Washington will presentthe colors.

A free shuttle bus service will be avail-

able from St. John’s Episcopal Church(6715 Georgetown Pike) and MCC (1234Ingleside Ave.), beginning at 7 p.m. Ahandicap-accessible bus will be availableat both sites.

For more information, call 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, or visit:www.mcleancenter.org.

McLean CommunityCenter Presents 4th ofJuly Fireworks Show atLangley High

Photo courtesy of MCC

Independence Day Celebrationwill be held on Friday, July 4, onthe sports fields at Langley HighSchool.


On June 15, Turner FarmEvents held its 4th AnnualSchooling Show. Several hun-dred riders competed in 39 dif-ferent classes, including flatclasses, jump classes, and VHSArated classes (VHSA=VirginiaHorse Show Association).

Turner Farm Events is a 501(3)C which holds horse showsto raise funds for Turner FarmPark. Turner Farm Events hasraised $11,000 since 2011,which has been used to main-

School Notes

Send school notes [email protected] byFriday.

Seth McNair of McLean, a stu-dent at Landon School inBethesda, Md. will participate inthe 2014 U.S. Naval Academy(USNA) Summer Seminar pro-gram. USNA invited a select groupof approximately 2,550 youngmen and women from around thenation and abroad to attend theNaval Academy Summer Seminarprogram this year. Summer Semi-nar is a fast-paced leadership ex-perience for rising seniors in highschool. This program helps edu-cate, motivate and prepare se-lected students who are consider-ing applying for admission toUSNA.

For more information about theNaval Academy, visit:www.usna.edu or the USNA Ad-missions Facebook page.

Longfellow Middle School stu-dents Aaditya Singh, FranklynWang, and William Sun havequalified to the United States ofAmerica Junior MathematicalOlympiad (USAJMO) 2014. TheUSAJMO is an invitation only com-petition where the MAA invites thetop scoring 230 students (10thgraders and below across the US)based on a combination of theirperformance in the AMC-10 andAIME competitions. See more at:http://www.maa.org/node/79/#USAMO

Courtney Cross, of GreatFalls, graduated from BishopO’Connell high school. She is asophomore at Villanova Universityand was named to the Dean’s Listfor the fall semester of 2013.

Matthew Kent, of Vienna, wasnamed to the Dean’s List atCarnegie Mellon University for thefall semester of 2013.

Lindsay Weber, a 2010 gradu-ate of James Madison High School,has been named to the Dean’s Listfor the fall semester of 2013 atRadford University.

Severalhundredriders com-peted in 39differentclasses.

tain and improve the property.This year Turner Farm Events hasspent $6,000 to replace, repair andupgrade jumps. Turner Farm Parkis free to all riders.

This year Turner Farm Events isholding six horse shows to raisefunds to improve the property. Thenext horse show is September 27.

Further information is availableat: https://www.facebook.com/p a g e s / T h e - Tu r n e r - Fa r m /282706225074549, orwww.turnerfarmevents.org,

Pho

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ntributed

Schooling Show at Turner Farm


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Kathryn J. Sowerwine, MDBy Kathleen J. Murphy,

President

Great Falls Historical

Society

The Great Falls Historical So-ciety has carved as its mission,to keep the local story of life inGreat Falls, Virginia over thecenturies. This past May, we re-vived the story of The GreatFalls Grange for Great Falls Day.On the main floor of theGrange, one could learn aboutthe entire story of the local or-ganization, the early meetings,the fundraising to build thebuilding, the opening of thebuilding, the centerpiece ofcommunity life experiencedthere over 60 years, its eventualsale to the Fairfax County ParkAuthority, and life under FCPAownership. It took research, in-terpretation, planning, coop-eration among many entities in-cluding the National Grange,the Virginia Grange, commu-nity members who were mem-bers of the Grange, the FairfaxCounty Park Authority, andmore to prepare and deliver thecontent.

As we planned the day, wewere challenged by the pro-gram design. Should the pro-gram have lots of music andoutdoor activities like last year?Or should we minimize the en-tertainment to strengthen theimportance of history in theoverall program? We reallystruggled with the trade-offs.

By chance, I was given the fullset up Chroniclers, our Society’snewsletters since its inceptionin 1977. I read every issue overtwo days. The story of GreatFalls Day over decades unfoldedbefore my eyes. All of the de-sign elements - what day andtime, how to present, the mixof music and history, etc., wehad struggled with there and

Keeper of Our Local Storywill certainly enrich our next ef-fort with wisdom and imagina-tion.

The power of an archive, andthe current incomplete state of theGFHS archive came powerfullyinto view.

Spending the time to readthrough our organization’schronicle of the last 37 years en-livened my respect for those whocame before me, the leadershiproles they played in keeping andconveying the local story to ourcommunity, the committees ofmembers who worked on specificprojects year after year to maketheir mark, contributing a yearlycalendar, assembling a photo ex-hibit, preparing a house tour.There were certainly boom yearsand bust years of membership ac-tivity. However, my respect grewas I read about the robust effortsand accomplishments of those be-fore me. Needless to say, buildinga sustainable and accessiblearchive will be a core initiative forthe coming year.

Knowledge of the past enlivensour sentiments about the present.It hurts us that Turner Farm (forexample) looks severely deterio-rated right now, or the Great FallsGrange is commonly empty ofcommunity activity. We imagine inour mind’s eye how Turner Farmwas a successful dairy farm wherea remarkable leader of our com-munity lived and farmed, and webegin to imagine ways that theproperty can be adaptively reusedto once again become a center-piece of community life.

To sustain a local culture, theremust be an effective dialogueacross the generations with olderpeople sharing their wisdom, andyounger people hearing andgrasping the wisdom, carrying thememories forward in meaningfulactions that resonate today.

We are proud to have honoredtwo of our Board members this

Opinion

year. Carolyn Miller wasawarded the Tibbetts Award forher historical research andDoris Carpenter won the GFHSAward for Excellence for her 17years of dedicated service to theorganization. They model for usthe importance of leaving alegacy for future generations toenjoy and the many ways tomake a contribution.

Continuing a vibrant local vil-lage culture depends on the ac-tive involvement of our mem-bers – old and new - today.There are historic stories andoral histories to be written and/or filmed; there are historicalphotos, documents and artifactsto be gathered and archived;there are historic properties tobe preserved and curated; thereis a place to be found for GFHSto display our historic collec-tion.

The continuing enthusiasmand curiosity of our member-ship is pivotal to the fulfillmentof our mission – “To feel thepulse of earth where man hastrod, and for the future keep thepast.” Please consider joiningour Society and volunteering toserve on a committee to activelyparticipate in the work of theGreat Falls Historical Society.Come experience the joy of dis-covering how things used to be,allowing the local journey ofyesterday and the unfoldingstory of today – full of suc-cesses, struggles, wisdom, andfoibles – to enlighten and fireour imaginations. Join us in cre-ating a voice and a dialoguethat communicates across gen-erations, sustaining the story ofour local culture in a way thatnourishes and enriches all whocome to live in our place onearth, our very special village,Great Falls, Virginia – regard-less of their place of birth orfamily of origin.


Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The 2013-14 high school sportsseason was full of memorablemoments and accomplishments,including an undefeated record

and national ranking for the Centrevillefootball program, an emotional return tothe state tournament for the Woodson boys’basketball team and the first state champi-onship in the history of T.C. Williams boys’soccer.

The following is a look back at some ofthe highlights from around Fairfax County.

Fall SportsThe Centreville football team crushed the

competition in 2013, going 10-0 with anaverage margin of victory of 38 points dur-ing the regular season. The carnage con-tinued in the postseason, as the Wildcatsdefeated South Lakes, South County, Stone-wall Jackson and Westfield on their way tothe Virginia 6A North region championship.

In the Group 6A state championshipgame, Centreville throttled nationally-ranked Oscar Smith 35-6, capturing theprogram’s first state title since 2000. TheWildcats finished with overwhelming ad-vantages in total yards (338-88), rushingyards (327-14), and time of possession(34:02-13:58).

The victory improved Centreville’s recordto 15-0 and jumped the Wildcats into theNo. 15 national ranking in USA TODAY.

“It’s certainly the best team that I’ve everbeen around in 21 years of coaching highschool football,” Centreville head coachChris Haddock said. “… We actually talkedto our kids a lot about our place in historyand setting a higher standard and that’ssomething that the kids wanted to do. Theywanted to make history. I don’t know whereyou place us in the all-time teams, but we’recertainly one of the best in Northern Vir-ginia and we’re definitely the best atCentreville.”

Centreville center Josh Smith, guardKainoa O’Connor, running back/kick re-turner AJ Turner, wide receiver/defensiveback Charles Tutt, and linebacker Tyler Loveearned VHSL all-state honors. LinebackerChad Wiggins was the 6A North region andConference 5 Defensive Player of the Year,and quarterback Scott Walter was the con-ference Offensive Player of the Year. Had-dock received conference and region Coachof the Year honors.

In golf, Connor Messick, Juhee Bae, VishalGiri and Mike Sciorra helped Chantilly winthe Virginia 6A state championship. Sciorrawon the individual state title, and Bae wonthe girls’ state championship.

In field hockey, Westfield won the firststate title in Starr Karl’s decorated coach-ing career, which includes more than 300wins in 24 seasons. The Bulldogs defeatedtwo-time defending champ First Colonial 2-1 in the Virginia 6A state final.

In cross country, the Chantilly boys’ andthe Oakton girls’ teams captured Virginia

6A state titles at Great Meadow. The W-Lgirls’ team produced the best finish in pro-gram history, taking state runner-up.Oakton senior John Stoney won the boys’individual championship, and West Spring-field senior Caroline Alcorta won the girls’individual title with a meet-record time of17 minutes, 13 seconds.

“I was just hoping to win,” Alcorta said.“I didn’t expect to get the course record.”

In volleyball, Langley won its first statechampionship, beating First Colonial in theVirginia 6A final. The Saxons became thefirst team from the old Northern Region towin a state title.

“I think the fact that most of the playershad been to states the year before helped alot with preparation and the mental aspectof the game,” Langley head coach SusanShifflett wrote. “Obviously, we were verytalented, as well. First time I have ever hadtwo outstanding outside hitters (JessicaDonaldson and Rachel Andrejev). SisiHolderman (libero) really stepped the sec-ond half of the season. And of course, thereis Alex. That helps a lot.”

Winter Sports Members of the W.T. Woodson boys’ bas-

ketball team dealt with the death of twoclassmates during the 2014 6A North re-gion tournament. While the tragedies af-fected the emotions of several Cavaliers, theteam found a way to continue winning andeventually captured the program’s secondconsecutive region title.

Woodson secured a berth in the Virginiastate tournament by defeating Herndon 63-62 in overtime in the region semifinals. Thefollowing evening, Woodson defeated LakeBraddock 66-56 in the region final. TheCavaliers had lost their previous three

matchups with Lake Braddock by a com-bined eight points.

“[I’m] really happy for our kids, reallyhappy for our school community,” Woodsonhead coach Doug Craig said. “This was avery difficult week. The fact that our Cav-alry (student section) was out in such greatnumbers says a lot about the school com-munity. To give them an hour-and-a-half,hour-and-45-minute distraction tonight,something to feel good about, that’s whatsports is supposed to be about at the highschool level.”

The Wakefield boys’ basketball team wonthe 5A North region championship and ad-vanced to the Virginia state tournament forthe second consecutive season. The LakeBraddock boys’ basketball team repeated asPatriot District/Conference 7 champions.The Herndon boys’ basketball team won theConference 5 championship and finishedwith a 23-3 record. The West Springfieldgirls’ team reached the state tournament forthe fourth time in five years. The SouthLakes boys’ and girls’ basketball teams wonConference 6 championships.

In wrestling, Robinson won its third Vir-ginia state championship in four years.Rams’ heavyweight Jake Pinkston won hisfourth consecutive region championship,reached the state final for the fourth straightyear and won his second state title.

Centreville junior Tyler Love, after win-ning a state title with the football team inthe fall, captured the 195-pound state wres-tling championship.

In gymnastics, Washington-Lee won itsthird consecutive region championship andfinished third at states. McLean finishedregion runner-up for the third straight year,and placed second at states. T.C. Williams,fielding its first complete team since theearly 1980s, won the Conference 7 cham-

pionship.“I just remember being a freshman and

having to compete with other teams,” T.C.Williams junior Grace Girard said. “Now Ihave my own girls to compete with and it’sa great feeling.”

South County’s Collea Burgess won the6A North region all-around title. Hayfield’sMolly Overstreet won the individual barsstate championship, and Westfield’s KatieFreix finished third in the all-around.

In swimming, the Oakton girls’ andRobinson boys’ teams took home statechampionships. In Maryland, the Woottongirls’ team won a state championship, edg-ing rival Churchill. The Wootton boys’ teamfinished runner-up.

Spring SportsThe T.C. Williams boys’ soccer team en-

tered the 2014 season with hopes of get-ting past the region quarterfinals. The Ti-tans took care of that — and then some.

TC won the first state championship inprogram history, beating Washington-Lee 2-0 in the Virginia 6A state final.

The Centreville girls’ team reached the 6Achampionship match, but fell short againstBattlefield, 0-0 (4-3), in a penalty-kickshootout. The Wildcats finished region andstate runners-up despite winning just threeof their first 10 matches.

The South County softball team won theprogram’s first state championship, beatingpreviously undefeated Cosby 4-1 in the 6Afinal. Stallions pitcher Rebecca Martin fin-ished her high school career with anothergem in the circle, tossing a complete-gamethree-hitter while striking out 10. CatcherHaylea Geer hit a momentum-swinging solohome run in the fourth inning.

In lacrosse, the Robinson boys’ andWestfield girls’ lacrosse teams won statechampionships. Westfield defeated Oakton13-11 in the girls’ final after losing to theCougars in the Conference 5 and 6A Northregion championship games. Robinsonstarted the season 1-3 before closing with17 straight victories, including a 9-7 winover Langley in the state final.

In baseball, Chantilly won the first regionchampionship in program history andreached the Virginia 6A state final. McLeanreached the state semifinals, the furthestpostseason advancement in program his-tory.

In track and field, T.C. Williams broughthome the Virginia 6A boys’ state champi-onship. The South County girls’ team fin-ished state runner-up. In Maryland, theWootton boys’ team finished 4A state run-ner-up.

In tennis, the Lake Braddock boys’ teamdefeated Langley in the Virginia 6A statefinal. The Oakton girls’ team finished staterunner-up. Oakton’s Adrien Bouchet wonthe boys’ singles championship, and LakeBraddock’s Jacob Daugherty and LongHuynh won the boys’ doubles title. Oakton’sLizzie Stewart won the girls’ singles title andStewart and Lindsey Le won the girls’doubles championship for the Cougars.

2013-14 High School Sports Season Produces Memorable Moments

Connection File Photo

The Langley volleyball team won the 6A state championship in 2013.


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This Spring seventeenboys under the ageof 11 signed up to play

Lacrosse and went all the wayto win the NVYLL Champion-ship. Head Coach Carl Cassanisaid: “We have maybe threeplayers that have one year ex-perience, other than that we arebrand new. To see these play-ers learn and advance theirskills to such a high level is justremarkable, I could not be anymore proud”.

Named “The American De-stroyers” they were 3-5 in theregular season, but when itcame to play-offs they werefaced with four rounds of play-offs, four games against biggerteams. They won two games inovertime, one of the games wasthe Championship game andthe same player (Kai Wakeman) shot the winningscore in both games.

Team Mom Christina Dumas said, “It’s remark-able to see their progress, these games where ex-tremely exciting, Coach Carl kept everyone together,making training points and being just an exceptionalcoach, we could not ask for anything better.”

Players: Alec Butler, Adam Cole, John Colligan,Maxwell Dumas, Jacques Henry, Mitsu Jeffcock,

Sports

Great Falls Lacrosse Team Wins Championship

Photo contributed

Winning in play-offs

Nate Jones, Joey Koenig, Luke Musser, StuartNorth, Kieran Parnaby, Mack Pattee, Jack Perkins,T.J. Prame, Soames Rummler, Daniel Spizuocoand Kai Wakeman.

Great Falls Lacrosse Association has Fall,Winter, and Spring programs. They have sev-eral fields but most notable is the newlyturfed Nike 4 field. Their website is http://www.greatfallslacrosse.com/


21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/OaktonClassifiedClassified

*Waynewood School District, Fort Hunt, Five miles south of Old Town, off Parkway*

* Walk, jog or bike to river, Hollin Hall shopping center, private pool parks, public parks playgrounds, tennis courts*

*Drive, metro or bike to work*

$2950/mo with bank wire, negotiable lease term, available 7/22, one mo deposit, credit check, house trained dog

considered with deposit, no cats due to allergies.

4BR/3BA/Country kitchen/Family room, double garage & patio room with swingset behind privacy fenced back yardPartially finished basement with private entrance, updated

bath, sink, small fridge and microwave, Modest brick exteri-or on wooded and fenced 3/4 acre lot disguises roomy

interior with many unique features

. Located in the heart of the Fort Hunt section of Alexandria. 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, country kitchen, family room with fireplace, hardwood floors and ceiling fans throughout, gas

radiator heat, ac, covered porches front and rear, plus basement with updated 3rd bath, sink, small fridge,

microwave and private entrance, washer/dryer, privacy yard with swing set off patio room and double garage separated

from house with breezeway. Storage plus in attic, basement, garage, patio room.

Easy drive, bike or metro to Old Town Alexandria, Fort Belvoir, Pentagon, Fort Myer, Navy Yard and DC.

Conveniently located less than a mile fromthe George Washington Parkway for easy access to 495,

Old Town Alexandria, Reagan National Airport, and Arlington.

*Call 703-862-7240

3 RE for Rent 3 RE for Rent

LEGAL NOTICEVienna Internal Medicine Associates, P.C.

Now joins Inova Medical Group – ViennaTo make an appointment or

To request medical records, please contact:

703-938-7800135 Center Street SouthVienna, Virginia 22180

To move your records to a providerOutside our network, customary fees apply.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements



21 Announcements 21 Announcements

HDI COMPUTER SOLUTIONSJENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

➣ Speed up Slow Computers➣ Troubleshooting➣ Virus Removal➣ Computer Setup

(571) [email protected]

101 Computers 101 Computers

26 Antiques

We pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

Danish/modernteak furniture, STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES, jewelry

and costume jewelry,paintings/art glass/clocks.

Schefer Antiques @703-241-0790.

Email:[email protected]

For a free digital sub-scription to one or allof the 15 ConnectionNewspapers, go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Complete digital rep-lica of the print edition,including photos andads, delivered weeklyto your e-mail box.

Questions? E-mail:[email protected]

EmploymentEmployment

Nysmith Schoolfor the Gifted Herndon, VA

Nysmith School Preschool through 8th GradeHiring for 2014-2015 academic year

College Degree Required:• Preschool Co-Teachers – $26.67• Middle School Co-Teachers

• Part time 7th Grade Earth Science(7.5 hours per week)

• Latin• Spanish• French

Extended Care Counselors:Bachelor Degree preferred/Min. high schooldiploma plus 6 months childcare experience.$8-$11/hr. based on experience.Flexible after school hoursJoin our Playground Team!Looking for several people to assist teachers inmonitoring children at recess on the playground. Funand friendly environment – Flexible Hours. $12/hr.

Send resumes to [email protected]: 703-713-3336

Drivers – Local Combo P&D Drivers/Dock Workers Needed.

FT/PT. Excellent Hourly Rate, Home Daily, Fully Paid Medical Benefits CDL-A w/XT or HTN req. Call 855-378-4972.

YRC Freight is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Minorities/Females/

Disabled/Protected Veterans

J RICKARDS UNISEX HAIR SALON AT 6801 WHITTIER AVE McLEAN, VA

22101UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT:

HIRING HAIRDRESSERS, BARBERS AND MANICURIST

WITH THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS, OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK.

RENTAL STATIONS AVAILABLE, CONTACT SANDRA: 703-895-7585.

CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6........................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4........................Tues @ noon

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINESZones 5, 6...........................Tues @ 11:00Zones 1, 3.............................Tues @ 4:00Zone 2.................................Wed @ 11:00Zone 4...................................Wed @ 1:00

E-mail ad with zone choices to: [email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/ Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria Gazette Packet

The Mount Vernon Gazette

Zone 4: Centre View North Centre View SouthZone 5: The Potomac AlmanacZone 6: The Arlington Connection

The Vienna/OaktonConnection

The McLean ConnectionThe Great Falls

Connection

Rockville

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BethesdaChevyChase

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Washington,D.C.

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Great Papers • Great ReadersGreat Results!

Employers:Are yourrecruiting adsnot working inother papers?

Try a better way to fill your employment openings

703-917-6464classified@connection

newspapers.com

• Target your best jobcandidates wherethey live.

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• Proven readership.

• Proven results.

An expert is someone who knowssome of the

worst mistakesthat can bemade in his

subject and howto avoid them.

-WernerHeisenberg


Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 6: • Arlington • Great Falls

• McLean • Vienna/Oakton

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

GUTTER CLEANINGGutters and Downspouts Cleaned

Small Repairs • Gutter Guards

PINNACLE SERVICESlic/ins 703-802-0483 free est.email [email protected]: lawnsandgutters.comFriendly Service with a Friendly Price!

GUTTER GUTTER

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LicensedInsured

We Accept VISA/MC

703-441-8811

You have tried the rest - NOW CALL THE BEST!!Proudly serving Northern VA - 46 yrs. exp.

The HANDYMANA DIVISION OF NURSE CONSTRUCTION

BATHROOM REMODELING, DRYWALL,PAINTING, CERAMIC TILE, CARPENTRY,POWER WASHING & MUCH MORE

A&S Landscaping

703-863-7465LICENSED

Serving All of N. Virginia

• All Concrete work• Retaining Walls • Patios• Decks • Porches (incl. screened) • Erosion & Grading Solutions• French Drains • Sump Pumps• Driveway Asphalt Sealing

R.N. CONTRACTORS, INC.Remodeling Homes, Flooring,Kitchen & Bath, Windows,Siding, Roofing, Additions &Patios, Custom Deck, Painting

We Accept All Major Credit CardsLicensed, Insured, Bonded • Free Estimates • Class A Lic

Phone: 703-887-3827 Fax: 703-830-3849E-mail: [email protected]

www.rncontractors.com

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

R&N Carpentry

✦BASEMENTS ✦BATHS ✦KITCHENSForeclosure specialist/Power washing

✦Exterior Wood Rot More!Deck & Fence repair, Screen Porches

No jobs too large or smallFree est. 37 yrs exp. Licensed, Insured

703-987-5096

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

ANTONIO LAWN & LANDSCAPINGSpring Cleanup • Lawn Mowing • Edging

Mulching • Planting • PatiosExpert Trimming & Removal • New Beds Made

Outline/Extend Existing BedsRepairs • New Installations • & Much More

CALL NOW FOR FREE ESTIMATE571-201-5561

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MULCHING & TRIM HEDGES

PINNACLE SERVICES, INC.LAWN SERVICE

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Custom Masonry703-768-3900

www.custommasonry.infoPatios, Walkways, Stoops, Steps, DrivewaysRepairs & New Installs•All Work Guranteed

BRICK AND STONE

MASONRY MASONRY

Quality Tree Service & LandscapingReasonable prices. Licensed & insured

25 years of experience – Free estimates 703-868-5358

Spring Cleanup...Tree removal, topping & pruning,

shrubbery trimming, mulching, leafremoval, planting, hauling, gutter cleaning,

retaining walls, drainage problems, etc.

24 Hour Emergency Tree Service

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

HAULING

AL’S HAULINGJunk & Rubbish

Concrete, furn.,office,yard, construction debris

Low Rates NOVA703-360-4364

703-304-4798 cell

7 DAYS A WEEK

ANGEL’S HAULING

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Debris, Garage/ Base- ment Clean Out,

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Brush & Yard Debris Trimming & Topping

Gutters & Hauling

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LANDSCAPING

LANDSCAPING Forrest Gump knew when he voicedover: “Mama got the cancer and died on aTuesday. I bought her a new hat with littleflowers on it. And that’s all I have to sayabout that.” And if you watched the movieas often as I did (it was one of my mother’sfavorites), you may also recall “Mama alwayssaid you got to put the past behind youbefore you can move on.” However, as regu-larly as I try to follow Forrest’s and hisMama’s sage Greenbow, Alabama advice,being a real-life cancer patient, some daysare more difficult than others, especiallywhen your oncology nurse calls the you theday before your every-three-week chemo-therapy infusion to tell you that some of thelevels tested for in your every-three-week,pre-chemotherapy lab work are abnormal(creatinine too high, GFR too low) whichmay put a stop to the treatment this week.And if there’s one psychological crutch I’lladmit to having, it’s the need to not miss anyof my regularly-scheduled infusions or any ofthe other scans or miscellaneous appoint-ments as a means not to my premature end.

Although this potential blip in my lungcancer trip has happened previously: whiteblood cell count too low, potassium too high,blood work hemolyzed; which also led to re-tests, new prescriptions, stoppage of treat-ment, etc., hearing it is never good news.Among other considerations, it means com-plications and likely delays concerning thingsthat yours truly, as the patient, doesn’t wantto think it means: trouble with a capital “T.”Nevertheless, the experience is not unfamil-iar and mostly the results have been over-turned on appeal, if you follow my drift. Still,until the new results are posted and/or thenew prescription is filled or the infusionscontinue, it’s difficult to put the past behindyou because the present won’t let you.

After the initial disappointment haspassed, Ron, my oncology nurse, and I dis-cuss my options since medically speaking,everything needs to be re-confirmed. I optfor a re-test immediately in the hope that asecond test – a day later, that very day in fact– would provide whatever time my bodyand/or the lab needed to determine that myresults did indeed fall within the normalparameters, for me, and so the infusioncould go on – in, actually. If the results areunfortunately still too high/too low, we havea plan for that but since neither Ron nor Iare inclined to beat the rush and panic now,we’ll patiently (no pun intended) wait for there-test’s results. And since my blood work isalways “STAT” (a.s.a.p. for you lay peopleout there), we’ll receive confirmation by 4p.m. this afternoon, more than enough timeto still maintain my infusion schedule fortomorrow and move forward, which forthose of us being actively treated, is crucial.At least to this patient, it is (in my head,anyway).

Approximately four hours after my con-versation with Ron, including the 45-minutedrive to the lab, the 30-minute wait to bedrawn and then the 10-minute drive home,Ron calls to tell me that he’ll see me tomor-row. The re-test came back normal and wecan all proceed with the infusion – and cau-tion as usual. Whether you take Rolaids ornot, you can spell r-e-l-i-e-f now. Nowwhether a week’s delay due to the levels inmy lab work would have actually matteredin the short, middle or long term infusionschedule, one certainly can’t know. At leastnow, I can go forward and not worry asmuch about the past since we’re presentlyon track once again. Life really is like a boxof chocolates. Although I like the caramelsand soft centers best.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

“One Less Thing”

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst

mistakes that can be made in hissubject and how to avoid them.

-Werner Heisenberg


www.GreatFallsGreatHomes.com

Helen Chung VasiliadisSusan Canis703-757-3222 Office

Jan & Dan LaythamDianne Van Volkenburg

Great Falls $1,195,000

Great Falls $1,739,000 Great Falls $1,599,000




5 ACRES

W/1 A

CRE POND

Great Falls $1,289,000 Great Falls $1,275,000 Great Falls $995,000





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Documents

Great Falls Memories of a Bittersweet Year Falls.pdfaturday, June 21, marked the sum-mer solstice –– that is, the longest day of the year. The Alzheimer’s As-sociation marked