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HomeLifeStylePage 6
Mai Kasim, Lily Mousa 4, Ta-mara Mousa, six months, Eman Hashish, Sama Amir Brakat, 8, and Sandy Amir Brakat, 4, could hardly wait to get their photo with the tallest Uncle Sam ever during the Town of Herndon 4th of July Celebra-tion held at Bready Park.
Property Owners Appeal Downtown RedevelopmentViewpoints, Page 4
Herndon Pole VaulterSoars to National HeightsSports, Page 10
Light My Fire News, Page 3
2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Thisanth Prabu,2, of Oak Hillwaits for the
balloon man tomake him a hat
at the 2018 Townof Herndon 4thof July Celebra-
tion.
Fireworks explode over the Centennial Golf Course inHerndon during the Wednesday 4th of July display.
Light My FireGlitter, glory andpatriotism sparkat Herndon’s 4thof July Celebrationand Fireworks.
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
The line up of activities attractedthousands of people ready fora night of fun at Bready Park inthe Town of Herndon on the 4th
of July. There was live music, food trucks,Bingo, arts and crafts, yard games, and ofcourse the mesmerizing lure of fireworks.
As dusk fell, families and friends spreadout blankets and set up chairs on the grassylawns in the park and along Ferndale Av-enue. As advertised, right at 9:30, the firstrocket whistled upwards and exploded intoshimmering splatters of light. The displaylasted more than 20 minutes and endedwith the traditional shower of lights, crash-ing booms, and little children asking overand over, “Is that the end?”
Devin Jones, 4, Sophie Jones, 6, Preston Hundley, 6,and Ellison Hundley, 2, all of Greater Herndon aredressed in red, white and blue ready to explore the4th of July Celebration produced by Herndon Parksand Recreation at Bready Park.
Jose Levia is one lucky dad as he enjoys the 4th ofJuly at Bready Park in Herndon eating watermelonwith his three children, Sofia, 6, Luis, 3, and Angla, 8.
Logan Ware 4, of Oak Hill dances with her dad,Ben as dusk falls during the 4th of July Cel-ebration produced by the Town of HerndonParks and Recreation Department.
Jae Lee, 10, gets a royal seat atop his dad’sshoulders at the 2018 4th of July Celebrationin the Town of Herndon.
Fireworks explode over the Centennial GolfCourse in Herndon during the Wednesday 4thof July display.
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4 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
The Herndon Town Council hasapproved a resolution wherebythe town has entered an agree-
ment with Vivacity DC, Inc., to install“smart city” technologies, including cen-trally- controlled LED lights, free WiFi,and Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensorequipment, in downtown Herndon. Thepilot program runs from Dec. 31, 2018to Dec. 31, 2020. The pilot project in-cludes the replacement of approximately10 existing street light poles with LEDsmart poles, with LED lighting upgrades
to approximately 30 additional street lights.These enhancements will enable remotemonitoring and management of the lights.Additional elements of the program includea public Wi-Fi network downtown; install-ment of an electric vehicle charging station;and IoT sensors for other smart city services.
Through the pilot project, Vivacity and thetown will evaluate
❖ Cost savings of LED lights and centrally-controlled management system;
❖ Potential reduction in carbon emis-sions;
❖ Impact of improved mobile coveragein the downtown;
❖ Public safety impacts from the lightingand blue button emergency calling feature;
❖ Data on bicycle and pedestrian flow onthe W&OD trail; and
❖ Cost and usage of the electric vehiclecharging station.
Vivacity will design, engineer, constructand manage the integrated fiber optic cableand wireless network capable to deliver thesmart city services. The town will allow ac-cess to infrastructure including existing
street lights, conduit, power facilities andelectrical services, as well as required au-thorization for Vivacity to sell services tothird parties.
“We are excited to pilot this programwith Vivacity and to explore how thesecutting-edge technologies may benefitcitizens, businesses and visitors to ourdowntown,” said Mayor Lisa C. Merkel.“The metrics developed through this pro-gram will provide a baseline upon whichwe build, as we work toward our visionfor Herndon’s downtown.”
Herndon to Install ‘Smart City’ Technologies
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
Three written appeals werefiled with the Town ofHerndon Mon-day, July 2,by property owners ag-
grieved by the June 18, 2018, Heri-tage Preservation Review Board ap-proval of Application for a Certificateof Appropriateness for New Con-struction, HPRB #18-17.
These individuals have a propertyinterest in land abutting or across thestreet from the property, which is thesubject of the Certificate of Appro-priateness, the Downtown Redevel-opment Project. The appeals report-edly address the construction of newstructures and site features.
The Town of Herndon reports thatat the Heritage Preservation ReviewBoard (HPRB) Public Hearing onJune 18, 2018, the proposed Rede-velopment Project received the nec-essary certificate approvals, with con-ditions.
First, the approvals of the demoli-tion of the existing buildings locatedat 770 Elden Street and 750 CenterStreet, and second the approval ofthe exterior architecture of the de-velopment.
PROPERTY OWNERS FILED their ap-peals with the Town of Herndon zoning ad-ministrator and specified therein groundsfor the appeals within required 14 days ofthe final decision of the Heritage Preserva-tion Review Board on the Certificate of Ap-propriateness. Those who filed appeals ei-ther own properties abutting or live acrossthe street from the 4.675-acre redevelop-ment site.
As stated in Section 78-60.3 in the Heri-tage Preservation Overlay district, with ap-peals, the Certificate of Appropriateness is-sued by the HPRB on June 18, 2018, to theApplicant, Dave Bryant, PE, ComstockHerndon Venture, LC, is rendered void.
With the Certificate now void, the Townof Herndon Zoning Administrator must
schedule a hearing at the earliest possibletown council meeting during which theappellants or their agents can state groundsfor their appeals and present materials tosupport them.
Town staff can respond or designate an-other person to do so. Each of the threeappeals must be heard.
At the end of the hearing, as stated in Sec.78-60.3, “the town council may affirm,modify, or reverse the decision of the HPRB,in whole or in part, or may remand the caseto the HPRB. The decision shall be basedon the standards in section 78-60(f), de-velopment within the Historic PreservationOverlay District.”
The decision cannot be reversed or modi-fied unless there is evidence in the recordthat the decision of the HPRB is not cor-rect, based on the review standards for a
COA. In determining whether to remand thecase back to HPRB, the town council mustbe guided by, as quoted in Sec. 78-60.3: “thecompleteness of the record; the appropri-ateness of further review by the HPRB ofcertain points or facts; and any amendmentsto the application after the decision of theHPRB.”
In a partial recap of the HPRB June 18Public Hearing during which the Town ofHerndon Staff Report reviewed the Appli-cation for the Certificate of Appropriatenessfor New Construction, HPRB #18-17 to theboard, who later voted to approve it in avote of 6 to 1, the named Applicant is DaveBryant, PE, Comstock Herndon Venture, LC.The Owner is the Town of Herndon. TheLocation is 724 Center Street, 726 CenterStreet, 750 Center Street, 731 Station
Street, 770 Elden Street, 782 EldenStreet and Vine Street at Washing-ton and Old Dominion (Trail).
During the Public Hearing,Raymond P. Ocel Jr., DevelopmentProgram Planner/Deputy ZoningAdministrator summarized the appli-cation to construct 274 residentialunits, 17,000 square feet of retailspace, 18,000 square foot arts cen-ter and an approximately 761-spacepublic/private-parking garage on the4.675 acres. He described the Zon-ing of Site PD-TD, Planned Develop-ment Traditional Downtown andBuilding Status as Category 3 Con-tributing and Non-Contributing Pro-posed demolition.
In the Staff Report, issues such asconformance with the Herndon Heri-tage Preservation Handbook, the useof the Downtown Pattern Book toguide the development of the plansfor the property and conformancewith the Town of Herndon ZoningOrdinance [78-60.3.F.2] were pre-sented by Ocel. He also noted in thereport sixteen areas and details thatrequire further refinement to com-ply with the documents and designdrawings.
THE STAFF REPORT read: “Town staffrecommends that the Board review the el-evation plans, provide comments to the ap-plicant and take into consideration the com-ments provided by staff prior to approvalof this application.”
“At this time staff is recommending thecontinuance of this item to the July 16,2018, regularly scheduled public hearing,”as stated in the Staff Report. HPRB voted 6to 1 to approve the COA.
The Town of Herndon and Comstock Part-ners both declined to comment on the ap-peals.
To view a video of the June 18, 2018Town of Herndon HPRB Public Hearing visitwww.herndon-va.gov/online-services/agendas-minutes-webcast; search ArchivedVideos, Heritage Preservation Review BoardPublic Hearing 06/18/18, click on Video.
Property Owners Appeal Downtown RedevelopmentCertificate of Appropriateness issued to Comstock Herndon Venture, LC is void.
Multiple appeals have been filed by people who have property interests in landabutting or across the street from the proposed Comstock Herndon Venture, LC,Herndon Downtown Redevelopment Project.
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
A suspect is in custodyand charged withthe murder of
Resham Bajgain, 40 ofHerndon, a gas station clerkworking the night shift atthe SUNOCO gas station inthe 13300 block of FranklinFarm Road, according toFairfax County police.
The police report statesthat after 1:15 a.m. on July4, patrol officers respondedto a call for a robbery at thegas station. Police arrivedwithin three minutes andfound Bajgain of Herndon with blunt forcetrauma to the upper body.
According to the department news re-lease, officers observed a person matchinga description of the suspect. They released911 descriptions record saying, “subject isa black male wearing a black bandana, noshirt, black pants.” Officers arrested 19-year-old Mohamed A. Abdullahi of Herndonin the parking lot.
Abdullahi is being held at the Adult De-tention Center without bond and is chargedwith murder. No recent charges could befound for Mohamed Abdullahi in onlinecourt records.
Bajgain, a recent immigrant from Nepalworked two jobs, a full-time job at Wegmansand a part-time job at SUNOCO. Reportsprovided on a gofundme page to help com-plete final rites for Bajgain and support hisfamily states that he arrived in the United
States in September of2017 and lived with hiswife and 5-year-old daugh-ter.
The most recent updateon the gofundme page,dated Sunday, July 8thanked individuals for at-tending Bajgain’s funeralthat was held Saturday,July 7, and thanked allwho had donated andshown support for the fam-ily. “We are very honoredto have such a huge groupof friends,” posted theNRNA Virginia Chapter. Asof Monday, July 6,gofundme reports $66,812
of the $50,000 online gofundme goal raisedby 1,337 people. See www.gofundme.com/4wadxby4.
Detectives would like to hear from any-one with information, to include the driverof a Pontiac GTO who was near the Sunocoaround the time of the murder. Abdullahiis being held at the Adult Detention Centerwithout bond.
If anyone has information about thiscrime, contact Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800 or contact Crime Solvers elec-tronically by visiting http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text-a-tip bytexting “TIP187” plus your message toCRIMES (274637) or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or call Fairfax County Policeat 703-691-2131. For ongoing updates, readthe FCPD blog and follow them on Twitter,Facebook and Instagram at@FairfaxCountyPD.
Husband and father, Resham Bajgain, 40, recently immigrated fromNepal and was working two jobs. He was murdered July 4 at theSUNOCO gas station in Herndon on Franklin Farms Road as he workedthe overnight shift.
New Immigrant, Young FatherMurdered at Herndon Gas StationCommunity shocked, responds to gofundmerequest to support the family of Resham Bajgain.
Mug shot of July 4murder suspect,Mohamed AbukarAbdullahi.
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Home LifeStyle
By Marilyn Campbell
Along with sunshine and longer days, summeroffers an array of design opportunities. Frombackyard barbecues to brunch in the garden,
the right decor can add a touch of flair to a midsum-mer gathering.
Designing a table with the vibrant colors of sum-mer fruit creates an air of liveliness, says interiorBridget Francis of Colors by Bridget. “Watermelon,blueberries and strawberries are plentiful now, so ifyou’re serving them you can use those colors as abase for your tablescape,” she said. “Think zinniasand red roses with white serveware.”
Limiting a tablescape to two or three colors lendssimplicity to a design, advises Francis. “For example,I use light blue and white dishes with white tabletable linens,” she said. “I add floral arrangementswith white and pale pink roses and blue hydrangeas,some white votives, and voila, a crisp, clean summertable.”
When creating those dinner party arrangements,make sure the height of the flowers is low so thatguests can see and talk to each other, advises AmandaMertins of Patina Polished Living. “Flower arrange-ments are supposed to be a lovely addition to thetable, not an irritant because they’re blocking yourview,” she said. “I just love a beautiful arrangementthat you can look down and see, and that everyoneat the table can enjoy. Right now hydrangeas androses are big. When we make arrangements we’readding rosemary and lavender for a touch of green.”
“Etched glass hurricanes are a beautiful additionto a table setting,” said Todd Martz, owner of Homeon Cameron. “They create a lovely ambiance for anoutdoor setting and let you stay outside longer toenjoy the stars and fireflies.”
Be it a frosty margarita or a glass of tart lemon-ade, infusing summer drinks with summer foliageadds warm weather appeal to a gathering. “Think ofa few rose petals floating in a pitcher of sangria orsprigs of lavender in a pitcher of lemonade,” saidFrancis. “It not only looks and smells great, but theflowers can infuse the drink with a subtle hint offlavor.”
In fact, Francis says that summer blooms can be
incorporated into meal prep. “I think that a cake withsimple white icing, decorated with pink roses andblue hydrangeas is the epitome of summer elegance,”she said. “I also use a pastry squeeze pen to makeflower designs for cupcakes. You can use the pen tosqueeze whipped cream to make flower toppings forice cream. It’s especially pretty when they are thesame flowers that are in your centerpiece.”
“For additional table accents, add a decorative shellor accessory to hold down napkins,” said Martz. “Tryplacing a tray in the center of the table to keep allthe dining essentials in one place, making it easierto bring them out and take them in.”
Low flower arrangements, like these formPatina Polished Living, add elegance to atablescape.
Top desserts with summer floral designsor fresh flowers.
Designing a Midsummer TableUsing flowers andcolor to create asummer wonderland.
Limiting a table design to one or twocolors of summer can create an eleganttablescape.
A few scented candles, grouped in thecenter of the table, creates a festive look,says Todd Martz of Home on Cameron.
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
At its publichearing onTuesday,
July 10, theHerndon TownCouncil will voteon a resolution toappoint Richard B.Kaufman as acouncilmember tofill a vacancy onthe current coun-cil. The vacancywas created fol-lowing the deathof CouncilmemberJeff Davidson inApril 2018.
A longtime townresident, Kaufmanserved asHerndon’s townattorney from1994 until his retirement in2015. During his tenure,Kaufman advised the TownCouncil on legislative issues;moved resolutions, ordinances,leases, franchise agreementand contracts through thetown’s legislative process; andprovided consultation on issuesbefore the Virginia General As-sembly that impacted the town.His legal counsel on topicsranging from town boundaries
to economic devel-opment guided theTown Councils un-der which heserved, and heearned respectthroughout his ca-reer from his legalpeers throughoutthe Common-wealth. He was ac-tive in several or-ganizations, in-cluding the LocalGovernment Attor-neys of Virginia,Inc. and the Vir-ginia MunicipalLeague.
Kaufman holds aBachelor’s degreefrom Washingtonand Jefferson Col-
lege, a Master’s of Arts degreefrom the University of Virginiaand a Juris Doctorate fromWashington and Lee University.
If Kaufman is appointed, histerm on the council will beginat on July 11 and will concludeon Dec. 31, 2018, at the end ofthe current council’s term. Anew Town Council will take of-fice on Jan. 1, 2018. ElectionDay in the Town of Herndon isTuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.
Herndon Town Council to FillVacancy on 2016-2018 Council
Photo Courtesy of
the Town of Herndon
Herndon TownCouncil will voteon a resolution toappoint RichardB. Kaufman, as acouncilmemberto fill a vacancyon the currentcouncil.
Boyskoto Host ClimateReality ProjectPresentation
Del. Jennifer Boysko (D-86) willhold a Climate Reality Project pre-sentation on July 17 at 7 p.m. inthe Herndon Town Council Cham-bers. With seas rising, global heatrecords falling and more frequentand more devastating storms, thereality of climate change has neverbeen clearer. With clean energy so-lutions like wind and solar becom-ing more affordable, batteries get-ting better and buildings becom-ing more efficient every year, wecan see the way forward. However,we can only move forward to-gether with a deep understandingof the current global situation andthe science behind it. The event’sspeaker, Paula Clements, com-pleted the Climate Reality Lead-ership training program underformer Vice President and currentchairman of the Climate RealityProject, Al Gore. The slideshowpresentation depicts the urgencyfor climate action but is really amessage of hope. Come learn whatyou can do to be a part of the so-
lution and help create a future wecan all live with.
Herndon-RestonIndivisibleto Host aYouth Forum
On July 17, The Education Com-mittee of Herndon-Reston Indivis-ible (HRI) will host a Youth Forumwhere young activists will sharetheir stories/experiences on cur-rent issues impacting their lives.These young millennials, recog-nized for their community involve-ment, will discuss how to tacklekey issues facing younger genera-tions. The 6:30 p.m. meeting willbe held at the Sunset HillsMontessori School, 11180 RidgeHeights Road, Reston.
Following their presentations,there will be a round table discus-sion by the speakers, and anintergenerational exchange withthe audience about the issuesraised. The meeting is open to alllocal residents, elected leaders andthe media.
Paul Walsh, leader of the Edu-cation Committee, said, “we are
excited to host this timely discus-sion and we invite the entire com-munity to attend.” For more infor-mation, [email protected].
Jimmy’s Event toSupportHerndon VillageNetwork
Residents enjoying the ThirdThursday Arts Crawl on July 19,
Week in Herndonare invited to stop by Jimmy’s OldTown Tavern to support HerndonVillage Network. There will beguest bartending, a raffle, prizes,and lots of community spirit. Thefun begins at 6 p.m.
Herndon Village Network (HVN)is an integral part of the Herndoncommunity. Through HVN, vettedvolunteer drivers provide transpor-tation for senior citizens who residein the 20170 area. Transportationis available weekdays and week-ends, and it includes rides to doctoroffices, grocery stores, social en-gagements, and more. To learn how
you may volunteer with HVN, visitwith a representative during one ormore fun community events held inthe heart of downtown Herndon thissummer.
❖ July 19: Chalk the Town andThird Thursday Arts Crawl, 5-9p.m. plus a Fun “Find Our Brick50/50 Fundraiser” at Jimmy’s OldTown Tavern
❖ Aug. 2: Near Farmer’s Mar-ket, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
❖ Aug. 16: Third Thursday ArtsCrawl, 6-9 p.m.
For more information about HerndonVillage Network, visitwww.herndonvillagenetwork.org.
8 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
The Closet of the GreaterHerndon Area, Inc. re-cently awarded
$25,000 in college scholarshipsto 18 deserving high schoolgraduates in ceremonies at fivelocal high schools. Closet BoardPresident Gene Wiley stated,“We are so proud of these youthand their families and arehappy to continue supportingthis important educational needin our community.” The 2018scholarship recipients are:
Herndon High School: HezhaFaris Barzani, Jennifer DayanaChoque-Cruz, Isaiah LeighJohnson, Minnie Suki Nguyen,and Ava Catherine Procopia
Mountain View High School:Brayan Geronimo Perez Brito,Jose Cantarero Ramos and DucMy Tran
Oakton High School: Mat-
thew Chen, Anais TshialembaMalangu and Naomi Michel Nero
Park View High School: Rubby
Alondra Bonilla, Carlitos MartinWatley-Villanueva, Srey End Hai,David Alejandro Zinter and
Lisbeth Yamileth Ramirez ZelayaSouth Lakes High School:
Ammar Faroun and Nelson AndresMoreno
Since 1974 The Closet hasawarded nearly $500,000 in col-lege scholarships to more than 458students. In this same 44 year pe-riod, The Closet has distributednearly $3 million in direct cashgrants to local service groups, ofwhich the scholarship program isan important part.
The Closet is a non-profit thriftshop founded and operated by amultiplicity of faith-based congre-gations. With a small dedicatedstaff and a very active volunteercadre, The Closet provides shop-pers low-cost, high quality usedclothing, shoes, books and otherhousehold items. Donations ofclothing and small householditems are always needed, gra-
ciously accepted, and may bedropped off at the store Mon-day through Saturday from 8a.m. to 3 p.m. Retail storehours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Saturday withevening hours on Monday andThursday from 5.to 8 p.m.
The Closet welcomes newvolunteers at any time Mondaythrough Saturday between 8a.m. and 4 p.m. Please see thestore manager, Patricia Rhoads.The Closet also welcomes stu-dent volunteers fulfilling theircommunity service require-ments for school or who justwant to serve their community.Go to http://www.theclosetofgreaterherndon.orgfor further information aboutThe Closet. The Closet is lo-cated at 845 Station Street inHerndon.
Closet Awards College Scholarships
Senior awards assembly at Mountain View High School:From left — Jose Cantarero Ramos, Laura Greenspan(Closet representative), Brayan Perez Brito, and Duc My Tran.
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The Connection
The Stout and Teague Building located at thecorner of Station and Elden streets in Downtown Herndon has been closed since Satur-
day, June 8, when, for yet undetermined reasons,the entire length of concrete rooftop cornices fell offthe three-story commercial building crashing into apopular outdoor dining area. No one was injured.
Due to structural safety concerns, the buildingwhich houses Sully’s Pour House, Illusions Hair Sa-lon, Herndon Nails and Spa, Soliloquy Bridal Salon,Edwards Jones and other business has been closedand barricaded to both owners and the public sincethe collapse.
On Thursday, July 5, KGS Construction Servicesarrived on site with a giant crane and prepared tohoist the remaining coping stones off the top edgesof the building and place them in a dumpster.
On-site watching the first day’s setup, stood AlfredoVigil of Stout and Teague Property Management Ser-vices, the company that oversees the building. Vigilwas pleased to be getting things back to normal. Heexplained that the coping stones would be lifted offthe building; then bricks added to the roofline andsurfaces sealed. Businesses were expected to openshortly after that, he said.
Reached for comment, Le Nguyen, owner ofHerndon Nails said he was told he could reopen hissalon on Friday, July 20. “I’m so glad we will beback,” said Nguyen.
In a phone interview, Jenna Kuhn, co-owner ofSully’s Pour House said that they are planning a big
reopening celebration. “We are going to open at 4p.m. and we are going to have a Toga Party. Theperson with the best toga wins $250, and we aregiving away a big screen TV. It’ll be good to be back,”said Kuhn.
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
It was a “Roomful of Blues” atArrowbrook Park in Herndonon Saturday evening, July 7
when Fairfax County Park Author-ity kicked off their free SummerEntertainment Series 2018. Lo-cated at 2351 Field Point Road, thepark is one block off CentervilleRoad.
New this year were The BurgerShack and Pacific Twist food trucksand wine tastings and sales offeredby Paradise Springs and the Win-
ery at Bull Run.On Saturday, July 14, the fea-
tured musicians are “Dale Jeff andHello Stranger”, traditional coun-try, and on July 21 get ready forthe “Empire Strikes Brass,” brass/funk/rock.
The Arrowbrook Centre, LLCand Arrowbrook ManagementCorporation sponsor The Ruth andHal Launders Charitable TrustMusic Concert Series. Concerts arecanceled due to inclementweather. Call 703-324-7469 onehour before the start of the showfor updates.
“Roomful of Blues” performs on July 7 in Herndon forthe Fairfax County Park Authority Summer Entertain-ment Series 2018 Music at Arrowbrook Park.
Summer EntertainmentSeries Opens in HerndonConcert series at ArrowbrookPark fosters a sense of community.
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Concrete Cornices RemovedFrom the Stout & Teague BuildingBusiness owners toldthey can open to thepublic Friday, July 20.
KGS Construction Services begins to hoistthe remaining concrete rooftop cornicesoff the Stout and Teague Building after anentire row of individual stones, eachweighing 3000+ pounds, crashed into apopular dining site on Saturday, June 8.
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Entertainment
Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos or artwork welcome.
ONGOINGArt Exhibit: Paris Parks. Through
July 14 at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. In his exhibit,Michael Kolster, is partly inspired bythe work of Eugene Atget, hephotographed in four Parisian Parks:St. Cloud, Parc de Sceaux,Montsouris, and Bois de Boulogne.Visit www.artspaceherndon.org orcall 703-956-6590.
Mr. Knick Knack! 10:30-11:15 a.m.May through October. At RestonTown Center Pavilion. Freeperformances of heart-centeredmusic for children. No performanceson Memorial Day, Labor Day, orColumbus Day. Visitwww.restontowncenter.com/events.
Homegrown Yoga. Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday nights atArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,Herndon. Alison Adams is bringingHomegrown Yoga to ArtSpaceHerndon. All levels welcome. Drop inand take a class. $25 two weekunlimited pass or drop-in available.Visit homegrownpoweryoga.com tosign up.
The Elden Street Tea Shop.Saturdays in ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. Sip tea andenjoy a variety of locally made snacksand pastries while enjoying the latestart installations in the gallery. Visitwww.eldenstreettea.com.
All-comers’ Group Fun Run.Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. atPotomac River Running, RestonTown Center, 11900 Market St.,Reston. For beginners or competitiverunners, come out for a fun, low-keyrun that is safe and social. Call 703-689-0999 or visitpotomacriverrunning.com/reston/.
Over-40 Softball League. A Fairfax-based league is looking for enoughplayers to form another team. Playersmust be at last 40 years of age to beeligible. All games are doubleheaders- played on Sundays at Bready Parkin Herndon between 11 a.m. and 6p.m. If interested, [email protected].
SUMMER CAMPReston Community Center is
gearing up for an exciting 2018summer camp season, with selectionsthat offer something for everyone.Want to play chess, kick a soccer ballor practice tae kwon do? Want tomake jewelry, play paintball ordesign a video game? Find all thatand more through RCC. Registrationis ongoing, but camps are fillingquickly. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com orcall 703-476-4500.
WEDNESDAY/JULY 11Wednesday Morning Book Club.
10:30 a.m. at Reston RegionalLibrary, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. This month’s title is“All the Light We Cannot See” byAnthony Doerr. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Color Me Happy. 7 p.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Relax, unwind,and color your cares away in an adultcoloring session. Invite a friend, dateor mate to come along. Coloringpages, pens and pencils provided, orbring some along. Adults. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
THURSDAY/JULY 12Baby Lapsit. 10:30 a.m. at Reston
Regional Library, 11925 Bowman
Towne Drive, Reston. Enjoy nurseryrhymes and songs while buildingearly literacy skills for children. Agebirth to 11 months with adult.Regisration now open. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Origami Workshop. 4 p.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Create colorfulworks of art using step-by-step paperfolding techniques. Registration nowopen. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.
FRIDAY/JULY 13Hypnotizers. 2 p.m. at Reston
Regional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Createspinning, glowing light machines thathypnotize and amaze. All electrifiedprojects go home. Registration nowopen. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.
Summerbration Concerts. 7-9 p.m.at Reston Station, in the open-airplaza atop Wiehle-Reston East Metro.Reston Community Center’sSummerbration featuring OasisIsland Sounds. Parking is free in theParkX parking garage from 6:30-9:30p.m. during the concerts. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com orcall 703-390-6166.
MONDAY/JULY 16Nose To Toes Yoga. 10:30 a.m. at
Reston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Explore yoga movement whileenjoying books and songs. Bring atowel or yoga mat. Registration nowopen. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Stress To Success or Teens. 7 p.m.at Reston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Thisspecial yoga workshop helps teenslearn tools to distress, boost self-esteem, and to develop strength,emotional balance and self-confidence. Bring a mat or towel.Cosponsored by FRRL. Age 13-18.Registration now open. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
TUESDAY/JULY 17Sing! Books with Miss Emily. 10:30
a.m. at Reston Regional Library,
11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Join Miss Emily for singingstorytime with illustrated songs.Cosponsored by the FRRL. Age 2-5with adult. No registration required.Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.
Stem Challenge. 3 p.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Fiveengineering challenges withclothespins, binder clips and craftsticks. Age 7-11. Registration nowopen. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.
WEDNESDAY/JULY 18The Wizard of Reading. 10:30 a.m.
at Reston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Enjoyamazing tricks and reading fun withmagician Dean Alan. Cosponsored bythe FGMRL. Age 6-12. No registrationrequired. Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.
FRIDAY/JULY 20Gymboree Music I. 10:30 a.m. at
Reston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Discover melody pitch and rhythmwhile building a repertoire of joyfulsongs. Cosponsored by the FRRL. Age6-18 months with adult. Registrationopen July 6. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Gymboree Music II. 11:15 a.m. atReston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Danceand sing to a new musical style eachmonth, including Latin, Rock ‘n’ Rolland Classical. Cosponsored by theFRRL. Age 18-24 months with adult.Registration open July 6. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Instant 3D Prints. 3:30 p.m. atReston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston.Explore the origins of 3D printing.Make professional grade models andmolds of your own design to createthings you can use. All projects gohome. Cosponsored by FRRL. Age 13-18. Registration opens July 6. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Summerbration Concerts. 7-9 p.m.at Reston Station, in the open-airplaza atop Wiehle-Reston East Metro.Reston Community Center’s
Summerbration featuring Jason MasiBand. Parking is free in the ParkXparking garage from 6:30-9:30 p.m.during the concerts. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com orcall 703-390-6166.
Art Exhibit: Entry Deadline. TheLeague of Reston Artists and theReston Photographic Society inviteartists and photographers to enterwork in the upcoming show at theUnitarian Universalist Church ofReston. Paintings and photos will beon display from July 23-Aug. 26,2018. Enter atwww.leagueofrestonartists.org.
SATURDAY/JULY 14Kiddie Academy - Storytime Live.
10 a.m.-noon at Kiddie Academy ofReston, 12320 Pinecrest Road, Suite150, Reston. Reston-area childrenand their families are invited to afun, free, interactive reading at theirannual Storytime Live event.Pinkalicious and Curious George willjump off the page and meetattendees, young and old, up closeand in person. Parents areencouraged to bring their cameras.Register online atwww.kastorytime.com.
Rhythmaya. 10:30 a.m. at RestonRegional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Indian danceand music for the whole family.Cosponsored by the FGMRL. All ages.No registration required. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
CATmas in July. 1-3 p.m. at Aperture,11410 Reston Station, Reston. NOVAPets Alive celebrates CATmas in Julywith a cat and kitten adoption event.More than 30 cats and kittens will beavailable for adoption. Visitwww.novapetsalive.org/adopt.
Stories Heard ‘Round the World. 2p.m. at Reston Regional Library,11925 Bowman Towne Drive,Reston. Join this participation festivaland celebration of children’s folklore.Age 6-12. Registration now open.Call 703-689-2700 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.
Concerts on the Town: Scythian.7:30-10 p.m. (rain or shine) atReston Town Center. These family-friendly concerts include a widerange of musical styles includingMotown, swing, blues, jazz, Latinfusion, Celtic, bluegrass and zydecoand take place every Saturday night
through Aug. 25. Free. Visitwww.restontowncenter.com.
SUNDAY/JULY 15Sunday Art in the Park. 5:30-7:30
p.m. at Reston Town Square Park,11900 Market St., Reston. GreaterReston Art Center, in partnershipwith the Reston Community Center,welcomes visitors to the Sunday Artin the Park series. Before attendingthe Sunday concert in Reston TownSquare Park, come to the gallery tosee the exhibition and drop in on anart making activity. Free and open toall ages. Visit restonarts.org.
THURSDAY/JULY 19W.A.T.E.R. Safety Presentation.
10:30 a.m. at Reston RegionalLibrary, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Learn the basics ofwater safety presented by theGoldfish Swim School. Age 3-5 withadult. Registration open July 5. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Geronimo Stilton Book Club. 2 p.m.at Reston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Read:“Field Trip to Niagara Falls.” Age 8-11. Registration open July 6. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Fundraiser with Guest Bartenders.6 p.m. at Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern,697 Spring St., Herndon. BenefitsHerndon Village Network, a localnonprofit providing freetransportation to senior citizens.Guest bartending party will featureraffles, prizes, and more. Visitherndonvillagenetwork.org.
Teen Advisory Board. 7 p.m. atReston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. Jointhe Teen Advisory Board to gainleadership and volunteer experienceand share ideas about how to makethe library a wonderful place forteens. Volunteer hours granted. Age13-18. No registration required. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
SATURDAY/JULY 21Mercier School of Dance. 11 a.m. at
Reston Regional Library, 11925Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. See apresentation of ballet, creativemovement and Scottish HighlandsDance. Age 4 -12 with adult. Noregistration required. Visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov orcall 703-689-2700.
Art Exhibit: Building Worlds.Through Sept. 15 at GRACE, 12001Market St., Suite 103, Reston. Theartists in this exhibition create theirown worlds, including culturalreferences and artifacts, to questionthe assumptions of history-makingand truth-telling. Opening Receptionand Curator’s Talk: July 21, 5-7 p.m.Free and open to the public. Call703-471-9242 or visit restonarts.org.
Concerts on the Town: Entrain.7:30-10 p.m. (rain or shine) atReston Town Center. These family-friendly concerts include a widerange of musical styles includingMotown, swing, blues, jazz, Latinfusion, Celtic, bluegrass and zydecoand take place every Saturday nightthrough Aug. 25. Free. Visitwww.restontowncenter.com.
SUNDAY/JULY 22Vegetable Plant Clinics. 4-6 p.m. at
Baron Cameron Park, 11300 BaronCameron Ave., Reston. Focus will beon planning a fall vegetable garden.Fairfax County Master Gardeners willadd a focus on vegetable gardeningto their Plant Clinic program.Sponsored by Virginia CooperativeExtension. Contact the VCE FairfaxCounty Master Gardener Help Deskat 703-324-8556.
Paris ParksIn his exhibit, Michael Kolster,
is partly inspired by the work ofEugene Atget, he photographed infour Parisian Parks: St. Cloud,Parc de Sceaux, Montsouris, andBois de Boulogne. Parks and gar-dens are the embodiment of theparadoxical human desire toshape and commune with thenatural world: to maintain the il-lusion that we can master ourenvironment, and, conversely, tobe reminded that we are only apart of the larger web of life. Theexhibit runs through July 14 atArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,Herndon. Visitwww.artspaceherndon.org or call703-956-6590.
Photographs in theParis Parks Exhibit havebeen made with materi-als many consider to beoutdated: rolls of 120black-and-white silvergelatin film and anelectronic strobe pow-ered by a lead battery.
10 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Sports
Route 28 Lane Closure July 16-30Southbound right lane closure at Air and SpaceMuseum Parkway for pavement reconstruction
The right lane of southbound Route 28 atAir and Space Museum Parkway will beclosed (weather permitting) Monday,
July 16 to Monday, July 30 for pavement recon-struction, according to the Virginia Departmentof Transportation. The closure will run from justnorth of the Air and Space Museum Parkway in-terchange to just south of the interchange. Thesouthbound collector-distributor road (the bar-rier-separated lanes to the right of the southboundRoute 28 lanes) will be used as a temporarythrough lane in order to maintain four through lanesof southbound Route 28. The exit from southboundRoute 28 to Air and Space Museum Parkway willremain open. Drivers should expect delays, particu-larly during the morning and afternoon rushes, andare advised to use alternate routes. Route 28 Air and Space Work Zone Map.
Herndon Pole VaulterSoars to National HeightsAustin Miller places eighth at the 2018 USATrack & Field Outdoor Championships.
By Mercia Hobson
The Connection
Top athletes from across the nation, includ-ing Town of Herndon native Austin Miller,competed at the 2018 USA Track & Field
Outdoor Championships held at the Drake Stadiumin Des Moines, Iowa. Athletes faced off for nationaltitles and spots on the team for the first AthleticsWorld Cup to be held in London next month. Thefour-day competition took place June 21–24 andserved as the national championships in track andfield for the United States. A reported forty thou-sand visitors attended the event as the best of thebest USA athletes challenged each other for nationaltitles. The top two qualified for the North AmericanChampionship.
MILLER, who is 24 years-old and hails from theTown of Herndon, placed eighth, in men’s pole vault-ing, clearing 18 feet 2.5 inches. In an interview, Millertold how he vaulted as a student at Herndon HighSchool where his record of 13 feet 6 inches standsunchallenged.
Asked to share a bit about pole vaulting, Millerdescribed it as an all-encompassing event. He stressedthat pole vaulting requires so many things, an am-plified running speed, strength and coordinationduring the swing up, and the skills of a gymnast es-pecially when the vaulter is turned upside down andmust spin his torso to go over the bar “You have tobe fast, and strong in the arms and back. You have tobe strong in the legs to jump, and strong in yourcore because you have to swing yourself upside downlike a gymnast.”
Miller recalled his all-time best record. “The high-est I’ve ever jumped was a few weeks ago at polevault meet in Tennessee, 18 feet 6 inches. This wasthe Olympic trial qualifying standard in 2016.” Millerexplained national standing is determined by the gen-
Pole vaulter Austin Miller at the DukeUniversity Invitational Track Meet.
eral height one clears. “This is a good experiencegetting my name out. It helps with exposure.”
Asked what is the appeal of pole vaulting, Millerresponded. “Pole vaulting is my passion. First, it is anovelty. Ninety percent of people have never seen it.
“Next, it is a bit of a thrill. You are literally launch-ing yourself over a giraffe,” Miller explained refer-encing the fact that a giraffe can grow to 19 feet inheight from its hoof to its crown. “And third, thelonger I’ve been in it, vaulting is becoming my com-munity of people, my social group. You meet all kindsof people from across the country, and we only meetup at competitions.”
Miller told how on occasion he has missed the mata few times. The secret to a good landing, Millersaid, is to stay calm when up in the air. “Spot yourlanding. If you hold onto your pole, it can slow youdown.”
SAM KENDRICKS, the 2016 US National Cham-pion who set the US Olympic Trials pole vault recordand is the 2017 World Champion, won Gold at the2018 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championshipswith a 19-foot 2.25-inch pole vault.
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
I knew we had family in Argentina. I knew that one of my maternal grandfather’s
younger brothers, Simon, had immigrated from Eastern Europe to South America in the early 1900s.
I knew, or thought I knew, that someone from his family – removed or not, I never know, had
in Florida in the ’80s and ’90s. But until recently, neither my brother Richard nor myself had ever met any of these distant – double entendre-intend-ed – relations. Well, that ended on Wednesday, June 27, in Union Station at 5:55 p.m.
There outside Gate “G” my wife, Dina and I stood holding a sign with my cousin’s name on it: Eduardo Blacher (my middle name is Blacker). He
earlier that morning and then boarded a south-
now of Massachusetts) with whom Eduardo has corresponded and visited over the years, had
pretty good idea of his general appearance. Along -
dent the familial connection would be made. And so it happened a bit after 6 p.m. as he
walked through the gate into the station looking around for someone he’d never seen. We cautious-ly saw one another and then immediately hugged and kissed and said: “Great to meet you!”
Eduardo’s English was pretty good so we were able to coordinate our exit from the station where, once outside, we met my brother, Richard, who had been sitting in his car waiting for our appear-ance. As soon as he saw us, he got out of his car and quickly walked over to Eduardo and likewise
family).When my widowed mother died in 2008, Rich-
ard and I felt orphaned, so to speak. Our parents, as in most families, were the keepers of the family faith. Having both been born 10 years before “The Great Depression,” they knew the family history dating back to before the turn of the century. When they died (in 2006 and 2008, respectively), their knowledge and memories died with them. It was a palpable loss that Richard and I still feel.
We are lucky though; my cousin Ronnie (my mother’s niece) has lots of family information and has become our go-to resource for all things Blach-er/Blacker. She facilitated this much-anticipated visit (Eduardo is seeing her next).
To try and put Eduardo’s visit in some context; in the 10 years since my mother’s passing, given the ages of the surviving family members in the United States with whom we’re in touch, we’ve not really gained any family members, let alone con-nected with an entire line of cousins going back to before World War I.
Eduardo has three children, four grandchildren, a sister in Israel and parents, both of whom are their mid-80s still alive and well. In familial fact, his father is my grandfather’s nephew and knows lots more about my grandfather than I ever did, and has knowledge of the Blacher/Blacker family going back over 125 years as well in and out of our respective countries.
Given the pogroms and the Holocaust, for many Jewish people my age, a treasure trove of family history/knowledge like this was thought to
For three days, until Eduardo’s departure Sun-day morning, we rarely left one another’s side. In
photos, exchanged email addresses, talked nearly non-stop about everything, downloaded WhatsApp which we’ll enable us to message each other in the future, and together on Friday night lit the Shabbos candles and together prayed in Hebrew.
I can’t really express how I feel other than to say I’ve been crying while I’ve been writing this column. And it’s the best cry I’ve had in years.
A Relative UnknownSubmit civic/community announcements at
ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICESThe Fairfax-Falls Church Community
Services Board’s Merrifield Center offers anew stand-up information kiosk. Part of a pilotproject, the new feature aims to improve thecustomer service experience and decrease waittimes for individuals who are seeking mental(behavioral) health services. To check in,individuals respond to five simple questions,then the CSB’s Patient Track software alertsstaff. Based on clinicians’ schedules andavailability, as well as the needs of the client,individuals are triaged and seen by the nextavailable staff member. For more information onavailable services, call the CSB at 703-383-8500(Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). In anemergency 24/7, call CSB Emergency Services at703-573-5679 or the Fairfax Detox Center at703-502-7000 (TTY 703-322-9080).
WEDNESDAY/JULY 11Staying Focused and Finishing 2018 Strong.
8:30-10 a.m. at Greater Reston Chamber ofCommerce, 886 Metro Center Drive, Suite 230,Reston. Gretchen Richards of Dynamic BusinessCapabilities will show participants how toimprove productivity and stay focused on what’simportant to close out 2018 strong. Visitwww.restonchamber.org for more.
THURSDAY/JULY 12Lessons Learned from GovCon Deal
Warriors. 8-10 a.m. at Reston AssociationConference Center, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive,Reston. Join Reston Chamber of Commerce’sseasoned panel of “GovCon Deal Warriors” todiscuss the current M&A landscape and learnwhat contractors need to do to ensure successfulM&A execution. $35, members; $50, futuremembers/guests; free, government agencyrepresentative; $10 more at the door. Visitwww.restonchamber.org for more.
Story Time: Perspective Taking. 10-11 a.m. atThe Parent Resource Center Library, 2334Gallows Road, Entrance 1 - Room 105, DunnLoring. This Story Time will highlight books andactivities to support perspective taking in youngchildren. Perspective taking is an evidence-basedexecutive functioning skill that forms the basisfor children’s understanding of their parents’,teachers’, and friends’ intentions. Registration islimited and required for children ages 4-6 andtheir parents. Visit www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-center formore.
TUESDAY/JULY 17Story Time: Making Connections. 10-11 a.m.
at The Parent Resource Center Library, 2334Gallows Road, Entrance 1 - Room 105, DunnLoring. Making Connections is at the heart oflearning. This Story Time will highlight booksand activities to support this evidence-basedexecutive functioning skill in young children.Registration is limited and required for childrenages 4-6 and their parents. Visit www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-center for more.
Public Information Hearing. 5-8 p.m. at SouthLakes High School Cafeteria, 11400 South LakesDrive, Reston. The Metropolitan WashingtonAirports Authority is hosting a public hearing toinform and solicit comments from thecommunity about proposed toll rate increasesalong the Dulles Toll Road. There will beinformational exhibits related to the Dulles TollRoad and planned improvements that may bemade, the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Silver LineExtension Project, the revenue projectionsassociated with the proposed toll rate increasesand how this additional revenue will be spent.Representatives from the Airports Authority willbe present to discuss these items. Visitwww.mwaa.com for more.
WEDNESDAY/JULY 18Managing Your Personal Brand Online. 5-7
p.m. at Hilton Dulles, 13869 Park Center Road,Herndon.
Learn about social media best practices to developand protect one’s personal brand. YoungProfessionals program is is open to all membersand guests, and includes light refreshmentsincluding local beer.
$25 for members; $35 for future members/guests;$10 more at door. Visit www.restonchamber.orgfor more.
Bulletin
12 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ July 11-17, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
On July 5, the SafeVirginia Initiative(SVI) hosted its firstNorthern Virginia
event, “Beyond Thoughts andPrayers,” at the All Dulles AreaMuslim Society Center in Sterling.
In keeping with the title, theevent focused on communities offaith’s response to gun violence, aswell as violence in general. Rep-resentatives from Muslim, Jewish,Sikh, Catholic and Quaker com-munities addressed the assembledcrowd, while a number of mem-bers of the House of Delegates lis-tened to the varied concerns ofthose assembled. Attendees camefrom all sides of the firearms de-bate, from members of Moms De-mand Action to members of theVirginia Citizen Defense League.
The program began with a num-ber of faith leaders discussing howtheir faith dictates how to respondto violence and gun violence in
particular. Next, various questionswere posed to the audience abouthow they would like to see offi-cials respond to gun violence,what laws were sufficient andwhat should be changed.
Members of the crowd discussed“gun free zones,” firearm carry inplaces of worship, and whether ornot faith leaders should speakabout methods to prevent gun vio-lence from the pulpit. The eventended with an “open mic” for au-dience members to speak aboutwhat the General Assembly can doto reduce gun violence movingforward.
Just a few weeks following theParkland tragedy in Florida, the
Speaker of the Virginia House ofDelegates announced the forma-tion of a bipartisan Select Commit-tee on School Safety. While thecommittee’s formation was consid-ered historic, it was announcedthat the select committee wouldnot address gun violence nor dis-cuss potential legislative solutionswith regard to guns. Following thisannouncement, the House Demo-cratic Caucus formed the Safe Vir-ginia Initiative (SVI). The SVI isorganizing events between Mayand October of this year relatedto gun safety. These events willcontinue to occur throughout Vir-ginia and will include public in-put. Prior events have included a
town hall focusing on inner cityviolence in Richmond and a panelon the nexus of mental health andgun violence in Lexington.
The Safe Virginia Initiative is co-chaired by Del. Eileen Filler-Corn(D-41) and Del. Kathleen Murphy(D-34) and includes the followingregional co-chairs: Del. John Bell(Northern Virginia), Del. ChrisHurst (Southwest), Del. DeloresMcQuinn (Metro Richmond) andDel. Marcia Price (HamptonRoads). The group will work withexperts from the Office of the Gov-ernor, the Office of the AttorneyGeneral, local leaders from bothparties and law enforcement todraft policy proposals for the nextlegislative session.
“I appreciated the opportunity tohear from a diverse group ofpeople on how to best curb andcombat gun violence,” said Filler-Corn. “This is the whole point ofthe Safe Virginia Initiative, wewant to hear from everyone, be-cause only by finding commonground can we move forward in asubstantive manner on these is-sues. I look forward to continuingthis conversation across the Com-monwealth over the next fewmonths,” she added.
Those interested in followingthe activities of this working groupcan like the “Safe Virginia Initia-tive” page on Facebook or follow@svi_va on Twitter.
Safe Virginia Initiative Looks‘Beyond Thoughts and Prayers’The ADAMSCenter eventfocuses oncommunities offaith’s responseto violence.
From right: Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (speaking) and Del-egates Kathleen Murphy, Rip Sullivan, Wendy Gooditis,Danica Roem, Mark Levine, Jennifer Boysko, Kathy Tran,David Reid, Vivian Watts, Ken Plum and Karrie Delaney.
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To the Editor:In light of the humanitarian cri-
sis on the border, high school stu-dents were not able to sit back andwatch people struggle and suffer.Virginia teenagers, Tarina Ahuja,Perrin McHugh, and Bee Hyland,organized a rally titled “Rally toReunite” that took place in frontof the ICE building in Fairfax.
The event was full of inspira-tional speakers and performers,loud chants, colorful signs, and apervading message that the peopleare watching and refuse to staysilent. The speakers includedRajwant Singh, president ofEcoSikh; Mansimran Kahlon, thevice chair of the 10th DistrictDemocratic Committee in PrinceWilliams County; and a musicalperformance by Gurl Music.
The enthusiasm was contagious.Cars, pedestrians, and cyclistswould stop to cheer and showtheir support for the cause creat-
ing a larger sense of unity and soli-darity with the separated families.Throughout the day, speakers andorganizers emphasized the needfor both adults and young peopleto vote.
According to these youngpeople, civic engagement, no mat-ter your age, is the key to creatinga government that we can beproud of. The students empha-sized that having young peopleinvolved is what will bring ourcountry forward. They empha-sized that youths have new ideas,new perspectives and also will bethe ones with solutions in the fu-ture. Many people have told thesestudents that young people do notbelong in politics, but they holdstrong in their belief that the voiceof their generation is valuable andsomething that is necessary consid-ering our current political climate.
Tarina AhujaAshburn
Rally organizers, from left: Bee Hyland, 17, Leesburg;Tarina Ahuja, 16, Ashburn; and Perrin McHugh, 17,McLean.
Teenagers Organize‘Rally to Reunite’
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