Opinion, Page 6 ‘This Drive Will Help Us Restock’connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/022019/Fairfax.pdfKevin. Both boys handed out fliers telling about Britepaths and listing some

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com February 21-27, 2019

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Tolls Off the Table For Area ParkwaysNews, Page 3

Promoting Early LearningNews, Page 8

‘This Drive Will Help Us Restock’News, Page 2

(From left) are Walmart store manager Lind Godeni and Britepaths Programs Director Chris Garris during the food drive for Britepaths.

2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ February 21-27, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

Energy and enthusiasm ran highlast Saturday, Feb. 16, during theStuff the Bus food drive forBritepaths. Held at the Walmart

in Fairfax City, it was part of Fairfax County’sannual initiative to stock local food pantriesin the winter.

From 11 a.m.-4 p.m., various volunteersgreeted Walmart customers and passed outfliers asking for donations of food or moneyso the nonprofit Britepaths can continueproviding food for local families in need.What was collected was then stuffed into aFastran bus and brought to theorganization’s pantry.

“It’s great to have all the volunteers here– from Britepaths, youth baseball, Fair OaksDistrict police, etc.,” said Supervisor JohnCook (R-Braddock), who dropped by dur-ing the event. “And we want to thankWalmart for letting us be at this location.It’s wonderful to see so many people be heretoday to help out their neighbors.

“People sometimes forget that, althoughFairfax is a very wealthy county, we have agreat many people who live in poverty,” hecontinued. “And we learned during the fed-eral-government shutdown that we have avery large number of people who are work-ing but living paycheck to paycheck. And Ijust think that part of being a good neigh-bor is helping people in the communitywhen they’re having a tough time – andthat’s what this is all about.”

THE FAIRFAX ROYALS 13U Blue TravelBaseball Team not only helped staff thedrive all day, but also helped bring the do-nations back to the food pantry. And play-

ers Kevin Burns and Charlie Barsotti, eighth-graders at Frost and Lanier middle schools,respectively, were among them.

“I wanted to help support families in needthat don’t have as much as us,” explainedKevin. Both boys handed out fliers tellingabout Britepaths and listing some of themost-needed items.

They included: Canned fruit, cooking oil,dried beans, pizza kits, parmesan cheese,lunch snacks, healthy cereals, shelf-stablemilk, laundry detergent, toilet paper andshampoo. Customers were also able to con-tribute cash, checks and grocery-store giftcards.

Happy to participate, Charlie said, “I justwanted to give back to the community andhelp people who aren’t as fortunate as oth-ers are.” Also donating was Walmart storemanager Lind Godeni, who gave Britepaths10 Walmart gift cards worth $25 each, fora total of $250.

Besides hosting the event, Walmart alsoprovided a parking area in front of the storefor the bus. “Walmart really believes in help-ing the community,” said Godeni. “And wealways partner up with anybody on thesame mission as us – to make people’s livesa little easier.” Britepaths Programs Direc-tor Chris Garris said Stuff the Bus came ata good time for her organization. “Due tothe government shutdown, furloughedworkers came to our pantry, as well, acouple weeks ago, so it was emptied ofmuch-needed items,” “she said. “So thisdrive will help us restock.”

She also praised the county government,Office of Public Private Partnerships (FairfaxCommunity Connections), MV Transporta-tion and Walmart Fairfax for making it allpossible. “The partnerships of Stuff the Bushave been so important,” said Garris. “Theynot only brought awareness to the need, butbrought together the county, volunteer or-ganizations, youth groups and a local busi-ness.” She said many of the familiesBritepaths serves are working multiple jobsjust to make ends meet. “They often haveto make the choice between buying food or

paying their rent,” explained Garris. “That’swhere Britepaths steps in to not only sup-port their emergency needs, but to educatethem on budgeting and workforce devel-opment – helping them obtain the skills theyneed to get a better job.”

ALSO LENDING A HAND at the fooddrive were Ivy Zarbo and Grace Song, bothwith the county’s Coordinated ServicesPlanning (CSP). Song said people that dayasked them about the homeless statistics inFairfax County and what is the screeningprocess for their services.

“We’re an information and resourcesphone line,” said Zarbo. “People ask us, forexample, ‘Where can I find affordabledaycare, how can I get medical care with-out insurance and where can I get food?And we verify their need.”

Because of that, said Garris, CSP is aninvaluable resource for Britepaths. “We relyheavily on them for their referrals becausethey do the screening before people cometo us for help,” she said. “[In turn], we al-ways refer people to them to get connectedto the proper resources.” “When people call

in with emergency needs, we interviewthem over the phone,” said Song. Zarbo saidthey ask about the callers’ mental and physi-cal health, insurance status and any con-cerns they have about their children.

“Usually when they call us for help, there’san underlying need,” she said. “For ex-ample, they can’t pay their rent, utilities ormedical bills.” CSP’s number is 703-222-0880, and people speaking multiple lan-guages are available to help.

Coming to the food drive, as well, wasFairfax City Mayor David Meyer. “As anelected official, I know firsthand the impactthat Britepaths makes in our City and re-gion,” he said. “Governments cannot meetall the needs of their citizens, and Britepathsis one of the most effective organizationsin our area that is transforming lives andimproving outcomes for persons at risk.”

“I commend Walmart for hosting Stuff theBus, and Fairfax County for its ongoing col-laboration with the City and Britepaths,” hecontinued. “The volunteers who give theirtime, and the many citizens who donatedfood and money, will know that their sup-port is making a difference.”

Volunteers from several entities participated in the Stuff the Bus fooddrive for Britepaths’ food pantry. In the center (back row) is BraddockDistrict Supervisor John Cook.

At the Britepaths donation table are (from left) Steve Grunch withVolunteer Fairfax, Grace Song, David Meyer, Chris Garris and MPOReanna Jacobson and MPO Wayne Twombly, both of the Fair OaksDistrict Police Station.

‘This Drive Will Help Us Restock’Britepaths holds Stuffthe Bus event atFairfax Walmart.

(From left) Kevin Burns and CharlieBarsotti of the Fairfax Royals 13U“Blue” Baseball Team pass outfliers to Walmart customers, tellingthem what food items are needed.

(From left) are Walmart storemanager Lind Godeni andBritepaths Programs Director ChrisGarris during the food drive forBritepaths.

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News

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Fairfax County Department ofTransportation (FCDOT) plannerThomas Burke told the Board ofSupervisors Transportation Com-

mittee that “tolls were not included in thestrategies under consideration” as improve-ments to the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways at their meeting onFeb. 12 at the Government Center.

Burke was there to update the commit-tee on the progress being made by FCDOTand the Virginia Department of Transpor-tation (VDOT) on the “Alternatives Analy-sis and Long Term Planning Study” of thetwo major thoroughfares. The multimodalcorridor study spans the often-congested 31miles from Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in thenorth, to Route 1 (Richmond Highway) inthe south and includes 17 interchanges and83 intersections.

FCDOT is leading the long-range aspectof the study, reviewing today’s deficienciesalong the network and projecting futureneeds in order to make recommendationsfor improvements for 2040 and beyond.VDOT, in conjunction with the county, con-ducted an Existing Conditions study in2017, developing more than 350 recom-mendations for immediate or near-termimprovements to the roadways. To date,said Burke, 49 of those recommendationshave been implemented. Still in the worksfor VDOT is a planned widening of a sec-tion of the Fairfax County Parkway fromRoute 29 to Route 123, including the inter-change at Popes Head Road and ShirleyGate Road extension.

In October of 2018, FCDOT held threepublic outreach meetings to inform the com-

munity of the project and to solicit publicfeedback before developing recommenda-tions.

Some of the questions being posed in-cluded:

❖ How transit should be integrated intothe corridor

❖ Addition of, or improvements to, in-terchanges and intersections

❖ Bicycle/pedestrian considerations❖ Possible implementation of Toll and/

or HOV lanesAt the meetings, attendees were invited

to participate in several interactive exercisesto offer their own suggestions. Commentssheets were also made available and, inaddition, project managers produced a 45-

day on-line survey and commentary forumthat gave participants the opportunity to“plan” various segments of the parkways,or simply leave written comments as theywished.

The number of respondents exceededtheir expectations.

“We were thinking maybe 3 or 4 thou-sand would participate,” admitted Burke,judging by the response to previous on-linetransportation-related surveys. Instead, atotal of 15,150 responses were recorded viathe online survey, with 108 more responsesreceived via emails, the website commentform and to district offices. Another 71 com-ments were recorded on the project’sFacebook page.

FCDOT and the project planners werepleased that their efforts to engage the pub-lic through numerous methods, includingsocial media, resulted in “so many voicesbeing heard.”

Burke summarized the responses for thecommittee. While HOV lanes were gener-ally ranked below road widening and ad-dition of transit options, the idea of add-ing toll lanes to any segment of eitherparkway was met with significant oppo-sition.

FCDOT got the message. None of the pre-liminary strategies under review will in-clude toll lanes as an option, although HOV-2 lanes, possibly just at certain junctures,are still being considered.

Burke’s presentation was met with appre-ciation for the work already done and stillto come. Supervisors John Cook (Braddock)and Pat Herrity (Springfield) however, cau-tioned that they would like to see any strat-egies for improvements take a “more re-gional outlook” before recommendationsare developed, with Cook asking “how dothese concepts affect others roads in theregion?”

Supervisor McKay (Lee) also asked thatthe FCDOT team keep up communicationswith the county’s delegates in Richmond,in light of upcoming legislation that couldaffect the project.

Burke says there will be more public out-reach events in the next few weeks to re-port on the survey results to the commu-nity and gather additional feedback beforefurther recommendations are brought be-fore the committee and the full Board ofSupervisors.

The update presentation, as well as his-tory and additional information, are avail-able on the county’s website.

Public opposes Express Toll Lanes on Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways.

Tolls Off the Table for Area Parkways

More than 250 participants, friends and long-time supporters of Fairfax Adult Softball, Inc.(FAS) united together on Sunday, Jan. 27 for the19th Annual Benefit Bowling Tournament to raisefunds for INOVA Children’s Hospital and FairfaxCounty Park Authority field improvements. Theevent took place at the Falls Church Bowl Americaand grossed more than $22,000 making it the mostsuccessful event in its 19 year history. In fact, thisis the fourth straight year that the fundraisingrecord was broken.

“Even though we sold out in just two short weekswith several teams on the waiting list, with theGovernment being shut down, I wasn’t sure whatto expect at this year’s event,” said FAS Programand Media Manager, Becca Frece. “We managedto raise more funds than any year in the event’shistory which speaks volumes for the amazingpeople involved in the event. We are beyond grate-

ful and are very excited to be able to donate to INOVAChildren’s Hospital.”

“INOVA relies on community support to provideworld-class care to Northern Virginia’s children andtheir families,” said Kristin McArthur, Director of Lead-ership Giving. “We are grateful for the generous giftfrom the members of the Fairfax Adult Softball league.The gift is already having an impact on our youngestpatients and we look forward to partnering on moreevents in the future,” McArthur said.

FAS softball offers play for adult men and womenin a number of different leagues across FairfaxCounty: Men, Women, Coed, Modified Coed, SocialCoed, Fast Pitch, Men’s

35+, Men’s 50+ and Church. Registration is cur-rently open for 2019 Spring Season for both teamand individual registration. The deadline for appli-cations and payment is March 1, 2019. Visit andregister online at: www.fairfaxadultsoftball.com

Fairfax Adult Softball Holds Record-setting Fundraiser

Benefit Bowling Tournament raised more than $22,000making it the most successful event in its 19 year history.

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Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation

Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation’s Thomas Burke presented anupdate on the study of the Fairfax County and Franconia-SpringfieldParkways which included a summary of the public’s feedback the depart-ment received after a series of outreach meetings last October. A num-ber of proposals met with public approval, however the notion of addingExpress Toll Lanes to either roadway received opposition.

Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


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AdoptDonate

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caretaking and more.

See Wall, Page 13

News

By Daniel Berti

Capital News Service

A Democratic bill to repeal a Jim Crow era-law that legalized wage discriminationagainst many African-Americans is headed

to the governor’s desk after being approved by theHouse of Delegates.

The bill, SB 1079, rescinds the law that allowsemployers to pay less than minimum wage to“newsboys, shoe-shine boys, ushers, doormen,concession attendants and theater cashiers” — jobsto which many African-Americans were relegateddecades ago.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesa-peake, said the exemptions were rooted inVirginia’s history of discrimination against African-Americans.

“It’s clear that this law was put into place tokeep African-American Virginians from advanc-

ing,” Spruill said. “Hardworking Virginians deservewage protections, regardless of the job that theydo. I am proud to champion this long overdue leg-islation and to witness its bipartisan passage inthe General Assembly.”

Spruill’s bill also eliminates the minimum wageexemption for babysitters if they work more than10 hours per week.

The measure passed the Senate, 37-3, on Jan.18. On Wednesday, Feb. 13, the House voted 18-14 in favor of a modified version of the bill. Andon Friday,Feb. 15, the Senate unanimously ap-proved that version and sent it to Gov. RalphNortham to be signed into law.

In 2018, Del. Paul Krizek, D-Alexandria, carrieda bill with the same intent, and it died in commit-tee. Krizek said the minimum-wage exemptionswere “obviously aimed at African Americans whowere in these service jobs because those were thejobs they could get at the time.”

Assembly Repeals ‘Jim Crow’ Minimum Wage ExemptionsBy Jayla Marie McNeill


Virginia has joined a coa-lition of 15 other statesto challenge PresidentDonald Trump’s decla-

ration of a national emergency andto block the diversion of congres-sional funding to build a wallalong the U.S. border with Mexico,according to a lawsuit filed Mon-day, Feb. 18.

“Concocting a fake emergency tobuild a needless wall goes againstthe Constitution and the valuesAmerica was built on,” AttorneyGeneral Mark Herring said in astatement.

“President Trump’s ill-advisedplan could divert critical fundsfrom actual national security pri-orities, including military con-struction projects at bases and fa-cilities throughout Virginia. We

must stand up to this administra-tion when it violates the law andattacks our values.”

According Herring’s statement,the complaint was filed to blockTrump’s “fabricated” nationalemergency declaration and the“unconstitutional” diversion ofappropriated federal funding topay for the construction of theborder wall.

On Friday, Trump said he woulddeclare a national emergency inorder to bypass Congress to fundthe construction of a wall alongthe southern border.

The White House released astatement stating that the presi-dent has “clear authority” to de-clare a national emergency andthat Trump is taking “necessarysteps” to “ensure we stop the na-tional security and humanitariancrisis at our Southern Border.”

“We fight wars that are 6,000miles away, wars that we shouldhave never been in in many cases,but we don’t control our own bor-der,” Trump said in his speech Fri-day at the White House. “So weare going to confront the national-security crisis on our southern bor-der. And we are going to do it one

way or the other.”The administration estimated

that the national emergency dec-laration will make over $8 billionin taxpayer funds available tobuild the border wall.

Other states participating in thelawsuit includes Hawaii, Colo-

rado, Connecticut, New Jersey,Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota,Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nevada,New Mexico, New York and Cali-fornia.

The states contend that Trump’semergency declaration is only ameans to justify using federal

funding to pay for his border wall.“The states allege that the

Trump Administration’s action ex-ceeds the power of the executiveoffice, violates the U.S. Constitu-tion and federal statutes, andwould illegally and unconstitu-

Virginia Joins States to Sue Trump Over Wall FundingConcern overloss of funds forlocal militarybases.


See Financial Crimes, Page 7

News

By Jayla Marie McNeill


With bipartisan support,legislation headed toward approval in the

General Assembly may help pro-tect elderly residents and othervulnerable adults against financialexploitation by giving financial in-stitutions more tools to help pre-vent this crime.

Both the House and Senate havepassed versions of SB 1490, butthe two chambers must resolvetheir differences over the measure.“This bill addresses the issue of fi-nancial exploitation of older Vir-ginians, which has been on the risein recent years,” said the sponsor,Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham. Del. David Toscano,D-Charlottesville, is sponsoringHB 1987, the companion bill in theHouse. That measure was unani-mously approved by the House lastmonth and, in a slightly differentversion, by the Senate Rehabilita-tion and Social Services Commit-tee on Friday, Feb. 15.

“I think it’s important for people

to pay close attention to elderlyfolks and how they may be finan-cially exploited. We’re all gettingolder, there are more of us andwe’ve got to watch out for eachother,” said Toscano, the Houseminority leader.

“This bill helps encourage bank-ing institutions to do that.”

Toscano’s and Obenshain’s pro-posals would give financial insti-tutions the ability to “refuse toexecute a transaction, delay atransaction, or refuse to disbursefunds” if the institutions believe in“good faith” that the “transactionor disbursement may involve, fa-cilitate, result in, or contribute tothe financial exploitation of anadult.” “What we’ve been findingis that sometimes, elderly peopleare exploited by their caregiversor some relative by taking them tothe bank and removing cash from

Law Would Protect ElderlyAgainst Financial Crimes

Report Elder AbuseTo report suspected adult abuse, ne-

glect or exploitation, call the 24-hour,toll-free Adult Protective Serviceshotline at 888-832-3858.


Opinion

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

As you read this columnthe Virginia GeneralAssembly will be nearing its adjournment

sine die for the 400th year of itsexistence, having first met in thechurch on Jamestowne Island in1619. During this commemorativeyear there will be many opportu-

nities to learn more aboutVirginia and to reflect onhow its history influencesit to today even in the cur-

rent legislative session and in what on anotheroccasion was referred to as its “recentunpleasantries.”

That first session of what became known acentury and a half later as the General Assem-bly was composed of a representative of the22 plantations that had sprung up along themajor rivers of the state as there were no localgovernment, political boundaries, or transpor-tation networks in existence. The representa-tives were all white males who were land own-ers. African Americans had to wait for the out-come of the Civil War and women the twenti-

eth century before they becamepart of the electorate. While theright to vote has begrudgingly ex-panded over time there continuesto be a resistance to making iteasier to vote. In the current ses-sion there were proposals to allowpeople to vote early or vote absen-tee without an excuse and to makeelection day a holiday for the con-venience of voters, but it does notappear that any will become law.

Establishing a fair way to draw legislativeboundaries has been hotly debated, but thedecision to establish an independent redistrict-ing commission will await the closing hours ofthe session.

Slaves were brought to the colony of Vir-ginia in 1619 to work the tobacco fields thatwere the mainstay of the colony’s economy.They had none of the rights that Englishmenclaimed and beginning in the 1640s were sub-jected to “slave codes” that defined them asproperty to be bought and sold with no ac-cess to learning to read and write or to moveabout freely. After the Civil War these restric-tive laws became the Jim Crow laws that con-tinued to limit the rights of black people whowere kept in line by the Ku Klux Klan and by

public lynchings. White supremacy reignedwith black-face entertainment intended todegrade black people through crude humor.Happenings during this legislative sessionshowed how little we have progressed on is-sues of human rights and respect, but there ishope. The reminder to the Governor of hisracist past will make him an even more en-lightened person who if he continues can pro-vide important leadership to dismantling rac-ism in the state. The incredible people of colorwho were elected to the House of Delegatesin the last election bring strong voices to theneed for greater equity and justice in the Com-monwealth. Some limited reforms that willhelp establish equity and remove racism inthe criminal justice system are on their wayto passage.

Women first came to the Virginia colony in1619. While rights of women have expandedslowly over the centuries, having Virginia ratifythe Equal Rights Amendment is still in doubt.May the lessons of this historic legislative ses-sion move us forward in future years.

To check on the fate of specific bills, go tohttp://lis.virginia.gov.

A Historic Session

Commentary

Be Part of thePet Connection

The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly specialedition, will publish the last week of February,and photos and stories of your pets with youand your family should be submitted by Fri-day, Feb. 22.

We invite you to send stories about your pets,photos of you and your family with your cats,dogs, llamas, alpacas, ponies, hamsters,snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whateverother creatures share your life with you.

Tell us the story of a special bond between achild and a dog, the story of how you came toadopt your pet, or examples of amazing featsof your creatures.

Do you volunteer at an animal shelter ortherapeutic riding center or take your pet tovisit people in a nursing home? Does your busi-ness have a managing pet? Is your businessabout pets? Have you helped to train an assis-tance dog? Do you or someone in your familydepend on an assistance dog?

Or take this opportunity to memorialize abeloved pet you have lost.

Just a cute photo is fine too. Our favoritepictures include both pets and humans.

Please tell us a little bit about your creature,identify everyone in the photo, give a briefdescription what is happening in the photo,and include address and phone number (wewill not publish your address or phone num-ber, just your town name).

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Fairfax


Route 29 Northbound Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements

Fairfax County

Public Information Meeting

Tuesday, March 5, 2019 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Presentation starts at 7 p.m. Inclement Weather Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Fairhill Elementary School

3001 Chichester Lane

Fairfax, VA 22031

Find out about plans to build a continuous shared-use path

along northbound Route 29 (Lee Highway) between Vaden

Drive and Nutley Street (Route 243) to improve safety and

accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians. The project will

also extend the Route 29 culvert over the tributary of Accotink

Creek just west of Nutley Street to accommodate the shared-

use path.

Stop by between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to view displays

and learn more about the project and preliminary design plans.

will be available to answer your questions.

Review project information at the VDOT project website

(www.virginiadot.org/projects), at the information meeting,

or during business hours at VDOT’s Northern Virginia District

personnel are available to answer your questions.

Give your written comments at the meeting, or submit them

by March 15, 2019 to Ms. Hong Ha, P.E., Virginia Department

email [email protected]. Please reference

“Route 29 Northbound Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements”

in the subject line.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all

programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information

or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited

News

From Page 5

FinancialCrimestheir accounts. Once the cash isremoved, it’s hard to get it back,”Toscano said. “So this gives lend-ing institution some more teeth tomake sure that they’re not givingaway the money of folks who arebeing exploited and can essentiallystop it before it happens.”

The legislation also would grantthe financial institution’s staff im-munity from civil or criminal liabil-ity for refusing to process transac-tions or for reporting suspiciousfinancial activity as long as theseactions are taken with due cause.

“Often the tellers at bankbranches are in the last positionto identify and stop these crimes,but too often they feel helplessbecause they cannot stop or delaysuspicious transactions,”Obenshain said. “This bill willempower these bank employees tohelp protect vulnerable older Vir-ginians.”

The financial exploitation ofvulnerable adults is a widespreadyet hidden problem.

The National Adult ProtectiveServices Association identifies vul-nerable adults as anyone who is“targeted due to age or disability,isolation, reliance on caregivers, ordecreased physical or mental ca-pacity.”

According to the association, 1in 9 seniors has been “abused, ne-glected or exploited,” and 1 in 20cases involves financial exploita-tion. About 90 percent of abusersare family members, caregivers orother individuals in a position oftrust.

The Virginia Department forAging and Rehabilitation Servicesreported 1,016 substantiated casesof financial exploitation in fiscalyear 2015. But because most casesgo unreported, the agency esti-mated there were more than44,000 incidents of exploitationthat year, costing elderly or inca-pacitated victims potentially morethan $1.2 billion.

The average financial loss pervictim was about $28,000, stateofficials found. State lawmakershave been trying to address theproblem since 2013, but legisla-tion has failed in previous years.In 2016, for example, Del. PaulKrizek, D-Fairfax, introduced a billnearly identical to HB 1987; it diedin a House subcommittee.

Toscano is confident that the leg-islation will pass this year afterHouse and Senate members ironout their relatively minor differ-ences. “I think that we will resolvethe technical differences, and itwill pass,” he said.


News

By Steve Hibbard

The Connection

Diane Volcansek, 47, of Herndonis the new Executive Directorof the Northern Virginia Association for the Education of Young

Children, which has 1,100 members and coversFairfax, Arlington and Loudoun counties as wellas the city of Fairfax and Alexandria. She alsoworks as the Director of Christ Presbyterian Pre-school, which has 110 students, along Route 50near Fairfax/Chantilly.

Her new position is important, she says,because the early childhood educationworld is so varied. It includes in-homedaycares where the employees have a highschool diplomas all the way up to privateschools where the teachers have upper-levelgraduate degrees, but they all affect theworld of a young child.

“NVAEYC hopes to standardize the conti-nuity of care and professional developmentfor these educators. We also hope to be a voicefor those who work in the early child educa-tion field as policy and local and state lawsare developed,” she said. Up until about a yearago, the organization was all-volunteer.

She said her mission is to promote high-quality early learning for every child frombirth to age 8. “We connect practice, policyand research to support all who care for,educate, and work on behalf of young chil-

dren in Northern Virginia,” she said. Theyare an affiliate of the National Associationfor the Education of Young Children.

“My job is to coordinate with the volun-teer Board of Directors to make sure thatwe have an outreach program to those whoserve young children in the Northern Vir-ginia area — to meet and collaborate withlocal elected officials, School Board officials,early childhood education professionals —to help them grow and learn in early child-hood concepts,” she said.

She added: “We train early childhood pro-fessionals on best practices based on thelatest research and we advocate at the lo-cal and state level for the policy to best ben-efit young children.”

They provide professional developmentworkshops to early childhood profession-als in the area. “We offer training on dif-ferent concepts teachers can take into theirclassroom – behavior management, mathand science curriculum, mental health andother current topics,” she said.

Part of her job is also community engage-ment. They conduct family events wherethey help educate parents to engage themin developmentally appropriate activities.They hold arty parties where they engageyoung children in creative art processes inlibraries and other settings. They’ve alsohosted book clubs and book stores withguest readers. The Week of the Young Childheld in April is where they explore different

areas of child development and celebratewhat young children are capable of doing.

They also help in the preschool accredi-tation process. The National Association forthe Education of Young Children providesan accreditation system for early childhoodprograms and they help local schools reachthat accreditation. Since 1985, the NAEYCaccreditation has served as a transforma-tive quality improvement system that setsprofessional standards for early learningprograms and helps families identify pro-grams of the highest quality, she said. Theaccreditation process can take two yearsand there’s also a renewal process.

According to Rosemary Kendall, Ph.D.,Co-President: “We are excited to have DianeVolcansek as our new executive director. Shebrings to the job enthusiasm, experience ina variety of early care and education set-tings, and an understanding of the impor-tance of teamwork and involving new part-ners. NVAEYC currently provides profes-sional development and scholarships toearly childhood educators in Northern Vir-ginia. We also advocate for local, state, andfederal efforts to promote high-quality earlylearning for every child birth through age8. Her leadership will help NVAEYC con-tinue its work in all these areas.”

Promoting Early Learning Diane Volcansek heads Northern VirginiaAssociation for the Education of YoungChildren with 1,100 members.

Diane Volcansek isthe new ExecutiveDirector of NorthernVirginia Associationfor the Education ofYoung Children.

Photo by Steve Hibbard/

The Connection


Entertainment

Monty’s Model Train DisplayLocal model train enthusiast Monty Smith will display his running brick-built

model trains featuring LEGO trains in this two-day event. Saturday, March 2, noon-5 p.m. and Sunday, March 3, noon-4 p.m. at the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station. Ages 16 and older, $4; 5-15, $2; 4 andunder, free. Visit www.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGExhibit: Purchased Lives. Through

Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (exceptmajor holidays) at the FairfaxMuseum and Visitor Center, 10209Main St., Fairfax. Purchased Lives isa traveling exhibition from theHistoric New Orleans Collection. Theexhibit examines a complex anddivisive period of American historyand educating about the far-reachingeconomic and heartbreaking personalimpact of the domestic slave trade.Look for The Washington Home ofthe Philippine Suffrage MovementMarch 3-31. Call 703-385-8414.

THURSDAY/FEB. 21Burke Historical Society Speaker.

7 p.m. at George Mason RegionalLibrary, 7001 Little River Turnpike,Annandale. Learn about the manyspooky legends of the region — andtheir historical background — asCindy Bennett presents “Ghosts,Goons, and a Bunny Man.” Visitburkehistoricalsociety.org.

FRIDAY/FEB. 22B-I-N-G-O. 7 p.m. at Fire Station 3,

4081 University Drive, Fairfax. Enjoyfree coffee, entertaining callers, afriendly atmosphere, $1,000guaranteed jackpot, treasure chestprogressive raffles, and good foodavailable for purchase. All proceedsgo to purchasing fire and rescueequipment. Visit www.fairfaxvfd.comor call 703-273-3638.

SATURDAY/FEB. 23Father/Son Advance. 8 a.m-3:30

p.m. at Jubilee Christian Center,4650 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax.Hundreds of men and sons fromNorthern Virginia come together fora jam-packed day full of adventurousactivities and workshops. The Father/Son Advance features a comic booksketching session with Marvel artist,Sal Buscema; ziplining; bb gun targetshooting; an escape room; laser tagand more. All men and children ages5-18 are invited. $15/person ($30maximum/family). Register atjccag.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/191181.

Fairfax Genealogy Society. 9:30a.m. at Dunn Loring Volunteer FireStation Hall, 2148 Gallows Road,Vienna. Michael Donovan will discussthe 1958 explosions at the nikemissile launch site in Middletown,N.J., and the genealogical researchon the 10 victims. Visitwww.fxgs.org.

SUNDAY/FEB. 24MainStreet Band Concert. 4-5:30

p.m. at Sidney Lanier Middle School,3801 Jermantown Road, Fairfax.10th anniversary celebration. Medleyof Beatles hits, a Romantic-eracomposition by Camille Saint-Saëns,and selections from favorite moviemusicals and birthday cake tocelebrate the band’s decade ofsuccess. Free. Visitwww.fairfaxband.org/product-category/tickets/ or call 571-336-CFBA (2322).

Pohick Church CoffeehouseFundraiser. 5-7 p.m. at HistoricPohick Episcopal Church, 9301Richmond Highway, Lorton. Comefor an evening of entertainment,snacks, coffee and hot chocolate.Performers will include youth, adultsand local musicians. All are welcome.The event is free, but donations areencouraged: all proceeds go towardthe summer Sr. High Mission Trip.

Contact Rusty Booth at 703-339-6572 or [email protected], or visitwww.pohick.org.

The Capitol Steps BenefitPerformance. 7 p.m. at FairfaxHigh School, 3501 Rebel Run Road,Fairfax. Join in for a SILLYariousevening as the Capitol Steps politicalsatire comedy troupe performs ashow to benefit high school theatrefor the Cappies of the NationalCapitol Area. Free parking. Adults,$30; students/senior citizens, $20;children 12 and under, $10; andgroups of 10 or more, $15. [email protected] or visitwww.cappies.com/nca.

MONDAY/FEB. 25Burke Historical Society Speaker.

7 p.m. at Richard Byrd Library, 7250Commerce St, Springfield. Hear fromarchaeologist Patrick O’Neill aboutthe birthplaces and other homes ofthe eight Virginia-born Presidents.Visit burkehistoricalsociety.org.

THURSDAY/FEB. 28Screening: The Unafraid. 7:30-10

p.m. at Johnson Center Cinema -George Mason University, 4400University Drive, Fairfax. GMUVisiting Filmmakers Series: TheUnafraid with Heather Courtney. Thedocumentary follows three DACAstudents in Georgia over four years,growing up both American andundocumented in the United States.Free. Call 703-993-2768 or visitfams.gmu.edu/events/8588.

THURSDAY/FEB. 28-SUNDAY/MARCH 3Really Really. Thursday-Saturday, 8

p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. atGMU’s deLaski Performing ArtsBuilding, A105, TheaterSpace,Fairfax Campus. When morning-aftergossip about privileged Davis andambitious Leigh turns ugly, self-interest collides with the truth, andthe resulting storm of ambiguitymakes it hard to discern just who’s avictim, who’s a predator, and who’s aFuture Leader of America. Containsadult language and situations, anddepictions of sexual violence. $20Adult, $10 students, staff, seniorsand groups. Visitcfa.calendar.gmu.edu/really-really.

FRIDAY/MARCH 1Registration Deadline: Fairfax

Adult Softball. Experience first-hand the enjoyment that only FASsoftball offers with play for adultmen and women in a number ofdifferent leagues across FairfaxCounty: Men, Women, Coed,

Modified Coed, Social Coed, FastPitch, Men’s 35+, Men’s 50+ andChurch. Team and individualregistration now open. Visit us andregister online atwww.fairfaxadultsoftball.com.

B-I-N-G-O. 7 p.m. at Fire Station 3,4081 University Drive, Fairfax. Allproceeds go to purchasing fire andrescue equipment. Visitwww.fairfaxvfd.com or call 703-273-3638.

SUNDAY/MARCH 3Historical Society of Fairfax

County Meeting. 2-4 p.m. atFairfax County Public SafetyHeadquarters, 12099 GovernmentCenter Pkwy., Fairfax. View vintageuniforms, firearms, patches, andmemorabilia. Free parking in thegarage. Free. [email protected] or visitwww.fairfaxhistoricalsociety.org.

Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium. 2 p.m.and 4 p.m. at GMU’s Center for theArts, Concert Hall, Fairfax Campus.Erth’s Prehistoric AquariumAdventure is an immersiveexperience that invites everyone tojump in and explore unknown oceandepths where prehistoric marinereptiles lived eons ago—and maybelive still today. $15 for Adults/$10Children. Family-Friendly.Recommended for ages 5 and up.Visit cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/erth-39-s-prehistoric-aquarium-adventure.

MONDAY/MARCH 4Mason Symphony Orchestra

Concerto Concert. 8 p.m. atGMU’s Center for the Arts, ConcertHall, Fairfax Campus. Under thedirection of, Dr. Dennis Layendecker,the Mason Symphony Orchestraperforms. $20 adults, $15 seniors, $5youth through grade 12. Visitcfa.calendar.gmu.edu/mason-symphony-orchestra-concerto-concert.

TUESDAY/MARCH 5TheatreWorks: Henry & Mudge.

10:30 a.m. at GMU’s Center for theArts, Concert Hall, Fairfax Campus.Based on the best-selling series ofbooks by Cynthia Rylant. Movingfrom the city to a new house in thecountry can be tough. Just ask Henry,who can’t find a playmate in his newneighborhood. Luckily, he’s gotMudge, a great big, 182-poundcanine buddy, with whom he canshare all kinds of adventures.Recommended ages: pre-K through 3.For tickets call 1-800-497-5007 orvisit twusa.org.


COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

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Worship Gathering – Sunday 8:45 & 11 AMSunday School 10:10 AM

Sun. Evening – Realtime Worship & Youth 6 PMFamily Night – Wednesday 7:15 PM

Home Life Groups, College/Young AdultMinistries, and Living Free Support Groups

Visit our Website: jccag.org

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News

By Mike Salmon

The Connection

In early February, Daniels De-sign and Remodeling ofFairfax was awarded a 2019

Contractor of the Year Award fromthe National Association of the Re-modeling Industry (NARI)/Metro

DC Chapter for our ResidentialExterior Project Over $200,000 fora makeover of sorts for a home inMcLean.

Looking dated is always goingto happen with anything in realestate, and this house in McLeanneeded a makeover, so the Daniels’delivered. In the back, they used

different materials and alteredroof lines to improve the patio,enhance the space of their break-fast room area and enlarge theirkitchen, which required exterioraddition and renovation. Their ef-forts cut the maintenance needsand address drainage issues outback, replacing finishes andchanging rooflines to match thelook out front. The rooflines werechanged to a “steep-sloped gableroofing that aligned with the mass-

ing of the existing home to pro-vide a more balanced look,” theaward submission stated. Newmaterials made a big impact at thispart of the house. Off the masterbedroom, a faux slate roof shinglewas used, and snow guards wereput in for safety.

In addition to improving therooflines and fixing the waterdrainage issues, old termite dam-age required material replacementelsewhere too, all of which had tobe removed and reframed. Frontrailings were replaced with a stur-dier option. All exterior lights werereplaced with copper fixtures to tiein with the copper gutters.

Inside they refurbished thekitchen, and modernized the lookbut this interior work was not partof the award. They received theiraward at a ceremony, called the“Evening of Excellence,” held onSaturday, Feb. 9, at the WestwoodCountry Club in Vienna.

Traditionally, Gayle and TedDaniels use a creative approach tosolutions when their team is work-ing on a room or whole houseproject like the one in McLean. Ina past master bathroom project,there was need for a vanity, so TedDaniels created one by makingspace with the other additions. “Itwas really cool,” added Gayle. “He

finds creative ways to solve prob-lems,” she said. Unlike one of thereality shows on television, wherethe brothers take down drywalland uncover all kinds of problemsthat hike up the price and add tothe drama but people don’t likethat in real life, so the Daniels stayaway from situations like that. Al-though “things are always goingto come up,” she said, Ted tries tominimize change orders that couldimpact the price. “He really triesto keep it with that,” she said.

One of their specialties is to out-fit homes so seniors can age-in-place. This requires wider door-ways for wheelchairs and walkers,lower countertops, and non-slip orheated floors. The baby boomers,“they’re considering all the optionsto staying in their homes,” saidGayle Daniels. Ted Daniels is cer-tified in aging in place and greenremodeling.

THE DANIELS’ COMPANYstarted in 1997 at a location inFairfax Station. They relocated tothe City of Fairfax where they’vebeen for the past four years. InJanuary, Daniels Design and Re-modeling of Fairfax, Virginia won“Best of Design” on Houzz, a plat-form for home renovation anddesign.

Street appeal is huge in the real estate business.Much of the work was done in the rear of the house with roof lines anddrainage.

Creativity Within the Bounds is Behind Daniels RemodelingLocal husband-wifeefforts are awarded.

The kitchen remodeling job was part of the effort but notthe award.

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By Marilyn Campbell

Despite his predilection for visualarts, Allen Carter, an AfricanAmerican boy growing up inpre-civil rights era Arlington,

might not have been granted entrance intosome the nation’s museums due to segre-gation. Still, he persisted, and years laterhe became a lauded artist, distinguishedteacher and mentor to underprivileged chil-dren. And in February — African AmericanHistory Month — his work is being shownin an exhibit, “Big Al Carter: A Retrospec-tive,” at the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art.While his work is part of the permanent col-lections of both the Smithsonian Institutionand the Corcoran Gallery of Art, this is thefirst exhibit of Carter’s work in the Wash-ington, D.C area since his death in 2008.

“Big Al’s family has given us an incred-ible gift by sharing his art, allowing us tocontinue to reflect on his life, his art andhis message for future generations,” saidMarty Schnider, president of Fred SchniderInvestment Group and founder of FredSchnider Gallery of Art.

As a painter, printmaker, sculptor andmuralist, Carter, also known as “Big Al”drew inspiration from his life experiences,

art history and everyday life. He believedthat his life’s purpose was to use art to heal.“Art is my emotion. Art is my memories. Artis my life. I create the essence,” he once said.

“He paints poor people, he paints peoplewho are fishing or people who are havingdinner at the table … his work is very vast,”said Carter’s daughter, Cecilia Carter.

Carter’s exhibit is particularly notewor-thy to some African-American art histori-ans who point to a recent study showingthat just 2.4 percent of all acquisitions andgifts and 7.6 percent of all exhibitions at30 prominent American museums havebeen of work by African American artists.The recent Andrew W. Mellon FoundationArt Museum Staff Demographic Survey of181 art museums in North America foundthat African Americans are greatly under-represented in mainstream art museums asdirectors, curators, conservators and edu-cators. Those who study African Americanart say that solving this dilemma requires ayear-round approach.

“We can’t just focus on it during BlackHistory Month,” said African American arthistorian Crystal Johnson, Ph.D. “These twostatistics go to hand-in-hand and provewhat we already know. We need more Afri-can American students to explore their ar-

tistic talents and we need more students totake chance on a non-mainstream careerand pursue jobs in museum administration.In order to make any changes, we need tohave a seat at the table.”

One such aspiring decision maker is re-cent a George Mason University graduatewho landed a position as the co-curator ofan exhibit at Howard University. “I’d workedwith an exhibition, but I’ve never had thechance to curate before. I was excited and

Carter’s exhibit, which features rarelyseen artwork from his daughters’ privatecollection, runs through March 3 at the FredSchnider Gallery of Art, 888 N. QuincyStreet, Arlington. Several pieces will beavailable for sale.

“The exhibit and his work reflect every-thing that he’s been through, what he’s seen,and what other people have been throughand seen,” said Big Al’s daughter Flora O.Stone, Carter’s daughter.

Promoting and preserving a part of history.Black History Month: A Look at African American Art

President of Fred Schnider Investment Group, LLCand Founder of the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art,Marty Schnider with Allen “Big Al” Carter’s daugh-ters, Cecilia Carter (left) and Flora O. Stone (right)

nervous,” said KourtneyRiles of the exhibitcalled, “An Examinationof Feminist(s) Subjec-tivity in Modern andContemporary AfricanAmerican Art.”

Art plays a vital, butoften overlooked role inAfrican American his-tory, not just duringBlack History Month,but all year long, ad-vises Angela Black, whohas taught art history.“Art is a way of preserv-ing our history,” shesaid. “It tells our storyand we need more pro-fessionally trained art-ists who can do that.”


News

See Super Bowl, Page 13

By Steve Hibbard

The Connection

Corbin Boehm, 12, of Burke gotthe thrill of a lifetime when hewas selected out of 63,000 kidsages 7-13 as the winner of the

annual Panini America Super Bowl Kid Re-porter contest for the company that makestrading cards for the NFL and NFLPA. Notonly did he get a free trip to the Super Bowlto see the New England Patriots beat theLos Angeles Rams, 13-3, but he joined TrentDilfer (former Baltimore Ravens quarter-back) at Media Day in Atlanta as this year’sSuper Bowl Kid Reporter. He also spent theweek of Jan. 28 thru Sunday, Feb. 3, inter-viewing football superstars and Hall-of-Famers alongside major media outlets.

“It was definitely an amazing blessing tobe able to do this amazing experience … Inever thought I would ever go to the SuperBowl. That’s an experience that I could onlydream of,” said the son of James and Chris-tina Boehm of Burke who attends TerraCentre Elementary. “The halftime show wasamazing to see live. The game was amaz-ing to see live. It was amazing that I wasable to do that.”

He added: “Once we flew down (to At-lanta), we had a lunch with everyone atPanini and they gave me a pep talk aboutMedia Night when I was able to interviewTom Brady, Jared Goff, Rob Gronkowski andBrandon Cooks. And there were plenty moreplayers.”

TV REPORTERS from sports outletsaround the world attended. What was it liketo be in the same company as the bigleagues? He said: “It was exciting but a littlenerve-wracking at the same time. I sawESPN cameras, and FOX News and won-dered if they had better questions than me.”

He got to ask Rob Gronkowski how bighe was when he was the same age (12).“He told me he was 6-foot tall when he was12. I was amazed by that, honestly. I askedTom Brady how proud were you that twoBay area quarterbacks are competing upagainst each other in the Super Bowl. ForBrandon Cooks, I asked him something

around what do you think makes Jared Goffso mature for a young guy?” he said.

Other highlights were attending the NFLHall-of-Famers Brunch and the Panini SkillsClinic where he had the opportunity to catchpasses and interact with NFL players. Heinterviewed Nick Mullens, Nick Bosa, Bra-dley Chub, Phillip Lindsay and Ito Smith,

among others.“For each of the players, I would ask them

the same questions; I asked Tyler Boyd if hehad to switch to any position, which wouldhe switch to, and he said ‘cornerback’ be-cause of his speed and athleticism,” he said.

Corbin Boehm of Burke wins the PaniniAmerica Super Bowl Kid Reporter Contest.A Thrill of a Lifetime

Photos contributed/The Connection

Panini America Super Bowl Kid Reporter Corbin Boehm getting ready totake his seat before Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Panini America Super Bowl Kid Reporter Corbin Boehm enjoying a funmoment with one of his favorite players, former Tampa Bay Buccaneerand NFL Hall of Famer, Warren Sapp.

Panini America Super Bowl Kid Reporter CorbinBoehm shares a moment with Panini America SuperBowl Kid Reporter Ambassador Trent Dilfer.

Panini America Super Bowl Kid ReporterCorbin Boehm hanging out with Atlanta Fal-cons RB, Ito Smith.


From Page 12

News

Included in his itinerary were an ‘NFL Experience’with booth activities where they Created Their OwnFootball Cards; and an amusement park with foot-ball-related activities called The Super Bowl Experi-ence. He went to the NFL Shop with Ito Smith, arunning-back with the Atlanta Falcon, where Ito gaveout autographs. “It was a really great experience forme,” he said.

He also attended a Nickelodeon with other foot-ball players, including Bradley Chubb. “He wasautographing stuff for kids and it was really cool,”he said. Next, he attended a Pro Football Hall-of-Famers Brunch and a Panini Skills Clinic.

“I got to go to this brunch with NFL Hall-of-Famelegends. The people at Panini got me a table withWarren Sapp, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hewas a really cool guy. He knew everyone there so hegot me to meet other players, including DerrickBrooks and other players such as Tony Gonzales,”he said.

On Sunday, Feb. 3, Corbin attended the Super Bowlwith his mom Christina, sister Brianna, 9, andGrandma Lyn Smith of Florida; his father was de-ployed in Afghanistan with the U.S. Air Force andcould not attend. They sat near the 35-yard line nearthe Rams’ endzone (Section 317, Row 9).

“Originally, I was rooting for the Rams to win, butafter I met Tom Brady, I realized how cool he was soI ended up switching to the Patriots to win,” he said.

REGARDING THE CONTEST, Jason Howarth, VPof Marketing, said Panini America put codes insidePanini Trading Card packs, which could be purchasedat Wal-Mart. The kids then entered the codes in thePanini Kid Reporter website. With 63,000 entries,the sweepstakes randomly selected 10 finalists. Thefinalists were asked to submit a two-minute videoon why they would make the next great kid reporter.

Corbin’s video stood out for his dynamic person-ality and confidence.

“Corbin was the favorite of everyone who voted,”said Howarth. “There were a couple of factors thatstood out… how confident he looked on tape. Youcould tell he was comfortable with asking questions.You need a kid who is comfortable with themselvesin their own skin, who can ask a question that a

Photo contributed/The Connection

Panini America Super Bowl Kid ReporterCorbin Boehm asking Los Angeles Rams TETyler Higbee a question as Trent Dilferlooks on at Super Bowl Opening Night.

Reporting on Super Bowl

player can hear them amongst all the craziness that’sgoing on that night because there’s so many peoplethere trying to ask the players questions,” he said.

Needless to say, Corbin won the contest and wasthrilled.

In his spare time, Corbin loves sports, includingfootball and basketball, as well as playing in his schoolband and hanging out with his friends. As far as fu-ture aspirations, he said: “Definitely writing — afterthis experience it’s an option in my book. I love be-ing able to write whatever’s in my mind. I just lovewriting.”

So which NFL team is Corbin’s favorite: The TampaBay Buccaneers, and favorite college team is NotreDame. His all-time favorite player is Mike Evans, awide-receiver from Tampa Bay, he said.

WallFrom Page 4

Submit civic/community announce-ments at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos and artwork welcome.Deadline is Thursday at noon, at leasttwo weeks before event.

WINTER SHELTERSFind homeless and cold weather

drop-in centers and shelters thatserve Northern Virginia atwww.novaregion.org/174/Homeless-Shelter-Lists.

Bulletin Board

tionally divert federal funds appro-priated by Congress for other pur-poses,” Herring’s statement said.

“The suit seeks declaratory andinjunctive relief to block the emer-gency declaration, the construc-tion of the wall, and any illegaldiversion of congressionally-ap-propriated funds.”

According to the attorney

general’s statement, Virginia couldpotentially lose over $130 millionin military construction funding —money that is currently allocatedfor projects at Dam Neck, Fort A.P.Hill, Fort Belvoir, Humphreys En-gineer Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and the Pentagon.

Trump said that he expected hiscontentious national emergencydeclaration to prompt lawsuits. He

remains confident, however, thathis decision will be upheld by theSupreme Court, similar to the wayhis 2017 travel ban was upheld bythe court in a 5-4 decision.

“We will have a national emer-gency and we will then be sued,”Trump said.

“Hopefully we will get a fairshake and win in the SupremeCourt just like the ban.”

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONChildren who will be 5 years old on or

before Sept. 30, 2019, are eligible toattend kindergarten. Find the correctneighborhood school by enteringyour address at boundary.fcps.edu/boundary/. Complete a packet ofregistration forms found atwww.fcps.edu/it/forms/enroll.pdf orin the school office. Gathersupporting documents: proof ofresidence in the school boundary, a

certified copy of the child’s birthcertificate, parent/guardian photo ID,and any custody orders. Certificate ofphysical exam and immunization willbe required before the student maystart school, but is not required forregistration. Parents who choose todelay enrollment in kindergarten byone year are required to notify theschool in writing of their intent.Learn more at www.fcps.edu/

See Bulletin, Page 14


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

At least that was my intention when I sat down to write this column. I was planning on highlighting a couple of my pet peeves: One was about people who back into parking spac-es, an all-too common practice (which does not make perfect) that irks me no end and often in-conveniences me while idling in my car waiting for the driver to crane his neck and coordinate

space, all while blocking my passage. The second peeve also involves cars, but this

action has potentially far more dangerous con-sequences: Drivers who, while motoring along, completely ignore my car’s blinkers/indicator lights – WHEN THEY’RE FLASHING.

I was taught that when driving a vehicle and needing to turn/switch lanes, I was to indicate that to other drivers by using my blinkers, look into my mirrors and then move right or left accordingly. Moreover, when I observed those

respect their intentions and give them a wide berth. I was not to speed up and interfere with their indications. Unfortunately, the exact oppo-site often happens.

Though I am still respectful when drivers

many of my driving brethren see those lights, they react much the same way as a bull does when he sees red: they SPEED UP, and in their vehicle’s acceleration, they put me and my pas-sengers at risk. If it has happened once – which it has – it has happened a thousand times.

Unfortunately, neither of these car-related “misbehaviors” has been able to block out one of my key cancer anniversaries: Feb. 20, 2009, and as such, I will now be returning to the scene of the semi crime. And though I am not Billy Shears 20 years after the band taught me how to play, I am a lung cancer survivor who 10 years ago on Feb. 20 learned that I had cancer. That was the day when my primary care physician called me at work, about noon-ish on a Thursday to discuss the results of my previous week’s surgical biopsy.

After declining the offer to come to his

he did: the growth was malignant. Dumbfound-ed, I asked for further details, which he politely deferred to an oncologist (a specialty with which I was totally unfamiliar), with whom, while we spoke on the phone, my primary care physician scheduled a Team Lourie appoint-ment for the following Thursday.

which had been going on since I showed up at the Emergency Room on Jan. 1, 2009 complain-ing of pain in my right side, an inability to take

With an inconclusive X-Ray to not corrob-orate, an otherwise healthy patient with no family history of anything relevant – especially cancer, the doctor was perplexed. Fifty days later I learned I had cancer. And so I remember that day/date, a day which will go down in infamy, so to speak – in my family anyway.

The intervening days, as I have written about recently, were spent investigating the cause of my original symptoms. Eventually all test results led to one conclusion: non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV.

Meaning metastatic and inoperable, mean-ing “terminal.” It was Feb. 20 when I learned my fate. (The following Thursday, Feb. 27, is another anniversary; that’s when we met my

life would never be the same, or last nearly as long.)

But yet here I am, alive and reasonably well, writing about nonsense, mostly, instead of cancer, for this week, anyway. Good therapy for sure, and a nice change of pace.

EnoughAbout Cancer

From Page 13

registration/general-registration-requirements.Union Mill Elementary is currently registering

new students for the 2019-20 school year. Findregistration forms in the Union Mill Elementaryoffice or online at www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/enroll_0.pdf. Call 703-322-8500 or email [email protected] to make anappointment to bring completed registrationforms and supporting documentation to school.Kindergarten Orientation will take place onMonday, April 1, 4-5 p.m.

VOLUNTEERS WANTEDInterested in local Civil War or Railroad

History? Consider volunteering at the FairfaxStation Railroad Museum. The Museum offers avariety of volunteer opportunities in Museumevents, programs and administration. TheMuseum is also seeking an individual tocoordinate the scheduling of the volunteer staff.Training will be provided for all positions. [email protected] or call 703-945-7483 for opportunities. The Museum is locatedat 11200 Fairfax Station Road in Fairfax Station.It is open every Sunday, except holidays, from 1-4 p.m. Visit www.fairfax-station.org,www.facebook.com/FFXSRR, or call 703-425-9225.

The Shepherd’s Center of Fairfax-Burkeneeds volunteer drivers for trips to medicalappointments (Monday - Friday) and companionshopping (Tuesday, Friday) within the Fairfax-Burke area and in the South County area (westof Route 1, Alexandria). Office volunteers arealso needed to work in the SCFB (Olley Glen)office to schedule rides. Bilingual volunteers(English and Spanish) are needed as drivers andoffice volunteers. Email Shavaun Wall [email protected] or call 703-323-4788.

INPUT SOUGHTShaping the Future Together. Fairfax County

Government is beginning a strategic planningprocess with the community to shape the futuretogether. The goal is to hear all voices and reachall segments of the community. This effort willspan most of 2019, but in this first phase, thecommunity is being asked to visitfairfaxcounty.gov/strategicplan and:

❖ Take a short five-question online survey❖ Join a community conversation in person: Feb.

25 – Alexandria; Feb. 26 – Fairfax; March 6 –Falls Church.

❖ Share the survey and conversation invitation withneighbors, co-workers and county family andfriends.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 20Volunteers Wanted. 10:30 a.m. at the Salvation

Army Corp building, 4915 Ox Road, Fairfax. TheFairfax Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary areseeking volunteers for their upcoming events.Meetings are held monthly on the thirdWednesday, September through May. Call LoriSmith at 703-830-3520 or Sylvia Laiti at 703-830-8849.

Dementia 101 & Clinical Trials. 1-3 p.m. atInsight Memory Care Center, 3953 Pender Drive,#100, Fairfax. Learn about the general stages tohelp anticipate future changes. Learn the basicsof dementia, along with current research andclinical trials available. Free. Respite care maybe available by request; please notify us whenregistering to confirm availability. Registeronline at www.insightmcc.org, or contactLindsey Vajpeyi at 703-204-4664 [email protected].

Fairfax Commission on Aging Meets. 1-3p.m. at the Hunter Mill District Office,Community Room A, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive,Reston. The public is welcome to attend and joinin the comment period that begins each session.Find out more at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/coa.htm. Call 703-324-5403,TTY 711 for meeting access needs.

Smart Growth. 7-8:30 p.m. at Fairfax Library,4135 Evergreen Drive, Fairfax. Citizens areinvited to join a discussion of proposeddevelopments and Fairfax Master Plan in the City.This group meets monthly and all are welcome toparticipate. Free. Email [email protected] orcall 703-273-1324 for more.

Planning Commission Meeting. 7:30 p.m. atthe Fairfax County Government Center BoardAuditorium, 12000 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax. For agendas or to sign up tospeak, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planningcommission. For more PlanningCommission information, questions or a printedcopy of the agenda, call the PlanningCommission office at 703-324-2865 (TTY 703-324-7951).

Bulletin


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FOR YOUR TOYOTA

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Documents

Opinion, Page 6 ‘This Drive Will Help Us Restock’connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/022019/Fairfax.pdfKevin. Both boys handed out fliers telling about Britepaths and listing some