Sports, Page 17 Different Turnouts - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · 06/12/2013 · 2 Burke Connection December 5-11, 2013 News By Janelle Germanos

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December 5-11, 2013

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BurkeBurkePages 12

WellbeingPage 10

WellbeingWellbeingPage 10

UsuryExplosion

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Every Tweet CountsNews, Page 3

UsuryExplosion

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Every Tweet CountsNews, Page 3

Small Business Saturday:Different Turnouts

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Billie Thomas,owner of The PicketFence in Burke,experienced greatcustomer involve-ment with the SmallBusiness Saturday.

Billie Thomas,owner of The PicketFence in Burke,experienced greatcustomer involve-ment with the SmallBusiness Saturday.

2 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ December 5-11, 2013 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Janelle Germanos

The Connection

Our Daily Bread, anon-profit that pro-vides assistance tolow-income mem-

bers of the community, has seen adecrease in donations since lastyear, making it difficult for themto meet the needs of their holidayprogram.

According to Lisa Whetzel, aFairfax resident and the executivedirector of Our Daily Bread, indi-vidual donations have decreasedfrom $120,000 in 2012 to $87,000in 2013.

“This is the time of year whenwe do get the most donations in,just because people are in the sea-son of giving,” Whetzel said. “It’sunusual though for us to be sobehind. We’re concerned aboutthat.”

Whetzel said that corporate do-nations have also decreased,something the organization is con-cerned with.

“In 2012 we received about$48,000 in donations. This year,it’s about $24,000,” Whetzel said.

Whetzel said that the sequestra-tion and the government shut-down may be the reason for thedecrease in donations.

“We are very concerned thatpeople don’t have the spendingability they had in years past.They’re not sure about what isgoing to happen in the future.There is still the threat of a shut-down in January, and so people

might be holding on to their in-come, that they might normallygive, just in case,” Whetzel said.

ON DEC. 3, Our Daily Breadtook part in a global movementcalled Giving Tuesday that encour-ages donations to non-profit orga-nizations.

“There was Black Friday, andthen there was small-business Sat-

urday, and then Cyber Monday,and then there is Giving Tuesday,which I think is the most impor-tant one. It is the reason for theseason,” Whetzel said.

Our Daily Bread is in need ofassistance for their holiday pro-gram, which allows for a donor tosponsor a family by donating inthe form of food, gifts, or a giftcard that the family can use them-selves.

“If we compare last year’s num-ber to this year’s to date, we areabout 100 short of what we hadat this time last year,” Whetzelsaid. “That means we are going tohave to use more of the cash do-nations and dip into our generaloperating funds to be able to pro-vide for the families that are onour list.”

Whetzel said the list of familieshas been capped at 3,500.

“Last year we serviced 3100families. We increased it by 400in hopes that the communitywould support the holiday pro-gram. We’re just very concernedthat we aren’t going to meet thatneed,” Whetzel said.

Heather Webb, a Fairfax Countyresident and the communicationsmanager at Our Daily Bread, saidthat donors need to sign up tosponsor a family by Dec. 13.

“We have this tiny little windowof opportunity because we needeverybody to sign up by the 13thso we can figure out who is leftand how we are going to give as-sistance to them. People need timeto shop and contact their families,”Webb said.

According to Webb, sponsoringa family can be a great group ac-tivity and can be done in a varietyof ways.

“If you like to put a food baskettogether and buy the gifts and dothat for a family, you can. If youwould rather give them gift cards,

you can do that. We have a virtualdonor program where you can justgive us money online and we’llgive that to a family in the form ofgift cards so they can go out andget their own gifts. There are justa lot of wonderful options,” Webbsaid.

WHETZEL SAID that the cli-ents that Our Daily Bread servestypically make about $22,000 ayear.

“For a family of four, that is con-sidered poverty,” Whetzel said.“The pockets of poverty are sortof invisible. But they are out thereand it’s very real. Our clients areliving on minimum wage incomes,or maybe just above, and morethan half their income is going torent, and it just doesn’t leave awhole like that to buy food, paybills, much less buy a holiday giftfor their child.”

Our Daily Bread’s holiday pro-gram helps families accomplishthis task.

“When you think of all the abun-dance we have around here, itmust be so stressful for them tosee their kids are at school andseeing what their friends are giv-ing or hearing about their crazywish list,” Webb said. “The parentsjust don’t know if they’re even go-ing to have a nice meal, if there isgoing to be food on the table, andto think of what they can get theirkids when there is just no money.”

Donors can also give to OurDaily Bread throughout the year.According to Dawn Sykes of Alex-andria, the seasonal programsmanager, the organization pro-vided school supplies for 1,400children this year.

“We do a wish list onAmazon.com where donors andsponsors can go on and purchasebackpacks and calculators,” Sykessaid.

Local Non-profit Faces Decrease in Donations

Dawn Sykes, the seasonal programs manager, and SheilaDixon, the outreach and advocacy manager, decorate a holi-day tree with gift cards that will be given to families in needat Our Daily Bread.

Steve Harris, President of American Legal Investiga-tions & Support Services (ALIASS) presents a dona-tion of $1,000 to Our Daily Bread’s Dawn Sykes, theseasonal programs manager, and Lisa Whetzel, theexecutive director. The donation will provide gro-cery and gift cards to families on the organization’sholiday assistance list.

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News

See Election, Page 4

By Victoria Ross

The Connection

On the morning ofNov. 6, the day af-ter the general elec-tion, it appeared

that Republican Mark Obenshainhad eked out a razor-thin victoryover Democrat Mark Herring tobecome Virginia’s next AttorneyGeneral.

Like most hotly-contested politi-cal battles, the close race gener-ated even closer scrutiny.

National political analyst DavidWasserman, with the Cook Politi-cal Report, thought there wereanomalies in the absentee ballottotals for Fairfax County, whichhad been expected to vote stronglyDemocratic.

Wasserman took to Twitter withhis evidence, pointing out theremust be absentee ballots missingin Fairfax County, because the per-centage of requested absentee bal-lots that had been returned andreported on election night wasmuch lower than the percentageof other counties. Wasserman andothers noticed that there were ab-normally low totals in the 8th Con-gressional District, which includesBailey’s Crossroads.

“Are we supposed to buy thatjust 7 percent of voters in Bailey’sCrossroads who requested an ab-sentee ballot actually voted? Pre-posterous,” Wasserman concludedin one tweet.

Meanwhile, Brian Schoeneman,the senior GOP appointee toFairfax County’s three-memberElectoral Board, was in the midstof a post-election canvass, his firstsince being appointed to the boardlast spring. Essentially, a canvassis checking and double-checkingElection Day votes, the purpose ofwhich is to catch inevitable humanerrors.

Schoeneman, a well-knownFairfax attorney, Republicanblogger and former Bush staffer,had been posting tweets andFacebook messages on ElectionDay to make the process as trans-parent as possible for voters.

He had also been reading thetweets from Wasserman and oth-ers. Finding no evidence of a dis-crepancy after an initial review, hetweeted a reply.

“To respond to rumors goingaround, there are zero – o – ZERO

uncounted absentee ballots inFairfax County. We completed ourcount last night,” Schoenemanposted on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at2:33 p.m.

The “zero” tweet instantly wentviral.

Over the next 36 hours, the twit-ter sphere exploded as hundredsof followers jumped into the fray,providing numbers, offering theo-ries, and, at times, hurling parti-san insults.

Wasserman and Ben Tribbett, aFairfax County Democratic opera-tive who writes the political blog“Not Larry Sabato,” kept pepper-

ing Schoeneman with numbersshowing abnormally low totals forabsentee ballots.

Schoeneman, in an effort to be“hyper-transparent,” encouragedthe crowd sourcing by engagingfollowers with real-time status re-ports.

At 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, Nov.7, Schoeneman tweeted:

“I’m working on figuring this outas we speak … Nobody’s beingrude. Dave is keeping me honest,which is fine.”

A half hour later, at 8:14 p.m.,Schoeneman sent out a “Houston,we have a problem” tweet:

“I’ve talked to the GR (generalregistrar) and we are working onthis as we speak — I am convincednow too that there is an issue.”

“It was my worst nightmare asan election official, the perfectstorm of events,” Schoeneman saidlast week. “During the canvass, wespent most of the day catchinglittle errors, and we didn’t realizewe had a glaring error.”

Votes were temporarilyunderreported when a voting ma-chine in Bailey’s Crossroads mal-functioned early on Election Day.Although the machine was laterrepaired, an election officialgrabbed the totals generated whenthe machine broke down, ratherthan the final tally — a muchlarger number for Herring.

Schoeneman’s transparency andhis willingness to explore whatwent wrong on election nightthrust him into the epicenter ofpartisan politics.

While his actions earned him therespect of many Democrats, bothlocally and nationally,Schoeneman also earned the

wrath of some in his own party,who weren’t happy that FairfaxCounty’s revised count turned thetide in favor of Democrat MarkHerring.

“Anyone who knows Brianknows that he is honest to a fault,and will do everything in hispower to make the (election) pro-cess as fair and transparent as pos-sible,” said Cameron Quinn,Fairfax County’s general registrar.

Chris Sanders, a local Twitterfollower, said he was impressed bySchoeneman’s candid responsesduring the election. “He is a stand-up guy, even though we don’t havethe same politics,” Sanders said.

On Nov. 25, the Virginia StateBoard of Elections certified elec-tion results with Herring defeat-ing Obenshain by a mere 165 votesout of more than 2 million caststatewide. Obenshain has re-quested a recount, which is ex-pected to be held in mid-Decem-ber.

The “found” absentee ballots and

How Republican Brian Schoeneman earned wrath ofhis party by making sure every vote counted in county.

Every Tweet Counts

Brian Schoeneman, Secretary of the Fairfax County Elec-tion Board, took to Twitter throughout Election Day and inthe days following the election, to communicate withpolitical observers who questioned the discrepancy be-tween requested absentee ballots and actual vote countsin the statewide elections. Schoeneman’s now infamous“zero” tweet, posted on Wednesday, Nov. 6, went viral andsparked a fast and furious twitter sphere debate.

Brian Schoeneman, Secretary of the Fairfax CountyElection Board, at his “day job” as an attorney inFairfax County.

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Burke Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

Hometown: Born in Baltimoreand raised in Pennsylvania,Schoeneman came to the D.C. met-ropolitan area to attend The GeorgeWashington University, where heearned two degrees. He moved toFairfax County in 2007.

Education: B.A. in political sci-ence, George Washington University,2001. Master’s degree in politicalmanagement, George WashingtonUniversity, 2004; Law degree, Catho-lic University School of Law, 2011

Family: Married to KayAnn, thecommunications director for theFairfax Chamber. The couple live inFairfax with their 3 1/2 year-old sonNick and cat, Howie.

Public Office: Schoenemanserved in President George W. Bush’sadministration as special assistantand senior speechwriter to Secretaryof Labor Elaine L. Chao from 2008 to2009. In that capacity, he served asthe Secretary’s lead liaison to orga-nized labor and as a member of hersenior staff. In the 2011 election, heran against state Del. David Bulova,a Democrat, but failed to capture the37th house district seat.

Profession: Schoeneman earnedhis law degree at Catholic University.

He is the legislative director for theSeafarers International Union ofNorth America, a maritime laborunion. Schoeneman is co-owner andan active blogger for the right-lean-ing political blog Bearing Drift.

Membership & Affiliations:Member of the historic St. John’sEpiscopal Church on LafayetteSquare; Catholic University Law Re-view, published The Scarlet “L” –Have Recent Developments in Lob-bying Regulation Gone Too Far?;vice president of the Wescott RidgeHomeowners Association; an activefreemason, he has served as an of-ficer in John Blair Lodge #187;member of the International Propel-ler Club of the United States, wherehe serves on the Board of Governorsof the D.C. Chapter; founding mem-ber of the GW Graduate School ofPolitical Management Alumni Asso-ciation, and served as its firstpresident; communications directorfor the Fairfax County RepublicanCommittee in 2010 and former gen-eral counsel for FCRC From 2012 toMarch 2013. He is a member of theAmerican Bar Association, theFairfax Bar Association and the Fed-eralist Society.

Brian Schoeneman — At a Glance

Brian Schoeneman in his Fairfax townhome with hiscat, Howie. His favorite portrait of Revolutionary heroGeorge Washington hanging above the fireplace.

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News

From Page 3

the approved provisional ballotsresulted in a 975-vote new swingin favor of Democratic nomineeMark Herring. In fact, the addi-tional votes from Fairfax Countywere the single biggest factor inHerring edging out Obenshain inthe final certified tally.

The headline-making storyspawned conspiracy theories bypolitical activists on both sides ofthe aisle. While Schoeneman saidhe was just doing his job by mak-ing certain that every votecounted, others in his party saw itdifferently.

Jeanine Martin, on The Bull El-ephant blog, asked “Why is BrianSchoeneman, who purports to bea Republican, helping Democratsby extending this deadline?”

Martin was referring to the Elec-tion Board’s unanimous decisionto extend the provisional ballot

deadline through Tuesday, Nov.12, a full week after the Nov. 5election, while other Virginiacounties were adhering to a dead-line at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8.

That decision earnedSchoeneman the scorn of Repub-lican party officials throughout thestate.

“What happened in Fairfax overthe last week, culminating intonight’s announcement of a re-versal in fortunes of the VirginiaAttorney General candidates, wasa travesty,” wrote Steve Albertson,vice chairman of the StaffordCounty Electoral Board, in hisblog. “… In doing so they raised agiant middle finger to the rest ofus.”

Schoeneman said it stung tohave members of his own partyquestion his integrity.

“These folks knew better.They’ve worked with me for years,and they know I’m honest andwilling to address any complaints.

“One of the downsides to poli-tics is that there are some folks —and they exist on both sides of the

aisle — who want to turn every-thing into a ‘good vs. evil’ battlewhere everybody with one letterafter their name is good and theother side is evil,” Schoenemansaid.

Schoeneman also said therewere some Republicans who ques-tioned his attempts at transpar-ency and responsiveness throughsocial media such as Twitter andFacebook.

“When I made that ‘zero’ tweet,I was trying to tamp down the ru-mors that we had missing ballotsor missing votes — and by miss-ing I mean physically not present,like a box of ballots lying aroundsomewhere that hadn’t beencounted. I had confirmed with thestaff that this wasn’t the case,”Schoeneman said.

“And I was right,” Schoenemanadded, “we didn’t have missingballots. We did have a major tabu-lation error that inadvertently left

3,000 or so votes off the resultssheet, which we caught and cor-rected. So both sides were right —there were votes that hadn’t beenreported, but my tweet was alsoaccurate, because we didn’t haveany missing ballots that hadn’tbeen counted in the 8th.”

Looking back on election night,Schoeneman said he doesn’t re-gret his infamous tweet, or anyother tweets that gave the publica chance to “see into the factorywhere the sausage is beingmade.”

“When folks are that cynical, it’shard to crack through to convincethem that their preconceived no-tions about politics are wrong. Ihope I was able to do that for afew people on the left — prove tothem that there are Republicansout there who care about the rules,getting it right and being fair … Iwant the average voter to knowthat their vote counts.”

Asked if he would do anythingdifferently on election night,Schoeneman replied that hethought the process could be im-

proved with enhanced communi-cation to election chiefs.

“The one thing I know we needto do differently and would havedone differently is to get our chiefsand coordinators the spreadsheetwe had that included all of themail-in absentees and absentee-in-person ballots cast by Congres-sional District. Had our folks in the8th District Central Absentee Pre-cinct had that information, theycould have figured out right awaythat their numbers were off,” hesaid.

Ironically, it wasn’t supposed tobe Schoeneman sitting in that hotseat this highly partisan election.

Last February, Schoeneman wasrepresenting the Fairfax CountyRepublican Committee in a lawsuitstemming from the 2012 electionwhen the term of election boardmember Hans von Spakovsky, aRepublican former member of theGeorge W. Bush administration,

was up.Von Spakovsky, a political

lightening rod for his contro-versial research on voterfraud, was the local Repub-lican Party’s first choice to re-main on the board. Althoughit’s almost unheard of for thepanel of circuit court judgesto refuse a party’s firstchoice, the panel bypassedvon Spakovsky.

Instead, they picked the party’ssecond choice: Brian Schoeneman.

“Did I ever think I’d be sittinghere as an election officer? No,absolutely not. But I’m here, andI’m committed to transparency.Call it ‘Getting it right in Fairfax.’That’s kind of my new slogan,”Schoeneman said, smiling.

An avid Orioles fan,Schoeneman compared theevents of election night, and thesubsequent fallout from the Attor-ney General’s saga to the WorldSeries.

“We had a good night on Tues-day night, and a couple of nightswhere I thought we were in realtrouble, but we patched things to-gether and got it done,”Schoeneman said. “Given that wedidn’t completely wrap up the pro-cess until 10 minutes before thedeadline on Tuesday the 12th, thewhole process felt like comingdown to the last pitch of the lastinning of Game 7 of the series, andhaving your guy hit a walk offsingle to win the game. And it wasthat stressful the whole time, too.”

Election Aftermath:‘Getting it Right in Fairfax’

“I hope I was able to do that for a few peopleon the left — prove to them that there areRepublicans out there who care about therules, getting it right and being fair…”

— Brian Schoeneman,a Republican and Secretary of the Fairfax County Electoral Board


News

See Lending, Page 8

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

In the last three years, doz-ens of new car-title lend-ing businesses have popped

up in neighborhoods acrossNorthern Virginia — the result ofrecent regulations opening thedoor to a business that chargesas much as 264 percent a yearon loans. Since 2010, when theVirginia General Assembly gavethe green light to the industry, thetotal number of locations hasmore than doubled from 184 to395. And locations are openingevery week.

“It’s a trap, and although it’spresented as a loan it’s reallyloan-sharking,” said JaySpeech, executive director ofthe Virginia Poverty Law Cen-ter. “People who get into thisend up much worse off thanwhen they started.”

Lenders have always chargeda range of interest rates forloans, but what’s happeningnow in neighborhoods acrossNorthern Virginia is unprec-edented. Back in 2010, afterthen-Attorney General BobMcDonnell went after the car-title lending industry for violat-ing Virginia law restricting howsoon collections could begin onloans, members of the VirginiaGeneral Assembly crafted legis-lation that set rules specific tocar-title lenders. The legislationcreated some restrictions thatprevented lenders from goingafter borrowers for additionalmoney if they had already repos-sessed an automobile, preventedlenders from charging morethan 50 percent of the value ofa car and capped the interestsrate at 264 percent a year.

“Under this law, MisterSpeaker, the industry will notgrow,” said Del. Terry Kilgore

(R-1) when the bill was debatedon the House floor. “It willshrink.”

THAT PREDICTION endedup being wrong. When the2010 legislation passed, Vir-ginia had 125 car-title lendinglocations. By the end of theyear, that number had spiked to184 locations. By the end of2011, according to a reportfrom the State CorporationCommission, the industry had378 locations across the com-monwealth. And the industrywas clamoring for more. In2011, a year after the new ruleswere created, the General As-sembly considered anotherpiece of legislation that under-cut one of the restrictions cre-ated by the previous bill — pre-venting lenders from acceptingtitles of out-of-state cars.

“If you want to see car-titlelenders do more loans in thestate of Virginia, then you wantto vote yes,” said Glenn Oder(R-94), who brought a plushshark to the House floor to helphim make the point. “But if youagree with me that the law wepassed last year was sufficient,then you want to vote no.”

A number of Northern Vir-ginia legislators disagreed withOder and supported the legis-lation to expand the reach ofcar-title lenders outside theboundaries of the common-wealth. The Senate passed thelegislation on a 32 to 3 vote,with every member of theNorthern Virginia supportinglegislation that was introducedby Senate Democratic leaderDick Saslaw (D-35). On theHouse side, the vote was muchtighter — 51 in support and 47in opposition. The coalition in

Northern Virginia becomes hotbedfor car-title lending industry.

Usury Explosion

This site is soon to become the latest addition to theseries of car-title lending operations that haveopened along the Route 1 corridor since legislatorsopened the door to the industry back in 2010.

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

Following the controver-sial additional shop-ping hours on Thanksgiving, the typical frayon Black Friday, and the online melee ofCyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is

positioned in a highly competitive shopping storm.American Express started the event, posturing it

as a nationwide “movement” to get consumers ener-gized about supporting their locally owned and op-erated restaurants and retail stores. They claim tooffer partner businesses promotional materials andguides to run their own PR campaign, and enticeAmEx card-holders to dive in with $10 rebates onpurchases (with a prior registration).

Ten dollars may not make the difference in decid-ing on a large purchase, but presumably AmericanExpress figures if it’s enough to help bring more foottraffic in independently owned doors, the shop keep-ers can do the rest.

In Burke and Springfield, two stores experiencedtwo different versions of Small Business Saturdaythis year.

“It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t better than an av-erage day,” said Jen Cortesi, general manager of theSpringfield location of The Bike Lane. Based on otheryears, Cortesi was expecting more foot traffic onSmall Business Saturday, but this year there was sur-prisingly little by comparison. And of the customerswho did make it out, only one family mentioned theAmerican Express promotion, she said.

HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM Todd and AnneMader opened the community- and customer service-focused bike shop in 2001 after pursuing careers asan accountant and social worker, respectively. Eightyears later the couple opened a second shop inReston. The shops are known for their healthy mixof price points for road, mountain and hybrid bikesand accessories, as well as their involvement withlocal races, safety initiatives and bike service semi-nars.

The store manager observed there may have beenless hype surrounding the day than previously, lessinformation communicated to the public throughvarious media. But, as she said, “It’s always hard tosay what changes” from year to year — “it’s a ques-tion of expectations.”

“It hasn’t been a stellar year for retail, with Se-

questration, the shutdown,” Cortesi continued.“People spend differently when they’re missing amonth’s salary.” The extra free time on the sales flooralso gave the Bike Lane team time to speculate aboutthe trickle-down effects of the modified shopping cal-endar this year.

With more stores open on Thanksgiving to get thejump on Black Friday, and extended hours on BlackFriday itself, perhaps more shoppers were in need ofa financial and physical break come Saturday — atleast more so than in previous years.

Members of The Bike Lane team did come out tosupport their shop. “It was a nice gesture,” saidCortesi. But it wasn’t the kind of new business Ameri-can Express seems to want to promote. “The day haspotential,” Cortesi continued. “It seems like it hasmore.”

OVER IN BURKE, Billie Thomas, owner of the di-verse home decor and gift shop The Picket Fence,experienced a much different turnout. “We werepleased,” she said. “We were very happy with theresponse to it and everything.”

Thomas’s shop has been around for five years, andstocks everything from baby and bath items to deco-rative home decor, tea and potpourri. With a widevariety of merchandise, Thomas endeavors to sell asmuch American-made product as possible, like a col-lection of hammered silver candleholders and platesfrom Pennsylvania designer Wendell August.

“We try just to find unique things you’re not goingto see any place else,” said Thomas.

Despite not being able to process American Expresscards, The Picket Fence still drew a crowd on Satur-day, according to Thomas. “It is hard to say this timeof year because of the holidays,” she said, but “themajority of the people that came in did mention theywere here because of Small Business Saturday. Wehave great loyal customers anyway, but it just bringsthem out even more.”

Thomas and The Picket Fence are also running abook drive for INOVA Children’s Hospital, and sched-uled a drawing for a $50 store gift certificate to co-incide with Small Business Saturday.

Regardless of the single-day turnout — whetherabove or below expectations — both businesses arehopeful for increased awareness and community in-volvement going forward to the next Small BusinessSaturday. “It’s nice to be recognized as a small busi-ness,” said Thomas.

Small Business Saturday: DifferentShops, Different TurnoutsThe Bike Lane in Springfield and The Picket Fence inBurke experienced two versions of the national event.

Billie Thomas, owner ofThe Picket Fence in Burke,experienced great customerinvolvement with the SmallBusiness Saturday.

Jen Cortesi, general manager of the Springfield locationof The Bike Lane, was surprised at the lack of turnout forSmall Business Saturday.

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Letters to the Editor

Being GratefulTo the Editor:

“I am grateful for…” Therecould not be a more American ex-pression at this time of year. Wewill say it out loud at the Thanks-giving table as we prepare to tuckin to a delicious meal. We willmurmur it softly to ourselves as wegaze at the loved ones gatheredaround us. My family is no excep-tion, and every year, we gothrough our “I am grateful for”lists, my brother proclaiming loud-est of all, that he is most gratefulthat we can finally eat.

As a Muslim American, eachThanksgiving I am reminded of theverse of the Holy Quran that states“If you are grateful, I will surelybestow more favors on you”(14:8). I live in a country that al-lows me to practice my religion inpeace and with dignity. A countrythat allows me each year, to bethankful that 400 years ago, agroup of pilgrims fleeing religiouspersecution came to America tofound a safe haven for all. IndeedThe Holy Prophet Muhammad,(peace and blessings be upon him)stated that “One who is not grate-ful to others is not grateful toGod.” I am grateful to be Ameri-can and count myself blessed. Yetfor many of us, Thanksgiving isalso a time to reflect on those whoare less fortunate. We remind ourchildren that while we are eating,there are those elsewhere who willnot. I remind myself that while I

am free to go to the mosque onFriday for my prayers, there areothers who are not.

In Islam, there are three typesof “shukr” or gratefulness. First,understanding and being gratefulin one’s heart. Second, gratitudethat one expresses by verbalpraise. Third, gratitude shown byone’s actions, that is, spendingone’s time and wealth on thosewho are less fortunate. Withoutthat last action, the first two be-come meaningless. As we sit at theThanksgiving table this year, let usnot forget that there is a last, cru-cial step. By discharging the duesof mankind, we are dischargingthe dues of God. By giving fromwhat we have, we are a granted asecond reflection on our blessings.Gratefulness in our hearts, grate-fulness expressed in our voices,and gratefulness shown towardsour fellow men. Let that be ourmantra this holiday season.

Salma HaneefFairfax

A Case for RealChristmas TreesTo the Editor:

My son when he was youngerused to get a little sad when wewould put our Christmas treesoutside to be picked up like gar-bage. I don’t blame him – it’s a bitanticlimactic to see the bare treeslying by the side of the road as

early as the day after Christmas.Few bother to wait until Epiphanywhen the Magi brings the gifts onJan. 6 before they get rid of thetree. My poor neighbors, by Box-ing Day they probably alreadyhave “Christmas hangovers” madeworse by the loud, repetitive andoften cheesy holiday music thathas been blasting in the storessince Halloween. Or worse, maybetheir trees have already died andleft a trail of thousands of needleson the way to the curb.

Many people avoid such messi-ness – emotional and otherwise -associated with live trees alto-gether by displaying an artificialtree. In doing so, they save them-selves some hassle and might eventhink they are doing their own partto save the planet by not cuttingdown trees. Well, as it turns out,not so much. According to the Na-tional Christmas Tree Association(www.realchristmastrees.org),Christmas tree growers in America(whose farms are often located onland not suited for other use) plantone to three new seedlings for ev-ery Christmas tree they harvesteach year. Compare this biodegrad-able/renewable cycle that helpsthe planet breath with the wasteand pollution that is likely to beproduced in artificial tree manu-facturing, packaging and shipping.Adding it all up, it would seem thatbuying a fresh cut tree locallywould be the most environmen-tally friendly option, if not thecheapest.

Environmental consciousnessand cost concerns aside, artificialpine-smelling room sprays can’treplace the fresh scent of a live treein your home. And you won’t haveto vacuum up as many needles ifyou by the freshest tree you canfind and water it properly. If youcan’t splurge for a tree cut right atthe farm, ask the Christmas treelot attendant when and where thetrees were cut and have the atten-dant make a fresh cut on the trunkfor you. We place our tree in itsstand in the garage for a day to letthe branches fall into place, shedloose needles, and acclimatize.Once inside, check the water leveldaily and close any heating ventsnearby. Fresh cut trees are moreexpensive, but the whole processof driving out of town and findingyour own tree for cutting makesfor a fun holiday outing. We usu-ally get pre-cut trees from a localstand, but once we enjoyed splurg-ing for a fresh one we had cut out-side the town of Clifton, where youcan also taste local wine or visitlittle shops and eateries in the littletown all within few miles “over theriver and through the woods.” Fora list of Northern Virginia Treefarms and stands, visit http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/VAxmasnorthern.php, but be sureto call ahead to make sure the list-ings are still in business and havea crop to sell this year.

Ann SoraghanFairfax Station

Opinion

As Fairfax County faces a tight bud-get year and Fairfax County PublicSchools consider significant cuts,clearly some changes are going to

affect services on the ground.As various proposals emerge, there should

be some specific analysis of howchanges, innovations and cuts wouldaffect the poorest one-third or so of thecounty’s residents specifically.

The schools, along with certain county agen-cies, must take special note of their mission,including providing services to families whoare on the short side of the economic and digi-tal divide. Elimination of print notices andnewsletters, conversion to digital textbooks,use of internet-based surveys are just examplesof small innovations that can leave many resi-

dents behind.In another example, it is disturbing that on-

going concerns about Fairfax County librariesdo not include a clear statement of mission toserve families and individuals who lack accessto broadband internet at home.

In Fairfax County, where nearly 20percent of the households have annualincome of under $50,000, about 8 per-cent live below the poverty line and

more than 47,000 public school students arepoor enough to qualify for subsidized meals,the public libraries are indispensable. Accessto library resources goes beyond books, andincludes the very digital access that manypeople cite as a threat to libraries. Public ac-cess to information via computers and Internetfor those who do not have other access is a

critical service, and should be clearly definedas a critical mission of the libraries.

According to a 2010 report, Opportunity forAll: How the American Public Benefits fromInternet Access at U.S. Libraries, funded bythe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: 44percent of people in households living belowthe federal poverty line ($22,000 a year for afamily of four) used public library computersand Internet access; among young adults 14-24 in households below the poverty line, 61percent used public library computers andInternet for educational purposes; among se-niors 65 and older living in poverty, 54 per-cent used public library computers for healthor wellness needs.

The report also notes: “This access has alsoproven to be critical in times of disaster, wherelibraries may be the only access point still op-erating that can provide a delivery point forgovernment and social services to those dis-placed.”

Budgeting and restructuring must take intoconsideration the disproportionate effect ofcutting services on lower income householdsespecially.

Who Will Be Hurt?Innovations, changes and cuts designed to helpthe budget should be subject to analysis of howthey will affect those on the short end of theeconomic and digital divide.

Editorial

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Messiah United Methodist Church6215 Rolling Road, Springfield703-569-9862 • www.messiahumc.org

Handel’s Messiah(Christmas Act & Hallelujah Chorus)

The Messiah Festival ChorusRobert Rudolph, Conductor

presents

Sunday, December 83 pm

A free-will offering will be taken. Childcare is available.

This free concert features• Musicians from the Fairfax Symphony• Soloists from the Washington National Opera• A 100 voice chorus

Join us for this inspirationalstart to the Christmas season!

** Stop by and see our Display **

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CUSTOM DECORATED WREATHS

We have the Best Selection of Fresh-Cut Trees.

For all your decorating needs, we have: Fresh Cut Wreaths & Roping, Live Greens, Beautiful Poinsettias & Centerpieces

Gift Certificates Available

Firewood Available

The Little River Glen SeniorCenter in Fairfax needs volun-teers to help with front desk cov-erage and special events. It alsoneeds volunteer instructors for fit-ness, art, computer, and ESLclasses. Call 703-324-5406, TTY711, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and link to VolunteerSolutions or [email protected]

The Kingstowne SeniorCenter in Alexandria needs vol-unteers to assist at the front deskon Fridays and instructors forclasses in art, Spanish, and Tai Chior QiGong/Khi Cong. Call 703-324-5406, TTY 711. Visitw w w. f a i r f a x c o u n t y. g o v /olderadults and link to VolunteerSolutions or [email protected]

The Lewinsville Adult DayHealth Care Center of McLeanneeds a volunteer musician to per-form once or twice a month and acertified Zumba instructor to teacha class on Friday afternoons. Call703-324-5406, TTY 711, visitw w w. f a i r f a x c o u n t y. g o v /olderadults and link to VolunteerSolutions or [email protected]

The Mount Vernon AdultDay Health Care Center in Al-exandria needs social companionsto help participants. Call 703-324-5406, TTY 711. Visitw w w. f a i r f a x c o u n t y. g o v /olderadults and link to VolunteerSolutions or [email protected]

Meals on Wheels needs driv-ers in Reston, McLean and FallsChurch. Call 703-324-5406, TTY711, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and link to VolunteerSolutions or [email protected]

Respite Care volunteersgive family caregivers of a frailolder adult a well-deserved breakso they can go shopping, attend adoctor’s appointment or just havecoffee with a friend. Volunteersvisit and oversee the safety of theolder adult for a few hours eachmonth.

Support and training are pro-vided. Contact Kristin Martin at703-324-7577, TTY 711, [email protected].

Fairfax County needs vol-unteers to drive older adults tomedical appointments andwellness programs. Call 703-324-5406, TTY 711, visitw w w. f a i r f a x c o u n t y. g o v /olderadults and link to VolunteerSolutions or [email protected]

Volunteer Opportunities


Our Special Invitation

Champagne Holiday BreakfastSaturday, December 7, 2013

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OF GREATER WASHINGTONFAIRFAX COUNTY REGION

Support

Join in our annual givingcampaign:For more information,E-mail [email protected]: 703-820-5206Visit http://www.bgcgw.org/givegreatfutures/and select “Fairfax County”

The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of GreaterWashington is to help boys and girls of all backgrounds,especially those who need us most, build confidence,develop character and acquire the skills needed tobecome productive, civic-minded, responsible adults.

BGCGW’s Fairfax County region includes the CulmoreCharacter Club and Murraygate Village Club, serving 582members a year. On average, 120 youths come throughthe doors every day during the school year.

Meet Henry Lopez, 2013 NationalBoys & Girls Clubs Virginia Youthof the Year, who grew up with theBGCGW Culmore Character Clubfor 14 years. Henry now attendsGeorge Mason University on anHonor Scholarship studyingcomputer engineering.

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Build Your CommunitySupport Your Local

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www.connectionnewspapers.com

From Page 5

support of the bill was bipartisan,including Del. Bob Brink (D-48),Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34).Del. Kaye Kory (D-38), Del. TimHugo (R-40) and Del. Mark Sick-les (D-43).

“All these laws do is let peopleget a car-title loan,” said Del. DaveAlbo (R-42), who also voted infavor of the bill. “People can de-termine if this is a good choice forthem or if it’s a bad choice forthem.”

INDUSTRY LEADERS contrib-uted generously to members of theGeneral Assembly and lobbiedheavily to get their way. Since2009, LoanMax contributed more

than $500,000 and Fast AutoLoans contributed more than$200,000. Saslaw received thelargest individual contributions,receiving $22,000 from Fast AutoLoans and almost $20,000 fromLoanMax. Many of the other leg-islators voting in support of theindustry also received financialsupport from car-title lenders.When asked about his support ofthe 2011 bill, Del. Bob Brink (D-48) had little to say.

“No comment,” said Brink, whoreceived $1,500 from LoanMaxand $500 from Fast Auto Loans.

A map of car-title lending opera-tions in Northern Virginia showsthey are clustered in areas withhigh poverty and low salaries.Manassas has 11 locations.

Car-title Lending Spreads in the Area

Area Roundups

Annandale has four. South Arling-ton has two. The Route 1 corridorin southeast Fairfax County hasseven, and another one is aboutto open at the intersection withHuntington Avenue. Some saythey are concerned Northern Vir-ginia is becoming a place whereunscrupulous lenders can takeadvantage of people in need whocome from the District of Colum-bia or Maryland — a fear that willbecome more pronounced when anew casino opens in PrinceGeorge’s County.

“Route 1 has become the car-title lending capital of NorthernVirginia,” said Del. Scott Surovell(D-44). “And that’s the last kindof economic development we needon the corridor.”

The Town of Clifton welcomes the holidays thisSaturday, Dec. 7, with a candlelight homes tour,parade and Christmas-tree lighting. Festivities be-gin at 2 p.m. with a colorful parade of horses andriders decorated in Christmas finery. Afterward, at-tendees may shop in Clifton’s stores, enjoy the town’srestaurants and visit the art show from 4-9 p.m. inthe Clifton Town Meeting Hall, 12641 Chapel Road.

The homes tour runs from 4-7 p.m. Five houses andtwo churches featuring musical entertainment will

welcome visitors. Then at 7:30 p.m. is the annual light-ing of the town Christmas tree at the corner of MainStreet and Chapel Road. The fun will include carolersfrom Chantilly High, hot chocolate and s’mores.

In Clifton, tickets are at A Flower Blooms in Clifton,T&K Treasures, Hydrangea and All that Glitters.They’re also at Picket Fence in Burke and Banner’sHallmark in Centreville. Cost is $20, adults; $5, chil-dren under 12, through Dec. 6. The next day, they’re$25 and $10, respectively, at the booth on Main Street.

Clifton Christmas Parade, Homes Tour


University Mall Theatreslocated at University Mall, Fairfax (273-7111)

Route 123 & Braddock Road, Lower Level

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B B B

Ballet Arts Ensemble of Fairfax Presents

Nutcracker In A Nutshell

Rachel SchlesingerConcert Hall

and Arts CenterAt NOVA Alexandria Campus

Call for More Info: 703-273-5344www.thecenterforballetarts.com

Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3:00 pm& 7:30 pm

Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3:00 pm

During the last week ofeach year, the BurkeConnection devotes its entireissue to the creativity of localstudents. The results arealways remarkable, and theeditions have won manyawards. It is a keepsakeedition for many families.

We publish artwork, poetry,essays, creative writing,opinion pieces, short stories,photography, photos ofsculpture or gardens or othercreative efforts.

We ask that all submissions be digital so they can besent through e-mail or delivered on CD or flash drive.Writing should be submitted in rich text format (.rtf).Artwork should be provided in .jpg format. Identify eachpiece of writing or art, including the student’s full name,age, grade and town of residence, plus the name of theschool, name of teacher and town of school location.Please provide the submissions by Friday, Dec. 6 forpublication the week of Dec. 26.

E-mail submissions to:[email protected]

To send CDs or flash drives containing artwork andtyped, electronic submissions, mark them clearly byschool and hometown and mail the CD to Children’sConnection, 1606 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Be a Part of CHILDREN’S CONNECTION

News

U.S. Rep GerryConnolly (D-11)

presents a plaqueand flag to FAC-

ETS ExecutiveDirector Amanda

Andere to markFACETS’ 25th

anniversaryduring its annual

Taste of Fall eventthat raises fundsto help families

and individuals inFairfax who are

suffering theeffects of poverty.

FACETS Celebrates25th Anniversary With Taste of Fall

Supervisor JohnCook (R-Braddock), FAC-ETS Board ChairJohn Martin ofL.F. Jennings, 25thAnniversaryCommittee Mem-ber BonnieHopler, FACETSAmanda Andere,25th AnniversaryCommittee Mem-ber Sharon Walsh,and CouncilmanDavid Meyer offera toast to FACETS.

Taste of Fallvolunteers.

Youth danceperformance

Photos

contributed

10 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ December 5-11, 2013 Burke Connection ❖ December 5-11, 2013 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Patty McAndrews worksout with a trainer twicea week at TRUE Healthand Wholeness in Ar-

lington. She found that restarting

her fitness regimen about twomonths ago has strengthened herabdominal muscles and toned her

body. A threat to her fitness looms,however: the holidays and the foodand festivities that come withthem. McAndrews plans to con-tinue her workout schedule to com-bat the traditional holiday weightgain.

“I am excited about the workingout during the holidays because itgives me the freedom to indulge,”she said.

From eggnog and chocolatetruffles to Yule logs and Linzercookies, the holidays bring an on-slaught of sugar-filled delicacies.

Those who find it hard toresist multiple servings ofItalian trifle at an officeparty or chocolate-cov-ered gingerbread men ata cookie exchange mightbe kicking themselves foroverindulging comeJanuary, however.

To keep that from hap-pening, local nutrition

and fitness experts share theirtricks for staying in shape and help-ing their clients do the same dur-ing the sweetest time of the year.

“It is a very hard time of the year,even for me,” said Lisa Pawloski,Ph.D., chair of the Department ofNutrition and Food Studies atGeorge Mason University inFairfax. “Everyone has challenges.There is food everywhere. Officeparties are filled with fatty food.There are dishes filled with candyall around the office this time ofyear.”

Pawloski believes bringing calmto the holiday bustle can aid in fit-ness. “It is important to reduceyour stress so that you don’t overconsume,” she said. “Many peoplereact to stress by overeating.”

Planning ahead is one strategyto avoid gluttony during holidaygatherings. “Think about nibblingon small amounts of healthy foodthroughout the day to fill you up abit instead waiting on a big mealto fill you up,” said MichaelNordvall, Ed.D., professor of healthand human performance atMarymount University in Arling-ton. “Take your time while you’reeating, chew slowly, eat slowly. Theslower you eat, the less food youend up eating because you will getfuller sooner.”

Loading up on nutritious nibblesin advance of a big event mightmake platters of pound-packingfare appear less appealing. “Whenit comes to holiday parties or buf-fets, eat something healthy beforeyou go so you’re not feeling overlyhungry,” said Pawloski. “Thinkabout eating protein and wholegrains because high-fiber food willallow you to feel fuller for a longerperiod of time.”

“My personal philosophy is forpeople to enjoy themselves at aparty,” said Nina Elliot of TRUEHealth and Wholeness in Arling-ton. “Have some of everything, butdon’t go back for seconds. Don’t beobsessed with the food, movethrough the crowd, focus on enjoy-ing the people who are there.”

When faced with a large spreadof tantalizing eats, be selective.“You have to ask yourself, ‘Is itworth the calories?’ Since there issuch a variety, being picky is im-portant,” said Pawloski. “Go afterthe food you really enjoy. There isresearch that shows that when youeat food you enjoy, you secretemore of the digestive enzymes andyou absorb more nutrients of thoseparticular foods.”

Resist the urge to clean yourplate. “Most people will pile on asmuch food as they can and feel therequirement to finish everything,”said Nordvall. “Start with smallerportions.”

While libations can add merri-

ment to a holiday party, they canalso add pounds. “For the adults,things like alcoholic beverages andeggnog can slow you down, makeyou drowsy,” said Nordvall. “Oneof the worst things that can hap-pen after a big meal is to fall asleepbecause your metabolism slowsdown.”

When it comes to sit-down din-ners with family and friends, bothPawloski and Nordvall suggestloading up on low-calorie liquidsand moving around. “Have wateror some broth before you eat ameal,” said Pawloski. “That willactually make you feel a little full.”

“Going on a walk with your fam-ily after a big meal will increasemetabolism and help with diges-tion,” said Nordvall.

Elliot even recommends thatthose concerned about maintain-

Wellbeing

Staying Fit During the HolidaysStaving off extra poundsduring the season ofsweets.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘Is it worththe calories?’ Since there is such avariety, being picky is important. Goafter the food you really enjoy.”

— Lisa Pawloski, Ph.D., George Mason University

ing fitness consider hiring a trainerfor the holidays. “Maybe four ses-sions during the month of Decem-ber, once a week, for weight train-ing specifically,” she said. “Have asession right before a big partywhere you know there is going tobe rich food.”

Elliot says that weight trainingis important to maintaining musclemass and reducing stress. “Mostpeople can go for a run, but whatis often lacking is proper utiliza-tion of weights,” she said. “Peoplewith more muscle mass have ahigher metabolism becausemuscles are energy demanding.”

Her husband, Christian Elliot,fellow trainer and co-owner ofTRUE Health and Wholeness, said,“One of the great benefits aboutstrength training is how it booststhe client’s self confidence.”

Arlington fitness trainer Christian Elliot guides PattyMcAndrews through strength training exercises. Expertssuggest exercising before a holiday event where richfoods will be abundant.

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BURKE PROFESSIONAL PLAZAThe Corner of Rt. 123 (Ox Rd.)

& Burke Centre Pkwy.

Find us on Facebook and become a fan!www.Facebook.com/connectionnewspapers

It takesas muchenergyto wishas itdoes toplan.

Holiday Gift Guide

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

There was Black Friday, andthat’s great for small busi-nesses,” said Braddock

District supervisor John C. Cook.But, he continued, “This makes ita really nice day to celebrate small,independent businesses where youget a different shopping experi-ence, an alternative to going to themalls.”

Cook was on hand to open thestore and kick off the Fairfax Cor-ner outdoor shopping center SmallBusiness Saturday event, wheremerchants encouraged shoppersto support independently ownedstores with discounts and specialin-store events. SBS was started in2010 by American Express as a na-tionwide promotion to energizesmall business.

To sweeten the deal in FairfaxCorner, ten other small businessespartnered with Cupcakes Actually gourmet“cupcakery” to offer a free cupcake as a gift with anypurchase, all day long. Whether customers walkedout with stylish table lamp from The Nest Egg or ahandful of Montecristos from Cigar Town, they wereguaranteed one of Cupcakes Actually’s 60 varieties,such as their bestselling “Simply Red” red velvet orsinful signature “Actually Dipped” cupcake innova-tion.

AS HE HELPED SERVE up the sugar, Cook ap-plauded the special day and hearkened back to thesmall-town values he grew up with in Delhi, N.Y.

“Small businesses tend to celebrate communityevents,” Cook said. “That’s part of the essence. Youhave the ability to do your own thing. They offer

gifts that are special, different,that you can’t find at a number ofshops.”

When Cupcakes Actually ownerSusan Woodhouse of Centrevillewas approached about participat-ing for the first time, she didn’thave to think twice. “Why wouldI?” she said. “It’s a win-win.”

Woodhouse opened CupcakesActually in the spring of 2009, amajor career and geographic shiftfrom her previous life working forthe court system in Detroit. A life-long baker, it had also been herdream to move closer to friendsand family in northern Virginia.Two years before the move,Woodhouse, her sister and otherpartners had a plan in place.

OPENING IN FAIRFAX just ayear after the famous GeorgetownCupcake, Cupcakes Actually hitthe market right as the mini cakeboom was taking off, and became

an established business in the community.A healthy mix of walk-ins, regulars, corporate

events, weddings and special orders keep the kitchenhumming, cranking out roughly 3500 cupcakes —priced $3.25-$3.95 each — per week. Business wasso good that Woodhouse opened a second locationin Leesburg this past April, and the shop is set toappear on the Cooking Channel in February 2014 ina segment called “Unique Sweets.”

For Woodhouse, the success obviously supports herlivelihood, but she also values the shop’s place inthe community. “People are very pro-small business,”she said. “The big retail chains have taken over, buta lot of people will tell us they like going to supportindependently owned shops.” Especially when there’sa free gourmet cupcake waiting at the register.

From left, Cupcakes Actually owner SusanWoodhouse looks on while SupervisorJohn C. Cook (R-Braddock) serves a gour-met cupcake to Jill Westeyn of Oak Hill.

Supervisor John C. Cook (R- Braddock)stands outside Cupcakes Actually inFairfax Corner after supporting the“cupcakery” on Small Business Saturday.

At Cupcakes Actually,owner Susan Woodhousekeeps a recipe list of 60varieties including redvelvet, salted caramel andpumpkin.

“

Sweet SaturdayCupcakes Actually in Fairfaxoffered free cupcakes as agift with purchase.

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To have community events listed, sendto [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416 with questions. Thedeadline for submissions is the Fridayprior to publication; we recommend sub-mitting your event two weeks ahead oftime. To see more entertainment events,go to: http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2013/sep/26/fairfax-county-calendar/.

FRIDAY-MONDAY/DEC. 6-DEC. 16“Page Turners.” Daily, at the Jewish

Community Center of NorthernVirginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike,Fairfax. The exhibit highlights visualartists who are also illustrators, torun concurrently with the 8th annualNorthern Virginia Jewish BookFestival. Features Valerie Brown,freelance photographer with imagesfrom her “Capital Splendor: Gardens& Parks of Washington, DC,” IanFrank, architect and artist, KatherineJanus Kahn, illustrator of the SammySpider series and Ziz, a gigantic birdof Jewish mythology and TheLadysmiths: 16 of the group of localfemale metalsmiths’ jewelrycreations. 703-323-0880 orwww.jccnvarts.org.

TUESDAY/DEC. 10Laura Black Murphy Book Signing

Event. 4-8 p.m. Barnes & Noble,12193 Fair Lakes, Promenade Drive,Fairfax. Murphy, a resident of FairfaxStation, Va., will be available to signcopies of her book, “My LittleMessenger.”

FRIDAY/DEC. 13One Night Stands. 8 p.m. Workhouse

Arts, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Inconcert, one night only, featuringsolo cabaret performers from the DCarea. Two performers each night,each performing a solo 45 minuteset. Tickets: $15-25.

SATURDAY/DEC. 142nd Saturday Art Walk. 6-9 p.m.

Workhouse Arts, 9601 Ox Road,Lorton. The 2nd Saturday Art Walkat the Workhouse showcases thediverse work of more than 100 visualartists in a unique historic venue,creating an atmosphere thatencourages visitors to immersethemselves in the richness of thiscreative community.

Cecil Ray Comedy Club 7p.m.Workhouse Arts, 9601 Ox Road,Lorton. Host Cecil Ray leads theproceedings in a night of laughterwith guest comedians from the mid-Atlantic region. Tickets: $20-30.

SATURDAY/DEC. 21An Irish Christmas – An Nollaig. 8

p.m. GMU Center for the Arts, 4400University Drive, Fairfax. Irish-American fiddler Eileen Ivers bringsthe joy of the holiday season toFairfax with her celebration for thewhole family, a heartwarmingconcert filled with tales of IrishChristmas traditions and favoriteCeltic holiday tunes. Tickets: $25-$50.

ONGOINGFirst Fridays at the Clifton Art

Guild. 6-9 p.m. at Clifton WineShop, 7145 C Main St., Clifton. Enjoya wine tasting and mix and minglewith the Art Guild of Clifton artists.703-830-1480 orwww.artguildofclifton.org/.

Saturday Farmers Market. 8 a.m.-1p.m., at the parking lot at theintersection of West and Main Streetsbehind Wells Fargo Bank in [email protected] orwww.FairfaxSaturdayMarket.com.

Sunday Farmers Market. 10 a.m.-2p.m., parking lot at the intersectionof West and Main Streets behindWells Fargo Bank in Fairfax.

Calendar


Looking for a NewPlace of Worship?

Visit Antioch Baptist Church!

All Are Welcome!Sunday Worship 8, 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

Sunday School for Children & Adults 9:30 a.m.Married Couples Sunday School 11:30 a.m.

Rev. Dr. Marshal L. Ausberry, Sr., Senior Pastor

Antioch Baptist Church6531 Little Ox Road

Fairfax Station, VA 22039703-425-0710 • www.antioch-church.org

Providence Players to Present‘A Christmas Carol’

The Providence Players and The Young Hearts present “A Christ-mas Carol” at James Lee Community Center Theater, 2855Annandale Road, Falls Church. Performances: Dec. 6-15, 2013.Tickets: $17. Call 703-425-6782 or visitwww.providenceplayers.org. Note: Half of all net proceeds willbenefit The Young Hearts Foundation, dedicated to improvingthe lives of young people affected by long-term illness.

Standing:Ethan Phillipsas Peter,seated, fromleft: StephanieMarinova asLi’l, AmandaRanowsky asMrs. Cratchit,and ArianaColligan asMartha inrehearsal forthe ProvidencePlayers familyholiday pro-duction of “AChristmasCarol.”

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THURSDAY/DEC. 5 Annual Holiday Tunes for the

Young at Heart. 7 p.m. W.T.Woodson High School Gymnasium,9525 Main Street, Fairfax. Tickets:$3 per person. Questions: 703-764-5820

FRIDAY/DEC. 6Virginia Opera Presents: The

Magic Flute. 8 p.m. GMU Centerfor the Arts, 4400 University Drive,Fairfax. Tickets: $44-$86. http://cfa.gmu.edu/

Women of Faith ChristmasSimulcast. 8-10:30 p.m. MessiahUnited Methodist Church, 6215Rolling Road, Springfield. Featuredinspiring speakers include MaxLucado, Sheila Walsh, Rick Warren,Lisa Harper and the guest spiritualsinger is Francesca Battistelli. Tickets$5. Contact: Jo-Ann Scichilone [email protected] or 703-569-8230.

SATURDAY/DEC. 7Plantation Christmas. 2-7 p.m.

Gunston Hall, 10709 Gunston Road,Lorton. Ride in a horse-drawncarriage, sip warm cider by the fire,and sample period food prepared inthe hearth kitchen. $15 adults; $5children. 703-550-9220.

City of Fairfax of Lights & Carols.11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Old Town Fairfax,3999 University Drive, Fairfax. Enjoylive holiday music, hot cider, smoresby the Yule log, caroling and lightingof the Christmas tree in the winterwonderland. http://www.fairfaxva.gov

Historic Clifton Candlelight HomeTour. 4-7 p.m. Historic District,Clifton. Five homes trimmed for theholidays, two churches andcommunity hall will be open fortouring in the historic district.Tickets: $20. http://clifton-va.com/

Art Guild of Clifton Holiday ArtExhibit and Sale. 4-9 p.m. CliftonTown Hall Meeting, 12641 ChapelRoad, Clifton. Enjoy original art,jewelry, fiber arts, pottery, andphotography made entirely by Cliftonartists. www.artguildofclifton.org

Cabaret Series: Home for theHolidays. 8 p.m. Workhouse Arts,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Tickets: $25,includes planche campagnarde.

Clifton Candlelight Homes Tour. 4-7 p.m. 12641 Chapel Road, Clifton.Five homes will be trimmed and openfor touring, and two churches willhave choirs singing. cliftonva.org.

Annual Tree Lighting. 7:30 p.m.Ayre Square, main square town inClifton. Caroling, treats and hotchocolate.

Lunch with Santa. 11 a.m., 12 p.m.and 1 p.m. The SherwoodCommunity Center, 3740 Old LeeHighway, Fairfax. $6 per child.Tickets required. 703-385-7858.

Festival of Lights and Carols. 11a.m., 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. SherwoodCommunity Center. 3740 Old LeeHighway, Fairfax. $6 per child forages 10 and under. 703-385-7858 orvisit www.fairfaxva.gov

Jackie Hoffman’s A ChanukahCharol. 8 p.m. Jewish CommunityCenter of Northern Virginia, 8900Little River Turnpike, Fairfax.Hoffman is forced to examine her lifewhen she is visited by the Ghosts ofChanukah Past, Present and Future,and even Molly Picon. Tickets $19-$29. www.jccnvarts.org.

Britten and the Brits. 7:30 p.m. St.Mark’s Lutheran Church, 5800Backlick Road, Springfield. Holidayconcert that will include Christmascarols as well as audience sing-along.Tickets: $15 in advance; $20 at thedoor.www.northernvirginiachorale.org

Shop the Shepherd ChristmasShowcase. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Churchof the Good Shepherd, 9350Braddock Road, Burke. Over 30

vendors will be offering a wonderfulselection of jewelry, toys, handbagsand purses, home decor, kitchenware, skin care, Christmasdecorations and much more.

SUNDAY/DEC. 8Family Advent Celebration. 5-6

p.m. Burke United Methodist Church,6200 Burke Centre Parkway, Burke.Annual family advent celebration. Allare welcome. 703-250-6100.

Four Centuries of VirginiaChristmas. 2 p.m. Fairfax Museumand Visitor Center, 10209 MainStreet, Fairfax. Learn about theevolution of Virginia Christmascustoms from author Mary MileyTheobald. Free.

Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” 9 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Burke United Methodist Church,6200 Burke Centre Parkway, Burke.BUMC Chancel Choir (and friends)presents Vivaldi’s “Gloria.”

Cabaret Series: Home for theHolidays. 1 p.m. Workhouse Arts,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Tickets: $25,includes planche campagnarde.

Holiday Open House & CathedralBrass Christmas Concert. 4 p.m.5500 Ox Road, Fairfax Station. Amusical celebration of the season.703-352-1421.

Jackie Hoffman’s A ChanukahCharol. 2 p.m. Jewish CommunityCenter of Northern Virginia, 8900Little River Turnpike, Fairfax.Hoffman is forced to examine her lifewhen she is visited by the Ghosts ofChanukah Past, Present and Future,and even Molly Picon. Tickets $19-$29. www.jccnvarts.org.

Holiday Sing-Along. 7 p.m. GMU,Center for the Arts. Sing and listen toclassical favorites. cfa.gmu.edu.

Journey to Bethlehem. 1-3 p.m.Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,8304 Old Keene Mill Road,Springfield. Come experience thetown of Bethlehem and all the eventsthat happened that blessed Christmas2000 years ago. www.poplc.org

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 1158th Annual Holiday Banquet. 6:30

p.m. Springfield Hilton, 6550

Loisdale Court, Springfield. Annualbanquet of the Lee DistrictAssociation of Civic Organizations(LDACO). $55 per person.

SATURDAY/DEC. 144th Annual Santa’s Secret

Workshop. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. BurkeUnited Methodist Church, 6200Burke Center Parkway, Burke. Thisevent is designed to allow survivor’schildren and local families in need toshop for the perfect gifts for theirfamilies, extended families, and evenpets at no cost to them.

SUNDAY/DEC. 15Youth Christmas Pageant Service.

11 a.m. Cranford United MethodistChurch, 9912 Old Colchester Road,Lorton.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 18Travelers’ Christmas Eve. 7:30 p.m.

Messiah United Methodist Church,6215 Rolling Road, Springfield. AChristmas Eve service for thosepersons, especially first responders,doctors and nurses who may have towork on Dec. 24.www.messiahumc.org

SATURDAY/DEC. 21An Irish Christmas – An Nollaig. 8

p.m. GMU Center for the Arts,4400 University Drive, Fairfax. Irish-American fiddler Eileen Ivers bringsthe joy of the holiday season toFairfax with her celebration for thewhole family, a heartwarmingconcert filled with tales of IrishChristmas traditions and favoriteCeltic holiday tunes. Tickets: $25-$50.

SUNDAY/DEC. 22Christmas Cantata. 11 a.m. Cranford

United Methodist Church, 9912 OldColchester Road, Lorton. Join the 25member strong Cranford ChancelChoir, led by music director GayleLennon, as they sing to the glories ofthe coming Emmanuel with song.

Holiday Calendar


BaptistPreservation of Zion

Fellowship 703-409-1015

CatholicChurch of the Nativity

703-455-2400

Christian ReformedGrace Christian Reformed

Church 703-323-8033

EpiscopalChurch of the Good

Shepherd703-323-5400

St. Andrew’s EpiscopalChurch 703-455-2500

LutheranAbiding PresenceLutheran Church

703-455-7500

www.calvaryfamily.com“Continuing the ministry of

Christ on earth”

9800 Old Keene Mill Rd.703-455-7041Sunday School

9:15 AM Worship Service

10:30 AM

MethodistBurke United

Methodist Church703-250-6100

St. Stephen’s UnitedMethodist Church

703-978-8724

Non-DenominationalBurke Community Church

703-425-0205Calvary Christian Church

703-455-7041Knollwood

Community Church703-425-2068

PresbyterianBurke Presbyterian Church

703-764-0456Sansaug Korean

Presbyterian 703-425-3377

Unitarian UniversalistAccotink Unitarian

Universalist 703-503-4579

To Advertise Your Community of Worship, Call 703-778-9418

COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

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Christian CenterA Caring & Spirit-Filled Church

4650 SHIRLEY GATE ROAD, FAIRFAXBILL FRASNELLI, LEAD PASTOR

703-383-1170VISIT OUR WEB SITE: WWW.JCCAG.ORG

December 15Children’s Musical

“Camel Lot” and Adult Choirpresentation, 11 am.

Holiday Reception follows.

December 24Christmas Eve gathering, 8 pm

December 31International Food Feast and

family activities, 6-10 pm


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Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Westfield head coach Kyle Simmonsstood on the football field at LakeBraddock Secondary School and re-vealed one of his assistants had spot-

ted on film a flaw in the opponent’s kicking game,creating an opportunity for a block.

Later, Lake Braddock head coach Jim Poythressstood outside the Bruins’ locker room and said hemade the right decision to attempt a field goal,though he had considered another option.

One play didn’t win or lose Saturday’s 6A Northsemifinal contest between the Westfield Bulldogs andLake Braddock Bruins, but it’s safe to say the Bull-dogs are still alive because of a single tide-turningspecial-teams touchdown.

Lake Braddock led by 13 points and lined up toattempt a 30-yard field goal with less than six min-utes remaining in the fourth quarter. The run-heavyWestfield offense had managed just three points andwas without its top threat, running back TylerThrasher-Walker, who left the game in the secondquarter with a leg injury. The Bulldogs had little rea-son to believe they could come back and win.

And then junior safety James Gibson returned ablocked field goal 92 yards for a touchdown.

Gibson’s return sparked an improbable Westfieldcomeback. Down by six, the Bulldogs got a defen-sive stop, scored the tying touchdown, kicked thego-ahead extra point — thanks in part to a LakeBraddock penalty — and sacked Bruins quarterbackCaleb Henderson for a safety on the game’s final playto pull out a 19-16 victory on Nov. 30.

Westfield will face Centreville for the 6A North titleon Saturday, Dec. 7. The winner advances to the statechampionship game.

“It’s like the football gods were against us,”Poythress said. “The best team doesn’t always win. Ithink that we were the best team, I felt like — I stillfeel that way. But they stuck with their game plan

and played hard and never gave up and I think that’sa tribute to them.”

Thrasher-Walker rushed for 107 yards before leav-ing the game with a leg injury in the second quarter.Gray finished with 164 yards on the ground and atouchdown.

Lake Braddock quarterback Caleb Henderson com-pleted 12 of 17 passes for 140 yards. He also rushedfor 41 yards and a touchdown.

“[H]igh school football is over,” Henderson said.“I’m going to miss it terribly.”

Lake Braddock running back Trevor O’Brien car-ried 17 times for 74 yards and a touchdown. VinceSica caught five passes for 103 yards.

Lake Braddock finished the season 12-1 and wonits fifth consecutive district championship.

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Caroline Alcortaspent most of theVHSL cross coun-

try season running on herown, forced to find motiva-tion within as she pulledaway from the pack. TheWest Springfield senior wonthe 6A girls’ state champion-ship on Nov. 15 at GreatMeadow with a meet-recordtime of 17:13, finishing 39seconds faster than her near-est competitor.

Two weeks later, Alcortatook her act on the road toCharlotte, N.C., for the FootLocker Cross Country SouthRegionals. While an in-creased level of competitionclosed the gap, Alcortafound herself in a familiarposition when she crossedthe finish line.

Alcorta won the Foot Lockersouth regional with a time of16:55 at McAlpine Creek Parkon Nov. 30. Alcorta’s top-10 fin-ish earned her a trip to nation-als on Dec. 14 in San Diego,Calif.

Alcorta was the only runnerto break 17 minutes. AmeliaPaladino of Morgantown, W.Va.,(University High School) placedsecond with a time of 17:04.Natalie Rathjen of Dallas (High-land Park High School) finishedthird with a time of 17:06.

Alcorta improved her time atregionals by 24 seconds. Lastyear, she qualified for nation-als by placing eighth atMcAlpine Creek Park with atime of 17:19.

“Last year it was more about… kind of just hanging on withthe lead pack as long as possibleuntil I feel off,” Alcorta said.“This year … I knew I had todo a lot of the work myself in-stead of hanging on. … It re-ally helps not worrying aboutwhat other people are going todo.”

Lake Braddock seniorsHannah Christen and Katy Kuncqualified for nationals by finish-ing fifth and sixth, respectively.Christen finished in 17:15, with

Kunc close behind at 17:16.Christen and Kunc placed sec-ond and third, respectively, atthe state meet.

In the boys’ Foot Locker southregional race, Edison senior and5A boys’ state champion LouisColson placed fourth with atime of 14:50, earning a trip tonationals. Marshall seniorMackenzie Haight also punchedhis ticket to nationals with afifth-place finish (14:51).

Aaron Templeton of Knox-ville, Tenn., (Hardin ValleyAcademy) won the event witha time of 14:36.

Nationals will be held Satur-day, Dec. 14 at Morley Field atBalboa Park in San Diego, Ca-lif. Last year, Alcorta finished16th at nationals, one place shyof All-American status. She fin-ished with a time of 17:56.3.Megan Curham of Villa WalshAcademy (Morristown, N.J.)grabbed the final All-Americanspot with a time of 17:56.

“It would have been worse,”Alcorta said, “if I had been asenior and I didn’t have anothershot at it.”

Alcorta has her sights set ona top-15 finish this weekend.

“That,” Alcorta said, “wouldbe really nifty.”

Lake Braddock’s Christen,Kunc advance to nationals.

Alcorta WinsSouth Regionals

West Springfield seniorCaroline Alcorta, seenduring the VHSL state meeton Nov. 15, finished first atFoot Locker Cross CountrySouth Regionals on Nov. 30,earning a trip to nationals.

Pho

to

by Ed Lull

Lake Braddock loses 13-pointlead in final six minutes.

Heartbreaking Playoff Loss

Lake Braddock running back Trevor O’Briencarries the ball against Westfield in the 6ANorth region semifinals on Nov. 30.

Lake Braddock quarterback Caleb Henderson is wrapped up by Westfield defensivelineman Timothy Curry.

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Falls Church Antique CENTERFalls Church Antique CENTER250 West Broad Street

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ABC LICENSEIamaya-V, LLC trading as

Margarita’s Grill, 9526 Burke Rd, Burke, VA 22015. The

above establishment is apply-ing to the VIRGINIA DEPART-

MENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL(ABC)

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manufacture alcoholic bever-ages. Efren Amaya, memberNOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be

submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing

date of the first of two required legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or

800-552-3200.

21 Announcements

ABC LICENSESMA Food, LLC trading as MoMos Nepalese Food, 6304 Springfield Plaza, Springfield, VA 22150. The above estab-lishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer on Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Moti Neupane, Managing memberNOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be

submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing

date of the first of two required legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or

800-552-3200.

26 Antiques

We pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

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

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Schefer Antiques @703-241-0790.

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News

For the first time in Fairfax High’s history, the school band’s Wind En-semble was chosen to perform at the

Virginia Music Educators Association(VMEA) convention. This year’s event washeld Friday, Nov. 22, at The Omni Home-stead Resort in Hot Springs, Va.

To be considered for selection, the bandhad to submit a recording in May and wasthen evaluated against all other entries. Thetop three or four high schools and middleschools from around Virginia were thenchosen to perform.

At the recent convention, Fairfax High’sWind Ensemble gave a 45-minute perfor-mance in front of most of the state’s music

teachers. “It’s a wonderful opportunity forthe exposure of our program,” said Assis-tant Principal Maureen Keck. “The rigor ofputting that much music together so earlyin the year – and during marching bandseason – has truly helped push our musi-cianship and talents to the next level.”

“The music our wind ensemble preparedfor the VMEA focused mainly on newer mu-sic, with varying difficulties, so they couldshare a variety of great music with the di-rectors in attendance,” she continued. “OurWind Ensemble students have definitelyrisen to the challenge and presented a mu-sically rewarding experience for all.”

— Bonnie Hobbs

The Fairfax High band’s Wind Ensemble performed at the VirginiaMusic Educators Association convention.

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Fairfax High’s MusiciansPerform at VMEA Event

Jean Landreville hasbeen named the newExecutive Director at

Greenspring, an Erickson Liv-ing retirement community inSpringfield. She joinedErickson Living in 2005 andhas 18 years of experience inthe senior housing and healthcare industries.

“Jean’s proven leadership,expertise in aging services, aswell as diverse health care ex-perience will help EricksonLiving further serve the seniormarketplace in Northern Vir-ginia,” said Kerry Jones, VicePresident of Regional Operations forErickson Living. “Her wealth of senior hous-ing experience and unwavering commit-ment to delivering quality resident servicesare a few of the many qualities that makeJean a perfect fit for this new leadershiprole.”

Landreville most re-cently served as the As-sociate Executive Direc-tor at Fox Run, anErickson Living commu-nity in Novi, Mich. Priorto that position, she wasthe Associate ExecutiveDirector at Riderwood,Erickson Living’s largestcommunity in SilverSpring, Md. Landrevilleis a licensed nursinghome administrator andreceived a bachelor’s de-gree in general dieteticsfrom Madonna College.

She also received a master’s degree in man-agement of aging services from the EricksonSchool at the University of Maryland, Bal-timore County. As the Executive Director atGreenspring, Landreville will lead the com-munity of nearly 2000 residents and 1000staff members.

Jean Landreville Named NewExecutive Director at Greenspring

Jean Landreville,Greenspring’s newexecutive director.


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Herndon $254,900Updated 3rd floor condo with almost 1000 sq. feet finished space.Hardwood floors in the living and dining room areas, upgraded kitchen,washer and dryer in unit. Walk to pool, weight room and club room.Minutes to Park and Ride on Monroe Street. New Metro coming in 2018.

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Custom contem-porary featureswalls of glass,miles of hardwoodfloors, and volumeand cathedral ceil-ings throughout!Beautiful 5 acre

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“Seasons Greetings”

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Documents

Sports, Page 17 Different Turnouts - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · 06/12/2013 · 2 Burke Connection December 5-11, 2013 News By Janelle Germanos