Springfield - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/092017/Springfield.pdf · silver, Phil Case from Springfield won gold, and Willard Rieger from Springfield won

Springfield Connection ❖ September 21-27, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Springfield

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Anthony Saunderspractices a foul shot.Saunders, 11, of theKingstowne neighbor-hood near Springfieldhas big NBA dreams.

A Tale ofTwo ImmigrantsNews, Page 4

A Tale ofTwo ImmigrantsNews, Page 4

RorschachPoliticsNews, Page 3

RorschachPoliticsNews, Page 3

Rising BasketballStar has NBA

DreamsNews, Page 12

Rising BasketballStar has NBA

DreamsNews, Page 12

2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ September 21-27, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Sports

Medal winners in the 50 yard backstroke in the 85-89 agegroup — from left: Don McPherson from Ashburn wonsilver, Phil Case from Springfield won gold, and WillardRieger from Springfield won bronze.

Swimmers take their starting positions on the blocks forthe second heat of the 100 yard freestyle.

LeonardKalkwarf

fromSpringfield

throws aFrisbee inthe 85-89

age group.He won a

gold medalwith a

throw of53’ 6”.

John Dineen from Springfield swims his way to a goldmedal in the 50 yard breaststroke in the 75-79 agegroup. He stays in shape by working out every day atthe South Run RECenter.

In Competitive ModeAt Senior Olympics

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NewsEditor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

See Debate, Page 15

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

The campaign for governor is abit like a Rorschach test as thecandidates close in on the finalstretch toward Election Day.

Democrat Ralph Northam and RepublicanEd Gillespie are presenting a series ofinkblots to voters about everything from thehealth of the economy to the value of Con-federate statues.

How voters feel about President DonaldTrump and the Affordable Care Act may endup playing more of a role deciding the fateof the election than all the carefully craftedpolicy proposals and press releases.

“The critiques that one is leveling at theother that aren’t policy oriented are de-signed to undermine the opponent’s basebut also energize their own base,” saidQuentin Kidd, professor at ChristopherNewport University. “But while they do haveto play politics and critique each other,they’ve got to talk about policy, and they’vegot to talk about the things they would doto solve problems and make life better forVirginians.”

Polls show Northam holding a steady butslight lead since March, the last timeGillespie was leading in a statewide poll ofvoters. One of the most recent polls wasconducted by the University of Mary Wash-ington earlier this month, which showsNortham edging out a 5 percent win overhis rival — a lead that’s so slight it waswithin the margin of error. Polls haveNortham crushing Gillespie in vote-richNorthern Virginia. But they also showGillespie leading among independent vot-ers and holding strong in conservative partsof the state.

“You see a lot of undecided voters, whichmeans both campaigns have a lot of workto do between now and November,” saidStephen Farnsworth, professor at the Uni-versity of Mary Washington. “When you

take out the portions of the electorate whowill reflexively vote for a Democrat or aRepublican, you are left with people whoare going to be motivated by community-level issues.”

THE DEBATE, sponsored by the NorthernVirginia Chamber of Commerce, and mod-erated by Chuck Todd of NBC’s “Meet thePress,” was held at Capital One headquar-ters in McLean on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Panel-ists included Julie Carey, NBC4; AaronGilchrist, NBC4; and Mark J. Rozell, GeorgeMason University. The debate was notablefor its civility on all sides.

Gillespie rattled off a series of data pointsabout sluggish job growth and stories ofpeople leaving Virginia to move to otherstates. His solution to the perceived weak-ness is a 10 percent reduction in the indi-

vidual income tax rate, a proposal thatwould cost more than $1 billion over thenext five years.

“We have tended to put a lot of focus onwhat I call whale hunting — trying to get aFortune 100 company to move lock stockand barrel into Virginia,” said Gillespie af-ter the debate. “And I’m all for it. We needto make a run at Amazon, and we’re goingto. But that can’t be the singular focus ofour economic development agenda and vi-sion.”

Northam criticized Gillespie’s plan as atax cut for the wealthy, a proposal thatwould blow a billion-dollar size hole in thebudget and crowd out spending for roadsand schools. Instead, he said he would liketo continue on the path of current Gov. TerryMcAuliffe’s “New Virginia Economy,” em-phasizing lowering the unemployment rate

and a series of corporations that havemoved their headquarters to the common-wealth. During one point in the debate,Northam turned to Gillespie and said all histrash-talking about the Virginia economycould prevent Amazon from setting up shopin Virginia.

“Right now, Ed, we are having negotia-tions with Amazon — 50,000 jobs,”Northam said to Gillespie. “Amazon doesn’twant to hear from people like you, espe-cially if you want to be the next governor,that we are doing poorly in Virginia.”

CONFEDERATE STATUES are creatingan emotional flashpoint in the campaign, adisagreement between the candidates high-lighted by the violent clashes that eruptedin Charlottesville after white supremacistsmarched across the campus of the Univer-sity of Virginia chanting Nazi slogans andholding tiki torches. Gillespie said the stat-ues should stay in place with some addedcontext, and he called for adding a statueof Virginia’s first black governor to the stateCapitol. Northam said local communitiesshould be able to determine what they wantto do with their statues, although he addedhe wants to see them in a museum.

“I think what is important is to talk aboutsome of the statues that aren’t built ofbronze, the inequities that we still have inour society,” said Northam during the de-bate. “Inequities in access to health care.Inequities in access to voting rights. Ineq-uities that we have in education.”

Views of the Affordable Care Act are alsoexpected to play an important dividing linein the election. Northam has been consis-tent in his support for expanding Medicaid,criticizing Republicans for undermining asystem that has expanded health insuranceto millions of Americans who previously had

Candidates for governor present inkblots onissues from health of the economy to thevalue of Confederate statues.

Rorschach PoliticsDemocrat Ralph Northam (right) speaks at Tuesday’s debate.Republican Ed Gillespie speaks at Tuesday’s debate.

Photo courtesy: Washington Post

At the end of Tuesday’s debate Gillespie and Northam share a hand-shake. The debate was notable for its civility on all sides.


News

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

One is from Ecuador. The otheris from Vietnam. Both are suc-cessful professional womenhoping to fill the seat vacated

by retiring Del. Dave Albo (R-42). But onlyone will prevail in November, creating oneof the fiercest political contests on the bal-lot in Northern Virginia this year.

Republican Lolita Mancheno-Smoak is aproud supporter of President DonaldTrump, a man she calls a “positivedisruptor.”

Democrat Kathy Tran has emerged as aleading voice of the opposition to a Repub-lican White House, and her campaign isenjoying support from groups like Peoplefor the American Way and billionaire envi-ronmentalist Tom Steyer.

“My opponent is a Tea Party activist whosays that Trump is her ideal presidentialcandidate,” said Tran, shortly after appear-ing at a press conference with Steyer. “Shewants to defund Planned Parenthood, andshe hasn’t walked back any support ofTrump.”

Mancheno-Smoak is against Medicaidexpansion, and she wants to defundPlanned Parenthood. But like Albo, someof her views are not necessarily orthodoxRepublican. For example, she says shewould vote in favor of closing the gun showloophole. And she says she would vote infavor of allowing local governments theability to remove Confederate statues. Asfor the allegation that she is a Tea Partyactivist, Mancheno-Smoak rejects that de-scription. She acknowledges that she spokeat several Tea Party meetings, but she saysshe was asked to speak as a candidate whenshe was running for the Fairfax CountySchool Board. As for her early support forDonald Trump, she stands by the contro-versial president who lost her district by 20percent.

“Sometimes in order to generate change,in order to get new energy to actually feelpassionate about a new beginning you needpositive disruption,” said Mancheno-Smoakwhile campaigning for votes at the Burkefarmer’s market. “I see Trump as a positivedisruptor.”

THE 42ND HOUSE DISTRICT stretchesfrom West Springfield south into Colchesterinto Fort Belvoir and Mason Neck. It in-cludes the historic estates of both GeorgeWashington and George Mason. AlthoughRepublican Bob McDonnell beat DemocratCreigh Deeds in the district back in 2009,its recent history in statewide elections hasbeen solidly blue. Last year, Hillary Clintonbeat Donald Trump in this district — 57percent for the Democrat, 37 percent forthe Republican. That puts this race at thetop of the agenda for Democrats, who seethe retirement of Albo as one of the bestpossibilities of the year.

“There’s no question that HD-42 is oneof the Democrats’ top pick-up targets andtherefore one of the main down-ballot races

to watch this year,” said Geoff Skelley atthe University of Virginia Center for Poli-tics. “Without the popular Albo running forthe GOP, the crossover support that he re-ceived in the past will surely be harder tocome by for Mancheno-Smoak.”

Campaign finance numbers show thatTran has a sizable fundraising advantageover the Mancheno-Smoak, an indicationthat Democrats in Northern Virginia andbeyond are focusing attention and cash onthis district as one of the most likely oppor-tunities to turn a red district blue this year.Tran has raised almost $120,000 whileMancheno-Smoak has raised less than$10,000. And heading into the most heatedpart of the campaign season, the Democrathas about $45,000 cash on hand while theRepublican has about $1,000.

“Given Tran’s fundraising edge and thefact that the district had a Democrat leanin statewide elections before 2016 —McAuliffe won it by seven points in 2013,as did Obama in 2012 — the seat is vulner-able with Albo out of the picture,” saidSkelley. “And considering Clinton’s 20-point

win here in 2016 and Northern Virginia’slikely strong performance for RalphNortham at the top of the Democratic ticket,most signs are good for Democrats in HD-42.”

MANCHENO-SMOAK, 58, is a native ofEcuador. She came to America as an infant,resettling in Manhattan. She moved toNorthern Virginia in 1999, attracted to theregion by a job working for the UnitedStates Postal Service. She has a bachelor’sdegree in engineering from Columbia Uni-versity and a master’s degree in engineer-ing from the University of Miami in Floridaand a doctorate in business from NOVASoutheastern University in Fort Lauderdale.Professionally, she started her career work-ing for a German pharmaceutical companybefore becoming a management consultant.

“I just want to be a stronger voice for ourdistrict, for our community,” saidMancheno-Smoak. “We need to focus onensuring that there is economic growthacross the commonwealth so that otherparts of Virginia become more self-sustain-

ing and then we have less of a burden ofbeing Virginia’s ATM.”

If elected, she says, she would introducelegislation to restructure business, profes-sional, and occupancy licenses. Instead ofcalculating the taxes on gross receipts, shesays, they should be based on net profits tocreate a “more level playing field.” She saysshe would also introduce a bill that wouldchange how funding for secondary roads isallocated by the Virginia Department ofTransportation, creating a similar set ofobjective criteria that already exists for pri-mary roads. Mancheno-Smoak says shewould also like to change the compositeindex that moves tax dollars from wealthierareas like Fairfax County to poorer areaslike Radford or Dickenson County.

“We need to incorporate our cost of liv-ing, and our cost of living is higher thanany other place of the state,” saysMancheno-Smoak. “And if we could at leastincorporate that, it would give us a betterstance with the kind of funding that we needfor our public school system.”

TRAN, 39, is a native of Vietnam. She cameto America as an infant, resettling in South-ern California. She moved to West Spring-field about three years ago, attracted toNorthern Virginia by the public school sys-tem. She has a bachelor’s degree in historyfrom Duke University and a master’s degreein social work from the University of Michi-gan. She was at the United States Depart-ment of Labor for 12 years, working in dif-ferent leadership and management posi-tions shaping national workforce policies.Then she went to work in immigration ad-vocacy at the National Immigration Forum,working at the intersection of immigrationpolicy and workforce development policy.

“I’m doing this for my kids,” said Tran.“I’m a mom of four, and I want to make surethat my kids have the best and brightestfuture and not just them but all the otherchildren and families in my community, andthat’s what this election is really all about.”

If elected, she says, she would voteagainst hospital construction standards forabortion clinics and for closing the gunshow loophole as well as allowing localgovernments the ability to remove Confed-erate statues. If elected, she would intro-duce legislation that would encourage re-cycling of coal ash, the byproduct of coal-fired power production. She says she wouldalso introduce legislation strengtheningcareer and technical education programs bycreating stronger partnerships with employ-ers who would provide input into the cur-riculum.

For Tran, the biggest priority would beexpanding Medicaid to the 400,000 peoplewho qualify but don’t currently have healthinsurance because of Republican opposition.

“For me, it’s a moral issue because I be-lieve that everybody has a right to healthcare,” said Tran. “It’s also an economic is-sue because we’ve left more than $10 bil-lion on the table, and so that’s our taxpayerdollars that we’re not utilizing.”

A Tale of Two Immigrants Candidates hoping to replace Dave Albo areboth living the American Dream.

The 42nd House District stretches from West Springfield south intoColchester into Fort Belvoir and Mason Neck.

Kathy Tran speaks at a pressconference in her campaign head-quarters announcing support fromPeople for the American Way.

Lolita Mancheno-Smoakcampaigns for votes at theBurke farmer’s market.


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Send notes to the Connection at [email protected] or call 703-778-9416.Deadline is Friday. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior to the event.

The Guhyasamaja Buddhist Center, 10875Main St., Fairfax City provides free classes to bothnewcomers and advanced practitioners of TibetanBuddhism. The center emphasizes working withthe mind and learning how to understand theworkings of the mind, overcoming inner causes ofsuffering, while cultivating causes of happiness.Under the direction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, thecenter is a place of study, contemplation and medi-tation. Visit www.guhyasamaja.org for moreinformation.

Lord of Life Lutheran offers services at two

locations, 5114 Twinbrook Road in Fairfax, and13421 Twin Lakes Drive in Clifton. Services inFairfax are held on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. andSundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Services in Clifton areheld on Sundays at 8:50 and 10:50 a.m. 703-323-9500 or www.Lordoflifeva.org.

Clifton Presbyterian Church, 12748Richards Lane, Clifton, offers Sunday worship ser-vices at 10 a.m. and Cup of Fellowship at 11 a.m.Nursery care is provided from 9:45-11:15 a.m.Christian education for all ages is at 9:45 a.m. 703-830-3175.

Clifton Baptist Church, 7152 MainSt.Clifton, is a small Bible-believing church offer-ing worship service on Sunday at 11 a.m., withBible Study on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.

Faith


Opinion

Every year is Election Year in Virginia,and each year the election matters.This year, all the members of the Vir-ginia House of Delegates are up for

reelection, along with statewide races for Gov-ernor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney Gen-eral.

So many things are at stake. The deadline toregister to vote in the General Election on Nov.7, or update an existing registration, is Mon-day, Oct. 16.

Of the 30 incumbents in the Virginia Houseof Delegates who are runningunopposed, 11 are in NorthernVirginia: Mark Keam (D-35);Ken Plum (D-36); David Bulova(D-37); Vivian Watts (D-39);

Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41); Mark Sickles (D-43);Paul Krizek (D-44); Mark Levine (D-45);Charniele Herring (D-46); Patrick Hope (D-47); and Rip Sullivan (D-48).

Marcus Simon (D-53) faces no Republicanchallenger, but will face Mike Casey, an Inde-pendent.

In Northern Virginia, there is only one openseat, the 42nd, vacated by Dave Albo (R) whosays he can’t afford to continue dedicate somuch time to the legislature at the expense ofhis law practice. Kathy Tran (D) faces LolitaMancheno-Smoak (R).

Other contested races: Kathleen Murphy (D-34) faces Cheryl Buford (R). Kaye Kory (D-38)faces Paul Haring (R). Tim Hugo (R-40) faces

Donte Turner (D). Alfonso Lopez (D-49) facesAdam Roosevelt (R). Jim LeMunyon (R-67)faces Karrie Delaney (D). Jennifer Boysko (D-86) faces Linda Schulz (R).

The local Connection newspaper to each ofthese races has covered or will write about eachcontested race; you can find the stories on ourwebsite.

The League of Women Voters of the FairfaxArea (LWVFA) will hold both in-person andtelevised forums for the public to learn aboutthe candidates who are running for election tothe Virginia House of Delegates.

❖ Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at ProvidenceCommunity Center: 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax.Invited candidates: Mark L. Keam (D), DavidL. Bulova (D), Eileen Filler-Corn (D), KathyK.L. Tran (D), Lolita I. Mancheno-Smoak (R),Marcus B. Simon (D), and Mike S. Casey (I).

❖ Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at HayfieldSecondary School, Lecture Hall: 7630 Tele-graph Road, Alexandria. Invited candidates: L.Kaye Kory (D), Paul B. Haring (R), Vivian E.Watts (D), Mark D. Sickles (D), Paul E. Krizek(D), Mark H. Levine (D), Alfonso H. Lopez (D),and Adam Roosevelt (R).

❖ Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at SullyGovernment Center: 4900 Stonecroft Blvd.,Chantilly. Invited candidates: Kenneth R. “Ken”Plum (D), David L. Bulova (D), Donte T. Tan-ner (D), Timothy D. “Tim” Hugo (R), Karrie K.Delaney (D), James M. “Jim” LeMunyon (R),Jennifer R. Boysko (D), and Linda C. Schulz

(R).The remaining televised forum at Fairfax

County Public Access are on Channel 10 orlivestreamed on YouTube “Inside ScoopLivestream.” The public can submit questionsby email to [email protected] orcall 571-749-1142 between 7-8:30 p.m. Tunein on:

❖ Monday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.: Invited candi-dates: Kathleen J. Murphy (D), Cheryl A.Buford (R), Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum (D), DonteT. Tanner (D), Timothy D. “Tim” Hugo (R), R.C.“Rip” Sullivan, Jr. (D), Karrie K. Delaney (D),James M. “Jim” LeMunyon (R), Jennifer R.Boysko (D), and Linda C. Schulz (R).

Killing the Poor toPay Millionaires,Current Attempt

Because the current effort in the Senate tovote on “repeal and replace” for the Afford-able Care Act is, if anything, worse than theprevious attempts in substance, I hope that youwill read my previous editorial from June.http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/jun/27/opinion-editorial-killing-poor-pay-millionaires/

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Voting Every Year, But Always CriticalLeague of Women Voters provides forums to learn about the candidates.

Editorial

By Liz Barnes

PRS CrisisLink Volunteer

Beginning as a volunteer atPRS CrisisLink started forsimple, altruistic reasons. I

wanted to make a difference andshow myself and my family the im-portance of giving back to others.The experience at NorthernVirginia’s hotline and textline was

something farmore than Iimagined itwould be.

Training taught me that beforeyou can help, you must listen. Youmust listen to understand, not lis-ten to solve a problem. This iseasier said than done becausewhen someone is suffering, allanyone wants to do is fix it forthem.

I learned people have incrediblestrength which turns into resil-ience and despite how much I loveto give advice, people are alreadyexperts in their own lives. I alsolearned how many people feellonely even when they are sur-rounded by others mostly becauseof the shame and isolation theirexperiences bring them. Above all,

I learned howimportant it isto alwaysmaintain ac o m m u n i t yc o n n e c t i o nthrough vol-unteering. Ifwe can give

back, we must; the need is nevergoing away.

Taking calls on the hotline haschanged my life and all my expe-riences at PRS CrisisLink havemade me a better human being.The passion I have for helping oth-ers has only intensified the more Ilisten. So many people have saidto me “Oh, I could never work ona crisis hotline. It’s too scary.”Sometimes I would laugh and re-ply gently about how helping isimportant.

Now, after five years, I am a littlebolder. Yes, it can be anxiety pro-voking to answer calls in whichpeople are concretely thinkingabout ending their lives. Yes, hav-ing to make life-saving decisionson a phone line is stressful. How-ever, it is an extreme privilege towitness the courage and vulner-ability each person must have to

reach out when they are in thatmuch pain. Furthermore, I amhonored to be the person to listenin the moments where someone islonely and hurting with no oneelse to call.

The honor I felt in these mo-ments left me desiring to trainother volunteers. I joinedCrisisLink’s training team.Through this, I have learned whatit takes to be successful in this kindof work. Empathy, a desire to learnconsistently, distress-tolerance,life-experience and a sincere de-sire to help others is the make-upof every one of our team members.Our volunteers include lawyers,teachers, stay-at-home parents,veterans, human service workers,architects, nurses, students, clergy,

law enforcement, and more —each offering 3-4 hours a week foran entire year to our life-savingservices. Mental illness impactsmore than the one person experi-encing the crisis. It impacts ourfamilies, friends and community atlarge. This September, PRS is sup-porting National Suicide Preven-tion Month through the#CallTextLive Campaign, whichhas a number of ways to get in-volved that encourage dialogueabout suicide. Talking about sui-cide will help more people feelcomfortable to call or text ahotline. When they do, I standready to listen.

To volunteer, contact PRS at 703-531-6351.

Taking the Call

Volunteers at the PRS CrisisLink call center.

PR

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Springfield


News

By Steve Hibbard

The Connection

Remi Rupert, 3 1/2, of the OrangeHunt Estates neighborhood inSpringfield almost died after shewas born on Feb. 12, 2014, at

Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. Butafter transferring and being treated for 13weeks at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU) at Children’s National Medical Cen-ter in D.C. — at a cost of $1.7 million —she is now doing well and thriving — tak-ing dance classes at Melina’s Dancing Gar-den and gymnastics at the Little Gym. She’seven started swimming lessons at Kid’s First.

But early on in mom Brooke Rupert’spregnancy in 2013, she knew somethingwas wrong when doctors found fluid aroundRemi’s lungs.

“Our scans came back abnormal at 12weeks and the actual condition was con-firmed at 32 weeks,” said Remi’s mom. “Atfirst there was fluid around the neck area.And when we came back at 20 weeks, itwas surrounding the lungs. The doctorsthought it would dissipate but it never did.We came back for another sonogram at 24weeks and it was still there. Then at 28weeks, they referred us to Childrens’ Na-tional Health System.”

THE EXPERIENCE was quite harrowingfor Brooke Rupert, 37, an attorney, andhusband Matt, 38, a real estate agent. Thecouple also has a son named Shai, age 5 1/2. In addition to the fluids, doctors foundout Remi had lymphangiectasia, or abnor-mal markings on the surface of the lungs.Brooke Rupert was told treatment for thiscondition had about a 50 percent successrate. After Remi was born weighing 5pounds, 11 ounces, she was placed on amechanical ventilator and transported toChildren’s National, ranked one of the top10 pediatric hospitals in the country by U.S.News & World Report.

The NICU team at Children’s Nationalfought to keep her alive. Brooke Rupert saidat first they tried conservative methods tosee if the fluid would go away on its own.“That didn’t happen, so a few days after

that, they placed chest tubes in to drain thefluids. That didn’t work on its own; so theydrained it and it kept coming back,” saidBrooke Rupert.

Then they tried the medicationsOctreotide and Proponolol, and did x-raysevery day, but that didn’t work either.

“Ultimately what did work was a proce-dure called sclerotherapy or pleurodesis,”said Brooke. They put in a scarring agentand injected it into her chest tubes and ro-tated her so that the scarring agent coatsthe lungs and creates scar tissue. “The goalis to create a dam so the fluid won’t haveanywhere to go,” said Brooke Rupert. “Af-ter that, there was no more fluid output. Itwas over the course of several weeks on themechanical ventilator.”

Matt Rupert added that the sclerotherapyprocedure was what saved her life.

During that time, Remi had official “code”events where she required chest compres-sions and medications. “Her eyes wereteared up and all red. They told us threedifferent times that she wouldn’t make it,”said Matt Rupert. “They put her on a ma-chine called an oscillator. We were afraidshe would be brain dead because she waswithout oxygen for so long. We even flewfamily in because we thought she wouldn’tmake it,” said Brooke Rupert.

“While we were at Children’s, we sawevery specialist in the hospital,” she said. “I

think that being in the hospital so longcaused other problems. She was on artifi-cial nutrition and started having liver prob-lems. Because she was on the ventilator, shedidn’t know how to eat. We left the hospi-tal with the nasogastric tube that she usedto eat.”

On May 21, 2014 — 14 weeks after be-ing born, and after one week in transitionrecovery, Remi was finally able to go home.

For her first year out of the hospital, Remiwas on a feeding tube. She continued withphysical therapy until eight months ago.And now, she has gross motor delays butluckily she didn’t have any cognitive delays,said her mother. She was late to walking,and a year behind schedule in eating.

Matt Rupert said the worst part was thefirst six months after they took her home.“I stayed home the whole time; it was crazy.I slept on the couch the first year becausewe didn’t have a hospital bed and we hadan IV drip for her milk,” he said. “That wasthe hardest part because that took a big toll.Every other hour she had to be fed.”

Today Remi is doing much better. “Shecan function and breathe but her lungs arenot regular healthy,” said her mother. “Sheneeds to have regular breathing treatments.And during cold and flu season, we have tobe mindful then. She had to get a vaccina-tion for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus).”

During the Ruperts’ time at Children’s

National they became close with anotherfamily whose son, Avett Rodgers, now 3 1/2, was being treated for a similar condition.The family encouraged the Ruperts to signup for the Race for Every Child, an annualevent to raise money for Children’s Na-tional.

SO FOR THREE YEARS now, they havebeen taking part in Race for Every Child,which raises money for Children’s National.The first year, they ran with the GratefulFamily Team; then with Team Remi. Lastyear, Team Remi raised about $1,300; thisyear’s goal is $2,500.

“The races are the largest communityfund-raiser for Children’s National MedicalCenter,” said Morgan McKean, of theChildren’s Hospital Foundation. “A lot ofpeople don’t know that Children’s Nationalneeds money. There are a lot of things thatare not funded by insurance. So there is abig need for philanthropy for research, fornew equipment, and things at a pediatrichospital that aren’t funded by insurance.”

“Children’s means a lot to us because allthey’ve done for us and continue to do. Themission of raising money for the hospital isan important one,” said Brooke Rupert.“[Children’s] treated Remi like one of theirown. I felt like she was more than a pa-tient. They were very concerned with herprogress and wanted to see her succeed andbe healthy.” “The nurses treated Remi likeshe was one of their own. They went aboveand beyond. It was absolutely amazing. Thenurses even came to Remi’s birthday party,”said Matt Rupert.

The fifth annual Race for Every Child is scheduled for Oct. 21, 2017, atFreedom Plaza in the District.

The Rupert family of Springfield today: (from left) dad Matt,son Shai, daughter Remi, and mom Brooke.

Remi Rupert of Springfield saved byChildren’s National Medical Center andparticipating in Race for Every Child.

A Race to Save a Child

Remi Rupert while she was recu-perating as a baby.

Remi Rupert shown in dance classtoday.

DetailsThe fifth annual Race for Every Child is sched-

uled for Oct. 21, 2017, at Freedom Plaza in theDistrict. It is projected to have 5,000 runners whowill race down Pennsylvania Avenue; the goal is toraise $1.5 million for Children’s National. Since thefirst year in 2013, the race has raised more than$4.3 million for pediatric health.

Pre-race activities begin at 7 a.m.; the 5K run/walk begins at 8:45 a.m.; and the 100-yard Kid’sDash begins at 10:15 a.m. Other fun on-site activi-ties include food trucks, live music, mascots andsuperheroes, and more. Race registration closesThursday, Oct. 12 at 11:45 p.m. Visitwww.raceforeverychild.org to sign up as an indi-vidual or a team.

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Schools

The entire school gathered to cheer on the start of the Positivity Project. Studentsmade signs and cheers to introduce the 24 character traits they will be discussingthis year.

Orange Hunt Elementary Kicks-off Positivity Project

Orange Hunt Elementary held a pep rallyon Friday, Sept. 8 to kick-off the start ofthe year-long Positivity Project which en-

courages students to build strong relationships byseeing the character strengths in themselves and oth-ers.

Orange Huntfourth gradeteachers andspecialists gatherbefore the start ofthe PositivityProject pep rally.Back row: DonnaJones, Jess Joyner,Jill McDaniel, andEmily Slovensky.Front row: AlanaStanley, HeatherGillespie, andKatie Thomason.

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and that’s OK,” said Lewis. “Students want to do welland be pushed, but pushed with support. Knowingthat a teacher understands the student and theirabilities sends a positive message that the teacher ison their side when it comes to learning.”

A teacher who is able to demonstrate genuine con-cern for students is necessary to create an effectivelearning environment, adds Lewis. “Parents often say‘I want a teacher who knows their content,’ but Ialways go back to ‘does the teacher care?’ If a teacherdoesn’t care, then they’re not going to be effective.An effective teacher motivates students to want tolearn.”

An ability to form a strong relationship with stu-dents is another characteristic that Lewis believes isimportant. “The more rapidly the teachers can get

to know the individual stu-dents and things they enjoylike their hobbies, the sportsthey like, the sooner thatteacher can see that studentsare real little people behindthose names,” she said. “As ateacher you have to put theheart first and policy second.What factors are going on at

home that can throw the student for a loop. If youhave a caring adult to say, ‘Hey do you want to talkabout it?’ that can make a big difference.”

An effective teacher accepts students for and wherethey are, adds Lewis. “Students can learn more froma teacher when the teacher shows that they care,”she said.

New Year, New Teacher

“An effective teachermotivates students towant to learn.”

— Jessica Lewis, Ed.D.,Marymount University

Photo by Marilyn Campbell

A positive classroom helps welcome stu-dents back to school is an importantfactor in student learning, says PamelaGarner, Ph.D. of George Mason University.

How to identifyeffective teachers.

By Marilyn Campbell

As a new school year got underway thismonth, Sebla Tobin, a family therapist inRockville, Md., noticed an uptick in the num-

ber of her patients who are parents, expressing con-cern about the teachers their children had been as-signed.

“So many parents are leery of new teachers orteachers who are young,” she said. “I encourage themto give the teacher a chance before passing judgmentand marching into the principal’s office to ask for adifferent teacher. Just because a teacher graduatedfrom college last spring doesn’t mean that they won’teffective. And a teacher who’s been in the classroomfor 20 years may be jaded and grumpy.”

Teacher effectiveness is a concern among parentsas the school year gets underway, says Tobin, andshe points to research which shows how teachers canaffect student achievement. A 2011 study fromHarvard and Columbia universities showed a linkbetween effective teachers and students who weremore likely to attend college, have lower teenagepregnancy rates and other positive outcomes. Sowhat qualities constitute an effective teacher?

Effective teachers are knowledgeable of the sub-jects they are teaching, says Pamela Garner, Ph.D.professor of Childhood Studies at George Mason Uni-versity. “Effective teachers are able to transfer thatknowledge to students who have different compre-hension levels,” she said.

Creating a classroom envi-ronment that is safe for stu-dent learning is also impor-tant, adds Garner. “Overall,effective teachers work hardto create a positive classroomclimate which is character-ized by providing opportuni-ties for student input in de-cision making and support for individual differences,”she said.

Setting high expectations for all students, but re-alizing that students have a variety of abilities, is animportant factor, believes Jessica Lewis, Ed.D., pro-fessor of education at Marymount University. “Forsome students getting a C is like a medal of honor


Entertainment

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

ONGOINGThe Trawick Prize Art Exhibit.

Through Sept. 30, various times at atGallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., SuiteE. Bethesda. Burke artist MicheleMontalbano named as one of thefinalists for the Trawick Prize. Call301-215-7990.

Artist Marilyn Harrington’s “Dyeingto Change,” exhibit, is on display atthe Workhouse Art Center, 9518Workhouse Rpad, Lorton throughOct. 8. Call 703-584-2900.

Lake Accotink Park CarouselClosed, Mini-golf and MarinaOpen. The carousel at Lake AccotinkPark has been closed for theremainder of the 2017 operatingseason for needed repair work. Themini-golf and marina will continueoperating as normally scheduledthrough Oct. 16. Call 703-324-8745.

SEPT. 21-24Golf Tournament. All day at Laurel

Hill Golf Club, 8701 Laurel CrestDrive, Lorton. Middle AtlanticAmateur Championship. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/golf/lhgc or call 703-439-8849.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 22Geology at Lake Accotink. 5-6 p.m.

at Lake Accotink Park, 7500 AccotinkPark Road, Springfield. Participantsexperiment with rocks and test theirhardness in this hands-on class at thepark. Call 703-569-3464 visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-accotink/.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 23Mosby Bus Tour. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

The bus will leave from the TruroParish, 10520 Main St., Fairfax. Thetour will visit Mosby sites in PrinceWilliam, Fauquier and LoudounCounties. Call 703-971-4984 or [email protected].

Irish Folk Festival. noon-7:30 p.m. atSherwood Center at Van Dyck Park,3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, orThe Auld Shebeen Irish Pub, 3971Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax. $10 perperson; $20 family maximumadmission. Call 703-385-7858.

Meet the Author. 2 p.m. at FairfaxMuseum and Visitor Center. 10209Main St., Fairfax. “Lincoln’s Generals’Wives: Four Women Who Influencedthe Civil War - For Better and forWorse” Author Candace Shy Hooperwill discuss how Julia Grant, EllenSherman, Nelly McClellan, and JessieFremont influenced their husband’scareers. Free. Call 703-385- 8414.

Meet the Author. 4 p.m. at Barnes &Noble, 12193 Fair Lakes PromenadeDrive, Fairfax. Kristin Cashorereviews her new book “Tu Reviens,”about an island mansion. Visitstores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2937 or call 703-278-0300.

The 12th Annual “ARTS byGeorge!” 5 p.m. at deLaskiPerforming Arts Building, HarrisTheatre, and Center for the Arts,4400 University Drive, Fairfax. Galaperformance by Broadway star KelliO’Hara plus student showcases,buffets and wine bars, and silent andlive auctions. [email protected] or 703-993-3872,or visit artsbygeorge.gmu.edu.

SEPT. 23-24Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the

Whitehall Farm, 6080 ColchesterRoad, Fairfax. Featuring a large cornmaze in the shape of a chicken,pumpkin patch, farm animals,inflatable bounce houses, hay ride,

and nature trail. $12, active dutymilitary and their families receive $2off per ticket. Visitwww.whitehall.farm.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 24Building a Train Set. 1-4 p.m. at the

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road in FairfaxStation. Activities include making asample train layout as well asinvolvement in demonstrations ofrailroad artifacts. Museum membersand ages 4 and under, free; ages 5-15, $2; ages 16 and older, $4. Craftsupplies included in admission. Visitwww.fairfax-station.org, or call 703-425-9225.

MONDAY/SEPT. 25Tai Chi Easy. 2-3 p.m. at King of Kings

Lutheran Church, 4025 Kingsway,Fairfax. Pauline Reid, teaches TaiChi, a form of the Chinese self-carepractices known as Qigong. This classis suitable for beginners throughadvanced practitioners. $90 forMonday nights through Nov. 6. EmailPauline at [email protected] orcontact the church office 703-378-7272, ext. 221.

WEDNESDAY/SEPT. 27Tai Chi. 6:30-7:30 a.m. at Old Town

Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Wear comfortable clothesand bring a mat. Class will take placein Old Town Square at the pergola.Call 703-385-7858.

Meet the Civil War Author. 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Fairfax Station RailroadMuseum, 11200 Fairfax StationRoad. Local historian, lecturer andauthor, Arthur Candenquist will lookat a Confederate military railroadthat ran between Centreville andManassas Junction. Free, open topublic. Visit www.fairfax-station.orgor call 703-425-9225.

THURSDAY/SEPT. 28Visiting Filmmakers. 4:30 p.m. at the

Johnson Center Cinema, GeorgeMason University, 4400 UniversityDrive, Fairfax. GMU VisitingFilmmakers Series presents:“Cameraperson,” free screening andQ&A with Kirsten Johnson. Visitfavs.gmu.edu.

Mars Rodeo Concert. 6:30-8:30 p.m.at Old Town Square, 3999 UniversityDrive, Fairfax. The HometownThursdays series will host local bandsfrom the Fairfax area. Free. Call 703-385-7858.

SEPT. 28-OCT. 1Fall Book Sale. Various times at

George Mason Regional Library,7001 Little River Turnpike,Annandale. George Mason Friends, aFriends of the Library organizationannual book sale. Call 571-314-1947.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 29Geology at Lake Accotink. 5-6 p.m.

at Lake Accotink Park, 7500 AccotinkPark Road, Springfield. Participants

experiment with rocks and test theirhardness in this hands-on class at thepark. Call 703-569-3464 visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-accotink/.

Wine Tasting. 6:30-9:30 p.m. at CivilWar Interpretive Center at HistoricBlenheim, 3610 Old Lee Highway,Fairfax. This event features winetasting and a silent auction of goodsand services. Free. Visitwww.historicfairfax.org for more orcall 703-385-7858.

Pilates Open House. 6:30-8 p.m. atStudio BE Pilates, 4211 FairfaxCorner Ave., East, #200, Fairfax.Meet and greet with pilates guruKevin Bowen and see Pilatesdemonstrations. Bowen will give atalk about the importance of a Pilatespractice as we age. [email protected] or call703-222-0122.

Music on the Plaza. 7 p.m. at OldTown Plaza, 3955 Chain BridgeRoad, Fairfax. Call 703-385-7858.

Bingo. 7 p.m. at Fire Station 3, 4081University Drive, Fairfax. Smoke freeBingo, free coffee, entertainingcallers, a friendly atmosphere,$1,000 guaranteed jackpot, treasurechest progressive raffles, and foodavailable for purchase. All proceedsgo to purchasing fire and rescueequipment. Visitwww.fairfaxvfd.com, or call 703-273-3638.

Comedy on Stage. 7:30 p.m. at theEpicure Cafe, 11104 Lee Hwy,Fairfax. Show by Krish Mohan, anationally touring stand upcomedian. Visit

ramannoodlescomedy.com/press/.

SEPT. 29-OCT. 8Disney on Ice. Various times at Eagle

Bank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle,Fairfax. “Dare To Dream,” showfeaturing an expedition across seasand mountains with characters fromDisney’s “Beauty and the Beast,”“Frozen,” “Tangled” and “Cinderella.”$20 and up. Call 1-800-745-3000, viawww.ticketmaster.com, or visitDisneyOnIce.com.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 30Kidz Korner. 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Old

Town Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. A variety of children’sactivities and entertainment. Call703-385-7858.

Organ Recital. 11:30 a.m. at HistoricPohick Church, 9301 RichmondHighway, Lorton. The recital on theNoack Pipe Organ with 16 stops, 18ranks, and 948 pipes will includeselections from J. S. Bach, DietrichBuxtehude, and other music from the18th to 20th Century. Call 703-339-6572 or visit www.pohick.org.

Bingo. 1-3 p.m. at Parish Center Gym,St. Leo the Great Catholic Church,3700 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. $10for two cards, proceeds benefit theShepherd’s Center of Fairfax-Burke.Call 703-426-2824.

Concerts from Kirkwood. 3 p.m. atthe Kirkwood Presbyterian Church,8336 Carrleigh Parkway, Springfield.Hot Lanes Jazz Band, led bycomposer, arranger, performer anddirector Bobby Jasinski. [email protected], visitwww.kirkwoodpres.com, or call 703-451-5320.

SEPT. 30-OCT. 1Fall Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the

Whitehall Farm, 6080 ColchesterRoad, Fairfax. Featuring a large cornmaze in the shape of a chicken,pumpkin patch, farm animals,inflatable bounce houses, hay ride,and nature trail. $12, active dutymilitary and their families receive $2off per ticket. Visitwww.whitehall.farm.

OCT. 2–NOV. 6Adventures ‘N Learning. 9:30 a.m.-

2:45 p.m. at the Lord of LifeLutheran Church, 5114 TwinbrookRoad, Fairfax. The class starts withgentle exercise, followed by speakerson topics such as health, history,community, personal development,finance, and more. $30 for six weeks.Call 703-426-2824, or visitwww.scfbva.org.

MONDAY/OCT. 2Funday Monday. 10:30 a.m. at Old

Town Hall, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Mr. Skip: Fun & Songs forchildren. Call 703-385-7858 or visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts.

TUESDAY/OCT. 3Story Time. 10:30 a.m. at Old Town

Hall, 3999 University Drive, Fairfax.Story Times at Old Town Square forchildren every Tuesday morning. Call703-385-7858 or visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/culturalarts.

FRIDAY/OCT. 6B-I-N-G-O. 7 p.m. at Fire Station 3,

4081 University Drive, Fairfax. TheFairfax Volunteer Fire Departmenthosts smoke free Bingo, $1000guaranteed jackpot, treasure chestprogressive raffles, and foodavailable for purchase. All proceedsgo to purchasing fire & rescueequipment. Visitwww.fairfaxvfd.com, or call 703-273-3638.

The sounds and sights of Irish singers, dancersand musicians will fill the air during the 22ndAnnual CCÉ Irish Folk Festival in the City ofFairfax. Set for Saturday, Sept. 23, from noon-7:30p.m., music performances and cultural displayswill be held at the Sherwood Center, 3740 OldLee Highway, and at the Auld Shebeen Irish Pub,3971 Chain Bridge Road.

Dublin-based Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann(CCÉ) is the largest, nonprofit group involved inthe preservation and promotion of Irish traditionalmusic and culture This family-friendly event ispresented in cooperation with the City of Fairfaxand the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts. Ittakes place rain or shine, parking is free and ven-ues are handicap-accessible. Cost is $10/person,with a $20/family maximum.

Irish Festival in Fairfax, Sept. 23Irish music and dance will be performed by both

world-class artists and regional all-stars. Headlineperformers include Kieran O’Hare, Liz Knowlesand Pat Broaders, Open the Door for 3, NationalHeritage Fellow and accordion maestro BillyMcComiskey, Sean Clohessy, Sean McComiskey,Matt Mulqueen, Josh Dukes and Kieran Jordan,Cover the Buckle, and Aoife Scott and Band

Tunes will be played on the fiddle, banjo, pipes,flute, accordion and drum. Attendees will alsoexperience the vibrancy and riches of Irish tradi-tional songs, dances, culture and communitythrough step dancing, social dancing, plus sean-nósdance performances including Shannon DunneDance. For a detailed schedule of the music ses-sions, performances and instructional workshops,go to www.CCEirishfest.org.

Photo by

Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

The Boyle Schoolof Irish Danceoutside theSherwood Center.


COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

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“Loving People to Life”

Community

By Robert Healy

The Connection

On Saturday, Sept. 16, the eighth annualVolksmarch of Accotink Unitarian Uni-versalist Church was held in Burke. Participants enjoyed a crisp fall day filled

with hiking, music and bicycles. The scent of cook-ing bratwursts permeated the air, while polka musicplayed in the background.

More than 200 people including organizers andwalkers were involved. Some 160 bicyclists and walk-ers covered either a 5k or 10k course. The stroll alongthe hills and shores of Burke Lake offered a relaxingexperience for all those involved.

Similar walks take place all over the world coin-ciding with the German tradition of Oktoberfest.Hikes bring together family and friends to enjoy thegreat outdoors.

More than 3,500 of these walks take place here inthe United States, and many more in countries suchas Taiwan, Estonia and France. Collecting and trad-ing pins and badges is one of the experiences walk-ers can share. Rebecca Mackey spoke of how she hadreceived a homemade button comprising safety pinsfollowing her completion of the TaiwaneseVolksmarch.

The event is sponsored by the American VolkssportAssociation, the Northern Virginia Volksmarchers andPotomac Pedalers Touring Club. Other hikes by theAmerican Volkssport Association have occurred in

Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National Park.Parks like these and that of Burke Lake, offer a beau-tiful backdrop for walkers and riders alike.

Marchers come together to share stories aboutother Volksmarches and enjoy food, beer and musiclike those in Germany.

Jim Truscott, who has been coming to the BurkeLake Volksmarch since its inception in 2009, shareda story about a 100 Kilometer French hike in whichall competitors had completed the course with aheavy rock in their backpack. Hikes can vary in lengthand difficulty but provide an excellent opportunityto relax outside with family members and friends.

200 Take Part in Volksmarch in Burke

Bob Westin, left, showing off his one-maninstrument.

Organizerstake a break

from cookingbratwurst on

the grill.

Photos by

Robert Healy

The Connection


News

By Steve Hibbard

The Connection

Anthony Saunders, 11, of theKingstowne neighborhood nearSpringfield has big NBA dreams.He wants to follow in the foot-

steps of his basketball heroes — LeBronJames, Kevin Durant, or Dwayne Wade —and maybe play for one of his favoriteteams: the Miami Heat or the Golden StateWarriors.

The family’s townhouse basement iscrammed with 18 trophies and 20 medalsfrom all of Anthony’s many tournamentsand camps. He started receiving awardswhen he was 6. At the rate he’s going, thesixth-grader at Anthony T. Lane ElementarySchool is on track to making his dream cometrue.

“He wants to be an NBA player,” said hisdad Kareem, who coaches Team Durant inSeat Pleasant, Md.

This summer alone, Anthony took part ina slew of basketball camps where he ex-celled.

At the Gonzaga Camp, he won the Knock-Out Championship Shooting Contest onJuly 14. He was the starting point guard inthe AAU Nationals for Team Durant on July22-27 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and finishedeighth in the country. He won the MorganWootton MVP Award for ages 10-13 atDeMatha Basketball Camp on July 31-Aug.4. He also played in the PYBL PremiereYouth Basketball League for elite seventhand eighth graders from June 4-Aug. 19.He also attended Junior Phenom Camp inRichmond for top rising sixth-graders in thenation on Aug. 13. He also attended theFuture Phenom Camp in Boyds, Md., fromAug. 26-27, for sixth-graders, where he

made the Top-20 All-Star team and was se-lected a Top 5 future prospect. He was alsoin the All-Star Alimoe Day game sponsoredby the Tri-State Classic in Harlem, N.Y., Aug.20.

And that was just one summer. And yes,he’s only in sixth grade.

To top it off, for training this summer,Anthony got up at 7:30 a.m. and headedover to the soccer field behind his house.He started with strength and conditioningexercises, and worked on running faster andgetting stronger. He did push-ups, sprints,and 12-minute one-mile runs around thesoccer field. He headed back to the basket-ball court where he took 100 jump shots.

“I told him this is the focus you have toprepare for. You can’t play video games and

you may have to miss this party ... just tomake him understand the dedication thatit takes,” said his father.

“What I’m preparing him for is college,whether it’s a full scholarship, using thebasketball and trying to add an additionalsports of lacrosse,” said his dad. His par-ents are looking to send him to St.Stephens/St. Agnes for middle school; PaulVI for high school; and Duke University orSyracuse for college. “You never take awayyour dreams; you alter them to get to yourgoal.”

“I hope that basketball-wise he finds hap-piness as a career,” said his dad. “When hefirst told me he wanted to be an NBA player,I told him he needed a backup. God forbidsomething could happen with a knee in-

jury.”He continued: “As you work on one goal,

you have to work on the second. My goalfor him is to have happiness through bas-ketball. I know his goal is the NBA, but it’shard. I just want him to have peace andhappiness with basketball.”

“What I love most about basketball is it’smy life,” said Anthony, who spends half aday shooting around, playing hoops, andwatching basketball videos. “I just love it. Ilove seeing people shoot, dribble, and pass.”

“I’m very impressed by his dedication justbecause when I speak to other people theysay how determined he is,” added hismother Latoyah. “I’m impressed by his dedi-cation at such a young age.”

Even though Anthony was diagnosed withOsgood-Schlatter disease, he’s not lettingit get him down.

The condition is an inflammation of theknee caused by growing pains where thetendon from the kneecap attaches to theshinbone. To combat the problem, whichhe’ll have until he’s 19-21, he’s taking medi-cation and vitamins, epsom-salt baths, ic-ing up after games, and resting up for aboutfour months.

His father works as a professional deejayand basketball coach; his mother works asa financial executive at Voice of America.The family moved here from New Yorkwhen Anthony was 3. The couple has ayounger son named Christopher, age 6.

Dad has been coaching Team Durant inSeat Pleasant, Md., for four years and coach-ing his son since he was 5. Anthony hadbeen playing in the Fort Belvoir Rec Teamand Kareem started by helping out whenthe coach couldn’t be there. He was alsothe freshman coach at Lee High School forfour years. “That’s when I got time to focuson him,” he said of Anthony.

When he’s not playing basketball, An-thony enjoys attending Washington Wizardsgames, riding his bike around the neigh-borhood and playing in the chess club andsinging in the school chorus.

Anthony Saunders and his dad Kareem practice drills at the basketball court behind his house.

Rising Basketball Star has NBA DreamsAt age 11, AnthonySaunders is on hisway to greatness.

Anthony Saunders, 11, at theFuture Phenom Camp where hemade the Top 20 All-Star Team andwas selected as a Top 5 futureprospect.

Anthony Saunders practices alayup.

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Announcements Announcements

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Announcements AnnouncementsPreschool

Team Teacher Kiddie Country Developmental

Learning Center, Burke, Virginia 22015 [email protected]

Fax: 703-644-0073 Phone: 703-644-0066

Kiddie Country is accepting applications for a co-teaching position working with two year olds. Hours are 7:30 A.M.-3:30 P.M., Monday-Friday. Applicant must be degreed, preferably in Early Childhood Education. Team teachers will work to-

gether to appropriately conduct a planned semi-structured program supported by a curriculum specialist. Please apply if you are nurturing, accessible, enthusiastic, caring and committed to high quality

education for the littlest of our learners. Please contact Kiddie Country for further

information or an appointment. EOE

Employment

Sports

By Shirley Ruhe

The Connection

Despite forecasts of post-Hurricane showers,things rolled along in

bright sun at the Northern VirginiaSenior Olympics bocce competi-tion on Thursday, Sept. 14. Nine-teen competitors in five age groupsfrom 50-99 are signed up at GreenAcres Senior Center in Fairfax.Competitors and onlookers sat atpicnic tables munching donuts anddrinking water to cool down asthey waited for the competition tobegin.

Ninety-two-old Henry Colettofrom Oakton, the oldest competi-tor, has no one in his age groupfor competition so he was pairedwith Sonny Caputo from Spring-field in the 80-89 age group.Caputo says this is his first SeniorOlympics although he is playing inthe regular bocce league. Coletto’sregular league partner, NicholasGarito of Fairfax, is also compet-ing. “Henry and I had a tough year.We came from last place to thirdplace,” Garito said, adding he gotthe bocce program started 10years ago and convinced the LionsClub to build the court five yearsago.

Coletto says he lived in Massa-chusetts for 82 years and then fourof his children who live aroundhere “kidnapped me and brought

it’s red.” He adds, “Get out the dollar bill.” The testof touching is whether you can get a dollar bill be-tween the balls. “I can’t believe it: did they both getgold?” He measures again and the final result is Reidwins by one inch.

Herb Levitan of Arlington plays one of the latercompetitions. He says he is registered in 27 eventsthis year but may not be able to do a couple of themon Saturday since he is also organizing a table ten-nis match at the same time.

Senior Olympics Rolls AlongGreen Acres Senior Center hosts bocce competition.

Sonny Caputo of Spring-field in first competition.

Robena Reid of Lorton.

Nicholas Garito of Fairfax. Lynn Thompson of Fairfax.

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me here.” He had driven to the competition fromOakton. He said, “My children don’t believe I shoulddrive too much anymore.”

Robena Reid of Lorton and Lynn Thompson ofFairfax started out with the women’s 55-59 competi-tion. Reid says she is kind of a novice, and Thomp-son says this is her first tournament, and she haspracticed twice. Pink balls, blue balls, back and forth.

Charlie Perla, bocce ref, said, “Here we go mea-suring again. Blue is closer and touching. No, no, no


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Our long, local, overnight nightmare isalmost over. By the date this column publishes:Sept. 20, 2017, I will, for the first time in nearlynine weeks, not had to have snaked down inthe dark, our “turny-twisty” and narrow 150-year-old staircase to walk from the upstairsmaster bedroom to the downstairs and onlyusable commode. Though the renovation ofthis upstairs bathroom is not entirely completenor ready for primetime (it is mostly usable asthe water is now running and flushing), thedemolition/renovation process apparently mustgo on/adhere to a schedule so, on Tuesday,Sept. 19 the downstairs bathroom, with all itsfully functioning amenities will come under thesledge hammer – among other tools, and pro-vide no further use until on or about Oct. 24.

This heretofore (“Good Will Hunting”) logis-tical challenge has not presented too many dif-ficulties for my wife, Dina. But given that I’m amale of a certain age, quite the opposite hasbeen true for me. Once or twice and occasion-ally even more per overnight depending uponhow late and how much I’ve had to eat ordrink before bedtime, I’ll need to visit the bath-room to attend to some very personal business.To be clear, the ‘challenge’ to which I refer isgetting to the bathroom, not starting and/or fin-ishing what I intended once I get there.Moreover, when the task at hand has beencompleted, of course I need to retrace my steps– usually in the dark, and walk back upstairs.Though not nearly as difficult as walking down-stairs; nevertheless, at the time I am goingdown and back up, in the middle of the night,my vision might not so readily acclimate andmy balance is, let’s just say: inconsistent, espe-cially when trying to avoid the miscellaneousbathroom-remodeling boxes staged in the livingroom on the very route I must travel.

Needless to say, having this nightly nonsensecome to an end is most definitely a columnworth writing. Not necessarily to self-indulgeanymore than usual but more so to amuse youregular readers and possibly even prepare youfor your own in-home renovation. And consid-ering that this renovation is our first – and wehave minimal experience with these matters, Ithought it useful to write it forward and perhapsshare a less-than-obvious impact of taking theone-and-only-on-the-same-floor bathroom outof service. Sinks, mirrors and shower/tub issuesnotwithstanding, all of which can be withstoodand endured with the reorientation to thedownstairs bathroom, the commode issue, con-sidering its unpredictability, naturally trumps allother real or imagined difficulties.

Though the upstairs bathroom is incompleteand lacking multiple finishing elements, itstransformation so far is incredible – to our eyes.I’ll spare you any details because that reallywould be self-indulgent and not at all the pointof this column. But the two months or so it willhave taken for the upstairs bathroom tobecome operational again and the nightly effectit’s had on me appears to have been worth thewait.

As concerns the downstairs bathroom, weare now ready, willing and able to integrate itsdestruction into our routine. Given that it ismore of a powder room than a master-typebathroom – though it will include a shower-only enclosure, no longer will it be my twice-nightly destination. In addition, I am lookingforward to its transformation because theinterim process will not prevent me from goinganywhere I regularly go nor inconveniencingmy wife, Dina, when she readies for work inthe morning.

Monitoring its progress will be more of acuriosity than a calamity, since, in my mind,there will be no sense of urgency about thepace of this project as there had been with theupstairs bathroom because my bathroom accesswill not be affected in the least. And in themost, I am extraordinarily grateful – andrelieved.

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Good is not good, where

better is expected.

-Thomas Fuller

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mis-

takes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.-Werner Heisenberg

no coverage. Gillespie has been consis-tently critical of the landmark achievementof former President Barack Obama, al-though he was noncommittal when askedabout his view of the reform proposal cur-rently working its way through Congress.

“I’m not endorsing or opposing any spe-cific legislation that is being talked aboutright now. I haven’t had a chance to readit,” said Gillespie after the debate, addingthat Virginia should not be punished fordeclining to expand Medicaid. “But as aprinciple I’ve been consistent in this regard,and that is where I am today.”

PERHAPS NOTHING looms as large overthis election as Donald Trump. The presi-dent has become a lightning rod of opposi-tion and a rallying cry for people who feelmarginalized. Virginia was the only South-ern state Trump lost, and polls show thathe remains unpopular here. Gillespie hasbeen trying to distance himself from thepresident by opposing some of his budgetproposals and declining to answer questionsabout whether he’ll ask Trump to campaignfor him in Virginia.

“Probably the biggest thing being hungaround Ed’s neck is the Trump administra-tion,” said Republican strategist DanScandling. “But depending where you arein the state determines how much of aweight that is. If you’re downstate, that’snot a problem. If you’re up here in North-ern Virginia, it’s a potential problem.”

Democrat Hillary Clinton won Virginiawith 50 percent of the vote, with Trump at44 percent. Many of those presidential yearvoters might not show up in an odd year-election, when the electorate tends to beolder and whiter. For Democrats, the goalheading into Election Day is to run up thenumbers in Northern Virginia and over-whelm Republicans in parts of the state thatstill support Trump. For Republicans, thechallenge is find some kind of way of em-bracing Trump voters without alienatingindependents who might feel conflictedabout the president.

“I think what’s really going to drive theelection is President Trump,” said Demo-cratic strategist Ben Tribbett. “A lot of vot-ers are going to vote either for or againstEd Gillespie based on how they feel aboutDonald Trump.”

From Page 3

DebateNews

Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 23‘Meet Your Sikh Neighbors.’ 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

at the Sikh Foundation of Virginia, located at7250 Ox Road. This event is to spreadawareness about Sikhs and Sikhism among ourcommunities. U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock, stateSen. George Barker, Supervisor Pat Herrity, andSpringfield District Representative School BoardMember Elizabeth Schultz will be attending theevent. Visit www.sfova.org/ or call 703-323-8849.

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Documents

Springfield - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/092017/Springfield.pdf · silver, Phil Case from Springfield won gold, and Willard Rieger from Springfield won