‘Nutcracker’ Comes to Lifeconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2009/111809/Great Falls.pdf ·...

Great Falls Connection ❖ November 18-24, 2009 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Great Falls

November 18-24, 2009 ❖ Volume XXIII, Number 46

Great Fallsin

side

Camps & Schools

Camps & Schools

Camps & Schools

‘Nutcracker’Comes to Life

News, Page 6

Great FallsRecognizes

VeteransNews, Page 3

Great FallsRecognizes

VeteransNews, Page 3

Shop Great FallsCampaignLaunched

News, Page 4

Shop Great FallsCampaignLaunched

News, Page 4

Members of theMargaret Haddad

Studio of ClassicalBallet perform thesnow scene of the

‘Nutcracker Suite’ during arehearsal. The

studio will put theshow on Nov. 28

and 29.

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ November 18-24, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

See Budget, Page 19

By Mike DiCicco

The Connection

Lisa Hodge told members of the Great FallsElementary School PTA that she still couldnot wrap her head around the idea thatthe school’s Japanese immersion program

could be cut. “The reality is, in very tight budgettimes, you have to look at everything,” she said.

Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) and thedistrict’s School Board representative, Janie Strauss,made an appearance at the PTA’s meeting on Wednes-day, Nov. 11 to discuss the possibility that the lan-guage immersion programs currently in place at 12elementary schools in the county could be cut out ofthe budget. As revenue continues to drop off, thecounty is entering its third year of budget cuts, andStrauss said that virtually all non-mandatory schoolprograms face the possibility of elimination.

Because it represents only a $1.4 million expensein the face of a possible $176 million shortfall in theschool system, Foust said he would be surprised ifthe elementary school language immersion programended up getting cut in the coming budget cycle,but it would be the School Board that decides howschool funds are allocated.

“We will cut as far away from the classroom as wepossibly can,” Strauss said.

EVEN MORE IMPORTANT than teaching studentsJapanese, Hodge said, the language immersion pro-gram had taught her children to think globally. “Theycome to have this real awareness of global issuesand being understanding of different cultures,” shesaid. Also, she said, because languages like Japaneseare so different from English, students need to beginlearning them at a young age. “You literally cannotlearn these languages at an older age,” she said, not-ing that she had tried.

“It’s such a selling point for people who are look-ing at Fairfax County as a place to move into,” saidDiane Hara, who has also had children in the pro-gram. She noted that the county’s Economic Devel-opment Authority listed elementary school language

immersion as one of the school system’s selling pointsand that foreign language proficiency was one of thestated goals of the School Board.

Several students also testified at the meeting.Third-grader Nick Hodge confirmed that his motherwas unable to pronounce many of the Japanesephrases he had tried to teach her. “It’s really hard tolearn Japanese, but once you learn it, it’s really fun,”he said, adding that he hoped the program did notget cut “because I have so much more to learn” andbecause he was eagerly anticipating the trip to Ja-pan that the students traditionally take in the sixthgrade to visit their sister school.

Eliza Campbell, a freshman at Langley High Schoolwho had gone through the program at Great FallsElementary, said it had made her a better student,given her the confidence to be a high achiever andintroduced her to some of her favorite teachers. “It’sa great challenge that has tons of benefits,” she said.“All these kids deserve to have the same opportunityI have had.”

Strauss assured the audience that she and Foustsupported the program. “That’s not the issue,” shesaid. In the last few years, she said, the school sys-tem had grown by 9,000 students, and an additional2,000 were expected next year, she said. “We don’texactly understand it, but they’re here.” And, Strausssaid, under the No Child Left Behind Act, schoolsare held to higher standards each year. Meanwhile,the county has not been able to increase the school

Program joins host ofothers on chopping blockas county revenuecontinues to dwindle.

No More Japanese Immersion?

Dranesville District School Board repre-sentative Janie Strauss and SupervisorJohn Foust (D-Dranesville) discuss thecounty’s budget woes with members of theGreat Falls Elementary PTA.

Third-graders Nick Hodge and Marisa Mihori testify to the value of Great FallsElementary’s Japanese immersion program.

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As Great Falls residentsgathered to demonstrate their apprecia-

tion for war veterans, perhapsnone gave the veterans morecredit than the kindergartenersfrom Village Green Day School,who thanked them for savingpeople, the planet and the uni-verse, as each student read offhis or her message of thanks.

The rain didn’t dampen this

year’s Veterans Day ceremony,which takes place normally atthe Freedom Memorial behindthe library but was moved intothe library’s meeting room onWednesday, Nov. 11. In additionto the kindergarteners, morethan 70 people showed up, in-cluding the Langley HighSchool Madrigal singers, whosang the national anthem.

The speaker at the event wasLynne Roots, co-director of ad-missions at Village Green,whose military family includesmembers of the Navy, Air Forceand Marines.

— Mike DiCicco

Great FallsRecognizes VeteransCeremonycarries on inspite of rain.

Kindergarteners from the Village Green Day Schoolread their messages of appreciation for war veterans.

The Great Falls veterans in attendance stand to berecognized.

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Feature is optional and subject to terms, conditions and availability. Safe Driving Bonus won’t apply after anaccident. Patent pending. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company: Northbrook, IL. © 2009 AllstateInsurance Company

The Great Falls Business and Pro-fessional Association has launched“Shop Great Falls,” a communitywide campaign designed to pro-mote local businesses and stimulatesales during the holiday shoppingseason. Calling on residents to“Think Locally, Act Locally and ShopGreat Falls,” the GFBPA is seekingto raise the profile of local retailersand other businesses within thecommunity and encourage holidayshopping closer to home.

Between Nov. 16 and Dec. 24,shoppers can visit any participat-ing business and enter to win one

of three Great Falls Gift Baskets,each containing hundreds of dol-lars in merchandise, gift certifi-cates and free services exclusivelyfrom local providers. Most partici-pants will also be offering specialShop Great Falls incentives andother limited-time opportunitiesduring the campaign.

“We felt it was important inthese difficult economic times forthe GFBPA to get out front andactively promote the individualsmall businesses that serve ourcommunity,” said Ralph Lozaro,GFBPA president. “People are look-

ing for value, now more than ever,and we wanted to give local busi-nesses a platform to spotlight theselection and savings availableright here at home.”

“Even if many residents feel theyalready know the local busi-nesses,” said Lozaro, “we wantedto give them reason to visit againand experience anew what theirhometown business communityhas to offer.”

For more information, contactMark von Keszycki at 571-294-5972 or visit the GFBPA Web siteat www.greatfallsbpa.com.

Shop Great Falls Campaign Launched


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DDA has helped over 69 people in either a Loan Modification or Short Sale.One of their clients refers to DDA as “Angels sent from GOD”. Over the past 3years, DDA has managed over 1100 properties and SOLD over 920 propertiesin the last 2 years. Recent accolades include Wall Street Journal Top 400 RealEstate Professionals, Ranked # 19 in June of 2009. DDA also specializes inCommercial, Luxury Estate, Foreclosures, Investment and Property ManagementServices. The team is committed to taking care of all of your real estate needswith a focus on customer service. Please contact Dynamic Duo & Associatestoday at 703-680-9551 or email [email protected] for assistance.

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News

McLean Firm Wins 2009Silver Davey Award

Captus Communications, LLC, a McLean-based com-prehensive health communications firm, was recentlyhonored with a 2009 Silver Davey Award, bestowedby the International Academy of the Visual Arts. Cho-sen from more than 4,000 entries from around theworld, Captus’ award-winning entry — Pharmaceuti-cal Industry Profile 2009 — was created on behalf ofthe Washington, D.C.-based Pharmaceutical Researchand Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

The Davey Awards, whose name is derived fromthe story of David and Goliath, honor the finest cre-ative work from the best small firms, agencies andcompanies worldwide.

“Each year PhRMA asks Captus to develop a uniquelook and message for the book,” said Captus Presi-dent Deborah Mullen. “This year presented an extrachallenge. When the publication was released in thesecond quarter, the economy was in the thick of therecession. Our task was to effectively present thesuccesses and ongoing investments of PhRMA mem-ber companies against the backdrop of a challeng-ing economic environment and the incredibly com-plex drug discovery process. I am so proud of thediligent and creative work the Captus team did tobring the idea to life.”

Profile 2009 is one of PhRMA’s signature publica-tions. Much like an annual report, it covers such top-ics as the value of medical innovation for patientsand the economy, ongoing efforts to reduce the bur-den of chronic disease, the promise and challengesof ongoing research and development, and corpo-rate giving. It is one of the most widely used publi-

Captus President Deborah Mullen andBob Walters, creative director, hold theDavey Award.

cations at PhRMA, serving as the go-to resource forthe latest industry information.

The Captus creative team was responsible for thewriting, graphic design, print production, projectmanagement, and editing of the 60-page publication.

Deborah Mullen and her husband Mike Mullenhave lived in Great Falls for 20 years. Their son at-tends Langley High School and their daughter justgraduated from Langley and is a freshman in theHonors Program at Virginia Tech.

To learn more about the Davey Awards, visit:www.daveyawards.com/home/.

Visit Captus online at www.captuscomm.com.

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The Margaret Haddad Studio of ClassicalBallet will put on its 18th annual production of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” onNov. 28 and 29.

The studio puts on two major productions eachyear, but “Nutcracker” is the biggest, with 96 per-formers this year, including three Russian dancersand two members of the Richmond Ballet. Aside fromthe guest artists, the dancers inthe production range from 5-years old to four college-agegirls. “They really enjoy comingback to perform with thegroup,” Haddad said.

She said three of the students’ fathers work as theshow’s stage managers, while many of the mothershelp with ironing and altering the costumes, “so it’sdefinitely a family, community event.”

The production features more than 700 pieces ofcostume, a Christmas tree that grows onstage andfalling snow. While many groups perform abbrevi-ated versions of the show, the Haddad Studio putson the entire ballet each year. Many of the scenes arehuge, with 47 people onstage during the battle sceneand 57 dancers in the opening Christmas Eve party.

The group will perform “The Nutcracker” at theMadiera School, 8328 Georgetown Pike on Satur-day, Nov. 28, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on Sunday,Nov. 29, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22

for seniors, $19 for studentsand $16 for children under 12.For tickets, call MargaretHaddad at 703-759-3366.

— Mike DiCicco

Haddad ballet studiobrings ballet classic backto Madeira School.

‘Nutcracker’ Comes to LifeThe show’s mice line up for a picture.

The dolls surround Clara, played by Alexis Unwalla, and Aleksei Tochilinas the Nutcracker during the party scene.

Emily Ngau and Aleksey Kudrin are surrounded by lights during thesnow scene.

The group rehearses the snow scene.

Alexis Unwallaand AlekseiTochilin per-form as Claraand the Nut-cracker.

Emily Ngau stands in as the FlowerQueen to Aleksey Kudrin’s FlowerPrince during the rehearsal.

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News

“It’s definitely a family,community event.”

— Margaret Haddad


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Hanif Hassan Moledina, 46, formerlyof Great Falls, pleaded guilty to a fraudscheme that resulted in illegal gross pro-ceeds exceeding $16 million.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attor-ney for the Eastern District of Virginia,and Joseph Persichini Jr., assistant di-rector in charge of the FBI WashingtonField Office, made the announcementafter the plea was accepted by UnitedStates District Judge T.S. Ellis III.

Moledina pled guilty to four counts ofwire fraud, which each carry a maxi-mum penalty of 20 years in prison. Hewill be sentenced on Jan. 29, 2010.

According to a statement of facts filedwith his plea agreement, Moledina wasthe majority owner and operator ofBean East Corporation, a coffee roastingcompany located in Luray, Va. Begin-ning in 2004, Moledina began operatinga Ponzi scheme, borrowing large sumsof money at high rates of interest fromfriends and associates and telling themthat he had contracts to purchase coffeebeans from suppliers in Colombia, SouthAmerica, and a contract to supply beansto The Folgers Coffee Company. Overthe next five years, Moledina borrowedmore than $8.3 million from approxi-mately 26 persons. In fact, no suchcontracts existed, and Moledina usedthe money for personal expenses as wellas to make interest payments to some ofthe borrowers.

In addition, Moledina admitted toconducting several other fraudulentventures during this period. In 2006,Moledina obtained a $2.3 million mort-gage on a building in Luray from BB&T,without disclosing to the bank or thebuilding’s co-owner that he had movedtenants from that building into one thathe solely owned. Later, in a successful

effort to sell the second building, he pre-sented forged tenant leases to theintended purchaser to create the illusionthat the building had a guaranteed in-come stream. In the meantime, over aperiod of three years, Moledina with-drew more than $800,000 from acorporate account set up for the firstbuilding without his co-owner’s knowl-edge and for purposes unrelated to theoperation or maintenance of the build-ing.

Moledina also admitted that in Janu-ary 2007, he drafted and forgedsignatures on fictitious leases to assure

a potential purchaser that a building,which Moledina owned, had a guaran-teed income stream. The purchaser laterbought the building from Moledina for$3.4 million.

Finally, in 2007 and 2008, Moledinaadmitted that he presented fraudulentBean East financial statements to Wash-ington First Bank in support of threeloans totaling approximately $1.2 mil-lion.

This case is being investigated by theFBI’s Washington Field Office and isbeing prosecuted by Assistant UnitedStates Attorney Michael E. Rich.

Former Great Falls ResidentPleads Guilty to $16 Million Fraud Scheme

Seekingartwork,photography,poetry,opinions, shortstories andreflectionsfrom localstudents.

E-mail to:[email protected], ormail or delivercontributionsby Dec. 4, to1606 King St.,Alexandria, VA22314. Pleasebe sure toinclude thestudent’sname, age,grade, schooland town ofresidencealong witheachsubmission.For infor-mation, call703-778-9410.

Be a Partof

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Every year, over the winter holidays,the Connection turns the pages ofone entire issue over to the contributions of local students.

We will feature artwork of many kinds, pho-tography, poetry, opinions, short stories, reflec-tions and more. Artwork can include paintings,drawings or any media; photos of sculpture,ceramics or other works too large to submitare also encouraged.

We welcome contributions from publicschools, private schools and students who are

home schooled. Past contributions have comefrom children from nursery schools throughthose preparing to graduate from highschool.

Sometimes an art or English teacher willassign a project and submit the work of anentire class, but individual submissions fromany young person in the community are wel-come.

You can see last year’s Children’s Connec-tions on our Web site. Go towww.ConnectionNewspapers.com, click on

“print Editions Online” in the red bar and scrolldown to “Children’s Connection.”

We prefer digital submissions, delivered onCD or via email. Please send in submissions assoon as possible. Our address is 1606 King St.,Alexandria, VA 22314. E-mail [email protected]. Pleasebe sure to include the name of the artist orauthor, and include age, grade, school attendedand name of the home town, along with ad-dress and phone number to be used for verifi-cation purposes only.

Children’s Connection

To the Editor:

Open Letter to Our CongressionalRepresentatives: Senator Mark Warner,Senator Jim Webb and RepresentativeGerry Connolly:

We agree with PresidentObama’s assertion to Congressthat “now is the time to deliver onhealth care.” Moreover, westrongly endorse the views ex-pressed by many reform advo-cates, such as Dr. Howard Dean,that “the healthcare reform bill isnot worth passing unless theAmerican people have the choiceof signing up for a public option— a real public option.” And lastbut not least, we thank you, Mr.Connolly, for your vote on Satur-day.

Some detractors argue that apublic option would bring with ita bloated, inefficient, “big govern-ment” program, and that our hard-earned dollars should not be cava-lierly siphoned into a taxpayer-funded, perpetual revenue sinkthat citizens end up regarding astheir inalienable right. If you havea visceral reaction against federaltaxes in any amount or for anypurpose, we have nocounterargument to convince you.But if you are open to a more nu-anced assessment, we offer the fol-lowing comments for your consid-eration as you debate, amend, rec-oncile, and vote on health care leg-islation over the next few weeks:

We also don’t like paying taxes,and take personal offense whenour hard-earned dollars are squan-dered on special-interest projectslarge and small. We are, however,prepared, indeed enthusiastic, topay hard-earned dollars for pro-grams that benefit the citizenry atlarge — tangibly or intangibly,now or in the future. We under-stand that the executive depart-ments, from Commerce to Veter-ans Affairs, and the independentagencies must be funded, to ad-minister and enforce federal laws.Thus, while we may quibble aboutthis or that funding decision or

look askance at this or that mis-sion priority, we shed no tear aboutour dollars invested in the likes ofthe EPA, FBI, FCC, FDIC, NASA,NEA, NIH, NOAA, NSF, SSA, etc.,as well as the GAO that keeps tabson them all.

Now, with respect to health care,we submit that such a nuancedassessment resoundingly affirmsthe need for a true public option.Would a public option slather aslippery slope to socialism? Ofcourse not: one more agencyadded to the alphabet soup ofagencies would not transform theunderpinnings of this country. Isprivate industry inherently morecost-efficient than the public sec-tor? Not at all: without generat-ing income over expenses, a cor-poration ceases to justify its exist-ence; and a corporate executive’scompensation dwarfs that of thecivil service counterpart, regard-less of job description. Moreover,private industry shoulders ex-penses for advertising and lobby-ing that the public sector canlargely avoid. Thus, the healthcare industry is currently spend-ing well over $500,000 of our in-surance premiums a day to lobbyyour colleagues to abandon or di-lute a public option. Is a publicoption redundant to the privateinsurance industry? Apparentlynot: the private insurance indus-try fails to enroll over 30 millioncitizens of this country. And manyof the insured are denied cover-age under any of a multitude offine-print exemptions and excep-tions, including lack of portability,preexisting conditions,deductibles, notification andclaiming failures, etc. Estimatesfor the number of claims deniedvaries wildly, from around 20 per-cent by state agencies and publicadvocacy groups, to 2.36 percentby an insurance industry trade as-sociation in testimony submittedto Congress. In any event, wellover 60 percent of this year’s bank-ruptcies in the United States stem

from medical bills, even thoughover three-quarters of the bank-rupt had some form of medicalinsurance. And this is no wonder:medical bills following a singleauto collision can cost thousands,sometimes hundreds of thousands,of dollars; the cost for treating atypical breast cancer runs about$50,000 to $100,000 or more. Thisis not the sort of money that ordi-nary folks can set aside for a rainyday.

Thus, a respectable public op-tion strikes us in many ways asanalogous to our National ParkService. Just as we can choosebetween the Everglades andDisneyland for our Florida-vaca-tion, we should be able to choosebetween a public option and pri-vate insurance for covering ourhealth-care needs. Some of uscan’t afford Disneyland, and arehappy to have “nationalized rec-reation” as a fallback. Others of usare simply put off by the rampantcommercialism of the private sec-tor and prefer the public, un-adorned approach.

Like Great Falls, Gettysburg andthe Grand Canyon, a public healthinsurance option would cost ussome of our hard-earned dollars.But at Great Falls, Gettysburg andthe Grand Canyon, we are amazedat how much our park rangers dowith so little funding, and wishthat more of our tax dollars werechanneled in their direction. Ourbiggest fear regarding a publicoption would be chronicunderfunding rather than rampantwaste and abuse.

And finally, we note that ournational parks are a source of na-tional pride and actually weaveinto the fabric that defines us asAmericans. That fabric would bestronger and even more preciouswith the added thread of a na-tional healthcare option.

George, Christine andKarin Lehnigk

Oakton

Letters to the Editor

Making a Case For Public Option Don’t StopThinkingAbout TomorrowTo the Editor:

Please forgive the line liftedfrom the Fleetwood Mac song. Butit’s oh, so true.

Americans cannot stop thinkingabout the impact that enacting truehealthcare reform will have uponour generations to come. Despite thedoomsday prophecy fodder that theultra-conservative, ultra-right wingis pushing, the reality of this legis-lation would simply be twofold: ac-countability mandated for the hugeinsurance companies and a cost-ef-fective public solution for the 50million plus citizens and permanentresidents without healthcare.

That’s it.Let’s revisit those lies again,

shall we?No, undocumented workers/il-

legal aliens would not be givenaccess to this public program.

No, small businesses would notsuffer from the public program.They are already paying throughthe nose for expensive privatehealth insurance.

No, America will not become asocialist state because we do whatevery other country (count’em,every single one) in the develop-ing world did decades ago — in-vest in the long-term health oftheir most prized possession, theirhuman capital.

Why do you think medicine herecosts a grossly more amount thanin Canada or Cuba? Somebody’sgetting very, very rich, and it’s notyou or me. Or at least not me.

There’s nothing unethical aboutstopping private insurers from de-nying care and discriminatingagainst small groups based on anindividual’s health status, genderor age. There is something sickly,though, about leaving a fellowAmerican to die because of money.

Parvez KhanHerndon


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Faith Notes are for announcements andevents in the faith community. Send [email protected] is Friday.

St. John’s Episcopal Church inMcLean will hold a Thanksgiving Dayservice of Holy Eucharist on Nov. 26 at10 a.m. The Thanksgiving Offering willsupport SHARE, a non-profit organiza-tion founded in 1969 to meet emergencyneeds in McLean, Great Falls, PimmitHills, and surrounding areas. All arewelcome. St. John’s Church is located inMcLean at 6715 Georgetown Pike. Formore information, call 703-356-4902, orvisit www.stjohnsmclean.org.

HAVEN of Northern Virginia of-fers a variety of free bereavementsupport groups, meeting on a weeklybasis. Contact 703-941-7000 orwww.havenofnova.org for schedulesand registration information.

The Jewish Social ServicesAgency (JSSA) offers a variety of sup-port groups for those with emotional,social, and physical challenges. ContactGary Axelrod, 301-610-8309 [email protected], or www.jssa.org.

Vienna Baptist Church, 541Marshall Road, Vienna, is celebratingthe 400th birthday of Baptists. Sundayservice is at 11 a.m.; Sunday BibleStudy, 9:30 a.m. 703-281-4400 orwww.vbc-va.org.

St. Francis Episcopal Church inGreat Falls, 9220 Georgetown Pike in GreatFalls. Services are at 7:45 a.m., 9 a.m., and11 a.m. Sunday School classes and an adultforum series are at 10:15 a.m. 703-759-2082 or www.stfrancisgreatfalls.org. Fallevents include:

❖ Voice recital at 7 p.m. on Sept. 20,with music from the British Isles.

❖ Choral Evensong for All Saints,7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1.

❖ Country Fair, Saturday, Oct. 3, 10a.m.-4 p.m.

❖ Blessing of the Animals, Sunday,Oct. 4 at the 9 a.m. service.

McLean Bible Church FitnessClass at Body & Soul fitness. Balance iskey, energy is renewed, strength isgained, and friendships are formed. Mon-days 9:15 a.m. and Fridays 9:45 a.m.Childcare is free for registered students.E-mail [email protected] more information.

Vajrayogini Buddhist Center of-fers ongoing classes on meditation andBuddhist philosophy, Mondays at 7 p.m.at Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. $10 per class. 202-331-2122 or www.meditation-dc.org.

Great Falls United MethodistChurch at 10100 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. 703-759-3705 offers “AllThings New,” an ecumenical worshipservice, every Wednesday at 6 p.m.Based on the Beatitudes of Jesus, forpeople affected by anger, fear, stress,dealing with rejection, credit abuse,drug/alcohol abuse, physical/sexualaddiction or eating disorders.

A Centering Prayer Group meetsFridays, 9:30 a.m. at Andrew ChapelUnited Methodist Church, 1301 Trap Road,Vienna. The hour includes a brief readingrelated to Centering Prayer, followed by a20-minute prayer period. E-mail MarthaThomas at [email protected] call the church at 703-759-3509.

Vienna Assembly of God has aministry to children on Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. at the corner of Center N and AyrHill Avenue, N.E. Children’s Church onSundays also available. 703-938-7736or www.ViennaAG.com.

Faith


Saturday Hours Available at Regular Rates(703) 450-9600 • www.DavesAir.com

201 Davis Drive, Suite GGSterling, VA 20164

See Calendar, Page 15

Calendar

Send announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is Thursday forthe following week’s paper. Photos/artwork encour-aged. For additional listings, visitwww.connectionnewspapers.com

THURSDAY/NOV. 19Daughtry. 7 p.m. at The George Mason University

Patriot Center 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax.Tickets are $42.50 and $32.50, availablethrough all Ticketmaster outlets, online atwww.ticketmaster.com or via Phonecharge at703-573-SEAT. www.daughtryofficial.com orwww.patriotcenter.com. 703-993-3000.

The GMU Players present Jessica Blank andErik Jensen’s “The Exonerated.” 8 p.m. atGeorge Mason University’s Black Box Theater.$6, $3 students and seniors. 703-993-8888.

Workshop Jazz Band Concert. 8 p.m. at theGeorge Mason University Harris Theater, 4400University Drive, Fairfax. Free. 888-945-2468 orwww.gmu.edu/cfa.

Radio Astronomy: More Than Meets theEye. 7 p.m. Great Falls Library, 9830Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. With ProfessorHarold Geller, George Mason University. Adults.703-757-8560.

Joe Purdy and Julie Peel. 8 p.m. Jammin’ Java,227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. $12. 703-255-1566or jamminjava.com.

Our Daily Bread 25th AnniversaryCelebration. 7-9 p.m. at the Old Town Hall,3999 University Drive. Fairfax. Business casual.Light appetizers, cake, wine tasting provided byThe Wine House. Children’s activities for age 5and up. Donations welcome. 703-273-8829 [email protected]. www.our-daily-bread.org.

Robbie Schaefer and Lucy WainwrightRoche. 8 p.m. at the Barns at Wolftrap Centerfor the Performing Arts, 1624 Trap Road,Vienna. $18. Wolftrap.org.

FRIDAY/NOV. 20Aquila Theatre Company Presents “As You

Like It.” 8 p.m. at George Mason UniversityCenter for the Arts, 4400 University Drive,

Fairfax. Tickets $17-$34. Charge by phone at888-945-2468. www.patriotcenter.com.

The GMU Players present Jessica Blank andErik Jensen’s “The Exonerated.” 8 p.m. atGeorge Mason University’s Black Box Theater.$6, $3 students and seniors. 703-993-8888.

Charity Citrus Fruit Sale. Seedless Grapefruit,Navel Oranges, and Sunburst Tangerines freshfrom Florida via American Legion Post 270,1355 Balls Hill Road, McLean. Fruit availableon Friday, Nov. 20, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, andSaturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Proceedssupport local community youth, patrioticactivities, and veteran needs. Pure Maple Syrup

Iona performs on Sunday, Nov. 22,5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at The OldBrogue Irish Pub, 760-C WalkerRoad, Great Falls. Reservationsrequired. $15. 703-759-3309 orwww.IonaMusic.com.


Holiday Savings For You & Your PetAt Seneca Hill Posh Paws Boutique

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Seneca Hill Animal Hospital, Resort & Spa11415 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066

Corner of Leesburg and Georgetown Pikes703.450.6760 www.senecahillvet.com

Take a Tour of Our Hospital & Resort and get a COMPLIMENTARY “Angel’s Wing” Holiday Collar

SOME EXCITING ITEMS ON SALE• Bowser Beds• Zuke’s Treats• Pet Stop Raised Diners• Melia Handcrafted Bowls• Up Country Collars & Leads• Greenies

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12 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ November 18-24, 2009 Great Falls Connection ❖ November 18-24, 2009 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Community Events:• Saturday, November 21 –Great Falls Farmers Market9:00 A.M.- 1:00 P.M., GreatFalls Village Center; Final Day

GFBPA Activities:• GFBPA Breakfast –Wednesday, November 18• GFBPA Holiday Party –Wednesday, December 166:30-10:30 P.M., home ofRalph Lazaro• GFBPA Breakfast –Wednesday, January 207:30–9:00 A.M., location TBD

Great Falls Business & Professional Association

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Member’s Events:• November 27 thruDecember 16 – Toys for TotsGreat Falls Center(www.shopgreatfallscenter.com)

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Tell us what’s going on with your business and see it listed here. Email Michael Vandergrift ([email protected]) or Mark von Keszycki ([email protected]) with your info.

• Friday, December 4 –18thAnnualTreeLighting6:00 A.M.-8:00 P.M.,Great FallsVillageCenter

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By Jenna Pugrant

The Connection

If the idea of battling thecrowd at the neighboringmall doe not look that attractive this holiday shop-

ping season and you’d rather notbattle the traffic on Route7, plenty of gifts and knick-knacks are available right intown.

One place to start giftshopping is Cathy’s Corner, a storefilled with small gifts, stationaryand jewelry, located in the centerof town. Some of the items for theholiday season include beadedclutches and handbags, rangingfrom $60-$80 that will spruce upany casual or formal outfit. In ad-

dition to the entire wall filled withVera Bradley merchandise, an-other item from Cathy’s Corner,which storeowner Cathy Morancalls her “best sellers,” are the vari-ous duffel and garment bags indifferent patterns that would workas a gift for any age. To add a per-

sonalized touch, manyitems at Cathy’s Corner canbe monogrammed withnames or initials.

Looking for gifts that addto the festive cheer of the wintermonths? Head across the street toBedheader’s Home, a furnitureand accessory store located acrossthe parking lot from the Great FallsTavern. Bedheader’s Home, ownedby Joan Barmat, just unloaded itsstock for the holiday season.

Great Choices in Great FallsVariety of gifts on offer in local stores.

Among the items featuredat Cathy’s Corner in thevillage center are variousduffel and garment bagcombos, available in a widerange of patterns andcolors. Monogramming isalso available to add apersonalized touch to thegifts. Duffel bags start at$23 and garment bags startat $25.

Bedheader’s Home featuresa sampling of holiday handtowels and cocktail nap-kins, as well as seasonalcooking aprons. Handtowels start at $10.50,cocktail napkins are $21,and the ‘Cookie Queen’apron is $36.

The Saddlery in downtownGreat Falls has holiday giftsin stock, such as ‘Monty’the dog and Christmas tree,that sing Christmas tunesand move when you presstheir buttons. The singingtoys start at $25.

Those looking for a gift fora furry friend, can checkthe Great Dogs in thevillage center. Great Dogshas holiday-themed dogtoys ($11 each) and plushbeds for dogs of all sizes,starting at $109.

For an untraditional type of gift, give a young athlete orfitness-enthusiast a gift to Max Youth Performance &Fitness off of Walker Road in Great Falls. Membershipstarts at $29/month with the additional charge for ses-sions. Personal training for all ages also available for$69/session.

Maison et Jardin, Ltd.offers a variety of tradi-tional holiday gifts.

TraditionalHoliday Gifts

Maison et Jardin, Ltd. at 9867Georgetown Pike offers a varietyof traditional holiday gifts, in-cluding Christopher RodkoOrnaments, garlands, wreaths,candles, ribbon, decorations andGKI lighted trees.

Photos by Jenna Pugrant/The Connection

Holiday

Gifts

See Holiday Gifts, Page 16


Cosponsored by:Friends of McLeanCommunity Center

The McLeanCommunity Center1234 Ingleside Ave.,McLean, VA 22101

703-790-0123/TTY: 711www.mcleancenter.org/

special-events

From Page 10

Calendar

will also be available. Call 703-356-8259 for additional details.

An Evening of Wine, Art &Chocolate to Benefit the GreatFalls School of Art. 7:30—10 p.m.at 1144 Walker Road, Suites D & G,Great Falls. Silent art auction, winetasting, professional chocolatier, wineand chocolate pairings and more.www.greatfallsfoundationforarts.org.

Vienna Arts Society’s 40th AnnualArts Show & Sale. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.in the Vienna Community Center,120 Cherry Street, Vienna. Music bythe Serenata Quartet. Free and opento the public. 703- 319-3971 orwww.viennaartssociety.org.

Grant Lee Phillips and Winterpills.7 p.m. Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave.E., Vienna. $18. 703-255-1566 orjamminjava.com.

Passafire and MOJO. 10 p.m.Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. $10 advance/ $13 day ofshow. 703-255-1566 orjamminjava.com.

Jean-Luc Ponty and Clara Ponty. 8p.m. at the Barns at Wolftrap Centerfor the Performing Arts, 1624 TrapRoad, Vienna. $35. Wolftrap.org.

Jason Killian Meath signsHollywood on the Potomac. 8p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 7851 LTysons Corner Center, McLean. 703-506-6756.

Dancing under the Stars. 8-11 p.m.at the McLean Community Center,1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean. $25 percouple, $15 per person for districtresidents and $25 per person for allothers. Free dance instruction at 7p.m. Music by The Hot Society ofWashington. Appetizers served; wineavailable for purchase. 703-790-0123, TTY 711 orwww.mcleancenter.org.

Meet Me in St. Louis. 7 p.m. at theThomas Jefferson High School forScience and Technology Theater,6560 Braddock Road, Alexandria.$10. [email protected].

SATURDAY/NOV. 21Masterworks 3 Fairfax Symphony

Orchestra with Chu-FangHuang, piano. 8 p.m. at GeorgeMason University’s Center for theArts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive,Fairfax. Falla’s The Three-CorneredHat, Suites 1 and 2, Gershwin’sRhapsody in Blue, Ravel’s PianoConcerto in G, and Ginastera’sEstancia. 7 p.m. pre-concert lecture,free to ticketed patrons. 1-888-945-2468 or Tickets.com

The GMU Players present JessicaBlank and Erik Jensen’s “TheExonerated.” 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. atGeorge Mason University’s Black BoxTheater. $6, $3 students and seniors.703-993-8888.

Nation Coalition of Black Women25th Anniversary Luncheon. 12p.m. at the McLean Hilton in TysonsCorner. Speaker will be Joe Madisonof WOL-AM. Music by David Cole &Main Street Blues. $70 per person.703-920-1626 [email protected].

GMU Saxophone Ensemble. 3 p.m.at the George Mason UniversityHarris Theater, 4400 UniversityDrive, Fairfax. Free. 888-945-2468 orwww.gmu.edu/cfa.

The Jewish Community Center ofNorthern Virginia’s 29th AnnualFall Gala. 7:30 p.m. at WestfieldsMarriott, 14750 Conference CenterDrive, Chantilly. Casino night, artauction, dancing and entertainment,dinner buffet stations, desserts andopen bar. Tickets start at $180 perindividual/$360 per couple,sponsorships begin at $550. Proceedsbenefit the JCCNV’s Special Needsprogram. www.jccnv.org or SaraMoore, 703-537-3024 [email protected].

Robbie Fulks. 7 p.m. Jammin’ Java,

227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. $12advance/ $15 day of show. 703-255-1566 or jamminjava.com.

Drumfish. 10 p.m. Jammin’ Java, 227Maple Ave. E., Vienna. $10 advance/$13 day of show. 703-255-1566 orjamminjava.com.

Meet Me in St. Louis. 7 p.m. at theThomas Jefferson High School forScience and Technology Theater,6560 Braddock Road, Alexandria.$10. [email protected].

SUNDAY /NOV. 22Young Soloists Recital. 3 p.m. at the

Alden Theatre in the McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 InglesideAve., McLean. 703-790-0123.

Amadeus Concerts, A. Scott Woodconducting, presents AmadeusVirtuosi, along with the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists singers from theWashington National Opera. 4 p.m.at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Worksby Czech composers Dvorak andJanacek, plus opera arias by Mozart.$25, age 17 and under free.www.amadeusconcerts.com or 703-759-5334.

Iona. 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at The OldBrogue Irish Pub, 760-C WalkerRoad, Great Falls. Reservationsrequired. $15. 703-759-3309 orwww.IonaMusic.com.

See Calendar, Page 22


Dear Great Falls:Welcome to our 19th annual Tree Lighting celebration. Mark your calendars, the event willbegin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4th. As always there will be holiday fun for the wholefamily. For the children, we will have a petting zoo and pony rides (provided by Old Mine Ranch) thatwill begin at 7:00 p.m. immediately after the tree lighting ceremony. Of course, Santa andMrs.Claus will grace us with their presence at 6:30 p.m. Children who visit with Santa willreceive an old-fashioned sleigh bell courtesy of Tricks of the Trade. Jenny Berman from AshtonImaging will be taking photos of children with Santa as scrapbook and photo album keepsakes. We also have the live presentation of Christ’s birth at 7:45p.m. to remind us all what Christmasis really about. Beautiful Christmas music will be sung by The Langley Madrigal Singers andChrist the King Choir throughout the evening. Teel Construction will provide hot cider. For the adults, the Great Falls Village Centre will host our annual Holiday Shopping OpenHouse from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Each year, these one-of-a-kind shops open their doors toshoppers with Christmas treats, cookies, hot chocolate, and/or coupons to make your holidayshopping easier and more enjoyable. So if you do not like the crowds or the long drive to thebig shopping centers, shop local and enjoy a calm, relaxing Christmas shopping experience. In closing, on behalf of the entire Great Falls Village Centre, I would like to thank all of thosewho participate in keeping this special tradition going year after year. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all,

The Great Falls Village [email protected] o 703-759-2485

You and Your Family Are Invited!Friday, December 4,

2009, 6-8 p.m. tothe 19th Annual

Great FallsVillage Centre

Christmas Tree LightingFestivities will be held behind the

Post Office, near the Big Christmas Tree!10 a.m. - 6 p.m.:

Holiday Shopping & Open House6-7 p.m.: Christmas Carolers6:30 p.m.: Santa arrives withMrs. Claus to Light the Tree7:30 p.m.: Live presentation

of Nativity Setting

From Page 14

Christmas-themed handtowelsand cocktail napkins line the store,along with holiday aprons for anybaking-enthusiast.

The Saddlery off of WalkerRoad, a store primarily for horseproducts and clothing, offerschoice for those who are not nec-essarily horse enthusiasts. “Youdon’t have to be a horse person toshop here,” said The Saddlery’sFlor Dougherty. The Saddlery alsosells various holiday gifts thatwould decorate a house, such as“Monty” the singing dog. Press

Monty’s paw and he breaks outinto holiday song, complete withmechanical dancing ears choreo-graphed to music. The Monty dogis selling for $35.99.

Those looking to get in bettershape in the New Year can con-sider Max Youth Performance andFitness off of Walker Road. Thebusiness offers advanced trainingwith the help of Doug Vasiliadis,the founder of the program. Stu-dents 8 to 18 can improve theirathleticism through the Max fit-ness program with a membershipfee of $29 per month, plus the costof additional sessions. Children

are placed according to age groupand ability. Max Performance andFitness is also available for per-sonal training sessions for all agesfor $69 per session.

Great Dogs in the Village Cen-ter offer a holiday gift for a favor-ite cat or dog. Soft, plush beds fordogs of all sizes start at $109, aswell as a fleece coats for dogs ofall sizes starting just under $25.Need a more holiday-inspired giftfor your dog? Pick up Christmasand holiday inspired chew toys inthe shape of candy canes, snow-balls, and gingerbread men, allapproximately $11 each.

Holiday Gifts

To have community events listed in theConnection, send to [email protected]. Deadline isFriday.

THURSDAY/NOV. 19Lewinsville Road and Spring Hill

RECenter Information Meeting.7 p.m. at Spring Hill ElementarySchool, 8201 Lewinsville Road,McLean. Supervisor Foust hasrequested that Fairfax County ParkAuthority and Fairfax CountyDepartment of Transportation conducta community meeting to present theirrevised plans for a proposed mediandesign along Lewinsville Road and anew entrance to Spring Hill RECenter.The revised plans are in response toinput received from residents. Contact

Cheryl Patten at 703-356-0551, TTY711 or [email protected]

Vienna Tysons Regional Chamberof Commerce Board ElectionLuncheon. 11:30 a.m. atMaggiano’s Little Italy, 2001International Drive, McLean. Withspeaker Sally Strackbein, onStrategic Bragging: Speak Out orMiss Out! Members $40, non-members $50. 703-281-1333 orwww.vtrcc.org.

MONDAY/NOV. 23McLean & Great Falls Celebrate

Virginia. 5:30 p.m. at the McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 InglesideAve., McLean. The group is planningan event, for June 26, 2010,commemorating the 100th

anniversary of the beginning ofMcLean. Contact Carole Herrick at703-356-8223.

Providence District Council willhave Board of Supervisors ChairmanSharon Bulova and staff from VDOTand the Virginia Megaprojects Teamspeak to the community regardingroad maintenance issues and thestatus of the Northern Virginia“Megaprojects”: I-495 HOT Lanes, I-66/I-495 Interchange and Metro Rail“Silver Line”. The meeting will beheld at the Dunn Loring Center, 2334Gallows Road, at 7:15 p.m. inTraining Room 1 (enter through door#2). This meeting is free and open tothe public. For more information,contact Denise Rodgers, 703-698-7852 or [email protected].

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I would have thought – or expected, thatafter nearly eight months since I received mycancer diagnosis and six months since I’vebeen column-writing my thoughts on thesubject, that I would (perhaps even, should)be able to actually talk about it. And in talkabout it, I mean, actually say the word cancerout loud in response to a friendly inquiryabout my appearance, my hair (or lackthereof), my water-drinking, my diet, mywork schedule, etc. But I can’t, apparently, atleast not without a lot of stammering andstuttering, and hemming and hawing,anyway.

And here I thought I was so well-adjusted,so comfortable in my cancer-affected skin;Mr. Positive, Mr. What-A-Great-Attitude, Mr.I-Can-Handle-This, that a simple questionasking the obvious wouldn’t illicit such a ver-bal vacuum. I know silence is supposed to begolden, but this silence seems so awkward,so inappropriate, sort of, that I find myselftrying, occasionally, to avoid the conversa-tion/situation altogether. Sometimes it feelsbetter to be simply left alone with my ownunspoken thoughts rather than struggling toexpress them in public to a sincerely inter-ested person but one who is not, quitefrankly, someone who my life is not depend-ent upon (the kindness of othersnotwithstanding).

And not that my life is dependent uponanyone right now, thank God! And not thatcancer patients in general, or anyone withserious medical issues, are not dependent insome way on said kindness and queries –and prayers of others, because I’ve certainlycome to realize that we are. Moreover, it’snot that I’m a private person fearful of theinvasion of that privacy. Hardly. I’m comfort-able writing about it (obviously) and comfort-able having people know about it. But in thepast few weeks, social situations have pre-sented themselves that have made it clearthat I’m not nearly as comfortable talkingabout it as my writing would have lead me tobelieve.

I don’t think I’m in denial; I think I’m inreality. Heck, when they stick a needle inyour arm every three weeks for chemother-apy and every week for lab work, there’s nota minute (make that second) that goes bywhen you’re not keenly aware that you’re“Not in Kansas anymore,” unless of course,you’re a cancer patient who actually lives inKansas. I know exactly where I am, what I’mdoing and more importantly, why I’m doingit. I don’t know the outcome, yet. However,if I were to guess as to why my words aremore easily written than they are spoken, Iwould bet that not knowing my future maybe the cause of some of the verbal problemsI’m having in the present.

It’s that uncertainty that ties my tongue, Ibelieve. And in recounting various conversa-tions I’ve had with my oncologist, my oncol-ogy nurse and miscellaneous other healthcare professionals with whom I interact (andwho know my diagnosis), my prognosis is sointerdependent on variables impossible evento predict and/or anticipate that receiving adefinitive assessment/scenario/future summa-rizing them and in turn comforting me, isunrealistic, apparently.

Therefore, when I ask the existential ques-tion, “What does it all mean, doctor?” theanswer I usually receive is unsatisfactory. Butat least I’m alive to ask it (and to hear theanswer, too).

For a stage IV lung cancer patient that maybe as good as it gets.

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

A Big ShotI’m NotBy KENNETH B. LOURIE

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• McLean • Vienna/OaktonEmploymentEmployment

AccountantProvide management support in the ap-plication of accounting principles, con-cepts, regulations and practices general-ly accepted in USA. Analyze and review financial data provided by our clients; Analyze and review accounting require-ments to provide recommendations to management; Perform various account-ing functions and other related tasks. 40 hours/week/Monday-Friday/Education – Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/com-petitive salary/2 years experience/Veri-fiable character references/Please fax to Reitberger, Pollekoff, & Kozak, PC at 703-506-9707. Job in Vienna, Va

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EARN PAID TIME OFF!CNA’s/Companions/Live - Ins

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LEGAL NOTICEAT&T intends to file an application to construct a cellular tele-communications tower at 2666 Military Road, Arlington, Arling-ton County, Virginia 22207. AT&T is publishing this notice in accordance with Federal regulation 37CFR1.1301 et seq, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 36 CFR 800. The project referenced as “Covenant Church” will consist of the replacement an existing OMNI antenna and mount with a new OMNI antenna and mount at a height of 38 feet RAD center. In addition, the instal-lation of two diplexers, two topside jumpers, one 850R XIAT, two jumpers from COAX to duplexers, jumpers from RXAIT to BTS are proposed in the existing equipment shelter on the ground level. Parties interested in submitting comments or questions regarding any potential effects of the proposed facili-ty on Historic Properties may do so in writing by contacting Carolyn Mitchell, AT&T, at 7150 Standard Drive, Hanover, Maryland 21076 or c/o [email protected].

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Notice of Initiation of the Section 106 Process: Public Participation

Clearwire Wireless Broadband, an FCC-licensed wireless pro-vider in the State of Virginia, is proposing the collocation of wireless antennas on an existing building rooftop at 200 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia 22203. The proposed development will include a 10’ x 10’ lease area for equipment. Members of the public interested in submitting comments on the possible effects of the proposed project on historic properties included in or eligible for inclusion in the Na-tional Register of Historic Places may send their comments to Alex Bos, Rescom Environmental Corp., P.O. Box 6225, Tra-verse City, MI 49696 or call 1.231.947.4454. Project Refer-ence #: 0909042


PUBLIC NOTICE

AT&T intends to submit a Section 106 submission for a pro-posed 85 foot tree pole to be located at 9950 Colvin Run Rd. in Great Falls, Fairfax Co., VA. AT&T is publishing this notice in accordance with federal regulation 37CFR 1.1307, the NEPA and the ACHP 36 CFR 800. Twelve antennas will be top-mounted to the pole, and an equipment shelter will placed with-in a proposed 20 foot x 30 foot equipment compound. Parties interested in submitting comments or questions regarding any potential effects of the proposed activity on Historic Properties may do so by contacting Carolyn Mitchell, (AT&T) at 7150 Standard Dr. Hanover, MD 21076, 410.712.7544 or [email protected].


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• McLean • Vienna/Oakton

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst

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-Werner Heisenberg

When spiderwebs unite, theycan tie up a lion.-Ethiopian Proverb


News

From Page 3

budget accordingly, and state funding hasdecreased. Strauss said the schools were ex-pecting a $28 million decrease in state fund-ing next year but had heard that more mightbe cut.

Foust said the Board of Supervisors in-tended at least to keep school funding atthe same level by further cutting backspending on other county programs. “At thecounty level, what we’re doing is rippinginto the way we operate,” he said. He notedthat $1.7 billion, more than half the moneyin the county’s general fund, went to theschools this year, in addition to the moneyspent on school resource officers, clinicaides and interest on school bonds. “Ournumber-one priority in Fairfax County at thegovernment level is public schools,” he said.

COUNTY FUNDING represents aboutthree-quarters of the schools’ budget.

For the current budget year, the schoolsdid receive $42 million in federal stimulusmoney, but that was a one-time payment,Strauss said. In spite of the federal money,the School Board froze all pay in theschools, eliminated 788 positions,downsized summer school, raised class sizestwice and cut back on custodians.

She said the list of proposed cuts andadditional fees circulated at the meetingwould cover about $120 million of the pos-sible shortfall of about $176 million. Pro-posals listed included, among others, theelimination of general education summerschool, one of the county’s alternativeschools, and elementary school band andstrings, as well as reductions in full-day kin-dergarten, sports and equipment replace-ment. More than 1,700 positions were con-sidered for elimination.

Foust said the county was looking at an-other decline in revenue in large part be-cause 64 percent of its funding comes fromreal estate taxes, which are projected tocontinue declining. About a fourth of thereal estate taxes come from commercialproperties, which are expected to depreci-ate by about 18 percent next year, whileresidential assessments are projected to fallby another 10 percent.

However, he said the county had someoptions for raising revenue. One would beto equalize the real estate tax rate by rais-ing the rate so that the bill for the averagehomeowner would not change as real es-tate values fell. However, he said resultswould not be the same across the board,noting that home assessments in Great Fallsfell by only 8 percent last year, while thecounty tax rate went up 12 percent, result-ing in a net increase. Another option, hesaid, would be to reinstate the car registra-tion fee, although he thought it was a re-gressive tax. “This year, I’m not sure we’regoing to have the luxury of saying no tothat,” he said.

Local governments cannot run at a defi-cit, Strauss said. “We are individually, crimi-nally liable.”

She said the language immersion pro-gram required an increase in staff becauseanother teacher was needed to keep downclass sizes among the students not in theprogram. As to whether the program couldbe run without those teachers, “I expectwe’re going to have some tough discus-sions,” she said.

Asked whether the schools could chargefor elementary school language immersion,Strauss said it would probably be deemedillegal, but the School Board would againrequest permission to do so.

SEVERAL PTA MEMBERS suggested thatthe county needed to come up with creativeways to raise money, but Foust noted that,as part of a Dillon Rule state, the county onlyhad powers explicitly granted to it by thestate and was left with few funding options.

“I believe that the people in this countyhave always been and are willing to fundworld-class schools and world-class ser-vices,” said Rich Sargent, PTA president atKent Gardens Elementary, which has aFrench immersion program. “We need to taxourselves enough to pay for the services wewant.” He was one of a number of audi-ence members who suggested raising thetax rate.

Foust said the county was early in thebudget process and needed to hear from thepublic about what approaches it should taketo address shortfalls.

Budget Creates ‘Language Barriers’

Send School Notes to [email protected]. Deadline is Friday.

Cara Murnan of Great Falls, a sophomorediver at Virginia Tech at Blacksburg has beennamed to the Women’s All-ACC All-AcademicTeam for 2008-2009.

Christopher Martin of Great Falls, a jun-ior majoring in physics in the College of Science,was chosen to be a resident advisor at VirginiaTech.

The annual Mclean High School BandFruit Sale is currently underway. Boxes offresh Florida oranges and grapefruits, fruit bas-kets, and jumbo pecan halves are on salethrough Nov. 25. Visit http://mcleanband.org/annual-fruit-sale.html o place an order or toprepay via credit card (PayPal). Payment andpick up day is Saturday, Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to3 p.m. at Mclean High School. Payments on De-cember 12th must be by cash or check.

Byron Van Nort Hughey of McLean hasbeen awarded a bachelor of arts in English fromDenison University of Granville, Ohio. Hugheyreceived the Alumni Endowed Scholarship andstudied abroad with the Goldsmiths program inEngland.

Duncan H. Hardock of McLean has beennamed to the spring 2009 dean’s list at ColbyCollege in Waterville, Maine. Hardock, a gradu-ate of McLean High School, is the son of Randolfand Anne Hardock.

Rebecca Ellen Berenson and AlauraRose Maglio, both of McLean, have beennamed to the spring 2009 dean’s list at theUniversity of Wisconsin College of Letters andSciences.

Julia Christine Glasgow of McLean hasgraduated with a bachelor of arts degree fromDartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Glasgow isthe daughter of James A. and Alice H. Glasgow.

School Notes

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Zone 6 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400


• McLean • Vienna/OaktonClassifiedClassified





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Sports

Playoff-Tested Saxons Competing at StatesLangley volleyball hastoughened up duringthe postseason.

Senior outside hitter Carlie Owen (3) makes a hit during the Saxons’region semifinals win over Robinson last week.

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By Rich Sanders

The Connection

A year ago, Susan Shifflett’s Lan-gley High girls’ volleyball teamstruggled with nerve problems attimes during the postseason. Per-

haps the Saxons were trying to live up tothe previous year’s success in 2007 whenthey had won the Northern Region title.Langley’s 2008 squad never was quite ableto get things rolling during the playoffs andultimately was swept by Herndon in a sec-ond round region tournament match. Evenso, it was still a good season for Langley,which went 17-7.

But, this season, the Saxons have brokenthrough in a big time way. Langley, an over-all young team much like last year, has im-proved as the fall season progressed.Shifflett was most concerned with herteam’s offensive firepower at the beginningof the season. She loved her team’s passingand defense, but hoped the offense wouldround into top form. It did.

On top of that, Langley’s ability to playwell and handle the high energy tension ofbig matches has improved, as indicated bythe Saxons’ outstanding postseason roll thepast several weeks.

“I always felt physically we had it,” saidShifflett. “I wasn’t sure if emotionally wewere ready to deal with the big stress [ofbig matches] and winning. Emotionally,they’ve made so much progress and their

awareness of the game has improved.”Langley has hardly buckled under during

this year’s postseason, but has insteadthrived under the pressure. Behind the stel-lar play of standout players ElysseRichardson, a senior setter, and KathrynCaine, a junior middle hitter, the Saxonshave made a playoff charger similar to twoyears ago.

As the No. 2-seed at the recent LibertyDistrict playoffs, Langley reached the finalsbefore losing to top-seed and defending dis-trict champion Stone Bridge, three gamesto one. But Langley re-grouped for the 16-team region tourney, dominating in 3-0match wins over both West Springfield andHayfield before upsetting Robinson (19-6

record), three games to one, in a regionsemifinals match triumph last Thursday.

That put the Saxons into last Saturdaynight’s finals against South County, whichhad reached the title match with a semiswin over Stone Bridge. The Stallions got thebetter of play against Shifflett’s bunch anddefeated the Saxons, three games to one,for the title. Both Langley and South County,by reaching the finals, qualified for thisweek’s state AAA tournament.

THE REGION FINALS LOSS hardlyspoiled what has been a postseason joyridefor the Saxons (16-7), who return to thestate playoffs for the second time in threeyears. Langley was scheduled to travel to

Loudoun Valley (Purcellville) for a statequarterfinals match on Tuesday of thisweek. Valley (20-5) is a part of the CedarRun District and a member of the North-west Region.

Langley hosted Loudoun Valley during aregular season match on Sept. 24. The Vi-kings topped the Saxons, 3-1, that night.

“They are strong all the way across theboard,” said Shifflett.

The first round state playoff winner wasscheduled to advance to Thursday night’sstate semifinals at Virginia CommonwealthUniversity’s Siegel Center in Richmond.Langley, if it moves on to Richmond, wouldplay the second semifinals contest onThursday at 8 p.m. The region finals arescheduled for Saturday at 2:30 p.m., alsoat VCU.

Langley played one of its best matches ofthe season in its region semifinals triumphover Robinson last week.

“We just played so well against them,”said Shifflett. “We had to play one of ourbest matches to beat them. It really was awhole team effort.”

Then at the region finals, Langley startedoff well before South County re-grouped.

“South County was really nervous at thebeginning,” said Shifflett. “Once they settledin and got their passing going, we got a littledown.”

Both Richardson, this year’s Liberty Dis-trict Player of the Year, and Caine werenamed to the All-Tournament team.

Members of this year’s state qualifyingLangley volleyball team are: Christine Baek,Kathryn Caine, Nikki Hero, Olivia Justus,Maddie Kotoriy, Lainey Le Blanc, MaureenMarsh, Kat Ngov, Carlie Owen, Allison Prell,Elysse Richardson and Lindsay Warden.

Highlanders’ SuccessfulFootball Season ConcludesMcLean, followingplayoff loss to Lee,finishes 6-5.

Will Hecht, McLean’s senior quarterback, was behind center for thewinning Highlanders this season.

Pho

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by C

raig Sterbutzel/T

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By Rich Sanders

The Connection

‘

A remarkable turnaround footballseason ended for the McLean Highlanders Friday, Nov. 13, when they

lost to Lee, 42-18, in a Division 5 NorthernRegion quarterfinals playoff game.

With the loss, McLean finished the sea-son 6-5, a vast improvement from last year’swinless season.

The Highlanders, under second year headcoach Jim Patrick, took a 9-0 first quarterlead against Lee, thanks to a two-pointsafety and a Riley Beiro scoring run from 6yards out. Lee came to life in the secondquarter with a couple of touchdowns, but

McLean’s Beiro scored on a 3-yard run andthe Highlanders led 16-14 at halftime. TheLancers, however, dominated second halfplay with four touchdowns to advance toFriday night, Nov. 20’s region semifinalsgame against Hayfield. Lee, a member ofthe Patriot District, is 8-3.

It has been a remarkable season forMcLean, which opened the season with aconvincing 44-14 road win at Washington-Lee and never fell under .500 thereafter.Perhaps the team’s biggest win of the sea-son came on Sept. 25 over Liberty Districtopponent Madison, 24-21, improving theHighlanders’ record to 3-1. Madison, laterduring the season, went on to defeat regionpowerhouse Stone Bridge. This past week-end, Madison defeated Edison in anotherDivision 5 quarterfinals game. This Friday,the Warhawks will travel to Ashburn to takeon the Bulldogs in a Division 5 semifinal.

McLean’s toughest stretch of the seasoncame in back-to-back losses to Fairfax, 55-

17, and Stone Bridge, 38-21. But a weeklater after the loss to the Bulldogs, McLeancompleted the regular season with a dra-matic 35-34 district overtime home win overcross-town opponent Langley to clinch a

winning record.The loss to the Lancers last week hardly

diminishes the memorable, victorious fallof 2009 experienced by the Highlanders andtheir fans.


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Music supplies and more! • Special orders welcomeSpecial teacher discounts • Instrument Repair

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INSTRUMENT RENTAL

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Assembly of GodVienna Assembly of God ... 703-938-7736

Washington Christian Church...703-938-7720Cristo Es Mi Refugio...703-938-7727

Baha’iBaha’i Faith for Northern Virginia ... 703-821-3345

BaptistGlobal Mission Church ... 703-757-0877Peace Baptist Church ... 703-560-8462

Bethel Primitive Baptist Church ... 703-757-8134

Cartersville Baptist Church ... 703-255-7075Fellowship Baptist Church ... 703-385-8516

First Baptist Church ... 703-938-8525The Light Mission Church ... 703-757-0877

Vienna Baptist Church ... 703-281-4400New Union Baptist Church... 703-281-2556

BuddhistVajrayogini Buddhist Center... 202-331-2122

Church of the BrethernOakton Church of the Brethern ... 703-281-4411

CatholicLight Mission Church ... 703-757-0877

Our Lady of Good Counsel ... 703-938-2828St. Athanasius Catholic Church ... 703-759-4555

St. Mark’s Catholic Church ... 703-281-9100

CharismaticChristian Assembly ... 703-698-9777

Church of ChristBerea Church of Christ ... 703-893-7040

Disciples of ChristAntioch Christian Church ... 703-938-6753

EpiscopalChurch of the Holy Comforter ... 703-938-6521

Church of the Holy Cross ... 703-698-6991St. Francis Episcopal ... 703-759-2082

Jehovah’s WitnessJehovah’s Witnesses ... 703-759-1579

LutheranEmmanuel Lutheran Church...703-938-2119

St. Athanasius Lutheran Church... 703-455-4003

MethodistAndrew Chapel United Methodist ... 703-759-3509

Church of the Good Shepherd ... 703-281-3987Dunn Loring United Methodist ... 703-573-5386Ephiphany United Methodist ... 703-938-3494Great Falls United Methodist... 703-759-3705

Oakton United Methodist ... 703-938-1233

Visit These Houses of WorshipJoin A Club, Make New Friends, or Expand Your Horizons...

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA

450 ORCHARD STREETVIENNA, VA

[email protected]

www.fbcv.org

Dr. KENNY SMITH,PASTOR

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 11:00 AMMIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM

To Highlight YourFaith Community

call Karen at:(703) 917-6468

11321 Beach Mill RoadGreat Falls, VA 20165

It’s like coming home

Rev. D. J. Zuchelli, Pastor

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SMITH CHAPEL UM CHURCH

SUMMER WORSHIPSUNDAY: 10:00 AM

Vale United Methodist ... 703-620-2594Smith Chapel United Methodist ... 571-434-9680

Wesley United Methodist ... 703-938-8700

Non-DenominationalChristian Assembly Church ... 703-698-9777

PresbyterianGrace Orthodox Presbyterian Church ... 703-560-6336

Korean Central Presbyterian ... 703-698-5577Vienna Presbyterian ... 703-938-9050

QuakerLangley Hills Friends...703-442-8394

Seventh-Day AdventistNorthern Virginia Christian Fellowship ... 703-242-9001

Vienna Seventh Day Adventists ... 703-938-8383

Unitarian UniversalistCongregation of Fairfax ... 703-281-4230

UnityUnity of Fairfax ... 703-281-1767

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b

The GMU Players present JessicaBlank and Erik Jensen’s “TheExonerated.” 2 p.m. at GeorgeMason University’s Black BoxTheater. $6, $3 students and seniors.703-993-8888.

GMU Various Chamber Ensembles.2 p.m. at the George MasonUniversity Harris Theater, 4400University Drive, Fairfax. Free. 888-945-2468 or www.gmu.edu/cfa.

Tracy Grammer and Pierce Pettis.7 p.m. Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave.E., Vienna. $15. 703-255-1566 orjamminjava.com.

From Page 15

Calendar

MONDAY, NOV. 23Push Play, Emily Osment and Phil

Bensen. 7 p.m. Jammin’ Java, 227Maple Ave. E., Vienna. $12 advance/$15 day of show. 703-255-1566 orjamminjava.com.

TUESDAY/NOV. 24Colvin Run Community Center

Weekly Dance. 7 p.m. at ColvinRun Schoolhouse, 10201 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. $10.www.colvinrun.org.

The Dangerous Summer, MercyMercedes and Single File. 7 p.m.Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E.,

Vienna. $10 advance/ $13 day ofshow. 703-255-1566 orjamminjava.com.

WEDNESDAY/NOV. 25Line Dancing Classes for Active

Seniors. 11 a.m. at the VinsonDominion Hall, 6251 Old DominionDrive, McLean. Join a newcommunity program designed for age55 and over. Free. Wear low heelsand comfortable shoes. Registrationrequired. 703-442-9075, TTY 711.

Bo Jankans and Mad NamesAlbum Release Party. 10 p.m.Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. $10. 703-255-1566 orjamminjava.com.

To have community events listedin the Connection, send [email protected] is Friday.

Air Force Maj. Park D.Ashley is returning to the U.S.after a deployment in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom.Ashley, a security assistance of-ficer with 18 years of militaryservice, is normally assigned tothe 82nd Aerial Target Squadronat Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Heis the son of Clarence and ClaraSue Ashley of Beach Mill Road,Great Falls, a 1985 from LangleyHigh School, and a 1990 gradu-ate of the Georgia Institute ofTechnology, Atlanta.

Keith A. Tooley has beencommissioned as a second lieu-tenant in the U.S. Army aftersuccessfully completing the ArmyROTC program and graduatingwith a bachelor’s degree fromWest Virginia University. Tooleyis the son of Jean D. Reimers ofDonmore Drive, Great Falls and isa 2004 graduate of Langley HighSchool.

Air Force Lt. Col. NicholasE. Russo participated in ProudShield II/Giant Sword II, a bomb-ing, navigation, weapons loading,and security forces competitionconducted by the Eighth Air Forceto demonstrate the military’sreadiness and ability to projectairpower around the world, setup a strategic deterrent to threatsto American interests, and meetnational defense objectives.Russo is director of operations as-signed to the 2nd Bomb Wing atBarksdale Air Force Base, BossierCity, La., and has served in themilitary for 16 years. He is theson of Vincent and Reeta Russo ofMcLean; his brothers are BrianRusso and Mark Russo, also ofMcLean. Russo received abachelor’s degree in 1993 fromDavidson College, N.C., and amaster’s degree in 2002 fromEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical Col-lege.

Army Pfc. Eric Z. Reynolds,a 2007 graduate of Oakton HighSchool, has graduated from theInfantryman One Station UnitTraining at Fort Benning, Colum-bus, Ga. He is the son of Jamesand Susan Reynolds of Oakton.

Michael Thompson , ofVienna is among 10 James Madi-son University students thattrained for three days with Spe-cial Forces soldiers at Fort Bragg,N.C., as part of the Army ROTCRanger Group.

Military Notes


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OPEN HOUSESSaturday & Sunday, Nov. 21 & 22

Call Specific Agents to Confirm Dates & Times.

When you visit one of these Open Houses, tell the Realtor you saw it in this Connection Newspaper. For more real estate listings and open houses visit www.ConnectionNewspapers.com,

click the Real Estate links on the right side.

To add your FREE Realtor represented Open Houseto these weekly listings, please contact:In Great Falls, Salome, 703-778-9421, or

[email protected] Vienna, Don, 703-778-9420, or

[email protected] McLean, Trisha, 703-778-9419, or

[email protected] listings are due by Monday at 3 p.m.

McLean6440 Tucker Ave $649,000 Sun 1-4 Karen Kuipe McEnearney 703-738-95667314 Aynsley Ln $789,500 Sun 1-4 Sherri Young McEnearney 703-738-95971117 Kensington Rd $900,000 Sun 1-4 Jenifer Justice Weichert 703-623-83731938 Rockingham St $1,065,000 Sun 1-4 Michelle Dawson Weichert 571-213-18471211 Vinita Ln $1,289,000 Sun 1-4 Anne Dibenedetto McEnearney 703-615-18971527 Brookhaven Dr $1,649,000 Sun 1-4 Mark Mcfadden Coldwell Banker703-216-13337019 Capitol View Dr $2,095,000 Sun 2-4 Marianne Prendergast Long & Foster 703-873-51551123 Litton Ln $3,649,000 Sun 1-4 Eileen Summers Long & Foster 703-244-3190

Oakton12112 Vale Rd $1,225,000 Sun 1-4 David Ballard Weichert 202-437-4540

Vienna1805 Fawncrest Ct $749,900 Sat & Sun 1-4 Terry Belt Keller Williams 703-242-3975601 Glyndon St SE $1,225,000 Sun 1-4 Kevin Samson Samson Properties 703-508-2535502 Spring St SE $1,240,000 Sun 1-4 Kevin Samson Samson Properties 703-508-25351095 Old Cedar Rd $1,399,000 Sun 2-4 Marianne Prendergast Long & Foster 703-873-5155

Arlington 22205-222073317 N Vernon St $1,129,000 Sun 1-4 Chip Benjamin Long & Foster 703-309-04115021 24th St N $625,000 Sun 1-4 Jennifer Klaussen Keller Williams 703-593-08772606 N 23rd Rd $1,099,000 Sun 1-4 Kevin Love Re/Max Allegiance 703-807-19862203 Greenbriar St N $1,549,000 Sat/Sun 1-4 Florann Audia Long & Foster 703-402-9127

1708 Landon Hill Rd • $1,050,000 • Open Sunday 1-4Long & Foster, Debbie Tencza, 703-597-4667

Schools

Robert Louis Stevenson’sclassic novel, “TreasureIsland” comes to lifethis week at Cooper

Middle School. Based on the1883novel, the play “Treasure Island”is the story of young Jim Hawkinsand his adventures in the searchfor the buried treasure of the no-torious pirate Captain Flint.Cooper’s theater teacher and theplay’s director, Meg Baber, hasbeen working with the cast of 36middle schoolers since the middleof September. “I went throughmany different versions of thescript and was glad to find KenLudwig’s. His version feels morecurrent than some of the othersout there,” said Baber.

In order to make the fight sceneswith the pirates look authentic,Baber brought in local fight cho-reographer and actor, Matt Wilson,to work with the young actors. Theplay includes a 20-person swordfight. “Matt taught us how tosword fight in a way to make itlook real but without getting hurt,”said seventh grader Tucker Reillywho portrays pirate Ezekiel Haz-ard. Eighth grader Ida Rezvani,who plays the pirate Black Dog,said she enjoyed learning coolsword techniques and how to re-act when she gets stabbed in afight scene.

Two eighth grade students sharethe role of the young adventurer,Jim Hawkins. “Jim Hawkins is avery dynamic character who goesthrough many different experi-ences that allow me to expressmany emotions. It’s a lot of fun,”

said Rachel Mayman.“Jim starts out as a wimpy dude

and ends up being a strong per-son who can get through any-thing,” said Madison VanVolkenberg.

“The show has been really fun.It is nice being with all my friendsdoing something I love,” said DavisGibson, an eighth grader whoplays the role of Long John Silver.

Two afternoon shows are pre-sented on Wednesday and Thurs-day, Nov. 18 and 19 at 2:30 p.m.On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20and 21, the show begins at 7 p.m.Tickets are $5 for students and $8for adults and can be purchasedat the door. Cooper Middle Schoolis located at 977 Balls Hill Roadin McLean.

Cooper Middle SchoolStages ‘Treasure Island’

Seventh graders Cayhan Movaghari, left, and TuckerReilly appear as pirates in the ‘Treasure Island’ at CooperMiddle School.

Rachel Mayman portrays14-year-old Jim Hawkins inCooper Middle School’sdrama production of ‘Trea-sure Island.’

Ben Gunn (Camille Speer) tries to avenge her abandon-ment on an island by Long John Silver (Shomin Mathur).

Pho

to

s by Ellen D

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n

Kenneth LeoCollins IV

Anne and Kenny Collins, ofSterling, announce the birthof their son, Kenneth LeoCollins IV, born Thursday,Aug. 27, at 10:10 a.m. at FairOaks Hospital. He weighed7 pounds, 8 ounces and was20.5 inches long. He has a3-year-old sister Lucy. Thematernal grandparents areJoanne Warner of Great Fallsand Ronald Hunter ofHerndon. The paternalgrandparents are Cathy andKen Collins of Herndon.

Birth Announcement

‘Nutcracker’ Comes to Lifeconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2009/111809/Great Falls.pdf ·...

Documents

Transcript of ‘Nutcracker’ Comes to Lifeconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2009/111809/Great Falls.pdf ·...