Bren Mar ResidentsCelebrate Police and...

Metro StationClosures Nearly OverNews, Page 3

Mission: Key — The Place to Be

Back to School, Page 3

Bren Mar ResidentsCelebrate Police and Community

News, Page 9

Bren Mar neighborhood watch volunteer and block party hostess Sue Hotto hugs her guests of honor, McGruff the Crime

Dog and Fairfax County Police Officer Alice “Allie” Eggers Aug. 6. Eggers is the crime

prevention officer of the Franconia District Police Station and plans to retire in Decem-

ber after 25 years of service on the force.

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com August 15-21, 2019

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2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ August 15-21, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

Tom Pfeifer, managing partner ofConsistent Voice Communica-tions, LLC, was inducted ontothe Greater Springfield Cham-

ber of Commerce Board of Directors onTuesday as vice chair. It’s a return engage-ment for Pfeifer. He left the board last fallto care for an ailing loved one.

Pfeifer will serve out the term left vacantby Charles McCaffrey, who resigned from theboard in February upon leaving his positionat the Community Business Partnership.

“Charles’ shoes will be hard to fill,” Pfeifersaid. “He is a force in our community. Butwith the help of my fellow board members,former board members and the businesscommunity as a whole, I will do my best tohelp the Chamber and its members succeed.”

In a recent blog post, Pfeifer outlined hisvision of a chamber’s mission.

“A chamber’s function is … to promotethe business community within the commu-nity as a whole. Its mission is to raise thetide, so all boats rise,” he wrote. “It’s to keeptrack of legislation at the local, state andfederal level and to take a stand on issuesthat affect the business community. It’s tosupport our non-profit businesses that takecare of the less fortunate among us, so ourcommunity as a whole is stronger. It’s to

Tom Pfeifer Sworn in as GreaterSpringfield Chamber Director

attract new businesses that fit within ourcommunity and bring good-paying jobs.”

In addition to his role on the board,Pfeifer serves on the Chamber’s market-ing committee.

Tom Pfeifer

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Springfield Connection ❖ August 15-21, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Mike Salmon

The Connection

When Metro officials made the an-nouncement last spring that six BlueLine stations were closing for thesummer, “Metro-geddon,” as it was

called, didn’t turn out as bad as some thought itwould. Buses packed the pick-up lanes and evenDASH buses from Alexandria were seen on FranconiaRoad, heading to the station, but that’s soon to be athing of the past. If all goes as scheduled, blue linetrains will start running again on Sept. 8 and com-mutes will return to normal, even though the con-struction will continue.

“Pretty organized,” said Brett Robinson, aFranconia resident who found the directions at thePentagon very helpful. “Plenty of signs,” he said.

Same with Yene Shewaneh, a Springfield residentthat just started her job in July. “It’s very good,” shesaid. She hasn’t taken the train to her new job yetbut she did hear there might be single tracking withthe construction still continuing this fall. “I’m hop-ing it’s going to be good,” she said.

After Memorial Day last spring, the Summer 2019Platform Improvement Project began, and all BlueLine stations south of Reagan National Airport wereclosed for renovations. Buses ran from the Pentagonto stations down the line and finally to the Franconia-Springfield station at the end of the Blue Line. Cranes,cones and dust were common sights as the ridersgot off buses and headed straight to the parking lots,where they got in their cars, met their rides or jumpedin a cab.

“While Metro’s summer closing has been an un-

fortunate disruption to many of the community’scommuters, I’m pleased with the supplements in ser-vice that have been provided. We’ve received verylittle complaints and even a few compliments, whichis a real testament to the County and Metro’s efforts.”said Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee). “It is my hopethat the community’s trust in Metro has not beenlost and that, come September, its reliability andgeneral operation is back on track,” he said.

On TrackAs the stations are improved, the Metro experi-

ence for the riders will improve too, Metro says.“Once completed, customers will find more than justnew platforms under their feet, as Metro is addingnew features to improve safety, customer informa-tion and convenience while modernizing the sta-tions,” Metro said.

Slip-resistant tiles will be a big improvement rid-ers will notice right away. When the old tiles got wet,they became almost as slick as the Capitals hockeyrink. In addition, there will be stainless-steel plat-form shelters upgraded with USB charging ports anddigital displays, and LED lighting will be part of theupgrades as well.

Keith Forte lives in Woodbridge but works in FairfaxStation, so he uses the station as a transfer point,sometimes using Uber from there, although it isn’tcheap. “I’m going to look at my options,” he said.

White Top cab driver Kevin Beasley would like tosee an improvement with the taxi cab line at theFranconia-Springfield station as well. “Lots of people,they can’t even see the taxis,” Beasley said.

Buses picked up the slackleaving some riders happy.

Metro Station Closures Nearly Over

Construction at the Franconia-Springfieldstation is still going strong.

ImprovementsHere is a list of improvements to all six stations south of

Reagan National Airport:• Slip-resistant tiles• New stainless-steel platform shelters with digital displays

and USB charging ports• Upgraded Passenger Information Displays (PIDS) with digital

screens• Improved platform speakers and PA system equipment• New canopy roofing/skylights• Refinished and new ceiling panels• New platform surveillance system (CCTV) to enhance

customer safety• Brighter, energy-efficient LED lighting and lighted handrails• New passenger call button to directly contact station

managers and operation control center• Fire Life Safety enhancements• Station cleaning and painting• Renovated bathrooms• Concrete repairs• New bus shelters

Riders willnotice theimprovementswhen all isdone, they say.

Photos by

Mike Salmon/

The Connection

Aimee Holleb

Back to School

Mission: Key -the Place to Be

Aimee Holleb, Principal, KeyMiddle School:

We are thrilled to begin SY19-20 at Key Middle School! Ourmission is KEY: The Place to BE.We want to ensure our schoolis the BEST middle school in thewhole, wide world! Our visionis KEY: The Place for ME. Wework to make sure each stu-dent, staff member, and com-munity member feels that theyare welcome in our communityand supported!

Our focus this year will be tocontinue our success with en-suring that students WRITE inevery classroom each day, learnabout college and careerchoices for their futures, and weare launching a brand new Par-ent and Family Engagementmodel to make sure the com-munity knows all about ourschool and provides feedback to

help us continue to grow andimprove!

Upcoming Events:❖ Aug. 22, 4 -7 p.m: Locker

afternoon for all students andfamilies to come and practiceopening their lockers, meet thestaff, and take their own toursof the building.

❖ Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m.: Back toSchool Night including a pre-sentation from ThomasJefferson High School of Sci-ence and Technology at 6 p.m.

❖ Oct. 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m.:Hispanic Parent Night.

Excited about new beginning:Rolling Valley Elementary mascot.

Maureen Boland,Ed.D., Principal,Rolling Valley El-ementary:

Rolling Valley isexcited to start the2019-20 schoolyear. We have a lotof changes this yearas we start ourlearning, with amajor one being anew assistant prin-cipal. Veronica DelBagno is replacingJessica DaSilvawho was promotedto a principal posi-tion in ArlingtonCounty Public Schools. We arethrilled to have Ms. Del Bagnoon board. This year we alsohave a number of staff changesdue to promotions and teach-ers moving out of the state. Allof this adds up to a new energythat we’re excited about. Thisyear we’re continuing our focuson supporting the whole childwith culturally responsiveteaching, social/emotional sup-port, and equal access to a rig-orous curriculum. Our themethis year is “2020: Our Visionis Clear” and we are planningon building upon previous suc-cesses to help children learnand grow and become good citi-zens of the world. As always,Rolling Valley supports an inclu-sive environment for all learn-

ers. We are adding a programfor students with autism thisyear and we look forward tohaving these unique learnersjoin our vibrant learning com-munity.

Fall is always an exciting timeat Rolling Valley because wehave our West Springfield Pyra-mid Fun Run called the “Pyra-mid Challenge” and we haveour Haunted House/Fun Fairtoward the end of October. Roll-ing Valley’s Haunted House hasbeen in existence over 40 years!Feel free to come visit. It’s a bigcommunity event!

It will be an exciting and busytime at Rolling Valley as theschool year starts.

Raising ‘Good Citizensof the World’

See Back to School,

Page 7


Home LifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

As a new school year loomslarge over the horizon, thehectic reality of packing

lunches, buying school suppliesand making space for new back-packs comes into focus. Makingtime for home organization candecrease stress before theschool bus arrives.

The kitchen is often the ofnucleus or command center ofa family’s home, especially dur-ing the school year. To helpquell the chaos, ShannonKadwell of Anthony Wilder De-sign/Build suggests centraliza-tion. “A snack station andbreakfast center can be great forletting the kids get food on theirown while you get together mealsand lunches,” she said. “The snackstation [can be] a drawer in thekitchen that kids can go into atanytime to get healthy snacks.Granola bars, nuts, crackers, driedfruit, can be pre-measured for in-dividual servings for easy grab andgo.”

Getting dressed in the morningcan become a source of tension,but Sallie Finney Kjos of GreyHunt Interiors says that she incor-porates an elegant design solution

into the bedrooms of her clientshomes that helps ease the day-break anxiety.

“Get a basket for each kid androll their outfits for the day, tiethem together and place themupright in the basket,” she said.“Give your kid independence andlet them pick out their ownclothes. Not only will their outfitsmatch, but you’ll know that theydidn’t create a mess finding theperfect shirt.”

In fact, baskets can offer a ver-satile and chic method of organi-zation throughout one’s homesays, Courtney Thomas of homeaccessories store, The Picket

Fence. “They are available in end-less sizes and styles,” she said.“Baskets are an easy and often in-expensive way to contain clutter.Larger ones are perfect for blan-kets and pillows, smaller oneskeep toys corralled, and there areeven baskets with file hangers tokeep … papers organized. If bas-kets aren’t your style, we also loveusing vintage boxes and crates toserve the same function.”

Getting creative with clear con-tainers can help maintain orderwithout sacrificing a home’s aes-thetic, says Thomas. “You can find

This kitchen and dining area by Anthony Wilder Design/Build includes a workstationconcealed behind doors (shown open and closed) to keep the family organized.

Home OrganizationFor a New School Year

options that are much more styl-ish than the traditional plastictub,” she said. “Since they are see-through it’s easy to see what’s in-side and find what you need. Usemason jars for pencils and cray-ons.” A coffee table can servedouble duty as both a home ac-cessory and a clandestine storagespace, says Kjos. “They can be acatch all for busy families,” shesaid. “Consider topping them witha few decorative boxes to holdneeded items.” Over the course ofa school year, a home’s mud roomcan become a black hole of back-packs, soccer cleats and lacrossesticks. “Having a locker with a

door for each child gives themudroom a clean, organizedfeel,” said Kadwell. “The kidsdon’t need to be neat and tidyinside their own spaces.”

Back-to-school organizationcan extend to the laundryrooms, continues Kadwell. “Setup drop stations to have kidsdrop off clothes that are in need

of washing,” she said. “Have binsin an easy to get to space for thekids that are labeled whites, darksand towels. Kids can place theirclothing in them according to thelabels. This helps cut down thelaundry time by having them al-ready sorted.”

A family calendar to keep trackof deadlines, appointments, andevents is a must-have, continuedKadwell. “[Place it] at a level kidscan see,” she said. “This can be awhole wall that you can paint witha magnetic chalk paint and createa paneled wall effect.”

Accessories anddesign elementsto create asmooth start.

“Baskets are an easyand often inexpensiveway to contain clutter.”

— Courtney Thomas,The Picket Fence

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News

The National Conference of State Legisla-tors (NCSL) Annual Conference is anopportunity for elected officials on bothsides of the aisle from state legislatures

across the country to meet and share ideas on howto make government run more smoothly at the statelevel. This year, Nashville hosted the conference andin between plenary sessions and panels, they hon-ored several women legislators with their ”Womenin Politics Making a Difference” Award. One of thisyear’s honorees was Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41).

Each year, honorees are selected for making animpressive impact “through perseverance, collabo-ration and, most importantly, pursuing their dreams.”Filler-Corn’s nomination originated from her success-ful work as a member of the House of Delegates since2010, as well as her recent ascension to the role asLeader of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus thispast January. She is the first woman in the 400-yearhistory of the House of Delegates to lead a caucus.

“I am truly honored to receive this award fromNCSL,” said Del. Filler-Corn. “To join this group ofaccomplished women legislators is incredibly hum-bling.”

When she was first elected in 2010, Filler-Corn wasthe only legislator who was a mother of school-agedchildren. Since the 2017 election, the number ofwomen in the House of Delegates has dramaticallyincreased. For her part, Filler-Corn particularly en-

Filler-Corn Honored at NationalConference of State Legislators

joys mentoring younger women legislators and can-didates.

“So many women paved the way for me. It is onlyfitting I pay it forward for the next generation,” addedFiller-Corn. “I have no doubt that many more womenlegislators from Virginia will receive this award inthe future,” she said.

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41) re-ceived a ‘Women in Politics Makinga Difference’ Award.

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Opinion

Adapted from a previous editorial ...

Has your organization beenfeatured in the ConnectionNewspapers, or the Alexandria

Gazette Packet or the Mount Vernon Gazetteor the Centre View or the Potomac Almanac?

Have our papers taken note of your businesswhen you pitch in to help the community? Orwhen you opened your doors or celebrated amilestone?

Are you an elected officialwhose messages are enhancedby coverage of issues in theConnection?

Do you work for a part of local governmentthat has asked for help getting the word outabout a need or a new initiative or accomplish-ments?

I have a special favor to ask:Buy an ad in our 2019 Newcomers and Com-

munity Guide. Please.Show your support for our organization

which continues to be here to support theforces of good in our communities.

Our annual Newcomers and CommunityGuide is a thematic paper publishing Aug. 28,2019 for all 15 Connection Newspapers. Dead-line is Aug. 22.

If you have a marketing budget, and youvalue coverage of local newspapers (not justours), why wouldn’t you spend a portion ofthat budget (any portion) in newspapers? Heedthe cautionary tale in the accelerating closuresof newspapers recently. Support local news.

For the same reasons that organizations,businesses and campaigns know they want lo-cal newspaper coverage, newspaper advertis-ing is an effective way to reach voters, resi-dents, clients. The Connection has an audienceof more than 150,000 in print and online, in-cluding remarkable demographics. Our read-ers include local and national decision makersin the public and private sectors.

The deadline for the Newcomers and Com-munity Guide is Aug. 22. Digital enhancementsand support are available. More informationat email [email protected] orcall 703-778-9431.

Share Tipsabout Community

We also need help from our readers for con-tent of our annual Guide.

We’re hoping to share special places, activi-ties, events, organizations and volunteer op-portunities. What should someone new to yourneighborhood know about? What is it that youlove most about where you live?

We will publish a selection of local view-points along with information useful to new-comers and long-time residents alike, includ-ing information on how to vote and more.

See last year’s community guides by goingto www.connectionnewspapers.com/PDFs/and scrolling down to Newcomers.

Email tips and photos [email protected] or sendas a letter to the editor via the website athttp://www.connectionnewspapers.com/contact/letter/ by Aug. 23.

— Mary Kimm

For information on advertising, [email protected] or call 703-778-9431. Seewww.connectionnewspapers.com/advertising.

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Editorial

Instilling theVirtue ofSacrificeTo the Editor:

Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated onAug. 11, 2019 after the comple-tion of Hajj, the Islamic pilgrim-age to Mecca. Eid is celebrated tocommemorate Prophet Abraham’s(peace be on him) submission toGod’s command to sacrifice his sonProphet Ishmael (peace be onhim). Muslims emulate this act byoffering sacrifice of an animal,such as goat, cow, or sheep.

Through Eid God instills the vir-tue of sacrifice, social equity, andanimal rights.

The Holy Quran states, “Theirflesh reaches not God, nor doestheir blood, but it is your righ-teousness that reaches Him. Thus,He subjected them to you, that youmay glorify God for His guidingyou. So, give glad tidings to thosewho do good” [22:38].

Eid-ul-Adha bears lessons thatbenefit our spiritual and sociallives. First, Eid fosters submissionand steadfastness. Through re-membering God’s mercy to replaceProphet Ishmael with a lamb at themoment of the slaughter, remindsone to remain steadfast. Also, hisdeference for his father is a phe-nomenal example of selflessness.Thus, Eid encourages submissionand self-sacrifice for human beingsas well as for God. Second, Eid-ul-Adha promotes social equity

within community as the meat ofthe sacrificed animal is meant tobe shared among relatives, neigh-bors, and the less privileged.Third, the stringent rules of Zabiha(Islamic way of animal slaughter)promote animal health and safety,humane ways of animal slaughter,and reduce the slaughter of ani-mals during other times of theyear. Moreover, when vegetarian-ism is a trending lifestyle, there isa direction from God that the nu-tritional needs of humans take pre-cedence over the present-day defi-nition of animal rights.

Farah LatifOak Hill

The author is a Lecturer at GeorgeWashington University and GeorgeMason University

Senators Urgedto RestoreFairnessTo the Editor:

I heard, hundreds of childrencame back from school one day toan empty house, their parents hav-ing been taken into custody with-out warning for being undocu-mented immigrants. The presidenthas claimed that undocumentedimmigrants are a threat to thecountry, but the thought that theparents of schoolchildren consti-tute any measure of threat thatwould make the trauma inflictedon these kids justified is prepos-

Letters to the Editor

terous.I urge Sen. Kaine and Sen.

Warner to keep working hard tobring justice and fairness into thiscountry, because we need goodpeople like them in positions ofpower at this critical moment ofour country’s history. Any energythey could direct towards tryingto abate these terrible policies andbring some relief to these familiesis both necessary and well appre-ciated. I urge the Senators toplease keep fighting for the bestinterest of all the American people.

Anthony Murphy-NeilsonHerndon

‘Summer Break’that Wasn’t

To the Editor:The final school bell rings and

rushing to get out of school I cansense a feeling of relief oneveryone’s face that summer breakis finally here.

I am a rising senior in highschool and to this day I still do notunderstand the reason behindsummer assignments. The argu-ment many teachers may use is tokeep our minds fresh over thesummer or to make sure studentshave a background on the subjectbefore coming into the class on thefirst day. The reality of it is thathigh school students’ summerbreaks are never real breaks. Com-ing into sophomore and junioryear the dreadful SAT and ACT are

two tests you cannot move out ofthe way. The summer is a verypopular time to study for these twotests since during the school year,time is of the essence. In addition,students will use endless amountsof time applying to and trying tofind the best institution or univer-sity where students will spendtheir next four years. Not to men-tion a number of high school stu-dents, including me, have fallenvictim to taking summer courseswhich you must work on formonths.

As you can see, being a highschool student means the summershave little “break” to offer, whichmeans that summer assignmentshave little priority. Walking intoclass on the first day you can oftensee over half the class starting witha zero because of these summerassignments. The fact is that thecontent in summer assignmentsare often repeated in class anywayso the easiest fix for students andteachers is to get rid of them.

Ethan PhamMcLean

Write The Connectionwelcomes views on any public

issue. The deadline for allmaterial is noon Friday. Send to:

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NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

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ADVERTISING:For advertising information

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Springfield


COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

bbTo Advertise Your

Community of Worship,Call 703-778-9418

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

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

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

Visit our Website: jccag.org

4650 Shirley Gate Road, FairfaxBill Frasnelli, PASTOR 703-383-1170

“Loving People to Life”

Back to School

Photo contributed

From left, Assistant Principal Satonya Dews and Princi-pal, Dr. Kelly Sheers.

Dr. Kelly Sheers, Principal, WestSpringfield Elementary:

At West Springfield ElementarySchool, we are growing at anamazingly fast pace! For the firsttime in the history of our school,we have four classes in Kindergar-ten, First Grade and Third Grade.We have had to become creativefinding space in our building, butwe are excited to welcome morestudents and families to our learn-ing community!

During the 2019-20 school year,we will continue to focus on ourschool’s vision by preparing ourstudents for the future. Develop-ing students’ creative thinkingskills, building positive relation-ships, and supporting a caring cul-ture will allow us to help eachchild reach his or her full poten-tial. We will be workingcollaboratively to provide our stu-dents many unique learning op-portunities including access to ourSTEAM lab, Level IV curriculum inall grades, authentic learningthrough problem-based learningprojects, in addition to planning aschool-wide field trip in theSpring!

This school year, the West

Helping Children ReachTheir Full Potential

Springfield staff plans to focus ondeveloping student’s Portrait ofGraduate (PoG) skills. Teacherswill be creating learning opportu-nities that allow students to applythe attributes of a Communicator,Collaborator, Ethical and GlobalCitizen, Creative and CriticalThinker, and Goal-Directed andResilient Individual. DevelopingPortrait of a Graduate (PoG) at-tributes is a high priority for FCPSand West Springfield ES as theseskills are necessary for all childrento succeed in our rapidly chang-ing, increasingly diverse, and in-terconnected world.

We are proud to share that WestSpringfield Elementary was 1 of270 schools in Virginia to earn the2019 Virginia Index of Perfor-mance (VIP) awards for advancedstudent learning and achievement.The VIP program recognizesschools and divisions that exceedstate and federal accountabilitystandards and achieve excellencegoals established by the Governorand the Board of Education. Ourstudents and teachers haveworked hard over the last schoolyear and are honored to receivethis recognition!

South County, West Springfield HighTeachers Honored

Teachers from South County High School and West Springfield High Schoolwere presented with the Optimist Teacher Appreciation Award by the Spring-field Optimist Club. Tina Nham from West Springfield along with TamaraTurner-Ottka, Cheryl Gannaway, Molly Rumberger, David Long, GloriaBlumenthal, and Mike Pflugrath from South County High were celebrated fortheir dedication and support of high school students in and out of the classroom,as well as being a positive influence for their students. Andy Muir, director ofstudent activities at West Springfield High, and Principal Gary Morris fromSouth County High were present for the award ceremony.

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Calendar

Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Thedeadline is noon on Friday. Photos/artworkencouraged.

ONGOINGJunior Golf Fairfax Camps, Clinics and

Competition. Burke Lake Golf Center islocated at 6915 Ox Road, Fairfax Station.Pinecrest Golf Course is located at 6600 LittleRiver Turnpike, Alexandria. Twin Lakes GolfCourse is located at 6201 Union Mill Road,Clifton. Oak Marr Golf Complex is located at3136 Jermantown Road, Oakton. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/golf/junior.

❖ In one-session introductory Junior Golf clinics,kids and teens learn basic golf rules, etiquette ofthe game, get familiarized with different typesof clubs and acquire skills for putting andchipping in a social and relaxed environment.Clubs and practice balls provided. Clinics areoffered at Burke Lake, Oak Marr and Pinecrestgolf courses for $15 each in August.

❖ Golf camp week-long sessions are still open –campers learn putting, chipping, iron and woodsplay from certified instructors in a friendly,group atmosphere. Course etiquette and bestsafety practices will teach kids and teensfundamentals while they socialize and have fun.Clubs are not required but suggested. Allcampers will receive a certificate and golf funpack upon camp completion. Burke Lake GolfCenter and Twin Lakes Golf Course offer halfday summer camp, Pinecrest Golf Course offersboth half and full day summer camp options.Oak Marr Golf Complex offers half day springand summer camp through Everybody GolfSchool.

❖ Course-ready juniors will enjoy the Junior ClubChampionship, Aug. 16, 8 a.m.-noon at BurkeLake Golf Center. Golfers participate in an 18-hole individual stroke competition. Competitorswill be separated into three divisions with first,second, and third place prizes available in alldivisions. Lunch provided. Call 703-323-1641 toregister.

Registration Open: NVSO. The NorthernVirginia Senior Olympics features more than 60events that challenge the mind as well as thebody. New games this year: jigsaw puzzle andline-dancing. The games run Sept. 14-28. Therewill be no on-site registration. Paperregistrations, available at most local recreationand senior centers, must be postmarked by Aug.24. Online registrations must be completed byAug. 31 at www.nvso.us.

Art Exhibitions. Through Sept. 15, Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at Torpedo FactoryArtists @ Mosaic, 105 District Ave., Fairfax. Forthe first time, the Torpedo Factory Artists’Association is sharing its gallery space with agroup of student artists. The Torpedo FactoryArtists @ Mosaic is a satellite gallery sponsoredby the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association. Visitwww.torpedofactoryartists.com/mosaic/ formore.

❖ “Make Your Mark” is part of the Torpedo FactoryArtists’ Associations’ effort to provide exhibitopportunities for gifted artists in the community.In this show, each of the 13 students takingclasses from TFAA artist and arts educatorMarsha Staiger present one painting thatrepresents their body of work.

❖ “Animal Kingdom” is the theme of the TorpedoFactory artists’ exhibit and will showcase thebest of what nature has to offer, including thewild and the tame.

(Im)Permanence Continued. Through Oct. 6 inthe McGuireWoods Gallery, 2nd Floor,Workhouse Arts Center, 9518 Workhouse Way,Lorton. A solo exhibition featuring work byCynthia Myron. Visit www.WorkhouseArts.orgfor more.

VMFA: Futures. Through Oct. 6 in theMcGuireWoods Gallery, 2nd Floor, WorkhouseArts Center, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton.VMFA: Futures showcases artists joining the2019-2020 Fellowship Program at the VirginiaMuseum of Fine Arts in Richmond. Comprised ofa broad selection of humanizing works ofingenuity which liven the art landscape throughsculpture, videography, painting, photographyand new media, VMFA: Futures highlightsemerging talent but also explores commonalitiesamongst the artists’ work. Featured artistsinclude Soomin Ham, Rebecca Silberman, DavidFranusich and Sarah Phillips. Visitwww.WorkhouseArts.org for more.

Juried Exhibition: Clay International.Through Oct. 6 in the Vulcan Gallery, 1st Floor,Workhouse Arts Center, 9518 Workhouse Way,

Lorton. Ceramic Artist and Educator PeterBeasecker juried over 300 images to select 52pieces of art which incorporate a contemporaryspirit as well as a technical mastery of thematerial for 2019 Workhouse Clay International.Clay International represents the depth andbreadth of contemporary functional andsculptural ceramic artworks being createdthroughout the country. Visitwww.WorkhouseArts.org for more.

Crafters Wanted for 2nd Annual Fall CraftShow. The Fairfax Station Railroad Museumwill hold its 2nd Annual Fall Craft Show andLEGO (TM) Train Show on Saturday, Oct. 12,2019 ,10 a.m.-4 p.m. For crafters interested injoining the event, booth space is enough roomfor a 10x10 canopy and cost is $50 per space.Email [email protected] for anapplication and further information. Visitwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

Kingstowne Farmers Market. Fridays, throughOct. 25, 4-7 p.m. in the Giant parking lot, 5870Kingstowne Towne Center, Alexandria. Farmfresh eggs, local honey, berries, fresh pickedvegetables, fresh local fruits, baked breads andtreats, chicken, tamales, salsa, hummus,gourmet sausage, fresh roasted coffee beans,and much, more. Call 703-642-0128 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/kingstowne.

Wakefield Farmers Market. Wednesdays, 2-6p.m. through Oct. 30, at Wakefield Park, 8100Braddock Road, Annandale. Eleven local farmersand producers will sell fresh produce and fruits;meats; breads and pastries; jams; dairy productsand eggs; herbs; flowers, and more. All productsare grown or produced by the vendors and comefrom within 125 miles. The Fairfax CountyMaster Gardeners Association will be there eachweek, providing horticultural information tohome gardeners in Fairfax County. Call 703-642-0128 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/wakefield.

Lorton Farmers Market. Sundays, 9 a.m.-noon,through Nov. 17, in the VRE Parking Lot, 8990Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton. Eleven localfarmers and producers sell fresh produce andfruits; meats; breads and pastries; jams; dairyproducts and eggs; herbs; flowers, and more. Allproducts are grown or produced by the vendorsand come from within 125 miles. The FairfaxCounty Master Gardeners Association will bethere each week, providing horticulturalinformation to home gardeners in FairfaxCounty. Call 703-642-0128 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/lorton.

Springfield Farmers Market. Saturdays,through Nov. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at SpringfieldTown Center, 6699 Spring Mall Drive,Springfield. Vendors include Cascade Beverage,Celestial/Fossil Farms, Chilanga Tortilla,Conecopia, Greenwich Farms, Iganacio’sProduce, Kingdom Gourmet, Lola’s Kusina,Lund’s Produce, Smiths Mecklenburg, Taste OldCountry, Three Puppies,Tyson Farm, andWindmill Meadows. Visit www.community-foodworks.org or call 202-697-7768.

Burke Farmers Market. Through Dec. 21, 8a.m.-noon at the VRE parking lot, 5671 RobertsParkway, Burke. A great selection of fresh

produce, baked goods, seafood, and dairy. Allvendors make their own food or grow it locallywithin 125 miles. Call 703-642-0128 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/burke for more.

FRIDAY/AUG. 16Junior Club Championship. 8 a.m.-noon at

Burke Lake Golf Course, 7315 Ox Road, FairfaxStation. Golfers age 7-17 square off in theseason-ending tournament. This is an 18-hole,individual stroke tournament for all agedivisions: 10 & under; 11–13; and 14–17. Therewill be closest-to-the-pin contests and prizes for1st, 2nd, 3rd place in all three divisions. $25 forjunior program members; $35 for non-juniorprogram players; lunch included. Call 703-323-1641 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/golf/burke-lake.

B-I-N-G-O. 7 p.m. at Fire Station 3, 4081University Drive, Fairfax. Enjoy free coffee,entertaining callers, a friendly atmosphere,$1,000 guaranteed jackpot, treasure chestprogressive raffles, and good food available forpurchase. All proceeds go to purchasing fire andrescue equipment. Visit www.fairfaxvfd.com orcall 703-273-3638 for more.

Campfire Fridays. 7:30-9 p.m. at Hidden PondNature Center, 8511 Greeley Blvd., Springfield.Start the weekend off with a campfire ands’mores while exploring the hidden gems atHidden Pond Nature Center. Learn about theplants and animals that call Hidden Pond home.Designed for participants 3-adult. $10 perperson. Call 703-451-9588 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/hidden-pond.

SATURDAY/AUG. 17Children’s Entertainment Series. 10-10:45

a.m. at Burke Lake Park Ampitheater, 7315 OxRoad, Fairfax Station. Featuring John Hadfield(family show). Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances/springfield-nights.

Summer Saturdays. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at GunstonHall, 10709 Gunston Road, Lorton. JoinGunston Hall for a summer of fun. EachSaturday in June, July, and August, stop by for ahistoric adventure on the grounds and in theVisitor Center. Included with regular admission.Call 703-550-9220 or visitwww.gunstonhall.org/visit/guide/upcoming-events.

Movie Night: The Princess Bride. Dusk.Liberty Lorton, the former prison turned newdevelopment, is hosting a series of events thatincludes barnyard yoga, outdoor movie nights,and the second annual Turkey Trot. Events areopen to residents and non-residents of Liberty.Visit thelibertylife.com for more.

SUNDAY/AUG. 18Celebrating Nancy Cappel. 3-6 p.m. at St.

Matthew’s United Methodist Church, 8617 LittleRiver Turnpike, Annandale. St. Matthew’s UMCwill host a retirement celebration for NancyCappel, a nationally recognized handbelldirector, who has directed handbell and vocalchoirs for 50 years. The Celebration program

will last 1.5 hours to be followed by areception. Free. Visit StMatthewsUMC.org for more.Films in the Park: Akeelah and the Bee

(2006). 7 p.m. at Strawberry Park in Mosaic,Fairfax. Mosaic’s summer movie lineup hassomething for the whole family. Grab a blanket,friends and family and watch favorite filmsunderneath the stars. Visit mosaicdistrict.com/events/event/films-in-the-park-2/.

TUESDAY-SATURDAY/AUG. 20-24Anniversary Celebration. Club Pilates Burke,

5765 Burke Centre Parkway, Suite S., Burke.Celebrate with a free introductory class. Bring ina school supply donation for Fairfax CountyFoundation and spin the Wheel of Fortune forprizes. Call 703-691-5999 or visitwww.clubpilates.com/burke.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 21Nine and Wine. 5-8 p.m. at Laurel Hill Golf Club,

8701 Laurel Crest Drive, Lorton. Enjoy a roundon Virginia’s newest golf course. Price includesrange balls, golf cart and nine holes of golf anda glass of wine. This event welcomes the first 12people who RSVP. Come solo or bring a friend.Payment will be made upon arrival at the eventvenue. Check in at to pro shop at least 15minutes prior to the start time. Member, $32;|non-members, $42. RSVP to Roberta Korzen [email protected] or 703-324-8782.

THURSDAY/AUG. 22Evenings on the Ellipse: The Capital Focus

Jazz Band (youth jazz band). 5:30-7 p.m.at the Fairfax County Government Center,12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.The Fairfax County Government Center’sbackyard will be alive with fun, music and goodcompany this summer as the Evenings on theEllipse concert series returns. Stop by and relaxin style with generous tastings and sales fromFairfax County’s two Wineries, Paradise Springsand Bull Run. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances/evenings-on-the-ellipse formore.

FRIDAY/AUG. 23B-I-N-G-O. 7 p.m. at Fire Station 3, 4081

University Drive, Fairfax. Enjoy free coffee,entertaining callers, a friendly atmosphere,$1,000 guaranteed jackpot, treasure chestprogressive raffles, and good food available forpurchase. All proceeds go to purchasing fire andrescue equipment. Visit www.fairfaxvfd.com orcall 703-273-3638 for more.

SATURDAY/AUG. 24Summer Saturdays. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Gunston

Hall, 10709 Gunston Road, Lorton. JoinGunston Hall for a summer of fun. EachSaturday in June, July, and August, stop by for ahistoric adventure on the grounds and in theVisitor Center. Included with regular admission.Call 703-550-9220 or visitwww.gunstonhall.org/visit/guide/upcoming-events.

Glass Harp Performance. 1-2 p.m. atCentreville Regional Library, 14200 St GernainDrive, Centreville. Join an end of summercelebration as Jamey Turner plays the glassharp, a musical instrument made with drinkingglasses filled with water. This family friendlyprogram will engage and delight all ages. Free.Call 703-830-2223 or visitlibrarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/5238367.

Grammy Night. 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Annandalecampus of Northern Virginia Community College(Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center,8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. RecoveryProgram Solutions of Virginia (RPSV), anonprofit that supports adults with mentalhealth, substance use (including opioids), andhomelessness issues across Northern Virginia,will host Grammy Night. The evening includesperformances by celebrity and award-winningmusic artists Jason Cerda and Jodeci Milhousewho will be joined by professionalchoreographer, James Thomas. Guests willdelight in dancers from KLR and CerdafiedStudios performing to songs of the decades,passed hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, andmore. Tickets ($20-$40) are available at bit.ly/2JXCAK1. Visit rpsva.org or call 703-939-0028.

HO and LEGO Model Trains ShowThe Potomac Module Crew will have a special HO Model Train Show as well as a custom LEGO Model

Train show by Monty Smith over the Labor Day weekend. Sunday-Monday, Sept. 1-2, 1-4 p.m. at theFairfax Station Railroad Museum, 11200 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station. Ages 16 and older, $4;5-15, $2; 4 and under, free. Visit www.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

Courtesy of The Fairfax Station Railroad Museum

LEGO model train displays by Monty Smith.


News

By Marti Moore

The Connection

On National Night Out, resi-dents gathered in a quiet cul-de-sac off Indian Run Parkway as a snow cone machine

helped residents of the Bren Mar neighbor-hood cool off at the end of a hot, muggyday.

Under the supervision of block party host-ess Sue Hotto and her long-time neighborFleur Noeth, snow cones were ready at aquarter past 6 o’clock: 5-year-old SantosCruz wanted his snow cone covered in asweet, red flavoring called “Tiger Blood.”At least seven other youngsters were in lineto get their shaved-ice treats doused withthe most popular “Cotton Candy” blue andother assorted flavors.

Creativity is encouraged and some youthsgo for a dynamic color and taste palette withtwo and more flavor dyes in orange, lemon-lime green and purple grape.

Marvin Salcedo, 57, wants to know if thecool treat is called a snow cone or shavedice. People Down South — where the sum-mer air is downright hot, humid, stagnantand human dignity cries out for winter flur-ries — need a snow cone. People Up North— who are still thawing out from lastwinter’s polar vortex — may prefer shavedice in early August.

Salcedo hails from Hawaii and says hispeople on the Island of Maui call it shavedice.

BREN MAR IS BLESSED with neighborsof diverse backgrounds who know how tofill a buffet table with grilled hot dogs andhomemade pasta salad, Caesar salad, fruitsalad, mini chicken egg rolls, sheet cake,

cupcakes and oatmeal cookies.Little children loaded-up on sugar and

burn it off jumping inside an inflatedbounce house provided by Northern Vir-ginia real estate broker RE/MAX Gateway.Others played a toss game called cornholeand visited a bubble making station on thesmooth, clean, newly resurfaced street.

Nearly 60 Bren Mar residents of all agesdo what National Night Out was made for,enjoying each other’s company during apotluck dinner, catch-up on community ac-tivities and appreciate their local first re-sponders who help make their neighbor-hood a safe place to live.

Two Fairfax County Police officers arrivedbefore 7 p.m., mingled with residents andgave party favors to children.

Part of the community charm is residentsmove to Bren Mar and stay put. Nestledalong Edsall Road near the corner of Inter-state 395 and the Capital Beltway, theneighborhood is a convenient spot andstraight shot for federal government work-

ers who drive just 8 miles to the Pentagonand 12 miles across the Potomac River tothe U.S. Capitol.

That’s what drew Salcedo, who works forthe government, to Bren Mar in 2000. Headds residents have their pick of mass tran-sit options, including Metrobus and theFairfax Connector. He appreciates how hisson’s former elementary school is just ablock away.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT 2019 providesan opportunity for political candidate GaryN. Aiken to meet local taxpayers and listento their concerns. Aiken is a Republican run-ning for the Fairfax County Board of Super-visors in the Nov. 5 General Election againstincumbent Mason District SupervisorPenelope “Penny” A. Gross, who’s on theDemocratic Party ticket, and serves thecounty as vice chairwoman of the board.

The gathering is on the west side of astream residents cannot see throughdense vegetation.

Long-time homeowners Sue and GaryHotto told Aiken their neighbors kept thecreek clean for years. Then the county in-terfered. Although it removed invasive spe-cies, and planted a rain garden at Bren MarDrive and Indian Run Parkway, it left treecuttings in the small waterway.

The local government tried to fix some-thing that wasn’t broken, sank a lot ofmoney into the project then let it rot, ac-cording to the Hottos.

The creek is not part of the $1.7 millionIndian Run stream restoration projectstarted in winter 2015 at Indian Run Courtand Columbia Road in Annandale, which isdetailed online at the Fairfax County Pub-lic Works and Environmental Services.

This is something Aiken, who has livedin the area for 16 years, can sink his teethinto.

“Mason District has been neglected,” hebelieves. Aiken says he works as the chiefrisk officer for the American Armed ForcesMutual Aid Association, which provides lifeinsurance and financial services to militaryemployees and their families. He says hewants to fund parks, enforce codes to keepstreets safe and help maintain streams.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT 2019 does notclose-up shop until the guests of honor ar-rive around 8:15 p.m., when McGruff theCrime Dog and Fairfax County Police Of-ficer Alice “Allie” Eggers are celebrated byappreciative Bren Mar residents.

Eggers is the crime prevention officer atthe Franconia District Police Station andplans to retire in December after 25 yearsof service on the force. Her mission Aug 6was to mark the annual National Night Out— her last as a police officer — with acounty record of 50 block parties in her pre-cinct.

Eggers offers active violence training tocivic groups and churches. Call 703-922-0889 for information or send an email [email protected]. Other crimeprevention resources are available online atfairfaxcounty.gov/police/district/franconia.

Shaved ice beats snowcone at block partyproduct name test.

Bren Mar Residents Celebrate Police and Community

Bren Mar residents Matthew Salcedo and his dad, Marvin, hang looseHawaiian style with a cone of shaved ice Aug. 6 at a National Night Outblock party. Although Marvin’s roots are planted in Hawaii on the Islandof Maui, his 20-year-old son has lived here most of his young life andstudies visual art nearby at the Northern Virginia Community College.

Photos by Marti Moore/The Connection

Fleur Noeth, left, adds the finishing touch to the snowcone of Santos Cruz, 5, right, while his mother, BelgicaCruz helps her son stay still for a brief moment Aug. 6 inAlexandria at the Bren Mar community block partyduring the 35th annual National Night Out.

Long-time residents of the Bren Mar subdivision share a potluck supper and enjoyeach other’s company at the end of a workday during their annual neighborhoodNational Night Out block party. Each year, they celebrate their Franconia Police Dis-trict law enforcement officers.


News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Fairfax County Park Authority an-nounced it is asking the public tosubmit comments in writing byFriday, Sept. 6, 2019, regarding

the two applications under review for itsResident Curator Program at the historicEllmore Farmhouse, 2739 West Ox Road inHerndon. Curators are determined throughan open and competitive application pro-cess, based on several criteria, including aformal proposal, demonstrated experience,competency in historic preservation tech-niques, financial capabilities, and the in-corporation of public benefits. Completedapplications can be viewed online atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resident-cu-rator-program/ellmore.

The Evaluation Team will hold a meet-ing open to the public concerning the ap-plications on Thursday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m. inthe Park Authority boardroom, 9th floor ofthe Herrity Building, 12055 GovernmentCenter Parkway, Fairfax, but there will beno opportunity for public comment at thattime.

In the first of the two cover letters andcompleted applications sent to Stephanie Langton,resident curator program manager, Applicant #1stated: “We have been coming to Frying Pan FarmPark for more than a decade with our four children....We would enjoy the opportunity to make theEllmore Farmhouse a place where children can learnand play again. Our children, much like the Ellmoreand Smith children, have had the opportunity tospend time learning about farming and caring foranimals through the 4-H... Living in the EllmoreFarmhouse would allow us more time to learn andshare with others about the original families andanimals that lived here on this property.”

Regarding skills, Applicant #1 stated: “I do nothave any specialized skills in historic preservationprojects outside of the general remodeling and con-struction skills I have learned over the years doingprojects on the houses I have lived in... I am a Me-chanical Engineer working in Aerospace... On a dailybasis, I am required to pay attention to details, fol-low strict standards, and know the requirements ofa task prior to acting on it.”

In the other cover letter and completed applica-tion, Applicant #2 stated: “After rehabilitation andrenovations are completed, ServiceSource proposesusing the Ellmore Farmhouse as a “launchpad” forone of our Long-Term and Community IntegrationServices (LTCIS) programs. A group of approximately15 people with disabilities and staff will gather atthe Ellmore Farmhouse from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon-day-Friday... ServiceSource has a 47-year history ofproviding high-quality, innovative programming inNorthern Virginia. ln FY 2018, we served more than4,000 people with disabilities through long-term and

community integration services, senior services,employment supports, and other services.”

Regarding skills, Applicant #2 stated: “To reha-bilitate and renovate this historic property,ServiceSource has selected Pizzano Contractors as apartner for this project...Pizzano Contractors was anearly adopter in the “Green Building” movement andcontinues to demonstrate leadership in thisarea...Pizzano Contractors continue to include LEEDdesign and best practices in their projects… Addi-tionally, Pizzano Contractors has extensive experi-ence in renovating historic properties, includingformer residences, for modern times-a major assetfor the Ellmore Farmhouse project.”

According to the Park Authority, the farmhouse is atwo-story, 3,300-square-foot property within FryingPan Farm Park. Members of the Ellmore family occu-pied the two-story, 12 room home for more than 50years, operating a productive dairy farm there through1945. In February 2001, the Park Authority purchasedthe property for inclusion within Frying Pan FarmPark. The Resident Curator Program provides theopportunity for individuals, nonprofit and for-profitorganizations to secure long-term lease agreementsin beautiful public park settings. The curator leasesare without charge in exchange for a financial com-mitment towards approved rehabilitation of the ParkAuthority’s underutilized historic properties.

For additional information, visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resident-curator-program. Or contact Stephanie Langton, manager ofthe Resident Curator Program, at 703-324-8791. Web:https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/park-news/2018/z-ir126.

Park Authoritywelcomes commentson curator applications.

Selecting a New Life forHistoric Ellmore Farmhouse

File Photo by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

Ellmore Farmhouse within Frying Pan FarmPark, 2739 West Ox Road, Herndon, Hunter MillSupervisory District, Owner: Fairfax CountyPark Authority.


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

I mean, he didn’t even examine me, which he rarely does. (The CT scan pretty much tells him what he needs to know, so he says.)

In addition (or is that subtraction), he didn’t even ask me the standard questions he typically does about my quality of life, activities of daily living and general health and welfare. In fact, near the presumptive end of our appointment, as peculiar and uncharacteristic of an appointment as it was, I felt compelled to blurt out the answers to all the questions that he didn’t bother to ask that for years he’s always asked: any pain, short-ness of breath, coughing, headaches, neuropathy, muscle weakness or any new or persistent symp-toms? All he could muster was a perfunctory “Do

And then the semi-out-of-the-blue-bombshell:

Followed by the offer to refer us to a book that

Helpful? Useful? I didn’t say it at the time because the entire

appointment was so odd and impersonal almost. But WHAT?! Palliative Care? What are you talking about? He has never brought up palliative care before. (Although way back when, he had given

You see, we know about palliative care. We’ve attended multiple conferences organized by LUNGevity, “the largest national lung cancer-fo-

care doctors often have spoken. Palliative Care is not hospice care but it’s a transitional level of care to be sure.

If I’m transitioning, I wish somebody would have told me, and not by asking about my famil-iarity with this type of care.

In a word, palliative care is a type of down-sizing, as best as I can describe its subtleties; separate and apart from hospice care which is, if

you get my euphemism (and hopefully someone is meeting you at the station)? But so far as I’ve been told, I’m not on the last train to Clarksville

In fact, I rarely take the train. Not that being on or off the train matters when one comes to the end of the line.

Nevertheless, as I review in my mind what my oncologist said this past Monday, I have to wonder if he was feeding me a line, throwing me a line or just reciting a line that is required of oncologists in their regular communications with their cancer patients – a sort of caveat emptor for long-time cancer survivors who are inexplicably still alive (as evidence of such sentiment, my

But I didn’t feel much like a miracle on Monday. I felt more like a dope. Like I was being told something I didn’t realize, sort of an emperor

never experienced before; during or after any of our appointments.

Previously, even at the initial Team Lourie meeting in late February 2009 when the hammer came down, I had – though having it in utter dis-

The particulars of which would be sorted out over the following weeks and months beginning

And boy were they ever sorted. Ten years and almost six months later, I’m still sorting.

having an off day? Obviously he knows that his words carry

terrible burdens for his patients and their families. But he can’t simply toss out the phrase palliative care like it has no impact. Its impact is huge.

It’s akin to being hit by a speeding train, the likes of which would prevent one from getting anywhere near Clarksville, let alone being on the last train.

Don’t Monkee Around With MeSubmit civic/community announcements at

ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

DONATIONS NEEDEDSchool Supply and Backpack Drive. 8 a.m.-4

p.m. at the Parent Resource Center, 2334Gallows Road, Room 105, Dunn Loring. For thenearly 56,000 students in Fairfax County PublicSchools living at the poverty line, obtainingschool supplies can be difficult. FCPS ispartnering with roughly 20 nonprofits andbusinesses to ensure that students will have thesupplies they need this fall for its “Collect forKids” campaign. A $25 donation will fill abackpack with FCPS approved supplies for astudent. Organize a collection drive of newbackpacks in your community and bring to oneof the Collect for Kids drop off locations. Visitwww.collectforkids.org/get-involved or call 703-204-3941.

TUESDAY/AUG. 20Volunteer Seminar: RSVP. 10:30 a.m. at Junior

Achievement Finance Park, 4099 Pickett Road,Fairfax. RSVP-Northern Virginia (Retired andSenior Volunteer Program) will hold a seminaron volunteering in retirement. The one-hourevent is free and open to the public. To sign upfor the Aug. 14 info session, [email protected], call RSV703-403-5360 or visit www.rsvpnova.org.

Car Seat Safety Check. 5-9 p.m. at the WestSpringfield district police station, 6140 RollingRoad. Fairfax County Police Department offersfree safety check and install events throughoutthe year to ensure children travel safely. Byappointment only; call 703-644-7377 and press0 at the recording to schedule.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 214th Annual Clergy Breakfast. 8:30-10:30 a.m.

at Vienna Baptist Church, 541 Marshall Road,SW, Vienna. This once-a-year connectioncontinues to build fellowship and goodwillthroughout the year as attendees collectivelyaddress common issues. All faiths are welcome.RSVP by Aug. 16 at 703-281-0538 [email protected].

Public Comment Sought. The Office ofIntermodal Planning and Investment, theVirginia Department of Transportation, and theDepartment of Rail and Public Transportation,under the leadership of the CommonwealthTransportation Board (CTB), are developing aplan to study Virginia’s 179 miles of theInterstate 95 corridor between the WoodrowWilson Bridge in Alexandria, Va and the NorthCarolina border. The first comment period willend Aug. 21, 2019. Additional commentopportunities will be available throughout thestudy period. For more information about thestudy, or to view meeting materials and accessthe online engagement tool, visitVA95Corridor.org.

TUESDAY/AUG. 22Volunteering with Students. 1:30-3 p.m. at

Sherwood Regional Library, 2501 SherwoodHall Lane, Alexandria. Information session aboutGrandInvolve recruiting older adults who areinterested in volunteering in the classroom inFairfax County’s Title 1 elementary schools.Opportunities: mentors, classroom helpers,material preparation, and more. Free. Visitwww.grandinvolve.org for more.

SATURDAY/AUG. 24Messy Church. 5-6:30 p.m. at St. Peter’s in the

Woods, 5911 Fairview Woods Drive, FairfaxStation. Join St. Peter’s in the Woods for theirmonthly Messy Church. It’s a worshipingcommunity especially geared towards familiesand young children, but welcoming to all. Bible-themed crafts and activities, casual worship anda free, family-style dinner. Call 703-503-9210for more.Registration is appreciated, visitwww.stpetersinthewoods.org/events.

Large Yard Sale. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Unity ofFairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. Unityof Fairfax will host a large, indoor, church yardsale with hundreds of items from manyhouseholds and a restaurant liquidation. Freeadmission. Visit www.unityoffairfax.org.

TUESDAY/AUG. 27Car Seat Safety Check. 5-9 p.m. at the West

Springfield district police station, 6140 RollingRoad. Call 703-644-7377 and press 0 at therecording to schedule.

Bulletin


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