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Burke Connection ❖ August 10-16, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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online at www.connectionnewspapers.comAugust 10-16, 2017

BurkeBurke

Reading Adventure atKings Park Library

Reading Adventure atKings Park Library

News, Page 8

Debating Future ofAirbnb inFairfax CountyNews, Page 10

County Holds4-H Fair & Carnival

News, Page 8

Hampstead Stage actors Ian Emerson (left) andKatie Marsh (right) performed

“Beauty and the Beast” at Kings Park Library.

HomeLifeStylePage 9

HomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStylePage 9

2 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ August 10-16, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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ALEXANDRIA TOYOTA


Burke Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

News

By Gretchen Kernbach

The Connection

Boys/Girls State is a summer lead-ership program put on by TheAmerican Legion and the Ameri-can Legion Auxiliary for rising

high school seniors. The program is highlyselective, looking for students who are in-tellectually advanced as well as greatly in-volved in their community and school. ForSpringfield local Genevieve Montavon andher family, this has become a household tra-dition.

From June 18-24, the West Springfieldstudent traveled to Longwood University toparticipate in Girls State. AccompanyingGenevieve was Leslie Lermo, as CalebBarnes and Josh Chapman served as themale candidates from West Springfield toBoys State.

The intensive, week-long schedule in-cluded lots of speech-giving and debating,both by camp-goers and special guests.Guests speakers included Ralph Northam,current Lieutenant Governor of the Com-monwealth of Virginia, and Mark Herring,current Attorney General of Virginia.

EACH STATE PROGRAM differs slightly,but the main layout of boys/girls state fol-lows a “city” format. This means partici-pants are divided into subgroups, called cit-ies, in which they electmock public officials andstate legislature representa-tives.

From there, partakershave the chance to getelected into a state officelike governor or lieutenantgovernor. As the week goeson, legislatures meet toelect officials, pass bills andcomplete other tasks as areal State Legislaturewould. In addition, mocktrials are held.

“To be a judge or attorneygeneral, you had to do acertain activity which ismoot court,” saidGenevieve. “Everyone gotthe same case which all con-tained the same facts andcase laws, which was abouta guy with marijuana pos-session and you had to prove or disprovehis possession and intent to distribute.” Sheadded.

Genevieve and three other teammatesassigned to the case made it to the last stagein the mock trial. After the completion ofthe hearing, she was voted as state judge.

“I knew that at Girls State Genevieve, andall the other attendees, would participatein a powerful week that enabled them tobe actively involved in the government pro-

cess and to learn about how the govern-ment works first hand,” said Eve Montavon,Genevieve’s mother, who went to Girls Stateas well.

Eve attended the citizenship programback in 1983 in Arizona, from McClintockhigh school. Her experience gained her thetitle of attorney general; a role she was in-spired to run for because of her uncle, BruceBabbitt. Babbitt served as governor of Ari-zona from 1978 to 1987. He was also the

United States Secretary of the Interior from1993 to 2001, under President Bill Clinton.

On the day Genevieve left for Longwood,Eve gave her the brochure from her 1983visit.

“In the brochure, we were laughing, be-cause one of the requirements to apply toGirls State was that you could not be mar-ried. I was interested to see if it was stillthe same,” Eve said.

In addition, Eve’s aunt, Patty (Bilby)

Moore attended Girls Statefrom Flagstaff high school,Arizona in 1965. Patty’scousin and Bruce’s brother,Jim Babbitt, attended BoysState the same year.

GENEVIEVE believes thatthe organizations she par-ticipates in at school helpedher get accepted into theprogram: This past year shetook on the role as captainof the debate team at WestSpringfield and manager ofthe volleyball team. In ad-dition, she is a member ofmultiple organizations suchas the National Honor Soci-ety, Math Honor Society,Key Club, Technology Stu-dent association and GirlUp, a United Nations spon-

sored club.“What I got out of the camp is a much

better understanding of the state govern-ment and how much it can affect day-to-day lives. If you want to make change it’simportant to start locally,” Genevieve said.

Although the schedule was “completelyexhausting,” Genevieve described GirlsState as a fun environment in which shewas able to surround herself with positiveinfluences who turned into good friends.

Girls/Boys State develops into a three-generation family legacy.

When Politics Becomes Family Tradition

Photo courtesy of Eve Montavon

West Springfield High rising senior GenevieveMontavon loads her suitcase into the bus set to takeher to the Girls State at Longwood University.

Photo by Gretchen Kernbach/The Connection

Genevieve Montavon and her mother Eve.


Mother (left) and daughter’sGirls State programs placed sideby side.


Genevieve Montavon being sworn in as judge during theGirls State week at Longwood University.


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Tiny Dancers has been named Best Ballet or DanceStudio and Best Kids’ Birthday Party Venue in theJuly 2017 issue of Washington Family Magazine. Inaddition, Northern Virginia Magazine, in the Juneissue, named the program Best of NoVA in the Par-ent & Me category.

Studio owner Donna Rathe, commenting on theawards, said, “We’re thrilled to be able to share ourpassion for dance with our young dancers. To watchthem start out as toddlers in our Wiggletoes programand then a few years later dancing with confidenceand poise is what keeps us going.”

With studios in Fairfax, Alexandria and Mosaic,Tiny Dancers offers a curriculum designed especiallyfor young children ages 2-12. The literacy-based pro-gram uses age appropriate choreography and em-phasizes technical excellence in a fun and nurturingenvironment. By introducing dancers to the basicsof ballet, tap and jazz using well-known fairy talesand hundreds of costumes and props, students areencouraged to learn through creative self-expressionand exploration.

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For a free digi-tal subscriptionto one or allof the 15ConnectionNewspapers,go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

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Complete digitalreplica of theprint edition,including photosand ads, deliv-ered weeklyto your e-mailbox.

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The Fairfax County Park Authority Boardhas named Hidden Pond Nature Center vol-unteer Jennifer Ochs of Springfield the 2017Elly Doyle Park Service Award Student Hon-oree. The annual Elly Doyle awards recog-nize individuals and organizations that con-tribute outstanding volunteer service to thePark Authority, and one student honoree isnamed each year.

Ochs has been a volunteer at Hidden Pondsince the summer of 2013, working as anassistant naturalist/animal caretaker. Herregular duties include live exhibit care andmaintenance, visitor services at the frontdesk and summer camp support. She leadsweekend birthday party programs and hassupported projects such as invasive plantremoval, stream clean-ups and erosion con-

trol.Ochs also is on the nature center’s

Envirothon team, which is a competitivenatural resources program. The LakeBraddock Secondary School junior waspraised for her professional demeanor andmentoring of younger volunteers and forserving as a good role model for youngerchildren and her peers through her com-mitment and accomplishments.

The Elly Doyle Park Service Award pro-gram was established by the Fairfax CountyPark Authority in 1988 in recognition offormer board member and Chair EllamaeDoyle’s years of outstanding service. Awardswill be presented at the Elly Doyle ParkServices and Outstanding Volunteers Awardceremony in November.

Park Authority Honors Lake Braddock Junior

People

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

Fairfax High School alumna Simone Askewhas been named the first African-American femaleto serve as first captain of the corps of cadets at theUnited States Military Academy-West Point. Askewis a 2014 graduate of Fairfax High School. AtFairfax High, Askew was president of her class,captain of the volleyball team, and founder of theBlack Student Union. She received appointmentsto West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy, andchose to attend West Point.

Ian Doten, of Fairfax, graduated from Roches-

ter Institute of Technology (Rochester, N.Y.) witha BS in computer engineering.

Jordan Staley, of Fairfax, graduated fromRochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, N.Y.)with a BS in ASL-English interpretation.

Nha-Khuyen Bui, of Fairfax, earned dean’s listhonors at Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia,Pa.) for the spring 2017 semester. Bui studies fi-nance in the University’s Haub School of Business.

Grace Heffner, of Fairfax, graduated fromHigh Point University (High Point, N.C.).

Walter Morrisette, of Fairfax, graduated fromHigh Point University (High Point, N.C.).

School Notes


By Gerry Connolly

U.S. Representative (D-11)

White House Advi-sor StephenMiller took

pains last week to point outthat Emma Lazarus’ sonnet,“The New Colossus,” wasnot affixed to the Statue ofLiberty when she was un-veiled in 1886. He, of course, wasright in fact but wrong in spirit.

The famed “Give me your tired,your poor, your huddled masses”lines were added 20 years later,but have come to represent theAmerican ideal that we are a na-tion of immigrants, enthusiasti-cally welcoming those from anybackground who want to comehere, work hard, and play by therules. Here in Fairfax County, wenot only embrace that ideal, werecognize it as the lifeblood of ourastounding economic successstory.

President Trump and the sena-tors pushing the RAISE Act, a billto severely restrict legal immigra-tion into the United States, would

have you believe adramatic increasein immigrantsleads to economicdecline and lowerwages, not to men-tion higher crimerates and a host ofother social ills. Ifanyone from theWhite House made

the 15-mile trip to Fairfax County,they would learn the opposite istrue.

In 1970 less than 4 percent ofFairfax’s population was foreignborn. Today that number is 30.7percent, more than double the ratein the country at large. But thatdramatic increase in immigrationdid not lead to the kind of dysto-pia the President envisions. In-stead, since 1970, Fairfax Countyhas become an economic colossusthat drives our state’s economyand is envied across the globe.Household income is among thehighest in the nation, crime ratesremain at historic lows, and ourcommunity hums with the kind ofeconomic dynamism that drives

innovation and long-term produc-tivity growth.

How did we get here? Undoubt-edly we’ve capitalized on our prox-imity to, and our partnership with,the federal government. But thefacts are quite clear that the dra-matic increase in foreign-born im-migration has accelerated our eco-nomic success. Immigrants inFairfax are primarily working age,more likely to start a business, lesslikely to commit crimes, and con-tribute to economic growth in bothhigh-skilled and low-skilled fields,creating technology firms worthbillions and caring for the elderlyas home care workers. Immigrantshave revitalized many of our older

neighborhoods, adding $7,383 tothe value of each and every homein our county, according to thePartnership for a New AmericanEconomy. The results speak forthemselves. Foreign-born immi-grants have fueled our success.

But Fairfax is not alone. Smalltowns, rural communities, andlarge cities across the countryhave capitalized on the economicvitality and opportunities createdwhen immigrants show up andget to work. Welcoming “thehomeless, the tempest-tost” is themoral thing to do, but right herein President Trump’s own back-yard we’ve proven that’s it thesmart thing to do.

“Lifeblood of our astoundingeconomic success story.”

Local Impact of Immigration

Opinion

Last year, when I wrote an editorialsimilar to this one, there was somecontroversy about it inside the Con-nection. But many community orga-

nizations, civic organizations, businesses andelected officials responded positively, and itmade a difference.

I have a special favor to ask, once again:Buy an ad in our Newcomers and Commu-

nity Guide.To put on my publisher’s hat (not my

editor’s hat) for a minute, if you havea marketing budget, and you value cov-erage of local newspapers (not justours), why wouldn’t you spend a portion ofthat budget (any portion) supporting that plat-form?

Show your support for our organizationwhich continues to be here to support theforces of good in our communities.

Our annual Newcomers and CommunityGuide is a pullout section that will appear inthe Aug. 23, 2017 edition of all 15 ConnectionNewspapers, published by Local Media Con-

nection. Deadline is Aug. 16.We are creating a quality special issue, and

we need your help. Whether you invest in asmall ad in a single paper (super affordable),or a full page in all 15 of our papers (supervalue), we appreciate your help this month.

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 reaches morethan 200,000 readers, in print and online, in-cluding remarkable demographics. Our read-ers include local and national decision makersin the public and private sector.

According to an independent study cited bythe National Newspaper Association: 86 per-

cent of voters who cast ballots in theelection four years ago read newspa-pers in print or online; 79 percent ofvoters ages 18 to 34 read newspapers

in print or online; 91 percent of voters whocontribute to campaigns read newspapers inprint or online.

The deadline for the Newcomers and Com-munity Guide is Aug. 16. Digital enhancementsand support are available. For more informa-tion, email [email protected] call 703-778-9431.

See www.connectionnewspapers.com/ad-vertising

Share Tipsabout Community

We need help from our readers with ideasfor our annual Newcomers and CommunityGuide.

We’re hoping to share special places, activi-ties, events, organizations and volunteer op-portunities. What should someone new to yourneighborhood know about? Events that shouldnot be missed? Organizations that do a greatjob? Places to volunteer? A great place to seethe sunset? We’d love to have your photos togo along with your suggestions.

We will publish a selection of local tips alongwith a plethora of information useful to new-comers and long-time residents alike, includ-ing our award-winning Guide to the Parks, in-formation 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 at http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/contact/letter/ by Wednesday, Aug. 17.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Buy an ad in our annualNewcomers andCommunity Guide.

An Open Letter to Readers and More

Editorial

A special election to fill the FairfaxCounty School Board seat left vacant bythe resignation of At-Large memberJeanette Hough will be held on Tuesday,Aug. 29, 2017. The winner of theelection will serve the remainder of thatterm, which extends to Jan. 1, 2020.

Important dates:❖ Aug. 15 - Voter Registration Deadline:

5 p.m., Online: 11:59 p.m.❖ Aug. 22 - Deadline to Apply for an

Absentee Ballot by Mail: 5 p.m.❖ Aug. 26 - Final Day In-Person

Absentee Voting❖ Aug. 29 - Absentee Ballot Return

Deadline: 7 p.m.Absentee Voting at the Fairfax County

Government Center*July 14 through Aug. 25

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday andFriday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Fairfax County Government Center,

Suite 32312000 Government Center Parkway,

Fairfax❖ There will be no absentee voting at

any satellite locations. Absenteevoting will only be available at theFairfax County Government Center.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee.htm for moreinformation.More information about voting in this

election is available online atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/upcoming.htm.

AUGUST 29: SPECIAL ELECTION - FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

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NEWS DEPARTMENT:[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Andrea WorkerReporter

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Mike SalmonEditorial Assistant

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ADVERTISING:For advertising information

e-mail:[email protected]

703-778-9431

Steve HoganDisplay Advertising, 703-778-9418

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Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

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David GriffinMarketing Assistant

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Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

Executive Vice PresidentJerry Vernon

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorKemal Kurspahic

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager:

Geovani Flores

Special Assistant to the PublisherJeanne Theismann

[email protected]@TheismannMedia

CIRCULATIONCirculation Manager:

Ann [email protected]

Burke


The American Red Cross urges blood do-nors to give in the final weeks of summerto help overcome a chronic summer bloodshortage.

In August, regular donors may delay giv-ing as final summer vacations are plannedand back-to-school activities ramp up. Tofully meet the needs of hospital patients inthe coming days and weeks, donations areurgently needed from new and current do-nors.

Those who donated blood earlier thissummer may be eligible to donate again.Blood can be safely donated every 56 days,

and Power Red cells can be donated every112 days.

As a special thank you, those who comeout to give blood or platelets with the RedCross now through Aug. 31 will be emaileda $5 Target eGiftCard.

Appointments can be scheduled by down-loading the free Red Cross Blood DonorApp, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). To helpreduce wait times, donors are encouragedto make appointments and complete theRapidPass online health history question-naire at redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

Blood Donations Urgently Needed

Blood Donation Opportunities Aug. 15-31Aug. 15 — 10:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m., Fairfax Blood

Donation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 16 — 12:45-8 p.m., Fairfax Blood Dona-

tion Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 17 — 12:45-5:45 p.m., Fairfax Blood

Donation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 18 — 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m., Fairfax Blood Do-

nation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 19 — 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m., Fairfax Blood Do-

nation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 20 — 7:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m., Fairfax Blood

Donation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 21 — 1:15-8:30 p.m., Fairfax Blood Do-

nation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 22 — 10:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m., Fairfax Blood

Donation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 23 — 12:45-8 p.m., Fairfax Blood Dona-

tion Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 24 — 12:45-5:45 p.m., Fairfax Blood

Donation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 25 — 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m., Fairfax Blood Do-

nation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200Aug. 25 — 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Pennino Building

10th Floor Conf Rm, 12011 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax

Aug. 26 — 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m., Fairfax Blood Do-nation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200

Aug. 27 — 7:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m., Fairfax BloodDonation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200

Aug. 28 — 1:15-8:30 p.m., Fairfax Blood Do-nation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200

Aug. 29 — 10:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m., Fairfax BloodDonation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200

Aug. 30 — 12:45-8 p.m., Fairfax Blood Dona-tion Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200

Aug. 31 — 12:45-5:45 p.m., Fairfax BloodDonation Center, 2720 Prosperity Ave., Suite 200

News


News

By Thomas Kendziora

The Connection

Children, parents andactors gathered in ameeting room tucked

in the corner of Kings Park Li-brary on Tuesday morning tosee a live production of “Beautyand the Beast.”

Although it was a small showwith just two actors, it was amorning planned severalmonths in advance. TheHampstead Stage Companyagreed to perform the show lastfall. For libraries all across thecounty, the summer is filled withevents like this targeted towardchildren, and bringing in strongperformers is imperative.

“It’s really hard, but we makeit work,” said Ted Kavich, theProgram and Educational Ser-vices Manager for FairfaxCounty Public Libraries. “Wehave a system where we just sitdown and get it scheduled, butit requires as much flexibility onthe part of the performers aspossible. So the earlier we getto them, the better.”

While Kavich is tasked withbuilding a schedule on a county-wide scale, the Kings Parkbranch also organizes its ownevents. Since all communitiesacross the county are different,every public library is able todistinguish itself somewhatfrom neighboring branches.

“We have to look at our com-munity and see who we’re serv-ing, so we do take that in mind,”Youth Services ManagerMelanie Parsons said. “We dohave a lot of families in thisarea, so we do try to have a lotof family-based programs.”

The branch’s calendar high-

lights events for family, pre-school, school age, teens andadults. The county brings around11 or 12 performers to eachbranch during a summer, Kavichsaid. Information on all publiclibrary events can be found onthe county library website.

Most of this is tied in with thecounty-wide Summer ReadingAdventure, for which studentskeep reading logs and a set to-tal of books read merits a cou-pon booklet and a chance atother prizes. The threshold is 15books for preschoolers throughthird-graders, 10 books forgrades 4-6 and five books forgrades 7-12.

Programs like this have beenaround for decades and areaimed at preventing the “sum-mer slide,” where children’slearning abilities regress duringtheir two months of break. Mostlocal schools have their ownsummer reading program, butthey aren’t able to offer the mul-titude of events that libraries dofrom June through August.

“We want people to have funat the library. It’s not just aboutreading books or having theirhomework done here,” Parsonssaid. “We want people to haveaccess to books, internet, WiFiand all kinds of things like that.”

Children who make readinga bigger part of their summercan earn rewards from both thelibrary and school, but the goalon the organizers’ side is tokeep them interested in read-ing far beyond this summer andinto the rest of their life.

“As librarians, we think read-ing is awesome, not because it’sgood for you but because it re-ally is fun and enjoyable,”Kavich said.

Children of all ages were delighted by thesights and sounds of farm animals,amusement rides, live music, big trucksand tractor pulls last weekend at the

69th annual Fairfax County 4-H Fair & Carnival. Theevent was held Aug. 3-6 in the historic Frying PanFarm Park at 2709 West Ox Road and showcased thehard work of county youth, who studied various sub-jects in detail — from agriculture to photography —and competed for ribbons and cash prizes in at least18 categories.

Retired elementary school teacher JoEllen Fraschhas served as a judge at this fair for 11 years andsays 4-H stands for “head, heart, hands and health.”She explains this youth development organizationhelps children use these four tools to help better theircommunities.

Frasch takes pride in the fact a former student ofhers at the Oak Hill Elementary School is a paidfarmer at Frying Pan, attends college at Virginia Techand plans to pursue a graduate degree in veterinarymedicine.

The farm works with 4-H clubs to preserve thisliving history park and show how a Fairfax Countyfarm looked almost 100 years ago.

Concession stands in the food court featured thestandard festival fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, fun-nel cakes plus Southern fried fish — Carolina style

County Holds 4-H Fair & CarnivalReading Adventure atKings Park Library

A shelf full ofbooks is on

display at thefront of thelibrary, cel-

ebrating thecounty’sSummerReading

Adventure.

Photo by

Thomas Kendziora

The Connection

Terry Downs of Fairfax helps his neighbor-hood environmental group and signs apetition to protect the Shenandoah sala-mander, an endangered species at bothstate and federal levels.

Scott Nuzum, 35, of Fairfax stands nearly6-feet tall against tall corn Sunday morn-ing and shows his toddler, Sylvia, wherecorn on the cob comes from in a gardennext to the Kidwell farm house at the 135-acre Frying Pan Park in Herndon.

— by the James family of Aldie. Snow cones and alemonade stand with fresh fruit helped visitors copewith summer heat.

Check out the local 4-H scene atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov.

— Marti Moore

Alina Ampeh, a rising sophomore at theThomas Jefferson High School for Scienceand Technology in Alexandria, says herNorwegian Fjord is a draft horse and the“oldest pure breed in the world.”

This year’s 4-H King,Daniel Wisdom of

Falls Church, greetsvisitors Sunday in a

building that housedprize-winning exhibitsat Frying Pan Park. He

holds an 8-week-oldbard rock hen named

Eliza that may startlaying eggs within sixmonths. Wisdom, 16,

says he has partici-pated in 4-H projects

half his life.

Photos by

Marti Moore/The

Connection


Another Community Partnership

Home LifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

From a backyard barbeque to a simple

brunch, there’s still plenty of time tocelebrate warm weather with table designs

that embody summer’s trends.“We’re still in summer and the weather is going to

be warm for quite some time,” said Amanda Mertins,president of Patina Polished Living in Alexandria. “Anindoor or outdoor tablescape style depends on theoccasion. Birthdays, holidays [and] retirements, allevoke a different feeling.”

Start with fresh foliage inspired by the natural sur-roundings.

“Go out into your garden and use flowers [or]greens on your table,” said Mertins. “Simple sum-mer dinner party tables look great with lots of candlesin votive holders, mason jars and glass lanterns. Re-member to hang some of them in the trees for ro-mance.”

Incorporate a personal touch into each place set-ting, advises Hope Hassell, Case Design/Remodel-ing. “It will make each guest feel truly welcomedand you will look like the perfect hostess. It’s assimple as printing off some photos from your phoneor just adding place cards.”

“Keep it casual by presenting family-style dishesdown the center of the table,” added Kimberly Asner,designer at Country Casual Teak. “Mix in mood-set-ting candle lighting and colorful, fresh-cut flowersin multiples for the most impact … keep arrange-ments below eye level for easy conversation.”

For alfresco dining, practicality is key, saysCourtney Thomas of The Picket Fence in Burke. Din-nerware needs to be both durable and aestheticallyappealing. “Bamboo dishes … are perfect for out-door dining,” she said. “They won’t break if droppedand are a great alternative to melamine.”

Summer offers an abundance of options for usingcolor, says Hassell. “Not only do you have so manyoptions of in-season flowers, but you also have thenature around you to provide the backdrop.”

The color blue establishes the type of serene at-mosphere that Molly Pritchard of Arlington-based

Setting a Summer Table

Sea-themedserveware inblue help createan elegant tonefor summerentertaining.

Photo courtesy of

Molly Pritchard

Warm weatherdesign ideas.

interior design firm, Design Lines likes to create ather summer parties. “Especially light blue becauseeverything about it represents summer,” saidPritchard. “It’s cool and clean and neutral, especiallywhen paired with white or cream. It creates a sea-side feel which is very summery.”

IN ADDITION TO COLOR, motifs can set the stagefor summer dining. Designers at JT interiors inPotomac suggest using white dinnerware, embla-zoned with a lemon, to turn an everyday meal into asummer soirée. The tableware can be accented withan array of accessories including platters, coasters,bowls and tea towels. “It creates a very summerylook, and it’s white and clean. Lemons and waterare summery, like lemonade.”

Summer table décor need not be expensive, saysHassell. “Simplicity can be stunning,” she said. “Thethoughtful placement of a sprig of rosemary can addjust enough without having to go overboard.”

Originality is a quality that Mertins encourages.“Think outside the box,” she said. “Having a brunch?Use a vintage quilt as the tablecloth. Hosting a babyshower? Use silver rattles as decor and baby silvercups for the flowers. The effort you put into yourparty table will go a long way to the overall successof the party.”

Photo courtesy of of Patina Polished Living

Adding a fresh flower arrangement to atable design, like this one by Patina Pol-ished Living, will enhance the overallsuccess of the party.

You can read any of this week’s 15 papers digital editions here:www.ConnectionNewspapers.com/PDFs


News

See Zoning Ordinance, Page 11

By Fallon Forbush

The Connection

Right now, there are more than300 rentals available in FairfaxCounty through Airbnb — allillegal.

Airbnb, which is a lodging reservationwebsite, is just one company that gives itsusers the ability to list spare rooms, apart-ments or entire homes for strangers to bookfor an amount of time and fee of their choos-ing.

Referred to as short-term rentals, Airbnband other companies, like Craigslist,HomeAway, FlipKey and more, are consid-ered the hospitality industry’s segment ofthe sharing economy, a model where indi-viduals directly borrow or rent assets ownedby someone else.

Comparable to ridesharing services likeUber or Lyft, which disrupted the taxi in-dustry, short-term rentals are giving peoplemore lodging options to consider other thanbooking with a hotel chain or bed andbreakfast.

Residents of Fairfax County cannot legallylist their property for rent on these reserva-tion websites, but that could change by nextyear.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisorsand county employees are considering up-dating the Zoning Ordinance of FairfaxCounty to allow for the operation of theserentals.

The zoning changes are being developedafter Gov. Terry McAullife signed the Sen-ate Bill 1578, “Short-term rental property;registration of persons offering property forrental,” into law on March 24, which au-thorized localities in the commonwealth toadopt an ordinance to require people toregister annually in a short-term rental reg-istry.

Taking effect on July 1, the bill definesshort-term rental as the “provision of a roomor space that is suitable or intended for oc-cupancy for dwelling, sleeping or lodgingpurposes for a period of fewer than 30 con-secutive days, in exchange for a charge forthe occupancy.”

The bill defines an operator of these rent-als as “the proprietor of any dwelling, lodg-ing or sleeping accommodations offered asa short-term rental, whether in the capac-ity of owner, lessee, sublessee, mortgageein possession, licensee or any other posses-sory capacity.”

People and entities already licensed orregistered for rental or management ofproperty by the Department of Health, theReal Estate Board, the Virginia Real EstateTime-Share Act, or a locality would not berequired to register, according to the legis-lation.

The state bill also authorizes localities toimpose penalties not to exceed $500 perviolation to those who violate the registryordinance.

Lawmakers Favor Local ControlSupervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee) said the

legislation was a win for the county andother localities.

“The county pressed the General Assem-bly to give us the authority to set our ownrules for short-term rentals,” said McKay,who is the chairman of the board’s Legisla-tive Committee and a board director of theVirginia Association of Counties.

“The Virginia Association of Counties ne-gotiated with industry and the General As-sembly a scenario that would allow coun-ties some discretion, although not uniformdiscretion as to where these things go andhow we can regulate them,” McKay said.“My role in this really was to protect theinterest of the county and allowing us tohave local land-use control and not lettingthe state create a one-size-fits-all solution.”

“Virginia is very diverse and what mightwork in Arlington might not work inRockingham,” he added.

He and Supervisor Kathy Smith (D-Sully)are leading the charge for the county toanalyze and recommend changes to theordinance for the board to consider. OnMarch 14, they directed the county to cre-ate a working group comprising county’sPlanning and Zoning, Tax Administrationand Code Compliance departments, and the

Office of the County Attorney to draft thenew zoning regulations and to establish theregistry.

The group is also supposed to includecounty residents who have personal expe-rience with short-term rentals, as well asrepresentatives from the hospitality indus-try and business community.

The new regulations will address severalfactors: Where these rentals would be al-lowed in the county; how often they couldbe rented out; what types of propertiescould be rented out; and occupancy levels,parking accommodations, safety standardsand other concerns that would be requiredfrom any other business enterprise in thecounty.

“At what point in the time is it an acces-sory use to someone’s home versus astandalone hotel in the middle of a neigh-borhood?” McKay asked. “We still have todistinguish those factors, but ultimately ifyou’re going to be operating a business inFairfax County, we have a moral obligationto make sure our ordinance respects yourability to do that, but also puts in adequatesafeguards to protect the public — funda-mentally from a public safety standpointand also to protect the neighbors of theseresidences who live in residentially-zonedareas.”

Senate Bill 1578 already standardized theconsumption of alcoholic beverages for therentals because the legislation amended theAlcoholic Beverage Control Act to classifyshort-term rentals as a bed and breakfastestablishment for purposes of alcoholic bev-erage licenses.

Under this consideration, short-termrental operators would need to apply for aspecialized retail bed and breakfast alco-holic beverage license if they want to pro-vide libations to guests on premises.

There is a nonrefundable $65 applicationfee and a $35 license fee for bed and break-fast establishments, according to the VirginiaDepartment of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Matter of Balance“It’s a balancing act,” McKay said.Another challenge facing the working

group is balancing the interests of those whoare against the rentals being used in resi-dential neighborhoods with the interests ofthose who want to take advantage of thesharing economy.

“These short-term rentals are obviouslya part of this new sharing economy, a tech-nology that didn’t exist years before,”McKay said.

Debating Future of Airbnb in Fairfax CountySupervisors are considering updating its zoning ordinance to allow short-term rentals.

Photos by Fallon Forbush/The Connection

John and Mary Lou McEwan, who rent a home at 9319 Ludgate Drive in Alexandria on Airbnb, are one of twooperators in the county that received a violation from the Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance,which has received 18 complaints of possible short-term rentals operating in the county this year.


From Page 10

News

There are vested interests in how theregulations are formulated.

“The hotel industry has a lot at stake hereand we certainly don’t want to do anythingthat hurts our brick and mortar hotel in-dustry,” McKay said.

The new regulations, according to McKay,would level the playing field and make surethere are certain conditions and standardsfor the new industry to meet.

“Home sharing has become a valuabletool for many middle-class families in needof supplemental income to help pay theirmortgage, save for retirement and handlelife’s unexpected challenges,” said CrystalDavis, Airbnb spokesperson. “Airbnb hasworked with over 250 U.S. municipalities,including the state of North Carolina andthe District of Columbia, to collect and re-mit millions in tax revenue.”

The company has collaborated with otherjurisdictions around the country to estab-lish a licensing and registration process,according to Davis.

“We look forward to continued conversa-tions with Virginia representatives on fairhome sharing regulations that preserveneighborhood quality of life, protect com-munities and give residents the ability toshare extra space in their homes to makeends meet,” Davis said.

The working group will be hearing morefrom hospitality industry lobbyists acrossthe spectrum.

“We’re going to make sure that our ordi-nance is fair to both [short-term rentals]and our standard brick and mortar hotelsthroughout the county,” McKay said. “We’redefinitely going to get their input on thisbefore anything goes to a vote. That’s forsure.”

Not a New FrontierZoning ordinance regulations went into

effect on Dec. 31, 2016, in neighboring Ar-lington County before state lawmakersacted, which defined short-term residentialrentals and created standards for their use.

Under the regulation, Arlington Countyresidents have to apply annually for whatis called an “accessory homestay” permit for$60.

Arlington County received 50 applicationsfrom Dec. 31, 2016, through Feb. 14, 2016,and issued 47 permits, according to an Ar-lington County Board agenda from Feb. 25,2017.

Whether Fairfax County moves forwardwith changing the ordinance, or how itchanges the ordinance depends on how thepublic reacts.

“We’re trying to right-size our ordinanceto allow these where reasonable, but alsogive our community, the neighborhoods, theconfidence that there’s levers of control overthem so they don’t become a neighborhoodproblem,” McKay said.

Trouble in Neighborhoods“It’s sort of evenly divided between people

who would like to be able to use their prop-

erties for short-term rentals and then we’vegot people who absolutely do not want any-body in their neighborhood to be doingshort-term rentals,” said SupervisorPenelope “Penny” Gross (D-Mason).

She said the issue has really cropped upin the Lake Barcroft area of her district. Thisis because the lake is privately owned andmaintained through the Lake Barcroft As-sociation, Inc.

“They own the lake and these short-termrentals in some cases have been advertis-ing that they have lake privileges,” Grosssaid. “Well, not exactly.”

The Lake Barcroft Association has not yettaken a position for or against allowingshort-term renters to use its lake, but itsmembers have been speaking with Grossabout their concerns, she said.

Many homeowners’ associations havewritten policies governing its members’rights to list property for rent or barringmembers from listing property for short-term rental in their communities altogether.

Members of the Reston Association, ahomeowners’ association that all Restonproperty owners are members of, have beenvocal about curtailing short-term rental usein residential areas. The RA Board of Di-rectors is currently considering developingpolicies for its members regulating or ban-ning short-term rentals and plans on lob-bying the county for its residents.

In the meantime, people continue to ille-gally use Airbnb and other short-term rentalservices throughout the county.

Over the past year, the Fairfax CountyDepartment of Code Compliance received18 complaints of possible short-term rent-als operating in the county, according toTony Castrilli, a spokesperson for the countygovernment.

“DCC staff investigated these complaintsand found sufficient information to corrobo-rate two [short-term rentals], one in theMason District and one in the Mount VernonDistrict, for which notices of violation wereissued,” Castrilli said. “Some of the othercases were closed because there was insuf-ficient evidence that STRs were actuallyoperating at those addresses or that therewere any other zoning violations occurring.”

The property owners who were issuednotices of violation were: John and MaryLou McEwan for their property at 9319Ludgate Drive in Alexandria and Blake andSara Ratcliff for their property at 3320 GrassHill Terrace in Falls Church, according toCastrilli.

“We live in a nice, quiet, safe neighbor-

hood and I’m very concerned about my wifeand daughter’s safety,” an abutting neigh-bor wrote in a complaint to the DCC aboutthe McEwan’s property in Alexandria inMarch, according to documents obtained byJohn McEwan through a Freedom of Infor-mation Act request. The identities of com-plainants were withheld in the documents.

On May 1, John McEwan spoke to DCCstaff and told them that he had rented hisproperty for a weekend indoor Moroccanwedding when the complaint was made. Healso told the employees that he would berenting it to someone for 40 days, which islonger than what the state defines as ashort-term rental, according to the FOIAdocuments.

On May 9, DCC employees toured therental property, a multi-level home with fivebedrooms, and advised John McEwan thatshort-term rentals were not allowed in thecounty, even if the county was looking toadopt new rules and regulations, accord-ing to the FOIA documents.

From that point on, the DCC and MountVernon District Supervisor Dan Storck’s of-fice received several emails from the origi-nal complainant and others stating that thehouse was being rented.

Many of the emails included attachmentsof photos of people near the home and carsparked in the driveway as evidence, accord-ing to the FOIA documents.

On May 19, a warning letter was sent tothe McEwans.

“This property has had a revolving doorof transients, including a large weekendevent, disrupting our quiet, peaceful neigh-borhood, not to mention the neighbor onneighbor conflict this has created,” an emailthat was written to Peggy Delean, DCC CodeCompliance Supervisor, said on May 25,according to FOIA documents.

“Allowing a revolving door of strangersevery couple of nights does not sit well withthose of us who have children, and will notadd value to our properties,” the email con-tinued. “Calling the police for noise com-plaints, speeding cars, neighbor disputes,or other menacing problems created by thissituation is a waste of taxpayer money andpolice resources. What is preventing youfrom shutting this operation down?”

Throughout the month, DCC staff spokewith John McEwan who admitted that hewas still renting his property.

On June 19, the McEwans were orderedby the Fairfax County Sheriff ’s Office tovacate short-term renters from the propertywithin 14 days and to permanently cease

the use of the dwelling for transient occu-pancy, unless and until they obtained Boardof Supervisors’ approval of a special excep-tion for a bed and breakfast use, accordingto FOIA documents.

The zoning violation carried a $200 fineif they did not comply, with each subsequentoffense carrying $500 fines.

“The funny thing about Airbnb is every-body uses it but nobody wants it in theirbackyard,” McEwan said.

But he is no hypocrite when it comes tothis issue because he lives right next doorto the rental property with his wife andmother in law.

“I’m next door, so nothing is going to hap-pen without me being here,” he said. “It’smy asset. It’s my property. I don’t want myhouse trashed. It’s my neighborhood.”

McEwan says that there is a fairly highbarrier to enter the property, which requiresa $1,200 minimum fee: $200 cleaning fee;$500 a night with a two-night minimum;as well as a $1,000 security deposit, accord-ing to the property’s Airbnb listing, whichhas four positive reviews.

McEwan considers the barrage of emailsfrom his neighbors to county officials com-plaining about his short-term Airbnb ten-ants to be more racially motivated thananything else, since his renters have all beenculturally diverse and often different fromthe majority of the neighborhood’s resi-dents.

John McEwan said he would be appeal-ing the violation at the cost of $600 becausehe was told by various county employeesthat no citations would be given while thecounty considers changes to the zoninglaws.

McKay could not speak to the individualcases being investigated, but he said itwouldn’t be unusual if the county waitedto enforce open cases until the discussionabout changing the ordinance was com-plete.

A majority of the cases remain under in-vestigation, according to Castrilli.

Collecting FeedbackThe county short-term rental working

group is collecting public feedback throughan online survey atwww.surveymonkey.com/r/short-term-rentals. Residents can take the online sur-vey and email comments or concerns [email protected] by Aug. 31.

“There is no proposed ordinance languageat this point,” McKay said. “They’re just fact-finding and sharing scenarios and experi-ences in the field and looking at best prac-tices.”

The public will also be able testify at fu-ture public hearings about the new short-term rental zoning rules if such hearingsare authorized and scheduled.

A Planning Commission hearing is ex-pected in the fall with a Board of Supervi-sors public hearing and vote in Decemberor January 2018, according to a memoabout short-term rentals that was writtento the Board of Supervisors by DeputyCounty Executive Robert Stalzer.

Re-examining Zoning Ordinance in Fairfax County“At what point in the timeis it an accessory use tosomeone’s home versus astandalone hotel in themiddle of a neighborhood?”

— Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee)


Entertainment

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

ONGOINGPhoto Exhibition. Through Aug. 13, 9

a.m.-5 p.m. at Fairfax Museum andVisitor Center. 10209 Main St.,Fairfax.“Chalkboards to Smartboards:Free Public Schools in Fairfax Countyand Fairfax City” traces the evolutionof free public schools from the logand frame one-room schools of late19th and early 20th-centuries totoday’s high-tech learning centers.Exhibition explores life in a one-roomschool, desegregation, and challengesof the post-World War II suburbanpopulation explosion. Free. Call 703-385- 8414 for more.

Senior Olympics. Deadline to registerfor the Northern Virginia SeniorOlympics is Aug. 26. Participantsmust be at least 50-years-old by Dec.31, 2017. Register at www.nvso.usuntil Sept. 2 or via U.S. mail beforeAug. 26 with forms available at arearecreation centers. To volunteercontact RSVP Northern Virginia at703-403-5360 or [email protected].

THURSDAY/AUG. 10Flora Fauna for Kids. 11-11:45 a.m.

at Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Learnabout “dirt critters,” in the area. $5.Ages 3-6. Call 703-451-9588 formore.

AUG. 10-11Golf Tournament. all day at Laurel

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

SATURDAY/AUG. 12Kidz Korner Children’s Event.

10:30–11:30 a.m. in Old TownSquare, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. “Oh Susannah!” Call 703-385-7858 for more.

Aviation Historian. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. inCity of Fairfax Regional Library,Room A/B, 10360 North St. Localhistorian, Mary Lipsey, will speakabout the little-known inventor andpilot, Dr. William Christmas, whose1908 flight in Fairfax Station was thefirst aviation success since the WrightBrothers. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/events/ or 703-293-6227 x6.

Double Bubble Run. noon-4 p.m. inVan Dyck Park, 3720 Old LeeHighway, Fairfax. Foam, bubbles,colors, obstacles, super heroes, andfood. Visitwww.doublebubblerun.com or call703-385-7858 for more.

Body Paint Workshop. 5-9 p.m. atFairfax Art League Village Gallery,3950 University Drive, Fairfax. Theworkshop consists of free dance, yogamovements and other techniques toreestablish harmony between theartist and their art. $8. [email protected] or call757-822-0561 for more.

“Tangles” On Stage. 7 p.m. at HarrisTheater (near Mason Pond parkingdeck), George Mason University,Fairfax. Musical written and directedby visiting scholar Jeffrey Steiger andproduced by Charles Samenow, MD.Visit www2.gmu.edu/ for more.

SUNDAY/AUG. 13Yoga on the Square. 10 a.m. at Old

Town Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Bring A yoga mat, a waterbottle, and yourself! Call 703-385-7858 for more.

Model Train Show. 1-4 p.m. at

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. TheNorthern Virginia NTRAK memberswill hold a N gauge T-TRAK modeltrain show. Museum members, free;adults 16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2; under 4, free. Information onthe museum and shows is atwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

Meet the Artist Reception. noon-3p.m. at the Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Art QuiltsExhibit by fiber artist MariselaRumberg, exhibit runs Aug. 9-Sept. 3.Visit www.MariselaRumberg.com formore.

Meet the Author. 2 p.m. at the FairfaxMuseum and Visitor Center, 10209Main St.t, Fairfax. “Reston: ARevolutionary Idea.” Author andbiographer Kristina Alcorn willdiscuss the history of Reston and signand sell her book, “In His OwnWords: Stories from theExtraordinary Life of Reston’sFounder, Robert E. Simon, Jr.” Free.Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center,10209 Main St., Fairfax. 703-385-8414.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 16Tai Chi. 6:30-7:30 a.m. in Old Town

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

AUG. 16-20Cirque du Soleil. Various times at

Eagle Bank Arena, 4500 PatriotCircle. Their current “OVO,” show iscreated by Deborah Colker, the firstfemale director in Cirque du Soleilhistory. Visitwww.eaglebankarena.com/ for more.


at Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Learnabout insects in the area. $5. Ages 3-6. Call 703-451-9588 for more.

Lucia Valentine Concert. 6:30-8:30p.m. at Old Town Square, 3999University Drive. Grab dinner at oneof the many restaurants indowntown, and listen to great music.Free. Call 703-385-7858 for more.

FRIDAY/AUG. 18Music on the Plaza. 7 p.m. at the Old

Town Plaza, 3955 Chain BridgeRoad, Fairfax. Free, weatherpermitting. Call 703-385-7858 formore.

Family Fun Movie Nights. 7 p.m. atSherwood Community Center, 3740Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. “Sing,” isthe feature. Free. An adult mustaccompany anyone under the age of14. Food to donate for Britepaths canbe dropped off at the SherwoodCenter on the evening of the FamilyFun Nights. Call 703-385-7858 formore.

DJ Music and Golf. 7-10 p.m. at TopGolf, 6625 S. Van Dorn St.,Alexandria. Music by Rush Hour DJ.Call 703-924-2600 for more.

SATURDAY/AUG. 19DJ Music and Golf. 7-10 p.m. at Top

Golf, 6625 S. Van Dorn St.,Alexandria. Music by Face DJ. Call703-924-2600 for more.

SUNDAY/AUG. 20Meet the Civil War Author. 11 a.m.

at Historic Pohick Episcopal Church,9301 Richmond Highway, Lorton.The Historic Pohick Church DocentsGuild sponsoring Don Hakenson,award winning author and producerof of Civil War books and a Mosby

documentary, will talk about theCivil War history in and aroundPohick Church. After the 10 a.m.service. Call 703-339-6572 for more.

Model Train Show. 1-4 p.m. atFairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. TheNorthern Virginia NTRAK memberswill hold a N gauge T-TRAK modeltrain show. Museum members, free;adults 16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2; under 4, free. Information onthe museum and shows is atwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

MONDAY/AUG. 21Great American Eclipse. All day at

Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Road,Fairfax Station. Learn the sciencebehind eclipses and how to viewthem safely, solar eclipse glasses willbe provided to attendees at all theprograms. $7-$12 per person. Visitgo.usa.gov/xNvvb for more.

Funday Monday Eclipse Special. 1-4 p.m. at Old Town Square, 3999University Drive, Fairfax. Stories,crafts, music, and more while theeclipse travels overhead. Pack apicnic lunch or visit one of our localrestaurants. Free viewing glasses willbe available as supplies last. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov for more.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 23Tai Chi. 6:30-7:30 a.m. in Old Town

Square, 3999 University Drive,Fairfax. Wear comfortable clothes

and bring a mat. Class will take placein Old Town Square at the pergola,weather permitting. Call 703-385-7858 for more.


at Hidden Pond Nature Center, 8511Greeley Blvd., Springfield. Go on thetrail walk and learn about the pond.$5. Ages 3-6. Call 703-451-9588 formore.

FRIDAY/AUG. 25Music on the Plaza. 6:30-9:30 p.m.

at Old Town Square, 3999 UniversityDrive, Fairfax. Rock the Block withthe Alex Hilton Band Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/rocktheblock.

DJ Music and Golf. 7-10 p.m. at TopGolf, 6625 S. Van Dorn St.,Alexandria. Music by Tnyce DJ. Call703-924-2600 for more.

SATURDAY/AUG. 26Meet the Author. 2 p.m. at the Civil

War Interpretive Center at HistoricBlenheim, 3610 Old Lee Highway,Fairfax. The Battle of Ball’s Bluff —local historian James Morgan willfocus on his tactical study of thebattle: “A Little Short of Boats: theBattles of Ball’s Bluff and EdwardsFerry.” Book signing and sales followthe talk. Free. Call 703-591- 0560.

DJ Music and Golf. 7-10 p.m. at TopGolf, 6625 S. Van Dorn St.,Alexandria. Music by Radyus DJ. Call

703-924-2600 for more.

SUNDAY/AUG. 27Civil War Reenactment. 1-4 p.m. at

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. TheFairfax Station Railroad Museum willhost Civil War re-enactors andmodern practitioners who willdemonstrate medical and rescuepractices then and now incommemoration of Fairfax Station’srole as an evacuation center duringthe Battle of Second Manassas in1862. Museum members, free; adults16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2;under 4, free. Information on themuseum and shows is atwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 1Photo Exhibition. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at

Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center.10209 Main St., Fairfax. “Over There:Americans in World War I” atraveling exhibition from theNational Archives and RecordsAdministration showcasesphotographs from the battle fronts inFrance, Italy, and Russia, supply andsupport operations behind the lines,and the Paris Peace Conference, openthrough Oct. 20. Group guided toursavailable by reservation, $25. Call703-385- 8414 for more.

DJ Music and Golf. 7-10 p.m. at TopGolf, 6625 S. Van Dorn St.,Alexandria. Music by Sway DJ. Call703-924-2600 for more.

SEPT. 3-4Model Train Shows. noon-5 p.m. at

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road. LaborDay Weekend, The Potomac ModuleCrew members will have HO Scaleand others will have a LEGO ModelTrain Show. Museum members, free;adults 16 and over, $4; children 5-15, $2; under 4, free. Information onthe museum and shows is atwww.fairfax-station.org or call 703-425-9225.

SEPT. 9-10Burke Centre Festival. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

at the Burke Conservancy, 6060Burke Centre Parkway. Arts andcrafts, live shows, rides, facepainting, and festival foods. Visitwww.burkecentreweb.com for more.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 10Meet the Author. 2 p.m. at Fairfax

Museum and Visitor Center. 10209Main St., Fairfax. “The 35 thAnniversary of the Vietnam VeteransMemorial,” Janet Folkerts, curator ofthe Vietnam Veterans MemorialCollection, will share stories of theartifacts left at the Memorial and thesoldiers they honor and memorialize.Free. Call 703-385- 8414 for more.

SEPT. 18–OCT. 28Photo Exhibition. Tuesday-Saturday,

10 a.m.–3 p.m. at The Civil WarInterpretive Center at HistoricBlenheim, 3610 Old Lee Highway,Fairfax. “Binding Wounds, PushingBoundaries: African-Americans inCivil War Medicine” looks at the menand women who served as surgeonsand nurses during the Civil War andhow their service challenged theprescribed notions of race andgender.Free. Call 703-591-0560.

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

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

‘Ovo’From Aug.16-20 Cirque du Soleil will be performing“OVO,” at Eagle Bank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle. The“OVO,” show is created by Deborah Colker, the firstfemale director in Cirque du Soleil history. Visitwww.eaglebankarena.com/ for more.


COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

bbWorship Gathering – Sunday 8:45 & 11 AM

Sunday School 10:10 AMSun. Evening – Realtime Worship & Youth 6 PM

Family Night – Wednesday 7:15 PMHome Life Groups, College/Young Adult

Ministries, and Living Free Support GroupsVisit our Website: www.jccag.org

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

To Advertise YourCommunity of Worship,

Call 703-778-9418

“Loving People to Life”

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Datedannouncements should be submitted atleast two weeks prior to the event.

The Cranford United MethodistChurch, located at 9912 Old ColchesterRoad, Lorton, hosts prayer and healingservices on the first Thursday of eachmonth at 6:30 p.m. Worship service is at11 a.m., and fellowship is at 12:30 p.m.

Fairfax Baptist Temple, at thecorner of Fairfax County Parkway andBurke Lake Roads, holds a bible studyfellowship at 9 a.m. Sundays followedby a 10 a.m. worship service. Nurserycare and children’s church also pro-vided. 6401 Missionary Lane, FairfaxStation, 703-323-8100 orwww.fbtministries.org.

Grace Presbyterian Church of-fers Sunday school for all ages at 9:15,and a blended worship service 10:30a.m. every Sunday morning. Coffee andfellowship follows worship. Nurserycare is provided from 9-11:45 a.m. 7434Bath Street, Springfield. 703-451-2900or www.gracepresby.org.

First Baptist Church of Spring-field offers Sunday school at 9:15 a.m.,followed by both traditional and con-temporary worship services at 10:30a.m. at 7300 Gary St., Springfield. 703-451-1500 or www.fbcspringfield.org.

The Guhyasamaja BuddhistCenter, 10875 Main St., Fairfax Cityprovides free classes to both newcomersand advanced practitioners of TibetanBuddhism. The center emphasizes work-ing with the mind and learning how to

understand the workings of the mind,overcoming inner causes of suffering,while cultivating causes of happiness.Under the direction of Lama ZopaRinpoche, the center is a place of study,contemplation and meditation. Visitwww.guhyasamaja.org for more infor-mation.

Lord of Life Lutheran offers ser-vices at two locations, 5114 TwinbrookRoad in Fairfax, and 13421 Twin LakesDrive in Clifton. Services in Fairfax areheld on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sun-days at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Services inClifton are held on Sundays at 8:50 and10:50 a.m. 703-323-9500 orwww.Lordoflifeva.org.

Clifton Presbyterian Church,12748 Richards Lane, Clifton, offersSunday worship services at 10 a.m. andCup of Fellowship at 11 a.m. Nurserycare is provided from 9:45-11:15 a.m.Christian education for all ages is at9:45 a.m. 703-830-3175.

St. Andrew the Apostle CatholicChurch, 6720 Union Mill Road, Clifton,conducts Sunday masses at 7:30 a.m.,8:45 a.m., Latin mass at 10:30 a.m. and12:30 p.m. It also offers a Saturday vigilat 5:30 p.m. and a Thursday Latin massat 7 p.m. Additional mass offered Mon-day-Friday at 6:30 a.m. (except onFederal holidays) and 8:45 a.m. 703-817-1770 or www.st-andrew.org.

Clifton Baptist Church, 7152Main St.Clifton, is a small Bible-believ-ing church offering worship service onSunday at 11 a.m., with Bible Study onWednesday at 12:30 p.m.

Prince of Peace Lutheran

Church, 8304 Old Keene Mill Road,Springfield, offers casual worship ser-vices on Saturday evenings at 5:30 p.m.featuring contemporary music. Moretraditional services take place on Sun-day mornings at 8:15 and 11 a.m.Sunday School is from 9:45-10:45 a.m.for children and adults. The church alsooffers discussion groups for adults. 703-451-5855 or www.poplc.org.

Franconia United MethodistChurch, 6037 Franconia Road, Alexan-dria, offers traditional Sunday churchservices at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. plusSunday School classes for all ages at9:45 a.m. Childcare is available 8:15a.m.-12:15 p.m. 703-971-5151 [email protected] orwww.franconiaumc.org.

The Jewish Social ServicesAgency (JSSA) offers a wide variety ofsupport groups for those with emo-tional, social, and physical challenges.www.jssa.org/growth-learning.

JCCNV Mothers Circle program,for women who are not Jewish but areraising Jewish children. Free educationin Jewish rituals, practices and values,while respecting the participant’s choiceto retain her own religious identity. Jew-ish Community Center of NorthernVirginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike inFairfax. Contact Laurie Albert, 703-537-3064 or [email protected].

Metropolitan CommunityChurch of Northern Virginia, 10383Democracy Lane in Fairfax, presentsworship services on Sundays at 11 a.m.and choir practice, open to all, on Sun-days from 9-10:30 a.m.www.mccnova.com or 703-691-0930.

Faith This is the tri YOU can finish!

3 age groups for kids Elite and age group for adultsProfessionally timedEvery registration dollar donated!!!

**Help support disadvantaged youth** – locally and globally!!

When: Saturday August 26What: Super sprint triathlon (Ages 5 to Fogie)

Where: Lincolnia Park Recreation ClubWhy: It’s fun AND you can finish this one!!

Proceeds support disadvantaged youth, including ACCA Child Development Center in Annandale, VA and Kisima Academy and Orphanage in Naitiri, Kenya.

Learn More: www.friendsofkisima.org - FTKI, a registered 501c3 charity

For more information, contact Bonnie at [email protected]

Register at corefoundation.raceentry.comEntry fee includes technical race shirt and finisher medals.

ADULTS: $65 pp • Team Entry - $120 per team Elite/Experienced adult racers 7:00 am (300 m pool swim; 9-mile bike; 2.0-mile run)

Age 15 and up 7:30 am (150 m pool swim; 6-mile bike; 2.0-mile run)

YOUTH: $50 pp Team Entry - $95 per teamAges 12-14 8:00 am (150 m pool swim; 4.5-mile bike; 1.0-mile run)

Ages 9-11 8:45 am (100 m swim: 3-mile bike; 0.6 mi run)Ages 8 and under - 9:00 am (50 m swim: 1.5-mile bike; 0.6 mi run)


Improvements Improvements

RCL HOME REPAIRSBathroom and Kitchen Renovations

Handyman ServicesMinor Electrical and Plumbing Services

Drywall RepairServing Southern Fairfax County

[email protected] • 703-922-4190

ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Monday 11:00 am 703-778-9411

WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

Computers Announcements

We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN’S WATCHES,

JEWELRY, COSTUME JEWELRY,

FURNITURE, PAINTINGS AND CLOCKS.

Schefer Antiques703-241-0790

[email protected]

Announcements Announcements

Sports

The Braddock Road Youth Club (BRYC) ’99Elite boys soccer team recently returnedfrom Frisco, Texas crowned as the 2017US Youth Soccer National Champions. The

team went undefeated during a very hot week in Texasto capture the fifth National Title in BRYC’s historywith a resounding 4-1 victory on July 30, 2017.

BRYC is located in Fairfax and the team membersare rising seniors and recent graduates of NorthernVirginia high schools. The ’99 Elite boys are the reign-ing Under18 State Cup Champions of Virginia andalso won the US Youth Soccer National League BlueDivision to qualify for the National Championships.The team is coached by Head Coach Brian Welsh.The new national Cchampions are:

Alexander Barakat (who also won the GoldenGlove award), Julien Reininger, Jack Rawlins,Jared Valdes, Marcos Vil leda Sanchinell i ,Alexander Shahmirzadi, George Smith, ViniciusAlmeida (who was also awarded the Golden Ball),Ryan Moore, Ryan Teuschl, Kahlil Dover, RyanPowell, Tristan O’Brien, Adam Laundree, JuanBenavides, Williamson Seymour, William Boinest,Eli Smolen, Aidan O’Connell, Christian Beckmeyer,and Jordan Gamarra.

As is tradition, BRYC will now change the club logoto include a fifth star commemorating this latestNational Championship.

USYS National Championship web page featuresthe following final game report:

“BRYC 99 Elite (VA) defeated West Coast 99 Wyss(CA-S) for the 18U Boys National Championship title.In just the fourth minute of play, BRYC’s ViniciusAlmeida found the back of the net and 14 minuteslater, he struck again to make the score 2-0. The re-mainder of the first half was scoreless, but BRYCpicked up where it left off in the 66th minute with agoal from Julien Reininger. Shortly after Reininger’sgoal, West Coast Wyss’ Ryan Bishop netted a goal tomake the score 3-1. The final goal of the match camein the 90th minute, just before the whistle blew, whenKahlil Dover scored for BRYC.

Winning a National Championship seemed far-fetched to a team who hadn’t won state cup untilthis year. However, through hard work and sacrifice,BRYC was able to achieve something many can onlydream of. In order to make it to the National Cham-pionships, BRYC’s Head Coach, Brian Welsh, said thatthe team stayed fit, had regular double sessions andkept its incredible team spirit.”

Braddock Road Youth Soccer ClubWins National Championship

NationalChampions:The BraddockRoad YouthClub ’99 Elite.

The League of Women Voters of theFairfax Area (LWVFA) will hold bothin-person and televised forums for thepublic and the press to learn about thecandidates who are running forelection to the Virginia House ofDelegates. “The purpose of theseforums is to educate voters about thecandidates and where they stand onthe issues, by hearing them answerquestions from the public, so voterscan make informed choices at theballot box in November,” said WendyFox-Grage, LWVFA co-president.

There will be four in-person forums andthree televised forums. The Leagueinvited all certified candidatescampaigning for office in theirrespective districts. At the in-personforums, question-and-answer sessionswill be followed by an opportunity forinformal conversations with individualcandidates.

The public and press are encouraged toattend these in-person forums:

❖ Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2:30 p.m. atReston Community Center: HuntersWoods Village Center, 2310 ColtsNeck Road, Reston. Invitedcandidates: Kathleen J. Murphy (D),Cheryl A. Buford (R), Kenneth R.“Ken” Plum (D), Donte T. Tanner (D),Timothy D. “Tim” Hugo (R), R.C.“Rip” Sullivan, Jr. (D), Karrie K.

Delaney (D), James M. “Jim”LeMunyon (R), Jennifer R. Boysko(D), and Linda C. Schulz (R).

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

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

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

The televised forums at Fairfax CountyPublic Access are on Channel 10 orlivestreamed on YouTube “InsideScoop Livestream.” The public cansubmit questions by email [email protected] or call

571-749-1142 between 7-8:30 p.m.Tune in on:

❖ Monday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m.: Invitedcandidates: L. Kaye Kory (D), Paul B.Haring (R), Vivian E. Watts (D), MarkD. Sickles (D), Paul E. Krizek (D),Mark H. Levine (D), Alfonso H. Lopez(D), and Adam Roosevelt (R).

❖ Monday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m.: Invitedcandidates: Mark L. Keam (D), DavidL. Bulova (D), Eileen Filler-Corn (D),Kathy K.L. Tran (D), Lolita I.Mancheno-Smoak (R), Marcus B.Simon (D), and Mike S. Casey (I)

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

“Our League is committed to empoweringvoters in Fairfax County, and wehighly encourage the public and thepress to attend these free in-personevents and tune in to the televisedforums,” says Judy Helein, LWVFA co-president.

For more information about thecandidates’ priorities and positions, goto the League-sponsored website:www.vote411.org.

IN-PERSON, TV DEBATES SCHEDULED AHEAD OF NOVEMBER ELECTIONS

Photo contributed


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

One of our older/oldest cats, Biscuit, born lateSeptember 2006 and his oldest human parent,yours truly, born late September 1954, are bothhaving teeth issues. In fact, the exact same teethissues: the 1st molar and the 2nd bicuspid in the“upper right quadrant” are causing us problemsand have to be extracted.

Biscuit’s teeth extraction will be done by ourregular veterinarian. Mine will be done not by myregular dentist but by a specialist, an oral surgeon.Unfortunately, the two practices are not relatedso there’s no chance of a “BOGO.” Nor is thereany chance that the two procedures will be aboutthe same cost. My teeth extraction will be doubleat a minimum, perhaps even quadruple, if I’mlucky. (I made inquiries.) Accordingly, Biscuit’sextraction will occur/has occurred first.

What’s of interest to me is the coincidencethat Biscuit and I need the same teeth extractedat the same time. Which when you consider thatBiscuit and I are approximately the same age, isnot really a surprise. It’s really more of a fact oflife/aging – for both of us. Perhaps there are otherbehaviors and/or physical/mental indicators inBiscuits day-to-day activities which might clue mein to my own aging process. After all, we are liv-ing similar lives.

So far, Biscuit’s post-teeth-extraction recoveryhas been uneventful. He’s been spry and ener-getic. He’s been on the kitchen counter, variouswindow sills, the dining room table, the ironingboard and all the other furniture; he’s knockedover the wicker trash basket in our bedroomthree times and he’s been eating like a dog. Inshort, he’s “back baby.”

He almost appears to be smiling – exceptwhen we attempt to give him his post-procedurepills. As per usual, during the day he’s sleeping onthe back of the couch and at night he’s curled upin the laundry basket; and he’s still the first cat –of five, an hour early, I might add, for breakfastand dinner, to place his order/meow his pres-ence. He’s as ready to eat as ever. He hasn’tmissed a beat or a step. If I had to summa-rize/characterize his actions now, I’d say he has areal joie de vivre, “an exuberant enjoyment oflife.” So what am I waiting for? Godot?

As for my procedure, I’ve been told it takes 30minutes or so. Local anesthesia is used (unlikeBiscuit who was totally sedated/anesthetized).Moreover, the post-surgical pain is not terribleand the chance of infection is minor. And thoughI’ll have a space in my gums where my teeth usedto be, no longer will I be anticipating the painand discomfort that cracking or splitting either ofthese two teeth would cause. The only pain I’lllikely have is the pain of payment. (See 7/26/17column entitled “Taking Care of Business” forassociated details.)

I guess my curiosity/concern is whether I trustanything I’ve observed from Biscuit’s dental expe-rience – considering we’re the same age. Iswhat’s good for the cat also good for the human -all things being equal, sort of? Is Biscuit’s return tonormalcy so quickly and so easily – and so vigor-ously, a lesson to be learned? If seeing is believingand I do see extremely well for someone nearinghis 63rd birthday, then Biscuit’s ‘experience’ andthe comparison between his pre- and post-extraction behavior should be an inspiration to usall, especially those of us of similar age with oneand the same, two actually, teeth which need tobe extracted.

I mean, the procedure I’ve been putting off isnot exactly brain surgery, it’s oral surgery. I’m notadmitted to a hospital. It’s outpatient. I’m in andthen out. Same day service, just like the restau-rant where my wife, Dina works. I don’t evenneed someone to drive me home (unlike Biscuit.I had to drive him home.) And now that Biscuit ishome, safe and sound, I suppose it’s time for meto buck up and schedule my appointment. Afterall, it has nothing to do with cancer and every-thing to do with quality of life. I’d say that’s awin-win.

CoincidentalOr NotBusiness Directory

To Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

GUTTER GUTTER

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

LANDSCAPING

Alfredo’s Construction Company, Inc.

www.alfredosconstructioncompany.com

Phone:

VA: (703) 698-0060 • MD: (301) 316-1603

•Concrete Driveways•Patios •Sidewalks

•Stone •Brick

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE

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Good is not good, where

better is expected.

-Thomas Fuller

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

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

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

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDHaven of Northern Virginia provides support,

compassion, information and resources to thebereaved and seriously ill. To become a Havenvolunteer, please call 703-941-7000 to requestan orientation. Volunteers must complete a 30-hour training and commit to one year of serviceanswering Haven phones (2.5 hours weekly).Next training is scheduled for fall 2017.

THROUGH AUG. 25Summer Lunches. The Fairfax County Public

Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Serviceswill be hosting the FEEDS (Food for Every Childto Eat During Summer) BBQ program, a USDA-funded program is free to all children 18 yearsand under and $2 for adults. There is noregistration involved, and open to everyone.Meal service will be provided at the followingsites Monday-Friday, 11:30-1 p.m. No service onJuly 3 and 4. In the Springfield area, FEEDS isoffered at the following schools:

❖ Springfield Gardens Apartments, 6116Cumberland Ave.

❖ Springfield Square Apartments, 7000 RhodenCourt, starts at noon

❖ Chelsea Square Apartments, 5734 Backlick Road,starts at noon

THURSDAY/AUG. 10Deer Management Program. 7-8 p.m. at the

Fairfax County Government Center, ConferenceRooms 2 and 3, 12000 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax. Learn about the FairfaxCounty Deer Management Program. ContactSergeant Earit Powell at 703-324-0280 or Dr.Katherine Edwards, Wildlife ManagementSpecialist, at 703-324-0224.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 16Orientation for Prospective Volunteers.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the City of FairfaxRegional Library, Meeting Room B, 10360 NorthSt., Fairfax. RSVP Northern Virginia, the region’slargest volunteer network for people 55 andolder, will hold an orientation for prospectivevolunteers. The event is free and open to thepublic. Free parking garage underneath thelibrary. To sign up for the Aug. 16 orientationemail RSVP Volunteer Specialist Carly Hubicki [email protected] or call RSVP at703-403- 5360. To learn more about RSVP, visitwww.rsvpnova.org.

SEPT. 29-30Fall Children’s Consignment Sale. 9 a.m.-8

p.m., at Cameron United Methodist Church,3130 Franconia Road. Some items are half priceon Saturday. To become a seller, email:[email protected], or visit www.cameron-umc.org/.

ONGOINGShepherd’s Center of Fairfax-Burke serves

those 50 and older who no longer drive.Volunteer drivers are needed for trips(Monday-Friday) to medical appointments andcompanion shopping within the Fairfax/Burkearea. Office workers are needed to answerphones in the SCFB office (Monday-Friday) tomatch drivers and those who need rides. Call703-323-4788.

Positive Parenting Strategies Course. AtPHILLIPS, 7010 Braddock Road, Annandale. Aseries of classes and in home consultationstaught by PHILLIPS’ counselors. Open to all localfamilies. Call Stacy Stryjewski at 703-658-9054.

Thermal Camera Loan Program. Learn wherethe energy is leaking out of the home with aspecial attachment for the iPhone or Android.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/energy or call 703-324-5955 for more.

Master Gardener Training. The Fairfax CountyMaster Gardener Association offers plant clinics,home turf training or speakers for homeowner’smeetings. Fees vary. Visit fairfaxgardening.orgor call MG Help Desk at 703-324-8556 for more.

Fairfax Rotary Club Meeting 12:15-1:30 p.m.Mondays. American Legion, 3939 Oak St.,Fairfax. Meetings with luncheon and program.fairfaxrotary.org.

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