Classifieds, Page 6 Building...

HomeLifeStylePage 2

Students Who WorkFor Peace HonoredNews, Page 5

Building BridgesNews, Page 3

The Rev. Ellen LaC-roix-Fillette, a Centreville United Methodist Church pastor, speaks at a wom-en’s interfaith event.

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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Home LifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

For pet owners, creating a homedécor that’s both aesthetically ap-pealing and pet-friendly can be adelicate balance. From muddy

paw prints on an heirloom area rug to avelvet sofa covered in cat hair, three localdesigners — all of whom own pets — sharetheir best advice for addressing animal di-lemmas and styling a chic interior that ac-commodates both man and his best friend.

“There are so many ways that pets en-hance our quality of life in the same waythat a serene, well-designed home might bea sanctuary for relaxation after a long day,”said Karen McBride of Inspired Spaces. “Thegood news is that you really don’t have tochoose one or the other. The key is to makesure everything is durable and easilycleaned.”

Flooring that can withstand paws withclaws top the list of considerations forMcBride. “Hardwood floors are beautiful,but they’re easily scratched and dinged,” shesaid. “Stone or ceramic tile flooring are idealfor pets owners. You can wipe up puddlesand mop up muddy paw prints easily. Hard-wood requires immediate cleaning becausethey absorb liquids and odor.”

Rugs with patterns that can hide pet stainsare what designer Rochelle Clark uses in

the Fairfax home that she shares with hertwo Italian Greyhounds, Lola and Fiona.“My dogs are not housebroken, so I have touse indoor-outdoor rugs made of polypro-pylene because I can just hose them downwhen they get dirty, which is often,” shesaid. “Rugs made from sisal are also goodchoices if you have pets. I encourage mypet-owning clients to purchase inexpensiverugs because if you have dogs or cats, rugstains are inevitable. It’s just a waste ofmoney to invest in a high-end rug if you

Pet ownersshould lookfor stain-resistant anddurableupholsteryfabrics whencreating astylish andanimal-friendlyinterior.

Pet-owning designers offer advice on practicaldesign choices that don’t sacrifice style.

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Pet-Friendly Decor

have pets. There so many ways that theycan be ruined and there are plenty of rugsthat don’t cost a lot, but have a high-endlook to them.”

When choosing fabrics for furniture orthrow pillows, pet owners should steer clearof textures like velvet or chenille, which canbe magnets for pet hair, advises designerand corgi owner, Tami Evers of The SimplyElegant Home. “You also want to avoid silkand other delicate fabrics that could teareasily,” she said. “There are so many op-

tions now for durable, stain resistant up-holstery fabric that’s as elegant and taste-ful as its more traditional counterparts.Believe it or not, I finished a project for aclient who had two giant labradoodles, andher living room furniture is entirely ofSunbrella fabric.”

Other durable and easy to clean optionsthat Evers recommends include leather andCrypton. “The only issue with leather is thatit will scratch easily if you have pets withsharp nails, but some people think scratchedleather has character,” she said. “Cryptoncan withstand almost anything. If you havea dog or cat that barfs a lot or has lots ofaccidents, Cyrpton is the way to go. It’sstain-proof, tear-proof and comes in a widerange of patterns and colors.”

Built-in eating spaces and pet beds for hertwo Bichon Frises are ways that personalhome organizer Becca Anderson of TheOrganized Life streamlines her pet spacesto maintain her home’s aesthetic.

“Pet owners love their animals, but no onewants their home to look and smell like it’sbeen overrun with animals,” she said. “Iadvised one of my clients to add a custom,built-in litter box space to her laundry roomfor her three cats.

She even invested in a self-cleaning litterbox, and those two features were transfor-mative.”

Centre View ❖ March 13-19, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

See The Wise, Page 8

See Despite Our, Page 8

By Bonnie Hobbs

In today’s divisive world, it often seemslike the nation’s leaders don’t commu-nicate well with each other. But thewomen who gathered Saturday,

March 9, at the Mubarak Mosque inChantilly had no such problem.

In honor of Women’s History Month, theWomen’s Association of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community hosted an interfaithdialogue. The topic was “Women in PublicService: How Faith Inspires Nation Build-ing.”

This association, called Lajna Imaillah,raises awareness of the importance ofwomen in society. Said the group’s spokes-woman, Bushra Mirza: “When we come to-gether, we have power in our voices.” OnSaturday, the more than 120 attendeesheard speakers espousing Hindu, Christian,Jewish and Islamic perspectives, plus thekeynote speaker, U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton(D-10).

Ananda Vrindavani, temple president ofthe International Society of Krishna Con-sciousness in Washington, D.C., spoke first.“In Hinduism, dharma is the essence ofsomething, and the dharma of a living be-ing – of a soul – is service,” she said. “Whenwe get beyond service to ourselves, we be-gin to grow.”

She also mentioned bhakti, or service withlove for the benefit of others. “A mother’slove for her child is without expectation ofanything in return – it’s pure,” saidVrindavani. “And when you serve that way,you can have a real impact.”

Born and raised in Ireland, she taught in

India for 21 years. Her husband is Jewish,their son was born in India and he’s marry-ing a girl from London. “So where do I putmy loyalty?” she asked. “Nation- and peace-building is dependent on our daily, spiri-tual practice.”

Similarly, the Rev. Ellen LaCroix-Fillette,a pastor at Centreville United MethodistChurch, said, “Our belief in God orders theway we live our individual lives and ourlives together in community.” She also notedthat “There’s a wide range of beliefs amongChristians, and not all denominations be-lieve in women in pastoral service.”

So, she said, “It fills me with so much hopeto see women in positions of authority andin public service. Christian living is a bal-ance between personal and social holiness.Our inward transformation leads to ouroutward expression of faith. Social holinessis where women find their voice and worktogether in community. “We can boldlyclaim our place to engage in holy work, inservice to our community and world …

working with the most vulnerable in oursociety. Compassion is the inspiration forsocial, faith-based engagement. Sometimes,it’s one-on-one interaction to fill a need for,for example, food, shelter or companion-ship. It’s meeting people exactly where theyare, loving them and providing assistanceto them. Western Fairfax Christian Minis-tries is an example.”

LaCroix-Fillette said seeking justice is alsoadvocacy “to change cultural norms or so-cietal structures so people no longer feel inthat place of social injustice.” According toConfucius, she said, “Give a man a fish, andyou feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish,and you feed him for a lifetime.” But, sheadded, “It doesn’t help if that man has noaccess to a pond.”

So social justice is providing that access,she said. “We are all equally valuable in theeyes of God,” said LaCroix-Fillette. “Soplaces without women’s voices are incom-plete. As a Christian, I’m called to usher inGod’s need for social justice. And I truly

believe that watching women and otherswhose voices have been limited, step for-ward, is a step toward deliverance.”’

Attorney Natalie Roisman specializes intechnology law and policy; but she’s alsoher firm’s director of social responsibilityand advocates for children and families.Fighting against family detention at theU.S./Mexico border, she said, “They’re allour children.”

On Saturday, Roisman represented theJewish perspective. “I believe women arethe key to progress in our world,” she said.“They’ll be instrumental in elevating theways in which we talk to and about eachother, so the future generation doesn’t sinkas low in discourse as we see today.”

She’s also on the council of a Jewish-Muslim bridge-building group, the Sister-hood of Salaam Shalom. And last year, themembers traveled together to Montgomery,Birmingham and Selma, Ala., to learn moreabout America’s Civil Rights movement.

By Bonnie Hobbs

A former prosecutor, advocate forabused children and now a con-gresswoman, U.S. Rep. Jennifer

Wexton (D-10) was the keynote speaker atSaturday’s interfaith event about women,faith and public service.

Addressing the crowd at the MubarakMosque in Chantilly, she said, “Interfaithevents like this build community. A lot ofpeople have never been to a mosque, butthey’re places of understanding. And thismosque – just like any other place of wor-ship – is a pillar of our local community.”

Furthermore, said Wexton, “The Muslimcommunity is part of the American commu-nity. Muslim Americans are Americans, so

thank you for caring for your neighbors andlifting up our community.”

Too often, she said, “The Muslim commu-nity is the scapegoat of demagogues andothers with dangerous rhetoric causing fearand division. So threats and harassment ofMuslim Americans have surged. This typeof rhetoric is inexcusable and has no placein our society.”

“We are one, American family. And whenone part of that family feels unwelcome orunsafe – when we lose sight of the fact thatour diversity makes us stronger – it dimin-ishes the greatness of America. Hatefulnessand bigotry in any form is contrary to ourvalues. Despite our differences in race, faithor creed, we are all Americans.”

Wexton also noted how proud she is tobe serving with the first, two, MuslimAmericans elected to Congress. “Our di-verse, freshman class in the House is chang-ing history,” she said. Mentioning the di-versity in her own house, too, Weston said

‘The Wise Build Bridges, the Foolish Build Barriers’Ahmadiyya Muslimwomen hostinterfaith dialogue.

Ramona Carroll, interfaith coordi-nator for Fairfax County govern-ment, was the moderator. Natalie Roisman Ananda Vrindavani

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‘Despite Our Differences, We Are All Americans’Wexton addresseswomen’s faith andservice event.

From left: Ananda Vrindavani, Sahar Choudhary and Jennifer Wextonduring the question-and-answer session at the end of the program.

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A Connection Newspaper

Opinion

By John C. Cook

Braddock District

Supervisor (R)

Our FairfaxC o u n t yg o v e r n -ment is

well prepared to deal withemergencies, both large and small, from largestorms to disease outbreaks to criminal andeven terrorist events. But our communities arenot so prepared. In the first 72 hours after amajor emergency event, governmental services

may not be available.Power may be out, trans-portation blocked, medicalservices overwhelmed, and

food, gas, and even money difficult to find.In those first few days, communities would

need to come together so neighbors can helpeach other. And even during those lesser emer-gency events which occur with some regular-ity — snowstorms, serious thunderstorms, andthe like — neighbors need to help each otherout.

That’s why I am so thrilled that FairfaxCounty has published its first ever CommunityEmergency Response Guide from the Office ofEmergency Management. The publication ofthis document, and the plan behind it, fulfillsa goal of mine that even predates my electionto the board. When I served as president ofthe Kings Park Civic Association I recognizedthe great need for a citizen-focused emergencyplanning tool.

As a supervisor I have pushed for this pro-gram for years. Now the Office of EmergencyManagement made this idea a reality. The endresult is a comprehensive planning tool thatwill strengthen community, build local resil-iency, and mitigate potential risks.

Community coordination is needed in mak-ing a successful community emergency plan.It requires citizens to take initiative, reach outto their peers, and work together to identifylocal risks and assets. The Community Emer-gency Response Guide breaks down emergencyplanning into easy-to-follow steps. These in-cluding defining your area, recruiting leaders,knowing your area, building an emergencyresponse team, and planning your approach.

Everything is laid out in this step-by-step guide,including how to organize an emergency team,creating a family emergency kit, and addingdisabled residents to a functional needs regis-try. It even lists the most likely emergenciesand explains how to prepare for, respond to,and recover from them. Users can also findinformation on local volunteer groups who canassist in these emergencies, such as the Com-munity Emergency Response Team (CERT). Byfilling out the Community Emergency ResponseGuide will give you a never-before-seen viewof your own neighborhood.

You can find the Community EmergencyResponse Guide online at https://w w w . f a i r f a x c o u n t y . g o v /emergencymanagement/cerg. The Office ofEmergency Management offers communityworkshops to those who would like extra helpin creating their emergency response plan. Therequest form can be found on the Office ofEmergency Management website.

I encourage all residents to work within theirparticular communities to create an emergencyresponse program appropriate for your neigh-borhood. We are here to help.

A+ Primer for Our NeighborhoodsCounty Community Emergency Response Guide strengthenscommunity, builds local resiliency, and mitigates potential risks.

Commentary

More than 100 CubScouts gathered forthe annual Sully Dis-

trict Pinewood Derby Champion-ship Races on Sunday, March 3 atSt. Timothy Catholic School’s caf-eteria. Races were held by rankfirst and then the top three finish-ers in each rank went on to racein the “Finals” of the Sully DistrictPinewood Derby.

Winners were: LION - First Place- Abel C., Pack 1459, Second Place- Ethan I., Pack 1859, Third Place- Aaron R., Pack 1863; TIGER -First Place - Matthew F., Pack 146,Second Place - Edward L., Pack1860, Third Place - Michael S.,Pack 1459; WOLF - First Place -Seth Z., Pack 127, Second Place -Carson L., Pack 1859, Third Place- Dante F., Pack 1459; BEAR - FirstPlace - Hadrian A., Pack 146, Sec-ond Place - Michael R., Pack 1860,Third Place - Brendan P., Pack 146;WEBELOS - First Place - Ben M.,Pack 1860, Second Place - JacobS., Pack 1459, Third Place -Michael M., Pack 1514; and AR-ROW OF LIGHT - First Place - EvanL., Pack 1860, Second Place -Hayden B., Pack 127, Third Place- Zaid K., Pack 127

This year, the 2019 Bakeoff hada record 42 entries. The catego-ries were Cookies, Pies, Breads,Cakes, and Decorative / Creative.Cookies winners were First Place- Colin S., Pack 1459, Second Place

- Edward L., Pack 1860, and ThirdPlace - James K., Pack 1459; Pieswinners were First Place - DominikC., Pack 146, Second Place - JamesW., Pack 1862, Third Place - BryanA., Pack 1859: Breads Winnerswere First Place - Ethan M., Pack1860, Second Place - Scott P., Pack146, Third Place - Oliver V., Pack1859; Cakes winners were FirstPlace - Ethan H., Pack 1860, Sec-ond Place - James A., Pack 1860,Third Place - Ben W., Pack 1459.Decorative / Creative winnerswere First Place Audrey S., Pack1860, Second Place - Michael R.,Pack 1860, Third Place - Adrian B.,Pack 1459.

Sully Scouts Compete in Derby and Bakeoff

The first, second, and third place finishers of their respective ranks of the 2019 SullyDistrict Pinewood Derby.

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2019 Overall Pinewood Derby Winners (from left): ThirdPlace Overall Finisher - Ben M., Pack 1860; Second PlaceOverall Finisher Zaid K., Pack 127, and First Place OverallFinisher - Hadrian A., Pack 146, with 2019 Sully DistrictPinewood Derby Chairman R “Hondo” Davids.

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See How Local, Page 8

News

By Andrea Worker

It’s not easy to be the peacemaker. Sometimes it is reallyhard, especially when youmake those around you,

even friends, angry when youspeak out and stand up for whatis right. And sometimes it can bedangerous. But in all instances,being the peacemaker “requirescourage and commitment,” U.S.Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) toldthe crowd gathered at theSherwood Community Center inFairfax on Sunday, March 9.

Connolly, along with a host ofsponsors, elected officials and acheering collection of family andfriends, had come together tohonor the 23 young recipients ofthe 2019 Student Fairfax PeaceAwards at a ceremony led by Mar-garet Fisher of program-founderHerndon Friends Meeting.

In addition to garnering kudosfrom the congressman, state Del.Ken Plum (D-36), Fairfax CountySupervisor Penny Gross (MasonDistrict), Scott Brabrand, FairfaxCounty Public Schools superinten-dent, and Karen Corbett Sanders,Mount Vernon District representa-tive and vice chair of the FCPSboard also officially offered theircongratulations and admirationfor the young activists.

Ryan McElveen and IlryongMoon, members-at-large of theFCPS board, and Tamara DenerakKaufax, FCPS board Lee Districtrepresentative were also on handto show their support.

THE EVENT’S KEYNOTESPEAKER was David Swanson,an author, activist, journalist, ra-dio host and co-founder and direc-tor of World Beyond War, a “glo-bal nonviolent movement to endwar and establish a just and sus-tainable peace.”

Swanson, a 1987 graduate ofHerndon High School who identi-fies as a “world citizen,” presentedhis argument of “no justificationfor war, ever,” while admitting thathis remarks could make his audi-ences uncomfortable, but assertedthat they were words that need tobe said and a conversation thatneeds to happen.

The Fairfax Student PeaceAwards started in 2006 as oneschool, Herndon High School, andone sponsor, the Herndon FriendsMeeting, but has grown to 19sponsors and is now offered toevery public high school in FairfaxCounty, as well as two privateschools.

The goal of the program is toencourage young people to thinkmore about peace “both as ameans and as an end” and to rec-ognize their achievements whenthey turn those peace-makingthoughts into actions in theirschools, their communities, andeven around the world.

The program is open to areahigh school juniors and seniors. InOctober, each school is invited tochoose either an individual or agroup recipient with the guidelinesthat the students have worked“specifically for peace or to iden-tify and resolve conflicts … dem-onstrating commitment to peaceby engaging in activities that striveto end conflict … seeking to bridgelanguage, ethnic, racial, religious,gender, sexual orientation, or classdifferences … and/or assist to re-solve conflicts among students ormembers of the community whofeel isolated or alienated.”

THE WINNERS received certifi-cates of achievement, a monetarygift and an additional $100 to bedonated to any nonprofit organi-zation of the student’s choice thatoperates in a spirit that is in keep-ing with the Peace Awards and thisyear, an autographed copy of thebook, “Sweet Fruits From The Bit-ter Tree” by Mark Andreas, storiesof “creative and compassionateways out of conflict.”

HOW LOCAL RECIPIENTSWORK FOR PEACE

Four local students fromCentreville and Chantilly werehonored as recipients of the 2019Peace Awards.

❖ Romina Soleimani fromMountain View High Schoolstarted her peace work in herhome country of Iran, where sheworked with Youth Spiritual Em-powerment, a global Bahá’í-in-spired program which encourages

Students Who Work for Peace Honored

Romina Soleimani (fourth from left) started her work for peace when she was stillliving in her home country of Iran, then in Turkey and now the Mountain View HighSchool student continues her commitment to being an agent of peace

A senior at Centreville High School, Deepika Joshi (fourth from left) was born inNepal. She is the founder of her school’s chapter of Students Together AssistingRefugees - STAR.

Maxihikio “Makee” Neeves (fourth from left) became an instant minority when heswitched schools from one in Colorado to Westfield, where he is a junior, but he ismaking his experience a learning one for himself and his peers, bringing a betterunderstanding of Native Americans and indigenous people.

Yahang “Annie” Wang hasfaced discrimination as animmigrant from China. Sheis determined to helpothers feel more welcomedand assimilate more easily.She delighted the receptioncrowd with a performanceof one of her own Rap-stylemusical creations.

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Entertainment

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

THURSDAY/MARCH 14Pi Day. 3:14-5 p.m. at Sully Historic

Site, 3650 Historic Sully Way,Chantilly. Celebrate Pi Day at SullyHistoric Site. Join a gathering ofcelebrants who understand that Pi isa number that goes on forever. Realpie may not go on forever, but it doeshave a very long history as a classicfood made at Sully in the 1800s. Visittheir 1794 kitchen and seeinterpreters bake traditional recipesover an open-hearth fire, and samplea piece as you learn about thishistorically delicious food. Theprogram cost is $3.14. Walk-in only;registration not required. Call 703-437-1794 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully-historic-site.

SATURDAY/MARCH 16St. Patrick’s Day / St. Joseph’s

Day Party. 6-9:30 p.m. at St.Veronica’s Church parish hall, 3460Centreville Road, Chantilly. This is afamily event that includes food,drink, sing-alongs, Irish dancers andplenty of smiling Irish eyes. Adults$8, Children $6, drinks extra. Visitwww.stveronica.net/ or call 703-773-2000.

SUNDAY/MARCH 17NTRAK Scale Model Train Show. 1-

4 p.m. at the Fairfax Station RailroadMuseum, 11200 Fairfax StationRoad, Fairfax Station. The NorthernVirginia NTRAK members will hold aN gauge Model Train Display. Ages

16 and older, $4; 5-15, $2; 4 andunder, free. Visit www.fairfax-station.org, www.facebook.com/FFXSRR, or call 703-425-9225.

Green Campfire Adventure. 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Ellanor C. LawrencePark, 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly.Slip into something green for the“Wear Green Campfire” and help findall things wearing green in themeadow. After exploring, return to acampfire to toast marshmallows.Program is designed for participantsage 4- adult. $8 per person, andchildren must be accompanied by aregistered adult. Meet at Cabell’sMill. Call 703-631-0013 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence.

MONDAY/MARCH 18Centreville Garden Club. 7-9 p.m. at

Sully Government Center, 4900Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly. Guestspeaker will discuss the Growing andCare of Hydrangeas at our monthlymeeting. Group meets every thirdMonday. Come out and join othergardeners. Free. [email protected] orvisitcentrevillegardenclub.blogspot.comfor more.

TUESDAY/MARCH 19Live Music: Ryanhood. 7:15 p.m. at

‘Fifty Shadesof Green’

Founded in 2016, NovaPlein Air Artists (NPAA) hasevolved into a creative, educa-tional and social network oflocal artists committed topainting weekly at organized“paint-outs.” Shades of Greenshowcases artwork from 11active, local artists. The ex-hibit runs through April 15 atthe Caton Merchant FamilyGallery, 9419 Battle St.,Manassas. A reception isplanned for Saturday, March23, 6-8 p.m. Visit center-for-the-arts.org or call703-330-2787.

Tranquility by RachelGarcia Palmer


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Every morning, at the very least, I look into the bathroom mirror to brush my teeth and shave my stub-ble. And there, right below my Adam’s apple, in plain site, is the tumor we’re attempting to stabilize, and in a perfect scenario: shrink.

As I’ve said many times before during my 10 years of treatment: “I can live with ‘stable,’” and/or “Stable

out if my lung cancer tumors are stable/have shrunk/grown is when my oncologist tells me/I read the radiologist’s report.

During this quarterly interval between scans, I’m like Sergeant Schultz from “Hogan’s Heroes: “I see nothing.” The tumors in my lungs are “like weeds,” (meaning they’re everywhere), said my oncologist at the initial Team Lourie meeting in response to one of my wife, Dina’s, questions about whether surgery was an option; “no” was that answer. But obviously, I can’t see them and what feelings I’ve experienced in my mediastinum have likely been scar tissue forming (according to my oncologist) and not indicative of too much too often.

So, I’ve learned to not overreact to any discomfort I might experience. It might mean something or it might mean nothing. I’ve been to both places already.

However, the “Adam’s apple” tumor is front and center. When I brush my teeth, I see it. When I shave I have to nearly shave over it. It’s impossible to miss. It’s not exactly a goiter but it’s more than a lump.

It’s not painful, but it’s completely opposite to the tumors in my lungs; they’re out of sight and because of that, occasionally out of mind. The “Adam’s apple” tumor is totally in sight and because of that, is always

my evening. And in the hours between, I’m touching my throat to feel what I can feel and hope what I can hope. The effect is I’m reinforcing a negative every time I touch the tumor.

If I can’t see the tumor (like the ones in my lungs), and I can’t touch the tumors (like I can the “Adam’s apple” tumor), I can delude myself more easily into not thinking/remembering I even have cancer; and more importantly, not thinking that I’m “terminal” as my oncologist characterized me all those years ago when he gave me a “13 month to two year” prognosis – on Feb. 27, 2009. Then I can pretend to live life as if the Sword of Damocles is not hanging over my head.

But, being able to touch the very thing that might be shortening my life makes it more real than it’s ever been. And it’s that reality that is making Kenny a very dull boy (no comments from the peanut gallery, please?).

have had since I began the immunotherapy. That’s when we’ll have our usual post-scan appointment with my oncologist to learn results and discuss alter-natives, if necessary.

Surgery, as we’ve inquired about previously is out of the question. Therefore, we’ll either continue to do what we’ve been doing, or start doing something we’ve never done before (you have to keep the cancer guessing).

On my most recent appointment, when asked by yours truly, my oncologist said we have lots of non-surgical options should change be warrant-ed. (There was a time in the past when I asked my oncologist a similar question and he was not nearly so encouraging. In fact, he was downright discourag-ing when he told me that the drug he was giving me at the time was the last drug he had for me.) Having been dangling previously at a near end, I’m sure you can appreciate how a patient knowing there are other choices available should a drug fail to stop the growth, is very reassuring.

Nevertheless, facing off with this tumor every day and being able to touch it morning, noon and night, presents a real problem: how do I avoid thinking I have cancer?

It’s always been my goal to try and assimilate the facts and hope not to be overwhelmed by the feelings. But how do I think it’s nothing when it’s obviously something?

I mean, it wouldn’t be there if it was just minding its own business, would it?

Talk AboutWishful Thinking

Entertainment

Amphora’s Diner Deluxe, 1151 Elden St., Herndon.Acoustic duo Ryanhood got their first breakmore than a decade ago as street performers atBoston’s Quincy Market. Ryanhood is on tourpromoting their latest album, Early Best.Suggested donation is $10 for members of theFolk Club of Reston/Herndon and $11 for non-members. Visit www.restonherndonfolkclub.comfor more.

THURSDAY/MARCH 21Weekend Food for Kids. 10-11:30 a.m. at

Dominion Energy, 3072 Centreville Road,Chantilly. Assistance League of NorthernVirginia, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization,invites community members to help pack foodfor its Weekend Food for Kids program. Thiscritical program provides nonperishable foodover the weekend to children who receive freeor reduced-price meals during the school year atTitle I schools in Fairfax and Prince WilliamCounties and the City of Alexandria. May arriveat 9:30 to help with setup. Free. Visitwww.alnv.org.

SATURDAY/MARCH 23Friends of the Fairfax Station. 11 a.m. at the

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, 11200 FairfaxStation Road, Fairfax Station. Richard Slattery,Senior Director of Policy and Research of theNational Railroad Passenger Corp. (AMTRAK)will discuss the current state and futureprospects of passenger rail services in the U.S.Slattery’s presentation will take place as thekeynote speaker following the annualmembership meeting of the Friends of theFairfax Station. The meeting and the Forum arefree and open to the public. Light refreshmentswill be available. Visit www.fairfax-station.orgor call 703-425-9225.

Reception: “Fifty Shades of Green.” 6-8 p.m.at the Caton Merchant Family Gallery, 9419Battle St., Manassas. Founded in 2016, NovaPlein Air Artists (NPAA) was initiated due to ashared desire to explore the idea of paintingoutdoors. Since then, NPAA has evolved into acreative, educational and social network of localartists committed to painting weekly atorganized “paint-outs.” Shades of Greenshowcases artwork from 11 active, local artists.Visit center-for-the-arts.org or call 703-330-2787.

SUNDAY/MARCH 24Spring Make ‘n Take Activity. 1-4 p.m. at the

Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, 11200 FairfaxStation Road, Fairfax Station. Make tissue paperflowers to welcome spring. Ages 16 and older,$4; 5-15, $2; 4 and under, free. Visitwww.fairfax-station.org, www.facebook.com/FFXSRR, or call 703-425-9225.

Live Music: Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike. 7p.m. (doors open at 6) at Frying Pan Farm ParkVisitor Center, 2739 West Ox Road, Herndon.Make plans to “hitch up the team” and head toFrying Pan Farm Park this season for BluegrassBarn. Food and beverages available forpurchase. $18 in advance, $20 at the door.Purchase tickets online atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/frying-pan-park/bluegrass-barn or by phone at 703-222-4664 or703-437-9101.

SATURDAY/MARCH 30NoVaTEEN Book Festival. 9:30 a.m. at Marshall

High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.The NoVaTEEN Book Festival is back with a dayfull of panels, games, and signings with over 30bestselling and emerging Young Adult authors.Learn more on the official festival website. Theevent is free and open to to the public; ticketsand a full schedule are available atnovateenbookfestival.com.

Lecture: The Power of Objects. 1 p.m. at SullyHistoric Site, 3650 Historic Sully Way, Chantilly.Come for a discussion with Dr. Jennifer VanHorn on her book, “The Power of Objects inEighteenth-Century British America.” In thebook, Van Horn investigates Anglo-Americanitems to discover the importance of objects inthe formation of a new society. Lightrefreshments will be available before and afterthe presentation. This talk is sponsored by theSully Foundation, Ltd., and donations will begratefully accepted. Space is limited, so pleasereserve a seat by March 14. For reservations orfor more information, call 703-437-1794 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully-historic-site/.


From Page 3

News

‘The Wise Build Bridges, the Foolish Build Barriers’Much can be accomplished, said Roisman,

by “ordinary people doing extraordinarythings.” She belongs to two groups encour-aging women to run for political office orjust become involved in the political pro-cess. Quoting Supreme Court Justice RuthBader Ginsburg, she said, “Women belongin all places where decisions are beingmade.”

Roisman said women can engage in theworld in many ways. “Just do it – jump in,”she urged. “You don’t have to have experi-ence. If you believe something has tochange, just do it.” She also referenced twoquotes from the movie, “Black Panther.”They are: “We will work to be an exampleof how we, as brothers and sisters on this

telling us, ‘Do not forget to do good for eachother,’” said Choudhary. “Service of man-kind is the essence of Islam, and an Islamiccommunity that doesn’t believe this wayisn’t truly Islamic. So I try to be an agentfor good.”

She said women “need to become empow-ered to become the change agents, and myfaith empowers me with the rights to dothis.” Stressing that there have been greatMuslim women trailblazers throughout his-tory, she mentioned some of them and toldhow they improved society in areas includ-ing math, science and education.

“Muslim women are still involved in lead-ership and politics, and some are evenNobel Prize winners,” said Choudhary. “Butthey wouldn’t have gotten where they are

if their faith was an obstacle to them.” Shealso called mothers nation-builders becausethey raise children who grow up to be lead-ers and to excel in their fields. “They sharethe values they received from their moth-ers,” she said. “So the role women play innation-building starts at home.”

“When we teach the values of love, shar-ing and service of mankind – blind to color,religion, culture, etc. – we do a great ser-vice to others,” continued Choudhary.“Mothers sharing their skills, volunteeringin schools, beautifying their communitiesand helping the most vulnerable is publicservice.

And despite our minor religious and cul-tural differences, we’re all here today be-cause we care about service to others.”

From Page 3

‘Despite Our Differences, We Are All Americans’

U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton speaksat a women’s interfaith event.

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she was raised Catholic, her husband is Jew-ish and they celebrate both Christmas andHanukkah.

“I find faith in other women – the trail-blazers who paved the way for me and oth-ers to run for office,” she said. “But progressis not inevitable, and we’re still fighting forthings including reproductive freedom andpaycheck equality.”

Also important, said Wexton, are all thewomen who advocate passionately for is-sues they believe in.

“You don’t have to run for office to makea difference,” she said. “An example is the

group, Moms Who Demand Action for GunSense. Just last year, the House of Repre-sentatives passed a background-check law,and that’s an example of how women inaction can make an impact.”

She, too, went to Alabama in 2018, andstood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge withU.S. Rep. and former Civil Rights leaderJohn Lewis. It was there that, on March 7,1965, some 600 Civil Rights marchers werebrutally attacked by state and local lawmenand driven back to Selma, where they’dbegun.

“John Lewis told me how faith got womenthrough their toughest times,” said Wexton.

“He said the Civil Rights movement wasborn in black churches, and people’s faithgave them strength.” So, she told the gath-ering on Saturday, “There are always chal-lenges – but our faith in ourselves, our com-munity and our future will get us through.”

Then, summing up the event’s messagewas Akavish Khan, president of theWomen’s Association of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community, which hosted the pro-gram.

“Our motto is ‘Love for all and hatred fornone,’” she said. “Helping others and serv-ing people in need are antidotes to injus-tice.”

How Local Students Work for Peace in Their SchoolsFrom Page 5

youth to grow spiritually, develop a strongsense of purpose, and engage in meaning-ful social action. When forced to leave Iranbecause of her beliefs, she continued herpeace work in Turkey, sometimes meetingin parks. She and her mother then movedto the U.S., having been granted asylum asreligious refugees. Romina again became aleader in the Youth Spiritual EmpowermentProgram and hopes to continue her workwhile in college.

❖ Deepika Joshi, a senior at CentrevilleHigh School was born in Nepal and enteredU.S. schools in the fifth grade. She is thefounder and president of her school’s chap-ter of STAR – Students Together AssistingRefugees. So far, she has recruited 35 mem-

bers to help refugees overcome the hurdleswhich often cause them emotional, mentaland physical distress. Together theyfundraise for the UN Refugee Agency, col-lect clothing for refugees in Bosnia andSyria, and write letters of support and en-couragement to Lebanese children.

“If I can inspire just one person,” she said,“then that person may inspire another. Atthe end, this will allow us to forget whatseparates us and to focus on what binds ustogether.”

❖ Yahang “Annie” Wang, a senior atChantilly High School, immigrated to theU.S. from China 10 years ago. She and herfamily faced discrimination due to the lan-guage barrier, but Annie says that her dis-covery of rap music helped her appreciate

the beauty of the English language andhelped her to express herself by writing lyr-ics. She performed one of her compositionsat the Virginia Girls State Conference onfemale empowerment and the inequalitieswomen face in society.

She has been on the FCPS Student Advi-sory Council for the past two years. “I havebeen able to advocate for fellow immi-grants, inspire low-income families and helpempower young women.” She feels com-pelled as a first-generation immigrant to“give back to the community that’s helpedme thrive in my times of need.”

❖ Maxihikio (Makee) Neeves, a WestfieldHigh School junior, is a member of the Citi-zen Potawatomi Nation and a descendantfrom other tribes.

He came to Westfield a year ago, from aschool in Colorado where he was one ofseveral Native American students. Heturned the experience of suddenly becom-ing a minority into an opportunity to learnand to help others learn, as well. Organiz-ing the Indigenous Student Union, he andothers now prepare displays for WestfieldCulture Night and other events.

Upcoming plans include a Q&A Student/Community evening about indigenouspeople, a coat drive for native youth in needa field trip to the National Museum of theAmerican Indian, and more.

— Andrea Worker

earth, should treat each other;” and “Intimes of crisis, the wise build bridges whilethe foolish build barriers.”

Finally, quoting Martin Luther King Jr.,she said, “If you can’t fly, then run; if youcan’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, thencrawl. But whatever you do, just keep mov-ing forward.”

Presenting the Islamic perspective wasSahar Choudhary, regional president of theWomen’s Association of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community.

Born in Pakistan, she has a degree in Con-flict Analysis and Resolution from GMU. Shesaid Islam means faith and submission toGod and to work for the betterment of hu-manity.

“The Holy Quran is my code of conduct,

Read more about the Peace Awards and the recipi-ents at www.fairfax.studentpeaceawards.org.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONChildren who will be 5 years old on or

before Sept. 30, 2019, are eligible toattend kindergarten. Find the correctneighborhood school by enteringyour address at boundary.fcps.edu/boundary/. Complete a packet ofregistration forms found atwww.fcps.edu/it/forms/enroll.pdf orin the school office. Gathersupporting documents: proof ofresidence in the school boundary, acertified copy of the child’s birthcertificate, parent/guardian photo ID,and any custody orders. Certificate ofphysical exam and immunization will

Bulletin Board

be required before the student maystart school, but is not required forregistration. Learn more atwww.fcps.edu/registration/general-registration-requirements.

❖ Union Mill Elementary is currentlyregistering new students for the2019-20 school year. Findregistration forms in the Union MillElementary office or online atwww.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/enroll_0.pdf. Call 703-322-8500 or email [email protected] make an appointment to bringcompleted registration forms andsupporting documentation to school.Kindergarten Orientation will take

place on Monday, April 1, 4-5 p.m.❖ Brookfield Elementary School

will host a kindergarten registrationfor the 2019-2020 school year onFriday, April 5, 2019. Contact theschool at 703-814-8700 to make aregistration appointment.

❖ Colin Powell Elementary Schoolin Centreville will conduct theirKindergarten registration on Friday,April 5, 9 a.m.-noon; parents mayalso call 571-522-6008 to schedulean appointment. Due to the timerequired to register a child, theyrequest that only parents come toschool for registration.

❖ Greenbriar East Elementary

School is now accepting registrationpaperwork for rising Kindergarteners.Visit greenbriareastes.fcps.edu tomake an appointment or call theschool office at 703-633-6400. TheKindergartener information session isscheduled for Friday, April 5 from10-11 a.m.

❖ Greenbriar West ElementarySchool is now accepting informationfor next year’s Kindergarten classes.Families within the school’sboundaries should call the schooloffice at 703-633-6700.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 13Sully District Budget Town Hall. 7

p.m. at Chantilly High School, 4201Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. Thoseunable to make it to the meeting mayalways submit comments on thebudget to [email protected] orby phone 703-814-7100.

SATURDAY/MARCH 16Power Up Women’s Conference. 8

a.m.-2 p.m. at at the WestfieldsMarriott Washington Dulles, 14750Conference Center Drive, Chantilly.Registration is $99. Visitwww.powerupwomensconference.com/register.

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