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Great Falls

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ContinuesThrough

WinterNews, Page 3

Library HostsChildren’sBook ClubNews, Page 3

‘Stuff the Bus’Campaign HelpsFeed the HungryNews, Page 15

Keyvan Moussavi of Amalthea Ridge Farm presents theirline of beauty products made from goat’s milk at the

Great Falls Farmer’s Market Saturday, Feb. 2. The markettakes place every Saturday all through the winter.

Library HostsChildren’sBook ClubNews, Page 3

‘Stuff the Bus’Campaign HelpsFeed the HungryNews, Page 15

Farmer’sMarket

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2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ February 6-12, 2013 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Alex McVeigh

The Connection

Some of the youngest li-brary patrons in GreatFalls are coming together

monthly to discuss children’sbooks as part of the library’sChildren’s Book Club.

Originally two clubs werestarted, one for boys and onefor girls, but a fortunate mis-communication led to a joiningof the groups.

“We got the time mixed upone week, and everyoneshowed up at the same time,and we had a great discussion,so we decided to combinethem,” said Michele Miller, aparent volunteer who helps runthe group. “Since then, we tryand alternate books that haveboy and girl main characters.”

Miller, who has a degree inlibrary sciences and children’slibrarian Sharon Harmon, runthe club. Miller picks most ofthe books, and she tries tochoose books that mostly falloutside of the classic children’scanon.

“We’ve done a few NewberyMedal winners, such as ‘Fromthe Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Ba-sil E. Frankweiler,’ and someserious books, but we try to mixthem in with lighter, funnierstuff as well,” Harmon said.

Most of the books are beforethe 1990s, but it’s not a rule forthe club. Miller brings in back-ground materials on the au-thors to help enrich the discus-sion. The books are generallymeant for ages 9 to 12, but stu-dents of all abilities have at-tended.

“We have kids of varyingreading abilities come through,but regardless of their level, thisgets them thinking about books

they read, and gives themgoals,” Miller said. “We had oneboy come to an early meeting,his family is Russian and theyjust moved from Japan, and hehad no idea what a book clubwas. We didn’t know if wewould see him again after thefirst meeting, but he’s been backto a lot of them.”

Miller says reading the bookisn’t mandatory to attend clubmeetings.

“We don’t want kids to thinkof it as another kind of home-work, if they have the time tofinish the book, that’s great, butthey can also read some of itand come in and discuss,” shesaid. “And if they start the bookand hate it 50 pages in, thenthat’s a legitimate topic for theclub.”

The club discussed RoaldDahl’s autobiography, “Boy,” attheir most recent meeting onMonday, Jan. 28.

“We had gotten a few re-quests for an autobiography tofulfill some students’ readingrequirements, and this createda good discussion that led intoRoald Dahl’s other books,”Harmon said.

“There are so many greatbooks out there, and kids loveto read stuff over and overagain,” Miller said. “There’s alot of distractions out there thatinvolve staring at a screen, butit’s always important to get anappreciation for sitting downand reading an old-fashionedbook.”

The club’s next meeting willbe Monday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m.at the Great Falls Library, andthe book will be “A Lion toGuard Us” by Clyde RobertBulla. For more information onthe club, contact Harmon [email protected].

By Alex McVeigh

The Connection

Fairfax County is home ofdozens of farmer’s mar-kets throughout the year,but by November, almost

all of them have shuttered for thewinter before re-opening in thespring. But the Great Falls Farmer’sMarket is open year-round, offer-ing produce and other itemsthroughout the winter.

“We did a survey in Novemberand asked if people were inter-ested in a winter farmer’s market,and we got a very positive re-sponse,” said Kathleen Murphy,who oversees the market. “At firstwe asked if they wanted a monthlybulk purchase market, but peoplereally wanted the regular market.”

The market is located in its usuallocation most weekends, in theparking lot next to the Wells Fargoat the Great Falls Village Centre,but wintry conditions have forcedthem inside the last few weeks, tothe nearby Maison du Vin.

If the temperature outside is less than 32 degreesor there are high winds, the market moves indoors.This is due to certain products, like honey from Back-yard Eden (made in Great Falls by local apiarist JeffRainey) and some of the vegetables, which will freezein such conditions.

MANY OF THE MARKET’S SIGNATURE PROD-UCTS are available during the winter. Murphy her-self brings in vegetables from Tuscarora OrganicGrowers, a co-op of 44 families in Pennsylvania. Aselection of winter root vegetables, such as carrots,onions, shallots, garlic, beets and turnips are avail-able.

Certain items come up from week to week thatshoppers enjoy experimenting with. The Saturday,

Feb. 2, market featured a selectionof baby cabbages that many shop-pers had never seen before.

“I love the fresh produce, I tryand get it all here, because Iknow that it’s coming directlyfrom a farm, no chemicals, noherbicides or anything likethat,” said Julie Ben-Achour ofGreat Falls. “I do as much shop-ping as I can here, eggs, honeyand herbs. I’ve been really intothe fresh sage the last fewweeks, I like to put it in my tea.”

The produce selection alsofeatures several kinds of mush-rooms, and micro-greens suchas baby arugula and baby chardthat have been very popular.

“I come here to try veggiesand produce I’ve never had be-fore, and I’ve had pretty goodluck recently trying the purpletop turnips and baby greens,”said Danni Lougee of GreatFalls. “There’s a lot on my listwhen I come every week,bratwurst, honey, chocolate, Ihave to pick up all of thesethings when I come by.”

High View Farms out ofBerryville, Va., is a mainstay atthe market, with Berkshire porkand chicken products, includingeggs, sausage and pork chops.

“We try and have a special every week on a prod-uct, this week for the Super Bowl we did bratwurstand wings,” said Craig Hagaman, farmer at High View.

FOOD ISN’T THE ONLY THING available at themarket. Amalthea Ridge, a goat farm in Great Falls,is at the winter market, with a collection of beautyand hygiene products that are made from goat’s milk.

“We’ve been trying to incorporate more local in-gredients in our products, we’ve been using tea fromLaurie Bell of the Great Falls Tea Garden, and honeyfrom Jeff ’s Backyard Eden, and we’re looking atmore,” said Keyvan Moussavi, who runs the farm withhis wife Sarah Wehri.

The Great Falls Farmer’s Market takes place everySaturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Members of the Great Falls Library Children’s BookClub discuss Roald Dahl’s autobiography, “Boy,”during their meeting Monday, Jan. 28.

Monthly meetings allow childrento discuss variety of books.

Library HostsChildren’s Book Club

Farmer’s Market ContinuesThrough Winter

Keyvan Moussavi of AmaltheaRidge Farm presents theirline of beauty products madefrom goat’s milk at the GreatFalls Farmer’s Market Satur-day, Feb. 2. The market takesplace every Saturday allthrough the winter.

Weekly market will take place everySaturday, indoors or out.

Shoppers browse a selec-tion of greens and otherproduce at the Great FallsFarmer’s Market Saturday,Feb. 2. The market is hap-pening all winter long,either at its usual site, orinside Maison du Vin ondays with below-freezingtemperatures.

Photos by

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News

By Kathleen Murphy

president/Great Falls Historical

Society

The Great Falls Historical Societyis preparing a documentary filmon “Life in Great Falls, 1901 to2000” as part of the upcoming

Great Falls Day celebration, to be held onSunday, May 5.

We invite you to share your memories, pho-tographs, and/or artifacts by joining in anyor all four “group conversations” about life inGreat Falls scheduled for each Monday in Feb-ruary—the 4th, 11th, 18th, and/or 25th. Thegroup conversations will begin at 11 a.m. withsocial conversations and potluck lunch (ev-eryone brings a dish to share). We will pre-pare the questions, scan photos, and photo-graph artifacts, etc. during the social time.The filming will begin at 12:30 p.m. and willcontinue until everyone has had their say andthe topic is fully discussed.

To sign up, e-mail [email protected].

Recollections of GreatFalls, 1901-2000Group conversations—four Mondays inFebruary—and you are invited.

Here are the themes:❖Feb. 4th—Family Life in Great Falls

(family, home, household management,holiday and other celebrations, care of habi-tat around the home.)

❖Feb. 11th—Economic Life in Great Falls(dairy farming, Thelma’s, Buck’s Store,Fitzgerald’s Store, other stores and localbusinesses that make up the fabric of GreatFalls life), emergence of new economic ac-tivities (CIA, technology consultants, etc.).How residents earn their living.

❖Feb. 18th—Impact of Disruptive Eventson Life in Great Falls (impact of the greatdepression, World War I, World War II, theCivil Rights movement, environment move-ment, women’s rights, etc., breakthroughsin transportation, communications, global-ization, etc. on local life.)

❖Feb. 25th—Social Life in Great Falls(church life, school life, community celebra-tions, the Grange community, role of the firestation in Great Falls life, Great Falls Parkand other local parks, role of nature in fam-ily and community life).


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News

You can flaunt your car and show off yourcivic pride, thanks to a customized FairfaxCounty license plate approved Tuesday,Jan. 29, by the Board of Supervisors.

The license place features the county seal, countymap and the website addresses of the governmentand Visit Fairfax. The plate will cost $25 a year. Bystate law, $10 is retained by the state while the other$15 goes back to the license plate sponsor after 1,000plates are ordered.

The Board of Supervisors voted to direct the ini-tial proceeds toward the 2015 World Police and FireGames that will be held in the county. The WorldPolice and Fire Games are an international sportingevent offering thousands of police officers,firefighters, customs and correction officers from

around the world an opportunity to showcase theirathletic excellence in over 65 sporting events. Thesegames are the second largest sporting event in theworld after the Summer Olympics.

Before the Virginia Department of Motor Vehiclescan proceed with plate production, it needs 350 com-mitments from the community. Visit Fairfax will soonallow you to sign up for one of the first license platesat www.fxva.com.

Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), who initi-ated the plan, noted the City of Fairfax has its owntag which generates roughly $5,000 per year in rev-enues at $15 per vehicle and is dedicated to the city’shistorical resources. Using Fairfax City’s populationas a benchmark, Herrity estimated that FairfaxCounty could generate roughly $250,000 per yearfrom its own license plates.

“I look forward to being one of the first residentsto get my hands on a Fairfax County License plate,”Herrity said.

—Victoria Ross

Civic Pride on the RoadFairfax County licenseplates available soon.

The design of the newlicense plate features theFairfax County seal,county map and thewebsite of Visit Fairfaxand county government.

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Be a part of ourWellbeing pages,the first week ofevery month.

Delight in ourHomeLifeStylesections, thesecond week ofevery month.Peek at the topreal estate sales,glimpse over-the-top remodelingprojects, get prac-tical suggestionsfor your home.

Celebratestudents, camps,schools,enrichmentprograms,colleges andmore in ourA-plus:Education,Learning, Funpages, the thirdweek of everymonth.

Questions? [email protected] call703-778-9431


The County Line

By Supervisor Michael

Frey

When it comes tobuilding buildingsor fixing things,

Fairfax County does a great job.Schools, fire stations, parks—the county has a proven trackrecord of exemplary projects.

Building or fixing familiesand people—that’s tougher toevaluate.

Fairfax is probably no betteror worse than most local gov-ernments. Fixing people ishard. There is no plan that, iffollowed to the letter, results ina split family being madewhole, or a person with mentalillness or substance abuse issuesbeing cured. People are differ-ent than buildings.

Maybe that’s why I was so ex-cited about the FairfaxFamilies4Kids program when Iwas introduced to it, and be-came such a huge supporter ofit immediately.

Kids in foster care really havethe deck stacked against them.For whatever reason their fam-ily situation didn’t work andsomeone—typically the courts—stepped in and forcedchange. They are left lookingto total strangers to do whattheir family should have donebut couldn’t. That’s a lot to ask.They are dependent on govern-ment programs to find themtemporary housing, maybe apermanent foster home, and forsome of the luckier kids, a fam-ily.

FF4Kids is a partnership be-tween the county and a wholelot of people who really believethese kids in foster care deservemore help. The program offersthe kind of opportunities andexperiences that the countycan’t possibly provide by itself.Without the volunteers, whoserve as mentors, friends, teach-ers and occasionally substituteparents, most of these kidswould bounce from one tempo-rary situation to the next, usu-ally aging out of foster care withlittle skills, no love, and littlechance for future success.

I have been so impressed witheveryone I have met who is in-volved with the program. It hasincreased my sense of optimismabout the chances that more of

these kids will find foreverhomes with adoptive families.Clearly, there is a positive effecton the kids when they see thementors devoting so much timeand effort to them. Many ofthese kids have never had thelove and attention they getwithin this program. Certainlythey have never had the lifeeducation they get, and for thefirst time many of them beginto believe in themselves. Self-confidence and optimism arenot qualities you find in manyfoster children. A program thatgives them those two things, inmy mind, can’t help but benefitthem.

There have been success sto-ries for kids in this program,including adoption of some ofthe children by some of thementors. Of course, not everychild has been so lucky. Somestill age out of the system withno family back-up to catch themif they fall. But they do havethe FF4Kids family, and that initself is a confidence-builder.They also have life skills andsocial skills that they likelywould not without the FF4Kidsprograms. There are no guar-antees in life, but there is nodoubt in my mind whether ornot they find the adoptive fam-ily we all hope that they will,they will be much better pre-pared young adults.

As long as there are incred-ibly caring and dedicatedpeople like the FF4Kids mentorsand volunteers, I will be doingall I can to help support them.

Fairfax Families4Kids: acommunity of hope.

Building Blocksfor Success

Supervisor Michael Frey(R-Sully)

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By Carmen Jordan

All youth need stability and loving parentsto give them the best chance for successin life. This is why finding adoptive homesand permanent traditional foster homes

for our youth is so critical. Over the last six years, asa Fairfax Families4Kids mentor, I have seen fosteryouth struggle, especially when circumstance hascaused them to be moved frequently from foster careplacement to foster care placement (including tradi-tional foster homes and foster group homes).

There is one 14-year-old youth in particular that Irecall that was originally removed from his biologi-cal home, then lived with another biological familymember for a time, then was moved into a tradi-tional foster home, then to a group foster facility—all of this taking place over a few short years. Thisyouth has been participating at group FF4Kidsmentoring events for several years. I remember thepoor behavior demonstrated at times by this youthat the group events, including not following the rules,speaking out of turn in an effort to gain attention,occasional physical outbursts due to not being ableto control his anger, actually teasing other fosteryouth in an effort to get them to chase him aroundthe room.

This behavior was his way of crying out for thelove and attention he was not receiving at “home.”He wanted so desperately to be seen and heard byanyone in his life. This foster youth was just recentlyplaced in a loving, adoptive home. The youth’s be-havior at the group mentoring events has made acomplete turnaround. He no longer needs to be thecenter of attention, always has a smile on his face,and demonstrates positive interaction with both men-tors/volunteers and the other foster youth. This isdue to him finally feeling safe and knowing that thereare loving adults that he can trust to protect andtake care of him. There is no amount of support fromthe county, school system, programs, and organiza-tions that can replicate the day in and day out sup-port that a child receives from a loving family.

MY HOPE is that as a community, we do more toseek out Fairfax County families that are willing toprovide loving adoptive and long-term foster homesfor foster youth. There is a reason that the name ofour program is “Fairfax Families4Kids.” It is our mis-sion to find Fairfax County families for these fosterkids. Mentoring through the program helps preparethese youth for placement. The county’s ability tomore effectively find long-term, loving homes forfoster youth is the key to a foster youth’s ability togrow to become mature, responsible, independentadults.

I have mentored many foster youth both throughtheir years in foster care and their transition out offoster care. Though many foster youth have positivetransitions out of foster care into independent, adultlives, there are many foster youth whose outcomesare less successful.

I can tell you stories about Fairfax County fosteryouth that transition out and become homelesswithin weeks or months. They share with me the“life skills” they have learned to survive.

“The metro trains/buses run all night except 3 to6 a.m., so if you have metro money, you can ride allday and night to stay warm. Then you just need towalk the streets during those hours.

* Another youth said he sleeps on the floor of a

friend’s motel room or catches a few hours of sleepat the 24-hour McDonald’s until the police ask himto leave.

* They can tell you about their stays at the variouscommunity homeless shelters. “The crack heads andheroin addicts will steal from you so you need tokeep your stuff with you at all times.”

* They will tell you where they can find publiccomputers where they can apply online for jobs. Theycan make enough money to feed themselves but notenough to find permanent housing. They live withhealth ailments because they no longer have healthinsurance.

AT TIMES it is painful to witness, but as mentors,our mentoring does not cease just because they tran-sition out of foster care. Through FF4Kids mentoring,a trusting relationship is formed, allowing fosteryouth to be receptive to the advice and counselingthat we have to offer. This is key: if there is no trust,it is difficult for foster youth to accept advice andcounseling.

For many of these foster youth, the relationshipsthey have with their mentor is the longest term rela-tionship they have with a responsible adult. I can’ttell you how many times a social worker, case worker,life skills coach or foster parent has said “Carmen,you have known him longer. Talk to him and explainhow important it is for him to stay in school, obtainhis high school diploma.”

It has been an honor and privilege to mentor manyof the foster youth within our Fairfax County com-munity. They have taught me more about persever-ance through adversity than I could ever teach them.Mentoring can be difficult at times, they will makemissteps along the way but they will also surpriseyou with their ability to accomplish goals they haveset for themselves in an effort to become mature,independent young adults. Mentoring is about be-ing there for them through the ups and downs!

Carmen Jordan, mentor for FairfaxFamilies4Kids: “My hope is that, as acommunity, we do more to seek outFairfax County families that are willing toprovide loving adoptive and long-termfoster homes for foster youth.”

Making the DifferenceBetween Struggle and Success

About the AuthorCarmen Jordan of Reston has been a mentor for Fairfax

Families4Kids for six years. She is considered one of themost experienced mentors in the program. In addition toworking full-time as a marquee account manager at Deltekin Herndon, Jordan makes herself available to “trouble-shoot” for the children and families she mentors. In thefollowing column, she details her experiences with theprogram, and at-risk foster youth.


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Spencer Weiss is the latest Eagle Scoutin Troop 673 sponsored by the GreatFalls United Methodist Men. Spencer,

who is currently the senior patrol leader ofthe troop, began his scouting career in 2004as a Cub Scout in Pack 1884, where he wasthe undefeated Pinewood Derby championfrom 2004-2009.

For his Eagle project, Spencer plannedand led over 40 volunteers to construct aset of stairs and a path between EmbryRucker Community Shelter and Reston Re-gional library using primarily reclaimedmaterials.

A freshman at Jefferson High School,Spencer earned the National OutdoorAward for Camping in September of 2012.He participates in football, Model UN, andthe student council. Spencer Weiss

Your Home…Your Neighborhood…Your Newspaper

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Opinion

By Pam Michell

executive director, New Hope

Housing, Inc.

George and Mary spentmany years homelessand unsheltered inFairfax County. Yes,

Fairfax County, one of the wealthi-est counties in the country. But inFairfax County, homeless personssuch as George and Mary are gen-erally hidden. They live in thewoods, behind dumpsters, and inshopping centers. Out of sight, outof mind.

For many years, local non-profitpartners have been working withcounty staff day in and day out tooffer persons who find themselveshomeless a chance to start anew.When given the stability of hous-ing and the support of profession-als and volunteers, homelessadults—including those who havelived many years on the streetsand in the woods—can and dochange and become stable, con-tributing members of our commu-nity. We non-profit homeless ser-vices providers can tell story uponstory of what a difference stablehousing and supports can make ina life of someone whom othershave given up on, whom othershave discarded as “hopeless.”

In January 2012, 697 singleadults were counted as homelessin Fairfax County and 51 percentof them (353) were chronicallyhomeless—12 consecutive monthsor four separate incidences ofhomelessness in the past threeyears; 24 percent of homelessadults were unsheltered. Thesenumbers are going up.

This month you can help us findout who is “out there.” You canhear their stories and you can helpprovide them the housing theyneed.

As part of a nationwide effort toput a name and a face to each

number, the Fairfax-Falls Churchcommunity is participating in anational campaign—100K Homes—that will help us understandwho is homeless, why they arehomeless and how we can getthem housed.

Join us on Feb. 25, 26, and/or27, as a part of a volunteer teamvisiting campsites to interviewhomeless individuals. On March 1we will give a detailed report to thecommunity about who we foundand where we go from here. Seehttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/homeless/100khomes/ for details.

Help us help everyone in FairfaxCounty find a way home.

For more information on NewHope Housing in Alexandria, go to

www.newhopehousing.org.

Homeless, Not Hopeless

To the Editor:Thank you for the wonderful

articles highlighting the positiveimpact of Fairfax Families4Kidsand the relationships and fami-lies that have come about be-cause of the program.

As a mentor, I know first-hand how important mentoringprograms such as FairfaxFamilies4Kids can be in a child’slife.

Initially I got involved with

FF4Kids because Iwanted to give back. Inother words, I wanted tobe there for children be-cause I have had adultsin my life that havementored me andhelped to mold me intothe person I am today.

Also, my grandparentsand my mother havebeen foster parents and I have seenthe impact on foster kids of hav-

ing loving/caring adultsin their lives.

What I have realizedis that spending timewith the kids has had atremendous impact onme. I think of the vari-ous experiences of thekids—multiple fosterhomes, aging out with-out a place to live or nojob. It always remindsme to remember how

truly blessed I am no matter whathappens. If they can survive the

hand life has dealt to themthen there is nothing I cannotovercome. I continue to beamazed and humbled by theirresiliency.

To see the challenges theyhave aging out of the systemmakes me want to do all I canto ensure they have the supportthey need. We are more thanmentors and mentees. We area family.

Shavonne HayesSterling

ShavonneHayes

Pho

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by Jo

an Brady

We Are a Family

Homeless camp: InJanuary 2012, 697 singleadults were counted ashomeless in FairfaxCounty and 51 percent ofthem (353) were chroni-cally homeless.

The Fairfax-Falls Church community is participating in anational campaign—100K Homes—that will help in un-derstanding who is homeless, why they are homeless andhow we can get them housed.

Photos

contributed

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Letters to the Editor

In Support ofRiverbend ParkMaster PlanTo the Editor:

I am a Boy Scout from Troop 712based in Chantilly and I am writ-ing about the proposed RiverbendPark master plan. The reason I’vechosen to write about this is be-cause I’ve been to Riverbend Parknumerous times and really enjoymy visits there. I want to give mysupport for implementing theRiverbend Park master plan.

Riverbend Park is located inGreat Falls, right along thePotomac River. The park has a to-tal of 400 acres of forests andmeadows. It also contains a 2.5-mile section of the Potomac Heri-tage Trail. The park already in-cludes a visitor’s center, naturecenter, pavilion and parking lots.I think that out of all of thechanges proposed, the most im-portant and useful are the follow-ing: reconfiguration of the mainentrance, the addition of a naturewatching tower and the new out-door pavilions/classrooms.

Through the reconfiguration ofthe entrance the guardhousewould be moved farther back intothe park. Moving the guardhouse

WriteThe Connection welcomes views

on any public issue.The deadline for all material isnoon Friday. Letters must be

signed. Include home address andhome and business numbers.

Letters are routinely edited forlibel, grammar, good taste and

factual errors.Send to:

Letters to the EditorThe Connection1606 King St.

Alexandria VA 22314Call: 703-917-6444.

By e-mail:[email protected]

will allow the cars farther into thepark. This in turn will greatly re-duce the amount of traffic on themain road and make it less of ahassle for people with housesneighboring the park. Thereconfiguration will also make aseparate road running out of thepark to allow one-way traffic inand out.

The nature tower will be builton a meadow that was a part ofthe original Conn’s farm. Therewill be a map in the tower and in-terpretive features about the farmand wildlife. On this meadowthere will also be historical farmequipment, trails and hayrides. Ithink that this will be a great ad-dition to the park for being ableto see the park’s scenery.

The outdoor classrooms willplay a huge role in education ofchildren. Currently, without theadditions, the park can hold threeclasses simultaneously, two in-doors and one outdoors. With theoutdoor classrooms there will bespace for three more classes. Therewould be a large pavilion for 130people or two classes. This willallow more classes, and thereforemore income, for the park.

The original master plan con-tained this goal as the quote,“Riverbend Park is a nature pre-

serve managed to protect the bio-logical communities and culturalResources of the Potomac Gorge,while providing a natural space foreducation, research, and outdoorrecreation that is compatible withpreservation goals.” I think thatwith all of the proposed improve-ments, Riverbend Park will con-tinue to meet the goals originallyestablished. This is why I’m in sup-port of implementing the originalmaster plan at Riverbend Park.

Jamison StevensOak Hill

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THIS IS “JUNE”June may be the summer surpriseyou’ve been hoping for. She’sadorable, a real sweetheart, very smartand loving to everyone who crossesher path. She will play for hours withher siblings, but would love to havesomeone special to call her very own.If a 55 pound, almost year old bundleof joy is on your wish list, come andmeet June and have years of best daysforever. Attributes:CUDDLEBUG!

10 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ February 6-12, 2013 Great Falls Connection ❖ February 6-12, 2013 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Dr. Donna Greco completed her undergradu-ate studies in fine art, and after a briefprofessional career as a graphic artist, shereturned to dental school and earned herDoctorate of Medicinal Dentistry from theUniversity of Kentucky in 2002.As a dental student, she was selected as oneof only three dental students to ever completethe year-long clinical research trainingprogram at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland,studying head and neck development. Aftergraduation, she returned to the D.C. area

and eventually settled in Loudoun County, where she resides withher husband, Craig, and their daughter. Dr. Greco participates inextensive continuing education and training in all aspects of herprofession, including her particular areas of interest which areesthetic and cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics and dentofacialorthopedics, dentistry for children and TMJ disorders.

Professional Memberships* American Orthodontic Society* Academy of General Dentistry* American Dental Association* Virginia Dental Association

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Wellbeing

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Randy Weadon walks six mileseach day around the perimetersof his retirement community,Greenspring in Springfield. He

also does crossword puzzles daily.“During tax season, I walk

around the halls and mentally domy income taxes in my head,” saidWeadon, a retired Coast Guard of-ficer. “If I had not started walk-ing, I don’t know if I’d be alive. Iam 86-and-a-half years old, but Idon’t feel that age at all.”

Geriatric experts say healthylifestyle habits like regular exer-cise, eating a nutritious diet andbrain challenges can help preservemental health as we age.

“The one thing that I always tellmy patients is that if you don’tuse it, you lose it. I recommend

Preserving Mental Health as We Age

Geriatric experts say healthy lifestyle habits like regular exercise, eatinga nutritious diet and brain challenges can help preserve mental healthas we age.

crossword puzzles, mentally challenginggames and reading, especially about cur-rent events,” said Dr. Lisa Calusic, a psy-chiatrist at Inova Behavioral Health Ser-vices in Alexandria, and an Arlington, resi-dent.

Researchers Pamela Greenwood and RajaParasuraman, professors at the Departmentof Psychology at George Mason Universityin Fairfax, have spent more than 20 yearsstudying the way the human brain ages witha focus on Alzheimer’s disease. The twowrote a book, “Nurturing the Older Brainand Mind,” in which they explore ways

middle-aged people can stave offmental deterioration.

“We know that if we can put offdementing illnesses, even by a yearor two through lifestyle changes, thatwill reduce the number of peoplewith Alzheimer’s disease, which isreaching epidemic proportions,”Parasuraman says.

The duo says that preventing andstaving off mental deterioration ismore important than ever now thatworkers are staying employedlonger for economic reasons. Physi-cal activity is an important tool aswell.

“Exercise [is] the ‘lifestyle’ factorwith the strongest effect,” saidGreenwood. “A number of differentresearch groups have found benefitsof aerobic exercise on both brainstructure and function, and on cog-nitive performance.”

Joel Martin, a professor of kinesi-ology at George Mason, agrees:“Regular exercise has been proven toslow the aging process,” he said.“People have their actual age, whichthey can’t do anything about, andtheir biological age. Someone could be 40years old, live a very inactive lifestyle andnot eat very well, which may cause them tobe closer to 60 in terms of their biologicalage. Vice versa: Someone who is 60 couldbe very active and eat a healthy diet andfeel like they are much younger, perhaps abiological age closer to mid-40s.”

As an octogenarian, Weadon credits hissharpness to regular mental challenges.Martin agrees. “Regularly engaging in ac-tivities requiring cognitive function is im-portant,” said Martin. “Most tissues in thebody respond to stress placed on it by be-

Randy Weadon, 86, does crosswordpuzzles and walks six miles each day.

Experts say diet,exercise and mentalstimulation are key.

Photos Contributed

“Exercise [is] the ‘lifestyle’factor with the strongest effect.A number of different researchgroups have found benefits ofaerobic exercise on both brainstructure and function and oncognitive performance.”

— Pamela Greenwood, Ph.D.,George Mason University

coming stronger or adapting to handle thestimulus you place on it. If you lift weights,your muscles get bigger and stronger. If youdon’t do any sort of physical activity tostimulate your muscles, then they getsmaller and become weaker. The brain isthe same way, it needs regular stimulationto maintain its function.”

Experts also say not to rule out the im-portance of good nutrition. “The antioxi-dants in foods, especially fruits and veg-etables, can help to preserve and protecttissues from damage that occurs as part ofthe natural aging process,” said Martin.


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And a further explanation and corollary tolast week’s column: “A Simple Question,”which attempted to sort through my reactionsto being asked an extremely innocent, appro-priate, well-intended and always appreciatedcourtesy: “How are you?” and the problemthat it sometimes causes me. That problembeing: a question which had it not been askedwould then not require an answer. An answerthat I’ll always give, but not before I’ve given itsome thought, which if I hadn’t thought about,wouldn’t have bothered me in the least. Andin the most, it doesn’t really bother me, butafter four years, a sort of cancer-fatigue has setin. I’m tired of talking about it. “Not thatthere’s anything wrong with that”; being askedthe obvious question. Still, if I’m going to keeppretending that my coast is semi-clear, I’drather not be reminded that five hundredyears ago, that coast/that horizon representedthe end of the world.

This first paragraph was yet anotherattempt by yours truly to offer some insightinto the thought process of a cancer survivor(OK, maybe just this cancer survivor; or a per-son with some issues, although I would denythat). The related point being that there arethe obvious problems being a cancer patient(need I elaborate?) and then there are the less-than-obvious, almost subliminal-type problemswhich can just as easily ruin your day – andnight, as much if not more than a chemo-cocktail infused straight into your body for sixhours every three weeks can.

And just like the Philadelphia-born come-dian, David Brenner, used to joke about mos-quitoes: “It’s not the ones you hear you shouldworry about, it’s the ones you can’t hear.” Sotoo with cancer. There’s plenty to worry aboutthat you know – or think you know or haveheard about, or maybe have even anticipated:lab work, diagnostic scans, biopsies, surgery,chemotherapy, radiation, doctor’s appoint-ments, etc. But it’s the down time, the privatetime alone and away from all the people,places and things with which you’ve grownfamiliar and dare I admit, accustomed, thatbecomes cherished. Then, when you leastexpect it, a courtesy question inquiring aboutyour overall health, not even one particularlycancer-centric. Still, the question takes you (atleast it does to me), right back to cancer cen-tral. The one place – for me, I try to avoid.The one place I never imagined I’d be, andnow that I’m there often, the one place whereI’d rather not be reminded that I semi-reside.

Four years post diagnosis, I realize this jack-pot I find myself in is hardly a winning hand,and it’s more than a bad dream. It’s a reality.Yet avoiding the nightmare directly – and indi-rectly, as often as possible, has been my M.O. Ican’t say I’ve been particularly successfuldoing so, but I’ve had my moments and havemade my peace. However, it’s the randomnature of the spoken and written word thatoccasionally has undercut my emotional foun-dation. A foundation built on a lifetime livingand learning, trying not to make a bad situa-tion worse; and one striving to not be irra-tional, unreasonable, illogical and ill-preparedfor all that life throws at you. I ceded controlfour years ago and now when I’m asked, ‘HowI’m doing?’, I’m always reminded how fragileand unpredictable life can be; “the slings andarrows of outrageous fortune,” as Cerphe usedto say back in the day, on the original WHFS.

I know – and appreciate – that you have toask. Please understand that sometimes, I mightnot feel like answering.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

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Burke6010 Wilmington Dr...........$579,900.....Sun 1-4........David Unterman.............RE/MAX..703-869-1876

Centreville6487 Trillium House Ln......$999,900...Sun 10-4.............Jean Marotta.......Birch Haven..703-402-9471

13837 Wakley Ct ................ $339,900.....Sun 1-4...............Dan Mleziva.............REMAX ..703-380-9915

Fairfax6050 Colchester Rd............$649,900.....Sun 1-4..Carol Hermandorfer...Long & Foster..703-503-1812

13403 Foxhole Dr............. $365,000.....Sun 1-4 ....... Jo Ann L. Prociv...Long & Foster..703-966-3351

Fairfax Station8030 Woodland Hills Ln..$1,100,000.....Sun 2-4 ...................Pat Fales.............RE/MAX..703-503-4365

Great Falls909 Falls Manors Ct.........$1,575,000.....Sun 1-4..............Glynis Canto..Keller Williams..703-395-2355

McLean1825 Westmoreland St.......$599,000.....Sun 1-4...............Kevin Canto..Keller Williams..703-338-9416

Stafford195 Tangwood Ln...............$210,000.....Sun 1-4 ...............Karen Paris..Keller Williams..571-220-7503

Vienna9119 Cricklewood Ct ..........$829,000.....Sun 2-4...........J. D. Callander............Weichert..703-281-1025

OPEN HOUSESSATURDAY/SUNDAY,FEBRUARY 9 & 10

Call Specific Agents to Confirm Dates & Times

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

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com and click on the “This Week in Real Estate” link.

To add your FREE Realtor represented Open House tothese weekly listings, please contact Salome Gaibler

at 703-778-9421 or [email protected] listings are due by Monday at 3 P.M.

Beginning Sunday, Feb. 3, theAntioch Christian Church willexplore the purpose for everyperson’s life, answering the question,“Why am I here?” The church is lo-cated at 1860 Beulah Road in Viennaand worship service times on Sun-days are at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.Child care is provided. 703-938-6753or http://www.antiochdoc.org.

Great Falls United MethodistMen invite you to their annual pan-cake dinner Tuesday, Feb. 12, from5:30-7:30 p.m. at 10100Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. Din-ner is free and donations areaccepted. All proceeds will be sent toThe Society of St. Andrew to helpfeed the hungry. For more informa-tion call the church at 703-759-3705.

Emotions Anonymous, a 12-step recovery program, offers weeklystep meetings in Vienna for recoveryfor couples from a wide range ofproblems. Join on Mondays from 8-9 p.m. at Emmanuel LutheranChurch, 2589 Chain Bridge Rd.,Vienna. 703-209-0658.

St. Francis Episcopal Church,9220 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls,offers three Sunday services and ahost of musical, educational, out-reach, and fellowship ministries toenrich spiritual growth. 7:45 a.m.Worship Service without music; 9a.m. Worship Service, Children’sChapel and Children’s Choirs; 10

a.m. Sunday School and Adult Fo-rum; and 11 a.m. Worship Servicewith Adult Choir. 703-759-2082.

Redeemer Lutheran Church,1545 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, atthe intersection with WestmorelandStreet has Sunday worship with HolyCommunion at 8:30 a.m., traditionalstyle worship; 9:45 a.m., contempo-rary style worship; and 11 a.m.,traditional style worship. SundaySchool and Adult Forum is at 9:45a.m.

Unitarian Universalist Con-gregation of Fairfax , 2709Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, offers arich and unique Religious Explora-tion (RE) program for all children,from pre-K toddlers through highschool seniors, emphasizing explora-tion of all religious traditions whiledeveloping a personal spiritual path.Registration for the RE program,which offers classes on Saturday af-ternoons and Sunday mornings, isnow open by calling 703-281-4230.

Trinity United MethodistChurch, 1205 Dolley MadisonBlvd., McLean, Sunday worship ser-vices are at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.Sunday School for adults is at 9:30a.m. and for children during the10:30 a.m. worship service. YouthGroup for grades 7-12 meets Sun-days at 6 p.m. A 20-minute service ofHoly Communion is held eachWednesday at 12 p.m. 703-356-3312or umtrinity.org.

Faith Notes

Faith Notes are for announcements and events in the faith community.Send to [email protected]. Deadline is Friday.

News

By Victoria Ross

The Connection Newspapers

Local grocery stores were packed this week-end with shoppers stocking up on SuperBowl snacks for the annual football fanparty. At the Wal-Mart in Fairfax, shoppers

were greeted with colorful displays of chips, dips andother party favorites.

They were also greeted by volunteers from OurDaily Bread (ODB), who were handing out flyers andencouraging shoppers to donate gift cards or spe-cific items to restock ODB’s pantry shelves. A Fairfaxnonprofit for nearly 30 years, ODB provides food andother critical services to the working poor, the eld-erly and the disabled. More than half of ODB’s cli-ents are local children.

Dianne Hon, a Vienna resident, said “Stuff the Bus”makes it easy to donate. “I am already here for gro-ceries and other items, especially since it’s the daybefore the Super Bowl, so it’s very convenient to pickup a few extra items for a worthy cause,” Hon said.

“Thank you for doing this,” Hon said to the volun-teers. “You made this so easy.”

Jonathan and Roxanne Daley of Fairfax donated agift card to the campaign. “It’s too easy to forget thatthere are people in Fairfax County who go hungry,”Roxanne Daley said. “I love the gift card idea. It’seasy and you know you’re helping someone get whatthey want.”

FAIRFAX BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIR-MAN Sharon Bulova, who greeted shoppers andencouraged them to donate on Saturday, Feb. 2, saidgift cards are especially helpful for a number of rea-sons.

“There’s a dignity about it,” Bulova said. “You don’tstand out from other shoppers with a gift card, andyou can purchase what you want for a special recipe,or if you have specific dietary needs.”

Chris Garris, ODB’s food program manager andvolunteer coordinator, said they are encouragingmore people to donate gift cards, particularly becausethey help clients purchase fresh food. “A $20 gift card

helps families supplement our pantry’s non-perish-able food with milk and meat.”

Garris said the timing of the Stuff the Bus cam-paign—which is intentionally scheduled betweenMartin Luther King Day in January and PresidentsDay in February—is important for local pantries be-cause it occurs after the seasonal dose of good will.

“During the fall and holiday season, Our DailyBread’s food pantry is overwhelmed with donationsfrom the community,” she said. “But by February, oursupplies are often running low even though the needfor food is greater than ever.”

“Stuff the Bus is an important component in re-stocking pantries after the holidays,” Bulova said.“The need for healthy food is ever growing and theinterest for Fairfax County residents to help is there,so we are happily providing the bridge to bring themtogether.”

THE CAMPAIGN, now in its third year, is a part-nership between Fairfax County Office of Public Pri-vate Partnerships (OP3); MV Transportation Inc.,which operates the FASTRAN buses and providesvolunteers; local nonprofits; and grocery store chains.All donations go directly to local nonprofit organi-zations that help feed needy families and individu-als in the Fairfax-Falls Church Community.

“The residents of Fairfax and our partners, like MVTransportation and Frank & Co., have really comeout in support of Stuff the Bus this year. Each year,we get more donations,” said Michael Artson, chiefplanner with the county’s Neighborhood and Com-munity Services (NCS) Department, one of the fooddrive’s organizers.

“Food pantries address a critical need which is es-pecially acute after the holidays, the Stuff the Buscampaign helps us help our community. Its impor-tance to helping stock the shelves can’t be over-stated,” said Roxanne Rice, executive director, Foodfor Others.

Last year, more than 25,000 lbs. of food was col-lected for local pantries, all benefiting local nonprofitsthat help feed needy families in the Fairfax commu-nity.

At the end of Saturday’s Stuff the Bus campaign,Juliet Reyes of Herndon, a Wal-Mart employee, whowas in the middle of her shift as a cashier, askedODB volunteers if she could donate cash. “I’ve beenlistening to people talk about this, and I want to helptoo. People here shouldn’t go hungry.”

‘Stuff the Bus’ Campaign HelpsFeed the HungryDonations continue toincrease as campaignenters third year.

Irene Bak, with FastTran, and GlennPadeway, with Fairfax County’s Neighbor-hood and Community Services Depart-ment, brave chilly weather on Saturday,Feb. 3, to promote Fairfax County’s “Stuffthe Bus” campaign at the Fairfax Wal-Mart.

(From left) Angie Carrera of Op3; ChrisGarris, Our Daily Bread’s food programmanager and volunteer coordinator;Sharon Bulova, Chairman of the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors and WendyLemieux of OP3 encourage shoppers topurchase gift cards.

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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA450 ORCHARD STREET, NW

VIENNA, VA 22180703-938-8525

[email protected]

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 11:00 AMCHURCH SCHOOL 9:30AM-10:30AMMIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM

Visit These Houses of WorshipTo Highlight Your Faith Community, call Karen at 703-917-6468

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

Cristo Es Mi Refugio...703-675-0144

Baha’iBaha’i Faith for Northern Virginia ...

703-821-3345

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

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

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

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

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

BuddhistVajrayogini Buddhist Center... 202-331-2122

Church of the BrethernOakton Church of the Brethern

... 703-281-4411

CatholicOur Lady of Good Counsel ... 703-938-2828

St. Athanasius Catholic Church ... 703-759-4555St. Mark’s Catholic Church ... 703-281-9100

CharismaticChristian Assembly ... 703-698-9777

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

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

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

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

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

LutheranEmmanuel Lutheran Church...703-938-2119

Christ The King Lutheran Church...703-759-6068St. Athanasius Lutheran Church... 703-455-4003

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

Church of the Good Shepherd ... 703-281-3987The Vine Methodist Church ... 703-573-5336Ephiphany United Methodist ... 703-938-3494Great Falls United Methodist... 703-759-3705

Oakton United Methodist ... 703-938-1233Vale United Methodist ... 703-620-2594

Smith Chapel United Methodist ... 571-434-9680Wesley United Methodist ... 703-938-8700

Non-DenominationalCelebration Center for Spiritual Living

... 703-560-2030Christian Assembly Church ... 703-698-9777

PresbyterianGrace Orthodox Presbyterian Church ...

703-560-6336Korean Central Presbyterian ... 703-698-5577

Vienna Presbyterian ... 703-938-9050

QuakerLangley Hills Friends...703-442-8394

Seventh-Day AdventistNorthern Virginia Christian Fellowship ...

703-242-9001Vienna Seventh Day Adventists ...

703-938-8383

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

United Church of ChristEmmaus United Church of Christ ...

703-938-1555Unity

Unity of Fairfax ... 703-281-1767

7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Sunday school: preschool - grade 2Music: grades 3 - 7

10:25 a.m. Sunday School Grades 3 to 12Music 4 years to 2nd grade

11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II5:00 p.m. Come Just as You Are Contemporary Service

Nursery care provided at 9:00 a.m. service

The Rev. James Papile, RectorThe Rev. Jacqueline Thomson

The Rev. Laura Cochran703-437-6530

www.stannes-reston.org1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston

ST. ANNE’SEPISCOPALCHURCH • Reston

Progressive & Welcoming

SATURDAY/FEB. 9Balducci’s Wine Day. 8 a.m.-8 p.m.,

at Balducci’s, 6655 Old DominionDrive, McLean. Prep for the big dayas you join professional winemakers,importers and aficionados as theysample various wines, traderecommendations and share stories;25 percent off 12-plus bottlepurchases. www.balduccis.com.

TUESDAY/FEB. 12Martinis and Manicures. 5-9 p.m., at

the Day Spa at The Ritz-Carlton,1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean.Celebrate friendship at the girls-onlyevent with a cocktail, sweet treatsfrom the pastry chefs, estheticiansproviding manicures, petite facialsand mini massages. Reservations.703-744-3924.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 13Sealed With a Kiss. 10:30 a.m., at

Dolley Madison Library, 1244 OakRidge Ave., McLean. Valentine’sstories and activities for children ages3-5 accompanied by an adult.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/dm/.

THURSDAY/FEB. 14Valentine’s Day Dinner. 5:30-9:30

p.m., in Bistro, at The Ritz-Carlton,1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. Anelegant evening of gourmet culinarycreations in an intimate setting withlive music duo accompaniment—oreat at the Sushi Bar where chefsprepare a customized meal. $125 perperson for gourmet dinner.www.ritzcarlton.com.

Wildfire Valentine’s Day Weekend.5-10:30 p.m., at Wildfire, 1714International Drive, McLean. For aromantic dinner in a cozy booth or aspecial treat while celebrating withthe family, the four course menuoffers gourmet choices in the starter,salad, main course and dessertportions of the meal, offered everyevening through Sunday, Feb. 17.Reservations. 703-442-9110.

FRIDAY/FEB. 15Chocolate and Jazz. 8:30 p.m.-

midnight at The Ritz-Carlton, 1700Tysons Blvd., McLean. An evening oflive jazz, rich chocolate from theChocolate Buffet Bar and a bottle ofchampagne. $25 per person or $85per couple (champagne included).www.ritzcarlton.com.

Celebrate Valentine’s

Here are some ways to wax romantic or celebratory on a Valentine’s outing:

SATURDAY/FEB. 16Chef Matt’s Cooking Class. 5-7 p.m.,

at The Ritz-Carlton, 1700 TysonsBlvd., McLean. An evening ofgourmet cooking classes for twoteaches couples how to make a fullValentine’s Day dinner and offers aspace for them to enjoy theircreations. www.ritzcarlton.com. $150per couple. www.ritzcarlton.com.

Chocolate Bar and Live Music. 9p.m.-midnight at the Entyse Wine Bar& Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, 1700Tysons Blvd., McLean. Live musicand rich chocolate define theevening, where champagne and achocolate buffet tempt the palate.$25 per person or $85 per couple(champagne included).www.ritzcarlton.com.

Wildfire serves parmesan-crusted steak as part of theirFour Course Menu for Two, offered on Valentine’s Daythrough Sunday, Feb. 17.

See Entertainment,

Page 17

THURSDAY/FEB. 7One-on-one Computer

Tutoring. 2 p.m., at OaktonLibrary, 10304 Lynnhaven Place,Oakton. Learn the basics of theInternet, Word and Excel; call forappointment. 703-242-4020 orwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/ok/.

Great Falls TrailblazersMeeting. 7:30 p.m., at GreatFalls Library, 9830 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Discusstrailblazing plans for the year,with concentration on the trail inprogress on Colvin Run/WalkerRoad, Arnon Chapel, Springvaleand Beach Mill/Jeffery Road.www.GreatFallsTrailBlazers.org.

Solas. 8 p.m., at Wolf Trap, 1635Trap Road, Vienna. America’spremiere Irish folk ensemble playssongs narrating the life of bandleader Seamus Egan’s great-greatuncle in his immigrant struggleduring the Industrial Revolution.$22. www.wolftrap.org.

FRIDAY/FEB. 8Veal Parmesan Dinner. 5:30-8

p.m., at the Vienna AmericanLegion, 330 Center St. N, Vienna.Enjoy veal parmesan on spaghettiwith salad and garlic bread withthe community. $10. 703-938-9535.

Forgiveness Workshop. 7-9 p.m.,at Unity of Fairfax, 2854 HunterMill Road, Oakton. SophyBurnham, author of thebestselling book, Book of Angels,holds a workshop on forgiveness.www.forgivenessworkshop.brownpapertickets.com.ItalianAmerican Reconciliation. 8p.m., at 1st Stage, 1524 SpringHill Road, Tysons Corner. Aromantic comedy from the author“Moonstruck” and “Doubt” followsHuey Bonfigliano as he takes tothe arts after his divorce, but badpoetry isn’t enough and hedecides to try and win back his exwith the help of friends. $25; $15for students. 703-854-1856 orwww.1ststagetysons.org.

Solas. 8 p.m., at Wolf Trap, 1635Trap Road, Vienna. America’spremiere Irish folk ensemble playssongs narrating the life of bandleader Seamus Egan’s great-greatuncle in his immigrant struggleduring the Industrial Revolution.$22. www.wolftrap.org.

Proposals. 8 p.m., at the ViennaCommunity Center, 127 CenterSt. S., Vienna. The Neil Simoncomedy recalls the Hines familygathered at their retreat in thePoconos in the summer of 1953:

romantic entanglements coalescein one idyllic afternoon in theelegiac memory play. $11 forstudents and seniors 65-plus; $13.703-255-6399.

SATURDAY/FEB. 9Balducci’s Wine Day. 8 a.m.-8

p.m., at Balducci’s, 6655 OldDominion Drive, McLean. Joinprofessional winemakers,importers and aficionados as theysample various wines, traderecommendations and sharestories; 25 percent off 12-plusbottle purchases.www.balduccis.com.

Forgiveness Workshop. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Unity of Fairfax, 2854Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. SophyBurnham, author of thebestselling book, Book of Angels,holds a workshop on forgiveness.www.forgivenessworkshop.brownpapertickets.com.

Furnace Hills Coffee Tasting. 11a.m.-3 p.m., at Whole Foods, 143Maple Ave. E., Vienna. TheWestminster, Md.-based roastersare launching their NorthernVirginia sales with a free tastingwith owners Dave and ErinBaldwin on hand. http://furnacehillscoffee.com/our-story/.

Italian AmericanReconciliation. 2 p.m. and 8p.m., at 1st Stage, 1524 SpringHill Road, Tysons Corner. Aromantic comedy from the author“Moonstruck” and “Doubt”follows Huey Bonfigliano as hetakes to the arts after his divorce,but bad poetry isn’t enough andhe decides to try and win back hisex with the help of friends. $25;$15 for students. 703-854-1856or www 1ststagetysons.org.

Southside Johnny & The PoorFools. 7:30 p.m., at Wolf Trap,1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Frontman of The Ashbury JukesSouthside Johnny Lyon joinsforces with The Poor Fools andplays an ad hoc rock n’ rollroutine. www.wolftrap.org.

Proposals. 8 p.m., at the ViennaCommunity Center, 127 CenterSt. S., Vienna. The Neil Simoncomedy recalls the Hines familygathered at their retreat in thePoconos in the summer of 1953:romantic entanglements coalescein one idyllic afternoon in theelegiac memory play. $11 forstudents and seniors 65-plus; $13.703-255-6399.

Entertainment

Author of the bestseller Book of Angels, Sophie Burnham, gives a Forgive-ness Workshop on Friday, Feb. 8, from 7-9 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 9, from10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Burnham’s presentation is part of the Season for Nonviolence; get tickets atwww.forgivenessworkshop.brownpapertickets.com and learn about the Sea-son for Nonviolence at www.unityoffairfax.org/season-nonviolence.

Send announcements to [email protected]. Deadline isThursday for the following week’s paper. Photos/artwork encouraged. Foradditional listings, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com

Author Sophie Burnham on Forgiveness


Children of Colvin RunElementary School gatheredin the school sport auditoriumon Monday, Feb. 4, to markthe beginning of the school’sfood donation program.

According to one of theorganizers, Alex Miller, a fifthgrade teacher in the school,“the idea of a food donationprogram was suggested by thePTO,” while the schoolembarked on sensitizing thechildren through the morningnews show.

Under the program, stu-dents will deposit theirunopened milk, yogurt, chipsand other food in speciallymarked coolers and bins.These will be delivered byvolunteers twice weekly toReston Interfaith. Also, foillined bags and empty juicepouches will be collected forthe fourth grade tetra cyclingservice project.

The event featured a shortplay by the students and aribbon-cutting ceremony.Present at the event were allthe students, teachers,volunteers and parents.

—Olufemi Akinsitan

Students of Colvin Run Elementary School in a shortplay at the food donation ceremony.

Colvin Run Elementary Gives to Those in Need

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SUNDAY/FEB. 10Italian American Reconciliation. 2

p.m. and 7 p.m., at 1st Stage, 1524Spring Hill Road, Tysons Corner. Aromantic comedy from the author“Moonstruck” and “Doubt” followsHuey Bonfigliano as he takes to thearts after his divorce, but bad poetryisn’t enough and he decides to try andwin back his ex with the help offriends. $25; $15 for students. 703-854-1856 or www 1ststagetysons.org.

Proposals. 3 p.m., at the ViennaCommunity Center, 127 Center St.S., Vienna. The Neil Simon comedyrecalls the Hines family gathered attheir retreat in the Poconos in thesummer of 1953: romanticentanglements coalesce in one idyllicafternoon in the elegiac memoryplay. $11 for students and seniors 65-plus; $13. 703-255-6399.

Feel the Spirit. 3 p.m., at ViennaPresbyterian Church, 124 Park St.,N.E., Vienna. Celebrate Black HistoryMonth with a concert arranged byMoses Hogan of VPC. $6.www.metchorus.org/concerts.

Country Western Dance. 4:30-10p.m., at Colvin Run Community Hall,10201 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.Dance the 2-step, country waltz,West and East Coast swing, cha-cha,line dance and more with lessons allafternoon leading up to the 6:30 p.m.dance; no partner needed. $15(includes lessons and access toloaded snack bar).www.colvinrun.org.

TUESDAY/FEB. 12Martinis and Manicures. 5-9 p.m., at

the Day Spa at The Ritz-Carlton,1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean.

Celebrate friendship at the girls-onlyevent with a cocktail, sweet treatsfrom the pastry chefs, estheticiansproviding manicures, petite facialsand mini massages. Reservations.703-744-3924.

United Methodist Men’s AnnualPancake Dinner. 5:30-7:30 p.m.,at 10100 Georgetown Pike, GreatFalls. Great Falls United MethodistMen invited the public to a freedinner, accepting donations tobenefit the Society of St. Andrew tohelp feed the hungry. 703-759-3705.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 13Sealed With a Kiss. 10:30 a.m., at

Dolley Madison Library, 1244 OakRidge Ave., McLean. Valentine’sstories and activities for children ages3-5 accompanied by an adult.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/dm/.

THURSDAY/FEB. 14Valentine’s Day Dinner. 5:30-9:30

p.m., in Bistro, at The Ritz-Carlton,1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean. Anelegant evening of gourmet culinarycreations in an intimate setting withlive music duo accompaniment—oreat at the Sushi Bar where chefsprepare a customized meal. $125 perperson for gourmet dinner.www.ritzcarlton.com.

Wildfire Valentine’s Day Weekend.5-10:30 p.m., at Wildfire, 1714International Drive, McLean. For aromantic dinner in a cozy booth or aspecial treat while celebrating withthe family, the four course menuoffers gourmet choices in the starter,salad, main course and dessertportions of the meal, offered everyevening through Sunday, Feb. 17.Reservations. 703-442-9110.

Entertainment


Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The Marshall girls’ bas-ketball program went3-11 in district play

during the 2011-12 season, butmanaged to qualify forregionals by upsetting No. 2Stone Bridge in the openinground of the Liberty Districttournament.

Last season ended on a posi-tive note for the Statesmen’sfive senior starters, but withthat much experience leavingthe program, 2012-13 projectedas a rebuilding year.

Marshall returned three ath-letes from last year’s team—junior Lexi Stalcup, and seniorsElyse Smith and AmandaDenny—and had nearly asmany freshmen (two) as seniors(three) on the roster. The resultso far: a 4-17 record, including0-13 in the district.

But while Marshall hasstruggled, the losses didn’t stop

the Statesmen from giving first-place South Lakes a run for itsmoney.

Marshall was within eightpoints in the fourth quarter,when a 3-pointer by Stalcup cutthe South Lakes lead to 39-31with 3:38 remaining, but theSeahawks scored six of thegame’s final seven points to pullout a 45-32 victory on Feb. 1 atMarshall High School.

“They responded very, verywell tonight,” Marshall headcoach Chad Scott said. “This isobviously a rough season. Wereplaced a lot of seniors fromlast year, so it’s kind of a learn-ing year. At times that’s toughwhen you’re losing games aftergames, but tonight they reallyresponded. They took it right toSouth Lakes. I was very proudof them for that.”

Denny led Marshall with ninepoints. Stalcup finished witheight points, freshman MeganKenny scored six, Smith fin-ished with five and juniorMariah Raskin added four.

On Monday, Marshall lost toLangley, 52-37. The Statesmenwill close the regular seasonwith a road game against Tho-mas Jefferson at 5:45 p.m. onFriday, Feb. 8.

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Grant Leibow movedup from the JV tojoin the Marshallvarsity boys’ basket-

ball team near the end of hissophomore season, becomingpart of a group that finished the2010-11 campaign with a 3-20record and a first-round exit inthe Liberty District tournament.

The following year, Leibowplayed his entire junior seasonwith the varsity, during whichthe Statesmen went 7-15 andagain lost in the first round ofdistricts. In two seasons underhead coach Dan Hale, Marshallmanaged a 2-28 record againstLiberty District opponents.

“We’ve been through toughtimes,” Leibow said recently.

Now a senior, Leibow is a keymember of a Marshall team thathas evolved from district doormat to second place inthe standings. Hard work in the off season set thetransition in motion. On Friday, the Statesmen dis-played the other key component of their turnaround:sharing the basketball.

SIX MARSHALL PLAYERS scored at least eightpoints and the Statesmen defeated South Lakes 65-46 on Feb. 1 at Marshall High School. On Monday,Marshall lost to Langley 39-38 but remained alonein second place in the Liberty District standings withone game remaining. The Statesmen, who are 13-7overall and 8-5 in the district, are assured of a homegame in the first round of the district tournament.

Leibow, a 6-foot-1 guard, led the way with 16points against South Lakes. His third 3-pointer ofthe evening gave the Statesmen a 34-26 lead with5:07 remaining in the third quarter and sparked a13-4 Marshall run.

“He’s our leader, he’s the guy we want [with] theball in his hand facilitating,” Hale said. “… He’s oneof those guys that really worked hard.”

Junior forward Towner Hale scored 13 points for

Marshall. Freshman center TylerWhite finished with 11 points, se-nior forward Doug Turpin scorednine, and senior guard ConnorBarrand and junior guard Chris-

tian Cameron each added eight.“I think our teamwork and

our togetherness have reallyhelped us,” Leibow said. “Itseems like when we pass theball we play better [and] that’swhat happened tonight.”

Dan Hale, who coached inHawaii prior to taking over atMarshall in 2010, credited hisplayers’ work ethic for helpingthe program improve.Marshall’s 13 victories this sea-son are more than the previoustwo seasons combined (10).

“This is a group of guys thatreally kind of committed them-selves to doing all the hardwork in the off season,” Halesaid. “We always preach that it’sthe off season that is the [time]you’ve got to work hard. There’snot enough time in the seasonto really improve your game. …This is a group that has beenvery tight and has worked to-

gether and they work really hard and it’s paying off.”While Leibow (three 3-pointers) and Cameron (two

3s) shot the ball well from behind the arc, Whiteprovided offense in the paint. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound freshman scored with post moves and had akey fourth-quarter tip-in that started a 17-3 run.

“He’s adjusted to the varsity game—that’s not aneasy thing to do as a freshman,” Hale said. “He’sdefinitely looking nice and comfortable out there andhe had some big plays tonight.”

White said opponents at times will get physical withhim and engage in trash talk. He tries to block it out,but sometimes he “just [gets] more angry, [gets] morephysical.”

“He’s been able to push a few guys around downlow when we need him against teams with biggerguys,” Leibow said. “That’s something we haven’t hadin quite a few years.”

MARSHALL WILL CLOSE the regular season witha road game against Thomas Jefferson at 7:30 p.m.on Friday, Feb. 8, before entering the district tourna-ment.

Marshall Boys’ Basketball:Doormat to District Contender

Marshall freshman Tyler Whitescored 11 points during a winagainst South Lakes on Feb. 1.

Statesmen have more wins thisseason than previous two combined.

Marshall seniorGrant Leibowscored 16 pointsagainst SouthLakes on Feb. 1.

Photos by

Craig Sterbutzel/

The Connection

2012-13 wasprojected as arebuilding year.

A ‘Learning Year’For Marshall Girls

Marshall senior Amanda Denny scored nine pointsagainst South Lakes on Feb. 1.

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