Home Life StyleWinner at the 2019 Audubon Photography Award Winners Exhibition held at Walker Nature...

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online at www.connectionnewspapers.com February 19-25, 2020 Photo by Mercia Hobson/The Connection Postal Customer ECR WSS Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 2-20-20 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Easton, MD permit #322 Opinion, Page 4 Entertainment, Page 8 Classifieds, Page 6 Soul Stirring ‘The Diar y of Anne Frank’ News, Page 5 A Chance to View the Fascinating and Incredible News, Page 3 Clip Cloppin’ To That Lovin’ Feeling News, Page 3 Chloe Richmond and Brendan Miers of Chantilly prepare for a romantic tour of Res- ton Town Center in a horse-drawn carriage on Valentine’s Day. Home Life Style Page 2

Transcript of Home Life StyleWinner at the 2019 Audubon Photography Award Winners Exhibition held at Walker Nature...

Page 1: Home Life StyleWinner at the 2019 Audubon Photography Award Winners Exhibition held at Walker Nature Center in Reston. Kyle and John Cygrymus wonder how Kathrin Swoboda, Photographer

online at www.connectionnewspapers.com February 19-25, 2020

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Soul Stirring ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’News, Page 5

A Chance to View the Fascinating and IncredibleNews, Page 3

Clip Cloppin’ To That Lovin’

Feeling News, Page 3

Chloe Richmond and Brendan Miers of Chantilly prepare for a romantic tour of Res-ton Town Center in a horse-drawn carriage on Valentine’s Day.

Home Life StylePage 2

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2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 19-25, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Want to learn more about theFairfax County Fire and RescueDepartment? Want to partici-

pate in an interesting, fun-filled, eight-weekprogram that will show you whatfirefighters and paramedics do every day?

You can now apply to the Community Fireand Rescue Academy (CFRA)! The CFRA isopen to persons 18 and older who live inFairfax County. Each session will cover dif-ferent aspects of the organization, provid-ing an in-depth overview of the departmentand its uniformed and civilian workforce.Program topics include: fire suppression,emergency medical services, training, re-cruitment, special operations, and otherinteresting topics.

CFRA Application will be accepted untilMarch 9, 2020. The Academy will beginMarch 26, 2020, and will meet for eightconsecutive Thursdays, from 6 p.m. to 9p.m. and ending on May 14, 2020. There isno charge to participants.

To learn more about the program and tosign up, go to: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fire-ems/cfra

It is important to note the Community Fireand Rescue Academy is a vehicle that pro-vides an overview of, and in-depth look at,the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Depart-ment. The Community Fire and RescueAcademy is not intended to train partici-pants as firefighters/EMTs or to assist in anemergency situation.

Courtesy of Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department

Graduates of the 2017 Citizens Fire and Rescue Academy class.

Applications Accepted for CommunityFire and Rescue Academy

Page 3: Home Life StyleWinner at the 2019 Audubon Photography Award Winners Exhibition held at Walker Nature Center in Reston. Kyle and John Cygrymus wonder how Kathrin Swoboda, Photographer

Reston Connection ❖ February 19-25, 2020 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Reston Town Center offered a bit of that lovin’feeling Valentine’s Day,

Fri., Feb. 14. Once again, pic-turesque horse-drawn carriagespulled by teams of Belgian Drafthorses toured the downtowncenter and attracted couples,families and friends to the magi-cal fun. Proceeds benefited theScholarship Fund of LeadershipFairfax.The crisp air was not a deter-rent to Chloe Richmond andBrendan Miers of Chantilly, whoclimbed aboard for a fairytaleclip-clop ride down MarketStreet. With driver John Mooreof Harmon’s Horse Drawn Car-riages at the reins, the couplesnuggled under a blanket in theforward seat at the rear of thevis-à-vis. Richmond said sheplanned the evening for Miers.“It’s my Valentine’s Day gift.Next, we’re going to dinner andseeing a movie, Richmond said.

Karen Cleveland, Presidentand CEO of Leadership Fairfax,

also enjoyed the opportunityfor a bit of magic. “We love cel-ebrating at Reston Town Cen-ter with all the happy couplesand families on Valentine’s Day.The carriage rides bring nostal-gia into Reston and add the per-fect romantic touch. My hus-band and I plan to take a ridebefore having dinner at MonAmi Gabi,” said Cleveland. Asthe evening wore on, the car-riage rides delighted not onlycouples but also families andfriends alike, topping off theirValentine’s Day celebrationswith a little fun.

Leadership Fairfax is a regis-tered 501(c) 3 nonprofit orga-nization.

According to its website, thenonprofit offers communityleadership development pro-grams to a broad range of ap-plicants. For some, the Schol-arship Fund allows them to par-ticipate in the program and, asgraduates, better reflect thecommunity in which they liveand work. Visitwww.leadershipfairfax.org formore information.

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

There’s still time to visit the traveling 2019Audubon Photography Award Winners Ex-hibition presented in association with

Nature’s Best Photography. Running through Feb. 26,the photos covering a range of species and geographiclocations can be viewed for free at Walker NatureCenter, 11450 Glade Drive in Reston. The exhibitshowcases ten large-scale, award-winning and run-ner-up images selected from 2,253 entrants hailingfrom all 50 states, Washington D.C. and 10 Cana-dian provinces and territories.

“This is the 10th year of the competition, and thethird time Walker Nature Center and Audubon Soci-ety of Northern Virginia have partnered to presentthe show. Up until four years ago, the photographswere only shown in “Audubon Magazine,” but in2017, large-scale prints were offered for exhibitionto Audubon chapters throughout the United States,”said Joanne Bauer, contact for the Audubon Societyof Northern Virginia. “It is always a delight to seevisitors’ reactions to the prints and hear which oneis their favorite, although it is so hard to pick. Theprints have inspired lots of memory sharing and pureawe about our avian neighbors nearby and afar. Wecouldn’t ask for better partners than Audubon Soci-ety of Northern Virginia and Friends of Reston,” saidNature Center Manager Katie Shaw.

MANY of the award-winning images displayed inthe Walker Nature Center portrayed irreproduciblemoments in avian life. Photographer Kevin Ebi shotthe “incredible image” as one viewer at the NatureCenter described it of a Bald Eagle and red fox kit ina dramatic struggle over a rabbit. “I expected to haveonly a split second to capture the theft in one explo-sive frame; instead, the eagle snagged the fox andrabbit, carrying both 20 feet off the ground,” saidEbi in his “Story Behind the Shot” that accompaniedthe image. A moment-by-moment account followed,leading up to the final scene in the avian drama.

In addition to the “Story Behind the Shot” thataccompanied each photo was a “Camera” descrip-tion, noting model, type of lens, shutter speed, f-stopand ISO setting. Photographers used either Canonor Nikon cameras to shoot the images on display, nocell phone images here. However, pros did not nec-essarily shoot all the winning photos exhibited andneither was the Grand Prize Winner, a professional.Judges selected local amateur photographer KathrinSwoboda as Grand Prize Winner, given her photo ofa Red-winged Blackbird taken at Huntley MeadowPark, Alexandria, and shot with a Nikon. In the “StoryBehind the Shot,” Swoboda said, “I visit this parknear my home to photograph blackbirds on coldmornings, often aiming to capture the ‘smoke rings’that form from their breath as they sing out.”

According to Bauer, the Walker Nature Centerseemed like an ideal setting for the exhibition. “Visi-tors get a close-up view of high-quality photographsin a natural setting where the view out the windows

reflects the beauty wildlife photographers find in thewider world,” Bauer said. On Sun., John and KyleCygrymus of Pennsylvania visited the Walker NatureCenter. After exploring the nearby grounds and path-ways, they viewed the exhibit. “I made sure I washere early enough so I could enjoy the Walker Na-ture Center and the Audubon Photography AwardWinners Exhibition,” said John. With a smile, Kyleadded: “I’m a bird aficionado; my favorite is EasternWild Turkey.” Inside, father and son wandered aboutthe exhibit. They got close to the images, looked hard,laughed and went from one to the next, sharing whatthey liked and what they didn’t. “Incredible,” saidJohn. Hands down, father and son, voted Ebi’s photoof the Bald Eagle their favorite.

THE SHOW will be on exhibit through Feb. 26 atthe Walker Nature Center’s Nature House. The hoursare Monday and Wednesday-Friday, 9-5 p.m., Satur-day 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. and Sunday 10-4 p.m. The showwill be exhibited next at Huntley Meadows VisitorsCenter, 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, from March4 - 25.

A Chance to View theFascinating and Incredible2019 Audubon Photogra-phy Award Winners Exhi-bition stops in Reston.

Susan Sims, Reston Association Staff,Walker Nature Center takes a closer lookat a Professional Honorable MentionWinner at the 2019 Audubon PhotographyAward Winners Exhibition held at WalkerNature Center in Reston.

Kyle and John Cygrymus wonder howKathrin Swoboda, Photographer andGrand Prize Winner in the 2019 AudubonAwards, captured the smoke rings formedfrom the breath of a Red-winged Blackbirdshe photographed early morning in Hunt-ley Meadow Park, Alexandria.

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Chloe Richmond and Brendan Miers of Chantillyprepare for a romantic tour of Reston Town Centerin a horse-drawn carriage on Valentine’s Day.

Clip Cloppin’ toThat Lovin’ FeelingHorse-drawn carriage ridesin Reston Town Center.

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Reston Connection Sports Editor Rich Sanders

703-224-3031 or [email protected]

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4 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 19-25, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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RestonOpinion

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

A tradition in the Houseof Delegates that hascome about in recentyears is to have a

speech at the beginning of eachdaily session during Februaryabout a Black person. Somespeeches are about well-knownhistoric figures; most are aboutlesser-known Black persons who have madecontributions to their communities and to thestate. After all, the point of Black History Monthis to have all of us gain a greater knowledgeand appreciation of Black persons’ contributionsto our history. The Legislative Black Caucus or-ganizes the event, and I am pleased to havebeen invited to speak each year at one of thedaily sessions. This year I spoke about the lateGwen Ifill of PBS NewsHour and WashingtonWeek in Review who was the first Black womanto become a national news commentator. I al-ways appreciated receiving the daily news fromher in her calm and professional manner. Notall speeches are about historic figures; one del-

egate spoke this year about hisexperiences of growing up Black.

I predict that in future years aspeech will be made on the floorof the House of Delegates aboutthe 2020 Virginia General Assem-bly being a transformative eventin Black history. Black experienceaccounts for a major portion of thestory in a state that unfortunatelyhas been known for centuries forits racist policies. The first en-

slaved Africans were brought to Virginia in1619, and the slave codes that were enactedto keep them subjected as slaves were inhu-mane. When the tobacco fields were no longerproductive, Virginia’s chief source of incomebecame the selling of slaves into the deepSouth. Even the freeing of the slaves with theCivil War did not bring equal rights to Virginia’sBlack population. Slave codes were replacedby Jim Crow laws. Voting by Blacks was re-stricted. Their separate schools and other ac-commodations were not equal.

Supreme Court decisions and the Civil RightsAct of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965brought about changes that started Black

people on the way to greater freedom. A suc-cessful lawsuit against gerrymandering in thestate along with greater voter participationbrought about a record number of Black can-didates being elected to the General Assem-bly. Black legislators took on greater roles ofresponsibility in the 2020 session of the legis-lature. The first Black woman was electedMajority Leader of the House of Delegates, andthe first Black woman was elected Presidentof the State Senate. While there had been afew Black committee chairs over the years inthe House of Delegates, half of the fourteencommittee chairs are now Black. Vestiges ofJim Crow laws that remained in the Code eventhough they had been overturned by the courtsare being stripped away. Localities are beinggiven permission to deal with Confederatemonuments that were the symbols of JimCrowism. Laws that were unevenly applied toBlack persons are being amended or repealed.Black cemeteries are being cared for as theConfederate cemeteries were for many years.A commission is going to look at the teachingof Black history in our schools to ensure that ittells the whole story. Major strides are beingmade in this month of Black history!

Black History Month 2020

By John Lovaas

Reston Impact Producer/Host

Lake Anne is the historiccenter of Reston, the heartof Robert E. Simon’s na-

tionally renowned planned com-munity and a visually lovely placeto live or visit. While it is prettyall year round, spring is my favor-ite time at Lake Anne.

Washington Plaza, the commer-cial part of the Lake Anne Village Center wasbuilt in 1964-5 and was an active gatheringplace for the new community initially with onlya few hundred residents. As Reston grew andnew commercial centers opened, commercialactivity slowed and some businesses, includ-ing the Safeway grocery, closed. In the 1990s,Lake Anne’s decline was palpable.

With the 1998 opening of the Reston Farm-ers Market in the commercial parking lot anda bustling coffee house on the Plaza, thingsimproved a bit around the turn of the century.Later, a Limited Liability Company expandeda Plaza crafts market, donating some of itsvendor space rental fees to Plaza beautifica-tion.

In the last four years, several new businessesopened on the Plaza, including: Lake AnneBrew House, New Trails Cycling, Lake AnneCoffee House and Wine Bar, Teapot and Cup-cakes, and Your Loyal Tailor. A promising new“dive bar” restaurant, Local VA, is poised toopen this week! And, the Lake dilapidated pierwill be totally reconstructed by RA over thenext couple of months. While a couple of emptystorefronts remain, the Plaza is once again acharming, vibrant place.

Sadly, squabbling among thecommercial and residential unitowners who make up the LakeAnne Condominium Association(LARCA) continues. The latest dis-cord exploded three months agofollowing the election of threenew members to the condo’s 5-member Board of Directors. The

insurgents won handily, promising tostraighten out troubled finances, address sorelyneeded infrastructure maintenance and repair,restore transparency in management, etc. Atall order!

The new Board elected a new member Presi-dent. She set out to keep the campaign prom-ises by contracting a forensic audit by a majoraccounting firm to identify sources of finan-cial management problems, and what isneeded to improve financial controls and re-store the association’s financial stability.

The entrenched old guard is fighting to over-turn the election by ousting the new Presidentand putting a stop to the independent audit.To her credit, the new President, despite anegative whispering campaign, is standingfirm. The forensic audit is underway.

Furthermore, based on information “pre-sented to the Virginia AG’s (Attorney General’s)office, and the Fairfax County’s CommonwealthAttorney’s office attention of possible wrong-doings”, the Fairfax County Police are investi-gating “the possible Fraud case…” in the asso-ciation.

The lead Police detective in the case said inan email to LARCA’s attorney, “I can only rec-

ommend that all future votes to remove,change other members [of the Board], enactnew laws, etc. etc., be placed on hold until thisinvestigation is complete. I would also urgeanybody that has knowledge of this investiga-tion not damage, remove or destroy any pa-perwork that this office and the Forensic Ac-counting Firm need to conduct a fair and com-plete investigation.” That is, do not removenew Board members or in any way impede thework of the forensic audit now underway, ordamage, destroy, remove any documentsneeded for the forensic audit or the police in-vestigation. The lead detective stated that “noone person is currently a Person of Interest,rather currently the entire operation of actionsdone by LARCA [in] the previous years.”

The quotes above come directly from the leaddetective’s email of Feb. 12 to the LARCA at-torney at the time.

Lake Anne Progress Despite GovernanceIndependent Progressive

WriteThe Connection welcomes views on any

public issue.The deadline for all material is noon Friday.

Letters must be signed. Include homeaddress and home and business numbers.

Letters are routinely edited for libel,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]

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News

By David Siegel

The Connection

Reston Community Players(RCP) next production isthe heart-wrenching

drama of The Holocaust from theperspective of a brave 13-year-oldJewish girl. It is “The Diary ofAnne Frank.” Adapted from thepages of the original book,CenterStage audiences will be ableto see and hear “Anne Frank” asan impassioned drama.

“’The Diary of Anne Frank’ holdsthemes of family, fear, and love;all seen through the eyes of ayoung girl,” said Jolene Vettese,President, RCP. “They are themesthat resonate particularly intoday’s world; ones we believe arevery important for today’s audi-ences.”

The RCP’s production of “TheDiary of Anne Frank”ºaims to cap-ture the claustrophobic realities ofthe daily existence of eight peoplehiding from the Nazis in a con-cealed storage attic for two years.Anne’s spirit is revealed as shevoices her belief, “in spite of ev-erything, that people are trulygood at heart.”

“Anne Frank” is directed by thenotable regional director GloriaDuGan. In the title role of Anne isSophia Manicone. Veteran actorMichael Kharfen portrays her fa-ther, Otto Frank.

“This is a story about real peopleand their lives. It’s based on theactual words that Anne wrote inher diary,” said Manicone. “It’s astory not unlike many millions ofother young girls and people whodied in the Holocaust.”

The role of Anne “is such a chal-lenge. There are many mono-logues and I am on stage for al-most the entire show,” notedManicone.

“I want to honor Anne and oth-ers who suffered her same fate bysharing her story in a way thattouches the audience and makesit feel real to them.”

Manicone added, “I think thefact that this story is the story of ayoung person with all of the emo-

tion and hopes and dreams thatteenagers today feel provides arare perspective to this historicalevent and helps people my age feela personal connection to thisstory.”

For Steve Palkovitz, who por-trays Mr. Dussel, a dentist forcedinto hiding, “My hope is that theplay will touch everyone, in some

Soul Stirring ‘TheDiary of Anne Frank’Coming toCenterStagefrom RestonCommunityPlayers.

Sophia Mancione as Anne Frank in Reston CommunityPlayers production “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

way, regardless of the knowledgethey possessed when they walkedinto the theater.”

“As humans, we really are allconnected regardless of race, reli-gion or any other differences. Iurge you to remember Anne’s storyas you go about your life,” saidMadison Chase who plays MargotFrank, Anne’s older sister.

Where and WhenReston Community Players present “The Diary of Anne Frank”

at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage, 2310 Colts Neck Roadin Reston. Performances Feb. 28-29, March 6-8, and March 13-14, 2020. Curtain time 8 p.m. except for a 2 p.m. matinee onMarch 8. Tickets: $28 (adults), $24 for students and seniors.Call (703) 476-4500 or online atºwww.restonplayers.org. Notes:CenterStage is accessible and offers listening devices for the hear-ing impaired. This performance has simulated war sounds andcigarette smoking

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6 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 19-25, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Letters

To the Editor:The Reston Community Center

Board of Governors and staff wantto express their appreciation to thenearly 200 people who came outon a cold and rainy February Mon-day to contribute their ideas aboutRCC’s future.

The event was designed to be-gin a conversation that the Boardand staff will be having with andthroughout the community for thenext several months as we explorethe development of a new strate-gic plan to take effect in 2021. Afilm by Storycatcher Productionsabout Reston Community Center’spast, how it fulfills its mission andwhat it seeks to be in the future,was screened. It will continue tobe refined, and then posted toRCC’s YouTube page with otherRCC video stories and Board ofGovernors meetings. A film sum-mary of the Feb. 10 “RCC: Past andFuture” event will also be posted.

Following the film, Dr. KaraFitzgibbon, director of the Univer-sity of Virginia’s Center for SurveyResearch, presented findings fromRCC’s 2019 Community Surveythat UVA conducted. The full re-port, including the data appendi-ces, is posted on the Reston Com-

munity Center website: http://bit.ly/RCCSurveyReport. As Dr.Fitzgibbon noted in her presenta-tion, the data collected is exten-sive and will be a foundation fromwhich RCC can explore strategicplanning priorities to serve Restoneffectively and efficiently.

The energetic conversation inthe RCC Community Room thatfollowed the survey report-outcomposed the second half of anenergizing evening. Yes, the noiselevel grew challenging and therewere too frequent interruptions;but the amount of positive energyand creativity that flowed was veryimpressive, nonetheless. The com-ments shared with the LeadershipFairfax facilitators from all thepeople eagerly offering them willbe compiled and presented to RCCBoard and staff teams. More meet-ings with smaller groups and moreindividualized focus areas willtake place.

Even with the abundant creativ-ity and breadth of feedback re-ceived on Feb. 10, there is still alot of discovery to come. RCC willengage with the community inmeetings on each individual stra-tegic plan pillar to delve moredeeply into the topics to get

greater focus on various aspects ofeach. Pursuit of new facilities al-ways necessitates lengthy investi-gation – not only to find out ifthere is support for a new build-ing, but also what the ramifica-tions are financially, what programelements should be served, hownew facilities should function andby whom they should be operated.RCC is at the beginning of thatexploratory process. Similarly, newprogramming, pricing, communi-cations platforms and tools – allthese pillars of RCC planning willrequire further conversation andresearch.

Participants who registered forthe Feb. 10 event will be contactedif they left questions to be an-swered, and they will be invitedto continue their involvement asRCC plans meetings for themonths to come. People who wantto join the conversation will bewelcome – news about meetingswill be posted and advertised.

The beginning of RCC’s futureis off to a great start; thank youfor joining the conversation.

Beverly CoshamChair, RCC Board of Governors

Leila GordonRCC Executive Director

Thank You, Reston

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Reston Connection ❖ February 19-25, 2020 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

And so, what happens next? There’s calm and then there’s an eventual storm. The storm to which I refer is what will happen after the March 2nd meeting with my endocrinologist when she will assess and determine the next step in my post-thyroidectomy treatment. Presumably, in conjunction with my oncologist, a coordinated plan will be implemented for treating my two cancers. I can’t imagine however, that being treated for two cancers, simultaneously, will be easier than being treated for one. And I doubt, although I don’t know, that one medicine will be recommended for the treatment of both my non-small cell lung cancer and my thyroid can-cer. We’ll know soon enough.

In the interim, I intend to acknowledge and appreciate how easy these next few weeks will be. No appointments with doctors, no diagnos-tic scans, no procedures, no medicine - and no side effects, and no lab work other than as needed, to measure my calcium and magnesium levels and any other thyroid-related effects. Moreover, I am free to come and go as I please. And it does please me. Because I’ve earned it. I deserve it and I’m going to bask in it. You think being a cancer patient under constant treatment - for nearly 11 years is in any way amusing? Hardly. I make fun of it to make light of it. Oth-erwise, the weight of it would crush me. And even though my father always said I had broad shoulders, I’m always fearful that the next result

back. After all, I’m only human.But for now, February 9, as I sit and write, I

am three weeks and one day to my next reckon-ing. And since it’s early days yet to know what life will be like after that March 2nd appoint-ment (radiation and/or chemotherapy possibly), I will try to be blissfully ignorant and not think too much how easy and unencumbered my life is at the present. As a cancer patient, ceding control where you can and securing it where you thought you couldn’t are keys to manag-ing expectations and minimizing aggravation. Unfortunately, there is no one key that unlocks all doors. And there are plenty of doors, and plenty of doctors too, and plenty of fear waiting for one of your doctors to walk through any of these doors to deliver the results from your most recent cancer-related whatever.

None of which concerns me right now, or rather it shouldn’t. And if there’s any port in this

-cally, magically, unexpectedly, I should jump at the chance. I am reminded of a conversation I had with my oncologist years ago when I experi-enced a similar interval between treatment. The medicine I was on had stopped working so we needed to start another, another with unknown

-gested that since I felt good, perhaps we should delay the beginning of the next infusion and that I should take that trip I had always dreamed of because I might never feel this good again. I didn’t then and I won’t now. When I jump how-ever, I can barely get off the ground.

I haven’t exactly been presented this time, with this kind of do-before-you-die opportunity, but there is an erie familiarity to my circum-stances. And though I’ve been down this road

to what kind of twists and turns await. The last thing a cancer diagnosis provides is a guarantee. Actually, that’s wrong. A cancer diagnosis does provide a guarantee: that there are no guaran-tees. And so, as I prepare for the next phase of my life, the one that begins 11 years after being diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV and being given a 13 month to two-year prognosis to boot, I will quote the late, great Satchel Paige: “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.”

One Step Forward, Hopefully Not Two

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

MONDAY/FEB. 24NARFE Dulles Chapter 1241 Luncheon. 11:30

a.m. At Amphora Diner, 1151 Elden Street,Herndon. Featuring speaker Pete Kirby, RetiredFire Chief, Centreville Fire Department, who willspeak on fire prevention and response. The costof the luncheon is $18.15 which includes taxand a small gratuity.

TUESDAY/FEB 25INOVA Blood Drive. 1 - 5:30 p.m., beside the

Pavilion at Reston Town Center, Reston.Schedule Bloodmobile appointments at 1-866-256-6372 or inovablood.org.

Paving and Restriping Meeting. 6:30 p.m. AtTerraset Elementary School, 11411 RidgeHeights Road, Reston. The Fairfax CountyDepartment of Transportation will holdcommunity meetings in every district of thecounty this spring with the Virginia Departmentof Transportation (VDOT) to discuss proposed2020 paving and restriping projects. The firstmeetings will be held in the Hunter Mill andSpringfield Districts in February. The meetingswill begin at 6:30 p.m., with a formalpresentation beginning at 6:45 p.m., followed bytime for questions, feedback and comments. Forresidents who cannot attend the meetings inperson, the meeting presentation will beavailable on the District paving and restripingwebpages, and feedback may be submittedonline for two weeks following the meeting.Visit the Fairfax County 2020 Paving andRestriping Program: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/2020-paving-and-restriping.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 26DMV2Go at the Pavilion. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. At the

Pavilion at Reston Town Center, Reston. Thewireless office on wheels offers all DMVservices: driver’s license and ID card applicationsand renewals, driving records, vehicle titles,license plates, decals, order disabled plates, andmore. Information on all services available atdmv.virginia.gov/general/#dmv_2go.asp.

THURSDAY/FEB. 27.Affordable Housing For Seniors:

Preservation Project Kick-off. 1:30 p.m. AtHunters Woods Fellowship House, 2231 ColtsNeck Road, Reston. Join in a kick-off of a majorrenovation project on the 225-unit HuntersWoods Fellowship House. They are investing$12 million to modernize and upgrade thisimportant community landmark that helps somany seniors who otherwise could not afford tolive in the Reston area. Hear from all the keystakeholders – including the residents – whatthis project means to them and to thecommunity.

SUPPORT GROUPSParent Support Partners, a service of the

Healthy Minds Fairfax initiative, are all parentswho have received training and are qualitied tooffer education, support and assistance at nocost to families or caregivers. They providereliable information that families can use indecision-making and are familiar with servicesand resources that can help families in distress.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/healthymindsfairfax or www.nami-northernvirginia.org/parent-peer-support.html.

ONGOINGSTEM Professionals Needed. Volunteers are

needed to assist K-12 STEM teachers in northernVirginia as part of the American Association forthe Advancement of Science’s STEM VolunteerProgram, stemvolunteers.org, during the 2019-20 school year.Contact Don Rea at 571-551-2488 or [email protected].

Assistance League of Northern Virginia is anall-volunteer nonprofit organization that feeds,clothes and educates children in need.Assistance League’s philanthropic programstouch the lives of thousands of children,including those at 11 Title 1 elementary schoolsin Fairfax and Prince William counties and theCity of Alexandria. There are many volunteeropportunities for community members tocontribute to helping those in need throughWeekend Food for Kids, tutoring programs andproviding new clothing and layettes. To learnmore, email: [email protected], or visitwww.alnv.org

Bulletin

Page 8: Home Life StyleWinner at the 2019 Audubon Photography Award Winners Exhibition held at Walker Nature Center in Reston. Kyle and John Cygrymus wonder how Kathrin Swoboda, Photographer

8 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 19-25, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGAARP Tax-Aide Program. Feb. 1 to April 14. At

RCC Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. Tuesdays: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Thursdays:4:30 p.m./– 8:30 p.m.; and Saturdays: 9 a.m./–3 p.m. Free. For taxpayers with low andmoderate incomes with special attention tothose 60 and older. AARP’s Tax-Aide programwas created nearly 40 years ago to assist olderadults as well as persons with low and middleincomes in successfully navigating the tax code.All tax preparation is free and confidential. Formore information, contact the Lifelong LearningProgram Director, Casmera Lebron at 703-390-6157.

RCC Collecting Dresses and Accessories.Feb. 1-29. Reston Community Center isaccepting donations of gently used dresses andaccessories for its 18th annual Diva CentralDress Drive. From Feb. 1 – 29, RCC will becollecting the items at its Hunters Woods andLake Anne locations. In addition to dresses, RCCneeds donations of shoes, jewelry, handbags andshawls. Donations are tax-deductible and maybe dropped off Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9p.m.; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays. This year’sdress and accessories giveaway event is plannedfor Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.at RCC Lake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza inReston. All local middle and high schoolstudents are invited to attend and “shop” fordresses, shoes and other accessories for free.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 19Podcast Club. 6:30 p.m. At Reston Library, 11925

Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. If you enjoy bite-size stories that you can listen to, come discuss amonthly selection of podcasts. You can listen ona computer or a mobile device through any ofseveral free apps. Every month listen to at leastfour episodes of your choosing of the podcast.

THURSDAY/FEB. 20Weekend Food for Kids. 10-11:30 a.m. At

Dominion Energy, 3072 Centreville Road,Herndon. Join in this fun event to support localchildren. Assistance League of Northern Virginiainvites community members to the WeekendFood for Kids monthly packing. This criticalprogram provides nonperishable food over theweekend to children who receive free orreduced-price meals at local Title I elementaryschools. Arrive at 9:30 a.m. if you would like tohelp with setup.Free. Visit the websitewww.alnv.org

Toddler Storytime. 10:30 a.m. At RestonLibrary, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston.Featuring Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. Designyour own “unique” elephant like Elmer. Age 2with Adult. No registration required. Call: 703-689-2700.

Managing the Loss of a Loved One. 2-4 p.m.At RCC Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Rd,Reston. Participants will learn how to manageall of the practical and legal details that followthe death of a family member. Free; registrationrequired, #500489-0A.

Magic Tree House Book Club. 4:30 p.m. AtReston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. Read to Discuss: Day of the Dragon Kingby M.P. Osborne. Copies available at theChildren’s Desk. Grades 3-4. No registrationrequired.

Creative Response at GRACE. 7 p.m. AtGRACE, Reston. A short presentation by anexpert is followed by open conversationresponding to the gallery’s Moira Dryer exhibit.Free. Sponsored by Reston Community Center.Call 703-471-9242; Visit www.restonarts.org

Race in Virginia – How We Got to Where WeAre Now. 8-9:15 p.m. At Northern VirginiaHebrew Congregation, 1441 Wiehle Ave.,Reston. Featuring Jennifer Ritterhouse, authorof Growing Up Jim Crow: How Black and WhiteSouthern Children Learned Race andDiscovering the South: One Man’s TravelsThrough a Changing America in the 1930s. Sheis a professor at George Mason University. Visitwww.nvhcreston.org

THURSDAYS, FEB. 20-MARCH 12Introduction to Band Saw Box Making. 6:30-

9:30 p.m. At RCC Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts

RCC Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Rd,Reston. The Diabetes Self-Management Programincludes topics such as exercise, dealing withdifficult emotions, monitoring blood sugar, mealplanning and more. Free; registration required,#503547-0A.

Preschool Storytime — Love Stories. 2 p.m.At Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. This month we will foster your littleone’s love of reading with stories, songs, andcrafts focused on relationships … the differentpeople (and pets) we love and who love us. Age3-5 with adult.

TUESDAY/FEB. 25Baby Play and Explore. 11 a.m. At Reston

Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Joinan hour of unstructured play and social time forbabies. Cosponsored by Friends of the RestonRegional Library (FRRL). Age birth-18 monthswith adult. No registration required. Call 703-689-2700.

INOVA Blood Drive. 1 - 5:30 p.m., beside theReston Pavilion at Reston Town Center.Schedule Bloodmobile appointments at 1-866-256-6372 or inovablood.org. On-siteregistration.

Tai Chi. 2 p.m. At Reston Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Dr., Reston. Join us for a fun Tai Chifitness class led by local instructor Susan Shen.Adults.Call: 703-689-2700.

Spanchats. 7 p.m. At Reston Library, 11925Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Join the ongoingSpanish conversation group. All levels frombeginner to fluent are welcome. Adults.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 26DMV2Go at the Pavilion. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. At

Reston Town Center, Reston. The wireless officeon wheels offers all DMV services: driver’slicense and ID card applications and renewals,driving records, vehicle titles, license plates,decals, order disabled plates, and more.Information on all services available atdmv.virginia.gov/general/#dmv_2go.asp.

”Downton Abbey” Movie. 10 a.m. At Meet Meat the Movies – Senior Movie Day at Bow TieCinemas, Reston Town Center. RestonAssociation presents the feature film DowntonAbbey. Refreshments and prizes provided priorto movie. Free to 55+. Information:[email protected]. Call 703-435-6577 orvisit www.reston.org

Wednesday Morning Book Club. 10 a.m. AtScrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive, Reston.Featuring A Woman of No Importance. If youenjoy history, biography and memoir, this is thebook club for you! Each month, club memberschoose a new non-fiction title highlightingsomeone who’s experiences offer an interestingperspective on life in both the past and present.

Memory Depot Orientation. 6:30 p.m. AtReston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. Learn about the Memory Depot station,a do-it-yourself location for scanning your slides,negatives and photos and to transfer your VHSor audio cassettes to digital formats!

Off-the-Shelf Trivia. 6:30 p.m. At Scrawl Books,11911 Freedom Drive, Reston. Want to find outhow much fun a bookstore can really be? Theytalk, laugh, wander off topic, compete, listen tomusic and play trivia. The professional triviamaster picks a theme and writes the questions;the staff awards prizes; and the customers arehilarious (and smart).

THURSDAY/FEB. 27Teen Advisory Board. 7 p.m. At Reston Library,

11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Join TAB togain leadership and volunteer experience andshare your ideas about how to make the librarya wonderful place for teens! Volunteer hoursgranted. Age 13-18. No registration required.Call 703-689-2700.

Dollars and Sense. 7 p.m. At Reston Library,11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Monthlygroup discussion focuses on business leadersand markets. We will be discussing “The NextMillionaire Next Door” Thomas J. Stanley. Theevent is free and open to the public. Adults.

FRIDAY/FEB. 28Indian Cooking. 6-7:30 p.m. At RCC Hunters

Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Learn tocook healthy vegetarian food from differentregions of India. This will be a demonstrationwith some hands-on opportunities. Students willbe able to taste the results. Cost is $20 (R)/$15(R55+)/$30 (NR), #503590-0A.

Neck Rd, Reston. Learn the skills necessary tomake unique band saw boxes. Participants willdevelop basic woodworking skills and how topractice strict safety in the woodshop. Cost is$95 (R)/$76 (R55+)/$143 (NR), #505963-0B

FEB. 20 TO MARCH 15Ordinary Days. At NextStop Theatre, 269 Sunset

Park Drive, Herndon. “Ordinary DaysÓ is anintimate musical about four young New Yorkerssearching for love, beauty, and purpose in a bigand unforgiving world. Performances areThursday-Sunday and tickets start at $40. Thisproduction is directed by Jay Brock, whopreviously directed Eurydice and Assassins forNextStop, and features Bobby Libby, Sarah AnneSillers, Carl Williams, and Anna Phillips-Brown.Visit the website www.NextStopTheatre.org

FRIDAY/FEB. 21Family Yoga. 10:30 a.m. At Reston Library,

11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Enjoyplayful yoga, stories and songs with a children’syoga instructor. Bring a mat or blanket.Cosponsored by FRRL. Ages 2-4 with adult.

Pakistan Under Siege. 2 p.m. At Scrawl Books,11911 Freedom Drive, Reston. Featuring authorMadiha Afzal. Participate in a roundtablediscussion on current events and U.S. foreignpolicy options. The topic for February is “Indiaand Pakistan.” Speaker Ahsan I. Butt, AssociateProfessor, Schar School of Policy andGovernment at George Mason University joinsauthor Madiha Afzal from the Center for 21stCentury Security and Intelligence, Center forMiddle East Policy.

Kids at Hope Program. 6:30-9 p.m. At HerndonCommunity Center, 814 Ferndale Ave.,Herndon. Join in a fun evening of game andactivities and let your child experience he or sheis “Capable of Success, No Exception.” Parentswill be encouraged to become Treasure Huntersand seek the hidden talents, strengths, andabilities of their children and others aroundthem. This event is designed for children toshare the fun with a caring and significant adultin their life. Therefore, a caring adult mustaccompany each child. Be entertained and enjoyperformances by Herndon students, Zumba,service project, arts and crafts projects, andbingo. Bring your bathing suit to play in thepool. Participants will be served a slice of pizzawith additional available for sale. Cost is $2 perperson or $10 per family. Visit herndon-va.gov/recreation, or call 703-787-7300.

NOW THRU FEB. 21S.T.E.A.M. Learning. At the Goddard School,

2400 Dulles Town Blvd., Herndon. Little oneswill participate in S.T.E.A.M-centric activities

(science, technology, engineering, arts andmathematics) and take on the role of engineersfor National Engineers Week. During this week,preschoolers will spend their time designing andbuilding structures (mini bridges, buildings,roller coasters, etc.) from classroom materialslike blocks, popsicle sticks and more. The fun,hands-on S.T.E.A.M activities promote creativity,imagination and the love of learning.

SATURDAY/FEB. 22VIDI Space Film Festival. At Bow Tie Cinemas,

Reston Town Center. See screenings of awardedparaworld films and guest speakers through theday including genre celebrities Chad Lindberg,Nick Groff, Kevin Tenney, and Jeffrey Reddick.Visit www.filmfreeway.com/VIDISPACE

Discover Stone Soup. 10-11:30 a.m. At FryingPan Park, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon.Nothing warms you up faster in winter than ahot bowl of soup, and making homemade soupfrom scratch can be easy. Your group will createa soup based on the children’s story of “StoneSoup.” You will also learn the history andorigins of several different ethnic soup stylesand sample each style featured. For participantsage 7 to adult. The cost is $10 per person. Call703-437-9101 or visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/frying-pan-park.

Stem Club: Spatial Surprises. 10:30 a.m. AtReston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. Come navigate the exciting world ofrobotics and tangrams. Learn to program robotsand play math games. Age 6-12. No registrationrequired.

Self Defense for Women. 1-3:30 p.m. At RCCLake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza N, Reston.This one-day workshop for women teachesavoidance, self-defense techniques andawareness skills. Cost is $10 (R)/$8 (R55+)/$15 (NR), #301963-0C.

Afternoon Poetry with Amado Lascar. 2 p.m.At Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. Mr. Lascar will read selections from hispublished works in Spanish.

Mardi Gras. 7-11 p.m. At ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center Street, Herndon. Enjoy a Cajun feast,music, dancing, beads and a raffle. Sponsoredby Arts Herndon. Cost is $50/advance; $60/door. RSVP at ArtsHendon.org. Call 703 9566590 or email [email protected]

MONDAY/FEB. 24Nose to Toes Yoga. 10:30 a.m. At Reston

Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston.Explore yoga poses and movement whileenjoying books and songs with a children’s yogainstructor. No experience needed. Cosponsoredby FRRL.

Age 3-5 years with adult.Diabetes Self-Management. 1:30-3:30 p.m. At

Herndon High School Broadway CabaretHerndon High School’s Cabaret will take place Feb. 21-22 at HerndonHigh School.

FEB. 21-22“Broadway Our Way” Cabaret. 7-9 p.m. At Herndon High School, 700 Bennett Street, Herndon. This

year’s theme is “Broadway Our Way.” Although the school is under construction, they are not lettingthat stop them from performing your favorite Broadway show tunes. This is a high-energy performancefilled with singing, dancing, costumes, laughs, tears and quality entertainment. They will be performingsongs from “Les Mis,” “Shrek,” “Beautiful,” “Pajama Game,” “Addams Family,” “Mary Poppins,” “DamnYankees,” and many others. Directed by Dana Van Slyke and choreographed by Colby Dezelick. Ticketsare $10.

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