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Entertainment, Page 13 Sports, Page 12 Classified, Page 13 April 3-9, 2014 Follow on Twitter: @BurkeConnection Photo by Janelle Germanos/The Connection online at www.connectionnewspapers.com Burke Burke Budget Dialogue Continues in Braddock District News, Page 3 Budget Dialogue Continues in Braddock District News, Page 3 Residents Concerned About ‘Fracking in Our Backyard’ News, Page 8 Residents Concerned About ‘Fracking in Our Backyard’ News, Page 8 Historic Snowstorm Revisited in Burke News, Page 3 Historic Snowstorm Revisited in Burke News, Page 3 Senior Living Senior Living Senior Living 1 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com Local Media Connection LLC APRIL 2014 APRIL 2014 Senior Living Senior Living Senior Living Burke Burke Inside Inside Kevin Ambrose holds his book “Washington Weather” at a meeting of the Burke Historical Society on March 30.

Transcript of News, Page 3 - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/... Burke...

Page 1: News, Page 3 - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents/... Burke Connection April 3-9, 2014 3 News By Janelle Germanos The Connection I t was only fitting

Burke Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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April 3-9, 2014

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Budget DialogueContinues inBraddock DistrictNews, Page 3

Budget DialogueContinues inBraddock DistrictNews, Page 3

Residents ConcernedAbout ‘Fracking in

Our Backyard’News, Page 8

Residents ConcernedAbout ‘Fracking in

Our Backyard’News, Page 8

HistoricSnowstorm

Revisitedin Burke

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HistoricSnowstorm

Revisitedin Burke

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Senior LivingSenior LivingSenior LivingBurke Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

APRIL 2014APRIL 2014

SeniorLivingSeniorLivingSeniorLiving

BurkeBurke

InsideInside

Kevin Ambrose holds his book“Washington Weather” at ameeting of the Burke HistoricalSociety on March 30.

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Doing Business at RobinsonStudents in Robinson Secondary’s Business Law and Managementcourse are participating in two enrichment programs this year. Thefirst is a partnership with a local business, CustomInk.com, and thesecond is with the Virtual Enterprise program, where students startand operate a virtual enterprise company in a simulated businessenvironment as part of a global, virtual economy, in connection withschools all over the county. This year’s students have created a T-shirtdesign company similar to that of CustomInk.com, which they re-cently toured. Students were able to speak with associates and touredthe graphics, design, sales, web design and mobile applications de-partments. Participants included Andres Claure, Alex DeYoung,Michael Freeman, Dan Gherman, Lexi Hsu, and Erin McClendon.

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] or call703-778-9416. The deadline for submis-sions is the Friday prior to publication.Dated announcements should be submit-ted at least two weeks prior to the event.

SATURDAY/ APRIL 5Dog Adoption. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.,

Greenbriar Towncenter, 13053 LeeJackson Memorial Hwy., Fairfax.Homeless Animals Rescue Teamhosts this dog adoption event atPETCO. 703-817-9444 or hart90.org

Restore: The Journey Toward SelfForgiveness & Physical Health.9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Greater Little ZionBaptist Church, 10185 Zion Drive,Fairfax. To RSVP, call the church at703-764-9111 or email CancerSupport Team Ministry [email protected].

Navigating the Complexities ofLyme Disease. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124Park St, NE, Vienna. RSVP [email protected].

SUNDAY/APRIL 6The Effects of Mass Incarceration:

A Public Forum on CriminalJustice Sentencing Reform. 2-4p.m. Accotink Unitarian UniversalistChurch, 10125 Lakehaven Drive,Burke. www.accotinkuuc.org

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 9Free Dual Seminar. 7-8:30 p.m. 2700

Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 120, Fairfax.Simplified Stock InvestmentManagement and 1031 Tax-FreeProperty Exchanges. Register bycalling 703-969-4966.

Issues and Activities of VirginiaState Legislature 2014. 1:30 p.m.American Legion Post 176, 6520Amherst Avenue, Springfield.Delegate Mark Sickles (D-Franconia)will report on the issues andactivities of the 2014 Virginia StateLegislature and will include histhoughts on the influence of therecent Democratic party politicalchanges in the State Legislature. Q&Ato follow.

SATURDAY/APRIL 12 Dog Adoption. 12 to 3 p.m. PETCO,

Greenbriar Towncenter, 13053 LeeJackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax.703-817-9444 hart90.org

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 16Getting your Legal Ducks in a

Row. 1:30 p.m. Alzheimer’s FamilyDay Center, 2812 Old Lee Highway,Suite 210, Fairfax.

An elder law attorney will lead thisdiscussion on common legalconsiderations, such as power ofattorney, wills and estates,guardianships, and trusts. Call 703-204-4664 to RSVP and for moreinformation.

Bulletin Board

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News

By Janelle Germanos

The Connection

It was only fitting on asnowy Sunday in lateMarch, following a winter

filled with snow days, thatmembers of the Burke Histori-cal Society celebrate the begin-ning of spring by learning aboutthe eventful KnickerbockerSnowstorm of 1922.

Kevin Ambrose, a contributorto the Washington Post’s Capi-tal Weather Gang and author ofseveral books about weather,gave the Burke Historical Soci-ety a look back at this snow-storm.

But before his account of thishistoric event, Ambrose talkedabout his experience as a writerfor the Capital Weather Gangthis winter.

“We’ve had just an amazingwinter to cover,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose had written acouple articles on theKnickerbocker Snowstorm forthe Capital Weather Gang, andwas approached by a publisher.His book, “The KnickerbockerSnowstorm,” was published inJanuary 2013.

According to Ambrose, thesnowstorm was the biggest onrecord to hit the city of Wash-ington, D.C. Nearly 30 inchesof snow fell in Fairfax County.

The Knickerbocker Snow-storm was named after an inci-dent that occurred at a famousWashington, D.C. theater. OnJan. 28, 1922, the roof of thetheater collapsed, killing 98people and injuring 133.

“The only thing that was re-ally a positive was because ofthe storm, the theater was onlyhalf full, so it could have beenworse,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose shared the stories ofsome of these victims and sur-vivors, many of which werefilled with tragedy but a fewwith happy endings.

“From the outside streetlevel, it looked like nothing was

wrong. Literally the roof justcompletely went down flat. Theshell of the building was reallyuntouched,” Ambrose said.

The snow’s weight caused theroof to collapse, resulting inone of the worse disasters in thehistory of the city.

The U.S. military led the res-cue effort. George Patton waseven involved, although theU.S. Marines had already beenat the scene for hours beforePatton arrived as part of theU.S. Army.

“One thing a lot of peopledon’t know is that Washington,D.C. literally has a shadowgovernment,” said Don Will-iams, vice president of theBurke Historical Society.

Sad stories included that ofAgnes Mellon. Mellon died inthe incident, but her fiancé sur-vived.

Charles Lyman was planningto attend the show that night,Ambrose said, but his parentsmade him stay in and finish hishomework. Unfortunately, hiscousin David was at the showand died.

In addition to talking aboutthe theater incident, Ambrosecompared the snowfall of theKnickerbocker Snowstorm toother major storms in the Wash-ington, D.C. area. Thirty inchesof snow was measured inFairfax County during theKnickerbocker Snowstorm. Inthe “Snowmageddon” of 2010,Ambrose said 32 inches wasmeasured at Dulles Airport.

Even though it was snowingoutside, members of the BurkeHistorical Society enjoyedlearning even more about thesnowstorm.

“It’s one of the better eventsthat we’ve had,” said CindyBennett, the group’sfundraising chair and a Burkeresident. “Especially after thiswinter that we just had.”

For more information on theBurke Historical Society, visitwww.burkehistoricalsociety.org.

Kevin Ambrose took members of the Burke HistoricalSociety back in time to the Knickerbocker Snow-storm of 1922 at the group’s meeting on March 30.

Historic SnowstormRevisited in Burke

By Janelle Germanos

The Connection

Fairfax County needs to belooking at the long-termpicture in terms of the bud-

get, Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock District) said at a townhall meeting on April 1.

“Of course, we’re all looking atthe budget that starts July 1, butI’m really interested in hearingsome dialogue about the nextthree, four and five years,” Cooksaid.

The meeting, which was dedi-cated to discussions on the FairfaxCounty FY 2015 advertised bud-get, included a presentation byCounty Executive Ed Long.

Long said he is much more opti-mistic about this year’s budget,and echoed Cook’s opinion thatthe budget should be consideredlong-term.

According to Long, technologyand public safety investments aretwo important long-term issuesFairfax County will be looking atover the next couple of years.

Still concerning, however, is thatFairfax County is still seeing theeffects of the government shut-down that occurred in October2013, Long says.

Another concern is the sales taxrevenue, which has dropped inFairfax County.

“Snow has had an impact on thelocal economy,” Long said.

Although Long’s proposed bud-get does not include an increasedtax rate, homeowners in FairfaxCounty will see property taxes in-crease by $331.67 or more, onaverage, due to increased assess-ments. Funding from real estatetaxes makes up 63.2 percent of thebudget.

“The bad news is it was only 62percent last year. We’re becomingmore dependent on real estate,”Long said.

At the request of the Board ofSupervisors, Long presented a listof further possible reductions tothe budget totaling around $20million on March 18.

Cook, who asked for the list ofcuts, said at his town hall meetingthat he isn’t happy about that list,and plans on coming up with oneof his own.

Questions and comments onschool funding were commonfrom the audience at the meeting.

“You’re asking for cuts and cutsand cuts. I know your discussionsaren’t done yet, but what are weseeing on the county level to dothe same thing Dr. Garza did withher 730 cuts?” Kathy Ryan ofAnnandale asked at the meeting.

Cook said that a multi-year dis-cussion between the Supervisorsand the school board on the schoolsystem’s budget is needed.

The Board of Supervisors hasadvertised a two-cent increase inthe real estate tax rate, but thisrate could be lowered when thebudget is approved at the end ofApril.

“If we can’t find the cuts on the

county side, because I don’t wantto necessarily cut county services,then maybe we have to be look-ing at what that two penny in-crease does to our tax bills butmaintains quality of life inFairfax,” said Braddock DistrictSchool Board member MeganMcLaughlin said.

Braddock resident JamesHawkins said at the meeting thatthe county and schools need to bemore efficient as to where moneyis spent.

“I don’t want my taxes in-creased,” Hawkins said.

Public hearings on the budgetare April 8, 9 and 10 at the FairfaxCounty Government Center. Theformal adoption of the budget isApril 29

Budget Dialogue ContinuesIn Braddock DistrictSupervisor JohnCook hosts bud-get town hall.

Braddock District Supervisor John Cook and CountyExecutive Ed Long speak at a town hall meeting about theproposed FY 2015 Fairfax County budget on April 1.

Megan McLaughlin, the Braddock representative for theFairfax County School Board, talks about issues facing theschool system at a town hall meeting at Robinson Sec-ondary School on April 1.

Burke Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

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News

The 36th annual Valor Awards, hon-oring public safety heroes, was pre-sented by the Fairfax County Cham-

ber of Commerce at a luncheon at the HiltonMcLean Tysons Corner on Monday, March31.

Certificates of Valor were bestowed uponPolice Department First Class Officers AdamP. Ankers, Sara R. Polowy, Beth L. Gardner,Daniel S. Goldman, Michael A. Lentz, MarkE. Tenally as well as Sergeant Camile S.Neville, Second Lieutenant Dwayne F.Machosky, Technician Thomas R. Barnes,Captain II David K. Gruendel and Captain IMarc. L. Straubinger. Fairfax CountySheriff ’s Office recipients included PrivateFirst Class Nicolas Barb, Daryl Shifflett andSergeant Shawna Wood.

The Bronze Medal of Valor was presentedto Fairfax County Police Officers Robert C.Hines, Scott H. Reever, Shannon L. Sams,Daniel W. Romanoff and Second Lieuten-ant Trafton C. Parr.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue crews 410and 418 responded to a high-rise buildingon Nov. 8, 2013 and rescued a barely con-scious woman before the hose line wasready to extinguish the fire engulfing thebuilding. For their heroic efforts, Captain IPatrick Sheehan, Technicians Kevin R.Dabney, Jorge H. Ochaita, Scott E. Herbertand Jeffery T. Pfeifer, Lieutenant MichaelS. Taylor, Firefighter Andres F. Martinez andVolunteer Firefighter Brian Pelletier werehonored with the Bronze Medal of Valor.

For their efforts in rescuing a crew mem-ber from a crash site in the Republic ofKyrgyzstan, Firefighter and Medic SallyDickinson, USAR Canine Handler ElizabethKreitler and Battalion Chief Michael C.Schaff were also honored with the BronzeMedal of Valor. Canines were also honoredfor that mission: Fielder and Garo, who wason hand to receive the medal around hisneck from Fire and Rescue Chief RichardBowers Jr. Master Deputy Sheriff HeatherLama from the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Of-fice was awarded the Bronze Medal of Valor

for her response to a high-risk domestic dis-pute in Chantilly. Lieutenant Antonio D.Trammell received the Silver Medal of Valorfor his quick response to an inflamed caraccident in Prince George’s County, Md.

The Gold Medal of Valor, which has notbeen handed out for years, was presentedto First Class Police Officers Keith J. Bakerand Edward L. Carpenter for displayinguncommon valor in the face of an extremelyviolent incident involving two armed assail-ants.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Depart-ment Engine 413, Rescue 401 and TowerLadder 430 responded to a fire that brokeout in a liquefied propane gas refilling andstorage yard in a densely populated area ofMerrifield area. Fire and Rescue crew mem-bers who prevented this disaster and werehonored included Battalion Chief James J.Walsh, Captain II Ronnie A. Rodriguez,Master Technicians Annette Corwin, Dou-glas L. Miller, Ronald G. Bauserman andDaniel M. Sova, Technician Jarrod A.Schmidt, Firefighters Todd E. Clist, JoshuaM. Morrison and Donald W. Rohr and Lieu-tenants Carmen Alessi and Daniel J.Kwiatkowski.

Connolly noted in his message to thosehonored: “Their efforts, made on behalf ofthe citizens of Fairfax County, are selflessacts worthy of our highest praise and re-spect.”

— Veronica Bruno

Bronze Medal of ValorAward recipients (from

left ) included FairfaxCounty Fire & Rescue

Department FirefighterAndres F. Martinez,

Technicians Jeffery T.Pfeifer, Jorge H.

Ochaita, and Kevin R.Dabney and Captain I

Patrick Sheehan.

First Class Police Officer Sara R.Polowy was awarded a Certificateof Valor by Police DepartmentChief Ed Roessler.

County Honors Its HeroesChamber of Com-merce hosts annualValor Awards.

Photos by

Veronica Bruno

The Connection

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Paul H.Weisshaar, M.D.

will close hisGynecologypractice on4/30/2014

St. Andrew’s EpiscopalChurch to Host ‘A Choral Feast’

The Friends of Music and the Arts at St. Andrew’s Episco-pal Church, 6509 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, will host“A Choral Feast,” a concert of choral music, in Burke on

Sunday, April 6, at 4 p.m. “There is no admission fee for ourconcerts, because we want to make great music available to ev-eryone who is interested,” said Jay Wilcox, the organist-choir-master at St. Andrew’s. “We hope that those who are able to do-nate to support the ongoing series will do so.” The series is in itsthird year, and presents a variety of artistic events. There is plentyof free parking at St. Andrew’s, and there is free childcare so thatparents of young children can attend without having to worryabout hiring babysitters.

The 90-minute concert will be performed by the Potomac En-semble, a group of 10 of the D.C. area’s finest professional sing-ers. All of the choral music on the program is written for five-partchoir (with two soprano parts), rather than usual four part choir.“The added soprano part gives the music a degree of richnessthat four-part music cannot achieve,” notes Wilcox.

The first performance of Jay Wilcox’s “O sacrum convivium”will also be featured in the program.

Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor will be played on St.Andrew’s pipe organ, and the program will close with Bach’smotet, “Jesu, meine Freude.” Complete program details are avail-able at http://www.standrews.net/friends-of-music-and-arts.

Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday.Dated announcements should be sub-mitted at least two weeks prior to theevent.

Mothers and daughters, cometogether to enjoy Bingo, crafts, games,refreshments and more. Bring your fa-vorite teacup and wear your best teaparty hat for special contest categories.The cost is $25/couple with an extra $5for each additional sibling.

The Tea is Saturday, April 5, from 2-4 p.m. at Burke United MethodistChurch. There will also be a silent auc-tion with a portion of the proceeds tobenefit SHARE - Share Her Annual RealExpenses - a Girl Scout Council of theNation’s Capital program that providesfunding for Girl Scout campsites, leadertraining and financial aid.

For reservations contact Sandy Lattaat 703-495-0063 [email protected]. Reservationsclose March 29.

The Cancer Treatment Centersof America, sponsored by the CancerSupport Team, Ministry of Greater LittleBaptist Church, Fairfax, will present“Restore: The Journey Toward Self For-giveness & Physical Health” onSaturday, April 5, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at theGreater Little Zion Baptist Church,10185 Zion Drive, Fairfax. This is a freeevent. To RSVP, call the church at 703-764-9111 or email Cancer SupportTeam Ministry at [email protected]

The speaker will be Rev. Dr. MichaelBarry author of the Forgiveness Projectand Director of Pastoral Care at CancerTreatment Centers of America in Phila-delphia, Pa.

The Effects of Mass Incarcera-tion: A Public Forum on CriminalJustice Sentencing Reform will beheld on Sunday, April 6, 2 - 4 p.m. atAccotink Unitarian Universalist Church,10125 Lakehaven Drive, Burke. Thepanelists include state Sen. DaveMarsden, the Sentencing Project’sNazgol Ghandnoosh, Fairfax’s DeputyCounty Executive David Rohrer. Theywill engage these concerns: the UnitedStates has more people in jail than any

nation in the history of the world. Un-intended consequences of this MassIncarceration are especially devastatingto poor communities of color. YoungAfrican-American Men are more likelyto go to jail than to college. Many drugoffenders are discriminated against inhousing, voting and education after theyhave served their sentences. How do weminimize the human costs of the DrugWar and Mass Incarceration and fix thiscrisis? For more info got towww.accotinkuuc.org - or call 703-503-4579 and ask for Reverend ScottSammler-Michael

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

The Guhyasamaja BuddhistCenter, 10875 Main St., Fairfax Cityprovides free classes to both newcomersand advanced practitioners of TibetanBuddhism.

The center emphasizes working withthe mind and learning how to under-stand the workings of the mind,overcoming innner causes of suffering,while cultivating causes of happiness.Under the direction of Lama ZopaRinpoche, the center is a place of study,contemplation and meditation. Visithttp://www.guhyasamaja.org for moreinformation.

Lord of Life Lutheran offers ser-vices at two locations, in Fairfax at 5114Twinbrook Road and in Clifton at 13421Twin Lakes Drive. Services in Fairfax areheld on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sun-days at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Services inClifton are held on Sundays at 8:15 and10:30 a.m. 703-323-9500 orwww.Lordoflifeva.org.

First Baptist Church of Spring-field offers Sunday school at 9:15 a.m.,followed by a 10:30 a.m. worship ser-vice at 7300 Gary St., Springfield.703-451-1500 orwww.fbcspringfield.org.

Faith Notes

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BurkeOpinion

By Sharon Bulova

Chairman, Fairfax County

Board of Supervisors

As the Virginia General Assembly con-tinues to discuss the expansion ofMedicaid, the benefits and conse-quences of doing so have received a

great deal of attention. Debates rage in themedia, among businesses and around thekitchen tables of ordinary Virginians through-out the state. At our board meeting of March25 my colleagues and I reiterated, in a bi-par-tisan vote, our strong support for Medicaidexpansion in Virginia, and here’s why:

First and foremost, Virginians havealready paid for most of Medicaidexpansion through our federal taxdollars. Through the year 2022, Vir-ginians will pay $29.7 billion in AffordableCare Act related taxes and fees to the federalgovernment. The federal government willcover almost all of the cost for Medicaid ex-pansion with tax dollars collected from thestates, including Virginia. If Medicaid is ex-panded in Virginia, the federal government willpay 100 percent of the cost through 2016, de-creasing incrementally to 90 percent in 2020and subsequent years. If Medicaid is not ex-

panded in Virginia, we willstill pay those same taxesbut will see no correspond-ing benefit to our unin-sured population — rather,our tax dollars will be usedto pay for uninsured indi-viduals in other states.

Second, the economicbenefits of expanding Med-

icaid, aside from the obvious return of taxpayerdollars to our state, far outweigh the costs. Toput it plainly, not addressing affordable healthcare coverage in Virginia costs Virginia money.Employed Virginians with insurance already

subsidize care provided for unin-sured Virginians needing urgenttreatment when they show up inemergency rooms. These visits result

in higher premiums for employed Virginiansas well as increased provider costs. Medicaidexpansion would increase less expensive pre-ventative care thus reducing more expensiveemergency care. This would not only drivedown costs but could also improve the overallhealth of Virginia residents.

A largely unseen cost of our current situa-tion is the existing financial burden on county-funded safety net providers, including non-

profit organizations that assist lower incomeresidents. The Fairfax-Falls Church CommunityServices Board estimates that the percentageof clients receiving substance abuse treatmentor mental health services who are covered byMedicaid will rise from 38 percent to 50 per-cent under the proposed expansion, freeing upCounty funding for other critical needs.

Lastly, Medicaid expansion provides a tre-mendous opportunity to do more to help ourmost vulnerable residents. In Fairfax Countyalone, up to 30,000 low-income residentswould become eligible for Medicaid throughexpansion, including: individuals earning lessthan $15,302 per year; families earning lessthan $31,155 per year; low-income childrenwho lose Medicaid when they turn 19; and,adults with disabilities not eligible for Supple-mental Security Income or Social Security Dis-ability Insurance. Under Medicaid expansion,Virginia’s health care delivery system will havethe resources needed to provide quality ser-vices to those in need.

The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerceand Fairfax County’s local hospitals recognizethese facts, and have strongly endorsed Med-icaid expansion. Let’s keep Virginia’s tax dol-lars in Virginia and increase access for unin-sured Virginians at the same time.

Why I Support Medicaid Expansion

Letters to the Editor

Commentary

See Human, Page 10

To the Board of Supervisors:

The following open letter to theFairfax County Board of Supervisorsconcerns housing and human servicesbudget recommendations from the Alex-andria Budget Advocacy Coalition forHousing and Human Services.

nificant amounts of private capi-tal to provide a return on thecounty’s investment. These invest-ments help us maintain a diverse,caring community that providesaccess to opportunities for all.

The guiding principles that in-formed our decisions are as fol-lows:

❖ No one recommendationtakes priority over the others;

❖ Each recommendation funds

To the Editor:Supporting the public schools is

Fairfax County’s number one pri-ority. Proof of that lies in the factthat over 50 percent of thecounty’s budget supports schoolprograms. This large expense hasgenerated considerable debateamong county taxpayers over theyears. However, this year the dis-cussion has become toxic and per-sonal. I went to the Lee Districtbudget hearing on Wednesdayevening, the 26th, to hear present-ers from Fairfax County andFairfax County Public Schools ex-plain their respective proposedbudgets. Although the financialpicture has improved, the countyis still not free of the impacts ofthe economic downturn at the end

of the last decade. Two issuesdominated the audience discus-sion: the possible increase in realestate taxes and the request by theschool board for a funding in-crease over last year’s budget.

One of the very worst publicmeetings I’ve attended! Two older,retired persons in the audienceworried about the impact of in-creased home assessments and taxrates; audience members repre-senting the schools were belliger-ent and insulting to the point ofbullying. “My kids deserve the bestschools, so quit your whining andpay,” was the gist of their attack.The school board member repre-senting Lee District rolled her eyes,made faces, and played with heriPad during the County’s budget

Toxic Debate on School Budgetpresentation and the countysupervisor’s subsequent responsesto questions. It is clear that someparents and school board mem-bers are passionate about theschools. I understand that. Butthere needs to be some minimumlevel of decency and respectfulnessduring this debate. Those who cryout, “Fully fund Fairfax CountySchools,” need to stop and think.Over 70 percent of the taxpayersin Fairfax do not have kids incounty schools. You are asking usto pay for your child’s educationat the expense of other importantservices. Social workers in themental health field, for example,are today handling caseloads of 50clients or more. This is almostdouble the recommended norm.

Clients must wait up to threemonths for an intake interviewand up to six weeks after that fortreatment. These are some of thetrade-offs you are asking taxpay-ers to make. You need to convinceus that the school programs aremore important than taking careof those with disorders of thebrain, law enforcement, fire emer-gencies, the list goes on and on.Insults and threats do not con-vince! It is also not a good examplefor those very children aboutwhom you care. I left the meetingangry at and ashamed of my fel-low citizens...and much less as-sured about the abilities of thosemanaging my county schools.

Terry AtkinsonFairfax

As you consider the proposed FY 2015 countybudget, we urge you to

make additional and needed in-vestments in housing, health andhuman services programs. Theserecommendations were developed

through a collaborative process ofnonprofit housing developers, hu-man service providers, and advo-cacy organizations identifyingcommunity needs. Strategic pub-lic investments in housing andhuman services can leverage sig-

Maintaining a Viable, Diverse CommunityWhile need for housing, childcare, healthcare andother human services have grown, these programshave faced significant cuts over past few years.

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“Your driver’s license has beensuspended. You will be arrested.You will be deported. We are onour way to your home right now.”These are just a few of the manythreats scammers have madeagainst hundreds of FairfaxCounty residents over the past sev-eral weeks. Police warn the publicnot to fall prey to them and, in-stead, to call and report them.

These telephone scammers aredescribed as demanding, aggres-sive, threatening and easily an-gered when callers don’t immedi-ately agree to their demands of“overdue tax balances.” Somehave also had heavy accents.

Typically, callers demand be-tween $4,000-$6,000 in immedi-ate payment of unpaid tax bills.These scams are sophisticated andinvolve false names, numbers andphony IRS badge numbers. Sus-pects often continue to call andharass the recipient. Once money’sbeen wired/sent, it’s impossible torecover. More information on com-mon scams may be found at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/f i n a n c i a l c r i m e s /commonscams.htm.

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News

By Janelle Germanos

The Connection

At a town hall meeting in Burke,area residents, along with mem-bers of the Great Falls chapter ofthe Sierra Club, learned about

fracking that could take place nearby in theGeorge Washington National Forest.

Dustin Horwitt, a senior analyst atEarthworks, showed the audience the pro-posal for drilling in the George WashingtonNational Forest, which has led to a numberof environmental concerns.

The headwaters of the Potomac River arefound within the million-acre forest. Drill-ing in the forest could cause risks to thedrinking water used by over four millionpeople in the D.C. area, including FairfaxCounty.

“There are countless tributaries that flowout of the forest and connect up to thePotomac,” Horwitt said.

Fairfax County Water Authority, the D.C.Water and Sewer Authority, and the Wash-ington Aqueduct have voiced their opposi-tion to fracking in the forest.

“It’s not just the forest service that hasbeen concerned about this drilling andfracking,” Horwitt said. “Three of our ma-jor water providers have written to the for-est service saying please do not allow thistype of drilling in the forest because we areconcerned it could contaminate our watersupply here in Fairfax and the D.C. area.”

DURING THE COMMENT PERIOD onthe draft forest plan for George Washing-ton National Forest’s in 2011, FairfaxCounty Water Authority general managerCharles Murray wrote in a letter that FairfaxWater is concerned about the impact of drill-ing in the forest.

“It is imperative that decisions regardingoil and gas leasing be based on sound sci-ence and that the highest-level of protec-tion be afforded sources of drinking watersupply,” Murray wrote.

Trish Wotowiec, a resident of Burke, saidshe is working to convince the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors to pass a reso-lution voicing the county’s disapproval tothe fracking plan. In early March, the Wash-ington, D.C. City Council passed a resolu-tion opposing fracking in the George Wash-ington National Forest due to the possibil-ity of it contaminating drinking water.

Attendees of the town hall meeting inBurke hope Fairfax County follows this ex-ample.

“This area is very politically active. Wejust need to make sure more people knowabout it,” Wotowiec said.

Linda Burchfiel of the Great Falls chapterof the Sierra Club encouraged attendees towrite a letter to their supervisor, urgingthem to pass a resolution in favor of a banon fracking in the George Washington Na-tional Forest.

The Forest Service estimates that half ofthe million-acre forest sits on top of theMarcellus Shale.

In 2011, the National Forest Service de-

cided that horizontal drilling would be pro-hibited in the forest. Now, the agency isconsidering allowing fracking to occur.

“Since about 2012, the forest service hasbeen on the brink of issuing its final deci-sion, and they keep postponing it and post-poning it. The most recent estimate theygave is that sometime this year, they aregoing to make the final decision,” Horwittsaid. “We have to assume that they couldmake that decision at any time.”

Hydraulic fracturing has been aroundsince 1947, but Horwitt said there havebeen major changes in the oil and naturalgas industry over the last couple of years.

“One of the changes is that increasingly,companies are accessing what is called un-conventional formations. The companiesused to primarily drill in conventional for-mations, which is essentially a pool of oiland gas underground, like a bubble. Thecompanies could perforate the pool with

their drill bed and up would come the oiland gas,” he said.

Those formations, however, have for themost part been used. Companies havemoved to shale, an unconventional forma-tion.

“In these formations, the oil and gas isdispersed over a much larger area under-ground, and it’s locked up in the rock inmillions of tiny pores. You need much moreextensive drilling and fracking to access it,”Horwitt said.

According to Horwitt, these unconven-tional locations, including the MarcellusShale, are located where people live.

“In unconventional formations, it takes amuch more intensive process to extract theoil and natural gas,” Horwitt said. “In theGeorge Washington National Forest, theforest service is predicting that they’ll haveto use up to five million gallons of fluid in-jected into the well for hydraulic fractur-ing, and they’re predicting about 250 hori-zontal wells.”

Over the development of each oil pad,which includes three wells and could takeseveral months, Horwitt said the forest ser-vice is predicting 4,400 truck tricks per welland up to hundreds of thousands of gallonsof waste water per well.

“Most of that truck traffic is going to bebringing in the fluid for the hydraulic frac-turing and then hauling out the waste wa-ter for disposal,” Horwitt said.

Opponents to fracking in the forest areconcerned that spills could occur duringfracking and that the water waste disposalcould also cause problems.

“There’s so many trucks and equipmenton each site that spills are basically inevi-table,” Horwitt said.

THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY has saidthat fracking is safe, and that concernsabout its safety are not based on fact. Pro-ponents also argue that it creates jobs.

“We need the jobs, energy and tax rev-enues. This can be done with minimal im-pact to the environment and recreationaluses of the forest,” Gregory Kozera, presi-dent of Virginia Oil and Gas association,wrote in a letter in 2011.

A couple of public figures in FairfaxCounty, including state Del. Patrick Hope(D-47), and Don Beyer, former Virginia lieu-tenant governor, have voiced their opposi-tion to fracking in the George WashingtonNational Forest.

For now, members of the Sierra Club andarea residents are continuing to write totheir supervisors.

“We’re hoping to get a board resolution.Fairfax County speaking as a whole is bet-ter than just us sending letters as individu-als,” Burchfield said. “This is our chance toinfluence them.”

Braddock District Supervisor John Cooksaid that he has not yet been briefed on thesituation and is unsure when a resolutionwould occur, although he is familiar withsome of the news related to the possibilityof fracking in the George Washington Na-tional Forest.

Residents Concerned About ‘Fracking in Our Backyard’

Dustin Horwitt, a senior analyst at Earthworks, shares informationabout the proposal to drill for oil in the George Washington NationalForest. Horwitt has been speaking at several town meetings across thearea and informing residents on how fracking in the forest could impactdrinking water in Northern Virginia.

A map showswhere theMarcellus

Shale is lo-cated in the

George Wash-ington Na-

tional Forest.

National

Forest Service

Pho

to

co

urtesy o

f Lin

da Burch

fiel

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News

By Lisa Spinelli

The Connection

Many Northern Virginian stu-dents are biting their nails,waiting for their college ad-mission letters this week.

But in a sea of overachievers, NoVa studentsare coming across a pervasive issue with in-state colleges—what is being dubbed the“the Northern Virginia Problem.” Many resi-dents of Fairfax, Alexandria City, Loudon,Fauquier, Prince William and Arlingtoncounties are spreading the word that topVirginia universities—the University of Vir-ginia, Washington and Lee and William andMary are becoming harder and harder toget into.

“I applied to a lot of Virginia schools. Ididn’t get into UVa, but I’m not surprisedbecause it’s gotten so hard—especially fromLangley (High School) where everyoneseemed to be applying to the same schools,”says Chris Susskind, a 3.8 (weighted) GPAsenior at Langley High School with multipleAP courses, a near-perfect ACT score and avolunteer with disabled children. “It’s (UVahas) become ivy league for schools in Vir-ginia.”

Other high-achieving seniors, like DrewTreger of W.T. Woodson High School, don’teven bother applying.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get in, so I didn’teven try,” says Treger, captain of the men’svarsity lacrosse team and of the Fellowshipfor Christian Athletes at Woodson, who alsoholds a 3.5 GPA with four AP classes underhis belt.

THESE TOP VIRGINIA UNIVERSITIESare not trying to totally dispel the rumorseither—they are in fact accepting less of apercentage of NoVa students. But the rea-sons are not that they’ve become more strin-gent in their admission policies or moreselective, they claim. The problem it seemsis an issue of sheer volume. All hope is notlost, however, and we have a few tips forthose students vying for entrance into thesetop-ranked schools.

Data from the University of Virginia’scommunications office supports the rumorsthat they are indeed accepting less of a per-centage of Northern Virginia applicants—39 percent this year compared to 42 per-cent for fall 2009. However, the number ofstudents applying from our NoVa countiesis also increasing—up 25 percent in just fiveyears. Unless UVa and the other top-ratedschools grow their facilities as fast as theirapplicant pool, there’s naturally going to beless of a percentage accepted.

“Generally, the academic quality of incom-ing classes here has increased over the yearsand the number of applications for limitedspots continues to set records,” says CharlesMcGregor McCance, senior director of me-dia relations at UVA. “This raises the com-petitive environment for all applicants fromeverywhere. For the current academic year,the University received more than 31,000applications for about 3,500 spots.”

The same trend appears to be the casewith the College of William and Mary. Ac-cording to data pulled from the State Coun-cil of Higher Education for Virginia, appli-cations into this top-rated Virginia collegeincreased 12 percent in the last five yearsand their acceptance rate only went downfrom 44 percent to 42. The actual numberof students being accepted is steadily in-creasing at UVa and William and Mary, justnot the percentage.

Washington and Lee University does not

report or collect data by county, the com-munications department informed us.

“We have always taken 15 percent fromVirginia,” says Brian Eckert, executive di-rector of communications and public affairsfor Washington and Lee. “We look at gradesfirst and—once we know that someone canhandle the work here—then we start look-ing at demonstrated strong leadership andstudents who have performed communityservice.”

Fairfax County alone grew from 969,000in 2000 to over 1.1 million in 2013. Withthousands more students flooding the ap-plication system, it may seem harder tostand out amongst classmates—many ofwhom are getting straight As. But stressingout over SATs and class rank isn’t the mosteffective way to beat out the competition.

Yes, it’s true the types and grades you getin those classes are the first and foremostaspects of a transcript these colleges are

looking at but leadership roles, cali-ber of essays and an overall interest-ing aspect about you—something tomake you diverse, is what they allclaim to set those who stand outagainst those who get weeded out.

“More and more students are add-ing an area of interest when apply-ing to colleges,” says Judith Hingle,career connections specialist with theFairfax County Public School System.“Adding a prospective major can help,because colleges need to balance allthose things.”

With engineering degrees being themost popular, Eckert agreed there areundoubtedly more STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering and Math)students applying now than ever be-fore, but classics majors are at an all-time low across the nation.

JUST TWO YEARS AGO, FairfaxCounty schools adapted a more ca-reer-minded focus with the installa-tion of the Naviance system, a Web-based system FCPS named the Fam-ily Connection. Naviance is a careerand academic guidance software sys-tem that links students’ academicchoices to the counseling offices andhelps them determine their highschool, college and subsequent careerpath. Hingle says this kind of focuscan only help up students’ chances atreceiving those coveted admissionletters.

Another way around the system en-tirely—which can also cut down onyour final tuition bill—is to attend aVirginia community college. Many topschools in Virginia and the D.C. areahave a guaranteed admissions agree-ment with not just UVa, but Williamand Mary, certain colleges withinGeorge Washington University andCatholic University of America. Wash-ington and Lee, however, does notparticipate.

And if all else fails, Hingle says notto despair, there are tons of othergreat schools in Virginia that wereestablished after the 19th century—many of whom are taking a higherpercentage of NoVa students than inyears past.

“Pick a school that really interestsyou,” Hingle advises. “If you just fo-cus on the high end, a lot of great kidsbecome discouraged, but there arelots of chances to grow and learn herein Virginia.”

Photo courtesy the Communications and Public Affairs Office

Students at Washington and Lee University.

Photo by Sanjay Suchak, U.Va. Office of University Communications

University of Virginia Rotunda.

The Northern Virginia ProblemTop VirginiaUniversities are harderto get into: checkingwhy and how to help.

“It’s (UVa has)become ivy league forschools in Virginia.”

—Langley High Senior ChrisSusskind

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Opinion

Human Services: Between Growing Needs and Budget CutsFrom Page 6

a program that is an essential componentof a system of housing and services thatoffer individuals and families in need theoptimum chances for success;

❖ These recommendations support a widespectrum of households along the housingcontinuum;

❖ No funding for new initiatives is re-quested. Instead, these recommendationsfund coordinated efforts between housingand service providers to deliver criticalsafety net supports with maximum effi-ciency and adoption of best practices.

Our coalition supports the limited hous-ing and human services funding in theCounty Executive’s Budget, and respectfullyurges no further cuts to these budgets. Thisrequest is made in light of significant cutsto these programs over the past few years,even as the need for housing, childcare,healthcare and other human services havegrown. In supporting the County’s Execu-tive proposals, we would like to highlightthe following:

Contract Rate Increases for Human Ser-vice Providers: We support the CountyExecutive’s inclusion of $2.17 million for acontract rate increase for human servicesproviders in the County, especiallynonprofits. These providers offer criticalservices to low and moderate income house-holds that would fall to the county alone ifthe nonprofit partners did not exist. Thesecommunity-based organizations have builtcorporate and private sector support fortheir efforts to leverage public resources.However, funding for these organizationsthat provide services must keep pace withinflation, our high cost of living, pay andbenefits, to attract and retain their staff.

Consolidated Community Funding Pool(CCFP): We support the increase of$743,388 (7.5 percent over the FY 2014Adopted Budget amount of $9.9 million)for the first year of a two-year CCFP cyclethat begins in FY 2015. FY 2015 Commu-nity Development Block Grant funding isprojected to be $1.8 million, an increase of$250,791. The total FY 2015 CCFP fundingis therefore anticipated to be $12.4 million,an increase of $944,179 over the FY 2014amount of $11.4 million. This additionalfunding strengthens the county’s investmentin community-based programs and is wel-comed.

Mondloch Place $275,000 (Office to Endand Prevent Homelessness): We supportfunding needed for on-site supportive ser-vices to formerly homeless single adults.The funds will pay the contract costs tooperate the program, including staffing thefacility, and leverages the county’s invest-ment in the substantial renovation of thebuilding.

Employment Services $200,000 (Office toEnd and Prevent Homelessness): We sup-port continued funding for a pilot programintegrating employment services into theexisting Bridging Affordability frameworkof the Housing Blueprint. Providing servicesthat adequately address the special needsof many in the Bridging Affordability pro-gram — something that is lacking in exist-

ing employment services programs — isessential for these households to achievegreater financial security and self-suffi-ciency. This funding was originally includedin the FY 2014 budget, but was held in re-serve pending approval of the plan.

Katherine K. Hanley Townhomes$235,220 (Office to End and PreventHomelessness): We support funding to pro-vide supportive housing and services tofamilies with children. Two 3-unit buildingsare scheduled to open in December 2014.

Domestic and Sexual Violence Services$139,973 (Department of Family Services):We support funding for one new programmanager position to address both increas-

of extremely low income families have ac-cess to stable housing options and don’tcycle back into homelessness.

The FY2015 advertised budget also in-cludes $5 million for the New Private Part-ner Acquisition to increase the county’sstock of committed affordable housing. Thisfunding would be used to preserve or de-velop 120 units of affordable housing forlow income working families, but thisamount is inadequate to provide the gapfinancing for such a project, especially if thegoal of serving formerly homeless persons,as stated in the Blueprint, is to be achieved.

In considering these requests, please notethe following statistics:

sured clients to travel to Charlottesville,spending scarce money and missing daysat work. It is our understanding that a work-ing group of public and private providersand leaders has recently initiated efforts tobuild and sustain a local specialty networksystem.

Therefore, rather than recommend res-toration of the funding at this time, we sug-gest that the county continue to support thiseffort and play an appropriate role in de-veloping solutions to this problem. By thetime of Carryover, we should all have a bet-ter understanding about the needed re-sources, if any.

This coalition appreciates the significantbudget challenges you face for FY2015, andthanks you for our partnership as we worktogether in support of the most vulnerablein our community. However, we are deeplyconcerned that the housing and human ser-vices system has reached a “tipping point”where it will not be possible to decreasefunding without sacrificing services andfailing to meet the human services needs ofcounty residents. We believe that there isvery little margin for error, and that anyfurther cuts will result in program reduc-tions, eliminations, or waiting lists for ser-vices. If Fairfax County is to remain a placeof excellence, we must come together as acommunity to discuss a long term strategyfor funding and maintaining adequate, an-nual investments in housing and humanservices in future budgets.

Signed by:Alternative House, Judith Dittman, Executive

Director; Centreville Immigration Forum/Centreville Labor Resource Center, Alice Foltz,Board President; Cornerstones, Kerrie Wilson,CEO; Community Residences, Inc. Dennis J.Manning, LCSW, President and CEO; FACETS,Inc., Amanda Andere, Executive Director; FairfaxArea Disability Services Board; Fairfax CountyAlliance for Human Services, Shannon Steene,Chair; Fairfax Education Association, KimberleyAdams, President; Governing Board of theFairfax Falls Church Partnership to Prevent andEnd Homelessness, Michael L. O’Reilly, Chair-man; Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia,Rev. Jon Smoot, Executive Director; James MottCommunity Assistance Program, Inc., CherylMavritte, Executive Director and RebeccaJohnson, Acting Board Chair; Literacy Council ofNorthern Virginia, Patricia Donnelly, ExecutiveDirector; Lorton Community Action Center,Linda Patterson, Executive Director; New HopeHousing, Pam Michell, Executive Director;Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance,Michelle Krocker, Executive Director; NorthernVirginia Family Service, Mary Agee, Presidentand CEO; Our Daily Bread, Lisa Whetzel,Executive Director and Richard Haynes, BoardPresident; Pathway Homes, Inc., Sylisa Lambert-Woodard, President and CEO; PRS, Inc., WendyGradison, LCSW, President and CEO; ShelterHouse, Inc., Joe Meyer, Deputy ExecutiveDirector and Denise Miller, Board President;United Community Ministries, Shirley Marshall,Executive Director and Jim Seeley, Boardmember and Chair of the Advocacy Committee;Volunteers of America Chesapeake, Russell K.Snyder, President and CEO; Wesley HousingDevelopment Corporation, Shelley Murphy,President and CEO; Western Fairfax ChristianMinistries, Melissa Jansen, Executive Director;Individual citizen advocates Marlene Blum,Vienna (Providence District); Alvin W.Smuzynski, Fairfax Station (Springfield District);Francis J. Pettit, Burke (Springfield District), andEllen Hayes, Fairfax (Braddock District)

Securing safe, decent affordable housing remainsone of the greatest challenges for low and moderateincome households in Fairfax County and is aconsiderable barrier to a family’s ability to achievestability and self-sufficiency.

ing caseloads and the complexity of workin the Office for Women and Domestic andSexual Violence Services.

Investment in School Readiness $714,000(Office of Children): We support the CountyExecutive’s proposal in the FY2015 budgetto expand community-based programs forchildren living in poverty to reach schoolbenchmarks.

Affordable Housing (Housing and Com-munity Development): Securing safe, de-cent affordable housing remains one of thegreatest challenges for low and moderateincome households in Fairfax County andis a considerable barrier to a family’s abil-ity to achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

Housing Blueprint: The FY 2015 adver-tised budget includes $1.95 million to fundthe Bridging Affordability rental programas a portion of the budget for the FY 2015Housing Blueprint. The funding for this pro-gram was reallocated in the FY2014 bud-get, and the proposed FY2015 allocation isapproximately $2 million less than FY2013.

Bridging Affordability was adopted as thecounty’s signature program within theHousing Blueprint to move families out ofhomelessness and onto a more sustainablefuture. This program provides rental subsi-dies and case management to extremelylow-income households, and has success-fully served over 281 families. BridgingAffordability works. Nearly 70 percent ofhouseholds that have successfullytransitioned out of Bridging Affordabilityinto permanent housing have moved on tofair market housing.

With the current Bridging Affordabilityprogram funding, we are positioned to con-tinue to serve approximately 150 newhouseholds through FY14 and FY15. Begin-ning in FY16, it is critical that Fairfax Countycontinues to invest in this high-impact, high-demand program to ensure that hundreds

❖ U.S. Census Bureau statistics show anestimated 73,916 households in FairfaxCounty earning less than $50,000 annually,or about 47 percent of the area’s medianincome for a family of four ($107,300);

❖ Census data also shows an estimated67,293 persons living below the povertylevel in Fairfax County;

❖ According to the Center for HousingResearch at Virginia Tech, the total afford-able housing gap in Fairfax County for lowand moderate-income renters (earning nomore than $85,000 for a family of four) is28,405 units;

❖ The Blueprint for Housing shows ashortfall of 1,818 units for FY2015 in meet-ing the goals of the 10 Year Plan to Preventand End Homelessness;

❖ Nearly 1,650 CSB clients need afford-able housing.

Communities who are successful in ad-dressing their unmet housing needs haveadopted a dedicated, reliable source offunding to preserve or develop housing thatis affordable. The county’s greatest stridesin affordable housing were made during theyears when one penny of the real estate taxwas dedicated to housing preservation.Whether it’s a dedicated revenue source oran annual, reliable commitment to a hous-ing trust fund, we urge Fairfax County toonce again consider this investment in hous-ing that is affordable and needed for a sig-nificant and growing percentage of theCounty’s population.

Community Health Care Network(CHCN): In FY 2014, funding for CHCN wascut by $752,000. The $250,000 reductionin specialty care contracts that resulted hasworsened an already insufficient supply oflocal specialists. CHCN has therefore in-creased its utilization and reliance on Uni-versity of Virginia Medical Center special-ists, requiring CHCN’s low income, unin-

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Send notes to the Connection [email protected] orcall 703-778-9416. The deadline is theFriday prior to the next paper’s publica-tion. Dated announcements should besubmitted at least two weeks prior to theevent.

SATURDAY/ APRIL 5 In the Name of Love: A Jazz

Poetry Slam. 7-10 p.m., 10125Lakehaven Drive, Burke, AccotinkUnitarian Universalist Church. Joinpoets from around our region as theycompete for prize money; hosted byby Regie Cabico and Sarah D. Lawsonfrom Busboys and Poets.www.accotinkuuc.org or 703-503-4579.

Jubil-Aires Concert. 2 & 7 p.m.Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124Park Street NE, Vienna. The FairfaxJubil-Aires Annual Spring Show willbe a joint fundraiser for both theJubil-Aires and the Shepherd’s Centerof Fairfax-Burke. Tickets are $20 andallow you to attend either concert. Ifyou buy your tickets ahead of timefrom the SCFB office at 703-425-2824 or a SCFB Council or Boardmember, $10 of the ticket price is adonation directly to SCFB. Allproceeds from tickets sold at the doorgo only to the Jubil-Aires.

Cabaret Series: It’s A ComedyNight. 8 p.m. Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9518 Workhouse Way,Lorton. Featuring a wide gamut ofmusic intended to tickle your funnybone, from Broadway to standards tonovelty songs, there’s something foreveryone who enjoys a good laugh.Tickets: $30.

Children’s Cherry BlossomCelebration. 1-3 p.m. Green SpringGardens, 4603 Green Spring Road,Alexandria. For ages 3 and up, learnabout the cherry tree history and thespringtime tradition that brings somany visitors to Washington everyyear. This open house formatincludes origami, a paper lanterncraft, and a cherry tree ‘hunt’.Register at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring or call 703-642-5173.

SUNDAY/ APRIL 6Potomac Ensemble. 4 p.m., 6509

Sydenstricker Road, Burke, St.Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Enjoy agroup of 10 of the DC area’s finestprofessional singers, in a program ofgreat music for 5-part [email protected].

In the Bunker with the VicePresident on 9/11. 7 p.m. StacySherwood Community Center, 3740Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. Thelecture is free and open to all. Booksigning and refreshments.

Seminar: “Feeding HungryRoses.” 2-4 p.m. Merrifield GardenCenter, 12101 Lee Highway, Fairfax.Learn how to feed your roses forbeautiful blooms.

Pet Photos with the Easter Bunny.11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Olde Towne PetResort, 8101 Alban Road,Springfield. The Easter Bunny wantsa pic with your pet to benefit TheFairfax County Animal Shelter. Bring$10 to benefit the shelter, andreceive a 4x6 printed photo. RSVP toKaty [email protected];703-455-9000.

Cabaret Series: It’s A ComedyNight. 1 p.m. Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9518 Workhouse Way,Lorton. Featuring a wide gamut ofmusic intended to tickle your funnybone, from Broadway to standards tonovelty songs, there’s something foreveryone who enjoys a good laugh.Tickets: $30.

Japonism in Fashion TeaProgram. 1-3 p.m. Green SpringGardens, 4603 Green Spring Road,Alexandria View gorgeous avant-

garde designs that combinedJapanese motifs with 19th and 20thcentury Western silhouettes. Discoverelements of the kimono in tea gownsand opera coats and hear aboutJapanese designers who areredefining fashion worldwide today.To make reservations, call HistoricGreen Spring at 703-941-7987.

TUESDAY/APRIL 8Slam Poetry Cafe. 6-8 p.m. Richard

Byrd Library, 7250 Commerce Street,Springfield. Slam poetry is the art ofperformance poetry. Performers,come share your original orpreviously published pieces. [email protected] withyour name and poem.

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 9 - SUNDAY/APRIL 20Ringling Bros. and Barnum &

Bailey Presents Built to AmazeCircus. GMU Patriot Center, 4400University Drive, Fairfax. Tickets:$15-$30. For more information andshowtimings visit,www.ticketmaster.com.

FRIDAY/APRIL 11-SUNDAY/APRIL 13 Virginia Opera’s “Carmen.” Friday

at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. GMUCenter for the Arts, 4400 UniversityDrive, Fairfax. Virginia Opera, willpresent George Bizet’s sultry tragedyabout opera’s most famous femmefatale, “Carmen.” The opera hasenthralled audiences for more than acentury and is one of the mostpopular. Tickets are Friday: $44-$86;Sunday: $48-$98. Youth Discount:tickets are half price for youththrough grade 12. Call 888-945-2468or visit cfa.gmu.edu

SATURDAY/APRIL 122nd Saturday Art Walk. 6-9 p.m.

Workhouse Arts Center, 9518Workhouse Way, Lorton. The 2ndSaturday Art Walk at the Workhouseshowcases the diverse work of more

than 100 visual artists in a uniquehistoric venue, creating anatmosphere that encourages visitorsto immerse themselves in therichness of this creative community.Guests can tour seven unique studiobuildings, mix and mingle withartists, buy original works of art,experience ever-changing.

Once Upon A Time…7:30-10 p.m.Workhouse Arts Center, 9518Workhouse Way, Lorton. A fairy talethemed costume ball. The eveningincludes music, social dancing,unique silent auction opportunities,food, laughter and special liveperformances by cabaret vocalists.Admission includes entertainment,light refreshments and two beveragetokens. Tokens may also be used forvoting for the “Queen” of the night.Costumes are not required for entry,but do we encourage all to find somefairy tale inspiration for their attire-there will be a ‘door prize’ or two forthe most imaginative costumes!Limited admission, early reservationsstrongly recommended. $40 perperson. http://workhousearts.org/events/performing-arts/once-upon-time

Easter Egg Hunt and Bake Sale. 9a.m.-12 p.m. Franconia UnitedMethodist Church, 6037 FranconiaRoad, Alexandria. children (2 yearsold - 6th graders) are welcome to thefree Easter Egg Hunt and bake sale.http://www.franconiaumc.org.

SATURDAY/APRIL 12- SUNDAY/APRIL 13Spring Show. Merrifield Garden

Center, 12101 Lee Highway, Fairfax.The Northern Virginia Bonsai Societyis proud to announce that its SpringShow. Bonsai from beginning toexpert will be exhibited and the Clubwill be demonstrating how to make abonsai. Visitors may cast secretballots on which of the bonsaiexhibited should go onto thePotomac Bonsai Association show.Contact Person: Gary A. [email protected]. 703-860-3374

Calendar

Ginger Costa-Jackson as Carmen in Virginia Opera’sproduction of “Carmen,” playing April 11 and 13 atGMU’s Center for the Arts.

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12 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Sports

Robinson Girls’ Lax Starts 3-0The Robinson girls’ lacrosse team won its first three games of the season, scoring

at least 20 goals in two of the contests.The Rams defeated South County 20-7 on March 31 to improve to 3-0. Robinson

beat Chantilly 22-6 on March 27 and Woodson 16-14 on March 24.Robinson faced Lake Braddock on Wednesday, after The Connection’s deadline.

The Rams will travel to face T.C. Williams at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8.

Lake Braddock Softball Improves to 3-0The Lake Braddock softball team defeated West Springfield 21-0 on Tuesday with

Bruins pitchers throwing a combined no-hitter. The victory improved Lake Braddock’srecord to 3-0.

The Bruins will host West Potomac at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4.

Sports Roundups

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The Marshall and Robinson base-ball teams took turns on March27 capitalizing on each other’smistakes. Down by two runs in

the bottom of the seventh inning, Robinsonrallied to ensure Marshall’s next miscuewould be its last.

Robinson senior Kaden Darrow tied thescore with a two-run single and Marshallcatcher Mitch Blackstone’s throwing errorallowed the winning run to score as theRams pulled out a 6-5 victory at RobinsonSecondary School.

Robinson trailed 5-1 in the second inningand 5-3 entering the bottom of the seventh,but found a way to improve to 3-0 with itssecond consecutive walk-off victory. TheRams defeated West Springfield 4-3 onMarch 24 and opened the season with a 7-2 win over Woodson on March 22. Marshallfell to 1-2.

“We played five innings, six innings,things weren’t really going our way and wefound a way to pull it out,” Robinson headcoach John James said, “and that’s a confi-dence builder.”

ROBINSON ENTERS the 2014 seasonwith 10 seniors on the roster, including sixathletes in their third year on the varsity —pitcher/outfielder Chris Lohr, outfielderAdam Sisk, infielder/outfielder Zach Beck,outfielder Tyler Fitchett, pitcher/infielderDanny Herrera and Darrow. That experiencepaid off in the bottom of the seventh in-ning as the Rams, who had struggled at theplate for much of the contest, found a wayto rally against 6-foot-5 Marshall left-hander Riley Cummins, who will pitch forthe University of Virginia.

Leading 5-3 in the seventh, Marshall headcoach Aaron Tarr moved Cummins fromright field to the mound to close it out. ButRobinson loaded the bases with one outafter two walks, a strikeout and a States-men error. Darrow’s two-run single tied thescore at 5 and gave the Rams runners atthe corners. During Fitchett’s ensuing at bat,Blackstone tried to throw behind the Ramrunner at third base, but the catcher’s at-tempted pick-off sailed into left field, allow-ing the winning run to score.

Blackstone went 3-for-4 with a double atthe plate and threw out two would-be base-stealers before his seventh-inning miscue.

“[The runner at third] seemed to me thathe was a little farther off the base then mostpeople were,” Blackstone said. “I thought Icould get [Cummins] a quick out. … [The]ball just got away from me.”

Darrow’s two-run single put the Rams ina position to capitalize on the error.

“He’s been kind of an under-the-radarguy,” James said. “He’s been a three-yearstarter here, too, and has been very pro-ductive for three years. … He’s a utility guy.

“That senior leadership and that experienceis invaluable, especially in games like thiswhen our backs are to the wall and theybring in their horse. You’ve got to have guysthat aren’t bothered by that — aren’t both-ered by the situation and aren’t botheredby who is on the mound and they’re justgoing to compete. Our backs were to thewall and they came up big for us.”

The Statesmen took a 5-1 lead in the sec-ond inning thanks to a Rams error. Withthe score tied at 1, Marshall had the basesloaded with two outs when Blackstone hitan infield pop-up. Robinson starting pitcherShane Hopkins dropped the ball in front ofhome plate, allowing two runs to score.Marshall first baseman Patrick Evans fol-lowed with a two-run single, giving theStatesmen a 5-1 advantage.

Marshall returned the favor in the bot-tom of the fourth. Robinson had the basesloaded with two outs when Statesmen start-ing pitcher Will Brooke got Robinson seniorHerrera to pop up. But Marshall infieldersappeared to lose sight of the ball, which fellto the ground for a two-run single, cuttingthe Statesmen lead to 5-3.

THE PERFORMANCE of William & Mary-bound pitcher Lohr also played a pivotalrole in the Robinson comeback. Lohr cameon in relief with one on and two outs in thetop of the second inning and Marshall lead-ing 5-1.After allowing a single to junior ShaneRussell, Lohr picked the runner off first baseto get out of the inning. The right-handerwent on to pitch 5 1/3 innings of scorelessrelief and earn the win.

“In that situation, I just try and pitch likeit’s the start of the game,” Lohr said. “[Ineeded to] take the runners on base out ofmy mind and just get the batters one at atime until I get out of that inning and thenit’s really just inning by inning.”

Lohr allowed three hits. He walked one,hit two batters and struck out seven.

“Obviously, he did a fantastic job for us,and that’s what we rely on him to do,”James said. “He’s a senior and he’s beenwith us for three years and that’s what he’scapable of doing and that’s what we needhim to do — is come in and settle thingsdown for us and give us a chance to winand he did.”

Brooke pitched well for Marshall but re-ceived a no decision. The junior right-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowingthree runs and five hits while walking fourand striking out two.

Cummins took the loss, surrenderingthree runs — one earned — and one hit in1/3 of an inning. He walked two and struckout one.

Robinson’s Hopkins went 2-for-3 againstMarshall. Herrera and Darrow each had ahit and two RBIs, Fitchett had a hit and anRBI, and Will Miller had a hit.

Robinson was travel to face Annandaleat 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5.

“We’ve been running short on regionalsfor the last few years,” Darrow said, “but Ihave high hopes for this year.”

Robinson Baseball Rallies to Beat MarshallRams have 10 seniorson this year’s team.

Robinson senior Chris Lohr pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief toearn the victory against Marshall on March 27.

Robinson senior Adam Sisk, right, scores a run after collidingwith Marshall catcher Mitch Blackstone on March 27.

We put him everywhere in the field. Heplays anywhere defensively.”

James said experience played a major role

in the Rams’ comeback.“Every guy that came to the plate there

in the last inning was a senior,” he said.

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Burke Connection Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

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Burke Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2014 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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CLASSIFIED • CHOOSE 1 TO 6 ZONESE-mail [email protected]

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CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6............................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4 ...........................Tues @ noon

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or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINESZones 5, 6 ..............................Tues @ 11:00Zones 1, 3 ................................Tues @ 4:00Zone 2 ....................................Wed @ 11:00Zone 4......................................Wed @ 1:00

E-mail ad with zone choices to:[email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/

Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria Gazette Packet

The Mount Vernon GazetteZone 4: Centre View North Centre View SouthZone 5: The Potomac AlmanacZone 6: The Arlington Connection

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I'am a slow walker, but I never walk back.

-Abraham Lincoln

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14 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Zone 2 Ad Deadline:

Tuesday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 2: • Burke

• Fairfax • SpringfieldClassifiedClassified

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

LEGAL NOTICENotice is hereby given that on Monday, April 21, 2014 com-mencing at 10:00 AM, at 5801 Rolling Road, Springfield, Vir-ginia 22152, in order to enforce the warehousemen's lien for storage and related services, we will sell by Public Auction the personal effects in the accounts of: Antonio Adair, Mark Bees-ley, Judith Boston, Greg Devane, Thomas Manski, Donna Per-ry Mmoh, Randolph Modlin, Spiro Nomikos, David Parker, and Leona Taylor.These effects are stored with any of the following: Ace Van & Storage Co., Inc.; Interstate Moving & Storage, Inc.; Interstate Moving Systems, Inc.; Interstate Relocation Services, Inc. dba Ambassador International, Ltd.; Ambassador Relocations, Inc.; Ambassador Worldwide Moving, Inc.; or Interstate Van Lines, Inc., at 3901 Ironwood Place, Landover, Maryland; 22455 Pow-ers Court, Sterling, Virginia; or 5801 Rolling Road, Springfield, Virginia. All parties in interest please take notice.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

HDI COMPUTER SOLUTIONSJENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

➣ Speed up Slow Computers➣ Troubleshooting➣ Virus Removal➣ Computer Setup

(571) [email protected]

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12 Commercial Lease

Burke - 650 to 2025sf2nd floor office space available in thriving mixed use shopping center. Perfect for a move from a home office. Kevin Allen /

Kimco Realty 410-427-4434

21 Announcements

ABC LICENSEHa To Pham Trading as Rice

Pot Asian Cuisine, 4709 Back-lick Road, Annandale, VA

22079. The above establish-ment is applying to the

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL for a wine and beer on premises, mixed beverages on premises

license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Ha To

Pham, OwnerNOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later that 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. ob-jections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

26 Antiques

We pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

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EmploymentEmployment

Compassionate Caregivers

WantedHome care agency seeks caregivers to help seniors with household tasks so they can maintain their independence. Experience a plus, but not required. Retirees or those seeking a second job encouraged to apply.

Tasks include driving, cooking, light housekeeping, and keeping someone com-

pany. E-mail resume to [email protected] or fax to 703-542-0113.

ELECTRICIANS/ELECTRICAL HELPERS WANTED

Commercial Electrical Contractor has openings for electricians and electrical helpers, helper must have two years mini-mum experience. We offer an excellent salary package including outstanding ben-efits. Print application from our website at: creative-electrical.com and mail to: PO Box 528, Farmville, VA 23901.

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EducationalInternships

Unusual opportunity tolearn many aspects of thenewspaper business.Internships available inreporting, photography,research, graphics.Opportunities for students,and for adults consideringchange of career. Unpaid.E-mail [email protected]

For a free digital sub-scription to one or allof the 15 ConnectionNewspapers, go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Complete digital rep-lica of the print edition,including photos andads, delivered weeklyto your e-mail box.

Questions? E-mail:[email protected]

Reverend C. L.Bryant to Speak atRepublican Women ofClifton April Meeting

Reverend C. L. Bryant, former presidentof the Garland, Texas chapter of the NAACPand noted speaker will speak at the April16 meeting of the Republican Women ofClifton (RWC). Rev. Bryant is a conserva-tive activist and frequent commentator onFox News. He dazzled audiences at GlennBeck’s FreePAC event when he encouragedthousands in the audience to “defend therepublic” while also tackling the enslave-ment of government dependency. Rev.Bryant is a radio and television host andcreator of the independent film, The Run-away Slave, a movie about the race to freethe Black community from the slavery oftyranny and progressive policies. The meet-ing will be on Wednesday, April 16 at theFairview Elementary School, 5815 Ox Road,Fairfax Station. The social hour will beginat 7 p.m. when refreshments will be servedand President Alice Butler-Short will openthe business meeting at 7:30 p.m., afterwhich Reverend C. L. Bryant will delivercomments and entertain questions.

Guests will be asked for a $5 donation atthe door for TAPS - the Tragedy AssistanceProgram for Survivors of our Fallen Heroes.

For more information, visit http://cliftongop.com/.

News

Main Street Recog-nized for ‘ExemplaryInclusion’

On Tuesday, March 25, Main Street ChildDevelopment Center was recognized byFairfax County Public Schools with an Ex-emplary Inclusive Practices Award for con-tinually demonstrating exemplary inclusivepractices for students with disabilities.Awards also were given to Bonnie Brae El-ementary School and Halley ElementarySchool. Main Street is the first center to berecognized with an Exemplary InclusivePractices Award. Previous awards weregiven solely to individuals. In addition toplaques, all of Main Street’s lead teachersreceived certificates and gift bags. MainStreet will be honored with a luncheon onApril 16. Awards were presented by EarlyChildhood Identification & Services Coor-dinator Denise Forest at the Green AcresCenter, which houses Main Street. Fittingly,the ceremony coincided with the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors designation ofMarch as “Intellectual and DevelopmentalDisabilities Inclusion Month.”

Fairfax County Public Schools’ focus ofincreasing inclusion opportunities forpreschoolers lies at the heart of Main StreetChild Development Center’s mission. “Weare proud of the achievements that the Ex-emplary Inclusive Practices Award repre-sents,” said Main Street Director CarolLieske. “It motivates us as we seek new andbetter ways to be an even more inclusiveprogram.”

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16 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ April 3-9, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Fairfax $627,000Down the street from Huntsman Lake sits this pretty colo-nial on 1/2 lot. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, hardwood floors, gran-ite countertops and freshly painted throughout. One of thelargest lots in Lakewood Hills!

Catie & Steve Morales 703-278-9313

Springfield $479,900Beautiful expanded rambler in sought-after Ravensworth. 3bedrooms, 2.5 baths with new carpet throughout. Gorgeousmaster suite with updated master bath!! Move-in ready.Great schools.

Cheryl Pryor 703-801-9985

Lake Louisa $229,000Blue Ridge Shores 4 bedroom, 2 bath home. Well maintained& updated in gated lake community. Hardwood floors, coriancountertops, ceramic backsplash, stainless appliances, andmuch more. See it to appreciate it!

Ken Isaac 540-661-6900

Alexandria City $165,000Open Sunday, April 6, 1-3 PM. Investor’s Special. 1 BR, 1BA garden style condo with balcony. Newly renovated.Move-in ready. Washer/Dryer in unit. 883sf. Easy parking.Pet friendly. Low condo fees. Swimming pool. Excellent loca-tion. 1/2 Mile to Van Dorn metro. Bus friendly. Near shop-ping, restaurants, Landmark Mall.

Carol L. Manning 703-517-1828

Lake Anna $319,000Waterfront Dream without the Price! End unit Villa 2 BR, 2 BA homewith water views from 3 sides. Huge front & rear decks. Screenedporch with interchangeable screens & windows off master. Privateguest suite. Hardwoods, gas fireplace, master steam shower with tubjets. Covered boat dock with lift, community beach & boat ramp.

Toni McQuair 703-795-2697

Clifton $674,900Custom Built Acorn Home on private 1 acre backing to com-mon grounds. Gorgeous views from each room! Master BRfeatures wall of windows and fireplace. Offers 4 BR, 3 BA,updated Kitchen & baths, screened porch, deck and patio!

Carol Hermandorfer 703-503-1812

Centreville $524,900Contemporary flair in 4BR/3.5 bath with premium kitchen & bathupgrades to include Corian, granite& ceramic tile. Maple hardwoodson both main & 2nd level. Fin. LL with large rec room & storage.Patio opens to private, part fenced rear yard. New windows. SequoiaFarms has outdoor pool, tennis courts & in Westfield HS pyramid.

Mary LaRoche 703-919-0747

Clifton $1,325,000Stunning custom estate on beautiful 2+ acres. Gorgeousopen floor plan with classic elegance throughout. Features 5fireplaces, gourmet kitchen with breakfast room, elegantmaster bedroom with sitting room and bath, and perfect forguests, a full suite in the walk-out lower level.

Carol Hermandorfer 703-503-1812

Woodbridge $469,000This Raleigh model features 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 2car-garage. Open floor plan with over 3,700 sq ft, updatedkitchen, master bedroom with sitting room, walk-in closetand luxury bath, finished walk-out basement, deck, patioand fenced back yard.

Ngoc Do 703-798-2899

Fairfax $649,999Cul-de-sac location. Contemporary Rambler. Main Floor MasterBR with Luxury Master BA & Glass Slider to Private Deck.Large Great Room with FP & High Ceilings + 2 Sets of GlassSliders opening to Deck. Open Floor Plan, Skylights. 4 BRs, 3Full BAs. Large Lower Level Fam Rm with Glass Slider to Yard.

Ann Witherspoon 703-863-9171Sheila Adams 703-503-1895

Burke $574,900Burke Centre colonial. First time on market. 3 levels with 4bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Large unfinished walkout base-ment. Family room with fireplace. 2 car garage. Nice lot.Close to elementary school, transportation, shopping.

Buzz Jordan 703-503-1866

Burke $226,000Beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 full bath, ground level Condo.Hardwood floors, laundry in unit. Kitchen, living room anddining room. Very reasonable condo fees.

Charles Shaw 703-989-7169

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Burke Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

APRIL 2014APRIL 2014

SeniorLivingSeniorLivingSeniorLiving

BurkeBurke

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Senior Calendar

See Senior Calendar, Page 8

SATURDAY/APRIL 5Navigating the Complexities of Lyme

Disease. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Vienna PresbyterianChurch, 124 Park St, Vienna. Topics include:diagnosis & treatment, emotional and spiritualeffects, and navigating the medical maze. Cost$15 preregistration/$20 at door. To register,visit http://bit.ly/lymecomplexities.

Reston 50/100 Founder’s Day Celebration.12-3 p.m. Lake Anne Plaza, 11426 WashingtonPlaza W, Reston. Fifty years after Robert E.Simon, Jr. founded Reston, it continues toflourish and over 50,000 residents call Reston“home.” Join the Reston Historic Trust andMuseum for Founder’s Day as they celebrateReston’s 50th anniversary and the 100thbirthday of founder, Robert E. Simon, Jr.

TUESDAY/APRIL 8Luncheon and Tour. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at

Westminster at Lake Ridge, 12191 Clipper Drive,Lake Ridge, Va. Explore retirement living atWestminster at Lake Ridge, a continuing careretirement community near Occoquan Village.Complimentary lunch and tour. RSVP to Michelle703-496-3440, or visit wlrva.org for more.

SUNDAY/APRIL 13Book Look: Child of the Civil Rights

Movement. 2 p.m. Artspace Herndon, 750Center Street, Herndon. Poignant, moving, andhopeful, Child of the Civil Rights Movement isan intimate look at the birth of the Civil RightsMovement. Each Book Look event features areading and craft project related to the book.Books will be available for purchase and signing

by the author. The readings are free and open tothe public, but seating is limited so reservationsare recommended. Visitwww.artspaceherndon.org for more informationand to register.

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 16125th Birthday Celebration for Charlie

Chaplin. 7:30 p.m. The Alden, 1234 InglesideAvenue, McLean. The Alden in McLean willcelebrate Charlie Chaplin’s 125th birthday withan evening of silent films with live musicalaccompaniment. For more information or topurchase tickets online, visit:www.aldentheatre.org or call 703-790-0123.

THURSDAY/APRIL 17Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter

Meeting. Neighbor’s Restaurant, 262D Cedar

Lane, Cedar Lane Shopping Center, Vienna.Edward D. Connor, WW II Army Air Corpsveteran, will discuss the Battle of the BismarckSea of March 2-4, 1943. Admission is free. Forinformation, call Len Ignatowski at 703-255-0353 or visit www.vva227.org.

TUESDAY/APRIL 18Genealogical Society Meeting. 1 p.m. at Hollin

Hall Senior Center, room 112, 1500 ShenandoahRoad. Mount Vernon Genealogical Societymeeting will feature a presentation entitled“Experiences of a Young Waist Gunner in WWII” by Ray Bailey. What was it like for an 18 yearold high school graduate from a small Ohiotown to go off to war, fight the Germans andsurvive his plane “going down?” Visit

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Burke Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Senior Livingis produced by

Connection Newspapers

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Local Media Connection LLC

For more information,

call 703-778-9431 or email

[email protected]

Burke

Senior Living

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Shortly after 10 a.m. on any givenTuesday or Thursday morning, 84-year-old Lola Wulchin can be foundslowly stretching into a downward

facing dog pose or lunging into a warriorone posture. The Vienna resident has beena yoga devotee at East Meets West YogaCenter in Vienna for slightly more than twoyears. In fact, she credits twice-weekly,gentle yoga practice with boosting herhealth and improving her quality of life.

“I had been bothered by a lot of neck painfrom arthritis,” said Wulchin. “I had seen apain management doctor who gave meshots, I had physical therapy, but I still hadneck pain and very little range of motion.”

A turning point came after she was struckby a passing comment from one of her doc-tors. “My neurologist mentioned that hiswife had been doing yoga for back pain andit had helped. So I decided to try it.”

Wulchin embarked on a twice-weeklyritual that she describes as life changing.“My gentle yoga classes have been a God-send,” she said. “I have less pain now. I still

have some stiffness, but I have a betterrange of motion.”

She isn’t the only senior to reap the ben-efits of yoga. Researchers at the American

Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and theAmerican Academy of Physical Medicineand Rehabilitation conducted an eight-weekstudy of 23 adults aged 62 to 83 years old.

They designed a yoga program for that agegroup with the goals of improving lower-body strength and flexibility. Participants

Yoga teachers, research pointto health benefits for seniors.Seniors Rush to Yoga

Linda Liberatucci, 67, Colette Ashley, 70+, Ann Mandelbaum, 68, Lola Wulchin, 84 and Frankie Gibson, 74, doa downward facing dog pose during gentle yoga class at East Meets West Yoga Center in Vienna.

See Yoga, Page 6

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

The AARP reports that nearly 80 per-cent of adults age 65 and olderwant to remain in their current

homes as long as possible. That populationis growing. According to the Departmentof Health and Human Services’ Administra-

More Seniors Plan To Age in PlaceMany local techniques and programs canhelp seniors stay in their homes longer.tion on Aging, the population 65 years orolder numbered 39.6 million in 2009. By2030, that number will grow to about 72.1million.

While people are living longer andhealthier lives, there are still barriers toaging in place, including medication man-agement, self-care, socialization and trans-portation. But there are innovative strate-gies and initiatives to help combat theseroadblocks.

“We’re showing people how to modifytheir home so that it is accessible,” said saidRobert C. Eiffert, the Long Term Care Pro-gram manager for the Fairfax County HealthDepartment. Fairfax and other local coun-ties are conducting workshops on how tomake a home safe for a senior who wantsto live alone. “We’re talking about thingslike adding a ramp to your front door,changing your door knobs and cabinethandles for people who have arthritis intheir hands.”

“There are wonderful emerging technolo-gies that allow adult children to monitortheir parents who live alone,” he said. “It isnot intrusive. There are not cameras in-volved, but there are motion sensors. Forexample, if there is no movement in themorning, an adult child might think,‘Hmmm, I need to check.’”

Andrew J. Carle, director of the SeniorHousing Administration at George Mason

University, recommends First Street forBoomers and Beyond(www.firststreetonline.com) which offersproducts for seniors and their caregivers.“Products like a nice walk in bathtub forseniors or an alarm that reminds you whento take your medicine are things you cando to change your home and make it safe.”

A LACK OF SOCIAL interaction and men-tal stimulation can contribute to depressionand mental deterioration, Carle said. Or-

Photo courtesy of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at GeorgeMason University take an educational field trip. Opportunities for social-izing and learning are important as one ages.

See How To Age, Page 4

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A healthy body starts with a healthy mouth!

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At Peter K. Cocolis, Jr. and Associates, we believeoptimum oral health is key to total body health andwell-being. These days, going to the dentist is notjust about taking good care of your teeth; it isabout taking good care of your health. Problemsin your mouth can be signs of trouble elsewherein your body. Your oral exam reveals importantearly warning signs for many total-body condi-tions including diabetes, oral cancer and highblood pressure.

Whether your family seeks general preventivemaintenance, cosmetic, or advanced restorative andimplant dentistry to transform your smile’s function andappearance, Drs. Cocolis and DaSilva are renowned bypeers and patients alike for exceptional personalized care in afriendly, safe and state-of-the-art-environment.

Consistently named “Top Dentist” inNorthern Virginia magazine and among the“Best Dentists in the Metropolitan Area” in

Washingtonian magazine, Drs. Cocolis andDaSilva exceed industry standards in the

time they dedicate to continuing edu-cation and service. Our skilled andcompassionate team pairs patienteducation with the latest dentaltechniques and technology, offer-ing an extensive array of dentalservices including digital x-rays,injection-free laser procedures,

CAD-cam same-day porcelaincrowns, tooth whitening, Invisalign, and

veneers. We offer a variety of sedationoptions including oral sedation and nitrous oxide

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Visit us on the Web or give us a call to discover what ourpatients are saying and to make your appointment.

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• Custom partial and full dentures• Custom occlusal and

sport guards• Implants• Bonding and veneers• In-office professional whitening• Invisalign (clear braces without the wires)

Peter K. Cocolis, Jr., DMD& AssociatesPeter K. Cocolis, Jr., DMD, MAGD

Emily A. DaSilva, DDS, FAGD

Senior Living

From Page 3

ganizations like the Osher Lifelong Learning Insti-tute (OLLI) at George Mason University, offer op-portunities for intellectual stimulation and culturalexperiences for retirees in Northern Virginia.

“OLLI, as we call it, is for people who don’t wantto sit around and watch television all day,” said Carle.“Professors volunteer their time to give lectures onart, history, science and other topics. Listening to pro-fessors speak about stimulating topics helps keeptheir brains sharp.”

Jennifer Disano, OLLI’s executive director, says thegroup has 1,200 members, and is funded by an en-dowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation. Thegroup’s main campus is in Fairfax, but other cam-puses are in Reston and Sterling. It serves the needsof those who might not feel comfortable in tradi-tional college classrooms and don’t want the pres-sure of writing papers and taking tests, but are stillinterested in learning.

“We have people here who were economists andworked with finance, but in their retired life theywant to explore areas … like art classes or historyclasses,” she said.

One of those members is 76-year-old John Woods.He has attended three to four OLLI events a weekfor 10 years. “We have a wide variety of profession-als and a wide variety of groups that meet,” he said.“We have a group that meets to talk about financial

investments. Anothergroup meets every Mondaymorning at 9 a.m. andlooks at the past week’sheadlines from the Wash-ington Post, New YorkTimes and Wall StreetJournal. They have insightsthat are important. Thestimulating thing is sharingideas among ourselves.Ó

VILLAGES AREcommunity-based organi-zations designed to helpmembers help each otherremain independent and inthe communities of theirchoice. “Back in 2000, vil-lages started with a groupin Boston, and in 2007there was a big boom,” saidBarbara Sullivan, execu-tive director of MountVernon at Home in MountVernon. “It is community-based. Every village is dif-ferent, but they’re there for

people who want to age in place.”Eiffert, of George Mason, says village mem-

bers define the type and scope of services. “Agood starting point when creating a village isto survey the community members to deter-mine their needs,” he said. “We provide tech-nical assistance to community groups that areinterested in putting together a village andencouragement on what models work best fortheir community. Fairfax County is workingwith Montgomery County to rewrite themanual on how to start a village.”

Programs, Technology Aid Aging in Place Gracefully

Photos courtesy of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University play musicfor their peers. Below, other members listen to a lecture.

Local VillagesFairfax County Villages

For more information about current Villagesin Fairfax County, call, email or visit the webpage of one of the Villages listed below:

❖ Braddock District Council Aging inPlace Program — Email:[email protected]

❖ Franklin Park Village — [email protected] or call 703-534-4964

❖ Herndon Village Network (HVN) —703-582-9482

❖ Lake Barcroft Village —www.lakebarcroftvillage.org

❖ McLean Community: A Village forAll Ages (MCVA) — [email protected] or visitwww.mcva.weebly.com

❖ Mosby Woods Village —[email protected]

❖ Mount Vernon at Home Village —www.mountvernonathome.org

❖ Reston for a Lifetime —www.restonforalifetime.org

❖ Reston Useful Services Exchange —www.restonuse.org

To learn more, visit the Village to VillageNetwork at www.vtvnetwork.org.

There are a few different models, including the“Concierge Village,” which is a non-profit model thatcoordinates access to an array of services throughvetted providers, including transportation, home re-pairs, care coordination and computer technicians.Most also include social and educational activities.Members arrange for services by calling a centralphone number, and pay annual dues that can rangefrom $500 to $800 for an individual and $700 to$1,200 for a couple.

The “All Volunteer” model organizes communityvolunteers to provide services and support to oth-

ers. There are no paid staff. In some cases, hoursdonated by volunteers are “banked” and can beused in the future if the volunteer needs servicesor assistance. The “Neighborhood Network” is alsoinformal. Groups meet on a regular basis to hearspeakers on topics of interest selected by mem-bers.

ANOTHER BIG GAP is medication manage-ment, Eiffert said. “If someone can’t manage theirown medication and can’t afford to pay someoneto come in to do it for them, that is a service gapthat forces people into assisted living facilities.”

Carle agrees that the decision to age in place iscomplicated. “The first knee-jerk reaction is thatwhen asked, seniors want to stay in their ownhomes,” he said, adding that those surveys canbe misleading: “The surveys are not always cred-ible if you’re surveying people who are 50-plus.I’m 54 and of course I want to stay in my house,but ask me again in 20 years. I think they shouldbe surveying people who are 75-plus.”

In addition, “people don’t always understandthe economic, social and safety aspects of it,” headded. “You can create all kinds of technologyand universal designs to create a house for agingin place, but a senior might not be able to affordit. It could end up costing far more than the bestassisted living facility in town.”

Granny Pods, small prefabricated homes that al-low families to house their relatives in small back-yard cottages, are another alternative. “These smallliving units allow you to put an elderly relative inyour backyard and hook up to your electricity,”said Carle.

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From Page 3

attended two 90-minute yoga classes perweek, and were asked to complete at least20 minutes of directed home practice onalternate days.

The study found yoga programs tailoredto elderly adults can be a cost-effective wayto prevent or reduce age-related changes,specifically an increased risk for falls, de-pendency and other ailments.

Local yoga teachers agree, saying thatwhile yoga classes designed for the 55 andolder crowd are increasing in popularity,myths about the practice keep some seniorsout of yoga studios.

“The main thing that I hear is that youhave to already be flexible to do yoga,” saidSandy Pradas of Joyful Heart Yoga in MountVernon. “People look at pictures in maga-zines of people wrapping their legs aroundtheir necks or doing other advanced posesand they think, ‘If I can’t do that, then I can’tdo yoga.’”

Pradas, whose students are mostly be-tween 50 and 75 years old, said, “Every-body can do yoga, but there are a lot of typesof yoga and not every type is good for ev-erybody.”

Dawn Curtis, owner of East Meets WestYoga Center, recently completed a courseat Duke Integrative Medicine and believesan increasing interest in yoga among seniorswill be known as the Silver Tsunami.

“That is baby boomers going into yoga,”she said. “Yoga for seniors is going to bethe biggest target audience that yoga teach-ers are going to have because of the num-ber of baby boomers who are looking foralternative ways of exercise because theyare not going to be able to keep up withimpact exercises like running.”

In fact, she says gentle yoga classes areamong the most popular at her studio. “Ihave students who are as old as 84. We dealwith people who can’t get on the floor,” shesaid. “We use chairs. We work on balance

Yoga for All Ages

Arlington seniors take a hatha yoga classes. A recent study showed yogaprograms specifically designed for seniors can improve strength andflexibility.

Senior Living

because that is a main concern among se-niors. We work on coordination becausethat is another thing that tends to diminishas we age.”

Jennifer Collins, a countywide programspecialist in the Office of Senior Adult Pro-grams in Arlington, said that yoga classesthat are specifically tailored for those 55 andolder are among her office’s most popular.

“Some of our [yoga] classes fill up withinminutes of opening,” said Collins. “We havepeople sitting at computers at our seniorcenters ready to register as soon registra-tion opens because they know the classesare going to fill.”

Sean .FM (yes, that is his name) ofOneAum in Potomac, works with seniorswith a wide range of abilities. He said it’simportant to find a class that is a good fit.

“There are many kinds of seniors,” hesaid. “There are seniors that are immobileand some who are really active. We have astudent who is almost 70 and I just taughthim how to do a handstand. We createdYoga Rx for those with mobility issues. Wework them in the chairs. We also do a lot ofprivate sessions.”

George Lynch, fitness director at VinsonHall Retirement Community in McLean, isplanning to incorporate yoga classes intothe community’s fitness program. The in-struction will be tailored to meet the needsof his clients. “We have residents who arein their 80s, 90s and some in their 100s.Everything we do is designed specificallyfor seniors.”

Andrew J. Carle director of the SeniorHousing Administration at George MasonUniversity said an increasing number ofretirement communities are offer yogaclasses as part of their fitness programs.“The future of senior housing will includescience-based wellness activities like yoga,”he said. “Anything that gets us beyond se-nior activities such as birthdays, Bibles,bingo and bridge is a step up.”

By John Byrd

How can you tell when in an-law suite is outperformingthe usual requirements?Well, for starters, when the

owners themselves decide to occupy thenew accommodation as their primary liv-ing space.

Such was the recent choice of Gee andAycha Saad, two Northern Virginia se-niors who started investigating optionsfor retrofitting their three-level homewhen the wife, Aycha Saad, transitionedfrom a walker to a wheelchair.

The idea was to improve everyday mo-bility and even incorporate equipmentneeded for physical therapy treatmentswhile preserving the home’s upper twolevels should the couple later decide tosell the house and move to a retirementfacility.

After weighing several scenarios, thecouple summoned Russ Glickman, presi-dent of Glickman Design Build and an ex-pert in aging-in-place, to explore options.

“We began by looking at ways to addan elevator,” Glickman said. But themodifications for the elevator would dis-rupt the existing second floor plan with-out fully solving the accessibility issues.

The home’s mostly unfinished 2,000-square-foot lower level, however, pro-vided opportunities, and the Glickmanteam proposed a plan for a largely self-sufficient suite complete with accessiblebath, kitchenette and other amenities.

Configured as an open floorplan thatincorporates a sizable master suite, thenew layout is differentiated into usezones that emphasize privacy.

Key components include: A kitchenetteand dining zone finished with cherryShaker-style cabinet facings, granitecounter surfaces and ceramic tile floor-ing. A den/family room contiguous to the

DetailsGlickman Design Build periodically offers

workshops on accessibility solutions for se-niors. Visit www.GlickmanDesignBuild.com.

Accessibility on aDifferent Level

dining area that offers direct access tothe rear yard. The space has been fittedwith a large-scale plasma TV and a“Sensurround” sound system. A privatemaster suite with spacious bedroom anda bath that includes a 5-foot-by-8-footcurbless “roll-in” shower with a pull-down seat. The bathroom connects to afully-equipped laundry room.

To assure a suitable space for physicaltherapy treatments, Glickman custom-designed a wall cabinet in the dining areathat contains a pull-down table with areinforced steel frame.

To accommodate a wheelchair plat-form lift, the steps leading to the suitefrom the first floor were widened from30 inches to 46 inches.

To make it easier for the Saads to iden-tify visitors, the home’s front door hasbeen equipped with a security cameralinked to a laptop. Glickman also intro-duced technologies that enable thecouple to lock and unlock the front doorfrom the lower level suite.

Aesthetically, the suite’s carefully de-veloped interior design confers bothwarmth and spatial cohesion. Mosaic tileflooring differentiates the kitchen/diningzone from the adjacent den and enter-tainment area. In short, it’s a pretty, com-fortable home that’s also healing andsupportive.

“Our goal was to satisfy immediateneeds while implementing a makeoverthat will add re-sale value,” Glickmansaid. “The house has simply been re-de-fined as a traditional single family homethat includes a full-size in-law suite. It’sa very marketable improvement, yetmeets all the present requirements.”

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Burke Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

“Living healthy longer is the mission of the North-ern Virginia Senior Olympics,” said Dave Jerome, ofBurke, chairman of the Northern Virginia SeniorOlympics. “It is our goal to promote healthy agingthrough both mental and physical activity, which iswhy NVSO offers such a wide range of events fromsports to board games.”

The 2014 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics willtake place Sept. 13-24 at 18 venues throughoutNorthern Virginia. Adults 50 years of age and overwho live in one of the sponsoring jurisdictions areeligible to participate.

Events include swimming, diving, track, field, ten-nis, table tennis, racquetball, pickleball, duplicatebridge, chess, scrabble, cribbage, men’s basketball,handball, ERG rowing, Wii bowling, ten pin bowl-ing, eight ball pool, horseshoes, softball hit and

Northern Virginia Senior OlympicsMission: Living Healthy Longer

throw, yo-yo tricks, bocce, Frisbee throw, golf, min-iature golf, bunco, men’s and women’s basketballfree throw, team line dancing, volleyball, badmin-ton, cycling and more. Gold, silver and bronze med-als are awarded after each event. All events are opento the public.

Online registration will be available atwww.nvso.com after July 1. Registration forms willbe available at senior residences, community cen-ters, seniors centers or by calling 703-228-4721.Registration fee is $12 which covers multiple events.There is no onsite registration. Registration dead-lines are Aug. 29 (mail) and Sept. 5 (online). TheNorthern Virginia Senior Olympics is sponsored bythe counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudounand Prince William and the cities of Alexandria,Fairfax and Falls Church.

The Lee Center Dancers,who came in third in a2013 Senior Olympics linedancing event, are: KathyFanelli, Annandale;Neelima Gokhale, Arling-ton; Inga Ercolano, Arling-ton; May McWilliams,Arlington; Marcia Dia-mond, Arlington; JaneyBrauninger, Arlington;Melissa Mendell, Arlington;and Bill Wong, Fairfax.

Senior Living

Sales and Property ManagementResidential Property Management

Association ManagementResidential Preferred Properties

[email protected]

www.Richter1.com5631-I Burke Centre Parkway, Suite I • Burke, VA 22015

6408 Chaney Ct.Springfield, VA 22152

$1,950/monthCharming three-level townhome,neutral throughout, three bedrooms,two and a half plus one half bath-rooms, walkout from two levels, twoassigned parking spaces. Vacantand ready for immediate occupancy.Sorry, no pets. For Rent, $1,950 permonth. Professionally Managed byResidential Preferred Properties.

FOR RENT!

9142 Burke Rd.Burke, VA 22015

$1,990/monthSingle family home,neutral throughout,three bedrooms, twofull baths, two-cargarage, deck off themain living area, largefenced-in back yard.Vacant and ready for immediate occupancy. Close to the VRE.Sorry, no pets. For Rent – $1,990 per month. ProfessionallyManaged by Residential Preferred Properties.

FOR RENT!

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8 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

“A Smile to last a Lifetime”

703-451-4666www.bhorthodontics.com

Complimentary Exams available at Convenient Hours

■ Serving Northern Virginia Families for 42 years■ Diplomates, American Board of Orthodontics■ Invisalign Preferred Provider

John Bilodeau, DDS, MS ■ Brad Hudson, DDS, MS

Senior CalendarFrom Page 2

www.MVGenealogy.org. Questions about theprogram should be directed to Karen Jenkins at703-866-2478 or [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 23Author Lecture: Cheat the Clock.1 p.m. at

Westminster at Lake Ridge, 12191 Clipper Drive,Lake Ridge, Va.Margaret Pressler will discussher book, “Cheat the Clock: How New ScienceCan Help You Look and Feel Younger.” First 20registrants receive free copy of the book. Call703-496-3440 to attend. Visit wlrva.org formore.

THURSDAY/APRIL 24Condo Living Class. 7-9 p.m. at The Station at

Potomac Yard, 650 Maskell St. The City andArlington and Fairfax Counties will host a two-hour “Understanding Condominium Living”class. Free, seating is limited. Confirmattendance at 703-746-4990 or [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 30How to Protect Yourself From Identity

Theft. 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Westminster at LakeRidge, 12191 Clipper Drive, Lake Ridge, Va.Courtney Sweeney of Wells Fargo AssetManagement will share tips to prevent identitytheft before. RSVP to Michelle 703-496-3440, orvisit wlrva.org for more.

ONGOINGSenior Fall Prevention Classes. 1:30-2:30 p.m.

and 2-3 p.m., The Woodlands RetirementCommunity, 4320 Forest Hill Drive, Fairfax.Classes are held in a heated indoor pool and aredesigned to work on balance and core muscles.$10. 703-667-9800.

New Neighbors League Club of NorthernVirginia. For women, the club includes Bridge,mah jong, gardening, quilting and many otheractivities. www.newneighborsvirginia.com.

Join Jewish War Veterans of the USA. TheBurke Post E 100 at 5712 Walnut Wood, Burke,invites Jewish veterans and service members to

join. 703-209-5925.Singers Wanted for the Celebration Singers.

The women’s show choir is interested in newtalent to perform at various Northern Virginiacommunity sites. Practices are Wednesdays10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in Burke. Contact GayleParsons, 703-644-4485 or [email protected].

American Red Cross CPR, First Aid andAED. Various times, at 2720 State Route 699,Suite 200, Fairfax. One-year certification, digitalor print materials and continued education onMondays through Thursday and Saturday. $70-110. Visit www.redcrossnca.org.

The Groveton High School class of 1964 islooking for contact information for as manyclassmates as possible. The planning for the50th reunion is underway, however only a smallnumber of people have been contacted.Groveton graduates of ’64 interested inattending next September’s reunion shouldemail contact information [email protected].

Band musicians are invited to join the MountVernon Community Band. Rehearsals areTuesday 7:30-9:30 p.m. in the Mount VernonHigh School band room, 8515 Old MountVernon Road. There are no auditions. TheMount Vernon Community Band is a nonprofitcommunity service organization that hasperformed in the Mount Vernon area since 1978.703-768-4172 or www.mvbands.com.

Centreville Garden Club Meeting. 7 p.m.every third Monday at Sully Government Center,4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly. Learn more atcentrevillegardenclub.blogspot.com or e-mail:[email protected]. Visitorswelcome. Phone 703-830-2942.

The League of Women Voters of the FairfaxArea, a non partisan organization that isconcerned with election processes, voterparticipation and civic engagement, iswelcoming new members. All women and meninterested in civic affairs are invited to join thegroup. Visit www.LWV-Fairfax.org. or call 703-658-9152.