Elves line up for a photo at the Wish List Project drop-off in Great Falls Dec. 9.
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A Year in Review: 2017 in DranesvilleCommentary, Page 3
New Appointments to Planning Commission News, Page 2
Wishes Come True Year Around
News, Page 4
Page 8
2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Members of the Board of Supervi-sors appointed four new plan-ning commissioners this month
to begin serving on the 12-member com-mission.
The Planning Commission advises theBoard of Supervisors on all matters relatedto land use in Fairfax County, a particularlybusy time right now reviewing redevelop-ment along the Silver Line.
The commission holds public hearings,often multiple times a week, and oftenbrings together residents, developers andcounty planners to work through concernsand conflicts.
This includes the location and characterof public facilities; amendments to the Com-prehensive Plan; amendments to the Zon-ing Ordinance, the Public Facilities Ordi-nance, and the Subdivision Ordinance;rezonings and special exceptions; approv-als of final development plans; and alsosometimes advises the Board of ZoningAppeals.
Each of the nine supervisory districts hasa representative, and three members areappointed at-large. Planning commission-ers are appointed by the Board of Supervi-sors for four-year terms on a staggered ba-
sis.Hunter Mill Supervisor Catherine
Hudgins appointed John Carter to replaceFrank de la Fe as the Hunter Mill DistrictPlanning Commission.
De la Fe, the vice chairman of the com-mission, served as the Hunter Mill planningcommissioner since 2001. The FairfaxCounty Federation of Citizens Associationsnamed him 2001 and 2012 Citizen of theYear.
“Commissioner de la Fe has been involvedwith every major task force and committeedealing with planning and land use,” saidHudgins. “His strength has been an abilityto hear all sides of an issue and come to adecision that best serves the community andFairfax County.
“Most significantly, he worked with thePlanning Commission on the approvals tobring rail to the Dulles Corridor that haschanged the culture from a rural/suburbanarea to a vibrant urban district,” she said.
Carter was a former chief of community-based planning in Montgomery County,Md., overseeing the county’s master planand development review processes, and hasmore than 35 years experience as a plan-ner, urban designer and architect, accord-
ing to Hudgins. Carter has a Master of Plan-ning degree from the University of Virginia;a Master of Architecture in Urban Designfrom Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Archi-tecture with Distinction from Arizona StateUniversity.
“Mr. Carter has lived in the Hunter MillDistrict for over 44 years and has extensivecommunity involvement. I believe Mr.Carter is an excellent choice for this posi-tion,” said Hudgins.
SHARON BULOVA appointed MaryCortina in November to replace JanyceHedetniemi as an at-large member.
Cortina currently serves as vice chairmanof the Fairfax County Park Authority Board.She grew up in West Springfield in the1970s, said Bulova.
Cortina is a graduate of George MasonUniversity with a B.S. in Business, major-ing in Decision Sciences/Management In-formation Systems and Marketing. She alsoattended the Leadership Development Pro-gram at the Center for Creative Leadershipin Greensboro, N.C.
SULLY DISTRICT planning commissionerremains vacant after Karen Keys-Gamarra
announced her resignation effective Oct. 25,2017.
Keys-Gamarra won a special election inAugust to fill the at-large School Board seatvacated by Jeanette Hough.
THE OTHER planning commissioners are:❖ Peter Murphy, chairman, Springfield
District, appointed December 1982 (ap-pointed by Marie Travesky), current termexpires December 2018
❖ Jim Hart, at-large, appointed Jan. 2004(Gerry Connolly), term expires December2019
❖ Tim Sargeant, at-large, appointed Janu-ary 2007 (Connolly), term expires Decem-ber 2018
❖ John Ulfelder Dranesville, appointedDecember 2013 (John W. Foust), Decem-ber 2020
❖ Ellen Hurley, Braddock, appointed De-cember 2011 (John Cook), December 2019
❖ Julie Strandlie, Mason, appointed De-cember 2014 (Penny Gross), December2018
❖ James Migliaccio, Lee, sworn in July2010 (Jeff McKay), December 2019
❖ Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, Providence,2017 (Linda Smyth).
New Appointments to Planning CommissionFour named to Fairfax County Planning Commission; one vacancy remains in Sully.
News
Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic
703-778-9414 or [email protected]
See Year, Page 5
By Supervisor John Foust
(D-Dranesville)
The Board of Supervisors facedchallenges to adopt a budget forFY 2018 that provided adequatefunding for essential services in-
cluding education, public safety and humanservices while controlling the tax burden onhomeowners. After a number of publicmeetings and hearings, the Board adopteda budget that kept the tax rate the same asin FY 2017 but increased the amount ofmoney transferred to the public school sys-tem. Nearly 53 percent of the County’s Gen-eral Fund or $2.17 billion is going to ourexcellent schools.
Diversion FirstThe Board budgeted just under $2 mil-
lion and 18 new positions to support thesecond year of the County’s successful Di-version First initiative. The Diversion Firstprogram offers alternatives to incarcerationfor people with mental illness or develop-mental disabilities who come into contactwith the criminal justice system for low-level offenses. The goal is to intercedewhenever possible to provide assessment,treatment or needed supports. People need-ing diversion may also have a substance usedisorder, which often co-occurs with men-tal illness. Diversion First is designed toprevent repeat encounters with the crimi-nal justice system, improve public safety,promote a healthier community, and is amore cost-effective and efficient use of pub-lic funding.
Economic Success inthe County
In the challenging and changing eco-
nomic climate andchanging demo-graphics of thiscentury, FairfaxCounty cannotrest on its previ-ous achievements.The Board’s visionis a communitywhere businesses,residents and em-
ployees of a variety of ages, abilities andexperiences want to live, work, play, learnand thrive. To foster that vision, the Boardadopted The Strategic Plan to Facilitate theEconomic Success of Fairfax County in2015.
The plan, prepared by the 50-member,board-appointed Economic Advisory Com-mission, of which I serve as chairman, con-tained an economic roadmap of over 90recommendations to help the County ex-pand and diversify the economy. While thePlan includes some policies and action stepsalready in place, it also offered many newideas and actions. Since the adoption of theplan, County staff has used it as a frame-work and guide for implementing theBoard’s adopted initiatives and policy di-rectives.
An update on the plan delivered to theBoard in the fall of 2017 lists several ac-complishments that relate directly to thePlan’s goals such as: the creation of the Eco-nomic Development Success Fund that al-lows the County to make strategic invest-ments in opportunities that stimulate eco-nomic growth; the approval of an applica-tion by Capital One to add a performing artscenter, parks and a Wegmans grocery storein Tysons; the opening of the seventh craftbrewery in the County; and the develop-ment by County staff of an interactive toolthat provides transportation options andresources specific to an address for older
adults and individuals with disabilities.
One FairfaxIn November, the Board of Supervisors
and the School Board adopted a social andracial equity policy that commits the Countyand schools to consider equity when mak-ing decisions or developing/delivering pro-grams or services. One Fairfax offers a “lens”for the County and schools to look inten-tionally, comprehensively and systemati-cally at barriers that may be creating gapsin opportunity.
The One Fairfax policy identifies 17 ar-eas of focus to promote equity includingcommunity and economic development,housing, education, environment, andtransportation. The commitment to the OneFairfax policy not only is the right thing todo — but it also recognizes that equity isan economic imperative to help every resi-dent thrive.
Police CivilianReview Panel
Early in 2017, the Board of Supervisorsestablished the Police Civilian Review Panel.This was a major step to further promotetransparency and openness in communitypolicing. The Civilian Review Panel has theauthority to request and review completedPolice Department internal administrativeinvestigations regarding a civilian complaintagainst an officer.
The panel holds public meetings to reviewpolice administrative investigations andwalk through with members of the commu-nity how the investigation was conducted,including findings of fact, evidence col-lected and witness statements. The Civil-ian Review Panel was one key recommen-dation of the Ad Hoc Police Commission,which delivered 202 recommendations tothe Board of Supervisors in November 2015.
New Herndon Fire
and Rescue StationOpened
The grand opening of Fire and RescueStation 4 in Herndon occurred in April. Thenew two-story fire station is approximately14,500 square feet, and contains one levelof underground parking. The station is ableto accommodate a shift of 14 and fourpieces of apparatus equipment, includingan engine, two transport units, and a res-cue unit.
Tysons-PimmitRegional LibraryRenovated
As of October, residents were treated to abeautifully renovated Tysons-Pimmit Re-gional Library. The extensive renovationwas funded by the 2012 bond referendum.It included new exterior and interior designfeatures, upgrades to building systems, en-ergy efficiency improvements (the projectis registered with the certification goal ofLEED silver) and upgrades to power andtechnology options, including more publicaccess computers and wireless networking.The library had been operating in tempo-rary space since 2016.
StormwaterImprovements inFranklin Park,Chesterbrook
Infill developments can put additionalstrain on existing drainage and stormwaterinfrastructure. For a number of years, myoffice has been working with County staffto address these issues and 2017 markedthe completion of the Franklin Park and
Outside (left) and inside (right) the renovated Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. Photos contributed
Supervisor reflects on major developmentsthis year.
A Year in Review: 2017 in Dranesville
4 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
By Colin Stoecker
The Connection
Kristina Okeson, 14, of Great Falls,volunteered to sponsor Austin, an8-month-old baby for this year’sWish List Project.
“It was great! It gave me a whole differ-ent perspective on those who aren’t as ca-pable of providing gifts for themselves thisholiday season. I like doing charities andhelping others,” said Okeson.
This was her first time participating andwhen she and her mother received thematch from the Wish List Project, they wereprovided with a few sentences about whatbaby Austin and his family needed this holi-day season.
“They wanted some bedding and littletoys, and a jumper walker for him to playin,” she said.
But Okeson wanted to add a personaltouch. “I added on some stuff that I enjoyedwhen I was a child, like stuffed animals,some books, and toys.”
Dec. 9 was the drop-off for gifts for the WishList Project in Great Falls. Volunteers dressedas elves unpacked gifts from cars droppedoff by about 200 volunteers this year. TheWish List Project is in its 18th year connect-ing children to donors in the community.
“People’s wish list are their wants andneeds,” said Program Co-chair, ChristineShumadine. And the wants are filled outelectronically to keep some mystery aboutwho will fill them around the Holidays.
This year, the Wish List Project created adigital wish list, where underprivileged chil-dren and teens could be matched with a
volunteer. With a few sentences postedabout each child to help connect the donorto the recipient, volunteers found perfectholiday gifts for about 400 children andteens this Christmas.
“It’s difficult to get everyone’s needs, it’sfreezing and it’s snowing, but we have elvesand we are pseudo Santa,” said Shumadine.
Volunteers then brought the presents,wrapped, to the drop off where volunteerelves pack the gifts into a garage for delivery.
The Wish List Project no longer only fo-cuses on Christmas. This past Thanksgiving,they collected 75 food baskets for meals.
This Christmas the Wish List Projectpartnered with six local non-profits andschools: Fairfax Foster Care, Second Story,Shelter House, Buzz Aldrin Elementary,Herndon Elementary, and Hutchinson El-ementary.
“The guidance counselor helps to iden-tify kids at the schools who are on reducedlunches that might be a good match for theprogram,” said Shumadine.
Recently, Shumadine was shopping forthe Wish List program at Burlington CoatFactory, and the cashier used to be a recipi-ent. Last year the woman sponsored an areayouth to be able to pay it forward. She toldShumadine that if it wasn’t for the programshe would never have had a Christmas as achild.
In the past three years, The Wish ListProject has quadrupled in size andShumadine hopes to keep expanding theimpact out into the community. “We are notjust for Christmas anymore. Spring break tripsare on our list and so is Easter!” she said.
Wishes Come True Year Around Wish List Project in Great Fallscontinues to grow.
Elves line up for a photo at the Wish List Project drop-off Dec. 9.
Snow falls as volunteers bring gifts to the Wish List Project drop-offDec. 9.
Volunteers dressed as elves sort gifts in a garage in Great Falls for theWish List Project Dec. 9.
News
Photo contributed
Foster Care van loaded with gifts to be donated from the Wish ListProject to children in need this holiday season.
From left: Rohit Kishore, driver and generous donor pictured with WishList Project elves Caitlyn Shumadine, Alexa Gianoplus and Maya KanaanDec. 9.
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Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
RESTON • 1480 North Point Village • 703-733-3860
From Page 3
Chesterbrook Neighborhood StormwaterImprovement Project, which provided forthe restoration of approximately 3,000 lin-ear feet of green infrastructure typestormwater improvements. The primarygoals of this project were to retrofit the siteto provide improved water quality, to re-duce localized flooding, and to improvestormwater flow.
Transportation andPedestrianImprovements
❖ Route 7 Widening – Full Funding andBoard of Supervisors Endorsement
One of my major priorities for many yearshas been the expansion of Route 7 westfrom Tysons. In June, the Board of Super-visors endorsed VDOT’s design plans forwidening 6.9 miles of Route 7 from four tosix lanes between Jarrett Valley Drive andReston Avenue. The project will include in-tersection improvements and shared usepaths on both sides of the road. When com-pleted, this project will significantly reducethe congestion on one of our most traveledhighways. Contract award is expected inearly 2018.
❖ Pedestrian Improvement Projects —Two pedestrian improvement projects werecompleted in Dranesville this year, andmany more are in design or construction.In June, a project to install a signalized pe-destrian crosswalk at the intersection ofLeesburg Pike and Colvin Run Road wascompleted. In McLean, a project to improveand upgrade the pedestrian facilities to cur-rent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)standards at the intersection of Old Domin-ion Drive, Linway Terrace, and Birch Roadwas completed in August. Pedestrian acces-sibility is a major priority for me; theseprojects are great steps toward that goal.
❖ Jones Branch Connector — Construc-tion on the Jones Branch Connector, whichwill provide an important new link to Route123 over the Beltway for commuters andvisitors to Tysons, began earlier this year.The half-mile project includes new roadwayfrom the interchange of the I-495 ExpressLanes and Jones Branch Drive to ScottsCrossing Road in addition to other improve-ments. Fairfax County led design and de-velopment for the project, while VDOT isadministering the construction. By provid-ing an alternate route across the Beltwayand linking the Tysons East and Central ar-eas, the Jones Branch Connector is expectedto relieve traffic along Route 123, at the I-495 interchange, and at other congestedintersections.
Year in ReviewNews
6 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
The pages of the Connection News-papers (including the AlexandriaGazette Packet, the Mount VernonGazette, the Potomac Almanac and
the Centre View) have been full of holiday spiritbeginning before Thanksgiving. Group and in-dividual efforts to help the needy, holiday pa-rades, Santa arriving by boat, Santa arrivingby horse-drawn carriage, Santa arriving at theMalls, tree lightings, Menorah lightings, sto-ries of giving, secular celebrations, religiouscelebrations. Shopping locally. Giving locally.
Christmas is about the birthof Jesus Christ. Whether youbelieve the Christmas story lit-erally or in spirit, you know it
is the story of joy, hope and love, with the prom-ise of redemption.
It is also about embracing the teachings ofJesus: to love thy neighbor as thyself; to helpthe needy; to feed the hungry and clothe thepoor; to care for those who are sick; to inviteand welcome strangers; to treat others as youwould have them treat you.Matthew 7:12:
“So in everything, do to others what youwould have them do to you, for this sums upthe Law and the Prophets.”Matthew 25:35-40:
“For I was hungry and you gave me some-thing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave mesomething to drink, I was a stranger and youinvited me in, I needed clothes and you clothedme, I was sick and you looked after me, I wasin prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord,when did we see you hungry and feed you, orthirsty and give you something to drink? Whendid we see you a stranger and invite you in, orneeding clothes and clothe you? When did wesee you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers and sisters ofmine, you did for me.’”
SO LET US SHARE the verse relating thebirth of Jesus from the Bible, Luke 2: 4-19:
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, outof the city ofNazareth, intoJudaea, unto the cityof David, which iscalled Bethlehem;(because he was ofthe house and lin-eage of David:) Tobe taxed with Maryhis espoused wife,being great with child. And so it was, that,while they were there, the days were accom-plished that she should be delivered. And shebrought forth her firstborn son, and wrappedhim in swaddling clothes, and laid him in amanger; because there was no room for themin the inn.
“And there were in the same country, shep-herds abiding in the field, keeping watch overtheir flock by night. And, lo, the angel of theLord came upon them, and the glory of the
Whether you believe the Christmas storyliterally or in spirit, you know it is the story of joy,hope and love, with the promise of redemption.
Merry Christmas
This is our last regular edition of 2017. Nextweek, after Christmas, we will publish our an-nual Children’s Issue, devoted entirely to theartwork and writing of local students. We havemore submissions from local students thanever, and so some children’s and teens’ artworkand writing will spill over into the first weekof the new year.
Our next regular edition will publish Jan. 3-4, 2018, with deadline for content and adver-tising of Dec. 30 (late ads accepted).
In the meantime you can reach the editors
Lord shone round about them: and they weresore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fearnot: for, behold, I bring you good tidings ofgreat joy, which shall be to all people.
“For unto you is born this day in the city ofDavid a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Andthis shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find thebabe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in amanger.
“And suddenly there was with the angel amultitude of the heavenly host praising God,and saying, Glory to God in the highest, andon earth peace, good will toward men.
“And it came topass, as the angelswere gone awayfrom them intoheaven, the shep-herds said one toanother, Let us nowgo even untoBethlehem, and seethis thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath made knownunto us. And they came with haste, and foundMary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a man-ger. And when they had seen it, they madeknown abroad the saying which was told themconcerning this child. And all they that heardit wondered at those things which were toldthem by the shepherds.”
— Mary Kimm
“Truly I tell you, whateveryou did for one of the least ofthese brothers and sisters ofmine, you did for me.”Editorial
Editor’s Note About the Rest of 2017at [email protected] andsales/marketing/advertising [email protected].
Find digital replica editions of recent papersat www.ConnectionNewspapers.com/PDFs
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TakingException onTax ReformTo the Editor:
(Regarding ‘Federal Tax Reform.Bad for Fairfax,’ Connection, Dec.13, 2017)
Interesting article! However, Imust take exception with the con-clusion as presented by our localrepresentatives. Capping the stateand local write-offs will help toensure that the local propertytaxes will slow their continued in-
creases above a reasonable deduc-tion against your federal incometax.
Maybe, just maybe once the lo-cal deductions are capped at 10Kour local elected officials will stopor slow their tax and spend poli-cies. Once the tax paying propertyowners find that their outrageousproperty taxes are not deductiblethey just might start questioningthe out of control spending by ourlocal Fairfax county representa-tives and maybe think of electingdifferent representatives.
One can only hope that this taxbill passes and a capped of 10K is
placed on local deductions. It isreally time to bite the bullet andfocus on spending.
Dudley LosselyongGreat Falls
The Other Sideof GunOwnershipTo the Editor:
Reporting part of the story (Let-ters, “Armed as for a war zone,”Connection, Dec. 13) can be more
Letters to the Editor
misleading than reporting none.Here’s what some don’t want youto know: If you’re not involvedwith drugs or gangs, the probabil-ity that you’ll be the victim of vio-lent crime in the U.S. drops to thesame levels as those in WesternEuropean nations with the mostrestrictive gun regulations in theworld. Attributing differences inhomicide rates to gun ownershiprates, without a hint of empiricalsupport, is deceptive and irrespon-sible.
Also, overall homicide rates in
See Letters, Page 11
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Faith Notes are for announcements and eventsin the faith community. Send [email protected]. Deadline isFriday at noon.
During Advent, Christ the King LutheranChurch, 10550 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, willpresent a series of three midweek Advent pro-grams. The overarching theme of these evenings is“Peace for Our Time.” Each evening’s sub-themewill grow from a Reformation-era hymn. Eachevening’s program begins at 5:45 p.m. with supperfollowed by discussion, worship and the lighting ofthe Advent wreath. All are welcome. Visitwww.gflutheran.org or call 703-759-6068.
❖ Thursday/Dec. 21 – Peace in ourselves, hymn:“From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” (ELW 268)
Christmas Services at St. John’s EpiscopalChurch, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean. Call 703-356-4902 or visit www.stjohnsmclean.org.
Christmas Eve, Sunday, Dec. 24❖ 4 p.m. – Family Service of Holy Eucharist with
Christmas Music at 3:30 pm❖ 7 p.m. – Holy Eucharist with Christmas Mu-
sic at 6:30 pm❖ 10 p.m. – Holy Eucharist with Christmas Mu-
sic at 9:30 pmChristmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25❖ 10 a.m. – Holy Eucharist
Community Candlelight Christmas EveService at Charles Wesley United MethodistChurch, 6817 Dean Drive, McLean on Sunday, Dec.
24, 5 p.m. All are invited to join this service ofCarols & Lessons with special music and a messagefor every age. Visit www.thehungerchurch.org.
Christmas Eve Service at Antioch ChristianChurch, 1860 Beulah Road, Vienna on Sunday,Dec. 24, 2017 at 7 p.m. All are welcome at theScripture & Carols service. Visitantiochccvienna.org.
Christmas Eve Services. The Church of theGood Shepherd, 2351 Hunter Mill Road, Vienna,will celebrate with four worship services on Sun-day, Dec. 24. The community is invited to allservices. The church will hold its regular worshipservice at 10:15 a.m. At 5 p.m. will be theChildren’s Christmas Eve Service. Communion andcandlelight Christmas Eve services will be held at7 and 10 p.m. (child care provided for the 7 p.m.service). Visit the church website atwww.GoodShepherdVA.com or atwww.Facebook.com/GoodShepherdVienna.
Christmas Praise Benefit Concert. TheMorehead family will present a concert of Christ-mas music at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589Chain Bridge Road
Vienna, on Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. The concert in-cludes classical works as well as morecontemporary songs in addition to Christmas car-ols that all will sing. The concert is free. An offeringwill be taken to benefit Hypothermia PreventionWeek and the ministry of the Christian retreat cen-ter Caroline Furnace. Call 703-938-2119.
Faith
Add some local charm to this year’sholiday tree. The Village Centre Gazebotree ornament is available at Katie’sCoffee House, 760 Walker Road, Great
Falls. The cost for these limited editionPewter keepsakes is $20; $8 of pro-ceeds goes to support Celebrate GreatFalls Foundation.
Ornament Helps Support Great FallsWeek in Great Falls
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8 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Education●Learning●Fun
By Marilyn Campbell
When artist Kathryn Coneway isfeeling overwhelmed by thestress of the holiday season, she
heads outside to find peace and calm innature.
“I get easily overwhelmed by the crowdedparking lots and busy stores,” she said.“When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’ll go toHuntley Meadows Park and walk around.The beauty of nature restores me. You’rewith other people when you’re there, butthere’s still solitude.”
From those who are dashing to finishholiday shopping and those who are finan-cially strapped to those grieving a loss ordreading dealing with strained familial re-lationships, the stretch of time betweenThanksgiving and Christmas is often hecticand emotionally charged. Recharging andinfusing the holidays with joy and peacemight mean redefining the holiday season.
“Research shows increased happiness af-ter thinking of three good things that hap-pened to you today and what caused them,”said Jerome Short, Ph.D., associate profes-sor of psychology at George Mason Univer-sity. “Also, people report improved moodfrom doing fivekind acts in aday, expressinggratitude, pur-suing impor-tant goals, andplaying sports.”
An evening ofmusic and quietcreativity is onemethod thatElizabeth Rees,associate rectorat Saint Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Alex-andria uses to recharge during the holidayseason. The event called “Healing Arts” isheld at the Center for Spiritual Deepeningat St. Aidan’s. “Sometimes for me, medita-tive art helps me to get into a differentspace,” she said. “And with instrumentalcello and guitar music in the background,it [is] beautiful.”
Visual imagery is another technique Reesemploys. “I went to a… prayer-yoga-dancegathering this week, and [the instructor]had us physically pretend to pick up thingsthat we want to let go of or that are weigh-ing us down to place on an imaginary fire,”she said. “I loved the imagery: my burdensand distractions going up in smoke alongwith my prayers rising to God to make spacein me for something new.”
Coneway uses the season’s natural sur-rounding to inspire her art, which is anotherway in which she finds joy and relaxation.“The gift of this time of day is the display oflight and colors of early morning andevening,” she said. “I encourage families togather around the table and [create] arttogether. Whether its parents addressingChristmas cards while children are draw-ing or making a collage out of wrappingpaper or tissue paper, I encourage familiesto work on something together.”
Serving others and expressing gratitudeare research-driven techniques for findinghappiness says Dr. Lois T. Stover, Ed.D.,dean, School of Education and Human Ser-vices at Marymount University.
“Make holiday cards and send them out.It’s fun to drop a word of kindness anony-
mously tosomeone in theneighborhoodand then tellthat person topass along theidea, leavingwords of kind-ness or grati-tude themselvesfor someoneelse,” she said.“Create an ‘I am
thankful for ...’ wall and cover it with stickynotes that complete the sentence as newthoughts come to mind each time you passby.”
There’s plenty of holiday joy that comeswithout a price tag, suggests Stover. “Drivethrough various neighborhoods just afterdark and exclaim ‘Oooh – aah’ over homesor other buildings that have particularly fun
Finding Peace and Joy Relieving stress and findingmeaning in the holiday season.
or beautiful displays of lights,” said Stover.“Listen to holiday music in a variety ofgenres and make play lists of favorites. Singalong loudly. It’s hard to feel down whilebelting out anything from ‘Frosty theSnowman’ to ‘Joy to the World.’”
For those looking to maintain the religiousmeaning of the season, Rees suggests dailydevotions sent electronically. “I’ve found
RichardSylvain, PatKeithly andEileen Myersattended a“HealingArts” event atthe Center forSpiritualDeepening atSt. Aidan’sEpiscopalChurch inAlexandria.Such activi-ties can bringpeace and joyduring ahectic holidayseason.
ArtistKathrynConeway andher familyspend time inHuntleyMeadowsPark whenthey’re feel-ing over-whelmed bythe holidayrush.
Photo courtesy
of Kathryn
Coneway
“Moments of quiet and restand being able to be present inthe moment help me to getthrough the frenzy.”
— Elizabeth Rees, Associate Rector, SaintAidan’s Episcopal Church
some wonderful daily prayers that arriveeach day by email. Just a minute or two offocus on what is deep and joyful and holyhelp center me for the day,” she said. “Forme, Ignatian prayer has been speaking tome lately, imagining myself into the storiesof scripture. Moments of quiet and rest andbeing able to be present in the moment helpme to get through the frenzy.”
Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VIENNA450 ORCHARD STREET, NW
VIENNA, VA 22180703-938-8525
email: [email protected]
SUNDAY WORSHIP, 7:45 AM & 10:00 AMCHRISTIAN LEARNING ACADEMY (SUN.) 9:00AM-9:45AM
MIDWEEK SERVICES, WED. 7:00 PM
Visit These Houses of Worship
To Highlight Your Faith Community, call Don at 703-778-9420
A Real French Bistroin the Heart of
McLean Since 1981
6627 Old Dominion DriveMcLean, VA
McLean Square Mall
CocktailsMajor Credit Cards
Call for Reservations
703-790-5164www.cafetatti.com
Open for Christmas Eve 4-9pmNew Years Eve Dinner 4pm-mid night
Café TattíCafé TattíCafé TattíCafé TattíCafé TattíCafé TattíCafé TattíCafé TattíCafé TattíEntertainment
Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.
ONGOINGVienna-Wide Food Drive. Through
Dec. 31, bring food contributions toVienna Town Hall - 127 Center St. S;Vienna Arts Society-115 Pleasant St.NW; Bikes@Vienna-128-A Church St.NW; Caffe Amouri-107 Church St.,NE; Evolution Fitness- 216 DominionRoad, NE; Rexall Drug Store-150Maple Ave. W; Drs. Covel, Stack andHenon- 120 Beulah Road, NE; PatrickHenry Library (co-sponsored bySupervisor Cathy Hudgins) and theVienna Community Center. Girl ScoutTroop 2684 will be helping NEVCAby picking up the food. Sponsored byCommittee for Helping Others. Call703-281-7614.
Winter Walk of Lights. AtMeadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna.During the Winter Walk of Lights, thegarden is transformed into a half-mile, walk of lights. Revisit perennialfavorites such as the animatedLakeside Lights, the Fountain ofLights, and the Holiday Nature Walk– and look for new displays eachyear. Round out a visit roastingmarshmallows and sipping on hotbeverages, available for purchase.Visit www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights.
Textures Exhibit. Through Jan. 7,various times at the Vienna ArtsCenter, 115 Pleasant St., NW. Call703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org.
WEDNESDAY/DEC. 20Timeline Arcade and Ice Cream. 8
a.m.-6 p.m.-noon at The OldFirehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road,McLean. Play old-school video gamesand then eat ice cream. $55/45 forMcLean Community Center districtresidents. Call 703-790-0123 or visitwww.mcleancenter.org.
THURSDAY/DEC. 21Bowling and Movie. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.-
noon at The Old Firehouse, 1440Chain Bridge Road, McLean. $65/55for McLean residents. Call 703-790-0123 or visit www.mcleancenter.org.
TUESDAY/DEC. 26Beatrix Potter Tea. noon-1:30 p.m. at
Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac HillsSt., Great Falls. Learn about thefamous author. Nibble on cupcakesand sip fruit punch or tea whilehearing stories about the bunnyfamily of her creation. Meet a livewhite tale rabbit and learn what wildbunnies do in the winter. Make abunny of your own to take home.Call 703-759-9018 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/.
WEDNESDAY/DEC. 27Dave and Buster’s arcade. 8 a.m.-6
p.m.-noon at The Old Firehouse,1440 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Lunch and a $25 game card withunlimited arcade game play areincluded. $70/60 for McLeanresidents. Call 703-790-0123 or visitwww.mcleancenter.org.
THURSDAY/DEC. 28Tubing/Ice Skating Trip. 8 a.m.-6
p.m.-noon at The Old Firehouse,1440 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Chill out racing down hills on thetubes or gliding on skates. During theday, there is a pizza party. Admissionfor tubing or ice skating and lunchare included in the fee. $55/45 forMcLean residents. Call 703-790-0123
or visit www.mcleancenter.org.The Nutcracker. 2 and 7 p.m. at the
Ernst Community Cultural Center,8333 Little River Turnpike,Annandale. The Virginia BalletCompany is presenting its 68thannual production of “TheNutcracker.” This is a full-length,professionally-staged ballet. $30 foradults and $20 for children, seniorsand students at VABallet.org. [email protected] or call 703-249-8227.
FRIDAY/DEC. 29Movie Double Feature. 8 a.m.-6
p.m.-noon at The Old Firehouse,1440 Chain Bridge Road, McLean.Road trip to AMC for two movies.Movie tickets and lunch are includedin the fee. $55/45 for McLeanresidents. Call 703-790-0123 or visitwww.mcleancenter.org.
The Nutcracker. 2 and 7 p.m. at theErnst Community Cultural Center,8333 Little River Turnpike,Annandale. The Virginia BalletCompany is presenting its 68thannual production of “TheNutcracker.” This is a full-length,professionally-staged ballet. $30 foradults and $20 for children, seniorsand students at VABallet.org. [email protected] or call 703-249-8227.
SATURDAY/JAN. 13Women at the Helm. 10 a.m. at the
Patrick Henry Library, 101 MapleAve. E. Vienna Mayor Laurie DiRoccoand Town Council Members CareySienicki and Linda Colbert will share
their experiences of leading the Townof Vienna. Visit vienna-va.aauw.net/.
SUNDAY/JAN. 14MLK Speaker. 2 p.m. at The Old
Firehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road.Award-winning sports columnistWilliam Rhoden, who will speak onthe timely subject of “ActivistAthletes.” $20, $10 for McLeanCommunity Center tax districtresidents. Visit www.aldentheatre.orgor call 703-790-0123.
Rorie in Concert. 7 p.m. at Jammin’Java, 227 Maple Ave E, Vienna. Localmusician plays her new EP called“Dawn.” Call 703-255-1566 or visitwww.roriemusic.com.
WEDNESDAY/JAN. 17Art Workshop. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the
Vienna Arts Center, 115 Pleasant St.Artist Jacqueline Saunders is hostinga one day workshop. Call 703-319-3971 or visit ViennaArtsSociety.org.
SATURDAY/JAN. 27Artists Reception. 4-6 p.m. at Vienna
Art Center, 115 Pleasant St., NW.Jazz It Up! Exhibit open until March3. Free and open to the public. Call703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org.
FRIDAY/FEB. 3Lera Lynn in Concert. 7 p.m. at
Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave E,Vienna. Call 703-255-1566 or visitwww.leralynn.com.
Art ExhibitThompson FarmBarns on Can-vas. Varioustimes throughDec. 31 at theGreat FallsLibrary, 9830GeorgetownPike. Local artistParinaz ZiaiBahadori exhib-its a selection ofacrylic andwatercolorpaintings andcollages, someof which arededicated to theThompson Farmbarns whichwere torn down last year in Great Falls. Call 703-757-8560 for more.
Live MusicLocal musician“Rorie,” is in concert,Sunday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m.at Jammin’ Java, 227Maple Ave E., Vienna.She plays her new EPcalled “Dawn.” Call703-255-1566 or visitwww.roriemusic.com.
10 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
By Mike Salmon
The Connection
Parking at the shoppingmall can be challengingat any time of the year,but during the holiday
season, it takes time and a certainamount of work to find a good spot.There are lots of cars, new rules andentrances, so forgetting where thecar is happens more than once.
At Tysons, there are 11,500 park-ing spaces, divided between a fewmulti-level parking garages andopen air lots. The valet parking spe-cialist at the valet lot right outsideNordstroms can’t keep tabs on ev-eryone, so he focuses on the clientsthat pay the $10 Holiday Parkingspecial to use his lot. “They keepasking me, they don’t know wherethey parked,” he said.
Diane Peratt came in fromLeesburg and didn’t balk at the $10special. “I’m very short on time,” shesaid, as she looked around at thebig roped off area that was emptyon a Wednesday afternoon. “I’mglad they have this option, thisnumber of spots is a bit much,” sheadded.
Over at Springfield Town Center,the number of shoppers waxes andwanes during the week, but theweekends are big, said HaydenBasse, a college student that oper-ates the valet stand at Springfield. On one eveningshift in early December, he parked 75 cars in eitherthe 15 spots up front or the auxiliary lot that is offalong Loisdale Road. “You get a lot of families, espe-cially in colder weather,” Basse said.
Joshua and Jessica Ball are new to the area, buthave been to Springfield Town Center a few times.“It’s a nightmare on Fridays and Saturdays,” JoshuaBall said. Parking on the weekends craziness is nosecret, but Basse is happy to help out, saying: “Ourjob is to provide convenient parking to the mall andrestaurants,” he said. Basse gets the shopper’s cellphone number upon arrival, enters it in his iPad andwhen the customers are ready, a signal is sent andBasse retrieves their car. “Makes it super quick,” hesaid.
Valet spots are $6 at the Springfield Town Centerand $7 at Tysons Corner, but in the Nordstroms lot,the $10 Holiday Parking Special includes money-sav-ing coupons.
Nordstrom employee Christina Curtis never has aproblem even in the holiday season. “There’s plentyof spaces, eventually you do find a parking space,”she said, but has seen the shoppers that can’t findtheir car at the end of the day. “A lot of people getconfused with the exits, they don’t know where theyparked,” she said.
The Tysons security office is always helping findcars. “We do that a lot,” said Security Officer Rivas.
To accompany all the specialty shops that open and
close around the holidays, there are a number ofspecialty spots for restaurant patrons, electric ve-hicles, pregnant women, military veterans and bigspenders. What’s an average Joe to do in situationslike this? Go to the back of the lot, hope for a spot,and take the hike back to the shopping center, keep-ing an eye out for drivers who aren’t being attentive.
Becca Willcox, the Tysons events and communica-tions manager, noted that there are a certain num-ber of spaces dedicated to electric and hybrid ve-hicles, valet parking and 20 VIP spots for their top50 money spenders. On the weekends in December,there are “parking directors,” maintaining orderaround the lots and for the speciality spots, the Tysonssecurity “patrols them to make sure they’re [specialtyspots] being used correctly,” Willcox said.
Parking lot safety is another concern around theholidays. The Fairfax County Police Department hasa Christmas Anti-Theft Team, known as the CATT,“watching for people breaking in cars and takingmerchandise,” said officer Bob Otten.
According to the police, “over the 2016 holidayseason, our teams collectively recovered over$315,000 in stolen property and seized assets.” Inaddition, there are police officers in the lots keepingthe peace and making sure cars are not blocking thefire lanes or illegally parking in the disabled parkingspaces, noted with the blue signs. “We ask them tomove along,” he said. It’s a $50 ticket if they don’t,said Otten.
Focusing on convenience and security.
Parking Comes in VariousForms for Holiday Shoppers
Photo by Mike Salmon/Connection
The Holiday Valet special at Tysons is tempting to some.
News
Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.
HOLIDAY SOBER-RIDEFree Sober Rides. The annual Holiday
SoberRider program will operate 8 p.m.-4 a.m.each night from Friday, Dec. 15, 2017-Monday,Jan. 1, 2018. area residents age 21 and oldercelebrating with alcohol may download Lyft totheir phones, then enter the code in the app’s“Promo” section to receive their no cost (up to$15) safe transportation home. WRAP’s weeklyHoliday SoberRide promo codes will be postedat 2 p.m. on Dec. 15, Dec. 23 and Dec. 31 onwww.SoberRide.com.
THURSDAY/DEC. 21Caregivers Support Group. 10-11:30 a.m. at
UUCF Unitarian Universalist Congregation ofFairfax - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna Caregivers Support Group is held thefirst and third Thursdays of every month, yearround. Call 703-821-6838 or [email protected] for more.
TUESDAY/JAN. 9English as a Second Language Classes. 7-8
p.m. at at St. Mark Christian Formation Center,9972 Vale Road, Vienna. Come help 150+ adultlearners master the English language, preparefor American citizenship, learn to conversefluently in English, improve their writing skills,and integrate into the local community. Call703-980-9380, email [email protected], orvisit www.stmarkesl.org.
THURSDAY/JAN. 11English as a Second Language Classes. 7-8
p.m. at at St. Mark Christian Formation Center,9972 Vale Road, Vienna. Come help 150+ adultlearners master the English language, preparefor American citizenship, learn to conversefluently in English, improve their writing skills,and integrate into the local community. Call703-980-9380, email [email protected], orvisit www.stmarkesl.org.
SUPPORT GROUPSAre You A Caregiver? Shepherd’s Center of
Oakton Vienna Caregivers’ SupportGroup takes place first & third Thursday ofeach month. February 2nd and 16th, 2017 from10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join us at theUnitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax(UUCF) - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRd, Oakton, VA. For more info contactfacilitator, Jack Tarr, [email protected].
Haven of Northern Virginia Support Group.703-941-7000, www.havenofnova.org [email protected].
Virginia Chronic Pain Support Group Meetsfrom 1:30 - 3 p.m. the 2nd Wednesday of eachmonth at Kaplan Center for IntegrativeMedicine, 6829 Elm St., Suite 300, McLean.Group leader, Jodi Brayton, LCSW. 703-532-4892.
Bulletin
From Page 6
the U.S. are 12 times closer than the spe-cific gun homicide rate given in Mr. Nelson’sletter. In other words, British criminals sub-stitute knives or clubs for guns to kill theirvictims — cold comfort there.
Housebreaking is far more common inBritain than in the U.S. Could this be dueto the deterrent effect of widespread gunownership? Surveys of violent felons revealthat they are far more fearful of facing anarmed resident than the highly unlikelychance that a cop will appear during thecrime.
Michael CrawfordGreat Falls
Letters
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
Talk about a superfluous statement.I was asleep in bed and awoke to find one of
our five cats, Biscuit, the oldest at 11+, lyingsphinx-like on the front right of our bed. Thoughit was dark, I could see in his yellow eyes that hewas awake.
Wanting to feel a cat against my body, I said,“Biscuit, come here. Come lie against my chest.”No response so I repeated the request. This timewith a bit more conviction: “Biscuit, come here. Iwant to feel you next to me.” Again, noresponse. In fact, no reaction whatsoever. So Imuttered, without thinking even: “OKAY, Biscuit,suit yourself.”
And then I laughed. Of course he’s going tosuit himself. That’s what cats do. I should begrateful he didn’t jump off the bed. After all, hewas minding his own business.
And that business is the entire philosophy ofthe feline species captured in two words. If anyof you has ever owned a cat and been sensitiveto and appreciative of their differences with thecanine population, cats don’t really come whenyou call them. Nor do they respond to a millionother things you ask of them. If you understandand embrace that behavior, you’ll likely begin tosee this non-responsiveness as part of theircharm.
However, when they do come when you callthem, or when they climb uninvited onto yourchest while lying in bed or snuggle with you onthe couch; oh, how special you feel. And if youdon’t feel put upon or tolerated and can insteadsavor the uniqueness of their knead (and do eve-rything you can to encourage its repetition), thenyou can indeed find pleasure and purpose in thatmoment, rare though it may be – or maybe not.
Accepting the perameters of the relationshipwith your cat, and managing your expectations,will go a long way toward understanding whatyour cat is able to give you. And what cats cangive you is companionship and love – on theirterms of course. The mere fact that Biscuit islying on the bed should be enough to make mehappy. Expecting that he would rise due to mybeck and call, at night, especially while he’s cat-napping is unreasonable on my part. Biscuit isnot being difficult in the least. He is simplyadhering to a non-responsive-type behavior thatgenerations of cats – and generations of cat own-ers, should be accustomed to, not questioned oreven curious about.
As an extraordinarily experienced cat owner(almost 40 years), I should have known better.Yet I couldn’t resist the temptation/control theurge to give Biscuit (a cat) the chance to changethe course of presumptive cat history and cometo me when I asked. The problem is, once in ablue moon – or was that a red moon (it certainlyappeared to be above the fold on the front pageof The Washington Post the other day), cats willbreak with historical convention andrespond/react/reply in kind with both word anddeed. They’ll come, they’ll snuggle, they’ll talk,they’ll nuzzle, they might even lick. In fact,they’ll do everything they can to endear them-selves to you.
But it doesn’t happen often or rather it does-n’t happen consistently. Yet it remains the goal ofevery committed (or rather should be) cat ownerto make every attempt to induce their cats tosuccumb to their cat-seducing charms. Like rightnow, Twinkle, our white, five-and-half-years-olddomestic medium hair, is doing everything shecan to get my attention. She’s walking back andforth across my note pad (as I’m trying to write;I’m busy), she’s rubbing her head against my faceand using the top of my pen as some sort of headscratcher, she’s lying on her left side with asmany as four paws outstretched across my leftarm as I use it to block her advance and she’stalking non-stop.
She’s being such a pain, but you have to lovethem. If you can’t appreciate their untimelyintrusions and instead expect some kind of pre-dictable dog-like obedience, you need morethan “The Cat Whisperer,” you need “The CatScreamer,” because it’s NOT HAPPENING.
“Suit Yourself,Biscuit”Business Directory
To Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422WWW.CONNECTIONNEWSPAPERS.COM
ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL
GUTTER GUTTER
IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS
LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING
TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE
TILE / MARBLE TILE / MARBLE
Good is not good, where
better is expected.
-Thomas Fuller
12 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ December 20-26, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
