Opinion, Page 4 ❖ Calendar, Page 7 ❖ Classifieds, Page 9 ❖ Sports, Page 8 Photo by Mike DiCicco /The Connection online at www.connectionnewspapers.com July 29-August 4, 2009 ❖ Volume XXIII, Number 30 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 07-30-09 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Martinsburg, WV PERMIT #86 Oak Hill ❖ Herndon Oak Hill ❖ Herndon Coping on ‘Main Street’ News, Page 3 Coping on ‘Main Street’ News, Page 3 Head First into Olympics Dream Sports, Page 8 As conditions begin to improve on Wall Street, small businesses on Herndon’s “Main Street” continue to cope with the recession.
Transcript
Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinio
n, Page 4
❖
C
alendar, Page 7
❖
C
lassifieds, Page 9
❖
Spo
rts, Page 8
Pho
to
by M
ike D
iC
icco
/T
he C
onnectio
n
online at www.connectionnewspapers.comJuly 29-August 4, 2009 ❖ Volume XXIII, Number 30
Attention Postmaster:
Time sensitive material.
Requested in home 07-30-09
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Martinsburg, WV
PERMIT #86Oak Hill ❖ HerndonOak Hill ❖ Herndon
Coping on‘Main Street’News, Page 3
Coping on‘Main Street’News, Page 3
Head First intoOlympics DreamSports, Page 8
As conditions begin toimprove on Wall Street,
small businesses onHerndon’s “Main Street”
continue to cope withthe recession.
2 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Open 9-6 • 7 Days 9023 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax, VA
703-573-50252 miles west of I-495 on
Rt. 50 (Vienna Metro)CravensNursery.com
60-75% OFFALL POTTERY3 New Truckloads
3 Cubic ft. ShreddedHardwood Mulch $2.99
Bulk Mulch REG. 29.99 19.99 cu. yd.
SUMMER SALE25% off All Trees &
Shrubs, Hosta, Cacti,Orchids, Bonsai
Jackson &Perkins Roses
PA. Wall Stone Sale
Free Estimates-Hardscape/Landscape, Patios,Walls, Walkways & so much more
Hours: Mon., Tues.,Thurs. & Fri. 9-6Wed. 9-5, Sat 10-3
Herndon ResidentsTo Teach for America
Three natives of Herndon have joined Teach for America, the na-tional corps of top recent college graduates who commit to teach fortwo years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong advo-cates for educational equity.
The three recruits are Sally Levine, a graduate of Herndon High School(2005) and the University of Virginia (2009); Kristen Martin, a gradu-ate of Herndon High School (2005) and the College of William andMary (2009); and Kathryn Sasinowski, a graduate of Oakton HighSchool (2005) and the College of William and Mary (2009).
Martin, Levine, and Sasinowski join Teach For America’s incomingcorps of 4,100 teachers, the largest in its 20-year history. With a record35,000 applications for the 2009 corps, only 15 percent were accepted.These recent college graduates were selected for their leadership abili-ties and strong record of achievement. The 2009 incoming corps mem-bers earned an average undergraduate GPA of 3.6, and 89 percent heldleadership positions as undergraduates.
Levine will teach in Chicago, Martin will teach in Charlotte, N.C.,and Sasinowski will teach in Phoenix.
In the 2009-10 school year, over 7,300 first- and second-year TeachFor America corps members will head to classrooms in 35 regions acrossthe United States.
Herndon Apartment FireFairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to an
apartment fire at approximately 6:45 a.m., Sunday, July 26, in a gar-den apartment at 146 Laurel Way.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered smoke coming from the thirdfloor of the three-story apartment building. Firefighters quickly con-tained the fire to the apartment of origin. Firefighters also rescued anoccupant and several pets from the apartment’s third floor balconyusing ground ladders. A pet cat alerted the occupant to the fire. Para-medics treated the adult male at the scene and then transported him toReston Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The fire was broughtunder control in approximately 20 minutes. One adult male was dis-placed. Red Cross was declined by the occupant. There were no otherinjuries.
Damage is estimated at $200,000.According to fire investigators, the fire was accidental: An electrical
anomaly involving a pole lamp caused the fire.
Fresh Farm ProductsAt Frying Pan Market
Delicious fresh fruits and vegetables add flavor, color and variety tosummer meals as they have in the homes and farms around Frying Panfor decades. Frying Pan Farm Park re-grew the tradition of a local farmersmarket in 2000. Now in its ninth year, Frying Pan’s Market welcomesthree new vendors in this season including a “Certified Naturally Grown”produce vendor, an herb vendor and a baker.
Visit the Frying Pan Farmers Market on Wednesday mornings from 8a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Pick up freshly baked bread, buy crisp veggiesand delectable seasonings to dip them in. Choose from perfectly pickedpeaches, plums, pears and apples or take home potted herbs and veg-etables to grow at one’s own “farm” at home.
More than an animal farm, Frying Pan Farm Park works to preservethe rural heritage that today’s modern Fairfax County grew from. Withonly 20,000 human residents in 1920, Fairfax County was also hometo over 7,000 cows and 100,000 apple trees.
Frying Pan Farm Park is located at 2709 West Ox Road in Herndon.
ArtSpace Looks forMusicians, Bands, DJs
ArtSpace is looking for local musicians, bands, and disc jockeys whowant to be part of “Paint Herndon” on Saturday, Sept. 5 from 3-8 p.m.The public block party will be held on the lawn of ArtSpace to supportthe outdoor visual arts competition that day. Prizes will be given forbest performers.
Apply for a spot on the schedule by sending in a short press releaseof one’s group to ArtSpace P.O. Box 916 Herndon, VA 20170 or attachto an email to [email protected]. For more information, call 703-956-6590.
Week in Herndon
If you do not getThe Herndon Connectiondelivered to your home…
FIRST CLASSMAILEDSUBSCRIPTIONSare now available for the firsttime with timely postalcarrier delivery: $30 for sixmonths.Help us meet the costs of providing first-ratecommunity journalism on newsprint to yourhousehold.
As the economic conditions beginto improve, Herndon small busi-nesses appear to have enduredthe worst times of the recession,
but not without casualties.From pet stores to arts and crafts shops,
businesses that relied more on discretion-ary spending took the hardest hit, in somecases past the point of survival. The reces-sion meant the end for these businesses asthey closed shop, sometimes salvaging aportion of their sales by moving online.
The businesses that weathered the reces-sion attribute their success to loyal customerbase, affordable pricing and changing salespractices.
PAUL OLSON, owner and one-man opera-tor of Olson Piano Service, said that hisschedule now takes longer to fill up, buthis workload has remained fairly constant.A self-described high-volume businessman,Olson has built a customer database of2,500 names, drawing on a group of about1,000 for regular business. With a steadycustomer flow, he can maintain low priceseven during the recession.
“I don’t think money is the issue,” Olsonsaid. He noted that some of his clients areunemployed but pay for repairs so they canhave a workable piano to pass the time.
“It seems that even when people are in arecession, they’ll sit around and say, ‘Let’sfix up grandmother’s piano,’” Olson said.The highest volume for piano repairs and
tuning occurs in December when familiesfix their instruments, especially those withsentimental value, in preparation for holi-day reunions.
With repair jobs often costing less than$100, Olson said most customers are notunder enough financial pressure to com-pletely ignore the state of their instrument.“I think D.C. is somewhat recession-proof,”he said, adding that piano technicians inother parts of the country are not faringnearly as well.
THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY did notescape the recession without its share oflosses, said Chuck Curcio, owner of TheTortilla Factory. With a downward trend insales last year, the restaurant saw especiallyheavy losses from November through
March, with a 17 percent decrease in busi-ness.
Curcio did not have to cut any membersof the staff, but he gradually reduced hiswork force by not replacing workers wholeft. He said the restaurant borrowed moneyand required its vendors to be more com-petitive with their pricing to minimizelosses.
To expand its customer base, The TortillaFactory expanded its coupon campaign. Therestaurant also launched a customer loyaltyadvertising campaign for repeat patrons.Curcio said that 75 percent of customersare regulars who provide the restaurantwith steady business. The Tortilla Factory’sbusiness has improved since April but hasyet to achieve pre-recession growth.
“I’m optimistic that [the restaurant mar-ket] isn’t going to get any worse,” Curciosaid. He acknowledged that the Herndonrestaurants that remain open have survivedthe recession due, in no small part, to theirloyal customer base.
FOR GRACE’S PASTRIES, business tendsto fluctuate more with the seasons than withthe cycles of growth and recessions. “Ihaven’t really experienced [the recession]to be honest,” said owner Grace OwusuBanahene.
The family business, which sells a varietyof baked goods as well as providing cater-ing services, typically encounters a slowperiod after Christmas through the firstquarter of the year. Starting in April, busi-ness begins to pick up in preparation for
peak sales during the summer.Last year, Grace’s Pastries sold fewer cakes
and did not receive as many requests forcatering. However, the shop’s most popu-lar items, including the $5.75 sweet breadloaves, have remained stable during therecession. Banahene said the affordabilityof her baked goods has allowed her busi-ness to endure as the more expensive res-taurant sector suffers significant losses.
HERNDON FLORIST owner Anne Harveysaid that her business’ sales have fallen sincerising gas prices reduced people’s dispos-able income. Although flower sales for holi-day and other special occasions such asMother’s Day and anniversaries have re-mained constant, everyday purchases forplants are down. “Sympathy work is morerecession proof,” Harvey said, noting thatfuneral sales also offer a steady source ofincome.
Local individuals, schools and other or
Herndon businesseschange their practices,appeal to loyalcustomers to survive.
Small Business Solutions
Paul Olson of Olson PianoService said that pianotechnicians in the D.C. areaenjoy steadier businessthan their counterparts inother areas of the country.
Aspen Jewelry Designsowner Kurt Rose noted thatrepair and custom workbecame more popular asother sales fell.
Herndon Plumbing andHeating service managerMariel Rink advised othersmall businesses to reachout to customers for sup-port during a recession.
Cynthia Donavin, ownerand artistic director of theClassical Ballet Academy ofNorthern Virginia, said thatparents strive to supporttheir children’s passionseven during a recession.
Herndon Florist owner AnneHarvey worked to reduce costs andoffer more affordable items tosurvive the recession.
Chuck Curcio, owner of The TortillaFactory, said that most of therestaurant’s sales during therecession come from its loyalcustomer base.
See Local Businesses, Page 6
Pho
to
s by C
hristian Eubank/T
he C
on
nectio
n
“I’m optimistic that [therestaurant market] isn’tgoing to get any worse”
— Chuck Curcio, owner,The Tortilla Factory
4 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
With the explosion in the localpopulation of deer comes asmaller but significant explo-sion in cases of Lyme Disease.
Lyme is transmitted to humans fromdeer by way of a bite from a deer tick.
Deer ticks are tiny, and most oftengo unnoticed. The first symptoms ofLyme disease are often a fever, flu-like achesand headache. Sometimes victims exhibit a redring or bulls eye pattern, presumably aroundthe original tick bite. When treated early withantibiotics, most people recover fully.
But untreated early, the disease can be com-plex and difficult, according to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention: “After severalmonths, approximately 60 percent of patientswith untreated infection will begin to have in-termittent bouts of arthritis, with severe jointpain and swelling. … In addition, up to 5 per-cent of untreated patients may develop chronicneurological complaints months to years afterinfection.” This can include problems with con-centration and memory.
One of the obstacles to early treatment isthe lack of a reliable diagnostic test for Lymedisease.
U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th), chairman ofthe bipartisan House Lyme Disease Caucus,announced an increase in the CDC’s budgetfor Lyme disease by more than $3.6 million to$8.9 million. In particular the funding willencourage the CDC and NIH to develop moreaccurate diagnostic tests for Lyme, as well asmore research, record keeping and education.
The seriousness of the problem lo-cally was evidenced when more than300 people turned out for an informa-tional meeting on Lyme disease Wolf
held last year.For more, see www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/
Lyme.
Hoping for BetterWe’ve mentioned before that we’re suffer-
ing from election fatigue and the summer dol-drums, so like most people, we’re not ready tofocus on coming races in November. But giventhe crisis state of transportation funding, onecould hope for more from the Republican andDemocratic candidates for governor.
Creigh Deeds’ (D) Web site,www.deedsforvirginia.com, offers a quick linkto “Issues,” but transportation does not appear
as one of his issues. One might assume that acontentious primary process would have forcedDeeds to have a well-articulated plan by thispoint in the process.
To be fair, Deeds’ transportation “plan” ap-pears under the issue of economic plan: “Workwith the General Assembly and local stakehold-ers to design and pass a long-term, multi-modal, statewide, creative transportation pro-posal in his first year as governor.” To say thislacks substance is a bit of an understatement.
More to come, no doubt.Meanwhile, Bob McDonnell (R) has pro-
posed a detailed transportation plan whichactually offers little more, because it includesno new source of revenue. McDonnell’s planmostly appears to call for shifting money fromother priorities to transportation, also notmuch of a plan. Judge for yourself atwww.bobmcdonnell.com.
More to come, no doubt.Be sure that you’re registered to vote; be-
sides statewide races for governor, lieutenantgovernor and attorney general, all 100 seatsin the House of Delegates are on the ballot Nov.3. To check on your registration, seewww.sbe.virginia.gov and click on voter infor-mation.
The debate over health care has high-lighted people’s fear of rising costs, espe-cially in an expensive region as NorthernVirginia. That’s a legitimate fear in theface of skyrocketing costs.
But an even greater fear is who makesthe decisions on the type of care we willreceive. I don’t believe government bu-reaucrats should be determining how myhealth care is to be rationed as happenstoday in Canada and England. But let’snot forget that health insurance compa-nies also take away our doctors’ author-ity to determine the care we receive.
In a survey by the Medical Society ofNew York, more than 90 percent of physi-cians said they had to change a patient’streatment based on restrictions from in-surance companies. If a survey were takenin our area, the results would likely besimilar. As health-care reform is debated,the real issue should be establishing ahealth insurer’s code of conduct craftedwithout government interference andwith cooperation of doctors. This codewould put decision-making for patientsback in the appropriate hands — of ourdoctors. Thus, doctors and patients woulddetermine the best course of treatment ormedication and wouldn’t be forced by in-surance companies to accept a lesser al-ternative.
Letter
Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc., elected a new boardeffective July. First row, seated center is Marcia Di
Trapani, President; to the right are Vice Presidents Darlene Palmer andSuzanne Rudiselle; to the left are Karen Stevens, Secretary, and DianeHardcastle, Treasurer. Back row standing, left to right: community directorCindie Moulton; corporate director Peggy LeReche from Dominion VirginiaPower; community directors Helen Sellman and Janet Hyman; corporatedirectors Chris Griffin from Griffin-Owens & Associates and Carl Larsen fromM&T Bank; community director Mary Delaney; corporate director SuzanneFulton from Soarings PR; community director Marie Kordes; ExecutiveDirector Sherri Longhill. (Not pictured are community directors: SueMaynard, Barbara Beecy and Dan Vitiello.)
Pho
to
by C
indie M
oulto
n
New FISH Board
Mike ThompsonChairman and President
Thomas Jefferson Institutefor Public Policy Springfield
Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
11790-H Baron Cameron Ave. (Home Depot Plaza) Reston, Virginia 20190
WE ACCEPT MOST INSURANCES AND PROVIDE DISCOUNTEDRATES TO PATIENTS WITHOUT INSURANCES
We are open 6 days a week(Weekends and evenings by Appointments only)
Fluent in Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu
DIGITAL X-RAYS
Same Day and EmergencyAppointments are Welcome
We perform all dentalprocedures includingsurgical clearances.We provide our servicesto the whole family:Kids, adults andsenior citizens.
New Patient Special$79
Includes: Initial Exam1st fluoride treatment. First routine
cleaning, 2 bite wing x-rays (as needed).Offer good for each child in your family New patients only.
Not valid with 3rd party payment. Additional chargeif more extensive x-rays are needed. Expires 8/31/09
Seven Fairfax County PublicSchools graduates from the class of2009 have been named winners of col-lege-sponsored scholarships by theNational Merit Scholarship Corporation.Recipients of college-sponsored scholar-ships are:
❖ Joseph Huchette of Herndon HighSchool (engineering), National MeritRice University Scholarship.
❖ Athreya Tata of McLean HighSchool (neurosurgery), National MeritOberlin College Scholarship.
❖ Brian Pang of Thomas JeffersonHigh School for Science and Technology(TJHSST) (economics), National Merit
Vanderbilt University Scholarship.❖ Rishi Iyengar of TJHSST (medical
research), National Merit VanderbiltUniversity Scholarship.
❖ Debjani Saha of TJHSST (neuro-science), National Merit New YorkUniversity Scholarship.
❖ Michael Sanders of TJHSST (mili-tary service), National Merit Universityof Oklahoma Scholarship.
❖ Rutger Schneider of TJHSST (com-puter science), National MeritRensselaer Polytechnic Institute Schol-arship.
College-sponsored Merit Scholarshipsprovide between $500 and $2,000 an-
nually for up to four years of under-graduate study at the institutionfinancing the scholarship. Nationwide,approximately 8,300 students have wonMerit Scholarship awards in 2009.
Adrian Martinez, the son of Frankand Roxana Martinez of Oak Hill, gradu-ated from Randolph-Macon Academy.He was a member of the National HonorSociety, and was presented thePresident’s Award for AcademicAchievement. Martinez served the corpsof cadets as a flight commander, andwas a member of the varsity wrestlingand track teams.
School Notes
To have community events listed in theConnection, send to [email protected] or call 703-917-6437 with questions. Deadline isFriday.
THURSDAY/JULY 30Cooking at College. 10:30 a.m.,
Herndon Community Center, 814Ferndale Ave Herndon. Practicalcooking course for the collegestudent on a budget. $60 for ages 17-23. 703-787-7300 or www.herndon-va.gov/registrationmain.sdi andselect category type “SpecialInterest.”
Delegate Tom Rust andrepresentatives from the FairfaxCounty Police Department and theReston District Police Station willhold Oak Hill Community Meeting, 7p.m. at McNair Farms CommunityCenter, 2491 McNair Farms Drive,Herndon, to discuss recent homeburglaries. 703-437-9400 [email protected].
FRIDAY, JULY 31Herb & Wine Tasting Tour. 11 a.m.-
2 p.m. Dulles Regional Chamber ofCommerce. $40 per person. 571-323-5300 to reserve.
WEDNESDAY/AUG. 5Climate Change 101 with Dr. Tom
Armstrong. 7 p.m. at the U.S.Geological Survey, 150 NationalCenter, Reston, In the next severalyears, the United States will bechallenged to make management andpolicy decisions as well as developadaptation and mitigation strategiesthat will require anticipating theeffects of a changing climate and itsimpacts on humans and ecosystems.
www.usgs.gov/public_lecture_series/
THURSDAY/AUG. 6Lunch with Congressman Wolf, at
the Hilton Washington Dulles Airportfor an update from Congressman
Frank Wolf (R-10) on the currentCongressional session. Reception at11:30 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m.Nonmembers in advance, $55; at thedoor $60. CFD members in advance,$45; at the door $50. 703-430-8749or www.committeefordulles.org
SATURDAY/AUG. 8Fairfax Connector Bus Public
Meeting. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at theNorth County Governmental CenterCommunity Room, 12000 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. FairfaxConnector is in the process ofevaluating the routing and schedulesof the Reston Internal Bus System(RIBS) service. This meeting is togather information from passengersand residents. Residents can get tothe meeting via RIBS routes 1, 3 and4. Those who wish to speak can signup in advance at 703-877-5637, or atthe beginning of the meeting. 703-877-5606 TTY 711 orwww.fairfaxconnector.com.
Bulletin Board
6 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Home Sales
Copyright 2009 Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.For more information on MRIS, visit www.mris.com.
To search for a home online, visit www.HomesDatabase.com.
ganizations have eased slump-ing sales by opting to buy fromHerndon Florist over other flowerdistributors. Harvey recounted awoman who came to the shop whohad been buying from several lo-cal stores around the area to keepthem afloat. Most of the purchasesare by repeat patrons, but the biketrail provides a reliable string ofprospective customers.
“We have had to be a little moreconservative,” Harvey said, recog-nizing Herndon Florist’s need toadapt to the recent economic cli-mate. For instance, reducing thenumber of runs as well as offeringcustomer cash and carry discountscuts delivery costs.
Herndon Florist also accommo-dates for consumer needs by low-ering minimum sales packages aspeople choose individual flowersover larger arrangements.
DESPITE SHRINKING dispos-able incomes, parents continue tosupport their children’s aspira-tions, said Cynthia Donavin,owner and artistic director of theClassical Ballet Academy of North-ern Virginia. Classical Ballet in-cludes the for-profit, year-roundacademy and the not-for-profittheater
The academy’s main studentclasses are divided into age groupsand skill levels and run from Sep-tember through June. The acad-emy also offers adult and summercourses. Select students are cho-sen to join the theatre troupe,which performs in the Ernst Com-munity Cultural Center Theater atthe Annandale campus of NOVA.
“Upper Division parents feel thisis an investment,” Donavin said,adding that around 60 studentswho make this core group haveremained with the program. Withthe most serious students spend-ing four or five hours each day af-ter school at the studio, parentsare unwilling to waste years ofpracticing and payment. The 10percent hit in business is a resultof parents withdrawing youngerand less committed students.
Classical Ballet Academy has nointention of releasing any of itsstaff members, Donavin said, em-phasizing the necessity for a fullroster of teachers for a successfulprogram. She also said that theacademy is working to build astrong alumni association.
KURT ROSE, owner of AspenJewelry Designs, said “We’ve hadto change our business plan a bit.”He explained that business hasdropped slightly as people nowtend to favor less expensive items.
In order to attract customers, As-pen Designs sells goods fromlesser-known suppliers not sold byother stores, Rose said. He citedthe Northern Virginia Magazine’sranking of Aspen Jewelry Designsas the number one jewelry storein the county to stress the impor-tance of the business’ customerservice.
As sales of pre-made items de-cline, Rose said the store has seenan increase in its specialty areasof repair and custom work. Ratherthan purchasing new jewelry,many customers are saving hun-dreds of dollars by choosing tobring unused items to refurbish orrework. Rose acknowledged thatthe store’s custom work sets thebusiness apart from retailers thatdeal exclusively with sales.
“Over the last year, we’ve boughtmore gold than we ever have,”Rose said, referring to the busi-ness’ cash for gold service. He saidcustomers can take advantage ofhigh gold prices while Aspen De-signs can recycle the gold, savingmoney that normally goes to agold supplier.
MARIEL RINK, service managerof Herndon Plumbing and Heat-ing, said that as the housing mar-ket crashed, plumbers, electriciansand other contractors suffered asfewer houses were being built. Hesaid the company escaped muchof the recession crunch by exclu-sively focusing on repair and ser-vice work.
For Herndon Plumbing, the mar-ket pressure stems from buildingcompanies moving into the servicesector and undercutting prices.“What you have to do to stay afloatis to set yourself apart,” Rink said,citing the company’s promotion ofnewer energy saving and solarthermal systems.
Rink, who worked as a plumberin Germany, said that Americanbusinesses are less likely to ap-proach their customers for helpduring hard times. “Sometimesyou have to call people to set upbusiness,” he said.
Although plumbing jobs are of-ten necessary, Rink said somepeople try to forestall work as longas possible, sometimes by shuttingoff the plumbing to entire bath-rooms. He emphasized the valueof forging strong customer rela-tions during prosperous times toprepare for future recessions.
For a small business to survive arecession, Rink said, the manage-ment must be proactive in reach-ing out to customers, rather thansimply blaming hardships on theeconomic times. “If the phone isn’tringing, you have to figure outhow to make it ring,” he said.
Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Aug. 1 - “MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA”Aug. 8 - “KUNG FU PANDA”Aug. 15 - “HOTEL FOR DOGS”Aug. 22 - “THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX”
Gates Open 6:00pm
For accommodations, call 703-324-8563, TTY 703-803-3354
For information / rain cancellation, call 703-324-SHOW (7469)R\Presented by Fairfax County Park Authority, Sully District Supervisor.
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances
Location: 5870 Trinity Parkway, Centreville, VA 20120
Bring a date or the whole family and watch movies on theBIG SCREEN from the comfort of your car, or outside.
Children’s Games and entertainment at 7:30 pmThe featured movie starts at dark.
The 6th annual AsianFestival will be held atthe Lake Newport Tennis Facility in Reston
on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m.to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 2from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. Asian Fes-tival is a two-day free admissionevent to promote a greater under-standing of Asian-Americans andtheir cultures. Each year, the festi-val showcases the culture of a par-ticular Asian country. This year, itcelebrates and explores the diverseIndian cultures by bringing India’sauthentic regional foods, arts,crafts and entertainment includinghe Bollywood and Bhangra danc-ing.
The festival area will have threedifferent venues highlighting re-nowned Asian performers all-dayon the Virginia Lottery Asian Per-forming Arts Arena stage, theSingha Beer Hip Hop stage, andIncredible India on Indian VillageStage. The festival stages will hostover 500 performers in more than100 performances by 50 culturalorganizations.
MorePARKING: Off-site Parking is available
at the Reston Association Building,1930 Isaac Newton Square, Reston.Free Shuttle Service from 9:30 a.m. –9:30 p.m.
For more information, visitwww.asianfestivaldc.com.
Festival Highlights India
Photo courtesy of Thai Tennis Organization in America
Tens of thousands of people are expected to visit theAnnual Asian Festival in Reston, Aug. 1-2.
Send announcements to [email protected] or call 703-917-6437. Deadline is Thursday for thefollowing week’s paper. Photos/artworkencouraged. For additional listings, visitwww.connectionnewspapers.com.
THURSDAY/JULY 30Banjer Dan. 11 a.m. Lake Anne Village
Center, 1609 Washington Plaza,Reston. www.lakeanneplaza.com.
Uptown Vocal Jazz Swing. 7 p.m.Lake Anne Village Center, 1609Washington Plaza, Reston.www.lakeanneplaza.com.
Farmers’ Market at Reston TownCenter Pavilion. 3:30 p.m. atReston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt., Reston. Locally grown fruits andvegetables, locally raised meats andpoultry, bread and cheese, salsa andsausage. 703-689-4699.
‘Passion,’ by James Lapine andStephen Sondheim. 8 p.m. at theIndustrial Strength Theatre, 269Sunset Park Drive, Herndon. $19adults, $16 seniors and students. Onstage through Aug. 22. 703-481-5930or www.eldenstreetplayers.org.
Festival, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at LakeNewport Tennis Park, 11452 BaronCameron Ave., Reston.www.EventLister.com/E1211260.
Wolf Trap National Park for the
Performing Arts Junior RangerDay, 12-3 p.m. Includes activitybooks, scavenger hunt and a varietyof ranger programs with topicsincluding costumes, musicalinstruments, recycling, puppets, andpark history. Free; for ages 5– 12.www.nps.gov/wotr/forkids or 703-255–1893.
Festival, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at LakeNewport Tennis Park, 11452 BaronCameron Ave., Reston.www.EventLister.com/E1211260.
Soccer for Nature. 8 a.m. at BaronCameron Park, 11300 BaronCameron Ave., Reston. 571-244-7248.
MONDAY/AUG. 3Jimmy’s 12th Annual Summer Golf
Tournament, to benefit TheCouncil for the Arts of Herndon. 7:30a.m. registration, 9 a.m. shotgunstart at the Herndon Golf Course, 909Ferndale Ave., Herndon. Prizes andtrophies will be awarded. $100 perplayer, includes greens fees and cart,meals, beverages and more.Sponsored by Jimmy’s Tavern. 703-471-5769 or jimmystavern.com.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5Climate Change 101. Dr. Tom
Armstrong. The U.S. GeologicalSurvey Science in Action publiclecture series the first Wednesday ofevery month, 7 p.m. at the DallasPeck Auditorium, on the first floor ofthe USGS Building, 12201 SunriseValley Drive in Reston. For additional
information contact the USGS VisitorCenter in Reston at 703-648-4748.
THURSDAY/AUG. 6Gleemania – Snow White. 11 a.m.
Lake Anne Village Center, 1609Washington Plaza, Reston.www.lakeanneplaza.com.
Big Hillbilly Bluegrass, 7 p.m. at theReston Community Center. Free.703-476-4500.
Open Mic for Bands Night. 9 p.m. atJimmy’s Tavern, 697 Spring St., OldTown Herndon (on the Corner ofElden and Spring Streets). Bands willreceive 30 minutes to play, and mustpre-sign with Andre’ Love [email protected] or 703-984-9114. Walk–ins will only beaccepted if time permits. All types ofmusic welcomed. 703-435-5467.
Farmers’ Market at Reston TownCenter Pavilion. 3:30 p.m. atReston Town Center, 11900 MarketSt., Reston. Locally grown fruits andvegetables, locally raised meats andpoultry, bread and cheese, salsa andsausage. 703-689-4699.
SUNDAY/AUG. 9“Three Generations” Artists’
Reception, 2-4 p.m. at the RestonCommunity Center at Lake Anne,1609-A Washington Plaza, Reston.Featuring Guy L. Rando, MarcoRando, Tony Rando and GaetanoRando. 703-476-4500.
TUESDAY/AUG. 11Zee Keyboard Man. 11 a.m. Lake
Anne Village Center, 1609Washington Plaza, Reston.www.lakeanneplaza.com.
Calendar
8 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Sports
By Mark Giannotto
The Connection
The temperature hov-ered around 90 de-grees this past Sundaymorning in the park-
ing lot of South Lakes High School,and yet Great Falls native KeslieTomlinson had her sled out.
With no snow in sight, though,this was no ordinary sled. Thenagain, what Tomlinson is attempt-ing to achieve in the next year anda half isn’t exactly orthodox. Justask her trainer, 51-year-old GregPetrosian, to describe what hispupil is training for.
“She’s a crazy woman goinghead first down a track at 80 milesper hour,” he said with a laugh inhis Russian accent from the re-cently renovated weight room inthe basement of his Reston home.It serves as Tomlinson’s trainingheadquarters for the time being.
An avid horse back rider as achild growing up in the area anda college field hockey and lacrosseplayer at Denison University,Tomlinson is in the midst of whathas become a seven-year quest toqualify for the 2010 VancouverWinter Olympics in the sport ofskeleton.
Skeleton is the competitive formof sledding — or sliding if one goes
To HelpTo make a tax-deductible donation on
Keslie Tomlinson’s behalf, a check canbe made out to the United StatesBobsled and Skeleton Federation(USBSF). On a note of letter accompa-nying the check, request that thedonation be put into the Athlete Train-ing Fund of Keslie Tomlinson. Send tothe following address and a Tax ID #will be sent back by the USBSF:
Lisa Carlock — USBSFAthlete Training Fund1631 Mesa Ave., Copper Bldg.Suite AColorado Springs, CO 80906.Donations can also be made using
PayPal on Tomlinson’s Web site,www.GoKeslie.com.
Great Falls native has spent summersledding, training for 2010 games.
Tomlinson: Head First After Olympic Dreams
This past winter, Tomlinson was named the 2009Women’s Skeleton Athlete of the Year.
by the sport’s vernacular — inwhich athletes travel downbobsled courses headfirst on theirstomachs at speeds sometimes ex-ceeding 80 mph while experienc-ing forces up to 5Gs. A skeletonsled, though, has no steering orbraking mechanisms.
Tomlinson, who now resides inPotomac Falls, discovered the sportwhen it made its return to Olym-pic competition at the 2002 SaltLake City games, where she wasworking for the United StatesOlympic Committee. Then, in De-cember 2002, Tomlinson made thetrek to Lake Placid, N.Y., one ofonly three skeleton training facili-ties in the country, to try it out,“not having any intentions of pur-suing it,” she said. The only in-structions given were, “Have fun,hang on, and don’t fall out … Itturned out I wasn’t too bad at it.”
In January 2008, Tomlinsontook home the U.S. NationalChampionship for skeleton, andafter impressing on several minorskeleton circuits over the years,made her debut on the World CupTour this past winter. She wasnamed the 2009 Women’s Skel-eton Athlete of the Year.
Now she’s back in Northern Vir-ginia for the first summer in a longtime. It’s the offseason in skeletonsince there are currently no tracks
with ice anywhere in the world.That doesn’t mean Tomlinson’staking any time off, though.
She and Petrosian — they metin 2002 and began working to-gether extensively this past April— train six days a week, workingon speed, strength, endurance,and acceleration. Tomlinsonspends hours with her makeshiftsled on wheels in the parking lotat South Lakes, practicing herstarts along the curb since steer-ing can be a problem with “a glo-rified skateboard” made of plasticand held together with layers ofduct tape.
Sometimes she’ll take the sledout in her neighborhood, whichusually elicits some curious ques-tions from youngsters and adultsalike. Tomlinson remembers oneparent came up to her and askedwhere she got the sled because herchild would not stop nagging herabout getting one.
When she’s not rolling around,Tomlinson usually makes the five-minute drive from South Lakes toPetrosian’s place. An unassuminghouse near Southgate CommunityCenter in Reston, a look into thebackyard reveals a new additionthat houses a split level, two-roombasement gym.
Tomlinson will do a litany ofexercises there, all aimed at per-fecting her race start and fitness.Aside from the usual array ofweights, benches, and ellipticalmachines, there’s a set of bungeecords that Tomlinson hooks her-self into so she can simulate burst-
ing from a kneeling position.There’s also a set of bars in a
corner where Tomlinson strength-ens her core muscles, including aPetrosian favorite that he broughtover from Russia in which his pu-pil must repeatedly raise her legscompletely over her head.
“The goal is not just to make theteam,” said Petrosian. “My goaland her goal, too, we’re going fortop three. If she put together ev-erything and finishes strong, she’scapable of doing that.”
“We spend six months basicallytraining for the first five secondsof the run,” said Tomlinson.
BUT THE SACRIFICESTomlinson has had to make spanyears, not months. Because thereare only three skeleton trainingfacilities in the country (ColoradoSprings, Colo., and Chula Vista,Calif., are the others) Tomlinson,who in her down time is also pur-suing a master’s degree in sportsadministration at Northwestern,has been forced to live out of asuitcase six months of every year,spending extended periods at na-tional training facilities. Throw inthe fact that she went to a board-ing high school in Maryland andit means Tomlinson has been eat-ing dining hall food for the betterpart of 14 years now.
With qualifying for the gamesfast approaching beginning in Oc-tober, Tomlinson swore off alcoholback in February and submitted toa regimented nutritional plan cre-ated by Petrosian, a former pro-
fessional long jumper who hassalso been a former strength andconditioning coach for D.C. Unitedand at American University.
The money, though, may be thehardest part. Tomlinson estimatesshe spends around $25,000 a yearon training and competition. Thesled she uses in races costs $8,000by itself.
Tomlinson has had waitress jobsover the years, but that’s notnearly enough to cover her ex-penses. She counts on sponsors,family members, as well as dona-tions to fund her dream.
“I’ve sacrificed everything frommy social life to my best friend’swedding to even just not beinghome,” said Tomlinson, whoturned 28 this past Monday. “Ican’t tell you the last time I’ve beenhome for Thanksgiving. But on theflip side of that, my friends andfamily have been the most sup-portive people in my life. Everyathlete goes through their ups anddowns and periods of possiblywanting to hang it up and I’vebeen through that many times andthey’ve kind of kept me going.”
This fall and winter, though, iswhen Tomlinson will truly find outif she can forge ahead in a sportshe picked up on a whim one win-ter. The U.S. National team trialsbegin in October, with the topthree men and women named tothe World Cup team. The actualOlympic team is based off the ac-cumulation of points in thoseWorld Cup races and will be re-vealed in January.
Until then, just look for the“crazy woman” with a dream,riding her sled around a highschool parking lot.
“I’m not sure why I got involvedwith a winter sport because I hatethe cold,” said Tomlinson. “But Ithink for me, [in an] Olympic year,everything has been put into per-spective … it’s all or nothing andI’ve really embraced that.”
Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Zone 1 Ad Deadline:
Tuesday 4 p.m.
703-917-6464
Zone 1: • Reston
• Herndon • LoudounEmploymentEmployment
• Great Pay!• FT/PT
SummerSchedules
• Sales/Service
• No Exp.Necessary
• All Ages 17+• Conditions
Apply
703-359-7600
COLLEGE STUDENTS& 09 H.S. GRADS
ADMIN ASSISTANTFairfax CPA firm seeks F/T professional indiv. Applicant should have administra-tive exp in a professional setting, strong organ skills, be detail & team-oriented, pos-sess strong computer skills, incldg MS Word & Excel, & have excel writing & grammar skills. Overtime hrs, including Sats, are req’d during tax season. Business degree a plus. Fluency in English req’d. We offer competitive salaries & benefits package. E-mail resume to: [email protected]
Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Examines airframe, engine and operating equipment, directs and provides technical assistance related to aircraft maintenance. Applies knowledge of aircraft systems, com-pany specifications and FAA inspection pro-cedures and specifications. Conduct investi-gations to determine the source of technical problems in maintaining and repairing air-craft engines, aircraft systems and equip-ments. 40 hours/week/Monday-Friday/Edu-cation – Bachelor of Science in Aircraft Technology/2 years experience/Verifiable character references/Please call Shoaib Ahmad of Swissport USA, Inc. at 703-742-4325. Job in Dulles, VA.
LIVE-IN CAREGIVERANOVA SENIOR KARE (Reston, Va. Based) is looking for the best ofthe best. Do you want to know you make a difference in the life of afamily? If so, you may meet the qualifications to be an ANOVASENIOR KARE-LIVE-IN CAREGIVER. Are you the kind of personwho’s trustworthy enough to become part of someone’s family? Areyou ready for more than the next job, are you ready for a career?ANOVA SENIOR KARE is looking for LIVE-IN CAREGIVERS with sev-eral years of experience in home care or another caring field. Musthave valid drivers license and dependable car. Some agencies wantwarm bodies, we want warm hearts. Call us today for a personalinterview and to learn about our competitive compensation, bene-fits and flexible schedules. Call 703-621-4825, option 5. Or applyonline at AnovaSeniorKare.com
ANOVA SENIOR KARE (Reston Va. based) is looking for the best ofthe best. Do you want to go home at the end of your shift knowingyou made a difference in the life of a family? If so, you may meet thequalifications to be an ANOVA SENIOR KARE caregiver. Are you thekind of person who’s trustworthy enough to become part of someone’sfamily? Are you ready for more than the next job, are you ready for acareer? ANOVA SENIOR KARE is looking for Caregivers & CNA’swith several years of experience in home care or another caring field.Must have valid drivers license and dependable car. Some agencieswant warm bodies, we want warm hearts. Call us today for a personalinterview and to learn about our competitive compensation, benefitsand flexible schedules. Call 703-621-4825, option 5.
❦ CAREGIVERS ❦
ASSISTANT OFFICE MANAGER
Software company in Herndon seeks F/T, self-motivated employee to provide admin support, MS Office applications, trade shows, travel bookings, and great customer service skills. Technology industry a plus. 2-5 years experience. Full benefits. Please send resume to: [email protected] or fax 703-793-1604
CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOLLead Teacher - Reston
Lead Teacher, 3 or 4 mornings/week. Req: Experience & Deg in early child-
hood or willingness to further education. Send resume to [email protected]
or call 703-437-1127
EARN PAID TIME OFF!CNA’s/Companions/Live - Ins
Needed immediately to help with daily meals, errands, chores, laundry, etc. Flexible schedules - work when you want. Paid training, double time for hol-idays. PT/FT. Call now 703-766-4019.
F/T GROOMERExperienced with all breeds. Certified
by NDGAA preferred. Tues-Sat.
FT/PT RECEPTIONIST/PET BATHERGroom ‘N Glory Pet Salon in Centreville seeks responsible, caring, & motivated individual. Tues-Sat. Exp preferred but will train. Call: 703-830-5574
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES!ARAMARK Corp. in Herndon has the
following positions available:
◆ Cook ◆ Prep Cook
◆ Utility Worker ◆ Line ServerP/T positions available
Mon - Fri, No nites, No wknds.Call Bonita @ 703-742-1111, EOE M/F/D/V
MEDICAL OFFICE
PT potentially FT. Busy medical office in Fair Oaks area has position available. Must be pleasant & self motivated. Will train but experience helpful.
Friendly office.Call: 540-347-9393 or fax: 540-347-9398
Need an Extra $500 - $1000 per mo. to pay Bills ??
FT/PT seasonal positions available. Call Kaci @ 703-757-6222 or stop in at 1228 Hunter Mill Rd, Vienna, VA 22182 at corner of Baron Cameron & Hunter Mill
NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!
Weekdays 9-4
TELEPHONE
☎☎301-333-1900
A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!
☎☎
NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!
Weekdays 9-4
TELEPHONE
☎☎301-333-1900
A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!
☎☎
WESTWOOD COLLEGEEarn a bachelor degree in just three years at
Westwood CollegeCall 877-852-9712 today to receive your
free Career Success Kit!www.westwood.edu/locations
CAREER EDUCATION
InternshipsAvailable
Unusual opportunity tolearn many aspects of thenewspaper business.Internships available inreporting, photography,research, graphics.Opportunities for students,and for adults consideringchange of career. Unpaid.Email [email protected]
Faith Notes are for announcements and eventsin the faith community, including special holidayservices. Call 703-917-6437. Deadline is Thurs-day.
Congregation Beth Emeth ShabbatBBQ, Friday, Aug. 14 at 6:15 p.m. at 12523 Law-yers Road, Herndon. Hamburgers, hot dogs,games and sports followed by services outdoorsat 8 p.m. $10 individuals, $30 per family. Pro-spective members free. 703-860-4515, ext. 101or www.bethemeth.org/shabbatdinner.htm.
Chabad of Reston, Herndon’s New HebrewSchool provides an academic environment wherechildren acquire a broad knowledge of Judaismthrough Hebrew reading, writing, Jewish his-tory, holidays and more. Registration is nowopen for 2009-2010. 703-476-1829,[email protected] or www.chabadrh.org
The Convocation of Anglicans in NorthAmerica has announced Dr. Steve Garber of theWashington Institute for Faith, Vocation, andCulture and the Most Rev’d Emmanuel Egbunu,Archbishop of Lokoja, Nigeria, are the keynotespeakers for the annual CANA Council meetingat the Church of the Epiphany in Herndon, fromJuly 30-Aug. 1. This year’s council meeting willhave a special focus on teens and youth. Dr.Garber has taught with the Lilly Endowment andthe American Studies Program on Capitol Hill.Before becoming archbishop of Lokoja, Arch-bishop Egbunu served as the bishop of Lokoja,suffragan bishop of Abuja, and a priest in north-ern Nigeria. CANA Council is open to all CANAclergy and will include delegates from eachmember congregation. To attend, contact KellyOliver (ext. 140) or Megan Franko (ext. 148) at703-683-5004, or go towww.canaconvocation.org.
Floris United Methodist Church, 13600Frying Pan Road, Herndon, is looking for peopleto sing in a choir. Floris UMC has a season ofmusic including concerts featuring Schubert’s“Mass in G Major”, Handel’s “Messiah” and more.Rehearsal on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and sing-ing most Sunday mornings at the 11 a.m. service.Scott Glysson at [email protected] or 703-793-0026.
Congregation Beth Emeth, 12523 Law-yers Road, Herndon, will host a Yiddish Clubon the first Tuesday of each month. Mem-bers will engage in a variety of activities thatutilize the Yiddish language, including readingstories, listening to music and radio broadcasts,reading Yiddish newspapers and more. Free. Call703-860-4515, ext. 127.
Every Wednesday, at 12:15 p.m., St.Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 432 VanBuren St., Herndon, offers a lunch-time Healingand Holy Communion service. This half-hourservice is offered to all and allows people an op-portunity to worship during the work week whenthey may be away from their regular church. Allbaptized Christians are welcome to receive theSacrament and all who have not been baptizedmay receive a blessing at the Altar rail. Call thechurch Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at 703-437-3790 or visit www.saint-timothys.org.
Knitters needed the first and thirdWednesdays of the month, at 7 p.m., at St.Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 432 VanBuren St., Herndon. The church’s Shawl Minis-try is offering free knitting instruction whileproviding shawls, blankets and other knitteditems for people in need. No cost and yarn canbe provided. E-mail [email protected] orvisit the Pastoral Care page at www.saint-timothys.org.
Nondenominational Christian business-men meet for prayer, Biblical discussion andfellowship every Friday, at 7 a.m., at Anita’s,1051 Elden St., Herndon and every Thursdayat noon at 555 Grove St., Suite 200, Herndon.Call 703-795-1257.
Adult Sunday school will be held everySunday, at 9:30 a.m., at the Washington PlazaBaptist Church at Lake Anne Village Center. Thegroup is studying the Gospel of Mark. Servicesfollow every Sunday at 11 a.m.
10 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Zone 1 Ad Deadline:
Monday Noon
703-917-6400
Zone 1: • Reston
• Herndon • Loudoun
Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com
A CLEANING SERVICESince 1985/Ins & Bonded
Quality Service at a Fair PriceSatisfaction GuaranteedComm/Res. MD VA DC
Yard Work, Trees & ShrubsTrimmed/Removed!Mulching, Hauling,Gutter Cleaning, etc.Free estimates!703-385-3338
•Trimming •Edging•Mulching •Yard Cleaning
•Hauling •Tree Work
ANGEL’SLAWN MOWING
703-863-1086New# 571-312-7227
703-863-7465
A&SLANDSCAPING
Spring Clean-up•PlantingMulching • Sodding • Patios
Decks • Retaining WallsDrainage Solutions
PAINTING
www.Patriot Painting.net
Deep SummerDiscounts
Free Est. • Satisfaction Guar.!Lic./Ins. Int./Ext.
703-502-7840Cell
571-283-4883
ROOFING
Roofing & Siding(All Types)
Soffit & Fascia WrappingNew Gutters
Chimney CrownsLeaks RepairedNo job too small
703-975-2375
TREE SERVICE
•Mulch•Clean-up Grounds
•Lot Land Clearing
ANGEL’STREE & HEAVY
TRASH HAULING
703-863-1086New#- 571-312-7227
CLEANING CLEANING
LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPINGTick, tick, tick, tick. If I allow myself to
think about it (and as a cancer patient withan abbreviated life expectancy, it is some-thing to think about, believe me), I might gocrazy. When exactly did the life-expectancy-not-what-it’s-supposed-to-be-clock start tick-ing? Was it the date of my biopsy? The dateof my P.E.T. Scan? The date of my CT Scan?The date of my initial chest x-ray? The datewhen I first felt pain in my side (Dec. 29)? Orwas it the date of my first appointment withmy oncologist when all the news that I neverthought I’d see in print, was printed, spokenand discussed? Talk about a shoe dropping!
But what’s the point really? Other thanwondering if this day, this weekend, this din-ner out, will be the last that I’ll remember oreven experience. I’m not a “Bucket List” kindof person so I’m not making a list and check-ing it twice (heck, I’m not making a list at all).
But when reality creeps in (and it’simpossible for it not to), despite the fact that Ihave been asymptomatic and my oncologisthas described me and my minimal sideeffects as “above average,” at the end of theday (heck, at the beginning of the day, too), Iam still a stage IV lung cancer patient. Atsome point, something is going to hit the fan.And when it does, that fan is going to break,big time (metaphorically speaking; although,you have to know, at this point of my diagno-sis/life, I have very little patience for elec-tronic devices).
So do I live and let live or do I live likethere’s no tomorrow when there actuallymight not be?
If I live like there’s no tomorrow, thenaren’t I sort of assuming that I’m not going toimprove and that there really won’t be any-more tomorrows? And if that is indeed myattitude, isn’t that kind of a self-fulfillingprophesy? I don’t want to live like there’s notomorrow. I want to live normally, like thereare plenty of tomorrows, plenty of nextweekends, plenty of next years. Somehow, Ineed – and want – to be positive about thisvery negative situation, and yet be honestabout my present and realistic about myfuture. (And I thought selling newspaperadvertising in Washington in August wasdifficult.)
But how do I manage to serve two mas-ters like that? Denial certainly works. Naivetecan play a role. Delusions of not-so-grandeurcould help.
But that’s no way to live. Pretending thatall is well when you are not. Nor is trying todetermine when the semi exact start date ofyour official cancer appearance was, thencalculating backwards and now forwards toproject and/or predict when your life expec-tancy might begin to feel the effects of yourunderlying disease and then act accordingly,whatever that may be.
Who am I kidding? Other than givingmyself some mental gymnastics to perform,why do I need to know? (I’ll know soonenough, I’m sure.)
What will be, will be. But sometimes, Ican’t help myself. When I lie in bed, awake,in the middle of the night, with no one totalk to, it’s difficult to block out this newmath, especially when you consider that I’mpretty good in math. I guess I now knowwhat the point was of learning it back in 10thgrade. Little did I know how important itwould all become.
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
Time I MayHaveBy KENNETH B. LOURIE
HOME REMODELINGKITCHENS, BATHS, TILE, TRIM, INT.ALTERATIONS, all HOME REPAIRS!Steve’s Remodeling
Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Sports
Fall RegistrationNow Open
Herndon-Reston Youth Softball is a girls’fastpitch softball league serving players ages6 to 18 in the greater Reston-Herndon areaFall registration is now open. To register,visit the organization’s Web site atwww.hrysfastpitch.com/Register.
Division CampsThe Hidden Creek Hurricanes finished the
season as divisional champions in the Do-minion Country Club Swim League, clos-ing out the season undefeated in divisionalmeets with a 329-186 victory over MountVernon Country Club. Sierra Jeter and Ti-ger Barbee both won four individual eventson Saturday, July 18 and were named theHurricanes’ Most Valuable Swimmers in the11-12-year-old girls’ and 13-14 boys’ agegroups, respectively. Furthermore, Jeter setteam records in all five individual eventsthat she swam this summer, and Barbee setrecords in all four of the individual eventsshe swam this season as well.
team recently traveled to Kingsport, Tenn.to compete against 64 teams from 27 statesin the AAU National Championships. Theteam completed pool play with a 3-0 recordand finished the tournament with a 4-2
record. Due to their excellent play, theStars finished the year ranked 13th in thecountry. This is the second year in a rowthe team has made it to the tournament’sround of 16.
Senior OlympicsSenior adults 50 years of age and over
are eligible to enter the 2009 Northern Vir-ginia Senior Olympics on Sept. 12-23. Par-ticipants must also live in one of the spon-soring jurisdictions. Registration informa-tion is available at local senior centers,community centers, senior residences or bycalling 703-228-4721. Details can bedownloaded online atwww.novaseniorolympics.com. Registra-tion deadline is Aug. 28. More than 25 in-door and outdoor events are offered andseniors may compete in more than onesport. Each event is divided into age cat-egories. Registration fee is $10, which in-cludes one event. Additional events are $1.Additional fees are charged for golf andbowling. Winners will be awarded gold,silver and bronze medals after each event.New events in 2009 are Wii bowling andmini javelin throw. Other events are trackand field, swimming, diving, tennis, golf,table tennis, miniature golf, bowling,pickleball, racquetball, scrabble, ice skat-ing, board games, card games, shuffle-board, men and women’s basketball, teamline dancing, yo-yo tricks, bait casting,eight ball pool, Frisbee throw, softball hitand throw and more.
Amanda Broylestakes off for thebackstroke leg ofthe 11-12-year-old girls’ 200-meter medleyrelay duringHidden Creek’swin over MountVernon on Satur-day, July 18.
12 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ July 29 - August 4, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Offer good through 8/8/09 • Not valid with any other offers Offer good through 8/8/09 • Not valid with any other offers
Drop off 7a.m.–7p.m. Mon.–Fri. and 7a.m.–5p.m. on Saturday at our Duke Street location in Alexandria or 10a.m.–9p.m. at our 7 Carpetland drop-off locations
