Opinion, Page 6 ❖ Entertainment, Page 12 ❖ Sports, Page 16 ❖ Classifieds, Page 18 Photo by Steve Hibbard/The Connection online at www.connectionnewspapers.com July 5-11, 2017 McLean McLean Wellbeing Page 7 Wellbeing Page 7 The crowd scat- tered on lawn chairs and blan- kets to watch the Ocean Quartet, part of the free Summer Sunday Concerts in the Park at McLean Central Park. The crowd scat- tered on lawn chairs and blan- kets to watch the Ocean Quartet, part of the free Summer Sunday Concerts in the Park at McLean Central Park. Premier Arts Center or Promised Community Center? News, Page 3 McLean, Great Falls: Strong First Half Real Estate, Page 7 Premier Arts Center or Promised Community Center? News, Page 3 McLean, Great Falls: Strong First Half Real Estate, Page 7 Concerts in the Park Begin in McLean News, Page 6 Concerts in the Park Begin in McLean News, Page 6
Transcript
McLean Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinio
n, Page 6
❖
Entertainm
ent, Page 12
❖
Spo
rts, Page 16
❖
C
lassifieds, Page 18
Pho
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by Steve H
ibbard/T
he C
onnectio
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online at www.connectionnewspapers.comJuly 5-11, 2017
McLeanMcLean WellbeingPage 7
WellbeingPage 7
The crowd scat-tered on lawnchairs and blan-kets to watch theOcean Quartet,part of the freeSummer SundayConcerts in thePark at McLeanCentral Park.
The crowd scat-tered on lawnchairs and blan-kets to watch theOcean Quartet,part of the freeSummer SundayConcerts in thePark at McLeanCentral Park.
Premier Arts Center orPromised Community Center?News, Page 3
McLean, Great Falls:Strong First HalfReal Estate, Page 7
Premier Arts Center orPromised Community Center?News, Page 3
McLean, Great Falls:Strong First HalfReal Estate, Page 7
Concerts in thePark Begin in McLean
News, Page 6
Concerts in thePark Begin in McLean
News, Page 6
2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
McLean Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Culture and the arts will show up on everylist,” the Providence District Planning Com-missioner said.
McLean Citizens Association has beenactive in Capital One’s proposals since be-fore the Board originally approved a com-prehensive plan in 2014.
The Comprehensive Plan Amendment forTysons in 2017 “reaffirms the bargain struck
in 2010 that in exchange for massive in-creases in density and intensity, developerswill meet the commitment and require-ments ... for public amenities and infrastruc-ture,” Sally Horn testified before the Plan-ning Commission on June 21.
“Capital One previously had proffered tobuild and dedicate to Fairfax County a30,000-square-foot Community Center to
Photo by Ken Moore/The Connection
The Planning Commission recommends allowing Capital One to increasedevelopment in Tysons from 4.9 million square feet to 5.2 million squarefeet, while offering a “world class performing arts center” in place of apreviously approved community center. The Board of Supervisors willdecide on July 11.
News
By Ken Moore
The Connection
Capital One’s 24.56-acre pro-posal including more than fivemillion square feet in develop-ment on the Capital One site
at the intersection of Dolley Madison andScotts Crossing Road in Tysons is scheduledto be addressed by the Board of Supervi-sors on July 11 at 4:30 p.m.
Last Thursday, June 2017, the PlanningCommission recommended approval ofmodifications to the previously approveddevelopment plan. Proposed modificationswill increase the total permitted square foot-age on the site from the approved 4,969,523square feet to 5,212,722 square feet.
Part of the controversy surrounding therequested world-class corporate performingarts center concerns its trumping a prom-ised community center and athletic fields.
“While concern has been expressed abouta modest shortfall in the amount of dedi-cated open space and parkland, staff be-lieves that the open parkland being pro-vided for is sufficient and is of a quality tooffset deficiencies in this area,” said Provi-dence District Planning CommissionerPhillip Niedzielski-Eichner.
The increase in density is “driven signifi-cantly” by the planned addition of a per-forming arts center, a “venue for world classentertainment,” said Niedzielski-Eichner. Inaddition, a Wegmans will be a catalyst forresidential and retail use.
“Google the factors that make a city great.
be constructed during the secondphase of development that would in-clude a 9,000-square-foot gymnasium,office space, multi-purpose room(s)and other amenities,” according toMCA’s resolution passed by its Boardof Directors on June 12.
The proposed changes to its planwould shortfall promises Capital Onemade to the community regarding0.23 acres of public parkland “lessthan was approved in 2014 for a loweramount of development.”
“Since in this new application someof the proposed parks are on rooftopsand elevated podiums, particular atten-tion must be paid to wayfinding and thedesign of public access points in orderto facilitate public access,” according tothe McLean Citizens Association.
The June 21 public hearing includedcomments from representatives fromWegmans, McLean’s Chamber of Com-merce, Fairfax County’s Chamber ofCommerce, the Arts Council of FairfaxCounty, dance and chorale companies.
Many applaud proposal for performing art center, plus a Wegmans,at Capital One site in Tysons.
Premier Arts Center or Promised Community Center?
Detectives from the Fairfax CountyPolice and the FBI released images of aman who is suspected of robbing a bankin the Tysons Corner area of Vienna onThursday, June 22.
The police are asking for the public’shelp to identify the man.
The robbery happened shortly after 2p.m. when the suspect entered the bank,approached a teller and demandedmoney, according to the police. While noone was hurt, the suspect escaped withan undisclosed amount of cash, accord-ing to police.
The suspect is described as black, inhis 40s, about 5-feet-10-inches tall, andapproximately 180 pounds with no fa-cial hair.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to$5,000 for information that leads to theidentification, arrest and conviction ofthis bank robber.
“Google the factors thatmake a city great.Culture and the arts willshow up on every list.”
— Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner,Providence District
Planning Commissioner
Detectives Release Photos of BankRobbery Suspect
Photo courtesy of the Fairfax County
Police Department
The suspect is described asblack, in his 40s, about 5-feet-10-inches tall, and approxi-mately 180 pounds with nofacial hair, according to police.
The public may contact the police withany information about the suspect bycalling the FCPD at 703-691-2131 or theFBI at 202-278-2000.
On May 10, the FBI Washington FieldOffice presented the “Director’s Award forExceptional Service in the Public Interest”to Andrew Borene, a Marine combat vet-eran and current member of the U.S. Intel-ligence Community supporting the Intelli-gence Advanced Research Projects Activity(IARPA) as a senior advisor from Booz AllenHamilton.
On March 15, 2017, Borene while actingupon his own initiative as a private citizen,came to the aid of an unknown woman be-ing violently assaulted. Without regard forhis own safety, Borene intervened in sepa-rating a male who was violently assaultinga female in the middle of a busy highway.Borene then held the male offender on theground until police arrived. As a result ofBorene’s unflagging intervention into thissituation, he too was physically assaultedby the male. As a result of his efforts to helpprotect the life of a stranger, Borene in-
Andrew Borene Receives FBI Director’sAward for ‘Exceptional Service in thePublic Interest’
Matt Gorham, Special Agent inCharge of the CounterterrorismDivision at the FBI WashingtonField Office (left) and AndrewBorene (right).
Pho
to
co
urtesy o
f FBI
curred significant head trauma and had toundergo a surgery to save his eye.
The award was signed by former FBI Di-rector James Comey and delivered by themen and women of the FBI WashingtonField Office.
See http://ldsnet.fairfaxcounty.gov/ldsnet/ZAPSMain.aspx?cde=CDPA&seq=4211746
4 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
The Pet Connection, a twice-yearlyspecial edition, will publish the lastweek of July, and photos and sto-ries of your pets with you and your
family should be submitted by July 20.We invite you to send us stories about
your pets, photos of you and your fam-ily with your cats, dogs, llamas, alpacas,ponies, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs,rabbits, or whatever other creatures share yourlife with you.
Tell us the story of a special bond between achild and a dog, the story of how you came toadopt your pet, or examples of amazing featsof your creatures.
Do you volunteer at an animal shelter ortherapeutic riding center or take your pet tovisit people in a nursing home? Does your busi-ness have a pet? Is your business about pets?Have you helped to train an assistance dog?
Do you or someone in your familydepend on an assistance dog?
Or take this opportunity to memo-rialize a beloved pet you have lost.
Just a cute photo is fine too. Our favoritepictures include both pets and humans.
Please tell us a little bit about your creature,identify everyone in the photo, give a briefdescription what is happening in the photo,and include address and phone number (we
Send in Pet Photos Nowwill not publish your address or phone num-ber, just your town name).
Email [email protected] or submitonline at www.connectionnewspapers.com/pets. For advertising information, [email protected] or call 703-778-9431.
Timing Is EverythingThis week’s paper went to press on Monday,
July 3, and as a result does not include cover-age of Independence Day events from theFourth of July. Please see next week’s paper.
Editorial
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:The following open letter was addressed
to Secretary U.S. Department of Trans-portation.
Dear Secretary Chao,As representatives of public
transit customers in the Common-wealth of Virginia, we write toexpress our concerns regarding theFederal Transit Administration’s(FTA) Feb. 10, 2017 decision towithhold federal transit grantmoney in response to incompleteefforts to establish a new StateSafety Oversight Program (SSOP)for the Washington MetropolitanArea Transit Authority (WMATA).
On Feb. 8, 2016, the FTA gavenotice that the Metropolitan SafetyCommission (MSC), a new SSOPto succeed WMATA’s Tri-StateOversight Commission, must be inplace and certified by the FTA onor before Feb. 9, 2017. On Feb. 10,2017, with no new SSOP certified,the FTA announced it would exer-cise its authority to withhold fivepercent of federal funds autho-rized in fiscal year 2017 under theUrbanized Area ApportionmentsProgram (49 U.S.C. 5307). Theinitial withholding equated to $8.9million, and is expected to total$15 million if the withholding con-tinues to the end of the current fis-cal year. This withholding will notjust impact funding for WMATA,but for broader infrastructuremaintenance throughout Virginia,Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
The decision to withhold thesefederal funds has created signifi-cant uncertainty amongst stateand local governments in terms ofbudget planning and stability.Should the withholding of fundscontinue throughout the remain-der of the fiscal year, the govern-ments and their transit systemswill be faced with a number of dif-ficult decisions about the mannerin which they allocate their lim-
ited resources. Under a worst- casescenario, they would be forced tomake cuts to good repair effortsor reduce service to their respec-tive communities, either of whichwould be harmful to our constitu-ents. We agree safety must be a toppriority, but eliminating fundingfor infrastructure repair would di-rectly contradict a SSOP’s statedgoal.
Given the FTA must engage inthis process with 29 other transitagencies nationwide by 2019, weappreciate the complexity of theissues that were considered inmaking the decision to withholdthese funds. However, we mustemphasize — as many of us haveexpressed previously either di-rectly to you, your predecessor, orthe FTA — that the timing of boththe notice and the deadline set byFTA were arbitrary in that thereseemed to be little or no consider-ation of the legislative calendarsof the Virginia General Assemblyor the General Assembly of Mary-land.
The FTA timetable effectivelygave Virginia and Maryland lessthan one full legislative session tonegotiate amongst each other andthe District, draft the proposal,navigate it through the respectivelawmaking bodies, and sign it intolaw. The unreasonable require-ments FTA put forth were not sim-ply for the SSOP to have a legalfoundation by the February 2017deadline, but to have the programfully certified by FTA, which ne-cessitates months of work afterpassing legislation, including, butnot limited to, appointing commis-sioners, hiring staff, and leasingoffice space. We are therefore ledto believe that FTA either set theirrequirements without providingfair consideration to the uniqueinstitutional challenges that exist
within the jurisdictions, or the FTAset them with a deadline so unre-alistic that failure was unavoid-able.
Given the concerns we haveraised in this letter regarding FTA’sshortsighted approach to this mat-ter, and in light of the demon-strated progress which has beenmade, we respectfully request thatyour office work with the FTA toexplore a compromise in whichpart of these withheld funds canbe released as a show of goodfaith, as the jurisdictions continuetheir work to construct a stableSSOP. Lending further justificationfor this request is the real progressthat has been made with respectto organizing the MSC. At the timethis is written:
❖ Virginia, Maryland, and theDistrict (the jurisdictions) haveeach enacted legislation to enterinto an interstate compact to formthe MSC;
❖ The jurisdictions have submit-ted a detailed draft certificationplan to FTA for review (thoughFTA has not yet provided formalfeedback on the plan);
❖ Joint resolutions have beenintroduced in both the House ofRepresentatives and the Senate togrant Congressional approval tothe MSC compact;
❖ The Senate has passed its ver-
sion of the joint resolution;❖ The House Judiciary Commit-
tee, which has sole jurisdictionover the joint resolution, has or-dered the House’s parallel versionof the resolution to be reportedfavorably to the full House; and
❖ We are requesting that themeasure be taken up for consider-ation as soon as possible.
We appreciate the FTA’s impor-tant safety work, especially itstemporary safety oversight rolewith respect to WMATA. WithoutFTA’s diligence, more harm mayhave come to WMATA’s customers.But we must find an equitable so-lution to this matter.
We look forward to partneringwith you, Madam Secretary, aswell as the FTA to ensure safetyremains the top priority in all tran-sit systems and that reforms aremade to accomplish a transitagency that provides safe, reliableservice to our constituents. Weappreciate your thoughtful consid-eration of this request.
U.S. Rep. BarbaraComstock,
U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte,U.S. Rep.
Robert J. Wittman,U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor,
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, andU.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner
Withholding Funds Hurts WMATA
The Connection welcomes views on any public issue.The deadline for all material is noon Friday. Letters must be signed.Include home address and home and business numbers. Letters are
routinely edited for libel, grammar, good taste and factual errors. Send to:
The real estate market inMcLean and Great Falls re-mains strong in the first halfof 2017 over 2016 in every
segment except one.The number of transactions was up 12
percent over the first half of 2017 for the same timeperiod in 2016. Going back to compare to the 2007market over one decade ago, the number is up 29percent. This is good news as the market closes outthe spring selling season and we enter into the sum-mertime.
The last peak year in Northern Virginia was 2007.All price segments performed better or remainedsteady in the first half of the year 2017 compared tothat benchmark year of 2007.
Sellers in the area are experiencing in many casesthe “best of times” market conditions to date for theyear. As we move into the second half of the year,there are strong indications that homes priced welland in good condition will sell for solid prices.Thereare some market segments that may experience priceappreciation, should demand continue to remainstrong relative to supply.
Not surprising, the most significant increases in
number of transactions took place in thelower brackets. Homes priced under$1.25 million for the zip codes 22101,22102 and 22066 comprised the major-ity of the gains. The under $750,000 ispredominantly condos, townhomes,smaller single-family homes or lot/landwhere the existing home is torn down and
a new home is constructed. The lower brackets rep-resent three price ranges: under $750,000; $750,000to $1 million, and $1 million to $1.25 million. Totalsales in the combined lower brackets were up by 17percent year over year for the first half.
The move-up buyer falls into the next three pricebrackets which includes these price ranges: $1.25million to $2 million; $2 million to $3 million and$3 million plus. The market was essentially flat yearover year in this segment from 2017 to 2016, al-though it improved over 2007 by 15 percent. Thereare considerably fewer buyers who qualify to pur-chase homes in the upper bracket price ranges andthus overall numbers tend to stay fairly consistentor flat.
Karen Briscoe with HBC Group at Keller Williams is anactive and experienced Realtor in the Northern Virginia
market place. She works with sellers, buyers, investors andbuilders in all price ranges. www.HBCGroupKW.com, 703-
Sellers in the area are experiencing in many cases the“best of times” market conditions.
McLean, Great Falls: Strong First HalfHome sales in McLean/Great Falls area
Real Estate
For those struggling physically or spiritually, on thefirst Sunday of each month, Christ the King LutheranChurch offers a rite of healing as part of worship;the opportunity to be anointed with oil and prayedover.
During the healing rite, the pastor invites peopleto come forward to receive healing. The pastor or
Healing as Part of Service at Christ the Kinganother person says a short prayer while two peoplelay hands on the recipient. Then the pastor or helperanoints them with oil as a sign of God’s healing andforgiveness. This is an opportunity for the personreceiving healing to feel supported by the individu-als who are praying over them. Visitwww.gflutheran.org.
Faith Notes
6 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
The first of the free Summer Sun-day Concerts in the Park hasstarted at McLean Central Park’sGazebo, located at the corner of
Old Dominion Drive and Dolley MadisonBlvd. For five Sundays in July and Augustbeginning at 5 p.m., there will be a mixtureof bands performing barbershop quartetmusic, old-time mountain music, and acous-tic duos, among others. The shows are pre-sented by The Alden at the McLean Com-munity Center in cooperation withDranesville District Supervisor John Foust.
The first concert in the Summer Serieswas Ocean Quartet, on Sunday, July 2,which featured Celtic music for ancientmoderns. The group that plays music fromIreland and Scotland was powered by the
Free concerts Sundays at 5 p.m. atMcLean Central Park Gazebo.
Concerts in the Park Begin in McLean
vocals of Lisa Moscatiello with composer/arranger Jennifer Cutting.
Free parking is available at Dolley Madi-son Library, which is located at 1244 OakRidge Ave., McLean. For details on futureconcerts, visit www.aldentheatre.org.
Here’s the Summer Schedule:❖ July 9 — Trio Caliente: A blend of fla-
menco, pop and Brazilian jazz;❖ July 16 — Da Capa: A barbershop quar-
tet for the 21st Century;❖ July 23 — Slim Harrison & The Barn-
stormers: Good old-time mountain music;❖ July 30 — Kara and Matty D: An acous-
tic duo making beautiful, top-notch vocalharmonies;
❖ Aug. 6 — Big Bang Boom: It’s a kids’takeover concert.
— Steve Hibbard
Photos by Steve Hibbard/The Connection
The crowd scattered on lawn chairs and blankets to watch the freeSummer Sunday Concerts in the Park at McLean Central Park in McLean.
The band Ocean Quartet, which featured Celtic music for ancientmoderns, performs on Sunday, July 2, at the free Summer Sunday Con-certs in the Park in McLean.
Diane and Jules Bellaschi of McLean at the concert. Maurice and Dolores Drury of Falls Church at the concert.
John Dean and Maddy O’Neill-Deanof McLean at the concert.
Antje Sierks of McLean with herdog Jesper at the concert.
McLean Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Wellbeing
By Marilyn Campbell
In her dimly lit basement in Great Falls,Mary Beth Kogod sounds a meditationbell that echoes through the room.The 12 people sitting on cushions in
a circle around her close their eyes and lis-ten to the gentle sounds of her voice.
“If your mind begins to wander,gently guide it back to the sound ofmy voice,” said Kogod, as she leadsthe group in a mindfulness medita-tion session.
The practice of meditating to aidwith ills running the gamut fromstress and anxiety to pain and de-pression is on the rise. According tothe National Institutes of Health(NIH), 18 million people practicedsome form of meditation in 2015,and the number of Americans whoengage in the practice has doubledover the last 15 years.
“We have more smartphones and otherelectronics that consume us and give usconstant access to stressful events we seeon the news,” said Kate Love, who runs theOpen Mind-Open Heart meditation groupin Bethesda. “There is the expectation thatwe need to be available and informed allthe time. This expectation wasn’t in place10 years ago.”
Love says that while scientific research
to back up these claims is limited,it is growing. For example, a studyfunded by the National Center forComplementary and IntegrativeHealth at NIH shows that mindful-ness practices have a positive im-pact on insomnia.
Meditation usually entails sittingrelatively still and quiet, as inKogod’s meditation session, and fo-cusing on one thing, such as asound, an image or one’s own breath.
“I teach clients concentrative meditationwhere they focus on one thing,” she said. “Ialso teach mindful meditation where peopletry to cultivate a sense of awareness of whatis happening in their body. For example,what thoughts pass through your mind as
you sit quietly? What sounds do you hear?What emotions do you feel? The workcomes when you notice these sensations andthen let them go.”
A 2011 study by the Association for Psy-chological Science showed that meditationcan be effective in boosting memory and
concentration. Settings for this mind-body practice now range from work-places to classrooms.
Amber Wilson, a fourth gradeteacher, guides her students in mind-fulness meditation practices most af-ternoons during the school year. “A lotof my students have difficult home en-vironments which affects their abilityto concentrate in school,” she said.“When I stop them between subjectsand let them chill out a little bit, itreally makes a difference in their per-formance, even after just five min-utes.”
Meditation can also help with ad-diction treatment, says WarrenSchelter, Ph.D., a psychologist with apractice in Alexandria. “It can instilla sense of calm and overallwellbeing,” he said. “Anxiety and de-pression often go hand-in hand withaddiction, which is why a calmingmeditation practice might be effectivefor some people.”
Schelter underscores the fact thatmeditation should not replace traditionalmedicine. “I would recommend that any-one experiencing symptoms of mental orphysical illness see a medical doctor first,”she said. “Mediation should work in con-junction with traditional medicine, not inplace of it.”
Practice linked to improvements in health.Meditation as Medicine
Photo contributed
Kate Love of the Open Mind-Open Heart medi-tation group in Bethesda says that meditationcan help reduce stress.
“There is theexpectation that weneed to be available andinformed all the time.This expectation wasn’tin place 10 years ago.”
— Kate Love
8 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ July 5-11, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
To highlight your Faith Community, call Don at 703-778-9420
DAILY EUCHARIST:WeekdaysMonday-Friday, 8:30 AMSaturday, 8:30 AM
5312 North 10th Street,Arlington, Virginia 22205Parish Office: 703-528-6276
PARISH WEBSITE:www.stannchurch.org
All AreWelcome!
First Church of Christ, Scientist1683 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA 22101
703-356-1265All are warmly welcomed
To learn more about Christian Science visit:CSMcLean.org, ChristianScience.com
christianscienceDC.orgAlso, you can visit www.wmal.com Sundays & Mondays to hear how others found spiritual answers to life’s challenges on Sentinel Radio
A Spiritual Perspective -What It Means to Be Really Free!!
Calendar
Send announcements toconnectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. Deadline isFriday at noon for the following week’s paper.Photos/artwork encouraged.
ONGOINGGreat Falls Farmers Market. Every Saturday, 9
a.m.-1 p.m., 778 Walker Road, Great Falls.Music, vendors, fresh produce, fresh preparedfood, delightful bakery, spices from around theworld, wild-caught fish, grass-fed, free-rangemeats, organic-fed poultry and eggs. [email protected] for more.
Art at the Library. Various Vienna artists workon display in June at the Patrick Henry Library,101 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Reno Number ElevenSteam Locomotive is one of five picturessupplied by the Vienna Arts Center. Visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org for more.
The Light of Day Paintings. Through July 15,various times Broadway Gallery, 1025-J SenecaRoad, Great Falls. Featuring landscape paintingsby Michael Godfrey, Christine Lashley, TriciaRatliff, and Rajendra KC. Call 703-450-8005 formore.
Julie Cochran Photography. Various timesthrough July 29 at the Vienna Arts Gallery, 513Maple Ave. W. Exhibit called “Lotus-Palooza.”Call 703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org for more.
Sunny Days Art. Artists exhibition through July29 at the Vienna Arts Center, 115 Pleasant St.,NW. Sunny Days exhibition. Call 703-319-3971or visit www.ViennaArtsSociety.org for more.
“Summer in the City” Art Show. Normalbusiness hours through August 15 at Brightview,10200 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls. Membersof Great Falls Studios will exhibit their work in ashow. Call 703-759-2513 for more.
Free Tai Chi. Every Saturday, from 7:55-9 a.m.,Introduction and Beginners’ Practice, meet onthe outdoor basketball court located directlybehind the Dolley Madison Public Library, 1244Oak Ridge Ave. in McLean Central Park,McLean. Call 703-759-9141 or visitwww.FreeTaiChi.org for more.
The Golden Girls of Northern Virginia, asenior women’s softball league, is looking forplayers. Any woman over the age of 40 isencouraged to join. All skill levels are welcome.Play on Wednesday evenings and Saturdaymornings in Vienna. Visit www.goldengirls.org.
The Freeman Store & Museum Wednesdaythrough Sunday noon-4 p.m. 131 Church St. NE,Vienna. The Freeman Store & Museum isdedicated to Preserving and promoting Vienna’sheritage through the identification, preservation,and interpretation of history significant places,events, and persons. Historicviennainc.org
Weekly Storytime. Wednesday and Saturday. 11a.m. Barnes & Noble, 7851 L Tysons CornerCenter, McLean. Themes and titles vary. Freeadmission.
Gentle Yoga. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. EmmausUnited Church of Christ, 900 E Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. Gentle KundaliniYoga, one free introductory session, seniordiscounts. Increase flexibility, improve breathingand health, reduce stress. Ravi Kaur has 15
years experience teaching yoga. $15 per session.www.edimprovement.org. 571-213-3192.
Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 Potomac Hills St.,Great Falls. Rentals available during visitorcenter hours. Fishing tackle and live bait areavailable for purchase. Reservations required forgroup rentals. $6/rental (2 hour max). Validdriver’s license required. Rod/reel combinationsare perfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwater fishing licenseis required for those 16 years or older. The parkdoes not sell fishing licenses.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/
Colvin Run Mill open 11 - 4 p.m. daily, closedTuesday. 10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.Fairfax County’s operational 19th century waterpowered gristmill, offers recreational andeducational activities through daily tours, schoolprograms and special events. Fees: $7/adult, $6students 16+ with ID, $5 children & seniors.Admission is free except for some special events.
Fundamentals of Watercolors. Mondays 10a.m.-1 p.m. at The Arts of Great Falls, 756Walker Road, Great Falls. Artist Lorrie Hermanwill help students get comfortable working with
watercolors and understanding this medium.Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.
Still Life Painting. Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.at The Arts of Great Falls, 756 Walker Road,Great Falls. Still life provides a great tool tohone skills. Recommended for students of alllevels. Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.
Evening Painting. Tuesdays 6:30 -9:30 p.m. atThe Arts of Great Falls, 756 Walker Road, GreatFalls. Jill Banks focuses on oil paintingfundamentals with two sessions each of still life,landscapes, and portrait/ clothed figure from alive model. Visit www.greatfallsart.org for more.
Intro to Jewelry Design. Tuesdays 9 a.m.-noonat The Arts of Great Falls, 756 Walker Road,Great Falls. JJ Singh teaches a class for anyoneinterested in exploring the world of metal clayand its design possibilities. Visitwww.greatfallsart.org for more.
WEDNESDAYS THROUGH AUG. 2Stories and Sprinklers. 1:30 p.m. at 144 Maple
Ave. E., Vienna (behind the Freeman Store).Hear a story. Visit www.viennava.gov or call703-255-6360.
FRIDAY/JULY 7Summer on the Green Concert. 6:30 p.m. at
144 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Featuring RichardWalton Group. Free. Visit www.viennava.gov orcall 703-255-6360.
Danny Gokey Concert. 6:30-8 p.m. at the TheTysons Corner Metro Station Plaza, 1961 ChainBridge Road. Part of the Tyson’s Concert Series.Visit www.tysonscornercenter.com or call 703-893-9401 for more.
SATURDAY/JULY 9Trio Caliente Concert. 5 p.m. at McLean Central
Park, 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd. Set to a widearray of Latin grooves with vocals in Spanish,Portuguese, Catalan and English. Part of TheAlden at the McLean Community Center’s 2017Summer Sunday Concerts in the Park. Call theCenter at 703-790-0123 or visitwww.aldentheatre.org.
JULY 10-14Vacation Bible School. 6-8 p.m.at First Baptist
Church of Vienna, 450 Orchard St., NW. Dinneris served each night, followed by an engagingopening worship rally at 6:30pm. There areclasses for the entire family. Free. Call 703-938-8525 or visit fbcv.org for more.
WEDNESDAY/JULY 12“Dining with Dorothy”. 12:30 p.m. at Pan Am
Family Restaurant, Pan Am Shopping Center,3051 Nutley St. SW, Fairfax. Join your friends ormake new ones at this socializing/dining event.Call 703-281-0538 or visit www.scov.org formore.
THURSDAY/JULY 13Driftwood in Concert. 7:30 p.m. at Jammin’
Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna. $15-25. Visitwww.jamminjava.com for more.
JULY 14-30Summer Musical. 8-10:30 p.m. or Sunday
matinees at 2 p.m. at Vinson Hall RetirementCommunity, Community Building Ballroom,1735 Kirby Road, McLean. McLean playerspresent “The 25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee.” $23-25. [email protected], call 703-304-3176 or visit www.McLeanPlayers.org.
JULY 15-16Summer Colonial Market Fair. 11 a.m.-4:30
p.m. at The Claude Moore Colonial Farm, 6310Georgetown Pike, McLean. Games, children’sactivities, music and educational demonstrationssuch as the blacksmith, spinning, candle-makingand splitting rails. Children and Seniors: $4;Adults: $8; children under 3 complimentaryadmission; directions and more information atwww.1771.org.
SUNDAY/JULY 16Da Capo Barbershop Quartet. 5 p.m. at
McLean Central Park, 1468 Dolley MadisonBlvd. Barbershop quartet style music withvarious music styles. Part of The Alden at theMcLean Community Center’s 2017 SummerSunday Concerts in the Park. Call the Center at703-790-0123 or visit www.aldentheatre.org.
Summer SundaySummer Sunday Concerts in the Park featuring Trio Caliente, Sunday,July 9, at 5 p.m. in McLean Central Park, 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd.Free. Call the Center at 703-790-0123 or visit www.aldentheatre.org.
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Get ready for a chippermusical with greatheart. It’s the McLean
Community Players (MCP) pro-duction of “The 25th AnnualPutnam County Spelling Bee.”The show is about “an eclecticmix of quirky characters. Boththe ‘kids’ participating in theBee and the adults in charge ofrunning it have eccentricitiesthat come to seem endearing,as well as hilarious,” said co-director Kevin McCormack.
The “Bee” is set in a fictionalPutnam County middle school,but it could be anywhere. Thereare awkward adolescents(played by adults) trying to winthe contest. As they work theirway through the competitionthey begin to develop a senseof belonging.
What is special about “The25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee” is that at eachperformance, four audiencemembers will be invited to par-ticipate as spellers. They get togo up on stage with its ninemember cast and be part of theshow. On stage these audiencespellers will be given actualwords to spell and will remainon stage until they misspell aword. All is for good fun. TheTony Award winning musicalhas a book by Rachel Sheinkinwith score by William Finn.
Sarah Watson plays RonaLisa Peretti. Peretti is the onlyfemale “adult” in the show; andhostess of the event. “For Rona,this ‘Spelling Bee’ is as big asThe Oscars or The Olympics.She crosses the days off hercalendar until the Bee is finallyhere. She can’t sleep the nightbefore because she’s so excited.Rona won the 3rd AnnualPutnam Spelling Bee. She
won’t let the audience forgetit.”
Sidney Davis plays LeafConeybear; one of the young-est contestants. “He’s basicallythere by default because theactual winners couldn’t partici-pate, and that reflects on oneof his scenes in the show withhis family. He’s homeschooledwith the rest of his brothers andsisters, so there’s a lot of sib-ling rivalry.” Sierra Hoffmanplays LogainneSchwartzandGrubenierre. Sheis the daughter of two dads.She is “put under a lot of pres-sure to succeed. She’s a politi-cal activist and the youngestcompetitor at the bee.”
“‘Putnam’ is more than ashow about a spelling compe-tition. It delves into friendships,family relationships, the pres-sure to succeed, sportsmanship,and ultimately, embracing whoyou are. These are things manyof us have faced during ourlives,” added co-producersAnnie O’Neill Galvin and DianeSams.
Photo by Irish Eyes Photography by Toby
Courtesy McLean Community Players
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” —Three of the spellers (Sidney Davis, Sierra Hoffman,and William Jeffreys) are given instructions by RonaLisa Peretti (Sara Watson).
Summertime Theater FunMcLean Community Playerspresents “The 25th AnnualPutnam County Spelling Bee.”
Where & WhenMcLean Community Players
present “The 25th Annual PutnamCounty Spelling Bee” at CommunityBuilding Ballroom, Vinson Hall,1735 Kirby Road, McLean. Perfor-mances run July 14-30, 2017. Fridayand Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Ticketsare $23-$25. Visitwww.McLeanPlayers.org, or callBrown Paper Tickets at1-800-838-3006. Group rates are available.Audio description for the visually-impaired will be offered by theMetropolitan Washington Ear at thematinee performance on Sunday,July 23, 2017. NOTE: Adult situa-tions, this show is most suitable forages 13 and older. Recruiting foraudience volunteers to become partof the production process will beginin the lobby at a sign up table. Priorto the start of the show those se-lected will be interviewed by theproducer, director and the actors in-volved.
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ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Monday 11:00 am 703-778-9411
Four varsity lacrosse playersfrom The Potomac Schoolwill play the sport in the
New England Small College Ath-letic Conference, a Division IIIleague. Alex Kitt and Jacob Lazriswill play men’s lacrosse for Will-iams College, Harrison Osbornewill play men’s lacrosse forAmherst College, and Lyla Joneswill play women’s lacrosse forColby College.
Lazris is a four-year member ofPotomac’s boys varsity lacrosseteam and was a four-year starterat defense. He also was a memberof the school’s varsity footballteam and played club lacrosse forMadlax. “Williams is the perfectcombination of great athletics andgreat academics,” Lazris said.“Coach McCormack played a bigrole in my decision to attend theschool. He’s very supportive andseems like he will push me to thebest of my ability and care aboutmy success both on and off thefield.” Lazris is considering a ma-jor in either history or economicsand may minor in Chinese.
Midfielder Kitt, a two-time boysvarsity lacrosse captain, finishedhis senior season earning All-Con-ference honors and was named tothe All-State first team as a face-off midfielder. He secured nearly75 percent of his face-offs and reg-istered 12 goals and 13 assists.Like Lazris, Kitt also played clublacrosse for Madlax. As a senior,he captained the varsity footballteam at Potomac. Kitt said, “Astrong academic program was mypriority during the college search,and Williams has an outstandingacademic reputation. I also appre-ciated the school’s small, friendlycommunity.” He adds, “MeetingCoach McCormack sealed thedeal.” Kitt hopes to study econom-ics or math at Williams.
A four-year member ofPotomac’s boys varsity lacrosseteam, midfielder Osborne receivedboth All-Conference honors and anAll-Met Honorable Mention duringhis junior year. As a senior, he onceagain received All-Conferencehonors, finishing the season with34 goals and 20 assists. Osborneplayed for the Virginia LacrosseClub outside of school and wasalso a member of Potomac’s var-sity boys soccer team. He said,“Amherst is a great school, aca-demically and in every way. Theirlacrosse team has improved eachseason since the new coachingstaff arrived, and they make theNCAA tournament almost everyyear. So this is a really exciting op-portunity.” Osborne is interested inpursuing an economics major.
As a senior, Jones captainedPotomac’s girls varsity lacrosseteam, on which she played for allfour years of her Upper Schoolcareer. This year, she scored 22goals and made 15 assists. Outsideof school, Jones played for theCapital Lacrosse Club, competedfor the DC Metro Team 2 at the2016 Women’s National Tourna-ment, and was selected to show-case her skills at the Under ArmourAll-America Weekend at TowsonUniversity last summer. Jones hasalso been a member of Potomac’svarsity indoor track and soccerteams.
In college, she hopes to majorin either computer science or eco-nomics. Jones said, “Colby’s envi-ronment reminded me a lot ofPotomac; I know I’ll receive one-on-one attention and benefit fromsmall class sizes and caring pro-fessors there. And I look forwardto being a member of the lacrosseteam and benefiting from the guid-ance and support of their greatcoaching staff.”
From left: Alex Kitt, Jacob Lazris, Lyla Jones, andHarrison Osborne will all be playing lacrosse in theNESCAC next year.
Four Potomac School SeniorsTo Play Division III Lacrosee
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But a fix nonetheless, of our 17-year-old back-up car, a 2000 model year Honda Accord. Onbalance, since inheriting it from mother in 2008,it has been an exceptionally reliable andreasonably-priced second car and one which I’mhappy to own. I drive it approximately 7,000miles per year and not over long stretches. Ineffect, it is our local car. And considering there isno monthly car payment and the insurance/main-tenance costs are low, as a non-car guy who onlywants to get from point “A” to point “B”, I can livewith it “Big time,” to quote our current President.
Now I’m at a bit of a crossroads, however.(And not that this is a “cancer” column per se,but it is a column affected by yours truly being acancer “diagnosee.”) I am dropping the car off atmy local mechanic, Tony, later today becausethere are some warning signs and idiot lights sug-gesting I do so. First, the infamous “check engine”light is illuminated. Its yellow which Tony said isnot as bad/urgent as if it were red. Nevertheless,to turn it off/fix the underlying problem (since itdoesn’t appear to be the gas cap) will likely costhundreds. The preliminary assessment is that thefault is emission related.
The second area of concern is temperature,specifically how poorly my car’s air conditioner iscooling and how loud the fan controlling it iswhen engaged even when one/low is selected.Adding insult to summertime discomfort, thepassenger-side window doesn’t slide down, eitherwhen using its own power-window switch or themaster control on the driver’s side. To summarize,I have one window (the driver’ side) that can godown and extremely limited air conditioning. Iwouldn’t say it’s hot in the car, but I’m sure anynormal person would. Having had previous con-versations with Tony about these repairs, I knowthe dollars needed to right these wrongs mightnot make any sense given the age and mileage onthe car and the diagnosis of its owner. Yet here Iam trying think long term, not cancer term. Whatto do?
I don’t want to be miserable driving theHonda anymore (and it is me who’s driving it).But I only need the air conditioning for anothersix to eight weeks or so – and not every day, andrarely at night. I do need to open the windowsthough for eight to 10 months, not so much dur-ing the winter and rarely on cold nights, butopportunities do present themselves. Spendingthe hundreds/possibly thousands of dollars for allrepairs now however might make me miserable,too. The question persists then for any of us whoown/want to maintain older cars: when are youthrowing good money after bad? Ergo: when isenough, enough? (I sound like Carrie Bradshawfrom “Sex and the City.”)
Would I be better off spending the repairmoney on a newer car and enjoy whatever war-ranty protection I could muster and thus mini-mize future repair bills or not? The only problemwith buying that ‘newer car: it’s likely (heck,there’s no ‘likely’ about it) there will be amonthly car payment which at present I do nothave, and in so having one will definitely makeme miserable.
Factor in my health status and I can’t stop ask-ing myself: do I solve a problem that affects thequality of my life today at the expense of tomor-row (pun intended) or do I plan/repair for tomor-row and suffer the consequences of having doneso today?
As a stage IV, non-small cell lung cancerpatient originally characterized by my oncologistas “terminal” and given a “13-month to two-year” prognosis to boot back in late Feb., 2009,I’ve always tried to live my life and make deci-sions as if I had a future beyond what I was told.
And for the past eight years and four months, Ihave pretty consistently maintained thatapproach. Still, the longer I live, the more myunderlying medical diagnosis impacts my think-ing/judgment. Unfortunately, worlds sometimescollide and reality is up for grabs. And occasion-ally decisions are made in a “bizarro” kind of waywhere topsy is turvy and vice versa. Welcome tomy whirled.
Not AnAuto-Matic Fix
To have community events listed in the Connec-tion, visit connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday.
INDEPENDENCE DAYFree Sober Rides. Tuesday, July 4, 7 p.m.
through Wednesday, July 5, 2 a.m. Arearesidents, 21 and older, may download Lyft totheir phones, then enter the code SOBERJULY4in the app’s “Promo” section to receive a no cost(up to $15) safe ride home. The SoberRide codeis valid for the first 1,500 Lyft users who enterthe code. Visit www.soberride.com.
THROUGH JULY 31Backpacks for Students. Various times at Christ
the King Lutheran Church, 10550 GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Christ the King’s Team Serviceis collaborating with Reston’s aid to familiesorganization Cornerstones and school suppliescollection organization Kids R First to helpyoungsters in the community. Collections willrun through July; drop off in the church lobby.Visit www.gflutheran.org or call 703-759-6068.
SUNDAY/JULY 16Intro to Connection Practice. 4:30 p.m.at
Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road,Oakton. Learn simple, science-based tools forfeeling and expressing peace, responding withempathy and insight, and building resiliency tolife’s ups and downs. $20. Call 703-281-1767 orvisit unityoffairfax.org for more.
THROUGH SUMMERVienna Street-sweeping Program. The Town
of Vienna began its annual street-sweepingprogram beginning March 20. The Town isdivided into eight sections for purposes of thesweeping program. During the first pass throughTown, the Public Works Department asks thatresidents not park on the street. Find the“sweeping” sections at viennava.gov/sweeping.Additionally, signs will be placed on streetsmarking a window of 7-10 days during whichthe truck will come through. Contact publicworks at 703-255-6380.
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.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDShepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-
Falls Church, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.,McLean continues to have an urgent need fornew volunteers to help area senior citizens getto and from their medical and therapyappointments. To find out more about theShepherd’s Center and how you can volunteer toprovide transportation and other services, callthe Center at 703-506-2199 or e-mail the Centerat [email protected]. The Center’s website iswww.scmafc.org.
Master Gardener Training. The Fairfax CountyMaster Gardener Association offers plant clinics,home turf training or speakers for homeowner’smeetings. Fees vary. Visit fairfaxgardening.orgor call MG Help Desk at 703-324-8556 for more.
Volunteers Needed. PRS is looking forempathetic and caring volunteers to make phonecalls to older adults who may be feeling sociallyisolated.
The commitment is one 3-hour shift per week forone year.
Located in Arlington. Ages 21 & up. Intensivetraining provided. Learn more and apply: https://prsinc.org/carering-volunteering/. Questions?Email [email protected].
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