Opinion, Page 8 ❖ Entertainment, Page 10 ❖ Sports, Page 12 ❖ Classifieds, Page 14 Photo by Marissa Beale/The Connection April 1-7, 2015 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com Oak Hill ❖ Herndon Oak Hill ❖ Herndon 1 Senior Living Senior Living Senior Living SPRING2015 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com Local Media Connection LLC Oak Hill ❖ Herndon Oak Hill ❖ Herndon Senior Living Inside Inside Senior Living Senior Living Moving: From Institution to Community News, Page 4 First Hand Experience with World War News, Page 9 Cherry Blossom at Fox Mill News, Page 3 Cherry Blossom at Fox Mill Cherry Blossom at Fox Mill News, Page 3 From left: Laura Alderson, Fox Mill music teacher; Noriko Otsuka Vankeuren, sixth grade JI Teacher and Fox Mill Cherry Blossom coordi- nator; and Erin Rosa, Fox Mill music teacher, are three of the teachers making sure students were prepared to sing at the Warner Theater.
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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April 1-7, 2015 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com
Oak Hill ❖ HerndonOak Hill ❖ Herndon
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
SeniorLivingSeniorLivingSeniorLivingSPRING 2015
online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC
Oak Hill ❖ HerndonOak Hill ❖ Herndon
Senior Living
InsideInside
Senior LivingSenior Living
Moving: From Institutionto CommunityNews, Page 4
First Hand Experiencewith World WarNews, Page 9
Cherry Blossomat Fox Mill
News, Page 3
Cherry Blossomat Fox Mill
Cherry Blossomat Fox Mill
News, Page 3
From left: Laura Alderson, Fox Mill musicteacher; Noriko Otsuka Vankeuren, sixth gradeJI Teacher and Fox Mill Cherry Blossom coordi-nator; and Erin Rosa, Fox Mill music teacher,
are three of the teachers making sure studentswere prepared to sing at the Warner Theater.
2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
By Marissa Beale
The Connection
On a morning not too long ago,students at Fox Mill Elemen-tary School experienced anexciting opportunity to meet
the members of Aun-J Classic Orchestrafrom Japan.To thunderous applause and an enthusias-tic ohayoo gozaimasu from the students, thegroup brought traditional Japanese musicwith a modern feel to the school for all thestudents to hear.The group also performed at the D.C. Na-tional Cherry Blossom Festival opening cer-emony held on March 21.
In addition, fifth and sixth grade studentsfrom Fox Mill Elementary performed thenational anthems of Japan and of the UnitedStates, in Japanese and English, respec-tively, at the ceremony.
“I had to sing the Japanese national an-them in front of these famous Japanesepeople,” exclaimed sixth grader DeliaHartman, one of the students who per-formed.
“It was really exciting being able to per-form at the Warner Theater.”
“Every year we’ve been to the Cherry Blos-som Festival, but I never imagined myselfperforming in it,” said Zen Smith, a sixthgrade student in Fox Mill’s Japanese Immer-sion Program who sang at the festival.
Based on school-wide auditions, a groupof 29 students were chosen to perform atthe Warner Theater, and directed by musicteachers Erin Rosa, Keiko Endo and Laura
Alderson.“It was really cool because I always
dreamed of being on the stage…It was workto be in the show,” said sixth grader NatalieGrenfell.
This opportunity was a collaborative ef-fort made possible by Noriko OtsukaVankeuren , a sixth grade Japanese Immer-sion teacher at Fox Mill, and connectionswith the Aun-J Classic Orchestra, the Em-bassy of Japan, National Cherry Blossom,Inc., and Happi Enterprises, LLC. The presi-dent of Happi Enterprises in Arlington pro-posed that students at Fox Mill sing theJapanese and American national anthemsat this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival, a firstin the school’s history.
The collaboration also resulted in bring-ing world-famous group, Aun-J Classic Or-chestra, to the elementary school, wherethey performed for the students and plantedthree cherry trees, which now sit in the frontof the school.
“We are hoping to build close relation-ships in the coming years by exchangingmore video/letters, skyping and, hopefully,visiting each other’s school,” saidVankeuren. Currently 44 percent of studentsare enrolled in the JI Program at Fox Millfor the 2014-2015 school year, and severalstudents expressed plans to continue theirstudies in middle school and even highschool.
Their study of Japanese is providing stu-dents with extensive exposure to and knowl-edge of the culture of Japan.
Students from Fox Mill will have twoseparate performances this month duringthe Cherry Blossom Festival.
On April 11, fourth graders will sing inAlexandria at 2 p.m., at 4603 Green SpringRoad. And at 2:30 p.m. the fifth graders willperform at Sakura Stage in Washington,D.C. These performances are free and opento the public, and they would love for all toattend.
To find out more about what’s happen-ing during the National Cherry BlossomFestival, you can also visit http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/.
Fourth grade students at Fox Mill Elementary School sang “Sakura,Sakura,” one of the songs they will perform at a concert on April 11.
Noriko Otsuka Vankeuren’s sixth grade class. These students are all inthe Japanese Immersion program at Fox Mill Elementary, meaning theyspend half of the day, five days a week in the immersion class learningmath, science and health in Japanese.
Fox Mill Elementary Welcomes Musicians From JapanSchool hosts aconcert from Aun-JClassic Orchestra,and performs at theNational CherryBlossom Festival.
Students at Fox Mill with members of Aun-J Classic Orchestra plantingthe cherry trees.
Students from Fox Mill Elementary School performed onstage at theWarner Theater during the opening ceremony of the National CherryBlossom Festival in Washington, D.C.
4 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
See Finding Homes, Page 6
By Tim Peterson
The Connection
Joseph McHugh has lived at theNorthern Virginia Training Centerfor 35 years, moving in when hewas a teenager. McHugh has ce-
rebral palsy and colostomy and severe spas-ticity issues.
At the training center, McHugh workswith a speech pathologist, nurse, on-cam-pus dietician and is close to an X-ray ma-chine, dental facility and clinic on thegrounds.
“My brotherwould’ve beendead without thetraining center,”said ChrisMcHugh, wholives in San Fran-cisco. “He was al-most pronounceddead a coupletimes, except forhis proximity to a
nurse, the clinic right there.”Chris McHugh and his sisters Kim Arthurs
McHugh of Arlington and Donna McHughof Centreville are Joe’s legal guardians, andgrew up together in Arlington. They’re skep-tical about whether there are appropriateplacement options so Joe can live success-fully outside of the training center, whichis slated to close next year.
“I want to be their biggest cheerleader,”said Chris McHugh. “I want to be wrong, tobe excited about my brother’s choices andhis peer’s choices, but I’ve seen people who
don’t have a family advocating for them slipthrough the cracks, wither on the vine.”
The training center, one of five large re-gional institutions in Virginia that are op-erated by the state’s Department of Behav-ioral Health and Developmental Services,was built to house and provide services forpeople with intellectual and physical dis-abilities. The Northern Virginia facility, lo-cated on more than 80 acres off BraddockRoad in Fairfax, has offered medical, den-tal and nursing services, physical and oc-cupational therapy, social work and psychol-ogy services since opening in 1973.
Though the training centers provided anarray of services, the institutional environ-ment also moved people with disabilitiesout of their communities.
In June 1999, the U.S. Supreme Courtruled in Olmstead v. L.C. that segregatingpeople with disabilities from society is tan-tamount to discrimination and a violation
of Title II of the Americans with Disabili-ties Act. Governments or other public orga-nizations, it said, must therefore offer moreintegrated, community-based services topeople with disabilities.
Virginia Code § 37.2-319 calls for a Be-havioral Health and Developmental Ser-vices Trust Fund that “shall be used formental health, developmental, or substanceabuse services and to facilitate transitionof individuals with intellectual disabilityfrom state training centers to community-based services.”
Then in a 2011 letter, Assistant U.S. At-torney General Thomas E. Perez notifiedthen-governor Bob McDonnell that the U.S.Department of Justice Civil Rights Divisionhad conducted an investigation into theCentral Virginia Training Center in Madi-son Heights, questioning the state’s com-pliance with the Americans with Disabili-ties Act.
The investiga-tion concludedthat Virginia “failsto provide servicesto individuals withintellectual anddeve lopmenta ldisabilities in themost integratedsetting appropri-ate to their needsin violation of the [American with Disabili-ties Act],” Perez’s letter read.
“The inadequacies we identified have re-sulted in the needless and prolonged insti-tutionalization of, and other harms to, in-dividuals with disabilities in [Central Vir-ginia Training Center] and in other segre-gated training centers throughout the Com-monwealth who could be served in the com-munity.”
The other segregated training centers in-cluded the one on Braddock Road.
In January 2012, the U.S. Department ofJustice and Commonwealth of Virginia filedsettlement in U.S. District Court, calling onthe state to “create or expand a range ofsupports and services to individuals with[intellectual disabilities or developmentaldisabilities] and their families.”
The settlement summary referred to thecontinued operation of all five regionaltraining centers as “fiscally impractical” andthat the state should submit a plan for con-sidering closing all but one institution. Inhis 2012 letter, Perez wrote the average costof serving one person in a training centerwas $194,000 per person annually, whileoffering them services outside the centeraveraged $76,400.
According to the Department of Behav-ioral Health and Developmental Services,the average cost of care per individual forFY2014 was $342,504. For FY2015(through October 2014), the cost rose to$359,496 per individual.
Dr. Dawn Adams, director of health ser
Northern VirginiaTraining Center toclose by March 2016.
Moving: From Institution to Community
(Rear, from left) Donna A. McHugh, Kim McHughArthurs, Joseph F. McHugh Sr. and Chris McHugh cel-ebrate with their brother and son Joseph F. McHugh Jr.,who has been a resident at the Northern VirginiaTraining Center for 35 years.
From left: Joseph McHugh Jr. and Yvette Roberts,students at the Co-op School for Handicapped Chil-dren in Arlington, meet with First Lady Pat Nixonand Secretary of the Interior Rogers C.B. Morton atThe White House in 1972 as poster children for aUnited Way campaign.
Dr. Dawn Adams
Jean Hartman
Photo by Tim Peterson/The Connection
The Northern Virginia Training Center on Braddock Road is scheduled to close in March 2016.
“It’s not an easy decision; they must bematched with folks who do have thecapacity to serve them.”
— Jean Hartman, assistant deputy director of the FallsChurch-Fairfax Community Services Board
BudgetFY2015 budget for Northern Virginia Training Center:
$34,014,013.Projected expenditures: $34,478,068.
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Girl Scout Troop 3651 organizeda screening of the movingHonor Flight, and invited twoWorld War II veterans, Howard
Jester and George Hanna, to speak to theaudience after the film. Forestville Elemen-tary teacher Lisa Goglio-Zarczynski alsospoke and was featured in the film for vol-unteering to help veterans get to Washing-ton D.C. to see their monuments.
At the movie screening, the girl scoutsannounced that Bob Nelson of Keller Will-iams, who runs the military appreciationfundraiser dinners at the Old Brogue inGreat Falls, will host a fundraiser dinner onMonday, May 11 for their efforts, accord-ing to Karen Joostema, troop leader. “Ourgirls will give a presentation on what HonorFlight is about and our involvement in it,”she said.
The girl scout troop raised more than$5,000 by showing the film, which will goto will flying veterans to Washington, D.C.They hope to raise enough to fly 10 veter-ans later this spring, and the girls plan togreet veterans who arrive in Washingtonand visit the monuments with them.
“Guests simply call The Brogue for reser-
vations on May 11 for either the 5:30 seat-ing or 7:30 seating of the Military Appre-ciation Dinner,” according to Joostema.
“It’s very important that the veterans whoserved in World War II will be remembered,”said Caroline Healy, 11.
The 12 scouts from Colvin Run Elemen-tary School first worked with the HonorFlight organization two years ago as Brown-
ies, when they greeted an Honor Flight ofveterans at Dulles Airport who were hereto visit the memorials, according to KarenJoostema.
“We got to shake hands and hug them andsing songs to them,” said Kyra Joostema,11. “We sang ‘America the Beautiful,’ ‘You’rea Grand Old Flag,’ and ‘God Bless America.’They seemed very happy.”
When it was time for the girls to decideon a community project this year, the girlswanted to get more veterans to Washing-ton and decided to set up their own com-munity viewing of “Honor Flight.”
“We want people to have a chance to seeit and understand what happened and tounderstand that people around us did agood thing,” said Caroline.
Film and presentations explain the importance of getting veterans toWashington D.C. to see their monuments.
Girl Scouts Raise Money for Honor FlightsNews
Girl Scout Troop3651 sold out theirfundraising screen-ing of Honor Flightat Herndon’sWorldgate 9 the-ater on March 16.Honor Flight tellsthe story of anationwide effortto fly World War IIveterans to Wash-ington, D.C., tovisit the monu-ments built intheir honor.
Veterans Howard Jester, a para-trooper, and George Hanna spoketo the audience after the girlscouts showed Honor Flight. Thegirl scouts asked them questionsabout their service.
Photos by Ken Moore/The Connection
6 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
From Page 4
News
See Placement, Page 7
vices with Department of Behavioral Healthand Developmental Services helps overseethe clinical organization of Northern Vir-ginia Training Center, making sure the newcommunity settings for transitioning resi-dents meet their specific needs.
Adams says that of the 73 people still liv-ing at the center, down from 152 residentsin 2012, more than half have already starteda 12-week discharge process.
“It’s a very thoughtful, specific process toensure there is choice, that there’s a goodfit with the provider and they’re able to of-fer specific supports for that unique indi-vidual,” Adams said.
Since October 2011, the state agency hasidentified 106 community options forNorthern Virginia Training Center residents.The options include using individualizedMedicaid waivers to acquire services eitherat home, in a group home setting, or at an-other intermediate treatment facility.
The key is that residents, their parents andassociates should have more choices about
how and where they live, ones that are in-tegrated rather than segregated.
“While the training center model devel-oped over time, it didn’t necessarily keepup with the idea that health services havechanged quite a bit,” said Adams. “Theseare individuals, they’re people, their spe-
cial issues are around the potential vulner-ability and a whole bunch of different di-agnostic items they embody. The challengeis working towards bringing people into thecommunity, so it’s no longer so foreign, dueto lack of exposure.”
Another challenge is the number of waiv-ers; there’s a waiting list, said JeanHartman, assistant deputy director for theFairfax-Falls Church Community ServicesBoard. “The need far exceeds the numberof waivers by the General Assembly everyyear,” said Hartman.
The Community Services Board runs anintake for people with intellectual or physi-cal disabilities, then determines whetherthey have an urgent or non-urgent need fora waiver based on the acuity of their condi-tions.
“The waiver has made it possible for in-dividuals to live and work with their friendsand families in their home communities,and made those communities stronger andhealthier as a result,” Hartman said.
By Tim Peterson
The Connection
When the new residents ofMarian Homes’ latest remodeling project move into the Gresham Street
house in north Springfield, Fairfax residentand Marian volunteer John Germain hopesthey feel at home.
The retired Marineengineer has beenhelping supervise theremodel of the morethan 60-year old struc-ture, retrofitting it forthe specific needs offive people with intel-lectual and or physicaldisabilities. Some ofthe most noticeablechanges are doorwaysthat have been wid-
ened to 42 inches to accommodate wheel-chairs and a wide-open entryway leadingto a main dining room bathed in sunlightfrom numerous windows.
“When they come in, this will help themfeel welcome,” said Germain, “that this is ahome, not an institution.” The remodel be-gan Feb. 25 and the team expects residentswill be able to move in by July.
More than re-painting, Marian Homes isconverting it from three bedrooms to five,adding a walkout entry, putting in all newflooring, super-sizing the bathroom with ahoist mechanism and redoing the kitchen.
This is the third private residence MarianHomes has bought and redesigned. Its firstis a home for five women in the BreconRidge subdivision of Fairfax, dedicated in1998. The second, a home for five men, is ahouse in the Fairfax subdivision ofGreenbriar, purchased in 2010. All 10 resi-
dents were formerly living at the NorthernVirginia Training Center on Braddock Road.
The all-volunteer, non-profit organizationwas started by Knights of Columbus St.Mary of Sorrows Council 8600. They pur-chase and maintain homes for people withdisabilities; Chimes of Virginia takes refer-rals from Fairfax County to select individu-als for the homes and independently man-ages the round-the-clock care for the resi-dents.
Chimes of Virginia is part of the larger,Baltimore-based nonprofit corporationChimes Foundation. Before Marian Housepurchased its first group home, the FairfaxCommunity Services Board assigned Chimesof Virginia to provide services once thehouse was completed.
People with intellectual or physical dis-abilities were once centralized in large in-stitutions around the country, where it wasbelieved more robust infrastructure andstaffing could better meet the diverse healthneeds. The Northern Virginia Training Cen-ter, opened in 1973, is one example.
But over the last several decades, stateshave been closing their larger institutions
in favor of finding smaller housing and ser-vice alternatives that are more integratedinto communities. The Northern Virginiacenter, scheduled to close in March 2016,has been discharging residents and cur-rently has 74 remaining.
“This isn’t anything new, in terms of fed-eral standards,” said Chimes Chief Operat-ing Officer Nancy Eisele. “We just want tomake sure we do it right in Fairfax County.We look at it as permanent housing forpeople, we want this to be their home.”
TO FUND the first two residences it remod-eled, Marian Homes has depended on rentalpayments from Chimes of Virginia, volun-tary donations and grants from the Knightsof Columbus Council and St. Mary of Sor-rows Parish. The state-level Knights of Co-lumbus organization KOVAR, dedicated tohelping people with intellectual disabilities,has also offered Marian Homes loans andgrants.
For the Springfield house, Marian Homesreceived financial assistance from FairfaxCounty’s Department of Housing and Com-munity Development.
In September 2014, the county issued aRequest for Proposals to take advantage of$1.8 million in federal funding for acquir-ing and rehabilitating affordable housing.The Fairfax County Housing Blueprint pri-oritized expanding housing options for thepeople with disabilities as well as homelesspeople.
In December, Marian Homes, along withthe non-profit organizations CommunityHavens in Chantilly, Cornerstones HousingCorporation in Reston and Good ShepherdHousing and Family Services in the MountVernon area of Alexandria, was awardedfunding in the form of deferred loans fromthe Fairfax County Redevelopment andHousing Authority.
“This funding not only ensures personswith disabilities, the homeless and otherpeople with special needs have a place tocall home in Fairfax County,” Kurt Creager,director of Fairfax County Department ofHousing and Community Development, saidin a statement. “It also supports efforts toprovide a wide variety of affordable hous-ing types and sizes to meet the diversity ofneeds in our community.”
The $510,000 mortgage Marian Homesreceived from the Redevelopment andHousing Authority helped cover the cost ofthe Springfield house, while the organiza-tion says it is costing $103,000 to remodelit. Marian Homes president Bill Crowdercalled it “a very workable model, from thecounty standpoint and our standpoint.”
Crowder said Marian Homes is beginningto reach out to local corporations for assis-tance as well. “This is a community effort,”he said, “not just one organization. This issomething we got underway but there’smore than enough space for you to get inand help.”
To find out more about Marian Homes,visit www.marianhomes.org.
Remodeling project to provide for residentswith intellectual and or physical disabilities.Getting into Marian Homes
Marian Homesvolunteers fromFairfax (fromleft) — WalterPurdy, MichaelPerri and JohnGermain —work on con-verting a northSpringfieldhome to make itaccessible forpeople withintellectualdisabilities.
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Finding Homes for Those Hard To Place
Photo courtesy of Judith Korf
Judith Korf’s son Adam Bertmancelebrates his 43rd birthday in aNorthern Virginia Training Centerdining room, August 2014.
Training Center TimelineApril 1973: Northern Virginia Training Center
opens.1977: Average residents numbered 230.1989: Average residents numbered 263.1999: Average residents numbered 185.June 1999: In Olmstead v. L.C. ruling, the U.S.
Supreme Court calls for public entities toprovide community-based services for personswith disabilities.
June 2011: 157 residents2011: Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas E.
Perez notified then-governor Bob McDonnellthat the U.S. Department of Justice Civil RightsDivision investigated Virginia’s training centersand concluded that Virginia “fails to provideservices to individuals with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities in the most integratedsetting appropriate to their needs in violation ofthe ADA. … The inadequacies we identified haveresulted in the needless and prolongedinstitutionalization of, and other harms to,individuals with disabilities in CVTC and inother segregated training centers throughout theCommonwealth who could be served in thecommunity.”
July 2012: 152 residents.January 2012: Settlement reached between
Virginia and the U.S. Department of Justiceregarding violation of the Americans withDisabilities Act.
June 2014: Southside Virginia Training Center inPetersburg, Virginia, closes.
March 2015: Initial scheduled closing for NVTC.73 current residents.
March 2016: Current scheduled closing for NVTC.
Bill Crowder
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
The Greek OrthodoxParish of Loudoun Countywelcomes OrthodoxChristians to join us forthe Services of PalmSunday, Holy Weekand Easter.
For the complete list ofHoly Week Services and our Ministries, go to
www.greekorthodoxloudoun.org. or call 703-421-7515.
Day and Evening Servicesheld during Holy Week
Palm Sunday ServiceSunday, April 5th 9:30 am
Good Friday ServiceApril 10th 7:00 pm
Easter Resurrection Service Saturday, April 11th 11:15 pm
Easter Agape ServiceSunday, April 12th 11:00 am
From Page 6
According to Hartman, in Fairfax County there are450 people receiving services in the communitythrough Medicaid waivers, from 30 providers inFairfax County. However, 858 people are still on the“urgent” waiting list for waivers and 375 are on thenon-urgent list.
Once you have a waiver, it’s a matter of matchingup with the right provider and environment. For this,the Community Services Board, Northern VirginiaTraining Center staff and family or guardians col-laborate to find the right fit.
“Those are hard times,” said Hartman. “It’s not aneasy decision; they must be matched with folks whodo have the capacity to serve them.”
SOME FAMILIES of residents of the Northern Vir-ginia Training Center have viewed the closing as toohasty, that more time is needed to identify propersupport providers. Several parents and guardianstestified at the public hearing before the northernVirginia delegation headed to Richmond for the 2015General Assembly session in January.
At the session state Sen. Stephen D Newman (R-23) introduced SB1300, which sought to extend theNorthern Virginia Training Center closing until Dec.31, 2016, prevent the land from being declared sur-plus once it’s closed and keep three of the remainingregional centers open. The bill, which was co-patroned by numerous Northern Virginia senatorsand delegates, only made it as far as the FinanceCommittee.
Reston resident Judith Korf, co-president of theParents and Associates of Northern Virginia Train-ing Center group, spoke at the hearing on behalf ofher son Adam. Adam is 43 and diagnosed with au-tism and mild learning disability; he has severe be-havioral issues and requires a high level of skilledsupervision.
“The hardest ones to place are the ones that areleft,” said Korf.
Chris McHugh is hopeful the process will be suc-cessful, but has seen his brother passed up for dis-charge from the center for more than two decades.
“His friends and peers, some would find appropri-ate group home placements,” said Chris McHugh.“They would go through his checklist of needs andJoe would never make the cut. He requires a bit more
in terms of therapy and care. A day at the bathroomwith my brother is an adventure.”
However Adams remains confident all the residentswill be able to find proper home and service combi-nations by the training center projected closing ofMarch 2016.
ONCE THE LAST RESIDENT leaves. the North-ern Virginia Training Center, the campus’ future isstill uncertain. Dena Potter at the Virginia Depart-ment of General Services said the campus is currentlyin “the surplus property review process to make adecision on whether the property would be sold.”The state owns the land; several properties werepurchased for the site from private owners while onewas obtained under eminent domain.
Because the 1973 opening predates the county’sZoning Ordinance of 1978, the underlying zoningfor the property is R1, meaning new constructionwould be limited to one house per acre, without be-ing subject to public hearings and a change to thecomprehensive plan.
According to the Virginia Code, if the buildings orproperty are sold, the money must first be used tomake sure the same level and variety of services of-fered at the training center are available for formerresidents.
Parents and associates of center residents werescheduled to meet with the Department of Behav-ioral Health and Developmental Services Commis-sioner Dr. Debra Ferguson at the end of March tolearn more about the plan to close the training cen-ter.
“Theoretically, we’re all supposed to get at leastthree viable options to choose from and that just isn’thappening,” said Korf. Of around 40 parents and as-sociates who attended the meeting, many, she said,were “very frustrated” with the provider optionsthey’ve been sent to assess so far. “They’ve looked ateverything there to look at and it just wasn’t pan-ning out.”
In the mean time, Adams said the campus will con-tinue to provide dental services, something more dif-ficult to establish than a primary care provider.
Joe Rajnic, the NVTC acting facility director, wasnot available to comment for this story.
The Northern Virginia Training Center website iswww.nvtc.dmhmrsas.virginia.gov.
Finding Appropriate Placement
Image courtesy of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
The Northern Virginia Training Center spreads over 80 acres along Braddock Road,including facilities for administration, food service, programs, residences, a ware-house, transportation and therapy.
News
8 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion
By Megan Beyer
It may never feel like a “good time” tohave a colonoscopy. You might have al-ready used the excuse that the prepara-tion day before a colonoscopy is unpleas-
ant and cuts into your busy schedule — andthen you put it off another year. But momen-tary discomfort or inconvenience is a smallprice to pay for saving your life.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading causeof death from cancer in the United States. Only40 percent of colorectal cancer cases are foundin the early stages when it is most treatable.Consider the implications of not gettingscreened, or of a family member putting offscreening until it is too late. If you are over 50years old and of average risk, you should getscreened for colorectal cancer. Those at higherrisk may need to be screened earlier. Andcolorectal cancer, long thought of as a diseaseof older adults, has been rising in young adults— which makes it especially important forpeople of all ages to be aware of risk factorslike tobacco use, obesity and heavy drinking,as well as family history.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Aware-ness Month. There is no need to be uncom-fortable talking about colorectal cancer. Makethis a conversation topic in your family andencourage them to speak with their health careprofessionals about getting screened. Nearly
everyone has lost a loved one to cancer, andcolorectal cancer is a disease that takes toomany lives each year. This year an estimated132,700 people will be diagnosed withcolorectal cancer. Worse, nearly 50,000 peoplewill die from it. In 2014 about 136,830 peopleare predicted to be diagnosed with colorectalcancer in the United States, and about 50,310people are predicted to die of the disease. Don’tbecome a statistic. Start taking preventive stepstoday.
Determine your family history of cancer andtalk with your health care professional aboutcolorectal cancer screening options. Expertsrecommend both men and women over 50 ofaverage risk get screened. A colonoscopy al-lows medical professionals to examine the en-tire colon and remove any polyps (pre-cancer-ous growths) before they ever become cancer-ous. When colon cancer is found early, it ismore treatable, and the five-year survival rateis 90 percent. If you cannot or will not have acolonoscopy, there are a variety of other screen-ings available, such as a virtual colonoscopy,flexible sigmoidoscopy or double-contrastbarium enema. Talk to your health professionalabout what is best for you.
Some people need to start screening earlierbecause they are at a higher risk of colon can-cer — they have personal histories of colorectal
cancer, pre-cancerous polyps or inflammatorybowel disease; family histories of colorectalcancer, polyps or a hereditary colorectal can-cer syndrome; or have Type 2 diabetes.Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality ratesare highest in African-American men andwomen; incidence is about 25 percent higherand mortality rates are about 50 percent higherthan those in Caucasians.
Healthy living is a vital step to cancer pre-vention and can lower risk for colorectal can-cer. Maintain a healthy weight and stay activeby exercising regularly for 30 minutes at leastfive times a week. Eat a nutritious diet low inred and processed meats (such as bacon orsausage) and full of fruits, vegetables andwhole grains. Do not smoke and only drinkalcohol in moderation. Use these tips to live ahealthier life today, and share this informationwith family and friends.
Colorectal cancer is treatable, especially ifcaught early. Talk with your family and lovedones about ways to reduce their colorectal can-cer risk. Visit www.preventcancer.org for moreinformation about cancer prevention and earlydetection.
Megan Beyer is the wife of U.S. Rep. Donald S.Beyer Jr. (D-8) and is a member of CongressionalFamilies Cancer Prevention Program of the PreventCancer Foundation. All statistics are provided by theAmerican Cancer Society.
Prevent colon cancerfor self and loved ones.Family Matters
Commentary
Mother’s Day is May 10,2015, and every year at thistime, The Connection calls forsubmissions to our Mother’sDay photo gallery. Sendphotos of mothers, grand-mothers, great-grandmothers,with children or withoutchildren in the photos. Pleasename everyone in the photo,the approximate date, de-
scribe what is happening inthe photo and include yourname, address, email addressand phone number. (We willnot print your full address orcontact information.) You canupload photos and informa-tion directly to our website atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/mothersday/ or email [email protected].
Mother’s Day Photos
To the Editor:Fairfax County is cited as hav-
ing an average household incomethat is one of the top ten of all thecounties and cities in our nation.Yet the proposed budget for thecounty’s fiscal year 2014 reads inpart: “We cannot fund all our pri-orities and investments,” and “Wehave turned over every rock look-ing for increased savings opportu-nities.”
Clearly they have neglectedturning over every rock looking forincreased revenue opportunities,
and they should have. Increasedrevenues could be found by in-creasing the county’s real estatetax rate, now at $1.09 per $100 ofassessed value of properties. Eachpenny of increase in the tax ratewould yield the county an addi-tional $22.6 million.
By leaving the county tax rateunchanged for another year, weare short-changing our publicschool students. The teachers forthese students have starting sala-ries that are 3 percent lower thanteachers in neighboring counties.This small gap, however, increasesto 20.5 percent for teachers witha Masters degree in their tenthyear. Difficult to retain the bestteachers in these circumstances.
There is another opportunity to
be found under another rock in theprojected 2014 budget, viz: Themeals’ tax assessed on meals inrestaurants. A tax of a mere 4 pen-nies on the total dollar expendedby a restaurant patron would yieldsome $80,000 to the county’s cof-fers. No one is hurt. Thus, it’s po-litically safe.
In conclusion, it is certainly nottoo much to ask our communitywith the 10th highest average in-come in the US to be a leader ofour country in caring for the edu-cation of our children. Retaining thebest qualified teachers to inspire ourchildren requires us to lead in thesalaries for those teachers.
Bob SimonReston
Fatally FlawedPolice PolicyReviewCommissionTo the Editor:
The recently created Ad Hoc Po-lice Review Commission is fatallyflawed by the limitation to exam-ine only policies, practices, andprograms regarding the release ofinformation on police-involved in-
cidents. Only when Fairfax Countyeliminates the conflict of interestbetween police and the Common-wealth Attorney who prosecutescriminal cases will the county havean effective way to examine police-involved incidents.
Public prosecutors must workclosely with police to build crimi-nal cases on evidence collected bythe police. In cases where policeofficers themselves may have com-mitted crimes, such as the recentshootings of unarmed citizens, itis beyond reason to expect thatState attorneys will be able func-tion independently of their closeworking relationship with the po-lice department.
Fairfax County needs an inde-pendent prosecutor to handle casesof police-involved incidents involv-ing citizens. The idea of a citizenreview board to provide indepen-dent oversight of the police depart-ment also should be considered, assuggested by Jeff Stewart, a mem-ber of the review commission.
The Police Review Commissionsmust go beyond just police policiesand procedures to examine struc-tural changes in the relationshipbetween the police departmentand the citizens of Fairfax County.
Ralph CraftFairfax
Letters to the Editor
Turning EveryRock ForEducation Budget
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10:25 a.m. Sunday School Grades 3 to 6Music 4 years to 2nd grade
11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II5:00 p.m. Come Just as You Are Contemporary Service
Nursery care provided at 9:00 a.m. service
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By Ken Moore
The Connection
Richard Graff didn’t hesi-tate to describe his dark-est days while serving in
World War II. “Every combat sol-dier has to get used to the bod-ies,” he said.
“Whenever I think back to thatone day when I didn’t think Iwould have another day, you bet,I’m glad to be here,” Graff said.
When speaking about WorldWar II, Graff, formerly of Vienna,also brings a portrait photo takenon V-E Day, May 8, 1945, whenwar in Europe came to an endnearly 70 years ago. He has a cap-tured Nazi flag which is signed bycomrades he served with.
Seventh and eighth graders fromThe Nysmith School in Herndonvisited Ashby Ponds retirementcommunity to record one-hour in-terviews with six veterans for TheLibrary of Congress’ Veterans His-tory Project, including Graff, for-merly of Vienna, Al Burris, for-merly of Springfield, KeithWilkinson, Al Beyer, Lee Holmbergand Bruce Petree.
More than one-quarter of the850 residents at Ashby Ponds aremilitary veterans, said JessicaMcKay, public affairs manager.
“Who wouldn’t want to hear theexperience of a veteran?” saidNysmith student Emily Elkas, whotalked to and recorded KeithWilkinson. Wilkinson, formerly of
New Hampshire, spent 32 years inthe military, “mostly in the AirForce,” he said. “As we talked moreand more, his story got so inter-esting,” said Emily Elkas.
“I think it’s wonderful that welive in a time that we have tech-nology so we can record their sto-ries on video,” said AnikaSchipma, who talked with AlBurris. Burris brought a model ofthe helicopter he flew to helpevacuate soldiers who neededmedical attention. “Thank you somuch. And thank you so much foryour service,” Alexandra Murphy,
told Burris. “I learned a lot, somuch that I didn’t learn from text-books at school.”
Graff also told the Nysmith stu-dents some advice he learned fromwar and from the relationshipsthrough serving in the war.
“Learn all you can about everysubject you can,” Graff said. “Next,make all the friends you can. Italways helps.” Finally, “have all thefun you can,” he said.
Nysmith students will return toAshby Ponds, located on a 132-acre campus in Ashburn, through-out the spring.
Al Burris, formerly of Springfield, helpedevacuate medical patients in the KoreanWar. He is pictured here with AlexandraMurphy and Anika Schipma, students atThe Nysmith School in Herndon.
Keith Wilkinson enlisted in World WarII when he was 17 years old. He shared32 years of his military experiencewith Nysmith Students from Herndonwho recorded veterans experiences fora Library of Congress Veterans HistoryProject.
First Hand ExperienceWith World War
Richard Graff, formerly of Vienna, showed Nysmith stu-dents from Herndon a photo taken of himself on V-E Dayin 1945 when war in Europe came to an end 70 yearsago. He still wears his uniform when sharing experiencesof the war, and brings a Nazi flag he captured.
10 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Marianne Cordyack, a lo-cal potter, is again mak-ing bowls for the up-
coming Empty Bowls event, whichis sponsored by The Giving Circleof HOPE. The event will raise fundsfor the nonprofit Food for Others,the largest distributor of food inNorthern Virginia. Marianne waspart of the precursor to EmptyBowls, which was started in 1993by a clay group of which she was amember. When the event becametoo large for a small group to orga-nize, The Giving Circle of HOPEtook it over, and for the 8th con-secutive year, it will help raisefunds for those facing hunger.
“Thousands in this area are un-able to face the high costs of livinghere without outside help. The Giving Circle ofHOPE, by running our largest annual fundraisingevent, helps neighbors in need receive free foodall year,” said Roxanne Rice, Executive Directorof Food for Others.
Cordyack has been a potter for 25 years. In addi-tion to having her own studio in her home with anelectric kiln, she has a large brick kiln in West Vir-ginia. It is fired with propane and salt is added at
the end of the firing processto create the glaze on thepots. She has contributedbowls for over 20 years to thecause of fighting hunger. “Itmeans a lot to me to continueto make and donate bowls, asthe money is used to help somany and we get to promotehand-crafted pottery,” saidCordyack. This year about 25potters will contribute bowlsto the event in April.
The theme of this year’sevent is “Families HelpingFamilies” and children are en-couraged to attend the eventwith their families on April10, at Floris United Method-ist Church in Herndon. Every-
one with a ticket will receive a unique pottery bowlmade by local potters, as well as soup, bread anddessert donated by local businesses. A potter’swheel will be demonstrated to show people howbowls are hand-crafted. Tickets are $25 for adultsand $15 for children under 12 and can be purchasedat www.givingcircleofhope.org. Activities will beprovided for children and they can learn that hun-ger is an issue in their neighborhoods.
“Families Helping Families” event to be held April 10at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon.
Local Potters Help Fight Hunger
Photo contributed
Marianne Cordyack at herstudio in Reston makingbowls for the Empty Bowlsevent.
Calendar
See Calendar, Page 11
THURSDAY/MARCH 26 -FRIDAY/APRIL 3Herndon High School Art Exhibit.
Times vary. ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center Street, Herndon. 703-956-6590.
Travaganza. Reston Zoo, 1228Hunter Mill Road, Vienna. Join yourfriends for two weekends packed withEaster fun! Feed baby lambs, goats andbunnies. Enjoy excellent photoopportunities with the Easter bunnyand have your face painted with yourfavorite animal before venturing out totake part in an Easter egg hunt. Wewill have a touch station with babychicks and bunnies! Have fun withbubbles, a slide, hula hoops, yard ballsand more. All Easter egg hunts willinclude eggs filled with candy, stickers,toys, and more. Children must attendthe Easter egg hunts by age group.Safari Egg Hunts are for children 4-12years old and Toddler Egg Hunts arefor children 3 and under only. Childrenare encouraged to bring their ownEaster baskets for collecting eggs.Please plan to arrive early for thispopular event. Last admission will beat 3pm each day of the event. $12.95,$3. Call for times, 703-757-6222.
FRIDAY/APRIL 3Art House Cinema Presents: Trois
films du Cinéma Français. 7:30p.m. ArtSpace Herndon, 750 CenterStreet, Herndon. The April film will beThe Man Who Loved Women“L’homme qui aimait les femmes”(1977) with a brief talk by GeorgeMason University Professor Martin M.Winkler. Tickets are $7.50* per personfor the movie and fresh popcorn. Beer,wine, water, and concessions will be
available for purchase. The doors openat 7. To buy tickets: http://www.artspaceherndon.com/art-house-cinema-presents-trois-films-du-cinema-francais/. For more information call703-956-6590.
SATURDAY/APRIL 4Easter Egg Hunt. 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Herndon Municipal Center, 777 LynnSt. Herndon. Children are invited tobring their parents, cameras, basketsand egg-hunting shoes for a fun-filledmorning in the park. Games, arts andmusic, along with a photo opportunitywith the Easter Bunny. Ages 7 andyounger. 9$ registration. http://www.herndon-va.gov/content/parks_rec/specialevents/.
FRIDAY/APRIL 10Empty Bowls Fundraiser. 5:30-8
p.m. Floris United Methodist Church,13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon. AnEmpty Bowls fundraiser for thebenefit of Food for Others and hungerrelief in Northern Virginia. Hosted bythe Giving Circle of HOPE. Tickets are$25 and guests will receive ahandcrafted ceramic bowl to keep anda simple soup supper. All proceedsraised will go to hunger relief inNorthern Virginia. Pre-event ticketscan be purchased by mailing a checkmade out to Food for Others and sentto Giving Circle of HOPE, P.O. Box8832, Reston VA 20195 or purchasetickets onlineatwww.givingcircleofhope.org.Prepaid tickets will be held at thedoor. For questions please [email protected] call 703-665-9334.
Send announcements to [email protected]. The deadline isthe Friday prior to the following week’spaper. Photos/artwork encouraged.
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Delight in ourHomeLifeStylesections, thesecond week ofevery month.Peek at the topreal estate sales,glimpse over-the-top remodelingprojects, get prac-tical suggestionsfor your home.
Celebratestudents, camps,schools,enrichmentprograms,colleges andmore in ourA-plus:Education,Learning, Funpages, the thirdweek of everymonth.
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Don’t miss: Founder’s Day - cel-ebrate Reston’s 51st anniversary andfounder Robert E. Simon. Jr.’s 101birthday on Saturday, April 11 from12 - 1:30 p.m. at Washington Plaza,Lake Anne Village Center, Reston.
Elected officials representingReston on Capitol Hill, in Richmondand in Fairfax County will participatein a fun game of “Random Reston.”A variety of local talent will providemusical entertainment. The dedica-tion of commemorative bricks will befollowed by birthday cake and moremusic.
Founder’s Day raffle tickets are onsale now, offering an opportunity tosupport the Reston Historic Trust &
Museum Endowment Fund. This isyour chance to win stunning “insideout” diamond hoop earrings valuedat $2,500. These earrings, donatedby Aspen Jewelry Designs, contain50 diamonds weighing 1.01 carats.Tickets are $10 each, 3 for $25 and7 for $50. They can be purchased atthe Museum, online atrestonmuseum.org or at the WineCabinet at North Point Village Cen-ter. The drawing will follow thecelebration. You do not have to bepresent to win.
Admission is free. For more infor-mation, contact the Museum at703-709-7700; [email protected]
Founder’s Day
Help Pack Food for KidsAssistance League of Northern Virginia needs ener-
getic volunteers to help pack food for the Weekend Food forKids program which benefits school children who receive freeor reduced priced meals during the week. This month’s eventwill be held on Thursday, April 9, at 10 a.m. at DominionVirginia Headquarters, 3072 Centreville Rd., Herndon. Arriveat 9:30 a.m. if you would like to help with [email protected]. For more info about 100 volunteernonprofit, visit www.northernvirginia.assistanceleague.org.
Volunteer Opportunities
From Page 10
Calendar
Senior Tea. Friday. 1 – 2 p.m.ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center Street,Herndon. Every month seniors areinvited to visit the gallery to view thecurrent exhibit and enjoy a cup of teaand a sweet treat. Seniors from theHerndon Senior Center are regularvisitors. All teas are free and open tothe public. For more information call703-956-6590 or http://www.artspaceherndon.com/events-2/senior-tea/
SATURDAY/APRIL 11Behind The Scenes With Loudoun
Sketch Club Artist Reception. 7-9p.m. ArtSpace Herndon, 750 CenterStreet, Herndon. Please join us incelebrating a body of work whichdraws upon a rich tradition oftalented local artists who trulyappreciate the unique beauty andheritage of Northern Virginia. Theexhibit and artists reception are freeand open to the public. For moreinformation visit http://www.artspaceherndon.com/behind-the-scenes-with-loudoun-sketch-club-2/. 703-956-6590.
SUNDAY/APRIL 12Mayor’s Volunteer Appreciation
Night. 7 p.m. Herndon CommunityCenter, 814 Ferndale Ave, Herndon.This special event is to congratulateand to extend the Town’s appreciationfor many volunteers who have workeddiligently throughout the year tomake herndon an outstandingcommunity. http://www.herndon-va.gov/content/government/town_council/mayors_volunteer_appreciation/.
Jumping Jamboree. 2 - 3 p.m. WalkerNature Center, 11450 Glade Drive,Reston. Ages 3 to 5. Bring yourjumping shoes as we learn aboutfrogs, grasshoppers, rabbits and more.Participate in a jumping contest andsee if you can leap as far as a frog or ahigh as a flea. Make a jumping craftand look for hopping creatures alongthe trails. Reservations required byApril 9. Fee: $7/child RA members,
$9/child Non-members. For moreinformation, [email protected], or call 703-476-9689 and press 5.
Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive,Reston. Ages 18 months to 35 months.Which fish live in Reston’s lakes andstreams? Get up-close looks at localfish, both wild and not-so-wild. Enjoya fishy snack, make a fishy craft, andlisten to a fishy story while learningabout our wild fish. Reservationsrequired by April 8. Fee: $7/child RAmembers, $9/child Non-members. Formore information, [email protected], or call 703-476-9689 and press 5.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY/APRIL 23-25“Book of Days.” 7 p.m. Hunter Woods
Elementary School, 2401 Colts NeckRoad, Reston. Langley High Schoolpresents “Book of Days,” a murdermystery that raises questions aboutsmall town politics and society.
SATURDAY/APRIL 25 - 26Performance of Act I Cinderella.
Classical Ballet Theatre HerndonStudios, 320 Victory Drive, Herndon.Don’t miss Cinderella and her FairyGodmother as they teach thestepmother and stepsisters, “Haughty”and “Spiteful,” that nice girls do finishfirst! For more information visit http://www.cbtnva.org/cinderella.
THURSDAY/MAY 7Farmers Market. 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Old Town Herndon, 700 block of LynnStreet, By the Red Caboose. EveryThursday vendors sell products theygrow and are located within a 125-mile radius of Fairfax County,ensuring that your purchases will befresh. For information visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/wp-farm-mkt.htm.
lostdogandcatrescue.org
lost (adj): 1. unable to findthe way. 2. not appreciatedor understood. 3. no longer
owned or known
AdoptDonate
Volunteer
12 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Members ofthe Oakton,left, and LakeBraddockbaseball teamsrace to thefirst-base bagduringMonday’sgame at LakeBraddockSecondarySchool. Oaktonwon, 7-5,improving itsrecord to 3-0.
Photo by
Craig Sterbutzel/
The Connection
Oakton Baseball Improves to 3-0
Sports
Junior Golden Kumi-Darfour finished fifth inthe 500 meters and an-chored the second place
girls 4x400 meter relay team forSouth Lakes High School at theVHSL 6A Indoor Track and FieldChampionship March 9-10 at theBoo Williams Sportsplex.
SLHS finished 17th out of the 29teams in the girls division whilethe boys where 18th out of 34teams.
Kumi-Darfour ran a season besttime of 1:17.43 in the 500. Sheteamed with senior ClaireNieusma and sophomores DevynJones and Nikayla Hoyte for a4:04.07 in the 4x400 relay.
Nieusma, Hoyte and seniors Jor-dan Lozama and Samantha Webbfinished eighth in the 4x200 relay(1:47.35).
The boys 4x200 team of seniorSam Arpee, juniors SkanderBallard, Eric Kirlew and sopho-more Timiebi Ogobri ran a seasonbest time of 1:33.81 for sixthplace. Kirlew and Ballard alsoplaced in the triple jump with per-sonal bests: Kirlew, 46-04.25, 7th;Ballard, 45-06, 8th.
Arpee, senior Andrew McCooland juniors Connor Smith andJohn LeBerre ran a 8:19.34 foreighth in the 4x800 meter relay.
Other SLHS performances at thestate meet:
Long jump: Comfort Reed 15-04.25 19th
Triple jump: Comfort Reed 34-08.50 15th
55 meter Hurdles: Devyn Jones8.81 prelims, 8.83 finals 12th;
Fourteen South Lakes indoor track athletes honored at6A Indoor Championship.
Seahawks Earn State Honors
Photo by Ed Lull
Golden Kumi-Darfour, of South Lakes High School, ran aseason best time of 1:17.43 in the 500.
55 meter Dash: Jordan Lozama7.39 prelims, 7.53 finals 11th
Anas Fain 7.82 prelims, 7.86 finals8th;
Nathan Stone 8.01 prelims
Paul VI Catholic High School inFairfax has nnounced the hiring ofJoe Sebastian as Head FootballCoach. Sebastian has taught atPVI for 14 years and was the headcoach on the JV and freshmanlevel the past two seasons. He hascoached high school and collegeclub football for the past 19 years,serving as an assistant at variousschools including George MasonUniversity, W.T. Woodson HighSchool and Frederick DouglassHigh School. “I thank my Princi-pal and my AD for this opportu-nity. It’s an honor to be the newhead coach at a great Catholic highschool like Paul VI. I hope to carry
on the great work and build on thefoundation established by our re-cent coaches Pat McGroarty andGordon Leib. I am really lookingforward to the challenge,”Sebastian said.
Paul VI Names Joe Sebastian asHead Football Coach
Photo contributed
Joe Sebastian
Despite a slow start hamperedby severe downpours, the Madi-son girls’ lacrosse team beatSouth Lakes at home on March26, 13-6.
South Lakes scored two quickgoals in the first half to lead theWarhawks. Head coach AmandaCounts called a timeout and theWarhawks responded with ballcontrol and goals.
Kierra Sweeney and KatieSciandra led Madison with fourgoals apiece. Maddie Robertscontributed three goals andthree assists.
Rounding out the scoring wasAnya Saponja and Andie Battin
each with a goal. SigourneyHeerink was once again strongin goal for Madison with 15saves.
Midfielder Megan Greatorexand goalie Caitlyn Maginnissstood out for South Lakes.Greatorex scored two goalswhile Maginniss stopped 13shots.
Next up for the MadisonWarhawks (2-0) is an awaygame against the CentrevilleWildcats on Friday, April 10 at7:30 p.m.
South Lakes (2-1) will hostHerndon at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs-day, April 9.
Photo contributed
Katie Sciandra and the Madison girls’ lacrosse teambeat South Lakes 13-6 on March 26.
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
People
Rubina Ellis of Oak Hill is one of 96men and women that pledged toperform 10 months of national ser-
vice as part of the Atlantic Region’s 21stClass of the National Civilian CommunityCorps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program.
As a Corps Member, Ellis has spent 10months getting things done for Americawhile strengthening communities and de-veloping her leadership. Ellis and her teamhave worked on a variety of projects focus-ing on disaster response and recovery ef-forts. She has already worked with suchorganizations as Habitat for Humanity,American Red Cross and various state agen-cies.
“I heard about the program through mybrother who did AmeriCorps NCCC stan-dard and was inspired to serve throughhim,” said Ellis.
Ellis will graduate from NCCC in May2015 with an education award of $5,645,which can be used to continue educationor pay back student loans.
“I find I get more self-satisfaction when Isee that I’ve helped someone other than my-self, this program gives me the opportunityto be humble and serve others. Not just formyself, but others,” said Ellis.
To learn more about FEMA Corps or toapply (individuals aged 18-24), visitAmeriCorps NCCC’s websitewww.nationalservice.gov or FEMA’s websiteat www.fema.gov.
AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps areprograms of the Corporation for Nationaland Community Service, a federal agencythat engages more than five million Ameri-cans in service through its AmeriCorps, Se-nior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and
Volunteer Genera-tion Fund pro-grams, and leadsthe President’s na-tional call to ser-vice initiative,United We Serve.For more informa-tion, visitNationalService.gov.
A m e r i C o r p sNCCC is a full-
time, residential, national service programin which 2,200 young adults serve nation-wide each year.
During their 10-month term, Corps Mem-bers–all 18 to 24 years old–work on teamsof eight to 12 on projects that address criti-cal needs related to natural and other di-sasters, infrastructure improvement, envi-ronmental stewardship and conservation,energy conservation, and urban and ruraldevelopment.
In exchange for their service, Corps Mem-bers receive $5,645 to help pay for college,or to pay back existing student loans. Otherbenefits include a small living stipend, roomand board, leadership development, in-creased self-confidence, and the knowledgethat, through active citizenship, people canindeed make a difference. AmeriCorpsNCCC is administered by the Corporationfor National and Community Service, a fed-eral agency. The Corporation improves lives,strengthens communities, and fosters civicengagement through service and volunteer-ing. For more information aboutAmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website atwww.americorps.gov/nccc.
Oak Hill Resident Performs10 Months of National Service
Rubina Ellis ofOak Hill.
Co
urtesy pho
to
Spring Break, Concerts in South Korea
Patrick Miller, a viola player from Herndon, is one 36 students from theJacobs School of Music at Indiana University who just returned from a tripto Seoul, South Korea during Indiana University’s spring break last week.
The IU Chamber Orchestra performed at Sookmyung Women’s University and SeoulNational University before entertaining American military personnel stationed atU.S. Army Garrison Yongsan. The visit culminated with a concert at the Seoul ArtsCenter, the country’s foremost art and culture complex.
Patrick Miller.
Co
urtesy pho
to
14 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
PUBLICATION OF NOTICE HEARINGFILE NO. 2015-31976-GT
(989-831-7316) 625 North State St. Stanton, Michigan 48888
In the matter of: Shirley BouletteTO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS including
Diane Lussier, Cherie Boulette
who address(es) are unknown and whose interest in the matter may be barred or affected by the following:
TAKE NOTICE:A hearing will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2015 at 11:00am at the Montcalm County Probate Court, Court Complex, 625 North State Street, Stanton, Michigan 48888 be-
fore Judge Charles W. Simon, III for the following purpose:
3/23/15, Lynn Larson II, 828 E. Washington St. Greenville, MI 48838
616-754-7186
21 Announcements 21 Announcements
21 Announcements
ABC LICENSESingh Thai Restaurant LLC
trading as Singh Thai Restaurant 1633 Washington Plz W., Reston, VA 20190. The above establishment is
applying to the VIRGINIA DE-PARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC)
for a Wine and Beer on Premises /Mixed Beverage
license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.
Tawatchai Lerlertkitsakun Member
NOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be
submitted to ABC no later that 30 days from the publishing
date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices.
objections should be regis-tered at www.abc.virginia.gov
Educational InternshipsUnusual opportunity to learn many aspects ofthe newspaper business. Internships availablein reporting, photography, research, graphics.Opportunities for students, and for adultsconsidering change of career. Unpaid. [email protected]
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LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING I wouldn’t say I have symptoms (why wouldI say that? If I said that, I’d have to admit thatcancer is having an effect on me. And I would-n’t want to admit that; admitting that wouldacknowledge my destiny and perhaps evenhasten my decline); no, more like manifesta-tions. Yeah, “manifestations,” I think I can live(no pun intended) with that admission. At leastI hope so.
The manifestations to which I refer – in theabstract, are not exactly new or out of my ordi-nary (again, if I said they were in fact new andout of my ordinary, I might have to believe thatmy underlying problem/diagnosis: stage IV,non-small cell lung cancer, is manifesting itselfin a potentially life-altering way), but they aresomething. The question is: is my body tellingme something l already know, or am I lookingfor trouble in all the familiar places?
I’d rather not be looking for trouble, giventhat trouble has already found me. I’d ratherbe minding my own business and not intro-specting so much. But the day I received acancer diagnosis is the day I lost the ability toturn the introspection switch off (if only itwere that simple). I can dim it, though, exceptwhen I experience some of my manifestations.Then I’m reminded that I’m not in Kansas any-more, especially every third Friday (lab resultsallowing) when I’m at The Infusion Centerreceiving my 10 minutes of Alimta intrave-nously. On those days, I am indeed a victim ofmy circumstances, and regardless of what I tellmyself – repeatedly, in an attempt to blur myreality – when my oncology nurse, Ron, insertsa needle into a vein in my arm and the i.v.starts dripping, the truth does not exactly setme free.
Still, I’m happy to be there (heck, I’mhappy to be anywhere, symptoms-I’m-unwilling-to-admit-I-may-have notwithstand-ing). It’s more the inevitability of my diagnosisthat wears on me. I wasn’t given a “terminal”diagnosis because I was treated at an airport. Iwas given it because I have malignant tumorsthat apparently have moved/metastasized fromone lung to the other and are inoperable. (Norwas I/am I a candidate for radiation. Thetumors are too spread out, I was told, and thusthe treatment would prove ineffective.) Thisdiagnosis and related prognosis is hardly forthe weak of heart (fortunately I’ve never beentreated for a weak heart; a weak back, maybe).But diseases are sort of like your family: youcan’t pick them. Hopefully you can live withthem, because living without them wouldlikely make an incredibly difficult situationworse. And if there’s one thing a diagnosed-as-terminal patient doesn’t need is external com-plications; we already have enough internalcomplications.
My internal complications are mostly “man-ifestations,” as I’ve described them, symptomsthat occasionally go bump in the night andoften cause me to grind during the day (“grind”is an emotional reference). I want to think, I’mdesperate to think, that the things I feel are notcancer-related but instead are being-sixty-years-old-related. But since I’ve never been 60before with or without cancer, (and neitherhave I ever experienced six years of non-stopchemotherapy), I don’t know whether my can-cer is manifesting itself and my predictedfuture is finally present, or whether I’m des-tined for an unexpected long life with all theassociated symptoms. Certainly I hope for thelatter, but it’s the former that seems to be driv-ing this bus. And though the bus may needsome paint and a bit of an overhaul, thewheels have yet to come off.
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
ManifestDestiny
The biggest things are always the easiest to do because there
is no competition.-William Van Horne
16 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ April 1-7, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
The Herndon basedbusiness Potter’s Firehas donated $10,500in handmade pottery
to be auctioned off at BootleggerBash for the Fort CampbellSpouses Club on March 20. Pro-ceeds from the auction go towardwelfare requests and will providescholarships to high school seniorsand family members of militarypersonnel accepted into highereducation programs. Potter’s Fireis a pottery studio which makeshandmade pottery using raw ma-terials and tools sourced withinthe United States. “This was a spe-cial project,” says Mike Faulfounder and owner of Potter’s Fire.
Located at 797-B Center Streetin Herndon, Potter’s Fire sells threelines of 100 percent Americanhandmade ceramics. One of theselines, the Heritage Line, celebratesmilitary service. In summer 2014,Potter’s Fire launched 101st Air-borne Division tankards onFacebook. Within days, the divi-sion swarmed Potter’s Fire’sFacebook page, purchasing thou-sands of mugs and steins. The sup-port of the 101st Airbornelaunched both the Heritage Lineand Potter’s Fire’s business. It left
the company looking for an oppor-tunity to say thank you.
“It didn’t take long after receiv-ing an email from the Spouse’sClub at Fort Campbell to know,that this was our opportunity tosay ‘Thanks’ to the ‘ScreamingEagles’,” says Faul. Potter’s Firedonation to The Fort CampbellSpouses Club includes up to 150handmade mugs, cups and tan-kards. It will be enough to equipan entire airborne company of sol-diers. Recipients have the oppor-tunity to have their pieces custom-ized with various glaze schemes,
unit insignias and hand-engravedpersonalization. The FortCampbell Spouses Club is ecstaticto receive this gift.
“I am completely overwhelmed,”says Jessi Mitchell, president of theFort Campbell Spouses’ Club.“[Potter’s Fire] has gone above andbeyond anything we could haveever imagined. As an artist bytrade, I appreciate the impeccablecraftsmanship and uniqueness ofeach piece. Each one is truly go-ing to add something so special tothis year’s event, which is alreadysetting records by being sold out
The Potter’s Fire studio based in Herndon offers a variety of ceramics and pottery.Owner Mike Faul was able to construct his business with the assistance of Mayor LisaMerkel and the Herndon Town Council.
Herndon Potter’s FireHelps Scholarship ProgramPottery businessmakes contribu-tion for militaryscholarship pro-gram.
Outside the Potter’s Fire studio at downtown Herndon.The business has been active within the regional artcommunity and the talented potters can regularly befound at the wheel or putting the finishing touches onhandcrafted pieces.
Olivia DiBenigno, employee with Potter’s Fire, workson a piece of pottery. A resident of Alexandria,DiBenigno graduated from Maryland Institute Collegeof Art with a major in ceramics.
Potter’s Firefounder,
owner, andself-described
army bratMichael Faul
holding a steinat his studio in
downtownHerndon.
Potter’s Fire isa pottery
studio whichmakes hand-
made potteryusing raw
materials andtools sourced
within theUnited States.
for the first time.” The highest bid-der will get a certificate for theceramics which will be availablein April.
Faul’s father had a full career inthe military, retiring as a brigadiergeneral in 1973 and later workedas president and CEO of Vie deFrance. After his father passed in2011, Faul took a class in ceram-ics at the Northern Virginia Com-
munity College (NOVA) Sterlingcampus. From there, Faul was in-spired to begin his new ceramicsbusiness in downtown Herndon.For more information aboutPotter’s Fire, visitwww.pottersfire.com. To learnmore about the Fort CampbellSpouses Club and the BootleggerBash, visitwww.fortcampbellspousesclub.com.
Pho
to
s by R
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Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
SeniorLivingSeniorLivingSeniorLivingSPRING 2015
online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC
Oak Hill ❖ HerndonOak Hill ❖ Herndon
2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
To honor Momon Mother’s Day,send us your favor-ite snapshots of youwith your Mom andThe Connection willpublish them in ourMother’s Day issue.Be sure to includesome informationabout what’s goingon in the photo,plus your name andphone number andtown of residence.To e-mail digitalphotos, send to:editors@connection
newspapers.comOr to mail photoprints, send to:The Oak Hill/
HerndonConnection,
“Me and My MomPhoto Gallery,”
1606 King St.,Alexandria, VA
22314Photo prints will bereturned to you if youinclude a stamped,self-addressed enve-lope, but please don’tsend us anything irre-placeable.
“MeandMy
Mom”
Senior Living
By Marilyn Campbell
The Connection
One night each week,Sue Thompsoncan be found drib-bling a basketball
down the court, leading her team,the Nova United, to victory. Th-ompson, who is in her 60s, is oneof the youngest players in herleague, the National SeniorWomen’s Basketball Association.
“There are women who playwith me who are 80 and living outtheir dream to play basketball. Wewere way before Title IX,” saidThompson, who is also a profes-sor of physical education at North-ern Virginia Community College inAnnandale and Alexandria, Va.“The women are fit, but with se-niors, the social part is really im-portant. Some of the ladies havebeen widowed or have spouseswith health issues. They’ve reallybeen a support group for eachother.”
According to the American Col-lege of Sports Medicine, Thomp-son is part of a national fitnesstrend: fitness programs for olderadults, including strength trainingand team sports.
“There are a lot of benefits forthe aging population,” said LisaM.K. Chin, an assistant researchprofessor at George MasonUniversity’s Department of Reha-bilitation Science in Fairfax, Va.Exercise “slows physiologicalchanges that come with aging. ...The other thing that exercise man-ages is chronic diseases that comewith aging, such as cardiovascu-lar problems or diabetes.”
Mark Brasler, a 69-year-old wholives in Springfield, Va., has been
active for most of the past 20years. He moved into a retirementcommunity four months ago andgot a fitness assessment in theproperty’s gym. The results ledhim to up his fitness game.
“I still walk every morning anddo weights and resistance ma-chines every other day,” saidBrasler. “I was also told that Ineeded to take balance class. Wefocus on agility, how to stand upstraight and how to get up whenyou fall. We also do stretching,yoga and Pilates. I feel more con-fident about myself.”
Such fitness classes can help pre-serve mobility and cognitive func-tion, say researchers. “It helps interms of preserving bone mass andmaintaining mobility longer,” saidChin. “If you’re using yourmuscles, especially during weight-bearing exercises, ultimately it re-duces the risk of falling and im-proves balance.”
An exercise class that includesaerobic, strength and balance ex-ercises can help preserve freedomand independence for seniors.“The key components of stayingphysically active are having strongmuscles, reasonable flexibility andendurance,” said Rita Wong, pro-fessor of physical therapy and as-sociate dean of graduate and pro-fessional studies at MarymountUniversity in Arlington. “It’s essen-tial to keep oneself mobile andactive.” It’s almost never too lateto increase fitness levels, Wongsaid. “Often with older adults,people think that they can’t im-prove anymore so why bother. Butresearch has shown time and timeagain that older adults have anability to improve that is as simi-lar as young adults’.”
Fit for Golden Years
Women of the Nova United, part of the National SeniorWomen’s Basketball Association get exercise with a teamsport. They are part of a new fitness trend.
Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2015 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Senior Living
By Andrea Worker
The Connection
“I didn’t want to come here,” saidBill Woessner, referring toBrightview Assisted Living Com-munity in Great Falls.
“That’s right,” agreed Sheila, his wife ofmore than 50 years, with plenty of her na-tive Scottish brogue to be heard in her voice.“He really didn’t. We have a lovely househere in Great Falls and I don’t think he wasready to budge. But how long after we gothere did that change?” she turned to herhusband and asked.
“At least a day,” he laughingly replied.“Seriously,” said Bill Woessner, “it probablywasn’t more than the first 48 hours.”
What changed his mind, especially afterwhat many would call a major life-up-heaval?
“The food!” was his answer. “We have
gourmet food at every meal, served by thenicest people in the most beautiful sur-roundings, and we never have to cook it orclean up afterwards.”
According to Sheila, while the food re-ally is that good, what probably im-pacted her husband’s initial attitudewas “the amazing staff, the friendlyand interesting residents, and thefreedom. Of course, we’re retired, sowe’re not bound to the responsibili-ties of work.” But neither are theWoessners bound to home mainte-nance concerns, housekeeping, cook-ing and cleaning.
Or “shoveling snow, like we wouldhave been doing last month if weweren’t right here,” gloated Bill. “Wehave the time to do what we like, totry new things and meet new people,without that worry.”
Bill and Sheila Woessner chattedabout their experiences as residentsin a senior living community withfriends and fellow residents PortaNickles and Sophia Coulopoulos, overlunch in the Brightview dining room.
Porta Nickles, who is 99, admittedto a bit of a sweet tooth. “My fatherowned a candy and ice cream shopin upstate New York,” she said, rec-ommending the homemade coffee icecream for dessert.
The ice cream is made using therecipe of the area’s beloved ThelmaFeighery. Brightview is built on thesite of Thelma’s Ice Cream, once thehotspot for local gathering in GreatFalls. Thelma and her husband Frank
started with a gas station on the site in1950. Thelma took over and served her ownrecipe ice creams and other goodies afterFrank’s death in 1988, until her own in2001.
Long-time Great Falls resident SheilaWoessner said she used to go to Thelma’s“just to catch up on all the local doings”even though she’s not one for sweet treats.“I think Thelma would be pleased. Not onlydo we have our own “Thelma’s” on site andmake ice cream to her specifications, butit’s still the place for us to gather and keepup with what’s going on.”
Porta Nickles came to Brightview after liv-ing the last 70 years in Middletown, N.Y.,where she helped run the family’s ConeyIsland hot dog franchise, and later went onto enjoy a career in education with the lo-cal school district. Having lived somewherethat long, it’s understandable that the movetook some adjusting to, but Nickles foundherself comfortable and more than contentin short order. “I was lonely there,” she said.“And I didn’t even know how lonely until Igot here, starting making new friends, find-ing out there were so many things I couldstill do and learn and enjoy. And now I getto see my kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.”
Having family nearby, the visits, and hav-ing opportunities designed to promote in-teraction with different age groups, all helpmake Brightview a home environment inthe estimation of this group of residents.
“Get involved and take advantage of yourtime,” was Sheila Woessner’s advice for newresidents.
Sheila Woessner has always been a game
player “and she knows the words to everysong going,” Porta Nickles said in admira-tion.
During her days with the British Informa-tion Services in New York City with Bill,Sheila Woessner took home some heftyprize money by playing on the televised“Name that Tune” game show, money thatshe used to finance their wedding. Thecouple even appeared on Johnny Carson’s“Who Do You Trust?” game show. Nowa-days, Sheila uses her ability to help out atthe community’s sing-a-longs.
Bingo is Sophia’s favorite. She’s beenpretty lucky, winning often enough tosplurge with her earned Brightview “bucks”at the monthly “gift shop” where you neverknow what interesting items might be onoffer.
Residents of localsenior livingcommunities sharetheir experiences.
‘Your Life IsToday andTomorrow’
Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection
Always ready for a few hijinks around Brightview Assisted Living Community in Great Falls are L-R: SheilaWoessner, Porta Nickles, Sophia Coulopoulos, Bill Woessner, and director of Community Sales, Joanna Banks.
With Dale Jarrett on the piano per-forming some of the residents’ favor-ites, Garrey Stinson, owner of DancingWith Garrey, Therapeutic BallroomDancing for Seniors, brings a smile toSophia Coulopoulos.
4 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ Senior Living April 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Senior Living
By Steve Hibbard
The Connection
A Creative Aging Festival will takeplace throughout the month ofMay at 100-plus local venues inFairfax County, the City of
Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria. Themonth-long festival includes 114 perfor-mances, poetry readings, art exhibits, lec-tures, classes and more.
The festival isbeing sponsoredby FairfaxCounty, AARPVirginia, theFairfax CountyArts Council andseveral othercommunity orga-nizations andbusinesses, and
coincides with Older Americans Month. Itwill also include programs that unlock thecreative spirit through yoga, tai chi and evena walk through a garden labyrinth.
“What we’re hoping is that people willdiscover where the opportunities for art arefor Fairfax County. We want them to knowthat it’s here; it’s in the community andwe’re hoping they will participate,” saidGrace Lynch, manager of communicationswith the county’s Division of Adult and Ag-ing Services. She said the festival “gives uspermission to do something that we maynot have done before and to explore our-selves in a more creative and artistic way.”
“Fairfax County is home to over 200 non-profit art organizations many of them of-fering exciting events for the 50-plus com-
munity. The Creative Aging Festival is awonderful opportunity for our arts organi-zations to market their existing programsby and for 50-plus residents, encouragingolder adult participation in the county’smany arts offerings, and showcasing oppor-tunities to engage in our community,” saidLisa Mariam, grants director and master artsplan coordinator at the Arts Council ofFairfax County.
Planners are now developing the programand expect to post the full calendar of eventsin early April (see sidebar). Some of theexamples include:
❖ An open house allowing guests to par-ticipate in an organization’s dance, music,visual art, yoga, gardening programming;
❖ A speaker on art, gardening, yoga, etc.;or
❖ An older adult artist, writer, actor, poet,dancer or musician to speak about their art.
“We’re not about bingo anymore. We’vereally raised the bar. We’re focusing on yoga,tai chi, in addition to painting and music,performing arts and dance,” said Julie Ellis,Director of Hollin Hall Senior Center inMount Vernon.
Many Fairfax County programs will beheld at local libraries, 14 senior centers,adult day healthcare centers and park pro-grams are planning to be involved. For ex-ample, seniors here will have the opportu-nity to experience movement classes withprofessional choreographer Janet Storms ofthe Choreographers Collaboration Project.“She’s going to talk about the joy of move-ment as you age,” said Ellis.
The festival’s objectives are to encourageaudiences for the arts, especially for art cre-ated and performed by older adults; encour-
age older adult participation in the county’smany public and private art programs; pro-mote public understanding of the benefitsof older adult participation in the arts; es-tablish the festival as an annual event eachMay with Older Americans Month.
“Research has shown a strong connectionbetween participation in the arts and thecognitive health of older adults,” said Rich-ard Chobot, chair of Fairfax Area Agencyon Aging. “The Creative Aging Festival willprovide examples of the variety of arts ex-periences available to older adults, and in-dividuals of all ages.
“The Creative Aging Festival gives thepublic an opportunity dive into the soul ofthe many programs the area offers for adultswith dementia,” said Isabel Castillejo, CTRS,of the Herndon Adult Day Health Care Cen-ter. “Fairfax County’s Adult Day Health CareCenters understand the value behind cre-ative arts and the opportunity to seesomeone’s unique expressions through art,music and various other mediums. We en-courage the public to get a glimpse of thesewonderful gems their community has tooffer.”
“The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at(GMU) is excited to take part in the festi-val, offering four events that will showcaseour popular acting and Tai Chi classes, fabu-lous musical performers, and first rate fineartists and photographers,” said JenniferDisano, executive director.
As part of the festival, GMU will be host-ing an “Arts, Aging & Well-being” panel onMonday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to noon, onthe Fairfax campus. “When we connect withothers through creative expression, greatthings happen,” said GMU Associate Pro-fessor Holly Matto, Ph.D. “The arts andhealth research shows that participation inthe creative arts can enhance cognitive,emotional and interpersonal functioning,
Includes 114 performances, poetry readings,art exhibits, lectures, classes and more.
Creative Aging Festival Coming in May
Photo contributed by Stan Schretter
Seniors take part in tai chi programs to stay fit at the Osher LifelongLearning Institute at GMU.
Photo contributed by Stan Schretter
Seniors take part in programs atthe Osher Lifelong Learning Insti-tute at GMU.
and studies on the arts in health care set-tings show biological effects such as painreduction and improved immune function-ing.”
Festival partners include: the Arts Coun-cil of Fairfax County, the Fairfax Area Com-mission on Aging, the Fairfax Area Agencyon Aging, Fairfax County’s Department ofNeighborhood and Community Services,Public Libraries, Adult Day Health CareCenters, Long Term Care CoordinatingCommittee, George Washington University,the National Alliance of Community Eco-nomic Development Associations, the Na-tional Center on Creative Aging, GoodwinHouse at Alexandria and Bailey’s Cross-roads, AARP Virginia, and Pure Prana YogaStudio. Most programs are free. Because ofthe variability in venue space, participantsshould call respective venues to register andinquire about program information, feesand parking.
The festival calendar will be posted byearly April at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/fairfax-creative-ag-ing-festival.htm .
Reston, Herndon EventsPublic Art - Art for the People. This
multimedia presentation will focus on of a broadrange of Public Art in all its many forms. Publicart is becoming the most popular form of art.The audience will see examples from around theworld, including a special look at Reston and thesurrounding area. May 6, 7 p.m.; Free. AtReston Regional Library, 11925 BowmanTowne Drive, Reston. Call 703-689-2700/703-662-1812 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/rr/
Entertainment and Art Display. HerndonAdult Day Health Care Center welcomes you totheir Open House with program tours, artdisplays and entertainment courtesy of theNational Theatre (11a-12). Light refreshmentswill be offered. May 15, 10:30 a.m.-Noon; Free.At Herndon Adult Day Center, 875 GraceStreet, Herndon. Call 703-435-8729 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/adhc/
ArtSpace’s Herndon Senior Tea. Enjoy Behindthe Scenes with the Loudoun Sketch Club, lightrefreshments, and the companionship of artlovers. A local music group will offerentertainment during the tea. May 15, 1-2 p.m.;Free. At ArtSpace Herndon. 750 CenterStreet, Herndon. Call 703-956-6590 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.org
Creative Writing Workshop for Seniors.Participants will animate a memorable momentfrom their life and practice creative writingtechniques. March 15, 1-3 p.m.; Free. RestonRegional Library, 11925 Bowman TowneDrive, Reston. Call 703-626-3894 or visitrollercoasterlearning.com/
Art Beat Open House. What a great day to visitus! On display will be art from our oil painting,ceramics, and jewelry classes. We’ll also displayart from community artists. Three “people’schoice” prizes will be awarded in the visual artscategory. On “stage,” some of our many danceand song groups will perform. May 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Free. At Herndon Senior Center
Blind Curves - One Woman’s UnusualJourney. After completing a 2,500 mile roadtrip the author tells a story of how a woman of acertain age can break with tradition and turnfrustration into triumphant joy. May 21, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. $15 Reston/$30 Non-Reston. AtReston Community Center, 2310 Colts NeckRd., Reston. Call 703-390-6157 or visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com
For more see http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/fairfax-creative-aging-festival.htm
