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McLean Connection ❖ July 23-29, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Spring Hill Elementary risingsixth grader Anisa Ardeisharcuddles with her fluffy new bunnynamed Shadow.

Numbers IndicateStable Housing MarketNews, Page 3

Foust,Comstock

BattleWomen’s

IssuesNews, Page 3

2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ July 23-29, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Congratulations to all of the OutstandingPrincipals listed below.They have been rated highest by our memberships in those schools

Fairfax County Federation of TeachersTeachers Care!

THANK YOU TO ALLOF OUR MEMBERS WHORETURNED THE SURVEY

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:Bonnie Glazewski(Oak View)

Jesse Kraft(Providence)

Michael Macrina(Island Creek)

Suzanne Montgomery(Laurel Hill)

Lindsay Trout(Terraset)

MIDDLE SCHOOL:Penny Gros (Glascow)

HIGH SCHOOLS:Teresa Johnson(Chantilly)

Nardos King(Mt. Vernon)

Michael Yohe(Falls Church)

Jeff Yost(Woodson)


News

The Northern Virginia market recordedincreased inventories, providing buyerswith more choices. Nonetheless, buyersare challenged by affordability and ac-cessing credit.

The June market in Northern Virginiacontinues the trend of sales numberscoming in just under those from one yearago at this time, but the signs of a stablemarket have led to an increase in sellersplanting signs on their lawns.

“It is all about managing expectations,”said Lorraine Arora, Managing Broker atLong & Foster Real Estate in Springfield.“Some buyers are nervous. When housesare priced correctly, homes will sell.”

Arora explained that since there was

By Reena Singh

The Connection

One of the hotbed issues of thelast month was triggeredwhen the Supreme Court decided that for-profit corpora-

tions can be exempt from a law if the ownerobjects for religious reasons.

The reason? Contraceptives.Women’s health issues are among the is-

sues that Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) and Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34) – candidates for 10th District Congres-sional seat — butt heads on.

“The court should not be deciding onwomen’s health issues,” said Foust. “Womenshould be making those decisions by them-selves.”

He said that women that choose to maketheir own health decisions are “constantlyunder attack” by their peers and lawmak-ers, and that these decisions should onlybe between a woman and her health careprovider.

SEVERAL DEMOCRATIC LEGISLA-

Foust, Comstock Battle Women’s IssuesHot button topic isdiscussed in wake ofHobby Lobbydecision.

John Foust Barbara ComstockPho

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TORS, including state Sen. Janet Howell(D-32) and state Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31), held a press call to talk aboutComstock’s record on women’s health. Thecall was sponsored by the 10th DistrictDemocratic Committee.

According to Comstock’s campaign presssecretary, Johanna Persing, Comstock wasnot available for comment. Persing providedComstock’s record on contraceptives, stat-ing that Foust is “running a negative cam-paign.

“As to Foust’s playing of birth control poli-tics: he is purposely promoting false infor-mation to divide women and politicize this

issue instead of finding a common sensesolution. In contrast, Delegate Comstockspearheaded the effort in Virginia to find acommon sense solution to end birth con-trol politics by making birth control pillsavailable over the counter as recommendedby the American College of Obstetrics andGynecology.”

During the press call, several of the fo-rum speakers talked about other billsComstock voted for, including one support-ing a transvaginal ultrasound for womenconsidering abortion. They claimedComstock hopes to overturn Roe Vs Wadeif elected. Comstock’s press secretary did

not comment about these claims.“Now, I’m old enough to remember what

it was like in the bad old days, before Roevs. Wade, and I think if anyone who thinksthat overturning Roe vs. Wade would doanything positive for a woman’s health,they’re sadly mistaken,” said Sen. Howell.

State Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-33) saidshe hoped that women voting betweenComstock and Foust do not believe thatComstock is in favor of women’s health is-sues just because she is a woman.

“Barbara Comstock was right there at thecenter, kind of the standard bearer for thosedivisive social issues,” said Wexton. “Thatis not what the government should be do-ing. People told me again and again thatthey do not want the governmentmicromanaging women’s healthcare andfamily planning decisions”

PERSING SAID that, in addition to help-ing women get contraceptives more easilyover the counter, Comstock has passed leg-islation to secure job growth in technologyfields and was awarded the “Competitive-ness Award” and “Free Enterprise Award”for her competitive bidding bill.

“John Foust has never passed a single jobsbill or authored any jobs initiative,” saidPersing in the email statement. “Barbaraalso has authored major legislation to crackdown on human trafficking, legislation toimprove Lyme Disease testing and legisla-tion to require lifesaving testing for congeni-tal heart defects for newborns.”

Realtors: Numbers Indicate Stable Housing Market

June homelistings climb,with slight dipin sales

no activity in winter months, there was pentup demand for this region’s early springseason. Now, she explained, prices arehigher but not all sellers are getting their fullprice. Buyers are less willing to engage in bid-ding wars.

The housing affordability may continueto be a challenge in the region, said MaryBayat, 2014 chair elect of the Northern Vir-ginia Association of Realtors. “While theslightly rising home prices indicate an im-proving market, people are just not mak-ing quick decisions to buy.” Bayat, a bro-ker/owner of Bayat Realty in Alexandria,also noted that the current tight mortgageregulations have been a drag on buyers’ loanprocess. She noted that mortgage standardsare under scrutiny by industry and housinggroups at this time.

The Northern Virginia Association of Re-altors reported on June 2014 home salesactivity for Fairfax and Arlington counties,the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and FallsChurch and the towns of Vienna, Herndonand Clifton.

A total of 2,174 homes were sold in June

2014, a 12.90 percent decrease belowJune 2013 home sales of 2,496.

Active listings continued to show anincrease this month compared with2013. Listings were up 47 percent overlast year, with 4,777 active listings inJune, compared with 3,247 homes avail-able in June 2013. The average days onmarket for homes in June 2014 was 30days, an increase of 25 percent comparedto the 24 days on market for homes in June2013.

Average home sale prices increasedslightly this June to $580,013. This isup 3 percent compared to June 2013,when the average price was $563,223.

The median sold price of homes thisJune, which is $505,000, rose by 1 per-cent compared to the median price of$499,900 in June 2013.

The 2,047 new pending home salesin Northern Virginia in June is a de-crease of 9.62 percent compared with2,265 contracts that were pending inJune of last year.

* Volunteer Advocates for NursingHome& Assisted Living Residentsneeded throughout Northern Virginia.Contact the Northern Virginia Long-TermCare Ombudsman Program atw w w. f a i r f a x c o u n t y . g o v / d f s /olderadultservices/ltcombudsman/, emailor email [email protected] call 703-324-5861, TTY 711.

* Meals on Wheels needs drivers inFranconia, Reston, McLean and FallsChurch and substitute drivers throughoutthe county. For these and other volunteeropportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadultsand click on Volunteer Solutions.

* The Lewinsville Adult Day HealthCare Center in McLean needs a front deskvolunteer on Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m. Forthese and other volunteer opportunities,call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

*Fairfax County needs volunteersto drive older adults to medical appoint-ments and wellness programs. For theseand other volunteer opportunities, call 703-324-5406, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults andclick on Volunteer Solutions.

Volunteer Opportunities

McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


Eight Fairfax County Public Schools(FCPS) graduates from the class of 2014have been named winners of college-sponsored scholarships by the NationalMerit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Recipients of college-sponsored schol-arships from the NMSC, with their prob-able career fields in parentheses, are:

❖ Celia Islam of Vienna, Marshall HighSchool (medicine), National MeritGeorge Washington University Scholar-ship.

❖ Brian Clark of Burke, ThomasJefferson High School for Science and

Technology (TJHSST) (engineering), Na-tional Merit Case Western Reserve Univer-sity Scholarship.

❖ Adam Friedman of Fairfax, TJHSST(environmental science), National MeritEmory University Scholarship.

❖ Nicholas Jones of Round Hill, TJHSST(aerospace engineering), National MeritUniversity of Central Florida Scholarship.

❖ Thomas Lunn of Potomac Falls, TJHSST(international relations), National MeritBowdoin College Scholarship.

❖ Timothy Ruiter of Centreville, TJHSST(biomedical engineering), National Merit

University of Georgia Scholarship.❖ Vishal Talasani of Alexandria,

TJHSST (economics), National MeritUniversity of Chicago Scholarship.

❖ Tony Xiao of Herndon, TJHSST (filmproduction), National Merit VanderbiltUniversity Scholarship.

College-sponsored Merit Scholarshipsprovide between $500 and $2,000 an-nually for up to four years of undergradu-ate study at the institution financing thescholarship. Nationwide, approximately7,600 students have won Merit Scholar-ship awards in 2014.

Eight FCPS Students Win College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships

News

By Michael Lee Pope

The Connection

When Lola Arce de Quintelafirst moved to Oakton 20years ago, she noticedsomething about the way

men and women arranged their professionalcareers around their family lives in North-ern Virginia. Men took high-powered jobswith large paychecks, while women oftendropped out of the workforce to take careof growing families. If women had full-timejobs, she says, they would often select posi-tions that were not as demanding so theycould focus their time and attention on theirchildren while husbands and fathers pulledin six-figure salaries.

“The other women who live on my blockare teachers,” said de Quintela, a freelancetranslator. “Their husbands are attorneys orthey work for the World Bank.”

On a national basis, women make 77cents for every dollar men make. But herein Northern Virginia the disparities aregreater, especially in wealthier areas. No-where is this trend higher than 22124, thesuburb of Oakton, where the average me-dian income for full-time female workers is$77,000. The men in that ZIP code pull inalmost $130,000. That means women wholive in Oakton and are full-time, permanentworkers earn 60 percent of what men earn.

“It’s very difficult to have a family andraise kids when you have two people withhigh-powered careers that demand a lot oftime and attention,” said de Quintela. “Soa lot of women tend to find work that’s moreflexible and not as demanding, whichmeans they earn less money. It’s a trade off.”

CENSUS RECORDS show disparities tendto be greatest where people earn the mostmoney. In the Fairfax Station ZIP code22039, for example, the average annualmale median salary is $134,000. That’s oneof the highest in Northern Virginia. By con-trast, women in this area earn $86,000 ayear. That’s still a high salary for the region,but women who live in Fairfax Station earn64 cents for every $1 the men who live theremake.

Demographers say some of this may beexplained by a concept they call “labor forceattachment,” which essentially means thatwomen are less attached to the labor forcethan men.

“Given the traditional understandingsabout who cares for children or aging par-ents, what we often see is that women take

on those roles,” said Annie Rorem, policyassociate in the demographics researchgroup at Weldon Cooper Center for PublicService at the University of Virginia. “Weoften see differences in female and maleearnings that are related to, although Iwould not necessarily say caused by, familystructure.”

This trend is less evident in ZIP codeswhere salaries are lower, and the roles are

even reversed in some of areas with the low-est salaries. In Bailey’s Crossroads, for ex-ample, women earn $59,000. But men earn$46,000, the lowest salary of any FairfaxCounty ZIP code. That means men earnabout 22 percent less than women here, aphenomenon that indicates workers hereare attached to the labor force in a waythat’s different from people at the top ofthe earnings scale.

“What we are probably seeing in Bailey’sCrossroads is women who are nannies offamilies that make a lot of money,” saidVeronique de Rugy, a senior research fel-low at the Mercatus Center at George Ma-son University. “They make a lot moremoney than their male counterparts whoare working in construction or putting updrywall.”

ACADEMICS WHO look at these numberssay the imbalance of salaries between menand women can be explained by looking athow the genders participate in the laborforce differently. A recent study by theGeorge Mason School for Regional Analy-sis concluded that Arlington County has thehighest labor force participation rate forwomen in the region while the District ofColumbia has the lowest. Meanwhile, sub-urban areas of Fairfax County have muchlower female participation rates than urbanareas such as Arlington or Alexandria.

“If you’re looking at why men are earn-ing more, it’s because in those cases womenwho might have a higher earning potentialare not in the labor force, they are stayinghome to raise a family,” said David Versel,senior research associate at the Center forRegional Analysis. “That’s obviously lesstrue than it was a generation or two ago,but that’s the easiest way of looking at this.”

Although the disparity between salariesearned by men and women are glaring, re-searchers who look at the data warn not tojump to conclusions about gender inequal-ity. These numbers show that men andwomen who live in the same ZIP codes earndifferent salaries, it does not say that theyreceive different salaries for doing the samework. They probably say more about howwomen and men approach the labor forcedifferently than how employers choose tocompensate their employees.

“This doesn’t necessarily mean that weare talking about any active gender inequal-ity in the sense of discrimination or menand women being paid different amountsfor the exact same labor,” said Rorem. “Onething that’s important to keep in mind whenyou are looking at all full-time year-roundworkers is that one thing you don’t pick upis experience between workers.”

Across NorthernVirginia, men pulllarger paychecksthan women;disparities larger thannational average.

Paycheck Gender Wars?

“If you’re looking at why men are earning more, it’sbecause in those cases women who might have ahigher earning potential are not in the labor force,they are staying home to raise a family.”

—David Versel, senior research associate at the Center for Regional Analysis


The faculty and staffof the Montessori School of

McLean (MSM) wish to extend ourmost sincere gratitude to United Arab EmiratesAmbassador to the United States Yousef AlOtaiba and Mrs. Abeer Al Otaiba for hosting thisyear’s annual fundraising gala.

The “Arabian Nights” gala was held at theEmbassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) inWashington, D.C. At the event, MSM faculty,staff and guests were treated to a spectacularevening, featuring Arab music, food, art andculture. Guests also had the opportunity to enjoytraditional Arabic shisha under the stars, foodand hookah bar.

The gala was made possible through awonderful collaboration between the UAEEmbassy and the MSM Parent Association galacommittee, and was the most well-attended andsuccessful event in the school’s history.

Again, we thank Ambassador and Mrs. AlOtaiba, and the entire Embassystaff for this memorable event.

Sponsored by:Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun & Prince William Counties;

Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax & Falls Church.

NORTHERN VIRGINIASENIOR OLYMPICSSEPTEMBER 13-24

Adults 50+ Register by Aug. 29 (Mail); Sept. 5 (Online)No Onsite Registrations ~ Over 50 Events:

Everything from Track to Scrabble!Registration fee: $12 (covers multiple events)

Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals Awarded

Opening Ceremonies: Saturday, September 13, 9:00 a.m.Thomas Jefferson Community Center

3501 S. 2nd St., Arlington

Check Website for daily schedule & to register: www.nvso.usInformation: 703-228-4721 or [email protected]

20142014

132 Branch Road, S.E. • Vienna, VAVisit www.maplewoodgrill.com for Specials

Maplewood GrillServing Our Neighbors and Friends for Over 26 YearsServing Our Neighbors and Friends for Over 30 Years

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MCC GoverningBoard to Hold aSpecial AugustMeeting

The Governing Board of theMcLean Community Center(MCC) will hold a special meet-ing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday,Aug. 20. The board schedule doesnot usually include an August orNovember meeting, but the Boardhas decided to hold this specialmeeting to allow it to work onsome time-sensitive projects, suchas a proposed renovation and ex-pansion and the FY 2016 budgetproposal. The meeting will be heldat the Center, which is located at1234 Ingleside Avenue.

Tax district residents (Small Dis-trict One A-Dranesville) who wishto speak during the “Citizen Com-ment” portion of the meeting areasked to call the Center at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, to be placedon the agenda.

For more information, call theCenter at 703-790-0123, or visitthe Center’s website,www.mcleancenter.org.

Week in McLean

See Week, Page 13


Opinion

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Call: 703-778-9410e-mail:

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CIRCULATION: 703-778-9426Circulation Manager:

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McLean

The Virginia General Assembly’s re-fusal to expand Medicaid, extend-ing health coverage to as many as400,000 Virginians has resulted in

the loss of about $1 billion in direct payments.But that understates the loss, failing

to calculate the cost of the lost healthof thousands of Virginians.

Consider one relatively young man,treated by the Health Wagon, who is losing hisvision to untreated diabetes because he has nohealth coverage, his diabetes went undetectedfor years and can’t afford monitoring or medi-cine. Once diabetes begins to take its toll, itcannot be reversed. Once the man is blind andunable to work, he will likely be covered byMedicaid because he is permanently disabled.

The Centers for Disease Control says chronicillnesses are “the nation’s leading causes ofdeath and disability, leav[ing] in their wakedeaths that could have been prevented, life-long disability, compromised quality of life, andburgeoning health care costs. … Heart disease,stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthritisare among the most common, costly, and pre-ventable of all health problems.”

Consider the hundreds or thousands of Vir-ginians who are not receiving routine care orscreenings of any kind, whose cancer or highblood pressure or heart disease or diabetes, oreven mental illness, rob them over time of their

ability to work, to care for themselvesor their families. Many will die of ill-nesses that could have been preventedor treated. The human toll is incalcu-

lable, unbearable and unnecessary.It is unfair that health coverage depends on

what state you happen to live in, that an ideo-logically driven General Assembly can deter-mine your fate. If you are poor and live in astate that has chosen to accept expansion ofhealth care with Medicaid, you have healthinsurance, for example in the bordering statesof West Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland. Butif you are poor and live in Virginia, or one ofthe other states that has refused to expandMedicaid, you are out of luck, out of healthand possibly out of life.

Business groups and chambers of commercearound Virginia, including the Fairfax CountyChamber of Commerce, support the expansionof Medicaid in Virginia under the Affordable

Care Act. One persuasive factor for the busi-ness community is that expansion would cre-ate an estimated 30,000 jobs and pump hun-dreds of millions of dollars into Virginia’seconomy. Hospitals support expanding Medic-aid which would offset many of the costs ofcaring for uninsured populations.

In Virginia, Medicaid eligibility for adultswithout disability is almost nonexistent, lim-ited to parents with incomes below 51 percentof poverty, or about $11,900 a year for a fam-ily of four, according to the Kaiser Family Foun-dation. Adults without dependent children re-main ineligible regardless of their income.

Under the Affordable Care Act, people withincomes 100 - 400 percent of poverty qualifyfor subsidies on their health insurance premi-ums when they purchase coverage through aMarketplace. Because the Affordable Care Actenvisioned low-income people receiving cov-erage through Medicaid, people below povertyare not eligible for Marketplace subsidies. Asmany as 400,000 adults in Virginia fall intothe coverage gap because they don’t qualifyfor Medicaid under Virginia’s rules, among themost stringent in the nation, but earn less thanthe poverty rate, so not enough to qualify forsubsidies.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Money lost by refusal to expand health coverage,but also life, health and livelihood.

Tragic Consequences

Editorial

See Opportunities, Page 7

By Mary Agee

Northern Virginia Family

Service President and CEO

On the surface, MarthaOrdon is living the typi-cal Northern Virginian

life. She works as a medical recep-tionist at a doctor’s office inFairfax, and talks proudly abouther 16 year-old daughter, a so-cially-active junior who plans tostudy business in college when shegraduates. The reality is a little bitmore complicated.

Martha and her daughter movedto Fairfax in 2008 from Louisiana.Her friend had urged her to makethe move to Northern Virginia,telling her about the fantasticquality of life: the great schools,the strong job market and thesense of community. What herfriend hadn’t mentioned was thehigh cost of living. In Louisiana,Martha had worked as a cook in aCatholic school and always made

enough to pay her bills. In Fairfax,she took a full-time job as a cookmaking $10.50 an hour and a part-time job as a retail sales associatemaking $8 an hour. With two jobs,Martha could pay her bills, but sherarely got to see her daughter.When Martha lost her job as a

cook, she began working retailfull-time but could no longer makeends meet.

In 2012, Martha and her daugh-ter were evicted from their apart-ment. They lived in a hotel until aspace became available at a localfamily shelter. Martha recognized

that in order to pull her life backtogether and provide a stablehome for her daughter, she wouldneed a living-wage job. She alsorealized that her previous experi-ence as a cook was not going to

Housing and jobopportunitiesneeded torelieve poverty.

‘Living Wage’ Tough to Achieve in Northern Virginia

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Letters

To the Editor:The recent story in McLean Con-

nection about Governor TerryMcAuliffe signing special legisla-tion that would focus on helpingmilitary personnel and their fami-lies underscored the importance ofwhat these fine Americans do forour country. A grateful nation andstate should acknowledge theirsacrifice by helping them whenpossible.

All too often we focus on the ruleof money and self-interest. We for-get that our freedoms are not free.They must be defended in a hos-tile world. These Americans havestepped up to the plate and served

our nation. The rule of honor, notmoney, is what motivates them. Ibelieve that our country would bemuch better off if this same con-cept of honor could extend beyondthe military and permeate all as-pects of our lives.

In my book, Return to Order(which I will be presenting at

Book-A-Million on July 26 inMcLean), I discuss this need toreturn to honor, order and all thosethings that really matter. Actionslike that of Governor McAuliffe area very good beginning.

John HorvatMcLean

Following the Rule of Honor

From Page 6

help her rise above the povertyline. During her shelter stay,Martha discovered Training Fu-tures, the nationally-recognized,workforce development solutionof Northern Virginia Family Ser-vice.

Training Futures is a free pro-gram for adults who are deter-mined to gain the skills to excel inprofessional, administrative roles.The 6-month curriculum not onlyteaches college-level administra-tive skills such as the MicrosoftOffice Suite, customer service,records management, medical ter-minology, business English andbusiness math, but also through apartnership with Northern VirginiaCommunity College, offers eligibletrainees the opportunity to earn upto 21 college credits and a CareerStudies Certificate in Business In-formation Technology.

Trainees come to Training Fu-tures Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 2p.m., and often arrive early andstay late to master course work.They are outfitted in the TrainingFutures Clothing Closet and ex-pected to wear business profes-sional clothes every day. Eachtrainee reports to a “supervisor,”or staff member, who coachesthem around attitude and businesshabits, encourages them andabove all else, holds them to high“corporate” expectations. Whentrainees arrive for their first dayat their new professional, admin-istrative job, they not only havethe skills to add value, but alsolook and act the part of an excel-lent employee. Martha knew shehad found the pathway to the lifeshe imagined for herself and herdaughter. Within five weeks ofgraduating from this exciting pro-gram, Martha landed her positionas a medical receptionist, making$14 an hour.

While at the shelter, Martha wasalso referred to the BridgingAffordability Program. BridgingAffordability is administered byNorthern Virginia Family Servicein partnership with Fairfax CountyDepartment of Housing & Commu-nity Development. The programcombines rental subsidies and casemanagement supportive serviceswith the intent of moving familiesforward toward self-sufficiency.Bridging Affordability has givenMartha the time and financialbreathing room to attend TrainingFutures and work towards a liv-ing wage. As Martha nears the endof her time in BridgingAffordability she is paying downdebt which will allow her to pur-chase a car and further broadenher housing options. She has in-creased her income 57 percentsince starting the program, thanksto the training and subsequentemployment she found followingTraining Futures, but still needs toconsider affordable housing op-tions, which are rare in this area.

The comprehensive nature ofNVFS programs, includingWorkforce Development andHousing Services, provide clientswith a unique opportunity toachieve several substantial goalsat one time. NVFS has made theinvestment to ensure that whenclients who seek our services forone issue may access the full rangeof our programs to increase theodds of achieving self-sufficiency.In the community, NVFS has beenworking with partners in both thenonprofit and government sectorswho recognize the cross sectionbetween these two service areas.Families will not be able to main-tain stable housing without livingwages, and our efforts to solve thehousing program in Northern Vir-ginia are contingent upon holisticsolutions that address both ofthese issues, together.

Creating Opportunities


News

America Eats Tavern in the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, held its openingparty last Thursday, July 10. Pictured here are ThinkFoodGroup’s Culi-nary Operations Director Joe Raffa with Head Chef Nate Waugaman andsous chef Aaron Helfand.

Photo by Veronica Bruno/The Connection

America Eats Tavern Officially Opens


For the third year in a row,

Inova Fairfax Medical Cam-pus has been ranked as the top hos-

pital in the Washington, D.C. metropolitanarea by U.S. News & World Report. InovaFairfax also jumped in rankings to secondin the state, and earned national recogni-tion as No.33 in the country in Gynecologyand No. 42 in Neonatology. The annual U.S.News Best Hospitals rankings, now in their25th year, recognize hospitals that excel intreating the most challenging patients.

“Three years in a row as No. 1 is an out-standing accomplishment and we are proudof our hospital’s dedicated physicians and

U.S. News: Inova Fairfax Hospital Tops in D.C. Metro Areastaff who provide the best of care to ourpatients every day. I’d like to congratulateour staff, particularly within InovaWomen’s and Children’s for their impres-sive and well-deserved national rankings,”said Patrick Christiansen, PhD, chief ex-ecutive officer, Inova Fairfax MedicalCampus.

Inova Fairfax Medical Campus also earnedhigh-performing rankings in 11 specialties:

❖ Cancer❖ Cardiology and Heart Surgery❖ Diabetes and Endocrinology❖ Ear, Nose and Throat❖ Gastroenterology & GI Surgery,

❖ Geriatrics❖ Nephrology❖ Neurology and Neurosurgery❖ Orthopedics❖ Pulmonology❖ UrologyIn the recently released U.S. News Best

Children’s Hospital Rankings, InovaChildren’s Hospital was named 42nd in thenation for Neonatology.

U.S. News publishes Best Hospitals to helpguide patients who need a high level of carebecause they face particularly difficult sur-gery, a challenging condition or extra riskbecause of age or multiple health problems.

Objective measures such as patient sur-vival and safety data, adequacy of nursestaffing levels and other data largely de-termined the rankings in most specialties.

The rankings are available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals andwill appear in the U.S. News “Best Hospi-tals 2015” guidebook, available in August.

All five of Inova’s hospitals were recog-nized again this year in the top 15 besthospitals in the Washington, DC, metro-politan area, and top 20 in Virginia. Tolearn more about Inova Fairfax MedicalCampus, visit www.inova.org/ifh.


Send announcements [email protected] is Friday for the following week’spaper. Photos/artwork encouraged.

FRIDAY/JULY 25Playdate Cafe. 10 a.m. Great Falls

Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Play area and toys forchildren. Coffee and conversation forgrown-ups. For ages 0 and up with aparent or caregiver. 703-757-8560.

Pokemon League. 3 p.m. PatrickHenry Library, 101 Maple Ave. East,Vienna. Learn and play. Ages 5 to 18.703-930-0405.

Bizet Carmen. 8:15 p.m. Wolf Trap,1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Wolf TrapOpera and the National SymphonyOrchestra in a thrilling tale of love,lust, and desire. New production,fully staged and costumed withcustom video projection design. Sungin French with English supertitles.Tickets: $25-$75. www.wolftrap.org/

Look at the Stars! ObservatoryOpen. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Turner FarmPark, Springvale Road, Great Falls.Come to the observatory park forFriday Night viewings!www.analemma.org.

SATURDAY/JULY 26Sarah McLachlan. 8 p.m. Wolf Trap,

1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Withemotional ballads and etherealvocals, this Grammy-winning “Angel”has become “pop’s voice ofcompassion and consolation” (TheNew York Times). Tickets: $30-$70.www.wolftrap.org/

Cars & Coffee. 7-9 a.m. Katie’s CoffeeHouse, 760 Walker Road Great Falls.Come find an amazing gathering ofantique, custom, hotrods, exotic andsports cars; they’re all here. 703-759-

Multiple Washington Area Music (WAMMIE) Award-win-ner and bluesman extraordinaire, Tom Principato sets thetelecaster on fire and makes having the blues so good.See him at McLean’s Summer Sunday Concerts in the Parkon July 27 at McLean Central Park.

Calendar

2759.Great Falls Farmers Market. 9 a.m.-

1 p.m. Great Falls Village next to theWells Fargo Bank, 778 Walker Road,Great Falls. Don’t forget to bring yourrecyclable bag!www.greatfallsfarmersmarket.org.

Guys and Dolls. 2 and 8 p.m. AldenTheater, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean.The McLean Community Playerspresent one of the most enduringworks of musical comedy, set inRunyon’s mythical New York City.$18-20. 866-811-4111.www.mcleanplayers.org

SATURDAY/JULY 26 - SATURDAY/AUG. 9McLean AAUW 45th Annual Used

Book Collections. 9 a.m. - 1:30p.m. Sun Trust Bank, 515 MapleAvenue East, Vienna. Bring book, CDand DVD contributions for the 45thAnnual Used Book Sale in September.Email [email protected] orcall 703-527-4206 for information.

SUNDAY/JULY 27 Summer Sunday Concerts in the

Park. 5 p.m. McLean Central Park,1468 Dolley Madison Boulevard,McLean. Multiple Washington AreaMusic (WAMMIE) Award-winner andbluesman extraordinaire, TomPrincipato sets the telecaster on fireand makes having the blues so good.

Tom Principato. 5 p.m. McLeanCentral Gazebo, 1468 DolleyMadison Blvd., McLean. GuitaristTom Principato combines blues andhigh-energy rock. 703-790-0123.

MONDAY/JULY 28Tiny Tot Time. 10:30 a.m. Dolley

Madison Library, 1244 Oak RidgeAve., McLean. Songs, rhymes,activities and a story. Age 13-23months with adult. 703-356-0770.

Reptiles Alive. 7 p.m. Oakton Library,10304 Lynnhaven Pl., Oakton. Seehow these amazing animals cling,

climb and chase in the wild. Ages 6to 12. 703-242-4020.

Great Falls Library Read to theDog. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Beginning readers canpractice reading to a furry friend.Call 703-757-8560 to sign up.

McLean & Great Falls CelebrateVirginia Meeting. 5:30 p.m.McLean Community Center, 1234Ingleside Avenue, McLean. The groupwill be finalizing plans for theirAugust 24 event, An Afternoon withthe Madisons, commemorating thebicentennial of the burning of thenation’s Capitol during the War of1812. 703-356-8223.

TUESDAY/JULY 29Colvin Run Dance Lesssons. 6:30-

10:30 p.m. Colvin Run CommunityHall, 10201 Colvin Run Road, GreatFalls. Weekly Dance/Lesson Serieswith Ed Cottrell & the NVA DanceCrew. $12. 703-435-5620.

WEDNESDAY/JULY 30Splish and Splash. 10:30 a.m. Dolley

Madison Library, 1244 Oak RidgeAve., McLean. Stories, songs andactivities about wash day. Ages 2 to5 with an adult. 703-356-0770.

Preschool Storytime. 10:30 am.Oakton Library, 10304 LynnhavenPl., Oakton. Stories and songs forchildren and adults. Ages 3 to 5 withadult. 703-242-4020.

Pokemon League. 4:30 p.m. GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Come play Pokemonwith your friends. 703-757-8560.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestrawith Wynton Marsalis. 8 p.m.Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna.Grammy-winning jazz masterWynton Marsalis and an all-starorchestra. Tickets: $25-$48.

See Calendar, Page 11

Homeowners who enjoytrees can now plant atree in their front yard

this fall or next spring with thehelp of the McLean Trees Foun-dation. The McLean Neighbor-hood Tree Program, a new ini-tiative of MTF, is funded in partby the McLean Community Foun-dation and encourageshomeowners to become activelyengaged in the selection, plant-ing, and care of their trees.

The program, the first of itskind in McLean, is similar to ex-isting tree programs in FallsChurch, Arlington, and Washing-ton D.C. The program empha-sizes homeowner involvementand long-term restoration of aquality tree canopy rather thanshort-term quantity planting.

“To plant a tree and see itthrive and grow over a periodof time is a joyful and positiveexperience,” said Joyce Harris,Chairman of the McLean TreesFoundation. “Trees improve ourenvironment, contribute to ourhealth and well-being, and en-hance the character and beautyof our community.”

MTF has traditionally plantedtrees on public and private prop-

Trees for McLean Neighborhoods

erty, but this is the first MTF pro-gram designed to encourage home-owner involvement and to educatehomeowners about the environ-mental, health, aesthetic, and eco-nomic benefits of trees.

“Trees impact our lives and theenvironment in many ways, butsome homeowners may not realizethat there are significant economicbenefits to be gained from plantingtrees on their property”, said Har-ris. “For example, trees increaseproperty values by 10 to 15 percent;homes with trees sell more quicklyand for higher prices than homeswithout trees; and one mature 25-foot tree reduces annual heating

and cooling costs of a typical resi-dence by 8 to 12 percent.”

AN ADDITIONAL GOAL of theprogram is to help restore and di-versify the tree canopy in McLean.

“To fully enhance the tree canopyin Fairfax County, tree planting mustoccur on privately-owned residentiallots, as county-owned and com-monly-owned open spaces are lim-ited,” said Keith Cline, Director of theFairfax County Urban Forest Manage-ment Division. “Residential lots havethe most space for planting new treesin Fairfax County and trees are morelikely to thrive with a homeownercaring for them.” “A program like this

benefits the environment, neighbor-hoods, homeowners, and the com-munity,” said Jim McGlone, UrbanForest Conservationist with the De-partment of Urban Forestry in North-ern Virginia, and a consultant to theprogram. “A healthy tree populationprojects a positive community imageand improves the quality of life forall of us.”

To join the program, homeownersmust complete an application thatcan be found online and pay a $50fee that helps to supplement pro-gram costs. Once an application hasbeen received, MTF volunteers willvisit the homeowner’s property todiscuss the program, review theirproperty, and recommend tree spe-cies and planting locations.

MTF volunteers will work withthe homeowner to properly plantthe tree and guide the homeowner onwatering and maintaining the tree. Afollow-up visit to the property will becarried out by an MTF volunteer oneto six months after the planting.

Planting dates can be scheduledfor the fall or spring. Applicationsare accepted year round.

MTF offers a selection of native one-inch caliper (diameter) understoryand canopy trees. Trees of this sizehave a high survival rate and are easy

for volunteers to handle. The se-lection of trees include Oaks, BlackGum, Elm, American Holly, BaldCypress, Eastern Red Cedar, SweetGum, Fringe Tree, Redbud, Ameri-can Hornbeam, Sweetbay Magno-lia, and Serviceberry.

“This is an experience that thewhole family can participate in,including children,” said Harris.“It’s an experience that will staywith you for life.”

Unlike other neighboring treeprograms, MTF receives no juris-dictional funding and is solely de-pendent on fees, grants, and con-tributions to support its program.

“The McLean NeighborhoodTree Program is an innovative en-vironmental program, managedsolely by volunteers, and it willhelp to improve our environmentand enhance our neighbor-hoods,” said Amee Burgoyne,President of the McLean Commu-nity Foundation. “We are pleasedto partner with MTF.”

MORE INFORMATION on theMcLean Neighborhood Tree Programcan be obtained on MTF’s website:McLeanTreesFoundation.org. or callJoyce Harris, Chairman of MTF, at703-216-5605.

Photo contributed

From left: Janet Tysee, MCF Trustee; Alan Denko, MTFBoard Member; Amee Burgoyne, President of MCF; JoyceHarris, Chairman of MTF; Rip Sullivan, MCF Trustee; BobKoenig, MTF Board Member; and Joann Berkson, VicePresident of MCF.


www.wolftrap.org/

THURSDAY/JULY 31Patrick Henry Book Club. 1 p.m.

Patrick Henry Library, 101 MapleAve. East, Vienna. Among the Mad: AMaisie Dobbs novel by JacquelineWinspear. Adults. 703-938-0405.

Teen Volunteer Sign-up forReading Buddies. 4:15 p.m. GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Please report at 4:15p.m. Teen. 703-757-8560.

Reading Buddies. 4:30 p.m. GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. Grab a book, grab abuddy! Beginning readers and teenspractice reading together. School-age. 703-757-8560.

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter. 7p.m. Patrick Henry Library, 101Maple Ave. East, Vienna. Help uscelebrate the birthday of favoriteliterary wizard. Games, trivia, fun.Teens and adults. 703-938-0405.

Rodrigo y Gabriela. 8 p.m. WolfTrap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna.Nimble-fingered Mexican guitar duopresents rhythmically superchargedinstrumentals, with influencesranging from heavy metal to salsa.Tickets: $35-$65. www.wolftrap.org/

Great Falls Rotary Club WeeklySpeaker Series. 7:30-8:30 a.m.River Bend Country Club, 375 WalkerRoad Great Falls. Visit http://www.rotarygreatfalls.org/ to join.

Artists Meet for Coffee. 8:30-10 a.m.Katie’s Coffeehouse, GeorgetownPike, Great Falls. Local Artists meetfor Coffee; do drop in! 703-759-2759.

FRIDAY/AUG. 1Kayak Tour – Moonshine &

Mayhem. 5-7 p.m. Riverbend Park,8700 Potomac Hills St., Great Falls.What is now Riverbend Park oncewas a safe haven for illegal whiskey-making operations during the 1920s;kayak past river islands and discoverits shady past. Ages 14+. $59-$74.Register at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

SATURDAY/AUG. 2Sunrise Kayak Tour. 7-9 a.m.

Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac HillsSt., Great Falls. Paddle with anaturalist and learn about thehistorical and natural beauty of thePotomac. Ages 14+. $59-$74.Register at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

Free Tai Chi Beginners’ Practice.8-9 a.m. McLean Central Parkbasketball court, 1468 DolleyMadison Blvd, McLean. Open to all,including first-timers, every Saturdaymorning. 703-759-9141 orwww.freetaichi.org/practice.shtml.

Natalie York Band at Jammin’Java. 7 p.m. Jammin’ Java, 227

Maple Avenue East, Vienna. Viennanative Natalie Yorkºreturns with herBrooklyn, NY-based band and secondalbum PROMISES. Tickets availableat www.jamminjava.com.

SATURDAY/AUG. 2 - SUNDAY/AUG. 3Tysons-Pimmit Library Book Sale.

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tysons-PimmitRegional Library, 7584 LeesburgPike, Falls Church. Friends of theTysons-Pimmit Regional Library isholding a book sale to benefit theTysons-Pimmit Regional Library onAugust 2 and 3. Choose from a largeselection of on Sunday, August 3,from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.Donations are welcome.

SUNDAY/AUG. 3Intro to River Kayaking. 1-1:30 p.m.

Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac HillsSt., Great Falls. This introductorylevel course covers river hazards,water safety and paddling basics.Ages 14+. $28-43. Register at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

FRIDAY/AUG. 8Kayak Tour – Sunset over

Riverbend. 5-7 p.m. RiverbendPark, 8700 Potomac Hills St., GreatFalls. Experience the end of the daywith a tour of the upper Potomac.Ages 14+. $59-$74. Register athttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

SATURDAY/AUGUST 9Free Tai Chi Beginners’ Practice.

8-9 a.m. McLean Central Parkbasketball court, 1468 DolleyMadison Blvd, McLean. Open to all,including first-timers, every Saturdaymorning. 703-759-9141 orwww.freetaichi.org/practice.shtml.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 13 Kayaking for Fitness. 5-7 p.m.

Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac HillsSt., Great Falls. Four beginningkayaking classes that teach flat andmoving water kayaking basics whileincreasing fitness. Ages 14+. $119-$134. Register at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

FRIDAY/AUG. 15Kayak Tour Island Hopping. 5-7

p.m. Riverbend Park, 8700 PotomacHills St., Great Falls. Explore theupper Potomac River islands bykayak. Ages 14+. $59-$74. Registerat http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/kayaktours.htm.

Calendar From Page 10

Vienna native Natalie York returns with her Brooklyn,N.Y.-based band and second album PROMISES on Aug. 2at Jammin’ Java.


Sports

As a senior, Garrett Collier was an all-region wide receiver on the highest-scoring offense in Langley football

history. He was also a defensive back andan all-conference kick returner and punt re-turner. A broken collar bone knocked himout of the final game of the season, butCollier played a significant role in helpingthe Saxons finish 9-3, including a playoffvictory over Battlefield.

While Collier had a strong senior seasonon the football field, his future is on thehardwood. An all-conference basketballplayer at Langley, Collier signed to playhoops at Denison University in Granville,Ohio. Collier, a three-year varsity footballand basketball player at Langley before his2014 graduation, recently participated in aQ and A via email with The Connection.

*Connection: What made Denison Uni-versity the right fit for you?

Collier: I developed a solid relationshipwith the coaching staff, it had the perfectbalance of strong academics and social life,a beautiful campus, and I just felt at homewhen I visited.

A torn ACL sidelined Kelly Koshutafor her entire sophomore season,but the injury didn’t keep the 6-

foot-2 Madison basketball standout fromreturning to dominance. After averaging19.5 points and 10.8 rebounds as a fresh-man post, leading the Warhawks to a Lib-erty District title and a trip to the regionsemifinals, Koshuta injured her left kneeduring an AAU game in the summer of2012. After sitting out as a sophomore,Koshuta returned for her junior cam-paign and earned all-state honors. Madi-son reached the region semifinals for thesecond time in three years, and Koshutanearly willed the Warhawks to victoryand a berth in the state tournament. Fac-ing eventual region champion StonewallJackson and 6-foot-2 Wake Forest-boundNicole Floyd, Koshuta scored a career-high 39 points and grabbed 19 rebounds,but Madison fell short, 78-72.

“She has great hands and she just hasthe determination to score,” Madisonhead coach Kirsten Stone said aboutKoshuta entering her junior season. “Sheknows how to use her body. She’s a littlebit undersized for a post, but she knows

Langley Grad Collier to Play Basketball at Denison

Connection file photo

Garrett Collier (22) was a standouton the basketball and footballteams at Langley.

Q&A: Collier enjoyslistening to Nas,watching Will Ferrellmovies.

*Connection: What is your major?Collier: Economics.*Connection: At what age did you start

playing basketball? When did you realizeplaying college basketball was a possibilityfor you?

Collier: As early as I can remember. Froma very early age, I always wanted to playcollege sports, I just wasn’t sure if it wouldbe basketball or football.

*Connection: You were also a standoutfootball player at Langley. Did you give anythought to playing football in college? If so,when did you make the choice betweenfootball and basketball?

Collier: I didn’t expect to have the [senior]season I had in football, so I didn’t give muchthought to playing in college. By the time Ireceived interest, I had already committed toDenison.

*Connection: You broke your collar boneduring football season, correct? In whichgame did you break it?

Collier: I broke it during our regionalquarterfinal game against Stonewall Jackson.

*Connection: How long were you out? Howdifficult was it to miss time?

Collier: I had surgery a couple days afterthe game, and was out for about six weeks. Imissed the first 10 games of basketball, whichwas difficult for the team because we wereso young. The slow start hurt some of theyounger players’ confidence, and I believe thatwas a big reason we weren’t able to be assuccessful as we wanted to.

*Connection: What is your favorite memoryof playing high school basketball? What isyour favorite football memory?

Collier: My entire junior year basketballseason was one great memory in itself. I couldsay the same about this past football season,but I’d say getting revenge on Chantilly andsmashing crosstown rival McLean.

*Connection: If you could go back and

change one thing about your high school ath-letic career, what would it be?

Collier: I wouldn’t have let [Wakefield’s]Re’Quan Hopson shoot the buzzer-beater 3-pointer that knocked us out of regionals [in2013].

*Connection: What are you most lookingforward to about the transition from highschool to college?

Collier: The step up in competition and thefreedom of living on your own.

*Connection: Who is your favorite musicartist? Why?

Collier: Nas. No explanation needed. TheRolling Stones are also a favorite.

*Connection: What is your favorite movie?Collier: ‘Pineapple Express,’ any Will Ferrell

movie and ‘Django Unchained.’*Connection: Do you play video games? If

so, which one is your favorite?Collier: FIFA is life.*Connection: What is your favorite hobby

outside of basketball and football?Collier: I love to golf and just hang out with

friends.*Connection: What location is the farthest

you have traveled from the Washington, D.C.metro area?

Collier: Russia.*Connection: Are you a pro sports fan? If

so, who are your favorite teams?Collier: All D.C. sports teams. HTTR.

— Jon Roetman

Madison’s Koshuta Returned to Dominance After Torn ACLQ&A: 6-2 postearned all-state in2014, committed toVirginia Tech.

how to position herself in a way that shecan score.”

Koshuta, a rising senior, will have onemore season to try and lead Madison to thestate playoffs. After high school, Koshutawill play for Virginia Tech after committing

to the Hokies during her junior year.Koshuta recently participated in a Q and

A via email with The Connection.*Connection: You’re committed to Vir-

ginia Tech. What made Tech the right fitfor you?

Koshuta: Virginia Tech was the first schoolto offer me, and they called the day after Igot injured and believed in me. VT HeadCoach Dennis Wolff took over a strugglingprogram and has made improvements ev-ery year. The coaches at Virginia Tech be-lieve in me, and they think I will make animmediate impact in the ACC, and that isalso attractive to me. I will be playingagainst some of the best players in the coun-try, not to mention I absolutely love theschool, and the campus.

*Connection: At what age did you startplaying basketball? Have you always beena post player? When did you realize play-ing college basketball was a possibility foryou?

Koshuta: I started in second grade. I havepretty much been a post player my wholelife. I realized college basketball was a pos-sibility when colleges started recruiting mein seventh grade.

*Connection: You missed your sophomoreseason due to a torn ACL. How has that in-jury and the work it took to get back af-fected you as a basketball player and a per-son?

Koshuta: It motivated me to never takebasketball for granted. I realized how muchI missed the game when I had to watch my

sophomore season from the bench. I kepttraining as soon as I could stand, andworked hard on my game all during re-hab. As a person, I now reach out to otherathletes who get injured and tell themto work hard, and things will get better.

*Connection: Was there ever a timeduring your rehab that you wanted togive up?

Koshuta: Never. I had a great surgeon,Dr. Chris Annunziata, and an awesomephysical therapist named Sam Kang andthey were both positive I would make acomplete comeback. I also had supportfrom my trainer, Mandy Ronay, and myfamily. If anything, I worked even harderafter my surgery, both in rehab, and train-ing for basketball.

*Connection: You stand 6 feet 2. Howoften does someone mention your heightduring a conversation or ask if you playbasketball?

Koshuta: People talk about my heightall the time, but it’s funny: I am actuallyundersized for a college post player. Ihave played against girls who are 6-6 and6-7 during AAU season.

*Connection: What is your favorite ath-letic moment from your first three yearsat Madison?

Koshuta: Two things come to mind:beating Paul VI in the Bulldog Bash myfreshman year, and winning the LibertyDistrict my freshman year.

Connection File Photo

Madison’s Kelly Koshuta scored 39points and grabbed 19 reboundsduring a loss to Stonewall Jacksonin the 2014 6A North region semifi-nals.

— Jon Roetman


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Falls CelebrateVirginia to MeetJuly 28

McLean & Great Falls CelebrateVirginia will meet Monday, July28, at 5:30 p.m. at the McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 InglesideAve., McLean. The group will befinalizing plans for their Aug. 24,2 p.m. event, An Afternoon withthe Madisons, commemorating thebicentennial of the burning of thenation’s Capitol during the War of1812. Roger Mudd will be theHonorary Chair and the event willbe free of charge. If interested inknowing more can contact CaroleHerrick at 703-356-8223.

Week From Page 5

Faith Notes are for announcements andevents in the faith community. Send [email protected] is Friday.

The Jewish Social ServicesAgency (JSSA) offers a wide va-riety of support groups for thosewith emotional, social, and physi-cal challenges. www.jssa.org/growth-learning.

HAVEN of Northern Vir-ginia offers a variety of free be-reavement support groups, meet-ing on a weekly basis. 703-941-7000 or www.havenofnova.org.

McLean Bible Church Fit-ness Class at Body & SoulFitness. Gain balance, energyand strength at 9:45 a.m. Mondaysand Fridays. Free childcare for reg-istered [email protected].

St. Dunstan’s EpiscopalChurch, 1830 Kirby Road inMcLean, holds a third Sunday serviceevery month at 10:15 a.m. which al-lows children to play active roles inthe music and as greeters and ushers.Traditional services are every Sundayat 8:15 and 10:15 a.m.

Vienna Christian HealingRooms are open, every Saturday,1-5 p.m., at 8200 Bell Lane. Ateam of Christians is available toanyone requesting prayer. Freeand open to the public. 703-698-9779 orwww.viennachristianhealingrooms.com.

Chesterbrook United Meth-odist Church is at 1711 KirbyRoad, McLean. Worship service isat 11 a.m. Sunday school is at 9:30a.m. for adults and children. 703-356-7100 orwww.ChesterbrookUMC.org.

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James E. “Butch” Miller, 76, of Burgess, Virginiawent to be with his Lord on July 11, 2014.He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marlene Millerand their three children, Denise, Scott, and TeagueMiller; and two grandchildren, Tristan and BaileyMiller. He is also survived by three sisters, LindaCasciano of Leesburg, Va., Bonnie Bolick ofRadford, Va. and Becky Paul of Charlotte, N.C., andten nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by abrother Curtis Miller. Butch was raised in Great Falls, Va. and graduatedfrom Herndon High School in 1956. In 1960, hegraduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in CivilEngineering. Following graduation, Butch workedfor and rose to become president of Moses-ECCOConstruction Company, and he in the early 1970’swent to work as Vice President of L.F. JenningsConstruction Company, where he worked until hisretirement in 2002.In 2002, Butch and Marlene began their retirementyears by moving from Leesburg, Va.where they hadraised their family, to the Northern Neck of VA,where they settled in a home on the banks of TheGreat Wicomico River. It was important to Butchupon retirement to occupy his time in a worthy pur-suit, so he began playing golf on a regular basis. Heorganized and ran Men’s Golf Leagues at the Tartanand King Carter Golf Clubs. He was affectionatelyknown at those two clubs as the “HonorableCommissioner of Golf”.Butch was a devout Christian his entire life andwhen he retired to the Northern Neck of VA, hejoined the Wesley Presbyterian Church in Weems,Va., where he was a very active member, was cho-sen to become an Elder, and was Chairman ofnumerous church committees. He often said thatthe most important thing in his life was his faith inJesus Christ.In 2007 Butch became a consultant in the recon-struction of seven buildings on the Paxton Campusof the ARC of Loudoun, a charitable corporationwhich operates a school for autistic children. Butchspent countless hours on these projects, bringing allprojects in under budget. The ARC of Loudounrecently honored the contribution and lasting legacyButch made to the building and the children atAurora school by naming the building and place-ment of a plaque which reads: “The J.E. “Butch”Miller Building, beloved friend of Paxton whoseexpertise, hard work, and generous spirit broughtthe dream of this building to life for the children.”

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One of my ongoing major concerns is theorigin of the miscellaneous symptoms Iirregularly experience. Obviously I don’twant to think they’re cancer-related, soassessing them becomes minding whatpotentially matters. Moreover, since I don’twant to believe the cancer is actually harm-ing me, convincing myself that what I feelmight be important to share with my oncolo-gist is almost a fool’s errand. Though I’vebeen in this situation going on nearly five andone half years now, I am still stubborn andstupid about my reality. And though I furtherrealize that pretending doesn’t work, anddenial is hard to maintain when you receivechemotherapy every three weeks, still,accepting the various symptoms as cancerhas been too scary for me to consider; so Ihaven’t/don’t.

Perhaps it’s the treatment (I tell myselfconstantly), and the cumulative effect on mybody of non-stop chemotherapy every threeweeks for five-plus years, save for a yearwhen I was able to take a “targeted therapy”pill, Tarceva, at home every day, that is mani-festing itself? As I may have joked, being acancer patient is all it’s cracked up to be. Inone delivery system or another, I have beenreceiving treatment for almost 64 months. Itseems only logical that my body would atsome juncture begin to feel the effects fromthat kind of long-term exposure, though mylab work doesn’t necessarily reflect it, otherthan for the kidney and liver issues withwhich you regular readers are familiar. Iwould imagine there has to be some wear-and-tear-type fatigue. I mean, 64 months offairly toxic materials swirling around in yourblood system and interacting with all yourorgans; not exactly a recipe for normalcy. Itcan’t be one big happy family in there, if youknow what I mean. There has to be somedisagreements. So far, however, apparentlynot; at least as indicated by my labs andscans, which if certain levels changed wouldlikely warrant a retreat of some kind.

Perhaps what I feel is simply my age. Howwould I know? I’ve never been this agebefore; but certainly it’s possible, maybeeven probable. For all I know, this is what age60 feels like. Maybe all that I feel – and allthat I worry about – is simply the aging proc-ess, and this allows me to rationalize awaymy worst fears. Or, and this is the worst-casescenario, the age symptoms could be mask-ing the cancer symptoms, and yours trulycontinuing to do nothing about either is waypast pretending and denying; it’s almost irre-sponsible, and disrespectful even, to theefforts being made – by myself and others, tokeep me alive. After all, keeping a stage IV,non small cell lung cancer/terminal patientalive for as long as I’ve survived doesn’texactly happen by accident. Stage IV lungcancer is a killer, almost always, and one’samazing good fortune shouldn’t be taken forgranted.

Shouldn’t I be paying closer attentionhere? If I feel something, shouldn’t I allow myoncologist the opportunity to evaluate me?Who am I, a writer/salesperson, to determinewhat is medically significant (cancer-related),and what is not (age-related)? As I’ve said ahundred times in my life, I know about twothings: sports and chocolate, neither of whichhas much to do with cancer and its treat-ment. Concerning science and medicine, Iknow very little. Usually at least, I knowenough to follow directions. Therefore, if I’vebeen told to do something (by my doc-tor/health care team), maybe it’s time I did.It’s likely to be important living forward,especially considering I’ve reached an age noone expected me to be.

Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

A Battle—Hopefully Not tothe PrematureDeath

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Community & Newcomers GuideAugust 27, 2014

The annual Newcomers and Community Guides for each of our 15communities with inside facts on what makes each community special,their secret places, the real power players, how to get involved and more.

Including the history, schools, parks, libraries,local people, elected officials, county/cityoffices, how decisions are made, a calendar ofevents and other vital community information.

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THURSDAY/JULY 24Computer One-on-One. 11 a.m. Oakton Library,

10304 Lynnhaven Pl., Oakton. Internet,Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Adult.703-242-4020.

FRIDAY/JULY 25English Conversation Group. 10 a.m. Patrick

Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. East, Vienna.Practice your English conversation skills in agroup. Adults. 703-938-0405.

MONDAY/JULY 28English Conversation. 10:30 a.m. Oakton Library,

10304 Lynnhaven Pl., Oakton. English practice fornon-native speakers. Adults. 703-242-4020.

Spanish Conversation Group. 1 p.m. GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Practice Spanish as a foreign language in thiscasual conversation group. Adult. 703-757-8560.

TUESDAY/JULY 29Computer One-on-One. 11 a.m. Oakton Library,


Improve Your English Skills. 11 a.m. DolleyMadison Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave., McLean.Get focused help with reading, writing, speakingand listening skills. Adults. 703-356-0770.

One-on-One Computer Tutoring. 11 a.m.Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. East,Vienna. Work with a volunteer tutor to learnabout using the Internet, setting up an emailaccount and using basic software. Adults. 703-938-0404.

English Conversation One-on-One. 1:30 p.m.

Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Pl., Oakton.English practice for a non-native speaker with alibrary volunteer. Call for appointment. Adults.703-242-4020.

WEDNESDAY/JULY 30Computer One-on-One. 11 a.m. Oakton Library,


English Conversation Group. 1 p.m. DolleyMadison Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave., McLean.Practice conversational English in a groupsetting. Adults. 703-356-0770.

ESL Conversation Group. 2 p.m. Great FallsLibrary, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Practice English in this casual conversationgroup. Adult. 703-757-8560.

One-on-One Computer Tutoring. 2 p.m.Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. East,Vienna. Work with a volunteer tutor to learnabout using the Internet, setting up an emailaccount and using basic software. Adults. 703-938-0404.

McLean Connection ❖ Pet Connection, Summer 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Pet Connection

Pet Connection

is produced by

Connection Newspapers

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Local Media Connection LLC

For more information,

call 703-778-9431 or email

[email protected]

McLean

When it comes to fluffy, friendly,and obedient pets that would beperfect for children, there is

nothing better than a bunny rabbit. In earlyNovember of 2013, Anisa Ardeishar, a ris-ing sixth grader at Spring Hill Elementary,decided that a bunny would be the perfectpet for her. And now, eight months later,Ardeishar knows she made the right deci-sion.

Ardeishar got her bunny, named Shadow(an all-black Netherland Dwarf bunny),from a breeder on Nov. 5, 2013. She thoughtShadow stood out because of his color, say-ing, “He was the last one left. I guess noone wanted him because he’s all-black, andthe others were white and colorful, but Istill think he’s really cute.”

Although a rabbit is a somewhat uncom-mon pet among children, Ardeishar believesthat bunnies are great, and not only for theircolor. “They form an attachment to their

Anisa Ardeishar, 11, isthe proud owner of anall-black NetherlandDwarf bunny.

One of the Cutest Petsin McLean

owner, so it follows me around every-where,” she explains. “He can do sometricks, too. He can follow your finger in theair.”

When most children ask their parents fora pet, a dog or cat is usually the first thingthat pops into their mind. However, forAnisa Ardeishar, a bunny was her firstchoice, and her parents were on board withthe decision she made.

— Bijan Todd

Photo by Bijan Todd/The Connection

Spring Hill Elementary rising sixth grader Anisa Ardeishar cuddles withher fluffy new bunny named Shadow.

Have you ever encountered adog that was one-quarterLandseer Newfoundland,one-quarter Chinese Shar Pei,

and 50 percent undetermined? Althoughthe Bocast family’s dog Ivy does have thisexceptional genetic complexion, Marleneand Alex Bocast couldn’t be happier withtheir pet.

The Bocasts have had Ivy for over fiveyears, picking her up from a dog rescue or-ganization in West Virginia. They were un-sure what breed Ivy was until they testedher DNA, and found that she was a combi-nation of several different and uniquebreeds from around the world.

Marlene and Alex Bocast are the happymasters of Ivy, a dog with a story.

It’s All in the Genes

However, Marlene Bocast says Ivy’s genesare not the only thing special about heruncommon pet. “She has one great trick:When she comes in from the patio, sheknows to close the door,” Bocast explains.“What’s interesting is if you’re in anotherroom and you say ‘Door’, she’ll just closethe nearest door to you.”

— Bijan Todd

Marlene Bocast relaxes withher dog Ivy, a pet with aunique and complex geneticmakeup, on their front porch.


2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ Pet Connection, Summer 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Bred, donated and/or rescuedfor assistance dog training bypaws4people.org, these “babypictures” will be shared with

the children and veterans matched witheach dog.

But until then, the puppies will receivecomprehensive training. Training beginsat the Training Center in Wilmington,Del. The specific training is proprietary,but includes learning how to navigatedifferent surfaces and challenges andhow to handle stress. At around 6 weeks,they curl up in a transport van and makethe drive to the Puppy Development Cen-ter, currently in Georgia. There, they con-tinue with socialization training as theywork students who are autistic at theLionheart school, with both puppies andstudents getting more comfortable withnew situations and people.

At 16 weeks, they pile back into thevan and are met by inmate trainers atLakin Correctional, in West Virginia. It ishere that the core of “command set”training happens. Each dog will learn110 commands before being matchedwith a “client.”

After 12 - 15 months of socializationand command training, they will each bematched with either a child or a veteran.From that point, the puppies will betrained specifically to meet their new“handler’s” needs.

During that specialized training, thedogs remain in prison. These pictures willhelp the newly matched children andadults get through that initial separation.

Read more about paws4people assistancedogs at joanbradyphoto.wordpress.com

— Joan Brady

Joan Brady is a professional photographer;mentor and advocate for current and formerfoster children; volunteer with paws4People,

Fairfax Families4Kids, and others; and aresident of Great Falls. Reach her at

[email protected]

Puppies Destined forImportant Work

Joan Brady and the paws4people puppy named JOAN

Photos by Joan Brady/joanbradyphotography.com

Baby photos of future assistance dogs

Frodo and Sam have become bestfriends – sort of. My husband and Iadopted Frodo from Home Alone Cat

Rescue several years ago. He is part MaineCoon and part American Bobtail, with afunny short tail. He may have been mis-treated by a previous owner because he isafraid of everything, especially ceiling fans.He quickly became comfortable in our homeas an “only cat”.

We adopted “Sam” in September of 2012.She was an adorable tabby kitten, part of aferal litter living outside of a restaurant inWashington D.C. Lee District School BoardMember Tammy Kaufax and her two highschool aged kids, Halle and Matthew, werefostering the litter as part of a school project.

Tammy showed me a photo of the kittensin August of 2012 during the SpringfieldBridge Walk and I fell in love with the small-est kitten with tiger markings. As soon asSam had gained enough weight to beadopted we brought her home as a com-panion for Frodo.

It took a few weeks for the two cats to getused to each other, but now they play to-gether and chase each other around all thetime. They are so cute together, especiallywhen Sam hides behind the bedroom doorand ambushes Frodo when he walks intothe room. Animals add so much to your life!

— Sharon Bulova, Chairman,

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Becoming Best Friends

Photo contributed

Sharon Bulova with her cats. "Animals add so much to your life!" Bulovasays.

A GoodCitizenAbby is an 8-year-old Sheltie, an AKCTherapy Dog andCanine Good Citi-zen, who lives inGreat Falls withKathi and DanBaker. Abby lovespeople and most ofall visiting withresidents at theSunrise AssistedLiving in Reston.Abby and Kathivolunteer there withFairfax Pets OnWheels, Inc. It is thehighlight of herweek to go andcheck on all herfriends.

Pet Connection

McLean Connection ❖ Pet Connection, Summer 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Pythons have reputations of being gigantic, fe-rocious, monstrous snakes with large appe-tites. However, this menacing outline doesn’t

at all fit the description of Zed, a two-and-a-half-foot Royal Python who has been a member of theKing family for almost three years.

With a surname that is most appropriate for thetype of pet they accommodate, the King family feedstheir Royal Python Zed an interesting yet fairly simplediet. “We used to feed it mice, but now that it’s got-ten bigger, we feed it rats,” remarked Robbie King, arising second grader. The Kings added that Zed’s dietplan is not overly difficult to maintain. He only needsto be fed once every 2-3 weeks.

Along with a rodent-filled diet, one of Zed’s most

The King Family of six houses Zed, a Royal Python ofnearly three feet in length.

The Snake of Kings

impressive quirks is his post-meal routine. Due tothe fact that Royal Pythons dislocate their jaws to beable to swallow larger foods, after Zed consumes histasty rat, he will perform an interesting body func-tion. As Denys King illustrates, “After he’s eaten, hehas to readjust his jaws, and so he’ll then just yawnthis huge yawn. When he does this, you’ll see all theway down his throat.”

It’s fair to say that reptiles are not commonly oneof the animal classes that families of six have in theirhomes. The King family, on the other hand, feels thattheir pet Python Zed adds an interesting and fun twistto ordinary family life, and for good reason.

— Bijan Todd

From left — John,Robbie, Andrew,and Ashley Kinghold their petPython Zed.


In many cases, dogs are supposed to be greatcompanions for their owners, which occasionally means holding down the fort when mas-ter is away, or being a guard dog. Guard dogs

exemplify the meaning of “Man’s Best Friend,” pro-viding protection by warding off thieves or other in-truders with their menacing looks and overpower-ing strength. On the outside, Buffy, a teenaged mixof Lhasa Apso and Miniature Poodle, looks more likea cute, charming pooch than a guard dog.

Kimball “Stu” Stuhlmuller has been living inMcLean since 1997, and has had Buffy for 13 of thoseyears. “The Lhasa Apso portion of their breeding is aguard dog for Tibetan monasteries and temples,”Stuhlmuller explains. “So she sits in the window andguards our little temple.”

Apart from being a useful protector of theStuhlmuller residence, Stuhlmuler also describes howBuffy is a great companion for him and his wife


Kimball “Stu” Stuhlmuller, a long-timeMcLean homeowner, holds his dog Buffy, aname derived from Buffy the VampireSlayer.

Not The TypicalGuard DogBuffy, a Lhasa Apso andMiniature Poodle mixeddog, has been a McLeanresident for over 13 years.

Debra. They take Buffy with them on all family va-cations.

On one side, Buffy is cute and friendly to peopleshe deems non-threatening (which is most everyone),but when she detects danger, she will stand herground immediately and protect her house.

— Bijan Todd

Pet Connection

4 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ Pet Connection, Summer 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Meet Cecil, Reilly and Sophie

Cecil, the Siamese cat, of McLean, eating his favorite summertime food:corn-on-the-cob with butter and salt.

Sophie, the snake hunting Siamese. She uses her paws to fish around inthe grass and then carries the snakes to the front porch. Often shebrings them into the house via the cat door...alive.

Dad and cat Reilly take a snooze together.

By Ashley Dietz

The Connection

On May 13, The CommunityFoundation for NorthernVirginia’s Margery Barkdull

Memorial Fund for Animal Welfare an-nounced four winners for the 2014 grantprocess from a group of 12 applicants.The winners are Friends of HomelessAnimals, receiving $2,000; Prince Will-iam Humane Society, receiving $3,000;The Wildlife Rescue League, receiving$3,000; and The Wolf Trap Foundation,receiving $2,000. Each of these organi-zations are dedicated to the welfare ofanimals.

The Wolf Trap Foundation will use thegrant to develop and expand it’s apiaryprogram, started by Chris Faessen, theexecutive chef at Wolf Trap. The money

due by April 1. Winners will be suggestedby a committee of volunteer area experts,people who serve and work with animalsand community donors.

The committee will decide who theythink the winners should be based on“what type of impact this grant will haveon their program,” said Tara Nadel, Di-rector of Communications and Events forthe Community Foundation. Those sug-gestions will go to the board of directors,who will either approve or deny thoserecommended.

The board will then look at how muchthe organization is requesting and howmuch they are willing to fund to deter-mine the final winners. The winners willbe announced in June and will receivebetween $2,000 and $5,000 to help pro-tect animals.

2014 Barkdull MemorialFund winners announced.Grants to Support Animal Welfare

Chris Faessen checking the honey-comb of one of the hives at WolfTrap’s apiary.

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“We will display bees and use it as aneducation opportunity,” said MichellePendoley, director of public relations.

Friends of Homeless Animals is planningto use this grant money to provide emer-gency medical relief to animals that do nothave a home. Prince William HumaneSociety’s grant will support the Seniors 4Seniors dog adoption program, whichmatches older pets with senior citizens.TheWildlife Rescue League will provide reha-bilitation supplies to licensed wildlife reha-bilitation facilities which will help care forwild animals.

For 501 (c)(3) organizations, such as ani-mal shelters, animal rescue programs, con-versation organizations and others, lookingto apply for this grant in the future, visitwww.cfnova.org/for-grant-seekers/barkdull-animal-welfare-fund. The applica-tion for 2015 will open next March and be

will buy supplies needed to keep the beeshealthy, as well as an observation hive forpeople to visit.

Pet Connection

one of the cutest pets ieds, page 14 in...

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