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Artful Show at Westfield News, Page 2

Tribute to Heroism News, Page 3

Standing in front of MPO Mike Garbarino’s memorial are (from left) his daughters Natalie and Katie; wid-ow Sue Garbarino Woods; Police Chief Ed Roessler; Woods’s brother, Peter Brinko, and Capt. Dean Lay.

2 ❖ Chantilly Connection ❖ May 16-22, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsThe Westfield PyramidArt Show was April 4-5.Artful Show at Westfield

Sarah Schettini, StoneMiddle, 8th gradeRiley Cutler, Westfield seniorLaraib Fatima, Coates Elementary, 5th grade

Claire Gaito, Stone Middle, 7th grade

Luke Somers, Westfield junior

Joel Crump, London Towne Elementary, 4th grade

Emily Bobek, Virginia Run Elementary,6th grade

Cailin Berry, Westfield junior

Ryan Bowen, Westfield junior

Emily Alvarez, Westfield junior

Photos by Bonnie Hobbs

Chantilly Connection ❖ May 16-22, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Bonnie Hobbs

Mention a date monumentallyimportant to a certain gen-eration, and people can tellyou where they were when,for example, President Kennedy or BeatleJohn Lennon were shot and killed. ForFairfax County residents – and its Police De-partment, in particular – that date is May8, 2006.

That’s because it’s when MPO Mike“Gabby” Garbarino and Det. Vicky Armelwere fatally shot in the back parking-lot ofthe Sully District Police Station. And forthose who knew, loved or worked withthem, that date is forever seared in theirhearts.

Last Tuesday, May 8, they gathered at thestation – as they have each year since thetragedy – to remember these two officerswith a special ceremony. The station com-mander, Capt. Dean Lay, began it by say-ing, “We’re here to honor two heroes.”

On May 8, 2006, around 3:40 p.m., 18-year-old Michael Kennedy carjacked a van.Responding to the call, Armel went outsideto the police station’s rear lot. But as shereached her cruiser, Kennedy – armed withfive handguns, an assault weapon and ahigh-powered rifle – drove into that lot.

There, an unarmed Garbarino was tend-ing to things inside his cruiser before leav-ing on vacation. Standing just a few yardsaway, Kennedy ambushed him, firing morethan 20 rounds at the officer with an AK-47-type rifle.

When the shooting began, Armel, a 17-year police veteran, made her presenceknown to Kennedy to draw fire away fromGarbarino. She and Kennedy exchangedgunfire, and a bullet from his 30-06 riflepierced her ballistic vest and entered herchest.

She made it back inside her cruiser, butwas shot again in the legs. Yet even thoughmortally wounded, she still fired four morerounds, trying to stop the assailant. Armelwas later pronounced dead at Inova FairfaxHospital.

Garbarino also displayed bravery underfire that day. Although he’d been shot fivetimes and was gravely wounded and in pain,the 23-year police veteran used his cruiser’sradio to alert other officers to the danger.He provided suspect information, told thepolice helicopter where to land and warnedother officers to approach from the front ofthe building so they wouldn’t walk straightinto harm’s way.

He also prayed to God and told his fel-low officers, “I’m not going to die here.”True to his word, Garbarino held on in thehospital for nine more days, but succumbedto his injuries May 17, 2006. As for Kennedy,he was killed the day of the offense in a

shootout with other responding officers;police said he’d fired more than 70 rounds.

Both Armel and Garbarino left spouses,two children each, grieving colleagues anda community in mourning. A year later, theFairfax County Police Department posthu-mously awarded Gold Medals of Valor toboth officers.

Last Tuesday’s remembrance ceremonytook place in that same parking lot, at thesame time the tragedy happened. Attend-ees included Deputy County Executive DaveRohrer, county Police Chief Ed Roessler,former county fire and rescue AssistantChief of Operations Dave Rohr, former SullyDistrict Station Commander Susan Culin,family members and colleagues of Armeland Garbarino – including Armel’s formerpartner, Mike Motafches, and former SullyDistrict Supervisor Michael Frey, whose of-fice was in that police station. Capt. ShawnPerkins, a county police chaplain, gave theinvocation.

“Thank You for the opportunity of honor-ing the lives Vicky and Mike lived and theirpublic service, and bless each public ser-vant,” he prayed. “These were two of myfriends. And in these times in which we live– in honor of the lives they gave –I chal-lenge you to continue to do your best, de-spite the atmosphere where you often don’tfeel appreciated.”

“The hope is that, when you’re out on thestreet, you’ll do things, not because of whatyou’ll get in return,” continued Perkins.“You’re giving in good measure, as Godpromises to give to us. Thank you for allyou do for so many who won’t thank you.Be safe out there.”

Recalling May 8, 2006, Lay said, “I was

with the National Capital Regional Intelli-gence Center, and I responded here that day.I saw men and women at their best, and Isaw valor. Gabby and Vicky are those ex-amples of valor, and every day I go throughthat [parking-lot] gate, I remember that.”

Next came a moment of silence in theirmemory, followed by a tone sounding anda police helicopter flyover. Then Lay saidhe’d be returning to their families the me-mentos people had given the Police Depart-ment in Garbarino’s and Armel’s honor, overthe years.

Stepping next to the podium was the as-sistant station com-mander, Lt. RyanMorgan. “This al-ways touched medeep inside and, ev-ery year, it hurts,” hesaid. “They saytime’s supposed toheal, but we won’tforget. We’ll alwayspreserve thememory of Mike and

Vicky. I consider all of you family, and I justwanted to say thank you. Mike and Vickywill never be forgotten by anyone here.”

Then Armel’s and Garbarino’s familieslaid flowers on their own and on eachother’s memorials there. Afterward,Garbarino’s widow, Sue Garbarino Woods(who remarried last September) said, “Itwas tough,” but also stressed how much sheappreciated the event.

“I was at the McLean District Station ear-lier today, and they had a service today, too,

Sully Police Stationhonors Garbarinoand Armel.

‘Gabby and Vicky Are Examples of Valor’

MPO MikeGarbarino Det. Vicky Armel

Some of the attendees at the remembrance ceremony for the two,fallen officers.

From left are Sandy Munday, Mason Armel andMunday’s daughter Taylor.

Sue Garbarino Woods stands in front of her latehusband’s memorial.

See Sully Police Station, Page 9

Photos by Bonnie Hobbs


News

By Bonnie Hobbs

One minute, McLean Police Of-ficer Ashley Block was help-ing out during the March 2windstorm; and the next, shewas pinned to the ground by a tree thatcrashed down on her. She sustained severeinjuries; and when a Sully District policeofficer mentioned her accident to the gen-eral manager of a Greenbriar pizza place,it spurred a fundraiser for her.

It was held March 20 at MOD Pizza, andpolice and firefighters from throughoutFairfax County, plus area residents, bravedfreezing temperatures, sleet and ice to getthere. A month later, on April 26 – althoughstill on crutches – Block was able to be atthe restaurant, herself, to receive a checkfor the $3,000 raised in her name.

“I’m lucky to be alive,” she said. “I cameclose to being paralyzed. I just took my firststeps today.”

When the windstorm struck, Block was anew patrol officer. Trees were down every-where and, while one officer cut them up,she cleared away the debris. But the windwas so strong that the top of a tree brokeoff and fell on her, knocking her onto theground and impaling her left leg. She brokeher femur, shoulder, elbow, four ribs andsome vertebrae.

“I’m scared of trees now,” she said. “Whenit happened, I heard a crack and startedrunning – and all of a sudden, I was downand blacked out. The other officer calledfor help; then Dispatch called me, and Ianswered so they’d know I was alert andcould respond. The next day, in the hospi-tal, the ladies of Dispatch came to see meand brought me flowers. They said, ‘We’reso glad you responded; we didn’t know ifyou were conscious.’”

Block spent five days in the hospital andwas then in a rehabilitation hospital for two-and-a-half weeks. Meanwhile, her mom,Janet Winner, packed up and moved here

from Michigan to take care of her daughterwhile she convalesced.

She now undergoes physical therapy, fivedays a week, both at the Police Academyand with a private physical therapist. “Iwant to get back to where I need to be,”she said. “But it’ll be four to six months untilI’m back at work on full duty.”

On April 26, Block and her family andboyfriend, PFC Sharif Issa, also of theMcLean District Station, were treated to apizza-and-salad dinner by Dean Ladson,general manager of MOD Pizza in theGreenbriar Town Center. Then Ladson andMOD District Manager Dirk Huber pre-

sented her with the check.They wanted to raise money for her, ex-

plained Ladson, because “MOD believes incommunity giving, and we knew it was theright thing to do.” But his restaurant wentabove and beyond what most events of thistype attempt.

Instead of donating just 10 or 20 percentof their proceeds during a few-hours’ timeperiod, MOD gave Block 50 percent. It alsomade it an all-day fundraiser that appliedto every customer that day. Topping it off,the wait staff donated 100 percent of theirtips — which accounted for $700 of the total$3,000 raised.

“Police officers give everything for us, sowe wanted to do something for her,” saidHuber.

Before the check presentation, Ladsontold Winner how happy they were to holdthe fundraiser for her daughter, and shereplied, “Thanks for taking care of my baby;I think it’s awesome.”

Block said she became a police officerbecause “I always had a passion to servethe community; I just had a calling for it.I hope to work federally someday, but Iwanted to see what law enforcement waslike on the streets, first. This accident is ahurdle, but it could have been a lotworse.”

As for the pizza fundraiser, she said, “Itwas amazing; I’m very grateful. Not manycommunities come together like that for anofficer.”

But, said Ladson, “It’s always importantthat people know there are others outside[of their immediate circle] who care. It re-stores your faith in humanity.”

By Mike Salmon

Outside the beltway midst the roll-ing hills, trees and Little Leaguebaseball teams, the Dugout bat-ting cage in Centreville is a center of atten-tion for some, and a source of FairfaxCounty Park Authority jobs for others, butthat all came to a halt on May 1 when thePark Authority closed the facility. There wassomething in the lease, and Bernard C.Voyten, Jr. didn’t feel the closure was war-ranted rallying against the closure.

Voyten is the president of the engineer-ing firm Voyten and Associates, Inc. that fi-nanced and built the batting cage 25 yearsago, he said, and was never reimbursed forthe design and equipment, he said.

“We have paid FCPA hundreds of thou-sands of dollars in rent, but more impor-tantly, provided a recreational facility whichFCPA was unable to provide,” he said in arelease.

Voyten compared the batting cage closureto the closure of the “Islands in the Park,”mini golf closure five years ago, which wasdone “in the best interest of the FCPA andthe residents of Fairfax County,” as statedin the release, and Fairfax County spent$180,000 in legal fees, and $170,000 re-moving the “Islands in the Park.” It was nextto the Dugout batting cage in BraddockPark.

Others came out to support the battingcage and in the end, the Dugout BattingCage will soon live on to see another linedrive. District Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) talked to some of his constitu-

ents about the closure. “We have heard fromsome of the regular users of the battingcages and I have let it be known that per-manent closure will not happen,” he said.“The decision to terminate the lease agree-ment was the Park Authority’s due to longstanding issues that the parties have notbeen able to resolve. Fortunately, the bat-ting cages will again be open in approxi-mately 2-3 weeks after the necessary staffis hired and/or rehired, which I know isimportant to the community.”

According to information released byFCPA spokesperson Judy Pedersen on Fri-day, May 11, “We are in the midst of a

changeover from past management andhope to have the site operational soon. Werecognize that this closure is inconvenientand intend to begin operations again assoon as reasonably possible,” she said.

Voyten is skeptical from past dealings withthe FCPA, and has heard they are openingthis coming Saturday, May 19, but he’ll be-lieve it when he sees it. The equipment hasbeen confiscated, Voyten is owed somemoney, he says, and he feels they have notbeen supportive. Is he happy that it’s reopen-ing? “If it provides pleasure and the samelevel of service, yes I’m happy,” he said. Buthe is skeptical the FCPA can come through.“It’s a tough one,” he said. With the moneyowed to Voyten, his future plans fall in the“can’t comment,” category, he said.

Any dispute with tokens that have alreadybeen purchased will be resolved by theFCPA, or batters can just hold on to themand use them again when the Dugout re-opens.

“We ask for your patience in this matter.For more information please contact ParkServices Director Barbara Nugent at 703324-8585 or the Public Information Officeat 703-324-8662,” according to the FCPA.

The Dugout batting cages at Braddock Park.

Park Authority lookingfor new management.

Batting Cage Temporarily Closing Sparks an Uprising

Injured police officerreceives moneyraised for her.

‘It Restores Your Faith in Humanity’

Photo by Bonnie HobbsMOD Pizza presents a ceremonial check to Officer Ashley Block. Fromleft are her dad, Kerry Block; stepmom, Tammy Block; boyfriend, PFCSharif Issa of the McLean District Station; Block; her mom, Janet Win-ner; Greenbriar MOD General Manager Dean Ladson; store trainee JennyBye; and MOD District Manager Dirk Huber.


VHSL Achievement AwardKate Wozniak of Chantilly High School accepts the Allstate Foundation/VHSL Achievement Award for Academic Activity in Charlottesville. She iswith Tom Dolan, VHSL; Caitlyn Barron, Allstate Foundation; andChantilly High School debate team coach Sultan Seraj. The award is thehighest honor given by the Virginia High School League, to students whohave excelled in the classroom and in athletic and academic activities.

Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is Thursday atnoon. Photos are welcome.

Joohee Jessica Kim, of Chantilly, was namedto the dean’s academic honor roll for the 2017 fallsemester at Baylor University (Waco, Texas).

The following Chantilly residents were named to

School Notesthe dean’s list at the College of William & Mary forthe fall 2017 semester: Zeal An, Kunal Debroy,Katherine Dingman, Kylee Gilman, TaylorGilman, Wendy Guo, Maran Ilanchezhian,Sveta Jagannathan, Mohini Jodhpurkar,Likhitha Kolla, Timothy Lesch, AmandaLewe, Joshua Luckenbaugh, KristenPopham, Anna Rossman, and HannahZarnich.

Schools


Opinionwww.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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A Connection Newspaper

Chantilly

By Kathy SmithSully District Supervisor

As we continue to assessthe needs of the residents displaced by thefires on May 2, we haveidentified two additional needs:

MONETARY DONATIONSWhile gift cards continue to be

a great resource, cash will workbest for addressing housing needs, including

application costs, deposits,rent, etc. Please considerdesignating a cash dona-tion to Western Fairfax

Christian Ministries, the organization takingthe lead to work directly with the county andthe affected residents, for this immediate need.

You can mail or drop off donations to West-ern Fairfax Christian Ministries(WFCM); 4511Daly Drive, Suite J, Chantilly, VA. WFCM canreceive donations in person from 9:00 a.m. to3:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, andfrom 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday andThursday.

WFCM is also accepting online cash dona-

tions at wfcmva.org. To donateonline, first click the "Donate" but-ton on the main page. You canthen direct your funds to fire vic-tims by scrolling down to the "Se-lect a Designation" section andchoosing the "Support Fund – Vic-tims of Centreville Fire May 2018"option.For additional information,call 703-988-9656 or [email protected].

HOUSINGLong-term affordable housing options for

those displaced by the fire, particularly ourolder adult residents, is a primary focus rightnow. We are looking for tax-credit affordabilitylevel and accessibility (ADA) among other cri-teria.

For offers or information on housing crite-ria, contact Elisa Johnson with the FairfaxCounty Department of Housing and Commu-nity Development at703-279-7302, TTY 711.

In addition, Volunteer Fairfax continues toreceive donations of generic gift cards on be-half of the coordinating community-based or-ganizations serving the residents. Denomina-tions of $20 or less are preferred. Gift cards

Help Assist Fire Victims

Commentary

can be dropped off during normal businesshours or mailed to their office at 10530 PageAve, Fairfax, VA 22030. Alternatively, call Vol-unteer Fairfax at 703-246-3460 or [email protected] to coordinateyour gift. After hours, leave a message andsomeone will contact you to coordinate yourdonation.

GO FUND ME CAMPAIGNSYou may have noticed several Go Fund Me

accounts created online related to the ForestGlen and Sully Station fires. Please note thatthese are not official Fairfax County-sponsoredfundraising efforts. Fairfax County, through itsdonations management plan within thecounty’s emergency operations plan, has at thistime identified Western Fairfax Christian Min-istries and Volunteer Fairfax as the official cus-todians of donations to residents affected bythe fires.

FOR RESIDENTS AFFECTEDBY THE FIRES

People impacted by the Centreville firesmay contact the county’s Coordinated Ser-vices Planning at 703-222-0880, TTY 711for short-term or long-term needs.

Let Every DayBe Mother’s DayTo the Editor:

Mother’s Day this year was Sun-day, May 13. Usually on this daywe give our mom a gift to showhow much we appreciate her.Many tend to buy flowers, cards,and chocolate. However, as a Mus-lim girl, my love for my mother isnot even equal to those gifts andis not limited to one day. I believethat every day should be Mother’s

Day because our mothers are veryimportant. Once a person came tothe Prophet Muhammad (Peaceand blessings be upon him) andasked, ‘O Holy Messenger of Godwho is the most deserving personto get nice treatment from me?’ Hereplied, ‘Your mother.’ He asked,‘Who next?’ To this, he got thesame reply. When he repeated thisquestion for the fourth time, hewas told by the Prophet (PBUH),‘Your father.’ This shows how muchof an importance Islam gives tomothers.

I appreciate all the hard workmy mom does for me and I thankher for loving me and being therefor me. When I am sick, mymother takes care of me and helpsme get better. She drives me toschool when I miss the bus andshe packs my lunch. Instead ofmaking her favorite dish she willmake mine to see me happy.When she buys things, she thinksabout what I want instead of whatshe wants. My mom helps mewith my homework because shewants to see me succeed. Even

when she is busy she will go outof her way to tend to my needs.There are many more things I canwrite about my mother but thatwill take many years to finish. Ibelieve that we should thank ourmoms every day and should showher appreciation. Just take acouple of minutes out of your dayand call your mother and thankher and tell her how much shemeans to you.

Ujala YousafCentreville

Letter to the Editor

Send Father’s DayPhotos

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 17, and onceagain this newspaper will publish a gallery ofFather’s Day photos.

Every year at this time, we put out the callfor photographs of fathers and their children,grandfathers and their children and grand-children.

Send in photos with the following informa-tion: the town where you live, the names ofeveryone in the picture, the approximate datethe picture was taken, the ages of the childrenand a sentence or two about what is happen-ing and where the photograph was taken. Besure to tell us your town name and neighbor-hood. Photos are due by June 12.

You can submit your photos online atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/fathersday.You can also email photos [email protected].

SUNDAY/MAY 20Young Women Leadership Program. U.S.

Rep. Barbara Comstock R-10) is acceptingapplications for the summer 2018 session of the10th Congressional District Young WomenLeadership Program. This program providesyoung women enrolled in middle school andhigh school the opportunity to meet and interactwith women in leadership positions ingovernment, medicine, technology,philanthropy, business, and more. This programis scheduled to begin mid-June and willcontinue through the end of August. Thedeadline to apply is Sunday, May 20. Call 202-225-5136 or visit comstock.house.gov.

Community Screening. 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. atNorth County Governmental Center CommunityRoom (across from Reston Regional Library),1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston. A communityscreening of “How to Die in Oregon” (abridgedversion), followed by a discussion of End-of-Lifeoptions, including Medical Aid-in-Dying. Free.RSPV to [email protected].

REVIVE! Training. 3 p.m. at 4213 Walney Road,Chantilly. REVIVE! trains individuals on what todo and not do in an overdose situation, how toadminister naloxone, and what to doafterwards. Each attendee also receives a free

REVIVE! kit, which includes all the suppliesneeded to administer naloxone. The medicationitself can be acquired at a pharmacy aftercompleting the training. Attendees also receive asafety plan to help individuals prevent overdoseif they relapse. REVIVE! is a program of theCommonwealth of Virginia that makes naloxone(Narcan) available to lay rescuers to reverseopioid overdoses. Opioids include licitmedications like hydrocodone and oxycodone,in addition to illicit drugs like heroin. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/facility/a-new-beginning for moreinformation. Advance registration required at703 502-7021 or 703 502-7016.

TUESDAY/MAY 22Primary Candidate Forum. 6-7:30 p.m. at

Chantilly High School Auditorium, 4201Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. Free. Last chanceto hear from all six Democratic candidates forthe 10th Congressional District before the June12 primary vote. Robert McCartney, SeniorRegional Correspondence and Associate Editorfor the Washington Post, will be the moderator.

Submit civic/community announcements at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least two weeks before event.

Bulletin Board

See Bulletin, Page 10


People

See Teen USA, Page 11

By Ashley Claire Simpson

Senioritis: A colloquial term for thegeneral burnout suffered by seniorsin high school, most acutely in thefew months leading up to gradua-tion. With post-grad plans solidified andcelebrations in full swing, the idea of par-ticipating in a national competition wouldbe unthinkable for most 18-year-olds. This,however, is not the case for Centreville HighSchool senior Himanvi Panidepu, who willrepresent the state of Virginia at the MissTeen USA pageant in Shreveport, La. nextweek.

Panidepu will arrive at Miss Teen USA byway of Miss Virginia Teen USA, the pageantshe won last October against 35 other highlymotivated young women. The crown finallygraced her head after nearly a lifetime ofdreaming about that precise moment.

“As cliché as this sounds, I used to watchthe Miss USA pageants on live TV with mymom when I was a little kid,” Panidepu said.“I looked up to all the contestants andwanted to be one of them one day. Then,for many years, it just seemed unrealistic,so I pushed it out of my mind. What reallygot me into the game was when, about threeyears ago, I started competing in pageantsspecifically for Indian American girls, ulti-mately winning a title. I did really well andI got a lot of opportunities. After that, I de-cided to go for it and compete in the pag-eants that put me on the road to Miss Teen

USA.”Although she’s clearly good under pres-

sure, Panidepu shouldn’t encounter any lo-gistical surprises next week in Louisiana.The Miss Teen USA pageant follows thesame model as does the Miss Virginia TeenUSA pageant: in-depth backstage interviewswith a select panel of judges, and bothevening gown and fitness wear competi-tions. That’s just the preliminary round.

From there, only a fraction of youngwomen advance to the second and final dayof pageantry.

“I don’t know if I’ll win next week, but Inever thought I’d be the titleholder for Vir-ginia, either,” Panidepu said. “It’s all aboutfocusing on why I always wanted to do pag-eants in the first place.”

Panidepu was a junior in high school inthe fall of 2016 when she plunged into themainstream pageant circuit. Her eyes wereon the prize during her Miss Virginia TeenUSA debut, but she didn’t exactly land thefinish she had in mind.

“I thought, ‘it’s time to do what I wantedto do all those years ago, and that was MissVirginia Teen USA,’” she said. “And then,after all that, I didn’t even make it to theTop 15. I had worked hard to be ready thatyear, and all the while I had people puttingme down for doing it. Pageants come witha certain stereotype, and even though Iknow it’s false, good friends of mine wouldtalk behind my back, saying I cared toomuch about vain things. But, it all gave mea chance to take a step back and self-re-flect. The whole process helped me figureout exactly who I was. It helped me spiritu-ally, mentally, and physically. So I made acommitment to try again the next year.”

And try again, she did.With a year of experience beneath her

sash, Panidepu cinched the 2018 Miss Vir-ginia Teen USA title, becoming the first In-dian American to do so. And she stands tomake more history, because, if she iscrowned Miss Teen USA next week, she’llbecome the first Indian American Miss TeenUSA.

If that’s not enough pressure for a girl whoisn’t legally old enough to celebrate victorywith a sip of champagne, a win next weekwould make her the first Miss Teen VirginiaUSA to step into the role of Miss Teen USA.

Kim Nicewonder, the longtime executivedirector and producer of the Miss VirginiaTeen USA pageant, said she won’t be sur-prised if Panidepu makes this kind of his-tory next week.

“She has a great chance of winning MissTeen USA, which is the largest and mostprestigious pageant that there is for girlsbetween the ages of 14 and 19,”Nicewonder said. “What is so incredibleabout Himanvi’s success story is how far shecame in just one year. She’s a great exampleof what these girls can learn and gainthrough the process of a pageant. In vyingfor the state title, they make decisions abouthow they want to live their lives. After 2016,for example, Himanvi was determined tomake her lifestyle healthier, and to makean even bigger difference in her commu-nity, and she came back to the pageant justone year later and won it all. I’ve never seena harder working young lady in my life.We’re all so proud she’s representing us.”

Nicewonder has overseen Miss VirginiaTeen USA for 25 years and is herself formerMiss Virginia USA — the grownup counter-part to the Miss Virginia Teen USA.

The Miss Universe Organization has beencrowning Miss Teen USAs since 1983, andis the same organization that puts on both

the Miss USA and Miss Universe events.“Being a state titleholder is a big com-

mitment,” Panidepu said. “I have appear-ances every weekend and many during theweek even though I’m still in school. Afterwinning a state pageant, part of the pro-cess is getting to further a cause you cham-pion. I got to start my own platform, HappyChoices, which is an initiative to targetmental health issues and to work towardthe prevention of drug and alcohol abuse.For Happy Choices, I talk to groups of stu-dents and different schools. For middleschool students, I talk about the dangers ofdrug and alcohol and the effects that comealong with giving into the pressures. I en-courage these kids to focus on their energyon a hobby that will give them an adrena-line rush — or some other kind of satisfac-tion — so they don’t have to chase a dan-gerous high.”

When her audience is on the younger sideand not ready for direct references to drugsor alcohol, Panidepu teaches kids all aboutthe simple yet transformative art of goalsetting.

“Just recently, I spoke to a fourth gradeclass and walked them through how to setgoals and how to make a plan for accom-plishing them,” Panidepu said.

This kind of focus on grassroots outreachis one example of how beauty pageants havechanged since their beginnings. The ecosys-tem of Miss Universe Organization pageantsis overhauling the definition of “beauty.”

“For Miss Teen USA, the goal now is toempower these young women to furthertheir education and to help them develop acommunity mindset,” Nicewonder said.“These girls go further in competition —and of course in their overall lives — whenthey stand for something and have produc-tive thoughts about the world around them.It’s not just physical beauty; we see the con-testants as ambassadors for states andschools they attend.”

As for tangible benefits, pageants at thestate level award winners and runners upwith prize packages that often include life-changing college scholarships.

“As executive director, I’ve been able toincorporate significant college scholarshipsinto the Virginia state pageant,” Nicewondersaid. “Every year, we award more than $2million for schooling opportunities. It’s anincredible feeling, knowing that some ofthese girls can further their education byparticipating in a pageant. I keep gettingmore and more private state universities onboard as contributors, so our impact is justgetting bigger. We have so many universi-ties — including Hollins University, theUniversity of Virginia at Wise, and Emoryand Henry College — that offer generousscholarships.”

While the iconic evening gown elementof beauty pageants still exist, Miss Teen USAthree years ago did away with the swim-suit component of competition and replacedit with an athletic wear showcase.

On Her Way to Miss Teen USA PageantHimanvi Panidepu, Centreville High senior, in national competition.

Himanvi Panidepu

CentrevilleHigh SchoolseniorHimanviPanidepu wonthe MissVirginia TeenUSA pageantlast October.


By Marilyn Campbell

As the school year nears an end, it’s time tothank those whose jobs run the gamutfrom comforting kindergartners with sepa-ration anxiety to teaching biology to hor-monal teenagers. End-of-year teacher gifts are seem-ingly ubiquitous in June, but how does one choose auseful present that doesn’t get re-gifted or donated?Local tastemakers offer their take on gifts for teach-ers that teachers actually want to receive.

“Teachers can always use extra supplies for theirclassrooms,” said Courtney Thomas of the PicketFence in Burke. “Put together a goody bag full ofpencils and markers, notepads, page flags and stickynotes or anything your teacher needs to keep his orher desk stocked. Tie it all up in a reusable bag theycan repurpose to carry papers and books to and fromschool.”

Treat your teacher to a spa day at home, advisesThomas. “Get a collection of your favorite lotions,soaps and candles and give your teachers a muchappreciated excuse to pamper themselves.”

Flowers are a cheerful present to offer those whoteach children, but fresh flowershave a limited lifespan, advisesTodd Martz of Home on Cameronin Old Town Alexandria who sug-gests bouquets with longevity.“Felt flowers always look fresh andadd a bit happiness to every day,”he said.

Sometimes the most treasuredgifts are those that don’t comewith a price tag. “My favoritehandmade teacher gift is athoughtful note of thanks, saidKathryn Horn Coneway of Art atthe Center in Alexandria. “Takingthe time to say thank you and bespecific about how an adult hasimpacted your child’s growth is apowerful way of affirming thework teachers do. I think it is greatto encourage kids to write letters of thanks as welland to think through what specifically they can namethat they have learned or gained from a teacher.”

“A beautiful and thoughtful gift for all teachers are

guest towels,” says Cristina Chiottiof Sonoran Rose Boutique inPotomac, Md. “[We have some]that come from South Africa andare available in a variety of lovelyprints and designs,” she said. “De-licious wine-scented bath bombsfrom Napa Valley are the perfectgift for the teacher who needs alittle pampering.”

For teachers with a preppy spirit,Amanda Mertins, of Patina Pol-ished Living in Alexandria, ad-vises, “Some of the most thought-ful gifts for teachers who go aboveand beyond to educate our chil-dren are gift monogrammed items,gifts cards and notepads.”

And for teachers who enjoyspending time outdoors, Chiotti says an ideal giftincludes “Pairing some local Maryland honey withour gardening tool kit for the perfect springtime gar-dening gift.”

Gifts for those whoeducate children.

More Than Apple for Teacher

Courtesy of Kathryn Coneway

Photo Courtesy of Sonoran Rose BoutiqueWine-scented bath bombs from NapaValley are the perfect gift for the teacherwho needs a little pampering.

Photo Courtesy of Art at the Center

Photo Courtesy of The Picket FenceCandles, soaps and lotions in a gift bagwill make luxurious end-of-year teachergifts, says Courtney Thomas of The PicketFence in Burke.

A note written on a handmade card suchas this collage with mulberry paper andacrylic medium on watercolor paper byKathryn Horn Coneway of Art at theCenter, makes meaning teacher gifts,says Coneway.

Notepads make usefulend-of-year teachers gifts,suggests Amanda Mertinsof Patina Polished Livingin Alexandria.


From Page 3

News

Free Carseat InspectionsCertified technicians from the Sully District Police Sta-

tion will perform free, child safety carseat inspectionsThursday, May 24, from 5-8:30 p.m., at the station, 4900Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. No appointment is necessary.But residents should install the child safety seats them-selves so technicians may properly inspect and adjust them,as needed.

Because of time constraints, only the first 35 vehiclesarriving on each date will be inspected. That way, inspec-tors may have enough time to properly instruct thecaregiver on the correct use of the child seat. Call 703-814-7000, ext. 5140, to confirm dates and times.

Meals on WheelsDrivers Sought

Meals on Wheels Drivers pick up meals and deliver themto individuals on a specific route. Routes take a maximumof two hours to deliver all meals. Deliveries are made mid-day Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Deliveries can bemade by an individual or as part of a volunteer group.Email [email protected].

Several Volunteers NeededWestern Fairfax Christian Ministries at 4511 Daly Dr. Suite

J, Chantilly seeks individuals to volunteer for the follow-ing:

❖ Volunteer(s) to clean office and bathroom, Tuesday orThursday, either 8:30-9:30 a.m. or 2:30-4 a.m.

❖ Volunteer(s) to answer phones and schedule appoint-ments, Tuesday and Thursday, 2 - 4:30 p.m. Requirements:good phone skills, personable, able to conduct pantry tours.Interview and completed application required.

❖ Volunteer(s) for Client Services Intake, Monday andFriday, 9:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. Requirements: Spanish speakerpreferred, ability to work with clients, able to conduct pan-try tours. Interview and completed application required.

❖ Volunteer for Food Pantry, bagging clients' food choices,Thursday, 10:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Requirements: must beable to stand for long periods of time and lift at least 25pounds. Interview and completed application required.

See http://wfcmva.org/how-you-can-help/volunteer-program/

Food Donations for WFCMWestern Fairfax Christian Ministries’ food pantry needs

donations of 1-2 pound bags of rice; fruit juice; jelly; red,white or black beans (can or bagged); canned vegetables(no green beans of corn needed); macaroni and cheese;can pasta; pasta sauce; and pasta (spaghetti, rotini, elbow,etc.).

Toiletries needed, which WFCM clients cannot purchasewith food stamps, include diapers, toothpaste, shampooand solid deodorant.

Bring all items to WFCM’S food pantry’s location at 4511Daly Dr. Suite J, Chantilly from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Mon-days through Fridays.

Contact Terri Kelly at [email protected] if willing tocoordinate a food drive.

Volunteer DriversAre Needed

Fairfax County needs volunteers to drive older adults tomedical appointments and wellness programs. For theseand other volunteer opportunities, call 703-324-5406 orgo to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and click on Vol-unteer Solutions.

because Mike was there 20 years,” she said.“I talked to a police widow there who losther husband in another jurisdiction. And shesaid, after the funeral, that was it from thePolice Department. And it made me feelhow rare and blessed we are to have such awonderful department.”

“We’ve had 12 years of services here,”continued Woods. “And I often think of howour healing would have been so much dif-ferent, had we not had the support of thedepartment.” She was there with her two,now-grown daughters and said they wereher “emotional compass” when their fatherwas killed.”

“Mike always told me, ‘If anything shouldever happen to me, make sure the girls arealways happy and smiling, because I’mfine,’” said Woods. “And they rememberedthat, so I was able to move on. I’d cry ariver if I could change it, but it wouldn’thelp. He died when he was supposed to.”She also said talking about him and help-ing other survivors helped her feel better.

“During the year, I talk to the graduatingcadets at the [county] Police Academy andgive a 30-minute speech about our life be-fore, what happened that day, how we sur-vived and how the department helped,” sheexplained. “I also tell them that we’re sur-vivors and we like to be approached andhave people say, ‘We’re thinking of you.’ Andthis [memorial] ceremony is all about re-membrance. It gets emotional, but it’s im-portant.”

“It means everything to me,” added mar-ried daughter Katie Mannix. “Just the factthat, after all this time, they do things andremember my dad, is everything.”

Sister Natalie, who graduated three daysearlier from Bridgewater College in theShenandoah Valley, said, “I was so upset thatI missed this event last year because I was

busy with school. So it’s like coming backto my family. I love this ceremony and willnever get tired of it. When my dad died,Katie was 14 and I was 10. He opened hiseyes, the night before, so we thought he wasgoing to make it; we had hope.”

Remembering that time, as well, was Su-san Culin, who was the station’s captainwhen the tragedy occurred. “On May 8, youflash back,” she said. “This day has so muchmeaning for this entire department. It’s ex-tremely important that this station remem-bers Mike and Vicky and the sacrifices theymade.”

“It’s hard for everybody, but there are alsoa lot of good memories with both of themto focus on,” she continued. “They wereboth really good and dedicated officers, andgood people. And that’s what we come to-

gether to remember – not just the tragicevents of that day – and how much we missthem.”

Armel’s sister, Sandy Munday, called theannual memorial ceremony “heart-wrench-ing. It’s cool that they remember Vicky, butit’s also sad. It makes you remember whereyou were that day. I was in the grocery storewhen my husband called. He was a battal-ion chief with the Fairfax City Fire Depart-ment then, so they called him first and said,‘We think your sister-in-law got hurt atSully.’ Then I called her husband Tyler andwe all met at the hospital. We didn’t findout she’d died until after we got there.”

Each year, Tyler Armel goes to thecounty’s rose-garden ceremony in honor ofall its fallen police officers. His daughterMason was just 5 when her mother was

killed. But since Mason can drive now, sheattended last week’s event for the first time.

Armel’s old squad, plus her partner MikeMotafches, took Mason to lunch before theceremony and told her stories about hermom. The remembrance also made a bigimpression on her. “It reminded me that shewas really heroic,” said Mason. “And itmakes me proud that she’s my mom.”

All in all, added Munday, “We really ap-preciate all Fairfax County has done for us.They give us transportation to Police Weekfunctions and send wreaths each Christmasto our homes and to our family members,too. And that makes me happy because mysister loved Christmas.”

Besides that, she said, the county’s PeerSupport team calls several times a year “tocheck on us and see if we need anything.They’re wonderful; we couldn’t have sur-vived it without them. The police really area family.”

Roundups

Sully Police Station Honors Garbarino and Armel

Mike Garbarino’s and Vicky Armel’s family members duringthe ceremony.

Chaplain Shawn Perkins

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News

Bulletin Board

by Kathryn WebbPaul VI Catholic High School

In a game of word association, “musical the-ater” is usually followed by “The Phantom ofthe Opera.” With over 10,000 performanceson Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986musical about an opera house haunted by an equallyhaunted man is easily a cultural phenomenon. Aspopular as it is, Phantom of the Opera poses manyobstacles to those who decide to perform it, includ-ing the vocally demanding nature of the score andmany technical aspects such as the crashing chan-delier. The cast and crew of Westfield’s productionof “The Phantom of the Opera” converted these chal-lenges into triumphs as they put on an overall im-pressive show.

Leading the cast as Christine Daae wasMolly Van Trees, whose performancedemonstrated an enviable vocal rangeand endurance that far exceeded expec-tations. Van Trees showed that she wasn’t

just a pretty voice as she also displayed a wide rangeof emotions during her character’s ascent from cho-rus girl to leading soprano in songs like “Think ofMe.” John Henry Stamper, playing the title charac-ter and the “angel of music” behind Christine’s suc-cess, took on the iconic role of the Phantom with amysterious and ominous stage presence fitting of hischaracter. Aided by impressive technical effects onthe part of the sound crew, Stamper’s full voice ech-oed through the theater and sent chills through theaudience. Van Trees and Stamper only grew stron-ger when they performed together in numbers suchas “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Point of NoReturn,” skillfully capturing the complicated andunhealthy relationship of their characters.

The supporting and featured cast only added tothe performance as they proved the old acting say-ing to be true: “There are no small roles, just smallactors.” There certainly weren’t any small roles orsmall actors in Westfield’s performance as membersof the cast, particularly the comic duos of MonsieursFirmin and Andre (played by Braeden Anderson andHarry Schlatter) and Carlotta and Piangi (LaurenLeVine and Alan Gutierrez-Urista). Each of the ac-tors contributed their own moments of humorthrough their extreme physicality, energy, and dedi-cation to their roles, making them audience favor-ites. The dancers of the opera house also exhibitedextreme dedication with their impressive performancein the ballet numbers, which were student choreo-graphed by Bridgette Carey and Emily Bidinger.

The greatest achievement of the show was the com-bined efforts of the technical crews to make such alogistically difficult show happen. Between the intri-cate costumes, many of which were handmade, fastand seamless stage management, and complicatedand well thought out light cues, it was easy to be-come invested in the story. The disfigured appear-ance of the Phantom is an integral part of the plotand can be a lot of pressure for any hair and makeupdepartment, but the head of hair and makeup, KailiFox, transformed the Phantom from a high schoolstudent to a terrifying oddity without a hitch.

Compared to the “disasters beyond imagination”of the Opera Populaire, the cast and crew ofWestfield’s “Phantom of the Opera” suffered little tono hiccups within their performance. The companyof Phantom created their own complex, layered, andentertaining interpretation of a classic piece of musi-cal theater. As long as Box 5 is left open, it seemsWestfield will continue to delight audiences as theyventure to unmask the Phantom.

Impressive ‘Phantom of the Opera’

CappiesReview

From left: Lauren LeVine, Molly Van Trees, and Lily Whitman in Westfield High’sproduction of “The Phantom of the Opera.”

From Page 6Visit www.sullydemocrats.org.

WEDNESDAY/MAY 23Proposed Zoning Changes

one-on-one about zoning issues. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicaffairs/learn-about-proposed-zoning-changes-may-affect-your-neighborhood-2018-zoning-open-houses.

Community Meetings. 7-9 p.m. atChantilly High School, 4201Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. TheDepartment of Planning and Zoningwill hold provide information aboutupcoming Zoning OrdinanceAmendments and staff will speak

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People

Teen USAFrom Page 7“Girls like Himanvi are encouraged to pri-oritize healthy lifestyles instead of beingconcerned with body measurements,”Nicewonder said. “It’s all more about theindividual girl and not as much about whobest meets a standard for outer appear-ances.”

Panidepu proved to herself that the pridethat comes from winning a beauty pageantreally has nothing to do with looks at all.

“My whole mindset comes from under-standing what exactly winning a pageantcan mean in the end,” Panidepu said. “Iknew, for instance, that if I won Miss Vir-ginia Teen USA, I’d be able to start an ini-tiative like Happy Choices. There are ofcourse so many great things that come fromwinning, but the best part of the prize isthat I’ve gotten to make a difference in mycommunity. Seeing the bigger picture, andwhere I fit, is what helped me win. The MissUniverse motto is to be ‘confidently beauti-ful.’ How much you believe in yourself, yourgoals, and your morals is what alwaysshines through.”

Panidepu insists that she’s found a wayto live a balanced life amid all the changes,excitement, and opportunities that lay be-fore her as both a soon-to-be high schoolgraduate and a Miss Teen USA contestant.

“Besides pageantry, Track and Field hasbeen a big passion of mine for all of highschool,” she said. “I was Centreville’s TeamCaptain and I also got the Scholar AthleteAward, which meant I maintained a certainGPA while also getting to a certain level ofachievement in my sport. My events werethe 200- and 400-meters, and I did relaystoo.”

As the academic year winds down forFairfax County Public Schools, Panidepu’sexcitement builds for national competitionnext week. She won’t have much downtimeafterward, either: in a few months, she willenter George Mason University as a collegefreshman.

The thing she’s most excited about,though, is that her hard work is paying offand she is in a position to help so manychildren suffering from misunderstoodmental health disorders, including drug andalcohol addiction. Panidepu also knows thatno matter what happens in Shreveport nextweek, she’ll continue to leverage her expe-rience in a way so that she can continue tohelp young people avoid such struggles.

“Unfortunately, classmates of mine havedied because of drugs and alcohol,” she said.“Those deaths still affect me even thoughthey were two, three years ago. But, evenmore recently ... my classmate was founddead on the street because of a drug dealgone wrong. It’s those incidents that driveme. One bad decision really can mean thedifference between death and your dream.”

For more information on Miss Teen USA,including details on how to followPanidepu’s progress, visitwww.missuniverse.com/missteenusa.

Local young women aged 14 to 19 canapply for a chance to enter Miss VirginiaTeen USA 2019 directly at https://missvirginiausa.com.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Seven weeks between chemotherapy infu-sions; I could get used to this. Here I am sittingand writing on Wednesday, May 9 and my nextscheduled infusion isn’t until Friday, June 1. That’sanother three-plus weeks. It’s a “staycation,” ofsorts, meaning: I’m not going anywhere, but dueto the new extended chemotherapy infusioninterval – from six weeks to seven, I don’t haveto.

Though it’s hardly an ideal vacation – eitherstaying or going – for a cancer patient still under-going treatment, not having to go the InfusionCenter is about as good as it gets. What’s evenbetter is receiving scan results (which at presentare still scheduled quarterly) which show “stable,”“shrinkage,” or even “N.E.D,” which means “noevidence of disease” (I’m “stable”). All of which Ican live with. Despite ending that last sentencewith a preposition.

With respect to “N.E.D.,” unfortunately, beingasymptomatic as I generally am – and mostlyhave been, is not necessarily an indicator that allis well.

Neither do symptoms always confirm “progre-ssion” (medical jargon for growth and/or move-ment). Sometimes the pain is scar tissue. Othertimes it’s a side effect of the medicine you’vebeen infusing or the pill you’ve been swallowing.(Presently, there are targeted treatment optionswhich enable patients to take pills at home, tar-ceva being one example. Which if I may quotethe late Maurice Chevalier singing in “Gigi:” ‘Iremember it well’ from the 11 months a fewyears ago when I didn’t have to commute to theinfusion center.)

Throw in the occasional phone appointmentI’ve had with my oncologist, post-scan, when heand I both know – per an email he usually sends,that the results continue to show “stable,” andwhen an in-office examination is likely not to “pr-esent” (more medical jargon; this one meaning,show) any contradictory findings and I’ve defi-nitely had my moments of relative/comparativecalm. Moments which, when they do occur, needto be cherished because, in the terminal cancerworld, the news is not always good.

And since you have to take the good with thebad, with minimal control over both – acknowl-edging the good and not giving into the bad,become your stock and trade. It’s easy, maybeeven inevitable that a cancer patient will getoverwhelmed by his or her circumstances so find-ing a way to navigate the slings and arrows of theoutrageous misfortune which has befallen you ismore than crucial; it’s life sustaining.

Practically speaking though, how does oneabsorb the news and subsequent reality of a can-cer diagnosis? What word I used to describe whatI felt and heard at the initial Team Lourie meetingwith my oncologist when he told me I had a “te-rminal” form of cancer: non-small cell lung can-cer, stage IV, was “surreal.”

It’s a word I’ve heard many other cancerpatients use when describing the moment whenthey first heard their devastating news. At thatground-zero moment, the words “non-small celllung cancer,” at least for me, were almost incom-prehensible, especially if there’s no cancer historyin your immediate family (which was true forme). I mean, I understood him well enough, I justdidn’t process the information.

Similar to when I received a call at work, frommy internal medicine doctor, a few days after mybiopsy (and a week or so before meeting myoncologist), advising me of the results. He askedme if I wanted to meet him at his office (thatcan’t be good I thought – and it wasn’t). I said,“No. Just tell me” And so he did.

He told me that they found tumors in mylungs which were malignant. My knee-jerk reac-tion? “What does that mean?” Upon hearing thatkind of news/maybe just that word, “malignant,”you sort of lose control of your faculties. (At leastI did.)

Thinking straight? Hardly. You’re thinkingcrooked. But as time goes by and you somehowbegin to assimilate/compartmentalize your diag-nosis/prognosis, it becomes quite clear: anythingyou can do to bring some normalcy into your lifeis a win-win for you and a lose-lose for cancer.

MusingAbout

Infusing


ONGOINGFitness for 50+. Daytime hours,

Monday-Friday at Sully SeniorCenter, 14426 Albemarle Point Place,Chantilly. Jazzercise Lite, ZumbaGold, Hot Hula Fitness (dancingPolynesian style), Strength Training,Qi Gong, Tai Chi and more.Membership is $48 a year, andwaivers are available. [email protected] or call703-322-4475 for more.

History Volunteers Needed. FairfaxStation Railroad Museum needshistory buffs. The Museum offers avariety of volunteer opportunities inMuseum events, programs andadministration. [email protected] or call703-945-7483 to exploreopportunities. The Museum is locatedat 11200 Fairfax Station Road inFairfax Station. It is open everySunday, except holidays, from 1-4p.m. www.fairfax-station.org, 703-425-9225.

Art Guild of Clifton Exhibit. 10a.m.-8 p.m. at Clifton Wine Shop,7145 Main St., Clifton. Includes oilpaintings of European settings;doors, windows, and flower shops.Free. Call 703-409-0919 for more.

Carolina Shag Dance. Wednesdays,6:30-10 p.m. at Arlington/FairfaxElks Lodge, 8421 Arlington Blvd.,Fairfax. Free lessons at 7:30 p.m.; nopartners needed; dinner menu at6:45 p.m. Tickets are $8. Visitwww.nvshag.org for more.

Open Rehearsal. Wednesdays, 7:30p.m. at Lord of Life church, 13421Twin Lakes Drive, Centreville. TheFairfax Jubil-Aires barbershop chorusinvites men of all ages who enjoysinging. Free. Visitwww.fairfaxjubilairs.org for more.

Live After Five. Fridays at 5:30 p.m.at The Winery at Bull Run, 15950 LeeHighway, Centreville. Every Fridaynight a band plays on the patio of thewinery. Free to attend. Visitwww.wineryatbullrun.com for a fullschedule.

Mondays are Family Night. 5-7 p.m.at Villagio, 7145 Main St. $45 for afamily of four. Call 703-543-2030 formore.

LIBRARY FUNToddlin’ Twos. Tuesdays, 10:30 and

11:30 a.m. at the Chantilly Library,4000 Stringfellow Road. Earlyliteracy storytime with songs andactivities included. Age 2 withcaregiver, free. Call 703-502-3883 toreserve a spot.

Storytime for Three to Fives.Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Stories and activities for children age3-5 with caregiver. Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve a spot.

Plant Clinic. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. atthe Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. A neighborhoodplant clinic with horticultural tips,information, techniques, and advice.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspace.

Lego Block Party. Every otherSaturday at 10:30 a.m. at theChantilly Library, 4000 StringfellowRoad. Legos will be provided for anafternoon of building. Grades 3-6.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspot.

Starlight Storytime. Every otherWednesday, 7 p.m. at the CentrevilleRegional Library, 14200 St. GermainDrive. Stories under the stars for ages4-8. Wear pajamas and bring stuffedfriends. Free. Call 703-830-2223 toreserve a space.

WEDNESDAY/MAY 16Cub Scout Carnival. 7-8 p.m. at

Union Mill Elementary School, 13611Springstone Drive, Clifton. Games,prizes, and fun. Pack 1860 invitesboy and now girls (K-5th grades) and

their families for a fun evening at ascout-run carnival. Come learn aboutCub Scouts – now open to boys andgirls. Free. [email protected] for more.

FRIDAY/MAY 18Bike to Work Day. Join more than

18,000 area commuters for a freecelebration of bicycling as a fun,healthy and environmentally-friendlyway to get to work. Starting atvarious early morning hours, andsome in the afternoon. Morning Biketo Work Day convoys, led byexperienced bicycle commuters, willtravel throughout the region. Alllevels of cyclists are welcome to jointhe convoys.To register, visitwww.biketoworkmetrodc.org and beentered for a free bike raffle.

46th Annual Clifton Homes Tour.10 a.m.-5 p.m. Guided tours of fourClifton homes and a silent auction atClifton Presbyterian Church. Freeevents include tours of two historicClifton churches, a silent auction,wreath sale, and Trinkets andTreasures at Clifton PresbyterianChurch. Proceeds benefit localscholarships and charities throughthe Clifton Community Woman’sClub 501(c)(3) Charitable Trust.Tour tickets: $25-30, Free admissionto silent auction. Meets at CliftonPresbyterian Church, 12748 RichardsLane, Clifton. Visitwww.cliftoncwc.org.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/MAY 19-20“The Snow Queen.” Saturday, 7:30

p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. at CentrevilleHigh School, 6001 Union Mill Road,Clifton. The Fairfax Ballet Company(FBC) presents “The Snow Queen,”which follows Gerda as she embarkson a journey to rescue her friendfrom the powers of Isolde, the SnowQueen, and finds unexpectedfriendships along the way in aseemingly dark world. Tickets areavailable atfairfaxballetsq2018.bpt.me.

SUNDAY/MAY 20Pups N Pints 5K. The 12-hour event

begins at 10 .m. with the 5K whichstarts and finishes behind the TotalWine & More in the GreenbriarShopping Center. Immediatelyfollowing the race is the all-day partyat Dogfish Head Ale House (justacross the parking lot from the Start/Finish Line). While the race has a fee,

the after party is free and open to thepublic and features live music byInternal Frontier and raffle items. 10percent of the proceeds from everybeer and every meal purchased atDogfish Head will go directly toHART. Visit hart90.org/Events/PNP/.

25th Anniversary Luncheon. Noon-3 p.m. at Westfields MarriottWashington Dulles, 14750Conference Center Drive, Chantilly.Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter(FCAC) of Delta Sigma ThetaSorority, Inc. celebrates its 25-yearanniversary of sisterhood,scholarship, and service in FairfaxCounty. Guest speaker is Lt. Gen.Stayce D. Harris, Inspector General ofthe Air Force. 2018 scholarshipawardees and CommunityOrganization partners who work withFairfax County Alumnae Chapter bewill recognized. $75. Visitwww.fcacdst.org/Events or call 571-348-4528.

N Gauge Model Train Show. 1-4p.m. at the Fairfax Station RailroadMuseum, 11200 Fairfax Station Roadin Fairfax Station. Admission is $4for adults 16 and over; $2 forchildren 5-15; and free for museummembers and children under 5. Visitwww.fairfax-station.orgwww.facebook.com/FFXSRR or call 703-425-9225.

TUESDAY/MAY 22Learn about RSVP. 9:30-11 a.m. at

Chick-fil-A in Fair Lakes, 4516 FairKnoll Drive, Fairfax. Join Rob Paineof RSVP-Northern Virginia for freecoffee, bingo, and to learn aboutsenior volunteering. Prospective andcurrent RSVP volunteers areencouraged to attend. Free coffee forthose 55 years old or better and achance to win prizes. Call 703-403-5360 or visit www.rsvpnova.org.

SUNDAY/MAY 27Reading Circle and Activities. 1:15

p.m. and 2:30 p.m. At the FairfaxStation Railroad Museum, 11200Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station.Reading circle for “That DadblamedUnion Cow,” the children’s storybased on a real-life case of a cow thatadopted Union soldiers during theCivil War. The museum will be openfrom 1-4 p.m. Admission: Museummembers and ages 4 and under, free;ages 5-15, $2, ages 16 and older, $4.Visit www.fairfax-station.org,www.facebook.com/FFXSRR. Call703-425-9225.

FRIDAY/JUNE 1Forks, Corks & Kegs. 6-11 p.m. at St

Andrew School, 6720 Union MillRoad, Clifton. A tasting festival oflocal breweries, wineries, and foodtrucks with the Sunday Night BigBand performing. $55; $65 after May25. Call 703-969-1891 or visithandbid.app.link/standrew.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/JUNE 2-3Living History Weekend. Saturday,

10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.at Fairfax Station Railroad Museum,11200 Fairfax Station Road, FairfaxStation. The Museum will host itsthird annual Living History Weekendwith a Civil War Encampment. CivilWar re-enactors will be in full attirewith drills, musket shooting demoand camp life demonstrations. Inaddition, ladies in Civil War periodcostume will hold a Victorian TeaParty and give presentations on theirCivil War costumes. Sunday’s eventsinclude a Ball run by the VictorianDance Ensemble and the performingtroupe of the Civil War DanceFoundation. Museum members and 4and under, free; 5-15, $2; 16 andolder, $5. Visit www.fairfax-station.org, www.facebook.com/FFXSRR or call 703-425-9225.

Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/. The deadline isnoon on Friday. Photos/artwork encouraged.Entertainment

‘Snow Queen’Fairfax Ballet Junior Com-pany Member Heather Qianrehearses for her role asRose in Fairfax Ballet’s“Snow Queen,” May 19-20at Centreville High School.For more information andtickets, visitwww.fairfaxballet.com.

HERNDON JOB FAIRTuesday, May 22 • 2 PM to 6 PMCyber, IT, Tech Professionals,

Public Trust clearances welcome!Security University, 510 Spring Street, 20170

Social networking for both exhibitors and candidatesCYBER .... INTELLIGENCE .... IT ... SECURITY

SPRINGFIELD JOB FAIRThursday, May 24 10 AM - 12 NOON

(Reserved for Veterans/Military/Family and/or cleared candidates only)

12 NOON - 2 PM (Open to all job seekers)FREE RESUME SEMINAR

AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, 6520 Amherst Ave, 22151All industries are invited!

JUNE 5-STAFFORD-QUANTICO HIRING EVENT3 PM-7 PM

Cyber, TS/SCI, CI/full poly, welcome! HOSTED BY DAWSON AT HAMPTON INN

2925 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Stafford, VA 22554 (min. from Quantico) Interested in exciting work with a Native Hawaiian Organization that brings the spirit of Aloha

Cyber Counterintelligence Specialists positions: Security and Defense Counterintelligence

www.JobZoneOnline.com

page, 8connectionarchives.com/pdf/2018/051618/chantilly.pdfjohn lennon were shot and killed. for...

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