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Arlington Connection ❖ January 21-27, 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.comonline at www.connectionnewspapers.comJanuary 21-27, 2015

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Students from the Dance Insti-tute perform at the 46th annualtribute to Martin Luther King,

Jr. on Sunday evening, Jan. 18,at Washington-Lee High School.

Students from the Dance Insti-tute perform at the 46th annualtribute to Martin Luther King,

Jr. on Sunday evening, Jan. 18,at Washington-Lee High School.

A Tribute toMartin Luther King, Jr.

News, Page 3

A Tribute toMartin Luther King, Jr.

News, Page 3

IncrementalVictoriesNews, Page 3

Adams’ Career-Best PerformanceLeads Knights to VictorySports, Page 8

Inside the Police AcademyNews, Page 2

IncrementalVictoriesNews, Page 3

Adams’ Career-Best PerformanceLeads Knights to VictorySports, Page 8

Inside the Police AcademyNews, Page 2

2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ January 21-27, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Leger said he went to the academy witha basic idea of what it was going to be like,but said those ideas weren’t particularlyaccurate. Some of that, he said, could pos-sibly be attributed to the fact that he wasthe only attendee from the AlexandriaSheriff’s Department, a fluke that he saysturned out all right because it meant he onlyhad to worry about getting himself throughthe course.

Steve Yanda, an officer with the Arling-ton Police Department, attended the acad-emy in June of 2014 and said he didn’t re-ally have any idea of what to expect beforehe went in.

“It was different than anything I’d everdone before,” said Yanda. “I didn’t have anyprior law experience or military. I didn’treally know what to expect going in.”

The program’s deputy director, ThomasFitzpatrick, has been at the academy since2006 and worked as a police officer in Mont-gomery County, Md., for 30 years before

that. Fitzpatrick also noted that, while di-versity in law enforcement has grown sincehe started in 1974, police and sheriffs stillneed to work towards the gender and ra-cial diversity reflective of the communitiesthey serve.

In his time at the academy, Fitzpatricksays the biggest change he’s seen has beenthe change in technology.

“The use of computers in cars has reallygrown,” said Fitzpatrick, “and social mediahas really come to the forefront, and westill grapple with how to address that …It’s good as far as getting information out… but rumors are generated and that’s notalways a good thing for everyone con-cerned.”

One of the latest technologies Fitzpatricksaid his organization has started workingwith are body cameras. The facility has twofor training purposes, but says ideallythere’s really not much training necessary,it’s just integrated into the day-to-day op-

Photo by Vernon Miles/The Connection

NVCJTA Deputy Director Thomas Fitzpatrick at the Northern VirginiaCriminal Justice Training Academy.

News

See Academy, Page 11

By Vernon Miles

The Connection

One of the doors in the regionallaw enforcement trainingacademy opens to the view ofa run-down apartment inte-

rior. The door next to it opens to a one-roombar. Down the hall there’s an elementaryschool classroom and a makeshift officespace.

When the empty rooms are populated bylocal actors who begin to play out the crimespolice officers are expected to deal with,these rooms become portals into the dailyoperations of Northern Virginia law enforce-ment.

The Northern Virginia Criminal JusticeTraining Academy in Ashburn trains policeofficers and sheriff’s deputies from 17 mem-ber agencies across the area including Ar-lington County and the City of Alexandria.Those organizations fund the academy pro-portionally based on their “sworn strength,”the amount of law enforcement personnelin those organizations.

Going through the academy follows abackground investigation as well as physi-cal and psychological testing. Sheriff’s depu-ties attending the program attend for sixmonths, arriving one month before policefor specialized training. Many of the attend-ing law enforcement personnel also attendtheir own department’s specialized trainingbefore or after their time at the academy.For Alexandria Sheriff ’s Deputy PhillipLeger, it’s a little bit of both.

Leger is the newest deputy at Alexandria’sSheriff’s Department. Hired in January of2014, Leger did four sessions of field train-ing before he went to the academy and hasbeen back working at the city’s detentioncenter since. Leger’s originally from Boston,and says his accent is the most commonthing people around the detention facilitynotice. That, or the thick scar running acrosshis neck where he was stabbed in a fight.In Boston, Leger worked in a juvenile tran-sitional home. His aunt, Captain DorothyPope, has worked in the Alexandria Sheriff’sDepartment for 17 years.

erations of the personnel.“I think it’s a good thing,” said Fitzpatrick.

“I’m a big believer in being transparent inhow police officers’ conduct themselves. Ihave no problem with police having bodycameras on and I think most police officerswould agree. For one thing, I think it wouldshow the officer’s version of what hap-pened.”

Fitzpatrick says body cameras are part ofhis aim to train a professional and trans-parent police force.

“What we preach here is that you respecteveryone and you treat people as thoughyou’re dealing with a member of your fam-ily,” said Fitzpatrick. “You act in a profes-sional manner, and you treat people withrespect.”

Fitzpatrick says the authority of being inlaw enforcement comes with a great degreeof accountability.

“Once you put the uniform and the name-plate on, you are accountable, and every-thing you do should be legal and ethical,”said Fitzpatrick. “What we preach is thatyou should be transparent and you shouldexpect to justify what you do .… We shouldbe held more accountable that any otheroperation .… The days of withholding in-formation or not providing a full accountof a situation are long gone, and they shouldbe.”

This theme of transparency, however, isnot universal. Fairfax County Police Depart-ment has continually refused to release anyinformation on the 2013 shooting of Spring-field resident John Greer. Fitzpatrick saidhe didn’t want to comment directly on thecase as he didn’t know the specifics and saidthere are often legal and personnel issuesassociated with releasing the names of po-lice officers involved in a fatal shooting.

“I understand the point of view of the fam-ily,” said Fitzpatrick, “that is a very difficultsituation for everybody involved.”

According to Fitzpatrick, diffusing a situ-ation can start off as simply as saying “Iunderstand why you’re angry.”

“The main thing is: if you can take thetime to explain to people why you did some

Local police officers, deputy sheriffs gainperspective at the Northern VirginiaCriminal Justice Training Academy.

Inside the Academy

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Arlington Connection ❖ January 21-27, 2015 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppres-sion and cruelty by bad people but thesilence over that by the good people.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.Arlington County held its 46th annual tribute to

Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday evening, Jan.18, at Washington-Lee High School. Master ofceremonies Justin Love, CBS Radio Washington,opened the program followed by an invocationby senior minister of Mt. Zion Baptist Church Dr.Leonard N. Smith. Chair of the Arlington CountyBoard Mary Hughes Hines welcomed all to theevent.

The pre-professional students attending theDance Institute of Washington and led by formersoloist for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, FabianBanks, performed. Arlington School Board ChairJames Lander introduced a video of students’ workin the literary and visual arts contest. The stu-dents in grade K-5 were asked to describe in writ-ing or through visual art how to use words, kind-ness or service to make a positive change in schoolor community. Students in grades 6-12 were askedto describe in writing or through visual art non-violent strategies to use in school to create posi-tive change.

Following the video presentation the Saint Au-gustine Gospel Choir directed by Samuel EdisonCromwell performed. Judge William T. Newman,Jr. gave the keynote address. The 2015 MLK eventcommittee included Nyambo Anuluoha, SiobhanGrayson, Saundra Green, Kanika Hav, Kim Rob-erts and Terron Sims. Sponsors of the tribute werethe Arlington County Department of Parks andRecreation, Arlington Community Federal CreditUnion, Arlington Public School and the Teen Net-work Board.

A Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Students from the Dance Institute per-form at the annual tribute.

The Saint AugustineGospel Choir sings amusical selection.

Arlington School Boardchair James Landerintroduces the 2015Arlington Public SchoolsLiterary and Visual Artscontest winners.

Master of ceremonies for the 46th annual Martin LutherKing, Jr. tribute was Justine Love of CBS Radio Washington.

Photos by

Louise Krafft/

The Connection

Arlington Connection Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See Fighting, Page 7

By Vernon Miles

The Connection

With Republicansnow controllingVirginia’s legisla-ture, Alexandria

and Arlington’s Democratic del-egates and senators are carefullychoosing their legislation for the2015 session.

Two themes of the legislators’bills are political ethics and sexualassaults on campuses.

“All Universities in Virginia needa sexual assault crisis center,” saidstate Sen. Barbara Favola. “Wewant to ensure that [victims] …have access to counseling. That’sa big topic in the General Assem-bly in the wake of the news head-lines over the pastseveral months.”

Favola believesthat the contro-versy over the ac-curacy of the re-cent RollingStone article ex-posing sexual as-saults at the Uni-versity of Virginiadoesn’t changethe sexual assaultcrisis in Virginia’suniversities.

“The issue ofsexual assaults oncollege campusesdidn’t startthere,” saidFavola. “These problems predatethat article and served to shine anational spotlight on the issue.Regardless of what we now knowto be the factual problems with thearticle, [Bill 275] takes a small butsignificant step towards fixing thatproblem.”

Favola previously introducedsexual assault legislation in 2014with Senate Bill 275, which wouldhave prohibited insurance policiesfrom charging any cost-sharingrequirement for HIV preventionmedication to victims of sexualassault. The bill would have re-quired persons seeking coveragefor the HIV medicine to have re-ported the assault to the police orverified by a sexual assault nurseexaminer or equivalent program.The bill was referred to the Com-mittee on Commerce and Labor.

Del. Charniele Herring fromAlexandria’s 46th District focusedon sexual assaults in a town hallmeeting Jan. 10.

“We want to allow victims tocome forward and to providethem a liaison between the uni-versity and local counseling,”said Herring.

The legislation, House Bill 1683,would “require each institution ofhigher education to designate oneemployee to serve as theinstitution’s liaison to the localdepartment of social services andlocal law enforcement .…”

Herring, who currently serves onthe Courts of Justice subcommit-tee, also proposed bills that wouldlimit the powers and jurisdictionof private police departments

throughout Vir-ginia, specificallyreferencing secu-rity at the King’sDominion amuse-ment park. In thewake of theHannah Grahamcase, another lawenforcement re-form Herring pro-posed wouldeliminate thewaiting periodbefore acceptinga “critically miss-ing adult report.”A critically miss-ing adult is de-fined as any miss-

ing adult 21 years or older law en-forcement suspects may have dis-appeared in a circumstance thatmay pose a risk to their health orsafety.

Herring and other Democraticdelegates have also put forwardlegislation that would accept stu-dent ID cards as valid voter iden-tification. On the senatorial side,Adam Ebbin from the 30th district,which includes Alexandria, Arling-ton, and parts of Fairfax, has alsoproposed a bill to accept out-of-state student IDs as voter identifi-cation.

“With our photo ID laws for vot-ers, we penalize college studentswho attend school outside of Vir-ginia,” said Ebbin. “We accept instate attendance at a college. But

Northern Virginia Democrats fightfor small wins in legislature.

IncrementalVictories

“If a child under14 gains accessto a loaded gunand uses the gunto injure or killsomeone, there iscurrently nopenalty for thegun owner.”— State Sen. Adam Ebbin


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Opinion

Finally, now that the Fairfax CountyPolice Department has taken stone-walling into the arena of the absurd,the Fairfax County Board of

Supervisors has at least said it is timefor change. It is a step, but a step thatcontinues the appearance of obfusca-tion if not outright obstruction.

John Geer of Springfield was shot dead in-side the doorway of his own home in Spring-field on Aug. 29, 2013. Following an argumentwith his longtime partner, police arrived atGeer’s home and spoke with him for more thanhalf an hour while he stood in his doorway,unarmed, with his hands raised and resting onthe frame. As he began to lower his hands, byall accounts still at shoulder level, he was shotin the chest and died in his house without re-ceiving medical attention.

It took more than 16 months, a $12 millioncivil suit by Geer’s family and a court order toget the first tiny bit of information on the shoot-ing, which came earlier this month. Policenamed the police officer who fired the shot thatkilled John Geer.

The short written statement by Police ChiefEdwin C. Roessler Jr. included some very trou-bling references that appear to blame the

shooting on the fact that Geer was a knowngun owner. At least 35 percent of Virginia resi-dents are gun owners; are they all more vul-

nerable if for some reason police arecalled to their homes?

Now Board of Supervisors ChairmanSharon Bulova has asked the County

Executive to locate “independent expertise inthe field of police department operations and,specifically, in the area of policies and proce-dures with respect to information disclosuresin the case of police-involved shootings.”

We agree with Supervisor Pat Herrity, whosays: “As elected officials it is our job to makepolicy, not hire an ‘outside expert’ to do ourjob for us. ... We currently have the resourcesof a professional staff at our disposal.” Herrityalso notes that the proposal does not containa provision for public input, and that manycounty residents have researched this topic andqualify as experts.

A few minutes of research shows, for ex-ample, that the National Association of PoliceChiefs, for example, has extensive documen-tation about best practices in a variety of po-lice shooting incidents. (Naming the officerinvolved after 48 hours is among the recom-mendations.)

The problem goes beyond Fairfax County,and beyond police shootings.

The first paragraph of Virginia Freedom ofInformation Act, passed by the General Assem-bly in 1968, states that all public records “shallbe presumed open.” But the legislation includesan exemption that allows police to withhold“complaints, memoranda, correspondence,case files or reports, witness statements andevidence.”

Police officials in Fairfax, Arlington and Al-exandria have adopted what they call a “blan-ket” approach to using their exemption. Thatmeans they have decided to withhold any docu-ment they can without any analysis of whetherthey should, whether the case is open or closed,whether they are about a “police-involvedshooting” or information requested by a fam-ily about a homicide victim, or even about rou-tine police activity in a neighborhood. Not evendefense attorneys or victims of crimes can gainaccess to actual police reports.

This is about lack of accountability and de-nying the public access to information thatmust be made public.

Leaders of police departments here are en-gaged in serious and significant abuse of power.It’s time for elected officials to represent thepublic and impose change on those who wouldhide behind a culture of secrecy.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Problem extends to all local police departments,whose leaders have chosen to hidein a culture of secrecy.

Baby Steps, Not Enough

Editorial

Sworn InU.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) was swornin as a member of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives by House SpeakerJohn Boehner on Jan. 6 with his wifeMegan watching. Beyer is on the webat www.beyer.house.gov, on Facebookat facebook.com/RepDonBeyer andon Twitter @RepDonBeyer.The 8th Congressional District en-compasses Arlington County, City ofAlexandria, City of Falls Church andparts of Fairfax County.

By Adam Ebbin

State Senator (D-30)

On Wednesday, Jan. 14,the Virginia GeneralAssembly’s 2015 45-day

legislative session began and Gov.Terry McAuliffe presented his sec-ond State of the Commonwealth ad-dress that focused on building a newVirginia economy and creating a more stron-ger business climate by funding workforce pro-grams, increasing veterans training programsand making Virginia a welcoming state for all.Before the session even began, over 2,100 billshad already been submitted for consideration,

with more to come. We will also bemaking adjustments to the secondyear of the biennial budget.

I have submitted 23 pieces of leg-islation seeking to improve the livesof Northern Virginians. My legisla-tive agenda covers a range of issues,

from tightening ethics restrictions to restoretrust in government, to expanding voting ac-cess for students, and from combating humantrafficking to encouraging innovation in ourlocal workforce training programs.

In the interest of good governance, I have

introduced a constitutional amendment to al-low a governor to serve for two consecutiveterms. This commonsense solution would em-power Virginians to hold our chief executiveaccountable during any reelection effort as wellas allow them to retain the governor shouldthey so choose. Virginia is the only state in thecountry that prohibits consecutive terms. As apoint of comparison, the Commonwealth’sgovernment employs more people thanMicrosoft. Yet we would never expect a For-tune 500 company to fire their CEO every fouryears without regard to his or her performance.This is also an important way that we can en-sure stability and continuity for efficiencies ingoverning and long term budget planning.

Please join my colleagues and me at a legis-lative town hall meeting this winter on Jan.24, 2 - 3:30 p.m., at the Arlington Mill Com-munity Center, 909 South Dinwiddie Streetwith Del. Alfonso Lopez.

Please share your thoughts on legislation andother state-related matters with me by takingmy online survey at www.AdamEbbin.com/Survey. You can also email me [email protected]. I am also ac-tive on Twitter @AdamEbbin and Facebook atwww.facebook.com/EbbinCampaign. You cansign up for my weekly email updates atwww.AdamEbbin.com.

It is my continued honor to represent thecitizens of the 30th Senate District.

Furthering Cause of Good GovernanceCommentary


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News

The Northern Virginia Conservation Trustsponsored a Read-a-Thon in honor of the128th birthday of environmentalist Aldo

Leopold (1887-1948) on Jan. 10. Former state Sen.Patsy Ticer, Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, FairfaxCounty Supervisor John Cook and several otherswere among the “readers” of sections of “SandCounty Almanac,” one of Leopold’s books.

The read-a-thon involved public readings of 3-5minute sections of the Almanac and was held at the

Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library in Alexandria.Following the read-a-thon and a celebratory birth-day cake for Leopold there was a showing of “GreenFire” a documentary film about Aldo Leopold.

The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust is a re-gional, nonprofit land trust founded in 1994. Sinceits founding, NVCT has preserved 6,410 acres of landin Northern Virginia and is accredited by the LandTrust Accreditation Commission. For more informa-tion on the trust and its activities visit www.nvct.org.

Executive director ofArlingtonians for a CleanEnvironment reads the Julypassage from Leopold’sAlmanac, “Great Posses-sions.”

NVCT board member GregEvans begins his reading ofLeopold’s “January Thaw,”“… the hibernating skunk,curled up in his deep den,uncurls himself and ven-tures forth to prowl the wetworld, dragging his belly inthe snow. His track marksone of the earliest datableevents in that cycle ofbeginnings and ceasings wecall a year.”

Alexandria Open SpaceCoordinator Laura Durhamreads over her selection ofLeopold’s Journal entitled“65290,” “to band a bird isto hold a ticket in a greatlottery. Most of us holdtickets on our own survival,but we buy them from theinsurance company, whichknows too much to sell us areally sporting chance.”

Celebrating Life of Aldo Leopold

Saved from Dog Meat FarmShelter welcomes rescued dogs.

On Friday, Jan. 16, theAnimal WelfareLeague of Arlington

welcomed some of the 23 dogsrescued from a dog meat farmin Seoul, South Korea andflown to the D.C. metro area.The dogs have spent a week atthe Animal Welfare League ofAlexandria to rest after theirlong journey and determineany signs of illness.

They are now ready to beadopted.

A regional partnership of sixshelters — Animal Welfare Leagueof Arlington, Fairfax County Ani-mal Shelter, Loudoun County Ani-mal Services, City of ManassasAnimal Control and AdoptionShelter, The Washington AnimalRescue League and the AnimalWelfare League of Alexandria —are sharing the responsibility ofplacing these dogs – dogs whowere kept in inhumane condi-tions and once destined to befood.

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Email announcements to [email protected]. Include date,time, location, description and contact forevent: phone, email and/or website. Pho-tos and artwork welcome. Deadline isThursday at noon, at least two weeks be-fore event.

ONGOINGCrime and Punishment in

America. Through Jan. 31, atTheatre Two in the Gunston ArtsCenter, 2700 South Lang St.,Arlington. The American CenturyTheater begins the new year and itsfinal season with two one-act playsthat echo the issues emanating fromFerguson, Mo. and beyond. In “Cops”by Terry Curtis Fox, police findthemselves in a shoot-out with ayoung African-American male, and inWilliam Saroyan’s classic “Hello OutThere,” a wrongly imprisoned youngblack man tries to find the best ofhumanity while trying to survive in asmall Texas town. Showtimes areThursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; withSaturday-Sunday matinees at 2:30p.m. Get tickets atAmericanCentury.org or by calling703-998-4555.

Family and Teen Skate Nights.Through March 28 at The ThomasJefferson Community Center, 300 N.Park Drive. The evenings start withFamily Skating from 6:30-9 p.m. andclose with Teen Nights from 9-10:45p.m., for middle and high schoolstudents. $2 per person/$3 skaterental. Visit parks.arlingtonva.us/kids-events/roller-skating-nights-skate-parties-thomas-jefferson.

LGBT & Straight Friends Social.Tuesdays. Happy Hour, 3 p.m.-7p.m.; Mikey’s “Bar A” Video Wall, 7p.m.; start time at 8 p.m. IOTA Club& Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd. IOTA Club& Cafe has designated every TuesdayLGBT & Straight Friends Social Nightfor those 21 years and older. Free.Visit www.iotaclubandcafe.com.

Poetry Series. 6-8 p.m. second Sundayof the month at IOTA Club & Cafe,2832 Wilson Blvd. Hosted by poetMiles David Moore. Featured artistsshare their poetry followed by openreadings. Free. Visitwww.iotaclubandcafe.com or call703-522-8340.

Storytime. Mondays and Fridays,10:30-11:00 a.m. at Kinder HausToys, 1220 N. Fillmore St. Storytimewith Ms. Laura. Call 703-527-5929.

Lego Club. Monthly on the firstWednesday. 4-5 p.m. GlencarlynBranch Library, 300 SouthKensington St. The library providestubs of legos and a special challengeand after the program the creationsare displayed for everyone to see. Noregistration required. Call 703-228-6548 for more.

Family Nights. 7-9 p.m. on the firstFriday of the month at Arlington MillCommunity Center. E-mail [email protected]. orcall Emily Thrasher at 703-228-4773.

CAMPS, CLASSES & WORKSHOPSFencing Club for High School

Students Open House. Thursday,Jan. 22, 3:20-4 p.m.at the NOVAMMA, across the street fromWashington-Lee High School (acrossfrom the Planetarium). Fencing isgreat exercise and fun. Classenrollment includes membership tothe Arlington Fencing Club. Visithttp://parks.arlington.us/events/fencing-club-for-arlington-ghihg-school-students/ or attend the openhouse at the NOVA MMA.

Theatre Classes. Encore Stage &Studio is holding classes and minicamps for children in grades K-8 aton Saturdays at Thomas JeffersonCommunity Theatre, 125 S. OldGlebe Road and Tuesdays andWednesdays after-school at Theatre

Entertainment

Photography Exhibit“The Roof of the World: Photos of Nepal by

Kenneth Chadwick,” is on display atCherrydale Branch Library, 2190 MilitaryRoad, through April 6. Library hours are Mon-day and Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.;Tuesday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Fri-day-Saturday, 1-9 p.m. Free. Call703-228-6330.

on the Run, 3700 S. Four Mile RunDrive. Visit www.encorestageva.org.

Synetic Theater. Synetic Studio, 2155Crystal City Plaza Arcade T-19,Arlington. Synetic offers anintroduction to physical theater,acting and dance that inspirestudents to creativity. Classes includeprograms for elementary, middle andhigh school students, as well asadults. Discounted packages andpayment plans are available. Visitwww.synetictheater.org/studio orcall 703-824-8060.

MONDAY-THURSDAY/JAN. 19-22Charity Citrus Sale. Wednesday, 11

a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.at Overlee Pool - Main Pump House,6030 Lee Highway, Arlington. FreshFlorida Honeybells are on sale tosupport Lions Community ServiceProjects on National Service Day -Jan. 19. In addition to fresh citrus,the Lions of Arlington Northwest willbe selling Georgia pecans, andVermont maple syrup. Call 703-528-1130 or email [email protected] more.

SATURDAY/JAN. 24Signature in the Schools. 11 a.m. at

Oakton High School, 2900 SuttonRoad, Oakton. Local high schoolstudents will perform award winningshows written by Joe Calarco. Call703-820-9771 or visitwww.signature-theatre.org for more.

“The Goblin Baby.” 5:39 p.m., atArtisphere, 1101 WIlson Blvd,Arlington. “The Goblin Baby,” a 2014supernatural thriller written,produced and directed by Arlingtonnative and Yorktown High Schoolgraduate, Shoshana Rosenbaum, willclose out the Rosebud Film FestivalShowcase on Saturday, Jan. 24. Thefilm – shot entirely in the Palisadesneighborhood of Washington, D.C. –tells the story of Claire, the sleep-deprived mother of a new baby whocan’t shake the foreboding sense thatsomething in the woods is stalkingher. $10 tickets (for entire showcase)at www.rosebudfestival.org.

Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival.

1-8 p.m. at Yorktown High Schoolauditorium, 5200 Yorktown Blvd.,Arlington. Yorktown, in collaborationwith Jazz at Lincoln Center, will hostits 2nd Annual Jazz Festivalshowcasing the music of DukeEllington and other seminalcomposers of the Big Band Era. Thefestival will feature 11 area jazzensembles. The U.S. Army Blues JazzEnsemble will headline the eventwith a 6:30 p.m. concert. Free. Formore visit http://apsva.us/Page/28644.

Resolve To Run. 10 a.m. at the FirstPresbyterian Church, Room 103, 601N. Vermont Street, Arlington.Arlington Thrive offers a program in2015 to strengthen physical fitnessand charitable spirit. ArlingtonThrive is offering a three-monthrunning training program beginningin late January which will trainparticipants to run a 5K, 10-mile orHalf-marathon race. Bothexperienced runners and beginnersare welcome. Training for the 10mile and half marathon begins onJan. 31, while training for the 5Krace begins Feb. 7. $85 and includessupplies and a donation to ArlingtonThrive. Email [email protected], call 703-558-0035 or visitwww.arlingtonthrive.org. for more.

“Rosebud Film & Video Festival.”12:30-6 p.m. at Artisphere, 1101Wilson Blvd., Arlington. For theshowcase, more than 60 films werereceived this year and reviewed by anindustry jury. Open exclusively toD.C., Virginia, and Maryland mediaartists, the festival awards cashprizes, public screenings, and otherpromotional opportunities to thearea’s best film and video creators.Tickets at www.artisphere.com.Contact Kevin Sampson [email protected] or 703-524-2388.

Forty+ Concert. 4 p.m. at Theatre onthe Run, 3700 S Four Mile RunDrive, Arlington. Jane Franklin Dancepresents Forty +, a performance bydancers over age 40 in works by localchoreographers. $20 online or at thedoor. Visit www.janefranklin.com.

Instigate. Activate. New Curators,New Ideas. 6-9 p.m at the

Arlington Arts Center, 3550 WilsonBlvd., Arlington. Four rising curators,16 artists. Exhibition on view untilApril 4; Gallery Talks: Jan. 31 andMarch 28. Opening night will featurea performance by Annie Wilson at6:30 and 8:30 p.m. See https://arlingtonartscenter.org for more.

SUNDAY/JAN. 25Strategy Gaming Night. 6-9 p.m. at

Shirlington Branch Library, TheVillage at Shirlington, 4200 CampbellAve., Arlington. Free. Join fellowEuro-game enthusiasts for an eveningof games like Settlers of Catan, Ticketto Ride, and Dominion. Call 703-228-6545.

Rosebud Film & Video FestivalAwards Ceremony. 7-10 p.m. atClarendon Ballroom, 3185 WilsonBlvd., Arlington. More than 60 filmswere received this year and reviewedby an industry jury. The festivalawards cash prizes, publicscreenings, and other promotionalopportunities to the area’s best filmand video creators. Tickets atwww.artisphere.com. Contact KevinSampson at [email protected] or 703-524-2388.

MONDAY/JAN. 26Laughter Yoga. 6:30-7:30 p.m. at

Arlington Central LibraryAuditorium, 1015 N. Quincy StArlington. Use breathing, clappingand movement exercises to relax andboost creativity. Session ends withsilent meditation. [email protected]

WEDNESDAY/JAN. 28Resolve To Run. 7 p.m. at the First

Presbyterian Church, Room 103, 601N. Vermont St., Arlington. ArlingtonThrive offers a program in 2015 tostrengthen physical fitness andcharitable spirit. Arlington Thrive isoffering a three-month runningtraining program beginning in lateJanuary which will train participantsto run a 5K, 10-mile or Half-marathon race. Both experiencedrunners and beginners are welcome.

$85 and includes supplies and adonation to Arlington Thrive. [email protected], call 703-558-0035 or visitwww.arlingtonthrive.org. for more.

THURSDAY/JAN. 29Exhibition and Gala, Opening

Reception. 7-9 p.m. at Artisphere,1101 Wilson Blvd, Arlington. SELECT2015 will be one of the lastexhibitions held at Artisphere. Theexhibition, which is free and open tothe public, includes works by 104emerging and established artists in avariety of media, selected by topcurators from the region’s mostimportant institutions, notableindependent curators, and the WPABoard of Directors. Visitwww.artisphere.org for more.

FRIDAY/JAN. 30-FRIDAY/MARCH 6SELECT — Curated Exhibition.

Through Friday, March 6. Fridays, 4-11 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays,noon-5 p.m. at Artisphere, 1101Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Visitwww.artisphere.org for more.

FRIDAY/JAN. 30Stand-up Comedian Jim Breuer,

7:30 and 10:30 p.m. at the ArlingtonCinema & Drafthouse, 2903Columbia Pike, Arlington. Namedone of Comedy Central’s 100 GreatestStand-Ups of All Time, Breuer isknown for his charismatic stageantics, dead-on impressions, andfamily-friendly stand-up. $35. Visitarlingtondrafthouse.com.

SATURDAY/JAN.31Stand-up Comedian Jim Breuer, 7

and 10 p.m. at the Arlington Cinema& Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike,Arlington. $35. Visitarlingtondrafthouse.com.

91st Annual Arlington BusinessGala, 7 p.m.-12 a.m., at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, Arlington.Presented by the Arlington Chamberof Commerce, this year’s gala offersan evening of mingling with localbusiness leaders; excellent food,drink and music; and the chance toparticipate in a silent auction andtropical vacation raffle. Visitwww.rosslynva.org for more.

A Capella Chamber Chorus. 8 p.m.at Sts George’s Episcopal Church, 915North Oakland St., Arlington.Polyhymnia is an a capella chamberchorus that offers free concerts ofworks from Renaissance tocontemporary and from manycountries. Polyhymnia’s WinterConcert series, under its conductorSteven Beck, features songs byPoulenc, Janacek, Tallis, Victoria,Desprez, Palestrina, andcontemporary works by Steven Beck,Rich Campbell, and Ernst Toch.There is no charge for performances,tax-deductible donations welcome.

JAN. 31-MARCH 29“The Founding Sisters.” 1-4 p.m. at

the Arlington Historical Museum,1805 South Arlington Ridge Road,until March 29, 2015. 2015 marksMarymount University’s 65thanniversary in Arlington. Visitwww.arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

SATURDAY/FEB. 3Valentine’s Day Concert: The

Thrill of Tchaikovsky. 7:30 p.m.Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre atArtisphere, 1611 North Kent St. Aday for romance with Tchaikovsky’sgreat works, including the StringQuartet No. 1 and Serenade forStrings. Call 888-841-2787 or visitwww.nationalchamberensemble.org


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From Page 3

News

if you worked at Georgetown university, your workID is valid, but your student ID is not. We need tomake is easier to vote, not harder.”

Ebbin supports decriminalizing marijuana in Vir-ginia. Senate Bill 686 would change the current $500and 30-day jail sentence for marijuana possession toa $100 civil penalty without jail time.

For Rip Sullivan, a delegate from the 48th Districtin Arlington, his first four days as an elected officialhave been a trial by fire. His main campaign focuswas environmental protection, so Sullivan says he’shappy to have been appointed to the Agriculture,Chesapeake Bay, and Natural Resources Committees.Sullivan’s proposed legislation includes tax creditsfor properties that utilize renewable energy re-sources. Another bill would require the Secretary ofNatural Resources to report annually on the state ofenvironmental issues in the Commonwealth, particu-larly extreme weather events and sea-level risings.Sullivan said this issue is particularly vital for areaslike Norfolk, which is the second most flooded cityin America behind New Orleans.

While Sullivan anticipates some resistance to hisenvironmental proposals, he doesn’t view the de-creased price of gasoline as a valid reason to avoidenvironmental regulation.

“Price of gasoline is down, but in my experiencewe can expect it to go up again,” said Sullivan. “Theprice of gasoline doesn’t drive my interest in the is-sues. When the price of gas goes down, more peopledrive their cars, so in the long term we need to bemore mindful of tapping into our environment.”

Like Sullivan, Del. Alfonso Lopez had made envi-ronmental issues a major element of his politicalagenda. In particular, Lopez says he’s disturbed byAppalachian Power charging a fee to homes in theircoverage area that use solar panels. Like Sullivan,Lopez says he’s expecting a struggle in the Virginia

legislature over environmental standards. “Last year, if you were opposed to Obama and

wanted to make that known, you voted against af-fordable care” said Lopez. “This year, it’s the cleanpower plan. It addresses climate change and ruralenergy. This is going to be a fight and it’s going to bea big deal for the next two years.”

In another tough sell to a Republican majority,Ebbin, Herring, Favola, Sullivan and Lopez are allattached to gun control legislation. Ebbin’s legisla-tion would outlaw carrying loaded firearms whileunder the influence of alcohol and would allow neg-ligent gun owners to be sued in civil court.

“If a child under 14 gains access to a loaded gunand uses the gun to injure or kill someone, there iscurrently no penalty for the gun owner,” said Ebbin.“People don’t think about it until it’s too late.”

Ebbin also introduced legislation, Senate Bill 1179,that would make it a crime for children under theage of five to handle a gun. Lopez says there wasdiscussion within the gun regulation legislators overthe age at which a child should legally be able tohandle a firearm. Lopez says Ebbin originally wantedthe age to be higher, but Lopez talked him down tofour years old.

“A four year old is not capable of truly understand-ing the severity of what has happened,” said Lopez.“These accidents take place and no one is punished.They say ‘they’ve suffered enough, let them deal withthis.’ The fact is, we need to be certain that this isnot something that should be allowed. I would beinterested to see who would vote against that.”

Lopez is uncertain what gun control or environ-mental measures will be passed this year, but saysthat progress in Virginia comes in incremental victo-ries.

“If I can get 5 percent [of the legislation passed]this year, or 10 percent next year, eventually withrolling that boulder up the mountain,” said Lopez,“we’re going to get to the top eventually.”

Fighting for Small Wins


SportsArlington Connection Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-752-4031 or [email protected]

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The final bucket of Ako Adams’career-best performance put thefinishing touch on an improb-able come-from-behind victory

by the Bishop O’Connell boys’ basketballteam.

With the score tied in the closing secondsof regulation, Adams attacked the rim anddropped in the game-winner, giving theKnights to a 59-57 victory over Gonzaga onMonday at Bishop O’Connell High School.

Adams, a 6-foot-3 junior, finished with acareer-high 30 points, including four 3-pointers. His bucket in the closing secondsgave the Knights their only lead of the con-test.

“My teammates, they believed in me,”Adams said. “They gave me the ball and Iknew I had to make a big play, so I madeit.”

Gonzaga led by as many as 16 points inthe second half, gaining a 43-27 advantagewhen sophomore guard ChrisLykes scored midway through thethird quarter. Adams respondedwith back-to-back buckets, how-ever, and O’Connell started chip-ping away at the lead.

The Knights trailed by sevenentering the fourth quarter. AnAdams bucket cut the Gonzagalead to 55-53 and a pair of free throws bysenior guard Jamaal King tied the score at55 with 2:15 remaining. With the score tiedat 57, O’Connell held for the final shot andAdams, a Washington, D.C. resident, came

through.“It’s always great to see a kid mature,”

O’Connell head coach Joe Wootten said. “Hewent from a young sophomore that wouldget down on himself to now he’s a mature

junior. I’m really proud of him.He’s really grown and I think the sky’s

the limit for him.“I think he’s got the ability to play the

highest level of college basketball.”

Gonzaga scored the first nine points ofthe game and led 26-13 at the end of thefirst quarter. Lykes, listed at 5 feet 7, scored12 points for the Eagles in the opening pe-riod.

Gonzaga led 35-27 at halftimeand opened the second half withan 8-0 run.

Adams finally scored forO’Connell with 3:51 remaining inthe third quarter, cutting theGonzaga lead to 43-29 whilesnapping a 5-minute, 56-secondscoring drought for the Knights.

A pair of buckets by O’Connell juniorRandall Gaskins cut the Gonzaga lead to49-42 at the end of the third quarter.

“What makes [the WCAC] so good is youhave be tough — and when I say tough, I

don’t just mean running around hittingguys,” Wootten said. “[You have to be] men-tally tough, you’ve got to be together whenthings aren’t going your way, you’ve got tobe together at all times [and] you’ve got togive great effort, so I think we showed a lottoughness and fight to come back and Ithink that can be a quality that we can growand get better at.”

Gaskins finished with 10 points for theKnights. King also scored 10 points, includ-ing a pull-up jumper that tied the score at57 with 53 seconds left in the fourth quar-ter.

“I thought he was just tremendous,”Wootten said of King. “… He’s got the heartof a champion.”

O’Connell will travel to face Bishop Iretonat 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23.

Adams’ Career-Best Performance Leads Knights to VictoryJunior scores 30points, includinggame-winneragainst Gonzaga.

Bishop O’Connell guard Ako Adamsscored a career-high 30 pointsduring Monday’s come-from-behind win over Gonzaga.

Jamaal King and the BishopO’Connell boys’ basketball teamovercame a 16-point deficit to beatGonzaga on Monday.

Lewis Djonkam (5) and the BishopO’Connell boys’ basketball teamdefeated Gonzaga 59-57 Monday.

“My teammates, they believed in me.They gave me the ball and I knew Ihad to make a big play, so I made it.”

— Bishop O’Connell junior Ako Adams

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Email announcements to [email protected]. Include date,time, location, description and contact forevent: phone, email and/or website.Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least twoweeks before event.

TAXESAARP Tax Help. Assistance is available

free to taxpayers with low andmoderate income. The program isoffered in cooperation with the IRS.AARP membership is not required.Service is available Feb. 3 throughApril 14 at Arlington Central Library,1015 N. Quincy St. on Tuesdays, 10a.m.-7 p.m., and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

APPLICANTS NEEDEDArlington Commission on Long-

Term Care Residences needsadvocates who work or live inArlington. The Commission iscurrently seeking prospectivecommission members and volunteerswilling to serve as liaisons to long-

term care residences. For moreinformation or an application, go tothe Commission on Long-Term CareResidence’s website:commissions.arlingtonva.us/ltcr/, orcontact the Agency on Aging 703-228-1700, via TTY (703) 228-1788,or via e-mail [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/JAN. 21Restoration Program Workshop. 7

p.m. at the Fairlington CommunityCenter, 3308 S Stafford St.,Arlington. The Chesapeake BayFoundation is seeking volunteers togrow underwater Bay grasses in theirhomes, schools, or businesses as partof the foundation’s Grasses for theMasses restoration program. There isa $40 fee per grass growing kit,which includes a one-yearChesapeake Bay Foundationmembership. Visit www.cbf.org/grasses.

THURSDAY/JAN. 22National Youth Congress

Internship OpportunityOrientation Meeting, 4-6 p.m. atArlington Mill Community Center,909 S Dinwiddie St., Arlington. Teenswanted to apply for the NationalYouth Congress internship. Selectedteens 14-18 will learn about theparks and recreation field and otherservice jobs; develop career andleadership skills and gainindependence. These internshipsrange from office work to assistancein daycare programs to assistingsomeone who works in a highlyranked job such as marketing.Applications are due Feb. 9. Visithttp://parks.arlingtonva.us/programs/teens/internships or attendthe orientation.

FRIDAY/JAN. 23County Board Meeting. 9 a.m. in

County Board Room 307, 2100Clarendon, Blvd. The County Boardof Arlington will meet for thepurpose of holding a work sessionwith the School Board to discuss andtake action on the Arlington County

Facilities Study. The public iswelcome and encouraged to attend.Visit www.arlingtonva.us for more.

SATURDAY/JAN. 24Teachings of Rabbi Zalman

Schachter-Shalomi. Immediatelyafter Shabbat services at theUnitarian Universalist Church ofArlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd.Rabbi Leila Gal Berner will bepresenting “The Art and Spiritualityof Dying - the December Project” It isencouraged to read the book“December Project: An ExtraordinaryRabbi and a Skeptical SeekerConfront Life’s Greatest Mystery” bySara Davidson. [email protected] for more.

Restoration Program Workshop. 2p.m. at the Fairlington CommunityCenter, 3308 S Stafford St.,Arlington. The Chesapeake BayFoundation is seeking volunteers togrow underwater Bay grasses in theirhomes, schools, or businesses as partof the foundation’s Grasses for theMasses restoration program. There is

a $40 fee per grass growing kit,which includes a one-yearChesapeake Bay Foundationmembership. Visit www.cbf.org/grasses.

SUNDAY/JAN. 25Human Trafficking in Northern

Virginia. 3-4:30 p.m. at FallsChurch Community Center Art Room,223 Little Falls Street, Falls Church.The League of Women Voters ofArlington and of Falls Church joinwith the American Association ofUniversity Women of Falls Church topresent a forum on humantrafficking. Worldwide, there aremore than 21 million annualincidents of human trafficking and isnow the second largest criminalenterprise. Northern Virginia is a hubof human trafficking due to DullesInternational Airport and Route I-95as well as being a major metropolitanarea. Visit www.fallschurchlwv.org,www.lwv-arlingtonva.org orwww.fallschurcharea-va.aauw.net.

Bulletin Board


By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

Amir Mousavi of Arlington, ownerof Langley Prep, a provider ofprivate, in-home tutoring forstandardized tests, says students

with limited financial resources are oftenat a disadvantage when it comes to prepar-ing for college admissions examinationssuch as the SAT and the ACT.

“My average SAT improvement is 300points,” said Mousavi. “There are parentswho can afford to spend thousands of dol-lars on private test prep tutors like me. Theirkids perform best on tests. Middle incomeparents can afford classes, which are betterthan nothing, but low income students can’tafford anything.”

Mousavi founded The ANA Project,named after the first three students he tu-tored free-of-charge, to offer quality stan-dardized college test preparation tools tostudents at all income levels. The web-basedprogram is an online resource for SAT andACT preparation materials.

A graduate of Langley High school inMcLean, and Vanderbilt University in Ten-nessee, Mousavi believes economics shouldnot play a role in college preparation. In ad-dition to the Ana Project, he tutors an aver-age of two pro-bono students each quarter.

“The two most important factors for col-lege admissions are test scores and GPA(grade point average),” said Mousavi. “Highschools don’t deal with test prep as muchanymore. It’s been privatized by companiesthat are looking to make money.”

Ariana Kuhnsman, one of Mousavi’s pro-bono students, says she improved her testscore by 400 points and earned a spot at TheCollege of William and Mary in Williamsburg.

“The most valuable thing I learned waswhat specific areas of the test I needed tofocus on versus what I already was doingwell,” she said. “Becoming comfortable withthe time pressure of the exam by learninghow to work effectively was also a big help.”

Mousavi believes that tailoring educa-tional programs to the needs of a variety ofstudents can lead to success.

The ANA Project offers college test preparationtools to students at all income levels.College Prep for All

Photo courtesy of Amir Mousavi

Private, in-home coaching for standardized tests is credited with helpingstudents achieve high scores. Amir Mousavi of Langley Test Prep is onelocal instructor who offers these services.

“Becoming comfortablewith the time pressure ofthe exam by learning howto work effectively was abig help.

— Ariana Kuhnsman

“My pie-in-the-sky, long-term goal is tohave a functioning nonprofit and to get thewebsite used as a one-stop shop for test

prep,” said Mousavi. More information onthe ANA project can be found atwww.theanaproject.com.


21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

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AT&T intends to submit a Section 106 submission for a pro-posed modification to an existing telecommunication facility (Sequioa) at 2110 Washington Blvd in Arlington, VA. AT&T is publishing this notice in accordance with federal regulation 37CFR 1.1307. Three (3) antennas will be replaced on the 66 foot building, with centerline heights of 62 feet. Parties interest-ed in submitting comments or questions regarding any poten-tial effects of the proposed facility on Historic Properties may do so by contacting Scott Horn (856-809-1202, [email protected]) at ACER Associates, LLC at 1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091..


PUBLIC NOTICE

AT&T intends to submit a Section 106 submission for a pro-posed modification to an existing telecommunication facility (Sequioa) at 2110 Washington Blvd in Arlington, VA. AT&T is publishing this notice in accordance with federal regulation 37CFR 1.1307. Three (3) antennas will be replaced on the 66 foot building, with centerline heights of 62 feet. Parties interest-ed in submitting comments or questions regarding any poten-tial effects of the proposed facility on Historic Properties may do so by contacting Scott Horn (856-809-1202, [email protected]) at ACER Associates, LLC at 1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091.


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Sneezy, Coughy, Phlegmy, Stuffy,Achy. No-Sleepy and Post-NasalDrippy; and no Doc, which is possiblywhat led to this column being written.To tell you the truth – and I always do –if I didn’t have stage IV, non-small celllung cancer, I wouldn’t have giventhese symptoms a first thought, letalone a second one. But since I dohave cancer and it’s mostly all I thinkabout; as much as I tried to pretendotherwise and consider these symp-toms unrelated, my lungs/breathing didseem to be affected.

And so after 10 days or so of cough-ing, then full-blown “colding” and backto coughing again, I acquiesced andscheduled an appointment with myPrimary Care physician. After askingme the usual and customary how-I-feelquestions – which did not prompt anOMG-type reaction from my doctor,he next unwrapped his stethoscopefrom around his neck and approachedme to listen and presumably learn. Heplaced his stethoscope on my upperback and then on my chest and ofcourse asked me to “breathe in,” and“breathe out,” repeatedly. Apparently,he heard nothing of consequence. Noindications to warrant a chest X-ray, hesaid; no suspicious sights or sounds tofurther investigate. As he summarizedhis assessment: “It’s winter,” which Icorrectly understood to mean mysymptoms were not cancer-related, Iexhaled in relief, smiled widely andthanked him for the reassurance. Thenhe put his hand on my shoulder andsaid: “Nothing to worry about.” A fewminutes later, I left his office with aprecautionary prescription for coughmedicine and four days of antibiotics;completely normal protocol, lung can-cer notwithstanding. But it didn’t stopme from worrying. Cancer sort of hasan intent of its own.

And that’s the problem, underlyingand overlaying. Everything I say or door think or write is filtered – uncon-sciously anymore, through the prism ofmy being originally diagnosed with a“terminal” form of cancer. If ever therewas a disconnect between symptoms,feelings, mortality, etc.; well, there isn’tanymore. We’re (cancer and I) notexactly one big happy family, but weare all living together under one roof,residing in one head; mine, mostly. I’vehad better roommates, that’s for sure.Unfortunately, this is one I can’t simplyask to leave.

Usually, I can manage, except whenthere’s a blip, something not typicallyseen or felt on my emotional radar.This most recent bout with the symp-toms I’ve described, completely normaland expected almost at this time of theyear, probably should not have beenneglected by yours truly for as long asthey were (seven to 10 days). Some-times, fear has a way of affecting yourbetter judgment, though. In retrospect,I certainly should have acted sooner.Hopefully, I’ve learned my lesson. Nexttime, I won’t ignore the “seasonalseven dwarfs.” I was lucky this time.Life is not a fairy tale. Pretending other-wise could be grim.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

SeasonalSeven Dwarfs

From Page 2

News

thing, for the most part, they’re going tocalm down,” said Fitzpatrick. “The key istaking that time to do that.”

But it takes a conscious effort; oneFitzpatrick says he struggled with as a po-lice officer.

“Everyone has a different personality,some people have a quicker fuse,” saidFtizpatrick. “I had a bad temper and had tomake an effort to maintain composure.”

Leger said maintaining patience and fo-cus are two key elements to working in thedetention facility, two he still struggles withsometimes.

“It’s easy to fall into a routine,” said Leger,“but you have to constantly rememberwhere you are and remain professional.”

As soon as a deputy loses confidence,Leger says, the inmates take notice. One ofthe most consistent strains on that patienceand focus are what Leger calls the “constantmind games” played by the inmates.

“It’s expected,” said Leger, saying that thesheriff ’s part of training at the academyhelps young law enforcement officers learnhow to deal with this. “Most of it’s peoplelooking for extras. Not even what they needor want, they just want to say that they gotit.”

For Yanda, the most important lesson wasthe importance of knowing criminal law byheart.

“The biggest part was learning all of thelaws as it pertains to drugs and domesticrelations, laws you have to be well versedin,” said Yanda. “Every shift you make anumber of split second decisions, and you’reable to do that when you know whatpeople’s rights are and aren’t.”

AFTER HIS ACADEMY TRAINING,Yanda returned to the Arlington Police De-partment for field training. On the job train-ing has taught him that most of the policeinteractions on a daily basis aren’t highstakes and don’t generally end in an arrest.

“You deal with a number of people pershift and it’s not always a situation wheresomeone’s going to get arrested,” saidYanda. “It’s more about how you deal withvarious problems in people’s lives and howthey move forward.”

Since Leger’s gotten back from the acad-emy, he says his training at the academyhas changed his outlook on the facility.

“It’s the same routine, being here, but youlook at it differently,” said Leger. “You comeback with more confidence. Pre-academyyou’re still in the early stages of training.Now there’s more responsibility, which Iwelcome and I’ve been looking forward to.”

After he completes his last phase of fieldtraining, Leger will be able to work at thecourthouse as well as other parts of thedetention facility. Being able to work in anypart of the facility is important for Leger tofeel like part of the team.

Ideally, Leger says he’d like to be out andin the community, doing warrant serviceand civil process, but says he’ll be happywith wherever the sheriff’s office puts him.

Academy


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