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online at www.connectionnewspapers.com December 13-19, 2017

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School BoundaryDecision UpcomingNews, Page 3

What’s in a Toll? News, Page 2

Experiential GiftsFor ChildrenGift Guide, Page 8

Volunteering in Puerto Rico

News, Page 3

Arlington County Police Department Offi cer

Sarah Butzer directs traffi c in Puerto Rico.

Home for the Holidays

Page 9

Holiday Entertainment

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2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ December 13-19, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

See What's in a Toll?, Page 5

By Vernon Miles

The Connection

The $40 toll. It’s a story that’shaunted commuters along I-66over the last week. After years of

planning, the implementation of the tollswas met with outcry from Richmond tobeltway drivers.

The reality is a little more complicated.Before last week, I-66 inside the beltway

was only available to be used by HOV traf-fic with a few exceptions, like hybrid carsand people travelling to or from Dulles In-ternational Airport. On Dec. 4, this I-66 seg-ment was opened up to non-HOV traffic,but those travelling on the highway with-out a passenger face a flexible toll based ontraffic levels. At high traffic, the toll in-creases to try and dissuade drivers fromfurther congesting the roads. A VDOT studyreleased on Dec. 7 said the average round-trip toll price was $14.50, with morningtrips costing an average of $10.70 andevening trips an average $3.80. But thereis no cap set on the I-66 tolls, and the VDOTstudy did confirm that 34 vehicles, 0.29percent of drivers, paid a peak toll of$34.50.

“The exorbitant toll prices that drivers areexperiencing on I-66 are unacceptable,”House of Delegates Republican CaucusChairman Tim Hugo said in a statement.“The McAuliffe Administration ... assuredus tolls would only be roughly $6 or $7 onaverage. The peak tolls we are seeing to-day are much higher. [Gov. Terry McAuliffe]has gone on TV several times this week say-ing $40 toll prices are the way ‘it’s supposed

to work.’ I could not disagree more. Thehard-working people of Northern Virginiashould not be forced to get a part-time jobto be able to afford to drive to their full-time job.”

Hugo could not be reached for comment.The rush hours were extended from 5:30a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Driv-ing on this I-66 segment requires an E-ZPass.

Frank Shafroth, director of the Center forState and Local Leadership at George Ma-son University, said the backlash shouldn’thave been surprising.

“It is rare for commuters to be ecstaticabout seemingly abrupt changes, so whenthey are implemented, reactions in the shortterm are rarely enthusiastic,” said Shafroth.“Nevertheless, it has been increasingly clearthat at times I-66 has become more of a snailroute than an express highway, so Secre-tary [Aubrey] Lane had little choice but totry and institute changes. As we have no-ticed, those changes have led to some sig-nificant charges.”

Shafroth says there are a few potentialbenefits of the I-66 tolls. They will raiserevenue to fund other VDOT missions. TheI-66 lanes will help promote changes in driv-ing habits, like carpooling or using othermeans of transit. Shafroth says the changeswill make the transit less stressful for com-muters.

“For Arlington and Fairfax, especially in-side the Beltway, any changes which reducesingle-occupant traffic during rush hourswill lessen air and noise pollution, reducethe human and fiscal costs to police and fireresponses to accidents, and reduce the risksassociated with ‘cut-through’ practiceswhere commuters race through side streetsin order to try to bypass the main commuterthoroughfares.”

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I-66 during evening tolling.

What’s in a Toll?Unpacking theI-66 controversy.

Arlington Connection ❖ December 13-19, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsArlington Connection Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See Boundaries, Page 11

See Volunteering, Page 10

By Shirley Ruhe

The Connection

The first thing to hit them was thehumidity. The first group of fourArlington County Police Depart-ment (ACPD) officers to volun-

teer in Puerto Rico had just landed on Nov.10. Sarah Butzer, Second District Commu-nity Policy Team officer, said, “We left su-per early. We met here at 5 a.m. to make an8 a.m. flight to Puerto Rico.”

Three and a half hours later the airplanedoors opened in San Juan and the humid-ity hit full force. “It was pretty cold here inArlington when we left so we were prettywarmly dressed,” Butzer said. The statepolice picked them up at the airport andthe first thing she noticed “pretty immedi-ately was the 20-foot green highway signspushed off and down along the road andthe palm trees all over on the ground.”

Captain Wayne Vincent, Second DistrictCommander going on his 22nd year, was inthe second group to arrive two weeks later.He said the airport itself was empty withnot more than 10 passengers at their gate.And the lack of telephone poles stood outbecause they were reinforced rebar concreteand to see them down was surprising.

Lt. Eliseo A. Pilco, a 20-year-veteran nowwith the Special Victims Criminal Unit, saidhe had been in the islands before and hethought it would be pretty cool to returnbut he noticed the differences.

The ACPD was assigned to traffic direc-tion. Butzer said they had a vital intersec-

tion of Route 66 and Route 3. She said theyonly directed traffic by day because at nightit was pitch black and too dangerous evenwith a light.

Pilco said there were no street signs. “Thechallenge was surreal. After days and days,you felt the impact.”

Vincent said over 400 intersections wereout that needed direction. U.S. law enforce-ment handled 50 of these intersections.

At night they decided to cook for them-selves instead of eating out so they stood inline at Ralph’s, the local grocery store.“What we noticed was the long line for ice;

that was the big thing. But,” Butzer noticedif they got to Ralph’s too late, almost all ofthe meat was gone and the produce binswere empty with shades down so they didn’twaste electricity. If a store sign said“Abierto,” it meant the store was open soyou knew they must have a generator. OnlyRalph’s had electricity, and all of the otherstores closed at dark.

Butzer said, things were expensive — milk$6 and 18 eggs for $5. Vincent said theirgroup decided not to eat fresh fruits andvegetables but stick to canned. Then theylearned that the Puerto Ricans can’t grow

their own fresh produce yet so everythinghas to be brought in from outside.

Pilco said they worked alongside officersfrom New Mexico, Connecticut, a large con-tingent from New Jersey and locally fromPrince William and Hampton. Pilco said.“You are in awe sitting there with all of theseofficers. And the Puerto Rican officers wereamazing. They could see we were downthere to help. We were there at Thanksgiv-ing and they would drop off water and foodfor us while we were directing traffic when

By Vernon Miles

The Connection

With a new middle school comingonline at Stratford in 2019, themiddle school boundary

changes were inevitable. The School Boardwill vote on the changes at its Dec. 14 meet-ing, but a public hearing earlier on Nov. 30provided a reminder of the human cost ofredistricting.

Stratford will be Arlington’s sixth middleschool. The new boundaries will create anew district for the school and seek to helpaddress crowding among the other Arling-ton schools. An estimated 1,545 studentswill be reassigned under the redistrictingplan.

For many of the parents speaking at theSchool Board meeting, there were concernsabout losing a sense of community.

“This is an extremely important issue tomy neighbors and I,” said Reem Akkad. “Myhusband and I are both working parents.Our families live on the other side of thecountry ... I’m a very busy mom juggling a

Another Day Directing Traffic — But in Puerto RicoArlington County Police officers volunteer in aftermath of disaster.

From left: Lt. Eliseo A. Pilco, Of-ficer Sarah Butzer, Captain WayneVincent upon return from volun-teering in Puerto Rico.

Arlington County Police Department Lt. Eliseo A. Pilco said theyworked alongside officers from New Mexico, Connecticut, New Jerseyand locally from Prince William and Hampton.

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Arlington parents and community members expressconcerns about middle school boundary changes.Between the Lines

New Arlington middle school boundaries proposal.

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Vernon MilesReporter

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ArlingtonThe

Connection

Opinion

The Children’s Health Insurance Pro-gram, CHIP, provides health cover-age to low-income, children withfamily incomes too high to qualify

for Medicaid, up to 200 percent of the federalpoverty level in Virginia, up to $49,200 for afamily of four. In Virginia, coverage under CHIPis called Family Access to Medical InsuranceSecurity (FAMIS) and covers more than 69,000children and pregnant women. More than 8.4million children are covered nationally underCHIP.

Ironically, families with chil-dren covered under FAMIS(note that the S stands for “se-curity”) will receive letters this

week letting them know that their medical in-surance security ends in January unless theU.S. Senate acts to reauthorize (fund) CHIPby the end of the year. The House of Represen-tatives passed a bill to reauthorize CHIP inNovember, funding it mostly through cuts toprograms in the Affordable Care Act.

The letter to Virginia FAMIS participantsreads:

“We are sending you this letter because thesepeople in your family are enrolled in FAMIS orFAMIS MOMS:

“FAMIS and FAMIS MOMS are paid for bystate and federal funds through the Children’sHealth Insurance Program known as CHIP. For

20 years CHIP has had the strong support ofCongress and has been renewed many times.We are hopeful that Congress will once againprovide the funding to continue this program.However, because Congress has not acted yet,we need to let you know that there is a chancethe FAMIS programs may have to shut down.

“If Congress does not act soon, the FAMISprograms will end on Jan. 31, 2018.”

Having tens of thousands of uninsured chil-dren is bad health policy for every Virginian.It’s better for all children in school to have allchildren be able to access health care, bothpreventative care and care when they are sick.

According to a recent publication in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine:

“The body of evidence summarized here in-dicates that coverage expansions significantlyincrease patients’ access to care and use of pre-ventive care, primary care, chronic illness treat-ment, medications, and surgery. These in-creases appear to produce significant, multi-faceted, and nuanced benefits to health.

“Some benefits may manifest in earlier de-tection of disease, some in better medicationadherence and management of chronic condi-tions, and some in the psychological well-be-ing born of knowing one can afford care whenone gets sick. … Some of these changes willultimately help tens of thousands of people livelonger lives.

Save Healthcare for Children Right NowIf U.S. Senate fails to act soon, 69,000 children and pregnant womenin Virginia, more than 8 million nationally, will lose health coverage.

Editorial

“Conversely, the data suggest that policiesreducing coverage will produce significantharms to health, particularly among peoplewith lower incomes and chronic conditions.”

Also, having health coverage leads to greaterfinancial security, and that helps the economy.“There is abundant evidence that having healthinsurance improves financial security,” accord-ing to the same study.

Virginia’s U.S. Senators Mark Warner andTim Kaine have repeatedly called for a vote toreauthorize CHIP.

Yesterday, they said, “Today is a scary dayfor a lot of families in Virginia, and it was com-pletely preventable. We asked SenatorMcConnell multiple times to help us supportthe 66,000 children and 1,100 pregnantwomen in Virginia who receive their healthcare through the CHIP program, but Republi-can leadership still hasn’t brought it forwardfor a vote. There is a bipartisan bill on the table,and it’s critical that we pass it before Congressleaves for the holidays so we can give somepeace of mind to Virginia parents who areworried about whether their children will havehealth insurance in the new year.”

We wish everyone peace of mind in the NewYear.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

What AboutDrew Model?To the Editor:

How long will the Nauck community and thechildren of the Drew Model Program sufferfrom a failing school? In 2017, Drew ModelElementary ranked worse than 55.3 percentof elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranked16th among 22 ranked elementary schools inthe Arlington County Public Schools District.

This school is rated below average in schoolquality compared to other schools in the state.Students here perform below average on statetests, are making about average year-over-yearacademic improvement, and this school hasbelow average results in how well it’s servingdisadvantaged students.

Disadvantaged students at this school arefalling far behind other students in the state,Drew has a large achievement gap. Test scoresare inflated, you can’t really see what is hap-pening at Drew because the data published isnot aggregated by programs at Drew.

Drew has the Model Program and theMontessori Program. In 2019 our neighbor-hood will be left with the Model Program only.As the president of the Nauck Civic Associa-tion I am appalled at the latest decision madeby the superintendent. In February of 2017 theNauck Civic Association and the Drew PTA re-quested that principals be identified for bothprograms immediately. On Dec. 7, the an-nouncement was made that the principal for

the Montessori Program would be Ms.Catherina Genove. She has been the principalfor the last two years, prior to that she servedas the assistant principal. She entered APS in2012, with a background in Montessori.

In October 2017 the Montessori Work Groupwas established to:

❖ Determine potential opportunities for in-corporating differing grade levels in the pro-gram at Patrick Henry Elementary School.

❖ Examine available research about instruc-tional impact of combining differing grade lev-els at the school.

❖ Obtain input from the community aboutvarious possibilities.

The only thing that has been done with thecommunity of the Drew Model program is aVisioning Process to select the STEAM focusthat was implemented in 2017. Now we aretraining staff on STEAM and have not evenselected an administrator.

It appears that the superintendent and theSchool Board have a total disregard for whatis happening to our neighborhood children.

Superintendent Murphy has once againtaken a very dismissive and demeaning ap-proach to the Nauck community. Give theMontessori/AMAC parents what they want andignore the action for the Drew Model Program.

THE FACTS❖ In the last six years the graded program

has been failing but APS only reports the datacombined with the Montessori Program.

❖ Drew has had five principals in four years

attempting to run two programs in one build-ing.

❖ The aggregated data for the two programsshows that the Drew Model Program is failingwithout the Montessori Program.

THE FAILURE❖ APS has addressed the problem of having

two different programs with two differentneeds in one building. Montessori will be leav-ing in 2019, the failing Drew Model Programwill be left.

❖ The aggregated scores for the two pro-grams are unacceptable today, what will theylook like in 2019?

❖ It’s time to shift gears. Leadership on theschool level cannot fix a structural problem.Drew will become a single focus school in 2019and all we have done for Drew Model Programis adopted a STEAM focus without qualifiedleadership.

❖ The Montessori Program is well definedand achieving. We now have identified a prin-cipal for the Montessori Program but not theModel Program that is failing.

THE FUTURE❖ We need to build a successful new Drew

Model Program.❖ The Montessori scores have been mask-

ing a decade of disservice to the graded chil-dren.

❖ Each program needs its own school with

Letter to the Editor

See Letter, Page 11


News

The public is invited to jointhe Arlington CountyBoard on Tuesday, Dec.

19, for the swearing-in of BoardMember-elect Erik Gutshall.Gutshall was elected to a four-yearterm on the board on Nov. 7. Theceremony will begin at 5 p.m., andwill be followed by a receptionoutside the Board Room, Room307 in the County Office Building,2100 Clarendon Blvd.

No RSVP is necessary.The ceremony, which will take

place between the afternoon andmorning sessions of the board’sDecember 2017 Recessed Meeting,will be live-streamed on thecounty website, and broadcast onATV, the county’s cable channel, onComcast 25 and 74 and VerizonFiOS 39 and 40.

The founder and president of hisown business, Clarendon HomeServices, Gutshall has served hiscommunity in a variety of rolessince he and his wife Renee movedto Lyon Park in 1995.

As both a member of countycommissions and a communityvolunteer, Gutshall has worked toimplement Arlington’s vision of asustainable, inclusive community.He sees housing affordability as afundamental challenge.

As chair of the Planning Com-mission, and during his service onthe Transportation Commission,Gutshall has supported public en-gagement and planning to ensure

that privatedevelopmentcontributes tor e s i d e n t s ’quality of lifeand that po-tential nega-tive impacts ofdevelopment

are mitigated.Gutshall served as president of

the Lyon Park Citizens Associationfrom 2002-2005. He was a neigh-borhood representative on the SitePlan Review Committee and formany Clarendon-area projects. Heis a member of Leadership Arling-ton Class of 2009.

As a member of the PlanningCommittee, he served on the West-ern Rosslyn Planning Study and aschair of the Williamsburg FieldSite Evaluation Work Group, aswell as liaison to the EconomicDevelopment Commission.

For six years, he served on theboard of Doorways for Women andFamilies. He has served on the Fa-cilities Committee of Western Pres-byterian Church, coached youthsoccer, and served as a PTA volun-teer. His three daughters all attendArlington Public Schools.

Gutshall has a Bachelor of Sci-ence degree in political sciencefrom James Madison Universityand a Master of Arts degree inenvironmental resource policyfrom the George Washington Uni-versity.

Public Invited toGutshall Swearing-in

What’s in a Toll?From Page 2

Local leadership was supportiveof the I-66 changes.

“The plan was to design a vari-able toll facility that ensured a re-liable trip and maximized thenumber of people going throughthe corridor, not just the numberof vehicles,” said County Boardchair Jay Fisette.

“That invariably means a vari-able toll. They will take severalmonths to tweak it but the com-mitment is that someone gettingon that lane is going to travel aminimum of 45 miles per hourthrough there and reliably get towhere they’re going, which is notthe case today.”

Fisette noted that in the past,single occupancy vehicles wereunable to travel during rush hour.No one with two or more peoplein the vehicle is charged anythingtoday, so only drivers who werepreviously unable to drive on I-66at all will now face a toll.

Over the last week, Fisette saidthe average speeds were around55 miles per hour, so with the as-sumption that the speed should bearound a 45 miles per hour aver-age, Fisette said the toll could belower in the future.

For Arlington, Fisette said staffis monitoring side road traffic tosee if the new tolls have an impact.For the first week, the initial wordis that the impact is negligible.

“That doesn’t mean we won’tcontinue monitoring and checkingit,” said Fisette. “If there are im-pacts that are unacceptable orproblematic, in conjunction withVDOT or around the improve-ment, we now have a pot of moneyto deal with that: the toll revenue.I don’t think after this first weekthat there’s a lot unexpected. Keepin mind: two or more people travelfor free all the time. Most of thepeople charged tolls were not eli-gible to travel on that roadway inthe past.”


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Please visit our Web site at: www.shillelaghtravelclub.comfor a listing of all our upcoming trips and socials.

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Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGDrafthouse’s 2017 Christmas

Movie Festival. Through Dec. 13,various times at Arlington Cinema &Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike.Featuring “Elf,” “It’s A WonderfulLife,” “Home Alone,” “Miracle on34th Street,” “National Lampoon’sChristmas Vacation,” “Scrooged,” and“Gremlins.” $10 for unlimitedadmission. Visitarlingtondrafthouse.com/ or call 703-486-2345.

Holiday Hansel and Gretel. ThroughDec. 23, Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.;Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.at Synetic Theater, 1800 S. Bell St.During the bustle of holiday crowds,Gretel tries to keep her brother,Hansel, out of trouble while theirunengaged babysitter leaves Gretel tofend for them both. Visitsynetictheater.org/.

“Crazy for You.” Through Jan. 14,various times at the SignatureTheatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. Amusical comedy with Gershwin tunesincluding “I’ve Got Rhythm,”“Someone to Watch Over Me” and“Nice Work If You Can Get It” fusewith tap dancing. Visitwww.sigtheatre.org.

Artists’ Exhibition. Through Jan. 31,various times at the Courthouse Plazalobby. Through the Lens of FrankHallam Day and Anne Rowlandimages of Arlington’s built andnatural environments. Visitpublicart.arlingtonva.us/.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 13Youth Services Winter Open

House. 4-6 p.m. at the CentralLibrary, 1015 N. Quincy St. Forpreschoolers and elementary agekids: Crafts, snacks and cozy winterstorytimes. For middle and highschool age kids: hot chocolate bar,make a present to take home, ormake a holiday card. Call 703-228-5990.

Happy Holidays Dinner-Dance.6:30 p.m. at Knights of ColumbusHall, 5115 Little Falls Road.Featuring entertainer Dillon of Pianod’Amore. Will be collecting donationsof unwrapped toys to be contributedto the USMC’s annual Toys for Totsdrive. $45. Email [email protected] or call 703-241-0390.

THURSDAY/DEC. 14Rosslyn Carols Holiday Concert. 5-

10 p.m. at the Central Place Plazaacross from the Rosslyn Metrostation, 1800 N. Lynn St. Enjoyholiday games, food and special

winter drinks in addition to a life-sizesnow globe that attendees can stepinto and bring home a holidaypicture card. Visitwww.rosslynva.org/do/rosslyn-carols-holiday-concert.

Chanukah on Ice. 6-8:30 p.m. atPentagon Row Ice Rink, 1201 SouthJoyce St. Skating, lighting of aMenorah, raffle, hot dogs. $13includes skate rental. Food soldseparately. Call 703-820-2770 or visitwww.chabadAA.org.

Human Rights Award WinnersCeremony. 7-9 p.m. at theArlington County Board Room, 2100Clarendon Blvd. The ArlingtonHuman Rights Commission selectedthis year’s recipients and will presentthe awards at a ceremony andreception. The Executive Director ofthe American Civil Liberties Union ofVirginia, Claire G. Gastañaga, will bethe keynote speaker. Visitwww.arlingtonhumanrights.org/.

SATURDAY/DEC. 16Annual Wreaths Across America. 7

a.m.-1 p.m. at Arlington NationalCemetery. Help place Veterans’Remembrance Wreaths on the gravesof our American heroes buried atArlington National Cemetery. Nosign-up required, and no age limit –simply show up if you would like toparticipate. Visitarlingtoncemetery.mil/#/.

Hardhat Decorating Workshop. 1-3p.m. at Arlington Arts Center, 3550Wilson Blvd. Have questions aboutthe Ballston Quarter renovation?Staff from developer Forest City willbe on-site to hand out materials andanswer questions about progress andother updates related to the projectopening in fall 2018 while thechildren are in the hard hatdecorating workshop, and they cantake home their finished hats. Call703-248-6800.

Artists Discussion. 1-3 p.m. atArlington Arts Center, 3550 WilsonBlvd. Gallery talk with the artists ofFall SOLOS 2017: Mary Baum,Atsuko Chirikjian, Catherine Day,Anna Kell, Jen Noone, MojdehRezaeipour, Julie Wills and residentartist Ryan McCoy.Call 703-248-6800.

SALT Toastmasters Meetup. 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Woodrow WilsonLibrary, 6101 Knollwood Drive, FallsChurch. Seeking individuals who areseasoned and aspiringcommunicators and leaders. Free.Call 703-475-3208.

National Chamber EnsembleConcert. 7:30 p.m. at UnitarianUniversalist Church of Arlington,4444 Arlington Blvd. SopranoRebecca Littig joins NationalChamber Ensemble in “HolidayCheer.” Visit www.uucava.org/.

By Steve Hibbard

The Connection

Synetic Family Theater in Arlington is pre-senting “Hansel and Gretel” from nowthrough Dec. 23. During the bustle of holi-

day crowds, Gretel tries to keep her brother,Hansel, out of trouble while their unengagedbabysitter leaves Gretel to fend for them both. AsHansel embarks on his own exploration of his ev-eryday surroundings, he and his sister fall into amagical realm that takes them far away fromhome. In this wordless production, the Grimmfairy tale embraces the fantastical through the eyesof those who see the world through a differentlens.

Co-directors Tori Bertocci and Elena Velasco saidalthough the original Brothers Grimm tale focuseson the dark sides of family and life, they wantedto explore how perspective shapes relationships.

“Gretel and Hansel survive because they rely oneach other, but, as we know, relying on a brotheror sister isn’t always easy. We grow up together,but become different people. This can becomeeven more pronounced when one sibling processesthe world in a drastically different way than oth-ers expect,” they said.

“As both theatre artists and educators, we knowthat children of all abilities have gifts to offer theworld. We also know that society doesn’t alwaysvalue the unique perspectives of children whosedevelopment is atypical. We — educators, adults,family members — don’t always know how to ac-cept challenges in communication or interactionsthat require a different type of process. Hansel isthat boy, and Gretel must be the one who learnsto accept who her brother is,” they said.

Sharisse Taylor is playing the role of Gretel, whois young but prides herself on being responsible.“She seeks approval for being mature and wellmannered. A good amount of her time is spentlooking after her brother. While she loves himdearly, she does need to start living a little be-cause she’s just a kid,” she said.

She said the show is fast paced so it’s easy to try

to jump from one story beat to the next. “It wasdifficult (but necessary) to find the momentswhere the characters stopped to live in the mo-ment,” she said.

Raven Wilkes plays several roles: the babysitter,witch and puppeteer. “Most of my characters inthis show are puppets, all with different shapes,sizes, and usage,” she said. “With all of that comesmany challenges; the primary being how to showeach puppet’s personality and unique character-istics in the world of the play in order to enhancethe story.”

She continued, “Not only am I not allowed touse text or dialogue in the wordless show, I alsoam unable to communicate in a human way withcommon gestures or most movements. I have tochange my entire body in order portray each ofthese very special characters. It’s marvelous andfun. But it is certainly tiresome work that requiresa lot of attention to detail and specificity.”

Synetic Family Theater in Arlington is presenting“Hansel and Gretel” from now through Dec. 23.Show times are Thursdays through Sundays at 11a.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Ticketsare $20. The venue is located at 1800 S. Bell St.,Arlington. Visit www.synetictheater.org.

Photo by Johnny Shryock

Synetic Theater in Arlington is present-ing “Hansel and Gretel” from nowthrough Dec. 23.

‘Hansel and Gretel’ at SyneticA wordless productionof Grimm fairy tale.


SUNDAY/DEC. 17Nutcracker Tea at the Ritz. 10:30

a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton,Pentagon City, 1250 S. Hayes St.Presented by Ballet Nova. High teawith pictures with the Sugar PlumFairy, crafts, raffle prizes and a mini-performance of excerpts from TheNutcracker. Adults: $75, Childrenunder 12 - $44. Visitwww.BalletNova.org.

A Service of Lessons and Carols.10:30 a.m. at the Walker ChapelUnited Methodist Church, 4102 NGlebe Road. Walker Chapel ChancelChoir, accompanied by an ensemblefrom the Falls Church Concert Band.This service celebrates the birth ofJesus with readings, interspersedwith Christmas carols, hymns andchoir music. Everyone is invited tocelebrate the season. Visitwww.walkerchapel.org or 703-538-5200.

Yule Log Lighting Celebration. 5p.m. at the Walker Chapel UnitedMethodist Church, 4102 N GlebeRoad. Boy Scout Troop 641 alongwith the Walker Chapel Youth willlead a Yule Log celebration, withChristmas carols plus hot chocolateand goodies on the front steps ofWalker Chapel Visitwww.walkerchapel.org or 703-538-5200.

Flying Squirrel Lore and More. 5-6p.m. at Long Branch Nature Center,625 S. Carlin Springs Road. Learnabout these engaging nocturnalacrobats. After an indoorpresentation, tiptoe outside to seethese little pixies glide in for anevening meal. Free. Ages 6 and up.Call 703-228-6535, or [email protected].

Encore ROCKS. 3 p.m. at YorktownHigh School, 5200 Yorktown Blvd.

Encore Chorales of Langston Brown,Alexandria, Fairfax, Goodwin House.All Encore ROCKS Invited to sing.Call 703-228-5400.

THURSDAY/DEC. 21Solstice Eve Hike and Campfire. 6-

7:30 p.m. at Gulf Branch NatureCenter, 3608 N. Military Road.Celebrate the longest night of theyear with candle making and roastingmarshmallows for s’mores. Then takea night hike under the crescentmoon. $5. Call 703-228-3403.

SATURDAY/DEC. 30Winter Bird Walk. 10-11:30 a.m. at

Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S.Carlin Springs Road. What birds arearound in the winter? Some arefamiliar, year-round friends butothers are winter-only visitors suchas Winter Wrens and BrownCreepers. Beginners welcome andloaner binoculars are available. Free.Ages 6 and up. Call 703-228-6535.

SUNDAY/DEC. 31New Year’s Eve Stroll and

Campfire. 6-7:30 p.m. at LongBranch Nature Center, 625 S. CarlinSprings Road. Explore the park as thefull moon rises, then ring out the oldand bring in the new by tossingresolutions into a wishing campfire.Bring a flashlight. $7. Ages 5 and up.Call 703-228-6535, or [email protected].

SATURDAY/JAN. 6Arlington Community Chorus

Concert. 7 p.m. in the KenmoreMiddle School Black Box Theatre,200 S. Carlin Springs Road. Directedby Mary-Hannah Klontz and


accompanied by Diane Carsten-Pelak,with additional instrumentalists, thegroup will perform Will Todd’s “JazzMissa Brevis” and choral classics witha twist, including “12 Days ofChristmas.” Free. Visitwww.apsva.us/adulted or call 703-228-7200.

SATURDAY/JAN. 13The Big Meow. 3-4 p.m. at Theatre on

the Run, 3700 S. Four Mile RunDrive. The story of an ever-hopefulfluff ball who desperately wants tobelong to the band of neighborhood

cats. $15 adults/$10 children underage 10. Visit www.janefranklin.com/.

Forty+ or Minus. 7:30-9 p.m.Saturday, 2-5 p.m. at Theatre on theRun, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive. Amulti-generational danceperformance. $5-$22. Visitwww.janefranklin.com.

SATURDAY/JAN. 20Forty+ or Minus. 7:30-9 p.m.

Saturday, 2-5 p.m. at Theatre on theRun, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive. Amulti-generational danceperformance. $5-$22. Visitwww.janefranklin.com.

JAN. 20-27Complete Dogness on Stage.

Various times at Theatre on theRun, 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive.Jane Franklin Dance presents ashow about the antics of a littledog. $15 Adults/$10 Childrenunder age 10. Visitwww.janefranklin.com.

SATURDAY/JAN. 27Forty+ or Minus. 7:30-9 p.m.

Saturday, 2-5 p.m. at Theatre onthe Run, 3700 S. Four Mile RunDrive. $5-$22. Visitwww.janefranklin.com.

Lighting of theMenorahCelebrate Chanukahon Ice at the Penta-gon Row Ice Skatingrink in Arlington onThursday, Dec. 14.This annual eventincludes family iceskating, hot dogs andlatkes withapplesauce, as wellas lighting of thetraditional Menorah.Visitwww.ChabadAA.org.

File photo by

Shirley Ruhe


By Ashley Claire Simpson

The Connection

This year, popular items onchildren’s holiday wish lists arelikely video games, mobile de-vices, and trendy articles of

clothing. There’s a more enriching way toapproach holiday gift giving for youths,though.

Keeping in the holiday spirit doesn’t meanmentally checking out, according to Dr. LisaTurissini, chair of Marymount University’sEducation Department. Stimulate their in-tellect and curiosity with gift giving thisyear, and ultimately provide children withmuch more than the surges of adrenalinethey’ll receive from unwrapping somethingshiny or with a battery.

Turissini, who has been an educator formore than 30 years, leans toward gifts thatresult in experiences. When holiday seasonrolls around, she suggested an array of giftsthat ultimately lead to more knowledge, ormore memories

“Experiential gifts stay in our memoriesforever, and an interesting trip can be oneof the best family gifts,” she said. “Musiclessons, for instance: As kids learn newskills, such as playing a musical instrument,they gain confidence. Also, the process ofstudying, practicing, and performingteaches kids how to set and achieve goals.Kids taking these kinds of classes or lessonsare able to explore their creativity.”

These types of gifts don’t have to be ex-pensive either.

“Board or cardgames are greatbecause they willlead to a comingtogether for a fam-ily game night,which is old-fash-ioned fun,” shesaid. “Developingstrategies throughcritical thinkingand learning howto be a good win-ner are some of

the benefits. Our family in particular en-joys Risk, Monopoly and Uno.”

She added that downloading a collectionof good Podcasts makes a great gift, too.

Local early education experts agree thatplaying is an important part of childhood,and gift-giving season is a great opportu-nity to provide them with the tools for thebest kind of play.

“Children learn through play,” Turissinisaid. “When playing with educational toysand games, children can develop percep-tion, intuition, and reasoning as they en-gage in creative activities. Educational toyscan help children connect to their thoughtprocesses and further develop their capa-bilities to think freely. Common toys thathelp boost cognitive skills include puzzlesand number games. By providing childrenwith well-devised play experiences, insideand outside, children develop appropriatesocial interaction skills, language skills andemotional development.

While technology has changed so muchabout this generation of elementary schoolaged children, teachers continue to see thebenefit of traditional learning toys. Tech-nology isn’t all bad, but, kids need timeaway from screens to interact with the realworld.

“I’ve taught little people for eight yearsand higher ed for almost six years,” said Dr.Carley Fisher-Maltese, an Early ChildhoodEducation assistant professor for GeorgeMason University’s College of Educationand Human Development (CEHD). “SomeSTEM-related toys that I’d consider purchas-ing for my own kids would be telescopes,microscopes, and logic and/or puzzlebooks.”

Despite the lure of mobile devices, young-sters today still seem to find fun in thesimple stuff.

“I love books of science experiments, par-ticularly kitchen science, where you can findpretty much everything you need in yourkitchen. My kids love making slime — theyeven have kits you can buy to make it —and making volcanoes explode with a littlebaking soda and vinegar. I also like build-ing toys for kids, such as marble mazes andmagna tiles. There are some good robot-building kits and drones that connect toyour phone or tablet that you can buy forolder kids.”

Think outside the box – literally. Dr.Debbie Stone, GMU CEHD assistant profes-sor of Child, Family and Community En-gagement, said some of the best gifts areimpossible to wrap up or put in a gift bag.

“I am a big advocate for open-ended toyssuch as building materials, art supplies, adollhouse, kitchen, etcetera,” Stone said.“Anything that sparks open-ended play andproblem solving gets my vote.”

Children need to keep moving over holi-day break, too. A gift as simple as a jumprope could help with this.

“It is important for children to engage inphysical activities during holiday break,”Turissini said. “Bike riding and nature walksare terrific ways for children to get thephysical exercise that they need. In colderweather building a snowman or going sled-ding can be fun for all. By allowing chil-dren to participate in a variety of activitiesyou will ensure continued not only healthyemotional and physical development, butalso kids who are recharged and ready toget back to school.”

With existing excitement in the air, it’s aperfect time to spark a love of discoverywithin children.

“Picture a future where, rather than mak-ing a trip to the local store for a toy, yourchild could create toys for him or herself,”Turissini said.

“It sounds like something out of a futur-istic movie, but conceivably, kids can maketheir own creations using a 3D printer,which today is extremely expensive. But,as with computers and flat-screen TVs, theprice of 3D printers will eventually go downas the technology becomes more widelyavailable. In a couple of years, your childand her friends could be printing their owndollhouse furniture, trains, and cars.”

Gift Guide

Entertaining and Educational Gifts to stimulate intellect and curiosity.

Fisher-Maltese

Two community groups, two busi-nesses, and an individual have beenselected as winners of the 2017

James B. Hunter Human Rights Award.The Arlington Human Rights Commission

selected this year’s recipients and willpresent the awards at a ceremony and re-ception from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14at the Arlington County Board Room, 2100Clarendon Blvd. The executive director ofthe American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)of Virginia, Claire G. Gastañaga, will be thekeynote speaker. The James B. HunterAward recognizes sustained commitmentand outstanding accomplishment in thearea of human rights made in Arlington byan individual, community group, non-profitorganization or business.

2017 JAMES B. HUNTERAWARD WINNERS

❖ Eric Schaeffer is a co-founder and ar-tistic director of Arlington’s Signature The-ater. Under Schaeffer’s leadership, Signa-ture has been the recipient of multipleHelen Hayes Awards as well as a TonyAward for Outstanding Regional Theater inAmerica. His life and Signature’s are inter-twined. Schaeffer leads an annualfundraiser to help actors with unexpectedhealth challenges and medical expenses. Hehas staged and commissioned plays of fe-male playwrights and been a leader in non-traditional casting, which has opened thedoor for many actors of color. His life workhas contributed to making Signature avenue for people to think about the worldthey live in, create conversations that fos-ter change, and spawn creativity with mes-sages of hope and justice.

❖ Building Bridges is a community ini-tiative aimed at bridging the divide between

values, culture and economics. Its missionis to foster strong and meaningful relation-ships through outreach, listening and en-gagement. Recently, it partnered with CARE,Inc., the Nauck Community Archives & Re-source Center, and the Arlington CountyPublic Library to curate heritage exhibits,engage in historical education initiatives,and locate historical collections inside thecommunity. Nauck is a historically African-American community. Another project in-cluded reaching out to people of differentpolitical persuasions in hopes of openingand maintaining a civil dialogue and find-ing areas of common ground.

❖ Saint George’s Episcopal Church hasan inclusive, caring and multigenerationalcongregation that has shown unwaveringcommitment and a welcoming attitude to-wards world refugees. It has hosted numer-ous refugee advocacy workshops conducted

by experts to learn practical ways to encour-age policymakers to increase acceptance ofworld refugees in America.

❖ Café Sazón is a small local restaurantwhich welcomes every member of our com-munity — and has been doing so since2010. A sign at the door greets every cus-tomer by stating that it is a house for all. Ithas a diverse staff and hosts educationalnights to support immigrant rights.

❖ Freddie’s Beach Bar is considered theonly gay bar in Northern Virginia. Since2001, this business has been at the fore-front in supporting the LGBTQ communityby giving people a space to enjoy and forgay organizations to meet, and by support-ing LGBTQ activities with food donations.Freddie’s has also provided space, food anddrinks for the American Cancer Society andcollected toys for the Marine Corps Toys forTots holiday program.

News

Commission To Honor Human Rights Award Winners

Submit civic/community announce-ments at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Deadline is Thursday at noon,at least two weeks before event.

SOBER-RIDE FOR WINTER HOLIDAYSFree Sober Rides. The annual Holiday

SoberRider program will operate 8p.m.-4 a.m. each night from Friday,Dec. 15, 2017-Monday, Jan. 1, 2018.

area residents age 21 and oldercelebrating with alcohol maydownload Lyft to their phones, thenenter the code in the app’s “Promo”section to receive their no cost (up to$15) safe transportation home.WRAP’s weekly Holiday SoberRidepromo codes will be posted at 2:00pm on Dec. 15, Dec. 23 and Dec. 31on www.SoberRide.com.

COMMUNITY INPUT WANTEDArlington County is in the process of

updating the 2005 Public SpacesMaster Plan, which providesstrategies for the future for ourpublic spaces, including parks,natural resource and recreationalneeds that make up that system. Visitparks.arlingtonva.us. Next meeting:

❖ Stewarding Tree Canopy, Natural

Resources and Casual Use Spaces:Thursday, Dec. 14, 6:30-9 p.m. atCentral Library

PUBLIC HEARINGS SETThe Arlington County Board will

hold a public hearing on establishingstandards for requesting historicpreservation overlay studies at itsDec. 16, 2017 County Board meeting.

Staff developed the changes inresponse to concerns raised regardingthe current, informal process forrequesting initiation of historicpreservation overlay district studies.The goal is to improve the processwithout unnecessarily burdening thepublic’s ability to request historicpreservation overlay district statusfor historic properties. Visitwww.arlingtonva.us for more.

Bulletin Board


To highlight your Faith Community, call Don at 703-778-9420

DAILY EUCHARIST:WeekdaysMonday-Friday, 8:30 AMSaturday, 8:30 AM

SUNDAY LITURGY SCHEDULE:Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PMSunday: 7:30, 9:00, and 11:00 AM1:30 PM Spanish Liturgy

5312 North 10th Street,Arlington, Virginia 22205Parish Office: 703-528-6276

PARISH WEBSITE:www.stannchurch.org

All AreWelcome!

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past 17 years

Those still looking for inspiration for holidaydécor are in luck thanks to some of the area’stop tastemakers. The lights and shapes of

Christmas trees, holiday mantels, a menorah andother décor, designed by some of Washington’s topinterior designers, are on display.

The designers donated their time to create festivedisplays for an event called “Light Up the Season” tobenefit for Children’s National Health System. Thedesigns were unveiled earlier this month at a festiveevent that included activities such as holiday cookiedecorating, ornament making, a visit from Santa andChildren’s National Dr. Bear mascot, musical perfor-mances and youth entertainers, silent auction.

Each original piece is a collaboration between pa-tients of Children’s National and area designers andbusinesses. The Creative & Therapeutic Arts Servicesat Children’s National worked with the Children’sHealth Board to pair designers with patients for in-spiration

The holiday decor will be on display and availablefor purchase at the Four Season Hotel in Georgetownthrough Dec. 20.

— Marilyn Campbell

Top designers create lavish holiday designs for charity.Holiday Décor on Display

Light Up the SeasonThrough Dec. 20 at Four Seasons in Georgetown,

2800 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.

Photos by Jessica Yurinko

Designer Kelly Proxmire of Bethesdacreated this holiday mantel.

Designer Camille Saum of Bethesda cre-ated this tree for “Light Up the Season.”

Arlington-based designers Alex Hubbardand Allie Mann put finishing touches onthe tree they created for “Light Up theSeason.”

Home for the Holidays


News

Volunteering in Puerto RicoFrom Page 3

Arlington County Police Department Captain WayneVincent said more than 400 intersections in PuertoRico needed direction.

Pho

to

C

on

tributed

they didn’t have much them-selves.”

Butzer said, “We ended up withmore water at night than we’d hadin the morning, and we drank 4-5bottles per person per day.”

Vincent said, “It was so power-ful, the resilience of the officers weworked with, their challenges.They went home to no electricity;they worked 12-hour shifts withno overtime, and they got 1,000calls daily.” He said, “That’s whywe relieved their stress. Theycould concentrate on their regu-lar duties while we took care oftraffic direction. Their attitudesand the way they treated us wenta long way.” Butzer added, “ThePuerto Rican officers are reallyresilient. Remember Pedro? Weneed more Pedros; he always hada smile on his face.”

Butzer said one day some of thePuerto Rican officers took them upthe mountain famous for its wa-terfall. They told the group to fo-cus on the waterfall — the righthalf now had a trickle and thewaterfall was only on the left side.“It changed the topography of therain forest.”

Pilco said the rain forest wasn’ttoo far away from where theywere. The canopy had been sweptaway and you could now see the

weeks in Puerto Rico assisting with the recovery? “Iwould do it again,” Butzer said. “I’m able and theyneed help so why not?”

Pilco said, “From my perspective I went back to aplace I’d served in a different capacity as a Marine. Iwas giving back at two different levels and contrib-uting beyond Arlington.”

Vincent was born in Trinidad. “The idea that PuertoRico is a Caribbean island gave me a very particularsatisfaction, very deep and emotional for me.”

The third team of ACPD officers is now in PuertoRico and scheduled to return Dec. 18.

“Flourishing After 55” from Arling-ton Office of Senior Adult Programs forDec. 12-16.

Senior centers: Lee, 5722 LeeHwy.; Langston-Brown Senior Cen-ter, 2121 N. Culpeper St.; WalterReed, 2909 S. 16th St.; Arlington Mill,909 S. Dinwiddie St.; Aurora Hills,735 S. 18th St.

Senior trips: Vienna Boys Choir,GMU’s Center for the Arts, Sunday,Dec. 17, $59; Downtown HolidayMarket, D.C., Tuesday, Dec. 19,$5;U.S. Botanic Gardens, D.C.,Wednesday, Dec. 20, $5; Walter’s ArtMuseum, Baltimore, Thursday, Dec.21, Faberge exhibit, $15; Basilica ofthe National Shrine of ImmaculateConception, Lincoln’s Cottage, D.C.,Friday,

Dec. 22, $39. Call ArlingtonCounty 55+ Travel, 703-228-4748.Registration required.

NEW PROGRAMS:Pinterest basics, Monday, Dec.

18, 1 p.m., Aurora Hills. Register, 703-228-5722.

Current events, Monday, Dec. 18,10 a.m., Walter Reed. Details, 703-228-0955.

Senior ice skating, Monday, Dec.18, 8:10 a.m.-9:20 a.m., $1 (includesskates), Ballston Mall Iceplex. Details,703-228-4771.

Rubber Stamp workshop, Tues-day, Dec. 19, 11:30 a.m., Lee.Newcomers welcome. Details, 703-228-0555.

Holiday sing-a-long led by TheEvergreens Duo, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 11a.m., Langston-Brown. Register, 703-228-6300.

Technology Tuesday, Dec. 19, 1p.m., Walter Reed. Topic: Microsofttools and pictures. Register, 703-228-0955.

Basic movements of ancient artdancing, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 12:15 p.m.,Lee. Register, 703-228-0555.

Drop-in basketball for women50+, Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m., Langston-

Brown. Details, 703-228-4771.Open watercolor studio ,

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 10 a.m.-noon,Arlington Mill.

Artists work at their own pace.Details, 703-228-7369.

Duplicate bridge games,ABCL sanctioned, Wednesday, Dec,.20, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Aurora Hills.Cost $50/10 session pass. Informa-tion, 703-228-5722.

Firehouse Jam musicians playacoustic music, Thursday, Dec. 21, 7p.m., Walter Reed. Details, 703-228-0955.

Motown music with TheWinstons, Thursday, Dec. 21, 11a.m., Arlington Mill. Details, 703-228-7369.

Free blood pressure checks,Thursday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11 a.m.,Walter Reed. Details, 703-228-0955.

Ballroom Dance, Friday, Dec.22, 1-3 p.m., Arlington Mill. Spa-cious dance floor, DJ Julie Carr.Details, 703-228-7369.

‘Flourishing After 55’

ocean through the trees.Vincent pointed out there are some good signs.

Puerto Ricans told him you could slowly see greengrowing up where it had been all brown before. Hesaw a lot of good being done. Team two saw powerbeing restored, which team one had not seen twoweeks earlier.

Pilco said people would cheer on contractors. “Wewould stop traffic for 20 of their vehicles.”

Butzer remembers a Puerto Rican police officerwho started to tear up. “They’re here — the calvary.”

So why did the officers volunteer to spend two


News

From Page 3

Boundariesgreat deal. The parents that I meet everymorning when I drop off my son, a veryimportant moment of my day, is an incred-ibly important time for the building of ourcommunity.”

Parents from Lyon Village and other com-munities subject to redistricting shared sto-ries about neighbors becoming close friendsand helping each other in great need; bondsbuilt often through their children’s commonschool.

But there were other, broader concernsexpressed by some at the Nov. 30 meeting,that the planning redistricting doesn’t doenough to relieve the economic and racialdisparity of some of Arlington’s schools.

“When I looked at the numbers, I wasconcerned about the level of segregation inthe middle schools,” said Richard Gibson,pointing specifically to the Patrick Henryapartments. “These apartments are pre-dominately hispanic and economically dis-advantaged. It’s 0.8 miles … to SwansonMiddle School, but they are zoned forKenmore, which is a 1.5 mile walk. I’mstruggling for a reason for why these stu-dents are being kept out of a more affluentschool that doesn’t involve property values.I know it’s hard, that you can’t make every-one happy, but this seems like a low hang-ing fruit for diversity.”

Some of these problems, parents andcommunity members say, extend across theredistricting plan. Percentage of economi-cally disadvantaged students in 2022 rangesfrom 52 percent at Kenmore to one percentat Williamsburg. Williamsburg also remainstwo percent black, six percent Asian andHispanic, with 79 percent white.

“Swanson will be over capacity by 2022,while Williamsburg will be under capacity,”said Terry Randall. “Yet, the plan actuallymoves planning blocks from Williamsburgto Swanson. These estimates could bewrong, the reality could be worse, the im-balance could be greater. It’s irresponsibleto have a plan that on day one has so muchimbalance between the different schools. It’snot a good use of resources, it’s not goodfor the students. Take a look at the plan andredraw the boundaries.”

The redistricting plan will be voted on atthe Dec. 14 School Board meeting, whereSchool Board member Reid Goldstein saidhe and likely others on the School Boardwould try to work a few changes.

“It could be exciting, it could be boring,”said School Board chair Barbara Kanninen,“you’ll just have to tune in and figure outwhich.”

From Page 4

its own budget, its own educational lead-ers, and vision for what it wants to be.

❖ The time to address this is now, whiledecisions are being made about capacityand staff are being trained for STEAM.

Boundary changes are proposed for el-ementary schools in 2018. Who will wantto send their child to a school that is al-ready failing without a plan for success?

Portia A. ClarkPresident, Nauck Civic Association

Letter

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Five weeks of blissful ignorance. (Speak foryourself. I am.) No 24-hour urine collection.No pre-chemotherapy lab work. No chemo-therapy infusion. No CT scan. No follow-upappointment with my oncologist – or anyother doctor for that matter. No brain MRI. Nofasting. No emailing. No prescription-drugrefilling. No vitals. No weight check. Notaste/eating side effects. No anything. Otherthan pretending and presuming that all is notwrong in my “whirled” (my underlying diagno-sis), life is for the living, and I’m living proof,random though it may be, that an incrediblygrim/surreal prognosis: “13 months to twoyears,” was not all it was cracked up to be.

Forgive me if I unleash my pent-up innerdemons. As a cancer patient, there’s just somuch to worry about; daily, weekly, monthlyand always, that when you get a break/brakein the action, it becomes a moment in time tocelebrate and cherish.

Good things may come in small packages,but great things come in five-week intervals.And though the minor deficits I have as aresult of nearly nine years of chemotherapyhave not dissipated; in the scheme of things, inthe midst of two-fortnights-and-a-half of “une-ncumbrances,” to quote my late father, I am“untethered,” to once again quote my father.This time however, quoting the late, great SidCaesar for a skit he performed (involving “anelephant,” my father always said) on “TheShow of Shows” back in the early 50s.

And so for the next month and change, Iam almost normal (or a reasonable facsimilethereof); other than following my daily anti-cancer, non-Western routine which I have longago assimilated into my dos and don’ts, that is.A routine which, though it can always beenhanced, is a direct result of the advice I’vereceived from my certified Holistic HealthCoach. And despite the fact that I may notexactly be on the straight and narrow – morelike the squiggly and wiggly, I certainly am noton the path I was when my cancer cells acti-vated after I slid into my first PET scan back inearly February 2009, and “lit it up like aChristmas tree,” according to my thoracic sur-geon. An indication/confirmation which led toa surgical biopsy a week or so later which thenled to the last nine years of my life.

Still, it’s been a life worth living and one forwhich I have few regrets. I have lived so farbeyond my original prognosis, it’s not evenfunny; it’s ridiculous. Sure, I’m doing more ofthe right things than I ever did, but hardly am Ithe poster boy for “see what happens whenyou ... .” If I’m the poster boy for anything, it’smore likely “how to maintain and evenincrease your weight while being treated forstage IV, non-small cell lung cancer.”

Not that I won’t savor the moments ahead,but I am mindful, which led to the substanceof this column, of what happens after thissemi-party is over: Jan. 2, 2018 – 24-hoururine collection; Jan. 3, 2018 – pre-chemo-therapy lab work; Jan. 5, 2018 – chemother-apy infusion; Jan. 17, 2018 – CT scan; andfinally, Jan. 26. 2018 – follow-up appointmentwith my oncologist to discuss the results of myscan, and then maybe another emotional hon-eymoon or, God forbid, a nightmare that diag-nosis to date has rarely raised its ugly head.

That possibility roams my head, constantly;compartmentalized – yes; “in the vault” – yes,but unfortunately, “the cancer,” (as “Forrest,Forrest Gump” said) still in my body and,medically speaking, not yet something one canflush out with treatment. But there’s alwayshope.

In the past few years, the FDA hasapproved half-a-dozen new lung cancer drugs,more than during the preceding decade. Idon’t think medical professionals would saythey have lung cancer on the run; they mightsay however, they have it on the trot. Which isgood for me because I can’t run, but I can trot.

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