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Chantilly Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.comMarch 1-7, 2017 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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ChantillyFair Oaks❖Fair Lakes

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Mild Winter MeansEarly Allergy SeasonWellbeing, Page 6

Following‘Indivisible

Guide’News, Page 4

‘This Church Is Family’News, Page 3

‘This Church Is Family’News, Page 3

From left areCentreville UnitedMethodist Churchpastors MichelleHolmes Chaney, WillMontgomery and EllenLaCroix-Fillette insidethe church building.

WellbeingPage 9

2 ❖ Chantilly Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Chantilly Connection ❖ March 1-7, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsChantilly Connection Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

Like any place of worship, CentrevilleUnited Methodist Church is a blendof the old and new. Longtime mem-

bers attend alongside those who’ve onlyworshipped there a few years.

The church’s roots in the community rundeep, yet change is a part of its life. Lastsummer, for example, CUMC welcomedthree new pastors – the Rev. Will Montgom-ery, lead pastor, plus associate pastors EllenLaCroix-Fillette and Michelle HolmesChaney.

“We’ve been a team since then, and we’vethoroughly enjoyed coming together, meet-ing everyone in the church and getting toknow them,” said Montgomery. “We’re ex-cited learning about what God has beendoing in the life of the church for manyyears.”

He said they’re also encouraged by “whatwe’re hearing and sensing in the midst ofthis transition about what God will be upto in this church for years to come. And weseek to be what God is calling us to be.”

Montgomery has been a pastor for 20years in the Lynchburg, Smithfield andCharlottesville areas, so this is his first timeheading a church in Northern Virginia. Andhe’s enjoyed serving in small towns andlarge cities, alike.

For eight years, he also served on theBoard of Ordained Ministry, credentialingpeople aspiring to become pastors. Andbecause of that experience, he got to knowmany of the former associate pastors atCUMC.

Montgomery said he and LaCroix-Filletteand Chaney work as a team here. “PastorMichelle leads the Congregational CareMinistry and Pastor Ellen oversees the Spiri-tual Formation classes, working with ourchildren and youth directors,” he said.

LaCroix-Fillette is a recent graduate ofWesley Seminary in Washington, D.C., andthis is her first church appointment. Chaneyhas had several years’ experience in theUnited Methodist Church’s Baltimore-Wash-ington conference. “They’re both a delightto work with and offer so much insight, andit’s great to bounce ideas off each other,”said Montgomery. “And the members herehave been warm and welcoming.”

Noting that CUMC is known for is mis-sions and music ministry, he said the pas-tors hope to build upon these strengths.“Every day, something is going on in the

church — either a church ministry or groupsusing our building,” said Montgomery. “Forexample, a Korean United MethodistChurch, Koinonia United Methodist Church,also meets here, and we hope to do moreshared ministry with them.”

He said 500 youth play on Saturdays inCUMC’s Upward Basketball program, nowcelebrating 12 years of community out-reach. “We also offer ESOL classes and arehome to a Boy Scout troop,” said Montgom-ery. “So there are several doors open to[area residents] to participate, and I’m ex-cited about the many ways we can make adifference in the lives of our community.”

At CUMC, he said, people are able to findpathways to connect to one another and toGod. Each Sunday, an average of 500 mem-bers come to the church at 6400 OldCentreville Road to attend one of the four

services offered.The 8:15 a.m. service is informal, whereas

the 9:30 and 11 a.m. services are more tra-ditional. These three are held in the sanc-tuary, and a contemporary service at 11:02a.m. is held in CUMC’s adjacent Recreationand Outreach Center.

“Our members are open and ready to re-spond to the love of Christ in worship, ser-vice and in discerning who we are,” saidMontgomery. He’s also pleased about “whowe are as a congregation” and said CUMCwill find ways to continue to deepen itsspirit and grow as a church.

“I listen to people telling me what pro-grams and experiences within the churchhave been meaningful to them, so we don’tlose that while we move forward,” he said.“But at the same time, we also want to be achurch for those who have yet to come.”

From left are CUMC’s pastors Michelle HolmesChaney, Will Montgomery and Ellen LaCroix-Fillette.

The entrance to Centreville United Methodist Churchin Centreville.

Lead pastor reflectswhile looking ahead.A Church with Roots and Wings

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

For the members of CentrevilleUnited Methodist Church, theirSunday, Feb. 19, services and fel-lowship were particularly joyful.

On that date, they celebrated being in theirbuilding on Old Centreville Road for 25years.

And although this church is now guidedby three, new pastors, it was fitting thatlong-time CUMC pastor, the Rev. BertSikkelee, now 80, led that day’s special 11a.m. service. The theme was “I Love MyChurch.”

“This anniversary is a time not just forcelebrating, but for remembering,” he said.“It was almost 25 years to the day that wemoved into this building. Feb. 16, 1992 wasthe opening service, and one of the firstweddings I performed here was for thestonemason who worked on this church.”

Ten years earlier, Sikkelee was amongthose who voted to make CUMC a regional

church, meaning no other United Method-ist churches could be built nearby. “MiltPeterson — who later built National Har-bor — gave us the land and influenced thebank to give us the loan,” said Sikkelee. “Hetold us to think big, and this church is theresult of that.”

But it wasn’t easy. In July 1992, CUMChad a $5 million mortgage to pay off. Still,it later decided to devote one-third of itsfunds to mission work.

“We were struggling to pay $480,000/year on the mortgage,” said Sikkelee. “Butby the end of 1999, we’d also paid over$480,000 to mission outreach locally, na-tionally and internationally. Barb Shaiko lefta high-paying job to become our missionsdirector for a pittance — and she told us itwas her best job ever.”

The anniversary celebration’s theme was“I Love My Church,” and Sikkelee gave anexample of why that’s true for him. “I’ll al-ways remember a homeless man who camehere and received a large bag of groceries,”he said. “We told him to spread the word to

others like him, and he said he didn’t haveto because ‘Everyone knows, if you needsomething, you go to CUMC.’”

Over the years, said Sikkelee, people fromall stations in life have worshipped at thischurch – average residents and dignitariesalike. One of them was former WashingtonRedskin Joe Jacoby. “He sat in the third row

because his legs stretched to the first row,”recalled Sikkelee.

He retired as CUMC’s pastor in June 2003,after 11 years at the helm, but still attendsservices there with his wife Libby, who singsin the choir. “This place is vital and fulfill

Centreville United Methodist Churchcelebrates 25 years in current building.‘This Church Is Family’

Photo by Bonnie Hobbs/The Connection

Members of CUMC’s Chancel Choir and Voices in Praise perform, “Uponthis Rock.”

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News

By Fallon Forbush

The Connection

A microphone reserved for U.S.Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-10)remained silent during a townhall meeting on Friday, Feb. 24,

where 150 of her constituents gathered toquestion her.

Members of the Indivisible Virginia Dis-trict 10 group knew that Comstock declinedtheir invitation, but they chose to set up amic and a paper name plate for their Con-gressional lawmaker just in case shechanged her mind. After all, the event wasscheduled during Congress’s week-long re-cess from Feb. 19 to Feb. 25 when federallawmakers typically spend time meetingwith constituents in their home districts.

Instead, the congresswoman chose to at-tend a Catholic Charities Ball for the Dio-cese of Arlington at the Ritz-Carlton inTysons, leaving organizers to fact check herpublic record and attempt to answer ques-tions on her behalf.

An official invitation was given toComstock on Tuesday, Feb. 7, according toJan Hyland, a member of the LovettsvilleIndivisible group who helped organize thein-person town hall with other members ofIndivisible groups throughout northern Vir-ginia.

Indivisible groups have been formingacross the country after the publication ofan “Indivisible Guide” that was created inDecember to help people resist the Trumpadministration’s agenda, according to thegrassroots group’s website.

Virginia Indivisible members living in the10th Congressional District, like Hyland,were surprised to see that Comstock an-nounced a telephone town hall the verysame day they invited her to their in-per-son town hall.

Individuals subscribed to Comstock’semail list received a last-minute invitationto register to participate in the call thatwould be taking place the following day,Wednesday, Feb. 8.

The short notice, indirect answers fromComstock and the participant’s inability toask follow-up questions left Hyland and herIndivisible peers determined that their in-person town hall was still necessary.

“People left that [telephone] town hallfeeling all the more frustrated,” said Hyland.

While the gymnasium met its small ca-pacity that evening without Comstock,many more people saw her absence by tun-ing into the event over the Web. There havebeen more than 1,000 views of the townhall’s live and archived Facebook Live feedsthat streamed the event.

“The congresswoman hosts telephone

town halls where she can talk to thousandsof her constituents in a civil and conversa-tional manner,” said Jeffrey Marschner,Comstock’s spokesperson, told the Connec-tion in an email. “She has been doing tele-phone town halls since she was a delegatein 2010.”

Marschner said Comstock’s constituentsappreciate the opportunity to call in fromhome or wherever they are and listen in attheir convenience.

“There is a lot of hunger for engagementwith representatives,” said Nathan Will-iams, one of the primary organizers of theTown Hall Project.

His new grassroots project has sprung upto help satisfy the demand for lawmaker’sattention and is attempting to publicize allcongressional town hall and constituentevents.

“This resource should exist, in fact wewere surprised it didn’t exist, that nobodyhad a single source of every member ofCongress’ public events,” he said.

Since the project is a “labor of passion,”Williams relies on small donations and vol-unteer researchers from across the countrywho contribute to and update calendars,which can be a difficult task.

“You can’t find all of these events by go-ing to their website or going to theirFacebook page,” he said. “Some membersof Congress seem to be going to greatlengths to avoid making the events known.”

ACCORDING TO MARSCHNER,Comstock spent time in the district onWednesday, Feb. 22, speaking at a rotaryclub in Manassas, visiting a rehab healthcare facility in Gainesville and stopping intoa local pharmacy to discuss health care is-sues. She finished the day in Great Falls byattending a law enforcement fundraiser atthe Brix American Bistro.

Two telephone town halls that Comstockheld this month were publicized in twoemails that were only sent to subscriberson her opt-in email list. There was no in-formation about the events on her website

or social media channels prior to the event.“It was emailed to the congresswoman’s

e-newsletter list, put on her website andFacebook page,” Marschner said. “It wastaken down from the Facebook page whenregistration closed.”

This behavior isn’t unusual, especially forreluctant Republicans who have noticedother rowdy town halls by colleagues acrossthe country.

“We don’t have years and years of data,but we do get a sense that there are mem-bers of Congress that in the past have heldin-person town halls who are now holdingtele-town halls or Facebook Live eventswhere frankly questions are typicallyscreened,” said Williams.

While Williams cannot confirm whetherComstock screened her questions, he saidthat it is a typical process for members ofCongress, which is why his group does notthink virtual events are sufficient substitutesfor in-person town halls.

“There are cases to be made to having atele-town hall in addition to having an in-person town hall,” he said. “Unless they candemonstrate that they are taking all ques-tions [in a] totally open format, there is noreason to believe as a constituent that theyhave the same level of openness and ac-countability that an in-person town hall haswhere someone raises their hand and takesthe microphone to ask their question.”

Comstock’s office emailed a second invi-tation for another telephone town hall onFeb. 18. This time, constituents were givenmore advanced notice, as the tele-town hallwas scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Last week, in-person meetings were alsogiven to constituents who had pressed staffmembers for face time with Comstock, ac-cording to Hyland. However, these meet-ings were brief and limited to one or two ata time. The meetings were also at her of-fice on Capitol Hill and the invitations weregiven out with very short notice, accordingto Hyland.

“Basically, people have a day’s notice orless to take off time from work and they’re

being asked to travel into Washington toher office in D.C., not here in the actual dis-trict,” Hyland said. “There’s no reason thatpeople who live as far away as Winchester,Clarke County or those of us out here inLovettsville, etcetera, to have to drive outof district on a week where she’s being paidto be out here with us.”

While there was a noticeable effort toquell in-person meetings last week, her con-stituents have been complaining about it allmonth.

“A friend just came back from a Comstockevent in Oakton — Barbara was supposedto meet constituents there to talk about therepeal of Obamacare and she never showedup,” wrote Fairfax resident James McCeneyon the public Facebook page of Our Revo-lution Northern Virginia, a liberal activistgroup.

Comstock sent staff members to the eventinstead.

“There’s a difference between listening tosomeone on the phone or reading aFacebook text question versus having a per-son look you in the eye and say, ‘I’m veryconcerned about losing my health insuranceand I’m a real person, I’m standing here infront of you, I’m not a paid protester, I’mnot a made-up Internet troll, I’m real andmy concerns are real and you represent me,so what are you going to do about it,’” saidWilliams. “Regardless of where they are inthe political spectrum, I think every mem-ber of Congress needs that face-to-face in-teraction with their constituents,” Williamssaid.

Comstock’s office is currently polling con-stituents over email about their stances onissues.

On Feb. 15, subscribers to her email listreceived a short online “Issues Survey.”

“I would like to know which issues aremost important to you and what issues youfeel should be addressed?” her email read.

She asked recipients to react to policystatements by checking one of three optionsby each statement: “Agree,” “Disagree” or“No Opinion.”

Representative usestele-town halls todiscuss issueswith voters.

Comstock Skips Constituent-Organized Town Hall

The seat at the table forU.S. Rep BarbaraComstock (R-10) at theSterling CommunityCenter remained emptyduring the town hall.

Lindsey Davis Stover ofMcLean voiced concernover the demise of theAffordable Care Act andhow U.S. Rep. BarbaraComstock (R-10) wouldkeep birth control acces-sible and affordable if thelaw was repealed.

Sue Reilly and her husbandSteve Duggas of Ashburnstand and show theirsupport when someonesaid U.S. Rep. BarbaraComstock (R-10) shouldsupport a pathway tocitizenship for peopleliving in the country with-out legal permissioninstead of deporting them.

Alane Dashner of GreatFalls asked how the Re-publican administrationplanned to pay for thereplacement of the Afford-able Care Act.

Photos by Fallon Forbush/The Connection


From Page 3

News

‘This Church Is Family’ing, and I enjoy and appreciate mychurch,” he said. “I need mychurch. How we love our neigh-bor is how we love God, and I needto keep renewing these vital con-nections through this church. Ihave hope in my heart and prayersfor the church I love.”

Illustrating CUMC’s commit-ment to helping those in need,three-year member Jim Bailey saidit’s very active in the community.“It does the You Feed Others pro-gram, putting together thousandsof meals a month for local schoolchildren who don’t have enoughto eat,” he said. “It delivers mealsto the homeless and its serviceprojects include rebuilding and re-pairing homes in Appalachia. Wealso support various missionsaround the world, include theUkraine and the Sudan. This is agood church and a good anchor forthe community.”

Gai Gaitonde has attendedCUMC almost 16 years and lovesit because “We share the love ofChrist with the communitythrough various ministry projects.Grace Ministries provides food,clothing, diapers, household

items, toys and children’s books tolocal, low-income, immigrantfamilies. Teens Opposing Povertyfeeds the homeless in [Washing-ton], D.C., we run a hypothermiashelter in the winter and we part-ner with other churches, FairfaxCounty Public Schools and thecounty Police Department to helpbring hope to Centreville teenag-ers with drug and bullying issues.”

For 23-year member Julie Th-ompson, it’s mainly the peoplewho make her church special.“There are so many opportunities,not just for fellowship, but to serveothers,” she said. “And in our manysmall groups, we support eachother and hold each other account-able in our faith walk. There’s alsogreat preaching and great music,and it’s always been a thrivingchurch.”

Mell Cunningham and his wifeFrankie have attended church atCUMC for 30 years. “So manypeople help out here,” he said. “Weput out the word and things hap-pen. And so many have helped tokeep this church going. Besidesour building, we even have anoutdoor prayer path and worship

See Church, Page 7


Opinion

GOOD THINGSProgress in funding mental health and ad-

dressing the opioid epidemic on multiple lev-els were among the successes of the 2017 Gen-eral Assembly session.

❖ In addressing the opioid crisis, the Gen-eral Assembly passed important steps, includ-ing Del. Tim Hugo’s bill to limit opioid pre-scriptions to a seven-day supply in most cases;increased access to naloxone, a drug that in-

stantly reverses an overdose;needle exchange programs (toreduce the spread of HIV, viralhepatitis, and other blood-

borne diseases); focus on infants born withopioid exposure.

❖ Increased funding for mental health in-cluded $7.5 million to facilitate providingsame-day access to mental health screeningservices by July 1, 2019. (The Fairfax-FallsChurch Community Services Board began of-fering same day, in-person screening for men-tal health/and or substance use concerns toadults in July 2015 and extended same dayaccess service to youth. The official launch datefor youth walk-in service was Feb. 1, 2017.)Also supports for discharge planning and ser-vices for people with serious mental illnessbeing released from jail.

❖ The budget included 3 percent raises stateemployees, increase for teachers and a largerincrease for state police.

❖ The Virginia Board of Corrections wasgiven added authority and resources to reviewdeaths in local and regional jails.

❖ Negotiation and legislation will acceler-ate the City of Alexandria’s massive undertak-ing to fix its sewer system that dumps raw sew-

age into the Potomac River whenever it rains.Wendell Berry’s version of the golden rule: “Dounto those downstream as you would havethose upstream do unto you.”

❖ Scott Surovell’s bill requiring Dominionto provide better information on coal ash pol-lution, disaster preparedness, and recycling.

❖ Eileen Filler-Corn’s bill requiring that in-surance cover up to a 12-month supply of hor-monal contraceptives when dispensed or fur-nished at one time.

❖ School boards are required to have anti-bullying policies that includes notifying par-ents that their student was involved in a bully-ing incident.

❖ Use of FaceBook Live allowed members tostream floor discussion, and report to constitu-ents and answer questions directly.

BAD BILLSGov. Terry McAuliffe has already vetoed some

of these, and is expected to veto some others.❖ Expanded access to concealed weapons;

vetoed by Governor. SB1362 would allowsanyone with a military ID card to carry con-cealed weapon; HB2077 would allow guns inemergency shelters and prevents state policeor others from prohibiting them for any rea-son

❖ End funding of Planned Parenthood, ve-toed by Governor.

❖ Anti-Sanctuary City Law HB 2000 says nolocality shall adopt any ordinance, procedure,or policy that restricts the enforcement of fed-eral immigration laws.

❖ As a reality check on the Virginia GeneralAssembly, HB2025 would allow discriminationagainst LGBT community under guise of reli-gious freedom, and passed 21-19 in the Sen-ate and 57-37 in the House of Delegates.

❖ HJ 545 would allow special committeesof the General Assembly to overturn regula-tions, upsetting separation of powers. Consti-tutional amendment (first resolution): “Pro-vides that the General Assembly may suspend

or nullify any or all portions of any adminis-trative rule or regulation.”

❖ Photo identification required for absen-tee ballots.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES❖ The biggest missed opportunity of the

2017 General Assembly session was the fail-ure to advance any redistricting legislation,which passed in the Senate and died in theHouse of Delegates. It’s clear that Virginia vot-ers want an end to gerrymandering, but hopesfor reform before the next census in 2020 arediminished.

❖ Mental Health in Jails: $4.5 million wasremoved from the Governor’s proposed bud-get that would have paid for desperatelyneeded mental health screening in jails.

❖ Legislation to raise Virginia’s thresholdbetween misdemeanors and felonies from $200to $500 failed. Virginia’s threshold has notchanged since 1981, unnecessarily focusing“police and prosecutors on minor crimes in-stead of violent crime while tainting thousandsof Virginia’s suffering from depression or drugaddiction with felony charges for life,” saysSurovell.

❖ Ken Plum’s bill to increase and index theminimum wage never made it out of commit-tee.

❖ Bills to address student debt also died dur-ing the session, as did bills aimed at reducingstudent suspensions and expulsions.

❖ Republicans stripped language that wouldhave brought $6 million in federal funds toprovide Long Acting Reversible Contraception(LARC) to those at risk for unintended preg-nancy at no cost to Virginia voters.

Thanks to Ken Plum, Scott Surovell, Marcus Simon,Jennifer Boysko, Adam Ebbin and others whose columnsand responses helped inform this editorial. We welcomeopinions and additions to this list.

Good, Bad and Missed OpportunitiesResults of the 2017session of theGeneral Assembly.

Editorial

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Carseat InspectionsCertified technicians from the Sully District

Police Station will perform free, child safetycarseat inspections Thursday, March 2, from5-8:30 p.m., at the station, 4900 StonecroftBlvd. in Chantilly. No appointment is neces-sary. But residents should install the child safetyseats themselves so technicians may properlyinspect and adjust them, as needed.

Because of time constraints, only the first 35vehicles arriving on each date will be inspected.That way, inspectors may have enough time toproperly instruct the caregiver on the correctuse of the child seat. Call 703-814-7000, ext.5140, to confirm dates and times.

Blood Drive atFire Academy

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Depart-ment, in partnership with INOVA Blood DonorServices, will be hosting a blood drive at the

Fire and Rescue Academy on Friday, March 3from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. 4600 West Ox Road,Fairfax, Call 1-866-256-6372

Dulles SuburbanCenter Meetings

As the Dulles Suburban Center Study entersinto its second phase, the Advisory Group hasset its schedule for the next several months.Residents are invited to attend the meetingsand hear what the group is discussing regard-ing land use in the Dulles Suburban Center.The upcoming meetings will be held at 7 p.m.at the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, on March 6, andMarch 21.

Specific meeting topics will be posted on theDulles Suburban Study website http://w w w . f a i r f a x c o u n t y . g o v / d p z /dullessuburbancenter/meetings.htm closer tothe date of each meeting.

Roundups

Sully District Town HallSupervisor Kathy Smith, School Board Rep-

resentative Tom Wilson, County Executive EdLong, The Sully District Council, and BudgetStaff from Fairfax County and FCPS will dis-cuss the FY 2018 budgets for FCPS and FairfaxCounty on Wednesday, March 8, 7-9 p.m., inthe Little Theatre in Rocky Run Middle Schoolat 4400 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly.

Attend Family SummitThe Thriving Family Summit vision began

with a drug overdose of a local teenager and alocal church offering to host her memorial ser-vice. In response, church and Fairfax Countyleaders gathered to identify specific actions todeepen awareness of the growing teen trendsof broken families, drug addiction, anxiety,depression, and suicide, and how to make re-sources known and accessible. Free, Saturday,March 11 at 15451 Lee Highway, Centreville.thrivingfamilysummit.com

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From Page 5

News

area and a covered pavilion across the street. BoyScouts’ Eagle Scout projects have built them.”

Basically, said Cunningham, “This church is familyand has helped me through the transitions of my lifewhen jobs ended and my Air Force career ended. It’sbeen here when I’ve needed it. And the strongestcomponent of our church is our music director, BeckyJackson.”

Agreeing, Frankie Cunningham said, “She’s beenthe staying force through all our ministry changes.”

Jackson, a CUMC member for 28 years, grew upin a small country church, so she found it “inspiring”to work in this church with its large membership inthe thousands and multiple choirs. “This was like‘Field of Dreams’ — ‘If you build it, they will come,’”she said. “We opened the doors and people floodedin. And it allowed for so many opportunities in thechurch; there are lots of activities for children, youthand adults.”

And because of all its members, CUMC was ableto establish more choirs. It now has 13 choirs and/or musical ensembles, including handbells, vocalchoirs and the praise band. “It’s been a place for meto express my faith and my love of music,” said Jack-son. “And it’s been a support for me, especially whenI recently lost both my parents.”

In a large church, she said, “You encourage peopleto find a place in smaller groups where they have asense of belonging and feel they’re cared for. Andwe do the same thing within the choirs — everyonesupports each other.”

Since Jackson was there for this building’s open-

ing service, she said its anniversary celebrationbrought back many memories for her about “thehopefulness and excitement of moving into a newchurch [home]. This area is so transient; but by be-ing here over a long period of time, I’ve seen thechurch grow and change over the past 25 years.”

“We’ve been here for the community in times ofgrief,” she said. “But also, I’ve seen children grow uphere, and I’ve played organ for the weddings of chil-dren who were in my choir. So I’ve enjoyed the op-portunity to be here all these years. We have a beau-tiful pipe organ, a lovely sanctuary and choir mem-bers excited about singing and worshiping.”

Jackson still enjoys introducing a new hymn to achild and challenging adults with new music andmusical styles. “And the pastors and our terrific staffhave been so supportive,” she said. “It’s been a plea-sure and a blessing to be in ministry among otherswho express their faith in the church.”

CUMC’s current lead pastor. the Rev. Will Mont-gomery, also noted that – although it was celebrat-ing a quarter century in its building – the church“has had a presence here in Centreville since beforethe Civil War. And we continue to seek to be a churchmeeting the changes in our community.”

“I’m truly energized by what’s going on in the lifeof the church,” he added. “I believe we’re poised andready to embrace the next 25 years, and I’m hopingto enjoy as many of those years here as possible, shar-ing effective ministry. This church has been in exist-ence for 167 years in three locations. And it’s a joythat we’ve been able to grow through the love ofChrist and each other, through the years.”

‘This Church Is Family’


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.

ONGOINGBlack History Month Events.

Through Feb. 28, 2-4 p.m. atTerminal on the ticketing level atDulles International Airport, 1Saarinen Circle. A month-long eventseries for airport employees andpassengers in celebration of BlackHistory Month. Visitwww.metwashairports.com for more.

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

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

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

Toddlin’ Twos. Tuesdays, 10:30 and11:30 a.m. at the Chantilly Library,4000 Stringfellow Road. Earlyliteracy storytime with songs andactivities included. Age 2 withcaregiver, free. Call 703-502-3883 toreserve a spot.

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

English Conversation Group.Thursdays, 7 p.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Practice English with a group ofstudents and adults. Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve a space.

English Conversation Group.Selected Saturdays, 3 p.m. at theCentreville Regional Library, 14200St. Germain Drive. Practice Englishwith a group of students and adults.Free. Call 703-830-2223 for a list ofdates.

English Conversation Group.Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. at the ChantillyLibrary, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Practice English with a group ofstudents and adults. Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve a space.

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

ESL Book Club. Mondays, 7 p.m. atthe Centreville Regional Library,14200 St. Germain Drive. Meet anddiscuss a book chosen by group. Free.Call 703-830-2223 with questionsand to reserve a spot.

ESL Book Club. Every other Saturday,11 a.m. at the Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. Adults learningEnglish are welcome to meet anddiscuss a book chosen by the group.To find out book title, call 703-502-3883.

Lego Block Party. Every otherTuesday, 3 p.m. at the Chantilly

Library, 4000 Stringfellow Road.Legos will be provided for anafternoon of building. Grades 3-6.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspot.

Duplo Storytime. Every otherWednesday, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. atthe Chantilly Library, 4000Stringfellow Road. Develop andreinforce early literacy skills forreading success. Ages 1-3 with adult.Free. Call 703-502-3883 to reserve aspot.

Live After Five. Fridays at 5:30 p.m.at The Winery at Bull Run, 15950 LeeHighway. Every Friday night a bandplays on the patio of the winery. Freeto attend. Visit www.wineryatbullrun.com for a full schedule.

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

Legos Kids Club. Every otherTuesday, 10:30 a.m. at theCentreville Regional Library, 14200St. Germain Drive. Thousands ofLegos for children to play with. Ages6-12. Free. Call 703-830-2223 toreserve a space.

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

Over-40 Softball League. A Fairfax-based league is looking for enoughplayers to form another team. Playersmust be at last 40 years of age to beeligible. All games are doubleheaders-played on Sundays at Bready Park inHerndon between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.If interested, [email protected] for more.

PET ADOPTIONSAdopt a Cat or Dog. Fridays, 6:30-

8:30 p.m. at PetSmart, 12971 FairLakes Center, Fairfax. Visitwww.lostdogrescue.org for more.

Adopt a Dog. Saturdays, 12-3 p.m. atPetco, 13053 Lee Jackson Highway.Visit hart90.org for more.

Adopt a Dog. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. atPetco, 13053 Lee Jackson MemorialHwy. Adopt a puppy or dog.Visitaforeverhome.org for more.

Adopt a Dog. Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. atPetSmart, 12971 Fair Lakes Center,Fairfax. Adopt a puppy or dog. Visitwww.lostdogrescue.org for more.

THROUGH MARCH 31Slave Life Exhibit. Various times at

the Sully Historic Site, 3650 HistoricSully Way, Chantilly. $7 adults, $6students, and $5 seniors and childrenage 5-15. Artifacts excavated fromaround Sully’s 18th-century slavecabins. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully-historic-site/ or call 703-437-1794 for more.

SATURDAY/MARCH 4Garden Preparations. 10 a.m. at Fair

Oaks Garden Center, 12101 LeeHighway. With Kathy Jentz, Editor ofWashington Gardener Magazineshares tips on getting the gardenready for spring. Call 703-560-6222for more.

Film Screening. 2 p.m. at Unity ofFairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road,Oakton. The screening of the film“Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine,” adocumentary explores the life andtragic death of Matthew Shepard, agay student murdered in 1998, inLaramie, WY. The story of Matt

Shepard’s struggles is told throughthe personal lens of his friends,family and those who were close tohim throughout the years. Visitmattshepard.eventbrite.com formore.

SUNDAY/MARCH 5Dr. Suess Readings. 2:30-3:30 p.m.

at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, 5040Walney Road, Chantilly. Join in theannual celebration of the birthday ofDr. Seuss with a reading of “TheLorax,” who favored trees. $8. Call703-631-0013 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence for more.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 8Trump Administration Insights

Luncheon. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. atHoliday Inn Washington Dulles,45425 Holiday Drive, Sterling. Threeexperts will discuss what businessesmay expect from the Trumpadministration. Pre-registeredmember pricing is $50; at-the door,$65. Visit www.dulleschamber.orgfor more.

SATURDAY/MARCH 11Thriving Family Summit. 12:30-6

p.m. at Korean Central PresbyterianChurch, 15451 Lee Highway,Centreville. A first step in bringingawareness, resources, and real hopeto engage challenging issues plaguingthe community. Free. Visitthrivingfamilysummit.com/

Women of Walney. 2 p.m. at EllanorC. Lawrence Park, 5040 WalneyRoad, Chantilly. Learn how thewomen of Walney both lived withinand challenged the gender roles oftheir time periods. $6. Call 703-631-0013 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence for more.

SUNDAY/MARCH 12Chantilly Egg Hunt. 11 a.m. and 2

p.m.. 26469 Ticonderoga Road,Chantilly. Join the Easter Bunny andsearch for candy and toy-filled eggs.Visit www.ticonderoga.com/about.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 15“Fire & Ice” Trip. 5:30-7 p.m. at

Wingate by Wyndham Chantilly,3940 Centerview Drive. Join AnoopMittra, Cruise Planners and AndreaSavitch, Unique Travel Events as theyreveal the wonders of extremeclimate travel, from Antarctica toAfrica. Visit www.dulleschamber.orgfor more.

SATURDAY/MARCH 18Girls Inspired & Ready to Lead.

9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the FairfaxCounty Government Center, 12000Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.Educational and social enrichmentopportunities and positive rolemodels so girls can feel confident inthemselves and supported inachieving their dreams. Visitwww.girlsinspiredinc.org for more.

St. Patrick’s Day party. 6-9 p.m. atSt. Veronica’s Church Parish Hall,3460 Centreville Road, Chantilly.This is a family event that includesfood, drink, sing-alongs, and Irishdancers. Adults $7, children $5,drinks extra. Visitwww.stveronica.net/ or call 703-773-2000 for more.

SUNDAY/MARCH 19Women of Walney. 11 a.m. at Ellanor

C. Lawrence Park, 5040 WalneyRoad, Chantilly. Learn how thewomen of Walney both lived withinand challenged the gender roles oftheir time periods. $6. Call 703-631-0013 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence for more.

Entertainment

C E N T R E V I L L ECOMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

To highlightyour faith

community,call

Karenat

703-778-9422

bThe Church of the Ascension

Traditional Anglican Catholic Services1928 Book of Common Prayer, 1940 Hymnal,

and the King James Bible with Apocrypha

www.ascension-acc.org (703) 830-3176

Holy Communion 10 a.m. Sundays (with Church School and Nursery)

13941 Braddock RoadCentreville VA 20120

in the “Old Stone Church”of Historic Centreville

The Church of the Ascension(703) 830-3176 www.ascension-acc.org

Centreville Baptist Church(703) 830-3333 www.cbcva.org

Centreville UnitedMethodist Church

(703) 830-2684 www.Centreville-UMC.org


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Wellbeing

By Marilyn Campbell

Those experiencing Itchy, watery eyes andseemingly endless sneezing know thatspring allergy season is getting an earlystart this year thanks to this season’s mild

winter weather.“Everything is blooming early because of the warm

weather,” said Dr. Barbara Mackie, M.D., allergist,of Privia Medical Group in Vienna. “People are spend-ing more time outside because the weather is lovely,but they’re experiencing allergy symptoms.”

One of the keys to surviv-ing allergy season is stayingahead of it. When ther-mometers are rising above60 degrees for more thanthree consecutive days, pol-len from plants begins tomove through the air. Thetree pollen count hasreached high concentrationlevels in the Washington,D.C. region, according toThe American Academy ofAllergy, Asthma &Immunology’s National Al-lergy Bureau Pollen andMold Report.

“Most of the time sea-sonal allergies, whether it isspring or fall, are caused bypollens that are associatedwith grass, trees and

weeds,” said Dr. Victoria A Garrison, M.D. a StudentHealth Services physician and a professor in theSchool of Nursing at George Mason University inFairfax, “In areas that are damp or humid, moldspores can also be a factor. When people have aller-gies to these substances, the im-mune system will react and causesymptoms like sneezing, watery,itchy eyes, runny nose, sore oritchy throat, congestion and fa-tigue.”

“Mild winter temperaturescause plants to pollinate early,”added Maureen Moriarty, DNP,assistant professor of Nursing atMarymount University in Arling-ton. “This problem may be com-pounded by a rainy spring sea-son, leading to increased moldlevels that can drive allergysymptoms in sufferers throughfall months.”

Instead of waiting for full-blown symptoms, Mackie recom-mends beginning medicationsearly. “What I usually tell patientswho normally have seasonal al-lergies is to take their maintenance medications earlyso they’re covered when allergy season hits,” she said.

“Being prepared can often help slow down symp-toms of allergies,” added Kathy Grilliot, director ofClinical Education Respiratory Therapy Program at

Northern Virginia Community College’s Medical Edu-cation Campus in Springfield.

“Before the season starts, it is a good idea to starttaking a nasal steroid. This medication takes a fewweeks to gain full effect so starting before the aller-gens are everywhere can really help to control symp-toms. Eyes can also have allergic reactions, so see aspecialist to have a good eye drop for allergen con-trol.”

For those who might be perplexed by the distinc-tion between allergies and a common cold: “If it’slasting more than three days with no fever, it’s prob-ably not a cold,” said Mackie.

Some precautions that allergy sufferers can taketo decrease their exposure to allergens include wear-ing a face mask when outside during times when thepollen count is high and resisting the urge to opencar and house windows when the weather is warm,

especially if the wind is blowing.“Take off your shoes when youenter your house so that allergensdon’t get spread around thehouse,” said Grilliot. “Be awarewhere you place clothing that hasbeen outside when you enter yourhouse to prevent allergens fromentering your home.”

“I advise patients to rinse theirhair and take a shower to get thepollen off before going to bed atnight,” added Mackie. “Otherwiseyou’re getting pollen on your pil-lowcase and sheets and breathingit in all night.”

There are certain times of daywhen allergy sufferers shouldavoid being outside. “Mid-morn-ing, afternoon and early eveningare peak times for pollen,” contin-ued Mackie. “When it’s windy,

don’t go out because of the pollen.”Pets can spread pollen as well. “Dogs get spring

fever too and want to be outside, but they can bringpollen into the house,” said Mackie. “Wipe off theircoats and paws when them come inside.”

Experts offer suggestionsfor preventing and treatingallergy symptoms.

Beware Early Allergy Season

Photo courtesy of

Barbara Mackie

Allergist Dr.Barbara Mackie,M.D advisespatients whonormally haveseasonal allergiesto begin takingmedication early.

Photo by Marilyn Campbell

A mild winter has led to early plantblooming and an early allergy season.

“Everything isblooming earlybecause of the warmweather. People arespending more timeoutside because theweather is lovely, butthey’re experiencingallergy symptoms.”

— Dr. Barbara Mackie, M.D.,Allergist, Privia Medical Group


We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES,

JEWELRY, COSTUME JEWELRY, FURNITURE, PAINTINGS AND CLOCKS.

Schefer Antiques703-241-0790

[email protected]

26 Antiques 26 Antiques

21 Announcements

ABC LICENSECRS Oil, Inc trading as

Centreville Shell, 13401 Lee Highway, Centreville, VA

20121. The above establishment is

applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Beer

and Wine off Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Raj Gupta, President

NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later

than 30 days from the publish-ing date of the first of two required newspaper legal

notices. Objections should be registered at

www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

ABC LICENSEDaily Cellars, LLC trading as

Honor Brewing Company, 14004 Willard Rd., Ste A, B,

C, D, E, Chantilly, Fairfax County, VA 20151. The above

establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

CONTROL (ABC) for a Brew-ery under 500 barrels, Keg

permit to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Allen Cage Jr, Member.NOTE: Objections to the

issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later




ABC LICENSEEl Tenampa Bar & Grill, Inc. trading as El Tenampa Bar & Grill, 9015 Centreville Rd, Ste B, Manassas, VA 20110. The

above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On Premises; Mixed

Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages,

Lesbia Mencia, PresidentNOTE: Objections to the

issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later




21 Announcements

ABC LICENSESuper Gaoline Inc.trading as Centre Ridge Exxon, 6330 Multiplex Drive, Centreville,

VA 20121. The above establishment is

applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Beer

and Wine off Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Raj Gupta, President

NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later




21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Zone 4 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 4:

• Centreville

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

Recessed LightingCeiling FansPhone/CATVComputer Network CablingService UpgradesHot Tubs, etc…

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J.E.S. ServicesYour neighborhood company since 1987

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LAWN SERVICE LAWN SERVICE

Partial or Full. Kit. Floors, Backsplashes.Specializing in Ceramic, Porcelain, Glass Tiles

and Natural Stones. Also repair work. 35 yrs exp.

BATHROOM REMODELING

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LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIEIt’s not as if I haven’t written about this date:

2/27, before (try last week, Ken), but as I sit atmy desk and stare at the calendar hanging onthe wall to my front right, the date jumps out atme. Not that I approach it with any fear ortrepidation, but I do approach it for days,weeks and even months, calculating my pastand contemplating my future. Cancer has a wayof marking time, and leaving marks —figuratively and literally.

Mostly I have weathered the cancer storm,eight years and counting/hoping. And as muchas I don’t want to define myself as a cancerpatient/survivor and live my life waiting for theother shoe to drop, it’s difficult not to whenyour feet are so swollen from years of chemo-therapy that you’re now forced to wear yoursneakers without laces. What I lose in support, Igain in comfort. Shoes I can’t wear any more.The leather soles don’t cushion my feet enoughto not fatigue my legs. The shoe can’t drop ifI’m not wearing it, right? Hardly. It can drop atany time. Certainly it can drop after my quar-terly scans, hearing that tumor and/or fluidgrowth has recurred or anytime in betweenwhen new symptoms appear and persist (fortwo to three weeks, my oncologist has advised).The trick is; heck, there is no trick.

And as much as I’d like to live this date asany other, the date on which one is diagnosedwith non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV andgiven a “13-month to two-year” prognosis byan oncologist, is a date that cannot be livednormally. February 27, 2009 is a date, to invokeFranklin Delano Roosevelt, that will live in myinfamy. February 27, 2009 was a Friday. Wehad scheduled a mid-morning appointment.My brother, Richard (my one surviving immedi-ate family member), met my wife, Dina and I(Team Lourie as I’ve become accustomed tocalling us) in the lobby of the HMO andtogether we took the elevator up to the thirdfloor (can you say somber?) where we were tomeet an oncologist — a man whom I hadnever met or heard of before, to learn exactlywhat the previous week’s biopsy being malig-nant, meant.

After the awkward introductions, theoncologist spent the next 10 minutes or soexamining me in an adjacent room. Uponcompleting the examination, we all reassem-bled in the doctor’s office where he proceededto review/read the results/assessments from theprevious seven weeks of tests/examinationsfrom the pulmonologist, the radiologist, thethoracic surgeon and the associated diagnosticprocedures completed: X-Rays, CT Scan, P.E.T.Scan, and of course, the biopsy. The medicalopinions started off bad and got worse: stage IV,non small cell lung cancer, a “terminal” disease.In listening to the reports, there seemed tobe little doubt as to the diagnosis. And so itwas clear to my oncologist how to proceed:chemotherapy infusions to begin as soon aspossible; to occur every three weeks for sixcycles with face-to-face appointments and CTScans to follow. And though it wasn’t, and ithasn’t been pretty, generally it has — presuma-bly, kept me alive and in reasonably good spir-its, all things considered, and some of thosethings considered have included some non-Western alternatives.

So here I am, nearly eight years to the datewhen my old life (pre-diagnosis) ended and mynew life — as a cancer patient, began. I would-n’t call it a metamorphosis, more like anupheaval. Somehow though, as the time, treat-ment and routine passed, I began to assimilateand integrate my new reality into my age 54and a half head and figure a way forward. Ican’t say it’s been fun, but the more I can laughand find humor in my less-than-ideal circum-stances, the more positive I can be about thenegative. A negative which has already doneenough damage on its own.

Still“Dating”

Civil Engineer: Participate & assist in planning, designing or reviewing plans

for erection of structures; determine feasibility of projects based on analysis of

collected data; plan construction schedules, inspect construction sites to

monitor progress and ensure conformance with plans. Job reqs, B.A. degree in Civil Engineering. 12 month exp. F/T, Salary $60,029.00 p/y. Job in Manassas, VA.

Send resume to M&F Concrete, Inc. 9515 Contractors Court #100 Manassas, VA

20109, fax (703) 330-7183, email: [email protected] or call

(571) 379-8761

ClassifiedClassified

EmploymentEmployment

Educational InternshipsUnusual opportunity to learn many aspects ofthe newspaper business. Internships availablein reporting, photography, research, graphics.Opportunities for students, and for adultsconsidering change of career. Unpaid. [email protected]


Zone 4 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 4:

• CentrevilleClassifiedClassified

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Zone 4 Ad Deadline:

Wednesday 1 p.m.

703-778-9411

Zone 4:

• CentrevilleEmploymentEmployment

• NOW HIRING SEASONAL EMPLOYEES up to 6 Months!• WORK 30-40 HOURS DURING SEASON!• $10.00-$11.00 per hour PLUS OVERTIME• RETURNING SEASONAL BONUS!• REWARDING PHYSICAL WORK THAT WILL KEEP YOU IN SHAPE!

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Bell Nursery, a nationally recognized grower/ vendor is looking forhardworking people to stock our products at a garden center near you.

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CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6.....Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4.....Tues @ noonE-mail ad with zone choices to:

[email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

EMPLOYMENTDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6.....Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4.....Tues @ noonE-mail ad with zone choices to:

[email protected]

or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/

Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/

Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria

Gazette PacketThe Mount Vernon Gazette

Zone 4: Centre View North Centre View SouthZone 5: The Potomac AlmanacZone 6: The Arlington Connection

The Vienna/OaktonConnection

The McLean ConnectionThe Great Falls Connection

Newspapers & Online

HOW TO SUBMIT ADS TO

Community

By Eden Brown

The Connection

Megan Newman told her story atthe Alzheimer’s Association“Wall of Hope” reception at

Tyson’s Corner on Feb. 9. She was only 18,a senior in high school, when her motherstarted to ask the same question more thanonce. They both attributed it to stress. Theylaughed about it. A few months later, it be-came clear to Meghan that what was wrongwith her mother was more than stress. Sheconvinced her to see a doctor, but it tookmany tests and many neurologists later be-fore she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

It came at a difficult time for Megan, asshe was headed off to college. She was sup-posed to be at the “best years of your life”stage. She laughs about it now, but switch-ing roles with her parent at that point inher life was anything but funny. When shewent to college, her mother went with her.When she moved off campus, she movedwith her mother. The long days ofcaregiving, studying and managing the livesof two people took a toll on Megan. Hermother didn’t really appreciate being toldshe had to brush her teeth or that she wasn’tgoing to be able to drive her car any longer.Alzheimer’s patients don’t always exhibit agood-natured response to having childrentell them what to do. Megan wasn’t alwayspatient and forebearing. And that botheredher. When it became time for her to holddown a job, Megan couldn’t manage both

Chris Boullirewelcomes

fundraisersfrom around

the area to theWall of Hope

reception,handing out

awards forfundraising

“champions.”

A Record YearAlzheimer’s Association of the NationalCapital Region honors its supporters.

tasks anymore. That is why she was sograteful to find the Alzheimer’s Association,and why she will always give back to thisorganization: they helped her manage hermother and supported her, she said. Thereception on Feb. 9 recognized event par-ticipants and supporters who distinguishedthemselves through leadership and exem-plary fundraising during the year. Support-ers were able to see the unveiling of newplaques on the Wall of Hope, which honorsthose who suffered from the disease andtheir friends and family who gave in theirname. Attendees at the event made up 2percent of the fundraisers and sponsors whoraised over 45 percent of total funds fromevents. In 2016, 7,700 participants raiseda record $1.78 million. And they had a goodtime doing it. Chris Boullire, the CEO of theNational Capital Area Alzheimer’s Associa-tion chapter, honored the 29 cyclists whocreated the “Ride to Remember,” riding 100miles and raising more than $20,000; the260 Longest Day participants who raisedover $118,000 participating in creative ac-tivities; the “Blondes v. Brunettes” (a flagfootball game for women,) which had 80participants and raised over $85,173; andthe biggest event for 2016 in this area: theWalk to End Alzheimer’s had 7,300 partici-pants at seven walks throughout the regionwho raised $1.53 million.

The Alzheimer’s Association in the areais always looking for additional Walk vol-unteers and teams for 2017. Interestedpeople can visit www.alznca.org/walk.

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