fairfax schools ready for a new...

Fairfax Connection ❖ August 27 - September 2, 2015 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

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FairfaxFairfaxServingAreas of BurkeServingAreas of Burke

Attention Postmaster:

Time sensitive material.

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Fairfax SchoolsReady for a

New BeginningNews, Page 4

Eric McMann, principal of Frost MiddleSchool, stands next to the soon-to-be

solar stream for students at Frost.

Newcomers& Community Guide



Fairfax Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

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Dad and skateboarder, Jay Rivera, ofFairfax, came to practice his skills in

the skate park at Van Dyck Park.

Newcomers &

Community Guide

Newcomers &

Community Guide2015-20162015-2016

InsideInsideInside

‘It’ll Be a Whole,Different World’News, Page 7

Torres Trial DateSet for DecemberNews, Page 3

‘It’ll Be a Whole,Different World’News, Page 7

Torres Trial DateSet for DecemberNews, Page 3

2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ August 27 - September 2, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Fairfax Connection ❖ August 27 - September 2, 2015 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Tim Peterson

The Connection

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Aug. 19,former Fairfax County Police officerAdam Torres entered the circuitcourtroom for his arraignment,

dressed in a baggy, blue-green prisonjumpsuit. Torres was indicted the previousMonday by a special grand jury for killingSpringfield resident John Geer in August,2013.

He was still an officer at the time and oneof several who responded to a call fromGeer’s longtime partner Maura Harringtonthat Geer was throwing her belongings outon to the lawn of their Springfield home.

After the indictment,Fairfax County Police saidTorres surrendered himselfthat evening at the CountyAdult Detention Center.

Circuit Court judgeJudge Stephen C. Shannonplaced Torres’ arraignmentfirst on his docket. Thedefendant’s attorney JohnF. Carroll began by rebut-ting his client being heldwithout bond until thetrial. Murder qualifies asan offense for which bondis denied in Virginia, but itcan be argued whether theperson accused poses aflight risk or is a threat to the community.

Carroll stated the case that Torres, 32,immediately turned himself in, has no priorcriminal record and has a wife and two chil-dren. As Hayfield and George Mason Uni-versity graduate, Carroll said he doesn’tthink “you can find anyone with greater ties

to the community.”The attorney went on to summarize the

Geer shooting incident, beginning to jus-tify Torres by saying a handgun owned byGeer had been found on the scene “withinreach, in our estimation,” and that Geer hadmade “numerous erratic movements,” priorto Torres firing.

And because the shooting in question wasin Torres’ performance of duties as a policeofficer, Carroll argued, “there’s no reasonfor anyone to be fearful.” Carroll then askedthat a bond for Torres be set at $25,000.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond F.Morrogh spoke after Carroll in oppositionto the bond motion. “Not only did he killMr. Geer,” Morrogh said, “but did so with

malice.” Morrogh lateradded that was the consen-sus of the special grandjury.

The prosecutor also ref-erenced evidence thatTorres had been in a “de-teriorating mental state,”saying the former policeofficer had fought with hissupervisor and with hiswife because he suspectedher of infidelity.

Though Morrogh didn’tdisagree with Torres’ con-nection to the communityand lack of flight risk, “It’sthe first time I’ve seen a

police officer shoot someone who had hishands up,” he said. “I think that makes himdangerous.”

Judge Shannon reminded that, “We’re nothere to decide the merits of the case today,solely the bond.”

Citing “some indications at the time of

the incident of a deteriorating mental state,”Shannon denied Carroll’s request for a bondto be set.

Torres and the attorneys were asked tostand while the details of his trial were ne-gotiated. Carroll hoped to start early in2016 while Morrogh was intent to begin assoon as possible.

The two parties settled on Dec. 14 to be-gin the trial, which Morrogh said he ex-pected would last about a week. As the datewas reached, Torres suddenly collapsedbackward and fell to the ground.

Judge Shannon cleared the entire court-room as the bailiffs rendered first aid andcalled a rescue team.

Torres was taken to a nearby hospital,Morrogh said afterwards, and his vitals weresaid to have returned to normal. The attor-

John Geer’s friend Jeff Stewart (center) speaks to reporters outside theFairfax County Courthouse following Adam Torres’ arraignment hearing.Torres was indicted Aug. 17 by a special grand jury and faces second-degree murder charges in the August 2013 shooting death of John Geer.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh (center) speaks withreporters outside the Fairfax County Courthouse following the ar-raignment hearing for former Fairfax County Police officer AdamTorres. Judge Stephen Shannon denied Torres’ counsel’s request toset a bond; Torres was released to the custody of the Sheriff’s Office.Both parties agreed to begin a jury trial on Dec. 14.

Torres Trial Date Set for DecemberBond denied for former police officer charged with murdering John Geer.

ney said it’s not unusual for individuals tofaint or pass out in the courtroom.

Outside the courthouse, Morrogh com-mented to reporters that though he’s pros-ecuted judges and lawyers in his career, “It’srare to see a case like this — there’s cer-tainly no joy in it.”

As for Torres being the first Fairfax CountyPolice officer in 75 years to be charged withsuch an offense, Morrogh said he thinks “it’sa really good thing that we don’t have manyof those.”

“It’s just the length of time this case hastaken, that’s not right,” Morrogh said. “Wehave to have a finality to this.”

Fairfax County had withheld much of theinformation about the case, includingTorres’ name, until Geer’s family filed a $12million lawsuit against the Police Depart-ment.

Torres had been taken out of field workbut remained employed by Fairfax Countyuntil he was fired in July of this year.

The county justified not releasing the in-formation previously due to ongoing inves-tigations by Police Internal Affairs, theCommonwealth’s Attorney’s office and theU.S. Department of Justice.

Jeff Stewart, Geer’s best friend who wit-nessed the shooting and became a memberof the Fairfax County ad hoc commission toreview police practices, sat directly behindTorres during the arraignment. He hadnever seen the man face to face prior to thatmorning, and expressed sympathy forTorres and members of his family who werepresent at the hearing.

Stewart described having “mixed emo-tions” since the indictment. “I feel good forthe process, and bad for the man,” he said.

Torres’ wife and family members declinedto comment after the hearing.

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“It’s the first timeI’ve seen a policeofficer shootsomeone who hadhis hands up,” “Ithink that makeshim dangerous.”Commonwealth’s Attorney

Raymond F. Morrogh

Fairfax Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]


News

The Community Emergency Re-sponse Team (CERT) programeducates people about disaster

preparedness for hazards that may im-pact their area and also trains them inbasic disaster response skills, such as firesafety, light search and rescue, team or-ganization and disaster medical opera-tions.With this training, CERT members canassist others in their neighborhood or

workplace following an event when profes-sional responders are not immediately avail-able.

Fairfax County is offering four CERT train-ing classes this fall.

❖CERT Class 100 at the Fairfax CountyFire and Rescue Academy (Monday,Wednesday, Sept. 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30 andOct. 5 — 7-10:30 p.m.)

❖CERT Class 101 at the Fairfax CountyFire and Rescue Academy(Monday, Wednes-

Area Roundups

County Offers Emergency Response Classesday, Oct. 14, 19, 21, 26, 28, Nov. 2 and 4 —7-10:30 p.m.)

❖CERT Class 102 at the Old FirehouseTeen Center(Tuesday, Sept. 22, 29, Oct. 6,13, 20, 27 and Nov. 3 — 7-10 p.m.)

❖CERT Class 103 at the Lorton VolunteerFire Department(Wednesday, Sept. 23, 30,Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4 and 11 — 7-10p.m.)CERT training does not require anyspecial physical strength or agility and isfree.

The CERT program also provides per-sonal protective equipment for the train-ing that students keep.

Those who go through CERT traininghave a better understanding of the po-tential threats to their home, workplaceand community and can take the rightsteps to reduce the effects of hazards.Tolearn more about the CERT program,visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/cert/cert.htm.

By Elza Thomas

The Connection

For students, the ring of the finalbell on the last day of school sig-nals the end of homework and thebeginning of freedom. But for

principals, it signals the time to plan for anew school year.

“I work all summer,” said principal ofRobinson Secondary School, Matt Eline.“We want to make sure we are taking careof our students.”

Robinson Secondary School is located inthe vicinity of both George Mason Univer-sity and Oak View Elementary School,which has been a major concern for admin-istrators and parents due to the later schoolstart times this year. With all three build-ings opening around the same time, thereis possibility of risky traffic.

“We have been very proactive...we havetalked to transportation for FCPS, we havetalked to the police and crossingguards…there may be some bumps on theroad but I think we are going to figure itout,” said Eline.

Like other secondary schools in FairfaxCounty, Robinson is based on a block sched-ule. Periods 1, 3, 5, and 7 take place on daysknown as “blue days” while periods 2, 3, 4and 6 take place on “gold days.” However,this year, administrators decided to discardthird period on gold days and add extraclass time instead. During this extra classtime, students can work on homework, seekhelp from teachers, or attend assemblies.

“We are going to do a lot more ram ral-lies, which are kind of like assemblies…topromote character. In my opinion, life ismuch harder on students nowadays. Weneed to make school more fun,” adds Eline.

Robinson Secondary is expecting various

guest speakers in the fall, such as astronautand graduate of Robinson, Kjell Lindgrenand motivational speaker, Mike Smith fromthe Harbor Series. The underlying messageadministrators from Robinson want to sendthis year is simply, “Dude, be nice.”

LESS THAN A HALF A MILE awayfrom Robinson lies Oak View ElementarySchool, which is also experiencing somemajor changes for the 2015-2016 schoolyear. “The number of first and second grad-ers is growing…so Oak View itself is grow-ing. We are probably going to start the yearwith somewhere in the neighborhood of 790

students,” said principal, Bonnie Glazewski.As a result, more teachers have been hired

and each grade level now contains fiveclasses as opposed to four. With these al-terations come new learning and teachingtechniques. Instead of whole-class lessonsthat take hours, teachers now plan to splitthe class into small groups and do quicklessons. “One of the most exciting thingsthat changes for Oak View I think, is ournew STEM education class. So one day thekids go to music, another day they go toart, and on some days they go to STEM,”explained Glazewski.

STEM resource teacher, Alyson Eaglen

will partner up with technology specialist,Terri Newman to train students in criticaland creative thinking. The new school yearalso gives administrators a chance to ex-pand on past goals such as the anti-bully-ing initiative.

“We will continue our morning meetingswhere kids talk about their lives and shareissues. It’s nice because we organize it sothat we have students from different gradesinteracting with one another,” saidGlazewski. “I find that it is much more dif-ficult to bully someone when you knowthem.” Like Oak View, Frost Middle Schoolalso works to continue the goals of previ-ous years.

“We are not going to do something dif-ferent every year. We are going to do some-thing that we feel is important and we aregoing to do it well,” said principal, EricMcCann.

One goal that Frost administrators hopeto complete by this fall is their very ownsolar stream located in the second court-yard of the school. The stream and court-yard serve to be an outdoor classroom forscience students to study native Virginianplants and organisms. Administrators alsoaim to continue building on the five pillarsof excellence such as creativity, respect, andcommunity service. Unlike other years,Frost has a variety of changes ahead of themfor the 2015-2016 school year. To compen-sate for any lost class time due to the laterstart times, administrators are implement-ing a modified block schedule. Students willgo to all seven periods Monday, Tuesday,and Friday. However, Wednesday andThursday, will be block days.

FROST, along with Woodson High School,will also be welcoming a new transitioncounselor. The counselor works to preparestudents as they transfer from one gradelevel to another.

“I think it is very important to have a con-sistent person to help out students as theytransfer from middle school to highschool…because middle schoolers are inthat in-between age where they got to beready for what’s ahead of them,” saidMcCann.

For students, school orientation signalsthe end of summer and a fresh start. Butfor principals, it signals the time to executethe plans they worked all summer on.

Fairfax Schools Ready for a New BeginningPrincipals ofRobinson Secondary,Oak View Elementaryand Frost Middle dis-cuss their goals for anew school year.

Principal Bonnie Glazewski pictured in front of Oak View ElementarySchool.

Eric McMann,principal ofFrost MiddleSchool, standsnext to thesoon-to-besolar streamfor students atFrost.

Photos by

Elza Thomas/

The Connection


SATURDAY/AUG. 29Navigating the Caregivers Maze: Finding

Support and Planning for YourCaregiving Journey. 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.Fairfax County Government Center, 12000Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. Join AARPand the Philippine American Foundation forCharities (PAFC) for a special event with RetiredMajor General Antonio Taguba as he discusseshis personal experience taking care of hisparents and in-laws and shares why he is nowan outspoken advocate for caregivers and theirfamilies. RSVP is kindly requested but notrequired. Please let us know if you are attendingby calling

1-877-926-8300 or signing up online at:aarp.cvent.com/Fairfax829VA.

SUNDAY/AUG. 30Blood Drive. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Andrew the

Apostle Catholic Church, 6720 Union Mill Road,Clifton. Only 3 percent of the population willdonate blood - if 1 percent more could beconvinced, blood shortages could be eliminated.Appointments strongly preferred: https://www.inovabloodsaves.org/index.cfm?group=op&step=2&opid=15209

Burke Historical Society Meeting. 5 p.m.Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, 6304 LeeChapel Road, Burke. Speaker, Carol Bessette,will give a presentation on “World War IIWashington.”

First Responders Day. 1-4 p.m. Fairfax StationRailroad Museum, 11200 Fairfax Station Road.Re-enactors and modern practitioners willdemonstrate emergency and medical practices oftoday and 150 years ago. $2-$4.

<cal1>Monday/Aug. 31PJ Library Book Buddies. 10:30 a.m. Fairfax

Library, 10360 North Street, Fairfax. EnjoyJewish storybooks from the PJ Library and makea craft. Ages 6 months to adult. Sign uprequired. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/

branches/fx/English Conversation. 7 p.m. Burke Centre

Library, 5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke. Practicespeaking English with others and improve yourskills. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/bc/

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/SEPT.4-650th Reunion. Annandale High School class of

1965, 50th reunion will be the weekend of Sept.4-6. Visit www.annandaleclassof65reunion forinformation and registration.

ONGOINGRun/Walk/Ride Group. Every Saturday in

August at 6:45 a.m. at 6951 SpanielRoad.Whether you walk, run or ride, come outand enjoy the fellowship and the time forpersonal fitness with conversation along theway. Feel free to invite a friend. For questions orto lend a hand with future Run/Walk/Ridedates, please contact Amy Poe [email protected] or 703-975-3209.

Divorce Care, Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., Sept. 15 toDec. 8, 2015 (13 Sessions)

This recovery seminar and support group is forthose recovering from the pain of separation anddivorce. Divorce Care is a nondenominationalvideo seminar series featuring some of thenation’s foremost Christian experts on divorceand recovery topics as seen from a biblicalperspective. The video seminars are combinedwith support group discussions of the materialspresented during the video.Divorce Carefeatures include “Facing My Anger,” “Facing MyLoneliness,” “New Relationships,” “Kid Care”and “Forgiveness.” Childcare can be arrangedupon request. To register for Divorce Care,please contact DCE Stacey Crosson at 703-451-5855 or email her at [email protected].

Senior Outdoor Pickleball, April-October,Wednesdays 8-10 a.m. Audrey Moore WakefieldPark Fairfax County, Courts 9 & 10, Beginnerswelcome. No cost. Email Gerald Rhoads [email protected].

Send notes to the Connection at [email protected] or call 703-778-9416.The deadline for submissions is the Friday prior to publication. Dated announcementsshould be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event.

Bulletin Board


Opinion

Tamara Derenak Kaufax

Lee District Representative

Fairfax County School Board

It is encouraging to read in a recent Con-nection commentary by Jim Corcoran,president and CEO Fairfax County Cham-ber of Commerce (“Now Is Time to Unite

for Education”), that the chamber is taking se-riously the funding crisis facing Fairfax CountyPublic Schools. Mr. Corcoran is absolutely rightthat K-12 spending at the state level has notkept pace with rising enrollments and costs.In fact, Virginia now ranks in the top 10 na-tionally in measures of wealth, but in the bot-tom 10 in support for public schools. Virginiaranks 41st out of 50 states in K-12 funding.

After eight years of painful budget cuts, thedeep deficit FCPS faces for FY 2017 — per-haps in the range of $100 million — is cer-tainly due in part to chronic underfunding ofpublic schools at the state level. However, therelative share of state and county contributionsto the FCPS operating budget has not changed

in that time. The annual transfer from theFairfax County government to the schools hasalso not kept pace with growing enrollmentsand costs. FCPS is spending $1,000 less perchild, in real dollars, than in 2008 - the stateand county governments share this responsi-bility.

Mr. Corcoran correctly points out that FCPShas received increased funding from the countyover the years. It is important to note that dur-ing the last eight years, however, enrollmentgrowth and rising costs have outpaced in-creased revenue by $500 million. In FY 2015,for example, the county increased the transferto the school system by 3 percent resulting inan increase in revenue of $51.5 million. In thatsame year, FCPS experienced unavoidable costincreases totaling $78 million: a required in-crease to the Virginia Retirement System of$38.9 million; health rate increases of $19.9million; and enrollment growth of $19.5 mil-lion.

To balance the cumulative effects of inad-equate budgets since 2008, FCPS has had toraise class size three times and forego regularteacher step increases four times, budgetchoices that are simply not sustainable. In thattime the relative share of county and statefunding has not changed, so both funding bod-ies are responsible for the very challengingposition FCPS finds itself in today.

It is past time for school systems, local gov-ernments, PTAs, employee associations andbusinesses throughout Virginia to join forcesand hold the General Assembly accountable forits responsibility to fully fund K-12 educationin every corner of the Commonwealth. TheFairfax County Chamber of Commerce has anopportunity to lead the business communityin that fight.

I hope the chamber also takes a leading rolein local advocacy for full funding of FCPS forFY 2017 and beyond. As Mr. Corcoran has of-ten said, great public schools are the smartestinvestment we can make in our local economy.We are stronger together.

Schools Need Support at All LevelsCommentary

By Claire Guthrie Gastañaga

Executive Director

ACLU of Virginia

The following open letter was addressed toMichael Hershman, chair of the Ad Hoc PolicePractices Review Commission.

We commend the members of the AdHoc Police Practices Review Com-mission for their work to ensure

that the Fairfax County Police Department en-courages a culture of public trust in law en-forcement. As you know, this trust is key toensuring a safe community.

Ensuring public trust in the FCPD will re-quire a shift in its culture and mindset and thereassertion of civilian authority over the poli-cies that guide policing in the county. At thefoundation of this shift are the concepts andvalues of constitutional policing and respectfor the sanctity of human life — concepts andvalues that should be in the DNA of all lawenforcement personnel. As such, these con-cepts and values should provide the founda-tion for the Commission’s recommendationsand should guide all policies and proceduresadopted and implemented by the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors and the FCPD.

We believe the following recommendations,if implemented, will help achieve the neededshift in the FCPD’s culture and mindset. Theserecommendations, many of which outline poli-cies that the supervisors should adopt aselected officials responsible to the residentsthey serve, include:

❖ Understanding Policing in a DemocraticSociety – Law enforcement are the guardiansof the U.S. Constitution, thus the FCPD shouldinitiate department-wide training to ensure itspersonnel understand the mission and role ofpolice in protecting constitutional rights and

the sanctity of human life, prioritizing de-es-calation, and ensuring a duty to intervene ifanother officer uses excessive force.

❖ Emphasizing Mental Health Training –Embracing the sanctity of human life requireslaw enforcement to differentiate between aperson who needs mental health care and acriminal offender who poses a serious threat.Training FCPD officers to distinguish betweencriminal offenders and individuals in need ofmental health services will also better ensurethat the Fairfax County Adult Detention Cen-ter does not also serve as a mental health fa-cility.

❖ Establishing a Civilian Review Board – Theestablishment of a civilian review board withinvestigatory and discipline authority can bean effective tool for enhancing trust betweenthe FCPD and Fairfax residents. It does so bymaking the FCPD more transparent and ac-countable to the people.

❖ Funding and Mandating Police Body WornCameras – If, and only if, proper policies andprocedures are in place for their use, body camscan be a win-win. They can both protect thepublic from police misconduct and protect thepolice from false allegations of abuse.

❖ Ending the War on Drugs - Drug use is apublic health issue, and the Commonwealth,the County Board, and FCPD should implementpolicies and procedures to deal with it as such.Drug policies must be evidence-based and in-corporate prevention, treatment, and publicsafety elements. The end of the war on drugsshould begin with a policing policy thatdeprioritizes enforcement of marijuana posses-sion and includes supervisors’ advocacy fordecriminalization of possession by the Com-monwealth.

❖ Mandating Data Collection – To ensurethat the FCPD is not engaged in racially bi-ased policing, the supervisors should adopt apolicy requiring the FCPD to collect, analyze,and publish an annual statistical report cover-ing all FCPD stops, frisks, citations, arrests, anduse-of-force incidents.

❖ Restricting the Use of SWAT – The super-visors should adopt a policy limiting use ofSWAT to scenarios in which there is a likeli-hood that the situation for which the FCPDdeploys a SWAT team presents an imminentthreat to the lives of civilians and/or policepersonnel.

❖ Reforming Civil Asset Forfeiture – Polic-ing should be based on public safety, notsupplementing the FCPD’s budget. The super-visors should determine as a matter of policythat the FCPD should use asset forfeiture onlywhen: 1) a person has been found guilty of acrime; 2) the convicted person is the owner ofthe property; and 3) the government hasproved by clear and convincing evidence thatthe owner/offender either used the propertyin the commission of the crime or received theproperty as a result of the crime.

❖ Enhancing Existing Policies, Practices, andLaws Regarding Police-involved Incidents –Law enforcement should focus on de-escala-tion techniques and ensure that any use of forcetool used is the least severe for the situation athand, including a recognition that some less-lethal force options are less severe than othersare.

While there is no silver bullet to ensuring asafe and effective police force, with restora-tion of effective civilian oversight the recom-mendations we have made will help restorepublic trust by making the FCPD a model forwhat policing in a democratic society shouldlook like. We urge their adoption.

Some Recommendations To Improve Law EnforcementCommentary

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See Fire Chief, Page 8

News

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

When Dave Rohr says he and his brotherswere “always interested in public safety,”it’s definitely an understatement. All three

have had long careers with the Fairfax County FireDepartment, and now Rohr, 55, just retired as theCity of Fairfax’s fire chief.

“We grew up in Vienna and had a neighbor whowas a volunteer in Dunn Loring,” said Rohr. “Mybrother Mark joined the Vienna Volunteer Fire De-partment in 1974 and I followed in 1976. My brotherDonald joined Fairfax County 18 years ago and I wentthere in 1979.”

Since then, Mark retired as a battalion chief andDonald’s still working, now at the Merrifield station.

Dave Rohr spent 31 years with the county, mainly inthe second and fourth battalions, before retiring in2010 as assistant chief of operations. The City firechief’s job came open in January-February of thatyear when the previous chief retired, and Rohr ap-plied and got it.

“I wasn’t ready to retire outright, then,” he said. “Iwas still young and wanted to stay involved withpublic safety. This department has always beenthought of as a good place to work; the skills andtechnical competence of the people here are just tre-mendous.”

ROHR BEGAN his new job with the City in May2010 and says he’s truly enjoyed his five years here.“The men and women who work here are some ofthe most dedicated professionals I’ve ever workedwith,” he said. “Even when they’re not here, they’restudying, reading and going to outside classes – abovethe normal requirements – to learn more about whatthey do.”

Fire Chief Dave Rohr chats with some of the B-shift firefighters outside the City’sFire Station 3. (From left) are Firefighter Derek Slusher, Technician JeremyWhelpley, Rohr, Capt. Joe Schumacher and Firefighter David Keyer.

‘It’ll Be a Whole, Different World’Rohr retires asCity’s fire chief.

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Advertising Deadlines are the previous Thursday unless noted.

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COMMUNITIESOF WORSHIP

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News

From Page 7

Fire Chief Retires

City of Fairfax Fire Chief Dave Rohr just retired aftera 36-year career.

Besides that, said Rohr, “There’sa real culture of customer servicehere. For example, we ran a [medi-cal-emergency] call about a year-and-a-half ago for a gentlemancleaning leaves out of his gutters.The ladder truck and ambulancewent to assist him. They got himdown, stabilized him and took himto the hospital. But instead of go-ing home, the crew remainedthere, cleared the leaves and putaway his tools before leaving.”

In addition, the department re-ceived grant money from Walmart,so personnel now carry gift cardson their fire equipment to pass outas needed. In one instance, awoman’s stove caught fire, so thecrew gave her a gift card to replaceher dishes, pots and pans.

“We respond to all sorts of calls,and our people are extremely car-ing and understanding,” said Rohr.“And our firefighters are also cross-trained as paramedics.”

Speaking with The Connectionshortly before retiring, he said,“This department is so small thatI get to interact with all the peopleon a regular basis. I know every-one by first name and I can put in

new programs and test them outalmost immediately; we can getthem approved faster.”

Rohr also streamlined thedepartment’s hiring process. Thereare currently 80 people – 60 op-erational firefighters, 13 fire-codeadministrators and seven depart-ment administrators.

Toughest part of his job, he said,was dealing with late-night bud-get meetings and some outdatedadministrative policies and prac-tices.

Rohr said 70 percent of the callsare for EMS help, with 30 percentfor fires and other critical inci-dents, such as those involving haz-ardous materials or peopletrapped in machinery or elevators.“Last year, we ran 11,500 incidentresponses – calculated on the num-ber of vehicles responding to eachincident,” he said. “We’re dis-patched out of Fairfax County’sMPSTOC [McConnell PublicSafety and Transportation Opera-tions Center] building.

So, for example, said Rohr, “IfVienna’s fire station is out on a call,we could be dispatched to covertheir other calls. Or if there’s alarge fire in Arlington and they

need four engine companies, andwe’re available, we’d get dis-patched automatically. This fall isthe 40th anniversary of the North-ern Virginia Response Agreement– the document supporting theautomatic aid – and I’ve workedon the streets and in my supervi-sory roles to support and enhanceit. I still miss riding on fire engines– it’s an adrenaline rush. I alwayswanted to be busy and helpingmore people.”

SO WHY RETIRE NOW from ajob he so obviously loved? “After36-plus years, I was ready,” repliedRohr. “My wife, a florist, is alsoretired and our sons are bothgrown and out of the house. Andlast fall, we bought a home out-side Charleston, S.C., so we justwant to be able to go down thereon vacations whenever we want.”

“We also want to travel and en-joy retirement while we’re stillyoung,” he continued. “We live inLoudoun County and don’t plan torelocate. We’re looking forward togiving back to both communities,in Loudoun and in South Caro-lina.”

Rohr will also have more time

for golfing and cycling. “I’ve spentmy entire life working on week-ends, holidays and evenings, andI’ll be glad not to have to do thatanymore,” he said. “I’ve been mar-ried 33 years, and I want to spendmore time with my wife.”

He officially retired Aug. 1, andCity Manager Bob Sisson ap-pointed Andy Vita, an assistant fire

chief, as acting fire chief until areplacement is named.

“I’ll miss the firefighters andparamedics here and the signifi-cant events I’ve been trained for,”said Rohr. “I’ll also miss a lot ofthe professional relationships I’vemade over these 36 years. It’ll bea whole, different world – but I’mready to try it.”

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Fairfax Police Helicopter Crew Live-Tweets

Fairfax County Police he-licopters are neitherbirds nor planes, but

their crew got slightly moreavian as they “live-tweeted” ex-periences from inside the han-gar and helicopter throughTwitter on Aug. 26.

The helicopter unit providesair support to officers on theground, emergency rapidmedical transport, search andrescue advantages and “otherspecialized air support asneeded,” said a release fromFairfax County Police.

The department’s officialTwitter handle @fairfaxpolicefollowed along with the heli-copter crew from 11 a.m. until2:30 p.m. and described the insand outs of the job. Followersof the hashtag #ffx1tweet wereable to ask questions of thecrew themselves.

— Tim Peterson

The Twitter handle @fairfaxpolice live-tweets experi-ences from the Fairfax County Police Departmenthelicopter on Aug. 26.

Photo courtesy of

Fairfax County

Police Department


THURSDAY/AUG. 27I’ll Be Me. 2 & 6 p.m. The Fairfax,

9140 Belvoir Woods Parkway,Fort Belvoir. The

Fairfax & Alzheimer’s Associationinvite you to attend a full lengthscreening of Glen Campbell I’ll BeMe. The event free and open toall. Proceeds from concessionsand any donation will bepresented to the Alzheimer’sAssociation, NCA. RSVP [email protected]

Children & Teen Book Sale. 1-8p.m. Burke Centre Library, 5935Freds Oak Road, Burke. Plenty ofbooks as well as CDs and DVDs.

FRIDAY/AUG. 28Midsummer on a Playground.

Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 OxRoad, Lorton. This adaption ofShakespeare’s classic AMidsummer Night’s Dream is toldby a traveling magician, hisassistant and some unsuspecting“volunteers.” Tickets: $10-$12.

Library Playdate: Toddlers.10:30 a.m. Burke Centre Library,5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke.Playwith other toddlers at the library.Ages 1-2 with adult. Sign uprequired. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/bc/

Preschool Story Time. 10:30 a.m.Fairfax Library, 10360 NorthStreet, Fairfax. Build your child’searly literacy skills while enjoyingstories, songs and activities. Ages3-5 with adult. Sign up required.http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/fx/

Kingstowne Farmers Market. 4-7 p.m. Fridays, May 1-Oct. 30.Giant Parking Lot, 5955Kingstowne Towne Center,Alexandria. Vendors productsinclude fresh organic honey andhand held pies androlls.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/kingstownemkt.htm.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/AUG. 28-29“Midsummer on a Playground.”

7 p.m. Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Thisadaption of Shakespeare’s classic“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” istold by a traveling magician, hisassistant, and some unsuspecting“volunteers.” Appropriate for allages, this zany production bringsthe fun of the playground to thestage. Tickets: $10-$12.

SATURDAY/AUG. 29SPCA NoVA Charity Dog Wash.

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Weber’s PetSupermarket back lot, 11021 LeeHighway, Fairfax. Volunteers willwash and towel dry your dog,trim nails and clean ears.Donation based on size of dog.703-799-9390.

Art of Movement Class on theQuad. 8 a.m. Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton.Enjoy a free pilates class - noexperience is necessary, bringyour own mat.

Teen Art and Digital MediaContest Award Ceremony.10:30 a.m. Burke Centre Library,5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke.Winners of the Art and DigitalMedia Contest will be announcedand prizes awarded. Ages 12-18.Teen. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/bc/

Family Math Games. 2 p.m.Fairfax Library, 10360 NorthStreet, Fairfax. Games for alllevels with tips for parents to useat home to improve math and

logic skills. All ages. Sign uprequired. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/fx/

Mount Vernon Nights 2015:Ryan Shupe and The RubberBand. 7-8 p.m. Workhouse ArtsCenter, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton.This five man-band, hailing fromthe Salt Lake City, Utah, is abreath of fresh air with theirorganic approach to performing.Free admission.

Burke Farmers Market. 8 a.m.-noon. Saturdays, May 2-Nov. 21.5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/burkemkt.htm

Springfield Farmers Market. 10a.m.-2 p.m. Springfield TownCenter, 6699 Spring Mall Drive,Springfield.www.smartmarkets.org.

Fairfax Farmers Market. 8 a.m.-1p.m. Saturdays, May 9-Oct. 31.10500 Page Avenue, Fairfax.www.fairfaxsaturdaymarket.com.

SUNDAY/AUG. 3029th Annual Pakistan

Independence Day FestivalUSA. Noon. Bull Run RegionalPark, 7700 Bull Run Drive,Centreville. The PakistanIndependence Day Festivalincludes musical performances,rides and games. Visitwww.pakistanfestivalusa.com.

Lorton Farmers Market. 9 a.m.-1p.m. Sundays, May 3-Nov. 8.Featuring fresh produce, a Swissbakery and potted plants andherbs. VRE Parking Lot, 8990Lorton Station Boulevard, Lorton.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/lortonmkt.htm

Fairfax Farmers Market. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays, May 10-Oct. 25.10500 Page Avenue, Fairfax.www.fairfaxsaturdaymarket.com/

Fair Lakes Farmers Market. 9a.m.-1 p.m. 4501 MarketCommons Drive,Fairfax.www.greentowns.com/initiative/farmers-market/fair-lakes-farmers-market-fairfax-va.

MONDAY/AUG. 31PJ Library Book Buddies. 10:30

a.m. Fairfax Library, 10360 NorthStreet, Fairfax. Enjoy Jewishstorybooks from the PJ Libraryand make a craft. Ages 6 monthsto adult. Sign up required. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/fx/

TUESDAY/SEPT. 1Storytime at Old Town Square.

10:30 a.m. City of FairfaxRegional Library, 10360 NorthStreet, Fairfax. Come across thestreet to Old Town Square to hearsome stories, weather permitting.Age 2-5 with adult.

WEDNESDAY/SEPT. 2Bilingual Storytime. 4 p.m. City

of Fairfax Regional Library, 10360North Street, Fairfax. Bilingualstorytime in English and Spanish.Build your child’s early literacyskills while enjoying stories, songsand activities. Age 3-5 with adult.

Read! Build! Play! 10:30 a.m.Burke Centre Library, 5935 FredsOak Road, Burke. Read a story,build with DUPLOs, and play withfriends! Age 3-5 with adult.

THURSDAY/SEPT. 3Preschool Storytime. 10:30 a.m.

City of Fairfax Regional Library,10360 North Street, Fairfax. Buildyour child’s early literacy skillswhile enjoying stories, songs andactivities. Age 3-5 with adult.

Calendar

Send notes to the Connection at [email protected] or call703-778-9416. The deadline is the Friday prior to the next paper’s publication.Dated announcements should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event.

Sports

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

Injuries and the rigors of a Conference 5 sched-ule derailed a promising start to Scott Vossler’shead-coaching career.

Vossler became the Robinson footballprogram’s third head coach in as many years andfourth in five seasons in 2014. He led the Rams tosix straight victories to open the campaign, includ-ing a 19-17 win over rival Lake Braddock on the Bru-ins’ home field. But as schedule difficulty increasedand injuries took a toll, the Rams closed the regularseason with a four-game losing streak before endingthe year with a 50-23 loss to South County in theopening round of the 6A North region playoffs.

Nine months later, Vossler is back as Robinson headcoach — the first time since 2012 a Rams head coachreturned for a second season.

“Coach Vossler is just a great coach to be around,”rising senior running back Dajon Lee said. “[He]coaches well; [he] takes care of us [and] that’s whyI like him even better. It was a great transition [whenhe was hired]. They picked a great head coach.”

Vossler said he learned from his inaugural seasonas Robinson head coach. And thanks in part to a trioof big, sturdy running backs, he is hopeful the Ramswill be the ones dishing out physical punishment in2015, rather than succumbing to it.

Rising seniors Lee (6 feet 2, 220 pounds) and SeanFoncha (5-11, 205) and rising junior Roman Lowery(6-0, 205) have the size and ability to accumulaterushing yards while wearing down a defense. Leeand Lowery are halfbacks in Robinson’s wing-T of-fense and Foncha is a fullback.

“They’re all big, strong boys and they’re not slow,”Vossler said. “We really think that’s going to be anasset for us. We think we can run them at people

and hopefully this year we can put some damage onthe defense instead of our backs getting dinged up.We think that’s the strength of our offense. We feelgood about our offensive line, but with those threehorses in the backfield, we feel like we should beable to go toe-to-toe with people.”

Helping set a physical tone are returning offensivelinemen Nick Bernacchi (6-3, 265), Lars Stevenson(6-1, 200) and Mason Velasquez (6-2, 225).Bernacchi, a rising junior, is the Rams’ right tackle.Stevenson, a rising senior, is the left guard. Velasquez,a rising senior, has moved to tight end. Rising seniorWes Richmond (6-1, 185) is a pass-catching tight end.

Rising junior quarterback Alex Miller (6-0, 185),who started Robinson’s final five games last season,is the likely starter this year. Rising junior Matt Oakley(6-0, 185), a starter in the secondary, could also seetime at quarterback.

On defense, the Rams will run a base 3-4 scheme.Donnie Warter (5-11, 185) is Robinson’s top return-ing linebacker. The rising junior makes the move fromoutside backer to inside.

“Warter’s been fantastic throughout the summerand early in camp,” Vossler said. “He was a greatplayer for us last year as a sophomore. … He’s mak-ing plays all over the field.”

Warter said he feels more confident on the field.“Last year, I was a little unsure about myself,” he

said, “so this year I have more confidence and moreknowledge about the varsity level.”

Rising senior defensive end Ieuan Israel (6-1, 220)figures to be a difference-maker on the line.

Robinson faces a daunting 2015 schedule that in-cludes eight opponents that qualified for the 2014postseason, seven of which won at least one playoffgame. The Rams will open on the road against WestSpringfield at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. Robinson’sfirst home game is Sept. 11 against Woodson.

“We feel like we’re several weeks ahead of wherewe were at this time last year,” Vossler said, “justbecause It’s our second year going through and wejust think we’re a lot better at it.”

Vossler returns for secondseason as Rams head coach.

Robinson Football to Lean onPhysical Running Back Trio

Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

Roman Lowery, seen during the 2014 season, is one of three Robinson starting runningbacks whose listed weight is at least 200 pounds.


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ABC LICENSECorrect First Time Auto

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JC’s Springfield Restaurant &Bakery, LLC trading as JC’sSpringfield Restaurant &Bakery, 6315 Backlick Rd#199, Springfield, VA 22150.The above establishment isapplying to the VIRGINIADEPARTMENT OFALCOHOLIC BEVERAGECONTROL (ABC) for a Beerand Wine license on premisesto sell or manufacturealcoholic beverages. NigestGorems, ownerNOTE: Objections to theissuance of this license mustbe submitted to ABC no laterthan 30 days from thepublishing date of the first oftwo required newspaper legalnotices. Objections should beregistered atwww.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200

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CLASSIFIEDDEADLINESZones 1, 5, 6............................Mon @ noonZones 2, 3, 4 ...........................Tues @ noon

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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 Packet

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Dollar Sales [email protected]

# 1 in Virginia703-425-8000

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BARBARA NOWAK& GERRY STAUDTE“My Virginia Home Team”703-473-1803, 703-309-8948

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View more photos at www.hermandorfer.com

MARSHA WOLBERLifetime Member NVAR Top ProducersTop 5% of Agents Nationallywww.marshawolber.comCell: 703-618-4397

STEVE CHILDRESS“Experience…withInnovation!”Life Member NVAR Top ProducersBuyer Broker since 1973!703-981-3277

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Gainesville Heritage Hunt 55+ $395,000BEAUTIFUL 3 fin lvls – Golf crs view! 3BR, 3BA, Den/BR 4, Kit w NEW SSAppls, HDWD, Din, Fam rm w Gas Fpl, main lvl MBR w WIC, Loft. WalkoutLL w Rec rm & BA (poss in-law suite), 2 car Gar, Deck, Patio, backs to trees!

FairfaxStation/

CanterberryEstates

$749,500PRICE

ADJUSTMENT1.5 beautiful,landscaped acressited on a cul-de-

sac! Elegant home featuring 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths –kitchen & all baths updated – possible (true) 5th BR withbath on main floor – large custom screen porch with adjacentdeck – butler’s pantry – MBR with sitting room + dressingarea – ample closet space – many built-ins - many surprises!

Cyndee Julian703-201-5834Expect Personal Service& Experienced Negotiation

Clifton$425,000

Gorgeous buildablelot in establishedneighborhood.

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Clifton$900,000

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5 bedrooms, 3.5baths on 5 acres!Premium privatelot at end of cul-de-sac next toentrance of bri-

dle trails of horse community! Immaculate condition w/ loadsof extras/upgrades to include: hardwood floors throughout,granite countertops, SS. 6 stall stable w/ 2 fenced paddocks. 3fireplaces, cedar shake roof, chair rails/crown molding, andmuch MORE! Call Steve Childress NOW....703-981-3277

Burke Must See Property!! $799,900Fabulous Contemporary - Open, Bright Floor Plan

Huge 4 Bedrooms - 3 1/2 Baths Beauty - Hdwd Flrs Main LevelElevator from garage to Main Level - Deck - 2 Fireplaces

Gourmet Kitchen w/all the Bells & WhistlesLower Level apartment w/own entrance

Call Sheila Adams for private tour 703-503-1895.

Alexandria$205,000

Largest2BR/2BAw/nearly 1100sqft*Light &bright endunit*SpaciousLR/DR*Balcony*Large MBR has

W/I closet & full bath*BR #2 has W/I closet*Remodeled kitchen& bathrooms*Pergo flooring thruout*Freshly painted*Condo feeincl all utilities (except plug-ins) & basic cable*Many bldgamenities*Covered parking*Mins to VanDorn Metro

Call Jim Fox @ 703.775.0296

Gainesville Heritage Hunt 55+ $499,900GORGEOUS 2 LVL ‘Lakemont’ – cul de sac. 3BR (2 on m/l), 3BA, Grmt Ktw SS Appls, Brkfst rm, Fam rm off Kit w gas Fpl, Den, Liv, Din, HDWDS,Fans, mldng, Sunrm, Loft, Scr Porch, lndscpd yd w Irrig syst, 2 car Gar.

Manassas $514,900Gorgeously updated, immaculate home on private 1 acre wooded lotin serene community. Gourmet Kitchen, top-of-the-line upgrades:Counters, Cabinetry, Stainless Steel Appliances & Lighting. FullyFinished Walk-Up Basement with Den, Full Bath, Wetbar & newCarpet. 3 year old Roof, new HVAC & new Gutter Guards.

Woodbridge $500,000Stylish Updates

Beautiful 4 BR, 3.5 BA home w/open flrpln. New HWfloors on ML. Gourmet Kit w/SS appliances. Gas FP.Fin. Rec Rm w/WO from Lower Level. Backs to Trees.

Fairfax Station$965,000

New England charmand Southern hospi-tality seamlesslyblend together inGlenverdant. A homemade for enjoyingand entertaining

complete with updated kitchen and spacious breakfast area nicelylocated by a wood burning fireplace. Roam through over 5500 squarefeet including a sunroom and finished basement that offers a fullkitchen. The upper level has four large bedrooms and three full bathsplus a family den and attic playroom. The exterior features five acresand an inground pool as well as a two stall barn for horse lovers.

Clifton $719,000Beautifully updated Colonial in Wonderful

Convenient Community.

Two Great Rentals

Springfield $2,4953 Bedrooms, 3 baths, 4 fin levels.Renovated throughout, spectacu-lar granite/stainless kitchen, hard-woods 2 levels, renovated baths!Minutes to Metro!

Burke Centre $1,995Extra large and roomy, 4 bedrooms,3.5 baths, laminate floors, updatedkitchen & baths. Walk to VRE,MetroBus, & Burke Centre amenities.

Judy McGuire703-581-7679NVAR Multi-Million Dollar ClubNVAR Top Producer

Alexandria $540,000Must see this large three level TH,bright & sunny kitchen w/hearthand Gas FP, upper and lower decks,vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets,soaking tub & separate shower,large basement w/ceramic tile floor.Island Creek Elementary School.

Burke $380,000Lovely 3 level TH w/hrdwd fls andfireplace on main level, bay windows,3 BR’s and 2.5 Baths, finished base-ment, w/o to deck and treed commongrounds. close to VRE & Pentagonbus, restaurants & shopping.

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Fairfax Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

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FairfaxServingAreas of BurkeFairfaxServingAreas of Burke

Dad and skateboarder, Jay Rivera, ofFairfax, came to practice his skills in

the skate park at Van Dyck Park.

Newcomers &

Community Guide

Newcomers &

Community Guide2015-20162015-2016

2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Fairfax Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Newcomers & Community Guide

See Outlook, Page 7

By Bonnie Hobbs

The Connection

Several development projects are ei-ther proposed or in the works inthe City of Fairfax. Below is a snap-shot of some of them:

Novus Fairfax GatewayThe Fairfax City Council approved Novus

Fairfax Gateway LLC’s application to trans-form part of the Kamp Washington trianglebetween Fairfax Boulevard and Lee High-way into a modern, community-serving,mixed-use project.

Planned for the 8.33-acre site are 403multifamily apartments – including 24 af-fordable dwelling units, 29,000 square feetof first-floor retail and commercial uses.There’ll be a 4,000-square-foot office spacefor use by the nonprofit CASA (Court-Ap-pointed Special Advocates), plus a 5,000-square-foot restaurant and 11,000 squarefeet of residential amenities.

The commercial space and three- andfour-story buildings will front on Lee High-way and Fairfax Boulevard. Five-story build-ings will be centrally located and a seven-story parking garage will feature a half-storyon top for a pool.

There’ll be a through street with a con-nection at the Bevan Drive signal at FairfaxBoulevard, plus a new, un-signalized en-trance on Lee Highway. The community’sroad network could correspond to the fu-ture redevelopment of the rest of the KampWashington triangle, while treating the sec-tion connecting Lee Highway to FairfaxBoulevard with several, traffic-calming el-ements to reduce cut-through traffic.

Also planned are trails connecting to ad-jacent properties, plus open space includ-ing a 5,600-square-foot contemplative spacenext to the Jermantown Cemetery. Novuswill maintain this space as well as the cem-etery.

Oak KnollsThe Oak Knolls Realty Corp. will demol-

ish the existing, 110-unit, Oak Knolls apart-ment complex and redevelop the site with102 brand-new condos and 30 townhouses.It’ll also give money to the residents it dis-places and contribute more than half a mil-lion dollars to the City of Fairfax towardaffordable housing.

“Four years ago, there was no affordable-housing program in the City, at all,” saidCouncilwoman Nancy Loftus. “This is thefirst time that a for-sale project is [making]an affordable-housing contribution – andthat’s a big step forward.”

The site is 6 acres along Main and Oakstreets in Fairfax. Planned are two, 32-unitcondominium buildings with elevators; 38stacked condo units and 30 townhomes, for132 units total. None will be rentals; they’llall be for sale. The four-story, 32-unit condobuildings will have red-brick, fiber-cementsiding, metal railings, stacked siding andbay windows on the corners. And a red-

clave at the Mantua Professional Center onPickett Road. But City residents have somany concerns about parking, water run-off, building height and affordable housingthat the City Council has deferred actionon this proposal until Sept. 8.

The site’s zoned commercial planned de-velopment, meaning both office and condouses may exist on it. Currently there aresome office buildings, the New School ofNorthern Virginia and 181 parking spaces.And the developer wants The Enclave to jointhem.

Although the City’s Comprehensive Planearmarked five more office buildings forthat site, they’re no longer economicallyfeasible in today’s market. So the applicanthopes to replace them with two, four-storybuildings containing 80 condos. Sixteen ofthe units would be one-bedroom; 48, two-bedroom; and 16, three-bedroom.

Comprising the indoor amenities wouldbe a fitness center, community room, spa-cious lobbies and mail/packaging rooms.The 9,000 square feet of outdoor amenitiesproposed include a fire pit with seating,patio with seats and gas grills and two lawnareas for socializing.

The condo buildings would be con-structed on 3.8 wooded acres, off SilverKing Court, in the area formerly envisionedfor three of the office buildings. The landon which the other two office buildingswould have been built would, instead, bepreserved as open space for a village greenenjoyed by the residents, school and exist-ing-office community. A total of 125 park-ing spaces are planned, and a bus shelter isproffered.

Internal access is planned between TheEnclave, the New School and the office com-plex. The applicant proposes contributing$40,000 to public schools, $30,240 to parksand recreation – or $378/unit, and$216,960 to affordable housing – or$2,500/unit.

The developer wants a maximum build-ing height of 75 feet, although the Cityheight limit is 60 feet. Nearby Mantua resi-dents have asked for balloons to be flownat the site so they’d have a better idea ofjust how high the condo buildings wouldbe; but at press time, their request had yetto be fulfilled.

The Lamb CenterSince 1992, The Lamb Center in Fairfax

has served as a place of refuge for the poorand homeless. It’s a daytime, drop-in shel-ter providing hot meals, showers, laundryservices, and recovery and employmentcounseling.

Now, though, it’s in need of a home of itsown so it may better serve its clientele in alarger facility in a more-appropriate loca-tion. So, with the blessing of the Fairfax CityCouncil, it will move from a rented site onOld Lee Highway to a new building onCampbell Drive.

“We’re thrilled; this is the answer to ourprayers and a dream come true for The

Multifamily homes and a newbuilding for The Lamb Center.A Glimpse of the Horizon

Artist’s rendering of the Novus Fairfax Gateway mixed-use development.

Artist’s rendition of the Oak Knolls two-over-two condos.

Artist’s rendition of the proposed Enclave site layout showing the two,new condo buildings.

brick, courtyard wall along Oak Street willoffer privacy to the 22-foot townhome units.

Oak Knolls was built in the early 1960sand, by right, the developer could just tearit down and construct some 90 units with-out going before the Council. But it wantedto do something bigger and better and, doso, it needed the City’s approval for par-ticular variances, a land rezoning to a Resi-dential Planned Development district anda special-use permit allowing multifamilyuses in that district.

In return, it will underground all utilitieson site and in the adjacent rights of way onOak and Main streets, construct a bus shel-

ter, donate money for improvements innearby Pat Rodio Park and contribute$550,000 toward affordable housing. It willalso do streetscape improvements, providea pedestrian connection to the park andreduce about 95 percent of Oak Knolls’scurrently unrestrained, surface water flow.The developer also promised to give $1,000toward relocation to each family displacedby the new complex.

The EnclaveIDI-RJL Development LLC wants to build

a residential development called The En-

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Lake Accotink Park’s 493 acres in-clude a 55-acre lake, wetlands and streamsoffering unique views of waterfowl andmarsh life.

Picnic areas, playground, pavilions, trailsand open play fields are open daily year-round, 7 a.m. to dusk. Facilities and activi-ties vary with the season and include bikerentals, canoe and pedal boat rentals, boatlaunch, tour boat rides, fishing, pavilionshelters and picnic areas with grills (someareas may be reserved, call 703-324-8732),restrooms, playground, sand volleyballcourt and basketball court.

Situated along the Cross County Trail, thepark also has a four-mile loop, natural-sur-face hiking/biking trail. Boats powered byelectric motors, sailboats under 15 feet andkayaks are allowed on the lake. Pay $2launch fee at marina.

Swimming, windsurfing, paddle boardingand gas powered boat motors are prohib-ited. A Virginia State Fishing License is re-quired for fishing.

The Center for the Arts is the center-piece of performing arts on the Fairfax cam-pus of George Mason University. Each yearthe Center welcomes thousands of commu-nity members into its 2000-seat ConcertHall for performances by renowned profes-sional artists, accomplished faculty, andemerging student artists.

Great Performances at Mason, an annualseason of national and international artists,features the best of classical music, opera,jazz, world music, dance, theater, globalmusic and dance, and more. The Center forthe Arts is also the performing home for theFairfax Symphony Orchestra.

Fairfax Corner is a beautiful mixed-useshopping center that offers main street styleshopping at both national chains and localboutiques. It features fun events and enter-tainment, a state of the art movie theaterand some the best restaurants around.

Fairfax Corner also combines office spacefor rent and residential living to make it theideal place to live, work, dine and shop.

Oak Hill Mansion, a privately owned18th century Georgian-style home, is all thatremains of the Ravensworth Tract – total-ing more than 22,000 acres – dating fromthe 1670s.

Under an innovative agreement involv-ing the County, the Park Authority and theNorthern Virginia Conservation Trust, thehome is privately owned and maintained,but preserved as a historic site and open tothe public up to four times per year.

The EagleBank Arena (originally thePatriot Center) is a 10,000-seat arena lo-cated on the campus of George Mason Uni-versity. It has attracted 9.6 million peopleto over 2,958 events.

On May 7, 2015, George Mason Univer-

sity announcedthat the namewould be changedon July 1 to“EagleBank Arenaat George MasonUniversity,” fol-lowing a partner-ship deal withEagleBank. It’s agreat place tocheck out a sport-

ing event or concert.Bruce Springsteen, Keith Urban, Bob

Dylan, Ricardo Arjona, Enrique Iglesias, theHarlem Globetrotters and Disney on Ice areonly a few of the concerts and family showsthat have performed at the arena over thepast 29 years.

Royal Lake is a 42 acre lake is filled withfascinating wildlife within the woodlandsand on the lakefront, including nocturnalanimals such as bats and opossums. Thelake itself contains bass, sunfish, crappieand catfish. There is also a two mile trailthat circles the lake, making it a great spotfor a run, a bike ride or a just a relaxingstroll.

Wakefield Chapel was built in 1899on land donated by local sawmill owner,Oliver Besley.

The chapel was named for its first localpreacher, the Reverend E. W. Wakefield, acolorful figure in Virginia Methodism anda Union Officer during the Civil War. Thebuilding served as a community church until1951, and was later turned over to the ParkAuthority to be preserved for future gen-erations.

A country Gothic structure with whiteclapboard siding and arched windows,Wakefield Chapel is a quaint setting forweddings or other services and ceremonies.It features original pews, two stained-glasswindows and a beautifully restored pulpit.

Audrey Moore Recreation Center atWakefield Park is approximately 76,000square feet in size and houses a 50m poolwith one 3m and two 1m diving boards. Thenatatorium also contains spectator seating,doors that lead to a spacious outdoorsundeck, and locker rooms containing sau-nas and showers. In addition to the variousracquetball and squash courts, the centerhas a large gymnasium with six basketballhoops, and volleyball nets.

The center also contains a cycle studio, adance room, a pottery lab and kiln, an artsand crafts room, three multi-purpose activ-ity rooms, and a senior center. WakefieldSkate Park, located next to the rec center,offers a chance for people of all ages andskill levels to enjoy the thrills and excite-ment of skateboarding, inline skating, andBMX biking on our Freestyle and Competi-tion courses.

The Best of Braddock DistrictSupervisor John Cook (R-Braddock)recommends places to see in his district.

Cook

A large array of books and maga-zines, sleek cherry wood studytables, and the quiet atmosphere

of the City of Fairfax Regional Librarymake it an inviting location for membersof the community to visit.

The library shines mostly because ofits Virginia Room. This room, located onthe 2nd floor, houses a comprehensivecollection of Civil War history, geneal-ogy books, old maps, newspapers andmanuscripts. The collection extendspassed the state of Virginia, bringing inmany curious citizens and researchersfrom various locations.

“It [the Virginia Room] is superb forthe City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, andthe state of Virginia,” said Virginia Roomlibrarian Laura Wickstead.

In addition to the Virginia Room, thelibrary contains an extended room

known as the Rare Books Room. Thisroom is a special collection of even moreof the historical archives of books, manu-scripts, periodicals, and roughly 45,000negatives from various decades. It isavailable to visitors upon request of alibrarian.

The library attracts members of thecommunity from all ages not only be-cause of its resources, but also becauseof its regular events. One event calledTales to Tails brings children of all agesto practice reading to a therapy dog.

For more information about the library,Virginia Room, and upcoming events call703-293-6227 or visit http://www.fa i r faxcounty.gov/ l ibrary/branches/fx/ . The library is located at10360 North Street, Fairfax.

— Leslie Davis

Visitors utilize the many public computers at the City of FairfaxRegional Library. The bookcases photographed are only a portion ofthe resources the library has to offer.

Fairfax Landmarks: Regional Library

Mary Kinsley practices reading to Bernese therapy dog PrinceBooboo at the Tales to Tails event at the City of Fairfax RegionalLibrary.

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Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

Do you feel something is missing in your life?

Begin a new life of love, faith, and justice

lived in communion with Catholics throughout

the world! Would you like to find out more?

Where to start? E-mail: [email protected]

St. Timothy Catholic Church13807 Poplar Tree Road, Chantilly, VA 20151

Have YOU Thought About

BECOMING CATHOLIC?

4650 Shirley Gate Road, FairfaxBill Frasnelli, LEAD PASTOR, 703-383-1170

"Loving People to Life”

Jubilee Christian Center“A Caring & Spirit-Filled Church”

Worship Gathering – Sunday 8:45, 11 am & 6 pmSunday School (Life Groups)10:10 am

Alternative Traditional Worship offered during 11 am Worship“Beyond the Limits” Youth - Sunday 6 pm - Pastor John Dingle

Family Night for all ages, Wed. 7:15 pmChildren’s Ministries & Nursery at All Services - Emily Nelson, Children’s Director

Prayer Services, Home Life Groups & Sports MinistryDiscipleship – Mike Colón, Sr. Associate Pastor

& College/Young Adult MinistryVisit our website: www.jccag.org

Check out www.WeAreThePeople.me to pray with us for America

GOOD WORK. GOOD LIFE. GOOD HANDS.™

OPEN HOUSEEXPERIENCED AUTO ESTIMATORS

Allstate Insurance Company has an exceptionalcareer opportunity for Field Auto TechnicalAdjusters in Northern Virginia!Come to an open house to hear more about theField Auto Technical Adjuster opportunity.

Date: September 16, 2015Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.Where:15000 Conference Center Drive

Chantilly, Virginia 20151RSVP 703-653-3508

Come as you are. Dress is casual.Light refreshments will be served.

View job opportunities at

allstate.com/careers

OFFER EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 15TH

CLASSES ATJEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

at 236 & Guinea Rd., Fairfaxwww.facebook.com/JazzerciseJCC

CRUSH UP TO 800 CALORIES IN 60MINUTES WITH OUR NEW CLASSES…

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See Chambers, Page 7

Newcomers

Greater SpringfieldChamber

The Chamber works with businesseswithin and those with ties to the Spring-field community.www.springfieldchamber.org/.

Small BusinessDevelopmentCenter

The SBDC helps aspiring entrepre-neurs start new businesses and helpsexisting businesses to remain competitivein the economy. www.asbdc-us.org/.

Fairfax CountyChamber ofCommerce

The chamber facilitates industry-fo-cused councils, thought leadershipgroups, community partnerships andmany other opportunities for its morethan 600 member companies to expandtheir networks and raise their profiles inthe highly competitive Northern Virginiamarket. www.fairfaxchamber.org/ or703-479-9075.-0



Dear Community Members:The Fairfax County Police Department

was established on July 1, 1940 and todaywe have an authorized strength of 1,372sworn law enforcement officers who pro-tect and serve the communities of theCounty. On average, officers respond to over400,000 calls for service each year. As weengage with the communities we serve, weunderstand our profession must always as-sess our services and constantly strive tochallenge each other to re-engineer how wedeliver essential law enforcement servicesin a community that exceeds 1.1 millionresidents. We are fortunate to have an en-gaged community which continues to as-sist us in preventing and fighting crime,increasing the culture of safety to preservethe sanctity of life for all, and keep pacewith rapid urbanization.

Your Police Department proactively un-dertook an independent review of its useof force training, and related policies andprocedures. The review, conducted by thePolice Executive Research Forum, proposed71 enhancement recommendations. Thecore theme of change is adopting the phi-losophy of the sanctity of life in all we do.We have initiated policy changes and em-barked on many training programs whichembrace state-of-the-art decision makingmodels and best practices for de-escalationand escalation techniques and new initia-tives to safely interact and divert from jailthose suffering mental illness. Currently 43percent of our patrol officers are certifiedin Crisis Intervention Team training and allrecruits now receive parallel training.

Other recent policy changes include theconcepts of being able to hold and containevents in order to develop successful reso-lutions to each call for service when pos-sible.

In 2014 the Police Department began a

self-assessment process to align all of itspolicies and procedures to comply with sev-eral hundred national standards establishedby the Commission on Accreditation for LawEnforcement Agencies. The on-site assess-ment, required to obtain accredited status,is scheduled for early 2016 and will be con-ducted by assessors from outside the Com-monwealth of Virginia. The Departmentcontinues to maintain its accredited statusfrom the Virginia Law Enforcement Profes-sional Standards Commission.

During the last year the Department’ssocial media presence has continued to ex-pand in efforts toward sharing more infor-mation with the community. Recently theDepartment posted 10 years of officer-in-volved shooting case summaries and dataon our public web site. Our goal is to share

information on officer-involved shootingcases in order for the community to betterunderstand the investigative processes ofthese events and to engage in dialogue onthese matters.

In 2013, the Department created a Chief’sCouncil on Diversity Recruitment. Its stra-tegic mission is to assist the Department toincrease the cultural diversity of the sworn,civilian, and volunteer workforce to betterreflect the diversity of the communities weserve. When visiting the Chief’s web site youcan view the diversity scorecard account-ability measure, read the Council’s strate-gic plan document, and learn about thevaried volunteer opportunities you can en-gage in with the Police Department.

Several community members have gra-ciously volunteered time from their busypersonal lives to establish and serve on aCommunities of Trust Committee which iscomprised of all public safety agencies andreports directly to the chairman of theCounty Board of Supervisors. This effortaligns well with recommendations from theTask Force on 21st Century Policing. Manyforums have been held throughout the com-munity and numerous initiatives are in de-velopment to increase public engagementwith the community to build upon mutualtrust.

The Police Department, along with theCommunity Services Board, other publicsafety agencies, and mental health advo-cates have partnered to develop additionalcrisis intervention programs, including adrop off center which will provide a viablejail diversion alternative for those in men-tal health crisis. We look forward to achiev-ing this critical strategic goal.

In recent years a majority of our homi-cides have been domestic related. On July1, 2015, the Fairfax County Police Depart-ment launched a Lethality Assessment Pro-

gram in which all patrol officers have beentrained to administer an assessment to pro-vide resources to victims of domestic vio-lence which are available 24/7. This pro-gram truly demonstrates engagement withmany partners who share our goal in in-creasing services and eliminating domesticviolence.

In early 2015 another community engage-ment endeavor was launched with the cre-ation of the Ad Hoc Police Policy and Prac-tices Commission. This Commission is com-prised of five sub-committees which areconducting reviews of the Police Depart-ment as related to use of force; communi-cations; recruitment, diversity, and appli-cant vetting; and independent oversight andinvestigations. The Commission will makerecommendations to the Board of Supervi-sors this fall. The Police Department ishighly engaged with all of the communitymembers serving on the Commission andwe look forward to positive change recom-mendations to better serve all of FairfaxCounty.

The Police Department values technologyadvances and we are migrating to a newrecords management system to assist allpersonnel in achieving an intelligence ledcommunity policing model. The Depart-ment is also preparing to institute an elec-tronic summons system for issuing trafficand criminal violations. Our patrol cruisersare equipped with in-car video recordingdevices and we are exploring the viabilityof body worn cameras with communitystakeholders.

To learn more about the Fairfax CountyPolice Department, please visit

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/Welcome to Fairfax County, a great place

to live, work, play and grow old.

— Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr.

Arts & Organizations

Welcome from Police Chief Ed Roessler

Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr.

Fairfax SymphonyOrchestra

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, 3905 RailroadAvenue, Suite 202 N, Fairfax. One of the fin-est regional, professional orchestras in thecountry. 703-563-1990 orwww.fairfaxsymphony.org.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 19Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. 8 p.m.GMU

Center for the Arts Concert Hall, 4373Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Listen toBeethoven:Beethoven: “Coriolanus”Overture, Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.5“Emperor” featuring pianist Alon Goldsteinand Beethoven: Symphony No. 5. Led byconductor Christopher Zimmerman. Call703-563-1990 for more info.

SATURDAY/OCT. 24Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. 8 p.m.

Fairfax Symphony, 3905 Railroad Avenue,Fairfax. Enjoy Sibelius: Valse Triste andScene with Cranes, Beethoven’s PianoConcerto No. 2 featuring rising star pianistSean Chen and Sibelius: Symphony No. 2.Call 703-563-1990 for more info.

George Mason UniversityCenter for the Arts

Center for the Arts, George Mason University,4400 University Dr., MS 2F5, Fairfax. The Centerfor the Arts is the centerpiece of performing arts onthe Fairfax campus of George Mason University,and each year the Center welcomes hundreds ofthousands of community members into its ConcertHall for performances by renowned professionalartists, accomplished faculty and emerging studentartists. 703-993-8888 or cfa.gmu.edu.

George Mason UniversityEagleBank Arena

GMU Eagle Bank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle,Fairfax. Located on the campus of George MasonUniversity, the Patriot Center is a 10,000-seatarena that hosts Mason basketball games, concerts,family shows and commencement ceremonies.703-993-3000 or http://www.eaglebankarena.com/.

SUNDAY/ SEPT. 6

WWE Live. 7 p.m. GMU Eagle Bank Arena, 4500Patriot Circle, Fairfax. The World WrestlingEntertainment presents their wrestlers in a fightof epic proportions. See all your favorite WWESuperstars in action including: John Cena vsKevin Owens - US Championship Match, Nevillevs Money in the Bank Contract Winner Sheamusand many more!

Tickets on sale now. Visit http://www.eaglebankarena.com/ for prices andseating.

FRIDAY/SEPT. 18 - SATURDAY/SEPT. 19Spirit of America. Fri. 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sat. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. GMU Eagle BankArena, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax. “Spirit ofAmerica” is a fast-paced journey that captures240 years of Soldiers’ true stories that spangenerations of Americans who upheld freedomand democracy. This live show is performed by acast and crew of active-duty soldiers. More infoat http://www.eaglebankarena.com/events/.Tickets are free.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 20Washington Wedding Experience. 11 a.m. .m.

GMU Eagle Bank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle,Fairfax. Chat with the area’s most talented andtrustworthy wedding professionals while youtaste delicious cakes, see beautiful flower and

find your dream dress. More info at http://www.eaglebankarena.com/events/. Tickets $10.

FRIDAY/OCT. 9Ricky Martin. 8 p.m. GMU Eagle Bank Arena,

4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax. Listen to GrammyAward winner and music superstar Ricky Martinon his One World Tour. Doors open at 7 p.m.Call 703-993-3000 for more info.

Fairfax Art LeagueGallery

Fairfax Art League Gallery, Old Town Hall, 3999University Drive, Fairfax. The Fairfax Art LeagueGallery, operated by the Fairfax Art League, amembers’ cooperative gallery representing over100 local artists, houses monthly exhibits with spe-cial shows held twice a year. 703-352-2787.

Fairfax MuseumFairfax Museum, 10209 Main Street, Fairfax.

The museum produces special exhibitions on cityhistory, provides educational outreach to schooland youth groups and offers walking tours of OldTown Fairfax and the city’s historic buildings in thespring and fall. 703-385-8414.


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Newcomers

FairfaxOutlookFrom Page 3

Lamb Center,” said KellyJohnson, vice-chairman of theorganization’s Board of Directors.“We’ve looked for a new home formany years.”

The new site is in an industrialarea on more than one-third of anacre where two lots will be con-solidated.

Planned is a two-story building,possibly done in phases, depend-ing on funding. There’ll be a park-ing area and bike rack, plus land-scaping improvements.

Inside will be a great roomwhere meals are served, plus of-fices, classrooms and meetingrooms.

And there’ll be a loitering-pre-vention plan and video monitor-ing. The facility will be open Mon-day-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sat-urday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., withfour full-time staff members andfour volunteers there at all times.

The new location will be fartheraway from retail establishments,yet close to transportation. Andsince it’ll be built to The LambCenter’s specifications, the newbuilding will be more efficientthan the current one.

ChambersFrom Page 5

See Chambers, Page 9

Pakistan AmericanBusinessAssociation Inc.

PABA is a non-profit, bilateral tradeassociation that promotes business op-portunities between Pakistan and theUnited States of America, and nurturesleadership skills within the PakistaniAmerican business community. 703-627-1500 or www.pabausa.org/.

Northern VirginiaBlack Chamber ofCommerce.

The Alexandria-based organizationprovides resources to black-owned busi-nesses in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax,Loudoun, and Prince William counties.www.novabcc.org/.

Asian AmericanChamber ofCommerce

Located in Tysons, it offers programsto Asian and Pacific business communi-ties in the region.www.asian-americanchamber.org/.

Build Your Community

Support Your LocalBusinesses.

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As your local, weekly newspaper,the Connection’s mission is todeliver the local news you need,to try to make sense of what is

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Here in our Newcomers and CommunityGuide, we’ve included an expanded andupdated version of our award-winningInsider’s Guide to the Parks, plus details ofhow to vote in the upcoming elections, in-formation on local government, nonprofitsand business organizations, plus tips andtidbits from the community.

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Area Nonprofits

Office to End and PreventHomelessness (OPEH)

OPEH supports the Fairfax-FallsChurch Community Partnership toPrevent and End Homelessnesswhich engages nonprofits, busi-nesses, faith-based communities andcounty agencies in its efforts toimplement the 10-Year plan, whichfocuses on rapid re-housing and pre-vention by increasing the availabilityof permanent affordable housing.www.ziphomelessness.com

Assistance League ofNorthern Virginia

An all-volunteer organization thatclothes, feeds, educates and nurtures

those in need. Working through six el-ementary schools and Inova FairfaxHospital, Assistance League touches thelives of some of the most needy inNorthern Virginia. [email protected] orwww.northernvirginia.assistanceleague.org

Lamb CenterA day center for the homeless, cur-

rently seeking donations and generalvolunteers. 703-691-3178 orwww.thelambcenter.org.

Fairfax City Area FISH(Friendly Immediate Sym-pathetic Help)

Working with the Office of Coordi-

nated Services Planning and FairfaxCounty Department of Human Services,FISH helps local citizens who are in tem-porary need of life’s basic necessitiessuch as food, clothing and financial as-sistance for rent, mortgage payments,utilities and medical treatments. 703-222-0880 or http://fairfaxfish.org/

FACETSFACETS helps parents, their children

and individuals who suffer the effects ofpoverty in the Fairfax area. FACETS isalways in need of volunteers, and offersa variety of one-time and ongoing op-portunities, including a monthly YouthVolunteer Night. 703-865-4251 orhttp://facetscares.org/.

Food for OthersThe nonprofit provides a safety net

for people who suddenly face unfore-seen emergencies such as a familyillness or the loss of a job or a spouse.703-207-9173 orwww.foodforothers.com.

Our Daily BreadThe Holiday Program helps those in

need with food for the holidays and giftsfor their children, making last year’sholiday season brighter for approxi-mately 3,000 families.www.odbfairfax.com/holiday.

Fairfax Families for KidsFairfax Families4Kids gives youth

ages 12 to 21, currently living in fos-ter care or out of foster care, theopportunity to participate in groupand individual mentoring, and spendquality time in the community en-gaged in group activities.www. fa i r f axcounty .gov/ncs/fairfaxfamilies4kids.htm.

Boys and Girls Clubs ofGreater WashingtonFairfax Area

Aims to help youth become confi-dent, civic-minded, responsibleadults through programs focused oneducation/career development,health and life skills, leadership, thearts, sports and recreation, andmentoring. www.bgcgw.org/fairfax/

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Local Media Connection LLC

Abigail Constantino and Dominique Escaleracompiled content for this year's Community Guide.

For more information,

call 703-778-9431 or email

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& Community Guide

Newcomers

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ChambersFrom Page 7

Newcomers

Hispanic Chamberof Commerce ofNorthern Virginia

Located in Herndon, the organizationserves businesses lead by and those thatwork with the Hispanic community inthe area. www.hccnva.org/.

US LebaneseChamber ofCommerce

A privately held business associationfounded in 2010 offering networkingand resources to Lebanese Americans.703-761-4949.

Afghan AmericanChamber ofCommerce

AACC provides resources to membersthrough business advice, conferences,seminars, networking events, publica-tions and other avenues to stimulateU.S.-Afghanistan business and invest-ment; also, sector-based WorkingGroups seek to reduce impediments tobusiness and market progress for mem-bers.

AACC also serves as a link betweenthe private sector and government toencourage economic policies that resultin increased business and investmentbetween the U.S. and Afghanistan. 703-442-5005 or www.a-acc.org/.

Fairfax CountyChamber ofCommerce

The chamber facilitates industry-fo-cused councils, thought leadershipgroups, community partnerships andmany other opportunities for its morethan 600 member companies to expandtheir networks and raise their profiles inthe highly competitive Northern Virginiamarket. www.fairfaxchamber.org/ or703-479-9075.-0400 â¢ f: 703 -749-9003-749-0400 â¢ f: 703 -749-9075

Central FairfaxChamber ofCommerce

The chamber provides informationand programs to businesses throughoutFairfax and was previously known as theCity of Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.www.cfcc.org/.

Latvian Chamber ofCommerce in theAmericas

The Fairfax-based organization pro-vides resources to Latvian-leadbusinesses, as well as American busi-nesses hoping to expand into Latvia.www.latchamamericas.org.

10 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 Fairfax Connection ❖ Newconers & Community Guide 2015-16 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Questions1) What should newcomers know

about the impact the Board ofSupervisors has on their daily lives?In other words - what do you do atthe county level that’s importantenough to compel newcomers tovote in this election?

2) To make newcomers feel athome, what’s a “must-see” place orevent you recommend they checkout in Fairfax County or yourdistrict?

3) What’s your favorite sportsteam?

4) Fairfax County gained nationaland global Twitter prominenceearlier this year when outragedFCPS students started the Twitterhashtag #closeFCPS after schoolofficials did not call a snow daywhen it actually snowed. WhatTwitter or Instagram hashtag wouldyou like to see trending in thecoming year about Fairfax Countyor your district?

Newcomers

You may be surprised – ordismayed – to learn thatthe 10 men and womenwho occupy Fairfax

County Board of Supervisors wieldenormous power and influenceover your everyday lives.

They set your tax rate, fund thepublic school system, and determinepriorities and policies for issuesranging from affordable housing,homelessness and human services toeconomic development, traffic calm-ing and the environment.

They manage a $7 billion bud-get, larger than the budgets of fourstates, and rule over a county witha diverse, well-educated popula-tion of more than a million people.

Their decisions can propel ourcommunity forward – or cost usour first-rate status in education,livability and culture.

If you happen to meet them thiselection season, thank them for thelong-awaited Silver Line expan-

sion, a success that directly benefitsyou and your property values. Or,you may want to chide them forthe extra $185 you will pay inproperty taxes this year, or the gen-erous $20,000 pay raise they gavethemselves after increasing yourproperty taxes.

They do want to hear from you.What they don’t want to hear are

complaints about potholes on yourroad. Not because they don’t care,but because they can’t do anythingabout it.

In the Commonwealth of Vir-ginia, the state builds, maintainsand operates local roads. Transpor-tation funding, you will quicklylearn, is a perennial hot topic inthe Virginia General Assembly.

So is redistricting, also known asgerrymandering, which has keptthe Commonwealth in anotherform of gridlock as Republicansand Democrats struggle ceaselesslyfor control of the legislature.

Another perennial problem is thesocioeconomic divide between af-fluent Northern Virginia (NOVA) –where you now reside – and theRest of Virginia (ROVA) – where achunk of your tax dollars disap-pear. NOVA gets less back fromRichmond than we send downthere, and so Northern Virginianshave the privilege of paying extrataxes (and tolls) to fund the badly-needed improvements to our trans-portation infrastructure. It drivesus a little crazy.

As a newcomer, you may wonderwhy we still call ourselves a “Com-monwealth,” instead of just an or-dinary state. Good question. Vir-ginia retained this nomenclature –as did Kentucky, Massachusetts andPennsylvania - when we adoptedour first constitution in 1776, mostlikely to emphasize the fact that ournew government was based uponthe sovereignty of the people unitedfor the common good. If we’re re-

ally honest, we are also very proudof the ruckus we kicked up with theBritish Monarchy when we de-clared our independence. There’s areason our state motto is “Sic Sem-per Tyrannis,” Latin for “thus al-ways to tyrants.”

So, dear newcomer: Whereveryou are from, you are here now. Inthe Old Dominion, the Mother ofPresidents. Let that sink in for amoment.

We hope you will appreciate thefact that you are here, reading thisguide, during an important elec-tion season. We assume you willjoin the ranks of Fairfax County’sprolific electorate, where nearly 43percent of residents cast their bal-lots last year, and vote on Nov. 3.

To make it a little easier for you,and give you the opportunity tofeel like “political insiders,” weasked each of the 19 BOS candi-dates to give you their answers toquestions specifically geared to-ward newcomers.

Their responses are unedited andenlightening. We hope.

— Victoria Ross

All politics is local, in Fairfax County, too:Who runs for Board of Supervisors in November?

Meet the Candidates for County Board Current Board of Supervi-sors. From left: CatherineM. Hudgins (D-Hunter MillDistrict), Michael R. Frey(R-Sully District), John C.Cook (R-Braddock District),Gerald W. Hyland (D-MountVernon District), SharonBulova (Chairman, At-Large), Penelope A. Gross(D-Mason District, ViceChairman), John W. Foust(D-Dranesville District),Jeffrey C. McKay (D-LeeDistrict), Pat Herrity(Springfield District) andLinda Q. Smyth (D-Provi-dence District).

Photo courtesy of Fairfax County

Braddock SupervisorJohn Cook, Incumbent, (R)Money Raised: $178,744Money Spent: $83,468Balance: $83,468

Janet Oleszek (D)Money Raised: $41,909Money Spent: $37,072Balance: $4,854

Carey Campbell (I)Money Raised: $0Money Spent: $0Balance: $0

Dranesville SupervisorJennifer Chronis (R)Money Raised: $143,732Money Spent: $51,302Balance: $92,427

John Foust (D) IncumbentMoney Raised: $164,364Money Spent: $112,824Balance: $52,559

Hunter Mill SupervisorCatherine Hudgins (D) IncumbentMoney Raised: $9,226Money Spent: $22,894Balance: $20,867

Lee SupervisorJeffrey McKay (D) IncumbentMoney Raised: $91,563Money Spent: $54,378Balance: $92,147

Mason SupervisorPenny Gross (D) IncumbentMoney Raised: $185,26Money Spent: $152,808Balance: $118,311

Mollie Loeffler (I)Money Raised: $18,557Money Spent: $5,708Balance: $12,848

Mount Vernon SupervisorJane Gandee (R)Money Raised: $52,988Money Spent: $32,201Balance: $20,786

Daniel Storck (D)Money Raised: $115,079Money Spent: $109,153Balance: $5,924

Providence SupervisorLinda Smyth (D)Money Raised: $112,210Money Spent: $108,020Balance: $22,499

Springfield SupervisorPat Herrity (R) IncumbentMoney Raised: $409,995Money Spent: $309,925Balance: $102,129

Corazon Foley (I)Money Raised: $0Money Spent: $0Balance: $0

Sully SupervisorJohn GuevaraMoney Raised: $71,697Money Spent: $58,333Balance: $13,362

Kathy Smith (D)Money Raised: $45,214Money Spent: $20,135Balance: $25,079

Chairman, Board of Supervisors(At Large)

Arthur Purves (R)Money Raised: $12,223Money Spent: $5,384Balance: $6,837

Sharon Bulova (D) Incumbent MoneyRaised: $167,871. Money Spent:$96,446. Balance: $78,878.Glenda Parker (I)Money Raised:$0. Money Spent: $0. Balance: $0

We’ve compiled the most recent financial filings forcandidates in the 2015 race for Fairfax County Boardof Supervisors. The figures represent the reports

candidates filed on July 15 for the period from Jan. 1, 2012through June 30, 2015. The next financial report will be filed inSeptember. For more details on candidates’ financial filings, goto www.VPAP.org/localities/Fairfax-county-va/elections/tracked/

— Victoria Ross

Source: Virginia Public

Access Project

Money: How muchhave they raised?

Incumbent:Sharon S. Bulova (D)Home: Fairfax StationEmail Address: [email protected]: 703-267-9996Twitter @sharonbulovaWeb sharonbulova.com

Challenger:Arthur G. Purves (R)Home: ViennaEmail Address: [email protected]: 703-938-0242Web - Votepurves.orgTwitter @agpurves

Challenger:Glenda Gail Parker(Independent Green)Home: AlexandriaEmail Address: [email protected]: 703-960-5602Twitter - @ggailparkerWeb gailparker.us

ANSWERS: BULOVA1) We are the most grass roots

level of government. Our Board isresponsible for everything from en-suring clean drinking water, safestreets and neighborhoods, com-passionate human services, attrac-tive parks and libraries to fundingour fantastic school system.

2) Hard to choose a favorite.Fairfax has the most wonderfulpark system with something foreveryone to enjoy. I jog through thewoods in Villa Park three times aweek.

3) My current favorite is FairfaxCounty’s World Police & FireGames Women’s Basketball Team.

They won a gold medal at theGames and presented me with anautographed ball.

4) Trending: #FairfaxCounty/#model/EngagedCommunity

“I’d like to see #FairfaxModel be-come a trend for what we are do-ing in the area of mental health. Iwant others to look to us the waywe are looking to Memphis andBexar County for examples of howto adequately train public safety todeal with people suffering frommental illness and diverting thoseindividuals from jail into treat-ment.”

ANSWERS: PARKER1) Your commute depends on

politics, More Trains, Less Traffic!Trains as fast as planes. Nationwideand local rail feeder systems. Weneed light rail to serve tourists and

VRE service throughout the dayand on weekends. The BOS canpressure the Virginia General As-sembly and Virginia Congressionaldelegation to remove the barrierthat prevents building rail masstransit and to encourage renewableenergy – solar, wind, geothermal.Rail built anywhere in Americabenefits ALL of America.

2) Check out Channel 10’s GreenTV on Cox, Verizon or Fios. Visit uson YouTube: search for Indepen-dent Greens of Virginia orGailforRailParker YouTube channel.

3) My hometown girls’ basketballteam, the Kingston Princesses!

4) This is easy: #HHR4FXCounty/# M o r e Tr a i n s L e s s Tr a f f i c /# G a i l f o r R a i l r o c k s /#www.GailParker.us

* Candidate Arthur Purvis did not respondto the questionnaire.

Race: Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (At Large)

Sharon Bulova Glenda ParkerArthur Purves

Incumbent:John C. Cook (R)Home: BurkeEmail Address: [email protected]: 703-323-9066Twitter @JohnCookVACampaign website -

johncook4supervisor.com

Challenger:Janet S. Oleszek (D)Home: FairfaxEmail Address: [email protected]: 703-323-1771Twitter @JanetOleszekCampaign website -

janetoleszek.ngpvanhost.com

Challenger:Carey C. Campbell(Independent Green)Home: SpringfieldEmail Address:

[email protected]: 703-939-0970Twitter:votejoinrun.us/careyc

ANSWERS: COOK1) The Board of Supervisors is the

level of government closest to thepeople. We fund schools, police and fire,parks, libraries, and services for the dis-abled. We oversee zoning enforcement;which includes rules against illegalboarding houses, uncut grass, junk piledin yards, and unregistered cars. We alsoapprove land use applications, such asthe size and scope of shopping centersand housing developments. In short, wehandle just about everything you seeexcept the roads, which are state-owned.

2) Go to dinner and a movie at FairfaxCorner, followed by shopping at greatboutique stores.

3) Washington Nationals.4) How about: #BraddockNights,

#LakeAccotinkPark,#RenovateAudreyMooreRecCenter

ANSWERS: OLESZEK1) Newcomers to Fairfax County

should know the famous quip “all poli-tics is local.”

Local politics IS the Fairfax Board ofSupervisors, who decide on issues andpolicies that direct our police, emergencyand fire departments, while at the sametime fund our public schools, parks, li-braries and social services. Water, sewersand garbage collection are importantduties of the Board too. So you can eas-ily see that your vote will directlyinfluence who will be making the deci-sions that affect your daily life andprotect the quality of our community. Inthis election, we will be deciding on is-sues of importance such as the future ofBraddock Road, which voters will behearing more about from me.

2) Braddock District is home to someof the very best high school athletic pro-grams in Northern Virginia, so comecheck out some of the games during fallsports season this year! You can meet meat the Friday night football games.

3) We are a baseball family. My sonsand husband love the Nationals. Theirlove and enthusiasm for the game hasrubbed off on me. Go Nats!

4) #keepBraddockBeautiful

ANSWERS: CAMPBELL1) It’s your money. Vote. Help decide

how your taxpayer cash is, or isn’t spent!The Board of Supervisors decides theproperty tax rate for our homes. It setsfees. The Board then decides how money

Race: BraddockDistrict Supervisor

is spent. How much? Over $7 billionbucks last year.

I’m the Independent candidate in thenonpartisan Braddock District race. I’mfor Green Growth. Smart Growth. TheGreen New Deal. Positive eco-solutionsfor the economy. Invest in money-mak-ing infrastructure. Get a return on ourinvestment. Rail, bikeable, walkable,pedestrian-friendly communities in-crease the value of our homes,businesses, communities. That growsrevenue for our schools, police, and firedepartments.

You can make all the difference byvoting. Your vote. Your money. Our com-munity.

It’s about your money. Let’s grow ourcommunity, and get solid returns on in-vestments in our community.

I ask for your vote for Braddock Dis-trict Supervisor!

2) Must see: This Plus Green house.Plus means it creates more energy thanit consumes.

Check out my house! 51 solar panels.Geothermal heating and cooling.

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John C.Cook

Janet S.Oleszek

Carey C.Campbell

Help Struggling Families in Your Community!Our Daily Bread helps Fairfax County area families who are struggling

to make ends meet by providing food, financial assistance, financialeducation, Holiday assistance and school supply assistance.

You can help your neighbors in need today by providingfinancial and food donations.

We also need groups to collect and deliver food to our clients 1-2 Sundays a year!Contact: [email protected] or 703-273-8829; Visit www.ODBFairfax.org

Our Daily Bread4080 Chain Bridge Road, 2nd Floor, Fairfax, VA 22030

Our Most-Needed Pantry Items:• Dinner kits• Laundry detergent• Boxed rice

• Diapers• Toilet paper• Spaghetti sauce

• Canned fruit• Snacks for lunches• $20 grocery gift cards


List compiled by Abigail

Constantino

A list of annual community events in

the area.

August 2015SUNDAY/AUG. 3029th Annual Pakistan Independence Day

Festival USA. Noon. Bull Run Regional Park,7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville. The PakistanIndependence Day Festival includes musicalperformances, rides and games. Visitwww.pakistanfestivalusa.com.

September 2015SATURDAY/AUG. 1 - SUNDAY/SEPT. 13Annual Workhouse Clay National Ceramics

Exhibition. Workhouse Arts Center, W-16Vulcan Gallery, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton.This exhibition represents the depth and breadthof contemporary functional and sculpturalceramic artworks being created throughout thecountry. Visit http://www.workhousearts.org/events/visual-arts/workhouse-clay-national-2015.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 5Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival. 1 p.m. Lake

Anne Plaza (Waterfront), 1609 WashingtonPlaza, Reston. Showcasing a variety of talentedlocal emerging artists and national jazzperformers. Visit http://lakeanneplaza.com/event/9th-annual-lake-anne-jazz-festival/.

MONDAY/SEPT. 716th Annual Labor Day Car Show. 8 a.m. - 3

p.m. Historic Clifton. Antiques, classics, foreign,customs, motorcycles and more. Pre-register byAug. 24. www.labordaycarshow.com. Allproceeds benefit local charities.

Herndon Labor Day Festival. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.Herndon Town Green, 777 Lynn Street,Herndon. Downtown Herndon celebrates LaborDay with an annual festival - great music, a craftshow, food, wineries, micro-brews and culinarydemonstrations will all be there. Visit

http://www.herndon-va.gov/.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/SEPT. 11-12ChalkFest. Reston Town Center, 11900 Market

St., Reston. Free for spectators, participantsregister for a fee which includes supplies. Rainor shine. Information: publicartreston.org.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 12Lorton’s Fall Festival. 11 a.m. Lorton Station

Town Center, 8998 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton.Enjoy a magic booth, pumpkin painting, photobooth, games, prizes and more. Visitwww.lortonstationtowncenter.com/calendar-of-events.html for more.

Great Tastes of Tysons. 1-6 p.m. Lerner TownSquare Tysons II, 8025 Galleria Drive, Tysons

Corner. Over 100 international different wines,beers, and spirits in an all-you-care-to-tasteaffair. Enjoy the best of D.C. chefs in hands-ongrilling demonstrations in the drink. Eat. Relax.http://www.tastetysons.com/.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/SEPT. 12-1338th Annual Burke Centre Festival. Saturday,

9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 6060Burke Centre Parkway, Burke. Burke Centre’ssignature event, which celebrates the spirit ofthe community each year with rides, activitiesand live entertainment for all ages to enjoy. Visitwww.burkecentreweb.com and click on Festival.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 19Dulles Day Plane Pull. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Dulles

International Airport. Teams of 25 are pittedagainst one another to see who can pull a164,000+ pound Airbus 12 feet the fastest inSpecial Olympics Virginia’s “heaviest”fundraiser. Visit www.planepull.com.

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival. 12-6 p.m. 8025Galleria Drive, McLean. Attend for a day of beersippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigarsmokin’ and barbecue eatin’. Your admissionbuys a sampling glass so you can enjoy all youcare to taste while attending seminars in thetasting theater and enjoying live music all day.Visit http://www.beerandbourbon.com/tysons/show-info.

See Calendar, Page 13

SUNDAY/SEPT. 20Food for Others Tysons 5K. 9 a.m. 7925 Jones

Branch Dr., McLean. Even though NorthernVirginia is considered one of the wealthiestjurisdictions in the country, we still face apoverty rate of about 5 percent - more than90,000 people are living in poverty and 30percent are children. Come run or walk to helpfeed our neighbors. Visit https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/McLean/NeighborsFeedingNeighbors5K.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 26 - TUESDAY/NOV. 3Cox Farms Fall Festival. Daily. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Cox Farms, 15621 Braddock Road, Centreville.http://www.coxfarms.com/fallfestival.aspx.

SATURDAY/SEPT. 26Walk to End Alzheimer’s. 10 a.m. Reston Town

Center, 11900 Market St., Reston. Walk andfundraise to further the care, support andresearch efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association.Visit http://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=7382&pg=entry.

Reston Multicultural Festival. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. A celebration ofthe diversity and community spirit that is foundin Reston, this annual event brings together thepeople of Reston to celebrate the rich medley ofcultures. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com/

MulticulturalFestival.shtml.20th Annual CCÉ Irish Folk Festival. Noon-

7:30 p.m. Sherwood Community Center, 3740Old Lee Highway, Fairfax and The Auld ShebeenIrish Pub, 3971 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax. Allare invited to enjoy, free of charge, the “puredrop” - the beauty and depth of Irish music,dance, language and sport as it has taken rootand come into full flower in our community.Visit http://www.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/fairfax-irish-folk-festival.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/SEPT. 26-27Workhouse Fall Arts Festival 2015. Saturday:

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.Workhouse Arts Center, 9518 Workhouse Way,Lorton. Over 100 of the nation’s best artists willexhibit their original fine art and crafts. Thetwo-day outdoor festival will include work byartists from across the Mid-Atlantic region,showcasing paintings, photography, ceramics,sculpture, jewelry, handcrafted furniture andmuch more.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 27 - SATURDAY/OCT. 3Annual Fall for the Book Festival. George

Mason University, 4400 University Drive,Fairfax. A week-long, multiple-venue, regionalfestival that brings together people of all agesand interests. Featured authors are NationalBook Award winner Tim O’Brien and“Outlander” author Diana Gabaldon. Visitwww.fallforthebook.org.

SUNDAY/SEPT. 27NatureFest. 1-5 p.m. Runnymede Park, 195

Herndon Parkway, Herndon. Explore variousnature stations throughout the park includingbutterflies, bees, life in the meadow, web of lifeand much more with live animal showsthroughout the day. Visit www.herndon-va.gov.

October 2015THURSDAY/OCT. 14th Annual Reston Town Center Help the

Homeless Walk. 11:30 a.m. Reston TownCenter, 11959 Market St, Reston. Walk fromMayflowers Floral Design Studio on ThePromenade to the Embry Rucker CommunityShelter and back. Funds will enableCornerstones to provide essential resources andservices for individuals and families in thecommunity who are homeless or at risk ofbecoming homeless. Visitwww.cornerstonesva.org/events_list/hth.

SATURDAY/OCT. 3Art in the Courtyard. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Lorton

Station Town Center, 8998 Lorton Station Blvd.,Lorton. Artists from the Workhouse Arts Center,the Torpedo Art Factory and artists fromHistoric Occoquan will be featuring their worksincluding paintings, jewelry, sculpture,photography, blown glass, pottery, wood work,

Year-round Entertainment

Photo courtesy of Jeannie Winslow, Burke Centre Festival

The 38th Annual Burke Centre Festival will take place Sept. 12-13 tocelebrate the spirit of the community with rides, activities and liveentertainment for all ages to enjoy.

Photo contributed

Students race to the finish line in their homemade cardboard boats aspart of the community celebration, Springfield Days, taking place everyyear at the end of May.

Photo contributed

On Oct. 11, celebrate Clifton Day, the town’s annual arts and crafts fairfrom 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. on the corner of Main Street and Chapel Road.


From Page 12

and even digital artwork. Each artist will display and sell theirwork from booths lining the Courtyard. Festival guests willhave the opportunity to talk to the artists, get to knowthem, and ask questions about their stories andinspirations.

SUNDAY/OCT. 4McLean Project for the Arts ArtFest. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

McLean Central Park, 468 Dolley Madison Blvd., McLean.The park is transformed into a lively landscape of mini artgalleries showcasing and offering for sale the work of adiverse group of juried artists. Visit www.mpaart.org.

SATURDAY/OCT. 10Fall Festival in Old Town Historic Fairfax. 10 a.m.-5

p.m. 10209 Main Street, Fairfax. What started out as asmall market for artisans has grown to a festival with over400 arts, crafts and food vendors, children’s activities andentertainment for all ages. Visit http://www.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/fall-festival.

SUNDAY/OCT. 11Clifton Day. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Town of Clifton, corner of Main

Street and Chapel Road. The town’s annual arts and craftsfair.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 17-18Claude Moore Colonial Farm 1771 Market Fair. 11

a.m.-4:30 p.m. 6310 Georgetown Pike, McLean. Warmyourself by the fires and enjoy the splendor of autumn withcrisp local apples, warm savory meat pies and heartybreads, or let Market Fair entertainers, tradesmen and themilitia amuse and educate you. Visit www.1771.org.

Tysons Harvest Festival. 12-5 p.m. Lerner Town Square,8025 Galleria Drive, Tysons. Stroll through the arts andcrafts booths and taste some of the fun flavors of fall. Visitwww.tysonsharvest.com.

SATURDAY/OCT. 24Clifton Haunted Trail. 7-10 p.m. Chapel Road, Clifton. A

terrifying annual event that winds through Clifton’s 8 AcrePark. Visit cliftonhauntedtrail.com.

November 2015SATURDAY/NOV. 14The Robinson Marketplace. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 5305 Sideburn

Road, Fairfax. Shop at over 80 vendors at the HolidayMarket, raffle and silent auction sponsored by the RobinsonSecondary School PTSA. Visit www.robinsonptsa.org.

SATURDAY/NOV. 21Turkey Trot 5K Race. 4 p.m. Herndon Community Center,

814 Ferndale Avenue, Herndon. The course takes youthrough Herndon Centennial Golf Course grass and pavedpaths, parts of the W&OD paved trail and vehicular pavedroad. All canned food will be donated to LINK. Visitwww.herndon-va.gov.

FRIDAY/NOV. 27Reston Holiday Parade. Reston Town Center, 11900

Market St., Reston. Reston Holiday Parade on MarketStreet, tree lighting at Fountain Square, and much morethrough the day of charity and cheer. Rain or shine.

MONDAY/NOV. 30Church Street Holiday Stroll. 6-9 p.m. Freeman House

and Store, 131 Church St. N.E., Vienna. Enjoy fun family-friendly activities including a visit from Santa, petting zoo,free hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows at supervisedbonfires. Visit www.viennava.gov.

December 2015SATURDAY/DEC. 5City of Fairfax Festival of Lights and Carols. Sherwood

Community Center, 3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax. Comeenjoy live holiday music, hot cider, s’mores by the Yule log,petting farm, ferris wheel, caroling and lighting of theChristmas tree in the winter wonderland. Visitwww.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/festival-of-lights-and-carols for times and locations.

January 2016FRIDAY/JAN. 8 - SPRINGLive Music at Paradise Springs Winery. Fridays 5-9 p.m.

and Saturdays 2-6 p.m. 13219 Yates Ford Road, Clifton.Various live artists perform every Friday and Saturday. Visitwww.paradisespringswinery.com/winery-events.html.

April 2016FRIDAY/APRIL 15-MAY 15Destination Fairfax: Annual Spotlight on the Arts

Festival. Dedicated to showcasing the very best of thevisual and performing arts in the City of Fairfax, FairfaxSpotlight on the Arts is an annual three-week festivalcomprising artists in and at local venues.

May 2016FIRST WEEKEND IN MAYFairfax Fine Arts Festival. Fairfax Corner, 11900 Palace

Way, Fairfax. A fine art festival in the heart of Fairfax. Visitwww.paragonartevents.com/fairfax2/html/artist_application.html.

FOURTH SATURDAY IN MAYSpringfield Days. A community-wide celebration that

harkens back to the good old days. Visitwww.springfielddays.com

June 2016FRIDAY-SUNDAY/JUNE 10-12Celebrate Fairfax! Fairfax County Government Center,

12000 Government Center Parkway. Northern Virginia’slargest annual three-day festival and community-widecelebration at the Fairfax County Government Center. Visitwww.celebratefairfax.com.

FOURTH SATURDAY IN JUNEClifton Wine Festival. 7150 Main St., Clifton. Virginia

vineyards and wineries come together for a day of wine,food, arts and crafts. Visit www.cliftonwine.com.

Calendar

Childrenenjoying anamusementride at lastyear’s FairfaxFall Festival.This year’sfestival will beon Oct. 10

Photo contributed

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Be the first to know –get your paper beforeit hits the press.

Complete digital rep-lica of the print edi-tion, including photosand ads, deliveredweekly to your e-mailbox.

Questions? E-mail:[email protected]


National ParksGF Great Falls National Park

9200 Old Dominion Drive, McLeanwww.nps.gov/grfaGreat Falls Park is open daily from 7 a.m. until dark. The Visitor Center

and bookstore are open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, springthrough fall seasons. Picnic, hike along the Potomac River.Swimming and wading in the Potomac are prohibited.

GW George Washington Memorial Parkway

www.nps.gov/gwmp703-289-2500The GW Parkway includes more than 25

sites, ranging from historic homes towildlife preserves. Join a ranger for a freeprogram or explore sites independently. Some parksites, including Turkey Run Park, TheodoreRoosevelt Island, Great Falls Park, etc., close atdark. The Parkway itself remains open 24 hoursa day to vehicle traffic.

WTWolf Trap National Park

for the Performing Arts1551 Trap Road, Viennawww.nps.gov/wotr/The only national park dedicated to

presenting the performing arts.From May through September,multiple amphitheaters in the parkpresent musicals, dance, opera, jazz,and popular and country music. Explorethe park without the crowds from October- April. The Barns at Wolf Trap offer indoorentertainment through the winter months.

State Park

pool. The park alsofeatures a deluxe miniaturegolf course, a nine-stationbatting cage, picnic shelters, anda special events pavilion.

CHCarlyle House Historic

Park121 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314www.nvrpa.org/park/carlyle_house_historic_park/703-549-2997The historic Carlyle House was completed in 1753

by British merchant John Carlyle for his bride,Sarah Fairfax of Belvoir, member of one of themost prestigious families in colonial Virginia.Their home quickly became a center of socialand political life in Alexandria and gained afoothold in history when British GeneralBraddock made the mansion his headquarters in1755. On the National Register of HistoricPlaces, Carlyle House is architecturally unique inAlexandria as the only stone, 18th-centuryPalladian-style house. Daily tours of the house,programs for schoolchildren, special events,exhibits and lectures explore the life and timesof John Carlyle in pre-Revolutionary Alexandria.The site may be rented in the evenings forprivate functions and weddings.

FHFountainhead Regional Park

7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Stationwww.nvrpa.org/park/fountainhead/703-250-9124The observation deck of the Marina Building at

Fountainhead commands a spectacular view ofthe widest point of the Occoquan Reservoir.Summer activities include catfish tournaments,children’s fishing tournament, paddleboat toursand more.

HOHemlock Overlook Regional Park

13220 Yates Ford Road, Cliftonwww.nvrpa.org/park/hemlock_overlook/800-877-0954; 571-281-3556;Hemlock Overlook Regional Park offers a variety of

outdoor and environmental education. Programsat Hemlock Overlook are open to the public andgroups by reservation. Only the hiking and horse

trails maybe usedwithout priorarrangement.

MBGMeadowlark

Botanical Gardens9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court,

Viennawww.nvrpa.org/park/

meadowlark_botanical_gardens/703-255-3631This 95-acre complex of large

ornamental display gardens andunique native plant collections isopen year round and includewalking trails, lakes, more than 20varieties of cherry trees, irises, peonies, anextensive shade garden, native wildflowers,gazebos, birds, butterflies, seasonal blooms andfoliage. The Atrium’s indoor tropical gardensetting is a popular meeting, reception, weddingand workshop location. Interpretive displaysaccompany a restored 18th-century cabin.

OROccoquan Regional Park

9751 Ox Road, Lortonwww.nvrpa.org/park/occoquan/703-690-2121This park offers 400 acres of recreational space and

a touch of the past with its historic brick kilnsand the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial. Parklands, trails and associated waters are part ofthe Fairfax Cross-County Trail. Kayak rentals.One hour Tour Boat Rides on the OccoquanRiver to Belmont Bay and back. OfferedSaturdays noon-5 p.m., Sunday 1- 8 p.m., April2 through Nov. 27. $10 adults, $5 children 12and under, under age 4 are free.

PBPohick Bay

Regional Park &Pirates Cove

Waterpark6501 Pohick Bay Drive,Lortonwww.nvrpa.org/park/pohick_bay/www.piratescovepohick.com703-339-6102

Pohick Bay is located on thePotomac River, 25 miles south of the

nation’s capital. The boat launch facility isone of only three public access points to thePotomac River in northern Virginia. Pohick Bayoffers canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and jonboats for rent on the weekends, as well as familyand group camping, hiking, picnic areas and alarge play area for children. The park offers oneof the largest, outdoor freeform pools on theeast coast. Pohick Bay Regional Park, located onMason Neck Pennisula is an ecologically fragileland that shelters an abundance of wildlife,including the bald eagle. Pirates Cove Waterparkis located at Pohick Bay Regional Park. Visitorscan cool off under the 300-gallon dumpingbucket, fire the water cannons and splash downthe waterslide or search for buried treasure atBuccaneer Beach sand play area. Pirates Cove

An Insider’s Guide to

Major Parks in the AreaParks

MN Mason Neck State Park

7301 High Point Rd. Lortonwww.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/

mas.shtml#703-339-2385 or 703-339-2380 (visitor center)[email protected] park’s visitor center was expanded in 2010 to

include a new exhibit room, gift shop andmeeting room. There are several exhibits in thecenter, and with a view of Belmont Bay. Visitorcenter staff can answer questions and provideinformation on park trails, facilities and localpoints of interest. Pond study, bird watching,canoe trips, nature walks and talks, and GPSadventures are just a few of the excitingprograms offered by park rangers.

Regional ParksBR

Bull Run Marina Regional Park &Atlantis Waterpark7700 Bull Run Drive, Centrevillewww.nvrpa.org/park/bull_run/www.atlantisbullrun.com/703-631-0552Main park open all year for picnicking, hiking and

family camping. Bull Run Public ShootingCenter open all year. Group Camping open dailyJan. 7 though Nov. 11. Mini and disc golf openApril through October. Hours vary. AtlantisWaterpark features pools, a giant dumpingbucket, waterslides, and fun-filled activities forall ages. Atlantis is open from Memorial Dayweekend through Labor Day, and is a member ofthe Northern Virginia Regional Park Authorityfamily of Waterparks. Neptune Reef snack barsells food, beverages and sweets.

CRCameron Run Regional Park/Great

Waves Waterpark4001 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandriawww.nvrpa.org/park/cameron_run/www.greatwaveswaterpark.com/703-960-0767Cameron Run Regional Park offers a variety of

recreation facilities in an urban area, includingGreat Waves Water Park. Catch a wave in thewave pool, twist and turn down four-story waterslides, take a plunge down speed slides, playwith friends in the shallow waters of the play

Sources: National Park Service, Northern Vir-ginia Regional Park Authority, Virginia StateParks and Fairfax County Park Authority. Mapcourtesy of Fairfax County Park Authority. De-signed & compiled by Jean Card and LaurenceFoong. Photos by Renée Ruggles.

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also features picnic pavilions, a deck for sunningand playing, as well as plenty of shade.Captain’s Galley snack bar features food,beverages and sweets. Pirates Cove is open fromMemorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

PBPohick Bay Golf Course

10301 Gunston Road, Lortonwww.nvrpa.org/park/pohick_bay_golf_course703-339-8585This scenic golf course is located on the Mason

Neck Peninsula in Lorton. Pohick Bay’s practicefacility features a driving range with practiceputting and chipping greens, and lessons fromPGA pros. A full-service pro shop features anarray of name-brand golf clubs, equipment andapparel. Other services include club making,custom club fitting, regripping, reshafting andtournament coordinating.

POPotomac Overlook Regional Park &

Nature Center2845 Marcey Road, Arlington, VA 22207www.nvrpa.org/park/potomac_overlook/703-528-5406On the Potomac Palisades in north Arlington,

Potomac Overlook offers 70 acres of peacefulwoodland, trails, educational gardens, a smallpicnic area and a Nature Center. The NatureCenter features brand new exhibits called the“Energerium,” offering visitors a fun andaccessible way to learn energy basics and waysthey can help create sustainable energysolutions. The Nature Center also houses liveanimals and natural history exhibits.

SRSandy Run Regional Park

10450 Van Thompson Road, Fairfax Stationwww.nvrpa.org/park/sandy_run/703-690-4392The park is open to the public for the purpose of

education, training, practice, and racing forcompetitive and recreational sculling androwing. Only shells and other boats authorizedby the Northern Virginia Regional ParkAuthority may be launched from the docks orshoreline of Sandy Run. Sandy Run offers afacility for team training and competition forOlympic, college, high school and club canoe,kayak and crew athletes.

UHUpton Hill Regional Park & Ocean

Dunes Waterpark6060 Wilson Blvd., Arlingtonwww.nvrpa.org/park/upton_hill/www.oceanduneswaterpark.com/703-534-3437 or [email protected] Hill Regional Park offers visitors a wooded

oasis in the heart of the most densely populatedarea of Northern Virginia. A large outdoorwater-park complex is a sparkling attraction in

this wooded, urban park, which straddles theboundary line between Arlington and Fairfaxcounties. The deluxe miniature golf courseboasts one of the longest mini golf holes in theworld; the batting cages include nine baseballand softball cages. The park is open every dayfor hiking, picnicking, playing on theplayground and enjoying the outdoors. Locatedwithin Upton Hill Regional Park, Ocean Dunesis loaded with fun features for adults andchildren.

Arts CenterLAC Workhouse Arts Center

9601 Ox Road, Lortonwww.lortonarts.org703-584-2900The Workhouse Arts Center consists of seven studio

buildings, the main galleries and the recentlyopened Youth Arts Center. Visitors areencouraged to interact with artists. In additionto visual arts, the Workhouse Arts Center ishome to performing arts, including theater, filminstitute, musical and dance performances. Theeducation department supports both the visualand performing arts, offering classes andworkshops in a variety of disciplines. Futureplans for the Workhouse include an eventcenter, amphitheater, Workhouse Theatre,restaurants, apartments, music barn andgarden/horticultural area. Other buildings onsite, yet to be renovated, may provide for otheractivities such as a visitors center, a blacksmithshop, theatre scene shops and rehearsal space.

Major FairfaxCounty ParksBLP Burke Lake Park & Golf Course

7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Stationvolleyball, driving range, 18 hole, par 3, minigolf,

trails, playground, campgrounds, fishing883.4 acres, multiple resource park

CJP Clemyjontri Park

6317 Georgetown Pike, McLeanfitness, picnic areas and playgrounds18.6 acres, special purpose park

ELP Ellanor C. Lawrence Park

5040 Walney Road, Chantillybaseballl, soccer/football (unlit), basketball (unlit),

community center, nature center, amphitheater,trails

650 acres, multiple resource park

FPF Frying Pan Farm Park

2717 West Ox Road, Herndonhistoric structure, biking/equestrian/hiking trails,

open areas, playground135.3 acres, multiple resource park

GSG Green Spring Gardens

4603 Green Spring Road, AlexandriaCommunity Center, historic structure, biking/hiking

trails, open areas, gardens30.9 acres, special purpose park

HPP Hidden Pond Park

8511 Greeley Boulevard, Springfieldtennis (lit), nature center, amphitheater, hiking/

nature trails, playground, fishing25.6 acres, community park

HMP Huntley Meadows Park

3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandrianature center, historic structure, biking/hiking/

nature trails, observation tower, boardwalk1444.8 acres, natural resource park

LAP Lake Accotink Park

7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfieldbasketball, volleyball, minigolf, trails, picnic448.1 acres, multiple resource park

LFP Lake Fairfax Park

1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Restonsoftball (lit), soccer/football (unlit), amphitheater,

carousel,campground, tour boat, picnic shelters479 acres, multiple resource park

FRA Lee District Park

6601 Telegraph Road, Franconiasoftball, soccer/football, tennis, basketball,

volleyball, trails, treehouse, sprayground,accessible playground

138 acres, district park

MDP Mason District Park

6621 Columbia Pike, Annandalesoftball (lit), soccer/football (unlit/lit), basketball

(lit), tennis (lit), shuffleboard, dog park,amphitheater, biking/hiking/fitness

121.2 acres, district park

NWP Nottoway Park

9537 Courthouse Road, Viennabaseball (lit), soccer/football (lit),basketball (lit),

tennis (lit), trails, picnic90.9 acres, district park

RBP Riverbend Park

8700 Potomac Hill Street, Great Fallsnature center, historic structure, biking/equestrian/

hiking trails, picnic areas, craftroom411.2 acres, multiple resource park

SRN Scotts Run Nature Preserve

7400 Georgetown Pike, McLeanhistoric structure, historic/hiking/nature trails,

fishing384.3 acres, natural resource park

SRD South Run District

7550 Reservation Drive, Springfieldbaseball, soccer/football, basketball, tennis,

recenter, equestrian, playground, swimming196 acres, district park

WFP Wakefield Park & RECenter

8100 Braddock Road, Annandalesoftball, soccer/football, basketball, tennis,

recenter, biking, fitness trail, skate park292.6 acres, multiple resource park

A pair of bald eagles were spotted from one of theMason Neck’s bird blinds. On Saturdays, manyprograms are offered at the park, including EagleWatch and Ranger at the Blind, offer an opportunityto get questions answered and look for eagles withan experienced pair of eyes. Park Naturalist NancyHouser points out a pair of eagles, off in the dis-tance, to Kyle R., visiting from North Dakota. Ac-cording to Houser, about 60 eagles are currentlymaking their home in the park.

The Ratcliffs, of Rockville, came out to enjoy a familybike ride. Cycling is a popular activity along the park-way.

On Sunday evenings, the community gathers in thepavilion, to enjoy a summer concert series, sponsoredby the Friends of Fort Hunt Park.

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Map NumberPark Name

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1 C a r n e yPark

Government Cen-ter Pkwy, Fairfax

Neighborhood Park

2 Willow Pond13101 Autumn Willow Drive, FairfaxCommunity Park

3 Woodglen Lake10617 Zion Drive, FairfaxCommunity Park

4 Silverbrook9351 Silverbrook Road, Fairfax Sta-

tionCommunity Park

5 Newington Heights8590 Heller Road, LortonDistrict Park

6 Laurel Hill8515 Silverbrook Rd., LortonCountywide Park

7 Old Colchester Preserve10646 Old Colchester Road, LortonCultural Resource Park

8 Lorton West9800 Ox Road, Lorton

9 Lower Potomac9515 Richmond Highway, Lorton

10 Waples Mill Meadow11329 Waples Mill Road, OaktonMultiple Resource Park

11 Lake Braddock9200 Burke Lake Road, BurkeCommunity Park

12 Silas Burke5815 Parakeet Drive, BurkeCommunity Park

13 Burke Station6031 Kerrwood Street, BurkeCommunity Park

14 Burke Ridge9719 Burke Lake Road, BurkeNeighborhood Park

15 Rolling Valley West6512 Sydenstricker Road, BurkeCommunity Park

16 Fair Oaks3901 Fair Ridge Drive, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

17 Brentwood11903 Appling Valley Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

18 Random Hills11550 Random Hills Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

19 Dixie Hill4540 Dixie Hill Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

20 Villa D’este3120 Northwood Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

ParksA Guide to Fairfax County Parks in the Burke,

Fairfax & Fairfax Station/Lorton/Clifton areas

Photos by

Renée Ruggles

Featuring Burke Lake

Park, Braddock Park &

Burke Station Park

Braddock Park is located inClifton. In addition tobaseball facilities, there isa picnic shelter that can bereserved.

The Lord of Life Softball Team, from Fairfax and Clifton,came to Braddock Park for practice.

Juliana S., ofFairfax, camewith her familyto practice atthe battingcages.


21 Mosby Woods9813 Five Oaks Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

22 East Blake Lane9540 Bel Glade Street, FairfaxCommunity Park

23 Villa Lee2901 Hunter Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

24 Hideaway2900 Glenvale Drive, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

25 Towers9350 Arlington Boulevard, FairfaxCommunity Park

26 Armistead8900 Arlington Boulevard, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

27 Eakin (Mantua Section)8928 Glenbrook Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

28 Smokewood4120 Whitacre Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

29 Ashford East4300 Guinea Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

30 George Mason9700 Braddock Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

31 Rutherford4710 Guinea Road, FairfaxCommunity Park

32 University10200 Braddock Road, FairfaxCommunity Park

33 Olde Forge4604 Twinbrook Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

34 Surrey Square4819 Twinbrook Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

35 Country Club View10609 Henrico Street, FairfaxCommunity Park

36 Crooked Creek9910 Commonwealth Blvd., FairfaxCommunity Park

37 Royal Lake5344 Gainsborough Drive, FairfaxCommunity Park

38 Rolling Woods Estates5208a Marvell Lane, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

39 Twinbrook Road5124 Twinbrook Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

40 Middleridge5425a Governor Yeardley Drive,

FairfaxNeighborhood Park

41 Greenfield5349 Guinea Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

42 Monticello5315 Guinea Road, FairfaxCommunity Park

43 Kings Park West5216 Pommeroy Drive, FairfaxCommunity Park

44 Lakeside5216 Pommeroy Drive, FairfaxCommunity Park

45 Herzell Woods5328 Guinea Road, FairfaxNeighborhood Park

46 Fairfax Hills4304 Holly Lane, AnnandaleNeighborhood Park

47 Fair Ridge12300 Meadow Field Drive, Fairfax

Neighborhood Park48 Ox Hill Battlefield

4134 West Ox Road, FairfaxCultural Resource Park

49 Poburn Woods6325 Wendy Ann Court, Fairfax Sta-

tionCommunity Park

50 Brimstone6600 Ox Road, Fairfax StationNeighborhood Park

51 Burke Lake & Golf Course7315 Ox Road, Fairfax StationMultiple Resource Park

52 Lake Mercer9500 Silverbrook Road, Fairfax Sta-

tionMultiple Resource Park

53 Levell W Dupell6812 Newington Road, LortonCommunity Park

54 Mount Air Historic Site8600 Accotink Road, LortonCultural Resource Park

55 Southgate7438 Pohick Road, LortonNeighborhood Park

56 Pohick Estates7450 Pollen Street, LortonCommunity Park

57 Newington Commons8915 Hooes Road, LortonNeighborhood Park

58 Mason Neck West10418 Old Colchester Road, LortonCommunity Park

59 Tattersall3405 Miller Heights Road, OaktonCommunity Park

60 Oak Marr3200 Jermantown Road, OaktonMultiple Resource Park

61 Borge Street3030 Borge Street, OaktonNeighborhood Park

62 Blake Lane School Site10033 Blake Lane, OaktonCommunity Park

63 Briarwood2830 Zimpel Dr., FairfaxCommunity Park

64 Patriot12111 Braddock Road, FairfaxDistrict Park

65 Mountain Road District15620 Braddock Road, Fairfax

David Meyer and his son Jonathan, of Spring-field, relaxed at their campsite. The pair camefor a boys’ only campout at Burke Lake. Thepark offers a large campground with 100 sites,a camp store, playground, and bathhouse.

Asrat Akmu, of Springfield, helps his daughterJoy try her hand at fishing on the pier. BurkeLake has ample room for fishermen and can beaccessed by those with disabilities. Accordingto its website, largemouth bass are in goodsupply at the lake.

The lake covers 218 acres and offers boatrentals. Private craft with electric motors arealso welcome.

Shan Wang, fromBurke, cheers, asshe watches hershot go in. Alongwith Eric Audia,also of Burke, shecame to shoothoops in the BurkeStation Park bas-ketball court.

The park offers a large piece of playground equipment, withmultiple choices for active children.

Burke StationPark is ashady littlespot tuckedaway in theBurke StationSquare neigh-borhood.


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Parks Parks in the City of Fairfax

15 Pat Rodio Park3800 Keith Ave.Size: 4 acres. Features: football field,

Little League baseball fields andplayground equipment.

16 Providence Elementary School3616 Jermantown RoadFeatures: basketball court, playground

equipment, softball fields and LittleLeague baseball fields.

17 Providence Park10715 West DriveSize: 20 acres. Features: biking/hiking

trails, picnic pavillion, playgroundequipment and tennis courts.

18 Ranger Road Park9701 Ranger RoadSize: 10 acres. Features: basketball

court, picnic area and playground

19 Ratcliffe Park10300 Sager Ave.Size: 6 acres. Features: picnicpavillion, basketball court, LittleLeague baseball field, small mul-tipurpose field and playgroundequipment.

20 Rebel Run Property9985 Fairfax Blvd.Features: undeveloped openspace.

21 Sager Trail10318 Sager Ave.Features: undeveloped open spaceand a fully accessible wooded

walking path between Sager Avenueand Route 236/Main Street east.

22 Shiloh Street Park10400 Shiloh St.Features: playground equipment and a

hiking trail.

23 Sidney Lanier Middle School3801 Jermantown RoadFeatures: indoor and outdoor basketball

courts, soccer fields, outdoor run-ning track and indoor activity rooms.

24 Stafford East Park3255 Stafford DriveFeatures: undeveloped open space.

25 Stafford Drive Park3300 Stafford DriveSize: 24 acres. Features: barrier-free

playground, fully accessible walkingtrail, and a multi-purpose syntheticturf field.

Photos by Renée Ruggles

Design by Jean Card

Information from

www.fairfaxva.gov

1 Ashby Pond Conservatory Site9817 Ashby RoadSize: 4 acres. Features: natural pond,

picnic tables and a walking trail.

2 Cobbdale Park3600 Burrows Ave.Size: 0.5 acres. Features: playground

equipment and picnic tables.

3 Country Club Hills Commons10050 Spring Lake TerraceFeatures: picnic pavillion, walking trail

and benches.

4 Dale Lestina Park3157 Plantation ParkwaySize: 7 acres. Features: playground

equipment and walking trail.

5 Daniels Run Elementary School3705 Old Lee HighwayFeatures: playground equipment, soccer

field and two softball fields.

6 Daniels Run ParkEmbassy Lane, Estel Road, Heritage

Lane and Tedrich BoulevardSize: 48 acres. Features: biking/hiking/

running trail, picnic pavillion,children’s play area and woodedparkland.

7 Draper Drive Park9797 Beech DriveSize: 16 acres. Features: biking/hiking/

running trail and two multi-purposeturf fields.

8 Fairchester Woods Park10836 Warkwick Ave.Size: 1 acre. Features: basketball court,

playground equipment and benches.

9 Fairfax HighSchool

3501 Rebel RunFeatures: baseball

and softballfields; basket-b a l l ,r a c q u e t b a l land tenniscourts; andoutdoor track.

10 Gateway Re-gional Park

3333 Old PickettRoad

Features: biketrail, pavillionand benches.

11 Green Acres Center4401 Sideburn RoadSize: 10 acres. Features: basketball

court, Little League baseball field,playground equipment, soccer fieldsand indoor activity rooms.

12 Jester Property10735 West DriveFeatures: undeveloped open space.

13 Kitty Pozer Garden10386 Main St.Features: benches.

14 Kutner Park3901 Jermantown RoadSize: 10.5 acres. Features: hiking trail,

picnic pavillion, playground equip-ment, soccer field, tennis court andvolleyball court.

26 Ted Grefe Park9980 Mosby RoadFeatures: undeveloped open space and

a walking trail.

27 Thaiss Memorial Park3401 Pickett RoadSize: 10 acres. Features: Little League

baseball fields, picnic pavillion andplayground equipment.

28 Van Dyck Park3720 Old Lee Highway.Size: 20 acres. Features: lighted basket-

ball court, exercise trail,multi-purpose play areas, picnicpavillion, playground equipment,four lighted tennis courts and threesand volleyball courts.

29 Westmore Elementary School11000 Berry St.Features: basketball court, Little League

baseball field, softball field, play-ground equipment and a soccer/football practice field.

30 Westmore Park4030 Fern St.Size: 1 acre. Features: basketball court,

picnic pavillion and playgroundequipment.

31 Willcoxon Park9725 Fairfax Blvd.Size: 3 acres. Features: hiking trail and

benches.

Van Dyck Park is one of the gems of theCity of Fairfax Parks Department. The 20-acre park features exercise trails, lightedtennis courts, beach volleyball courts,picnic areas with grills, and more.

The Berkenvilt family, of Annandale, were cel-ebrating the twins’ birthday with a treat from avisiting shave ice and ice cream truck. Theycome to the park often for the big-city offeringsthat retain a smal-town feel.

Ian Rivera practices his scooter skills, withguidance from his dad.

At the center of VanDyck Park is a largearea filled with play-ground equipment.A tot lot, with equip-ment for little ones,is located in anotherpart of the park.


Paul VI SportsHighlights: Girls’ basketball team has won seven

consecutive state titles.

School: Paul VI Catholic High School.Mascot: Panthers.School Colors: Black and gold.Athletic Director: Billy Emerson, 703-352-0925

ext. 318.Football Coach: Joe Sebastian.The Panthers lost their final four games in 2014 and

finished 2-8.

Volleyball Coach: Sam Farrar.Boys’ Basketball Coach: Glenn Farello.Girls’ Basketball Coach: Scott Allen.Baseball Coach: Jeff Nolan.Rival School: Bishop O’Connell.

What happened last year: The girls’ basket-ball team won the WCAC championship and itsninth straight VISAA state title.

Photo by Patrick Gaffney

Then-junior Robert Riddick pitchesfor the Paul VI baseball team in thespring of 2015.

WoodsonHighlights: Boys’ basketball team made third

straight appearance at states.

School: W.T. Woodson High School.Mascot: Cavaliers.School Colors: Navy blue and white.Athletic Director: Dan Checkosky, 703-503-

4681.Football Coach: Mike Dougherty (second year).The Cavaliers lost their final five games in 2014 and

finished with a 2-8 record.

Volleyball Coach: Len Palaschak.Field Hockey Coach: Meg Jarrell.Boys’ Basketball Coach: Doug Craig.Girls’ Basketball Coach: Aseem RastogiBaseball Coach: Brett McColley.Boys’ Soccer Coach: Andrew Peck.Girls’ Soccer Coach: Warren Williams.Boys’ Lacrosse Coach: Ryan Hilliard.Girls’ Lacrosse Coach: Patrick Mahler.

What happened last year: The boys’ basket-ball team finished runner-up in the 6A North regionand qualified for the state tournament. The girls’soccer team won the Conference 7 championshipand reached the region semifinals. The boys’ soc-cer team finished conference runner-up andreached the region semifinals. The girls’ lacrosseteam won the conference championship andreached the region quarterfinals. The boys’ lacrosseteam was conference runner-up and reached theregion quarterfinals. The field hockey team upsetT.C. Williams in the opening round of the confer-ence tournament and reached the regionquarterfinals. Tennis players Jason Kros and RyanKros won the state boys’ doubles championship.Jason Kros finished state runner-up in boys’ singles.Alexis Merrill was state runner-up in girls’ singles.

Notable: The Woodson boys’ basketball pro-gram has qualified for the state tournament each

of the last three seasons. In 2013, the Cavaliersovercame a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit to beatWakefield in overtime in the AAA Northern Regionfinal. Woodson beat Battlefield in the statequarterfinals before losing to Henrico in the semi-finals. In 2014, the Cavaliers defeated LakeBraddock in the 6A North region final despite hav-ing lost to the Bruins three times earlier in theseason. Woodson would lose to Landstown in thestate semifinals. In 2015, the Cavaliers lost to even-tual state runner-up Westfield in the region final.Woodson then lost to Colonial Forge in the state

semifinals.

Quotable: “Our community, everybody knows,has been through some difficult things the last fewyears and I think boys’ basketball is one of thethings that’s kind of uplifted not only the schooland the kids, [but] the whole community. Our stu-dent support, our fan support I think is second tonone. I don’t know if anyone else down here willbring 10 busloads of kids.” — Woodson boys’ bas-ketball coach Doug Craig after the Cavaliers lost inthe 2015 state semifinals.


Then-senior Eric Bowls scored 20 points in his final game as a memberof the Woodson boys’ basketball team.

Fairfax HighHighlights: Field hockey team won the 6A North

region title.School: Fairfax High SchoolMascot: Rebels.School Colors: Blue and gold.Athletic Director: Nancy Melnick, 703-219-2201.Football Coach: Kevin Simonds (sixth year).The Rebels won two of their last three regular-

season games in 2014, but finished with a 5-5record and missed the playoffs.

Field Hockey Coach: Amber Beaudoin.Volleyball Coach: Tyler Freiheit.Boys’ Basketball Coach: Mike Barbee.Girls’ Basketball Coach: Pat Deegan.Baseball Coach: Rick Freeman.Softball Coach: Matt Hoffert.

What happened last year: The field hockeyteam finished 20-4, won Conference 6 and 6ANorth region championships and reached the stateplayoffs. Then-senior gymnast Rachel Barborekwon the all-around state championship. Then-se-nior Alex McGuire won the 1600-meter statechampionship during outdoor track and won the

conference cross country title. The boys’ basketballteam went 20-8, finished conference runner-up andreached the region semifinals. The girls’ basketballteam went 17-8, upset Stonewall Jackson in theopening round of the regional tournament andreached the quarterfinals. The baseball team fin-ished conference runner-up.

Notable: The field hockey program has won sixconsecutive Conference 6/Liberty District champi-onships. The Rebels are 108-27-1 over the last sixseasons, during which Fairfax advanced to at leastthe region semifinals five times. Fairfax lost toeventual state champion Westfield in the 2013 re-gion final. In 2014, the Rebels defeated Chantillyin the region championship game, earning Fairfaxits first region title since 1993.

Quotable: “This team plays off my energy. I tryto be very careful with how I react. … I was dyinga little bit inside when they scored.” — Fairfax fieldhockey coach Amber Beaudoin describing her emo-tions when Chantilly tied the score at one late inthe 2014 6A North region championship game.Fairfax would win its first region title since 1993with a 2-1 victory in overtime.

RobinsonHighlights: Boys’, girls’ lacrosse teams won state

championships.

School: James W. Robinson Secondary SchoolMascot: Rams.School Colors: Blue and gold.Athletic Director: Jeff Ferrell, 703-426-2125.Football Coach: Scott Vossler (second year).The Rams finished the 2014 regular season with a

6-4 record and qualified for the playoffs beforelosing to South County in the opening round.

Volleyball Coach: Meghan Johnson.Boys’ Basketball Coach: Brian Nelson.Girls’ Basketball Coach: T.J. Dade.Wrestling Coach: Bryan Hazard.Baseball Coach: John James.Boys’ Soccer Coach: Robert Garza.Boys’ Lacrosse Coach: Matt Curran.Girls’ Lacrosse Coach: Liz Case.Rival School: Lake Braddock.

What happened last year: The boys’ andgirls’ lacrosse teams won 6A state championships.Wrestlers Austin Riggs (145 pounds) and Cole


Members of the 2015 Robinson boys’ lacrosse team celebrate winningthe state championship.

Getting to Know Area High School Sports

Photo by Jon Roetman/The Connection

The Fairfax field hockey program won its sixth consecutive conference/district championship in 2015.

Sports

DePasquale (182) won state titles. The gymnasticsteam repeated as Conference 5 champion. The soft-ball team went 18-6, won the conference title andreached the region semifinals. The field hockeyteam finished 16-5 and qualified for regionals.

Notable: The Robinson boys’ and girls’ lacrosseteams each won state titles in 2015, marking thefirst time boys’ and girls’ teams from the sameschool won states in the same year since lacrossebecame a VHSL sport in 2006. The boys’ programhas won four state championships, twice goingback-to-back (2006-07, 2014-15). The girls’ pro-gram finished state runner-up in 2006 and 2009.

Quotable: “I do like how we had a little more[adversity] this year, losing to them twice. We feltlike the underdog coming in and I think that helpedus out a little bit.”

— Then-senior Chapman Jasien after the 2015Robinson boys’ lacrosse team repeated as statechampion with a 10-9 double-overtime win againstChantilly in the 6A state final. Robinson lost toChantilly in the Conference 5 and 6A North regionchampionship games earlier in the season.


Dear Neighbors,

703-978-5660

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Dr.Erika Anderson, who joined our practice as an associate earlierthis year. Dr. Anderson is a double graduate of CreightonUniversity, earning her B.S. in Biology from the College of Artsand Sciences and her D.D.S. from the Creighton School ofDentistry. Although originally from North Dakota, Dr.Anderson fell in love with Northern Virginia after multipleeducational experiences here during her college years, and shehas practiced in the area for the past five years. Dr. Anderson is a member of the Academy of GeneralDentistry, the American Dental Association, the Virginia DentalAssociation, and the Northern Virginia Dental Society.Dedicated to staying up-to-date on the latest dental innova-tions, Dr. Anderson has completed over 200 hours of continuing

education, including programs at the Dawson Academy and theKois Center. At our practice she will be a participating dentist forboth Delta Dental and United Concordia. Most importantly, Dr. Anderson embraces our core dedicationto providing top-quality, innovative general and cosmetic dentalservices with a caring and personal touch. Whether you need asimple restoration, preventative care or the latest cosmetic proce-dure, our patient-friendly team will help you love your smile! So please join us in welcoming Dr. Anderson to our practice.We are thrilled to have her and are confident that she has abright future. And as always, thank you for the many referrals ofyour family and friends, and for your continued support.

With warm regards,Drs. James L. Gyuricza and Melanie W. Hartman

Dr. James L. Gyuricza Dr. Melanie Wilson Hartman

Burke Professional Center, 5212-B Lyngate Ct., Burke, VA 22015 • www.northernvirginiasmiles.com

Selected as one of the “Best Dentists in the Metropolitan Area” byWashingtonian Magazine & “Top Dentist” by Northern Virginia Magazine

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