first grade valentines from the heartconnectionarchives.com/pdf/2019/021319/herndon.pdf · wildlife...

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online at www.connectionnewspapers.com February 13-19, 2019

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Historical Firsts For Town of HerndonNews, Page 3

Helping RescueArea Wildlife News, Page 5

First Grade ValentinesFrom the Heart

News, Page 2

Ziyad Drissi, 7, and Julie Tsai, 6, of Herndon, put their letter and art skills to work creating valen-tines for their classmates and teachers. The stu-

dents attend Floris Elementary School in Herndon.

2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ February 13-19, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

CONNIE HAINES HUTCHINSONINDEPENDENT for STATE DELEGATE – 86th District

Hi Folks! I think we need less partisan politics and more INDEPENDENT thinking in State Government. If youagree, please VOTE for me in theSpecial Election on FEBRUARY 19thfor State Delegate!

Thank you, -- Connie

www.ConnieHutchinson.comPaid for & Authorized by Connie Haines Hutchinson

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

The art of personalizedletter writing and thejoy of creating one ofa kind Valentines are

not lost art forms for first grad-ers at Floris Elementary Schoolin Herndon. The week beforeValentine’s Day, children in Ms.Laura LaFlame’s class put theirskills to the test. “In our currentwriting unit, our students arelearning how to write friendlyletters. They are demonstratingan understanding of this skill bywriting valentines to their class-mates. Once they finish writingthem, they will put them intocards and decorate the outside,”said LaFlame.

First GradeValentinesFrom the HeartLetter writing in ameaningful way.

Ms. Laura LaFlame’s First—grade class atFloris Elementary School makes valentinesreinforcing their friendly letter writingskills in a meaningful way.

Kenil Gupta, 6 and ZiyadDrissi, 7 set to work to com-plete their valentines. Thestudents attend Floris El-ementary School in Herndon.

Students spread out over theclassroom. In one corner threechildren sat on the floor together.Stickers, glue and red constructionlay strewn across the floor. “I’mmaking cards for each of myfriends and teachers,” said JulieTsai, 6. “I’m making my cards too,”said Kenil Gupta, 6. Ziyad Drissihad the process down pat. He hadcomposed a different letter to eachof his classmates sharing withthem what he liked about eachone. Ziyad explained how to makevalentines. “You glue the letters onthe red paper and fold them. Thenyou decorate them and give themyour friends,” he said.

“It is a fun project and a greatway for students to apply whatthey learned in a real and mean-ingful way,” said LaFlame.

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News

Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ February 13-19, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsHerndon Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Mayor Lisa C. Merkel andmembers of the 2019-2020Herndon Town Councilwere formally sworn into

office at a special ceremony held in Janu-ary at the Herndon Municipal Center. Theceremony marked historical firsts for thetown, Fairfax County and the Common-wealth of Virginia: Councilmember Cesardel Aguila is the first Latino American inelected office in the town, and PradipDhakal is the first Nepalese American inelected office in the town, county and state,and one of only four elected NepaleseAmericans in elected office in the country,according to Merkel.

TOWN MANAGER Bill Ashton welcomedmembers of the community, visitors anddignitaries among them Fairfax County Su-pervisor John Foust (D), Fairfax CountySheriff, Stacey A. Kincaid and Mayor DavidL. Meyer, City of Fairfax. Reverend StephenSmith-Cobbs Pastor, Trinity PresbyterianChurch provided the Invocation. He askedthat as the Town Council begins its newservice for 2019-2020 that God grant themwisdom and understanding.

Viki L. Wellershaus, Town Clerk, admin-istered the Oath of Office to Merkel whowill serve her fourth consecutive two-yearterm as Mayor of Herndon, the third larg-est town in the Commonwealth of Virginia.After taking her oath, Merkel addressed thelarge crowd seated in the lobby of the

Herndon Municipal Center and standing onthe second-story balcony looking down. Shesaid, “I thank you for once again placingyour trust in me, and it is my honor andprivilege to serve as your mayor. É When Iwas first elected in 2012, I got some greatadvice from a former mayor about how toget things done. Simply have a vision andstick with it. And that’s what the council

and I have tried to do. Goals have beenpretty straightforward: Downtown, Metro,Strong and Inclusive Community. Down-town remains my number one priority. Pub-lic-private partnerships are complex, andthe progress is slow but steady. Comstockplan is in site-plan review and hopes to bebefore HPRB by spring. ... Metro is coming,

and Herndon is ready. On opening day you’llbe able to drive, walk, bus or bike toHerndon station. And opening day is slatedto happen next year. Most importantly,Herndon is a hometown for everyone. Aplace where all are welcome, no matterwhere you come from, how you worship,or who you love.”

Following her remarks, Merkel introducedeach member of the Council individually.She read their biography and invited eachforward with family and friends to take theoath of office administered by Wellershaus.In addition to Merkel, del Aguila andDhakal, the other members of the 2019-2020 Herndon Town Council sworn-in atthe ceremony were Jennifer K. Baker, SigneV. Friedrichs, William J. “Bill” McKenna andSheila Anne Milstead.

EARLIER IN THE WEEK, Merkel andmembers of the Herndon Town Councilapproved a resolution naming Sheila A.Olem as vice mayor for the 2019-2020 term.

“It is a very exciting time to be inHerndon, and the council is ready to get towork,” said Merkel. “Herndon will be wellserved by this dynamic, diverse, visionarygroup of people and I am honored to sharethe dais with each of them.”

Roland Taylor who sought a TownCouncilmember seat in the recent electionand lost, attended the ceremony. Afterward,he said, “I am so optimistic with our newdiverse council and look forward to help-ing where needed. We should see a moretransparent and welcoming council, re-specting all views.”

Town of Herndon Holds Swearing-In Ceremony for Council: First Latino American andNepalese American Town Councilmembers take the oath office.

Historical Firsts for Town of Herndon

With loved ones looking on, Cesar del Aguila makes history as the firstLatino American elected to office in the Town of Herndon and signs hisoath of office certificate during the Herndon Town Council 2019-2020Swearing-In Ceremony held Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019.

Sheila A. Olem gathers with family and friends and accepts congratula-tions from Fairfax County Sheriff, Stacey A. Kincaid during the HerndonTown Council 2019-2020 Swearing-In Ceremony. The Mayor and HerndonTown Council named Olem vice mayor by resolution earlier in the week.

Pradip Dhakal is first NepaleseAmerican elected to office in theTown of Herndon, Fairfax Countyand Virginia. With family besidehim, Dhakal makes history as hetakes the oath of office for HerndonTown Councilmember during the2019-2020 Swearing-In Ceremony.

A large crowd sits in the lobby ofthe Herndon Municipal Center andstands on the second-floor balconyfor the Herndon Town Council2019-2020 Swearing-In Ceremony.

Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection


News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Wildlife Rescue League (WRL)of Northern Virginia locatedin Arlington offers a network of helpline volunteers,

transporters and wildlife rehabilitators tosupport local wildlife rescue efforts. The or-ganization is dedicated to providing carefor sick, injured and orphaned wildlife withthe intent of releasing them back into theirnative habitat.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, nearly 40 WRL mem-bers and supporters celebrated the launchof the organization’s new Vegetarian/Veganpolicy at GreenFare, an organic whole plantcafe in Herndon. All proceeds from theevent supported the work of WRL.

Carolyn Wilder, President of the organi-zation, said that over the last two years theWildlife Rescue League’s board has contem-plated adopting a vegetarian/vegan policyfor its events. Adopting an animal-friendly

menu policy is not uncommon for groupsthat support animals. “Feb. 2, Ground Hog’sDay is the culmination of the efforts,” said

Photo by Rebecca Choi

John Edwards of Wildlife RescueLeague releases a large snappingturtle back to its pond.

Photo by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

Teresa Browder of Manassas and Toni Genberg of Falls Church volunteerfor the Wildlife Rescue League. “It works for me,” said Bowder. “I getsupplies, transporters who bring the animals to my home and otherrehabilitators offer assistance for vacation days.”

Rescue Leaguelaunches vegetarian/vegan policy for events;seeks volunteers.

Helping Rescue Area Wildlife

Wilder.In addition to celebrating their new policy

and holding a fundraiser, the organization

also wanted to put a shout out for volun-teers. Volunteers are needed in theHerndon/Reston areas to assist with an-swering helpline calls, transporting wildlifeand educating the public about the naturalhistory of native wildlife and how to existwith wildlife. Volunteers for the helplinemust be at least 15 years of age (with pa-rental approval), and transporters must beat least 18 years old with a valid license.For more information, call 703-440-0800,ext. 6 and leave a message or visitwww.wildliferescueleague.org.

www.lostdogandcatrescue.org

lost (adj): 1. unable to find the way.2. not appreciated or understood.

3. no longer owned or known

Helping Animals FindTheir Way Since 2001

Adopt/Donate/Volunteer

Volunteers needed for adoption events, fostering pets,transportation, data entry, adoption center caretaking and more.


HomeLifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

A breeze of warm air to heat thewinter chill is how some design-ers are describing one of thetrendiest colors on tap for this

year. “Living Coral” was selected as the 2019Color of the Year by the Pantone Color In-stitute, the self-described global authorityof color. It’s a shade that is expected to havea prominent presence in interior design,home accessories and fashion this year.

“It works well with most of the founda-tion colors everyone has in their homes in-cluding white, taupe, gray, and brown,” saiddesigner Amanda Mertins of Patina PolishedLiving in Alexandria. “If you choose to paint,it can help to brighten a space lacking natu-ral light.”

Described as a nurturing color that canbe found in nature, Living Coral is a shadeof orange with a golden undertone. “It canbe used as a wonderful accent color,” saidMertins. “Introduce it with artwork, tosspillows, rugs and throws.”

Life-affirming and reminiscent of coralreefs, Living Coral is credited with the abil-ity to breathe life into any space in one’shome. “[It’s] is vibrant, energizing shade… that can be incorporated as a light ac-cent or bold statement in both a kitchen orbath,” said designer Natalia Fabisiak ofNicely Done Kitchens and Baths in Spring-field. “As the timeless trend of white kitch-ens continues, Living Coral offers the per-fect pop of color an all-white kitchen mayneed.”

“Coffee mugs, dish towels, trays and triv-ets are an easy and inexpensive way to in-troduce the trending color of the year intoyour kitchen,” added Fabisiak.

Home accent pieces are the way that de-

signer Julie Ackerman of Home Polish inBethesda recommends using the Pantonepick. “Dishware, serveware or decorativeaccent pieces and porcelain figurines, likethose by Herend are a great way to incor-porate Living Coral into your home,” shesaid.

For a more long-term commitment,Fabisiak says, “In a bathroom, Living Coralcan be used as a wall color that can be eas-ily paired with neutral tile and fixtures. Ifpainting the walls is too drastic, bath ac-cents like coral towels or a rug can brightenup the space beautifully as well.

In announcing the selection, LeatriceEiseman, executive director of the PantoneColor Institute, said, “Color is an equaliz-

Photo courtesy of Patina Polished Living

Living Coral can be introduced intoone’s home through art, saysdesigner Amanda Mertins.

ing lens through which we experience ournatural and digital realities and this is par-ticularly true for Living Coral. With consum-ers craving human interaction and socialconnection, the humanizing and hearten-ing qualities displayed by the convivialPantone Living Coral hit a responsivechord.”

Each year, the Pantone Color Institutemakes a prediction about the color that willbe on trend for the upcoming year. The se-lection process, which takes about ninemonths, has color gurus at Pantone span-ning the globe, taking note of the trends inindustries that run the gamut from rangingfrom film and entertainment to art and in-terior design.

“... can help tobrighten a spacelacking natural light.”

‘Living Coral’ Named 2019 Color of the YearWhen used on awall in akitchen orbathroom,Living Coral canmake a boldstatement, saysdesigner NataliaFabisiak ofNicely DoneKitchens andBaths.

Photo courtesy of Nicely Done Kitchens and Baths


Entertainment

Weekend Food for KidsAssistance League of Northern Virginia, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization,

invites community members to help pack food for its Weekend Food for Kids pro-gram. This critical program provides nonperishable food over the weekend tochildren who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year at Title Ischools in Fairfax and Prince William Counties and the City of Alexandria. Mayarrive at 9:30 to help with setup. Thursday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-noon at DominionEnergy, 3072 Centreville Road, Herndon. Free. Email [email protected] orvisit www.alnv.org for more.

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

THURSDAY/FEB. 14Make Art Inspired by History. 10

a.m. or 5:30 p.m. at Ellanor C.Lawrence Park, 5040 Walney Road,Chantilly. This Valentine’s Day,gather friends and family together atthe park to create art inspired byhistory. The artwork created willreflect the season or month, and theprojects are designed for artists age6-adult. $8 per person. Call 703-631-0013 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence.

Girl Power! Book Club. 6:30 and 7p.m. at Scrawl Books, 11911Freedom Drive, Reston. Februaryfeaturs two picks for the Girl Power!Book Club. “Into White,” a booktackling some tough issues will bediscussed from 6:30-7. Parents areencouraged to attend. At 7, reviewthe 2019 Newbery Medal winner,“Merci Suarez Changes Gears” byMeg Medina. All middle gradereaders are welcome. Call 703-966-2111 or visit scrawlbooks.com.

FRIDAY/FEB. 15The Storytime Social Hour. 11 a.m.

at Scrawl Books, 11911 FreedomDrive, Reston. Every Friday, moms,dads, caregivers and kids are invitedto join a Storytime Social Hour.Scrawl will provide coffee and treatsfor the adults; stories and fun for thelittle people. Call 703-966-2111 orvisit scrawlbooks.com.

Fishing Workshop – Tackle. 6-7p.m. at Lake Fairfax Park, 1400 LakeFairfax Drive, Reston. Hone fishingskills with this hands-on workshopthat covers topics such as rods, reelsand other tackle. Ages 10-adult. $8per person. Call 703-471-5414 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-fairfax.

Calamity Improv. 7:30-9:30 p.m. atArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,Herndon. Direct from FauquierCounty, Dark Horse TheatreCompany presents “CalamityImprov,” the wild west of improvshows. $15. Call 703-956-6590 orvisit www.ArtSpaceHerndon.org.

SATURDAY/FEB. 16The Bookworms Club. 11 a.m. at

Scrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive,Reston. Young readers are invited tojoin Scrawl’s all-new and completelyfree Bookworms Club. Explore a newtheme each week with picture books,special guests and most often,authors. Join or participate any time.Call 703-966-2111 or visitscrawlbooks.com.

Saturday Series: Nature Explorer.Noon-1:30 p.m. at Lake Fairfax Park,1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston. Inthe “Exploring Nature Series-Winter”program, students age 6-adult willexplore Virginia’s ecosystem. Sessionsare spread over four Saturdays inFebruary with a new topic to exploreeach week: Feb. 16 – Birds and Feb.23 – Trees. Each session is $8 perperson. The program takes place bothoutdoors and indoors, so dressaccordingly. Call 703-471-5414 orvisit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-fairfax.

Haint So: A Staged Reading. 7 p.m.at ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center St.,Herndon. Come sit on the wide frontporch with members of the Wellsfamily in Southwest Virginia, as theirSunday afternoon conversation turnsto tales of the supernatural. Haint Soexplores the rich tradition of folklore,superstition and the mystical spiritsof the dark mountains in Virginia.Haint So is the third production fromShoestring Theatre Company, basedin Oakton. $20. Call 703-956-6590 orvisit www.artspaceherndon.org.

SUNDAY/FEB. 17Fishing Workshop-Reading Water.

4-5 p.m. at Lake Fairfax Park, 1400Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston. Learnhow to identify bodies of water anddevelop techniques to increase thechances of catching fish. Ages 10-adult. $8 per person. Call 703-471-5414 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-fairfax.

Celebrate Galentine’s Day. 6:30p.m. at Scrawl Books, 11911Freedom Drive, Reston. Scrawl Booksis hosting a post-Valentine’s Dayparty for the ladies with twowonderful women’s authors, OrlyKonig and Erika Marks, plus food,drinks, raffles and more – all tosupport a local charity. Bring agirlfriend and join in for the partyafter the store closes. Call 703-966-2111 or visit scrawlbooks.com.

MONDAY/FEB. 18Children’s Performing Arts Series:

Bunny Business. 10:30-11:15 a.m.at Herndon Community Center, 814Ferndale Ave., Herndon. BunnyBusiness by Bob Brown Puppets.Watch silly bunnies dance and swingon the trapeze with their forestfriends. Ages 1-10. $4 in advance, $5at the door per person, per show.Children under the age of one arefree. Call 703-787-7300 or visitherndon-va.gov.

Reston Photographic Society. 7:30-9:30 p.m. in Room 6 at the RestonCommunity Center Hunters Woods,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. TheReston Photographic Society invitesphotography enthusiasts of all skilllevels to attend meetings.Nonmembers are welcome. Visitwww.leagueofrestonartists.org.

TUESDAY/FEB. 19Live Music: Spencer and Rains.

7:15 p.m (doors at 6 p.m.) atAmphora’s Diner Deluxe, 1151 EldenSt, Herndon. Tricia Spencer is aKansas fiddler who grew up learningthe tradition of old time music fromher grandparents. Howard Rains is anative Texas artist and a fourthgeneration fiddler from a musicaland artistic family. $10 members,$11 non-members; at the door orcontact Dave at [email protected] 703-435-2402 or visitwww.restonherndonfolkclub.com.

THURSDAY/FEB. 21Weekend Food for Kids. 10 a.m.-

noon at Dominion Energy, 3072Centreville Road, Herndon.Assistance League of NorthernVirginia, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit

organization, invites communitymembers to help pack food for itsWeekend Food for Kids program,providing nonperishable food overthe weekend to children who receivefree or reduced-price meals duringthe school year. May arrive at 9:30 tohelp with setup. Free. [email protected] or visitwww.alnv.org.

FRIDAY/FEB. 22The Storytime Social Hour. 11 a.m.

at Scrawl Books, 11911 FreedomDrive, Reston. Every Friday, moms,dads, caregivers and kids are invitedto join a Storytime Social Hour.Scrawl will provide coffee and treatsfor the adults; stories and fun for thelittle people. Call 703-966-2111 orvisit scrawlbooks.com.

SATURDAY/FEB. 23The Bookworms Club. 11 a.m. at

Scrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive,Reston. Young readers are invited tojoin Scrawl’s all-new and completelyfree Bookworms Club. Explore a newtheme each week with picture books,special guests and most often,authors. Join any time. Call 703-966-2111 or visit scrawlbooks.com.

SUNDAY/FEB. 24Introduction to Watercolor. 2-5

p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon, 750Center St., Herndon. Starting at thevery beginning, this introduction towatercolor course will go overbrushes, paper types, the use ofwater, negative space, glazing, colormixing, and more. With KatherineRodgers. Six-week session, $225. Call703-956-6590 or visitwww.artspaceherndon.org.

Fire Building and S’mores. 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Ellanor C. LawrencePark, 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly.Learn the science and art of firebuilding at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park.Discover what it takes to build a fire,and then test new abilities withprimitive fire bows and modern fire-making techniques and then roasts’mores. $8 per person, and childrenmust be accompanied by a registeredadult. Call 703-631-0013 or visitfairfaxcounty.gov/parks/eclawrence.

Live Music: Nothin’ Fancy. 7 p.m.(doors open at 6) at Frying Pan FarmPark Visitor Center, 2739 West OxRoad, Herndon. Make plans to “hitchup the team” and head to Frying PanFarm Park this season for BluegrassBarn. Food and beverages availablefor purchase. $18 in advance, $20 atthe door. Purchase tickets online atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/frying-pan-park/bluegrass-barn or by phoneat 703-222-4664 or 703-437-9101.


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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

premature.

ence.

So Far,So Good

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

WINTER SHELTERSFind homeless and cold weather drop-in

centers and shelters that serve Northern Virginiaat www.novaregion.org/174/Homeless-Shelter-Lists.

DONATION REQUESTDiva Central Accessories Drive. Through Feb.

28, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 9a.m.-8 p.m. Reston Community Center will becollecting gently used items at its HuntersWoods and Lake Anne locations. RCC isaccepting donations of accessories, includingshoes, jewelry, handbags and shawls. RCC doesnot need donations of dresses this year. Visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com for more.

Support Reston Historic Trust & Museum.The Reston Historic Trust & Museum haslaunched a GoFundMe campaign with the goalto raise $15,000 to go towards the repair,cleaning, and reinstallation of icons on thefaçade of the former Lakeside Pharmacy, anoriginal Lake Anne Plaza store, in a newpermanent exhibit. The new exhibit will beunveiled during Reston’s annual Founder’s Dayevent, April 6. Read more about their historyand donate at www.gofundme.com/preserve-lakeside-pharmacy-icons to assist in theirpreservation. Thank you for your help!

INPUT SOUGHTShaping the Future Together. Fairfax County

Government is beginning a strategic planningprocess with the community to shape the futuretogether. The goal is to hear all voices and reachall segments of the community. This effort willspan most of 2019, but in this first phase, thecommunity is being asked to visitfairfaxcounty.gov/strategicplan and:

❖ Take a short five-question online survey❖ Join a community conversation in person: Feb.

25 – Alexandria; Feb. 26 – Fairfax; March 6 –Falls Church.

❖ Share the survey and conversation invitation withneighbors, co-workers and county family andfriends.

TUESDAYS THROUGH FEB. 19Workshop Series: Mind in the Making. 6:30-

8:30 p.m. at Dunn Loring Center for ParentServices, 2334 Gallows Road, Entrance 1 –Room 100, Dunn Loring. Mind in the Making:The Seven Essential Life Skills Every ChildNeeds by Ellen Galinsky, encompasses anevidence-based list of life skills that are essentialfor children to succeed socially, emotionally andintellectually in the short and long term.Participants may register for one or all of theworkshops and do not need to attend theprevious class. Registration is limited. Call 703-204-3941 or visit www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-center formore or to register.

❖ Tuesday, Feb. 19 – Self-Directed, EngagedLearning (part 7)

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 13Anti-Scam Presentation. 1:10-2:15 p.m. at

Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124 Park St.,Vienna. Fairfax County is offering a free SilverShield Anti-Scam Presentation. Subject matterexperts will discuss warning signs of fraud andpresent information to empower families againstscams in the community. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/OlderAdults and clickon Silver Shield Anti-Scam Campaign. Call 703-273-4113, TTY 711.

Fairfax County Park Authority BoardMeeting. 7:30 p.m. in the Herrity Building,12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 941,Fairfax. The Park Authority Board is a 12-member board appointed by the Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervisors to set policy and establishstrategic policy and direction for the ParkAuthority. Open to the public. For informationregarding meeting agendas, Park Boardmembers, opportunities for public comment, orto view meeting materials, board minutes andarchival materials, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/boardagn2.htm.

Bulletin


Opinion

The Pet Connection, a twice-yearlyspecial edition, will publish the lastweek of February, and photos andstories of your pets with you and your

family should be submitted by Friday, Feb. 22.We invite you to send stories about your pets,

photos of you and your family with your cats,dogs, llamas, alpacas, ponies, hamsters, snakes,lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whateverother creatures share your life withyou.

Tell us the story of a special bondbetween a child and a dog, the story of howyou came to adopt your pet, or examples ofamazing feats of your creatures.

Do you volunteer at an animal shelter ortherapeutic riding center or take your pet tovisit people in a nursing home? Does your busi-

ness have a managing pet? Is your businessabout pets? Have you helped to train an assis-tance dog? Do you or someone in your familydepend on an assistance dog?

Or take this opportunity to memorialize abeloved pet you have lost.

Just a cute photo is fine too. Our favoritepictures include both pets and humans.

Please tell us a little bit about yourcreature, identify everyone in thephoto, give a brief description what ishappening in the photo, and include

address and phone number (we will not pub-lish your address or phone number, just yourtown name).

Email to [email protected] submit online atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/pets.

Be Part of the Pet Connection

For advertising information, [email protected] or call 703-778-9431.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Editorial

Film CelebratesDiversityTo the Editor:

The Baha’is of Vienna are spon-soring a showing of the award-winning film, “Me-The Other” atthe Angelika Theater of the Mo-saic Shopping Center in Vienna/Fairfax, on Thursday, Feb. 21,

between 7 and 10 p.m. Follow-ing the showing of the film, therewill be live discussion of the filmwith the film’s director and co-pro-ducer, Shidan Majidi. Light re-freshments will be served. “Me,The “Other” is a documentary filmcreated in less than five monthsabout a diverse group of studentsliving in Washtenaw County inSoutheast Michigan. Throughtheir struggles, we find ourselvesin each of them.

In words of Mr. Majidi, Director/Co-Producer:

“I believe that at this criticaljuncture in our journey as a hu-man race, we need a radical para-digm shift in our approach to thepreservation of our collectivehome by starting to view ourplanet as one country and human-ity its citizens. Elimination ofprejudice is one of the fundamen-tal principles in establishing thisgoal. Storytelling is a powerfultool in raising awareness andbridging the gaps. With this film,we set out to tell stories of a di-verse cast of characters who areon some level experiencing preju-dice in their lives. They come fromvarious backgrounds but in thatdeep place inside, they are all es-sentially oneÉand we are one ofthem. My personal hope for thisfilm is to expose that sacred placeinside where beyond the cloudedisms of race, religion, class, gen-der, age, sexual orientation, physi-cal appearance—lies a place of

light, warmth, hope, and pure lovecalled the human soul.”

The film has won a few awards:❖ March 2018 - The Washtenaw

County Commissioners honoredthe film with a special Proclama-tion as it “voices an urgent mes-sage that our diversity should bethe cause of unity for our commu-nities in these challenging times.”

❖ March 2018 – University ofMichigan honors the film’s pro-ducer and cast member with theIda Gray Award for its celebrationof diversity.

❖ June 2018 – The film wins theBest Documentary Award at theBuddha International Film Festi-val in India.

John RussoVienna

Re-thinkSprayingDear Editor,

On Jan. 24, Fairfax and PrinceWilliam County spokesmen urgeda Virginia House of Delegates sub-committee to allow localities tocontinue to kill caterpillars withbroadcast spraying. At issue isAlsophila pometaria, the inch-worm or fall cankerworm, a na-tive insect that in its larval stageis a caterpillar, a major food sourcefor spring breeding and migratingbirds. Some view this caterpillaras a “nuisance” when it spins downfrom trees on a silken thread.

A coalition is trying to stop thisspraying, which kills not just thetarget species but all butterfly andmoth caterpillars exposed to thespray, Bacillus thuringiensis var.kurstaki (Btk). “This collateraldamage is much too high a priceto pay, when the focal animal is anatural element of Virginia’s for-est ecology,” wrote the University

of Connecticut’s Dr. David Wagner,a world caterpillar expert.

Some spraying advocates con-tend that inchworms defoliate andkill trees. Opponents argue that ittakes several years of severe defo-liation to kill a tree, which is rare;that most trees releaf in one sea-son; and that tree mortality hasmany, often undetermined causes.

Del. Kathy Tran (D-Fairfax) of-fered a compromise to her origi-nal bill to require residents to optinto the spray program, a reversalof these counties’ current opt-outprograms. The subcommittee re-jected the bill on a party-line fiveto four vote.

The inchworm is a native insect,part of the natural ecosystem, nota destructive invasive like the gypsymoth. Government officials at alllevels should understand the valueof native insects and their role, crit-ters that noted biologist E.O. Wil-son said are “the little things thatrun the world.” Killing caterpillarswithout documentation of realharm or without understandingtheir importance is inexcusable.

Ashley C. Kennedy, MSPhD Candidate, Tallamy Lab

Dept. of Entomology andWildlife Ecology

University of Delaware

Letters to the Editor

ExtremelyDisappointedTo the Editor:

I graduated from college in1986. I went to the University ofMississippi my freshman year andhalf of my sophomore year. Myfreshman year (1982), the schoolwas still waving Confederate flagsat football games and was in theprocess of transitioning to using aflag that just said, “Ole Miss” inred on a blue background. To pro-test, the Ku Klux Klan showed upat at least one football game. Itwas terrifying. The KKK is notfunny. Not even a little bit.

I am extremely disappointed todiscover that Mr. Northam partici-pated in photo wearing Blackfacewith someone in a KKK outfit. Heknew better. I voted for Mr.Northam, so this makes the discov-ery even more painful.

Everyone does stupid things incollege. This was not stupid. It wasmean and it wasn’t funny. Mr.Northam should resign in order toshow respect for his Black constitu-ents and, really, all Virginia voters.

Amy DicksonSpringfield

WriteThe Connection welcomes views on any public issue.

The deadline for all material is noon Friday. Letters must be signed.Include home address and home and business numbers. Letters areroutinely edited for libel, grammar, good taste and factual errors.

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