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Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ May 17-23, 2018 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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See National Honor, Page 3

See Bass Player, Page 3

By Mike Salmon

The Gazette

With roots in a MountVernon fife and drumcorps band that once

marched on King Street in theGeorge Washington’s Birthday Pa-rade, Bryan Howard, now the bassplayer of the rock band “Cracker,”is slated to return to his hometownand headline Celebrate Fairfax onJune 9-10.

“We were the unofficial fife anddrum corps for Mount Vernon, itwas an amazing experience,”Howard said.

He grew up in Randall Estatesoff Fort Hunt Road in MountVernon, went to West PotomacHigh School, and has been a resi-dent of Athens, Ga. for the last 22years. Athens is a music town,made famous by alt rock names

like the B-52’s and REM, and sitswell with Howard as well. “Athensis great, a nice relaxed feeling, lotsof creative people,” he said.

Years ago, the fife and drumcorps experience got him on theToday show and road trips to Ire-land three different times, so itwas a solid musical start forHoward. Then he got the rock androll fever, and found himself at age15 on stage at the Laughing Liz-ard in Old Town, Alexandria witha band called Slack Daddy play-ing covers and originals. This was

his first paid performance. SlackDaddy drummer Ian Werden, fromWest Potomac, and another mem-ber Andrew McKane, were part ofthe move to Athens to strike it big.

In Athens, he played a few songswith Fred Schneider and KatePierson of the B-52’s because theyneeded a horn section and Howardplays the saxophone and tuba aswell. At the time, the B-52’s hit“Love Shack,” was big on the air-waves, and the legendary housethat was the Love Shack was close

Bass Player for ‘Cracker’ Honed Musical Talents Here

Cracker’s new album has a West Coast vibe but they areheadlining this year’s Celebrate Fairfax in June.

Band headlines this year’s Celebrate Fairfax show.

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By Mike Salmon

The Gazette

Gently pushing the envelope iswhat sets apart some teachersfrom others in education, andit placed West Potomac High

School theater teacher Peelee Clark into thespotlight this year, earning him nationalrecognition by The Educational TheatreAssociation (EdTA). To Clark, his teachingtheme “Art That Matters” enhances student’stheatre experience and makes it an integralpart of their high school career.

“My mission is to expose the students toshows that confront issues that they are fac-ing as teenagers and young adults,” saidClark. “We’re confronting issues that thesestudents face on a daily basis and hopefullythese shows have our audiences talking

National Honor for WPHS Theater TeacherClark brings reallife challengesto the stage.

The passion Peelee Clark brings to the stage at West Potomac is reflected in his students’ performances.

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2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ May 17-23, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


News

T.C. Williams HighSchool seniorVeronica Araujo andWest Potomac High

School senior Taylor Pettewayeach was awarded a $1,000 schol-arship at the fourth annual PeterWilliams Memorial Scholarshipceremony during Old Town Alex-andria Connections April 25 lun-cheon meeting at Belle HavenCountry Club.

Araujo and Petteway attendedthe ceremony with their mothers,Alicia Mejia and Tammie Capers,respectively. The Peter WilliamsMemorial Scholarship was estab-lished by OTAC in 2015 to honorthe memory and contributions ofthe late Peter Williams, past OTACpresident, and to further his legacyof responsible business practicesand service to others. This year’sscholarship committee was

chaired by OTAC member Ed War-ren of P.B. Mares.

Araujo will be attending North-ern Virginia Community Collegethis fall and later transfer to eitherSyracuse University or VirginiaCommonwealth University tocomplete her degree in forensicscience. A member of the NationalHonor Society, Veronica has beenactive in Future (FBI) Agents inTraining, Meals on Wheels, BestBuddies, the Alexandria TreeLighting Ceremony and the pres-ervation of Oronoco Bay Park.

Petteway plans to attend OldDominion University to major inpolitical science. Included amongher many extracurricular, athleticand volunteer activities are AngelTree, National Rebuilding Day (Re-building Together Alexandria),Best Buddies and The ClotheslineProject.

West Potomac High School senior Taylor Petteway and T.C. Williams High Schoolsenior Veronica Araujo each holds a check for $1,000 at the presentation of the PeterWilliams Memorial Scholarship during the April 25 Old Town Alexandria Connectionsmeeting at Belle Haven Country Club. With them are Araujo’s mother Alicia Mejia andmembers of the OTAC business organization.

OTAC Presents $1,000 to TC, West Potomac SeniorsAraujo, Petteway receive Peter Williams Memorial Scholarship.

Mount Vernon Gazette Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

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From Page 1

Bass Player for ‘Cracker’ Honed Musical Talents HereDetails

Cracker at Celebrate FairfaxSunday, June 10, 4:30 p.m. at The Sunday BrewFairfax County Government Center12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax

to Howard’s house. It burned down some-where along the way.

Cracker’s big song is “Low,” and they havea video that has over eight million viewson YouTube. “Being with you girl, like be-ing low, hey-hey-hey like being stone,” thesong goes. Music-wise, Cracker has beendescribed as a lot of things over the years:alt-rock, Americana, insurgent-country, andeven punk and classic-rock according toinformation released by the band. Other hitsof theirs include “Euro-Trash Girl,” “Get OffThis” and “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With

Me.” Cracker‘s 10th and most recent studioeffort is a double-album called “Berkeley ToBakersfield,” and mentions two differentsides of the California landscape — thenorthern Bay area and further down-statein Bakersfield. Totally different parts of thestate with different genres of music.

Celebrate Fairfax has had its share of bigname entertainment along the way. Lastyear, it was Bush and Everclear. They bookbands through EastCoast Entertainment,and since the shows are free with a generaladmission ticket, the fair planners like tomake it someone big to attract an audience.

According to Barry Feil, the president & CEOof Celebrate Fairfax, Inc., “We look for theartists who have the most likely path to suc-cess for the event as a whole,” he said. Theystart with a wide net, looking at about 30to 40 artists, and it gets narrowed downfrom there. “Some years we have a halfdozen or more rejections before we confirmall of our headliners,” he said.

Summer is a busy time for Cracker. InJune, they travel to Missouri, Michigan,Kansas, Georgia, New York and Tennessee.Howard is looking forward to the CelebrateFairfax date so he can touch bases with old

friends, some of which are parents now, andhe likes the format at Celebrate Fairfax be-cause it’s an all-ages show.

“I always love playing in my hometown,”he said. They come up to Northern Virginiaabout once a year, and have played at theState Theater in Falls Church, the 9:30 Clubin D.C. and Wolftrap.

National Honor for WPHS Theater Teacher ClarkFrom Page 1

about them.” For example, harassment isthe latest issue he is spotlighting.

The spring play at West Potomac is“Spring Awakening,” where the storylineinvolves ignoring issues that are relevant,but Clark is using that as a message to thecast and audience that this is not the wayto handle situations like this. “We can ig-nore the issues our youth are facing dailylike they do in Spring Awakening or we cansupport them and help them navigatethrough it in a way that only well performedtheatre can do, I choose the later,” he said.

West Potomac Principal Tangy Millardlikes Clark’s passion when working with thetheater classes. “He uses arts to highlightissues around the community,” she said.“The level of learning is beyond the aver-age program.” On the West Potomac the-ater website, this warning is on the upcom-ing show announcement: “Important Note:Spring Awakening contains strong languageand adult situations. It is intended for ma-ture audiences only.”

That’s OK with Millard. “He will tackleshows like this that no other schools willtouch,” she said. “It’s unimaginable that hepulls that off with the teenagers.”

EdTA recognizes individuals who haveinspired their students and dedicated them-selves to providing quality theatre educa-tion with the Inspirational Theatre Educa-tor Award, according to information re-leased with the award announcement. EdTAis a national nonprofit organization withapproximately 125,000 student and profes-sional members that supports and promotesschool theatre. EdTA is the home of the In-ternational Thespian Society, an honor so-ciety for middle and high school theatre stu-dents, which has inducted more than 2.3million members since 1929. Clark foundout he was up for the award during one ofthe dress rehearsals for “Jesus Christ Super-star” at West Potomac, but didn’t say any-thing because he was so busy with the play,and has had a history of not making a bigdeal about his achievements. It wasn’t un-til he posted his award on his Facebook page

EagleFestivalMasonNeck StatePark heldits annualEagleFestivalon May12.Critters

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that he got recognized by his brother. Hisparents died in the 1990s and his brothermentioned how proud they would be. “Butreading this message I broke down cryingbecause you know what, they would beproud. Ever since that moment I’ve taken

great honor in receiving this award,” hesaid. The award ceremony will be next Sep-tember in Denver, and he’s been to the Edu-cational Theatre National Conference be-fore but not as an awardee. This time he’llbe one of the honored guests.

on hand posed for pictures; fascinated, hugged, and taught fami-lies about nature; and even did some dancing. Mount VernonDistrict Supervisor Dan Storck stands with Eagle and RangerParker Red Fox.


Alex/Waynewood $679,9001120 Waynewood Blvd.

Waynewood’s popular Mayfield model w/4 finished levels & a spacious 5th level w/good ceiling height waiting to be finished. Steps to Waynewood Elemen-tary. This lovely light-filled home has 4BRs, w/2.5 BAs, a 3 season porch, & a lovely fenced bkyd w/a brick patio &

an attractive shed. Quality replacement windows, 6 panel doors. Beautiful newly re-finished hdwd floors. FPL in Living rm, eat-in kitchen w/gas cooktop & double oven. Separate Dining rm w/French doors to porch. Family rm on lower level w/half bath.

Alex/Wessynton $664,9003301 Wessynton Way

Beautiful home in Wessynton, Mt. Vernon’s sought after contemporary community, just a stone’s throw to Mt. Vernon Estate & George Washington Pkwy, & is adjacent to Little Hunting Creek. Large kitchen w/breakfast area, & a separate Dining Rm. Beautiful hdwd floors. FPLs in the

lovely Living Rm & Family Rm. Situated in a natural, wooded setting the home’s bountiful windows bring the outdoors inside. Enjoy the natural landscaping on your deck. 1 car garage. Community amenities include boat ramp, swimming pool, tennis courts.

Alex/Potomac Valley $562,0008807 Vernon View Drive

Lovely 4BR, 2BA, 4 lvl, Split on a lg, beautiful .3 acre lot w/a fenced bkyd. Freshly painted interior & beautiful refinished hdwds. Main lvl has a spacious & cozy Family rm w/gas FPL, 4th BR, & 2nd full bath. Upper level #1 offers an open kitchen plus Living & Dining Rm. Upper level

#2 has a full bath & 3BRs. The lower level has a lg partially finished Rec rm. Good price on a super lot.

Alex/Riverside Estates $559,9008523 Bound Brook Ln.

Lovely Mt. Vernon home with attractive floorplan - 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and a 2 car garage. Great curb appeal. Newer roof and win-dows. Beautiful kitchen w/corian counters, SS appliance, lovely cabinetry and island bar. French doors off kitchen open to deck. Spacious Family Room with raised hearth fireplace.

Alex/Mt. Vernon Grove $679,9009343 Boothe Street

Check out this large, beautiful updated Colonial on a stunning lot, a short walk from the Potomac River. Updated Kitchen & Baths w/DBL pane windows. 5BRs, all on the upper level--beautiful hardwood floors on main & upper levels. Large

partially finished basement & 2 car garage w/side entry plus circular driveway. 5 minute drive to Ft. Belvoir, 20 mins to South Alexandria. Spectacular home, lot & location at a very reasonable price. Give Rex a call.

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Alex/Riverside Estates $594,9008341 Orange Court

Stunning & updated 5BR, 3BA Split w/2 car garage on a beautifully landscaped lot looking across to woodlands & winter water views of Little Hunting Creek. Kitchen gutted in 2011 w/porcelain, quartz, & SS. Other updates include:

painting, floors, baths, roof & A/C. Front windows replaced w/thermal DBL pane. Beautifully updated & meticulously maintained. 5 mins to Ft. Belvoir, 15 mins to Old Town, 25 mins to NTL Airport & 30 mins to the Pentagon.

Alex/Stratford Landing $564,9002620 Culpeper Road

Lovely 4 BR, 3 1/2 BA home in Stratford Landing. 2 master suites (w/their own baths) - one up, one down. Beautiful 1/3 acre lot; fenced backyard. Deck off of the kitchen. Cathedral ceiling in Living Room and Dining Room. New carpeting in lower level. Wood shingle exterior w/ front columns. Family room with fireplace.

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Opinion

By Scott Surovell

State Senator (D-36)

If you care about ourcommunity’s future, it iscritical that you take a few

minutes before May 20 to shareour support for upgrading theU.S. 1 corridor, a major, butlong-overlooked, commercial,residential and recreational thoroughfare in easternFairfax County.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority(NVTA) is now deciding which projects to fund with$1.2 billion as part of its six-year plan.

Fairfax County submitted several projects includ-ing widening U.S. 1 north from Fort Belvoir to Costco

($127 million) and establishingbus rapid transit from Hunting-ton Metro to Fort Belvoir ($250million) and made these topcounty-wide priorities. NVTA

ranked these two projects #23 and #24 out of 60using the new “Smart Scale” criteria and numbers#2 and #8 out of 60 using the HB599 congestionmitigation criteria established by state law.

If the NVTA follows the rankings, U.S. 1 shouldget funded (barely), but that’s before regional poli-tics comes into play. If one project of the remaining36 projects leapfrogs U.S. 1, these two projects willagain be kicked down the road again for at least an-other two years.

Last week, the NVTA held two public hearings –one in Mount Vernon and one in Fairfax and I at-tended both. The Mount Vernon hearing was packedwith people supporting U.S. 1 projects. The Fairfaxmeeting was also packed, but mainly with support-ers from the rest of Northern Virginia advocating forfunding all other projects. The current NVTA Boarddoes not have a single member who lives south ofU.S. 50 or east of I-95.

I cannot over-emphasize how important it is thatthe NVTA receive comments pointing out that theseU.S. 1 projects are needed now, were needed 10 yearsago, and deserve to be prioritized.

Tysons Corner and the Dulles Metro Corridor havereceived billions of public and private investment atthe expense of the U.S. 1 Corridor and several groupsare pushing the NVTA to ignore the objective rankingsand push other projects ahead of U.S. 1. We must

stop this with overwhelming community support.Please send me your comments and stories about

why it is our finally turn. I will personally deliverevery comment I receive to the NVTA and I needyours. Their comment deadline is May 20.

Please give me your comments using my quickonline form at http://bit.ly/US1comment. Urge yourspouse, friends, work colleagues and neighbors tocomment. The future of our community depends onit.

A LITTLE HISTORYIn 2013, the General Assembly raised transporta-

tion taxes for the first time in 27 years by passingHB2313. We included three taxes applicable only toNorthern Virginia to be allocated by the NVTA.

We also passed two bills to take the NOVA politicsout of road building by requiring all projects to beranked using objective metrics to measure eachproject’s relative ability to reduce congestion, createeconomic development, improve safety and improvethe environment (mainly air quality). Each projectis given a benefit score and that is divided by theproject cost to show which project provides the bestbang for the buck. The NVTA uses this method torank projects in Northern Virginia.

In 2011, former Senator Toddy Puller and I securedfunds for the Route 1 Multimodal Alternatives Analy-sis to develop a roadmap for U.S. 1 in Fairfax County.The final plan recommended a four-phase approachto widen U.S. 1 to six lanes, build a median-dedi-cated bus rapid transit system, create dual-multi-usepaths and sidewalks and adopt new land use pat-terns with a robust, interconnected, street grid andsignificantly enhanced housing densities to supporta two-stop extension of the Yellow Line to Hybla Val-ley.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adoptedthis plan as part of the Embark Route 1 process ear-lier this year.

Convincing NVTA to approve these first two U.S. 1projects is an urgent step to bringing congestion re-lief, more upscale commercial activity, jobs, walkablecommunities and more modern amenities to our com-munity. Please send me your comments today athttp://bit.ly/US1comment and I will deliver themto NVTA.

It is an honor to serve as your state senator. If youhave any questions, I can be reached [email protected].

Comment on U.S. 1’s Future

Commentary


Submit civic/community announce-ments at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos and artwork welcome.Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least twoweeks before event.

THURSDAY/MAY 17Public Meeting Presentation. 6-8

p.m. at Irving Middle School, 8100Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield.Fairfax County Department ofTransportation (FCDOT) isrequesting feedback on proposedFairfax Connector service changes toRoutes 171 and 699. The meetingwill include a presentation at 7 p.m.on the proposed changes and FairfaxConnector representatives will be onhand to answer questions and takefeedback from attendees. Riderfeedback is welcomed on theproposed changes until 5 p.m. onFriday, June 8, 2018. To comment onthe proposed route changes: emailcomments [email protected] 703-339-7200, TTY 711 or visitwww.fairfaxconnector.com.

SATURDAY/MAY 19Boater Safety Classes. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

at Washington Farm UnitedMethodist Church, 3921 Old MillRoad. Boater Safety Classes offeredby U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.Students who pass the test receive aboater education certificaterecognized by the Coast Guard,Virginia and all other states thatrequire boater education. ContactMoses Pettigrew [email protected] or 202-616-8987.

SATURDAY-TUESDAY/MAY 19-22Registration System Update. The

Fairfax County Park Authority is

switching to an updated registrationsystem later this month. As theswitch is being made, park customerswill not be able to complete anymember-based transactions; theseinclude registering for classes orcamps or purchasing passes ormemberships. However, park visitorscan buy a ticket for a spin on acarousel, rent a boat or pay dailyadmission fees at RECenters. Call703-222-4664 Monday-Friday, 9a.m.-4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY/MAY 23Manage the Economic Stressors of

Caregiving. 10-11:30 a.m. at theHollin Hall Senior Center, located on1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria.Taking on the role of caregiver canstress your personal finances butthere are steps you can take tomanage the risk. This workshopoffers suggestions on governmentprograms, resources, and strategiesthat may help ease any financialburden. Come to all classes or a few.Classes are free and open to all. Lightrefreshments will be served;registration is kindly requested. Toregister, call 1-877-926-8300.

REVIVE Trainings. 1 p.m. at CSB’sGartlan Center, 8119 Holland Road(Room 168), Alexandria. The Fairfax-Falls Church Community ServicesBoard (CSB) will dispense freeNaloxone at upcoming REVIVEtrainings. Get trained with the skillsand tools to administer Naloxone, adrug that reverses the effects ofopioid/heroin overdose. Trainingsare free, approximately one hourlong, and are offered at numerouslocations and times across FairfaxCounty. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/news/2018/free-naloxone-revive-trainings.

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Opinion

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A Connection Newspaper

By Dan Storck

Mount Vernon District Supervisor

Many would say that giving backto the community is a calling,a mission. Others would say itmakes them feel good, renews

their soul. Whatever your reason, engaging inyour community will strengthen bonds, en-lighten perspectives and knit new relationships.

This month we honored former PlanningCommissioner Earl Flanagan and MountVernon Voice co-publishers Marlene Miller and

Steve Hunt. After 12 yearsserving as Mount VernonDistrict Planning Commis-sioner and at the youthful

age of 93, Earl has decided to hang up his plan-ning commissioner hat. The District owes Earla debt of gratitude for all he has done for us,including guiding the Embark process, theRichmond Highway Widening project and theLorton Liberty development. He has made a

significant impact on land use planning in theDistrict, defining what it looks like today andwhat it will look like for years to come. Earlhas given back to his community in many otherways, from his service to the military to serv-ing as president of the Riverside Estates CivicAssociation and on the boards of the FairfaxCounty Federation of Citizens Associations andthe Southeast Fairfax Development Corpora-tion. I hear Earl has no plans to retire fromcivic duty and that we will see him taking onnew roles in the future.

Marlene Miller and Steve Hunt have beenthe “Voice” of the Mount Vernon District forthe last 16 years. Although they have madethe difficult decision to end publication of theVoice, we are grateful for the many news ar-ticles and intriguing stories they have writtenover the years. It is through the weaving ofour stories into the fabric of our communitythat we inspire, encourage and inform eachgeneration. If there was an event happeninganywhere in the District, you could count on

Marlene and Steve being there.I encourage each and every one of you to

find your passion, learn new things, meet newpeople, volunteer your time, stretch out of yourcomfort zone and seek out the community en-gagement role that is right for you! You willgrow, learn and be renewed as you give yourtime, talents or treasures to help those aroundyou.

Not sure where to start? Here are some sug-gestions:

❖ Mount Vernon District Boards, Authoritiesand Commissions - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/mountvernon/boards-authorities-and-commissions

❖ Fairfax County Volunteer ManagementSystem (VMS) - http://www. fa i r faxcountypar tner sh ips .o rg/get_involved/

❖ Volunteer Fairfax - http://www.volunteerfairfax.org/

❖ Contact your local school, church, non-profit or neighborhood support group.

Former Supervisor Gerry Hyland, former Planning Com-missioner Earl Flanagan and Supervisor Dan Storck.

Supervisor Dan Storck, Mount Vernon Voice co-publisherSteve Hunt, former Supervisor Gerry Hyland, and MountVernon Voice co-publisher Marlene Miller.

Find something thatrenews the soul.Time of Renewal

Commentary

By Jeffrey C. McKay

Lee District Supervisor

Frustrating. Exasperating. Maddening. Ir-ritating. Anyone who regularly drives inNorthern Virginia is familiar with these

feelings, because we all spend time sitting intraffic, staring at miles of brake lights in frontof us.

One way we overcome these congestionproblems is through funding from the North-ern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA),a state agency that has awarded $990 millionto transportation projects all over the region.

After years of underfunding by the Common-wealth led to crippling traffic and insufficientmaintenance, the 2013 Virginia General As-sembly and then Governor McDonnell thank-fully reached an agreement to significantly

increase funding for transportation, particu-larly in Northern Virginia, through this newpot of funds. It has been tremendously suc-cessful.

This year, attention was focused on the needsof Metro — a vital component in our transpor-tation network and the Commonwealth’seconomy. While the Commonwealth providessignificant aid, it is important to note that thelocal jurisdictions in Virginia that have beenresponsible for funding Metro since its incep-tion — over half a billion dollars has been pro-vided through local and regional revenuesources in the last five years alone.

Unfortunately, Speaker Kirk Cox and Del.Tim Hugo blocked Gov. Ralph Northam’s planto provide new revenues for Metro (throughsmall increases in taxes on hotel stays andproperty sales), which resulted

from discussions with a bipartisan coalitionof businesses, local governments, transporta-tion advocates, and legislators — instead, theyforced the adoption a plan that diverts morethan $100 million per year from existing roadand transit projects funded by the transporta-tion revenues enacted in 2013.

Our region’s transportation needs are stillsizable, as evidenced by the fact that NVTAreceived $2.5 billion in project requests overthe next six years, though it only has approxi-mately $1.25 billion available to

distribute.As a result, many projects that would allevi-

ate congestion and improve mobility will likelybe delayed, deferred, or never built — a re-grettable outcome that could have beenavoided. We should not be addressing onetransportation need at the expense of others.

Decision Slows Transportation Progress


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By Marilyn Campbell

As the school year nears an end, it’s time tothank those whose jobs run the gamutfrom comforting kindergartners with sepa-ration anxiety to teaching biology to hor-

monal teenagers. End-of-year teacher gifts are seem-ingly ubiquitous in June, but how does one choose auseful present that doesn’t get re-gifted or donated?Local tastemakers offer their take on gifts for teach-ers that teachers actually want to receive.

“Teachers can always use extra supplies for theirclassrooms,” said Courtney Thomas of the PicketFence in Burke. “Put together a goody bag full ofpencils and markers, notepads, page flags and stickynotes or anything your teacher needs to keep his orher desk stocked. Tie it all up in a reusable bag theycan repurpose to carry papers and books to and fromschool.”

Treat your teacher to a spa day at home, advisesThomas. “Get a collection of your favorite lotions,soaps and candles and give your teachers a muchappreciated excuse to pamper themselves.”

Flowers are a cheerful present to offer those whoteach children, but fresh flowershave a limited lifespan, advisesTodd Martz of Home on Cameronin Old Town Alexandria who sug-gests bouquets with longevity.“Felt flowers always look fresh andadd a bit happiness to every day,”he said.

Sometimes the most treasuredgifts are those that don’t comewith a price tag. “My favoritehandmade teacher gift is athoughtful note of thanks, saidKathryn Horn Coneway of Art atthe Center in Alexandria. “Takingthe time to say thank you and bespecific about how an adult hasimpacted your child’s growth is apowerful way of affirming thework teachers do. I think it is greatto encourage kids to write letters of thanks as welland to think through what specifically they can namethat they have learned or gained from a teacher.”

“A beautiful and thoughtful gift for all teachers are

guest towels,” says Cristina Chiottiof Sonoran Rose Boutique inPotomac, Md. “[We have some]that come from South Africa andare available in a variety of lovelyprints and designs,” she said. “De-licious wine-scented bath bombsfrom Napa Valley are the perfectgift for the teacher who needs alittle pampering.”

For teachers with a preppy spirit,Amanda Mertins, of Patina Pol-ished Living in Alexandria, ad-vises, “Some of the most thought-ful gifts for teachers who go aboveand beyond to educate our chil-dren are gift monogrammed items,gifts cards and notepads.”

And for teachers who enjoyspending time outdoors, Chiotti says an ideal giftincludes “Pairing some local Maryland honey withour gardening tool kit for the perfect springtime gar-dening gift.”

Gifts for those whoeducate children.

More Than Apple for Teacher

Courtesy of Kathryn Coneway

Photo Courtesy of Sonoran Rose Boutique

Wine-scented bath bombs from NapaValley are the perfect gift for the teacherwho needs a little pampering.

Photo Courtesy of Art at the Center

Photo Courtesy of The Picket Fence

Candles, soaps and lotions in a gift bagwill make luxurious end-of-year teachergifts, says Courtney Thomas of The PicketFence in Burke.

A note written on a handmade card suchas this collage with mulberry paper andacrylic medium on watercolor paper byKathryn Horn Coneway of Art at theCenter, makes meaning teacher gifts,says Coneway.

Notepads make usefulend-of-year teachers gifts,suggests Amanda Mertinsof Patina Polished Livingin Alexandria.


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7300 Burtonwood Drive, Alexandria, VA 22307 - $1,199,000* Custom, All-BrickSplit Level inVillamay *CornerLot w/Striking CurbAppeal *MeticulouslyManicured Landscape& Hardscape *One-of- a-Kind CustomDesigned Floorplan* 4 BRs *3.5 Baths* Rec Room Wet Bar *3 Masonry Fireplaces *Hardwoods on 3 Levels *Marvelous Sun Room & Rear Patio with Fountain *Totally Remodeled Granite Kitchen *Walk-in Pantry Dir: GW Pkwy. S. from Old Town, R on Tulane & follow Partners Signs.

OPEN

OPEN

Letters

Fox NewsTo the Editor:

The May 10 Mount Vernon Ga-zette was very popular on mystreet. I found six Gazettes in myside yard on May 12 scattered allaround. And on May 13, I wasmesmerized by a home delivery,when one arrived “en mouth.” Theculprit? Vulpes vulpes, the red fox.The Gazettes in my yard were intheir plastic bags, but all had tell-

tale toothmarks.No, these enterprising “news

hounds” are not tidying up drive-ways nor probing local politics.These are dedicated parents tak-ing chew toys to their kits in theden, I learned in 2016, during asimilar spring surge of disappear-ing newspapers. A neighbor founda stash, all in plastic bags, near afox family’s den. At the time,Alonso Abugattas, natural re-sources manager for Arlington

County Parks, explained, “Foxesusually stick with bones, roadkilland scraps, but they will bringback other things.” When theyoung leave the dens around sixmonths after their birth, it willlikely end, he said.

“Foxes are primarily nocturnal,”says Fairfax County’s website, add-ing, “Foxes are highly adaptive andcan become increasingly activeduring the day in urban areas ….Foxes generally pose little threat

A fox kit investigates the Mount Vernon Gazette. The kits like to romp.

to humans, their property or pets,”the website also advises, but cau-tions that they can pose some riskto small pets, especially if peoplefeed pets outdoors.

So hats off to our devoted,parenting fox friends out therechewing on the local news. In theinterest of a healthy local foxpopulation and for other good rea-sons, editors, keep the news com-ing.

Glenda C. Booth

Pho

to

s by G

len

da Bo

oth


Entertainment

By Shirley Ruhe

See the red snapper. It just cameoff the ice. Look at the gills,” Ex-ecutive Chef James Hudson says,peeling back the flap of skin.

“The gills are bright red. And look at theclear eye.”

Today Hudson is introducing seared lo-cal red snapper with arugula salad to themenu at Jackson 20 on King Street wherehe has been executive chef for just over ayear. “The snapper are migrating north-bound right now.” Hudson places the 5-1/

2 pound snapper on thecounter and sharpens hismain go-to Japanese Macknife.

He turns to the ingredientsfor the fish fumé that will complement thesnapper. Hudson grabs three stalks of cel-ery and chops the stalks close to his cuppedfingers. He tosses the celery into a smallsaucepan and adds one finely diced whiteonion and a little bit of water. Hudson willtoss in the fish bones and simmer to get theessence while finishing the rest of the dish.“That’s gonna be it. “

Back to the snapper. Hudson makes hisfirst incision just behind the gill plate andworks evenly on the first side of the fish. “Iflip it over and do the same thing on theother side.” He cuts it into 5-ounce piecesand runs the knife blade over the fish,checking for scales and small pin bones.This snapper will serve 4-5 people. Finallyhe scores the skin “since I will be serving itskin side up. Scoring it keeps the skin fromcurling.” Some of the fish bones are addedto the celery and onions. “The fume is get-ting ready come to a light poach. “I’ll let ithang out for 20 minutes.”

He sprinkles the fish liberally with koshersalt. “I will leave it for 20 minutes whileI’m finishing the rest to help the fish retainmoisture and firm up.”

Hudson turns to the sauce. He finelyminces about a quarter of a large shallotand tosses it in a small pan with 1/2 ounceof unsalted butter. “I will sweat the shal-

lot.” Then a pinch of saffron that has beenin a little oil to bloom the saffron beforeadding to the liquid. “The fat will releasethe crema.” He adds 4 ounces of 40 per-cent heavy cream, “the good stuff,” and willreduce the sauce by half. Then add twospoonfuls of fumé to finish the sauce.

Now for the vinaigrette. “I take about 2ounces of cider vinegar, a dab of doublestrength French Dijon mustard and a 1/2pinch of pepper. The mustard helps with theemulsification. Now the whisk.” The whisk

Meet Executive Chef James Hudson at Jackson 20

Chef Hudson filets fresh red snap-per

Adds kosher salt to retain moistureand firm up

Photos by Shirley Ruhe

Chops onions for fish fume

Whisks cider vinegar and oil forvinaigrette

Bastes snapper with butter to crispup

Red snapper with arugula saladintroduced for new season

In the

Kitchen

is in the other kitchen. “No matter. I havemixed the vinaigrette with chopsticks be-fore.” He pours in extra virgin olive oil. “Iuse a 2.5-1 ratio of oil to vinegar. I like itmore on the acidic side.” Hudson says hewants the oil to be fully incorporated. Hesticks in his finger for a taste. “It’s there.”

To finish off the vinaigrette he adds achiffonade of parsley, chives and a bit ofFrench thyme. “Throw that in there.” An-other test with the finger.

It’s time for the snapper. He puts a niceheavy French sauté pan on the burner andadds a healthy amount of butter and a littleolive oil and tosses in two sprigs of freshthyme to flavor the oil. “See the kosher salthas firmed up the flesh real nice.” Hudsonrinses off the salt and takes the fumé offthe heat. He sprinkles a little salt and pep-

per on both sides of the fish and adds it tothe skillet. “It will take 4 minutes on a side,basting it constantly with the butter in theskillet to crisp it up.”

He finishes off the salad by tossing a hand-ful of arugula with chunks of red water-melon and toasted almonds. He’ll use yel-low watermelon later in the season whenhe can get it. “I use slivered almonds.” Afinal whisk of the vinaigrette and he tossesit with the arugula mixture.

For the final presentation he arranges thesalad in a line on the side of the plate withthe crispy snapper placed alongside.Hudson drizzles the sauce in swirls on thefish and around the plate. Hudson grateson lemon zest; just a little squeeze of lemonand today’s special is ready for its seasonalmenu introduction.

“

Calendar

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

ONGOINGArt Exhibit: 2018 Emerging

Artists. Through May 20, daily 10a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday until 9 p.m. atTarget Gallery at the TorpedoFactory, 105 North Union St., Studio2. Target Gallery, the contemporaryexhibition space of the TorpedoFactory Art Center, introduces a newannual exhibition series featuring thework of emerging artists of the D.C.,Maryland, and Virginia region. Thisinaugural year’s exhibition featuresthe work of Katie Barrie, RonaldJackson, Hollis McCracken, and HollyTrout. Visit torpedofactory.org/partners/target-gallery.

Mathematics Show. Through May 20at Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery at

Torpedo Factory Art Center, Studio29, 105 North Union St., Alexandria.Featuring the work of Mary AnnRobinson and Sylvia Saborio. Thebeauty of mathematics will be ondisplay: hyperbolic geometry, fractalart, the golden ratio, the Fibonacciseries — all serve as rich sources ofinspiration for this theme. Call 703-548-0935 or visitwww.Potomacfiberartsgallery.com.

Atomic Dog Exhibition. ThroughMay 27 at Del Ray Artisans Gallery,2704 Mount Vernon Ave.,Alexandria. The exhibit inspired byman’s best friend, “Atomic Dog,” ispresented by Del Ray Artisans andThe Dog Store. It featuresphotography, painting, sculpture andmixed media. Visitwww.DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits.

Attics and Alleys Tours. Saturdays inMay, tour begins promptly at 9 a.m.at Lee-Fendall House, 614 OronocoStreet; tour ends at Carlyle House bythe Market Square parking garage

around 11:30 a.m. What mysteries liein the attics of the city’s historicsites? Ever wonder what is behindthat brick wall? In honor of NationalPreservation Month, explore spacesnot normally open to the public atGadsby’s Tavern Museum, CarlyleHouse, Lee-Fendall, and theApothecary Museum. Tour highlightsinclude historic graffiti, hiddenarchitectural fragments, and alleysthat connect the city. This tourincludes walking over many cityblocks, stairs, and access to confinedspaces. Walking shoes required,bottled water suggested. Held rain orshine. Tickets must be purchasedahead at alexandriava.gov/Shop.

Benson Bond Moore Landscapes.Through May 31 at Studio Antiquesand Fine Art, 524 North WashingtonSt., Alexandria. Free admission. Over70 paintings and numerous naturalhistory prints from the estate of aprivate collector will be on display.Examples include views of

Washington, D.C., Virginia,Maryland, Pennsylvania and NorthCarolina. Call 703-548-5188 or visitwww.studioantiques.net

Art Exhibit. Through June 3 at TheAthenaeum, 201 Prince St.,Alexandria. Two Solos: BrianWilliams and Sophie Blondeau.Williams’ paintings on metal wantviewers to consider if humans canadapt without catastrophe.Blondeau’s canvasses explorememory and perception through thelens of her formative years in France.Visit www.nvfaa.org/events/.

Art Exhibit: “A Sense of Herself.”Through June 3, gallery hours at theArt League Gallery, 105 North UnionSt., Studio 21 (located in theTorpedo Factory Art Center).Watercolorist Deborah Conncelebrates inner resilience andstrength through luminous, large-scale portraits of women in “A Senseof Herself.”

Water’s Edge Exhibition. Through

June 13, at Broadway Gallery, 5641-B General Washington Drive,Alexandria. The solo exhibit byChristine Lashley, “Water’s Edge,”explores her fascination with waterin more than 40 paintings of fragilewatersheds, shorelines, and gardens.Visit broadwaygalleries.net.

Get herbs, garden plants, andflowers. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdaysand Sundays through mid-June at theMount Vernon Unitarian Church,Greenhouse, 1909 Windmill Lane,Alexandria. Volunteers grow dozensof tomatoes and vegetable varieties,herbs, and flowers from seeds andcuttings using organic practices. Visitwww.Mvuc.org.

FRIDAY/MAY 18FHP Food Fest. 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Carl

Sandburg Middle School, 8428 FortHunt Road, Alexandria. Featuringfood trucks plus face painting,petting zoo, balloon animals, yard


Entertainment

games, crafts and more. Entrance: $5person, $20 max per family, andchildren under 2 are free. Visitwww.FortHuntPreschool.com.

Community Celebration andScholarship Fundraiser. 6:30-9:30 p.m. at The Howard GardnerSchool, 4913 Franconia Road. JoinThe Howard Gardner Schoolcommunity for their annual HGSCommunity Celebration andScholarship Fundraiser. Theevening’s events include a cocktailhour, silent auction, dinner buffetprovided by La Prima, live music byThe Tyler Rose Band, raffle, doorprizes and a live auction finale.Admission is free. Visithgsauction.weebly.com.

Children’s Storytime with a View.7 p.m. at Historic Huntley, 6918Harrison Lane. Bundle the children(2-12) up in their jammies, toss ablanket on the ground and snuggle inwhile listening to stories the way theMason family may have when theyowned the property in the 1800s. $5per child, and children must beaccompanied by an adult. Call 703-768-2525 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/historic-huntley.

Community Dance. 7:30-9:30 p.m. atHollin Hall Senior Center, 1500Shenandoah Road. Live music withthe Mount Vernon Swing Band. Opento the community. $4, at the door.Call 703-765-4573, TTY:711.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/MAY 18-20Spring Wine Festival and Sunset

Tour. 6-9 p.m. at GeorgeWashington’s Estate, 3200 MountVernon Hwy., Mount Vernon. Samplewines from Virginia’s finest winerieswhile enjoying views at the estate.Celebrate the history of wine in

Virginia with exclusive evening toursof the Mansion and cellar,appearances by George and MarthaWashington, and a live music.Tickets:$38-$48. Visit mountvernon.org.

SATURDAY/MAY 19The Big Plant Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at

Green Spring Gardens, 4603 GreenSpring Road, Alexandria. More than40 local garden vendors descend onGreen Spring Gardens with beautifuland unusual plants to fill springgardening needs. Growers andMaster Gardeners are on hand tohelp with plant selections andgardening advice. Proceeds benefitthe gardens. FROGS members receive10 percent off plants in the GardenGate Plant Shop. Visitwww.greenspring.org.

Fort Tours. 10-11:30 a.m. and 2-3:30p.m. at Fort Ward Museum & HistoricSite, 4301 West Braddock Road.Soldier-led tours of historic FortWard will be held in honor of ArmedForces Day. Tours are free, and beginin the Museum. No reservations arerequired. Tours are weatherdependent. Visit www.fortward.orgor call 703-746-4848.

T&ES Open House. 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.at 2900 Business Center Drive. Jointhe City of Alexandria in recognizingthe contributions of public worksprofessionals during National PublicWorks Week. The City’s Departmentof Transportation & EnvironmentalServices (T&ES) will kick off theweek by hosting its second annualOpen House. This free event will takeplace rain or shine. Activities willinclude: Touch-a-Truck; Children’sTraffic Garden; Composting Station;and representatives from GO Alex,DASH, Capital Bikeshare, VisionZero, and Eco-City Clean Waterways

will be on hand to talk about theseprograms and initiatives. Visitalexandriava.gov/TES.

Civil War Firefighting Walking. 1-3p.m. at Friendship FirehouseMuseum, 107 South Alfred St.Explore Alexandria’s Civil Warfirefighting history on the “We’veBeen Burned: Alexandria FirefightersDuring the Civil War” tour. WhenVirginia joined the Confederacy,Union troops occupied Alexandriaand most municipal functions wereassumed by the U.S. Army. Thewalking tour explores firefightingduring the occupation. Ages 10 andolder. Admission is $6 for adults and$4 ages 10-17. Reservations arerequired; space is limited. Purchasetickets atwww.shop.alexandriava.gov or bycalling 703-746-4994.

Photography Reception. 2-4 p.m. atMultiple Exposures Gallery, in TheTorpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St.,Studio 312, Alexandria. With “Alongthe Poet’s Narrow Road,”photographer Fred Zafran returnedto Japan in 2016 to photographalong the pilgrimage of Japan’s mostfamous poet Matsuo Basho. Visitwww.multipleexposuresgallery.com.

“Troubles & Triumphs.” 3 p.m. atDel Ray United Methodist Church,100 E. Windsor Ave. Sopranessencepresents its last show of the 2017-18season to raise funds and awarenessfor the Alexandria-based nonprofit,We Will Survive Cancer. “Troubles &Triumphs” is a concert of songs thatwill take you from the trials andtribulations of everyday life to thetriumphs that thrill. Tickets are $25at www.sopranessence.org.

Paws for the People: Dog Show. 3-6 p.m. at Market Square in Old TownAlexandria. The Olde Towne Schoolfor Dogs and Frolick Dogs Canine

Sports Club will sponsor Paws for thePeople. The event will be comprisedof three show rings runningconcurrently: Obedience, Agility, andThe Center Ring. All proceeds benefitthe Lazarus Food Pantry of ChristChurch Alexandria, a supermarket-style food pantry in Alexandria.Competition slots will be limited;online registration can be found at

bit.ly/Paws4thePeople.Country-Western Dance. Lessons,

6-7 p.m.; open dancing, 7-9:30 p.m.at Lincolnia Senior Center, 4710North Chambliss St. The NorthernVirginia Country-Western DanceAssociation will hold a dance; a DJprovides music. Couples and singlesof all ages welcome. Admission forNVCWDA members $10; non-

“Sunflowers”

‘Here, Now’An exhibition of Nina Tisara’s mosaic art, “Here, Now,” will be exhibited through

June 15 at Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce office, 6821 Richmond Highway,Alexandria.


A Community Favorite

Since 1904

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chicken best burgers hand-carved roast turkey and salad bar.

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when you mention this ad.Offer expires 6/30/18.

Full Buffet with Omelette Station

Saturday andSunday Brunch

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734 North St. Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

703-548-1616RoyalRestaurantVA.com

HERNDON JOB FAIRTuesday, May 22 • 2 PM to 6 PMCyber, IT, Tech Professionals,

Public Trust clearances welcome!Security University, 510 Spring Street, 20170

Social networking for both exhibitors and candidatesCYBER .... INTELLIGENCE .... IT ... SECURITY

SPRINGFIELD JOB FAIRThursday, May 24 10 AM - 12 NOON

(Reserved for Veterans/Military/Family and/or cleared candidates only)

12 NOON - 2 PM (Open to all job seekers)FREE RESUME SEMINAR

AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, 6520 Amherst Ave, 22151All industries are invited!

JUNE 5-STAFFORD-QUANTICO HIRING EVENT3 PM-7 PM

Cyber, TS/SCI, CI/full poly, welcome! HOSTED BY DAWSON AT HAMPTON INN

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Interested in exciting work with a Native Hawaiian Organization that brings the spirit of Aloha

Cyber Counterintelligence Specialists positions: Security and Defense Counterintelligence

www.JobZoneOnline.com

Entertainment

By Hope Nelson

Half a year after the closure of Europeantransplant Carluccio’s, there’s a new bustleof activity down on the 100 block of King

Street. The smells of Italian food waft through thedoor anew, thanks in large part to the showpiecepizza oven now taking up residence near therestaurant’s entrance, adjacent to an eat-in counter

where several patrons are usuallyfound lingering over a square slice.

Say hello to Mia’s, the newest resi-dent of a property that has seemed to

change hands more than most. According to Alexan-dria Restaurant Partners’ corporate executive chefGraham Duncan, the idea of a “cursed location” isonly folklore.

“I keep hearing about it’s a cursed space, but it’sthe best corner in Old Town,” Duncan exclaimed. “Ithink all you have to do is put a good restauranthere and it’ll fly. That’s really the only thing that’smissing is a good restau-rant. … Carluccio’s to mewas very European, andI don’t think it translatedwell.”

Mia’s, however, is amore American Italianexperience, both in cui-sine and décor. Gone arethe cool, almost sterilehues of the former occu-pant; enter warm, richcolors upstairs and afriendly, homey vibe on the main floor. And the food,too, is less high-brow and more accessible, especiallyin the pizza kitchen downstairs, lending the space a“neighborhood restaurant” feel.

That’s not to say that the food is pedestrian: It’snot. But the dichotomy between a more casual down-stairs and a more formal upstairs opens Mia’s to awider audience, no matter the day or time.

“What I love about this restaurant is it lends itselfto multiple dining experiences during the week,”Duncan said. “Downstairs is pizza by the slice andmeeting somebody for a beer at the bar, and it’s kindof lively and boisterous … then you come upstairs

and it’s quieter, more laid back. Even with the kitchenit’s not very loud.”

As far as the food itself, expect an American Ital-ian focus to reign supreme. From the square pizza tosome pasta favorites, all the classics are represented,and then some. One of Duncan’s current top pizzasis a rendition on clams casino, but “our signature isreally the Nonna’s pie, which is like a grandma pie,”he said. “It’s Sicilian-style crust, hand-crushed toma-toes. … it lends itself to popping in for a slice.”

Though Mia’s has plenty of options on hand forthe carnivorous set, vegetarians won’t go home hun-gry. Duncan is especially excited about the roastedeggplant and porcini polpetta, a take on an Italianmeatball but lacking, well, the meat.

And lest diners leave the table parched, the bar isstocked with beer, wine and cocktails to match anyappetite.

“One of our more popular ones is our True Dill-ight,” says bartender Daphne Escuet. Dill-infused ginmarries some muddled cucumbers and is topped off

with soda water for a re-freshing beverage sure tohit the spot after a longhot day.

Or try one of Mia’s des-sert drinks, such as theVices: A smoked cocktailglass is filled withespresso and bourbonand garnished with achocolate-covered wal-nut.

Vice-filled cocktails orno, Mia’s tempts diners into becoming gluttonous,even just for one meal. And while Mia’s dishes re-quire few ingredients, don’t mistake that for easycooking, Duncan warns.

“Our pasta dishes are fairly technical. You know,Italian food is very simple. And that makes it moredifficult. When you only have three or four ingredi-ents in a dish, there’s nothing to hide behind. It allhas to be the highest quality and it all has to be pre-pared perfectly every time.”

Mia’s: American-ItalianFlair Arrives on King Street

Appetite

If You GoMia’s, 100 King St.Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-1

a.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-midnight Sun-day.

Try this: The vegan panna cotta. “This literally took threemonths to come to fruition. What we do is a mixture of al-mond milk with coconut milk, and then we infuse it withvanilla bean, lime zest, and orange zest, and then we bind itwith agar. So we get this silky consistency,” corporate execu-tive chef Graham Duncan says.

Hope Nelson owns and operates the Kitchen Recessionistablog, located at www.kitchenrecessionista.com. Email her anytime at [email protected].

Calendar

members $12; children under 18accompanied by a paying adult $5.Smoke-free, alcohol-free. BYOrefreshments. Visit www.nvcwda.org.

Navy Band Concert. 7 p.m. at atRachel M. Schlesinger Concert Halland Arts Center, 4915 E. CampusDrive. The United States Navy Bandwill perform a wide variety ofbluegrass and country tunes thatfollows the band’s history throughoutthe years. Free, open to the publicand no tickets are required. Call 202-433-4777 or visitwww.navyband.navy.mil.

SUNDAY/MAY 20Senior Walk. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at

Oronoco Bay Park near United WayWorldwide Building, 701 NorthFairfax St. Help us to get seniors ontheir feet and walking. The event willraise funding for Alexandria non-profits. Net proceeds benefit UnitedWay of the National Capital Area.$25. Call 703-539-2549 or visit

www.seniorwalk.org.Classics & Critters: A Celebration

of Spring. 2 p.m. at TheAthenaeum, 201 Prince St. TheMount Vernon Flutes, a quartetensemble from the Mount VernonCommunity Band, will perform aseasonal concert with lush melodies,interesting harmonies, and engagingrhythms drawn from a variety ofgenres. Free. Call 703-548-0035 orvisit nvfaa.org.

Photography Exhibit Reception. 2-3:30 p.m. at Barrett Branch Library,717 Queen St. Presented by theConfucius Institute at George MasonUniversity, China in My Eyes offers awindow into China today, taken by adiverse group photographers living innorthern Virginia. The exhibit willrun through June 24. Free. Call 703-746-1714 or visit alexlibraryva.org.

The Ocean Orchestra in Concert. 7p.m. at George Washington MasonicMemorial, 101 Callahan Drive.Sponsored by FocusMusic, OceanOrchestra is where ancient ballads

meet cutting-edge electronics, wherethe Bagpipes meet the Beatles, andwhere fans of all generations andmusical tastes can enjoy the sameconcert Tickets are $18 in advance atwww.focusmusic.org/buy-tickets andfor members, $20 at the door.

MONDAY/MAY 21Writing Poetry: Poetry about

Diversity. Celebrate the richnessand importance of diversity; addressthe issues of race, culture, sexualorientation, and other topics ofdiversity through poetry. Wendi R.Kaplan, Poet Laureate, City ofAlexandria invites you to join her forthree Mondays in May where poetrycan be read and written. RSVP [email protected].

Garden Buds. 10-11 a.m. at GreenSpring Gardens, 4603 Green SpringRoad, Alexandria. For ages 2-3. Meetin the Children’s Discovery Gardenone Monday a month. Children enjoydifferent sensory materials out in the


Entertainment

garden, rain or shine. Cost is $5/child.Register online atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes using code 290 202 8602or call 703-642-5173. Visitwww.greenspring.org.

TUESDAY/MAY 22Twilight & Tipple Tuesday Tours.

6-9 p.m. at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House, 9000 RichmondHighway. A rare opportunity toexperience Frank Lloyd Wright’sPope-Leighey House by twilight. Thistour is a chance to see one ofWright’s houses illuminated against anight sky, bring a new dimension andradiance to the typical tourexperience. Grab a drink, included inthe price of the ticket, and take aninformative and fun guided tour withplenty of time to take stunningphotos. Visitwww.woodlawnpopeleighey.org.

Book Talk. 7-9 p.m. at St. Elmo’sCoffee Pub, 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave.Reading from “Steel” by Brooke C.Stoddard, local author. Reading from“Dreaming America” by Larry Moffiof Settlement House Books. Booksand items for sale to benefit theproduction of the documentary film:“Why They Left: Migration of theScots.” Opening celebration forYellow Dot Shop: History and Culturein Print, a new online store featuringlocal authors and publishers anditems of interest. Visitscottishmigration-film.com oryellowdotshop.com for more.

MAY 22-JUNE 24Doubling Up Show. 10:30 a.m.-5:30

p.m. daily at The Potomac Fiber ArtsGallery, in the Torpedo Factory ArtCenter, Studio 29, 105 North UnionSt., Alexandria. The theme focuses onduality, as in the use of two or moretechniques in one piece or workcreated collaboratively with anothergallery artist. Themed work will beeligible for recognition by the jurors.Visit Potomacfiberartsgallery.com orcall 703-548-0935.

WEDNESDAY/MAY 23Lecture: Exploring the Covert

Capital. 7:30 p.m. at The Lyceum,201 S Washington St. The AlexandriaHistorical Society and the Office ofHistoric Alexandria present Dr.Andrew Friedman’s Covert Capital.Learn how U.S. foreign policyfollowing World War II played out inthe suburbs of northern Virginia,which furnished cover for clandestineactivity. $5 for non-members, andfree to members of the AlexandriaHistorical Society. Memberships canbe purchased at the door. Doors openat 7 p.m. Visitwww.alexandriahistorical.org.

THURSDAY/MAY 24Getaway to River Farm and Mount

Vernon. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Meetsat Green Spring Gardens, 4603 GreenSpring Road, Alexandria. Cost is $98.Includes motor coach, admission andlunch. Visit the home and gardens ofthe American Horticultural Society atRiver Farm. Tour the gardens andenjoy a picnic lunch. Then visitGeorge Washington’s Mount Vernonto tour the mansion and the gardensfollowed by a sightseeing cruise onthe Potomac River. Visitwww.greenspring.org.

Garden Tour and Tea. 1-3 p.m. atGreen Spring Gardens, 4603 GreenSpring Road, Alexandria. Tour thespringtime demonstration gardenswith a master gardener docent whowill inspire you with stories of GreenSpring past and present. Afterwards,enjoy a traditional English afternoontea. Programs are by reservationonly. $32/person. Call 703-941-7987, TTY 703-324-3988. Visit

www.greenspring.org.Celebrate Mount Vernon At Home.

4:30-7 p.m. at George Washington’sRiver Farm, American HorticulturalSociety, 7931 East Blvd. 10th annualgala celebration for Mount Vernon AtHome honors Executive DirectorBarbara Sullivan who will be movingout of the area. Gala features food,entertainment, silent and liveauctions. Tickets are $75, available atwww.mountvernonathome.org.

FRIDAY/MAY 25Four Mile Movies: Coco. 6:30 p.m.,

film begins at dusk, Four MileConservatory Center 4109 Mt.Vernon Ave. A summer tradition inArlandria returns with a host of newand old favorites on the last Friday ofthe month this summer. Fun withfriends and family, a picnic dinner,and a blanket or chair. Free. Visitwww.fourmilemovieseries.com.

MAY 25-JULY 15Caroline Hatfield: Unearthing. At

Target Gallery in the Torpedo FactoryArt Center. Growing up in a SouthernAppalachian coal mining community,the subjects involvingenvironmentalism and land use havea lot of personal significance toHatfield and she recalls the region’sironic juxtaposition of protectedwilderness and mined land as amajor influence on her work. Visitwww.torpedofactory.org.

SATURDAY/MAY 26Outdoor Pool Season Begins. The

City of Alexandria’s three outdoorpool locations and the Potomac YardPark Interactive Fountain open forthe season. For a complete list of Citypools, operating hours, fees andadditional information, visitalexandriava.gov/Aquatics.

❖ Old Town Pool, 1609 Cameron St.This complex includes a 25-yard poolwith a diving well. A separatetraining pool is available for childrenup to 42 inches tall. Easily accessibleby ramp, the training pool has adepth of 1 to 3 feet. For addedconvenience, a parking lot, picnicarea and tot playground are adjacentto the pool.

❖ Memorial Pool at Charles HoustonRecreation Center, 901 Wythe St.This small pool can accommodate amaximum of 45 guests at one time.Due to its smaller size, access islimited to Alexandria residents 13years of age and younger, and theirparents or guardians. Operating

hours are subject to change.❖ Warwick Pool, 3301 Landover St.

This newly constructed, 25-yardshallow pool features a sloped entrypool and five swimming lanes. Thepool is accompanied by a newbathhouse with restrooms and daylockers.

❖ Potomac Yard Park InteractiveFountain, 2501 Potomac Ave.Located between Potomac YardPark’s two playgrounds, the fountainfeatures 36 water jets and lightingfor nighttime effects. The fountainoffers three programmablesequences, and sensors control thewater jet height based on wind speedin the area, adjusting the jetsaccordingly. For added public safety,the fountain features a secondaryultraviolet water treatment system.Shoes required.

Under the Same Roof. 2-3:30 p.m. atLee-Fendall House Museum, 614Oronoco St. Explore the Lee-FendallHouse from the perspectives of theenslaved and free African Americanswho lived and worked in the home asdomestic servants, both before andafter the Civil War. $8 in advance,$10 at door. Visitwww.leefendallhouse.org.

SUNDAY/MAY 27An Afternoon with Good Queen

Bess. 1-3 p.m. at Green SpringGardens, 4603 Green Spring Road,Alexandria. Actress Mary Ann Junggives a performance as QueenElizabeth I, the monarch whopresided over England’s Golden Agefrom 1558 to 1603. Setting asidepolitics, Good Queen Bessdemonstrates the lightheartedaspects of the Elizabethan court,including food, fashion, manners anddance. Programs are by reservationonly. $45/person. Call 703-941-7987, TTY 703-324-3988. Visitwww.greenspring.org.

MONDAY/MAY 28Memorial Day Jazz Festival. 1 p.m.

at Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St. The41st Annual Memorial Day JazzFestival will feature a variety ofmusicians and diverse styles of jazzthroughout the day. Attendees arewelcome to bring lawn chairs,blankets and picnic baskets. Foodwill be available for purchase.Grilling and alcoholic beverages areprohibited, and pets should be left athome. Admission is free. Visitalexandriava.gov/Recreation, or callthe Special Events Hotline at 703-746-5592.

Caroline Hatfield: UnearthingGrowing up in a Southern Appalachian coal mining community, the subjects

involving environmentalism and land use have a lot of personal significance toHatfield and she recalls the region’s ironic juxtaposition of protected wildernessand mined land as a major influence on her work. Hatfield’s work explores con-cepts of utopia and science fiction through the experience of sites, landscape, andmateriality in her interdisciplinary practice. Exhibit runs May 25-July 15 at TargetGallery in the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Visit www.torpedofactory.org.


Sports

West Potomac and T.C. Williams faced off in aGunston District lacrosse championship double-header on Tuesday at West Potomac High School.

In the girls’ contest, West Potomac captured thedistrict title with a 19-9 victory. The Wolverines im-proved their record to 13-2-1 and will enter the re-gion tournament riding a nine-game win streak. WestPotomac went undefeated in district play.

The boys’ game was suspended due to inclementweather with West Potomac leading 8-4 with 2:25remaining in the third quarter. It was scheduled tobe finished at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, after thisnewspaper’s deadline.

Sam Crane scored three goals for the Wolverinesand JT Tucker had two. Matt Treadway, DeclanMcPherson and AJ Stamos each had one goal for WestPotomac.

Andrew Poore, Brody Dickson, Ethan Hall and JohnSprinkle each netted one for T.C. Williams.

TC’s Poore scored the game’s first goal with 5:32remaining in the opening quarter, but West Potomac

The West Potomac girls’ lacrosse team defeated T.C. Williams 19-9 on Tuesday to winthe Gunston District championship.

WP Girls Win District ChampionshipBoys’ game suspendeddue to weather.

West Potomac’s Sam Crane, left, sendsT.C. Williams’ Jason Townsend to theground during Tuesday’s Gunston Dis-trict championship game.

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Registrations for Fort Hunt Foot-ball and Cheer’s Flag, SummerCamp, and Fall Program are open.Register at http://fhyaa.football.org.assn.la/Regis-t r a t i o n / D e f a u l t . a s p ?n=80346&org=FHYAA.FOOTBALL.ORG

The House League Flag footballprogram is designed to offer a safe,dynamic, and competitive environ-ment for young athletes to bothdiscover and develop the skills andtechniques necessary to succeedon both sides of the ball. The slateof practices and games ensuresthat all flag football participantsreceive comprehensive instructionand gain a keen understanding ofthe sport. (5-14 boys and girls)Flag Football will practice and play2 days a week. Practice will be for

approximately 45 minutes andthen play the game. Practice andgame days will be on Tuesday andThursday allowing us to play moregames during the six week season.This is a house league so travel isrestricted to the local Fort Huntcommunity. Flag dates are June 7- July 19. The Fort Hunt Footballand Cheer Summer Camp is de-signed to give football players andcheerleaders a solid foundation inthe basics of football and cheer.This is a non-contact camp. Thecamp is directed by Fort Huntcoaches, as well as guest highschool coaches from around thearea. Camp dates are July 23 - July27. Fort Hunt Football (Tackle) isa member of the Fairfax CountyYouth Football League (FCYFL)

and is governed by its rules andregulations — see http://www.fcyfl.org/ for more informa-tion. It’s full contact football un-der modified High School Rules(which are different than the NFL)and play games against oppo-nents, of comparable size and abil-ity, throughout the county and sur-rounding area. This program is foryouths 7 to 16 years old.

Side Line Cheer is for boys andgirls ages 5 to 14 years old. TheSide Line Cheer Team participatesat all Fort Hunt Home games atCarl Sandburg Middle School.They conduct traditional sidelinecheers which motivates the teamsand crowd.

Fort Hunt Football and CheerSeason dates are Aug. 1 - Nov. 11.

Fort Hunt Football and Cheer Summer Camps


Opinion

Edythe Kelleher, executivedirector of the SoutheastFairfax Development Corpo-ration, testified before theNVTA in favor of the twoRichmond Highway projectsup for consideration onThursday, May 10.

Good eveningC h a i r m a nNohe and members of the Author-

ity. I am Edythe Kelleher, executive direc-tor of the Southeast Fairfax DevelopmentCorporation, or SFDC. We are a non-profiteconomic development organization thathas taken the lead on revitalization in theRichmond Highway Corridor since 1981.

Thank you for your hard work thus far,and for providing me the opportunity to em-phasize the critical importance of widen-

ing Richmond Highway– Route 1 – from NapperRoad to the MountVernon Memorial High-

way and Richmond Highway Bus RapidTransit (projects 2018-006-1 and 007).Since the Federal widening project to thesouth is completed, this is one of two re-maining bottlenecks along this part of theHighway that connects Prince WilliamCounty and the City of Alexandria.

This segment is approximately three milesof a busy, urbanizing corridor. Yet it is fourlanes separated by only a double yellowline, with few curbs, sidewalks or stormwater management. The speed limit is 45mph, as it is on the rest of Route 1. Prob-lems in this section include flooding, ero-sion, and increased pedestrian accidents,including pedestrian deaths.

It is gratifying to see the strong commu-nity support for these projects, and for thenew Embark Richmond Highway Compre-hensive Plan adopted by the Board of Su-pervisors. The Embark Plan coordinates BRTstops with development of the CommunityBusiness Centers along the corridor as pe-destrian- and bicycle-friendly mixed-useenvironments, a transformation that hasalready begun in the northern portion.

We realize that recent funding realloca-tion to WMATA has made your decisionsmuch more difficult. But transportationfunding that promotes economic develop-ment, as along Richmond Highway, is not azero-sum game – it’s not just costs. Thepublic funding contributes to multipliedprivate investment, which increases stateand local tax revenues while enhancingquality of life. The long-awaited improve-ments to this area will not only relieve con-gestion, improve safety, enhancewalkability, connect multiple jurisdictionsand access employment centers, they willprovide significant “bang for the buck” eco-nomic development in the corridor.

I appreciate your taking the time to lis-ten to my testimony, and hope that you willconsider these comments favorably as youmake your funding decisions.

In Support ofTwo RichmondHighway Projects

Commentary

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Seven weeks between chemotherapy infu-sions; I could get used to this. Here I am sittingand writing on Wednesday, May 9 and my nextscheduled infusion isn’t until Friday, June 1. That’sanother three-plus weeks. It’s a “staycation,” ofsorts, meaning: I’m not going anywhere, but dueto the new extended chemotherapy infusioninterval – from six weeks to seven, I don’t haveto.

Though it’s hardly an ideal vacation – eitherstaying or going – for a cancer patient still under-going treatment, not having to go the InfusionCenter is about as good as it gets. What’s evenbetter is receiving scan results (which at presentare still scheduled quarterly) which show “stable,”“shrinkage,” or even “N.E.D,” which means “noevidence of disease” (I’m “stable”). All of which Ican live with. Despite ending that last sentencewith a preposition.

With respect to “N.E.D.,” unfortunately, beingasymptomatic as I generally am – and mostlyhave been, is not necessarily an indicator that allis well.

Neither do symptoms always confirm “progre-ssion” (medical jargon for growth and/or move-ment). Sometimes the pain is scar tissue. Othertimes it’s a side effect of the medicine you’vebeen infusing or the pill you’ve been swallowing.(Presently, there are targeted treatment optionswhich enable patients to take pills at home, tar-ceva being one example. Which if I may quotethe late Maurice Chevalier singing in “Gigi:” ‘Iremember it well’ from the 11 months a fewyears ago when I didn’t have to commute to theinfusion center.)

Throw in the occasional phone appointmentI’ve had with my oncologist, post-scan, when heand I both know – per an email he usually sends,that the results continue to show “stable,” andwhen an in-office examination is likely not to “pr-esent” (more medical jargon; this one meaning,show) any contradictory findings and I’ve defi-nitely had my moments of relative/comparativecalm. Moments which, when they do occur, needto be cherished because, in the terminal cancerworld, the news is not always good.

And since you have to take the good with thebad, with minimal control over both – acknowl-edging the good and not giving into the bad,become your stock and trade. It’s easy, maybeeven inevitable that a cancer patient will getoverwhelmed by his or her circumstances so find-ing a way to navigate the slings and arrows of theoutrageous misfortune which has befallen you ismore than crucial; it’s life sustaining.

Practically speaking though, how does oneabsorb the news and subsequent reality of a can-cer diagnosis? What word I used to describe whatI felt and heard at the initial Team Lourie meetingwith my oncologist when he told me I had a “te-rminal” form of cancer: non-small cell lung can-cer, stage IV, was “surreal.”

It’s a word I’ve heard many other cancerpatients use when describing the moment whenthey first heard their devastating news. At thatground-zero moment, the words “non-small celllung cancer,” at least for me, were almost incom-prehensible, especially if there’s no cancer historyin your immediate family (which was true forme). I mean, I understood him well enough, I justdidn’t process the information.

Similar to when I received a call at work, frommy internal medicine doctor, a few days after mybiopsy (and a week or so before meeting myoncologist), advising me of the results. He askedme if I wanted to meet him at his office (thatcan’t be good I thought – and it wasn’t). I said,“No. Just tell me” And so he did.

He told me that they found tumors in mylungs which were malignant. My knee-jerk reac-tion? “What does that mean?” Upon hearing thatkind of news/maybe just that word, “malignant,”you sort of lose control of your faculties. (At leastI did.)

Thinking straight? Hardly. You’re thinkingcrooked. But as time goes by and you somehowbegin to assimilate/compartmentalize your diag-nosis/prognosis, it becomes quite clear: anythingyou can do to bring some normalcy into your lifeis a win-win for you and a lose-lose for cancer.

MusingAbout

Infusing


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