state budget takes priorityconnectionarchives.com/pdf/2010/012710/herndon.pdfhot licks-wings &...

Herndon Connection ❖ January 27 - February 2, 2010 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Opinio

n, Page 6

❖

C

alendar, Page 7

❖

C

lassifieds, Page 9

❖

Spo

rts, Page 8

Pho

to

by M

ike D

iC

icco

/T

he C

onnectio

n

Attention Postmaster:

Time sensitive material.

Requested in home 1-28-10

PRSRT STD

U.S. Postage

PAID

Martinsburg, WV

PERMIT #86

Oak Hill ❖ Herndon

online at www.connectionnewspapers.comJanuary 27-February 2, 2010 ❖ Volume XXIV, Number 4

insi

de

Camps & Schools

Camps & Schools

Camps & Schools

State BudgetTakes Priority

News, Page 3

With this year’s General Assemblylegislative session getting under-way, Del. Tom Rust (R-86), left,and State Sen. Mark Herring(D-33) meet with residents at

the Frying Pan Park VisitorCenter in Oak Hill.

ComingTogether

To Help HaitiNews, Page 4

ComingTogether

To Help HaitiNews, Page 4

Shoe DriveHelps ChildrenIn NeedNews, Page 3

Shoe DriveHelps ChildrenIn NeedNews, Page 3

2 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ January 27 - February 2, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

www.WorldgateFlorist.netOrder Now Online 24hrs.

NATIONWIDE703-834-1600

Order Before 2/9/10

ROSES 10% OFF!(local delivery)

Top 300 Florist!

Worldgate Shopping Center

WOW YOUR SWEETHEART!

French

Mediterranean

Cuisine

703-757-930010123 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls, VA 22066

www.MediterraneeRestaurant.com

LUNCH - best deal in town - 12 items under $10

DINNER DEALSMonday nights: ........Buy 2 main courses – get second 50% offTuesday nights:........All main courses - $18.95 and under Selected wine bottles $20.00 and underWednesday nights:..3-course Menu $22.95Thursday nights: ......All U Can Eat Mussels - $18.95

Now Open! Our new concept, The Bungalow AleHouse in Gainesville 571-261-9367Visit our website: www.bungalow4u.com

MANCHESTER LAKES7003-C Manchester Blvd.

Alexandria, VA 22310

(703) 924-8730

CHANTILLY13891 Metrotech Dr.Chantilly, VA 20151

(703) 502-3925

SHIRLINGTON2766 S. Arlington Mill Dr.

Arlington, VA 22206

(703) 578-0020

Three Convenient Locations“Billiards and Brew & Great Food Too”

Three Convenient Locations

Lunch Time, Dinner Time, Party Time, Anytime!• Completely Smoke Free • Pool Tables, Games and Darts

WEEKLY SPECIALS

…take yourSweetheart

toTHE

BUNGALOW!THE

BUNGALOW!

WEEKENDS

1/2 PRICE BURGER NIGHT!and Margarita Specials

HOT LICKS-WINGS & BBQ RIBS!25¢ WINGS / 1/4 Rack Ribs $250

STEAMIN’ SEAFOODEXTRAVAGANZA‘Sea for Yourself’ Buffet!

5-8 pm

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

• CRAZY COMPLIMENTARY MUNCHIE BUFFETFri. 5-7 pm

• PRIME RIB DINNER only $12.95Fri. 5-10 pm, Sat. & Sun. all day ‘til we’re out!

• BRUNCHEvery Sat. & Sun. 11-3

SUPERBOWLPARTY

PLATTERSTO GO!

CATCH THEGAME!

Stay out of the doghouse…Stay out of the doghouse…

It’s not love, but it’s not bad.

Heidi Herbst, DDSHoward Mitnick, DDS

Nooshin Monajemy, DDS

Sterling, VA

703-444-3710www.sterlingvirginiasmiles.com

•Bleaching •Special Needs Patients•Nitrous Oxide •Cosmetic Restorations •Wi-Fi Available •IV Sedation Available

Pediatric & GeneralDentistry

Dental Care withThe Gentle Touch!

Children love ourentertainment

center withvideo games

and Wii

NEW! LASER procedure for fillings.Many pediatric patients can be

treated without novocaine!

Planning has begun for theHerndon High School Classof 2010 All Night Grad Party.This event promotes the celebra-tion of high school graduation ina safe, drug and alcohol free envi-ronment. It costs only $40 to spon-sor a student to attend the party.The goal is 100% Senior Class at-tendance. If you would like tobecome a student or event spon-sor, donations are being accepted.Please go to the Herndon HighSchool All Night Grad website forcontact and donation information:

http://www.herndonang.org/or send an email with questionsto [email protected]? Leslie Petty, 703-450-4372

Mark Your Calendars for theFunny Mind Games Show atHerndon High School on Sun-day, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. in theHerndon High Auditorium. Thisshow is designed for people of allages to enjoy. A Comedic Hypno-tist will open the show, followedby teams from HHS and HMS com-peting against each other in a Fam-ily Feud style game show. Ticketsare $8 in advance for students andfaculty and $10 for everyone elseand at the door. For more infor-mation go towww.herndonang.org and click on‘Fundraisers & Events.’ Questions?Leslie Petty, 703-450-4372

Sara Nourian of Herndon hasbeen named a national outstand-ing campus leader and included inthe 2009 edition of Who’s Whoamong Students in American Uni-versities and Colleges. Nourian ismajoring in Business Administra-tion and in the honors program atMarymount University.

Kristin Leonard of Herndon,a senior nursing major at YorkCollege of Pennsylvania, has beennamed to the fall 2009 dean’s list.

Herndon residents Kelly Sachsand Kevin Wright have beennamed to the fall 2009 dean’s listat the Georgia Institute of Tech-nology in Atlanta, Ga.

Eileen D. Foley of Herndonhas been named to the fall 2009dean’s list at Bucknell Universityof Lewisburg, Pa. Foley is thedaughter of Thomas and LindaFoley of Herndon, and a gradu-ate of Chantilly High School.

Colleen E. Oliver of Oak Hillhas been named to the fall 2009dean’s list at Bucknell Universityof Lewisburg, Pa. Oliver is thedaughter of Brian and PatriciaOliver of Oak Hill, and a gradu-ate of Paul VI High School.

Schools


News

See Rust, Page 5

By Mike DiCicco

The Connection

At a town hall meetingwith Del. Tom Rust (R-86) and State Sen.Mark Herring (D-33) in

the Frying Pan Park Visitor Cen-ter, resident Charles McAndrewasked whether the state wouldengage in a zero-based budgetingprocess to identify anywhere thatspending could be cut. He alsoasked whether the state GeneralAssembly had consideredan Office of InspectorGeneral to conduct au-dits, investigations andevaluations of state busi-ness.

With this year’s legisla-tive session just gettingunderway, the budgetwas the main topic of dis-cussion at the meeting Saturdayafternoon, which was attended byabout 20 people, including a fewstaffers and three Boy Scouts fromFranklin Middle School. Havingalready made major budget cutsover the last couple of years, thecommonwealth is looking at ashortfall of more than $4 billionfor the coming fiscal year.

RUST told McAndrews that thestate did not use a zero-based bud-

get process, but a bill had beensubmitted to change that. Neitherhe nor Herring sits on a commit-tee responsible for budget review,he said, but he added, “I think theywill go through and zero out un-necessary things.” He said he hadcarried a bill a few years ago tocreate an Office of Inspector Gen-eral for the Virginia Departmentof Transportation (VDOT), but ithad not succeeded. While a num-ber of agencies have internal re-view functions, Rust said, attemptsto establish outside oversight havebeen unsuccessful.

Herring said he was introducinga bill calling for state spendingaccountability that would allowthe public to see where tax dol-lars were going and was pushingto require the auditor of publicaccounts to take a look at otherstates’ budgets, moves that hadbrought immediate backlash from

the Office of the Auditor. “You’reshareholders in the common-wealth. You ought to see whereyour money’s going,” he said, add-ing that the state’s Data Point sys-tem, intended to track spending,was too difficult to use.

Both legislators agreed that thebudget shortfall was the mostpressing issue facing the state.

“We don’t borrow to meet oper-ating expenses,” Herring said, not-ing that the state was not allowed

to operate at a deficit. “We willhave a more austere budget as aresult.” He said he and Rust bothhad submitted bills to stop thestate from freezing the local com-posite index (LCI), as former Gov.Tim Kaine (D) had proposed be-fore leaving office. The index usesjurisdictions’ property values, in-come levels and other factors todetermine how much school fund-ing they get from the state. Whilepoliticians from Northern Virginia,which has always ended up pay-ing for most of its education sys-tem, have long felt the LCI to beunfair, he said, the region wouldhave gotten a break of an addi-tional $65 million this year due todeclining property values. Herringsaid Northern Virginia’s politiciansof both parties would unite to seeto it that the index was not fro-zen, although they would be out-numbered by representatives

whose districts wouldbenefit from a freeze.

“We’ve never seenanything like this beforein Virginia,” Rust said ofthe budget situation,noting that state spend-ing would have to be cutby about another 10percent overall. How-

ever, he said it would give the statean opportunity to reexamine itsspending and the structure of itsgovernment. He noted that Gov.Bob McDonnell (R) had an-nounced that he was appointing ahigh-level committee to do justthat. While unpleasant cuts wouldstill be necessary, he said, theywould not be permanent andcould be undone as the economyrebounded.

Photo by Mike DiCicco/The Connection

Del. Tom Rust (R-86), left, and State Sen. Mark Herring (D-33) field questions at a townhall meeting in Oak Hill.

State Budget Takes PriorityRust, Herringtalk money,transportation atOak Hill townhall meeting.

By Allison Austin

The Connection

Herndon’s Council forthe Arts partneredwith Supervisor John

Foust (D-Dranesville) to collectshoes and gift cards for stu-dents at Hutchison ElementarySchool. They collected 50 newpairs of closed toe sneakers and$450 in gift cards to local storesincluding Target, Kohl’s andWal-Mart.

“It’s a fabulous gift to thecommunity because so oftenthere’s such a need for our stu-dents to have shoes and cloth-ing,” said Judy Baldwin, prin-cipal, Hutchison ElementarySchool. “It’s a true gift.”

Donors dropped off the shoesand gift cards at collection pointsat Foust’s Herndon and McLeanoffices as well as at the HerndonCouncil for the Arts office.

“The response was over-whelming,” Foust said. “Thegift cards and the shoes camefrom all over the district.”

The new shoes will go di-rectly to the students in need.Teachers and counselors willwatch for students whose shoesare getting worn out or haveholes in them. Those studentswill be discreetly asked to come

to the Parent Liaison Office topick up their new pair of shoes.If the shoes do not fit, the of-fice will make sure the studenthas the right size by the end ofthe day.

Foust took the reins of thedrive from previous DranesvilleDistrict Supervisor JoanDuBois.

“We’re just trying to pick upand keep the tradition going,”said Foust.

Grace Wolf, president of theHerndon Arts Council, enjoyedthe opportunity to continue theshoe drive this year with Foust.

“One of the things that we doas part of the Arts Council ismake sure that we stay in touchwith the schools and commu-nity groups,” Wolf said.

“It’s a great partnership andit just shows how much workHerndon does to support ourcommunity. All of the organi-zations,” said Baldwin.

Students at Hutchison arenot just recipients of donations,but benefactors as well. Theyare currently collecting moneyfor the Haiti relief effort. Spon-sored by the Student Council,the coins collected will be do-nated to the Red Cross. Theyhave raised an estimated $950so far, according to Baldwin.

Back row: Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville),Judy Baldwin, Maria Michlik and Grace Wolf. Frontrow: Student Council members Cole Cooksey,Danielle Monsale, Devin Crenshaw, Denisse CruzAlvardo and Chase Cruxey.

The studentsfrom KellyStroud’sthird gradeclass displaythe coinscollected forHaiti. Stroudstarted thecollection atHutchison.

Shoe Drive HelpsChildren in Need

“You’re shareholders in thecommonwealth. You ought tosee where your money’s going.”

— State Sen. Mark Herring (D-33)


News

By Allison Austin

The Connection

On Jan. 24, volunteersgathered at theDranesville Church of

the Brethren to assemble hygienekits for distribution to Haitithrough the Church World Service.Dranesville Church of the Breth-ren is one of many churches in thearea contributing to the Haiti re-lief effort.

“I think everybody wants to findsome way to help,” said KateJacobsen, a Fairfax resident.

John Waggoner, a member of theChurch’s Service and OutreachCommittee, was surprised by theamount of material for the kits,expecting only to complete around100 kits. “It’s really nice to see,”said Waggoner. “There are at least300 kits we’ll do.”

The purpose of the hygiene kits,according to Waggoner, is to helpkeep wounds from getting infectedand to aid in the general health ofHaitians.

Items in the kits include a handtowel, washcloth, soap, comb, nailclipper, toothbrush and Band-Aids.Each kit is valued at $10.

Pastor Paul Liepelt spoke of theimportance of helping those whoare sick and in need. Liepelt wasimpressed by the number of fami-lies participating together in theassembly of the kits.

“It’s good for the little kids to bedoing this and helping out. It’squite a blessing,” said Liepelt. “It’sgoing to teach them a lesson thatthey’ll carry into the future.”

Nearby Good ShepherdLutheran Church was also in-volved in collecting and assem-bling hygiene kits.

“It’s not denominational. It’s ev-

erybody coming together,”Jacobsen said.

Dr. Myra Niemeier, a member ofGood Shepherd Lutheran Church,went through her neighborhoodwhere she collected material for25 complete kits. Niemeier wasmotivated by her desire to try todo something personal for as many

people affected as possible.“I think people needed an oppor-

tunity to do as much good as pos-sible for as many people,”Niemeier said.

The assembled kits will be takento the Brethren Service Center inNew Windsor, Md. where they willbe transported to Haiti.

Photos by Allison Austin/The Connection

The whole families joined the effort to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Coming Together To Help HaitiArea churchesjoin relief effort.

Brian McNanley putting together a kit with JohnWaggoner.

Dianne Butts putting a kittogether in the assemblyline.

Larry Hanger puttingtogether a kit.

Herndon’s Financial Report Re-ceives Highest Rating

PBHG, LLP, the accounting firm hired by the Town of Herndonto audit its FY2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report(CAFR), reported to the Town Council that its opinion on thereport is “unqualified,” which is the industry’s highest level ofauditor assurance on an entity’s fair reporting of its financialresults and position.

The firm’s representative also stated that Herndon is one ofthe few localities among PBHG’s client list that was able to breakeven in FY 2009. The town ended the fiscal year with a net incomeof approximately $6,000. As a result, the town did not need to usemoney from its general or reserve funds to meet its expenses.

“Responsible stewardship of town resources is always critical,but never more so than during an economic downturn,” saidMayor Steve DeBenedittis. “This audit report validates the care-ful way that taxpayer resources are being expended in conduct-ing the town’s business on behalf of its citizens.”

The town’s FY 2010 Budget has also received recognition fromthe Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), winningits prestigious Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the19th consecutive year. According to GFOA, the award “reflectsthe commitment of the town’s governing body and staff to meet-ing the highest principles of governmental budgeting.”

For more information, visit the town’s Web site atwww.herndon-va.gov.

Nominations AcceptedFor Volunteer Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the Mayor’s Volun-teer Appreciation Awards, presented annually during NationalVolunteer Week in recognition of outstanding volunteer servicein the Town of Herndon.

Award recipients are named in two categories: Distinguishedand Outstanding. Distinguished Service Awards recipients musthave displayed extensive community-wide volunteer support, awillingness to assume multiple responsibilities, and a long-termdedication to the Herndon community through volunteer sup-port. Award recipients must have volunteered consistentlythroughout the community for several years and, through theirleadership and dedication, produced exceptional results in mak-ing Herndon a special place to live and work.

Outstanding Service Awards recipients must have provided 100or more hours of personal time in volunteer service to theHerndon community during the last year. Their contributionsneed not have been in a leadership or chairman role; just note-worthy and of extra and consistent effort.

Recipients of the 2010 Distinguished and Outstanding Volun-teer Awards will be recognized at an event in their honor onSunday, April 18, 7 p.m. at the Herndon Community Center. Eventattendance is by invitation only.

To submit a nomination for the 2010 Mayor’s Volunteer Ap-preciation Awards, visit www.herndon-va.gov and follow the linkoff of the homepage (“Featured this Month”). Nomination formsmay also be downloaded and submitted via regular mail or viaFAX to the Parks & Recreation Department, Attention: Ann Hoy,or by e-mailing to [email protected].

The nomination deadline is March 15.

Paisano’s of Herndon BecomesFranchised Operation

Fouad Qreitem, CEO of the popular pizza delivery chain head-quartered in Northern Virginia, has announced that the Paisano’sHerndon location is now a franchised operation.

The new Paisano’s owner is the same person who has man-aged the outlet for the past year, Pierre Chahine.

“To say this is a special moment in my life doesn’t do the phrasejustice,” said Chahine. “I am living a dream. As the hands-onmanager of the Herndon site, seeing the operation of a Paisano’sup close as only one can from within, I just knew this was theright fit for me. I wanted to go from manager to owner.”

Week in Herndon


Major credit cards accepted

SINCE 1973

Open 9-5, 7 days a week

25% OFFBONSAI, ORCHIDS,

CACTI, PERENNIALS

35% TO 75%OFF ALL Trees & ShrubsPRIMROSES $1.6960%-75% OFF

ALL POTTERY

CravensNursery.com

“Whenever you buy quality from professionalsyou get a better value.”

We will fulfill your optical needs at Eye Street Optical &provide you with professional assistance purchasing eyeglasses,designer frames, sunglasses, children’s frames & much more.

Eye Exams &Contact Lenses

Fashionable Eyewear &Accessories

3910 Centreville RoadSuite 100, Chantilly VA

703-830-6377EyeStreetOptical.com

You’ll See…The Difference

EYE STREET OPTICALChantilly Professional Building

$6500 OFF Complete Pair

of Eye Glasses(frames & lenses)

With this coupon. Minimum purchase $200.00. Cannot be combined with other offersor insurance. Not valid on Oakley, Maui Jim, Sport or Swim Goggles. Expires 3/15/10.

To add your Realtor represented Open Houseto these weekly listings, please call

Winslow Wacker703-821-5050 or E-Mail the info to

[email protected] listings due by Monday at 3 pm.

When you visit one of these Open Houses, tell the Realtor you saw it in this Connection Newspaper. For more real estatelistings and open houses visit www.ConnectionNewspapers.com, click the Real Estate links on the right side.

Call Specific Agents to Confirm Dates & Times.

11050 Birdfoot Lane • Reston • $1,099,000 • Open Sunday 1-4Sonya Davis, Avery-Hess, 703-850-1156

TOUR THESE WONDERFUL HOMES THIS WEEKEND!Check Out These Open Houses

on January 30 & 31

RESTON11050 Birdfoot Lane.......$1,099,000 ....Sun 1-4......Sonya Davis..................Avery Hess............703-850-115612098 Chancery Station Cir...$629,000 ....Sun. 1-5.....Long & Foster...............Carol Welsh...........703-437-3800

Sterling45814 Shumard Oak Lane $559,000 ....Sun 1-4......Glynis Canto ................Weichert................703-395-2355

Clifton/Centreville6693 Folkers Lndg.............$599,900 ....Sun. 1-4.....Century 21 New Millen..Tom Millar...........(571) 213.733115346 Stillfield Ct.............$565,000 ....Sun. 1-4.....Weichert .......................Helaine Newman.(703) 402-31346316 Barnesdale Path.......$899,900 ....Sun. 1-4.....Long & Foster...............Spencer Marker..(703) 830-61235683 General Johnston Pl.....$525,000 ....Sun. 1-4.....Coldwell Banker............Carol Harker ....... (703) 691-14006012 Raina Dr ..................$319,900 ....Sun. 1-4.....Saab Realtors ...............George Saab.......(703) 288-4877

Fairfax5408 Quincy Marr Dr........$522,000 ....Sun. 1-4.....Long & Foster...............Catie Morales......(703) 278-93134968 Vail Ridge Ln...........$519,850 ....Sun. 1-4.....Re/max Select...............Kevin Carter........(703) 930-868610725 Norman Ave...........$529,000 ....Sun. 1-4.....Weichert .......................Ron Fowler............703-598-051110153 Bessmer Ln...........$499,000 ....Sun. 1-4.....Long & Foster...............Cathy Deloach.....(703) 425-8000

OAKTON11735 FLEMISH MILL CT..$999,000 ....Sun 2-4......Bruce Kagan ................. Samson.................703-216-0985

News

From Page 3

Rust Proposes ‘Construction District’Rust pointed out that Virginia

was one of the few states that stillhad a triple-A bond rating and hadconsistently been recognized asone of the country’s best managed,most business-friendlystates with one of thehighest educational suc-cess rates. “We will bal-ance the budget, we willget through this, butwe’re certainly not out ofthe woods yet,” he said.

Maryann Laughton said she wasunsettled by talk about undoingbudget cuts when the economyrebounded and encouraged thelegislators to keep the governmentscaled back, aside from looking fortransportation solutions.

Rust noted that state funding formany nongovernmental agencies,such as museums and Wolf TrapNational Park for the PerformingArts, had been eliminated, whileothers like free clinics had seentheir state funding dwindle,though many residents would likesuch popular programs fundedwhen the economy was strong.

HERRING said some ways of op-erating more efficiently would re-main in place after the economyrebounded. For example, he saidhe was trying to do somethingabout the fact that volunteers atcommunity health centers did notget the same protection under theTort Claims Act as employees.

Russ Martin wanted to know ifanything could be done about theregion’s transportation system.“There’s a great problem with ex-ceeding capacity,” he said.

Herring said he was disap-pointed that McDonnell had madea set of proposals to deal with thestate’s lack of transportation fund-ing during his campaign but hadnot included transportationamong the priorities for the com-ing legislative session.

He said he would continue topush to have the issue addressed,as he thought it was tied to thegovernor’s focus on jobs and theeconomy, since traffic gridlockcould harm existing businessesand discourage others from mov-ing to the state.

Rust said he too wishedMcDonnell had placed more em-phasis on transportation, but headded, “We have an awful lot ofwork to do in this 60-day session.”He said people close to McDonnellhad said the governor was seriousabout holding a special session ontransportation funding in the fallbut wanted to have a somewhatsolid agreement on the matter be-forehand, since nothing had ma-

terialized from the last special ses-sion on the topic.

Many of the region’s legislators,he said, felt they should press for-ward with solutions so that, in thefall, “Northern Virginia will have,

as I call it, a marker in the game.”Rust said he and several other law-makers from the area had put to-gether a transportation bill thatwould make Northern Virginia a“construction district” that couldraise its own revenue to pay forits own transportation infrastruc-ture, much like the transportationpackage of 2007 tried to do. “Ev-ery penny of that money stayshere,” he said.

THE PACKAGE would consist ofa sales tax hike of half a penny onthe dollar, as well as raises in theguarantor’s tax on real estate salesand the commercial-industrial tax.This would only be to cover trans-

portation construction in NorthernVirginia. To pay for maintenance,the package proposes a statewideraise in fuel taxes of 1 percent ayear for five years. This raisewould not bring the gas tax to

where it would be if itslast hike, in 1987, hadbeen tied to inflation,Rust said. Since rural ar-eas also need road main-tenance, if not construc-tion, they could pay thefuel tax too, he said.

“Nobody likes more taxes. Butyou have to pay for this stuff,” Rustsaid. However, he said the taxeswould not kick in until unemploy-ment was back down to the levelit was in January of 2008, in or-der not to hike taxes during a re-cession.

“We’ve had similar attempts inthe past that have not been suc-cessful,” he said. “To be very can-did, we are facing a crisis in trans-portation.” He said the battle wasnot likely to be partisan so muchas “an urban-suburban fightagainst the rural areas.”

The bill is to be called the Com-prehensive Transportation and JobCreation Act of 2010, Rust said.

“Nobody likes more taxes. Butyou have to pay for this stuff.”

— Del. Tom Rust (R-86)


Opinionwww.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Newspaper ofHerndon

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

NEWS DEPARTMENT:To discuss ideas and concerns,

Call: 703-778-9410e-mail:

[email protected]

Kemal Kurspahic Editor ❖ 703-778-9414

[email protected]

Justin FanizziEditorial Assistant

[email protected]

Mike DiCiccoCommunity Reporter

[email protected]

Julia O’DonoghueEducation & Politics

[email protected]

Ken MooreCourts & Projects

[email protected]

Rich SandersSports Editor703-224-3031

[email protected]

ADVERTISING:To place an advertisement, call the ad

department between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Display ads 703-778-9410Classified ads 703-778-9411Employment ads 703-778-9413

Janis SwansonDisplay Advertising, 703-778-9423

Winslow WackerDisplay Advertising, 703-778-9424

Andrea SmithClassified Advertising, [email protected]

Barbara ParkinsonEmployment Advertising

[email protected]

Editor & PublisherMary Kimm

[email protected]

Editor in ChiefSteven Mauren

Managing EditorsMichael O’Connell, Kemal Kurspahic

Photography:Robbie Hammer, Louise Krafft,

Craig SterbutzelArt/Design:

Geovani Flores, Laurence Foong,John Heinly, Wayne Shipp,

John SmithProduction Manager:

Jean Card

CIRCULATION: 703-778-9426Circulation Manager:

Linda [email protected]

CONNECTION NEWSPAPERS,L.L.C.

Peter LabovitzPresident/CEO

Mary KimmPublisher/Chief Operating Officer

[email protected]

Jerry VernonExecutive Vice President

[email protected]

Wesley DeBrosseController

Debbie FunkNational Sales, 703-778-9444

[email protected]

The U.S. Census is underway, an every-10-year process that attemptsto count every single person in theUnited States at their home ad-

dress. From the results of the count come anearly infinite number of critical decisions. Theway those decisions are carried out have con-sequences for every one of us.

One of those decisions is the redrawing ofpolitical lines for all political offices, includingthe General Assembly, U. S. Congress and lo-cal offices. In Virginia, the current process al-lows the political party in charge to draw thelines.

Proposals in the Virginia General Assemblycould lead to a change in politics and democ-racy here. The measures would establish theVirginia Redistricting Commission to redrawCongressional and General Assembly districtboundaries without the bitter partisan hatchet

that has characterized Virginia’ process undereach party in the past.

Tradition in Virginia holds that the rulingparty decides how to redraw the linesaround political districts after each cen-sus. The process in the past has involvedthe majority party using its power with-out any checks or balances to create districtsthat protect incumbents of the majority partyand try to force out incumbents of the minor-ity party.

The losers in the process are the citizens ofVirginia, who first find themselves in politicaldistricts that make little sense geographicallyor in terms of communities of interest. Theythen find that even if they are unhappy withtheir elected officials, the gerrymandering has

created districts that have killed any competi-tion between parties, and that each partystrongly discourages any primary challenges.

The result: most voters have far lesschoice in who represents them thanthey should.

There are probably hundreds ofways to set up a commission or non-partisanboard that would take the politics out of theprocess.

House Bill 323, introduced by Del. Ken Plum(D) of Reston, and Senate Bill 626, introducedby Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R) pave the wayfor real reform and integrity in the politicalprocess.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Time for Civil RedistrictingGovernor campaignedon non-partisan redis-tricting; now is time forproposals in GeneralAssembly.

“Bipartisan Redistricting Commission created. Es-tablishes a seven-member temporary commission toprepare redistricting plans in 2011 and each tenth yearthereafter for the House of Delegates, state Senate, andcongressional districts. Appointments to the Commis-sion shall be made one each by the four majority andminority party leaders of the House and Senate and bythe state chairmen of the two major political parties.Those six appointees shall appoint the seventh mem-ber and chairman of the Commission. If they cannotagree, they shall submit the names of the two personsreceiving the most votes to the Supreme Court for the

Summary of Redistricting BillCourt to select the chairman. The Commission willprepare plans and submit them as bills to the GeneralAssembly.

The General Assembly shall then proceed to act onthe bills in the usual manner. The bill provides forCommission comments on plans as they change in thelegislative process. It also spells out the standards andprocess to be followed by the Commission in prepar-ing plans, including limitations on the use of politicaldata and opportunities for public comment on theplans.”

Source: http://leg1.state.va.us/lis.htm

Editorial

By Brittany Tholan

Just the other day, Iwas walking throughthe bookstore, look-

ing for the calendars, when Ifound myself face to facewith a book that had mygrandfather’s name writtenacross the top in large, capi-tal letters, “André Le Gallo”

and underit, “TheC a l i p h -ate”.

When Iwas little, my grandfatherwould tell me stories, truestories, of his adventures asa spy in the CIA. The storiesmy mother didn’t hear untilshe was 16. Like how theyreceived a death threat un-der the door of their house,how he had to get throughcheckpoints without beingrecognized as an Americanand how when he finally left thecountry, he dissembled a gun andhid the pieces in different furni-ture in his house, just in case hehad to come back. And now mygrandfather has gathered up all hisknowledge and laid it out magnifi-cently in a book, fictional, but at-tention grabbing, even for me, ateenage girl who was just in the

bookstore to finally buy her 2010calendar.

Of course I bought “The Caliph-ate.” I went home and turned to arandom page and read it, I was sodrawn into it that I flipped to nextpage and read on. I got a good fourpages into it when my momsnatched it and told me to read itfrom the beginning. I flipped to

Chapter 1 and read,“In the darkness of

Neuilly-sur-Seine on theoutskirts of Paris, Faridstood on the ladder leaningagainst the wall separatingthe Saudi ambassador’s andthe American’s back gar-dens. Wearing designerglasses and dark silk slacks,he looked more like an ag-ing poster boy for the busi-ness-casual look than likethe typical second-storyman … .”

The book’s main charac-ter, Steve Church, is basedon André’s son, Christo-pher, to whom the book isdedicated to, and who livedin McLean as an adult, butdied in 2002 at age 33.Steve’s personality andmannerisms are modeledon Christopher’s family saythat through this book hehas been brought back to

life.Andre Le Gallo’s “The Caliphate”

can be found in bookstores under“New in Paperback”. Go towww.andrelegallo.com to readmore.

The writer is a 14-year-old Viennaresident who recently moved from Cali-fornia and now attends Langley HighSchool.

Brittany Tholan

My Grandpa’s ‘Caliphate’

Teen

Perspectives

To have community eventslisted in the Connection, send [email protected] is Friday.

SATURDAY/JAN. 30Stream Restoration Meeting,

Colvin Run CommunityOutreach. 9 a.m. at ForestEdge Elementary School, 1501Becontree Lane, Reston.Residents east of RestonParkway and north of theDulles Toll Road are invited tohear about Reston’s StreamRestoration Project in theColvin Run watershed.Preliminary designs areunderway for the Uplands–TallOaks area. 703-435-6560 [email protected].

TUESDAY/FEB. 10Herndon Town Council

Public Hearing. 7 p.m.Mary Ingram CouncilChambers, 765 Lynn St.,Herndon. Town staff willprovide a general overview ofthe fiscal year budgetarytrends and issues. 703-435-6805 or www herndon va gov.

SATURDAY/FEB. 13The Reston Accessibility

Committee (RAC) meets at10 a.m. on the secondSaturday of every othermonth, at United Bank, 1801Reston Parkway, Reston. TheRAC works improveaccessibility for mobility-impaired persons in Reston.Contact Ken Fredgren, 703-391-9019 [email protected].

Bulletin Board


•Chiropractic •Sports Injuries•Massage Therapy •Work and Auto Accidents•Custom Foot Orthotic specialists•Weight Management •Fitness and much more!!

Call today and take advantage of our holidays specials:Massage Therapy package of 3

Special Price of $225 (savings of $60.00)Consultation with Dr Petrie ($295 value) $35.0013300-B Franklin Farm Rd., Franklin Farm Village Center

(703)787-7463www.americanhealthandwellnesscenter.com

Visit your community’s answerto all your

natural health needs!

The Elden Street PlayersTheater for Young Audiences winter produc-

tion of “Cinderella Wore Com-bat Boots,” an adaptation byJerry Chase of the classicfairytale, will open on Saturday,Jan. 30, at the IndustrialStrength Theatre in Herndon.

Cinderella and the other char-acters think and speak in mod-ern terms, replacing the inno-cent mood of the original withthe very hip and knowing atti-tudes of today’s young people.The stepsisters are more boycrazy than ugly; their mothermore silly than cruel and theprince is so bashful and tongue-tied that he hides whenever agirl comes into view. AndCinderella does wear combatboots to the ball, which is de-lightfully consistent with thewacky, tongue-in-cheek and con-tinually diverting style of thisthoroughly charming short play.

Gina Gabay is making her di-rectorial debut with this produc-tion. She has produced manyshows for the ESP Mainstageincluding “Greater Tuna” and“The Mystery of Irma Vep.”

“Cinderella Wore CombatBoots” is produced by Kat Brais

(director of “Sleeping Beauty,”“Rapunzel” and Anne of GreenGables”) and features the tal-ents of newcomers IreneMolnar as Motherella, KaranKhera as Prince Charming,Shad Itschner as the King,Carolyn Cameron as the Story-teller/Fairy Godmother and Jes-sica Ross as Cinderella. Round-ing out the cast are TFYA veter-ans Meredith Walker (“Fairy-land Detective Agency,” “Alicein Wonderland” and “SleepingBeauty”) and LauraRansbotham fresh off the heelsas the title role character in“The Frog Princess.”

“Cinderella Wore CombatBoots” performance dates areSaturdays, Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and13 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. andSunday, Jan. 31, at 12 noon andSundays Feb. 7 and 14 at 2 p.m.All performances are at the In-dustrial Strength Theater, 269Sunset Park Drive in Herndon.

All Tickets are $7 general ad-mission. For reservations, call theElden Street Players at 703 481-5930, option 3 or tickets may bepurchased online. For more infor-mation, to purchase tickets, andfor directions to the theater, go towww.eldenstreetplayers.org.

Elden Street Players Theater forYoung Audiences presents‘Cinderella Wore Combat Boots.’

Cinderella Returns inCombat Boots

From left areMeredithWalker asGodzella, IreneMolnar asMotherella andLauraRansbotham asMozzerella.

Karan Khera asPrince Charm-ing and JessicaRoss asCinderella

Contributed

See Calendar, Page 11

Send announcements [email protected] is Thursday for the followingweek’s paper. Photos/artwork encour-aged. For additional listings, visitwww.connectionnewspapers.com.

THURSDAY/JAN. 28Al di Meola. 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf

Trap, Wolf Trap Foundation for thePerforming Arts, 1624 Trap Road,Vienna. $35. 703-938-2404 orwolftrap.org.

FRIDAY/JAN. 29‘The Violet Hour.’ 8 p.m. at the

Industrial Strength Theatre, 269Sunset Park Drive, Herndon. Amysterious machine is deliveredunordered, and within a few minutesbegins spewing out pages ofinformation about the future. $19adults, $16 seniors and students.703-481-5930 orwww.elderstreet.com.

‘The Trip to Bountiful.’ 8 p.m. at theReston Community Center, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston. Tickets are$15-$18, available at www.rcp-tix.com or 703-476-4500 or at theReston Community Center ‘s boxoffice. 703-435-2707 orwww.restonplayers.org.

Aspen Ensemble: The DiscoverySeries. 8 p.m. The Barns at WolfTrap, Wolf Trap Foundation for thePerforming Arts, 1624 Trap Road,Vienna. $35. 703-938-2404 orwolftrap.org.

SATURDAY/JAN. 30Dead Men’s Hollow. 7:30 p.m. at

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1090Sterling Road, Herndon. Bluegrass.$12. 703-435-8377.

‘Cinderella Wore Combat Boots.’11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the IndustrialStrength Theatre, 269 Sunset ParkDrive, Herndon. $7. 703-481-5930 orwww.elderstreet.com.

‘The Violet Hour.’ 8 p.m. at theIndustrial Strength Theatre, 269Sunset Park Drive, Herndon. $19adults, $16 seniors and students.703-481-5930 orwww.elderstreet.com.

‘The Trip to Bountiful.’ 8 p.m. at theReston Community Center, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston. Thisperformance will be sign interpretedfor the deaf and hearing impaired.Tickets are $15-$18, available atwww.rcp-tix.com or 703-476-4500 orat the Reston Community Center ‘sbox office. 703-435-2707 orwww.restonplayers.org.

The Spotlight on Elvis Show. 7:30p.m. at Café Montmartre, 1625Washington Plaza North, Lake Anne,Reston. No cover charge. 703-904-8080.

John Eaton. 7:30 p.m. The Barns atWolf Trap, Wolf Trap Foundation forthe Performing Arts, 1624 Trap Road,Vienna. $25. 703-938-2404 orwolftrap.org.

SUNDAY/JAN. 31Learn to Predict the Weather

During the Groundhog’s DayOut. 2-3:30 p.m. at Frying Pan FarmPark, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon.Learn about groundhogs and otherways to forecast the weather. Take ashort walk to visit a real groundhogburrow. Appropriate for all ages,with a puppet show, crafts, gamesand hot chocolate. $5 per person;registration required at 703-437-9101.

‘Cinderella Wore Combat Boots.’12 p.m. at the Industrial StrengthTheatre, 269 Sunset Park Drive,Herndon. $7. 703-481-5930 orwww.elderstreet.com.

‘The Violet Hour.’ 7 p.m. at theIndustrial Strength Theatre, 269

Calendar


Sports

By Rich Sanders

The Connection

From potential goat to thegame’s hero, that was theway the final secondsplayed out for Herndon

High’s Austin Hamilton in the Hor-nets’ dramatic 60-58 boys’ basket-ball win over Chantilly Fridaynight, Jan. 22. The Concorde Dis-trict game, matching two of theNorthern Region’s better teams,took place in front of a capacitycrowd at Herndon.

Hamilton, Herndon’s juniorpoint guard, had missed out on achance to perhaps seal victory forhis team when he missed a foulshot — the front end of a one-in-one — with 22 seconds remaining.As a result, Chantilly, still withinthree points at 58-55, gained pos-session and tied the contest on anunorthodox three-point bank shotby Devin Ballam from the rightwing with 10 seconds remaining.

With no timeouts left, Herndonquickly got the ball up the floor.Hamilton, with possession, drovehard toward the right side of thebasket and converted an off-bal-anced, 10-foot shot that hit the rimbefore falling through for whatproved to be the game-winningshot with three seconds showing.Chantilly launched a last secondshot from beyond half court,which was fairly close but did not

fall. As the final buzzer went off,a swarm of Herndon studentsflooded the floor in celebration.

“That’s one of those shots youdream of,” said Hamilton, of hiswinning basket. “I tripped a little

[while going towards the basket].Luckily I got it up and it went in.”

Hamilton, who helped his teamimprove to 11-1 overall and 5-0 inthe district, chided himself for notmaking the free throw that likelywould have put the game away forHerndon with 22 seconds left.

“That was a big free throw I hadto make and unfortunately it didn’tgo down,” said Hamilton, who fin-ished with 15 points and five re-bounds.

“He should never miss a freethrow,” said Herndon coach ChrisWhelan, smiling and shaking hishead as he recalled the final sec-onds. “He’s a great shooter.”

Hamilton certainly made up forthe missed foul shot with his driv-ing basket moments after theChargers tied the game onBallam’s trey.

“Austin has a second gear andhe completely turned it on,” saidWhelan, of the clutch drive andscore. “He’s still young and defi-nitely improving every game. Ev-eryone knows he’s our go-to guy.He never gets rattled, even whenhe missed that free throw.”

Hamilton and teammateRandoll Anane both scored 15points to lead the home team,while Jonathan Beltran added 14.Beltran, a junior shooting guard,nailed four long range three-point-ers in the first half, to the delightof the vocal Herndon students inattendance. His red-hot shootinghelped keep Herndon, whichtrailed 23-14 with just more thanthree minutes remaining in thesecond quarter, within striking dis-tance at halftime, trailing 33-28.

“He can shoot like that,” saidWhelan, recalling a Jan. 12 win atCentreville in which Beltran

knocked down six-of-seven three-pointers and finished with 24points. “He kept us in the game[against Chantilly] in the firsthalf.”

HERNDON opened the secondhalf with an 8-2 scoring spell,capped by a driving shot in thelane by Beltran to give the Hor-nets a 36-36 lead. Later, Chantilly’sKethan Savage (14 points), a jun-ior guard and the Chargers’ lead-ing scorer this season, closed thequarter out by scoring the finalfour points to give Chantilly a 43-42 lead going into the fourth.

Neither team could break awayin the final quarter. Herndon’sAnane gave his team a 56-53 leadon a baseline layup basket with 1minute, 9 seconds remaining; andthe score was 58-55 Hornets fol-lowing two foul shots by Hamiltonwith 31 seconds left. But momentslater, after Hamilton missed fromthe line, Ballam (13 points) tiedthe game with his huge three-pointer to set the stage forHamilton’s game-winner.

Chantilly junior center JohnManning finished with nine pointsand three blocked shots.

“Our kids have played againstManning,” said Whelan, of the tal-ented 7-foot pivot player. “He doesa great job staying in there. Wewere attacking him [on offense]all night.”

Chantilly fell to 10-6 with theloss.

“Give Herndon a lot of credit,”said Chargers’ coach Jim Smith.“They made some good playsdown the stretch. They shot theball real well. They get good guardplay and are good on defense.Hamilton is real good.”

Hamilton’s Heroics Lift Herndon Past ChargersJunior pointguard scoresgame-winneragainst Chantilly.

Herndon Connection Sports Editor Rich Sanders

703-224-3031 or [email protected]

Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection

Austin Hamilton, driving towards the basket , scored 15points in his team’s victory over the Chargers last Fridaynight. Chantilly’s John Manning (left) finished with ninepoints.

Herndon Optimist YouthBaseball (HOYB), a HerndonOptimist Youth Sport, announcedthat registration for the Spring2010 season is currently open.HOYB provides boys and girls be-tween the ages of 4 and 12 an op-portunity to play in an organizedbaseball program. The program isa part of the Cal Ripken divisionof the Babe Ruth organization. Theleagues are safe, fun and instruc-tional. No experience is necessary.Whether a child is new to the sportor a seasoned player, baseball inHerndon has lots to offer. To reg-ister, volunteer, or to learn more,go to www.herndonbaseball.com.

Herndon Optimist NFL FlagFootball, a Herndon Optimist

Youth Sport, announced that reg-istration for the Spring 2010 sea-son is now open.

Herndon Optimist NFL FlagFootball operates under the um-brella of the NFL Youth FootballOrganization. The league wasstarted by coaches from theHerndon Optimist Youth Football(tackle) league to provide footballexperience for younger players ina non-contact program held in thespring.

The league goal is to provideboys and girls, ages 5-to-17 ofNorthern Virginia, an opportunityto play NFL flag football and learnsportsmanship, teamwork, andresponsibility while having fun. Toregister, volunteer, or to learnmore, go to www.honfl.com.

Herndon Reston YouthSoftball (HRYS) spring registra-tion is now underway. HRYS is agirls’ fastpitch Babe Ruth SoftballLeague serving players ages 6 to18 in the greater Herndon-Restonarea. HRYS offers softball pro-grams to fit the needs and skill lev-els of all players.

Registration for tryouts to theHerndon/Reston 2010 ShowcaseGlory softball team are now open.This program is designed for highschool juniors and seniors in theHerndon/Reston area who are in-terested in playing on a collegeshowcase softball team.

Reston Little League Baseballannounces that registration for the

Spring 2010 season is now open.Registration for Majors/AAA/AA(generally ages 9-12) is open un-til Feb. 19. A late fee of $35 willapply after this date. Registrationfor T-ball and A-ball (generallyages 5-8) is open until March 25.Please register on-line atrestonlittleleague.com.

Reston Little League was estab-lished in 1972 and is a member ofVirginia’s District 4. The league’sboundaries include the greaterReston and Herndon Communi-ties. More than 600 players par-ticipate every spring. Reston LittleLeague offers a fun and competi-tive baseball experience for play-ers ages 5 through 12.

Registration is now open for the

Spring 2010 season of Herndon-Reston Youth Lacrosse. Registra-tion is open through February toyouth in the Herndon and Restonareas, for girls and boys, ages 6-to-15. No experience is needed.There are separate teams for boysand girls in age divisions U-15, U-13, U-11, and U-9. Various levelsof play are based on experienceand skill level. The teams competein the Northern Virginia YouthLacrosse League (www.nvyll.org)against opponents from through-out Northern Virginia. Equipmentrental and financial assistance isavailable. The season begins inMarch and runs through the sec-ond week of June. For more infor-mation on the league and to reg-ister, visit www.HRYL.org

Sports Notes


Zone 1 Ad Deadline:

Tuesday 4 p.m.

703-917-6464

Zone 1: • Reston

• Herndon • LoudounEmploymentEmployment

CNAs/CMAsLive-out or Live-in

Experience needed for home care services to assist adults and seniors at home. Full & part time - car required. Call: 703-340-8570

Featherle Pet Care seeking exp’d andmotivated individuals who love dogs, catsand people. English/Spanish preferred.

Sterling and Chantilly locations.

Call: 540-854-0046

GROOMERS • BATHERS & RECEPTIONIST

KinderCare Learning Centers of Reston Virginia,currently recruiting experienced, motivated andenergetic Early Childhood professionals for thefollowing positions:

•Assistant Directors• Infant/Toddler Teachers•Preschool Teachers•Pre-Kindergarten Teachers/Bus Drivers•School-Age Teachers•Cooks

Begin now and train with the best in theindustry.C.D.A, Associate, Bachelor Degree Teachersstrongly encouraged to apply!

Please forward all correspondences [email protected]

We look forward to meeting with you soon!

LEARNING CENTERS

Landscape

Chapel Valley Landscape Company in Dulles, VA is seeking a Property Manag-er with Landscape Management experi-ence, to manage crews, customer serv-ice oriented, computer knowledgeable, organized, goal oriented, fluent in Eng-lish. 2 year college degree in hort. or re-lated field pref. Landscape sales exp. req. Must have DL & clean driving re-cord. Competitive wages & benefit package. Fax or e-mail resume to Carmen Palacios at 703-406-9251, or

[email protected]. EOE. Substance-free workplace.

P/T PHONE & SHIPPINGPhone work & small package ship-ping. 25-30 hrs per week. Bilingual English & Spanish. Basic PC skills required. Opportunity to go FT. Email resume or contact info to: [email protected]

Receptionist / Admin AssistantSofteon, a leading provider of Supply ChainExecution Technology solutions is seeking anexp’d Admin Assistant with a min of 3 yrs adminexp & intermediate skills with MS Office (Word,Excel, PP & Lotus Notes). BA or BS degreepreferred.

Position Description:Responsibilities include genr’l admin support –answering phones, mail, filing, travel coordina-tion, corresp review & production support forproposals, sales materials, etc. Additionallymaintain an organized & professional environ-ment, greet clients & other misc duties asassigned. The job requires a high level ofenergy and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Position Requirements:If you are highly motivated, results-orientedindividual who is looking for a growth opportu-nity, Softeon has the career you are looking for.

Kindly respond via email to:[email protected]

Plese visit our website: www.softeon.comfor more info about us

FT/PT. Temp/Perm. Ideal forstudents/others. Sales/Svc, Flex

Schedules. Conditions apply. All ages 18+.703-359-7600

2010EXPANSION

Great Pay!NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

☎☎

NATIONAL CHILDRENS CENTERNo sell! Salary + Bonus + Benefits!

Weekdays 9-4

TELEPHONE

☎☎301-333-1900

A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

☎☎

InternshipsAvailable

Unusual opportunity tolearn many aspects of thenewspaper business.Internships available inreporting, photography,research, graphics.Opportunities for students,and for adults consideringchange of career. Unpaid.Email [email protected]

I can mostly handle this cancer stuff.However, there is one area I can’t totallymanage – emotions. Specifically when cer-tain things – physical, mental, spiritual – hap-pen. I never know if what I’m feeling isattributable to the cancer, and thus worthy ofa phone call/email to my study nurse and/oroncologist, or more a function of simplybeing who I am, independent of the cancerbusiness; meaning a middle-aged, slightlyoverweight (“Slightly?” Be quiet, Dina.), out-of-shape, white-collar worker bee. I don’twant to overreact to symptoms, nor do Iwant to be stubborn and stupid and underre-act either. For all I know (and it’s not reallyvery much), whatever I’m feeling might actu-ally matter, or it might not. Ergo the problem.

It’s hard, make that impossible (for meanyway) to separate fact from fiction, cancer-related from normal wear and tear, thebeginning of the end from the end of thebeginning. I am encouraged by the medicalstaff to call with any concerns (real or imag-ined) that I may have. Still, when I called lastweek to report a non-stop runny nose thatrequired constant blowing and tissue use(which ultimately lead to a very chapped andsore nose, inside and out) I felt funny. Here Ihave stage IV lung cancer and I’m worriedabout a runny nose. Even the description“runny nose” sounds insignificant and notnearly as serious many of the other symp-toms familiar to cancer patients: nausea,vomiting, diarrhea, loss of sleep, loss ofappetite, weight loss, nose bleeds, tinglingand loss of use/control of your extremitiesand so forth that might warrant a cancer-call.Runny nose! What am I going to call aboutnext? A skinned knee? A boo-boo on mybuttock? A pimple on my poopik? Findingthat line between compulsively obsessingover my symptoms to accepting what’s hap-pening to me as normal, given my age (andthus not particularly worthy of cancer-induced worry/anxiety/fear/depression) hasbeen most difficult for me.

This difficulty has manifested itselfbecause my coping mechanism diagnosis-to-date, has been not to consume myself (or trynot to) with everything that is happening tome medically (or could be in the future).That’s not to say that I’m ignoring what’soccasionally been happening, but more soattempting to keep it in perspective/context:try not to overreact to the things (side effects,symptoms, deficiencies), that typically hap-pen to cancer/chemo patients and con-versely, try to react positively to the thingsthat don’t happen. My concern is that I’mtaking too much in stride, attributing toomuch of what cancer stuff I think I feel to theinevitability of the underlying health situationin which I find myself immersed (and thusnot unique or worth mentioning) and insteadgo with the proverbial flow and not fight thisrising tide.

I don’t want to be swept away anddrowned by these waves of emotion and endup in a sea of non-tranquility. Somehow Ineed to, as Katie Winter of Secret Deodorantmarketing fame once made famous, “Keepmyself cool, calm and collected.” I don’timagine that being in denial would help, butneither do I think proactively pursuingpathology reports (as but one example of theendless amount of information availablefrom your health care provider) would pro-vide the solace and balance I seek. I amopen to suggestion.

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

Cancer Can,Or It Can’t(Me, Too)By KENNETH B. LOURIE

A CLEANING SERVICESince 1985/Ins & Bonded

Quality Service at a Fair PriceSatisfaction GuaranteedComm/Res. MD VA DC

acleaningserviceinc.com703-892-8648

LICENSED INSURED

Residential & Commercial10% Senior Citizen Discount

CARE _ MORECLEANING SOLUTIONS

703-862-5904or

703-780-6749caremorecleaning.com

CLEANING CLEANING

ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

Metro GutterClean/Install/Repair

• Wood Replace & Wrapping • Pressure Washing• Chimney Sweeping & Repair

20 YEARS EXP.

703-354-4333metrogutter.com

PINNACLE SERVICES,Inc.

703-802-0483GROUP RATES AVAILABLE

FREE EST

• LEAF REMOVAL• GUTTER

CLEANING

GUTTER GUTTER

RCL HOME REPAIRSHandyman Services

Springfld • Burke • KingstowneLight Electrical • Plumbing •

Bathroom Renovation • Ceramic Tile • Drywall Repair

703-922-4190LIC. www.rclhomerepairs.com INS.

HANDYMAN HANDYMAN

CLEANING

ENGLISH-SPEAKING ONE-WOMAN

HOUSECLEANING.14 Years Experience.

Honest, reliable, loves animals.

Reasonable rates. 703-855-3302

HAULING

Construction Debris,Residential, Office

& Tree Removal

ANGEL’S TRASH HAULING

703-863-1086New#- 571-312-7227

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com


By Kristin Mudd

Scott Hammond turned 16 on Nov. 16,2009. He is a sophomore at JamesMadison High School. He likes listen-

ing to Metallica, and he’s a fan of the NewYork Giants football team. Hammond is alsobattling cancer. His journey began in thefall of 2007 when a small cyst the size of apea popped up on his wrist. He was diag-nosed with Stage IV Merkel Cell Carcinoma,a skin cancer rarely seen in children.

Hammond’s treatment protocol called forsix cycles of chemotherapy and two bonemarrow transplants. In September 2009, afollow up scan showed that the cancer isrelapsing in his lymph nodes. After consul-tations with oncologists, the Hammondswere told they would not be able to cureScott’s cancer. Scott’s current treatment willkeep him palliative between hospital staysand clinical trials at the National Institutesof Health in Bethesda, Md.

When Victoria Levi, whose daughterMackenzie is a cancer survivor, learned ofScott’s story she offered the Hammonds twotickets to see a New York Giants game.Victoria works for the Assistance SupportKindness (ASK) — an organization thatenhances the Pediatric Hematology/Oncol-ogy Department at VCU Health Systems inRichmond. ASK together with TheReeseStrong Foundation and the CJ‘sThumbs up foundation donated money tocover all of the accommodation for their tripup to New York to see the Giants play. “Thestadium was a sea of blue and red,” saidDiane Hammond. “It was full of pumpedup Giant Fans. Scott was in awe watchingthe players warm up on the field. I lovedwatching the look on his face. We can’t putinto words how we feel about the love,prayers, and support that everyone hasshown us over these last many months.”

To follow Scotts cancer journey visitwww.caringbridge.org/visit/scotthammond .

To learn more about the organizations men-tioned in this story and how to help, go towww.ReeseStrong.org; www.askweb.org;www.connorsheroes.com; and www.cjstuf.org.

Contributed

Diane and Scott Hammond at the‘sea of blue and red’ at the Giantsstadium.

A Giant Boost

News

Vienna teen fightingcancer attends NewYork Giants game.

Zone 1 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 1: • Reston

• Herndon • Loudoun

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.comconnectionnewspapers.com

HOME REMODELINGKITCHENS, BATHS, TILE, TRIM, INT.ALTERATIONS, all HOME REPAIRS!Steve’s Remodeling

Call Steve Paris(703) 830-5681 - 703-932-0270

30 YEARS EXPERIENCE • FREE ESTIMATES

LIC. • INS. BONDED OWNER OPERATED

IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

R.N. CONTRACTORS, INC.Remodeling Homes, Flooring,Kitchen & Bath, Windows,Siding, Roofing, Additions &Patios, Custom Deck, Painting

We Accept All Major Credit CardsLicensed, Insured, Bonded • Free Estimates • Class A LicPhone: 703-887-3827 Fax: 703-830-3849

E-mail: rncontractorsinc@gmail

R&N Carpentry

✦BASEMENTS ✦BATHS ✦KITCHENSForeclosure specialist/Power washing

✦Exterior Wood Rot More!Deck & Fence repair, Screen Porches

No jobs too large or smallFree est. 37 yrs exp. Licensed, Insured

703-987-5096

ProfessorToolbox.com“Where you can find any Construction

Professional in one place!”

www.ProfessorToolbox.com

Homeowners Looking For…Qualified, Licensed, Insured

Contractors

MISC. SERVICES MISC. SERVICES

.................................................

EXPERTTREE REMOVAL, FIREWOOD

AT AFFORDABLE FEES

Licensed HES Co. LLC. Insured

703-203-8853Ask About Going Green!

Mulch, Gutter, Landscape

TREE SERVICE TREE SERVICE

AL’S HAULINGJunk & Rubbish

Concrete, furn.,office,yard, construction debris

Low Rates NOVA703-360-4364

703-304-4798 cell

7 DAYS A WEEK

IMPROVEMENTS

We Accept VISA/MC

703-441-8811

BATHROOM REMODELINGREPAIRS, CERAMIC TILE,PAINTING, DRYWALL,CARPENTRY, CUSTOMWOOD REPAIR, LT. PLUMBING &ELECTRICAL, POWER WASHING

Since 1964

TheHANDYMANA DIVISION OF NURSE CONSTRUCTION

LANDSCAPING

•Trimming •Edging•Mulching •Yard Cleaning

•Hauling •Tree Work

ANGEL’SLAWN MOWING

703-863-1086New# 571-312-7227

PAINTING

PATRIOTPAINTINGwww.PatriotPainting.net

Wallpaper Removal,Carpentry,

Power Washing.Int/Ext Painting

Free Est. • Satisfaction Guar.!Lic./Ins. Int./Ext.

703-502-7840Cell

571-283-4883

ROOFING

Roofing & Siding(All Types)

Soffit & Fascia WrappingNew Gutters

Chimney CrownsLeaks RepairedNo job too small

703-975-2375

TREE SERVICE

•Mulch•Clean-up Grounds

•Lot Land Clearing

ANGEL’STREE & HEAVY

TRASH HAULING

703-863-1086New#- 571-312-7227

HAULING

Now! CompletePrint EditionsOnline!

The full print editions of all 18Connection Newspapers are nowavailable on our Web Site in PDF format,page by page, identical to our weeklynewsprint editions, including printadvertising. Go towww.ConnectionNewspapers.comand click on “Print Editions.”

MPRINT EDITIONS

Light tomorrowwith today!.

-Elizabeth Barret Browing

Nothing is too small to know, andnothing too big to attempt.

-William Van Horne

Zone 1 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-917-6400

Zone 1: • Reston

• Herndon • LoudounClassifiedClassified

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Writing Intensive WorkshopReston - January 21-24

Winchester - February 4 - 7Alexandria - February 11 - 14

A lively, 4-day interactive for aspiring and already-published writers. Get organized, trained, and focused to meet your publishing goals this year. Led by internationally-bestselling author, publishing consultant, and writing coach, David Haz-ard. Register & Info: www.itsyourlifebethere.com Or call: (540) 454-4495

21 Announcements 21 Announcements21 Announcements

ABC LICENSECiarrai, LLC trading as

O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub, 754 Elden St, Unit 102, Herndon,

VA 20170. The above establishment is applying to

the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL for a Beer, wine, mixed beverage on premise

license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages.

Anselm Griffiths, member

26 Antiques

We consign/pay top $ for antique/semi antique furn.

including mid century & danish modern Teak

furniture, sterling, mens watches, painting/art glass,

clocks, jewelry, costume jewelry, etc. Call Schefer

Antiques @ 703-241-0790.

117 Adoption

Adoption: A lifetime of end-less love, laughter, security & every opportunity await your precious newborn. Expenses

pd. Private/ Legal. Jen & Greg 1-877-205-2780

The biggestthings arealways the

easiest to dobecause there isno competition.

-William Van Horne


COMMUNITIES OF WORSHIP

b

bb7:45 a.m Holy Eucharist Rite I, No Music

9:00 a.m. Family Service, Holy Eucharist Rite II11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II

5:00 p.m. Come as You Are ContemporaryService with Communion

The Rev. James Papile, RectorThe Rev. Jacqueline Thomson

The Rev. Denise Trogdon703-437-6530

www.stannes-reston.org1700 Wainwright Dr., Reston

ST. ANNE’SEPISCOPALCHURCH- Reston

Progressive & Welcoming

8:00 and 11:00 amSunday School: 9:30 am

From Page 7

Sunset Park Drive, Herndon. $19 adults, $16seniors and students. 703-481-5930 orwww.elderstreet.com.

‘The Trip to Bountiful.’ 2:30 p.m. at the RestonCommunity Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. Tickets are $15-$18, available atwww.rcp-tix.com or 703-476-4500 or at theReston Community Center ‘s box office. 703-

435-2707 or www.restonplayers.org.

MONDAY/FEB. 1Exhibit Opening: Harmony of Texture II. At

Reston Community Center Hunters Woods, 2310Colts Neck Road, Reston. The exhibit will runthrough Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays. 703-476-4500 ext. 3012.

Broadway Tunes at Herndon HighHerndon Broadway Cabaret 2010 presents ‘We Start Today’ on Thursday,Jan. 28 and Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Herndon High Schoolauditorium. This evening of Broadway show tunes is directed by Danaand Jim VanSlyke. Tickets are $10; 65 and older, 11 and younger $5.

Photo by Melanie Miller-Cvilikas

Calendar

By Veronica Garabelli

Capital News Service

Gov. Bob McDonnell’s (R) plan tocontinue using an educationfunding formula that takes

money from more affluent school dis-tricts and gives it to less affluent oneshas so upset Fairfax County supervisorsthat they are considering legal action.

“This is really a cut-and-dried issue,”said Supervisor Jeffrey C. McKay (D-Lee). “It’s outright discrimination againstNorthern Virginia.”

McDonnell’s decision will cut $61 mil-lion from the Fairfax County PublicSchools’ budget, said Paul Regnier, aspokesman for the school district.

According to the school system’s Website, Fairfax County’s school budget forthe 2010 fiscal year is $2.2 billion, sothe funding cut amounts to 3 percent ofthe budget. Regnier said that could meanlarger class sizes, the elimination of full-day kindergartens or the curtailment offoreign language emergence services.

McDonnell’s office confirmed Friday,Jan. 22, that he would uphold the use ofthe school funding formula proposed inDecember by then-Gov. Tim Kaine (D).

Details will be given to agency headsnext week, McDonnell’s press secretary,Stacey Johnson, said in an e-mail toCapital News Service.

Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) said he wasfurious when he heard the formulawould be frozen at the level set by Kaine.

Petersen noted that because the realestate market had fallen in Northern Vir-ginia, Fairfax, Prince William andLoudoun counties received lower scoreson the scale than they had in the past.

Ordinarily, the lower scores would haveresulted in more money from the statefor basic education.

“Now, thanks to the plan that was putforward by Gov. Kaine, the rules are be-ing changed on us,” Petersen said.

On Jan. 12, the Fairfax County Boardof Supervisors voted 10-0 to look intolegal action if the McDonnell adminis-tration upheld the freeze in the schoolfunding formula.

The formula is called the Local Com-posite Index, or LCI. It determines whichlocalities can pay the most for basic kin-dergarten-through-12th-grade educa-tion and which ones cannot. It is calcu-lated using adjusted gross income, tax-able retail sales and true value of realproperty.

This year, Fairfax’s score went from .76to .71; Loudoun fell from .67 to .58 andPrince William dipped from .44 to .40.

That should have meant more moneyfor those school districts. However, Kaine— and now McDonnell — decided tofreeze the formula at the previous scores.

That decision will please some locali-ties, such as Russell County, in the south-west corner of Virginia.

Dr. Lorraine C. Turner, superintendentfor the Russell County Public Schools,said her school district would benefitfrom the LCI freeze.

“If it’s frozen at last year’s rate, thestate will give us more money, as op-posed to asking the locality to pay forit,” Turner said.

In December, Kaine proposed freezingthe LCI until the 2012 fiscal year. He saidthis would help protect 97 school divi-sions that would lose money if the for-mula were re-calculated.

Photo by Veronica Garabelli/ Capital News Service

Del. Mark Keam (D-35), center, at the General Assembly session.

School Funding FormulaAngers Fairfax Delegates

News

‘Legal action’ under consideration.

Now!Thousandsof picturesof sports,gradua-tions,currenteventsand more—neverpublished,but postedon theWeb. Freefor evalua-tion, avail-able forprints.

ConnectionNewspapers.com

Click on“Photo Gallery”

PhotoGalleries


If you do notget TheHerndonConnectiondelivered toyour home…

FIRSTCLASSMAILEDSUBSCRIP-TIONSare now avail-able for thefirst time withtimely postalcarrier deliv-ery: $30 forsix months.Help us meetthe costs of pro-viding first-rate communityjournalism onnewsprint toyour house-hold.

Call 703-778-9426 (or -9427)

or e-mailcirculation@

connectionnewspapers.com

state budget takes priorityconnectionarchives.com/pdf/2010/012710/herndon.pdfhot licks-wings &...

Documents