Arlington Magazine November/December 2020

Arlington Magazine ■ ArlingtonMagazine.com ■ November/December 2020

LIVES CHANGED

BY COVID

TOP DENTISTS

RETRO-INDUSTRIAL HOME DESIGN

WINTER STARGAZING SPOTS

November/December 2020 $3.95

Race and Rebuilding Facing the hard truths about Arlington’s Black/White divide

ArlingtonMagazine.com

Activist WHYTNI KERNODLE at the segregation wall that once separated Black and White neighborhoods in Arlington

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Vol. 10, Issue 6 November/December 2020

CONTENTS n FEATURES COMMUNITY

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Race and Rebuilding

Arlington is a progressive place, yet its schools, neighborhoods and police records tell a different story about race. Six community advocates weigh in on our level of “wokeness.”

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Ripple Effects

You don’t have to be infected with Covid-19 to be forever altered by it.

These local residents didn’t get sick, but the pandemic has been lifechanging for them.

HOME

Vintage Vibe

Retro-industrial artifacts and modern furnishings transform a bland townhouse into something special.

HEALTH

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Top Dentists

Looking for an outstanding oral surgeon, dentist or orthodontist? Here are our area’s most respected dental health experts, as nominated by their professional peers.

ON THE COVER: Attorney and activist Whytni Kernodle at the remains of the Arlington segregation wall that once separated historically Black Halls Hill from the White neighborhood of WaycroftWoodlawn. Photo by Matt Mendelsohn.

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

PHOTO BY ROBERT RADIFERA; STYLING BY CHARLOTTE SAFAVI / STYLISH PRODUCTIONS

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Blair and Josh Holmes, with their new baby boy, and his big brother.

GIVE together.

“It’s comforting that even in times of great challenge, we can rely on VHC to save lives, enhance lives, and in our case, deliver a new life to our community.”

—Blair Holmes, who delivered her baby in April 2020 Even during a global pandemic, families like the Holmes are bringing new life into the world in a safe and calming environment. At Virginia Hospital Center we are proud of our doctors, nurses and staff, who work tirelessly to exceed expectations while keeping you safe. With the power of community, we can do even more. To support Virginia Hospital Center and help us continue to improve the health of our community, visit vhcfoundation.com/give.

Vol. 10, Issue 6 November/December 2020

CONTENTS 103 114

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Wild Tiger does barbecue with Asian flavors. Our dining critic rethinks the obligatory pumpkin-spice latte.

Letter from the Publisher

10 Contributors 12 Around Town Celebrate the season with virtual holiday performances and a new take on Arlington’s Thanksgiving Turkey Trot tradition.

18 Good Stuff Hip-hop for cello, the power of hummus and a half marathon with a social justice agenda.

29 Familiar Faces Pastor Glen Evans would rather be in Honduras, where roughly half the population lives in poverty.

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34 My Life For years, her eating disorder provided a false sense of control. The pandemic has presented a whole new set of uncontrollable unknowns.

85 Great Spaces This great room ceiling takes exquisite carpentry to new heights.

114 Driving Range Crisp winter skies offer optimal stargazing.

Bundle up and road-trip to these scenic spots, away from the urban glare.

120 Back Story Is it a dragonfly or a drone? If you’re near CIA headquarters in Langley, you can’t be too sure.

86 Prime Numbers

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

The area’s most expensive home sales, and real-estate trends by ZIP code.

21 Attorneys

103 Style Counsel Time to shop local. Try dazzling floral arrangements for your holiday table and artisanal soaps with an eco-mission.

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

37 Physicians 75 Dentists 92 Kitchen & Bath Showcase 108 Private Schools

BRIAN OH (FOOD); HERMON BLACK (FLOWERS); GETTY IMAGES (STARGAZING)

n DEPARTMENTS 8

106 Home Plate

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letter from the publisher

Uneven Playing Field WHEN I WAS A KID growing up on the Main Line, a collection of affluent, leafy towns just to the west and north of Philadelphia, I never questioned why we didn’t have any Black neighbors. During my school years, I had a few Black friends, but most of my classmates were White. My Black friends came to our house on occasion, but I don’t recall visiting their homes. I knew that most of the Black families lived in a handful of neighborhoods where the homes were modest by comparison.

This never seemed strange to me. I don’t recall asking my parents why there were so few Black people around, why they lived in the same confined areas or why their houses were so much smaller than ours. In hindsight, I was an oblivious White kid, and my lack of curiosity about obvious racial disparities was shared by my White peers.

I moved to Arlington in 1991. Arlington is a much more diverse and progressive place than my hometown. And yet, when I walk around my neighborhood here, I still don’t see many Black faces.

When I move in professional circles, I mainly see White faces. Granted, only about 10% of Arlington’s population is Black, but it’s close to 0% where I live and only slightly better among my business contacts. Why is that?

By now, especially with the recent (and overdue) attention placed on race and equity, many of us have learned about redlining, restrictive neighborhood covenants and other racist policies that for decades kept Black people out of White neighborhoods. These policies represent only a handful of the myriad ways an uneven playing field was created that favors Whites and disadvantages Black and brown people.

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November/December 2020 ■ ArlingtonMagazine.com

Our cover story, “Race and Rebuilding,” provides examples of what systemic racism looks like in Arlington, past and present. It includes insights from six local leaders with deep expertise on the effects of systemic racism and the importance of anti-racism, allyship and other concepts that need to be embraced in order for us, as a community, to make actual progress toward achieving equity.

I hope you find our November/December issue informative, thought-provoking and helpful.

Tackling difficult, complex topics like structural racism isn’t an easy task for a local publication, but we are committed to covering important topics that we believe are of interest to the community.

This has been a tough year for many local businesses. Arlington Magazine is no exception—our numbers are down too. However, I am pleased and grateful to report that most of our advertising clients have stuck with us so far, and I am hopeful this trend will continue with our January/February issue and beyond.

Thank you for reading Arlington Magazine and supporting us during an unprecedented time. We love what we do and are honored to do it. As always, I can be reached at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmagazine. com and our editor, Jenny Sullivan, can be reached at jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine.com.

Greg Hamilton Publisher

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contributors MAGAZINE PUBLISHER & PARTNER

Greg Hamilton PARTNER

Steve Hull EDITOR

Jenny Sullivan ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Susan Hull

ART DIRECTOR

Laura Goode DESIGNER

Kari Mason WEB PRODUCER

Erin Roby

DINING CRITIC

Sydney Johnson

LIVES IN: Charlottesville (born and raised

LIVES IN: Lyon Park

in Washington, D.C.) IN THIS ISSUE: Photographed the

stunning industrial-chic townhome designed by Carrie Miller (Lapis Ray Interiors) in “Vintage Vibe.”

ART HISTORY: “My father was a banker and had a great job lined up for me after college. I was an economics major. After spending a year abroad in Paris, I called home to tell my parents I wanted to be an art major. Once the shock wore off, they were very supportive.”

IN THIS ISSUE: Writes about good people

doing good things in “Good Stuff.”

CONVERSATION STARTER: Johnson also

wrote the very first essay (“The Reason I March”) for our online essay series on Race & Equity. Read her piece and others at arlingtonmagazine.com.

PANDEMIC LIFE: “This year has been

COPY EDITOR

Sandy Fleishman WRITERS

Mike M. Ahlers, Matt Blitz, Lisa Kaplan Gordon, Sydney Johnson, Rachael Keeney, Amanda Long, Kim O’Connell, Rina Rapuano, Jennifer Sergent, Adrienne Wichard-Edds PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Stephanie Bragg, Heather Fuentes, Gertie Gebre Photography, Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Dennis Govoni, Lisa Helfert, Darren Higgins, Bill Ingalls, Issa Kaddissi, Chris Langford, Tony J. Lewis, Ernesto Maldonado, Carl Maynard, Matt Mendelsohn, Misganaw Mengiste, John Messner, Namsrai Photography, Brian Oh, Robert Radifera, Charlotte Safavi, Hillary Schwab, Tell Chronicles, Joseph Tran, Michael Ventura, Dixie Vereen

A GREAT PHOTO STARTS WITH: “Design and lighting. But the beauty is in the details. It takes a lot of work to make an image look natural and not staged.”

rough, but I always try to see the positive.

I live with my family, and I’m thankful for the extra time with them. My mom has been battling cancer and it’s been nice not having to leave her home alone while she recovers. I’ve also been writing and working out quite a bit, after barely doing anything the first month of quarantine.”

WORLD VIEW: “My parents immigrated to

ON A MISSION: “Every time I write, I

Leigh McDonald

the U.S. from Jamaica and Madagascar.

When I was a child, we traveled to their home countries each year to visit family.

That experience instilled in me a love of other cultures and trying new things.”

hope to help at least one reader feel seen and/or empowered. This summer, Cosmopolitan published an essay I wrote about identity. I wrote it because it was something I would have liked to have read in a major magazine when I was younger. It’s important that everyone is represented in the media.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

CURRENT PROJECT: “My wife and I recently moved into a new home with quite a few unfinished rooms. Every time I come back from a photo shoot, I tell her we need to hire whichever designer I’ve just spent the day working with. I guess my design style is an eclectic work in progress. I have been known to buy props from the designer after a shoot is over!”

ONLINE: stylishproductions.net; radifera.com

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AN AWAKENING: “Arlington is known for

being progressive, but racism is present everywhere—even in our backyards. It’s great that people are waking up to that.

Now everyone needs to stay awake. Going back to ‘normal’ is not an option.”

ONLINE: sydneyalana.com

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Traci Ball, Alison York FINANCE MANAGER

Jill Trone

AD PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Meghan K. Murphy

MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Onecia Ribeiro

Arlington Magazine is published six times a year

by Greenbrier Media LLC © 2020 1319 N. Greenbrier St., Arlington, VA 22205 Subscription price: $19.95 To subscribe: Fill out the card between pages 64 and 65, or visit arlingtonmagazine.com.

For advertising information: Call 703-534-0519 or visit arlingtonmagazine.com.

Letters to the Editor: We want to hear from you.

Please email jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine.com.

How to contact us: Editorial: editorial@arlingtonmagazine.com Subscriptions: customerservice@arlingtonmagazine.com Advertising: advertising@arlingtonmagazine.com Website: website@arlingtonmagazine.com Arlington Magazine/ArlingtonMagazine.com 1319 N. Greenbrier St., Arlington, VA 22205 Phone: 703-534-0519

COURTESY PHOTOS

Robert Radifera

David Hagedorn

AROUND TOWN

By Rachael Keeney

HOLIDAY MAGIC NOV. 11-JAN. 3, 5:30-10 P.M.

ART THROUGH NOV. 14

Sculpture NOW 2020* McLean Project for the Arts This juried virtual exhibit features 3D mixed-media pieces by more than 50 members of the Washington Sculptors Group. Free. mpaart.org THROUGH DEC. 13

Lynda Andrews-Barry: Passage Arlington Arts Center The 26 nautical sculptures currently occupying the AAC lawn represent the ships that carried more than 12 million enslaved Africans—among them, artist

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Lynda Andrews-Barry’s ancestors—across the ocean to the mid-Atlantic. 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, arlingtonartscenter.org NOV. 6-28

Women’s Right to Vote: 100 Years Since the 19th Amendment Del Ray Artisans Gallery Students and artists commemorate the centennial of women’s suffrage with works depicting the many rights women have fought for over the years. Gallery hours Thursday and Friday, noon-6 p.m., and Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Entry is free. See website for Covid-19 policies. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, delrayartisans.org

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens normally attracts 75,000-80,000 visitors this time of year, so competition will be tight for the limited number of timed tickets available in 2020. Reservations with designated entry times will prevent crowding throughout the walkable half-mile outdoor light display, which will be open every evening—including on holidays. $8-$17. 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna, novaparks.com

DENNIS GOVONI

Editor’s Note: At press time the following events were still moving ahead as scheduled. Check the latest status before you go. An asterisk (*) indicates that the event is all or partially online.

Meadowlark Winter Walk of Lights

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DEC. 4-20

25th Annual Fine Art & Fine Craft Holiday Market Del Ray Artisans Gallery Don your mask, maintain your distance— only 10 people are allowed in at one time—and shop for holiday gifts made by local artisans, from jewelry and pottery to cookbooks and upcycled totes. Gallery hours Friday, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is free. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, delrayartisans.org

MUSIC DEC. 12, 7:30 P.M.

National Chamber Ensemble Holiday Celebration* Join NCE for a virtual concert featuring classical masterpieces and holiday favorites, plus performances by winning pianists in the ensemble’s Outstanding Young Artist Awards. The show will conclude with a carols sing-along.

Tickets $36 (adults) or $18 (students). nationalchamberensemble.org

DEC. 5-6

McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival* As it turns out, a virtual arts and crafts festival offers added benefits—like a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process that led to that perfect gift for your friend or family member. Learn how local artists bring their ideas to fruition and shop online for fashion accessories, skin care products, artisan foods, soaps and décor, which you can purchase directly from the makers. mcleancenter.org

PERFORMING ARTS THROUGH NOV. 8

Joy* Synetic Theater Joy is not a passive experience; it must be pursued. In this Zoom performance conceived and adapted by Christopher Rushing, Synetic actors Vato Tsikurishvili

and Maria Simpkins take viewers on an autobiographical journey of discovery as each seeks to find joy in their lives during a time of collective darkness. Single and household tickets available. See website for prices and show times. synetictheater.org NOV. 13-14, 7:30 P.M.

Paula Poundstone The Birchmere Need to laugh? Poundstone, a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me! and host of the Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone podcast, will deliver. If you can’t make it in person to this limited capacity show, the comedian also has free videos— tips appreciated—posted on her website, paulapoundstone.com. $55. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, birchmere.com DEC. 1-31

Festival: A Winter Holiday Celebration!* Synetic Theater Overseas travel is pretty much on hold, but one can dream. Synetic Theater’s holidaythemed online family series will help fill

TR I VI STA U SA . C O M

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

P.

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the void by depicting holidays around the world—the colors, traditions and rituals—through the eyes of a child. See website for show times and ticket prices. synetictheater.org

AUTHORS & BOOKS THROUGH NOVEMBER

MOUNT VERNON LADIES’ ASSOCIATION

Fall for the Book Festival* In lieu of the usual in-person festival comes an extended online extravaganza.

Vienna’s Bards Alley is sponsoring a virtual author talk starring Donna Hemans (Tea by the Sea) and Kelli Jo Ford (Crooked Hallelujah) on Nov. 6 from noon-1 p.m.

In Arlington, One More Page Books will host two author talks: One for young adults with Lori Goldstein (Sources Say), Christina June (No Place Like Here), Miranda Kenneally (Four Days of You and Me) and Carmen Rodrigues (The Universal Laws of Marco) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10; and

WINTER FIREWORKS DEC. 18-19, 5:30-8:30 P.M.

Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon

Why wait until the new year to take in a fireworks show—especially when you can behold a display choreographed to holiday music? Dress warm (and wear your mask) to see this annual spectacle over the Potomac River. $20-$22. George Washington’s Historic Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, mountvernon.org

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ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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another on Nov. 17 at noon starring Sasha Abramsky (Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod, the World’s First Female Sports Superstar), Seth Berkman (A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History) and Tom Wolf (The Called Shot: Babe Ruth, the Chicago Cubs, & the Unforgettable Major League Baseball Season of 1932). Free. fallforthebook.org; onemorepagebooks.com NOV. 9, 7 P.M.

Book Talk with Author Sarah MacLean: Daring and the Duke* Best-selling author Sarah MacLean will join Arlington Public Library on Zoom to discuss her latest historical romance novel, Daring and the Duke. This is her third installment in the Bareknuckle Bastards series, which has been translated into more than 20 languages. Free. arlingtonva.libcal.com NOV. 14, 3 P.M.

Writing a Book During a Pandemic* Has all this downtime got you thinking that

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maybe now is the moment to cross “write a book” off your bucket list? Hear about the writing life from E.A. Aymar (aka E.A. Barres), author of the soon-to-be-launched They’re Gone; Jenny Milchman (The Second Mother); and Hank Phillippi Ryan (The First to Lie). Free. onemorepagebooks.com

SEASONAL NOV. 21, 9 A.M.-1 P.M.

6th Annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K & Family Fun Day* Knights of Columbus Support pediatric and maternal health care services for women and infants in need with a 5K run paired with kids’ entertainment. An in-person race will take place—with masks and waved starts— on Nov. 21, but those who would prefer to run on their own can also participate virtually, all while competing for accolades in categories such as “craziest outfit,” “most elevation gained,” “most dogs run

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

with” and more. In place of the usual bounce house and petting zoo, this year’s fundraiser will feature a scavenger hunt that restarts with new clues at the beginning of each month and lasts through Jan. 2. $22.50-$45. 5115 Little Falls Road, Arlington, jenniferbushlawsonfoundation.org NOV. 25-DEC. 1

Arlington Turkey Trot* In normal times, this blockbuster Thanksgiving Day fundraiser draws more than 4,000 runners—which is exactly why, to keep people safe, the in-person race can’t happen this year. Instead, the 15th annual 5K will take place virtually, allowing participants to complete their runs on their own time over a period of seven days. Maps of the 5K course can be found online, and some runners will be recorded via drone. $40 (adults); $20 (kids ages 6-17). arlingtonvaturkeytrot.org Got a calendar event we should know about? Submit it to editorial@ arlingtonmagazine.com

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good stuff

n by Sydney Johnson

To Beirut, With Love After a deadly explosion rocked Beirut in August, the owners of Lebanese Taverna needed a day to feel what they felt—fear, sadness, shock—and to get in touch with family members in the capital city, who thankfully were not physically harmed.

The next day, the local restaurateurs set up a GoFundMe page that within days raised $30,000 for Red Cross humanitarian aid in their native land. They also committed to donating $1 of every hummus order to relief efforts in Lebanon orchestrated by chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen. By the end of August, the restaurant (which has 13 eateries and markets in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland) had raised and contributed more than $100,000.

Co-owner Dany Abi-Najm, who runs the family business with his four siblings, traveled to Beirut with Andrés to deliver supplies and food to those displaced by the explosion.

His sister, Grace Abi-Najm Shea, describes the response as a fullcircle moment for their family, which fled Lebanon in 1976 and settled in Arlington. Three years later, her parents opened the first Lebanese Taverna in Westover. Shea says she and her family have always seen themselves as ambassadors of Lebanon’s culture and food.

“It makes me even more grateful for my dad, who thought to bring us here for a better life because of the instability [in Lebanon],” Shea says. “We came here with nothing and we built something. Now we’re very, very thankful for all the success we’ve had.”

And they are giving back. lebanesetaverna.com

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

Fresh fruits and vegetables can be hard to come by in neighborhoods without access to grocery stores, often referred to as “food deserts.” That’s partly what prompted South Block founder Amir Mostafavi last fall to create Fruitful Planet, a nonprofit that provides fresh produce to underprivileged communities. The spinoff was, shall we say, low-hanging fruit for the entrepreneur, whose cold-pressed juice bars (now numbering 10 in Virginia and the District) already had the necessary supply channels set up.

Fruitful Planet started distributing produce last winter. When the coronavirus arrived in the D.C. area, food insecurity spiked and demand for the nonprofit’s offerings accelerated. As of Sept. 1, the organization had contributed nearly 33,000 pounds of fresh fruits and veggies to food distribution efforts run by Arlington Public Schools, the Arlington Food Assistance Center and DC Central Kitchen, among others.

Customers who frequent South Block are part of the equation.

The juice bar’s “Juice It Forward” campaign contributes 5% of all juice sales to Fruitful Planet. By year’s end, Mostafavi estimates, Fruitful Planet will have raised roughly $100,000 (via juice sales, local grants and direct donations) in support of its vitaminpacked mission. fruitfulplanet.org

COURTESY PHOTOS

A Fruitful Venture

Fitness trainer Eric Bolden at Black Lives Matter Plaza in D.C.

CARL MAYNARD (BOLDEN)

Racing Against Racism George Floyd’s murder in late May sparked nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality.

It also gave rise to a fitness initiative called Run Against Racism, in which coaches and members of MADabolic, a fitness studio with franchise locations in Clarendon and D.C., trained for a virtual half marathon and had others pledge money for their total miles run.

During the lead-up to the August race, MADabolic Arlington general manager Eric Bolden and

his team led weekly conditioning sessions, along with pre-workout group discussions about racial injustice (topics included redlining and mass incarceration) to get participants thinking about why they were running.

“We wanted to use what we know best—which is health and wellness—to create a vehicle to get people engaged,” Bolden says.

Within three months, the group secured more than $46,000 in pledges from 576 donors—more

than doubling its initial fundraising goal of $20,000. In August, 75 runners completed their half marathons. One MADabolic coach, Tricia Thompson, ran 13.1 miles every day of race week, logging more than 90 miles.

Proceeds from the fundraiser were evenly distributed among Black Lives Matter, the American Civil Liberties Union, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the Equal Justice Initiative. madabolic.com

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good stuff

Bowed Over Andrew Savoia started playing the cello at age 9.

This summer, the 24-year-old Ballston resident took social media by storm, posting TikTok videos of himself (@savoiboi) performing instrumental covers of modern pop songs. His first few viral videos included covers of “Come Get Her” by the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, “Roses” by rapper SAINt JHN and “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd.

Savoia says he chooses songs with melodies he likes and then determines the cello notes by ear, using his instrument to mimic the human voice.

“It’s like my way of singing,” he explains. “I feel like I can create my own voice through the instrument.”

One of his earlier TikTok debuts—a rendition of “Supalonely” by Benee—was filmed on the rooftop of an Arlington condo building with views of the Washington Monument in the distance.

D.C.’s Navy Yard and Virginia Tech (his alma

Savoia filming a video at Ballston Quarter

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

mater) have served as backdrops for other short takes.

TikTok, he says, has allowed him to share his passion for classical music with other young artists—some of whom have sought him out to collaborate on side-by-side videos with the added elements of piano, violin and dance.

“For me, playing the cello is just about having fun and I want people to have fun,” says the musician who, by day, works as a medical scribe for OrthoVirginia. (He is also considering medical school.)

Once large gatherings are deemed safe, Savoia hopes to perform a live outdoor concert. But for now, he’s sticking with recorded music for people to enjoy during the pandemic.

“I think music has a way of bringing people together,” he says, “and it’s been inspiring to see people come together, even though we’re separated right now.” n

MISGANAW MENGISTE (TOP); COURTESY OF ANDREW SAVOIA (LEFT)

Local cellist Andrew Savoia

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TONY J. LEWIS

Profiles

Arlington Law Group See Profile page 27 ArlingtonMagazine.com â– November/December 2020

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PROFILES

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ATTORNEYS

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

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PROFILES

ATTORNEYS

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C. Practice Areas: - Land Use & Zoning - Real Estate Transactions - Litigation - Business Transactions - Eminent Domain - Estate Planning & Administration 2200 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 1300 Arlington, VA 22201 703-528-4700 mgoetzman@thelandlawyers.com www.thelandlawyers.com

From Top Left:

Land Use & Zoning Robert D. Brant, Associate Attorney Nicholas V. Cumings, Associate Attorney Andrew A. Painter, Shareholder M. Catharine Puskar, Shareholder Lauren G. Riley, Associate Attorney Lynne J. Strobel, Shareholder Kathryn R. Taylor, Associate Attorney Martin D. “Art” Walsh, Of Counsel Nan E. Walsh, Of Counsel

COURTESY PHOTOS

Real Estate Transactions Timothy J. Clewell, Associate Attorney Thomas J. Colucci, Shareholder H. Mark Goetzman, Managing Shareholder Michael R. Kieffer, Shareholder Antonia E. Miller, Shareholder Kathleen Harney Smith, Shareholder Susan L. Truskey, Associate Attorney Alysia M. Yi, Associate Attorney Other Practice Areas Wendy A. Alexander, Shareholder, Litigation and Business Transactions Charles E. McWilliams, Jr., Shareholder, Estate Planning and Business Transactions Garth M. Wainman, Shareholder, Litigation and Business Transactions

Q: What particular expertise can you offer clients in the Arlington community?

A: Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C., is a mid-size law firm with a focus on land use and zoning, commercial real estate law, civil litigation, and real estate transactions. Since 1983, we have successfully worked with all types of organizations and represented landowners and developers in their business activities. Our attorneys and planners include some of the region’s foremost legal and planning talent. Many of them have spent their entire careers in the Northern Virginia community and are deeply involved in the civic and political organizations that make up the fabric of our region. The firm’s established and proven relationships with city, town and county authorities, together with an intimate knowledge of the region, help our clients achieve their objectives. Our commitment to the communities in which we practice

also extends to our support and contributions to charitable and related causes, including the arts, health care, education and youth activities.

Q: What is your secret to client satisfaction?

A: We pride ourselves on building long-term relationships with our clients and creating mutual satisfaction in all our undertakings on their behalf. We view our role as helping clients add significant value to their assets while also benefiting the communities in which they are located. Our firm’s dynamic environment promotes exceptional service and communication, as shareholders, associates, planners and staff work side-by-side to better serve our clients. This collaborative atmosphere allows us to consistently deliver high-quality services to our clients.

ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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PROFILES

ATTORNEYS

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Carolyn Abbate GRENADIER, DUFFETT, LEVI, WINKLER & RUBIN, P.C. Specialties: Divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, property distribution, the negotiation of both premarital and post-marital agreements, and the drafting of qualified domestic relations orders.

649 S. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-683-9000 | contact@vafamilylaw.com www.vafamilylaw.com

A: The use of technology has expanded exponentially. I keep abreast of the latest changes in technology and the law in order to advise clients on best practices for storing their own data, and also to gain access to relevant information to assist in negotiating and litigating my clients’ cases. An attorney must understand current technology in order to assist clients with their domestic issues.

STEPHANIE BRAGG

Q: What is the most significant change in the industry during your career?

Deborah A. Wilson LAW OFFICE OF DEBORAH A. WILSON Mosby Tower 10560 Main St., Suite 203, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 703-359-0070 www.deborahawilsonlaw.com

A: Having practiced family law for more than 30 years, I have a keen understanding of the legal process. I care about the people I serve, and I try to educate them so they can make informed decisions about their future. When clients have an understanding of the law, it becomes a powerful tool in helping them manage expectations. For example, if a loving father fears losing access to a child or a devoted mother is anxious about having sufficient financial support to sustain the family, their lawyer must give a realistic appraisal of what can be done to fix their situation. Knowing how to listen is just as important as solving the problem. I am a great listener.

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

JOSEPH TRAN

Q: What is the one thing that your clients should know about you?

PROFILES

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ATTORNEYS

Family Law Practice From Top Left:

Christian Lapham Emily Nerino James Korman Jennifer McCammon Jill Seiferth Lynn Hawkins Michelle Bieber

Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C. ATTORNEYS AT LAW Awards/Honors: Arlington Magazine Top Attorneys, 2019 Arlington Magazine Best Family Law Practice, 2018 Leadership Arlington Ethics Award, 2015 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Green Business of the Year

COURTESY PHOTOS

2311 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 703-525-4000 info@beankinney.com beankinney.com

Q: How are you handling matters during COVID-19?

A: The pandemic presents new challenges for families, and for the family law practices that serve them. We have adapted our practice to these challenging times. We are meeting with clients virtually and have mastered all aspects of our practice in this new virtual world, inside and outside the courtroom. At the same time, we are focused on ensuring the same level of excellent client service that we have always provided, even if in a more remote world.

Q: What is it like working with you as my family law attorney?

A: We start by listening to you, understanding your family’s needs and gearing our work to your family. We understand the complexity of family law matters and the emotional and often stressful toll it takes on our clients.

We can help you navigate the path to achieving your desired results. We work

alongside you to find the best approach, whether through negotiation, mediation or litigation. Our personal concern for clients is a hallmark of the firm.

Q: What makes Bean, Kinney & Korman unique?

A: In addition to our client-focused approach, our firm is full-service and multi-disciplinary. Our family law attorneys have immediate access to other practices with business, real estate, tax and estate planning expertise. We bring to each case the perspective and intuitive thinking characteristic of a multidisciplinary practice, and we will work with you to develop solutions that you are comfortable with and have the best chance to achieve your goals.

ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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ATTORNEYS

Mullett Dove Meacham & Bradley, PLLC FROM TOP LEFT, CLOCKWISE: JENNIFER A. MULLETT, PARTNER LAURA C. DOVE, PARTNER JENNIFER A. BRADLEY, PARTNER AUGUSTA L. MEACHAM, PARTNER Honors/Awards: Best Lawyers™; Best Law Firms™; Washingtonian Top Lawyers; Super Lawyers™; Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion; Arlington Magazine, Best Lawyers; Northern Virginia Top Lawyers Three Ballston Plaza 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1100 Arlington, VA 22201 703-522-8100 info@mdmblaw.com www.mdmblaw.com

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Q: How has the pandemic impacted the work you do on behalf of your clients?

making decisions before marriage, ending a marriage, or dealing with custody and parental rights issues.

A: The coronavirus pandemic has presented challenging circumstances for the court system. Local circuit courts have begun allowing attorneys to appear telephonically or via webcam to conduct hearings and trials. Our firm has prioritized implementing all virtual meeting applications being used by the courts and has effectively transitioned our conference rooms to accommodate virtual evidentiary hearings, mediations and judicial argument, both at the trial court and appellate levels.

What remains unchanged is that it still takes a serious, dedicated team to protect your rights and assets when dealing with marriage and divorce matters. Mullett Dove Meacham & Bradley’s attorneys provide comprehensive and effective service across a breadth of divorce law and family law related matters, whether

Q: What is your key to ensuring client satisfaction?

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

A: Client communication is a priority at MDMB. We ensure that our clients are involved in developing a strategy for reaching the best resolution in their unique circumstance.

Here is what some of MDMB’s satisfied clients have to say: • “Top-notch representation. Stuck to the relevant points, worked for a quick resolution, and kept me abreast of every step as we reached a favorable conclusion.”

• “A class act. Competent, smart and tough when needed—yet unfailingly respectful and professional to everyone involved.”

• “I have recommended MDMB to my friends, which I think is the litmus test of their competency.”

HILLARY SCHWAB

PROFILES

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PROFILES

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Arlington Law Group RYAN A. BROWN, ESQ. Awards/Honors: Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, Estate Planning & Probate, 2016 – 2020; Arlington Magazine Top Attorneys, Business/Corporate, Employment, Nonprofit, Tax, Trusts & Estates, 2019; Northern Virginia Magazine Top Lawyer, Financial Law, 2019; Leadership Center for Excellence, “40 Under 40” Recipient, 2018; Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, George Mason University School of Law, 2006 1739 Clarendon Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22209 703-842-3025 clients@arlingtonlawgroup.com www.arlingtonlawgroup.com

Q: How have you and Arlington Law Group worked

to strengthen our Arlington community?

A: I moved to Arlington in 2002 and, after finishing law school at George Mason University, I founded Arlington Law Group in 2007. My wife and I have four children who attend Arlington public schools, and I have the privilege of working each day with my team of dedicated attorneys and paralegals at Arlington Law Group. Arlington has nurtured my family and my business, and each day I work to give back to this amazing community.

This year has been difficult for everyone as we deal with the coronavirus, economic decline, and racial and political tensions. I am most proud of my volunteer leadership work at the Salvation Army, Mount Olivet United Methodist Church and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce – three of the many amazing organizations that support Arlington residents and businesses. When organizations, government and citizens work together to care for every individual, the whole community benefits.

TONY J. LEWIS

Q: What types of clients do you serve?

A: Each day at Arlington Law Group, we help families with estate and tax planning as they care for their loved ones and plan for the future. We support our small business owners as they create jobs and navigate protecting their employees and clients during the pandemic. We work with non-profits to create opportunities for individuals and businesses in Arlington and beyond.

Let us know how we can help you care for your family, start or grow your business, or support your community organization. We look forward to working with you.

ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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PROFILES

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Dennis, Stewart & Krischer, PLLC HARRY A. DENNIS III, ANDREW M. STEWART AND ADAM M. KRISCHER Dennis, Stewart & Krischer, PLLC was founded in 2010.

Partners Harry Dennis, Andrew Stewart and Adam Krischer, along with Senior Associate Rachael Gray, are available for consultation. Our attorneys are licensed in Virginia, the District of Columbia, the Eastern District of Virginia and the United States Supreme Court.

2007 N. 15th St., Suite 201 Arlington, VA 22201 703-248-0626 info@dskvalaw.com www.dskvalaw.com

Q: Why is it important to choose the right attorney?

A: Being accused of a crime can be stressful, confusing and even frightening. An attorney not only needs the skills to fight for you in court, but the time and ability to make sure you understand the process and the impact of the decisions made during the course of your representation.

A: Most criminal defense attorneys are solo practitioners. At DSK|Law you get an experienced team with over 70 years of combined legal experience handling a wide range of state and federal criminal cases from DUI to drug conspiracies to capital murder.

Our attorneys have practiced as Commonwealth’s Attorneys, civil practitioners and family lawyers, bringing a wealth of practical trial experience and a history of success. Our extensive experience in the courtroom provides us with the basis for effective plea negotiations and the ability to take the time to develop a personal and aggressive strategy to defend your rights and ensure you are informed at each step of the representation.

Criminal convictions may result in collateral consequences beyond incarceration such as loss of security clearance, termination from employment, loss of housing and immigration difficulties. At DSK|Law, we provide our clients with the resources necessary to address their individual needs and resolve their cases with the best possible result.

We are proud to be recognized by our peers as top criminal defense attorneys in Northern Virginia.

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

HEATHER FUENTES

Q: What sets DSK | Law apart from other law firms?

familiar faces

■ story and photo by Mike M. Ahlers

Teach a Man to Fish Amid the pandemic, Glen Evans is flying to one of the world’s poorest nations.

He has unfinished business there.

Glen Evans with Carmen, a student at the Honduras Independence Bilingual School

ON THE DAY his plans jerked to a stop—stilled by a global health crisis—Glen Evans found himself stuck in a place many only dream of. Surrounded by Amazon abundance and Costco convenience, he knew some of those around him would prosper in spite of the coronavirus, others would persevere, and even the hardest-hit would find the means to push on.

He was at home, in Arlington. But home was not where he wanted to be.

At 75, the long-retired pastor of Arlington’s Calvary United Methodist Church had been gearing up for his next trip to Honduras, where, according to the World Bank, roughly half of the people live below the poverty line.

For the past 20 years, the lanky, soft-spoken minister has served as a bridge between his affluent Virginia suburbs and a few desperately poor rural towns in the Central American nation. During that time, with the help of friends, neighbors and local

ArlingtonMagazine.com ■ November/December 2020

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n

familiar faces

Rotary clubs, he has built two schools, helped establish a handful of small businesses and lifted a growing number of people from poverty.

When Covid-19 arrived and the Honduran government took extreme measures to lock down the country, Evans worried those two decades of effort might be in jeopardy. He worries still.

Charity, the proverb goes, begins at home. In Evans’ case, it began when his house in Aurora Hills caught fire in September of 2000. The blaze was likely sparked by a faulty radio. Luckily, Evans and his wife, Karen, were away and no one was injured.

As their badly damaged home was being rebuilt, Evans befriended the laborers, many of whom hailed from Honduras. He found it disconcerting that most had become completely dis-

connected from their families—a circumstance the pastor knew could lead to drinking, drug abuse and divorce.

The workers could neither mail nor call their loved ones. Honduras does not have mail service, and their relatives had no phones.

So Evans came up with an idea. He would take video of the workers and personally travel to Honduras to share the videos with their families.

As he recorded the men, he noticed several inexplicably lifting their shirts.

He later learned they were showing their loved ones that there were no scars from bullet or knife wounds— that they had made it to the United States unharmed.

During his first trip to their homeland in early 2002, he found “unimagin­ able” hardship. “I have been involved

with the poor all of my adult life,” he says, “and I’d never seen poverty like I was seeing in Honduras.”

He recalls visiting dwellings that were barely recognizable as houses, with plastic sheets for walls and dirt floors. Some had no furniture—“not a chair, not a table, nothing,” he says.

Children slept on concrete slabs.

That first trip led to additional ones.

In 2003, Evans and his wife launched a nonprofit, Art for Humanity (artfor humanity.org), with the idea of helping Hondurans sell art and crafts in the U.S. The charity has morphed over time. Now it’s a conduit to two schools that Evans helped create in Honduras, along with a string of mom-and-pop businesses—among them, a paint store, nail salon, tailor, auto mechanic, bike repair shop and welding operation.

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familiar faces

■

Through all of the charity’s permutations, its mission has remained the same—to give people hope. Hondurans have a caste-system mentality, the pastor explains: “This is how I was born, and this is how I will die. That mentality is part of what keeps the poor in place— the lack of hope.”

He wants to change that. He’s an ardent advocate of the teach-a-manto-fish school of philanthropy, focusing on long-term solutions to poverty, not quick fixes.

During one of his earlier trips, Evans encountered a young woman on a bus and communicated with her using flash cards that he had concocted (at the time, he had yet to learn Spanish).

He sensed she had ambition. The two kept in touch, at first through a courier system and in-person visits, then

“When we get involved with a family… we help them get through grade school and high school and into college.” later by email. Evans mentored her through school and helped her open a child care business, which later evolved into a private school.

The Honduras Independence Bilingual School (HIBS) now teaches some 175 students in the rural town of Quimistán. Its students represent a cross section of the community. Some of the “richer” kids come from modest homes in town. Others—who are sponsored by Art for Humanity contributors—live in primitive doorless huts with mud floors. Sponsors pledge $35 a month to

pay a student’s monthly tuition, and that buys a lot of hope, Evans says, not only for the student, but for the whole family.

“A lot of charities I see… they’ll go in that day or that week to help somebody and then they’re gone,” he says.

“They serve sandwiches, and there’s nothing the matter with that, except the day after that sandwich the people are just as hungry as they were before.

We’re on the extreme opposite of that.

When we get involved with a family… we help them get through grade school and high school and into college.”

KARINA BELTRAN SREBROW Associate Broker/Co-Owner Karina is a North Arlington native and grew up with her mother’s love of real estate. She has been licensed since 2004, and in her first 2 years of selling real estate earned Top Producer status as well as membership in the elite 10+ Million Dollar Sales Club. She is also a member of the NVAR Lifetime Top Producer’s Club. She holds a B.A. degree from Dickinson College and a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University. She, her husband, and their 3 children reside in North Arlington.

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November/December 2020 ■ ArlingtonMagazine.com

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ARLINGTON — WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK Both of Evans’ schools have been closed during the pandemic, but have been delivering food and lessons to students at home, thanks to ongoing donations to Art for Humanity.

In late August the pastor finally returned to Honduras, carrying 50 pounds of donated pharmaceuticals, masks and protective gear for hospitals there. Upon arrival, he learned that nearly all of the HIBS staff had contracted and recovered from Covid.

Public misunderstanding about the virus has yielded some “foolish” efforts to control it, he says, such as the requirement that people disinfect the soles of their shoes and bike tires before entering stores and gas stations.

Pregnancy rates have spiked. At press time, Evans was planning a return trip in mid-October, armed with an additional 120 pounds of pharmaceuticals, including prenatal vitamins.

He knows his age makes him vulnerable to Covid-19. He says he intends to take precautions.

“If my overriding concern was safety, I probably never would have gone there in the first place,” he says.

Back in 2002, on the occasion of his first trip, Honduras had one of the highest homicide rates in the world.

“Even with the virus, I feel much safer than I did in the early years.”

Simply put, the need outweighs the dangers to a man whose life work has been ministering to people in need.

He says the global health crisis—and the response to it—has taught him a lot about human resilience.

“Hondurans find a reason to live, to get up in the morning and put one foot in front of the other,” Evans says. “People there face hardship and they’ll laugh about it. I have a lot to learn from them.” ■ Mike M. Ahlers is a writer and photographer based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

He has worked at The Journal Newspapers, WUSA-TV, CNN and CBS News.

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11/22/16 11:53 AM

my life

n by Amanda Long | photo by Lisa Helfert

The writer at home with her dog, Laser

Touch and Go My place of employment is open now, but I’m not there. None of the choices feel good.

“REST. TAKE A BREAK from running.

Try swimming. Listen to your body.”

The words flew out of my mouth, day after day, to my massage clients.

I wanted them to feel better, and so I helped interpret what their bodies were trying to tell them through the language of screaming hamstrings, stuck necks, twisted spines and unsteady feet.

And yet, I hadn’t got the message myself. I was not listening to my body. I was listening to my eating disorder—my loud, 27-year-old, quite-confident-in-

34

its-role-in-my-life eating disorder. And what it was telling me was to keep running, to lunch on Skittles, to avoid dinner parties, to stay firmly in the rut and to ignore the needs of my body. All day long, I asked people how they felt and I had no idea how I did.

Three years ago, a hamstring injury put me on the couch. It wasn’t even the worst of my overuse injuries, but it was the proverbial straw. Lying there, I couldn’t ignore the fact that my eating disorder had stopped working for me.

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

What began as a coping mechanism had become a way of life.

For a time, my eating disorder had given me this protective bubble—a feeling that as long I could control my body through restricting, purging and overexercise, I would be OK. What I realized, finally, is that I was powerless. The bubble was an isolation chamber, forcing me to live a lie. I was in pain, emotionally and physically.

My first step was putting my massage practice on hold. My next was checking into a residential eating disorder treatment center in November 2017.

In treatment, I learned a lot about my relationship with risk. When I met with the center’s doctor, she told me I’d almost had to be admitted to the hospital because my heart rate was so dangerously low. I had invested a lot of time in nurturing my eating disorder

because it made me feel safe. It could have killed me.

During the pandemic, I have learned much more. To live with an eating disorder is to ignore countless warning signs—aches, pains, lost teeth, lost friends, brittle hair, gastrointestinal issues, extreme mood swings, constant coldness—that you are hurting yourself. To live in the time of a pandemic requires heightened attention to those warning signs.

Recovery is about feeling all of your feelings, observing them and honoring them. There’s plenty to feel right now: anxious, stressed, stuck and frustrated by the lack of guidance. Scared about our health and the health of our families and businesses. Angry about injustice—and, for those of us who are White, conflicted, guilty and shameful about our role in that injustice.

At the same time, Covid has forced us to make some incredibly difficult decisions around risk. Should we go back to work? Do I go to this march?

Send kids to preschool? Visit elderly relatives? Take that road trip? Go to college? How will we even know if we’ve made the right choice for our own health and the health of others?

I initially chose to put my massage practice on hold on March 15. The state allowed massage practices to reopen on June 1. The clinic where I see my clients waited three weeks after that, taking the time to invest in and install new equipment, reconfigure the office, implement the most effective safety measures, and train and educate therapists.

I set my return date for July 1 and immediately felt better. I had a plan. I had protocols. I had numbers trending

downward. I had some sense of direction and purpose. I was ready to get back to showing people I care about them through my hands. I couldn’t wait to see my clients. But before I returned, I made myself a promise: I would listen to my body. I hadn’t spent the last three years getting healthier to stop paying attention to my gut.

At first, it felt great to be back. I had work to do inside the room—bodies twisted from work-from-home postures and caretaking duties and exhausted from carrying so much stress. We spent more time prescreening and communicating with clients, disinfecting and letting the rooms sit empty, with filters running and windows open between appointments. Clients and practitioners wore masks. We changed our protective gowns between clients. We ran a tight ship.

ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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n

my life

I had the best framework, and yet, as the weeks went on and numbers spiked, the headlines called for the need to shut everything down again and I felt unsteady. People were dying—including our dental surgeon and two family friends. My colleagues and I were doing everything we knew to minimize risk, and yet the risk was still there, asking me how I felt about it. I was starting to spend more time thinking about the unknowns. Not because of where I was, but because of who I am.

I am not someone who is good at uncertainty. My eating disorder had given me a sense of control, a false sense of safety, for most of my adult life. I have been in recovery for three years. I am still learning how to best assess risk and deal with the unknowns.

These variables, so specific to my experience, demand that I pay attention.

By late July, I began to question my decision to go back to work. How could I be a source of calm and healing if I was stressed out and rigid, overthinking everything? I thought about suspending my practice, but told myself to be patient and give myself time to get used to the new normal.

And then I broke my toe.

My body intervened. I stubbed my toe on a plastic dog bone wrapped up in a blanket. At 12:30 a.m., I literally tripped over myself.

I took a week off. When I returned to work, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was tripping over myself in that practice room, too. Was I taking care of myself? And if I wasn’t, how could I truly be taking care of others?

On Aug. 9, I saw my last client.

By the time this essay is published, I may be back to work as a massage

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BEFORE

therapist, because that is what it’s like now—expanding and contracting our massage practices, like an accordion.

Making a necessary decision doesn’t ensure feeling immediately great about it. I miss my clients. I feel guilty for leaving others to do what I couldn’t, and for quitting one job when so many are out of work.

I’m lucky. I have an employed spouse and a backup career as a writer. I had a fallback plan and I fell back.

Sometimes I just want to go back to the massage work, like calling up an old boyfriend after a breakup, just for the familiarity. But whenever I’m tempted, my body reminds me to listen to my gut and trust that I made the right decision for me, for the moment I’m in right now. n Amanda Long lives in Falls Church with her husband, Robert, and dog, Laser.

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PROFILES

Physicians Profiles

John Feigert, MD VIRGINIA CANCER SPECIALISTS Virginia Cancer Specialists has a world-class treatment team fighting cancer and diseases of the blood, offering access to the most current treatment protocols and treating the complete cancer continuum from prevention through survivorship. With nine locations in Northern Virginia, patients can access treatments with minimal disruption to their daily lives.

DARREN HIGGINS

1635 N. George Mason Drive, Suite 170 Arlington, VA 22205 703-894-3800 VirginiaCancerSpecialists.com

John Feigert, MD, chose to specialize in oncology because it was clear to him that oncology was an exciting field on the brink of many breakthroughs as scientists developed a greater understanding of genetics and immunology. New therapies are being introduced so frequently that oncologists like Dr. Feigert spend part of almost every evening reading medical journals. “Progress has been overwhelming,” says Dr. Feigert. “The advances in treatment over the past few years justify tremendous optimism. It is a great time to be treating cancer patients.”

With a love of teaching, Dr. Feigert has held several instructional positions throughout his career. After graduating from Harvard, he earned his medical degree from the Cornell University School of Medicine. He then spent a year as an instructor at the Cornell University Medical College and another as medical director of the Division of Oncology at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Feigert has served as a clinical assistant professor at Georgetown University Medical Center and at the Virginia Commonwealth University’s INOVA Fairfax campus.

Dr. Feigert joined Virginia Cancer Specialists for its prominence in research as well as patient care. He has two subspecialties: leukemia and lymphoma and genitourinary cancers, which are cancers of the urinary system of men and women and the reproductive organs in men.

He has been recognized as a top doctor in Northern Virginia Magazine and Washingtonian magazine. A member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology and the Arlington County Medical Society, he is actively involved in local tumor boards and supports international communities through participation with the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade, a volunteer organization that helps bring clean water and health care to Honduras.

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PHYSICIANS

Rhett Kent, MD FOREFRONT DERMATOLOGY ARLINGTON Telemedicine appointments are a convenient way to seek dermatologic care. Prior to the pandemic, many insurance plans didn’t cover it. Now, with widespread acceptance and coverage, people make appointments that fit their home, work and homeschooling schedules.

3833 Fairfax Drive, Suite 360 Arlington, VA 22203 571-363-4791 www.forefrontdermatology.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

At Forefront Dermatology, board-certified dermatologists and skin cancer treatment experts treat all diseases involving the skin, hair and nails. They diagnose and treat chronic and episodic skin conditions, clear up acne, and perform important skin cancer screenings. All age groups are welcome. Extensive cosmetic dermatology services are also available.

During the pandemic, people have been putting off all kinds of medical visits, from annual skin screenings to significant problems that have arisen.

For dermatological care, the Forefront practice has maintained a safe environment throughout and will continue to do so.

“Disease happens, pandemic or no pandemic,” says Rhett Kent, MD, “and I want to encourage people to seek timely dermatological care before a problem becomes physically or emotionally damaging.”

Before and after patient visits, intensive office sanitation procedures are

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performed by the practice. To avoid having anyone sit in the waiting room, patients are directed to the individual examination rooms to wait for their appointments.

Building management is taking additional protective steps of their own.

The day before an appointment, Coronavirus infection and exposure screening questions are asked. Patients who test positive or have been exposed are directed to telemedicine for immediate issues, or they are advised to wait for an office visit until there is no longer a risk of transmission. As appropriate, telemedicine appointments are available to all patients.

JOSEPH TRAN

PROFILES

PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Eileen West, MD, FACP EILEEN WEST, MD AND ASSOCIATES “My concierge medicine practice offers exceptional, evidence based, personalized care for women and those they love. I invite interested individuals to explore my website for more information and to sign on to become a member of the practice."

LISA HELFERT

8316 Arlington Blvd., Suite 330 Fairfax, VA 22031 571-999-WEST (9378) info@eileenwestmd.com www.eileenwestmd.com

“Women deserve better comprehensive healthcare,” says Dr. Eileen West. “In my practice, we are committed to providing exceptional, evidence based, personalized primary care to our patients, using an interdisciplinary approach to elevate the standard of care for women and those they love.”

After devoting herself to academic internal medicine teaching and clinical care for twenty years, Dr. West is applying that knowledge to care for patients directly, with a special focus on women’s health. She chose to open a membership practice to give each patient the time and attention they deserve.

A concierge model allows Dr. West to provide longer patient appointments and get to know her patients individually.

A detailed annual exam is included.

Patients have enhanced access to her through timely scheduling and telehealth appointments. She is reachable by cell phone after hours. In exchange, patients pay an annual membership fee.

PHYSICIANS

Her practice also offers collaborative services for pelvic floor conditions, fitness assessment, weight management, wellness coaching and nutrition.

Dr. West has a breadth of experience in general internal medicine, cardiovascular disease prevention, menopause management, osteoporosis, sexual health, breast cancer risk assessment, cancer survivorship and office gynecology. She also offers consultations to nonmembers in these areas. Spouses and young adult children of members are welcomed to the practice.

When not in the office, Dr. West enjoys spending time with her husband, Abbas Shobeiri, MD, a urogynecologist, and their three daughters. She loves choral singing and has shared a stage with some of the world’s top conductors and performers.

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RACE AND REBUILDING Arlington is proudly progressive, yet its schools, neighborhoods and police records tell a different story about race. Where do we go from here?

FOREWORD BY JENNY SULLIVAN | INTERVIEWS BY ADRIENNE WICHARD-EDDS

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he Arlington Arts Center lawn is currently occupied by 26 sculptural likenesses of the slave ships that carried the first Black people in bondage to Virginia’s shores in 1619. The installation, “Passage,” by artist Lynda Andrews-Barry, is perhaps a fitting reminder that Arlington, for all of its progressive ideals, is still grappling with some hard truths about its racial past— one that for centuries has afforded advantages to some and not others.

One hundred years after the county adopted as its moniker the name of a former slave plantation, its geographic and socioeconomic landscapes remain somewhat segregated. Arlington’s Black residents, on the whole, have less generational wealth than their White neigh-

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bors. Public schools are still struggling to close the opportunity gap in a system that identifies 46% of White students as gifted by the time they reach middle school, compared with only 21% of Black students.

Arlington County’s official logo and seal are stylized renditions of Arlington House, the plantation home built

by George Washington Parke Custis in the early 1800s, where more than 60 enslaved people kept house and harvested corn and wheat for the wealthy step-grandson of our nation’s first president. Later, the estate would become the home of Mary Anna Custis Lee and her husband, Robert E. Lee, who went on to lead the Confederate army.

As the Civil War neared its end,

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the federal government claimed the grounds of the Custis-Lee estate as a burial site for Union dead (now Arlington National Cemetery) and established Freedman’s Village, a settlement for formerly enslaved people that quickly fell victim to overcrowding. The abolitionist Sojourner Truth reportedly spent a year there.

By 1900, Freedman’s Village had closed, and many of its former inhabitants spilled into the surrounding areas to form Arlington’s historically Black neighborhoods. They pieced together parcels around Green Valley, a farmstead established by free Blacks prior to the Civil War, and gave rise to new neighborhoods such as Penrose and Arlington View.

MATT MENDELSOHN

Social justice advocate Elizabeth Jones Valderrama amid the ships of “Passage.” The art installation is a partnership between Arlington Arts Center and the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia and was funded by the foundation’s Ross-Roberts Fund for the Arts.

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And there they remained through the Jim Crow era, insulated by a tight-knit sense of community but also hemmed in by segregation and discriminatory lending practices.

With the establishment of the Federal Housing Administration in 1934, the U.S. government began withholding mortgage capital for homes in and near African-American neighborhoods like Green Valley—a practice known as “redlining”—while incentivizing developers like Frank Lyon who were building Whites-only subdivisions to the north.

Fast-forward to today and redlining’s legacy in Arlington is striking: In 2019, the average home sold in Lyon Village (a neighborhood that remains 75% White) went for $1.6 million, according to Bright MLS data. By comparison, the average home in Green Valley, whose makeup is 34% Black and 23% Latinx, sold for $591,000.

The numbers paint a stark picture of how property valuations established during segregation have, over time, allowed White families to amass generational wealth—via homeownership and appreciating home values—at a rate unattainable for Black families.

Green Valley is in ZIP code 22204, an area that now holds the county’s highest concentration of poverty, according to an analysis by the Arlington Community Foundation. In the adjacent neighborhood of Columbia Heights, where seven out of 10 residents are Black or Latinx, 17% live below the poverty line—nearly three times the countywide poverty rate of 6%. The average home sale in Columbia Heights last year was $494,000; meanwhile some three quarters of the neighborhood’s residents are renters.

In the 1930s, a literal segregation wall was built to separate the new White neighborhood of Woodlawn (now Waycroft-Woodlawn) from Halls Hill—one of the only historically Black neighborhoods in North Arlington.

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A section of that structure remains standing today.

Yet Arlington has long been cleaved by a bigger divide, says local historian Alfred O. Taylor, who was born and raised in Green Valley. “Arlington has always had a segregation wall. That wall is called Route 50,” he says. “The neighborhoods to the north of it are still majority White. The south side was always more affordable, with smaller houses.”

Socioeconomic disparities are similarly contoured in the makeup of Arlington’s public schools. At Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary in Green Valley, where nearly three quarters of students are Black or Latinx, 61% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

At Tuckahoe Elementary in North Arlington, which is 75% White, fewer than 2% of students qualify for subsidized lunch.

Even life expectancies vary by geography in a county measuring a mere 26 square miles. An analysis of Census data by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation pegs the average life span in Green Valley at 79 years—versus 85 years in the leafy northern enclave of Bellevue Forest, where restrictive covenants once excluded “negros [sic]…Armenians, Jews, Hebrews, Persians and Syrians,” unless they were employed as “domestic servants.” Today, Bellevue Forest is 86% White. Homes there go for $1.3 million on average.

County officials, community activists and concerned citizens are now working to dismantle the scaffolding of structural racism. Some anti-racist efforts are symbolic—such as the renaming of schools (Washington-Lee) and roads (Lee Highway; Jefferson Davis Highway) that bear the names of Confederate leaders, and the coming together of thousands who marched Arlington’s streets in protest after the death of George Floyd.

Other initiatives are more surgical, such as the county’s establishment this summer of an external police practices work group, and the July appoint-

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ment of a chief race and equity officer (Samia Byrd) to examine county organizational structures and policies through an equity lens.

As this issue went to press, the Arlington County Board, under mounting pressure from the Arlington Branch NAACP and other social justice groups, was beginning the painstaking process of revamping its logo, seal and flag via a communitywide process.

But perhaps the hardest work ahead lies in the everyday personal choices and uncomfortable interactions that are necessary for real change. We asked six local advocates to talk frankly about race, anti-racism, allyship and where we go next.

Sherrice Kerns in Butler Holmes Park, just south of Route 50. In the 1940s, members of the Butler-Holmes Citizens’ Association pushed for school reforms that paved the way for desegregation.

Sherrice Kerns, 56, is a policy analyst and civil rights advocate. She is co-chair of the Arlington Branch NAACP’s education committee; a founding member of the education advocacy group Black Parents of Arlington; and vice president of the Wakefield High School PTSA. She lives in Penrose with her teenage daughter.

MATT MENDELSOHN

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rlington may be progressive in ideals, but not in behavior. It’s easy to say the words, but it’s hard to bring actions into alignment.

White people seem to bristle at the term “racism” because they associate it

“If we want Arlington to be what we espouse—that we’re diverse, and our diversity is our strength— we have to do the work to make our reality align more with our values.” with the big transgressions. They think: My family never owned slaves. I’ve never called someone the N-word. I have a Black friend. But there are so many subtler elements of racism—for example, if you decide not to send your child to a school that has a large proportion of Black and brown kids who are on free and reduced lunch, that’s racist.

White parents have a disproportionate ability to push on the system to benefit their children. The whole system is set up to provide opportunities for very specific groups and deny them to others. This bears out in the data where, by middle school, you have this disproportionate number of White students identified as gifted.

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We also see this play out in how schools handle discipline. Research by The Equity Project at Indiana University, as well as a 2018 congressional report prepared by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, points to disparities in how children of different races are disciplined for similar misbehaviors. When Black children misbehave they are singled out for much lesser transgressions and the reaction tends to be much more punitive. In 2017-18, Black students represented 11% of the APS high school population, but accounted for 35% of out-of-school suspensions. That data should be alarming. There’s a presumption of guilt and criminality of minorities, particularly by White people, which undergirds our school system. There’s a fundamental presumption of innocence for White kids that isn’t afforded to Black and Latinx children.

There are still quite a few White families who look at minority families and attribute these discrepancies to issues of character. It becomes not so much about the school system but about the culture. If you make it about the problems that are in the families, then it absolves you of fixing the issues.

There’s a nascent, evolving level of honesty that’s beginning to emerge.

APS is starting to acknowledge these issues and try to address them, which is a step in the right direction. But it’s not a linear conversation. When we talk about racism and inequity in education, we can’t separate that from issues of transportation, housing, health. A child with a sick parent or who has trouble getting to school isn’t going to perform well academically. There are all kinds of things that feed this narrative, and for many minority groups there are multiple baseline issues that exacerbate the opportunity gap.

If we want Arlington to be what we espouse—that we’re diverse, and our diversity is our strength—we have to do the work to make our reality align more with our values. There are pockets of White people who are deep into the work. They’re active and they’re uncomfortable and they make mistakes.

And that’s what you have to be OK with if you are White. You have to be OK with the fact that racism may not be about you directly, but you benefit from this entire system that’s been set up to favor White people. When you buy into the narrative that you didn’t benefit from the system, you’re so deep in the system that you can’t see it.

“In 2017-2018, Black students represented 11% of the APS high school population, but accounted for 35% of out-of-school suspensions. There’s a presumption of guilt and criminality of minorities...”

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Alfred O. Taylor

, 86, is an author, educator and historian. He previously served as the president of the Nauck/Green Valley Civic Association and presently serves as chairman of the Deacon’s Ministry at Macedonia Baptist Church. Delores, his wife of 67 years, passed away in 2019; together they had two children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

I

was born and raised in Arlington, on South Langley Street in Green Valley. For a time, the neighborhood was called Nauck, before its original name was restored last year. My parents sent me to school in the District when I was in the fourth grade to provide me more educational choices. The D.C. schools were funded by Congress (rather than the individual states) and were closer to the ideal of a “separate but equal” education.

Back when I was growing up here, it was a village—everybody knew everybody. At one time, Green Valley was 97% African American, with 65% of people owning their own homes. As of the 2010 census, it was only 37% African American. Every neighborhood that used to be majority Black is now minority Black. Homes in Arlington’s traditionally Black neighborhoods are being replaced with McMansions.

I embrace change, but what I don’t embrace is losing the spirit of the community. People live next door to each other, but that does not a community make. Diversity isn’t just living next door to a White person, or having a whole neighborhood of different people but no interaction between the groups.

Desegregation was intended to be good. But was it? When I was coming up, Black teachers would tell us, “You’re going to learn, and the rea-

MICHAEL VENTURA

“People live next door to each other, but that does not a community make.

Diversity isn’t just living next door to a White person, or having a whole neighborhood of different people but no interaction between the groups.” son I know you’re going to learn is because I’m going to be here to ensure that.” That was the spirit of the Black teacher when I was going to school; I’m not sure that was the same spirit at the onset of desegregation.

Because of the conversations happening now between different ethnicities, there’s a better cultural understanding. I hope it will lead to more unity—to a new paradigm for what tomorrow’s communities will look like.

I’m glad we’re being forced into having these conversations because it will draw us closer together as a true community. I find that people everywhere now are asking the questions that we haven’t asked before. That means that we’re in different times, that people can have these conversations.

Alfred O. Taylor at his home in Green Valley ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, 40, is the executive director of OAR of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church, a nonprofit dedicated to restorative justice. When she was 9 years old, she moved to Arlington from Costa Rica.

She now lives in Herndon with her husband, a law enforcement officer.

F

or years, we’ve known that every single system is failing BIPOC [Black, indigenous and people of color]. OAR works with people who are currently in or coming out of incarceration; with people connected to the criminal legal system; and with folks

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who are doing community service so that they don’t become incarcerated.

We see people not as problems to fix, but as individuals who have their own answers and just need the support and coaching from us.

We believe the root cause of the

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problems in the criminal legal system is racism. Internally, we’ve been moving our organization toward being both an anti-racist and a pro-Black nonprofit.

Some of the anti-racist work we do in the community is connected to law enforcement—courts, probation, things that were initially established to do harm to BIPOC. White people may think it’s not their responsibility—that they had nothing to do with establishing these systems.

But let’s say you inherited a house from your ancestors and it’s falling down around you. You didn’t have any part in building it, but now it’s yours. Now you either have to take it down and rebuild it or figure out how to make changes so that we can all live safely in this house.

We don’t want people to dismiss racism, thinking, Oh, slavery happened years ago. No one in our generation had to fight for women’s suffrage, either, but we still take advantage of the right to vote. Unfortunately, we have all been dealt slavery’s legacy. We didn’t build this house, but we have to make it comfortable for everyone.

Transformation starts with each individual understanding how they are conditioned by a racist system, and then supporting the people around them.

MATT MENDELSOHN

“Unfortunately, we have all been dealt slavery’s legacy. We didn’t build this house, but we have to make it comfortable for everyone.”

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Each person has a sphere of influence of about 2,000 people. We want people to use that influence to make change horizontally, not just at the policy level.

Yes, go out and march and vote and advocate for change. But what’s critical to understand is that the most harm is done in a horizontal fashion—with your peers, colleagues, family members, friends.

How can you make a difference on a horizontal level? Think about who you’re hiring or promoting. Who are your leaders? What’s on your bookshelves—and what are your kids reading? What TV shows are you watching?

When you pass a Black person on the street, do you treat them like a person, look them in the eye and say hi?

If you’re having a conversation that starts to feel racially uncomfortable, call people in rather than calling them out. This is not about guilt or shaming people for saying the wrong thing. We need everyone on this bus, working for an anti-racist agenda. Yes, it’s going to be uncomfortable for some people, but we need to bring everyone to the table.

White people are experiencing a different kind of suffering from racism—a suffering of the soul. It affects who they are and the collective idea of, Even if I’m good, if my community isn’t, then I can’t be OK. At some point, people who are not anti-racist are creating harm. At OAR, we’re all about reducing harm. The way we reduce harm is by working on our racism. For BIPOC, our reason for doing this work is to achieve liberation in our lifetime. For me, as a Black Latina, liberation means that I can enter a space exactly as I am and not feel afraid. It means that not only is it OK to be BIPOC, it’s celebrated.

I’m glad people are asking questions and trying to figure out how to do better. At the same time, I’m disappointed that it’s taken so long. I’m wary that it’s not going to continue when anti-racism isn’t sexy anymore.

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Whytni Kernodle, 47, is an attorney; political strategist; cofounder and president of Black Parents of Arlington; and co-founder and steering committee member of Arlington for Justice. She currently serves on Arlington’s Human Rights Commission, Police Practices Work Group, County Council of PTAs and Advisory Council on Teaching & Learning. She lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Courthouse.

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’ve been White-splained and man­ splained to my entire life. As a Black woman, I can’t separate the two—especially when a White man is explaining to me that his views on racism are more aligned with the truth than mine are.

It happened most recently during an online civic engagement meeting I was leading in Arlington. Our group was discussing how to define our vision. One of my colleagues, an older White man with outwardly anti-racist viewpoints, didn’t like how the vision statement read: We envision an Arlington where systemic racism, xenophobia, classism and ableism no longer exist. He said we couldn’t imply those things currently exist unless they were “proven by experts.”

They have been proven. I’ve been working on this issue for over a decade. That’s why I was leading the meeting. I’m the expert.

Explaining this got me nowhere.

He continued to dismiss my point of view as unfounded. When I said, “I’m offended that you, a White man, are treating me, a Black woman, this way,” he blew up. At that point it became all about his feelings and his emotions.

I am an Ivy League-educated attorney. What makes his opinion more valuable than mine? What’s going on

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“I don’t have time to address fauxprogressivism on anything other than a macro level.” in his head that he thinks his experience means more than mine?

There were three young women on the call, and there was no way I was going to let that man talk to me like that in front of them.

The thing is, we’re all on the same team. This is a man who wants Arlington to be anti-racist. He is, without a doubt, as well-intentioned as anyone in his position could be—and he’s still part of the problem. People like that, who have labeled themselves “woke” and feel like they’re beyond reproach, are the biggest problem.

As a Black woman with Black teenage sons and all the trauma and pain and fear that goes into that, I don’t have time to address faux-progressivism on anything other than a macro level.

How do you talk to someone who believes himself to be progressive— who believes he’s working for social justice—about how his fragility and defensiveness make him not only part of the problem, but a bigger part of the problem?

He pats himself on the back for being one of the good ones, but doesn’t hesitate to minimize a younger Black woman in a meeting. This guy isn’t mine to change—he’s for White people to change.

MATT MENDELSOHN

Whytni Kernodle with her husband, Robert Frederick, and sons, Jackson and Sawyer Kernodle-Frederick

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Brad Haywood, 44, is the chief public defender for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. He’s also executive director of Justice Forward Virginia, a nonpartisan criminal justice reform advocacy group. He lives in Lyon Village. riminal justice reform is the civil rights issue of our generation. Our criminal justice system is an extension of the institution of slavery. In Arlington, we want to think of ourselves as very progressive; we don’t want things to exist in our communities that challenge that notion.

If you’re a wealthy White person in Arlington, there’s a good chance you haven’t had to come to grips with the criminal justice system. But look at the racial disparities in the way our policing is done. Our county is roughly 9% Black, but nearly 60% of people arrested for pot are Black—even though national data show that marijuana usage is generally the same among White and Black people.

More than half the people charged with criminal offenses in Arlington are Black, and most are charged with minor misdemeanors—things like trespassing, disorderly conduct, failure to state your name. There’s no evidence that this type of over-policing and “broken-windows policing” actually leads to a reduction in larger crimes. There just isn’t much crime in Arlington. But there’s an exceptionally well-funded police department, to the tune of $70 million a year. There’s too much money and not enough for them to do. More than 90% of encounters initiated by police here are for minor offenses.

I don’t like the term “defund the police.” It doesn’t accurately describe what it’s proposing. You’re not getting rid of the institutions that are keeping your community safe. Rather, you’re investing farther upstream in crime-prevention programs that actually work—reducing poverty, treating mental illness and substance abuse issues, establishing

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“Our county is roughly 9% Black, but nearly 60% of people arrested for pot are Black—even though national data show that marijuana usage is generally the same among White and Black people.” alternative penalties for small crimes.

Did you know there’s no long-term substance abuse treatment program operated and funded by our county?

The only one that exists is in the jail.

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So if you require more than 30 to 60 days of treatment, you’re going to go to jail. What if we could reallocate, say, $5 million from the police department and fund a long-term substance abuse treatment program through Arlington’s Department of Human Services?

We’ve created a culture in which we rely far too much on police and prisons to solve social problems. The wealthy White people in Arlington don’t like to see homeless men sleeping near a bus stop, or hanging out in a park. Police know that—and with an array of misdemeanor offenses at their disposal that effectively criminalize homelessness and mental illness, it isn’t difficult to use policing to make “problems” less visible to the more privileged part of the community. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. We send the police to avoid the harder fix.

MATT MENDELSOHN

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race and rebuilding

Amanda Taylor, 44, is assistant vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at American University, where her research and teaching focus on the intersection of race, culture and education. She lives in Arlington Heights with her husband and their two sons.

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rlington is a community of care with progressive policies. We fund our schools well, have an overall diverse population, get positive feedback from each other. But we’re a community that’s susceptible to performative allyship. We make sure other people see us as “woke” without necessarily doing the hard work to dismantle the racist systems we interact with on a daily basis.

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By “we,” I mean White, liberal Arlingtonians, and I include myself in that group. I continually check myself on this. Racist ideas are so baked into our culture that it’s easy for White people to overlook them.

Committing publicly to your values and signaling you care by, say, putting up a Black Lives Matter yard sign or wearing a T-shirt—these are actually good things to do. Where it becomes performative is when we want to be seen as good people but we’re not really interested in examining the systems that privilege us. It’s not a problem on its own; it’s a problem if that’s where it stops.

The harder work is digging in and asking, for example: What does racism

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

“Putting up a Black Lives Matter yard sign or wearing a T-shirt—these are good things to do.

Where it becomes performative is when we want to be seen as good people but we’re not really interested in examining the systems that privilege us.” look like in our schools—both between schools and within schools? Free and reduced-lunch numbers in North versus South Arlington—they’re not based on chance. They stem from a history of

MATT MENDELSOHN

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neighborhood redlining and residential exclusion.

People often talk about what’s a “good school” and what’s a “bad school” when deciding where to buy a home.

We have test score data as a benchmark of school status, but we know that tests are racially biased. The data mask a lot of other important dynamics. We talk about walkability to school being key, but walkability and the makeup of our neighborhoods are based on histories of racial segregation.

So how does someone with privilege and power move beyond performative allyship? They might urge the Arlington School Board to vote for a school boundary map that desegregates schools rather than, say, prioritizing walkability for their own kid. Black and Latinx students have had to give up the comfort and convenience of walkability since the beginning of desegregation, which ultimately closed many Black schools and

asked Black students to integrate into White schools. (This, by the way, often eliminated jobs for Black principals and Black teachers, and negatively impacted teaching styles that had been affirming to Black students.)

White parents also need to think differently about sharing resources and opening space for everyone—giving up our sense that White people deserve more, that our own kids deserve better because they worked harder or are smarter. Intelligence is equally distributed across all so-called racial groups.

Full stop. When you see racial disparities in gifted programs, that’s an example of systemic racism—which is often unconscious.

I have two biracial sons who attend APS schools. Early in my older son’s elementary school years, kids identified as gifted were often pulled out of class to go and work with the gifted coordinator. One day, as the kids watched

their classmates leave the room, the Latina girl who sat next to my son turned to him and said, “I guess you have to be White and blond to be smart.”

It starts that early. I don’t think their teacher or gifted coordinator had any active racist intentions or beliefs, but kids that young are already absorbing the false message that the White kids are the smart kids; the Black and brown kids aren’t.

These outcomes are rarely the result of conscious racist intentions among teachers and administrators. Rather, it’s the taken-for-granted everyday practices, policies and procedures that we don’t see as racial but that produce racialized outcomes.

All young people deserve a challenging, rigorous, interesting education.

When we see racial disparities like this, it’s important to stop, point them out and come together to envision solutions that are equitable for all students. ■

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ArlingtonMagazine.com ■ November/December 2020

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Y

ou don’t have to become sick with Covid-19 to be changed by it. Five area residents share their stories about the pandemic’s unimaginable pain, as well as how it has reframed and, in some ways, opened their worlds.

BY LISA KAPLAN GORDON

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November/December 2020 ■ ArlingtonMagazine.com

MICHAEL VENTURA

Gay Shane lost three family members to Covid. Only one of those losses was a death.

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ripple effects

Elise Williams with her parents

Williams (on screen) video chats from Virginia Tech with her mom.

Elise Williams BEFORE COVID-19 found her parents last spring, Elise Williams lived pretty much in her own bubble.

The high school senior, with sun-

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kissed brown hair and a Chicklet smile, juggled the demands of AP and honors classes at Bishop O’Connell High School, participated in a handful of college-friendly extracurriculars and met friends for breakfast at Lazy Mike’s Deli in Falls Church.

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“I’d sometimes help empty the dishwasher,” says Williams, 18, looking back on her light daily house chores.

“But nothing crazy.”

All of that changed at the end of April when her dad, Greg, started getting head and body aches. A couple of days later, her mom, Tatiana, spiked a fever. Tests showed that both had Covid-19, possibly transmitted by their older daughter, a newly minted ICU nurse who still lived at home and had become an asymptomatic carrier.

Overnight, the younger daughter’s responsibilities skyrocketed.

“I had to wake early to take out the dog. Make everyone breakfast. Do homework online from teachers who never really gave homework before.

Bring everyone water, lunch, a snack and more water,” Williams says.

She was the only one in their Westover home who was virus-free, although she would later test positive for the antibody. “I was cleaning the house, everything I touched, and bleaching countertops so often that my hands started flaking. It wasn’t me first anymore. I had to grow up.”

The hardest part, she says, was the physical isolation. The family continued to live together under one roof, but separately, with each patient quarantined in his or her own room. They stayed connected with group FaceTime chats, but of course, virtual conversation isn’t the same as being face to face.

“I had to deal with being scared alone,” says the teen. “I had to saddle up. You can sit and be sad, but you had to get stuff done.”

By the end of August, the entire family had recovered. Williams moved to Blacksburg to attend Virginia Tech, where she is a freshman majoring in human development. We talked on FaceTime as her mom was driving her to buy a fridge and rug for her dorm room.

“I wanted that college experience, meeting friends and being on my own,” she says, with a hint of worldweariness she didn’t have before Covid. “But I’m nervous. I want everyone to be safe.”

TELLCHRONICLES (FAMILY PHOTO); MICHAEL VENTURA (VIDEO CHAT PHOTO)

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Chris Bota and Moon

ISSA KADDISSI OF YOUR PEEPS MEDIA

MOON LOVES TO play tug-of-war with her green dinosaur, scarf down chicken souvlaki and curl up in bed next to her owner, Chris Bota.

It’s a new kind of life for the 2-yearold Jindo mix, recently rescued from a Korean dog farm by Humane Society International (HSI).

Moon (whose original rescue name was Moonshine) “loves getting petted,” says Bota, 26, who lives with his folks in Cherrydale. “And if I have food on my hands, she’ll give me a little lick.

Every day she’s warming up.”

Each year, about 2 million dogs are farm-raised for slaughter to satisfy the South Korean demand for dog meat boiled into soups, and grilled, like chicken legs. However, tastes are changing, thanks to young, social-media-savvy Koreans who consider dogs as pets, not dinner. Consequently, dog farms are losing money, and farmers are looking for ways to get out. Since 2015, HSI has rescued about 2,000 dogs and provided retraining for cooperative farmers who are eager to retire or make a living another way.

In early May, HSI liberated Moon and 99 other such dogs, although the animals were stuck in transit for a time because of coronavirus travel restrictions. In late July, they were flown to Dulles Airport where Arlingtonbased Homeward Trails Animal Rescue claimed 17 of them; other rescue groups took the rest.

If the pandemic has a plus side, it’s people stuck at home with time on their hands and love to give. Rescue groups, dog shelters and breeders report record adoptions and sales.

Bota believes dogs are one of God’s blessings on Earth. He owns a dog-walking service, The Fido Group, and spends his off-time volunteering for rescue organizations like Homeward Trails.

But Covid delivered a financial wallop to his household. During quaran-

Chris Bota on a walk with his adopted pup, Moon, and a client’s dog, Devika

tine, demand for dog-walking services nose-dived as many of Bota’s clients began working from home. His family’s Arlington restaurant, Metro 29 Diner on Lee Highway, is still building back

its customer base after being closed for three months.

By the time Bota transferred Moon’s cage from the loading dock at Lufthansa Cargo terminal to the Homeward

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ripple effects

Trails transport van, he was feeling almost as depressed as the dog.

“Covid had taken a huge toll mentally,” says Bota, who was still mourning the 2018 death of his family’s schnauzer, Athena. “I care for other people’s pets all the time.

Sometimes it got lonely when I would see these dogs at work, and then come back to an empty house with no dogs. I wanted to meet the right dog.”

When he first spotted Moon, the pup had been traveling for at least 24 hours from South Korea, through Qatar and into Dulles. While other rescues growled and snapped, Moon cowered, head-down, in a corner of a crate fouled by vomit and feces during the long journey.

“She was helpless and had a really hard life,” he says of the scruffy, moon-colored dog with black eyes like deep wells. “I was drawn to her.”

Moon had no papers, so he designated July 26—the day he adopted her and took her home—as her birthday.

At first, the going was rough.

Moon crept slowly up the stairs to Bota’s house, then tried to escape for hours. When he picked her up, her body fell limp.

Over time, though, she spent less time trembling in the closet. She learned how to play with toys and recognize her name. Today, Bota only calls her Moonshine when she disobeys—good trouble from a dog once too scared to move.

“You have to be patient. That’s part of the bargain when you rescue an animal,” he says of the little creature who’s brought light to an otherwise dark time. “At the end of the day, who really rescued who— me or Moon?”

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Jennifer Forbes JENNIFER FORBES IS HER mother’s daughter. She’s a planner—just like her mom, Nina, always was. They loved getting together and eating wings with family on Sunday nights. Both worked long hours to secure their futures.

But Nina’s future ended suddenly on April 25, after a bout with Covid-19 took a brief and shocking turn. She was 56.

“She said she wasn’t feeling well,” recalls Jennifer, 29. “A week later, she went to the hospital. She wasn’t there two hours before they put her on a ventilator. Six days later, she died.”

Nina’s passing left the family stunned.

It also left Jennifer’s sister, Jessica, 33, and Jessica’s 5-year-old daughter without a place to live. They had been sharing a place with Nina. Without Mom, Jessica couldn’t afford the rent.

So—what else?—“We moved in together,” Jennifer says.

Before the pandemic, Jennifer had been juggling the nonstop, work-centric life of a single, driven woman, holding down three jobs. In addition to working as a shelter case manager for the Arlington nonprofit A-SPAN (which strives to end homelessness), she waited tables at Gordon Biersch in Tysons and coached the JV girls’ volleyball team at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria.

She had lived alone ever since college, but always within walking distance of her family—an emotional safety net— in the Lincolnia section of Alexandria.

“We were all so close,” Jennifer says. “It didn’t feel like I was living alone.”

After their mom died, the sisters pooled their resources and moved to a three-bedroom, two-floor apartment in Alexandria’s Foxchase complex.

“We moved in together on May 26,” Jennifer says, recalling the bittersweet

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Jennifer Forbes at home with her niece, Olivia, and a framed photo of her mom, Nina

date the way people remember where they were on Sept. 11. “It’s been a major change.”

Now down to one job (at A-SPAN), Jennifer works from home, supervising her niece’s online kindergarten education three days a week while her sister goes to work at a nursing home. They’re careful to isolate from friends, knowing just how deadly Covid can be. “You can’t go anywhere. You see the same

MICHAEL VENTURA

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people over and over,” Jennifer says.

“I guess I’m a little stir-crazy. But it’s a necessary precaution.”

Their financial situation might be worse if not for their mom’s meticulous planning. No matter what job she had—or didn’t have—Nina always kept up with life insurance payments, which have helped her daughters survive Covid’s economic turmoil. She left notes on where she parked her money, mak-

ing it easy for Jennifer to manage her estate. She filed for worker’s comp as soon as she fell ill; she’d been working as an LPN at a nursing home (the same one where Jessica works) when she contracted the disease.

Nina’s dutiful planning also had a downside—it gave her less time and money to live in the moment. She and Jennifer always talked about cruising somewhere together, but it never hap-

pened. Nina wanted to return to Martha’s Vineyard, which she’d visited as a girl, and travel to Seattle, because she loved the movie Sleepless in Seattle.

Jennifer says she will scatter Nina’s ashes in some of the places her mom only dreamed of going.

“We all think we have more time than we do,” Jennifer says. “If this has taught me anything, it’s to do what you want to do today, to live with intention.”

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ripple effects Rhonda Scher during her morning ritual

Rhonda Scher RHONDA SCHER BEGINS each day copying down Covid-19 case numbers.

Over her English breakfast tea, she signs on to the Virginia Department of Health’s virus tracker and jots down statistics that show how close the pandemic is coming to her family.

March 23 was the day she got a wall calendar and began writing down the number of statewide cases. On that day there were 43. A week later, cases soared to 1,020. By the end of April, nearly 16,000 Virginians had tested positive for the coronavirus.

In June, the health department began tracking numbers by ZIP code. Scher started following the data for 22101 (her McLean neighborhood); 22201 in

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Arlington (where her older daughter lives with her husband and two young sons); and Ward 2 in the District (which Scher’s baby, now a lawyer, calls home).

It’s been roughly two years since the kids and grandkids prompted Scher and her husband, Mark, to relocate to Northern Virginia from Scarsdale, New York.

“I wanted to watch my grandsons grow up and be part of my daughters’ lives,” Scher says.

Scarsdale borders New Rochelle, where an early Covid outbreak made national headlines and showed the U.S. how sneaky and virulent the novel coronavirus truly is.

But the move south now feels cruelly ironic, falling into the “human plans/ God laughs” category. When Covid shut down Virginia, the Schers went months without seeing family. Twice-a-week

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

babysitting came to a halt. The couple, in their 60s, now limits family contact to special occasions, like birthdays.

Scher gives a glum shrug when she thinks about how the virus wrecked her plans.

“Covid came,” she says. “What can I tell you?”

These days, instead of hosting sleepovers with her grandsons, Scher fills her empty time recording Covid cases in the small, precise penmanship she once used to write lesson plans during the 30 years she taught gradeschool children.

“Writing down the numbers makes me feel in control,” she says, explaining what’s become her daily devotion.

“I felt out of control when Covid started. This makes me feel more educated. I can see exactly what’s going on around me.”

Whenever Scher considers venturing outside of 22101, she’ll scan the ZIP code of her intended destination to see if the numbers there are rising, falling or staying the same. She remembers the time Mark insisted on going to Costco in Springfield, where cases were creeping up. “I got a migraine, I was so nervous,” she says.

Some might interpret her morning ritual as OCD-ish—a compulsion that pairs nicely with her mopping the floor whenever somebody steps inside wearing shoes, or her unease around clutter because, as she says, “I think everything has its place.”

But Mark, a psychiatrist, says his wife’s numbers thing isn’t really an obsessive-compulsive disorder. It’s more of a fetish, or perhaps a response to a phobia. “It doesn’t take over her life,” he says.

Just her mornings. And, Scher says, there’s no end in sight.

“I’ll stop when I feel safe that my chances of contracting [Covid] are minimal,” she says. “Maybe I’ll stop when there’s a vaccine—though no vaccine will be 100% effective—or maybe when we stop wearing masks. I don’t know.

But it probably won’t be for a long time.”

As this issue went to press, total cases in Virginia were nearing 150,000.

MICHAEL VENTURA

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Gay Shane with her daughter Janice’s dog

Gay Ilene Cornelisse Shane

MICHAEL VENTURA

GAY SHANE IS a young 81. Heck, she acts like a young 61.

Shane sits on the board of directors of Operation Renewed Hope Foundation, a nonprofit that provides aid to homeless veterans. She helps serve meals and collects clothing for Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church in Alexandria, and is a member of the Franconia Citizen Advisory Committee that supports area police.

“I don’t have time to be 81,” says the busy Alexandria resident.

When she’s not volunteering, she devotes her unclaimed free time to staying in touch with her seven surviving children, 24 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren scattered around the world.

Her life is full—although not as full as it was before March, when she lost

her 54-year-old daughter, Janice Toney, to Covid-19.

In the process, Shane’s close relationship with two of her great-granddaughters (Toney’s granddaughters), was also severed. Toney had raised the girls since the younger one was 3 days old.

Shane liked to help out. She would often take the girls to and from school, make them dinner and host sleepovers while Toney worked as a home health nurse. “They were like my kids,” Shane says of the girls, who are now 11 and 9.

When Toney died without a will, Shane’s loss was multiplied by three.

Custody of the girls fell to their birth mother, who moved the kids to Fredericksburg, limiting their contact with extended family. For a while, the girls called Shane on tablets, but then their mother took them away.

“The mother is opposed to me seeing them,” Shane says. “I have a lot of clothes and games here. She will not permit me to bring any of those things into her house.”

Directly and indirectly, Shane says, Covid robbed her of that familiar, comfortable kind of love that grows from a million moments of daily interaction.

“It’s not that I love [those girls] more than the rest of my family,” she explains. “It’s a different relationship.

They’re a part of me.”

She still hopes to regain part of what Covid has taken away.

“God has worked so many miracles in my life,” she says. “I just have to keep a positive attitude that [they] will soon be able to call. I keep praying, and I believe that prayers are answered.” ■ Lisa Kaplan Gordon is a freelance writer, socially distancing in her home in McLean.

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The kitchenadjacent lounge area features comfortable seating, Calder nesting tables from Four Hands and a Brooklyn Bridge wall mural.

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

A rolled-steel fireplace by Carbon Industrial Design is flanked by a decorative display of kiln-dried wood.

On the stair landing, a vintage factory mold (once used to make gears) reads as sculptural art.

Retro-industrial accents and modern furnishings transform a bland townhouse into something special.

by Jenny Sullivan | photos by Robert Radifera | styling by Charlotte Safavi

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vintage vibe

hen interior designer Carrie Miller arrived to take a look at the townhome her client had bought, he had already ripped out the main-level floors and banisters, and was starting to paint.

“I liked the house and the location was awesome, but my style is more industrial modern,” explains Mike Agrillo, an IT executive and “nonpractic-

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ing attorney” who, back then (this was spring of 2013), had an office just a few blocks away in Courthouse.

Recently divorced, he was moving out of a condo and wanted more space for his daughters Talia and Morgaine, who live with him half the time. He was picturing the top floor of the four-level end unit as a loft-style hangout for the girls.

But he was less than enamored with

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

the townhome’s traditional finishes and color scheme—holdovers from when it was built in 1995. “I wanted to replace pretty much everything,” Agrillo says.

“We gutted the whole place.”

After bidding adieu to the wood blinds, brick fireplace and dated bathroom fixtures, he and Miller set about reinventing the aesthetic with contrasting elements and lots of texture.

Top left: Agrillo discovered the retro “Big Woman” print—pulled from three separate historic woodblocks—at the Hatch Show Print shop inside Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame. Abingdon sectional sofa by Vanguard.

Top right: The front entryway features a metal trunk Agrillo found on Etsy. The Historic RCA Studio B music poster is from Hatch Show Print.

Bottom right: In the master bath, whimsical figures (from Global Views) appear to be rappelling into a Hydro Systems STON Garnet tub. The flooring (Nero Starburst tile), tub and vanity cabinet are from Mosaic Tile in Fairfax.

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vintage vibe

In came steampunky apothecary cabinets, a rolled-steel fireplace surround, dark-stained engineered wood floors, edgy wall coverings, leather seating and built-ins made of wood and metal.

Creating a home with character was a priority for Agrillo from day one. A wanderer of cities—he cites Paris and Prague among his favorites—he has an affinity for Old World architecture and vintage contraptions. He likes to buy art locally and when traveling—like the giant, smiling pinup girl print he discovered on a sojourn to Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame.

Miller took the industrial aesthetic a step further, recasting an array of old machine parts, tools and factory molds as art objects, many of them sourced from Carbon Industrial Design, a for-

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mer fabricator and refurbisher in Old Town Alexandria. She remembers meeting Agrillo there on Halloween—in costume, no less—to dig around for curiosities, shortly before the warehouse closed in late 2016.

“Mike is one of my coolest clients,” says Miller, whose interior design firm, Lapis Ray (lapisray.com), is based in Vienna. “He’s up on things and is always reading. He is the type of guy who is always excited about something. This was a long evolution of a project.”

Make that seven years. The makeover of the 1,828-square-foot residence was an unhurried process—often ebbing and flowing with the currents of Agrillo’s life. For a time, his work had him commuting between Northern Virginia and an apartment in New York City

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

(which Miller also helped design and furnish). Along the way, his girlfriend, Radell Peischler, moved into the Arlington townhouse, adding her own tastes to the mix. In 2018 they got engaged.

They remodeled the kitchen in July of 2019. Miller had the original cabinets repainted, swapped in new appliances and countertops, and added a sumptuous Spanish-tile floor. But the stars of the space are four mismatched barstools reminiscent of the seating you’d find in a 1920s speakeasy.

It was Peischler’s idea to replace the breakfast table opposite the cooking zone with a leather couch. “We had a lot of eating areas already,” she explains.

“We wanted to take the vibe down with a more loungy hangout space—a place to read the paper with coffee and relax.”

TINA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY (FAMILY PORTRAIT)

Top left: The office features a custom work space by Carbon Industrial Design, which the fabricator welded and installed on-site. Interior designer Miller found the vintage camera equipment and typewriter at the Old Lucketts Store in Leesburg. Loveseat (which hides a twin pull-out bed) and ottoman by Vanguard.

Top right: The remodeled kitchen features Anthropologie cabinet pulls, KitchenAid appliances with bronze handles and Renaissance Arabesque floor tiles in Normandy Cream. The retro gunmetal counter stools are from Crash Industrial Supply (now closed) and Sarreid.

Drapes by Schumacher.

The family (from left): Talia, Mike, Radell and Morgaine, before the arrival of baby Skylar.

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vintage vibe

When the pandemic sent Arlington into quarantine, Agrillo set up shop in the home office, a teal-blue space outfitted with a custom wall unit by Carbon Industrial. By then, Peischler, a media/event planner and consultant, was newly pregnant. “I worked out of the guest bedroom—with my feet up!” she says. The girls, now in high school at Yorktown, claimed spots for their laptops in the loft and kitchen.

In July of 2020, the couple finished up the last piece of the design puzzle— a first-floor bathroom, which Miller cleverly outfitted with a yellow Kast concrete sink and gray dry-erase wall paint (intended to encourage graffiti).

And then they moved. In August, the whole crew decamped to a larger home with a yard near Clarendon, just in time for the birth of a baby girl, Skylar.

For all its coolness, the townhome— which they are now renting out—was just a little too snug for a party of five, plus two dogs.

They’re leasing their current digs, Agrillo says, and will figure out their next move once the older girls are in college. Arlington is still on the table, but so are parts of D.C. “We definitely love walkability and convenience,” he says. “And we do love urban.”

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Will they end up renovating the next place they buy? “Probably,” Agrillo says. “When the time comes.” n

Top: The dining room’s American flag art, painted on a piece of old shipping crate, is from Eastern Market. Table and chairs from Restoration Hardware. Vintage-style industrial console from Etsy.

Jenny Sullivan grew up in a townhouse with built-ins designed by her dad and junkyard oddities from her grandmother’s weird but wonderful collection.

Bottom: A grass cloth ceiling adds texture to the guest bedroom. The wall art is an assortment of vintage tools that Miller had framed. Headboard and crank side table from Four Hands.

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

Where Residents Come First Daily life at Chesterbrook Residences is a reflection of our dedication to the well-being, safety, and happiness of every resident.

The convenience of delicious meals, visiting physicians, daily activities, 24-hour access to licensed nurses, and a commitment to helping you stay connected to loved ones are just a few of the ways we help residents thrive!

What Our Residents Are Saying They’re taking every precaution possible to take care of us. I don’t have any worries here.

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Chesterbrook is just what I was looking for.

It has everything that I need.

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Make your fall and winter worry-free at Chesterbrook. Call to learn more about how we are welcoming new residents and current move-in procedures.

703-531-0781 | chesterbrookres.org 2030 Westmoreland St. | Falls Church A nonprofit, nondenominational community

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O T P

DENTISTS Our area’s most respected dental health experts, as nominated by their peers in the dental community.

The dentists in this feature were selected by Professional Research Services (PRS), which conducted an online peer-review survey of certified dentists in Arlington County, Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria. The featured dentists were screened and selected through the verification of licensing and review of any infractions through applicable boards, agencies and rating services. For additional information, visit prscom.com. Arlington Magazine was not involved in the selection process.

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November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

ENDODONTICS Robert A. Cheron

Northern Virginia Endodontic Associates 3833 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 440, Arlington, VA 22203

Edward Chun

McLean Endodontics 1313 Dolley Madison Blvd., Suite 307, McLean, VA 22101

Joshua E. Fein

Virginia Endodontics 3025 Hamaker Ct., Suite 320, Fairfax, VA 22031

Timothy Golian

Timothy Golian, DDS, PC 3925 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 304, Fairfax, VA 22030

Vivian Lee

Arlington Alexandria Endodontics 4660 Kenmore Ave., Suite 700, Alexandria, VA 22034

Brian Lee

The Virginia Endodontic Group 6831 Sir Viceroy Dr., Suite 210, Alexandria, VA 22315

Fernando J. Meza

Arlington Alexandria Endodontics

Nathan E. Schoenly

Quyen Dang

7115 Leesburg Pike, Suite 309, Falls Church, VA 22043

1801 Robert Fulton Dr., Suite 250, Reston, VA 20191

Anna Sidor

Daniels Dental Group

Dominion Endodontics

Optimal Dental Center

Prestige Dental Specialists

3801 N Fairfax Dr., Suite 25, Arlington, VA 22203

7630 Little River Tpke., Suite 115, Annandale, VA 22003

Jeena E. Devasia

Brian A. Suh

6707 Old Dominion Dr., Suite 240, McLean, VA 22101

Tysons Corner Endodontics 8150 Leesburg Pike, Suite 502, Vienna, VA 22182

Stephanie Wu

6035 Burke Centre Pkwy., Suite 260, Burke, VA 22015

1313 Dolley Madison Blvd., Suite 307, McLean, VA 22101

Scott Dudley Fred F. Farahi

Seema Ahmed

Fusion Dental

Old Town Smiles

500 Montgomery St., Suite 250, Alexandria, VA 22314

Ana Arango

3801 Fairfax Dr., Suite 51, Arlington, VA 22203

1401 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 301, McLean, VA 22101

Lynn Farrey

Courthouse Art of Dentistry

Arango Smiles

John A. Bell Jr.

Drs. Colasanto & Monfared, PC

Elite Dental

1025 N. Fillmore St., Suite C, Arlington, VA 22201

GENERAL DENTISTRY

Michael C. Mocknick Maryam Monfared

Kristen Donohue Sunshine Dentists

4660 Kenmore Ave., Suite 700, Alexandria, VA 22304

6845 Elm St., Suite 509, McLean, VA 22101

McLean DDS

McLean Endodontics

6303 Little River Tpke., Suite 140, Alexandria, VA 22312

Dr. Michael C. Mocknick

Sandra D. Daniels

2250 Clarendon Blvd., Store F, Arlington, VA 22201

Raymund V. Favis Favis Dental

3930 Pender Dr., Suite 170, Fairfax, VA 22030

John A. Bell Jr. DDS 4625 Old Dominion Dr., Suite 202, Arlington, VA 22207

Albert M. Boyce

Agnes B. Fuentes

Agnes B. Fuentes DDS 2445 Army Navy Dr., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22206

Mary-Stuart Gallian

Dr. Albert M. Boyce, DDS

Dr. Mary-Stuart Gallian, DMD, PC

Brian J. Nalls

313 Park Ave., Suite 101, Falls Church, VA 22046

8150 Leesburg Pike, Suite 502, Vienna, VA 22182

McLean Dental Care

Tamara Camille Garrett

Tu-Son Ngo

6707 Old Dominion Dr., Suite 200, McLean, VA 22101

Arlington Dental Solutions

3801 Fairfax Dr., Suite 50, Arlington, VA 22203

6831 Sir Viceroy Dr., Suite 210, Alexandria, VA 22315

Daniel E. Cassidy Jr.

Philip A. Gentry

Tysons Corner Endodontics

The Virginia Endodontic Group

Samuel D. Cappiello

3925 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030

Caring Dentists

David Palmieri

Daniel E. Cassidy, Jr. DDS

Dominion Endodontics

2835 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314

1831 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

7115 Leesburg Pike, Suite 309, Falls Church, VA 22043

Uppasna Chand

Paul Gibberman

Loken M. Patel

1477 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 101, McLean, VA 22101

6303 Little River Tpke., Suite 205, Alexandria, VA 22312

4660 Kenmore Ave., Suite 700, Alexandria, VA 22304

Costa Dentistry

Michael Gocke

Jayesh S. Patel

10135 Colvin Run Rd., Suite 230, Great Falls, VA 22066

Virginia Oral, Facial & Implant Surgery 7601 Lewinsville Rd., Suite 203, McLean, VA 22102

4210 Fairfax Corner Ave. W., Suite 230, Fairfax, VA 22030

David P. Cote

Danine Fresch Gray

Frank R. Portell

1111 Army Navy Dr., Arlington, VA 22202

2700 Clarendon Blvd., Suite R480, Arlington, VA 22201

1650 King St., Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314

Caring Dentists

Arlington Alexandria Endodontics

Jayesh S. Patel, BDS, MSD

Dominion Endodontics

Gibberman Dental

McLean Family Dentistry

Shane R. Costa

Clarendon Dental Arts

The Dental Office at River House

Jeanette Coutin-Gentry

Mary E. Gregory

Mary E. Gregory, DDS Family Dentistry

Jessica Russo Revand

1831 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

3833 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 440, Arlington, VA 22203

Cusumano & Stuver Dentistry of Arlington

Northern Virginia Endodontic Associates

4500 Old Dominion Dr., Arlington, VA 22207

Joe Cusumano

4350 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 135, Arlington, VA 22203

Michael E. Grosso Grosso Dentistry

6300 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22044

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top dentists

Cecilia Gyllenhoff

Robert Morabito

Theresa Shannon

6707 Old Dominion Dr., Suite 200, McLean, VA 22101

6200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 114, Falls Church, VA 22044

5205 Leesburg Pike, Suite 101, Falls Church, VA 22041

Ronald Hauptman

Kathleen Mullaney

Dr. Kathleen Mullaney, DDS, FAGD

Jeffrey A. Sisel

700 N. Fairfax St., Suite 230, Alexandria, VA 22314

2800A Shirlington Rd., Suite 770, Arlington, VA 22206

311 Park Ave., Floor 2, Falls Church, VA 22046

Michael J. Paesani

Christopher Spagna

Nada Hemedan

200 Little Falls St., Suite 101, Falls Church, VA 22046

6400 Arlington Blvd., Suite 744, Falls Church, VA 22042

McLean Dental Care

Ronald Hauptman, DDS and Bahar Rowhani, DDS

Success Dental Group

Everlasting Dental Care

Nova Dental Studio

Phass Family Dentistry

Shirlington Dental

Drs. Spagna & Kunaish

9671 A Main St., Fairfax, VA 22031

Rosario Palabrica

Andrew Hinkle

1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 620, Arlington, VA 22209

Stone Aesthetic Dentistry

Dean Phass

203 E. Oxford Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301

5205 Leesburg Pike, Suite 101, Falls Church, VA 22041

Cusumano & Stuver Dentistry of Arlington

Farhan Qureshi

Keri Tran

Stephen A. Mabry, DDS, PLC

5206 Dawes Ave., Alexandria, VA 22311

6204 Little River Tpke., Arlington, VA 22312

2800 10th St. N., Arlington, VA 22201

Adel Rizkalla

Rachael M. Valltos

John D. Kling II, DDS

3100 S. Manchester St., Falls Church, VA 22044

700 N. Fairfax St., Suite 210, Alexandria, VA 22314

Lupita M. Roca

200 Little Falls St., Suite 201B, Falls Church, VA 22046

Alan and Andrew Hinkle DDS 6711 Whittier Ave., Suite 103, McLean, VA 22101

Gary G. Kaihara

Smiles International 6845 Elm St., Suite 475, McLean, VA 22101

Annie G. Kemps John D. Kling II

John Krygowski

Arlington Dental Team

Phass Family Dentistry

Farhan Qureshi, DDS

Rizkalla Family Dentistry

Arlington Smile Center

Richard T. Stone David Stuver

4350 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 135, Arlington, VA 22203

Landmark Plaza Dentistry

Arlington Dental Associates

Kristen Bowling Williams

Dr. John Krygowski, DDS

6950 Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22213

Kristen Bowling Williams, DDS

2719 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

Michael B. Rogers

801 N. Quincy St., Suite 110, Arlington, VA 22203

Greg L. LaVecchia, DMD, PC

4850 31st St. S., Suite A, Arlington, VA 22206

Bryan D. Wood, DDS and Associates

1515 Wilson Blvd., Suite 103, Arlington, VA 22209

Kurt C. Rolf

2000 Huntington Ave., Suite 107, Alexandria, VA 22303

Greg L. LaVecchia Chong W. Lee

Arlington Dental Aesthetics

Fairlington Dental

McLean Dentistry

Bryan D. Wood

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

25055 Riding Plz., Suite 250, South Riding, VA 20152

6707 Old Dominion Dr., Suite 245, McLean, VA 22101

Robert A. Levine

James M. Ronis

Integrative Oral & Facial Surgery

James M. Ronis DDS

6845 Elm St., Suite 225, McLean, VA 22101

3918 Prosperity Ave., Suite 203, Fairfax, VA 22031

6845 Elm St., Suite 607, McLean, VA 22101

Kenneth Blais

Melanie Love

Smita K. Sabharwal

450 W. Broad St., Suite 440, Falls Church, VA 22046

3801 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 22, Arlington, VA 22203

611 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Suite 308, Arlington, VA 22204

Stephen A. Mabry

Sheri Salartash

Kevin Brewer

2800 10th St. N., Arlington, VA 22201

3116 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305

4660 Kenmore Ave., Suite 204, Alexandria, VA 22304

Zeyad Mady

Evan R. Sapperstein

Jay Bukzin

Arlington Dental Associates

Meyer Clinic

5284 Dawes Ave., Alexandria, VA 22311

200 Little Falls St., Suite 201B, Falls Church, VA 22046

1050 N. Highland St., Suite 220, Arlington, VA 22201

Theodore P. Corcoran

Cara Schantz

Whiston, Patterson, Corcoran

8996 Burke Lake Rd., Suite 101, Burke, VA 22015

CNS Dental

6400 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042

David Matney

3650 S. Glebe Rd., Suite 195, Arlington, VA 22202

Edward Delgado

Robert A. Levine, DDS

Drs. Love & Miller, PC

Stephen A. Mabry, DDS, PLC

Center for Dental Anesthesia

Pamela Marzban

Pamela Marzban, DDS

SKS Dental

Dental Excellence Integrative Center

Ziad A. Ali

Northern Virginia Surgical Arts

Alexandria Oral Surgery, PC

Craig Scimeca

Drs. Delgado & Kuzmik PC

4141 N. Henderson Rd., Suite 18, Arlington, VA 22203

Oakton Family Dentistry

8230 Leesburg Pike, Suite 720, Tysons Corner, VA 22182

Mark Miller

3050 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 201, Fairfax, VA 22030

Patrick Friend

450 W. Broad St., Suite 440, Falls Church, VA 22046

Fairfax Family Dentistry

Ballston Dental Care

Drs. Love & Miller, PC

Mojgan Shaafi

3541 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 3, Fairfax, VA 22030

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Fairfax Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 2800 Eisenhower Ave., Suite 230, Alexandria, VA 22314

Daria Hamrah

Kimberly Silloway

Edwin Lee

8201 Greensboro Dr., Suite 601, McLean, VA 22102

12359 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190

311 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA 22046

Rolin S. Henry

Huy C. Trinh

Quoc Lu

Nova Surgicare, PC

Mt. Vernon Oral Surgery 7900 Andrus Rd., Suite 2, Alexandria, VA 22306

Fairfax Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Northern Virginia Center for Oral, Facial + Implant Surgery

Berman & Lee Orthodontics

First Impression Orthodontics 6479 Old Beulah St., Alexandria, VA 22315

Sang Y. Kim

4211 Fairfax Corner E. Ave., Suite 235, Fairfax, VA 22030

6845 Elm St., Suite 305, McLean, VA 22101

Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery

6858 Old Dominion Dr., Suite 100, McLean, VA 22101

5206 Lyngate Ct., Burke, VA 22015

Crissy Markova

Sang Y. Kim DMD, MD, PC

Michael Kuzmik

Drs. Delgado & Kuzmik PC

Pedram Yaghmai

8230 Leesburg Pike, Suite 720, Tysons Corner, VA 22182

ORTHODONTICS

J. Daniel LaBriola

Curtis L. Abigail

Northern Virginia Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates

Abigail Orthodontics

7611 Little River Tpke., Suite 101E, Annandale, VA 22003

Scott Berman

David Liang

311 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA 22046

Northern Virginia Surgical Arts 611 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Suite 308, Arlington, VA 22204

Fred Liu

Fairfax Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 10530 Rosehaven St., Suite 111, Fairfax, VA 22030

David M. Morgan

David M. Morgan, DDS, MD, PLC 124 S. West St., Suite 103, Alexandria, VA 22314

Mark A. Luposello LM Orthodontics

Virginia Center for Orthodontics 1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 810, Arlington, VA 22209

Robert Marzban

3801 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 60, Arlington, VA 22203

Berman & Lee Orthodontics

Kingstowne Dental Specialists 5911 Kingstowne Village Pkwy., Suite 150, Alexandria, VA 22315

Deirdre J. Maull

Deirdre Maull Orthodontics 6845 Elm St., Suite 505, McLean, VA 22101

Garret Djeu

NoVA Orthodontics 10875 Main St., Suite 106, Fairfax, VA 22030

Dror Orbach

Orbach Orthodontics

Sherif N. Elhady TrĂź Orthodontics

3705 S. George Mason Dr., Suite C7S, Falls Church, VA 22041

6505-B Sydenstricker Rd., Burke, VA 22015

Hani Thariani

Hani Thariani Orthodontics

Seth D. Feldman

Dr. Irwin S. Feldman DDS MS, and Dr. Seth D. Feldman DDS

2501 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22207

Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery

313 Park Ave., Suite G1, Falls Church, VA 22046

Toms Orthodontics & Endodontics

5206 Lyngate Ct., Burke, VA 22015

Frank Orthodontics

Amir Naimi

Jonathan Park

Fairfax Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 10530 Rosehaven St., Suite 111, Fairfax, VA 22030

Ali Pashapour

Pashapour Oral + Facial Surgery 1016 N. Highland St., Arlington, VA 22201

Dipa J. Patel

Dipa J. Patel, DDS 3801 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 20, Arlington, VA 22203

Travis T. Patterson III

Whiston, Patterson, Corcoran 6400 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042

Cyrus Ramsey

Fairfax Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 12359 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190

Steven F. Robertson Jr.

Fairfax Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 12359 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190

Jeffrey Rothman

Alexandria Oral Surgery, PC 4660 Kenmore Ave., Suite 204, Alexandria, VA 22304

Kevin Toms

Harold L. Frank

9070 Devlin Rd., Suite 140, Bristow, VA 20136

200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 128, Arlington, VA 22203

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Ali Ghatri

Farrah Alkeliddar

4210 Fairfax Corner Ave. W., Fairfax, VA 22030

171 Elden St., Suite 3A2, Herndon, VA 20170

Herbert M. Hughes

Angela Austin

7906 Andrus Rd., Suite 18, Alexandria, VA 22306

6303 Little River Tpke., Suite 345, Alexandria, VA 22312

Let's Smile Dental

Tiny Tooth Pediatric Dentistry

Hughes Orthodontics

Alexandria Children's Dentistry

Justin M. Hughes

Girish Banaji

Hughes Orthodontics

7906 Andrus Rd., Suite 18, Alexandria, VA 22306

Banaji Pediatric Dental Specialists

Darin Iverson

2843 Hartland Rd., Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22043

5401 Lee Hwy., Arlington, VA 22207

Chantilly Pediatric & Family Dentistry with Dr. Shirley F. Bethel, DMD

Shirley F. Bethel

Iverson Orthodontics

Elizabeth Matteson Jones Merrifield Orthodontics

2843 Hartland Rd., Suite 100, Falls Church, VA 22043

Mary Karau

4229 Lafayette Center Dr., Suite 1400, Chantilly, VA 20151

Mina Dadkhah

Smileville Family Dental

Karau Orthodontics 1213 Belle Haven Rd., Alexandria, VA 22307

William S. Lee

6354 Walker Ln., Suite 103, Alexandria, VA 22310

Jeffrey P. Davis

Jeffrey P. Davis, DDS, PC

Alexandria Braces 6400 Beulah St., Suite 103, Alexandria, VA 22310

7601 Lewinsville Rd., Suite 208, McLean, VA 22102

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top dentists

Jayne E. Delaney

Lillian C. Carpio

Justin Zalewsky

50 S. Pickett St., Suite 120, Alexandria, VA 22304

1355 Beverly Rd., Suite 210, McLean, VA 22101

4660 Kenmore Ave., Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22304

Giannina Galliani

Lourdes Ann Christopher

Drs. Christopher, Favagehi & Traboulsi

PROSTHODONTICS

80 E. Jefferson St., Suite 400B, Falls Church, VA 22046

313 Park Ave., Suite 103, Falls Church, VA 22046

Esam Abou Nahlah

Roselyne Gichana

Jayne E. Delaney, DDS and Rory N. Smith, DDS

Growing Smiles of Northern Virginia

The Periodontal Implant Institute

Precision Periodontics

Michael Colasanto

Dental Group of Tysons

Drs. Colasanto & Monfared, PC

7901 Jones Branch Dr., Suite 220, McLean, VA 22102

Falls Church Pediatric Dental Center

3801 Fairfax Dr., Suite 51, Arlington, VA 22203

6400 Arlington Blvd., Suite 80, Falls Church, VA 22042

Harshit Aggarwal

Mehrdad Favagehi

Center for Dentofacial Aesthetics

Pediatric Dental Care

313 Park Ave., Suite 103, Falls Church, VA 22046

7630 Little River Tpke., Suite 115, Annandale, VA 22003

9901 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax, VA 22030

Brian Feeney

Brendan Bernhart

Michelle Keaney Flanagan, DMD

1430 Spring Hill Rd., Suite 101, McLean, VA 22102

3020 Hamaker Ct., Suite 510, Fairfax, VA 22031

1005 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 480, Arlington, VA 22201

Mark R. Gordon

Hugo Bonilla

Olde Towne Perio

Bonilla Dental Arts 3299 Woodburn Rd., Suite 120, Annandale, VA 22003

5001 Lee Hwy., Arlington, VA 22207

2121 Eisenhower Ave., Suite 502, Alexandria, VA 22314

Charlson Choi

Niloo Mofakhami

A. Garrett Gouldin

Premier Smiles of Merrifield

Northern Virginia Periodontics

8316 Arlington Blvd., Suite 218, Fairfax, VA 22031

2960 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 300, Oakton, VA 22124

103 W. Broad St., Suite 601, Falls Church, VA 22046

Fotini Chrisopoulos

Maryam Mohammadi

Wahn Khang

Robert D. Argentieri, DDS

Perio Implant Center

6201 Old Keene Mill Ct., Springfield, VA 22152

1363 Beverly Rd., Suite 250, McLean, VA 22101

11866 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 101, Reston, VA 20191

Caroline Eskow

Richard Koh

10550 Warwick Ave., Fairfax, VA 22030

John Han

Michelle Keaney Flanagan Peter Markov

Virginia Kids Pediatric Dentistry

Children's Dentistry of Oakton

Beverly Pediatric Dentistry

Edward J. Nelson

Edward J. Nelson, DMD

Drs. Christopher, Favagehi & Traboulsi

Nova Institute

Brendan Bernhart, DDS

NOVA Prosthodontics

2501 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22207

Arlington Family Dental Center

Christine Reardon

2522 Lee Hwy., Arlington, VA 22201

3565 Lee Hwy., Suite A, Arlington, VA 22207

Dima Lakkis DDS, MS, PC

Emily Rosenberg

4660 Kenmore Ave., Suite 312, Alexandria, VA 22304

80 E. Jefferson St., Suite 400B, Falls Church, VA 22046

Rory N. Smith

Michael E. Oppenheimer

NOVA Prosthodontics

Michael E. Oppenheimer, DMD

10550 Warwick Ave., Fairfax, VA 22030

9938 Main St., Fairfax, VA 22031

Luis J. Martinez

Dr. Christine Reardon, DMD, PC

Growing Smiles of Northern Virginia

Jayne E. Delaney, DDS and Rory N. Smith, DDS 50 S. Pickett St., Suite 120, Alexandria, VA 22304

Dima Lakkis

Peterson Huang

Nova Premier Dental 313 Park Ave., Suite 306, Falls Church, VA 22046

Joseph A. Khalil

Arlington Dentistry By Design

Thomas H. Lin

Smileville Family Dental

1012 N. Highland St., Suite 130B-S, Arlington, VA 22201

6354 Walker Ln., Suite 103, Alexandria, VA 22310

Brian Mahler

Alfonso Patron

Virginia Dental Solutions

Implant Logyca

1890 Preston White Dr., Suite 200, Reston, VA 20191

McLean Pediatric Dentistry

1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 960, Arlington, VA 22209

6711 Whittier Ave., Suite 102, McLean, VA 22101

Si-Woon Park

Norachai Phisuthikul

Tysons Corner Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry

7630 Little River Tpke., Suite 115, Annandale, VA 22003

8320 Old Courthouse Rd., Suite 402, Vienna, VA 22182

Karl A. Smith

Negar Tehrani

Edison Abril

Stephen A. Mabry, DDS, PLC

2500 N. Van Dorn St., Suite 128, Alexandria, VA 22302

4210 Fairfax Corner Ave. W., Suite 225, Fairfax, VA 22030

2800 10th St. N., Arlington, VA 22201

William Wang

Benjamin Watkins III

4600 John Marr Dr., Suite 303, Annandale, VA 22003

6845 Elm St., Suite 475, McLean, VA 22101 n

Cris Ann Ternisky David Treff

Pediatric Dentistry of Burke 5284 Lyngate Ct., Burke, VA 22015

PERIODONTICS

Francisco T. Carlos

Northern Virginia Periodontics

Prestige Dental Specialists

Karl A. Smith, DDS

Nova Perio Health

103 W. Broad St., Suite 601, Falls Church, VA 22046

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Fairfax Corner Dental

Smiles International

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Dentists Profiles

TONY J. LEWIS

Danine Fresch Gray, DDS & Manisha Grover, DDS Clarendon Dental Arts See Profile page 79 ArlingtonMagazine.com â– November/December 2020

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DENTISTS

Sleep & TMJ Therapy JEFFREY L. BROWN, DDS, MBA Dr. Brown is a graduate of Georgetown Dental School and an international speaker for TMD. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain and holds memberships with many academies. His extensive knowledge in the combined fields of TMJ, sleep and orthodontics gives him a unique perspective.

2841 Hartland Road, Suite 301 Falls Church, VA 22043 703-821-1103 office@sleepandtmjtherapy.com www.sleepandtmjtherapy.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Q: What makes you different from other dentists?

A: Unlike other practices, we focus solely on treating craniofacial disorders and sleep-related issues. Limiting my practice to these areas of care has allowed me to concentrate on what I do best. Every day we see patients of all ages who are searching for help with developmental growth, airway improvement, relief for the symptoms associated with TMJ/TMD and movement disorders. I truly enjoy seeing our patients get their lives back. Once in treatment they can resume normal activities like work and sports—and they sleep much better. That is what it’s all about! To help identify problems early on, we offer complimentary consultations for patients 18 and younger.

Q: What is TMD and how do you treat it?

A: Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction is an internal imbalance of the jaw joints which causes symptoms throughout the

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body. Symptoms include popping and clicking, limited mouth opening, ringing in the ears, headaches, pain or tenderness in the upper body, and much more. One way we treat TMD is with the use of a bite splint to take pressure off the joints.

Another appliance we use is the ALF which is used to ‘align and level’ the bones in the skull. Achieving balance and symmetry internally helps the patient feel much better.

Q: How do you help with sleep issues?

A: We provide small, customized dental appliances to promote healthier breathing habits by opening the airway. Having this support while sleeping reduces the symptoms of snoring, frequent pauses in breathing, feeling of tiredness, irritability and waking up with headaches.

COURTESY PHOTO

PROFILES

PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Philip A. Gentry, DDS, FAGD & Jeanette Coutin, DDS CARING DENTISTS

TONY J. LEWIS

Dr. Gentry graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University School of Dentistry. He consults with some of the world’s top dentists and educators at the University of Maryland and at dental symposiums. Dr. Coutin also graduated from Georgetown School of Dentistry and has appeared on TV and radio as an oral health expert.

1831 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22201 703-522-7733 Instagram: @gentrydds caringdentists.com

Q: Why choose Caring Dentists?

A: We live in Arlington and have been in private practice here for 30 years.

We offer extensive knowledge and experience, and we are committed to providing the best quality dental care in a super clean and comfortable environment. We provide comprehensive general dentistry and cosmetic procedures using state-of-the-art modern equipment and the latest techniques available in dentistry. Our practice is accepting a limited number of patients.

To ensure the safety of our patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve implemented additional safety measures, including enhanced PPE (the doctor, hygienist and assistant wear both an N-95 and Level 3 surgical mask, clean scrubs, disposable gowns, gloves, safety glasses, face shield and a surgical cap), daily staff health screenings, patient temperature checks and a high speed suction during treatment to remove all aerosols.

DENTISTS

Q: What do you want your patients to know about you?

A: For a patient to receive the best possible treatment, it’s important to find a dentist who stays current on the latest procedures and techniques. At Caring Dentists, we use state-of-the-art technology like digital x-ray imaging, scanned digital teeth impressions, computer-designed crown restorations and 3D printing. And we are constantly updating our knowledge and skills through continuing education.

Dr. Gentry, a Fellow of The Academy of General Dentistry, teaches future generations of dentists as Dean’s Faculty, Clinical Assistant Professor in The Advanced Education in General Dentistry Department at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and publishes articles in dental journals. Dr. Coutin, an Invisalign® Preferred Provider, is a true artist and perfectionist who takes pride in her ability to transform her patients’ smiles.

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PROFILES

DENTISTS

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Dipa J. Patel, DDS ARLINGTON DENTAL IMPLANT & ORAL SURGERY CENTER Dr. Patel is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with more than 14 years of experience. She graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed her oral surgery residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Stony Brook University.

3801 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 20 Arlington, VA 22203 703-566-1361 www.arlingtonoms.com

Q: What makes you different from other dentists?

A: I see myself as a human first. I’m proud of my skills and achievements as a dentist and oral surgeon, but the human factor always comes first. I think my patients would describe me as approachable, warm and friendly.

And I take the privilege of what I do, and the trust my patients put in me, very seriously.

Q: What is unique about your practice?

A: We are small and patient focused—and not interested in growing past a certain size. There has been a major surge in corporate dentistry over the past decade, but I don’t believe such large practices can offer the same quality of individualized care we pride ourselves on.

Q: What is an example of a time when you helped a patient that you’re particularly proud of?

A: There are many, but in particular I remember a young 16-year-old patient who had an extreme dentofacial deformity, with basically no chin. We did corrective jaw surgery and inserted a chin implant. Within six months, she was not the same person. She was brimming with confidence. She sent us prom photos and looked gorgeous. It was extremely fulfilling.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

HILLARY SCHWAB

A: I’m involved with Landmark Worldwide, a personal and professional growth, training and development organization that helps people create the lives of their dreams. I also do triathlons and, after completing three Half Ironmans last year, I was supposed to do my first Ironman this year. Sadly, due to Covid-19 it was postponed a year.

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PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Manisha Grover, DDS & Danine Fresch Gray, DDS CLARENDON DENTAL ARTS “Providing patients with the ‘why’ behind their dental challenges helps them move past the old ‘drill-and-fill’ model and develop long-term plans for their health.”

TONY J. LEWIS

2700 Clarendon Blvd., Suite R480 Arlington, VA 22201 703-525-5901 cdarts@clarendondentalarts.com www.clarendondentalarts.com

Q: What is unique about your practice?

A: Our “Mouth, Mind, and Body” philosophy embodies the empowerment of our patients to make dentistry part of their overall health plan. Your mouth is the gateway to your body and health is more than just an absence of disease, it is a measure of overall wellness.

Q: How do you employ new technology to help your patients?

A: Rather than treating patients reactively, we use today’s scientific advances and technologies to offer conservative and proactive treatment options based on reallife challenges, genetic risk factors and science. These tools are a key component to diagnose and illustrate to our patients what patterns are visible and help explain the story their mouth is telling them.

Providing patients with the “why” behind their dental challenges helps them move past the old “drill-and-fill” model and develop long-term plans for their health.

DENTISTS

Q: What are the most significant changes in dentistry during your career?

A: The field of dentistry has fortunately seen a huge growth in female entrepreneurship. Part of paying it forward in business is creating mentorship opportunities for those beginning their business careers and encouraging professional development among our own staff, so they can become not only better providers of dental care, but better individuals. I strongly believe in the ideology upon which Dr. Fresch has built her practice over the past 30 years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue fostering Clarendon Dental Arts’ values promoting self-worth through education, relationship building, superior customer service and community outreach.

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PROFILES

DENTISTS

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Michael J. Paesani, DMD NOVA DENTAL STUDIO Dr. Paesani graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and completed his General Practice Residency at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach. Looking to move closer to his hometown in western Maryland, he started NOVA Dental Studio in 2012 following four years of private practice in Florida.

200 Little Falls St., Suite 101 Falls Church, VA 22046 703-237-7725 info@novadentalstudio.com www.novadentalstudio.com

Q: What makes you different from other dentists?

A: I’m particularly proud of how conservatively I practice.

At NOVA Dental Studio, we focus on preventive dentistry.

When dental treatment is required, we always opt for the least invasive procedure necessary. Conserving natural tooth structure is paramount.

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: For me, the most satisfying part of my job is witnessing the transformation of an apprehensive patient into someone who is completely comfortable when they return to the office. I attribute this to my friendly staff that works diligently to foster a safe and calm environment for our patients. All of our patients are cared for like family.

My team will often offer to hold a patient's hand during an injection, extend words of support, and be ready to do whatever they can to ensure that our patients are as relaxed and comfortable as possible. In addition to my interactions with patients, I enjoy learning new skills and techniques through extensive continuing education courses. The implementation of a new skill always brings a smile to my face because it means I have added another tool to my arsenal, allowing me to be a better dentist.

Q: What is unique about your practice?

DARREN HIGGINS

A: We spend significant time with each patient, educating them on their dental care. We take pictures of their teeth, sometimes even in the middle of a procedure, to help explain any issues and what we’re doing to remedy them.

And I always encourage questions—I want my patients to understand what I’m doing during each appointment.

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PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Fairlington Dental

Q: What made you decide to become a dentist?

MICHAEL B. ROGERS, DDS

A: My extensive experience as a dental patient when I was a child gave me the idea that I might have a unique empathy for other patients, and it actually led me to apply to dental school.

Dr. Rogers graduated with honors from Harvard University and received his dental degree from UCLA. Having completed his General Practice Residency–including rotations in plastic surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine and oral surgery—at Sepulveda Veteran’s Hospital in 1991, Dr. Rogers offers treatment for TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, orthodontics, dental implants and cosmetic dentistry.

4850 31st St., Suite A Arlington, VA 22206 703-671-1001 office@fairlingtondental.com www.fairlingtondental.com

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your job?

A: The biggest challenge in my job is getting patients and other medical professionals to understand that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body, and that mouth health and overall health are intertwined. Dentistry should be a sub-specialty of medicine, like neurology or otolaryngology, not a separate profession.

DENTISTS

3-D images of the teeth and mouth, greatly increasing diagnostic accuracy.

Intraoral cameras enable the patient to instantly see exactly what I am seeing.

Q: What is the one thing your patients should know about you?

A: I have experienced just about everything a dental patient can, in my own mouth. I have been treated for TMJ disorder, been through braces and Invisalign®, have an oral appliance for sleep apnea, have had five root canals, 24 crowns and veneers—most of them for the second or third time—and have had eight permanent teeth extracted.

COURTESY PHOTO

Q: How do you employ new technology to help your patients?

A: Digital scanning instead of putty, whenever practical, makes getting dental impressions much easier on the patient.

Cone-beam technology allows us to get ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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Deirdre J. Maull, DMD, MS DEIRDRE MAULL ORTHODONTICS 6845 Elm St., Suite 505 McLean, VA 22101 703-556-9400 www.maullortho.com

Q: What precautions are you taking in response to Covid-19?

A: Patient health and comfort are at the core of our practice.

Therefore, we have taken steps to eliminate aerosols to provide the safest environment for our patients and team. In addition to health screenings and temperature checks, we are using barriers/sneeze guards and sanitizing throughout the day. We are also spacing patients, using air purifiers, regularly testing team members and offering virtual appointments.

A: I love all aspects of my practice, from providing braces and Invisalign to helping children born with facial differences. I was fortunate to have trained with pioneers in the fields of Surgical Orthodontics and Cleft/Craniofacial Anomalies, and I treat a wide variety of issues in children and adults.

MAGGIE MARKEL

Q: What is unique about your practice?

William S. Lee, DDS ALEXANDRIA BRACES 6400 Beulah St., Suite 103, Alexandra, VA 22310 703-347-9876 | alexandriabraces@gmail.com www.alexandriabraces.com

Q: What is something your patients should know about you?

A: After nearly two decades of private practice experience, I went on to establish Alexandria Braces in 2014. The beautiful state-of-the-art facility serving Alexandria and the surrounding areas is outfitted with the latest in equipment and technology.

Patient relationships are our top priority, which is why it’s been such an honor to earn recognition as a Top Orthodontist by such publications as Arlington, Virginia Living, Northern Virginia and Washingtonian magazines.

A: After graduating with a B.A. in Biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania, I graduated with honors from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. I completed my general practice residency at Yale University Yale-New Haven Hospital and my specialty training residency at Columbia University Department of Orthodontics.

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HEATHER FUENTES

Q: What is your educational background?

PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Falls Church Periodontics & Dental Implant Center MEHRDAD FAVAGEHI, DDS, MS, CERT. PERIO LOURDES ANN CHRISTOPHER, DDS, MS, CERT. PERIO

HILARY SCHWAB

Dr. Favagehi graduated from the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry (VCU). Dr. Christopher earned her dental degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. They completed their post-doctoral residency at Ohio State University, where they met more than 20 years ago and married a month later.

313 Park Ave., Suite 103 Falls Church, VA 22046 703-237-3700 periodontistoffice@gmail.com www.periodontistoffice.com

Q: What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

A: Many of our patients were referred to us with complex dental problems and are anxious about losing teeth, receding gum lines or needing implants to replace teeth. It is very rewarding to be able to relieve their anxieties and work with them and their dentists to resolve their issues.

Q: How do your patients benefit from your experience as teachers?

A: We believe that a well-informed patient can make the best decisions about their treatment. But before we dive into any treatments, we serve as our patients’ advisors, coaches and teachers. With our extensive experience as educators, patients can expect to be able to learn about and understand all aspects of their dental issues and treatment options.

Dr. Favagehi is an adjunct faculty member at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry and in 2011 received a teaching and mentorship

DENTISTS

award from the America Academy of Periodontology. Dr. Christopher, widely considered a guru of gum grafting, has taught at VCU and the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

Both doctors have lectured at dental conferences worldwide.

Q: How do you employ new technology?

A: Our state-of-the-art technology includes lasers, 3D scanners, 3D printers, PiezosurgeryÂŽ units, advanced monitors for IV sedation and the latest 3D cone beam CT scan technology to minimize X-ray radiation by as much as 90 percent. We also take sterilization and infection control measures very seriously. In addition to chemical and/or UV disinfection, we use three autoclaves and a third-party testing agency to ensure our office is clean and sterile.

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DENTISTS

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Smita Sabharwal, DDS, FAGD SKS DENTAL 3801 Fairfax Drive, Suite 22, Arlington, VA, 22203 703-567-7121 | office@sksdental.com | www.sksdental.com

Q: How do you employ new technology to help your patients?

A: We have invested in state-of-the-art technologies, making the dental process easier and safer for our patients. Our digital x-rays, intraoral camera and digital scanner provide accurate imaging and help patients to see, and better understand, their diagnosis and treatment. We also use Velscope to help detect the early stages of oral cancer.

A: Our practice philosophy is to provide an environment that fosters a positive patient experience and strong patient relationships. In response to Covid-19, we have implemented many safety measures, including extraoral suctions, air purifiers and new patient protocols. My team and I strive to make the experience as safe and pleasant as possible.

Recognized as

TOP DENTIST for 2020

IVERSON ORTHODONTICS A PERFECT FIT FOR YOUR TEETH

5401 Lee Highway | Arlington, VA 22207 703-536-7846 | www.iversonortho.com 84

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STEPHANIE BRAGG

Q: What is one thing your patients should know about your practice?

great spaces

n by Jennifer Sergent | photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Heaven Above JACK LEVY AND HIS WIFE, Nancy, weren’t planning to build a new home when they moved from Arlington to McLean so their son, Benjamin, 14, could walk to classes at the Potomac School.

But then they saw a renovated house featuring custom woodwork designed

by Falls Church architect Seth Ballard.

“My wife and I turned to each other and said, ‘We need this guy. He gets us,’ ” recalls Levy, a trade attorney whose firm represents Western Forest Products in British Columbia. The couple asked Ballard to design a home incorporating the beautifully variegated hues of western red cedar, which Levy’s client harvests on Vancouver Island. (Levy would later travel there to personally accompany the shipment across the U.S border.)

The home’s great room in particular is a celebration of that special delivery,

along with locally sourced walnut flooring and mahogany built-ins and trim.

Ballard studied the interior architecture of Gilded-Age mansions for inspiration as he and Levy brainstormed how the double-story room would take shape. That’s when they hit upon a ceiling design featuring hammer trusses, a decorative style that goes back centuries in which short exposed beams are braced with brackets instead of tierods. This approach keeps the vaulted center open and spacious.

“It’s influenced by historical, grandera timber frames,” says Ballard, who designed and engineered the structure.

“It’s not quite Arts and Crafts; it’s not quite farmhouse.”

Ballard enlisted master framers at Streamline TimberFrame in Floyd, Virginia, to cut the huge beams and the

cedar paneling that covers the walls and ceiling, while father-and-son carpenters Gerald and Sam Staley of Round Hill, Virginia, installed it over seven weeks— much of that time spent on their backs on scaffolding to lay each ceiling panel.

“It reminded me of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel,” Levy says.

Ballard used stone accents and prairiestyle windows to finish the space, which is adjacent to the Levys’ open kitchen.

“It’s an ode to wood, is really what Seth created,” Levy says. “I just look up to the ceiling and forget to turn on the TV—I just lose myself in the design.” n

PROJECT CREDITS

Ballard + Mensua Architecture ballardmensua.com Streamline TimberFrame streamlinetimberframe.com Gerald C. Staley Builders Round Hill, Virginia (no website)

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August’s

Most Expensive Home Sales

1909 MacArthur Drive, McLean 22203 (Arlington)

801 N. Daniel St. List Price: $1.9 million Sale Price: $1.87 million Days on Market: 0 Listing Office: Not a Bright MLS subscriber Neighborhood: Lyon Park Year Built: 2020 Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 4/1

4341 N. Pershing Drive List Price: $1.1 million Sale Price: $1.09 million Days on Market: 6 Listing Office: Optime Realty Neighborhood: Ballston Year Built: 2015 Bedrooms: 3 Full/Half Baths: 4/1

1015 21st St. S. List Price: $1.62 million Sale Price: $1.6 million Days on Market: 39 Listing Office: Classic Cottages Realty Neighborhood: Addison Heights Year Built: 2019 Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1

1210 S. Monroe St. List Price: $1.59 million Sale Price: $1.8 million Days on Market: 5 Listing Office: KW Metro Center Neighborhood: Westmont Year Built: 2008 Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 3/0

22202 (Arlington)

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This information, courtesy of Bright MLS as of Sept. 14, 2020, includes single-family homes, townhouses and condos sold in June 2020, excluding sales in which sellers have withheld permission to advertise or promote. Information should be independently verified.

The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright serves approximately 95,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve over 20 million consumers. For more information, visit brightmls.com.

COURTESY OF HOMEVISIT.COM

22201 (Arlington)

Since 1983.

With Realtor Karen Close at your side there’s a good reason you will feel “at ease” with your next real estate transaction.

Combining more than 30 years of experience with a genuine, down-to-earth personality, Karen provides buyers and sellers throughout Northern Virginia an unparalleled level servi and dedication of service throughout every phase of every transaction.

COMMITMENT PASSION

Karen Close

REALTOR® | Associate Broker Direct: 703-517-9477

KarenClose.com

5904 Washington Blvd Arlington, VA 22205

571-565-2320

prime numbers

■

22205 (Arlington) 2323 N. Nottingham St. List Price: $1.55 million Sale Price: $1.55 million Days on Market: 6 Listing Office: RE/MAX Allegiance Neighborhood: Overlee Knolls Year Built: 2006 Bedrooms: 4 Full/Half Baths: 4/1

22206 (Arlington) 2314 S. Nelson St. List Price: $899,900 Sale Price: $875,000 Days on Market: 36 Listing Office: Redfin Neighborhood: Nauck Year Built: 2000 Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 4/1

22207 (Arlington) 1900 N. Oakland St. List Price: $2.28 million Sale Price: $2.28 million Days on Market: 0 Listing Office: Not a Bright MLS subscriber Neighborhood: Cherrydale Year Built: 2020 Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 5/1

22209 (Arlington) 1401 N. Oak St., #906 List Price: $1.98 million Sale Price: $1.95 million Days on Market: 1 Listing Office: RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate Neighborhood: The Weslie Year Built: 1981 Bedrooms: 3 Full/Half Baths: 2/1

Tired of missing Arlington building lots?

Call Billy Buck

(703) 524-9000

22213 (Arlington)

Buck & Associates, Inc. Realtors® Since 1976

3011 N. Trinidad St. List Price: $1.9 million Sale Price: $1.9 million Days on Market: 10 Listing Office: Long & Foster Real Estate Neighborhood: Oakwood Year Built: 2014 Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1

22101 (McLean)

"My new home!" said Cameron, presenting this drawing to their Doorways counselor.

"Thank you for helping the families here."

This year, give the gift of hope from harm and homelessness.

Give now at www.DoorwaysVA.org/donate.

Need support? Call us: 703-237-0881 24-Hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline 88

November/December 2020 ■ ArlingtonMagazine.com

1909 MacArthur Drive List Price: $2.45 million Sale Price: $2.42 million Days on Market: 42 Listing Office: Washington Fine Properties Neighborhood: Franklin Park Year Built: 2008 Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1

22102 (McLean) 1318 Woodside Drive List Price: $3.43 million Sale Price: $3.38 million Days on Market: 19 Listing Office: Long & Foster Real Estate Neighborhood: Woodside Estates Year Built: 2012 Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 5/3

3917 Larchwood Road List Price: $1.09 million Sale Price: $1.06 million Days on Market: 54 Listing Office: Giant Realty Neighborhood: Belvedere Year Built: 2006 Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/0

22042 (Falls Church) 6518 Valley Court List Price: $999,900 Sale Price: $1.08 million Days on Market: 4 Listing Office: Keller Williams Realty Falls Church Neighborhood: Chateaux Year Built: 1961 Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/0

“

I’ve always preferred Credit Unions because of the personal approach to each member. I value ACFCU’s financial education programs, in our classrooms and in the community.

—Stephanie Smith, APS teacher and proud ACFCU member

“

22041 (Falls Church)

22043 (Falls Church) 2234 Beacon Lane List Price: $1.8 million Sale Price: $1.8 million Days on Market: 7 Listing Office: Property Collective Neighborhood: Churchill Year Built: 2020 Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1

22044 (Falls Church) 3421 Stoneybrae Drive List Price: $895,000 Sale Price: $920,000 Days on Market: 4 Listing Office: Compass Neighborhood: Lake Barcroft Year Built: 1965 Bedrooms: 4 Full/Half Baths: 3/0

22046 (Falls Church) 1003-B Lincoln Ave. List Price: $1.42 million Sale Price: $1.4 million Days on Market: 5 Listing Office: Stewart McElroy Real Estate Neighborhood: Ellison Heights Year Built: 2015 Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 4/1

ArlingtonCU.org

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Real Estate Sales Trends 2019

2019

2020

22205 August 2019 vs. August 2020 2019

2020

2020

Number of Homes Sold 15 28 Average Sold Price $913,424 $939,883 Average Days on Market 17 14 Sold Above Asking Price 6 16 Sold Below Asking Price 6 10 Sold Over $1 Million 4 8

22201

22203

22206

Number of Homes Sold 48 49 Average Sold Price $658,634 $750,999 Average Days on Market 11 16 Sold Above Asking Price 30 18 Sold Below Asking Price 11 18 Sold Over $1 Million 7 12

Number of Homes Sold 24 33 Average Sold Price $472,712 $585,566 Average Days on Market 46 13 Sold Above Asking Price 9 15 Sold Below Asking Price 12 11 Sold Over $1 Million 2 2

Number of Homes Sold 36 31 Average Sold Price $481,581 $564,679 Average Days on Market 9 10 Sold Above Asking Price 24 17 Sold Below Asking Price 5 5 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0

22202

22204

22207

Number of Homes Sold 16 19 Average Sold Price $708,688 $707,894 Average Days on Market 19 16 Sold Above Asking Price 4 8 Sold Below Asking Price 8 6 Sold Over $1 Million 2 5

Number of Homes Sold 46 47 Average Sold Price $562,822 $596,936 Average Days on Market 17 13 Sold Above Asking Price 24 24 Sold Below Asking Price 14 13 Sold Over $1 Million 3 3

Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price $1.18 Average Days on Market Sold Above Asking Price Sold Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million

Rob Ferguson is as local as they come. A lifelong Northern Virginian with more than 24 years of Arlington real estate expertise, Rob knows the neighborhoods and the local market.

Let Rob show you how his clients become clients for life.

Rob Ferguson GRI & Associate Broker

ORDER EARLY on our website for the best selection.

PASTRIESBYRANDOLPH.COM

703-926-6139 www.fergusonrealestateteam.com

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#PBRBAKESMEHAPPY 703-243-0070

46 48 Mil. $1.13 Mil. 22 16 20 15 20 23 27 26

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

22209

22102

22043

Number of Homes Sold 15 29 Average Sold Price $373,543 $649,976 Average Days on Market 25 11 Sold Above Asking Price 5 5 Sold Below Asking Price 6 13 Sold Over $1 Million 1 8

Number of Homes Sold 41 44 Average Sold Price $978,451 $845,870 Average Days on Market 52 41 Sold Above Asking Price 10 5 Sold Below Asking Price 28 33 Sold Over $1 Million 14 14

Number of Homes Sold 23 42 Average Sold Price $709,789 $811,139 Average Days on Market 36 19 Sold Above Asking Price 10 15 Sold Below Asking Price 10 21 Sold Over $1 Million 3 12

22213

22041

22044

Number of Homes Sold 3 11 Average Sold Price $1.24 Mil. $964,772 Average Days on Market 16 26 Sold Above Asking Price 0 4 Sold Below Asking Price 2 5 Sold Over $1 Million 1 3

Number of Homes Sold 33 33 Average Sold Price $365,498 $489,924 Average Days on Market 9 14 Sold Above Asking Price 20 17 Sold Below Asking Price 10 9 Sold Over $1 Million 0 1

Number of Homes Sold 8 14 Average Sold Price $571,062 $520,878 Average Days on Market 30 9 Sold Above Asking Price 0 8 Sold Below Asking Price 6 2 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0

22101

22042

22046

Number of Homes Sold 30 48 Average Sold Price $562,384 $527,035 Average Days on Market 27 10 Sold Above Asking Price 6 28 Sold Below Asking Price 17 14 Sold Over $1 Million 2 1

Number of Homes Sold 26 29 Average Sold Price $837,277 $704,658 Average Days on Market 34 16 Sold Above Asking Price 2 14 Sold Below Asking Price 19 11 Sold Over $1 Million 7 4

Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price $1.19 Average Days on Market Sold Above Asking Price Sold Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million

44 37 Mil. $1.55 Mil. 34 51 11 10 28 23 28 32

READERS’ PICK | BEST ARCHITECT

CUSTOM HOMES • ADDITIONS • INTERIORS • HISTORIC PRESERVATION www.ballardmensua.com (703) 992-7580 ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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Classic Cottages 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301 703-844-9936 | sales@ccottages.com | www.ccottages.com

BIO Classic Cottages is a local Arlington home builder that has redefined the term “modern living” with its latest portfolio of contemporary home designs. Classic Cottages consistently blends classic community culture with innovative architecture and design through its skilled in-house acquisitions, marketing and sales, architecture, design, and construction departments.

PROJECT A new construction buyer has several paths he or she can take when it comes to building a new home with Classic Cottages. One of these "paths to ownership" is what Classic Cottages refers to as its BOYL Program (i.e. Build On Your Lot). This program allows homeowners to build a brand-new home on their existing lot. A survey of the lot is used to provide the homeowners with a feasibility study that assesses what size custom home and/or Classic Cottages model could fit on the existing lot, as well as topographical characteristics and boundaries. Classic Cottages' in-house team of sales, architecture, design and construction departments collaborate together in the production and coordination of materials that eventually become what you see here: a beautiful, one-of-a-kind home that exceeds homeowner expectations and aligns perfectly with their lifestyle.

This project featured is of a BOYL home completed this past spring in Arlington. Smooth textures and high-contract tones were used throughout the home to achieve a minimalistic, modern aesthetic.

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Commonwealth Restorations 2902 N. Sycamore St., Arlington, VA 22207 703-525-5255 | office@commonwealthrestorations.com www.commonwealthrestorations.com

BIO Commonwealth Restorations has been a leader in the construction and remodeling industry in Arlington for more than 50 years.

We are proud to be a locally owned and operated business here in Arlington and love that our clients are also our neighbors.

Restorations, renovations, repairs, as well as new construction, are all part of our portfolio.

OUR WORK SHOWROOM NOW OPEN Commonwealth Restorations is proud to offer a beautiful new design center, conveniently located in the Williamsburg Shopping Center in Arlington. Homeowners can walk through our new showroom, appointed with two full-size kitchens as well as bathroom and mudroom vignettes. Customers will experience first-hand many of the appliances, fixtures, tiles, cabinets, countertops, hardware and other items that are available to them as they are inspired to fully customize their future home projects. Whether it is a whole-house build or a renovation/ addition, customers can now see the latest trends in home design as well as the tried-and-true classic styles. Our design team will meet with clients at the showroom to get a better sense of how they envision their home space and make informed and confident decisions, allowing for a more seamless design experience. We invite you to stop by our Arlington showroom anytime or make an appointment to start on your home renovation path.

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The Mather Future Site Location: 7929 Westpark Drive, Tysons, VA 22102 (703) 348-8522 | www.themathertysons.com info@themathertysons.com

BIO Mather is a unique not-for-profit organization headquartered in Evanston, Illinois. Mather has served older adults for nearly 80 years, developing and implementing Ways to Age Well.SM Mather maintains a constant focus on mission and strategic plan for the future, with an ongoing emphasis on impact, significance and sustainability.

PROJECT The Mather, projected to open in 2023, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62+ where you can let go of worries and embrace opportunities. It’s smack dab in the middle of it all, bordering a three-acre urban park and within walking distance of rail service, retail and restaurants. The Mather’s apartment homes start from 850 square feet up to 3,300 square feet, featuring expansive views, luxury finishes and innovative smart home technology. Entrance fees start at $646,700. The Mather will feature 38,000+ square feet of amenities including multiple restaurants, fitness center, indoor pool, screening room, library, art studio, meeting spaces and more! Kitchen finishes include quartz countertops, full-height backsplash, professional-grade Thermador appliances, quartz kitchen island with waterfall edge, LED lighting under upper cabinets and more! It will be the first Life Plan Community in Tysons. Renderings and information shown here are subject to change without notice.

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EL Studio 1319 Naylor Ct. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 365-5798 | info@elstudioarch.com | www.elstudioarch.com

BIO EL Studio, an award-winning architecture firm, specializes in building innovative structures within challenging constraints. EL Studio strives for the creative use of techniques and materials to develop solutions unique to the problems and potential posed in each project. EL Studio is licensed in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. The existing residence, a four-square house built in the 1980s, suffered from a superfluity of cells that constrained the otherwise generous footprint. Awkward additions with oddly placed openings did little to improve the space and its illumination. The owners, a couple with three boys, wanted to improve the house to accommodate growing kids, but weren’t certain what they needed.

By removing extraneous walls and relocating the functional masses (e.g. closets, bathroom, kitchen) to the periphery, we uncovered a graceful “new” home within the existing building and created an open, flowing space. In the kitchen, existing trusses forced the ceiling down with thick wood tension members. Replacing these with thin steel lifted the ceiling to the roof, and up-lights accentuate the sloping surfaces. New windows and skylights animate the lofty volume over the course of the day. In the nearby bathroom, another skylight illuminates the secluded shower.

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PROJECT

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TriVistaUSA Design + Build 925 N. Garfield St., Suite 106, Arlington, VA 22201 703-243-3171 | info@trivistausa.com | www.trivistausa.com

BIO TriVistaUSA Design + Build provides innovative, award-winning designs to residences in Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria and NWDC. Owners Michael and Deborah Sauri built their team around one mission: “Our thoughtful design builds fine living.” TriVistaUSA provides creative high-design solutions on time and on budget to achieve real solutions for their clients’ lifestyles.

STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG

PROJECT When these new parents showed us their recently purchased home from the 1950s, we knew we had a big job on our hands.

This house, previously a rental, had hosted family after family and was not in a condition for the new owners to lay down their roots.

The kitchen was always the main focus of this project as it is the central part of one's home. By opening up this space, we gave our clients a fully functional main hub for entertaining and caring for the family while prepping in the kitchen. Warm blue cabinets and gold accent pendant lights complimented this couple’s style and captured the charm of the project. By preserving a portion of the home's natural brick, we were able to maintain some of the allure of this older home. The finished product is a truly breathtaking kitchen for this couple to enjoy and cherish over the exciting years to come.

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Alair Homes Arlington Designed by Luther Paul Weber, A.I.A. Architects 3100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 | 703-791-1317 Chad.Hackmann@AlairHomes.com | www.AlairHomes.com

BIO Alair Homes Arlington provides custom home building and renovation in Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and D.C. Having lived and worked in the Arlington community for more than 20 years, Chad Hackmann, Regional Partner, has a deep appreciation and understanding of building in Arlington and the surrounding areas.

Alair Homes Arlington takes pride in all our projects. From multimillion-dollar estates to 1940s renovations to budget-friendly starter homes, we approach each project with the same level of care, workmanship and top-notch customer service. We understand the constraints of Arlington’s smaller lots and love to help our clients create the home of their dreams.

Alair Homes Arlington offers a unique approach with total transparency in pricing. Our highly trained and certified project managers empower clients with authority over their project from start to finish, using our proprietary Client Control™platform.

Whether homeowners want new construction, an addition, or home renovation,our clients trust Alair Homes Arlington to provide high-quality construction and a transparent process. Our industry expertise, process and professional contractors ensure beautiful projects and a rewarding experience.

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PROJECT

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Bowers Design Build 703.506.0845 | info@BowersDesignBuild.com www.BowersDesignBuild.com

BIO For 30 years, our on-staff architects, interior designers and construction professionals have focused on creating beautiful homes for each of our client’s unique needs. Creative designs married with our professional budget/project management approach have garnered a loyal client base. At any given time, 30% of our work is repeat business.

COURTESY PHOTO

PROJECT Our design/build process starts with truly understanding the client’s needs—both today and for the duration of their time in the home. This North Arlington professional couple had an original 1940 colonial with a small galley kitchen. With an expanding family and lots of community and business friends, they wanted a better place to host their frequent gatherings. The new kitchen addition had to be a comfortable place to visit with friends and family while still feeling elegant. The new kitchen features plenty of functional workspace and seating for three at the island. A bar sink and adult height beverage refrigerator are positioned away from the cooking area to keep guests from being underfoot while the host is preparing the meal. The former small galley kitchen is now a spacious Butler’s pantry with loads of storage. Denim blue and white cabinets with varying countertops and artistic tiles are functional, but also create the desired level of elegance.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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COURTESY PHOTO

PROJECT

style counsel

by Rina Rapuano

Yasmine BandaliAlvarado

DIXIE VEREEN

Squeaky Clean For Rosslyn resident Yasmine Bandali-Alvarado, soapmaking comes with considerations that extend beyond merely helping folks wash off.

The bars she makes for her company, All That Yazz, carry an important eco-mission, as well.

“Most of the artisan and regular soaps in the grocery store, the majority of them are made using palm oil—palmate or palm something,” says the Kenya-born entrepreneur, who has been in the U.S. for more than 21 years.

Many environmentalists view the palm industry as problematic, alleging that fires used to clear the land to plant palm trees harm endangered species and contribute to greenhouse gases. “It wasn’t just, ‘I’m a crafter, and it would be great to make a living,’ ”

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style counsel

she says. “The advocacy and the conversations around it—that’s more important to me than the income that I generate.”

Bandali-Alvarado first learned to make soap from her father, but notes that back then, soap also involved ingredients like tallow, which is made from animal fat.

Her line is mainly vegan, except for products that incorporate honey or goat or camel milk. (Yes, you read that right.)

Her colorful soaps come in such scents as Lyrical Lavender and Honeysuckle Haven, and they range in price from $7–$9. The honeysuckle is Bandali-Alvarado’s personal favorite, but she says the Babylon bar—free of fragrance and color—sells exceptionally well.

“That one flies off the table.

People who have skin sensitivity, sometimes they avoid even things like lavender.”

Her line also includes sugar scrubs and soy-based candles melted directly into vintage teacups.

She had intended to introduce lotions in 2020, but Covid-19 forced her to put that plan on the back burner. The pandemic has also caused the cancellation of many festivals and farmers markets that she previously relied upon for sales, moral support from fellow vendors and building rapport with customers.

“It’s not just about selling, it’s that interaction you have with people,” she says. “They’re part of your life, and you’re part of their life. Those interactions I miss a lot.” allthatyazz.net

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Early Bloomer Hermon Black tried her hand at a few careers before realizing she had been a budding floral designer all along.

Growing up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she was surrounded by roses, daisies, ferns, bougainvillea and even pomegranate trees. “I was probably 7, and I would just go outside and cut flowers and arrange them,” says the founder of HB Fiori Floral Studio.

Luckily, her mother had a particular penchant that paired perfectly with her hobby. “She loved vases, and was

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

very protective of them—but she would allow me to play with them,” Black recalls. “We loved having flowers inside the house. Flowers were a big part of my culture, and we would always take flowers when someone gave birth or for [other] occasions.”

Black moved to the States fresh out of college in 1996, and has run her floral design business out of her Arlington home since 2015. She finds inspiration in nature, describing her style as “lush, luxurious and classic.”

She has a tough time picking a favorite flower—although she admits

HERMON BLACK (FLOWERS)

n

GERTIE GEBRE PHOTOGRAPHY (HERMON BLACK)

Seasonal arrangements

by HB Fiori

to harboring a soft spot for peonies in spring and dahlias in summer.

“I like to add movement to my arrangements,” she says. “They’re not just stiff; there’s some airiness— something that will stick out with its own natural form of the stem, as if it’s just naturally growing out of the garden.”

Like many business owners, Black has felt the crush of the Covid-19 economy. Before the pandemic, she offered floral subscriptions to offices and residences in addition to creating arrangements for events

Hermon Black

and delivering individual bouquets, which run between $85 and $115.

“A lot of events and subscriptions got canceled immediately,” she laments. “Obviously, flowers are

a luxury, even for my regular subscribers.”

She has used the downtime to spiff up her website and visit local farms in an effort to forge stronger relationships with flower growers.

Still, she can’t imagine doing anything as uplifting as preparing and delivering her fanciful creations.

“Every time I drop off an arrangement, the excitement is so heartwarming,” she says. “In terms of income level, I’m probably breaking even—but the therapy part of it is priceless.” hbfiori.com

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by David Hagedorn

Wild Tiger BBQ

IN AUGUST, chef Kevin Tien teamed up with his friend Scott Chung to open Wild Tiger BBQ, a pop-up concept featuring barbecue with an Asian edge. It will run through May out of Bun’d Up, Chung’s Korean steamed bun place in Pentagon Row. “[Scott and I] started trading ideas because we both have Asian food businesses in Ballston Quarter,” says Tien. (Those would be Tien’s Sichuanmeets-Nashville hot chicken sandwich stall, Hot Lola’s; and Chung’s Rice 106

Crook, which serves Korean-inspired rice bowls, salads and wraps.)

“Scott bought a smoker as a passion, not for a business,” he adds. “But then we got to thinking—there’s Korean barbecue, and in [my] Vietnamese culture there are chargrilled meats. So why not do American barbecue with Asian flavors?”

Enter Wild Tiger’s signature shin ramen rub, which the chefs are applying to a variety of smoked meats.

It’s made with paprika, onion powder,

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brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, cumin, Korean chili flakes and, for an extra layer of umami, shiitake mushroom powder.

Tien had time on his hands for a new food venture. In October of 2019, he opened what he thought was his dream restaurant, Emilie’s, on Capitol Hill in D.C., but his relationship with the majority owner soured and he left in June.

He and Chung aren’t the only cooks in this new endeavor. They’ve received

BRIAN OH

Tiger Kings

Pumpkin Spice Latte Tired: Pumpkin spice latte as a meme.

Wired: Pumpkin spice latte as a theme! Here are some alternative suggestions for getting your fix of the famed fall trio.

PUMPKIN

COURTESY OF WILD TIGER (TIEN AND CHUNG); NAMSRAI PHOTOGRAPHY (PANJSHIR); COURTESY PHOTOS (PENZEYS SPICES, IDIDO COFFEE)

Kevin Tien (left) and Scott Chung

coaching from pit master Joe Neuman, whose Sloppy Mama’s Barbeque has locations in Ballston Quarter and on Lee Highway in Arlington, as well as at Union Market in D.C. (where Chung maintains the flagship operation of Bun’d Up).

“Some chefs, especially in barbecue, can be very secretive, but Joe has been an open book and really supportive,” Tien says. “He even offered to take some of the smoking workload off of us.”

To that end, Neuman is currently smoking brisket and pulled pork for Wild Tiger. Chung smokes ribs in a Pentagon Row parking lot next to Bun’d Up, and is developing recipes for smoked duck, sausages and Chinese barbecue rib tips. He plans to introduce brined and smoked turkey legs for Thanksgiving.

Wild Tiger offers platters for two to three people ($42) or three to four ($79), with offerings that include brisket, pulled pork, ribs, smoked fried chicken wings, pickles and pickled onions. Customers can choose among five house-made sauces—char-siu barbecue, miso-ranch, ginger-hot mustard, hot gochujang and Sichuan “comeback” (a remoulade-like riff on Mississippi comeback sauce—as in “Y’all come back!”—but spiced with Korean chili flakes, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon and Sichuan peppercorns).

Among the sides are fried Brussels sprouts and wedge salad.

Wild Tiger is open for pickup from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. (Pre-orders are recommended, but you can also order onsite.) As of press time, the pop-up had indoor seating for 20 and outdoor seating for 12, all socially distanced. Wild Tiger BBQ at Bun’d Up, 1201 S. Joyce St., Arlington; wildtigerbbq.square.site

Aziz Niazy opened Panjshir Restaurant in Falls Church in 1985. Now son Esmat runs the business while daughter Maria, Niazy’s cooking protégé, serves as chef, as she has for 20 years. One of the restaurant’s perennially popular menu items is kadu chalow, a vegetarian Afghan dish featuring chunks of braised pumpkin in tomato sauce with turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic, onions and Kashmiri masala paste (a paprika-based spice mix that gives the stew its vibrant orange color). The ensemble comes with spinach-flecked fluffy rice (that’s the chalow) and is crowned with homemade yogurt sauce.

Panjshir offers on-site dining, takeout and delivery. 114 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church; panjshirrestaurant.com

SPICE Penzeys Spices, a Wisconsin-based company with 56 locations, including one in Falls Church, has just about everything you need to jazz up your fall and winter baking. I love the four-jar baker’s assortment ($34.95), which includes natural high-fat cocoa; vanilla sugar; China cinnamon; and Baking Spice (a blend of Ceylon & China cinnamon, anise, allspice, mace and cardamom). If you simply must have that PSL, you can buy a jar of Penzeys pumpkin pie spice (or its individual components—cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mace and cloves) as part of a customizable Your Way box filled with half-cup or quarter-cup jars of your choice. Order online or by phone for curbside pickup. 513 W. Broad St., Falls Church; penzeys.com

LATTE Sofonias Gebretsadick and Mesfin Demise opened Idido Coffee in February 2019 on the ground floor of the Columbia Place complex, just off Columbia Pike. Named after a small village in the Yirgacheffe coffee region of Ethiopia, the café has indoor and outdoor seating, and offers a light-fare breakfast and lunch menu, in addition to libations made with La Colombe beans. I can give a thumbs-up to the draft latte and the caramel latte, but my go-to is the dirty chai latte— two shots of espresso (sometimes I even ask for a third) plus foamed milk mixed with a blend of black tea, sugar, honey, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, anise and ginger.

1107 S. Walter Reed Drive, Arlington; ididossocialhouse.com

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PRIVATE SCHOOL S

S P E C I A L A D VE RT I S I NG S EC T IO N

PRIVATE SCHOOLS OL

ES RAD

O CH

•S

•G

ER END

•G

N

TIO OCA

•L

T IZE DEN N SS NT/ ER STU LATIO . CLAS L A U UDE EACH RATIO G T P T • ST • TO PO • AV

The Auburn School, Silver Spring Campus

K-8

Co-ed

Silver Spring

65

10

10:2

Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School

PK-3

Co-ed

Washington, D.C.

374

20

6:1

The Brooksfield School

Ages 2-6

Co-ed

McLean

105

20

Toddlers 5:1 PreK/K 10:1

Burgundy Farm Country Day School

Age 4-Grade 8

Co-ed

Alexandria

255

15

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Commonwealth Academy

3-12

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140

Lower School 5 Upper School 8

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385

16

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PK-12

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970

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PS-8

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McLean

480

14

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K-12

Co-ed

McLean

1,055

16

8:1

Primrose School of Arlington

Infant-Pre-K

Co-ed

Arlington

184

8

varies by age

St. John’s College High School

9-12

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1,200

20

12:1

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Age 3-Grade 12

Co-ed

Alexandria

1,130

12-16

7:1

The Sycamore School

5-12

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Arlington

60

10

6:1

Westminster School

PK-8

Co-ed

Annandale

240

12

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PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF ARLINGTON

2107 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA 22201 703.565.9800 www.primroseofarlington.com

Primrose School of Arlington is opening Spring 2021 and is proud to offer private accredited early education and care for ages six weeks through Pre-Kindergarten.

To find out more information about our programs and to take a virtual tour of our classrooms, please visit our website, www.primroseofarlington.com, or call 703.565.9800!

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PRIVATE SCHOOL S

S P E C I A L A D VE RT I S I NG S EC T IO N

PURSUING GOODNESS AS WELL AS KNOWLEDGE Try something new. Learn a new language, become a scientist, take the stage.

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Lead with goodness and integrity.

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PRIVATE SCHOOL S

S P E C I A L A D VE RT I S I NG S EC T IO N

A parent said it best, “Our son has finally met teachers who understand him.

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A college preparatory school that embraces students of average to gifted ability who have ADHD, executive functioning challenges, and mild learning differences. In an inclusive caring community, we empower our students to thrive and discover their path to excellence with small class sizes and differentiated instruction.

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Visit flinthill.org/virtual-events to sign up for an upcoming information session and learn how your child can blaze a trail at Flint Hill.

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driving range

Views of the Milky Way at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park

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JOHN MESSNER

n

Turner Farm in Great Falls

Seeing Stars These scenic spots offer stargazers ample views of the night sky, away from the urban glare. BY KIM O’CONNELL

COURTESY OF TURNER FARM

T

he rhythmic trills of the evening cicadas had faded, and I’d just fallen into a deep sleep when I heard the unmistakable sound of a tent flap being unzipped. In the darkness, my teenage son crunched away from our campsite, presumably to answer the call of nature. But when he didn’t come back right away, I sat up and called his name. “Mom, come out here,” he whispered excitedly. “The stars are amazing.”

I stepped out of my tent, let my eyes adjust and followed the sound of his voice to a clearing near our campsite. Together we looked up at a black sky full of thousands of twinkling stars, a glittering sugar bowl dumping out over our heads.

“That’s the Milky Way,” my son pointed out. Together we spotted the Big Dipper, the North Star, the bright orange star Arcturus. In the quiet Virginia woods, far from the bright urban night we’re used to, the stars held us, spellbound.

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The night sky at Big Meadows

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Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park Catching a sunrise or sunset is a popular pastime at Shenandoah National Park, where many mountain overlooks offer an unfettered eastern or western view.

But, as the tagline of a popular series of Milky Way posters by artist and astronomer Tyler Nordgren attests, “Half the park is after dark.” Although park overlooks are great stargazing locations, the widest night-sky view at Shenandoah can be found at Big Meadows, a great grassy field located at milepost 51, about the halfway point of the 100-mile Skyline Drive. In August, Shenandoah normally hosts an annual Night Sky Festival at Big Meadows, with ranger talks, telescopes set up for public viewing and other activities. (This year’s event was

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

Big Meadows at sunset

canceled, but organizers intend to resurrect it in 2021.) Additional astronomy events happen there throughout the year, some of which, as of press time, were still a go for late 2020 and 2021.

With camping and lodging nearby, Big Meadows is a great place to bring your own binoculars or telescope and settle in for some nighttime glitter.

Big Meadows is most easily accessed by heading south from the park’s Thornton Gap entrance, on U.S. 211 near Sperryville and Luray. Big Meadows has a cozy lodge and campground (closed Nov. 6 – April 30), as well as a camp store and small restaurant offering supplies and takeout fare, and is near several popular scenic trails. nps.gov/shen

LARRY BROWN (STARS, TOP); DELAWARE NORTH COMPANIES (BIG MEADOWS)

It’s an experience that’s becoming harder to find, especially on the East Coast. According to a study funded by the international Loss of the Night Network, between 2012 and 2016 the Earth grew brighter at a rate of about 2% per year due to artificial light pollution, robbing us of the beauty and primeval sense of wonder that dark skies provide. But several spots within a few hours’ drive of the D.C. area still boast incredible natural darkness. And as the nights grow colder and longer, it’s worth remembering that stargazing in the fall and winter is often preferable because the air is less humid and hazy.

“With the longer nights, you certainly have more opportunity on the margins of the day to just casually get out with a pair of binoculars, sweep across the sky, and see what’s up,” says Chris Kagy, president of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC). “Just be sure to dress warmer than you think you need to.”

Fall and winter skies promise some worthy spectacles, Kagy says, including the Geminid meteor shower in mid-December; the Andromeda Galaxy (which resembles an elliptical fuzz ball when viewed through binoculars); the Pleiades star cluster; the Orion Nebula in the “belt” of the constellation Orion; and of course, the Milky Way. Download monthly sky maps at skymaps.com; astronomy apps such as SkySafari or Star Walk are also useful.

As with all things these days, check location websites for possible closures and safety protocols before you road-trip.

Tent camping on Assateague (top) and UVA’s Leander McCormick Observatory (below)

GETTY IMAGES (TENT); KOOCBOR/FLICKR (OBSERVATORY)

Assateague Island National Seashore Miles of Atlantic beachfront offer plenty of daytime fun, but nights on Assateague Island National Seashore —and the adjacent Assateague State Park—are often dazzling spectacles in their own right. The national seashore straddles the Maryland-Virginia line along the Eastern Shore, although only the Maryland district is open 24 hours. (On the Virginia side, hours vary by season.) Camping is allowed only in designated areas. However, as long as you don’t fall asleep (which the National Park Service views as illegal camping), you can plant a towel on the sand at night and observe

the arc of the Milky Way or the fireworks of a meteor shower, all set to the soundtrack of crashing surf. Visitors to the Virginia district of Assateague can also time their visit to coincide with one of the regular astronomy nights hosted by the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, located near the adjacent resort town of Chincoteague, once it’s deemed safe to hold them again.

Assateague Island National Seashore can be accessed from either the Maryland or the Virginia side; hours and accommodations vary between districts. Find lodging and dining options in Chincoteague; Ocean City, Maryland; and other nearby areas. nps.gov/ asis; dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/ eastern/assateague.aspx

The Leander McCormick Observatory On the vaunted campus of the University of Virginia sits a not-so-hidden gem— a more than century-old telescope that is the centerpiece of the McCormick Observatory. Charlottesville is a sizable enough city that light pollution often interferes with naked-eye stargazing, but in non-pandemic times, the McCormick Observatory offers twice-monthly public nights that invite visitors to peek through its 26-inch telescope. (The measurement refers to the diameter of

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the lens; at one time, the McCormick telescope was one of the largest in the world.) These events draw astronomy faculty and others who bring smaller telescopes for shared use, too, with planets, galaxies and other celestial objects among the usual fare. Until the observatory reopens for events, the university astronomy program is hosting a range of online astronomy events, posted on Facebook.

The observatory is near many architecturally and historically significant buildings on the UVA campus in Charlottesville, as well as a plethora of dining and lodging options off campus. Charlottesville is also a short drive to dark-sky locales in Shenandoah National Park and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. astronomy.as.virginia.edu/research/ observatories/mccormick

Less than 20 miles from Arlington is one of the darkest spots in the D.C. metro area—Turner Farm in Great Falls. The site began as a dairy farm and was later converted for use as a Nike missile site and as part of the Defense Mapping Agency, before being turned over to the Fairfax County Park Authority in the 1990s. Today, the park Galaxy gazing at Turner Farm

James River State Park

features equestrian facilities, a playground and picnic areas, but the Observatory Park at Turner Farm is the main evening attraction. During special public nights sponsored by the Analemma Society, astronomy buffs are invited to the observatory to catch a view through its telescopes or to set up their own scopes in the surrounding field.

The society will likely reinstate these events post-pandemic.

Turner Farm is located on Springvale Road off Georgetown Pike, less than 5 miles from Great Falls Park. fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ turner-farm; analemma.org

James River State Park State parks are often terrific places for observing stars because they tend to have open areas such as fields or lakes, as well as lodging and other visitor amenities. James River State Park, in Gladstone, Virginia, is particularly special because it is a designated In-

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ternational Dark Sky Park. (Virginia’s Staunton River State Park, closer to the North Carolina border, is also so designated; they are the only two state parks in Virginia among the 20 or so U.S. state parks on the list.) The International Dark-Sky Association bestows this designation as a way to reward and encourage places that have protected their dark skies from light pollution.

At James River, rolling grasslands and three miles of river frontage provide ample opportunities for stargazing.

Amateur astronomy clubs often use the park for events (when it’s safe to do so).

James River State Park is located about 50 miles southwest of Charlottesville. Cabins and lodges are available Memorial Day to Labor Day, and primitive tent camping is offered year-round. Other activities include hiking, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Note that most state parks require a reservation for overnight lodging to stay in the park after sunset. dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/ james-river

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION (JAMES RIVER); COURTESY OF TURNER FARM (TELESCOPE)

The Observatory Park at Turner Farm

A Perseid meteor shower as seen from Spruce Knob The Almost Heaven Star Party at Spruce Knob in 2016

BILL INGALLS (TOP); JIM MOSQUERA (STAR PARTY)

Spruce Knob Mountain If there is an East Coast mecca for stargazers, Spruce Knob Mountain might be that place. It was here that NOVAC’s Chris Kagy reports seeing the darkest skies he’s ever witnessed in this region. (“The Milky Way cast a shadow,” he marvels.) At 4,863 feet, Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia, and the highest peak in the Allegheny Mountains. The remote location, high elevation and lack of visual obstacles

make for reliably dark views, and it’s possible (often even easy) to see celestial features with the naked eye—such as spiral galaxies and globular clusters—that are impossible to see unaided closer to home. Spruce Knob is the site of the Almost Heaven Star Party, an annual multi-day event sponsored by NOVAC that features guided night sky “tours,” daytime lectures on astrophotography and other cosmic attractions.

This year’s party was cancelled, but the next one is scheduled for late August of 2021. See ahsp.org.

Spruce Knob is the centerpiece of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, itself part of Monongahela National Forest, about 2.5 hours west of Front Royal.

Ample lodging and dining options can be found nearby. Yokum’s in Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, for one, has lodging options, a general store and deli. fs.usda.gov/recarea/ mnf/recarea/?recid=9915 n

A writer based in Aurora Highlands, Kim O’Connell has spent several trips chasing comets, eclipses, meteors and other celestial happenings.

ArlingtonMagazine.com n November/December 2020

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back story

n by Matt Blitz

Dragonfly Spies Is it an insect? Or a drone?

That buzz above your head may sound and look like a bug, but it could be a flying spy device developed by the CIA. In the early 1970s, the CIA, along with the Arlington-based Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), built a series of prototypes of a small, robotic device that creators referred to as an “insectothopter.”

Its purpose was to hover near—and record—unsuspecting marks, appearing to be nothing more than a common green darner, or dragonfly, thus earning it the more colloquial nickname of “dragonfly drone.”

“It was an early version...of a small, unmanned aerial surveillance platform that you could fly into areas where people couldn’t normally go and watch,” says H. Keith Melton, a longtime historical adviser to the CIA and one of the

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world’s foremost collectors of spyware.

Among the artifacts in Melton’s collection—which includes more than 7,000 objects, many of them on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.—is a KGB replica of a dragonfly drone that he procured in Moscow, though he declines to share further details about the acquisition. (“Some things are best not discussed,” he says.) Another insectothopter prototype can be seen at the CIA Museum in McLean.

In theory, the original dragonfly drone was an ideal tool for espionage. It had a flying range of about 650 feet (roughly the length of two football fields), a data transmission range of approximately 300 feet, and the ability to remain airborne for 60 seconds, according to declassified CIA

November/December 2020 n ArlingtonMagazine.com

records released in 2019. “You could fly anywhere, park it out of sight, and it would sit there and be a surveillance platform,” says Melton, who lives in Florida. “It would get audio and video and transport [that information] a short distance.”

The spycraft’s creators saw the dragonfly as one of nature’s better models, given its gliding ability—which conserves energy. But there were also drawbacks to being small and light. “Its greatest enemy would be wind, and the [ability to go long] distances,” Melton says, noting that the original insectothopter can be seen fighting crosswinds in a flight video released by the CIA. The concept was deemed an overall success by the agency in 1974, but as far as the public knows, it never went beyond the prototype phase. That doesn’t mean a more modern version of the insectothopter isn’t out there today.

“How do you know it isn’t?” Melton says. “I believe it is still being used.”

Visitors to CIA headquarters in Langley have, in fact, reported a preponderance of dragonflies zooming around the parking lot. Maybe it’s the habitat. n

THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

A dragonfly-drone prototype from the CIA Museum’s Artifacts collection

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