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Sun Gazette VOLUME 39
GREAT FALLS McLEAN OAKTON TYSONS VIENNA
NO. 20
FEBRUARY 1-7, 2018
Incumbents in Vienna Set to Seek New Council Terms
Challengers Have Until March 6 to File Paperwork BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer
or 0.7 percent, lower than the previous year’s total. Serfass tied the decrease to lower bank-stock taxes and the fact that the town in 2016 had received a $400,000 donation for the Waters Field property. Vienna made up much of that difference with a 6.8-percent increase in mealsand-lodging tax revenues, which brought an extra $170,500 to town coffers. General- and debt-service fund expenditures and transfers were up $609,705, or
Vienna’s mayor and three other Town Council incumbents announced Jan. 29 that they would seek new terms in the May 1 election. Mayor Laurie DiRocco, who will vie for a third mayoral term, said she had tried to remain accessible to the community through regular office hours, Friday-morning walks and frequent speaking engagements with local groups. “I believe to be an effective mayor, you obviously need to know Vienna and how local government works, but you also need a desire to serve the community and the citizens,” she said. “I think that’s why many of us are on Council. Also critical for me is support from my family, because there are many nights when I’m not at home.” DiRocco first was elected to the Council in 2009, was appointed mayor in the spring of 2014 following the death of her predecessor, M. Jane Seeman, and that May was elected a full term as mayor. DiRocco ran unopposed for re-election in 2016. “Over the years, there have been very few topics that all citizens agree on,” Di-
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Lauren Thomas gets a helping hand with her fountain technique while sister Natalie keeps an eye on her own treat at the annual McLean Chocolate Festival, sponsored by the McLean Rotary Club and held Jan. 27 at McLean High School. Enjoy a slide show of photos from the PHOTO BY DEB KOLT event at www.insidenova.com/news/fairfax.
Despite Dips in Revenue, Town Finances Appear in Good Shape BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer
Fiscal year 2018 is halfway over and the town of Vienna is bearing up well, even with some revenues falling short of last year’s marks. Finance Director Marion Serfass gave the Vienna Town Council a mid-year financial review at a Jan. 22 work session. The town ended 2017 with combined general and debt-service fund revenues of nearly $24.9 million, which was $168,900,
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Student-Pianists Test Their Mettle in Competition SCOTT McCAFFREY Staff Writer
The sounds of Mozart, Saint-Saens, Rachmaninoff, Haydn and other giants of classical music filled the air Jan. 20-21 at the 2018 Robert Spencer Piano Concerto Competition, which brought student-pianists from across Northern Virginia to test their mettle against top-flight talent. Sponsored by the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association, more than 50 students – representing 10 teachers in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties – took the stage at the Woman’s Club of Arlington for two days of competition. “Students have spent an incredible amount of hard work and time” in preparation, said Amanda Halstead, who chaired the event. Competitions offer a different type of outlet for classical-music students, Halstead said. “It provides them a goal – it pushes you,” she said. (Competitions also provide a valuable outlet to build audiences, a key to any performing-arts genre.) The students, ranging from secondgraders to high-school seniors, all aided by an accompanist, competed by gradelevel groupings, with time limits of six to 18 minutes, depending on level. A threejudge panel adjudicated their performances. “There’s a tradition of good music”
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in Northern Virginia, and as a result, students have “such good exposure to great artists,” said Myriam Avalos Teie, an international piano teacher and clinician who is a collaborative pianist at the Kennedy Center and served on the judging panel. “The teachers in this area are outstanding,” Avalos Teie said. Fellow judge Yu-Hsuan Liao, an associate professor of piano and coordinator of keyboard studies at Shepherd University, has served on judging panels throughout the region. “This is probably the most competitive [area] – a lot of good musicians,” she said. What were the judges looking for? Avalos Teie said that adjudicators might hear five versions of the same composition in a sitting, and they zero in on “what story are [the pianists] telling?” “I would like to see the musicality and maturity” of students, said Liao. The third member of the judging panel – conductor Scott Wood, who leads the Arlington Philharmonic and Amadeus Orchestra – said that while the judges come at their task from different perspectives, it was amazing how much unanimity there had been throughout the competition. And when they disagree? “It gets pretty interesting,” said Wood, who also is director of orchestral activities at the Corcoran School of Art and Design at the
teacher, said competitions provide a valuable outlet for young performers. “Events like this help the students to focus,” she said. “This is a very unique opportunity, to prepare a concerto and to work with another pianist.” Northern Virginia is home to extraordinary talent in its young musicians, Emenheiser Sarratt said. “Some of these kids are truly amazing,” she said. First-place winners in the competition, with their teachers in parentheses, were: Kalan Andrew Cocchiara was among those taking part in the Warusa (Marjorie Lee), AnNorthern Virginia Music Teachers Association competi- toni Kleczek (Anna Ouspention. See a slide show of photos at www.insidenova.com/ skaya), Oscar Paz-Suaznabar news/arlington. (Marjorie Lee), Hana Wang (Lisa Emenheiser Sarratt) and George Washington University. Students performed on a Steinway Emily Quan (Marjorie Lee). The Northern Virginia Music Teachers Model B 7-foot grand piano loaned for Association’s history dates back nearly 70 the occasion by the Steinway Piano Galyears. For information on the organizalery of Washington, D.C. tion, see the Web site at http://nvmta. Lisa Emenheiser Sarratt, a co-chair org/. of the event and a Loudoun-based piano
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Oakcrest Students Sing for Pope on New Year’s Day Thirty members of the choir from Oakcrest School in Vienna sang for Pope Francis during a New Year’s Day performance at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. “Singing at the Papal Mass was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced – not only were we singing for the pope, we were singing in one of the most beautiful churches in the world, built on over 2,000 years of Catholic history,” said sophomore Hannah Carter, one of the students to make the journey. “It was such a wonderful and awe-inspiring experience,” added Julia Fischer, a sophomore. The Oakcrest Chorus was invited to sing as part of the assembly choir, and also sang “Ave Maria” by Zoltan Kodaly as a prelude. “The opportunity was beyond any honor or privilege I would imagine for
our choir,” said Anne Miller, Oakcrest’s musical director. At the Jan. 1 event, Oakcrest’s chaplain – Father Marty Miller – was invited to concelebrate the Mass. While in Rome, the Oakcrest Chorus celebrated Mass daily at various holy sites, including in front of the tomb of St. Peter. Students and chaperones visited the Vatican Museums and various major basilicas, and attended a papal audience. The chorus also performed in Assisi and embarked on a day trip to Orvieto, students surprised the owners of a panini shop with an impromptu performance. On a previous trip to Italy, Miller had misplaced a key binder full of information, and the shopkeepers had located and returned it to her. “We will never forget the look on their faces as we sang. They were truly touched,” Miller said. “It is in these mo-
Members of the chorus at Oakcrest School pose at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City during their recent visit to Italy. The chorus sang at a New Year’s Day program before Pope Francis as part of the journey. OAKCREST SCHOOL PHOTO
ments that we know how important the gift of music is in bringing the light of
Christ to others.”
– A Staff Report
Retired Local FBI Agent Compiles Whimsical Vignettes BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer
From its beginning 78 years ago in Jerusalem, Dimitry Droujinsky’s life has been marked by adventure, creativity, daring and serendipity. Given all the strife in the Middle East over the past several decades, one initially suspects the Oakton resident’s memoir, “Life Experiences of a Youth from Palestine,” will be a chronicle of struggle, deprivation and oppression. Hardly. Subtitled “A Book for Children of All Ages,” it’s instead a series of amusing, observant and personal vignettes about being creative and self-reliant and making the most of life. “It gives you a good sense of satisfaction to be able to do things,” Droujinsky said over coffee and sweets during an interview in his living room. “I feel badly for the kids. They’re all texting now. They don’t even talk to each other.” The book is aimed at ages 7 and older, but adults may find it sparks memories of a less-constrained era where liberty and initiative still had free reign. Readers also may be tempted to try some creative do-ityourself projects at home. The son of Russian immigrants, Droujinsky was born in Jerusalem and lived under straitened circumstances following the 1948 war there. A tinkerer from the beginning, the young man used found materials to build a bird cage, hunting knife, soccer balls, a crude firearm, a bow-and-arrow set and a blowgun constructed from an old umbrella. He’d later use that ingenuity to make scooters and toy submarines for his children. A wide menagerie of pets also added pluck to his young life. There was Bunny the rabbit, a crow named Charlie, a sparrow called Pichink and a lamb dubbed Kharoof. Droujinsky and a friend even 4
February 1, 2018
dug a deep pit to serve as a “zoo” for lizards. The author moved to the United States in 1959 and, out of gratitude and patriotism, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps the following year. He was stationed in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for two weeks during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, and served in the Mediterranean with the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet. He also got to perform as an extra in the World War II movie “The Longest Day,” part of which was filmed on beaches in Corsica. Thinking a fellow actor had been hurt by pyrotechnics exploding in the water, Droujinsky dragged onto shore what turned out to be a very realisticlooking rubber dummy. Droujinsky served with the Marines’ 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion and his life has embodied that group’s slogan: improvise, adapt and overcome. Droujinsky later spent 30 years working for the FBI, sometimes posing as a Russian in sting operations to ferret out spies. He wore disguises when interacting with suspected terrorists, using a facial birthmark so realistic that dermatologists who saw his photo urged he be examined for skin cancer. The author’s passion for chess helped him guess the password, “rook,” that had been demanded by one of his quarries. The late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover encouraged agents to have outside hobbies and interests, Droujinsky said. “You never knew when something might come in handy,” he said. Droujinsky knew – and was identified to the Soviets by – FBI agent Robert Hanssen, a Vienna resident who was convicted in 2001 of selling secrets to Soviet and Russian intelligence agencies. Besides English, the author is fluent in French, Russian and Arabic and speaks some Spanish, Italian, Greek, Armenian and Hebrew. His language skills allowed
Oakton resident Dimitry Droujinsky, who served in the U.S. Marines and then spent 30 years as an FBI agent, has authored a book of autobiographical anecdotes, “Life Experiences from a Youth in Palestine.” PHOTO BY BRIAN TROMPETER
him to keep fellow Marines from being overcharged by greedy shopkeepers in Europe and enabled his success as an undercover FBI agent. Droujinsky already has written 48 pages of his second book, which will cover his FBI exploits. The author has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and keeps fit using a Bowflex exercise machine in his basement. He has a compact build and a strong grip, which he used to literally pull a guest into his house on a recent visit. He typically enjoys a cigar every day and retains his mental feistiness, inveighing against political correctness. “People are afraid to talk to each other,” he said. “President Trump is talking about that. It’s getting out of hand.
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Hopefully, the pendulum will swing.” Retired FBI agent Richard “Bugsy” Boteler said Droujinsky is astute, gregarious and can think on his feet quickly. Boteler already was familiar with the book’s anecdotes, having heard them from the author over the years. “He’s a very smart guy, witty, and has an incredible sense of humor,” Boteler said. “He’s a very unique individual, to say the least.” The Sun Gazette welcomes your news tips and suggestions for story ideas. Find contact information on Page 6 of each week’s edition. Let us know what you think we should be covering, and we’ll follow up!
Vienna Officials Tap New Planning, Zoning Director
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BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer
Vienna officials announced Jan. 19 that they had hired Cindy Petkac as the town’s new director of planning and zoning. Petkac will begin her new job Jan. 29 at a salary of $133,000 per year. She will supervise seven employees and oversee a departmental budget of about $964,000. Currently chief of the city of Fairfax’s Planning Division, Petkac said she had not been seeking the Vienna position actively. “I’m familiar with the town and thought it was a great opportunity,” said Petkac, who lives in Herndon. “I enjoy all aspects of planning.” Town Manager Mercury Payton said Petkac came out ahead of other candidates for the post because of her long and varied planning-and-zoning career, her educational accomplishments and experience in “creatively and enthusiastically engaging residents.” “Her attention to detail and focus on community outreach really made her stand out among the candidates,” Payton said. “Her leadership style appears to fit well with our current management team.” Petkac will succeed Patrick Mulhern, who retired Jan. 4 after slightly less than three years on the job. The position for the preceding 27 years had been held by Greg Hembree. Petkac’s most important duties in Vienna will be to provide leadership to manage the pace of Maple Avenue Commercial (MAC) rezoning applications and closely administer the town’s zoning code, Payton said. “Her understanding of keeping residents informed is critical,” he said. “There are always ways to improve how we provide service to town residents. She has some creative ideas that I am interested in seeing her implement.” Petkac grew up in a Cleveland suburb and initially studied at Bowling Green State University to be a social-studies teacher. After being dissuaded about job prospects in that field, she earned a bachelor’s degree in geography and later received a master’s in urban planning, design and development from Cleveland State University. In addition to her work in Fairfax, Petkac has served as a principal planner at Union Station Redevelopment Corp., planning manager for the city of Duluth, Minn., neighborhood-planning coordinator for the District of Columbia government and transportation planner for the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission in Georgia. During her planning career, Petkac has implemented a community-engagement process for the updating of the city of Fairfax’s comprehensive plan, helped
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plan the area surrounding Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., and worked to rewrite Duluth’s zoning regulations and streamline its permitting reviews and processes, Vienna officials said. A certified planner with the American Planning Association, Petkac said small localities such as Vienna and Fairfax are in better position to serve their residents. “We both really promote a small-town character and feel,” she said. “Because you’re smaller, people can walk in and talk to a person. There’s not a huge bureaucracy. We’re more accessible.” Petkac enjoys writing fiction in her free time, and although not yet published, she has begun work on her third novel, set in Northern Virginia. “I wanted to pursue my creative side,” she said of her writing endeavors. “Someday I hope to be published. Maybe when I’m 90 and retired from planning, that will be my second full-time job.” Vienna Presses Forward on Transportation Upgrades: The Vienna Town Council on Jan. 8 unanimously decided to move forward with a pair of transportation initiatives. Council members approved a resolution by which the town will apply to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for fiscal 2019-20 Federal Transportation Alternative grant funding to pay for a sidewalk extension along Church Street between 350 Church St., N.E., and Glyndon Street, N.E. Vienna’s 20-percent funding match for the project would come from moneys the town receives from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The Town Council on Jan. 8 also approved revenue-sharing resolutions for the Church Street sidewalk project as well as the reconstruction of Echols Street between Delano Drive and Follin Lane, S.E., the town’s funding match for which will be obtained through Vienna’s capital-improvement program, and pavement maintenance, the match for which will be provided using Vienna’s annual asphalt budget in the general fund.
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Opinion
Find more letters and an archive of editorials at www.insidenova.com/ news/fairfax (Click on “Opinion”)
Our View: Don’t Tinker with Admissions at TJ Never does the phrase “we’re from the government and we’re here to help you” ring more ominously than when it reflects work of a state legislator involved in his own personal, quixotic quest to right a perceived wrong by supporting legislation that would make things infinitely worse. Such was the case in this year’s General Assembly session in a bill patroned by state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County) that would stick the General Assembly’s nose into the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, making draconian changes to how students receive coveted offers of admission. We understand Surovell’s frustrations, as constituents in his neck of the county are underrepresented in the student body at TJ. But his proposal – to mandate minimum admissions from certain economic groups and from each middle school feeding into Thomas
Jefferson – was a woeful overreach into an admissions system that, while hardly without its flaws, seems to be about the best option available. (Buy your lottery tickets today, for it is a rare time indeed that we are in 100-percent agreement with the leadership of Fairfax County Public Schools. But when it comes to merit-based standards for admission to TJ, the FCPS poobahs are correct.) The Senate Committee on Education and Health sent the measure to an early grave, killing it off on a 13-1 vote Jan. 25. The lone lawmaker in support of Surovell was state Sen. Mamie Locke from downstate. Nobody on the committee from the jurisdictions that make up the Thomas Jefferson attendance area wanted anything to do with the measure – which leads us to wonder whether Surovell was being serious or simply trying to score points with his constituents in introducing it.
Planning Committee Wields Too Much Authority
Editor: If you’ve written to Dranesville Supervisor John Foust’s office about any development project in downtown McLean, you almost surely received a reply that assured you that it was under review of the McLean Planning Committee (MPC). Over six months, I’ve been seeking information about the identity and role of MPC through multiple Virginia FIOA requests, the majority of which remain unresolved. MPC meetings over this period were effectively closed-door, since their only online presence directed the public to a building closed for reno-
vation. On Jan. 18, however, an MPC representative testified before the Planning Commission with respect to a little-publicized plan to put a condo building in the parking lot behind Chipotle on Old Dominion. Under questioning from a commissioner about whether MPC did outreach, the representative replied: “Basically the community gets really engaged when we come to rezoning. At the rezoning time we have a project, we have a building, we have building plans, we have building appearance, we have everything – all the details that interest the public at large.”
This one statement appears to capture perfectly the MPC philosophy. They’ll decide what interests us, and that does not include planning. They’ll tell us the answer when they have “everything,” which is to say when it’s too late for the public to influence anything. This suits MPC, which is one-quarter downtown landowners, and it suits Foust, because he claims community involvement while actually restricting input to political surrogates. Mr. Foust, this is not what we mean by “public input.” David Fiske McLean
Editor: In watching the start of the General Assembly, I am reminded how critical it is that we have bipartisan cooperation in order to govern responsibly. This is true in the House of Delegates and also true in the U.S. House of Representatives. This November, there will be two candidates for the 10th Congressional District seat – Republican incumbent Barbara Comstock and, most likely, Democratic state Sen. Jennifer Wexton – who show contrasting approaches to governing. One can compare the legislative histories of Comstock and Wexton and see how Wexton would be expected to define a more collegial role in the U.S. House, especially if it is narrowly divided with either Republican or Demo-
cratic control. Sen. Wexton has been in the minority for her legislative career, meaning that all of the 39 bills she passed have had bipartisan support. One of these bills was to facilitate efforts to make it easier to obtain the overdose-reversal drug Narcan to addicts by promoting training of more parties to administer the drug and easing dispensing of it. Sen. Wexton also had bipartisan support for her bill to direct the Board of Education to establish guidelines for alternatives to suspension. Some students who now are subject to suspension can benefit by staying in school, and these guidelines would establish an alternative for them. Rep. Comstock has voted with the
Republican majority well over 90 percent of the time both when she served in the House of Delegates and currently in Congress. She has supported President Trump’s agenda 96 percent of the time. Sen. Wexton will lead us into a period of much-needed bipartisanship that focuses on pragmatic policy-making. If nominated, she deserves our vote this November. Alan Schuman McLean
Wexton Shows That Bipartisanship Can Work
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FCPS Declines to Let Town Use Madison as Venue for Annual July 4th Fireworks BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer
There will be no skyrockets in flight at James Madison High School in Vienna this Fourth of July. Fairfax County Public Schools officials on Jan. 22 declined to ignite the light and let it shine, turning down a proposal by Vienna’s government to hold its annual July 4 fireworks show at the school. Town leaders hoped relocating the show from Southside Park to the school would offer better public access, provide more seating and allow for a sizable food court. Madison High also would have provided an evacuation location in case of severely inclement weather and, because it sits on higher ground than the park, afforded better fireworks visibility by the surrounding community and businesses along Maple Avenue. The Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s Office had cleared the town to shoot off 3-inch-diameter shells, but Vienna officials had decided to go with up-to-2.5inch shells. The adjacent Louise Archer Elementary School property would have served as part of the fireworks-fallout zone. But in a Jan. 22 memorandum to Vienna Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Herman, Victoria Garner, a communityfacilities-use coordinator with the school system, outlined school officials’ rationale for turning down the use of Madison High and Louise Archer Elementary for the show. Although Herman cited similar displays held by the city of Fairfax at Fairfax High School and by the McLean Community Center at Langley High and Cooper Middle schools (the latter during Langley’s recent renovations), school officials said Madison High’s layout is far different from Cooper Middle’s. Cooper’s site has grass playing fields and is fairly isolated, while Madison’s facility placement is more compact, Garner’s memo read. Madison’s artificial-turf fields are new this year and the school in the future will install synthetic turf on Madison’s baseball field as well, she wrote. Vienna officials had hoped to launch fireworks from Madison’s grass-covered baseball field, but shooting from synthetic-turf fields is manageable if mats are laid down to protect the playing surface, Herman said. The city of Fairfax has done this at Fairfax High and Vienna did the same during its previous shows at Waters Field, Herman said. Risk-management officials with the school system reviewed only the fire-
works-display request, not the pre-show events, and recommended Vienna officials obtain at least $10 million worth of insurance to protect school system’s interests, Garner’s memo read. The memo also stated Madison High’s roof has a special covering that is under specific-care warranties, which might be voided if damaged by an unexpected use. Madison High principal Gregory Hood had “serious concerns about the pre-event activities that has been requested to support the fireworks,” the memo read, citing food trucks, a performance stage, food, beverages and chairs on the fields. Hood said those objections likely could have been overcome with pre-event planning. School leaders like to be involved with community events whenever possible, he said. “I don’t want people to think the school said, ‘We don’t want that here,’” Hood said of the fireworks show. “We try to get the community in the school and on the premises as often as we can.” The school system supports local communities, “but we also must exhibit good stewardship of our facilities and grounds,” Garner’s memo read. Herman has accepted the school system’s decision on Madison High. “If they don’t feel comfortable, I respect that,” she said. Vienna for decades held its fireworks displays at Waters Field in central Vienna, but that ended after a catastrophic failure of Chinese-made fireworks in 2007 sent shells into the crowd, injuring 11 people. Several lawsuits followed, one resulting in a $4.75 million settlement with one of the victims in 2010. Vienna officials in July 2008 held a laser show at Waters Field instead, but it did not prove popular. The town subsequently has held its fireworks shows at Southside Park, but that venue has several drawbacks, Herman said. The site is at a low point topographically, which limits the fireworks’ visibility considerably in the surrounding community, Herman said. Southside’s parking areas are reserved for festival activities, so visitors either must arrive on foot or try to find some of the few neighborhood parking spaces available, she said. Herman currently plans to hold the show at Southside Park again this year, although town officials have encouraged her to check out other venues. Nottoway Park is one option, but Oakton High School is not, as the school soon will renovate its athletic fields. “It’s a great idea. I know it can work.”
The Sun Gazette takes news coverage seriously. Whether you’re looking for the latest from McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Oakton or Tysons, or want to be kept in the loop about broader Fairfax County issues, the Sun Gazette is the go-to source, with the most experienced team of N.Va.’s community journalists.
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Eat well Public-Safety Notes with Marissa
BY: MARISSA DONOVAN, MS, RD, LDN IN-STORE NUTRITIONIST AT GIANT FOOD
What is the best way to plan my meals for the week? Meal planning can be a helpful tool to keep your healthy eating resolutions on track. To get started, assess your wants and needs. How many meals do you need to plan? Do you have a good routine with breakfast, but want to work on better dinner options? Are you looking for healthy lunches to bring to work? Once you have a focus, you can get started on the next step… recipe research. Does your family have favorite recipes already? Do you have cookbooks collecting dust? If your answer is yes, then start there. If you need some help, try Giant’s free monthly magazine “Savory.” Available in store and online, Savory is packed full of easy five-ingredient recipes, weekly meal plans (recipes included) and is chock full of ideas. To guide you when you’re selecting recipes, think about assigning a daily theme like meatless Monday, or taco Tuesday. Now that you have meal planned, it’s time to meal shop! What do you have in your pantry and what do you need? Once you know, make a list. I don’t care if it’s on paper or on your phone, make that list! This prevents you from buying things you won’t use (wasting your money and food), and ensures you get everything you need for your recipes and the rest of the week. Now comes the part that many people forget. Once you’ve shopped, do a little meal prepping. If you do some of the work ahead of time (think washing and cutting veggies, precooking your grains, etc.), you are more likely to stick to your plan. It’s unrealistic to think you will have the time (or energy) to cook a from-scratch meal after a long and busy day. Prepping ahead gets meals on the table faster. And lastly, take shortcuts! You can buy pre-cooked protein, pre-cut veggies, and even pre-cooked pasta. There is no shame in a semi-homemade meal; I make them all the time. Happy Planning! To submit a question for next month, or to schedule a one-on-one consult with Marissa, email marissa.donovan@giantfood.com. Visit giantfood.com/nutrition to find a Giant Nutritionist near you!
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February 1, 2018
GREAT FALLS BUSINESS BURGLARIZED: A business owner in the 10100
block of Colvin Run Road in Great Falls was alerted to a break-in at his business on Jan. 25 at 2:10 a.m. and called Fairfax County police. Two people could be seen on security-camera recordings. The suspects broke a display case and several items were missing from the location, police said. MERRIFIELD OCCUPIED DWELLING BURGLARIZED: Two people were in their
home in the 8100 block of Dumont Drive in Merrifield on Jan. 19 at noon when four men forced their way inside. The victims were able to hide and contact 911, Fairfax County police said. The suspects then left the home and the victims were unharmed, police said. The suspects were described as black men wearing dark-colored jackets; one was armed with a handgun, police said. While officers were investigating, they were made aware of an additional attempted burglary. It appears the four suspects also at-
tempted to force entry into another nearby home. No one was injured and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
POLICE: SPEED, ALCOHOL CONTRIBUTED TO FATAL GREAT FALLS CRASH:
Detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit have determined both speed and alcohol contributed to a single-vehicle crash that killed two adults on Sept. 16 last year, police announced Jan. 24. The man and woman died after their 2018 Infiniti Q50 ran off the road and hit a tree in the 10500 block of Beach Mill Road near Springvale Road. The driver, 26-year-old Benjamin Wenger of Annandale, and a passenger, 23-year-old Abigail Ryan of Great Falls, were pronounced dead at the scene. Rescue personnel transported another passenger, a 15-year-old girl who was in the back seat, to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. POLICE RELEASE VIDEO OF FATAL
SHOOTING OF McLEAN MAN: Fairfax
County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. on Jan. 24 shared in-car video of the U.S. Park Police fatal shooting of 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar of McLean on Nov. 17 last year. Ghaisar’s family already had seen the video, police said. The shooting occurred in the Mount Vernon District of Fairfax County and was captured by the in-car video system of a county police officer who provided back-up in the U.S. Park Police’s pursuit of Ghaisar. The video shows Park Police stopping Ghaisar’s vehicle twice during the pursuit along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and approaching the car, but Ghaisar drove off. On the third occasion, officers again approached the stopped vehicle at Fort Hunt Road and fired a volley of shots that killed Ghaisar as he apparently was trying to drive off again. Ghaisar was not visible in the video, which was recorded from behind his vehicle. Neither of the two Fairfax County police officers who provided backup during the incident discharged their weapons.
Fairfax Officials Laud Food-Safety Excellence
The Fairfax County Health Department recently selected 10 recipients from among the more than 3,400 food-service operations in the county as recipients of its “14 Carrot Gold Food Safety Excel-
lence Award.” “We instituted this awards program to recognize food-service facilities that place a high importance on food safety practices and policies,” said Pieter Sheehan
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the county government’s environmentalhealth director. “While every food-service facility is required to meet minimum food-safety requirements, these 10 establishments are to be commended for going above and beyond to safeguard their patrons from the risks of food-borne illness,” Sheehan said in a statement. Recipients of the awards include Annandale High School, Annandale; Atrium Catering & Event Design, Herndon; Aurora House Girls Group Home, Falls Church; Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Lorton; FLIK at Freddie Mac, McLean; Moe’s Southwest Grille, Chantilly; Qdoba, Fairfax; Ruby Tuesday, Alexandria; Simply Elegant, Reston; and Wegmans Food Markets, Fairfax. The Health Department’s Environmental Health division conducts close to 8,500 site visits at more than 3,400 restaurant and food-service establishments annually.
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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.
All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”
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This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753. Email: fairhousing@dpor. virginia.gov. Web site: www.fairhousing.vipnet.org
N.Va. Home Sales Dip But Prices Increase in December Homes sales ended a strong 2017 across Northern Virginia on a mixed note, with year-over-year sales down but prices higher – and a lack of inventory still bedeviling prospective purchasers. A total of 1,437 properties went to closing across the region last month, according to data reported Jan. 10 by RealEstate Business Intelligence, based on data from Bright MLS. That’s a decline of 7.8 percent from the 1,558 properties that sold in December 2016. With the exception of the relatively small city of Fairfax, year-over-year sales were down in all other components of the regional index, dropping 5.8 percent to 1,024 in Fairfax County, 16.1 percent to 188 in Arlington County, 16.4 percent to 178 in Alexandria and 35.7 percent to nine in the city of Falls Church. Rob Wittman of Redfin, a member of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) board of directors, said a lack of inventory (down almost 17 percent from a year before) helped to hold back sales but lead to increasing prices during the month. “Properties of all types saw increases in sales price, signaling high demand in the absence of available inventory,” he said. The average Northern Virginia sales price of $591,005 for the month was up
3.5 percent from a year before, and there were increases in all three sectors of the market, with average prices up 2.9 percent to $782,905 for single-family homes; up 3.7 percent to $435,599 for attached homes; and up 0.2 percent to $350,896 for condominiums. Total sales volume for the month stood at $849.3 million, down 4.5 percent. As the market pivoted to a new year, the chairman of the NVAR board said she believed the region would sustain its recent positive patterns. “Our Realtor confidence level for a stable local market is strong, despite uncertainty about the tax situation,” said Lorraine Arora, who chairs the real-estate trade group and is managing broker of Weichert Realtors Fairfax Regional. Ryan Conrad, CEO of the Realtors’ group, said he expects the lean inventory of late 2017 could ease in 2018, creating more opportunities for buyers, and that changes in tax laws might wouldn’t hold back those seeking moderately-priced homes. “Credit-worthy entry-level buyers should not feel a tax pinch,” Conrad said, and pointed to the prospect of increasing apartment and home rents as one reason those buyers may want to hop into the market sooner rather than later. – A Staff Report
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Transportation Notes FAIRFAX SUPERVISORS OK PACT WITH VDOT FOR BRIDGE IN TYSONS: Fairfax
County supervisors on Jan. 23 unanimously authorized County Executive Bryan Hill to sign an agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for the perpetual maintenance of share-use paths being installed on the rehabilitated Route 7 bridge over the Dulles Toll and Access roads. The project, located between 0.1 miles west of Tyco Road and 0.6 miles west of that road, will widen the bridge from four to six lanes and add share-use paths on both sides of Route 7. Under the agreement, Fairfax County will maintain lighting along the paths and provide wayfinding signage for those pathways. VDOT will be responsible for maintaining the three underpasses, two overpasses, wall structures and the shareuse paths’ sub-base and asphalt pavement; providing regulatory signage along the paths; and mowing grass along the pathways. The agreement will mean that the county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services will have to increase its annual budget, starting in fiscal year 2019, to cover the additional lighting costs. Anticipated expenses include $15,000 for lighting maintenance and $5,000 for electricity. SUPERVISORS ENDORSE REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS: Board
of Supervisors Endorses Additional Regional Transportation Projects: The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 23 unanimously approved a resolution endorsing more projects to be submitted for regional funding under the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s (NVTA) plan for fiscal years 2018 through 2023. The NVTA on Oct. 12 last year put out a call for more projects that could be financed using the 70 percent of regional tax revenues that the authority retains. NVTA leaders expect about $1.46 billion in regional funding will be available during that time period. Applications were due by Dec. 15 and had to be endorsed by Jan. 19 this year by the governing bodies where the projects would be physically located. The Board of Supervisors on Dec. 5 adopted a resolution endorsing 15 projects to be submitted by the county to NVTA. Subsequently, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) board of directors approved a list of projects, including: • A $94.7 million initiative to provide Automatic Trains Control (ATC) power and wayside-communications upgrades for Metro’s Blue and Orange lines. The application would build upon previously NVTA-funded projects that upgraded power generation and carrying capacity
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of those lines’ traction-power upgrades. This work is scheduled to be completed in fiscal year 2021. The new funding request would support comprehensive upgrades of Automatic Trains Control power and waysidecommunication equipment needed for safe and reliable operation of eight-car Metro trains. • Capacity and reliability improvements along Metrorail’s Blue/Orange/Silver corridor. WMATA has requested $2 million for “New Blue Line” alternatives analysis and project development, which would address capacity issues at the Rosslyn station and reliability issues throughout that corridor. The Board of Supervisors’ resolution also supports an application by Arlington County for the funding of two Arlington Transit (ART) bus-facility projects. One site, located in the Shirlington section of Arlington, will handle bus operations and provide parking and support services. The second site, located in Fairfax County and purchased in December 2016 by the Arlington County Board, is planned for heavy-maintenance activities that cannot be accommodated in Arlington. SUPERVISORS OK GRANT FUNDING, COUNTY MATCH FOR MERRIFIELD BIKESHARE PROGRAM: The Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 23 unanimously approved a resolution au-
thorizing Tom Biesiadny, director of the county’s Department of Transportation, to accept $400,000 in Virginia Department of Transportation grant funding and administer a Bikeshare program in Merrifield. The project will provide 120 bicycles, 15 docking stations and kiosks in the vicinity of the Dunn Loring Metrorail Station. The initiative will connect with the existing Capital Bikeshare system, thus linking bicycle riders in Merrifield with other parts of the county and surrounding jurisdictions, officials said. Officials already have identified $100,000 from one of the county’s transportation funds, which will serve as the local match to the grant moneys. Even with those funds, another $250,000 will be needed to finance the Bikeshare initiative’s $750,000 total cost. County officials may seek other grant money or donations from Providence District businesses to close that gap, but if that doesn’t do the trick, they will reach back into the same transportation fund to finance the project fully. Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D) said Bikeshare definitely was needed in that rapidly redeveloping section of Providence District. “If there ever was a place that should be bikeable, the Mosaic at Merrifield is a place that should lend itself to that transportation,” she said.
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Schools & Military n Brooke White of McLean has been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at the University of Rhode Island. n Flannery Mehigan of McLean, Hannah Moss of McLean, Joyce Ren-Sun of Vienna and Zayn Hasan of Vienna have been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at the University of Vermont.
Hannah Smith of McLean has been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at Michigan State University. n
n Andrew Price of McLean has been named to the dean’s list at Dean College. n Camille Speer of Great Falls, Victoria Garcia of McLean and Charles Welling of Vienna have been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at Emerson College. n Ethan Claybrook has been named to the dean’s list and commandant’s list for the fall semester at Virginia Tech.
The following local students have been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at the University of Delaware: – From Great Falls: Campbell McKay, Madeline Navin, Emily Hines. – From McLean: Gabriela MorrellZucker, Anna Murphy, Elizabeth McCulla, Chaitanya Daksha. – From Oakton: Olivia Townsend, Anna Platt. – From Vienna: Karen McShane, Duncan Edwards, Claire Russell, Dylan Cass, Paul Tudan, PatrickNicholson, Madison Stoupa, Thomas Zolper, Felipe Barraza, Philip De Paoloa, Siena Ferrick and Julia Walker. n
Kathleen Ouyang, a history and government teacher at Oakcrest School, spent part of her summer break teaching in China. “[My interest] has to do with my heritage and wanting to learn more about it,” said Ouyang, whose grandparents emigrated from China to the U.S. in the 1950s. She previously had visited China twice, including in 2013-14 on a Fulbright Scholarship spent researching heritage tourism. “I wanted to see how things had changed since I had been there,” Ouyang said of her most recent trip, where she spend most of her time in Suzhou – dubbed the “Venice of the East” for its many canals – teaching Chinese students participating in a summer camp for sixthgraders. Students practiced their English by ordering food at a restaurant, discussing American superheroes and playing games. One of her favorite classes was a lesson on volleyball terms, Ouyang said. The experience taught Ouyang that teachers in China often stay with a class from first grade to sixth grade, moving up with their students. Also surprising n
was the two-hour naptime between morning and afternoon classes, when students and teachers alike were encouraged to get some sleep. As a teacher from the U.S., “you’re definitely an outsider – [students] definitely view you differently” from their regular teachers, Ouyang said. But after this, her third visit to China, Ouyang said she’s not the outsider she once was. “Every time I go, I learn more,” she said. n The James Madison High School Band, directed by Michael Hackbarth, has been selected as a national winner in the National Band Association’s Blue Ribbon Award competition. The Madison band was one of four national recipients; it represents the Southern Division of the organization. Awards are based on a lengthy and comprehensive application process, including at least 35 minutes’ worth of recorded music from at least two different school years, representing multiple ensembles within the band program. The award, which was announced in December, will be presented to the band in the spring. For information on the Madison band program, see the Web site at www.jmhsband.org. n The Arts Council of Fairfax County has placed three Fairfax artists at middle schools as a part of the Artist Residency Program. The artists are connecting visual art and theater with language arts, social studies, technology, music and physical education to offer students engaging, unique and innovative learning experiences. Those participating this year are: • Photographer, writer and editor Glenn Cook will engage Holmes Middle School art students in “The Resilience Project.” His residency will connect visual and digital art with language arts, social studies and technology. • 1st Stage artistic director Alex Levy will involve Lake Braddock Secondary School speech and drama students in a residency titled “Discovering Your Story: Solo-Performance Workshop.” His residency will connect theater with language arts. • Stage-combat teacher and actor Brad Waller will work with Glasgow Middle School English students for his residency, “The Art of the Sword.” His residency will connect theater with movement and physical education, visual art and music. “The artists, with guidance from our FCPS arts educator and curriculum specialist, have designed highly engaging workshops that provide new opportunities for students to express themselves artistically while utilizing 21st-century skills of communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking,” said Linda Sullivan, president and CEO of the Arts Council of Fairfax County.
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McLean/Great Falls Notes THEATER TROUPE PICKS UP ‘WATCH’ NOMINATIONS: The McLean Commu-
nity Players garnered five nominations spread across three productions in the 2018 WATCH (Washington Area Theatre Community Honors) Awards competition. Nominations were announced on Jan. 21. A total of 99 productions – 66 plays and 33 musicals – from 27 communitytheater troupes across the Washington region that were adjudicated in 2017. For the McLean Community Players, Gary Bernard DiNardo was nominated as Outstanding Featured Actor and Mary Macfarlane was nominated for Outstanding Makeup Design for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Katie Keifer was nominated for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her work in “Company.” Chris Gallegos and Richard Farella picked up nominations for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for their work in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Among participating theater organizations, the Reston Community Players led the field with 37 nominations, followed by the Providence Players with 24 and Little Theatre of Alexandria with 23. Competing for Outstanding Musical are “Nine” (Colonial Players of Annapolis), “Anything Goes” (Little Theatre of Alexandria), “Legally Blonde” (Little Theatre of Alexandria), “Aida” (Reston Community Players), “Rock of Ages (Reston Community Players) and “Mary Poppins” (2nd Star Productions). Vying for Outstanding Play are “33 Variations” (Colonial Players of Annapolis), “Driving Miss Daisy” (Little Theatre of Alexandria), “Moon Over Buffalo” (Providence Players), “Private Lives” (Reston Community Players) and “Deathtrap” (Silver Spring Stage). The 2018 awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at
the Birchmere in Alexandria. For tickets and more information, see the Web site at www.washingtontheater.org.
org.
FOUST TO DETAIL ‘STATE OF McLEAN’:
cock Elementary School PTA will be held Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pulcinella Italian Host restaurant in McLean. The event is sponsored by the Community Charity Champions initiative of HBC Group of Keller Williams Realty. Approximately 70 percent of the proceeds from the sale of food and drink will support the PTA, if participants bring in a promotional flyer available at www.hbcgroupkw.com. Funds raised through the event will help underwrite and support programming at the school. Sponsors of the event include Karen Briscoe and Lizzy Conroy of HBC Group of Keller Williams Realty; Marcus Simon of EKKO Title; Kevin Dougherty of Pillar to Post; Kathy and Justin Neal of the Neal Team/SunTrust Mortgage; Jim Harris of BOWA; the McLean Chamber of Commerce; and Moe Jebali of Pulcinella Italian Host.
The McLean Chamber of Commerce will host Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville) discussing “The State of McLean” on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 a.m. at J. Gilbert’s, 6930 Old Dominion Drive. The cost is $20 for Chamber members, $30 for others. For information, see the Web site at www.mcleanchamber.org. McLEAN FORUM TO FOCUS ON POLICE AUDITOR: The February meeting
of the McLean Police District Station Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) will focus on the Fairfax County government’s independent police auditor. The auditor, Richard Schott, will provide a presentation during the program, to be held on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the McLean Governmental Center, 1437 Balls Hill Road. Schott’s position was established in 2017 by the Fairfax County government, following complaints about use-of-force and other concerns directed at the county police department. For information on the office, see the Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/policeauditor/. The community is invited. For information about the citizens-advisory committee,. see the Web site at http://www. fairfaxcounty.gov/police/jobs/citizenadvisorycommittee.htm. MCC SUMMER-CAMP REGISTRATION SET TO OPEN: Registration begins Feb.
5 for the McLean Community Center’s summer-camp programs for children ages 3-18. For the first week, registration will be open only to McLean residents. Registration for others will start Feb. 12. For information, call (703) 790-0123 or see the Web site at www.mcleancenter.
FUND-RAISER WILL BENEFIT HAYCOCK PTA: A fund-raiser for the Hay-
FAMILY-FRIENDLY BINGO NIGHT IN THE WORKS: The McLean Community
Center will host a family-friendly bingo night on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Old Firehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road. Players can win a variety of prizes and enjoy light refreshments. The cost is $5 for McLean residents, $10 for others. For information, call (703) 790-0123 or see the Web site at www. mmcleancenter.org. YOUTH-IMPROV COMPETITION ON THE HORIZON: The Alden Theatre of the
McLean Community Center will present an improv competition for high-school students on Friday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Old Firehouse, 1440 Chain Bridge Road. Admission is free. For information, see the Web site at www.mcleancenter.org.
TEEN-IMPROV GROUP TO PERFORM:
The Unruly Theatre, a teen-improv group, will perform on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at MPA@ChainBridge Gallery, 1446 Chain Bridge Road. The event is sponsored by the McLean Community Center. The community is invited, and admission is free. For information, call (703) 790-0123. NEWCOMERS’ GROUP TO HOST COFFEE: McLean Newcomers and Neighbors
will host a coffee for members and prospective members on Wednesday, Feb. 7 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. For information on the organization, see the Web site at www.mcleannewcomers.org. SENIOR CENTER TO FEATURE SALLY RIDE RE-CREATOR: The Great Falls Se-
nior Center will present award-winning actress, writer and director Mary Ann Jung portraying astronaut Sally Ride during a presentation slated for Tuesday, Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls. Ride was the first U.S. woman in space when she flew on the Space Shuttle Challenger in June 1983. She later made a second shuttle flight and was a champion for science education. The program includes lunch, and is sponsored by Great Falls Assisted Living. The program is free, but donations are accepted for lunch. For information, call Polly Fitzgerald at (703) 759-4345 or email pollyfitz1@verizon.net. Membership in the Great Falls Senior Center is $15 per year. For information, see the Web site at www.gfseniors.org. Your submission of items for inclusion is welcomed. Contact information is available on Page 6.
Vienna/Oakton Notes ‘TASTE OF THE WORLD’ CASINO NIGHT SET TO RETURN: The Rotary Club of
Vienna is preparing for its third annual Taste of the World Casino Night, to be held on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 7 to 11 p.m. at Westwood Country Club. The event will feature a variety of gaming opportunities plus food from local restaurants. For tickets and information, see the Web site at www.viennacasinonight.com. PROGRAM FOCUSES ON CULINARY BACKGROUND OF ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’:
The Adventures in Learning program of the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna will host a program on “How the Culinary Scenes for ‘Downton Abbey’ Were Filmed” on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road in Oak12
February 1, 2018
ton. Food and travel writer CiCi Williamson will discuss her work researching the styling and filming of the food scenes for “Downtown Abbey” based on an interview she did in London with the British food stylist who produced the food during the six-year run of the series. The presentation also will look at the history of Highclere Castle, which serves as the backdrop for the series, and provide a comparison of the real-life Earls of Carnarvon and the fictitious Earl of Grantham and Crawley family. The program is free. For information, see the Web site at www.scov.org. CAREGIVER-SUPPORT GROUP OFFERED: The Shepherd’s Center of Oak-
ton-Vienna hosts a caregiver-support group for those aiding family members
with dementia on Thursday, Feb. 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Arlington. The initiative is hosted the first and third Thursday of every month. For information, call facilitator Jack Tarr at (703) 821-6838 or e-mail jtarr5@verizon.net. For information about the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna, see the Web site at www.scov.org. VIENNA ARTS SOCIETY TO FOCUS ON SKETCHBOOK-MAKING: The Vienna
Arts Society will host a membership meeting and demonstration on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. at the Vienna Art Center, 115 Pleasant St., N.W. The event is free and open to the public. For information, call (703) 319-3971 or see the Web site at www.viennaartssociety.org.
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The Oakton Women’s Club recently hosted its annual fashion show, which supported the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna. Shown at the event are Women’s Club president Linda Byrd and Shepherd’s Center volunteer Jayne Young.
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February 1, 2018 13
Real Estate Featured Property of the Week
A Wooded Wonderland for You
Standout Custom Great Falls Home Featured Log-Cabin Retreat
Set less than a mile from the Great Falls Village Centre, on a country lane off Walker Road, this week’s property offers an exceptional opportunity as the spring buying season arrives. On more than 5 acres, the grounds showcase not only a custom-built estate home with exceptional amenities at every turn, but also, set beyond Captain Hickory Creek, a storybook log cabin that has a Hollywood provenance. The result is a true retreat, the type of home others aspire to. And it can be yours to call your own, whether lounging poolside or enjoying creative spaces like an author’s turret that adjoins the home library. The property currently is on the market, listed at $3,885,000 by Donna Uscinski of Long & Foster Real Estate. Set on a cul-de-sac with two entrances, the main home was constructed by Versailles in 2013, inspired by classic design elements of past and present. The interior is vast, with connecting rooms that offer a wonderful opportunity both for entertaining and for the casual comfort of daily living – and an elevator that can whoosh you from level to level in style. A glorious fountain is the perfect introduction to the home, and after a welcome amid the portico, we are ushered inside to begin our exploration. The rotunda, with its elegant curved staircase, helps us set our bearings. To our left is the formal living room, to our right the large and welcoming dining room. Each is designed to work equally well in formal and informal settings. (The dining room, like the foyer, features a Schonbek chandelier.) The showstopper kitchen area has everything one might ask, from a center island and top appliances to an adjacent morning room that provides access to a balcony overlooking the rear domains. There also is access to the Vista Room, with windows overlooking the pool area, and access to the main-level deck that provides the perfect spot for al-fresco
dining during spring, summer and fall. The soaring Great Falls Room is another standout, with a two-story architectural window wall and a double-sided fireplace shared with the library. An extra-special stop is the music room, found adjacent to the living room and offering up a fireplace and stunning, barrel-vault ceiling. The upper level is home to four bedroom suites, none more stunning than the master retreat with its tray ceiling, double-sided fireplace shared with a sitting room, sumptuous bath and extraordinary, 40-foot-long walk-in-closet space. Each of the additional bedrooms is elegant and creative, and there is a bridge area overlooking the Great Falls Room below. Additional features await on the lower level, with marvelous spots for entertaining (like the tiered media room) plus an additional bedroom suite. All this, and you have walk-out access to the pool area, which overlooks the creek valley below and is sure to be a favorite during the summertime. But this is only half the story of this estate, as the nearby Cabin at Walker Bend provides not only versatility and flexibility, but a showplace for all who visit. The main level is home to a Great Room, dining room and kitchenette, plus a porch for added ambiance. A spiral staircase takes us upstairs, where
there is a loft with full bath. Downstairs, there is a recreation room (with the cabin’s second fireplace), another bedroom with full bath, and access to the porch. Now, we earlier mentioned Hollywood, and even though cliffhangers are a specialty of Tinseltown, we will let you in on the details. It was in 1994 that the cabin was the site of photography in the filming of “Clear and Present Danger,” based on the book by Tom Clancy. Between the main house, the cabin and the verdant, bucolic 5-plus acres of grounds, this is an opportunity the likes of which rarely present themselves. Well worth of consideration. The Sancutary at Walker Bend is a sanctuary, indeed – a wonderland for all the senses. Articles are prepared by the Sun Gazette’s real estate advertising department on behalf of clients. For information on the home, contact the listing agent. For information on having a house reviewed, contact the Sun Gazette’s real estate advertising department at (703)738-2521.
Facts for buyers Address: 958 Carya Court, Great Falls (22066). Listed at: $3,885,000 by Donna Uscinski, Long & Foster Real Estate (571) 437-5704 Schools: Great Falls Elementary, Cooper Middle, Langley High.
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February 1, 2018
As rental affordability deteriorates, more U.S. adults may be choosing double up in order to cut costs, and nationally, nearly one in three adults live with a roommate or parent, the greatest share ever reported, according to a new Zillow analysis. A doubled-up household is where two or more working-aged adults live together but aren’t married or in a relationship – this could mean two millennial roommates or an adult living with parents. The share of doubled-up households has been steadily rising since the late 1990s, when just 23 percent of adults lived together. The rise in doubled-up households coincides with increasingly unaffordable rental prices nationwide. Americans making the national median income should expect to put about 30 percent of their monthly income toward a rental payment, but in some markets the share is even greater. In Los Angeles, renters spend almost half of their monthly income on rent. In San Francisco, renters spend 42 percent of their income on rent each month. “As rents have outpaced incomes, living alone is no longer an option for many working-aged adults,” said Zillow senior economist Aaron Terrazas. “By sharing a home with roommates – or in some cases, with adult parents – working adults are able to afford to live in more desirable neighborhoods without shouldering the full cost alone.” But this phenomenon is not limited to expensive cities, Terrazas said. “The share of adults living with roommates has been on the rise in historically more affordable rental markets, as well,” he said.” Unless current dynamics shift and income growth exceeds rent growth for a sustained period of time, this trend is unlikely to change.” Metros with the greatest share of adults doubling up also have some of the most expensive rents. In Los Angeles, almost 50 percent of adults live with a roommate or adult parent, the highest share of all markets analyzed. Los Angeles is the third most expensive rental market in the nation, with the median rent at $2,720 per month. The Riverside, Calif., and Miami metros also have a high percentage of doubled-up households.
Donna.Uscinski@LongandFoster.com Donna.Uscinski@LongandFoster.com 703-759-9190 703-759-9190
14
Living Alone in Rentals Not Always an Option
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Transportation Notes AIRPORTS ENDING THE YEAR WITH SOLID NUMBERS: Barring any jarring
surprises when December’s passenger counts are reported in coming weeks, both of Northern Virginia’s commercial airports are poised to see 2017’s traveler totals surpass those of 2016. And in the case of one of the two airports, another record year in passenger travel appears likely. Both Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport saw year-over-year increases in passenger totals in November, according to data reported Jan. 16 by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, while year-to-date totals also were higher. A total of 2.002 million passengers traveled through the terminals at Reagan National in November, up 1.5 percent from the year before, while 1.793 million used Dulles, up 2.1 percent. Combined, the two airports saw November’s passenger travel up 1.8 percent from 2016. At each airport, the dominant carriers – American at Reagan National, United at Dulles – posted year-over-year increases. Reagan National also saw increases from Alaska and Southwest, while Frontier, Southwest and Delta reported higher passenger totals at Dulles on the domestic front. Internationally, Dulles benefited from
significant increases in passenger counts: up 75 percent year-over-year from Aer Lingus, 64 percent from Air Canada, 46 percent from Ethiopian, 25 percent from KLM and 20 percent from Qatar, among others. The airport also saw new service from Air India that began in July 2017. (Data from the region’s third major commercial airport – Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall – were not yet available.) For the month, American and its regional affiliates carried 49 percent of the traffic at Reagan National, up from 47.7 percent a year before. Rounding out the top five airlines in terms of passengers were Southwest, Delta, United and JetBlue. At Dulles, United retained its dominant position with 63.9 percent of passenger traffic, down from 65.1 percent a year before. No other airline carried more than 5 percent of the airport’s total during the month. For the 11-month period ending in November, the 22.1 million passengers using Reagan National represented a 1.7percent increase from 2016, and put the airport on track for another record year. At Dulles, the 21 million passengers represented an increase of 4.2 percent, as the airport continues to rebound after losing traffic in recent years both to National and BWI. Full data can be found on the Web site
at www.mwaa.com.
at www.bts.gov.
REGION RANKS FIFTH IN DOMESTIC PASSENGER COUNTS: The three com-
DIRT NEEDS TIME TO SETTLE BEFORE NEW GATES ARE BUILT AT NATIONAL:
mercial airports serving the Washington metropolitan area combined to give the region the fifth highest count of domestic passengers nationally in the third quarter of 2017, according to new federal data. A total of 3.39 million passengers originated at the three airports – Washington Dulles International, Reagan National and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall – during the July-toSeptember period, according to figures reported Jan. 16 by the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics. With 5.87 million domestic originating passengers during the period, the greater New York City area ranked first in the survey, followed by Los Angeles (5.3 million), San Francisco (4.11 million) and Chicago (3.74 million). (Data include passenger totals from six airports serving New York City, five in Los Angeles, three in San Francisco and two in Chicago). Rounding out the top metro areas in terms of originating passengers were Boston (three airports); Dallas-Fort Worth (two airports); Denver, Atlanta and Seattle (one airport each); Houston (two airports); and Orlando, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Philadelphia (one airport each). Full data can be found on the Web site
A journey that will cost a third of a billion dollars begins . . . with a giant mound of dirt? That will be the case at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where a $360 million project to build a new concourse accommodating regional jets will start with an seven-month period (March to September) giving massive amounts of dirt time to settle before being paved over to enable construction of the new facility. The reason? Most of the original airport, which dates to 1941, was built on land reclaimed from the Potomac River, and bringing in the extra dirt (called a “surcharge”) will ensure the land will be able to handle the weight of the new construction. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is building the new facility, which will connect to Terminals B/C at a point where old hangars and the authority headquarters once stood, to service smaller planes from regional carriers. Currently, passengers are bused to those flights from a single, cramped gate at the airport. Final design for the project has been completed, and several preliminaries (including demolition of existing pavement) are slated for completion in February.
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February 1, 2018 15
Sports
More on the Web n High school roundup. n Youth sports results.
For more sports, visit:
www.insidenova.com/sports/Fairfax
Marshall Gymnasts Finish 3rd
Teeing Off
Decades-long W-L Meet Now Has a Fitting Name Closing in on a half century of existence, the annual wintertime girls gymnastics invitational at Washington-Lee High School is a staple on the prep-sports scene.
Teams Preparing For District Meets
Dave Facinoli
A Staff Report
Led by the fourth-place finish of Hailey Gaugler in the all-around, the Marshall finGYMNASTICS Statesmen ished fourth at the annual Barbara Reinwald Invitational at Washington-Lee High School on Jan. 20. Gaugler’s all-around total was 34.825. She was third on the balance beam (9.35), fifth on the uneven bars (8.424) and fifth on floor exercise (8.8). Marshall’s team score in the 11-team event was 102.225. Yorktown won at 109.275. Also for Marshall, Teresa Capuano-Rizzo was eighth in the all-around (32.775). Jenny Soto-Rodriguez was fifth on the vault (9.05) and 10th on the beam (8.4). Marshall’s Grace Cusack was fifth on the beam (8.875) and 12th on the floor (8.425). Various district meets are this week, with the defending state champion McLean Highlanders in the Liberty District competition Feb. 1 at WashingtonLee High School and Marshall in the National District meet that was scheduled for Jan. 29.
Marshall High School gymnast Teresa Capuano-Rizzo competes on the balance beam during a recent invitational meet at Washington-Lee High School. PHOTO BY DEB KOLT
McLean, Langley Split Neighborhood Twinbill DAVE FACINOLI Staff Writer
It was a split decision Jan. 25 when the McLean Highlanders hosted the SaxBASKETBALL Langley ons in boys and girls neighborhood high school basketball showdowns to determine a pair of Rotary Cup winners. Both Liberty District games were thrillers. First, the Langley girls won in overtime, 50-43. In the nightcap, the McLean boys rallied from 14 points down at halftime to win, 54-51, outscoring the Saxons, 9-2, in the final 90 seconds. Each winning team posed for post16
February 1, 2018
game photos with the Rotary Cup. The win snapped a 10-game losing streak against Langley (7-10, 2-4) for the McLean boys (7-11, 2-4). Langley led, 28-14, at halftime. The loss was the fourth in a row for the injury-riddled Saxons, all coming since defeating McLean on Jan. 12. “It was just all about more effort in the second half and we hit some big shots,” McLean coach Mike O’Brien said. “Langley played with more effort than us in the first half. So we talked more about effort than anything at halftime.” The change was immediate when McLean scored the first eight points of the third quarter to get back into the
game. Langley led 38-32 entering the fourth quarter, then built the lead to 45-32 with 6:32 left. That’s when McLean’s season-long leading scorer Matias Prock caught fire and took over by scoring all 15 of his points in the period and he came up with two key steals. His three-point play with 12.5 seconds left gave the Highlanders their first lead since 4-3 at 52-51. Sean Senft (15 points) made two foul shots with two seconds left. Until the fourth period, Prock had taken just one shot. “Langley was switching defenses on him and that had him frustrated,”
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Continued on Page 17
It may just be the longest running high school invitational of any sport in Northern Virginia and across the state. Teams from all over, and some of the best, both local and out-of-thearea, have participated in the event and look forward to the competition. There were 11 high school squads in this year’s Jan. 20 invite, won by the Yorktown Patriots with W-L Blue second. There would have been more teams and gymnasts if not for the flu. The Marshall Statesmen participated this year, and Langley and McLean have in the past. The invitational began in the late 1960s, ended for a while around 1975, then resumed 1982. Until a few years ago, it was named the WashingtonLee Invitational. That changed to the Barbara Reinwald Invitational to honor the memory of the late W-L coach and huge supporter of gymnastics. For years, Reinwald was on the front lines and was given a lot of credit for making sure girls gymnastics remained a strong varsity sport locally and throughout Virginia. She worked at W-L for 32 years, serving as a coaching mentor for current Washington-Lee girls head coach Joe D’Emidio, who took over in 1976. D’Emidio played a big part in changing the meet’s name. In 1992, Reinwald was inducted into the Virginia High School League’s Hall of Fame. “She did so much for the sport, for Washington-Lee, and for me as a mentor. We thought naming the invitational for her was the right thing to do,” D’Emidio said. “It made sense. If not for Barbara, girls gymnastics may not be around.” The W-L meet often serves as a postseason preview. Those events begin this week, in part because of Reinwald.
Find daily updates on the Web at www.insidenova.com. Stay in touch through Twitter (@sungazettespts) and www.facebook.com/sungazettenews.
Madison Sweeps Concorde Swim/Dive Championships DAVE FACINOLI
ond (IM) and third (100 backstroke), Galbraith was second in the back and third in the fly, Anna Miller was second in the 50 free, Anna Sullivan was third in the 500 and Madison Grosz was second in diving. The medley relay won in 1:44.34, the 200 free relay in 1:35.89 and the 400 free relay in 3:28.09. “The girls were really fast. Some of their splits were off the charts,” Foos said. The Madison boys won the 200 (1:26.95) and 400 (3:08.5) free relays and were second in the medley relay. Individually, Madison’s Kyle Wu won the IM (1:54.59) and breast (57.65), Jack Galbraith was second in the fly and back, Michael Hynes was third in the IM and back, Cole Dyson was second in the 200 free and third in the 500 free,
Patrick Kuhlkin was second in the 100 free and third in the 200 free, Ian Cobb was second in the breast and fourth in the IM, Will Noel was second in the 50 free, Sam Duncan won diving (465.65) and Owen Murphy was second. The Oakton boys won the medley relay (1:35.19) and were second in the other two. Individually, Oakton’s Daniel Gyenis won the 200 (1:39.8) and 500 (4:30.33) freestyles, Anthony Grimm won the fly (49.42) and back (49.6), Nick Highman was second in the IM and fourth in the back, Albert Xu was fourth in the 50 and 100 frees and Liam Kolpfenstein was third in diving. The Oakton girls were second in all three relays, Leaya Ma won the 50 free (24.22), McKenna Witlin was second in the 100 free, Nika Sauger was third in
the 100 and 200 free races, Evelyn Pickett was third in the 50 free and Brynn Curtis was third in the breast. n In the Liberty District boys meet Jan. 27 at Washington-Lee High, Langley won and McLean was third. In the girls meet, McLean was second and Langley third. Check back later for more details. For the Langley boys, Casey Storch won the IM (1:49.99) and the 100 free (46.85), Will Koeppen was second in the 50 free and back, Chase Bradshaw was third in the 200 free, and the 200 and 400 free relays were second. For the McLean boys, Sam Gollop won the breast (57.9) and the 200 free relay won (1:38.56). In boys diving, McLean’s Manuel Borowski won with a 489.1 total and his teammates Alex Glassman and Sina Naeemi were third and fifth, respectively. McLean Sinead Eksteen won the 200 free (1:49.03) for the McLean girls and swam on the winning 400 free relay (3:35.82). For the Langley girls, Natalia Rongione won the 500 free (5:09.34) and Megan Jungers won the fly (56.79). McLean’s Alexandrda Halla was third in girls diving with her teammates Meredith Peterson and Sarah Wood fifth and sixth, respectively. n In the National District, the Marshall Statesmen finished second in the girls and boys meets. Check back later for more details. The 6A North Region swim and dive championships are this week.
over as the head girls coach of the private school 17 years ago. She began this week with 302 wins. Patrick’s first win for Flint Hill was a 39-29 victory over National Cathedral School in the 2001-02 season when the Huskies finished 13-11. “We have had a lot of good effort by the players over the years,” Patrick said about her 300 wins. “It all goes for-
ward with good players. I’m really glad Flint Hill has offered me a contract every year. My anchor is Flint Hill and I am blessed to be a part of the Flint Hill community.” Flint Hill defeated Sidwell Friends, 57-43, then Potomac School, 54-53, in other games last week as the Huskies finished 3-0 on the road. See stories at www.insidenova.com/sports/fairfax.
MARSHALL IN FIRST ALONE: Thanks to a key 69-62 victory over the visiting Wakefield Warriors on Jan. 26, the Marshall Statesmen (16-2, 8-1) took over sole possession of first place in National District boys basketball action. For a full game story about Marshall’s win over Wakefield and other high school basketball acton, visitwww. insidenova.com/sports/fairfax.
and the front end of a one-and-one, and give McLean credit. They needed to make every big free throw in the fourth and they did,” Langley coach Scott Newman said. “Sometimes it’s a make and miss game.” McLean was 8 of 8 from the line in the final period. “There were some weird sequences that occurred, but that’s basketball,” Newman said. Andrew Lopez and Brian Aka each had seven points for McLean and Evan Stout and Aaron Hale each had four points and two rebounds. For Langley, Colter Carton had 21 points and five rebounds. Eight turnovers hurt the Saxons in the second half after having just three at halftime. Langley was without starting guard
Ian Muir, who is out for the season with a knee injury. “He does so much for us,” Newman said. In the girls game, Langley (11-5, 4-2) outscored McLean 7-0 in overtime as the Highlanders (6-10, 2-4) missed all nine of their shots from the floor in the extra period and one foul shot. Senior point guard Jordan Callaghan (18 points) scored six overtime points, four on two driving layups, to up Langley’s lead to 47-43. Rana Azad had 14 points for Langley, Hallie Jepsen seven and Hailey Chapman five. For McLean, Elizabeth Dufrane scored 13 and Natalie Hedrick 10. McLean had the last possession with a chance to win in regulation before
Callaghan came up with a loose ball with two seconds left to end the threat. A pair of free throws by Azad with 1:14 left tied the game at 43, ending the scoring in regulation. McLean was blown out by Langley, 61-35, two weeks earlier. On Jan. 23, the McLean girls defeated the South Lakes Seahawks, 53-48, for a big district win. Mariane Auza scored 20 points and Dufrane 16. On that same date, Langley got 15 points from Azad, 10 from Jepsen and nine on three three-pointers from Carly Britt in a 60-36 win over WashingtonLee. Callaghan scored seven. Also, the McLean boys lost at the buzzer against South Lakes, 50-47, Jan. 23. Prock scored 14 and Lopez and Stout 10 each. Senft added eight.
Staff Writer
The switch to the Concorde District for the 2018 season became a dual championship change for the Madison Warhawks on Jan. 27. That was the night the boys and girls high school swim and dive teams district SWIM & DIVE won titles at Oak Marr RECenter. The girls won with 546 points and the boys with 550, as the teams combined for nine team records. The Oakton Cougars were second in both, the girls with 449.5 and the boys with 534. Madison swam in the Liberty District a year ago, where the girls won the title. “Holy smokes, did we have a good meet,” Madison coach Andrew Foos said. “We had a really good preliminary night and that set us up well for the finals. It’s hard to have things line up like that for both teams.” The Madison girls dominated by winning all three relays and had three individual swimmers win two races each. They were Elizabeth Kuhlkin in the 200 and 100 freestyles in 1:50.77 and 51.25; Madeline LaPorte in the 500 free (4:48.85) and 100 butterfly (55.66) and Anna Keating in the 200 individual medley (2:01.8) and 100 breaststroke (1:01.49). LaPorte and Keating each set two team records. The others went to Kuhlkin, Darby Galbraith and all three relays. In addition, Rachael Holp had a sec-
The Madison Warhawks gather with the Concorde District championship banner after winning the swim and dive meet on Jan. 27 in their first year in the league. PHOTO FROM MADISON
High School Roundup
COACH WINS 300TH GAME: What began in 2001 with a three-game losing streak reached a coaching career milestone of 300 victories for Jody Patrick on Jan. 23. With the Flint Hill Huskies’ 47-39 road triumph over Stone Ridge in girls high school basketball action, Patrick earned career win No. 300. Each victory has come at Flint Hill, as Patrick took
Basketball Continued from Page 16
O’Brien said about Prock. “Then in the fourth I think he said, ‘OK, I will make these plays.’” Prock tied the game at 49 on a steal and layup, then Langley went back in front, 51-49, on a layup by Jack Hoeymans (four points, five rebounds). Prock then provided the winning three-point play. Langley had one last chance when Chase Beckett (18 points, six rebounds, four three-pointers) rimmed out a threepointer that Senft rebounded, was fouled and made two free throws. “We missed good shots in the fourth
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February 1, 2018 17
Business Briefcase VIRGINIA SEES YEAR-OVER-YEAR RISE IN UNIONIZED WORKERS: The percent-
age of Virginians belonging to labor unions (or their public-sector equivalents) was up slightly from 2016 to 2017, according to new federal data, but remains well below the national average. A total of 4.6 percent of the Virginia workforce was represented by a union, according to figures reported Jan. 19 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s up from 4.3 percent a year before, but remains less than half the national average of 10.7 percent. Figures are compiled from a sampling AUTOS WANTED GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1-855558-3509
Election
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Continued from Page 1
Rocco said. “So when I need to make a decision or I vote on something, I seek input from lots of different people and I base my decision on what is best for the community as a whole.” Council member Linda Colbert, a former Transportation Safety Commission member who first was elected to the Council in 2014, said she also would run for re-election. “Serving two terms on Council, it’s been a pleasure to work with my colleagues,” said Colbert, who works as a math tutor. “Having grown up in Vienna, I love its past and have a vision for its future. I’d like to continue working toward this vision.” Council member Pasha Majdi, also first elected in 2014, said he would seek a third term. “It’s been a fun four years,” said Majdi, who attended Louise Archer Elementary School as a child and formerly served on the Town/Business Liaison Committee. “I think that the next two years will be the most consequential period in Vienna’s history since [Interstate] 66 was built from ’80 to ’82. It would be an honor and privilege to remain on the Council and be a part of that.” Council member Douglas Noble, a
Budget Continued from Page 1 2.4 percent, over the previous year, something Serfass attributed to employee salary increases and higher landfill fees. The town ended 2017 with an unassigned general-fund balance of nearly $4.47 million, which was 6.3 percent lower than the preceding year’s total. That balance amounts to 18.4 percent of fiscal 2018’s general-fund budget and enough to cover about 67 days’ worth of town operations. The Government Finance Officers Association recommends localities have an unassigned balance of 16.7 percent and town officials pointed out Vienna’s balance has been more than 1 percent higher than that for seven years running. During the 2016 tax year, Vienna’s total assessed property value grew 5.3 percent over the previous year to nearly $4.63 billion. That increase from higher assessments raised property taxes to 45. 1 percent of the town’s total revenues and transfers, up from 42.1 percent. The Finance Department collected 99.8 percent of property taxes due, the 23rd straight year in which revenue collections were above 99 percent. Taxable property values for tax year 2017 rose an overall 3 percent, with residential-property values rising 2.7 percent
former Planning Commission member who works as transportation engineer, also announced his re-election bid. “It is a very important time for Vienna,” he said. “We’re starting our strategic-planning process for the town. Toward the end of the year, we’ll be starting our comprehensive-plan process for the town . . . I’d like to continue to serve, not just as a steward of what we are but as a steward of what we hope and aspire to be in the town.” Noble first was elected in 2016 in a heavily contended race featuring incumbents Colbert and Majdi and two other challengers vying for three seats. One of those seats was guaranteed to turn over, as seven-term incumbent Edythe Kelleher had decided not to seek re-election that year. Seven Vienna Town Council members, including the mayor, serve at-large for two-year terms. Three Council seats are up for grabs during elections held the first Tuesday of each May; mayoral elections are held on even-numbered years. ••• Candidates who wish to run in this year’s Vienna Town Council election must submit paperwork, including signatures from at least 125 registered voters within the town, to the Fairfax County Office of Elections by March 6 at 7 p.m. The agency is located at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 323, in Fairfax. and commercial ones climbing 4.1 percent, Serfass said. During the first six months of fiscal 2018, Vienna’s meals-and-lodging tax revenues were up 3.9 percent over the previous year – a figure that exceeded town officials’ projections, noted Town Manager Mercury Payton. News on the water-and-sewer front was mixed. Operating revenues for those funds ended the year at nearly $7.39 million, up 7 percent, but expenses (largely because of higher sewage-treatment costs) rose 15.2 percent to $7.02 million. Council member Howard Springsteen, as he has in previous years, pressed for more capital-improvement spending to shore up infrastructure in those areas. “Water and sewer is the 900-pound gorilla,” he said. “I still don’t think we’re funding it like we should. We have an aging system.” Tobacco-tax revenues of nearly $234,000 in fiscal 2017 marked a decrease of 6.1 percent from the previous year and were down nearly half from the almost $430,000 the town collected in fiscal 2008. The Town Council last May voted to boost the cigarette tax by 10 cents to 85 cents per pack of 20. The increase took effect July 1, 2017. By comparison, Fairfax County’s cigarette tax is 30 cents per pack. “When the price goes up, people go somewhere else,” Serfass said.
Local news is the news that matters most in your daily life, so make sure you are in touch. The Sun Gazette has the community news to keep you engaged.
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LEGALS//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TOWN OF VIENNA, VIRGINIA NOTICE OF ADOPTION Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of the Code of Virginia and the Town of Vienna, Virginia, that at the Regular Council Meeting of January 29, 2018, the Town Council voted to adopt the following: Ordinance relocating a polling place for Town elections back to the Vienna Community Center. Copies of the said Ordinance changes may be viewed in the office of the Town Clerk Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or via the website at www.viennava.gov. BY ORDER OF THE TOWN COUNCIL Melanie J. Clark, CMC Town Clerk
1/1/18
RFP #47FY18 for Architectural and Engineering Services to Renovate the Arlington Public Schools Education Center and Convert from Business Use to Educational Use., A non-mandatory pre-Proposal conference will be held for this procurement on February 6, 2018. Proposals from Offerors are due prior to 2:00 PM, February 26, 2018. Details available at https://www.apsva.us/purchasing-office/current-solicitations/ or 703-228-6127 and on the Virginia Business Opportunities website www.eva.virginia.gov. 1/1/18
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Local history
WINTER OLYMPICS
Items taken from the archives of the Northern Virginia Sun.
© StatePoint Media
February 4, 1944: n State legislators are wrangling over whether to impose a sales tax. n The Virginia GOP will hold its annual convention on April 15 in Roanoke.
1. Nordic glühwein 6. *It last broadcast the Olympics in 1988 9. Sigma Phi Epsilon 13. Yokel’s holler 14. Promise to pay 15. Pre-bun state 16. Dug up 17. Luftwaffe’s WWII enemy 18. Provide with ability 19. *Country with most Winter Olympic gold medals 21. *Number of 2018 Winter Olympics sports 23. Dog command 24. Small island 25. Cul de ____ 28. Partial haircut 30. Geek and jock, e.g. 35. S-shaped molding 37. International Civil Aviation Organization 39. Best not mentioned 40. Pakistani language 41. *American skating icon 43. College cadet program 44. Crocodile ones are insincere 46. Make children 47. This and the other 48. Praise for a fearless one 50. Dispatch 52. Ornamental pond-dweller 53. Classic sci-fi video game 55. Drag behind
February 3, 1960: n The record $59.3 million proposed county government budget would require a tax hike of 90 cents per $100 assessed valuation, to $4.65 per $100. n Nearly 40 members of the House of Delegates are backing a new plan to undermine court-ordered integration of schools across Virginia. n Pranksters at James Madison High School painted a pregnant goat in the school color of green and placed her on the school roof. The goat was rescued, cleaned up and sent off to a farm. n On TV tonight: “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Hawaiian Eye,” “Kraft Music Hall” and “This Is Your Life.” February 4, 1966: n The House of Delegates has passed legislation to expand George Mason College into a four-year institution. n State legislators have voted to table a bill allowing localities to permit liquor sales by the drink. February 4, 1975: n Fairfax school officials say they’ve cut all they can from the budget without doing irreparable damage to the school system, but the Board of Supervisors is demanding more cuts. n The Board of Supervisors is mulling imposition of a refundable five-cent fee on soda bottles, in an effort to spur recycling. n Democrat Joseph Fisher spent $143,000 in his successful bid to oust U.S. Rep. Joel Broyhill, R-10th. Broyhill spent $234,000 in the 1974 race, according to new campaign data. * Rising food prices are affecting even the National Zoo, where the cost of feeding a lion has risen to $1,250 a year. February 4-5, 1986: n The House of Delegates is debating whether to make use of seat belts mandatory.
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS
57. *Done on 90m hill 61. “I love the smell of ____ in the morning.” 64. UFO pilot? 65. 1973 Supreme Court decision name 67. “Complete ____’s Guides” 69. Short for incognito
70. Tokyo, in the olden days 71. Impulse transmitter 72. Indian restaurant staple 73. D.C. bigwig 74. Like a rookie DOWN
1. *Olympic participant’s hangout
2. Been in bed 3. *8-time American speed skating medalist 4. Regular visitors 5. Long-billed shore bird 6. Well-ventilated 7. Flapper’s neckwear 8. Spots for links 9. Arial, e.g. 10. Ill-mannered 11. Malaria symptom 12. Subsequently 15. *“Agony of ____” 20. Like anchor aweigh 22. Not well 24. Ezra Pound’s poetry movement 25. *Which Korea is 2018 Winter host? 26. Come to terms 27. Closet wood 29. Frosts a cake 31. Fence prickle 32. Kindle content 33. Powerball, e.g. 34. *2014 Winter host city 36. France’s currency 38. Shrek 42. Busybody, in Yiddish 45. House cover 49. Opposite of pro 51. *Olympic no-no 54. Shrek and Fiona 56. Crane or heron 57. Jainism follower 58. Arm part 59. Isinglass 60. Lowly laborer 61. Rhymes with #60 Down 62. Plural of lira 63. Change of address 66. Lyric poem 68. X
Fairfax County Notes FAIRFAX GOVERNMENT RETAINS TOP BOND RATING: The Fairfax County
government has retained its AAA bond ratings from the three major bond-rating houses. Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service affirmed their ratings in preparation for a Jan. 9 bond sale, in which the county government sold approximately a quarter-billion dollars in bonds to Citigroup Global Markets at an interest rate of 2.66 percent. A majority of the funding will be used to support school construction, with lesser amounts for transportation, parks, public-safety, human services, libraries and storm drainage. Voters approved the projects during referendums held from 2012 to 2016. The Fairfax County government has held its AAA bond ratings since 1975. PARK AUTHORITY’S HOLDINGS EXPAND: The Fairfax County Park Author-
ity recently augmented its holdings by 8 acres with the acquisition of two parcels adjacent to the Loisdale Estates subdivision in Lee District. The land was donated by L and F Darby Lane LLC, a developer, and is expected to remain vacant for the time being. The Park Authority owns or cares for
more than 23,000 acres, approximately nine percent of the open space in the county.
are facing. The event is free, and the community is invited.
‘VALENTINES CHALLENGE’ TO BENEFIT FORMER FOSTER CHILDREN:
SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE TO SPOTLIGHT TALENTED YOUTH: The Fairfax
Volunteers for Change, an initiative of Volunteer Fairfax, recently hosted a family-friendly “Valentines Challenge” that brought dozens of locals residents to hand-craft cards for distribution to former foster children. The event, held at Fire Station 3 in the city of Fairfax, was a collaboration with Foster Care 2 Success. The Valentine’s Day cards will be distributed to college students in coming weeks. COMMUNITY FORUM FOCUSES ON IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCES: “Unknown
Americans: Giving Voice to the Immigrant Experience,” an educational program sponsored by the Giving Circle of HOPE and Reston-Herndon branch of the American Association of University Women, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon at the North County Government Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive in Reston. Members of immigrants-rights organizations will share their perspectives, and individuals will discuss the obstacles they
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Symphony Orchestra will salute the next generation of classical musicians on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. at George Mason University Center for the Arts. The concert will feature the premiere of the 2018 Fairfax County All-Stars Youth Orchestra and a special performance by string virtuoso In Mo Yang. The all-star program was launched in 2017; this year’s contingent includes 17 musicians selected through a competitive audition process. “Inspiring the next generation of classical musicians is vital to [the orchestra’s] mission, and this program is invaluable to maintain the artistic excellence of the next generation of orchestral musicians,” said Jonathan Kerr, executive director of the symphony. For tickets and information, see the Web site at www.fairfaxsymphony.org. The Sun Gazette runs news of interest from across Fairfax County each week in the newspaper. We welcome your submission of items for inclusion! February 1, 2018 23
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