Prince William Living September 2013

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NOVA BMX

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DALENA KANOUSE: MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL

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SORRY, I’M BUSY

prince william living September 2013

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

Planning for the Unplanned: How to Prepare for Life Challenges PAGE 4

Fall Fun in the Great Outdoors PAGE 20 www.princewilliamliving.com

table of contents September 2013 Vol. 3 No. 9

FEATURE STORY Planning for the Unplanned: How to Prepare for Life Challenges ......................4

DEPARTMENTS from the publisher..................................................3 advertiser index......................................................3 on a high note Cambria Van de Vaarst: Musical “Renaissance Girl” ..................................10

4

destinations NOVA BMX: Family-Friendly Extreme Sporting ..........................14 taking care of business Dalena Kanouse: Maximizing Potential ..........................................18 family fun Fall Fun in the Great Outdoors ............................20 giving back Manassas Warrenton Camera Club Welcomes All to “Nature Visions” Expo ..............24

10 Photo courtesy Realistic Art Photography

local flavor El Tio Tex-Mex Grill: e Spice of Life ..................................................28 calendar ..............................................................32 tambourines and elephants Sorry, I’m Busy ....................................................35 distribution sites..................................................37

COLUMNS

14 Photo courtesy Sean Floars

health & wellness ................................................16 home & hearth ....................................................26 your finances ......................................................30 Discover Prince William & Manassas................33

prince william living September 2013 | 1

The premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas

Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com Contributing Writers Cindy Brookshire, Lauren Jackson, Paul Keily, Helena Tavares Kennedy, Kristina Schnack Kotlus, Dr. Christopher Leet, Ann Marie Maher, Jennifer Rader, DeeDee Corbitt Sauter, Val Wallace, Bennett Whitlock, Vickie Williamson Editorial Staff Emily Guerrero, Peter Lineberry, Val Wallace Photographers Rob Arnold, Sean Floars, Kathy Strauss, Tamar Wilsher

Prince William Living 4491 Cheshire Station Plaza, PMB 55 Dale City, VA 22193 Phone: (703) 232-1758 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Editorial offices: (703) 232-1758, ext. 2 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Advertising offices: (703) 232-1758, ext. 3 Efax: (703) 563-9185 Editorial Have a story you’d like our staff to cover? Contact Prince William Living editorial staff at (703) 232-1758, ext. 2, or at editor@princewilliamliving.com.

Advertising Prince William Living accepts display advertising. For complete advertising information, contact our sales staff at (703) 232-1758, ext. 3, or at sales@princewilliamliving.com.

Social Media

Copy Assistant Lauren Jackson Graphic Design and Production Alison Dixon/Image Prep Studio Advertising Account Executives Michelle Geenty and Jennifer Rader Prince William Living, the premiere lifestyle magazine of Prince William and Greater Manassas, is published monthly

by Prince William Living, Inc. e opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Prince William Living. © Copyright 2013 by Prince William Living, Inc. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced or translated without written permission. Visit the Prince William Living website at www.princewilliamliving.com for reprint permission.

Subscription rate is $12 (Continental U.S.) for one year.

Change of address notices should be sent to Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com.

Reprints and Back Issues: To order article reprints or request reprint permission, please visit the Prince William Living website: www.princewilliamliving.com. Order back issues by emailing Prince William Living Publisher Rebecca Barnes at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com For further information about Prince William Living, visit www.princewilliamliving.com, or contact Prince William Living at (703) 232-1758.

2 | September 2013 prince william living

Prince William Living can be found on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Google+.

Get More Prince William Living You don’t have to wait a whole month for more great information about your community. Visit www.pwliving.com any time to get daily updates on events, the arts, nonprofits, dining and entertainment in your neighborhood. Look for Prince William Living contests, get-togethers, deals and more. You can also submit a story or event online. Stay plugged into what is happening and what is important to you. Prince William Living is your community magazine, all month long.

Join Our Team of Advertising Representatives We know your type. You are a self-starter, somebody who people respect and want to say “yes” to. You never do anything halfway.

With at least two years of sales experience, you have mastered the art of truly listening so that you can deliver real value to clients. The idea of carving out a profession that puts you in the center of our growing community is energizing.

Flexible is our middle name. This contract position offers you flexibility. Working full- or part-time, control your earning potential and build a schedule that offers work-life balance. Though you will be “your own boss,” you will have the full support of our staff and be a valued member of the Prince William Living team— while growing professionally and leaving your mark on the greater Prince William community.

The ideal candidate has at least two years of sales experience and a passion for the Prince William Living mission. Sound like you? Send your resume to our publisher at rbarnes@princewilliamliving.com.

from the publisher When Life Hands You Challenges

T

hey say life happens while you are busy making plans. As it turns out, life also happens when you don’t plan.

My own family has had that lesson drilled home over the last few years. From a tree falling into our home to the legal and financial intricacies of caring for a chronically ill parent, I have taken a crash course (literally) in dealing with the unexpected. Some of these situations we planned for correctly. Others we could have handled better, saving ourselves stress, time and money.

If you’d rather not learn “on the job,” check out this month’s feature. For “Planning for the Unplanned,” on page 4, writer Helena Tavares Kennedy talked to legal, insurance, financial and funeral professionals. Consider it a primer on protecting your family and finances against the ebbs and flows of life. Best of all, most of their suggestions can be quickly and easily completed.

Minimal pain, invaluable gain.

Jennifer Rader then provides a real-world example of this type of planning. She spoke to Management and Training Consultants, Inc., owner and CEO Dalena Kanouse for “Taking Care of

Advertiser Index Absolute BBQ............................................................................36 ACTS ..........................................................................................36 Advantage Physical Therapy ....................................................17 Alpha Pets ................................................................................36 Ameriprise–Whitlock Wealth Management ............................31 Apple FCU ................................................................................31 AVON/Teresa Giltner ................................................................36 B101.5 ........................................................................................13 Bargain Relo..............................................................................36 Beacon Electrical Services ......................................................36 Bella Vita....................................................................................23 Best Western Battlefield Inn ....................................................23 CAP Accounting, LLC................................................................31 Christ Chapel ............................................................................36 City of Manassas Park—Parks & Recreation ............................9 Confidence Realty ....................................................................30 Creative Brush Studio ..............................................................36 Cruise Planners ........................................................................36 Dance Etc...................................................................................34 Dansk Day Spa at Occoquan....................................................22 Discover Prince William & Manassas......................................33 Draped Window ........................................................................36 Edgemoor Art Studio................................................................36 EuroBronze................................................................................36 FURR Roofing............................................................................22 Gaeltek, LLC ..............................................................................34 Gainesville Ballet ......................................................................17 GEICO ..........................................................................................9 Golden Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics ............................16 Hard Times Cafe & Cue ............................................................12 Historic Manassas, Inc. ............................................................34

Business,” on page 18. Find out how this professional dynamo rose above hardship to continue her husband’s legacy, and how having a trust in place protected the company that was his passion.

Once these articles have motivated you to have your “make-aplan” to-do list in place, reward yourself. Check out the enjoyable fall activities that Kristina Schnack Kotlus highlights in “Family Fun,” on page 20. Or plan a visit to the NOVA BMX track at the Prince William County Stadium Complex, after reading this month’s “Destinations” feature, on page 14, by Paul Keily. Both riders and spectators are welcome there.

Just make sure to take care of that insurance bill before jumping on a bike.

Sincerely, Rebecca Barnes Prince William Living Publisher

Imagewerks ..............................................................................36 Lavender Retreat ......................................................................17 Linton Hall School ....................................................................21 Love by Cupcake ......................................................................36 Magnificent Belly Dance ..........................................................36 Merry Maids ..............................................................................22 Minnieland Academy................................................................12 Nova Music Center ..................................................................23 Novant Health ..........................................................................C4 Options for Senior America ....................................................36 Parrish Services ..........................................................................8 Patriot Scuba ............................................................................29 Peggy and Bill Burke, Virginia Realty Partners, LLC ..............26 Potomac Place ............................................................................9 Prince William Chamber of Commerce ....................................7 Prince William Historic Preservation Society..........................12 Prince William Ice Center ........................................................17 PRTC/OmniLink ........................................................................21 Realistic Art Photography ........................................................36 Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center ............................C2 Simply Stunning Faces ............................................................27 SPARK........................................................................................23 Stonewall Golf Club....................................................................9 The MarketPlace at Madison Crescent ..................................33 Tiny Dancers ............................................................................22 Upscale Resume Services........................................................36 Washington Square Associates ..............................................36 Westminster at Lake Ridge ......................................................34 WineStyles ................................................................................23 Yellow Cab ................................................................................36 Your College Planning Coach ..................................................31 Youth for Tomorrow ..................................................................21

prince william living September 2013 | 3

Planning for the Unplanned How to Prepare for Life Challenges

By Helena Tavares Kennedy, Contributing Writer

4 | September 2013 prince william living

T

here are so many “what-if ” scenarios we play through our minds. What if I lose my job? What if I become disabled?

What if I die and my family can no longer count on my income? Here’s a better question to ask: Am I prepared for these and other worst-case scenarios?

Planning for life challenges can be scary. It makes us think about the unthinkable and admit vulnerability. Yet these types of crises are a reality of life. By overcoming the psychological avoidance barrier to tough conversations and taking action, you can prevent suffering and frustration down the road.

Prince William Living spoke with a number of experts in planning for the unplanned, getting their advice on how to best protect your family and prepare for the inevitable curveballs life throws your way.

Financially Focused Legally Speaking When death, disability or serious illness come knocking, it’s best to have a will, power of attorney and advanced medical directive already in place. Having these documents prepared in advance makes it as easy as possible to handle these unexpected crises, said Connie Bourne, Esq., owner of Law Offices of Constance S. Bourne in Gainesville. She defined these three key documents: ■ “A legal will designates who will inherit from your estate after your death. Without it, the law will decide and someone that you did not intend to benefit may get a slice of your estate.”

■ “A power of attorney allows someone to manage your financial and family affairs if you are unable to.”

Speaking of assets, liabilities and estate, there are some relatively simple ways to ensure you are financially prepared for “what-if ” situations. It pays to be ready, according to Bennett Whitlock, private wealth advisor and managing director of Whitlock Wealth Management in Lake Ridge and Leesburg.

“It is almost inevitable that you will have at least one crisis in your lifetime,” said Whitlock, adding, “A period of crisis is a turning point, usually when you have to make sudden and crucial decisions that will affect your future.”

Planning for the certainty of uncertainty is what Whitlock and other financial planners help their clients achieve. To ready yourself financially for a job loss, disability or death, Whitlock advised:

■ “A medical directive tells your family and doctors what medical treatment you would want in the event of a terminal illness. We have all heard of people who were placed on life support and had they been able to speak, they may have expressed other wishes.”

1. Act; don’t react.

While getting these documents in writing and finalized goes a long way toward being prepared, it is just as important to make sure a family member or agent is able to locate them, Bourne said.

4. Select long-term disability benefits that can provide income if you become disabled and unable to work.

“If they can’t locate the documents, they may have to go to court to get permission to manage you or your estate, which can be legally expensive and time consuming,” she said. is “only adds to the stress, confusion and fear your family may already be experiencing,” she added.

2. Organize your records and plan your finances.

3. Set up and build a cash reserve, enough to cover at least three months’ worth of expenses.

5. Purchase life insurance to help your heirs to pay off debts, as well as to provide survivor benefits and settle the estate.

6. Seek professional advice. While the Internet offers a wealth of information, consulting a professional can be invaluable in selecting the right coverage and protection for your specific situation, because of the legal complexities and potential financial impact.

If you want to go a step farther, Bourne recommended creating a list (in Excel or Word) of your assets, liabilities, ownership and beneficiary designations, account numbers and passwords. Keep a printed copy in a secure, locked place.

Transferring Risk through Insurance

It is also helpful to include information on important contacts, such as your lawyer, financial advisor and accountant. is will allow your family or agent to settle your estate or determine your medical wishes as quickly as possible, Bourne said.

Transferring some of the financial risk of disability or death to insurance is a sound option, said Haymarket-based GEICO® insurance agent David Stinson. “Insurance is one product that (continues on page 6) prince william living September 2013 | 5

(continued from page 5)

don’t have the same financial responsibilities. So we then look at long-term care and disability insurance.”

Stinson recommended purchasing life insurance before investing in retirement, stocks and other financial vehicles. He said the time to buy it is when you are healthy, young and don’t need it; premiums will be lower and you’re more likely to be able to obtain coverage. So the earlier you buy insurance, the better.

If a crisis hits, you may be at an age or suffer health problems that make life insurance premiums too expensive to afford or coverage unavailable, Stinson said. Keeping policies in force continuously without lapses also helps keep coverage prices low, he added.

Another vital component to having sufficient coverage is communicating clearly to your family where to find your policies, Stinson said.

everyone hopes they never need to use, but if [it’s] needed, they better be sure that they are adequately insured,” he said.

Surprisingly, most people in the United States are either not insured or are underinsured, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Based on results of a study conducted a few years ago on the adequacy of life insurance among a sample of 7,500 couples, the bureau reported that a significant proportion of U.S. households don’t have sufficient insurance to protect them if the primary breadwinner died. e bureau also reported that underinsurance increased exponentially with income levels, according to the study. e more couples earned, the less likely they were to be sufficiently insured. e degree of underinsurance exceeded 70 percent for secondary earners in their 40s.

Stinson said the reason people don’t have life insurance, or not enough, is they are often too busy to think about it, or they do not want to think about it because it forces them to look at potential risks.

He added that the challenge for many people is understanding the value of life insurance since what it insures is not a tangible object. People can understand the need to insure their new car or to purchase homeowners’ insurance on their beautiful new home, but they have a hard time grasping the need for insurance in the event of disability or death, he said.

He said they also don’t set aside time to research insurance, avoiding the subject altogether or getting advice from people who may be misinformed, such as family and friends. Stinson said it is crucial to consult licensed insurance professionals to get educated on insurance products available and to obtain advice for your stage in life to ensure you are adequately insured.

“Speaking with a good agent should cost nothing more than time,” said Stinson. “Every type of insurance serves a purpose.

Priorities of insurance will change due to age, events in life and specific family needs. For example, life insurance is critical to young families with children. As we get older, in many cases, we 6 | September 2013 prince william living

Preparing for the End While it is not the most pleasant thought, have you considered what to do to prepare for your ending? In addition to getting plans in place to protect your family financially, details such as burial wishes should be discussed and written down in advance. ough it may seem relatively taboo to talk openly about what you want your funeral service to include, the conversation is worth having, according to Adriane Miller, owner of familyowned Miller Funeral Home and Crematory in Woodbridge. If you don’t do anything else to prepare for your funeral and service, you should at least talk about it with family or friends, she said.

However, many people avoid the topic, Miller said. en if they die unexpectedly, loved ones who may have little time to plan a service are left lost and unsure of final wishes.

If you’re up for it, go as far as picking out a casket, plot, cremation vessel and service specifics, Miller recommended.

She said some people plan every detail, such as who will read at the service, what selections will be read and who is invited (or not invited).

Miller said that despite her advice, she finds that people are more likely to do little or no planning, leaving this task for family to deal with in the midst of their grief. Miller said this makes it extremely difficult for the family, who may only have a day or two to plan the entire service and funeral, without knowing what the deceased would have wanted. “It’s like [the stress of ] planning a wedding, but in a few days,” she said.

Another advantage of preplanning is the potential to decrease costs compared to last-minute planning by loved ones, especially if you have any unusual requests, Miller said. “If you want to bring a ton of Harley motorcycles into the chapel to celebrate the deceased’s love for Harleys, then it can be preplanned and easier to implement when the day comes,” she explained.

Miller gave an example from her past of a special request that almost didn’t happen because it was not planned beforehand.

Five Ways to Plan for the Unplanned 1. Get in writing a legal will, power of attorney and medical directive.

2. Make sure you have sufficient life and disability insurance.

3. Have cash savings equal to at least three months of expenses available for emergencies.

4. Tell your family where important documents are so they can easily find them when needed.

5. Communicate with your family about “what-if” scenarios, including your burial wishes.

A service for a horticulturalist involved bringing hundreds of trees, shrubs and plants into the chapel. To do this meant removing all the furniture, finding enough trees and shrubs at local nurseries and, within a tight timeframe, completing other details that involved much more planning, time and cost than for standard services.

With little time to handle this special request, many family members had to run around to local garden shops to find enough

trees and plants in time for the ceremony, said Miller, adding that planning the service in advance would have saved the family a lot of stress, time and money.

Additionally, burial insurance is an option many people don’t know about, she said. How it works, according to Miller: First, you plan your funeral and service and get a cost estimate. You then purchase burial insurance, which covers and guarantees the price of the funeral and service, protecting against inflation.

Gaining Control You can’t ignore or stop the fact that crises can happen to you or a loved one. Some, such as death, are inevitable. However, this doesn’t mean that you have no control of their impact. Using the information here as a starting point, you can control how well you prepare for these life events.

A nonprofit marketing director, who prefers not to think about these what-ifs and has lots of work to do to plan for the unplanned, Helena Tavares Kennedy also enjoys freelance writing in her spare time. She has lived in Manassas with her husband and children for 12 years and can be reached at hkennedy@princewilliamliving.com. prince william living September 2013 | 7

8 | September 2013 prince william living

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prince william living September 2013 | 9

on a high note

Cambria Van de Vaarst Musical “Renaissance Girl”

By Val Wallace, Contributing Writer

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ambria Van de Vaarst, of Woodbridge, is a musical “Renaissance girl,” according to one influence in her young life. “She’s multitalented musically,” said Annease Hastings, music director at Bull Run Unitarian Universalists Church (BRUU) in Manassas, where Van de Vaarst participated in the church youth choirs as a parishioner from 2004 until about 2011.

Only 17, Van de Vaarst has studied voice, piano, concert harp, viola and organ, including pipe, electronic and hybrid. She also plays the Celtic harp, recorder and penny whistle (small flute) at medieval reenactment competitions.

“I will play pretty much anything that you give me, and I will find out how it works,” Van de Vaarst said.

Van de Vaarst’s talent goes deeper than that, though. “She has innate musicality. When you listen to Cambria, she makes music.

She doesn’t just play the dots on the page,” said Hastings.

“She’s very musical and also a terrific sight-reader. She can read anything,” said Elizabeth Blakeslee, second harpist with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). Blakeslee has been instructing Van de Vaarst on the concert harp for about three years, she said.

Photos courtesy Realistic Art Photography

Sight-reading is the ability to read and perform written music at first sight. Highly skilled musicians can sight-read silently, looking at the printed music and hearing it in their heads without playing or singing. “You put the music in front of [Cambria], and she can play it,” Blakeslee said.

“She has always been able to hear music … and as she has grown up, she’s been very determined to produce the music that she hears,” said Van de Vaarst’s mother, Jane Van de Vaarst. She said that Cambria began early along that path.

“My mother was very insistent that my girls get some sort of musical education when they were young, and she signed them up for ‘kinder’ music classes,” explained Jane, who also started piano 10 | September 2013 prince william living

Cambria Van de Vaarst, 17, of Woodbridge, plays several musical instruments, including the concert harp, celtic harp, viola and organ.

She is also a gifted soprano.

en she attended the Scotland wedding of her aunt. “ey had Celtic harps there. I saw a harp, and she let me try it out. And so I came back home, pulled [the harp] out of the attic, started tuning it and tried to teach myself how to play,” she said. “I was probably about 10. … I kind of fiddled around with it for a couple of years before I actually started to learn how to play it.”

As a BRUU youth choir member, Cambria auditioned to participate in concert performances with Hastings’ encouragement. She was one of seven in the choir to perform in St. Louis in 2006 in a national Unitarian Universalists children’s choir of more than 65 members, Hastings said. Cambria also was accepted in an honor choir a couple of years later with the American Choral Directors Association. e choir, which consisted of at least 75 children, performed at an association gathering in Fredericksburg, Hastings said.

Much of this year Cambria Van de Vaarst was the assistant organist at Trinity Episcopal Church in Manassas, where she played the hybrid organ, a combination of pipes and digital.

lessons for Cambria and her older sister Tuppence when they were small. Cambria’s began when she was 5, Jane said.

But her exposure to music started even earlier. Shortly after Cambria’s third birthday, the family moved from Woodbridge to Germany where her father, Jeff Van de Vaarst, was stationed for six years as a U.S. Army cartographer, Jane said.

“She went to a German school … and the principal was very musical. ey had a really good choir,” Jane said. Cambria was in the choir, which would perform at town Christmas markets. By the family’s last Christmas in Germany, “she was up in front singing solos, both in English and in German,” said Jane.

Cambria’s German was so impeccable, in fact, that her classmates did not believe she was American, Jane said. When she was about 5 or 6 years old, event organizers asked her to sing the U.S. and German national anthems during a Fourth of July picnic for the entire army base. “She sang both national anthems. … ey had to teach her the anthem for the U.S. She knew the German but not the U.S. national anthem,” Jane laughed.

Cambria credited her grandfather, Skipper Van de Vaarst, with her young start in music. “He would play with a whole bunch of his friends out at a public auction. ey would play country music,” she said. “I sang with them a lot, and that’s how I really started performing.”

Returning to Woodbridge in 2004 with her family, Cambria, who was home schooled along with her sister, continued to study music. Her parents added lessons for additional instruments as her musical interest grew. Some, such as the Celtic harp, she taught herself.

“My father had bought a South American folk harp back when I was a baby, and it had been sitting in the attic,” Cambria said.

But a side-by-side harp rehearsal about two years ago at the Kennedy Center with NSO principal harpist Dotian Levalier is a personal highlight, Cambria said. She was there with other members of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Youth Orchestras of Prince William, as part of a NSO youth fellowship program. e youth symphony including Cambria also performed in March at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in the National Band and Orchestra Festival. e group was selected to participate based on a competitive audition process.

“It was fantastic. e acoustics were brilliant. It was a wonderful space to perform in, although the people backstage kept trying to take my harp away,” Cambria laughed. “e people backstage are used to moving performers’ instruments. … I said, ‘No, I’m going to go with my harp, and I will know where it is so I can tune it.’ ey were impressed that I would not let anybody handle the harp.”

Formerly the church accompanist, Cambria was promoted in January to part-time assistant organist at Trinity Episcopal Church in Manassas, where she’s a parishioner. She left the position the end of August to be the assistant organist at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Leesburg.

It was former Trinity Episcopal Church music director Kevin Feltmann who encouraged Cambria to learn the organ and taught her how to play it, Cambria said. “Cambria is a very dedicated student. … She has come a long way,” Feltmann said. is fall Cambria began classes at Shenandoah University Conservatory of Music in Winchester. She is pursuing a dual major in harp performance and organ as part of a concentration in church music, she said.

“I’m extremely happy she’s going to Shenandoah University, the college I graduated from,” said Matthew Hart, Trinity Episcopal Church’s new choral director and Cambria’s former supervisor.

“She is very talented. … She has great potential,” he said.

Freelance writer Val Wallace, of Manassas Park, is a regular contributor to Prince William Living and is also on the magazine’s editorial staff.

She can be emailed at vwallace@princewilliamliving.com. prince william living September 2013 | 11

Prince William County Historic Preservation Events World War II Weekend Sept 7-8 11am-4pm daily FREE Living history, firing demos and equipment displays, WWII authors and book signings, vehicles and more. Learn about life on the home front with Molly from the American Girl Doll Series.

Rippon Lodge Historic Site 15520 Blackburn Rd, Woodbridge 703-499-9812

Bluegrass at Brentsville Sept. 14 1-5pm $10 per person Listen to local bluegrass bands on the lawn. Featuring: Page County Ramblers Skystone Wayne Fairfax Food and site tours available.

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow 703-365-7895

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NOVA BMX Family-Friendly Extreme Sporting

By Paul Keily, Contributing Writer

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Photos courtesy Sean Floars

ooking for an exciting sport the whole family can enjoy together? Try BMX (short for bicycle motocross) racing at NOVA BMX, which operates the dirt-and-asphalt track located at the Prince William County Stadium Complex off Prince William Parkway. e sport is different than what most people imagine, according to NOVA BMX President Jennifer Helmick, a Bristow resident whose whole family enjoys the sport. “Most people associate BMXing with the flips and tricks they see on TV, but this is actual racing. e riders line up at a gate and go through the track,” she said.

Helmick’s son Josh, 10, said he was hooked after the first time he saw BMX on television. “I asked my mom about BMX after I saw freestyle BMX on TV. She looked it up and found out about NOVA BMX.” Soon after, the whole family caught the BMX bug, including Helmick, her husband and their youngest son Jacob. e Prince William County Park Authority (now the Department of Parks and Recreation) opened the track in 2000 and operated it for several years. When the track lost county funding, parent volunteers came forward to run it so that BMX could continue in Prince William.

Anyone can come out and race; there are no age restrictions. “I once saw a 3-year-old at a national race, and I know a guy who is 78 and still rides,” Helmick said.

“To start racing all you need to know is how to ride a twowheeler,” Helmick said, adding that all riders must wear a full-face helmet, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and closed-toe shoes.

14 | September 2013 prince william living

Trying out BMX While professional BMX bikes differ from normal street bikes, you can bring your own bike to the track to try out the sport as long as it checks out with organizers, Helmick said.

“We like to make sure new riders’ bikes are safe for the track. We have to do things like remove the kickstand or zip-tie it down

because BMX bikes don’t have them,” she said. “ey also don’t have gears, only have one back brake on the handlebars and are much lighter weight.”

A membership in USA BMX, the sanctioning body of BMX racing, is required to ride on any of its affiliate tracks, including NOVA BMX. Memberships for one day, 30 days and a full year are available at the track and online.

“To try it out for the day, you can get a one-day membership, where you just have to pay a track fee for scheduled practices or races,” said Helmick.

A 30-day membership costs $30 and includes practice and race fees. However, “you won’t be able to gain points from races with those,” Helmick explained. “e full-year membership is only $60, and you can ride in both bike classes.”

How Competitions Work “Before a race, riders go through two motos, or qualifying heats.

Usually people drop depending where they finish in the motos.

So not everyone will go to the main race,” Helmick explained.

Racers compete against each other based on age and proficiency.

Riders typically get two kinds of prizes if they finish at the head of a race: trophies and “saver” stamps. e stamps can be used to purchase merchandise from USA BMX and with other vendors at national and regional races.

In addition, racers gain points in the competitions. “At the end of the year the number of points a rider has determines what number plate they get,” said Helmick. “If they come in first in their district, they get a number-one plate. If they come in second, they get a number-two plate.” A plate is a small shield, placed at the front of the handlebars, indicating riders’ rank within their proficiency and age classes.

The Track NOVA BMX’s serpentine track, which underwent a rebuild this year, includes custom features, according to Helmick.

“We have a custom-built safety gate here that is unique. Most of the starting gates have one solid piece of metal, and that’s pretty heavy. Ours has individual panels with springs. So if a rider falls and an arm gets caught under the gate, only a single section falls instead of the whole metal bar,” she said. e track also includes features standard to most BMX tracks.

“Every track is designed differently, but it generally consists of three berms,” said Helmick, referring to the high-banked hairpin turns. “Most of the tracks have four straights, like ours. Our track has asphalt turns where some tracks only have dirt turns.”

“When I was 11, I started racing at the national level. I’ve been to New York, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. e farthest I’ve gone is Illinois,” said Woodbridge resident Qishan, 14, who started riding at 10 years old. “One of my elementary school teachers volunteered at the park and set up a BMX Rodeo when I was 10. … I really enjoyed it and started racing as soon as I could,” he said.

Like many parents of BMX racers, Lisa Bell, Prince William County School Board member for the Neabsco District, got into BMX herself after her son Collin, 18, began riding four years ago.

She now races and has helped implement bike safety courses in school curriculums and bike-to-school programs.

“I welcome anyone out to the track [at our home] to try BMXing. I’ll even let you use my bike,” she said. Collin set up a BMX track behind their house.

A Lot to Offer Racing at NOVA BMX has a lot to offer both kids and adults.

“It’s a great family sport because the parents don’t have to just sit on the sidelines; they can go out on the track with their kids.

Some kids don’t live in neighborhoods where they can ride their bikes. So they ride them here and have fun with all the jumps,” said Helmick. “It’s also a great way to make friends; all the kids are really nice.”

To learn more about NOVA BMX, located at 7 County Complex Court in Prince William, visit http://www.novabmx.org. ere is no admission for spectators, who are always welcome.

And Beyond Helmick said two USA BMX national teams are associated with the park: Powers Bike Shop Team and TSS Racing. Both accept all skill levels and ages and give riders the chance to travel around the country. Powers Bike Shop is located in Nokesville.

Paul Keily lives in Fredericksburg and recently graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in English and a concentration in creative writing. He can be contacted at pkeily@princewilliamliving.com. prince william living September 2013 | 15

health & wellness Snoring: More than an Annoyance

By Dr. Christopher Leet, MD, FACC Emeritus lmost everyone has experienced snoring at some point in their lives, either in themselves or a partner.

Mostly, it is treated as an annoyance. However, it can be a harbinger of serious underlying problems, leading to sleep disturbance, low work productivity, heart attack and even death.

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Snoring is commonly a problem of overweight individuals, although it can affect anyone. As you fall asleep, muscles supporting the pharynx (back of the throat) relax, and if there is fat surrounding that area, the pharynx tends to become compressed, restricting airflow and producing a vibration in the tissues, heard as snoring.

If there is sufficient compression, the airway may become completely blocked, preventing oxygen getting to the body.

The brain senses this, and wakes the snorer to take a breath.

The person then falls back asleep, only to repeat the whole cycle.

Come morning, there is no memory of these spells, just a feeling of not having enough sleep. The individual may have episodes of sleeping during the day and a decline in productivity. The condition also has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

This scenario goes by the name of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), and its incidence is increasing with the obesity epidemic. A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that one in four men and one in 10 women in this country are afflicted.

The obvious solution is to remove the obesity. There are other options, some easy, some not. Putting the bed on a slant by a few inches tends to pull the diaphragm down and allow for better ventilation. Also, avoid alcohol before bedtime, and try to sleep on one side.

If this is unsatisfactory, a machine called a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) uses positive air pressure to hold the airway open. This requires wearing a mask during sleep. It fixes the immediate, but not the long-term, problem.

Manassas resident Dr. Christopher Leet, now retired, practiced medicine for nearly 40 years, specializing in cardiology and internal medicine.

16 | September 2013 prince william living

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taking care of business

Dalena Kanouse Maximizing Potential

By Jennifer Rader, Contributing Writer

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alena Kanouse found herself, unexpectedly, answering the question, “Where does the company go when there’s no CEO?”

Following a 25-year career in the Army National Guard, her husband Sam Kanouse began building Management and Training Consultants, Inc. (MTCI) in 1999 as a way to give back to the military community. While the company, now located in Manassas, has expanded over the years, an initial and ongoing focus is equipping veterans with tools to combat the stress inherent in their career transitions.

In October 2009, Sam died from leukemia, and overnight Dalena was at the helm of a national contracting firm that she knew little about. However, she was determined to carry on her husband’s legacy.

One way Kanouse does this is through a focus on hiring military veterans. More than 76 percent of the company’s associates are veterans, she reported. Of those, 50 percent are retirees and 26 percent are combat veterans. e company also includes family members of military personnel.

Photo courtesy Kathy Strauss, ImageWerks

Kanouse sat down with Prince William Living to discuss her journey as the owner and CEO of MTCI. PWL: When and how did the company begin?

Kanouse: Sam, a retired, full-time Army National Guard Sergeant Major ... started a one-man training company in the basement of our home ... off Route 234 in the Ashland community. All he had in this unfinished basement was a computer, a telephone, a desk and a very large whiteboard. After not quite a year, he got his first contract. We still have that flagship contract today. … We have approximately 105 associates and we are in 25 states now.

18 | September 2013 prince william living

We try to maximize human potential, and that is our motto. rough training, we help military personnel transition. … My husband built the company on core values of loyalty, integrity, faith-based ethics, selfless service, personal courage, care for our people, honor, respect and civic responsibility. We base the company on those core values very much and take them to heart.

PWL: Did you ever think you would become an entrepreneur?

Kanouse: I had my own career. I was a Department of the Army civilian employee for 19 years; 16 of those years was with public affairs. I never worked with finances; never worked with marketing, only to an extent.

At Fort Hood, I was Chief of Community Relations and loved it.

I wanted to work with Sam when I retired from the government. … We had a relationship where we could be around each other all day, and it not bother us. But that didn’t happen. Never ever in my wildest dream did I ever think I would be an owner of a company.

PWL: What was a turning point when you knew changes were ahead?

Kanouse: rough the whole time he was sick, 16 months, not once did we talk about me taking over the company. … [His] dying was not an option. It wasn’t until the day before he passed away, as sick as he was, I found him on the computer typing my job description. Later he had me print it out and read it to him word for word because he wanted me to know what I was going to be responsible for.

PWL: What challenges did the business experience with the change of ownership?

Kanouse: We are a resilient company for sure. … When Sam passed away, overnight we lost our … [federal contracting] status. We went from a service-disabled, veteran-owned, 8A company to a woman-owned company overnight, and they [woman-owned companies] don’t have the same advantages. …

We lost all the contracts that were connected to the 8A status. It was a challenge, but I was determined that wasn’t going to affect the company.

PWL: What personal challenges have you overcome?

Kanouse: I’m still learning federal contracting. But the hardest thing I had to learn is that I didn’t have to know everything. You just have to have the right people. And [the associates] have been phenomenal, and I would not do everything I do every day without them. e challenge I had was to be able to step into shoes I’d never worn before and … do the things that are required of an owner. I must say, I must be doing something right because I’m still here, and we’re still thriving.

PWL: Have you received public awards or designations that have enhanced the MTCI image?

Kanouse: We are ISO [International Organization for Standardization] 9001:2008 certified, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council certified and we are working on our certification through the International Association for Continuing Education and Training. We’ve also received an award from [Inc. 500|5000] for the fastest-growing private companies [in the U.S.] MTCI won that award in 2007, when my husband was here, and again in 2010.

We just found out that we are a finalist for the GOVstar Award.

GOVstar honors local government contracting firms for their technology, innovation, workplace environment, growth, veteran support and contributions to the marketplace and industry. We will know in October if we get it.

And then, of course, recently being named the 2012-2013 [Prince William] Chamber Member of the Year was wonderful. … So much has come from us attending [chamber] networking opportunities. We have met teaming partners and potential teaming partners, allowing us to pool talent to pursue contracts. … at’s why giving back to the chamber is not hard for us.

PWL: What is your future vision for MTCI? Kanouse: Penetrating the private sector more as well as reaching out to additional federal agencies. I want to see MTCI thrive so my husband can look down and say, “You’ve done a great job,” and be proud of what we’ve continued with his vision. It’s not about the bottom dollar; it’s about getting strong and being that competitive company.

PWL: What advice would you give others considering starting a company?

Kanouse: For couples, all I can say is talk to each other. Really communicate your desires. Make sure you know each other’s goals. We communicated daily, but not about company details.

If I had known he wanted me to take over his company, maybe it would have made it a little easier. My husband and I put everything in a trust, and that really helped. I just know because of the trust we didn’t have to go through probate, and it was overnight that I became owner.

Finally, have the passion to do it. Have the drive. Have the vision. at’s what is going to make it.

A former nonprofit development director for more than 10 years, Jennifer Rader provides freelance writing while studying nutrition and preparing for her massage therapy certification. She lives with her son and husband in Manassas and can be reached at jrader@princewilliamliving.com. prince william living September 2013 | 19

family fun

Fall Fun in the Great Outdoors

By Kristina Schnack Kotlus, Contributing Writer

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y the time you read this, your children will likely be starting their school year. With pencils sharpened and school supplies purchased, it’s time to look ahead to some fall fun. In our family, we like to stay outside as long as we can, and there are lots of opportunities to enjoy the autumn weather in our area.

Pumpkin Patches ■ Lake Ridge Nursery opens its pumpkin patch Sept. 22. It runs through Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with the last admission at 7 p.m. e pumpkin patch has many activities for kids, including moon bounces, a rope swing, a zip line, slides, a haunted greenhouse and more.

Admission per child is $12 Monday through ursday and $15 Friday through Sunday and Columbus Day. Admission includes a snack. Concessions are available for purchase, too. Pumpkins are sold by the pound. Lake Ridge Nursery is located at 3705 Old Bridge Road in Lake Ridge. For more information, call 703-590-0178.

■ Evergreen Acres offers a no-frills, organic pumpkin patch. ere’s a hayride to the fields where pumpkins can be picked on the vine, and no admission or parking fees. Call for hours and times or to arrange a weekday visit. Organic pumpkins are available for purchase at $1 per pound. Regular pumpkins are 50 cents per pound. Leashed dogs are welcome. Pack a picnic and purchase drinks from the “sales shed.” Gourds, popcorn and organic pumpkin pie are also available for purchase. Evergreen Acres is located at 12801 Hazelwood Drive in Nokesville and can be reached at 703-594-3330.

■ Old Mine Ranch features a pre-picked pumpkin patch. It also includes hayrides, a petting zoo, pony rides and farm fun.

Currently closed for construction, the ranch is scheduled to open its patch in October. Before you go, call to confirm dates for this year as construction plans can change. Old Mine Ranch 20 | September 2013 prince william living

is located at 17504 Mine Road in Dumfries and can be contacted at 703-441-1382.

■ Yankey Farms opens its pumpkin patch Sept. 29 through Oct. 28, weekends only. e patch is open Saturdays 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. and Sundays noon till 6 p.m. ere’s no admission fee. is patch includes three acres of pumpkins and also has a (continues on page 22)

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(continued from page 20) cow train for the kids and a corn maze.

Ornamentals, pumpkins and hay are available for purchase. Plan to bring cash or a check to pay; credit cards are not accepted. Yankey Farms is located at 13007 Vint Hill Road in Nokesville.

For more information about Yankey Farms, call 703-618-3782.

Fall Festivals Beginning mid-September, local churches will put out information on their fall festivals or “Trunk-or-Treats.” Since there are too many to list individually, check with nearby churches to find these fun and free events. e 31st Annual Fall Jubilee will be held Oct. 5 in Old Town Manassas from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. e Jubilee includes live entertainment, craft booths, children’s rides and activities, a pumpkin patch and free admission to the Manassas Museum.

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Prince William County Farm Tour e farm tour is one of our family favorites, especially the alpaca farm (Clover Meadows Farm at 15618 Vint Hill Road in Gainesville, www.alpacanation.com). It takes place Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 29, from noon till 4 p.m. During this time, a number of area farms invite the public to learn about farm life in our community.

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Visit http://www.pwcfarmtour.org to download an activity book, tour map and contact information for the various farms participating.

Have a happy fall!

Kristina Schnack Kotlus is a local mother of three children and the owner of PWCMoms.com, a resource for parents and families in Prince William County.

Visit her site or Facebook page for an events calendar, reviews and more ideas for fall fun.

22 | September 2013 prince william living

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giving back

Welcomes All to “Nature Visions” Expo

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By Cindy Brookshire, Contributing Writer

utumn is an ideal time to explore Prince William’s colorful foliage and scenic spots with your smart phone or digital camera in hand.

Just ask Manassas Warrenton Camera Club (MWCC) member Dan Jenkins, of Woodbridge.

“By sunrise on most Saturdays, I’m at one of the local parks with my camera, creating images that reflect the beauty and wonder of Dan Jenkins credits MWCC with nature. I hope my photos inspire honing his photography skills. others to get out, slow down, look around and experience the joy of nature for themselves,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins, who grew up in Ohio, said his father encouraged his interests by setting up a darkroom in their home. As a teen, Jenkins worked in a photography studio, and while his career took him into financial management, both in the Marine Corps and as a civilian, photography remains his top interest, he said.

24 | September 2013 prince william living

“In 2007 I created Dan Jenkins Photography, a website that showcases my passion for photography,” said Jenkins, who began selling his own fine art prints at that time. He credited MWCC’s speakers and competitions with helping him improve his photographic skills. e club encourages area residents to connect with Prince William’s many natural habitats through photography. Scenic locations captured on film by club members range from grand in scale— including the National Park Service properties of Prince William Forest Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park—to smaller areas, such as Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area in Nokesville, Conway Robinson State Forest in Gainesville and the Julie J. Metz Wetlands Bank in Woodbridge.

Sharing Knowledge, Demonstrating Skill Club meetings are held at 7 p.m. the first and third ursdays of the month, September through May, at Manassas City Hall on Center Street in Old Town Manassas. Meetings alternate between program nights (a presentation by a photography expert followed by questions and answers) and competitions in three classes (novice, intermediate and advanced) for color prints, black-and-white prints and projected digital images.

Photo courtesy Manassas Warrenton Camera Club

Manassas Warrenton Camera Club

Photo by Manassas Warrenton Camera Club member Dan Jenkins shows the “wild side” of Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Dan Jenkins won the “Birds” category in the 2012 “Nature Visions” competition for his photograph entitled “Lunch.”

Members can also participate in workshops, field trips and an annual awards banquet in June. One of the awards honors the club’s founder, James R.M. Spor, now deceased. Under his leadership, the club joined professional associations and became a welcoming place where members were encouraged to both learn and share knowledge. e annual award recipient is the member who most exemplifies Spor’s ideals by giving back to the community.

geographic center for outstanding photography education and appreciation in the metro area and Mid-Atlantic region,” said Bill Corbett, a member the McLean Photo Club and president of “Nature Visions.”

“Nature Visions” Expo Returns to Prince William Each year, under the auspices of the Mid-Atlantic Photography Association, MWCC joins with the Loudoun Photo Club, McLean Photo Club, Northern Virginia Photographic Society, Reston Photographic Society, Vienna Photographic Society and National Institutes of Health Camera Club to host “Nature Visions” photography expo. is year, the three-day event takes place Nov. 8-10, returning to the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas. MWCC, and “Nature Visions,” are members of the Prince William County Arts Council. “e partnership and its annual expo have made an exceptional contribution to establishing Prince William County as the

“is is our fourth year using the Hylton Performing Arts Center as a venue. … We’re expecting to bring up to 1,000 photographers and visitors to Prince William County in November,” he said. “e ‘Nature Visions’ photo expo is unique and extremely valuable to Prince William County. It attracts most of its audience from outside the area, while at the same time nurturing and inspiring the work of MWCC members and other local photographers.”

Exhibits and Classes for All Levels e expo will feature noted commercial photographer and internationally known photo instructor Bryan Peterson, who has been a contributing editor at Popular Photography and Outdoor Photographer magazines. He has authored several best-selling books on photography, including “Understanding Exposure” and “Understanding Flash Photography.” Peterson will present a fullday seminar, “Learning to See Creatively” (also the title of one of (continues on page 27) prince william living September 2013 | 25

home & hearth Model Home Syndrome

By Vickie Williamson Custom Framer and Interior Designer

o you suffer from “Model Home Syndrome”? I have and can proudly say that I’m now fully recovered. This syndrome is the idea that your home must be perfect and look like a model home at all times. If this sounds familiar, you, too, could be suffering from the pressure to have a perfect home.

D

Common Symptoms: ■ The whole house is perfectly spotless—not a rogue shoe in sight.

■ No unopened mail sits on the dining room table.

■ My personal favorite: The bathroom looks as if it has never been used.

If you recognize any of these symptoms, give yourself a break and snap out of it! Remember that a model home looks the way it does because no one lives there. Decorating for selling a house is different from decorating for living in your home. Unless your home is for sale, relax and really live there.

Tips for an Orderly—but “Real”—Home: ■ Clean closets of unnecessary or worn-out items to open up space for things you really want to keep and to make living spaces less cluttered.

■ Organize a dedicated space for shoes and backpacks.

■ Purchase attractive organizers for daily mail and place them in a location where you’ll use them.

■ Keep disinfecting wipes handy in bathrooms for a quick wipe-down of surfaces.

■ Display new hand towels neatly in a basket or wallmounted rack.

Most of us are just too busy to maintain anything close to perfection in our homes. Quick, efficient cleanups are more likely to get completed than an all-out, all-day attempt for perfection. In my opinion, Swiffer® dusters and Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser® are two of the best things ever invented.

Give them a try and hopefully soon you, too, can be free from “Model Home Syndrome.”

Prince William resident Vickie Williamson owns Fine Design Custom Framing & Interiors in Woodbridge. She has worked in the fine art, framing and decorating industry for more than 25 years and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

26 | September 2013 prince william living

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(continued from page 25)

“Nature Visions” Expo Nov. 8-10 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center SCHEDULE Friday, Nov. 8: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Full-Day Seminar with Bryan Peterson: “Learning to See Creatively.”* Saturday, Nov. 9: 9:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Entry for visitors to the exhibits and vendors.

■ 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Keynote Presentation: “Flashes of Inspiration,” with Bryan Peterson.* ■

Sunday, Nov. 10: 8 a.m.: “More Time Behind a Lens, Less Time Behind a Computer,” with Julieanne Kost.

■ 9:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Entry for visitors to the exhibits and vendors.

■ 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.: Featured Speaker’s Presentation, “Through the Eyes of Julieanne Kost,” with Julieanne Kost.* ■

Dan Jenkins of MWCC won the People’s Choice Award in the 2012 “Nature Visions” competition. He also won in the “Landscapes” category for his “Misty Sunrise.”

“*” denotes paid event.

DETAILS ■

his books), on Nov. 8 and deliver the keynote address, “Flashes of Inspiration,” on Nov. 9. “e willingness of photographers to come to Prince William County for the annual event, from as far north as New England and as far south as Georgia, illustrates the unique value of the expo,” said Corbett.

Admission is free to the expo’s vendor area, which includes industry exhibitors such as PhotoCraft, Nikon, Canon and Sigma. ere is also no charge for basic photography instruction or to enter the exhibit hall, with 325 nature photographs available for sale. e free courses are due in part to a grant from Prince William County. ese basic classes will offer the public opportunities to learn to take better pictures with their camera phones and get a tutorial from PhotoCraft. Other national vendors and advanced classes offer unique experiences, including going outside on George Mason University’s campus to capture the beauty of raptors— hawks, owls and falcons—in a natural setting.

Pre-registration is required. Advanced classes and full-day seminars range from $10 to $85 each. Visit naturevisions.org to register and learn more. For more information about MWCC, visit http://www.mwcc-photo.org.

As a freelance writer who relies on the photographers she works with to bring her articles to life, Cindy Brookshire values their creative eye and technical expertise. She can be reached at cbrookshire@princewilliamliving.com.

■ ■

Admission is free to the gallery, vendors and vendor demonstrations.

Online registration is required for all courses, free and paid.

Pass holders for early lectures, classes and the raptor workshop may enter the room 15 minutes before presentations begin.

Visit naturevisions.org for more details and to register.

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local flavor

El Tio Tex-Mex Grill The Spice of Life

By Lauren Jackson, Contributing Writer

A

pinch of heat, a dash of spice and a whole lot of flavor—that’s how El Tio Tex-Mex Grill combines classic “South of the Border” specialties with a Texas twist to serve up authentic, tasty dishes at its three locations— Gainesville, Falls Church and McLean.

“We are very careful with the quality,” Mejia said of his restaurants. e Gainesville location, which was the first to open, is now in its eighth year. His wife, Elsy, and their three grown children, Oscar, Kaery and Mercy, work alongside him there. e history of El Tio (Spanish for “Uncle”) and Mejia’s efforts to build his business is a story of fulfilling the American dream.

Mejia was only 17 years old when he came to the United States in 1983 from his home country of El Salvador. Starting as a dishwasher in Washington, D.C., Mejia slowly worked his way through the ranks of the restaurant business. He became a kitchen helper, then a sous-chef and soon ran the kitchen of the Mexican restaurant where he worked.

After decades of learning every aspect of managing a restaurant, Mejia sought his own establishment. “I thought, ‘It’s time to open my own restaurant,’” he said. He began with a small take-out eatery in what once was a Wendy’s before opening the permanent, dine-in establishment off Linton Hall Road in 2005. El Tio TexMex Grill was officially in business.

Photos courtesy Tamar Wilsher

Owner and manager Armando Mejia oversees every detail of the restaurants to enable guests to experience true Tex-Mex dining.

From the Spanish music gently playing in the background to green ivy plants dangling from the ceiling, every element enhances the ambiance.

Waitress Xenia Cantarero is among El Tio's friendly staff.

“Little by little we added things that we liked,” Mejia said. “We made things better [with] better seasonings.” Today, the restaurant menu only includes dishes that Mejia personally approved.

He said that El Tio is best known for its sizzling fajitas. Brought out on large skillets and still crackling with heat, the dish includes sautéed onions and green peppers mixed with the customer’s choice of meat. Mejia himself prefers either the chicken and steak combo or seafood fajita, he said.

He added that quesadillas and burritos are also especially popular with customers. e enchiladas are another favorite, and, like the fajita, can be filled with steak, chicken, seafood or even spinach.

Whichever dish diners select from the El Tio menu, they can expect an authentic Tex-Mex dining experience, all the way down to the fluffy homemade flour tortillas.

Just the Right Taste El Tio’s diverse menu reflects Mejia’s years as a chef, as well as the recipes he gathered from his home country and from Texas, where he lived for a short while. Over time and with just the right blend of spices, he has perfected the recipes.

28 | September 2013 prince william living

Creating an Atmosphere Like the food, the décor, bar and special events never stray from the restaurant’s Tex-Mex roots.

Tripadvisor.com ranks El Tio Tex-Mex Grill among the top three dining destinations in Gainesville.

“I [decorated] everything myself,” Mejia said. e paintings and pictures lining the walls were purchased in Mexico and depict the lifestyle there. Acting as a chandelier, a wagon wheel from Texas is suspended over the dining room. Colorful and intricate pottery holds several plants around the restaurant.

Mejia said that the bar is a major attraction, where margaritas are a popular choice. Bartenders shake up strawberry, mango or lime margaritas with the customer’s choice of tequila. Other drink options include Piña Coladas, Mojitos and more than a dozen varieties of beer. e bar offers food and drink specials daily from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

El Tio also hosts celebrations for traditional Mexican holidays, such as Cinco de Mayo. In keeping with the restaurant’s Tex-Mex theme, festivities include playing mariachi music, a traditional Mexican folk music.

“Some of the best Tex-Mex I’ve tasted since leaving Texas,” wrote Lisa Ake from Bristow. Ake noted that she and her family have returned several times to the restaurant.

While his franchise has grown, Mejia said he is careful to remember how far he has come. “I came [to the U.S.] with … maybe $2 in my pocket. If you want to have the American Dream, you can do it.”

El Tio Tex-Mex Grill in Gainesville is located at 7527 Linton Hall Road. For more information, call 703-753-0826 or visit www.eltiogrill.com.

Lauren Jackson is a student at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., where she is pursuing a degree in English and journalism. She lives in Prince William. Contact her at ljackson@princewilliamliving.com.

305 Mill Street, B-1 Occoquan, VA 22125

Continuing the El Tio Experience El Tio staff provides customers with great food and quality dining, allowing the Gainesville restaurant to thrive. While the economy has taken a downturn that has hurt some small business owners, Mejia has expanded the Prince William location, he said. A few years ago, he bought an adjacent building and knocked down the wall between it and the eatery to double the restaurant’s size.

Mejia also added locations to reach a wider range of customers. e restaurant in Falls Church opened four years ago, and the location in McLean opened this year. All locations are doing well, Mejia said.

TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site, ranks the original El Tio among the top three best dining options in Gainesville. Site members posted reviews online praising El Tio’s timely service, friendly staff and savory foods.

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your finances What You Should Know about Converting Savings to a Roth

By Bennett Whitlock, CRPC ® Private Wealth Advisor

f you are like many people, the majority of the money you’ve set aside for retirement is held in your workplace savings plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b). When the time comes to draw income from this portion of your nest egg, most or all of the distributions will likely be subject to income tax.

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“Tax diversification” in retirement means having access to income sources that are subject to different tax treatment. A good taxdiversification strategy includes a “tax-free” category of assets.

You are now allowed to make a direct rollover of assets in a workplace plan to a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA enables money contributed after tax to grow and receive qualified withdrawals tax-free. You are eligible to move money from a workplace plan when you separate from service (either retire or leave the employer), or in the event of death or disability.

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Depending on your retirement plan, you may also be eligible for “in-service distributions,” allowing you to roll some of your retirement savings out of a plan and into an IRA before you leave your job. As with any rollover from an employersponsored plan, the money must move directly from the current plan to the administrator of the new account if you want to avoid unnecessary taxes or penalties.

A number of factors go into a Roth conversion decision. For instance, before converting money to a Roth IRA, decide whether the benefit of tax-free income later in life is worth the cost of paying taxes now on the converted amount, which is required. Not all of the money needs to be converted at one time. You can choose to move just a portion out of the 401(k) and into the Roth in a given year, though higher tax rates may apply.

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september

calendar “There Was a Want of Vigilance”

September and October Manassas Museum 9101 Prince William Street / Manassas “ere Was a Want of Vigilance” is a Battle of Bristoe Station exhibit, among several Historic Preservation Division Civil War Sesquicentennial events planned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bristoe Station. e exhibit will feature rare artifacts from the Battle of Bristoe Station, which occurred Oct. 14, 1863. Artifacts displayed include the personal effects of Confederate Army Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill, as well as items from other leading battle participants. e Prince William County Historic Preservation Division and the Manassas Museum are sponsoring the event. Admission: $5. For more information, call the museum at 703-368-1873.

Pied Piper Theater Auditions for “Willy Wonka, Jr.”

Sept. 6-8 Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory 9419 Battle Street / Manassas Pied Piper eater of the Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory in Manassas is holding auditions for “Willy Wonka, Jr.” on Friday, Sept. 6, and Saturday, Sept. 7, with callbacks on Sunday, Sept. 8. Need actors, singers and dancers ages 8-18 to fill roles.

Performances are scheduled for Nov. 16-17 and Nov. 23-24 at Metz Middle School in Manassas. Mike Sterling will direct. All auditions are by appointment only. Call 703-330-2787 to sign up for an audition time. For more information, visit www.center-for-the-arts.org.

Fourth Annual “Doggie Paddle”

Sept. 7 ● 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Signal Bay Water Park 9300 Signal View Drive / Manassas Park An end-of-season K-9 only open swim.

Help support the Manassas Park Dog Park and meet various vendors, rescue teams, local vets and other dog-friendly businesses. $5 per dog, with two-dog limit per handler.

Owners must show proof of shots for pups.

Female dogs in heat are not permitted. For more information, call 703-335-8872.

Sponsored by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation.

WWII Weekend Sept. 7-8 ● 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Rippon Lodge Historic Site 15520 Blackburn Road / Woodbridge Former Rippon Lodge owner Admiral Richard Blackburn Black was a World War II veteran and a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Learn more about him and the daily life of World War II soldiers. World War II living historians will portray Axis and Allied soldiers and will discuss their equipment, armaments and historic military vehicles. Also learn about the home front and the many ways that citizens supported the war effort.

View collections of original WWII artifacts. Free. For more information, call 703-499-9812.

Boat Tour of Civil War Sites along the Potomac

Sept. 7 and Sept. 21 ● 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Leesylvania State Park 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Drive / Woodbridge Cruise the Potomac River shoreline to discover sites critical to the Confederate forces’ blockade of Washington, D.C., from September 1861 through March 1862.

Local historians will discuss the significance of the blockade, gun batteries and camps that supported Confederate efforts. Tour includes the preserved batteries at Freestone Point, Possum Nose, Evansport and Shipping Point. $30 per person. Includes lunch. Reservations are required. To reserve a space and order lunch, call 703-792-4754.

Bluegrass at Brentsville

Sept. 14 ● 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre 12229 Bristow Road / Bristow Enjoy the lively sounds of bluegrass bands on the grounds of Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre. Includes additional activities on the grounds.

Buildings will be open for tours, and food will be available for purchase. $10 per person; $5 for Prince William County employees with ID. Admission is free for children younger than 6. For more information, call 703-365-7895.

10th Annual Old World Festival Sept. 21 ● 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Harris Pavilion 9201 Center Street / Manassas Nativity of Our Lord Orthodox Church in Manassas will hold its 10th Annual Old World Festival featuring ethnic foods from Greece, Eastern Europe, Russia, Lebanon and Latin America as well as the U.S. Free admission. For more information, call 703-743-1302 or email opriest@gmail.com.

Nature Trail Walk Sept. 21 ● 1 p.m.

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre 12229 Bristow Road / Bristow Take a guided tour along the nature trails at Brentsville and learn about the plants and animals that call this part of Virginia home. $5 per person; free admission for children younger than 6. For more information, call 703-365-7895.

Historic Sundays at Brentsville Sept. 22 ● 11 a.m.

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre 12229 Bristow Road / Bristow Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre’s Union Church will host a unique program that focuses on 19th Century worship practices and church-centered activities. Historic Faith Ministries, a volunteer community group, will conduct the program. Free. For directions and more information, call 703-365-7895.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 5K Walk Sept. 28 ● 10 a.m.

Old Towne Sports Pub 8971 Center Street / Manassas e Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s second annual Manassas Great Strides/Laurel W. Avery 5K Walk will start at the Old Towne Sports Pub and continue through Old Town Manassas. Participants can register on the day of the race at Old Towne Sports Pub. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the walk starts at 10 a.m.

Funds raised support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. e event includes a party and entertainment after the walk. For more information, email Sarah Melrose at smelrose@cff.org.

Have an event? Visit www.princewilliamliving.com/events to submit details to our online calendar.

32 | September 2013 prince william living

Discover Prince William & Manassas

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he Prince William Civil War Heritage Trail has been nominated in the “8th Wonder of the World” international competition, and we need your vote.

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The contest is organized by VirtualTourist.com, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor Media Group. Now through Sept. 30, you can vote for the heritage trail—one of 300 unique attractions in the running—at www.virtualtourist.com/8thwonder. The winner will be announced on the television show “Extra.”

Ann Marie Maher Our heritage trail is currently in the top 100 in the race for the President and CEO title. This historic route immerses visitors in the sites, stories and Discover Prince William & Manassas personalities that forever changed our nation. The trail traverses more than 25 Civil War sites, including battlefields, museums and historic towns in Prince William and Manassas.

One site on the trail is Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park, which is where Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s last offensive campaign of the Civil War unfolded 150 years ago. This fall, you can relive history here, as the Prince William County Historic Preservation Division marks the anniversary of the Battle of Bristoe Station.

Historians will host a symposium Sept. 14-15 on the battles, personalities and outcomes of the 1863 Bristoe Campaign. There will also be guided tours, living history and other special educational programs Oct. 12-14.

Disco

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Facebook.com/pwcman Facebook.com/pwcmanassas

Other sites along the trail include the Manassas Museum, Freestone Point at Leesylvania State Park and Bacon Race Church in Woodbridge.

I encourage you to vote for the Prince William Civil War Heritage Trail and help the world discover this piece of American history. You may vote once a day through Sept.

30. Together we can make the heritage trail a contender for the live winner reveal on national television.

Ann Marie Maher is the president and CEO of Discover Prince William & Manassas.

For more information about what’s going on in Prince William and Manassas, visit DiscoverPWM.com.

Bands, Brews and BBQ Sept. 28 ● Noon – 7 p.m.

Manassas Museum 9101 Prince William Street / Manassas Picnic on the lawn while you enjoy some of Virginia’s finest barbecue and listen to everything from classic rock to jazz. Free to attend. Purchase beer and food tickets at the festival. For more information, visit www.visitmanassas.org.

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tambourines and elephants Sorry, I’m Busy

By DeeDee Corbitt Sauter, Contributing Writer What are you doing this weekend?

Although it seems irrational, I hate that question. It should be a welcome inquiry because it implies that someone wants to spend time with me. But I think it’s a trap.

It’s a horrible query. The question is almost impossible to answer because there is absolutely no safe response. Clearly, I am wanted for something. Is it my charming company? My amazing wit? A ride? My muscle? Babysitting skills? Am I about to be invited to a home business “party” where I am expected to spend money I do not have to purchase items I do not need?

How difficult would it be to engage me in a bit of mindless small talk prior to introducing the ultimate intention of the call? I acknowledge that we are already friends, but a little schmoozing certainly would not hurt while trying to trick me into answering your questions. Plus, sometimes it’s important to feel like there is a choice.

So when asked about my weekend plans, I want to reply with a succinct “Why?” Then laugh maniacally and shout, “You can’t fool me!” Then whisper inside my head, “Again.”

Inquiries about my future activities appear benign, but experience protects me from sounding available. “I will be out of town. Family reunion. People we’ve never met. DNA testing. We’re helping National Geographic with a big project about the origins of man.”

I am pretty sure that although the words flowed quickly and smoothly, I was not entirely believed. My friend responded with a monosyllabic “Oh.” Perhaps she had just never met anyone who was in the position to assist National Geographic. That makes two of us.

After a brief pause, she asked if I knew anyone reliable to care for Mr. Cottontail while she accompanied her family on a camping trip.

Apparently pet rabbits do not like camping. Now I was entrenched in a bizarre nonsensical situation where a rabbit could starve to death because of my unavailability. Why couldn’t she have been more direct with the questioning process? The last time someone took the circuitous route inquiring about my schedule, she wanted me to help her move.

I did a great deal of moving in my younger, leaner days. I moved myself, my friends, friends of friends. I would do it all for free pizza. Sometimes I would even move things from one side of the house to the other just because I could. Alas, I can no longer manhandle book-laden cardboard boxes as if they are pillows. And now I am smart enough not to be fooled. Most of the time.

Why didn’t she open with “Can you feed my rabbit this weekend?” How hard is that? Why ask me what I’m doing? What I have planned is

irrelevant. All that matters is if I have time to stop by and be nice to a furry friend.

How can one explain disappointing National Geographic by reneging on a science investigation? I did what any reasonable person caught in a tight spot would do: I confessed, begged forgiveness and swore to take care of the rabbit. It was a giant relief, because unlike my 4-year-old, my lying skills leave a great deal to be desired—just in case my forced and inane excuse wasn’t a dead giveaway.

Obviously, there is a fine line between being rude and being direct. If she had been direct about her needs, I would not have felt compelled to weave a tale of idiocy. If I had been direct and asked her why she needed to know my plans, I would not have had to break out in a sweat while babbling almost incoherent tall tales. It’s like the plot of all the bad novels I read. Only in real life.

“I acknowledge that we are already friends, but a little schmoozing certainly would not hurt.”

All was forgotten, if not forgiven, and I spent three days caring for a hapless woodland creature in an air-conditioned hutch.

It is abundantly clear, in most places, that direct and honest communication is preferred, although I will say that while living in the South I was once told to learn how to beat around the bush. Because of that advice, I was almost complicit in crimes against a bunny.

So I planned my weekend around my pet-sitting duties and promised to keep him safe and happy. It was also in those few days that I discovered that a rabbit’s cute appearance is not necessarily reflective of a gentle personality.

Apparently these animals are also proponents of direct communication as evidenced by spitting, hissing, growling and snapping. There was no question that I was not appreciated, and after almost losing my fingers on several occasions to keep Cujo’s cousin alive, I spit back and swore at the beast.

Feeding adorable pets? Don’t even ask. I’m busy.

DeeDee Corbitt Sauter is a resident of Prince William County. Her column, “Tambourines and Elephants,” appears monthly in Prince William Living. prince william living September 2013 | 35

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