Oak Hill Herndon

Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ February 27 - March 5, 2013 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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February 27-March 5, 2013 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com

Oak Hill ❖ HerndonOak Hill ❖ Herndon Seven-year-old twins Reese (holdingPa’ani) and Tea Geary flank 4-year-old

brother Baden, while trying to keepEve the Plott Hound in the picture.

Eve was much more interested in thetreats being held by grandmother

Wendy, and whatever the photogra-pher was doing.

Seven-year-old twins Reese (holdingPa’ani) and Tea Geary flank 4-year-old

brother Baden, while trying to keepEve the Plott Hound in the picture.

Eve was much more interested in thetreats being held by grandmother

Wendy, and whatever the photogra-pher was doing.

2 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ February 27 - March 5, 2013 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Super selectionof high-quality,

all-natural pet foodsat affordable prices


Supporters of new gun control regulations march in front of the National Rifle Associa-tion Headquarters in Fairfax Friday, Feb. 22.

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Members of the Reston-Herndon Allianceto End Gun Violence hold a vigil outside ofthe National Rifle Association Headquar-ters in Fairfax Friday, Feb. 22.

Alliance Pushes for New PoliciesReston-Herndon Allianceto End Gun Violence holdsvigil at NRA headquarters.

By Alex McVeigh

The Connection

Members of the Reston-Herndon Alli-ance to End Gun Violence gatheredat the National Rifle Associationheadquarters in Fairfax Friday, Feb.

22, to advocate for stricter gun laws. This was thegroup’s second such protest, where more than 30members carried signs citing statistics about gun-related deaths.

“We’re here to remember the victims and recog-nize that every day there are new victims of gun vio-lence,” said Joanna Simon of the alliance.”

The group marched around in a loop for more thanan hour, each member carrying signs that mentionedmassacres such as the ones at Columbine HighSchool, Virginia Tech, the movie theater in Aurora,Colo., and Sandy Hook Elementary School inNewtown, Conn.

They specifically want to pass four policies: clos-ing the gun show loophole, limiting the size of maga-zines, getting rid of illegal, military-style weaponsand getting more support for the mentally ill.

“Military-style weapons and high-capacity maga-zines need to be out of the hands of the public,” saidEllen Bussey, a clinical psychologist from Reston. “Ifyou want to hunt, you can have a rifle, and if youwant to protect your home you can have a handgun,but that doesn’t mean anybody needs to fire 30, 40,50 rounds before reloading.”

Bussey said she is also a strong advocate for bettermental health care to prevent such acts of mass vio-lence, saying there has to be better ways to reachout to those suffering from mental illnesses.

Many of the protesters said they personally didn’thave a problem with “reasonable” gun ownership,and had no interest in making guns illegal.

“This isn’t guns versus no guns, and events likethis help us bring nuance to the discussion, to showthat this isn’t a black and white issue, we’re notagainst the second amendment, or anything as dras-tic as that,” said Marilyn Adams of McLean, thedaughter of a former FBI agent who grew up aroundlaw enforcement. “I completely understand the needfor guns, but I think this organization [the NRA] is

completely out of touch with what their member-ship and this country want, which is to prevent theseterrible shootings.”

The group was restricted to the sidewalk alongWaples Mill Road during their vigil, since it is county-owned property. They were not allowed on NRA prop-erty, and when Adams sat briefly on a light post onthe property, she was asked to return to the side-walk.

During their vigil, several cars in traffic honkedtheir approval and waved to the group. Gloria Panof Moms Rising, a national advocacy nonprofit, said:“This is democracy in action. We live in a age wherea lot of talk happens on things like the Internet, buta number of people coming out together shows thatthere are a lot of voices in favor of reasonable, com-mon-sense policies.”

The group plans to gather on the 14th of everymonth at 9:30 a.m., the day of the month and timeof the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School inNewtown, Conn. In March they plan to print out allsignatures from a petition from Moms Rising, ofwhich they currently have about 150,000, and dropthe pages off at the headquarters.

Herndon Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or

[email protected]

By Alex McVeigh

The Connection

On St. Patrick’s day 150years ago, Union sol-diers from the First

Vermont Cavalry were at theTown of Herndon depot andsawmill. They were expectinga group of reinforcements, butinstead Confederate Capt. JohnMosby and his unit arrived ona raid, sparking a brief skirmish.

On Sunday, March 17, theHerndon Historical Society andthe Herndon Chamber of Com-merce will present a re-enact-ment of that raid, featuring 50cavalry members in Herndon’sdowntown.

“The highlight of any cavalryraid is always when the cavalrymakes their charge and justblasts away,” said Chuck Mauro,a local historian and re-enactorcoordinator.

The skirmish has been re-en-acted several times in Herndonbefore, in 1991, 2001 and2003, but this year’s will havethe most participants, membersof the Black Horse Cavalry, alocal group.

This year’s event will also fea-ture two re-enactments, one at11 p.m. and one at 2 p.m. There-enactors themselves will bearound telling their stories andspeaking to audience membersfrom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We tried to make this year’s

events as in-depth as they’veever been,” Mauro said. “We’llhave an announcer narratingthe battle from the second floorof the Green Lizard Cyclingbuilding, and we’ve got hand-outs with the remarks on themthat we’ll be passing out sopeople can really follow alongand know what they’re seeing.”

The raid will take place onLynn Street near the HerndonDepot. Mauro said the bestviews will be the grassy areabetween Elden Street and De-pot Street.

Nearby Herndon ArtSpacewill be open, presenting theircurrent exhibit, “Beyond theBlue and Grey: The VirginiaHomefront” and selling booksand videos about the Civil War.

More information about theraid and the re-enactment canbe found atwww.herndonhistoricalsociety.org.

A Confederate re-enactor fires at Union soldiersduring the 2001 re-enactment of Capt. John Mosby’sraid on Herndon. The town will host another re-enactment of the event Saturday, March 17, at 11a.m. and 2 p.m.

March 17 marks 150 years sinceMosby’s raid of Herndon.

Civil War RaidComes Downtown

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Civil WarExhibit Open

Herndon ArtSpace’s “Beyond theBlue and Grey: The Virginia HomeFront” exhibit will be open until Sun-day, April 7. It focuses on the aspectsof Virginia that reflect life as a Vir-ginian from 1830 to 1880, includingthe build-up and aftermath of theCivil War.

An opening reception for the ex-hibit will be held Saturday, March 2,from 7 to 9 p.m., which will featurea performance by the Towne SquareSingers of Civil War-era songs.


Opinion

All’s Well That Ends Well

Guest

Editorial

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

Not only did the 2013 session ofthe General Assembly end ontime last Saturday, but it alsoended on a high note. Having sat

through a couple of decades of failed effortsto pass meaningful legislation addressing ourtransportation needs, I was not optimistic thatwe would be successful this year. Thegovernor’s proposal to fix a billion dollar prob-

lem with a revenue-neutral solu-tion did not give me much hope.I was both amazed and delightedwhen the House passed a trans-

portation funding bill by a vote of 60 to 40that provides new revenue to meet road andtransit needs. In addition to providing newmoney, the bill also addresses other problemsby switching the gas tax from a per gallonamount to a percentage to help it keep up withfuture needs. The bill also provides for addi-tional monies to be raised in Northern Virginiaand spent in our region. While the bill will not

totally resolve ourtransportation con-gestion, it does pro-vide money for masstransit and $300 mil-lion towards the costof the Silver Line thatwill help to keep thetolls down.

There are aspectsof the omnibus trans-portation compro-mise that I do notlike. The charging of

a $100 per year fee for hybrid vehicles—be-cause their fuel efficiency reduces the gas taxcollected on them—is in conflict with policieswe should be adopting to encourage the useof such cars. The planned reliance on the taxon internet sales that has yet to be passed bythe U.S. Congress is open to question althoughthere is a mechanism for making up for lostfunds if the tax is not enacted.

Equaling the transportation bill in impor-tance was a compromise approved in the clos-

ing hours of the session that opens the way forthe expansion of the Medicaid program in Vir-ginia to provide insurance for about 400,000individuals. Governor McDonnell had opposedpassage of the Affordable Care Act and hadrefused to go along with accepting an ex-panded Medicaid program until reforms wereput into place. The compromise bill establishesa joint committee of legislators who will ap-prove Virginia’s entry into the program as soonas certain reforms are made. It is expected thatthe state could enter the program as soon asthe summer. Thanks to the many persons whocalled and wrote to the conferees and the gov-ernor; your voice did make a difference.

As is the case with most legislation, the finalresults are compromises. What was reassuringabout this session that I had not seen in recentyears was a willingness on the part of the ma-jority to compromise with those of us in theminority. That made for an outcome that wasbetter for everyone. I will be writing aboutother outcomes of the session in future col-umns and will be holding public meetings toreport back to you.

This is a great step toward ad-dressing the transportationchallenges we face in Fairfax

County and the Northern Virginia region.The Transportation Bill passed yester-

day fulfills the call made by mayors andchairs of the Urban Crescent (the North-ern Virginia and Hampton Roads areas)for new, sustainable funding to addressour critically under-funded transporta-tion needs.

I applaud the efforts of Sen. RichardSaslaw, Sen. Janet Howell, Del. DavidAlbo, Del. Vivian Watts and others forreaching agreement on a funding strat-egy that moves us in the right direction.I am especially pleased with the commit-ment of $300 million for the Silver Line,which will help to keep tolls in the DullesToll Road affordable for Northern Virginiamotorists.

I appreciate Gov. McDonnell’s leader-ship in making transportation funding thefocus of this General Assembly Session.The successful result required compro-mise on both sides of the political aisle.The stars were aligned this session tomake something happen but politicalcourage and leadership were required onmany fronts to pull it off.”

—Fairfax County Board of

Supervisors Chairman Sharon

Bulova

Move inThe RightDirection“

By Timothy D. Hugo

State Delegate (R-40)

After the Virginia Techshooting in 2007, I be-came committed to ad-

dressing mental health issues sothat many of our young peoplecould receive the help they needin the hopes of preventing anothertragedy. Working with my col-leagues in 2008, the Virginia Gen-eral Assembly enacted compre-hensive mental health legislation includingseveral pieces of legislation that I co-sponsored.Last year, the governor signed my legislation,HB 1075, which requires community serviceboards to provide hospitals with informationalmaterials on substance and alcohol abuse ser-vices to minors.

During this year’s General Assembly session,I introduced HB 1609, which strives to improvethe coordination between public four-yearhigher education institutions, mental healthfacilities, and local hospitals. I introduced thislegislation at the request of Centreville resi-dents, Angel Fund President Lu Ann McNabband Board Member Greg Richter. Angel Fund(www.angelfundva.org) was established inhonor of one of the Virginia Tech victims,Westfield High School graduate ReemaSamaha. The fund seeks to create an atmo-

sphere of acceptance whereschools and communities have acaring, supportive, and inclusiveenvironment to help youngpeople.

HB 1609 ensures that all four-year public colleges and universi-ties have mechanisms in place inorder to expand services availableto students seeking treatment.Specifically, it allows universitiesand community services boards towork together so that there is no-

tification when a student is involuntarily com-mitted, or when a student is discharged froma facility and he consents to such notification.

During the bill’s hearings, Virginia’s universi-ties unanimously testified in support for HB 1609.As this article goes to print, my legislation, alongwith Senator Chap Petersen’s identical legisla-tion, is before the governor for his signature.

I believe that ensuring the mental health ofour children is of the utmost importance. Thisyear’s legislation is important as it willstrengthen the connection between higher edu-cation institutions and mental health facilities.It will also create a safer and more supportiveenvironment for students and may help to pre-vent future tragedies.

If you would like additional information onthis issue, please contact me at 703-815-1201or [email protected].

Creating Safer Environment,Preventing Another Tragedy

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Oak Hill & Herndon


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Spike of Herndon, a rescued Germanshepherd-basset hound-corgi mix,enjoys a day at the beach with momGail Weber and family.

Maria Perez-Barton and Rachael Bartonof Herndon take their pets, two Pem-broke Welsh corgis named Toby andForrest, for a recreational walk everychance they get, including at places likeGreat Falls Park.

People and Pets

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

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 27Paint Your Own Pottery. 5:45-6:15

p.m., at the Herndon CommunityCenter, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon.Children ages 5-10 can make a food-safe, finished item, to be returnedone week later; paints, material,supplies and instructions provided.$10. www.herndon-va.gov.

THURSDAY/FEB. 28Wine Dinner. 6:30 p.m., at Il Fornaio,

11990 Market St., Suite 106, Reston.Five courses prepared with wine.$65. 703-437-5544 [email protected].

2013 Xing Wen Art StudioExhibition. 7-9 p.m., at RestonCommunity Center Hunters Woods,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Thisexhibition displays Xing Wen’spaintings of the Yi and Tibetan ethnicgroups in China.www.restoncommunitycenter.com/arts_exhibits.html.

SATURDAY/MARCH 2A Night at the Movies: Songs from

the Silver Screen. 4-7:30 p.m., atReston Community Center, HuntersWoods, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. The Reston Chorale’s 2013Pops Concert will showcase songsfrom great film soundtracks—fromBreakfast at Tiffany’s to Amistad. $25for adults, $20 for seniors/youth.703-476-1111 orwww.restonchorale.org.

SUNDAY/MARCH 3Serendipitous Seven: A Fine Art

Exhibition from Seven RestonArtists. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., at the Jo AnnRose Gallery,1609-A WashingtonPlaza, Reston. Serendipitous Sevensynthesizes the work of seven Restonartists.www.restoncommunitycenter.com/arts_exhibits.html.

Party with a Purpose. 6-8 p.m. atGrevey’s Restaurant, 8130 ArlingtonBlvd., Falls Church. Learn about LostDog & Cat Rescue Foundationvolunteer opportunities for 10 weekly

adoption events, fostering, transportor taking care of cats and kittens inadoption centers; door prizes [email protected] [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 6Pirate Party. 11 a.m.- Noon., at the

Reston Association, 12001 SunriseValley Drive, Reston. The PirateAdventure will transform your childinto a pirate, complete with dress-up,games, crafts, and fun activities.Reston Association Members: $4;Non-members: $6. 703-435-6577 [email protected].

SATURDAY/MARCH 9Contra Dance.7:15-8 p.m., 8-10:45

p.m. Reston Community Center,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston.Contra dances and squares to themusic of the June Apple Band;partner not necessary. 703-476-4500.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 13Jigsaw Puzzle Event. 10 a.m-3 p.m.,

at the Reston Association, 12001Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. Join asan individual or as a couple to do aReston themed puzzle; coffee andlunch provided. Reston Association:$9; Non-members: $13. 55 years orolder. 703-435-6577 [email protected].

SATURDAY/MARCH 16Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. 3

p.m., 7 p.m., at Holy Cross LutheranChurch, 1090 Sterling Road,Herndon. The many-award-winningbluegrass institutions plays with on-the-rise band. $20; children under12, free. 423-878-6160 orwww.doylelawson.com.

St. Patrick’s Celebration. 7 p.m., atthe ArtSpace Herndon, 750 CenterSt., Herndon. Come enjoy an eveningof music and merriment featuringThe Treble Clefs. $10. 703-956-6590or www.artspaceherndon.org.

SUNDAY/MARCH 17Mosby’s Herndon Station Raid

Reenactment 2013. 10 a.m.-3p.m., at Downtown Herndon at Lynnand Station Streets at WSLOD Depot,717 Lynn Street, Herndon. Come

experience the reenactment of theHerndon Station Raid.WWW.HerndonHistoricalSociety.org.

Birthday Boys. 4 p.m., at RestonCommunity Center, Hunters Woods,2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. TheReston Community Orchestrapresents their third concert of theseason, playing Verdi, Gould,Wagner, Britten, Fry and Williamswith maestro Dingwall Fleary andguest Conductor Jim Vallini,conductor of the ManassasSymphony.www.restoncommunityorchestra.org.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 20Trip to Hollywood Casino at

Charles Town Races. 3:30-11:30p.m., at Hunters Woods ShoppingCenter, Thoreau Place, Lake AnnePlaza, Reston. Enjoy an evening atthe race track for thoroughbred horseracing and play blackjack and poker.Reston Association: $32; non-members: $38. 703-435-6577 [email protected].

THURSDAY/MARCH 21Newcomer’s Night. 7-9 p.m, at the

Reston Association, 12001 SunriseValley Drive, Reston. Come learnmore about Reston Association (RA);refreshments and door prizes. 703-435-6577 or [email protected].

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 27American Contemporary Music

Ensemble: Brutal + Sublime. 8p.m., at Reston Community Center,CenterStage, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. The ensemble plays selectionof Nico Muhly, Timothy Andrew,Mick Barr, Jefferson Friedman, JohnCage and Louis Andriessen. $15 forresidents; $30 for non-Restonians.703-476-4500 orwww.restoncommunitycenter.com.

THURSDAY/APRIL 4National Symphony Orchestra

Rehearsal. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at HuntersWoods Shopping Center, ThoreauPlace, Lake Anne Plaza, Reston.Attend an open rehearsal of theNational Symphony Orchestra at theKennedy Center Concert Hall. $27;non-members: $30. 703-435-6577 [email protected].

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6 ❖ Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ February 27 - March 5, 2013 Oak Hill/Herndon Connection ❖ February 27 - March 5, 2013 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Be a Friend!There are many ways to helpFriends of Homeless Animals:

Donate money or suppliesfor the shelter.

Adopt one of ourlovable cats or dogs.

Volunteer your time or services.

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FRIENDS OFHOMELESS ANIMALS

720 Jackson Street • Herndon Virginia 20170

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Fur, feathers, fins, paws,claws. Beady eyes orscaly hides. Once wordgot out that the Connec-

tion Newspapers was putting to-gether its special Pet Issue, therewas no shortage of pet parents inHerndon lining up to testify howFido or Fifi, or in one case, Pa’ani,bring joy and companionship totheir lives. It would take a publi-cation the size of the old YellowPages to chronicle all of the much-loved beasties, so we will have tomake do with introducing just afew. Cats seemed to rule the dayin our sampling (don’t they al-ways?), but a couple of dogs man-aged to wag their way in.

Since in some ways Seymour theSalesman is a communal cat, hisstory seems like a good place tostart. Come through the doors at2599 John Milton Drive in the FoxMill Shopping Center and chancesare you will be greeted by either

Britt Ahearn or Jared Moretti, part-ners in life and in managing thislocation of Weber’sPetSupermarket. The humans maybe the ones directing you to a spe-cial brand of pet food or gettingyou started in the Dirty Dog do-it-yourself dog wash station, but beprepared to have your purchases—and perhaps even your person—inspected by Seymour. Named af-ter a character in a series of J.D.Salinger short stories, he has beenat Weber’s almost since the storeopened in late 2011, brought in asa stray kitten by a customer whopromised to put up signs and helplocate his old home or a new one.A few weeks slipped by. Seymourwas growing—and becoming a fix-ture at the store, quite comfortablein his giant playground with lotsof things and people to entertainhim. The storeowners agreed.Seymour became a member of theteam.

If he’s not lounging on a ledgein the sunshine, or “helping” at thecash register, Seymour can often be

found in the pet-bedding aisle. Hehas tested most of the products andwould be delighted to assist inchoosing the most comfy. WhileSeymour is the only four-footedpermanent resident of the estab-lishment, he cheerfully shares hisdigs with commuters Mabel, thejumping Boston terrier, and Niko,the Pekingese who accompany Brittand Jared to work.

EVEN THOUGH they are gener-ally lovingly cared for—often bytireless volunteers—with the over-whelming numbers being housedin public and private facilitiespeople sometimes refer to theiradoption of a shelter animal ashaving released their new pet froma prison sentence. In mixed breed(maybe a bit hound, a bit pointer?)Bart’s case, he really did come fromprison—the Lunenburg Correc-tional Center to be exact. Bart is agraduate of The Pen Pals programthat does double-duty, seeking tosave hard-to-adopt dogs from shel-ters—or worse—while providing

inmates with new life skills, build-ing confidence and supportingpositive interaction between thecorrectional center staff and theinmate population.

“He’s the best trained dog I’veever had,” says his owner, NancyMyers, who after losing three dogsin the last year to different incur-able diseases, went on the hunt fornew companions who reallyneeded a second chance. She andher partner Ben Pate found Bartonline and fell in love. They madethe a three-and-a-half hour trip toLunenburg in Victoria, Va., andactually got to meet with Bart’sinmate trainer. “It was a specialexperience,” said Myers. Bartneeded additional veterinary care,including surgery to correct a kneeproblem, but he is now “doinggreat and loving his stablelifestyle.” Myers added anotherrescue dog, the aptly named shel-tie mix Banjo—“because he’s prettyhigh-strung” Myers laughs—just assoon as Bart was rehabilitated,settled and ready for a feisty friend.

It was pretty difficult to get Banjoto sit still for his photo op. He wasconvinced that a show-and-tell ofhis entire toy inventory would bea better use of all our time.

FIRST CAT OF HERNDONPunkin’ doesn’t always act with thedignity of the political animal hecould claim to be as a member ofthe mayor of Herndon’s household.The orange tabby “thinks he’s oneof the kids,” said Mayor LisaMerkel. “He treats them like litter-mates. Where they go, he goes.When he was kitty, he wanted toplay in the Fisher-Price farmyardset with the kids. He wasn’t will-ing to give up the game, even ashe grew. Trying to wriggle into the‘barn’ after he’d added a fewpounds was a bit more like Godzillacoming to town. Sheep and cowsflying everywhere!” Punkin’ some-times forgets to give his humanmom the respect that a mayor de-serves. “I do everything for that cat,but if my husband Dave walks in,he’s the one that Punkin’ will flip

for.” No one ever said earning acat’s vote was easy. Punkin’ cameinto the Merkels’ lives on Aug. 8,2008, four year’s before Merkel’selection, and has no plans to quithis office, regardless of any termlimits.

JUST ACROSS THE STREETfrom the Merkel household, an-other orange tabby (hhmmm…)resides with long-time Herndonresidents and community activistsMidge and Harlon Reece. TheReeces took Miss Maggie in as aneighborhood stray, intending tokeep her for just a few days whilefinding her a new home. They evenput her photo in the paper and hada little article written about her.And they even got some responses,but “she pulled the car salesmanapproach on us,” laughs Harlon.“You know. Just take the car homefor a few days. Try it out. Ten yearslater, here’s Maggie. We just toldthe folks who called that Maggiealready found her new home.”Midge is the only original found-

Pet Connection

Herndon Pets Bring Laughs and Lots of Love

Seymour is waiting to assist you at Weber’sPetSupermarket in the Fox Mill Shopping Plaza. The storehas been Seymour’s home since he was a wee kitten ofonly 6 weeks old. His extended family includes BrittAhearn and Jared Morotti, the couple who run the store,as well as their two dogs Mabel and Niko—and any otherfriendly person who walks through the door.

Mom and the Litter-mates. That’s how Herndon Mayor LisaMerkel describes her children, Lila, 5, and Zachary, 8, andthe family cat, Punkin’. Since his arrival as a kitten over 4years ago, Punkin’ just figured they were all one familyand has joined in most games and activities when notbusy visiting a few neighbors.

Maggie the cat looks like she’s trying to plan the greatescape away from human family Midge and Harlon Reese.But once the pictures were taken, this indoor-only girlonly went as far as the rug in front of the Reeses’ feet. Agreat spot from which to express her feelings about thewhole flash-in-my-eyes thing.

Herndon City Council member Sheila Olem “convinces”Whiskers that she really wants to be in the photo. Whis-kers and Olem share their home and affection with Cesar,another finicky feline who demands only "fresh" from hisfood to his water.

Jennifer Boysko shares a moment with maybe 12-year-oldSam, her daughter Sophie Claire’s sixth birthday requestback in 2004. Sam, like many family cats, likes to set thefamily rules ... in particular bed times.

See ‘Best Friends,’ Page 9

ing member of the Friends ofRunnymede Park board still activetoday, and Harlon was just electedpresident of the Herndon Founda-tion for the Cultural Arts. Whenasked to comment on her parents’community status, Maggie de-clined, stalked to the middle of theroom, planted herself on the car-pet, and proceeded to glare at thefearless Connection reporter.

HERNDON TOWN COUNCILMEMBER Sheila Olem has beenwell trained by her two feline

housemates, but especially byCesar, the male half of the fluffyduo. He prefers his water fresh,poured into a martini glass, if youplease. (Maybe it’s time to checkthe cable bill to see if Cesar hasbeen watching the 007 MovieMarathon?) Cesar also likes to“make friends” with any visitorwith an allergy to cat hair, or whoeven gives the appearance of be-ing in the dog vs. cat column. Hispartner, Whiskers, is more of the

Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection


SAVE THE DATE FOR:

The World’s Fanciest Rummage SaleBENEFITING

Please Donate new (or like-new) items for Sale NowHave a really big item to donate?

Contact Helen Kruger (703-748-4068) to make pick-up arrangements

Sunday, April 7th, 12-4pmThe Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner

Admission: $5 per PersonMembers of the Military FREE with Military ID

On-site moving company available for hire for large item purchases. For more information, visit our event site.

http://www.fairfaxbgcgw.org/index.php/rummage-sale

Donations are needed!!!Make your spring cleaning count this year.

Join us at this incredible event and get unbelievable items at ridiculous prices!!!You cannot afford to miss this event!!!

Small items and clothing drop-offs may be made to the front of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel,Tysons Corner with the Bell Staff. Please indicate that the items are for the Boys and

Girls Clubs Rummage Sale. Donation receipts will be available at drop-off.

As a freshman in 2012,Marshall’s MorganStahl competed at the

VHSL state gymnastics meet,but failed to place in the topeight in an event.

As a sophomore, Stahl earneda trip back to the state meet.This time, she walked awaywith some hardware.

Stahl placed third in the all-around competition at the stategymnastics meet, earning all-state honors with a total of38.325 on Feb. 16 at CentrevilleHigh School. Stahl placed sec-ond on floor (9.725), fourth onbeam (9.675) and finished in atie for fifth on vault (9.725).

Stahl also finished 15th onbars (9.2).

“It feels really good,” Stahlsaid. “Last year I was here as afreshman and I didn’t place onanything, so it was nice to comeback and improve so much.”

By Jon Roetman

The Connection

The Oakton girls’ basket-ball team trailed bynine points midwaythrough the fourth

quarter of its regional semifinalmatchup with South Lakes on Feb.21. Meanwhile, Oakton seniorElizabeth Manner, a first-team all-region selection, sat on the benchwith her fractured left thumb in acast, unable to help while the Cou-gars’ season was slipping away.

South Lakes had opened the fi-nal quarter on a 9-0 run. Oaktonresponded by showing the resil-iency of a defending state cham-pion.

Karlie Cronin scored the Cou-gars’ first bucket of the quarterwith 3:52 remaining. Then,

Lindsey Abed converted a three-point play, cutting South Lakes’lead to four with 2:49 on the clock.

Oakton would have a chance totie with less than 20 seconds re-maining, but the Cougars’ questfor a second consecutive state titlewould fall short of reaching thestate tournament.

Oakton lost to South Lakes 48-46 in the semifinals of the North-ern Region tournament atRobinson Secondary School.

Down by three, Abed made a two-point bucket with about five sec-onds remaining, cutting theSeahawks lead to one. South Lakesadded a free throw with 3.2 sec-onds on the clock and the Cougars’ensuing half-court heave was offthe mark.

Oakton led 28-24 midwaythrough the third quarter despitethe absence of 6-foot-1 centerManner, who fractured her leftthumb against McLean in the

opening round of regionals on Feb.18, but the Cougars couldn’t holdon.

“We expect everybody to dotheir job and sometimes their jobchanges,” Oakton head coach FredPriester said. “Itchanged the lastcouple games be-cause Elizabethwasn’t there. Ev-erybody didwhat they had todo. It was a gamewhere we playedpretty well andthey just playedtwo free throwsbetter.”

Oakton, which finished runner-up to Centreville in the ConcordeDistrict, ending a streak of eightconsecutive district titles, defeatedMcLean 42-33 in its regionalopener. The victory was costly,however, as the Cougars lost Man-ner to injury. Without theirstandout center, the Cougars de-feated T.C. Williams 46-36 in thequarterfinals on Feb. 19, but fellshort against South Lakes.

“As every athlete knows, it’s ob-viously hard [and] it sucks,” Man-

ner said about watching from thebench as the Cougars lost to theSeahawks. “I’m extremely proud ofthem.”

Abed, a sophomore who wasnamed to the all-tournament

team, finishedwith 17 pointsagainst SouthLakes. Fresh-man Alex Mar-quis scored 11points, seniorAngela Sickelsand sophomoreCronin eachhad eight andsenior HelenRoberts added

two.Oakton finished the season with

a 22-5 record.“It’s been a great year for us and

it really shows the heart of thisteam,” Sickels said about Oaktoncompeting without Manner. “ …[I’ll remember the] girls on theteam, how much they helped megrow as a person and as a leader,and what I learned about team-work and determination. I’m go-ing to take that with me the restof my life.”

Stahl PlacesThird at StateGymnasticsMeet

Marshall’s Morgan Stahl placed fourth on beam at theVHSL state gymnastics meet on Feb. 16 at CentrevilleHigh School. Stahl placed third in the all-around com-petition.

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Oakton Girls’ Basketball Loses in Region SemifinalsStandout Mannerforced to watchwith fracturedthumb.

Oakton girls’ basketball coach Fred Priester talks to theCougars during a game against Centreville on Jan. 18.

“It’s been a greatyear for us and itreally shows theheart of this team.”

—Oakton senior AngelaSickels

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Retiring after 35 years serving theAlexandria & Washington Metro Area

with honesty and integrity.

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OPEN HOUSESSATURDAY/SUNDAY,

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Call Specific Agents to Confirm Dates & Times

When you visit one of these Open Houses, tell the Realtor you saw it in thisConnection Newspaper. For more real estate listings and open houses, visit

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com and click on the “This Week in Real Estate” link.

Burke5936 Burke Cove Rd #102..$249,950....Sun 1-4..Kathleen Quintarelli...........Weichert ..703-862-8808

Centreville6487 Trillium House Ln.......$964,900..Sun 10-4............Jean Marotta......Birch Haven..703-402-9471

Clifton8215 Cub Den Ct.................$699,999....Sun 1-3..........Lisa Clayborne...Long & Foster ..703-502-8145

Fairfax Station7102 Laketree Ct.................$914,950....Sun 1-4..Kathleen Quintarelli...........Weichert ..703-862-8808

8610 Running Fox Ct..........$899,999....Sun 1-4........Billy Thompson..Samson Props..703-409-0340

McLean7386 Hallcrest Dr................$649,900....Sun 1-4............Morgan Knull............RE/MAX..202-431-9867

Potomac Falls21123 Brookside Ln............$649,000....Sun 1-4.............Glynis Canto..Keller Williams..703-395-2355

Sterling47331 Vista Ct ....................$625,000....Sun 1-4.........Leslie Thurman...Long & Foster ..703-904-3700

20509 Morningside Terr ..... $349,900....Sun 1-4.........Marlene Baugh...Long & Foster ..703-433-7552

Vienna2840 Edgelea Rd.................$725,000....Sun 1-4.........Donny Samson..Samson Props..703-864-4894

To add your Realtor representedOpen House to these weekly listings, please call

Karen Pechacek-Washburn at 703-778-9422 or E-Mailthe info to [email protected]

All listings due by Monday at 3 P.M.

Pet Connection

shy Southern belle type, althoughin keeping with some of the liter-ary stereotypes, she does gravitatetoward men, like Olem’s sons Mattand Mike. Cesar and Whiskerswere parents at one point in thedistant past, “but we took care ofthat,” declared Olem. Now it’sstrictly a platonic relationship.

EVERYONE KNOWS that catslike more than that proverbial nap.They generally sleep between 13and 16 hours a day—plenty of restfor both the wicked and the weary.Apparently, no one bothered to tellSam that the non-feline membersof his family don’t need the sameamount of snoozing as he does.“Sam announces bedtime prettymuch every evening—when he’sready,” says his human mom Jen-nifer Boysko. “And he doesn’t takeno as the answer very well. He willcontinue to ‘call’ family members,and if necessary, he will do a bitof herding to get us all up thosestairs.” Currently, Sam has claimedthe guest room as his boudoir, butprefers if all the family is settledfor the night before he retires foranother 4000 winks. Sam joinedthe Boysko family in 2004 as theonly gift that daughter SophieClaire wanted for her sixth birth-day. Now, at approximately 12 or13 years of age, he still takes hisguard duties seriously. Boysko isrunning for a state delegate posi-tion. Hopefully Sam will allow herto skip curfew a few times whileshe campaigns.

AND WHO COULD TURNDOWN a heart-felt, hand-writtenlist by 7-year-old twins Tea andReese Geary outlining the quali-ties of their two dogs in hopes ofseeing them shared with the read-ing public? The sisters gave equaltime to 13-year-old toy poodlePa’ani (which they tell us means“playful” in Hawaiian) and almost3-year-old Eve, a plott hound theGearys have shared digs with forabout 7 months and who towersover the petite Pa’ani, nicknamedPupcake by the Geary children.Don’t worry. According to The List,Pupcake is still the boss. Althoughdescribed by the girls as a dog who“shivers a lot,” Pupcake still laysdown the law, often booting Eveout of her crate, and even occa-sionally deciding that that bonewas always meant for her, not Eve.

Pupcake is also a “Mommy’sGirl,” preferring to stick close toowner Amanda Geary, but despite

a personality that Geary describesas “doesn’t like men, other dogs,or kids,” young Reese has made

Pupcake her special project, con-tinuing to lavish her with love andattention—and sometimes an out-fit or two—even when Pupcakedoesn’t always return the affec-tion. “She’s never given up,” saysGeary. “Even when Reece was re-ally small, she would pick her up,risking a nip, and carry her aroundthe house. She even took Pupcakeon baby stroller rides, which sheseemed to think was acceptable,as was her due.”

Eve was a rescue from the LostDog organization, originallytaken in by Geary’s mom. Eve’sprofile described her as too ener-getic for most households withother pets or children, and al-though she proved to be a bit toomuch for Geary’s mom Wendy,(“too many geese and other temp-tations near my house”) appar-ently Eve has paid little attentionto her own press. She adores thetwins and their 4-year-old brotherBaden, and has no trouble withaccepting the reign of Pa’ani/Pupcake as Queen of the GearyDomain.

From Page 7

Meet ‘Best Friends’ of Herndon

Nancy Myers is surroundedby her two rescue friends,Bart on the left and Banjoto the right. Bart wastrained by an inmate fromthe Lunenburg CorrectionalCenter through their PenPals program, where Nancytraveled to collect him.Photogenic Banjo was socute in his online picturethat Nancy was willing totravel to St. Mary’s Countyto add him to the family.

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Zone 1 Ad Deadline:

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E-mail ad with zone choices to:[email protected] or call Andrea @ 703-778-9411

ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/

Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria Gazette Packet

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That is my question. And though I can’tquite quote Shakespeare the way I can quoteThe Three Stooges: “Moe, Larry, the cheese.Moe, Larry, the cheese,” “’tis nobler” to ask itnonetheless. Still, if Hamlet had been diag-nosed with a terminal form of cancer, as Ihave, perhaps he wouldn’t have been con-templating suicide but rather allocating hismonthly budget – as I do every day, withnearly every purchase. That’s my dream,“perchance” or otherwise.

Given that I’m not heir to a fortune, butrather fortunate to still be here, what dollars Iearn – and in turn spend, are dollars whoseexpenditure has to make sense (at least addup, anyway). As a result, I’m always thinking“what if,” as in “what if” I’m spending moneynow on relative incidentals, money that Imight need later for more important healthand welfare-type costs? And I’m not discuss-ing comfort foods, either. I’m discussing in-home care and/or miscellaneous othercancer-related expenses that can’t exactly bepaid out of petty cash. Expenses that gener-ally don’t take care of themselves any morethan cancer takes care of itself. Moreover,though little I know about health and fitnessand subsequent complications, I do know mymedical ABCs: Anything But Cancer.

However, cancer has become the name ofmy game and living with it the greatest chal-lenge of my life. Do I ignore it? Do I give into it? Do I adjust to it? As much as I want to“live long and prosper,” and live as normallywith my diagnosis as I would live without it,that compromised life expectancy/mortalitything tends to rear its ugly, uncontrollablehead. The subconscious control it exerts overme is not so much scary as it is uncomfort-able – and somewhat uncharacteristic of whoI am and how I want to be. Unfortunately, Ican’t change the way I think now/how I’minfluenced any more than this life-long mem-ber of Red Sox Nation can become a NewYork Yankee fan. It’s almost as if your person-ality profile/tendencies are genetically trans-formed because of the mutations in yourcells brought about by the cancer being trig-gered somehow. You know what you’redoing. You think you know why you’re doingit. But you still can’t stop yourself from doingit. This preoccupation seems to manifest itselfmost when I am spending money. I alwaysask myself if I really need that item now. Andif I do need it now, how long might I actuallyneed it for. And how long I might need it fordetermines the level of financial commitmentI’m willing to make. After all, are we talkingdays, weeks, months or years?

A few decisions that have consumed meof late, involving value versus actual need:

Eight pack of soap. Yes, I need to beclean, but at what cost and for how long?

A 150-count “Mega” pack of tall kitchenbags. We use a bag a week, approximately.This purchase counts for three years. Whobenefits from that?

Pills/supplements I buy. Do I supply myselfwith one-month, two-month, three-month,or longer? Yes, the unit cost goes down butmy true cost may go up because my timemight be up.

My AARP membership. One-, three- orfive-year renewal. Again, the more years Iprepay, the less the cost. But at what cost?Who’s the beneficiary? Me or mybeneficiary?

What to do? Live like having cancer mat-ters or live like it doesn’t? Either way, “I’m avictim of soicumstance.”

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

To Buy OrNot To Buy


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