Sun Gazette Fairfax December 31, 2015

INSIDE

The Sun Gazette’s year-in-review coverage begins inside on Page 5

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MORE PHOTOS FROM 2015 WINTERFEST

MADISON BASEBALL TOP STORY OF PAST YEAR

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Editorial Fairfax Notes Real Estate Business Briefs Classified Crossword Local history

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G R E AT FA L L S • M c L E A N • O A K T O N • T Y S O N S • V I E N N A

Statistics Point to Relatively Solid 2015 in Real Estate

But with Interest Rates on the Rise, Market Could Find Some Headwinds in New Year SCOTT McCAFFREY and DAVE FACINOLI Staff Writers

How the final 2015 real-estate sales data across Northern Virginia will rank on the alltime list will be known in mid-January. But one thing is for sure: It took 2015 only 11 months to surpass the total sales and volume

recorded in all of 2014.

Home sales for the region totaled 18,713 from January to November, according to figures reported by Real Estate Business Intelligence, an arm of the local multiple-listing service. That’s slightly above the 18,696 sales reported across the region during the entire 2014.

(Sales data represent transactions in Ar-

lington and Fairfax counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church.)

Total sales volume for the first 11 months of 2015 totaled $10.42 billion, also an increase from the $10.31 billion recorded for the entire year of 2014.

Being conservative and assuming 800 sales in December, total sales for 2015 would reach 19,512, which would be the second-highest

sales total in the past nine years, behind only the 20,355 transactions reported in 2013.

“Buyer confidence seems to be high, and they are encouraged that home prices have remained fairly steady,” said Craig Lilly of Long & Foster Real Estate in Vienna, a member of the Northern Virginia Association of Continued on Page 7

CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS WITH A PAGEANT

Students at McLean Children’s Academy recently participated in “Holidays Around the World – We Are Multicultural,” a pageant at the McLean Community Center, continuing a tradition that dates back several decades. Teachers from left include Cristina Rosas, Marina Sarakinis, Meredith Karam, director Diane Volcansek, founder Barbara Touchton, Lydia McGrath, Jacqueline Vargas and Jamila Essa. McLean Children’s Academy has served McLean, Great Falls, Arlington and Falls Church since 1981.

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Former Vienna resident Patti Polychrones, a longtime administrative assistant, property manager and wife of former Vienna Town Council member Michael Polychrones, died of lung cancer Dec. 17 in Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond. She was 56.

“She was probably most courageous person I know,” said her husband of 22 years.

“She took on every challenge head-on and was never afraid. She’d battled health issues all her life, but never lost her humor and always saw the good in things.”

Born Patti Fremeau in Brunswick, Ga., Polychrones graduated from Floyd E. Kellam High School in Virginia Beach and received a certificate in secretarial studies from Commonwealth College. She later studied accounting at Tidewater, J. Sargeant Reynolds and Northern Virginia community colleges.

Her career included stints as an administrative assistant at Mosaic Tile Co., a property manager at Southern Manage-

ment Corp., a projects assistant at Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, a portfolio analyst at CB Richard Ellis and a bookkeeper/administrative assistant with Walde Enterprises.

A life member of Virginia Jaycees, she also belonged to the Virginia JCI Senate, which was the highest honor in that organization, her husband said.

Polychrones worked with the Virginia Jaycees’ camp for mentally retarded children and assisted with fund-raisers for that effort. She also cooked meals for senior citizens.

Polychrones was interested in animal welfare, politics, education and health. Her passion for preparing food dovetailed nicely with her husband’s appetite.

“She loved cooking and I love to eat,” he said.

Eileen Warner, a former neighbor of the couple in Vienna, said Polychrones always was willing to volunteer and help those in need.

“She was great neighbor and great person, very warm and loving,” Warner said.

Vienna Town Attorney Steven Briglia came to know Polychrones when her hus-

band was on the town’s Planning Commission. The men later served on the Town Council together.

Council and commission members must attend a slew of meetings, many of them held at night, and this can put strain on their family lives, Briglia said.

“If you don’t have a spouse at home who supports you, your public service is almost going to be impossible,” he said. “It does take a toll on your family. Patti understood that and was always very supportive

of Mike.”

Political couples do not necessarily have identical views and public servants are more effective when their spouses serve as honest sounding boards, Briglia said.

“Patti had her own views on things,” he said. “You want somebody to help vet those things out.”

In addition to her husband, who lives in Leland, N.C., Polychrones is survived by a sister and brother in law, Cynthia and David Ross of Hopewell, Va.; a brother, James Fremeau of Alexandria; a niece, Tara Botts of Colonial Heights, Va.; a nephew, Jason Stables of Waldorf, Md.; and a great-niece and great-nephew.

Polychrones will be memorialized Dec. 30 at Vienna Presbyterian Church, 124 Park St., N.E. There will be a visitation at 1 p.m. and a memorial service at 2 p.m.

Polychrones twice received kidney transplants. Her husband suggested donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Camp Virginia Jaycee Foundation and American Cancer Society.

The Fairfax County School Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 5 to solicit input on its five-year, $777 million capital-improvement program, or CIP. Of the total proposed by school officials, $429 million already has been approved by voters in various bond referendums, leaving $347 million unfunded.

Among the funded projects are a gym for Bailey’s Upper Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences; a new elementary school in the Route 1 area of Fairfax County; an expansion and renovation to Fort Belvoir Elementary School (mostly funded by the Department of Defense); additions to South Lakes High School and

Westbriar Elementary School; and three modular-classroom relocations.

Unfunded projects include a new elementary school in the northwest part of the county (planning is funded, construction is unfunded); an elementary school in the Fairfax-Oakton area; a high school in the western part of the county; additions

to two high schools and one middle school; and one modular-classroom relocation.

The public hearing will be at 6 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School. A work session on the proposal has been slated for Jan. 11. Details about the proposal are available at www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip. shtml.

BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer

Patti Polychrones

December 31, 2015

Patti Polychrones, Wife of Former Vienna Council Member, Dies

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School Board Sets Public Hearing on Capital-Spending Proposal

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People

Celebrating the Season at WinterFest Parade

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The annual McLean WinterFest Parade, held earlier in the month, brought out a host of groups to celebrate the season.

Sun Gazette

Photos by Deb Kolt

Transportation Continued to be a Major Theme Across N.Va. Throughout the Year BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer

Virginia’s reviving economy, turnover in political and governmental ranks, milestone anniversaries, major project kickoffs and long-awaited events made 2015 an action-packed year.

JANUARY: • Democrat Kathleen Murphy defeated Republican Craig Parisot by just 324 votes in a Jan. 6 special election to succeed former Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34th), who the previous November had been elected to succeed U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th).

• Retired U.S. Marine Col. Peter Hilgartner of Great Falls, a combat veteran who was instrumental in creating the Great Falls Freedom Memorial, died Jan. 8 at age 87.

• The Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department announced it had purchased two Lucas 2 automatic mechanical-compression devices that can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on virtually any adult. The units were to be carried by medic units at Stations 12 and 39, which serve Great Falls.

• Arlington resident Joan Mulholland, who marched and participated in sit-ins to obtain civil rights for African-Americans in the 1960s, told the Greater Merrifield Business Association Jan. 22 that the scourge of racism in America continues today.

“We still have an underlying foundation that includes racism, conscious or unconscious,” she said. “We need to get out the pickaxes and dig out that foundation.”

• Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones told the TysonsRegional Chamber of Commerce Jan. 23 that Virginia must reduce its dependence on government-related jobs to remain economically competitive.

“Our big risk is similar to that of the Denver Broncos,” Jones said. “If Peyton Manning has a good day, Denver can’t be beat. If Peyton Manning has a bad day, they can’t beat Langley High School.”

• Vienna officials confirmed Jan. 27 that town spokesman Ken Kroski had resigned just seven months after succeeding predecessor Kirstyn Barr.

Federal Credit Union’s plan to build a new facility across from its headquarters building and link the structures via a pedestrian bridge.

• The House of Delegates on Feb. 25 passed House Resolution 297, which nominated 16 people for election as Circuit Court judges. Nominees for the 19th Circuit (Fairfax County and the city of Fairfax) were Fairfax County General District Court Chief Judge Penney Azcarate and attorney and former Del. Stephen Shannon (D-35th). The pair began their eightyear terms July 1.

• Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) law-enforcement agents on Feb. 25 arrested a former contractor of the Vienna DMV Select office for allegedly embezzling $82,678. Officials accused Betty Ng, 52, of Burke of bypassing restrictions and making transactions she was prohibited from conducting.

MARCH: • Susan Corrigan on March 2 became the McLean Project for the Arts’ new executive director. She succeeded Nancy Powers Perry, who ran MPA for 11 years before departing last August to become government-affairs director at the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

• The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 6-4 March 3 to increase the salaries of the board taking office Jan. 1, 2016.

Supervisors in the county’s nine magisterial districts will receive $95,000 per year, up from $20,000, and the chairman will take home $100,000 annually, a boost of $25,000. Supervisors John Cook (R-Braddock), Penelope Gross (D-Mason), Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield) and Linda Smyth (D-Providence) voted against the pay increases, the board’s first in eight years.

• The Board of Supervisors on March 3 approved plans to renovate and expand Lewinsville Senior Center in McLean.

Wesley Hamel Lewinsville LLC will raze existing buildings at the nearly 8.7-acre site, located at 1609 Great Falls St., and build two new structures that will provide affordable housing for senior citizens. The developer also will update the site’s senior center, adult day-care center and two child day-care centers.

• Fed up with annual premium increases that often topped 10 percent, the Vienna Town Council on March 16 unanimously agreed to cancel the agreement with the town’s health-care provider, United Health Care, and switch to The Local Choice.

The latter company would provide similar doctor networks and pharmacy programs, charge lower premiums, offer greater choices and include dental and vision coverage, town officials said.

• Gov. McAuliffe announced March 19 that Navy Federal Credit Union would add 600 employees at its Vienna headquarters and invest $114.6 million to expand its campus in the town.

• The Board of Supervisors on March 24 agreed to have county staff expedite a request to supply sewer service to Forest-

ville Elementary School and Great Falls Nike Park. A 2013 Fairfax County Public Schools inspection of Forestville Elementary’s two septic systems revealed they nearly had reached the end of their useful life and concluded a replacement drain field was not feasible.

• Mary Carolyn Becker, “Mrs. McLean 2014-2015,” vied March 28 for the Mrs. Virginia crown in South Hill. Her central platform was “Don’t Text and Drive.”

• The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., on March 31 arrested a serial bank-robbery suspect who overpowered a private security guard and escaped from Inova Fairfax Hospital, launching a massive manhunt. Wossen Assaye, 43, pleaded guilty in July on two counts of brandishing a firearm and in October was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison.

APRIL: • Representatives from several Northern Virginia law-enforcement agencies gathered April 3 at the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office headquarters to announce the formation of a Heroin Operations Team. Leaders from the Loudoun Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax and Leesburg police departments, Virginia State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI said the team would combat heroin use – a growing problem both nationally and locally.

• Patrick Mulhern, a former Culpeper

planning official, on April 13 became Vienna’s new planning and zoning director. He succeeded former director Greg Hembree, who died in September 2014.

• Corporate leaders and local officials cut the ribbon April 22 to formally open the 18-story Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center, a 300-room hotel located at 7901 Tysons One Place near Tysons Corner Center. The Hyatt Regency was the first new, full-service hotel to open in Tysons in 22 years.

• The Rotary Club of Vienna on April Continued on Page 7

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FEBRUARY: • Officials from Specially Adapted Resource Clubs (SPARC) cut the ribbon Feb. 13 for the organization’s newest location at Providence Community Center. In addition to a large, open classroom at the community center, SPARC’s clients now can use the site’s gymnasium, computer lab and workout room, officials said.

• Actors, including Mayor Laurie DiRocco, on Feb. 28 performed in “The Incorporation of Vienna, Va. 1890 – A Short Play,” which described the town’s origins.

The 30-minute play, written by Historic Vienna Inc. board member and Civil War re-enactor Jon Vrana, was among several events throughout the year marking Vienna’s 125th anniversary.

• Despite concerns from neighboring residents about traffic congestion and parking, Vienna Town Council members on Feb. 23 unanimously approved Navy

YEAR IN REVIEW Part One

December 31, 2015

2015 Saw Better Economy, Leadership Change in Region

5

Sun Gazette

December 31, 2015

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Opinion Our View: Changing School Names Would Be Folly

While most Fairfax County residents were occupied with the holiday crush and other facets of the season, the lame-duck Fairfax County School Board on Dec. 17 passed a policy change that could set the stage for battles – unnecessary and counterproductive ones – down the road.

It was an outwardly benign, onesentence addition to the school system’s policy on facilities naming, and reads thusly: “The School Board may also consider a change in the name of a school or facility where some other compelling need exists.”

Pretty open-ended, we’d say, and one doesn’t have to be too clued-in to discern that the purpose of the measure is to give the School Board the power to remove the names on schools that somehow offend the sensibilities of segments – however small – of the

public.

Most likely, the policy change is a pretext to considering name changes of schools with Confederate connotations (Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart high schools no doubt will be in the crosshairs) or even those with only tangential connections (W.T. Woodson High School, named after an mid20th-century superintendent whose legacy apparently is not politicallycorrect enough for some activists).

Serious historians and educators can only roll their eyes at such endeavors, which are the product of a new era in which people don’t feel fulfilled unless they are aggrieved, and rather than doing the heavy lifting of societal change would rather spend their time on trifles like fiddling with names.

Our view is simple: The names should stay unless the individuals who

are honored by them were out of the mainstream of their times. You cannot judge historical personages by 21stcentury standards; certainly those of us doing our best to be good citizens today should not, hundreds of years into the future, be judged by the standards then in place, right?

No doubt name-change efforts will allow those who support them to live with the belief they are doing something constructive, when in fact they have fallen into a well-laid trap.

It’s called “opportunity cost” – spending time on trivialities like fighting over school names means there is little time to put toward serious reform of the at-times woeful state of public education in this country. But the powers-that-be know such public fights keep the masses occupied, ensuring bigger concerns seldom are raised.

Fairfax County Notes GOVERNMENT OFFICES CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY: Fairfax County government of-

fices will be closed on Friday, Jan. 1 in observance of New Year’s Day. For specific information on what is open and what is closed in county government, see the Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.

COUNTY EXPANDS HOUSEHOLD-HAZARDOUS-WASTE DISPOSAL OPTIONS:

Daily household hazardous-waste-disposal services at the Fairfax County government’s two collections sites have been expanded, offering residents a more convenient way to remove dangerous unused chemicals from their homes.

The free service “helps keep harmful substances from entering the environment,” county officials said in announcing the expansion.

Fairfax residents who want to rid their homes of household hazardous waste can bring corrosive, ignitable, toxic and reactive materials to collection facilities located at the I-66 transfer station in Fairfax and the I-95 landfill complex in Lorton, any day of the week.

Program manager Daniel Brooks said proper household-hazardous-waste disposal protects young children and pets.

“Many homeowners don’t understand the real dangers associated with the chemicals they keep under their sinks, in their pantries or in their garages,” he said.

For additional information about the Household Hazardous Waste Program, call (703) 324-5068 or see the Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/disphhw.htm.

POSTPARTUM SUPPORT GROUP WINS GRANT FUNDING FOR OUTREACH: Post-

partum Support Virginia has received a $4,800 donation from 100 Women Who Care Northern Virginia, designed to help the support group kick-start a new education and outreach program across Northern Virginia.

The initiative is much-needed, said Adrienne Griffin, founder and executive director of Postpartum Support Virginia, who said that up to one in three women will experience significant postpartum depression, “which can negatively impact not only the mother, but also the baby and entire family.”

The nomination for the grant was made by 100 Women Who Care member Doris Parker.

“I think becoming more aware of community challenges like these, and the people who are actively seeking solutions to them, is one of the best reasons to join 100 Women Who Care,” Parker said.

For information on 100 Women Who Care, see the Web site at www.100wwcnova. org.

CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION SEEKS VOLUNTEER GRASS-GROWERS: The

Chesapeake Bay Foundation is seeking volunteers to grow underwater Bay grasses in their homes, schools or businesses as part of a regional restoration program.

The grasses are vital to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, but have been seriously depleted in recent years due to pollution and cloudy water.

“Plantings from previous years are on

their way to becoming healthy grass beds,” said Blair Blanchette, grass-roots coordinator of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Virginia.

Participants first attend a workshop – seven are slated across Northern Virginia in January and February – then receive a self-contained growing kit. They will nurture grass sprouts until they are mature enough to be transplanted to permitted sites in the James and Potomac rivers in late spring.

There is a $40 cost per growing kit, which includes a one-year membership to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. For information, see the Web site at www.cbf. org/grasses.

HOUSING WORKSHOPS OFFERED TO FIRST-TIME BUYERS: The Virginia Hous-

ing Development Authority will host a number of one-day sessions in coming weeks for first-time home-buyers.

The free workshops look at the homebuying process from start to finish, and explain how to stay on track as a responsible homeowner.

Upcoming sessions will be held Jan. 9 and 23 in Fairfax; Jan. 9 in Falls Church; Jan. 30 in Annandale; and at other locations and times across the region.

To register, for more information and for a list of workshops in coming months, see the Web site at www.vhda.com/freeclass.

The Sun Gazette welcomes your submission of items for inclusion in the newspaper.

Contact information can be found on this page.

Continued from Page 5 22 bestowed “Service Above Self” awards to Luis Blandon of the Vienna Public Works Department, firefighter and ambulance driver Zachary Smith of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department and Master Police Officer Ken Smith of the Vienna Police Department.

MAY: • Vienna voters on May 5 re-elected Vienna Town Council members Carey Sienicki and Howard Springsteen and elected former Planning Commission member Tara Voigt to fill the seat being vacated by Emil Attanasi. The Council members began their two-year terms July 1.

• Whole Foods Market officials announced May 6 they had signed a lease for a 70,000-square-foot store in The Boro, a new mixed-use development that will be built within the next few years in central Tysons Corner.

• Aviation and history buffs on May 8 watched in awe as 56 aircraft of the kind that helped win World War II roared over Washington, D.C., during the “Arsenal

Real Estate Continued from Page 1

JUNE: • The Board of Supervisors on June 2 voted 10-0 to allow Trinity Land LLC to build 30 homes on the site currently occupied by Woody’s Golf Range at 11801 Leesburg Pike.

• The Board of Supervisors on June 2 approved Cityline’s proposal to build Scotts Run North a 1.5-million-squarefoot mixed-use development in eastern Tysons Corner.

• Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce officials threw a party for members and local dignitaries in Tysons Corner June 9 to celebrate the organization’s 90th anniversary.

• The Optimist Club of Greater Vienna

on June 17 gave its 2015 Charles A. Robinson Respect for Law Awards to Officer Marcos Herrera of the Vienna Police Department and Pfc. Michael Weaver of the Fairfax County Police Department.

• The 2015 World Police & Fire Games kicked off in colorful and noisy style June 26 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. Battalion Chief Jerome Williams of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department lighted the ceremonial metal torch. Many of the Games’ events were held at Fairfax County venues.

• Fairfax County Park Authority officials said they were conducting $90,000 worth of renovations at Turner Farmhouse, located at 10609 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls. The historic home had fallen into disrepair in recent years, to the dismay of local preservationists.

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Realtors’ board of directors.

The Northern Virginia real estate market peaked in 2004, when there were 32,735 transactions recorded. The market then bobbled down slightly in 2005 (dropping to 29,235 sales) before falling substantially in 2006 and subsequent years before beginning to rebound in 2012.

The peak year for sales volume was in 2005 at $15.7 billion.

For the first 11 months of 2015, the average sales price of $556,965 was slightly higher than the average price of $552,139 for the full 2014. That was the highest average price in Northern Virginia history, and year-end 2015 figures could represent another record, albeit one just slightly higher.

“By way of its geographic locations, the Northern Virginia area is afforded a large number of sizeable employers/industries, plus the government,” said Craig Mastrangelo of Re/Max Allegiance. “This, tied along with continued strong job growth and historically low interest rates, plus lower than national inventory rates, has helped produce a very healthy residential real estate market for us –again – this past year.”

A modest uptick in prices is cause, if not for celebration, at least for a little good holiday cheer.

“Slow gains in our market work just fine,” said Mary Bayat, who is closing out a year as chair of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. “The gains in realestate value help affirm our steady climb out of the housing cycle’s down-time.”

Joan Stansfield of Keller Williams said the sales are helped when there is a sense of urgency on both sides of the equation.

“For our clients, they jumped in to sell their homes while buyers were out in force, and our buyers wanted to move forward before the rates increase,” she said. “They

knew if they waited until later in 2015, or even in 2016, they would likely be facing higher interest rates.”

Despite the overall data, not everyone is convinced 2015 was a high-performer.

“I do not agree and I don’t know where those numbers are coming from. 2014 was much weaker in our market,” said Lilian Jorgenson of Long & Foster, one of the top-producers of the region.

“2015 was a tough year for sellers, but great for buyers,” said Casey Samson of Samson Properties. “Even though sales are up slightly, inventory was up 30 percent for most of the year, causing days-on-market to increase by about 30 percent, as well.

This caused a buyers’ market for most of the year.”

Dean Yeonas of Yeonas & Shafran suggested that the overall market stats do not tell the tale in any one particular spot.

“Each sub-market operates individually and uniquely,” he said. “But to answer generally, in terms of sales, I think there has been some percentage of buyers wanting and trying to take advantage of the interest rates. The strength also has to do with the fact that we are in a dynamic marketplace, with generally not enough inventory to satisfy the demand. Good properties well positioned and properly marketed will sell in a short amount of time.”

There also are always unique-to-a-single year quirks; Stansfield noted that she had worked on several transactions related to ExxonMobil’s transfer of a large number of Northern Virginia workers to a new Houston campus.

RealEstate Business Intelligence is slated to report sales and average prices both for December and 2015 as a whole on Jan. 13. By then, the 2016 market already may be springing to life.

“If anything, [house-hunters] want to buy before prices start to go up again, as most expect will happen once we get into the spring market,” said Lilly. “The buyers I’m working with right now are mainly gathering info so they can start actively looking once the holidays are over.”

ris LaTeef of Langley High School, Vicki Holcomb of Potomac School and Hye In “Lauren” Yeom of McLean High School.

December 31, 2015

2015

of Democracy Flyover.” The 19 kinds of aircraft, which flew in from airports in Manassas and Culpeper, ranged from AT-6 trainers and P-38 Lightning fighter planes to a B-29 Superfortress like the ones that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945.

• The Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County Park Authority and Cityline Partners on May 16 marked the opening of Jones Branch Fields and Arbor Row Stream Park in Tysons Corner.

• Vienna resident John Francis Gionfriddo, who served as Vienna’s town attorney for 36 years, died May 25 at age 87.

• After months of ultimately fruitless negotiations, Vienna officials in May scrapped efforts to obtain a land swap with Fairfax County Public Schools, which would have allowed the town to build a bigger gymnasium at the Vienna Community Center. Construction on the expansionand-renovation project began in September. The center’s new gym will have one 4-foot-wide walking/running path around the gym floor instead of two.

• Rotary Club of McLean officials on May 26 honored four area high-school seniors Youth Service Awards for helping to improve the community. The winners were Katharine Jiang of Madeira School, Har-

Sun Gazette

December 31, 2015

8

Fairfax Unemployment Rate Steady in Latest Data Fairfax County’s unemployment rate held steady from September to October, part of a regional trend that saw little movement either way in joblessness.

With 603,296 people in the civilian workforce and 20,581 looking for work, Fairfax’s unemployment rate of 3.3 percent posted no month-over-month change in October, according to figures reported Dec. 7 by the Virginia Employment Commission.

Northern Virginia jurisdictions showed relatively slight movements up and down from September to October, with the jobless rate in Arlington falling from 2.8 percent to 2.6 percent; Falls Church falling from 3 percent to 2.9 percent; and Alexandria dropping from 3.2 percent to 3 percent. Prince William County (3.8 percent) saw no change, while Loudoun County’s jobless rate bobbed up from 3.3 percent to 3.4 percent.

Across Northern Virginia in October, the unemployment rate of 3.4 percent was unchanged from September, representing 1.52 million people in the workforce and 53,700 looking for jobs.

Statewide, the preliminary unemployment rate of 4.1 percent was unchanged from a year

before, with both the number of unemployed and the number of people in the labor force declining from September.

For the month, “private-sector employment increased by 12,600 jobs, while public-sector payrolls decreased by 700,” said Ann Lang, senior economist for the Economic Information Services Division of the Virginia Employment Commission.

Month-over-month, statewide employment increased in three major industry divisions, decreased in seven and remained unchanged in one (mining), Lang said.

Among Virginia’s cities and counties, the lowest jobless rates for October were reported in Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, Highland County (3 percent) and the city of Fairfax (3.2 percent).

The highest rates were recorded in Buchanan County (10 percent), Dickenson County (9.2 percent), Petersburg (8.2 percent), Wise County (8.1 percent) and Martinsville (also 8.1 percent).

Among metropolitan areas across the commonwealth, the Northern Virginia region had the lowest jobless rate, followed by Charlottesville (3.6 percent) and Winchester (3.7 percent). The highest rate was found in King-

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, OCTOBER Data from Virginia Employment Commission, showing non-seasonally-adjusted civilian employment for October. “Previous” is rate for September.

Jurisdiction Alexandria Arlington Fairfax County Falls Church Loudoun Prince William Northern Va. Virginia United States

Employed 90,961 141,759 603,296 7,618 184,707 221,758 1,515,958 4,024,075 149,716,000

Unemployed 2,859 3,845 20,581 230 6,435 8,657 53,688 173,471 7,597,000

sport/Bristol (5.3 percent).

Nationally, Virginia’s non-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of 4.1 percent in October ranked 17th best, nestled between Wyoming at 3.9 percent and Indiana at 4.2 percent.

The lowest unemployment rates were found in North Dakota (2 percent), South Dakota (2.5 percent), Nebraska (2.6 percent) and Minnesota and New Hampshire (3 percent each), with the highest found in New Mexico (6.6 percent), Louisiana (6.4 percent), Nevada (6.2 percent) and Arizona and Alaska (6.1 percent apiece).

For full data, see the Web site at www.virginialmi.com.

D.C. Region Sees Year-OverYear Decline in Joblessness: The Washington region’s declining

Pct. 3.0% 2.6% 3.3% 2.9% 3.4% 3.8% 3.4% 4.1% 4.8%

Previous 3.2% 2.8% 3.3% 3.0% 3.3% 3.8% 3.4% 4.1% 4.9%

year-over-year jobless rate in October was part of a broad-based national trend toward lower unemployment.

The region’s non-seasonallyadjusted jobless rate of 4.3 percent was down from 4.7 percent in October 2014, according to figures reported Dec. 8 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. It represented 3.29 million people in the civilian workforce and 140,900 looking for work.

The Washington region was among 337 of the nation’s 387 metro areas to see lower yearover-year unemployment for the month.

Jobless rates increased in 38 areas and were unchanged in 12, according to federal officials.

Nationally, the lowest jobless

rates among metro areas were reported in Bismarck, N.D., and Fargo, N.D., at 1.8 percent each.

The highest rates were recorded in Yuma, Ariz. (23.2 percent) and El Centro, Calif. (21.8 percent).

Among the 51 metro areas with populations of 1 million or more, the lowest jobless rate was found in Minneapolis-St. Paul (2.9 percent), with the highest found in Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.

(6.4 percent).

Nationally, the non-seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in October was 4.8 percent, down from 5.5 percent a year before.

In Virginia, unemployment rates were down in all metro areas, standing at 3.6 percent in Charlottesville; 3.7 percent in Winchester; 4.1 percent each in Harrisonburg, Roanoke and Staunton/Waynesboro; 4.3 percent in Blacksburg; 4.4 percent in Richmond; 4.5 percent in Lynchburg; and 4.7 percent in Hampton Roads.

Statewide, the jobless rate of 4.1 percent was down from 4.7 percent a year before, representing 4.2 million in the civilian workforce and 173,500 looking for work.

For details on the national employment picture, see the Web site at www.bls.gov.

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The Fairfax delegation to the General Assembly will hold its annual pre-session public hearing RICHMOND on Saturday, Jan. 9 begin2016 ning at 9 a.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center.

At the event, the public can voice its views on issues likely to be taken up in the 2016 General Assembly session, which opens Jan. 13.

Fairfax County residents who want to sign up in advance to speak at the hearing should contact the Office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors at (703) 324-3151 by noon on Jan. 8. Residents also can sign up at the hearing to speak.

The meeting will be streamed live on the county government’s cable Channel 16.

For additional information, see the Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/calendar/ ShowEvent.aspx?Event=14397.

Favola Patrons Bill on Stopped School Buses: State Sen. Barbara Favola has introduced legislation that will allow localities to move forward with plans to levy fines against those caught on camera passing stopped school buses.

A number of Virginia school districts earlier this year had cameras installed on the outside of some of their buses, with plans to have police issue citations to those caught improperly passing them.

The efforts suffered a setback when

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) ruled that while the General Assembly had given school districts the power to install the cameras, and police the ability to issue citations, the legislature had not delegated authority to localities to mail out the citations. If they were to be valid, Herring opined, they had to be delivered in person – a daunting task for any public-safety agency that led school districts to pull back.

(Opinions by Virginia’s attorney general are merely advisory in nature, but Herring’s opinion likely would sway judges if recipients of the mailed citations took the matter to court.)

Favola (D-31st) sits on the Senate Transportation Committee, to which the bill has been assigned.

Lilla Wise, who represents a number of school boards in the region in Richmond during the General Assembly session, on Dec. 8 told Arlington School Board members there has been some interest by Republican members of both houses of the legislature to support the change being sought by school districts.

“There are other bills we will see about this,” Wise predicted.

New Senator Goes to Bat for ERA: The 1970s are back again at the General Assembly. Or maybe they never left, as the legislature in 2016 again will debate the merits of ratifying the federal constitutional amendment known as the Equal Rights Amendment.

But it will not be state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th) leading the charge in 2016

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as he did earlier this year. A resolution to support passage of the ERA in 2016 was introduced by Sen.-elect Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon), who in November was elected to succeed retiring Sen. Linda “Toddy” Puller.

Surovell is not a newcomer to the ERA debate; in the 2015 session, when he sat in the Democratic minority in the House of Delegates, he was the patron of a measure to secure passage of the constitutional amendment. To perhaps no one’s surprise, the bill died without so much as subcommittee consideration.

In the Senate, Surovell’s chances would appear to be better – Ebbin earlier this year secured passage of his resolution with a relatively large majority that included Republicans, who hold a narrow majority.

But when Ebbin’s measure was transmitted to the House of Delegates, it shared the fate with Surovell’s measure, dying without ever getting a hearing.

Whether Virginia’s ratification could have any substantive effect is debatable, as the deadline set by Congress for the ERA’s ratification expired years ago, when it stood three states shy of passage. Several states that had ratified it later rescinded their actions, further muddying the waters.

Passage of the ERA was among the most contentious issues in the General Assembly from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. Every time proponents thought they had the votes to pass it, they fell just short.

The wording of the ERA is either broad or vague, depending on your view of it:

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” The amendment also delegated to Congress the power to enforce it.

The measure was introduced in Congress every session from 1923 to 1972, when it passed and was sent to the states for ratification. The original seven-year ratification deadline set by Congress was later extended by three more years, but the clock ran out in 1982.

States in addition to Virginia that did not ratify the amendment: North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

Proponents of passage, if even only for symbolic purposes, have at least one precedent to fall back on. Even though the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote nationwide, took effect in 1920, the General Assembly waited more than 30 more years before ratifying it – about the same amount of time that has passed since the ERA’s ratification deadline expired.

Howell Bill Seeks an Increase in Judgeships: State Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd) has introduced legislation that would increase the number of judges of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Fairfax County from seven to eight.

In Virginia, judges are elected by the General Assembly, which also sets the number of judges for each judicial district or circuit.

December 31, 2015

Fairfax Legislative Delegation Is Set to Hold Public Hearing

9

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Sun Gazette

December 31, 2015

10

Real Estate Featured Property of the Week

A Grand Estate on Georgetown Pike

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Nearly 15,000 Square Feet of Finished Space Showcase Élan

Sun Gazette

We round out the calendar year with a true showplace, set close to Madeira School on Georgetown Pike near Towlston Road.

The award-winning M&A is responsible for this exceptional limestone-andbrick estate, featuring more than 14,500 square feet of space spread over four levels, with a pool out back and stunning accoutrements throughout.

The property currently is on the market, listed at $5,999,900 by Casey Margenau of Casey Margenau Fine Homes & Estates.

Classic Georgian architecture provides exceptional visual appeal, and we find ourselves ushered up the covered colonnade into the soaring foyer, with a sweeping staircase, to begin our tour.

While the home is unquestionably large, the individual room sizes are welcoming, ready to both entertain a crowd and accommodate the quieter moments

of family living.

To our right off the foyer is the living room, with the home’s first fireplace. To the left is the dining room.

The kitchen area is a standout, with top-quality everything, center island and breakfast area proffering lovely vistas.

Nearby is the two-story family room, a testament to taste and excellence, which (like the breakfast area) offers walk-out access to the covered porch.

Tucked away off the main traffic flow is the large and charming family library, and this level also is home to a five-car garage.

The expansive owner’s suite is the highlight of the upper level, with a grand bedroom area, separate sitting area with access to a deck, and a sumptuous master bath.

Three additional en-suite bedrooms are found here, as well, while the second upper level is home to another bedroom and full bath.

The lower level plays host to a large recreation room with wet bar, fireplace

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and access to a side patio. There also is the home’s sixth bedroom (with bath), a home theater, exercise room and winestorage area.

The 2-acre exterior is as lovely and invigorated as the interior.

We are ending the year on a high note in real estate. And now, on to 2016!

Articles are prepared by the Sun Gazette’s real estate advertising department on behalf of clients.

For information on the home, contact the listing agent. For information on having a house reviewed, contact the Sun Gazette’s real estate advertising department at (703) 738-2520.

Facts for buyers Address: 8611 Georgetown Pike, McLean (22101).

Listed at: $5,999,900 by Casey Margenau, Casey Margenau Fine Homes & Estates (703) 827-5777.

Schools: Spring Hill Elementary, Cooper Middle, Langley High School.

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(StatePoint) Think you missed this year’s season to make energy efficient exterior upgrades?

Many homeowners are reluctant to start exterior remodeling improvements in the cooler months, because they worry about the potential to let in a draft during the installation process.

In reality, this is one of the times of year you will most feel the impact of an upgrade to energy-efficient windows, doors and insulated siding, and the remodeling can be done with minimal impact on the comfort of your home.

Here are a few reasons not to delay: Timing: Winter can be an ideal time to initiate upgrades. By taking care of your project now, you avoid the busier spring season. Plus, the sooner you make enhancements that increase efficiency and comfort, the sooner you can reap those benefits.

Why let another winter pass you by feeling chilly in your home and paying for wasted energy?

Installation Process: Innovations in home remodeling are making yearround upgrades easier than ever. For example, Window World, America’s largest exterior remodeler, can use oneto-one window and door installation methods, meaning one unit is replaced at a time. By fully sealing the perimeter inside and out using caulk designed to withstand temperature extremes, installation professionals can minimize a home’s exposure to the elements during the replacement process.

Superior Products: The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that nearly 50 percent of a household’s annual energy consumption goes to heating and cooling.

The right exterior updates can offer curb appeal while also keeping your home comfortable. Today’s highly efficient window systems can provide substantial savings for your home.

Lastly, entry doors can be beautiful, durable and high performing. For example, fiberglass doors, such as those offered by Window World, provide considerable insulating improvement over wood. While maintaining the aesthetic appeal of traditional doors, the long-lasting materials stand up to severe conditions to create an exceptional barrier to the outdoor elements.

Don’t wait until the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming to improve home comfort. Enjoy your home in winter and summer alike, with an environment that’s as comfortable and efficient as it is beautiful.

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Sun Gazette

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Vienna/Oakton Notes TOWN OFFICES CLOSED FOR NEW YEAR’S DAY: Vienna town-government

offices will be closed on Friday, Jan. 1 in observance of New Year’s Day. There will be no town-government trash collection on that day.

VIENNA BECOMES FIRST VIRGINIA LOCALITY TO ISSUE ‘GREEN’ BONDS: The

Vienna town government in early December issued about $6.2 million in general-obligation bonds with a “green” designation, coming the first Virginia local jurisdiction to do so, town officials said.

Thanks in part to the town government’s recently affirmed AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, the town received a very low interest rate of 2.16 percent, which compares well with the market rate of 2.32 percent, officials said.

Eighty-six percent of the bond moneys will help pay for the Vienna Community Center’s expansion-and-renovation project, which is seeking Silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The remaining bond funds will finance stormwater-drainage and water-and-sewer improvements.

“Green” general-obligation bonds are issued for qualified projects that enhance or protect the environment. While the special designation did not result in monetary savings for the town, it did attract additional investors who were environmentally conscious, said Finance Director Karen Spence.

“This is great news for the town of Vienna,” Mayor Laurie DiRocco said in a statement. “We’re now reaping the benefits of our fiscally conservative policies and practices. The local economy certainly helped us achieve such an amazing interest rate, but Vienna also has worked hard to manage its finances well. Our practices and policies show a great deal of fiscal responsibility and maturity.”

WORLD WAR II PRISONER OF WAR TO SPEAK TO VIETNAM VETERANS GROUP:

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FAIRFAX SEES BOOST IN AVERAGE WAGE: The weekly wages of those em-

Sun Gazette

ployed in Fairfax County were seventh highest of the nation’s 342 largest U.S. counties in the most recent quarterly report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the year-over-year rate of growth exceeding the national average.

Fairfax’s average weekly wage of $1,517 in the second quarter of 2015 was up 3.9 percent from a year before, according to figures reported Dec. 17. The rate of growth was 45th highest nationally, and exceeded the national wage-growth rate of 3 percent during the same period.

(Figures represent the wages of those who work within the locality, no matter their place of residence.)

Ranking above Fairfax County in average weekly wage for the period were Santa Clara County, Calif., at $2,109; San Mateo County, Calif., $1,863; New York County (Manhattan), N.Y., $1,842; San Francisco County, Calif., $1,730; the District of Columbia, $1,599; and Arlington County ($1,546). Rounding out the top 10 were Suffolk County, Mass., $1,512; Fairfield County, Conn., $1,497; and Middlesex County, Mass., $1,491.

Nationally, the average weekly wage of $967 was up from $940 during the second quarter of 2014. A total of 323 of the 342 largest counties posted increases in average wages, 16 had declines and six saw no change.

Ventura County, Calif., had the largest year-over-year gain, growing 15.2 percent.

Olmsted, Minn., had the largest decline, dropping 5.2 percent.

Full data can be found on the Web site at www.bls.gov.

SALES-TAX RECEIPTS UP IN FAIRFAX:

Sales-tax receipts distributed by the state government to the Fairfax County government in November totaled $14.9 million, up 2.1 percent from a year before, according to figures from the Virginia Department of Taxation and the Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget.

Taxes are based on retail purchases made in September.

For the first four months of the state government’s fiscal year, sales-tax disbursement from the state government to Fairfax County was up 0.9 percent from a year before, according to Fairfax officials.

FAIRFAX EXPANDS WASTE-DISPOSAL PROGRAM FOR BUSINESS SECTOR:

The Fairfax County government is expanding its hazardous-waste-disposal program for businesses in the community.

The program, run by the county government’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, will include an expanded roster of six collection events for 2016.

Disposal events will be held on Wednesdays, Jan. 13, March 2, May 4, July 13, Sept. 14 and Nov. 2. All events are held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the I-66 transfer station, 4618 West Ox Road in Fairfax.

Enrollment in the program is free; participating businesses pay regular disposal fees based on material type and volume.

(Some materials, such as motor oil and antifreeze, are accepted for disposal without charge.)

For information on the program, call (703) 803-9614 or see the Web site at http:// www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/disphazcomm.htm.

WOMEN’S GIVING CIRCLE PRESENTS GRANTS: The Business Women’s Giv-

ing Circle of the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia has presented three grants totaling $40,000 to support efforts promoting STEM [science, technology, engineering and math], leadership and entrepreneurship targeted at girls in the region.

This giving circle is comprised of women who are business owners, members of local chambers of commerce and community leaders serving on nonprofit boards of directors who are interested in joining with their peers to support programs and organizations in Northern Virginia that promote educational opportunities for women

Chapter 227 of Vietnam Veterans of America will host veterans and the public at its Jan. 21 chapter meeting at Neighbor’s Restaurant, 262D Cedar Lane in Vienna’s Cedar Lane Shopping Center.

The meeting, which will start at 7:30 p.m., will feature remarks from World War II veteran Jerry Wolf, who became a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft near Danzig after his Army aircraft was shot down over Germany.

For more information, call Len Ignatowski at (703) 255-0353 or see the Web site at www.vva227.org.

CHURCH ESL PROGRAM SEEKS VOLUNTEERS: The St. Mark English as a Second

Language (ESL) program is seeking volunteers for the coming year.

Bilingual volunteers with proficiency in Spanish, Korean, Farsi, Vietnamese and Arabic are sought, as are those with administrative skills.

There are seven different English-proficiency-skill levels offered to participants,

and girls.

“The Business Women’s Giving Circle’s model of collaborative philanthropy is about building relationships among our diverse members and with our grantees,” said Faith Boettger, a founding member of the Giving Circle and co-chair of its grants committee. “Through networking, grant making and engagement, we are sharing a passion for giving and a compassion for our community to make a difference.”

Programs receiving grants include: • “SHINE for Girls” ($20,000), a program that supports innovative, curriculumbased programming for middle-school girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, combining formal dance training with rigorous math instruction to improve girls’ math scores and spark their interest in STEM. • Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead ($10,000), a program that promotes leadership-development to middle school girls while offering learning in STEM and entrepreneurship to prepare them for careers of the 21st century and equip them with the essential skills of critical and creative thinking, communication, intercommunication, and collaboration.

• Marymount University’s “Empowering Leaders in STEAM” initiative ($10,000), to support a 12-week afterschool program in STEM and the arts for girls in third through sixth grade, supported by student teachers and mentors. The program will include a visit to the university’s main campus.

Members of the Business Women’s Giving Circle reviewed 21 grant applications to select the recipients.

“Our grants process is the perfect demonstration of the power of many minds working together,” said Autumn McCullogh, an attorney with McCandlish & Lillard and co-chair of the grants committee.

“To sit around a table with 16 women from all different walks of life and reach decisions about how best to impact our community, and reach out a helping hand to true leaders in our region and the women and girls they assist is nothing short of

along with writing and citizenship classes. Volunteers can serve one evening per month or as occasional substitutes.

Classes take place at St. Mark Catholic Church, 9972 Vale Road in Vienna. For information, see the Web site at www.stmarkesl.org.

VIENNA RESIDENT WINS INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING AWARD: The Society

of Manufacturing Engineers has selected Dr. George Hazelrigg of Vienna to receive the 2016 SME Donald C. Burnham Manufacturing Management Award.

Hazelrigg, a member of the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation, received master’s degrees at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and at Princeton University, where he also earned a doctorate.

The Sun Gazette welcomes your news of interest from across the community. Items can be sent to the editor via regular mail, fax or e-mail.

awe-inspiring.”

For more information about the Business Women’s Giving Circle, see the Web site at www.cfnova.org.

FAIRFAX CHAMBER SETS DATE FOR REBRANDING LAUNCH: The Fairfax County

Chamber of Commerce has announced the date of Jan. 6 for the launch as its rebranding as the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

An event scheduled for that day will give members of the business and political communities the opportunity to hear about the organization’s plans for regional collaboration, and to meet members of the staff and board of directors.

The Fairfax Chamber announced plans in November to take the new name and expand its focus.

FAIRFAX CHAMBER ADDS MEMBERS:

The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, which in early January will rebrand itself as the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, recently announced the following new members: AECOM (developer, Germantown); Capitol Bridge LLC (consulting and professional services, Washington); Fekzel Technologies LLC (technology solutions, Annandale); Flash Clean LLC (homecleaning services, Falls Church); Fox Rothschuld LLP (law firm, Washington); Haystax Technology (analytics and cybersecurity, McLean).

Also, Littler (law firm, Washington); Mental Health Association (Serving Together) (non-profit, Rockville); Montrose Group LLC (communications, Reston); NIKA (architecture and engineering, Rockville); OFFIX LC (office technology, Gainesville); Open Blooms (florist, Chantilly); Piedmont Solutions Group LLC (information technology, Fairfax); Strategic and Management Services Inc. (business and management services, Springfield); Synapse Business Systems (technology staffing, Herndon); and Trash Away Inc. (trash removal and recycling, Lorton).

13 December 31, 2015

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Sun Gazette

December 31, 2015

14

McLean/Great Falls Notes COMMUNITY CENTER CLOSED FOR NEW YEAR’S DAY: The McLean Com-

munity Center and the Old Firehouse Teen Center will be closed on Friday, Jan. 1 in observance of New Year’s Day.

FOUNDATION GRANT SUPPORTS 1st STAGE: The McLean Community Foun-

dation recently presented a grant of $4,600 to 1st Stage Theater, with the funds to be used to reconstruct the theater’s costume closet and meet other needs.

1st Stage artistic director Ari Levine received the grant from McLean Community Foundation vice president Joann Berkson.

The McLean Community Founda-

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753. Email: fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov.

Web site: www.fairhousing.vipnet.org

EQUAL HOUSING

tion is a non-profit formed in 1980 by the McLean Citizens Association to meet the philanthropic needs of the McLean community.

The foundation is accepting proposals for its current grants cycle through Feb. 1.

Applications can be found on the Web site at www.mcleancommunityfoundation.org.

and a full-time faculty member. She holds a doctorate in community-college education from George Mason University, a master of arts in illustration from Syracuse University, and a bachelor of fine arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Waddell Gallery is located on the Loudoun campus, 21200 Campus Drive in Sterling. Hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; admission is free, and parking is free in student lots after 4 p.m.

OIL PAINTINGS BY McLEAN ARTIST FEATURED BY NVCC: Oil paintings by Susan

La Mont of McLean will be on exhibition in Waddell Gallery at the Loudoun campus of Northern Virginia Community College from Jan. 5 to Feb. 5.

La Mont’s figurative paintings explore the relationships between people and their complex environment.

“The use of realism allows me to tell a story. The end of that narrative, however, can be left up to the viewer, based on his or her own unique experiences, as well as the visual information available within the picture plane,” La Mont said. “Some of the work is large and complex, involving many individuals and/or visual clutter; other smaller pieces concentrate on a single individual within an environment.”

La Mont said she uses her art to make sense of an increasingly complicated world.

“The sheer amount of sensory information we have to deal with in a single day requires us to identify and edit out that which has no significance for us,” she said. “Since we are constantly trying to seek meaning in life, we employ such tools as comparison

SENIOR CENTER TO HOST TRIVIA GAME: 1st Stage artistic director Ari Levine receives grant funding from McLean Community Foundation vice president Joann Berkson.

and contrast to find the common threads in the visual world that, when linked together, create a version of reality that we can accept. I invite the viewer to look for the structure that underlies each painting, and also to inspect the details on both the macro-cosmic and micro-cosmic levels.”

La Mont’s artwork currently can be found in more than 50 international collections, and has been exhibited in national and regional juried shows in 14 states and the District of Columbia. She is affiliated with the Hermitage Gallery in McLean and The Green Phoenix 2 in Annapolis, and also is a member of Fine Art Professionals of Northern Virginia.

La Mont retired from Northern Virginia Community College after many years as assistant dean for communication design

The Great Falls Senior Center will host a trivia game for seniors on Tuesday, Jan. 5 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Great Falls Grange, 9818 Georgetown Pike.

The event includes lunch. The sponsor is Great Falls Area Ministries (formerly the Great Falls Ecumenical Council).

Annual dues for the Great Falls Senior Center are $15. For information, call Polly Fitzgerald at (703) 759-4345 or e-mail pollyfitz1@verizon.net.

TAI CHI OFFERED TO BEGINNERS: Free

tai chi beginners’ practice is held on Saturdays from 8 to 9 a.m. in the gymnasium of St. Luke’s Catholic School, 7005 Georgetown Pike in McLean.

For information, call (703) 759-9141 or see the Web site at www.freetaichi.org.

The Sun Gazette welcomes your submission of items. Material can be sent to the editor via regular mail, e-mail or fax. Contact information is on Page 6.

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For more sports, visit: www.insidenova.com/sports/Fairfax

December 31, 2015

Sports

17

Madison Baseball Was the Year’s Top Story A Staff Report

The sports year for 2015 was overflowing with competitive events and filled with numerous athletic achievements, championships and near championships by teams and individuals specific to the Sun Gazette’s coverage areas of Great Falls, McLean, Oakton and Vienna.

YEAR IN REVIEW There were state and region champions and various district and conference winners in high school, as well as other significant titles won in youth sports. Following is a list of what our paper’s sports staff ranked as the top 20 highlights from 2015, which were reported in our paper.

1. MADISON BASEBALL

The Madison High School baseball team got hot to win its final 10 games and emerge as Liberty Conference, 6A North Region and 6A state champions during the 2015 spring season. Madison finished with a 24-5 record.

2. FLINT HILL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

The Flint Hill Huskies (22-7) got hot during the postseason, winning conference, city and state tournament championships. The state title was Flint Hill’s fourth straight and seventh overall.

The Madison High baseball team celebrates after winning the 6A state championship with a dramatic win in the title game.

ing the summer. The 15-under and 16under teams both finished first in the nation.

3. MADISON GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

The Madison Warhawks (23-6) ended their season by winning their first 6A state tournament title, defeating the rival Langley Saxons in the championship match. Also, Madison finished second in the region tourney to Langley, after defeating Langley in the conference tournament final.

4. LANGLEY BOYS SOCCER

The Langley High School boys soccer team was unbeaten in its final 18 matches, finishing as conference, region and state champions and compiling a 20-1-1 record. Langley was 9-0 in the playoffs, with five shutouts.

8. OAKTON HIGH TENNIS

The Oakton High School boys and girls tennis teams won conference, region and state championships, defeating Langley in both state final matches. The teams each had perfect 16-0 records.

9. KYLIE JORDAN

Madeira School junior swimmer Kylie Jordan won Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association state championships in the Division I girls butterfly and 200 freestyle races, both in meet-record times. She anchored Madeira’s state-winning 200 free relay, also in record time.

Jordan was chosen the state’s Swimmer of the Year.

5. LANGLEY, OAKTON SWIM & DIVE

The Langley girls and Oakton boys won conference, 6A region and 6A state championships in high school swimming and diving.

The McLean High School girls gymnastics team won conference, 6A region and 6A state championships. The state title was McLean’s first.

7. FAIRFAX STARS BASKETBALL

Two Fairfax Stars girls basketball teams that include many local players won different AAU championships dur-

Madison High School diver Grayson Campbell and Marshall High’s Bryce Shelton won the Virginia High School League’s 6A and 5A state diving championships, respectively.

13. KYLE SANOK

Potomac School senior Kyle Sanok won the boys Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I state championship in cross country as kind of a surprise winner. The win was the first significant high school cross country race Sanok ever won.

11. SYDNEY GOODSON

Langley High School senior tennis player Sydney Goodson won the Virginia High School League’s 6A girls state singles championship, then teamed with Simone Stoyen to win the 6A state doubles crown.

17. OAKTON GIRLS LACROSSE

The Oakton High School girls lacrosse team finished second in the Virginia High School League’s 6A state tourney, losing to Robinson in the final. Oakton compiled a 12-7 record, also finishing second to Robinson in the region tournament.

18. McLEAN LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL

The McLean Little League age 10-11 girls all-star softball team won a state championship, finishing 3-0 in the competition.

14 GRANT VOEKS

Potomac School senior Grant Voeks won the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I state championship in the shot put during the indoor track and field season.

10. CONOR GRAMMES

McLean High School junior wrestler Conor Grammes won the Virginia High School League’s 6A state championship at 152 pounds. He finished the season with a 51-2 record, also winning conference and region titles.

in both the 5A region and 5A state tournaments.

19. POTOMAC SCHOOL TRACK

A number of Potomac School athletes won state championships during the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Division I outdoor track and field season.

15. OAKTON GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Oakton High School girls basketball team won conference and region tournament championships, defeating the Madison Warhawks in an all-Vienna region final. Both teams lost in the state semifinals. Madison also won its conference tournament.

The Riverbend Country Club swimming team again dominated the highest level of the Dominion Country Club League’s summer season, winning the title with a 5-0 record to extend its winning streak to 31 straight matches.

16. MARSHALL BASEBALL

HONORABLE MENTION

The Marshall High School baseball team had its best season in years. The Statesmen (21-7) won their Capitol Conference tournament, then finished second

20. RIVERBEND SWIMMING

Marshall High School teams won numerous conference championships throughout 2015, including multiple titles during the spring season.

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6. McLEAN GIRLS GYMNASTICS

12. MADISON, MARSHALL DIVERS

PHOTO BY DEB KOLT

Sun Gazette

December 31, 2015

18

High School Roundup LOCAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS CHOSEN ALL-STATE: Flint Hill School junior wide

receiver Gage Herdman and freshman running back Jordan Houston were Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I second-team selection on offense in football as a result of his performance during the 2015 season.

On defense, Flint Hill senior linebacker Grant Jenkins made second team.

Those Flint Hill players helped the Huskies win the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference championship this past fall and qualify for the Division I state playoffs.

Dave Morgan, middle, was inducted into the NIAAA Hall of Fame on Dec. 15.

SWIMMING AND DIVING: The Madison

Warhawks defeated the Fairfax Rebels, 177-138, in girls action and 209-77 in boys.

Double winners for Madison were Jack Galbraith, Abraham Zimmerman and Madeline LaPorte. Single winners were Kyle Wu, Ian Cobb, Grayson Campbell (diving), Rachael Holp, Mallory Dyson and Elena Colbert. n The McLean Highlanders swept the Washington-Lee Generals, the boys winning 209-104 and the girls 198-112.

For the McLean boys, Christopher Murphy was a double winner. Single winners were Sam Gollob, Andrew Carro, Peter Byman, Dorje Wu, Edward Walters, Andrew Yang, Spencer Lukehart and Ben Mennitt.

McLean swept the diving, led by Alex Glassman and Sina Naeemi.

Double winners for the McLean girls were Elizabeth McCulla, Claire Wolff and Sinead Eksteen. Veronica Wolff was a single winner. Lillie Saba, Julia Hunter, Sadie Keating and Chloe Alexander had strong performancnes.

Delaney Gallagher, Alaanh Bhanji and Hanna Farson led the diving. n The Oakton Cougars lost to Robinsonn in boys (176-139) and girls (188127) action. n The Potomac School girls swim team defeated National Cathedral, 103-66.

Race winners were Martha Eichenauer (200 freestyle), Hannah Gould (200 in-

Flint Hill’s Gage Herdman was chosen secondteam all-state.

PHOTO BY DAVE FACINOLI

dividual medley and 500 free), Megan Sharkey (50 and 100 free), and Annie Tuttle (100 breast).

The Potomac School boys fell to St. Albans School. Diego Cruzado won the 100 free and T.J. Sharkey won the 200 free.

FORMER OAKTON DSA INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME: Dave Morgan, the for-

mer director of student activities at Oakton High School and a 1970 graduate of Washington-Lee High, was inducted into the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) Hall of Fame on Dec. 15.

After graduating from W-L, Morgan distinguished himself as a leader in athletic administration at the local, state and national levels, including 41 years in the Fairfax County and Arlington County public school systems.

A graduate of the University of Virginia in 1974, Morgan was a teacher and coach at several high schools in Arlington

and Fairfax County for 10 years before becoming director of student activities at Stuart High in 1984. After five years at Stuart, Morgan took a similar position at South Lakes High School in Reston for 12 years. He concluded his career as director of student activities at Oakton High from 2001 to 2004.

Before moving into athletic administration on a full-time basis, Morgan coached football, wrestling, track, golf, baseball and softball.

After a brief retirement, Morgan returned to Fairfax County schools in 2008, where he has served the past seven years as assistant principal and director of student activities at various high schools for short-term vacancies.

Morgan has been highly involved with the NIAAA, the Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and at national athletic directors conferences.

Among his many awards, Morgan was selected Virginia AAA Athletic Director of the Year in 1992, has been inducted into the Arlington County Sports Hall of Fame, the South Lakes Sports Hall of Fame and the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame.

WRESTLING ROUNDUP: The Madison

Warhawks placed sixth with 70 points at the recent Cavalier Classic.

Leading Madison was a second-place finish by Josh Morgan at 130 pounds.

Luke Kustra at 160 and Alex Covell at 120 were third. Tim Silva (126) and Arman Saadat (106) were fourth.

Langley High’s Parsa Yazdani-Arazi was third at 195. n The Marshall Statesmen placed 11th with 95 points at the Mike Duman Toys for Tots Invitational.

John Charette was third for Marshall at 220 pounds. Rocco Munna was fourth at 170 and Luke Munna seventh at 120.

MARSHALL VOLLEYBALL PLAYER MAKES ALL-STATE: Marshall High

School senior Giovanna Borgiotti was chosen second-team all-state in 5A girls volleyball.

ICE HOCKEY: The Potomac School ice

hockey team (3-2) extended its winning streak to three games by defeating Bullis School, 12-2. Led by returning goal scorers Matt Breeding, Jimmy Logan, Ryan Kelly and Jack Repke, Potomac has outscored its opponents 25-6 through three games.

POTOMAC SCHOOL SQUASH: The three

Potomac School senior squash co-captains – Katy Correia at No. 1, Christine Giuliano at No. 2 and Anna Wasserman at No. 3 – won their recent matches in team competition.

The team defeated Mercersburg, 9-0, in a recent match.

Langley Wins Opener; Potomac School Finishes 2-1 in Florida DAVE FACINOLI Staff Writer

By sticking with their style of play, demonstrating resilience and making two clutch three-pointers at key moments,

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BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Sun Gazette

the Langley Saxons wound up with a significant comeback victory Dec. 26 in the opening round of the Glory Days Grill Tournament of Champions.

Langley rallied twice to defeat the Woodbridge Vikings, 63-61, in overtime, in boys high school basketball action at Lake Braddock Secondary School. The win was the sixth straight for Langley (6-2), which plays John Champe on Dec. 28 at 5:45 p.m. in second-round action.

“We didn’t shoot well in the first half or play our best, and we could have done things better,” Langley coach Scott Newman said. “But we showed resilience, and we’ve been doing that all season. They

just stuck with it and made some big plays. This team is finding a way.”

Langley trailed 7-2, then rallied to lead 24-20 at halftime. The Saxons then fell behind by 15 points, 46-31, in the third period when Woodbridge got hot from the outside and made six threepoint baskets. Langley didn’t give in and chipped away to rally in the fourth behind the scoring of senior guard Tavon Tarpley (21 points, six rebounds, four assists). Tarpley scored eight points in the final period to pull his team close. His 12-footer with 1:26 left cut the lead to 54-53. Woodbridge hit two foul shots to move in from 56-53 with 1:19 to play.

After a couple of timeouts to set up the tying basket, Langley converted maybe the game’s biggest play on a three-pointer from left baseline by Colter Carton with four seconds to play in regulation. That tied the score 56 and sent the contest into overtime. Carton (six points) worked his way open and Isaac Peress (11 points,

three rebounds, three assists) passed him the ball from the opposite side of the court. “Isaac made an outstanding play on that pass, and Colter has been clutch for us with his three-point shooting,” Newman said.

In overtime, Woodbridge went ahead, 59-56. Langley rallied for the final time, taking the lead for good at 63-61 on a three-pointer from the right wing by Chas Battaglia (six points). The Saxons survived four missed foul shots in OT. Senior center Nate Shafer, who will play in college at Division III Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, had 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Langley. Jay Goettman had five points, including one of Langley’s six threepointers. Starter Grant Hughes was at a soccer competition in Florida and did not play. n The Potomac School Panthers finished 2-1 at the Kreul Classic boys basketball tournament in Florida.

Potomac School’s Grant Robinson was chosen to the all-tournament team in Potomac’s bracket, as the team improved to 4-4. He scored 62 points in the three games, including 25 in a 61-56 win over Calvary Christian, 23 in a 55-52 loss to Carroll, and 14 in a 57-52 victory over South Miami.

Drew Davis scored 21 against South Miami, Michael Bonello had 12, Preston Bacon eight and Josh Fraser and Keith Scales seven each. Bacon had 18 against Carroll and Davis nine. Bacon scored 12 and Davis nine against Calvary. Bacon also made the all-tournament team. n The Flint Hill Huskies (3-3) defeated Friendship Collegiate, 65-50, before the holiday break. Tori Herman scored 18 points and made three three-pointers to lead Flint Hill. Whitney Wiley scored 14 and made two three-pointers, Lindsey Wiley scored 10, Madison Jordan eight and Cami Lamont six.

DAVE FACINOLI Staff Writer

Daniel Gerke began and ended the scoring for the Madison Warhawks Dec. with the BASKETBALL 18, two most important and winning points coming with two seconds to play.

The junior forward’s driving, lefthanded one-footer gave Madison a 53-51 victory over the host Yorktown Patriots in Liberty Conference boys high school basketball action.

The win was the sixth in a row for Madison, which improved to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference, its best start in years. Yorktown fell to 2-5, 0-2, losing another close game.

Following a Madison timeout with 10 seconds to play, Gerke got the ball at the top of the foul circle, surveyed the situation, then eventually drove to the basket.

“I went through my reads and options,” Gerke said. “Nothing was there, so my last option was to take the ball all the way to the basket and shoot.”

Madison coach Kevin Roller explained that the diagramed play was designed for Gerke to first see if either Taiga Walker or Daniel Ungerleider were open on the wings.

“We told him to look for Taiga, then Daniel, then go if that wasn’t open,” Roller said. “Sometimes we have to remind Daniel to take the ball all the way to the basket and to shoot.

Gerke, who had four rebounds, fin-

ished with five points. He made a firstquarter three for Madison’s initial points of the game.

The contest was close throughout, with nine lead changes and five ties. Yorktown led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter, the game was tied at 23 at halftime, and Madison was ahead, 40-37, after three.

The Warhawks built an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter with 4:22 to play.

Behind the rebounding and scoring of forward Conor Shears, (15 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks) Yorktown rallied to tie the game at 51 on his layup with 17 seconds to play.

Shears was a force awakened in the fourth quarter when he scored 12 points, yanked five rebounds and had a key

steal.

Walker led Madison with a doubledouble. He had 15 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Johnny Corish had 11 off the bench, including three three-pointers, Ungerleider had seven points and Sam Kidd five off the bench.

Madison’s bench scored 26 points, with Johnny Hecht and Luke Lilienthal scoring four each and Brett Wellde two.

The Warhawks won despite not shooting well from beyond the three-point circle, which has been important for Madison this season.

Madison used 11 players in the game.

“All 13 of our players can be productive and hold their own,” Roller said.

“We have the freedom to go deep on our bench. It depends on the matchups.”

202.319.6092 or natoli@cua.edu.

at www.mcleanll.com. Final registration and payment must be completed by attending one of the walk-in registration dates: Saturday, Jan. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Thursday, Jan. 14 from 5 to 8

p.m.; or Saturday, Jan. 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at McLean Little League Park, 1836 Westmoreland St. Register online prior to Jan. 23 to ensure placement on a team and to avoid late fees.

for the Washington & Lee University football team.

Chess started all 11 games for the 10-1 team and led his squad in rushing with 882 yards and he scored 10 touchdowns. His longest run was 62 yards. He

had three 100-yard rushing games. Chess caught three passes for 28 yards.

For his efforts, the 5-foot-9, 185pound Chess was chosen to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference third team on offense.

Sports Briefs BASEBALL CAMPS: Catholic University’s Ross Natoli Winter Advanced Development Baseball Camps are the weekends from Jan. 10 through Feb 13.

Contact Natoli for more information at

McLEAN LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION: McLean Little League’s spring reg-

istration for baseball and softball is open

College Roundup COLE HERDMAN: Flint Hill graduate

Cole Herdman, a red-shirt freshman tight end, caught 18 passes for 139 yards for the Purdue University football team during the 2015 season.

Herdman played in 12 games. He

scored two touchdowns.

Herdman was a football and basketball standout at Flint Hill.

CONNOR CHESS: Flint Hill graduate

Connor Chess was a junior running back

December 31, 2015

Madison Junior Scores Team’s First, Last Points in Win

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Please apply with resume and salary requirements to Nicky Marshok, regional production director, at nmarshok@insidenova.com.

Northern Virginia Media Services, publisher of InsideNoVa.com and four community newspapers in the fast-paced suburbs of Washington, D.C., is looking for a Deputy Editor to help drive coverage online and in print.

This position requires a hard news journalist with impeccable news judgment who can shepherd front-page stories one minute and write breaking crime news the next. This job will require everything from directing reporters, editing copy and helping produce weekly papers to updating social media and writing hard-hitting regional stories.

The deputy editor will also concentrate on bolstering our coverage of Fairfax government, school and crime news, both countywide and in under-served communities such as Reston, Herndon, Burke, Centreville, Springfield and Lorton.

This position will play a vital role in building a cohesive regional news team and requires at least five years experience as a newspaper reporter or editor.

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December 31, 2015

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ex.

n 3 o

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As featured in the

Washington Post Magazine

SERIES

the

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Sun Gazette

Don’t lose this page!

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NORTH’S TREE & LANDSCAPING Tree Experts For Over 30 Years Family Owned & Operated W INTER 540-533-8092 SPE CIA • Tree Removal• Clean Up 25% O L FF • Trimming • Lot Clearing WITH THIS • Deadlimbing • Uplift Trees AD! • Grading • Private Fencing • Pruning • Retaining/Stone Walls • Grading Driveways Honest & Dependable Serv. • 24 Hr. Emerg. Serv.

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e ads look the same?

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BRICK & BLOCK

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King Kreations LLC

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Masonry King Kreations LLCPatios, Concrete, Brick, Stone, Concrete, Brick, Stone, Patios, Masonry Walkways, Driveways, Driveways, Walls A company Walkways, Concrete, Brick, Stone, Patios, & Retaining), you can (Decorative Decorative & Retaining Walls Walkways, Driveways, Walls A company truly trust! Chimneys, Repairs & Retaining), Repairs you can (Decorative Chimneys, All New Installations Guaranteed

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Call or email Martha Rodriguez

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HAULING Garages

Celeste’s Cleaning

WI CLE NTER A 10% NING OFF

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constr debris

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King Kreations LLC Masonry

Concrete, Brick, Stone, Patios,

A company Walkways, Driveways, Walls you can (Decorative & Retaining), truly trust! Chimneys, Repairs

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ROOFING PROBLEMS? LEAKS? Call the Professionals in the Sun Gazette before Winter gets here!

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MOTTERN MASONRYDesign

o Interior & Exterior Painting o Carpentry o Decks o Basement Refinishing o Stain o Fences o Power Wash o Kitchens o Bathrooms o Ceramic Tile o Electrical o Plumbing o Gardens o And Much More!

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Top to Bottom! • Move-Out/Move-In

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References • Licensed & Insured

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Home of the $6,850 Bathroom Remodel

Carpentry • Masonry Painting • Plumbing • Roofing Foundation Repair • Waterproofing Tile • Landscaping & Grading • Downed Tree & Branch Removal • Ext Wood Repair Reasonable Rates

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Handyman Service

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

25 years experience

Contact Classifieds for advertising details.

21 December 31, 2015

TREE SERVICES////////////////////////////// HOMEIMPROVEMENT//////////////////

Sun Gazette

December 31, 2015

22

HOMEIMPROVEMENT//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

PAINTING

PAINTING

Interior

Baths, Kitchens, Additions and all Interior Modifications Exterior Decks, Patios, Siding, and Roofing

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, LLC

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kozanconstruction@gmail.com

Martin Thibault

Home Painting & Decorating

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CARLOS PAINTING, INC.

ut abo Ask r Fall & ou inter s!

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We now accept credit cards

OCHOA’s Painting Inc. 10+ Years Exp.

Paint and Stain LLC Since 1997 Home Improvement / Licensed Contractor • Interior and Exterior Painting • Custom Painting • Drywall • Carpentry • Bathroom Remodeling • Carpet & Hardwood Installation • Deck Cleaning/Construction/Repair/Sealing • Granite Installation • Plumbing • Decks

*NOW ACCEPTING CREDIT CARDS* Excellent References • Free Estimates Licensed, Insured, and Bonded Serving DC, VA, & MD • Angies’ List Member

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George Paz Painting & Home Improvement Handy Service

Do 61,000 homes in Arlington & Fairfax know about you?

Advertise your service weekly in the Sun Gazette.

Painting • Carpentry Drywall • General Work 20 Years Experience

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CONTRACTORS, INC.

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Build it the right way with R&J!

Residential & Commercial “ Build it the right way with R&J”Remodeling Since 1979

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JVS Painting & Drywall

Interior & Exterior Painting Drywall & plaster repair Powerwashing Carpentry Rotted wood replacement Free estimates Licensed

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Sun Gazette

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PLUMBING

Syd’s Plumbing & Repairs No Job Too Small!

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Customers

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Items taken from the archives of the Northern Virginia Sun. January 2, 1936: n F.W. Richardson, known to all as “Uncle Tude,” is retiring after 55 years as Fairfax County Clerk. His father held the post for 50 years before that, marking a continuous 105-year period of family service dating back to 1830. n U.S. Rep. Howard Smith wants Congress to decide, once and for all, on the boundary between Virginia and the District of Columbia.

December 30, 1942: n The Sun’s editor tells readers to “forget right now any hopes you may have that the war will end in 1943,” and notes that the new year needs to be “the greatest year in our history.”

December 31, 1957: n The Toys for Tots effort brought in nearly 16,000 toys for Fairfax youths this season. n Northern Virginia road deaths for the year total 37, up 50 percent from a year before. n Some activists are still promoting the idea of incorporating Northern Virginia into one big city. n Pope Pius XII has hailed strides in commercial aviation in a meeting with newsmen. n With 14 college bowl games on the schedule tomorrow, West Virginia University holds onto its top ranking.

December 30, 1961: n Fairfax County was the most smog-congested locality in the region in November, a report says. n Traffic across the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge so far has been well below the span’s 12,000-vehicles-per-day capacity. n Northern Virginia Methodists plan to significantly increase the number of Sunday school programs.

January 3, 1972: n Five new members join the Board of Supervisors this week. One of the body’s most pressing concerns: How to deal with sewage-system limitations that could delay projected growth in the northwestern part of the county. n Gov. Holton is preparing to submit what will be the first Republican budget of the century.

January 3, 1983: n Virginia is weathering the recession better than most, but 1982 ended with 205,000 state residents out of work.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

FINISH THE LYRICS © StatePoint Media ACROSS 1. Southern cuisine pie 6. French lake 9. H or O in H2O, e.g.

13. *“Tell ____ I love her” 14. *“A long, long time ____ I can still remember how that music...”

15. Cast somebody there 16. Misbehave 17. St. Louis player 18. First American-born saint, Elizabeth Ann ____ 19. *“Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for ____ ____” 21. *“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in ____ ____” 23. Draft pick 24. $10,000, to a judge, e.g.

25. *“You ___ again” 28. *“You ____ me what I am today” 30. Inventor’s right 35. Burden 37. Color of a bruise 39. *“____ is a sound salvation... cleaning up the nation” 40. Bumpkin 41. “Get ____” (1965-1970) 43. *“Isn’t it a ____. Isn’t it a shame” 44. What a taster does 46. 41st or 43rd president 47. 1970s hairdo 48. Fireplace 50. One-pot meal 52. *”I wanna be loved by you, just ____” 53. *”May the road ____ with you” 55. Use a Singer 57. *”Get this party started on a Saturday night, everybody’s wait-

ing for me to ____” 60. *”Just a city boy born and raised in South ____” 64. Killed, as in dragon 65. Go a-courting 67. Dome-shaped dessert 68. *“I’m sitting here, doing nothing but _____” 69. Another word for Tokyo

70. Did not go out to eat 71. Radio genre 72. “Losing My Religion” band 73. Tears violently DOWN 1. Surveyor’s creation 2. Apiece 3. Pleasingly pretty 4. Dutch island in the Caribbean

5. “I love the smell of ____ in the morning” 6. Porcine fat 7. American Gas Association 8. Found in written series 9. Between ports 10. South American monkey 11. Carbon monoxide doesn’t have this 12. * “It’s raining ____, Hallelujah” 15. Finely cut masonry block 20. Certain tides 22. Chihuahua’s cry 24. *“Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth, ____ I’m happy” 25. * “’Cause, baby, you’re a firework, come on, show’em what you’re ____” 26. Accustom 27. Historic region in NE Africa 29. *”Your lips are movin’, tell me do you think I’m ____” 31. Spanish snack 32. Enlighten 33. TV’s “____ Circus” 34. * “’Cause uptown funk gon’ give it ____ ____” 36. Tiresias in “Oedipus Rex”, e.g.

38. Formerly, formerly 42. *“So take ____ broken wings” 45. *“I’ve got the world on a ____” 49. Charlie Sheen’s diagnosis 51. Man cave’s necessity 54. Waste water pipe 56. What did Jessica Fletcher do?

57. Aquarium organism 58. “Iron horse” track 59. Yamaguchi’s court 60. Accompanied by “gloom”?

61. Bad sign 62. Used when citing a reference 63. Two equal a twenty 64. Scholastic aptitude test 66. “____ to Joy”

23 December 31, 2015

Local history

Regional Transportation Notes AIRPORTS SEEING HIGHER ON-TIME PERCENTAGES: Flights into and out of

the region’s three airports were more likely to be on time for the first 10 months of 2015 than the same period in 2014, according to new federal figures.

All three airports – Washington Dulles International, Ronald Reagan Washington National and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall – saw improved year-over-year on-time performance from January to October, according to figures reported by the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Reagan National saw 81.9 percent of its flights depart within 15 minutes of the

scheduled time, up from 80.9 percent during the first 10 months of 2014. Dulles reported a 77.5-percent on-time-departure rate, up from 72.1 percent, while BWI showed a 73.9-percent rate, up from 69.6 percent.

Of the nation’s 29 busiest air terminals, National ranked ninth in departure performance, down from seventh a year ago; Dulles ranked 21st, up from 25th; and BWI ranked 28th, down from 27th.

Airports with the highest percentage of on-time departures during the period were Salt Lake City (87.7 percent); Portland, Ore. (87 percent); Minneapolis-St. Paul (84.8 percent); and Seattle (84.7 percent).

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STATE AGENCY GETS RAIL CHIEF: Peter

Burrus has joined the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) in the newly-created position of chief of rail transportation.

In this role, Burrus will provide executive leadership and strategic management in the development and execution of all DRPT freight and passenger rail transportation initiatives.

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The worst performers were New York’s La Guardia (73.8 percent); BWI; ChicagoO’Hare (74 percent); and Chicago-Midway (74.3 percent).

While BWI ranked lowest in the region in on-time departures, it was tops in ontime arrivals. During the reporting period, 80.2 percent of flights arrived on time, up from 76.3 percent and moving from 17th to 12th on the ranking.

Dulles posted an on-time-arrival rate of 79.6 percent, up from 74.8 percent, moving from 22nd place to 15th. Reagan National’s on-time-arrival rate of 78.6 percent was up from 77 percent, but the airport’s ranking fell from 14th to 18th.

The top four airports in on-time arrivals were Salt Lake City (87.6 percent); Atlanta (84.6 percent); Portland, Ore. (84.2 percent); and Seattle (83.7 percent). At the bottom of the ranking were New York La Guardia (69.8 percent); Newark Liberty (75.6 percent); New York Kennedy (76 percent); and Boston (76.1 percent).

Full figures are available on the Web site at www.rita.dot.gov/bls.

Sun Gazette

December 31, 2015

24

Our Gift To You This Holiday Season, Eye Candy!

Here is a sample of the projects we submitted for awards this year.

Custom Home in Falls Church

Major Renovation including New Kitchen in Vienna

Major Renovation including New Kitchen in McLean

Basement Renovation with Wine Room in Vienna

www.insidenova.com

Master Bath Renovation in Vienna

Sun Gazette

For more than 25 years, we’ve been creating homes that are beautiful, functional and customized for each family. While the quality of our work defines us, the true measure of our success is truly happy clients. Happy Holidays! –Bruce and Wilma Bowers

Master Bathroom Falls Church

Kitchens | Baths | Interior Renovations | New Homes | Outdoor Living 703.506.0845 BowersDesignBuild.com