Usury Explosion - The Connection Newspapers

Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ November 28 - December 4, 2013 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See New Focus, Page 7

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November 28, 2013Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper

See Region, Page 6

Leaping into the HolidaysThe Jack-in-the Box (Caroline Margo) leaps out as Clara (Lyssa Leisher) watches inamazement during a rehearsal of “The Nutcracker” to be presented Dec. 5-7 atWest Potomac Hig School. More photos, page 3.

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By Michael Lee Pope

The Gazette

In the last three years, dozensof new car-title lending busi-nesses have popped up in

neighborhoods across NorthernVirginia — the result of recentregu la t ionsopening thedoor to a busi-ness thatcharges asmuch as 264percent a yearon loans.Since 2010,when the Vir-ginia GeneralA s s e m b l ygave the green light to the indus-try, the total number of locationshas more than doubled from 184to 395. And locations are openingevery week.

“It’s a trap, and although it’s pre-

sented as a loan it’s really loan-sharking,” said Jay Speech, execu-tive director of the Virginia Pov-erty Law Center. “People who getinto this end up much worse offthan when they started.”

Lenders have always charged arange of interest rates for loans,

but what’sh a p p e n i n gnow in neigh-b o r h o o d sacross North-ern Virginia isu n p r e c -e d e n t e d .Back in 2010,after then-At-torney Gen-eral Bob

McDonnell went after the car-titlelending industry for violating Vir-ginia law restricting how soon col-lections could begin on loans,members of the Virginia General

By Michael Lee Pope

The Gazette

The upcoming session ofthe Virginia General As-sembly is likely to feature

a new debate about the state ofthe commonwealth’s mentalhealth services, one prompted bythe attempted murder and suicideof a state senator. Last week, the24-year-old son of state Sen.Creigh Deeds (D-25) stabbed thesenator in the face and upper bodybefore killing himself with a rifle.

The tragic story has opened newquestions about the availability ofmental health services in Virginia,even for a well-connected familywith political ties that reach acrossthe commonwealth.

“What we have to do is to makesure that we are providing as com-prehensive a set of services as wecan to help people with mental ill-ness stabilize themselves,” saidstate Sen. George Barker (D-39).“We need to help them get on theroad to recovery so they can man

Usury ExplosionNorthern Virginia becomeshotbed for car-title lending industry.

“People who get intothis end up muchworse off than whenthey started.”

— Jay Speech, executive direc-tor, Virginia Poverty Law Center

New Focus onMental HealthDeeds family tragedy createsnew spotlight on social services.

2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ November 28 - December 4, 2013 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


News

Tapping soldiers Jordan McCray, Jessica Dickerson, Lindsay Leisher and Kaila Anderson entertain the guests during the Christmas Eve party in Act1 of the Alexandria Community Dance production of “The Nutcracker.”

Alexandria Community Dance To Present ‘Nutcracker’

Celebrating five years on the stage, members of the Alexandria Community Danceperformance of “The Nutcracker” come together for a photo before the rehearsal onSunday afternoon, Nov. 24, at the Springbank Auditorium in West Potomac High School.

Hope Sawyer, playing a mouse, watches the unfolding ofthe scene with her fellow mice during Sundayafternoon’s dress rehearsal.

Jessica Dickerson, theMouse Queen, arrives atmidnight after the party.

Clara (Lyssa Leisher) raises up her gift, “The Nutcracker,”in front of her friends at the party.

At the Christmas Eve party, teenagers Catherine Medranoand Olivia Hays share a bit of gossip.

Alexandria CommunityDance presents its 5thAnnual “Nutcracker”production Dec. 5 -7,

with more than 100 dancers swirl-ing, tumbling, and soaringonstage.

Tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical balletand even gymnastics add to themerriment of this holiday favorite.Dancers as young as 4 years oldfrom City of Alexandria andFairfax County elementary, sec-ondary and middle schools per-form with dancers from WestPotomac High School and the WestPotomac Dance Academy.

General admission tickets is $15for adults, $12 for children, and

half-price tickets for senior citizensat all shows. Purchase tickets atwww.alexandriadance.com, forgroups [email protected].

Performances will be held atSpringbank Auditorium, WestPotomac High School, 6500Quander Road, on Dec. 5 and 6 at6:30 p.m., Dec. 7 at 2:30 p.m. anda Military Appreciation show at6:30 p.m. offering $10 tickets formembers of military families witha valid ID.

The dancers are organizing afood drive for the needy in Alex-andria and audience members areencouraged to bring donations ofnon-perishable foods to the shows.

Photos by

Louise Krafft

The Gazette


News

See Support, Page 19

By Gerald A. Fill

The Gazette

Barbara Sullivan has been Mount Vernon AtHome’s executive director for the past threeyears. Formerly she served as a licensedlong term care administrator for the Paul

Spring Retirement Center. She offered these com-ments and suggestions on how to support MVAH:

Q. How long has MVAH been in existence,and how many dues paying members doyou have?

A. We are half way through our fifth year of exist-ence. We now have 190 dues paying members andexpect to have over 200 by early in 2014. We are acritically important resource for those seniors in needof advice and reliable support so that they can stayin their homes for as long as they want and practi-cal. For example, our transportation assistance is criti-cal to keeping seniors independent; we drive themto doctors’ appointments, grocery shopping, and so-cial events. Our educational seminars have preventedseniors from being scammed. MVAH also providesvaluable networking opportunities between ourmembers and county social service providers. We areone of 30 senior villages in the Washington metroarea, and an active participant in the metro-wideassociation of senior villages. You might character-ize us as a neighborhood concierge service.

Q. What is the most gratify-ing aspect about your job?

A. For me it is not a job, but acalling. Every day is a challengebut the rewards are many. I enjoywatching our organization con-tinue to grow and provide valuablesupport and advisory services toour members; be more of an inte-gral part of the social servicesneeded by our members; and see-ing the happy faces of seniors who,because of our support, are securein their homes and can remainactive in the community and not be isolated and with-out recourse to help when it is needed.

Q. How can people contribute to MountVernon At Home; what do you need thatcould be offered as a holiday gift?

A. Well, for sure we can always use a cash contri-bution that could be written off as a charitable taxdeduction. We are a 501C3 organization. However,we are also very interested in accepting volunteersfor a wide range of activities. Approximately 50 percent of our income comes from membership duesand the rest is through private fundraising. Here is asuggested list of holiday gift ideas:

❖ Membership to MVAH for yourself or from adultchildren for their senior parents. In January and Feb-ruary, 2014 we will be conducting open house brief-ing sessions for seniors and/or adult children of se-niors to describe the services we offer and answerquestions.

❖ Volunteer as a driver. Transportation assistanceis the #1 need of our seniors, and we are always

looking for drivers who will transport our membersto doctor and dental appointments, grocery shop-ping, banking, social events, library, to the Hollin Hallsenior center, etc. Also, we collaborate with Fairfaxcounty to transport members needing handicappedaccessible transportation vehicles.

❖ Volunteers who bring specialized expertise toour members. We emphasize educational seminarsand one on one tutorials about such subjects as in-formation technology; affordable housing; financialadvice, estate planning, elder law, health insurance,tax planning and preparation. We are also always onthe lookout for volunteers who will speak to our se-niors about consumer protection tips to prevent medi-cal identity theft, avoid unscrupulous contractorscams, and other types of scams perpetrated on se-niors.

❖ Volunteers who will assist us in fundraisingevents, mailings, and administrative work of all kinds.If you want to volunteer we have stuff for you to do

to help our senior members.

Q. Can you describe thekind of social activities thatMVAH typically provides foryour members?

A. Here is a calendar of activi-ties lined up for the next twomonths.

November: Lunch and movieday; grocery shopping outing; lec-ture by noted potter Solveig Cox;new member coffee at Sherwoodlibrary; conversation with David

Shear at the Collingwood Library and Museum (com-bating rhino and elephant poaching); Bridge; din-ner ventures at the Mount Vernon Inn; volunteer re-ception. In addition, the following community eventtook place that our members attended: Virginia In-surance Counseling workshop at the Hollin Hall Se-nior Center.

December: Lunch Bunch at Bilbo Baggins, OldTown; Philharmonic Orchestra at Bishop Ireton H.S.;Gunston Hall Mansion Tour; Wreath Making work-shop; MVAH Holiday Luncheon at Mt. Vernon Coun-try Club; Dinner Ventures, Indigo Landing; PotluckBrunch; Phillips Art Collection trip.

Q. What is your advice to seniors andadult children of seniors to prevent emer-gency situations from occurring, and easethe transition for seniors who wish toremain independent and age-in-place?

A. On the surface simple enough, but oh so im

Non-profit senior “village”provides services to seniorswho wish to age-in-place.

Support Mount Vernon At Home

DetailsMOUNT VERNON AT HOME2013 Officers:President: Morrie HovenVice President: Nancy UrbanTreasurer: Virginia HodgkinsonSecretary: Teresa DyerExecutive Director: Barbara Sullivaninfo@mountvernonathome.orgwww.mountvernonathome.org703-303-4060P.O.Box 7493Alexandria VA 22307-7493

Barbara Sullivan, executive director ofMount Vernon At Home.

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From Page 1

News

Region Becomes Hotbed for Car-Title Lending Industry

This site is soon to become the latest addition to the series of car-titlelending operations that have opened along the Route 1 corridor sincelegislators opened the door to the industry back in 2010.

Assembly crafted legislation that set rulesspecific to car-title lenders. The legislationcreated some restrictions that preventedlenders from going after borrowers for ad-ditional money if they had already repos-sessed an automobile, prevented lendersfrom charging more than 50 percent of thevalue of a car and capped the interests rateat 264 percent a year.

“Under this law, Mister Speaker, the in-dustry will not grow,” said Del. Terry Kilgore(R-1) when the bill was debated on theHouse floor. “It will shrink.”

THAT PREDICTION ended up beingwrong. When the 2010 legislation passed,Virginia had 125 car-title lending locations.By the end of the year, that number hadspiked to 184 locations. By the end of 2011,according to a report from the State Corpo-ration Commission, the industry had 378locations across the commonwealth. Andthe industry was clamoring for more. In2011, a year after the new rules were cre-ated, the General Assembly considered an-other piece of legislation that undercut oneof the restrictions created by the previousbill — preventing lenders from acceptingtitles of out-of-state cars.

“If you want to see car-title lenders domore loans in the state of Virginia, then youwant to vote yes,” said Glenn Oder (R-94),who brought a plush shark to the Housefloor to help him make the point. “But ifyou agree with me that the law we passedlast year was sufficient, then you want tovote no.”

A number of Northern Virginia legislatorsdisagreed with Oder and supported the leg-islation to expand the reach of car-title lend-ers outside the boundaries of the common-wealth.

The Senate passed the legislation on a 32to 3 vote, with every member of the North-ern Virginia supporting legislation that wasintroduced by Senate Democratic leaderDick Saslaw (D-35). On the House side, thevote was much tighter — 51 in support and47 in opposition.

The coalition in support of the bill wasbipartisan, including Del. Bob Brink (D-48),Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34). Del. KayeKory (D-38), Del. Tim Hugo (R-40) and Del.

Mark Sickles (D-43).“All these laws do is let people get a car-

title loan,” said Del. Dave Albo (R-42), whoalso voted in favor of the bill. “People candetermine if this is a good choice for themor if it’s a bad choice for them.”

INDUSTRY LEADERS contributed gener-ously to members of the General Assemblyand lobbied heavily to get their way. Since2009, LoanMax contributed more than$500,000 and Fast Auto Loans contributedmore than $200,000. Saslaw received thelargest individual contributions, receiving$22,000 from Fast Auto Loans and almost$20,000 from LoanMax. Many of the otherlegislators voting in support of the industryalso received financial support from car-titlelenders. When asked about his support ofthe 2011 bill, Del. Bob Brink (D-48) hadlittle to say.

“No comment,” said Brink, who received$1,500 from LoanMax and $500 from FastAuto Loans.

A map of car-title lending operations inNorthern Virginia shows they are clusteredin areas with high poverty and low sala-ries. Manassas has 11 locations. Annandalehas four. South Arlington has two.

The Route 1 corridor in southeast Fairfax

County has seven, and another one is aboutto open at the intersection with Hunting-ton Avenue. Some say they are concernedNorthern Virginia is becoming a place whereunscrupulous lenders can take advantageof people in need who come from the Dis-trict of Columbia or Maryland — a fear that

will become more pronounced when a newcasino opens in Prince George’s County.

“Route 1 has become the car-title lend-ing capital of Northern Virginia,” said Del.Scott Surovell (D-44). “And that’s the lastkind of economic development we need onthe corridor.”

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See Bulletin Board, Page 7

Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline isThursday at noon.

FRIDAY/NOV. 29Blood Drive. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at The

Elms at Kingstowne, 6008 Rock CliffLane. The American Red CrossGreater Chesapeake and PotomacBlood Services is holding blooddrives throughout the region. Donorsare encouraged to call 1-800 REDCROSS or visit redcrossblood.org.

SATURDAY/NOV. 30English Conversation. 10:30 a.m. at

Sherwood Regional Library. Adultscan converse with other adultslearning English. Free.

HOLIDAY NEEDS

Toy Drive. Weichert, Realtors areholding a toy drive through Dec. 13.Drop off a new, unwrapped toy toany of the offices. They will bedelivered throughout the holidays inconjunction with local charities thatassist financially and physicallydisadvantaged children. To make adonation, visit any Weichert, Realtorssales office or to find a local office,visit www.weichert.com/offices/.

Toy Drive. Sheehy Auto Stores willhold a toy drive to benefit the U.S.Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program.Through Dec. 15, donate a new,unwrapped toy to Sheehy Honda ofAlexandria, 2434 RichmondHighway.

Christmas Tree and Wreath Sale.Pick out a freshly-cut North CarolinaFraser Fir while enjoying some hotcide and cookies. Ten percent of thesale will go back to a designated PTA.

Runs Saturdays and Sundays at St.Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 8531Riverside Road, through Dec. 15.Visit www.staidansepiscopal.com or703-360-4220.

TUESDAY/DEC. 3One-on-One Internet/Computer

Training. 8 p.m. at MarthaWashington Library, 6614 Fort HuntRoad. Adults can get help with basicskills. Call for appointment. Call 703-768-6700.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 4English Conversation. 10:15 a.m. at

Kingstowne Library, 6500Landsdowne Centre. Adults canconverse with other adults learningEnglish. Free. Call 703-339-4610.

Affordable Care Act Information. 7

p.m. at Sherwood Library, 2501Sherwood Hall Lane. NorthernVirginia Family Services will providean overview of how the ACA haschanged the marketplace and howyou can sign up. Free. 703-765-3645.

THURSDAY/DEC. 5Chamber Breakfast and Talk. 8-

9:30 a.m. at Mount Vernon CountryClub, 5111 Old Mill Road. TheMount Vernon-Lee Chamber ofCommerce will host Glenn Spencer,vice president of the WorkforceFreedom Initiative at the U.S.Chamber of Commerce. $25. Visitwww.mtvernon-leechamber.org or703-360-6925 for reservations.

English Conversation. 10:30 a.m. atSherwood Library, 2501 SherwoodHall Lane. Adults can converse withother adults learning English. Free.

703-765-3645.English Conversation. 2 p.m. at John

Marshall Library, 6209 Rose HillDrive. Adults can converse with otheradults learning English. Free. 703-971-0010.

English Conversation. 7 p.m. atSherwood Library, 2501 SherwoodHall Lane or Kingstowne Library,6500 Landsdowne Center. Adults canconverse with other adults learningEnglish. Free. 703-765-3645.

FRIDAY/DEC. 6English Conversation. 10:30 a.m. at

Sherwood Library, 2501 SherwoodHall Lane. Adults can converse withother adults learning English. Free.703-765-3645.

Bulletin Board


Visit These Houses of WorshipJoin a Club, Make New Friends, or Expand Your Horizons…

To Advertise Your Faith Community, call Karen at 703-917-6468

Good ShepherdCatholic Church

8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria VA, 22309Tel: 703-780-4055 Fax: 703-360-5385 www.gs-cc.org

Loving as Christ loves, serving as Christ serves

Saturday Evening5:00 pm Vigil Mass6:30 pm Vigil Mass (en Español)Sunday7:30 am; 9:00 am (with SignLanguage Interpreter &Children’s Liturgy of the Word);10:30 am; 12:00 Noon; 2:00 pm(en Español); 6:30 pm

Weekday& SaturdayMornings: 9:00 am Mass,followed by Rosary (on FirstFriday, Mass followed byEucharistic Adoration)Thursday & First Fridayof the Month:7:30 pm Mass en Español

Mass Schedule

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News

New Focus on Mental HealthFrom Page 1

age their situation as best as they can and hopefullynever get to that crisis.”

Shortly after the Virginia Tech massacre, a com-mission recommended that that more than $40 mil-lion in additional spending be added to the mental-health budget every year. Legislators took a strongfirst step by adding about $30 million to the annualbudget the first year, but then the economic down-turn tightened spending. Funding levels fell downto where they were before the Virginia Tech massa-cre. In the last two years, some funding has beenadded, but the commission’s financial recommenda-tion remains unfulfilled.Now that a state senator’sson was unable to get a psy-chiatric bed before an emer-gency custody order ex-pired, legislators are pre-paring themselves for a newfight on familiar territory.

“This happens repeatedlyacross Virginia,” said Alex-andria Community ServicesBoard executive directorMichael Gilmore, whospent 20 years running so-cial services in rural BathCounty. “We have emergency staff that are reallystruggling.”

ASIDE FROM FUNDING, a number of legislativeproposals are emerging as a result of the situationinvolving Deeds and his son. One is to lengthen thetime that individuals can be detained under an emer-gency custody order. Back in 2007, this was one ofthe key recommendations of the Commission onMental Health Law Reform, which suggested a maxi-mum of eight hours. Because the senator’s son wasreleased when time ran out rather than finding abed, a number of potential reforms are emerging asa result. One would be that police could detain some-one indefinitely against his or her will, which is un-likely to receive support from civil rights advocates.Another possibility would give magistrates the abil-ity to issue temporary detention orders even though

a psychiatric bed has not been located yet.“When someone has been shot, the emergency

room doesn’t deny the patient service because a bedisn’t available,” said Del. Rob Krupicka (D-45). “Thatshouldn’t happen in a mental-health context either.”

Legislators may end up debating which part of thesafety net is most in need of reform. For example, isthe emergency custody order in need of reform ordoes the temporary detention order need to be modi-fied? Krupicka and others have called for changes tothe emergency custody orders. But Barker says thetemporary detention order should be expanded be-yond 48 hours, a time he says is not sufficient before

a judge issues a commit-ment order detaining aperson for a more long-term period of time.

“That is the shortest inthe nation. There is nostate that has a shortermaximum period of timein which someone can bedetained,” said Barker. “Iput a bill in last year toincrease that from 48hours to 72 hours, whichhas now been supportedby the governor’s school

safety task force so I think there’s strong supportmoving forward on that.”

SOME OF THE POTENTIAL changes are beingsuggested by the law-enforcement community. In-coming Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney BryanPorter is working with Krupicka to craft legislationthat would create more time for mental health work-ers to track down a psychiatric bed. One bill wouldallow magistrates to issue successive two-hour ex-tensions for emergency custody orders if they canshow good cause. Another change would allow mag-istrates to issue temporary detention orders withoutfirst identifying a psychiatric bed.

“These changes would allow a person in crisis tobe held until a bed could be found, subject to reviewby the judicial branch,” said Porter. “This will keepboth the community and the person in crisis safe.”

“What we have to do is tomake sure that we areproviding as comprehensivea set of services as we can tohelp people with mentalillness stabilize themselves.”

— State Sen. George Barker (D-39)

See Bulletin, Page 14

Bulletin Board

From Page 6

SATURDAY/DEC. 7Volunteer Information Session. 11

a.m.-noon at John Marshall Library,6209 Rose Hill Drive. Learn how tobecome a child advocate with the

Fairfax CASA. 703-273-3526 ext. 22for reservations or information.

English Conversation. 10:30 a.m. atSherwood Library, 2501 SherwoodHall Lane. Adults can converse withother adults learning English. Free.703-765-3645.

EBook Workshop. 1 p.m. at John

Marshall Library, 6209 Rose HillDrive. Adults can bring their eBookreader and library card and get anyquestions answered. Free. 703-971-0010.

During the last week ofeach year, the Mount VernonGazette devotes its entire issueto the creativity of localstudents. The results arealways remarkable, and theeditions have won manyawards. It is a keepsakeedition for many families.

We publish artwork, poetry,essays, creative writing,opinion pieces, short stories,photography, photos ofsculpture or gardens or othercreative efforts.

We ask that all submissions be digital so they can besent through e-mail or delivered on CD or flash drive.Writing should be submitted in rich text format (.rtf).Artwork should be provided in .jpg format. Identify eachpiece of writing or art, including the student’s full name,age, grade and town of residence, plus the name of theschool, name of teacher and town of school location.Please provide the submissions by Friday, Dec. 6 forpublication the week of Dec. 26.

E-mail submissions to:[email protected]

To send CDs or flash drives containing artwork andtyped, electronic submissions, mark them clearly byschool and hometown and mail the CD to Children’sGazette, 1606 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Be a Part of CHILDREN’S GAZETTE


Opinion

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Call: 703-778-9410e-mail:

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A Connection Newspaper

See Letters, Page 10

The holidays are about giving. Theyare about children. The holidaysare about sharing, about joy, aboutalleviating suffering for others. The

holidays are about being thankful and aboutfaith and appreciation.

Most of us live in neighborhoods that are veryhomogenous. There are exceptions, but mostpeople reading this live in affluent areas wherethe houses are mostly in the same price range,and while there might be some ethnic diver-sity, there is little in the way of economic di-versity.

It’s easy to forget that there are massiveunmet needs, hungry children, homeless fami-

lies most with at least one working parent,homeless individuals with jobs and with-out jobs, people who don’t know for surewhether they will have enough to eat orbe able to be warm enough, people who arechoosing between medical care and car repairwhen forgoing the car repair could mean los-ing a job.

In Fairfax County Public Schools, about50,000 of the 185,000 students qualify to re-ceive free or subsidized meals, a significantmeasure of poverty. Many elementary schoolsstaff are discovering that for some of these stu-dents, a majority of students in some schools,they only meals the can count on are break-

Holidays Are About GivingSo many needs, so many great organizations,give locally where your heart leads you.

Editorial

Where To Give Locally

fast and lunch on school days.Nonprofits, school staff and individuals have

been working to send backpacks of healthy, kid-friendly food home with students on the week-end.

It’s hard to imagine 50,000 studentsgoing hungry; it’s obvious that chil-dren who aren’t sure they will be ableto eat when they are hungry are not

going to have joyous holidays filled with fam-ily meals, gifts and special activities.

Hundreds of homeless students attend thepublic schools, and their needs are greater.

There are literally hundreds, probably thou-sands, of ways to give locally this season. Hereare a few ideas. We welcome suggestions forother groups.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

In no particular order:Our Daily Bread — has been serving needy families

in Fairfax County for 25 years. The Holiday Programhelps those in need with food for the holidays andgifts for their children, making last year’s holidayseason brighter for approximately 3,000 families.For more information on their holiday programs,including how to sponsor a family, go towww.odbfairfax.com/holiday

Food for Others distributed more than 2.4 millionpounds of free food to families in need in NorthernVirginia in the year ending June 30, 2012, The non-profit provides a safety net for people who suddenlyface unforeseen emergencies such as a family illnessor the loss of a job or a spouse. Located at 2938Prosperity Ave., Fairfax, VA 22031, 703-207-9173.www.foodforothers.com

Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO),703-569-9160. Open to receive donations at 7205Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield. Provides food andfinancial assistance to those in short-termemergencies, and provides clothing and householdgoods to low income families, helping more than5,000 people last year. www.echo-inc.org.

Lorton Community Action Center operates the Actll Thrift Shop at 9506 Richmond Highway, Lorton.Sales from the shop generate funds for LCAC andclients also shop there. Now collecting gift cards andfood baskets for Thanksgiving, gifts and foodbaskets for Christmas, and warm coats. 703-339-8611 www.lortonaction.org.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater WashingtonFairfax Area operates clubs in two of the neediest

areas of the county, Culmore and the Route 1corridor, focusing on character and academicsuccess. http://www.bgcgw.org/fairfax/

Office to End and Prevent Homelessness needsjust a few thousand dollars more in contributionsfor Jeans Day (in October) to qualify for a matchinggrant from the Phillip L. Graham Fund, turningmany $5 and greater donations into $50,000 to helpthousands of homeless in Fairfax County.www.ziphomelessness.com

12 Ways of Giving: Fairfax County Office of PublicPrivate Partnerships “12 Ways of Giving” campaignis an annual event that showcases many ways formeaningful, local giving during the holiday season.www.fairfaxcountypartnerships.org

Assistance League of Northern Virginia is an all-volunteer organization that clothes, feeds, educatesand nurtures those in need. Working through sixelementary schools and Inova Fairfax Hospital,Assistance League touches the lives of some of themost needy in Northern Virginia. The schoolsinvolved include Dogwood Elementary in Reston,Lynbrook Elementary and Garfield Elementary inSpringfield, Cora Kelly Elementary in Alexandriaand Pine Spring Elementary in Falls Church.Volunteers and donors are always needed. [email protected] or seewww.northernvirginia.assistanceleague.org

Comfort for America’s Uniformed Services(CAUSE) — ensures that recuperating servicemembers have opportunities for recreation andsocial interaction and receive concrete signs ofappreciation for all that they have done. 4114

Legato Road Suite B, Fairfax, VA 22033, 703-591-4968, cause-usa.org

National Capital Food Bank, 6833 Hill Park Drive,Lorton, serving all of Northern Virginia, 703-541-3063. www.capitalareafoodbank.org

Alternative House — Abused and HomelessChildren’s Refuge, 2100 Gallows Road, Vienna,VA 22182, 703-506-9191,www.thealternativehouse.org.

FACETS helps parents, their children and individualswho suffer the effects of poverty in the Fairfax area.FACETS is always in need of volunteers, and offers avariety of one-time and ongoing opportunities. 703-865-4251 or [email protected]. FACETSoffers a monthly Youth Volunteer Night.Information about supply donations and FACETSholiday gifts drive is available on the website atwww.facetscares.org. 10640 Page Avenue, Suite300, Fairfax VA 22030

Committee for Helping Others (CHO), Vienna,organized in 1969 by a group of concerned churchesand individuals in the Dunn Loring, Merrifield,Oakton, Vienna community to provide simple,loving charity to those in need. 703-281-7614,www.cho-va.com

Lamb Center, www.thelambcenter.org, Day center forhomeless, Fairfax 703-691-3178

Northern Virginia Family Service, 10455 WhiteGranite Drive Suite 100, Oakton, VA 22124 703-385-3267 http://www.nvfs.org/

United Community Ministries, Mount Vernon,703-768-7106, 7511 Fordson Road, Alexandria,22306 http://www.ucmagency.org/

DemocracyIn ActionTo the Editor:

I have been a citizen volunteerin the Mount Vernon District since1974. As a proud retiree of theU.S. Army with service in WorldWar II and Vietnam, I believe it isour duty to give back to our com-munity.

Being involved in grassroots de-mocracy is a valued endeavor. Irecently served as the chair of theNominating Committee for theMount Vernon Council of Citizens’Associations (MVCCA). This com-mittee worked tirelessly to developa well-rounded and qualified slateto bring forward to our member

associations for the MVCCA’s 2014Executive Committee elections.

This year we elected:James Davis and Chris Low as

returning co-chairs and a newmember of this co-chair team, RonFitzsimmons. Carol Coyle was re-elected as our secretary andPatricia Gowland was elected tostay on as our treasurer.

These individuals take on manyhours of hard and dedicated workas key players in the orchestrationof the business of the MVCCA. TheMVCCA works diligently to bringforward to our elected local andstate officials the opinions anddesires of our member organiza-tions. The MVCCA is democracy atthe grass roots level in action, andI am proud to be a part of that long

standing tradition.

Frank CohnAlexandria

ThankfulTo the Editor:

The Thanksgiving holiday is aday when it is appropriate to putaside political and policy differ-ences, take a step back and recog-nize with appreciation how fortu-nate we are to live in a free soci-ety, able to make decisions for our-selves about the important issuesconfronting us and to live in a safe,clean community mainly popu-lated with thoughtful neighborsand friends who have the best in-terests of Mount Vernon and the

greater world at heart.I have a great appreciation for

those neighbors, friends and col-leagues who volunteer in the civicarena by putting aside their per-sonal agendas to serve the com-munity at large with distinction.Without these selfless individuals,our community would not func-tion as it does, at an extremelyhigh level of involvement in thedecision-making process of ourelected officials. Holding the feetof our elected officials to the fireso they take appropriate decisionsin our names is a great calling andwe have more than our fair shareof these civic-minded individuals.They are the straws that stir the

Letters to the Editor


Viewpoints

Santos A.: “I’m thankful forskateboarding and for myMom.”

Monica P.: “I’m thankful formy Mom and for nature.”

Barbara Dees: “I’m thank-ful for my family.”

Ericka Morales and herdaughter Cynthia talked

about the new baby boy (inthe stroller): “That’s what

we are thankful for. Heturns one month old on

Thanksgiving.”

What are youthankful for,this year?

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OF GREATER WASHINGTONFAIRFAX COUNTY REGION

Support

Join in our annual givingcampaign:For more information,E-mail [email protected]: 703-820-5206Visit http://www.bgcgw.org/givegreatfutures/and select “Fairfax County”

The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of GreaterWashington is to help boys and girls of all backgrounds,especially those who need us most, build confidence,develop character and acquire the skills needed tobecome productive, civic-minded, responsible adults.

BGCGW’s Fairfax County region includes the CulmoreCharacter Club and Murraygate Village Club, serving 582members a year. On average, 120 youths come throughthe doors every day during the school year.

Meet Henry Lopez, 2013 NationalBoys & Girls Clubs Virginia Youthof the Year, who grew up with theBGCGW Culmore Character Clubfor 14 years. Henry now attendsGeorge Mason University on anHonor Scholarship studyingcomputer engineering.

Special Thanks to

CHRISTMAS BOOK SALETo complement our ongoing book sale at the Sherwood Regional Library, beginningon December 4 and continuing through most of December, there will be a specialsale of Christmas-related books and media.There will be thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes offered in the first andsecond floor book sale areas.Many of these items are in gift-quality condition and present a perfect opportunityto buy a gift or two for the readers on your Christmas list.Every senior and child (with a parent) gets a free book during our regular scheduledsale days (every Wednesday from 1-4 pm and the first Saturday of each month from10 am to 4 pm).Donations of your excess books and media are always needed and always welcomed!

Sherwood Regional Library • 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria703-765-3645

Two Convenient Alexandria LocationsOpen 7 days a week

Bradlee Belle View3690J King Street 1600A Belle View Blvd.

703.820.8600 571.384.6880www.unwinedva.com

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BOTH LOCATIONS OPENTHANKSGIVING DAY 9A.M.–1P.M.

From Page 8

Letters

drink of appropriate civic activ-ism. Our elected officials welcomesuch involvement — without it,they are unable to represent us.Thanks to all of you for your ser-vice to the community.

I wish the citizens of MountVernon a Happy Thanksgiving,and a rewarding holiday season.The fight for truth, justice and theAmerican way will resume nextweek!

H. Jay SpiegelMount Vernon

Heater CausesHouse Fire

Fairfax County Fire and RescueDepartment units responded to ahouse fire, Friday, Nov. 15, at ap-proximately 8:40 a.m., in theMount Vernon area of FairfaxCounty. The single family home islocated at 7922 Grimsley St.

Firefighters encountered smokeand fire coming from the base-ment of the two-story home uponarrival. Firefighters brought thefire under control in approxi-mately 15 minutes. A soundingsmoke alarm alerted the occupantsto the fire allowing them to escapeunharmed. Two adults and an in-fant have been displaced and willreceive support from the RedCross. A cat perished in the fire.There were no other injuries.

Damage is estimated at$200,000. According to fire inves-tigators, the fire was accidental. Aportable heater placed too close toa chair caused the fire.

News Brief

The fire department offers thefollowing alternate heating sourcesafety tips:

❖ Keep at least three feet of clear-ance between your alternate heatsource and anything combustible.

❖ Never leave a heater on whenyou are not in the room or whenyou go to sleep.


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12 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ November 28 - December 4, 2013 Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ November 28 - December 4, 2013 ❖ 13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


Bulletin

From Page 7

TUESDAY/DEC. 10Google Plus. 7 p.m. at Sherwood

Library, 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane.Learn how to use maps, videos,pictures and more on Google. Free.703-765-3645.

One-on-One Internet/ComputerTraining. 8 p.m. at MarthaWashington Library, 6614 Fort HuntRoad. Adults can get help with basicskills. Call for appointment. Call 703-768-6700.

TUESDAY/JAN. 14Pet Loss Support Group. 1:30-2:30

p.m. at Hollin Hall Senior Center,1500 Shenandoah Road. Talk withothers who are dealing with thedeath of a beloved pet. Free, registerby calling 703-333-6963.

SATURDAY/JAN. 18Open House. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Fort

Hunt Preschool in the CarriageHouse, 1909 Windmill Lane. Learnabout the school, meet teachers andour classrooms. Contact Alex St. Clairat [email protected] visit www.forthuntpreschool.com.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDThe Wakefield Chorale needs a piano

accompanist to rehearse with andaccompany them duringperformances at Northern Virginiaretirement communities. Rehearsalsand performances are all onTuesdays from 7:30-9:30 p.m., frommid-September thru mid-Decemberand from mid-January through mid-June. They need an accompanist whocan begin in mid-January. Contact703-960-0440 [email protected].

The Northern Virginia Long-TermCare Ombudsman Programneeds volunteer advocates forresidents in assisted living andnursing facilities throughout thearea. Volunteers can work in facilitiesclose to where they live. Training andsupport is provided. Call 703-324-5861, TTY 711, or [email protected] more information atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices/ltcombudsman/vol_ombud_program.htm.

Fairfax County needs Somali-speaking volunteers to providerides to an older adult in the Lortonarea. Call 703-324-5406, TTY 711,visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadults and link to VolunteerSolutions or e-mail at [email protected].

Fairfax County’s Adult Day Health CareCenters need outreach volunteersfor 4 hours/week. Requires travelaround the county. Marketingexperience preferred. Call 703-324-5406, TTY 711, visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/olderadultsand link to Volunteer Solutions or e-mail [email protected] for information.

The Mount Vernon Adult DayHealth Care Program needs avolunteer to greet people and answerphones one day per week from 10:30a.m.-noon to start as soon aspossible. Contact Fairfax County’sVolunteer Solutions at 703-324-5406,TTY 703-449-1186,[email protected], or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices and click onvolunteers.

Fairfax County’s Meals on Wheelsneeds drivers and a coordinator.Contact Fairfax County’s VolunteerSolutions at 703-324-5406, TTY 703-449-1186, [email protected] or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices, click volunteers.


TCHOUPITOULASFine Furnishings and Interior Design

Tradition with a Twist

Tchoupitoulas is a fine furnishings store

located in Old Town Alexandria, whichspecializes in designing interiors to reflectour clients’ unique aesthetic. We like to callit “Tradition with a Twist.”

Visit us at Tchoupitoulas (CHOP-uh-TOO-lis)where you’ll see New Orleans traditionsreflected in everything from heirloom-qualitypieces to fun accessories to jazz up any space!

Special Black Friday Sales & HoursOpen Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Extended Hours Saturday & Sunday, opening 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

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210 N. Lee Street ~ Alexandria703-299-0145

Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pmSaturday & Sunday 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

50% off everything in the store, and 60% off all Holiday Décor.Active duty and Retired US military ALWAYS receive an additional 10% off every sale.

FRIDAYONLY!


Eleanor (Ellie) McMorrow Bar-bara, 73, formerly of The Manorsat Mount Vernon in Alexandria,died at home in Denver, N.C. onMonday, Nov. 25, 2013.

Born Oct. 28, 1940, inWorchester, Mass., she was thedaughter of the late Hugh and MaeLandis McMorrow. Ellie was agraduate of St. Vincent HospitalSchool of Nursing (RN) and Bos-ton College (BSN). She served as

Head Nurse in the Bos-ton College Health Unitwhere she met her hus-band of 48 years, Col.James C. Barbara (USA,Ret). Ellie was a support-ive and accomplishedArmy wife for 32 years,a loving mother, proudgrandmother and in-credibly generous friend to many.

She is pre-deceased by her par-

ents; sister, Ann MarieMcMorrow Hepburn;and brother, ThomasMcMorrow. She is sur-vived by her husband;children, Scott (Debbie)Barbara, Deborah (Rob-ert) Magee, Tammy(Dean Ekman) Barbara,Brian (Cheryl) Barbara

and 14 grandchildren. A viewingwill be held at 10:30 a.m. followed

by a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. onSaturday, Dec. 7, at Holy SpiritRoman Catholic Church, 527 Hwy16 Denver, NC 28037. Addition-ally, Ellie’s life will be celebratedat Fort Myer, Va. before she is atinterred at Arlington NationalCemetery as soon as arrangementsare finalized. The family will re-ceive friends immediately follow-ing the service in the Holy SpiritParish Activity Center.

Obituaries

Eleanor (Ellie) McMorrow BarbaraIn lieu of flowers, memorials

may be made to Children’s Insti-tute for Learning Differences(CHILD) at www.childnow.org orto CHILD at 4030 - 86th Ave SE,Mercer Island, WA 98040. GoodSamaritan Funeral Home, Denver,is serving the Barbara family. Con-dolences may be made to the Bar-bara family atwww.whatmattersnow.org/visit/ellie-barbara.

Carla CesarinaBonfanti Convery, along-time resident of theMount Vernon area andformer owner of Mike’sItalian American Restau-rant, died at her homeon Nov. 20, 2013 at theage of 93. She was bornMarch 7, 1920 in Como,Italy to Maria Begalli Bonfanti andMario Bonfanti. On March 9,1947, she married William F.Convery in Cividale, Italy. Shemoved to the U.S. in 1947 and in1952 became a U.S. citizen.

Throughout her life, Carla wasan avid runner and athlete. In1936, she qualified as second run-ner up for the 1936 Olympics inBerlin, Germany. One of her great-est thrills was meeting JessieOwens and watching him run. In1940, she qualified for the Sum-mer Olympics in Helsinki, Finlandwhich was cancelled because ofWorld War II.

In 1971 Carla and her two sonspurchased Mike’s Italian AmericanRestaurant and in 1975 sold therestaurant and retired. Five yearslater she renewed her involvementin Track and Field events that wereestablished in Washington DC. In1983 she became an original mem-ber of the Hollin Hall Senior Cen-ter, Carla taught exercise classesfor 26 years and served on theAdvisory Council as secretary andtreasurer. She was an active vol-unteer at the Hollin Hall SeniorCenter, Gum Springs Senior Cen-ter and the Mount Vernon AdultDay Care Center.

As a senior citizen, sheparticipated and accu-mulated awards in manycompetitions; WorldGames, Senior Olym-pics, the Golden AgeGames, Senior Nation-als, the Virginia Com-monwealth Games, theNational Senior Games,

and the Potomac Valley TrackClub’s Masters Track, to name afew. She received the Common-wealth of Virginia Female Athleteof the Year Award, Potomac ValleyTrack Club Ray Gordon Outstand-ing Athlete Award and the Retiredand Senior Volunteer Program LifeTime Achievement Award.

Her husband, William F. ConverySr. died in 1962. Carla is survivedby her two sons, William “Bill”(Nancy) Convery and John Daniel“Danny” (Lois) Convery; fivegrandchildren, and two great-grandchildren and her close friendKate DeAngelis.

Family received friends on Sun-day, Nov. 24 at Demaine FuneralHome, 520 S. Washington Street,Alexandria. A funeral mass washeld on Monday, Nov. 25 at SaintLouis Catholic Church, 2907Popkins Lane, Alexandria. Inter-ment will take place at ArlingtonNational Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, tributes maybe made to the Northern VirginiaSenior Olympics, P.O. Box 2089,Merrifield, VA 22116 or to thePotomac Valley Track Club, c/oPeter Blank, Treasurer, 8200Galahad Court, Annandale, VA22003.

Carla Cesarina Bonfanti Convery

Build Your CommunitySupport Your Local

Businesses.

www.connectionnewspapers.com


SportsMount Vernon Gazette Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

By Jon Roetman

The Gazette

The loss sticks with Chanel Shan-non. She remembers her then-senior teammates at MountVernon, who suddenly had their

high school careers ended, suffering for notjust hours after the game, but weeks andmonths. The loss motivates Shannon to pre-vent her high school career from ending ina similar fashion.

The 2012-13 Mount Vernon girls’ basket-ball team was loaded with talent and highexpectations. The Majors had three seniors— Kelly Loftus (Hofstra), Taylor Dunham(Navy prep school), Tiffany Webster(Barton) — who would go on to play col-lege ball and a group of game-changingyounger players who contributed scoring,defense and hustle. The Majors did the ex-pected by winning their third consecutiveNational District championship. But twogames later, Mount Vernon’s season endedin the Northern Region quarterfinals whenSouth Lakes guard Caitlin Jensen buried ajumper at the buzzer, giving the Seahawksa 46-45 victory.

Mount Vernon had a chance to pad itsone-point lead late in the game, but twicemissed the front end of a one-and-one andturned the ball over with an errant in-boundpass.

The Majors shed tears immediately fol-lowing the loss, but Shannon, who was asharpshooting junior at the time, remem-bers the lingering pain of a season thatended too soon.

“I use it as motivation for my senior sea-son, to do everything so that doesn’t hap-pen again,” Shannon said. “… That reallytore them apart for weeks and months andI don’t want to feel the same pain they did.”

Shannon isn’t the only one who still thinksabout the loss. Senior post Samantha Por-ter remembers the defeat. It’s still on themind of head coach Courtney Coffer, who

said Loftus, Dunham and Webster still thinkabout it, as well. But while the Majors havemotivation, two returning starters and sometalented newcomers, Coffer said the teamfigures to fly under the radar, which couldlead to a more relaxed group.

“The underdog role is something we’relooking forward to,” Coffer said. “When youlose the three seniors that we lost, I thinkit’s pretty safe to say no one is expectingmuch from us this year. … That motives thekids and that motivates me. … It’s not easydealing with that pressure, expecting to winevery night and getting everyone’s best shotand you have no room for error.”

Shannon, a 5-foot-6 guard, and Porter, a6-foot post player, are the Majors’ most ex-

perienced returning athletes. Shannon isone of the team’s top perimeter threats. Sheknocked down five 3-pointers and scored26 points during Mount Vernon’s 68-52 vic-tory over Oakton last season, whichsnapped the Cougars’ 34-game winningstreak. Porter never stops working and is aconsistent double-double threat in the paint.Both will play college basketball — Shan-non at Barton and Porter at ChristopherNewport — and each will be expected todo even more this season.

Coffer said Shannon and Porter have al-ready shown they have the talent to be dif-ference-makers, but now they’ll have moreopportunities at the offensive end.

“First thing we definitely need is leader-ship,” Coffer said. “We need those two tobe leaders, we need those two to have ahuge voice in the locker room … and [hold]people accountable.”

Porter’s hard work on the court sets anexample for others to follow.

“This season, I believe my role haschanged to be more of a leader figure,” Por-ter wrote in an email. “In order to be suc-cessful, we need to work hard together as ateam. I’m confident that Chanel and I willbe able to lead the team and be success-ful.”

Sophomore forward Jasmine Collier (5-9) and sophomore guard Chanise Ray (5-6) were on the varsity as freshmen and fig-ure to have a greater impact this season.Sophomore guard Deja King (5-8), a trans-

fer from North Carolina, will also be a con-tributor.

Coffer raves about senior transfer DJJeanPierre, calling her “freakishly athletic.”The 5-foot-9 point guard transferred toMount Vernon this season after playing herprevious two seasons in Alabama and Mis-sissippi.

“She has a great basketball IQ,” Coffersaid. “She has played on some really, reallygood basketball teams. … She can flat-outshoot the basketball.”

Six-foot senior Kelly Quigley, 6-foot fresh-man Miracle Wyatt and 5-foot-10 junior IrisGarcia-Rivera provide Mount Vernon withsize. Senior guard Morgan Kuhns (5-6) hasbeen with the varsity since her sophomoreseason.

While Coffer has preached tenacious de-fense in the past, the Majors are especiallyfocused on defending well this season aftergraduating three scoring threats. Coffer saidthe Majors have studied film of the VCUmen’s team playing defense and hope tohold opponents to 45 points or less.

Mount Vernon will open the season onthe road against Centreville at 7:30 p.m.on Dec. 3. Centreville reached the regionfinal four last season and returns standoutguard Jenna Green. The Majors’ first homegame is Dec. 10 against West Potomac.

“People are definitely going to doubt usbecause we lost Kelly, Tiffany and Taylor,”Shannon said. “… We’re working hard ev-ery day to prove them wrong.”

Majors Motivated by Pain of Season-Ending LossShannon, Porter areMount Vernon’s topreturning athletes.

Mount Vernon’s Chanel Shannon defends againstOakton during the 2012-13 season.

Mount Vernon’s Samantha Porter drives againstOakton during the 2012-13 season.

MountVernon headgirls’ basket-

ball coachCourtney

Coffer talksto the Ma-

jors during agame against

Oakton lastseason.

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Audit ManagerChaconas & Wilson, P.C. an established

DC CPA firm located two blocks from Foggy Bottom Metro, seeks an audit

manager to compliment audit practice. Applicant should be a CPA. Individual

will be responsible for managing all aspects of audit, review and compilation engagements, primarily for not-for-prof-it organizations. Tax return preparation

knowledge is a plus. Competitive compensation and benefit packages.

Flexible work schedule outside of busy season can be negotiated. E-mail your resume to [email protected] or fax

resume to (202) 452-0881.

BUSINESS OPP

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A great opportunity toWORK AT HOME!

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EducationalInternships

Unusual opportunity to learn manyaspects of the newspaper business.Internships available in reporting,photography, research, graphics.Opportunities for students, and foradults considering change of career.Unpaid. E-mail [email protected]

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ZONESZone 1: The Reston Connection The Oak Hill/Herndon ConnectionZone 2: The Springfield Connection The Burke Connection The Fairfax Connection The Fairfax Station/Clifton/ Lorton ConnectionZone 3: The Alexandria Gazette Packet

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21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

LEGAL NOTICESealed bids for the City of Alexandria per specifications willbe received in the office of the Purchasing Division until the date and time designated as follows:Title: Request for Proposals No. 00000395, Windmill Hill Bulk-head Improvements Engineering Design ServicesNon-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference: December 10, 2013 at 2 p.m.,prevailing local time, at 100 N. Pitt St, Suite 301, Alexandria, VA 22314.RFP Closing Date and Time: December 27, 2013, 4 p.m., pre-vailing local timeFor general inquiries, contact John Soderberg at 703-746-4397The City of Alexandria reserves the right to reject any and or all bids, cancel this solicitation, and to waive any informalities orirregularities in procedure. THE CITY REQUIRES ITS CON-TRACTORS TO BE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS.

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Falls Church Antique CENTERFalls Church Antique CENTER250 West Broad Street

Falls Church, VA703-241-9642

Open 7 Days6000 Square Feet

Christmas Shop opens November 1

26 Antiques 26 Antiques

HOLIDAY SHOWFeaturing antiques, painted furnishings and

accessories that are Old, New & just plain Cool!December 6th and 7th form 9:00am - 5:00pm

3006 Fox Mill Rd, Oakton, VA

28 Yard Sales 28 Yard Sales

HDI COMPUTER SOLUTIONSJENNIFER SMITH ❖ Serving the Area Since 1995

➣ Speed up Slow Computers➣ Troubleshooting➣ Virus Removal➣ Computer Setup

(571) [email protected]

101 Computers 101 Computers

21 AnnouncementsABC LICENSE

AMR Wines Plus, LLC trading as AMR Wines Plus, 5401 Port Royal Rd, Springfield, VA 22151 and 6461 Autumn Glen Ct, Alexandria, VA 22312. the above establishment is apply-ing to the VIRGINIA DEPART-MENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEV-ERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wholesale wine and wine importer-in-state license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages, Anna Ryjik, Manager/memberNOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be

submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing

date of the first of two required legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or

800-552-3200.

ABC LICENSEBrown Bag Vino, LLC trading as Altura Wines, 108 N. Pat-rick St, Alexandria, VA 22314. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DE-PARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer off prem-ises license to sell or manufac-ture alcoholic beverages. Edgar Salinas/PartnerNOTE: Objections to the issu-ance of this license must be

submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing

date of the first of two required legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or

800-552-3200.

26 AntiquesWe pay top $ for antique furniture and mid-century

Danish/modernteak furniture, STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES, jewelry

and costume jewelry,paintings/art glass/clocks.

Schefer Antiques @703-241-0790.

Email:[email protected]

Legal NoticesLEGAL NOTICE

Pursuant to the provision ofsection 4-1-16 of the code of

the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Police Department

located at 3600 WheelerAvenue, Alexandria, VA 22304

is now in possession ofunclaimed bicycles, mopeds,

lawn equipment, money,scooters, and other items. Allpersons having valid claim to

the property should file a claimto the property with

reasonable proof of ownershipor the items will be sold,destroyed, converted or

donated. For a completelisting go to

http://alexandriava.gov/police/and contact the Police

Property Section at (703) 746-6709.

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From Page 5

News

portant in the whole scheme of things,and based on my years of experience advis-ing seniors and their families:

Don’t wait for a crisis to occur; don’t waitto have a candid and heartfelt conversationbetween seniors and their adult children orother members of the family until it is toolate. Talk candidly about the realities of life

and prepare a plan with your loved onesfor that time when help is going to beneeded. Don’t wait for a fall; don’t wait fora crisis of confidence. Communication, com-munication, and maintaining the lines ofcommunication and building mutual trustis so important. Mount Vernon At Home ishere to help advise seniors and/or theiradult children, whatever their circum-stances might be.

Mount Vernon’s Gum Springscommunity, the oldest freeblack community in FairfaxCounty, celebrated its 180th

anniversary Saturday, Nov. 23, at a dinnerorganized by the Gum Springs Historical So-ciety at which congratulatory plaques werepresented by Sharon Bulova, Fairfax CountyBoard of Supervisors chair and state Del.Scott Surovell, and a speech was deliveredby African-American Civil War Museum cu-rator Harry Jones on the courage and per-severance of the early members of the com-munity.

The community was founded in 1833 byWest Ford, a former slave on GeorgeWashington’s nearby Mount Vernon Plan-tation. Ford was willed land by GeorgeWashington’s brother’s son, Bushrod, whichhe later sold and purchased the area calledGum Springs for the gum trees that grewthere.

Bulova presented a plaque congratulat-ing the Gum Springs community to RonaldChase, president of the Gum Springs His-torical Society. The plaque noted that GumSprings was founded by “patriarchal free-man West Ford who permitted land ... tobecome a refuge during the Civil War forfreed and runaway slaves, and with the helpof the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Quakercommunity, Gum Springs residents estab-lished economic survival through farming,the lumber industry, and trades …. TodayGum Springs has more than 2,500 residents,many of whom are descendants of thosewho lived here.” Chase also received con-gratulatory resolutions passed in the stateSenate by Sen. Toddy Puller.

Letters of congratulation were also sentby U.S. Rep. James Moran and AlexandriaMayor William Euille. Moran noted “theachievement of those early settlers, the in-

delible mark they left on African Americanhistory and the ongoing success of the com-munity they helped create.”

Euille said the “West Ford was a man ofvision … when he purchased a locationwhere many newly freed slaves came to bereunited with their separated families or tosettle as newly emancipated people.”

Jones, curator of the Washington D.C.-based African American Civil War FreedomFoundation and Museum researched theGum Spring settlers and described theircourage in establishing a free black com-munity in a slave state where they builthomes, established a church, educated theirchildren, and worked for the good of thecommunity.

The Gum Springs Historical Society andMuseum located at the west end of the GumSprings Community Center, 8100 FordsonRoad, Alexandria. The museum containsportraits of early residents, photos of build-ings, artefacts, and historical documents.

Gum Springs Community Honored

Fairfax County Board Chair SharonBulova presents a plaque honoringthe Gum Springs community toRon Chase, president of the GumSprings Historical Society.

Del. Scott Surovell presents con-gratulatory resolutions from thestate legislature to Chase.

Harry (Hari) Jones, curator of theWashington D.C.-based AfricanAmerican Civil War Freedom Foun-dation and Museum gave a pas-sionate speech on the courage ofsettlers to build a free black com-munity in a southern state before,during, and after the Civil War.

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Support Mount Vernon At Home


People

Helping UCMEach month this school year, the

Army Junior ROTC students atWest Potomac High School

volunteer their time on a Fridayafternoon at the UCM Food

Pantry to organize and bag theUSDA commodities for UCM’s

clients. The students alsoconducted a car wash in Octo-

ber that raised $900 to supportUCM’s Help the Homeless Cam-paign. Pictured at UCM are 31student volunteers, along with

their leaders Major RussellEaster (third from right) and

Sergeant Malik Calos (center, inwhite shirt).

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‘Build A Truck’The Kindergarten children from St. Aidan’s Day School learned how to build a truck with wood,nails, plastic wheels, and paint on Nov. 14. Patrice Graham and Delores Monk fromHybla Valley Home Depot came to St. Aidan’s and taught students how to use a hammer, followdirections, put together a truck, paint it, and put stickers on the truck. This activity was sponsoredby Home Depot.

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Story Telling NightStratford Landing elementaryschool hosted its first annualStory Telling night on Nov. 12.The community and literacybuilding event was a free eventput on by the PTA. The childrenwere treated to four stories byspecial guest readers whichincluded Dan Storck, MountVernon representative on theFairfax County School Board;Sugar Plum Fairies and CherryBlossom Princesses from WestPotomac High School; localmilitary father’s in their uni-forms, the school’s vice princi-pal in disguise, and many otherreaders. Each reading room wasdecorated by theme and thechildren and parents rotatedbetween the Space, Mystery,Patriotic and Fairy Tale rooms.

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At Slave MemorialGeorge Washington’s Mount Vernon joined Black Women United for Action on Oct. 12,in remembering the slaves who lived at Mount Vernon with a program andwreathlaying ceremony at the Slave Memorial. The event featured dramatic readings,performances, and music in recognition of the slaves’ sacrifices and contributions tothe early formation of this nation. Visitors could place a boxwood sprig on the SlaveMemorial’s stone steps emblazoned with “Faith, Hope, Love.” There were perfor-mances by poet Nikki Giovanni, Howard University and Virginia State University

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E-mail announcements to [email protected]. Photos andartwork are encouraged. Deadline isThursday at noon.

ONGOINGLife Drawing. Del Ray Artisans offers a

range of open life drawing sessions tohone figure drawing skills. Drop-inwith your supplies to draw livemodels. Fee: $8-12. View thecalendar atwww.TheDelRayArtisans.org.

The West End Farmers Market willrun Sundays from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.through November. Located at BenBrenman Park, browse food, craftsand more. Visitwww.westendfarmersmarket.org.

Photography Workshop. 10:30 a.m.-noon at Multiple Exposures Galleryon 105 N. Union Street.Photographers and enthusiasts of allskill levels are invited to share work,ideas, and questions at this freeworkshop held on the last Sunday ofeach month, except December. Noreservations. Call 703-683-2205.

Book a Librarian. At the Charles E.Beatley, Jr. Central Library, 5005Duke St, for help with research or tobetter understand the library’sdatabases and resources. Make anappointment by calling 703-746-1751.

Computer Tutoring. At the Charles E.Beatley, Jr. Central Library, 5005Duke St. Individual assistance from alibrarian. Call 703-746-1751.

Encore Chorale. Mondays 10:30 a.m.-noon at the George WashingtonMasonic National Memorial, 101Callahan Dr. Register now for EncoreChorale’s fall season. The group ofsingers, ages 55 and up, practiceclassical and holiday songs to preparefor December performances. $150tuition. Visit encorecreativity.org orcall 301-261-5747.

Art Exhibit. Through November, seeJenna Fournel’s work at HuntleyMeadows Park. Hours are Monday,Wednesday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5p.m. and Saturday-Sunday fromnoon-5 p.m. Visitwww.jenna4nel.com for more.

Art Exhibit. See “Del Ray DozenInvitational Photography Show” atDel Ray Artisans, 2704 MountVernon Ave. Subject matter rangesfrom landscapes to portraits and alittle bit of everything in between andthe select photographers approachtheir craft in different ways—astraditional film shooters, digitalimage-makers, darkroom junkies,print makers, and experimentalists.Exhibit runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 1.For more information, visitwww.TheDelRayArtisans.org.

Art Exhibit. Photographer Everitt Clarkpresents “Cities in the Air” from Nov.7 through Dec. 2 in the Art League atTorpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St.The exhibit will reveal howRichmond, Va., past and presentintertwine. Free. Hours are Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturdayfrom 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursdays from10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sundays fromnoon-6 p.m. Visit www.theartleague.org or 703-683-1780.

Art Exhibit. See “Portent” in theAthenaeum Gallery, 201 Prince St.,from Oct. 24 through Dec. 8. Theworks attempt to visually come toterms with, reflect or represent themagnitude of natural events. Free.Visit www.nvfaa.org for more.

Theater Performance. ThroughSunday, Dec. 22, see “A BroadwayChristmas Carol” at MetroStage,1201 N. Royal St. Wednesday, Nov.27 at 7 p.m.; Thursday-Friday at 8p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.This show is a cross between theclassic Dickens’ tale and songparodies of more than 30 Broadwayshow tune favorites. $50/adult; $25/

student or child. Visitwww.metrostage.org for tickets.

Theater Performance. See The LittleTheatre of Alexandria’s “A ChristmasCarol” from Dec. 5-22 at the theatre,600 Wolfe St. Performances areThursdays-Fridays at 8 p.m. andSaturdays-Sundays at 3 p.m. and 5p.m. $15. Visitwww.thelittletheatre.com or 703-683-0496.

Tickets Now on Sale. Buy tickets forthe Alexandria Candlelight Tour withspecial early-bird pricing. $15/adult;$12/senior if purchased before Dec.1. Tour Gadsby’s Tavern Museum,Carlyle House Historic Park, Lee-Fendall House and Lloyd House bycandlelight and enjoy decorations,entertainment and more on Saturday,Dec. 14 from 6-9 p.m. or Sunday,Dec. 15 from 3-6 p.m. Ticketspurchased after Dec. 1 are $20/adult;$15/senior and $5/child. Tickets canbe purchased at shop.alexandria.govor 703-746-4242. Visitwww.historicalexandria.org for more.

Art Exhibit. Potomac Fiber Arts Gallerypresents “Holiday Sizzle” in Studio18 at Torpedo Factory Art Center,105 N. Union St. Exhibit starts onNov. 19, additional items will beadded Dec. 9 and the exhibit closesJan. 5. Free. Some items will be forsale. Visit www.potomacfiberartsgallery.com or 703-548-0935.

Art Exhibit. Artist John Gascot ofStudio 4, 218 N. Lee St., suite 101,creates an art exhibit to honor thelife journeys of transgenderindividuals. It will be on displaythrough January. Gallery hours areThursday-Saturday, noon-7 p.m. andSunday from noon-5 p.m. or byappointment. Visitwww.studio4oldtown.com for more.

African American ActivistsExhibition. Through Saturday, Jan.4, 2014, Living Legends ofAlexandria is an ongoing photo-documentary project created in 2006by artist-photographer Nina Tisara toidentify, honor and chronicle peoplemaking current history in Alexandria.This free exhibit is at the AlexandriaBlack History Museum, 601 WytheSt. The museum is open Tuesdaythrough Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.Visit www.alexblackhistory.org orcall 703-746-4356.

Art Exhibit. “Small Works,” juried byIrene Owsley will run Nov. 26-Jan. 5,at the Multiple Exposures Gallery inthe Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105N. Union St. Visitwww.torpedofactory.org for more.

“The Street Sense Project.” Thien-Kim Pham presents “Portraits ofPeople Who Live and Work on the

Streets” in studio 21 at the TorpedoFactory, 105 N. Union St. The exhibitruns Dec. 5 through Jan. 6. A portionof the sales will be donated to a localcharity related to the subject matterdepicted in the piece. Visitwww.theartleague.org or 703-683-1780 for more.

Art Exhibit. “Small Worlds,” a multi-media juried exhibition with a focuson artists who work in miniature orsmall scales will run Dec. 6-Jan. 12,at the Target Gallery in the TorpedoFactory Art Center, 105 N. Union St.Visit www.torpedofactory.org formore.

CLASSESIntroduction to Machine Sewing

for Children. 4:15-6:15 p.m. onTuesday, Dec. 3 at Art at the Center,2804 Sherwood Hall Lane. Learn howto operate a sewing machine andbeginning sewing skills while turninga t-shirt into a tote bag. For childrenages 8 and up. $35/child. Visitwww.artatthecenter.org or 703-201-1250.

Introduction to Quilting: Parent/Child Class. 9 a.m.-noon onSaturday, Nov. 23 and Saturday, Dec.7. Parents and children ages 7 and upcan learn how to use a sewingmachine and then learn how to quilt.Bring a yard of cotton fabric andsmaller pieces of cotton fabric (atleast 6-inch squares) to createpatches. $120. With registration, ifyou have a sewing machine, say so.Visit www.artatthecenter.org or 703-201-1250.

Christmas Cooking Class. 11 a.m.-2p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 at OsteriaMarzano, 6361 Walker Lane, Suite140. Chef Carmine Marzano willteach participants how to cook anItalian Christmas meal, then dine onthe creations. $85/person. RSVP [email protected] or 703-313-9700.

Life Drawing. Del Ray Artisans offers arange of open life drawing sessionsfor anyone to develop life-drawingskills further. Just drop-in for thesession and bring your supplies todraw or paint our live models. Feeranges from $8-$12. All skill levelsare welcome. Del Ray Artisans islocated at 2704 Mount Vernon Ave.Visit www.TheDelRayArtisans.org fora schedule.

CHRISTMAS TREE SALESChristmas Tree Sale. The Alexandria

Police Youth Camp is hosting a salefrom Nov. 30-Dec. 5 at 110 CallahanDrive. Hours are weekdays from 4-8

p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m.-8p.m. Proceeds will help fundscholarships for children to attendthe camp. Visit www.alexpyc.org formore.

Christmas Tree and Wreath Sale.Pick out a freshly-cut North CarolinaFraser Fir while enjoying some hotcider and cookies. Ten percent of thesale will go back to a designated PTA.Runs Saturdays and Sundays at St.Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 8531Riverside Road, through Dec. 15.Visit www.staidansepiscopal.com or703-360-4220.

Christmas Tree Sale. Saturdays, Dec.7, 14 from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. andSundays, Dec. 8, 15 from noon-4p.m. in the parking lot adjacent toTrinity United Methodist Church,corner of Cameron Mills and Allison.Sponsored by the North RidgeCitizens Association. $25-$90 for atree, $16 for wreaths, $20 forgarland and $25 for tree stands. CallBruce Johnson at 703-548-9604.

THURSDAY/NOV. 21Concert. 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere

Music Hall, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave.Joe Ely and Paul Thorn perform. $35.Visit www.birchmere.com or call703-549-7500.

Story Telling. 7 p.m. at TheAthenaeum, 201 Prince St. EllouiseSchoettler will tell the story of“Finding Gus.” $10/person. Visitwww.nvfaa.org for more.

Illustrated Lecture. 7:30 p.m. atLloyd House, 220 N. Washington St.“Volusia: Civilian, Slave and SoldierExperiences in the Civil War”presented by Amy Bertsch, formerOffice of Historic Alexandria publicinformation office. The presentationinvolves research into a rarephotograph of enslaved people takenin Alexandria, and reveals how theCivil War impacted three groups ofpeople on a large Duke Streetproperty, then known as Volusia, andtoday known as Foxchase inAlexandria’s West End. Free. Visitwww.historicalexandria.org or 703-746-4554.

Theater Performance. 7:30 p.m. atBurgundy Farm Country Day School,3700 Burgundy Road. Watch theseventh-graders put on “The PrincessBride.” $5/adult; $1/child.

FRIDAY/NOV. 29Shop Local. More than 50 independent

boutiques will open early withshopping deals. Participating storeswill offer discounts starting at 6 a.m.Also enjoy free parking during the

day and restaurants opening earlywith discounts and more. Visitwww.blackfridayalexandria.com for alist of participating businesses.

Archaeology Open House. 1-5 p.m.at the museum, 105 N. Union St.,#327. Free. Visitwww.alexandriaarchaeology.org or703-746-4399.

Shop Local. More than 50 independentboutiques will open early withshopping deals. Participating storeswill offer discounts starting at 6 a.m.Also enjoy free parking during theday and restaurants opening earlywith discounts and more. Visitwww.blackfridayalexandria.com for alist of participating businesses.

Tree Lighting Ceremony. 6 p.m. atMarket Square in front of City Hall,301 King St. The Mayor and SantaClaus will light the city tree. Enjoymusic, caroling and more. Free. Visitwww.visitalexandriava.com for more.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/NOV. 29-30Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at The

Birchmere Music Hall,3701 MountVernon Ave. The Seldom Scene & DryBranch Fire Squad will perform. $35.Visit www.birchmere.com or call703-549-7500.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/NOV. 29-DEC. 22Pictures with Santa and Mrs.

Claus. Children can take pictures atRashmi Pappu Photography Studio,210 N. Lee St., on Saturdays from 9a.m.-4 p.m., except for Dec. 7 whenhours are 1-5 p.m. and Sundays fromnoon-5 p.m. $15/5x7 photo print.Visit www.oldtownsanta.com or 571-331-0702.

FRIDAY-MONDAY/NOV. 29-JAN. 6Christmas at Mount Vernon. Daily

from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at GeorgeWashington’s Mount Vernon, 3200Mount Vernon Memorial Highway.Enjoy themed decorations, chocolate-making decorations, tour the thirdfloor of the mansion and meetAladdin the camel. $17/adult; $8/child; 5 and under free. Visitwww.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

SATURDAY/NOV. 30Author Book Signing. 2-4 pm. at St.

Elmo’s Coffee Pub, 2300 MountVernon Ave. Alexandria residentKathie Truitt will discuss and signcopies of her book “The HillbillyDebutante Cafe.” Free.

Book Launch. 1-5 p.m. at Art at theCenter, 2804 Sherwood Hall Lane.Enjoy crafts, book signing and more.Visit www.artatthecenter.org or 703-201-1250.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/NOV. 30-DEC. 22Mount Vernon by Candlelight.

Saturdays and Sundays from 5-8 p.m.at George Washington’s MountVernon, 3200 Mount VernonMemorial Highway. Take candlelighttours, enjoy fireside caroling andfestive treats. Tickets are $22/adult;$15/child. Visitwww.mountvernon.org or 703-780-2000.

SUNDAY/DEC. 1Civil War Sunday. 1-5 p.m. at

Alexandria Archaeology Museum inTorpedo Factory Arts Center, 105 N.Union St. See an original May 26,1861, edition of “The New-YorkTribune” detailing Colonel ElmerEllsworth’s death in Alexandria, aPeeps diorama illustrating Ellsworth’sdeath, a TimeTravelers Passportexhibit featuring the Civil Wardrummer boy, a diorama of a heatingsystem constructed in Alexandria to

Entertainment

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BreakfastWith SantaBreakfastWith Santa

Metropolitan School of the Arts of Lorton will host Breakfast with Santa on Sun., Dec. 8 at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. atthe Hotel Monaco, 480 King Street. $35-$45 per person. Purchased tickets at www.metropolitanarts.org. The FrostyFollies’ performers will join Santa for the annual Breakfast with Santa. The family-event offers Sunday brunch at theHotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria, complete with a live jazz performance from Metropolitan School of the Arts’dancers, interactive song and dance workshop for children, goody bags and visits from Frosty the Snowman, Rudolphthe Red-Nosed Reindeer, Suzy Snowflake and her International Dolls.


warm Civil War hospital tents during the winter of1861, a cocked and loaded Wickham musketdiscarded in a privy during the 1860s, and anexhibit on a Lee Street archaeological site duringthe Civil War. Free. Visitwww.alexandriaarchaeology.org or call 703-746-4399.

Chanukah Festival of Lights. 5 p.m. at theCrowne Plaza Hotel, 901 N. Fairfax St. Watch asthe six-foot Menorah is lit by Alexandria MayorWilliam D. Euille. Hot potato pancakes anddonuts will be handed out as well. There willalso be entertainment, a raffle and more. Visitwww.chabadAA.org or contact Rabbi MordechaiNewman at 703-370-2774.

SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY/DEC. 1-25Holiday Advent Calendar Art Celebration.

Each day at sundown the store will reveal“advent art” featuring holiday creations by localartists and organizations. These canvases will beavailable for auction, visitors can place bidsinside the store. Proceeds will benefit TheReading Connection. Visitwww.christmasattic.com or 703-548-2829.

MONDAY/DEC. 2Tavern Toddlers: Rhythm and Music. 10:30-

11:30 a.m. at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N.Royal St. Toddlers through 36 months can enjoystorytime, dancing, crafts and more. $7/group ofthree. Visit www.alexandriava.gov/GadsbysTavern for more.

TUESDAY/DEC. 3Theater Performance. 10:30 a.m. at W-3

Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 OxRoad, Lorton. Arts on the Horizon presents“Drumming with Dishes: The Holiday Edition.”$8/child and adults. Visitwww.artsonthehorizon.org for tickets.

Library Tour. 1:30 p.m. at Mount Vernon Estate.Tour the new Fred W. Smith National Library forthe study of George Washington. Led by MountVernon tour guides and Library staff members,this new tour will offer access to the main floorof the center for scholarship about GeorgeWashington, Colonial America, and theRevolutionary Era. View rare books andmanuscripts, special collections and art, researchresources, and one-of-a-kind design details suchas custom-created

busts of the Founding Fathers. Tours are includedin admission to the Estate, but are limited incapacity and are on a first-come, first-servedbasis. Visit www.MountVernon.org or 703-780-2000.

Artist Lecture. 6-8 p.m. at Morrison House, 116S. Alfred St. Enjoy a salon-style discussion seriesexploring Alexandria’s heritage and culturethrough talks with artists, authors andarchaeologists from Alexandria and the TorpedoFactory. Free. Visit www.morrisonhouse.com or703-838-8000.

Theater Performance. 10:30 a.m. at W-3Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 OxRoad, Lorton. Arts on the Horizon presents“Drumming with Dishes: The Holiday Edition.”$8/child and adults. Visitwww.artsonthehorizon.org for tickets.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 4Theater Performance. 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. at

W-3 Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Arts on the Horizonpresents “Drumming with Dishes: The HolidayEdition.” $8/child and adults. Visitwww.artsonthehorizon.org for tickets.

Magic Show. 7 p.m. at Bishop Ireton High School,201 Cambridge Road. See a performance byInternational Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 50.Bring a canned food item or toy that will bedonated to the Alexandria Citadel of theSalvation Army. Visitwww.ibmring50.blogspot.com.

Theater Performance. 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. atW-3 Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Arts on the Horizonpresents “Drumming with Dishes: The HolidayEdition.” $8/child and adults. Visitwww.artsonthe horizon.org for tickets.

THURSDAY/DEC. 5Theater Performance. 10:30 a.m. at W-3

Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 OxRoad, Lorton. Arts on the Horizon presents“Drumming with Dishes: The Holiday Edition.”$8/child and adults. Visit

www.artsonthehorizon.org for tickets.Holiday Shopping Event. 4-8 p.m. at Reunions

Gifts and Antiques store, 1709 Centre Plaza.Enjoy champagne, snacks, raffle, trunk show bylocal artist Janine Bland. Twenty percent of allsales will be donated to Senior Services ofAlexandria. Visit seniorservicesalex.org formore.

Ballet Performance. 5:30 p.m. AlexandriaCommunity Dance and West Potomac Academypresent “The Nutcracker” at West Potomac HighSchool theater, 6500 Quander Road. More than100 students from local schools and performersranging from age 4 to adult will perform. $12/adult; $10/student in advance or $15/adult;$12/student at the door. Visitwww.alexandriadance.com for tickets.

A Peter White Christmas. 7:30 p.m. atBirchmere Music Hall, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave.Features Mindi Abair & Rick Braun. $49.50. Visitwww.birchmere.com or 703-549-7500 fortickets.

FRIDAY/DEC. 6Theater Performance. 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. at

W-3 Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center,9601 Ox Road, Lorton. Arts on the Horizonpresents “Drumming with Dishes: The HolidayEdition.” $8/child and adults. Visitwww.artsonthe horizon.org for tickets.

Holiday on the Avenue. 6-9 p.m. at the Del RayFarmer’s Market at Mount Vernon Avenue andE. Oxford Ave. Watch as the Del Ray Christmastree is lit up, enjoy a visit from Santa Claus anda stroll down Mount Vernon Avenue which isilluminated by thousands of candles. Free. Visitwww.visitdelray.com or 703-683-2570 for more.

Ballet Performance. 6:30 p.m. AlexandriaCommunity Dance and West Potomac Academypresent “The Nutcracker” at West Potomac HighSchool theater, 6500 Quander Road. More than100 students from local schools and performersranging from age 4 to adult will perform. $12/adult; $10/student in advance or $15/adult;$12/student at the door. Half-price tickets for allBoy and Girl Scouts. Visitwww.alexandriadance.com for tickets.

Holiday Open House. 6:30-9 p.m. at theTorpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St.Enjoy food, refreshments and music whilebrowsing items for purchase. Door prizes will begiven. Visit www.torpedofactory.org for more.

Music Performance. At Birchmere Music Hall,3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Bo Bice will performas a special guest vocalist with Blood Sweat &Tears. Visit www.birchmere.com or 703-549-7500.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/DEC. 6-7Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend. Celebrate

Alexandria’s Scottish heritage with the 43rdAnnual Campagna Center Scottish ChristmasWalk Weekend. Start the weekend with theChristmas Marketplace and Heather and Greenssale from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the GeorgeWashington Masonic Memorial. Deck the Hallwith Santa from 1-3 p.m. on Dec. 6 at theGeorge Washington Masonic Memorial. The

Entertainment

Menorah KindlingChabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arling-

ton invites the entire community tocelebrate the Festival of Lights at a publicMenorah kindling ceremony. The grandChanukah celebration will take place onSunday, Dec. 1, 5 p.m. at the Crowne PlazaHotel, 901 N Fairfax Street. Mayor WilliamD. Euille will be honored with lighting thesix foot Menorah. Following the kindling,hot potato pancakes and doughnuts, the tra-ditional

foods of Chanukah, will be distributedfree to everyone.The program will also fea-ture professional family entertainment, afree Chanukah raffle for a NOOK HD,Chanukah gifts and treats, lively Chanukahmusic and more. In its Chanukah outreachcampaign, Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington joins thousands of Chabad centersacross the globe that are staging similarpublic displays of the Menorah and its sym-bolic lights. Bring the children and makethis a special Chanukah celebration. ContactRabbi Mordechai Newman at 703-370-2774or visit www.chabadAA.org.


Taste of Scotland is from 8-11 p.m. on Dec. 6 at theGeorge Washington Masonic Memorial. On Dec.7, enjoy the Scottish Christmas Walk at 11 a.m.and the Tour of Homes from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitwww.scottishchristmaswalk.com for tickets andmore information.

SATURDAY/DEC. 7Holiday Craft Fair. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Gadsby’s

Tavern, 400 Cameron St. Alexandria Unit 24 ofthe American Legion Auxiliary will host theevent. There will also be a bake sale. Allproceeds will support veterans, military andtheir families in the community.

Holiday Market. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the ColasantoCenter, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. The Del RayArtisans will offer handmade work from localartists, handmade ornaments and bake saleitems to benefit the Animal Welfare League ofAlexandria. Free. Visitwww.TheDelRayArtisans.org for more.

Theater Performance. 10:30 a.m. at W-3Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 OxRoad, Lorton. Arts on the Horizon presents“Drumming with Dishes: The Holiday Edition.”$8/child and adults. Visitwww.artsonthehorizon.org for tickets.

Scottish Walk Parade Open House. 11 a.m.-4p.m. at Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum,105-107 S. Fairfax St. Enjoy free tours andbrowse items that were used during the time ofGeorge Washington. Visitwww.alexandriava.gov/historic/apothecary/default.aspx or 703-746-3852.

Watercolor Show and Sale. 4-7 p.m. at HollinHall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road.Over 50 participating artists from the TorpedoFactory will be selling their works. All artists arestudents of Gwendolyn C. Bragg. Free. 703-765-4573, TTY: 711.

Country-Western Dance. Lessons start at 6:30p.m., dancing from 7:30-10 p.m. at LincolniaSenior Center, 4710 N. Chambliss St. A DJprovides music. Couples and singles welcome.$10/NVCWDA member; $12/non-member; $5/child. Visit www.nvcwda.org or 703-860-4941.Bring own non-alcoholic drinks.

Music Concert. 7 p.m. at St. Aidan’s EpiscopalChurch, 8531 Riverside Road. Canadian folksinger James Keelaghan will perform. $18/general; $15/advance. Visitwww.focusmusic.org for more.

Honky Tonk Holiday Show. Bill Kirchen & TooMuch Fun performs at The Birchmere MusicHall, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Visitwww.birchmere.com or 703-549-7500.

Benefit Concert. 8:15 p.m. at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road. The Singers’Theater of Washington will perform populararias from composers including Rossini, Puccini,Wagner and more. $20/admission is suggested.Visit www.singerstheatre.com for more.

Father Christmas Photos. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. atGadsby’s Arcade, 320 King St. Children and dogscan take photos with Father Christmas. $10 forpolaroid-like photos and $5 donation for yourown photos. Proceeds benefit Gadsby’s Tavern.703-746-4242.

Kwanzaa Family Fun Workshop. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Alexandria Black History Museum,902 Wythe St. Learn about Kwanzaa throughgames, songs and more. $5/person. Visitoha.alexandriava.gov/bhrc/ or 703-746-4356.

Christmas at Carlyle House. Noon-4 p.m. atCarlyle House, 121 N. Fairfax St. Tour a holiday-decorated house, talk to soldiers from the 1stVirginia Regiment during 1761, enjoydemonstrations, samples and more. $5/person.703-549-2997.

Winter Wreath Workshop. 1-3 p.m. at GreenSpring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road.Create a beautiful winter wreath to take homefor your front door after Green Spring staffdemonstrate the dazzling possibilities. Greens,forms, ribbons and cones included withadditional $20 supply fee. Code: 290 484 6901,$35/person. Register on-line atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring orcall Green Spring Gardens 703-642-5173.

Ornament Decorating Workshop. 1-4 p.m. atAlexandria Archaeology in the Torpedo Factory,105 N. Union St. Families can decorate anartifact-shaped dough ornament. Free. 703-746-4399.

Home for the Holidays Pops Concert. 2 p.m.or 7:30 p.m. at Alexandria Singers, 1801 N.Quaker Lane. The Alexandria Singers willperform. $25/reserved seats; $20/general; $15/group, senior or military; $5/child age 6 andunder. Visit www.alexandriasingers.com/ or703-941-7464.

Ballet Performance. 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Alexandria Community Dance and WestPotomac Academy present “The Nutcracker” atWest Potomac High School theater, 6500Quander Road. More than 100 students fromlocal schools and performers ranging from age 4to adult will perform. $12/adult; $10/student inadvance or $15/adult; $12/student at the door.Military members can get tickets for $10 withproper ID for the 6:30 p.m. show. Visitwww.alexandriadance.com for tickets.

Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. Festivities startat 3 p.m. with the parade at 5:30 p.m. at thewaterfront at Cameron Street. More than 50boats will illuminate the Potomac. Specialappearance by Santa. Free. Visitwww.visitalexandriava.com or 703-746-3301.

SUNDAY/DEC. 8Theater Performance. 11 a.m. at W-3 Theatre at

the Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Road,Lorton. Arts on the Horizon presents “Drummingwith Dishes: The Holiday Edition.” $8/child andadults. Visit www.artsonthehorizon.org.

Breakfast with Santa. 10:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. atthe Hotel Monaco, 480 King St. MetropolitanSchool of the Arts will host the breakfast.Tickets range in price from $35-$45/person.Visit www.metropolitanarts.org for tickets.

Holiday Market. Noon-4 p.m. in the ColasantoCenter, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. The Del RayArtisans will offer handmade work from localartists, handmade ornaments and bake saleitems to benefit the Animal Welfare League ofAlexandria. Free. Visitwww.TheDelRayArtisans.org.

Watercolor Show and Sale. Noon-4 p.m. atHollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 ShenandoahRoad. Over 50 participating artists from theTorpedo Factory will be selling their works. Allartists are students of Gwendolyn C. Bragg.Free. 703-765-4573, TTY: 711.

Gardeners’ Holiday Open House. Noon-4 p.m.at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green SpringRoad. This festive day is for gardeners of allages, individuals and families. Admission is free.There will be a Holiday Puppet Show by BobBrown (tickets for the 2 p.m. show are $3/person and can be purchased in advance usingCode: 290 489 4301), festive greens and treeornaments for sale, a vintage train display,seasonal breads for sale, and complimentaryrefreshments. There will be a whimsicalgingerbread house contest. Get yourGingerbread House contest entry form atwww.greenspring.org on the Special Eventspage. Call 703-642-5173 for more information.

“Christmas in Cape Breton.” 7:30 p.m. atBirchmere Music Hall, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave.Natalie MacMaster is an award-winning fiddler.$39.50. Visit www.birchmere.com or 703-549-7500 for tickets.

Chorale Performance. 4 p.m. at AlexandriaCampus of Northern Virginia CommunityCollege, 3001 N. Beauregard St. New DominionChorale will perform works by Benjamin Brittenand Thomas Beveridge. Special guest chorusWorld Children’s Choir will perform along withother guests. $30/adult; $25/senior; $5/student, child; $20/groups of 10 or more. Visitwww.newdominion.org or 703-442-9404.

Music Performance. 3 p.m. The WashingtonMetropolitan Philharmonic will perform at T.C.Williams High School, 3330 King St. $20/adult;18 and under free. Visit www.wmpamusic.org or703-799-8229.

MONDAY/DEC. 9Tavern Toddlers: Rhythm and Music. 10:30-

11:30 a.m. at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N.Royal St. Toddlers through 36 months can enjoystorytime, dancing, crafts and more. $7/groupof three. Visit www.alexandriava.gov/GadsbysTavern for more.

Garden Sprouts: Welcome Winter. 11 a.m.-noon at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 GreenSpring Road. Preschool children ages 3-5 withaccompanying adult. Tour the garden to see thechanges that winter brings. Learn why someanimals stay and others migrate or hibernate.Make a winter landscape to take home and apinecone feeder for the birds that remain. Code:290 481 4401, $6/child. Register on-line atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring orcall Green Spring Gardens 703-642-5173.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 11Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at Birchmere

Music Hall, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave. TheWooten Brothers will perform for all ages. $35.Visit www.birchmere.com or 703-549-7500.

Entertainment


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Usury Explosion - The Connection Newspapers

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