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NewsArea RoundupsConnolly to Hold Open Season Workshopfor Federal Employees/Retirees.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly(D -11) will hold hiseighth annual FederalOpen Season Workshop on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Fairfax CountyGovernment Center to assist federal employees and retirees innavigating through the manychanges in the 2017 Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans(FEHBP), dental and vision insurance programs.The federal government’s OpenSeason for federal employees andretirees to change their healthplans runs from Nov. 14 throughDec. 12, 2016.Connolly’s Open Season Workshop will take place at the FairfaxCounty Government Center onSaturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.The Government Center is locatedat 12000 Government CenterParkway, Fairfax.This year’s event will once againfeature FEHBP expert WaltFrancis, author of CHECKBOOKS’sGuide to Health Plans for FederalEmployees as well as a representative of the Office of PersonnelManagement. RepresentativesUfrom the various FEHB plans andMedicare will be available to answer questions and discuss theirprograms with participants.“Most FEHB plans have benefitand rate changes for 2017 so it isimportant that federal employeesand retirees know the details onhow their current plans are changing and whether or not there is another option that better suits theirneeds,” Connolly said. “With thesepossible changes, it is importantthat every federal employee andretiree review the status of theircurrent coverage.”Connolly urged every federalemployee and retiree, as well assurvivor and former spouse annuitants to make sure they reviewtheir FEHB plan coverage andother benefits before Open Seasonends on Dec. 12, 2016. “Federalemployees, retirees, and annuitants who have questions or wantto make sure that they have thecoverage they need are welcometo attend my Open Season Workshop on Dec. 3, ” he said.Congressman Connolly’s OpenSeason workshop will feature:10 – 11 a.m. Panel Discussion featuring experts on FEHB programs and available health plan options, includingFEHBP expert Walt Francis, authorof CHECKBOOKS’s Guide to HealthPlans for Federal Employees and arepresentative from OPMHosted in the Government Center Board Room11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. Representatives of variousFEHB health plans and Medicarewill be available to provide information and answer questions concerning plan offerings for 2017 —Hosted in adjoining conferenceroomsFederal employees seeking further information about FEHBplans can visit OPM’s Open Season website at: http://w w w. o p m . g o v / i n s u r e /openseason/ .Federal employees, retirees, orannuitants seeking more information about the Open Season workshop can call Connolly’s DistrictOffice at 703-256-3071.Fairfax County Fire AndRescue Participating InToys for Tots CampaignThe Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department will again be participating in the Annual National Capital Region Fire and EMS Departments’ 2016Toys for Tots Campaign. The intent of the campaign is to “bring holiday joyand deliver a message of hope to children.”Last year, thanks to the generosity of those who live and work in FairfaxCounty, the Fire and Rescue Department collected more than 13,000 toys.Children who are served by this campaign include toddlers and youthsthrough age 17. The campaign will only accept new unwrapped toys andyou can drop them off at any of our Fire and Rescue Stations. Toys used asweapons or considered to be weapons (i.e., toy guns or knives of any kind)will not be accepted. Checks or money orders for donations must be madepayable to Toys for Tots.Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Stations will accept donations throughFriday, Dec. 16, 2016.Public Meetings onDraft Action PlansFairfax County has developed Draft Action Plans for the Chesapeake Bay,Sediment, Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB), and Bacteria Total MaximumDaily Loads (TMDLs) that have assigned wasteload allocations (WLAs) tothe county’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). The draft planswill be presented at two public meetings: Public meeting to present the County’s Draft Sediment, PCB, and Bacteria TMDL Action Plans: Wednesday, Dec. 14, 6 to 8 p.m., Fairfax CountyGovernment Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, Conference Rooms !X Public meeting to present the County’s Draft Chesapeake Bay TMDLAction Plans: Thursday, December 15, 6 to 8 p.m., Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, ConferenceRooms 2/3The meetings will mark the beginning of public comment periods on allfour Draft TMDL Action Plans that will run through Monday, January 23,2017. Please contact the Stormwater Planning Division atSWPDMail@FairfaxCounty.gov or 703-324-5500, TTY 711, with any questions regarding the public meetings.The Giving Circle of HOPE CelebratesMillion Dollar Milestone The Reading Connection forChild, Youth Development & EduThe ConnectioncationA giving circle is a form of parhe Giving Circle of HOPEticipatory philanthropy wherecelebrated a major milestone this year – more thangroups of individuals donate theirown money to a pooled fund, de 1 million raised and granted tosupport small nonprofit organizacide together which charities totions in Northern Virginia.give to and, in doing so, increaseawareness of and engagement inGCH’s members voted for thefund’s 2016 grantees at a specialissues in their community.Prior to this year’s vote, GCHevent at Refraction in Restonawarded 125 grants to 52 localTown Center on Thursday, Nov.17.nonprofits. Funds have beenawarded in the areas of Child, Youth“This milestone proves the powerDevelopment and Education;of collective giving because weHealth, Mental Health and Aging;reached it with many individualsgiving as little as one dollar a dayPhoto contributed Poverty Relief; Immigration; andor volunteering for one event a Founders of the Giving Circle of HOPE celebrating MilPoverty Escape. Organizationsthroughout Northern Virginia haveyear,” says founding member Linda lion Dollar Milestone.received funding including: AlexanStrup. “Reaching this 1 millionmilestone is exciting, but I am even prouder Josh Anderson Foundation for Our Minds dria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fauquier,Loudoun, Manassas and Prince William.of the lives we have changed, both within the Matter: Website Development“Reaching the 1 million means we got to aGiving Circle of HOPE and in the greater com La Cocina for Free Bilingual Culinary Joblanding in a long staircase,” says foundingmunity.”Training, Placement & Food AssistanceEight grants were funded for a total of NAMI Nova for Peer Support of Youth and member Diana Katz. “We can take a breath, 56,000. The 2016 grant award winners are: Adults Living with Mental Health Conditions look back to see what we have done, and we Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates OAR Arlington for Employment Assistance can look upward to see how much more we(CASA) for Advocating for Abused/Neglected for Individuals Returning Home After Incar- can do. It’s a step that gives us perspective.”GCH is a component fund of the CommuYouthceration Friends of Guest House for Workforce De Women Giving Back for Women Giving nity Foundation for Northern Virginia and wascreated in 2004.velopment Project PilotBack Transportation ProjectBy Fallon ForbushT4 Burke Connection December 1-7, 2016Faith NotesSend notes to the Connection atsouth@connectionnewspapers.com or call703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Datedannouncements should be submitted atleast two weeks prior to the event.Fairfax Baptist Temple, at thecorner of Fairfax County Parkway andBurke Lake Roads, holds a bible studyfellowship at 9 a.m. Sundays followedby a 10 a.m. worship service. Nurserycare and children’s church also provided. 6401 Missionary Lane, .The Guhyasamaja BuddhistCenter, 10875 Main St., Fairfax Cityprovides free classes to both newcomersand advanced practitioners of TibetanBuddhism. The center emphasizes working with the mind and learning how tounderstand the workings of the mind,overcoming inner causes of suffering,while cultivating causes of happiness.Under the direction of Lama ZopaRinpoche, the center is a place of study,contemplation and meditation. Visithttp://www.guhyasamaja.org for moreinformation.Lord of Life Lutheran offers services at two locations, in Fairfax at 5114Twinbrook Road and in Clifton at 13421Twin Lakes Drive. Services in Fairfax areheld on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Services inClifton are held on Sundays at 8:15 and10:30 a.m. 703-323-9500 orwww.Lordoflifeva.org.First Baptist Church of Springfield offers Sunday school at 9:15 a.m.,followed by both traditional and contemporary worship services at 10:30a.m. at 7300 Gary St., Springfield. 703451-1500 or m

News3Holiday H o!!o pla h!BFREE!BFREE!20 oz. Soda ONE ADMISSION**with purchase of*LargePopcorn!Two Percent Teen Pregnancy Center Opens in Lortonbe assisting clients with not only educational andmaterial support, but emotional support from aunique staff that has been there. The TPP team iscomposed of former teen parents who beat the oddsand is dedicated to helping other parents who havenow found themselves in a standstill in their lives.Tickets are now on sale for their Holiday KickoffEvent, Moonlight and Mistletoe Holiday Extravaganza. Tickets are 45. The event will be held at TheBungalow Alehouse in Woodbridge Dec. 16, from 6 11 p.m. Be ready for an evening filled with food,drinks, music, dancing, and vendors for those lastminute Holiday gifts, desserts, games, silent auctionand so much more. Dress is black tie/holiday best.Perfect for date night or just an evening with thegirls. Tickets are avaliable at https://www.eventnation.co/event/TPPHoliday.To learn more about this new teen pregnancy initiative visit Two Percent Project’s website atwww.twopercentproject.org or contact them viaemail at teenpregnancyresource@gmail.com.With this Coupon.Good11/27–12/21/16 3NOT VALID ON TUESDAYSWOW!THE FAMOUS COMBOFOR ONLY 18.00!!!*with purchase of oneadult admissionIncludes: 2 Admissions, 2Medium Drinks & 1 LargePopcorn! (You Save 6.00)With this Coupon.Good11/27–12/21/16 3With this Coupon.Good311/27–12/21/16* With coupon, not valid with any other offer, one per person per visit.CHRISTMASTREES HAVEARRIVED!We have the Best Selectionof Fresh-Cut Trees.For all your decoratingneeds, we have:Arts Council Grants Exceed 379,000 toFurther the Arts in Fairfax Countywww.ConnectionNewspapers.com3November 27th–December 21st, 2016BPhoto courtesy Two Percent Teen Pregnancy CenterThe Arts Council of Fairfax County has awarded 379,013 in Operating Support Grants to 41 nonprofit arts organizations in Fairfax County. Operating Support Grants provide critical funds necessary for the basic operation of arts organizationsin Fairfax County in recognition of the valuableprograms and services they provide to County residents.Fiscal year 2017 funded organizations offeringpublic programs in a variety of disciplines including arts education, dance, instrumental music,multidisciplinary, opera, theatre, visual art, andvocal music. Operating Support Grants areawarded each year to both emerging and established art organizations.“We are pleased to issue County support for thearts in Fairfax through a competitive grants process. Organizations receiving general operatingsupport represent our most creative and well managed organizations, which provide a high level ofarts service and community reach,” said Linda S.Sullivan, President & CEO, Arts Council of FairfaxCounty.“With the grant award, Reston Community Players will provide scholarships to college bound theatrical artists and help Girl Scouts learn about theworld of theater backstage. The grant also furthers our ability to work with community organizations on special projects, such as the LMprojectBroadway Bound Summer Intensive, and to provide unique opportunities for audiences to experience theater in ways they may not otherwisehave the chance to, such as our sensory sensitivewww.universitymalltheatres.comWe’re located in University Mall, FairfaxRoute 123 & Braddock Road, Lower LevelAutumn Williams,center, the founderof newly openedTwo Percent TeenPregnancy Center inLorton, VA. Thecenter will host aholiday kick offevent at The Bungalow Alehouse 2840Prince WilliamPkwy, Woodbridge,from 6 - 11 p.m.Two Percent Project is Northern Virginia’s newestTeen Pregnancy Resource Center. The organizationwas founded by former teen mother and CEO Autumn Williams who defied the odds and is now dedicating her life to helping other teen parents achievetheir dreams. The organization was founded off ofher own personal experiences becoming pregnantright out of high school and her dedicated journeyto provide a better life for her child. The center willbe offering non-bias options counseling, a uniqueparenting program, material resources, communityresources, peer support, and real life training.They are raising funds to provide additional lifesupport to clients based on the uniqueness of theirsituation. Further, Two Percent project will assistclients with education completion andpostsecondary opportunities, workforce development, and education on building and sustaininghealthy relationships.Two Percent Project will also be providing ongoing support to clients after they give birth. They willUNIVERSITY MALL THEATRESmatinee of Mary Poppins,” said Jolene Vettese,President, Reston Community Players.“This year, with support from the Arts Council,Arts Herndon was able to host one of our mostprestigious programs—a literary event featuringKwame Alexander and Meg Medina. Kwame is thewinner of many literary awards, most recently theNewbery award, and Meg Medina is the two-timewinner of the Pura Belpré award for Children’sand Young Adult literature. Attendees includedState Delegate Jennifer Boysko, Fairfax CountySupervisor John Foust, Herndon Mayor LisaMerkel and a diverse audience of high school, elementary school, and adult attendees,” said SigneFriedrichs, Arts Herndon.“We are honored to receive our first OperatingSupport Grant from the Arts Council, which supports our commitment to provide a comprehensive performing arts academy program, includingworld-renowned instructors and state-of-the-artfacilities, and our goals to expand, teach, and personify performing arts education in our community in Fairfax County and beyond,” said MelissaDobbs, Founder and Executive Director of Metropolitan School of the Arts in Alexandria. “Our blackbox theatre, set to debut in January 2017, is justone example of MSA’s passion to build our community arts program and bring the arts to ourFairfax County neighbors,” said Melissa Dobbs,Founder and Executive Director of MetropolitanSchool of the Arts.See Grants, Page 7Fresh Cut Wreaths &Roping, Live Greens,Beautiful Poinsettias& CenterpiecesGift CertificatesAvailableFirewood Available9401 Burke Road,Burke, VA703-323-118810% OFF ANY POINSETTIA PURCHASECUSTOM DECORATED WREATHS 5.00 OFFANY CUT CHRISTMAS TREE PURCHASE 5.00 OFFExpires 12/24/16Not valid with any other offer.Expires 12/24/16Not valid with any other offer.Expires 12/24/16Not valid with any other offer.Burke Connection December 1-7, 2016 5

OpinionBurkeExpand Early Voting Now in NOVABy Scott SurovellCommentaryState Senator (D-36)he success of early voting in the 2016 Presidential Election reaffirms my conclusionfrom visiting 12,000 homes last year— Virginia should expand early voting.In 2016, I personally knocked on over 12,000doors and after July 1, using an online secureapplication form, I helped over 900 voters signup to vote by mail from their home. Nearly allof them had no idea they could vote early orvote from home. The vast majority of thesevoters did not participate in non-presidentialelections (or even some presidential elections)because of a disability, lack of transportation,long commutes or disabled family membersthat required 24-7 home care.This year, early voting exploded. In 2008, alittle over 99,000 Fairfax County residentsvoted early. That dropped to 92,000 in 2012,but exploded this year to 120,000. The samewas true in Prince William County. The reason? Localities opened more early voting loca-Ttions and kept them open longer.There are two major reasonspeople do not vote early or by mail.They do not know they are eligibleor voting early in-person is not always convenient.There is no question that the legislature should pass what’s called“no excuse” early voting. The State Senate haspassed no excuse early voting twice, but thelegislation is always killed in the House ofDelegates and it is unlikely to pass in the nearfuture.In the short term, Northern Virginia’s localities need to expand early voting, and they can.Nearly all voters who ride the Metro’s Yellow, Blue and Orange Lines or the VirginiaRailway Express are eligible to vote by mail orvote early because they work outside of thejurisdiction in which they live. Localities needto set up early voting stations at all Metro andmajor transit stations.If you cross a county line — from Staffordinto Prince William, Prince William into Fairfax,or Fairfax into the City of Alexandria — youcan vote early by mail or in-person. If yourwork day takes you more than 11 hours fromhome, you can vote early.Seniors who have trouble standing in lineare eligible to vote early. So are individualscaring for disabled family members. All firstresponders are eligible to vote early or by mail.Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford Countygovernments and public schools employ thousands of people. They need to get early votinginformation out to their employees. Social service providers need to ensure that qualifiedvoters receive information.Finally, in non-presidential elections, manyvoters choose not to take time from work toparticipate in state and local elections. Ourlocalities should better publicize early votingstations and have longer hours to increase participation.Facilitating more early voting will requiremore election officers and thus more money,but shorter lines and fewer disruptions saveall of us time on Election Day and encouragesmore participation in our democracy.It is an honor to serve as your state senator.Email me at scott@scottsurovell.org if you haveany feedback.Opioid Epidemic in VirginiaBy Kenneth R. “Ken” PlumCommentaryState Delegate (D-36)hen my friend AugustWallmeyer wrote hisbook, “The Extremes ofVirginia, Southwest, Southside andthe Eastern Shore: Two Separatedand Unequal Commonwealths. Rural, Poor and Largely Unknown” (Dementi Books, 2016), he included achapter on illegal drug use for obvious reasons—In 2014 for the first time on record fatal drug overdoses became the most commoncause of accidental death in the Commonwealth, according to the Office of the ChiefMedical Examiner. As the Secretary of Healthand Human Resources reported to Mr.Wallmeyer, “In 2015 we lost more than a thousand Virginians to opioid or heroin overdoses.More Virginians now die from drug overdosesthan from car accidents.” For another reason,the rate of fatal drug/poison overdoses in thepoorest areas of the state are 47 percent higherthan those in Virginia as a whole. The picturehas been getting worse.Last week the state health commissioner Dr.Marissa J. Levine declared opioid addiction tobe a public health emergency in Virginia. Shesaid the Commonwealth has seen a 77 percentincrease in opioid deaths from 2012 to 2016.So great is the concern about this epidemic thatCommissioner Levine issued a standing orderthat allows all Virginians to obtain the drugNaloxone without a specific prescription. Naloxone is used to treat narcotic overdoses in emergency situations. Persons who know someonewho is struggling with opioid addiction areadvised to visit a local pharmacy to obtainNaloxone and keep it on hand for possible over-W6 Burke Connection December 1-7, 2016dose emergencies. For more information on Naloxone, go to http://www.getnaloxonenow.org. Anotherwebsite of Virginia government offers resources on how to best discussaddiction with someone, http://vaaware.com/treatment-recovery/.Attorney General Mark Herring isextremely active in combating drugabuse problems in Virginia. A documentary heproduced on the heroin and prescription drugepidemic in Virginia is available to individualsand organizations for their use. Preview it athttp://www.hardesthitva.com. The AttorneyGeneral has led the effort to distribute 80,000drug disposal kits to individuals through theDepartment of Health and to hospitals, law enforcement and nonprofits. These kits will allow for the safe disposal of prescriptions that@BurkeConnectionAn independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered tohomes and businesses.Published byLocal Media Connection LLC1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go toconnectionnewspapers.com/subscribeNEWS DEPARTMENT:south@connectionnewspapers.comKemal KurspahicEditor 703-778-9414kemal@connectionnewspapers.comTim PetersonCommunity .comKyle KincaidEditorial :For advertising 3-778-9431Steve HoganDisplay Advertising, 703-778-9418shogan@connectionne

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