Great Falls this Week
0
Votes

Great Falls this Week

<sh>Old Firehouse 8K Run Winners Announced

<bt>The Old Firehouse Teen Center’s annual McLean Day 8K Run was a success, despite changes to the time and location of the race. This year’s race was held at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 at the Lewinsville Senior Center. More than 70 participants ran the race, which was routed through surrounding residential streets. Cooper Middle School student Haley Campbell, who participates in the firehouse’s after school program, designed this year’s 8K race logo. All race participants received a race T-shirt featuring the logo and top finishers in each category received gift certificates, which were donated by Metro Run and Walk.

The results were as follows:

Ted Poulos won with a time of 28 minutes, 19 seconds. Taissia Varagh was the top female finisher with a time of 32 minutes, 29 seconds. In the 12-and-under category, Christopher Dale finished first with a time of 40 minutes, 35 seconds. In the 13-19 age group, Todd Arnts was the first male finisher, with a time of 28 minutes, 40 seconds, and Katherine Kies was the first female with a time of 37 minutes, 54 seconds. In the 20-29 age group, the first male finisher was Dan Helfrich with a time of 32 minutes, 50 seconds, and the first female was Gina Lohr with a time of 53 minutes, 18 seconds. In the 30-39 age group Kevin Bedell was the first male finisher with a time of 28 minutes, 49 seconds, and Meg Ferris was the first female with a time of 39 minutes, 53 seconds. In the 40-49 age group Gary Deger was the first male finisher with a time of 33 minutes, 21 seconds, and Lori Maciulla was the first female with a time of 38 minutes, 47 seconds. In the 50-59 age group Stan Alderson was the first male finisher with a time of 38 minutes, 30 seconds, and Cathy Wilson was the first female with a time of 41 minutes, 42 seconds. In the 60-and-over age group Stephen Forman finished first with a time of 35 minutes 46 seconds.

<sh>2005 Cappies Nominations

<bt>Cappies critics assembled Sunday, May 15 to cast their votes for nominations and awards for high school theater productions. The awards will be presented at the sixth annual Cappies Gala on June 5 at the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Cappies is a high school critics and awards program involving 50 schools in the Virginia, Maryland and D.C. areas.

McLean-area schools received several nominations:

<lst>Female Dancer: Stephanie Swift of Madeira for "The Wizard of Oz."

Comic Actress In a Musical: Kathryn Lumpkin of Madeira for "The Wizard of Oz."

Featured Actor In a Play: Bryan Terrill of McLean High for "Inherit The Wind."

Lead Actor In a Play: Patrick Barrett of McLean High for "Inherit The Wind."

Play: "Inherit The Wind" by McLean High.

<sh>Celebration Should Stay

<bt> A poll conducted by the McLean Citizens Association during McLean Day on Saturday made one thing clear: McLean Day should stay in Lewinsville Park.

Of the 263 people asked, “Where would you prefer McLean Day to be held next year?” 251 McLean residents expressed a desire to keep McLean Day in Lewinsville Park. Nine people wanted to move the annual celebration to downtown McLean, and the Spring Hill Recreation Center, Langley High School and McLean Central Park all received one vote each.

Lewinsville Park has been the home of McLean Day for decades, but there has been a request from the Park Authority to look for alternate sites, as concerns over space limitations and damage to park grounds have risen in recent years.

<sh>Hometown Celebration Preparation

<bt>Great Falls Friends is already preparing for the annual Fourth of July Hometown Celebration, to be held in the Great Falls Village Center. Festivities will include a 5K walk/run, a baby parade, an Independence Day parade, games, food and activities for adults and children. Parade floats, group participants and large vehicles should register their intent to participate. To register or get more information, contact Andrew Pendergrass at 703-757-8560, ext. 207, e-mail apende@fairfaxcounty.gov or visit the Great Falls Library to complete a registration form.

Great Falls Friends is seeking nearly 75 volunteers to assist with the celebration. Volunteer by contacting Felicity Tagliareni at 703-404-4254 or Tag4@aol.com.

<sh>March on Richmond

<bt>The Arc of Virginia at its 22 affiliated chapters across the state want to march on Richmond on October 1 to show elected officials and communities that Virginians with disabilities want the same things their "non-disabled" peers want: friends/family, housing, education, jobs, healthcare, transportation, recreation, safe communities and places to worship.

The march from Northern Virginia will begin on Sunday, September 25, when Mark Brobston, a staff member of the Arc, begins his 100-mile march to Richmond. Brobston is going to backpack to Richmond to demonstrate the "bare bones" lifestyle that Arc feels the commonwealth provides for many Virginian's with disabilities.

To learn how to support the effort, visit www.thearcofnova.org. Buses to Richmond leave on Oct. 1.

<sh>Host an Exchange Student

<bt>World Heritage, a public benefit organization, is seeking local families to host high school students from Italy, France, Germany, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Norway, Brazil, Russia, China, Switzerland and Denmark. Host families provide room, board and guidance for a teenager living thousands of miles from home. Students are well-screened and are selected based on academic performance, English proficiency, teacher recommendations and personal interviews. Couples, single parents and families with or without children at home, who are adventurous, fun-loving, responsible and caring are encouraged to apply.

The exchange students arrive from their home country shortly before school begins in the fall. Each student is fully insured, brings their own personal spending money and expects to bear their share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles.

Call Judith Henderson at 1-800-888-9040 or visit www.world-heritage.org.

<sh>Carjacked Vehicle Located

<bt>The vehicle that was carjacked at Tysons Corner center on May 21 has been located.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, two women and a man were involved in a robbery at Nordstrom. One woman, Aldine Bryant, 19 of Greenbelt, Md., was arrested and charged with grand larceny. Police believe that the other man and woman involved in the robbery were responsible for the carjacking that took place in the parking lot on the lower level of the shopping center at 9:50 p.m. According to police, a 25-year-old woman from Winchester was pulled from her car and assaulted before the man and woman entered the car and fled toward Leesburg Pike.

The stolen vehicle was recovered in Laurel, Md. On Monday, May 23 at approximately 10 p.m., a citizen called Prince George's Police Department to report that the car was parked in the 13300 block of Arden Way. The vehicle was unoccupied and transported to a secure facility by Prince George's County police. It was taken back to Fairfax County Headquarters for processing on Tuesday, May 24. Police are still asking for the community's help to identify the suspects in the robbery.

The male suspect is described as a black male in his 20s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds, with a goatee. He was wearing a white T-shirt, gray pants and a baseball cap. The female is described as white, in her 20s, about 5-feet-4-inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with medium-length, brown, curly hair. She was seen wearing a green button-down shirt and jeans.

Anyone with information about this incident or the suspects is asked call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477 (TIPS) or 703-691-2131. Callers may remain anonymous.