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Holiday Entertainment & Gift Guide McLeanMcLean Page 17 Comstock Wins 10th District Race News, Page 4 Santa HQ Opens Holidays Are at Tysons News, Page 3 Classifieds, Page 18 Classifieds, for Giving ❖ Opinion, Page 8 Entertainment, Page 10 ❖ Opinion, Page 8 Henry Pruitt, 6-months-old, meets Santa Claus for the first time while his parents, Army Sgt. James Pruitt and Jackie Pruitt, watch. Photo by Fallon Forbush/The Connection November 16-22, 2016 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection ❖ November 16-22, 2016 ❖ 1 Over $70 MillionLife Happens! Sold in 2015 to Date! ContactMake HBC Your Realty Move Group with HBCto Work Group! For You! Under Contract Just Sold! in 2 Days! Under Contract! 1121 Under Contract! Kensington Road McLean $1,045,000 1417 Audmar Drive 6712 Weaver Avenue 1215 Wild Hawthorn Way McLean $775,000 McLean $848,000 Reston $568,900 New Price! Just Listed! Just Sold! Under Contract! 900 Lynton Place 1367A Garden Wall Circle 6801 Van Fleet Drive 1998 Barkham Lane McLean $1,699,000 Reston $300,000 McLean $727,500 Vienna $769,000 New Price! New Price! Just Sold! Under Contract! 7334 Rockford Drive Falls Church $549,900 448 Dulany Drive 1800 Solitaire Lane 11207 Bradbury Lane McLean $1,168,000 McLean $1,388,000 Reston $649,000 HBC Group Community Charity Champions has Raised Over $53,710 for Local Charities and Organizations Jenny Jeanina Bill Cathy McClintock DiVittorio Detty Peck 2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ November 16-22, 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] From right — Army Infantryman Robert Murafsky, Saylor Murafsky, 5, (From left) Isabella Bengtson, 18-months-old, was nervous to meet Santa Finley Murafsky, 3, and Alison Murafsky take a family portrait with Claus for the first time so her photo had to be taken while photogra- Santa Claus. phers sang Wheels on the Bus. Mother Kellie Bengtson and father Ivan Bengtson, a soldier with the Army Special Forces, were thankful to Santa’s helpers for cooperating. Santa HQ Opens at Photos by Fallon Forbush/The Connection Santa Claus makes Tysons special stop for By Fallon Forbush The Connection service members. ervice members and their families so Faith can interact with other military were the first to see Santa Claus at kids,” says McClintic. Between her and her Shis new workshop in McLean. two brothers, they have been deployed six Tysons Corner Center’s Santa times to Kuwait and Iraq. HQ, by television station HGTV, opened in While Faith was on Santa’s lap, she asked the mall on Veterans Day. As a thank you to him for a bracelet. She was very specific in military families, service members were in- asking for a Grace’s Bracelet for Girls by vited to bring their kids to see Santa at a American Girl. private event the night before it opened. Little did she know that her wish would “What better way to say thank you to come true so soon. those who have served and our military She and her mother had to come back families than to bring them Santa Claus?” through the line when they realized that Marine Corps Sgt. Zach Cooke says Becca Willcox, spokeswoman for their photo did not print correctly. Like takes an “ELFIE” while holding his Tysons Corner Center. “We’re lucky to have magic, Santa had the bracelet for her when son Zachary, Jr. him here so early.” Photo packages with Santa Claus start at $34.99, but military families received com- plimentary photographs during the two- Army Sgt. David Fernandez holds hour event. his son Michael Fernandez, 4, who “It’s the most festive way we could think is next in line to see Santa Claus. of to say thank you for their tireless sacri- fice for our country,” says Willcox. she came back to retake the photo. Families from all over northern Virginia Santa HQ features interactive technology came to see the big guy. that is integrated into the experience. Chil- “Santa HQ reached out to us and donated dren are “scanned” as they arrive to deter- this time slot free for our families,” says mine if they’ve been “naughty or nice” and Joseph Alotto, a spokesman for the enter an observatory where they can use Wounded Warrior Project, a national non- touch-screen tablet computers to view hid- profit organization that provides programs, den elements of Santa’s magical world and services and events for wounded veterans take “ELFIES,” an elf selfie. of the military. Participants were encouraged to bring “We try and reach out to not only veter- unwrapped and unopened toys to donate ans, but also family members,” says Alotto. to Homestretch, a nonprofit in Falls Church “We’re about bringing the family together, that works with housing insecure families especially around Veterans Day.” that are at risk of homelessness. The toy Army Staff Sgt. Amie McClintic and her drive is part of Tysons Corner Center’s Help daughter Faith McClintic, 7, were one of the Through Holiday Giving campaign, which first people in line to see Santa. Althea Miedzinski, 9 (left), and her sister Zaira Miedzinski, 7 (right), has a goal of gathering and distributing “I try and look for family-oriented events show Santa Claus their wish list. 1,000 toys for needy families. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection ❖ November 16-22, 2016 ❖ 3 News Comstock Wins 10th District Race Unofficial Election Hotly-contested Results seat targeted as a Source: http://results.elections.virginia.gov/ PRESIDENT ‘flip’ for Democrats. Virginia Results Hillary Clinton (D) 1,968,213 49.63% Donald J. Trump (R) 1,765,599 44.53% By Victoria Ross Gary Johnson (L) 118,464 2.99% The Connection Evan McMullin (I) 53,877 1.36% Jill Stein (G) 27,572 0.70% rom the outset, the race for Fairfax County Results Virginia’s 10th Congressional seat Hillary Clinton (D) 355,052 64.41% attracted national attention as a Donald J. Trump (R) 157,820 28.63% F Gary Johnson (L) 15,654 2.84% possible “flip” for Democrats in Evan McMullin (I) 10,383 1.88% their bid to gain the 30 seats they needed Jill Stein (G) 4,475 0.83% to win back control of the House. Demo- crats poured money into the race, which U.S. CONGRESS many pollsters considered a bellwether race Member House of Representatives (08) in a battleground state. Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D) 245,480 68.3% Charles A. Hernick (R) 98,211 27.33% But in the end, freshman Republican Bar- Julio Gracia (I) 14,636 4.07% bara Comstock swiftly and handily won her Photo contributed first reelection bid, defeating Democratic Barbara Comstock spoke to hundreds of supporters in Ashburn Tuesday Member House of Representatives (10) Barbara Jean Comstock (R) 210,619 52.69% challenger LuAnn Bennett by seven percent- night after her resounding victory over Democratic challenger LuAnn LuAnn L. Bennett (D) 187,532 46.92% age points Tuesday night. Bennett. Just as Republican Presidential candidate Member House of Representatives (11) G. E. “Gerry” Connolly (D) 247,586 87.89% Donald Trump defied the predictions of porter favored to win the GOP nomination that showed educated suburban women Write-in 34,103 12.11% pollsters and pundits to make Virginia a for Virginia Governor in 2017, said voting against Trump and, by association, Unopposed narrow victory for Democratic nominee Comstock won the race because no one any down-ballot Republicans. In 2008 the Fairfax County Meals Tax Hillary Clinton, Comstock defied the “swing could “outwork or outsmart” her. Comstock district went blue for President Barack No 291,082 53.84% district” predictions and comfortably de- is known as an unflagging campaigner, who Obama, and – four years later – Republican Yes 249,604 46.16% feated Democratic challenger LuAnn typically attends or hosts a dozen district candidate Mitt Romney narrowly carried the Bennett to hold the 10th Congressional Dis- events and meetings each week. 10th. “LuAnn brought everything to the table: trict seat. Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity (R- Although Clinton defeated Trump by a penchant for public service, a strong busi- Springfield), another longtime Comstock more than eight percentage points on Elec- ness record, and pragmatic solutions to the WITH 99 PERCENT of precincts report- supporter who attended Tuesday’s victory tion Day in Virginia, Bennett was not able problems that face Northern Virginia. I am ing by 11 p.m., Comstock had 203,995 votes party, said Comstock is committed to her to ride her coattails to victory, indicating confident that her role as a community (53 percent), while Bennett had 181,999 constituents in a hands-on way. “They know that many in the district split their votes leader won’t stop here, and I know she will votes (47 percent). her, and they know they can count on her,” between the major parties - voting for continue to fight for working families in Bolstered by the Presidential election, Herrity said. “She shows up. She even at- Clinton for President but for the Republi- whatever she pursues next.” voter turnout greatly exceeded the roughly tended my town hall forums on heroin can Comstock for Congress. 223,000 votes cast when Comstock won the abuse because she knows it matters to her “I commend LuAnn Bennett and her team BENNETT told supporters in Falls Church seat in the 2014 midterm elections. constituents.” for a truly hard-fought race in Virginia’s Tuesday night that, although the results “This win is your win,” Comstock declared But Democrats also knew that voters in 10th Congressional District,” said Susan of the election were “not what we hoped,” at a victory party in Ashburn Tuesday night the 10th Congressional District were, by and Swecker, the chairman of the Democratic she was “so proud of the campaign we’ve to a crowd of about 200 supporters.