Technology Helps at Home Page 17

Great Falls Home LifePage 17 Style Technology Helps at Home Page 17 Classifieds, Page 13 Classifieds, $2 Million ❖ Townhouses? Page 18 Sports, Page 15 ❖ Entertainment, Page 10 ❖ Susan Ladwig demonstrates the new Pocket Edge by Opinion 8 McLean-based Entourage Systems. ann/The Connection Requested in home 2-17-11 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Attention Postmaster: Attention ECR WSS ECR Langley Men, Customer Postal PERMIT #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID Women Get ‘Angry’ Postage U.S. News, Page 3 STD PRSRT Photo by Jeanne Theism Photo online at www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.comFebruary 16-22, 2011 Great Falls Connection ❖ February 16-22, 2011 ❖ 1 Accessories For Home & Garden Great Falls Center, Great Falls, Virginia 703.759.2825 “Visit us on Facebook” Fine LANDSCAPES L I M I T E D Luxury Design & Build Great Falls, Virginia 703.421. 7441 www.finelandscapes.com 2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ February 16-22, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Great Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] From left, senior Becca Allen, sophomore Katie Rees and senior Tess Higgins debate as a jury as part of Langley High School’s by Photo production of “12 Angry Women.” Walt Lawrence Walt Photos by Alex McVeigh/ The Connection The red-shouldered hawk is one of seven bird “candidates” in the running to become the symbol of Great Langley Men, Women Get ‘Angry’ Falls. reasonable doubt and swinging jurors one by one to Residents Encouraged Langley High School his side, they differ in tone. presents “12 Angry Men” THE TWO CASTS avoided watching each other’s To Count Backyard Birds and “12 Angry Women.” rehearsal, in order to make sure they stayed inde- pendent of each other. “We didn’t work together at all, we wanted to form Great Falls residents can take By Alex McVeigh our own characters,” said sophomore Charlie Weir, The Connection who plays Juror #11. part in a national biological survey The play takes place on the hottest day of the year as local bird election unfolds. tudents at Langley High School will get a in New York City and director Phyllis Jaffe cranked chance to get their anger out on the stage the heat up during rehearsals to lend to the effect. Sas the Saxon Stage presents “12 Angry “It was sort of frustrating working in the heat, you s Great Falls selects a tions. The national program, Women” and “12 Angry Men.” The two pro- have to stay sharp, which is hard,” said senior Becca bird symbol in a com called the Great Backyard Bird ductions tell the story of a jury tasked with deciding Allen, who plays Juror #12. “Usually its cold onstage, A munity-wide election Count, is sponsored by the fate of a young man accused of murdering his which makes it easier to stay focused. But is also process now underway, the Na- Audubon and the Cornell Labo- father. As the deliberations progress, the jurors learn makes it easier to act like it’s hot.” tional Audubon Society, a na- ratory of Ornithology. It takes about their own fears, prejudices and morals. The final juror to be swayed, Juror #3, is bitter tionwide wildlife-conservation place every Presidents Day “We both want to see each other throughout the play at the defendant, identifying him organization, is encouraging weekend and involves everyday do well, but there is also some with his or her estranged son. The residents to become “citizen people counting birds and sub- competition between the boys and Saxons Onstage two Juror #3s, seniors Nicole scientists” to count birds in their mitting their data electronically. girls,” said senior Hayley Mueller, Kang and Jay Mamana, each drew backyards. This year the bird census will who plays Juror #4. Langley High School will be present- from different inspiration for their ing “12 Angry Women” on Feb. 16 and People willing to spend at be held Feb. 18-21. Last year The play was originally written Feb. 18, and “12 Angry Men” on Feb. 17 characters. least 15 minutes collecting sci- volunteers counted more than as “12 Angry Men” in 1954. A few and Feb. 19. All shows start at 7:30 “It’s very personal with my char- entific data can contribute to an 11 million birds. years later, author Reginald Rose p.m., and are in the Langley Auditorium. acter, she was hit by her son dur- annual study that helps to pin- wrote “12 Angry Women.” Though Tickets are $10, $8 in advance, and $15 ing an argument,” Kang said. “The See Bird Count, Page 5 for both casts if purchased ahead of point changes in bird popula- the script retains the same basic time. More information can be found at premise, a single juror claiming www.saxonstage.com. See ‘Angry,’ Page 12 Jurors discuss by Photo the fate of a young man in Langley High Al Reitan School’s Pro- duction of “12 Angry Men.” Shooting from his deck into his backyard, Great Falls resident Richard Suib adds to his collection of photo- graphs of local birds. An exhibition by Suib of images of birds from his backyard is on display at the Great Falls Library through the end of February. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Great Falls Connection ❖ February 16-22, 2011 ❖ 3 News Getting Out Of Gridlock Local company offers traffic information solution. By Alex McVeigh The Connection avigating through gridlock has been a way N of life in the Washing ton, D.C. area for years, even before construction on roads such as I-95, I-495 and the Dulles Toll Road. Now, with traffic patterns that can change on a daily basis and no end to congestion during morning and after- noon commute, knowing traffic conditions can be the difference between a few extra hours in a traffic jam. Great Falls-based TrafficTalk is trying combat this problem, by using information from drivers themselves as they are going through traffic to help others on The Wild Turkey is a ground dweller found on our the road. forest floor. Great Falls resident Walt Lawrence “Radio has only about 60 seconds to Contributed photographed this one ambling across his back lawn. cover an entire area of traffic, so it’s only natural they’ll miss details, espe- cially when they only cover the most popular roads,” said Larry Green Field, Meet the Candidates CEO of TrafficTalk. “By creating local- ized communities, our vision allows all TrafficTalk, a Great Falls-based company, has seven very state has an official for males, half that for females. the details to come out.” communities in the Washington, D.C. area, created Ebird, but few cities or They have long powerful legs TraffcTalk allows drivers to call in to in order to help drivers get the latest information towns have adopted bird and a fan-shaped tail. Adult their voice-based system to get infor- on traffic conditions. symbols of their own. Now Great birds may have 5,000 to 6,000 mation about their specific commute. Falls is doing its bit to change all feathers. The male’s face dur- The region is divided up into seven different “com- “It helps to have a human voice with you in these that. From now through June, ing breeding season is a clown- munities,” which include offshoots of the Beltway situations.” our village will host a series of like caricature: bright blue, its such as I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road, to find out “When there’s an accident and everyone is calling art and photography events lead- neck scarlet, with a pink wattle, what the conditions are like. in, that’s a lot of different eyeballs on a lot of differ- ing up to the “election” of our or fleshy area, hanging down. ent spots,” Greenfield said. “Someone could be at own Great Falls bird. You can For additional information, go DRIVERS CALL into the number and can listen to the front reporting that the accident is almost cleaned vote for your choice between to: www.allaboutbirds.org/ information from other drivers on the conditions, up, that way people know that things are clearing now and May 15 at the website guide/Wild_Turkey/id. including what might be causing any delays. The up. The network is to give people as many details as of Great Falls Studios, Why it should be the Great service is free and callers are only required to give possible so drivers can make decisions.” www.GreatFallsStudios.com. Falls bird? This is our opportu- their first name. Due to the nature of the network, the more input The Connection will profile nity to vindicate Benjamin For example, someone could be in a standstill on TrafficTalk gets, the more complete its information each of the seven nominated Franklin. In a letter to his Route 7, and wonder if they should get off onto an is. Stern says that besides the main roads, secondary bird “candidates” over the com- daughter, the famous founding alternate route, but might not know if the traffic will roads are often of interest as well. ing weeks. This is the second of father lambasted the choice of clear up just around the bend, or if it’s a multi-mile “Because of the nature of the network, people want our profiles. The in- the Bald Eagle as na- backup. information on secondary roads they’ll be using as formation comes Bird-Election tional symbol, calling “For me, Route 7 is a straight shot from where I part of their commute,” he said.

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