PRSRT STD Serving U.S. Postage Areas of Burke PAID Fairfax Elkton, MD PERMIT #31 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 10-24-08 Economy, Election Slow Car Sales News, Page 3 Inspired by his daughter’s fight against cancer, ‘Tattoo’ Tom Mitchell is training for a Nov. 1 boxing match at the Patriot Center. Classified, Page 19 Classified, ❖ Faith, Page 7 ❖ Sports, Page 14 Fighting Red Sox inside Pitcher Recalls Cancer Rams’ Start Sports, Page 14 News, Page 3 Photo by Robbie Hammer/The Connection Photo www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.comOctober 23-29, 2008 Volume XXII, Number 43 Fairfax Connection ❖ October 23-29, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ October 23-29, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Fairfax Connection Editor Michael O’Connell News 703-917-6440 or [email protected] DownturnDownturn PutsPuts BrakeBrake onon CarCar MarketMarket With uncertain economy, lending manager for Apple Federal Credit Union, said they had definitely noticed a dearth in patronage dur- fewer customers looking ing this year’s auto sale. “One of the reasons we decided to do the sale at to purchase new cars. the dealership instead of the Patriot Center was to reduce costs. We knew we weren’t going to get as By Derek B. Johnson much foot traffic,” said Hartsook. The Connection She cited a list of “soft” costs associated with hav- ing the event at the Patriot Center, including gas used haron Cavileer is the director of the Fairfax moving the cars to and from the venue along with City Auto Dealers Association for. On Sat- doubling of employees to staff the auto sale and their Surday, Oct. 17 and Sunday, Oct. 18 she pre own dealerships at the same time. Those costs made sided over what she called the quietest using the Patriot Center too expensive to continue. credit union auto sale in the City “It’s extremely difficult and ex- of Fairfax that she could remem- pensive,” said Cavileer. “This was ber during her tenure.. “People are already a response to the economy.”º “We’ve done one or two credit union sales per year, and this is taking the bus and THE BURSTING of the real es- /The Connection definitely the slowest in terms of tate bubble, the recent collapse of customer numbers,” Cavileer said Metro.” Wall Street financial institutions in the lobby of the Comfort Inn on — Ruth Walsh, Oakton and the subsequent $700 billion Fairfax Boulevard. bailout by the federal government The Fairfax Automile, involving resident has rearranged most Americans fi- over 13 car dealerships in the City nancial plans. Many are now see- Robbie Hammer of Fairfax and six credit unions from around North- ing holes in the golden parachutes they have pre- ern Virginia, did not take place at the Patriot Center pared for their retirement, and Cavileer said that has last weekend as it had in previous years. Since most affected overall auto sales. Photo by Photo of the dealerships are clustered along Fairfax Boule- “Whether it’s consumer confidence or not, people The Fairfax VW/Volvo dealership on Fairfax Boulevard vard and Main Street, the association opted to have are feeling negative about buying cars,” she said. “The was just one of over a dozen car dealerships that the event inside the city, allowing them to reduce participated in the Fairfax Automile credit union sale event-related expenditures. Jenny Hartsook, indirect See Election, Page 6 Saturday Oct. 17 and Sunday Oct. 18. Father, Daughter in Fight of Their Lives Inspired by daughter’s battle with cancer, local man to box in Patriot Center match. By Amber Healy lungs to collapse and later aggravating an The Connection arrhythmia that she had probably had since birth. by Photo or the past 12 weeks, “Tattoo” Tom After a few days and nights of tests, Mitchell has been training for the Mitchell got the news that Shayla had stage fight of his life. When he steps into three Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, an aggressive F Robbie Hammer the ring at the Patriot Center on form of cancer. Nov. 1 for his first professional boxing Prior to her illness, Mitchell admits he and match, the opponent Shayla had just started getting to know each taking his punches other after years of won’t be the man estrangement. he’s looking at, but “In life, I’ve discovered, However, whatever /The Connection cancer. happened in the Mitchell got a call you don’t always win, but past no longer mat- last summer from you always fight.” tered. He focused his then 17-year-old on doing every- daughter, Shayla, — “Tattoo” Tom Mitchell thing in his power who was living with to make her better. her mother in Manassas at the time. ‘Tattoo’ Tom Mitchell has been training at L.A. Boxing in Centerville “She said she hadn’t been feeling well and DOCTORS’ VISITS, overnight stays in in preparation for his Nov. 1 match at the Patriot Center. asked if I’d take her to a doctor,” said the hospital, long talks about cancer and Mitchell, his arms and neck covered with treatment and comfort have followed. white blood cell counts fell just prior to the been there to hold her hand when she was tattoos, earning him his nickname. Shayla has had four surgeries to install, re- procedures. scared. But most importantly, I think, we “I figured we’d go, she’d get some antibi- wire, replace and remove a pacemaker to Mitchell doesn’t sleep much these days, were there together to hold each other and otics and that’d be the end of it,” he said. treat the arrhythmia, and eventually they he admits, spending every waking hour car- to laugh when we can.” But the doctors told Mitchell and Shayla decided to take their chances and go with- ing for his daughter, who moved in with Mitchell needed to do something produc- that she’d have to stay overnight in the out. him full-time last fall. tive, he said, a way to deal with the frustra- emergency room — the pain she’d been feel- When Shayla was healthy enough, she “I’ve been there to hold her hair when she tion of knowing he couldn’t do anything to ing was from a tumor two-thirds the size of received stem cell infusions and injections got sick and I’ve been there to hold her hand her chest, which had caused one of her of marrow taken from her hips, but her when her hair fell out,” Mitchell said. “I’ve See Mitchell, Page 19 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Fairfax Connection ❖ October 23-29, 2008 ❖ 3 Week in Fairfax News Man Charged With Assault City of Fairfax police have arrested and charged Dilbin Rudic Machado Henriquez, 25. According to a City of Fairfax Charity Is All Smiles Police release, on Oct. 20 an unidentified female, 13, re- ported being sexually assaulted by an individual known to her. Later on that same day, Henriquez was charged with Raising Smiles raises two counts of aggravated sexual battery and transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. money to help Iraqi Police are withholding additional information about the case, citing protection of the victim’s identity. Sgt. Pam children injured in war. Nevlud, public information officer for the City of Fairfax, confirmed that Henriquez and the victim knew each other. By Derek B. Johnson Grand Larceny Arrest The Connection by Photo Woodbridge resident Sarah Ward, 42, was served with a eorge Mason University student Zeina felony warrant Oct. 14 in connection with an investigation Al-Khalaf said she has often tried to B. Johnson Derek into an Oct. 7 theft that was reported at Family Physicians Gswitch perspectives with the wounded of Old Town Fairfax on the 3000 block of Old Lee Highway. children she helps to bring over from According to a City of Fairfax Police release, Ward, an Iraq. Her father lived in Baghdad until he was 17. employee, was charged with stealing money from the purse Had he stayed, she could have been unlucky enough of a patient who was at the office for a scheduled appoint- to get caught by a stray bullet or explosion, as many ment. of the amputees and burn victims she helps do. According to Pam Nevlud, spokesperson for the City of “I could easily be any of these children over there,” /The Connection Fairfax Police, employees at the office reported the theft to Al-Khalaf said. “I know if I was a child like that, I police after receiving a call from the victim about the miss- would wish that someone here would help bring me ing money. Ward was released on a $5,000 bond the next to America and help get my prosthetics.” day. To that end, Al-Khalaf started Raising Smiles dur- ing her junior year of high school. In conjunction with the Global Medical Relief Fund (GMRF), an -Hone Moves to Breast organization started by Staten Island, N.Y.-resident Zeina Al-Khalaf poses for a photo with Elissa Montanti, Al-Khalaf has raised enough money Ali, 6, at a Raising Smiles fund-raising Cancer Foundation to bring four children to America over the past three event in Dewberry Hall at GMU Sunday, At-large School Board member Tina Hone recently started years. Oct. 12. to oversee the government affairs office for the world’s larg- Ranging in age from 6 to 18, the children use the children to the United States, specifically to the Je- est non-profit dedicated to breast cancer research, Susan money to travel with a guardian to Shriner’s suit retreat house in Staten Island that was donated G.