Springfield Finding Franconia ❖ Kingstowne ❖ Newington Support At Home News, Page 3 Classified, Page 13 Classified, ❖ Mary Ann Perkel, Sports, Page 10 Adam Ebert, ❖ John Barger and Karan Wright of Springfield are ready for the Sept. 11 start of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra’s 2010-11 season. Calendar, Page 7 Musical Playground News, Page 4 Requested in home 9-3-10 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Attention Postmaster: Attention PERMIT #86 PERMIT Martinsburg, WV Martinsburg, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Photo courtesy of Fairfax Symphony Orchestra www.ConnectionNewspapers.comSeptember 2-8, 2010 ❖ Volume XXIV, Number 35 online at www.connectionnewspapers.comSpringfield Connection ❖ September 2-8, 2010 ❖ 1 Your Friendly, Neighborhood Thrift Shop News YESTERDAY’S ROSE where you never see the same thing twice HOME SALE LUNES LOCO 50% OFF 75% Off Housewares, Furniture Clothes, Shoes, & Purses and Linens Saturday 9/4/10 Monday 9/6/10 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Not valid with other discounts or sales. Not valid with other discounts or sales. Clothing • Furniture • Housewares Home Improvements and Repairs that Always Get an A+ Donated Photo Donated Fully Insured Class A Contractor BRING IN THIS AD AND RECEIVE AN EXTRA 20% OFF NON SALE ITEMS GOOD THRU 9/8/10 9960 Main St. Fairfax, VA • 703-385-9517 • www.yesterdaysrose.org Justin Patrick Brooks Local Piper Plays At Tattoo As a member of The Citadel Regimental Band and Pipes, Cadet Justin Patrick Brooks of Spring- field performs this month at the 2010 Diamond Jubilee of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Brooks, a bagpiper, is one of 80 members of the Regimental Band and Pipes taking part in the nightly festival of music and demonstra- tions by military organizations from around the world. Set against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle since 1950, the Tattoo attracts thousands to Scotland and its BBC television production is watched by millions of people around the world. The Tattoo runs from Aug. 6 to Aug. 28. Fatal Crash In Franconia A 9-year-old girl died after be- ing hit by a car in Franconia Mon- day, Aug. 30. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, three girls were riding their bicycles east- bound on a paved path on the north side of Franconia Road near the intersection with Cannon Lane shortly before 4:30 p.m. Just prior to Cannon Lane, they attempted to cross to the south side of Franconia Road. The first two bi- cyclists crossed successfully; but the third bicycle, ridden by Reach Your Community Rebecca Johns of 5619 Clermont Drive in Alexandria, was struck by a 2004 Mercury four-door sedan You Can Have a Successful Advertising Program that traveling westbound. Johns was Into transported to Inova Fairfax Hos- Fits pital with life-threatening injuries and died a short time later. Your Advertising Budget. The vehicle, according to police, was driven by an 80-year-old Al- exandria man that remained on the scene. No charges have been placed. Speed and alcohol are not www.connectionnewspapers.com considered to be contributing fac- tors in this crash. The investiga- 703-778-9410 tion continues. 2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ September 2-8, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield Connection Editor Michael O’Connell News 703-778-9416 or [email protected] Home Run ‘Dreams’ who coaches slugger Adam Dunn. Not only was he Children with disabilities doing things that some thought he could not do, he was doing most people never get to. from Northern Virginia Keast, along with 50 other children with the full spectrum of disabilities, was an honorary Washing- take part in sports clinic ton National Friday, Aug. 27, and each one agreed at Nationals Park after that the organization that made it possible, D.C- based youth empowerment group Dreams for Kids, certainly lived up to its name on this day. By Justin Fanizzi “I really enjoyed it,” said Michael Cohen, 16, a The Connection Franconia resident. “It was really cool to be able to go down on the ball field. Most people come to the evin Keast has watched his son Zachary park and sit in the stands. They never get to do this.” scoop hundreds of ground balls and smack Nearly a year in the making, the event was the re- Kdozens of line drives, sult of a partnership between but what has been rou- Dreams for Kids and the Major tine was anything but on this day. We’ve … never League Baseball team and was the “We’ve done the Springfield first of its kind for the non-profit. Challengers, and we’ve gone down [done] something According to Israel Negron, direc- /The Connection to Virginia Beach to play, but never tor of community relations for the something of this magnitude,” said of this magnitude.” Nationals, he and Dreams for Kids Kevin Keast, a Springfield resident. — Kevin Keast, Executive Director Andrew Horn “[Zachary] was just amazed. He’s Springfield resident met each other last summer never been anywhere like this be- through a team vice president. Justin Fanizzi Justin fore.” Negron was impressed with the Zachary, 8, was indeed amazed. He was standing group’s mission to advocate and provide opportuni- in the middle of centerfield at Nationals Park in ties for children with disabilities from around the Photo by Photo Washington, D.C., shagging fly balls with the team’s region. He was eager to bring Horn’s children to the All of the children gather for a photo in front of the third base coach and turning on fastballs in the bat- Nationals Park scoreboard. ting cage getting hitting advice from the same man See Baseball, Page 5 Bringing Quentin Home With help of Brain Injury Services, mother is now able to raise son at home. Photo by Andrew Metcalf/The Connection by Andrew Photo By Andrew Metcalf answers from them. The Connection But she always knew there was something special about her son. t 2-months old, Teresa Hammonds’ “Once you get to know him, you can tell Ason Quentin suffered a traumatic he has his own personality,” she said. “If he brain injury that left him in inten- doesn’t like something, he’ll raise his hand sive care. His outlook seemed bleak. Accord- or turn his head and his face will turn red.” ing to Hammonds, one doctor said his inju- It took five years to stabilize Quentin and ries were so significant that’s when Hammonds he would have let him began looking for a way die. But she soldiered to bring him home. She on, despite being told “If this was your contacted the Brain In- her son was blind, para- jury Services of Spring- lyzed and would be in a child would you say field and Brooke vegetative state for the their life is not Annessa, 25, was as- rest of his life. signed to her case. Brooke Annessa, right, a caseworker with Brain Injury Services of After leaving the hos- worth living?” At their first meeting, Springfield, helped Teresa Hammonds, left, obtain support for her son pital, Quentin was — Tessa Hammonds Annessa recalled Quentin. brought to a pediatric Hammonds saying, nursing center in Dunn “They sent this little girl a case manager is unparalleled,” said Karen equipment, brought in local first respond- Loring, where he would live for the next to bring home my son.” But Annessa a slen- Brown, director of BIS. ers to inform them of his situation and pro- five years. However, the center was an hour der, 5-foot-5 native of Fairfax wasn’t wor- First, Annessa secured federal funds from vided the neighbors with info packets. away from Hammonds’ house in Manassas, ried, even though she had only been on the the Money Follows the Person program, “The biggest struggle was securing nurs- and she was discouraged by the staff there. job for a year. which pays for nursing home patients to ing,” said Hammonds, a single mother who “They said any movement he made was “I’m young,” she said. “And I believe I can return home because community living works full-time at Wal-Mart. Quentin re- from seizures,” said Hammonds. “They told do anything I want to do.” costs are on average two-thirds of that of a quires 24-hour nursing care. me he couldn’t enjoy the outdoors and that That was just the attitude it would take nursing home, according to the MFP Finally, after six months everything was he would never leave.” to navigate the local, state and federal bu- website. ready for Quentin to come home. They also told her that he was legally reaucracy in order to bring Quentin home. Then she obtained a Technical Assistance blind, and she often struggled to get straight “The energy and dedication she shows as Waiver to help pay for Quentin’s medical See Support, Page 5 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield Connection ❖ September 2-8, 2010 ❖ 3 News Orchestra Continues To Grow particularly known to both orchestras and audiences Ons Sept. 11, Fairfax alike, but they show every bit the inspiration and Symphony Orchestra mastery of their better known cousins ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and Symphony No. 2,” said Zimmerman. The opens new season. guest artist is the French pianist Philippe Bianconi who, according to Zimmerman, “is both a beautiful pianist and profound interpreter.” he Fairfax Symphony Orchestra’s 2010- The Oct. 23 concert highlights the FSO and the 11 season repertoire will include perfor- fine players within it. As part of its three-year Sibelius Tmances at George Mason University’s exploration, the FSO will perform the symphonic Center for the Arts in Fairfax, and the ex- fantasy “Pojhola’s Daughter,” another of his wonder- pansion of their performances to the new Hylton fully evocative tales.