SpringfieldSpringfield FranconiaFranconia ❖❖ KingstowneKingstowne ❖❖ NewingtonNewington Congregation Adat Reyim Executive Vice President Lenny Marsh at the Feb. 19 service for Haiti. Classified, Page 11 Classified, ❖ Sports, Page 8 ❖ A Prayer Calendar, Page 7 For Haiti County Releases News, Page 4 Budget Plan News, Page 3 Good Good 2-26-10 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Samaritans Postmaster: Attention Samaritans #86 PERMIT Martinsburg, WV Martinsburg, PAID Abound Postage U.S. People, Page 6 STD PRSRT Photo by Justin Fanizzi/The Connection www.ConnectionNewspapers.comFebruary 25-March 3, 2010 ❖ Volume XXIV, Number 8 online atSpringfield www.connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ February 25 - March 3, 2010 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ February 25 - March 3, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield Editor Michael O’Connell News 703-778-9416 or [email protected] County Releases Proposed Budget Great Falls Proposal includes cuts to police, schools, libraries, -6.18% $962,276 recreation, and virtually everything else. By Julia O’Donoghue In addition to students, the Sherwood Reston The Connection Hall staff has also seen more adults with -3.09% McLean $348,467 -7.29% limited Internet access using the library’s Herndon $737,635 hristine Niemann likes to check- computers, said branch manager Denise -5.15% Vienna $375,580 -5.25% out workbooks, nonfiction and Morgan. $551,242 Cmysteries from the Sherwood “I have seen more and more people in Chantilly kton Hall Regional Library. But she here applying for jobs. Lots of compa- -6.46% -4.8 also has more unusual reasons for visiting nies require that you apply online $366,932 $603 ls Churchhh the Mount Vernon facility at least once ev- now,” said Morgan. 7.08% ery couple of weeks. Climbing Fairfax 350,281 Niemann likes to shop to over 5 Centreville -5.13% online on the computers “I think lots of people percent -7.27% $398,597 dale at the library. last summer, $312,426 -5.65% $351,907 Niemann, who was are using the library Fairfax browsing Zappos.com County’s unem- Clifton BurkeB for shoes one recent af- to try and find jobs.” ployment rate -6.03% -3.39% ternoon, understands reached its highest $616,034 $367,487$ 7 — Supervisor Gerry Hyland Springfield why the Fairfax County (D-Mount Vernon) point of the last three -4.99% executive Anthony Grif- decades during 2009. Fairfax $343,826 fin has proposed cutting The latest numbers Station Alexandria back on library branch hours, given Fairfax’s suggest Fairfax currently has about 27,100 -3.89% -6.27% $582,797 $358,104 budget shortfall next year of more than unemployed residents, a 34 percent in- $250 million. crease over the number of unemployed In tough times, Niemann knows library people living the county at the same time patrons like her will be able to adjust to the last year. By the Numbers Lorton cuts. But Niemann worries about people In previous recessions during the 1990s -7.75% The value of residential prop- $309,850 who may be relying on the library, particu- and 2001, Fairfax’s unemployment never erty, as calculated by Fairfax larly its computers, for more pressing mat- got above four percent. Given that economic County for tax purposes, declined ters. climate, Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D-Mount an average of 5.5 percent across the “[A cut to library hours] is not the worst Vernon) seemed skeptical of Griffin’s rec- county, but still varied significantly from thing except for what it does to all the kids ommendation to reduce library hours and community to community. The numbers who come here after school because they services next year, even during a difficult in red represent the average home don’t have internet access at home,” said See County, Page 4 values for 2010. Niemann. Map by Laurence Foong Group Effort for Haiti Members of many churches gather to pack meals for Haitian earthquake victims. rince of Peace Lutheran Church in Cranford Methodist Churches and Na- PSpringfield hosted a Stop Hunger tivity Catholic Church. A total of Now (SHN) meal packaging event $35,000 to pay for the meal ingredi- on Feb. 19 and 20. With the help of tre- ents was raised over the past month. mendous community support, the event Lori Keenan was the Prince of Peace achieved the goal of packing 144,000 organizer for this event. Prince of Peace meals for shipment to Haiti and the minis- is sending a 14-member mission team tries of the Lazarus Project, Village of Hope to Haiti March 18-24 and they are hop- School, Little Children of Jesus Orphanage ing that the container will be delivered and Grace Mission and Orphanage for to Haiti in time for the mission team to Girls. offload it while they are in Haiti. Donated Photos Donated More than 700 people participated from For more information on this event Volunteers from several area churches took part in a meal packing ages 4 to 90, from a host of churches in- visit the POP Web site www.poplc.org event last weekend at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Spring- cluding Our Savior’s Way, St. Johns, Lord or go to www.stophungernow.org for field. of Life, Hope, Grace and Peace Lutheran more information on this organization. Churches; Sydenstricker, Silverbrook and — Michael O'Connell www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield Connection ❖ February 25 - March 3, 2010 ❖ 3 News Multiple Faiths Offer Prayer for Haiti Congregation Adat “The thought of putting Reyim incorporates a Jews, Christians and prayer service for Muslims in a room Haiti on Feb. 19. together in peace tonight By Justin Fanizzi by Photo gave me chills.” The Connection — Laurie Rosen, Adat Reyim president n the midst of one of the most devas- Fanizzi Justin tating natural disasters in recent his- President Lenny Marsh, Shunfenthal Itory, organizations and individuals brought her idea to the congregation’s Re- across the world are providing what- ligious Practices Committee where it was ever assistance they can to earthquake-rav- approved “without a lot of convincing.” aged Haiti. Money, food, clothing and other /The Connection Since the congregation’s rabbi, Bruce Aft, supplies are making their way en masse to is on sabbatical, Shunfenthal said, the con- the small country, but Springfield’s Congre- gregation has been allowing volunteers to gation Adat Reyim is making sure that lead services, Shunfenthal asked to lead the prayers make their way there, too. service, and quickly began assembling a Adat Reyim, a progressive conservative guest list. Jewish synagogue off of Old Keene Mill Ezi Mecha, president of the World Ebony Road, hosted a special prayer service for Congregation Adat Reyim Executive Vice President Lenny Marsh and Network, a network that promotes socio- Haiti Friday, Feb. 19 as part of its weekly member Bill Korth prepare for a Haiti prayer service and Shabbat economic causes for people of African de- Friday night Shabbat service. The interfaith Friday, Feb. 19. scent, attended the event, as did the Rev. service, attended by more than 50 people, Jean St-Ulme, the pastor of Eglise Baptiste welcomed Haitian leaders of nearby reli- Burke Presbyterian Church, the Islamic “When [the terror attacks in] Mumbai de Calvaire, a Haitian congregation located gious congregations to offer prayers and to Rumi Forum and Adat Reyim, adhered to happened and Jewish people were killed, in Adelphi, Md. Francoise Laborde, a mem- speak about the needs of the country. the format of a traditional Friday night our Rabbi had the idea to pair with the ber of the World Ebony Network and a na- “The thought of putting Jews, Christians Shabbat service, and deviated only to re- Hindu temple nearby and it was a nice way tive of Haiti also attended, and spoke dur- and Muslims in a room together in peace cite prayers dedicated to Haiti. Adat Reyim of finding out about their culture,” ing the service about the state of the coun- tonight gave me chills,” said Adat Reyim member Sherri Shunfenthal wrote all of the Shunfenthal said. “Then, when the disaster try and the help that it still needs. President Laurie Rosen. “I didn’t expect it prayers herself, and also had the original in Haiti happened, I was very affected by it She said that since many citizens’ homes to be as moving as it was.” idea to incorporate Haiti and its plight into and I got idea for a prayer service.” The service, attended by members of the Shabbat service. According to Adat Reyim Executive Vice See Haiti, Page 12 County Executive Releases Budget Plan From Page 3 The county executive made his initial mally later that month. annual spending plans. Fairfax libraries and budget proposal for the next fiscal year, Fairfax schools’ funding has traditionally parks, for example, would take a 15 per- budget cycle. which starts in July, on Feb. 22. Griffin accounted for between 50 percent and 55 cent reduction in Griffin’s current proposal. “When I drive by the Sherwood Hall Re- closed a $257.2 million funding gap in percent of the county’s government spend- “Those two services have been asked to gional Library in the morning, I see people Fairfax’s $3 billion-plus general fund by ing each year. With a 3 percent reduction do more because they are discretionary. already lined up to use it when the doors making approximately $119 million in cuts in the county general fund overall next year, They are not required by the federal gov- open. I think lots of people are using the and raising approximately $120 million in Griffin said it would have been very diffi- ernment or the state,” said Griffin. library to try and find jobs,” said Hyland.