ArlingtonArlinThe gton Connection Summer Fun Special Section, Page 9 Graduation 2010 News, pages 5, 7, 8, and 17 Classified, page 21 Classified, ❖ W-L Grad Crowned Sports, page 19 ❖ Miss Virginia News, Page 3 Calendar, page 11 Calendar, At Fletcher’s Boathouse, kayakers prepare for a scenic ride inside along the Potomac. Dominion Hills Requested in home 7-1-10 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Warriors Mix Postmaster: Attention inside #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID Competition, Fun Postage U.S. Sports, Page 19 STD PRSRT Photo by Isabel Amend/The Connection Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJune 30-July 6, 2010 ❖ Volume XXIV, Number 26 online at www.connectionnewspapers.comArlington Connection ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2010 ❖ 1 Summer Fun Children at Lyon Village Park found fun ways to stay cool and wet during the recent hot weather. ‘Splish- Saki Yuhaku, left, with sister, Misa Splash’ Yuhaku Jacqueline Pickering Anna Lane Melissa Malpass with daughter Remy Photos by Delia Sava/ The Connection 2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection Editor Steven Mauren News 703-778-9415 or [email protected] Miss Virginia: ‘Perfection Is an Illusion’ ‘They’ Look Graduate of W-L Like ‘Us’ is crowned Photographer last weekend. captures perspectives By Michael Lee Pope of prejudice. The Connection hen she speaks to school By Delia Sava groups, Miss Virginia The Connection WCaitlin Uze has a power- ful voice. It’s one that has any of the faces featured in pho- a slight lisp, but it’s also one that carries Mtographer Kay Chernush’s exhi- a great deal of grace and confidence. As bition at the Arlington Arts Cen- a child in Arlington County schools, she ter attended the opening night reception. was teased by her peers. Then when she Twenty Arlington residents agreed to be began competing in pageants, competi- photographed and to share their stories of tors said she would never win because discrimination. The project titled “The Us of her speech impediment. The adversity & The They: Prejudice & Empathy In only served to make her stronger, and America’s Smallest County,” displays the last weekend she was crowned Miss Vir- photographic ginia during a ceremony in Roanoke. portraits along “She won the competition because with text, de- Details she’s an outstanding young lady,” said scribing the To learn more, visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org Booty Chewning, executive producer of individual’s expe- or www.kaychernush.com the Miss Virginia Organization. “She had riences. the poise to win, and she speaks so well.” “I have had the Turning the setback of her speech im- idea for many, many years and it sort of pediment into an advantage, Uze often evolved — it’s grown out of my own expe- speaks to schoolchildren about building riences,” said Chernush. An incident at a a positive self-image. It’s a speech she dinner party in Paris in 1964 when a French- perfected as Miss Greater Richmond. man verbally attacked Chernush, citing Now that she’s taken the state crown, it’s America’s treatment of blacks prompted her a message that she plans on spreading to ask him “in her college French” about through the commonwealth. According the poor treatment of Algierians in France. to business manager Wendi Gruninger, “I had seen signs all over Paris of that and Miss Virginia is expected to make 150 to without knowing a word of English he said, 200 official appearances. ‘Oh, I have nothing against the Algierians, “She’ll be very busy,” said Gruninger. me myself, but I wouldn’t want my daugh- “Her schedule will include parades and ter to marry one’ and that made a huge grand openings and hospital visits and Photo courtesy of the Miss Virginia Organization impression on me, that he didn’t know En- See Graduate, Page 4 Caitlin Uze was crowned Miss Virginia on June 26. glish and he was using the same expression See Photographer, Page 18 15th Columbia Pike Blues Festival Photos by LaShawn Avery/The Connection Residents celebrate Columbia Pike’s 200th anniversary and 15th Columbia Pike Blues Festival on June 19. Debbie Davies plays the electric guitar at the blues festival. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2010 ❖ 3 News “I want to be a role model that breaks the illusion of perfection.” — Miss Virginia Caitlin Uze Graduate of Washington-Lee High Crowned Miss Virginia From Page 3 platform. ing fun of a classmate named Josh. Miss Virginias have gone on to be Miss much more.” “Perfection is an illusion,” said Uze, 22. “I “I told her how I was teased when I was America: Kylene Barker in 1979, Nicole A native of Arlington, Uze graduated from want to be a role model that breaks the il- younger,” she said. “She was so surprised Johnson in 1999 and Caressa Cameron in Washington-Lee High School in 2006 and lusion of perfection.” by that because I was a princess in her eyes, 2009. began studying social work at James Madi- Uze said she developed the message af- and she promised me that she would never “People have a misconception about pag- son University. She has one more year of ter a chance encounter at a “Princess Night” make fun of Josh again.” eants that the women don’t get along and classes left, but that will have to wait be- event at Chick-fil-A. The Miss Virginia pageant dates back to are catty to each other,” said Uze, who en- cause she’s taking a year off to fulfill her She was approached by a young girl who 1953, when the contest was first held in tered her first beauty pageant on a whim duties as Miss Virginia. That includes liv- had a hard time understanding how Uze Roanoke. Originally conducted in the ball- three years ago. “But that’s not the case at ing in a Roanoke apartment provided by pronounced the word “sophomore.” Uze room of the Hotel Roanoke, the pageant all. To me it feels like we are part of this Pebble Creek Apartments, which will serve asked the girl if she knew anybody who later moved to the American Theatre and amazing sisterhood that’s putting on a as her headquarters to spread her personal spoke differently, and the girl began mak- ultimately the Roanoke Civic Center. Three show.” GO GREEN! ZERO VOC • LOW ODOR Superior Performance 25% OFF* Per gallon of Pure Performance (Eggshell or Flat) *Retail Only 5701 N. Lee Hwy. Arlington, VA 22207 703-534-4477 Find us on Facebook and become a fan! www.Facebook.com/ connection newspapers 4 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Graduation 2010 Rachel Locke gets a hug from classmate Sam Libby Kane calls out to a Nottingham. friend. Farewell Class President Molly Adair welcomes all to the Yorktown High School 2010 graduation. To Yorktown High School Photos by Louise Krafft/Connection by Louise Photos Class President Molly Alexander Adair and Class Secretary Dylan Conor Evelyn Carcamo and Tyler Holmes, Ben Earley, Dean Johnson Katie Gentsch, Lucy Bonino and Carly Reiling. Lesly Coronado. and Andrew D’Addario. Hinkle. Noelle Crosby is all smiles Class as she enters Speaker the wings at Jihane Constitution Haddou Hall for the takes a Commence- break from ment Exer- her notes cises on before the Thursday proces- afternoon, sional June 24. begins. Vitaly Thompson and Alexander Justin Thai. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection ❖ June 30 - July 6, 2010 ❖ 5 Opinion ARLINGTON CONNECTION www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Newspaper of Arlington A Connection Newspaper Summer Fun, Safely An independent, locally owned weekly newspaper delivered to homes and businesses. metropolitan area, but its work is endangered 1606 King Street Enjoy your summer fun, including our features by a combination of growing ridership on key Alexandria, Virginia 22314 on places to go with great beer selections, but holidays and a drop in funding. At presstime, the organization was counting up donations to be sure they would be able to offer the ser- plan ahead; SoberRide needs more sponsors. NEWS DEPARTMENT: vice this year. To discuss ideas and concerns, call: 703-778-9410 Last Independence Day, 331 people in the [email protected] his week’s Connection includes One safety net for those who might find Washington-metropolitan area used the area’s Steven Mauren Summer Fun pages, with informa- themselves in the unfortunate position of SoberRide program as opposed to possibly driv- Editor tion about waterparks, local base drinking without a safe way home is the Wash- ing home drunk. A 60 percent increase in use 703-778-9415 T [email protected] ball and golf, places to watch the ington Regional Alcohol Program SoberRide. of the program since 2008 combined with a remaining weeks of World Cup Soccer, high- Washington Regional Alcohol Program 35 percent decrease in corporate underwrit- Steve Hibbard Associate Editor lights of coming Independence Day events and, (WRAP), has offered free cab rides home on ing is threatening the free cab ride service to 703-778-9412 yes, a map of places to go that offer the Independence Day beginning at 10 prevent drunk driving. [email protected] great beer selection. Enjoy. p.m. July 4 and continuing until 6 a.m. Behind SoberRide’s services is a three-per- Jon Roetman By week’s end, you’ll find the listings Editorial the following day as a way to keep lo- son charitable organization (WRAP) paying a Sports Editor 703-224-3015 and stories from all of our papers online cal roads safe from impaired drivers projected $73,000 in cab fares this year alone.