PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Elkton, MD McLeanMcLean PERMIT #31 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 10-30-08 Highlanders Reach Liberty Finals Sports, Page 19 Classifieds, Page 20 Classifieds, ❖ Sports, Page 19 ❖ Faith, Page 18 ❖ McLean High field Opinion, Page 8 hockey player Jamie Bell ❖ (10) and the Highlanders have had a great turnaround season this autumn under first year coach Summer Hardman. McLean, which reached the Liberty District Calendar, Page 16 Calendar, ❖ finals last week, is competing in the Northern Region tournament this week. People, Page 6 Presidential Debate at McLean High News, Page 3 Trail Decision Deferred News, Page 4 Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comOctober 29-November 4, 2008, 2008 ❖ Volume XXII, Number 44 McLean Connectionwww.connectionnewspapers.com ❖ October 29 - November 4, 2008 ❖ 1 Award-Winning Connection Newspapers More Reasons the Connection Newspapers are the Best-Read Community Papers: Winners of the 2007 Virginia Press Association and Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association Editorial Awards Michael Lee Pope Kemal Kurspahic, Meghan Robbie Hammer FIRST PLACE, Business and Williams, Paul Frommelt, FIRST PLACE, Sports feature photo, financial writing, John Smith, Christopher Springfield Connection Subdivide and Conquer, Staten, Aranya Tomseth Chuck Hagee, Louise Krafft, Greg Alexandria Gazette Packet FIRST PLACE, General makeup, Wyshynski Greg Wyshynski, Michael Paul Great Falls Connection SECOND PLACE, Combination Aaron Stern Lee Pope Frommelt Aranya Tomseth picture and story, Alexandria SECOND PLACE, Sports Feature Story, Rebecca Halik, FIRST PLACE, Business and Gazette Packet “Return of a King”, Feature on Marcus Louise Krafft, financial writing, Great Falls Michael Lee Pope Mason, Potomac Almanac Mary Anne Weber, Connection SECOND PLACE, In-depth or Kenneth Lourie Matthew Razak Chuck SECOND PLACE, Sports Aranya Tomseth Hagee investigative reporting, Rebecca FIRST PLACE, FIRST PLACE, General news writing, Alexandria Gazette Packet, Column, “Sports Jeapardy”, Halik Lifestyle or enter- Great Falls Connection Inside the Meltdown Potomac Almanac tainment pages, Louise Robbie Hammer Michael Lee Pope Michael Lee Pope Krafft SECOND PLACE, Feature series or con- THIRD PLACE, Education writ- Alexandria Gazette FIRST PLACE, General news photo, Kenneth Herndon Connection tinuing story, Alexandria Gazette Packet, Lourie ing, Alexandria Gazette Packet Packet Michael Lee Pope Jean Card, David Amber Healy School Board Power Struggle Greg Wyshynski THIRD PLACE, Feature writing portfolio, Schultz, Greg FIRST PLACE, Business and financial writing, Laurel Hill Connection SECOND PLACE, Page design, Alexandria Alexandria Gazette Packet Mary Anne Wyshynski, Louise Mary Anne Weber, Rebecca Halik, Weber Michael O’Connell, Gazette Packet Krafft, Rich Lea Mae Rice, Louise Krafft Greg Wyshynski, Rich Sanders, Matthew Lawrence Foong, Stuart Moll, Sanders Razak Amber Healy, SECOND PLACE, General news photo, FIRST PLACE, John Marcario, Arlington Connection Louise Krafft, Rich Sanders THIRD PLACE, General makeup, Special sections or special edi- Robbie Hammer, David Schultz SECOND PLACE, Feature writing portfo- Alexandria Gazette Packet tions, Arlington Connection Christopher Greg Wyshynski, Rebecca Halik, David Schultz Staten, lio, Arlington Connection Lea Mae Amber Steve Thurston Matthew Razak Rich FIRST PLACE, FIRST PLACE, Healy Sanders Rice SECOND PLACE, Column writ- THIRD PLACE, Lifestyle or entertainment Government writing General makeup, pages, Arlington Connection Laurel Hill Connection ing, Arlington Connection and public safety writing, Mike DiCicco John C. Marcario Arlington Connection Robbie Hammer THIRD PLACE, Sports writing portfolio, FIRST PLACE, Feature photo, McLean SECOND PLACE, Jean Card, Louise David Feature story writ- Laurel Hill Connection Schultz Connection Christopher Staten Krafft, Robbie Eric J. Gilmore ing, Vienna Steve Connection THIRD PLACE, Feature story writing, Hammer, Rich FIRST PLACE, Sports writing Thurston McLean Connection Amber Healy Sanders, John portfolio, Mount Vernon Christopher Staten, Greg Smith, Lawrence SECOND PLACE, Health, science Gazette Mike Wyshysnki, Louise Krafft, Foong, Stuart Julia O’Donoghue and environmental writing, Lea Mae Rice Robbie Laurel Hill Connection DiCicco Hammer Moll, Rich Eric J. FIRST PLACE, THIRD PLACE, Specialty pages or sec- Gilmore Paul Frommelt Sanders, Greg John Education writing, tions, Fairfax Connection SECOND PLACE, Sports writing portfolio, Wyshynski Smith Mount Vernon Gazette Robbie Hammer McLean Connection HIRD LACE FIRST PLACE, Julia O’Donoghue, FIRST T P , Sports news photo, Great Julia Paul Frommelt Falls Connection General makeup, PLACE, Spot news writing, Mount Vernon Gazette O’Donoghue SECOND PLACE, Sports pages, Great Nicholas M. Horrock Arlington Julia O’Donoghue Falls Connection THIRD PLACE, Business and financial Paul Frommelt Lawrence Connection FIRST PLACE, Government writing and writing, Herndon Connection Foong Erika Jacobson public safety writing, Mount Vernon SECOND PLACE, Sports writing portfolio, Julia O’Donoghue FIRST PLACE, Education writ- Stuart Gazette Great Falls Connection THIRD PLACE, Government writing and Robbie Hammer ing, Ashburn Connection Moll Alex Scofield, public safety writing, Herndon SECOND PLACE, Feature photo, Great Kim Centazzo BEST IN SHOW, Local Coverage of Connection Falls Connection Christopher Staten FIRST PLACE, Education writing, Virginia Tech Shooting, Potomac Aranya Tomseth Almanac THIRD PLACE, Page design, Herndon Cascades Connection SECOND PLACE, Government writing and Connection Robbie Hammer Alex Scofield, public safety writing, Great Falls FIRST PLACE, Spot News, Local Coverage Mike DiCicco FIRST PLACE, Picture story or essay, Connection THIRD PLACE, Feature story writing, Cascades Connection of Virginia Tech Shooting, Potomac Paul Frommelt, Almanac Ashburn Connection SECOND PLACE, Sports pages, Steve Hibbard Alex Scofield, Erika Jacobson FIRST PLACE, Centre View THIRD PLACE, Government writing and FIRST PLACE, Sports Feature Story, Steve Hibbard, public safety writing, Ashburn Headline writing, “Unbroken Links”, Potomac Almanac Centre View SECOND PLACE, Front page, Connection Alex Scofield, Centre View Jennifer Lesinski Nicholas M. FIRST PLACE, Business and Economic Mary Kimm, Jennifer Lesinski, Kim THIRD PLACE, Page design, Ashburn Steve Horrock, Story, “Local Representation”, Potomac Centazzo, Erika Jacobson Connection Hibbard Ken Moore Almanac Nicholas SECOND PLACE, Editorial Paul Frommelt FIRST PLACE, In- M. Horrock Alex Scofield, Christine Brown, pages, Cascades Connection THIRD PLACE, Sports writing portfolio, depth or investiga- FIRST PLACE, Sports Page Aaron Stern Centre View tive reporting, Design,”Congressional Crash SECOND PLACE, Lauren Glendenning Fairfax Connection Course”, Potomac Almanac Spot News, Shock THIRD PLACE, General news writing, Laurence Foong, Michael and grief in the wake Jennifer Burke Connection Stuart Moll, Lesinski Robbie Hammer Ken O’Connell, John of the suicide deaths Steven Mauren, THIRD PLACE, Picture story or essay, Moore Smith, Robbie of two young women, Michael Mirza Kurspahic, Mirza Potomac Almanac Burke Connection Hammer Kurspahic O’Connell Mary Kimm Aaron Alex Scofield Kim Centazzo FIRST PLACE, Front Stern FIRST PLACE, SECOND PLACE, General News THIRD PLACE, Feature writing portfolio, page, Fairfax Editorial pages, Story, Coverage of the “Smoothie King” Cascades Connection Connection Steven Mauren Reston Connection robbery and its aftermath, Potomac Robbie Hammer Mirza Kurspahic Almanac Kemal FIRST PLACE, FIRST PLACE, Feature series or Robbie Hammer Kurspahic Picture story or Meghan continuing story, Reston Mary SECOND PLACE, Sports Photo, Tennis, essay, Great Falls Connection Williams Connection Kimm Potomac Almanac www.connectionnewspapers.com Great People • Great Papers • Great Readers 2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ October 29 - November 4, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-917-6428 or [email protected] Presidential Debate at McLean High Students stand in for candidates in debate leading up to this week’s mock election. By Mike DiCicco The Connection cLean High School hosted its own presidential debate last MThursday morning, with two members of the senior class taking the place of senators John McCain and Barack Obama. On the schoolwide television network, Charles Perla, as Obama, and Richard Sigman, as McCain, traded blows on for- eign policy, the economy and the environ- ment, topics that were chosen by the stu- dents who put the program together. “The boys had no idea what the questions were going to be,” said government studies Contributed Photo teacher John McGinnis, who coordinated the debate. The moderators had made up their own questions. Responses often incorporated two or three of the main subjects. For example, while Sigman accused Perla of turning against oil companies that were creating jobs for Americans, Perla said the compa- Charles Perla, left, stood in for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama while Richard Sigman represented U.S. Sen. John nies already had plenty of offshore territory McCain in last week’s presidential debate at McLean High School. that they weren’t drilling. He said invest- ing in alternate energy would both boost Unlike the previous three presidential the economy and help the environment. “I think they touched on the “I’m used to debating debates, this one ended not only with a Sigman