PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Elkton, MD McLeanMcLean PERMIT #31 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 7-3-08 Lara Iglesias of McLean practices her singing at the Opera Institute where she is studying opera music for four weeks. Classifieds, Page 20 Classifieds, ❖ Sports, Page 18 ❖ AttractedAttracted Schools, Page 9 Schools, ❖ ToTo OperaOpera Calendar, Page 10 Faith, Page 12 Calendar, Page 10 ❖ Opinion, Page 6 al Opera insideinside ashington Nation Trail Debate Not Easy Being ‘Green’ Heats Up News, Page 3 News, Page 3 Photo courtesy of the W Photo www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJuly 2-8, 2008 ❖ Volume XXII, Number 27 McLean Connection ❖ July 2-8, 2008 ❖ 1 2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ July 2-8, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-917-6428 or [email protected] Trail Debate Heats Up Madeira, trail advocates face off at Planning Commission hearing. Fireworks display by Zambelli By Mike DiCicco by Photo Fireworks International will begin The Connection at approximately 9:15 p.m. s he called to order last Mike DiCicco Thursday’s Planning Commis A sion public hearing, Chairman Fireworks Peter Murphy (Springfield) sug- gested to the crowd, “Perhaps we could begin by singing the school song.” To Highlight On the agenda was a hearing regarding a /The Connection special exception application by The Ma- deira School; planning staff recommended Celebration an addendum “encouraging” the girls’ boarding school to grant a trail easement along its Potomac River shoreline. Enough Music, rides, Madeira parents, students, alumnae and faculty, as well as trail advocates, had A planned trail behind The Madeira School was the subject of heated amusements at turned out that the hearing would run un- debate at last Thursday’s Planning Commission public hearing. til about 1 in the morning. Langley High. From the outset, Dranesville District Plan- three decades, and trail proponents would some other changes to previously approved ning Commissioner Jay Donahue said he did like to use it to begin closing one of two plans to accommodate the plant’s move. he McLean Community Center’s not intend to ask for a decision on the ap- gaps in the Potomac Heritage National Sce- Also, the application would boost the T (MCC) 2008 4th of July Fireworks plication until July 31, and by the hearing’s nic Trail in Fairfax County. school’s maximum enrollment by about 6 Celebration will feature a new fire- end, there was no clear indication of what The application itself, which was dis- percent and create an indoor horseback- works display by Zambelli Fireworks Inter- that decision would be. cussed only minimally, is to replace and re- riding facility. national (www.zambellifireworks.com), locate the school’s wastewater treatment The school’s attorney, David Houston, laid and live performances by B2B, a Jimmy THE PROPOSED TRAIL has been on the plant, which has fallen out of compliance Buffet Tribute Band (www.b2bband.com), county’s Comprehensive Plan for more than with rising state standards, and to make See Battle Over Trail, Page 8 and actor Norman Aronovic. The celebra- tion will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 4, at Langley High School’s athletic field, 6520 Georgetown Pike. In case of inclement weather, a rain date of Saturday, July 5, has Not Easy been set. Admission and parking are free. A free shuttle bus service will be available from St. John’s Episcopal Church (6715 Georgetown Pike), Cooper Middle School Being (977 Balls Hill Road) and from MCC, be- ginning at 7 p.m. A handicap-accessible bus will be available at the center. MCC Special Events Director Sam Rob- ‘Green’ erts contracted with Zambelli after seeing one of its fireworks shows at the Interna- tional Association of Festivals and Events McLean residents go to in Atlanta. “This is going to be the most exciting show McLean has ever produced,” lengths to make their he said. homes eco-friendly. B2B is a Jimmy Buffett tribute band based Photo Contributed Photo in Richmond. Local actor Norman Aronovic will read segments of a letter President John By Mike DiCicco Adams wrote to his wife Abigail in July The Connection 1776, during the difficult years of the found- ing of the country. The Joint Armed Forces hen Jim Talens’ neighborhood in Color Guard from the Military District of WMcLean lost power briefly dur Washington will present the colors and B2B ing one of several recent thun- will sing the national anthem. derstorms, Talens, as usual, was unaware About a quarter of the energy used in the home of Del. Margi Vanderhye Other attractions at the celebration will that the electricity was down. The electri- and her husband Robert is generated by solar panels on the roof. The include carnival rides and amusements, cal inverter in his garage had immediately rest is “green” energy provided by Pepco. field games by Games People Play II, mu- begun drawing power from six “deep dis- sic, free face painting, free balloon sculp- charge” batteries, and the house was run- of Talens’ effort to both minimize his im- this is my effort.” tures and a variety of food and beverages. ning on energy gathered from the sun. pact on the environment and save backup Although he now works as a real estate The fireworks will begin at approximately The solar panels in his front yard and the resources for his home. “I think everybody agent, telecommunications lawyer and 9:15 p.m. elaborate system that channels their energy should do what they can to conserve en- For more information, call 703-790-0123/TTY: into the batteries and into his home are part ergy,” he said. “And with my background, See Green Living, Page 4 711, or visit www.mcleancenter.org. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection ❖ July 2-8, 2008 ❖ 3 News Week in McLean Suspects Sought ‘Green Living’ in McLean In Car Thefts From Page 3 Fairfax County Crime Solvers is ask- ing for the public’s assistance in iden- teacher of English, he was originally an tifying and locating the persons re- electrical engineer, and he also had help sponsible for stealing two cars in the from a friend who had recently rigged up a McLean area and intentionally dam- solar-powered backup system in his house. aging them. Police were called to a Nonetheless, he said, “Conceptually, it’s not home in the 1800 block of Great Falls that difficult for even a non-engineer.” Street around 5:20 a.m. on Monday, When the batteries are full, energy from June 16, for the stolen cars. An inves- the solar panels flows into the house, and tigation determined the suspects nine “critical circuits” in the house are broke into a 2008 Smart fortwo car hooked to the backup system in case of a during the overnight hours the power outage. Talens said he could have evening before. Inside, they located electricity for four days to a week without keys to the Smart car and also a 2000 a connection to the power grid, so long as Lexus RX300, parked at the same resi- he was frugal and did not run climate con- dence. The vehicle owners called po- trol. After the batteries died, a signal would lice when they discovered the cars be sent to the generator in his back yard, missing. º which would power the house while it re- Officers located the Smart car later charged the batteries. that same day in the McLean area. The Another source of his electrical experi- car had extensive damage that ap- ence, and another reason he wanted to have peared intentional. The Lexus was backup power, is his interest in ham radios, recovered in the Reston area on Sat- which have been a hobby of his since age urday, June 21. It, too, had extensive 13. If a disaster knocked out electrical and This system runs solar energy in Rose Wells shows off one of the damage. Detectives would like to hear communication lines, Talens, a member of and out of a set of batteries in Jim first figs on her fig trees. The fig is from anyone who may know the sus- the Amateur Radio Emergency Service Talens’ garage. one of many varieties of fruits, pects responsible for these vehicle (ARES), could still send and receive com- vegetables and herbs she grows in thefts. munication, thanks to his backup power her yard. Anyone with information is asked system and the 70-foot radio tower in his to contact Crime Solvers by phone at backyard. Learn More by Starbucks also provide nutrients. She 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), e-mail at One thing the system was not designed Both Jim Talens’ and Rose Wells’ homes pointed out that the yard made use of “a www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text will be stops on the Washington, D.C. to do, however, was to save money. “These ton of things that would go to the dump.” “TIP187” plus a message to Solar Tour October 4 and 5. For more CRIMES(274637). A $100 to $1,000 things are difficult to justify economically,” information, visit www.solartour.org. The crops growing on trees, vines, stalks he said, noting that it would take “a very and bushes in her front and back yards in- cash reward will be paid for informa- long time” to recoup the cost of building clude but are not limited to carrots, toma- tion that leads to an arrest. As always, the solar power system. “It’s regrettable that more power into the grid than she takes out. toes, radishes, onions, peppers, runner callers never have to give their names local governments don’t help the average “It isn’t easy.