Viennaand Oakton DayDay PromProm atat WaterfordWaterford News,News, PagePage 1414 Classifieds, Page 15 Classifieds, ❖ Sports, Page 18 ❖ Entertainment, Page 13 ❖ Oakton High School students Kyler Reese and Mike Charlton participate in a popular line Opinion, Page 6 dance during the “Day Prom” organized by Herndon High School and held in Fairfax at the Waterford at Fair Oaks. ‘Connecting the Dots’ HomeHome LifeLife StyleStyle On Climate Change PagePage 1111 News, Page 3 Mother’s Day PERMIT #86 PERMIT Martinsburg, WV Martinsburg, Photo Gallery PAID U.S. Postage U.S. News, Page 19 STD PRSRT Photo by Deb Cobb/The Connection Photo online at www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com May 9-15, 2012 Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ May 9-15, 2012 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ May 9-15, 2012 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Vienna/Oakton Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] Photo by Photo The climate change activists take their Donna Manz case and their signs to the Vienna Farmer’s Market. The group, with signs in hand, marched from the /The Connection Patrick Henry Library on Maple Avenue to the Market via the W&OD Trail. Photos by Neeraj Prasa, of Vienna, practices for the FIRST LEGO® Andrea Worker/ League (FLL) competition, one in which young students The Connection design robotics and solve “real-life” challenges. ‘Connecting the Dots’ Vienna Teen a Robowiz Local team scores big in robotics on Climate Change in international competition. cific focus, but the one thing that unites us is the By Donna Manz national presence with teams Northern Virginians join in negative effect climate change is having on North- The Connection from Spain, France, Holland, Global Climate Change Day. ern Virginia and the things each group is dedicated Germany, Bermuda, Cayman to protecting. We all believe in the need for advo- eeraj Prasad, a Islands, Japan, China, South cacy and education.” N Vienna 13-year-old Africa, Brazil, Denmark, hat could Los Cayes, Haiti; Lancaster, 7th-grader, loves sci- Canada, Israel, and the U.S. Texas; Geraldine, New Zealand; Al- THE EDUCATION PORTION of their mission was ence and technology so much commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Wexandria, Egypt; London, England; fulfilled by a variety of speakers and by the plentiful so that he lives for science and among U.S state champions. Dumaguete, the Philippines, and availability of written materials provided by several technology. For three years, FIRST’s robotic competition Vienna, Va., all possibly have in common? They are coalition members. First up on the agenda was Del. Neeraj has participated in the programs are designed to in- all communities where on May 5 people came out to David Bulova (D-37). Bulova served on the Virginia FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) spire school children to excel in “Connect the Dots” between carbon emissions, in- Commission on Climate Change at the request of then competition, a partnership of math and science. FLL chal- sufficient emphasis on renewable energy, climate Gov. Tim Kaine. The panel met numerous times the LEGO® Company and non- lenges children aged 9 to 14 to change, severe weather, and life-threatening risk to throughout 2008 and studied climate change in Vir- profit FIRST [For Inspiration create robotics programs using the planet and all its life forms. Involving concerned ginia from every possible angle, ultimately produc- and Recognition of Science and Mind Storms NXT robotics kits. citizens in 188 countries, the Climate Change Day ing a lengthy report containing more than 100 rec- Technology]. And this year, Each team buys or borrows a was the brainchild of 350.org, an organization dedi- ommendations aimed at reducing carbon emissions, Neeraj and his fellow Robowiz reusable NXT kit, essentially the cated to building a global grassroots movement to developing more efficient renewable sources of en- team members were in Florida “brain” of the robot. solve the climate crisis. Their name, 350.org, refers ergy, and planning for the growth and development to compete in the 2012 FLL to their goal to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere of the state. Most of those recommendations, accord- World Open Invitational Cham- THE FIRST LEGO® League from its current number of approximately 392 parts ing to Bulova, are still awaiting real implementation pionship held at Legoland. competition covers three com- per million to less than 350. or have just been shelved. “Math and science are my fa- ponents and teams begin com- In Vienna, the action began in the Patrick Henry Del. Bulova went on to highlight the predicted vorite subjects,” said Neeraj. “I petition at the regional level in Library meeting room, sponsored by the Northern impact of climate change on key natural resources like math and science because the fall and move on to state Virginia Climate Change Action Network in the state, as well as on business, agriculture and of their real-world value. Both competition. State champions (NOVACAN). NOVACAN is a coalition of local orga- even human health as temperatures rise and the state are essential in not only ex- are invited to the world com- nizations that formed in 2009 to educate the public experiences more severe weather patterns. During panding our knowledge, but to petition. on the immediate and future effects of climate change his tenure on the commission, he was greatly influ- conquer problems plaguing so- In Neeraj’s sun room is a table in the area and to address climate change policy at enced by 3D modeling images presented by the US ciety today.” mat replicating the steps all the federal, state and local levels. As NOVACAN Navy. “It was really eye-opening,” he said. “You Robowiz was one of two VA/ teams’ robots will face. It takes Chairperson Linda Burchfiel noted in her opening watched whole portions of the coastline just disap DC Region teams invited to the Neeraj just minutes to design a remarks to the gathering, “Each of the member or- May 3 to May 6 FLL Florida program that will command his ganizations has a different emphasis, a different spe- See Climate, Page 8 competition, hosted by the Uni- robot to perform a simple-look- versity of South Florida, All ing challenge. The robotics Saints’ Academy, Legoland component is the “fun” part for Florida, and AT&T Inc. Neeraj the participants. is the only Vienna-area student The “real-world” challenge Del. David Bulova (D-37) on the Robowiz team; the other component for the 2011-12 FLL was a member of the team members live in the competition was “Food Factor,” Virginia Commission on Chantilly area. an exploration of techniques Climate Change and Neeraj’s mother reported and research that scientists use brought an in-depth look from Florida that Neeraj and his to keep the food supply safe. at the issues to the team did “extremely well” in Team Robowiz produced a audience at the the FLL World Invitational patent-pending grocery bag, NOVACAN Climate Competition. They were the referred to as C.L.E.A.N. (Com- Change Workshop. third-place grand champions, bat Lettuce-E. coli Awesomely beating out 63 other teams. There was a substantial inter- See Passion, Page 8 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ May 9-15, 2012 ❖ 3 More Than Just Chili Dogs, Check Out Our Menu! North Carolina BBQ Smoked In-House Breakfast Served Mon-F Sat: 7amri 7am - Noon - 11am Sun: 9am - Noon 120 E. Maple Ave. Vienna, VA 703-938-9548 Check our web site www.viennainn.com, for daily specials 4 ❖ Vienna/Oakton Connection ❖ May 9-15, 2012 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com The County Line County Ordinance Housing Discrimination Alert Under the County’s Human Rights Ordinance, it is illegal to discriminate and deny housing based on: Officials step up education, outreach efforts to reach immigrant ❖ Race ❖ Color ❖ National Origin communities about “fair housing” rights. ❖ Religion ❖ Sex By Victoria Ross ❖ Familial Status (families with children under the The Connection age of 18, or who are expecting a child) ❖ Disability (if you or someone close to you has a disability) ousing discrimination cases ❖ Age (age 55 or older) have been on the rise in ❖ Marital Status For more information about how to file a HFairfax County in the past few complaint or to become educated about protec- years. And the Office of Hu- tions under the Fair Housing Act, contact the man Rights and Equity Programs (OHREP), Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs at the agency that enforces fair housing laws 703-324-2953, TTY 03-324-2900 or www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ohrep/hrd in the county, is shining a spotlight on the problem through seminars for housing pro- “A large percentage of our cases are re- viders, realtors, community groups and solved through mediation and conciliation, other interested parties. where both parties agree to meet and settle “Sadly, housing discrimination is alive and complaints,” Saunders said. “It is very rare well and we’ve seen an uptick in complaints for one of our cases to go to court.” during the past six years,” said Kenneth Saunders said there’s usually a paper trail Saunders, executive director of OHREP. to give investigators enough evidence to In contrast to national trends, discrimi- determine if a case has merit. nation based on nationality made up 25.6 While some cases involve blatant discrimi- percent of complaints to the county from nation, others are more nuanced, a matter 2006 to 2010. In comparison, about nine From left, Steven Paikin, a HUD official; Patricia Stephan-Fawcett, with of one or more parties not understanding percent of complaints to Housing and Ur- the County’s Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs (OHREP); the law.