THE MOST IMPORTANT BLOG POST I'VE EVER WRITTEN

In 2009, I got a crazy idea that I wanted to write a blog. I've lived in Vienna since 1972 and I am passionate about the town I live in and the people that share this town with me. I grew up here. I raised my family here. And one day I hope to retire here. I'm also part of the #1 Real Estate Team in Vienna (The Belt Team - Keller Williams Realty) and I thought it might be a great way to share our wonderful community with folks who are moving here from other parts of the country.

Ninety posts later, it's June 2011. I've written about Vienna history, Vienna sports, Vienna real estate, Vienna entertainment, Vienna restaurants, "good deeds" that Vienna residents have done and more. Each time I write, it comes from the heart.

So today I must take this opportunity to write to you again from my heart - but this time about something much more important than dining or sledding or sports.

Last night, I attended a Mass & Prayer Service that was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Vienna. In case you haven't caught the local news recently, a well loved member of our community has gone missing. And last night the community gathered to pray for his safe return.

TOM DUESTERHAUS (Photo Credit: Bishop O'Connell High School Web Site)

Tom Duesterhaus is a Vienna native. Like me, he graduated from Bishop O'Connell High School and then from The College of William & Mary. But instead of going into business, Tom went on to a life of service and youth ministry - both as a teacher at O'Connell and as a consecrated lay member of Youth Apostles. (If you're not familiar with Youth Apostles, you can read more here. I can tell you from personal experience that my family has been blessed many times over by the involvement of various Youth Apostles in our lives & community.)

The Arlington Catholic Herald profiled Tom earlier this year. If you ask Tom, he'd probably say that he's just a "regular guy doing what he's called to do". But the outpouring of pain & love that has come from his disappearance tells me otherwise. He has had a profound effect on those he loves & serves.

Tom was last heard from on Friday, June 17th. He was scheduled to start a retreat the following Monday  and was spotted taking a swim in Virginia Beach on Saturday, June 18th. A bag of personal items was found abandoned on the beach. However, his car, car keys & credit card (which has not been used) have not been found. Nor has Tom. The police do not believe he drowned and say there is no evidence of foul play or criminal activity. But they are worried about Tom's safety. Tom apparently received bad news on Friday that his teaching contract at O'Connell was not being renewed and family members believe this could have led to Tom's disappearance. He's now been gone for 12 days.

As I walked into the church for last night's service - the skies were dark & threatening. Thunder rolled and raindrops began to fall. It was truly a reflection of the emotions swirling in the air. Imagine if your son, your brother, your friend, your beloved teacher just disappeared - almost into thin air. I don't know Tom personally, I went to school with his sister, but like many others in the church - I came to support this family in prayer. That's what community is all about.

As I entered the church and shook off the rain, I was immediately greeted with an embrace from a friend I had not seen in a while. No words were exchanged and no words were needed. Hearts all around were heavy.

And then I entered the sanctuary. The dark skies were replaced by light. And as the sound of thunder faded I realized that a harp was being played. It was a most incredibly peaceful and beautiful sound - somehow very comforting. And I settled into my pew and poured my heart out to God.

Mass began. And as Father Jack put it so perfectly, it was a "refuge" for all those gathered. Vienna Patch has some of the moments on video, the Arlington Catholic Herald captured it beautifully, and as Dante Gil-Alvarado commented on Facebook: "Prayer service for Tom was uplifting and reassuring. Father Jack's gentle spirit and trust in God's love gave us all peaceful hearts."

Near the end of the Mass, Tom's father, Rich Duesterhaus, got up to speak. In a gentle voice, he asked for prayers for Tom's safe return. And he thanked the community, the police & the press for their support. He pointed out that this is not a "manhunt" for Tom and that Tom may just need time away to reflect and "that's ok". His manner was gentle, loving and accepting - but with an unspoken yearning to have his son home. But he was not without trust in God or hope.

Mr. Duesterhaus concluded by saying that he would welcome a report from Tom or someone close to him that "all is well". And that is where YOU come in!

Please pass the information below* on to everyone you know - regardless of what part of the country they are in. We need YOUR eyes and ears. You may think it's a long shot, but YOU NEVER KNOW! (Up-to-date info, including a Missing Person poster that can be downloaded can be found at http://tom.duesterhaus.net/ )

As I left the church after Mass, this is the sight that greeted me. I believe it was a sign of HOPE sent especially from Our Lord to Tom & his family & friends.

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After Tom's disappearance, Father Jack Peterson happened to walk by the door to Tom's room at the house and he noticed something he had not noticed before - there was a Scripture reading posted on the door. This is what it said:

Please join in prayer for the safe return of Tom Duesterhaus.

*Here is the information from the Fairfax County Missing Person poster:

On June 17, 2011, Thomas Duesterhaus voluntarily left his residence in McLean, Virginia. Mr. Duesterhaus was distraught and there is concern for his wellbeing. Mr. Duesterhaus may be operating his 1999 blue Buick LeSabre bearing Virginia registration XMT-8126. Mr. Duesterhaus may be in the Virginia Beach area. Mr. Duesterhaus has been known to frequent parks and shelters. Mr. Duesterhaus and his vehicle have been entered into NCIC. White Male, 37 years old, 6 feet 3 inches, 190 pounds, blonde hair, green eyes. Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Thomas Duesterhaus is asked to contact Detective Chris Flanagan at 703-246-7860 or the Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.

Passion, Perspective & Perfection

One of the things I love about living in Vienna is the passion people bring to whatever they are doing. Whether it's gardening, sports, work, raising money for charity - whatever it is that they are involved with, they give it 110%.

If you have followed our blog regularly, then you know one of our passions is baseball. We've written about Yeonas Park, Warhawk baseball, "Small Town Baseball & Big City Dreams" & more. And so this week, we have the final wrap up about Madison High School's baseball season. It's written by one of those Vienna folks I love - someone who is passionate about baseball, but more importantly who is passionate about his family.

Dave Graham (father of Madison baseball player Jonny Graham) retired several years ago and is a fixture at the Madison High School baseball games. At the home games, you'll find him right behind home plate - with scorebook in hand and taking notes for the post-game write ups he does after each game. Being a scorekeeper myself, I enjoy sitting with him and discussing the game as it plays out - hit or error, good call or bad, did you mark that as a double or a single advanced to second on an error?

But really as we sit and watch the games, I find that I am learning about much more than baseball from him. I'm learning about more important things - love, sacrifice, priorities, faith in action. I can't share all of that with you here - but I have definitely been given a gift by watching this man and the devotion he has for God, his wife & 4 children and how he lives out his faith & love through action. When you read his post below, you'll get a glimpse of what I'm talking about. Because for Dave, it's about passion, perspective & perfection.

The Madison season is over, but if you get a chance to come to a game next year, you just might want to pull up a chair behind home plate next to Dave Graham. You never know what gift he may give you.

Here's Dave Graham's season wrap up:

EPILOGUE: ANOTHER SEASON TO SAVOR . . . AND BUILD ON (REALLY)

The title to last year’s epilogue was “A Season to Savor…and Build On.” You will note that this year’s title is similar. Some may not feel like savoring this season, at least not yet, which is why the “(Really)” was added.

So much of life is driven by how we choose to view things. Is the glass half empty or half full? Chuck Swindoll captured it by saying that life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it. The season recap is an opportunity to put that philosophy into action. The epilogue is a challenge because unless the team wins a State championship, the season ends on a losing note. Often our impression of something is heavily influenced by our most recent experience. Will we let a season ending loss color our perception of the whole year?

Those that choose to think the glass is half empty would say that we didn’t do any better this year than last year. While we won three more games in 2011 than 2010, those additional victories came in a Spring break tournament that was tough but not as tough as the one we went to last year. Last year we finished second in the Liberty District regular season while this year we tied for the second best record and were the third seed due to the tie breaker. Last year we could blame our loss in the ultimate game on a freak injury that sidelined our best pitcher. It is a much bigger stretch to blame this year’s loss on a freak rainstorm that lasted for twelve pitches. Finally, at least last year our season ended with a loss to the eventual State champion. This year the team that beat us lost in the State championship game.

The glass is half full argument is much more compelling. Nineteen wins was the most since 2007. This team repeated as champion of the Liberty District tournament. How many teams have done that in the last fifteen years? Other than Madison, none. This year we were one of four teams in the Northern Region who were still playing in June. How many Northern Region were not playing in June? Twenty six. How many of the four teams in last year’s Northern Region semifinals made it back to the semifinals this year? Two, Madison and Lake Braddock. Ironically, the teams that lost in the semifinals this year (Madison and Stone Bridge) eliminated the teams that played for the championship last year (West Springfield and Woodson).

So, to dismiss this year’s accomplishments by saying that we didn’t do any better than last year ignores how hard it is to win a Liberty District championship and get to the Northern Region semifinals once, let alone in back to back seasons. The last loss was disappointing but we can’t allow it to cloud that fact that we had a great year.

We have to admit that we lost to a better team. We could have beaten them but we would have had to be perfect, or at least near perfect. Imagine trying to recap the season for South County. After ending our boys’ season they went on to win three more games and stood on the brink of matching Madison for the only perfect season in State history. Then one of their key players got hurt in the semifinals and couldn’t pitch in the next game. Sound familiar? His replacement pitched well but the team lost in the championship game to finish 28-1. One game short of perfection. Such a great season and yet so much disappointment at the end. What would you say to them?

I would ask them how they define perfection. And then I would refer them to the movie “Friday Night Lights” which tells the true story of a team that lost the 1988 Texas high school football championship game. Several times in that movie, the head coach challenges his players to “be perfect.” The first time I watched the movie I thought that was an unrealistic burden to put on a team. At halftime of the championship game, he finally explains to his team what being perfect means:

“Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is that you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentlemen, you're perfect.”

Wow. I can’t speak for the Stallions but I think it is possible that the Warhawks just completed a perfect season.

In the final analysis, it is silly to compare one year to the next when every year you have to replace the seniors that graduated. Thanks to the “program” at Madison, tradition doesn’t graduate but the young men that lead the program do and a new group of leaders must step up. That is no small task but this year’s seniors were up to the challenge. Now we have to say goodbye to these young men.

Once again, as I reflect on those who leave us after this season, I find it is a matter of perspective. My own perspective is heavily influenced by my son’s. His first two years in the program, it was natural for him to view the seniors almost with reverence. He was an underclassman and they were so much older and more experienced. To him, the seniors the last two years were his mentors.

This year’s seniors were not so much mentors to my son as they were something perhaps even more significant. They were brothers. One has been a neighbor almost his entire life and was a teammate in A and AA baseball. He played on a fourth grade VYI basketball team with another. A third was a teammate on a championship AAA team. Four were teammates on Colonial Division All Star teams. One was a teammate and roommate on a memorable trip to Cooperstown. Most important, all of them have been fellow Warhawks for two or three years.

Make no mistake about it, the Class of 2011---Austin Chute, Joe Corrigan, Ryan Corrigan, Eli Facenda, Gavin Gibbons, Jay Kenyon, Justin Nicholls, Ben Powers and Alex Tyroler---were leaders. They may not have been as vocal as the seniors the last couple of years but they knew how to lead by example. They were a blue collar bunch that brought their lunch buckets and hard hats to the ball field every day. This was a group that worked hard, was resilient and knew how to persevere through adversity. One caught bullpens for an entire year before becoming a starter his junior year. Another spent most of his high school career rehabbing from major surgery. Three others endured significant injuries that derailed part if not all of their junior season. For many the bell on significant playing time didn’t ring until their senior year but when it did they answered it in a big way.

Their leadership was instrumental in a season that saw us win a dozen times despite trailing at some point in the game. Six times we trailed when coming to bat in the fifth inning or later yet pulled out a “W.” The season also saw the seniors lead us into extra innings three times. All of those games were decided by one run in the eighth and after losing the first to Stone Bridge, we defeated the host team of the Hanahan Invitational Tournament and we beat McLean in the District semifinals. Then there was the one run victory over Langley in the District finals and the dramatic rallies to overtake Yorktown and put us in the Region semifinals. This team reflected the resiliency of its seniors and as a result knew how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Our seniors led us well and we will miss them.

I started out by saying that so much of life depends on your perspective. Of course, your perspective is influenced by your expectations and as we look to next year, we expect great things. Next year’s team will return more experienced, accomplished players than any team in the last five years. Certainly they have aptitude, achievement and talent. If anybody thinks that alone can guarantee a championship, check out who won the NBA Finals. Can next year’s leaders infuse the attitude, effort and character that this year’s seniors brought to the team? If so, perhaps next year we will advance at least one step further on the long hard road to glory. The first step on the 2012 journey begins the day after the 2011 Varsity Awards Night. Be perfect, boys.

LATE RALLIES PUSH WARHAWKS PAST PATRIOTS

If you've been reading our blog for a while, then you know we LOVE baseball here in Vienna! And this week is playoff week for high school baseball all around our Northern Region. The number of teams competing for a spot to represent our region in the state playoffs has now been narrowed down to 4 teams. And our very own Madison High School Warhawks are one of those teams. Last night was an exciting game. Don't worry if you missed it because we have a fabulous recap from "Guest Blogger" Dave Graham below! AND it's not too late to see the team play. Their next game is at 7PM at Robinson High School against the South County Stallions. Good luck Warhawks!

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RUNS HITS ERRORS

YORKTOWN 8 8 1

MADISON 11 12 2

On a hot and somewhat humid Memorial Day at Lake Braddock, the fans were kept cool by a fairly steady light breeze supplemented by some heavy gusts generated by some hefty hacks from both teams as Yorktown and Madison locked up in a see saw slugfest. The Warhawks grabbed an early 2-0 lead after one inning but by the third the Patriots had taken a 7-3 lead. Madison rallied in the fifth to regain the lead at 8-7 but Yorktown tied it in the top of the sixth on Ryan Dowdell’s second home run of the game. Jay Kenyon and Jonny Graham responded by jacking homers in the sixth to produce the final 11-8 margin of victory for Madison. Mark “Pudge” Gjormand later noted, “It was a hot day and it was easy to get a little agitated out there. We made some mistakes early but give Yorktown credit for applying pressure. We were frustrated but didn’t lose our composure and did a great job of battling back. I was very impressed with the Yorktown team; I knew Coach Ruck would have them ready to play.”

Tim Davis drew the starting assignment for Madison. James Overbeek led off by beating out a high chopper to second for a base hit. Two pitches later, Davis induced a room service grounder to short and Andy McGuire, Nate Favero and Graham dialed up a 6-4-3 twin killing. That loomed large when Shaun Wood and Brooks Valtin drew back to back walks on full count pitches. The inning ended with Davis winning an eight pitch battle to get a swinging K.

Daniel Whitaker, a senior lefty, got the starting nod for Yorktown. Alex Tyroler led off by fouling off three two strike pitches before walking on the ninth pitch. He advanced to second on a balk and after a pair of fly outs scored when Kenyon stroked a single to left. Justin Nicholls entered as a courtesy runner and took third when future Texas Longhorn McGuire dropped a Texas league single into center. McGuire took second uncontested and Graham reached base when a breaking ball plunked him in the posterior. Joe Corrigan walked to drive in the second run of the inning but Madison left the bases full on a force out.

In the Patriot second, after a lead off strike out Tyler Wykoff whacked an 0-2 pitch into the gap in right for a double. As David Bernhardt was walking on four pitches Wykoff took third on a passed ball. As Davis was in the process of getting the second out on a backwards K Bernhardt stole second. Both runners scored on a muffed ground ball and then the left hand hitting Dowdell launched one over the centerfield fence for a two run tater. After another muffed grounder the side was retired on a force play but the four unearned runs had given Yorktown a 4-2 lead.

Justin Padgett led off the bottom of the second with a line single to left. Tyroler sacrificed him to second and Ben Socher hit a soft one hopper that first baseman Wood made a nice play to backhand and then made a diving attempt to tag Socher. The base ump initially ruled Socher safe but after a brief huddle the umps reversed the call. Padgett had hustled to third on the play and scored when Favero dumped a single into right. The inning ended with Kenyon lining out to left and Yorktown up 4-3.

With one out in the top of the third, William Young worked a base on balls on a full count offering. Wykoff inside outted a single to right and Bernhardt grounded a single through the hole just under the shortstop’s glove to bring in Young. Nick Cantow sacrificed the runners to second and third. Overbeek beat out a slow roller to third on a bang bang play to score Wykoff and when the first baseman looked at the base ump for the call Bernhardt kept rolling around third and scored as well. A fly ball ended the inning on Davis’ 84th pitch with Yorktown ahead 7-3.

Whitaker found a groove in the third and retired Madison in order on seven pitches.

Dan Powers came in to pitch for the Warhawks in the fourth. Tyroler made a long run to flag down a deep drive to right center for the first out. Whitaker hit a pop fly double to shallow center with two outs but Powers retired the side on another pop fly.

Whitaker again retired the side 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth but Tyroler taxed him by fouling off four two strike pitches before finally succumbing to a ten pitch strike out. Tyroler may have lost the battle but he set the stage for winning the war by driving the pitch count to 72 on a day when the temperature was in the nineties and the heat index was around the century mark.

Southpaw Eli Facenda took over on the mound for Madison in the top of the fifth and retired the side in order ending the inning with the batter flailing at a breaking ball in the dirt with Kenyon blocking the ball then firing it to first for the out.

Socher beat out a bunt to lead off the bottom of the fifth as the third baseman double clutched on the throw. On a 1-0 count Favero jumped on a high fastball and tomahawked a missile down the right field line for a double with Socher speeding home all the way from first. That concluded Whitaker’s afternoon of pitching as Yorktown brought in Overbeek to pitch.

Kenyon reached by wearing a breaking ball in the back and again Nicholls entered as a courtesy runner. Both runners worked a double steal as the Patriots almost nailed the trailing runner. McGuire drove in a pair of runs with a worm burner through the left side and Graham’s pop fly fell just in front of the centerfielder’s diving attempt for a double to put runners on second and third. Corrigan fouled off a pair of two strike pitches before smacking an RBI single to right on a full count pitch. Again the Patriots switched pitchers bringing in Nate Brown.

The Warhawks countered with pinch hitter Matt Livingston. With runners at the corners, Corrigan took second on defensive indifference. Livingston plated Graham with a run scoring fly ball to left. Padgett sacrificed Corrigan to third and was safe at first when the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. Catcher Dowdell gunned down the runner trying to steal second with a nice throw to second baseman Valtin covering. Tyroler gave new meaning to the term scappy when he was hit with consecutive pitches. First he stood statuesque as a 2-2 breaking ball hit him on the forearm. Without hesitation, the plate ump ruled it a ball and ordered Tyroler back into the box. He reached base anyway on the next pitch when he was plunked in the back. The inning ended on a pop fly to short left but Madison had sent ten men to the plate to score five runs and take an 8-7 lead.

With one out in the sixth Dowdell hammered a monstrous blast over the scoreboard in right center. Shortstop McGuire made a fine play charging a check swing bouncer and gunning on the run to get the second out at first. A pop out to first retired the side on five pitches with the score knotted at eight apiece.

Favero led off the bottom of the sixth dropping a pop fly single into shallow center. Two pitches later Kenyon lit the fuse on a rocket over the left field fence for a two run blast. The Patriots brought in sophomore ace John Yoest to pitch. After a ground out Graham went yard the other way lobbing a mortar shot to left for a solo HR. Corrigan walked but the inning ended on a strike out and a force out with Madison leading 11-8.

CJ Herod pinch hit to lead off the top of the seventh and drew a walk. On a 1-1 pitch Young drilled one that the 6-4 Favero pulled down at second and tossed to first for a rally killing double play. The game ended on a comebacker.

Coach Gjormand summed it up by saying, “Tim wasn’t at his best and we didn’t support him well but he did a great job of battling through the heat. Dan and Eli were really good and kept us in the game. Ben’s bunt leading off the fifth and Nate’s double gave us the spark we needed at that point but Yorktown never quit. Jay and Jonny’s home runs were big and the double play we got in the seventh was huge.”

History repeated itself as last year the Warhawks also won behind Facenda on Memorial Day to advance to the Northern Region semifinals. The victory sets up a déjà vu all over again experience as for the second year in a row Madison will face a powerhouse team from the Patriot District. Last year they lost to eventual State champion West Springfield and this year they will face undefeated South County, the prohibitive favorite to capture the 2011 crown. The Stallions bring a sparkling 24-0 mark into the game having just trounced a very good Westfield team.

Gjormand, who coached the Warhawks to a 29-0 record in winning the State title in 2002, observed that, “It’s an understatement to say that we will have our hands full with South County. I know how hard it is for a team to go undefeated. For them to do it in the Patriot District makes it that much more impressive. Today’s game took a lot out of us physically and mentally and it will be interesting to see how we respond to the biggest challenge we’ve faced this year. We will regroup and do what we do; we are a small school in a small town trying to get our story written.”

The game will be played Wednesday at 7:00 at Robinson. The winner will play the winner of the game between Stone Bridge and Lake Braddock that will be played beforehand. Interestingly, both semifinal games match teams from the Liberty and Patriot Districts. The Northern Region final game is slated for Friday at 7:00 at Madison. Both participants in that game will advance to the State championship tournament.

7 Things To Do In Vienna, VA To Celebrate Memorial Day!

This weekend, we mark another Memorial Day. Who will you be remembering?

On May 2, 2000 - the White House put out a statement that said "As Memorial Day approaches, it is time to pause and consider the true meaning of this holiday. Memorial Day represents one day of national awareness and reverence, honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values. While we should honor these heroes every day for the profound contribution they have made to securing our Nation's freedom, we should honor them especially on Memorial Day."

Here are a few ideas for things to do in Vienna this Memorial Day weekend:

1. "The President's Own" (the United States Marine Band) will be playing a FREE concert at Wolftrap on Sunday, May 29th. The concert will be followed by fireworks. Gates open at 6:30PM, show at 8PM, fireworks at approximately 9:30PM.

2. Meet & greet the folks who stay in & around the Vienna area when they come for Rolling Thunder. It's not hard to miss them - just look for the big groups of Harley Davidson riders. These veterans of the Vietnam War convene for a demonstration each year to urge the government to account for all MIA's and POW's and also ride to show their love & respect for veterans and soldiers of all wars. If you want to actually see the "RIDE" on Sunday (it's a very moving sight), the best spots are along the Memorial Bridge & Constitution Avenue.

3. Enjoy the Memorial Day Tribute at Viva Vienna. Viva Vienna is a huge festival that takes place in Vienna each year (rides, vendors, food, entertainment & more!). In the midst of the festival on Monday, stop by the Vienna Town Green for a Memorial Day tribute - FREE - 3 to 4PM.

(PLUS - Rumour has it that something really unique & special will be happening at the corner of Church Street and Center Street right around 3PM on Monday - you won't want to miss it. It will definitely make you smile!)

4. Call your grandpa, mom, brother, aunt, friend - whomever you know is serving or has served our country and tell them THANK YOU!

5. The Soundry's "Viva La Carnage" - May 28th at 8PM at The Soundry in Vienna. One of the freedoms we celebrate in the United States is the freedom of speech. Some might call it the freedom of expression. And "Viva La Carnage" is all about expression. Here's what the web site says: "The Soundry turns its entire space inside and out into performance space while vendors strut their stuff amidst a frenzy of creative freedom. Spontaneous collaborations! Art! Music! Dancing! Burlesque! Improv! Poetry! Performance Art! Outdoor delights!"

6. Stop in at one of Vienna's many churches to attend a service or say a prayer for peace & for protection of our armed forces. There are too many churches in Vienna to list them all, but here are a few options - St. Mark Catholic Church, Vienna Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church of Vienna, Church of the Holy Comforter, Wesley United Methodist Church, Vienna Baptist Church, Our Lady of Good Counsel.

7. Lastly, what's more "All-American" than baseball? (You know how we love baseball here at Theres No Place Like Vienna (Dot Com!)! There are some great games going on in Vienna this weekend. Stop by Waters Field during the weekend to see Vienna Babe Ruth's Senior League games. Or stop by James Madison High School tonight (May 27th) at 7PM to see Madison take on last year's VA State Champion, West Springfield HS.

There are LOTS of other great ways to celebrate Memorial Day in the Washington DC area. But whatever you do, make sure you remember why we mark this day.

Happy Memorial Day!

Small Town Baseball & Big City Dreams!

Vienna resident Nick Morabito signed a National Letter of Intent today to play baseball for Lincoln Memorial University. Congrats to Nick & his family on a well-deserved accomplishment!

Nick is a student at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington and played for the Prospect Stars elite travel baseball team this past summer. Nick is also a "graduate" of our very own Vienna Little League!

We've written several articles about Vienna Little League and baseball in Vienna, VA. It's defiinitely one of THE top places to play ball in our area and has a LONG tradition of success . . . all the way to Williamsport.

This year alone, there are at least 5 Vienna Little League "alumni" that we know have signed to play college baseball - and that is no easy feat!

Congrats to the following young men and their families:

• Chad Carroll - signed with James Madison University (VA)
• Nick Morabito - signed with Lincoln Memorial University (TN)
• Eli Facenda - signed with Lehigh University (PA)
• Mark Williams - signed with LaSalle University (PA)
• Ryan McGuire - signed with Odessa College (TX)

Here's some interesting triva about these 5 boys:

• They all played with or against each other in Vienna Little League.
• They all played on the same travel team together when they were 13 years old. And that team placed 8th in the AAU National Championships that year.
• All 5 boys live(d) in Vienna, but are graduating from different high schools (In VA: Oakton, O'Connell & Madison. In DC:  Gonzaga. In CO: Heritage)
• Chad Carroll & Nick Morabito played on the same Little League team in Vienna. AND they were coached by a Vienna Little League "graduate" who also went to college (Georgetown University) on a baseball scholarship.

I have watched these guys grow from little boys into young men. And what an honor it has been. Their accomplishment of "making it to the next level" in baseball is truly something special. And it's not just about baseball.

These boys set a great example for all of us about how to dream big and work hard. For not one of these boys was handed anything. They may have been provided the opportunities, but each one worked hard - day after day after day - very consciously and very conscientiously. And they did it when no one was looking (Nicki - this means you!). They trained and played and worked and watched and learned & kept getting better.

For getting signed to a college sports team - any sport - is not like it used to be "back in the day" when lots of players would "try out" or try to "walk on". It works more along the lines of a quote I remember Norm saying on the TV show "Cheers". He said, "It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and some days I feel like I'm wearing milk bone underwear."

We can all learn a lesson about what a lot of passion & hard work can bring you. Now - don't get me wrong. They had a LOT of fun doing what they did. However, many people "want" good things to happen to them, but they aren't willing to work & make sacrifices. These kids did. One of the players I listed above is currently one of the most talented in our area. He's even drawn some scouting interest from the pros. But when he was 12 & 13, he was the smallest kid on the team. And when it's your first year on the "big field" - that sure doesn't make anything easier. But as far as he was concerned, that meant nothing. He wanted to play ball. And play ball he did. He is one of the fierceest competitors I have ever met and no one will ever tell him he can't do something. If you do, he'll just prove you wrong. Would that we all grasped on to our dreams and made them happen like he has.

Every one of these boys told me when they were 12 years old that they wanted to play in the big leagues. They were playing small town baseball, but they had big city baseball dreams. Well, those dreams may still be far away - but that was 6 years ago and they have all just taken a GIANT step in that direction.

Don't be surprised if one day you see their faces on a baseball card!

KYLLOPALOOZA KICKS INTO GEAR!

Three weeks ago, we broke news about a fabulous event coming to the Town of Vienna called KYLLOPALOOZA. (In case you missed the announcement, click here to read our initial blog post about Kyllopalooza ).

Additional details have since been released and the more we hear about this fabulous community event, the more fun we think it's gonna be!

And we're not the only ones. Kyllopalooza was posted on Facebook just yesterday and already 399 people have said they are coming! We think it's going to be the event of the season!

Here is the updated info:

THREE EXCELLENT BANDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

The bands play a wide variety of music - from Tom Petty, Rolling Stones & Grand Funk Railroad . . . to today's top songs . . .and even their own originals. Whether you are 7 or 77, you'll like what you hear. What they in common is that the bands are award-winning, super talented and high energy FUN - just like Khrystin! And they have performed at a wide variety of local and national venues including Jammin Java, 9:30 Club, the Smithsonian, Jaxx, The Irish Inn & more. Here are links to their web sites and to a sampling of their music.

• Fat Chance  (Fat Chance audio)
• Adam Swink - O.V.F. (Adam Swink on You Tube)
• Mercury In Summer (Mercury In Summer on You Tube)

ADMISSION

An admission donation of $20.00 will be requested. For your donation you will receive a souvenir purple KYLLOPALOOZA – Dream Big bracelet. (A Dream Big presale package will also be offered, but details have not yet been released.)

FOOD & DRINKS

The Vienna Inn & Church Street Pizza will be hosting an outdoor food and beer garden adjacent to the Vienna Town Green. Items like pizza, chili dogs, bottled water, soda & beer will be available for purchase.

T-SHIRTS

T-shirts will be available for purchase at the event and for presale (locations yet to be announced).

2011 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD:

The first $5,000 scholarship recipient has been selected and the winner will be announced at the end of the school year. You can read more about the Khristin Kyllo Memorial Fund and also make donations to the fund online.

SPONSORS

• The Belt Team
• The Vienna Inn
• Church Street Pizza
• Russell Ekanger, CPA
• Bazins on Church Restaurant
• Network Security Services, LLC

 Email Kyllopalooza@TheBeltTeam.com if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities!

If you'd like to read more about Khristin Kyllo, check out these articles in Sports Illustrated & The Washington Post.

STAY TUNED TO FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION OR VISIT http://www.kyllopalooza.com/

Special Announcement!

SAVE THE DATE FOR KYLLOPALOOZA!

What's "Kyllopalooza?"

As many of you know, we lost a treasured member of our community this year - 18 year old Khristin Kyllo. On May 19th, we will have a special event in her honor to raise money for the Khristin Kyllo Scholarship fund that has been established by the James Madison High School Booster Club.

The event is called KYLLOPALOOZA.

In case you're not familiar with the word, a "palooza" is an "exaggerated event". We thought that an appropriate name for an event to honor someone who lived life to the fullest, with an unwavering love & passion about life, her family, her friends & everyone she met.

KYLLOPALOOZA is set for Thursday May 19, 2011 at the Vienna Town Green from 6-10 PM and the entire community is welcome. On stage will be three popular local bands including "Fat Chance", "Mercury In Summer" & "Adam Swink - O.V.F.". Donation info and more details will follow. But mark your calendars now. And tell all your friends. You won't want to miss this!

If you'd like to read more about Khristin Kyllo, check out these articles in Sports Illustrated & The Washington Post. She was an incredible girl!



P.S. - Even if you didn't know Khristin, please come out to KYLLOPALOOZA. Khristin never knew a stranger. This is a community event. It's gonna be FUN. She would want it that way.