Jazz Genius

NewsTaking on BeyerFive Republican candidates seeknomination in convention to challengeincumbent congressman.By Michael Lee PopeThe ConnectionKARINA LIPSOM has raised themost money out of the candidates,more than 60,000. Her top contributor is Brian Johnson, vicepresident of Veterans Guardian, aconsulting firm that helps veteransfile for disability benefits. Lipsmanhas a bachelor’s degree from Towson University in 2009 and a graduate degree from Johns HopkinsUniversity in 2012. She arrived inthis country as a refugee from theSoviet Union, surviving on foodstamps and living in low-incomehousing in Baltimore. She saysshe’s running for Congress to bringchange to the country and the district. During a recent candidatesforum, she called for the detentionof the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci.“Fauci should be jailed. We allknow that,” said Lipsman, prompt-Left to right: Karina Lipsom, Kezia Tunnell, Heerak Christian Kim, Jeff Jordan and Monica Carpio.ing applause during a recent meeting of the Alexandria City Republican Committee. “We should do ourown research.”Fauci has become a hated figure among certain elements of theright wing. During a recent rally inNorth Carolina, U.S. Rep. MadisonCawthorn (R-N.C.) also called forFauci to be jailed. Similarly, U.S.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (RGa.) introduced the Fire Fauci Act,which suggests the chief medicaladvisor to the president “failed toprovide Americans with accurateinformation” about the pandemic. She also called for members ofthe Alexandria School Board to be“fired” in reaction to an allegedsexual assault involving studentsat the Minnie Howard campusof Alexandria City Public HighSchool.“We’ve seen it right there at Minnie Howard High School in October when the School Board and everyone associated decided to coverup an assault on a young lady, andit wasn’t exposed until March ofthis year,” said Lipsman. “Everyoneon that board should be fired.”HEERAK CHRISTIAN KIM is aregistered nurse who is a nativeof South Korea. He routinely callshimself the “MAGA America Firstcandidate,” and his website declares that he is the “Leonardo DaVinci of our generation.” He hasa bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990,a graduate degree from UCLA in1991 and a graduate degree fromGeorgetown University in 2020.He says he’s running to improveeducation, healthcare and governmental services. When asked aboutimmigration at a recent candidatesforum, Kim called called for millions of undocumented immigrantsto be forcibly removed from the4 v Arlington Connection v May 11-17, 2022FUNDRAISING INFORMATIONKARINA LIPSOMv total receipts:v total disbursements:v cash on hand:TOP CONTRIBUTORS 60,341 16,992 43,349v 5,800 from Brian Johnson, vice president of Veterans Guardianv 3,250 from Charlie Platt, cybersecurity consultant at Arete IncidentResponsev 2,900 from Graham Abell, student in Baltimorev 2,900 from Thomas Henry, owner of Henry Wealth Managementv 2,900 from Neil Patel, director of Neil Patel ConsultingHEERAK CHRISTIAN KIMv total receipts:v total disbursements:v cash on hand:TOP CONTRIBUTOR 12,800 11,241 1,623v 12,400 loan from the candidateJEFF JORDANv total receipts:v total disbursements:v cash on hand:TOP CONTRIBUTOR 9,125 9,125 0v 9,125 loan from the candidateMONICA CARPIOtotal receipts:total disbursements:cash on hand:TOP CONTRIBUTORS 8,438 8,165 273 5,000 from the candidate 1,288 from Joseph Messina, finance manager at Koons Ford 1,000 from Jorge Carpio, retiredKEZIA TUNNELLtotal receipts:total disbursements:cash on hand: 0 0 0country.“I want to build that wall,strengthen the borders and deport 13 million illegals who are already in America,” said Kim. “Yourgrandchildren will pay for themif we do not deport them back totheir country.”During a recent candidates forum, he said critical race theoryand “LGBT grooming” are “forcedupon the classroom.” He saidAmerica is “plagued by fake news,”adding that he trusts news sourcesPhoto by Michael Lee Pope/The ConnectionUsually Republicans haveto recruit candidates torun against four-termU.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D8). Not this year. Five Republicansare seeking the Republican nomination for the 8th CongressionalDistrict in a convention later thismonth. On the campaign trail, theG.O.P. candidates are calling for aprominent public health offiicalto be jailed, undocumented immigrants to be deported, public educaiton to be privatized and controversial issues to be banished fromthe classroom.“These are make-a-statementcandidates, playing to a small farright base in that district,” saidMark Rozell, dean of the ScharSchool of Policy and Governmentat George Mason University. “Thereal race for Congress in this district is always the Democraticnomination, the outcome of whichis tantamount to election in November.”Beyer will be facing challengerVictoria Virasingh in the June 21primary. Instead of choosing theircandidate in a primary, though,Republicans will select their nominee in a May 28 convention atthe Waterford Events Center inSpringfield. The field includes immigrants from the Soviet Unionand South Korea as well as an unsuccessful congressional candidatefrom the last election cycle. Mostof the candidates are self-funded.“I doubt the GOP will put anymoney in this race,” said Rozell.“Why waste it when there are realcompetitive races in Virginia thisyear?like One America News, Newsmaxand Fox News. If elected, he says,he would try to eliminate the H-1Bvisa program, which allows U.S.employers to temporarily employforeign workers to specialty occupations. He routinely posts imagesof a Confederate flag on his socialmedia accounts to make a pointabout free speech.“Virginians have a right to flytheir Confederate flag at theirhomes without being persecuted,without being fired from their job,”said Kim. “They have the right tocelebrate their cultural heritage.”JEFF JORDAN is seeking a secondnomination to run in the 8th Congressional District. Two years ago,he was the Republican nominee torun against Beyer, and he received24 percent of the vote. He served inthe U.S. Army from 1998 to 2014,and he earned a bachelor’s degreefrom the University of Montana in1999 and a graduate degree fromNational Intelligence University in2012. If elected, he says, he willwork to defeat “the immoral andunjust ideology of socialism.”“Do not forgive student loandebt,” said Jordan. “You will see adrastic decrease in the number ofHumanities majors, and the cost ofthose majors.”Jordan says he’s inspired by thewritings of Ayn Rand, and that he’sspent his life fighting against “thesocialist left.” He says progressiveswant to erase history and makepeople dependent on government,adding that the left “has a hardtime defining what a woman is.”If elected, he says, he would eliminate government programs that incentivize people who avoid work.When asked about education, Jordan said the federal governmentshould play “no role.”“We need to move our educationsystem to the private sector. Weneed to privatize it,” said Jordan.“Make it a market-based system.”MONICA CARPIO is a stay-athome parent, economist and political activist who has a bachelor’sdegree from Stanford Universityin 1993 and graduate degree fromCornell University in 1995. Herparents immigrated from SouthAmerica in the late 1960s; she isa native of California who came tothe Washington area to work at theDepartment of Labor and the Department of Commerce. She says“the media is just out of control,”and she blames the length of thepandemic on journalists.“The reason this pandemic lastSee Five Republican, Page 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsFive Republican CandidatesSeek Nomination in ConventionFrom Page 4ed so long was because of irresponsible reporters,” said Carpio.“Sure a lot of people got sick, butit was mostly people with underlying conditions and elderly people.There was no reason to close businesses and schools for so long.”If elected, she says, she wouldreduce the budget for the UnitedStates Agency for InternationalDevelopment because she believesthe U.S. spends too much moneyhelping other countries. She saysshe would like to see that money moved to the Department ofDefense. She says America needs“strict border control,” and thatshe can help achieve this goal because she speaks Spanish. Whenasked about education, she saidsome of the money diverted fromUSAID could be used to purchasemetal detectors for public schools.“Controversial issues should notbe taught in public schools,” saidCarpio. “The government shouldtry to promote old-fashioned subjects in schools like math, reading,science, music and literature.”KEZIA TUNNELL is a co-founderof Tunnell Enterprises, which shesays specializes in “large commercial builds and remodels.” Shesays the deficit is “astronomicaland unsustainable,” adding thatshe would support “smaller packaging of bills so that we can better evaluate where your money isbeing spent.” When asked aboutimmigration, Tunnell said she visited the southern border and sawcartels working with border control agents to bring undocumentedimmigrants into the country.“Illegal immigration affects ourimmigrant communities, and itaffects the safety of our communities,” said Tunnell. “We have to sayno human trafficking and to thedrug problems that are comingacross our borders every day.”If elected, she says, she wouldsupport school choice and a reduction in federal regulation ofschools, including decisions aboutcurriculum. She says she supportsincreasing the budget for nationaldefense and increasing sanctionsto curb threats to national security. She also says she supportsAmerican energy independence,which she says would providejobs, lower energy costs and national defense.“I grew up in the 90s, and theytold us that we were running outof natural resources. I actuallybelieved that until I became anadult,” said Tunnell. “But that isnot the case, and that is not truth.They continue to renew, and wemust use those so we can get costsdown immediately.”BacktoSchoolIf your child is entering 7th gradethey must have the Meningitis,HPV, and Tdap vaccines in orderto enroll. Talk to your doctor andvaccinate them now!SCAN MECollege ScholarshipsFrom Page 3“Our partnership with Escuela Key is a perfect fit withRotary International’s commitment to education and othercivic causes, both locally in Arlington and globally,” Weaversaid. “Our annual scholarshipsalso are part of that commitment.”Rotary International is aglobal network of 1.4 millionmembers in 200 countries,with 46,000 local clubs, dedicated to volunteer communityservice. Arlington Rotary Clubwas founded in 1929.Arlington Rotary Club presented college scholarships to two Arlington high school seniors on April 28 as well honoring its KeySchool-Escuela Key’s Teacher of the Year: L to R: Migel Vergara(Arlington Community HS); Tony Weaver (ARC president); Heyshell Serrano Valle (Key School 3rd grade teacher); and DayanaCespedes-Mendoza (Yorktown HS).HomeLifeStyleWhen Accessibility and Style CollideFrom Page 2their work. “The goal of the Blanche-Willows projectwas to deliver a comfortable space, with a relaxingatmosphere for the entire family, where coastal meetswinter, garden meets cozy interiors, and good qualitymeets unpretentiousness.”Pedruco left her native country of Brazil where sheworked as a helicopter pilot, to pursue a career thatgave her an opportunity to explore her penchant forcreativity. The Blanche-Willows project allowed her towww.ConnectionNewspapers.commeet the family’s needs with her design style.“I had to incorporate clever systems to maximizestorage and accessibility,” said Pedruco, who is fromRio de Janeiro. “I am passionate about color and Ilike to think that I have a sunny personality. I am alsoa mix of many cultures. I am the daughter of a Brazilian mother and a Portuguese father who was bornin Macau, China and raised in Rio de Janeiro. I lovemy hometown, its colors, sounds, scents, contrasts,vibrancy and chaos.”Arlington Connection v May 11-17, 2022 v 5

NewsArlington Parks Rank Third in NationBy Shirley RuheArlington ConnectionGot 10 minutes? Take awalk to an Arlingtonpark. Arlington’s Parksystem was just rankedthird in the nation by the Trustfor Public Land’s ParkScore Index.Ninety-nine percent of Arlingtonresidents live within a ten-minutewalking distance of at least one ofArlington’s 150 parks.The parks offer activities foryoung and older with somethingfor everyone from toddler swingsto senior centers, basketballhoops, spraygrounds, trails andnature centers, special campfireprograms, salamander walks, interpretative gardens, a diversepopulation of wildlife on the nature hikes and seasonal festivalsas well as space for birthday partycelebrations.During the COVID shutdown theCounty’s parks served as one of thefew places to connect and exerciseand to strengthen our community’smental and physical well being.Katie Cristol, Arlington CountyBoard Chair says, “Our parks andrecreation opportunities are a keycontributor to quality of life in Arlington County.”Arlington scored 79.1 points inthe ParkScore index which wasbased on an average of five categories including access, investment,amenities, acreage and equity.The County scored near the topon investment and access, aboutaverage on percentage of the city’soverall area that is dedicated toparkland and below average onpark size.The Trust for Public Land addedan equity category to the ParkScorein 2021. This category includes twometrics: that people of color livewithin a 10 minute walk of a parkand that they have access to parkspace. Arlington scores highest onthe first measure with 99 percentof people of color and low-incomehouseholds living within a 10-minute walk of a park. However, residents of color have access to 36percent less nearby park spacethan those living in white neighborhoods.The County has been addressingthis issue of disparities with theopening of John Robinson J. TownSquare and the continuing renovation of Jennie Dean Park.Parks also make a difference infighting climate change. Trust forPublic Land’s analysis of 14,000cities and towns shows that nationwide, areas within a 10-minutewalk of a park are as much as 6degrees cooler than areas beyondShirlington Dog Park.Upton Hill Regional Park batting cage.Upton Hill Regional Park swimming pool.Upton Hill regional Park miniature golf.James Hunter dog park fair.Long Branch Nature Center, Arlington County’s second nature centeropened in 1972.Chestnut Hills Park kid cars to borrow.Gulf Branch RegionalPark Fall FestivalPhotos by Shirley RuheThe ConnectionLyons Village spray park.Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park nativeplant sale, May 6.Upton Hill Regional Park activitiesChestnut Hills Park school bus.Arlington scored 79.1 pointsin the ParkScore index basedon five categories includingaccess, investment, amenities,acreage and equity.that range. That’s an appreciabledifference, according to the report.With heat growing more intense bythe year, greening American citiesis a low-tech, high-benefit solutionto an urgent problem. Over thepast 30 years, extreme heat was,on average, the deadliest form ofweather, more so than floods, extreme cold, tornadoes, hurricanes,and other events, according to theNational Weather Service.Shirlington Dog Park.Lacey Woods Park migratory bird festival,May 14, 2022.6 v Arlington Connection v May 11-17, 2022 rs.com Ethan Allen Dog Park.Gulf Branch Nature Center native plant garden.Gulf Branch Regional Park Santamailbox.Arlington Connection v May 11-17, 2022 v 7

NewsTwo Arlington Youth ChosenAmong Brightest U.S. Jazz MusiciansHenry Price, bass trombonist.By Shirley RuheThe ConnectionTwo Virginia high schoolstudents, both from Arlington, were selectedwith a group of 22 as thebrightest young musicians in thecountry for Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra Jazz this summer. Zach Levin, tenor saxophoneplayer, and Henry Price, bass trombonist, will train with world-classjazz musicians and perform at Carnegie Hall before embarking on atour across the United States.Although Levin and Price’s stories differ, as well as their plansfor the future, they share a coveted top award as the best and thebrightest.Levin, who is a senior at Yorktown High School, has been playing the saxophone since he wasin middle school. He says his parents tell him his interest in musicstarted when his mom took him to“Mommy and Me” classes when hewas just a toddler. When he was alittle more grown up, he says hebecame interested in the drumsand took private lessons for a couple of years. Then he got sidelinedby baseball for a couple of years.But in fourth grade he found thesaxophone.“Most people have a story abouthow they chose their instrumentwhen they heard a famous musician playing.” But he says he remembers the moment when hedecided. It was on the last day ofschool and a fifth grader was walking down the sidewalk and made afart noise with his saxophone. “Itwas so vivid. I was so young that Ithought it was funny.”He says he started taking musicseriously in seventh grade. “I quitbaseball and said I really want todo music.” He started practicing4-6 hours a day from then on.During this period, he had a greatteacher and he says when he looksback on it, he sees this cultivatedhis interest in jazz. “It helped medefine my own sound, playing byear and finding myself.”Levin started a band with adrummer and bassist. “I was happywith the big school band but wanted the combo experience. In 2019he says they added a fantastic pianist to the band who attends DukeEllington School for the Arts. “Heis blind and can compose, improvise. He has a crazy artist sense.”Levin says he still has the bandand they play once a month or soaround D.C.As Levin moved into high school,he continued to play in the schoolband and participated in the Annandale Jazz ambassadors wherehe went to Ireland for a week.Summers have been spent at theNational Jazz Workshop summercamp, the Berkeley five-week program and the next summer at theall star Berkeley Jazz Workshop.He says he was able to develop hisown style more, not only with playing 100 percent clean but in termsof compositional skill. “Composition is blown down improvisation.”When COVID hit and school ended in March 2020, Levin returnedto six hours a day concentratingon transcribing and learning tosolo by ear. “It brought playing toa whole new level. Sheet musicdoesn’t tell all. Recording can hearmore of the subtle emotions of theartist. You can impersonate the artist and tell your own story.”In his junior year everything wasstill virtual. He was practicing onhis own and having a few outdoorjam sessions with his friends inbackyards and parking lots.8 v Arlington Connection v May 11-17, 2022Zach Levin, tenor saxophone player.Now Levin says he is looking forward to playing at Carnegie Hallunder the direction of Sean Joneswho is at the Peabody School ofMusic at Johns Hopkins. “He isamazing. And the guest artistsare all phenomenal.” He says thecompetition required an essay and4 videos including swing, ballad,funk and moment’s notice whichhe explains is difficult to improviseon.“But I am the most excited aboutmeeting other people my age. It’srare to have the chance to share,and I’m excited to be playing withthem.” He adds, “It’s also excitingto learn about other cultures andperspectives. It’s all about makingyou a better person. I feel like I livein the Arlington bubble.”He says he has many interestsandplanstoattendtheUniversity of Pennsylvania inthe fall, probably in economicsand philosophy.Levin contemplates that the better people you play with, the betteryou play. “They develop your ear.It’s collective consciousness building.” Levin says he is hesitant todefine his sound at 18-years-oldbut “it is a sum of my experiences, the good and bad. It is my goalwhen I play to express what I amfeeling and have felt in order tohelp the audience feel somethingthemselves. I think music andmeaning are intertwined, not inthe way that grass is green, but ina deeper metaphysical sense.”Henry Price, sophomore basstrombonist, says his interest inmusic began in 4th grade wheneveryone at Arlington TraditionalSchool was required to play an instrument. He started with the baritone but then in 6th grade took upthe trombone so he could participate in jazz band. “I liked it betterand wanted to spend more time onit. Then in 7th grade it stuck.”But when he was in 8th gradeCOVID hit, and band stopped. “Ihaven’t had much of a chance to goanywhere.” In 9th grade band wasall on-line and he says you couldn’tdo anything useful. “There weremany problems trying to play together with the delays betweenaudio and visual. And you need areally good microphone and thecomputer picks up on all the littlenoises.”When school returned in Marchmany people chose partial in-person learning on Tuesday andWednesday or Thursday and Friday. “But it was still really hard because of how the schedule worked,you only had half of the band andan imbalance of instruments.” Sohe practiced at home all the timeand prepared for a lot of auditions.“It’s just kind of how I like to spendmy time.”It has resulted in an upcomingsummer full of opportunities including the Northwestern trombone class, an Interlochen ArtAcademy intensive low brass campand the Carnegie Hall’s NationalYouth Jazz Orchestra.Price says, “It was really intensive; I was working on six applications at once with video recordings. Some people recorded in astudio or concert hall, but I recorded at home. I entered NYO Jazzand NYO2 in both trombone andbass trombone in order to maximize my chances. I admit I did alot of things at the last minute. Ithink I submitted my final at 11:59p.m.“I was insanely surprised that Iended up getting in two, especiallysince bass trombone is my secondinstrument.” He said it took a lotof prep and recording of swing,ballad, funk and a chart of his ownchoosing. “I chose giant step formy optional chart which has anup beat tempo and really difficultchord changes.” Price explains thebass trombone is really specializedand has a specific role. “So theyhad to give me some examplesto play from other random jazztunes.”Price has taken his inspirationfrom a lot of people but “I feellike people have a sound of theirown.” He says he plays in a couple of bands including the schoolmarching band and jazz band plusan orchestra in Fairfax. He sayshe plays with a brass band everyother weekend and goes buskingin Old Town where they set up inthe square and play. And occasionSee Two Arlington, Page 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsTwo Arlington YouthChosen Among BrightestU.S. Jazz MusiciansFrom Page 8ally they have been hired to playat birthday parties and Mardi Grasevents.Getting the Carnegie Award was“really huge to me.” He says hethinks touring the U.S. “is the biggest thing for

Arlington Connection. G. ot 10 minutes? Take a . walk to an Arlington . park. Arlington's Park system was just ranked third in the nation by the Trust for Public Land's ParkScore Index. Ninety-nine percent of Arlington residents live within a ten-minute walking distance of at least one of Arlington's 150 parks. The parks offer activities for