Get ready for McLean Day
By Monty Tayloe
May 17 is the 93rd annual McLean Day, and along with the kettle corn, rides and good times, the hot dog-stuffed residents of McLean will get the chance to do their civic duty by voting in the 2008 McLean Community Center Governing Board election.
This year's election adds some extra excitement to the day of fun because five candidates are vying for only four adult positions on the board. ESOL instructor Neal M. Callander, retired psychologist Risa E. Sanders, community activist Michael J. Kelly, and McLean Project for the Arts Board member Lee DiCenso are competing with incumbent MCC Board member Sean Dunn for the limited number of seats.
The community center also has two youth positions, and those are hotly contested as well, with five teenagers running for those positions.
Residents of Dranesville Small Tax District A can cast their votes to elect new members to the MCC Governing Board from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
McLean Day 2008 will hold other joys as well. With the theme of "Up, Up and Away," the day will start out with a bracing 8K fun run at 8 a.m. starting off from the Lewinsville Senior Center.
Carnival rides like the "Pharaoh’s Fury" will be available again, along with a new ride making its debut at this year’s festival, “The Full Tilt,” which makes a 25-degree tilt in mid-air, almost throwing riders out of their seats – in a thrilling way, of course.
The event at Lewinsville Park, at 1659 Chain Bridge Road, will also feature performances from Jessie and James Mutts Gone Nuts Variety Show and other entertainers.
Limited parking will be available around the park, so MCC is strongly encouraging participants to use its free shuttle service. Starting at 9:30 a.m. and continuing throughout the day, shuttle buses will run to and from the park from Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1545 Chain Bridge Road; McLean Baptist Church, 1367 Chain Bridge Road; and the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave. Parking also is available at the Lewinsville Senior Center, 1609 Great Falls St., and shuttle carts will run from the back of the building to Lewinsville Park.
McLean Day 2008 will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the festival is free. For more information on the festival and Governing Board candidates, visit www.mcleancenter.org.