February 13 - 19, 2014
FALLS CHURCH, VI R G I N I A • W W W. F C N P . C O M • FREE
FOUNDED 1991 • VO L . XXI I I N O . 51
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In advance of the expected major storm, the City of Falls Church declared a snow emergency effective 8 p.m. Wednesday, meaning a no parking requirement will be enforced by the City of Falls Church Police Department on designated snow emergency routes. SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9
It’s Of�icial: F.C. Real Estate Assessments Leap 6.77%, Single Family Homes 7.83% Bigger Tax Bills to Be Joined By New Storm Water Fee
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BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
The dates for the News-Press’ 2nd Annual Falls Church Restaurant Week have been announced. The event recognizing the Little City’s fantastic dining scene will run from Monday, March 24 through Sunday, March 30.
include Black Alley, Black Masala, Bumper Jacksons, Jumpin’ Jupiter, Mary Alouette, Nappy Riddem, Rosa Lamoreaux and Vegas with Randolph. The pit band will be Dave Chappell and Friends and the band for the VIP pre-reception to be held at Argia’s restaurant from 6:30 p.m. will be Daisy Castro and Gypsy Moth. There will also be an after party at the State. For 28 years, the members of the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) have shined the spotlight on local musicians, music business professionals, and music organizations who have
A press release from City Hall made it official Tuesday morning. The real estate assessments in the City of Falls Church have leaped in the last year by an average 7.83 percent for single family homes, and by 6.77 percent overall. This is more than double the rate of increase for the year before, which was only three percent, while commercial real estate values lagged by increasing only 2.37 percent. As the City reported, the total taxable assessed value for all properties in the City as of Jan. 1, 2014, is $3,549,167,400 ($3.5 billion), a 6.77 percent increase from Jan. 1, 2013. City Manager Wyatt Shields, who tipped off the six-something percent number to the NewsPress the week before, told the News-Press yesterday that the City’s assessments are “in line with the region,” noting that Arlington County’s residential real estate values came in with a 5.3 percent increase. The discrepancy between residential and commercial values is also par for the surrounding area, Shields said. “It’s a general trend,” Shields said. “Commercial values are impacted by the high vacancy rates in the region, while residential properties are continuing to bounce back from the setbacks of the last few years.” It means that property owners can expect their tax bills to go up by the percentage of increase even without the City Council voting to increase the tax rate. For example,
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SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9
D���� B�����: T�� A������� P�������� When foreign visitors used to describe American culture, they generally settled on different versions of one trait: energy. SEE PAGE 12
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F.C. singer-songwriter Dan Cohn and his band, The Grand Candy, will be celebrating the release of its debut album NSFW with a show Feb. 27 at the Iota Club and Café. SEE PRESS PASS, PAGE 25
INDEX Editorial.................6 Letters...................6 News & Notes 10-11 Comment .......12-15 Business News ...16 Calendar ........20-21
Food & Dining.....22 Sports ...........18-19 Classified Ads ....26 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........29 Critter Corner......30
FALLS CHURCH SCHOOLS’ Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones addressed a joint meeting of the City’s PTA organizations about the upcoming budget cycle in the cafetorium of the Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School last week. (P����: N���-P����)
F.C.’s Rites of Ash, Lazzo Are Nominees at Wammies Sunday BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
This Sunday will mark yet another annual Washington Area Music Association awards celebration, known as the Wammies, that will be held in Falls Church’s historic State Theatre. It will mark the 18th annual show at the State, out of the 28 annual Wammies Awards shows dating to the 1980s. This year’s show begins at 8 p.m. The City of Falls Church Office of Economic Development is once again a major sponsor of the event, which along with the Tinner Hill Blues Festival in June is one of the major regional musical events held in the City of
Falls Church each year. A number of Falls Church performers and supporters are nominees this year, as well. The band “Rites of Ash” is Falls Church home grown, nominated in the Electronica category, and their tune, “Kept Me Up All Night” is nominated in the Electronica best song category. The band’s local boy Lazzo is nominated for Producer of the Year. The Falls Church-based Cue Recording is nominated for best studio, and long-time City resident Mary Cliff is once again nominated for best supporter of the D.C. regional music scene. Live performers set to play at this year’s Wammies show