Falls Church News-Press 2-23-2023

February 23 - March 1, 2023

for F.C. Up 4.6%, Beating Expectations

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls

“Due to market growth of residential properties and completion of new commercial projects,” summary numbers for real estate assessments in the City of Falls Church jumped by 4.64 percent, 1.7 percent higher than projected, as released by City Hall yesterday.

Individual assessments won’t be mailed out until possibly the end of March, according to a City press release.

The total taxable assessed value for all properties in the City, as of January 1, 2023, is $5,329,726,700, an overall increase of ($236.11 million) or 4.64 percent from January 1, 2022, it was announced.

City Manager Wyatt Shields told the News-Press that the rise in assessments was about 1.7 percent higher than expected, due mostly to increases in commercial real estate values. He noted that commercial values

Life In The Fast Lane

by Charlie Clark

The one time-colleagues vying to be Commonwealth’s Attorney for Falls Church and Arlington present a contrast in resumes and in approaches to the national reform movement known as restorative justice.

Incumbent Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who won an upset victory in 2019 on a reform agenda, was confronted

‘Diagnosed’ Review

Patricia Leslie reviews Creative Cauldron’s “Diagnosed,” the premiere, powerful drama of the theater’s “Bold New Works” of Women’s Voices. See what Leslie has to say about this performance on mental health, race and gender.

See Page 9

this November by a challenge in the coming June Democratic primary by Josh Katcher, whom she had named as deputy commonwealth’s attorney before he resigned in disillusionment last August.

Both active Democrats (the winner of their primary is often a shoo-in against Republicans in November), the two in interviews with the News-

Press claim similar goals but differ markedly in backgrounds and styles.

Dehghani-Tafti, who grew up poor in an Iranian immigrant family, brought 18 years as a public defender to the elected position. She sees herself as a “change agent” battling establishment resistance to principles deployed by allies around the country seeking to focus pros-

Celebration of Life for Eileen

This past Sunday, many Falls Church residents gathered to remember the impressive life of Eileen Hecht Levy. See how locals remember Eileen with various kind words and tributes.

See Page 10

ecutors’ resources on violent crimes while approaching smaller crimes with rehabilitation and improved case follow-up.

Katcher, with more than a decade in the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, has prosecuted hundreds of cases, including 50 jury trials in the

THE MERIDIAN BOYS VARSITY SWIM TEAM took home the State Title at the 2023

Class

Championship, held this past Friday in Richmond, Virginia (

Photo: Leah Kirk )

Church News-Press

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F.C. Mayor’s ‘Fitness Challenge’ Commences March 18

The public is invited to compete in the third annual Mayors’ Fitness Challenge that commences March 18 and runs to May 13. Registration on the City of Falls Church website is required, and all who register compete by submitting the number of minutes exercising each week (with any physical exercising counting).

No fee is required, but for those who give $5 a Fitness Challenge shirt is provided.

F.C. Mayor David Tarter will spearhead the effort in F.C., which is competing against the City of Fairfax (which won last year) and the Town of Vienna. A celebratory reception will be held at the conclusion of the challenge to announce this year’s winner.

Meridian Students Score ‘Book Awards’ at D.C. Model U.N.

Henry Behr and Amity Pratt won the Book Award for their work as the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Pacific Island Cooperation Summit component of Georgetown University’s 60th annual North American Invitational Model United Nations event in D.C. last weekend. Sixteen members of the Meridian High Model U.N. Club participated.

The event draws over 3,000 high school students globally. Resolutions drafted and passed included ones addressing global warming and the impact of private military contractors on international security.

Sen. Warner Renews Push for Alzheimer’s Project Act

Mark Warner announced this week that he is teaming with Susan Collins to renew the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, through 2035.

In a joint interview on Monday from the Capitol, the senators held up photos of their parents — Collins lost her father, Don, to Alzheimer’s, in 2018, and Warner lost his mother, Marjorie, to the disease, in 2010 — and described the heavy toll Alzheimer’s takes on caregivers.

Metro Opens Public Comment Period on Proposed New Services

The WMATA has opened the public comment period for the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget that seeks to expand service on Metrorail and Metrobus, provide more equitable fares, implement a low-income fare program, enhance public safety, and maintain a safe and reliable

system through capital investments.

The community is encouraged to provide feedback on the $4.8 billion capital and operating budget proposal that focuses on creating the improved service and customer experience on Metro throughout the region. The funding will modernize transportation and infrastructure for the future and deliver services that support and grow ridership.

Oak Street Bridge Work Begins With Detours

Long overdue work on the Oak Street bridge near the Oak Street Elementary began this week, with resulting rerouting and detouring of traffic that will remain in effect until the end of 2023, the F.C. School Board was informed at its meeting Tuesday.

Walkways to the school remain open as the bridge undergoes its first upgrades since 1953.

All-Affordable High-Rise Moves Ahead in Tysons

An all-affordable residential high-rise project of two 21-story buildings adjacent to the Tysons Dominion Square West Metro site is moving forward. At its meeting this week, the Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously OKd the project, which will replace parking lots currently used by auto dealerships with two 21-story buildings with 516 apartments and a 33,500 square foot two-level community center.

Fairfax Reports Rise in Opioid Overdose Cases

After declining between 2017 and 2019, opioid overdose cases increased in the Fairfax Health District from 285 in 2019 to 366 in 2022, including 63 fatalities, as of Sept. 30 last year according to the county’s data dashboard.

The department updated the dashboard last week to better illustrate the presence of fentanyl in nearly all overdose deaths and an increase in overdoses among youths, including children and teens.

The dashboard now lists people 17 and under as a distinct age group and provides data specifically on fatal overdoses involving fentanyl “to help Fairfax County residents better understand the threat that opioids, including fentanyl, pose in the community,” Director of Epidemiology and Population Health Dr. Benjamin Schwartz said.

were higher than for single family homes and townhouses for the first time in the City, due to the multifamily construction boom well underway and expected to continue that citizens can see from the number of construction cranes that are now hovering over the City’s 2.2 square miles.

Shields said the slightly higher than expected overall assessments will be used to address core issues already being discussed by the City Council, which are labor demand and inflation.

Overall residential real estate values increased by 3.5 percent over the last year. Single family homes and townhomes had varying changes but overall were up 4.03 percent and 5.86 percent, respectively. Residential condominiums had varying changes but an overall decrease of one percent.

The overall increase, based on the work of F.C. Assessor Erwving Bailey, is far below the 11.42 percent increase that was announced a year ago and which led to a record number of appeals. Last year was Bailey’s

first in the job, and assessments came after assessments for the previous two years rose by 2.7 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Last year’s huge jump was attributed mostly to a big jump in sale prices, as according to state law, assessments for purposes of taxation must be set at 100 percent of fair market value. Bailey’s office calculates property value annually using “mass appraisal techniques that are standard in the real estate industry,” the City’s statement said.

In the assessment overview that Bailey just released, overall commercial property values increased 7.67 percent since January 2022 and multi-family property values increased 32.12 percent over the last year largely due to new construction.

New construction (valued at $57.56 million) accounted for 24.4 percent of the increase in assessed value, residential new construction accounted for $10.15 million of growth and commercial new construction accounted for the remaining $47.41 million of growth.

It is based on the new assessments, as calculated annually, that the City government calculates the tax bills for individual property own-

ers. From this week’s report, City Manager Wyatt Shields will develop his recommended budget for the coming fiscal year (beginning this July 1), including what he recommends what the residential tax rate ought to be.

It is now at $1.24 per $100 of assessed value, and the final decision on that will be voted on by the City Council in early May. That will include the level at which City programs, and the public schools, get funded in the Council’s adopted Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget and Capital Improvements Program.

Falls Church School Board is expected to formally adopt the budget it wants the City to fund at its meeting next Tuesday, and it is fully expected that its request will be fully met.

(Meanwhile, in adjacent giant Fairfax County, the manager’s proposed budget released this week calls for no tax rate increase, but with 7 percent rise in residential assessments, and a cut from the School Board’s proposed budget of $15 million.)

Public hearings on Falls Church’s proposed budget, prior to the final May 8 vote, will be held on April 10,

April 24 and May 8.

Tax bills from real estate owners based on the new budget will come due on Dec. 5, 2023 and June 4, 2024. The second payment on the current year’s billings is due this June.

Individual assessments will be mailed in early March. After evaluating the assessment, those homeowners wondering if their assessment is correct should contact the Office of Real Estate Assessment at 703-2485022 (TTY 711).

If there is a disagreement with an assessment, citizens can appeal to the assessor or to the Board of Equalization.

Deadlines for assessment appeals

are Monday, April 17, 2023, for an Office of Real Estate Assessment review and Friday, June 2, 2023 for a Board of Equalization review.

As appeal reviews may not be complete prior to the Board of Equalization application deadline, if a property owner has not received their first level appeal results by May 19, 2023, they should file an appeal to the Board of Equalization to preserve their rights.

Property owners must prove that their property’s market value is either inaccurate or unfair. State law puts the burden of proof on the property owner to demonstrate that the assessment is incorrect.

Former Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Challenges Incumbent

Continued from Page 1

Circuit, General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts. He blasts the incumbent for running an “office in free fall,” saying 13 qualified attorneys have left in 13 months due a “lack of support” and low morale.

The contest plays out against a national backdrop in which numerous prosecutors—including those in Fairfax and Loudoun counties— have been attacked by conservatives who blame an increase in pandemicera crimes on liberal reforms they traditionally characterize as soft on criminals.

Dehghani-Tafti, after being subject to a recall campaign, asserts that she delivered on her campaign promises, obtaining convictions on unsolved homicide and rape cases left behind by predecessor Theo Stamos, ending requests for cash

“Change from Within: Reimagining the 21st Century Prosecutor.”

She counters Katcher’s argument about the rash of staff departures, saying many left for performance reasons or better opportunities — notably judicial nominees W. Michael Chick Jr. (now on the Juvenile and Domestic Court) and Cari Steele (whose nomination for General District Court is pending in Richmond).

Katcher responds that the 13 doesn’t include those nominees. He also accuses her of delaying cases that were then dismissed, though she denies it, pointing to the Virginia Supreme Court’s emergency orders during Covid that paused trials.

Dehghani-Tafti points to an “asymmetrical situation” in that Katcher is free to “take shots” at her, but her incumbency requires her to respect privacy. When she entered office, she kept on many attorneys who had supported her predecessor—including some Katcher himself managed--“because I needed to

tested her “ineptitude” and “deflection of blame” after she criticized police handling of a search of a murder suspect, who’d been released earlier, seen as unconstitutional. As reported by Arlnow, she tweeted that she was “not casting blame on anyone: the police did a search they may have thought was constitutional; defense counsel zealously represented her client; the judge issued a ruling he believed correct. Those 2 deaths are tragic; that they’re now being exploited for lies is wrong.” Katcher, who has knocked on nearly 900 doors campaigning--first in Falls Church then in Arlington-worries that the departures of attorneys from the 20-21-attorney staff “are not easy to replace because they’re in high demand” elsewhere. The junior prosecutors “need training, supervision and mentorship,” he says. Dehghani-Tafti “lacks relevant experience or the apparent interest in being a prosecutor,” he adds, noting that she has never personally prosecuted a case. “I have the relevant experience to lead the office.”

of terrifying for a junior prosecutor. They need advice and support from someone with relevant experience as a prosecutor.”

Dehghani-Tafti responds that the commonwealth’s attorney “has to do what only the CA can do.” The job is “not a line prosecutor, nor should it

cases. I support my team in ways unique to me.” She cites her years as a defense attorney acquiring experience in court case forensics. “It’s lazy to say if you’re not a prosecutor you can’t do the work. We need a fresh way to look at problems.”

Katcher portrays crime as rising,

JOSH KATCHER (Photo: Ben Jones)

PARISA TAFTI (Photo: Alex Sakes)

Biden in Kiev, the Brave Stuff of History

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

President Biden’s heroic trip to Kiev this week, and subsequent powerful speech in Warsaw, is the stuff of history books. Americans and freedom loving folk everywhere need to appreciate the profound import of what is transpiring on our globe among its human inhabitants right now.

At the rate things are going, I would venture that Joe Biden stands a shot at eclipsing the greatest presidents in our history, and only now are the optics of his more recent initiatives beginning to show that.

If the West, led by the U.S., succeeds in its current campaign to repel Putin’s ghastly offense against human lives and basic values in Ukraine, everything of the last 12 months, beginning with President Zelenskii’s tone-setting proclamation when the Russian invasion began that he did not want a ride out of there, but ammunition, will have taken on an epochal, “world historical” hue.

From here, it will take an extraordinary uprising of the Russian people, themselves, to finish off Putin’s criminal enterprise, much as it has been the brave will and activism of the American people to reject Trumpism in the last couple of years which has brought humanity back from the brink of destruction.

Imagine if Trump had won the 2020 election, or was able to remain in power one way or another. Putin would be halfway across Europe by now.

Putin is interested in far more than simply Ukraine. His messianic obsession is to take the Russian Empire to new heights of global dominance, and to that end, doing so with the blessing and full-throttled support of leading ruling class elements in the West.

They agree on the need to trounce democratic institutions and leaders of the interests of working people. Such was the case 100 years ago when the leaders of the capitalist class in the West readily crossed national boundaries, aided

by the convenience of all being members of one ruling family (all present for the coronation of England’s King George in 1911), in a global assault on the rising working classes that took the form of what became the wholesale slaughter known as The Great War, or World War I.

It was not a war between rival nation states, it was a war against humanity itself, against the rising sentiment that ruling circles should not be allowed to subject the rest of humanity to arbitrary tyranny. By throwing millions of mostly young men into a meat grinder of a war, these rulers held onto power by means of a genocidal crushing of their potential adversaries.

These ruling class persons, made of the same stuff as those who have managed to monopolize the lion’s share of wealth and power in the U.S. today, utilized every means of shaping the public dialogue on issues to obfuscate the public’s perception of events and their significance, to bring forward those with dishonest and dissembling views on these events.

Their challenge, even as today, has been to confuse the public in a democracy that owes its founding to the achievements of the U.S. Founding Fathers. Enough Americans have been duped to buy into their version of history and events to allow these greed-obsessed degenerates to hold onto power.

Every time a leader has emerged who effectively defeats their plans, he has won the adoration of millions against the deceivers. Lincoln was such a man. FDR was such a man, and to lesser degrees others who have defined the West by a different set of values. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even JFK and RFK. We saw what our ruling class did to them.

But Joe Biden now clearly belongs on that list, too. His (and our) enemies are advancing the ploy that he’s too old to govern, and once again there are enough in his own party who don’t get it, and are as such repeating that mantra.

Leadership is the most important commodity we have in the defense of democracy. Zelenskii has demonstrated it in Ukraine, and now Biden has not only in the U.S. but in the West more broadly, and globally in defense of democracy.

Regulation, a.k.a the public’s protection, and taxation are tools, but none so important as an inspired and motivated voting public.

Our Man in Arlington

As the county board revs up for a March 18 final vote on Missing Middle housing rezoning, an array of recent developments have drawn notice from backers and opponents.

Arlington’s NAACP protested the board’s removal of the option of allowing seven-eight-plex structures countywide from the Request to Advertise approved Jan. 25, citing possible violation of the Fair Housing Act.

Arlington’s examination of solutions to the attainable housing shortage drew national attention in the D.C. Commercial Observer for Feb. 13. It quoted Brookings Institution housing specialist Jenny Schuetz remarking that “this whole discussion has gotten very dramatic,” and “very out of character because Arlington is a nice, wellbred middle class.” Her own view is in favor. “Opponents act like the world is coming to an end, almost regardless of what is proposed,” she said.

Critics in Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future and Arlingtonians for Upzoning Transparency can take heart from a reversal in Gainesville, Fla. After lame-duck city commissioners last August approved similar rezoning to allow more housing types, a newly elected board voted this month to cancel it, as reported by Bloomberg Feb. 2.

Longtime Arlington scribe Scott McCaffrey — now editing the new GazetteLeader — on Feb. 9 wrote that the Missing Middle plan had been tactically renamed “Expanded Housing Options” as shown in a “test drive” by Christian Dorsey. Not really, county spokes-

woman Erika Moore told me.

“Missing Middle is still the name of the study that has been going on since 2019. Expanded Housing Option development is the phrase being used in the draft Zoning Ordinance language to describe proposed additional housing types that would be allowed if approved by the board.”

There is a new take on the under-explored theme of perceived threats to social status— cultural and psychological forces that influence behavior in a policy debate intertwined with the American Dream. During a recent community conversation, a homeowner said Missing Middle units would “punish me for my success.”

Supporters in the national movement for rezoning consult Connecticut journalist Lisa Prevost’s 2013 book “Snob Zones: Fear, Prejudice, and Real Estate,” and YIMBYs of NoVA recently posted a favorable analysis of Arlington from the National Association of Realtors.

But the most recent entry on the status question comes from witty author Chuck Thompson, whose latest book is “The Status Revolution: The Improbable Story of How the Lowbrow Became the Highbrow.” He spoke to me from Portland, Ore.—considered a model for Missing Middle policy—to explain that our understanding of human fixation on status has evolved since the 1950s heyday of best-selling author Vance Packard’s “The Status Seekers.”

Today status-consciousness

is recognized as a “measurable biological function” rather than “a malign thing, a social problem or a personal or moral failing.”

Yet attitudes toward the “things we need—a home, a vehicle, a job—are changing” and form part of the debates over housing, Thompson said. But people are less likely to view status as a “zero-sum game” in which one’s gain is another’s loss.

Thompson is not a fan of Portland’s loosened zoning. “I have some sympathy for the NIMBYs” who bought into single-family neighborhoods and spent money on their home. But the real problem, he says, is “too many people.”

Thompson also sympathizes with today’s young people who face a steepening climb to the middle class. The homeowners in rezoned neighborhoods, though it “might feel a little weird at first, are going to get used to it,” he added. “It’s where society’s going.”

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Vandals in my neighborhood?

On a recent morning walk I counted not one but three downed sidewalk traffic signs. The upended poles included a yield sign at Sycamore and Langston Blvd., a signal light near bus lanes at the East Falls Church Metro, and a traffic lane indicator sign at N. Tuckahoe St. and Langston.

I sent word to Arlington police, but they said they received no petty crime reports. So I sent photos to the police and to Environmental Services. The next day the flattened signs were removed. Were all three by the same perp?

Courts Set to Slam Trump & Fox News

It’s not in southeast Turkey and Syria, or on the battlefields of Ukraine, but it’s in the courtrooms of the U.S. where the most seismic events are occurring this week. With sincerest apologies for all who’ve suffered and died from the great earthquakes and military/civilian casualties of the resistance to Putin’s brutal military offensive. Nonetheless we have to assert that it is the U.S. justice system that is poised to inflict the greatest blow of all this week – longawaited and past due blows against the crimes of the deceitful Donald Trump and Fox News.

The words from the jury foreman of the special grand jury in Georgia made in TV interviews this week suggest that no less than Trump himself, and a dozen or so of his cohorts, are facing imminent and severe criminal indictments for trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in that state. Criminal indictments against Trump at long last.

The other big news of near equal import comes from court documents just released in the Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation suit against Fox News. Transcripts released from that trial of internal Fox News documents show that highest level Fox executives and mouthpieces, alike, admit that their coverage of the 2020 election results engaged in patent lying when they claimed the result of that election, of President Biden’s clear victory. was in doubt.

In addition, it is in the context of such revelations that the leadership of the entire Republican Party is also seriously called into question now, since news has come out that Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy handed over more than 41 hours worth of video tapes of the January 6, 2021, riot in the U.S. Capitol to none other than Fox News’ premiere liar and dissembler, Tucker Carlson.

Stated the highly respected Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe in an interview with The Guardian, the Dominion brief and request for summary judgment made public this week is “likely to succeed and likely to be a landmark in the history of free speech and freedom of the press.”

Tribe said, “I have never seen a defamation case with such overwhelming proof that the defendant (Fox) admitted in writing that it was making up false information in order to increase its viewership and revenues,”Tribe told the Guardian. “Fox and its producers and performers were lying as part of their business model.” As The Guardian pointed out, “The case concerns Fox News’ repetition of Donald Trump’s lie that his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden was the result of electoral fraud, including claims about Dominion voting machines.”

Tribe said the filing establishes that Fox producers, owners and personalities from Rupert Murdoch down “were deliberately lying and knew they were lying.”

Consider how much suffering and pain these Fox lies have caused, even to this very day, when sadly it can be expected that millions of Americans will go on believing those lies and plotting against American democracy.

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1. Keep the news clean and fair

2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy

3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial content

4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe.

5. Accept no charity and ask no favors.

6. Give ‘value received’ for every dollar you take in.

7. Make the paper show a profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

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Last Week’s Article on T-Zone Updates

Editor,

In the Feb 16 issue, in a frontpage article on the T-Zone updates, it says that instead of the City-Council recommended 10% of all new homes being affordable or workforce housing, the Planning Commission is recommending removing the requirement in favor of “earmarking” new tax revenue for development of affordable housing.

Who are we kidding? We have a 2-square mile municipality. I’ve lived here as a renter for over 20 years. Every time there is an initiative to add affordable housing, it gets shot down by homeowners, including affordable housing for seniors. It’s amazing that the Flower Building ever got approved for workforce housing.

And given all the recent development, where exactly would that new affordable housing go? Bethesda made such a deal with developers there 20 years ago. Guess how much affordable housing got built? Next to none.

Stick to what the City Council recommended: 10% of the new homes priced for those making no more than 60% of median income in Falls Church. If that’s politically unpalatable, then earmark new tax revenues to greatly expand the housing voucher program. But let’s not pretend that the Planning Commission’s recommendation makes sense.

Let’s try to make the City more inclusive, even for folks of modest means.

Ms. Chris Raymond Editor,

Charlie Clark’s attacks on Gov. Youngkin’s overdue education reforms contains too many inaccuracies or half truths to cite in this space, but to recap some of the more egregious examples:

Clark labels Youngkin’s proposed standard as “controversial,” forgetting that controversy regarding his predecessor’s performance on education is what put our popular governor into his current position

He allows Atif Qarni to level the charges of “Whitewashed. It pretty much wiped away black and brown voices” and that Youngkin “ignores

history and leaves students feeling unseen “without any evidence to support it. Qarni’s words suggest that all mention of black Americans has been erased, without any challenge to his claims.

“Terrell Fleming, supervisor of social studies for the Office of Academics, said Arlington high school students will pilot the new College Board Advanced Placement unit on black history just rejected by conservatives in Florida.” Some mention of the main reasons for the rejection would have been useful, as apparently Queer Theory is a major component black history.

I understand that Clark writes on the editorial page, but it would be nice to see some actual journalism to back his opinions

Misleading “Facts” on Racist F.C. Article

Jeff Walyus Editor,

In the article “Racist F.C. Past Unveiled In Land Covenants,” reporter Charlie Clark opens with an accusation regarding an “omission” in the recorded history of Falls Church City. I am concerned about the omission that Mr. Clark himself makes when he targets the 700 block of Fulton Avenue and interviews two residents.

Certainly the covenants existed and were an unfortunate part of our area’s past. As a property owner in the City, I want to assuage residents who may think that they are going to bed at night in homes once inhabited by white supremacists.

Mr. Clark begins by stating the News-Press had to go outside of City limits to examine property deeds, implying the City is concealing its past. When I examined the Real Estate Assessment Information Database, I discovered that not a single house in the 700 block existed at the time of the covenants, which were deemed illegal by the Supreme Court in 1917. In fact, both of the quoted residents in this block live in houses that date to the 1940s. From the readily available records I could find, only one house remains on all of Fulton Avenue that dates back to the period of the covenants.

Mr. Clark’s article seems intentionally misleading and unnecessarily inflammatory at a time when there is already too much divisiveness in the media.

Carolyn Wixson McBride

$350 million in savings for electric customers? We’re all ears.

Legislation being considered by the Virginia General Assembly strengthens regulatory oversight and lowers the cost of electricity, saving Dominion Energy customers at least $350 million. That means a savings of about $6 to $7 a month for the average residential user, according to the State Corporation Commission, the agency that regulates utilities in Virginia. In a time of high prices for food, clothing and gas, it’s commonsense rate relief that will help us continue to do what we do best: meet the needs of our customers.

To take action, visit DominionEnergy.com/RateRelief.

paid for by dominion energy

Faces of Falls Church

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Veronica Prince was recently named by the City of Falls Church as the 2021 City Employee of the Year. On her recent honor, Prince stated: “I’m so grateful to the Employee Review Board for selecting me for this honor. I was chosen for my work to make the City’s public meetings more accessible to the community during the pandemic. Social distancing made it a necessity to develop solutions for virtual public meetings that could be recorded and made available to all. This was accomplished through teamwork with so many of my wonderful coworkers, the City Council, the board and commission members, and many community members.” ( Photo: Veronica

Prince)

To nominate someone for Faces please email us at Ktoland@fcnp.com. To be considered for Faces someone must be a member of the community and have done something you feel they should be recoginozed for. Falls Church News-Press reserves the right to use it’s discretion when it comes to who will be featured.

When children leave home, their “stuff” often stays, sometimes in their childhood bedrooms, sometimes in the basement and, sometimes, both! Exploring our adult daughter’s bookshelves recently, I discovered her favorite authors, like Judy Blume, E.B. White, Beverly Cleary, Lois Lowry, Roald Dahl, and sadly realized that some classic authors have been under attack in recent years. My college librarian mother would have been horrified by the concerted efforts to restrict access to books today, and the attempts, by others, to edit and rewrite the authors’ original publications under the guise of not wishing to offend readers. Perhaps the larger offense is not giving young readers the opportunity to interpret the plots, characters, and themes themselves, ask questions, and broaden their horizons, which is what reading is supposed to encourage.

One of the little books I discovered on the bedroom shelf was “Life’s Little Instruction Book,” a charming list of 511 bits of advice by H. Jackson Brown, Jr., to his son when he left home to attend college. Some of the 1991 advice is dated – email, computers, and cell phones were not ubiquitous as they are today — but much of Brown’s fatherly advice stands the test of time. He begins with simple things – develop a firm handshake, look others in the

eye, say “please” and “thank you” a lot. Other advice was more profound: read the Bill of Rights, for example. These days, there are lots of references to the First and Second Amendments, and recently to the Fifth Amendment (former President Trump famously “took the Fifth” more than 400 times in a recent probe). The Bill of Rights, authored by Fairfax County’s own George Mason, is a fairly simple document, and often misinterpreted, so it deserves a re-reading beyond what you may remember from civics class.

Brown also advised his son to “be punctual and insist on it in others.” He probably was thinking of classes, meals, and dates where tardiness might affect a few. In today’s virtual world, lack of punctuality can affect dozens of individuals, so a five-minute delay could add up to an hour of wasted time, time that you never get back! Another bon mot was “Don’t discuss business in elevators. You never know who might overhear you.” Elevators aren’t the problem these days; cell phones are. On the street, in the grocery store, and just about everywhere else, private business is being discussed via speakerphone, seemingly without a care as to anyone in earshot. Too much information, to be sure!

“Praise in public; criticize in private” might work for family

and close friends, but not for public figures. In her newsletter reports from the Virginia General Assembly, Delegate Kaye Kory states that “Fairfax County has refused to install ‘Stop for Pedestrian’ signs” on county roadways, and she has cosponsored legislation that authorizes localities to install such signs. This is a favorable safety measure to protect pedestrians, and I hope the legislation is enacted. Certainly, safety of pedestrians and cyclists is a concern I share with Delegate Kory, but county staff confirm that Fairfax County has not refused to install the signs; the Virginia Department of Transportation, the state agency that maintains most roadways in Fairfax County, currently prohibits the county from placing those signs on the streets. Let’s be clear: it’s not refusal by the county, it’s prohibition by the Commonwealth that’s the culprit. Although parts of the original 1991 edition of Brown’s handy list are dated, there is no need to rewrite it. I imagine, though, that many parents could write their own little instruction book for their children, college-bound or not. Brown’s final instruction was “call your mother.” That might be a good place to begin!

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Larceny, S Maple Ave, February 13, 9:54 AM, unknown suspect(s) removed a red Salsa Vaya bicycle with accessories, including a lock, from a secured garage. Bike last seen September 30, 2022.

Trespass, S Maple Ave, February 15, 5:43 AM, a male, 43, of no fixed address, was issued a summons for trespass

Larceny from Building/Fraud, W Broad St, February 15,

2:19 PM, unknown suspects entered a business, stole items of value belonging to an employee, and proceeded to use them fraudulently. Suspects described as: a male wearing a black jacket and light colored pants and a female wearing a black sweater and dark colored leather pants.

Trespass, W Broad St, February 15, 4:16 PM, a male, 31, of no fixed address, was issued a summons for trespass.

Trespass, W Broad St, February 15, 6:47 PM, a male, 65, of no fixed address, was issued a summons for trespass.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, February 17, 5:44 PM, a female, 37, of no fixed address, was arrested for trespass.

‘Diagnosed’ Sheds Light On Mental Health, Gender & Race

BY PATRICIA LESLIE

The theme of the new show “Diagnosed” at Creative Cauldron is much more than mental health issues which affect Black women, as it’s billed.

From one vignette to another, the women come and go in beautiful flow to a shop where they unleash hurt and deep pain, mental health disorders they’ve carried around for years.

Lydia (Kandace Foreman) is the shopkeeper, the “mother” of the group, the centerpiece who holds the women together and gives them hope and help.

Her customers come to sit for a spell and let it all out. Mostly in monologues.

Superb acting makes these stories come alive with pathos and some humor. Playwright and director Iyona Blake, a Helen Hayes Award winner and Shenandoah University graduate, attended last Friday’s performance and from her front row seat, joined the audience in enthusiastic response to the presentation which, according to program notes, incorporated some of her own background.

Depression, abuse and almost every imaginable mental health crisis are included here, issues which impact health and wellbeing for years.

Who needs this?

You may wonder. But there’s a purpose to this madness. The drama draws on our sympathies to make us more aware of those around us who may be suffering far more than we know or suspect.

The women drink wine to settle nerves, sometimes assisted by background drums of Tracy Francis who slowly plays them at critical moments to calm influences or, at other junctures, faster and louder to convey anxieties.

Creative Cauldron’s fabulous set designer Margie Jervis fills the set with clothes, shoes, purses, and hats in a Southwestern motif, befitting the ladies who have ghosts of the past haunting them, not always in a bad way. A granddaughter recalls the words of wisdom and love of her deceased grandmother (Theresa Cunningham) who silently encircles the room, dressed in white.

Later, Ms. Cunningham becomes a charming homeless woman about to be married, collecting change,

identifying street people.

When Simone (Corisa Myers) tells the horrifying description of continual rape by a relative, she cries real tears, unable to reveal to her own mother what’s happening. Her wrenching testimony elicited my own tears.

Sophia Early as Mia is a potential suicide victim, having tried it many times, a woman whose love by a mother is absent. Her mother left the family early on. She heard voices and now Mia hears them, too.

It’s a cold soul, a rare audience member who is able to turn a deaf ear to the despondency and anguish expressed by the women.

The timing of “Diagnosed” during Black History Month could not be coincidence. It’s a powerful drama which surprised me with its unexpected message. We’ve always got hope.

“Diagnosed” is the Creative Cauldron premiere of another “Bold New Works” for Women’s Voices for which the theatre is distinguished. Its chief sponsor is Jon Wiant, joined by Diener and Associates and Tori McKinney.

Other cast members are Sophia Early, Maria Ria Simpkins, Pauline

Lamb, and Andrea Gerald.

The production crew included Cidney Forkpah, costumes; Lynn Joslin, lighting; Tiffany Quinn, choreography; Nina Stephens, wigs; and Nicholas J. Goodman, stage manager. Laura Connors Hull is Creative’s founding artistic director.

Tickets start at $20 for students, $35 for general admission and there’s a $5 discount for groups. Many shows have post-show discussions. Diagnosed runs Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m.

2023 RainSmart Grants

and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. through March 5. Live streaming is available for $15 for the 7:30 p.m. show on March 4. A portion of the proceeds from the 7 p.m. February 26 show will benefit the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation. About 90 minutes without intermission. Everyone is asked to wear a mask. Mature audiences only alert! The theatre includes a list of resources to aid mental health recovery. Refreshments are available and may be taken to seats.

The Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) announces 2023 grants to help reduce stormwater runoff in the City of Falls Church.

• Rain Barrels: $50 for each of up to 2 barrels

• Rain Gardens: $1,500 or 50% of cost whichever is less; apply by April 1 See the VPIS website for information: vpis.org/environment/rainsmart-program

‘DIAGNOSED’ is a powerful drama and a part of Cauldron’s ‘Bold New Works’ for Women’s Voices. (P����: W������ G�������� P����������)

Eileen Levy Celebration of Life Drew Fond Memories

by Nicholas F. Benton

A wonderful celebration of the life of the remarkable Eileen Levy, recounted in last week’s edition, was held at the Art Gallery of Falls Church Sunday night, hosted by the Falls Church News-Press

There were so many people and wonderful things said, with the help of Tom Clinton as dispenser of the libations and the amazing Huck Browne and his friend who performed live 30s-era music the whole time, culminating with an extended version, in response to this editor’s special request, of “Stardust.”

On top of the many comments and kind words reported in last week’s edition, here are some written remarks emailed and hand crafted on the welcoming ledger at Sunday’s event:

***

“I picked up my Falls Church News Press today and, sadly, learned of the passing of Eileen Levy, or as she was called when she was a teaching artist with Creative Cauldron… ’Miss Eileen.’ Eileen was one of the first people to support my vision for Creative Cauldron in the early years and was a constant source of light and hope for me, as I navigated the twists and turns of launching a nonprofit educational arts organization.

She was simply amazing as a teaching artist in our after school programs, taking some of the most unruly children in the room and always making them her “best helpers.” She charmed them into her fold, and simply would not let any of them fluster her or dampen her ever positive spirit. Something I still to this day try to emulate but fall short.

As a young girl she was a British War evacuee during World War II and the tales she told of that experience were riveting. I think it was one of the reasons why she never let any darkness into her life….she had seen and experienced that in heaps, and

simply did not want any more of it in her life. She was one of the most positive people I have ever known.

After teaching in our after school programs, Eileen and I would frequently go out for a bite to eat and, of course, a “glass of chardonnay.” She always asked for two ice cubes and a lemon and I never understood why. When our wait staff came to the table I always knew that by the end of our time at the restaurant we would know their entire life story.

She would ask question after question about their current situation, where they came from, what their families were like…their aspirations (what service person doesn’t have a bigger dream?). She never worried that her interest would be too intrusive. She made them feel like royalty, and I have to say we always got exceptional service…something I try to remember every time I go to a restaurant, especially if the service is slow. It’s usually never the servers fault, but they often become the target of patron’s ire.

In fact, Eileen made everyone feel like royalty. She was the first to compliment, the first to praise, and the absolute last at seeking praise herself. A rare spirit in a world of ego and self-centeredness, especially in the art world. And yes…she was quirky, eccentric….whatever adjective that you want to call someone who just refuses to be bound by the staid traditional norms that govern most of our lives. She was an artist pure and simple.

In zoom meetings you can see the paintings on the wall behind me that were the work of Eileen. They are boldly abstract floral images done with a palette knife…. A new style that she developed in her 70s after doing some much more traditional approaches to her art. She was always thinking outside of the box…always experimenting. I will treasure them even more now with her passing.

For those that knew and worked with her (like Matt who has been

with me on the Creative Cauldron Journey for 21 years) and for those that didn’t know her, I hope that sharing this memory of Eileen will be an inspiration and a blessing. Our lives are sometimes touched by special beings, who are meant to teach us something about how to live them. Eileen was one of them.”– Laura Hull, founder and creative director, Creative Cauldron, Falls Church. ***

“Eileen’s imprint on the world and others will certainly be missed but never forgotten. She was filled with pure magic. She could empower the powerless and made everyone feel like they had a place and purpose in the art world but more importantly in the world period! Whenever she greeted me she would be searching for an offering of something, Anything!.....a cracker, hard candy, a sticker....... she would eagerly want to somehow join together in fun and conversation with this wonderful, intriguing token of surprise.

This was an example of what a true giver she was in every situation. She was a creative genius filled with never ending vividly colored stories that made anyone who ever met her believe in the power of imagination and creativity. Her magic. Her imagination. Her creativity created a beautiful world. Thank you Eileen, Fly High.”—Matt Conner, Associate Creative Director, Creative Cauldron, Falls Church..

***

“I worked with Eileen many times, and she is an essential part of our story. Her Oliver Twist British Accent Boot Camp should be its own musical.

My deepest condolences for all family and community impacted by her generous and creative spirit, and the literal hundreds of children who basked in her unconditional love and ‘best helper’ moniker.”–Ellen Selby, Creative Cauldron.

***

“We are filled with such vibrant, colorful and happy memories of our time spent with her. Whether we were out on the town carousing until late, or just spending time chatting about life, she always brought such joy, laughter, creativity and spirit to everyone in the room. She was one-of-a-kind and I’m so happy to have had her as a dear friend. Queen Eileen will be missed beyond measure. ‘To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die.’” – Simon VanSteyn ***

“So happy that we flew together as part of my life.” – Shaun VanSteyn ***

“An amazing woman. Always positive, very charming, and quite funny.” – Gina Caceci ***

“Eileen has been the inspiration to both First Friday and the art studio in my shop.”–Tom Gittins ***

“I will always remember Eileen’s bursting smile, colorful spirit and the love aura around her, and her abundance of positivity,

emanated through gentle and firm life insights, was an important lasting gift.” –Debra Z. Roth ***

“One of a kind, a vibrant and artistic personality. The Falls Church community will always owe its own personality to unique stars like her.” –Jonathan Harper ***

“What a wonderful lady in so many ways. Oh, that smile and laugh, so much love to give to all.” –Lindy and Ed ***

“I will always remember Eileen’s entrances, love of the arts, quick wit and grace.” – Gordon P. ***

“A wonderful, kind woman.” –Stephen Spitz ***

“What a girl. She was a force of nature.” – Coln, 4Ps. ***

“She and I were simpatico from Day One. She ‘got me’ as a person and as a self-taught painter. A person of such natural depth. She is a change agent in all the best ways” – Dory Teipel

A CELEBRATION OF the life of Eileen Hecht Levy (her enlarged photo shown to the left) on the wall was held at the F.C. Art Gallery Sunday, hosted by the News-Press (Photo: News-Press)

Falls Church School News & Notes

Gym Class Now Has Sports Thanks to Grant

To introduce students to the socialization aspects of recreational sports, Ms. Tia Moore requested a grant from the Falls Church Education Foundation. The gym now has options such as table tennis, bocci, can jam, cornhole, and archery. The new PE activities and equipment will enable students to engage in activities that promote “lifetime recreational individual sports and outdoor pursuits.” The students are also challenged to be thinkers and problem solvers and hone their critical thinking skills.

MHS Environment Club to Collect Plastic

The Meridian Environmental Club asks the FCCPS Community to collect Plastic Film Waste and drop it off at the Meridian main entrance.

Please help by keeping plastic out of waterways by collecting plastic film for the NexTrex Challenge — a challenge through April to collect and weigh as much plastic film trash as possible. Students are asked to set up plastic film collection spaces in their homes and bring them into collection bins at school periodically.

Donate Clothes to Promote Sustainability

Donate gently used or new clothing to promote sustainability within Falls Church City through March 1st. Drop boxes are located at the front of Meridian High School and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, and are labeled “Sustainable Wardrobe.”

Winter Goods Drive Held for Turkey Victims

A winter goods drive for the victims of the earthquake in Turkey, organized by the Habitat for Humanity and the SCA of Meridian High School, is currently being held. Donation boxes can be found in the following locations: lobby of each FCCPS school (Jessie Thackrey, Mount Daniel, Oak Street, Mary Ellen Henderson and Meridian HS).

Items to donate: disaster tents, floor mats or tents, sleeping bags, blankets, heaters with converter 220V, food boxesmula, diapers, hygiene products and

All items will be delivered to the

Girls Basketball Advances to Regional Finals, Boys’ Season Ends In Tough One

For the second time in five days, Meridian High School hosted a basketball doubleheader as both its girls and boys continued their postseason play at home. This time, both teams ended up pitted against the William Monroe Dragons, for what was sure to be a night full of excitement.

The girls played first, and immediately got on the score sheet as Ellie Friesen hit a three-pointer on the game’s opening possession. Monroe answered by going one of two at the foul line, and looked like they would stay within fighting distance as the score was 7-4 midway through the first quarter. But then the Mustangs went on a 15-0 run to close out the period, capped off by Maureen Tremblay’s deep three at the buzzer, and the game was blown open. Monroe kept pace the rest of the way, but the deficit was too much to overcome as Meridian held an advantage of 31-12 at halftime, 42-24 after three quarters, and though the Dragons slowly chipped away in the fourth, the home team held on for the comfortable 47-33 victory.

The boys played next, facing a Monroe team that they beat twice in a pair of close regular season contests, including one in overtime at home. The visitors got off to a

first five points, but Meridian fought back to take the lead late in the first quarter before the Dragons went back ahead 12-11 after a frame. The Mustangs scored the first basket of the second period, but then things went south in a hurry as they didn’t score again for the rest of the half, while Monroe used a 13-0 run to take a 25-13 lead into the break.

The deficit grew as large as 15 before the Mustangs began to claw back, cutting it to five late in the third and trailing 34-27 headed into the final frame. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get any closer as multiple players got into foul trouble, and they fell 49-39 despite the gritty effort. This unfortunately ended the boys’ season, which looked to be going swimmingly before it was hampered by injuries to two starters late in the year. On the plus side, the squad has only one graduating senior in Wyatt Trundle, and should be locked and loaded for another competitive campaign next winter.

Grant Greiner scored 14 to lead the boys and Boston Fitzpatrick added 11, while the girls were led by Ellie Friesen’s 17 and Maureen Tremblay’s 11. The girls will remain at home on Friday as they’re set to defend their regional title once again, and while a win would be ideal, they have punched their ticket to the

MERIDIAN’S GOT TALENT premiered with a stellar lineup of extraordinary acts and performances.

MHS’S REIMAGINED TALENT SHOW premiered to a packed house on Friday night, February 17th. (Photo: Isabella Haskins)

GIRLS BASKETBALL defeated the Skyline Hawks last Friday, 59-16, in the Region 3B Quarter-Final game. (Photo: Carson Funk)

by Ryan McCafferty

THIS WEEK IN THE LITTLE CITY

THURSDAY

Take A Walk and Enjoy The Weather!

Get outside and enjoy unseasonably warm weather! While you're at it, check out some local businesses. Anywhere (Falls Church), all day

GMU Womens Lacrosse vs. Elon University

GMU Women's Lacrosse takes on Elon University. George Mason Stadium (4400 University Dr., Fairfax), 5:00 p.m.

Sunny War

Sunny War has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles (ecstatic gospel, dusty country blues, thoughtful folk, riproaring rock and roll, even avantgarde studio experiments), melding them together into a powerful statement of survival. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (2700 F St. NW, Washington), 6:00 p.m.

Adore Delano

Adore Delano, (Daniel Anthony Danny Noriega) is an American musician. Danny Noriega first appeared as a contestant on the seventh season of American Idol in

2008. Adore Delano was introduced to the world on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race — making it into the final three. Adore also later returned for an appearance on RuPaul’s Drag RaceAll Stars Season

2. With her rock-focused music catalog and live tours with a full band and production, Adore set herself apart from other post-Drag Race queens who moved into music — proving she is a strong musician in her own right. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington), 7:00 p.m.

Diagnosed

Lydia is an African American woman who inherits a family-owned boutique. While searching for her own inner peace, she creates a safe space for women to share their stories of hurt, trauma and healing. Creative Cauldron (410 S Maple Ave, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m.

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue

The Golden Girls are back! Miami's sassiest seniors have returned for one more hurrah. 2022 finds Sophia out on bail, after being busted by the DEA for running a drug ring for retirees. Blanche and Rose have founded CreakN, a thriving sex app for seniors. And Dorothy is trying to hold it all together, with help from a new, young sex-crazed stud. Relive the heartfelt hilarity of four ladies who never stopped being your

friends! Warner Theatre (513 13th St. NW, Washington), 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

FEBRUARY 24

National Symphony Orchestra

National Symphony Orchestra performs. Kennedy Center Concert Hall (2700 F St. NW, Washington), 11:30 a.m.

St. James

14th Annual Fish Fry

Saint James’ annual Lenten Fish Fry will be held every Friday in Lent. There will be drive-thru and in-person dining. Menu includes fried or baked fish, hush puppies, fries or baked potato, cole slaw, rolls, macaroni and cheese, and cake. St. James Catholic Church (830 W. Broad St., Falls Church), 5:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.

Campaign Launch Event:

Erika Yalowitz

One of three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for F.C.'s new Virginia Senate District. Please note: News-Press will share campaign launch, signature, and debate events for all candidates

equally,as received,duringtheprimaryseason. News-Press strongly encourages all voters to participateintheJune20,2023election.

GMU Mens Volleyball vs. University of Charleston

GMU Mens Volleyball takes on the University of Charleston. GMU Recreational Athletic Complex (4350 Banister Creek Ct., Fairfax), 7:00 p.m.

Mike Richards

Mike Richards performs. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St, Falls Church), 9:30 p.m.

JARDIN SALVAJE (Native Gardens)

Jardín Salvaje (Native Gardens) closing weekend. In a northwest DC neighborhood, two families — one a young Latino couple new to the neighborhood, the other a pair of older conservatives – clash over a garden dispute that soon reveals much more than a border dispute between neighbors. A modern comedy that reflects on today’s class, cultural, and generational rifts. Gala Hispanic Theatre (3333 14th St. NW, Washington, DC), 8:00 p.m.

The Coozies

The Coozies perform. Clare and Don's Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St, Falls Church), 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 25

GMU Softball vs. Holy Cross

GMU Softball takes on Holy Cross. George Mason Softball Complex (4350 Banister Creek Ct., Fairfax), 12:00 p.m.

Difficult Conversations About Race

A free interactive workshop to develop conversation skills (active listening, compassionate confrontation, and clarifying complex terms). Falls Church Presbyterian Church (225 W. Broad St., Falls Church), 1:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Ukraine Documentary and Panel Discussion

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Putin’s war in Ukraine,

you're invited to watch the recent Frontline documentary about the war and then come to the library for a discussion with journalist Solomia Hera and translator Lev Zinchenko who worked on the film. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church), 1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m.

Paddington Gets in a Jam

Paddington, our favorite accident-prone bear, makes his stage debut in this fun-filled family comedy. Paddington is making his favorite marmalade jam with the help of the Brown’s housekeeper Mrs. Bird, but they run out of sugar, so Paddington heads next door to borrow some from Mr. Curry. The usually grumpy Mr. Curry is even more short tempered than ever as he prepares for a visit from his great aunt who is a stickler for tidiness. Paddington volunteers to help him with his chores, but, unfortunately for Paddington, his good intentions end up leading to chaos. Will Paddington be able to fix everything before Mr. Curry and his great aunt arrive home? The Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean), 1:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.

Crooked Steeple Literary Festival

Featuring Courtney Maum, author of The Year of The Horses Reading and reception, free to attend. Register at linktr.ee/ crookedsteeple. Falls Church Presbyterian Church (225 E. Broad St., Falls Church), 2:00 p.m.

Omnium: A Bold New Circus

A uniquely accessible and inclusive day of family-friendly fun. Acrobats and dancers join clowns and contortionists with performances from an incredible crossbow archer, an aerialist who happens to be a double amputee, the first African-American performing troupe, the KingCharles Unicyclists, high wire and balancing acts, and more. Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Rd., Tysons), 2:00 p.m.

GMU Mens Volleyball vs. University of Charleston

GMU Mens Volleyball takes on the University of Charleston. GMU Recreational Athletic Complex (4350 Banister Creek Ct., Fairfax), 5:00 p.m.

PADDINGTON MAKES HIS STAGE debut in a fun-filled family comedy performance at The Alden Theatre, this Saturday only in McLean. Shows at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.. (Courtesy Photo)

EVENTS, MUSIC, SPORTS, THEATRE & ART

GMU Mens Tennis vs. Mount Saint Marys

GMU Mens Tennis takes on Mt. St. Mary's. Burke Racquet and Swim Club (6001 Burke Commons Rd., Burke), 6:45 p.m.

Falls Church Farmers Market

Every Saturday. City Hall Parking Lot (300 Park Ave, Falls Church), 9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

Syncopated Ladies LIVE!

Dancing to today’s cutting-edge music, from pop to hip-hop to salsa, and even a couple tearjerking ballads, Syncopated Ladies LIVE! is an electrifying, action-filled show featuring a live onstage vocalist. These ladies are reinvigorating the artform of tap, weaving their inspiring stories with strong and sensual choreography as well as sparkling energy. GMU Center for the Arts (4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax), 8:00 p.m.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26

Colorlove

Last day! Colorloveis an all media art exhibit feasting on brilliant, bold and beautiful color. Falls Church

Arts (700-B W. Broad St, Falls Church), 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

GMU Softball vs. Holy Cross

GMU Softball takes on Holy Cross. George Mason Softball Complex (4350 Banister Creek Ct., Fairfax), 12:00 p.m.

Bars and Measures

by Idris Goodwin

Eric, a classical pianist, and Bilal, a jazz musician, are brothers by blood, united through a love of music but separated by prison bars. When Bilal’s trial reveals hidden secrets and unexpected truths, the young men are forced to ask whether their love, and music, can withstand betrayal? Inspired by true events, award-winning playwright and breakbeat poet Idris Goodwin’s acclaimed Bars and Measures is a moving play with music that reflects on faith, family, and politics with equal parts imagination and intensity. Mosaic Theater Company (1333 H St. NW, Washington, DC), 3:00 p.m.

Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel

Go beyond chocolates and flowers when you take your sweetheart to experience an evening of Musical Valentines. In this stirring Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel, be

swept away with music of infinite passion, poetry, and longing by Schumann, Grieg, and Chopin, and learn how the composers were inspired by the loves in their own lives. Jeffrey Siegel has been acclaimed for decades for his massive technique, musical sensitivity and character, wide tonal resources, immense reserves of power, and the ability to communicate (Los Angeles Times). A delight for experienced and novice classical music appreciators alike, Jeffrey Siegel’s Keyboard Conversations® are a unique concert going experience. An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program. GMU Center for the Arts (4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax), 7:00 p.m.

Crash Test Dummies

Crash Test Dummies perform. The Hamilton Live (600 14th St. NW, Washington), 7:30 p.m.

Wolf's Blues Jam

Wolf's Blues Jam performing. JV's Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church), 8:00 p.m.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 27

Mystery Movie

Monday

One week after its release date,

this 120-minute feature film will be screening for just $5! PG-13. Regal Ballston Quarter (671 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington), 7:00 p.m.

City Council Meeting

The public is welcome to address the City Council on any topic during the public comment period. Sign up to speak at fallschurchva.gov/ publiccomment. All members of the public may view the meeting at fallschurchva.gov/ CouncilMeetings. The meeting may also be viewed on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. City Hall (300 Park Ave, Council Chambers, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.

TUESDAY

FEBRUARY 28

Government Operations Committee Meeting

Falls Church City Council Government Operations Committee

meeting. City Hall (300 Park Ave, Oak Room, Falls Church), 12:00 p.m. — 1:00 p.m.

Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band

The Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band perform. GMU Center for the Arts (4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax), 8:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 1

Senator Bernie Sanders

Hear directly from Senator Bernie Sanders about his new book, It’sOktoBeAngryAboutCapitalism, a "progressive takedown of the uber-capitalist status quo that has enriched millionaires and billionaires at the expense of the working class, and a blueprint for what transformational change would actually look like." Tickets at theanthemdc. com. The Anthem (901 Wharf St. SW, Washington, DC), 8:00 p.m.

RELIVE THE HEARTFELT hilarity of four ladies who never stopped being your friends! Enjoy this tribute to Sophia, Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose at Warner Theatre this weekend. (Photo from YouTube)

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Ukraine Frontline Film Discussion Coming Soon

As the first anniversary of Putin’s war in Ukraine approaches, people are invited on Saturday, February 25th to watch the recent FRONTLINE documentary about the war and then come to the Mary Riley Styles Public Library for a discussion with journalist Solomia Hera and translator Lev Zinchenko. Register before 1:00 p.m. on February 25th at mrspl.org/ event. The event will run from 1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. Walk-ins welcome space permitting.

Celebrate Business Community with Upcoming Ball

The Chamber will host the Annual Business Awards Gala, The Bootleggers Ball, at the State Theatre on Wednesday, March 29th. The entire Falls Church community event is invited to celebrate the business community. Auction donations may be donated by going on to fallschurchchamber.org

Business in F.C. Raising Money for Turkey/Syria Relief

At the Falls Church Farmers Market, Richard Doyle and his wife are raising money for a charity that is currently helping Turkey and Syria after the earthquake. The Doyles have a couple of tables at the Farmer’s Market that include various items such as charcuterie trays, lazy Susans, chopping blocks, small tables and more. Every penny collected goes to the national charity Together Rising, which is currently donating to the Turkey and

Syria relief. The tables are present at the Farmer’s Market every other Saturday. The Doyles said they appreciate any help to maximize contributions to the charity.

Catalytic Converter Theft Suspect Arrested in Merrifield

On Monday, February 6th at 11:21 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department caught a man accused of stealing several catalytic converters.

Officers were called to King Chapels Road in Merrifield for a report of a man, later identified as 45-year-old Juan Carlos Monteagudo Hernandez of Falls Church, attempting to steal a catalytic converter. Officers checking the area located Hernandez in a white work truck that contained several AC units and additional catalytic converters in the rear truck bed.

Hernandez was charged with felony catalytic converter theft and held on a $1,500 bond.

People can learn more and be prepared for a possible theft by attending the “Etch & Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft” event hosted by the Fairfax County Police Department on Saturday, February 25th from 10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m. at G&C Tire and Auto Service (14008 Willard Road, Chantilly). The event features the Fairfax County Police Crime Prevention Unit partnering with G&C Tire and Auto Service to offer free CATECH/CATGUARD AntiTheft Labels which can be applied to one’s catalytic converter.

Senior Living Community Hosts Exhibit for Kurdish Artist

Local senior living community,

Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads (GHBC), is hosting a gallery art exhibition with Lukman Ahmad, a Syrian-born American Kurdish artist who uses his art to pay homage to the Kurdish experience and the women and girls lost in the Yazidi genocide. The exhibition, which features 45 paintings by Ahmad, is now open to the public and will be on display through April 4. Ahmad will be donating 50 percent of the proceeds from each sale to earthquake relief efforts through the Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD).

On Saturday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m., GHBC will host a reception and talk with Ahmad. The event is open to the public and will feature Syrian food, musicians, and instruments. Ahmad is creating a new painting inspired by the earthquake to auction off during the reception and will donate 100 percent of these proceeds to ERD.

Future of I-66 Express Lanes Discussed at Recent Panel

On Thursday, February 9th, the Washington Business Journal held their first “On the Road” event of the year that took an “in depth look” into the I-66 Express Lanes construction project. Alex Orfinger, market president and publisher at the Washington Business Journal, and Luis Vazquez Morales, CEO of I-66 Express Mobility Partners, spoke about how EMP made a “concession agreement” with VDOT to put together a “financial package” of $3.7 million to build express lanes outside the beltway from 2016 to 2022.

A panel discussion held after by the Washington Business Journal’s

managing editor Mike Neibauer featured Rick Canizales, director of Prince William County Department of Transportation, and Christina Win, executive director of Prince William County Department of Economic Development. Win spoke about how the express lanes have had a big impact on the local science industry, as an easier access to Dulles International Airport makes it easier for companies to ship things and thus making the region more “competitive.” Canizales showed pictures of present and future improvements to not only the western and eastern portions of I-66, but also the northern and southern roadways such as the interchanges on Prince William Parkway and I-95. These improvements included a diverging interchange at Balls Ford Road in Manassas and extending University Boulevard.

Huge Used Book Sale Coming Soon to Local Library

The Friends of Tysons Library is hosting their huge quarterly used book sale March 2nd — 5th at theTysons-Pimmit Regional Library. More than 15,000 books and media are offered in 20+ categories. Most are between $0.25 and $3). Hours are 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. each day, Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church VA 22043, (703) 338-3307.

Health & Wellness Fair Coming on February 23rd

Join the Falls Church Community Center senior center on Thursday, February 23rd, for their Health and Wellness Fair from 1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. There will be complimentary nursing and physical therapy assessments.

AT THE FALLS CHURCH FARMERS MARKET, Richard Doyle and his wife are raising money for the national charity Together Rising. (P����: R������ D����)

Falls Church Business News & Notes

Falls Church City Business License Renewal Forms

The 2023 Falls Church City Business License Renewal Forms should have been delivered to all City businesses and received by now. The 2023 Business License Renewal Form (the counter version without your business’s data on it) is available on the City’s website at: fallschurchva.gov/442/Business-License-Tax-Forms or it can be sent to you by e-mail, if you want to renew your business license sooner. The deadline to renew all business licenses is by March 1, 2023, or postmarked by that date, to avoid a 10 percent late payment penalty. All paid 2022 business license holders are in good standing until March 1, 2023, due to the annual two month grace period for January and February.

You can drop your 2023 Business License Renewal Form in the US Mail, or in the yellow City Hall 24/7 Drop Box located next to the West Wing Door entrance, or in person at the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office in suite 202W of the West Wing of City Hall, located at 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046. Any questions? Please call (703) 248-5450, or e-mail us at: commissioner@fallschurchva.gov.

City Outreach to Eden Center Continues

The East End Small Area Plan has been under review by the community and involves the Vietnamese Eden Center. The redevelopment plan has been underway in Falls Church for over two years, but many of the Vietnamese family businesses there have not been engaged with the planning process due to language and other barriers. To change that, a group a young Vietnamese Americans are organizing to help the owners — often their parents — understand what may happen, and to help the county understand the needs of their community. The City of Falls Church has planned additional outreach.

Northrop and BAE Systems Collaboration

Northrop Grumman has partnered with the U.S. Navy and BAE Systems, with its North American headquarters in Falls Church, on technology. They are testing Northrop Grumman airborne gateway technology aboard an unmanned aerial system to provide information across maritime assets.

Burke & Herbert Bank to Trade on Nasdaq

Virginia’s oldest bank, Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. has plans to start trading on the Nasdaq composite within the next few months. In business for 171 years, the community bank established a Fredericksburg headquarters and expanded its commercial service in Loudoun County and Richmond.

Northrop Grumman Wins Navy Contract

Northrop Grumman has received a $92 million contract modification to integrate the Department of the Navy’s large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system onto multiple aircraft platforms operated by four U.S. military branches.

General Dynamics Wins EPA Contract

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) received a $45.6 million contract from the Environmental Protection Agency to provide the infrastructure and program support for the Superfund Program. This provides cleanup operations at areas impacted by oil spills, natural disasters and other environmental emergencies.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.

F.C. Resident Launches App to Help Local Students & Families

by Kylee Toland Falls Church News-Press

When it comes to school calendars or college admission dates, everything can be found with a click of a mouse or tap of a finger. If a parent or parents find themselves still confused on where to look or what to click, one Falls Church resident made it even easier to access these various academic sources with a new app.

Let’s face it, the internet has made finding one’s academic resources stress-free. However, for some people, the internet isn’t as simple as it seems, making it trickier for those who may not be “tech-savvy” to find access to important academic dates.

Peter Larsen saw these struggles and decided to do something about it.

As a father of two high school graduates, Larsen said he came up with the idea of the app “out of pure frustration” after not being able to find his children’s spring break schedule while they were attending college. Laren said he then remembered how he would go through the same strife when his children were high school students; having to “dig all over” websites to find school cal-

endars and other academic resources.

“It should be right there for parents,” Larsen said, “instead of having to dig into one website and know whether you are looking at the right thing.”

Enter the app “Whensit,” which came about two years ago when Larsen faced these difficulties, to finally December 31, 2022 when the app was officially launched. A person can use the app to find running lists of academic resources such as college application deadlines and school calendars, and even social events such as upcoming concerts, conferences, or even movie and book releases.

Nicknamed after the phrase “When is it,” people can find important dates for various Virginia schools and even out-of-state universities. Once finding a date that is needed, a user can click on the date and the app will export it on to one’s device.

“[The team and I] looked and saw that nothing like [Whensit] was really out there,” Larsen said. “We really want this app to be something that parents in different communities can go to and find those important dates.”

To create the app, Larsen teamed up with Chetu, a software development company based in Homestead,

Florida. Chetu was responsible for the technology that went into the creation of the app..

Since its launch almost two months ago, the app can be downloaded nationwide, with Larsen stating that 60 cities have been built into the app with various school systems, concert and sports venues and conferences in those cities. The feedback from users have been “really good” according to Larsen, with guidance counselors having reached out to him to state how Whensit has been used as a “toolbox” to help students and their families.

Alan Jacobson is a friend of Larsen and also a local user of Whensit, having downloaded the app to keep up with his children’s high school sports dates, as well as upcoming State Theatre shows. Jacobson stated he thought the app was a “great idea” as he also has faced challenges with trying to find important academic dates.

“I think it’s got a lot of potential,” Jacobson said. “The more people use it, the more useful it will be.”

Jacobson’s favorite part of using Whensit is the “convenience” of being able to find the events that he wants. He recommends that both Falls Church and surrounding com-

Vexed by Deer in Your Garden?

by Henry Cauley

Gardeners everywhere know the feeling: you come out one morning to stroll through the landscape, only to find that many of your plants have been decimated by deer. Whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are large, native mammals that wreak havoc in our gardens, not only by browsing on our flowers and shrubs, but also by knocking down our plants to create bedding sites and rubbing up on young trees during mating season (buck rub). As the population of these deer continue to grow, so does their need to find more sources for food, and thus gardeners continue to grow increasingly frustrated, exasperated, and ultimately defeated in their attempts to keep these animals out of their yards.

The countless products and advertised solutions to keep these creatures from entering our gardens generally fall into two groups: physical barriers and chemical barriers. Yet neither group often proves to be a complete solution. Adult deer can jump over 7 feet high, but an 8-foot fence is neither an aesthetic nor financial option for many. Chemical barriers may result in a

deer only taking a single bite of a plant before turning away in disgust, yet this assumes the chemical has been applied correctly and consistently, a timely affair.

Given these incomplete and inconsistent solutions, what is a gardener to do? One simple option with outsized impact is to introduce more native plants into your garden. Native plants offer a myriad of benefits: fewer disease problems, easier care solutions, more attractive to pollinators, and more suited for our climate. Importantly, these plants have also evolved alongside deer, meaning they have developed various natural defenses to make them less attractive to these animals.

Now, there is one important caveat: there are few truly deer-resistant plants. Instead, these native plants have specific characteristics that put themselves in a better position to be unattractive to deer: fuzzy leaves; tough, leathery, fibrous leaves; aromatic leaves; aromatic flowers; spines or bristles; and poisonous compounds. By filling the garden with native plants that have these different characteristics, gardeners will be making their landscapes beautiful, impactful, and resilient.

Thankfully many types of native plants are now commonly available at major nurseries in our area, and several excellent native-specific nurseries are also in business to offer an even greater selection of plants. Below are several examples of native perennial flowers for a wide variety of garden types:

Try These Deer Resistant Native Perennials

Spring Blooming: Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis), Eastern Red Columbine (Aqueliga canadensis), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis), Winecup (Callirhoe involucrate)

Summer Blooming: Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum), Star Tickseed (Coreopsis pubescens), Fringed Bleedingheart (Dicentra eximia), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pupurea), Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Fall Blooming: Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), Spotted

munities download the app to reach a “snowball effect” that can allow Whensit to expand its resources to further areas and cities.

Future goals for Whensit include including “all major school systems of the country built into it,” and for it to remain a useful app so everyone

Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

Sun: Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis), Winecup (Callirhoe involucrate), Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), Star Tickseed (Coreopsis pubescens), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pupurea), Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

Part Shade/Shade: Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis), Eastern Red Columbine (Aqueliga canadensis), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum), Fringed Bleedingheart (Dicentra eximia)

Dry: Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Eastern Red Columbine (Aqueliga canadensis), Butterfly Weed

can use it no matter the circumstance.

“I think if we can be the go-to thing for people as they’re preparing for their college admissions dates or for a busy [parent] who needs to know when their child’s school holiday is, that’s really the goal,” Larsen said.

(Asclepias tuberosa), Star Tickseed (Coreopsis pubescens), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pupurea), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

Moist/Wet: Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis), Winecup (Callirhoe involucrate), Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum), Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), Fringed Bleedingheart (Dicentra eximia), Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)

WHENSIT can help users find various academic and local events (Photo: Peter Larsen)

OutdOOr Living

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ABC NOTICE

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The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority for a Retail Marketplace: Beer and Wine on Premises. Nordine, Authorized Signatory Salon Nordin & Day Spa LLC.. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200

FOR RENT

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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

23 - MARCH 1, 2023

BACK IN THE DAY

25 � 10 Y���� A�� �� ��� N���-P����

Falls Church News-Press Vol. VII, No. 49 • February 19, 1998

CBC Rejects Vice Mayor’s Re-Election

Bid; Backs 4 New Aspirants for Council

With 144 ballots cast, the assembled convention Tuesday night of the City’s oldest civic organization endorsed four candidates for the F.C. City Council in the upcoming election.

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. XXII, No. 52 • February 21, 2013

Sequester Jitters, New School Costs & Storm Water Needs Vex F.C. Council

As the Falls Church City Council edges toward taking on directly the shaping of its next fiscal year budget, a full house of major challenges loom.

Attention: Community Service Providers

T he Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is seeking applications to establish grant awards to agencies providing comprehensive suicide prevention and opioid addiction programs for Military Service Members, Veterans, and their families throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

To learn

SIGNORINA, SUNNY (MOM), & CALI, our 9 & 10 year old cats. Their days are spent looking out at anything that passes by & adjusting to their new lives after traveling from Italy to the States four months ago where they were free to come and go as they please.

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

Incumbent Finds Primary Challenger In Former Deputy

Continued from Page

of delays in recent data, much evidence is anecdotal. The latest annual report from the Arlington Police Department showed an overall crime increase of 4.8 percent from 2020 to 2021. (The Falls Church rate is about half of Arlington’s, according to an analysis by bestplaces.net.) And he agrees on the value of restorative justice, despite her skepticism of his commitment. “It is an invaluable tool in the justice arsenal,” he says, stressing its natural applicability in schools for such issues as bullying or destruction of property. “But it’s going to require a lot more work for the community to become fluent in this concept. No one wants to feel that this justice practice is being inflicted on them.”

Her charge that he is “not a reformer is blatantly political,” Katcher says. “She knows I believe in reform. I spent more time sitting with Parisa talking and writing about my philosophy than most kids applying for college.” His decision to quit a job he loved was done

“with a heavy heart.”

When there’s a changeover in the Commonwealth attorney job, staff prosecutors are “not automatically rehired and sworn in,” so he competed well enough to stay on and later win the deputy job. “What we’re really talking about is the value of relationships—with judges, police, victims,” he adds, citing his experience leading the Bar Association and teaching law classes. Katcher’s version of reform would mean “drawing a line between the cases the county wants prosecuted—murder, rape, gangs, drug trafficking—on which the left and right agree, and on the other side where “policy has failed”—treatment of the mentally ill, the homeless, the addicted, youth offenders.

“Police officers and judges increasingly are open-minded about giving defendants treatment,” he says. “If we describe the law-andorder approach as ‘one size-fits-all for incarceration,’ my reforms say, ‘Let’s humanize and contextualize, with a more nuanced approach.’ Katcher would like to see “a second genera-

tion of prosecutors like me take hold of the reform baton and run with it.”

Dehghani-Tafti rejects the notion of rising crime—she’s aware of a recent study by Smartasset.com listing Arlington among the safest localities. “It’s more visible now, with reform prosecutors increasing crime reporting,” she says. “No one person can make crime go away—it’s cyclical—and people have lost faith in institutions,” she adds. “I saw cracks in the system” exposed by the pandemic—displacement, suffering, grief, trauma, “like we’ve never seen before. Small things like road rage,” she adds. The county’s Human Services Department can’t retain enough clinicians when mental health complaints are rising. She is upbeat, however, about the rise in cases being diverted to the special drug court, which she would like to see expanded.

The incumbent has been endorsed by top Democrats: Rep. Don Beyer and state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (recently elected to U.S. Congress); County Clerk Paul

Ferguson; Del. Patrick Hope and former Del. Jennifer Carol Foy; county board members Matt de Ferranti and Takis Karontonis; and former school board member Monique O’Grady. Katcher plans to announce endorsements later this spring. The Arlington Committee on Police has yet to endorse, says president Randall Mason, as they’re concentrating on pay and vacancy issues. “We try not to be political in races such as for county board,” he says. “But this election has a direct impact,” so they will endorse before June.

Katcher is confident he raised more money than Dehghani-Tafti in the last quarter, “which shows an appetite for this challenge among the community and small donors—people power,” he says. The incumbent rejects the frequent criticism that she accepts too much outside money from Restorative Justice advocates. “Look at what I’ve raised on my own locally,” she says. “Because the role of a prosecutor is misunderstood, a lot of

the campaign is about education to reach people. That takes money.”

Walking in Falls Church, Katcher feels a “receptiveness to his arguments,” characterizing the smaller community as “similar to Arlington in that people are tuned in to what they want from [the] government, with high expectations.”

Dehghani-Tafti says Police Chief Mary Gavin, while working with her well on serious cases, has “instilled a sense that feels like community policing. Falls Church is not quick to penalize, and each official makes the effort to be part of the community.”

She also says she now has “good relationships with police and judges,” casting herself as a “problem solver. I have tried very hard to build relationships and find common ground while maintaining distance and professionalism,” she says. “I can’t do it and keep everyone happy while making unpopular decisions. Change is hard. It’s not fast or easy.”

The Diplomatic Reach: All Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Defeated in Richmond

by Brian Reach Falls Church News-Press

Most of us wake up each morning with at least a vague sense that it’s the year 2023 and for the Republican Party this is unacceptable, so they are hell-bent on bringing back vintage homophobia this year, evident in a wave of legislation across the country targeting LGBTQ+ rights — and terrorizing trans youth in particular.

The ACLU is currently tracking 321 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across 34 state legislatures, including twelve in Virginia, most intentionally crafted to irreparably harm trans youth, physically and emotionally.

The Republican party has identified trans issues as a “red meat” issue that Republicans can latch onto to survive their primaries, where extreme positions are rewarded and bipartisan appeal, to which candidates often pivot for the general election, is punished. In most of these states, gerrymandering has made the primary the only election that matters.

Enter the common red herrings about bathrooms, sports, and “grooming,” made bold-faced by the right even as trans students continue to not harm society, but instead are true victims of actual harm. The gaslighting and misdirection is fairly consistent (i.e. the “Critical Race Theory” panic). Racism is a prob-

lem; teaching children actual history is not. Hate crimes are a problem; laws protecting LGBTQ+ folks are not. School safety is a problem; but because of guns, not a half-baked theory about trans “groomers.”

If anything, the current generation of school-age youth has shown a natural competence and compassion that leaps far beyond anything shown by society at-large. Nothing about this is weird to them other than the obsession some seem to have about the private lives of others.

Cathryn Oakley, State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel for Human Rights Campaign (HRC), described the anti-LGBTQ+ movement as deceitful by design during a virtual briefing on the record-breaking legislative onslaught.

“We know that these bills don’t sit well with the general electorate, but for most of these legislators, [that] isn’t their target demo.” Oakley said, in a reference to district gerrymandering. “These organizations do not care whether trans folks are able to give informed consent… they are working on banning gender affirming care for everybody.”

Indeed, embedded in legislation regarding youth were clauses obviously targeting the adult LGBTQ+ community, including one eliminating tax deductions for health care premiums for plans that cover gender affirming care.

“A good-faith person might be under the impression that whether to provide gender-affirming care is controversial,” added Kelley Robinson, HRC President, “[but] gender affirming care is supported by every credible medical organization.” She said they’re spending a lot of time debunking numerous falsehoods in the bills.

The Senate Education and Health Committee was pivotal in defeating most bills this year, killing all six Senate bills (SB791, SB911, SB960, SB962, SB1186, and SB1203) and both House bills that passed (HB1387 and HB2432). Northern Virginia Senators Dick Saslaw (D-Falls Church) and Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) both serve on the committee and helped prevent the laws from advancing. Four additional bills never made it out of the House.

“This session, anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the Virginia legislature targeted young people especially trans and nonbinary youth further stigmatizing them at home, at school and in their communities.” said Narissa Rahaman, Executive Director of Equality Virginia (EV), which had to expand its single annual Lobby Day into five separate events in order to keep up, “Schools should be safe spaces for all youth, and especially those who may face discrimination or feel singled out because of who they

are.”

The bills were all defeated thanks to the razor-thin Democratic majority in the Senate and efforts of organizations like EV. “We saw a groundswell of opposition to these bills. We saw everyday Virginians show up in fierce opposition to all twelve bills and send a message that hate is not a Virginia value.” continued Rahaman. “While we have a long way to go to make our schools more equitable places for all youth, defeating these bills is a big deal.”

Rahaman has a message for trans youth: “To the trans youth in the commonwealth, I want to say: you are loved, you are perfect just the way you are, you are beautiful and you are worthy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

This year’s election is pivotal for the Commonwealth, with the entire Virginia House and Senate up. Please make a plan to vote many of these bills were just a couple votes away from becoming law, which should be unacceptable to everybody in the year 2023.

VOLUNTEERS MEET WITH legislators during one of Equality Virginia’s five “Lobby Days” this year. (Photo: Equality Virginia)