Falls Church News-Press 2-9-2023

3rd

Senate Seat

Primary Race

by Brian Reach Falls Church News-Press

Just two weeks after Saddam Azlan Salim announced his bid to represent the new 37th Senate District, which includes Falls Church, another candidate has entered the race. Erika Yalowitz announced that she will also seek the seat in an announcement on her website and social media.

This is an intense year for Virginia politics, with all seats in both chambers of the Virginia Legislature on the ballot this November, as well as numerous local positions. Redistricting has further complicated things, with many legislators serving districts that will no longer exist after this year — meaning they are running only as pseudo-incumbents in their re-election campaigns this year. This includes the City of Falls Church, which will vote in new districts for their representatives in both Chambers.

Both first-generation immigrants, Yalowitz and Salim hope to defeat State Senator Chap Petersen (D) in

2023 Senior Living Issue

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

A true Falls Church legend, realtor, citizen, parent and business leader Merelyn Kaye died last Friday, Feb. 3. Her impact over the 30 years of her active contribution to this community is unmatched. In December 2021, she became the first

The first Senior Living issue of the 2023 year is here! Articles on heart health, varioius activities offered at different, local senior living facilities and a story about a F.C. resident turning 100 while still remaining active are all in this issue!

See PageS 7 -14

THIS

ever recipient of the News-Press’ Lifetime Honor award.

The following was submitted to the FCNP by the Kaye family and is reprinted here in full:

Merelyn Shultz Kaye departed this earth on February 3, 2023 after fighting a long illness. She was the beloved wife of Arthur Kaye (deceased), mother to Kristin Karnis

Merelyn Kaye Dies

and Karin Morrison, grandmother to Jessica, Emily, Katherine, and Taylor, and great-grandmother to Inanna, Paul, and Ahnuway.

Merelyn was born on November 15, 1937 and grew up in Shepherdstown, West Virginia with her father Merle, mother Josephine, and brothers Jeff and Phil. She met her husband Art at a dance while they

Valentine’s Day in F.C.

Valentine’s Day in the DMV can be a very romantic experience. However there are also some unique more casual ideas.

Patricia Leslie shares some gift ideas that couples can enjoy outside the tradional gifts of chocolate and flowers.

See Page 20

were attending Shepherd University and they shared their love of dancing throughout their marriage.

Merelyn and Art moved to Falls Church in 1965. A few years later they purchased their home “Woodbrook”, built in 1890 with a functional windmill and barn. She

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the June primary to represent the Democrats on the ballot for the seat in the November General Election. Petersen currently represents Senate District 34; only 44 percent of his current constituents are within the new district, though he is referred to as an incumbent.

Yalowitz left Colombia for London in 2002 and first moved to the United States in mid-2006. After returning to Colombia to complete her Bachelor of Political Science, Government & International Affairs Degree at Rosario University in Colombia, she permanently moved to the U.S. in 2007. During her years in London, she learned English as a second language, and volunteered for human rights campaigns at Amnesty International. Yalowitz lives in Tysons with her husband of sixteen years, Neil, and eight year old daughter Antonia.

Yalowitz touts a background of community work and advocacy. “I know firsthand the challenges facing our families and communities, from pedestrian safety to the need for better youth development opportunities,” she said in her announcement,

“and, as a Latina, a working mom of an FCPS student and active Labor Union member, I understand the importance of fighting for working families in this diverse community, and creating a brighter future for our children.”

As one of three Court Officers serving the Arlington and Falls Church Courts (a combined court), all family, juvenile and domestic court cases pass by Yalowitz to determine the proper course of action — including substance use or gun-related cases in Arlington Public Schools (APS) and Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS). The unit is now handling the tragic case of a young student, who died last Thursday after a fentanyl overdose in the bathroom at APS’s Wakefield High School two days before.

“There is an enormous sense of urgency due to the lack of services available to tackle addiction in youth,” said Yalowitz, who grew up in Colombia and has vivid memories of guerrillas invading the Supreme Court and survived bombs exploding in the streets of Bogota during the “War on Drugs” of the 1990s, “efforts of prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation are insufficient.”

Yalowitz wants to expand more services to combat the opioid epidemic, including exploring mobile rehabilitation units that can come to homes or schools. “At the moment all there is are teachers and parents equipped with Narcan in case of overdose.” Yalowitz, whose “dynamic” daughter attends Spring Hill Elementary School in Tysons, added. She continued that this places an unreasonable burden on teachers, “As if teachers didn’t have enough to deal with, they now have to run to save a students’ life on a moment’s notice.”

This is not the first time Yalowitz ran for office. She ran for Fairfax County Supervisor for Providence District, in a fiercely competitive fiveperson primary in 2019. Though successfully winning several precincts, she and all other candidates were handily defeated by now-Supervisor Dalia Palchik (D-Providence), who ultimately won the seat.

Yalowitz says her exposure to overdose court cases, and concerns as a parent, give her both motivation and competence on the issue. “I am seeing first-hand the tip of an iceberg that can be prevented with prompt and assertive action,” she said. “I will

work tirelessly to win the voter support necessary to make it happen.”

Salim, who announced a primary bid for the Senate seat two weeks ago, grew up in Bangladesh until floods, droughts, and the desire for a better education and life for their children drove his parents to relocate his family to a friend’s basement —

in greater Falls Church. Saddam’s father worked his way up to chef at the Haandi Indian Cuisine on W. Broad St., where he worked for over twenty years.

Salim attended Falls Church High School, where he was the President of

ERIKA YALOWITZ, pictured here with Husband Neil and Daughter Antonia, announced her primary challenge to represent new Virginia Senate District 37, which now includes Falls Church. (Photo: Erika Yalowitz)

Merelyn Kaye Passes, Earned N-P’s First Lifetime Achievement Award

beautifully decorated the historic home with antique furniture and paintings and meticulously maintained the flower and herb gardens. She had a sense for beauty and style, both in her fashion and her surroundings. In particular, her table settings at family meals rivaled those of Martha Stewart, with fresh flowers matching her china and tablecloths.

In 1970 she obtained her real estate license and sold much of Falls Church with her husband Art and daughter Karin. She was a pillar of the Falls Church community for nearly 60 years through her work in the Village Preservation and Improvement Society, the Victorian Society of Falls Church, and Historic Falls Church Inc.

Merelyn had a special place in her heart for horses. She spent many years watching her daughter Karin

ing people together with her beautifully turned-out tailgates. She was always wearing one of her beautiful hats to match her outfits!

Services will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 3022 Woodlawn Avenue, Falls Church at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 11 with a celebration of life to immediately follow at the Hilton Garden Inn, 706 West Broad Street, Falls Church.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Judes Childrens Hospital.

In the News-Press article announcing her as recipient of the FCNP Lifetime Achievement award, the News-Press’ Nicholas Benton recalled how Kaye advertised in the first-ever edition of the News-Press in March 1991, and remained in the paper every week since.

Benton recalled, “In fact, it was her commitment to spend extra for full color in her ad that became the centerfold for the paper in 1993 that Newshad never done color up to that point, but her decision to add

according to how papers are printed, and so for the first time, the NewsPress was adorned with a front-page news photo (not an earth-changing event, just kids diving into a local swimming pool). It suddenly made the paper look well-to-do, as from that day forward the constant refrain about whether the paper would survive suddenly disappeared from local discourse.

“Merelyn Kaye’s long-standing relationship with the News-Press has always been about business, about a mutually-beneficial and respectful business relationship, which in the business world is as it should be. A mutual admiration society, perhaps.”

Also reported at that time, she was also, as Charlie Moore and Keith Thurston of the Historic Falls Church’s board, attested, “a stalwart supporter of the Falls Church community fabric with her participation and quiet financial support of many organizations.”

They wrote, “Beside her long term commitment to the Village Preservation and Improvement

Church. She was also the key sponsor for the launch of the New Year’s Eve Watch Night in Falls Church for over a decade, and without her support in its early years, “the annual celebration could not have occurred,”.

Working quietly and often behind the scenes, she had been on the board of directors of

Moore said, “Merelyn is the consummate real estate professional working for the community’s good. She has always provided her expertise and her real estate services on a pro bono basis for preservation efforts.”

“It has been clear that she has been among a small group of influential community lead

F.C. REALTOR Merelyn Kaye (center) is shown at the 1992 Falls Church Chamber of Commerce gala. (News-Press Photo)

Local Bowl America Undergoes Management Change

BY CHARLIE CLARK

The long-standing downtown entertainment venue Bowl America is enjoying new corporate ownership with plans for a modern spiff-up.

The August 2021 sale from the Bowl America company to the well-capitalized Bowlero Corp. has brought investment capital that will provide fresh painting of ceilings and exterior, and more televisions, says general manager Willie Wilcox.

The 48 ten-pin lanes that opened in Falls Church in 1960 have continued to attract league players and leisure-pursuers in all age groups.

Richmond-based Bowlero bills itself as the “world’s largest owner of bowling centers and owner of the Professional Bowlers Association.” Founded in the late 1990s by Chairman and CEO Tom Shannon, it runs 300 bowling alleys nationwide serving an estimated 28 million patrons yearly on 12,000 lanes managed by 8,000 employees, the corporation says.

Most recently Bowlero opened 36 lanes in the former Macy’s at Tyson’s Galleria. That marked its fifth Washington-area location, including sites in Arlington’s Crystal City, Annandale, Centerville and Bethesda, Md.

Alexandria-headquartered Bowl America, two years after its debut alley opened in 1958 off of Shirley Highway, was first locally with automatic pin-setting. It opened its Falls Church center originally with 24 ten-pin lanes and 24 duck-pin lanes. But with a duck-pin alley just down South Maple Ave. (now the site of Tax Analysts), it converted to all ten-pin and purchased the building in 1979, according to a timeline filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In 2006, when the F.C. City Council, the Planning Commission and area developers were maneuvering to stimulate a new city center, a proposal emerged to move Bowl America to the other side of Annandale Rd. But that plan was superseded by the emergence of the nearby

keyboard, the electronic scoreboard displays them like celebrities. The screens at appropriate times flash letters spelling “S-T-R-I-K-E” and other graphics celebrating small victories. A “spare finder” image suggests where to aim that crucial second shot. Absent the old paperand-pencil scoresheets, today’s players must remember to note their final score before it vanishes.

Revolving advertising for the ever-tempting food counter flashes brightly lit, mouth-watering illustrations of “loaded fries.” The renovations will upgrade the menu, says Wilcox, who boasts 25 years in the business, 10 at Bowl America, where he supervises 40 employees.

Along the aging brick walls are large block letters spelling “WOW” and “YES.” Beside the registration desk sits a nostalgia arcade — prize-fetching mini-cranes, video games and an instant photo booth.

Bowl America is open seven days from 4-11 p.m., with league play in the evenings. Prices vary strategically to reflect peak hours. After $5.69 for shoe rental, that means $5.99 per person, per game Monday-Thursday. On Fridays the price rises to $10.39 after 6:00; Saturdays it’s $7.39 until 6:00, then $10.39, and on Sunday $7.39 before 6:00 but only $5.99 evenings.

Children’s parties remain common, though kids’ body sizes are better suited to the oldtime duck-pin balls. Three lanes at each end contain rubber bumpers that spare (so to speak) the two-handed-hurling young ones from the anguish of rolling a gutterball.

Bowling in the 21st century remains a popular pastime for men and women, easy to comprehend but tough to excel at. There is joy on faces, and perfect strangers slap each other high-fives.

Even during the pandemic, “we didn’t lose a lot of money,” Wilcox says, though managers socially distanced assigned lanes at six-foot intervals. (Bowlero’s executives

LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT VENUE Bowl America will undergo a modern “spiff-up” under new management by Bowlero (P����: C������ C����)

By Cheryl L. West; Based on the biography entitled Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe by Gayle F. Wald; Music Direction by Sheilah V. Walker; Choreographed by William Carlos Angulo; Directed by Kenneth L. Roberson

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For

a New ‘Euro’ Ambiance in F.C.?

At this week’s Falls Church City Council work session, the Council mulled two moves that promise to shape a significant change in the City’s self image and presentation to the big outside world. It may not have seemed as such in the context of another dreary overly long session, but insofar as things are what you make of them, the subjects of this session contained within them the kernels of innovation and promise.

To sum them up, one dealt with the ways in which the City will be reconsidering in the next period significant changes in the relative importance of retail parking versus outdoor dining and related activities, on the one hand, and the way it embraces and promotes a variety of diversity options represented by the Vietnamese community’s centerpiece Eden Center. Both remain open to public input at this stage and won’t be finally acted upon for another month or more.

But one of the hidden blessings of the pandemic has been the way local businesses have entered into considerable creativity to survive and even prosper, and for Falls Church, this has had a lot to do with the ways, with critical support from City Hall, that local restaurants, in particular, have used the considerable parking availabilities put there from another era, when the emphasis was far more on making sure ample surface parking was available.

There are 13 such businesses in the wake of the pandemic that have already applied for permanent access to outdoor dining that they originally utilized in an emergency way to keep their doors open. They’ve found that in the wake of that situation, the loss of traditional parking did not hurt them. So now, we’re looking at ways to adjust the relevant City’s codes to permanently enhance the outdoor dining experiences at spots all around town, and to do so in a way that will not cause a huge dust up from the traditional vehicle driving community.

The second move, built around the City’s East End Small Area Plan proposal, takes the interests of the commercial entities, predominantly Vietnamese-American owned, into serious account for future planning in that area.

Hitherto studies of that area, including one conducted in the City by a team from the Urban Land Institute three years ago, proved highly disappointing when it envisioned the eventual absorption of the Eden Center into an unimaginative grid of commercialization.

Now, the City’s Planning Division is touting a plan that is far more appreciative of the unique parameters of the Eden Center and its “Little Saigon” ambiance as something to be valued, enhanced and preserved.

If only the City could now figure a way to make access to that center easier for City residents, thousands here still have yet to discover the wondrous world that holds forth up there and that we should be striving to integrate better into the life of the Little City. There appear no simple answers to that one, but it is the $64 Dollar Question.

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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.

Thoughts on Looming T-Zone Issue

Editor,

Wow, what a blind leap of faith and curious interpretation we received from Allison Brown’s take on the looming T-zone issue. Why she would believe that implementing this ill-conceived proposal would magically result in a rash of affordable housing within the City but all of them have focused on the big dollar payoff so why anyone believes that would change now is incredulous. And to further believe that granting every manner of ridiculous building waivers in these T-zones to developers would not impact traffic exceeds ratioinal understanding. In a parkingstarved enclave like Falls Church, allowing developers to create commercial and/or residential buildings without any requirement for providing commensurate off-street parking is pouring petrol on an exisitng fire. Quite frankly, this entire proposal hasn’t passed the sniff test since it burbled to the surface. It seeks to ‘fix’ an issue that doesn’t exist and has the look and feel of another project created with a wink and a nudge from insiders who have cozied up to our elected officials. And until reading Ms. Brown’s comments, I was not aware of a single citizen, other than perhaps those with a vested interest in the development of said sites, that had voiced approval of this proposal. It is also peculiar and disappointing that the News-Press has chosen to remain strangely silent on an issue that could negatively impact the day-to-day enjoyment of so many citizen’s lives. Our council members were elected to represent the good people of Falls Church, not the developers, and I certainly hope that they uphold their duty to reflect the will of their constituents when it comes to a vote. This one really stinks.

affordable housing stock, neighborhood retail, and successful transitions from commercial to residential zones.

Among other problems, the ordinance will not provide the affordable housing the public has been led to believe it will. The staff report states that the units in the high rise would sell for an average of $800,000 with only 10% set aside as affordable. The ordinance also treats the 50 or more very diverse parcels in the T zones the same, it threatens to put many existing City residents in the Broadway in perpetual shade with a 50 foot tall building 10 feet from their property line, and it restricts public participation in the review of plans that can drastically change neighborhoods.

The ordinance as written will not achieve our supposed goals and merely tweaking it will only make it worse. Let’s go back to the drawing board and do it right.

I urge you to attend the community meeting sponsored by the League of Women Voters on February 9 at 7:30 at Meridian High School to find out the details.

Marty Meserve

Former Vice Mayor

Comments on ‘Racist F.C. Past’ Article

Editor,

The Devil Is in The Details

D Scott Editor,

An ordinance to amend the Transitional zones in the City is under review. The proposed ordinance is flawed and will create a flood of unintended consequences. There are better ways to achieve the purported goals of more diverse and

In “Racist F.C. Past Unveiled in Land Covenants,” Professor Moon says that 1920s developer Harry Birge, “clearly had an agenda to segregate Falls Church.” But a developer’s principal agenda is profit, and other details in the article point to the profit motive, including E.B. Henderson’s 1915 letter citing Birge’s alleged fear of lower property values in proximity to “colored people.” I’d bet that if Mr. Birge could have made more money through integrated development, he’d have done so. The point is worth mentioning because when we throw notable players under the bus, we fail to appreciate the game they were fairly playing. Developers merely exploited, for profit, the social and economic systems created by the laws that sprung from our democratic processes. Vilifying an individual such as Mr. Birge is a distraction from the important process of understanding who we are and whence we came.

Brian D. Kraft Falls Church

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F.C. Resident to Celebrate 100 Years of Activeness and Friendship

BY KYLEE TOLAND FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

As some people grow older, they might feel the need to “slow down” and enjoy their golden years. For one City of Falls Church resident, their golden years include being active in various physical activities in the community.

On March 10th, Marguerite Shaffer will turn 100 years old, something Schaefer herself said she can’t believe.

“I’m still doing as much as I do,” Shaffer said. “Then I think ‘Gee, at 100 maybe I should stop [doing] things,’ it just kind of egged me on to want to do more.”

At 99 years old, Shaffer is involved in a senior bowling league at Bowl America Falls Church, as well as women’s golf league at Jefferson District Golf Course in Falls Church. She said she initially took part in these activities after some pushing from her husband, due to her not being able to get involved earlier in that she was raising their six children at the time.

Recently, Shaffer suffered an injury to her right arm while bowling, but that hasn’t stopped her from continuing to bowl with her left arm. Although she stated she’s “not that good” at bowling, Shaffer’s favorite part of these leagues is the friendships she had made with her fellow teammates and going out to lunch with them.

“I just like people period,” Shaffer stated. “Me, lunch and friends is what I seem to like the most.”

Through her participation in her bowling and golf league, Shaffer has seemed to garner many life-long friendships along the way. One friend, Linda Brown, has known her for 30 years and was intrigued by Shaffer after initially meeting her through bowling.

“She was a kick,” Brown stated when describing her first impression of Shaffer. “She had a great sense of humor, very aware of everything that was on and a really fun person to know.”

Presently, Shaffer and Brown go golfing together on a regular

basis, which Brown said is the “most fun” and one of her favorite moments with Shaffer. Not only does she inspire Brown, but Brown said she inspires “everybody she meets” based on her activeness and friendliness at almost 100 years old.

“She’s just a wonderful friend and a great person,” Brown said. “She knows everything that’s going on, she reads the paper from front to back and she’s really well-versed.”

Some accomplishments Shaffer said she has experienced was scoring a hole-in-one in her golf league, which Shaffer described as a “thrill” for her. Outside of her participating leagues, Shaffer has made “Fan of the Day” while attending a Washington Nationals baseball game, even making it on the big screen at the stadium.

Although she doesn’t think she will join any more activity leagues any time soon, Shaffer said her goal for turning 100 is to keep “doing things” and “seeing people,” including her children in Virginia and Florida. For her birthday, she said her children will be throwing her a lems and the things that both-

er you” and just relax and pay attention to “what you’re doing.”

“I find that when I leave [my house], I just try to clear my mind of anything that might be bothering me,” Shaffer said. “Then you just can’t help but have fun.”

Senior Living Facilities Provide Opportunities to Keep One Feeling ‘Youthful’

BY KYLEE TOLAND FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

When someone is thinking about moving into a senior living facility, or placing their loved one in an assisted living facility, there may be some surrounding negative stigma over these types of housing centers. However, local senior living facilities are providing ways to ensure a resident and their families that these centers won’t restrict them from having an enjoyable experience.

Retirement homes and assisted living/nursing homes are sometimes thought to be a place where “older” people spend the rest of their lives if they are unable to keep up with their homes or maintain their health on their own. This can cause these types of facilities to be looked at negatively, but in recent years, these centers have been able to provide various activities and events so that their residents don’t feel like they are a day over 55.

In the City of Falls Church and surrounding areas, local senior living facilities offer their residents and families ways to enjoy their time at

the center. These can be activities inside the facility or even trips to outside locations .

According to their website, the Kensington Falls Church offers activities seven days a week, “from morning until evening,” as well as various events. These activities and events have “been shown” to “reduce stress, preserve wellness, keep the mind sharp and increase feelings worth.” Current and past activities include baking, morning motion classes, movie nights and more. During the holidays, residents were taken by staff to enjoy the winter lights in Falls Church neighborhoods.

Clubs are also offered to residents who may have physical and memory illnesses. For those who have Parkinson’s, exercise clubs are offered at The Kensington Reston, which not only allows Falls Church participants to engage in physical activity outside, but also visit an outside center where they can meet others.

Chesterbrook Residencies in Falls Church states on their website that it is an “active and charming assisted living community,” offer-

ing daily activities each month. Shopping, museum and lunch trips to various local stores, museums and restaurants, physical activities such as chair yoga and dance fitness, movie nights, card games are offered to residents of Chesterbrook.

For upcoming holidays such as Valentines Day and Mardis Gras, Chesterbrook hosts various parties to get residents excited about celebrating. On February 14th, a music party will be held in the lounge of the facility, and on February 23rd, a Mardi Gras-themed birthday party will also be held in the lounge.

In Potomac Falls, Falcons Landing offers both a retirement community and assisted living facility. On their website, they state that their residents once lived an “active life,” so there’s “no reason to slow down” when entering their facilities. Various clubs are offered at Falcons, including arts and crafts, book, computer, investment and “knit wits.” Resident-run committees are also offered at Falcons that allows residents to become closer to others who may be their new “neighbors.”

For residents who want to remain physically active, walking

clubs, fitness classes such as aqua and chair aerobics are offered to Falcon’s residents. Three dining facilities are also available at

experience while also getting to know fellow residents.

Your years of service taught you the importance of physical fitness and keeping your body ready for action. At Falcons Landing this idea lives on, but we replaced the obstacle course with walking trails, drill sergeants with personal trainers and PT in the dirt with a state-of-the-art fitness center, including a Junior Olympic indoor swimming pool. You’ll still break a sweat, but now it will be with a smile on your face.

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Just Keep Moving: Simple Heart Health Tips For Seniors

BY BRIAN REACH FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

It may sound like you’ve heard this before – probably because you almost certainly have: “The most important thing for seniors, like everyone, is to stay active.” advises Gordon Theisz, MD, FAAFP, physician at Family Medicine in Falls Church. “Some type of cardiovascular activity for 20 — 30 minutes a day can help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.”

But that may not be enough. “Sitting Is the New Smoking,” a term coined by Mayo Clinic professor Dr. James Levine, refers to studies in recent years showing that sitting for hours at a time, whether at a desk or on your couch, increases your risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Worse, the positive benefit of any amount of daily exercise is undone by a sedentary lifestyle. Ironically, the article by the same name, which popularized the term, came out in February 2020, weeks before the entire world was locked in their homes for what felt like several decades.

“That’s when people get in trouble; when they just sit, sit, sit,” cautions Eileen West, MD, owner and practitioner at Eileen West MD and Associates. West suggests any movement, even walking around the living room, throughout the day. “One of the best exercises as we get older is walking – get your steps in!”

Indeed, as we age, circulation and plaque build-ups cause atherosclerosis, a hardening of the walls of arteries, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Experts recommend moving around for about five minutes every hour to get your blood flowing. For those with mobility issues, any move-

ment is better than none – get upright, stretch, or otherwise do what you can to stay active.

In addition to staying generally active, Theisz reminds readers to maintain a generally healthy lifestyle. “Eating healthy, not smoking, and making sure your blood pressure is under good control are also keys to better health,” he said.

The health benefits of a daily glass of red wine are starting to look less beneficial in new studies, according to West. “It’s more like 1-2 glasses per week,” she said. Studies have also shown that the antioxidant benefits of red wine are also found in white wine.

West warned that women should know about three cardiovascular risk factors specific to them; specifically, “women who had either preeclampsia or gestational diabetes during pregnancy, and women who had significant heat flashes during menopause.” These make women significantly more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, even decades later in life. Even though it may be hard to recall, West says it’s worth it, “Think back. Tell your doctor.” West also advised that early heart disease begins around age 55 for men and 65 for women.

The circumference of your waist, regardless of other factors, has recently been found to heavily impact cardiovascular risk, especially for women. Increase fruits and vegetables, reduce processed foods and sugar, and reduce sodium. “Being heavy increases all risks: blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol,” said West.

Readers of all ages are encouraged to enjoy a brisk walk during the unseasonably warm weather this week, and to get in the habit of standing and walking throughout the day.

State of the Union: Biden’s Win Over Clown Caucus

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Tuesday’s State of the Union marked a turning point. This was an aggressive and expansive progressive political, economic and social agenda set against Putin’s worn out GOP cat-calling clown caucus.

President Biden was in full force, speaking clearly and forcefully, with the full weight of two years of concrete achievements to his credit, making amateurish fools, frankly, of the “usual suspects” among the so-called Freedom Caucus of the GOP who kept trying, and failing, to disrupt him.

In fact, it was Biden’s confident and deft ability to turn those fools against themselves that made for the most entertaining moment of the evening.

When he stated that “some” in the GOP want to cut Medicare and Social Security, the GOP disruptors in the audience started yelling “No!” and “Liar!” and booed loudly. Biden offered to document his charge. After some exchanges he said, “So, folks, we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare are off the books now, right? They’re not to be touched!”

As big applause then accompanied his remarks, he said, “All right. All right. We’ve got unanimity! (Applause). Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors. Americans have to pay into them from the very first paycheck they’ve started.

So, tonight, let’s all agree – and we apparently are – let’s stand up for seniors. (Applause). Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare!”

(Among those who could be seen standing at that point was House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, seated along with Vice President Kamala Harris behind Biden).”

Biden added, “Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned it. And if anyone tries to cut Social Security – which apparently no one is going to do (laughter and applause) – and if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I’ll stop them. I’ll veto it. (Applause).

“I am not going to allow them to be taken away. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. But apparently it’s not going to be a problem!” (Laughter and applause).

What a great moment. What went largely unnoticed was his subsequent promise to cut the deficit by another $2 trillion in a way that “won’t cut a single bit of Medicare or Social Security, and doing it by extending the Medicare Trust Fund by at least two decades.”

He added, “I will not raise taxes on anyone making under $400 grand, but by making sure that the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share.”

He added, “Here’s my message to all of you out there: I have your back.”

Indeed, for working Americans, as much as he is able, he clearly does.

Touting the achievements, underway and soon to be, of the American Infrastructure Act. “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience, of always moving forward, of never, ever giving up. It’s a story unique among all nations. We’re the only nation that has emerged from every crisis we’ve ever entered stronger than we got into it. That’s what we’re doing again.”

“Two years ago,” he said. “The economy was reeling. As I stand here tonight, we’ve created 12 million new jobs, more jobs created in two years than any President has created in four years. Two years ago, Covid had shut us down, our businesses were closed, our schools robbed of so much. Today, Covid no longer controls our lives. Two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.

“As we gather here tonight, we’re writing the next chapter in the great American story, a story of progress and resilience…That’s always been my vision for our country, and I know it’s many of yours: to restore the soul of this nation, to rebuild the backbone of America, America’s middle class, and to unite the country.”

It was as impressive and strong a State of the Union address as I’ve ever heard, and I’ve watched them all dating back to the 1960s.

This is a man not defined by his chronological age, but by the greatest age in American history that saw victory over global fascism and the realization of the promises of the New Deal.

Our Man in Arlington

Announcing another landmark soon to vanish: Essy’s Carriage House, the American cuisine steakhouse that’s been a fixture in Cherrydale for 48 years, will close its doors at the end of March.

No other Arlington full-service restaurant has been open longer, according to founder-owner Essy Saedi, an Iranian immigrant who came to the United States in 1962. (An exception might be Mario’s Pizza, primarily takeout since 1958.)

My tasty lunch there last week (pork schnitzel and cabbage) was served by executive chef Janet Saedi, the wife of Essy, who will also retire. We spoke amid the 1950s décor with fresh flowers, cloth tablecloths and napkins (maintained by the chef’s mother).

I took in the view from Quincy St. and Langston Blvd. showcasing the D.C. skyline beyond Cherrydale Auto Parts, Northside Veterinary Clinic and Safford Brown Honda.

The reason for closing? Essy has heart issues and diabetes, so retirement is looking good for the couple, who live in nearby Bellevue Forest. Contrary to rumor, Essy’s has no connection to the old Billy Martin’s Carriage House (now Martin’s Tavern) in Georgetown. (The Martins were also an Arlington family.)

But for decades Essy’s has drawn what he calls a “high end” clientele—judges, attorneys, fourstar generals—and notable regulars such as the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist and state Del. Patrick Hope. It is geared toward regulars from the older set, not

children or teens.

The $18 — $24 entrees of steaks, seafood, burgers, soups and salads (35 dishes) could be called traditional American, with a soupcon of European influence due to a previous chef from Belgium.

Essy engages three other employees with varying hours— daytime eating has always been slower than dinnertime. The 25 tables, plus a full bar, seat 50-55, and reservations have topped 160 in an evening, he says. Also popular: Sunday brunch.

Essy’s for years was open seven days, but has been closed Mondays since May. Evening business was actually decent during Covid, he says, due to take-out orders.

Essy’s longtime landlord, the Koumas family, is hoping to sell the restaurant and rear parking lot to a developer who would create new apartments. (Old Dominion Drycleaners next door would be unaffected.)

Essy Saedi plans to auction his period-piece furniture. He will not return to his native Iran.

Black History Month launched locally Feb. 4 with activists reeling from news of the video-recorded suffering of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police. Some 100 came to the Arlington Career Center for a session on public history museums sponsored by the Columbia Pike Partnership and the Embassy of Switzerland (whose ambassador, present, follows American social conflicts closely).

The Black Heritage Museum

of Arlington is “a safe haven, and anchor in the storm—you can talk about anything,” said president Scott Taylor, raised in Halls’ Hill. Events such as police violence and bias against blacks “all go back to slavery,” said Felicia Bell, advisor to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, even though “eyes roll when you say it.”

Marvin-Alonzo Greer, community engagement officer for the Prince George’s County Parks and Planning Commission, advised small museums to avoid putting black history “behind a paywall” just for the privileged. Some nonprofits even offer food to low-income visitors.

The curators’ common theme: “Black history is not about slavery, it’s about overcoming slavery.”

***

The Arlington Players (staging productions since 1951!) made good use of shared county space at Thomas Jefferson Middle School theater last weekend. The New England-flavored comedy “Almost, Maine,” by playwright John Cariani, directed by Alexa Roggenkamp, presented “a series of vignettes about love at its best” performed by 19 skilled volunteer actors.

They deliver amusing visual wordplay, such as falling to the floor when falling in love and gawking at a one-shoed woman, during a lover’s quarrel, as other shoe drops from the ceiling.

I was also impressed with the free nearby parking underneath the beautiful Alice West Fleet Elementary School. The Valentines month show runs through Feb. 19.

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

The human condition is always changing. Scholars and philosophers have observed that simple but significant fact for centuries. Local land use provides a good example of how some of the human condition has changed over time. The large estates and farms of early Fairfax County were succeeded by the pre-and-post-World War II suburban model of two-story brick colonial houses. In the early 1950s, thousands of brick and frame ramblers grew like crops on former farm fields as the county’s population skyrocketed. When the cost of land rose, young families found that townhouses provided more first-time buyer affordability. More recently, a demand for larger homes has changed the face of those older suburbs, with additions and, sometimes, teardowns to accommodate the larger structure footprint. Through it all, apartment complexes drew students, young government employees, and an increasingly diverse population to locate in Fairfax County. In tandem, the commercial sectors also grew to serve the residential neighborhoods. Most of those changes required some sort of zoning approval, which included community outreach, rigorous planning staff review, and Planning Commission consideration, before the Board of Supervisors made a final decision. Recognizing that land use needs change, Fairfax County instituted the Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) process to consider nominations for potential changes to the county’s Comprehensive Plan. Last fall,

nominations for land use changes were solicited, and 70 nominations countywide made the “first cut.”

Five Mason District nominations were accepted for further review, and have been the subjects of community meetings before staff recommendations for the work program come to the Board next month.

Mason District proposals included adding a multi-family building with retail on the Wilson Blvd. frontage of the existing Cavalier Club apartments in the Seven Corners area; the Arlington/Fairfax jurisdictional line runs through the property, but Fairfax County will consider only the portion proposed on the county side. Another nomination was received to amend the Plan for Pistone’s Restaurant and adjoining parcels. The nominator has been asked to provide more detail for their idea. In Bailey’s Crossroads, a longvacant large parcel along Church Street adjacent to the Bailey’s Crossroads Shopping Center is being proposed for a multifamily building with surface parking. In the Annandale area, several parcels on Gallows Road are proposed for consolidation to build about 20 single family homes. The final nomination, at the corner of Columbia Road and Little River Turnpike, proposes to build 105 apartments on a two-acre commercially zoned parcel.

Community input generally was positive for Cavalier Club and a bit mixed for Pistone’s; there was support for housing on the Church Street parcels, but a lot of concern about surface parking instead of

City of Falls Church CRIME REPORT

Week of January 30 - February 5, 2023

Drunk in Public, W Broad St, January 30, 7:38 PM, a male, 28, of Woodbridge, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

Drunk in Public, Wilson Blvd, January 31, 2:27 PM, a male, 37, of no fixed address, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

Trespass, S Maple Ave, February 1, 11 PM, a male, 43, of no fixed address, was issued a summons for trespass.

Assault, S Maple Ave, February 4, 1:23 PM, a female, 34, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for assault.

a parking deck. The Gallows Road nomination was received positively, but with a strong admonition to address the traffic issues. Dozens of neighbors opposed the Little River Turnpike nomination, arguing that the parcel is better suited for retail uses. Most of the nominations were submitted for parcels that have been vacant or underused for many years. Change can be difficult, but change also must be considered to address the enormous population growth already in the region, with more forecasted to come. School buildings become senior living centers; shopping malls, a mid-century creation, are torn down to become hospital campuses and mixed-use residential locations. Highrise office buildings morph into live/work structures, and department stores give way to Amazon delivery vans. What was normal and comfortable for grandparents often is not what their grandchildren see in their future. Not all ideas for future development and redevelopment will move to fruition, but public engagement provides greater insight and, often, a better product in the end.

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

Drunk in Public, W Broad St, February 4, 10:30 PM, a male, 29, of Vienna, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public and carrying a concealed weapon (fixed blade knife).

Assault, W Broad St, February 5, 3:41 PM, two males who were possibly panhandling, became involved in an altercation. One man fled before the police arrived; the other was still on the scene and suffering from a stab wound. He was transported to a hospital in stable condition. The man who fled was described as 6 ft tall, with a full beard, brown jacket, and possibly a blue blanket around his shoulders or head.

Delegate Kaye Korys

Richmond Report

It is week 6 of the 2023 session of the General Assembly. Yesterday was Crossover--the date by which each body must send all bills that have originated in that body and been passed to the other body. In other words, the House sends all passed bills to the Senate to process and vote upon, and the Senate sends all its passed bills to the House. Senate bills sent to the House go through the same subcommittee, committee and floor vote process that bills originating in the House must navigate. If a bill fails in the crossed-over to body, it goes no further. If a bill is amended by the crossed-over to body, it must return to the body of origin and be passed again. If no agreement can be arrived at, the bill is sent to a conference committee consisting of members of both bodies and an agreement is usually found. That agreement must be passed by each body.

Part of my legislative philosophy is to work on solving or at least shining light on problems/ issues that are not being attended to by other legislators, to support the work of legislators working in areas that I have championed in the past, to respond legislatively to constituent concerns and to file a few bills that are position statements--even though I know their passage is unlikely.

This session, I have filed four bills supporting the rights of developmentally disabled Virginians. I was honored to be appointed to Chair the Disability Commission by Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn for the last two-year session. As such, I became an ally of the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities. This Board is federally required to exist in the language of the ADA. Their charge is to assess the services offered by our Commonwealth and to make recommendations to the General Assembly. The four bills I drafted and filed were based upon the VBPD’s assessment recommendations:

HB2315: Directs the Dept of Medical Services and the Dept of Behavioral Health/Developmental Services to convene a work group, including representatives of community services boards, local departments of social services, the Dept of Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the ARC of Virginia, the Dept of Education, the Board of Education and other relevant stakeholders to identify information needed across all partners and to

determine how to enhance the existing data system or to implement a system that can easily integrate all existing data systems to make reliable information more accessible. The work group must report by Oct. 1, 2023. In a recent national study Virginia ranked 39th in accessibility of services and efforts to serve individuals with disabilities. My comment: We have an obligation and a responsibility to all Virginians, but especially the most vulnerable to make sure that the supports we offer are actually usable and used. Focus groups across the state emphatically reported that this is NOT the case now. This bill was passed by the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee, the Appropriations Committee (even though it does not have a fiscal impact) and finally, the full HOD.

HB1980: requires the Board of Education to include in its guidelines and model policies for codes of student conduct criteria for the use of non-exclusionary student discipline measures and to require that school systems report to the DOE on the use of instructional supports and behavioral interventions. The VBPD termed this bill as an effort to end the ‘school to prison pipeline’.

HB1981: stipulates that the Bd of Ed’s Regulations Governing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools apply to school security officers and School Resource Officers. This action would also disrupt the ‘school to prison pipeline’. HB1983: requires the DOE to establish a work group based on successful national models to consider the feasibility of hiring school safety coaches and other practices of positive behavior supports and traumainformed school security methods for students.

Although none of these bills would have a fiscal impact and would be, frankly, mild responses to the needs of developmentally disabled students, all were defeated by the majority party on partyline votes. At my recent townhall, a constituent asked (without sarcasm) “Do you think these bills were voted down because of ignorance or lack of compassion?” My reply was “ignorance”--I do believe that ignorance of the needs of our more vulnerable children and adults is pervasive. We must work harder and louder to defeat this ignorance. We must start now.

She may be emailed at DelKKory@house.virginia.gov.

Falls Church Business News & Notes

40/40 List Includes Local Startup

QSR Magazine has named its top 40 for 2023 of America’s hottest startup fast casual restaurants and one is local. District Taco, headquartered in Falls Church, highlighted the story of the owner making a new start in the U.S., combining his mothers’ recipes with the American lifestyle. With his neighbor, Osiris Hoil started a food cart in Rosslyn which has grown to 14 across the metro area and Pennsylvania. They plan to expand via franchising an average of 15-20 annually over the next five years. Last year it was named by QSR Magazine as one of the best brands to work for, earning recognition for its PTO for all employees and a Pioneer Program of peer-nominated awards.

Nominations Open for Business and Community Awards

The Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce has opened the nominations for the annual awards: Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year, Company Culture Excellence Award, and Pillar of the Community Award. Nominees must be chamber members in good standing, and anyone may submit nominations. The criteria and form are available on the Chamber website, www. fallschurchchamber.org, with a deadline of March 1. The winners will be announced at the Annual Awards Gala on Wednesday, March 29 at the State Theatre. The Bootleggers Ball carries the speakeasy theme and will offer live music, gambling, food, and a silent auction. This is a community celebration of the local businesses, and the public is invited.

GovCon 101: HUBZone

A free webinar introducing the HUBZone certification process and requirements for entry into the world of Federal contracting will be offered on February 15, 12:00 –1:00 p.m. The Federal Government has contracting goals for Women, Minorities, Service-disabled Veterans and HUBZone located businesses, and this presentation is an opportunity to take advantage of the SBA’s socio-economic small business setasides. The speaker, Lisa Wood, is the Statewide Director of the Virginia PTAC and Adjunct Professor of Management at George Mason University. RSVP to https:// clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=140430003

WIT Finalists for 24th Annual Leadership Awards

Women in Technology, the organization that recognizes the vision, talent, and mentorship of professional women in the technology field of the Washington metropolitan area, announced the finalists for the 24th Annual Leadership Awards. This awards program identifies, recognizes, and celebrates female professionals who are leaders in the technology field and bring a unique vision and commitment to mentorship within their organization and community. Nisa Moore of GDIT in Falls Church, serves as a judge. The winners will be announced at the Leadership Awards Gala on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

Northrop Grumman Revenue Guidance

Northrop Grumman Corp. has set expectations for a strong 2023 as the global defense budgets rise and the huge backlog grows larger. It also is confident in the ability to deliver products that address complex security environments. Northrop ended 2022 with $36.6 billion in sales, positioned at the top end of its guidance for the year. It expects 2023 sales to be between $38 billion and $38.4 billion signifying a growth of 3.8 percent to 5 percent year over year. Other local defense contractors like Raytheon Technologies Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. remain conservative in their outlook given supply chain issues, inflation, and labor shortages.

 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.

Camp Issue

School News & Notes

Order Mulch by March 15

One can order mulch by March 15, which will be delivered by March 25. Bags of mulch will be $6.00 per bag, with a free delivery if one buys 20 bags or more to a local Falls Church City address. All others available for pick up. Buy now

at www.mustangfanshop.com

MHS Swim Prepares for Regionals and States

The Meridian Swim & Dive Team has been hard at work swimming in a 6A competition this season. With the ability to have closer meets, the team has been going

head to head against their larger neighboring schools to prepare for Regions and States. The Boys Team is 3-0, and the Girls Team is 2-1 in Conference action this season. With last Friday night’s Senior Night meet against regional rival Manassas Park, the Mustangs brought home wins for both Teams as they head into the Region 3B Meet Today (Dive) and Saturday (Swim).

The team is sending 33 Athletes to Regional Championships: Cora Brown(10), Ally Campbell (10), Evan Dent (9), Anna Dickson (12), Kyra Gorman (11), Julia Hall (11), Matthew Janicki (11), Jonathan Katen (10), Clemintine Kim (10), Sofia Kruszynski (9), Markus Kummer (10), Hayden Kusic (9), Ben McCracken (12), Molly Moore (10), Alexis Niemi (12), Alex Perez (12), Ashok Radcliff (9), Lexi Ries (11), Carson Ruoff (12), Tiberius Schmittel (9), Mykl Skelton (9), Ryan Southern (9), Lydia Sturgill (10), Wes Sturgill (12), Mya Taheri (10), David Thode (9), Sofia Turley (9), Connor Tweddle (10), Alexa

Wagner (11), Brody Wagner (9), Alex Way (10), Simon Wing (9), Elysha York (12).

Individuals to qualify for the VHSL State Championships in February are as follows: Girls Team: Kyra Gorman, Anna Dickson, Boys Team: Matthew Janicki, Ben McCracken, Carson Ruoff, Ryan Southern, and Wesley Sturgill.

Broadway Desserts: Chorus Performs Tunes

On Friday night and Saturday afternoon, students from the combined MEHMS and MHS choruses performed a wide range of numbers from popular Broadway musicals.

MHS Boys Extend Winning Streak, Set for Skyline Rematch on Friday

by Ryan McCafferty

Looking to stay perfect during their homestand, the Mustang boys played host to the Brentsville Tigers for a Tuesday night showdown. The JV team opened up the evening with a 43-32 win, and then Isaac Rosenberg got the Varsity game off to a quick start with a bucket on Meridian’s opening possession. Brentsville scored the next

four points to take the lead, but then Daylen Martino hit a threepointer and Wyatt Trundle made a layup to put the Mustangs ahead 7-4, and by the end of the first quarter they’d expanded their advantage to 25-15 thanks to some red hot shooting from deep. However, starter Jarrett Jardine was injured after scoring on a putback and would not return to the game.

The Tigers refused to go

away as they scored the second quarter’s first five points and stayed within single digits for most of the half, but Meridian was able to pull away for a 40-29 advantage at the break. The second half began with Trundle shooting two technical free throws, and he scored six points by himself in the opening minute to give the Mustangs their biggest lead of the night. It only grew from there as Meridian used an extended 24-5 run over the course of the third quarter to

erase any doubt, and as the reserves played most of the final period, the home team was able to coast to the 75-45 victory.

Four Mustangs scored in double figures, led by 21 from Trundle and 17 from Will Davis off the bench, as the team moved to 14-6 on the year and 8-1 ever since the start of conference play. However, on Friday they will face the same Skyline team that boat-raced them 69-34 back on January 24th.

“We’ll need to take care of the ball better,” said head coach Jim Smith in regard to how his Mustangs can learn from their previous matchup against Skyline. “I felt like we were a bit intimidated last time, we need to play with confidence.”

It will be a challenge, to say the least. But it’ll also be a golden opportunity for a statement win, and they’ll have the home crowd on their side.

MERIDIAN BOYS BASKETBALL won 70-28 against Manassas Park on Friday night in front of a full house. Before the game, the team recognized their senior Wyatt Shields. (Photo: Carol Sly)

MHS GIRLS BASKETBALL played Manassas Park at home Friday night, going out more than a 30-point lead in the first half. With many FCC Recreation and Parks players cheering, and

A DIVERSE GROUP of over 30 people spoke about their career path at Meridian High School on Monday for their Career Chats event. (Photo: Chrissy Henderson and Marybeth Connelly)

THANKS TO A FEDERAL GRANT, FCCPS now has a second School Resource Officer, Fallon Norlof. (Photo: FCCPS)

Continued on Page 19

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The audience was treated to desserts at the intermission between the 20+ performances. Everyone left the great show humming or singing.

MHS Chats with Career Professionals

Career Chats were held this past Monday for Senior class stu-

SCHOOLS

dents at Meridian HS. A diverse group of over 30 people spoke about their career path within the following fields: business management, visual & performing arts, architecture & construction, education, finance & accounting, marketing & retail, government, health science & fitness, information technology, law & public safety, media & communications, and the military. Many speakers have children attending Falls Church City Public Schools, and a

couple were graduates of GMHS.

A New SRO Comes to FCCPS

Thanks to a Federal Grant, FCCPS now has a second School Resource Officer. FCC Native Fallon Norloff has an office at Henderson Middle School. She engages with middle school students by playing games during lunchtime. She will also support all the schools.

A little more about Sergeant Norloff: “I came to Falls Church City as a Foster kid and started 4th grade at then TJ (Oak Street); I was then adopted by my amazing family. My experience led me to become a temporary foster parent as an adult.

I went to Shepherd University, came home, and started my career in law enforcement. I have been a police officer for 14 years and six years with the Falls Church Police Department. My favorite part about being a police officer is the opportunity to engage with the residents of Falls Church!

ON FRIDAY NIGHT and Saturday afternoon, MHS and MEHMS student choruses performed a wide range of numbers from popular Broadway musicals. (P����: C���� S��)

I have a Frenchie named Olive, and we love taking walks around the National Mall in Washington, DC, on the weekends.”

Black History Month Panel Hosted at MHS

The Meridian Black Student

Union hosted a student forum in response to Tyre Nichols death in Memphis. It was moderated by the BSU club sponsor, Mr. Patrick Garland. The panel included the following students: Olivia Pierre, Miles Pierre, Bethany Michael, Joyce Tadesse-Kassa, Jasmine Rodriguez-Black, Elbetel Kiros, and Kate Yameogo.

THE MERIDIAN BLACK STUDENT UNION hosted a student forum in response to Tyre Nichols death in Memphis. (P����: P���� L���)

Show Love and Appreciation This Valentine’s Day With Unique Gifts

by Patricia Leslie

No need to worry about ordering flowers for your honey for Valentine’s Day. Nobody wants ‘em.

When asked for the ideal Valentine’s Day gift, none of the area persons queried last week in an informal survey mentioned flowers.

Best gifts ranged from a big cake to “world peace” to a solo trip to an island for a spouse.

Bessie Smith from Fairfax City said she wants a “big, big ice cream cake” from the Dairy Queen which her husband got her last year, and she loved it.

Annmarie Steinfeldt wants white chocolates from Harbor Sweets in Massachusetts. “I let myself buy them once a year,” she beamed.

“Friendship” is what Hoy Lai said she would like most.

Shohreh Kraselsky of Vienna picked a day on an island for her husband and hoped he would be nice. “I don’t want chocolates; I don’t want flowers” but a remote day for her spouse, that’s all.

Likewise, a family man from Falls Church, who wanted to be anonymous, said he’d just like “a day off.”

Joanna Fitzpatrick from Burke wants a mini-vacation in a “tiny cabin” sometimes known as a

“gateway house,” many which are located about two hours west from Falls Church near Shenandoah National Park. Prices start at $229 but a “lover’s code” (Love2023) for February will get you a 25 percent discount.

Jamie Lambkin of Fairfax said he’d like a trip, a vacation “somewhere we can go together” like to the Bahamas.

Cendy Ouber said she’d be happy with a Starbucks gift card. “I love Starbucks,” she said and paused: “but a ring with my kids’ birth stones” would be heavenly, too.

At the Mary Riley Styles Library, “world peace” and a “box of chocolates” were tops on the list of two librarians, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The internet is loaded with unusual and different ideas for Valentine’s, like a rechargeable cordless light bulb in the shape of pink heart ($40).

For $25 you can buy a virtual “Date Night Special Aphrodisiac Cooking for Two” with an “expert instructor” and a choice of dates to cook.

Or how about a red blanket in the shape of a heart to mingle tootsies ($148)?

Love messages on 24 vanilla shortbread cookies are only $36 or buy three pairs of leather Valentine earrings for $2.99.

For bigger spenders, “Rolling in Love” perfume spray costs $275 (50 ml) and Tiffany’s has a 2.8 carat heart-shaped diamond ring for $168,500. (Smaller carats and prices, available.)

Dining out and the theatre are always special.

Little City arts supporters adore Creative Cauldron or, for bolder lovebirds seeking some adventure, trip on in to D.C. to Gala Hispanic Theatre to see the hilarious “Native Gardens” where English surtitles appear on two screens for those who don’t speak Spanish. (From the McPherson Square Metro station, it’s an easy ride to Gala on the 52 or 54 bus up 14th street, home of many fine restaurants.)

Falls Church Farmers Market offers many products in red, including, for your health conscious honey, beautiful, shiny apples which Pennsylvania’s Toigo Orchards sells for $3.99 a pound, or (for the not-so-health conscious), homemade strawberry and raspberry pop tarts found at Chris’s Marketplace ($5 each).

There’s always a reliable red pie, a homemade cherry sold at where else? Valentine’s Bakery and Meats for $21.99.

Excluding cards exchanged by school children, almost 200 million Valentine’s Day

cards are sent each year in the U.S., according to National Geographic. But over the last decade, the National Retail Federation says Valentine’s Day celebrants have declined somewhat, due to commercialization, no soul mate, and no interest.

I used to work in downtown Nashville where I took the “floral tour” at my building every Valentine’s, going from floor to floor, desk to desk to admire all

the dozens and dozens of red roses which adorned the desk of every female employee.

Well, most of them.

Late in the day, my boss would inquire about my flowers: “They are coming,” I told him, and we would laugh.

This year I’ll take those flowers that nobody wants. The florists need somewhere to take them and I’ll be a good stop on their floral tour.

THE FALLS CHURCH FARMERS MARKET offers various red, healthy fruits, a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

“NATIVE GARDENS” PERFORMED BY The Gala Hispanic Theatre in Washington D.C. can be a great Valentine’s Day gift for a theater enthusiast or someone who enjoys a unique cultural experience. It will be performed through February 26th. (Photo: Stan Weinstein)

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY and raspberry pop tarts to satisfy one’s sweet tooth can be found at Chris’s Marketplace at the Falls Church Farmers Market. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

Community News & Notes

assessed value, which was the lowest rate allowed under the Code of Virginia. The new rate is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022 and there is no cap to how much of a reduction may be applied for.

In order for a surviving spouse to qualify for real estate tax relief, the service member must’ve been killed in action on or after Jan. 1, 2015.

Surviving spouses can apply for tax relief by filling out an online application or contacting the Tax Relief & Exemptions office by calling 703-222-8234 (TTY 711) or emailing TaxRelief@fairfaxcounty. gov.

Snouts and Stouts Dog Park Set to Open in Arlington

Snouts and Stouts, a new indoor dog park and bar, opens in Arlington in August 2023.

Tinner Hill Hosts

Workshops

for Black History Month

The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation will be hosting various workshops called “Difficult Conversations About Race” on Saturday, February 25th from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Registration is required before the event as seating is limited to 50 participants.

The theme for the first of five workshops is Terminology and Buzz Words: Why Race Matters. The facilitator is Ms. Michelle Zamperetti. Ms. Kathryn Dame will assist her. Both professionals are residents of Falls Church. Mr. Rich Scott will provide music to complement each theme of the workshops. The format will be role-playing interaction, small-group discussions, and plenary feedback sessions.

Workshops are free and open to anyone wishing to participate.

Donations to Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation are welcomed.

Tinner Hill Music Festival

Tickets on Sale Now

Buy now and save the date for the 2023 Tinner Hill Music Festival on Saturday, June 10th.

A limited number of Early Access General Admission and VIP tickets are still available and make

a great Valentine’s gift for the music lover in one’s life. The price goes up February 15 so buy now and save. The Little City e-gift card is still available and can be used to purchase Festival tickets online.

Visit eventbrite.com/e/tinnerhill-music-festival-2023-tickets-476125493167 to purchase tickets.

“Sunlit Poppies” Named People’s Choice at F.C. Arts

Brittney Stafford’s painting “Sunlit Poppies” has received the Falls Church Arts’ People’s Choice Award.

Stafford’s piece, which sold at Falls Church Arts for $400, is an 11” x 14” acrylic painting on canvas.

The piece was chosen by the visitors to Falls Church Arts as the People’s Choice award winner. The theme for this exhibit is ColorLove. The show runs through February 26.

Helen Hayes Nomination Announced

Congratulations to Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith for being nominated for the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical Adaptation for “Ichabod, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow!” Their nomination was announced recently at a celebration honoring theatre excellence on stages across the Washington area

where theatre artists, administrators, patrons and special guests gathered in the National Theatre Helen Hayes Gallery. This will be the 37th Helen Hayes Awards.

Local Restaurants Help Amid Turkey/Syria Earthquake

Yayla Bistro and Borek G are asking locals to help survivors of the massive earthquake that devastated Turkey, Syria and other surrounding areas.

Yayla Bistro asks for people to fundraise for the World Central Kitchen, who are working with local partners and chefs on the ground and are getting ready to start serving meals. One can donate here at donate.wck.org/fundraiser/4428535

One can drop off donations at Borek G, located at 3895 Pickett Road, Fairfax. More information can be found by calling the eatery at 571230-6821

Tax Relief For Spouses Of Military Personnel Approved

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted at its meeting on Tuesday, January 24th to adopt a lower property tax rate for certain surviving spouses of armed forces personnel who died in the line of duty.

The new ordinance establishes a tax rate of $0.01 per $100 of

The 6,000-square-foot indoor space, climate controlled with specialized K9 turf and sanitation system, offers dogs a mud-free, offleash playing experience.

Snouts and Stouts will feature drinking and dining options for humans and dogs alike, with a beer and wine bar, snack café, and dog treat shop.

Set to open at 2709 S. Oakland St., Snouts and Stouts will be steps away from Shirlington Dog Park, a public off-leash dog park with access to the Four Mile Run stream.

F.C. Eateries Named To Washingtonian’s Best List

Washingtonian Magazine recently named three restaurants in the City of Falls Church to their list of top 100 very best restaurants in Washington.

The list includes La Tingeria, Thompson Italian and Rice Paper La Tingeria are best known for their chicken tinga and birria tacos of an entirely halal menu. At Thompson Italian, fresh pasta and hand-spun gelato is popular among customers. Rice Paper offers an expansive menu that vary from noodles, soups and of course, rice paper wraps.

LOCAL RESTAURANTS SUCH AS Yayla Bistro and Borek G are asking people to help survivors of the massive earthquake that devastated Turkey, Syria and surrounding areas. Just last year, Yayla Bistro helped fundraise for healthcare workers. (Photo: Yayla Bistro)

BRITTNEY STAFFORD’S PAINTING “SUNLIT POPPIES” has received the Falls Church Arts’ People’s Choice Award for their ColorLove exhibit. (Photo: Brittney Stafford)

THIS WEEK IN THE LITTLE CITY

THURSDAY

Q and A Session on Transition Zones

Learn About Proposed Zoning

Changes for Transitional Areas: The Falls Church League of Women Voters invites the public to attend a Question-andAnswer session on proposed zoning changes for Transitional Areas or “T-Zones.” This program, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Meridian High School.

Quarterly Retirement Board Meeting

City of Falls Church Retirement Board quarterly meeting. City Hall (bit.ly/fcnp0223rb or 300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 6:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

The Lifespan of a Fact

Jim Fingal is a fact checker for a prominent magazine assigned to John D’Agata's essay essay about the suicide of a teenage boy. The two come head to head in a comedic yet gripping battle over facts versus truth. The Keegan Theatre (1742 Church St. NW, Washington, DC), 8:00 p.m.

Cat Daddies DC Purrmiere

Crumbs and Whiskers purr-sent the DC premiere of documentary feature Cat Daddies! The Avalon Theatre (5612 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC), 6:00 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

Networking Breakfast

Stop by for an informal gathering to meet fellow Falls Church Chamber of Commerce members. No agenda or cost other than the cost of breakfast. The Original Pancake House (7395 Langston Blvd, Falls Church), 8:30 a.m. — 9:30 a.m.

Couples Therapy

Comics and willing audience members laugh their hearts out about love, dating, sex, singlehood, and married life. Workhouse Arts Center (9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA), 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

FEBRUARY 10

Dan & Chuck

Dan & Chuck perform. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St, Falls Church), 6:00 p.m.

ColorLove

This show features 40 works from artists who were invited to submit their boldest, brightest pieces. Falls Church Arts Gallery (700-B W. Broad St.), 11:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Danny Carmo’s

Mathematical Mysteries

Northern Ireland's Cahoots presents a mind-blowing blend of math, theater and digital technology in a fun, interactive performance. The Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean,

VA), 1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m.

Family Snack & Paint Night

Led by a professional art teacher, families work together, creating their own masterpieces. Materials, snacks included in $10 fee. Pre-registration recommended. Old Firehouse Center. (1440 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, VA), 7:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

Diagnosed

Lydia is an African American woman who inherits a familyowned boutique. While searching for her own inner peace, she creates a safe space for women to share their stories of hurt, trauma and healing. Guided by the spirit of her ancestors, Lydia and the women are able to come face to face with their childhood and present-day demons. Creative Cauldron (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church), 7:30 p.m.

Flower Power

Happy Hour Band

JV's Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church), 8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11

POPS! String Quintet

Music meets improv comedy in this unique theatrical concert experience. Come for the music, stay for the laughs! The Vault at Capi-

tal One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Rd., Tysons, VA), 6:30 p.m.

Valentine’s Festival

This Valentine's Day keep it hot with hot drink specials from our winter menu! Take photos with a sweetheart in the photo booth or compete for prizes. Shipgarten (6579 Colshire Dr., Tysons, VA), 1:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Live: Black Panther & Beauty and the Beast

The Black Panther joins Beauty and the Beast for a live performance during the Valentines Festival. Shipgarten (6579 Colshire Dr., Tysons, VA), 3:15 p.m.

Dueling Piano Party

Live piano performance with two dueling piano entertainers and their baby grand pianos. Register at bit.ly/FCNP0223dp. Solace Outpost (444 W. Broad St., Falls Church), 8:00 p.m.

CupidCon Bar Crawl

CupidCon makes its way to Clarendon for the biggest Valentine’s Day themed bar crawl in the city. Register at bit.ly/fcnp0223cc. Multiple locations (Clarendon area, Arlington, VA), 3:00 p.m. — 10:00 p.m.

Canaan Cox: The Ethos Tour

Canaan Cox performs. Jammin' Java (227 Maple Ave E., Vienna, VA), 9:00 p.m.

Spoons, Toons, & Booze Valentine's Special

Featuring a special menu of Valentine's Day and love themed episodes from the 1940s to early 2000s! Free all-you-can-eat cereal bar filled with sugary, marshmallowy, fruity, chocolaty cereal! Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA), 12:00 p.m.

Sweet Honey in the Rock®

Grammy-nominated, iconic, women-led, African American vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock® marks its 50th anniversary with a powerful celebration. The Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA), 1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m.

Tyler Goldstein

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

GMU Mens Basketball vs. Rhode Island

GMU Mens Basketball takes on University of Rhode Island. EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax, VA), 2:00 p.m.

GMU Mens Tennis vs. JMU

GMU Mens Tennis takes on James Madison University. Burke Racquet and Swim Club (6001 Burke Commons Rd., Burke, VA), 7:00 p.m.

THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT follows a fact-checker assigned to an essay on the suicide of a boy. At The Keegan Theatre this Thursday. (Photo: Cameron Whitman LLC)

VOCAL ENSEMBLE Sweet Honey in the Rock® celebrates its 50th year at The Alden Theatre on Saturday. (Photo provided by McLean Community Center)

EVENTS, MUSIC, SPORTS, THEATRE & ART

Book Signing: "On Freedom Road"

Author signing of On Freedom Road (110 Church St. NW, Vienna, VA), 2:00 p.m.

Valentine's Concert

Metropolitan Opera soprano Aundi Marie Moore joins the National Chamber Ensemble for selections by African American composers, songs from Broadway, and more. Gunston Arts Center (2700 S. Lang St., Arlington, VA), 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

FEBRUARY 12

Amadeus Strings

Amadeus presents professional musicians playing with passion and precision for nearly four decades. The Vault at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Rd., Tysons, VA), 3:00 p.m.

GMU Womens Basketball vs. UMass

GMU Womens Basketball takes on the University of Massachusetts. EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax, VA), 3:00 p.m.

NOVA Central Farm Markets

A year-round farmers market in Vienna, VA. Features fresh local pork, chicken, fish, cheeses, produce, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods-to-go, eggs, flowers, and ice cream. Table seating, live music, kids activities, chef demos, and more. The Church of the Holy Redeemer (543 Beulah Rd., Vienna, VA), 8:30 a.m. — 1:00 p.m.

Protecting Public Education in Virginia

Holly Hazard, co-founder of 4 Public Education, a grass-roots advocacy group, will present AClear and Present Danger: The Strategy to Take Down Public Education in America , explaining the risk and what we can do to remediate the threat. Free and open to all. Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church), 2:00 p.m.

Giant Annual Used Book Sale

Fun for all ages, with thousands of books for every interest at

amazing prices! Valentine's Daythemed bake sale in the morning. Free admission and parking. St. Ann Roman Catholic Church (5300 10th St. N, Arlington, VA), 8:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.

Beau Soir Ensemble

A flute, viola and harp trio spanning a variety of genres. The Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA), 2:00 p.m.

MONDAY

FEBRUARY 13

City Council Meeting

Falls Church 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. Watch at fallschurchva.gov/ councilmeetings and FCCTV

City Hall (300 Park Ave., Council Chambers, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.

Env. Sustainability Council Education Task Group

Meeting of the Education Task Group of the City of Falls Church Environmental Sustainability Council. Mary Riley Styles

Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave. LL Conference Rm., Falls Church), 6:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

Parkinson's Foundation Communication Club

A wellness and prevention program for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. Zoom (register at bit.ly/ fcnp0223pf), 3:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.

ESOL Conversation Group

Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave. LL Conference Rm., Falls Church), 7:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.

TUESDAY

FEBRUARY 14

Housing Commission Meeting

City of Falls Church Housing Commission meeting. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

FEBRUARY 15

Bush with Candlebox & Devora

Bush: the multi-platinum quartet (vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Gavin Rossdale, guitarist Chris Traynor, bassist Corey Britz and drummer Nik Hughes) promptly pick up where they left off. Opening performances by band Candlebox and artist Devora. The Anthem (901 Wharf St. SW, Washington, DC), 6:30 p.m

Planning Commission Meeting

City of Falls Church Planning Commission meeting. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Council Chambers, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 10:00 p.m.

Public Utilities Commission Meeting

The Commission provides advice and guidance to the City Council and the City Manager about the management and operation of the City's Stormwater and sanitary sewer systems. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Center LL, Falls Church), 7:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

Urban Forestry Commission Meeting

City of Falls Church Urban Forestry Commission meeting. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

GMU Womens Basketball vs. St. Bonaventure

GMU Womens Basketball takes on St. Boneventure University. EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax, VA), 7:00 p.m.

5th Annual Super Bowl Party

Settle Down Easy's 5th Annual Super Bowl Tailgate. Email sdebrewing@gmail.com to reserve a free party table for 1020 friends. Bring your own food and have your Super Bowl party. Settle Down Easy Brewing (2822 Fallfax Dr., Falls Church), 5:00 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.

DANNY CARMO BLENDS MATH, theatre, and digital technology in an interactive show. (Photo provided by McLean Community Center)

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BRIEFS

Carter, Prince Named F.C. Employees of the Year

Emergency Manager Joe Carter and Deputy City Clerk Veronica Prince are the 2020 and 2021 City Employees of the Year, respectively, City Hall has announced this week.

The community-led Employee Review Board selected Carter for leading the City’s response to the pandemic, and Prince for implementing open meeting procedures and best practices that allowed City Council, boards, and commissions to operate during the pandemic. The Employee of the Year program was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the City statement, Carter exhibited extraordinary leadership, ingenuity, and dedication in planning, preparing, and responding to an emergency that changed the posture of the City’s business and public service communities. The pandemic forced the community to reinvent its way of life and realign its priorities, and Carter was considered the “tip of the spear” in the City’s response.

The nomination reads, in part, “Throughout the pandemic, Joe demonstrated selfless leadership and exceptional courage, putting others’ well-being first to serve and support the City community. He approaches each day with grit, compassion, and grace — and it’s his persistent grace that truly left City employees and residents feeling safe, informed, and empowered by his service. He has never wavered from his mission in keeping the lives and livelihood of City residents and employees healthy and safe.”

Prince was selected for going above and beyond her job description by coordinating and tracking over 500 City virtual board and commission meetings to comply with state law and ensuring boards and commissions work was accessible to the community.

Prince is the main point of contact for staff liaisons to the City’s 21 advisory boards and commissions. During the pandemic, she provided training every time laws changed regarding open meetings. She ensured meeting notices, agendas, materials, and videos were posted

for the public. After each meeting, she also posted videos and relevant documents for each meeting to a public access portal. Through it all, Prince provided ongoing support to staff liaisons and worked directly with board and commission members to help them understand open meeting laws and purpose.

Her nomination essay reads, in part, “The additional training and interaction precipitated by the pandemic allowed Veronica to emphasize, with staff and volunteers alike, the importance for our democracy that government proceedings remain transparent and easy for the public to access. Veronica performed this additional work (training, monitoring and posting, keeping track of 500+ meeting videos and agenda materials, and answering daily questions about open meetings) while continuing to excel at her regular duties. Veronica is the backup for all City Clerk duties, including FOIA coordination, records management, and legislative administration.”

The other 2020 nominees were Akida Rouzi (Community Planning and Economic Development) and Steve Helfer (Community Planning and Economic Development). The other 2021 nominees were Matt Brown (Public Works) and Joe Carter (Emergency Management).

Sen. Warner Introduces Drones Act in Congress

Yesterday, Virginia U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner and South Dakota

Sen. John Thune introduced the “Increasing Competitiveness for American Drones Act of 2023,” comprehensive legislation to streamline the approvals process for beyond visual line of sight drone flights and clear the way for drones to be used for commercial transport of goods across the country – making sure, Warner’s office stated, that the U.S. remains competitive globally in a growing industry increasingly dominated by competitors like China.

Currently, each aircraft operation that takes flight requires unmanned aerial system (UAS) operators to seek waivers from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but the FAA has not laid out any consistent set of criteria for the granting

of waivers, making the process for approving drone flights slow and unpredictable, Warner said.

“Drones have the ability to transform so much of the way we do business. Beyond package delivery, drones can change the way we grow crops, manage disasters, maintain our infrastructure, and administer medicine,” said Sen. Warner. “If we want the drones of tomorrow to be manufactured in the U.S. and not in China, we have to start working today to integrate them into our airspace. Revamping the process for approving commercial drone flight will catapult the United States into the 21st century, allowing us to finally start competing at the global level as technological advancements make drone usage ever more common.”

Russian Vekselberg Land Scheme Suspect Indicted

A federal court in New York unsealed an indictment yesterday charging a citizen of the Russian Federation and legal permanent resident of the United States with participating in a scheme to make over $4 million in U.S. dollar payments to maintain four real properties in the United States that were owned by Viktor Vekselberg, a sanctioned oligarch, as well as to attempt to sell two of those properties.

According to court documents, Vladimir Voronchenko, aka Vladimir Vorontchenko, 70, of Moscow, Russia; New York, New York; Southampton, New York; and Fisher Island, Florida, is additionally charged with contempt of court in connection with his flight from the United States following receipt of a grand jury subpoena requiring his personal appearance and testimony.

According to allegations in the indictment, Voronchenko, who resided at various times in New York, Florida, and Russia, held himself out as a successful businessman, art collector, and art dealer, and as a close friend and business associate of Vekselberg.

On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Viktor Vekselberg as a Specially Designated National (SDN) in connection with its finding that the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation in Ukraine constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. On or about March 11, 2022, OFAC redesignated Vekselberg as an

SDN and blocked Vekselberg’s yacht and private airplane.

Prior to his designation by OFAC, between in or about 2008 and in or about 2017, Vekselberg, through a series of shell companies, acquired real properties in the United States, specifically, (a) an apartment on Park Avenue in New York, New York, (b) an estate in Southampton, New York, (c) an apartment on Fisher Island, Florida, and (d) a penthouse apartment also on Fisher Island, Florida (collectively, the Properties). As of the date of the indictment, the Properties were worth approximately $75 million.

Voronchenko retained an attorney (the Attorney), who practiced in New York, New York, in connection with the acquisition of the Properties. The Attorney also managed the finances of the Properties, including by paying common charges, property taxes, insurance premiums, and other fees associated with the Properties in U.S. dollar transactions from the Attorney’s interest on lawyer’s trust account (IOLTA account).

Prior to Vekselberg’s designation as an SDN, between approximately February 2009 and March 2018, shell companies owned by Vekselberg sent approximately 90 wire transfers totaling approximately $18.5 million to the IOLTA account. At the direction of Voronchenko and his family member who lived in Russia, the Attorney used these funds to make various U.S. dollar payments to maintain and service the Properties.

Immediately after Vekselberg’s designation as an SDN, the source of the funds used to maintain and service the Properties changed. The IOLTA Account began to receive wires from a bank account in the Bahamas held in the name of a shell company controlled by Voronchenko, “Smile Holding Ltd.,” and from a Russian bank account held in the name of a Russian national who was related to Voronchenko.

Between approximately June 2018 and March 2022, approximately 25 wire transfers totaling approximately $4 million were sent to the IOLTA account. Although the source of the payments changed, the management of the payments remained the same as before: Voronchenko and his family member directed the Attorney to use these funds to make various U.S. dollar payments to maintain and service the Properties. Additionally, after Vekselberg was sanctioned in 2018, Voronchenko and others tried to sell both the Park Avenue apart-

ment and Southampton estate. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for these payments or attempted transfers.

On or about May 13, 2022, federal agents served Voronchenko on Fisher Island with a Grand Jury subpoena, which called for his personal appearance for testimony and his production of documents. Approximately nine days later, on or about May 22, 2022, Voronchenko took a flight from Miami, Florida to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and then went to Moscow, Russia. Voronchenko failed to appear before the grand jury and has not returned to the United States.

Voronchenko is charged with conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); violating IEEPA; conspiring to commit international money laundering; each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Voronchenko was also charged with contempt of court, which carries a maximum sentence within the discretion of the court. The indictment also provides notice of the United States’ intention to forfeit from Voronchenko the proceeds of his offenses, including the Properties.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York, Task Force KleptoCapture Director Andrew C. Adams, Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI and HSI are investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs, and OFAC.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Joshua A. Naftalis, and Sheb Swett for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

The Diplomatic Reach

by Brian Reach

Newest Delegate Passes First Bill

Virginia’s newest Delegate, Holly Seibold (D-Vienna), passed her first bill, expanding access to interpreters in courts for deaf individuals. The bill passed unanimously.

Delegate Simon Hilariously Fails

During “Initiation” Prank

Delegate Marcus Simon failed miserably to catch Seibold offguard in a hilarious encounter on the House floor (see fcnp. com for a link). “I enjoyed participating in the time-honored tradition of initiating a new member with some light-hearted questions during the presentation of her first bill!” said Simon, who decided one question was enough after Seibold’s response. “Delegate Seibold was remarkably well-prepared for it.”

Indeed, his joking attempt to challenge her knowledge of a Supreme Court ruling resulted in a perfect clap-back by Seibold, who called out his background as a lawyer and cosponsor of a bill before, to howls of laughter, reminding him “that we are running out of time,” a playful reference to a frequent refrain of Simon’s as Floor Leader for the House Democratic Caucus.

At Town Hall, News of Gridlock

At a Town Hall with Senator Dave Marsden (D-Burke) and Delegate Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church), frustration and caution overpowered the occasional mention of bipartisan possibility.

Marsden warned that many bills from the Republicanrun House are expected to be only narrowly defeated by the

Third Candidate Joins F.C. Senate Race

Democrat-run House. “With this awful election coming up, everyone is terrified about what may happen,” both a reference to the tenuous majority the Democrats hold in the Senate and the challenge many legislators, including both Kory and Marsden, face running in newly drawn districts.

School Board Campaign Kick-Off

Attended By Political “who’s who.”

At the re-election campaign kick-off for Fairfax County School Board member Karl Frisch (D-Providence), a Who’s Who of elected officials showed up to show support, including several school board members, State Senators and Delegates, Fairfax County Supervisors, and U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly. Also in attendance were Saddam Salim and Erika Yalowitz, two hopeful candidates for Falls Church’s new Senate District, making more notable the absence of “incumbent” candidate for the seat and sitting State Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax).

President Heckled at State of the Union Address

During President Biden’s State of the Union Address Wednesday night, despite reports that U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) asked his Caucus to respect the instutution, several members heckled the President, most notably Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), who was seen cupping her hands to heckle the President in a conspicuous white fur coat. Unconfirmed sources claim that, though appearing quite gleeful at the time, she was later furious to learn that all 101 stolen puppies had escaped from her home during the speech.

Continued from Page 3

his class and recipient of the John Morris Athletic Scholarship. During his senior year his mother’s health suffered, eventually needing surgery, causing him to change his post-secondary plans and stay local, opting to attend Northern Virginia Community College and then George Mason University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration Degree in 2012, and ultimately a Masters Degree in Public Administration.

Salim has been involved in state and local politics for several years. He has served as Providence District Co-Chair and Finance Vice Chair for Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC), Vice President of Fairfax Young Democrats, and currently serves as second Vice Chair of the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee.

During his career, Salim has held multiple financial consulting jobs, including at PenFed Credit Union, Kearney and Company, and the United States Institute of Peace. He currently works as a Senior Consultant for 11th Hour Service, where he advises Federal clients.

Salim says he believes in public service because he’s seen the real effects of social programs, affordable housing, education and healthcare — and the support of the local community — his whole life. “The City of Falls Church and Fairfax County helped my family service and supported me throughout my education and career.” he said, “Today, I want to give back and serve that community as a new kind of leader that focuses on Virginia’s future and the issues that matter.”

Both Yalowitz and Salim will find a formidable opponent in Petersen, whose deep-pocket donors have allowed him to raise $527,163 for his Senate campaign and $114,965 for his PAC, Fairfax Commonsense. The organization’s website states its purpose to “support responsible, Main Street candidates for office in Fairfax County.”

So one contribution has been made by the entity — to U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger, whose district does not include Fairfax County. Petersen is the sole legislator featured on the PAC’s website, which also features Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid.

Petersen’s well-funded campaigns have raised just under $3.5 million dollars since 2007, which

was the last year Petersen’s seat was contested (in the primary or general elections) — that year, the Petersen for Senate campaign spent $676,780 compared to Republican opponent Gerarda Culipher’s $71,185.

Despite having no opponents the last two cycles, Petersen’s campaign spent over one million dollars — more than most Senate campaigns spend even with strong challengers in play. The Petersen campaign currently has raised $723,082 for the upcoming election — from 1,068 individual and corporate donors including Amazon, Comcast, and several contractors — an average donation of $670.

Petersen, a Fairfax City native who graduated from Fairfax High School in 1986 and received his law degree from UVA in 1994, currently represents the 34th Senate District of Virginia, which includes central and western Fairfax County, reaching as far out as Centreville and Chantilly.

The new 37th Senate District, which Petersen hopes to represent, now includes the entire City of Falls Church, more of Tysons, and less of the western portion of the County. As a result, the new district leans farther left, with a 7.2 percent stronger turnout for McAuliffe in the 2021 Governor’s race.

Perhaps most central to Petersen’s story is his strong relationship with Fairfax schools. His 2001 “Put Woodson First” campaign helped him oust incumbent Delegate Jack Rust (R-Fairfax), who had served as Delegate for multiple terms beginning in 1979. Students at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax fueled much of his initial campaign, calling voters from multiple phones hooked up in Petersen’s Fairfax residence, his wife pregnant with their first child.

The campaign regularly makes community goodwill contributions, largely to Fairfax schools, with Petersen for Senate having already directed $25,000 in such contributions since being elected Senator in 2008. Beginning last fall, the campaign began donating cycles to schools through sponsorships or in the new district last fall.

Petersen, who is completing his fourth term, is famously the most conservative Democrat in the Virginia Senate: in 2021 he voted with the Caucus only 67 percent of the time, most vocally with regard to ending mask mandates in schools (in January 2022, when the Omicron variant first emerged).

During the 2021 Legislative

Session, Petersen voted or sided against school boards on several occasions — perhaps most prominently when he demanded, after Fairfax County Public Schools (and all other local school districts) vowed to defy Gov. Youngkin’s executive order for schools to open without requiring masks, that FCPS immediate announce a plan to comply or face legislation — but also voting against abuse protections for School Board employees, bullying training and prevention programs, and voted for a Republican bill to allow parents to cherry-pick their schools regardless of residence.

Petersen has also parted with Democrats with regard to expanding tenants’ rights, certain firearm restrictions, a utility relief bill tied to income, and the legalization of cannabis (medical and recreational; twice). Often engaging with conservative allies in unnecessary, inflammatory (and often totally unrelated to legislation) political theatre — such as announcing the formation of a “Redskins Pride Caucus” alliance with two Republican Delegates in opposition to changing the name of the now Washington Commanders. Petersen was quoted claiming that Native Americans refer to themselves with the term. Regardless of the notoriety, Petersen’s deeppocket donors and deep Fairfax roots have successfully deterred any challenge to his seat.

Unlike the majority of his political career, this year redistricting has Petersen seeking votes from a constituency that, for the most part, do not currently live in his district — including residents of the City of Falls Church. An estimated 95,000 voters in the new district are currently represented by someone else, compared to an estimated 75,000 represented by the Senator from Fairfax.

Regardless of the challenges, Petersen is upbeat about the potential new turf. ““I think of the new 37th Senate District as ‘the Historic Triangle’ of northern Virginia, as it brings together three historic communities, the City of Falls Church, the Town of Vienna and the City of Fairfax, and their surrounding neighborhoods,” Petersen said when asked for a comment, “then also includes the economic engine and cultural mosaic that is Tysons.”

We will likely hear a lot more about this race between now and the June 20, 2023 primary.

A WHO’S WHO OF ELECTED OFFICIALS showed up for Karl Frisch’s FCPS School Board Re-Election Kick-Off (Photo: Brian Reach)

Year 2 of the Ukraine War Is Going to Get Scary

I don’t think year two is going to be so easy.

As we approach the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — and the ferocious Ukrainian response backed by a U.S.-led Western coalition — the following question urgently needs answering: How is it that on Feb. 23, 2022, virtually no one in America was arguing that it was in our core national interest to enter into an indirect war with Russia to stop it from overrunning Ukraine, a country most Americans couldn’t find on a map in 10 tries? And yet now, nearly a year later, polls show solid (though slightly shrinking) American majorities for backing Ukraine with arms and aid, even though this risks a direct conflict with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

That’s a head-snapping shift in U.S. public opinion. Surely it’s partly explicable by the fact that no U.S. combat forces are in Ukraine, so it feels as if all that we’re risking, for now, is arms and treasure — while the full brunt of the war is borne by Ukrainians.

But there is another explanation, even if it’s one that most Americans might not be able to articulate and many might only reluctantly agree with.

They know at some deep level that the world we live in today is tilted the way it is because of American power. That doesn’t mean we have always used our power wisely, nor could we have succeeded without allies. But to the extent that we have used our power wisely and in concert with our allies, we have built and protected a liberal world order since 1945, which has been hugely in our interest — economically and geopolitically.

Upholding this liberal order is the underlying logic that brought the United States and its NATO allies to help Ukraine reverse Putin’s “marry me or I’ll kill you” invasion — the first such onslaught by one country in Europe against another since the end of World War II.

Now the bad news. For the first year of this war, the United States and its allies have had it relatively easy. We could send arms, aid and intelligence — as well as impose sanctions on Moscow — and the Ukrainians would do the rest, ravaging Putin’s army and pushing his forces back into Eastern Ukraine.

Putin, it’s now clear, has decided to double down, mobilizing in recent months possibly as many as 500,000 fresh soldiers for a new push on the war’s first anniversary. Mass matters in war — even if that mass contains a large number of mercenaries, convicts and untrained conscripts.

This is going to get scary. And because we have had nearly a generation without a Great Power war, a lot of people have forgotten what made this long era of Great Power peace possible.

While I argued in my 1999 book “The Lexus and the Olive Tree” that the massive explosion of global commerce, trade and connectivity played a major role in this unusually peaceful era, I also argued that “the hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist — McDonald’s cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the builder of the F-15.” Somebody needs to keep the order and enforce the rules.

That has been the United States, and I believe that role is going to be tested now more than any time since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Are we still up for it?

There is an important new book that puts this challenge in a larger historical context. In “The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941,”

Brookings Institution historian Robert Kagan argues that whatever isolationist twitches Americans may have, the fact is that, for the past century-plus, a majority of them have supported using U.S. power to shape a liberal world order that kept the world tilted toward open political systems and open markets in more places in more ways on more days — enough to keep the world from becoming a Hobbesian jungle.

I called Kagan and asked him why he sees the Ukraine war not as something that we’ve stumbled into but rather the natural extension of this century-long arc of U.S. foreign policy that he’s been writing about. Kagan’s answers will comfort some and discomfort others, but it is important to have this discussion as we enter year two of this war.

“In my book,” Kagan said, “I quote from Franklin Roosevelt’s 1939 State of the Union address. At a time when American security was in no way threatened — Hitler had not yet invaded Poland and the fall of France was almost impossible to

imagine — Roosevelt insisted there were nevertheless times ‘in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend not their homes alone but the tenets of faith and humanity on which their churches, their governments and their very civilization are founded.’ In both world wars and throughout the Cold War, Americans acted not in immediate self-defense but to defend the liberal world against challenges from militaristic authoritarian governments, just as they are doing today in Ukraine.”

But why is backing Ukraine in this war not only in our strategic interest but also in line with our values?

“Americans continually struggle to reconcile contradictory interpretations of their interests — one focused on security of the homeland and one focused on defense of the liberal world beyond America’s shores,” he said. “The first conforms to Americans’ preference to be left alone and avoid the costs, responsibilities and moral burdens of exercising power abroad. The second reflects their anxieties as a liberal people about becoming what FDR called a ‘lone island’ in a sea of militarist dictatorships. The oscillation between these two perspectives has produced the recurring whiplash in U.S. foreign policy over the past century.”

International relations theorists, Kagan added, “have taught us to view ‘interests’ and ‘values’ as distinct, with the idea that for all nations ‘interests’ — meaning material concerns like security and economic well-being — necessarily take primacy over values. But this is not, in fact, how nations behave. Russia after the Cold War has enjoyed greater security on its western border than at practically any time in its history, even with NATO’s expansion. Yet Putin has been willing to make Russia less secure to fulfill traditional Russian great power ambitions which have more to do with honor and identity than with security.” The same seems to be true with President Xi Jinping of China when it comes to recovering Taiwan.

It is interesting to note, though, that a growing number of Republicans, at least in the House and on Fox News, don’t buy this argument, while a Democratic president and his Senate do. What gives?

“American foreign policy debates are never just about foreign policy,” Kagan answered. “The ‘isolationists’ in the 1930s were overwhelmingly Republicans. Their greatest fear, or so they claimed, was that FDR was leading the nation toward communism. In international affairs, therefore, they tended to be more sympathetic to the fascist powers than liberal Democrats.

They thought well of Mussolini, opposed aiding the Spanish Republicans against the fascist, Nazibacked Franco and regarded Hitler as a useful bulwark against the Soviet Union.

“So it’s not so surprising today that so many conservative Republicans have a soft spot for Putin, whom they see as a leader of the global anti-liberal crusade. Perhaps it is worth reminding Kevin McCarthy that the Republicans were destroyed politically by their opposition to World War II and were only able to resurrect themselves by electing an internationalist Dwight Eisenhower in 1952.”

There are also many voices on the left, though, who are legitimately asking: Is it really worth risking World War III to drive Russia all the way out of Eastern Ukraine? Haven’t we hurt Putin so badly by now that he won’t be trying something like Ukraine again soon? Time for a dirty deal?

Since I suspect that this question will be at the center of our foreign

policy debate in 2023, I asked Kagan to kick it off.

“Any negotiation that leaves Russian forces in place on Ukrainian soil will only be a temporary truce before Putin’s next attempt,” he said. “Putin is in the process of completely militarizing Russian society, much as Stalin did during World War II. He is in it for the long haul, and he is counting on the United States and the West to grow weary at the prospect of a long conflict — as both the left and right isolationists at the Quincy Institute and in Congress have already indicated they are.

“That the United States is flawed and uses its power foolishly at times is not debatable. But if you cannot face squarely the question of what would happen in the world if the United States kept to itself, then you are not engaging these difficult questions seriously.”

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN © 2023 The New York Times

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line.

You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3x3 box.

PUZZLE NO. 903

PUZZLE NO. 904

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

City Council scheduled public hearing and final action for the following items for Monday, February 13, 2023 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TR22-34) RESOLUTION AMENDING

SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS SE03-0136 AND SE03-0137, FOR 513 WEST BROAD STREET (THE BYRON) AND AS AMENDED THROUGH RESOLUTION 2011-25, TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL PERMITTED SERVICE AND OFFICE USES FOR THE FIRST FLOOR COMMERCIAL SPACES CURRENTLY RESTRICTED UNDER THE VOLUNTARY CONCESSIONS, COMMUNITY BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS (VCs)

This is a request to allow uses other than restaurant/retail in the western most ground floor spaces of 513 West Broad St. while maintaining restaurant/retail uses in the eastern most spaces and adding a parking management plan to clarify spaces available for commercial uses.

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Comments may also be sent to cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-2485014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www.fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings.

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PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

PLANNING COMMISSION

NOTICE: On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., the City of Falls Church Planning Commission will hold a public hearing and meeting on proposed changes to the Transition Zone (“T-Zone”) zoning districts. Public comments can also be submitted ahead of time to jtrainor@ fallschurchva.gov. The Planning Commission will consider the following item and recommendation to City Council:

(TO22-09) ORDINANCE TO AMEND

CHAPTER 48 “ZONING” TO COMBINE TRANSITIONAL DISTRICTS; ELIMINATE SINGLE FAMILY AND TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USE THEREIN; ALLOW FOR A TOWNHOUSE, APARTMENT AND CONDO OPTION AND ALLOW FOR EXPANDED LOT COVERAGE.

The League of Women Voters will host a public Question and Answer session on the latest proposed T-Zone changes with City Planning Staff on Thursday, February 9, 2023, in the Meridian High School library at 7:30 PM.

The Proposed changes are intended to facilitate development of small residential projects on infill sites too small to support large commercial or mixed-use developments. Notable proposed changes include:

(1) allowing townhouses and multifamily by Special Use Permit to increase housing options in the City, (2) allowing more neighborhood-serving retail, and (3) allowing larger buildings to encourage reinvest-

ment, while mitigating stormwater runoff. The public hearing meeting agenda and materials will be available on the following page prior to the meeting date: http://www. fallschurchva.gov/PC. More information about the proposed changes to the Transition Zones (“T-Zones”) are available on the project webpage: http://fallschurchva. gov/2167/Proposed-T-Zone-Updates

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STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT

FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF HORRY | 2022-DR-

26-2446

Nur Abushakra Plaintiff, versus COMPLAINT

Yaser Mahmoud Elkhatib, Defendant

The Plaintiff would respectfully show unto this Honorable Court as follows:

1. The Plaintiff is a citizen and resident of the County of Horry, State of South Carolina and have been so for more than one (1) year prior to the filing of this action. Further, the parties’ minor child is a citizen and resident of Horry County, South Carolina for at least six (6) months prior to the filing of this action. The Defendant is a citizen and resident of the State of Virginia. Therefore, this Court has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter in this action and venue is proper herein.

2. The Plaintiff and Defendant were married on April 15, 2012 and were subsequently divorced in 2016 in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The parties have one (1) minor child, to-wit: MKE, age 8. No other children are now expected between the parties.

COUNT I

(Modification of Custody, Visitation & Child Support)

3. The Plaintiff would show that under the current Final Order that the Plaintiff registered in Horry County, South Carolina under cause number 2021-DR-261127, the parties entered into an Agreement that was approved on August 16, 2016, a copy of which is attached hereto.

4. The Plaintiff would further show that since the date of finalization, there have been material and substantial changes in circumstances to warrant a modification of both custody and visitation to the Defendant.

5. The Plaintiff would show that the Defendant has not seen or had contact with the minor child since March of 2016, some five (5) months prior the Agreement being finalized.

6. The Plaintiff would further show that the Defendant has voluntarily relocated to more than one location well outside of the State of North Carolina, putting himself geographically farther from the minor child, without consideration of her or his time with her.

7. The Plaintiff would show that after the Defendant’s relocation outside of the State of North Carolina, she and the minor child moved to Horry County, South

Carolina in 2019.

8. The Plaintiff would show that the Defendant is quite literally a stranger to the minor child; that he has voluntarily removed himself from her life and abandoned any responsibilities regarding the minor child as it pertains to decision making, day to day events and activities or any involvement in her life at all. The Plaintiff would further show that the current custodial arrangement is not in the minor child’s best interests because of the Defendant’s actions or lack thereof. Therefore, the Plaintiff requests that the terms of the parties’ Agreement be modified to reflect what is in the minor child’s best interests, that of sole custody to the Plaintiff and visitation at her discretion. She is making this request both pendente lite or permanently.

9. The Plaintiff would further show that it is not in the minor child’s best physical, emotional, or mental wellbeing to be required to operate under the current custodial and visitation arrangement, either in the Agreement or in practice, temporarily and on a permanent basis.

10. The Plaintiff would show that child support was ordered in the parties’ current Final Order of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per month paid through the Clerk of Court’s office. The Plaintiff would show that the Defendant has never any child support pursuant to the Order. Therefore, he has a child support arrearage in the amount of Thirty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($37500.00) as of November 1, 2022.

11. T he Plaintiff would respectfully request that the State Disbursement Unit transfer the child support obligation from North Carolina. The Plaintiff would further request that upon such transfer, a 02 account be opened placing the Defendant’s arrearage amount in such account and modifying the Defendant’s child support obligation such that he remits One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per month toward the arrearage in addition to the ongoing monthly child support obligation of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). She makes this request both pendente lite and permanently.

COUNT II

(Restraining Orders)

12. T he Plaintiff requests a restraining order that restrains the Defendant from coming about her or her family’s persons, bothering, harassing, contacting, or otherwise persecuting her at her home, place of employment, worship, or any other place and by any means, both pendente lite and permanently.

13. The Plaintif f requests that the Defendant be restrained

from exposing the minor child to non-age-appropriate materials or mediums, any members of the opposite sex not related by blood or marriage on an overnight basis; abuse of alcohol or prescription drugs; use of illicit drugs; and violence, profanity, or immoral environments or conduct of any sort. She makes these requests both pendente lite and permanently.

COUNT III

(Obtaining a Passport)

14. The Plaintiff would show that the minor child has extensive, extended family that reside outside of the United States. The Plaintiff would further show that to date, she has not been permitted to obtain a passport for the minor child considering not having meaningful contact with the Defendant.

15. The Plaintiff would further show that the minor child’s great grandmother recently passed away in Israel and she was not able to travel overseas to meet her prior to her death due to Plaintiff’s inability to obtain a passport on her behalf. The Plaintiff would ask that she be allowed to obtain a passport for the minor child to travel overseas to meet her extended maternal relatives without the consent of or participation by the Defendant. She makes this request both pendente lite and permanently.

COUNT IV

(Attorney’s Fees)

16. The Plaintiff would show that based solely upon the Defendant’s actions and/or inactions, she has been forced to hire an attorney to protect her legal interests and those of the minor child by filing this action. The Plaintiff does not have funds to afford a sustained and protracted legal battle. She would therefore request that this Court require the Defendant to reimburse her for her attorney fees and costs in bringing this action, both pendente lite and permanently.

WHEREFORE, the Plaintiff prays that this Honorable Court inquire into this matter and that it issues Its Order granting unto her:

a. Sole custody of the minor child;

b. Visitation at the Plaintiff’s sole discretion;

c. An order transferring the Defendant’s monthly child support obligation of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to the State of South Carolina State Disbursement Unit;

d. An order setting up a 02 account and placing the Defendant’s arrearage totaling ThirtySeven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($37500) into such account and requiring a monthly payment of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) in addition to his ongoing monthly obligation;

e. Rest raining order as to harassment or contact and conduct around the minor child;

f. A n order allowing the Plaintiff to obtain a passport for the minor child without involvement or consent of the Defendant;

g. Attorney fees;

h. Discovery; and

i For such other and further relief as this Court may deem just and proper.

Respectfully Submitted,

Lisa M. Carver Attorney for Plaintiff 8203 Nigels Drive, Suite 201 Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 (843) 213-1576 Tel (843) 213-1588 Fax lisa@carverlawfirmllc.com

November 10, 2022

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF HORRY | 2022-DR26-2446 Nur Abushakra Plaintiff, versus COMPLAINT Yaser Mahmoud Elkhatib, Defendant

TO THE DEFENDANT ABOVENAMED: YASER MAHMOUD

ELKHATIB: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint in this action, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer to the said Complaint on the Plaintiff’s attorney, Lisa M. Carver, Esq. at 8203 Nigels Drive, Suite 201, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29572 within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service, and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, the Plaintiff in this action will apply to the Court for the relief demanded in the Complaint and judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Your Answer must be in writing and signed by you or by your attorney and you must state your address or the address of your attorney, if signed by your attorney.

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT

FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

COUNTY OF HORRY | 2022-DR26-2446

Nur Abushakra Plaintiff, versus COMPLAINT

Yaser Mahmoud Elkhatib, Defendant

Pursuant to Rule 21 of the South

Carolina Rules for Family Court, the Plaintiff hereby moves for this Court’s Order granting her the following pendente lite relief:

a. Sole custody;

b V isitation at the Plaintiff’s discretion;

c. An order transferring child support from North Carolina to South Carolina with payments going through the State Disbursement Unit;

d. An order recognizing the Defendant’s arrearage totaling Thirty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($37500.00), setting up an 02 account and requiring the Defendant to remit One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per month toward this arrearage amount in addition to ongoing monthly child support;

e. Restraining Orders as to harassment, contact and conduct around the minor child;

f. Attorney’s Fees; and

g. For such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.

NOTICE OF HEARING (to be completed by scheduling clerk only)

A HEARING HAS BEEN SET IN THIS MATTER ON THE 13th DAY OF MARCH, 2023, AT 10:30 am BEFORE THE HONORABLE Melissa Frazier IN FAMILY COURTROOM NUMBER TBD

Krystle Barnhill, Scheduling Clerk

MOTION OR RULE REQUEST (to be completed by moving party)

CAPTION: Nur Abushakra v. Yaser Mahmoud Elkhartib CASE NUMBER: 2022-DR-262446 DATE MOTION FILED: 11/14/22 MO VING ATTORNEY: Lisa M. Carver REPRESENTS: Plaintiff TELEPHONE: 8432131576 FAX: 8432131588 GUARDIAN AD LITEM: None

NATURE OF MOTION: Motion for Temporary Relief IF OTHER: ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED: 15 minutes

DATES AVAILABLE: November 30; December NONE; January NONE; February 13, 21; March 13, 15-16, 20, 22, 29; April 10-12; May 1-5, 22-25; and June 1-3, 6-8, 13-15, 19-23, 26-30

The Dollar’s Dominance Being Threatened?

in any case, the idea seems to be that some regimes will turn away from the dollar to protect themselves against sanctions in the event they do something America disapproves of.

national currency is quite a lot like the role of English as an international language.

portant you think they are.

Is the U.S. dollar at risk of losing its position of international dominance? I’ve been seeing some breathless speculation to that effect over the past few weeks; I’ll talk about the sources of that speculation in a minute. But let me first note that this isn’t a new question. Indeed, I wrote about it at length a few years back.

And by a few years, I mean four decades. I published a paper titled “The International Role of the Dollar: Theory and Prospect” in 1984, in which I concluded that an end to dollar dominance was possible but not probable and that it wouldn’t make much difference even if it did happen.

Obviously, the world has changed immensely since I wrote that paper, and there have also been some important advances in the theory of international currencies. But both the logic behind the dollar’s (continued) dominance and the reasons not to make a big deal out of that dominance remain pretty much what they were all those years ago.

So where is the death-of-thedollar buzz coming from all of a sudden? Some of it is coming from the crypto cult. Although cryptocurrencies have been around for many years and still haven’t come to play any significant role in legitimate business — not to mention the astonishing scale of the scandals that have plagued the industry — they’re still being hyped. Last week, Ted Cruz introduced a resolution that would require vending machines in the Capitol to accept cryptocurrencies. And the cult is still claiming that Bitcoin or one of its rivals will replace the dollar any day now.

Talk about an end to the dollar’s reign may also reflect a widespread perception that the United States “weaponized” the dollar to impose financial sanctions on Russia after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Without getting into the details, I think that’s basically wrong; what we really weaponized was the dominance of New York and London as financial centers, which tends to make everything the business of their financial regulators and rules. But

And so we have reports that China is trying to promote oil trade in yuan and Russia and Iran are considering creating a goldbacked cryptocurrency. And for some reason, Brazil and Argentina are talking about creating a common currency along the lines of the euro, which is a really terrible idea.

To assess all of this, we need to talk about what it means to say that the dollar is dominant. Basically, it means that the dollar is to other national currencies as money in general is to other assets.

Money is a medium of exchange. If you’re a carpenter who wants groceries, you don’t try to find a supermarket that needs its shelves repaired; you sell your services for dollars and use the dollars to purchase eggs. Similarly, if you want to convert Indian rupees into Brazilian reais, you don’t try to find someone seeking the reverse trade; you convert the rupees into dollars and use the dollars to buy reais.

Money is a unit of account. People normally set prices and write contracts that specify payments in dollars rather than in units of, say, Tesla stock. Similarly, many (although by no means all) international prices and contracts are set in U.S. dollars.

Finally, money has to be a reasonably stable store of value — a place you can park your wealth for a while without much risk that it will suddenly lose most of its purchasing power.

What’s somewhat distinctive about international currencies is that they play these roles for governments — which intervene in currency markets, sometimes peg the values of their currencies to someone else’s money and hold stocks of foreign exchange — as well as the private sector.

To some extent, the dollar’s dominance is locked in because these roles are self-reinforcing. It’s easier to do transactions in dollars than in other currencies because so many other people use dollars, and the ease of transactions is one reason so many people use dollars. As the great Charles Kindleberger pointed out, the dollar’s role as an inter-

Somewhat similarly, as research by Gita Gopinath (who is now the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund) and Jeremy Stein argues, widespread invoicing in dollars — setting prices and requiring settlement in dollars — enhances the demand for dollar assets, making dollar borrowing cheaper and hence encouraging dollar invoicing.

So is there anything happening in the world that would plausibly dethrone the dollar from its leading position? Bear in mind that while the dollar’s dominance is partly caused by self-reinforcement, it also rests on some fundamentals: America has a huge economy with a huge, sophisticated capital market and usually doesn’t have the kind of capital controls that might leave people unable to access their funds at will.

These fundamentals immediately rule out the yuan as an alternative to the dollar, because China does have capital controls and seems unlikely to give them up anytime soon. Furthermore, while it’s true that dictators have some reason to fear that America might impound their assets if they invade a neighbor or decide to kill a bunch of their subjects, private investors have much more reason to fear arbitrary actions from an authoritarian regime that doesn’t believe in the rule of law.

For a while, it looked as if the euro might become a serious rival to the dollar; the euro area economy is comparable to ours in size and sophistication. But since 2010, European capital markets have been somewhat fragmented, with, for example, Italian bonds trading at a discount to German bonds. So a euro challenge to the dollar has been postponed, perhaps indefinitely.

What is true, as Barry Eichengreen and his colleagues have pointed out, is that central banks have been diversifying their currency holdings — not into potential dollar rivals but into smaller currencies.

This is an interesting development, and it would be worth trying to figure out why it’s happening, but it’s hardly earth-shattering. Dollar dominance sounds important if you haven’t thought about it much, but much less so if you have. In fact, in general, the more you know about international currencies, the less im-

For example, I fairly often encounter statements to the effect that the global role of the dollar gives America a unique ability to run persistent trade deficits. Tell that to the Australians, who have been doing that just fine.

Oh, and I’ve heard some amazing conspiracy theories over time — like the claim that we invaded Iraq because Saddam Hussein was planning to stop pricing his oil in dollars. Sorry, but no.

It’s true that the dollar’s spe-

cial role probably lets America borrow a bit more cheaply than it could otherwise, and we in effect get a zero-interest loan from the large quantity of U.S. paper currency — mainly $100 bills — held outside the country, much of it for nefarious purposes. But these advantages are ultimately trivial for what is, after all, a $26 trillion economy.

So, no, the dollar’s dominance isn’t under threat. And even if it were, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Merelyn Kaye was a highly successful and experienced real estate agent, having spent over 50 years selling Falls Church. She worked with clients to help them find the perfect home and also helped them navigate the complexities of the real estate market. Her skills in both the real estate market and the community helped many find the home of their dreams. Merelyn’s business is the only one to have appeared in every single issue of the News-Press

The News-Press and all of it’s staff will miss her dearly and our hearts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.

Remembering Merelyn Kaye 1937 - 2023