3-30-2017 by Falls Church News-Press

March 30 – April 5, 2017

Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee

Fou n d ed 1991 • Vol. X X V I I N o. 6

Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads

Inside This Week F.C. Teacher Sex Assault Case On to Grand Jury Jose Daniel Estrada, the sixth grade math teacher from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School charged with aggravated sexual battery of two sixth-grade girls, waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday in Falls Church City Court, sending the case to a grand jury in Arlington Circuit Court. See News Briefs, page 9

City Announces Date For Easter Egg Hunt

F.C. Planning Chair Says Town Hall Called for Density at GMHS Site Walking for Women

Maximize Economic Development, Public Concluded at Event

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

await a final adoption of the budget on April 24, and this Sunday afternoon will provide the public with its first opportunity to react at with a town hall scheduled for 3 p.m. in the Council chambers. None of the Council members Monday were willing to commit to supporting the same tax rate when

Russ Wodiska, the new chair of the Falls Church Planning Commission, keynoted and moderated last Saturday’s town hall forum on economic development options for the West End Campus Development Project. He told the News-Press Tuesday that he came away from the event heartened, and with a strong sense of consensus that greater densities than earlier in vogue in Falls Church will be both welcomed and expected on the 36-acre site of a prospective new high school. In closing summary remarks from different breakout groups, Wodiska said he divined a “general agreement” that, he said, “will help shape our draft plan in the next two months.” He said the key themes were to 1. use the entire 10 acres allotted under the agreement to acquire the land for economic development (the rest to go to educational purposes), 2. to prefer mixed use to help create a “unique place,” 3. to prefer more density than currently permitted, with buildings from eight to 13 stories, and 4. to take advantage of the easy access to the West Falls Church Metro station. There was no major dissent to the prospect of greater density, he said, although no one wanted to see 20-story or higher buildings. (One innovative developer at the meeting quipped that he’d see no reason why a mixed use building of 35 stories would not work, since there is one that height, The Adair, that has just been completed in Tysons, and another one, even higher, is just now coming out of

Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 5

The 2017 City of Falls Church Annual Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by the City’s Recreation and Parks Department, will take place in Cherry Hill Park on Saturday, April 15 at 10 a.m. See News Briefs, page 9

Frank Bruni: Nunes is Dangerous

Mustang Girls Lacrosse Teams Off to Hot Start The George Mason High School Girls varsity and junior varsity lacrosse teams just don’t want to lose to open the season. See Sports, page 18

ON THE ROUTE OF the first annual Women’s ‘Herstory’ Month walk in Falls Church last Sunday, former four-term Falls Church Mayor Carol de Long (left), fifth generation Tinner family matriarch Mildred Tinner Leak (center, front), and Jackie Bong-Wright (right, in white), head of the Vietnamese-American Voters Association, three of the grand marshals of the event, made their way along with 300 others from the plaza on S. Washington in front of the new Lincoln at Tinner Hill to the Community Center. Former F.C. Mayor Betty Blystone, unable to attend, was also a grand marshal. More photos on page 22. (Photo: News-Press)

F.C. Council Votes for Preliminary OK to 4¢ Real Estate Tax Hike by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Index Editorial..................6 Letters.............. 6, 11 News & Notes.12–13 Comment........ 14–17 Calendar........20–21 Food & Dining......23

Business News....25 Classified Ads......28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........29 Critter Corner.......30

By a vote of 5-2, with Phil Duncan and David Snyder voting “no,” the Falls Church City Council Monday night gave a preliminary OK to City Manager Wyatt Shields’ recommended four cent tax rate increase for the Fiscal Year 2018 budget.

The four-cent hike above the current $1.315 per $100 of assessed real estate valuation includes a penny added for the school system at the request of the School Board and three cents, or $1.2 million, to set aside in the event voters approve a bond referendum in November to construct a new high school. The final numbers, however,

PAGE 2 | MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017

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The Kensington Falls Church Presents Energized Fitness for Parkinson’s Announcing an Introductory Orientation with Laxman Bahroo, MD & Angela Onyekanne, DPT, GCS, CEEAA Sunday, April 9, 2017 • 2:00pm-4:00pm at The Kensington Falls Church, 700 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA Refreshments • RSVP to 703-992-9868 or to kakers@kensingtonsl.com

he Kensington Falls Church is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Parkinson Foundation of The National Capital Area (PFNCA) and Genesis Rehab Services to offer Energized Fitness for Parkinson’s. The program provides a high-energy fitness experience geared toward improving mobility and strength while participants share time with others facing Parkinson’s. Energized Fitness will be introduced by Dr. Laxman Bahroo, a neurologist who focuses on movement disorders, and Angela Onyekanne, a therapist who is trained in LSVT BIG (a therapy that involves large amplitude, exaggerated movements that lead to smoother, larger, safer movements). Dr. Bahroo and Angela are our allies in striving to maximize health and optimize independence for people with Parkinson’s. Please RSVP to join us. Dr. Laxman Bahroo is an assistant professor and co-director of the Neurology Residency Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. He is a board certiﬁed neurologist and member of the Movement Disorders program

Angela Onyekanne, DPT, GCS, CEEAA has ten years of experience working with geriatric clients. She is APTA Board-Certiﬁed in Geriatric PT and LSVT BIG certiﬁed for individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

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PAGE 4 | MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017

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Council Votes 5-2 to Give Initial OK to 4¢ Real Estate Tax Hike Continued from Page 1

the final rate is adopted in less than a month. Duncan said he wanted to register a “no” vote right off the bat to send a message to the community to pay attention to what is happening. He said adding three cents to the tax rate this spring for a set-aside to pay for the new school would be to preempt the the public’s right to invest in the process even before critical information about the cost of such a new school has been established. Snyder offered a similar point of view, as much as he said the Council cannot afford to undercut the excellence of the schools for the impact it would have on the “financial underpinnings” of the City. He noted that taking $1.2 million from taxpayers to hold in a bank will restrict its return to about one percent, while that money in the hands of citizens could con-

tribute a lot more to the wealth and well-being of the community. Council member Karen Oliver argued, on the other hand, that citizens are going to need to “get used to the idea” that a new school will be expensive. “We have to show that we are committed to this. We need to demonstrate the will power to take on this daunting task.” Council member Letty Hardi said she recognizes the need to set aside something, but is not ready to commit to how much. During the public comment period of the meeting, former F.C. City Council candidate Robert LaJeunesse assailed the plan to salt away taxpayer dollars prior to winning voter approval. He said the plan will “take money out of citizens’ pocketbooks without any intention of investing it, meaning you don’t need it.” He also assailed the bloated fund balance, the money held in a bank account for a proverbial

“rainy day.” The amount provided for in Shields’ proposed budget is at the upper end of the range of 12 to 17 percent of the annual operating budget. That too is money that just “sits there.” “Why do you want to raise taxes preemptively like this? It only threatens the ability to raise more money in the future, creating a ‘borrowing constraint,’” he argued. Duncan concurred, saying, “We need to invest the public in making these kind of choices. I am not ready to take their money yet.” Duncan was also opposed to the one cent request from the School Board. It adds up to $400,000 and “let the schools find it,” he said. Councilman Dan Sze said he aligned himself with Duncan’s viewpoint. “We need a dialogue with people first before taxing them like this,” he said. Mayor David Tarter said, “We need to keep our budget balanced to keep our powder dry” for what-

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

U.S. REP. DONALD S. BEYER JR., who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, visited the Falls Church City Council to caution them on the impact of President Trump’s budget proposals, as well as his impact on immigration, with 37 percent of the people in his 8th District speaking a language other than English. While Trump wants $54 billion more for defense, the money is coming from everywhere else in the government, including a 31 percent cut in the Environmental Protection Agency. (P��: N��-P��) ever may come. “I am unlikely to support the full budget the way it is.” The Council also gave a preliminary OK to raising the room and lodging tax in the City from

seven to eight percent of a bill. The Council voted to postpone a decision on whether to invest another $2.3 million in the renovation and expansion of Mt. Daniel Elementary until April 11.

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Call for Density at F.C. Town Hall Continued from Page 1

the ground. Such a high-rise mostly residential building would put enough “feet on the ground” to trigger a restaurant and retail boom in the City, he said.) The focus on density is directly related to the cost of constructing a new high school on the site, although that was not the subject of this meeting. The cost of the new school may approach $100 million (deliberations on that matter are still being fiercely discussed and explored, with a wide range from $70 million to $120 million being debated, all subject to voter approval in a referendum this November). If an aggressive economic development plan is adopted by the City, and hopefully by a developer, to offset that cost through the purchase or lease of the 10 acres and the ongoing tax yields, then the burden on Cty taxpayers could be significantly eased, if not eliminated. A task force is now working that will study the results from last weekend’s meeting to shape what will eventually become a “request for proposal” document to be circulated to the regional

development community. In Wodiska’s opening remarks last Saturday morning, he stressed how open-ended the opportunity is for the City. He said that with the land now annexed into the City, nobody has any say so over what can go on it except the Falls Church citizenry and its leaders. He said afterward that he was particularly pleased by the turnout of City Council and other policymaking officials. “This is an amazing and unique opportunity,” he said, “and there is a lot riding on this.” He cited the location of the 10 acres, adjacent the Metro, with the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech satellite campus there, and additional lands adjacent the site that could also be folded into a longer-term development, including dozens of acres of properties owned by WMATA, Federal Realty, and Beyer Automotive. “Not everybody is as optimistic as I am about what a wonderful site this is,” Wodiska said Saturday. There are high vacancy rates in commercial properties in the wider region, and traffic at least temporarily diverted away from the West Falls Church Metro station by the new Silver Line. We

will have to be pragmatic, but I am very optimistic. We need gamechanging ideas.” He added, “The challenge is to think bigger here. We need to aim high. This is a big idea, an opportunity to combine education with the demographics of Falls Church and all just a stone’s throw from the Metro.” We own the land, and it’s a blank slate. Parameters the City and its consultants are currently working with envision a lease or sale price of the developable land of $30 million to $42 million, and annual tax returns of $4 million to $6 million. While those parameters will not eliminate a cost factor for taxpayers of a new high school, it will significantly mitigate them for a school that grows from its current 200,000 square feet to 300,000 square feet, and a capacity increased from 800 to 1,200 students, with an expansion capacity to 1,500 students. Leaders of the City’s Planning Department staff, led by Jim Snyder and including Kerri Oddenino and Loren Bruce, offered input on transportation issues and comparables, such as projects underway in Rockville, Bethesda, Arlington and Merrifield.

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Sen. Mark Warner’s Crucial Role

U.S. presidential press secretary Sean Spicer unloaded an insulting, condescending retort to veteran journalist April Ryan this week, insisting that she is “going to have to take ‘no’ for an answer” to the question of connections between the White House and Russia. He would have us believe the whole matter is nothing more than the invention of the media. But, obviously, that’s countered by the fact that no less than FBI director James Comey told a House Intelligence Committee hearing last week that there is an active, ongoing FBI investigation of just that. With the House Intelligence Committee now tied up in knots by its proTrump chairman Devin Nunes, the ball is in the court of its U.S. Senate counterpart starting today, where our own Virginia U.S. Senator Mark Warner is the vice chair. In all his media interviews on the matter, Sen. Warner has underscored with great gravitas the extremely important nature of the subject of the committee’s inquiry, which will be going not only to numerous U.S. intelligence agencies’ confirmed efforts by the Russians to interfere in the U.S. elections last fall, and to interfere on behalf of their preferred candidate Trump, but also to the most critical matter, the potential collusion by members of the Trump team with the Russians in that effort. Senator Warner has been quoted repeatedly saying, “This is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my public life,” adding, “As I get more and more into this, I will double down on that statement because it is extraordinary.” He said this on NBC’s “Meet the Press” last Sunday. But generally overlooked is the context in which he said this, most importantly, in which he repeated this a second time. That came when interviewer Chuck Todd asked Warner to comment on the remark by the House Intelligence Committee’s ranking Democrat Adam Schiff who said “there is more than just circumstantial evidence and that there is some evidence of collusion that’s going to come out.” Warner replied, “Weeks ago when I was first getting started with this I said this is the most important thing I’ve ever worked on. With what I know now, I doubly believe that. This is a serious effort and it has to be done bipartisan. We have to get the facts out to the American people.” He added, “We do know the Russians massively intervened and they’re doing the same thing right now in France and Germany.” “More than circumstantial evidence and evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian interference effort?” That was the question. Warner’s doubled-down answer can only be read in so many words as a resounding “yes.” He said he speaks with FBI director Comey on a regular basis and that he’s confident his committee will move ahead with bipartisan support. There are “serious Republicans...all saying we’ll go where the intel leads,” he said. We say, “Go Mark!”

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On the Planning for F.C.’s Women’s Walk

Editor, Planning for the Women’s Walk began in February after Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation realized there were no plans to recognize Women’s History Month in the city. I envisioned an event to highlight local women’s history and bring people together across racial, ethnic, political and religious lines. Foundation board member, Dr. Beverly Pittman suggested the event be

health-conscious and encouraged walking, then secured funding from the American Council on Exercise and vice president Irene Chambers suggested highlighting accomplishments of Falls Church women of the past such as Harriet Foote Turner — who led 12 enslaved people to freedom in Canada while posing as their owner. Foundation board member Rebecca Tinner Stotts suggested this event was the perfect oppor-

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tunity to bring local churches and generations of deeply rooted family descendants with the broader community together. Next I met with Sarah John, MD (who with AAUW chapter president Kristan McMahon secured event funding) and Marybeth Connelly who garnered the support of the elected women of Falls Church including City Council members: Marybeth Connelly, Letty Hardi, Karen Oliver; School Board members: Erin Gill, Margaret Ward; Treasurer: Jody Acosta, as our co-presenters, and we were off and running! Thanks to all who made the walk a success: Nick Benton/ Falls Church News-Press, Cpl.

James Brooks/Falls Church Police, Delegate Marcus Simon and wife Rachel, Mayor Tartar, council members Phil Duncan, Dave Snyder, Letti Hardi, Karen Oliver, Marybeth Connelly and planning commissioners Lindy Hockenberry and Melissa Teates, the City of Falls Church, honorary grand marshals Carol DeLong, Betty Blystone, Mildred Tinner Leake and Jackie Bong Wright, Falls Church elected women, Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation board and advisory members, sponsors: American Council of Exercise and American Association of University Women,

Letters Continued on Page 11

CO MME NT

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MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 7

Broad & Washington: A Broader Perspective B� M�� C��

Last week’s News-Press gave a fullthroated cheer for the proposed new Broad and Washington project, including a Class A Office building and a new venue for Creative Cauldron. It virtually ignored the rest of the building, with 273 apartments averaging over 1,000 square feet each, failed to show the full site plan, and did not mention problems raised by City staff that have not been addressed. While many may welcome Class A office space and support a continuing Creative Cauldron, we should look more deeply at what this project entails. Mr. Hitt’s business would occupy the top two floors of the new office building, but is already located in the building it would replace. Creative Cauldron would gain more space here, but leave space elsewhere. There do not appear to be any other commitments to rent space in the office building or the remaining retail/restaurant spaces, to help assure that the project is viable. Yet the developers’ analysts project annual net fiscal income for the City from this project of $1.3 million, versus $1.3 - $2.1 million for the 60 percent larger and more ambitious Mason Row project. City staff has been asked to run its own fiscal revenue estimate. Mr. Hitt’s partner in this project, Insight LLC, has been focused on mixed-use apartment buildings in the District’s urban core. Insight indicates it does not do condos, which might be more financially beneficial for the

City and produce fewer students. The proposed apartments would include 121 twothree bedrooms, and 130 one-bedrooms, possibly with dens. Using the City’s fiscal impact ratios of 0.7 or 1.0 student per two-three bedroom and 0.15 student per one bedroom with

“From the back, the developers have chosen to propose a blank wall extending hundreds of feet and decorated with a few posters as their link to the entertainment district.” den, the yield could range from 105 to 141 additional students unless the project devises a unique way to focus on mature adults only. Mr. Hitt and Insight LLC seek “due dispatch” to move the project quickly through City deliberations. It is already moving to City Council Working Session within two weeks of submission and with no true City staff review. They also seek zoning and land use map changes, plus special exceptions for mixed use (not envisioned for this area in the 2014 Downtown Falls Church

Small Area Plan) and additional height on land currently zoned as high density business and transitional property. Apartments would account for 76 percent of the new building, which would cover an area larger than that of the Harris Teeter building, with comparable height. City staff advised Insight LLC one year ago of several changes that would be needed to support their proposal. Those below remain unaddressed: • “The overall project and building is perceived as too large, massive and high” … “particularly in the current T-1 zoned parcel, and portions of the building design has minimal modulation or step backs with a solid wall appearance.” • “The potential impact to Lawton Street is seen as significant.” • “The proposed public access needs to be improved and provisions for additional public access incorporated.” • On-street parking “needs to be evaluated further with consideration of potential impacts to vehicular movement on Broad Street.” • The Business Future Land Use designates “areas that may redevelop with residential and commercial uses, but that should remain predominantly commercial”…Therefore, it is recommended that a significant reduction in the overall residential density be considered.” • Building “heights adjacent to existing R districts must be stepped back at the maximum height (35 feet) of that zoning district.”

• “The existing ‘Transitional’ designated parcel is intended to provide a buffer or transitional use between commercial and residential uses.” Height and density in the core of the project have increased, while virtually no effort has been made to bring the structure on the transitional lot into compatibility with the surrounding residential neighborhood. Some 100 trees will be lost; impermeable area expands by a 1/4 acre; and “green” buffering along Lawton Street has, on balance, been reduced. From the back, by Argia’s, Clare and Don’s and the State Theatre, the developers have chosen to propose a blank wall extending hundreds of feet and decorated with a few posters as their link to the entertainment district. How much more might have been done to make this a true welcome to the arts community! A Class A office building and including Creative Cauldron in this redevelopment are laudable, but the overwhelming residential density of the project, the lack of public access and open green space, the future impact on our schools, and the failure to work productively with the neighboring community underscore that considerable work remains to be done to gain the Little City’s support. City Council will have a first discussion of this project at its Work Session on April 3 at 7:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.  Mary Chaves is a resident of the City of Falls Church.

Q�� W�� What should the commercial height limit be for the new campus development project? • 20+ stories

• 10-20 stories

• Under 10 stories

• Unsure

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PAGE 8 | MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Longtime City of F.C. Resident Ricky Franklin Griffith Dies Ricky Franklin Griffith, Sr., 69, longtime Falls Church resident, passed away on Saturday, March 18, 2017. He is survived by his daughter, Melissa Ann Griffith; five grandchildren, Shawn, Amanda, Kayla, Brandon and Arianna; two brothers, Danny Griffith and Richard Griffith, Jr.; two sisters, Rita Griffith and Bobetta Sams; and many nieces, nephews and extended family. Rick is preceded in death

EVEN TEXTERS AND DRIVERS HATE TEXTERS AND DRIVERS.

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Michelle Moriarty, employee at The Local Market: “We’re the only thing that separates the people who shop here, and where their food comes from.”

by his two sons, Ricky F. Griffith, Jr. and Michael A. Griffith; his parents Richard S. Griffith, Sr. and Reva Mae Griffith; and by his sister Ann Marie Dunford. Rick loved to fish and spend time with his family. He also enjoyed spending time at the VFW and the American Legion, where he spent time with friends playing pool, cards and darts. He will be greatly missed by many.

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F.C. Middle School Teacher Sexual Battery Case on to Grand Jury Jose Daniel Estrada, the sixth grade math teacher from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School charged with aggravated sexual battery of two sixth-grade girls, waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday in Falls Church City Court, sending the case to a grand jury in Arlington Circuit Court. On Monday, April 3, the grand jury will consider the indictments prepared by the Commonwealth’s attorney and determine if there is probable cause to send the case to trial. Estrada remains in custody.

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2 Statewide Dems File Petition Signatures The campaign of Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, in a race for the Democratic nomination for governor with former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, announced this week that 30,170 petition signatures were filed in Richmond to qualify him for the ballot, 20,000 more than the minimum required. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat seeking his party’s nomination for lieutenant governor, announced he’d filed 16,329 signatures to qualify for the June primary ballot, and has also won the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly. Fairfax is running against Susan Platt, a former Joe Biden chief of staff, and Gene Rossi, a former assistant U.S. attorney. Platt yesterday revealed a letter of support from actress Rosie O’Donnell. Northam will speak to the monthly breakfast meeting of the Northern Virginia Democratic Business Council in Tysons Corner this Friday. In a Christopher Newport University poll reported yesterday, Northam and Perriello are in a virtual tie at 26 percent each, with almost 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters undecided. Meanwhile, three GOP candidates for lieutenant governor, Del. Glenn Davis, Sen. Jill Vogel and Sen. Bryce Reeves, are slated to participate in a debate tonight at Arlington’s Army Navy Club hosted by the Republican Woman’s Clubs of Northern Virginia.

Police Release Photos in Attempted SunTrust Bank Robbery Last week, police released photos of the suspect in the attempted robbery of a Falls Church bank earlier this month. City of Falls Church Police released three photos of the suspect who is wanted for allegedly handing a SunTrust bank teller a note that implied he had a weapon on the morning of March 4. The suspect left on foot before receiving any money. Police say the suspect, described as a 40-50 year old black man wearing dark glasses, a black leather jacket and gray gloves, entered the bank at 603 W. Broad St. around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Mar. 4. Additional photos can be found at www.FCNP.com Police ask that anyone with information on the incident to Video capture of the suspect in a March 4 attempted bank robbery. (Photo: Falls Church Police) contact them at 703-248-5053 (TTY 711).

F.C. Annual Easter Egg Hunt Set April 15 The 2017 City of Falls Church Annual Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by the City’s Recreation and Parks Department, will take place in Cherry Hill Park on Saturday, April 15 at 10 a.m. Event organizers encourage people to get there early and to walk or carpool. Children ages 11 and younger are invited to bring a basket and hunt for eggs. Hunting areas are divided by age groups. The Easter Bunny will also be in attendance. This event is sponsored by Mosquito Shield and is free to the public. After the Easter Egg Hunt, participants are encouraged to stop by Cherry Hill Farmhouse from 10 a.m. – noon and learn to dye Easter eggs the old fashioned way. The cost is $5 per person, and all materials will be provided.

Connolly Announces H.S. Art Contest High school students residing in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District are encouraged to participate in Congressman Gerry Connolly’s 9th annual Congressional Art Competition. Connolly is accepting artwork entries at both his Fairfax and Prince William District Offices until Friday, April 21 at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced at a reception for all participants and their families in May. The winner of this year’s competition will have his or her work displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

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News-Press

TO LETTERS THE EDITOR Continued from Page 6 walk guides and hosts, contributors (The Happy Tart, Lincoln at Tinner Hill), resource fair hosts and all participants. On Sunday few knew that a serious family medical emergency had taken me out of town during our planning. The walk was coordinated from 700 miles away with only a cell phone, text messages, emails and phone calls! Marybeth Connelly was at the helm in Falls Church, working with Foundation board and advisory member (Debra Z. Roth), volunteer (Mary Knieser), our elected women and others! Nikki Graves Henderson Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation

Rental Units Do Not Provide Enough Tax Revenue Editor, Your front page story on the new Broad-Washington project

contains gigantic error. It indicates 292 apartments will alleviate tax pressure on City residents. Rental units don’t provide tax revenue to support the increased infrastructure they create. They don’t pay real estate tax. Homeowners do. The traditional annual residential real estate tax increase is shouldered by homeowners. Each year homeowners pay more tax to support the burden developers create. Over a decade ago the City sold homeowners the promise that mixed-use with condo owners would add to the tax base and not increase enrollment in FCCPS. The Broadway is the only mixeduse property with condos. The rest contain rental units. I remember the first developer that went to the City begging to change from condos to rentals because of the real estate market downturn. At the time it was a reasonable plea by the developer, proper kindness by the City Council, and good business sense by both. This is no longer the case. Now developers take advantage of homeowners by passing along the tax

burden developers create. To seem benevolent developers sway the City Council with proffers of a “contribution” to the City (sometimes for FCCPS to appear more charitable). Homeowners have a vested interest in the City. Homeownership creates long-term and greater ties to the community. Condo owners are unlikely to sell what they own on a regular basis. The Kathleen Halayko Scholarship exemplifies the importance of homeownership. It requires students to attend FCCPS K-12. How many children in apartments are eligible for this? How many apartment dwellers knew our recently retired beloved Mt. Daniel principal or that it’s named for her? We have too many mixed-use rental properties. It’s time for the City Council to live up to the promise made to homeowners for mixed-use buildings. The City must require condos, not apartments, for all residential space in all mixed-use buildings. The City can still require affordable dwelling unit condos just like they have in mixed-use rentals. It’s time for the City Council to stop annually increasing homeowners’ taxes that developers create on the profits developers make. Dave Rifkin Falls Church

MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 11

AAUW to Recognize Equal Pay Day On April 4

The pay gap is not caused solely by differences in career and lifestyle choices made by men and women. A 2012 AAUW report found that one year after graduating from college, women still earned 7 percent less than their male counterparts. A spring 2017 AAUW report shows that the one-year-after graduation gap still exists, and ten years after graduation, the gap widens to 12 percent. In our own Commonwealth of Virginia, women earn 78 percent of what a man earns in Virginia. (Virginia ranks a dismal 35th in pay equity.) In real terms, this translates into less money for feeding families, health care, paying off student loans, and saving for retirement. Passing a federal law like the Paycheck Fairness Act would help protect everyone in all states. But until that happens, each state will continue operating under antiquated regulations and piecemeal state and local laws to combat unequal pay. As we wait for Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, Virginia AAUW members will continue to urge the state legislature to make improvements to Virginia’s equal pay laws so that fair pay is an accessible reality for everyone. Kristan McMahon President, AAUW Falls Church Area Branch

Editor, On Tuesday, April 4, 2017, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will recognize Equal Pay Day, the symbolic day when women’s earnings finally catch up to what white men earned in 2016. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the median earnings for women working full time, year-round is only 80 percent of what white men working full time, year-round make. The situation is even worse for most women of color. African American women make just 63 percent, Native American women make about 58 percent, and Latina women make only 54 percent of what men make. The wage gap between men and women isn’t just a number; it’s an economic issue for many families. A 2013 Pew Research Center study found that in 40 percent of households with children under the age of 18, the mother is the sole or primary wage earner. Pay equity is the key to families making ends meet and moving working families into and then keeping them in the middle class.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes F.C. Workshop on Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse The City of Falls Church Housing and Human Services department presents a workshop for adults on preventing, recognizing, and reacting responsibly to child sexual abuse. The program is presented by Darkness to Light in cooperation with SCAN Northern Virginia and We Support the Girls. This empowering training, “Stewards of Children,” will cover the five steps of protecting children: Step 1: Learn the Facts Step 2: Minimize Opportunity Step 3: Talk About It Step 4: Recognize the Signs Step 5: React Responsibly The workshop will take place Tuesday, April 25 from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. in the Dogwood Room

of City Hall (300 Park Avenue, G Level). Registration is free but required by April 21; email tleonard@scanva.org.

Homestretch Annual Benefit Breakfast Join Homestretch for their annual Benefit Breakfast on Thursday, May 4, from 7:30 – 9 a.m. at the Fairview Park Marriott (3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church). Learn how Homestretch has been impacting the lives of homeless families for 27 years. Hear inspiring stories from Homestretch clients who have left homelessness and poverty behind for good. There is no cost to attend and a hot breakfast will be served. RSVP at homestretchva.org. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Ken Bradford at kbradford@

homestretchva.org.

F.C. Resident Tapped to Lead National Drug Control Policy The Trump administration on Tuesday designated longtime Falls Church resident Richard Baum to serve as Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy until a permanent director is nominated and confirmed by the Senate. Acting Director Baum has served in a variety roles at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for two decades and through four presidential administrations. He has a broad range of experience on domestic and international drug control policy issues, including leading the development of key strategic documents such as the National Drug Control Strategy. Most recently, as

TO RAISE AWARENESS for National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, City of Falls Church officials and citizens came together on Monday night to plant a pinwheel garden at the entrance of Cherry Hill Park. The pinwheel is the symbol of child abuse prevention and reflects childhood hope, health and happiness. Pinwheel gardens are planted by organizations, schools, and businesses in communities throughout the nation. A proclamation during the City Council meeting followed the planting. (Photo: News-Press)

Chief of the International Division at ONDCP, he was a part of the United States Delegation to the meeting of the United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria. Acting Director Baum is replacing Kemp Chester, who was appointed as Acting Director on Inauguration Day. During his tenure, Acting Director Chester advanced the Administration’s drug policy priorities, which include promoting prevention and treatment for substance abuse while stopping the trafficking of illicit drugs. Mr. Chester, a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army, will return to his previous role as the Associate Director for the National Heroin Coordination Group at ONDCP, which leads the U.S. Government’s response to the threat of illicit opioids. “I am deeply honored to have

been designated by President Trump to serve as Acting Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy,” Baum said. “In my two decades of service at ONDCP, I’ve seen the heartbreaking suffering caused by illegal drugs, as well as the incredible work of dedicated individuals working to address drug abuse and its consequences. I look forward to continuing that work.”

McLean Community Center Unveils Ingleside Renovation The McLean Community Center (MCC) held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of the renovation of its 1234 Ingleside Avenue facility at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 22. Speakers, MCC Executive Director George Sachs, MCC Governing Board Chair Laurelie

THREE OF THE MECHANICALS in a scene from McLean Community Players’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream: (L-R) Francis Flute as Thisbe (David Adler), Tom Snout as Wall (Michael Gerwin), and Nick Bottom as Pyramus (Tom Flatt). (Photo: Irish Eyes Photography by Toby)

Send Us Your News & Notes!

The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!

Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 13

AAUW USED Book Sale g

s ain

Bar

April 7-8

tion Fic iction -F Non

Fri. April 7...9 am-9 pm Sat. April 8...9 am-4 pm Falls Church Community Center. 223 Little Falls Street (Near corner of Route 7 & Lee Hwy)

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A TEAM OF LOCAL SOCCER PLAYERS, the Premier AC 04 Navy boys team, won the Boys U13 Elite division (the most competitive division) of the Icebreaker soccer tournament in Prince William County last weekend. Standing (L – R): Jacob Davidson, Nate Fried, Graeme Ewart, Quinn Castelli, Indiana Rupert, Ryan Mahshie, Dylan Logue, Charlie Russell, Jake Nielsen, Coach Oscar Elinan and Peter Kratz. Seated (L – R) are Tucker Allbaugh, Henry Boland, Peter Matthews, Alex Gardner and Daniel Shutov. They beat a New River United team from Christiansburg, VA in the final, 2-1. (Photo: Dave Russell) Wallace and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, detailed the six-year-long process it took to successfully secure the project. Foust called it “a very, very good morning,” and said that the center was “the jewel of McLean.” He noted the foresight of district residents, who 50 years ago voted to pay a real estate surcharge in order to establish and operate the Center. “We owe you a debt of gratitude,” he said. Sachs said the renovation will allow the Center to consolidate its administrative offices, address ADA and fire compliance issues, add additional class and meeting room spaces, update its technology and modernize the look of the facility’s lights, walls and flooring. “I can’t wait to present this newly renovated building to the community,” he said. The approximately $5 million construction project has been awarded to Sorensen Gross Construction Services. Construction will begin on April 3. During the 18-month renovation, the center’s administrative offices will move to 6631 Old Dominion Dr., in the McLean Square Shopping Center. The class program and the registration office also will relocate to 6645 Old Dominion Dr. which is also in McLean Square. Dance classes will be held at 1374 Chain Bridge Road, next to Color Wheel, in the Langley Shopping Center.

For more information, visit the Renovation Update on the center’s website: mcleancenter.org/about/ newsroom-2

F.C. Hosts Bluegrass Country Benefit Concert Support Bluegrass Country Radio while enjoying top-notch live bluegrass. The Special Bluegrass Country benefit concert will take place on April 23 at 3 p.m. at the Falls Church Episcopal (115 E Fairfax St, Falls Church). Artists to be featured include Tim O’Brien, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass, Larry Stephenson Band, and Jim Hurst. Tickets are $40 for general admission, $15 for kids under 16 and $80 for Super Friend VIP (frontrow seating and a meet and greet with artists). Proceeds support Bluegrass Country Radio. Tickets can purchased at bluegrasscountry.org/ special-bluegrass-country-benefitconcert. For more information, contact jludin@bluegrasscountryfoundation.org

Used Book Sale at F.C. Community Center The Falls Church Area American Association of University Women is sponsoring a used book sale at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street,

Falls Church) on Friday, April 7 (9 a.m. – 9 p.m.) and Saturday, April 8 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) There will be more than 40,000 books for browsing and buying, including a huge selection of hardback, paperback, fiction and nonfiction of all kinds. Most books are priced at $3 or less. The book sale benefits scholarship/ grant programs for women, including local Falls Church high school girls. For more information, visit fallschurcharea-va.aauw.net/booksale or contact Mollie Jewell at 703-941-5643 or molliejewell2@ gmail.com.

Free Art Shows and Talks in Arlington During April, Gallery Underground in Arlington features the fascinating art of Laura Clerici in “Divine Light,” a solo show of devotional icons. Laura employs the Orthodox tradition of “writing” an icon with gold leaf gilding and tempera paints handmade with egg yolk, wine and dry pigments such as cinnabar, indigo and ocher. The artist will give three talks about this work at Gallery Underground on Monday, April 17, from 4:15 – 5 p.m.; Saturday, April 22, from 12 – 1 p.m.; and Thursday, April 27, from 4:15 – 5 p.m. The featured artist is Debbie Taylor, a local painter whose lovely, loose style focuses on landscape and nature subjects.

Transform 66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening Project W&OD Trail Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Over U.S. Route 29 Arlington County City of Falls Church Public Planning Workshop Wednesday, April 5, 2017, 6-8 p.m. Yorktown High School 5200 Yorktown Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22207 The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will host a planning workshop to gather input from the public on bridge options and design details for the W&OD Trail Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge over U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway), which will be built as part of the Transform 66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening Project. Stop by between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to participate in the workshop and provide input. VDOT will hold a short presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by a public participation session. Provide written comments at the workshop or submit them by April 21, 2017 to Ms. Amanda Baxter, Special Projects Development Manager, VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. You may also e-mail comments to Transform66@VDOT.Virginia.gov. Please reference “W&OD Trail Bridge” in the subject line. For more information please visit www.Transform66.org. VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT’s Civil Rights at 703-259-1775 or TTY/TDD 711. State Project: 0066-96A-417, P101, R201, C501 Federal Project: NHPP-066-1(356) UPC: 108424

PAGE 14 | MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017

NATI O NA L

Learning from Failure?

The Republican Health Care bill failed because it was a bad bill that had almost no authentic public support. It took benefits away from tens of millions of vulnerable people to give tax breaks to the rich few. When Republicans turn to tax reform, they will start on much stronger ground. The Republican plans, at least in their broad conceptions, are built solidly on the two frameworks that have shaped recent tax reform discussions. The first is simplification, the idea that a cleaner tax code, with fewer loopholes and lower rates, would foster economic growth. The second is substitution, the idea that the overall rate of taxation is less important than what you tax. The current code taxes income heavily and barely taxes consumption. To increase dynamism and growth, we should substitute NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE taxes on investment with taxes on spending. The first framework shaped the tax reform of 1986 and is locked in many people’s brains today. But my impression is that economists have come to see the second framework as more important. The research shows that cutting top marginal rates does not produce as much growth as the supply siders expected. Meanwhile, research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and others has found that corporate income taxes have a more negative effect on growth than income, payroll or consumption taxes. It’s more important to cut those. Most rich nations today combine consumption taxes and a low corporate rate. As Kevin Hassett, who’s been mentioned as President Donald Trump’s likely Council of Economic Advisers chairman, has noted, 34 out of the 35 OECD nations have VAT or VAT-like consumption taxes. The United States is the only outlier. The House Republican tax reform bill embraces both frameworks, but it leans on the substitution framework more heavily. The most exhaustive look at the Republican tax plan I’ve seen was written by David A. Weisbach of the University of Chicago Law School. He notes that the Republican plan would simplify the rates and close a lot of loopholes — the simplification framework — but it wouldn’t radically reshape the taxation of individuals. Business taxes, meanwhile, would be transformed. The Republican plan cuts corporate rates, allows the immediate expensing of investments and eliminates the taxation of income from sales in foreign countries while raising an import tax, which functions sort of like a VAT. “These changes would go a long way toward shifting the tax system to taxing consumption rather than income,” Weisbach writes. Moreover, the Republican plan bears some family resemblance to the X Tax, David Bradford’s version of a consumption tax that isn’t necessarily regressive. So the basic GOP framework is good. There are at least three main problems. The consumption tax rates are too low to raise enough revenue, the whole thing is much more regressive than it needs to be, and the current political climate is probably going to make the bill much, much worse, not much, much better. After the health care debacle, Republicans desperately need a win. Moreover, they are massively underestimating how hard tax reform is going to be. Every single loophole in the tax code has a ferocious defender, a fact that has scared off all the recent administrations from attempting tax reform. So even just the loophole closing piece is going to be like Guadalcanal. Raising consumption taxes on top of that will be Guadalcanal on stilts. The Republicans are going into this process from a position of extreme weakness. The first temptation will be to do the easy stuff, which is cutting the taxes, while skipping the hard stuff. The second temptation will be to scale back the whole enterprise so that you can declare victory with a much smaller bill. The third temptation will be to can the border tax, which is associated with Paul Ryan and which the Freedom Caucus already opposes. By the time legislation is crafted, probably in early summer, the good basic framework could transmogrify into something completely ugly — a bill that explodes the national debt while handing massive benefits to the rich. Then we’d be back where we were with health care reform, with a bill that benefits very few and which no one likes. Tax reform probably won’t survive if the Republicans try to do it the way they tried to do health care — staying within the lines of Republican orthodoxy while veering over to the extreme right in hopes of winning the Freedom Caucus. Tax reform will probably only pass with bipartisan buy-in, if there are enough potential votes that you can afford to lose some off on the extremes. Tax reform is one of the few issues where Republican and Democratic thinking overlaps. It’s one of the few ways to significantly boost growth. If Republicans can learn from their errors, they can get this done. If, on the other hand, tax reform fails, the GOP majority is forfeit and Washington will descend to utter dysfunction.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

David Brooks

How to Build on Obamacare “Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.” So declared Donald Trump three weeks before wimping out on his promise to repeal Obamacare. Up next: “Nobody knew that tax reform could be so complicated.” Then, perhaps: “Nobody knew that international trade policy could be so complicated.” And so on. Actually, though, health care isn’t all that complicated. Basically, you need to induce people who don’t currently need medical treatment to pay the bills for those who do, with the promise that the favor will be returned if necessary. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, Republicans have spent eight years angrily denying that NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE simple proposition. And that refusal to think seriously about how health care works is the fundamental reason Trump and his allies in Congress now look like such losers. But put politics aside for a minute and ask, what could be done to make health care work better going forward? The Affordable Care Act deals with the fundamental issue of health care provision in two ways. More than half of the gains in coverage have come from expanding Medicaid — that is, collecting taxes and using the revenue to pay people’s medical bills. And that part of the program is working fine, except in Republican-controlled states that won’t let the federal government aid their residents. But Medicaid only covers the lowest-income families. Above that level, the ACA relies on private insurance companies, using a combination of regulations and subsidies to keep policies affordable. This has worked well in some places. For example, in California, which has tried hard to make health reform work, the number of people with health insurance has soared, while premiums are still well below expectations. Overall, however, too few healthy people have purchased insurance, despite the penalty for failing to sign up; this is partly because many of the policies offered have high deductibles, making them less attractive. As a result, some companies have pulled out of the market. And this has left some areas, especially rural counties in small states, with few or no insurers. No, it’s not a “death spiral” — subsidies keep insurance affordable for most people even if premiums rise sharply, and the Congressional Budget Office believes that markets will remain stable. But

Paul Krugman

the system could and should be improved. How? One important answer would be to spend a bit more money. Obamacare has turned out to be remarkably cheap; the Congressional Budget Office now projects its cost to be about a third lower than it originally expected, around 0.7 percent of GDP. In fact, it’s probably too cheap. A report from the nonpartisan Urban Institute argues that the ACA is “essentially underfunded,” and would work much better — in particular, it could offer policies with much lower deductibles — if it provided somewhat more generous subsidies. The report’s recommendations would cost around 0.2 percent of GDP; or to put it another way, would be around half as expensive as the tax cuts for the wealthy Republicans just tried and failed to ram through as part of Trumpcare. What about the problem of inadequate insurance industry competition? Better subsidies would help enrollments, which in turn would probably bring in more insurers. But just in case, why not revive the idea of a public option — insurance sold directly by the government, for those who choose it? At the very least, there ought to be public plans available in areas no private insurer wants to serve. There are other more technical things we should do too, like extending reinsurance: compensation for insurers whose risk pool turned out worse than expected. Some analysts also argue that there would be big gains from moving “off-exchange” plans onto the government-administered marketplaces. So if Trump really wanted to honor his campaign promises about improving health coverage, if he were willing to face up to the reality that Obamacare is here to stay, there’s a lot he could do, through incremental changes, to make it work better. And he would get plenty of cooperation from Democrats along the way. I don’t expect to see that happen. Improving Obamacare requires doing more, not less, moving left, not right. That’s not what Republicans want to hear. And the tweeter-in-chief’s initial reaction to health care humiliation was, predictably, vindictive. He blamed Democrats, whom he never consulted, for Trumpcare’s political failure, predicted that “ObamaCare will explode,” and that when it does Democrats will “own it.” Since his own administration is responsible for administering the law, that sounds a lot like a promise to sabotage Americans’ health care and blame other people for the disaster. The point is that building on Obamacare wouldn’t be hard, and wouldn’t even be all that complicated.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

NATI O NA L

GOP Health Bill ‘Callous & Cruel’

All the usual dissembling and spinning aside, it is crystal clear that the reason the repeal of Obamacare failed last week was because the bill had become so overtly cruel and inhumane. Of course, Trump’s campaign was based on the perception by struggling middle class Americans that their lives would improve if he were in the White House. Who has ever gotten elected promising people their lives would become worse with him in charge? But lo, apart from all the lying and fake news, apart from all the cover ups and wild attempts to rewrite reality, the Republican leadership and the Trump administration’s first concrete step to impact the lives of the American people turned into a truly ugly exercise of trying to win votes with more and more draconian cuts to the FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS care of tens of millions of Americans, especially elderly ones. It didn’t take anyone else to unmask their motives in this. They did it to themselves. The presented their plan, and its outcome was so manifestly cruel that no one wanted to drive it home. It wasn’t a matter of nerve, it was a question of whether or not anyone among them ever wanted to be reelected again. As is characteristic for them, the ruling elites in this world couldn’t contain their self-serving greed and demanded the GOP health care reform package become little more than another massive tax cut for the super-wealthy and, in order to provide for that, $300 billion in health care cuts would have to be inflicted on the rest of us. Of all the talking heads expounding on the GOP failure last weekend, other than elected Democratic opponents, it was only Joy Ann Reid on Meet the Press who hit the nail on the head, speaking to the “callousness and cruelty” in the GOP bill. It was a public revolt against that led to its demise. Former Virginia Congressman Tom Davis, writing an op-ed in yesterday’s The Washington Post, parroted the common perception that it was only because the Republicans couldn’t get their act together that the effort failed. In typical Washington, D.C. political echo chamber fashion, he wrote that it was all about “fissures on the GOP caucus” and “a massive case of legislative malpractice” that were responsible, nothing to do with real substance, such as the fact that an average American, ironically many of whom voted for Trump, was able to envision how his or her family’s lives would become rapidly much worse if it passed. When the Congressional Budget Office projected that if the GOP plan passed, 24 million Americans would be kicked off of health care plans, that pointed in fact to the tip of the iceberg, because these 24 million Americans don’t live in isolation, but are part of family and community networks that all suffer if even only one among them is disenfranchised. So, one person knocked off a plan can better be multiplied by a factor of four, or six. With the opioid epidemic raging, with millions of Americans suffering enormously under the siege of pharmaceuticals hundreds of times more potent than heroin, dropping dead like flies, causing an alarming statistical increase in the death rate among American middle aged white males and otherwise disabling an entire generation, the proposition that health care coverage will be rolled back becomes truly monstrous. This doesn’t belong to Trump, alone. The entire GOP leadership is responsible, and if the so-called “Freedom Caucus” led to the defeat of the GOP plan last week, it wasn’t because it was more compassionate, but the opposite. They wanted more thoroughgoing cuts. Truly, the most unsettling thing about all this is the angry, cynical, nihilistic and downright cruel sentiment that has become dominant over in one of the nation’s two major political parties. It has become the party of hate, including for struggling Americans and for the truth, while we’re at it. And all this is on behalf of what, and whom? The mass base of this party has been led to act in such blatant contradiction to its own self-interest that its angry reaction is to project out its self-imposed oppression onto others.

Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 15

Devin Nunes is Dangerous

Rep. Devin Nunes obviously fancies himself Jason Bourne. To sneak onto the White House grounds for that rendezvous with an unnamed source last week, he switched cars and ditched aides, vanishing into the night. But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., looks at him and sees a different character. Graham said on the “Today” show on Tuesday that Nunes was bumbling his way though something of an “Inspector Clouseau investigation,” a reference to the fantastically inept protagonist of the “Pink Panther” comedies. I salute Graham’s NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE movie vocabulary. I quibble with his metaphor. While Clouseau was a benign fool, there’s nothing benign about Nunes’ foolishness. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Nunes, R-Calif., is a principal sleuth in the paramount inquiry into whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, and from all appearances, he either doesn’t want to know the answer or has determined it already — in President Donald Trump’s favor. Democrats are rightly calling on him to recuse himself. They’ve been joined in their alarm by Graham and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. As Graham summoned the specter of Clouseau, McCain said on “CBS This Morning” that “something’s got to change.” “Otherwise,” he continued, “the whole effort in the House of Representatives will lose credibility.” But Nunes was defiant when asked by reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday whether he would continue to guide that effort, saying, “Why would I not?” Oh, many reasons. Let’s start here: The Intelligence Committee isn’t supposed to be a partisan arm of the majority party. And any collusion with the White House is a betrayal of its special oversight role. But Nunes is so deep in the tank for Trump that he needs scuba gear. With his words and deeds, he has labored mightily to redirect attention from Trump’s alleged wrongdoing to his claims of persecution, recasting villain as victim. It’s Trump’s gratitude that he’s after, not the truth. When politicians on both sides of the aisle upbraided Trump for his baseless accusations about the wiretapping of Trump Tower, Nunes swooped in to say, “I don’t think we should attack the president for tweeting.” But Twitter was hardly the issue. The president’s paranoid hallucinations were. When James Comey, the FBI director, appeared

Frank Bruni

before Nunes’ committee to confirm his own agency’s investigation into Trump-Russia ties, Nunes changed the subject to the media’s acquisition of classified information, going on about leaks, leaks, leaks. He sounded more like a plumber than a politician. And when Nunes gathered reporters around him two days later, it was to say that he’d seen secret documents suggesting that people around Trump may indeed have been subject to surveillance by our government. This was Nunes at his most irresponsible. To the casual listener, he was insinuating that Trump’s wiretapping charges weren’t so very far from the mark. But they were, and Nunes had to acknowledge that as he clarified his remarks. He was talking about the surveillance of Americans who happened to be in contact with foreign players whose communications were the real subjects of concern. He had no evidence — zilch — of any eavesdropping that targeted Trump. This week we learned that Nunes got that information during that rendezvous, details of which he has not provided to his fellow committee members, just as he failed to share the information itself with Democrats on the committee before he went public with it. All of this is irregular enough to peg him as a puppet of the Trump administration or a complete boob. Either way, he has surrendered his investigation’s integrity — and his own. A Republican insider who once worked closely with him described him to me as an “overeager goofball” who can’t see “the line between ingratiating and stupid.” The insider said that Nunes crossed that line with John Boehner, the former House speaker, who gave him the committee chairmanship but grew weary of Nunes’ indiscriminate pep and constant bumming of his cigarettes. My source wondered why Paul Ryan hadn’t kept a closer watch on Nunes, given his shortcomings. “No one is asking him to bring the potato salad to the Mensa picnic,” my source said. Salad and more salad: Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, complained to reporters Tuesday afternoon that “if the president puts Russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that’s a Russian connection.” Spicer is right that we’re obsessed with Russia, wrong that it’s as random as condiments. We’re obsessed because every signal from the administration and its allies is that they don’t want us looking any further or any closer, and Nunes’ Bourne identity is the most glaring signal of all. If Trump and his associates have nothing to hide, why all the cloak and dagger? And why such clumsiness?

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

Campaigning is fun; governance is hard. That’s the lesson learned, again, by the Trump Administration and the Speaker of the House last week, when the proposed bill to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act was pulled from consideration in the House of Representatives. If legislation is akin to sausage-making (per Otto Von Bismarck), there is an expectation that it may get messy. But there also should be an expectation that the result of that messy process will be something good. Sausage with the right balance of meats and spices; legislation with the right balance of benefits to the public at-large. When that doesn’t happen, you end up with inedible sausage and an unworkable bill. The legislative process generally is slow and methodical by design. At all levels of government, much of the preliminary work may be done behind the scenes, not to hide anything from the public, but to make sure that the appropriate research has been done, initial questions answered, and reviewed for legal “solid ground.” Some items never make it past this point, and are relegated to the graveyard of goofy ideas. Others gain some traction, and legislative sponsors, but the public debate may demonstrate the difficulties of finding that right balance of benefits mentioned above. A bill that moves through the process to enactment has gained traction, sponsors, public support, and enough balance that a majority of legislators can vote aye. In Fairfax County, making changes to the county’s Comprehensive Plan, for instance, takes months, or years, of staff and public discussion before coming to the Board of Supervisors for approval. The Seven Corners plan changes took

nearly four years, and more than 80 public meetings, with many changes from the original proposal, before being adopted by the Board. Implementing the changes chiefly will be the responsibility of the private sector, which must make significant investments in the future of their businesses, and our community, during coming decades. The county also is looking at a multi-year project to modernize its Zoning Ordinance (ZO), last overhauled in 1978. During the past 40 years, Fairfax County has transformed from a somnolent suburban bedroom community of federal employees to a nationally recognized urbanizing jurisdiction with a diversified economy and population. The ZO has been amended many times, but questions remain about its ability to meet the needs of today’s residents and businesses. One interesting example was in the Sully District, where a business owner wanted to open a trampoline center – for exercise, not sales. The zoning of the existing shopping center permitted a variety of recreational uses, but not specifically trampolines. The owner had to go through a burdensome and expensive process, and a public hearing before the Board, to gain approval for the use. Apparently, trampolines were not perceived to be the fun family exercise they are today! Like sausage, modernizing the Zoning Ordinance may be a bit messy, but the result should be flavorful and well-balanced to benefit Fairfax County, its residents and businesses, into the next several decades.

Dare to ﬁnd a career where you can truly make a difference. Your skills and talents could be exactly what we need to build the next generation of great teachers. Get resources to explore whether teaching is right for you at teach.org.

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

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#BeUnderstood

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SOME PARENTS WANT THEIR KIDS TO TRY HARDER. SOME KIDS ARE TRYING AS HARD AS THEY CAN.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

YO U DON T H AV E T O BE SO STRONG BUT IF I’M NOT, WHO WILL?

Being a caregiver takes a special kind of commitment. We know your strength is super, but you’re still human.

A A R P. O R G / C A R E G I V I N G 1 - 8 7 7 - 3 3 3 - 5 8 8 5

F I N D S U P P O R T F O R Y O U R S T R E N G T H.

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

The county board, after 16 years of indecision, voted March 21 to unload the 117-year-old Reeves farmhouse atop Bluemont Park. The 5-0 vote—taken after nearby neighbors and preservationists had struggled for years for funding and a partner willing to make a go of the estimated $2.5 million in needed renovations — left few happy. The good news is that chipped and weather-beaten house on the hill retains historic protection status. And the park containing the children’s sledding slope and neighborhood garden will remain. No homebuilder will be allowed to swoop in and subdivide the 2.4-acre site for a new McMansionland at the site of what until the 1950s was Arlington’s last active farm. But overall, “the neighborhood is disappointed in the Reeves outcome,” I was told by Phil Klingelhofer, president of the Boulevard Manor Civic Association. “Many residents who personally knew Nelson Reeves still live here.” Many in the association “think of the house as a treasure for the community and the country, and we’re still hoping for some way that a nonprofit could come forward with resources that might allow the county to reconsider.” The promised restrictions prompted one neighbor to say, “It’s not the best outcome, but it’s

MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 17

certainly not the worst.” My recent visits to the neighborhood off Wilson Boulevard caused me to take up another history dilemma. The metal historical marker at the entrance to Bluemont was bent this February, apparently by an automobile. The text has always struck me as similarly slanted. “Confederate Outpost,” says the headline written in 1969. The inscription: “In August 1861, while U.S. forces were constructing the Arlington line three miles to the east, the Confederates established a fortified outpost on the high ground about 200 yards west of here, to guard the bridge by which the Georgetown-Falls Church Road crossed four mile run. In October they withdrew to Fairfax Court House. The Federals then established a signal station at the top of the hill and constructed Fort Ramsay just across the County Line.” But the rebels were there for just two months, while union troops stayed from the fall of 1861 to 1865. The Fort Ramsay lookout at Upton Hill was where future president Col. Rutherford B. Hayes was stationed with the 23rd Ohio, and singing troops nearby inspired Juliet Ward Howe, while staying in D.C. at the Willard, to write “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” No mention of that? How about a neutral headline, like “Civil War Outpost”? I consulted my Civil War experts. Marymount University

C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h

CRIME REPORT Week of March 20 – 26, 2017 Larceny-Theft From Building, 200 blk E. Fairfax St., Mar 21, an unsecured red and black bicycle was taken from a residence.

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Larceny-Shoplifting, 167 Hillwood Ave (Virginia ABC Store), Mar 22, a Hispanic male, wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans, white and black sneakers, and a gray backpack entered the store around 5 PM and stole a 750ML bottle of Malibu Rum. Suspect may have been involved in a similar incident at the same store a month earlier. Investigation continues. Smoking Violations, 6757 Wilson Blvd (Eden Center) Suite 16, Mar 23, a male, 32, of Woodbridge, VA was issued a summons for smoking in a

restaurant. Larceny-Shoplifting, 110 N West St (7-11), Mar 24, approximately 7:51 PM, a counter display of sex enhancement supplements valued at $500 was taken by two unknown suspects. Suspects described as: a black male, heavy set, with long hair, glasses and possibly a goatee. He was wearing a black jacket, black pants and a white t-shirt. The second suspect was a black female, long hair, wearing a black hoodie and pink shorts. Investigation continues. Larceny-Shoplifting, 167 Hillwood Ave (Virginia ABC Store), Mar 25, 7:54 PM, suspect described as a black male, 20-30 years of age, approximately 5`11” tall, approximately 155lbs, wearing a grey knit hat, a white t-shirt, a silver-colored cross

professor Mark Benbow, director of the Arlington Historical Museum, agreed. But Kathryn Holt Springston, who gives Smithsonian tours of Arlington during the war, doesn’t think the sign is pro-Confederate or pro-Union, and cites space constraints. She would warm to a second sign, one that mentions the “Quaker guns,” logs made to look like cannon, with which Confederates successfully fooled the Yanks on nearby Munson’s Hill. (She also says Howe’s lyrics were inspired farther away on Columbia Pike.) Cynthia Liccese-Torres, coordinator of Arlington historic preservation, said she is working to replace the damaged sign. But “I am hesitant to change the marker style since it would no longer match the remaining markers in this series,” she said. Changing its headline would make for better balance, the Boulevard Manor president agreed, and would probably be fine with neighborhood folks. *** Arlington lost a cultural fixture last week. Rich Massabny, cable TV host and a longtime witty theater and restaurant critic, died at 80 at his home adjacent to Reevesland. With roots in Arlington going back six decades, he became the area’s longest serving critic. Got his start on the old Northern Virginia Sun in the 1960s, and garnered his invite to appear on community cable’s “Arlington Weekly News TV” in the 1980s — at the county fair.

necklace, gold watch and jeans took a 1.75 liter of Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey. A possible second suspect is described as a Hispanic or light skinned black male, 20-30 years of age, approximately 5`08” tall, approximately 135lbs, wearing a grey t-shirt, a grey hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, and jeans. Investigation continues. OTHER ARRESTS On Mar 21, a female, 55, of Alexandria, VA was arrested in the Alexandria Jail on two Felony charges of Grand Larceny stemming from an incident in Falls Church on Mar 4, wherein a purse and vehicle were taken. On Mar 23, a male 29, of Fairfax, was arrested at Police Headquarters on a Capias for Failure to Appear in Court on Feb. 22. On Mar 26, a male, 39, of Springfield, VA was arrested for giving a false report to a law enforcement official on Mar 7.

PAGE 18 | MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017

SPO RTS

Mason Boys Roll Over Rapp & Central to Start Soccer Season BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

George Mason’s varsity boys soccer team picked up right where it left off last June as the Mustangs downed Rappahannock County High School 8-0 on Mar. 20 and bested Central High School 4-1 on Mar. 22. This year’s Mason (2-0) team is different than past iterations, even if they produce similar results. Gone are dynamic strikers Donal Reyes de Leon and Elliot Mercado

as well as playmaking midfielders Grant Goodwin and Samsudeen Sallah. Those departures made room for younger players to step in and leave their impression on the school’s storied soccer heritage. But before they can go off trying to rewrite history books, the new Mustangs have to develop the requisite synergy on the field. “Every team is different,” head coach Frank Spinello said. “Each team has things it needs to work

After Stumble vs. Stuart, Mustang Girls Win 2 BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

George Mason High School’s varsity girls soccer team received an early-season shock to the system as they fell 6-1 to Falls Church neighbor J.E.B. Stuart High School. The Mustangs responded with wins over Rappahannock County High School (8-0) and Central High School (3-1) in the past week.

Mason’s (2-1) rough opening half against the 5A Stuart team put a damper on a muchimproved second act. On paper the Raiders were fairly even competition for the Mustangs, holding a 3-1 record this year and finishing 2016 at 13-4. However, Mason failed to put their best foot forward when the opening whistle sounded and that ultimately sunk the Mustangs’ hopes of snatching a win on Stuart’s home turf.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

on to build an identity. Right now we’re trying to find combinations to score goals.” Spinello alluded to this as the chief obstacle for Mason’s 2017 team in the News-Press’ spring sports preview. So far the Mustangs have more than managed the challenge. On the road against Rappahannock, Mason flexed its growing offensive muscles. Forwards got into the mix early and helped dictate the game’s flow with consistent possession

and measured passing that took advantage of the Panther defense. As a result, the goals came pouring in. Junior midfielder Tim Andrianarison’s hat trick led the way for the Mustangs as a seven-goal first half kept Rappahannock submerged in a deficit throughout the contest. Senior strikers Connor Anderson and junior Peter Scardino, as well as senior midfielder Olo Sembera Baracco also contributed goals. Freshman midfielder Cole Hellert and sophomore midfielder Nick Wells rounded out the scoring for Mason. Two days later Mason’s offense was still hot while taking on Central. In the sixth minute Scardino found Wells with a right-

footed cross that the sophomore knocked into the top left corner of the goal. By the 18th minute Wells racked up his second goal, this time coming on a left-side cross from junior midfielder Mathieu Viala. Freshman Henry Brorsen’s corner kick found Sembera Baracco’s head for the Mustangs’ third goal in the 67th minute while Scardino added one more in the final minute to finish the game strong for Mason. After playing two games in three days, the Mustangs were wiped. Senior captains Wesley Quill and Nico Ferrara rewarded their teammates with a day off last Thursday before getting back to the grind in preparation for a Mar. 31 matchup against Warren County High School.

“Sometimes when you play teams that you know are stronger, we tend to forget how strong we are, too,” head coach Allison Klink said. “We begin to play back when we really need to be going at them full force and showing them our skills.” Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes, senior midfielder Rebecca Crouch weaved her way through Stuart’s back line and looked to halve Mason’s deficit. But her shot careened past the goal and off the right post, setting up a Stuart fastbreak that increased its lead to 3-0. That goal shifted momentum in favor of the Raiders. The home team notched three more strikes before halftime and had the

Mustangs on the ropes. Klink recentered Mason during the intermission and sent her team back onto the field in a fury. The Mustangs began pouncing on loose balls, finessing passes and getting stops on defense. Crouch found the back of the net three minutes in, and though neither team scored again, Mason undeniably “won” the half and was able to go out on a high note. “We have some things to work on, especially in a fast-paced game like this — playing to feet, not popping balls up in the air — but the more we did that the more we dominated,” Klink said. “Overall, I’m really happy with how they turned it around in the

second half.” Mason handled its Conference 35 competition last week. Rappahannock County was little match for the visiting Mustangs’ relentless attack that sliced through the Panther defense. The few times Rappahannock County did win possession, Mason reclaimed it quickly. Central was a feistier opponent that repelled a fair share of the Mustangs’ advances. Tied at 1-1 in the first half, Mason ripped off two straight goals to seize the game and the victory in the second half. The Mustangs host Warren County High School tomorrow.

Mason Girls Varisty, JV Lacrosse Teams Oﬀ to Successful Start BY JEFFREY WOJTALA

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

The George Mason High School Girls varsity and junior varsity lacrosse teams just don’t want to lose to open the season. Sure, it may be early, but both teams are undefeated as the calendar turns to April. The JV squad (2-0-1) tied Yorktown High School 7-7 last Thursday before defeating their rivals from Tuscarora High School on Friday night, 12-1, and Loudoun Valley High School, 9-5, on Tuesday. The varsity team (3-0) began the season with three solid wins, beginning with a hard-fought victory versus the 6A North Conference Yorktown Patriots, 21-16. The affair was predicted to be a battle on both sides and the hype did not disappoint the opening night fans. After a fast start by Patriots’ midfielder Laura Crawford (five

quick goals) and a number of unforced errors and missed shots by Mason, the Mustangs found themselves down 6-0 just 15 minutes into the first half. Soon Mason began to find their footing on the field, and at the 14:04 mark, junior attack Meredith Johnson scored with an assist from junior Claire Hiscott. Mason then went on to score the next three to make it a 6-4 game. Yorktown got four more past junior goalie Annette Schlitt, before Mason went on a sevengoal run of its own. Junior Lizzie Dodge and senior Sarah Lubnow each scored two goals while sophomore attack Alex Biggs, Amy Roche and Claire Hiscott each notched goals to cap the run. Yorktown scored as time elapsed in the first half to make it an 11-11 game. The second half began with both teams pushing the ball into each other’s half but it wasn’t until the 21:32 mark that Yorktown

scored to break the tie. Lizzie Dodge scored her third 16 seconds later and Lubnow followed with a score almost three minutes later. Yorktown would go on to score three more, but Mason put its foot on the accelerator and with two more goals by Dodge, four by Lubnow, and one score each from Roche and Hiscott. Friday’s varsity game against the 5A North Tuscarora Titans started with Mason jumping out to a fast seven goal lead, and the team cruised to a 17-4 win. Because of the strong early lead, Mason coach Courtney Gibbons took advantage of her deep bench and played her reserves, allowing the starters a well-deserved rest. At the half Mason led 10-2. The second half found both teams playing more conservatively. The Titans defense began to smother the advances by Mason, but Mason ended up scoring another seven goals in the half

MASON SENIOR SARAH LUBNOW drives to the goal against Loudoun County High School on Tuesday. (P��: C�� S��) against Tuscarora’s two. Mason goals were scored by Lubnow (2), Meredith Johnson, senior attack Maeve Donnelly, sophomore attack Grace Akins, Claire Hiscott and her sister, senior attack Hannah Hiscott.

Tuesday night against Loudoun County, Mason played through the rain and defeated the Vikings 20-5. Both Mason teams are home against Riverside High School on Monday night, Apr. 3.

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NEEDHAM MITNICK & POLLACK PLC 703-536-7778 400 S. MAPLE AVENUE, SUITE 210, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22046 WWW.NMPATTORNEYS.COM INFO@NMPATTORNEYS.COM

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Wills & Trusts Special Needs Planning Medicaid Planning Guardianships Probate Trustee or Agent Services

Planning For All Ages & All Needs OVER 130 GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL students traveled Sunday to New York City for three days of musical performances. There were vocal workshops with Broadway performers, concerts aboard the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier and Tuesday’s evening performance by the wind ensemble at Carnegie Hall replete with a standing ovation. The highly successful trip included the Broadway show Dear Even Hansen, the Blue Man Group, the Staten Island Ferry, Central Park and more. (P��: M�� J� W��)

Mason High Play Opens Tonight

F.C. High Players Sign to Play College Football

George Mason High School students under the direction of theater teacher Mr. Northrip will present his original musical comedy. “Lunch” includes dancing and abundant humor on a subject most everyone can relate to: middle school and the drama swirling around students and their teachers. The curtain opens at 7:30 p.m. for shows tonight, Friday and Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Falls Church High School senior football players Deontae Hargrove and Tyler Reynolds signed last week to play college football. Hargrove signed with Frostburg State University in Maryland and Reynolds is going to Bridgewater College in Virginia.

McLean Student Paper Wins Prestigious Award The Highlander newsmagazine staff of McLean High School was presented with a Gold Crown at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) journalism convention at Columbia University in New York City. This is the second consecutive year that The Highlander has earned a Gold Crown award. The Highlander is the only high school newspaper-newsmagazine in Virginia to win a Gold Crown this year. CSPA’s Gold Crown is one of the highest honors in scholastic journalism. Publications are judged on design, photography, concept, coverage and writing.

MEH Career Fair Set for April 21 Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School hosts its Annual Career Fair on Friday, April 21 from 7:15 – 11:15 a.m. Parent and community volunteers are needed to talk about their occupations with middle school students. The school asks those interested in volunteering to fill out a volunteer form at fccps. org.The students stand to benefit from hearing about a volunteer’s life experiences and understanding their expertise in their respected fields.

Fairfax Schools Announces STEM Summer Camps For the fourth consecutive year, Fairfax County Public Schools is partnering with SySTEMic Solutions, Northern Virginia Community College’s K-16 STEM

(science, technology, engineering, and math) outreach initiative, to host several summer camps at three high schools in the county. The camps are designed to provide rising 4th through 12th grade students with knowledge and hands-on experience in STEM topics, critical thinking, teamwork, and innovative design.The camps begin June 26th and run through July 28th as follows: • VEX IQ Robotics (grades 4-8): Marshall High School, June 26-30; Edison High School, July 10-14; and South Lakes High School, July 10-14. • VEX EDR Robotics 1.0 (grades 8-12): Marshall HS, June 26-30; and South Lakes High School, July 10-14. • VEX EDR Robotics 1.5 (grades 9-12): South Lakes HS, July 17-28. • STEM Camp (grades 4-8): South Lakes HS, July 17-21, July 24-28. • Cybersecurity (grades 9-12): Marshall HS, June 26-30; Edison High School, July 10-14. • App Development and Entrepreneurship (8-12): Edison High School, July 10-14. A limited number of needbased scholarships are available. Information and registration is available online at nvcc.edu/systemic/camps.html or contact Charles Britt at 703-425-5917.

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PAGE 20 | MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017

Community Events THURSDAY, MARCH 30 1-on-1 Computer & Internet Tutoring. Learn how to download eBooks and eMagazines, search the internet, customize email, use social media, word process, and much more. Free personalized session. By appointment. Mary Riley Styles Public Library conference room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. 703-248-5035. Teen Super Smash Bros Tournament. Who will be king of the ring? Join the library for their first-ever Smash Bros Tournament and find out. Grades 6-12; registration required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library conference room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8 p.m. 703-2485034.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 Leaf Mulch Loading Day. City staﬀ uses heavy equipment to load open bed vehicles with high quality, free double-ground leaf mulch and hard-wood mulch. Par�cipants must sign a waiver prior to loading. Recycling Center (217 Gordon Road., Falls Church).

7 a.m. – 2 p.m. 703-248-5160 Li�le Gym at the Library. Experience a snippet of the Li�le Gym magic to the library. During this simula�on kids will be provided an opportunity to play on a piece of equipment and learn a few gymnas�cs skills. For children 3-6 years old. Register at the Youth Services desk by phone or in person. Mary Riley Styles Public Library conference room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 – 11:30 a.m. 703-2485034 Chamber of Commerce 70th Anniversary Pla�num Ball. This awards gala and dinner is the Chamber’s largest event of the year. It will honor business leaders, past and present, who have made major contribu�ons to the Falls Church community. Event includes black-�e dinner and auc�on. Fairview Park Marrio� (3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church). 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. fallschurchchamber.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 2 Town Hall: FY2018 Budget. The City Manager and other oﬃcials will make a presenta�on and answer ques�ons on the proposed

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Send community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at calendar@fcnp. com; fax 703-342-0347; or by regular mail to 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.

budget. Open to the public. Falls Church City Hall Council Chambers, second level (300 Park Ave. Falls Church). 3 – 5 p.m. 703248-5014 Play Streets Event – Pennsylvania Ave. The street will be closed to traﬃc so kids can ride bikes, jump rope, do chalk art, play hopscotch and meet new friends – all without worrying about cars. Pennsylvania Avenue, between Great Falls Street and Fulton Avenue. 3 – 7 p.m. fallschurchva. gov/playstreets

TUESDAY, APRIL 4 Community Workshop: Tax, Rent and Personal Property Relief. The City of Falls Church is hos�ng a free real estate tax relief, rent relief, and personal property/auto decal tax relief workshop. The tax relief programs are available for City of Falls Church adults age 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled who meet certain income and asset qualifica�ons. Tax exemp�on programs are also available for disabled veterans and surviving spouses. City staff will present informa�on about the programs, answer ques�ons, and be available to provide guidance in filling out the applica�on form.

Senior Center, 2nd floor (223 Li�le Falls St. Falls Church). 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. 703-248-5046 Community Mee�ng: Harrison Branch Dayligh�ng and Sewer Project. Learn about the preliminary engineering drawings for the dayligh�ng of Harrison Branch in Crossman Park and repairs to a sewer line in Four Mile Run. City staff will be on hand to answer any ques�ons related to stream dayligh�ng and restora�on projects. Teen Center, 2nd floor (223 Li�le Falls St. Falls Church). 7:30 – 9 p.m. 703-2485456

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 Early Release Wednesday: Recycle cra�s at the Library. Making reusable bags out of t-shirts and more. Bring your own old t-shirt, and the library will provide all other materials. For children grades K – 5th. Register at the Youth Services desk. Limited to 15 par�cipants. Children must be present at 3 p.m. to enter the room; at 3:05 p.m. spaces will be given to children on the waitlist. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Conference Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 3 – 4 p.m. 703-248-5035.

Theater Fine Arts FRIDAY, MARCH 31

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

“The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Grab your royal attire and join the parade — the fashion conscious Emperor himself is spending his fortune on the most fabulous robe ever seen. However, some crafty weavers claim that their beautiful fabric is invisible to the hopelessly witless. Will you be able to see his new robe? Will the Emperor himself even see it? Will the swindling weavers be caught? This production puts a fresh, musical spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, hilariously illuminating how pride and vanity can make a leader a glorious buffoon. Creative Cauldron (410 S Maple Ave., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. $14 – $16. Creativecauldron.org

“Midwestern Gothic.” Not all is well in a li�le town in the middle of con�nental nowhere. With no op�ons of escape, the occupants seek other, stranger, diversions. With a bold, brash and gorgeous score, “Midwestern Gothic” is like nothing else you’ve seen before ― and will leave you breathless. Signature Theatre, The Ark (4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington). 2 p.m. $40 – $89. Sigtheatre.org “Godspell.” A small group of people help Jesus tell diﬀerent parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and a he�y dose of comic �ming. An eclec�c blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus’ life dances across the stage. Dissolving haun�ngly into the Last Supper and the Cruciﬁxion, Jesus’

message of kindness, tolerance and love comes vibrantly to life in Encore Stage & Studio’s musical produc�on of “Godspell.” Gunston Arts Center (2700 S. Lang St, Arlington). 3 p.m. $10. encorestageva.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 2 “To Kill a Mockingbird.” A masterwork by Harper Lee, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a gripping and heart-wrenching tale of coming-of-age in the South. Set in a town poisoned by prejudice, the play portrays a world of great beauty and savage inequi�es through the eyes of a young girl, Scout, as her father — a crusading local lawyer — risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime. James Lee Community Center Theater (2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church). Through April 8th. $17 – $20. 2 p.m. providenceplayers.org

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

live_music&nightlife

THURSDAY, MARCH 30 W�� S�� A�� A��. 9:30 Club. (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $25. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930 P��. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m.. 703-549-7500 T�� C�� T�� T��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $20. 8 p.m. 703255-1566. D�� C�� B��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. R�� P��. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333

FRIDAY, MARCH 31 D�� C��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283 V�� S��. 9:30 Club. (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $25. 8 p.m. 202-265-0930 S�� L��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Z�� T�� U�� L�� Z�� E��. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $17 – $20. 9 p.m. 703-237-0300 G�� M��. JV’s Restaurant (6666

Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. T�� F�� A��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-532-9283 K�� M�� D. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 D��. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $25. 4 p.m. 703-237-0300 T�� S�� F��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. B�� T��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-5329283 A� E�� L�� B�� D�� M�� D��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $18. 7 p.m. 703255-1566. K�� J�� T�� G�� T��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $22.50 – $74.50. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. C�� S�� J�� P��. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $20. 7:30 p.m.. 703-549-7500 C�� J��. Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd.,

Arlington). 8 p.m. 703-522-8340 P��. T�� M��. 9:30 Club. (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $35. 8 p.m. 202-265-0930 K�� S�� T�� D�� Z��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703241-9504. C�� K��. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 21

D�� C�� B�� S��. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 4 O�� M�� C�� A�� M��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-241-9504. N�� S�� N��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $30. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. I�� J�� G�� S��. Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). 8 p.m. 703-522-8340

SUNDAY, APRIL 2 B��H�� P��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 2 p.m. 703-255-1566. B�� K�� A��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. M�� N�� G�� L��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. L�� T��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5

MONDAY, APRIL 3 77. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 7:30 p.m. 703255-1566. W�� B�� J��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

R�� B�� L��. 9:30 Club. (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $25. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930 T�� N�� C�� R��. Cafe Kindred (450 N Washington St, Falls Church). 7 p.m. 571-327-2215 P�� B�� A��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $18 – $20. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. C�� O’L�� B��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504. O�� M�� N�� A�� P��. Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). 8 p.m. 703-522-8340

P�� A��... Friday, April 7 – Concert at Dulin United Methodist Church – The Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Chorale under the direc�on of Dr. Ryan Beeken and Dr. Craig Denison will be in concert at Dulin United Methodist Church on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 7:30 pm. Free admission. For more informa�on, go to dulinchurch.org Saturday, April 15 – Easter Egg Hunt – Children can bring a basket to hunt for candy and prize eggs in Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave.Falls Church) from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny. In addi�on to scrambling for eggs, children ages 11 and younger par�cipate in a makeyour-own-candy-bag cra� project. Sunday, April 23 – Taste of Islam: Open House – Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center’s annual open house opens the door to people of all faiths to come enjoy Islamic culture and learn more about the faith including hijab fashion, Islamic arts, tradi�onal foods and drinks, mosque tours, and more.

C�� S�� Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.

Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Fax: 703-342-0347; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

PAGE 22 | MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017

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Hundreds March for Women In Falls Church Last Sunday

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

THE FIRST-EVER WOMEN’S “HERSTORY” MONTH walk was held on a crisp afternoon in the City of Falls Church Sunday, drawing over 300 participants to walk, reflect and interact at stations en route with lessons on women’s history and a resource fair at the Community Center at the conclusion. Organized by Falls Church Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly and the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation’s Nikki Henderson, the event will kick off a new annual tradition, the organizers affirmed. (Photos: J. Michael Whalen & News-Press)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

6 Ways the Instant Pot Has Won Over Cooks BY SHARON KENNEDY WYNNE TAMPY BAY TIMES

With only online word of mouth generating heat, the pressure cooker has bubbled to the surface to become the “it” appliance of the year. But not just any pressure cooker. Specifically, the Instant Pot. Fans on social media call the silver and black contraption “lifechanging,” and gush that they have “fallen in love.” They call themselves addicts or cult members. Instant Pot has nearly 400,000 Facebook fans, and it blew up Amazon’s 2016 Prime Day, selling more than 215,000 cookers in just one day. It has become the world’s first viral kitchen appliance. Though the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker has been around since 2010, it picked up steam in the past six months, after slaying Prime Day in July and again on Black Friday. The sales pressure continues to build. Just last week, three of the top 10 bestsellers in Amazon’s entire kitchen department were Instant Pots of varying sizes. I will now confess I’m one of the smitten. A year ago, I muttered “Not again,” when my husband unboxed the Instant Pot in our home. I did not like the idea of that man’s love of gadgets taking up more of my precious counter space. So now I have to tolerate his “I told you so” as I swoon when it transforms beans from bone dry to tender in 25 minutes without presoaking. I sigh when it makes perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs that I can peel with one hand because the shell slips right off. Pressure cookers have been around for centuries — since 1679 to be exact, when a French physicist came up with the airtight steamer. They were essential in kitchens of the 1950s and ‘60s,

even though the hissing vents and exploding pots of pea soup scared the blazes out of our grandmothers. They fell out of favor when the microwave unseated them in the 1970s as a way to cook food fast. So why has the pressure cooker returned? And why this pressure cooker? Here are six reasons: 1 The New Word of Mouth You can thank the sharing culture of Facebook and YouTube for making the Instant Pot a household name. The company gave away more than 200 of its appliances to bloggers and “influencers” who then started gushing all over social media with recipes and testimonials. The company also carefully tends to its fan community, inviting suggestions for new features and posting recipes from customers. The company hasn’t bought advertising in traditional media but instead has pushed its way onto dinner tables by getting your best friend to rave about it on Instagram. 2 It’s Less Scary While today’s stove-top versions have foolproof locking safety features, many people still associate them with the scary and noisy jiggle-top models that hissed in our grandmothers’ kitchens. What makes this new generation of cookers different is how easy they are. The Instant Pot has a slew of self-regulating features for safety and cooking time so that all you do is plug it in and tap a button. Something to note: The cooking geeks at America’s Test Kitchen frown on electric cookers like the Instant Pot. They don’t like how it will switch to Keep Warm mode like a slow cooker, they said, requiring that delicate foods be closely monitored. They prefer the stove-top pressure cooker systems that give the cook more control.

FO O D &D I NI NG 3 It Really Works Can a kitchen appliance really be that life-changing? Yes, I say. Yes it can. The design of it is as user-friendly as a slow cooker, but dinner takes less than an hour to cook instead of all day. And the higher cooking temperature isn’t just faster, it produces more flavor. “The physical reactions that produce new flavor molecules happen faster at higher temperatures,” says award-winning food writer Janet A. Zimmerman. “So not only is your pressure-braised meat tender in less time, but it’s just as flavorful as it would be had it simmered in the oven for hours.” And in some cases, Zimmerman said, these reactions simply won’t happen at all at lower temperatures. The mushroom stock from her first pressure cooker book (The Healthy Pressure Cooker Cookbook) develops a deep flavor under pressure that she says she has never been able to duplicate without a pressure cooker. Zimmerman’s second pressure cooker cookbook, appropriately titled Instant Pot Obsession (Sonoma Press), is now out. 4 It Does a Lot It bills itself as seven (yes, seven) tools in one: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, saute pot, steamer, warming pot and yogurtmaker. They also made it easy, with buttons just for Rice or Stew, so there’s no need to look up a cooking time. The 2017 model added Cake and Egg cooking buttons. There’s even one that is Bluetooth-enabled to program and monitor cooking from afar. While I have yet to stretch myself with all those features, I have discovered that it can do a lot of time-consuming chores like making flavor-packed broth, and it cuts the time in half for things like steel-cut oats and brown rice. And the internet is full of more ideas, from homemade vanilla extract that takes three hours (instead of months of steeping vanilla beans in vodka), to putting uncooked pasta

MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 23

with just enough water and sauce to infuse and fully cook the pasta in five minutes. I’ve seen raves for popcorn and cheesecake, and that’s weird enough to at least try.

5 The Price Was Right The $69 sale on Prime Day — down from its usual $99 price — was the tipping point, and the cult of Instant Pot was born. Parent company C.A. Paradis Kitchen has reported that sales have doubled annually since the first version hit the market in 2010, and that 2016 marked yet another year of double-digit growth. You can find pressure cookers of all stripes with prices as low as $20 to more than $300 for models that are a thing of beauty. The Sweethome product-recommendation site rated the $100 Instant Pot as the best electric pressure cooker on the market and the $110 stove-top Fagor Duo 8-Quart if you want more manual control. Its budget pick was the $68 Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker. 6 You Can Believe Most (but Not All) of the Hype Even the most smitten pressure cooker fan will admit there are some downsides that they have learned to live with. There’s a lot of hyperbole in the recipe titles, for one. The 20-Minute Beef Stew from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook takes at least an hour start to finish because of the prepping, the searing and the time needed for the liquid to come up to temperature. But it’s still a delicious stew that would have taken three hours on the stove top or all day in the slow cooker. The five-minute hard-boiled eggs took me 22 minutes total. But they were perfect and peeled like

a dream. I don’t really see a big time savings in cooking white rice. But I did love the flavor infused in a batch of rice I made recently with porcini mushrooms, sauted onions and broth instead of water. When it was done, I stirred in peas and Parmesan cheese and it tasted just like risotto. The pressure cooker recipes are best for foods you want to be tender. So while it makes the most delicious garlic mashed potatoes in five minutes cooking time, you wouldn’t expect potato wedges to end up with that nice crisp crust you find in roasted potatoes. And the high heat mutes the flavor of ground spices, herbs and fresh garlic, so it’s best to use whole spices when cooking and add herbs after the pressure is released to brighten the dish. Zimmerman says she’d be lying if she said she had predicted the Instant Pot obsession. “I’ve seen trends come and go in cookware and appliances — breadmakers, pasta machines, slow cookers — but those predated the social media scene.” It’s “a bit of a snowball effect,” Zimmerman says. “Although these blogs post recipes that will work with any pressure cooker, they use the name Instant Pot to attract readers. The more the name is out there, the more cooks want to buy one.”

$20 will get you a delicious and healthy dinner for two at any of Eden Center’s 25 restaurants.

PAGE 24 | MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fa l l s C h u r c h

Business News & Notes Red White & Blue Wine Shop Shutters in Falls Church Red White & Blue Wine, Beer & Gourmet has closed at 127 S. Washington Street. After almost nine years in business, managing owner Adam Roth decided to close the business in order to better focus on his position as an account manager for Congressional Seafood which supplies seafood to Great American Restaurants, Clyde’s, Trio, Open Road and Café Deluxe restaurants. The vacated space at 127 S. Washington Street is now available with 2,250 square feet retail space and 2,300 square feet of basement space. For information about the space or Congressional Seafood, contact Adam Roth at 703-9273225 or Adambroth@hotmail.com or contact property owner Bob Malakuti directly at 703-618-1861.

NOVASCriptsCentral’s John Earns Health Honor Doctor of Pharmacy Donney John, the executive director of NOVA ScriptsCentral has been selected by the

National Minority Quality Forum as one of its top 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health Award. The award honors influential young minority leaders, including physicians, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, policy experts, researchers and others, making a difference in health care around the country. The winners will be honored at the 2017 NMQF Leadership Summit & CBC Spring Health Braintrust meeting on April 25. For more information about NOVA ScriptsCentral or Dr. John, visit www. novascriptscentral.org.

F.C. Chamber Announces Gala Award Winners The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 70th Anniversary Platinum Ball Awards Gala on Saturday, April 1 at the Fairview Park Marriott. The event will celebrate the history of the Falls Church business community and honor local business people. Four awards will be granted. Mike Diener of Diener & Associates will receive the Commander Hap Day Chamber Appreciation Award for his

efforts to create and lead the Chamber’s Diversity Inclusion Effort. Dave Crance of Bentley’s and the Governor’s House Inn will receive the James S. Elkin Award for Humanitarianism for his support of the Greater Falls Church Veteran’s Council and the Chamber’s Diversity Inclusion Effort. Nikki Graves and Ed Henderson of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation will receive the Carroll V Shreve Award for their work to educate the community and preserve our area’s civil rights history. And finally, the Chamber’s coveted Pillar of the Community Award will be given to Kieran Sharpe for his exemplary efforts to support children, youth, and those less fortunate through his work with the Lions Club and the Fairfax Partnership for Youth as well as his cofounding of Homestretch and his service on the Falls Church City School Board. For information about the event, visit www.FallsChurchChamber.org.

Entertainer Zig Zag to Appear at Doodlehopper Sunday Zig Zag the Magic Man! will be at Doodlehopper 4 Kids Sunday, April 2 from 1 – 1:45 p.m. Zig Zag is the area’s top “magical laffinator” who will perform with puppetry, juggling, silly magic, and more. Kids of all ages are welcome to the free event. Doodlehopper is located at 234 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit www.doodlehopper.com.

MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 25

CTAC Announces Addition of New Web Services

Communitcations Training Analysis Corp, or CTAC, has announced the addition of Amazon Web Services Cloud Computing solutions to its General Services Administration IT 70 Federal Supply Schedule (GS-35F 256CA) under the Cloud Computing Services Special Item Number (SIN) 132-40. As a small business and AWS Public Sector Partner, CTAC has been recognized for its value, solutions, and experience provided to its government customers’ critical missions. Government clients can now purchase AWS services directly from CTAC in addition to purchasing IT professional services. CTAC is one of the few small businesses to have AWS Cloud Computing solutions on their GSA Federal Supply Schedule, and one of 38 small businesses having the Cloud Computing Services SIN 132-40. CTAC, in addition to their AWS offerings, has over a dozen AWS certified architects focusing on DevOps, Solution Architecture, and SysOps, to provide full lifecycle cloud solutions. For more information, visit www.ctacorp. com.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@ fallschurchchamber.org.

The Providence Players

Just Two Weeks Remain of this American Classic

Christopher Sergel and PPF bring Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize Winning Novel to Life Onstage

Celebrating 19 Years Of Quality Theater Experiences

Four Performances this Week Thurs, Fri and Sat Evening - 7:30 pm Final Sun Matinee - 2:00 pm Record breaking audiences have loved this production!

An American classic based on the Pulitzer prizewinning masterwork and one of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird is a gripping and heart-wrenching tale of coming-of-age in the South.

PERFORMING AT

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FCNP Reader Discount

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PAGE 26 | MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Call now: 800-996-5135

Refinancing now could save you thousands LendingTree Can Help You Refinance Just as you would shop around for your home, it's equally as important to shop around for your home loan – whether you're a first-time buyer or are looking to refinance your existing loan. At LendingTree, we make it easy by doing the shopping foryou. By comparing lenders and having them compete for your business, you're certain to get the best rate possible on your mortgage refinance. The better your rate, the lower your payment will be and the more money you will save over the life of your loan.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SENIOR LIVING

S�� N�� L��

Prescription Drugs Don’t Always Mix BY MATLIDA CHARLES

KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, one in every 250 emergency room visits was because of adverse drug reactions. Seniors were well-represented, coming in at 30 percent of the total. The numbers will no doubt continue to rise as we age and end up in the offices of more specialists. Most of us take at least one prescription drug, and some take more than 10. Here are a few steps you can take to keep safe from adverse drug reactions: • When you visit a doctor, bring along all your medications. Nowadays, many local doctors are hooked up via computer and can check your records with other medical offices, but not all. Unless you

know you can make a detailed, accurate list, load up a shoebox with all your prescription drugs and take them with you. Ask whether you’re still to take all of the drugs, and if you need blood tests for monitoring. • Don’t forget your over-thecounter drugs, even if you rarely take them. One of them might be contraindicated for mixing with your regular prescriptions. At least one kind of over-the-counter drug isn’t thought to be safe for people with high blood pressure. • Go to the same pharmacy every time. Your drug records will be stored in one place, and a pharmacist will notice if you’re taking certain drugs that will be combined with a new one. He or she will be able to tell you how to take the drug, and can verify what’s in the container. (Some labels describe the pills inside by color and shape.) Ask

SE NI O R LI V I NG whether a new one can be taken at the same time as the others. • Keep a chart at home, especially if you’re starting a new drug that will go along with other ones. *** While in a very narrow set of circumstances a reverse mortgage can be a benefit in retirement, this path is not for everyone. The way a reverse mortgage works is that a company gives you money based on the equity in your home, your age and the value of the home. The money doesn’t have to be paid back until you sell the house, move away or die. Your financial situation will be reviewed to make sure you can pay insurance, property taxes and maintenance on the house on your monthly income. If your loan is approved, you can expect a monthly sum. However, there are sad tales everywhere from people who didn’t understand all the potential pitfalls of reverse mortgages. The loan can be called for any number of reasons: failure to pay property taxes or insurance premiums, not maintaining the property and more. Beware if only one of you is age 62 or older, and if that spouse is not listed on the deed. If only one of you

MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 27

signs for the loan, the other could be forced to move out of the home after the death of the signer, with the home being sold or foreclosed. Since 2014 the “non-borrowing spouse” has more protections, but there are time limits to establishing the right to stay in the home. As a protection, you’ll be required to attend counseling to make sure you know about reverse mortgages. Don’t stop there, however. Get expert advice before you begin. To process the loan, only use a Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional. Go online to the National

Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association website (www.reversemortgage.org) and read how a reverse mortgage works, especially the Your Roadmap step-bystep information and the Reverse Mortgage Self-Evaluation. Best bet: If you have any alternative to increasing your retirement income, use that option instead of a reverse mortgage.  Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.

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Please Visit Us at www.vinsonhall.org 703-536-4344

PAGE 28 | MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017

HOME IMPROVEMENT

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C L AS S I F I E DS Cemetery Plots TWO CEMETERY PLOTS at National

Memorial Park. Includes 2 Interment rights, 2 custom built Vaults and one Companion Bronze Memorial with Vase (13” x 44”) – Current Value $16,017. Make Offer at Boyden930@verizon.net

For Sale HOUSE FOR SALE 5729 Norton Road Alexandria Virginia 22303 $472,740 Phone: 202-742-7290 or 703-582-7150 Senate Realty Corporation 909 U Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 FAIR HOUSING & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REALTOR

For Rent FOR RENT BEACH FRONT CONDO Ocean City, Maryland. Sleeps 8 Nicely furnished $1600 per week 703-534-8493 or 703-622-5019 .

Public Notice ABC LICENSE MADANJI, LLC, Trading as: Flippin Pizza, 800 West Broad Street, Suite 103, Falls Church, Virginia 22046-3142. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Beer On Premise Permit license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Pratik Patel, Owner. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the ﬁrst of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

classads@fcnp.com

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given ﬁrst reading by the City Council on January 23, 2017; and second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Monday, April 10, 2017 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO17-01) AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, BY REZONING A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 7,508 SQUARE FEET OF LAND FROM R-1A, LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO R-1B, MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR A PORTION OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AT 116 GREAT FALLS STREET AND A PORTION OF THE COLUMBIA BAPTIST CHURCH PROPERTY AT 308 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, AND REZONING APPROXIMATELY 23,842 SQUARE FEET OF LAND FROM R-1A, LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO T-1, TRANSITIONAL DISTRICT, FOR A PORTION OF THE COLUMBIA BAPTIST CHURCH PROPERTIES AT 308, 310, 312 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE & 103 WEST COLUMBIA STREET (REAL PROPERTY CODE NUMBERS 51-103-005 THROUGH 51-103-008, 51-103-023, AND 51-103-024), ON APPLICATION BY DAVID F. & EDITH H. SNYDER AND THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA BAPTIST CHURCH All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s oﬃce at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH CITY CLERK

LEGAL NOTICE FAMILY COURT of the State of NY, County of Nassau In the Matter of Proceeding under Article 6, of the Family Court Act. Docket Nos: V- 8196-16, LORENSO DEJESUS ROMERO-MUNGUIA, Petitioner, vs. MARGARITA RIVAS DEARGUETA, Respondent. In the name of the People of the State of New York. To the above-named Respondent: MARGARITA RIVAS DEARGUETA, who is found at Falls Church, VA.

A petition having been ﬁled with this Court requesting custody of the following minor: JOSSELIN ESTEFANY ROMERO- RIVAS, DOB 09/05/05. You are hereby summoned to appear before the Nassau County Family Court, Referee Robert LoPresti, located at 1200 Old Country Rd., Westbury, NY 11590 on April 18, 2017, 10:00am to answer the petition and be dealt with in accordance with the Fam.Ct.Act. On your failure to appear as herein directed, a warrant may be issued for your arrest, or an order may be issued on your default. Dated: 02/23/17, Rosalie Fitzgerald, Clerk of Court. To the Above-Named Respondent: The foregoing summons are served upon you by publication pursuant to CPLR 308, and order of the Nassau County Family Court.

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS PUBLIC HEARING The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on April 13, 2017 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following items: New Business Variance application V1589-17 by Thomas Carmody, applicant and owner, for a variance to Section 48-238(3)(a) to allow (1) a front yard setback of 25.89 feet instead of 30 feet with steps extending 9 feet into the front setback; and (2) a side yard setback of 14.88 feet instead of 15 feet along the western property line for the purpose of constructing a 2-story addition on premises known as 802 Parker Avenue, RPC #52-202-004 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential. Information on the above applications is available for review at: Zoning Oﬃce 300 Park Avenue, Suite 300W Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA PLANNING COMMISSION The Falls Church Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 PM, or as soon thereafter as may be heard, on April 3, 2017 to consider the following: (TR17-03) RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE 2005 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO REPLACE CHAPTER 1 “INTRODUCTION AND VISION” WITH “FALLS CHURCH 2040” The City of Falls Church Comprehensive Plan serves as a guide for all aspects of planning and development. Chapter 1 of the Comprehensive Plan provides an overarching picture of what the City wants to be over the next 25 years. The Chapter was last updated in 2005. The updated Chapter will incorporate a vision statement for the City and will reﬂect community values and changes to the City and to the region that have taken place since the last update. More information regarding the update of the Comprehensive Plan Chapter 1 and the public engagement process through which it was developed is available at www.fallschurchva.gov/vision or at the Development Services oﬃce in City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-2485040 (TTY 711). Debra Gee, Planning Commission Clerk

ABC LICENSE STONE & NICHOLS LLC, Trading as: Stone & Nichols 1243 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22046-2117. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine Importer and Wholesaler license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Julie A. Peterson, Owner. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the ﬁrst of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

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

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

14 17

19 21

20 22

30 35 40

26 32

34 37

47 53

58 63

55 59

61 65

Across 1. Locale painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling

1. Locale painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling 5. Many Al Jazeera viewers 10. "For Those About to Rock" band 14. Moore of "Ghost" 15. Album half 16. "Stop procrastinating!" 17. Comedy routines that had 5K views long before social media? 20. Lacking 21. Mr. or Mrs. Right 22. Alphabet trio 23. Part of graduation attire 26. Took over 29. "For ____ jolly good fellow" 31. Baby's crib part 34. "Gone Girl" actress Ward 35. It bought Instagram in 2012 39. Watergate monogram 40. TV catchphrase that had 4B views long before social media? 43. Film noir weather condition 44. Least likely to forgive 45. Actor Guinness 47. Tolkien tree creatures 48. Soaks (up) 52. Completely safe, as a proposition 55. Swell locale? 57. "Just Another Girl on the ____" (1993 movie) 58. Words from the agreeable 61. Heroic trait 63. ABBA hit song that had 6M views long before social media? 67. Puccini's "Un bel di," e.g. 68. 1961 Charlton Heston title role 69. Fist-bumps

MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 29

DOWN

1. New York City mayor who later became a judge on "The People's Court" 2. Completely strip 3. Gushes onstage, say 4. One-named singer who was a muse for Andy Warhol 5. Query 6. ____ Tin Tin 7. "Poke-____!" (kids' book series) 8. Title character who "Is Back" and "At Bay" in two John Updike novels 9. "____ alive!" 10. Stud muffin 11. Diet soda introduced in 2005 12. Peter out 13. Small monetary amts. 18. Louisville-based restaurant chain 19. MSNBC's "Morning ____" 24. Happy ____ be 25. Polish brand 27. Muppet who speaks in a falsetto 28. Brown who wrote "The Da Vinci Code" 30. B-52's home: Abbr. 32. "Were you raised in ____?!?!" 33. One way to be loved 36. Law school accrediting org.

CHUCKLE BROS BRIAN & RON BOYCHUK

5. Many Al Jazeera viewers

37. More than chubby 38. ____ in kangaroo 40. Modern acronym meaning "carpe diem" 41. 21, at a casino, say 42. Wino's affliction, for short 43. One shooting the breeze? 46. Two characters in "sex, lies, and videotape" 49. One with a well-defined career? 50. Cue 51. Cause of gray hair, say 53. "Was that so hard?!" 54. Fired up 56. Batting fig. 59. Part of many a rural skyline 60. Where "you can hang out with all the boys," in song 62. Opera set in Egypt 63. Chew the fat 64. 401(k) alternative 65. Prefix with day or night 66. Publishers' hirees, for short

70. Flutters, as eyelashes 71. Ways to go 72. One supercolony of them stretches almost 4,000 miles from Italy to Portugal

10. "For Those About to Rock" band

Last Thursday’s Solution

Sudoku Level:

B O L O T I E

O N E L A N E

I T S L A T E

M A H A L I A

G P O O U M N O V G A I I V E R N R O T G A A N L A I D O G D E F R E E C L C I H T Z U P O Z Z P E R T E S T O R L A P

R O L O R G L S Y N N N U E N I C E D

E L M O

B E T T E

A L O H A

R A A S T S T H N E A N I R R Y

R M A N N I N O S S T O T O D R O I L I O N E C K E D H A P P P R O B T T P S L S O N A V E L E W E R S

By The Mepham Group 4

14. Moore of "Ghost" 15. Album half 16. "Stop procrastinating!" 17. Comedy routines that had 5K views long before social media? 20. Lacking 21. Mr. or Mrs. Right 22. Alphabet trio

23. Part of graduation attire 26. Took over 29. "For ____ jolly good fellow"

LOOSE PARTS

31. Baby's crib part 34. "Gone Girl" actress Ward

Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

NICK KNACK

DAVE BLAZEK

4/2/17

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

LO CA L

PAGE 30 | MARCH 30 – APRIL 5, 2017

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C�� C��

BACK IN THE DAY

laz y The dog. c k q u i fox sly p e d jum e r o v lazy the g . d o is Now time the all for o d g o to cows

20 s Yearo Ag

e c o mthe to of aid i r t h e re. pastu w N o the is e t i m all for o d g o to cows e c o mthe to

20 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P�� Falls Church News-Press Vol. VII, No. 3 • April 3, 1997

It is no the timw e for g o all o cows d to go to the aid of the pa stu ir re. *** **

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVII, No. 4 • March 29, 2007

10 Year s Ago

Thr ow it up. Pour it up It now is the time for all go od cows to go the to aid

New Developers Of AdCom Site To Meet Council

After 3 Years, Hekemian Finally Wins OK for ‘Northgate’ Project

At least some prophetic voices in Falls Church have sought for a long time a comprehensive approach to the development of the north side of the 400 and 500 blocks of West Broad Street, including the five-years-idle former AdCom building site.

It took three years and a couple of rude setbacks, but the dogged Hekemian Company finally won the favor of the Falls Church City Council, as well as a wide range of local advisory groups and the City’s professional staff, to build 105 rental residential units.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE (TO17-07) ORDINANCE SETTING THE RATE OF TAX LEVY ON REAL ESTATE FOR TAX YEAR 2018 AND ON PERSONAL PROPERTY, MACHINERY AND TOOLS AND ALL OTHER PROPERTY SEGREGATED BY LAW FOR LOCAL TAXATION IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH VIRGINIA FOR TAX YEAR 2017

The City of Falls Church proposes to increase property tax levies. 1.

Assessment Increase. Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 1.46 percent

Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment. The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above would be $1.296 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the “lowered tax rate.”

Effective Rate Increase. The City of Falls Church proposes to adopt a tax rate of $1.355 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.059 per $100, or 4.55 percent. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase.” Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.

Proposed Total Budget Increase. Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget of the City of Falls Church will exceed last year’s by 2.53 percent.

Public hearings on the increase will be held on April 10 and April 24, 2017 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as they may be heard, in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. The hearings shall be open to the public. The City Council will permit persons desiring to be heard an opportunity to present oral testimony within such reasonable time limits as shall be determined by the City Council. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk's office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www.fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

TWO BEST BUDS, Petunia, a chocolate lab, and Blue, the family cat, take a snooze on the couch on a lazy Saturday morning in Falls Church. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

MAKE YOUR PET A STAR!

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be!

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

Snap a pic of your critter and email it to:

(A) Go ask your mother. (B) Because I said so. (C) We’ll see.

CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM

OR mail it to

Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 200 Little Falls St. #508 Falls Church, Va 22046

There are no perfect answers in parenting. AdoptUSKids.org

Critter

Corner

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017 | PAGE 31

Now Available at One More Page Books! 2200 North Westmoreland Street #101, Arlington

To order online, visit FCNP.com/frontpages1

PAGE 32 | MARCH 30 - APRIL 5, 2017

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

For Sale

Coming Soon

Under Contract

3309 Wyndham Circle #3178 | Alexandria

Lovely updated 1 BD/1 BA condo w/ balcony and covered parking. Condo features hardwood floors in living room, granite countertops and brand new washer/dryer in unit. Great location! Offered at $199,900

110 W Westmoreland Rd Falls Church City Wonderful 3 level colonial featuring 4 BD/4 BA, gorgeous deck and yard backing up to the park. Situated on quiet cul de sac.

More homes Coming Soon in Falls Church City and nearby. Call TODAY for more information!

Louise Molton Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com

Falls Church City resident and local business owner. Real Estate expert right here in our community for more than 10 years. Call Louise for all your real estate needs!

204 N Underwood St | Falls Church City

Fabulous 5 BD/3.5 BA home in Broadmont. Updates throughout, spacious rooms on 3 finished levels. Steps to Metro and FCC schools! Offered at $1,350,000

1736 N. Queens Ln, #196 | Arlington

Lovely 1 BD/1 BA condo located in Colonial Village! Walk to 2 Metros; close to shopping, restaurants, and entertainment! Offered at $276,000

Under Contract

ct Contra ! ys a in 3 D

Contra ct in 3 Da ys!

1006 Broadmont Terr | Falls Church City

4 BD/3 BA Cape in Broadmont. Much larger than it appears with updated kitchen and baths on 3 finished levels. Large lot and beautiful screened in porch. Walk to Metro and FCC Schools! Offered at $875,000

10230 Confederate Lane | Fairfax

Lovely renovated split level in Mosby Woods. Featuring 4 BD/2.5 BA, Updated kitchen and baths. Neighborhood Pool! Offered at $525,000

710 W Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046 ~ 703-596-5303 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

REALTOR

CONTACT BETHANY FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS. Open Sunday 1-4 in Falls Church City! Licensed in VA & DC

1355 Beverly Rd Ste 109 McLean, VA 22101

Are you ready to buy or sell in 2017?

Contact Bethany for the answers to all of your real estate questions.

Serving all of Falls Church, Arlington, McLean, Vienna, Great Falls & Northern VA markets. Take a look at my website- where you can search for homes, view my new Falls Church & McLean videos, and more!

www.buyandsellwithBethany.com

Just Listed! Charming Cape Cod on quiet street. Gorgeous granite and stainless kitchen with table space, spacious formal dining room, living room with fireplace, large family room and gleaming hardwood floors. Three bedrooms plus den, two full baths. Huge Master closet. Large deck. New paint and carpet. A gem! 500 Randolph St. Dirs from Tysons: R on West, L on Randolph. $730,000

1903 Westmoreland St. McLean VA 22101

3235 Valley Lane Falls Church 22044

FOR SALE

SOLD STRICTLY AS-IS Lovely large lot. $749,000

2230 George C Marshall #309 Falls Church VA 22043 2BR/2BA beautiful and open floor plan! Granite, SS, hardwood floors. Close to parking, year round pool & tennis courts. Super convenient to 495, 66 and Metro. Shuttle bus takes riders to WFC Metro from condo building front door! $358,900

UNDER CONTRACT

Beautiful and classic 3 level cape cod. 5BR/2BA on 3 finished levels. Whole house has been remodeled in last 5 years! Including windows, roof and all systems. Fantastic New Price $719,000.

PLEASE JOIN BETHANY FOR HER ANNUAL SHREDDING EVENT!

Saturday, April 29 • 9:00am-12:00pm Haycock ES 6616 Haycock Rd. Falls Church VA 22043 Please bring up to four boxes of your sensitive files to be destroyed while you watch. Boxes should contain only files, and file-related material. There is no need to remove staples, paper clips, folders, or binder clips. Coffee/donuts/ juice will be provided.