August 30 — September 5, 2018
FA LLS CHUR C H, V I R G I NI A • WW W. FC NP. C OM • FR EE
FOU N D E D 1991 • VOL. XXVIII NO. 28
F���� C����� • T����� C����� • M��������� • M�L��� • N���� A�������� • B�����’� C���������
I����� T��� W���
In Annual State-of-City Interview, F.C. Mayor Tarter is Very Upbeat
Optimistic All Big Issues & Problems Can Be Resolved
B��� �� F���� C����� W������ A��������!
BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
The winners are here, the winners are here! After all the ballots were submitted and all the votes were counted, the readers’ selections for the 2018 Best of Falls Church are here! Inside find the winners in more than 70 categories of your favorite places to eat, drink, shop and more in and around the Little City.
ther. Incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine is considered on the brink of a blowout in his re-election effort against Prince William County’s Cory Stewart. Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, which borders on Falls Church to cover McLean all the way out to Loudoun County, is now considered by Democrats the “most winnable district in the whole U.S.,” according to sources. State Sen. Jennifer Wexton is the Democrat running there against the Republicans’ seasoned incumbent Barbara Comstock.
City of Falls Church Mayor David Tarter believes things are looking up for Falls Church. Three major commercial developments in the West End project, the Broad and Washington St. project and the Founder’s Row project all promise to enliven the City’s already rich business community with quality additions for residents and passersby alike to patronize. The completion of those three projects, along with the public renovations taking place at City Hall, Mary Riley Styles Library and the construction of the new George Mason High School, all contribute to tangible signs of progress for the City. Furthermore, Tarter discussed how these developments will buttress the City’s efforts to create a spirited downtown area, but also how the City needs to be inventive when addressing the less-than-ideal parking situation that will inevitably compound as more outside attention is brought to Falls Church. On broader topics, Tarter emphasized how Falls Church can follow its own development template without attempting to mimic what areas such as Tysons or Arlington are doing, while also digging into the potential that either Amazon or Apple’s new headquarters would hold for the City and its residents. News-Press: There’s a lot of private development projects in the works right now, with the West End development, the Broad and Washington St. development and the Founder’s Row development all progressing. What excites you the most about these projects?
Continued on Page 4
Continued on Page 5
SEE BEST OF FALLS CHURCH 2018, PAGES 14 – 22
B��� R���� T������ F�� F.C. S������
The 2018-2019 year for the Falls Church City Public Schools will formally commence with the first day of classes on Tuesday, Sept. 4, the day after this coming Labor Day weekend. At a Backto-School convocation Tuesday morning, Superintendent Peter Noonan offered reflections and staff members were recognized for their longevity in the system. SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9
G���� F���� S�. C����� U���� 3 P.M. T����
Great Falls Street between Lincoln Avenue and Dorchester Avenue will be closed to vehicles from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. while a tree is removed. SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9
INDEX
Editorial............... 6 Letters.............6, 8 News & Notes 10–11 Comment ...... 12-13 Business News . 24 Calendar ..... 30–31
Classified Ads ... 32 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ........ 33 Crime Report ......34 Critter Corner....34
CITY OF FALLS CHURCH Mayor David Tarter sat down with the News-Press at its of�ices last Saturday for the paper’s annual “State of the City” interview. (P����: N���-P����)
Labor Day Events Kick Off Mid-Term Elections Push BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
On the eve of Labor Day, the traditional bell marking the stretch run for candidates in this November’s elections, insider Democratic Party information suggests that Democrats will pick up at least 40 U.S. House seats in the upcoming midterms, which would give them a healthy majority, according to NewsPress sources. The balance would go from 237-193 favoring the GOP now to 233-197 favoring the Democrats. Taking control of the U.S.
Senate is also a real possibility, as a swelling, massive “blue wave” tsunami is sweeping across the land. Some say the 40 flipping number for the House is too conservative, that it could be 60 or higher. Last year, when the Democrats saw a big wave coming their way in Virginia state delegate race, they cautiously predicted winning an additional 10 seats, but it turned out to be 15. Some polls are now showing that up to seven percent of usual Republican voters are staying home in this election, which could boost the Dem results even fur-