October 1 – 7, 2015
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. XXV No. 32
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week F.C. Candidate Forum Tonight & Oct. 8
Two public forums featuring candidates for the City of Falls Church’s City Council and School Board competing in the upcoming Nov. 3 election have been set. The first, featuring the City Council candidates, is scheduled for tonight and the second, with both Council and School Board hopefuls, is set for Oct. 8. See News Briefs, page 9
As Right Slams Planned Parenthood, Beyer Moves to Empower Women Creates ‘Men for Women’ Caucus In U.S. Congress by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
2 New Mixed-Use Plans Considered
wife, Robin, who served on the Falls Church City Council for three four-year terms from 2000 to 2012 and as mayor from 2006 to 2010, Michael Gardner served for a time as chair of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee and was known as a sharp-tongued blogger on local and regional political matters, and for a time as a volunteer contributor to the News-Press until the time of his arrest in the June 2011. Gardner, now 51, entered guilty pleas last Thursday, Sept.
While the radical right continues to rail against Planned Parenthood as its latest target in what’s been called its relentless “war on women,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer, Jr., elected last year to represent the 8th Congressional District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, has taken a high profile in a fresh effort to elevate the vital role of women in politics and the economy. At a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Monday, Beyer was joined by Bloomberg LP chairman Peter Grauer, and a large contingent of successful women leaders, to announce the formation of a “Men for Women” caucus in the House of Representatives “to promote economic growth through women’s empowerment.” He cited the following indicators of the importance of women to the economy: “Forty percent of American households with a child under the age of 18 depend on a woman’s salary as the sole or primary source of income. Women are estimated to make more than 70 percent of all retail purchasing decisions, and women investors are the fastest growing sector making investments on Wall Street.” Beyer said at the Monday press conference, “As workers, consumers and investors, women drive the economy, but Congress is still 80 percent male. This caucus will support initiatives to unleash the power of women to further drive growth. For the sake of our eco-
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Two new proposals for mixed use development projects were given a preliminary hearing before the Economic Development committee of the Falls Church City Council last Thursday. See News Briefs, page 9
David Brooks: The Prison Problem
Pretty much everybody from Barack Obama to Carly Fiorina seems to agree that far too many Americans are stuck behind bars. See page 14
Press Pass with The Karma Killers
In the almost year since The Karma Killers signed to Island Records, the band has delivered their genre-blending sound, dubbed “night pop,” around the country. And this Sunday, they’re bringing it to The Pinch in D.C. See page 26
AT A PRESS CONFERENCE held in the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Monday, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer was flanked by a contingent of successful women leaders to announce the formation of a “Men for Women” caucus in the U.S. House to help promote the role of women in politics and the economy. (Photo: News-Press)
Gardner Pleads Guilty on All Child Molestation Charges by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.12-13 Comment........14-17 Calendar.........20-21 Food & Dining......23
Sports..................24 Classified Ads .....28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........29 Business News....30 Critter Corner.......30
Michael Gardner, a longtime City of Falls Church resident and political activist, pleaded guilty last Thursday to all counts in two child sex abuse cases, the trial for one of which began just the day before, and the other slated for late November. The high profile nature of the cases has resulted from the prominent roles locally in Falls Church of Gardner and his wife, former mayor Robin Gardner. In what was a plea bargain deal, Gardner’s attorneys recom-
mended a sentence of 20 years in prison, which was agreed to by the prosecution and so ordered by Arlington Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo. Gardner’s trial last week was set to involve a niece of his who was 12 at the time she was molested by Gardner, but is now 18. She came forward with her story last year after a conviction in another case against Gardner involving two girls, ages 9 and 10 at a slumber party in his home in the summer of 2011, was reversed by a higher court. In addition to the role of his