October 5 — 11, 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. XXVI I NO. 33
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I����� T��� W��� C����� H��� P��������� C����������� �� B���� The City of Falls Church Department of Public Works and Recreation and Parks Department will begin the construction phase of the Cherry Hill Park Playground Equipment Replacement project next week. SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9
Warner Cautions Russian ‘Active Measures’ May Impact Virginia Elections Next Month
Senate Intelligence Committee Leader Hails Proactive Steps
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON AND MATT DELANEY
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Falls Church’s Citizen’s Bridge might be easy to take for granted to motorists down below and trail users walking on it but for Falls Church resident Craig Day, who spearheaded the proposal, it’s a different story.
benefits. But the numbers were better rehearsed this time, and presumably going forward. Should the referendum fail in the Nov. 7 election, then in the fact sheet developed by the schools, “FCCPS will need to spend money to purchase trailers and upgrade failing systems.” It explained, “An analysis of the critical improvement needs at the high school shows it would cost $40 million, probably in the form of a bond, to cover replacement of the past end-of-life HVAC and boiler systems, permanently replace the roof, as well as other updates to infrastructure.”
Virginia’s U.S. Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russia’s role interfering in U.S. elections, confirmed at a Capitol Hill press conference yesterday that the Russians’ efforts remain active and could impact the Virginia gubernatorial and other state races on the ballot next month. Warner, and Senate Intelligence Committee chair Sen. Richard Burr, criticized the Department of Homeland Security for delaying until just last week the release of its findings that the Russians attempted to penetrate the electoral processes in 21 U.S. states, including Virginia. Warner praised the Virginia Department of Elections for acting proactively to decertify voting machines that failed to have “paper trails” in jurisdictions throughout the state, including in the City of Falls Church. The decertification order came just in time to allow for the substitution of new voting machines with such “paper trails” in advance of the beginning of absentee balloting last month. Insofar as Warner and Burr emphasized their committee’s objective to have a comprehensive report made public prior to the commencement of primary elections in 2018, yesterday’s press conference might have been motivated by a desire to address the November 2017 elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Warner and Burr stressed that the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation concurred with the
Continued on Page 5
Continued on Page 4
SEE PAGE 8
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“God bless America,” our president said, dutifully, after the bloody Sunday in Las Vegas. It’s a wish worth repeating. It’s an intervention sorely needed in a country seriously lost. SEE PAGE 14
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Lazy Mike’s, the new, bigger version of Mike’s Deli at Lazy Sundae is now open and serving subs, sandwiches, ice cream and more in the former Long John Silver’s space on Leesburg Pike. SEE PAGE 17
INDEX
Editorial.................6 Letters...................6 News & Notes10–11 Comment ........ 12-14 Sports .................16 Food & Dining.....17
Calendar .......18–19 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........21 Business News ...22 Critter Corner......22 Classified Ads .....23
VIRGINIA U.S. SENATOR Mark Warner (center) with Sen.Tim Kaine (right) spoke at a Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce event in Falls Church Monday prior to his press conference on Capitol Hill yesterday. (P�����: M��� D������)
Pro-Referendum Forces Refine Argument For Big Falls Church Election in November BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
A compelling narrative about why taxpayers should vote “yes” to authorize the issuance of a whopping $120 million for the construction of a new high school in the City of Falls Church began coalescing at last week’s joint meeting of the F.C. City Schools’ three PTA and PTSA organizations. Among the myriad presentations on why voters should support the bond measure, it was never presented at clearly as at that meeting in the George Mason High School auditorium, and the result was predictable. Of the three
groups — one representing the elementary school parent-teacher organization, one representing the middle school equivalent and the third, including student representation, representing the high school — there was only one vote against endorsing the referendum for passage. What was presented more clearly than before was the notion that failing to pass the referendum to build a new George Mason High School would actually cost taxpayers more than if they did. In fact, the case makes a lot of sense. Patchwork steps –which would be required if the referendum failed – are almost always more costly and bring far fewer
PAGE 2 | OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2017
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PAGE 4 | OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2017
Warner Urges Caution Before Virginia Elections Next Month Continued from Page 1
intelligence community assessment that the Russians engaged in widespread active measures to meddle with the November 2016 U.S. presidential election to the end of seeking the election of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. No initial conclusions about collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign have yet been established, however, they said. But the issue is broader than U.S. presidential and other elections, they stressed. “It is important to stress that Russian active measures are ongoing,” Warner said. “They did not end on election day in November 2016 and are not in the U.S. only.” Evidence of heavy involvement in elections since November in France, the Netherlands and Germany has been established, he said. While Burr said the Senate committee would not release the
content of the massive ad campaign that the Russians deployed on Facebook, Twitter and Google in the November election, he said that those social media platforms will be encouraged to do so. Warner said it is important for U.S. voters to know the source of such ads and whether or not “trending stories” on social media platforms are legitimate, or the result of Soviet “bots,” noting that 30,000 to 50,000 such fake accounts were rooted out by Facebook in France, alone. The fundamental intent of the ads, according to Burr, “appears to be to create chaos in every group.” Warner added that “more forensic studies” on the content of the ads will be forthcoming from the social network organizations, themselves. Warner said that “a whole government approach is needed” on the role of enemy elements in hacking and manipulating the Internet, citing the hearing on the
Personal Property Tax Due October 5 Your car tax is due! Pay online or via text TODAY! Questions? Call the Treasurer, 703-248-5046 (TTY 711).
Hill about the massive Equifax security breach. Warner said at a forum in Falls Church Monday that the lack of attention paid to online threats to U.S. national security is “shocking.” Warner appeared with Virginia U.S. Senate colleague Tim Kaine at the forum sponsored by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Both senators tackled the cybersecurity issue. Warner’s advocacy for a greater emphasis on cybersecurity measures was most impassioned. He found the lack of attention paid to online threats shocking, especially when compared to how much U.S. spending is directed toward bolstering the military. Warner said bringing cybersecurity up to par would cost half as much as a single F-35 fighter jet. He and Kaine both pointed to how Russia’s political ad campaigns run through Facebook and
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Twitter, as has come to light in the last week were used throughout last year’s presidential election, aimed at supporting one candidate (Trump) while disparaging the other (Clinton). Kaine also mentioned that the wave of “fake news” allegations during the election cycle challenged the American intellect and their faith in all sources of information. According to Warner, those tactics allowed Russia to “rattle the door” of electoral institutions. “Cyber [security] is our single greatest vulnerability,” Warner stated. “It needs to be much higher on the defense agenda. What Russia did in 2016 was a direct attack on our institutions, and for the amount of money they spent, they did a good job.” Kaine and Warner also weighed in on the Trump administration, saying they’re tired of Trump’s preference to bark more than bite on nearly every issue. Warner admitted that he believes Trump is attempting to put “points on the board” in the U.S.’s favor, but fails to involve himself in the nitty-gritty work to push legislative items forward. Kaine agreed, though adding that Trump’s overt reactions to
criticism – on both sides of the aisle – has made not only scorned Republicans more open to doing deals with Democrats, but made Trump himself open to dealing with opposition party as well. Both also stated that Trump’s election was a reminder to keep rural Americans in mind, which includes 18 percent of Virginia’s population. “In the case of trade globalization, people in metropolitan areas are the primary beneficiaries,” Warner said. Kaine added, “If you’re in a place and you feel abandoned, you’re willing to roll the dice on something different.” On North Korea, Kaine gave kudos to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for how they’ve worked diplomatic angles to mitigate the issue, mainly through contact with China. On the other hand, they said, Trump’s rash handling of North Korea is a major shortcoming, especially to Kaine, noting that Trump’s threats to withdraw from the U.S.-South Korea trade deal would constitute as poor gov-
Continued on Page 5
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Pro-Referendum Group Makes Case for Passage of School Bond Continued from Page 1
All this, as Superintendent Peter Noonan presented at the joint PTA meeting, would not include the 20 classrooms that would be needed to address projected enrollment growth. Overall, therefore, the cost of a “no” vote on the referendum would be in excess of $70 million, and while that would be less than $120 million, it would preclude any economic development offset. By contrast, if the referendum passed, a carefully-studied process would ensue that would result in the dense economic development of 10 acres of the property at an estimated value of $40-45 million for a long-term ground lease and an estimated $3.1 million in annual tax yields, all that would offset the cost of construction. So, it is estimated that fully two-thirds of the cost of the new high school — or $80 million out of the $120 million total — would be offset by the economic development.
Thus, with the passage of the referendum, the net cost to taxpayers would be $40 million, and with the failure of its passage, the net cost would be $70 million. Proponents of the bond referendum’s passage have the benefit of the conscious decision by city and school officials to make the entire deliberative process public and transparent. All the questions, including surrounding the 13 alternative approaches presented, were vetted publicly and openly when the City Council decided to abandon a more closed-door process that was required of a competitive bid process. So, while some of the data presented has been challenged, especially by opponents of the referendum’s passage, attendees at the F.C. League of Women Voters and Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) forum witnessed such opponents compelled to accuse the proposition of “a blank check,” a “Taj Mahal,” as requiring a “leap of
faith,” in a situation where “hope is not a strategy.” Some of the rhetoric on blogs around town has also reverted to personal attacks, including one that suggests City Council member Letty Hardi may be “deliberately misleading” the voters. Hardi responded with a letter to the editor published on page 6 of this edition, stating, “I urge my neighbors to make their decisions based on real facts, not selective facts or alternative facts. We’re better — and smarter — than that. A great deal of study has gone into researching options, risks, and mitigation plans. Much of this information is available online, or in the videos of past community forums. You can also reach out to me or other City officials to discuss the real facts and figures...I still optimistically believe Falls Church will rise to the occasion and separate fact from rhetoric, and I urge you to make an informed decision on November 7th.”
Sen. Warner Continued from Page 4
erning and also illogical considering he has yet to install an ambassador to the nation. Warner noted that North Korea has been a problem for multiple administrations. On the economy, the senators felt that the entire political establishment needed to do a better job at making modern capitalism work for Americans. Warner said that a third of the country’s workforce is not in permanent employment, and by 2025, it’s projected that half the country will fall in that category. That’s too much of the population without social insurance for Warner. According to Kaine, advancing Virginia’s “human capital growth” along with the economy was what helped push the state (especially Northern Virginia) forward and will continue to do so in the tech-based economy. National education rankings jumped from 36th to 12th in Virginia – the biggest jump in the union – throughout the late 20th/early 21st century,
OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2017 | PAGE 5 and that correlated with a jump in foreign-born population from 1-in-100 to 1-in-9 during that same period. The two also addressed healthcare. After poking the GOP for vehemently opposing the Affordable Care Act for eight years only to have repeal efforts shot down twice now that they control the White House, both agreed they’d be open to working with Republicans if they sought to reform less drastic aspects of the law while keeping the positive ones. Warner was more pointed in the reforms he feels are necessary, believing the sickest five percent of Americans (who account for 50 percent of healthcare spending) should receive dedicated government funding while granting greater flexibility in determining insurance providers for the remainder of the population. He also thought that the U.S. should stop footing the bill for research and development costs toward globally used drugs, allowing the country to leverage its purchasing power in order to benefit its health industry and overall economy.
PAGE 6 | OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017
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E D I TO R I A L
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Russian Tampering Was Pro-Trump
Kudos to U.S. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia for sounding the alarm on continued Russian “active measures” in the U.S. and elsewhere aimed at disrupting our democratic elections. It was important for him and his Senate Intelligence Committee chair to step out now, in advance of the Virginia elections next month, to remind and alert everyone to this active operation. He rightfully hailed the actions taken in September by the Virginia Board of Elections to aggressively decertify a variety of voting machines that fail to provide a “paper trail” option, such as the machines used since 2005 in the City of Falls Church. Also importantly, they said that the matter of whether or not there was any collusion between the Russians and their preferred candidate, Donald Trump, in the November 2016 presidential election still has yet to be determined. But in commenting on the content of the $100s of thousands in ads, seen by 10s of millions, placed by the Russians on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google, Senate Intelligence Committee chair Sen. Richard Burr misspoke when he said that all those ads were indiscriminate in their content, aimed solely at sowing discord and chaos, and did not appear to prefer one candidate over any other. That assessment badly contradicts other intelligence that has demonstrated the clear preference of the Russians for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, and reflects a basic misunderstanding of the nature of the Russians’ modus operandi. An irrational hate-infused “helter skelter” approach to the ads had a number of calculated effects, including an attempt to disguise their true intent. But otherwise, when taken in the context of their intended targets, the ad contents become clearer. For example, among their targets were specifically those voters in the critical states of Wisconsin and Michigan, where Clinton held a narrow but solid lead. The ads provided “cover” for a more comprehensive and collateral effort to twist and distort the wills of prospective voters. In any situation where a favorite, or leader, is the target of an upset effort, the use of “helter skelter” electoral chaos always works to the benefit of the upset. Hopefully, this will become clearer as the actual content of the ads becomes known and evaluated. On a related point, as U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) also stated on CNN, it is “impossible” for intelligence officials to know whether or not actual votes were tampered with in the election. That is why, in a cautionary move, the Virginia Board of Elections moved to swiftly last month to decertify all voting machines that did not include a “paper trail.” It was determined in a computer conference this summer that all such machines could be hacked without leaving evidence. It is unclear why the intelligence community would make such a claim, unless it was for the purpose of maintaining social stability until such a point that evidence of such tampering can or cannot be substantiated.
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Make an Informed Decision This November
Editor, The national headlines these days are full of shocking and upsetting news, and even our Little City is grappling with some big decisions. It’s tempting to throw up your hands, lash out, or simply disconnect. But instead, I encourage our community to take action — especially at the local level. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Make your voice count by getting informed and
getting involved. One chance to do so is on Election Day, November 7, when we’ll select our local and state representatives. (If you will be out of town or have business outside of the city on Election Day, in-person absentee voting is already underway – cast your ballot now to avoid conflicts later. For those of you new to town or new to the ballot box, the last day to register to vote is October 16.) And
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for everyone, we always have volunteer openings on our boards and commissions if you’d like to stay involved in local decisions beyond Election Day. One of our biggest local decisions this fall is the George Mason High School bond referendum. Emotions are high and scary predictions abound; after all, there’s a lot of money involved and it’s about our children and the future of the city. But because $120 million is a big undertaking for our little community, I urge my neighbors to make their decisions based on real facts, not selective facts or alternative facts. We’re better — and smarter — than that. A
great deal of study has gone into researching options, risks, and mitigation plans. Much of this information is available online, or in the videos of past community forums. You can also reach out to me or other City officials to discuss the real facts and figures. What makes our democracy great is free speech and civil discourse, where different points of view can be debated and not attacked. I still optimistically believe Falls Church will rise to the occasion and separate fact from rhetoric, and I urge you to make an informed decision on November 7. Letty Hardi Falls Church
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CO MME NT
OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017 | PAGE 7
G � � � � C � � � � � �� �� CBC Supports November’s School Bond Referendum B� R������ M�C���
For over 50 years the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) has promoted responsible local government, excellence in education, and citizen stewardship in the City of Falls Church. Most recently, CBC has focused on educating the public on important issues and helping potential candidates for office understand our City’s electoral process. It has also been educating and encouraging citizens to serve on City Boards and Commissions, as well as initiating and continuing to coordinate the successful CBC Youth Representative Initiative – a program that provides opportunities for George Mason High School students to serve on those Boards and Commissions and with other local civic organizations. Several weeks ago, CBC’s Executive Committee discussed the possibility that the organization publicly support the School Bond Referendum, whereupon an Advisory Committee was appointed to study the issue. After the Advisory Committee’s presentation of its findings and a lengthy discussion of the pros and cons, the Executive Committee voted unanimously in support of this idea. The reasoning behind this decision is explained below. A Yes vote on the School Bond Referendum 1. Authorizes the City to obtain up to $120 million for the construction of a new high school to replace the existing building, which is widely viewed as being well beyond its normal lifespan and inadequate in
terms of meeting 21st Century educational needs. 2. Reduces the direct tax impact to the citizens of Falls Church by providing revenue from commercial development adjacent to the new campus site. The Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel’s
“A yes vote on the [referendum] attracts sound, high-value economic development that serves community needs beyond just providing funding for the new school.” October, 2014 study and subsequent analysis by the City’s expert consultants estimate that the 10-acre economic development zone could generate $40-$43 million in sale/lease income, with an estimated $3.1 in annual tax revenue when fully developed. 3. Based on the projected sale and tax revenue from this development, as determined by the expert consulting firm, Alvarez and Marsal, City officials have calculated that the annual cost of the new high school debt could be reduced from $7.4 million to $2.0 million. For an individual homeowner,
this translates into a tax rate increase of 4.0 cents (versus 15.5 cents without economic development). In terms of total dollars, the increase is $280 for an average home in the City versus $1,085 without economic development. 4. Shows the development community that the City supports smart growth on the 10-acre development tract, which is adjacent to the West Falls Church Metro – a fact that adds value to the project and helps meet its long-term economic goals. 5. Attracts sound, high-value economic development that serves community needs beyond just providing funding for the new school. Having a good mix of stores and places to visit within our City boundaries, including the positive effect on existing businesses, is something that has significant value in its own right.. 6. Helps sustain the quality of the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) – a core principle of CBC since its founding. A No vote on the School Bond Referendum 1. Forces the City to face an unfunded high school renovation estimated to cost at least $40 million for immediate repairs, and require an additional $25 million for new classroom construction to accommodate projected increased enrollment in future years. The addition would add 100,000 square feet to the existing school, resulting in $3.7 million in annual debt service and a potential 9.25 cent increase on the real estate tax rate ($650 per year for the average household). 2. Requires another bond referendum to
approve the renovation and expansion cost – delaying construction, escalating costs, and only temporarily staving off a more expensive replacement. 3. Leaves the school on its current sprawling footprint with no land available for economic development. 4. Eliminates the potential for tax revenue resulting from commercial development of the site; the full cost of the repair/ renovation would fall completely upon City taxpayers. 5. Locks FCCPS into a building that will require additional renovations in the future, as evidenced by those completed on the current structure, rather than having a modern and efficient school with at least a 50-year lifespan. 6. Shows development interests, taxpayers, and the community at large that the City is willing to risk the excellence of its schools by not making the financial investments required for a modern school building, and by continuing to rely on an outdated academic environment for our students. In support of its decision endorsing approval of the School Bond Referendum, CBC will be working with other groups and organizations, such as Yes! For Falls Church, and invites others to join us in this undertaking. Additional information on the Referendum can be found on the CBC website www.fallschurchcbc.net. Richard McCall is president of CBC and a retired senior citizen.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Have your views on November’s school bond referendum changed in the past month? • Yes • No
Last Week’s Question:
Since 2000, do you approve of the job Falls Church has done on economic development?
• Still undecided
Log on to www.FCNP.com to cast your vote
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Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347
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Falls Church’s Citizens’ Bridge Commemorates 25th Anniversary Reflecting on the Trial, Error & Acclaim of Homegrown Advocacy BY ORRIN KONHEIM
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the Citizens’ Bridge running over Broad Street between West and Birch Streets. The bridge might be easy to take for granted to motorists down below and trail users walking on it. For Falls Church resident Craig Day, who spearheaded the proposal, it’s a different story. The seemingly simple task of building a bridge over a highway was complicated by the fact that Falls Church owned the sidewalk, Route 7 was owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Washington and Old Dominion trail was owned by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. “To get all those people to say ‘Yes, we need this’ and to get them to cough up the money for it was a near miracle,” said Day. Day first got involved with the project in 1987, five years before its completion, when he heard about the streetscape project which would widen the Broad Street sidewalk from six to 12 feet in an aim to be more appealing to commercial development. In the interim, the traffic along the W&OD Trail was growing with safety concerns. “The bikes and runners going through auto traffic was a major injury waiting to happen. There were signs for trail users to cross at West Street, to make the crossing safely, but most did not,“ said director of Historic Falls Church Inc. Keith Thurston, who was involved in historic preservation efforts at the time. “The community awareness was there. But, it was Craig Day that I first recall forming an organized campaign to get a bike bridge built over the road.”
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By the time Day started showing up at meetings, the Falls Church City Council was mulling over two options: either a bridge or a tunnel (which carried concern for safety reasons) and both would cost an inordinate amount of money. Day would not only attend meetings for the cause but he would go to trail users firsthand and ask them to attend meetings and rallied up support door-to-door. “It was before computers and before the internet, so everything had to be done face-to-face. Nowadays people can just send 1,000 emails [at once], but back then, things had to be done either by face-to-face or snail mail to letters-to-the-editor,” said Day. Day recalls the main opposition to his plan was that the focus was on the streetscape initiative and a massive project like the construction of a bridge could deduct from that. Thurston remembers it differently. He believed there was a commercial influence involved. “There was some opposition to the overhead bridge solution because the structure and land ramps would be blocking views and access to some nearby businesses — especially the adjacent West End Shopping Center. Also, many would prefer that those bikers and runners slow down – and stop and spend in Falls Church businesses [and] not just speed through on a route to somewhere else,” said Thurston. Barry Buschow, who was the city’s representative to the board of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority at the time, said costs were high. He also said that a concentrated community effort was needed. For instance, Virginia Power agreed to reroute their power lines at a higher elevation free of charge. Compromises like that, Buschow
THE CITIZEN’S BRIDGE, which was proposed and advocated for by Craig Day, is seen as a symbolic achievement of small-town government. (P����: O���� K������) said, have never been easy. “The good news is in a small city like Falls Church everyone makes a difference,” said Buschow who also served on advisory boards for the city. “The bad news is that anyone can stop you.” The News-Press echoed these sentiments in a 1992 article which dubbed the project “The Bridge Over Troubled Broad Street” because of the disruption it caused. In addition to campaigning, offering to coordinate between departments, and travelling down to Richmond to lobby the state legislature, Day co-founded “Friends of the W&OD Bridge” with Dan Silverman of the Washington Area Bikers Association and the two
DAVID F.
FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL Excellent Schools & City Services Commercial Development That Lowers the Tax Rate & Respects Neighborhoods Local & Regional Leadership For more information, please visit: www.snyderforfallschurch.com th
PLEASE VOTE ON NOVEMBER 7 PAID FOR BY SNYDER FOR FALLS CHURCH
raised some $40,000 of the total price tag that (the News-Press in 1992 reported) would cost $900,000 for a bridge that spanned 390 feet. Day still has six binders lying around somewhere that contain of all the correspondence on the project, but he also proudly displays a number of souvenirs from the experience including a framed t-shirt from his campaign that is lined with a letter from Buschow that reads “The more we recognize citizen participation, the less apathy our democracy will suffer…Thanks Craig for any and all assistance towards that end.” After the completion of the bridge, an unexpected side effect occurred. Thurston recalls that
kids took to throwing pebbles of a substantial size onto Route 7. The Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Services worked with the Boy Scouts on a series of Saturday mornings to remove gravel and stones from the area and the trail was eventually replaced with granite dust. The bridge originally was called the Broad Street Overpass, but it was eventually renamed at Day’s suggestion to the Citizen’s Bridge. “A couple of people said that it should be named after me, but I said I thought bridges are named after dead people. I wanted it to be called the ‘Citizens’ Bridge’ because it is a testament to smalltown government.” Day said.
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NEWS BRIEFS Todd Hitt Named Arts Philanthropist of Year Falls Church developer Todd Hitt has been named the 2017 Arts Philanthropist of the Year by the Arts Council of Fairfax County. According to the Arts Council, the award acknowledges private sector support of the arts by honoring an individual, corporation, or foundation that has provided leadership funding or long-term monetary support to an arts organization or arts program in the Fairfax community. It states that, “born and raised in Northern Virginia, Hitt is committed to enhancing the economic and cultural vibrancy of the region in which he was raised,” adding that after 25 years in commercial construction, he opened his company, Kiddar Capital in 2007 in Falls Church. Continuing on, the Arts Council also stated that Hitt is a believer in supporting and promoting local arts and humanities, represented by significant donations to the Falls Church Education Foundation and leading development projects for the Creative Cauldron’s new home and an outdoor cinema. “His commitment to the arts is clear, intentional, and infectious.” Hitt will be honored at a awards ceremony on Friday, Oct. 20, at noon at the Fairview Marriott.
Cherry Hill Playground Construction to Begin Next Week The City of Falls Church Department of Public Works and Recreation and Parks Department will begin the construction phase of the Cherry Hill Park Playground Equipment Replacement project next week. The existing playground will be closed to the public starting as early as Monday, Oct. 9, and remain closed until Dec. 2017. Cherry Hill Park will remain open during the project. Project construction work will be done by Cunningham Associates, including the complete removal of existing playground facilities and installation of new equipment. New playground features will introduce equipment appealing to older children (including an Omnitri Net), more swingsets, and an accessible pathway between from the parking lot to the playground area, which will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. The project is managed out of the City's Department of Public Works by Principal Engineer Jason Widstrom, who can be reached at 703-248-5026 (TTY 711) or via email at jwidstrom@fallschurchga.gov for questions related to construction and project timeline.
Clean Up Volunteers Needed Oct. 14 Groups, families and individuals are needed for a community-wide clean up on Saturday, Oct. 14, according to City Hall. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Community Center at 10 a.m. and work until noon. Supplies will be provided. Areas will be assigned unless a group would like to request a specific part of the City or park. Registration is required so adequate supplies can be obtained.
McLean Man Fatally Struck on Chesterbrook Rd. A 73-year-old McLean resident, Thomas Field Jr., was fatally struck by a 82-year-old female driver while crossing to the other side of the street near 5900 block of Chesterbrook Rd. on Sept. 30. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) have ruled out speed and alcohol as factors in the crash and no charges have been filed against the driver. Field was jogging around noon on Saturday when the incident occurred. FCPD responded to the accident shortly after and took Field to the hospital. He was pronounced dead around 10 p.m.
OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2017| PAGE 9
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Falls Church $249,500 Extra spacious 1-bedroom, 1-bath condo 15 minutes to DC. Just renovated with all new appliances, granite, hardwood floors, new washer/dryer and more. Garage space and storage included. Tons of amenities. 3709 George Mason Dr #1301 22041 Cherie Wilderotter 703.371.3345 CherieWilderotter.com
Kaine Calls for Post-Equifax Actions In response to the Equifax breach, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine yesterday called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to outline specific actions being taken to ensure consumers do not fall victim to a second round of attacks on their personal information. In the letter to Acting Chairman of the FTC Maureen Ohlhausen, Kaine, joined by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), expressed concern over the breach that exposed the personally identifiable information of more than 145 million people. “With more than half of the U.S. adult population exposed and vulnerable to identity theft, criminals have an extensive range of potential victims, and the FTC has a critical role to play to protect consumers from additional harm,” the senators wrote. “The internet presents a formidable obstacle to law enforcement, with new bad actors constantly replacing those who have been apprehended. Nonetheless, we have a responsibility to do everything within our power to remain vigilant and prevent harm wherever possible.” The senators also expressed concern about Equifax’s own diligence in vetting after it tweeted links to a fake website in response to consumer requests for information and assistance in the aftermath of the data breach.
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Community News & Notes Homestretch Urges Support For Purple Purse Challenge Homestretch, a non-profit organization that helps homeless families move from crisis to financial independence and longterm stability, is a part of the 2017 Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Challenge during the month of October which is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Interested locals can participate in the challenge and help Homestretch raise funds to empower families who are survivors of domestic violence. The challenge kicked off Oct. 2 and ends on Oct. 31. If you’re interested, you can consider joining Homestretch as a fundraiser and
can help the organization make an even bigger impact with its families. If you wish to participate but can’t fundraise, then donations both big or small are openly accepted. Homestretch appreciates any support toward helping survivors of domestic violence and can be contacted at 703-237-2035 or at info@homestretchva.org.
Homeless Shelter in Search Of New Volunteers The Falls Church Homeless Shelter (217 Gordon Rd., Falls Church) is seeking volunteers to help keep the shelter open from Nov. 15 – Apr. 1. Volunteers assist professional staff each night
between 5:45 and midnight to keep this vital service available to those in need. Interested volunteers should attend one of two training sessions: Tuesday, Oct. 10 from 6 – 8 p.m. or Saturday, Oct 21 from 10 a.m. – noon. Visit fcshelter.org or email volunteer@ fcshelter.org to sign up or for more information.
Rotary Club Slated to Host First Monthly Meeting The Falls Church Rotary Club’s program for this Thursday’s dinner meeting at the Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church) will be a “Classification Talk” by Rotarian Jennifer Martin. Classification
Talks are given by new members to describe their interests and background. Dinner starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. and costs $15. All visitors are welcome. The Rotary Club of Falls Church is celebrating 65 years of community “Service Above Self” in 2017 and meets the first and third Thursday of each month. Visit FallsChurchRotary.org for more information.
McLean Fun Run Set to Kick Off on Oct. 7 The McLean 5K Fun Run, hosted by the McLean Community Center with the support of event sponsors Century 21 New millennium, Chain Bridge Bank and
the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, is coming back this fall. The race is slated for Saturday, Oct. 7 and will start from the McLean Square Shopping Center (6621 Old Dominion Dr., McLean). Individual Registration costs $35. The event features a certified course through the heart of McLean and is designed to appeal to runners of all abilities. For more information and to register, go to mclean5k.com.
Fall Mah Jongg Lessons At Temple Rodef Shalom Fall Mah Jongg lessons will take place during three consecutive Mondays this November. Starting on Nov. 6 and continu-
FALLS CHURCH ARTS opened its Abstract Expression Art Show on Saturday, BLESSINGS ALL AROUND for the pets of Falls Church community members as September 30 at the new FCA Gallery at 700-B West Broad St. Throngs of art- they attended the Dulin United Methodist Church’s special animal blessing ists and Falls Church Arts supporters attended the event with over 22 new event this past Sunday. The turnout was canine-heavy, settling a long debate artists entering this show. The Abstract Expression show runs now through that all dogs (at least want to) go to heaven. The scarcity of cats was noticed, Saturday, November 4 and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., but is closed but the cats put out a press release stating their mulitple lives are good on Sundays (Photo: Courtesy Barb Cram) enough insurance for them. (Photo: Courtesy Katie Pisocky)
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
ing on the 13th and 20th from 1 – 4 p.m. at Temple Rodef Shalom (2100 Westmoreland St., Falls Church). This class is sponsored by the Women of Temple Rodef Shalom. Students need to attend all three sessions. Enrollment is limited to eight students. Friendly caution: sign up only if you are prepared to play at least once weekly for several months afterward to truly learn the game. To register, send a check made out to WoTRS (Women of Temple Rodef Shalom) to Marion Jacknow, 8110 Timber Valley Court, Dunn Loring, VA 22027. Please include your e-mail address, home address and home and cell phone numbers. Your check is your registration. Call to check if class has openings: $85 for nine hours of lessons and a needed Mah Jongg card. Contact Marion Jacknow at her e-mail mjacknow@aol.com or at 703-698-8702
10th Annual Halloween Painting Festival Artists participating in the 10th Annual Halloween Painting Festival will start on Saturday Oct. 7 and continue through Saturday, Oct.14. The goal of the week-long festival is to decorate businesses in downtown Falls Church with Halloween themes. Due to the popularity of this tradition within the City of Falls Church, it has grown in its recognition and has drawn some attention in surrounding areas. There will be plenty
of windows and fun provided for those who wish to participate. Interested painters are urged to register with Marty Behr at behrmarty29@gmail.com.
Reminder to Pay Personal Property Taxes Today The 2017 Personal Property Tax (“Car Tax”) and Business Personal Property Tax bills are due today. A new City ordinance passed in August 2016 requires an additional late payment penalty on personal property bills that remain unpaid after 60 days. The additional penalty amount is 15 percent of the unpaid tax and will be applied on Dec. 5, 2017. A statutory 10 percent penalty is already required on all bills remaining unpaid after the due date. The 15 percent penalty applied on Dec. 5 will be in addition to the 10 percent. Please note that the so called “super penalty” only applies to personal property taxes. Avoid late payment penalties by paying on time! The Treasurer’s Office is offering citizens another way to pay their tax bills: text message. Pay by Text customers can make payments anytime, anywhere on their mobile phone. Customers will receive text alerts when their bill is ready.
Winner of Decal Design Competition Announced The Office of the Treasurer of the City of Falls Church announced the winner of the annual Vehicle
LO CA L Decal Design Competition. “Historic Past - Promising Future” by Annika Britton, sophomore at George Mason High School, won first place in the second year of the competition. Britton’s design will be displayed on the windshields of more than 13,000 vehicles registered in the City of Falls Church beginning in November 2017. Her design will also become a part of the decal exhibit located at City Hall.
Recycling Extravaganza Comes to F.C. on Oct. 14 The City of Falls Church presents the Recycling Extravaganza and Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Event on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Recycling Center (217 Gordon Rd., Falls Church). Attendees are recommended to bring electronics, metal, cell phones, clothing, bicycles, printer cartridges, eyeglasses, hearing aids, medical supplies, and other items to be donated or properly recycled. Attendees can also get rid of items that can’t be collected curbside, like paint, fluorescent bulbs, fuels and petroleum products, lawn chemicals, rechargeable batteries. The last service to be offered is a free paper shredding, where up to three boxes of sensitive papers such as tax documents and credit card statements can be properly disposed of. For more information about the event including complete lists of what can and cannot be collected, visit fallschurchva.gov/RE.
LENDING A HAND TO AID victims of Hurricane Maria, which swept through Puerto Rico are these local humanitarians. The of�icial fundraiser was held at the Locker Room Sports Bar & Grill, but the six advocates seen here were coaxed to take a break and visit the Falls Church Arts gallery for a moment. (P����: C������� D���� Z. R���)
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A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
An important local government responsibility is building and maintaining infrastructure — those public facilities, which are necessary for the safe, timely, and environmentally sound functioning of our community. Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) recently released a report about FY 2017 capital projects completed across the county. Although road construction and maintenance in Fairfax County is the responsibility of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT), $40 million county and regional transportation funds was used to widen and re-align Lorton Road in the southern part of the county. I remember when Lorton Road was a small country byway, but the Lorton area is growing rapidly, and that bucolic little road now carries much more traffic, necessitating an improved and expanded roadway along with signalized intersections and stormwater facilities. Some transportation facility improvements are quite small, but provide improved options, like concrete bike share pads and walkway segments, bus stop pads (so riders no longer have to wait on muddy or rocky ground), and pedestrian intersection ramps (as was done near Seven Corners). Other projects classified as transportation improvements must go through a community process to demonstrate support before being approved and installed. Speed humps, signage, and pavement markings were installed on Mason District’s Carol Lane, Clifton Street, Patrick Henry Drive, Trammell Road, and Woodley Lane as part of the traffic calming process. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, speed humps help slow traffic on neighborhood streets and, since many drivers do not pay attention to their speeds, the traffic calming program is available for neighborhoods to address speeding. Other installations, such as on
Elmdale Road, are in process and should be included in the next DPWES annual report. Some county construction projects rarely are seen by the public, but are crucial to everyday life. Such was the case for Lake Barcroft, where two aging pumping stations that convey wastewater around the lake were rehabilitated, replacing existing sewage pumps, backup generators, electrical wiring, odor control systems, and wastewater sewage grinders. County sewer service was maintained during the rehabilitation, so most residents were completely unaware of the necessary work that was being done, right under their noses (fortunately, the odor control systems worked flawlessly!). A total of 110 projects were completed across the county in FY 2017, for an infrastructure investment of $114,250,173. Mason District had fewer completed projects in this report; many projects were completed in the previous fiscal year, and other projects are underway, but not yet complete. Many thanks to the hundreds of skilled and selfless county employees whose good work, year in and year out, keep our infrastructure in operational readiness, and fulfill the county’s core purpose: “to protect and enrich the quality of life for the people, neighborhoods, and diverse communities of Fairfax County.” Don’t forget the Mason District Resilience Summit and Expo, which will be held on Thursday, October 12, at the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, in Annandale. The Summit features a Senior Safety Seminar at 2 p.m., followed by a Resilience Expo at 4 and a General Session at 7 p.m. All ages are welcome. I look forward to seeing you there. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
before anything else, we’re all human rethink your bias at lovehasnolabels.com
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Senator Dick Saslaw’s
Richmond Report There has been yet another human carnage in this nation. It is long past the time to talk about the why and how of the latest mass shooting. There is no place for assault weapons in the hands of anyone outside of our deployed military personnel. Let the conversation begin and move forward with appropriate outcomes. The thrust of this month’s column involves public education in the Commonwealth. Educational achievement continues to be the biggest indicator for success in the workplace and in life. Studies show that Associate and Bachelor degree holders earn significantly more over the course of their professional life. In the New Virginia Economy, we are retooling and looking at ways to prepare the workforce for the jobs of the future. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that the average Associate’s degree and Bachelor’s degree holders earn $400,000 and $900,000 more, respectively, than a mere high school graduate does over the course of a professional lifetime. But what many of us do not know is that education in our nation, and right here in the Commonwealth, is undergoing rapid change – change that is fraught with challenges but also flush with potential. By and large, Virginia has an excellent public education system. Thanks to Governor McAuliffe and his administration, the percentage of fully accredited K-12 public schools in the Commonwealth grew from 77 percent to 86 percent in just the last three and a half years. Virginia sports 15 public universities and a robust community college system. The Commonwealth also boasts the second highest public four-year graduation rate in the nation. Beneath the surface of these sterling statistics though lie some troubling trends. Higher education funding in Virginia is essentially flat – in FY07 the General Assembly allocated some $1.63 billion to higher ed. Ten years later that number was only $1.68 billion. Meanwhile the affordability of college in Virginia continues to decline, especially for low and middle-income families. Not surprisingly, the average student debt load of a public fouryear student has increased nearly
40 percent to $28,500 in just the last seven years. The current national and regional landscape, with a renewed focus on “middle skill” jobs, lends itself to alternate pathways to educational attainment and a fulfilling career. But new pathways through Virginia’s community colleges and technical centers offer shorter, more affordable options to students in search of well-paying jobs. Community colleges offer more than a hundred degree and certificate pathways that enable a student to eventually transfer to a public four-year institution or earn an associated workforce certification or credential. The tuition savings are substantial and produce comparable results as Northern Virginia Community College offers programs such as Cybersecurity, Engineering, and Nursing with robust earnings for graduates. The New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program is an innovative approach to creating and sustaining a supply of credentialed workers crucial to attracting and retaining new businesses in Virginia. The program aims to fill high-demand, often middle skill, occupations while making the attainment of these credentials more affordable for students. The program dovetails with Governor McAuliffe’s New Virginia Economy Workforce Initiative, which last year awarded 50,361 workforce credentials aligned with high-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering, math, and healthcare (STEM-H), a remarkable 36 percent increase in just three years. I’ve spent every day of my many years in elected office working to ensure that our students receive the support they need to succeed. Be it appropriate levels of state funding for education or innovative pathways to well-paying jobs and careers, public education is the best use of taxpayer resources. There’s no better time to invest in Virginia’s children, workforce, and future. Ralph Northam is unequivocally the candidate who will make that investment and ensure that all of Virginia’s children have access to a quality, affordable education. Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.
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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.
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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.
for the cuttingOur Man in Arlington bon edge $1.6 million
By Charlie Clark
Man’s best friend demands only the best dog park. Such has been Arlington’s approach over the past three decades as it has fenced off no fewer than eight canine recreation centers — allowing unleashed romping and occasionally unleashed social intercourse among the committed humans who partake. But the enclaves have a history of controversy. The latest unfolded this spring and summer at the Shirlington Dog Park along Four Mile Run, and it augurs for another of our county’s patented “Arlington Way” extended deliberations. The clash over Shirlington’s park, created in the 1980s on two acres with a nifty gate at S. Oakland St., pits the activist volunteer dog-lovers against some broader county strategies for environmental protection and historic preservation. Earlier Arlington fights involved high costs and neighbors’ fear of increased traffic. At Fort Ethan Allen on N. Glebe Rd., an informal dog park arose during the 1980s alongside the berms of the Civil War fort. Neighbors objected when the county installed a fence in 2000, fearing damage to the fort’s remnants (a later addition of an outdoor Civil War museum caused another dispute). The solution came in 2006 with construction of a $400,000 canine recreation lot around the corner on Stafford St. In 2013, the county cut the rib-
James Hunter dog park in Clarendon at N. Herndon and N. 13th sts. It’s highly unusual ingredients – public art, rainwater recycling and solar panels – prompted growls about waste from Tim Wise, president of the Arlington County Taxpayers Association, who wrote that Arlington dog park costs are “skyrocketing.” The Shirlington dust-up comes in context of the country’s longterm Four Mile Run Valley initiative, a vision and policy framework to recast the area’s parks. It will impact the nearby Nauck town square district and the Jennie Dean athletic park near the Arlington Food Assistance Center. There’s also a set of changing industrial buildings and plans for an arts district. (One warehouse is now home to the New District Brewing Company, a microbrewery I recently toured, and which is helping stage a “Valley Fest” music, food and arts fair Nov. 5.) This spring, county staff released a preliminary plan to improve the industrial zone’s soil and stormwater management in compliance with the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Plan. It suggested a redesign that meant lopping off portions of the Shirlington Dog Park. Not cool, said the organized dog lovers who take care of the park and supply the poop bags. Some volunteers formed a “Shirlington Dog Park” Facebook page (currently 2,981 likes) and, last month, an authorized sponsoring group set up a website at Shirlingtondogs.org.
On Sept. 15, a county-formed consensus-seeking working group released a report. Gone was any mention of reducing the size of the dog park. But the report was inconclusive – bandying about alternative methods for improving stormwater management, such as tearing down county-owned warehouses (the arts folks objected). “To meet all the county’s environmental requirements would literally be impossible,” working group member Keith Fred told me. “It would cost hundreds of millions, and there would be no dog park.” County neighborhood services official Chikwe Njoku said the report is being reviewed for a final plan for Four Mile Run expected in summer 2018. Shirlington’s exuberant dog lovers, meanwhile, can continue removing those leashes as they are accustomed to doing, for the foreseeable future. *** Marymount University delivered. When it tore down the Arlington landmark wags called “The blue goose,” it promised to commemorate the unique, if tacky, 1963 architectural marvel at N. Glebe Rd. and Fairfax Dr. The brand spanking new Rixey office complex, which houses the university’s business and education schools, now displays a blue sign with text and a photo of the old goose, framed by an elegantly lit blue tile wall. A nearby courtyard contains additional panels giving history of the building and the previous transportation hub situated there a century ago. This is a testament to the great community-building taking place in the county.
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
provided information. Investigation continues.
CRIME REPORT
Drunk in Public, 306 Hillwood Ave (Lesly Restaurant), Sept 28, 12:16 AM, a male, 60, of Falls Church, was arrested for being Drunk in Public.
Week of Sept. 25 — Oct. 1, 2017 Hit and Run, 201 N Washington St (Kaiser parking garage), Sept 25, between 2:50 and 6:09 PM, a vehicle was struck by another vehicle which left the scene. Investigation continues.
Celebrate the diversity that makes America, America. Add your photo to the true portrait of America at lovehasnolabels.com
OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017 | PAGE 13
Refusal, and Hit and Run. Fail to Return Bailed Vehicle, 156 Hillwood Ave (Enterprise Rent-A-Car), Sept 26, business reported a customer failed to return a rented vehicle. Investigation continues.
Assault – Simple, 200 blk S West St, Sept 25, 6:28 PM, officers responded to an altercation between neighbors.
Assault, 116-B W Broad St (Unity Club), Sept 27, 9:53 AM, a male, 68, of no fixed address, was arrested for Strangulation, Protective Order Violation, and Assault and Battery.
Driving Under the Influence, 1000 blk W Broad St, Sept 25, 8:07 PM, a male, 47, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.
Drug/Narcotic Violation, 300 blk W Broad St, Sept 27, 10:26 AM, following a routine traffic stop, a male, 29, of Lorton, VA, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana.
Driving Under the Influence, N Maple Ave/Great Falls St, Sept 26, 12:30 AM, a female, 40, of Arlington, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence,
Hit and Run, 800 blk S Washington St, Sept 27, 10:30 AM, an unoccupied delivery truck was struck by a dump truck which left the scene. Witnesses
Destruction of Property – 100 blk Rowell Ct, Sept 28, 1:35 PM, a property sign was broken in half. Drunk in Public, 201 S Washington St (7-11), Sept 29, 2:20 AM, a male, 23, of no fixed address, was arrested for being Drunk in Public. Hit and Run, 6607 Wilson Blvd (BJ’s), Sept 30, 9:10 AM, a vehicle was struck by another vehicle which left the scene. Using information provided by a witness, the striking vehicle’s owner was contacted and insurance information was exchanged.
Other Arrests Sept 27, 1:46 PM, a male, 42, was arrested in Fairfax on outstanding Falls Church Felony warrants for Credit
Card Fraud and Grand Larceny.
PAGE 14 | OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017
NATI O NA L
Stupid, Angry White Men
The acute existential question surrounding the mass murder on the Las Vegas strip this week...no, wait, is it even an existential question anymore? Is it even acute? No, ladies and gentlemen, the biggest loss in all of this pandemonium and innocent blood lost is the collective national loss of our soul. We are not convulsed. We are not paralyzed by a deeply internalized sense of horror that keeps us from sleeping for days. Not that we don’t have the resources necessary for such a reaction. The all-news cable networks can’t wait to outdo each other with video footage they disingenuously warn us might be offensive. We are glued wide-eyed to the tube. For a couple of days this is almost a bigger deal than the collecFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS tive carnage we call football. Does anyone deny any more that football is mashing the brains of the young men we’re tracking so assiduously in our fantasy leagues? Who does, who cares? We sit, we cheer, we rah-rah. We bust our guts with Cheetos. Someday all this may kill us, but if it’s not me on that football field right now (damn it!), what’s the big deal? No, people, the dominant influences in our society have become really, really ugly and if you don’t like reading this, then turn the page. Someday someone may have the fortitude to deal with it. Or maybe not. It’s a big world out there, and there are plenty of cultures on this planet who may be much better equipped by now to pick up the pieces of this shattered mess we’ve created. Stepping back to look, here’s the common thread: We’re living an orgy of stupid, angry white male entitlement. The man on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay was not a Muslim, but a stupid, angry white male feeling entitled to own the fates of all those little people scrambling around below him. The man who instructed the White House spokesman the very next morning to say “this is not the time to talk about gun control,” I’ll bet I can describe him the same way. That goes for the national leadership of the National Rifle Association. All stupid, angry white men, demented Charlton Hestons gripping instruments of death. Then there are those pathetic whimpering “rank and file” tools whining, “You want to take my guns away.” Yes, I do! Yes I want to take away your guns, and you don’t need me to explain to you why. The nation has gone mad propitiating the infantile tantrums of stupid, angry white men who want their guns. Who else is tired of hearing appeasing politicians comfort stupid, angry white men by saying, “No, no, we don’t want to take away your guns?” Yes, we do. I do at least. Nothing is going to change until society bucks up the courage to insist that yes, we are taking away your stupid guns, stupid man. Now, for my money, this Las Vegas murderer has all the trappings of a classically brainwashed “Manchurian candidate.” But if that’s the case, then what good does knowing about it do unless there’s a sufficient commitment to exact justice? The man’s real evil resided in his sense of entitlement to do what he did, no different, really, than a coach’s entitlement to command his players stand and not kneel at the playing of the national anthem without any appreciation of nuance. Granted, stupid, angry white men have been getting countless among us murdered for centuries. Angry slave owners saw to the murder of over a half-million of us in our Civil War. In-laws, all related to Queen Victoria, oversaw the slaughter of 35 million in World War I. Even more were lost in World War II after the “long weekend” between those wars. Man’s inhumanity to man, even in the most allegedly civilized corners of this globe, knows no bounds. But now, I am not a cynic nor a nihilist. Such are my enemies. I stand, if anything, in the ranks of those prophetic voices who call for repentance in the shadow of a cosmic creator. You, stupid white males, are destined for the scrap heap of history, with fates no better than this Las Vegas killer. We all have to resolve to do better.
Nicholas F. Benton
Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
God Bless America “God bless America,” our president said, dutifully, after the bloody Sunday in Las Vegas. It’s a wish worth repeating. It’s an intervention sorely needed in a country seriously lost. God bless America, where shock over a torrent of bullets that sends dozens more to the morgue doesn’t last, if indeed there’s shock at all. This kind of violence is no longer exceptional. But we are. No other affluent country can match our massacres or, in the face of them, our paralysis. We stand out boldly in this regard. We lead. God bless America, awash in self-delusion. House Speaker Paul Ryan responded to the horror in Las Vegas by saying that “what truly defines us” are the acts NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE of heroism we learned of, while the shooting itself “is not who we are.” How does he figure that? Las Vegas was one of the worst but hardly the first. And it demands more than the gauzy pieties and press-a-button platitudes that too many politicians spout. God bless America, where the juxtaposition of two articles published by The New York Times on Monday said it all. The first was pictorial, a calendar that captured all the mass shootings in the United States since June 12, 2016, when gunfire ruptured the party in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. There had been 521 in 477 days. Last March was a curious lull. Just 22 mass shootings then. The second article was by Steve Israel, a former congressman, and its transcendent point was in its terrifying headline: “Nothing Will Change After the Las Vegas Shooting.” That’s an outrageous forecast. In all likelihood, it’s an accurate one, too. God bless America, where the fact that we can’t be 100 percent sure that a given new gun restriction would lessen the dying becomes an excuse not to give it a try, though the stakes couldn’t be higher, the sirens couldn’t be louder and each new marker surpasses the last. In Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, 26 people perished, 20 of them children. In Orlando four years later, 49 died. And in Las Vegas, the count so far is 59. What’s the trip wire for urgency and action? Triple digits? God bless America, where the Second Amendment seems to be getting a hell of a lot more respect right now than the First. It has become totemic, part of a larger culture war that blinds too many Americans to the amendment’s conception in an entirely differ-
Frank Bruni
ent era and context, long before the efficient killing machines of today. There’s the right to bear arms, sure, but there’s also the right to walk into a nightclub or a concert — or to send a child off to school — without a sense of dread that’s increasingly and fully warranted. Aren’t we entitled to that, too? God bless America, where a whole class of sellouts, Donald Trump prime among them, lack the character to stand up to the death merchants of the National Rifle Association. At the group’s April convention, Trump told them: “You came through big for me, and I am going to come through for you.” Tit for tat and forget about the lives potentially sacrificed to the deal. They will be accorded their pro forma moments of silence. They will get the usual candlelight vigils. It will be pretty and it will be almost pointless, because the band will play on. God bless America, where we’ve outsourced empathy and righteous anger from the White House to television talk shows and learned to lean on the comedians who host them. On Monday those jokesters seriously channeled our emotions and sounded the appropriate alarms. Politics and entertainment don’t merely overlap. In the Trump era, they’ve traded job descriptions. God bless America, whose partisan fevers are so corrosive that when musician Caleb Keeter tweeted that his presence in Las Vegas on Sunday had shown him “how wrong” he was to oppose gun control, critics aplenty assailed the selfishness of the epiphany. How about welcoming a convert to a just cause and using his newfound passion as best we can? Wouldn’t that be more constructive? God bless America, with its sloppy ooze of agendadriven misinformation. In the hours after the shooting, posts that erroneously identified the shooter and baselessly described him as a Trump-hating liberal or a recent convert to Islam gained serious traction on Google and Facebook, an echo of the fake news in the 2016 presidential election, an example of the conspiracy theories that so many Americans embrace and an illustration of the house of mirrors in which they now stumble around. “We are working to fix the issue,” a spokesman for Facebook told The Times. A spokesman for Google said, “We’ll continue to make algorithmic improvements.” Pandora cackled. Her box is wide open, and it’s called the internet. God bless America, with our boundless talent and galling complacency. If we summon enough gratitude for the former to banish the latter, we just might find our way forward.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2017 | PAGE 15
Providence Players
20th
Moon Over Buffalo
Hilarious Comedy Opens
20th
Anniversary Season!
Season!
On Stage Oct 6th Thru Oct 21st 7:30 PM Thurs, Fri, Sat –2:00 PM Sunday
Your Award Winning Community Theater Troupe - Performing Just Around The Corner Special Holiday Production Fun for the Whole Family By Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur
April 6 thru April 21, 2018 Classic Comedy
PERFORMING AT
The James Lee Community Center Theater 2855 Annandale Road Falls Church, VA 22042
Co-produced with The Young Hearts Foundation Half of all net proceeds will go to improve the lives of young people affected by long-term illness.
By Susan Nanus Based on Norton Juster’s Acclaimed Book
December 8 thru 17, 2017 General Admission Seating - $17
By Neil Simon
June 1 thru June 16, 2018 Comedy From The Master!
This production is not part of our season ticket plan
FULL ONLINE TICKET ORDERING AND SEAT SELECTION
www.providenceplayers.org
Email: providenceplayerstickets@cox.net Phone: 703-425-6782 INFORMATION AND TICKETS
ALWAYS AFFORDABLE SINGLE SHOW TICKETS Adults $20 Students/Seniors (62+) $17
SEASON TICKETS (Save 15%-30%)
Your Best Value! Become a Season Subscriber Adults: $53 Students/Seniors 62+: $40
PAGE 16 | OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017
SPO RTS
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Halfway Home at 5-0, Mustangs Continue Renaissance BY ALEX MOORE
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
George Mason High School’s football team showed off their opportunistic ways in a 34-20 home victory against the Brentsville Tigers last Friday, continuing their undefeated season. Mason’s record improved to 5-0 with the win and the team is now guaranteed to at least break even on the year with only five games remaining in the regular season. Brentsville fell to 0-5. In the early going, the game looked like an even contest. Mason junior running back Jack Felgar opened the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but Brentsville blocked the Mustangs’ extra point attempt. The Tigers then answered with their own 37-yard touchdown run and connected on the extra point attempt for a brief 7-6 advantage. That lead wouldn’t last, though, as the Mustangs would wear the Tigers down and capitalize on their mistakes. After getting the ball back, the Mason ran several minutes off the clock with a long drive. By the time senior running back Finn Roou, who would accumulate
a team-high 154 rushing yards on 33 carries, powered through defenders for a five-yard score, less than two minutes remained in the first half. The Tigers then went into panic mode on their next drive, trying to connect on an ill-advised fourthdown pass attempt. When they failed, they handed Mason the ball at midfield with 31 seconds remaining in the half. Mustangs quarterback Thomas Creed only needed 28 of those seconds to lead his team downfield and find Roou in the endzone. Next, at the start of the third quarter, Creed recovered a Brentsville fumble before scoring on a short run that would bring the Mason lead to 27-7. Although the Tigers would do their best to rally, Creed would later break away for another touchdown run and seal the game. “It feels great to be 5-0, for sure,” Creed said after the game. “It’s really just a testament to the whole team. None of our big plays would happen without guys putting in the hard work that they do.” Another player, senior offensive lineman Mitchell McKeon, agreed that the Mustangs’ effort was the key to their record. “Other
GANGING UP for a team tackle to bring down a Brentsville runner are a host of Mustang players in their 34-20 win last Friday. (P����: C������� T���� R���) teams might be bigger than us or faster than us,” he said, “but we work harder than them during the
week in practice.” The Mustangs will look to continue their undefeated season this
Friday when they host their third opponent in a row with the visiting Strasburg Rams.
5 Game Win Streak Screeches to a Halt, Mason Loses 2 Straight BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
A five-match win streak came to an end for George Mason High School’s volleyball team as they fell to Madison County High School, 3-1, on Tuesday and Washington-Lee High School, 3-0, on Monday. A hot start against Madison County was doused in adversity fairly quickly and knocked the Mustangs off their game for the remainder of the match. Junior setter Evelyn Duross nailed six aces in the opening set while junior outside hitter McKenzie Brady and senior middle hitter Laura Whitaker also tacked on support to get Mason out to an early 10-1 lead. Despite the buffer, the visiting Mountaineers didn’t falter and slowly chipped away at the Mustangs’ cushion with two five-point runs to close the gap to 15-14 midway through the first set. Mason stayed ahead at 21-19 thanks to a big save by the back line, but Madison County scored six points to the Mustangs two in the next eight rallies to inflict a painful first-set loss for the home
CLEARING THE NET is senior middle hitter Kait Daniels. Mason had their hands full against a strong Madison County team in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss. (P����: C���� S��) team. “I knew they were going to be better than last year, I just didn’t know how they’d be better,” Mason head coach Hillary Trebels said. “When they can pass well, their [player] number 5 is an option every time because they can run her and she’s obviously
their best hitter.” Madison County was able to control the second set more definitely. A 12-11 Mason advantage midway through was their last of the set as the Mountaineers were able to mix in spikes and touch hits to keep the Mustangs guessing. Mason had a nice surge at
the end, but Madison County had too solid of a lead and finished it 25-20. The third set was a gut-check for the Mustangs. Trebels has noted that her team’s response to strong runs from opponents is not ideal, so if there was a chance to take something positive away
from the match it would be a hard fought win. After getting down 7-4 early and 18-15 at the midway point, it appeared Mason had conceded defeat. However, they did an aboutface and began stringing together two- and three-point stretches that stifled Madison County and culminated in a 28-26 victory after a Brady hit and an ace. It was a short-lived boost as Mason fell 25-16 in the final set, but was still a positive sign of fortitude. Mason was swept on Monday’s away match at nearby Washington-Lee. The contest was similar to how their tournament face-off went roughly two weeks ago, when the Mustangs were able to play well and build a lead at one point, but struggled to hold onto it as the sets wore on. Even with that defeat, Mason capably handled Strasburg High School at home last Thursday which was the final victory in their five-match win streak. Now it’s back on the road to Rappahannock County High School today before coming home to square up against Clarke County High School next Tuesday, Oct. 10.
FO O D &D I NI NG
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2017 | PAGE 17
Lazy Mike’s Open for Business as Mike’s Deli Closes its Doors BY JODY FELLOWS
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Lazy Mike’s, the long-awaited full-sized, full-service delicatessen from Clare and Don’s David and Rebecca Tax, is officially open for business. Technically in Fairfax County (but just about the closest a building could be to, without actually being in, the Little City), the new eatery debuted Tuesday at the former Long John Silver’s on Route 7. The opening coincided with the shutter of the brother-sister team’s deli and ice cream shop, Mike’s Deli at Lazy Sundae, on N. West St. which went dark after lunch last Sunday. With a lease through the end of the month, David tells the NewsPress he’s still unsure what they’ll do with the space they first opened in 2006 but didn’t rule out reopening with another concept in the future. “We want to get our feet first [at Lazy Mike’s],” he says. For now at the new location, the deli’s same lineup of sandwiches, subs, burgers, all-day breakfast and ice cream is available but David and Rebecca say
once the nascent operation gets running at full speed, that will expand. Until then, dishes like meatloaf sandwiches, open face turkey and roast beef sandwiches and stuffed cabbage will become available as specials. One new treat available from day one, however, are egg creams. Adorn with vintage signs throughout the space, the upgraded location includes a whole lot more seating than Mike’s Deli, with a dining room full of mixand-match tables plus seating at a counter made with reclaimed pallet board from Sislers Stone. The parking situation also gets a boost with 27 spaces available in back of the restaurant. And with a prime location for the annual Fourth of July celebration at George Mason High School just across the street, David says they’ve got plans for a backlot party with beer and wine for the Little City’s Independence Day fireworks show. David tells the News-Press it wasn’t a deliberate choice to relocate outside City limits but rather it was development uncertainty and the availability of a space they liked that led to the move.
REBECCA TAX STANDS in front of the counter at Lazy Mike’s, the new delicatessen she opened Tuesday with her brother David. (P����: N��� G���) Though with Founder’s Row, the planned mixed-use development at the intersection of Broad and S. Washington streets, currently stalled, he also says he’s not ready to give up on his N. West St. space.
“We want to stay there,” he tells the News-Press and he’s interested in buying his building or renting long term if the mixeduse plans fall through “I love that corner.” he says. Lazy Mike’s is open seven
days a week, from 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Friday and until 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Lazy Mike’s 7049 Leesburg Pike Falls Church
Live Trivia Every Thursday Night
$20 will get you a delicious and healthy dinner for two at any of Eden Center’s 25 restaurants.
Voted #1 Again Family, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry Federal Employees: We work with your benefits
703.532.3300 200 Little Falls Street, Suite 506 Falls Church, VA 22046
www.DoughertyDDS.com We are located across the street from city hall
CA L E NDA R
PAGE 18 | OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 Northern Virginia Bird Club Walk. Attendees can join members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club for one or all of these informal walks through Long Branch and Glencarlyn Parks in search of resident and migratory birds. Experienced and beginning birders welcome. Bring binoculars and field guides if you own them. No registration is required. Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington). 8:30 – 11 a.m. 703-228-6535. Teen Knitting Club. Required for new student volunteers interested in earning service hours at the library this fall. For teens in grades 7-12, registration and volunteer application required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N Virginia Ave., Falls Church) 6 – 6:30 p.m. 703-248-5034.
Thursday Evening Book Group. The Thursday Evening Book Discussion Group meets on the 1st Thursday evening of each month in the library’s conference room. Light refreshments are served. All are welcome. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N Virgina Ave., Falls Church) 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. 703-248-5035 or contact the book group coordinator at mwebster@fallschurchva.gov.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 Spellbinding Storytellers. Arlington Spellbinders is a group of volunteer storytellers who engage young people with magical tales in the classroom, recreation and library settings. Meetings are held the first Friday mornings of each month and help to provide continuing education, support and camaraderie for budding minds and readers. Langston-Brown Community & Senior Center (2121 N Culpepper St., Arlington). 9:30 – 11 a.m. 703228-4878.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 Farm Day. This family event features blacksmith demonstrations, horse-drawn hayrides, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making, and a petting zoo. Children can learn basic farming skills such as cornshelling and beekeeping. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church) 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 703248-5027. Saturday Stock Talks. Get together with others who have an interest in investments and the stock market. Exchange ideas, network. Occasional guest speakers invited. No registration required. Second floor meeting room at Central Library (1015 N Quincy St., Arlington). 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 Preschool Storytime. Stories and fun for ages 0-5. Drop-in. All storytimes are followed by playtime with the Early Literacy Center toys. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N.
Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10:30 - 11 a.m. 703-248-5034 Playtime with the Early Literacy Center. Explore educational and manipulative items (aka toys) to teach early literacy through play. Ages birth to 5 years. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 703248-5034. Great Books Discussion. A “Great Books” discussion concentrating on literary classics (both traditional and modern) meeting at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of most months. This week’s book is Krakatau by Jim Shepard. Shepard is an acclaimed short story writer, who uses the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883 as a thematic centerpiece to portray the awesome force of nature and the tremendous cost to human life it brings. Open to all; no registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 9 p.m.
THEATER&ARTS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 “A Little Night Music” In 1900 Sweden, on a magical night that smiles three times, an aging actress, a married virgin, a sexstarved divinity student and a buffoonish count find themselves hilariously tangled in a web of love affairs. Delightful, charming and at times heartbreaking, with gorgeous, lush music, including “A Weekend in the Country,” “Liaisons” and the seminal “Send in the Clowns,” “A Little Night Music” is a coupling (and uncoupling) tour-de-force. Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $40. 8 p.m. sigtheatre. org.
THURSDAY, SATURDAY,FEBRUARY OCTOBER 27 “Moon Over Buffalo.” From the master of period-perfect farce, Ken Ludwig, this fast-paced comedy is set in the Erlanger Theatre in Buffalo in 1953. Charlotte and George Hay are on tour with a repertory consisting of Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” when they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Capra is coming to town to see their matinee. Mistaken identities, outrageous plot twists, slapstick comedy and a slew of self-obsessed performers desperately try to keep things from (hilariously) falling apart. James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church) $20. 7:30 p.m. providenceplayers.org “The Mistress Cycle” Jezebel, Siren, Vixen or Enchantress? “The Mistress Cycle” tells the story of five women: Tess, a struggling 30-something Manhattan photographer; Anais Nin, the famed sexual adventuress of the early 20th century; Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henri II in France in the 16th century; Lulu White, a turn-of-the-last-century New Orleans Madame; and Ching, a 14-year-old concubine in 12th century China. Though they come from different times and cultures, they share a sisterhood. An intelligent new musical work filled with stories of passion, compromise, heartbreak and renewal. Creative Cauldron (410 S Maple Ave., Falls Church). $30. 8 p.m. creativecauldron.org.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8 “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train.” Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Adly Guirgis’ darkly comic meditation on redemption and faith, Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. Lucius has found God and been born again, and now Angel’s life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. 1st Stage Theater (1742 Spring Rd., Tysons). $33. 2 p.m. 1ststagetysons.org.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, THURSDAY,FEBRUARY OCTOBER 25 Andrew O’Day. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Britton James. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. Charlie Hunter Trio. Jammin’ Java
CA L E NDA R
OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017 | PAGE 19
(227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $22. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Terri Clark. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. KMFDM with OHGR: 2017 Hell Yeah Tour. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $28 – $31. 8 p.m. 703-237-0300. Thrillbilly’s. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 Yeonas Brothers. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Euge Groove. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Dreaming of Eden with Special Guests The Common Threat + Six Foot Machine. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. SuperFlyDisco: The Ultimate 70s Disco Funk. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $12 – $15. 9 p.m. 703237-0300. Shartel and Hume Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:15 p.m. 703-2419504. One Night Stand. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 Joseph Monasterial. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283.
MAX WEINBERG will be at the Wolf Trap in Vienna this Wednesday. (Photo: Vater)
p.m. 703-241-9504.
549-7500.
Kara and Matty D. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
Joan Shelley, James Elkington. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
Rata Blanca. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $42 – $52. 8 p.m. 703237-0300.
Clare Fest. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-5329283. Dixieland Direct. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1:15 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Nick Moss with Dennis Gruengings. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. Little Silver, Phoenix Auto Group. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m.
Deja Blue. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 3:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Rushie & The Wranglers. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:15 p.m. 703-2419504.
Leroy Sanchez: Elevated World Tour + Mario Jose. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.
Thee Commons + The Duskwhales. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.
An Evening With Maria Muldaur. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-2551566.
Goodfellas Band, John Lennon’s Birthday. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9
The Whispers. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $75. 7:30 p.m. 703-
The Pauses, The Rememerables, Penguin. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 9
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 90’s Night. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-5329283. Dead Horses + Clarence Bucaro. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $15. 7:30 p.m. 703255-1566.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 David Ramirez: We’re Not Going Anywhere Tour + Molly Parden. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $18. 8 p.m. 703-2551566. Max Weinberg’s Jukebox. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $50 – $60. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Opening Mic Night with Alex Parez (sign-up starts promptly at 7:30 in the lounge). Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). 8 p.m. 703-522-8340.
Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046 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.
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PAGE 20 | OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017
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Donate A Boat or Car Today!
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STOP CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
MAKE YOUR PET A STAR! Snap a pic of your critter and email it to:
CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM or mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 200 Little Falls St. #508 Falls Church, Va 22046
Critter
Corner
HOLD ‘EM HIGH. Third-graders at Stenwood Elementary School near Merri�ield were each gifted copies of a Webster’s Dictionary thanks to the Vienna Rotary Club. The resource will prove to be a boon for the young readers’ vocabulary, but also rules out any excuses for a poor showing on future spelling tests. (P����: C������� F������ C����� ������ S�������)
F� � � � C � � � � �
S����� N��� � N���� Trinity School Recognized by Dept. of Education Trinity School at Meadow View, a private, Christian school serving students in grades 7 – 12 in Falls Church, was recognized today by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos as a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School with the designation of Exemplary High Performing School. Trinity School at Meadow View is the only private high school in northern Virginia to receive this honor twice – once in 2009 and now in 2017. Only three private high schools in northern Virginia have received a National Blue Ribbon Award since the program’s inception in 1982. “I am grateful for this honor which confirms what we have known all along: Trinity School at Meadow View offers an excellent education embedded in a wonderful culture,” says Dr. Katherine Yohe, head of school at TSMV. Trinity School at Meadow View was established in 1989 in Falls Church and has two sister campuses: one in South Bend, Indiana and another in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Trinity is one of 342 schools to be recognized this year. National Blue Ribbon Schools represent public, private, charter and
magnet schools and range from elementary to high schools. They are described by the Department of Education as sharing common characteristics, “Their leaders not only articulate a vision of excellence and hold everyone to high standards, they stay close to the real action of teaching and learning...These schools serve as [an] example for other schools throughout the nation.” Trinity School at Meadow View will be honored with other award recipients at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in November.
Fall Carnival at Jefferson Takes Place Next Weekend The Falls Church Elementary Parent-Teacher Association is hosting its fall carnival. The entrance fee is $10 prepaid, $12 at the door for children 3-12 and includes unlimited access to inflatables, carnival games and field games. Entrance for accompanying adults and younger children are free. Tickets for the face painting, cake walk, raffle and food are extra. Costume contest at 12:30 p.m. Profits go to supporting teachers and programs at Falls Church City Schools. The festival will be held at Thomas Jefferson Elementary (601 S Oak St., Falls
Church) on Saturday, October 14 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visit fcepta. org for more information.
Operation Earthwatch Begins 25th Year The City’s homegrown environmental action program begins its 25th year. Operation Earthwatch guides children and families to act for a real impact on sustaining a clean and healthy environment in the city and on the planet. October’s activity theme is Energy. Children who complete activities all 6 months receive a certificate and t-shirt, and can march in the Memorial Day Parade. The activity sheet is available online and at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library website.
Volunteers Needed for TJ Vision & Hearing Screenings Morning and afternoon time slots are available for volunteers to help out at Thomas Jefferson Elementary (601 S Oak St., Falls Church) with the state required vision and hearing screenings. No experience is necessary. Volunteers need to arrive 10 minutes before their shift for a brief orientation.
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
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Across
1. Comments accompanying shrugs
1. Comments accompanying shrugs 4. Photocopier malfunctions 8. "____ first!" 14. Parliamentary vote 15. Hollywood's Ken or Lena 16. Lack of oomph 17. Clear the dishes? 18. Granny 19. 1960s sitcom set in the 1860s 20. Subjectin' silo contents to subzero temperatures? 23. "I'm at your disposal" 24. Tulsa sch. named for an evangelist 25. Org. that promotes Energy Star Day 28. Microscope part 29. Greetin' heard when two Aussies tie the knot? 33. One of TV's Huxtables 34. How fish is shipped, often 35. Expletive yelled after becomin' fed up with a foot ailment? 39. Open-mouthed 41. "Nuts!" 42. Manufacturin' a piece of sports equipment for a baseball fielder? 45. "Right away!" 49. The Cavs, on sports tickers 50. "Whoop-de-____!" 51. James Baldwin's "If ____ Street Could Talk" 52. Puttin' a suit on a guy before he walks down the aisle? 56. "King" serpents 59. Notion 60. Prank-pulling sort
STRANGE BREW
4. Photocopier malfunctions
OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017 | PAGE 21
61. Self-assurance 62. It's what's to be expected 63. Rode the bench 64. Take-home amount 65. Ye ____ Shoppe 66. Virginia Woolf's "____ Dalloway"
38. Test in advance of an advanced deg. 39. "The Walking Dead" network 40. Guy's partner 43. Elapses 44. Start of many California place names 45. Rev.'s address 46. Eastern belief 47. Roberto in the Baseball Hall of Fame 48. Really appeals to 51. Not one's best effort, in coachspeak 52. Plunge 53. ____-Soviet relations 54. Bedroom poster subject 55. Homework lover, maybe 56. Bottle alternative 57. "To his good friends thus wide I'll ____ my arms": "Hamlet" 58. Crunchy sandwich
DOWN
1. Quite a sight 2. Harold's car in "Harold and Maude" 3. Glossy fabric 4. "Being John Malkovich" director Spike 5. Jai ____ 6. Sen. Al Franken's state: Abbr. 7. Slight problem 8. A giraffe might be seen on one 9. Strike-breakers, e.g. 10. Plant with spores 11. Angsty music genre 12. Padre's hermano 13. Piehole 21. Ambulance letters 22. Fishing shop purchase 25. Tweak, as text 26. Campaign-funding grp. 27. Reply to a captain 29. Question asked with an open mouth 30. "Yikes!" 31. 1982 Stevie Wonder hit 32. Serengeti roamer 33. "Gossip Girl" or "Pretty Little Liars" 35. ____ news 36. The Engineers of the NCAA 37. Like certain engineers: Abbr.
JOHN DEERING
8. "____ first!"
1
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A R M A N I
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Sudoku Level:
14. Parliamentary vote
Last Thursday’s Solution N U T M E G
Y A M E S P S H M I D R L S R N E S E N E D S P D E R R R A K I N O N G
L A R A
B R O S
U T A H
O T S A A S E L T A M P H T E A I R L S P O L I O N E S
W E E G E R E E M T I S T
E E D S V A R Y R E R E R Y T W I A A T A N G O N
G I O D B O
M L A E M S M A S A L I R L S G E N E S B E D I T E D S W R O B E
E R I E
By The Mepham Group 4
15. Hollywood's Ken or Lena 16. Lack of oomph 17. Clear the dishes? 18. Granny 19. 1960s sitcom set in the 1860s 20. Subjectin' silo contents to subzero temperatures?
1
23. "I'm at your disposal" 24. Tulsa sch. named for an evangelist 25. Org. that promotes Energy Star Day
LOOSE PARTS
28. Microscope part
DAVE BLAZEK
29. Greetin' heard when two Aussies tie the knot? Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
NICK KNACK
© 2017 N.F. Benton
1
10/8/17
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.
© 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
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PAGE 22 | OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Critter Corner
BACK IN THE DAY
dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas
20 s Yearo Ag
is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . p a s is the Now for all time cows good me to to coaid of the their.
20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press
Falls Church News-Press Vol. VII, No. 230 • October 9, 1997
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVII, No. 31 • October 4, 2007
10 Year s Ago
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
New Holladay Offer Moves Whittier Deal Closer to Closing
Zarchariasse Vows ‘Spectrum’ on Schedule, Won’t Revert to Rentals
The Holladay Corporation, seeking to finalize the purchase of 7.5 acres of the City of Falls Church Church-owned Whittier site, this week offered to pay, dollar for dollar, half the cost of removal of the existing landfill from the site. The amount of the City’s contribution to that landfill removal has been a major sticking point holding up approval of the final contract for the sale. “I want to see the offer in a final form before making a committment,” Falls Church City Council member Sam Mabry said.
The developer of the largest new mixed-use project yet in the City of Falls Church told the City Council Monday his mammoth, “The Spectrum,” going up the 500 block of West Broad Street is being completed on schedule. He added that despite the slow-down in the housing market, he fully intends to market all the project’s near 200 units as for-sale condiminums, without reverting them to rentals. Jan Zachariasse said the only impact of the housing downturn was a delay in condo sales efforts.
Fa l l s C h u r c h
Business News & Notes Goldfish Swim School Hosts Grand Opening this Saturday Goldfish Swim School is hosting a grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. The free event will include pizza, cake and open swim for families. Goldfish Swim School offers swim lessons, family swim time, Swim Force, parties, clinics, water safety presentations and more. The swim lesson and water safety business was co-founded by Jenny and Chris McCuiston in 2006. Since opening its first franchise in 2009, the award winning franchise has grown to more than 65 schools open or in development in more than 17 states teaching more than 50,000 students per week to be safer in and around the water. Goldfish Swim School Falls Church is located at 7395 Lee Highway, Suite K, in Falls Church. For more information, visit fallschurch.goldfishswimschool.com.
INTRODUCING one of the new mascots at the Pet Spa at Barkley Square is this young pup, Snickers. Clearly a photogenic one, he’s also a go-getter, as Snickers requested that Barkley’s president/owner, Kristina Robertson, submit this photo so his pals from the local Hydrant will stop by and say hello. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
Mr Wash Car Wash Joins Support for Breast Cancer Awareness In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mr Wash Car Wash, will donate partial proceeds from all cars cleaned during the month of October at its six area car wash locations to the American Cancer Society. Mr Wash Car Wash, a family-owned and operated Washington, D.C. area institution that’s been washing cars since 1958, has a long history of giving back to community and making donations to charitable causes. At the end of the month representatives from Mr Wash will make a minimum donation of $6,000 ($1,000 per location) to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. The Falls Church Mr Wash is located at 3013 Gallows Road. For more information, visit mrwash.com.
Evans Incorporated Recognized for Multiple Accomplishments Falls Church-based Evans Incorporated was recently recognized as a Northern Virginia Family Service CARE (Companies as Responsive Employers) Award winner, named to the 2017 Inc. 500/5000 list of fastestgrowing companies nationwide, and became a Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce GovCon Award finalist. Evans Incorporated is a human-centered solutions and products provider focused largely on the aviation and transportation industries. Through its 23-year history, Evans has provided its human-centered strategies and approaches, both domestically and abroad. For more information about Evans Incorporated, please visit evansincorporated.com.
Falls Church Distillers Readying for Veteran’s Day Event Falls Church Distillers, which was officially welcomed to Falls Church with a ribbon cutting last week, is holding a Veterans Day Distillers Festival featuring Virginia and DC spirits, beer, wine, food and commercial vendors. The festival will be in front of the distillery on Nov. 11 from 1 – 8 p.m. and will feature live music throughout the day. The festival will help support Decorate A Vet, a local nonprofit that helps Veterans fix up their houses and decorates them for the holidays. If you are interested in having a booth at the festival or you would like to donate something towards a raffle, please email Alison@yourteamfriday.com who is helping coordinate the event. 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.
AMERICA, LET’S DO LUNCH
TM
John Gaul, SINCE 1925. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t look his best. Now, he and 1 in 6 seniors face the threat of hunger and millions more live in isolation. So pop by, drop off a hot meal and say a warm hello. Volunteer for Meals on Wheels at AmericaLetsDoLunch.org
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OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2017 | PAGE 23
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Tel: 703.217.2632
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Fax: 703.832.3236 400 Maple Ave., So., Suite 210, Falls Church, Virginia 22046
C L AS S I F I E DS For Sale HOUSE FOR SALE 5729 Norton Road Alexandria VA 22303 $472,740. Phone: 202-742-7290
of appeals received. Meetings are Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6pm and can run up to 3 hours. Professional members of the accounting, legal, and real estate community are encouraged to apply – the board requires three members from these fields.
Senate Realty Corporation 909 U Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 FAIR HOUSING & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REALTOR
Found PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA VOLUNTEERS who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-2485014, cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, or www.fallschurchva.gov/BC) for an application form or more information. Positions advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month. Architectural Advisory Board (alternate) Board of Building Code and Fire Prevention Code Appeals Board of Equalization Board of Zoning Appeals Economic Development Authority Historical Commission Housing Commission Library Board of Trustees Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Regional Boards/Commissions: Fairfax Area Disability Services Board Long Term Care Coordinating Council Member needed on the Board of Equalization: The Board of Equalization (BOE) is an independent body appointed by the Circuit Court and charged with determining whether the Office of Real Estate Assessment has equalized the assessments among property owners. Upon its review, the BOE has the power to increase, decrease, or keep the same assessment. BOE members undergo state mandated training prior to voting in meetings. Members can expect to attend an organizational meeting each year to elect a Chair and Secretary and select meeting dates for hearings. The number of meetings is dependent on the number
fcnp.com
.
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 the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.
#BeUnderstood
SOME PARENTS WANT THEIR KIDS TO TRY HARDER. SOME KIDS ARE TRYING AS HARD AS THEY CAN. Learning and attention issues can look different to parents and kids. That’s why there’s Understood, a free online resource with answers, advice and tools to help your child thrive. Go from misunderstanding to understood.org.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Open Sunday 2-4pm
Under Contract
Under Contract
Under Contract
ct Contra ys! in 4 da
8216 Holland Rd | Alexandria
1822 Taylor St | Arlington 22207
Beautiful colonial on over 1 acre of land featuring 5 BD/3.5 BA, large dome shaped addition perfect for family room or dance studio! Walk to the Potomac River from this fantastic location. Offered at $849,900
4905 17th St | N Arlington
Adorable expanded N. Arlington Cape with stone front and 3 finished levels. Featuring 4 BD/3 BA, hardwood floors and numerous updates. Price: Low $900’s
1021 N. Garfield St, #918 | Arlington
Spectacular 2 BD/2 BA condo in vibrant downtown Clarendon, steps to Metro, rooftop pool and gym. Offered at $675,000
Representing Buyers Stunning 5 BD/4.5 BA Craftsman in sought after Cherrydale neighborhood. Gourmet kitchen, hardwood flooring, built-ins. Detached garage and private yard. Offered at $1,550,000
Under Contract
SOLD
405 Hillwood Ave | Falls Church City
Look no further! Absolutely stunning 2 BD/2.5 BA AND den in sought after Byron in the heart of Falls Church City. Lovely views from the balcony and THREE garage parking spaces and TWO storage units. Pristine condition. Offered at $765,000
Stop by our Falls Church City office (conveniently located next to the Hilton),
Louise Molton Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com
and let us know how we can help you with your real estate needs.
Pristine 4 BD/2.5 BA town home in Whittier Park. Many updates and shows beautifully. 2 car garage and walk to all that Falls Church City has to offer. Offered at $839,000
513 W Broad St #704 | Falls Church City
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 2-4
Bethany Ellis REALTOR ® , SRES, e-PRO, Corporate Relocation Specialist NVAR Lifetime Top Producer & Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club
703-307-7003
bethany.ellis@longandfoster.com
Licensed in VA & DC
McLean Sales Office: 1355 Beverly Rd Ste 109, McLean VA 22101 • 703-790-1990 Office
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 If you're thinking about selling, contact Bethany for a free, confidential meeting.
703-307-7003 • bethany.ellis@longandfoster.com
Light, bright and inviting! Six bedrooms ( one on main level + au paire suite), den/office and five baths. Gorgeous master bath has slipper tub and separate shower. Stunning gourmet maple and granite kitchen adjoins large family room with fireplace, and door to deck and back yard. Inviting front porch with room for rockers! Walk out rec room, media room and tons of storage. Hardwood floors on main and upper levels. Second fireplace in spacious LR. Wonderful open floor plan. 6609 Gordon Ave, Falls Church, Va 22046. Priced at $1,225,000.
COMING SOON
INVENTORY IS LOW! IS YOUR HOME READY TO BE COMING SOON?
Call Bethany for an appointment to get your home ready to sell.
SOLD
259 Gundry Drive Falls Church VA 22046
Completely updated 3 level townhouse in Winter Hill. 3BR/2 Full Bath/2 Half Baths, Open Kitchen, Updated Baths New SS appliances, HVAC & Hot Water Heater, Fresh Paint Sales Price $642,000. SOLD PRICE $648,000
UNDER CONTRACT
4633 B 28th Rd S Arlington VA 22205 Beautiful 2 level condo 2BR/1BA in The Arlington. Updated floors. Wood burning fireplace. Sales Price $299,000.
SOLD (MULTIPLE OFFERS)
200 N Maple Ave #401 Falls Church VA 22046 Beautiful and spacious 1BR condo in FCC! Fresh paint. Large, open space on 4th floor in fantastic location! Enjoy the pool before the end of summer! Sold Price $246,000