November 24 – 30, 2016
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d ed 1991 • Vol. X X V I No. 40
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Police Seek Man Suspected of Exposure
Police are looking for a man who allegedly exposed himself to an eight-year-old boy in a restroom at a Target on Arlington Boulevard in Falls Church last week. See News Briefs, page 9
Offering Support for Those with Mental Illness
The holiday season is traditionally a time for people to come together and rejoice with loved ones. But for some, this time of year serves as a stark reminder of how lonely and despondent everyday life may be.
F.C. Council, School Board Flummoxed By No Future Enrollment Crystal Ball Must Decide Size Of New or Renovated Mason High School
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
School Board meeting in City Hall Monday. “He has said his goal coming here is not to fix, but to keep going our excellent school system.” Dr. Schiller told the NewsPress that he’s eager to help the system through the coming budget cycle and to ensure a smooth transition to a permanent replacement. In the 5-2 vote, Board members Michael Ankuma and Lawrence Webb voted “no,” each stating that their votes were intended to have no negative
In just a few months, the Falls Church City Council and School Board are going to have to agree on how much it is willing to ask the citizens of Falls Church to pay for a new and/or expanded George Mason High School. The biggest function of that ask will have to do with projecting future enrollment growth. While projections to date done by the schools’ consultant, Weldon Cooper, in conjunction with the system’s own talented financial analyst Hunter Kimble, have been “spot on” so far, consultant Michael Akin told a joint meeting of the groups Monday night, predicting the future is never an exact science. But with a price tag that could range from $88 million to renovate the existing footprint to upwards of $120 million to grow the capacity of the school, all the elected officials are leery about what to ask voters to approve in a referendum set now for next November. For example, should a combination new and renovated high school be built for a capacity of 1,200 students (compared to its current enrollment of 821), which would not to be completed until 2019 or 2020, when current enrollment projections are that the 1,200 threshold could be reached only six years later (as current projections suggest)? But if it is built for a higher capacity (the projected enrollment now is at 1,368 by 2031), then the cost may simply be prohibitive for the voters.
Continued on Page 5
Continued on Page 4
See page 8
David Brooks: A Time for Listening
I’ve been thinking a lot about the best imaginable Trump voter. This is the Trump supporter who wasn’t motivated by racism or bigotry. This is the one who cringed every time Donald Trump did something cruel, vulgar and misogynistic. See page 12
Press Pass with Chely Wright
Chely Wright said that if her last two albums, The Metropolitan Hotel and Lifted Off the Ground, were taking a few steps in the direction of Americana music, that her latest album, I Am the Rain, released in September, is a “marathon sprint” in that direction. See page 25
Index
Editorial..................6 Letters..............6, 19 News & Notes.10-11 Comment......... 12-14 Sports..................16 Business News....18
Calendar.........20-21 Food & Dining......23 Classified Ads .....28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........29 Critter Corner.......30
MEMBERS OF THE FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL and School Board met again Tuesday night to tackle some of the tough questions pertaining to the campus property, including what is the size of the new high school that should be built. (Photo: News-Press)
Falls Church School Board Split, 5-2, For Interim Superintendent by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
A remarkably accomplished national education leader, Dr. Robert Schiller, has agreed to step away from retirement in Florida to accept the position as interim superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools. He was present Monday night when the F.C. School Board voted 5-2 to offer him the post. Dr. Schiller has been the superintendent of four school districts and two state school districts in his storied career, which included being called in as CEO
and CFO of the famous 1997 reorganization of the Baltimore School System and a period heading the City of Los Angeles School System with its 729,000 students. Dr. Schiller will serve until the F.C. School Board finds a permanent replacement for Dr. Toni Jones, who is concluding her five-year stint here at the end of this month before heading to Connecticut to head a school system there. School Board vice chair John Lawrence described Dr. Schiller as “a remarkable candidate” when he nominated him at a special
PAGE 2 | NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016
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Heartburn Attends Forecasting School Enrollment Continued from Page 1
It goes without saying that also being considered is the impact of some of the Council and Board posts which will be on that same ballot. While the City of Falls Church has a laudatory record of supporting its government’s carefully-made plans for improving the quality of life in the Little City, including its most recent overwhelming approval of renovating and expanding the City’s public library earlier this month, the dollar size of the school referendum next fall will be the biggest in the City’s history. These decisions coming to the Council and Board were never expected to be easy, and so far that’s putting it mildly. Akin’s Link Strategic Partners firm was retained just to help make this and other dicey decisions. So far, each meeting to tackle this problem has taken seemingly forever, especially since the two groups held a three-hour meeting on the subject last month, and took almost as long on Nov. 1 to decide that it would be more efficient to select a task force of representative members to meet every week. Even the name of the group is time consuming to recite, “The Campus Process Working Group,” with no readily attainable acronym (Krampus? – ed.). There were two meetings of the working group, with Council members Letty Hardi and Marybeth Connelly on the one side and School Board members John Lawrence and Erin Gill on the other. They met for over two hours on Nov. 9 and for over three hours on Nov. 17, with many paid City and school staff members present and Link Partners personnel as moderators. After devoting almost two hours to the subject with all Council and Board members pres-
ent Monday night, the next working group meetings are set for Dec. 1, 8 and 15. “There is a fear that we may under-build,” School Board chair Justin Castillo said at Monday’s meeting. “Is it out of the question to rule out an enrollment of 5,000 some day? We don’t know.” Castillo said “the elephant in the room” is the implication in all this of the type of housing that will be built in the future in the City. So far, over 1,000 single family home properties have been identified in the City whose land values are greater than building values, suggesting they’ll be susceptible for rebuilds. Whereas only 300 of those properties currently have children in the schools, rebuilding could be with a mind to making them all attractive to young families with multiple children. Also, projections that are currently being used by Weldon-
Cooper factor in only new multifamily residential projects that have either been approved (like Mason Row) or are seen as plainly on the horizon (like the WashingtonBroad property). It models in that there may be two residential projects on the campus site (in the 11 acres that will be susceptible to commercial development). But that’s all. In the next decade, there may be numerous additional projects no one knows about yet that get approved, and insofar as they may all offer new revenues to the City greater than their costs, they will be hard, politically, to deter. “We may well get more development than is being shown here,” said Mayor David Tarter. “For example, as apartment buildings age, they tend to attract more children. Also, the data has shown that while the school system’s enrollment growth was at a rate of 3.7
percent the last decade, it has increased to a rate of 4.3 percent over the last five years. Will that escalation in the rate continue or not? What are the factors? They may be macro-factors, such as the level of federal government spending on defense in the region. Still, as School Board mem-
ber Phil Reitinger said Monday, “Modeling for new development will help us determine where a ‘bulls eye’ may be” deciding on the size of the high school. “It will be both a political and a data-driven decision.” All meetings on this subject are open to the public.
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NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 5
DR. ROBERT SCHILLER (standing) was introduced at Monday’s Falls Church School Board meeting as some of the board members seated before him included (left to right) Margaret Ward, Lawrence Webb, Erin Gill and Michael Ankuma. (Photo: News-Press)
Schiller Named Interim Superintendent Continued from Page 1
reflection on Dr. Schiller, but simply to indicate they felt a better candidate was passed over for him. The News-Press had independently learned that the other candidate was former F.C. Schools superintendent Dr. Lois
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Berlin. Webb said he was also particularly unhappy with the “process” the board adopted to make its selection, but said he thinks it will improve when the board hires an outside consultant to help it with the search for a permanent superintendent.
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In sending off Dr. Jones at Monday night’s meeting, School Board member Philip Reitinger said that he was heartened that Dr. Jones “cared very deeply about the children in our system.” At last week’s School Board meeting more extensive tributes to Dr. Jones were presented.
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A Sanctuary Community
“Falls Church can set an example of unity, light, and kindness for our children and for the nation,” two young and trend-setting elected officials in the City of Falls Church wrote in a Letter to the Editor in the News-Press last week. “In light of recent events in our country...we want to take the opportunity to reaffirm our long-standing community values of equality, inclusion, and diversity, no matter the national context,” they wrote, “We remain a welcoming and respectful place for all people, all faiths, all races, all cultures, all sexual orientations and all backgrounds.” So eloquently wrote first term City Council member Letty Hardi and first-term School Board member Erin Gill. We hope that all their colleagues on the City Council and School Board affirm the same values and sentiment. As we’ve commented in this space in the last couple of weeks since the presidential election declared Donald Trump the winner, based on threats and vows he made during his campaign, there are many people in our midst right now who are having to cope with a palpable fear. To the extent that many who are not persons of color or practicing diverse faiths or cultural traditions are being dismissive about this, a good dose of American empathy is called for. We must add, there has been little that has transpired since the election to assuage those fears. It is clear that so-called “alt-right” purveyors of hatred and violence against minorities have been energized by the Trump victory, and cannot be expected to tone down their hateful rhetoric and the escalation in hate crimes that it has already incited. For all advocates of the kind of diversity affirmation that Hardi and Gill wrote about last week, the challenge will be vigilance as the process unfolds into the new year. Some have taken to wearing safety pins on their lapels to signal to anyone who might be in distress from words or actions of hate that they can expect to find shelter and help in that person. This was done in Great Britain when violence broke out in the wake of the Brexit vote earlier this year, and might be an appropriate response again. City of Falls Church officials, and we dare say, their neighbors in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County, should be making preparations now in the event things get ugly next year, and a new administration comes looking for what they may intend to deport as illegal Hispanics or Muslims. We cannot assume now that this simply won’t happen. Like some already, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, the City of Falls Church and other regional bodies should prepare to, and be proud to declare themselves “sanctuary communities” that will not cooperate with any federal government policy that seeks to illegally or heartlessly restrain, confine or deport persons solely on the basis of race, religion or any other aspect of human diversity.
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Is Rep. Beyer Sincere About Helping the Poor?
Editor, I accept Don Beyer’s view of why Democrats lost big. He was right to a point. Potential U.S. Supreme Court nominations also influenced Catholics and Evangelicals to vote heavily against Clinton. However, the big liability was 60 percent of Dems and Republicans saw her as dishonest. She was so poor a candidate even Trump with enormous warts had coattails.
I was very surprised by Beyer’s proposed help for rural poor and union workers. Historically, using Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps programs to help fly-over Americans does not work. Beyer and I must have been “educated” by the same progressive school system. I was taught FDR’s New Deal saved us from the Great Depression. Only after leaving high school and majoring in his-
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tory did I realize Hoover’s and FDR’s make-work programs didn’t fix, but perpetuated it for ten years. World War II ended it. Ten years earlier, after World War I, we experienced the greatest depression up until then. It was triggered by the post-World War I wind down. That depression was deepened by Wilson’s administration failing to lower the 10 percent flat income tax rate. I also was taught that President Harding, who inherited the 1919 depression, was the worst President in our history. However, Harding cut federal income taxes 40 percent and cut federal spending by 50 percent. The result was the deepest and broadest prosperity the nation
had known: “The Roaring 20s.” I urge Beyer to re-think using New Deal approaches. Those programs did help people through the Depression but they also helped prolong it for ten years. Real prosperity is created by stimulating new businesses. Those jobs are substantive and lasting. It’s an economic fact new businesses are real job creators not government make-work jobs, or small or large businesses. I was shocked by the incongruity of Beyer’s intelligent analysis and demonstrably incompetent solution. Does he really want to help the rural and urban poor or
Letters Continued on Page 19
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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NOVEMBER 24 – 30, 2016 | PAGE 7
Local Charity Shows ‘Thank You’ Goes a Long Way B� N����� H����
Thanksgiving is a time of contemplation for Americans. It’s a chance to reflect on the truly meaningful things in our lives. Our families. Our friends. And, often, our health. For the nation’s sick and elderly, however, a personal caregiver might be near the top of that list. Anyone who has witnessed the power of a caregiver’s touch can understand their impact. And the essential role of the caregiver in our society is only likely to grow. Due to demographic changes, the population over 65 has almost doubled since the 1960’s. They number approximately 50 million individuals and 15 percent of all Americans. In preparation for this “silver wave,” there has been a push to recruit workers into the healthcare field. But Medicare, Medicaid and other healthcare cost pressures have hampered caregiver pay increases. The result has been that many long-term nursing facilities and at-home care providers lose over 50 percent of their staff each year. Hospitals routinely pay over $30,000 to replace and retrain each Registered Nurse they lose. And studies routinely show that experienced caregivers provide better outcomes for the healthcare consumer. Given this context – that replacement costs are burdensome and patient care suffers as a result – why not focus primarily on keeping talented caregivers in the field?
Indeed, and in the spirit of our Thanksgiving holiday, perhaps a simple “thank you” to our nation’s caregivers could go a long way. Falls Church residents Matt and Rosemary Lawlor were thinking along those same lines four
“Perhaps a simple ‘thank you’ to our nation’s caregivers could go a long way.” years ago, after a family experience and volunteer work at a local rehab center. The idea integrated an element of Matt’s success running a public company – where a staff peer-to-peer recognition program became a key driver of the company’s customer and team-oriented culture. The Lawlor family, including sons Jack and Paul, were inspired to create Ceca Foundation – a name derived from “Celebrating caregivers.” They set out to fund and support caregiver recognition programs at 10 D.C.-area healthcare facilities. Before I began my work with Ceca back in early 2014, the Foundation had already successfully piloted an Arlingtonbased rehab center. Since then, our healthcare partnerships have grown in number and variety – including acute care hospitals, long-term care nursing homes, hos-
pice centers, mental health and other rehab facilities. Our partners serve widely diverse cared-for populations, and staff sizes range from 50 to 2500 employees. Ultimately, we strive to create a flexible, accessible, and “turnkey” solution that serves the full spectrum of healthcare institutions who seek to honor and reward their exceptional caregivers. New social networking and communication technologies have made this more possible than ever. Our proprietary web-based recognition platform has been operational for over two years. Using a smartphone app or web browser, healthcare staff, patients, residents, families and visitors may nominate a caregiver for a monthly or quarterly Ceca Award. Nominators are encouraged to cite an exemplary act of caregiving – a housekeeper escorting a lost family member to a resident’s room; a nurse noting an aggravating symptom of a patient in a waiting area; an activities assistant discovering and cultivating a nursing home resident’s long-muted passion – and are able to share their story through the website. Award honorees are selected by an independent panel, and receive cash awards ranging from $250 – $1,000. Other staff receiving nominations appear on a “CecaTV” monitor located in a main thoroughfare of the facility. This extends appreciation far beyond the individual honorees: on average, almost a third of each facility’s staff are publicly recognized through the program.
Early participation and engagement metrics are so encouraging that we plan to continue all of our DC-area programs. We also recently announced our intent to expand our caregiver recognition program nationally. And while aspirations for Ceca have always been national in scope, the story has been uniquely a local one. Many of the organization’s contributors have called Falls Church home, including myself, Board members MaryAnn Yancey and Adam Edwards, and marketing consultants Steve Cram and Meredith Hamme. Transitioning from a small, local startup to a nationwide presence advocating for compassionate care has meant providing a dynamic product and well-refined processes. Scaling our program requires additional resources, both human and financial, to handle the load. But the impact made on caregivers, patients, residents and families can be very meaningful. Caregivers appreciate the focus on their “labors of love,” and the acknowledgement of their value. And the patient experience can be transformed from one merely about competence and procedure, to a realization that, at its roots, providing care is primarily about human interaction and empathy. After all, as author Jim Rohn said, “One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.”
Nate Hamme is managing director of Ceca Foundation.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Do you agree with the Falls Church School Board’s choice for interim superintendent? • Yes • No
Last Week’s Question:
Should City of Falls Church officials meet with Alexandria and Arlington officials on a regular basis?
• Not sure
Log on to www.FCNP.com to cast your vote
FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.
[WRITE FOR THE PRESS] The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor
& Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.
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
PAGE 8 | NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crisis Link Offers Support to People with Mental Illness by Matthew Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
The holiday season is traditionally a time for people to come together and rejoice with loved ones. But for some, this time of year serves as a stark reminder of how lonely and despondent everyday life may be. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services aids those struggling to find their holiday cheer with a 24/7 CrisisLink phone and text line that offers confidential and supportive outreach to the community at large. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, known as PRS, has been a staple in Northern Virginia since the early 1960s. Originally conceived by founder Vera Mellen to assist deinstitutionalized hospital patients with mental disabilities, the organization provided innovative care for their new clients by identifying needs for housing, transportation and a sense of belonging within the world around them. Government funding legitimized Mellen’s call to action and over the next 30 years her passion for the well-being of intellectually
impaired residents helped make their lives exponentially better with vocational, educational and recreational services to over 400 individuals. In 1998 Mellen stepped down and passed the torch to current president and CEO of PRS, Wendy Gradison, who has ensured the core of the organization remains unblemished. “We talk about empowering change, one connection at a time,” Gradison says in an e-mail. “I have worked closely with our Board and our Leadership Team to carry on the foundational principles on which PRS was created while serving more people in need. For our 53 year history, PRS has held true to those core values of person-centered, flexible, individualized, community-based skill training and supports for persons in recovery.” Even as Gradison keeps an eye on the past, she continues to look toward the future. PRS has become more inclusive by assisting people with behavioral and emotional disabilities to go along with their original target demographic of intellectually
PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION SERVICES gave a tour of its facilities on Thursday, Nov. 10. Liz Barnes, a board member with the organization and crisis worker volunteer, said that the work she does there “has changed her as a human being.” (Courtesy Photo)
THOMAS INGRAM, A VOLUNTEER AT CRISIS LINK, the 24-hour hotline for those seeking mental and emotional support, sits at his desk. Crisis Link is a service provided by Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, which is based in Arlington. (Courtesy Photo) disabled clients. Furthermore, the organization dove head-first into the digital age by creating metric-based evaluation methods to sharpen how they assess their own treatment and attentiveness to client needs. “PRS strives to be data-driven,” Gradison says. “[We’re] always a ‘work in progress’ and striving to improve in all aspects of the company. “Thus, there is a cycle of continuous quality improvement. When our internal targets are not met, our teams explore what improvements are needed, implement and measure them.” Along with new-age evaluation methods the organization has also upped its community outreach by providing the 24/7 phone and text line, CrisisLink. Once its own entity that started in the 1960s as Northern Virginia Hotline and operated with a few volunteer operators out of a church basement, CrisisLink became an accredited call center in the 1990s and merged with PRS in 2014. The two were a match made in heaven. CrisisLink brought a service and style of volunteering to PRS that the company hadn’t utilized, while PRS brought their strong management and stable funding to support CrisisLink’s initiatives. Having a phone and text line available at all hours sweetened the deal even more for PRS, who now could have clients call in and reflect on their progression
through programs or simply to air their grievances. Offering perspective on both the big-picture goals of PRS and the experience of a volunteer is PRS board member, CrisisLink trainer and volunteer operator Liz Barnes. “We take calls no matter who
an effort to combat teen suicide. And while volunteers are there to support distressed callers, they aren’t soliciting solutions. “We’re not there to solve their problems” Barnes adds. “We’re there to be with them in their crisis or issue that they’re having, and to provide reflective listening.”
“It’s such an honor to be on the hotline with an individual in crisis and that they’re opening themselves up to you. It has changed me as a human being [and] has changed how I interact not just with my family, but holistically as a person.” you are or what your background is,” Barnes says. “We’ve had clients and callers who have been with us for 20 – 30 years who call back – and call daily – for our support.” Although roughly 80 percent of the 24,000 annual calls aren’t dire emergencies, the volunteers are still equipped with Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and are comfortable discussing issues revolving around mental disabilities, sexual assault, domestic violence and problems specific to LGBTQIA+ and veteran callers. Additional programs include CareRing, where home-bound individuals receive a daily checkin call and opening the text line in
The holidays bring their own stressors to the phone lines. Positives such as decreased suicides are countered by increased calls on family anxiety and heightened alcoholism. Still, the work never ends as there is always someone who will dial the hotline looking for consoling words on the other end. Luckily, Barnes and other volunteers are all there to assist those in need. “It’s such an honor to be on the hotline with an individual in crisis and that they’re opening themselves up to you,” Barnes says. “It has changed me as a human being [and] has changed how I interact not just with my family, but holistically as a person.”
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NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 9
Fa l l s C h u r c h
NEWS BRIEFS Man Showing Porn to Youths Sought Detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department have released a composite sketch of a man suspected of showing two girls, 8 and 11, adult pornographic video from his cell phone on Sunday, Nov. 13 at around 3 p.m. in the 2700 block of Blocker Place in Falls Church. The initial investigation determined the two girls were riding their scooters when a man driving a car approached and called them over. The girls maintained their distance but stopped to look. The man was holding his phone and extended it out the window. One of the girls observed the video. Both girls ran away, saw an adult nearby and immediately told her what happened. The suspect was described as possibly Middle Eastern, in his 30s, with dark medium-length hair and a short beard, wearing a black sweater and blue jeans. He was seen in a gray four-door sedan, possibly a Toyota. Detectives would like anyone with information about this incident to contact them at 703-246-7854, or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.
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ALEX GUARNASCHELLI ROBERT IRVINE EMERIL LAGASSE RACHAEL RAY
MARCUS SAMUELSSON MICHAEL SYMON ANDREW ZIMMERN & MANY MORE
Police Seek Suspect in Target Exposure Police are investigating a report of a man exposing himself to a child last Thursday at the Target located at 6100 Arlington Boulevard in Falls Church. An initial investigation determined that two boys, 8 and 6, entered the restroom in the store while their father waited outside on Nov. 17. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, a man approached the boys inside the restroom and spoke to them. The younger boy immediately exited while the other child remained in the restroom and when he turned around, the suspect exposed himself to him. The victim ran out and told his father what happened. The suspect was described as white, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, between 50 and Survelliance camera footage of 60 years old and wearing all-dark clothing. Anyone with infor- exposure suspect. (Photo: Fairfax mation about this incident has been asked by the police depart- Co. Police) ment to contact Detective Scott Bronowicz from the Major Crimes Division at 703-246-7800, or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.
7 Corners Fire Kills 2 Dogs On Sunday, Nov. 20, at approximately 5:29 a.m., units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and the Arlington County Fire Department responded for a reported house fire in the 6300 block of Villa Lane in the Seven Corners area of Fairfax County. A unit from Fire Station 28, Seven Corners, arrived on scene of a two-story, single family home and observed fire showing from the front and side of the house. One occupant woke to the odor of smoke in the home and alerted the remaining occupants of the fire. All occupants were safely outside upon arrival of the fire department. Three of the five dogs that were home were also able to escape but two dogs perished in the fire. There were multiple battery-operated smoke alarms present in the home that did not work and none of the smoke alarms had batteries installed. Two occupants of the home were transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. There were approximately 40 firefighters on scene and no firefighter injuries reported. The fire investigation revealed the fire originated in the home’s library. The cause of the fire is accidental as a result of smoking materials igniting nearby combustibles. Damages are estimated at $173,750.
Opioid ‘Emergency’ Declared in Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia has declared the state’s opioid addiction crisis a Public Health Emergency. Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office announced the declaration this week, saying it “comes in response to the growing number of overdoses attributed to opioid use, and evidence that Carfentanil, a highly dangerous synthetic opioid used to sedate large animals such as elephants, has made its way its way into Virginia.” McAuliffe added, “Too many families across Virginia and the nation are dealing with heartbreak and loss as a result of this prescription opioid and heroin abuse epidemic. We cannot stand by while these drugs harm our communities and our economy.” By the end of 2016, opioid overdose deaths are expected to increase by 77 percent over five years ago, according to the governor’s office. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control has called the opioid crisis “the worst drug epidemic in history.” More than 47,000 people died from opioid abuse in 2014, an all-time high.
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Community News & Notes Local Tai Chi Team Dominates National Tournament
For more information, visit SunAndMoonTaijiOne.com.
F.C. Resident Self-Publishes Children’s Picture Book
Mah Jongg Cards for Sale Through Early 2017
A team from Sun & Moon Taiji One tai chi school traveled to Windsor, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 5 for the national Chinese Martial Arts, the 6th Annual New England International Wushu Championships, which was attended by hundreds of practitioners from across the country. The team, which was undefeated in the national championships in group tai chi since 2013, continued its exciting run, not only by winning gold medals in all three of its team events but also by earning the highest score among all group events at the tournament with their musical Chen-Style Taiji Form. In addition, team members excelled in solo competition, finishing with a school total of thirteen first place, four second places and one third place medals in 18 individual divisions.
Cherry Hill Farmhouse Hosts 2 Holiday Tea Events
Falls Church resident Christina Graham recently self-published her debut book, Bunnies Are a Lot Like You and Me, which is a children’s picture book. “I work in an office full time but have always wanted to do something more meaningful as it relates to animals and children’s education,” Graham said in an email to the News-Press. “I decided there was no time like the present to pursue one of my dreams, so I recently self-published a children’s picture book.” She also said that she wrote the book with the intention of it being a fun and creative way to engage children’s imagination as they learn the importance of caring for pets. The book is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookbaby. For more information, visit savoix.com.
The Women of Temple Rodef Shalom at 2100 Westmoreland Street are selling Mah Jongg cards now through January 15, 2017. Those who are interested can order a deck of cards through this fundraiser that will help support Women of Temple Rodef Shalom’s educational, social and community programs. The cards cost $8 for small cards and $9 for large cards. The order form can be found at bit.ly/2enlbcR. For more information, call Marion Jacknow at 703-698-8602 or email her at mjacknow@aol.com.
Cherry Hill Farmhouse is opening its doors for two teas this holiday season that will be held on consecutive days in early December. The first holiday tea will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10 and the second will be held the next day. Both are scheduled from 2 – 4 p.m. The house will be decorated in mid-19th century period decor and will include a tree. A talk will be presented by the 1858 mistress of Cherry Hill. As always the tea consists of tea sandwiches, assorted sweets, warm scones and a bottomless cup of tea. Registration is required for both holiday tea events and the cost of admittance is $30 per person. For more information, call 703-248-5171 or visit cherryhillfallschurch.org.
LOCAL TAI CHI SCHOOL Sun & Moon Taiji One poses for a photo at the 6th Annual New England International Wushu Championships, which was held in Windsor, Conn. in early November. The team, which has been undefeated in group tai chi for the past three years, continued its streak of winning gold medals for the team competition at the championships. They also won 18 individual medals at the competition. (Photo: Courtesy of Mickey Lee)
Falls Church City Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Most City of Falls Church Offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 24 and on Friday, Nov. 25 for Thanksgiving. Two of the City’s offices, the Court Clerk’s office
and Sheriff’s office, will close early on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Those offices will close at noon on that day. The City closures for Thanksgiving include City Hall, Falls Church Community Center, Court Clerk’s office, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, permits counter, Senior Center and Sheriff’s office. All of those offices, except for the Falls Church Community Center, will be closed the following day. On Friday, Nov. 25 the Falls Church Community Center will be on a revised schedule of 8:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. The Falls Church Community Center will also close early on Friday, Dec. 2 – Sunday, Dec. 4 so that City staff can prepare for the Holiday Gift & Craft Show. The community center will be open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 and from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. For more information, visit fallschurchva.gov.
A LARGE GROUP OF CHILDREN look on at the performance of The Great Zucchini at Mary Riley Styles Public Library on a Saturday afternoon in mid-November. The magic and comedy performer has been performing for over 20 years, mainly in the Washington, D.C. region, for preschool and kindergartners. He performs his hands-on, interactive shows for more than 500 groups a year. (Photo: Courtesy of Dan Lehman)
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
DMV 2 Go Back in Falls Church on Dec. 2
that book, visit arcadiapublishing. com/Products/9781626195059.
The Department of Motor Vehicles mobile customer service center, DMV 2 Go, will be in the parking lot of City Hall at 300 Park Avenue on Friday, Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The special event is co-hosted by the Commissioner of the Revenue and the Virginia DMV. This event is open to all Virginia residents. No appointments are necessary. The handicapped-accessible, full-service office provides all DMV transactions including applying for and renewing driver’s licenses; obtaining ID cards (including photos) and Virginia’s veterans ID cards; taking road and knowledge tests; obtaining copies of driving records; obtaining vehicle titles, license plates, decals, and transcripts; ordering disabled parking placards or plates; updating an address after a move for DMV and voter registration; and more. Customers should be prepared with the required identification. For more information, visit fallschurchva.gov/dmv2go.
Kids Can Party with ‘Elephant & Piggie’ at F.C. Library
FCNP Columnist Tells ‘Hidden History’ of Arlington County Charlie Clark, who writes the “Our Man in Arlington” for the Falls Church News-Press, is set to publish a new collection of his columns from the newspaper with Arcadia/The History Press in spring 2017. The book will be called The Hidden History of Arlington County and will feature “off-beat or scoop-worthy” columns from the past three years, Clark told the News-Press in an email on Friday, Nov. 18. In 2014, Arcadia/The History Press published Clark’s Arlington County Chronicles, which was his first published collection of his “Our Man in Arlington” columns. For more information about
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Mary Riley Styles Public Library is hosting a party featuring the popular children’s literary characters Elephant & Piggie on Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 3 – 4 p.m. in the library’s conference room at 120 N. Virginia Avenue as part of its Early Release Wednesday series. The event is recommended for children in grades K – 5. Registration for the event opens on Wednesday, Nov. 23 and is limited to 15 participants. For more information, visit fallschurchva. gov/Library or call 703-248-5034.
F.C. Resident Wins $100,000 From Virginia Lottery Falls Church resident Elieceer Chacon won $100,000 playing Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 game on Thursday, Nov. 3, according to a press release from the Virginia Lottery. He told the Virginia Lottery that his strategy for playing the game is to select numbers that seem to be coming up lately. “I guess I hit the big one,” Chacon said to the Virginia Lottery. He bought his winning ticket at the 7-Days Convenience Store, located at 3518 Moncure Ave., Falls Church. The winning numbers for that drawing were 16-25-29-30-34. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256. For more information, visit valottery.com.
Falls Church Area Children Receive Free Dental Care Local children will have the opportunity to receive free dental services from Rebecca Peebles, DMD, Rajalakshmi Ananthasekar, DDS, and their dental team at West Falls Church Dental at 7395 Lee Highway as part of Kid’s Free Dentistry Day
Healthy Smiles Begin Here Family, Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry
Now Offering Dental Savings Plans!
TAKING A BREAK FROM SOME FALL PLANTING earlier this month on S. Maple Street are (l to r) Jeremy Edwards, Charles Prince, Eva Nowak and John Footit. Nowak is the president of the Falls Church Garden Club. Jeanie Thackrey, another member of the garden club, was also there. In addition to the plants they planted above ground, they have put in approximately 650 tulip and daffodil bulbs for the spring. (P����: C������� �� W���� S������) on Tuesday, Dec. 20 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Patients will be offered cleanings, sealants and one filling per child. Nearly one in four children between the ages of 2 – 11 years has untreated cavities in primary teeth, according to the Center for Disease Control. Unfortunately,
children are not visiting a dentist near often enough to treat decay in its early stages. “It’s unfortunate that so many children have enough decay in their primary teeth that the only solution is multiple crowns or pulling teeth that can no longer be saved,” Peebles said.
“We look at Kid’s Free Dentistry Day as a way to provide important preventative care to children in our community, as well as educate them on the importance of having a good oral hygiene regimen.” For more information, visit westfallschurchdental.com or call 703-641-8717.
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A Time for Listening
I’ve been thinking a lot about the best imaginable Trump voter. This is the Trump supporter who wasn’t motivated by racism or bigotry. This is the one who cringed every time Donald Trump did something cruel, vulgar and misogynistic. But this voter needed somebody to change the systems that are failing her. She needed somebody to change the public school system that serves the suburban children of professors, journalists and lawyers, but has left her kids under-skilled and underpaid. She needed some way to protect herself from the tech executives who give exciting speeches about disruption but don’t know anything about the people actually being disrupted. She is one of those people whom Joan C. Williams writes about in The Harvard Business Review who admires rich people but disdains professionals – the teachers who condescend to her, the doctors NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE who don’t make time for her, the activists whose definition of social justice never seems to include the suffering people like her experience. This voter wants leaders tough enough to crack through the reigning dysfunction, and sure enough, Trump’s appointments so far represent the densest concentration of hyper-macho belligerence outside a drill sergeant retirement home. This voter wants a philosophic change of course, and Trump offers that, too. The two party establishments are mired in their orthodoxies, but Trump and his appointees are embodiments of the nationalism espoused by Pat Buchanan, the most influential public intellectual in America today. Buchanan’s organizing worldview is embodied in visceral form in the person of Steve Bannon. “The globalists gutted the American working class and created a middle class in Asia,” Bannon said in his Hollywood Reporter interview. The new political movement, he said, is “everything related to jobs.” He vowed to drive conservatives crazy with a gigantic spending program to create jobs. He vowed to use that money to create a new New Deal that will win over 40 percent of the black and Hispanic vote, creating a neo-Jacksonian majority that will govern for 50 years. It’s not my cup of tea, but I can see why some good people might be willing to tolerate Trump and Bannon’s personalities in order to pursue it. Thinking about this best voter has helped me take an emotional pause. Many of my fellow Trump critics are expressing outrage, depression, bewilderment or disgust. They’re marching or writing essays: Should we normalize Trump or fight the normalizers? It all seems so useless during this transition moment. It’s all a series of narcissistic displays and discussions about our own emotional states. It seems like the first thing to do is really learn what this election is teaching us. Second, this seems like a moment for some low-passion wonkery. It’s stupid to react to every Trump tweet outrage with your own predictable howls. It’s silly to treat politics and governance purely on cultural grounds, as a high school popularity contest, where my sort of people denigrates your sort of people. We’ve arrived at the moment of actual governing. We’ve arrived at the moment when Trump has to turn his vague notions into concrete proposals. Trump promised to rip up the Iran deal, but he seems to be realizing there are six other signatories and we’ve lost leverage with the Iranians because we already gave them back their money. Trump promises to repeal Obamacare, but how do you do that when it has already been woven into the fabric of every health care system in America? Whether it’s reforming immigration or trade policy, his governing challenge is going to be astoundingly hard and complicated. Surely this is not the moment to get swept up in our own moral superiority, but rather to understand the specificity of the proposals he comes up with and to offer concrete amendments and alternatives to address the same problems. Finally, surely a little universal humility is in order. Orthodox Republicans spent the past 30 years talking grandly about entrepreneurialism while the social fabric around their core voters disintegrated. Maybe a little government action would have helped? The Democratic Party is losing badly on the local, state and national levels. If you were a football team you’d be 2-8. Maybe you can do better than responding with the sentiment: Sadly, the country isn’t good enough for us. Those of us in the opinion class have been complaining that Trump voters are post-truth, that they don’t have a respect for expertise. Well, the experts created a school system that doesn’t produce skilled graduates. The experts designed Obamacare exchanges that are failing. Maybe those of us in the professional class need to win back some credibility the oldfashioned way, with effective reform. There will be plenty of time to be disgusted with Trump’s bigotry, narcissism and incompetence. It’s tempting to get so caught up in his outrage du jour that you never have to do any self-examination. But let’s be honest: It wouldn’t kill us Trump critics to take a break from our never-ending umbrage to engage in a little listening.
David Brooks
Build He Won’t Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s chief strategist, is a white supremacist and purveyor of fake news. But the other day, in an interview with, um, The Hollywood Reporter, he sounded for a minute like a progressive economist. “I’m the guy pushing a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan,” he declared. “With negative interest rates throughout the world, it’s the greatest opportunity to rebuild everything.” So is public investment an area in which progressives and the incoming Trump administration can find common ground? Some people, including Bernie Sanders, seem to think so. But remember that we’re dealing with a president-elect whose NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE business career is one long trail of broken promises and outright scams – someone who just paid $25 million to settle fraud charges against his “university.” Given that history, you always have to ask whether he’s offering something real or simply engaged in another con job. In fact, you should probably assume that it’s a scam until proven otherwise. And we already know enough about his infrastructure plan to suggest, strongly, that it’s basically fraudulent, that it would enrich a few well-connected people at taxpayers’ expense while doing very little to cure our investment shortfall. Progressives should not associate themselves with this exercise in crony capitalism. To understand what’s going on, it may be helpful to start with what we should be doing. The federal government can indeed borrow very cheaply; meanwhile, we really need to spend money on everything from sewage treatment to transit. The indicated course of action, then, is simple: borrow at those low, low rates, and use the funds raised to fix what needs fixing. But that’s not what the Trump team is proposing. Instead, it’s calling for huge tax credits: billions of dollars in checks written to private companies that invest in approved projects, which they would end up owning. For example, imagine a private consortium building a toll road for $1 billion. Under the Trump plan, the consortium might borrow $800 billion while putting up $200 million in equity – but it would get a tax credit of 82 percent of that sum, so that its actual outlays would only be $36 million. And any future revenue from tolls would go to the people who put up that $36 million. There are three questions you should immediately ask.
Paul Krugman
First, why do it this way? Why not just have the government do the spending, the way it did when, for example, we built the Interstate Highway System? It’s not as if the feds are having trouble borrowing. And while involving private investors may create less upfront government debt than a more straightforward scheme, the eventual burden on taxpayers will be every bit as high if not higher. Second, how is this scheme supposed to deal with infrastructure needs that can’t be turned into profit centers? Our top priorities should include things like repairing levees and cleaning up hazardous waste; where’s the revenue stream? Maybe the government can promise to pay fees in perpetuity, in effect “renting” the repaired levee or waterworks – but that makes it even clearer that we’re basically engaged in a gratuitous handout to select investors. Third, what reason do we have to believe that this scheme will generate new investment, as opposed to repackaging things that would have happened anyway? For example, many cities will have to replace their water systems in the years ahead, one way or another; if that replacement takes place under the Trump scheme rather than through ordinary government investment, we haven’t built additional infrastructure, we’ve just privatized what would have been public assets – and the people acquiring those assets will have paid just 18 cents on the dollar, with taxpayers picking up the rest of the tab. Again, all of this is unnecessary. If you want to build infrastructure, build infrastructure. It’s hard to see any reason for a roundabout, indirect method that would offer a few people extremely sweet deals, and would therefore provide both the means and the motive for large-scale corruption. Or maybe I should say, it’s hard to see any reason for this scheme unless the inevitable corruption is a feature, not a bug. Now, the Trump people could make all my suspicions look foolish by scrapping the private-investor, tax credits aspect of their proposal and offering a straightforward program of public investment. And if they were to do that, progressives should indeed work with them on that issue. But it’s not going to happen. Cronyism and selfdealing are going to be the central theme of this administration – in fact, Mr. Trump is already meeting with foreigners to promote his business interests. And people who value their own reputations should take care to avoid any kind of association with the scams ahead.
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Putin’s ‘Manchurian Candidate’
Deplorably wanting throughout the presidential campaign, the major national media have behaved no better since the election. They’ve become pliant, and abject failures in their duty to the American people and democracy itself, in an array of ways. First is their Pavlovian response to Trump’s transparent “dog whistle” technique. It hasn’t required much skill by Trump to send news hounds romping off on a noisy chase after any illusory bunny. Example: his tweeting about the “Hamilton” flap and “Saturday Night Live” (congratulations to SNL’s Pete Davidson for his appropriate response). The news hounds barked up that false tree for days while news was sidelined and buried of the extremely important $25 million settlement of the lawsuits against the fraudulent Trump University. FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS The settlement meant that Trump got away with defrauding over 5,000 students at $35,000 each for $175 million by settling for $25 million. Notwithstanding the tacit admission of guilt involved in a settlement, count that result as a $150 million profit for Trump and no one in the media seems to think there’s anything untoward about that coming from our “president-elect.” Then, what about election day, itself? Just days before the FBI reported finding conclusive evidence of Russian hacking rudimentary operations involved in conducting the elections in Florida and Illinois, but since then, not a peep. This is highly suspect given the degree to which everyone, including both the Clinton and Trump campaigns, went into election day with conclusive results of all their polling, believing that it would be a veritable landslide for Clinton. It’s not enough to note that Trump used the “dog whistle” technique to preempt every single case of new evidence against him by accusing Clinton of the same thing (such as repeated “Crooked Hillary” allegations when no proof was there, and “Immoral Bill”). So, when Trump began to insist that the election would be rigged, that should have set off at least some alarms. Important election day anomalies stare us in the face, beginning with an outcome that was vastly different than anyone – the media, polling websites and both campaigns – saw coming. This was not based on educated guesses, but the most exhaustive polling ever. Also, the outcome was decided by results in four states that were, relatively speaking, “off the radar” everyone was focused on. Expected to be the most crucial undetermined outcomes were in Ohio and North Carolina. Instead, the outcome was determined by states where everyone projected Clinton to win, most surprisingly Michigan and Wisconsin, but also Florida and Pennsylvania. Suspiciously, the margins for Trump in those four states were virtually identical, in each case about one percent, an anomaly in itself. A Hollywood Reporter reporter told blogger Bill Palmer this week that Bannon singled out those four states last July saying Trump would win them all. While none of this constitutes proof, it should justify enough concern to spark a serious investigation, if only to put such questions to rest. Where is it? In all this, by far the most egregious irregularity has been the unprecedented role of a major foreign adversary, the Russians. And then there’s the almost treasonous role tampering with the election by top levels of the FBI, and the so-called “Alt-Right” (aka the Fascists). That Trump is Putin’s “Manchurian candidate” constitutes the United States’ single biggest national security crisis since the British-backed South tried to secede in 1860 or British agent Aaron Burr assassinated Alexander Hamilton and almost became president over 200 years ago. Since “detente” in the 1970s eased U.S. immigration limits on Soviet emigres, the Soviet KGB muscled thousands of criminal Russian Mafia figures into the U.S. In conjunction, it flushed its leftist influences in the U.S. The FBI foolishly bought into this. Unleashed were physical attacks on the old Communist Party U.S.A. by the so-called National Caucus of Labor Committees, a product of the late 1960s Columbia student strike that went through a left-to-right transformation in the mid-1970s. The self-destruction of other outdated KGB assets (Jonestown) helped clear the field for the 1980 “Reagan Revolution” and the unimpeded revival of what became Putin’s KGB-influenced Fascist far right movements since.
NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 13
Nicholas F. Benton
Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
Trump: Making America White Again This may well be the beginning of the end: the early moments of a historical pivot point, when the slide of the republic into something untoward and unrecognizable still feels like a small collection of poor judgments and reversible decisions, rather than the forward edge of an enormous menace inching its way forward and grinding up that which we held dear and foolishly thought, as lovers do, would ever endure. So many of President-elect Donald Trump’s decisions herald a tomorrow that is bleak for anyone who held hope that he could be a better man than the one who campaigned, or those who simply assumed the gravity of the office he is to assume would ground him. Hard-line Trumpism isn’t softening; it’s being cemented. Increasingly, as he picks his Cabinet from among his fawning loyalists, it is becoming clear that by “Make America Great Again,” he actually meant some version of “Make America a White, Racist, Misogynistic Patriarchy Again.” It would be hard to send a clearer message to women and minorities that this administration NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE will be hostile to their interests than the Cabinet he is assembling. He has promoted Stephen Bannon, a white supremacy cheerleader and sympathizer, to chief White House strategist. Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to that with a blistering statement: “The appointment by President-elect Trump of a racist individual like Mr. Bannon to a position of authority is totally unacceptable. In a democratic society we can disagree all we want over issues, but racism and bigotry cannot be part of any public policy. The appointment of Mr. Bannon by Mr. Trump must be rescinded.” But of course, he had more controversial appointments to come. He has chosen the extreme anti-Islam hyperbolist Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. As The New York Times reported Thursday: “General Flynn, for instance, has said that Shariah, or Islamic law, is spreading in the United States. (It is not.) His dubious assertions are so common that when he ran the Defense Intelligence Agency, subordinates came up with a name for the phenomenon: They called them ‘Flynn facts.’” In October, Flynn tweeted: “Follow Mike @Cernovich He has a terrific book, Gorilla Mindset. Well worth the read. @realDonaldTrump will win on 8 NOV!!!”
Charles M. Blow
The New Yorker dubbed Mike Cernovich “the meme mastermind of the alt-right” in a lengthy profile. The magazine pointed out: “On his blog, Cernovich developed a theory of white-male identity politics: men were oppressed by feminism, and political correctness prevented the discussion of obvious truths, such as the criminal proclivities of certain ethnic groups.” Then there was the choice of Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general. In 1986 Sessions famously became only the second nominee in 48 years to be rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee, due to racist comments and behavior. When confronted by the committee about remarks he was accused of making about the NAACP and the ACLU, Sessions responded: “I’m often loose with my tongue. I may have said something about the NAACP being un-American or Communist, but I meant no harm by it.” But not all of Sessions’ issues regarding minorities have a 30-year vintage. In response to the attorney general announcement, the Southern Poverty Law Center issued a statement that read in part: “But we cannot support his nomination to be the country’s next attorney general. Senator Sessions not only has been a leading opponent of sensible, comprehensive immigration reform, he has associated with anti-immigrant groups we consider to be deeply racist, including the Federation for American Immigration Reform and the Center for Security Policy.” FAIR was quick to congratulate Sessions on his nomination Friday, saying in a statement: “It’s hard to imagine a better pick for the attorney general position than Senator Jeff Sessions.” The SPLC has written about FAIR, saying: “FAIR leaders have ties to white supremacist groups and eugenicists and have made many racist statements.... FAIR’s founder, John Tanton, has expressed his wish that America remain a majority-white population: a goal to be achieved, presumably, by limiting the number of nonwhites who enter the country.” Trump is making a statement that it would behoove America to heed: The America he envisions, and is now actively constructing from his perch of power, is not an inclusive America. It is a society driven by a racial Owellianism that seeks to defend, elevate and enshrine the primacy of white men and is hostile to all “others.” That orange glow emanating from the man is the sun setting on America’s progress, however slow and halting, on race and gender inclusion and equity.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
Thanksgiving is a hopeful time for families and friends to share meals and memories. When a family member is missing because of illness or death, a hopeful occasion can be transformed into sadness. Such is the case, especially, for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers, ranked third as the leading cause of death in the United States. By 2020, it will be second. Seventyone percent of patients die within the first year of diagnosis. To raise awareness of this deadly disease, the Pancreatic Cancer Action network (PanCAN) is advocating for allocation of a portion of the “Cancer Moonshot” funds in the National Institutes of Health budget to research the recalcitrant cancers, including pancreatic cancer, that have five-year survival rates below 50 percent. Pancreatic cancer is very aggressive; there are no early detection methods, no proven biomarkers, or clues in blood or bodily fluids. As a result, most pancreatic cancer cases are diagnosed in late stage, often too late for surgical intervention. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on my motion, declared last Thursday, November 17, as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day in Fairfax County, joining other jurisdictions around the country in a common effort to provide information about this deadly disease. Gail Coleman, a Mason District constituent and president of the Annandale Christian Community for Action, told me of her personal experiences with pancreatic cancer. Her mother was diagnosed at age 65, and died just three weeks after diagnosis. Her father was diagnosed at age 80, and he died three weeks later. Gail’s husband, Ken Bruntel,
was diagnosed at age 64, and the doctors thought it was caught early enough to explore treatment. Sadly, hopes were dashed when he died four months later, not long after a bittersweet 65th birthday celebration. Not surprisingly, Gail is laser-focused in her advocacy for more research, more education, and more understanding about pancreatic cancer. It should not be a death sentence, but many pancreatic cancer patients go untreated or undertreated after diagnosis, even at early stages. A recent survey of patients revealed that nearly half of them were not even told about clinical trial options by their physicians. Even though the disease is aggressive, matching the patient to the right clinical trial can result in meaningful advances in treatment. PanCAN’s slogan is “Wage Hope.” Early detection, enhanced research, and increased awareness of pancreatic cancer can bring that hope closer to thousands of American families and their loved ones. More information about pancreatic cancer is available at www.pancan.org. Marie Travesky served as the Springfield District Supervisor from 1977 to 1984, and was known for her expertise in transportation issues. Marie died last week after a short illness. She always kept her age a secret, so it was a surprise to learn that she was 84. Marie was active as a consultant for transportation issues in Northern Virginia for the past three decades, whose work brought her often to Mason District. She was a gracious, smart, and elegant lady, and I was pleased to know her as a friend. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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1968, like this year a politically turbulent one, was also the year a group of us high school kids picketed the Washington Golf and Country Club. This largely forgotten antiArlington-establishment protest drew plenty of news coverage. When a half-dozen who marched then recently reunited online to recall the details, we agreed the event inspired change in both the club (we like to think), but certainly the lives of the participants. The clash began when an African-American Maryland woman named Vivien Rowan joined the tennis team at Indian Spring Country Club. She was the wife of syndicated columnist Carl Rowan, also an ambassador who ran the U.S. Information Agency. Her presence, however, prompted three clubs, as reported in the New York Times, Washington Post and Evening Star in August, to quit the interclub league due to “lack of interest.” Washington Golf was among them. As organizer Tom Clark recalled, “This was a few weeks after the Chicago Democratic Convention, a few before Nixon’s election... a few months after the Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinations, the Paris demonstrations.” To us it seemed the world was in turmoil, and youth was called to action. Several dozen Yorktown High School kids from all three classes made plans, alerted city editors and showed up just after the
NOVEMBER 24 – 30, 2016 | PAGE 15
start of the school year the morning of Saturday, Sept. 7. As local TV news cameras whirred from across Glebe Road, the protesters chanted and waved posters with slogans such as “‘Discriminating people choose WGCC,” “Get a New Racket.” The highlight in everyone’s memories was the emergence of white-haired Chevrolet dealer Bob Peck from the club’s doors. He stormed onto the lawn and scolded us (something about free association and our need to get a job). “His face was red as a tomato, and I have to admit it made me nervous,” recalled Marguarite Reed Gooden, then the only black student in Yorktown’s senior class. “But we all kept cool, never responding!” That game face was particularly hard for Reed because her father sometimes caddied at the club and she didn’t want to get him in trouble. “Many cars tooted their support, while a few yahoos shot us the bird,” recalled John Lorenz, who saved his protest sign for years afterward. “It was an eye-opening realization that our little neighborhood issue was very much tied to bigger turmoil that was about to bring the country to its knees,” recalled organizer Glen Schneider. “It was a pretty jarring realization for a self-absorbed 17-year-old living in suburbia. But like everything else we did, there was an element of fun.” Co-organizer Mark Rosenbaum was on the school basketball team, and said his coach worried he’d get arrested. So the planners met first
with Commonwealth’s Attorney William Hassan, who said marchers would be fine if they stayed on the sidewalk. Rosenbaum’s Jewish parents had also sensed discrimination at the club, so they sympathized, he recalled. Mary Vandevanter remembers being pleased that Rosenbaum’s parents brought 50 MacDonald’s hamburgers to the protesters, but her own parents “saw it on the news and got pretty steamed.” 1968, of course, was a different era. Few at today’s more welcoming country club, where I have friends and have enjoyed much hospitality, remember the picketing. But to those teenage protesters, it was a first taste of impact in the adult world. *** There’s a new biography out on a Washington-Lee High School notable alum. Fans of the Grateful Dead and prankster author Ken Kesey will recall Augustus Owsley Stanley III (1935-2011), the group’s sound engineer and chief dispenser of psychedelic pills on the crazed West Coast during the 1960s. The book titled Bear by Robert Greenfield notes that Stanley hung at the W-L lunch table with Shirley MacLaine (Class of ’52). The future hippie complained at being held back in 11th grade. “The school system punished me by now allowing me to take a test and go back into the proper class,” he recalled, even though he eventually got highest score on the physics achievement test ever. Still, Stanley got into UVA engineering, without that W-L diploma.
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PAGE 16 | NOVEMER 24 - 30, 2016
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Mason Winter Sports Teams Gear Up for New Season by Matthew Hochberg
Falls Church News-Press
Following an exciting fall sports campaign for George Mason High School, which included the volleyball team having one of their most successful seasons in the program’s history and a regionals appearance for the field hockey team, winter sports are now upon us. From the basketball courts to the wrestling mats to the pools, coaches have high expectations and players are getting ready for their seasons. For the girls’ basketball team, this appears to be a championship or bust year, looking to use their momentum from last season to fill up the win column in 2017. GIRLS BASKETBALL The reigning conference champions, with a rare nine-player junior class and two seniors, are looking to advance further than last season. “My expectations are very clear this year: State Title,” head coach Mike Gilroy said. “We have the depth and talent to get there, but it has to be a collective effort from everyone if we are going to make that happen.” Last season ended with a disappointing loss to Page County High School in the first round of regionals, leaving a bad taste for Gilroy and his team. The 15-9 squad, coming off a conference championship, had higher aspirations that they were unable to accomplish.
“We had a very bad loss to end last season in first round of regionals, and hopefully the girls remember what that feeling was like,” head coach Mike Gilroy said. The Mustangs open the season at home on Tuesday, Nov. 29 against Tuscarora High School. BOYS BASKETBALL The boys’ basketball team is coming off a dream season. Mason went 29-1, advancing to the state semifinal behind a talented group of seven seniors, including Robert Tartt, who is now playing collegiate basketball at Marymount University. Head coach Chris Capannola will now have to adjust without most of his best players and team leaders from just one year ago. “That group was one of the best to ever come through George Mason, and they were together for three years,” he said. “You don’t replace that, so we aren’t trying to do that. This team needs to find their own identity and take what they learned by watching last year’s group and apply it the best they can.” Despite a new crop of players that Capannola expects to step up, there will be a learning curve. There is a lack of depth and a kind of uncertainty heading into the season the Mustangs didn’t appear to have last season. Still, Capannola expects a competitive team. “We lost so many kids that we are starting from scratch, pretty much. We have fewer players for
GIRLS BASKETBALL HEAD COACH MIKE GILROY expects that his team to win the Virginia High School League state championship this year. The team went 15-9 last year and won the Conference 35 championship. (Photo: Carol Sly) the same amount of minutes, and a different skill set team wise, so we’ve made quite a few changes,” he said. “This team will gain experience as we go, but there is talent here and some holdovers from last year’s team that will lead us. I look for us to be very competitive in the Bull Run and in Conference 35 again this year.” Mason opens their season at home on Tuesday, Nov. 29 vs. Trinity School at Meadow View.
SWIM The Mustangs’ swim team is coming off a successful season, in which the boys’ group won the Division 2A East Regional while the girls’ team finished second in the same competition. On the boys’ side, key seniors from last year’s roster such as Miller Surette and Christopher Markus have graduated but there are talented junior like Justin Britton and Daniel Reinfurt. On the girls’ team, Francesca King and Julianne Kelly will be missed but a relatively young squad, including junior Hannah Rollins and sophomore Sigrid Edson will help to carry Mason. Both teams begin their season on Friday Dec. 9 in a meet against Central, Clarke County and Strasburg. WRESTLING
A MASON WRESTLER (top, in black shirt) attempts to pin an opponent during the team's scrimmage against Marshall High School and McLean High School. (Photo: Carol Sly)
George Mason’s wrestling team must know what the boys’ basketball team is going through. After filling all 14 weight classes on the varsity roster for the first time in over a decade last year, head coach Bryan Harris lost ten of his fourteen wrestlers in the off-season due to graduation or general attrition. Harris, though, is still encouraged this year. “Our message to the large group of new kids has been to focus on intensity, aggression and technique and worry about results later,” he said.
“Watching this group, most of whom have only been doing this for two weeks, I was impressed by how hard they worked in the scrimmage (Wednesday, Nov. 16 against Marshall and McLean). Despite the lack of experience, this is a team that has a lot of fight in them. They didn’t always know what to do but the things they did, they did all out.” With Andrew Coulson as the most experienced wrestler of the pack, much of the leadership will fall on his shoulders. The other few seniors on the roster are new to the team and to the sport, therefore propelling sophomores into positions many underclassmen would not yet usually be called on. “Jack Felgar and Connor Murray are coming back from last season and are already leading by example in terms of effort and discipline. I hope that by the end of the season they are able to step up and take on a more active role as team leaders,” he said. Including Coulson, Felgar and Murray, sophomore Bryan Villegas will also be returning. Harris anticipates all of them to have strong seasons. “Bryan Villegas (106), Connor Murray (132), Jack Felgar (138) and Andrew Coulson (170) will have very successful seasons and that all of our new kids will build a strong foundation to support the team in the next few years.” Coaches from the swim team could not be reached for comment.
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NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 17
School News & Notes
A STUDENT AT MARY ELLEN HENDERSON Middle School plays the Greek god Poseidon during a presentation about the god. The school’s 8th grade honors English class took on different personas of the Greek gods, like Demeter, Dionysus and Hestia, to convince classmates to name a village after them. (Photo: Courtesy of FCCPS Photo/Michael Vu)
LONGFELLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL’S Amelia Hsu and Erwin Parada from Brooksfield School during Brooksfield’s blanket creation event for Inova Fairfax’s Children’s Hospital. (Photo: Courtesy Alexis Adkins)
Jessie Thackrey Preschoolers Learning About Trees A recent theme for students at Jessie Thackrey Preschool has been learning about trees. Students recently learned about how leaves are really different colors and it’s their chlorophyll that makes them look green for most of the year. Now that the fall season has come, students are learning how leaves stop producing chlorophyll and turn colors and how leaves eventually end up on the ground. They recently participated in an outdoor activity of raking the hillside behind the school’s playground.
Falls Church Schools Honor Veterans at Mason and TJ George Mason High School and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School are honoring military veterans who served in the U.S. Military this month. Mason has a display in its main hallway, which was created by teachers Eleanor Hawkesworth, Sarah Gurgo and Frank Sheedy. According to the Falls Church City Public Schools’ Morning Announcements, it was created to honor Mason alumni and staff who served in the military. With robust input from graduates, the list has grown to nearly 300 people. Almost all of the Mason graduating classes, dating back to 1953, are represented. To see a full list
of the veterans, visit tinyurl.com/ z7ojc92. At TJ, the front office is lined with posters honoring staff and their family members who served in the military. The display includes photos that includes veterans from World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm and Iraq War.
F.C. Resident Enrolls as Honors Student at Kent State Falls Church resident Tiffanie Chau-Dang recently enrolled in the Honors College’s freshman class at Kent State University. “The Honors College is proud to welcome Tiffanie into one of its highest achieving freshman classes ever and continues its strong collegiate enrollment,” said a press release from the university. “These academically motivated freshmen have an average ACT composite score of more than 29 points and have all been awarded honors scholarships.” The Honors College is guided by two basic principles: the responsibility of providing academic work that both offers intellectual challenge and demands the best efforts of students and the belief that all students should be liberally educated, regardless of degree program. Open to all majors, the Honors College fulfills its mission by offering smaller sections of cours-
es, individualized interaction with faculty through research and other projects and the option of living in an honors learning community in the Stopher-Johnson complex. Additional offerings include community service opportunities, personal advising, and several other educational enhancements across five Kent State campuses and including the Freshmen in Florence Program. For more information, visit kent.edu/honors.
Falls Church HS Readies to Present ‘Shrek The Musical’ Falls Church High School is preparing to present its fall theater production, Shrek The Musical, which play at the school from Thursday, Dec. 1 – Saturday, Dec. 3. The high school is located at 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church. The shows on December 1 and 2 begin at 7 p.m. There are two shows on December 3, a matinee that begins at 2 p.m. and the closing show, which begins at 7 p.m. Pre-sale tickets for the show are $5 and the tickets are $10 at the door. For more information, visit fchsdrama.org.
Brooksfield School Organizes Blanket Event for Inova Brooksfield School, a Montesorri in McLean, recently organized an event where students, parents and community members
created no-sew fleece blankets for Inova Fairfax Children’s Hospital. “Brooksfield is always looking for ways to make a tangible contribution to the community,” said Alexis Adkins, director of operations at the school, in a letter to the News-Press. “After a friend of Brooksfield spent the summer battling Leukemia, the school couldn’t think of a better project or recipient than the blankets for the Children’s Hospital.” Students from Langley and McLean high schools, Longfellow Middle School, Chesterbrook Elementary School, Haycock Elementary School, Franklin Sherman Elementary School and Kent Garden Elementary School, came out to help the kindergartners and preschoolers make blankets. It is Inova’s goal to have a blanket on each bed when a patient is admitted. According to Adkins, it makes it seem less like a hospital room and more like a bedroom. Parents report to Inova how their child cherishes the blanket even years later. For more information,
visit brooksfieldschool.org.
FCCPS Community Invited to Take Speak Up Survey Falls Church City Public Schools staff, parents and students have been invited to participate in the Speak Up 2016 Survey, a national information-gathering survey. The online research project, facilitated by Project Tomorrow, gives education stakeholders the opportunity to share their viewpoints about key educational issues, particularly digital learning and the use of technology to support future-ready schools. Each year, findings are summarized and shared with national and state policy makers. After the survey, Falls Church City Public Schools will be able to access data about the school division online for free starting in February 2017. Those from the George Mason High School and/or Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School are asked to search by the 22043 zip code. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to take. For more information, visit tomorrow. org/speakup/about_SU.html.
THE 2016 SENIOR CLASS at George Mason High School recently donated $4,639 to the Friends of the Falls Church Homeless Shelter. On Monday, Nov. 14, the 2017 senior class was cooking their first meal for the shelter, which opened on Tuesday, Nov. 15. (Photo: Carol Sly)
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Make Your Pet a Star! Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! 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 450 W. Broad Street #321 Falls Church, Va 22046
Critter Corner
Are you suffering from chronic pain? Find out if you qualify for a safe, yet powerful pain treatment. Recently, significant changes were made to Medicare and insurance coverage that may directly benefit you, especially if you’re suffering from chronic pain. These changes may now allow you to receive safe, yet very powerful, pain treatment items covered by Medicare and your insurance. Call and speak with a pain specialist on behalf of an accredited supplier, today. The call is free with no obligations. If you qualify, you could receive pain relief covered by Medicare and your insurance—at little or no cost*— and your order will be shipped for FREE.** *Depending on insurance coverages **This is related to common carrier not the overall service
Representatives from the Falls Church City Council and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed Kids First Swim School to Falls Church with an official ribbon cutting on Sunday, November 13. Kids First Swim School’s Falls Church location, managed by Maggie Reed, is located in Falls Plaza, 1108 W. Broad Street. Attending the ribbon from left to right, Chamber Board member and New Editions Consulting president Sheila Newman, vice mayor Marybeth Connelly, mayor David Tarter, Kids First School’s Falls Church general manager Maggie Reed, Council member Phil Duncan, Chamber board member and Bentley’s owner Dave Crance, and Chamber director Sally Cole. For more information, visit kidsfirstswimschools.com.
Supercuts Debuts New Training Center Supercuts Falls Church launched their new dedicated Supercuts Training Center with a grand opening event on Friday, Nov. 18 following its first signature five-day Hair Stylists Academy. The training center will also provide ongoing, paid education for area Supercuts stylists, to keep their skills sharp and maintain the highest standards in the haircare industry. Supercuts offers no-appointment hair services including men’s haircuts, women’s haircuts, kid’s haircuts, color services, waxing, and “Hot Towel Refresher” service along with an array of professional styling products available at affordable prices. The new training center and hair salon are located in The Shops at Spectrum at 444 W. Broad Street, Suite C.
Creative Cauldron’s ‘A Christmas Carol Memory’ Opens Dec. 1 Quinn’s Auction Galleries is sponsoring Creative Cauldron’s Dec. 1 – 20 performance of “A Christmas Carol Memory,” adapted from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and conceived and directed by Laura Connors Hull, book by Jennifer Clements. For information about the performance schedule or the nonprofit theater that performs at ArtSpace Falls Church, visit www.creativecauldron.org. ArtSpace is located at 410 S. Maple Ave. in Falls Church.
F.C. Chamber Member Orientation Meeting Set for Dec. 6 The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free member orientation meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Businesses interested in learning more about the Chamber as well as new and long-time members are welcome to attend to learn more about the networking and promotional opportunities offered by the nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.FallsChurchChamber.org. 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.
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TO LETTERS THE EDITOR Continued from Page 6 merely buy their votes with other people’s money? Michael F. Johnson Falls Church
After Trump’s Win, The Left’s Hissy Fit Is Getting Tiresome
Editor, Having read and observed two weeks of the Left’s post-election hissy fit, my recommendation is: get a life! From Falls Church school officials concerned that kids might be traumatized because an election had a result to local officials vowing to insist they will resist the new President to town halls and Broadway plays that allow the “diverse” to vent, it’s getting tiresome. America is not Harvard Yard, where the “cultural appropriation” of one’s Halloween costume is the subject of weeks of yammer and demands for “safe space.” I simply cannot fathom that, if
Hillary Clinton had won, that elected officials, the media, and opinionmaking circles would indulge the losers with two weeks of therapeutic hand holding while the latter fumed uncivilly that she is “not my President.” In fact, I suggest one reason that the “baskets of deplorables” gave Donald Trump the White House is precisely in reaction to the cry-bullies who have been ramming their agenda in the name of “tolerance” down the country’s throats while proving rather intolerant of those not like-minded. John M. Grondelski Falls Church
Telling Mix of FCNP Articles on Election Results Editor, The articles in News-Press regarding why the Democrats’ lost the Presidential election were quite telling. First, Rep. Beyer pointed to job losses among Americans outside of the cities. Just a few pages later, Del. Simon praised defeating
LE TTE RS the Right To Work amendment, while suggesting that Virginians contribute to causes such as NextGen Climate Action. Then just one page later, Nicholas Benton complained about the methods about how some unscrupulous activity by various Democrats was exposed, without any mention of the activities themselves. There are answers as to why the Democratic party has suffered losses across the country at epic levels – the question is, is anyone interested in hearing them? Jeff Walyus Arlington
NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 19
Occasional Road Blocks Are Fine, Loud PA System Isn’t Editor, I don’t terribly mind that there are occasional events that block access to my street for part of the day. What I do mind is microphones and speakers blasting messages and singing to runners right across the street from my home before 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. There must be a more commercial place to start the Columbia Baptist 5K race!? Diane Mularz Falls Church
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Lloyd is a veteran and retired Department of Defense worker. “I was just thinking about my family in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. I haven’t spoken to them in quite some time. I should give them a call.”
125 Rowell Court. Falls Church, VA 703-241-8807
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Community Events
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Holiday Closure: Thanksgiving. Most City of Falls Church offices and services will be closed, including the Mary Riley Style Public Library, on Thursday, Nov. 24 and Friday, Nov. 25. All day. fallschurchva.gov.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Yerba Mate Tea Party and Demo. Ana Goldseker, who has Argen�nian heritage, will be bringing back yerba mate from Argen�na for a tea party and demo. Trade Roots (5852 Washington Blvd., Arlington). Free. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. fairtraderoots.com.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
F.C. Farmers Market. Vendors offer fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, baked goods, plants, and wine. City Hall Parking Lot (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). Free. 8 a.m. – noon. 703248-5077.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Come Learn About Design Plans for Oakland Park. Come learn about design plans for Oakland Park at an event that will include dra� design plans for the park. The updates to the park include making surfaces and site furnishings ADA compliant and
&
enhancing the site experience for park users. Design elements include all new site furnishings, pervious paving, wood decking, ornamental plan�ngs and new park signage. The Jefferson (900 N. Taylor St., Arlington). Free. 7 – 9 p.m. projects.arlingtonva.us/ projects/oakland-park.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Preschool Story�me. Stories and fun for ages 2 – 5. Drop-in. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 a.m. 703-248-5034. Paws to Read with Jam-Jam. Children ages 5 and up can get some reading prac�ce with a trained therapy dog. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 3 – 4:30 p.m. 703-573-1060. Game Day at the Library. Residents can gather at the library to learn and play board and card games. Woodrow Wilson Library (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). Free. 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. 703-820-8774. ESL Conversa�on Group. An ESL conversa�on group for adults focusing on “English Language and American Culture.” No registra�on required, meets in the Conference Group. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Send community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at calendar@fcnp. com; fax 703-342-0347; or by regular mail to 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Preschool Story�me. Songs, movement, and stories for ages 18-36 months. Drop-in at the Youth Services Room. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. 703-2485034. Toddler Story�me. Stories and ac�vi�es for children ages 2 – 3. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Woodrow Wilson Library (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 a.m. 703820-8774. Play�me with the Early Literary Center. Explore educa�onal and manipula�ve items to teach early literacy through play. Ages birth to 5 years, no registra�on required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 11 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034. First-Time Homebuyers. A presenta�on featuring �ps for buying a home for the first �me, presented by Housing Community Services of Northern Virginia. Woodrow Wilson Library (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). Free. 1 p.m. 703-820-8774. 1-on-1 Computer Tutoring. Receive personalized assistance using computers, Internet and e-books.
Registra�on required. To schedule an appointment, stop by the reference desk or call 703-2485035. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Conference Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 2 – 4 p.m. 703-248-5035. Kids’ Chess Club. Children between the ages 7 – 14 can learn to play chess. All skill levels are welcome. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). Free. 4:45 – 5:45 p.m. 703-5731060. Read to the Dog. Children ages 4 – 16 can bring their own book or choose a book from the library to read to Chester, a trained therapy dog. Woodrow Wilson Library (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m. 703-8208774.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Tysons Library Friends Quarterly Book Sale. There will be books and media for all interests and ages. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7700 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Prices vary. 1 p.m. 703790-8088. Kids’ Chess Club. Children between the ages 7 – 15 can learn to play chess. All skill levels are welcome. Woodrow Wilson Library (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). Free. 4 – 5 p.m. 703-820-8774.
Theater Fine Arts FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
“Milk Like Sugar.” It is Annie Desmond’s sixteenth birthday and her friends have decided to help her celebrate in style, complete with a brand new tattoo. Before her special night is over, however, Annie and her friends enter into a life altering pact. When Annie tries to make good on her promise to her friends, she is forced to take a good look at the world that surrounds her. She befriends Malik, who promises a bright future, and Keera, whose evangelical leanings inspire Annie in a way her young parents have not been able to do. In the end Annie’s choices propel her onto an irreversible path. Through Nov. 27. Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 – $60. 8 p.m. atlasarts.org. “The Second City’s Black Side of the Moon.” An all-African American cast of The Second City’s
smartest and most audacious sketch and stand-up artists breaks down and deconstructs the present American moment through comedy. They’re exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. So if you suddenly feel like you’re living on an entirely different planet, migrate to the Black Side of the Moon. Through Jan. 1. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (641 D St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 – $79. 8 p.m. woollymammoth.net.
“Silver Belles.” When Oralene, the longtime director of small town Sylva Ridge’s Christmas Pageant, suddenly passes away, the Silver Belles must come to the rescue! With the spirit of Oralene looking on, the sterlinghued vixens band together, discover their talents and pull out all the stops to keep the beloved pageant alive. It’s “Golden Girls” meets “Designing Women” with a heaping helping of well-known Christmas tunes and clever new
ditties. Christmas without the Silver Belles... just wouldn’t be Christmas! Through Dec. 24. Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $75. 8 p.m. sigtheatre.org.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
“Straight White Men.” Three brothers and their father gather for Christmas to drink eggnog, play video games, and wrestle. But when one brother seems to buckle under the pressures of achievement, it becomes clear that these men are wrestling with something larger than each other. From Young Jean Lee, one of the most daring writers in America, comes a razorsharp comedy that confronts the complexities of identity and hypocrisies of privilege. Through Dec. 18. Studio Theatre (1501 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 – $97. 8 p.m. studiotheatre.org.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
CA L E NDA R
live_music&nightlife THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 T����������� D��� C������� B���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
P�������� H����� P������� T�� M���� �� ELO, B������ ��� P. H��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 6:30 p.m. 703255-1566. M���� ��� R������: R��������� N���� R��� �� R���. The Fillmore (8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). $27 – $57. 7 p.m. 301-960-9999. T�� N��������� ��� S��� C����� B���. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $20. 7 p.m. 703-237-0300. A��� B�����. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $30 – $35. 8 p.m. 202-3374141. T������������������� ��������� J��� A�����, D����� B����� ��� J�� S������� � N���� S������. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 8 p.m. 202-265-0930. J��� E����. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $25 – $27. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. 40 D����� F��� 10�� Y��� A����������. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. M��������: DC’� S������ I������� D���� N���� ���� DJ� M��� Z����. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $7 (Backstage).
9:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. D������� 8 ���� H����, D���, AK1200 ��� E��� I�����. U Street Music Hall (1115 U St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $20. 10 p.m. 202-588-1889.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
T�� E������������. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. E������� L��� M������ ���� LITZ, M������ ��� S������� ��� C�����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 6:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. E�� N���� B�������. The Fillmore (8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). $10. 8 p.m. 301-960-9999. T�� 9: S��������� S�����. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10 (Mainstage). 8 p.m. 202667-7960. W���� F��� B�����. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $22. 8 p.m. 202-265-0930. L����� C�����: G����� S���� �� L�� A������ 1966 – 1972. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $25 – $29. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. D���� K������ ���� D�� H����. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. P���� L�����: 60� G��� G�����, S���, G����� ��� ���� ���� DJ M�� S������� ��� R�� J. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $5 (Backstage). 9:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. S���� F����� ���� W����� � R���� ��� C���� K������. U Street Music
Hall (1115 U St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $12. 10 p.m. 202-588-1889.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Z����� J��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. A� E������ ���� R������ S�������. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $22 – $25. 6 p.m. 703-2551566. M������ G��� A�� S��� S���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504. T�� G��� ���� T�� L��� T����. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m. 703-525-8646.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28
G���� C��� ���� KROBOPL, T�� O��� T��������, A F������� D������ ��� NOE. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $18 in advance; $13 – $18 day of the show. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. T�� S����� ���� Z����� C��� ��� M� J��������. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 7 p.m. 202265-0930. C��� � C����� ���� M����� A G����� ��� L����������. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10 (Backstage). 7:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. S����� B���. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $20. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141. W��� B���� J��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 21
N��� B����� ���� T�� L�������. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m. 703-525-8646.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
N����� H�����. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 7 p.m. 202265-0930. R�� W����. U Street Music Hall (1115 U St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $20. 7 p.m. 202-588-1889. D���� D������ ���� S��� B���� ��� L�� L��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $12 (Backstage). 7:30 p.m. 202-6677960. H���� M����� Q������. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $20. 8 p.m. 202337-4141. S���� S������� ���� B�� B�� L�����. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
T�� B������� T������ ���� P���� B���. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $16 – $25. 6 p.m. 703255-1566. STRFKR ���� G������� ��� P������ T���. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 7 p.m. 202265-0930. D��� D�������. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $25. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141. J���� B�����’� L�� Z������� E���������. The Fillmore (8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). $25 – $65. 8 p.m. 301-960-9999.
P������� A����... Thursday, December 1 – 50th Annual Holiday Homes Tour. The McLean Woman’s Club Holiday Homes Tour will offer five large McLean homes served by free
shu�le buses from Trinity United Methodist Church. Trinity United Methodist Church (1205 Dolley Madison Blvd., McLean). $25 before December 1; $30 day of the tour. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 703-566-0197.
Saturday, December 3 – The Nutcracker Fantasy Presented by Bob Brown Puppets. Bob Brown Puppets presents the Nutcracker Fantasy. No registra�on
necessary. Best for ages 5 and up. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. fallschurchva.gov/Library.
Saturday, December 10 – Gingerbread Houses @ The Library. Children in grades 1 – 5 can construct and decorate their own graham cracker gingerbread
houses. There will be two sessions – one at 10 a.m. and one at 11 a.m. Registra�on is required and space is limited to 15 par�cipants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10 a.m. – noon. fallschurchva.gov/Library.
C������� S���������� Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.
Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Fax: 703-342-0347; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
PAGE 22 | NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016
SENIOR LIVING
S����� N��� L���
Alone for the Holidays BY MATLIDA CHARLES
KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
What are your plans for the holidays? Big celebration with lots of family flying in from many locations? Having holiday dinners at the home of a child who’s now taken over those duties? Jetting off on a lavish vacation? Or will you be alone over the holidays? Some of us dread the holidays, not only because we’ll be alone, but because they’re not what they used to be ... children grown and gone, grandchildren too far away. The key for many of us to get through the holidays is to stay busy. Here are a few ideas: * Check the calendar at the local senior center and mark the events you’d like to attend. Especially consider going on any trip they’ve organized. Daytrips can be a great break, and you don’t have to drive. * Make calls now about vol-
unteering, before all the positions are filled. Santa fund organizations often need people to deliver children’s gifts if the parents have no car, or you can sort and wrap toys. Many churches host free holiday dinners and need cooks or servers. Does the humane society need dog walkers to fill in? The hospital might need extra help, even if you don’t have a medical background. Even the library might need help keeping books shelved. * Look in the newspaper for free holiday performances and take a friend along. Put an ad in the paper offering pet care. Many people don’t want to board their cats or dogs. Offer to lead a singalong at a rehab center or children’s hospital wing. Load up the car with friends who don’t drive and go see the Christmas lights. * Don’t pack every day with nonstop activities, however. Take some time to yourself to rejuvenate, kick back, read, snack on
SE NI O R LI V I NG holiday treats or watch movies on TV. *** Have you decided where you’re going to spend your Social Security windfall? The average recipient will see an increase of $5 in monthly benefits in 2017, a whopping 0.3 percent increase. Broken down into real numbers, the average retiree will now receive $1,360 in monthly benefits. Of course, this is a bonus after last year, when we saw no increase whatsoever, while prices around us rose on nearly everything: food, shelter, prescription drugs. The adjustment is based on the annual Consumer Price Index, which apparently rose just enough to get us that $5. If you’re under full retirement age and get Social Security benefits, the maximum income you can make (before they start taking $1 for every $2 you earn) will go up to $16,920 per year. The year you reach full retirement age, you can earn up to $44,880 before they take out a dollar for every $3 you earn.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Once you reach full retirement age, there’s no limit on your earnings. Go online to www.ssa.gov/ cola for more details. Don’t forget to scroll down and view the history of the Cost of Living Adjustments. It wasn’t that long ago that the increase was 3.6 percent (2012) and 5.8 percent (2009). If you’ll be filing for Medicare in 2017, but because of your age won’t be filing for Social Security, beware. It’s possible you’ll be in that group who will pay more per month for
Medicare than others who are “held harmless” from increases. Go to Medicare.gov to read about the 2017 Part B premiums. So ... where shall we spend our windfall? There are approximately 60 million of us who will get that extra money starting in January. At $5 apiece, that comes to $300 million a month. Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.
Walk-In Clinic at
920 West Broad Street Falls Church 703-538-1505
HOURS:
Weekdays (except Tue) ---> 9 am to 8 pm Saturday ---> 10 am to 6 pm Closed
---> Tue & Sun
No appointment Necessary Most Insurances Accepted
DIGNITY. SECURITY. FRIENDSHIP.
VINSON HALL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Vinson Hall Retirement Community is a nonprofit CCRC located in convenient McLean, VA and offers independent residential living for military officers, their immediate family, and select government employees of equal rank. Arleigh Burke Pavilion Assisted Living and The Sylvestery Memory Support Assisted Living do not require military affiliation.
VINSON HALL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY supported by Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation 6251 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA 22101
Please Visit Us at www.vinsonhall.org 703-536-4344
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Construction Begins on F.C. Northside Social Northside Social, the coffeehouse, cafe and wine bar in Clarendon, started construction on its new location in Falls Church at the former American Legion Post 270 building on Park Avenue earlier this month. The cafe is slated to open in mid-spring of next year, according to sources from the company. Northside Social’s new home in Falls Church, known as the Blue and Gray building, is one of the Little City’s oldest buildings, first built in 1797. The new Falls Church restaurant will feature a larger menu than its Arlington counterpart and will include dishes from its sister restaurant, The Liberty Tavern, as well. Currently, Northside Social in Arlington offers coffee, tea, beer, wine, salads, sandwiches and pastries. And, according to management at the Arlington location, the Falls Church location will feature a larger selection of beers on tap. Also to be featured at the Falls Church Northside, there will be a limited cock-
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NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 23
tail menu and there is likely to be a pizza menu featuring pies from Liberty Tavern. Northside Social 205 Park Avenue | Falls Church northsidesocialarlington.com
Song Long Closes in Eden Center; 3 New Eateries Opening Soon Song Long, one of the most popular restaurants in Falls Church’s Eden Center, is currently closed. Graham Eddy, a representative of Eden Center’s leasing company, Capital Commercial Properties, says there is currently no information available on the closure. “There is nothing to report on Song Long right now,” Eddy told the NewsPress. “We are hoping that they will reopen soon but at this point, we do not have a set date.” Just this past September, the NewsPress named Song Long as one of the best places in Eden Center to get bánh mì; the Vietnamese deli was one of eight Eden
CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY at the “Blue and Gray” building in Falls Church, future home to Northside Social. (P����: D��� C������/N���-P����) Center restaurants that sold the tasty sandwiches. While the future of Song Long is unclear, Eddy confirms three new eateries will be opening in the shopping center over the next few weeks: The Mongolian hot pot chain Little Sheep is currently in a soft opening with limited hours in the Saigon Garden area of Eden Center, a bubble tea chain, Kung Fu Tea, will open in Saigon East, and the renovated deli, Banh Ta, will reopen as Little Viet Garden later this month.
Eden Center
6751 Wilson Boulevard | Falls Church edencenter.com
The Black Squirrel Coming to Merrifield Early Next Year Adams Morgan neighborhood favorite, The Black Squirrel, is getting closer to opening in Merrifield. Owner Amy Bowman tells the News-Press she expects the buildout for the restaurant will begin shortly and she hopes to be open for business sometime in February 2017. The Black Squirrel is known for its beer collection and comfort food like burgers, wings, poutine and more. The Black Squirrel blacksquirreldc.com
What’s “Pho” Dinner?
$20 will get you a delicious and healthy dinner for two at any of Eden Center’s 25 restaurants.
You’ll have to eat it to belie-viet!
Join us for Thanksgiving! Whether already a family tradition or time to create one, join us for Thanksgiving Dinner! Let us do the work so you can enjoy the day without the stress or the mess!
Traditional Thanksgiving Special : $18.99 Turkey w/ trimmings, Ham, Dressing, Sweet & Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad and rolls, Choice of Pumpkin or Apple Pie for dessert! (Children under 10, 1/2 price) Reservations Highly Recommended! Holiday Dinner Menu available 1pm until 7pm. Start mom’s day off right! Serving our traditional breakfast until 1pm!
www.bentleysfallschurch.com and join us on facebook.
(703)532-4100
6654 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Va. 22042
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Review: Mason’s ‘Urinetown’ is Powerful & Enjoyable by Maille Smith Cappies Review
Today, we are free to pee without paying a penny. But what if such was not the case? What if every individual was subject to a stringent and ever-rising urination tax? Throw in a bleak dystopian set, an energetic ensemble clad in rags, and a hilarious level of self-awareness, and you have George Mason High’s production of “Urinetown: The Musical.” Written by Greg Kotis, “Urinetown: The Musical” premiered on Broadway in 2001, earning critical acclaim and three Tony Awards. Set in an industrial dystopia experiencing its twentieth year of drought, the musical centers around the effects of a corrupt corporation, Urine Good Company, and its urination tax policies on a poor community. When this community revolts against the company under the leadership of Bobby Strong, satire and comedy ensue. The production not only provides a plethora of conspiratorial audience exchanges and buoyant musical numbers, but also authentically addresses the nature of capitalism.
Performing a musical with heavier topics, the cast’s gleeful energy and singular personalities ensured an enjoyable performance. The juxtaposition between the colorful, complex ensemble and the industrial-gray set encouraged the audience to focus on character development and movement, especially on the cast’s excellent facial expressions and choreographed dances. In a production with such a fine, often-crossed line between the real and the ridiculous, actors may find it difficult to navigate the intricacies of a believable performance combined with an appropriate level of audience-awareness. At George Mason High, actors handled their roles with remarkable dexterity. As Hope Cladwell, the sweetly idealistic daughter of Urine Good Company’s owner, Lydia Gompper’s clear and unwavering voice soars in “Follow Your Heart” as she realistically portrays innocent love. In contrast to her naivety, Blake Hopkins as her father, the moneyobsessed Caldwell B. Cladwell, develops an icy cynicism in numbers like “Don’t Be the Bunny;”
Hopkins also demonstrates impressive tap-dancing skill. On the other side of town, Justine Stolworthy as Little Sally and Charlie Boland as Officer Lockstock develop a lovable repartee as the principle Fourth-Wall-breakers. Stolworthy exhibits her vocal chops in numbers like “Tell Her I Love Her,” while never breaking character. Vengeful posses of poor rebels and soullessly slick businesspeople enliven both the stage and the audience throughout the musical. Particular standouts include Senator Fipp (Austin Yoder), a bumbling executive hopelessly enamored with Hope Cladwell, whose jittery mannerisms and vocalizations left the audience hooting with laughter. On the rebel side, Tiny Tom (Miles Jackson) proved a crowd favorite with his perfectly timed comic physicality, while Hot Blades Harry (Michael Curtin) wowed in the energetically dark “Snuff That Girl.” Josephine Strong (Sarah Edwards), the grieving but everdetermined mother of Bobby, established a stunningly pure contrast to the satirical tone of the musical. Although the production did suffer from a few technical issues,
MASON STUDENTS CHARLIE BOLAND, Alec Reusch and Will Langan perform in “Urinetown: The Musical.” (Photo: Carol Sly) the majority of the musical proved technically well-managed, with impressively swift scene changes, suitable lighting choices courtesy of Ben Salak, very few microphone problems, and creative costuming by Delaney Theisz. In terms of lighting, Salak chose a scheme of blue lighting to symbolize hope and red lighting for a more sinister mood; such a color scheme fit well with the dominant moods of the musical.
The Providence Players
The rebels’ costumes appeared raggedy and varied, adding to the idea of “the haves versus the havenots.” Ultimately, George Mason High’s “Urinetown: The Musical,” though not without its flaws, addressed profoundly pertinent issues with an infectious energy that left the audience with a smile and a lot to contemplate. George Mason High delivered a powerful and enjoyable performance.
Holiday Production On Stage December 9th for Nine Performances! Funny, Heartwarming Holiday Classic - Purchase Tickets Online Today
Celebrating 19 Years Of Quality Theater Experiences
Performance Dates And Times Thurs, Fri and Sat Evenings 7:30 pm December 9, 10, 15, 16, 17
Sat & Sun Matinees 2:00 pm December 10, 11, 17, 18
Based on the first book in Barbara Robinson's acclaimed Herdmans series, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, introduces us to the six "worst kids in the world." They lie, steal and cheat. Now they have taken over the churches’ annual Christmas pageant! The entire town has gathered in anticipation, waiting to see the Herdmans ruin Christmas – or will they? This funny, heartwarming, holiday tale has become a classic: and good for the entire family!
PERFORMING AT The James Lee Community Center Theater 2855 Annandale Road Falls Church, VA 22042
Co-Produced with The Young Hearts Foundation
This special holiday production will benefit the work of an amazing group of teens who raise funds to battle blood cancers and other diseases. Half of all net proceeds from this production will be donated to Young Hearts Foundation in pursuit of their important mission.
ALWAYS AFFORDABLE
By Barbara Robinson
Directed by Liz Mykietyn
Bring The Whole Family To This Holiday Theatrical Treat
General Admission Seating - $17
Tickets May Be Purchased Online At: www.providenceplayers.org Reserved By Email At: providenceplayerstickets@cox.net Or By Leaving A Voicemail At: 703-425-6782 Or Purchased at the Door
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016 | PAGE 25
Nov.
25 y
Frida
The Nighthawks with Skip Castro Band State Theatre 7 p.m. 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church
703-237-0300 • thestatetheatre.com
26 day
Satur
White Ford Bronco 9:30 8 p.m. 815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.
202-265-0930 • 930.com
Laurel Canyon Wolf Trap 8 p.m. 1645 Trap Road, Vienna
703-938-2404 • wolftrap.org
30 ay
esd Wedn
BY DREW COSTLEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Singer-songwriter Chely Wright said that if her last two albums The Metropolitan Hotel and Lifted Off the Ground were taking a few steps in the direction of Americana music, that her latest album, I Am the Rain, which was released in September, is a “marathon sprint” in that direction. “I really feel like I did a lot of kind of recasting my sails on this record in a very specific direction,” Wright said. “And I’m really happy with it and the people that write about music seem to think [it’s good] and the people that love music and buy music, they seem to be happy with it. So, mission accomplished.” Wright said that because she started her career in earnest when she was so young – she was signed as a songwriter at 23 and made her first album at 24 – she was emulating a lot of what she heard up to that point in her life. But since the more than two decades that have CHELY WRIGHT. (P����: M������ R������) passed since then she has evolved. “Over the course of my lifetime – I’m 46 years old – I’ve been able to input a lot more [musical] ing like my next best song could come out at data and it changes the product that comes out,” any given moment.” With I Am the Rain, she might be doing just she said. “I just feel like the more I look at artists who I admire who have long careers, who are that. The record is her second highest debutable to be 60 or 70 years old on a stool with a ing album of the year, coming in at number guitar telling stories and singing songs to a few 13 on the Billboard Country Music Chart in September. And it became the highest charting hundred people, that’s what I want to do.” She named several artists who fit that album of her entire career when it reached numbill, like Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, ber 54 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart. The album was compared favorably to Rosanne Cash, Patty Griffin and the late Leon Russell. “We all aspire to be doing something Linda Ronstadt’s Heart Like A Wheel and meaningful in our golden age. I’m by no means Carole King’s Tapestry, which is high praise in my golden age, but I’m middle-aged and I to Wright. Upon hearing mention of Tapestry, which is considered by many to be one of want to be able to do that,” Wright said. “And I can’t still be making the records that the best singer-songwriter albums, if not one I made when i was 24 or 30 years old. At some of best albums of all time, she exclaimed, “I point you have to recalibrate and say hey, what know! I know!” with jubilation. “Well, I freaked out. I read the review right am I doing here, what do I want to do and what matters to me. And what matters to me is feel- before I went on stage in New York City and
I’m pretty sure my feet never touched the ground,” Wright said. “When you think those of pieces of work... when people who write about music say something like that, it’s a pretty big deal. That said, I had a reputable journalist in the late 90s call me ‘Chely Trite’ – so you kind of absorb the things that make you feel good and you kind of have to deflect the ones that don’t. But I have to say that’s a good moment. “When someone says that this record is worthy of putting the headphones on and laying on the floor and listening to it end to end like Tapestry...I’m not going to lie, it feels really good.” Wright will be taking the stage in Alexandria on Monday, Nov. 28 at The Birchmere. • For more information about Chely Wright, visit chely.com.
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These singles whet the appetites of the FCNP editorial team this week: Nicholas Benton – Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones
Jody Fellows – The Bird’s the Word by The Rivingtons
Drew Costley – Ambush by Lateef and the Chief
PAGE 26 | NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016
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Salary and Benefits: $19.47 per hour. This position does not include any benefits. See www.fallschurchva. gov for additional information.
Help Wanted City of Falls Church Human Resources City of Falls Church, Virginia Library Assistant II – Local History The City of Falls Church is recruiting for a temporary part-time Library Assistant II. The individual selected for this position will work in the Local History Room at the Mary Riley Styles Library in Falls Church, Virginia. Responsibilities: Review, sort, and process materials donated to the Local History Room; Scan and index photographs, death notices, and other historic documents; Assist library patrons conducting local history research; Develop finding aids and promotional materials; Create local history displays; Assist with the training and coordination of volunteers in the Local History Room; Help with other local history related special projects as needed. Qualifications: Two years of college or university with some courses in Library Science preferred; Experience working with local history collections or archives; Experience indexing and digitizing collections, converting images, text, and audio to digital formats; Experience using scanning and indexing software (preferably InMagic); Experience using Microsoft Office (specifically Word , Excel, and Publisher); Excellent customer service skills; Excellent communications skills; Strong organizational skills; Attention to detail; Ability to work independently and appropriately prioritize tasks; Flexibility in scheduling and dependability required. Hours: This is a temporary 20 hour per week part time position. The working hours are flexible, but will include one evening per week and occasional Saturday hours. Shifts are
To Apply: Send City application or resume to City of Falls Church, HR Div, 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 or hr@fallschurchva.gov. Reasonable Accommodation: During the selection process, applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation with the agreement of the Human Resources Division. Requests should be directed to the Human Resources Division. The City of Falls Church does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability
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Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on October 24, 2016; and second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Monday, November 28, 2016 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO16-18) ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE [1950] AND [1951] REGARDING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 FOR THE GENERAL FUND; SCHOOL OPERATING FUND; SEWER FUND; AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM FUNDS This is a budget amendment to adjust the adopted FY2017 General Fund Budget,
School Board Operating Fund Budget, Sewer Fund Budget, and CIP Ordinances to: (1) commit $921,000 of Unassigned Fund Balance to: (a) Neighborhood Traffic Calming in the CIP: $200,000; and (b) Capital Reserves: $721,000; (2) make new appropriations from: (a) Grants, Donations, and Reimbursements: $572,733 (for human services, public works, public safety, and library services); (b) Lease proceeds for the School Board: $221,356 (for school buses and copiers); (c) Debt proceeds for the Sewer Fund: $110,000 (for bond issuance and bond refunding costs); and (d) Grants and voluntary concessions in the CIP: $490,386 (for parks and transportation improvements); and (3) to transfer funds between capital improvement projects in the CIP. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH CITY CLERK
PUBLIC NOTICE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on November 30, 2016 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following item: Old Business Variance application V1586-16 by Cottage Street Custom Homes, owner and applicant, for variances to Sections 48-238(3)(a) and 48-238(5)(a) to allow (1) a rear yard setback of 17.5 feet instead of 22.5 feet; and (2) a lot coverage of 26.7 percent instead of 25 percent, for the purpose of constructing a new singlefamily house on the premises known as 402 Parker Avenue, RPC #52-205-019 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential. (continued from October 13, 2016 and rescheduled from November 17, 2016) Information on the above applications is available for review at:
Zoning Office 300 Park Avenue, Suite 300W Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)
ORDER FOR THE PUBLICATION OF SUMMONS (Residence Known) Case No. 15DR1004761B Dept. No. 1 IN THE FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA IN AND FOR CARSON COUNTY MURALI KRISHNA SOMAROUTHU, Plaintiff, vs. RADHIKA SOMAROUTHU, Defendant THE STATE OF NEVADA SENDS GREETINGS TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT: NOTICE! YOU HAVE BEEN SUED, THE COURT MAY DECIDE AGAINST YOU WITHOUT YOUR BEING HEARD UNLESS YOU RESPOND WITHIN 20 DAYS. READ THE INFORMATION BELOW. TO THE DEFENDANT: A civil Complaint has been filed by the plaintiff against you. If you wish to defend his lawsuit, you must, within 20 days after this Summons is served on you, exclusive of the day of service, file with this Court a written pleading* in response to this Complaint. Unless you respond, your default will be entered upon application of the plaintiff, and this Court may enter a judgment against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint**, which could result in the taking of money or property or the relief requested in the Complaint. If you wish to seek the advise of an attorney in this matter, you should do so promptly so that your response may be filed on time. You are required to serve your response upon plaintiff’s attorney, whose address is:
Upon reading the affidavit of Daniel J. Spence, Esq., attorney for Plaintiff duly filed herein, it appears to the satisfaction of the Court, and the Court finds, that Defendant herein resides in the state of Virginia, that Defendant is avoiding service of process, and that Summons herein cannot be served upon Defendant in person within the state of Virginia, and it and it is appearing from said affidavit and from the verified Petition filed herein, and the Court here finds, that a cause of action exists in favor of the Plaintiff and Defendant, that Defendant is a necessary and proper party herein, and that the present residence and address of Defendant are 3015 Nicosh Circle, #2101, Falls Church, Virginia 22042 and it further appearing that the Falls Church News-Press is a newspaper published in Falls Church, state of Virginia, and is the newspaper most likely to give notice to Defendant of the pendency of this action: NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby ordered that Summons in the suit be served on Defendant herein, by publication thereof in the above-named newspaper, and that said publication be made for four weeks and at least once a week during said time; IT IS FURTHER ORDERED and directed that a copy of the Summons and and a copy of the Petition be deposited forthwith in the United States Post Office at Carson City, Nevada, enclosed in an envelop upon which postage is fully prepaid, addressed to Defendant at 3015 Nicosh Circle, #2101, Falls Church, Virginia 22042. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that due service of a copy of the Summons and copy of the Petition on Defendant in person shall be equivalent to complete service by publication and deposit in the United States Post Office, and that such process may be served upon Defendant as prescribed by Rules of Civil Procedures. James T. Russell DISTRICT JUDGE DATED this 23rd day of October 2015
Newspaper: Falls Church News-Press City/Town: Falls Church, Virginia 22046 COURT NAME AND ADDRESS: Susan Merriwether, Clerk of the Court September 8, 2015 First Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada in and for Carson County 885 E Musser Street #3031 Carson City, NV 89701
fcnp.com
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
By David Levinson Wilk 1
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9
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19 21
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© 2016 David Levinson Wilk
Across
1. "Of course!"
1. “Of course!” 4. “Cast Away” vessel 8. Piano exercises 14. Oui’s opposite 15. Its southernmost mainland point is the tip of the Malay Peninsula 16. Short ____ 17. Take the pecans and almonds out of the freezer? 19. Wilkinson of reality TV’s “The Girls Next Door” 20. “Disappointing” 21. “South Park” boy 23. Lunar New Year in Vietnam 24. Genetic structure that hath the power to determine gender? 28. Body of water between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan 30. Frontman who performs close to the Edge 31. Talking-____ 32. Part of a forensic database 34. Accomplish lots of things 38. It’s going to be an obese life from here on out? 43. “Boss!” 44. “What was ____ was saying?” 45. Wide shoe spec 46. Robert of HBO’s “Arli$$” 49. Opens a map, say 52. Closing title card in most Looney Tunes cartoons 56. Solo pilot? 57. Sue Bird’s sports org. 58. Charlie Brown’s cry when Lucy pulls the football away before he
NOVEMBER 24 – 30, 2016 | PAGE 29
can kick it 61. What flamingos often stand on 63. Famous deliverer of a line that starts with each opening digraph at 17-, 24- and 38-Across before finishing with 52-Across 66. Ska kin 67. Lake at one end of the Niagara River 68. Big bang producer 69. Odin’s realm 70. Libraries do it 71. Covert WWII org.
DOWN
1. What a myrmecologist studies and a myrmecophobe fears 2. Santa’s favorite snack cake? 3. “Fifty Shades of Grey” protagonist 4. Singers Newman and Travis 5. Sch. with a Phoenix campus 6. What a brat might throw 7. Mall cop’s weapon 8. Word before pie or kiss 9. Only major river that flows both north and south across the Equator 10. Grecian subject of a Keats poem 11. Inflicted upon 12. Violin master Zimbalist 13. Department of ____ 18. “Wiseguy” actor Ken 22. Stick up 25. Give up 26. Tennis star Mandlikova 27. Any day now 28. Subj. line alert 29. Architect Ludwig Mies van der ____
CHUCKLE BROS BRIAN & RON BOYCHUK
4. "Cast Away" vessel 8. Piano exercises
Sudoku
33. Bush press secretary Fleischer 35. Is strong enough for 36. Undercover? 37. Some loaves 39. Food package meas. 40. “Promise?” 41. Double ____ Oreos 42. NFL Hall of Famer Marchetti 47. Like many a Western bandit 48. Barrister’s deg. 50. Failed to follow through, in slang 51. Rubber-stamp 52. Actress Birch of “American Beauty” 53. Fruit of the Loom competitor 54. What Horton hatched 55. Boutonniere site 59. Beefeater and Bombay 60. 5’4”, 6’1”, etc.: Abbr. 62. Alternative to JFK 64. ____-Ida (frozen potato brand) 65. “When 2 ____ Love” (1988 Prince song) Last Thursday’s Solution S O U C I
U N P O T
M E A N S
D Y A D
I O N E
S U N S
V L O L A V O W A G
M E D U P O N O N E N C H O R U S O P P C H E R R A G R E E L E F T T I E S A A B S E L L L A S I C A I T A S C E T H E R S
I N C O U X R Y G H E E R L E I S
S A L S A
T R U L Y
I N K N I A M P Y Y
K E D S E L E A P O N T I N G E A R E K L E S P T L Y P U T H A I L E N E I P B O N E S I C A M E
By The Mepham Group
Level: 1 2 3 4
14. Oui's opposite 15. Its southernmost mainland point is the tip of the Malay Peninsula 16. Short ____ 17. Take the pecans and almonds out of the freezer? 19. Wilkinson of reality TV's "The Girls Next Door" 20. "Disappointing" 21. "South Park" boy
1
23. Lunar New Year in Vietnam 24. Genetic structure that hath the power to determine gender? 28. Body of water between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan 30. Frontman who performs close to the Edge
LOOSE PARTS
DAVE BLAZEK
31. Talking-____ Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
NICK KNACK
1
© 2016 N.F. Benton
11/27/16
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. © 2016 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
LO CA L
PAGE 30 | NOVEMBER 24 - 30, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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BACK IN THE DAY
laz y The dog. c k q u i fox sly p e d jum e r o v lazy the g . d o is Now time the all for o d g o to cows
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Falls Church News-Press Vol. VI, No. 37 • November 28, 1996
It is no the timw e for g o all o cows d to go to the aid of the pa stu ir re. *** **
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVI, No. 38 • November 23, 2006
10 Year s Ago
Thr ow it up. Pour it up It now is the time for all go od cows to go the to aid
Joseph Knecht, Tireless St. James School Volunteer, Dies in Construction Mishap
F.C. Episcopal Church Faces Fight to Keep Property After Voting to Exit Denomination
Joseph B. Knecht, a local general contractor and an active member of the St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church, was killed in a construction accident Monday. He was 37. He was a lifelong resident of Falls Church.
The Falls Church Episcopal Church’s hopes that it could hold onto its property in downtown Falls Church even as it exited the mainstream Episcopal Church denomination took a turn for the worse last week.
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For Sale
Happy Thanksgiving Under Contract
ct Contra ! ys a in 7 D
7303 Woodley Pl | Falls Church
Wonderful renovated brick rambler featuring 3 BD/1 BA in Mclean High School District. Additional space in large finished attic. Great Yard. Offered at $499,000
Under Contract
SOLD
1002 Ellison Sq | FC City
3BD/2 Full/2 Half BA TH in rarely available Ellison Square. All 3BD on UL, updated kitchen, and finished family room in LL. Charming, private patio. Great location, walk to everything including WFC Metro! Offered at $689,000
118 Tollgate Way | FCC
Outstanding town home in highly desired Tollgate. Don’t miss this one, almost 3,500 sq ft. Spectacular details including private, serene patio w/waterfall and pond! Walk to EFC Metro and downtown Falls Church City. Offered at $889,000
SOLD
Louise Molton Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com
Luxury condo in heart of FCC feat. 2 BD/2 BA + den and 250 sq ft balcony overlooking green space! Top floor! 2 parking spaces & 2 storage units. Offered at $589,000
3 BD/2 Full & 2 Half BA, 4 level TH, 2,948 square feet, two car garage. Lots of natural light! Master Bedroom w/ skylights and vaulted ceilings. Walk to everything and mins to Metro and DC. Offered at $850,000
603 N West St | Falls Church City
Wonderful 4 level classic colonial, 5 BD/4.5 BA w/ detached 2-car garage walking distance to downtown. Large yard, gazebo and FCC Schools! Offered at $1,200,000
SOLD
SOLD
605 Dorchester Rd | FC City Representing Buyers
511 Anne St | Falls Church City Representing Buyers
ct Contra ! ys a D in 3 2734 Welcome Dr | Falls Church
444 W Broad St #711 | FC City
SOLD
168 Rees Pl | FC City
SOLD ct Contra ! ys a D 8 in
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Lovely 4 BD/ 2 full/ 2 half BA brick home in the McLean High School District! This wellcared for home is ready for your personal touches, and offers a great opportunity for the first-time home buyer or investor! Offered at $540,000
Lovely 4 BD/4.5 BA home on landscaped corner lot across from Lincoln Park. Totally expanded and remodeled, absolutely stunning! Offered at $1,225,000
Charming Cape featuring 3 BD/1 BA on quiet tree lined street. Incredible kitchen with family room and large private yard. Offered at $689,900
710 W Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046 ~ 703-596-5303 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
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Thank you to my family, friends and clients this and every day. We have so much to be thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving!