December 17 - 23, 2015
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d ed 1991 • Vol. XXV No. 43
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week 9th Gas Station Robbed in Area
A man who is linked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to robbing eight gas stations in the Washington, D.C. region has robbed a ninth station, this time on Gallows Road, on Dec. 10. See News Briefs, page 8
Gun Store Coming to F.C. Robbed in McLean
A McLean gun store with plans to open up a location on West Broad Street in Falls Church, was robbed last Friday. Police say two handguns were stolen from Nova Firearms on Chain Bridge Road after the store’s rear door was found damaged.
Mason Row Deferred to January When New F.C. Council Seated 3 Council Members Elected in November Sworn in This Week
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
of the ticket, and having Bennett associated with the Democratic candidate, who most expect to be Hillary Clinton, will be a better match-up than Comstock with whomever the GOP nominee will be, pundits say, although that might not hold if Comstock’s personal choice for the GOP presidential nod, Marco Rubio, prevails. Foust confirmed to the News-Press at a Fairfax County
Following the recommendation of the Falls Church City Planning staff, the F.C. City Council Monday night voted unanimously to defer final action on the 4.3acre large scale mixed-use project known as Mason Row until its first business meeting of the new year on Jan. 11, 2016. With a turnover on the Council coming Jan. 1 from the election in November, it is expected that the project will gain another supporter in incoming Council member Letty Hardi, who was officially sworn in to her new job Monday along with two re-elected incumbents, Mayor David Tarter and Phil Duncan. Departing Council member Nader Baroukh, who did not seek re-election last month, had been a critic of the project. Major new changes were made to the project in the last week, including downsizing the number of rental units, removing a fifth floor over retail in one section facing onto West Street, and shifting the location of the movie theater from underground to second floor. These changes, and more, necessitated City Hall’s need for more time to evaluate the project, City Manager Wyatt Shields told the Council Monday. There also needs to be a new fiscal analysis of the project which there has not been time yet to complete, he said. In the public comment period, there were strong statements in favor of the project, including from a delegation from the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, and also from nearby residents to the site who said that based on
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See News Briefs, page 8
David Brooks: The Year of Unearthed Memories
Childhood fears and adult traumas are stored differently in the brain than happy memories. They are buried like porous capsules deep in the primitive regions, below awareness and beyond easy reach of conscious thinking and talking. See page 14
Press Pass with Griffin House
When ISIS fighters attacked Paris last month, musician Griffin House had a new song, “Paris Calling (Sweet Sensation),” that was perfect for the moment. See page 25
FALLS CHURCH CITY Clerk Celeste Heath (left) swore in three members to new four year terms on the Falls Church City Council Monday night, including (l. to r.) incumbent Mayor David Tarter, new electee Letty Hardi and incumbent Councilman Phil Duncan. The three will commence their new terms as of Jan. 1 after winning the election last month. (Photo: News-Press)
Democrats Launch Big Push To Take Rep. Comstock’s Seat by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial..................6 Letters..............6, 10 News & Notes.12-13 Comment......... 14-17 Calendar.........20-21 Food & Dining......23
Business News....26 Sports..................27 Classified Ads .....28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........29 Critter Corner.......30
Real estate executive LuAnn Bennett announced her bid for Virginia’s 10th District U.S. Congressional seat last week, hoping to be the Democratic nominee in the race for the seat next year. She will go up against freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock, who won the seat last year after GOP colleague Frank Wolf, who held the 10th District post for over two decades,
retired. Comstock won after serving two terms as a state delegate from her home McLean District. While Bennett has not run for public office before, she is considered a power in the regional Democratic party and, she told the News-Press, was asked personally by Rep. Don Beyer to seek the job. She is considered a stronger candidate to challenge Comstock than Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust proved to be a year ago. Next fall’s election will have the presidential race at the top