December 22 – 28, 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. 44
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Interim Superintendent Discusses ‘K-16’ Concept Falls Church City Schools’ new interim superintendent, Dr. Robert Schiller, elaborated on the concept of “K-16” education in an exclusive interview with the News-Press this week. See page 8
Mason Row Begins Site Plan Approval Process
Panjshir Afghan Restaurant Inks Deal To Relocate Into Renovated ‘Lily Strip’ Popular Local Eatery Will Exit Mason Row Site to Stay Here
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Appearing before the Falls Church Planning Commission Monday, key figures in the development of the 4.3-acre Mason Row mixed-use project discussed their site plan that included some added touches for better aesthetic and use values. See News Briefs, page 9
Paul Krugman: How Republics End
Many people are reacting to rise of Trumpism and nativist movements in Europe by reading history — specifically, the history of the 1930s. And they are right to do so. See page 14
CITY OF FALLS CHURCH FIREFIGHTERS battle a blaze on Timber Lane last Saturday evening. The house fire caused $300,000 in damages and resulted in the home being condemned.
Press Pass with NRBQ
(Photo: J. Michael Whalen)
NRBQ founder Terry Adams and his band are back on the road, this time promoting the release of High Noon: A 50-Year Retrospective, and Adams isn’t making any promises for what they will or won’t do – besides have fun. See page 25
Weekend Fire Destroys Home On Timber Lane in Falls Church
by Drew Costley
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.12-13 Comment......... 14-17 Calendar.........20-21 Business News....22
Food & Dining......23 Sports..................24 Classified Ads......28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........29 Critter Corner.......30
A house fire in the City of Falls Church last Saturday caused an estimated $300,000 in damages and has left a family displaced just a week before Christmas. Homeowners Tommy and Jessica Goodwin were reportedly out for a walk on Dec. 17 when the fire began at their home on Timber Lane and the couple discovered the blaze upon their return. Because of the magnitude of the fire and the amount of
damage it caused to the structure of the house, the property has been condemned. City of Falls Church Fire Marshal Tom Polera said the cause of the fire is still currently under investigation and there is no timeline for when it will be completed. No injuries were reported but nextdoor neighbor David McKittrick said one of two family cats was carried off with an oxygen mask on its face and taken to a local animal hospital. The family’s other cat ran away and was missing for four days
before being located. McKittrick says he was getting ready to go out to JV’s Restaurant to see a friend’s band play when he noticed the fire next door. “I’ve never seen anything like that close up before. It was scary,” he said. “By the time I came outside, there was smoke coming out everywhere. There was smoke coming out the back, smoke coming out the front, huge billows out of the roof, chimney and vents.”
Continued on Page 4
Yet another small business being displaced by new development in Falls Church will be landing on its feet, and in a location that will enhance its exposure to the public. It was announced Monday that the long-popular Afghan restaurant, Panjshir, will be moving from its current 924 W. Broad location to the newly and thoroughly-renovated Southgate Village Shops at 100 E. Fairfax at S. Washington. The papers have been signed for the move, according to Bob Young, principal of the Young Group, which secured the 10-shop strip mall from the historic Falls Church Episcopal eight months ago. With its superior reputation, the restaurant is the biggest score yet for Young at the site because it insures that the establishment will survive the impending demolition of its current site for the construction of the 4.3-acre Mason Row mixed use center. Two other small businesses have also found a way to carry on in Falls Church at new locations, including Bikenetic, which moved months ago to a location on W. Jefferson in the Little City, and Mike’s Deli, which had taken over a former thrift shop next to the 7-Eleven at N. West and W. Broad and now will be upgrading its location to the site of the former Long John Silver’s across from George Mason High School at W. Broad and Shreve Road. This is in the spirit of the storied relocation of the historic Anthony’s Restaurant which had been a fixture in the 300 block of
Continued on Page 5
PAGE 2 | DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
F.C. Home Condemned After Fire Causes $300K in Damage Continued from Page 1
Moments later, the windows of the lower portion of the house exploded outward from the heat
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and pressure and flames climbed up the side of the house. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie ‘Backdraft,’ but it kinda had that sense to it,” McKittrick
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said. “It’s just like really bizarre. It’s surreal seeing a house burn up like that. It’s a really strange thing.” Despite how chaotic the fire had become, McKittrick kept his composure. He filmed and photographed the fire and stood by to offer assistance throughout the night. He isn’t the only person in the community to reach out and offer help to the Goodwins since fire destroyed their home. The home’s Tyler Gardens/Virginia Forest neighborhood and the community of nearby Thomas Jefferson Elementary School have also come together to provide the family with assistance. “It’s just sad to see your neighbor [go through this] any time of year, but this time in particular,” McKittrick said. “And they had just purchased that house within the last two years, renovated and moved in. They’re new neighbors. And to spend all that time getting the house just the way you want it and to have it go up like that, it’s pretty staggering.” McKittrick said neighbors in the community have discussed how to assist the
City Residents: January 3 • Non-Residents: January 10 www.fallschurchva.gov/Register
Goodwins but haven’t come up with anything specific yet. JV’s Restaurant offered to throw a benefit concert for the family, but details weren’t available as of press time. This incident is particularly devastating for the TJ community because Jessica Goodwin is a former fifth grade teacher at the Falls Church school. She and Tommy purchased the house in 2014 from Robin Williams, an eight-year employee of TJ who now works in the Fairfax County Public School system. “I lived in the house for probably 32 years and raised my kids there...all of my kids went to TJ...so when I wanted to sell my house...I looked for someone that would enjoy the neighborhood and the house and the location as much as I had and my family had,” Robin said. “At that point in time I was still working at TJ, Jessica Goodwin was still working at TJ. And I found out that she was looking for a house, we talked about it, they came over, they looked at the house and that was it.” Robin said it was difficult
to see her longtime home go up in flames but she hears the Goodwins want to rebuild. “I understand from seeing Jessica on Sunday that they are going to rebuild. It has been condemned but they are going to rebuild it,” she said. “The brick still looks good, so hopefully the structure is still strong and they can have a brand new home.” According to Robin’s daughter, Scarlett, an ESOL teacher at TJ, Tommy and Jessica are currently staying with a teacher from the school. “Everyone is on board, working as a community and trying to figure out how we can help to provide what they need,” Scarlett said. “I know that the family is staying with another teacher right now, but I think they are in need of toys and books...clothes, but they are still in the process of trying to figure what they need.” Scarlett said that one of the teachers at TJ is putting together a “Sign Up Genius” page where members of the community can sign up to bring necessities to the family.
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THE SOUTHGATE VILLAGE SHOPPES, now known as the “Lily Building,” is getting a complete overhaul on E. Fairfax St. (P����: G����� M���)
Panjshir Relocates to Lily Strip Continued from Page 1
W. Broad for 40 years before it had to make way for the 300 W. Broad project, home of almost 300 new rental apartments and a huge Harris Teeter anchor store that has been open since July and has won awards from regional development organizations. Anthony’s, after much local controversy, wound up relocating at its present digs on Annandale Road just outside the Little City, where the Yiannarakis family has prospered, bringing many of its former patrons with it. Such is the hope for the Panjshir, which has been a favorite for many local and regional patrons. Founded in 1985 by Aziz Niazy when he moved to this area from his native Afghanistan, when he retired it was taken over by his son Ezmat, and daughter Maria, who have continued its extensive menu of unique and affordable Afghan dishes. The new location is much more colorful than the old one, as Young put his unique signature architectural look to a total renovation of the Southgate Center, which now goes by the nickname of the “Lily Building,” because Young has stamped the exterior with an Art Nouveau-styled look. In other words, there are big lilies on its exterior. Young has done similarly with other of his projects in town, starting with the more modest Art Nouveau-styled Read Building in the 400 block of W. Broad. His first real leap to the look came with his “Flower Building” in the 800 block of W. Broad, now home to the City’s post office and school administrative offices, and the “Tulip Building” at Annandale at S. Washington, home to the Smash Burger and other attractions. Young’s lease on the Southgate Center, made with the Falls Church Episcopal last spring, marked the closing of one of the more unsavory chapters in the Little City’s history. The center had been acquired by the previous leadership at the church in the late 1990s, which saw the property as the site for a new parish fellowship and educational center. With that goal, it moved quickly to evict all the existing tenants, including
Chinese and Kurdish restaurants, leaving it barren except for a few small church uses. But then that right-wing leadership went rogue and initiated a rift with the wider Episcopal Church denomination. It occupied and fought, eventually unsuccessfully, for control of the church property, including the shopping center. As long as the outcome was up in the air, the shopping center remained vacant, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands in tax revenues to the City. But with the restoration of all the property in question to the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, the “continuing Episcopalian” congregation that had been exiled from the land for seven years took control and moved quickly at the urgings of Young to lease the shopping center. Young said he undertook a “top-to-bottom” renovation of the property, originally built in the 1960s, including provisions for new heating and air conditioning, electrical wiring and extensive roof repairs. The renovation, including on the exterior, took 120 days, although Dominion Power held up the process for a month but has now come through to install new transformers for all the storefronts. Eight of the 10 storefronts there have now been accounted for, including the relocation of the historic Falls Church small business, Welsh Printing, as well as the Lebanese Butcher from a few doors away and the Ferocity Dance Studio, from its current location at 900 S. Washington. A hair salon and spa are among the new tenants, as well. While it will take three months for Panjshir to open there, Welsh Printing and Ferocity should be open within two weeks, Young told the News-Press, as the final inspection permits were OK’d by the City this week. “This has been a terrific experience with the City and the vestry of the church,” Young said. He also praised the role of real estate broker Trina Rinaldi. The project is the Young Group’s ninth since entering the Falls Church development scene in the late 1990s from McLean. He built his own Art Nouveau-styled home in the City three years ago.
DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 5
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A Free New High School Was Rejected
On the prospect of building a totally new George Mason High School on the 38 acres now officially in the City of Falls Church limits, while requiring City taxpayers to pay for almost all of it, newly added factors include the following: 1. There’s the recent rise in interest rates that will continue and will balloon costs above the $115 million currently projected. That’s on top of the $6 million that some on the F.C. City Council want to compel residents to pay to do nothing except sit in a bank account as an added assurance for New York bond rating agencies. 2. Then there’s the suggestions for alternative approaches to education that the Schools’ new interim superintendent Dr. Robert Schiller is now articulating (see interview, page 8), and their implications for hard project “bricks and mortar” decisions. To reiterate, the plan preferred by some on the Council (see Karen Oliver’s guest commentary, page 7) would add a five-cent “banker’s pleasure” hike to the real estate tax rate this spring, long before the citizens will have an opportunity to weigh in on whether they’re willing to foot the bill for the new school. Then it would add a second five cents next year, and a third five cents the year after that, and those funds would be deployed to do nothing but sit in the bank. Readers should be reminded here that when the 38 acres were originally ceded to the City as part of the deal to sell its water system to Fairfax County, an unsolicited proposal from a developer suggested that in exchange for the land, 10.5 acres of which can be developed commercially, the City would wind up with a free new high school. A free new high school!! The powers that be here rejected that offer because, apparently, the developer demanded a level of density on the commercial component that was unacceptable. If the development was up by the West Falls Church Metro station, then why did they reject it? There are no existing residences there that would be impacted, and by virtue of being next to the Metro station, traffic impacts would be totally manageable. So, in order to have less density in that corner of the land, the Council is now willing to slam City taxpayers with almost the full cost of the new school, and another $6 million to appease the New York bond agencies. No one yet knows how rising interest rates might affect these costs right now. This is sheer madness to us. It has been the modestly robust commercial development in the City since 2001 that has kept tax rates reasonable while paying for the City’s and the schools’ operational needs, even with the pressures of growing enrollment. Why would that approach not apply to this case? An election year is coming up for four of the seven seats on the City Council and four on the School Board.
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F.C. Leaders Have Outdated Approach to City Schools Editor, Regarding the proposed tax increase, there are numerous residents of this city who are on fixed incomes! We pay taxes also! This amount of increase would be catastrophic for us especially for an outdated system that inevitably will need replacing. A city’s officials should represent their citizens’ concerns with equal consideration regardless of their personal views. The
difficulty increases when numerous citizens are not engaged because of work, personal issues or awareness of the significant hardships this increase will place on all citizens. The results from last year’s survey showed that 62–65 percent of residents were weary of a school system that costs us more in taxes every year. The current survey shows that 84 percent disagree with the proposed three-
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years raise to continue supporting this outdated system! More significantly it costs our youth the exposure, experience, resources and challenges available in adjacent districts with a more diverse student body, options, resources and opportunities available in their programs. We should make paramount a program that embraces the 21st century’s challenges and opportunities of the local, national and global environments the students will encounter personally and professionally in their future lives. School systems across the country are facing the same issues and have taken positive steps by combining with neighboring districts to insure continued effec-
tive and timely development of their schools, communities and students. We need to be proactive in an approach to place before city and school officials and other concerned citizens our desires and oppositions to the outdated approach our leaders seem to have regarding “our school!” I would welcome someone who has the experience, knowledge and spirit to organize the many of us who share these sentiments to guide us in this endeavor. Is there someone like that able and willing to lead? I assure you I will assist as my abilities allow. John Boeddeker Falls Church
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 7
Aesop’s Ant is a Mason Mustang’s Best Friend B� K���� O�����
The classic Aesop’s Fable of the grasshopper and the ant is the tale of preparation. A grasshopper spent the summer singing while the ant worked hard to store up food for winter. The grasshopper didn’t understand why the ant was working so hard until winter came, when he discovered that the ant had wisely saved a stockpile of food for the long winter and he had not. As I write this on the winter solstice, Falls Church City faces a fiscal winter. We have enormous capital investment needs in the next ten years, and current capital reserves are less than the investments we have identified. The needs for school facilities, as well investments in library, city hall and our transportation network are huge. And it may not make sense to count on economic development, future harvests if you will, to get us through the next few crucial years. At its December 12 meeting the city council discussed several changes to our financial policies that could support stronger long-range planning and also add flexibility to the once-in-a-generation financing challenge presented by the proposed George Mason High School Campus Project. The financial policies themselves do not determine the outcome of the campus planning process, instead, they provide flexibility in making decisions about that project by identifying different financing strategies
we could adopt and the potential costs of those strategies. Like the ant, this is a way to prepare so that we can survive the winter. In preparation for the extraordinary capital projects, Council set aside some
“Even with these measures, the current borrowing capacity of the city is far less than the estimated cost of a new high school, library and City Hall.” proceeds of the 2014 water sale and the small surplus from last year’s budget in capital reserves. A first proposed revision to the fiscal policies clarifies that our capital reserves may be used for annual debt service. This is akin to using savings to pay a portion of the mortgage. If we use this mechanism to fund the capital projects we would still pay more taxes but we could reduce the immediate increase. Even with these measures, the current borrowing capacity of the city is far less
than the estimated cost of a new high school, library and City Hall. With the help of financial advisors, we’ve further tweaked our policies to allow us to borrow sufficient funds for these extraordinary needs, with a plan to mitigate the risk. Municipal debt management policies are designed to reassure lenders that city bonds are a safe investment so that we can borrow at the lowest possible cost. To show lenders we can manage our debt load, our policy holds the annual debt service load to 12 percent of the total operating budget. We also demonstrate that the city considers borrowing capacity for future projects. The current policy parameters require that the city use 20-year level principal debt so that at least 25 percent of our debt is paid off within five years and 50 percent is paid off within 10 years. The second key proposed policy revision allows the city to issue 30-year levelpayment debt if a plan exists to rebuild debt capacity within five years. A third proposal allows the city to exceed the 12 percent debt service limit if additional resilience is created by increasing the unassigned fund balance. By making these policy changes before we embark on the project we reassure our lenders we are understand and are committed to managing our risks if we choose these options. Note: If we believe the best option for the high school project raises debt service above 12 percent, council could choose
to fund the unassigned fund balance over three years rather than one. This decision is separate from a vote on the policy itself, and would be made during this year’s budget process. Like the ant, we could choose to stock part of our cupboard before winter comes. Finally, the proposed revisions to the capital reinvestment policy call for new annual cash funding of at least $1 million per year for smaller capital projects. Current policy is silent on this issue and recent budgets have underfunded rehabilitation and replacement of existing building and heavy equipment, or have used debt for these needs. It is important that we commit to this regular investment in infrastructure and keep our debt capacity for key projects for the city. Are you prepared to be an ant so that we can meet these needs? The current policy and proposed revisions are available online at www.fallschurchva.gov and I encourage you to take a few minutes to review them. I have highlighted the key changes but we welcome your comments and questions on any of the proposed policy before we vote later this year. And we hope you will join us in methodical, ant-like preparation for the city’s looming capital needs. Karen Oliver is a member of the Falls Church City Council and chair of the Council’s Budget & Finance Committee.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Did you do more holiday shopping in the City of Falls Church this year? • Yes, more than previous years • Same as previous years • Less than previous years
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Is the F.C. Council’s plan for a five-cent tax increase per year for the next three years a good idea?
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PAGE 8 | DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Interim Superintendent Expounds On ‘K-16’ Concept by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
As the “Campus Process Working Group” of the Falls Church City Council and School Board continue to mull the daunting options for development of the 38-acre George Mason High School property, the Schools’ new interim superintendent, Dr. Robert Schiller, elaborated the concept of “K-16” education in an exclusive interview with the News-Press this week. Schiller’s contribution could have a profound impact on decisions the working group, the respective bodies it represents, and the Falls Church voting public, will make in the coming months. The pressures to renovate or rebuild – or a combination of both – the high school are growing as explosive enrollment pressures are impinging on the entire City of Falls Church public education system. Schiller’s extensive career in education – from leadership positions in the sprawling Los Angeles School System to Baltimore’s and many more – was considered a winning attribute by the F.C. School Board in its decision
to call him out of retirement in Florida to accept the interim role. The board preferred him to a caretaker in these important decisionmaking times. The concept of “K-16” education proposes a new kind of integration that is already occurring for 21st century education across the nation, Schiller told the News-Press. It is rooted in getting away from seeing the completion of the 12th grade of high school as an end point. “Society is demanding at least two more years, and is more and more advancing the concept of lifelong learning,” he said. “The concept is more of a continuum to two or four or six years of posthigh school education.” This is already happening at George Mason High, where there are programs for its students to attend credit classes at the Northern Virginia Community College, for example. But what makes the topic particularly relevant in the present situation for Falls Church is the presence of the Northern Virginia Graduate Center next to the high school campus. Ostensibly a grad center for Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, the build-
ing is considered highly underutilized, and moreover, the sale of the land on which it sits by the City of Falls Church in the early 1990s was with the promise that a second educational building would also go there. “It’s all about how people will learn, and work for that matter, in the future,” he said, “and to recognize the implications of that for how we move forward with a new school facility now.” For example, he noted, there is a lot more flexibility being demanded of students of all ages, and while there will always be a need for a core high school facility to permit the socialization process of 15-to-18-year olds, to interact with peers and develop teamwork skills at a place called school, it may not be that those students will need to operate, or do best, in that environment for more than two or three hours a day. He said this region provides “marvelous transitional opportunities” for hybrid forms of education that students can benefit from. “We need to be flexible and nimble in approaching that,” Schiller said. “In deciding how to proceed with a new school, no one wants
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to say we only covered a piece of the pie in what will be outdated in 20 years.” “It may be that we will need to cobble a new school around other student obligations, and to ensure it will be as flexible in 20 or 40 years, to fill this role.” The proximity of the Grad Center is only one component of what makes this region unique for this, he said. There is the massive Northern Virginia Community College system, the exploding Inova Health System that includes Inova-owned properties in Falls Church, the enormous potential for commercial growth that could feed into the Urban League’s concept for the campus site of an “agora” mixed educational and commercial center, and the Metro station that underscores the reality that the location is only miles from Washington, D.C., “the center of the world.” “Program space can be dovetailed with community needs and higher education opportunities and needs,” he said, citing as an example the case of Florida, where students who earn degrees from two-year community colleges are automatically granted enrollment
in four year state universities. This also addresses the issue of affordability of higher education, he said, where community colleges can offer “an ease of proximity” to allow students to multi-task with jobs and career training in addition to a liberal arts and science education. “The cost of living away from home to go to school is a real factor to consider,” he said. “We need strategic thinking,” he proposed. “How does Falls Church envision itself in this context?” He also cautioned that interest rates are now beginning to rise, which could impact on the cost of a new school even compared to only a few weeks ago. Also at issue is the plan spearheaded by City Council member Karen Oliver to tax the public in order to set aside $6 million in the City’s unassigned fund balance to appease the New York bond rating agencies to build a $115 million new high school. It could run afoul of a public referendum that will need to pass next November after that tax has been applied in part, but before a shovel has gone into the ground for school construction.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 9
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NEWS BRIEFS Mason Row Begins Site Plan Approval Process Appearing before the Falls Church Planning Commission Monday night, key figures in the development of the 4.3-acre Mason Row mixed use project that won unanimous approval from the F.C. City Council this year, discussed their site plan, submitted with a check for $57,000 cost last month, that included some added touches for better aesthetic and use values. In addition, Amiral Nasserian, vice president for development of the midAtlantic division of Mill Creek Residential (formerly Trammel Crow) confirmed to the Planners that negotiations are currently underway with a movie theater operator (there were four candidates, it was earlier reported) and a hotelier. A newly designed Market Square area with a stage doubling as a seating area, a boardwalk, restaurant outdoor seating and a interactive water features are now included in the plan. On Oct. 15, the project won a variance from the F.C. Board of Zoning Appeals. “You’ve done a really nice job of adding a lot more detail to this,” said Commissioner Melissa Teates.
F.C. Schools Ramp Up Superintendent Search At a work session this Tuesday, members of the Falls Church School Board received a preliminary report from its superintendent search consultants, BWP and Associates, a noted educational leadership search firm, about the process it proposes leading to the selection of a new permanent superintendent of schools by April 1, with a targeted July 1 start date. As advertisements of the position go out nationally, there have already 15 people from 10 states who have responded. The deadline for applicants will be Feb. 24, and the school board will have the benefit of surveys conducted by the consultants of key stakeholders on what they hope to see in a new superintendent. That profile includes an educational leader who can handle the dynamics of change, communicate effectively to the community and be a collaborative manager working with City officials and the community. Other qualities included approachability, best for students, courageous and able to handle growth challenges with questions of capital infrastructure needs, and being supportive of the arts and athletics. “You are making this search in a most favorable part of the annual cycle,” the board was told. “The future of our system depends on the soundness of our decision on this,” School Board chair Justin Castillo said.
‘DMV On Wheels’ Dates for F.C. in ‘17 Listed DMV 2 Go is a full-service Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on wheels. A recreational vehicle parks in front of City Hall, 330 Park Ave., on select Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to Falls Church Revenue Commissioner Tom Clinton. The accessible 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 documents to complete transactions. The 2017 dates are as follows and are usually on Monday: January 6, February 10, March 10, April 14, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13, November 3 and December 8. In addition, DMV Connect is a limited-service event at the American Legion Post, 400 N. Oak St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Services include Virginia, veterans, and child IDs; driver’s licenses; disabled parking placards; and vehicle titles and registrations. The 2017 dates are as follows: January 9, 11, 12, February 13, 15, 16, March 13, 15, 16, April 10, 12, 13, May 8, 10, 11, June 12, 14, 15, July 10, 12, 13, August 7, 9, 10, September 11, 13, 14, October 11, 12, 13, November 13, 15, 16, December 11, 13, 14.
Connolly Sponsors Foreign Interference Act Led by Falls Church area Congressman Gerry Connolly, Democratic members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs have introduced legislation that would impose sanctions on any foreign person or entity found to interfere illegally with a U.S. election. The Protect American Democracy Act authored by Connolly and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, would bar entry to the United States and freeze U.S.-based assets of anyone involved in such interference. All 19 Democratic members of the Foreign Affairs Committee are original cosponsors of the bill. “There is a broad consensus among the U.S. intelligence community that Russia directed a deliberate effort to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. That should trouble every American,” said Rep. Connolly. “One of our most cherished institutions, democratic elections free of foreign interference, has been attacked.”
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PAGE 10 | DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Wills & Trusts Special Needs Planning Medicaid Planning Guardianships Probate Trustee or Agent Services
FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS interim division superintendent Steve Lockard sent out a letter saying that the school divison is accepting nominations to a working group that will research, study and discuss the J.E.B. Stuart High School renaming issue. (P����: D��� C������/ N���-P����)
Planning For All Ages & All Needs
FCPS Now Seeking Volunteers for Stuart Renaming Working Group BY DREW COSTLEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
W e h t o t orld! y o J te The Birth of Jesus Christ here at Dulin. Celebra Saturday, December 24th
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The ongoing debate about whether or not to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School is moving forward, albeit slower than expected. Fairfax County Public Schools’ interim division superintendent Steve Lockard sent out a letter on Wednesday, Dec. 7 saying that the school division is accepting nominations for the working group that will research and discuss the renaming issue from all sides. The working group is then expected to report their findings to the Fairfax County School Board and give a recommendation to the board on what to do going forward. It will likely be made up of students and parents of students at the school, members of civic associations and residents of the community surrounding the school, which is named after a Confederate general. Originally, the working group was scheduled to have already been formed and to report their findings and give a recommendation in March, but that’s been delayed due to the resignation of former superintendent Karen Garza in September. Now, Fairfax County School Board chair Sandy Evans, who is the representative of Mason District where Stuart is located, expects that any report to the board in March will only be an update and that the conclusion of the working group will be sched-
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uled at a later date in 2017. The working group itself is a delay in the process of the board coming to a decision on whether or not to change the school’s name. There was a motion to vote on whether or not to change the school’s name this past summer, but a counter motion was made to create the working group in order to get more community input on the issue. It was then that Evans came out in support of changing the school’s name, but some of her fellow board members, like Springfield District representative Elizabeth Schultz and at-large member Jeanette Hough, have expressed either outright opposition to changing the name or skepticism of the process and the idea since it was first brought to the board. Although part of the opposition doesn’t even want the board to vote on this issue, Evans said that she feels that despite the delays the board owes it to the community to weigh in with a vote. “We’re at a stage now where because we’ve changed superintendents, the interim superintendent decided we really need to start fresh on creating the working group,” Evans said. “So he just put something out to the community and we did try to get it out to the fuller community – parents, students and civic association – to let them know that the organization is being formed and if they wanted to volunteer they could do so.
“So he’s in the process of...that and taking a look at who should be represented on that group….We’re a little behind where we thought we’d be at this point, but that was kind of inevitable because of our superintendent leaving and [the superintendent search] has to be at the top of our list.” Evans said that the people who are selected for the working group will likely be informed early in 2017. She said that there will likely be someone from the school system who serves as a facilitator for the group. This decision came after a slight controversy over misinformation saying that the school system planned to pay an outside contractor up to $100,000 to facilitate the working group. Evans and Garza both said that the school system was not going to spend over $20,000, but those opposing the name change seized on this misinformation to shout down the idea of hiring an outside facilitator. Another reason why the facilitator for the working group will come from inside the system instead of outside of it is because the school system now has to pay an outside facilitator to guide the process of finding and selecting a new superintendent. “I believe at one point that Dr. Garza was looking at hiring a facilitator. Unfortunately, that was misrepresented in some places,” Evans said. “It was never going to be the upper figure that people were talking about.”
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
GI F T GUI D E
HOLIDAY 2016 | PAGE 11
A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial
Falls Church Holiday Guide
Where to Shop This Holiday Season 9 R����
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A�� � F���� �� F���� C����� Art and Frame of Falls Church – Make Life Worth Framing!® Small enough to care, big enough to do the job! With our location being over 6,000 square feet we are also home to: • The birthplace of Jefferson Street Artists, 20 art/business studios, 16 committed, 4 available. • Kian Furniture, upholstery, caining, recondition, and repair. • Good Point Embroidery and Screen Printing, custom T-shirts and embroidery. • CeCe Caldwell’s Paints, eco-friendly, natural clay paints for furniture and home decor. • FIRSTfriday of Falls Church, a monthly, year round event that creates and promotes a business and social synergy for the arts and artists in and around the city of Falls Church with dinning and retail discounts. We host a new artist and musician each month. • Art Classes, Concerts, Paint Nights, and so much more! View us at artandframeoffallschurch.
Art & Frame of Falls Church
205 W. Jefferson St, Falls Church, VA 22046
703-534-4202 • artandframeoffallschurch.com
B������’� Originally a Three Chef’s Pancake House location over 40 years ago, Bentley’s has been serving the best Breakfast in Northern Virginia for over three decades. What began as a small town breakfast dinner in a Route 50 Motel consisting of a counter and seven booths has with the times grown to a 150 seat full service restaurant with Banquets and Catering facilities. But as with Falls Church itself, we have never lost our small town roots. Nor have we lost our Breakfast counter... Locally owned and operated since its inception and on our third generation of regulars Bentley’s remains a place to step out of the fast lane in Washington, D.C. No flashy metal or neon franchise lights, no glitz or glam with perrier and coffee drinks we can’t even try to spell – just comfortable booths, worn in counters, Great Breakfast, Hot Coffee, and a welcom-
ing Smile! You’ll find us still located just past 7 Corners on the Corner of Annandale and Route 50 right where we began almost a half century ago beside the Governor’s House Inn & Suites about seven miles west of our Nation’s Capitol. Sundays may have a wait as we still serve the best breakfast in town – Our Famous Eggs Benedicts, Omelets, Waffles, Pancakes, Crepes and more... but still the weekends are the best time. Whether new to the area, a native, or vacationing In D.C., no trip to Falls Church is complete without a stop by Bentley’s for breakfast.
Bentley’s 6654 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA 22042 703-532-4100 • bentleysfallschurch.com
C��� �� F���� C����� H������ F������ M����� The Holiday Farmers Market returns for three Saturdays in December! Enjoy the produce, meat, dairy, chocolates, flowers and plants you already love, infused to perfection with a little holiday spirit. Stroll along the expanded market, listen to local musicians, gobble on fresh donuts or crepes, sip on hot coffee, and shop for trees, wreaths, gifts, and so much more. The Farmers Market is open yearround, every Saturday.
City of Falls Church Holiday Farmers Market www.fallschurchva.gov/Holiday www.facebook.com/FallsChurchFarmersMarket
F���� M���� Dorothy and Ralph “Curly” Fox first opened Foxes Music in Falls Church on President Eisenhower’s Inauguration Day in 1953, and the store has remained a proudly independent and locally owned operation ever since. Many of you know Foxes as the place to go for the best deal on rental instruments for your child’s school band and orchestra. But you might not be aware that we also have an extensive selection of competitively priced intermediate and professional level instruments when your child is ready to advance. If you have a current or potential guitarist in the family, you should check out our vast guitar inventory, ranging from $99.00 beginner models to top of the line custom shop instruments. We are the area’s largest dealer for Fender and Martin guitars, and our knowledgeable staff can help you choose the perfect instrument for your needs. Also keep us in mind for banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, keyboards and beginner drum sets. Ukes make the perfect stocking stuffer – both economical and easy to learn. Once you’ve chosen your instrument, we have all the accessories you will need as well as the largest selection of sheet music in the D.C. area. Our faculty of experienced and professional private instructors are available to help you get started out on the right foot or help carry you to the next level of proficiency. Learning a musical instrument can be a personally fulfilling and even life-altering experience. Consider giving someone the gift of music this holiday season!
Foxes Music 416 S. Washington St., Falls Church, VA 22046 703-533-7393 • foxesmusic.com
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German Gourmet is a gourmet grocery and delicatessen featuring fine foods, gifts and products from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Northern Europe. One of our top features is the broad range of bratwurst and cold cuts stocked throughout the year. Another big hit is our menu of delicious home-made sandwiches, salads, soups, stews and schnitzel. We also have a great selection of breads, cakes and pastries; both local and imported. Founded by Mr. Wilhelm Wenzel of Germany who, upon his retirement, sold to Mr. Raimund Pagani originally of Switzerland. Raimund operated the store for 20 years before selling to brothers Michael and Clifford Haene. In 2007 we moved into larger facilities at our current location on Columbia Pike and we continue our search for ways to improve our selections and offerings. Products: Too many to list! Please come to our store or give us a call. Many products will make their way onto our web site over time. Store Hours: Mon-Sat 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
GG
German Gourmet 5838 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041 703-379-8080 • GermanGourmet.com
P���� G���� Plaka Grill’s Greek American Chef/Owner, Peter Drosos, is no stranger to the Northern Virginia Area; his grandparents settled in Vienna in 1955. Neither is he a stranger to restaurants. As a child, Peter helped out with his parents’ restaurant. When he graduated from James Madison High school in 2001, he moved on to culinary school in Athens, Greece. After obtaining a degree in culinary arts, he worked in several different Greek establishments, learning the art of handmade gyro and souvlaki. Coming back to Vienna, he opened his first restaurant, Plaka Grill, in October 2007. It quickly became a town area favorite, winning accolades from the Washingtonian, Northern Virginia Magazine, The Washington Post and the Sun Gazette. In 2015 Plaka opened a location in Falls Church, winning best new restaurant a few months later in the Falls Church News-Press. Plaka Grill is now an authentic Greek cuisine staple throughout Northern Virginia. The Vienna location offers a cozy, café vibe, while the Falls Church location has a modernistic feel, with a self-service wine bar and patio seating spring-fall. Both locations offer the signature “Plaka Gyro,” an exclusive recipe made in house from scratch. They also offer a variety of Greek beers and wine, available with dine-in or carry-out orders. Plaka Grill also provides catering services for all events ranging from corporate lunches to birthday parties and weddings. Both locations are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with specials often offered on the weekends.
Plaka Grill Falls Church 513 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 703-639-0161 • plakagrill.com
PAGE 12 | DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016
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News-Press
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Community News & Notes Santamobile Rides Through City of Falls Church
information, visit facebook.com/ FallsChurchVFD.
The Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department began escorting Santa Claus through the neighborhoods of the City of Falls Church on its Santamobile on Thursday, Dec. 15 and will continue through Friday, Dec. 23. The first part of Santa Claus’ tour, from December 15 – 19, is dedicated to specific areas within the City of Falls Church. From December 20 – 23, the Santamobile will make up for nights missed due to weather and other occurrences and excursions into neighboring Arlington and Fairfax counties. The Santamobile will be on the streets from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. each night that it rides. For more
New Hope Wins Grant from Dominion Foundation New Hope Housing, an Alexandria-based nonprofit organization that provides housing and shelter for families and single adults in Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax County and Arlington, recently received a $7,500 grant from the Dominion Foundation, the charitable arm of Dominion Resources. The grant will be used to help the nonprofit operate three group homes that have rooms for 22 chronically homeless adults. During fiscal year 2016, the multiservice agency provided housing assistance to adults with signifi-
cant mental or physical disabilities or impairments. “We moved 339 individuals and 32 families from homeless to housing this year,” Michell said. “The generous grant from Dominion will significantly impact our outreach capabilities in the coming year.” For more information, visit newhopehousing.org.
F.C. Tree Fest Raises $ for Local Organizations Falls Church Tree Fest, which was held on Sunday, Dec. 4 at the Hilton Garden Inn Falls Church, raised approximately $3,000 for 15 local organizations through an auction of decorated Christmas trees that represented the organizations. The Mary Riley Styles Public Library Foundation’s Winnie the
DEPARTING THE FALLS CHURCH PLANNING COMMISSION on Monday, Dec. 19, outgoing commission chair Rob Meeks and longtime member Ruth Rodgers (center) were honored at the meeting. Here, they chat with the Falls Church Planning Department’s Debbie Gee. (Photo: News-Press)
Pooh-themed tree raised the most money out of the lot with a $500 top bid. Bids for the trees ranged from $75 – $500. Live entertainment was provided by George Mason High School band members through the M.U.S.I.C. Days program and the Men in Stripes Barbershop Quartet. Event organizer Melissa Morse estimated that over 200 people attended the event, which is in its third year. For more information, visit fallschurchtreefest.com.
City of Falls Church Announces Holiday Closures The City of Falls Church recently announced its holiday closures, which will begin on Friday, Dec. 23 at noon and continue through Monday, Dec. 26. Most City offices will be closed these days. On December 23, the Falls Church Community Center will be open until 11 p.m. For more information, visit fallschurchva. gov.
MARY RILEY STYLES PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION had a Winnie the Pooh-themed tree at the Falls Church Tree Fest, which was held on Sunday, Dec. 4. Other organizations who participated in the novel event include Childhelp, Falls Church Community Service Council, Fisher House Foundation and Homestretch. (Photo: Courtesy of Melissa Morse)
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
F.C. Rotary Club Hosts White Elephant Holiday Party
The Falls Church Rotary Club hosted its Holiday Party on Thursday, Dec. 8 at Harvest Moon Restaurant in Falls Church. Members of the club and their guests exchanged gifts in a White Elephant style exchange. The club hosted its Annual Meeting on Thursday, Dec. 15, but are not hosting meetings for the next two Thursdays due to the Christmas holiday. On January 5, the Falls Church Rotary Club will have its regular meeting at Harvest Moon Restaurant. District 7610 governor Janet Brown will visit the club to speak. For more information, visit FallsChurchRotary.org.
Local Children Receive Free Dental Care Local children have the opportunity to receive free dental care from Rebecca Peebles, DMD, Rajalakshmi Ananthasekar, DDS, and their dental team at West Falls Church Dental, located at 7395 Lee Hwy., Falls Church, as part of Kid’s Free Dentistry Day on Tuesday, Dec. 20 between 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 nearly often enough to treat decay in its early stages. Only 45 percent of people 20 and younger see a dentist at least once a year, according to a national survey conducted in 2004. However, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends all children visit the dentist every six months for routine and preventative care. “It’s unfortunate that so many children have enough decay in
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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, call 703-641-8717 or visit westfallschurchdental.com.
DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016 | PAGE 13
Passport to the World Concert Series Starts Jan. 7 Creative Cauldron’s 7th Annual Passport to the World Concert Series will be held from Saturday, Jan. 7 to Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 at ArtSpace Falls Church at 410 South Maple Avenue. The series is being sponsored by Mark F. Werblood, Esq. and is being curated by local musicians Lynn Véronneau and Ken Avis of the acclaimed jazz-fusion group Veronneau, who will kick off the series. The Passport to the World Concert Series treats audiences to musical performances from a broad spectrum of genres: jazz, Latin, Celtic, classical, delta blues and American folk. A special inauguration day performance Songs of Protest, Songs of Triumph by Shenandoah Run will feature iconic songs of the 60s protest era. On Saturday, Jan. 14, Brazil Passion will perform at ArtSpace Falls Church and Words & Music will perform Jukebox Romance on Friday, Jan. 27. The series will close out with Anacostia Delta, who will perform a Storytellers Concert on Sunday, Jan. 29. Tickets for the series range from $10 – $20. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit creativecauldron.org or call 703-436-9948.
F.C. Library Hosts Pokemon Perler Beads Event The Mary Riley Styles Public Library is hosting a Pokemon
THE FALLS CHURCH ARTS GALLERY and classroom space at The Kensington at 700 W. Broad Street has been showing a lot of progress of late. The arts organization’s Capital Campaign is continuing to solicit funds to pay for the special art lighting, A/V equipment, Walker Hanging System, classroom furniture, audience chairs, and supplies before the of�icial opening sometime in January. (P����: C������� �� B��� C���) Perler Beads at the Library event on Thursday, Dec. 29 from 3 – 4 p.m. in the library’s Youth Services room at 120 N. Virginia Avenue. The free event is for children in grades 2 – 5, who can make a Pikachu or Poke Ball with perler beads. Registration is required for the event and participation is limited to 15 children. Children must be present at 3 p.m. to enter the room and at 3:05 p.m. children on the waitlist for the event will be given spaces. For more information, visit fallschurchva.gov/Library or call 703-248-5034.
Senator Saslaw & Delegate Simon Host Jan. 14 Town Hall Virginia State Senator Dick Saslaw and State Delegate Marcus Simon will be hosting a town hall on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 10 a.m. – noon at the Falls Church Community Center, located at 223 Little Falls St.
The senator and delegate will discuss the 2017 Virginia General Assembly and legislative agendas at the town hall. There will so be a question and answer session for their constituents. For more information, call 571-3270053 or email delmsimon@house. virginia.gov.
City Votes to Allocate $45,000 In Arts & Cultural Funding The Falls Church City Council approved a recommendation from The Little City CATCH Foundation on Monday, Dec. 12 to allocate $45,000 in funding for arts and cultural grants. An additional $5,000 will be funded through a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Eight proposals were received for project grants for a total of over $28,000, of which $20,000 is budgeted to be funded. Four proposals were received for operational grants for a total of over
$39,000, of which $25,000 is budgeted to be funded. Recipients include Creative Cauldron, Falls Church Arts, Friends of Cherry Hill, Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, The Little City CATCH Foundation, Washington Sinfonietta and Watch Night. Creative Cauldron received a total of $17,000 in grants for funding and creating original musicals or plays and office administration, utilities and facility overhead. Falls Church Arts received $5,600 in funding for establishing an Arts Academy for youth ages 8 – 18 and for outfitting the organization’s new gallery at The Kensington that is scheduled to open in January. The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation received $7,600 for producing a set of audio tours about the history of the area and for administrative and general expenses. For more information, visit thelittlecity.org.
NEW FALLS CHURCH LOCATION CALL NOW FOR APPOINTMENT
BUSINESS & RESIDENTIAL
PAGE 14 | DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016
NATI O NA L
This is Not Normal!
This is my last column of the year. In 2015, my last column was a roundup of the year’s biggest social justice stories as ranked by intellectuals and activists. I thought that I’d make that a year-end tradition for the column, but this year Donald Trump has intruded. That is not to say that issues of social justice have receded. They haven’t, at all. But the election of Trump poses such a significant threat to this country that for me all other issues are unfortunately, temporarily I hope, subsumed by the unshakable sense of impending calamity he presages. The nation is soon to be under the aegis of an unstable, unqualified, undignified demagogue and, with Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, there is little that can be done to constrict or control his power and unpredictability. It’s like seeing an ominous weight NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE swinging toward a limb, sure to break it, while you feel utterly helpless to prevent the fracture. Michelle Obama told Oprah last week: “We’re feeling what not having hope feels like.” In point of fact, we may be on the brink of feeling what an erosion of liberty, competent leadership and absolute sovereignty feels like. The durability of our democracy is not destined. It is not impervious to harm or even destruction. The Constitution can’t completely prevent that, nor can protocols and conventions. The most important safeguard against authoritarianism is an informed, engaged citizenry vigorously opposed to acquiescence and attrition. In other words, it may well be that the only thing that can protect the United States from the man who will sit at its pinnacle of power is the urgent insistence of the public that radical alteration of our customs and concepts of accountability are not on the table, that authority in a democracy is imbued by the ballot, but it is also accountable to its people. And people are already ill at ease with Trump. There is increasing resolution on the dimensions of Russian interference in our election. The implications of such a breach, something that comes close to an act of war, are absolutely staggering. The fact that a hostile foreign government executed a plan to influence, and therefore irrevocably damage, the bedrock of our democracy is unfathomable. The repercussions are nearly incalculable: it corrodes faith in the process, faith in elected officials, faith in national security, faith in our assumed autonomy. To have a president who refuses to acknowledge the violation in order to avoid the asterisk by which he might be forever marked a Manchurian candidate or, more plainly, Moscow’s mule, is not normal. Furthermore, to have a president who is disturbingly complimentary when discussing Russia; whose onetime campaign manager had proRussia ties; whose son said in 2008, “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” and continued, “We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia”; and who has nominated for secretary of state a man on whom Vladimir Putin bestowed Russia’s Order of Friendship, is not normal. Americans shouldn’t have to worry about whether the White House will become an annex of the Kremlin. Furthermore, to have a president surround himself with a rogue’s gallery of white supremacy sympathizers, anti-Muslim extremists, devout conspiracy theorists, anti-science doctrinaires and climate-change deniers is not normal. To have a president for whom we don’t know the extent of his financial entanglements with other countries is not normal. To have a president with massive, inherent conflicts of interest between continued ownership of his company and the running of our country is not normal. Presidents may be exempt from conflict of interest provisions in the law, but exemption from legal jeopardy is not an exemption from fact or defilement of the primacy of a president’s fiduciary duty to empire above enterprise. To have a president who nurses petty vengeances against the press and uses the overwhelming power of the presidency to attack any reporting of fact not colored by flattery and adoration is not normal. It doesn’t matter if he is motivated by calculation – particularly toward diversion – or compulsion: His behavior remains unsettling and even dangerous. To have a president who apparently does not have time for daily intelligence briefings, but who can make time for the most trite anti-intellectual stunts, like staging a photo-op with a troubled rapper and twilight-tweeting insults like a manic insomniac, is not normal. I fully understand that elevated outrage is hard to maintain. It’s exhausting. But the alternative is surrender to national nihilism and the welcoming of woe. The next four years could be epochal years in the history of this country. They could test the limits of presidential power and the public’s passivity. I happen to believe that history will judge kindly those who continued to shout, from the rooftops, through their own weariness and against the corrosive drift of conformity: This is not normal!
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Charles M. Blow
How Republics End Many people are reacting to rise of Trumpism and nativist movements in Europe by reading history – specifically, the history of the 1930s. And they are right to do so. It takes willful blindness not to see the parallels between the rise of fascism and our current political nightmare. But the ‘30s isn’t the only era with lessons to teach us. Lately I’ve been reading a lot about the ancient world. Initially, I have to admit, I was doing it for entertainment and as a refuge from news that gets worse with each passing day. But I couldn’t help noticing the contemporary resonances of some Roman history – specifically, the tale of how the Roman Republic fell. NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE Here’s what I learned: republican institutions don’t protect against tyranny when powerful people start defying political norms. And tyranny, when it comes, can flourish even while maintaining a republican facade. On the first point: Roman politics involved fierce competition among ambitious men. But for centuries that competition was constrained by some seemingly unbreakable rules. Here’s what Adrian Goldsworthy’s In the Name of Rome says: “However important it was for an individual to win fame and add to his and his family’s reputation, this should always be subordinated to the good of the Republic … no disappointed Roman politician sought the aid of a foreign power.” The United States used to be like that, with prominent senators declaring that we must stop “partisan politics at the water’s edge.” But now we have a president-elect who openly asked Russia to help smear his opponent, and all indications are that the bulk of his party was and is just fine with that. (A new poll shows that Republican approval of Vladimir Putin has surged even though – or, more likely, precisely because – it has become clear that Russian intervention played an important role in the U.S. election.) Winning domestic political struggles is all that matters, the good of the republic be damned. And what happens to the republic as a result? Famously, on paper the transformation of Rome from Republic to Empire never happened. Officially, imperial Rome was still ruled by a Senate that just happened to defer to the emperor, whose title originally just meant “commander,” on everything that mattered. We may not go down exactly the same
Paul Krugman
route – although are we even sure of that? – but the process of destroying democratic substance while preserving forms is already underway. Consider what just happened in North Carolina. The voters made a clear choice, electing a Democratic governor. The Republican legislature didn’t openly overturn the result – not this time, anyway – but it effectively stripped the governor’s office of power, ensuring that the will of the voters wouldn’t actually matter. Combine this sort of thing with continuing efforts to disenfranchise or at least discourage voting by minority groups, and you have the potential making of a de facto one-party state: one that maintains the fiction of democracy, but has rigged the game so that the other side can never win. Why is this happening? I’m not asking why white working-class voters support politicians whose policies will hurt them – I’ll be coming back to that issue in future columns. My question, instead, is why one party’s politicians and officials no longer seem to care about what we used to think were essential U.S. values. And let’s be clear: This is a Republican story, not a case of “both sides do it.” So what’s driving this story? I don’t think it’s truly ideological. Supposedly free-market politicians are already discovering that crony capitalism is fine as long as it involves the right cronies. It does have to do with class warfare – redistribution from the poor and the middle class to the wealthy is a consistent theme of all modern Republican policies. But what directly drives the attack on democracy, I’d argue, is simple careerism on the part of people who are apparatchiks within a system insulated from outside pressures by gerrymandered districts, unshakable partisan loyalty, and lots and lots of plutocratic financial support. For such people, toeing the party line and defending the party’s rule are all that matters. And if they sometimes seem consumed with rage at anyone who challenges their actions, well, that’s how hacks always respond when called on their hackery. One thing all of this makes clear is that the sickness of U.S. politics didn’t begin with Donald Trump, any more than the sickness of the Roman Republic began with Caesar. The erosion of democratic foundations has been underway for decades, and there’s no guarantee that we will ever be able to recover. But if there is any hope of redemption, it will have to begin with a clear recognition of how bad things are. U.S. democracy is very much on the edge.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
NATI O NA L
An Illegitimate President-Elect
Will the outrages involved in the heavily-tainted November 2016 U.S. presidential election never cease? Just the latest, coming one day before the official tally of the final vote gave loser Hillary Clinton almost three million more votes than winner Donald Trump, involved something of the extent of the atrocity that James Comey, the head of the FBI, perpetrated barely a week before the election in what many observers feel turned the tide away from a Clinton landslide into a stunning defeat. Using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), California attorney E. Randol Schoenberg obtained this week access to the warrant that the FBI filed to gain access to e-mails on a computer belonging to former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner between Weiner and his nowFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS estranged wife, close Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey crashed the election on Oct. 28, just 12 days before election day, with a bombshell announcement that the FBI was resuming its probe of Clinton’s emails, which he’d concluded months earlier to have found nothing worthy of charges. But the FBI’s request for a warrant was not obtained until two days after Comey’s announcement, meaning that he and the agency had no evidence there was anything in the e-mails to justify the explosive impact that Comey’s announcement had on the election. Needless to say, the Trump campaign sprung on the announcement with a blistering barrage of national TV ads accusing Clinton of the very worst. What had been moving toward a Clinton landslide was suddenly upended and Trump given a new life that eclipsed the earlier revelations about his self-admitted sexual assaults of beauty pageant participants and the CIA’s public announcement that the Russians were actively interfering in the election to the benefit of Trump. So, this was not a legitimate election, and nothing will change that fact. What U.S. officials do about it is an entirely different matter, but it was a tainted process and the fact both the Clinton and Trump camps, the pollsters and the media all went into election day thinking it was going to be a Clinton landslide is crucial evidence of that fact. The inestimable damage that was caused by Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore’s failure to demand a firm resolution to the outcome of the 2000 election, where he also won the popular vote but conceded when the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to stop recounting ballots in Florida. The many hundreds of thousands of lives lost due to the unprovoked U.S. invasion of Iraq under the direction of Gore’s opponent and the subsequent veritable tanking of the U.S. economy – both effects that are still with us – owe their cause to a refusal of a “loyal opposition” to demand fairness and justice. So now, this is also repeating itself. The American public is ready for a much more robust reaction to the tainted November election, but they’re hamstrung when it has no effective leadership on that score. Laying down and accepting defeat, it is said, is done in the national interest. But just as in December 2000, we at this point have no clue just how catastrophic such a concession will be for the American people or those anywhere on the globe. In all that has transpired since election day last month, nothing has happened to cause one to conclude that we’re in store for anything less than a global “worst case scenario” over the next period. Frightened friends have said stupid things like, “We survived the Civil War, didn’t we?” Who is the “we” he is talking about? A halfmillion American lives were lost in the bloody battles of a war that our sworn adversaries precipitated in the name of the perpetuation of slavery. Cholera and tuberculosis plagued surviving soldiers and their families for decades after that. It is not that far off to suggest the election of 2016 was an attempted replay of the Civil War, with the South rising up behind its modern day Jeff Davis. Seeing Trump on his “thank you” rallies tour reminds us of the truly deplorable values of the white voters who got him elected – but not without help from friends.
DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016 | PAGE 15
Nicholas F. Benton
Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
Lessons Learned from 2 Battle Strategies President Barack Obama and Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina don’t agree on many policy questions. But they have found themselves facing a similar political situation this year. And their very different reactions capture the deep – and alarming – differences between our two political parties right now. Both Obama and McCrory essentially had their accomplishments on the ballot. McCrory, a Republican, was running for re-election. Obama wasn’t, but his chosen successor was running against a candidate who had personally demeaned him and promised to repeal his agenda. As you’d expect, Obama and McCrory each campaigned hard. There, however, the similarities stopped. The differences have played out in three acts. In the first act, before Election Day, Obama was faced with evidence that Russia was trying to help Donald Trump win. Obama erred on the side of nonpartisan caution, opting not to announce the CIA findings on Russia’s motives. He was willing to use the presidential bully pulpit to criticize Trump, but not the NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE levers of presidential power to disadvantage him. McCrory went so far using his levers that a federal appeals court unanimously slapped him back. It threw out legislation he had signed to restrict voting access, saying it targeted African-Americans with “almost surgical precision” and “discriminatory intent.” Still, McCrory and his allies managed to take steps to make voting harder for many Democrats. The mischief didn’t keep him from losing narrowly, and in the second act, McCrory initially refused to accept the outcome. He invented stories of “massive voter fraud” and spent weeks refusing to concede. Meanwhile, Obama immediately congratulated Trump and announced “we are now all rooting for his success.” The third act is happening now. Obama has instructed his staff to help Trump’s staff. McCrory has signed two bills that strip his successor, Roy Cooper, of some powers. The justification is laughable. The Charlotte Observer called the changes breathtaking and arrogant. The News & Observer, of Raleigh, compared them to a coup. In sum: McCrory tried to change the election’s rules to help himself; pretended he did not lose afterward; and is ultimately overturning some of the election’s consequences.
David Leonhardt
If he were merely a rogue politician, this story would be a local one. But too many Republicans elsewhere have begun to ignore political traditions, and even laws, to exert power. While Democrats continue to play by more genteel rules, Republicans have subscribed to the Al Capone school of politics. In several states, Republicans have changed laws to reduce Democratic voter turnout. After Obama’s election, Mitch McConnell rallied Senate Republicans to oppose his policies – even if Republicans agreed with them! – to make Obama a failed president. This year, Republicans refused to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. Calling out this behavior is difficult for anybody who’s not a partisan Democrat, because doing so makes you sound like a partisan. We in the media, for example, have sometimes framed the events in North Carolina as a case of “partisan polarization.” That’s akin to reporting Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait under a headline of “Tensions Between Iraq, Kuwait Escalate.” It’s ... not false. Hard as it is, no one should be putting a thumb on the scale to pretend the Republicans’ anti-democratic behavior is normal. I agree with Republicans on some issues, like the value of competition in education and the benefits of two-parent families. But I won’t cheer any ill-gotten gains on those issues. The most important thing now would be for sober Republicans to stand up to their party’s radicalization, even if it meant leaving the party. Absent that, the big decisions fall to Democrats. They need to understand that their opponents are changing the rules – and often benefiting. No, Democrats should not simply mimic the cynicism. For both moral and political reasons, they should defend small-d democratic values, which are, after all, American values. But the party does need to get tougher. In Congress, the Democrats’ threshold for working with Republicans should be higher than in the Bush years. The alternative would signal to voters, wrongly, that the GOP was the less partisan party, because it could pass bipartisan bills. Around the country, Democrats should fight every restriction of voting rights and build grass-roots organizations in all 50 states focused on little-guy economic arguments. Dreaming wishfully of demographic destiny won’t cut it. Anybody tempted to fantasize about inevitable Democratic victories should think ahead to 2020 – when the McCrory playbook may well be used not just in a state election but a national one.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
In our diverse community, holidays are celebrated in many ways, sometimes via classic and familiar stories heard since childhood; other times the holiday observances and practices are not so familiar, but nonetheless, all are meant to be shared with family and friends. Sunday is Christmas, an important date for the Christian faith, regardless of denomination, and gift giving replicates, in a traditional sense, the offerings of the Wise Men to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Old European legends include not-so-nice gifts, like lumps of coal, for those who were deemed to be less than good little girls and boys during the previous year. Following that theme, here are some candidates for lumps of coal, as well as sugarplums (a la The Nutcracker) for those stockings hung by the chimney with care: • Multiple lumps of coal to scofflaws who blast through stop signs, turn right on red without stopping, and create havoc for pedestrians and other drivers. • Sugarplums to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for aggressively repaving many Mason District roadways this past season. Additional state funding for VDOT will focus on continuing this work in 2017. • Sugarplums to VDOT and its private contractors, who did yeoman service to plow our roads during and after Winter Storm Jonas, and get the area moving again. • Lumps of coal, though, to plow jockeys and others who pile snow onto sidewalks and bus stops, creating ice mountains for pedestrians to scale. • Sugarplums to the Stanley Martin Company and the residents of Lakeside Plaza for the new traffic signal at Columbia Pike and Powell Lane. The culmination of decades of patience by the residents, and installed by the builder as part of the proffers for the new Ambrose Hills community, the signal went
From the Front Row: Kaye Kory’s
Richmond Report
“live” this week. • Sugarplums to the coordinators of the 2nd annual Taste of Annandale community event held in October. A rainy day didn’t keep neighbors away, and everyone had a good time. • Lumps of coal to drivers who pass stopped school buses delivering students to and from school. It’s a dangerous practice, and tickets would be better than coal! • Lumps of coal to the miscreants who use public property to dispose of their old stuff – tires, mattresses, broken furniture, used bricks and concrete, household trash, etc. It creates additional costs for us all as taxpayers, since public agencies are left to collect and dispose of the stuff properly. • Sugarplums to our public safety personnel – police, fire and rescue, 911 operators, etc. – who toil on a 24/7 basis to ensure that we enjoy a safe community, even in very trying times. • Lumps of coal to the trolls who revel in using social media to spew misinformation, false stories, hatred, and the dark side of humanity, under the cloak of anonymity. Cowards! • Sugarplums for all the folks who provide unseen, but vital, services to our community every day. Water gets safely delivered, and wastewater properly treated, because of investments made, by the ratepayers and taxpayers, to maintain and upgrade the ecosystem of our unseen award-winning and environmentally sound water infrastructure. • Sugarplums to Nick Benton and the readers of the Falls Church News Press for giving me the opportunity to share thoughts with you for nearly 20 years so far. May your holidays be merry and bright! S:11.5”
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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Photo: Grant Delin
If you always store your firearm safely, no curious kids will put their fingers on it. And no gun will accidentally fire. Which means no screams of pain will be heard. And no 911 calls will be made. And no scars will be left. So please, always remember to keep your firearm stored safely. Visit ncpc.org to determine the best firearms safety solution for you.
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The weeks since Election Day have been difficult and frustrating, to say the least. The outcome of the presidential election was a shock to many and a clarifying moment for all. Many folks are asking me: What should I do now? How can I show the strength of my values and prepare for the uncertainty of the coming Trump presidency? These are tough questions to begin to answer. I have thought seriously and thought seriously again, about what my responsible replies would look like. Here are a few, all of which come with the caveat that now is not a time to be silent or still. Now is a time to act. Protect our community: We all know that hate crimes are on the rise across the country, and our community is no exception. The Southern Poverty Law Center has been tracking this disturbing increase. Now we must stand up for tolerance and respect for our neighbors. Many young immigrants are living in fear of hateful speech and accompanying dangerous behavior. They are threatened by the President-Elect’s frequent calls for “mass deportation” and his immigrant-demonizing rhetoric frequently heard during his campaign. J.E.B Stuart High School recently hung a banner proclaiming we are one at the school entrance as a bold statement of reassurance and solidarity. You can demonstrate your willingness to stand up for the vulnerable among us in many ways. I have chosen to request that the Fairfax County School Board name FCPS a sanctuary institution declaring that our school system is a safe place for learning and its classrooms are free of bullying and hostility toward any student, regardless of immigration status. My alma mater, the University of Miami, is one of many communities of learning now working to develop sanctuary policies supporting this declaration. I believe that FCPS should publicly stand as a strong and united sanctuary institution. Get involved in our government: As President Obama said, ‘Voting counts, politics counts!” Several organizations that have been involved in nonpartisan voter registration and education in the months leading up to Election Day are using their frustration at the results of the presidential election to encourage involvement by offering civic involvement opportunities, train-
ing and support. Democracy for America, the Organizing Project, OneVirginia2021, Progress Virginia, the Civic Engagement Table, the New Virginia Majority, Stronger U.S. and Organizing for Action are a few such activist and largely community-based groups. Of course, both major political parties are recruiting candidates to run for offices ranging from the local to national level. There are several nonprofit volunteer groups offering candidate training: the Sorensen Institute,Emerge Virginia and Women Leaders of Virginia to name a few. If you are interested in working with me as a volunteer, either in Richmond during the General Assembly session or campaigning, I am anxious to hear from you. Invest in our future: Spend as much of your time, energy and resources as you can to build a future you believe in. I believe that education is the key to building a future that is equitable and just. Again, to quote President Obama, “We must work together to see that the basic decency and goodness of the American people is reflected in our politics.” Public education is the most common meeting ground, the most accessible American meeting place, for people of all nationalities, religions, races and political philosophies. We must do everything we can to ensure education is open and available to all members of our community. (Warning: Shamelessness Ahead) I firmly believe that education should be accessible and affordable. That is why I founded the Stuart Educational Foundation 11 years ago, a foundation offering scholarships based on financial need and academic achievement to J.E.B. Stuart graduates. The all-volunteer organization proudly awarded more than $115,500 in scholarships to 41 Stuart graduates this year. Contributions from community members, as well as partnerships with local community groups, fund these often lifechanging scholarships. Now I will shamelessly suggest that you contribute to the Stuart Educational Foundation and offer higher educational opportunities to our future leaders. If you chose to donate, your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous Stuart graduate who knows that the only acceptable answer to the question “What should I do now?” is “Act now! Make your voice heard!’
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Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
The tear-down trends in Arlington housing this year got the best of the historic George Washington Carver Cooperative Apartments. Back in February, the wrecking ball hit the units off Columbia Pike near Washington Blvd. that for 70 years had been a mainstay of the working-class African American community – with links to the 19thcentury. Credit both the county government and the builder of the now-on-the-market luxury townhomes for honoring their historical legacy. Built in 1945 and designed by dean of the Howard University School of Architecture Albert Cassell, the Carver apartments were “the most recent incarnation of the housing provided by the federal government for Arlington County’s African Americans since the founding of the Freedman’s Village in 1863,” said a county staff report. “With the government’s dissolution of the village in the late 1890s, its occupants dispersed throughout the county, settling in nearby neighborhoods such as East Arlington, Queen City, and Johnson’s Hill.” But when the wartime feds decided to build the Pentagon, Navy Annex and accompanying access roads, those communities were dispersed again. So the federal government built the 44 garden apartments in eight multiple dwellings on 3.3 acres at South Rolfe Street and 13th, near Hoffman-Boston school.
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You’re there for Mom. We’re here for you. Caring for a loved one can be more than you expected. But you’re not alone.
DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 17
Carver the namesake (18611943), to refresh, was born in slavery in Missouri and became a botanist, inventor and educator with an agricultural innovator. Other housing units bearing his name are in Naples, Fla. In the Arlington version, says the staff history, the federal government in 1949 offered to sell the units to the county, which declined, then to the tenants, who formed a cooperative. They landed a $123,000 Federal Housing Administration loan from the James W. Rouse Co. The cooperative paid it off by 1974. “What I remember most is that it was always well-maintained and families were close-knit,” I was told by Craig Syphax, curator of the virtual Black Heritage Museum of Arlington. “Those who lived there comprised, for the most part, a solid blue-collar, military and some professional families. Co-op leaders met regularly to address general maintenance and upkeep issues. The play area provided fun times for pre-teens on the sliding board and monkey bars.” The county and the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board applied for National Register of Historic Places designation. But in 2015, the developer won out by rights, though the owners were divided over the desire to sell, I’m told by Arlington Preservation Planner Rebeccah Ballo. In October 2015, the county board approved naming the nearby mini-park George Washington
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
CRIME REPORT Week of Dec. 12 – 18, 2016 Stolen Vehicle, 900 block Lincoln Ave. On Dec. 12, police received a report of a stolen vehicle. Larceny from Building, 223 Little Falls St. (Falls Church Community Center) On Dec.13, an unlocked bicycle was reported
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Larceny from Building, 700 block W. Broad St. On Dec. 14, an unattended wallet was reported stolen sometime on Dec. 13. Public Drunkenness, 306 Hillwood Ave. (Lesly’s Restaurant) On Dec. 14, a male, 40, of Falls Church, was arrested for Public Drunkenness.
Driving Under the Influence, 200 block W. Broad St. On Dec. 15, an officer responded to the area for a report of an accident. One of the drivers, a male, 56, of Chantilly, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to a Blood or Breath Test. Larceny from Building, 7124 Leesburg Pike (George Mason High School) On Dec. 16, an unattended bike was reported stolen and last seen in November. Public Drunkenness, 500 block W. Broad St. On Dec. 16, a female, 32, of Falls Church, was arrested for Public Drunkenness. Public Drunkenness, 112 N. West St. (Mike’s Lazy Sundae) ON Dec. 18, a male, 59, no fixed address, was arrested for Public Drunkenness and Trespassing.
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AARP
stolen.
Carver Park, as recommended by the Park and Recreation Commission and the Arlington View neighborhood. The Arlington Public Library and historic preservation staff interviewed residents and the developer to build an oral history. Tom Dickinson of the Arlington Historical Society took photos of the demolition. “It’s a loss of historical architecture,” Ballo said. “But we won wonderful mitigation for the county and the country,” she added, citing the oral histories and two “beautiful markers,” one on the homes and one on the architect. The luxury townhomes sprang up in just months. What are now called the Carver Place townhomes designed by Craftmark and honoring the history are priced from $689,000 to $875,000. So far, 38 of 73 have sold, I was told by McWilliams/Ballard realty Vice President James Lobocchiaro. The markers should be up before the New Year. *** Loyal alumni of WashingtonLee High School are miffed. Their unique database of all class rosters going back to 1926 got demoted from its place of prominence on the Arlington Public Schools website. It’s still available on the alumni website (www.wlhsalumni. org/wordpress) but harder to get to. Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia told me a recent upgrade of the school system’s online presence forced the change. The database has “been moved to an external site because the way they are being maintained is not compatible with our new site,” he said.
2
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APPROBATION
PAGE 18 | DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM The Official Student Newspaper of George Mason High School
The Falls Church News-Press has partnered with George Mason High School’s award-winning newspaper, The Lasso, to bring its readers some of the top articles appearing in the student-run digital paper. This regular feature will appear monthly in the News-Press during the school year. The Lasso can be found online at www.gmhslasso.org.
RARE BIRD COFFEE ROASTERS on Broad Street is one of Falls Church’s newest shops. They’ve come a long way from their humble beginnings of roasting coffee at home in a popcorn maker; now they strive to make the best coffee they can for their growing customer base. (P����: D���� M�������)
Rare Bird: From Roasting in Popcorn Makers to Latte Art BY DAVID MARTINEZ THE LASSO
Nestled near the corner of West Broad and Maple Street lies one of Falls Church City’s newest venues: Rare Bird Coffee Roasters. The shop only opened about two months ago, and it is already a clear favorite of many. At almost any time of day the woody interior is full of customers, from young college students to busy families. For the owners
Bryan Becker and Lara Berenji, such bustle was a surprise. “I was quite surprised… We were, the first Saturday, completely overwhelmed with the turnout, and we were very excited and happy; [we were] rushing around around like crazy people because we were running out of food and coffee,” Berenji said. Rare Bird is not exclusively a coffee shop. It also roasts coffee, not only for its own shop but also to sell to local grocery stores
and retailers. Rare Bird Coffee Roasters had a small beginning as coffee roasters. “It started with Brian, who had a hobby of roasting coffee. He started with a Whirley Pop popcorn maker; he drilled a hole in the top and put a probe thermometer in…He moved on to a sample roaster, and from there it just escalated,” Berenji said. “He got a six-pound roaster, and then he wanted to make a business of selling the coffee to people
instead of just having it be a hobby.” They eventually found their own space to roast coffee in DC and began selling it through their online store. What they found, however, was that they liked the “human” aspect of selling coffee much more. “The owners [of their roasting space] had a furniture store on the first floor and they would have open houses every Thursday and last Saturday of the month, so we tagged on and started selling our coffee,” said Berenji. “Once we started doing the open houses we realized how much we liked working with people.” Once this space on the corner of West Broad and Maple became available, they jumped at the opportunity. Rare Bird had always been a local project of the Falls Church, Arlington, and DC area, selling their coffee to stores such as The Local Market on West Broad, and Each Peach Market in NW DC. All of the pastries they sell in their shop also come from local sources, such as Acme Pie and Village Sweet
Bakery in Arlington. “We want to work with local people, and gain notability by being a local shop,” Berenji said. Since the shop officially opened on October 3, it has been carrying on very successfully. They currently roast on location; however that might have to change if the rate of sales continues to stay high. “Our most immediate goal is to just have really outstanding coffee consistently. Our next growth possibility would be that our volume of coffee needed would be so great that we would need a separate space to roast in. For now, I don’t think we’ll change where things are, but we’re always hoping it will increase to that point.” Berenji said. When asked about what type of Rare Bird Coffee she likes the best, Berenji responded: “My favorite is the ‘Montañas del Diamante’ from Costa Rica… That one for me shines.” It seems that Rare Bird’s coffee reflects the shop itself: Falls Church’s newest store certainly shines.
They’re Ready to Swim, but Are They Set Up to Win? BY REBECCA HOROVITZ THE LASSO
As fall leaves spiral into winter snowflakes, the swim team turns their attention to the pool with new head coach, Karen Hamill, and assistant coach, Melissa Raeder, leading the upcoming season. With new coaches and 14 new freshmen, the team must work hard to hold their own throughout practice, regionals, and hopefully states. “We definitely aren’t set up. Last year we were pretty much set up to go to states, but this year it’s gonna take a lot of hard work to get to where we were last year,” senior swimmer Hannah Hiscott said. Not only did many senior swimmers graduate, but the team now has a younger face as more than two thirds of the 55 swimmers on the team are underclassmen. What’s more, the new head
coach and new assistant coach essentially face the same first year challenges as their freshmen swimmers. “I think there will be more pressure on the freshmen, but I think it will be fine,” freshman Kaleb Chan said. There are a lot of expectations the team must live up to following the mark they left at the state championships last season. The boys team finished in first place while the girls team received runner up in their division. With more than a handful of new swimmers, many of whom don’t participate in club swim, the pressure doesn’t only fall on the freshmen, but also the returning seniors. “The girls team is going to have a harder time making up the gap as we no longer have very many club players on their side, so that will be a challenge,” junior swimmer Sam Updike said.
However, the boys swim team did not suffer the same loss of star swimmers as the girls team did. “In terms of the boys team, I think that we still have a lot of depth and talent on the team,” senior swimmer Justin Britton said. But despite the loss of so many seniors, the team seems to be working hard to protect their impressive record. There are two pool practices per week on Mondays and Wednesdays at Yorktown High School. Dryland practices take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the George Mason main gym. “Practices have been a good hard, you feel like you’re working out,” Hiscott said. The swimmers and the coaches both come to a consensus that the team has enough talent to do well throughout the season. “I am confident that both the boys and girls teams will have a
GM SWIM TEAM MEMBER Marco Hine listens to assistant coach, Genevieve Jordan, explain the setup for the next set of laps. Practices become more dif�icult as the season rolls into motion forcing swimmers to focus on perfecting their speed, form, and technique. (P����: R������ H�������) successful season,” head coach Karen Hamill said. This confidence was put to the test on December 9 during their first meet of the season at
Manassas Park Community Center, where the boys swim and dive team won the meet 113-49 and the girls swim and dive team won 90-70.
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Fa l l s C h u r c h
DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016 | PAGE 19
School News & Notes
MASON’S CIARA CURTIN sang a solo in “The Christmas Song” at the school’s winter choral concert on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The concert was the latest in a spate of musical events put on by the Falls Church City Public School system. (Photo: Carol Sly)
Commonwealth Academy Student Gets Lax Scholarship Adelia Di Scipio, a student-athlete at Commonwealth Academy in Alexandria and Falls Church resident, has signed a formal letter of intent to play women’s lacrosse at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI in fall 2017. Commonwealth Academy recently hosted a special Signing Day Ceremony for Addie, her parents and her high school classmates, to honor her being awarded a Merit Scholarship to a NCAA Division III University and to highlight her many achievements while at Commonwealth. Addie is scheduled to graduate from Commonwealth Academy in June 2017 with an advanced diploma and certificate in STEMEngineering. At the ceremony, Addie thanked her parents, lacrosse coach Hank Donnelly and teachers at Commonwealth and expressed gratitude to Roger Williams for helping her to achieve her dream of playing sports in college. “Addie has been an exemplary student, excelling in both Science and Math. As an athlete, she is a leader by example, never slacking off. While her demeanor is quiet, her heart, passion and competitive drive are what make her so good at lacrosse,” Commonwealth’s athletic director, Jeff Brown, said in remarks at the ceremony.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY SOPHOMORE Adelia Di Scipio signs her letter of intent to play women’s lacrosse at Roger Williams University starting in fall 2017. (Photo: Holly Cherico)
Rojas Makes President’s List At Randolph-Macon Falls Church resident Brittney Rojas recently made the president’s list at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal for the school’s first quarter. The president’s list consists of students who achieved a grade point average of 4.0 or higher. Rojas, the daughter of Bertha and Carlos Rojas, is a sophomore at Randolph-Macon Academy. For more information, visit rma.edu.
No. Va. Community College Raises $ for Marshall HS Band Faculty and staff at the Annandale campus of Northern
Virginia Community College raised $500 for the George C. Marshall High School Orchestra. The program for the orchestra’s winter concert listed the gift as one of two at the “Symphony Level.” “This was a great community partnership project,” said Ray Evans, a public information officer for the Annandale and Alexandria campuses of Northern Virginia Community College. “In return, there are plans in the works to have a miniconcert in the student center on Annandale campus later in the spring.” For more information, visit nvcc.edu.
With warm wishes to our clients, friends and associates this holiday season! We value your trust and thank you for seeing us this past year!
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PAGE 20 | DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016
Community Events
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22
Holiday Closure. The City of Falls Church Court Clerk’s Office will close at noon for the Christmas holiday and will remained closed through December 26. fallschurchva.gov. Prac�ce Your English. An English conversa�on group adults learning the language. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). Free. 4:30 p.m. 703-573-1060. Teen Kni�ng Club. Children in grades 6 – 12 come together to share projects, ask advice or learn how to knit. All skill levels welcome. Scrap yarn and needles available for beginners. Registra�on required. Limited to 15 par�cipants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 7 – 8 p.m. 703-2485034.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23
Social Ballroom Dance. Enjoy the company of friends old and new swaying cheek to cheek on a spacious dance floor. Held 2nd and 4th Fridays at Arlington Mill. Dances vary between tango, waltz, foxtrot and swing and all will have the opportunity to dance and have fun. No partner required. Arlington Mill
Community & Senior Center (909 S. Dinwiddie St., Arlington). Free. 1 – 3 p.m. 703-228-7369. Holiday Closure. Most City of Falls Church offices will close at noon in observance of Christmas Eve and the Christmas holiday. The Falls Church Community Center will be open un�l 11 p.m. fallschurchva.gov.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24
Invasive Plant Removal. Join community volunteers in protec�ng the local environment from invasive plant species. This is an ongoing project that to reclaim the natural area at Ft. Benne� Park. Ft. Benne� Park (2133 N. Ta� St., Arlington). Free. 10 a.m. – noon. 703-228-1862. Worship Services. Various places of worship in the City of Falls Church will be hos�ng worship services on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Check the websites of the following places of worship for more informa�on: Dulin United Methodist Church, The Falls Church Episcopal, St. James Catholic Church and Columbia Bap�st Church.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 26
Holiday Closure. Most City of Falls Church offices, including the Mary Riley Styles Public Library (which
&
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.
is closed from Saturday, Dec. 23 at noon – Monday, Dec. 26), will be closed the day a�er the Christmas holiday. fallschurchva.gov.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27
Little Legos at the Library. Children ages 3 – 5 can gather to play with Legos. Caregiver must be present with child. Registration required. Limited to 15 participants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10 – 11 a.m. fallschurchva.gov/ Library. Baby and Me Story�me. Stories and ac�vi�es for children ages birth – 23 months. Must be accompanied by caregiver. Woodrow Wilson Library (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 – 11 a.m. 703-820-8774. Free Play Day. Children ages 5 – 9 can have unstructured free �me to explore the woods, make snow forts (weather permi�ng), stoke the campfire, throw rocks in the creek and be free. Registra�on required. Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park (3608 N. Military Road, Arlington). Free. 2 – 3 p.m. 703-228-3403. Legos at the Library. Lego play �me for children in grades 1 – 5. Registra�on required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library Conference
Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 3 – 4 p.m. 703-2485034. 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.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28
Preschool Story�me. An early literacy enhanced story�me featuring rhymes, stories and songs for children ages 3 – 5. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 a.m. 703573-1060. Wii Game Day at the Library. Children in grades 2 – 5 can gather at Mary Riley Styles Public Library to play their favorite Nintendo Wii games. Registration required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 3 – 4 p.m. fallschurchva. gov/Library. 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 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22
“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. 31. Studio Theatre (1501 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 – $69. 8 p.m. studiotheatre.org. “Step Afrika! Magical, Musical, Holiday Step Show.” A new take on the holiday season! DC’s internationally-known percussive dance company invites you to celebrate the holidays
with clapping, stomping and all around fun for all ages featuring their furry friends from the Animal Kingdom and a special dance party with DJ Frosty the Snowman. This production is part of The Atlas Performing Arts Center’s Winterfest 2016. Through Dec. 30. The Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $18 – $40. 7:30 p.m. atlasarts. org.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23
“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.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24
“Silver Belles.” This is the �inal showing of this production. 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. Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $75. 8 p.m. sigtheatre.org.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
CA L E NDA R
live_music&nightlife THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22 C���� B��� B��� ���� T��� L���� B���� ��� H�� D���� �� L����. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930. D�� D������ ���� J��� S���� � T�� D�������� F������� ��� W��� S��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10 (Backstage). 7:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. C�������� ���� J��� M������. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $40 – $45. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141. K��� S���� S���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. T�� B����� W���� ��������� J��� P�����. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $15. 8:30 p.m. 703-522-8340. H������. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. J������ ���� G���� H������ ��� T�� B��������. U Street Music Hall (1115 U St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $5 – $10 in advance; $15 at the door. 10 p.m. 202-588-1889.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23
D�� � C����. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). Free. 6:30 p.m. 703-5329283. T�� P��������� ���� M�������������, H�� C��� S������� ��� L����� P������. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15. 8 p.m. 202-
265-0930. F������� F��������: 80� ��. 90� D���� P���� F�������� B�� M�����. The Fillmore (8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). $15.50. 8 p.m. 301960-9999. C�������� ���� J��� M������. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $40 – $45. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141. W������� ��� B��� C����-E���. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8:30 p.m. 703522-8340. T�� D���� �� D������� R������ S����� T������ B���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. D��� � S�����: D����� S��� �� D����/E������/R����. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $5 (Backstage). 9:30 p.m. 202667-7960. J��� M������ ���� T���-S��. U Street Music Hall (1115 U St. NW, Washington, D.C.) $10. 10 p.m. 202588-1889. T�� D���. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 12 a.m. 703237-8333.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24
M��� S������. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 3 p.m. 703-241-9504. H������-R��������� H������ J��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $20. 7 p.m. 202-337-4141.
S����� J���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. F���� �� D����: 90� H��-H��, P�� � R�B D���� P���� ���� DJ C����� N����� � DJ J������. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $5 (Backstage). 9:30 p.m. 202667-7960.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 26
T�� R������ ��� F������ P������ S������’ S������ H������ D���� P����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 5:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. H����� C���� ���� A������ M�����. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. T�� H�����������. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10. 8 p.m. 703-522-8340. W��� B���� J��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. A���� D������ G���� ���� C���� S����. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m. 703-5258646.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27
H���� J�� S���� ��� T�� B���� ���� C����������. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20 in advance; $15 – $20 day of the show. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. J��� C������. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $59.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.
DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016 | PAGE 21
I��� J�� P�������� �� G����� S�������. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). Free. 8 p.m. 703-522-8340. T�� R���� F�������� R��� E������ ���� S������ G���� DJ K���. The Fillmore (8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). $69.50. 8 p.m. 301-960-9999. C���� C������� T���. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $30 – $40. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141. D���� B��� ��� C������� “B���� M��” T����� J��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28
D����� B����� B��� ���� K���� O����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $22. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. J��� C������. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $59.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. T�� W���� P����. The Fillmore (8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring). $24.50. 8 p.m. 301-960-9999. O��� M�� ���� V����� S������� ��� F������. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504. O��� M�� H����� �� A��� P����. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). Free. 8 p.m. 703-5228340. C���� C������� T���. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $30 – $40. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141.
P������� A����... Thursday, December 29 – Pokemon Perler Beads at the Library. Children in grades 2 – 5 can make a Pikachu or Poke Ball with perler beads. Registra�on required
and par�cipa�on is limited to 15 par�cipants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 3 – 4 p.m. fallschurchva.gov/Library.
Saturday, December 31 – Watch Night New Year’s Eve Celebra�on. Join thousands of area residents in downtown Falls Church City in the City’s annual
New Year’s Eve fes�vi�es including carnival games, local eats and live music. Broad and Washington Streets, Falls Church. Free. 7 p.m. – 12 a.m. watchnigh�allschurch.com.
Saturday, January 14 – Town Hall Hosted by Senator Saslaw and Delegate Simon. Virginia State Senator Dick Saslaw and State Delegate Marcus Simon will host
a discussion of the 2017 General Assembly and legisla�ve agendas and Q&A. Falls Church Community Center (223 Li�le Falls St., Falls Church). Free. 10 a.m. – noon. delmsimon@house.virginia.gov.
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
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Fa l l s C h u r c h
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Business News & Notes F.C. Pancake House Collecting Outerwear, Toys for Homeless The Original Pancake House is collecting outerwear and toys for their annual Christmas breakfast for homeless people in the greater Falls Church area. Approximately 1,200 people are expected to attend, 250 of them children. Outerwear and toys can be dropped off between 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. through Dec. 23 at the restaurant located at 7395 Lee Highway in Falls Church. Dancing Mind is also collecting toys for the holidays. New unwrapped toys for the Toys for Tots Campaign can be dropped off through Dec. 21 at the yoga, cycle, CrossFit studio located at 929 W. Broad Street in Falls Church.
F.C. Chamber Announces New Members & Officers FEATURING: VALERIE BERTINELLI GUY FIERI BOBBY FLAY DUFF GOLDMAN
ALEX GUARNASCHELLI ROBERT IRVINE EMERIL LAGASSE RACHAEL RAY
MARCUS SAMUELSSON MICHAEL SYMON ANDREW ZIMMERN & MANY MORE
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The Young Group’s Joe Wetzel, chair of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, announced its 2017 officers, new members, and re-elected members of its board of directors at its Dec. 20 annual report to the members luncheon. Taking over as chair of the 300 member business organization is Access National Bank’s Lisa D’Ambrosio-Irons. Additional officers include Eden Center’s Alan Frank as legislative vice chair, former chairman and local business owner Gary LaPorta as membership vice chair and secretary, Century 21-Redwood Realty’s Gary Hughes as programs vice chair, Sislers Stone’s Brian DeCelle as communications vice chair, and Diener & Associates’ Mike Diener as treasurer. New members elected to the board include Body Dynamics’ Barbara Benson, certified financial planner James Hicks, Dominion Hospital’s J. Lee Higginbotham and former Chamber Chairman and Falls Church Vice Mayor Steve Rogers. In addition to Irons, Diener and Frank, re-elected members include Dominion Jewelers’ Rachelle Barimany, Falls Church Arts’ Barb Cram, Bentley’s Dave Crance, Mad Fox Brewing Company’s Bill Madden and Korte Realty’s Treena Rinaldi. Continuing service on the board are School Board member Michael Ankuma, Chartis Consulting’s Brian Creswick, New Editions Consulting’s Shelia Newman and ex-officio members City Council liaison Phil Duncan, F.C. City School’s Community Outreach Director (and Falls Church Vice Mayor) Marybeth Connelly, Falls Church Economic Development Office’s Rick Goff and Becky Witsman, Falls Church News-Press owner/editor-in-chief Nicholas Benton and immediate past chair Wetzel. Rotating off of the Chamber board are Pizzeria Orso’s Mary Alexander, Body Dynamics Mario Gamboa, Art and Frame of Falls Church’s Tom Gittins, Renters Warehouse’s Nikki Koch and Burke & Herbert’s Elizabeth Sedova. For more information about the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, contact the Chamber staff, Sally Cole or Cathy Soltys at 703-532-1050 or visit www. FallsChurchChamber.org.
USHealth Group Lauded at Business Awards USHEALTH Group, Inc. has recently won gold status in the Golden Bridge Awards, as Company of the Year, for Accounting, Banking, Financial and Insurance and a Gold Stevie Award in the Company of the Year, insurance category in the 14th annual American Business Awards. Golden Bridge Awards are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring best companies in every major industry from large to small and new start-ups in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin-America. Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. USHEALTH Group, Inc. is an insurance holding company based in Ft. Worth, Texas focused on providing innovative health coverage for self-employed individuals and small business owners. For more information, visit www.ushealthgroup.com. 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.
(A) Go ask your mother. (B) Because I said so. (C) We’ll see. There are no perfect answers in parenting. AdoptUSKids.org
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FO O D &D I NI NG
DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 23
Food Gifts to Buy or Make for the Cooks in Your Life BY MICHELLE STARK TAMPA BAY TIMES
There are just three days until Christmas. Hanukkah starts even earlier, beginning the evening of Dec. 24 and ending Jan. 1. And you’ve probably already been to at least one holiday party. Point is, it’s officially time to focus your efforts on celebrating the season, and that means checking off various gift lists. May I suggest something foodrelated? With the rise of artisanal food products, it has become easier and more satisfying to wrap up an edible treat and call it a present, especially for the cooks in your life. Here are some ideas for food gifts you can buy or make at home. BUY IT Chef’s basket: Put together a small basket of chef essentials: cooking oil, spices and utensils. A few stops in downtown St. Petersburg can get the job done. Pick up a large bottle of Herbs de Provence olive oil pair with some all-purpose seasonings. Finish the
basket off with a set of bamboo cooking utensils. Recipe delivery service: Subscribe to a recipe delivery service on behalf of a friend or family member, and give them the gift of not having to plan dinner. Most services allow you to sign up for one week and then skip until you are ready to commit to another week, so let your giftee know you’ve signed up and see if they’d like to continue the deliveries. If not, it’s easy to cancel. Try Blue Apron (blueapron.com), an option with preportioned ingredients, clear recipes and a reasonable price point. Canned goodies: Craft canning is officially having a moment. And you’ll find more than jam in these jars: Think IPA pickles and curry mustard. Buy a variety of products from local outfits and festoon the jars with ribbons and bows. MAKE IT One word: nuts: Turning raw nuts into a festive treat is among the easiest things you can do in a kitchen. And presented in an
adorned glass jar, homemade spiced nuts look more impressive than they are. For one person, start with two cups of nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans all work. Spread the raw nuts on a baking sheet and roast in a 250-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until they start to become fragrant. Remove from oven and place in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon each honey, salt, paprika, garlic and chopped fresh rosemary. Shake to coat. More jam: There are certain people for whom spending $10 on a nice jar of jam is appropriate. For everyone else, you can make a jar yourself for about half the price. Start with the fresh fruit of your choice – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples work very well. Begin with five or so cups of fruit and combine in a saucepan with 1½ cups sugar. Cook over medium heat, mashing fruit, then bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes until thickened. Spoon into jars and refrigerate till ready to use. Sweet tooth: Remember that episode of “Friends” when
CONSIDER PUTTING TOGETHER a gift basket for someone on your list. This one has a chocolate Santa Claus, cookies and a bottle of wine. (P����: �S���������)
Monica makes candy and her neighbors go crazy for it? That can be you. Make gingerbread fudge and create a box for a sweet friend. Start with 12 ounces melted white chocolate, then add one cup sweetened condensed milk.
Add one teaspoon each nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, and stir. Stir in red and green sprinkles, then place in a parchment-lined glass baking dish and smooth the fudge. Top with sprinkles and let sit until firm. Cut into squares and wrap.
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!
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PAGE 24 | DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016
GMHS Hoops Beats Warren County HS BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Adjusting to the ups and downs of varsity competition continues to be the focal point for George Mason’s boys basketball team as they got a rousing 71-56 victory over Warren County High School on Dec. 19 which was preceded by a 55-49 letdown loss to Central High School four days earlier. The Mustangs established their control over Warren County early and often, but failed to knock them out completely throughout the game. A quick 14-4 lead appeared to signal a rout, but the Wildcats climbed back in it due to sharpshooting to make it 30-21 midway through the second. A 36-26 halftime lead ballooned to 49-32 advantage for the Mustangs thanks to sophomore Max Ashton’s hot streak from long range and junior forward Tim Andrianarison’s ability to find the open man. Still, Mason relaxed and let Warren County
hold onto hope when they scored 14 of the next 16 points to chop the Mustang lead to 51-46 by the beginning of the fourth quarter. “Every team has their runs, but we just try to keep our composure and ride it out,” Andrianarison said. “[Head] coach [Chris] Capannola does a good job of calling timeouts and telling us what to do in times like that.” In the final frame the Mustangs outscored the Wildcats 20-10 to earn their fourth win of the year. Ashton and sophomore forward Hollman Smith led the way again with 27 and 24 points, respectively. Andrianarison followed with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists while senior forward Dustin Green also made his mark with four points, seven rebounds and five assists. Facing Central on the road the week prior, Mason experienced their first true disappointment of the season. After the overtime win over Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School last Tuesday,
SPO RTS
MASON HEAD COACH CHRIS CAPANNOLA speaks to his team during a recent win over Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School. (P����: C���� S��) the Mustangs came out flat against the Falcons and never established their presence on the court. Central moved freely in their offensive sets and warded off whatever resistance Mason put up, eventually earning the Falcons their first win against the Mustangs
Mustang Girls Basketball Team Rattles Off 4 Straight Victories BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
George Mason’s varsity girls basketball team maintained their winning ways in Conference 35 as they bested Central High School 30-29 on Dec. 16 and Warren County High School 52-32 on Dec. 19, making it four straight victories after a 1-2 start. Mason and Central engaged
in a low-scoring defensive match that came down to the wire. Minus their usual backcourt playmakers in Nicole Bloomgarden and Sarah Lubnow – who was ejected early on due to a flagrant foul – the Mustangs turned to a deep bench to defeat the visiting Falcons. It required everything from rotation to get the job done, but a steady grind to the finish earned them their third of four straight wins.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
“It was the true essence of a team victory,” head coach Michael Gilroy wrote. “We are definitely finding ways to win. We have girls who may not be on the other teams’ scouting report [but] show up and do great things. Our team knows we are going to be in 32 minute battles most nights [and] we’re prepared for that.” A 14-10 halftime lead in Mason’s favor quickly evaporated when
since the 2013-2014 season. “It was a real slap in the face,” Capannola said. “Long bus ride, knowing [Central’s] no good, I know it was in their heads, ‘Oh, we’ll turn it on,’ – doesn’t work that way. I’m glad we played so poorly and lost [because] it was a
great lesson.” The Mustangs played a road game against Broad Run High School on Wednesday, but results of the game were not available at press time. They play in the Joe Cascio Holiday Classic next week at Falls Church High School.
Central outscored the Mustangs 13-7 in the third quarter to go up 23-21. Central built a seemingly insurmountable seven-point lead in the fourth, but a three-ball and threepoint play from senior forward Kenya Bliss put Mason right back in the mix. Strong showings from guards junior Victoria Rund and sophomore Maddie LaCroix limited Central’s offense while facilitating key contributions from other teammates to help the Mustangs edge out a victory. Rund finished the game with five points, nine rebounds and four steals. Bliss led Mason’s scorers with six off the bench while Dod and LaCroix both put
up four points themselves. Against Warren County, Mason led wire-to-wire as they carried a lead into halftime that they never relinquished. Bloomgarden came off the bench for 23 points and the Mustangs’ two starting forwards, juniors Kaylee Hirsch and Jenna Short, both had impressive performances by posting 8 points each. “We are still very far from where we need to be but we’ve quietly won four in a row and are in a good place right now,” Gilroy continued. “Our depth is proving to be our biggest asset; there isn’t much drop off.” Mason will test their depth in the Oakton Holiday Classic next week at Oakton High School.
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DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016 | PAGE 25
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BY DREW COSTLEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
NRBQ, the rock band that’s celebrating 50 years since its founding in 1966, is known for its tendency to include antics in its already rollicking stage show. Some of the highlights include performing in their pajamas and exploding Cabbage Patch Dolls on stage. Terry Adams, the founder of the group, and his band are back on the road, this time promoting the release of High Noon: A 50-Year Retrospective, and Adams isn’t making any promises for what they will or won’t do – besides have fun. “We’re happiest when the unknown happens,” Adams said. “You don’t want to be too planned out in rock n’ roll, I think. I’m different than the idea of choreography and lights at a certain time. I think that’s not the way to go with this music.” Adams said they aren’t sure what they’re going to play at their shows. They have a deep catalog to choose from, though, as evidenced by High Noon, the five-CD set that they released on November 11 with Omnivore Recordings. According to Adams, there was a research committee that went through NRBQ’s 32-album catalog (when counting just live and original studio albums) and suggested songs to Omnivore for the compilation. “It was just meant to be a fun record and to be able to play it, it feels good,” Adams said. “It’s not representing anybody’s idea of [the band] like a greatest hits or anything. It’s just moving with the spirit.” The retrospective includes previously unreleased songs, in addition to the group’s hits, rarities and concert favorites. Adams talked to the News-Press about some of his favorite unreleased tracks that got included on High Noon. “There’s a version of a rhythm and blues tune called ‘Honey Hush.’ It has a feel to it that, I don’t know why, but it’s my favorite rhythm and blues feel and we have a version of that on
NRBQ. (P����: C������� �� K���� I����) there,” he said. “Probably the first time we ever did it goes back to a club called the Bottom Line in New York City. I know that they had just opened and there’s a live version of that song that always makes me happy, so I’m glad that tape showed up and survived. “Maybe it’s just a personal thing, but I’ve always been crazy about that feel. I don’t know if you know Joe Turner, [but it’s] the feel of that music.” He said that there’s also a live version of the song “Paris” by Moondog from 1999 that’s included on High Noon that he really likes. “A musician called T-Bone Wolk...he got on stage and played the accordion on that track,” Adams said. “Man, that was just a lot of fun.” In addition to this latest release, NRBQ is working on an album of originals that they are going to put out next year. The trio of musi-
cians that Adams has been teamed up with of late, Scott Ligon, John Perrin and Casey McDonough, are all from Chicago. That crew has been bringing their own flavor to NRBQ and will continue to do so on this upcoming release. “I’m originally from Louisville and I remember getting up there as a teenager and there’s a good scene there. Chicago is a pretty happening town and these guys are the best musicians I’ve ever known,” Adams said. “They not only can play the music, but understand it and feel it and can bring it across. They brought in a lot of their own stuff….We’ve already got it started...and it’s not going to be like anything else we’ve ever done.” • For more information about NRBQ, visit nrbq.com.
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These singles whet the appetites of the FCNP editorial team this week: Nicholas Benton – I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus by RuPaul
Jody Fellows – Fallin’ by Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul
Drew Costley – If I Had No Loot by Tony! Toni! Toné!
PAGE 26 | DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016
LO CA L
27th Annual FCNP Holiday Bash Brings Together Little City
THE 27TH ANNUAL Falls Church News-Press Holiday Party was held on Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment. Students from George Mason High School’s band program played tradition seasonal hits while public servants, residents and members of the business community chowed down on salad, pasta and pizza from Ledo. There was a noticeable uptick in the number of children and teenagers present at the party, with recent News-Press interns, current freelancers and the children of the extended News-Press family in attendance. For a photo gallery of the holiday party, check out fcnp.com. (Photos: Drew Costley/News-Press)
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 27
Thank You to Our 2016 Annual Sponsors
We are grateful for your support and commitment to the business community. PARTNERS
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Restaurant, 809 West Broad Street, Suite F, Falls Church, Virginia 22046-3140. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer On Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Grima Zambrana, Owner. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
40% OF FOOD IN AMERICA IS WASTED
ABC LICENSE MEKONG FUSION INC, Trading as:
Bangkok Golden Restaurant, 6395 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, Virginia 22044-2402. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer On Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Sengaroun Pradachith, Vice President. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc. virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
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We are pledged to the letter andspirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.
Unleash your hidden superpowers Become a foster parent Kids in our community need super parents like you.
Call us today! 855-367-8637 www.umfs.org
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
By David Levinson Wilk 1
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© 2016 David Levinson Wilk
Across
1. "Just the facts, ____" 5. Newspaper Rupert Murdoch acquired in 2007, for short
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1. “Just the facts, ____” 5. Newspaper Rupert Murdoch acquired in 2007, for short 8. Lima, e.g. 12. Better to a rapper, worse to a patient 14. “Now I get it!” 15. Coke rival 16. Deal with superficially 18. Bridge positions 19. Backstabber 20. One leaving in the spring 21. Lady of la casa 22. Interoffice email abbr. 24. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” star 26. Over the speed limit 28. “That’s ____ haven’t heard!” 29. Total 30. When doubled, a hit song of 1965 and 1989 31. Find a space 35. Mil. training academy 36. Waste time 40. Soup veggie 41. Indie rocker Case 43. Piece corps, briefly? 44. Network for political junkies 46. Afrobeat music pioneer Fela ____ 48. As the center of attention 50. British slang term for “monocle” that is also the title of a 1968 Beatles song 54. Wilder on screen 55. Fraternity hopeful 56. Tiny fraction of time: Abbr.
DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 29
58. Part of the Iams logo 59. Prepare to transplant, as to the garden 60. “Let’s do this thing!” (or, read a slightly different way, an apt title for this puzzle) 62. “Solid Gold” host Marilyn 63. “Surely not ME!?” 64. Quarterback Drew 65. Excellent, in 1990s slang 66. Night ____ 67. Helper: Abbr.
32. Slices of Americana? 33. Spies often don’t use them 34. Rapper who has said Yeezus is his “God name” 37. Fully extended, as a ballerina 38. “Are you out ____?” 39. Media monitoring grp. 42. “I’m ready for your questions” 45. Droop 47. Of ____ (servicing) 48. ____ fuels 49. Ten C-notes 50. Crabby sort 51. Something to do? 52. Pet welfare grp. 53. Following behind 57. Cookout discard 60. Texter’s “... but that may just be me” 61. ____-la-la
DOWN
1. Arctic tern’s pole-to-pole trip, e.g. 2. Suddenly 3. No small favor 4. Año part 5. Greet from a ways away, say 6. Utter 7. Smucker’s container 8. It may be served with chips 9. ____ salts 10. “As ____ per aspera” (Kansas’ motto) 11. Passover month 13. Trio after Q 15. Key’s longtime partner in sketch comedy 17. Societies: Abbr. 21. “____ a gun!” 23. Texans are part of it, for short 25. John Lennon’s “Dear ____” 27. “Solve for x” subj. 30. “____ tree falls in the forest ...”
CHUCKLE BROS BRIAN & RON BOYCHUK
8. Lima, e.g.
Last Thursday’s Solution S O R G H U M
G O P F F T
Sudoku Level:
1
2
3
R O A N O K E
E R O D E R
T H R O W R U G O S P R E Y
A S E C C I G P E N N O R G O D U S G A
N O S H O W
A L P I N E
O A R U E T O O L A E I G L
D I N E D P A L E A R S C A I A N S T E A K I R S A L A N A K E I P E N S G I T N G S S E L A R E
E N I D G E M F A A M I E V E H R A O D S I E T
F A D E I N
S H O R T I
E L I C I T S
S K E T C H Y
By The Mepham Group 4
12. Better to a rapper, worse to a patient 14. "Now I get it!" 15. Coke rival 16. Deal with superficially 18. Bridge positions 19. Backstabber 20. One leaving in the spring 1
21. Lady of la casa 22. Interoffice email abbr. 24. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" star
LOOSE PARTS
26. Over the speed limit
DAVE BLAZEK
28. "That's ____ haven't heard!" Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
NICK KNACK
1
© 2016 N.F. Benton
12/25/16
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.
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PAGE 30 | DECEMBER 22 - 28, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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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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It is no the timw e for g o all o cows d to go to the aid of the pa stu ir re. *** **
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Falls Church News-Press Vol. VI, No. 41 • December 19, 1996
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVI, No. 42 • December 21, 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
School Board Negotiating Early Termination of Dignan Contract
F.C. Episcopal Votes to Defect, But Who Now Gets to Keep the Land?
The Falls Church School Board is in negotiations with Superintendent Dr. Patricia Dignan for the early termination of Dr. Dignan’s contract, the News-Press has learned through reliable sources. The process was initiated by the School Board. There have been no official announcements to date.
The Falls Church Episcopal Church and its 2,800 members, who worship at facilities that include a 1700s-era chapel in the heart of the City of Falls Church, made front page headlines globally this week by voting overwhelmingly to formally defect from the national Episcopal denomination. B:8.375” T:8.125” S:7.375”
THIS IS ROCKY, also known as Elf. Last week we featured Rocky’s fellow guinea pig, Oreo, which was dressed as Santa. Well, this is “Santa’s” little helper. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
T:10.5”
B:10.75”
S:9.75”
WE EXIST TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. With the help of people like you, the National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person whose life is affected by MS and helps them stay connected to the great big moving world.
JOIN ThE MOvEMENT jointhemovement.org
Beverly, diagnosed in 2001
ROUND(s) SIZE / FORMAT
1
FINAL
Pg Mekanism 640 Second St SF, CA 94107 415.908.4000
Client: White House
Filename: IOU_WhiteHouse_AdCouncil_Newsweek_8.125x10.5-mech.indd Date: 1-27-2016 9:15 AM Job #: 14-Mek-273 Descript: ItsOnUs.org, 1/C print ad Insert Date: None Pubs or Loc: Newsweek Line Screen: 150 lpi Notes: None
FONTS & IMAGES
MECHANICAL SPECS (h x w) Bleed: Trim: Viewing: Live: Scale:
10.75” x 8.375” 10.5” x 8.125” 10.5” x 8.125” 9.75” x 7.375” 1” = 1”
ACTUAL SIZE (h x w) Bleed: Trim: Viewing: Live: Gutter:
10.75” x 8.375” 10.5” x 8.125” 10.5” x 8.125” 9.75” x 7.375” None
Fonts None Images IOU_Newsweek_mech.eps (100%) Inks
APPROVAL SIGNATURES PROOF
CS
TRAFFIC
CLIENT
PROD.
Black
STUDIO AD CW
Designer: JA
Printed at: None
CD
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016 | PAGE 31
The Perfect Little City Gift This Holiday Season! To order online, visit FCNP.com/frontpages1
PAGE 32 | DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season from everyone at
Louise Molton Broker/Owner
Tracy Lavender Realtor
Kristin Sharifi
Chris Figura
Associate Broker
Office Manager/Realtor
Bruce Turner
Mary Vogel
Realtor
Realtor
Lisa Young
Patricia Gil Realtor
Drew Hoffecker
Realtor
Patrick Giannelli
Mary Barrett
Stephanie Lane
Associate Broker
Marketing Director
Realtor
Financial Manager
710 W Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046 ~ 703-596-5303 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
2nd Annual Unique Christmas Sweater Contest
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
®
REALTOR
Contact Bethany for all your real estate needs.
1355 Beverly Rd Ste 109 McLean, VA 22101
CONTACT BETHANY TODAY FOR THE ANSWERS TO ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE QUESTIONS.
Serving all of Falls Church, Arlington, McLean, Vienna, Great Falls & Northern VA markets. Take a look at my website- where you can search for homes, view my new Falls Church & McLean videos, and more!
www.buyandsellwithBethany.com
Join the fun and a chance to win $100 Just email us a photo of your Favorite Unique Christmas Sweater. Winner will be selected 1/1/2017
Merelyn Kaye
Meeting Real Estate needs since 1970. There is no substitute for experience Home Office: 703-362-1112 e-mail: merelyn@kayes.com
Thinking about buying, selling, investing, moving up or downsizing? Get a jump on the market and talk to Bethany, your local real estate market expert, to get ready for 2017.
Happy Holidays ! Wishing you peace, love and joy this holiday season and in 2017! Cheers, The Ellis Family Bethany, Pete, Demetri, & Zachary