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
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