December 31, 2015 - January 6, 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. XXV No. 45
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week ‘Watch Night’ Closes Streets Thursday
Starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31 and ending at 1 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 1, the 100 block of W. Broad St. will be cordoned off for the annual Watch Night New Year’s Eve Celebration. See News Briefs, page 9
Man Charged With F.C. Christmas Murder Fairfax County police charged Santos Narcisco Osorio, 34, of Falls Church, for the murder of 23-year-old Edgar Armando Serrano on Christmas morning in Falls Church.
F.C. Episcopal & Homestretch May Team to Welcome Syrian Refugees
City’s Famed Church & Homeless Services Group Making Plans
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
in the east to Purcellville deep in Loudoun County to the west, and runs right through the center of the City of Falls Church. In fact, its renovation into a park started with its first mile in the City of F.C. in 1974. Since then, however, the section of the trail that runs through the City has fallen behind the developments along it such as in Herndon and Loudoun County spots where restored train stations and cars
The Rev. John Ohmer, rector of the historic Falls Church Episcopal in the heart of downtown Falls Church, announced last week that his congregation is seriously contemplating “taking in” a Syrian refugee family. Ohmer has found a friend in Christopher Fay, executive director of Homestretch, Inc., the Falls Church-based nonprofit that has grown since 1992 in its mission to place homeless persons into their own homes through comprehensive combination of training, education and services. Fay and Ohmer fortuitously came across each other last week at the Ireland’s Four Provinces restaurant, within a few blocks of both entities, the Falls Church Episcopal and Homestretch. The News-Press was also on hand. The news of the church’s plans fell on the right ears right away. The organization that Fay leads has a phenomenal history of success in righting former homeless families since it was founded de novo by former Falls Church City Councilman Kieran Sharpe, who is completing an extended term on the Falls Church School Board this week, and Nancy Taxon. With a goal from the beginning of achieving self-sufficiency for homeless families, Homestretch was begun by Sharpe and Taxon with a single family. When Taxon retired in 2006, Fay came in to lead the operations and growth of the organization, which now has 26 employees,
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See News Briefs, page 9
Paul Krugman: Doubling Down on W Two thousand and fifteen was, of course, the year of Donald Trump, whose rise has inspired horror among establishment Republicans and, let’s face it, glee – call it Trumpenfreude – among many Democrats. See page 14
Press Pass with Ozomatli
Ozomatli, known for welcoming in a revolving door of guest musicians and displaying an eclectic musical palette, is wrapping up its 20-year anniversary. One of the band’s first shows in its 20th year will be played on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at The State Theatre. See page 24
REV. JOHN OHMER (RIGHT), rector of the historic Falls Church Episcopal, and Christopher Fay, executive director of the F.C.-based homeless services non-profit, Homestretch, compared notes about working together on bringing a Syrian refugee family into Falls Church. (Photo: News-Press)
Stoddard Offers W&OD Trail ‘Green Street’ Master Plan by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.12-13 Comment......... 14-17 Sports..................18 Calendar.........20-21
Food & Dining......23 Classified Ads .....28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........29 Critter Corner.......30
“The City of Falls Church’s Greenest Street” is how a master plan for the W&OD Trail has been developed by the City’s Planning Department that was presented to the Planning Commission earlier this month. The City’s Principal Planner Paul Stoddard shared the efforts of the department which will be seeking approvals from the Planners and the City Council. It is both a
functional and romantic vision for the 16 acres of the “Washington and Old Dominion” trail, also known as the “bike path,” that is owned and developed by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. The Park Authority under the leadership of the late Walter Mess of Falls Church acquired the right of way which had been operated by the W&OD Railroad from 1859 to 1968. It stretches for a total of 45 miles from the Shirlington section of Arlington