12-8-2016 by Falls Church News-Press

December 8 – 14, 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. 42

Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads

Inside This Week City Council Mulls Taking On More Debt

In order to accommodate an option, not yet decided, to spend $115 million on the construction of a new George Mason High School, the Falls Church City Council took steps to alter some of its own policy guidelines on the amount of debt the City can carry. See page 5

City’s Holiday Market Open Dec. 10 & 17 Little City shoppers can soak up the cheer and shop for crafts, gifts, trees, wreaths and other festive items at the Falls Church Holiday Farmers Market in December.

As Budget Talks Begin, New School Chief Suggests Novel K-16 Approach Little City Shopping ‘Bricks & Mortar’ Options Come Into Play in New Year

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

your argument. We must make sure he is a one-term president.” Beyer praised what he saw as “so much energy” in the room. He said that the response he’s gotten since the election from everyone has been, “What can I do?” Trump, he said, “needs to be accountable to every American,” adding that Democrats “must be open to Republicans now,” adding,

Late Tuesday night at the Falls Church School Board’s first work session on its budget for the coming Fiscal Year 2018, newly-hired interim superintendent Dr. Robert Schiller tossed a stunner into the meeting that, if acted upon, could begin a major shift in approach to both the daunting operational and capital educational costs. As the discussion moved toward hybrid learning and dual degree programs at the high school, Schiller tapped his vast experience as an education and educational consultant to offer, “We should consider the entire K-16 continuum.” That is, instead of looking at K-12, extend the concept to embrace four college years, as well. “Were we to begin to look at the issues this way, it could have tremendous implications for our current bricks and mortar discussions” (about the need for a new high school complex—ed.), he said. “We need to consider what the future will look like and how we drive that,” he said. “Today’s paradigm will not look like tomorrow’s.” Schiller said he brought the subject up because he’s found, in the short time he’s been on the job, the Falls Church School Board to “operate at a very high level.” He suggested the issue be discussed at the School Board’s annual retreat, which is usually held in January. With the intense discussions ongoing now between the School Board and City Council on how to craft a plan for a new high school, ranging in costs between a renova-

Continued on Page 19

Continued on Page 4

See page 18

Paul Krugman: The Art of the Scam

Remember Donald Trump’s tax returns? At this point it’s apparent that Trump believed, correctly, that he could violate all the norms, stonewall on even the most basic disclosure, and pay no political price. See page 12

Press Pass with John Gorka

Folk musician John Gorka offered music fans a chance to step inside a time machine with his latest release, Before Beginning: The Unreleased I Know - Nashville, 1985. See page 25

WITH LOCAL TREAT-FILLED gift baskets, Radio Flyer wagons, comic books and games, original one-of-a-kind art, guitars and more, there’s no reason to leave the City of Falls Church to do your holiday shopping. Read all about keeping it local this season inside on pages 16-17. (Photo: Jody Fellows)

Rep. Beyer Rallies Dems With Call to Revive a New Activism by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Index

Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.10-11 Comment......... 12-15 Sports..................20 Food & Dining......23

Business News....24 Calendar.........26-27 Comics, Sudoku & Classified Ads .....28 Crossword...........29 Critter Corner.......30

U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, told a standing room only audience of Democratic activists in Shirlington last weekend that they should not succumb to grief over their loss in the presidential election last month. “There’s an old Chinese proverb

that says if you get knocked down six times, you get up seven,” he said. “Unlike how the Republicans responded to President Obama’s victory, resolved to provide him a ‘failed presidency,’ we don’t take that approach. But wherever we find a President Trump to be wrong, and that may be most of the time, we need to fight as much as possible. Everyone must do what they can, including write, talk, tweet, send letters to the editor. Let your life be

PAGE 2 | DECEMBER 8 â€“ 14, 2016

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DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 3

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PAGE 4 | DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016

LO CA L

F.C. Budget Struggle Begins Again, New Model Proposed Continued from Page 1

tion at $40 million to a brand new school at $115 million, Schiller’s comment came as a potential game changer. Overall, at Monday’s joint School Board and Council meeting, the first look at the parameters for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2018 budget process was characterized by City Manager Wyatt Shields as “stark and sobering.” Daunting new fixed cost increases on both the City and Schools sides are limiting what can be done this coming year, Shields said, although he added that the City’s position is actually better than for surrounding Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Despite projected revenue growth (before any tax rate increases) of up to $3.5 million (comparing favorably to a projected 2.1 percent for Arlington, and 1.4 percent for Fairfax County), Falls Church

will be required by WMATA to increase its annual cash contribution by $500,000 and in addition to take on a net $1 million debt liability to the regional transit body that will cost an additional $130,000-$170,000 per year to service. Other new costs include $220,000 for the retirement fund, $270,000 in health insurance costs and $300,000 in needed pay-as-you-go maintenance. Despite the hefty added contribution to WMATA (to help pay for the “SafeTrack” rehabilitation effort and resulting decline in ridership), the City will not see the return of 3P WMATA bus route that served it along Route 7 until recently, Assistant City Manager Cindy Mester said tonight. When asked by Council member Dan Sze if the route might be restored, Mester at first said, “Maybe,” and then added, “But it you want a definitive answer, no.” On the school system’s side of the upcoming budget, Chief

Financial Officer Hunter Kimble said that enrollment as of this September 30, when an official number is designated for the school year, was 2,670, or a 6.4 percent growth over last year’s 2,509, and significantly ahead of the 3.4 percent projected. Class sizes are now running above the school policy level in three grades. Dr. Schiller told the meeting that between teacher and staff compensation costs and required supplies and so forth, fully 95 percent of school costs are fixed. But with these this year come a $450,000 increase in payments to the Virginia Retirement System’s retirement fund, a 15 percent increase in health insurance premium costs for $439,000 and the VRS life insurance system for $211,900, along with other factors totaling $890,000 in new fixed costs. On top of that, he noted that a single “step” increase for teachers would cost $988,000, and a

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

1 percent salary hike would cost $374,000. Then the School Board met Tuesday to begin setting the parameters for its January budget request to the City Council. The deliberations on the overall FY18 budget will run through next spring to the end of April for adoption prior to the start of the

new fiscal year next July 1. In their joint meeting Monday, the Council and School also mulled the latest data developed for options in the renovation or new construction of George Mason High School, a matter that will come back to a working group of the two bodies this (Thursday) morning (see story elsewhere this edition).

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LO CA L

Falls Church City Council Mulls Policy Changes to Take on Debt Falls Church News-Press

In order to accommodate an option, not yet decided, to spend $115 million on the construction of an entirely new George Mason High School, the Falls Church City Council Monday took steps to alter some of its own policy guidelines on the amount of debt the City can carry, and as an offsetting step, to increase the ceiling on its unassigned fund balance. The matter will come before the City Council for a vote this Monday night, Dec. 12. In the meantime, Council member Karen Oliver crafted a commentary for the News-Press that she submitted yesterday. She wrote that, seeking to avoid the fate of the lazy and imprudent grasshopper in the famous Aesop’s fable who ridiculed the hard-working ant while himself failing to store away enough for the winter, “The City faces a fiscal winter. We have enormous capital investment needs in the next 10 years, and our current capital

reserves are not enough to cover all of it. The needs for school facilities, as well as investments in the library, city hall and our transportation network are enormous. Like the ant (in the fable), we have already started saving, but we need to do much more.” Policy changes the Council will act on this coming Monday are designed to handle the high level of debt the City will carry in coming years, and Oliver said, “The revisions come with a cost to taxpayers as soon as the next budget year,” but, “We need to prepare together so that we can survive the winter.” The first change is to clarify that the City’s capital reserves, including money set aside from the 2014 sale of its water system to Fairfax County, can be used to cover annual debt service. “This gives us an additional financial strategy for reducing the tax rate burden,” she wrote, adding that it can’t eliminate a rate increase, but can mitigate it. This won’t be enough, however. “We’ve further tweaked our policies to allow us to borrow

sufficient funds” and a collateral “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 least possible cost,” she wrote. “To show lenders we can manage our debt load, our policy holds that 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 23 percent of our debt is paid off within five years and 50 percent paid off within 10 years.” A second policy revision allows the City to issue 30-year level payment debt if a plan exists to rebuild debt capacity within five years. A third policy allows the City to exceed the 12 percent debt service limit if additional resilience is created by increasing the unassigned fund balance. “We need to stock our cupboard before winter comes,” she wrote.

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PAGE 6 | DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016

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Vol. XXVI, No. 42 December 8 – 14, 2016 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association •

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GMHS Estimate Must Include Commercial $

In the calculations being done by the Campus Process Working Group assigned by both the Falls Church City Council and School Board to work through parameters that will ultimately confront the City, its boards and staff and the public in a referendum next fall, so far highly conservative estimates have been used. It means that costs for a new high school, for example, will be at the high end of what may actually be the case. For example, the sale of 10.5 acres of the City’s land for commercial development is being estimated to bring $30 million, even though it was actually calculated by professionals at closer to $40 million. Hog tying the City with such a low-ball estimate doesn’t help the chances of deciding in favor of the kind of quality new facility that would keep the school system at its present level of superiority. In addition, the working estimates do not include any potential tax and other revenue returns from the development that might go onto the sold commercial property. This is another shot in the foot to the level of school construction the City needs, raising the cost to taxpayers who will have to decide if they want to spend so much money come next fall. It is been our contention all along going for the “highest and best use” of the commercial component of the land that will be key to everything else, and that at least one Falls Church-based developer, Todd Hitt of Kiddar, is on record saying that by combining the City’s 10.5 acres with WMATA’s 36 at the West Falls Church acre site, and perhaps some others, a phenomenal new development that could rival the Mosaic in Merrifield could result. This would lower the cost to taxpayers by a remarkable degree for a new state of the art high school, with a capacity for enrollment growth for at least the next decade. The taxpayers of Falls Church need a new high school, because the assessed value of their residential real estate is a function of the public perception of the quality of the school system. Start shortchanging the schools, and a commensurate decline in property values will follow. The “win-win” solution is found in maintaining the best schools anywhere, and for Falls Church, at least for the last 15 years or so, it has been new mixed use development that has keyed the City’s ability to fund that maintained excellence. So it needs to be with the new high school. We simply cannot X-out anything related to the potential mixed use or commercial development of the 10.5 acres on the school site and expect to come up with numbers that the taxpayers can support. Now, new interim superintendent Dr. Robert Schiller is proposing consideration of a K-16, not K-12, approach to education, which clearly would bring the Northern Virginia Graduate Center next to the high school site into play, as well.

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Questions for City Leaders On New School Project Editor, In the November 25 edition, Nicholas Benton wrote, “In just a few months, the Falls Church Council and School Board are going to have to agree on how much they are willing to ask the citizens…to pay for a new and or expanded high school.” Previously, readers had been led to believe that the City’s failed suit against Fairfax County, which forced the sale of our former water utility, provided an unex-

pected boon whereby a developer of the annexed West Falls Church Metro area would fund this $88-120 million high school replacement. If taxpayers have such a large bill looming, where was this news when the editor supported recent bonds improving three schools, the library and the forthcoming city offices? These renovations have been discussed for a decade. How much has been set aside by the city manager and council? F.C.’s real estate tax

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rate is $1.31 per $100 of value, the highest in Virginia. What do our city leaders consider the limit of acceptability? What rate will result from an $88 million bond? To support a loan, we must understand how we will pay for it and the “whole” picture. Jim Custer Falls Church

Trump’s Win Targets Many Minority Groups Editor, In response to John Grondelski’s letter “After Trump’s Win, The Left’s Hissy

Fit Is Getting Tiresome” in the November 25 News-Press, I say what a privilege it must be for you, Mr. Grondelski, that your safety, security, and way of life is not threatened in the wake of President-Elect Trump’s win. After his campaign filled with xenophobic/racist, misogynistic, and homophobic language, and with some of his early picks for cabinet members demonstrating similar views, unfortunately, many of us cannot say the same. It is doubtful that a win by Ms. Clinton would have targeted so many vulnerable minority groups. Ellen Chang Falls Church

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DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 7

F.C., Please Don’t Shortchange Our Children B� J�� B��

Like many of the teachers in the Falls Church City Public Schools, I have worn many hats during my 15 years teaching in the city. I am a former Professional Employees Advisory Council chair, former Falls Church City Educational Association president and the current eighth grade team leader at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. My experience in Falls Church City Public Schools has ranged from George Mason Middle School to George Mason High School to Mary Ellen Henderson. However, I am just speaking on my own behalf about what I see right now in our schools. I am writing this to ask for your help to protecting the education of all of our students. As a math teacher, and former accountant, I am very comfortable with numbers. Sometimes I am more comfortable with numbers than I am with words. So, I would like you to focus on a number: 5 percent. We need the school board to request and the city council to fund at least a 5 percent increase in the next school budget from our current budget. This school year our student population grew by over 5 percent. In addition, based on projections from the WeldonCooper Firm, our student population will almost double by 2032. This will put our average growth over the next 15 years at about 5 percent per year. If we do not fund this growth now, we will be playing catch up forever.

When do our students deserve less? Do they deserve less when more students arrive? This year we are running on a budget of less than what we requested/ needed. This year the city did not fund

“When we don’t have the funding for our students, we shortchange our students and their education.”

the entire requested school board transfer. This year the schools made cuts beyond the cut down budget that the school board requested. Personally, it hurt my family that I didn’t bring home a step increase as was previously promised to the teachers in year three of the four-year salary plan. My take home pay actually went down due to our increased health care costs. But what hurts me more is that our growth in population is shortchanging the students. This year we saw growth in our student population of over 5 percent that has lead to larger classes, less support for students and a lack of supplies in the schools. When we have larger class sizes the students don’t get the attention they deserve. Having taught

in Fairfax County, where the average class sizes have been higher, I have seen how the students become one of many and how the teachers have to teach/manage the room rather than work with the individual students. When we have more students without growing our support resources, we lack the resources to the help to all the students that are having major challenges in school (or in their lives) that they deserve. When teachers don’t have funding for the consumables in their classrooms, teachers change activities, experiences and learning. When we don’t have the funding for our students, we shortchange our students and their education. Please actively support funding our students. Five percent growth in the number of students means a need for at least 5 percent growth in the school budget. Why do I say “at least” 5 percent? Each year the cost of running the schools (just like the costs of running our own households) rises. Next year there will be more state mandates for schools, more funding requirements to the state and increases in costs that the schools must absorb in addition to all of the extra students. We need you to keep us from going backwards. I am not asking for more, I am asking you to maintain the level of services that our students currently receive. We need you to grow the budget to keep up with the growth in student population. The city council has provided guidance on the school budget, but the city council needs to fund what they condone. Over the last year

our city council has allowed approximately 300 new housing units to open, allowed numerous homes to grow through teardowns/ rebuilds, allowed numerous home additions and allowed numerous new businesses to open. These changes not only bring growth to the number of students in our schools but also bring growth in the tax revenue to the city. Making sure the revenue from city growth covers the funding in the growth in the number of students at the schools is the responsibility of the city council. Please make it your responsibility to make sure that our students don’t get shortchanged. In this past election cycle we have seen how some loud voices have drowned out the masses. Don’t let that happen in Falls Church City to our schools. Please write the school board and the city council requesting they fund a school budget to cover the growth of over 5 percent in student population we had this year and the annual 5 percent student population growth we will continue to have each year over the next 15 years. Please let your elected officials know that you care about the quality of our schools. Please make sure that these elected officials are not swayed by a few loud voices. Please let them know that the majority of the citizens are in favor of providing a quality education to our students. Please make sure that we don’t shortchange the children.  Joel Block is a teacher at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in Falls Church.

Q�� W�� Is the K-16 approach to education worth exploring in the City of Falls Church? • Yes

Last Week’s Question:

Should VDOT add a W&OD bridge over Route 29?

• No • Not sure

Log on to www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientiﬁc polls.

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Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347

PAGE 8 | HOLIDAY 2016

GI F T GUI D E A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial

Falls Church Holiday Guide

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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.

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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.

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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. Open 8 a.m. – noon on Saturday December 10 and 17. The Farmers Market is open year-round, 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

G�� G��

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.

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

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NEWS BRIEFS Fairfax Votes Police Civilian Review Panel On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established a panel for civilians to review police, which will serve as another way for residents to submit complaints concerning allegations of abuse of authority or misconduct by a Fairfax County police officer. In a statement issued yesterday, Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova said, “Police officers put themselves on the line every day to protect and serve the residents of Fairfax County, and I respect and applaud the difficult work they do. The establishment of a Civilian Review Panel is a positive step forward to further promote transparency and openness in community policing.” She noted that Sharon Bulova. the panel will have many responsibilities and roles, with full details (Courtesy photo) will be outlined in the coming weeks. But as a sampling, she said, there are three ways the panel will work to enhance trust between our community and police: 1) Review Records and Hold Meetings – The Civilian Review Panel will have the authority to request and review completed Police Department internal administrative investigations regarding a civilian complaint against an officer. The panel may hold public meetings to review police administrative investigations and walk through with members of the community how the investigation was conducted, including findings of fact, evidence collected and witness statements; 2) Types of Complaints and Cases – The panel may choose to review the following types of cases: The use of abusive, racial, ethnic or sexual language; harassment or discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, familial status, or disability; the reckless endangerment of a detainee or person in custody; serious violations of Fairfax County or police procedures.

Need some help picking out a gift they're going to love?

586 So. Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046

Hours: Sun. 11-6 Mon. - Fri. 11-9 Sat 10-9

F.C. Police in Search of Man-Biting Dog Falls Church Police are trying to locate a dog who bit a man outside of a Starbucks in the City of Falls Church on Friday. The bite victim will need to undergo rabies inoculations if the dog is not located in a timely manner. According to police, around 7:30 a.m. on Dec 2., a dog had gotten off the leash of its owner outside of the Starbucks at 344 West Broad Street. The victim was trying to help capture the dog who was running away when the animal bit him on the hand. The dog is described as a white terrier or similar animal and the owner is described as an older white female, about 5’8″ tall with white hair and she was wearing blue jeans, a pink sweater and a green hat. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the City of Falls Church Police Department, Animal Control Division immediately at 703-241-5053.

I-66 Widening, Poll Plans Hearing Tonight The Virginia Department of Transportation will have a public hearing tonight, Thursday, Dec. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Falls Church’s Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School at 7130 Leesburg Pike. A brief presentation will be made on VDOT’s plans to widen I-66 and implement tolls on the roadway at 7 p.m. followed by a public comment period.

F.C. Wants Equalization Board Candidates The City of Falls Church has announced that it is seeking residents to serve on the Board of Equalization (BOE) as it currently has only one member. As an independent body appointed by the Circuit Court of Arlington, the BOE has the duty and responsibility of determining whether the Office of Real Estate Assessment has equalized the assessments among property owners. The BOE has the power to increase, decrease, or keep the same assessment upon its review.The BOE is made up of five members, three of which must be either: accountants, attorneys, or real estate professionals such as agents, appraisers or brokers. BOE members undergo state mandated training prior to voting in meetings. Once trained, members can expect to attend an organizational meeting each year to elect a Chairman and Secretary and select meeting dates for hearings. The organizational meeting is typically held just after Labor Day. The number of meetings is dependent on the number of appeals received. In the past few years there typically have been two to three hearings, but this number can change over time. The meetings are Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. and can run up to three hours.

Sunday

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FOXES MUSIC CO. Blow-Out Prices On Selected Stock Instant Rebates on Fender and Martin Guitars

Friday 11 - 9 Saturday

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20% OFF Any Sheet Music Purchase of $25.00 or More Not Valid with Other Discounts Expires 12/31/16

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes Arts Events Come to Falls Church in December

artisans at Clare and Don’s at 130 N. Washington Street.

There are two arts events that will take place in Falls Church in December, the first of which is on Saturday, Dec. 10. 2nd Saturday Jefferson Street and 3rd Sunday Beach Shack Artisans will take place on consecutive weekends in The Little City at Art and Frame of Falls Church and Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, respectively. 2nd Saturday Jefferson Street is an event organized by Art and Frame of Falls Church and the Jefferson Street Artists featuring live music, food from local restaurants and over 20 local artists. The event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 10 from noon – 4 p.m. at Art and Frame at 205 W. Jefferson Street. 3rd Sunday Beach Shack Artisans will take place on Sunday, Dec. 18 from noon – 5 p.m. The event will feature live music, local food and over ten

City of Falls Church Opens 2 Toy Donation Drives The City of Falls Church is accepting toys for two donation campaigns to help local children enjoy the holiday. New and unwrapped toys are needed for the donation drives, Toys for Tots and Santa’s Ride. The City of Falls Church Police Department and Police Association are participating in the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign for the 15th year in a row. The toys are donated to less fortunate children in the community who may otherwise not have anything to unwrap on Christmas morning. Collection boxes can be found in the Police Department lobby (City Hall, 300 Park Ave., East Wing, Level G2), the City Manager’s Office (City Hall, 300 Park Ave.,

East Wing, Suite 303), the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St.), and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.). The deadline to donate is Sunday, Dec. 11. The City of Falls Church Sheriff’s Office is collecting toys for Santa’s Ride at City Hall’s West Wing, Level 2. Since 1988, “Santa and his elves” have been rumbling down the streets on motorcycles picking up and delivering toys to children in local hospitals. Once again this year, Santa will temporarily trade in his sleigh and reindeer for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and police escort. The Sheriff’s Office will join the Fairfax County Police Motorcycle Squad, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, Fairfax City Police and others to escort Santa on his annual “Ride for Children.” The deadline to donate is Monday, Dec.12. For more

information, visit toysfortots. org/default.aspx or fcpdnews. wordpress.com/2016/11/21/santamotors-and-gifts-for-kids-oh-my.

Dulin Church Hosts 4 Events For Christmas Holiday Dulin Church at 513 E. Broad Street is hosting four events throughout the month for the Christmas holiday, starting with a Living Nativity on Friday, Dec. 9 starting at 7 p.m. There will be a live animal show, petting zoo and refreshments at this free event. The Sanctuary Choir of Dulin Church and other ensembles will present “A Christmas Celebration” on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. at the church. The performance will include Christmas carols and other seasonal music. The event is free. On Saturday, Dec. 24 the church will host two Christmas Eve worship services. There will be a family service at 5

p.m. and there will be a traditional lessons and carols service at 8 p.m. Finally, there will be a breakfast and worship service on Christmas day. Breakfast starts at 8 a.m. and the worship service starts at 10 a.m. For more information, visit dulinchurch.org or call 703-532-8060.

Breakfast with Santa Slated For Dec. 10 at James Lee James Lee Community Center’s annual Breakfast with Santa event is slated for Saturday, Dec. 10 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the community center, located at 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church. The event is sponsored by James Lee Community Center Advisory Council and the King Tyre Lodge. Breakfast will take place from 10 – 11 a.m. and a visit from Santa Claus will follow breakfast. For more information, visit 703-534-3387.

LAST WEEK AT THE Falls Church City Council meeting, two families accepted proclamations presented on behalf of recently deceased members who made valuable contributions to the Falls Church community and the world, with each photo showing the full compliment of the City’s seven Council members in the rear: (l to r) Letty Hardi, Karen Oliver, David Snyder, Mayor David Tarter, Marybeth Connelly, Phil Duncan and Dan Sze. The photo left features the family of the late Roger Neighborgall, with his wife, Nancy, also a civic activist, in the center. Neighborgall, who died at age 93 in September, was hailed for his accomplishments in the Falls Church community and also for his heroic service during World War II in the Normandy invasion, Battle of the Bulge and more. In the photo on the right, the family of Leah Ruth Dinnison Porzel is shown. She died in October at age 98 after a lifetime of service including as president of the Northern Virginia Mental Health Association, on the board of the Aurora House, a docent of the Cherry Hill Farmhouse and choir member of the St. James Church. (Photos: News-Press)

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

Falls Church Rotary Club Works on Local Playground

The Falls Church Rotary Club volunteered on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Pete Petro Centennial Playground at the Goodwin Court Apartments in Falls Church. Volunteers, which included Joe Scheibeler, project coordinator Doug Dreyer, club president Erica Brouillette, Dr. Joe Akkara and Kevin Zimmerman, replenished mulch at the playground and lowered monkey bars at the playground in order to make them more user friendly for children. The playground was Rotary’s 100th anniversary gift to the community in honor of the late Pete Petro, who was a long term Falls Church Rotary member and past district governor. Falls Church Rotary Club members also served Thanksgiving dinners at the Willston Community Center on Wednesday, Nov. 17. Each family took home a bag full of Thanksgiving side dishes. The event was jointly sponsored by the Rotary club and the Veterans Pantry. For more information, visit FallsChurchRotaryClub.org.

2nd Annual F.C. Vehicle Decal Design Contest Opens The Office of the Treasurer of the City of Falls Church announced the second annual Vehicle Decal Design Competition for high school students in the City on Monday, Dec. 5. The contest offers a cash prize for the student who wins the competition. The first-place design will have a City of Falls Church theme and will be displayed on the windshields of more than 13,000 vehicles registered in the City of Falls Church. It will also become part of an exhibit in City Hall. “Last year was our first year for the design competition and it

was very successful,” said city treasurer Jody Acosta. “We had 12 wonderfully varied student artist submissions. I can’t wait to see what great artistic designs are submitted this year, showing pride for The Little City. This is a great way for students to learn about local government, and an excellent ‘vehicle’ for displaying their art.” This contest is open to high school students who either reside in or go to school in the City of Falls Church. Only one entry per student is allowed. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top four entries: first place $750, second place $500, third place $250 and fourth place $150. All submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m. on January 5 at the City’s Treasurer’s office at 300 Park Avenue, Suite 103 East or treasurer@fallschurchva. gov. A citizen panel will choose the top four finalists. Online voting on those finalists will open the week of January 9 and will close on February 9. For design guidelines, submission instructions and voting information (once open), please visit fallschurchva.gov/DecalContest.

Port City Playhouse Presents Show at F.C. Church The Port City Playhouse is presenting three performances of “The Twelve Plays of Christmas” this weekend at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, located at 3435 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church. The show, which was written by Martha Bolton and is being directed by Becky Patton and produced by Eleanore Tapscott, will premier at Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Performances are also slated for Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10. Tickets for the show are $18 for seniors, students and members of the military and $20 for adults.

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MEMBERS OF THE FALLS CHURCH ROTARY CLUB volunteered on Saturday, Nov. 19 to replenish mulch at the Pete Petro Centennial Playground at Goodwin Court Apartments in Falls Church. They also lowered the monkey bars shown in the photo to make them more user friendly for children. Shown in the photo above (l to r) Joe Scheibeler, project coordinator Doug Dreyer, club president Erica Brouillette, Dr. Joe Akkara and Kevin Zimmerman. (P��: C�� D�. J�� K��)

Proceeds of the show will benefit the Port City Playhouse and Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church. For more information call 703-532-6461 or visit portcityplayhouse.org.

12 Falls Church-Area Jewish Mothers to Travel to Israel 12 Jewish mothers from the Falls Church area were recently selected to participate in the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project Momentum trip to Israel. The trip started on Monday, Dec. 4 and will last through Wednesday, Dec. 14. The Falls Church-area women

include Cindy Lips of Arlington, Lygia Mandell, director of congregational engagement at Temple Rodef Shalom, Sherri Sirotzky, North America portfolio marketing manager at IBM, of Falls Church, and Michelle Sandler, communications coordinator at Temple Rodef Shalom. “Our philosophy from the beginning has always been: inspire a woman, you inspire a family,” said Lori Palatnik, the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project’s founding director. “Inspire enough families, you can change a community. Inspire enough communities, you can change the world.”

Momentum trips, which stretch from the Galilee city of Safed to the desert mountaintop fortress Masada, feature extensive itineraries and curated curricula encompassing everything from Jewish values to contemporary Israeli society. For more information, visit jwrp.org. Clarification: In the December 1 - 7 edition of the Falls Church News-Press we ran a photo of a house on Riley Street in Falls Church. In the caption for the photo, we said that the lights the house was using were analog, which they are, but they are LED lights, not incandescent.

NEW FALLS CHURCH LOCATION CALL NOW FOR APPOINTMENT

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America’s Mother Theresa PINE BLUFF, Ark. – If this political season has you feeling down, meet Annette Dove. She’s a salve for our aches and wounds, for she represents the American grass roots’ best. Dove, 60, is a black woman who dropped out of high school when she became pregnant and who has endured racism and domestic abuse. Drawing on her own experience overcoming difficulties, she now runs a widely admired program for troubled children. Funding the program in part with her own savings – even going into personal bankruptcy to keep it going – she transforms lives. Dove works seven days a week and struggles month to month to pay the bills with donations, foundation support and a state grant; when the money runs out, she prays. The poverty and disadvantage NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE that Dove is fighting here in Pine Bluff, a poor, majority-black town of 50,000, are found all across America. But so, too, are people like Dove, battling for progress through churches, schools, Big Brother programs, advocacy efforts. These heroes get no headlines, no reward, no glory, and they regularly have their hearts broken, only to soldier on to help the next child. This is the spirit that Tocqueville admired in 19th-century America, and it’s why in a brutal political year, Dove and those like her help restore my faith in America. Consider Jesse Spencer, a young man who says he was kicked out of his house at age 13 by his mom’s boyfriend. Homeless, he turned to street gangs to survive and missed learning to read. Spencer had a few run-ins with the police, and then at age 16 he joined with friends in robbing a pizza delivery woman with a pellet gun. He was arrested, charged as an adult and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but was released early. Dove is helping him get a job and an ID, and here’s one gauge of how marginalized he is: Even the spelling of his name is an issue. He says it’s Jesse, but some police record shows him as Jessie. Spencer had brief interactions with Dove’s program as a boy, and he told me ruefully that if he had had more, “it would have made a great difference.” I keep thinking this: Taxpayers spent more than $200,000 imprisoning Spencer, yet we’re unwilling to invest sufficiently in programs like Dove’s that help break the cycle of poverty and keep kids out of trouble. It’s in places like Pine Bluff that one sees how much federal, state and local policies matter in shaping ordinary lives, and the most heroic charitable efforts can’t make up for failed policies. We wouldn’t build an interstate highway system through charities, and we can’t build a comprehensive program for at-risk kids that way, either. Dove is so driven to help these children because this is her world. After becoming pregnant at 16 and dropping out of school, she earned her GED and a college degree, became a star special education teacher, and, after her beloved husband died, she quit her job and started TOPPS, for Targeting Our People’s Priorities with Service. It evolved into an after-school program that also feeds 600 children a day in the summer and offers mentoring, tutoring and help staying out of jail, off drugs and in school. The first children to go through TOPPS are now in college. “We have a lot of drug-infested families,” Dove said, and she and her mentors come across as surrogate parents, telling kids how to dress and use birth control, and steering them to college admission tests and applications for scholarships. The boys learn skills that middle-class children absorb routinely, such as how to tie a necktie. This training doesn’t erase the damage already done, but it helps. In meetings, they discuss politics, sex, AIDS, financial literacy and how to treat girls with respect. “We teach about holding hands with a lady instead of grabbing hold of her and touching them all over,” explained Mike Dove, Annette’s son, who oversees the boys’ mentoring and precollege programs in his spare time. Despite all the good TOPPS does, Dove still struggles constantly to meet its expenses. She has no regrets. A month ago, I wrote about a struggling Pine Bluff 13-year-old named Emanuel Laster, a black boy who does well at school but has no books in the home and is in danger of being sucked into the world of gangs and drugs. Dove has now recruited Emanuel to attend her after-school programs. She is giving him books and offering him $5 for each one he reads and writes her a report about. One afternoon, we stood outside Emanuel’s home and spoke of his tremendous promise – and the enormous risk that he’ll be waylaid without achieving it. “The way we’re going to break the cycle is to give these kids an opportunity and show them how to take it,” Dove told me. By force of will, she creates opportunities for kids who have none – and reminds us that whatever happens in Washington, there are miracle workers at the grass roots.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Nicholas Kristof

The Art of the Scam Remember Donald Trump’s tax returns? It was unheard-of for a presidential candidate to refuse to release returns, since doing so strongly suggests that he has something to hide. And at first the Trump campaign offered excuses, claiming that the returns would eventually be made available once an IRS audit was done, or something. But at this point it’s apparent that Trump believed, correctly, that he could violate all the norms, stonewall on even the most basic disclosure, and pay no political price. Indeed, it’s clear that Hillary Clinton was in effect punished for her financial transparency, while Trump was rewarded for his practice of revealing nothing about NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE how he makes money. And as a result, we can expect radical lack of transparency to be standard operating procedure in the new administration. In fact, it has already started. Take, for example, the budget process. Normally, an incoming administration issues a fiscal plan conveying its priorities soon after taking office. But as the budget expert Stan Collender notes, there are strong indications that the Trump administration will ignore this precedent (and, possibly, the law) and simply refuse to offer any explanation of how its proposals are supposed to add up. All we’ll get, probably, are assurances that it’s going to be great, believe me. True, we don’t yet know for sure that there will be no budget. But it’s already clear that bait-and-switch – big but empty promises, completely lacking in detail – will be central to Republican strategy on one key issue: the future of health coverage for millions of Americans. The background: Back in 2010 President Barack Obama and the short-lived Democratic majority in Congress passed the Affordable Care Act with zero GOP support. Ever since, Republicans have promised to repeal the law as soon as they had a chance, replacing it with something much better. Strange to say, however, they have never described what their replacement would look like. And I don’t mean that they haven’t spelled out all the details. Almost seven years after Obamacare was enacted, Republicans haven’t offered even the broad outline of a health reform plan. Why not? Actually, there’s no mystery here. While many Americans say they disapprove of Obamacare, large majorities approve of the things the Affordable Care

Paul Krugman

Act does, notably ensuring that people with preexisting medical conditions can still buy insurance. And there’s no way to achieve these things without either a major expansion of government health programs – hardly a Republican priority – or something very much like the law Democrats passed. Worse yet, from the Republican point of view, Obamacare has worked. It’s not perfect, by a long shot, but the number of uninsured Americans has plummeted to its lowest level in history. And Americans newly insured thanks to Obamacare are highly satisfied with their coverage. So what can the GOP offer as an alternative? We know what Republicans want: a free-for-all in which insurance companies can discriminate as they like, with minimal regulation and drastic cuts in government aid. Going there would, however, cause millions of Americans – many of them people who voted for Trump, believing that their recent gains were safe – to lose coverage. The political blowback would be terrible. Yet failing to repeal Obamacare would also bring heavy political costs. So the emerging Republican health care strategy, according to news reports, is “repeal and delay” – vote to kill Obamacare, but with the effective date pushed back until after the 2018 midterm elections. By then, GOP leaders promise, they’ll have come up with the replacement they haven’t been able to devise over the past seven years. There will, of course, be no replacement. And there’s likely to be chaos in health care markets well before Obamacare’s official expiration date, as insurance companies exit markets they know will soon collapse. But the political thinking seems to be that they can find a way to blame Democrats for the debacle. It’s all very Trumpian, if you think about it. An honest memoir of the president-elect’s business career would be titled “The art of the scam.” After all, his hallmark has been turning a profit on failed business projects, because he finds a way to leave other people holding the bag. In this case, the effort to replace Obamacare will clearly fail miserably in terms of serving the American people, perhaps especially the white working-class voters who backed Trump. But it could nonetheless be a political success if the public can be convinced to blame the wrong people. You might think that this would be impossible, given the obviousness of the ploy. But given what we’ve seen so far, you have to take seriously the possibility that they’ll get away with it.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Reviving the Culture War

Organize, not from grief or fear but from vision, passion and hope. Millions of progressive Americans have been reeling since the outrageous outcome of the U.S. presidential election was announced last month. There has been an abundance of anger, angst, fear and, unfortunately, recriminations. But by this week, the mood markedly changed. It is due, in part (but only in part), to the continued buffoonish behavior of Donald Trump, maintaining his pattern of “tweeting” at 3 a.m. indignation at “Saturday Night Live” parodies, and manufacturing media events with only marginal substance in reality (such as the questionable impact of the Carrier “deal”). These indicate that after two years of this, the American public will be ready for a genuine FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS political tsunami against everything he stands for. The other cause for a revived spirit of the Trump opposition is owed to its ongoing core values that by their nature have built-in reserves of strength, perseverance and faith in moral outcomes. It is not shallow hype to point to such things, as much as the enemies of these all try to characterize them that way. Progressives, by and large, should not overlook the extent to which their core values are rooted in such things, and how they contribute to vastly different approach to the future and their role in it. It is instructive to review what happened since Obama was first elected in 2008. It involved a terrible devil’s compact that the Republican Party made with every capacity to block and discredit Obama’s presidency. In choosing this path, Republicans en masse, even many who were reputable moderates up to that point, began throwing their lot in with the radical, destructive and racist premises of what it organized into the so-called Tea Party, and then with the tirades of Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones and other right-wing radio talk show haters. This brought on board the worst of the worst, the previously marginalized openly racist white supremacist groups who are now enjoying the limelight as never before. One of the saddest expressions of this came from former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis of Northern Virginia, who started out as a reasonable, bipartisan-oriented elected official but apparently, when he was made chair of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, began to embrace the worst of this filth, himself. At a book signing event in Northern Virginia last year, when I lamented the extremism of these groups and their growing influence, he said not to worry, that they just amounted to “ways of organizing our (the GOP) base.” The same goes for the amazingly effete crybabies of the neocon wing of the Republicans, including Gov. Jeb Bush, the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol and former G. W. Bush speechwriter and Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson. Given how much death and destruction neo-cons wreaked on the world under W’s presidency, it’s been an eye-opener to see how lame they were in the past election. But still, they were as responsible as Dick Armey and worst dirty tricksters like Steve Bannon and his ilk of the racist “alt-right” for the rise of Donald Trump. The failed ideology underlying this GOP descent into the pit is a radical form of “might makes right,” of bankrupt “postmodernist” thinking that began making serious inroads into the public thought since the 1950s. Cynical “postmodernism” rejects all notions of love in favor of what it holds are the only valid truths, pleasure and power. Philosophers like the evil Michel Foucault vomited this view all over American academia in the 1970s and it has run so deep that few are conscious of it. Most progressives, to one extent or another, have not gone all the way over to the divisive attitude of “postmodernism,” but have held out for the sentiment that animated Dr. Martin Luther King that is grounded in love for humanity. This is the culture war that must now be escalated from the progressive side: We stand for love, values, integrity and the long-term consequences of beneficial action. In these ways, we stand in stark contrast to all the bottom feeders who’ve aligned with the past eight years of GOP obstruction and hate.

DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2016 | PAGE 13

Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Trump’s Agents of Idiocracy Last week when Donald Trump began his socalled Thank You Tour in Cincinnati, he had yet another opportunity to be magnanimous and conciliatory, to step beyond the division and acrimony of his campaign and into the unity and healing necessary to be president of a strained nation. As is his wont, he declined, instead gloating and boasting, playing to the minority of U.S. voters who chose him, relishing his own impenitence. He is choosing to push the United States further apart rather than bring it closer together. And be clear: It is not the job of the defiant to conform to a future president who makes them completely uncomfortable. The burden of unity lies with Trump, not his detractors. “Just wait and see.” “Give him a chance.” But what if what you’ve already seen is so beyond the pale that it’s irrevocable? What if Trump has already squandered more chances than most of us will ever have? What if Trump has shown himself beyond doubt and with absolute certainty to be a demagogue and bigot and NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE xenophobe and given space and voice to concordant voices in the country and in his emerging Legion of Doom Cabinet? In that reality, resistance isn’t about mindless obstruction by people blinded by the pain of ideological defeat or people gorging on sour grapes. To the contrary, resistance is an act of radical, even revolutionary, patriotism. Resistance isn’t about damaging the country, but protecting it. There is no Electoral College clause that blunts ferocious opposition to the demeaning of women and racial, ethnic and religious minorities in this country; there is no Election Day reset on the coddling of white supremacy. Furthermore, the emergence of Trump as a political figure has threatened to kill many of the ideals that we hold dear: decency and decorum, inclusion and empathy, truth and facts. Trump and his agents of idiocracy are now engaged in an all-out crusade to exaggerate the scope of his victory, rewrite racial history, justify their vendettas and hostilities and erase the very distinction between true and false. At a fiery exchange during a panel at Harvard, Hillary Clinton’s communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, rightly accused the Trump campaign of emboldening “white supremacists and white nationalists.” The Trump campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, barked back: “Do you think I ran a cam-

Charles M. Blow

paign where white supremacists had a platform? You’re going to look me in the face and tell me that?” “It did. Kellyanne, it did,” said Palmieri. Yes Kellyanne, that is exactly what you did and no amount of personal outrage about being called out on it is going to rewrite that history. Furthermore, everyone who sees you should say that to your face at every opportunity. Resistance is not about some sort of clairvoyant condemnation of acts yet uncommitted, but rather about the resilience of memory, the rigidity of morality and the depth of wounds. The truest measure of a leader is as much about how he or she attains power as how he or she wields it; while the latter is yet to be determined, the former has been revealed in devastating clarity. A Pew Research Poll released last month found that “voters’ ‘grades’ for the way Trump conducted himself during the campaign are the lowest for any victorious candidate in 28 years.” The report continued: “For the first time in Pew Research Center postelection surveys, voters give the losing candidate higher grades than the winner.” And there are disturbing signs about how a Trump administration will conduct itself, from the early diplomatic blunders that signal a worrisome break in the continuity of protocol, to his team nursing vendettas and continuing to dangle the threat of jail in front of his opponents. Last week Conway appeared to waffle on whether Trump or a federal agency during his term might still pursue prosecution of Clinton; Trump lackey Corey Lewandowski forthrightly said of the executive editor of The New York Times: “He should be in jail.” And to add insult to injury, Trump surrogate Scottie Nell Hughes uttered this jaw-dropping line last week on The Diane Rehm Show: “One thing that has been interesting this entire campaign season to watch is that people that say facts are facts; they’re not really facts. Everybody has a way, it’s kind of like looking at ratings or looking at a glass of half-full water. Everybody has a way of interpreting them to be the truth or not true.” She continued: “There’s no such thing, unfortunately, anymore of facts.” Folks, Dimwit-ism is a disease easily spread and denigrators of the absolutism of truth are its vectors. This is why resistance isn’t only principled, but essential and even existential. We are not in an ordinary postelection period of national unity and rapprochement. We are facing the potential abrogation of fundamental U.S. ideals. We stand at the precipice, staring into an abyss that grows darker by the day.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

AUCTION

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News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

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will be released in mid-to-late February, with public hearings scheduled for April 4, 5 and 6. By then, we may have a clearer picture of the direction of the Trump Administration and Congress, but the work of providing services and making our communities thrive still will be done, and done well, by our local governments. Another service provided by local government is recycling, including electronics recycling. Many families will enjoy new electronic gifts during the holiday season, but wonder what to do with their old television or computer monitor. If it contains a Cathode Ray Tube, or CRT, it must be recycled. Typical CRTs contain four to eight pounds of lead. Fairfax County residents can safely recycle equipment containing CRTs at the drop-off locations at the I-66 Transfer Station or the I-95 Landfill. For more information about electronic waste accepted at county facilities, and directions, visit www.fairfaxcounty. gov/dpwes/recycling/mat-comp.htm. The 22nd Annual Mason District Holiday Town Gathering will be held on Monday, December 12, at 7 p.m., at the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale. This annual kickoff to the holiday season will feature musical entertainment, refreshments, door prizes, and my annual State of Mason District review. The Holiday Town Gathering is open to the public, and suitable for children. I look forward to seeing you on Monday night.

Watching the machinations of transition at the federal level sometimes can make one forget that providing services the public needs and demands predominantly is the responsibility of local government, not the federal government. Revenue that pays for local services comes from local sources – real estate taxes, personal property taxes, and local taxes (e.g., sales tax, business license taxes). Those accounted for more than 92 percent of Fairfax County revenues in FY 2017. Just 2.8 percent of the county’s overall budget is attributable to allocations and grants from the federal government. Regardless of what happens in the presidential transition and the new Congress, our local services – schools, police and fire, human services, housing, land use and zoning, etc. – must go on. As we head into discussions about the FY18 county budget, exercising prudence and maintaining stability will be of paramount importance. At a recent joint Board of Supervisors-School Board budget session, county executive Edward L. Long, Jr. cautioned that the real estate revenue estimate is down $43 million in November, as home prices essentially are flat, even though the number of homes sold increased by 4.9 percent year-to-date through October. Office vacancy rates remain at historically elevated levels, even as job opportunities are increasing. At present, there is a significant gap, or projected deficit, of $55 million for funding the FY18 budget. Since, under state law, Fairfax County cannot run a deficit, the County Executive and the Board of Supervisors may have to make some painful adjustments to ensure adoption of a balanced budget in the spring. Mr. Long’s proposed budget

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 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov. S:11.5”

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A ZIP CODE SHOULD NOT DETERMINE A CHILD’S FUTURE.

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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200 Varick St. New York, NY 10014 : Phone 212-805-7500

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Many variables can shape a child’s outcome in life–like the zip code where a child grows up. That’s because not all neighborhoods have the same opportunities and resources, such as quality schools, transportation, housing, healthcare, food and jobs. The good news is that there are many ways to improve our communities so that everyone has a fair chance to succeed, regardless of zip code. You can play a vital role in your local community.

Find out how at:

hud.gov/fairhousing FAIR HOUSING. SHARED OPPORTUNITY IN EVERY COMMUNITY. A public service message from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in partnership with the National Fair Housing Alliance. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability. For more information, visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing.

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Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

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What would we make today of 1950s Arlington school board member Helen Lane? This one-of-a-kind education activist not only won appointment to the board in 1957 with a mission to prevent desegregation, she emerged as a friend to the American Nazi Party and its notorious local founder George Lincoln Rockwell. Yet she appears to have lived what, at the time, was a mainstream Arlington life. Born in Illinois the daughter of a famous architect, Helen Scrymgeour Lane came to Arlington in 1951 with a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a teaching certificate. She worked as a Treasury clerk with son Robert enrolled in the private St. Stephens Episcopal School. Her first taste of the Arlington spotlight came months after Virginia’s General Assembly in special session with Gov. Thomas Stanley enacted its plan to resist the Supreme Court’s 1954 order for school desegregation in Brown v. Board of Education. Arlington having had its power to elect its school board removed by Richmond, the county board picked the 50-year-old Lane after she wrote to the Daily Sun of the need for a conservative. Profiles in the local press revealed that Lane when in her 20s did not consider herself rightwing. But “as I gained experience, I became more conservative.” She supported the anti-communist crusade of Sen. Joe McCarthy.

Vi rg i n i a ’s States’ Rights Party backed her for the school board as “godsend.” In 1956, she had been one of 1,151 out of 40,000 Arlingtonians to vote for the States’ Rights presidential candidate. Lane was up-front about her goal of maintaining segregation by legal means. Board minutes show her focused on quality education and competition rather than social issues. She backed “greater emphasis on personal excellence and less on group activity.” American children “have been weakened by too many rights and too few duties,” she said. She sought tight budgets – less spending on luxuries like audio-visual aids, and “no more palaces.” Once in office, Lane mocked “progressive education” and “professional educationists.” Students “should be taught to do their tasks well – to learn the joy of their tasks,” she said, with “less emphasis on the pleasant aspects.” After her son transferred to Williamsburg Junior High, she caused a scandal by removing – with indelible ink – a personal comment on his report card written by math teacher Edwin Granger. She argued it was unfair to have it on his permanent record. Lane failed to show up at the county board meeting that investigated. At the end of the ‘50s, Lane was reported to be helping the fledgling American Nazis by duplicating their racist fliers on a press in her basement. (Homebuilder Barry Chamberlain, who later renovated her former home on Rock Spring

Do you:

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CRIME REPORT

(B) Create a diversion. (C) Hire a tutor. For yourself.

Week of Nov. 28 Dec. 4, 2016 Smoking Violation, 6763 Wilson Blvd. #9 (Café Tien) On Nov. 28, a male, 39, of Burke, was cited for Smoking In a Non-Designated Area.

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DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 15

of a robbery. After an investigation, police determined no robbery was committed. A female, 28, of Arlington, was arrested and released on summons for a False Report of a Crime.

Smoking Violation, 6795 Wilson Blvd. #50 (Hung Café) On Nov. 28, a male, 63, of Annandale, was cited for Smoking In a Non-Designated Area.

Driving Under the Influence, 1100 block W. Broad St. On Nov. 29, a male, 29, of Washington, DC, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Larceny, 6757 Wilson Blvd. #14 (Bach Tuyet Jewelers) On Nov. 28, jewelry was reported stolen from the business.

Larceny. 700 block W. Broad St. On Nov. 29, construction equipment was reported stolen.

False Report of Crime, 300 block S. West St. On Nov. 29, police responded to the area for a report

Narcotics Violation, 100 block S. Washington St. On Dec. 1, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation. The driver, a

Road, told me he found no press.) Lane went to law school at American University and became an attorney. When Rockwell was assassinated in August 1967, she represented John Patler, the fellow Nazi convicted of the murder; he pleaded not guilty. To many, Lane seemed a typical middle-class Arlingtonian who liked music, antiques and gardening. Jean Dickson, who was married to the liberal state Del. Wally Dickson, told me her then-husband became lunch buddies with Lane while they were in law school. “It’s amazing that this woman so nice and pleasant,” Dickson said, “was a friend of Rockwell’s.” Lane died May 8, 1996, at age 90, in Shenandoah, Va. *** Passions have heated up in normally placid Westover over the proposal to slap on a local historic district designation for its World War II-era garden apartments that are threatened by builders of luxury townhomes. At the Nov. 30 public hearing at Swanson Middle School, the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board voted 6-2-1 to conduct further study. But some locals fear such status would harm home values and tie their hands should they seek to renovate. “Chairman Joan Lawrence had her hands full” keeping order and the tone civil during comments from 35 speakers amid the boos and jeering, I was told by attendee Tom Dickinson. “Some were so emotional their hands were shaking and voices quivering over wild rumors about bureaucracy run amok, an initiative with no basis, government overreaching.” male, 21, of Annandale, was arrested and released on summons for Possession of Marijuana. Public Drunkenness, 600 block Roosevelt Blvd. On Dec. 3, a female, 35, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for Public Drunkenness. Smoking Violation, 6779 Wilson Blvd. (Café Vy) On Dec. 3, a male, 59, of Alexandria, was cited for Smoking In a Non-Designated Area. Recovered Stolen Vehicle, 1200 block Offutt Dr. On Dec. 4, officers recovered a stolen vehicle from Fairfax County. A female, 35, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested and served outstanding warrants from Fairfax County. Shoplifting, 1120 W. Broad St. (Yasini Jewelers) On Dec.4, two unknown suspects stole jewelry from the store. Larceny from Building, 308 S. Washington St. (SmashBurger) On Dec. 4, a wallet was reported stolen.

PAGE 16 | DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016

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Keeping It Merry & Local In Falls Church This Holiday

Forget Amazon. Forget Tysons. Forget the outlets. All your holiday shopping can be done right here in the City of Falls Church. From remote control cars and comics to original art, custom plants and other unique gifts, these one-of-a-kind, independent Little City shops have everything you need to fill up under the tree and stuff all your stockings this season. Here’s to keeping it merry and keeping it local, right here in Falls Church!

The Family Guitar Wizard Will Flip Over a Gift From Action Music Action Music, part of the new Music Row the NewsPress featured in its Best of Falls Church issue this summer, is one of the best places in the region to get a guitar or guitar gear for the noodler in your life. It’s one of the coolest places to walk past in The Little City – there are guitars of all sorts and colors hanging on the wall and can be easily seen from the storefront. I’m sure there’s more than one person in The Little City who has wantingly walked past Action Music, whether they are an experienced guitar player, a novice or someone with just an interest in playing. But, because the guitars are high-end, quality instruments and priced as such (the lowest priced guitar, according to the website, is $249), this might not be the best place to get a guitar for someone who only has a passing interest in “axe wielding.” Still, there are tons of gift options for the more experienced guitar player in your life. Action Music also sells mandolins, ukuleles, lap steel guitars, amplifiers, effects and accessories. So, if you perhaps took a beginner guitar player to Guitar Center for their first guitar, getting a higher quality gift, like a strap, string set or pedal, from Action Music could signal to your burgeoning guitar wizard they are ready to step up. Finally, Action Music is a repair-oriented guitar shop, so gift givers might consider taking their beloved’s axe in for a repair as a heartfelt holiday gift. – Drew Costley Action Music 111 Park Avenue, Falls Church Hours: Tuesday: noon - 8 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday: noon - 7 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Closed Monday and Tuesday actionguitar.com

Botanologica’s Perfect Holiday Gifts & The Smells are Free Botanologica, the unique home decor and gift business run by Holly Manon and Julie Liu in a wooden residential-style

structure at 817 W. Broad, may just be the perfect destination for those seeking to buy holiday gifts for a number of family members and friends of different shapes, sizes and other factors. That’s because the space is filled with seasonal handmade wreaths and other configurations of aromaladen fir branches but there is the impressive apothecary table, where items brought in from Baltimore, Bluemont, Virginia and Beacon, New York cover a whole array of therapeutic treats to spread on a body, including a man’s soap that functions as a combination body soap, shampoo and shaving cream and in a variety of flavors (scents). In fact, it is the mashing together or combinations of alluring smells in the establishment that is one of its most alluring features. Holly and Julie said that it’s one reason customers go out of their way to visit and buy. City residents, they’ve run their business for just one year this month, first as a vendor in the Stifel and Capra gallery that closed this year, and since July at its own brickand-mortar location that it shares with a jewelry maker. One of the store’s specialties is to custom make not only holiday displays, but in the spring to fashion container garden planters. “Unique, thoughtful, inspiring and soulful” is how this local business is described by one devoted fan. “We like to think we help bring out the higher natures in people,” Liu said. – Nicholas F. Benton Botanologica 817 West Broad Street, Falls Church Hours: Thursday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Holiday Hours: Open Dec. 14 & 21: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. botanologica.com

On 5th Anniversary in F.C., Bikenetic Loves New Spot & Has Many Gifts Bikenetic, the popular Falls Church one-stop-shop for bicycle owners, turned five years old this Monday and is all settled into its new location on W. Jefferson Street. The shop is decked out with displays of a variety of accessories, plus bikes of all kinds, to offer unique and thoughtful holiday gifts. Owners Jan Feuchtner and Helen Huley, husband and wife, are excited to discover what this season will bring this year, because the popularity of biking is still taking off, especially with the City of Falls Church just getting into the

bike share business and with new, highly visible bike racks at key locations all around town. The bike share matter is serious. There is a whole network throughout the region, and into D.C. of bike share facilities that are making this form of transportation, especially as Metro flounders with endless repairs, a very viable alternative for more than just recreation. Still only a short distance from the W&OD Bike Trail (accessed on N. Maple), Bikenetics made way for the Mason Row project at N. West Street by moving successfully to a new location adjacent the well-known Jefferson Street Artists, home to the monthly First Friday in Falls Church. Affordable accessories range from lights to horns to seats to water bottles to classy helmets to fancy shirts to stylish fanny packs, and much more. – Nicholas F. Benton Bikenetic 201 West Jefferson Street, Falls Church Hours: Monday – Friday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday: 10 .m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: noon – 4 p.m. bikenetic.com

Sleds, Wagons & More, Historic Brown’s Hardware Has It All Many would insist that you simply can’t do better, if you are looking for the perfect holiday gift for a child, than an original Radio Flyer red wagon! These iconic gifts go back generations, and there was even a moive named after the brand. In Falls Church, you can get them at the historic Brown’s Hardware, the store that has everything, and the venerable Hugh Brown himself, shown in a photo here with a Radio Flyer, can sell it to you. Like the wagons, Mr. Brown himself goes back generations. He’s technically retired, but is in the store most days helping out, and especially offering good advice on anything to customers. The Radio Flyers are not cheap, he notes, and in addition to wagons, the brand produces a tricycle on sale there, too. Other popular seasonal gifts on display in this most remarkable store are snow sleds, the new lightweight Styrofoam types selling from $16 or so and up, and of course, a year around favorite, bird feeders in many sizes and configurations. But if its going to be a snowy winter, you can’t find a better selection of melt products than here, or a plunger for a stubborn drain. – Nicholas F. Benton Brown’s Hardware 100 West Broad Street, Falls Church Hours: Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Closed Sunday

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Hop Over to Doodlehopper For Unique Toys for The Little Ones

made by Powell and Fleming. Starting at $25, gift baskets range in price depending on contents. – Jody Fellows

There are several places where you can get toys for kids in Northern Virginia. There are the big box stores like Target and Best Buy, department stores like Macy’s and Sears and, of course, Toys “R” Us is the ever present major toy retailer. But there are few independent toy stores out there and even fewer independent toy stores that are the size of Doodlehopper 4 Kids. If you’re looking for something unique, or are undecided between something out-of-the-box and something more mainstream, Doodlehopper is a great place to start. Doodlehopper has some of the same inventory as the larger stores where you can buy toys, but also boasts lesser known options. For example, Doodlehopper has gift options from more common brands like Star Wars and Calico Critters. But it also has options like the HoverQuad, a remote control stunt car that hovers, Scheming and Skulking, a pirate-themed card game, and Nancy B’s Science Club Mighty Microbes Lab & Germ Journal, a great starter popular science kit for children ages 8 and up. That last item is just one out of a deep inventory of interactive educational toys and books that’s available at Doodlehopper. And Doodlehopper has several options in each age cohort in the baby to tween range for those shopping for multiple children. The store also has a great staff that will help pick out just the right gift, but that’s not the best part. Doodlehopper offers free gift wrapping, which is key during the holiday season. – Drew Costley

The Local Market 246 West Broad Street, Falls Church Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. thelocalmarket.me

Doodlehopper 4 Kids 228 West Broad Street, Falls Church Hours: Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Friday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. doodlehopper.com

Preparing to Close, L-say Designs Offers Great Deals for Art Lovers L-say Designs just celebrated its second anniversary last month but the Falls Church boutique art gallery and gift shop announced last week it will be closing its doors before the end of the year. With walls full of artist and owner Lindsay Wagner’s original canvas paintings, this is the perfect time to get highquality, local art at bargain prices. Running the gamut from bright and playful to somber and reserved, Wagner’s abstract creations max out at $150 and are now discounted 30 percent. If there’s no room on your walls, Wagner is also selling artisan candles in scents like mistletoe, snickerdoodle and more. Candles are two for $13 for small and two for $20 for large. In addition, local artists and products featured at L-say Designs include Jessica Speckhard and Second Daughter Jewelry, Terry Lederer, Joy and Ray Fogle, Squij Kat, Squidlicks Jewelry, Clover Hill Ceramics and Joey Wagner. As a bonus for those procrastinating, last-minute shoppers, Wagner will be keeping her shop open on Christmas Eve. – Jody Fellows L-say Designs 907 West Broad Street, Falls Church Hours: Closed Monday, Tuesday-Friday: 10 - 5 p.m., Weekends by appointment L-saydesigns.com

The Local Market Has Gifts for Foodies Or Just Those Who Enjoy Eating What’s better than shopping local? Shopping and eating local, of course. The Local Market covers all the bases in the Little City this season with its shelves full of local- and regionally-sourced groceries. Whether it’s gift giving or just stocking the fridge, the store from F.C. residents Patrick Fleming and Tamara Powell has plenty of holiday staples like eggnog from Trickling Springs, mincemeat pies by Arlington’s Acme Pie Co., spices for mulling and pumpkin pie from Shenandoah Spice Company and cider from McCutcheon’s. Treats from Washington, D.C.-based The Capital Candy Jar like peppermint bark and cranberry orange pistachio bark or chocolate-covered pretzel rods make for great stocking stuffers or, if you want to get fancy, liqueur-and-wineinfused jams from Lorton’s Sweet on the Bubbly and Lindera Farms’ artisan vinegars are perfect gifts for a foodie. No stocking? No problem! Custom gift baskets filled with a selection of Local Market goods are also available; shoppers can create their own or choose from baskets pre-

Satisfy the Caffeine Addicts On Your List at Rare Bird Coffee Roasters Bryan Becker and Lara Berenji’s shop on the corner of W. Broad St. and N. Maple Ave. guarantees a one-of-a-kind gift not available anywhere else outside the Little City: Falls Church roasted coffee beans. When Rare Bird Coffee Roasters opened in October, it gave the City its first-ever, very own coffee roaster and in the two months it’s been in business, the shop has been a

DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 17

smash hit. So much so, Becker and Berenji have already extended the store’s hours and it will soon be open seven days a week (Monday service begins on Jan. 9). Rare Bird makes a variety of roasts typically ranging from light to medium, with the most popular of them being its boldest flavor offering called El Chucho, or “The Mutt,” from Colombia. Coffee is available in 12 oz. bags, whole bean or ground, and costs between $14 and $17. For the out-of-towner on your list, Rare Bird also offers a subscription service delivering its roasts directly to your door every two weeks. If making decisions isn’t your thing, beginning Friday, Rare Bird gift cards will be available and good for any of the shop’s offerings, from coffee and pastries to teas and kolaches. Want a truly unique gift or just need a really big bag? Rare Bird sells the burlap sacks its coffee beans are shipped in for $4 a pop. – Jody Fellows Rare Bird Coffee Roasters 230 West Broad Street, Falls Church Hours: Closed Monday, Tuesday-Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Rarebirdcoffee.com

Make The Nerd In Your Life Merry At Victory Comics If the youth social pyramid has truly flipped upside down in the past decade, with nerds reigning supreme and jocks losing cache, then a place like Victory Comics is akin to one of the coolest nightclubs in an already hip neighborhood. Victory Comics is owned by Jeff Weaver, the man who ran Bernie Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic nomination, which is cool enough. Also, the store is one of the liveliest social spots in The Little City, with area residents of all ages meeting there for board and role-playing games throughout the week. But the store’s inventory has a broad assortment of gift options for the king or queen nerd in your life. The 3,500-square foot store is filled with preowned and new comic books and trades, as its name suggests. It’s also got tons of board games and other gear, like dice, battlemats and miniature figures, for tabletop role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. If board games or tabletop RPGs aren’t your gift recipient’s thing, there are tons of packs from trading card games like Magic the Gathering, Legends of the Five Rings and Pokemon. And Victory Comics understands that you can be a nerd AND like sports, so they have sports trading cards as well. There are also posters, action figures and statues and busts for those who may want to decorate their spaces with fandom. It may be an independent store, but Victory Comics has a space that rivals the old Wizards of the Coast stores. – Drew Costley Victory Comics 586 South Washington Street, Falls Church Hours: Monday – Friday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. victorycomics.com

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Shoppers Get Gifts, Decorations at Holiday Farmers Market by Patricia Leslie

Falls Church News-Press

It was a cold and windy day on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the first of three Falls Church Holiday Farmers Market, but the weather didn’t stop customers from buying cold gazpacho soup at Chris’ Market. “I sell it now [but] my customers demand it year round,” says Chris Hoge, the chef. “It can be heated up.” Little City shoppers can soak up the cheer, sample local and regional eats, smell the potpourri and the wreaths and enjoy the smiles at City’s Holiday Farmers Market. For those who missed the merriness on December 3, the seasonal market is open December 10 and 17. In addition to the usual wares available at the market, there are crafts, gifts, trees, wreaths and other festive items. Howard Herman is the founding father of the Falls Church market, and he’s still minding the store and the information table where he’s been stationed for all 33 years of its existence. New at the holiday market this season, Herman says, is the sheep

shop run by Gretchen Frederick and Sue Bundy, partners in Solitude Wool in Round Hill in Loudoun County which sells yarn, sweaters, baby blankets, rugs, scarves and other goods from sheep they and others breed in Virginia. Herman’s favorite food at the market this time of year is apples, and over at Black Rock Orchard nearby, Emily Zaas had 17 varieties for sale. “Hmmm,” she says, when considering which apple is her top seller, and she consulted an employee who agreed with the boss lady on Stayman Winesap, Gold Rush and Pink Lady. “This is the best farmer’s market there is,” Zaas says in-between helping a line of customers. “It’s the farthest for me to travel [from the Maryland Pennsylvania border], but it’s the nicest with a friendly market, a lot of families. They’re conscientious about using their own bags. It’s a very loyal market.” She was headed to Dupont Circle’s market on Sunday, “a hectic place where people shop once.” But there is an intimacy to the Falls Church Holiday Farmers Market. At the lettuce lady’s stand, love

was in the air. “I love her,” says Cristin Reed, a regular customer, about the lettuce lady. “[And] I love her,’” says the lettuce lady about Reed, who shopped with her children, Lucy, 10, and Cleo, 7. The Reed family lives down the street from the Farmers Market. The lettuce lady is Mary Ellen Taylor of Purcellville, dressed sort of like a leprechaun in green hat and coat. The Reeds have been shopping at Taylor’s since the Reed children were babies. “This is our ‘happy place’ to be,” Reed says. “It’s a lot of fun here. People know my children by name. The foods here help my children learn about seasonability.” Down at the other end of the market was Rhonda Stevenson from Toms Brook in Shenandoah County, Virginia, who was assembling and tying big red and green ribbons for the boxwood and fir wreaths she sells, but she was able to easily talk, cut, design, create and attach without looking up. A customer stood and patiently waited while Stevenson made and then tied a large cloth ribbon to a wreath. They sell between $25 and

RHONDA STEVENSON assembles a wreath at the City of Falls Church’s Holiday Farmers Market, which opened on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Holiday Farmers Market’s remaining dates are December 10 and 17. (Photo: Patricia Leslie/News-Press) $55, depending upon the size. Stevenson had some advice for rosemary tree buyers: Don’t buy them at chain stores since shippers fail to adequately water them and they meet quick deaths. She knows. After she heard several complaints, she tested two of them herself which quickly became brown brushes, but she’s selling them now and makes the extra

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effort to water them sufficiently. At the information table, passers-by waved at Herman who called them and greeted them by name, and gave them blue grocery sacks, courtesy of Inova. “You can get it all here,” he says. “Fresh food, locally grown and we’re helping local producers from Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia stay in business.”

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 19

Beyer Challenges Dems to Revive & Reboot Activism Continued from Page 1

“There are a lot of them who feel they no longer have a home. We should bring as many with us as possible.” Another focus needs to be on the young, he said. “If the votes were only of Millennials and other young voters, it would have been a total blow out.” He noted that while rural America voted 3-1 for Trump, “We really are the party for those without economic power.” In addition to a Million Woman March being organized for D.C. on Dec. 21, he cited an event being organized for Wakefield High School in Arlington on the night of Martin Luther King Day, and also as important the elections next year, including for governor of Virginia. He said GOP lawmakers will be “playing with fire” if they move to repeal Obama Care, with 22 million Americans now covered by it and as a result the lowest percentage of unpaid medical bills in history in the past year. “In history, it has always been difficult to give people freedom

and then try to take it away from them.” The event was a monthly Saturday morning gathering at the Bus Boys and Poets in Shirlington. Next week, Rep. Beyer will appear at a roundtable hosted by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce on Monday afternoon along with fellow regional Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Barbara Comstock. Yesterday Beyer introduced the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2016 to begin reversing the tide of habitat loss and fragmentation for U.S. fish, wildlife, and plant species. Wildlife corridors are stretches of habitat that allow species to move from one area of habitat to another for such purposes as accessing resources, establishing new territories, shifting ranges, promoting gene flow, and adapting to the impacts of a changing climate. Corridors have been successfully implemented around the world and throughout the U.S., yet current law provides limited requirements for land and water managers to address species’ con-

U.S. REP. DON BEYER spoke to a standing room only crowd about the aftermath of last month’s presidential election in Shirlington Saturday morning. (Photo: News-Press) nectivity needs. “With roughly one in five animal and plant species in the U.S. at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and fragmentation, one of the simplest yet most effective things we can do is to provide them ample opportunity to move across lands and waters,” said Beyer in

a statement that accompanied the announcement. The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act establishes a National Wildlife Corridors System to ensure that species are able to move between habitats less encumbered by obstacles. The bill directs key Federal

land and water management agencies to work with each other, as well as with States, tribes, local governments, and private landowners, to develop and manage national wildlife corridors in accordance with existing laws and the habitat connectivity needs of native species.

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MASON JUNIOR GUARD NICOLE BLOOMGARDEN charges up the court during the Mustangs’ win over Strasburg High School. Bloomgarden set the tone early by stealing the ball from the Rams after they won the opening tip, which led to the Mustangs’ �irst points of the game. (P��: C�� S��)

Mason Girls Basketball Beats District Rival Strasburg High

BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

A stout and opportunistic defense helped George Mason’s varsity girls basketball team earn their much-needed second win of the season in a 40-32 victory over Strasburg High School. It was the Mustangs’ closest contest of the young season, but it should’ve been put out of reach much earlier. Mason held a 32-20 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter after sophomore guard Maddie LaCriox found junior guard Victoria Rund for an open three-pointer. However, the Mustangs took their foot off the gas and allowed Strasburg to go on a 10-0 run, bringing the visitors within two points with a minute and a half remaining in the game. Strong showings at the free throw line helped Mason put the

game on ice on a night where they were 3 for 11 prior to sinking their last six, but it still wasn’t the team’s best showing. “We were just slow-poking it,” head coach Michael Gilroy said. “We rise to the challenge of whoever we’re playing, and I think we walked in feeling cocky even though we’re 1-2.” Defense set the tone early when Mason scored a quick two after junior guard Nicole Bloomgarden stole the opening tip from a Strasburg player and sophomore forward Raquel Dodd blocked an opposing player’s lay-up, leading to another easy bucket. That defensive effort kept Strasburg at bay and almost held the Rams scoreless throughout the entire second quarter until two late shots brought the halftime tally to 19-13. The Mustangs continued their strong play during the third quarter as the defense put the clamps

on Strasburg and forced turnovers, making for more open lanes to the hoop. Though even with Mason’s defense in top form, the offense looked out of sorts and gave Strasburg little trouble. “We’re offensively challenged, no doubt about it,” Gilroy continued. “We can draw every set in the world, but at the end of the day we need some players who can put the ball in the hoop.” Last Friday Mason held their home opener against Alexandria private school Bishop Ireton and fell 50-32 to the Cardinals. A slight 19-17 halftime lead in favor of the Mustangs evaporated in the second half when Ireton exploded for 11 and 23 in the third and fourth quarter, respectively, to Mason’s seven and six points in those same periods. Mason plays their next game at home on Thursday against 5A opponent Mount Vernon High School before taking a week-long break.

Mustang Boys Hoops Go 2-0

BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Keeping up their winning ways were George Mason’s varsity boys basketball team, who got a gutty 69-61 victory on the road against Strasburg High School

and are now 2-0 on the season. The game itself was a seesaw battle between two evenly matched teams. Strasburg controlled the tempo early and was streaking from the field as they drained 10 of 11 to start the contest, giving them a 24-18 lead by

the end of the first quarter. Yet the Mustangs weren’t deterred by Strasburg’s impressive opening run and doubled their efforts in the second, which paid off as they put up 15 points to the Rams’

Continued on Page 30

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2016 | PAGE 21

S�� N�� N��

STUDENTS AT MARY ELLEN HENDERSON Middle School prepare packages as part of the school’s GIVE Day, which was held last week at the school. The gift baskets contained, among other things, school supplies, household items and toiletries. (P��: C�� FCCPS P��/M�� C��)

py sachets to give to the residents of Vinson Hall Retirement Community, which is located just up the street from the school. The students at Brooksfield School have an organic garden with a variety of plants, herbs and vegetables. Students pulled the seeds of lavender off the stem, and poured two spoonfuls into each sachet. Students, teachers, and parents then walked to Vinson Hall and hand delivered the sachets to the residents. GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR Carter Fendley performs a poem during the school’s Poetry Out Loud competition. He won the school competition. (P��: C�� S��)

Mason Concert Choir Plays With Washington Sinfonietta

Carter Fendley Wins Poetry Out Loud Competition

George Mason High School’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers will be featured ensembles during the Washington Sinfonietta’s Annual Holiday Spectacular on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. at the Falls Church Episcopal, located at 115 E. Fairfax Street. The Washington Sinfonietta will be perform under the baton of Joel Lazar and Mason’s choir and chamber singers will perform under the direction of Mandy Hull at the concert. Accompanist Jenny Kong will also be featured at the concert of seasonal favorites. The concert will be followed by a reception. Tickets for the show are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors in person.

Carter Fendley, a senior at George Mason High School, was named the winner of Mason’s Poetry Out Loud competition on Friday, Dec. 2. Fendley beat out seven other performers to win the competition and will move on to the regional Poetry Out Loud competition. Each performer, two of each grade, recited two poems apiece from memory and were judged on six criteria including accuracy, physical presence and articulation. Mason sophomore Grace Keenan was the runner up of the competition.

Before the show, in between rounds and after the show the George Mason High School Jazz Ensemble performed for the audience. For more information, visit poetryoutloud.org.

cafe, while those who were feeling creative made holiday cards and snowflake decorations for the baskets. The festive donations will go to families served by Britepaths and Homestretch.

Mary Ellen Henderson MS Holds Inaugural GIVE Day

Brooksfield Students Create Lavender Sachets for Vets

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School held its inaugural GIVE Day last week in which all of the students at the school joined together to create gift baskets of items that were donated throughout the week, including school supplies, household items and toiletries. Assembly lines of students worked together in the gym and

Students from the Montessori school Brooksfield Academy in McLean wanted to share their crop and love of gardening with a group of elderly veterans of the U.S. military in honor of Giving Tuesday, which was held on Tuesday, Nov. 29. In order to do that, students created 70 lavender aromathera-

Online ticket prices are $15 plus a processing fee for adults and $10 plus a processing fee for students and seniors. The concert is free for those who are 18 years and younger. For more information, visit washington-sinfonietta.org.

Mason’s Grace Keenan Wins National Speech Award Grace Keenan, a sophomore at George Mason High School and runner up in the school’s Poetry Out Loud competition, won first place at the national Patriot Games speech and debate tournament that was held at George Mason University on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. Keenan won the Declamation Award and defeated 117 competitors in that category. She delivered a 10-minute version of the late writer Nora Ephron’s 1996 commencement address to Wellesley College. This is the first time that the fledgling Mason speech and debate team has placed first at a national tournament. The team has grown quickly in the last couple of years and now has more than 30 members who compete in a variety of events. Pam Wilkie, a retired Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School teacher, is the volunteer coach.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 23

Dama Pastry & Cafe: An Oasis on the Edge of Arlington BY DREW COSTLEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Dama Pastry & Cafe is in one of the most unassuming parts of Arlington County. There are a few streets of residential housing and a Sheraton hotel in the area, sure, but besides that it’s pretty bare.

Dama Pastry & Cafe

1505 Columbia Pike Arlington 703-920-5620 Hours: Monday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. The Ethiopian restaurant is somewhat on the edge of Arlington in the county’s Columbia Heights, where the Navy Annex sat until 2013, when it was demolished to make space for Arlington Cemetery. But since then, there have only been two large empty fields that have taken its place. Talk about desolate. Dama Pastry & Cafe is anything but that, though. The eatery is connected to an Ethiopian run shop that’s always busy and is across the street from a bakery called Dama Bread that’s part of the same company. The first thing that greets

diners when they walk into the dining room of the complex is the more-than-appetizing scent of Ethiopian cuisine. It fills the room to the point that your smell is the first sense engaged – even before greeting the hostesses. Since the restaurant is open from morning to night, there is a breakfast menu along with its bounty of options. There are enough items on the menu at Dama that everyone can find something delicious to eat, but not so many that it would overwhelm most diners. This restaurant is only about a five minute drive away from Enjera, another Ethiopian restaurant that I have written about in this space, which is located in Crystal City. The menu is more expansive than Injera’s, but then again Dama has been around for a lot longer than its fellow Ethiopian restaurant. In addition to its breakfast menu, Dama Pastry & Cafe has a menu that includes vegan and non-vegan versions of traditional Ethiopian dishes, but also has a sandwich and pasta menu for those who are afraid to try something new. The sandwich menu has traditional American eats like Steak and Cheese ($10.99), Grilled Chicken

($11.99) and Fish ($12.99). The pasta menu is simple and features the basics of Italian cuisine – pasta (of course), marinara and meat sauce. There are 17 non-vegan dishes on the entree menu at Dama. Like Enjera, Dama has multiple vegan dishes, but it has more cruelty-free options than Injera. The food at Dama tastes as fantastic as it smells. The restaurant takes to-go orders, and until recently I had only tasted the Vegan Steak and Cheese sandwich at the restaurant. That dish was delicious, but the restaurant’s vegan versions of traditional Ethiopian dishes are on another level. I had the Vegan Kitfo ($13.95) the most recent time that I went and it was beyond anything I had at Injera, or any other Ethiopian restaurant for that matter. The dish consists of finely chopped homemade vegan beef cooked in spices and served with homemade vegan soy cheese and collard greens. If I hadn’t gotten full on injera, the Ethiopian bread with a spongey consistency, I would have finished my plate with ease. I was split between what I had and the Vegan Doro Watt ($13.95), mostly because the dish features vegan egg and that’s hard to come by. That dish is a home-

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THE VEGAN KITFO at Dama Pastry & Cafe is wonderful. And it comes with vegan cheese! (P��: D�� C��/N��-P��) made vegan chicken stew simmered with spices and hot chili sauce vegan egg. That’ll probably be what I have the next time I got to Dama Pastry & Cafe and there definitely will be a next time. Dama Pastry & Cafe earns the pastry in its name for both vegan and non-vegan desserts. The dessert menu includes 12 options, four of which can come crueltyfree. Again, I was too full for dessert, but the Dama’s desserts get great reviews on Yelp. This is true for its vegan desserts as

well, which is saying a lot because those can be hit or miss. This restaurant has a truly laid back atmosphere, an attentive wait staff that plays like a team and those smells from the kitchen, which are alone enough to make me want to go back soon. Dama is located in a neighborhood that is likely to gentrify even more so than it has in the past five years, but hopefully it sticks around despite the change. It’s one of Arlington’s best restaurants and perhaps one of its best kept secrets.

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PAGE 24 | DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2016

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The Neighborhood Barbershop has opened at 417 W. Broad Street in the space formerly occupied by Quick Copy (which moved to the side of the building.) The new Falls Church business is a retro decorated full-service traditional barbershop offering haircuts, beard trims, neck trims, shaves, and more. It is independently owned and operated and it has already made itself a part of the Falls Church community as it provided City of Falls Church police officers participating in No-Shave November to grow cancer awareness with shaves. For more information, visit www.theneighborhoodbarber- City of Falls Church police at the just-opened Neighborhood Barbershop. (Courtesy photo) shop.com.

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The Local Market is now offering a free delivery service to the local business community. Produce, baked goods, and everything available in the locally owned and operated business can be delivered on a daily, weekly, monthly basis to help businesses provide employees with healthy snacks and drinks. The service is available free to businesses with a minimum $50 order for delivery within approximately one mile of the store located at 246 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit www.thelocalmarket.me. To discuss the delivery service, call Patrick Fleming or Tamara Powell at (703) 536-6123.

Body Dynamics Hosts Health Talk Today Body Dynamics Inc. is hosting “Looking Under the Hood,” a health talk with Dr. Sam Pappas, on Thursday, December 8 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Dr. Pappas will discuss an essential tool used to assess one’s level of health and function and help attendees gain a better understanding of the most important labs and how to order them. Body Dynamics is located at 410 S. Maple Avenue. For more information, visit bodydynamicsinc.com.

Monthly Winter Concert Series Set for Art & Frame of Falls Church Monroe Bay Vineyard has partnered with Stone Room Concerts to provide a monthly concert series this winter at Art and Frame of Falls Church. Performances include Luke Brindley on December 10, Naked Blue on January 21, Ted Garber on February 4, and Michael Clem on March 4. Beverages will be available. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m. Art and Frame of Falls Church is located at 205 W. Jefferson Street in Falls Church. For tickets or more information about the performers visit hmonroebaywine.weebly.com/concerts.

Economy Party Supplies, L-say Designs Liquidating Inventory Two Falls Church retailers, Economy Party Supplies and Costumes and L-say Designs, are going out of business and selling everything in store, including display fixtures and retail supplies. Both plan to close on or before December 24. Economy Party, which carries costumes and party supplies, is located at 1049 W. Broad Street. L-say Design, which offers original art and locally made home and fashion accessories, is located at 907 W. Broad Street.

F.C. Nonprofit Launches New Web Series NOVA ScriptsCentral, a 2016 top-rated nonprofit by GreatNonprofits, has launched “Empower Good Health,” a new web series for YouTube, which takes patients on a journey from the initial diagnosis of an illness, through the path of treatment. The first episode in the series focuses on schizophrenia. Falls Church-based Nova ScriptsCentral provides pharmaceutical care and medication access to the low-income uninsured children and adults of Northern Virginia. For more information, visit: novascriptscentral.org.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2016 | PAGE 25

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703-549-7500 • birchmere.com

Mond

BY DREW COSTLEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Fifty-eight-year-old folk musician John Gorka offered music fans a chance to step inside a time machine with his latest release, Before Beginning: The Unreleased I Know - Nashville, 1985. The album, which was released in July 2016 with Red House Records, consists of recordings from when Gorka was 25 years old. Prior to this summer, the material wasn’t available to the public, but it had a journey of its own. “Well, the tapes kind of traveled around from Nashville to Pennsylvania to New York City, where I was living at the time, and then I took them back to Pennsylvania,” said Gorka, who spoke to the News-Press from his home in Minnesota. “Eventually, when I moved from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, I sent them to my manager’s house in Michigan and a few years ago he brought them out here to Minnesota. And they were in the garage for while and I said ‘Maybe I should see JOHN GORKA. (P��: J�� T��/M�� P��) if these things will still play.’” There’s a theory from the radio host and verse. Of what could’ve been.” He took the tapes to Rob Genadek at The Gorka, who is working on new material (he Brewhouse Recording Studio in Minnesota, producer Ira Glass that artists go into their chowho “baked” the tapes with a hair dryer so sen fields because they have good taste and the said his favorite place to be is in the middle of that the magnetic particles would not flake off. things that they like eventually inspire them to a song), received a warm reception from his Then they transferred what was on the tapes to try to make something of their own. But then the fans, many of whom have been on board since artist is faced with the dilemma that what they are I Know. “It’s gotten a good reception,” Gorka a digital format. “Then, when we listened to them, we thought making doesn’t match the ideal or standard of the said. “I think in the end I probably made the best decision back then, but I thought that there ‘Hey, this sounds pretty good.’ And so we made art that inspired them to create in the first place. “I think back when I was trying to make my was enough good back then that people who a new mix of it...I thought the tracks had a lot of life to them and it might be interesting for first record, I thought it was good at the time, liked I Know would like this as well.” Gorka said that he doesn’t know how much people to give it a listen,” Gorka said. “I’m but I wasn’t sure if it was the right kind of never going to sound like that again and there good,” Gorka said. “So I was just kind of find- of Before Beginning: The Unreleased I Know was a lot of nice playing on the record. So it ing my way in music and the recording world - Nashville, 1985 he’ll play at his show on was almost like mixing somebody else’s record. and all that, so it got set aside and I knew I had Saturday, Dec. 10 at The Birchmere. He is co“It almost didn’t seem like me. It had been so the tapes, but I didn’t know that they’d ever billing with Cheryl Wheeler, so the show will be more a jam than a set, but he expects to play long since I had listened to the original mixes.” come out as a record. “But in the end I thought it was worth a lis- at least some of the songs. The songs on Gorka’s latest release, which were versions of songs that he would eventually record ten and I think there’s a lot of life on the tracks. • For more information about John Gorka, for his debut album I Know, got shelved because And it’s different enough from what came out on I Know that it’s kind of an alternate uni- visit johngorka.com. they didn’t live up what he wanted to hear.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy The Birchmere

These singles whet the appetites of the FCNP editorial team this week:

7:30 p.m.

 Nicholas Benton – The Messiah by Handel 

3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria

703-549-7500 • birchmere.com



Jody Fellows – Lovely Day by Bill Withers

Drew Costley – Gettin’ It Together by Tommy Guerrero featuring Lyrics Born

CA L E NDA R

PAGE 26 | DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2016

Community Events

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Winter Band Concert. The George Mason High School music students, including the percussion ensemble and jazz ensemble, will perform their winter concert. IB music students will perform original composi�ons. George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m. fccps.org/gm.

FRIDAY, DECEMEBER 9

Living Na�vity at Dulin Church. There will be a live animal show, pe�ng zoo and refreshments at the Dulin Church’s Living Na�vity. Dulin Church (513 E. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m. dulinchurch.org.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

Holiday Farmers Market. The award-winning Farmers Market expands to include cra�s and gi�s, trees, wreaths, and so much more. City Hall Parking Lot (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). Free. 8 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5077. Breakfast with Santa. The James Lee Community Center Advisory Council and the King Tyre Lodge are sponsoring this event, which will feature breakfast and a visit from Santa Claus. James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church). Free. 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 703-534-3387.

Gingerbread Houses @ The Library. Children in grades 1 – 5 can construct and decorate their own graham cracker gingerbread houses. There will be two sessions – one at 10 a.m. and one at 11 a.m. Registra�on is required and space is limited to 15 par�cipants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10 a.m. – noon. fallschurchva.gov/Library. NSDAR Mee�ng. The Falls Church chapter of the Na�onal Society Daughters of the American Revolu�on will hold a mee�ng. The topic will be “Falls Church Chapter – 106 Years of History, Preserva�on, Educa�on and Patrio�sm.” Call 703-319-7755 for more informa�on. Free. 10:30 a.m. fallschurchdar.org. 2nd Saturday. There will be live music, food from local restaurants and over 20 ar�sts at this event organized by Art and Frame of Falls Church and the Jefferson Street Ar�sts. Art and Frame of Falls Church (205 W. Jefferson St., Falls Church). Free. Noon – 4 p.m. artandframeoffallschurch.com. Holiday Tea. Enjoy mid-19th century period décor, sandwiches, assorted sweets, warm scones and a bo�omless cup of tea. Registra�on required. Cherry Hill Farmhouse

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.

(312 Park Ave., Falls Church). $30. 2 p.m. 703-248-5171.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

Holiday Tea. Enjoy mid-19th century period décor, sandwiches, assorted sweets, warm scones and a bo�omless cup of tea. Registra�on required. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). $30. 2 p.m. 703-248-5171. Annual Holiday Spectacular. The Washington Sinfonie�a presents its annual holiday concert with George Mason High School’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers and accompanist Jenny Kong. The Falls Church Episcopal (115 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church). Children 18 years and younger are admi�ed for free; $15 – $20 for everyone else. 4 p.m. washington-sinfonie�a.org. A Christmas Celebra�on. The Sanctuary Choir of Dulin Church and other ensembles will present a performance featuring Christmas carols and other seasonal music. Dulin Church (513 E. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 4 p.m. dulinchurch.org.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12

Preschool Story�me. Stories and fun for ages 2 – 5. Drop-in. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 a.m. 703-248-5034.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13 Preschool Story�me. Songs, movement, and stories for ages 18-36 months. Drop-in at the Youth Services Room. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. 703-2485034. Play�me with the Early Literary Center. Explore educa�onal and manipula�ve items to teach early literacy through play. Ages birth to 5 years, no registra�on required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 11 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14

Early Release Wednesdays: Legos in the Library. Children in grades K – 5 can play with Legos. Space is limited to 15 par�cipants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 3 p.m. 703-248-5034. Bingo at the Library. Play Bingo at the Library. Rising grades K-5th. Registra�on opens two weeks before each date. Register with the Youth Services desk by phone or in person. Mary Riley Styles Public Library Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 7 – 8 p.m. 703-2485034.

Theater Fine Arts THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

“A Christmas Carol Memory.” A young orphan girl being raised by a warm but eccentric aunt is spending a tender �irst Christmas without her parents. While searching the attic for ornaments to decorate her aunt’s tree, she discovers a theatrical trunk once used by her puppeteer grandfather. When the extended family gathers on Christmas Eve, the contents in the trunk reawaken memories and spur the renewal of a long forgotten family tradition. Through Dec. 20. ArtSpace Falls Church (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church). $15 – $60. 7:30 p.m. creativecauldron. org.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” The is the opening night of this production. Based on the �irst

book in Barbara Robinson’s acclaimed Herdmans series, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” introduces us to the six “worst kids in the world.” They lie, steal and cheat. Now they have taken over the churches’ annual Christmas pageant! The entire town has gathered in anticipation, waiting to see the Herdmans ruin Christmas – or will they? This production will bene�it the work of The Young Hearts, a group of amazing teens who raise funds to battle blood cancers and other diseases. Through Dec. 18. James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church). $17. 7:30 p.m. providenceplayers.org.

“The Second City’s Black Side of the Moon.” An all-African American cast of The Second City’s smartest and most audacious sketch and stand-up artists breaks down and deconstructs the present American moment through comedy. They’re exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. So

if you suddenly feel like you’re living on an entirely different planet, migrate to the Black Side of the Moon. Through Jan. 1. Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (641 D St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 – $79. 8 p.m. woollymammoth.net.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

“Silver Belles.” When Oralene, the longtime director of small town Sylva Ridge’s Christmas Pageant, suddenly passes away, the Silver Belles must come to the rescue! With the spirit of Oralene looking on, the sterling-hued 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. Through Dec. 24. 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 8 T�� R��: S�� S��/R��/ A��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30. 6 p.m. 703-2551566. O�� M�� T�� M�� R�� C�� S�� E�� L�� F��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10 (Backstage). 7:30 p.m. 202-6677960. T�� D�� B�� H�� S��. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $29.50. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500. J�� W�� J�� F�� C�� P��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 8 p.m. 202265-0930. M�� J��’� T�� H�� P��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $27.50 – $32.50. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9

C�� N��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $25 – $28. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. B�� K�� T�� M�� F�� C�� C��. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $29.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. S�� A�� F��: T�� A�� N��-D�� H�� S��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15 (Mainstage). 8 p.m. 202-667-7960. T�� T�� N�� M��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington,

D.C.). $22. 8 p.m. 202-265-0930. M�� J��’� T�� H�� P��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $27.50 – $32.50. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141. F�� S�� T�� P�� P��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10 in advance; $12 day of the show (Backstage). 9 p.m. 202-667-7960. H�� G��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 9:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

T�� 3�� A�� “R��’ R�� H�� B�� C��” �� M�� M�� K�� M��, T�� T�� R�� V�� G��. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $30 in advance; $35 day of the show. 6 p.m. 703-237-0300. A�� O’D��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). Free. 6:30 p.m. 703-532-9283. O.A.R. � T�� S�� J��: 20 � 20 – C�� 20 Y�� B�� H�� W��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $45 – $600. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930. C�� W�� J�� G��. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500. R�� H�� H�� U�� H��, N�� P�� L�� T��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25 (Mainstage). 8 p.m. 202-667-7960.

T�� W��: 60� G�� S�� DJ M�� Z��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $5 (Backstage). 9:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. T�� L�� L�� S��: M�� S�� C�� S�� L�� C��, S�� A��, B�� D��, TJ F��, I�� S��, M�� B�� R�� M��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $8 in advance; $10 day of the show. 10 p.m. 703-255-1566. M�� J��’� T�� H�� P��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $27.50 – $32.50. 10 p.m. 202-337-4141.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

T�� H�� K�� V�� G�� R��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $25 – $35. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. S�� J�� J�� B��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $30. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930. D�� D�� (D�� M�C�� D�� G��). The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $55. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12

T�� R�� H�� T��: S�� W��, S�� F�� C�� A��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. B�� B�� V�� D�� W�� S��’ H�� P��. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $49.50. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500.

DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2016 | PAGE 27

T�� R��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $27.50. 8 p.m. 202-337-4141.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

G�� P�� R�� C�� L�� T��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $20. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. T�� O� H�� C�� E��. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 7 p.m. 202265-0930. T�� O�� A P�� L�� D�� A�� J�� H��, D�� F��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15 (Backstage). 7:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. E�� F�� J�� O��’� N��. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.) $30. 10 p.m. 202-337-4141.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14

K�� H��. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. T�� W��. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $35. 7 p.m. 703-237-0300. Y�� W��’� �� T�� S�� J��. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $12 (Backstage). 7:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. B��, S�� T�� B� B�� C�� P��. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $49.50. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500.

P�� A��... Thursday, December 15 – FCNP Holiday Party. The Falls Church News-Press will have its annual holiday party featuring eats from Ledo’s Pizza, so� and hard

drinks and music from George Mason High School band students. Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (222 N. Washington St., Falls Church). Free. 5:30 – 8 p.m. fcnp.com.

Friday, December 16 – CLOSED: Mary Riley Styles Public Library. The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed from noon – 2 p.m. whille the library’s staﬀ

a�ends the City of Falls Church’s Employee Winter/Holiday Luncheon. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Noon – 2 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. Broad and Washington Streets, Falls Church. Free. 7 p.m. – 12 a.m. watchnigh�allschurch.com.

C�� S�� Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.

Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Fax: 703-342-0347; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

PAGE 28 | DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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elp Wanted MAINTENANCE WORKER (PART-TIME) The City of Falls Church, VA is recruiting for a Maintenance Worker in the Recreation and Parks Division. This is part-time temporary position. This maintenance position is responsible for assisting the City’s Farmer’s Market. The incumbent will be responsible for building set-ups and general facilities duties within the City of Falls Church Recreation Division. RESPONSIBILITIES: Experience in maintenance work preferred, especially in the areas outlined above. Able to work outdoors for extended periods under all weather conditions, to include extremely hot summer weather. Satisfactory pre-employment physical, drug screen, and background check. HOURS: Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (approximately) and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. (this is an all year around position) SALARY: 14.53 an hour- There are no beneﬁts with this position. TO APPLY: You may apply online at www. fallschurchva.gov or via email to hr@ fallschurchva.gov . You may also submit your completed application to the City of Falls Church, HR Division, 300 Park Avenue, Suite 102W, Falls Church, VA 22046. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: During the selection process, applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation with the agreement of the Human Resources Division. Requests should be directed to the Human Resources Division. The City of Falls Church does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability.

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Public Notice PUBLIC NOTICE PLANNING COMMISSION FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The City of Falls Church Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, December 19, 2016 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, to consider the proposed subdivision to allow adjustment of lot lines at 309, 6910, and 6912 Sycamore Street. 309 Sycamore Street is primarily in the City of Falls Church and is zoned R-1B, Medium Density Residential, with a total land area of 11,212 square feet. 6910 Sycamore Street

is primarily in Fairfax County and is zoned R-4, with a total land area of 5,980 square feet. 6912 Sycamore Street is primarily in Fairfax County and is zoned R-4 with total a land area of 6,728 square feet. All three lots straddle the Fairfax County and City of Falls Church boundary line. The purpose of the subdivision is to adjust the lot lines between the subject lots, which would change the existing land area of each lot. The application materials can be viewed at the Development Services Counter located at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Room 300W, Falls Church, VA, Monday through Friday (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). You may contact the Planning Division at 703-248-5040 with any questions or concerns. This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

PUBLIC NOTICE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on December 15, 2016 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following items: Old Business Variance application V1584-16 by Jason A. Brown, owner and applicant, for a variance to Section 48-238(3)(a) to allow (1) a front yard setback of 17.83 feet instead of 30 feet along the Jackson Street frontage; and (2) a side yard setback of eight (8) feet instead of 15 feet along the western property line for the purpose of constructing a new single-family house on premises known as 1268 South Washington Street, RPC #52-501-001 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A Low Density Residential. New Business Variance application V1587-16 by Erica Kraus, applicant, for a variance to Section 48-238(3)(a) to allow (1) a front yard setback of 25 feet instead of 30 feet along the South Spring frontage (2) a side yard setback of 9.5 feet instead of 13.5 feet along the western property line for the purpose of constructing a second story addition on premises know as 525 South Spring Street, RPC #52-602-017 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential.

Information on the above applications is available for review at: Zoning Oﬃce 300 Park Avenue, Suite 300W Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

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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.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

14 17

25 28

30 34

48 52

20 22

50 55

Across

1. Ratchet (up)

1. Ratchet (up) 5. Freshly 9. “Tengo mucho ____” (“I am very hot,” in Spanish) 14. Sharif of “Doctor Zhivago” 15. Not mad 16. Coeur d’____, Idaho 17. California city whose name describes its location 19. 1958 Best Actor David 20. Holiday-time song 21. “As you wish” 22. “Put your rear down!” 25. Bedspread fabric that’s French for “caterpillar” 27. Fleischer and Onassis 28. “The Hobbit: The Desolation of ____” (2013 film) 30. 35mm camera option 31. Takes a breather 33. Photos within a photo, perhaps 36. What a baker might flip over 38. Auditions 42. ____ High (“Grease” school) 44. Glowing coal 45. “See ya!” 48. Diminutive endings 50. Banjoist Fleck 51. Like an eagle, e.g. 54. “The Maltese Falcon” actor Peter and others 56. Be positive 57. Richard of “Pretty Woman” 58. PBS anchor Gwen whose last name makes her sound like a good crossword solver 59. Office hangout for employees

DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 29

DOWN

1. Kanga’s kid in “Winnie-thePooh” 2. “Better Call Saul” airer 3. West of Hollywood 4. What Ashton Kutcher was on “Punk’d” 5. Bank statement data 6. Execute perfectly 7. Butt 8. Like early morning hours 9. Hewlett-Packard competitor 10. What a murder suspect needs 11. Razes 12. “The Iceman Cometh” playwright 13. Person who’s not buying it? 18. “____ insist!” 21. Bob with the Silver Bullet Band 22. Where les enfants might play 23. Flooring calculation 24. Calculated thing 25. Has the ability to 26. 1970s dance craze 29. Norman of the Clinton and Bush cabinets 32. Austin Powers, e.g. 34. Mooring rope

CHUCKLE BROS BRIAN & RON BOYCHUK

5. Freshly

35. Hat dance hats 37. More than capable 39. “Evolving the way the world moves” sloganeer 40. Prefix with vision or market 41. Some doñas: Abbr. 43. Abbr. on a copier tray 45. “The Thrill Is Gone” bluesman 46. Crave 47. Title six-year-old of literature 49. Dirty rat 52. Small hooter 53. “One should always be in love, that is why one should never marry” writer 55. TV planet that becomes one of its natives when an “M” is added to its front 57. MTV’s early fan base 59. Pal 4 life 60. Versailles resident 61. Have bills 62. Tin Man’s need 63. Brooks of “Spaceballs”

... or this puzzle’s theme 64. Searched (around) 65. Leather-jacketed “Happy Days” guy 66. Scraped knee, to a tot 67. Nine-time New York City Marathon winner ____ Waitz 68. Prix ____ (restaurant offering) 69. Hawk

9. "Tengo mucho ____" ("I am very hot," in Spanish)

Last Thursday’s Solution M E G O U S A U S A A C S

Sudoku Level:

S M E W

D O T E

O J I B W S G A L O S I N D E E X S S T E D U T O M O N A R A

S I N A C I I T H U S T H T A W O N A B S

F O R K

E D I T

S O S A

H O S E R

A C T I V

T H E R E

T R E E

M E G A

E A S T

T R E X E V S E E R E L Y D E A S S C O T

R E D S O X

O M E R I K O Z E

U T M O A S I T R W I A M V A E X

C R A N I A

H A T E R S

T E L A

H O S S

By The Mepham Group 4

14. Sharif of "Doctor Zhivago" 15. Not mad 16. Coeur d'____, Idaho 17. California city whose name describes its location 19. 1958 Best Actor David 20. Holiday-time song 21. "As you wish" 1

22. "Put your rear down!" 25. Bedspread fabric that's French for "caterpillar" 27. Fleischer and Onassis 28. "The Hobbit: The Desolation of ____" (2013 film)

LOOSE PARTS

DAVE BLAZEK

30. 35mm camera option Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

NICK KNACK

12/11/16

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.

LO CA L

PAGE 30 | DECEMBER 8 - 14, 2016

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

C�� C��

BACK IN THE DAY

laz y The dog. c k q u i fox sly p e d jum e r o v lazy the g . d o is Now time the all for o d g o to cows

20 s Yearo Ag

e c o mthe to of aid i r t h e re. pastu w N o the is e t i m all for o d g o to cows e c o mthe to

It is no the timw e for g o all o cows d to go to the aid of the pa stu ir re. *** **

20 � 10 Y�� A�� N��-P��

Falls Church News-Press Vol. VI, No. 39 • December 12, 1996

Proctor House Move Will Close Broad St. Saturday Morning Weather permitting, at 6 a.m. this Saturday morning (Dec. 14) East Broad Street (Route 7) in Falls Church between Washington St. (Route 29) and Cherry Street will be closed for up to three hours to permit the momentous move of the old Proctor House onto former Don Frady park land.

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVI, No. 40 • December 7, 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

Developer Plans ‘By Right’ Construction of 2 Office Buildings, Hotel on W. Broad More construction cranes will be rising above the construction frenzied West Broad Street in the City of Falls Church. The bulk of the on-street commercially zoned land on the north side of the 700 and 800 blocks of the street will be under construction by next April.

Boys Basketball Continued from Page 20

nine and closed a six-point deficit to head into halftime tied at 33. Mason turned up the heat defensively in the second half to try and slow Strasburg’s offense down. It worked, but also left the Mustangs exhausted and played its part in a share of turnovers that transitioned into gimme lay-ups for the Rams. The result was a slim 50-48 lead to start the final frame, but the Mustangs’ “bend don’t break” mentality allowed them to hold off Strasburg just enough and seal the win with some late-game free throws. “There are going to be growing pains for sure,” head coach Chris Capannola said. “We missed some assignments defensively and made some open court turnovers which gave them a few easy buckets, but overall we got better as the game went on.” Just as it was in the opener against Trinity School at Meadow View, sophomores Max Ashton and Hollman Smith led the scoring charge with 24 and 23 points respectively. Ashton delivered inside and outside the arc with 10 total field goals, four of which came from

THIS IS BELLA, a 9-year-old German Shepherd mix who lives in Falls Church, but is originally from Charleston, SC. Bella loved chasing birds on the beach, but, since moving to Va., has graduated to squirrels and bunnies. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

WE EXIST TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T

MASON’S DAVID MILLER drives down the court during the Mustangs’ recent win over Trinity School at Meadow View. The Mustangs will take a 2-0 record to Mount Vernon High School on Thursday, Dec. 8. (P��: C�� S��) downtown. Meanwhile, Smith’s midrange skills made another strong showing as he sank eight of his nine field goals in close quarters. Other notable stats came from junior guard Biruk Teshome’s 10 points and senior forward Dustin Green’s five rebounds to go with five assists. While the season is still only two weeks and two games old, Capannola is encouraged by what

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.

he’s seeing so far from his squad. “I’m very happy with a district win on the road, and that we overcame some adversity to do it,” Capannola said. “We should continue to improve as we become more familiar with each other in real game settings.” The Mustangs play another game on the road against Mount Vernon High School before hosting John Paul the Great Catholic High School on Dec. 13.

Make Your Pet a Star! Critter

Corner

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Snap a pic of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM OR mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 200 Little Falls Street #508 Falls Church, Va 22046

JOIN ThE MOvEMENT jointhemovement.org

Beverly, diagnosed in 2001

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016 | PAGE 31

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PAGE 32 | DECEMBER 8 – 14, 2016

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

For Sale

Under Contract

SOLD 1002 Ellison Sq | FC City

ct Contra ! ys a D in 7

3BD/2 Full/2 Half BA TH in rarely available Ellison Square. All 3BD on UL, updated kitchen, and finished family room in LL. Charming, private patio. Great location, walk to everything including WFC Metro! Offered at $689,000

118 Tollgate Way | FCC

7303 Woodley Pl | Falls Church

Wonderful renovated brick rambler featuring 3 BD/1 BA in Mclean High School District. Additional space in large finished attic. Great Yard. Offered at $499,000

Outstanding town home in highly desired Tollgate. Don’t miss this one, almost 3,500 sq ft. Spectacular details including private, serene patio w/waterfall and pond! Walk to EFC Metro and downtown Falls Church City. Offered at $889,000

SOLD

SOLD ct Contra ! ys a D 8 in

ct Contra ! ys a D 3 in 2734 Welcome Dr | Falls Church

Louise Molton Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com

444 W Broad St #711 | FC City

Luxury condo in heart of FCC feat. 2 BD/2 BA + den and 250 sq ft balcony overlooking green space! Top floor! 2 parking spaces & 2 storage units. Offered at $589,000

Lovely 4 BD/ 2 full/ 2 half BA brick home in the McLean High School District! This wellcared for home is ready for your personal touches, and offers a great opportunity for the first-time home buyer or investor! Offered at $540,000

Join us for

Breakfast with Santa December 17, 10am-12pm Please bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Food for Others

710 West Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046

710 W Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046 ~ 703-596-5303 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

REALTOR

Contact Bethany for all your real estate needs. Falls Church City

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

1903 Westmoreland St. McLean VA 22101

6703 Moly Dr. Falls Church 22046

SOLD

Falls Church, Two bedroom condo in sought after area! 1/2 mile to East Falls Church Metro, bike trail, park, dog park, shops and eateries. Condo fees include all main utilities, party room, pool and club house on roof top. Plenty of natural light & storage space with 2 walk-in closets. New carpet and paint! Priced at $205,000.

Excellent location near the West Falls Church Metro updated kitchen and baths on three finished levels. SOLD price $815,000

FOR SALE

3245 Rio Drive #715, Falls Church, VA

NEW PRICE

Excellent investment opportunity!! 3BR/2BA condo in Barcroft Hills. Needs updating. Beautiful setting. 2 large balconies. Swimming pool and tennis court. All utilities including in condo fee. Price perfected $213,999

2907, Linden Lane Falls Church, VA 220422

SOLD

Beautiful and classic 3 level cape cod. 5BR/2BA on 3 finished levels. Whole house has been remodeled in last 5 years! Including windows, roof and all systems. $749,000

1097 Pensive Lane, Great Falls, VA 22066 SOLD

Beautiful home on .91 acres- lush backyard. 5BR/3.5BA with beautifully refinished hdw fls. Fresh paint & new carpet in basement. SOLD price $815,000.

102 Birch St #a-2, Falls Church, VA 22046

Updated 1 BR, 1 BA ground-level condo. Ideally located by West Falls Church Metro w easy access to UVA/VA 4 BR/3BA cape cod home. Excellent Falls Church FOR RENT Tech campus, Grocery store/Restaurants/Shopping Location. 3 finished levels, updated kitchen, Hdw fls, within walking distance. Upgraded Kitchen w New Cabinets, SS Appliances fenced yard &1car garage. SOLD price $670,500. and Tile floors. WW carpet in LR & BR, Washer/Dryer in unit, Beautiful outdoor patio space. No Pets. RENTAL PRICE $1,550

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.