Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
February 1 - 7, 2024 Fou n d e d 1991 • V ol. XXXIII No. 51
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
F.C. Council To Richmond & A Retreat Saturday
GREEK TO US
Legislative Priorities Set For State Leader Visits by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
For the first time in recent memory, the entire Falls Church City Council and a number of key members of the City government staff were scheduled to trek to Richmond today (Thursday, Feb. 1) to participate in an exhausting annual Virginia Municipal League (VML) lobbying day at the State Legislature. It was slated to be a very busy day, with many meetings set, including with the City’s two state legislative representatives, Del. Marcus Simon and, taking his seat for the first time in January, the newly-elected Sen. Saddam Salim. Then on Saturday, Feb. 3, the GREEK MYTHS, comedy style, was the presentation of student troopers from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in Falls Church entire Council is due back in last weekend, performed before near sellout crowds for three nights in a row. It was a hilarious play in two acts that featured a lot town to participate in an annual of togas and a diminutive Trojan horse. (Photo: Carol Sly) “retreat,” which amounts to an allotment of sufficient time to engage in more extended discussions of priorities for the coming period, to be held in by Lynn Rutherford have to work.” Everhardt says of the SkateQuest separately,” says Everhardt, who was the newly-renovated Mary Riley Malinin, 19, and Everhardt train gang. “Our group will go out competing in the senior division for Styles Library a block from City To many in the figure skating at SkateQuest in Reston, less than to the mall or to dinner occa- the first time. “I had a lot of emoworld, Ilia Malinin is a phenomenon, 10 miles from Falls Church via sionally. We’ll just hang out.” tions. I’m happy I skated really well. Continued on Page 3 an athletic marvel who can lay claim Route 7. Both skaters are coached by Malinin won his second straight It was my season’s best.” to being the finest jumper the sport Malinin’s parents, Tatiana Malinina U.S. crown in Columbus, and As for Malinin, he skated a has ever seen and an early favorite and Roman Skornyakov, them- Everhardt, too, grabbed a share of the U.S. personal best in his short proWinter Real Estate for the 2026 Olympic men’s title. selves former international competi- spotlight. As Skornyakov sat beside gram, choreographed by Shae-Lynn Guide But to Sarah Everhardt, a tors for Azerbaijan. They are two of her at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena, Bourne to a fiery Spanish flamenco. junior at Battlefield High School in four youngsters from SkateQuest — the score for her near-perfect free Even without his famous quadruple Haymarket, he’s another pal at the also including Lucius Kazanecki, skate to Vivaldi selections, including axel, the four-and-a-half revolution skating rink. winner of the U.S. junior men’s seven triple jumps, flashed up on jump only he has mastered, it earned “Ilia is a guy that I’ve grown up title, and Jasmine Clark, a junior the jumbotron: 130.16 points, which 108.57 points, a new national record. with and skated with since I was a women’s competitor — to take part lifted her to fourth place overall and a His program included a quad lutz, kid — like, I’ve skated with him in the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating pewter medal in the women’s event. triple toe loop jump combination – forever,” Everhardt, 17, says. “So, Championships, held in Columbus, “[Skornyakov] told me to take by far the most difficult combination I don’t really look at him as ‘the Ohio last week. it one element at a time through of the event. Quadgod.’ But it’s cool to skate with “We try to always be friend- the program, not think of the event him. And he shows me how hard I ly and be like a family together,” as a whole but think of everything See Pages 11-22 Continued on Page 4
F.C. Area’s Ilia Malinin Wins 2nd U.S. Skating Title