February 22 – 28, 2018
FA LLS CHUR C H, V I R G I NI A • WW W. FC NP. C OM • FR EE
FOU N D E D 1991 • VOL. XXVIII N O. 1
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The Falls Church City School Board voted to approve the choice of the three finalists down from the initial five candidates who bid on the project to construct a new George Mason High School. SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9
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F.C. School Board Votes to Ask 2.9% Budget Hike, Defying 2% ‘Guidance’ Smallest Increase in Decades Still Runs Afoul of Mandate
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Jim Snyder, the City of Falls Church’s economic development chief, told the F.C. Chamber of Commerce this week that the Target store on the ground level of the Lincoln at Tinner Hill on S. Washington Street is slated for a “soft opening” on March 6. SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9
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If you want to stop school shootings, it’s not enough just to vent and march. It’s necessary to let people from Red America lead the way, and to show respect to gun owners at all points. SEE PAGE 14
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Landing a spot on “American Idol” is seen as once-in-a-lifetime launch pad for a music career. Lee DeWyze, “Idol” winner in 2010, shared his journey through the contest and how it shaped his path forward in the lead up to his show at Jammin’ Java tonight. SEE PAGE 17
INDEX
Editorial.................6 Letters...................6 News & Notes10–11 Comment ........ 12-14 Sports .................16
Calendar .......18–19 Classified Ads .....20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........21 Critter Corner......22
HUNDREDS GATHERED MONDAY at George Mason High School in Falls Church for a candlelight vigil to remember the victims and those affected by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. last week. (P����: J. M������ W�����)
After Parkland Shooting, Gun Control Rally Draws 400 in F.C.
BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
A candlelight vigil organized by the Falls Church-McLean chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Monday night saw hundreds of parents, students and local dignitaries turn out on short notice at George Mason High School in Falls Church to remember the 17 victims of the Parkland, Florida high school shooting last week, and to demand reasonable gun control laws. The event drew major coverage from regional TV and other media outlets.
Speakers at the event included the daughter of a victim of gun violence in Alexandria, a survivor from the Columbine shooting in Colorado in 1999, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, Falls Church City Public Schools superintendent Peter Noonan, a representative from the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center and members of the Moms Demand Action group. The event concluded with a candlelit vigil with participants promising not to forget the names of last week’s shooting victims and a renewed urgency for passing gun legislation that included the outlawing of assault weapons, stron-
ger background checks and greater awareness of mental health issues. Organizers from Moms Demand Action said that they’d prepared 400 candles for the event, and they were all used. The crowd spilled over from the school’s cafeteria into the adjacent outdoor area. Rep. Beyer’s comments included the following: “Change is only driven by the people who show up. And we must, must deal with the prevalence of gun violence in this country.
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The City of Falls Church School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to support the final version of Superintendent Peter Noonan’s proposed budget request for the coming fiscal year that calls for a 2.9-percent increase over the current year’s budget. While the 2.9 percent represents the smallest growth in the School Board’s request in over a decade, it is still ahead of the strict 2.0 percent “guidance” it was provided with by the F.C. City Council in December, and sets up what could become a heated debate as the City’s budget process moves forward toward a final adoption in late April. “This is a responsible and responsive budget,” Noonan told the School Board Tuesday, with full appreciation for the special financial challenges of building a new high school. “This budget seeks only one third of what we really need. Apart from a 3 percent COLA (cost of living adjustment) for teachers, it adds only $116,000 to address all the needs we have. The City will offer a 3 percent COLA to its employees, so this is seeking fairness and equity.” School financial officer Kristen Michael added that operating within the 2 percent guidance would lop off $350,236, eliminating four teaching positions, International Baccalaureate coordinators at Mt. Daniel and Thomas Jefferson Elementary, and psychologist, counseling and special education positions. Board Vice Chair Phil Reitinger complained that the proposed budget, as voted on, cuts too much as
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