Feb r u ar y 2 3 – M a rc h 1 , 2 0 1 7
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 I N o. 1
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week School Board Seeks GMHS Feasibility Study The decision by the Falls Church School Board to seek a feasibility study in advance of issuing a “request for proposal” for construction of a new school is set to be shared with the “Campus Project Working Group” at its weekly meeting today. See page 5
Somalia Doc Takes On New Significance
After President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at curtailing immigration and refugee admittance, local filmmakers Ben Powell and Harry Lee realized that their soonto-be-completed documentary, “Somaliland,” has taken on newfound significance.
Bids for Mt. Daniel School Expansion Come in 21% Higher Than Projected On to States Schools to Ask for 1% More Than City Council Guidance
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
dance with state law, Estrada’s pay was placed in an escrow account pending the outcome of the case. He will be paid through June 30, as the Falls Church School Board voted in a brief closed session Tuesday night not to renew his contract, but as the investigation is ongoing, further action is possible. Estrada, 36, has been listed as a teacher at the Henderson Middle School since July 2015. He was
Bids for the construction of the renovation and expansion of the Mt. Daniel Elementary School that were opened last weekend came in 21 percent higher than expected, Falls Church Interim School Superintendent Dr. Robert Schiller announced to the School Board at its budget work session Tuesday night. The news came as a shocker to the board, which is struggling with how to keep expenses for the coming year down despite a continuing veritable explosion in school enrollment. Schiller said that while further negotiations with prospective contractors will be required, he will be going to the City Council with a revision to the schools’ request for its capital improvement project (CIP) budget submitted just last week. The increase in construction costs over estimates is related to the year-long delay in the project after the passage of a bond referendum due to its inability to be approved by the Fairfax County Planning Commission for a length of time. Also, the board put off a final vote on the budget it will forward to the City Council for the coming fiscal year until its meeting next Tuesday. However, the board did agree to set its request at a 3.7 percent increase, one percent above the guideline it was presented with by the City Council, with still with many needs identified by school principals remaining unmet. The debate at the School Board Tuesday was whether to include an
Continued on Page 11
Continued on Page 8
See page 10
David Brooks: The Century is Broken Most of us came of age in the last half of the 20th century and had our perceptions of “normal” formed in that era. It was, all things considered, an unusually happy period. See page 14
Famous Dave’s Closes Suddenly in F.C. The Little City location of the barbecue restaurant shuttered Monday, with locked doors, signage removed and a terse message on the door. See page 22
SARAH LUBNOW TOUGHENS UP on defense during the George Mason Mustangs girls basketball team’s win over Greensville County High School in the regional tournament. Mason is back in action tonight when it hosts Nottoway High School in the team’s state tournament opener. See story, page 18. (Photo: Carol Sly)
Henderson 6th Grade Teacher Arrested for Sexual Battery
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.12–13 Comment........ 14–17 Sports..................18 Calendar........20–21
Food & Dining.22–23 Classified Ads......28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........29 Critter Corner.......30
Jose Daniel Estrada, a math teacher at Falls Church’s Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School arrested last Friday on charges of aggravated sexual battery involving two female students at the school, had his bond set at $25,000 at the Arlington Juvenile Court yesterday. He is being held at Arlington Detention Center and has not yet entered a plea. His next
court date is set for March 28 in the Falls Church court. Conditions of bail for Estrada were established that he have no contact with unrelated minors and he cannot teach. He had not posted bond as of press time last night, but his release has been stayed pending a Commonwealth appeal on the bond to the circuit court. According to a statement from a Falls Church City Schools spokesman received yesterday, following his arrest and in accor-
PAGE 2 | FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
EARLY SNEAK PEEK
OPEN HOUSES IN McLEAN! For this weekend only, get an exclusive early look at two of our most beautiful homes in McLean.
E LO AR O LY K!
February 25-26 from 12 to 5pm 6532 Chesterfield Avenue, McLean Our newly revised Hampton II with a custom craftsman exterior. Includes 6 bedrooms, 6 full baths, 2 powder rooms, a kitchen with a 40 sq. ft. island and 8x11 hidden pantry.
E LO AR O LY K!
February 25-26 from 12 to 5pm 1710 Strine Drive, McLean A gorgeously appointed Monticello with our most popular craftsman selections at a surprisingly low price. Come see a home that shows you our quality craftsmanship and just how affordable it can be to Build With Classic.
BUILDING YOUR DREAM HOME ON YOUR LOT OR OURS 703.583.3500 BUILDWITHCLASSIC.COM ASK@BUILDWITHCLASSIC.COM
the
presents
the 5th Annual
For a list of participating restaurants, visit FCRestaurantWeek.com
Little City. Big Eats.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 3
JD Sold More Homes Last Year in Falls Church Than Any Other Agent!
(Per MRIS)
JD CALLANDER Top 1% of Realtors Nationwide
6439 Shady Lane, Falls Church
$639,000
6919 Jenkins Lane, Falls Church
LOVELY 4BR/2.5BA home in sought-after Hillwood commu
$749,000
FABULOUS 5BR/3 full bath home features open floorplan, living room w/ bay window, built-
436 Sherrow Ave, Falls Church City Wonderful 5BR/3BA home w/ formal living room, fplace & pic window. Kit w/ SS fridge & tons of storage. Fam rm plus sep. dining area. LL w/ rec room!
*OPEN SUNDAY* 2/26 2-4pm!
#1 Agent, COMPANYWIDE
703.606.7901 JD@newNOVAhome.com # 1 Listing Agent #1 Selling Agent #1 Total Volume #1 Total Transactions Weichert/Dolley Madison Office Weichert 1313 Dolley Madison Blvd McLean, VA 22101 703-760-8880
6704 Pine Creek Court, McLean
3019 Cedarwood Lane, Falls Church
$1,200,000
EXQUISITE 6BR/4.5BA contemporary home in private cul-de-sac! Gourmet kit w/ SS appliances, island prep space, eat-in area and sep. formal dining room.
$1,150,000
MAGNIFICENT 4BR/3.5BA home on over an acre of land! Updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, kitchen island and granite counters. Incredible hardscaping with pool and patio seating. MBR with fireplace, luxury full BA and walk-in closet!
Call Me Today for a Free Analysis of Your Home’s Value!
ROCK STAR Realty ... ROCK STAR Service
TM
Call ROCK STAR Realty when buying or selling your home ~ 703-867-8674
FOR SALE
COMING SOON
Open Sat & Sun 1-4
Cherrydale/walk to METRO/Arlington, VA
3118 Juniper Lane, Falls Church 22044
Expanded Cherrydale 3 BR / 2 full / 2 half BA brick Colonial with newly renovated, 3 room / 1 BA guest cottage!
Huge, renovated 4 BR/3.5 BA, 3500 sq ft midcentury 4-level contemporary on nearly 1/2 acre. $795,000
COMING SOON
UNDER CONTRACT 6802 Chestnut Ave, FC
5 BR/3.5 BA renovated home with all new kitchen & bathrooms, finished lower level, and a fenced yard.
Steps to TJ Elementary School Falls Church City
Newly remodeled 4 BR + Den / 2.5 BA brick Cape with professionally landscaped yard. ®
REALTOR
703-867-8674
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
2101 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Lifetime Top Producer
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
Tori@ToriRocksRealEstate.com
ToriRocksRealEstate.com © 2017 Tori McKinney, LLC
PAGE 4 | FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017
LO CA L Opening Early 2017 NOW HIRING
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
1st F.C. Mardi Gras Parade is Sunday BY PATRICIA LESLIE
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Announcing Group Interviews for The Kensington Falls Church Interview with Us at 700 West Broad Street in Falls Church Thursdays from January 19-March 2 at 11am & 4pm Saturdays from January 21-March 4 at 11am
H
ave you been searching for an organization with heart? Where you can make a difference in many lives? Where you can grow professionally and personally? Kensington Senior Living has been built upon two key values: a Love for Seniors and a Spirit to Serve. We are looking for individuals who share these values and would like to join our team in Falls Church, where we will love and care for our residents as we do our own families.
Now hiring qualified full-time (starting at 30 hours/week) and part-time
(Health and dental insurances, life insurance, paid time off and paid holidays for full-time positions. One free meal per day. 401k plan for team members who wish to contribute.)
Care Managers (CNAs) Care Supervisors (CNAs) Licensed Professional Nurses (LPNs) Wellness Nurses (LPNs and RNs) Activities Coordinators Concierges Dining Coordinators Utility Staff
Cooks Prep Cooks Servers Maintenance Assistant Housekeepers Porters Drivers Laundry Attendants
7 0 3 . 9 9 2 . 9 8 6 8 | w w w. T h e K e n s i n g t o n F a l l s C h u rc h . c o m 7 0 0 We s t B ro a d S t re e t , F a l l s C h u rc h , VA 2 2 0 4 6
For immediate consideration or more details, email FallsChurchCareers@KensingtonSL.com or call 703-992-9868.
The first-ever Mardi Gras parade in Falls Church will kick off this Sunday at 5 p.m. on Broad Street with so many floats (20 and counting) that the parade will exceed the route. Having too many floats for the route is “a really good problem for the first year,” said Rebecca Tax, one the parade’s organizers. Rebecca and David Tax, the sibling duo who own Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, already boast one successful Mardi Gras parade in the area. The two started an annual parade in Clarendon 15 years ago which now draws thousands (including pets) and has expanded to include a ball. The Little City version of the parade will begin at Brown’s Hardware at 100 West Broad and end at Little Falls Street. The Falls Church parade is billed as a family fun affair where participants will have plenty of beads to toss out to people lining the street. A rolling stage from Sislers Stone will feature the Magnolia Blue brass band, David says. The idea for the parade emerged at a nascent small business owners group known as Small Apart Large Together (SALT), organized by David Tax and Tamara Powell, a partner at the Local Market grocery store on West Broad.
SALT arose from local businesses’ desire “to do something to gain attention,” Powell says. The parade’s goal is to get families out of their houses, she added, since it’s harder to get around now with increased traffic and construction. Falls Church is “a little bit of a hodge podge, not a gathering place,” Powell says. “We’re trying to decide who we are as a city.” She says the City “missed the boat [on development]” and has become a kind of stop-through. The force driving SALT, Tax says is “What can we do for each other and help Falls Church prosper and have fun?” Thus, the Mardi Gras Parade was born. Powell says The Local Market doesn’t know what it’s doing for its float as of yet but she plans to be dressed as a fruit. “I think as a strawberry,” she says. “The first year it’ll be pretty silly, but we’ll have a great time.” Late Sunday afternoon was chosen for the start time, David said, to appeal to families and welcome customers to businesses and area restaurants, some of which will offer kids’ meals for free. In the Mardi Gras tradition, Clare and Don’s will serve king cake, a coffee cake-like treat decorated in gold, green and purple icing. Watch out, though, there may a baby Jesus figurine — a king cake tradition — packed inside.
NO ONE GETS A DIPLOMA ALONE. If you’re thinking of finishing your high school diploma, you have more support than you realize. Find free adult education classes near you by visiting FinishYourDiploma.org.
LO CA L
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
F.C. School Board Seeks GMHS Feasibility Study by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
The decision by the Falls Church School Board Tuesday night to seek a feasibility study in advance of issuing a “request for proposal” for construction of a new George Mason High School was set to be shared with the “Campus Project Working Group” at its weekly meeting early today (Thursday). The draft to seek a feasibility study was being prepared by Interim Superintendent Robert Schiller, who advised the School Board Tuesday that such a feasibility study “would add confidence in the viability of a solution with a conceptual design of what might work.” Acting board chair Phil Reitinger added that the approach would “add to transparency” of the process before a “request for proposal” for construction might be issued which would be more guarded, especially if there are more than one respondent. The three facets of the project
involve a single-step construction of a new high school building, with a variant being the retention of the newest A wing of the existing building to provide ongoing use of the two gyms and the cafeteria area there and the added variant being the projected cost. Variables will include whether needs for a new competition gym, an auditorium of a certain size (750 capacity with options to expand), a school sized for 1,200 students with a common space area that can permit an enrollment expansion to 1,500, a 20,000 foot addition to the Henderson Middle School, and parking can be accommodated or not. The board agreed that plans for a 12,000 square foot school system administration office should not be included. With an eye to cost, “We’ve got to lose all the unessentials,” Reitinger said. Schiller, who came out of retirement to accept this interim position based on his extensive experience with such projects around the U.S., said the focus
must be on the “program needs for the school of the future with flexibility and adaptability,” and that a feasibility study will help to establish “what our limitations are” so that a “very tight up front [request for proposal] can be crafted for a potential developer.” Schiller said he’s worked in large districts growing so fast that only “cookie cutter” designs could be allowed, but in this case, it is a “customized approach” that is called for, and some design features ought to be included in the language for a bond referendum this fall. During the petition period prior to the board discussion, Tom Johnson, president of the George Mason High School Athletic Boosters, spoke again on the need for the competition gym, two auxiliary gyms and other athletic program needs. He criticized what he called an “academic versus athletic construct” that he said has developed. Two others spoke for the athletic facilities, Maria Marcus spoke on behalf of funding the Band Boosters, and Alice Brown on behalf of the ESOL program needs and retaining small class sizes. Allison Kutchma spoke on her perceived need for an outside audit.
1125 WEST BROAD STREET
2016 OPTIMA
$177
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 5
Photo: @hbottemiller/Twitter
Raccoon Hitches Ride on Trash Truck to Falls Chuch A raccoon was caught hitching a ride on a garbage truck through the Little City last Friday. The small mammal was spotted clutching to the ladder on the back of the waste disposal vehicle in Rosslyn which continued all the way to Falls Church. A statement from the
BEYERKIA.COM
City says police arrived on the scene near Hillwood Ave. and attempted to catch the critter but it was able to avoid their grasps and escaped to the area of Larry Graves Park. Police think the animal was unharmed and did not appear to be sick.
703-237-5000
$0
DOWN LEASE
/ MO.
39 MONTHS 10,000 MI/YR No Security Deposit + Taxes Tags, & Dealer Processing Fee
2016 Kia Optima. Based on Stock #: 3919Q. MSRP: $26,135. Lease is $177/month for 39 months. $0 down plus applicable tax, tags, & dealer processing fee of $599. Lease term includes 10,000 mile per year allowance. Customer must qualify with leasing bank. All offers are on approved credit and not everyone will qualify for all offers. Offers expire 02/28/2017.
E D I TO R I A L
PAGE 6 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
One of the Nation’s Foremost Weekly Newspapers, Serving N. Virginia
(Published Weekly by Benton Communications, Inc.)
FOUNDED IN 1991
Vol. XXVII, No. 1 February 23 – March 1, 2017 • 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 •
N������� F. B����� O���� � E�����-I�-C���� �������������.���
J��� F������ M������� ������
�������������.���
S�� T�������� N��� E�����
���������������.���
N��� G��� A���������� S������� A������������ ����������.���
H���� W������ C����������
�������������.���
C������ C����, T�� W������ C��������� T�� W���� C��� E����� J���� I����� C���������� M������
�������������.���
T� C������ ��� N���-P���� �����: 703-532-3267 ���: 703-342-0347 �����: ���������.��� ������� ����������� ��������.��� ���������� ��� �������������.��� ������� �� ��� ������ ������������.��� ������������� ������������ � �������� �������������.���
WWW.FCNP.COM The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area. Offices are at 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2017 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper.
E��������
A Time for the News to Shine
When the president of the United States announces to the world that the free press is “the enemy of the people,” we have an extraordinary situation, indeed. The only other president to come anywhere close to saying something like this was Richard Nixon, and he was caught on tape saying it in private, and in the heat of the Watergate scandal, when he called the press “the enemy,” he meant it in reference to himself, and not “the people.” This, of course, is in sharp contrast to the prevailing, and vital, affirmation that sits at the core of our democracy, that a free press is an essential component of a free society. It is well known that the first step a tyrant takes to clamp down on public freedom is to discredit and suppress the press. We are far from holding that all the press in our society is free and devoid of influence by behind the scene forces devoted to twisting and distorting the truth. Exhibit Number One is Fox News and the other news outlets of the deceitful Rupert Murdoch, a passionate arch-right wing partisan servant of global oligarchic interests, with no qualms about engaging in the art of deception to advance his cause. The method includes charging the “other side” with the same corrupt motives they have. The so-called “alt-right” of Trump White House advisers Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka, and the just-defrocked Milo Yiannopoulos, are more extreme versions of the Murdoch brand, serving the same oligarchy by eroding domestic democratic institutions. In fact, all the major news networks are owned and controlled by a handful of corporate giants who no doubt influence what counts for the news they put on the air every day. But there is a major difference that’s key in today’s environment. That is, few of the writers and editors who work for mainstream media organizations are “in on a fix” that their corporate masters may be rendering. That is, a very high percentage of the working journalists who cover government and the White House for mainstream news organizations are honest and hold to a high standard of reporting the truth as best they can. The Washington Post, The New York Times and CNN are distinguishing themselves in these critical times. In fact, this is a period of an extraordinary opportunity for all journalists to define for the general public what animates their indispensable efforts. The case of CNN’s Don Lemon, a late night host, is exemplary. When a Trump shill called Lemon’s topic “fake news,” Lemon forcefully interrupted him to define that “fake news” involves a deliberate deception, and not any subject unpleasant to Trump. When the shill repeated his charge, Lemon then cut him off for good. This is a time for those in the news to shine, to exercise and to feel a new sense of pride and purpose for their work.
L������
Tinner Hill Foundation Thanks Community
Editor, As we come to the end of Black History month, the board of directors of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation wishes to thank the many Falls Church residents who participated in our events this month and in the 550-plus person march from the Tinner Hill Arch to City Hall on Martin Luther King’s birthday last month. Special thanks to actor and playwright Ted Lange,
who came from Hollywood to oversee our production of his new play “George Washington’s Boy” at the Falls Church Episcopal last weekend. Cheryl Rhoads and the students from her Falls Church-based acting school presented a riveting interpretation of Ted’s creation, emphasizing George Washington’s personal struggle reconciling his leadership as commander-in-chief in the American Revolution and as
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
P������� 1. Keep the news clean and fair.
2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy. 3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment. 4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe. 5. Accept no charity and ask no favors.
6. Give “value received” for every dollar you take in. 7. Make the paper show profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.
ADVERTISE IN THE
The News-Press is delivered to every household and many businesses in the City of Falls Church (22046), and to many homes and businesses (but not all) in the adjacent 22041, 22042, 22043, 22044 and 22205 zip codes. Its total circulation of 15,000 per issue is greater than any other newspaper in the distribution area, including dailies. For complete advertising information, call us or check out our web site.
Call 532-3267 x2274 or visit www.FCNP.com
All original and some syndicated content is accessible via the Falls Church News-Press online site, www.FCNP.com. FCNP.com also includes photos, stories, ads and more not appearing in the print edition.
For information on online advertising, please contact Nick Gatz at 703-532-3267 or ngatz@fcnp.com. ONLINE
our first president with his ownership of slaves. Thanks to Howard University’s WHUT-TV for interviewing Ted. Many new participants in our activities learned about us through that interview. The newcomers — most from neighboring areas but some from as far as New England, the Carolinas, the Middle West and Southwest, and a few from the West Coast — reported overwhelmingly that they patronized local Falls Church City restaurants, motels and stores during their visit. Most said they enjoyed getting to know what our community offers and plan to return to Falls Church when they visit Washington.
We could not succeed without the support of our contributors from the business community. Mike Beyer of Don Beyer Volvo will be hosting a Tinner Hill information sharing meeting on “Doing Good and Getting the Most for Your Charitable Contributions.” To learn more, please go to the contact page at TinnerHill.org. Special thanks to the NewsPress, Creative Cauldron and the local Chamber for your help. Finally, to all our volunteers: We know how hard you worked for these successes. Thank you! Alex Boston President, Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
CO MME NT
G � � � � C � � � � � �� ��
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 7
Mason & Community Both Need Athletic Facilities B� T�� J������ � B���� C����
George Mason High School is a nationally ranked school academically that also offers a multitude of clubs and a variety of JV and varsity-level sports. We have a proud tradition of fielding competitive teams despite our small student-body size. We hope to continue this tradition, but need community support. A proposal has been floated to reduce costs for the Mason Campus redevelopment project by eliminating certain athletic facilities. While we understand the need to reduce the financial burden of the project, we consider slashing funds for athletic facilities to be short sighted. Compared to other Bull Run District high schools, the indoor and outdoor athletic facilities at Mason are inferior. Particularly worrisome is the plan not to include any gyms at the new school due to the misconception that we already have a competition gym at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (MEHMS). The reality is that the gym at MEHMS does not meet the standards of a competition gym. Not only does Mason need a competition gym that meets Virginia High School League (VHSL) standards, it needs a space to assemble its entire student body (up to 1,500 students) which would allow Mason to host graduation onsite. Below is a list of needs that will put our indoor and outdoor athletic facilities on
par with those of our competitors: • A true Competition Gym • An Auxiliary Gym for basketball practices, rec basketball games, and many other activities. • A room for wrestling, which can
“Mason athletic facilities are used not only by George Mason High School and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School students, but also by the community at large.” also be used for PE, cheer, and tumbling. Wrestling currently practices at MEHMS without the extra padding needed for safety. The $8,000 wrestling/cheerleading mats are currently stored on the floor of the Aux gym and are damaged by people climbing/sitting on them. Due to the size and weight of the wrestling mats, they cannot be moved over to MEHMS. • Indoor cages for baseball/softball • A weight room. The current weight room has old, unsafe equipment and its
capacity is 15. This is a safety issue as P.E. classes and sports teams that use it are over capacity. • Turf practice field. We currently use an open grass space for sports practices, unless it is raining. • Six tennis courts. Rental space for our team will cost Mason $3,140 this spring. MEHMS’s gym falls short of VHSL competition gym standards in the following ways: Seating capacity is 1,000 (VHSL = 1,500); the basketball court is too short (84’ vs 94’); and the ceiling is too low (VHSL = 25’ high). Other problems with the MEHMS gym are that the entrances open directly onto the court instead of the side (a safety/security issue); the training room is at Mason so personnel have to go over to Mason if there is a serious injury (e.g. one requiring crutches); the Athletic Director’s office is at Mason, so there are no supplies for repair/maintenance at MEHMS; the bathroom is upstairs, which presents an ADA accessibility issue; and there need to be four locker rooms (two each for boys and girls for home and visiting teams). Lastly, scheduling conflicts with MEHMS often lead to our athletes losing practice time and games having to be rescheduled. Mason athletic facilities are used not only by George Mason High School and MEHMS students, but also by the community at large. Recreation leagues currently use the facilities for basketball,
soccer, lacrosse, flag football, football, baseball, softball, and summer camps. The Mason facilities are in almost constant use over the summer for camps, and in use until 10pm most nights throughout the year. Recreation & Parks camps and activities generate $500,000 in revenue annually for the City of Falls Church, while FCCPS receives $143,000 in rental revenue each year from the City. Knowing the extent to which the greater community uses these facilities, we are hopeful that you will see the value of investing in space that benefits so many. Everyone agrees that we need to build the best school we can with the funds available. The motto at Mason is “excel in mind, body and character.” Over half the students at Mason participate in athletics. We understand that the cost of these athletic facilities is a big ticket item and there is a natural desire to slash the big ticket items. The current high school is over 60 years old, however, and the new school is expected to last just as long; therefore, it is common sense to build a school that fits the needs of our students and our community for that length of time or longer. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we need the School Board and City Council to make the best decision for our students and the entire community. Tom Johnson and Becki Creed are members of the George Mason High School Athletic Boosters Association board.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Should funds be provided to meet the latest bids for Mt. Daniel Elementary School? • Yes • No
Last Week’s Question:
Should the F.C. School Board keep within the City Council’s guidance for its budget?
• Not sure
Log on to www.FCNP.com to cast your vote
FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.
[WRITE FOR THE PRESS] The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor
& Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.
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
LO CA L
PAGE 8 |FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCH INTERIM School Superintendent Dr. Robert Schiller broke the news to the School Board that bids for construction at the Mt. Daniel Elementary School came in 21 percent higher than expected. (P����: N���-P����)
Mt. Daniel Bids Much Higher Than Expected Continued from Page 1
P����: J. M������ W�����
Dustin of The Neighborhood Barbershop, “I’m just trying to do my part to make Falls Church a little weird.”
English as a Second Language (ESOL) professional or an assistant for the Human Resources office. Human resources services, attending to the needs of the paid staff including hiring, “are the backbone of the functions of the
district,” said Schiller. Currently, assistant superintendent Lisa High is “defacto director” of HR and “wears many hats,” he said. Schiller counseled “prudence” to the Board in going above the Council’s 2.7 percent guidance. “The political decisions are yours to make,” he said, noting that in a
presentation of the system’s needs to a joint meeting of the three PTA and PTSA organizations last week, “three or four City Council members were present to get a first hand look at the needs and parents’ reactions to an inability to meet them all.” “We do have $1.4 million in needs above the Council guidance,” noted acting School Board chair Phil Reitinger (chair Lawrence Webb was hooked up to the meeting by phone from a different location), “but with the need for a new high school, it is important that we take affordability into account.” Board member Erin Gill said that an ESOL program specialist is “essential,” and High concurred that in the choice between an ESOL coordinator and an HR staff person, “We need both, but the kids come first.” An ESOL person would also coordinate gifted and talented student programs. It was agreed that $3,500 be added to the budget to provide for adequate substitute teacher resources. Chief Financial Officer Hunter Kimball assured the board that a final versions of the budget will be ready for a swift adoption next Tuesday, one with the ESOL position and the other with the HR position included.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
F� � � � C � � � � �
NEWS BRIEFS Kaine Gains Audience With Pope in Rome Yesterday, Virginia U.S. Senator Tim Kaine attended a general audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City and spoke with the Pope about the Holy See’s work to address the global refugee and migrant crisis. “I had a chance to visit with Pope Francis to discuss the global crisis of refugees and migrants which is relevant around the world and to my work in the Senate,” Kaine said. “As the Pope stated so clearly yesterday, it is a ‘moral imperative’ to protect and defend the ‘inalienable rights’ of refugees and respect their dignity, especially by adopting just laws that protect those fleeing dangerous or inhumane situations.”
ADU Available at Pearson Square The Falls Church Department of Housing and Human Services has announced that an Affordable Dwelling Unit, or ADU, is available for rent at Pearson Square, 410 S. Maple Avenue, F.C. for $1,140 per month, plus utilities and fees. The unit is a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment and is available now. An ADU lottery will be held Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Dogwood Room, City Hall, 300 Park Ave, Falls Church. To qualify, applicants must fulfill all of the following: All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents, total household liquid assets cannot exceed $40,000, total household income must be between 50 and 80 percent of HUD’s Area Median Income.
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 9
Northern Virginia’s Favorite Brewpub Award-winning handcrafted beer with a menu to match, appealing to craft beer aficionados and foodies alike. Upscale, but informal, always family-friendly.
7th Annual Barleywine Festival February 25 & 26, 2017 The Mid-Atlantic’s Largest Barleywine Event! Taste over 30 special and limited edition barleywines from around the region and across the country.
F.C. Chief Warns Vs. News-Press Vandalism & Theft Chief of Police Mary Gavin of the Falls Church Police Department issued a public statement yesterday seeking the public’s help to identify persons engaged in acts of vandalism and theft against the Falls Church News-Press. Her statement reads, “The City of Falls Church Police need your help. Unidentified perpetrators are reportedly vandalizing newspaper distribution boxes in front of City businesses, including boxes belonging to the Falls Church News-Press. Taking a free paper isn’t a crime. Taking the stack, littering the streets, and damaging the boxes is a crime. If you see something, say something by calling the Falls Church Police Department at 703-248-5050 or, in the case of an emergency, call 911.”
Rep. Beyer Chosen Vice-Ranking Science Committee The U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology unanimously chose Don Beyer to serve as Vice-Ranking Member of the Committee last week. His selection for a leadership position comes as Beyer has mounted high profile challenges to the Committee’s Republican majority over the Environmental Protection Agency and the Trump Administration’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities. “I thank my colleagues for choosing me to serve as Vice Ranking Member for the Science Committee,” said Beyer in a statement. “In this age of alternative facts, I will fight for scientific integrity. I look forward to working alongside Ranking Member Johnson to promote innovation and technology. While I hope to work in collaboration with my counterparts in the majority, I will not hesitate to speak out or challenge them if I feel that they are not providing adequate oversight of this administration.”
Fairfax Officer On Restricted Duty After Falls Church Crash A Fairfax County Police officer has been placed on restricted duty after being involved in a Falls Church car crash that left one person in the hospital last Saturday. Police say the officer, who has been with the department for two years, was responding to a call for a disorderly man on Arlington Boulevard around 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 18 when his marked 2011 Ford Crown Victoria collided with a van making a left turn at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Patrick Henry Drive. A preliminary investigation revealed the officer was traveling over the speed limit and did not have his emergency equipment activated. Police placed the officer on restricted duty pending the outcome of two parallel investigations; one administrative and one criminal. Police said the 53-year-old driver of the van was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the officer was not seriously injured.
Correction In the article titled “’We Support the Girls’ Event Pushes for Erin’s Law Passage” from the Feb. 16 edition of the News-Press, we misrepresented the charges against Michael Gardner with regards to Caitlyn Knittig, writing that Gardner pleaded guilty to all counts in two unrelated sex abuse cases. Gardner actually pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Knittig along with three other girls. We regret the error.
444 WEST BROAD STREET, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22046 703.942.6840 | madfoxbrewing.com | follow us on FREE PARKING GARAGE | METRO ACCESSIBLE
PAGE 10 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
LO CA L
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FILMMAKERS HARRY LEE (center) and Ben Powell interview Abdisamad, an Abaarso student, in “Somaliland.” (Photos: Somaliland Film)
F.C. Filmmaker’s Doc Takes on New Significance With Trump Presidency by Sam Tabachnik
Falls Church News-Press
When local filmmakers Ben Powell and Harry Lee decided three years ago to chronicle the improbable story of five Somali Muslim teens and their dreams to pursue education in America, they thought they had a compelling story that could resonate within international development and education circles. But after President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at curtailing immigration and refugee admittance, particularly from majority-Muslim nations like Somalia, the filmmakers realized that their soonto-be-completed documentary, “Somaliland,” has taken on newfound significance. “I see this as an opportunity to put a face on the people who are being affected by this [new
immigration order],” Lee says. “For most Americans, they may not know anyone from Somalia or Yemen or Iran or Iraq who’s being affected by this.” Powell, a George Mason High School alum, and Lee, a garaduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, launched a Kickstarter campaign earlier this month (kickstarter. com/projects/71323644/somaliland-the-abaarso-story) to raise the necessary funds to complete the documentary. The Kickstarter will remain open until 4 p.m. on Mar. 8 and the duo hopes to have a finished product by the summer. The documentary follows the paths of five students from the Abaarso School of Science and Technology in Somaliland, a breakaway territory in northern Somalia that considers itself an independent state.
The school, founded by former Wall Street hedge fund manager, Jonathan Starr, has made it its mission to send students from the impoverished, war-torn nation to elite private high schools and universities in the United States. It was in December 2015 that the tone and tenor of the project began to change. That was when Trump, then just a long-shot Republican presidential candidate, first announced his plan for a “Muslim ban,” designed to bar all Muslims from entering the United States. Lee and Powell were worried by the inflammatory anti-Muslim rhetoric coming from a presidential candidate but believed this ban could not come to pass. “I think we, like most people, thought there was no way he’s going to win,” Lee says. “It’s not going to matter.” And then Trump won. In
January, he signed the executive orders on immigration and refugees that were once just a worry for Abaarso students and the local filmmakers, never believed to be possible. While a federal appeals panel recently rejected the president’s travel ban, the administration is currently working on a new executive order to again restrict travel for citizens from Somalia and six other nations. But even with all the uncertainty surrounding the law, even with rising Islamophobia and antiimmigrant sentiment, Abaarso students forge on. Hamse is one of those students. The teenager came to the United States from Somaliland in August to attend the St. Albans School, an all-boys prep school in Washington, D.C. Like many of his Abaarso classmates, Hamse wants to get an American education so he can go back to Somaliland and help develop his home country’s lacking infrastructure. He dreams of studying electrical engineering at an Ivy League school like Cornell, Dartmouth or the
University of Pennsylvania, and plans on visiting the schools this spring. Hamse is supposed to return to Abaarso in June for his final year of high school. He planned on applying to the Ivy League schools from Somaliland and coming back to America to attend university the following year. That future is now murky. Yet Hamse remains faithful that everything will work out. “The first time I heard of this [travel ban] it was something I was not expecting from a U.S. president,” he says. “But I’m optimistic the people will overturn his ban.” For Powell and Lee, the hope is that by showing these personal stories of resilience, heart and the students’ unrequited yearning to better themselves and their families, people will begin to examine current events in a new light. “We’re hoping through an intimate look into these kids’ lives — and through empathy — we’ll be able to show people, ‘Wow, these kids are being directly affected.’ “ Lee says. “‘Is this really the right way to deal with this?’”
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 11
Introducing CaregiverConnect at The Kensington Falls Church JOSE DANIEL ESTRADA, a sixth grade math teacher at Falls Church’s Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, was arrested Friday on charges of sexually battering two students. (P����: F���� C����� C��� P����� D���������)
Falls Church Math Teacher Arrested for Sexual Battery Continued from Page 1
arrested Feb. 17, and charged with two counts of felony aggravated sexual battery after one of the victims made a report to the school on Jan. 17. According to police, the victims are two female students. In a statement from the Falls Church Schools, Director of Communications John Brett said Estrada was immediately removed from assignment and placed on leave. He was listed as a sixth grade math teacher at Mary Ellen Henderson on the school’s web site. Falls Church City Public Schools released the following statement last Friday after police announced Estrada’s arrest: “Falls Church City Public Schools has been notified that a Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School teacher, Jose Estrada, was arrested today for aggravated sexual battery of two students. “As soon as allegations were brought to our attention on January 17th, Falls Church City Police and Child Protective Services were immediately notified by FCCPS, and the teacher removed from the classroom and placed on leave. This action enabled FCCPS to
ensure the safety of its students while also reserving judgment on the employee. “As a result, at the time of the arrest, the employee was not at the school nor in contact with students. “Falls Church City Public Schools has been fully cooperating with the Police and CPS, and will continue to do so as their investigations continue. FCCPS is committed to supporting the students and families involved – as well as all of its students and staff members. At the same time, we want to ensure the privacy of any students involved. “Student Services staff will be available at Mary Ellen Henderson throughout the day for students and staff today, and on February 21, 2017 when school resumes. “If you or any students have additional information relevant to this investigation, you are urged to contact the Falls Church City Police at 703-248-5327.” Police detectives believe there may be other victims and ask that anyone whose child might have had inappropriate contact with Estrada or with information about the case, contact the City of Falls Church Police at 703-248-5327.
— A Monthly Gathering for Caregivers — with Aging & Dementia Expert Anya Parpura, MD, PhD Mar 1, Apr 5 & May 3, 2017 • 6:30-8:00pm • Light refreshments • RSVP
A
t The Kensington, a longtime provider of best-in-class memory care, our residents are precious to us. We seek to make their lives as pleasant and meaningful as possible by offering care programs that are clinically comprehensive, highly personalized and tender. YOU, as a caregiver, matter to us just as much. We understand that caregiving for someone with dementia is a demanding responsibility. We also believe it is one you should not undertake alone. That’s why we strive to preserve your well-being by helping you stay positive, manage fatigue and make the most of moments as your loved one’s memory changes. Let The Kensington be your trusted resource for information and the comforting ally you need and deserve. Join us to share time connecting with other caregivers and discussing common challenges as we partner with experts each month. Guest facilitators will offer
information, advice and support in a welcoming, private setting. Topics to be covered include: How to Visit; Accepting Loss; and Enjoying the Remaining Strengths of Your Loved One. Aleksandra (Anya) Parpura, MD, PhD, an expert in aging and dementia, will lead our Caregiver Connect program. Dr. Parpura is the president of Aging Perspectives, Inc., the Scientific Review Officer with CSRA International, an adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America, and a faculty member at the Washington School of Psychiatry. Dr. Parpura brings to us vast knowledge, helpful tips and a kind heart. Be sure to save the date each month. Join us at our community, located at 700 West Broad Street. RSVP by calling 703-992-9868.
Now Open 7 0 3 . 9 9 2 . 9 8 6 8 | 7 0 0 We s t B ro a d S t , F a l l s C h u rc h , VA 2 2 0 4 6 w w w. T h e K e n s i n g t o n F a l l s C h u rc h . c o m
PAGE 12 | FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017
LO CA L
News-Press
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Community News & Notes Fairfax Co. Students Face Off in Culinary Challenge Mexican Tortilla Soup? Flatbread Pizza with Teriyaki Chicken? Lime-glazed Citrus Salad? These dishes are not typically found on school lunch menus, but they might be soon. Fifteen teams from 10 Fairfax County Public Schools, including the three culinary academies at Edison, Chantilly, and Marshall High Schools, will face off on Mar. 11 to win a spot for their inventive edible entries on the Fairfax County Public Schools’ cafeteria menus. The contest takes place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Va. during Real Food for Kids’ fifth annual Culinary Challenge and Wellness Expo. Kate Sherwood, executive
chef for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, will be the competition emcee. Each team has been tasked to create a snack or a breakfast or lunch entree that is delicious, appealing, meets federal nutritional guidelines and can fit into the FCPS lunch program profile with consideration to cost. “We want to engage students in the decision-making process about the foods served at school,” said JoAnne Hammermaster, executive director of Real Food for Kids. “They are smart and have more sophisticated palates than many give them credit for.” The expo will kick off with a keynote address by FCPS Food and Nutrition Director Rodney Taylor, who is revolutionizing school food in the 198 schools and centers under his watch. With Real Food for Kids support, he
is training kitchen staff to cook from scratch, bringing in many local farmers as vendors, installing salad bars in all 141 elementary schools and outdoor grills for barbecue and rotisserie ovens for chicken in high schools. He is soliciting student input and turning around their thinking about school food. There will also be expert-led workshops and chef demonstrations. Among the presenters will be Six O’Clock Scramble’s Aviva Goldfarb, Washington Post Deputy Food Editor Bonnie S. Benwick, Susan Soorenko of Moorenkos Ice Cream and Renee Comet of Rene Comet Photography. Attendees can learn about quick and healthful family meals; plant-based diets; fueling for athletic performance; how to hydrate; the importance of eating “clean,” and food writing and
GIRLS FROM TROOP 711 sell Girl Scout cookies outside the community center in front of their homemade cookie booth. (Left to right) Ashley Winters, Stella Saberhagen, Katie Trombo, and Marlena Shuman-Julca. (Photo: Melissa Dana)
photography. There also will be valuable competition prizes from Wüsthof and audience drawings for celebrity signed cookbooks and dining certificates at Earls Kitchen + Bar, Red Apron, Hӓrth and Chuys. The cost of $15 per person includes lunch, tastings, drawings and workshops.
Northern Virginia Housing Expo Set for Mar. 18 The seventh annual Northern Virginia Housing Expo will take place at Sterling’s Dominion High School in Loudoun County on March 18. The event is hosted by the Fairfax-based nonprofit AHOME Foundation in cooperation with the City of Falls Church and other municipalities across Northern Virginia. The event is geared for anyone
looking for an affordable place to live in Northern Virginia. It will showcase both homeownership and rental opportunities and resources throughout the area. The expo will be held from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and feature workshop and exhibits designed to educate attendees about location options, being prepared for buying or renting, understanding and improving credit scores, improving energy efficiency and more. The growing list of exhibitors can be found at NoVaHousingExpo. org, which will also feature a schedule with dozens of free workshops as the event approaches. The seventh annual expo, whose location rotates annually throughout Northern Virginia, is produced by a collaborative effort of the aforementioned housing authorities, along with
Andrea Dilao and Alec Reusch (above) were crowned Mr. and Ms. Mason at the annual competition Friday night in the Mason auditorium. They got $100 to Zoya’s Atelier and get to ride in the Memorial Day parade in May. (Photo: Carol Sly)
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
representatives of the banking and mortgage industry.
Independence Day Gala Tonight Homestretch, a non-profit that works to empower homeless families in Virginia, hosts an Independence Day celebration at the State Theatre in Falls Church tonight at 7 p.m. Independence Day, for Homestretch, is a celebration of freedom from poverty, abuse, helplessness and homelessness. The Independence Day Gala will raise money for the organization, which empowers homeless parents and kids to move from crisis to financial independence and long-term stability. There will be a silent and live auction, musical performances by Sudden M Pac and Detached Retina, dessert and dancing. The event is hosted by Michael Thornton and will last until 11 p.m. Contact Auction Chair, Stacy Hennessey, at stacyhennessey@ gmail.com or 703-395-4868 for more information and to get involved. Visit 501auctions. com/homestretch/ to learn more about the event and purchase tickets.
“GerryRIGGED” Screening and Expert Panel Tonight The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA) will sponsor “GerryRIGGED” Screenings and Expert Panels tonight for showings at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Fairfax Cinema Arts Theater at Fair City Mall (9650 Main Street, Fairfax). The documentary — GerryRIGGED: Turning Democracy on its Head — brings awareness about how legislative districts are drawn; it explores how the state can progress from a system where legislators create their own dis-
tricts toward a system that is a true representative government. What is the impact of gerrymandering, and who wins and loses with reform? This forum will shed light on the answers to this critical question. After the documentary, there will be an expert panel discussion with Brian Cannon, Executive Director of OneVirginia2021: Virginians for Fair Redistricting and Olga Hernandez, former President of the League of Women Voters of Virginia. To RSVP, visit lwvfairfax430pmgerryrigged.eventbrite.com
Free Seminar on Entrepreneurship Mar. 2 Falls Church area entrepreneurs can learn new ways to advance their business at Entrepreneur Express, a free seminar on March 2, from 9 a.m. – noon in the Dogwood Room of City Hall (300 Park Avenue, Falls Church). Entrepreneur Express is a series of free interactive workshops offered by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance & Supplier Diversity throughout Virginia to provide interactive discussions and exercises covering key elements of business practices. To register and view a complete schedule, visit fallschurchva.gov/ FreeSeminar. Advanced registration is required. The agenda includes: • “Why Do You Need a Business Plan?” presented by the Business Development Assistance Group (BDAG) • “Marketing Your Business on Social Media” presented by Arlington Economic Development Office and BizLaunch • “Financing Your Business” presented by the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority.
LO CA L Lecture and Book Signing with Former CIA Officers Sandy Grimes and co-author Jeanne Verterfeuille will host a lecture and signing of their book, “Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed” at the Trinity United Methodist Church in McLean on March 7. Grimes and Verterfeuille were part of the key five-member CIA team that ultimately identified fellow officer Aldrich Ames as a CIA mole, leading to his arrest and conviction as one of the most notorious spies in U.S. history. At least eight Soviet intelligence officers working for the United States were killed and many others were arrested after Ames revealed their identities to the Soviet Union. Grimes is a retired veteran of CIA’s Clandestine Service who spent the majority of her career working against the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. She joined the CIA in July 1967 shortly after graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Russian. The event, hosted by the McLean Women’s Club, starts at 12 p.m. and is free. For more information, visit www.mcleanwomansclub.org. or call 703556-0197.
J.E.B. Stuart High School Spring Play J.E.B. Stuart High School will be putting on the show “Holes” for its spring play. The schedule for the shows: Thursday, March 30 and Friday, March 31 at 7pm; and Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students and Seniors. Tickets can be purchased
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 13
THE GEORGE MASON BOYS SWIM TEAM took second place and the girls earned fifth place at the 2A State meet. Justin Britton took first place in both the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke and set a new state record in the 50 freestyle. Adam Janicki also took first place in the 100 breaststroke. The Mason boys relay team placed first in the 400 freestyle. For the girls, Sigrid Edson took third in the 50 freestyle and the girls’ strongest showing was in the 400 freestyle relay. (PHOTO: ARI AUTOR) at BrownPaperTickets.com or available at the door.
AAUW Collecting Book Donation ins March The Falls Church Area American Association of University Women (AAUW) is collecting books in March at the book collection bin at the Falls Church Community Center. Books are for the annual book sale to be held on April 7 and 8 at the Falls Church Community Center. The book sale benefits scholarship/grant programs for
women, including local Falls Church high school girls. Deposit good, clean, saleable books in the book collection bin at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street, Falls Church) in March or contact (703) 941-5643 or gjewell@ cox.net for larger donations. The AAUW needs all kinds of books: hard-covers, paperbacks, novels, non-fiction, children’s, cookbooks, etc. that are suitable for re-sale. The group asks for no magazines, encyclopedias, text books, or damaged books.
NEW FALLS CHURCH LOCATION CALL NOW FOR APPOINTMENT President: Virginia Dental Association Federal Employees: Let us help you maximize your dental benefits 200 Little Falls Street, Suite 506 Falls Church, VA 22046 We Are located across the street from city hall
703.532.3300 • www.DoughertyDDS.com
PAGE 14 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
NATI O NA L
The Century is Broken
Most of us came of age in the last half of the 20th century and had our perceptions of “normal” formed in that era. It was, all things considered, an unusually happy period. No world wars, no Great Depressions, fewer civil wars, fewer plagues. It’s looking like we’re not going to get to enjoy one of those times again. The 21st century is looking much nastier and bumpier: rising ethnic nationalism, falling faith in democracy, a dissolving world order. At the bottom of all this, perhaps, is declining economic growth. As Nicholas Eberstadt points out in his powerful essay “Our Miserable 21st Century,” in the current issue of Commentary, between 1948 and 2000 the U.S. economy grew at a per-capita rate of about 2.3 percent a year. But then around 2000, something NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE shifted. In this century, per-capita growth has been less than 1 percent a year on average, and even since 2009 it’s been only 1.1 percent a year. If the U.S. had been able to maintain postwar 20th-century growth rates into this century, U.S. per-capita GDP would be more than 20 percent higher than it is today. Slow growth strains everything else — meaning less opportunity, less optimism and more of the sort of zero-sum, grab-what-you-can thinking that Donald Trump specializes in. The slowdown has devastated U.S. workers. Between 1985 and 2000, the total hours of paid work in America increased by 35 percent. Over the next 15 years, they increased by only 4 percent. For every one American man ages 25 to 55 looking for work, there are three who have dropped out of the labor force. If Americans were working at the same rates they were when this century started, more than 10 million more people would have jobs. As Eberstadt puts it, “The plain fact is that 21st-century America has witnessed a dreadful collapse of work.” That means there’s an army of Americans semi-attached to their communities, who struggle to contribute, to realize their capacities and find their dignity. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics time-use studies, these labor force dropouts spend on average 2,000 hours a year watching some screen. That’s about the number of hours that usually go to a full-time job. Fifty-seven percent of white males who have dropped out get by on some form of government disability check. About half of the men who have dropped out take pain medication on a daily basis. A survey in Ohio found that over one three-month period, 11 percent of Ohioans were prescribed opiates. One in eight American men now has a felony conviction on his record. This is no way for our fellow citizens to live. The Eberstadt piece confirms one thought: The central task for many of us now is not to resist Trump. He’ll seal his own fate. It’s to figure out how to replace him — how to respond to the slow growth and social disaffection that gave rise to him with some radically different policy mix. The hard part is that America has to become more dynamic and more protective — both at the same time. In the past, American reformers could at least count on the fact that they were working with a dynamic society that was always generating the energy required to solve the nation’s woes. But as Tyler Cowen demonstrates in his compelling new book, The Complacent Class, contemporary Americans have lost their mojo. Cowen shows that in sphere after sphere, Americans have become less adventurous and more static. For example, Americans used to move a lot to seize opportunities and transform their lives. But the rate of Americans who are migrating across state lines has plummeted by 51 percent from the levels of the 1950s and 1960s. Americans used to be entrepreneurial, but there has been a decline in startups as a share of all business activity over the last generation. Millennials may be the least entrepreneurial generation in U.S. history. The share of Americans under 30 who own a business has fallen 65 percent since the 1980s. Americans tell themselves the old job-for-life model is over. But in fact Americans are switching jobs less than a generation ago, not more. The job reallocation rate — which measures employment turnover — is down by more than a quarter since 1990. There are signs that America is less innovative. Accounting for population growth, Americans create 25 percent fewer major international patents than in 1999. There’s even less hunger to hit the open road. In 1983, 69 percent of 17-year-olds had driver’s licenses. Now only half of Americans get a license by age 18. In different ways Eberstadt and Cowen are describing a country that is decelerating, detaching, losing hope, getting sadder. Economic slowdown, social disaffection and risk aversion reinforce one another. Of course nothing is foreordained. But where is the social movement that is thinking about the fundamentals of this century’s bad start and envisions an alternate path? Who has a compelling plan to boost economic growth? If Trump is not the answer, what is?
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
David Brooks
On Economic Arrogrance
According to press reports, the Trump administration is basing its budget projections on the assumption that the U.S. economy will grow very rapidly over the next decade — in fact, almost twice as fast as independent institutions like the Congressional Budget Office and the Federal Reserve expect. There is, as far as we can tell, no serious analysis behind this optimism; instead, the number was plugged in to make the fiscal outlook appear better. I guess this was only to be expected from a man who keeps insisting that crime, which is actually near record lows, is at a record high, that millions of illegal ballots were responsible for his popular vote loss, and so on: In NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE Trumpworld, numbers are what you want them to be, and anything else is fake news. But the truth is that unwarranted arrogance about economics isn’t Trump-specific. On the contrary, it’s the modern Republican norm. And the question is why. Before I get there, a word about why extreme growth optimism is unwarranted. The Trump team is apparently projecting growth at between 3 and 3.5 percent for a decade. This wouldn’t be unprecedented: the U.S. economy grew at a 3.4 percent rate during the Reagan years, 3.7 percent under Bill Clinton. But a repeat performance is unlikely. For one thing, in the Reagan years baby boomers were still entering the workforce. Now they’re on their way out, and the rise in the working-age population has slowed to a crawl. This demographic shift alone should, other things being equal, subtract around a percentage point from U.S. growth. Furthermore, both Reagan and Clinton inherited depressed economies, with unemployment well over 7 percent. This meant that there was a lot of economic slack, allowing rapid growth as the unemployed went back to work. Today, by contrast, unemployment is under 5 percent, and other indicators suggest an economy close to full employment. This leaves much less scope for rapid growth. The only way we could have a growth miracle now would be a huge takeoff in productivity — output per worker-hour. This could, of course, happen: maybe driverless flying cars will arrive en masse. But it’s hardly something one should assume for a baseline projection. And it’s certainly not something one should count on as a result of conservative economic policies. Which
Paul Krugman
brings me to the strange arrogance of the economic right. As I said, belief that tax cuts and deregulation will reliably produce awesome growth isn’t unique to the Trump-Putin administration. We heard the same thing from Jeb Bush (who?); we hear it from congressional Republicans like Paul Ryan. The question is why. After all, there is nothing — nothing at all — in the historical record to justify this arrogance. Yes, Reagan presided over pretty fast growth. But Bill Clinton, who raised taxes on the rich, amid confident predictions from the right that this would cause an economic disaster, presided over even faster growth. President Barack Obama presided over much more rapid private-sector job growth than George W. Bush, even if you leave out the 2008 collapse. Furthermore, two Obama policies that the right totally hated — the 2013 hike in tax rates on the rich, and the 2014 implementation of the Affordable Care Act — produced no slowdown at all in job creation. Meanwhile, the growing polarization of American politics has given us what amount to economic policy experiments at the state level. Kansas, dominated by conservative true believers, implemented sharp tax cuts with the promise that these cuts would jumpstart rapid growth; they didn’t, and caused a budget crisis instead. Last week Kansas legislators threw in the towel and passed a big tax hike. At the same time Kansas was turning hard right, California’s newly dominant Democratic majority raised taxes. Conservatives declared it “economic suicide” — but the state is in fact doing fine. The evidence, then, is totally at odds with claims that tax-cutting and deregulation are economic wonder drugs. So why does a whole political party continue to insist that they are the answer to all problems? It would be nice to pretend that we’re still having a serious, honest discussion here, but we aren’t. At this point we have to get real and talk about whose interests are being served. Never mind whether slashing taxes on billionaires while giving scammers and polluters the freedom to scam and pollute is good for the economy as a whole; it’s clearly good for billionaires, scammers, and polluters. Campaign finance being what it is, this creates a clear incentive for politicians to keep espousing a failed doctrine, for think tanks to keep inventing new excuses for that doctrine, and more. And on such matters Trump is really no worse than the rest of his party. Unfortunately, he’s also no better.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
NATI O NA L
‘Arrival’ Calls Out Today’s Culture
Humanity and this planet depend on supplanting “zero sum game” relations with “non zero sum game” ones. The extraordinary stress of the past month has led to record attendance at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. of high-powered families bidding farewell to a panda headed to China, with an assist from global warming’s backhanded gift to the nation’s capital of persisting springlike temperatures. It was a warm and sunny “Bye-Bye to Bao Bao” time. This weekend offers another opportunity, the Academy Awards. Once again, there is a large list of excellent film offerings to be considered, this time with a definite tilt toward diversity that was missing in recent years. This context provides me the opporFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS tunity to tout my favorite of the year, and it’s about aliens, though not the kind that Trump is chasing after these days. “Arrival,” directed by Denis Villeneuve and released last November, is nominated for Best Picture and seven other Oscars, though the trending is against its winning a lot of them. Still, it is a superb film and for more than the usual, aggravating reductionist standards by which such works of art are reviewed and graded these days. (As a child and admittedly to this day, I was and am a huge fan of George Pal’s 1953 classic rendering of the H.G. Wells alien thriller, “The War of the Worlds,” with amazing special effects all done without CG assistance. But that film, like so many involving a visitation to Earth by aliens, was framed in an adversarial context, a hostile invasion. There was too much female screaming, but the aliens looked really creepy and cool.) “Arrival” is a film intended to challenge how we earthlings think of ourselves and the world we live in. The visitors come here to lay the groundwork for the kind of progress on this planet that they will need to help them out in about 3,000 years, they say. Yes, for them, time and space are quite non-linear, suggesting that the future is somehow knowable and the speed of light is not an insurmountable barrier. My spoiler alert filter off after three months, I can report that the two aliens actress Amy Adams’ character, a linguist named Louise Banks, encounters look like giant octopuses (no, it is not “octopi”) except that with seven instead of eight legs, they are technically heptapods. They are upright suspended in their own rarefied atmosphere. Interestingly, it is not that far-fetched to imagine an evolutionary path from our current human form to their look. They do have arms, hands and fingers, after all, and they write with ink (!). All this aside, the meritorious and lasting benefit of this outstanding film lies in the way the aliens task us, the earthlings, with being able to communicate with their very different way of thinking and being. Key insights come when Dr. Banks contrasts “zero sum game” thinking, in which there is always a winner and loser, with “non-zero sum game” thinking, in which the prospect of a so-called “win-win” outcome exists. The Chinese in the film condemn their communications effort to failure, in this regard, when they adopt a “zero sum” game, mahjong, as the construct for interpreting the aliens’ words. This construct, which requires a winner and a loser, causes them to misinterpret a key alien word as “weapon.” This provokes them to prepare for war. But Dr. Banks comes to realize the word is meant to be translated as “gift,” not “weapon.” That changes everything, of course, and in getting the Chinese to stand down she finds a way for a brief phone encounter with the Chinese dictator where she convinces him by recounting to him his own wife’s last words in Mandarin, which were (according to an Imdb. com posting), “In war there are no winners, only widows.” What a critique of our competitive sports-obsessed American culture where everything, including politics, is rendered in terms of a “zero sum game” of winners and losers! Only by overthrowing this fallacious construct do we as a species have a chance for survival today.
Nicholas F. Benton
Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 15
Milo is the Mini-Donald
If you halved Donald Trump’s age, changed his sexual orientation, gave him a British accent and fussed with his hair only a little, you’d end up with a creature much like Milo Yiannopoulos. He could be Trump’s lost gay child. In fact, Yiannopoulos, 33, has a habit of referring to Trump, 70, as “Daddy.” Trump the father and Yiannopoulos the son are both provocateurs who realize that in this day and age especially, the currency of celebrity isn’t demeaned by the outrageousness and offensiveness through which NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE a person achieves it. Both are con men, wrapping themselves in higher causes, though their primary agendas are the advancement of themselves. Both believe that audience size equals value — and that having people listen to you is the same as having something worthwhile to say. I heard nothing worthwhile during Yiannopoulos’ news conference Tuesday afternoon, though I heard a whole lot of Trump in him, and I wondered — no, shuddered — at a kind of worldview that may well be in ascendance, thanks to its validation by our president. That worldview was distilled in Yiannopoulos’ response when a journalist mentioned Ann Coulter, to whom he is often likened. “I don’t take comparisons to Ann Coulter to be insulting,” he said. “She sells a hell of a lot of books.” The point of the news conference, ostensibly, was to contain the damage from resurfaced recordings in which he jokes raunchily about having been sexually abused by a priest and makes light of pederasty, trafficking in the revolting, ridiculous myth that it’s no big deal in the gay world. He framed his appearance before journalists as an apologia. But it was just as much an attack — on those journalists, who, he said, had deliberately misheard and conspiratorially mischaracterized his remarks about sexual activity before the age of consent. “[Expletive] you for that,” he muttered. The real Yiannopoulos kept bubbling up through the fake-sorry Yiannapoulos, who didn’t even pretend all that hard. Presenting himself as some kind of martyr and refashioning himself as some kind of hero, he couldn’t have had more of Trump’s DNA in him if he were Trump’s clone. He described a speech that he gave in drag to 1,200 college students in Louisiana as something
Frank Bruni
that “simply hasn’t happened in the history of this country before.” He speculated that with similar events on other campuses, he had “probably done more for the image of gays in the flyover states” than all gay magazines and all gay advocacy groups combined. Also, this: “I’m proud to be a warrior for free speech.” Behold his armor. Beware his spear. He’s right that in America of late, there’s too much policing of indelicate and injurious language and too little recognition that the wages of fully open debate are ugly words and hurt feelings. But he invokes free speech to exalt cruel behavior and lewd testimonials whose purpose is headlines and booking fees. When he goes on his racist and sexist tears or muses about his appetite for black men, he’s just a brat begging for attention, a showboat looking to fill seats. And he may beg as he pleases. That is his right, one that I treasure. He just shouldn’t expect the rest of us to salute him for it — even though he briefly got the Conservative Political Action Conference to do precisely that. The group invited him to give an address at its conference this week, then rescinded the offer after the pederasty business. Together he and Trump have exposed what a cynical, corruptible vessel modern conservatism is. To hop aboard the triumphant Trump train, no small number of conservatives have mortgaged their belief in free markets, re-evaluated their attachment to free trade, muffled their professed concern for “family values” and basic decency, and put their wariness toward Russia on a shelf. And in inviting Yiannopoulos, CPAC’s stewards set aside a homophobia that had long curtailed the role of gay Republican groups at the event. I’d praise that as a positive step toward a bigger tent except that the gay man who was being beckoned into it gleefully promotes destructive stereotypes about gays and other minorities. CPAC wasn’t interested in inclusion. It was after the “ratings” that Trump always crows about, and ratings have overtaken principles in this mad, morally vacuous world. “Will next year’s invite include Julian Assange?” asked the conservative columnist Matt Lewis in The Daily Beast. “Alex Jones?” “They may not be conservative,” he added, “but it’ll make for a hell of a show.” That’s what Yiannopoulos was poised to give CPAC. And that’s what Trump will provide Friday, when he’s scheduled to perform.
CO MME NT
PAGE 16 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
The comprehensive effect of County Executive Ed Long’s proposed FY18 budget plan on county services hasn’t sunk in yet, but a closer look at recommended reductions gives some sense of the breadth of services provided by the largest county government in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The small stuff – reducing printing of reports, including future proposed budgets and staff reports for land use cases, in favor of posting on-line; cutting postage expenses, and eliminating vacant positions – probably has de minimus impact overall. Some of the larger reductions, however, are worth mentioning. Funding for emergency housing placements in motels, considered “Last Resort Housing,” would decrease by $200,000. While the trend in emergency motel placements has been going down, reducing the funding also reduces resources to respond to demands for emergency family shelter placements. Nearly $500,000 in Fire and Rescue Department activities would be saved by restructuring training and recertification opportunities to on-duty times, eliminating the need for overtime and backfilling of positions. Therapeutic day treatment for youth with mental health or substance abuse disorders would be eliminated, saving $460,000, and relying on community-based resources to provide alternative care. The program served 82 youth in FY16. Likewise, eliminating the Community Readiness and Support Program, which served 42 adults in FY16, will save $373,303. Transitioning to a private management company for the Lewisville senior housing facility will save $100,000, without affecting the residents who live there. Not all of Mr. Long’s proposals are reductions. His budget also recommends increasing parking fees at the Massey/Courthouse Complex Visitor Garage from $2 an hour to $2.50 an hour, for a maximum
of $12.50 per day. If you’ve ever parked at a downtown D.C. garage, where fees range from $10 per hour to $30 or more per day, you know that’s a bargain! Probably missed, but very appropriate for the Valentine’s Day budget release, Mr. Long proposes implementing a $100 hourly fee for rental of the historic 1799 Courtroom at the Historic Courthouse in Fairfax. The historic charm and close proximity to the Clerk’s Office Marriage License counter makes the location ideal for small weddings. And wedding guests can park at the above-mentioned visitor garage, for just a slight increase in the fee! At Tuesday budget committee meetings during the next two months, discussions will center on school funding, which is proposed to receive 52.8 percent, or $2.167 Billion, as a transfer from the General Fund in FY18, and human services needs. Mr. Long’s budget does not fund the employee compensation plan’s annual Market Rate Adjustment (MRA), so more discussion is anticipated there, too. Those discussions will be covered in future columns. On a brighter note, the Art at the Mason District Governmental Center program features quilts, both large and small, by Linda Cooper of Burke, Virginia. Perhaps my favorite is a bright red peddler’s wagon, “A Quilter’s Caravan,” vaguely reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz set piece. Some of the quilts have “kinetic” features built in, creating a 3-D effect. Although there’s sure to be a favorite, the quilts are not for sale. They will be on display through March, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, at 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale.
Just a few hours of your time can make a big difference. Together, with our nationwide community of volunteers, you can help the Feeding America network of food banks end hunger. Pledge to volunteer at your local food bank. FeedingAmerica.org/Pledge
Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Congressman Beyer’s News Commentary
Celebrating Black History Month By Donald S. Beyer
We recognize African American history during the month of February as an integral part of American history, and celebrate the many achievements of African Americans to our great nation. It is also a time to remember Virginia’s checkered history. From massive resistance to the integration of public schools, to the end of poll taxes, to the election of Governor Doug Wilder, and to Governor McAuliffe’s restoration of rights initiatives, Virginia has had a complex history in the push towards racial equality. Yet we march on toward progress. As your Congressman and neighbor, I will be fighting with you. In the last Congress, I worked to grow the middle class economy, build safer communities through sensible gun legislation, ensure women’s economic empowerment and combat the causes and effects of climate change. I am proud of the bills I co-sponsored to increase police body camera use, push for criminal justice and sentenc-
ing reform, provide faster care for veterans and honor those who participated in the Selma March. I introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act, which would address unsafe and unfair school disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact students of color. I also helped lead the 400 Years of African American History Commission Act to recognize and create programming in honor of African Americans. I introduced the No Hate Act, which would improve hate crime reporting and tracking. I am still concerned about the increase in legal barriers making it harder to vote, especially for people of color — through voter ID laws, limited or nonexistent early voting and fewer polling locations. These restrictions reduce voting ease and access and constantly remind us of the purpose of the Voting Rights Act. The current Administration has brought a great deal of uncertainty, fear and anger into our communities. I will continue to work with my col-
leagues across the aisle and consider reasonable policy proposals; but I will not compromise our values. In the new Congress, I am working for bipartisan support to put criminal justice reform back on the table. I will do everything in my power to prevent the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, strive to ensure everyone gets a fair shot in the economy, make college more affordable, and stand up to bigotry. Recently, I sponsored a bill that would diminish and hopefully overturn the President’s Executive Order, which banned all refugees as well as citizens from certain Muslimmajority countries in the Middle East from entering the United States. On Martin Luther King Day I marched with the Tinner Hill Foundation for unity, racial healing, and justice. The day brought together Falls Church residents to celebrate the dream of Dr. King and focus our efforts on bridging the divisions between us to heal racial and justice inequalities.
A ZIP CODE SHOULD NOT DETERMINE A CHILD’S FUTURE. 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.
CO MME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
YO U DON T H AV E T O BE SO STRONG BUT IF I’M NOT, WHO WILL?
Being a caregiver takes a special kind of commitment. We know your strength is super, but you’re still human.
A A R P. O R G / C A R E G I V I N G 1 - 8 7 7 - 3 3 3 - 5 8 8 5
F I N D S U P P O R T F O R Y O U R S T R E N G T H.
Our Man in Arlington
climate change, for example. “Conservative ideas would never be accepted” on school signs, he said. Students are not authorized to put personal statements on walls unless approved by an activity sponsor, I was assured by Principal Ray Pasi. (His pre-planned retirement was announced Thursday — unrelated to this episode, according to School Board Chair Barbara Kanninen.) Pasi, after reviewing countywide guidelines and updating Yorktown’s own policies, backed the teachers, though he apologized in a public letter. “We live in a challenging and sometimes difficult political climate,” he observed. “We sincerely regret any distress this may have caused our students, parents or anyone in the Yorktown community.” Schools spokeswoman Linda Erdos told me “the school board had many conversations” about the signs at Yorktown. The conclusion was that the message is consistent with Arlington schools’ Mission, Vision, and Core Values statement, she said, supplying chapter and verse of guidelines for students and another for employees that “prohibits endorsements of specific political candidates and/or political parties, but does not prohibit discussion of policy or political issues.” A physics teacher, Deborah Waldron, wrote the board to explain each statement, saying much forethought had gone into them (authors rejected “Black Lives Matter” and “Love Trumps Hate” as political). “The phrases were meant to focus on our need to be a true community where everyone is respected, valued
and supported.” Forty-one speakers came Thursday night to address the board. Some parents said the signs made conservative students uncomfortable and denied their rights to an “apolitical school.” Students detailed offensive comments that circulated after November’s election such as “gay rights are for fags” and “immigrants are terrorists.” One blamed the administration for a slow response. Junior Christopher Wells, who spoke on behalf of “oppressed people” and invoked the civil rights struggle, told me “there’s tension” at Yorktown, worsened by freewheeling use of social media. One parent, who described herself as a former Republican staffer, commended the “professional educators” for creating the controversy as “an opportunity to learn.” *** If you still read Sunday comics and enjoy Patrick Reynold’s “Flashback,” get ready for an Arlington reference. His latest panel drawing of historical events showcases “Andrew Ellicott’s Survey Party” camping out in 1791 while drawing the boundaries of what became the District of Columbia. The field team, which included chain men, ax men and laborers, also relied on famed astronomer Benjamin Banneker. Both Ellicott and Bannaker, a free black, have Arlington parks named for them, each containing one of the 40 boundary stones. Ellicott’s is at the Falls ChurchArlington border at West and Arizona streets, Bannaker’s in East Falls Church at Van Buren and North 18th streets.
was reported smashed sometime overnight.
vehicle sometime after Feb. 14.
Stolen Vehicle, 1051 E. Broad St. (Koons Ford) On Feb. 14, a vehicle last seen three months ago was reported stolen.
Larceny from Building, 7124 Leesburg Pike, (George Mason High School) On Feb. 16, a phone was reported stolen.
Week of Feb. 13 – 19, 2017
Larceny from Building, 103 W. Columbia St. (Columbia Baptist Church) On Feb. 14, computer equipment was reported stolen sometime on Feb. 13.
Larceny from Building, 450 W. Broad St. (Panera Bread) On Feb. 16, a wallet was reported stolen sometime on Feb. 15.
Larceny from Building, 300 block W. Broad St. On Feb. 13, a bicycle was reported stolen from a parking garage.
Larceny from Vehicle, 300 block Gundry Dr. On Feb. 14, a GPS device was reported stolen from the victim’s vehicle sometime overnight.
By Charlie Clark
The unease that the Trump era has brought to polarized communities worldwide broke open at Yorktown High School last week. It became a lesson in deconstructing how words get interpreted. The clash at my alma mater started when teachers became disturbed by recent harsh language from some students they saw as offensive to minorities. The teachers composed a colorfully printed sign listing seven values they considered inarguable. Yorktown “Patriots know,” it said: “Facts are not political; Diversity strengthens us; Science is real; Women’s rights are human rights; Justice is for all; We’re all immigrants; Kindness is everything; We are Yorktown.” The signs, which teachers are authorized to post voluntarily in their offices and classroom whiteboards, stuck in the craw of senior John Piper. After failing to persuade fellow Republican Club members to protest, he worked with his parents to complain to the administration, the school board and radio station WMAL that the sayings are politically biased. On Feb. 14, Piper went national and told his story on Tucker Carlson’s prime-time Fox News show. Carlson, with no one present to rebut, called the statements “the sneakiest kind of propaganda.” Piper agreed, noting that the administrators at one point agreed to remove the signs but changed their minds. “There’s a serious double standard here,” Piper said, portraying the science statement as an attack on rightist positions on
Fa l l s C h u r c h
CRIME REPORT
Larceny from Vehicle, 100 block W. Annandale Rd. On Feb. 14, personal items were stolen from the victim’s vehicle. Larceny from Vehicle, 400 block Rollins St. On Feb. 14, personal items were stolen from the victim’s vehicle.
Celebrate the diversity that makes America, America. Add your photo to the true portrait of America at lovehasnolabels.com
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 17
Larceny from Vehicle and Building, 200 block W. Cameron Rd. On Feb. 14, an unknown person stole items from the victim’s unlocked vehicles and then gained access and stole items from a garage. Stolen Vehicle, 200 block Gundry Dr. On Feb. 14, a vehicle was reported stolen sometime overnight. Destruction of Property, 115 E. Fairfax St. (The Falls Church) On Feb. 14, a glass window
Larceny from Vehicle, 400 block Rollins St. On Feb. 14, an unknown suspect stole personal items from the victim’s vehicle sometime overnight. Shoplifting, 167 Hillwood Ave. (Virginia ABC Store) On Feb. 14, an unknown suspect stole merchandise from the store around 6 p.m. Tamper with Vehicle, 300 block James St. On Feb. 15, an unknown suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and left items in disarray. No items were reported taken. Shoplifting, 804 S. Washington St. (7-Eleven) On Feb. 15, an unknown suspect stole beer from the store. Larceny from Vehicle, 100 block W. Greenway Blvd. On Feb. 16, an unknown suspect stole personal items from the victim’s
Larceny from Building, 7124 Leesburg Pike (George Mason High School) On Feb. 17, a jacket was reported stolen. Shoplifting, 6617 Wilson Blvd. 6617 Wilson Blvd. (MetroPCS) On Feb. 17, an unknown suspect stole a phone. Narcotics Violation, 100 block Tinner Hill On Feb. 18, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation. The driver, a male, 24, of Sterling, was arrested and released on summons for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Assault, 800 block W. Broad St. On Feb. 18, officers responded to the area for a report of an altercation. After an investigation, police arrested a male, 55, of McLean, for Assault. Driving Under the Influence, 300 block S. Washington St. On Feb. 19, an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation. The driver, a male, 39, of Arlington, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal to Submit to a Blood or Breath Test.
SPO RTS
PAGE 18 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Mason Boys Fall Short In Regional Opener
the Mustangs missed foul shots, misfired on jumpers and committed unforced turnovers, all of A season full of learning expe- which the Cougars turned into riences came to a close for George points on the other end. Fatigue Mason High School’s varsity caused the floor to fall out from boys basketball team with a 75-58 under Mason and allowed Stuarts home loss to Stuarts Draft High Draft to enjoy a 25-point fourth School in the 2A East regional quarter. “We just keep wearing them tournament’s opening round last down throughout the game – Friday night. Mason (16-9) led throughout that’s what we’re used to,” Stuarts the game until a bad start to the Draft head coach Mike Gale said. fourth quarter put its season in “Making big runs throughout the game and chipped away little by jeopardy. Stuarts Draft’s up-tempo style little. A one-point ballgame going helped it overcome Mason’s slim into the fourth? That’s all you can 51-50 lead by scoring four points ask for.” A fourth quarter collapse was in the first 40 seconds of the final frame. A minute later the Cougars preceded by a strong game from were up by nine, and soon the lead Mason. The Mustangs came out hot with a 21-9 lead by the ballooned to 64-51. The quick 14-0 run put the end of the first quarter. In the Cougars ahead for good and all second, Stuarts Draft found its footing with 26 points to nip but ended the Mustangs’ year. “We didn’t answer their run at at Mason’s heels down 37-35 all,” head coach Chris Capannola at halftime. Mason started the said. “We just don’t have anyone third with a nice run but that to put in to stem the momen- was the team’s last comfortable tum. They keep attacking [and] margin. All eyes look toward the it flusters you. These young kids get flustered. They have nine future now, with the lessons seniors; we have one. It was from this game building the about a four-minute stretch there foundation of the team’s next and that was it. We just couldn’t postseason run. “I told them, ‘remember this score.” The Mustangs had their chanc- feeling, because next year at this time hopefully it’s a winning feeles to respond in the fourth. Despite being winded from ing,’” Capannola said. “They can trying to match Stuarts Draft’s say, ‘I remember that last year, 15-man rotation with just six play- we’re not gonna let that happen ers, Mason got to the free-throw again.’ You can say that as underline and found the open man onT:3.75”classmen, but you’ll mean it as more than one occasion. However, juniors and seniors.”
BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL’S Jenna Short (31) puts up a shot during the Mustangs’ 51-37 win over the Greensville County High School Eagles in the 2A East Region tournament. (P�����: C���� S��)
A�er Rolling in Regional, Mustang Girls Advance to State Tourney Mason Kicks Off Tournament Tonight vs. Nottoway High at Home FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
long-range success helped the Mustangs to a 31-14 halftime lead and to close the game out in the second half. Moving forward, Mason will need to adapt as it embarks on a state tournament run. Gone are the gimme turnovers that lead to run-outs and easy points against subpar teams. The Mustangs’ halfcourt offense will be tasked with generating the team’s points, something not seen as a daunting learning curve by members of the team. “We’ve played so many different styles of teams that whatever the game calls for, we’ll figure it out,” head coach Michael Gilroy said. “We have speed as our advantage — that definitely helps us,” Short added. “And our bench is really deep so if we get tired we can put people in. Most teams don’t have that.” The Mustangs are set to host Nottoway High School tonight, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m.
T:3.5”
Two more wins for George Mason High School’s varsity girls basketball team in the regional tournament this past week earned the team a berth in Virginia’s 2A state tournament. Mason (21-4), undefeated since December, punched its ticket to states with a 51-37 win over Greensville County High School and a 58-33 win over Stauntonbased Robert E. Lee High School in the first two rounds of the 2A East Region tournament. Junior forwards Jenna Short and Kaylee Hirsch shown in the Mustangs’ win against Greensville County. The two forwards combined for 29 points and came up big in key moments of the game. Hirsch helped shut the door on Greensville County with 10 consecutive points between the third and fourth quarters. And Short sparked a 10-0 Mason run midway through the second quarter
by contributing five points that put the Eagles behind for the remainder of the contest. “We’ve both played for a while and we know each other’s playing styles, Short said, “so we work well together.” Outside of the frontcourt, Mason was clicking in all aspects. The Mustangs’ prickly defense bullied Greensville County out of the paint, forcing the Eagles to settle for tough shots. On offense, Mason’s meticulous passing drew Greensville County out of position, opening up shots on the perimeter and for Hirsch and Short in the low post. The results left Greensville County scrambling to keep up throughout. The Mustangs’ win over Lee showcased the team’s sharpshooting. Sophomore Maddie LaCroix, juniors Nicole Bloomgarden and Victoria Rund and senior Sarah Lubnow all hit from beyond the arc to spur the offense. The
ΣΑς Α ΛΙΦ. ∆ΟΝ∏Τ ∆ΡΙς ΗΟΜ ΒΥΖΖ∆. ΒΥΖΖ∆ ∆ΡΙςΙΝΓ ΙΣ ∆ΡΥΝΚ ∆ΡΙςΙΝΓ.
ΜΥ13878_10−03963−004_σµαλλ_ΨουΣαϖεδ−ΛΙζ.ινδδ 1
Job # ZBOPUB1-10-03963
004
Version # 1
Job Description Small Space Newspaper - You Saved My Life - Liz Bleed None Trim 3.75” x 3.5” Live 3.25” x 3”
Document Name
ZBOPUB1-10-03963-004_small_YouSaved-LIz.indd Linked Graphics
Art Director Ancevic Mech Scale None
Copy Writer Mietelski
Print Scale 100%
Proj Mgr Ingram
Stock None
Acct Svc None
Folded Size None
Prod Mgr Curtis
Finishing None
Art Buyer None
Colors Spec’d None
Copy Edit None
Special Instr. None
Mac Sforza
Publications Newspaper
10/7/10 7:00 ΑΜ
A-4O2F0896_V2.psd AClogo_wht.eps USDOTwhite.ai
CONTENT
BY MATT DELANEY
Colors In-Use RGB
702 ppi
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
LO CA L
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Fa l l s C h u r c h
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 19
School News & Notes
WET BASEMENT??? CRACKED WALLS??? We Fix: Basements, Crawlspaces, Cracked/Settling Foundations, Bowing Walls
800 -772-07 04 FREE ESTIM ATES
Serving you since 1972 Call Now! 10% Limited Time Coupon Some Restrictions Apply
IN THE FIRST-EVER MUSTANG RODEO last Friday, students had the chance to take part in over two dozen exciting and diverse activities. These ranged from hands-on workshops like math based modular origami (shown above) to ones on the relevance of IB in college applications, Model UN, script writing, service and therapy dogs, cooking, refugee experience, and Jazzercise Dance Mixx. (Photo: Carol Sly)
Marshall Student Wins Quiz Bowl Player of the Week Alia Wilson, a student at George C. Marshall High School, was selected as the National Academic Quiz Tournament’s High School Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 11. She was the highest scoring individual player at the recent Johns Hopkins Winter Invitational Tournament. Alia and her teammates, Shruthi Bhimaraju, Jonathan Chen, and Anjali Sardana, finished in ninth place with a record of eight wins and three losses – the school’s highest percentilefinish at an NAQT quiz bowl tournament since 2006. “Alia is a true leader and great role model of her teammates,” George Marshall coach Laura Campbell said. “She has been active in quiz bowl throughout her high school career. Alia is a wonderful student to coach and has a bright future ahead of her.”
Marshall Orchestra performs at NOVA-Annandale The George C. Marshall Statesman Sinfonia Orchestra performed a 30-minute concert in the student lounge on Feb. 17 at the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale
Campus as a thank you to faculty and staff. More than 40 faculty, staff and the students’ parents attended the event, including Provost Pam Hilbert. After NOVA IT specialist Howard Treichler — whose daughter is in the orchestra — informed his colleagues about the high school organization’s fundraising efforts last fall, NOVA-Annandale faculty and staff raised $500 to donate to the orchestra. The students performed a short 30-minute concert to thank them for their support. After their performance, the orchestra received a standing ovation.
Longfellow to Compete in National Science Bowl A team of students from Longfellow Middle School is participating in a regional science competition in Newport News, Virginia on Saturday, March 4. The students are competing to reach the middle school National Finals of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s National Science Bowl (NSB). The winner of the regional competition will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Science Bowl
from April 27 to May 1 and the winner of the national competition will win prizes for the team members and their schools. The National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics. Middle and high school student teams from diverse backgrounds are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. These teams face off in a fastpaced question-and-answer format, being tested on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics, energy, and math.
MEH to Debut “Willy Wonka Jr.” Tonight Mary Ellen Henderson Middle school students are set to debut the Willy Wonka Jr. musical tonight. Students went through their first full dress rehearsal last Friday, followed by two more this week, leading up to opening night. The middle school musical runs Thursday through Saturday nights with the doors opening at 6:45 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $10 and are available through the MEH PTA’s website (mehpta.org).
Nothing runs on empty. Especially one in seven Americans who struggle with hunger. Join the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks to help end hunger. Act now at HungerActionMonth.org.
CA L E NDA R
PAGE 20 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
Community Events THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Preschool Storytime. 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). 10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. 703-2485034. Independence Day Gala. Homestretch hosts a celebration of freedom from poverty, abuse, helplessness and homelessness. Includes live auction, music, dessert and dancing. State Theater (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $50. 7 – 11 p.m. Teen Knitting Club. Bring your knitting, crocheting, or other needle arts to work on. This is not a class, but you can troubleshoot and learn new techniques in a group setting. For grades 6-12; registration required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library conference room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8 p.m. 703-2485034.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 F.C. Farmers Market. Vendors offer fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats,
baked goods, plants and wine. City Hall parking lot. (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). Free. 9 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5077. Silk Flower Workshop. Hosted by the Victorian Society, this workshop will relate historical information and introduce several techniques for making ribbon flowers using different kinds of gathered and folded ribbon. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave. Falls Church). $25 per person; some materials provided. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Call 703-534-8394 to register. 7th Annual Barleywine Festival. Join the Mad Fox Brewing Company for the midAtlantic’s largest Barleywine event. Sample more than 30 special and limited edition barleywines from around the region and across the country at the two-day event. Mad Fox Brewing Company (444 West Broad Street, Falls Church). 11 a.m. madfoxbrewing.com.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Mardi Gras Parade. Local business group S.A.L.T. presents City’s first-ever Mardi Gras Parade with beads, floats and
&
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.
live music. Route goes from Brown’s Hardware (100 W Broad St.) to Zoya’s Atelier (260 W Broad St.) 5 – 6 p.m.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 ESL Conversation Group. English as a Second Language Conversation group for adults focusing on English language and American culture. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Conference Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 7 – 8:30 p.m. 703-2485035.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 1-on-1 Computer & Internet Tutoring. Learn how to download eBooks and eMagazines, search the internet, customize email, use social media, word process, and much more. Free personalized session. By appointment. Mary Riley Styles Public Library conference room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. 703-248-5035. Coffee Club at Edward Jones. Hosted by financial advisor
Kevin McFarland, all are welcome for a discussion on current events, the economy and investing in a relaxed, informal setting. Edward Jones (513 W. Broad Street, Suite 110-B, Falls Church). Free. 9 a.m. 703-237-8723. Reading Buddies. Independent readers can practice reading with a teen from George Mason High School. Readers grades K-3rd. Registration Required. Register at the Youth Services Desk by phone 703-248-5034 or in person. Mary Riley Styles Public Library conference room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. 703-248-5034. Great Books Discussion. A “Great Books” discussion concentrated on literary classics (both traditional and modern) meeting at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month from September through May. The book being discussed this week is The Inherited Clock by Elizabeth Bowen. Open to all and no registration required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Conference Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 7 – 9 p.m. 703-248-5035.
Theater Fine Arts THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23
“The Hard Problem.” Tom Stoppard’s newest play follows Hilary, a young psychology researcher at the pres�gious Krohl Ins�tute for Brain Science. As she and her colleagues grapple with the ‘hard problem’ of defining consciousness, a thorny decision from Hilary’s past fuels her controversial stances—and a few suspect choices. Bristling with intellectual energy and searing wit, The Hard Problem explores the difference between our brains and our minds, the nature of belief, and how to reconcile hard science with lived experience. Studio Theatre (1501 14th St NW, Washington, DC). 8 p.m. $20 – $69. Studiotheatre.org
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 “Blues in the Night.” The musical features 26 hot
and torchy numbers that tell of the sweet, sexy and sorrowful experiences three women have with the men who have done them wrong. The interweaving stories are defined through glorious songs from Bessie Smith to Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, and others. Directed by Crea�ve Cauldron’s Ar�s�c Associate, Ma� Conner. Crea�ve Cauldron (410 S Maple Ave., Falls Church). 8 p.m. $20 – $30. crea�vecauldron.org
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Kids in the Kitchen. In its newest play series, Theatre for the Very Young, Encore Stage & Studio presents “Kids in the Kitchen”— starring professional ar�sts who bring kitchen adventures and colorful foods to life, all the while teaching the li�le ones about healthy choices. Recommended for ages 1 and older. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (4000 Lorcom Lane, Arlington).
$10. 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. encorestageva. org
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 “Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing.” James Lapine’s new play with music stars Emmy and Tony Award winner Debra Monk as Mrs. Miller. She can’t sing—but don’t tell her that. Based on the real life story of Elva Miller, this touching and funny portrait offers Monk the role of a life�me as the devoted, warbling songstress whose opera�c, off-key singing became an unlikely pop phenomenon in the 1960s. Take a delectable romp through hits like “Downtown,” “Monday Monday,” “A Hard Day’s Night” and more. Simply irresis�ble, when Mrs. Miller does her thing, it’s so bad—it’s good. Signature Theatre, The Max (4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington). Free. 7 p.m. $40 – $70. Sigtheatre.org
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
CA L E NDA R
live_music&nightlife
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25
E�����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $18 – $30. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. D��� C������ B���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504 A������� S���. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 A����� O’D��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283 T��� S����� ���� C�� C����. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $25. 7:30 p.m.. 703-549-7500 M����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $30. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. C����� L������. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504 T�� L���������. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $18. 9:30 p.m. 703237-0300 T�� D���. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
40 D����� F���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504 B�� T��. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703532-9283 H������ S���������� A C������� F�������. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $29.50. 7:30 p.m.. 703-549-7500 M������ �� H������� M����. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $25 – $30. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. H��� ��� H���� R���� B������ C������ ����. M����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $50 – $100. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. B��� C����-E��� ���� B���� M���� R���� B���. Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8:30 p.m. 703522-8340 S����� S��� B���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504 T�� L���������. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $18. 9:30 p.m. 703237-0300 T���� S���� T���. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 21
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 C������ T������ S���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-2419504 D�� R���. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 4 p.m. 703255-1566. D���� D�������. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m.. 703549-7500 S������� A�����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $20. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. M������ G��� A�� S��� S���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-2419504 G�������� ��� T�� I��� A��������. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m.
B�������. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 G����� S����. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m.. 703-549-7500 S����� J���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504 I��� J�� ��������� �� G����� S�������. Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). 8 p.m. 703-522-8340
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 A������. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $22. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. L������ H��. Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8 p.m. 703-522-8340 W��� B���� J��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. L������� ��� T�� B����’�
G����� S����. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m.. 703-549-7500 L���� S������. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $22. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. B������ S������ ��� V������ S����. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $25 – $27. 8 p.m. 703255-1900. O��� M�� ������ �� A��� P����. Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). 8 p.m. 703-5228340 O��� M�� ���� B�� H��� ��� M����� C�����. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504
P������� A����... Thursday, March 2 – Entrepreneur Express: Moving Your Business Forward – The event, hosted at Falls Church City Hall, is designed to help small business owners take their business to the next level. Workshops provide interac�ve discussions covering key elements of business prac�ces or business topics to move your business forward. Saturday, March 4 – The Struggle Is Real: Mental Health Issues and the Mission of the Church – Church members, pastors, small group leaders, counselors, mental health advocates, coaches, crisis responders, chaplains and more come together at Columbia Bap�st Church (103 West Columbia St., Falls Church) to have a new conversa�on about mental health issues. Saturday, March 11 – Beer 101: Brewery Tour & Tas�ng – Learn all about your favorite cra� beers from produc�on to taste characteris�cs at Mad Fox Brewing Company. Experience the Mad Fox brewery tour & tas�ng with brewers Bill Madden and Ma� Ryan. The $15 �cket price includes a brewery tour with Q & A, a beer sampler hand picked by the brewers themselves, discussion, and bar snack. There are only 20 slots available for each class.
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 22 | FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017
FO O D &D I NI NG
Now Open
Join The Kensington Falls Church at a Job Fair Thursday, March 9 • 10am-5pm 700 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA
H
ave you been searching for an organization with heart? Where you can make a difference in many lives? Where you can grow professionally and personally? Kensington Senior Living has been built upon two key values: a Love for Seniors and a Spirit to Serve. We are looking for individuals who share these values and would like to join our team in Falls Church, where we love and care for our residents as we do our own families.
Now hiring qualified full-time (starting at 30 hours/week) and part-time team members (Health insurance, life insurance, other benefits and generous paid time off for full-time positions)
Care Managers (CNAs) Care Supervisors (CNAs) Licensed Professional Nurses (LPNs) Wellness Nurses (LPNs and RNs) Activities Coordinators Concierges Dining Coordinators Utility Staff
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Cooks Prep Cooks Servers Maintenance Assistant Housekeepers Porters Drivers Laundry Attendants
WITH LOCKED DOORS AND SIGNS REMOVED, the Falls Church location of Famous Dave’s was shuttered Monday. (Photo: Nick Gatz)
Famous Dave’s Closes, Liberty Tavern Group Taking Over Space by Jody Fellows
Falls Church News-Press
Falls Church’s Famous Dave’s has served its last rack of ribs. In a surprise to many around town, the Little City location of the barbecue restaurant shuttered suddenly Monday, with locked doors, signage removed and a terse message on the door. The closing was so surprisingly abrupt, Falls Church’s Andrew Acosta Band, who regularly played at the restaurant and was scheduled to appear there Tuesday, only learned of the shutter on Monday and had to relocate its show at the last minute to Clare & Don’s Beach Shack. Famous Dave’s opened in 2011 in the former Original Pancake
House location space at Broadale Village Shopping Center on W. Broad St. A note, taped to window of the restaurant on Monday, simply read “This location is now closed. Thank you for your business,” along with a website to find its other locations. City of Falls Church sources confirmed to the News-Press that the restaurant group that includes Arlington’s The Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall and the City’s upcoming Northside Social coffee house — now in construction at the former Blue and Gray building — filed papers with the Planning Department Wednesday to take over the Famous Dave’s space. Sources tell the News-Press the group has plans for a new barbecue concept in its place.
7 0 3 . 9 9 2 . 9 8 6 8 | w w w. T h e K e n s i n g t o n F a l l s C h u rc h . c o m I n f o r m a t i o n C e n t e r : 1 2 1 2 We s t B ro a d S t re e t , F a l l s C h u rc h , VA 2 2 0 4 6
For immediate consideration or more details, email FallsChurchCareers@KensingtonSL.com or call 703-992-9868.
EVEN TEXTERS AND DRIVERS HATE TEXTERS AND DRIVERS. STOPTEXTSSTOPWRECKS.ORG
KNOW FOR SURE
IF YOUR CHILD IS IN THE RIGHT CAR SEAT.
FO O D &D I NI NG
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
‘Eating in the Middle’ Offers Guide to Balance
Creamy Farro With White Beans & Kale • 1 cup dry farro • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth • 1 bay leaf • 1 (15-oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained • 2 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (about ½ cup) • 3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese • 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil • 8 oz. portobello mushroom caps, stems and
BY ILEANA MORALES VALENTINE TAMPA BAY TIMES
In my own efforts to eat mostly wholesome meals in the past several months, one book kept showing up on my kitchen counter. Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook is a slim book, with 80 recipes for everyday eating, including the weekend splurges and special occasions that tend to come along. It was written by Andie Mitchell, 32, a bestselling author who has written a memoir about obesity, weight loss and her struggles with food called “It Was Me All Along” and who blogs at andiemitchell.com. She wrote this cookbook as a way to talk about how she eats after losing more than 100 pounds. Each recipe comes with a sidebar offering nutritional information, but this is not a diet book. Lasagna is here, even if it is petite. There are cookies, pie and an essay on why she is no longer willing to live without cake. With moderation as her guide to keep things in balance, nothing is off the table for Mitchell. The 745-calorie-per-
the
gills removed, sliced into ½-inch pieces • 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (about ¼ cup) • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 1 small bunch kale, leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped) • ½ tsp. salt • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper • 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the farro, broth and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the grains are tender but still chewy, about 30 minutes. 2. Stir the beans into the hot grains. Add the Gruyere and
slice fluffernutter-inspired pie is certainly intended to be a rare treat, but several other recipes make a case for moderation and enjoying great food without sacrifice. To make a sweet potato curry with cauliflower and chickpeas, she prefers to use a smaller amount of full-fat coconut milk, a much more luscious ingredient than the light coconut milk called for in some other lightened-up curry recipes. A little goes a long way, according to Mitchell.
presents
This is also true in the creamy farro recipe that is now a staple weeknight dinner in my house. (The turnover rate of bags of farro in my pantry now matches that of rice.) This page in the book is dotted with stains from the grease on my fingertips after grating cheese to add to the pot. It’s just a few ounces of Gruyere and Parmesan, just enough to play off the creaminess of the cooked farro. I would’ve thought I needed more cheese, but now I know I don’t. The addition of grated zucchini to turkey breakfast patties brings
5th Annual
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 23
Parmesan cheeses and stir until melted. Cover to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes, then stir and cook until browned and tender on the other side, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the mushrooms to a warm plate. 4. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet along with the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. 5. Stir the kale, mushrooms and parsley into the farro and beans and serve immediately. Serves 4. Source: Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook by Andie Mitchell
moisture that is lacking from the lean meat and does double duty by adding in a vegetable. It’s a clever move. Mitchell believes in eating a big salad each day, and it’s easy to get on the same page with the vibrant salads she offers up. The classic bagel-and-lox combination gets reinterpreted on a plate with pumpernickel crisps and thin slices of lox draped over greens dressed in an herb-flecked yogurt dressing. A chopped salad with spiced chickpeas and creamy tahini-tarragon dressing hits all the right notes. It is wholly satisfying,
a go-to meal whether lunch is at home or packed up for work. Avid home cooks who keep up with healthful recipe trends may be less impressed to see her recipes for kale chips or overnight oats, though her take on the oats, with a blood orange-mint salsa, is beautiful. Except for the chapter on shared recipes, most of the recipes in the book serve four people. Though dinner most nights means feeding just my husband and myself, I’m a fan of leftovers. So is Mitchell.
What’s “Pho” Dinner?
$20 will get you a delicious and healthy dinner for two at any of Eden Center’s 25 restaurants.
You’ll have to eat it to belie-viet!
Little City. Big Eats. FCRestaurantWeek.com
PAGE 24 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A SCENE FROM CREATIVE CAULDRON’S “Blues in the Night” with (left to right) Katie McManus, Iyona Blake, Clifton Walker III
‘Blues in the Night’ Rocks F.C.’s Cauldron
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Falls Church’s Creative Cauldron, glowing from the four Helen Hayes Award nominations racked up earlier this month, has drawn sold out audiences for almost all its productions of the steamy, torchy, sexy and energetic musical ensemble production, “Blues in the Night,” at the ArtSpace Falls Church, which runs through March 5. The show has been delighting enthusiastic audiences with 26 famous and beloved blues classics acted out in stylish combinations by its four vocalists: Iyona Blake, nominated for a Hayes Award for best actress in a musical for her leading role in the Cauldron’s production of Tony Kushner’s “Caroline, or Change,” Katie McManus, Raquel GregoryJennings and Clifton Walker III. Their offerings are backed by the musical team of Walter “Bobby” McCoy, Dana Gardner, Cyndy Elliott and Jim Hoffman. The Cauldron’s principal house talent, Matt Conner, directed the show. The songs of Bessie Smith dominate the program with seven selections, while Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer and a plethora of other greats are also featured. The show kicks off with Smith’s “Blue Blues” and Willard
Robison’s “Four Walls (and One Dirty Window) Blues,” and the energy only builds from there. The second half culminates with Harold Arlen and Ted Kohhler’s “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues.” Laura Hull, the Cauldron’s producing director, wrote in the program that this journey from the Jazz Age of the 1920s through jazz’s evolution during the 30s and 40s features a “decidedly female voice.” This evolution was led by Smith, known as the “Empress of the Blues,” Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter, Ida Cox, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. “Instead of the idealized and saccharine love that coursed through popular white music of that time,” Hull wrote, “these black women delivered the bold truth, singing songs of unfaithful lovers, domestic abuse and unleashed sexual freedom.” Blake’s rich and powerful expressions of love sought and love lost were complimented by the equally impassioned songs by McManus. The two performers have a long list of credits for performances in the D.C. area, including regular participation in Cauldron shows, while Gregory-Jennings and Walker are making their Cauldron debuts. Gregory-Jennings’ rich voice has also been featured in operatic and Broadway-style efforts such as “Aida” and “Porgy and Bess.”
PLAYERS IN MCLEAN HIGH SCHOOL’S performance of “The Children’s Hour,” (left to right) Amanda Flores, Delaney Bottorff, Rachel Kulp, Carenna Slotkoff (on bench) and Ariana Colder. (P����: S����� M�C�������)
Cappies’ Review of McLean High School’s ‘The Children’s Hour’
BY LYDIA GOMPPER
GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL
A malicious little girl and a vicious lie: in McLean High School’s production of “The Children’s Hour,” that’s all it takes to destroy two innocent lives. Penned by American playwright Lillian Hellman, “The Children’s Hour” premiered on Broadway in 1934, garnering a widely positive reception despite its thencontroversial content. Based on the true story of an 1810 Scottish court case, the play tells the tale of two schoolmistresses, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, who are accused by an angry, manipulative student of having an affair. The lie is spread throughout the community, inflicting irreparable damage upon the women’s relationships and lives. Still relevant more than eighty years after its publication, the show deals with eternal themes such as the pervasiveness of gossip and terrible power of shame. The students of McLean High School have produced an emotionally striking production of this weighty show, adeptly handling its topical maturity with a finesse beyond their limited years. The cast ably executed the play’s quick dialogue, maintaining firm pacing, and successfully depicted the wide age range of the characters. Every school girl on stage was believably childlike. The production’s success rest-
ed firmly on the capable shoulders of leading ladies Jordan Prather and Anna Kate Womack (Martha Dobie and Karen Wright, respectively). Prather’s portrayal of the tormented Dobie showed impressive flexibility, as she seamlessly moved between righteous anger after first hearing the rumors, to a soft sadness and faux-cheerfulness in her treatment of Karen after losing their court case for slander. However, it was her ultimate breakdown that most stood out, offering the audience a jolt of fierce emotion as she desperately admitted her true feelings for Karen. Womack, meanwhile, most stood out in the play’s final act, as the show reached its peak of intensity. Her expressionless, numb reaction to Martha’s ultimate death was viscerally striking. Other onstage standouts included freshman Rachel Kulp as Mary Tilford, the sociopathic puppetmaster schoolgirl who formulates a clever lie to keep herself from having to return to school after running away. Kulp delivered perfectly ferocious cruelty and darkness in her character’s harsh treatment of her fellow students, while ably executing the transition to Tilford’s veneer of childish innocence in front of the adult characters. She maintained a balance of kiddishness and evil that was bonechillingly creepy. Other performers who made notable impressions included Amanda Flores, whose
portrayal of Mary’s easily influenced schoolmate Rosalie Wells was perfectly pitiable, and Joey Barth, who offered a solid, likeable interpretation of Karen’s rational fiance Dr. Joseph Cardin. This production’s strengths were not limited to its onstage artists but certainly included the play’s technical elements. Senior Jared Jacknow’s original music compositions added a daunting, horror-movie-like eeriness to the show’s set changes, mixing a juvenile lullaby melody with a dramatic undertone that highlighted the damage that a young girl could do to two adult women. The music worked symbiotically with the show’s lighting, also designed by Jared Jacknow, to underscore the show’s sinister undercurrent. Meanwhile, the production’s design teams executed the play’s 1930s aesthetic superbly, from the period costumes to every thoughtfully selected detail of the rotating set. McLean High School’s production of “The Children’s Hour” was poignant and thought-provoking. With a remarkably skilled cast and crew, the show was tragically moving, pushing its audience to consider the implications of falsehood, cruelty, and self-hatred. It was a true dramatic accomplishment. The Cappies is a writing and awards program that trains high school theatre and journalism students to be expert writers, critical thinkers, and leaders.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
SENIOR LIVING
S����� N��� L���
Yes, You Need a Hobby BY MATLIDA CHARLES
KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
Hobbies can help keep us physically and mentally fit, and there are plenty of them to choose from. If you’ve recently retired, you might not even know where to begin. Here are some ideas to get you started. For the physically active, explore outdoor photography, yoga, woodworking, metal detecting, ballroom dance, golf or indoor swimming at the Y. While you’re there, check out the Y’s offering of fitness classes for seniors. For those who’d rather sit at a table or computer, those boxes of memorabilia will give you plenty of items to begin your own scrapbook. (Add stories and poetry, or photos to pass down to the next family generations.) Try online chess or other games for brain stretching. Start a collection, or expand one you
dabbled at before, such as coins or stamps. Consider ham radio, and talk to the world. Even if you don’t think you can paint or draw, taking a class will give you a start. (Remember that Georgia O’Keeffe painted into her 90s.) Writing a daily or weekly blog post on an online forum of your own can give you a voice to express your opinions. Stories, poetry or even a novel are at your fingertips. Take a computer class that will teach you how to create and save files, if that’s where you need to begin. Still don’t know where to start? Make a list of things that interest you and expand from there. If you’re good at sewing or painting, see if your skills are needed by the local theater group. If a line-dance class sounds good, try that. If you’ve going to travel, take a foreignlanguage class. Bonus: You don’t have to limit yourself to one hobby. For
SE NI O R LI V I NG the most fun, combine active and sitting activities. *** There’s a reason Medicare gives you seven whole months — three months before and after the month of your 65th birthday — to get signed up: It can take every bit of that time. Starting six months or so before you reach age 65, your mailbox will be filled with envelopes from places that want your business. Open them and at least review the details. By the time you make a decision, you’ll have gone through a lot of information. Better to have taken it all in small bites. Here’s a breakdown: • Advantage plans: An Advantage plan takes the place of original Medicare. All Advantage plans have to follow Medicare guidelines. Some will offer extras like vision and dental. Compare your co-pays, coinsurance and deductibles. Look at the cost of your drugs with each plan. • Supplement plans: Here’s where it gets tricky. There are 10 different plans, named A through N. Each covers a different level of care. Each has a different
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 25
out-of-pocket limit. Each has a different monthly premium. If you’re considering a supplement plan, spend a lot of time reviewing your options, and make comparison notes to help you decide. • Drug plans: This also is tricky. If you’re only on one inexpensive drug at the moment, it’s tempting to assume you’ll always be only on that drug. Consider the future (or at last the next year) and balance the monthly premium cost versus the possibility of needing a more expensive drug, versus
co-pays, versus what each plan will cover. For help sorting out the plans, you can call Medicare at 1-800633-4227 or your state’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), www.shiptacenter.org, which will counsel you for free. Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.
Walk-In Clinic at
920 West Broad Street Falls Church 703-538-1505
HOURS:
Weekdays (except Tue) ---> 9 am to 8 pm Saturday ---> 10 am to 6 pm Closed
---> Tue & Sun
No appointment Necessary Most Insurances Accepted
DIGNITY. SECURITY. FRIENDSHIP.
VINSON HALL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY Vinson Hall Retirement Community is a nonprofit CCRC located in convenient McLean, VA and offers independent residential living for military officers, their immediate family, and select government employees of equal rank. Arleigh Burke Pavilion Assisted Living and The Sylvestery Memory Support Assisted Living do not require military affiliation.
VINSON HALL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY supported by Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation 6251 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA 22101
Please Visit Us at www.vinsonhall.org 703-536-4344
PAGE 26 | FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
®
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 27
Fa l l s C h u r c h
Business News & Notes Free Reptile Program at Doodlehopper Sunday Doodlehopper 4 Kids is hosting Reptiles Alive! on Sunday, February 26 at 1 p.m. Attend the free event and learn all about reptiles and other critters that live in your backyard. Doodlehopper 4 Kids is located at 234 W. Broad Street. For more information, visit www.doodlehopper.com.
Arc of NoVa to Host Next F.C. Chamber Mixer The Arc of Northern Virginia is hosting a networking mixer for the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, February 28, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Chamber members, friends of the business community, and those who would like to learn more about The Arc of Northern Virginia’s advocacy and the services they provide to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their families, are welcome to attend this free event. Refreshments will be provided. The event will take place in the Arc’s offices at 2755 Hartland Road, Falls Church. To RSVP, contact Howard Stregack at hstregack@thearcofnova.org or 703-208-1119, ext. 102.
Entrepreneur Event from City, Chamber & Va. Small Biz Department The City of Falls Church’s Economic Development Office and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce are partnering with the Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity to present Entrepreneur Express: Moving your Business Forward on Thursday, March 2 from 9 a.m. – noon. The free half day seminar will address business planning, social media marketing, and financing. The event, taking place at Falls Church City Hall, is free but registration is required at www.fallschurchva.gov/FreeSeminar. Falls Church City Hall is located at 300 Park Avenue.
Follow Us Online
twitter.com/fcnp
facebook.com/fallschurchcity
Real Estate Happy Hour to Focus on 1st-Time Home Buyers Advon Real Estate is hosting “Secrets and Success Tips for First Time Home Buyers Happy Hour” on Wednesday, March 1 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Mad Fox Brewing Company. Advon Real Estate industry leaders will help attendees learn how to make an offer to purchase a new home that stands out from competitors’. The event is free. Mad Fox Brewing Company is located at 444 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For more information on Advon Real Estate, visit advonre.com.
Call now: 800-996-5135
Va. Tech & UMd. Offering Couples Workshop Virginia Tech and University of Maryland are offering a free local program for couples to develop healthy relationships and attain economic stability. Couples participate in a workshop (four to eight couples together) where they learn skills to manage everyday stress and stress related to money, to discuss money problems and solve them together, and to manage their finances better. Additionally, employment support services are provided if needed and a case manager helps couples connect to services for other areas of need in their families (e.g., housing, food, educational, medical, etc.). Couples receive gift cards up to $280 for survey completion, participation in needs’ assessment, and workshop attendance. Some child care is available. The next set of workshops begin March 2. For more information, call 1-877-432-1669 or visit www.togetherprogram.org.
Many F.C. Businesses Participating in Mardi Gras Parade Several downtown Falls Church businesses are participating in a Mardi Gras parade on Sunday, February 26 from 5 – 6 pm. The parade, put on by S.A.L.T., a group of Falls Church business owners, will start in front of Brown’s Hardware and run two blocks, ending at Zoya’s Atelier. Acme Pie Company, Art and Frame of Falls Church, Bikenetic, Blair’s Towing, Cafe Kindred, Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, Dogwood Tavern, Elevation Burger, Erik M. Pelton & Associates, FC Arts, Galleria Florist, Integrity Tire & Auto Repair, Lazy Sundae, Local Market, Mike’s Deli, Polu Kai Services, Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, Rock Star Realtor Tori McKinney and Sislers Stone are among the participants that will march down the 100 and 200 blocks of W. Broad Street, which will be closed for the event, on Sun, Feb 26 from 5 – 6 pm. 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.
Refinancing now could save you thousands LendingTree Can Help You Refinance Just as you would shop around for your home, it's equally as important to shop around for your home loan – whether you're a first-time buyer or are looking to refinance your existing loan. At LendingTree, we make it easy by doing the shopping foryou. By comparing lenders and having them compete for your business, you're certain to get the best rate possible on your mortgage refinance. The better your rate, the lower your payment will be and the more money you will save over the life of your loan.
Benefits of Refinancing Lower your interest rate Lower your monthly payment Adjust your loan term Convert a variable rate to a fixed rate Take cash (equity) out of your home
Call LendingTree at 800-996-5135 to get multiple offers, and speak with our network of top lenders today NMLS #1136
PAGE 28 | FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017
HOME IMPROVEMENT
CLEANING SERVICES
House Cleaning Service
All repairs, plumbing, drywall, doors, windows, rotted wood, siding, gutters, lighting + more FREE estimates, insured Call Doug (703)556-4276
www.novahandyman.com
ACCLAIMED CARPET CLEANING
JOSEPH HOME IMPROVEMENT
5 Rooms Deep Cleaned: $135 Carpet Stretching 24/7 Emergency Water Damage We Clean the White House AcclaimedWaterDamage.com
Call Mike 703-978-2270
Drywall • Paint Exterior / Interior, Bath & Kitchen Remodeling, Basements, Ceramic Tile, Deck, Fences. Patios, Electric, Plumbing, Clean Garage, All Kinds of Hauling. Joseph www.josephhomeimprovements.com Joselozada27@yahoo.com Licensed & Cell 703-507-5005 Insured Work Tel 703-507-8300
www.beatsonlaw.com
Drive with Uber. Get 10% off labor with this ad [must be presented at first consultation]
fcnp.com classads@fcnp.com
703-892-8648
R
rbeatsonatty@netscape.com
since 1985
www.acleaningserviceinc.com
OTHER SERVICES
Attorney/Accountant, Former IRS Attorney All Federal, State, Local & Foreign Taxes Admitted to DC, MD, VA & NY Bars 703-798-3590 or 301-340-2951
A Cleaning Service Insured, Bonded and Licensed Independently owned Commercial & Residential
PRO SERVICES
Robert Beatson II
Handyman Service
Available 7 days a week Weekly - By Weekly - Monthly or by Time Move Out - Move In • 14 years Experience Good References • Senior Discount For Further Information: Call Susy • Cell (703) 901-0596
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
No experience is required, but you’ll need a Smartphone. It’s fun and easy. For more information, call
800-813-9870
C L AS S I F I E DS Cemetery Plots TWO CEMETERY PLOTS at National Memorial Park. Includes 2 Interment rights, 2 custom built Vaults and one Companion Bronze Memorial with Vase (13” x 44”) – Current Value $16,017. Make Offer at Boyden930@verizon.net
For Sale HOUSE FOR SALE 5729 Norton Road Alexandria Virginia 22303 $472,740 Phone: 202-742-7290 or 703-582-7150 Senate Realty Corporation 909 U Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 FAIR HOUSING & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REALTOR
Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The Falls Church City Council will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard, on Monday, February 27, 2017 to consider the following: (TR17-03) RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE 2005 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO REPLACE CHAPTER 1 “INTRODUCTION AND VISION” WITH “FALLS CHURCH 2040” The City of Falls Church Comprehensive Plan serves as a guide for all aspects of planning and development. Chapter 1 of the Comprehensive Plan provides an overarching picture of what the City wants to be over the next 25 years. The Chapter was last updated in 2005. The updated Chapter, “Falls Church 2040”, will incorporate a vision statement for the City and will reflect community values and changes to the City and the region that have taken place since the last update. More information regarding the update of Comprehensive Plan Chapter 1 and the public engagement process through which
it was developed is available at www. fallschurchva.gov/vision or at the Development Services office in City Hall, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711). CELESTE HEATH CITY CLERK
Request for Proposals (RFP) RFP No. 0309-17-FOW – Food & Organic Waste Composting Services City Of Falls Church Sealed proposals will be accepted by the City of Falls Church at the Purchasing Office, 300 Park Ave., Room 300E, Falls Church, VA 22046 for the provision of Food & Organic Waste Collection, Hauling and Processing Services The due date for the receipt of sealed proposals is March 9, 2017 by 11:00 AM. A copy of the RFP which include all details and requirements may be downloaded from the City of Falls Church’s procurement website: http://www.fallschurchva. gov/Bids . In addition, a copy of the RFPs may be accessed via eVA, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s electronic procurement portal for registered suppliers: https://eva. virginia.gov. For more information and/or questions regarding this RFP contact the City’s Purchasing Agent at (703) 248-5007; purchasing@ fallschurchva.gov. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703 248-5007 (TTY 711).
classads@fcnp.com
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given first reading by the City Council on January 23, 2017; and second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Monday, February 27, 2017 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO17-02) ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE TO NEAL C. NICHOLS OF APPROXIMATELY 7,588 SQUARE FEET OF CITY-OWNED RIGHT OF WAY FROM HILLWOOD AVENUE This ordinance ratifies an Agreement of Sale and approves the sale of a portion of right-of-way. The Agreement of Sale is for a portion of the Hillwood Ave. right-of-way adjacent to the property at 357 S. Washington St. As required by City Code, the Planning Commission has determined that the sale is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and recommends the sale. In exchange for the sale, the owner agrees to: pay the City $614,628; enter into an agreement to improve and maintain the property; and provide, at no cost to the City, access easements for future streetscape improvements along Annandale Rd., utility easements for the undergrounding of utilities along S. Washington St. and Hillwood Ave., and temporary construction easements along Hillwood Ave. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
The ordinance referenced below was given first reading by the City Council on February 13, 2017; and second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Monday, February 27, 2017 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO17-03) ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE [1963] REGARDING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, AMENDING SECTION 2 AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM FUNDS This ordinance to would amend the FY2017 CIP to increase the appropriation for the GMHS/ MEHMS School Campus Planning project by $200,000; appropriate $15,000 received as a voluntary concession from the Lincoln at Tinner Hill development to be used towards the bus shelter project; transfer $400,000 from the Bridges program to Non-Commercial Areas program; and de-allocate $240,000 from the Downtown POA program and $160,000 from the W&OD Trail Improvement project because of a denied grant applications. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).
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.
CELESTE HEATH CITY CLERK
CELESTE HEATH CITY CLERK
fcnp.com
fcnp.com
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
By David Levinson Wilk 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
27
28
29
36
35
30 37
40
31
32
33
34
38
43
45 49
44 47
46
53
13
41
42
52
12
24
26
39
11
22
21 23
25
10
48
50
54
51 55
56
57
58
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
© 2017 David Levinson Wilk
Across
1. Outburst from Scrooge
59
1. Outburst from Scrooge 4. Spanish girlfriend 9. Beginning of a Flintstones cry 14. Big name in electronics 15. Home inspector's concern 16. Like a smooth-running machine 17. His 2016 obituary in the New York Times featured the headline "Titan of Boxing and the 20th Century" 18. Reward for Fido 19. Thou 20. "Su-ure!" 23. Bake sale purchase 24. Age-determining stat. 25. Monopoly square with bars 27. HBO alternative 30. Northwest airport named for two cities 35. Walk all over 36. A FedEx driver may have one 38. ____ Island 39. "No-o!" 42. Prepare to drive a golf ball 43. "You could ____ pin drop!" 44. Uno + due 45. Available for breeding 47. Whiskey type 48. Spike Lee's "____ Gotta Have It" 49. Guest book, e.g. 51. Repeating film snippet online 52. "He's Ba-ack!" 60. Westernmost of the major Hawaiian islands 61. Light ____ 62. 007 creator Fleming
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 29
DOWN
1. Playtex products 2. Free speech advocacy grp. 3. Top secrets? 4. Shaw of 1930s-'40s swing 5. "Vivir Mi Vida" singer Anthony 6. Notion 7. World Cup highlight 8. On edge 9. Sports legend with a museum dedicated to him in Little Falls, New Jersey that boasts "We're open 'til we close" 10. "If it ____ broke ..." 11. Group of like-minded voters 12. "Little Women" woman 13. Citrus drink 21. Scott-Heron who wrote "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" 22. How-____ (books for handy types) 25. Ruling group after a coup 26. To date 27. "... or ____ thought" 28. Grant for filmmaking? 29. Neither this nor that 31. Reaction to a foot rub 32. One heavily invested in canines? 33. Love to pieces 34. Hands over
CHUCKLE BROS BRIAN & RON BOYCHUK
4. Spanish girlfriend
36. Like the fragrance of the corpse flower 37. Site with the option "Shop by category" 40. Fanatic 41. ____-Ida (frozen potato brand) 46. "And how!" 48. Bro or sis 50. Down Under greetings 51. Illustrator Edward whose last name is a homophone of an adjective that describes some of his works 52. Tempo 53. Like line jumpers 54. Grub 55. Morales of "Criminal Minds" 56. Passage blockers 57. Actors Robbins and Allen 58. Motel employee 59. No ifs, ____ or buts 60. Airline whose name is consecutive letters of the alphabet
63. High-definition tube, for short 64. "I rock!" 65. Free (of) 66. Reagan attorney general Ed 67. Spacek of "Carrie" 68. NFL lengths: Abbr.
9. Beginning of a Flintstones cry
M A C L A A C T I C H A N M A K E E R E S T R E A G E T I R A S N A S A VE S E T
Sudoku Level:
14. Big name in electronics
Last Thursday’s Solution P I E D
1
2
3
A C R O
L E I A
E X H I B I T A
E S T T E S K S L I O A N W M P D O W S H T O S A
T T Y L
C O R E
I N T R O
N I T
G A N T E S T
M R I O S M D A N O N E D Y A L E L S T A E C C R E O N I L I N A T T Y O
I M A C
D A R R S E
I D O T O
N O V E L
G E E S E
G E A R
H U C K
T P K E
DANCE
By The Mepham Group 4
15. Home inspector's concern 16. Like a smooth-running machine 17. His 2016 obituary in the New York Times featured the headline "Titan of Boxing and the 20th Century" 18. Reward for Fido 19. Thou 20. "Su-ure!"
1
23. Bake sale purchase 24. Age-determining stat.
LOOSE PARTS
25. Monopoly square with bars
DAVE BLAZEK
27. HBO alternative Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
NICK KNACK
© 2017 N.F. Benton
1
2/26/17
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.
© 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
LO CA L
PAGE 30 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Critter Corner
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
20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press Falls Church News-Press Vol. VI, No. 50 • February 27, 1997
It is no the timw e for g o all o cows d to go to the aid of the pa stu ir re. *** **
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVI, No. 51 • February 22, 2007
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
Douglas Speaks Out on Dignan Charges
F.C. Mayor Urges ‘Full Steam Ahead’ On Atlantic Realty’s City Center Plan
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Falls Church Citizens Organization Sunday, Falls Church School Board member Jason Douglas spelled out a pointby-point response to charges against the Board made by Former Superintendent Patricia Dignan in a recent statement in the News-Press.
Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner urged a “full steam ahead” for advancing the approval process Tuesday after Atlantic Realty developers provided the public its first direct look at plans to launch its component of the City’s downtown redevelopment effort.
SHELTER PET & GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED PIANIST
FALLS CHURCH’S FELICIA SCHWENK, an apprentice rehabber with the Wildlife Resuce League, sent us this photo of an orphan baby squirrel fed by an area Wildlife Rescue League rehabilitator. The League is offering an “Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation” class this Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. More information can be found by contacing wrl@wildliferescueleague.org or at wildliferescueleague.org. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
Amazing stories start in shelters and rescues. Adopt today to start yours. KEYBOARD CAT 8M+ YouTube Views
Just a few hours of your time can make a big difference. Together, with our nationwide community of volunteers, you can help the Feeding America network of food banks end hunger. Pledge to volunteer at your local food bank. FeedingAmerica.org/Pledge
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2017 | PAGE 31
Now Available at One More Page Books! 2200 North Westmoreland Street #101, Arlington
To order online, visit FCNP.com/frontpages1
PAGE 32 | FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 1, 2017
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Open Sunday 2-4pm
Open Sunday 2-4pm
Coming Soon
204 N Underwood St | Falls Church City
1736 N. Queens Ln, #196 | Arlington
4 BD/3 BA Cape in Broadmont. Much larger than it appears with updated kitchen and baths on 3 finished levels. Large lot and beautiful screened in porch. Walk to Metro and FCC Schools! Offered at $850,000
Fabulous 5 BD/3.5 BA home in Broadmont. Updates throughout, spacious rooms on 3 finished levels. Steps to Metro and FCC schools! Offered at $1,350,000
Lovely 1 BD/1 BA condo located in Colonial Village! Walk to 2 Metros; close to shopping, restaurants, and entertainment! Offered at $276,000
1006 Broadmont Terr | Falls Church City
Louise Molton Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com
10230 Confederate Lane | Fairfax
Lovely renovated split level in Mosby Woods. Featuring 4 BD/2.5 BA, Updated kitchen and baths. Neighborhood Pool! Offered at $525,000
SOLD
More homes Coming Soon in Falls Church City and nearby. Call TODAY for more information! Falls Church City resident and local business owner. Real Estate expert right here in our community for more than 10 years. Call Louise for all your real estate needs!
Coming Soon
SOLD Multip le Offers
305 Buxton Road | Falls Church City
Wonderful renovated mid-century modern home featuring 4 BD/3 BA on large private lot steps to EFC Metro. Offered at $1,050,000
309 Lincoln Avenue | Falls Church City
Sold before Listing! Adorable 3 BD/2.5 BA cottage
with exceptional yard and beautifully renovated. Light and Bright with vintage charm and modern updates! Steps to the bike trail and Metro. Offered at $750,000
710 W Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046 ~ 703-596-5303 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
ÂŽ
REALTOR
Contact Bethany for all your real estate needs.
Desperately Seeking Licensed in VA & DC
Historic or architecturally interesting older house in Falls Church City for DC Family anxious to move to our Little City. Three plus bedroooms, space for office, spacious yard for kids to play. Price - $900,000 to $1,800,000 depending on size and condition. If you are considering selling now or in the foreseeable future, Please call Merelyn at 703 362 1112 to arrange a private showing.
Merelyn and Karin Kaye, Realtors - Selling Falls Church since 1970 There is no substitute for experience
1355 Beverly Rd Ste 109 McLean, VA 22101
Are you ready to buy or sell in 2017?
Contact Bethany for the answers to all of 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
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
3235 Valley Lane Falls Church 22044
FOR SALE
SOLD STRICTLY AS-IS Lovely large lot. $749,000
PRICE PERFECTED
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. Price perfected $729,000
2230 George C Marshall #309 Falls Church VA 22043
OPEN SUNDAY 2-4PM
2BR/2BA beautiful and open floor plan! Granite, SS, hardwood floors. Close to parking, year round pool & tennis courts. Super convenient to 495, 66 and Metro. Shuttle bus takes riders to WFC Metro from condo building front door! $358,900
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.