Feb r u ar y 2 5 - M a rc h 2, 2016
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d ed 1991 • Vol. X X V I N o. 1
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week New City of F.C. HR Director Named
The City of Falls Church has announced that Dianne Lowther has been named the new human resources director for the City. Lowther replaces longtime HR director Richard Parker who retired last November after 30 years of service. See News Briefs, page 9
Police Investigate Homicide in F.C.
The Fairfax County Police Department have identified a homicide victim found in a Falls Church apartment as 35-yearold Babtunde Fadahunsi, who was found with a gunshot wound shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
F.C. Council Focuses on Urgency of ‘Getting Stuff Done’ It’s Already OK’d R efugee A id Frustration Surfaces At Council’s Annual Planning Retreat
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
out. The Wall Street-driven trend that dominated American retail up until 2008 is no longer operative, he said. That trend involved Wall Street pushing major retailers to massively overextend their reach with big box stores far greater in number than their returns actually merited. But the combination of the
The theme of the Falls Church City Council’s planning retreat last weekend was “Powerful Responsibilities/Magnificent Opportunities,” but the focus of the seven Council members was zeroed in on less than “powerful” or “magnificent” results at the meeting. Instead, they want the City staff to get on with making what Mayor David Tarter called the “simple little things” that, he said, “Would get a lot of bang for the buck.” There was a general sense expressed by the Council members that it has been taking too long for even their modest initiatives to get translated into results. Tarter’s comment at the outset of the five-hour meeting, “We need to find a way to get things done in a concrete fashion,” resonated throughout the day. Their concerns were for things like the long-discussed downtown streetscape improvements, including additional bike racks and new bus stops (with electronic signs to notify passengers when the buses are due to arrive), and other amenities to make the downtown area more pedestrian friendly, more walkable and bikeable. “Things are primed to happen, and the public interest and political will are here. But there needs to be a sense of urgency,” Councilman Phil Duncan said. “We need to have things happen faster,” Councilman Dan Sze added. (However, while it is hard to imagine that something as simple as a bus stop would inflame some neighborhood enmity, but apparently that is the case in the one planned for W. Broad Street in front
Continued on Page 5
Continued on Page 4
See News Briefs, page 9
David Brooks: 3 Views of Marriage
Two years ago the Northwestern University psychologist Eli Finkel had an article in The New York Times describing how marriage is polarizing. See page 12
Press Pass with Blackalicious
When Blackalicious released Imani, Vol. 1, their first album in just over a decade, in September 2015 many in the media hailed it as their return from a ten-year hiatus. But the group never stopped touring or playing shows. See page 25
FALLS CHURCH MAYOR David Tarter (right) is shown in Istanbul, Turkey presenting coats and blankets to child refugees earlier this month. Tarter was part of a delegation of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, whose participating jurisdictions collected the vital aid to the countless Syrian refugees who have fled to Turkey. (See News Briefs, page 9). (Photo: News-Press)
Expert Cautions F.C. on What To Expect in New Retail Times by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.11-11 Comment......... 12-15 Business News....19 Calendar.........20-21
Food & Dining......23 Sports..................26 Classified Ads .....28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........29 Critter Corner.......30
A noted expert on retail and development trends brought a challenging message to the City of Falls Church last Sunday that included insights into a forwardthinking approach that may determine what will work for the City’s accelerating downtown commercial and residential growth. Bruce Leonard, a managing
principal leading the architecture and urban design studio for the cutting-edge Bethesda-based Streetsense told a large gathering under the auspices of the Falls Church League of Women Voters Sunday that the nation is currently undergoing “the most transformative shift in retail in 100 years.” Grasping this, the trends it represents, and moving ahead with working solutions will be vital to future success, Leonard spelled
PAGE 2 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 3
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PAGE 4 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
City Council Presses for Results Continued from Page 1
of the imminent Harris Teeter. Neighbors behind the site, in the Winter Hill Homeowners Association, are objecting even though the entire bulk of the new building buffers it from that proposed bus stop.) Many of the small improvements discussed Saturday have already been approved by the City Council and the funds allocated, making them really just a matter of getting on with it. Things like better signalization along West Broad (Rt. 7) and the addition of some left turn lanes were raised at the Council Saturday meeting held in the library of the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (amid books like one entitled, “My Teacher Is an Alien”). Also annoying Council members is the lack of closure on some impending issues like the library and City Hall renovations, if there are to be such, new parking projects, the disposition of the nowuncertain Mt. Daniel Elementary’s destiny, and the same for the 36 acres ceded into the City where the high school and middle school currently sit. There was also a sentiment for focusing resources on
“land banking.” The meeting began with a “warm up” session where Council members were invited to share how they came to move to Falls Church in the first place. Dan Sze said it was because there were so many trees in the neighborhoods. Phil Duncan said it had to do with where the woman who would become his wife lived. Marybeth Connelly said it was because she won a gift certificate to the Red Lobster. David Snyder said he liked taking his family to Anthony’s. Karen Oliver knew it for years as a pass-through between McLean and Seven Corners. David Tarter grew up in the area to begin with. Letty Hardi said when she came to visit the young man who was to become her husband that she was told, “Turn right at the Taco Bell.” None wound up living in Falls Church because they appreciated its “special sense of place and history,” and Oliver, in fact, lamented the fact that the City is not doing a better job of conveying those things. Citing the many new people coming into town to fill the new mixed use projects, she said,“We need to tell people much, much better what we are doing, who we
are, why we are a special place, and how to understand the culture.” Diversity and affordable housing also became important subjects for the Council, although overlooked in its earlier exercises to list priorities, with Assistant City Manager Cindy Mester doing the honors applying multi-colored felttipped pens to butcher paper taped up on the walls. After a lengthy session in which a large contingent of heads of the City’s volunteer boards and commissions were invited in to share their priorities, the Council members got back together in the early afternoon and tried to make more sense of it all. This is when the issues of diversity and affordability (the lack of them both in Falls Church) came up. Cited was a survey of City government division leaders taken earlier last week, designed for them to measure the City’s performance against its nine principles of the Council’s earlier-developed “2015 vision,” the scorecard has “a diverse community” come in, by far, at the very bottom of the list, with only eight percent saying “good or very good,” and 56 percent saying “bad or very bad.” Duncan noted that to even
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
MEMBERS OF THE City Council invited leaders of the City’s volunteer boards and commissions to offer insights and suggestions on future plans at the Council’s planning retreat at the Jefferson Elementary School library Saturday.. (Photo: City of Falls Church) apply for a rental unit designated as “affordable” at the new West Broad (Harris Teeter) project, a household needs to earn $70,000 to $80,000 a year. All new homes now being built in Falls Church require an income of $200,000 or higher to afford, said City Manager Wyatt Shields. Ideas kicked around on the affordable housing subject included zoning changes to permit “elder cottages,” “carriage homes,” or quadplex housing. Duncan noted that it was only a few years ago that the Council came up just one vote short of approving an building dedicated to senior affordable housing.
Although the current Council seems to demonstrate more accord of purpose than ones in many a recent year, nothing has come forward yet to address the affordable housing issue. On the issue of economic development, the Council mulled the notion being circulated that “it is 30 percent cheaper (from a tax standpoint) to live in Arlington than Falls Church.” Though no specific proposals were put on the table Saturday, it seemed to spur the notion that expediting the growing number of new projects in the pipeline should also be a Council priority.
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Streetsense Expert Counsels F.C. on New Retail Trends Continued from Page 1
Great Recession of 2008, the rise of the Internet and the emergence of the Millennial and X-Y generations have shifted that emphasis dramatically and we’re now into a phase of a sharp contraction of traditional retail. The recession triggered a twoyear pause, followed by a cannibalization of over-development, and anything but the highest-end malls are now experiencing contraction and not growth. “We are grossly over-retailed as a nation,” he said. Whereas there is 25-30 square feet of retail for every person in the U.S., in Canada the number is half that, and it is half of Canada in Europe. But the new generations that are now shaping the U.S. retail market are “harder to target,” they are “less into stuff, “ and like to spend more of their dollars on food and beverages, he noted. Meanwhile, since 2008, when Internet sales were three percent of the total, they’ve risen to eight percent and some are predicting
they will rise to 25-30 percent in the next decade. New trends that will be successful in the future will focus on “experience” over “things,” where people come for an “immersive experience” over simply the pursuit of commodity retail. “It’s about lifestyle, it’s about experience over things,” he said. He cited the contrast between the highly-successful Bethesda Row in Montgomery County, Maryland, to the Wisconsin Place, located only a couple of miles away. The more successful model focuses on “the cool, the local, the hip” as opposed to national brands, he noted, with about 80 percent of the revenues coming from food and beverages. In this context, he noted that “critical masses” of residential unit dwellers in proximity to the locations are also indispensable to their success. Leonard’s remarks Sunday came as one member of a panel assembled by the League of Women Voters on the subject of
LO CA L what generates revenue for the City of Falls Church. F.C. City Council member Phil Duncan followed Leonard’s presentation and noted that when people ask why there is so much change occurring in the City’s retail and commercial sectors, it is due to the need “to transform in line with the Streetsense model.” Duncan said that “buyers want a more walkable, bikeable experience, they need to know there is a ‘sense of place’ being developed here that may help drive their decision to move here.”’ The kick-off speaker was Dr. Robert Young of the Young Group, a Falls Church-based developer who provided an overview of how the development process works in the City, including the hoops through which a prospective developer must jump through at City Hall to get plans to where they might be considered for approval. In addition to Young, Leonard and Duncan, the fourth speaker was Keith Thurston, a former member of the F.C. Planning Commission and a citizen activist for the Village Preservation and Improvement Society who spoke of the long tradition of Falls Church citizens’ “sense of place.”
FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 5
PAGE 6 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
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E D I TO R I A L
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Development & Affordable Housing
Two public events in the City of Falls Church last weekend underscored a creeping sense of urgency associated with the future direction of the jurisdiction as we’re into the annual budget season, on the one hand, and regional pressures are impinging. The first was the five-hour planning session the City Council held in the Jefferson Elementary School library that included an invitation to participate that almost two dozen citizen leaders of volunteer advisory boards and commissions responded to. The second was a F.C. League of Women Voters forum on Sunday at the Community Center on how revenue is generated in the City to pay for things. It was also more heavily attended than expected for a bright weekend day. While a lot of things were put on the table, our take-away centered on two ends of a wider socio-economic spectrum – the pressure for continued economically-driven development, on the one hand, and the need for a serious consideration of the affordable housing question on the other. The word is going around Falls Church now that the City is in a pickle because the real estate taxes in neighboring Arlington are so much lower than in Falls Church, even as the City Council may be pressured to raise its rates here again this spring. It was notable in the Council planning session that “keeping the tax rate low” was not listed by any Councilman as a priority for the coming two years, and that may be because the simple answer to the Arlington comparison is to suggest citizens take a closer look at Arlington, and see the incredible density of commercial and retail that it has engendered over the years. That is the straightforward answer to the Arlington question, and in Falls Church this may mean that current height limits, at least in selected parts of town, may need to go considerably higher than considered feasible so far. This goes for the City’s recently acquired campus property, the added 36 acres that is supposed to go mostly for new school facilities. There is no reason, other than what the market will bear, for any height limit to be observed there, at all, especially next to the West Falls Church Metro station. On the affordable housing question, this is no longer simply an issue of altruistic good will. It is an absolute necessity for the government’s charge to serve the needs of its people. At the Council planning session, a survey of City staff showed the prevailing opinion that the City’s worst performance is in the area of affordability issues. Yet, no one on the Council listed it as a priority, until near the very end of the marathon session. The affordable units now available at one of the City’s two new mixed use projects are flat-out unaffordable. Open to households with 80 percent of median regional incomes, their asking prices are astronomical. Affordability issues are flatly a question of political will.
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Predatory Towing is Hurting F.C. Businesses
Editor, I was appalled at the articles in the News-Press about predatory towing in downtown Falls Church. Because I have no wish for my short shopping trip to result in several hundred dollars for towing “fees,” I have altered my shopping. I can tell you that last week I needed a tripod. On my way to lunch, I drove by the two parking spots allocated to
Dominion Camera and saw that they were full. I ordered the tripod from Amazon. I’m sure I saved money but that wasn’t the point. My business was Dominion Camera’s to lose and they lost it before I walked in the door. I can tell you that, because of predatory towing, I signed up for mail delivery of my prescriptions. Now I am not tied to CVS. Again, I saved money but that wasn’t the
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point. I prefer to interact directly with my pharmacist and I liked the pharmacists at CVS. My business was theirs to lose and they won’t ever know why I won’t be returning. These are just two examples but how many other micro-decisions are now tilting away from shopping in downtown Falls Church? There is no real way of measuring that. Towing is not working in the best interests of the merchants of Falls Church. I’m sure there is some frustration at the lack of parking and it seems like a good idea to put up threatening signs. But this will work against the collective interests of all mer-
chants. I read some time ago that 15 percent of all retail is now e-commerce and that number is going up every year. There is no doubt in my mind that if a person is towed and incurs a fee of several hundred dollars, that person will be less likely to return to downtown Falls Church. That person will shop elsewhere or, more likely, go online. If predatory towing is no longer occurring, then take the signs down. If it’s still going on anywhere in the downtown area then I would not be surprised to see the customer base wither. Roger Feeley Falls Church
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FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 7
Public Notices Should Stay in Newspapers B� T���� R���
A character identified in “The Big Short” movie only as the “Tattooed Renter” protests the unfairness in the world when he learns that he is about to be booted out of his home because the landlord has not paid the mortgage. “Man, I paid my rent,” he cries. Would that matter when the sheriff came around? Not one bit. When the mortgage defaults, the banks want the keys. The memory of millions booted to the curb after the crash of Lehman Brothers has faded into memory for many. It is barely even an issue in the Presidential debates. Then along came the movie, to remind us a lot that went wrong then could still go wrong. Dodd Frank made some reforms. But if the mortgage isn’t paid, Tattooed still loses his home. That is one reason why transparency in foreclosures makes sense. And why Virginia newspapers are protesting a move in the Virginia legislature to pull a curtain of obscurity around foreclosures. SB 560, patroned by Willliamsburg senator Thomas Normant, Jr., would make foreclosures obscure. The bill would end the practice of putting a notice in the newspaper when a foreclosure is about to occur. Instead, a small ad could run in the newspaper, pointing to a Circuit Court website. If a reader wants to know more, that reader has to surf.
What do foreclosure notices do? They give the public a window into what is otherwise a closed legal process. Although in Virginia foreclosures can occur in public lawsuits, more often lenders require a bor-
“Public notices give the public a window into what is otherwise a closed legal process.”
rower to write the courts out of the process as a condition of getting the mortgage. A trustee for the mortgage holder can force and execute a foreclosure sale after a default. Virginia has one of the shortest required foreclosure periods in the nation. Some states permit up to 1,000 days to give residents a maximum opportunity to keep their homes after a bank declares a default. Virginia’s process can be about a fourth of that. The public notice is an important part of a scary process that can end with the family goods on the curb. It gives residents time to assemble help to redeem the property. It provides notice beyond the required letter to the borrower. In Tattooed’s case, the landlord probably got the letter, but the renter was clueless. Landlord could be pocketing
the rent but not paying the mortgage. A public notice gives Tattooed or some watchful friend of Tattooed a clue about the impending sale. If the foreclosure happens, greater notice would give more buyers a chance to find out about the sale. When a foreclosed house sells, the proceeds go to retire the costs of the foreclosure, to pay back taxes and the lender and then, only if there is money left over, does any money go to the homeowner. More buyers create a greater chance that the homeowner walks away with at least some equity. The notice introduces some transparency into a closed system. Consumer groups, neighbors, scholars and historians who care about what goes on in this arcane world of securitized lending get a window – a small window, but still a window. But no one reads printed newspapers any more, some will say. Shouldn’t these things be on line? First, they’re wrong. Most people who consume newspaper news read it in print. So said the Pew Research Center this month. (You are probably one of them right now.) For those who want public notices on websites, the newspapers that run them in print put them online if they have websites and most do. There is more to public notice than publishing. The printed notice is kept and archived, so when a dispute comes up years later, the authentic notice can be found. Unlike the fickle digital world, print doesn’t change. Yes, but the newspapers just want the
revenue, the patrons will say. True, that. Newspapers do need revenue if they are going to cover the news. But the circuit court website isn’t free. It has to be built, maintained, archived and authenticated when the notices are needed for evidence. Whether the newspapers can do the notice more cheaply than the courts is a question to answer after an honest study of the court site and all of its real costs – including marketing its links – are counted. One thing is for sure. You just read this commentary. And I’ll bet you haven’t been on the Circuit Court website all day. Mortgage lenders have a point. When they lend money and it isn’t paid back, they have to free up that property so they can put the money back into circulation – even if the loan is immediately sold into secondary markets, as most are. Someone somewhere has money tied up in that property. Not all the defaults in “The Big Short” were by innocents. Loads of people took out loans during that period that they well knew they couldn’t afford. The foreclosure process is a regrettable but necessary tool to keep the loan markets fluid. Obscurity, however, is also regrettable and completely unnecessary. Court websites are for lawyers. People who want to know what is going on look at the newspaper. Tonda Rush is co-director of the Public Notice Resource Center.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Should Falls Church’s top priority be to complete projects that have already been approved by the City Council? • Yes • No
Last Week’s Question:
Are you surprised by the low increase in residential real estate assessments this year?
• Don’t know
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PAGE 8 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
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“Usually the bus is good during the day, but at night it is terrible. I don’t have a car, but even if if I did I wouldn’t want to drive because of the traf�ic here,” says Zainab, 24, student at American College of Commerce and Technology. Zainab came to the U.S. from Nigeria �ive years ago and attended Alabama State University before moving to the D.C. area.
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Film Screening & Panel Discussion
Sunday, March 6 • 3pm.
George Mason High School Auditorium 7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043
This film investigates the link between severe weather, climate change, and threats to our national security. Our expert panel will further explore these issues with the audience. Moderator: Dr. Richard A Meserve – President Emeritus, Carnegie Institution of Science Panel Members: John C. Gannon – Former Chair, National Intelligence Council; Former US Rep. Phil Sharp – President, Resources for the Future; Mona Sarfaty, MD, MPH, FAAFP – Director of GMU Program on Climate and Health
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Proceeds will benefit local voter service activities Tickets purchased by 3/4/16: $35 Adult / $15 student Day of Event: $40 To purchase tickets: www.lwvfallschurch.org
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Mayor Tarter Delivers Goods in Turkey City of Falls Church Mayor David Tarter and officials from the Northern Virginia Regional Commission recently traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to distribute coats and blankets to refugees. The items were donated through collection drives throughout Northern Virginia, including the City of Falls Church, in late 2015. More than 149,000 pounds of items were donated, enough to fill nine moving vans – more than double the previous year’s collection. The trip was sponsored and paid for by a Turkish non-profit organization. “I am proud of the kindness and generosity of the citizens of Falls Church,” said Tarter. “I was privileged to see the donation drive run full circle, starting with collection boxes at the Community Center and the schools and ending with the chance to personally hand bags of much-needed blankets and coats to the refugee children in Turkey. Our donations were warmly received, and made a big difference in the lives of these families.” Volunteer Barb Cram was instrumental in organizing the City’s community drive. Students at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and George Mason High School led the efforts in the schools. In Istanbul, the delegation sorted, packaged and distributed the donations along with food to refugees in neighborhoods and a school. This is the third year that volunteers from communities across the region have mobilized to collect items for Syrian refugees.
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New HR Director Named for Falls Church The City of Falls Church has announced that Dianne Lowther has been named the new human resources director for the City. Lowther replaces longtime HR director Richard Parker who retired last November after 30 years of service. According to a press release, Lowther comes to Falls Church with more than 18 years of service in the public and private sector with time spent working for Arlington County, City of New London, Conn. and at public schools in Waterford, Conn. “I am pleased that Ms. Lowther is joining the Falls Church team. She brings experience in human resource management that will strengthen the City’s workforce and how we serve to the citizens of Falls Church,” said F.C. City Manager Wyatt Shields. Her first day with the City was February 22.
Akihira Maher Named Vehicle Decal Design Winner Akihira Maher, a junior at George Mason High School in Falls Church, was named the winner of the first annual F.C. vehicle decal design contest, sponsored by City Treasurer Jody Acosta. Maher and the other finalists were honored at Monday’s City Council meeting. The winners included: 1st Place: “Cardinal Directions” by Akihira Maher, 11th Grade; 2nd Place, “The Heart of Falls Church” by Annie Castillo, 9th Grade; 3rd Place, “Carved Climbing Tree” by Maeve Keating, 9th Grade; 4th Place, “The Center of Falls Church” by Alice Castillo, 11th Grade. Twelve area high school students submitted designs. A citizen panel decided on the top four designs that best reflected the City community. Cash prizes were awarded at the Council meeting, with $750 going to the winner, $500 to the second place winner, $250 for third place and $150 for fourth place.
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Nominations Sought for F.C. Employee of Year The City of Falls Church is seeking nominations from any citizen, resident, community member, business owner, civic organization and more, for its annual Employee of the Year award. The achievements and outstanding service must have taken place in the 2015 calendar year. Any City employee may be nominated except for appointed officials, elected officials and their staff, and directors. A winner will be selected from the qualifying nominations by the City Employee Review Board. Nominations are due by March 1.
Police Suspect Homicide After Man Found Dead in F.C. Apartment Police have identified a homicide victim found in a Falls Church apartment as 35-year-old Babtunde Fadahunsi. Fadahunsi was found with a gunshot wound shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Fairfax Police responded to a report of an unresponsive person at an apartment at 5597 Seminary Road in Falls Church and determined Fadahunsi had sustained an apparent gunshot wound and was deceased. Detectives investigating the homicide have reason to believe that this was not a random event. There are no suspects and the investigation is continuing.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Community News & Notes Temple Rodef Shalom Hosts Professional Dress Workshop
F.C. Novelist Up for Amazon Kindle Publishing Contract
The Women of Temple Rodef Shalom are hosting Lauren Rothman, who will guide a workshop on the new rules of dressing professionally on Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m. at Temple Rodef Shalom at 2100 Westmoreland Street. Rothman, who was called a “styleauter” in a press release about the event, will give a workshop called “The Secrets of Being Stylishly Professional.” She is the author of The Style Bible: What to Wear to Work. Tickets for the event are $5 for admission and $18 for admission with purchase of Rothman’s book. The Women of Temple Rodef Shalom will be collecting gentlyworn women’s business clothes at the event to donate to a local non-profit. Donations must be clean and on hangers. For more information, contact Ilene Price at ileneprice@bwres.com or 703893-6079.
Falls Church author Jessica Goodwin is up for a publishing contract with Amazon Kindle Scout, Amazon’s crowd-sourced publishing platform for new books, for her new novel Clarissa Jean, Homecoming Queen, according to a recent press release. Clarissa Jean, Homecoming Queen follows the story of Claire Bradshaw. When Claire decides to end her dead-end relationship of several years, she only has one place to go – back home to the tiny town of Palmetto Park. Claire keeps bumping into people from her past as she struggles to shake her “better than everybody” reputation, make peace with her enemies and even attempts to rekindle an old flame. Claire gets to know her old friends all over again and gets to know more about herself as she starts over – right back where it all started.
Goodwin is the author of five books, including three published under her previous name, Jessica Strassner. Two of her books, Here We Go and The One Who Got Away have appeared on the Amazon bestseller list. In 2012, her book, One of the Guys received an Honorable Mention in Sapphire Star Publishing’s Month of Romance contest. Nominations for Goodwin’s new novel can be submitted through Amazon Kindle Scout through Monday, Feb. 29. To nominate the book, visit jessicagoodwin.com for detailed instructions or visit kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2M6SAZS09NTGI. Anyone who nominates the book will receive a free Amazon Kindle copy of it.
League of Women Voters Screens ‘Extreme Realities’ The League of Women Voters of Falls Church will screen the
FALLS CHURCH ARTS PRESIDENT Barb Cram (center) was one of the recipients of an award from the Falls Church GOP on Sunday, Feb. 21. She’s shown here with Falls Church City Mayor David Tarter (left) and Bob Young (right), president and CEO of local development firm The Young Group, at her birthday party, which as held after the Community Awards Reception. (Photo: News-Press)
environmental documentary “Extreme Realities” and host a panel discussion about the film on Sunday, March 6 at 3 p.m. at George Mason High School at 7124 Leesburg Pike. Ticket sales from the event will support the League’s voter services in the City. The film, narrated by Oscarwinning actor Matt Damon, investigates the link between severe weather, climate change and threats to America’s national security. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion exploring the issues raised by the movie. Dr. Richard A Meserve, president emeritus of the Carnegie Institution for Science, which has a major program of basic science directed at the issue of climate change, will moderate the discussion. Former U.S. Rep. Phil Sharp (D-Ind.), Mona Sarfaty, M.D. and former Falls Church City Councilmember John C. Gannon will serve on the panel. Tickets for the event are $35 for adults and $15 for students
purchased by Friday, March 4 and $40 on the day of the event. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lwvfallschurch.org.
Fairfax Public Access Honors Black History Month Fairfax Public Access, the Falls Church and Fairfax County local nonprofit community media center and cable network, has been and will continue to air a special series of movies and documentaries throughout the month of February, in recognition of Black History Month. Films being aired during February include “The Emperor Jones,” “The Jackie Robinson Story,” “Nine from Little Rock” and “The Negro Soldier.” Fairfax Public Access is carried by Verizon FiOS TV and Cox Communications in Falls Church and Fairfax County. For more information or a complete schedule of the Black History Month airings, visit fcac.org/BlackHistory.
FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCILMEMBER Dave Snyder thanks Kieran Sharpe for 26 years in elective office in Falls Church and countless volunteer leadership positions as Barbara Sharpe listens during the Falls Church GOP’s Community Awards Reception on Sunday, Feb. 21. (Photo: Courtesy of Ken Feltman)
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
Master Gardeners of NoVa Present Program on Turfgrass
Choralis Presents ‘At One With Creation and Creator’
The Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia will present a program on Turfgrass Management on Wednesday, March 2 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. at Fairlington Community Center, located at 3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington. The program will cover turfgrass selection for the Northern Virginia area, specific springtime turf management practices, nutrient management and soil testing and basic pest and disease management. The program is free and open tot the public, but advance registration is requested. For more information or to register, visit mgnv.org, call 703-228-6414 or email mgarlalex.org.
Choralis’ chamber choir Echos will present a concert called “At One with Creation and Creator” on Saturday, March at 7:30 p.m. at The Falls Church Episcopal at 115 E. Fairfax Street. At the concert, the choir will perform music spanning centuries and continents. Admission for the event is free for children 12 and under, $5 for attendees ages 13 – 22, $20 for attendees 23 – 29 and $40 – $50 for everyone else. There will be free parking at the event. For more information, visit choralis.org or call 703-237-2499.
New Session Starts Soon at NoVa Community College Registration is taking place now for an eight-week session that begins Monday, March 14 at Northern Virginia Community College. Courses in the eightweek session cover the same material and award the same credits as semester-long classes. Students may enroll online 24 hours a day at nvcc.edu or receive in-person assistance during regular office hours at the school’s campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield and Woodbridge. For students who prefer independent study, Northern Virginia Community College’s Extended Learning Institute offers dozens of online courses starting in March. A large variety of degrees and certificates can be completed entirely online. For more information, visit eli.nvcc.edu. For more information about Northern Virginia Community College, call 703-323-3000 or visit nvcc.edu.
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One More Page Announces March Schedule of Events One More Page Books, an independent, neighborhoodoriented bookstore located at 2200 N. Westmoreland St. #101, Arlington, announced its March schedule of events in a recent press release. On Saturday, March 5 the bookstore will host the third annual NoVa Teen Book Festival from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. at Washington-Lee High School. The free event will feature more than 20 young adult authors who will participate in panels, breakout sessions, games and book signings. Martha Brettschneider will share from Blooming into Mindfulness: How the Universe Used a Garden, Cancer and Carpools to Teach Me that Calm is the New Happy on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. On Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m. the store will host a launch party for A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers, & Other Badass Girls, which will feature the book’s editor Jessica Spotswood and three authors, Lindsay Smith, Caroline Tung Richmond and Robin Talley, who contributed to the book.
THE BUMPER JACKSONS performed at Bikenetic on W. Jefferson Street on Sunday, Feb. 21 as part of the store’s Stone Room Concerts. (Photo: Dan Lehman) Towards the end of the month, One More Page will host bestselling author Michelle Gable to promote her novel I’ll See You in Paris, which is based on the life of Gladys Spencer-Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough. For more information or to see the full schedule of events, visit onemorepagebooks.com.
Benefit Concert for Syrian Refugees Slated for March 6 Saint Patrick’s Episcopal Church, located at 3241 Brush Dr., Falls Church, is hosting a benefit concert to raise funds for child refugees of Syria on Sunday, March 6 at 4 p.m. Performers at the concert will include Arlington Children’s Chorus, a vocal duet from Classical FX (Washington National Opera chorus members), pianist Sejoon Park and more. Admission to the concert is by donation only. All proceeds from the event will go to the relief of Syria’s refugee children to the organizations such as UNICEF. For more infor-
mation, contact Mariko Hiller at marikohiller@gmail.com or 703200-7489.
Barnes & Noble Tysons Hosts Thursday Game Nights Barnes & Noble Tysons, located at 7851 L Tysons Corner Center, McLean, has begun hosting game nights every Thursday at its store, with a different board game featured every week starting at 7 p.m. On Thursday, March 3 at the featured game will be King of Tokyo, a tabletop game featuring six monsters for players to choose from. Splendor, a multiplayer board game in which players are merchants during the Renaissanceera who buy gem mines, transportation and shops, will be the featured game on Thursday, March 17. Codenames, a board game created in 2015, has an espionage setting, where players try to identify their own secret agents based on their code names and will be the game night game on Thursday, March 24.
Rounding out the month of March game nights at Barnes & Noble Tysons is Lanterns: The Harvest Festival Board Game, which will be featured on Thursday, March 31. For more information about game nights at Barnes & Noble Tysons, call Marta R. Steenstra Davis at 703-506-6756 or email her at crm2238@bn.com.
Amadeus Orchestra Presents Concert on March 12 Amadeus Orchestra and the Fairfax Choral Society are partnering for a concert on Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at Schlesinger Concert Hall, located at 4915 East Campus Drive, Alexandria. The concert will include the music of Vaughan Williams, including “English Folk-Song Suite,” “Magnificat,” “Five Mystical Songs” and “Dona Nobis Pacem.” Tickets for the show are $30, but children ages 17 and under are admitted free of charge. For more information, visit amadeusconcerts.com.
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PAGE 12 | FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 2, 2016
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
3 Views of Marriage
Two years ago the Northwestern University psychologist Eli Finkel had an article in The New York Times describing how marriage is polarizing: The best marriages today are better than the best marriages of generations ago; the worst marriages now are worse; overall, the average marriage is weaker than the average marriage in days of yore. Expectations about marriage have risen, Finkel wrote. People now want marriage to satisfy their financial, emotional and spiritual needs. But while some people spend a lot of one-on-one time working on their marriage, and reap the benefits, most people spend less time, and things slowly decay. The way we talk about marriage is polarizing, too. If you read the popular literature, there are three different but not mutually exclusive lenses through which to think about marriage decisions. NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE Most of the popular advice books adopt a psychological lens. These books start with the premise that getting married is a daunting prospect. Forty-five percent of marriages end in divorce; 10 percent of couples separate but do not divorce. The psychologists want you to think analytically as well as romantically about whom to marry. Pay attention to traits. As Ty Tashiro wrote in The Science of Happily Ever After, you want to marry someone who scores high in “agreeableness,” someone who has a high concern for social harmony, who is good at empathy, who is nice. You want to avoid people who score high in neuroticism – who are emotionally unstable or prone to anger. Don’t think negative traits will change over time, Tashiro wrote, because they are constant across a lifetime. Don’t focus on irrelevant factors, like looks. Don’t filter out or rationalize away negative information about a partner or relationship. The second lens is the romantic lens. This is the dominant lens in movie and song. More than people in many other countries, Americans want to marry the person they are passionately in love with. Their logic is that you need a few years of passionate love to fuse you together so you’ll stay together when times get hard. It’s a process beautifully described by a character in Louis de Bernières’ novel Corelli’s Mandolin: “Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it. We had roots that grew toward each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.” In The Good Marriage, Judith Wallerstein and Sandra Blakeslee concluded that 15 percent of couples maintain lifelong romantic marriages. The third lens is the moral lens. In this lens a marriage doesn’t exist just to exist or even just for procreation. It exists to serve some higher purpose, whether it is seeking God’s kingdom for the religious or in service to some joint cause or humanity-enhancing project for the secular. In The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller argued that marriage introduces you to yourself; you realize you’re not as noble and easy to live with as you thought when alone. In many marriages there’s an unspoken agreement not to talk about what you don’t admire in the other, because the truth from a loved one can be so painful. But in a good marriage you identify your own selfishness and see it as the fundamental problem. You treat it more seriously than your spouse’s selfishness. The everyday tasks of marriage are opportunities to cultivate a more selfless love. Everyday there’s a chance to inspire and encourage your partner to become his or her best self. In this lens, marriage isn’t about two individuals trying to satisfy their own needs; it’s a partnership of mutual self-giving for the purpose of moral growth and to make their corner of the world a little better. It’s probably best to use all three lenses when entering into or living in a marriage. But there are differences among them. The psychological lens emphasizes that people don’t change much over a lifetime. Especially after age 30, people may get a little more conscientious and agreeable, but improvements are modest. In the romantic view, the heart is transformed by love, at any age. In the moral view, spiritual transformation – over a lifetime, not just over two passionate years – is the whole point. People have great power to go against their own natures and uplift their spouses, by showing a willingness to change, by supporting their journey from an old crippled self to a new more beautiful self. The three lenses are operating at different levels: personality, emotions, the level of the virtues and the vices. The first two lenses are very common in our culture – in bookstores, songs and in movies. But the moral lens, with its view of marriage as a binding moral project, is less common. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the quality of the average marriage is in decline.
David Brooks
Cranks on Top If prediction markets (and most hardheaded analysis) are to be believed, Hillary Clinton, having demonstrated her staying power, is the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic nomination. The Republican race, by contrast, has seen a lot of consolidation – it’s pretty much down to a two-man race – but the outcome is still up for grabs. The thing is, one of the two men who may still have a good chance of becoming the Republican nominee is a scary character. His notions on foreign policy seem to boil down to the belief that America can bully everyone into doing its bidding, and that engaging in diplomacy is a sign of weakness. His ideas on domestic policy are NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE deeply ignorant and irresponsible, and would be disastrous if put into effect. The other man, of course, has very peculiar hair. Marco Rubio has yet to win anything, but by losing less badly than other non-Trump candidates he has become the overwhelming choice of the Republican establishment. Does this give him a real chance of overtaking the man who probably just won all of South Carolina’s delegates? I have no idea. But what I do know is that one shouldn’t treat establishment support as an indication that Rubio is moderate and sensible. On the contrary, not long ago someone holding his policy views would have been considered a fringe crank. Let me leave aside Rubio’s terrifying statements on foreign policy and his evident willingness to make a bonfire of civil liberties, and focus on what I know best, economics. You probably know that Rubio is proposing big tax cuts, and may know that among other things he proposes completely eliminating taxes on investment income – which would mean, for example, that Mitt Romney would end up owing precisely zero in federal taxes. What you may not know is that Rubio’s tax cuts would be almost twice as big as George W. Bush’s as a percentage of gross domestic product – despite the fact that federal debt is much higher than it was 15 years ago, and Republicans have spent the Obama years warning incessantly that budget deficits will destroy America, any day now. But not to worry: Rubio insists that his tax cuts would pay for themselves, by unleashing incredible economic growth. Never mind the complete absence
Paul Krugman
of any evidence for this claim – in fact, the last two Democratic presidents, both of whom raised taxes on the rich, both presided over better private-sector job growth than Bush did (and that’s even if you leave out the catastrophe of Bush’s last year in office.) Then there’s Rubio’s call for a balanced-budget amendment, which, aside from making no sense at the same time he is calling for budget-busting tax cuts, would have been catastrophic during the Great Recession. Finally, there’s monetary policy. Republicans have spent years inveighing against the Fed’s efforts to stave off economic disaster, warning again and again that runaway inflation is just around the corner – and being wrong all the way. But Rubio hasn’t changed his monetary tune at all, declaring a few days ago that it’s “not the Fed’s job to stimulate the economy.” In short, Rubio is peddling crank economics. What’s interesting, however, is why. You see, he’s not pandering to ignorant voters; he’s pandering to an ignorant elite. Donald Trump’s rise has confirmed something polling data already suggested, namely, that most Republican voters don’t actually subscribe to much of the party’s official orthodoxy. Trump has said the unsayable on multiple issues, from declaring that we were deceived into war to calling for higher taxes on the wealthy (although his own plan does no such thing). Each time, party insiders have waited to see his campaign collapse as a result, and each time he has ended up paying no political price. So when Rubio genuflects at the altars of supplyside economics and hard money, he isn’t telling ordinary Republicans what they want to hear – by and large the party’s base couldn’t care less. He is, instead, pandering to the party’s elite, consisting mainly of big donors and the network of apparatchiks at think tanks, media organizations, and so on. In the GOP, crank doctrines in economics and elsewhere aren’t bubbling up from below, they’re being imposed from the top down. What this means, in turn, is that Rubio’s consolidation of establishment support isn’t a testament to his good sense. In fact, it’s almost the opposite, a reward for his willingness to echo party orthodoxy even, or perhaps especially, when it’s nonsense. So don’t let anyone tell you that the Republican primary is a fight between a crazy guy and someone reasonable. It’s idiosyncratic, self-invented crankery versus establishment-approved crankery, and it’s not at all clear which is worse.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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‘Gravity Waves’ of The Human Mind
This month’s titanic discovery of “gravity waves” derived from the observation by an international team of astrophysicists, confirming Einstein’s general theory of relativity after almost a century, is in fact one of the most momentous discoveries of human history, and yet we’re woefully unable yet to explain just why that is. How are we to think about its significance, other than to resort to issues that science fiction has offered, such as notions of time travel (at least to the past), wormholes in space and “parallel universes,” as if there’s someone looking at me right now from just beyond my senses who is in an entirely different environment? All of these are compelling notions for speculative musings, but it is not easy to clear away years of clutter about FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS such imaginative things. I propose that the significance to this species of this discovery on this planet at this point in time (understanding that place and time are, after all, relative) lies beyond the realm of astrophysics and needs to be appreciated on a different level, such as those provided by a fuller array of our species’ best arts and sciences. So, what in our daily experience is contrary to our present means of reckoning reality? What is outside the realm of our sensory devices that is a telltale clue to the operation of Einstein’s “e=mc2” theory of relativity in our midst? The answer is simple, really. It is the role of the creative power of a human mind devoted to advancing the human condition. Poets give the best answers, and philosophers. The differences we need to consider are between truth and falsehood, not science and the arts. As Plato wrote, “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” The best philosophers have been poets, as in Plato, the authors of much of the Old and New Testaments, theologians explaining the collapse of Rome like Augustine, of the emerging Renaissance, like Dante, and artist-scientists like DaVinci and Ibn Sina, poets and philosophers like Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe, Schiller, Shelley, Swift and Wilde, scientists and philosophers like Leibniz, Spinoza and Kepler, revolutionary Promethean composers like Beethoven and a century of best romantics in his wake, nation-builders like Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. They and others like them all shared this, that the important realities they affirmed were in each case outside the mere linear extrapolation of sensory experience and the dulling mediocrity it demands and engenders. They all had in their minds a direct correlation between what one sees with a sense of awe looking to the stars and the infinity of space, and what one sees looking with the deep sense of love into the eyes of another human being. Derived from and between those two perspectives, perspectives that see the same thing in relationship to one another, all of creation can be sensed with a similar intensity, and notions like individual lives, of births and deaths, become subordinated to these most powerful attributes. So, the “seer” of these things experiences something further even more extraordinary, and a glimpse, a perception, of the noetic, creative process of one’s own human mind, itself, something that stands apart from the perceived, as the perceiver, of this special nature of non-linear reality, and which has the ability to decipher it, so to speak, to put it into some form of language that can be shared. This quality of the human mind, its capacity for genuine novelty and new ideas born of an apprehension of the singular universe within and without, is the basis for invention, for completely new ideas. This is what is right before us as the living evidence of “gravity waves,” so to speak. It’s been with us all along, and yet how seldom to we “see” this? Who could tolerate the numbing mediocrity of our crumbling culture in the face of this? Who could succumb to any priority other than the effort to derive from human mentation as much of its creative potential as possible, from every single human being on the planet? These questions underlie our socio-political goals of harmony, fairness and universal weal.
FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 13
Nicholas F. Benton
Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
Sanders Hits a Roadblock Bernie Sanders’ loss in the Nevada caucuses, 47 percent to 53 percent, reveals a very real weakness of his insurgent challenge to Hillary Clinton. According to entrance polls, Sanders’ appeal is not broad enough among key groups that traditionally make up the base of the Democratic Party. He lost among women, blacks, nonwhites, and self-described Democrats. But the loss was even more troubling for his camp than that. He also lost highly educated caucusgoers with postgraduate degrees, both the poorest and wealthiest groups, and moderates. He lost those who saw health care and the economy as the most important issues of the election, even though those are key parts of Sanders’ platform and issues on which he is most eloquent and persuasive. And perhaps most interestingly, he lost overwhelmingly among people who wanted a candidate who could win in November. Good for him though, only 18 percent of those polled thought electability was the top quality a candidate needed to possess. You NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE only have to look at the Republican winner in South Carolina to understand that this is not an electability cycle, this is an antiestablishment, point-making cycle. The map going forward has states that look a lot more like Nevada than those that look like Iowa and New Hampshire, where Sanders performed well. Indeed, there are many states like South Carolina, which will hold its Democratic primary Saturday, that look even worse for Sanders than Nevada. Let’s explore some of the positives for Sanders, the groups among which he won. He won liberals, of which there were many, and independents, of which there were few. He won people under 40, particularly those under 24, and whites with no college degree. He also won people who said their most important issue was income inequality and believed that the most important quality was having a candidate who cares about people like them or who was honest and trustworthy. According to the entrance poll, Sanders also won the Hispanic vote, but this is where some prominent poll watchers took exception to the poll’s accuracy. The New York Times’s Nate Cohn tweeted: “Based on the results in Clark, the precincts in ELV, and the overall entrance poll error, I do not believe Sanders won the Hispanic vote.”
Charles M. Blow
ELV, or East Las Vegas, is the largely Hispanic part of Clark County, by far the most populous county in the state, where actual results showed Clinton winning handily. Nate Silver tweeted support for Cohn’s analysis: “We share @natecohn skepticism about entrance poll finding that Clinton lost Hispanics in Nevada.” It is true that Sanders’ message may have more resonance with Hispanic voters than with other nonwhite groups, because Hispanic voters skew younger. According to a Pew Research Center report published in January: “Hispanic millennials will account for nearly half (44 percent) of the record 27.3 million Hispanic eligible voters projected for 2016 – a share greater than any other racial or ethnic group of voters, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.” But young black voters are not yet “feeling the Bern” to the same degree that other millennials are, as a poll published last week in The Washington Post pointed out. According to the accompanying article: “Much has been made of Sanders’ popularity with younger voters, and Clinton’s struggles to connect with millennials. Among black voters age 18-29, the gap between Sanders and Clinton is indeed narrower. But younger black voters still rate Clinton more favorably than Sanders.” But the poll points out an even bigger problem for Sanders among black voters than millennials, and that’s his lack of support among black women who “comprise a disproportionate segment of the black electorate.” As the Post pointed out in no uncertain terms: “A Democratic victory in the general election requires enthusiastic support from black women, and black women are significantly more enthusiastic about Clinton than Sanders.” It is very hard to see how Sanders wins the nomination without winning the black and Hispanic vote in the Southern and Western states, not to mention New York and Michigan. Lastly, the political revolution on which Sanders has hinged his ability to accomplish his ambitious plan keeps failing to materialize. This year’s Democratic caucus participation was down nearly a third from 2008, and in Iowa and New Hampshire there were more people making choices in the Republican contest than in the Democratic one. As Sanders told “Meet the Press” about the Nevada loss: “We did not do as good a job as I had wanted to bring out a large turnout.” That doesn’t sound like a political revolution to me.
CO MME NT
PAGE 14 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
A Penny for Your Thoughts
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
Budget: Part II - Last week’s release of Fairfax County’s proposed FY 2017 budget set the stage for community discussions about county priorities, how to fund them, and by how much. County Executive Ed Long was very direct when he cautioned that the short-term outlook for funding schools and county services is affected by only modest economic growth and the shortfall in state funding for K-12 education. Schools are not the only service underfunded by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Adequate funding for mental health services, court clerks, magistrates, and public defenders – all positions supported by the state – is woefully short. While reductions on the county side have been made since FY 2009, more than $300 million has been cut, and more than 700 positions eliminated. In addition, facility maintenance and equipment replacement was unfunded or delayed, and employee compensation remained flat. During this same time, the Board of Supervisors made a number of strategic decisions that ensure a firmer footing for future budget development – doubling of reserve policies, eliminating the use of one-time funding for recurring expenses, strengthening the county’s pension systems, and adopting, last year, the county’s Economic Success Strategic Plan. As a result, the county’s Triple-A bond rating has been reaffirmed by the three rating houses in New York. Additionally, the Board is conducting a Lines of Business (LOBs) review of county activities, a lengthy exercise that will help inform decisions about the FY 2018 budget development. Although the County Executive is responsible for putting the proposed budget together, which the
Board of Supervisors then amends and adjusts before final adoption in late April, the budget is not prepared in a vacuum. During the past year, the Board has made recommendations to staff about the next budget. Last year’s adoption of a compensation plan for county staff aided Mr. Long with budget preparation, because the plan is tied to the cost of living. Last year’s cost of living was pegged at 1.68 percent, but the adopted budget included only half of that amount, plus longevity raises for some longtime employees. This year, the cost of living is 1.33 percent, lower than last year, but Mr. Long’s budget adheres to the compensation plan as developed and agreed to by the Board of Supervisors and employee groups. The Board also directed Mr. Long to include a three percent increase in the operating transfer to schools, plus funding for the public safety staffing plan, the Ad Hoc Police Commission recommendations, and the Diversion First program. To meet these, and other, recommendations and requirements, Mr. Long proposed a four cent tax rate increase for FY 2017. The value of one cent this year equals $23.3 million in revenue. By state law the county’s budget must be balanced; we cannot run a deficit. The Board also is required, by state law, to advertise a proposed tax rate for consideration. The eventual tax rate adopted in late April may be lower, but cannot be higher, than the rate that will be advertised on March 1, following a public hearing.
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Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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A nyt hing
b ut
S traigh t
Progressives Don’t Vote
In the late 1970s, Rev. Jerry Falwell launched the Moral Majority, an ambitious project that created an evangelical political empire. This organization remade America in its angry, narrow-minded image. By energizing right wing citizens who vote religiously, Falwell ensured politicians from Ronald Reagan to modern day crusaders, such as Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, danced to its intolerant tune. So far, the progressive movement has miserably failed in creating an analogous structure to the Religious Right. So-called “Values Voters” reliably vote for conservative Republicans in elections big and small. Progressives too often show up at the voting booth for glamorous presidential elections, then lumber back into hibernation for the next four years. As a result of progressive sloth, inspiring politicians, such as Barack Obama, can offer hope – but we don’t provide the Congress they need to make real and lasting change. It is a miracle that Obama has accomplished as much as he has, considering the obstacles he’s faced in Congress. The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart explains how we, as Democrats, are failing ourselves through inconsistent voting: “Between the historic election of 2008 and 2010, Democrats saw a plummet of 26 million voters, from 65 million people to 39 million people. Meanwhile, Republicans saw a drop-off of just 7 million voters, from 52 million to 45 million. The GOP took over the House. “Six million fewer Republicans voted for Senate candidates in 2014 than in 2008. But 14 million fewer Democrats went to the polls. That 42 percent drop in turnout allowed the GOP to take over the Senate. The 2014 election also saw the Republican majority increase in the House to its largest since World War II. “’Democrats did not lose the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014 because working-class Whites fled the Party [for the GOP],’ explained Steve Phillips, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and co-founder of PowerPAC.org. “They lost because voters of color and their progressive White allies stayed home.” Democrats need to consistently hammer home the message that we can’t accomplish anything without consistent voting – and this includes off-year elections. To inspire voters, Democrats should steal a page from Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America.” Democrats should unveil a 20-point “Progressive Promise to America” to let voters know what we will deliver if they show up to vote in FOUR consecutive election cycles, giving us a Democratic president, a majority in the House, and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. A “Progressive Promise to America” would offer: Comprehensive immigration reform; Declare Election Day a national holiday, as well as roll back attempts at GOP voter suppression in the states; Sweeping transformation to help end racial disparities in the criminal justice system and society; A national LGBT rights bill that prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations; ensure a woman’s right to choose with minimal restrictions; Equal opportunities for women including equal pay for equal work; National decriminalization of marijuana; Affordable college for all; Healthcare coverage for all Americans; Revitalize America’s crumbling infrastructure; Strengthen unions to return power to workers and rejuvenate the middle class; Abolish or renegotiate trade deals that send American jobs overseas and depress wages at home; Raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour; The fastest high speed rail in the world connecting major urban centers; Strengthen consumer protections against predatory behavior from unscrupulous business practices; Climate Change: Break our addiction to fossil fuels and lead the world in creating innovative solutions with a revolution in clean energy; Commit to leading the world in science, technology, and innovation; Appoint judges to overturn Citizens United and stop special interests from flooding politics with money to buy elections; Reform Wall Street to ensure markets are both free and fair and operate for the public good instead of private greed; Ensure that America continues to have the strongest, most modern military in the world, as well as zealously defend our nation against terrorism. However, the military should avoid foreign adventurism that needlessly costs America in blood and treasure, while degrading our standing in the world. America is a center-left nation. Progressives only lose because we don’t consistently vote. Stop complaining and start contemplating how we are going to fundamentally alter our relationship with the voting booth, where the solutions to our problems can be found.
Wayne Besen
CO MME NT
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
Metro’s general manager proved he is a good sport during his Feb. 17 Arlington talk. A questioner took the mic and asked about the subway’s notoriously static-garbled P.A. system: As Chuck Morley phrased his query: “Fkirlmllerly;MFMFMKE JIJEOJLJK*&&$&&#*$*$*FKS KKKKSK?” The public official got the gag. Paul Wiedefeld, a 35-year transportation veteran who began the target-on-your-back Metro post Nov. 30, vowed not to “sugarcoat” the system’s troubles. The indecipherable platform announcements, he said, were partly a hardware problem from older Metro cars and partly a training issue for drivers—some of whom know to speak clearly and are even “entertaining.” Wiedefeld spoke publicly (rare for a Metro GM) to the Arlington Committee of 100 as part of a listening tour. He’s been meeting with riders, business groups and Metro employees to avoid “being trapped at Metro headquarters.” Though braced for public brickbats, the executive came across as well-informed and disarming to those of us who, because we spend many hours in Metro, arrived with our own complaints and emotional attachments. “We’ve lost credibility as an agency,” said the man tasked with winning back public confidence after years of Metro accidents, routine delays and declining ridership. “We’ve got to get back to where we were. There is impatience in the community, a deep
FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 15 frustration,” he said, “because Metro does drive the economy and does drive daily
life.” Wiedefeld’s priorities are safety, basic operations and fiscal solvency. After all, his own daughter uses Metro when she visits from Baltimore on weekends, he said. The same self-interest in safety applies to Metro’s 13,000 drivers, mechanics, administrators and station managers. “But Metro’s safety culture is not as strong as it should be,” he admitted. “There’s a lack of accountability” and staff must learn to think five to seven steps ahead. Communication from supervisors is iffy, he said. “There’s a lack of transparency.” Wiedefeld “got an earful” talking to front-line employees trying “to understand their world and where the challenges come.” He urged the workforce to take greater pride in being part of Metro’s team. Of the WMATA system’s three prongs, bus and Metro Access seem healthiest, leaving rail to cause the most consternation. Rail requires “a hard look” and due diligence and ongoing maintenance. Metro is investing hope and funds in the new 7000 series car, but only 80 are in service out of 748 ordered, he said. Vendor Kawasaki “has not delivered the quality that will allow us to live with them for 40 years.” Wiedefeld fields complaints about dirty stations and poor signage. (My own pet peeve: Why are some covered station platforms dangerously wet?) The perpetually-under-repair
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
CRIME REPORT Week of Feb. 15 - 21, 2016 Vandalism to Vehicle, 435 S. Washington St. (Coleman Power Sports) On Feb. 16, a door handle was removed from the victim’s vehicle. Public Drunkenness, 300 Park Ave. (Falls Church City Hall) On Feb. 17, a male, 33, no fixed address, was arrested for Public Drunkenness. Driving Under the Influence, 200 block Gordon Rd. On Feb. 17, a male, 33, of Manassas, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. Narcotics Violation, 600 block Roosevelt Blvd. On Feb. 17, a male,
21, of Washington, DC, was arrested and released on summons from Possession of Marijuana. Trespass and Public Drunkenness, 116-B W. Broad St. (Unity Club) On Feb. 18, a male, 33, no fixed address, was arrested for Public Drunkenness and Trespassing. Larceny from Building, 1000 E.
escalators can’t all be protected by canopies because some jurisdictions complain the enclosures block viewsheds or construction halts service. On the upside, WMATA has a good relationship with federal agencies to head off terrorist threats, Wiedefeld said. He has recommended no fare increase and no regional funding hikes his first year. Transit police will soon get new uniforms to make them stand out in a crowd. Long-term, the system does have potential to expand if more riders are lured back to the new eight-car trains. He agreed Washington should mimic other regions with a dedicated source of funding. Perhaps neighborhood volunteers at stations could help orient newcomers? Wiedefeld suggested. “There’s a lot of brilliant people in this area. I’m asking them to help me.” *** Steve Buckhantz, the manly but mellifluous play-by-play caller for the Washington Wizards, is an Arlington boy. I know because back in the 1960s the future award-winning broadcaster was my teammate on Arlington Optimists little league football. I can still hear Coach Joe Scott calling Buckhantz’s name at Tuckahoe field. Steve went on to graduate from Washington-Lee High School (’73) and James Madison University before acquiring his professional real-time sports analysis skills. I got to remind him of our connection a few years ago when we sat together at high school football game in Vienna. I picked out that southern voice in a flash. Broad St. (24 Hour Fitness) On Feb. 19, two wallets were reported stolen from lockers. Assault, Narcotics Violation, and Public Drunkenness, 132 W. Broad St. (Dogwood Tavern) On Feb. 20, a male, 18, of Manassas, was arrested for Assault, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule IV Substance, Possession of Marijuana, and Public Drunkenness. Fireworks Violation, 400 block N. Washington St. On Feb. 20, police received a report of fireworks being set off in the area.
PAGE 16 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
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SE NI O R LI V I NG
SENIOR LIVING
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Seniors Used As Drug Mules BY MATLIDA CHARLES
KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
Seniors have long been the victims of scams: identity theft, lotteries, fake computer tech support, IRS impersonation, fake charities, home repair, utility sign-ups and more. Now there’s one that’s beyond comprehension – seniors are being conned into being drug mules in foreign countries. These drug-mule scams usually start online with seniors being enticed by romantic relationships. Once trust is built up, the senior is asked to travel internationally, with the scammers making the arrangements that go through multiple countries. On one leg of the journey, the senior is asked to carry a package or extra piece of luggage.
One such senior, age 77, is a former pastor who never even had a traffic ticket. He’d been involved in an online romance, which was a scam. For years he’d been sending the woman money, to the detriment of his own financial situation. Eventually he was convinced to transport “real estate documents” from South America to London for his online friend. Unbeknownst to him, the weighty packages contained cocaine. He was arrested and sits in a European prison. According to testimony at a U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, 145 seniors have been arrested by foreign governments for trying to smuggle drugs, and 44 of them are still in prison. If you’re a senior or care for one, especially someone who is
cognitively impaired, go online to www.aging.senate.gov/hearings and search for “Do You Know What Is in Your Suitcase?” Read the testimony from senators, the director of Immigrations and Customs, and the son of one senior who is still in prison in a foreign country. If you or a loved one have been the victim of fraud, please contact the anti-fraud hotline at 855-303-9470. *** Aging in place. Those are words dear to the hearts of many lowincome seniors who fear having to move away from home when they need services. The department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is about to give $15 million in grants to organizations that can provide services to help seniors stay in their homes. Called “Supportive Services Demonstration for Elderly Households in HUD-Assisted Multifamily Housing,” it would work like this: Existing HUDassisted senior developments can apply for three-year grants if they agree to provide services for aging in place, transitions to institutional care, housing stability, well-being
FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 17
monitoring and utilization of healthcare, such as emergencyroom visits. The goal would be to avoid institutional care, the need for skilled nursing and expensive trips to the emergency room. Developments will be required to have a full-time, onsite service coordinator and a part-time, onsite wellness nurse to make assessments and coordinate care and support services. The program would be a test to see if initial plans work and to evaluate the outcomes of the demonstration. A model program was started in
Vermont a few years ago, and there are many success stories to show the effectiveness: An isolated senior who missed doctor appointments can now get rides and has learned to get around independently; another with physical disabilities has been given referrals to physical therapists; a depressed senior was recruited as a volunteer and has become more social, and so much more. These are the types of services we need if we’re to stay in our homes. Those development owners who want to apply have until April 18 to do so. See www.grants. gov, and look for FR-5900-N-22.
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PAGE 18 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
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LO CA L
FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 19
Fa l l s C h u r c h
Business News & Notes GMHS Alum Launches Kickstarter for Kid-Safe Internet Router George Mason High School Class of 1995 grad Jared Agnew has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new product aimed at protecting children from the dangers of the internet. Agnew and co-founder Jere Simpson – who have spent the last 20 years building internet security systems for organizations like the FBI and Navy SEALS – have created Netpure, a secure, parent-controlled wireless router. The Kickstarter campaign began on Tuesday and seeks to raise $80,000 by March 24. A pledge of $110 or up secures a Netpure router which begins shipping in April. More information on the router can be found at netpure. com while the Kickstarter campaign can be found at kickstarter.com/projects/netpure-kidsafe-web/netpuretm.
New SAT, ACT Prep Service Opens in F.C. C2 Education is hosting a grand opening on Saturday, February 27 from 1 – 3 p.m. at their new location, 1075 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. The event will include food, prizes, raffles, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and a presentation on “Study Habits that Stick.” Founded in a Harvard University dorm room, the personalized, innovative SAT and ACT preparation and tutoring service now has 110 centers nationwide, serving over 12,000 students and their families each week. For more information, please visit www. c2educate.com/falls-church-center.
Arc to Host Networking Event March 3 The Arc of Northern Virginia is hosting a free networking event on Thursday, March 3 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Local professionals are invited to attend this after-hours networking event with the chance for business development and networking to help kick off National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The Arc of Northern Virginia is located at 2755 Hartland Road, Suite 200. For more information, visit www. thearcofnova.org.
F.C. Doctor Opens New Office Dr. Gordon Theisz, owner of Family Medicine in Falls Church, opened recently in a new space at 124 East Broad Street, Suite A in the Independence Square Condominium development at the corner of East Broad and South Washington. Spurred by a steady growth in patient volume, Dr. Theisz hopes to add another family doctor to help the growing practice. Previously located in another office in the same development, the practice has operated in Falls Church for more than ten years. The local resident is also the producer and host of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society’s Summer Concert series in Cherry Hill Park and he represents three Boy Scout units at Falls Church Presbyterian Church. Dr. Theisz was also named Pilar of the Community by the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce in 2014. Future patients can contact the office at 703-533-7555 or go to www.fmifc.com.
F.C. CPA Sponsoring Creative Cauldron’s ‘Dancing Princesses’ Tung Tu, CPA is sponsoring “The Dancing Princesses,” a performance by Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater. The musical adaptation of this Grimm classic will be at ArtSpace Falls Church weekends from February 26 through March 20. For more information, visit www.creativecaudlron.org.
Computer Sciences Corp. Moving from Falls Church to Tysons Computer Sciences Corp. will move its headquarters from Falls Church to Corporate Office Center at Tysons II, 1775 Tysons Boulevard. CSC has signed a lease with Lerner Enterprises for almost 62,000 SF on two floors of the building as part of its headquarter relocation from 3170 Fairview Park Drive. Under construction, the site is a 17-floor, 476,000 SF, Class A office building which was designed to meet US Green Building Council’s LEED platinum standards and offer fine and casual dining options, a fitness center, conference center, and indoor and outdoor social areas. The relocation is expected to take place in the spring. EY, formerly Ernst & Young, will also be moving into the building later in the year. For more information, visit www.1775tysons.com or www.csc.com. 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.
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Community Events
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Early Literacy Center. Explore educational and manipulative items to teach early literacy through play on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday every week. This program is for ages birth to 5 years. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 11 a.m. – noon. & 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. 703-248-5034. Author Talk. V. E. Schwab will share from A Gathering of Shadows, the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic. One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland St. #101, Arlington). Free. 7 p.m. onemorepagebooks.com. Teen Knitting Club. Children in grades 5 – 12 come together to share projects, ask advice or learn how to knit. All skill levels welcome. Scrap yarn and needles available for beginners. Registration required. Limited to 15 participants. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 7 – 8 p.m. 703-2485034.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Painting Demonstration. Gavin Glakas, a well-known portrait artist will be the featured
presenter at a meeting of the McLean Art Society. Glakas will be bringing his own model and will do an oil painting demonstration. McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean). Free. 10 a.m. – noon. mcleanartsociety. org. Program on Arlington During the Civil War. Historian and researcher David Farner will discuss Arlington’s unique role during the Civil War. Arlington Mill Community & Senior Center (909 S. Dinwiddie St., Arlington). Free. 11 a.m. – noon. 703-228-7790.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27
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. 703248-5077. Book Sale. Used adult and children books for sale. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Conference Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 703-248-5034.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Winter Walk. Children ages 2 and up and adults can take a walk in the woods with possible tree identification
&
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.
activities. Registration required. Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S Carlin Springs Rd. Arlington VA 22204) $5. 10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. 703-2284747. Book Sale. Used adult and children books for sale. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Conference Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 1 – 5 p.m. 703-2485034.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29
Preschool Storytime. Stories, finger plays and songs for children ages 2 – 5 on Monday and Thursday every week. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 10:30 – 11 a.m. & 3 – 3:30 p.m. 703-248-5034. Helping Paws Visit. Meet Zoe the therapy dog – she’s smart, does tricks, but best of all, she loves to visit with everyone. Chuck and Patty Toftoy will share information on Yorkies and what it takes to train a therapy dog. Lee Community & Senior Center and Park (5722 Lee Hwy., Arlington). Free. 1 – 2 p.m. 703228-0555.
TUESDAY, MARCH 1
Presidential Primary Elections. Both the Democratic and
Republican primaries will be held at multiple locations statewide. 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. vote.elections.virginia.gov/ VoterInformation. Winter Reading Program Ends. This is the last day for children ages five and under to sign up for the Winter Reading Program. The last day for children to turn in their reading logs is Friday, March 11, with prize pick up taking place from March 1 – 14. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. All day. fallschurchva.gov/1686/WinterReading-Program. Preschool Storytime. Songs, movement, and stories for ages 18-36 months. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Youth Services Room (120 N. Virginia Ave. Falls Church). 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. 703248-5034.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
Early Release Wednesday: Paper Bag Puppets. Children in grades K – 5 can make there very own puppets out of paper bags. Participation limited to 15 children. Registration required. Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Conference Room (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 3 p.m. 703-248-5034.
Theater Fine Arts THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25
“Between the Riverside and Crazy.” Irrepressible ex-cop Walter Washington is facing eviction, City Hall, and the recent death of his wife. Clinging to both his grievances and the palatial rent-controlled apartment he shares with his ex-con son and a ragtag surrogate family, Walter needs to shake the past – but isn’t ready to move on. Through Feb. 28. Studio Theatre (1501 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $20 – $86. 2 p.m. studiotheatre.org.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26
“Treasure Island.” This is the opening night of the Encore Stage’s new play. What starts as a mystery turns into an adventure in a brand new Encore adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. Young Jemma Hawkins escapes
a dull life to search for where “X” marks the spot on a mysterious treasure map left behind by an old sea captain. Jemma meets a slew of thrill-seeking sea farers as he races to �ind the treasure before any pirates do. From the playwright who brought you last season’s hit, “The Three Musketeers,” this production is recommended for ages 6 and older. Through March 6. Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre (125 S. Old Glebe Road, Arlington). $10 – $15. 7:30 p.m. encorestageva.org.
“Road Show.” Based on the real-life Mizner siblings, “Road Show” follows the dreamer and the schemer’s quest for the ever elusive, shapeshifting American dream. From the Klondike gold rush to India, Hawaii, Guatemala, New York and �inally the real-estate boom of Florida’s Boca Raton, the dazzling pace scours not only the map, but also forty years of boom-and-bust
and brotherly love (or hate). Through March 13. Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $40 – $97. 8 p.m. sigtheatre.org
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27
“Guards at the Taj.” India, 1648: two imperial guards watch as the sun rises over the newlycompleted Taj Mahal, an awe-inspiring monument to the emperor’s dead queen. But awe gives way to terror when the guards are given a new assignment: To perform a bloody task whose grisly aftermath will force them to question the very ideas of beauty, responsibility, and friendship. “Guards at the Taj” is a tragicomic fable as hilarious as it is horrifying. Beauty has a price. Are we willing to pay it? Through Feb. 28. Wooly Mammoth Theatre Company (641 D St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $63 – $73. 8 p.m. woolymammoth.net.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
CA L E NDA R
live_music&nightlife THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 T� S����� � T�� M������ ���� CFM ��� A���: S���. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 7 p.m. 202265-0930. D��-M��� ���� S����� ��� W���� C����. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10 (Backstage). 7:30 p.m. 202-667-7960. A����. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $25. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. M���� S�����. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $50 – $55. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. D��� C������ B���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. B���� P�������. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26
S���� C����� R������ ���� O��� L�������. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 6 p.m. 202265-0930. D�� � C����. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. T�� B��� B����� – F����� ��������� D���� C������, C��������� F��������, O�� �� ��� W������, D�������� ��� HTC. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $15 in advance; $13 – $15 day of the show. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. I����� Z����� ��� K��� Y�. Wolf
Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $35. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. F������� ���� P��� P������ L�����. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. P����� J���� ���� D������� B��� ��� H�����������. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15 (Mainstage). 9 p.m. 202667-7960. J��� A���� B���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. V�� � V����. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333. B���B��: B��� � P����� T��� ���� B�� S�����. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $18. 10 p.m. 202265-0930.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27
19�� S����� B���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. A� E������ ���� S���� M�����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $18. 5 p.m. 703-2551566. T�� F��� B������’ B����. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-5497500. J��� E����. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $25 – $27. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. T�� F������� ���� R��� L����� ���
FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 21
S��������. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $17. 8 p.m. 202265-0930. C���� ��� T�� (A�����) C���������. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-532-9283. T�� P���� H��� ���� S���� � S��� S����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 9 p.m. 703-2551566. W����� J������. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-241-9504. L� U����. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703237-8333.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28
R���-A-S����� ���� J������ J���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. C��� M������ ���� E��� S���� ��� A����� P�������. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. M��� R������. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $49.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. M������ G��� A�� S��� S���. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29
N��� �� F��� ���� L���� ��� ��� C������ ��� H��� S�����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $15 in advance; $13 – $15 day of the show. 6:30 p.m.
703-255-1566. J����� S��� ���� S�������. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930. G����� S����. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. H��� A����� � L��� H���. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $55 – $65. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. W��� B���� J��. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
TUESDAY, MARCH 1
D���� C��� ���� T��� L����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $25 – $40. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. G����� S����. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. H��� A����� � L��� H���. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Road, Vienna). $55 – $65. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
COMMUNION ��������� S������, R�� M�� ��� A��� F������. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $18 in advance; $15 – $18 day of the show. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. W��������� ���� D��� V����. 9:30 (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $35. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930. W������ � T�� B�� N����: S������ � S��� ���� T�� � M���� T�������. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $55. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.
P������� A����... Saturday, March 5 – NoVa Teen Book Festival. More than 20 authors wil take in the third annual NoVa Teen Book Festival featuring author panels and
breakout sessions throughout the day. The event will feature a keynote speech from best-selling teen author Holly Black. Washington-Lee High School (1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington). Free. 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. novateenbookfestival.com.
Sunday, March 6 – “Extreme Realities” Film Screening & Panel Discussion. The League of Women Voters of Falls Church is hosting a screening of “Extreme
Realities,” with a panel discussion to follow. Proceeds will benefit local voter service activities. George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). $15 – $35 in advance; $40 day of the event. 3 p.m. lwvfallschurch.org.
Saturday, March 12 – Celtic Music Concert. Musicians will perform on fiddle, banjo, guitar, bouzouki and bodhran in the intimate atmosphere of the Cherry
Hill Farmhouse parlor. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). $15 in advance; $20 at the door. 8 – 10 p.m. 703-248-5027.
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 25 – MARCH 2, 2016
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FO O D &D I NI NG
FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 23
Mad Fox, The Local Market Host Running Clubs in F.C. Two Falls Church businesses – a restaurant and a grocery store – are helping customers work off some of the food they’ve been selling them. Mad Fox Brewing Company and The Local Market are both hosting free “running clubs” on Wednesdays. The Mad Fox Run Club is open to all runners and walkers starting at 6:30 p.m. weekly and follows a course of three or five miles. Afterwards, runners are encouraged to stay for drinks and snacks inside. The Local Market Runners take off from the store at 9 a.m. Wednesday mornings on trails usually 3 to 4 miles. Complimentary coffee is available after the run. More information on The Local Market Runners can be found at the store at 246 W. Broad Street, by calling 703-536-6123 or emailing tamara@TheLocalMarket. me. Those interested in the Mad Fox Run Club can stop by the restaurant at 444 W. Broad Street or by emailing runclub@ madfoxbrewing.com.
Sea Pearl’s new brunch buffet includes churros and chocolate sauce. (Photo: Sea Pearl)
Sea Pearl Launches New Sunday Brunch Buffet
mallows, ladyfingers and strawberries. Brunch at Sea Pearl is $35 a person and half off for children under 10.
Merrifield’s Sea Pearl Restaurant has launched a new brunch buffet, beginning this weekend. The Asian restaurant and lounge will offer its new meal every Sunday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The new menu combines Asian and American fare including omelets, French toast, crab cakes, a five-cheese mac and cheese with garlic, miso cream and lemon panko plus a raw bar with oysters, top neck clams, mussels and more. In addition, there are steamed pork belly buns, a sushi station and even a chocolate fountain with marsh-
Sea Pearl 8191 Strawberry Lane #2 | Falls Church seapearlrestaurant.com
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THE REQUIN BURGER, now on the pop-up’s new lunch menu. (P����: J��� F������)
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Requin Pop-Up Now Serving Weekday Lunch Requin, the Mosaic pop-up restaurant from Jennifer Carroll and Mike Isabella, rolled out weekday lunch and Saturday brunch last week.
Lunch at the French-Mediterranean restaurant features smaller, lunch-sized portions of its popular dinner dishes like kabocha squash and roasted chicken along with new, lunch-only options like swordfish steak and eggs and a towering burger stack topped with gruyere. There will be a daily quiche and an “express lunch” featuring French onion soup and a croque monsieur for $18, as well. Requin lunch runs Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and brunch is on Saturday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Requin 8296 Glass Alley | Fairfax requinbymic.com
– Jody Fellows
PAGE 24 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
It’s Thursday. Do You Know Where Your News-Press Is?
CITY OF FALLS CHURCH
7-Eleven (Annandale Road) * Applebee’s (Broad Street) * Argia’s Restaurant * BB&T Bank (Broad Street) * Board of Education Building (803 W. Broad Street) * Bowl America * Bikenetic * The Broadway * Burke and Herbert Bank (Broad Street) * The Byron * Center for Multicultural Human Services * Chef Express * City Sunoco * Clare & Don’s Beach Shack * Clay Café Studios * CVS (Broad Street locations) * Curves * DK Nails & Spa * East Falls Church Metro * Elevation Burger * Fairfax Auto Parts * Falls Church Animal Hospital * Falls Church City Hall Lobby & West Wing * Falls Church City Public Utilities * Falls Church Community Center * Falls Church Education Foundation * Falls Church News-Press (200 Little Falls Street, Suite 506) * Famous Dave’s * Falls Church Police Station * FedEx Kinko’s * Five Rings Fitness * Flippin’ Pizza * George Mason High School * Indian Spices * Local Market * Mary Riley Styles Library * Mount Daniel School * Halalco Supermarket * Hillwood Cleaners * Inns of Virginia * Jhoon Rhee * La Caraquena * Mad Fox * The Madison * Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School * McDonald’s * Moby Dick * Oakwood Apartments * Panera * Panera Bread Building Lobby * Park Towers Condos * Pearson Square Apartments * Pho 88 * PNC Bank (Broad Street) * Point of View * Professional Building (313 Park Avenue) * Quick Copy * Red White & Bleu * Reed Building * Robeks Juice (Broad Street) * Roosevelt Towers * Sfizi Café * Sislers Stone * Smokey’s Garage * Spectrum Cleaners * Starbucks * Stratford Motor Lodge * Subway (Broad Street) * Sunrise Retirement Home * Suntrust Bank * Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt * Tax Analysts * Thomas Jefferson Elementary School * Towne Place Suites * Tutti Frutti * Unity Club * UVA/VT Northern Virginia Center * US Post Office * Vantage Fitness * Virginia Auto Repair * West Falls Church Metro * The Westlee * Zinga Frozen Yogurt
ROUTE 29 TO MERRIFIELD
El Tio Restaurant * Galleria Florist * Rite Aid * Safeway * Silver Diner * Super A Market * Timberlane Condominium Bus Stop * Victor’s Grill * Wendy’s (Lee Highway)
ROUTE 50/ARLINGTON BOULEVARD
Bentley’s Restaurant * Bill Page Honda * Gold’s Gym * Providence Recreation Center * Sanz School * Thomas Jefferson Library
SEVEN CORNERS
Barnes & Noble * Master’s Touch * UPS Store * US Post Office * Willston Multi-Cultural Center *
BAILEYS CROSSROADS/SKYLINE
Goodwin House * Munson Hill Towers * Panera * Rite Aid * Sunoco (Leesburg Pike) * US Post Office * Woodrow Wilson Library 8
PIMMIT HILLS
Idylwood Towers * Ledo Pizza * Pet Supplies Plus
ARLINGTON
Long & Foster Realtors * Ballston Common Mall * Ballston Metro * Cassatt’s Kiwi Café & Gallery * Clarendon Metro * Courthouse Metro * CVS (Lee Highway) * Grand Hunan * Joe’s Pizza * Linda’s Café * Metro Diner * Pete’s Barber Shop * Rosslyn Metro * Safeway (N. Harrison) * US Post Office (Courthouse) * Virginia Hospital Center * Virginia Square-GMU Metro * Westover Market * Wilson Boulevard & George Mason Drive Bus Stop
www.FCNP.com
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 25
Feb.
25 y
sda Thur
Ty Segall & The Muggers 9:30 7 p.m. 815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.
202-265-0930 • 930.com
26 y
Frida
Firefall
The Birchmere 7:30 p.m. 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria
703-549-7500 • birchmere.com
Blackalicious Howard Theatre 11 p.m. 620 T St. NW, Washington, D.C.
202-803-2899 • thehowardtheatre.com
29 ay
Mond
BY DREW COSTLEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
When Blackalicious, a rapper/producer hiphop duo hailing from Sacramento, released Imani, Vol. 1, their first album as a group in just over a decade, in September 2015 many in the media hailed it as their return from a ten-year hiatus. But the group never stopped touring or playing shows. In fact, Gift of Gab, the rapper, and Chief Xcel, the producer, seldom took breaks from touring as Blackalicious in the time between albums. To Chief Xcel, touring is a regular part of the group’s craft, which is somewhat rare for rap acts of the 90s. Whereas many rap acts only tour in support of an album, Blackalicious’ tour schedule looks like that of a folk rock act. “We came up watching a lot of the greats from the golden era perform live,” Xcel said. “So that always was a very important part of our foundation. We’re a touring band and that’s what we do….And as a result the swords stay sharp.” Blackalicious will be at Howard Theatre on Friday, Feb. 26 to show off their well-honed craft, with a show that Xcel said is a even mix of all of their musical output over the more than 20 years they’ve been together. He said that one staple of their live act is “Alphabet Aerobics,” a 1999 track produced by Cut Chemist in which Gift of Gab weaves together an avalanche of alliteration while rapping through A to Z over the course of two and a half minutes. “It’s kind of hard not to perform Alphabet Aerobics,” Xcel said. “Those kind of songs are staples in the show. People want to hear them.” He said that the first time that he and Gab performed that song in 1999 they were at the Lyricist Lounge in New York City’s Lower East Side. And the performance earned them props from a hip-hop legend: MC Shan. “There weren’t a whole lot of people there that night,” Xcel said. “But the one person that was there – and it will forever leave a stamp
BLACKALICIOUS. (C������� P����) in me and Gab’s hip-hop scrapbook – was MC Shan. He was in the crowd and he came up and was like ‘Man, my mind was blown.’ I couldn’t believe it. It was really dope.” Fifteen years after MC Shan saluted Blackalicious’ “Alphabet Aerobics,” “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe bigged them up by performing the song on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.” But another of the group’s releases from 1999, Nia, plays into what they’re doing now with Imani, Vol. 1, which is the first in a three-part series of albums. “If Nia is the opening scene to the movie, Imani is halfway through the movie. It’s the halfway point,” Xcel said. “It’s kind of an extension of a train of thought basically. We always work to try to make our catalog comprehensive and make it in a way that you can connect the dots so that it makes sense. “We were always big fans of groups that had bodies of work that you could look at, even the artwork, and can put them all together and they became a piece within themselves.”
Xcel referenced acts like Parliament Funkadelic, George Clinton as a solo artist and Earth, Wind and Fire, saying that they always “marveled” at musicians like that. Even Imani itself has a gestalt quality about it, with the songs blending from one to the next like they’re more like movements in a composition than tracks on an album. “It’s really about trying to create a sonic tapestry,” Xcel said. “Where it kind of each and every song is its own animal and when I start a song I never really know where it’s going to end up because I never really know what Gab is going to do. I can instinctively tell what he’ll gravitate towards, but I never really know topic-wise what he’s going to do and how that creative process is going unfold. “With that said, each song becomes its own continually-building process and, out of that, the end result is the album. The album becomes one song comprised of a series of songs.” • For more information about Blackalicious, visit blackalicious.com.
Herb Albert & Lani Hall Wolf Trap
These singles whet the appetites of the FCNP editorial team this week:
8 p.m. 1645 Trap Road, Vienna
703-255-1900 • wolftrap.com
Nicholas Benton – My Prayer by The Platters
Jody Fellows – Beware of the Boys by Panjabi MC featuring Jay-Z
Drew Costley – Deception by Blackalicious
PAGE 26 | FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 2, 2016
SPO RTS
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Mason Boys Swim Team Completes State 3-Peat by Jack West
Falls Church News-Press
The George Mason Swim Team traveled to Christiansburg, Va. Sunday, Feb. 21 to compete in the 2016 Virginia High School League 2A State Championship. The boys took home a first place trophy for the third consecutive year, scoring 383 points. The girls team won the runner up trophy to Maggie Walker Governor’s School with 315 points. Overall, 21 out of the original 22 swimmers advanced from the preliminary rounds to the final rounds of the meet. The closest and most intense races of the night were the relays on both the girls and boys team. Kicking off the meet the boys 200 Medley Relay placed first with a time of 1:41.92 in a close finish against Maggie Walker. The girls 200 Medley Relay then placed second with a time of 1:57.57. Then in the boys 200 Freestyle Relay, Mason swam a 1:33.91 barely putting them in second place behind Radford
High School, losing by 0.82 seconds. The girls 200 Freestyle relay however pulled out a first place win with a time of 1:45.32. The biggest event of the night however was the boys 400 Freestyle relay with freshman TJ Roche, senior Miller Surette, junior Daniel Reinfurt and junior Justin Britton. These four set not only a new team record, but also a new state record with the time of 3:18.42. The girls 400 Freestyle Relay finished in second place with a time of 4:02:07. The night also brought about many individual highlights. Tying as top scorers and leading the team for George Mason, Britton and Surette each placed first in all their individual events – Britton in the 100 Backstroke and 100 Freestyle, Surette in the 500 Freestyle and the 200 individual medley. Other individual highlights were freshman Adam Janicki placing fifth in the boys 200 individual medley; Roche, who placed second in the boys 100 Freestyle and third in the boys 50 Freestyle; senior Chris
MASON’S BOYS AND GIRLS SWIM TEAMS showed well at the state championship meet, with the boys winning the state title for the third consecutive year. (Courtesy Photo) Markus dropped a second giving him a fourth place title in the boys 100 Fly; senior Francesca King placed fifth in the girls
100 fly; sophomore Sam Updike placed sixth in the boys 100 breaststroke; senior Julianne Kelly placed fifth in the girls
100 breaststroke dropping 1.5 seconds.
Mustangs Punch Ticket to States GMHS Girls Basketball Stopped in Regionals by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
Two tough contests were awaiting George Mason’s varsity boys basketball team to start the Region 2A East Tournament, but they answered the call with a 61-41 win over Prince Edward County High School on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and a 96-73 win over Stuarts Draft High School on Friday, Feb. 19. Prince Edward, a rangy and aggressive team, presented a challenge the Mustangs hadn’t faced since their game against John Paul the Great High School during Mason’s winter break. “I told the guys [at halftime] ‘everybody we see from here on out is gonna be like this:’ breaking at the ball, athletic, trapping. We need to adjust better to it” head coach Chris Capannola said. “We thought we could go to the basket on them [and] kick the ball out.” Leading 17-12 going into the second quarter, the Mustangs built their lead to 31-19 by half but felt Prince Edward was still potent on offense and adjusted by shifting to a 2-3 zone defense in the second half. “They were going by us and they were getting to the rim too easy. We knew they had two shooters so we said, ‘If you’re gonna beat us, it’s gonna be from outside the arc,’ – it worked.” Capannola said.
by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
MASON SENIOR ELLIOT MERCADO played a big role in the lead the Mustangs carried into the locker rooms at halftime. (Photo: Drew Costley/News-Press)
Reconfiguring the defense changed the game. Prince Edward never came closer than seven points to Mason’s lead. Conversely, the Mustangs continued to dissect the visiting Eagles on offense, adding 12 points in the third quarter and 18 in the fourth en route to the win. The physicality in Tuesday’s game was the opposite of Mason’s fast-paced game against Stuarts Draft last Friday. Stuarts Draft resembled a track team more than basketball team, racing around the court trying to
wear Mason down to a point of weakness. Little did they know Mason could play faster, and better, than Stuarts Draft. An early 12-0 lead by Mason was never lost, ending the first half up 42-24. In the second half Mason continued to bully Stuarts Draft, adding 22 and 30 points in the third and fourth quarter, respectively. The Mustangs play in the Regional semifinal on Thursday. More importantly, the win over Prince Edward grants the Mustangs entry into the 2A State Tournament starting next weekend.
George Mason’s varsity girls basketball team ended their season with a 55-50 loss to Page County High School in the opening round of the Region 2A East Tournament. The game’s turbulent final minutes made for a dramatic finish. Mason led since the first quarter, and at one time by 14 points, until late in the fourth quarter when a jumper from Page County put the visitors ahead 48-47. Sophomore center Kaylee Hirsch knocked down her free throws to reclaim the lead, but Page County responded with a threepoint play that kept Mason under pressure. The Mustangs followed with a scoreless possession that opened the door for Page County, who went up 53-49 after another bucket to guarantee their victory. “I told them the second half was gonna be tough, that they’re gonna start full-court pressing,” head coach Michael Gilroy said. “We handled it well, we just didn’t convert it on the other end.” The Mustangs were effective in both phases, shutting down Page County’s offense while add-
ing points at a controlled pace. Mason led 16-11 entering the second quarter and 30-20 by the half. Momentum shifted in the second half when Page County kicked it into overdrive while Mason’s offense went cold. Page County’s 20 points in the third had them trailing 42-40 entering the fourth but on the roll that carried their win. The season may be over, but Mason made strides in their first season under Gilroy. A team-first identity founded on defense kept everyone in the line-up accountable and sets the Mustangs up nicely for next season. “It was a year one’s learning experience for them, they know what the style is once the season starts and [can] just jump right in.” Gilroy said. Mason’s loss to Page County was preceded by a 46-42 victory over Central High School for the Conference 35 championship on Feb. 17. “We were conference champs, which was the goal,” Gilroy said. “Thought we could’ve won this game – should’ve won this game – and I thought we could make a little noise in this region, but overall it was a successful year.”
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 2,Lane 2016 | PAGE Yes sorry- . (price should be $614,900) on Pioneer (please lighten27 photo) on Great Falls St. (price should be $949,000)
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HENDERSON THEATRE DIRECTOR BARBARA PISCOPO reads a letter after one of the performances of The Lion King, Jr. over the weekend. Piscopo is retiring from Henderson at the end of the year. (P����: C���� S��)
Top Scientist Visits Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
F.C. Education Foundation Stewards Waters Fund Through the contributions of friends, colleagues and Samuel J. Waters’ family members in honor of the life and achievements of Waters, who passed away earlier this year, the Samuel J. Waters
Gary J. Gayer 703-241-8100
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TWO SECOND GRADERS AT Thomas Jefferson Elementary School use Google Earth maps to explore the geography of Egypt. The students’ class learned about ancient Egypt last week and gained an appreciation for why the civilization was centered around the Nile, Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. (P����: C������� �� FCCPS P����/M����� M������)
Fund for the Arts has been established. The fund will be stewarded by the Falls Church Education Foundation which will help support the arts in Falls Church City, particularly in Falls Church City Public Schools. Contributions to the fund can be sent to the foundation at 800 W. Broad Street, Suite 203, Falls Church, VA 22046. The Falls Church Education Foundation is a 501(c)3, tax ID #54-1292509 and contributions are tax-deductible as allowable by law.
Harris Teeter Donates $ to Falls Church Schools Harris Teeter announced that it is partnering with the Virginia Lottery to give $50,000 to ten local schools, including two schools in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County. Jennifer Munoz, Harris Teeter store director, presented each of the schools with a $5,000 check on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Belvedere Elementary School and J.E.B Stuart High School were the two Falls Church schools which received donations.
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Guardianships Probate Trustee or Agent Services
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Dr. Shane Caswell, a sports medicine scientist at George Mason University, discussed how he uses research to reduce sports injuries and concussions in youth sports at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School on Friday, Feb. 19. Caswell’s appearance was part of the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s Nifty Fifty Progam, presented by InfoComm International, which sends more than 200 top scientists and engineers into area schools in advance of the Festival to ignite students’ passion for science and engineering. The festival, scheduled for April 16 – 17 in Washington, D.C. and sponsored by Lockheed Martin, is a free expo that allows kids and adults to participate in over 3,000 hands-on activities and see live performances by science celebrities and experts. For more information, visit usasciencefestival.org.
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C L AS S I F I E DS Cemetery Plots
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The Board of Zoning Appeals of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on March 17, 2016 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following subject: New Business a. Special Use Permit application U157916 by Sellaperumage Ruth Shaw to allow a home daycare, not otherwise permitted by right, on premises known as 1004 N. Roosevelt, RPC #53-212-011 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1B (Medium Density Residential). The City of Falls Church Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 7, 2016 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, to consider the above referenced two Special Use Permit applications Information on the above applications is available for review at: Zoning Office 300 Park Avenue, Suite 300W Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)
fcnp.com
We are pleged to the letter and
of Virginia’s policy for We spirit are pledged to the letter achieving equal housing opportuand nity spirit of Virginia’s policy throughout the CommonWe encourage and for wealth. achieving equal housing support advertising and opportunity throughout marketing programs in which the Commonwealth. We encourage there are no barriers to obtaining because of race, color, and and housing support advertising religion, national origin, sex, marketing in which elderliness,programs familial status or real estateto advertherehandicap. are noAllbarriers obtaintised hereinbecause is subjectof torace, ing housing Virginia’s fair housing law which color, religion, origin, makes it illegal tonational advertise “any limitation, sex, preference, elderliness, familialor stadiscrimination because of race, tus or handicap. All real estate color, religion, national origin, advertised herein subject sex, elderliness, familialis status or handicap or fair intention to make law to Virginia’s housing any such preference, limitation, which makes it illegal to adveror discrimination.” This newspatise “any per willpreference, not knowingly limitation, accept advertising for real because estate that of or discrimination violates the fair housing law. Our race,readers color, religion, are herby informednational that all dwellings advertised in familial this origin, sex, elderliness, newspaper are available on an status or handicap or intention equal opportunity basis. For more to make any such preference, information or to file a housing complaint or call the Virginia Fair limitation, discrimination.” Office at (804) ThisHousing newspaper will not know367-8530. Toll free call (888) ingly551-3247. accept For advertising the hearing for (804) 367-9753.the fair real impaired estate call that violates housing law. Our readers are Email: fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov. Website: www.fairhousing.vipnet.org 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) 3678530. Toll free call (888) 5513247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.
Offices in: Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Wytheville, Virginia
I Support Virginia’s Families
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Donate to the Family and Children’s Trust Fund on your Virginia income tax form.
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A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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1. Show support 5. Red as ____ 10. Budgetary concern 14. Car, slangily 15. Mythological maiden 16. Nike competitor 17. ____ vez (again, in Spanish) 18. Slightest amount 19. Flat fee? 20. “A puzzle that uses the names of African countries in punny ways ... ____?” 23. Plant with a bitter root 24. It’s the end of the lion 25. Two-time All-Pro linebacker Umenyiora 26. Some sweaters 30. “Puns! And world geography! Why, this puzzle ... ____!” 36. Adjective in many rap star names 37. Scene 38. “____-ching!” 39. “Wait, what? You don’t like puns OR world geography ... ____!” 46. President, at times 47. Deface 48. “That’s ____ haven’t heard” 50. One-named singer who is alphabetically first in “The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits” 54. “Well, I happen to have a soft spot for both geography and puns ... ____?” 57. It’s out on a limb
FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 29
DOWN
1. Three, it’s said 2. Art shop offering 3. “What ____!” (“Bummer!”) 4. Mossy wetland 5. Willa Cather title heroine 6. Talking Heads singer David 7. Some online reading 8. Center of Florida? 9. Stand-up routine in a stadium? 10. Spreader of holiday cheer 11. Pizzeria fixture 12. Perform on “The Voice,” say 13. Pic on a pec, perhaps 21. “____ or charge?” 22. Bath residue 27. ____ beans (chickpeas) 28. Madeline of “Blazing Saddles” 29. Kind of party 30. “____ It” (2006 Young Jeezy single) 31. Buster Brown’s dog 32. Thin strip 33. Catch, as a criminal
Across 1. Show support
34. Suffix with orange or lemon 35. ____ choy 40. 2001 National Book Award winner “The ____ Demon” 41. Keep from 42. It’s not wall-to-wall 43. Mental pictures 44. He called some of his pieces “hand-painted dream photographs” 45. Not get out of the car, say 49. 1964 Beatles tune “If ____” 50. Toward the back 51. Arabian Peninsula country 52. Miss by ____ 53. Enterprise rival 54. Pitcher Jim who was a 16-time Gold Glove winner 55. Four-time Best New Age Album Grammy winner 56. ____ occasion (never) 57. Maritime letters
58. Zellweger of “Chicago” 59. Gulf State leader 60. Poet Angelou 61. Forearm bone-related 62. Word that follows asteroid, black or conveyor 63. Spend the night 64. Word sung twice before “hallelujah” 65. Santa ____ Valley (winegrowing valley)
CHUCKLE BROS BRIAN & RON BOYCHUK
Last Thursday’s Solution S T A V E S
M I R A S O R V C I U N Z O
T A S E R U A L L E A D I S E V I L A P A Z I N D I E S C A L D
5. Red as ____
Sudoku
10. Budgetary concern
Level: 1 2 3 4
U N C L E M I L T I E
A S S I S I I W A R N
V O L E S B M X R A C I N G
O N U P O R I Y A E C O N
W O R L D W A R Z E N O L A
X G A A M A E N S D P U P A T C O T P N O W
A C T O O O E Y N S E L E L D S A R E O D I E T I N R E K A S T E F I N R I C E A R K S N S E C I T T O
By The Mepham Group
14. Car, slangily 15. Mythological maiden 16. Nike competitor 17. ____ vez (again, in Spanish) 18. Slightest amount 19. Flat fee?
1
20. "A puzzle that uses the names of African countries in punny ways ... ____?" 23. Plant with a bitter root 24. It's the end of the lion
LOOSE PARTS
25. Two-time All-Pro linebacker Umenyiora
DAVE BLAZEK
26. Some sweaters 30. "Puns! And world geography! Why, this puzzle ... ____!" NICK KNACK
1
© 2016 N.F. Benton
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
2/28/16
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk. © 2016 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Falls Church News-Press Vol. V, No. 49 • February 22, 1996
School Budget OK’d A “hold-the-line” budget of $17,313,446 which represents a 5.77 percent increase in City appropriations was unanimously approved by the School Board at its meeting last night. The budget includes improvements in technology for the schools, addresses concerns in special education programs and increases the school’s contingency fund by $25,000.
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. XV, No. 51 • February 23, 2006
10 Year s Ago
Thr ow it up. Pour it up It now is the time for all go od cows to go the to aid
F.C.’s New ‘Sister City:’ Just What & Where is Congo’s Kokolopori
Foxes Music
Free your inner
The Falls Church City Council voted last week to consummate a new “Sister City” partnership between Falls Church and Kokolopori, a hamlet in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Central Africa. Facilitated by Sister Cities International, and entailing a mere $340 in annual membership dues, the partnership is an important arrangement for both parties involved. It is an opportunity for the citizens of Falls Church to learn....
musician! STUDY WITH US!
PRIVATE LESSONS•DEGREED TEACHERS ALL INSTRUMENTS•ALL STYLES•ALL AGES
416 SOUTH WASHINGTON ST., FALLS CHURCH
703-533-7393
Arlington’s Estela Gibbon Dies at 103 Estela Cristina Gibbon,103, of Arlington passed on Jan. 15 with her family at her side in the Falls Church Sunrise. Estela was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic on May 15, 1912. Estela was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Edward E. Gibbon Sr., a 30-year Marine Corps Veteran and the Chief Deputy Sheriff of Arlington County. She was the daughter of Ramon and Cristina Piola Vila, sister to Dolores, Mercedes, Jose, and Ramon, Jr. all who preceded her in their journey to eternity with God, as well as her grandson, Patrick. Estela is survived by her sons who served in the U.S. Navy and
Marines Corps, Edward Jr., wife (Araceli), Jorome (Elizabeth), James, Richard (Karyn), and her daughter Teresa Stewart (John), as well as 12 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. She is survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews throughout the United States and Dominican Republic. A traditional military family wife and mother, Estela traveled and lived in the Caribbean Islands, Hawaii and several U.S. Marine installations throughout the U.S. from the 1930s to 1960s, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia, before settling in Arlington. Estela was active in the Arlington Catholic Diocese par-
On average, 1 in 6 Americans will get a foodborne illness this year. You can’t see these microbes, but they might be there. Always use a food thermometer to check if meat has reached a safe internal temperature before eating.
ishes of Saint Ann, Saint Agnes, and Saint James. She served as an officer in the Catholic Daughters in Northern Virginia. Her vocations included baking ceremonial cakes, needlepoint, crochet, painting, and dancing. She was a volunteer at the Arlington Senior Citizens Center in Clarendon and worked for the Arlington Public Schools. Catholic funeral mass will be held in her honor at St. James Catholic Church, in Falls Church, on March 5 at 10 a.m. She will be interred at 1 p.m., at the Arlington National Cemetery with her husband. Donations in her memory may be made to the Catholic Daughters of America.
LESSONS • SALES RENTALS • REPAIRS
PRIVATE LESSONS•DEGREED TEA
THIS IS RILEY, a Toy Australian Shepherd, seemingly overwhelmed by winter storm Jonas in late January. He and his fellow pooch, Madison, who will be featured next week, went for a stroll together in the Winter Hill community during the snow storm.
Foxes Music
Free your inner
musician!
PRIVATE LESSONS • DEGREED TEACHERS ALL INSTRUMENTS • ALL STYLES • ALL AGES
STUDY WITH US! 416 SOUTH WASHINGTON ST., FALLS CHURCH
703-533-7393 LESSONS • SALES • RENTALS • REPAIRS
KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE AT
DumpsterMag_4_625x4_875.indd 1
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FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016 | PAGE 31
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Directory Listings: Call Us at 703-532-3267
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ACCOUNTING
Diener & Associates, CPA.. . . . . . . . . 241-8807 Eric C. Johnson, CPA, PC . . . . . . . . . 538-2394 Mark Sullivan, CPA. . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-4511 HBC Tax and Accounting . . . . . . . . . . 459-6794 Hahn & Associates, PC, CPAs. . . . . . 533-3777 n
ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES
Falls Church Antique Company . . . . . 241-7074 Antique Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-9642 n
ATTORNEYS
Mark F. Werblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9300 Sudeep Bose, Former Police Officer. 926-3900 Janine S. Benton, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . .992-9255 n
AUTOMOTIVE
Beyer Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5000 Koons Used Car Outlet . . . . . . . . . . . 533-3363 n
BANKING
Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co.. . . 519-1634 BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-3505 TD Bank/www.TDBank.com. . . . . . . . 237-2051 n
BOOK BINDING
BCR Binders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9181
3 months - $150 6 months - $270 1 year - $450
BUSINESS DIRECTORY n
CLEANING SERVICES
Maid Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823-1922 Acclaimed Carpet Cleaning . . . . . . . . 978-2270 Claure. Zenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571-235-4295 A Cleaning Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892-8648 n
DENTISTS
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ENGINES
Georgia’s Small Engine Repair . 571-212-0712 n
EQUIPMENT RENTAL/SALE
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EYEWEAR
Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-6500 n
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FLORISTS
Art & Frame of Falls Church . . . . . . . 534-4202
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Doug’s Handyman Service. . . . . . . . . 556-4276
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Academy of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938-8054 Foxes Music Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7393
All numbers have a ‘703’ prefix unless otherwise indicated.
REAL ESTATE
Merelyn Kaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790-9090x218 www.helpfulmortgage.us . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222 Casey O’Neal - ReMax . . . . . . . . . . . 824-4196 Rosemary Hayes Jones. . . . . . . . . . .790-1990 The Young Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356-8800 Tori McKinney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867-8674 Shaun Murphy, Realtor . . . . . . . . . . . 868-5999
MASSAGE
MUSIC
PHOTOGRAPHY
Gary Mester, Event, Portraits. . . . . . . 481-0128 Mary Sandoval Photography . . . 334-803-1742
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TAILOR
Tailor Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-8886
Dr Gordon Theisz, Family Medicine. . 533-7555 n
PHARMACY
Broad Street Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . 533-9013 n
LAWN CARE
MEDICAL
PET SERVICES
Apex Pet Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-8012 Feline Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920-8665
HOME IMPROVEMENT
INSURANCE
OPTOMETRIST
Dr. Alison Sinyai, Family Eye Care . . 533-3937
www.healthybyintention.com.. . . . . . . 534-1321
GIFTS
HANDYMAN
Vantage Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-0565 Jazzercise Falls Church. . . . . . . . . . . 622-2152
HEALTH & FITNESS
Lawn and Landscape Services . . . . . 691-2351
Falls Church Florist, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 533-1333
Stifel & Capra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-0770 n
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FRAMES
n
Allstate Home Auto Life Ins. . . . . . . 241-8100 State Farm Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5105
VA Outdoor Power Equipment . . . . . . 207-2000 n
Your Handyman . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571-243-6726
FC Heating & Air Service . . . . . . . . . . 534-0630 Your Handyman LLC . . . . . . . . . 571-243-6728 Joseph Home Improvement. . . . . . . . 507-5005 Picture Perfect Home Improvements 590-3187 One Time Home Improvement. . . . . . 577-9825
Family Dentistry, Nimisha V Patel . . . 533-1733 Dr. William Dougherty . . . . . . . . . . . 532-3300
1 Line Maximum
(30 characters + Ph. #, incl. spaces)
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TAXES
John Palmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-8780 Beatson Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798-3590
PAGE 32 | FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 2, 2016
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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710 Villa Ridge Rd | Falls Church City
Absolutely beautiful 4 bed/3.5 bath colonial in desirable Broadmont.Beautiful private yard with stone patio and screened porch. Walk to Metro. Offered at $1,175,000
Former Builders model 3 level end unit contains over 2500 sqft of living space with lots of upgrades. Entry level has spacious Rec Room with walk out to stone patio with fenced rear yard. Upper level has designer kitchen with great amenities, family room, dining room and walk out to deck; Top level has 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths. 2-car garage $479,000, 42723 Twinleaf Drive, Ashburn
Merelyn Kaye
McEnearney Associates Home Office 703-241-2577 Mobile 703 362 1112 www.kayes.com e-mail: merelyn@kayes.com
Louise Molton is proud to announce the opening of RE/MAX West End located right in the heart of Falls Church City! We have listings and buyers ~ call me today!
1027 Savile Lane | McLean
Beautiful stately colonial on 1.34 acres in the Langley District. Featuring 4 bed/4.5 bath, multiple reception rooms, pool and incredible views. Offered at $1,300,000
710 W Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046 Voted Best Residential Real Estate Agent
Louise Molton Broker/Owner
Phone: 703 244-1992 Email: louise@moltonrealestate.com
www.LouiseMolton.com
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