Falls Church News-Press 3-21-2024

Accompanying City Manager

Wyatt Shields’ annual Falls Church operating budget proposal due the end of this month will be an equally unwieldy so-called Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) budget that will suggest Council priorities for non-operating budget expenditures, mainly infrastructure projects.

At its meeting scheduled for last night, the City’s Planning Commission was due to act on a measure to recommend adoption of the City staff’s outline of proposed coming CIP projects over the next half dozen years.

But this year, the plan could run afoul of some new potentially ambitious economic development plans that have some members of the City’s quasiprivate Economic Development Authority (EDA) concerned, the News-Press has learned.

The CIP recommended plans, developed under the City’s Operating Department head Andy Young and prepared by the City’s CIP Coordinator Caitlin Sobsey, could be standing in the way of some important development plans that are in an infancy stage.

Perhaps the most critical case involves the City’s Public Works Department’s plan for a new building on the five acres of City-owned land that is now being used as a property yard off Gordon Road.

Continued

Beyer Spearheads Effort to Bypass House Speaker

While Falls Church’s U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. joined colleagues at the Capitol today to unveil new legislation to change how Congress is elected, he is also helping to spearhead the effort in Congress to bypass the intransigent Trump-backing House speaker Mike Johnson get a vote on vitally needed military aid for Ukraine; Observers insist that if the matter, the version already approved by the Senate, can come to a vote in the House it will pass easily. But Johnson is standing in the way of that on orders from Russian agent Trump. Beyer was joined on the Hill for a press conference on a new

voting plan, but more important was his seminal role in trying to force the House to take action on the Ukraine aid measure.

A “petition to vacate” needs 220 votes to pass, and so far as of Wednesday night, while every Democrat in the House has signed onto it, not a single Republican has.

The Senate early Tuesday passed an emergency spending package that would provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel; replenish U.S. weapons systems; and provide food, water, and other humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

The Senate jettisoned from the package a bipartisan effort to boost immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border after most Republican senators,

following the lead of Trump, deemed the bipartisan proposal inadequate. Abandoning the border proposal brought the price tag of the bill down to about $95.3 billion.

Now that the Senate approved the emergency spending package, it is up to the Republicanled House to take it up, change it or let it die. Speaker Johnson cast new doubt on the package in a statement Monday evening, making clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk — if at all. After a bill has been introduced and referred to a standing committee for 30 days, a member of the House can file a motion to have the bill dis -

charged, or released, from consideration by the committee. In order to do this, a majority of the House (218 voting members, not delegates) must sign the petition. Once a discharge petition reaches 218 members, after several legislative days, the House considers the motion to discharge the legislation and takes a vote after 20 minutes of debate. If the vote passes (by all those who signed the petition in the first place), then the House will take up the measure.

Because discharging a bill from a standing committee is a lengthy process and there are multiple ways for the Speaker to intervene, members of the minority party might instead

Continued on Page 7

City Council Should Not Commit to Property Yard Plan

The CIP budget calls for $30 million to be spent on a new public works building on that site. Even if the new building plan isn’t scheduled to come forward for another three years, its inclusion this year will make taking it out of future CIP’s much more difficult.

In fact, those five acres are located smack dab in the middle of a highly promising commercial development part of town.

If anything, according to News-Press sources, the entire property yard should be relocated out of its prime area so that maximum economic development can proceed there.

The other even more important aspect of this is the as-yet unknown plans for the adjacent Beyer Automotive site of over 20 acres that former City resident Mike Beyer, brother of Falls

Church’s “favorite son” veteran U.S. Congressman Don Beyer, may be planning for his property at that site.

Mike Beyer, who moved out of the City a few years ago but still operates Beyer Automotive here, has spent years slowly assembling his now 20-plus acre site that runs the length of W. Broad Street from the old Volvo showroom (now unoccupied) all the way down to where the bridge over W. Broad marks the W&OD Trail.

Even though Beyer has been very uncommunicative about his plans, at least in terms of talking about it with City officials or this newspaper, they cannot be dismissed and the potential for linking whatever he may want to do if it could involve connecting his site with the five acre property yard site has to be a top priority for the City.

Bob Young, chair of the EDA,

told the News-Press that he’s not aware of what the EDA might vote to recommend at this stage, but that the City should keep its options open.

The core functions of DPW include: Streets and Sidewalks, Traffic Signals, Streetlights, Pavement Markings, and Street Signage, Stormwater and Sanitary Sewer, Buildings and Facilities, City Fleet & Equipment, Urban Forest and Green spaces and Solid Waste and Recycling.

The existing Robert L. Goff Property Yard was built in 1962 and is the operation center for the entire City. Due to the existing conditions and footprint of the building, staff is recommending a new project for the total demolition and replacement of the existing facility. The proposed project increases capacity, improves overall operational standards and efficiency, expands existing services, and increases energy

efficiency. Preliminary conceptual design and master plans are underway in FY24. For planning purposes, the new project request of $30,000,000 is included in this years CIP, as well as financial

reference materials in Section 2 for bond referendum policy. Staff recommended funding source is debt, to be issued in FY2028, which would require a future bond referendum.

Why We Must Stand To Help Ukraine Now

Nicholas F. Benton

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The editorial in this Saturday’s edition of The Washington Post, entitled, “The House Doesn’t Need Mr. Johnson to Save Ukraine,” makes the important point that a bipartisan combination of congressmen can use something called a “discharge petition” to bypass intransigent House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to bring a Ukrainian military aid package, namely the $94 billion package already passed by the Democraticcontrolled Senate, to the floor for a vote that would almost certainly pass and give the nation’s heroic resistance to Putin’s aggression there much needed help.

In fact, the effort is well underway in the House, with 179 signed onto it so far out of a total of 220 needed. It is not clear if it is going to stall out there or not, but in my view this is precisely where an enormous mobilization ought to be centered to get this done.

As I have said repeatedly in this space over the more than two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this conflict has clarified, more than anything else, who is on what side of history, when it comes to either advancing or crushing the movement toward democracy in the world.

There is no question that the United States of America should be at the head of this cause, being the world’s foremost democracy that has spent countless amounts, including of the blood of its courageous and dedicated young sons and daughters, in the effort to defend and expand democracy since its revolution in 1776 to set up the world’s first democratic state since the ancient Greeks.

This nation has itself been the proof that the establishment and ongoing efforts to advance democracies thrive far better than any other system, bringing vastly more human resources into play for our advancement through the power of will and creativity. Democracies, while never perfect (maybe someday), still are by far the most efficient and powerful

are given, that is summed up in the short, ingenious line from America’s Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men (read: persons) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

So, “Happiness” is the universal objective of democracy and Jefferson’s inclusion of it in the Declaration of Independence was deliberately in place of “property.” The contrasting values tell it all.

In Ukraine, the tyrant Putin wants more property at the expense of many other people’s happiness. We democracies must do our part in the fight for more happiness, period.

Readers Asked to Help FCNP Efforts

This week, as City Manager Wyatt Shields puts the final touches on the Fiscal Year 2025 budget recommendations he will present to the F.C. City Council on April 1, the News-Press submitted a request for the City to resume its practice of purchasing weekly space in the paper to report directly to its citizens on important events and activities, the way it did effectively for seven years in the first decade of this century.

The City and City schools’ practice of each posting a full page of notices and events in the paper began at the initiative of the late City Manager Dan McKeever in 2001 and was terminated during the fiscal squeeze prompted by the global financial panic of 2007. Despite the City’s remarkable growth in the meantime, however, there has been no serious effort to restore that policy despite the fact that the NewsPress has continued to publish without fail and be delivered to every household in Falls Church, including with redundancies by way of stacks of free papers in various public places.

Through this paper’s deft handling of its operations, it has been able to continue as one of now only two newspapers in the entire Northern Virginia region to still produce a widely distributed print edition each week. This is because we hold that print newspapers, as contrasted to solely online versions, are vital to a community, giving the opportunity for its citizens to read, think about, and share views based on a new edition each week. Studies show that reading information online or digitally does not produce nearly the same level of reader retention and resulting useful discourses as editions in print do. Our editor and managing editor made this case to the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce in remarks that can now be found online at fcnp.com/chamber-talk.

Moreover, having a viable general interest newspaper enhances a community’s value, including the value of its real estate. Having a good newspaper is good for business. This is why the mighty Falls Church News-Press can take its share of credit for the fabulous economic growth this community has experienced compared to others in the region.

But we must confess that we, too, are skating on thin ice in these times of great trouble for local papers. We are counting on our readers at all levels to pitch in and help. The most efficient way of doing this is through a dedication of a tiny fraction of City tax dollars going to provide a valuable public service that also helps to keep your local newspaper in business.

We urge our readers and all who share in the commitment to democracy in America that must include viable print newspapers to exert influence on the local City Council and City staff to ask them to grant the News-Press ’ request for a restoration of the City and City schools’ weekly pages in their newspaper of record.

Platform

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2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy.

3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial content.

4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe.

5. Accept no charity and ask no favors.

6. Give ‘value received’ for every dollar you take in.

7. Make the paper show a profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

Letters to Editor

Liberty Christian in VHSL is Inappropriate

Editor,

Your March 14, 2024

Editorial, Liberty Christian’s Discriminations was spot-on! LCA’s Mission Statement is indeed blatantly discriminatory and, moreover, completely at odds with language in Virginia’s Human Rights Act (1987), which states “it is the policy of the Commonwealth to:

1. Safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or disability in places of public accommodation, including educational institutions and in real estate transactions;

2. Safeguard all individuals within the Commonwealth from unlawful discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or military status.”

So, what to do about this situation? Well, for starters, there’s the over-arching question: how can a private school with a clearly discriminatory mission statement be permitted to play in a public school tournament? Subsumed under this are a series of key questions, including: on what grounds did VHSL members make their decision to vote to admit LCA in 2015? Was LCA’s mission statement in 2015 the same as it is in 2024? If not, how and in what ways did it change? When did VHSL become aware of the discriminatory language in LCA’s current Mission Statement? What has been VHSL’s response and how does VHSL reconcile the contradictions between LCA’s current Mission Statement language and provisions of Virginia’s Human Rights Act? Lastly, are VHSL member schools aware of reports that as a private school LCA has recruited athletes, in apparent violation of VHSL rules and regulations? Has VHSL inves -

tigated these reports and, if so, what has been found and what action, if any, has been taken?

In anticipation of further efforts to respond to this situation, answers to these questions should be pursued… and I, for one, intend to do so.

Hal Lippman Editor,

Where is Affordable Housing in F.C.?

In last week’s paper you wrote Don Beyer “secures $850,000 for F.C. Affordable Housing.” I checked local home prices and the cheapest condo for sale in Falls Church is currently listed at $629,000, and the second cheapest $849,000. Where are the “starter homes”?

Where are the working families who work here and provide services in Falls Church supposed to live? I don’t think that federal funding is going to go very far when our existing housing supply has become this expensive. Like many regions in the country, we are clearly in a housing affordability crisis which can’t be solved by subsidizing demand. We can only solve it by increasing the supply of homes and working diligently to meet the needs in our community. The average person can no longer afford to buy the average home, exacerbating the wealth and power inequality. Something big has to change because our current trajectory is destroying the fabric of our society, whether the wealthy landowners of Falls Church realize it or not.

As the Falls Church City Council gets ready to kickoff the FY25 budget process I hope more residents join in making their concerns on our current housing policies heard and the Council takes seriously the power they have to address the current crisis.

Joseph Schiarizzi

Correction: last week’s letter to the editor regarding the electoral college was incorrectly attributed to the incorrect author. The letter was written by Joyce Migdall.

LOCAL

Beyer Spearheads Effort To Get a Vote on Ukraine

Continued from Page 1

attempt to discharge a Special Rule from the Rules Committee. The process is similar, but with some important differences.

A rule, including a “Special Rule,” is a resolution that governs how a bill is brought to the floor, the terms of debate, if amendments are allowed, and some other procedural guidelines. Basically, whenever the House is going to vote on a major bill, they first must pass a rule that says how they’re going to go about considering the major bill, and then they can vote on the underlying bill. So discharging a Special Rule is the first step, but the ultimate goal is to pass the major bill it is attached to.

Once the special rule has been introduced, it has to sit in the Rules Committee for seven legislative days. After that point, the discharge petition can be filed and Members of Congress can begin signing their names. Once the petition receives 218 signatures — which can take quite a while, or not happen at all — and passes a second seven legislative days waiting period, any member who signed the petition can then call the Special Rule to the floor for a vote. The Speaker then has two legislative days to schedule the vote. If the House passes the Special Rule, that then automatically brings the underlying bill to the floor for debate and then a vote.

Often, the Special Rule will also make some automatic changes to the underlying bill, which could range from minor updates to a complete substitute of the legislative text. This means when the House passes the Special Rule, the changes to the underlying bill happen simultaneously and the updated bill is what receives a vote.

Adding a name as a cosponsor of a bill signals to the public that a Member of Congress would support the bill should it come to the floor. And under normal pro -

cedure, the Majority Leader schedules all bills for consideration by the House. However, with a discharge petition, the Majority Leader does not have the discretion of whether to schedule the bill. It comes to the floor once it receives 218 signatures. Signing a discharge petition signals urgency in addition to support.

Rarely are discharge petitions successfully used to force a vote on a contentious bill. This is due to the fact that discharge petitions are typically used by the minority party on issues that can garner bipartisan support. The most likely way for a discharge petition to be used in this Congress is for Democrats to try to force a vote on something that all Democrats and just a handful of Republicans wanted to force to the floor. But the only way for this to happen is if there’s enormous pressure on that handful of Republicans to break ranks from their party’s leadership.

The biggest barrier to invoking this procedure is getting the requisite 218 signatures in a highly-majoritarian body. Historically, discharge petitions have passed, but not in recent history. Generally a bill that could garner 218 votes could get to the floor through another mechanism first.

NEWS BRIEFS

Police Chiefs: Fairfax Co. Safest Big County in U.S.

Fairfax County remains the safest jurisdiction of our size in the country. The Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) has released its Year-End Crime Report, and among the 70 large jurisdictions ranked by the MCCA, Fairfax County once again has the lowest rate of violent crimes (homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults.) As Fairfax Board chair Jeff McKay reported this week, “ I’ve said many times, the MCCA relies on data, not anecdotes, which means this distinction is something you can trust.”

Despite a nationwide surge in carjackings, FCPD is proud to say we successfully reduced incidents of carjackings in 2023. This reduction in carjacking incidents is attributable to the department’s effective strategies, including enhanced community engagement, data-informed patrols and initiatives, and strategic communication. In 2023, carjacking incidents decreased from 27 in 2022 to 25 in 2023.

LGBTQ+ Elected ‘Fighting Back’ Vs. Setbacks

While the state of LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. is dire, there is great news, according to the LGBTQ+ Task Force. “LGBTQ+ elected officials are fighting back – and creating safe havens for trans people across the U.S.

“We wanted to thank the leaders that have worked tirelessly to propose and pass legislation protecting our community.

“Minnesota, New York, Maryland, Maine and Hawaii are all taking steps to protect gender-affirming care, while polling indicates Iowans oppose efforts to limit trans rights. Because of the work done by LGBTQ+ elected officials and allies, these states - and more! - leading

the way for a safer and healthier future for LGBTQ+ folks.”

“Jury Out” On ‘Missing Middle’ Fight in Arlington

A year after the passage of Arlington’s “Missing Middle” ordinance last March, the jury is out on the long-term implications of the zoning change, according to a report in the Gazette-Leader

Challenges include a substantial slowdown in Missing Middle applications and continued opposition from some residents. Gone are the days when a wave of construction applications swept through the county in the wake of the Arlington County Board’s approval of Missing Middle on March 22, 2023.

Instead, development applications involving the expanded housing option have slowed to a relative crawl. The county has approved just three “missing middle” applications since the start of this year, according to its EHO Tracker page.

A pending lawsuit may be at the root of the slowdown, housing experts say, adding too much risk for builders that might have otherwise considered EHO projects.

Spring Now Officially In Play Throughput Region

Tuesday marked the official start of spring, which means summer is just around the corner! Now is an excellent time to start making your summer plans. Fairfax County offers a wide variety of summer camps for kids of all ages.

Fairfax County camps provide opportunities for new experiences for kids to grow and develop socially, physically, and cognitively.

Those who would like to view a list of all the camps currently being offered, should visit fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/ camps.

PAGE 8 | MARCH 21 - 27, 2024

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Penny Gross

Midway through Women’s History Month 2024, it is not difficult to find examples of significant achievements by women — in science, medicine, business, politics, sports, the arts, law, etc. — that should be celebrated.

For centuries, in this nation and in others, women were expected to “know their place” and conform to the traditional expectations of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. Formal education often was limited; girls might learn the basics of reading and writing, but anything beyond that was an opportunity reserved for their brothers, not their sisters. Girls expressed their lessons via hand-stitched samplers, a quaint representation of yesteryear, but those tiny cross-stitches on a blank fabric square (no preprinted kits in those days) could be challenging.

Today, women know that their “place” can be in the Senate, the House, the boardroom, the C-suite, on the playing field, in the courtroom and, hopefully, the White House. When Congress established Women’s History Month in 1987, only two Senators were female — Barbara Mikulski of Maryland (D) and Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas (R), or two percent of the deliberative body. The House of Representatives had 23 female members, 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans, accounting for only 5.3 percent. Today, the numbers and the percentages are higher: 25 women in the Senate (25 percent); 126 in the House (29 percent), but still not reflective of the nation’s overall population.

Running for office means making difficult choices, taking risks, developing a “thick” skin, and separating the political from the personal. Fortitude and resilience can be elusive at first, but will develop quickly with a little experience on the campaign trail. The challenge is that voters view male and female candidates differently, often reflective of the gender biases that long have existed in our society.

I remember being asked, during my initial campaign, if I had

“slept” with anyone to get my jobs on Capitol Hill. It was a shocking question that did not deserve an answer, demeaning not only me but the extraordinary senators I worked for. Such an outrageous question never would have been posed to a male candidate, but is an example of why women, especially, need to develop the thick skin mentioned above.

For women today, in and out of politics, there are many things that they need, or should develop, to be successful in whatever path chosen. A mid1990s poem, attributed variously to Maya Angelou, Hillary Clinton, and others, but actually by writer Pamela Redmond, lists 30 things a woman should have by age 30. It’s a pretty hefty inventory and, looking back, I doubt I could have achieved even a fraction of the list by age 30.

Control is a major aspect of the list — having enough money to move out and rent a place of your own, knowing when to try harder and when to walk away, how to live alone even if you don’t like it, knowing what you can and can’t accomplish in a day, and a feeling of control over your own destiny.

To that I would add establishing credit in your own name, as I did when I first moved to this area for a Capitol Hill job. When I asked to change my birth name to my new married name on my credit card with a now-defunct national retailer, the store would reissue the card only in my husband’s name. It was with mixed feelings that I destroyed my card at the counter, saying “if you don’t need me, I don’t need you!” Fortunately, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 rectified that demeaning practice.

If, as Shakespeare noted, “Past is Prologue,” Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to examine where we’ve been.

What’s more important, though, is where we are going, and how we will get there. Women are making history every day, and that should be celebrated, and encouraged, every day, not only in March.

Delegate Marcus Simon’s Richmond Report

It’s good to be back home in Falls Church as Virginia’s part time legislature wrapped up a very busy General Assembly Session. The House and Senate both adjourned on March 9th as scheduled, with a completed state budget. This is the first time in three years that we haven’t needed to extend the session or return for a special session to complete work on the budget.

The feat is made even more impressive given that we had brand new leadership in both chambers, with Delegate Don Scott becoming the first black speak of the House in its 405year history, and Senator Scott Surovell replacing Falls Church’s own Senator, Richard Saslaw, who retired after a nearly 50-year legislative career.

Add to that the number of brandnew members (34 new Delegates in the House out of 100 and 17 new Senators out of 40) and the nearly 3,600 bills and resolutions we reviewed, and it’s truly amazing we were able to accomplish all that we have.

Of the 1,046 bills that passed the General Assembly and were communicated to the Governor, he has signed 94 bills, amended 12, and vetoed 28. He has until April 8 at 11:59 p.m. to act on the remaining 912 bills he received.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as we expect many more vetoes and amendments in the coming weeks.

Governor’s Recommendations

Diving a little deeper into the Governor’s recommendations, you’ll find a series of unnecessary amendments to legislation that either passed unanimously or with bipartisan support. Primarily, his amendments add reenactment clauses, which would require the

General Assembly to pass the same bill again during the 2025 Session.

However, he has also offered other amendments that completely change the effect of a bill — most notably on bills related to reproductive healthcare. On Senator Hashmi’s bill (SB 238) to require insurance companies to provide birth control coverage, the Governor added a religious exemption clause. And on Senator Locke’s bill (SB 35) directing the Board of Medicine to require unconscious bias and cultural competency training for license renewals, the Governor has gutted the bill, changing it from a comprehensive training with medical expert oversight to a basic, generalized course on “learning activities.”

The Governor also drastically amended Delegate Cohen’s simple bill (HB 498) requiring local school boards to annually notify parents about safe gun storage regulations. His amendments expand the bill to require the Department of Education to create a specific list of “parental rights,” which is far outside the original scope of this bill.

Governor’s Vetoes

The Governor has already vetoed 28 bills (with more to come!), the topics covered in these bills are far-ranging — gun violence prevention, preventing book bans, labor disputes, invasive plants, voter registration, surrogacy, and class action lawsuits.

It may not be a surprise that Governor Youngkin targeted these bills in his first batch of vetoes as several of them represent larger progressive policies that enabled us to win last November. These are some of the bills the Governor has vetoed:

Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-

Parker’s bill prohibits firearm transfers to a prohibited person i.e. someone who is the subject of a protective order, closing a big loophole. (HB 46)

My consumer protection bill to allow class action lawsuits to be established in Virginia with the Supreme Court of Virginia tasked with creating regulations to govern such actions. (HB 418)

Delegate Karrie Delaney’s bill to prohibit the Department of Education from adopting policies permitting the censoring or banning of books in public schools. (HB 571)

Delegate Levere-Bolling’s bill to amend the Virginia Unemployment Compensation Act’s labor dispute disqualification to provide that an employer lockout shall not constitute a labor dispute and that locked-out employees who are otherwise eligible shall continue to receive such benefits. (HB 938)

Delegate Maldonado’s bill to prohibit prospective employers from requiring the disclosure of an individual’s salary history or from using that information as a basis for employment. (HB 990)

Delegate Sickle’s bill to require the Department of Elections to rejoin the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which allows us to better maintain our voter registration database. (HB 1117)

Senator Bagby’s bill to restrict the use of solitary confinement in state prisons. (SB 719)

Reconvene Session

I’ll head back to Richmond for the General Assembly’s Reconvene Session on April 17, where we will address all of the Governor’s vetoes and recommendations as well as any changes he makes to the compromise budget.

THIS WEEK AROUND F.C.

THURSDAY MARCH 21

Arts and Humanities Council Meeting

Arts and Humanities Council meets. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 9:30 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.

Human Svcs. Advisory Council Meeting

Human Services Advisory Council meets. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 6:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

Env. Sustainability

Council Meeting

Evironmental Sustainability Council & Energy Transition Subcommittee meet. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Council Chambers, Falls Church)

FRIDAY MARCH 22

Falls Church Arts

Exhibit: Images

FCA exhibit "Images," featuring 60 pieces from 47 photographers, on display through April 14. Details at fallschurcharts.org. Falls Church Arts (700-B W. Broad St., Falls Church), 11:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Little Shop of Horrors

Follow a luckless florist shop worker, Seymour, who raises a wisecracking carnivorous plant – Audrey II – that must feed on human blood. On stage through May 18. Tickets at fords.org. Ford's Theatre (511 Tenth St. NW, Washington, DC), 2:00 p.m.

Impactful

Word Series: Joy-Ann Reid

The New York Times bestselling author and host of MSNBC's "The ReidOut" traces the extraordinary lives and legacy of civil rights icons Medgard and Myrlie Evers in "Medgar & Myrlie," situating Medgar Evers's assassination as a catalyzing moment in American history. Free and open to the public. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (2700 F St. NW, Washington, DC), 6:00 p.m.

SATURDAY MARCH 23

Falls Church Farmers Market

Shop the award-winning market every Saturday, year-round! City Hall Parking Lot (300 Park Ave., Falls Church), 9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

Books and Clothing Drive

Collecting books, clothing and linens for the F.C. Village Improvement Society Attic Treasure Bazaar and the American Association of Women Book Sale May 3 and 4. All other donations see vpis.org. Drop offs are accepted every Saturday, near the "Pig Sculpture" on Gordon Rd. Old Beyer Volvo Showroom (1231 W. Broad St., Falls Church), 10:30 a.m. — 1:00 p.m.

National Chamber Ensemble

The National Chamber Ensemble performs "Diverse Romantic Visions: Florence Price and Brahms. Tickets and information at nationalchamberensemble.org. Gunston Arts Center (2700 S. Lang St., Arlington, VA), 7:30 p.m.

The Princess and the Pea

The King and Queen task the Court Jester to find their son a suitable bride, but this unleashes a neverending line of women with serious flaws. Finally, one stormy night, a young woman knocks on the castle door seeking shelter. Is she the match he is seeking? His mother’s ridiculous test involves a pea and some magical help from the local wizard. Running through March 24. Tickets at creativecauldron.org. Creative Cauldron (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church), 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY MARCH 24

Trinity Irish Dance Company

The internationally praised Trinity Irish Dance Company fuses traditional Irish step dance with contemporary movement for a high octane, syncopated experience. A captivating program that

blends sheer percussive power with aerial grace. Tickets at cfa. calendar.gmu.edu. GMU Center for the Arts (4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax, VA), 7:00 p.m.

MONDAY MARCH 25

Spring Break

Schools are closed in the City of Falls Church, Arlington County, and Fairfax County, reopening Monday, April 1. FCCPS (School Buildings, Falls Church), all week

TUESDAY MARCH 26

Food for Change: Nutrition & Menopause

This presentation will cover the basics of nutrition as they relate to managing the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. You will learn how the foods you eat and the lifestyle choices you make can help make the transition smooth for both mind and body. Free registration at mrspl.org. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Lower Level Conf. Rm., Falls Church), 6:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 27

Gov't Operations Committee Meeting

Government Operations Committee meets. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Oak Room, Falls Church), 9:00 a.m. — 10:00 a.m.

Murder on the Orient Express

It's 1934, just after midnight, and a snowstorm has stopped the opulent sleeper train in its tracks. A wealthy American businessman is discovered dead, and the brilliant and beautifully mustachioed Hercule Poirot must solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again. Agatha Christie's plot-twisting masterpiece takes audiences on a suspenseful thrill ride. Showing through April 13. Tickets at thelittletheatre.com. The Little Theatre of Alexandria (600 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA), 8:00 p.m.

TRINITY IRISH Dance Company brings a high octane performance to GMU's Center for the Arts this Sunday. (Photo: Lois Greenfield)

HUNDREDS OF people came to the FCEPTA’s International Night last week, with educational tables, dishes from around the world, and live music and dance performances. (Photo: Jennie Hux)

MOUNT DANIEL second graders visited the National Portrait Gallery to learn about historic Americans. (Photo: Motrya Manalac)

SNEAKY LEPRECHAUNS searching for a pot of gold made a mess at Jessie Thackery Preschool. (Photo: Brannon McLaughlin)

MERIDIAN GOVERNMENT students toured the U.S. Capitol at the conclusion of their legislative branch unit, pictured here meeting with Rep. Don Beyer (D-Falls Church). (Photo: Natalie Glees)

Spring Sports Underway at F.C.’s Meridian High School

by Ryan McCafferty

With the conclusion of basketball season at Meridian High School, that means it’s time for the Spring season to get started, with sports for the next three months including soccer, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, and softball.

The boys’ soccer team headlines this group as they look to defend their 2023 State Championship, and their opening week included a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to compete in tournament play.

It was a bit of a slow start, though, as the boys lost 1-0 at Osbourn Park on Tuesday before going 1-2 against some very stiff competition across state lines, beating Hewitt-Trussville 2-0 on Thursday before falling 3-1 to Hardin Valley on Friday and then 2-0 to Brentwood on Saturday. The early season contests will leave the Mustang’s well-tested. They return to Falls Church for their first home game of the year against Briar Woods Today.

Meanwhile girls soccer opened their season with a 3-2 loss at Annandale on Tuesday before rebounding to beat Seton 5-0 on

Friday at home. They’ll host Osbourn Park this Tuesday as they look to improve to 2-1 on the yea. Girls soccer is not the only female squad off to a strong start, as the lacrosse team earned a pair of wins — scoring exactly 16 goals each time, in fact, as they beat Lightridge 16-9 on Tuesday and then Riverside 16-13 the following Monday, both at

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home. The boys’ lacrosse team also won 14-5 at Seton on Tuesday. The baseball team saw itself competing in tournament play in addition to boys’ soccer, and after falling 3-1 in their opener at home to Kettle Run on Tuesday, they rebounded with a 16-5 win against Hylton on Saturday at Washington-Liberty, though they also fell 3-0 to the host

school that same day. They’ll have a full week’s worth of rest before playing at Potomac this coming Saturday. Softball has been off to a busy start with four games already in the books. Unfortunately they were all losses (12-5 to Kettle Run at home on last Tuesday, 3-2 at Wakefield lastThursday, 6-5 against WashingtonLiberty on Friday, and then 2-1 at

Oakton on Monday), but this is a team that’s started slow before and bounced back nicely later on in the year.

Finally, girls’ tennis was defeated 2-7 in its only matchup of the year thus far against Independence on Tuesday, and they will not be in action again until the calendar turns to April.

THE MUSTANGS GIRLS Soccer team Beat Seton HS in their home opener Friday night (Photo: FCCPS Photo/Art Binkowski)

THE GIRLS LAX TEAM defeated the Class 5A Riverside Rams 16-13. (Photo: FCCPS Photo/William Gale)

News-Press

Community News & Notes

E.B. Henderson II Discussing New Book on Thursday

Today, March 21 at 4:00 p.m., F.C. native E.B. Henderson, II will participate in an author discussion in the Devil’s Backbone Lounge of Capital One Arena (601 F St. NW, Washington, DC) promoting his new book about his grandfather: “The Grandfather of Black Basketball: The Life and Times of Dr. E.B. Henderson.”

Host Daelyn Waters will lead the event. Henderson II will be joined by author Rachel Jamison Webster, who will be discussing her book, “Benjamen Banneker and Us: Eleven Generations of An American Family.”

FCA Announces Excellence in Art Student Scholarship

This week Falls Church Arts announced the introduction of the Excellence in Art Scholarship, a new offering of the organization designed to recognize and encourage those who display an early dedication to making art. High school seniors who plan to attend an accredited post-secondary institution and further their artistic pursuits will be eligible to apply. In 2024, FCA will offer $1,000 scholarships to a limited number of students.

Students are eligible to apply for this $1,000 scholarship if they meet all of the following criteria:

Exhibits excellence and creativity in the visual arts fields of drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, or sculpture.

Is in the final academic year of their secondary education at a Northern Virginia high school.

Plans to attend an accredited post-secondary institution and further their artistic pursuits there.

Special consideration will be given to applicants whose art work and activities have benefited other students, their school, or members of the community.

Applicants must provide five images of their work, an artist statement, recommendations from an art instruction and a general recommenda -

tion from a non-family adult, and a transcript of their academic record. Applications, official transcripts, and recommendations must be received by April 30, 2024. For more information or to apply, visit fallschurcharts.org.

Falls Church Arts is a recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 2003. With a stated mission to “ensure the arts are an essential part of the cultural environment,” FCA has since inception focused on the visual arts, bringing exhibition opportunities and the chance to learn, share, and grow. They have dedicated exhibition space at 700-B West Broad St. and offer classes, workshops, and dialogue groups at that same location.

Ghostbusters of Virginia Visiting N.Va This Week

The Ghostbusters of Virginia announce several appearances ahead of the Sony Pictures release of the latest movie in the Ghostbusters franchise, “Frozen Empire.”

In full Ghostbusters gear, alongside vehicles decked out as the famous Ecto-1, these dedicated volunteers will be helping to raise money for the MakeA-Wish foundation. Through charity appearances for events, conventions, and more, GBVA is now in the top three earners for Make-A-Wish in Virginia.

“Bustin’ means doing good!

As life-long fans of the franchise, it’s an honor to use our passion to help other charities raise much needed funding.” says Jeff Foxwell, Vice President of the Ghostbusters of Virginia. “Our members are excited to be making appearances all throughout Virginia during opening week of the movie release to provide photo ops and meet fans.”

Ghostbusters of Virginia will travel around the state this week for the opening weekend of “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” with three stops in Northern Virginia:

• March 22: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Crystal City (1660

AN UNSEASONABLY gorgeous St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated outdoors at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, with live music by F.C.’s own Celtic Underground. (Photo: Gary Mester)

HARVEY’S CELEBRATED the second anniversary of the eatery’s opening last week. Pictured (left to right): Eric Clinton, Alva Ayala, Tammy Brennan, Sara Riveria, and Thomas Harvey. (News-Press Photo)

Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA), 6:00 p.m.

March 23: Alamo Drafthouse

Cinema Loudoun (20575 Easthampton Plz., Ashburn, VA), 4:00 p.m.

• March 24: Main Street Geek

Front Royal (301 E. Main St., Front Royal, VA), 12:00 p.m.

GBVA will also make appearances in Richmond, Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, Chesapeake, and Chester during the three-day tour.

The Ghostbusters of Virginia is the only 501c3 registered nonprofit recognized by Sony Ghost Corps in VA. A volunteer-led organization dedicated to raising funds for other charities across the state, GBVA makes appearances at several events throughout the year. To learn more about the Ghostbusters of Virginia, visit ghostbustersva.com.

Little City Concerts Announces April 13 Benefit Show

Little City Concerts announced they will soon present fortepianist David Kim and Friends performing “The Artistry of Clara Schumann: Composer and Performer,” a program that celebrates the artistry of Clara Schumann, including two of her finest pieces: the three-violin “Romances,” played by David Kim and violinist Lauren Basney, and the g minor “Piano Trio,” where they will be joined by cellist John Moran.

Clara’s improvisations were greatly admired in her day: David’s research and practice makes it possible to reproduce improvisations that mimic her style, and our program will include some of these as well. 50 percent of ticket sales will be donated to Doorways.

Serving the Arlington, VA community since 1978, Doorways creates pathways out of homelessness, domestic violence, and sexual assault leading to safe, stable, and empowered lives.

The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at The Falls Church Episcopal (166 E. Broad St., Falls Church). Tickets are $20 and available at tinyurl.com/FCNP0324lc.

Pianist Tatiana to Perform Free Show in F.C. This April

On April 14 at 4:00 p.m., internationally-acclaimed pianist Tatiana will perform a program, titled “The Magic of the Miniature,” at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church (3421 Brush

Dr., Falls Church). Admission is free, with a $20 suggested donation to defray costs.

A wine and cheese reception will follow the concert.

The program includes “Sonata op.31 no.3” by Beethoven, selections from Schubert’s “Impromptus op.90,” selections from Chopin’s “Preludes op.28,” selections from Gershwin’s “3 Preludes,” and Gershwin’s “Song 3” transcriptions.

Details are available online at odeonchambermusicseries.org.

I-66 EMP Donates Refrigerator To Food For Others

Last Thursday, as part of the company’s mission to help reduce food insecurity in Northern Virginia, I-66 Express Mobility Partners (I-66 EMP) — builders and operators of the 66 Express Outside the Beltway — donated a new upright commercial refrigerator to local food bank and longtime nonprofit partner Food For Others.

Manufactured by Jaecool, the new fridge is eco-friendly and holds a capacity of 12.8 cubic feet for keeping food and beverages cold and fresh. Food For Others will put the refrigerator to use immediately.

“Our friends at the 66 Express have really stepped up, and we appreciate their continued partnership,” said Deb Haynes, executive director of Food For Others. “This new refrigerator is a high-impact gift that will benefit our clients for years to come.”

I-66 EMP has enjoyed a partnership with Food For Others since the 66 Express opened with full operations in November 2022. That year, the roadway operator held a food drive for Food For Others which netted nearly 600 pounds of fresh and non-perishable food in time for Thanksgiving.

In November 2023, I-66 EMP provided a $5,000 donation toward Food For Others’ Power Pack program, funding 7,500 meals plus healthy snacks for food-insecure students attending Fairfax County Public Schools.

“Even in an affluent region like ours, there are still families who don’t have enough nutritious food to eat,” said Nancy H. Smith, director of corporate affairs for I-66 EMP. “We’re grateful for the amazing work Food For Others does in our community, and we’re happy to support their work fighting food insecurity in Northern Virginia.”

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? The Ghostbusters of Virginia are coming to Northern Virginia this weekend for the launch of new movie “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” (Courtesy photo )

LITTLE CITY CONCERTS will host a benefit performance by fortepianist David Kim (left), joined by violinist Lauren Basney (middle) and cellist John Moran (right), April 13 at F.C. Episcopal. (Courtesy Photo)

Musical and Fantasy Tales of Offenbach at Bel Cantanti

by Mark Dreisonstok

Jacques Offenbach, nineteenthcentury composer of bright operettas featuring can-can dancers, wanted to write a grand opera before dying, resulting in “Les Contes d’Hoffman”, or “Tales of Hoffmann.” In this work, the early fantasy writer E.T.A. Hoffmann becomes a character in his own stories, narrating them. Now Bal Cantanti Opera is offering its production “Les Contes d’Offenbach” — “The Tales of Offenbach” — in which the composer is himself a character, telling about his life and introducing his own operettas.

Dale Dwyer makes for a marvelous Offenbach, speaking of Offenbach’s triumphs with verve. Mr. Dwyer also lends the play a tasteful sense of humor, much in keeping with the operetta style. The audience is thereby introduced to and experiences key excerpts of Offenbach’s works.

The production, subtitled an “Operetta-Gala,” is directed by Bel Cantanti’s General and Artistic Director Katerina Souvorova, who accompanies her operatic stars superbly on stage on piano. This is further enhanced by the Four

Seasons Dancers, in elaborate costumes, directed and choreographed by Elena Jones. The setting is simple, with thoughtfully-designed props by Bel Cantanti’s man of all trades, Peter Burroughs.

One of the advantages of having Offenbach narrate is that he can tell stories of classical mythology which would have been widely known to Offenbach’s audiences in 1800s Paris, but less so today. An instance is when he tells of the Judgment of Paris, in which the Trojan prince Paris is obliged to choose who is the most beautiful of three goddesses: Aphrodite (Venus), Hera, or Athena. He chooses Venus, who rewards him with “Le Belle Hélène,” “the beautiful Helen” in the opera of that title. (Unfortunately, this leads to the Trojan War!) Tenor Allan Palacious Chan is an impressive tenor in his aria “The Judgment of Paris.”

Offenbach also narrates “Orpheus in the Underworld,” perhaps Offenbach’s most famous operetta. Mr. Dwyer reminds us of the classical tale of the musician Orpheus, whose lover Eurydice dies on their wedding day; Orpheus enters Hades in order to reclaim her to the world of the living. The cast then launches

into Offenbach’s satirical take on the myth, with can-can dancing declared the official dance of hell. Mr. Chan this time portrays the god Jupiter singing the humorous “Fly Song,” and soprano Cathrine Wethington displays impressive vocal range as Eurydice in “Couplets of Regrets.”

Coincidentally, Offenbach’s operetta “La Périchole” is currently being performed by the Washington National Opera in 1920’s garb under the title “Songbird.” In contrast, Bel Cantnati here offers a more traditional presentation of selections from “La Périchole,” with mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar singing a wonderful “I’ve Dined So Well” as her character Périchole becomes comically inebriated!

Another fun sequence is a selection from “The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein,” in which baritone Rob McGinness plays a general who has to welcome a duchess used to getting her own way. He exuberantly expresses through song that he is General Boom Boom in “Piff, Paff, Pouff,” with onomatopoeia galore, as the name Boom Boom is echoed by the drum sounding; each in turn represents the sound of the firing of cannons.

We at last come to Offenbach’s opéra fantastique “Tales of Hoffmann.” In the “Crespel” sequence of “Hoffmann,” the doomed singer Antonia suffers from a mysterious ailment which produces her ethereal-sounding voice but which also announces her impending death. Soprano Emily Casey emotes a haunting “Ella a fui la tourterelle” as Antonia. Some songs are presented in the original French, whereas others receive English translation. Wonderful supertitles by Johanna Alexander are helpful in aiding the audience’s understanding of both. Catherine Wethington plays the life-size mechanical doll Olympia in the “Doll’s Song” from “Tales from

Hoffmann” with delight and humor, as she sings and gesticulates automaton-like motions. Falling silent twice in the middle of her charming chanson, she is rewound with an oversized key for her to continue.

“Les Contes d’Offenbach” is a highly entertaining introduction to the works of Jacques Offenbach, a composer with whom opera, operetta, and musical theatre lovers will enjoy getting better acquainted. This excellent production has one final performance on March 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington (6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD). For further information, please visit belcantanti.com.

Creative Cauldron’s ‘Princess and the Pea’ Delights Audience

by Patricia Leslie

This is the last weekend to see the charming story “The Princess and the Pea” at Creative Cauldron, its newest Learning Theater Production.

It’s delightful, it’s fun, and this variation by Ellen Selby and Lenny Mendez (also, a co-director and understudy for the queen) makes a terrific spin on an old story for “children” of all ages, pre-school to 100 years and up.

It’s a “bachelor party” for a young prince (Alec Goldenberg) urged on by his parents, the king (Oscar Salvador, also a co-director) andqueen (Mendez) wearing elegant red cloaks (designed by Margie Jervis)who want their son to choose his lifelong mate from several candidatesand get out of the castle.

This “play book” (with music and lyrics by Matt Conner and StephenGregory Smith) is good enough to travel to children’s theatres nationwide.

The large cast of about 25 (I lost count) fills the small stage with action which never stops.

The ensemble sings “once upon a time” and a few songs here and

there with marvelous musical accompaniment, including instrumentals that separate scenes (with orchestrations by Warren Freeman).

Creative’s students and other young actors had to audition for “Princess” which gave the princessly prospects good experience for the make-believe audition in the play.

In this rendition, one after another of the princesses parade by the prince with their own stories of why they would make a better wife than any of the others.

There is the “me-me-me-me”

Princess Narcissa (Diana Alison) who doubles as a really great-greatgreat-grandmother (she is!), “Mildred,” complete with all the antics, clothing and helpful devices to show her strut, and “Princess Mary” (or Princess Married, Emma Howell) with 26 deceased husbands who may have expired at the hands of the princess’s favorite hobbies, sharpening knives and making poison.

Who knows?

Twins Abby (Alison Harman) and Gabby (Isabella Silverman) make good times in wonderful unison. Alas, a good woman is hard to find.

Meanwhile, the Royal Jester (Marie Solander) whose outstretched arms bob up and down seeming to grow in length to match her increasing steal of every scene she’s in, delivers hilarious commentary while she moves from one side of the stage to the other like a ballerina without toe shoes.

Whit Jenkins is the “pea,” in a rich green costume from head to foot (just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day!) who helps tell the story.

And what is a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale without a wizard?

Not a great one, says Creative Cauldron’s wizard (Gus Knapp, another co-director) decked out in genuine costume and “facial design” with a cauldron, naturally, to boil things over.

But it takes a woman to make a wife and save the day (and Prince Dillon), a nameless princess for now since you’ll find no spoilers here (can you guess which one wins the coveted role?).

Throughout the show, realistic sounds are heard. Loud “thunder” and all sorts of clangs, bangs and lightning effects (by Lynn Joslin) can scare very young children.

Spanish language fills about a

third of the script, but for non-Spanish speakers, the dialogue is fairly well understood without major gaps to fill missing pieces.

Other cast members are Madeline Varho, Harper Yin, Madeline Corley, Claire Corley, J’Nayla Steele, Arya Sridharam, Chris Espinoza, Zara Scherer, Ella Harvey, Emerson Kelleher, Marco Romero, Sara Albarracin and Cora Brock.

Creative team members include Laura Connors Hull and Gretchen

Midgley, co-directors, and Nicholas J Goodman, stage manager.

The last shows are this Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m. Sunday matinees, at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Adults, $20; Students, $18; limited availability of a family four-pack, $65 with code 4PK. Tickets for a live stream performance Saturday night at 7:30 p.m., $15. Tickets are available at creativecauldron.org.

PICTURED ARE DIANA ALISON, E mma Howell, Madeline Varho, and Marie Solander in creative cauldron’s ‘Princess and the Pea (Photo: William T. Gallagher Photography.)

SINGERS AND DANCERS in colorful costumes bring to life the operettas of Jacques Offenbach in “Les Contes d’Offenbach.”

(Photo: Alexandre Souvorov )

by

Z. Roth

It’s lurking out there. You can’t see it much in Falls Church City, but it’s inside many. Some people talk about it with the blinds closed and in whispers. Others imbibe a few drinks and then their voices rise before their friends tell them to keep their volume down low. Is it prejudice or is it misunderstanding?

Thank goodness for Falls Church City, a somewhat diverse, open-minded, progressive, and caring little place of ours. And thank you, Nick Benton, for asking me, again, my opinion about this destructive, horrifying, heartbreaking issue plaguing our world since October 7.

Inside our Little City live Muslims and Jews born here and from around the world — both sometimes from Israel, both sometimes with dual citizenship. When I returned from Israel and Egypt this fall, a week before the massacre, I was filled with joy after weeks of traveling within awesome beauty, relishing in pure fun and safe adventure, impressed with innovative inventions, and connecting with people of varied races, mixed marriages and cultures, religions, and the secular. A week later, my guy returned, twice in a bomb shelter which I had no idea existed in his family’s home, both of us shocked, grieving, praying, and overwhelmed with needs to help those in the crossfire, assure the safe and sound release of the hostages, and tend to the care of survivors, all of these including people we know.

Friends here and elsewhere not, or less, directly affected

were stunned, of course, too. Texts, emails, and calls flooded in. Hugs were tight.

And then the antisemitism hit like a brick. And Islamophobia. Never did I expect to hear people shrieking, “kill the Jews.”

Watching the hateful protests calling for the takeover of Israel were bad enough, but to eradicate every Jewish person like attempted in the Holocaust, a time I never thought would come close to happening again despite the “never again” chants and my family’s lessons to my sister and me. Years ago I listed a cousin lost in the Holocaust into Israel’s Yad Vashem and was grateful to my father, a WWII veteran, my country, and others who fought to assure such a horror would not touch my life, those I love, or anyone.

And I’ve abhorred Islamophobia. I’ve stood up for Muslims who were insulted and mistreated, told to “go back to where they came from,” and accused of being connected to the terrorists who attacked the United States on September 11th. And one of the reasons I chose to move here was because of the stand taken for Muslims by Falls Church City after that fateful day.

The world is upside down now. And much of it is because of dire misinformation, brainwashing, subconscious bigotry, and a desire to turn any kind of frustration in life into a screaming match to vomit the negative energy. Ask someone the source of their news report. Much of the time you’ll find it’s highly biased. If the source is reputable, review it. In many instances you’ll see it’s a news story taken out of context. Find out how those who came to hate another

group of people or a country are so adamant about their hatred. It’s often based on lies they mistook as truth. Question them about why they are so angry they won’t listen to opposing views and you’ll find them looking for a scapegoat. Put it all together and you’ve got furious group think. Be curious, be calm, be educated, educate.

When the City of Falls Church Human Services Advisory Council produced a communications-based diversity workshop, “Tough Talks Can Bring Us Closer” in March 2022, we learned a great deal about what goes on in the minds of our community members. Even the most outspoken participants were like many of the quietest when it came to asking the questions that will help them better understand differences including in physical abilities, disabilities, gender and sexual choice, religions, and economic strata: nervous, afraid of offending. The simplest way past that confusion: Ask questions. If concerned about political correctness and the right words to use for the year, ask what that person prefers. Being woke needs to mean more than being sensitive to various lifestyles, it needs to mean being openminded to those lifestyles.

So now as I think about the despair, I find hope partly because of Falls Church, our “Little City,” and its efforts and embrace. And if there’s one good thing that will come out of this hell, it’s that the world will right-side up to unity.

Debra Z. Roth is a communications professional for a variety of organizations and causes and is chair of the City of Falls Church Human Services Advisory Council.

The LGBTQ+ Reach

by Brian Reach Falls Church News-Press

Students To Rally Against Hate Tonight

This month, a far-right hate group led by Stephen Miller, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center designates as an extremist, sued Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) for affirming the basic rights of LGBTQIA+ students.

In response, the Pride Liberation Project has announced that queer students and allies will rally against anti-trans hate at the March 21 school board meeting, 6:00 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Rd., Falls Church).

The lawsuit, filed by right-wing legal group “America First Legal,” sued FCPS over their Regulation 2603.2 — specifically the policy that students will be allowed to use the restroom that corresponds with their consistentlyheld gender identity. The suit was filed on behalf of an unnamed FCPS senior, whom the complaint claims “lives in daily fear that if she speaks in a manner that is consistent with her sincerely held philosophical and religious beliefs, she will be subject to discipline, chastisement, and/or social ostracization.”

Part of the district’s Special Services department, Regulation 2603.2 focuses specifically on the health and welfare of gender-expansive and Transgender students. The regulation begins by establishing its purpose:

“To establish procedures and guidelines for schools to ensure that all students, including gender-expansive and transgender students experience a safe, supportive, and inclusive school environment.

“All students have a right to privacy in Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) facilities or while participating in FCPS sponsored events. Any student who has a need or desire for increased privacy, regardless of the underlying reason, shall be provided with reasonable, non-stigmatizing accommodations. Students shall not disclose private information about another student’s reason for seeking privacy. Additionally, school personnel should not disclose information about a student’s gender-expansive or transgender status, legal name, or sex assigned at birth, including to other school personnel who do not have a need to know, unless the student has authorized such disclosure, or unless legally required to do so as further outlined below.”

Regulation 2603 has provided safety and comfort to many students, including Moth DiNizzo, a McLean High School junior.

“The fact that so many of my friends and teachers respect my pronouns and my name is life saving to me,” DiNizzo said. “I know that they care about me and trust my own self perception. It’s wonderful and I want everyone to experience that same joy of being known and trusted.”

DiNizzo isn’t alone. According to the University of Texas at Austin, using a student’s true name and pronouns in even one correct context is associated with a 29 percent decrease in suicidal thoughts.

“I’m really hoping that Fairfax County and our school board will stop this attempt to hurt and degrade my fellow students,” said Laura Troung, a senior at Falls Church High School. “LGBTQIA+ students are already dispro-

portionately facing the youth mental health crisis in addition to bullying and harassment at schools and this is just adding salt into the wound.”

The Pride Liberation Project is a 500+ member student-run group of Queer and allied students in Virginia who advocate for the rights of LGBTQIA+ students. Representatives of the Pride Liberation Project have testified at School Board meetings and the General Assembly, and the organization continues to lobby local and state governments to promote the interests of LGBTQIA+ students.

Living in Daily Fear

I’ve gotta say, when I read that the Jane Doe complaint claimed she “lives in daily fear” is pretty outrageous. The lawsuit is a complete misuse our justice system.

People have a great deal of varied “sincerely held philosophical and religious beliefs.” We are all entitled to our beliefs, but that doesn’t give us license to mistreat others.

What exactly did this student want to express?

LGBTQ+ people exist. We just are. Conservatives are flooding courtrooms and state legislatures with attempts to deny us rights, based on the belief that we are somehow immoral — the implication being that we are actually heterosexual, pretending to be LGBTQ+ for some sort of sinister purpose.

I believe that, over the long-term, equality and kindness will win, even as the short-term sees legislation targeting Trans, Nonbinary, and other LGBTQ+ people passing in conservative state legislatures.

If we want society to effectively and sustainably move away from these culture wars, we need to do more than battle at the ballot box (but please still vote). We need to change our mindsets.

It is important that both sides are heard in most situations, but impartiality does not require ignoring lies, or allowing hate speech and disinformation to be spread. We need to be more aggressive in rejecting bad behavior (lying, cheating, stealing) in society.

We must remind ourselves that the freedom we enjoy in this country extends not only to people we like or agree with, but everybody — even those we disagree with, or that we find annoying or offensive. Especially those people.

We also need to wholly reject the claim that “religious freedom” includes the freedom to harm, reject, or mistreat others, regardless of the belief.

Reminder: NOVA Pride Prom

NOVA Pride Prom 2024 will be held on Saturday, April 27 at the Falls Church Community Center. The event provides area high schoolers with a safe, fun, and inclusive night to enjoy Prom as their authentic selves. LGBTQ+ High Schoolers and their straight allies are encouraged to attend this amazing event! Tickets are just $40, thanks to generous support from Visa and GLSEN.

For tickets and details about NOVA Pride Prom, visit prideprom.org. To volunteer or chaperone the event, email this writer at brian@novapride.org or breach@fcnp.com.

We want this year’s event to be the best yet, so please spread the word!

Falls Church Business News & Notes

V3 Workforce Summit

The Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Workforce Summit will be held on Wednesday, March 28 at the Inova Conference Center in Fairfax. The Summit is a free event to learn the best practices for attracting top military talent, optimizing your hiring process, and establishing employment initiatives that encourage long-term retention. Industry experts will provide key insights on marketing your job opportunities to veterans, and effective recruitment strategies that will make your workplace a preferred destination for military talent.

Details of the event and registration can be found at eventbrite.com/e/virginia-values-veterans-v3-workforce-summit-tickets-786320434 587?aff=oddtdtcreator

Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

WomensNet founded the Amber Grant in 1998 to honor the memory of Amber Wigdahl. The organization gives three $10,000 Amber Grants monthly to three women entrepreneurs. If you are starting or growing a business, consider looking at WomensNet by visiting ambergrantsforwomen.com/all-grants.

SEO and Social Selling

Mason SBDC is offering a free webinar on SEO Wednesday, March 287, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Learn how to maximize the power of SEO and social media to attract customers, website optimization for lead generation, what your digital strategy needs, and how to effectively use paid media and advertising. The live webinar is free, and the link will be shared upon registration at clients.virginiasbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=110440011

Nominations Open for CFOs

Virginia Business Magazine has opened nominations for a Virginia chief financial officer for the Virginia Business’ 19th annual CFO Awards. Nominations are due by 11:45 p.m. on Friday, May 3. A black-tie evening awards banquet will be held in June and the four winners, and all nominees will be recognized in our August 2024 issue.

Virginia CFO Awards will be presented to financial professionals who are recognized as outstanding corporate stewards in four categories: small company, large company, small nonprofit/foundation, large nonprofit/foundation. Submit nominations to surveymonkey.com/r/CFO24.

Books and Clothing Drive

Beyer Volvo is supporting collections of books, clothing, and linens for the Falls Church Village Improvement Society (VPIS.org) Attic Treasure Bazaar and the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Book Sale May 3 and 4th. Visit vpis.org to view additional household donations accepted.

The drop offs are at the Old Beyer Volvo Showroom at Gordon Road (enter by the “Pig Sculpture”) each Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.

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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

Christina Marie Goodwin, 55, of Falls Church, VA, died on March 13, 2024, following a period of mental health struggles. She was a cherished wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend who sought adventure and loved nature.

Goodwin loved spending time outside, including through travel with family, boating at Lake George, and taking on physical challenges with friends. She was extremely active in running, hiking, biking, and walking her high-energy dog, Rain.

She enjoyed spending many hours in her yard and garden. She cared deeply about the environment and turned part of her yard into a natural landscape that was honored as a wildlife sanctuary by Audubon at Home.

Goodwin was a dedicated member of the Falls Church community, volunteering on several civic boards, and was serving as the Chair of the Aurora House. She valued education, civic engagement, and making opportunities accessible for others. Born March 4, 1969, in Harrisburg, PA, Christina graduated with a B.S. in Business from Virginia Tech University, where she met her future husband, David Goodwin, and they began their life of adventure together. She later received a Master’s Degree in Taxation and became a Certified Public Accountant. She was serving as Senior Director, Internal Audit and Risk, at NRECA, where she developed many meaningful friendships among her colleagues.

In 2001, the Goodwins established their life in the City of Falls Church, where they raised their beloved sons Grant and Drew among a close-knit community of neighbors

Joseph F. Meade (Joe) died February 24, 2024, at home with his wife, Judy, by his side.

Mr. Meade lived in Falls Church from 1981-2017. He taught English as a second language with Falls Church City Public Schools.

Joe courageously dealt with ALS over three years. He is survived by the love of his life, Judy, his brother James Meade, Baltimore, MD and his nieces and nephews Mina, James, Randy, Nat, Jason, Courtney, and Ray. He was predeceased by his parents and sister Pauline Austin.

Joe was born July 22, 1947, in Kingsport, TN, the son of Coy and Louise Meade. Upon graduation from college and marriage to Judy, Joe served in the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam. After 25 years of ser-

vice with IRS he retired and began an international career working in Third World countries as a trainer and consultant. A funeral & celebration of Joe’s life will be held at Trinity by the Cove Episcopal Church (553 Galleon Drive, Naples, FL), on March 23 at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Joe’s memory may be made to the Tumaini Fund USA (tumainifundusa.org), the Lighthouse of Collier (lighthouseofcollier. org), or Paralyzed Veterans of America (pva.org) Reception to follow in Trinity’s Parish Hall.

The service will be livestreamed and recorded, and may be viewed on the church’s website at trinitybythecove.com/visit/livestreamservices.

and friends. Christina adored her sons and enjoyed being involved in their school and sports events, including guiding them to reach the rank of Eagle Scout. She offered them unwavering support as they grew into the young men of whom she and Dave are so proud.

Goodwin loved her immediate and extended family and is survived by her mother Carol Knight, brother Gregg Shively (Moira), sister Leslie Robinson (David), brotherin-law Paul Robinson, mother-inlaw Carol Cutler, fathers-in-law David Goodwin (Emily) and Larry Liddle (Violet), brother-in-law Greg Goodwin (Hajira), sister-in-law Trudi Goodwin, and 6 cherished nieces and nephews. Her father Charles Shively, and later her stepfather Ian Knight predeceased her.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Christina’s honor may be made to the Friends of Aurora House in Falls Church, a residential counseling center for girls ages 13-20, designated to the “Aurora House Olom-Porzel Scholarship Fund”; the Virginia Tech Well Being - Cook Counselor Center; or the mental health services or environmental charity of your choice.

City of Falls Church CRIME REPORT

Week of March 11— 17, 2024

Larceny, N Washington St, Mar 14, between 5:30 AM and 8:30 AM, an unknown suspect took a backpack from inside the building. The victim later found their backpack, which had been ransacked and discarded; items were confirmed missing. Investigation is ongoing.

No Valid Operator’s License, E Broad St, Mar 14, 2:38 PM, a male, 28, of Waldorf, MD, was arrested for No Valid Operator’s License.

Larceny, Hillwood Ave, Mar 14, 2:58, victim reported a package being stolen after it was delivered; no suspect information available at this time.

Weapons Law Violation, W Broad St, Mar 14, 5:16 PM, victim and witness reported an intoxicated patron brandishing a hunting knife after a verbal altercation before leaving the establishment. The suspect is described as a Native American male, middle aged, tall and skinny, with a long black ponytail wearing all black clothing. Responding officers canvassed the area and were unable to locate the suspect. Investigation is ongoing.

Shoplifting, Hillwood Ave, Mar 14 7:12 PM, two unknown suspects stole merchandise without paying. The first suspect is described as black male wearing a gray top and blue jeans. The second suspect is a black male wearing a white shirt, dark shorts, white shoes, and a dark colored hat.

Residential Burglary, Gibson St, Mar 15, 12:20 AM, victim reported an unknown male suspect wearing all black attempting to break into their home via their back door and window screen. Investigation is ongoing.

Fraud, N Washington St, Mar 15, 12:42 PM, victim reported an unknown suspect contacted them by phone using a number similar to the victim’s credit union’s phone number. The unknown suspect claimed there was an outstanding claim that needed to be rectified, and obtained the victim’s account information; the victim later realized money had been taken from their account. Investigation is ongoing.

No Valid Operator’s License, S West St, Mar 15, 10:20 PM, a male, 31, of Alexandria, was arrested for No Valid Operator’s License.

Reckless Driving, W Broad St, Mar 16, 12:32 PM, a male, 18, of Reston, was arrested for Reckless Driving.

Driving under the Influence/ Refusal of Breath Test/Reckless Driving, S Washington St, Mar 16, 12:45 AM, a male, 46, of Fairfax County, was arrested for Driving under the Influence, Refusal of Breath Test, and Reckless Driving.

Public Intoxication/Drinking in Public, W Broad St, Mar 16, 12:02 PM, a female, 37, of Washington, DC, was arrested for Public Intoxication and Drinking in Public.

Driving under the Influence/Refusal of Breath Test/Reckless Driving, S Washington St, Mar 17, 2:24 AM, a male, 34, of Annandale, was arrested for Driving under the Influence and No Valid Operator’s License.

Other Jurisdiction Warrant Service, N Washington St, Mar 17, 11:45 PM, a male, 39, of Springfield, was arrested on an outstanding warrant from another jurisdiction.

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