Falls Church News-Press 3-24-2022

March 24 - 30, 2022

The Falls Church, Virginia • www.fcnp.com • Free

EDA adds 42 new wayfinding signs

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

Behold, there are 42 colorful, handsome and artsy new direction-giving signs that have gone up around the City of Falls Church this week, the culmination of a three-year effort by the City’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) to add important public information and spruce the Little City up with a uniform look to improve its image.

The new “wayfinding” signs in Falls Church have resulted from EDA funding and planning efforts, in conjunction with the City Council here. Forty-two “vehicular wayfinding” signs have been installed to identify City boundaries for visitors driving into the City, and guide visitors driving to visitor-oriented destinations (City Hall, Downtown, Eden Center, State Theater, etc.) and public parking.

Inside This Week

by Amanda Snead Falls Church News-Press

In a recent study conducted by SmartAsset, the City of Falls Church ranked the highest in the Commonwealth and fifth nationally on an index of charitable giving.

Falls Church City Spring Real Estate Guide

Looking to buy or sell a home? Curious about the current state of the market?

Unsure of whether to build or renovate?

Check out our Real Estate Guide for information on all of these topics and more!

See Real Estate Guide, Pages 11 — 23

According to the report, 2.3 percent of incomes were reported to the IRS as charitable giving with 27 percent of individuals contributing.

Steve Sabato, Senior Public Relations Manager for SmartAsset, provided the News-Press with further details on how the study was

conducted.

“To determine the amount of money that people donate as a percentage of their income, we first calculated the net income for everyone in each county,” he explained.

state and local taxes paid. We also accounted for deductible entries, including mortgage interest, mortgage points and mortgage insurance payments. We then divided each county’s total charitable donaof Record, Serving N. Virginia

Continued on Page 4

Spring Sports Kick off At Meridian High School

The softball, tennis, soccer, baseball and lacrosse teams at Falls Church City’s Meridian High School have begun their spring seasons. For more details on each game, check out the full story!

See Sports, Page 5

Index

City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXII No. 6 Comment 5,7,8 Editorial 6 Letters 6 Crime Report 8 Business News 10 Real Estate Guide 11 — 23 News & Notes 24,25 Calendar 26,27 Classified Ads 28 Critter Corner 30

Faces of Falls Church

Falls Church NEWS BRIEFS

Sen. Warner: Don’t Know What ‘Cyber Escalation’ Looks Like

In a call with regional media yesterday, Virginia U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said Putin’s threat of cyberwarfare factors adding to his invasion of Ukraine could lead to an escalation that may advance beyond a level even he, as a cyber expert in the U.S. Senate, can predict. When it comes to “cyber escalation,” he said, “I don’t know what that looks like.”

He said he’s surprised that Putin has apparently shown restraint in the use of cyber attacks to date, and is not sure why. But he said he’s confident the U.S. is “resilient” and well prepared to handle efforts to “take down our banking system, for example.”

He said he “favors a forward deployment of U.S. troops” in Europe, currently being discussed, where the U.S. has a total of 100,000 troops.

F.C. Joins Regional Drive To Help Ukrainian Refugees

The City of Falls Church announced yesterday that it has joined neighboring jurisdictions in Northern Virginia to collect donations for Ukrainian refugees in Europe. F.C. Mayor David Tarter joined in a conference call yesterday morning with his counterparts from other regional jurisdictions to launch the effort.

Collection boxes in City Hall (300 Park Ave.), the Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.), and the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.) will accept all sizes of the following until April 15: New/ Gently Used Coats, New Blankets, New Pairs of Sweat Socks/Heavy Socks, New Pairs of Gloves.

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) is managing the donation drive. The items will be shipped to Poland and then make their way to those in need in both Poland and Ukraine.

WALKING UP S. WASHINGTON ST. one day, I decided to go into the Lebanese Butcher of Virginia next to the 7-11. There I was immediately greeted by Rehab who offered me a sample before even saying hello. She and her husband have been at that location for the last seven years, and are very happy living and working in the Little City. When asked for a quote she simply said, “Tell everyone how great the sample was!” It certainly was. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)

“In the past the residents and businesses of Northern Virginia have been extraordinarily generous to those people in need,” said NVRC Executive Director Robert Lazaro. “In 2013, the Region donated nearly 14 tons of blankets and coats to Syrian refugees who fled to Turkey as the result of violence in their home country. The need today is just as great.”

More information about the drive, including a list of collection sites, can be found at a NVRC website, helpukrainenova.org.

The items will be boxed together with help from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Oakton congregation. Paxton Companies, a North Springfield moving business, will then shrink wrap boxes and transport them to Wilmington, North Carolina.

A business that wishes to remain anonymous will ship the donations overseas, bringing the supplies to trucks in Antwerp and a non-governmental organization that has a supply chain on the ground, NVRC executive director Lazaro said.

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The campaign came together after local elected leaders reached out to NVRC, seeking to replicate a similar effort by the area in 2013 to help Syrian refugees who fled a civil war that’s still continuing.

Fairfax County now hosts an annual blanket and coat

drive for Syrian refugees.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. The war has now killed thousands of people — including at least 902 civilians — destroyed cities, and threatened the country’s sovereignty.

The United Nations’ human migration agency has reported that over 3.4 million people in Ukraine have fled the country. Every minute, 55 more Ukrainian children become refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund has estimated.

“Our residents don’t want to stand by — they want to help,” Fairfax Supervisors Board Chair Jeff McKay said. “As we uplift and offer support to our residents of Ukrainian descent here in the County, we can also aid in efforts abroad, sending much needed supplies to the millions of displaced Ukrainians taking refuge in Poland.”

Fairfax

Water

Authority Begins Regional Flushing Effort

The Fairfax Water Authority that provides the City of Falls Church with its water services started its annual flushing program this week. In a statement, it announced that Instead of its usual practice of disinfecting the supply with chloramine, it will temporarily stop adding ammonia to drinking water in an effort to maintain the system’s quality.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates utility chemical levels, says both chlorine and chloramine disinfectants are safe to drink and help kill germs.

Fairfax Water offered suggestions to handle the changes in drinking water:

“You may notice a chlorine taste and odor in your drinking water while free chlorine is utilized. If you are especially sensitive to the taste and odor of chlorine, try keeping an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator. This will enable the chlorine to dissipate, thus reducing the chlorine taste. Remember – drinking water has a shelf life! Change out the water in your refrigerated container weekly.”

The flushing period will last through June 13 for most of Fairfax County. McLean, Merrifield, and nearby areas will have the process end on May 9.

F.C. Encourages Residents to Walk in Parks on March 30

“Walk Through a Park Day” is next Wednesday, March 30, and the City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks team is encouraging residents and visitors to take free tours in three City parks, learn about the history, natural habitats and wildlife right in your backyardm, and take a stroll and read the signs or attend an in person tour.

The following tours will be provided on that day: Cherry Hill (312 Park Ave.): 2-5pm, Farmhouse Tours (Free); Corn Grinding-Barn ($1), Howard E. Herman (601 W. Broad St.): Live Tours (Free); 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., meeting at Broad St. Entrance; 3 p.m., meeting at Oak St. entrance; Crossman (535 N. Van Buren St.), live tours (free); 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. meeting at Van Buren entrance; 3 p.m., Amy Crumpton roving naturalist; 4:30 p.m. meeting at 100 Gresham Pl.

New Wayfinding Signs Now Located Through Little City

City officials also plan to remove older signs that would conflict with the new signs within the next two weeks.

EDA chair Bob Young, a local businessman, said he was very pleased with the new development. In a statement to the NewsPress, he said the following:

“Thanks to the hard work of Becky Witsman, Val Weiner and Zak Bradley over a period of some three years, the City’s Wayfinding Signs have finally been put in place, bringing with them a new image for the city, making it easier for citizens and visitors to navigate around town and more easily find the public parking available.

“We also plan to supplement them as going forward our work on historical tourism progresses. While we have several glitches to rectify, we plan to have that work done over the next few weeks. Finally, we look forward to many of the existing signs being taken down over the same time period in order to declutter the landscape.”

Welcoming “gateway” signs have been installed at the four

primary entry points into the City, while public parking and directional signage have been installed throughout the City’s main corridors.

Two pedestrian wayfinding signs were installed in the Tinner Hill Historic area to recognize its historical significance to the City. These two signs will guide visitors on a walking tour of the area’s historic sites. All other signage is designed to guide visitors who are driving, and are therefore larger than the pedestrian signage.

According to City officials, the project is not yet complete and additional sidewalk space will be added to sidewalks if needed to ensure ADA compliance. The City is committed to ensuring the functionality and accessibility of the sidewalks.

It was added in a statement that the “wayfinding” signs will promote the City’s economic development by welcoming visitors and shoppers, distinguishing the City’s gateways and directing them towards the City’s public parking, businesses and destinations.

Falls Church City Ranks Most Charitable Locality In State

Continued from Page 1

tions by its total net income to see the amount of money residents in each county have donated relative to their income. Next, we measured the total number of individual tax returns that show charitable contributions and divided that by the total number of individual tax returns in each county. This gave us the proportion of people in each county who make charitable donations. According to our study, Falls Church ranked number 1 in Virginia and number 5 out of all U.S. counties and independent cities on the Charitable County Index.”

“Creative Cauldron has been blessed to make its artistic home in the Little City with the ‘big heart.’ The funding that we receive from generous Falls Church City donors allows us to fulfill our mission of making the arts accessible and affordable to as wide a range of our community as possible,” said Laura Connors Hull, Founder and Producing Director of Creative Cauldron.

Creative Cauldron works to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all, which includes keeping ticket prices and camps as

affordable as possible, as well as offering scholarships for camps and complimentary tickets thanks to generous donations made by patrons.

While the study did not look at where these donations were made specifically, there are a large number of local nonprofits in Falls Church City and the surrounding areas that many locals donate to.

“As a 501c3 nonprofit animal rescue organization, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation depends solely upon the generosity of our donors,” said Dawn Wallace, Executive Director of LDCRF. “We are in the business of saving lives, and in order for LDCRF to continue saving the lives of orphaned dogs and cats, we must have the financial means to support all that comes along with rescuing a pet—intake transportation costs, medical needs, food, enrichment, and the list goes on. Be it monetary or in-kind donations, each and every donation makes an impact on our ability to rescue more shelter animals, who without our help, may otherwise face the threat of euthanasia.”

More details on LDCRF and ways to donate can be found online at lostdogrescue.org.

Factors such as age, occupation and family size were not looked at in this particular study. According to Sabato, SmartAsset “strictly looked at the amount of money being donated in each county relative to the amount of income in each county, and the amount of people donating money as a percentage of the population, in addition to the median tax paid in each county.”

Dr. Donney John, Executive Director of NOVA ScriptsCentral, another local nonprofit noted that “Nonprofits in our area all have noble missions focused on helping those around us in need. They have dedicated staff and volunteers who work diligently to carry out the mission of the organizations. The support from donors allow them to focus on their work and continue to help more of those in need.”

By looking at IRS Statistics of Income data, which tracks how much money people have deducted from their tax returns for charitable contributions, SmartAsset was able to determine the amount of charitable giving made in different localities throughout the country.

“Donations to small, volunteerled nonprofit organizations such as

NVMHF help us make an incredible difference in the lives of others,” said Cindy Koshatka, President of the Northern Virginia Mental Health Foundation. “93 percent of the donations we receive directly support our funding for housing, dental, medical, and other needs of individuals living with mental health conditions as they move forward on their path to recovery, right here in our community.”

Nonprofit organizations can benefit our community in a wide variety of ways, from finding forever homes for animals to providing healthcare to those who need it and much more.

“There are many fantastic local non-profits who benefit from the generosity of our community and we are all grateful for the support,” said Debbie Hiscott, the Executive Director of the Falls Church Education Foundation, noting how fourtane she feels to be a part of the community in the Little City. “We have seen this demonstrated in so many ways, especially during the past two years. We’ve had record numbers of our school supporters, both businesses, individuals and other charities donating, sponsor-

In Memoriam: Wilson Francis Earman

Wilson Earman passed from this life on March 17, 2022, at his home in Colonial Beach, Virginia. His devoted wife, Susan, was at his side. Wilson was born on March 23, 1957, in Arlington, Virginia to parents Wilson and Claire Earman. He was one of 10 children.

His parents, and his brother, Nick Earman preceded him in death. In addition to his wife, Susan, Wilson leaves behind a daughter, Jennifer Putnam and grandson, Jacob. Eight siblings survive him — Mary Anne Glitz (Bill Glitz, deceased); Bing (Debbie); Joe (Tina); Margie (Greg Smith); Anna Corder; Denise Fauteux (Tom Fauteux, deceased); Chris (Susan), and Joanie Earman. He is also survived by 33 nieces and nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and countless friends.

Wilson grew up in Falls Church, where he was a chief mischief maker in his signature VW Bug. Wilson and his cohorts, placed pennies on the railroad tracks so rail cars would flatten them. He jumped on and off the trains at the American

Legion, played in creeks with his cousins, played many sports, and followed wherever his curiosity took him. No helicopter parents for him, but He always made it home for dinner.

He graduated from George Mason High School in 1975, where his greatest joy was serving for years as a manager to the School’s Athletic Director and Head Coach, Arnie Siegfried. Wilson was in charge of “Arnie’s Army”, managing the sports and field related activities required for Mason’s athletics programs. He did it all, facilities management, announcer, fields painter, box office sales.

After high school, Wilson served as a referee in the City’s Recreation leagues, and worked at the City print shop. He was a proud printer for more than 50 years, continuing his work at Jensen Press, which expanded to Direct Mail Litho. He loved his co-workers, who were like family to him. These friends were so kind to him during his extended illness, and he was grateful for their kindnesses and support.

In his spare time, Wilson

loved fishing, reading about civil war history, searching for civil war artifacts with his metal detector, and collecting coins. He was also a gun enthusiast and enjoyed hunting with Family & Friends.

Wilson married Susan Putnam on May 27, 1994.

Wilson truly was one of a kind. As one niece put it “He was a simple man, a gentle soul inside a rough exterior”. She was right on target. Wilson’s nieces and nephews looked forward to his Christmas gifts — McDonald’s gift certificates, lifesaver boxes, and $2 bills – which he doled out long past their childhoods. His siblings just looked forward to being with him — because he was so darn funny!

Wilson had a sharp sense of humor, and constantly entertained family and friends with his quick wit. He was a wealth of knowledge and when asked how he knew so much, he would respond incredulously with “I read!” If you were lucky enough to spend any time with Wilson, you left with your sides

ing and showing up for our events, whether virtual or in person. We raised $120,000 plus for the FCEF Family Assistance Fund, which our social work team uses to fund the emergency needs of our students and their families. This assistance was critical for many during the pandemic. The support allowed us to continue innovative grants, advanced staff training, ESOL and special education programs, a new ‘Wellness Fund’, and staff recognition awards. We are proud of our community for supporting so many!”

For more information, as well as the full details of SmartAsset’s study, methodology and an interactive map can be found online at https://smartasset.com/retirement/ financial-advisor#virginia/mostGenerousPlaces-2.

Sabato concluded by saying “We hope our studies get people thinking and talking about big personal finance decisions. This study helps provide people with a local perspective on the amount of tax-deductible, charitable donations being made in their county, and can help contextualize how their own charitable donations may impact their taxes.”

Meridian High Spring Athletics Season Kicks Off

by Ryan McCafferty Falls Church News-Press

Sports do not rest for very long at Meridian High School, as with the end of the winter season has immediately come the beginning of the spring one. The Mustangs’ softball, soccer, tennis, baseball, and lacrosse teams all saw their 2022 campaigns open this week, and the results were mixed.

The softball team saw their season open at home on Monday against John Lewis, a game they won by a decisive score of 13-0, but the script was flipped the next day as they traveled to Leesburg and lost 13-1 to Heritage. The boys’ varsity soccer team opened with a bang by beating Tuscarora 3-2 in overtime in front of the home crowd, while the JV team provided a solid prelude by winning their matchup 1-0. The girls’ team had to wait until Wednesday in which they traveled to Tuscarora, and came up short in a 2-3 loss.

The tennis teams played on Tuesday and Friday, with the boys’ team struggling in both matchups, first a 9-0 home defeat at the hands of Yorktown followed by dropping a 7-2 decision

at Lightridge. The girls’ team also fell to Yorktown 8-1, but was able to emerge victorious over Lightridge by a score of 6-3. Varsity baseball opened up on Tuesday as well, losing 6-3 to Heritage in Leesburg, while the JV team dropped both decisions this week, falling to Heritage 10-4 on Tuesday and then losing 5-2 to Washington-Liberty on Friday, another away game.

Finally, lacrosse played on Tuesday and Thursday, with the varsity boys’ team falling 11-5 at home to Heritage in their opener and then losing again at Sidwell Friends by a score of 8-6. The boys’ JV team had some better luck, beating Heritage 10-0 in their only matchup of the week on Tuesday, and both girls’ teams dominated in their lone performances hosting Sidwell Friends on Thursday, with the varsity team winning 21-6 and the JV team achieving a 9-3 victory.

Next week figures to be another full slate of action, which will be highlighted by the varsity boys’ soccer team’s trip to Tennessee on Thursday to compete in the Smoky Mountain Cup. The tournament will feature some of the nation’s most highly touted programs.

By Charlie Clark

It was partly the pandemic and partly aging membership that ended one of our most influential women’s groups.

The Organized Women Voters of Arlington County since 1923 had educated, lobbied and socialized with the local accomplished and energetic. I learned details this Women’s History Month as I was served tea by Jane Renfro, in her eighth decade in the Tara-Leeway Heights home where many organizational strategies were planned by her mother Sue and sister Nancy.

Many like-minded Arlington groups formed during the postWorld War I prosperity (after women gained the vote in 1919), among them the similarly named League of Women Voters and the Neighbors Club (both still going).

The nonpartisan Organized Women Voters were not the sort who marched on the Capitol, Renfro said. But through regular luncheons with prominent speakers, the group over the decades weighed in on some of Virginia’s major transitions, including school desegregation and civil rights.

That is borne out in the hundreds of pages of meticulously organized files that Renfro and her late sister in 2019 gave the library’s Center for Local History.

OWV did not endorse candidates (except to promote females). The lunches (often at the Alpine restaurant) offered “an opportunity to keep up with civics” on taxes, energy and the agenda of the county board, Renfro said. “We made no

servatives, though members had their own perspectives. There were no extremes, but as an age group, we tended to the conservative side.”

Stalwarts on the rolls included former county board chair Leone Buchholz, Salvation Army director Nadine Clift, WETA founder Elizabeth Campbell, congressional wife Jane Broyhill, Del. Mary Marshall, county board member wives Lois Urbanski and Vera Casto, and county board members Mary Margaret Whipple and Ellen Bozman.

Arlington treasurer (now retired) Frank O’Leary and Del. Patrick Hope were “practically auxiliary members,” Renfro said. Four members chaired the county board.

Detailed “biographies” of OWV applicants (actually resumes) show lots of World War II contributions and church and PTA activism. The form asked them to specify their race.

During the national battle over the 1957 Civil Rights bill, Arlington’s OWV expressed opposition to Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater’s amendment removing the word “sex” from the groups listed to be protected by the new commission that included blacks, the aged, American Indians and the handicapped. The group pushed for continued use of trials by jury in discrimination cases. “Though a member of the weaker sex, I strongly support the masculine sex in its drive for `trial by jury,’ ” Sue Renfro wrote to Republican Rep. Frank Chelf.

During the 1960 battle over

balanced respect for state law with skepticism toward segregationists’ plans for private-school tuition grants, seeing a threat to Arlington public education funding.

Now in her eighth decade in the house she grew up in, Renfro attended Woodlawn Elementary and Kenmore Jr. High. The nurse practitioner in recent years published three “science fantasy” novels with rigorous research on genetics.

Back in the 1950s, Arlington was “a nice residential area, a local community,” Renfro recalls. “But somewhere along the line, it changed focus… to become what someone on the board called `Manhattan on the Potomac.”’ Citing debacles such as the unsuccessful Artisphere in Rosslyn and the so-called million-dollar bus stop, Renfro is not a fan of such “progress” toward the “upscale.”

***

John “Til” Hazel Jr., the lawyerdeveloper known best for shaping Fairfax County land policy, died March 15 at 91.

Perhaps lost amid the 1960s-90s debates over his advocacy of rapid growth and the aborted plan for a Disney theme park in Gainesville— was that Hazel was raised in Arlington. The son of a surgeon biked or hitched to McLean during the Depression to work his family’s farm, the Washington Post noted.

In the late ‘70s Hazel was instrumental in setting up George Mason University Law School in Arlington (where a hall bears his name). That’s also his name on the auditorium of Virginia Hospital Center.

Suzanne Hladky)

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Madeleine Albright

Our sincerest condolences to all who cherished her friendship and wise counsel on the passing yesterday of former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright at age 84. She had good friends in the City of Falls Church, and was the keynote speaker at the June 1997 commencement ceremony at (then) George Mason High School, now Meridian. To this day, she is the most internationally recognized speaker ever at a public event in the Little City. She came to speak here at the height of her responsibilities as Secretary of State to honor the memory of the father of a graduate of that Class of 1997. Robert Frasure lived with his family in the City of Falls Church before dying in a traffic accident in 1995 in the midst of his tireless diplomatic efforts to end the terrible conflict in Bosnia.

Albright was well known for her commitment to such things, never losing her personal touch and willingness to contribute with her thoughts and endorsements to political campaigns in this region. But as the first woman Secretary of State in U.S. history, she was also a brilliant and tough negotiator. She had to flee the Nazis and Soviets in Czechoslovakia and only much later in life was it revealed to her that she and her family were Jewish but masqueraded as Catholics to survive. In 2018 she authored a highly-regarded New York Times best selling book entitled, “Fascism, A Warning.”

In her 1997 commencement address in Falls Church, she admonished the students, asking, “Can we be one America, respecting and celebrating our differences but embracing even more what we have in common…not just in terms of hyphens the showing our ethnic origins, but in terms of our primary allegiance to the values America stands for and the values we really live by.

“Traveling around the world in the last few years I have seen the costs of prejudice and hate, I have seen that the alternative to dialogue is often destruction.

“Genocide is not an inborn trait…It is caused by leaders who nurture hate and who exploit it for their own ends…It happens when no one stands up to lead people toward reason and away from revenge.

“It matters to America whether nations succeed as peaceful societies or perish in violence…striving for a peace that Sarah’s father and many other dedicated Americans helped to forge.

“Patriotism is not just love of America, but a commitment to preserve what is best about America…It is not ‘my country right or wrong,’ it is accepting our shared duty as citizens to keep America on the side of peace and freedom and tolerance at home and around the world… to represent what is best about America — optimistic, full of hope, willing to serve, willing to believe, as did St. Francis, that if you start by doing what’s necessary, then do what is possible, suddenly you will be doing the impossible.”

Editor, I believe that Fairfax County should use its money to help improve bus seats. Think about children, venturing into the cold in the morning, freezing half to death. They walk like zombies onto the bus. Passing through a gloomy walkway onto their seat, they sit onto sad, cold seat. This is something that many students experience in the morning.

This is a terrible start to the day. Not only does it decrease children’s learning capacity, but it also makes them unfocused. By doing even the tiniest bit, such as changing the material of the seats, or even just adding a fuzzy floor, can help improve a student’s mood and help them get ready for school. I think that adding a fuzzy floor would be beneficial to students’ mood during the day, because feeling the humid and slippery floor when it’s raining is very unappealing and uncomfortable. Students often encounter headaches and find it difficult to learn, because of these situations.

Another proposition for schools would be to add retractable tables to buses. This can allow for many functions for students. For example, they can use these to rest their heads in the morning . First, Students are obviously going to be tired both in the morning and the afternoon. Just by being able to have somewhere to lie on is very helpful towards students’ learning. This can also help students be up and ready for school. Second, they can also use these tables for work. They can catch up on late homework, and put their computers on the tables to work on. Instead of finishing this at home, they can finish it before they have outside of school activities. Finishing before getting home might seem like a miniscule issue, but distractions like phones, laptops, and games prevent you from doing your homework when you get home. Having a table on the bus can encourage bus-time as a good time for work, while also putting off other distractions.

In conclusion, I believe that school buses should have more amenities, to allow students to use their time more effectively and faster. This is because they will have better ways to relax or work on the bus and use their time wisely.

Alex Lu Falls Church

Editor, Does anyone else get a painful unsettling feeling in the pit of their stomach when seeing another decades old tree come down in the neighborhood? My heart breaks every time and with every slash of the chainsaws I feel grief settle deeper into my being.

In the recent explosion of new construction in our area, I have seen dozens of huge trees be mercilessly cut down to make way for giant houses. While I know that some species are invasive and some trees are a safety hazard, I find it hard to believe that at least half of these trees couldn’t have been preserved.

We forget that trees take decades upon decades to grow to the size that allows them to provide shade to our yards while housing countless species, from birds to insects and fungi. Newly planted trees are tiny and can hardly sustain any life, let alone shade our houses in a rapidly warming world. Many landscaping companies don’t plant native tree species, furthering the problem. NoVA has very low urban biodiversity which is an issue for ecosystems that are already suffering. So why do we continue to kill our trees?

Can we think twice before chopping down our trees? Can we petition our counties for stricter, more biodiversity-friendly tree removal policies? Can we pressure developers to stop mowing down all vegetation when building anew?

Ryan Zlatanova Falls Church

Got Beef?

Editor’s Essay

Will the Ukraine Invasion End Anytime Soon?

Nicholas F. Benton

Nothing would make almost any living human being happier these days than the news the genocide in Ukraine was coming to an end. We wake up every morning, or in my case, every few hours as a sufferer of nighttime issues, hoping that the TV screen will broadcast news of a real end to the unbearable misery there.

But we must not get our hopes up. As astonishing as Russia’s brutality in its unprovoked assault has been, and as much as we may wish that Putin is losing and may give up this horrific adventure,

the history of the region and the way that people like Putin have behaved historically sadly tells a very different story.

Ukraine is part of the world that is no stranger to violence and mass genocide. Nor is Putin. This becomes clear with an examination of them both, continuing the important contributions of Yale University’s Timothy Snyder, as documented in his international best seller, the 500-page “Bloodlands, Europe Between Hitler and Stalin,” published in 2010.

This frequent contributor on MSNBC and author of the more popular “On Tyranny, 20 Lessons from the 20th Century,” and his most recent, “The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America,” (2018), Snyder’s chronicles of what he calls Europe’s “Bloodlands,” an area encompassing Poland, the Balkans, Belarus, Ukraine and parts of western Russia, and its incredible history of violence and the systematic death of masses of

ordinary civilians.

This is the kind of world that Putin is used to. Incessant pain and death is simply par for the course for him. The number of casualties of even his own people does not figure into his calculus of success or failure. If there must be a decades-long trench warfare to gain the few precious yards of advantage to achieve a strategic goal, then so be it.

Numbers of deaths associated with what we’ve come to know as the Holocaust, the murder of six milllion Jews under Hitler, were only a fraction of what heppened in the Bloodlands overall in only 12 years between 1933 and 1945. The estimate is that 14 million people, total, died in that stretch and most horribly, most not in German concentration camps, but were civilians murdered by sheer starvation and depravation.

Moreover, the perpetrators were not only the German Nazis, but Stalin’s Soviet forces as well. This is a terrible reality that

we in 2022, separated by time from what is now coined as the Second World War, must familiarize ourselves with. The wanton slaughter of innocents, as we are now seeing with the benefit of the kind of media capabilities that did not exist then, is nothing new to Putin and his victims. It’s happened more recently in Chechnya, parts of Georgia and from 2014 on in parts of Ukraine.

The evil has swarmed in from all sides as innocent people, just happy to live unassuming lives as simple children, hard working adults and the exhausted elderly, are not permitted any of this. They can’t just live and eke out an existence, loving whom they love, reveering their heroes and movie stars, and playing out the cycles of their lives, enjoying moments of happiness they can capture in the process. They are not allowed such ordinary moments of life. Cruel monsters called their leaders instead subject them to untold miseries and loss.

Xi, Putin and Trump: The Strongmen Follies

Thomas Friedman

The past five years have been a master class in comparative politics, because something happened that we’d never seen before at the same time: The world’s three most powerful leaders — Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump — each took drastic steps to hold onto power beyond their designated terms of office. One failed. Two succeeded. And therein lies a tale that says so much about our world today.

Trump failed for one very simple reason: American institutions, laws and norms forced him to cede power at the end of his four years — barely — despite both his efforts to discredit the electoral results and his unleashing of supporters to intimidate lawmakers into overturning his loss at the polls.

Putin and Xi fared better — so far. Unencumbered by institutions and democratic norms, they installed new laws to make themselves, effec-

tively, presidents for life.

Pity their nations.

Lord knows democracies have their problems today, but they still have some things autocracies lack — the ability to change course, often by changing leaders, and the ability to publicly examine and debate alternative ideas before embarking on a course of action. Those attributes are particularly valuable in an age of accelerating technological and climate change, when the odds are low that one person in his late 60s — as both Putin and Xi are — will make better and better decisions, more and more alone, as he gets older and older.

Yet Putin arm-twisted his Duma in 2020 to essentially eliminate his term limits, allowing him to run for president again in 2024 and the chance to remain in office until 2036.

And in 2018, Xi induced his lawmakers to change China’s constitution and abolish presidential term limits altogether, so he can officially remain in office forever — assuming that he is reelected president at the National People’s Congress session in 2023. And you can assume that

he will be.

Deng Xiaoping imposed a twoconsecutive-term limit to China’s presidency in 1982 for a reason — to prevent the emergence of another Mao Zedong, whose autocratic leadership and cult of personality combined to keep China poor, isolated and often in murderous chaos. Xi has driven right through that roadblock. He sees himself as indispensable and infallible.

But as we can all see plainly, Putin’s performance in Ukraine is a walking, talking, barking advertisement for the perils of having a president for life, who believes that he’s indispensable and infallible.

Ukraine is Putin’s war, and he got everything wrong: He overestimated the strength of his own armed forces, underestimated the willingness of Ukrainians to fight and die for their freedom and totally misread the willingness of the West, both governments and businesses, to unite to support Ukraine. Either Putin was fed nonsense by aides afraid to tell him the truth, or he had grown so sure of his infallibility that he never questioned himself or prepared his

government or society for what his own spokesman has described as an “unprecedented” economic war by Western sanctions. All we know for sure is that he has banned all media criticism and made it virtually impossible for Russians to punish him at the polls for his barbaric folly. China is a more serious place, having brought some 800 million Chinese out of extreme poverty since the late 1970s. And Xi is more serious than Putin. Nevertheless, the perils of autocracy are showing. Xi was unwilling to do a serious investigation of how the coronavirus emerged, most likely in Wuhan, or, at least, share any findings with the world — for fear, it seems, that doing so might reflect poorly on his leadership. His reliance on a strategy of lockdowns, and on Chinese vaccines that appear to be less effective than other vaccines against the omicron variant, is now seriously stressing his economy. And Xi’s bet on an alliance with Putin’s Russia has gone bad fast. When the two leaders met Feb. 4, at the opening of the Olympics in China, they released a state-

In the “Bloodlands,” Snyder wrote, “During the consolidation of National Socialism and Stalinism (1933-1938), the joint German-Soviet occupation of Poland (1939-1941) and then the German-Soviet war (1941-1945), mass violence of a sort never before seen in history was visited upon this region. The victims were chiefly Jews, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles, Russians and Balts, and the people native to those lands. The fourteen millions were murdered over the course of only 12 years, 1933 to 1945, while both Hitler and Stalin were in power.”

“Though their homelands became battlefields midway through this period, these people were all victims of murderous policy rather than casualties of war…Not a single one of the 14 million mudered was a soldier on active duty. Most were women, children, and the aged. None were bearing weapons, many had been stripped of their possessions, including their clothes.”

ment declaring that the “friendship between the two states has no limits, there are no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation.”

The fact that Putin apparently took that limitless friendship as a green light to invade Ukraine has clearly left Xi flummoxed and floundering. China is a big importer of oil, corn and wheat from Russia and Ukraine, so the Russian invasion has nudged up its costs for these and other food imports, while also helping to drive down China’s stock market (though it is bouncing back). It has also forced China to appear indifferent to Russia’s savaging of Ukraine, straining Beijing’s relations with the European Union, China’s biggest trading partner.

I wonder how many officials in Beijing are now muttering: “If this is what happens when you have a president for life. …” I do take succor in the fact that one of the most hackneyed cliches in foreign policy is being exposed as nonsense: The leaders of China and Russia are so savvy, and always play

Continued on Page 10

By Supervisor Penny Gross

One of the scariest words in the English language is “dementia,” a word derived from the Latin dementare, meaning to make mad or insane. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, affecting almost two-thirds of those diagnosed, and the two terms often are used interchangeably. However, dementia is an umbrella term that describes about 100 diseases that trigger a progressive loss of brain function. Sadly, although research is being done, and some medications are available that can alleviate symptoms for some individuals, there is no cure for dementia, and no effective treatment or cure on a large scale.

Dementia is not a normal part of aging. We all worry about potential memory loss – where did I leave my keys, why can’t I remember names, what did I come into this room to do? Slight lapses in memory are perfectly normal, and often to be expected in our busy lives, with family and jobs, and daily demands for our time and attention. When memory lapses turn into not remembering how to get home, or names of close family members, it’s time to make an appointment with a medical professional to discuss if memory loss has become a problem.

I remember a story my aunt told me, many years ago, about her mother, my grandmother. Grandma had been exhibiting signs of what we now call dementia but, at that time, it was just assumed that she was becoming senile. When she started wandering out at night, my grandfather, reluctantly, found a nursing home for her. It was there that Grandma started complaining to my aunt that “her daughter” never came around, but that a cousin was very faithful in visiting. Fact was that my aunt visited nearly every day; the cousin lived across the country and hadn’t seen Grandma for years. Fortunately, my aunt understood Grandma’s confusion, and remained her loving and caring daughter.

Decades ago, there was little help for families affected by dementia. Today, fortunately, in Northern Virginia, the Insight Memory Care Center supports individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairments, their families, caregivers, and the community. Insight is a non-profit adult day health and resource center in Fairfax, which provides specialized care, support, and education about memory impairment. Insight has served Northern Virginia families since 1984, and is the only dementia-specific day center in the D.C. metro area. For those in early stages, Insight offers social engagement programs to maximize capabilities, and provide support for loved ones to adjust to changing family dynamics. Even a brief conversation with Insight staff reveals the depth of their care and concern for families and clients. The wife of an Insight client told me that Insight programs almost literally saved her life by providing guidance and support as the beloved husband she knew for decades faded from family and friends. A lot of tears were shed in that conversation.

Despite growing numbers of dementia diagnoses, the general public is largely unaware about the impact of dementia on society. Dementia often still has a stigma; people aren’t sure about how to relate to someone with the disease, and can be fearful of interaction. With a little knowledge, we can promote a more dementia friendly society, and improve attitudes and understanding of the disease. Families don’t have to face dementia disease alone; help is available. More information about Insight programs is available at www. InsightMCC.org. (Many thanks to Robin McGlothin at Insight, who provided information for this column.)

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Identity Theft, Great Falls St, Mar 14, 10:19 AM, an incident of identity theft was reported.

Larceny-Vehicle Parts, S Washington St, Mar 14, between 5:30 PM and 10 PM, unknown suspect(s) broke a Honda Civic’s window and removed the steering wheel’s airbag.

Larceny-Vehicle Parts, W Broad St, between 10:30 PM, Mar 15 and 9:30 AM, Mar 16, unknown suspect(s) took the catalytic converter from a Toyota Prius.

Drunk in Public, W Rosemary Ln/S Washington St, Mar 16, 12:38 PM, a male, 45, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for drunk in public.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Roosevelt Blvd, between 10:30 PM, Mar 15 and 2:15 PM, Mar 16, unknown suspect(s), took the catalytic conventer from a Toyota Prius.

Larceny from Building, E Broad St, Mar 16, 2:40 PM, unknown suspect(s) cut the lock from a locker and took items of value.

Assault, Hillwood Ave, Mar 16, 10:19 PM, a white male, 30, of no

fixed address, was arrested for assault on two separate persons.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Roosevelt Blvd, during the night of March 16 and morning of Mar 17, unknown suspect(s) broke into multiple vehicles and removed the driver’s seat air bag.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, Mar 18, 2:59 AM, a white male, 21, of no fixed address, was arrested for trespass.

Falls Church

School News & Notes

Girls Wrestling

Tournament at MHS

Meridian High School hosted the first-ever girls wrestling tournament this past weekend. Twenty-seven female wrestlers from all over Virginia participated in the wrestling tournament. Winners from the different weight classes include Senya Urbom first place in the 106 weight class and Macy Brock 3rd. Audrey Pounds 3rd place in the 127 weight class. The day started with a clinic with Taja Showers: a Skyline High School graduate who is a 4x Fargo All-American, 4x International Champion, 3x VHSL Girls Championships champion, four years on a boys varsity team, and a 5x Folkstyle All American.

Baseball Season Begins With a Win

Mustangs beat Mount Vernon 17-3 in the home opener this week. Sophomore Grant Greiner got his first career W on the mound and collected two base hits. Thomas Downs and Jackson Pierce got three hits in the offensive explosion. Last night, the Mustangs defeated Sidwell Friends 9-7, and this Friday night host Pope John Paul The Great at 6:00 p.m.

Planters and Pallets Project

Several high school and middle school teachers (Ray WuRorrer, Carey Pollack, Kenny George, Jason Perkins, Steve Knight) received a grant from the Falls Church Education Foundation to fund the installation of an assortment of planters throughout the Secondary campus with an emphasis on the cafeteria and common areas.

This multidisciplinary project includes:

Plant propagation at MHS Environmental Science classes and Henderson Sustainable Design and Engineering Classes.

Plant maintenance by the 9th grade Environmental Science

class and the Lighthouse Program students (Henderson).

MHS design classes converted used pallets into planter boxes.

Students in MHS Environmental Science classes, MHS Design classes, Henderson Lighthouse Program, and the Henderson Sustainable Design and Engineering Classes have all worked to put the planters in place.

“This project will focus on multiple sustainability initiatives such as interior scaping, urban gardening, air quality, horticultural therapy, etc. It will also provide real-world experiences for the students involved.”

Donations for All Night Grad Celebration

Save the date for the Clare and Don’s auction event on May 1st to support Meridian’s All Night Graduation party for 2022 seniors.

The ANGC team is looking for generous community members to donate auction items for the May 1st event — and then come out and bid! Auction items from $25 — 300 are welcome, although items of $25 — 50 are highly appreciated and encouraged. They may elect to use some of these as prizes for the seniors associated with the party.

Email meridianhsangc@ gmail.com for more information and to donate.

Choral Booster Scholarship Deadline

Love singing and want to take your talent to the next step? Choral Boosters is offering a limited number of scholarships to students at Oak Street, Henderson, and Meridian for various singing-based day camps during Spring Break (April 11-15) and this summer. Act fast because the scholarship application deadline is March 30! Dates and age eligibility varies with each camp so look carefully at this information to see what works for your family. A review of applications will consider student motivation and previous demonstration of commitment to singing, with

AT HENDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, Students are celebrating Music In Our Schools Month. In Mr. Jonathan Mills’ band classes, students reflected on what band means to them. The musicians noted that band is: “the best part of my day,” “the thing I look forward to every day,” “A safe place for people to gather and play things together to relax and take their mind off things as well as be themselves. You can express your feelings without having to say anything. It is a fun, understanding, and safe place.”(

special consideration given to family financial resources. More information and the application form can be found online at fccpschoralboosters.org/day-campscholarships/.

CBC Youth Rep Application Due Soon

All High School students are invited to apply to become youth representatives to one of Falls Church City’s boards, commissions, or community organizations. The positions are organized through Citizens for a Better City (CBC) and will allow students to learn about and engage with the city government while earning service hours. More details can be found online at youthrepsinitiative.net. The application is available online or picked up in person in the Meridian High School Counseling Office.

MHS Students Attend West Point Conference

Last Thursday, Mr. Josh Singer, George Vogel-Rogers, Henry Behr, Elizabeth Creed, and Erin Tarpgaard attended the 15th Annual West Point Leadership and Ethics Conference at George Mason University. They were among 50 other local high schoolers identified as school leaders. They learned valuable lessons on leadership and

decision-making during the conference based on the model and framework taught to Cadets at the US Military Academy.

Community Notice for IB Evaluations

Every five years, the International Baccalaureate Organization asks IB World Schools to undergo a self-study to examine the implementation of the offered IB programs.

Our elementary and secondary schools are slated to host IB evaluators to hold discussions with various stakeholders this year. These visits will be virtual using the Zoom platform and will occur March 28-30 for both elementary schools.

The self-study and the subsequent visits focus on the assessment of how well schools are aligned with the IB Programme Standards and Practices:

Purpose — Are our division/ school priorities aligned with the IB mission statement?

Environment — How well do we support our students?

Culture — How well do we develop and follow policies designed to support our students?

Learning — How well do we deliver instruction and assess our students?

Selected groups of students, parents and administrators will be meeting virtually with the evaluation teams throughout the three days. Some classrooms

will be visited and recorded in advance, while other classes will be viewed live with our remote visiting teams. Both visits will conclude with a community meeting immediately after the team has completed the sessions required in the review. In the community meeting, staff will share the highlights of the review process and set a course for the continued growth of our IB Programmes. All members of the community are welcome to attend.

The concluding School Community Meetings will be held at: (These meetings are for the school community (and those parents and students who participated)).

Elementary- Wednesday, March 30 (Time TBD)

Buy Mulch to Support Meridian Athletics

Order top quality doubleshredded hardwood mulch in individual bags (3 cubic feet). $5.50 per bag.

For orders of 20 bags or more, we will provide free delivery to those local addresses. All other orders can be picked up at Meridian High School, at the back parking lot

Visit mustangfanshop.com/ collections/mulch-spring-only/ products/yard-mulch to learn more and place your order. The deadline to order is March 23, 2022.

Photo: FCCPS)

BUSINESS

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Grant Program for Businesses and Nonprofits – Friday deadline

The City of Falls Church Economic Development office has opened applications for $5,000 grants to help eligible small businesses and non-profits via funding from the City of Falls Church American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to use for Covid-19 related expenses. Full eligibility requirements and the application are available at www.fallschurchva.gov/grant. The application closes on Friday, March 25 at 11:59 pm.

SBA Defers COVID EIDL Loans

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will now provide additional deferment of principal and interest payments for existing Covid Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program Borrowers for a total of 30 months deferment from inception on all approved Covid EIDL loans. The extended deferment period offers additional flexibility to small business owners impacted by the pandemic, especially those in hard-hit sectors managing disruption with recent variants, as well as recent supply chain and inflation challenges amid a growing economic recovery. This deferment extension is effective for all Covid-EIDL Loans approved in calendar years 2020, 2021, and 2022. Interest will continue to accrue on the loans during the deferment. Borrowers may make partial or full payments during the deferment period but are not required to. The SBA recommends using www.pay.gov. Small business owners may also contact SBA’s Resource Partners by visiting www.sba.gov/local-assistance. For additional information on Covid EIDL, please visit www.sba.gov/relief. Borrowers with questions can call SBA’s Covid EIDL Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-833-853-5638.

Niche Ranks Falls Church a Niche Top Place to Live

Niche, known for community and school ratings, has released its best places to live based on data and community reviews. Falls Church is ranked 77th among the Best Places to Live in Virginia; 96th among Best Places to Live in the Washington, D.C. area; and 6th for Suburbs with the Best Public Schools in Virginia. In addition, the community received A+ for public schools, good place for families, and for health and fitness. It received an A- for diversity.

Friday Webinar on Exporting to Latin America

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber is hosting a free webinar “Things you need to know about exporting to Latin America,” on Friday, March 25, 9:30-10:30 a.m. This webinar is for businesses wanting to learn more about how to export their products/services to our neighboring countries in Latin America. Representatives from the U.S. Commercial Service, SBA, and Exim Bank will discuss the financial resources and tools they offer in the trade field; The U.S. Commercial Service will also give an overview of their export resources with an emphasis on the Latin American market. More information and registration about the event can be found on the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_s19ArkyZQTmiLBLpW386ug

Falls Church Noted for Taquerias

Arlington Magazine published an article on the many taquerias in Northern Virginia and Falls Church was well represented. Taco Bama, opened in 2013 and has since expanded to seven locations and is currently working on its national brand. Taqueria Cancun opened in 2018 and added their liquor license in 2021. La Tingeria, the popular Arlington food truck has recently opened a storefront in Falls Church. This month, Taco Rock opened its third location in Falls Church at Birch and Broad.

GDIT Awarded $4.5B Contract by NGA

Falls Church-based, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), has announced it has been awarded the User Facing and Data Center Services (UDS) contract by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) at $4.5B. GDIT will provide hybrid cloud services, including commercial clouds and data center, and innovative IT design, engineering, implementation and operations and sustainment to NGA and its mission partners under this contract. The company will advance geospatial intelligence capabilities and support global users through delivery of a full range of enterprise services.

 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@fallschcurchchamber.org.

Xi, Putin and Trump: The Strongmen Follies

Continued from Page 7

the game of nations like chess grandmasters, while those stupid Americans — with their plodding, meat-and-potatoes approach to the world — know only how to play checkers.

It actually looks to me as if Putin has not been playing chess, but Russian roulette — and that he ran out of luck and blew a hole right through the heart of the Russian economy. And Xi seems paralyzed, unable to figure out what game to play, as his heart wants to oppose the West and his head tells him that he can’t afford to. So, China stands neutral in the face of the biggest war crimes perpetrated in Europe since World War II.

Meanwhile, Sleepy Joe over in the corner has been playing Legos — methodically adding one piece, one ally, after another, bound together by shared values and threats, and has built a solid coalition to manage this crisis.

In short, for now at least, the messy democracies with their regular rotations in powers are outmaneuvering the presidents for life, who need to choke off all sources of dissent more than ever.

This contrast could not come at a better time — when the global democracy movement had been stalling everywhere. Think of the evolution of democracy around the globe since World War II as having gone through several phases, argues Larry Diamond, the Stanford democracy expert and author of “Ill Winds: Saving Democracy From Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency.”

After World War II, the U.S. and its Western allies had amazing momentum, so democracy began spreading across the globe before getting bogged down by the Cold War and actually going in reverse in the 1960s, as a result of a wave of military and executive coups in Africa, Asia and Latin America. But another wave of democracy started in the mid1970s, after the downfall of dictatorships in Portugal, Spain and Greece. Democracy also spread to Asia — and almost China in Tiananmen Square. Then the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 let loose another democracy wave in Eastern and Central Europe, and Russia.

But beginning in 2006, with

the weakening of America because of two wars in the Middle East and the 2008 financial crisis — and the stunning economic rise of China — democracy went into “a global recession,” Diamond told me. “And China and Russia relentlessly pushed the narrative: ‘Democracies are weak and morally and politically decadent. They can’t get things done. Authoritarianism is the future.’ ”

The question now, Diamond added, is this: Was that Feb. 4 declaration by Xi and Putin — “spelling out all the reasons why their ‘democratic’ systems were superior to the bankrupt, feckless liberal democracies”— actually the high-water mark for their autocracies?

Because one thing is clear, quipped Diamond: The recent missteps of Putin and Xi “are giving authoritarianism a bad name.”

For the authoritarian wave to be sustainably reversed, two big things are necessary. One is for Putin’s savaging of Ukraine to fail. That could cause him to lose power. To be sure, a Russia with no Putin could turn out to be no better — or even worse. But if it is better, the whole world becomes better if Russia has a decent leader in the Kremlin.

The second thing is even more important: It would be for America to demonstrate that it’s not just good at forging alliances abroad but that it can also build healthy coalitions again at home — to deliver good government, growth, uncontested transfers of power and a more perfect union. Our ability to do that in the past is what earned us the world’s esteem and emulation. That used to be us — and it can be again.

If it is, then my favorite lyrics from the musical “Hamilton” will be so relevant. It is when George Washington explains to Alexander Hamilton why he is voluntarily stepping down and not running for a third term:

Washington: “If we get this right/ We’re gonna teach ’em how to say goodbye,/ You and I——”

Hamilton: “Mister President, they will say you’re weak.”

Washington: No, they will see we’re strong.”

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN © 2022 The New York Times

Real Estate Special

Spring 2022

Real Estate Values Skyrocket

Page 12

Is

Page 14

New Iconic Homes in Falls Church: The Enclave at Aylors Overlook

For a limited time only, enjoy pre-model pricing—and move in this summer!

Aylors Overlook is a distinctive community of 16 newly designed single-family homes with extraordinary exterior façades including welcoming bluestone steps and majestic 8' tall front doors. Inside, open interiors, chef’s kitchens, striking wood floors, 9' ceilings throughout, oak staircases with elegant contemporary rails, and lavish bedrooms with oversized walk-in closets and spa-worthy bathrooms await to delight you.

Aylors Overlook is urban convenience expertly blended with small-town allure. In a premier location just 2 miles from the charm of Downtown Falls Church, less than 10 minutes from the eclectic and electric shopping and dining of both the Mosaic District and Tysons, and with easy access to Metro, Route 7, I-66, and I-495, Aylors Overlook is central to everything.

4–7 bedrooms | 4.5–6.5 baths | Pre-model home pricing from the $1.7Ms Tours by appointment only.

Little City Real Estate Market In The Middle of ‘Perfect Storm’

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

If the huge jump in assessed real estate values reported in last week’s News-Press didn’t convince you, the eye popping evaluations of key area realtors should. Residential real estate, especially of the single family home variety, is exploding in value in this area right now. To call it a “seller’s market,” where sellers are likely to get more than they’re asking, is putting it too mildly.

In fact, in the words of one such local realtor, it is only if one puts together two popular superlatives that a correct image of how things are now emerges. It is not only a “perfect storm” for sellers, but the City of Falls Church is the “eye of the storm,” as Falls Church realtor Albert Bitici put it in an interview this week.

“The eye of the perfect storm” is not likely to replace “The Little City” as the official slogan for Falls Church right now, but

it does reflect this moment in its history.

Bitici told the News-Press this period is “unlike anything I’ve ever seen” in his many years in the business.

The current period “is far outpacing any recent years” in terms of the boom. The “tight inventory market” is matched with an almost panicky rush to buy anything that looks good, causing 20 to 30 offers to be made on the great undersupply for high quality homes on the market in the City.

In fact, according to realtor Ken Trotter, there are only six single family homes up for sale in Falls Church right now, and only 35 in the wider Greater Falls Church area.

What was a three-to-six month inventory of homes on the market has shrunk to less than one month now. “This is not only a seller’s market, it is an historic market” that has unleashed a lot of bidding wars, he told the NewsPress this week.

Of course, Falls Church resi-

dential real estate has always been premium for families that need room to raise little ones, if only for the world quality of the City’s independent public school system, which now offers International Baccalaureate curricula from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Realtors have often commented on this over the years, that the value of a home in Falls Church enjoys a 15 percent or higher “value added” because of the quality of the schools,

But now it is not only for that, and for the completion of a state-of-the-art new $120 million high school facility that was completed just in the last year, but it is also for the demonstrable quality of life features of Falls Church that continues to bring remarkable new features to the City’s parks, neighborhoods, and commercial zones in a way that is actually causing residential real estate tax rates to go down considerably (which is

Continued on Page 19

One of the many houses that saw their accessed value skyrocket. (Photo: Sue Johnson)

"His

is truly whiteglove"

guided me at every step and took care of every detail. "

"His professionalism and knowledge guided us through these difficult times"

"Obtained Top Dollar for our home"

rave enough about having Albert Bitici as my realtor to sell my home.

was AMAZING from start to finish!"

everything you could ask

in a real estate agent "

The Pros and Cons of Remodeling Vs. Building From Scratch

by Amanda Snead Falls

Is it better to remodel or rebuild? There are many factors to consider when looking into these projects. From upgrading appliances to building a new home from the ground up, different projects will work better for different people.

Falls Church City is home to almost 15,000 people according to the 2020 census with an average of three people per household. The area is popular due to its proximity to the Washington D.C. area, public school systems and sense of community. However, living in this area means you sacrifice the size of your home for the other benefits that come with living in the area.

According to Chandler Fox of Foxcraft Design Group and a real estate agent for Sotheby’s Realty, there are two types of builds — spec and custom. Spec building means that a builder will buy a lot without yet having a buyer, “speculating” that they

will be able to sell the house for a profit when the build is complete.

Custom building involves building what a customer wants using their money and budget for a home built to their specifications.

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, many people found themselves at home and realized they were unhappy with their surroundings or wanted changes.

In some cases these were smaller DIY projects done by the homeowners themselves but often times the projects were too large and they needed to outsource.

“The older ramblers you see around town are too small for most modern families and they want to expand and have more space. Especially in this Covid world where ‘space’ at home as taken on a whole new meaning and having one if not two home offices in addition to a screened porch has become more of the norm,” said Rob Zimmermann of Zimmermann Homes. “A renovation can be less expensive, however, in comparison with new construction you would addition-

ally get a new foundation and water management system, taller ceilings, taller windows and more natural light, more flexibility on the floor plan, and you gain a garage which often can not be added to a rambler due to setbacks. On top of all of these benefits, a new construction home when completed is worth significantly more then the extra $75k you spent to put it there. So from an investment standpoint, you get a great return on the extra money spent to build new vs. a renovation.”

Fox stated that the most important thing to consider is cost versus value— what renovations are you looking to make in your home versus how much you are looking to spend.

With renovations, projects can be spaced out over a larger period of time and changes can be made as the homeowners have the budget in place. A new build requires more money up front but allows for more to be done at once.

Continued on Page 21

Church News-Press

Home Renovated by Coupard Architects. (Photo: Coupard Architects)

Albert

Meet Your Home Experts

Bitici – The Bitici Group – Keller Williams Metro Center

Covid-19 and rising interest rates continue to have an impact on our housing market and we remain in one of the most unpredictable real estate markets in a generation... Who you are in business with matters now more than ever.

Several years ago, I created The Bitici Group with a focus of providing the right advice to clients, backed by the highest level of customer service, and the best marketing.

To show your house in the best light, we hire top designers, writers and photographers... Which is why The Bitici Group attracts forward-thinking clients and exceptional real estate to prove that fantastic results are achieved with a tailored approach.

There is no better time to sell a home than right now, and no better team to help you than The Bitici Group, voted best Real Estate Group in Best of Falls Church 2021.

For a smarter, personalized approach to buying, selling and investing in real estate, contact The Bitici Group at Keller Williams.

Albert Bitici – The Bitici Group – Keller Williams Metro Center 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22201 571.775.0468 • TheBiticiGroup.com

Bethany Ellis – Long and Foster

Bethany Ellis owns and operates a highly successful real estate business in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. She is an experienced Realtor® whose goal is to exceed your expectations. Her knowledge of the local market, attention to detail, excellent negotiating ability, and effective communication ensures that your real estate transaction will go smoothly from start to finish. Bethany has direct access to local lenders, home inspectors, new home developers, settlement groups, and local service providers (painters, plumbers, carpet suppliers, handymen, electricians, plumbers, and more). Bethany Ellis is your real estate resource. Call Bethany when you are ready to buy, sell or invest in real estate.

Bethany Ellis, Long and Foster 1355 Beverly Rd., #109 McLean, VA 22101 703.307.7003 • buyandsellwithBethany.com

Peake Mangement

Lindsey Peake was raised with a passion for real estate that has extended through 3 generations. An avid investor herself, she works hard to find good investment properties and homes for clients. Not all houses make good rental property, that’s where experience helps. With a 40-year history in Northern Virginia, the company is strong and well-established. The focus is always on the client, whether listing a home for sale, buying the perfect home, or managing property.

A strong believer that long term property ownership creates wealth and treating clients as good friends helping them on their path to creating wealth.

Peake Mangement, Inc. 450 N Washington St. Ste M Falls Church, VA 22046 703.408.2153 • www.peakeinc.com

Ken Trotter, Silver Line Group at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Ken Trotter is the founder and principal agent of the Silver Line Group and regularly recognized as one of Washington, DC’s top producing Realtors®. While the heart of the Silver Line Group’s practice is in Falls Church, the team also regularly represents buyers and sellers along the Silver Line corridor from DC to Dulles.

Ken was a successful litigation attorney prior to becoming a Realtor®, and he drew upon that experience when establishing the guiding principals behind the Silver Line Group’s professional service:

“We focus on making our clients’ interests our sole priority and zealously strive to achieve the best results for our clients in every transaction.”

The Silver Line Group’s talented team of professionals strongly believes in delivering the highest level of integrity, professionalism, and expertise at all price points. From urban condos with high walkability scores to estate homes, the team is passionate about helping you find the perfect home, or the right buyer for your home.

For more detailed information about the Silver Line Group’s real estate practice, please visit SilverLineHouses.com and reach out directly to Ken.

Ken Trotter, J.D., Realtor, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty 703.606.1122 • SilverLineHouses.com

Casey Margenau

With $3 billion in real estate sold and over 30 years as a Top Producer in Northern Virginia, Casey Margenau uses his wealth of experience to ensure the financial success of his clients. In 2013 Casey saw a need for a boutique real estate company for the higher end market and he established Casey Margenau Fine Homes & Estates. His in-depth market knowledge allows him to ensure the financial success of his clients. By custom tailoring a marketing strategy for each property, Casey provides the greatest exposure to achieve the goal of the highest offers possible in the shortest period of time. Many area builders rely on his expertise when making development plans. His professionalism and attention to detail have led him to the very top of his field.https://caseymargenau.com/

Casey Margenau 8478A Tyco Road Vienna, VA 703.442.8600 • caseymargenau.com

Tori McKinney - ROCK STAR Realty Group, KW Metro Center

Tori’s passion is helping her clients find their dream homes. Along with her team, she rolls out the red carpet to ensure you are treated like the VIP that you are.

While purposefully participating in the community, Tori is the Falls Church Real Estate expert. She and her Rock Star Realty Group are here for you every step of the way eager to provide Rock Star service to all home buyers and sellers. Tori is ever so grateful for each client and the neighborhoods she serves.

Tori is an ongoing public school volunteer and sponsor and directs her philanthropic efforts to the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation. She is the Executive Producer of the Tinner Hill Music Festival, taking place this year on June 11, 2022.

Tori McKinney | CEO & Realtor® | ROCK STAR Realty Group, KW Metro Center 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201 703.867.8674 • RockStarRealtyGroup.com

Kelly Millspaugh Thompson

Kelly Millspaugh Thompson is a Falls Church City native and small business owner. Kelly opened Stylish Patina, Home + Gift Boutique in Falls Church in 2013. A few years ago she expanded her service offering to include Real Estate. She now melds her love of Real Estate and Interior Design into a one of a kind full service offering for her clients. This has proven to be a unique and highly sought after combination of skills. Her extensive experience in home decor, interior design and home renovation provides a broad area of expertise that she can bring to her clients both on the buying and selling side of the equation. If you are looking for a Realtor with a designer’s eye contact Kelly for your no obligation consult!

Kelly Millspaugh Thompson • Realtor ® • Designer • Owner Stylish Patina 450 W. Broad St. Suite 120 A Falls Church VA 22046 C: 703.303.3700 • stylishpatina.com

DuBro Architects + Builders

DuBro Architects + Builders have been transforming our clients’ homes for 20 years. We care deeply for our clients and the community within which we work. We are driven by the integration of insightful design and expert craftsmanship infused with a spirit of integrity and innovation. LOVE YOUR HOME.

DUBRO Architects + Builders | Jeff DuBro, Owner 429 S Maple Ave. Falls Church, VA 22046 Office: 703.533.7464 • www.dubro.net

Mostafa Shah - Korte Realty

Korte Realty, the 57 year old family real estate firm on West Broad Street in Falls Church, is the business of Treena Rinaldi, and Mostafa (Mosi) Shah. Mosi joined the firm in 2007 adding his own brand of sales expertise to the mix. Known for his patience and good humor, Mosi broke the record when showed a client over 100 properties before the final purchase was made. His native language is Farsi, which is a great help in dealing with international clients. A strong believer in community support, he has also served on the Board of the Chamber for several years

Treena Rinaldi and Mosi Shah, Korte Realty 712 W. Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 703.532.7704 • Korterealty.com

Meet Your Home Experts

Gaskins Team

The Gaskins Team is here to help you navigate today’s market, whether it’s buying, selling, investing, development or relocation. The team live and work in Falls Church and DC and offer superior local expertise and modern marketing technologies to make sure you get exactly what you need. Lasting client relationships is a hallmark of the top-notch service they provide. They are a regional favorite and have been recognized by numerous local publications as some of the best in the industry.

Gaskins Team 105 W Broad Street, Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046 703.722.0725 • thegaskinsteam.com

Kathy Pippin, Samson Properties

Kathy Pippin grew up in Northern Virginia, attended Wakefield HS and received an engineering degree in Maryland. Her methodical approach and local knowledge, coupled with her negotiation skills and top-notch marketing, have well equipped her to serve her clients, whether first-time home buyers, repeat buyers, sellers, or investors. She is pragmatic and has a consultative approach when helping clients buy or sell. She has a dedicated team to produce successful outcomes for each sale. Kathy believes in giving back to the community and supporting local and national charities in the areas of children’s cancer research, survivors of abuse, and worldwide medical assistance. Her trusted loan officer, Jimmy Boone, with Cardinal Finance, provides great loan programs and always exceeds clients’ expectations.

Kathy Pippin, Samson Properties 6707 Old Dominion Drive #315 McLean, VA 22101 703.408.0838 • KathyPippinProperties.com

Julie Andre

Julie Andre is an area native and highly experienced Senior Mortgage Officer with UNFCU, lending in all 50 States. She provides valuable solutions and education for all home loan types and sizes. Julie provides individualized attention to borrowers from pre-approval through closing. First-time buyers, move-up buyers, downsizers, selfemployed, investors, second homes, cash buyers seeking delayed financing, foreign nationals and more. In addition to weekdays, Julie is available evenings and weekends. Feel free to reach out by phone/text (703) 237-0333 or email jandre@unfcu.com.

Julie Andre • Senior Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS# 1010775

Direct: 703.237.0333 • unfcu.org/juliea

FOXCRAFT Design Group

Foxcraft Design Group is entering their 33rd year as an award-winning design/build firm and general contractor. What is the secret to longevity in such a competitive marketplace? “We understand adapting homes for growing families and the importance that a neighborhood plays in family life,” explains Foxcraft president and co-owner Chandler Fox.

Foxcraft is among the most creative, experienced design/build firms in the region, specializing in meeting clients’ budget expectations and overcoming ever changing national and county codes, regulations and guidelines. “We’ve done it all,” Fox says. “Clients come back to us many times for additional projects. We are problem solvers and trusted advisors.” www.foxcraft.com

FOXCRAFT Design Group 110 Great Falls St, Falls Church, VA 22046 703.536.1888 • foxcraft.com

Falls Church Hydroponics & Organic Gardening Supply

Locally-owned and Virginia-grown, Falls Church Hydroponics and Organic Gardening Supply was founded in 2022, with the simple plan of providing organic and hydroponic gardeners with a consciously curated selection of products and an unmatched level of customer service. Joe Parelhoff the stores owner, hopes to share with his surrounding community the many benefits of hydroponic and organic gardening and the positive impact it can have on food production and quality, animals and humans, and the environment as a whole.

Falls Church Hydroponics & Organic Gardening Supply 1075 W. Broad St, Falls Church, VA 703.712.7880 • fallschurchhydro.com

Madison Homes

Since its founding in 1992, award-winning Madison Homes has grown into one of the most respected residential builders and developers of infill developments in the Washington, D.C. market. We specialize in the creation of luxury single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums, offering a wide variety of architectural styles and locations.

Our current portfolio of new-home communities includes The Towns at Grosvenor Place in North Bethesda. Past successes include Mclean Village, Trenton Square in Ballston, The Townes of Abingdon Place in Old Town North, Rosslyn Key, Ballston Green, Silas Station, Portrait Square in N.E. Washington, DC, 1745 N St., and Eleven Oaks in historic Fairfax.

Madison Home Inc.

1950 Old Gallows Road, Suite 200 | Tysons Corner, VA 22182 703.506.9292 • madisonhomesinc.com

Cottage Street Custom Homes

As Founder of Cottage Street Custom Homes, Scott has 20+ years of proven residential real estate development experience. He began Cottage Street Custom Homes in 2012 and has completed over 40 homes, primarily in Falls Church City, where he lived for over a decade. His work receives outstanding customer and community satisfaction. He brings to the table industry best practices and relationships with the region’s best trade contractors. Previously, Scott worked as a Procurement Manager for EYA, LLC and Production Manager at Ryland Homes. His experience and commitment to satisfaction built on trust is the foundation of his company.

Cottage Street Custom Home | Scott Shreffler, Founder 703.786.5192 • cottagestreethomes.com

Zimmermann Homes

My family and I live in Falls Church, where we take pride in building leadingedge custom homes that increase energy efficiency, require minimal service, and are very durable. All Zimmermann Homes come standard with upgraded products and building techniques designed to add value and make the home more comfortable to live in. We are passionate about working together with our clients to build these innovative homes that combine a level of performance and beauty that is tough to find elsewhere.

Zimmermann Homes 203.331.9697 • zimmermannhomes.com

Merelyn Kaye & Karin Morrison - McEnearney Associates

You’ve seen us in The News-Press for years! Falls Church’s most seasoned, knowledgeable, and successful mom and daughter real estate team provides the expertise and service you need — satisfaction guaranteed! Whether Buying, Selling, Renting, or Property Management, we’re your full-service team!

When you need a repair, information on refinancing, or sales anywhere in the USA, we can help. When you want a no-hassle estimate of your home’s value or need to get it sold fast for top dollar, we are ready to help. When you need to find a new home in this fast-paced seller’s market, we will get it done, there is no substitute for experience.

Karin Morrison McEnearney Associates 1320 Old Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, VA. 22101 703.626.3257 • merelynkaye.com

Diane Edwards Century 21 New Millennium

Diane Edwards • MBA • Realtor ®

Licensed in VA,DC,MD

NVAR Lifetime Top Producer

Diane Edwards Century 21 New Millennium Realtor Direct: 703.989.6873 • Office 703.556.4222 • Diane.Edwards.c21nm.com

long does it take to build a house?

If you’re thinking about buying a piece of land and building the home of your dreams, it’s important to consider how long the project will take. While most houses can be built in four to 10 months, there are a variety of fac-

COM MON RE A SON S FOR DE LAYS take quite some time to obtain the necessary construction permits. Another factor that can extend a build by several weeks or more is the location. The topography and type of soil in particular can slow things down. Plus, certain weather conditions and shortages in building materials may also cause delays. Any last-minute design changes will likewise result in a setback to the timeline.

S TO STAY ON SC HE DUL E

TIP

Proper planning is the best way to prevent delays and keep a build on schedule. Among other things, preparation will help ensure materials such as windows and doors are delivered on time. You should also make sure you schedule service calls with plumbers, electricians and other professionals in the right order to keep things on track. By staying on top of the project’s progress, you can greatly reduce the risk of delays.

In all cases, the experience of your contractor will have a major impact on how fast the work gets done. Be sure to meet with several professionals and select someone who has the right credentials.

Falls Church City Places Emphasis On Quality Neighborhoods

Continued from Page 12

being promised with a new fiscal year budget this spring to offset a double-digit explosion in real estate valuations).

But the other factors more unique to this time period involve the impact of the two-year Covid-19 pandemic hiatus which, as Bitici explains, has caused major lifestyle changes, many of which appear to be persisting. They include the desire to avoid lengthy commutes, if not to augment the ability to work from home, and the collateral desire for having “living in spaces,” rather than homes being seen as only places for raising kids or sleeping on weekends.

In this way, Falls Church emphasis on the quality of its neighborhoods, with programs to make them more “walkable” and the to include an introduction of “traffic calming” measures, and more, creates a desirable extension of the single family home.

Then there is the other clinching factor, which is the current movement toward rising interest rates that is adding enormously to the anxiety associated with finding the right

home right now.

“Rising interest rates are adding great pressure to make a buy right now from those who don’t want to miss out on this trend,” Bitici said.

Another prominent local realtor echoed the same themes. Alison Miller, told the News-Press that “available housing inventory on the market in Northern Virginia is extremely tight right now.”

She cited the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) market statistics publication that shows that in February 2022, Fairfax and Falls Church have only a single month (or .3 months) of housing supply on the market while neighboring Arlington has closer to three months (or .7 months). “It means,” she said, that “if suddenly no more houses went on the market, all available supply would be absorbed in that amount of time.”

But she stressed that “buyers should not be discouraged,” adding “it is possible to buy in this market with patience and an experienced agent,” adding that condos and townhouses are also “a little less competitive to buy than single family homes right now.”

One of the Many high end properties you can find in the Little City. (Photo: Sue Johnson)

7 must-have tools and accessories for novice gardeners

Are you new to gardening? If so, here are some tools and accessories to stock up on before you get started.

1. Trowel. Choose a high-quality, one-piece model that’s durable and ergonomic.

2. Gloves. Look for a pair with rubberized palms

3. Spade. Whether you need to dig holes, turn over soil or loosen packed earth, look for a spade that’s the right size to suit your needs.

4. Hoe. This multipurpose tool is great for large gardens. It can be used to break up packed earth, loosen weeds and dig trenches for sowing seeds and starters.

5. Hose. Pair your no-kink garden hose with a spray nozzle. Look for one with several spray patterns to meet your watering needs.

6. Rake. Look for a durable model that can be used for soil, leaves and gravel.

7. Shovel. This landscaping essential can be used to move a variety of materials including soil and sand.

visit your local garden centre.

Home Sales Vs. 1 Year Ago

Change in # of Homes Sold: 2Q ‘22 vs 2Q ‘21

-47.27% Change in Falls Church City (22046)

-4.48% Change in Bailey’s X-roads (22041)

-30.93%

2022 RainSmart Grants

The Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) announces 2022 grants to help reduce stormwater runo in the City of Falls Church.

• Rain Barrels: $50 for each of up to 2 barrels

• Rain Gardens: $1,500 or 50% of cost whichever is less; apply by April 1

See the VPIS website for information: http://www.vpis.org/environment/rainsmart-program/

There Are Many Factors to Consider When Remodeling or Building

Continued from Page 14

“In my experience larger renovations have been happening less over the last ten years as more people are demolishing old smaller homes and building new bigger ones,” said Mark Coupard from Coupard Architects and Builders. “You reach a point where working with an existing structure is more difficult and expensive than building new. People sometimes push those limits and add on if they really like the home they have and just want more of it, or the house is a special place to them and they don’t want to see it destroyed. Clients often decide to build new if the practical renovation options won’t provide them with the space, aesthetics or efficiencies they desire. Some houses are begging to be knocked down but if that’s not the case it is worth a look. We try to understand what our clients really need in their home and if they value the structure and prioritize quality over quantity, a major renovation can still make sense.”

As reported in the News-Press last week, real estate assessments have gone up by 11.42 percent in the City. Higher real estate numbers means more equity in the home and more opportunity to borrow against that and renovate.

“If prices have gone up as much as they have, it’s comforting as a homeowner to know that your house has increased in value. It’s frustrating for people who want to buy an existing house because they’ve gone up 10 to 20 percent. It’s frustrating for people who want to build a new house because lot prices and the construction have both gone up. I would say it’s good news to existing homeowners and people in the real estate market and it’s bad news to everybody that’s on the outside looking in.”

Overall, the most important factors to consider when deciding whether to renovate or build are budget— how much money you’re looking to spend, and time— how long are you willing to spend waiting for the project to be completed.

News Press Presents

upper? If so, you should know the process can have many steps, and that encountering unforeseen issues is fairly common. Here are some tips to help make your renovation a success.

IN S PE CT TH E PROPE RTY BEFOREHAN D

As with any home, you’ll want to look for signs of water damage, cracks in the foundation and other an inspector to ensure nothing is overlooked. A major renovation could prove quite costly if the home isn’t structurally sound.

K NO W WH EN TO H IR E PROFE SS ION ALS

If you’re handy, you might be tempted to take on as many renovation tasks as possible to reduce your expenses. However, when it comes to electrical, hea-

ting and plumbing jobs, it’s best to leave the work to the experts. This will prevent you from making costly mistakes and ensure the job’s done safely.

LOO K FO R A FFOR DABL E ALTE RN ATIVE S

Although you don’t want to skimp on structural ma terials, there are plenty of ways to cut costs on features that are largely esthetic. For example, consider mic more expensive materials. You can also rely on paint to create accent walls or repurpose old kitchen cabinets.

Finally, remember to put some thought into the de cor. New furniture and decorative accessories canvated home. Consider hiring an interior designer to help you create a cohesive space.

Community News & Notes

F.C. Joins NOVA Donation Drive to Help Ukrainian Refugees

The City of Falls Church joins neighboring jurisdictions in Northern VA to collect donations for Ukrainian refugees in Europe. Collection boxes in City Hall (300 Park Ave) and the Community Center (223 Little Falls St) will accept all sizes of the following until Apr. 15: new/gently used coats; new blankets; new pairs of sweat socks/heavy socks; and new pairs of gloves. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) is managing this drive. The items will be shipped to Poland and then make their way to those in need in both Poland and Ukraine.

There are many other organizations working to help the people of Ukraine; for more opportunities, contact any of the following groups: Razom Organization, which provides humanitarian aid for Ukraine; Nova Ukraina, which provides medical supplies for soldiers and essential supplies, such as food and diapers, for civilians; Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, Inc., which focuses on providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid; the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which is on the ground in Ukraine and is one of the principal organizations managing the settlement of refugees in the US; and World Central Kitchen, which operates in Poland and other border nations with the goal of feeding fleeing Ukrainians.

Join the Little City on Walk

Through a Park Day on Mar. 30

Walk Through a Park Day is Mar. 30 and the Falls Church Recreation and Parks department encourages residents and visitors to take free tours in three City parks. Learn about the history, natural habitats and wildlife right here in the Little City. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave) will have free Farmhouse Tours from 2 — 5 p.m., as well as tours of the Corn Grinding Barn for $1. The Howard E. Herman Park (601 W. Broad St) will have free live tours, at 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The 2:15 p.m. tour meets at the

Broad St. entrance. The 3:30 p.m. tour meets at the Oak St Entrance. Crossman Park (535 N. Van Buren St) will also have free tours, at 2 and 4 p.m., meeting at the Van Buren entrance. Roving naturalist Amy Cumpton will host a tour at 3 p.m. For more information on F.C. Rec and Parks, visit fallschurchva. gov/452/Recreation-Parks.

Falls Church Arts All Member Show Opens Mar. 26

One hundred nineteen artists will be featured in the 2022 All Member Show at the Falls Church Arts gallery from Mar. 26 — May

8. The show features the work of emerging and established member artists from F.C. Arts and encompasses an extensive range of media from watercolor, acrylic, and oil to photography and sculpture to a wide variety of mixed media.

The Falls Church Arts gallery is located at 700 B West Broad St (Route 7), Falls Church.

Admission is free. The gallery is open Wednesdays — Saturdays from 11 a.m. — 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required. F.C. Arts focuses on the visual arts, bringing opportunities to exhibit, learn about, share, and experience art to our community. Since its inception in 2003, educating the community about the arts has been the core mission of the organization. Classes are offered throughout the year and cater to a wide range of ages and skill levels. Many of the classes focus on developing or enhancing core skills. For more information, visit fallschurcharts.org. Falls Church Arts is supported by funding from its members, corporate donors, and the community at large.

Sustainability in Action: Planters and Pallets Project

Several high school and middle school teachers (Ray Wu-Rorrer, Carey Pollack, Kenny George, Jason Perkins, Steve Knight) received a grant from the F.C. Education Foundation to fund the installation of an assortment of planters throughout the Secondary campus with an emphasis on

the cafeteria and common areas. The first wave of plants were installed in Dec./Jan. in the cafeteria and front entrance areas of both Meridian and Henderson.

The second wave is now complete with the placement of the recycled containers on the third, fourth, and fifth floor at Meridian, refurbishing of the plant towers on the fourth floor, and “Pothos Pass” being installed at the landing area on the fifth floor with over 15 unique and rare cultivars/species. The third wave (in progress, through May) will include the installation of the recycled wood pallet planters at both schools. This project focuses on multiple sustainability initiatives, such as interiorscaping, urban gardening, air quality, horticultural therapy, and upcycling. It also provides real-world experience for the students involved.

Choral Boosters Camp Applications Due Mar. 30

Choral Boosters offers a limited number of scholarships to students at Oak Street, Henderson, and Meridian for various singing-based day camps during Spring Break

(Apr. 11 — 15) as well as this coming Summer. Application deadline is Mar. 30.

Dates and age eligibility vary with each camp. A review of applications will consider student motivation and previous demonstration of commitment to singing, with special consideration given to family financial resources. For information, visit fccpschoralboosters. org/day-camp-scholarships.

Afghan-Americans Celebrate Afghanistan’s TPS Designation

The Biden Administration recently announced the designation of Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The current timespan is 18 months, enabling protection for Afghans residing in the U.S. from deportation. TPS helps countless immigrants forced to leave their countries due to war, instability, or other risks to their lives and wellbeing. TPS provides refugees with a chance to access some primary benefits, obtain legal employment, and resettle in safer surroundings. F.C. residents participated in a relief effort last year in support of Afghan refugees who suffered displacement due

to Taliban violence. The Mustafa Center, an Islamic Community Center located at 6844 Braddock Rd, Annandale, VA 22003, has a volunteer sign-up sheet on their website (mustafacenter.org/ afghan-refugees-resettlement) for those who wish to pitch in and help support Afghan refugees as they undergo resettlement in the DMV area.

McLean Community Center Hosts Spring Parking Lot Sale

The McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, VA 22101) is holding a Spring Community Parking Lot Sale from 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. on Sunday, Apr. 10, in the parking lot area. The sale will feature up to 50 adult and youth sellers. Admission to the sale is free. Attendees will find bargains on a variety of gently used household goods, electronics, furniture, clothes, appliances and other items.

The Kids’ Row, a special area of the sale where children ages 3 — 15 can use their math and entrepreneurial skills to sell toys, clothes, games and other items, will also be set up. To partici-

EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE CITY’S PROPERTY YARD, the heart and soul of the Public Works Operations Team , was officially renamed the Robert L. Goff Operations Yard. Robert retired last year after 40 years of service to The Little City. (Photo: Gary Mester.)

pate in the sale as a seller, register online at mcleancenter.org, in person, or by calling the MCC Registrar at 703-744-9365. For general information, call 703-7900123.

Recently Completed Eagle Projects Benefit 2 F.C. Schools

Boy Scout Troop 1996 recently helped complete two Eagle projects that benefitted Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (105 Mustang Alley, Falls Church) and Mt. Daniel Elementary (2328 N Oak St, Falls Church). The project at MEH is a Gaga ball pit, installed by Jameson Craig, who was an FCCPS student in grades K – 8. He wanted to give back to FCCPS and to say thanks for his time in middle school.

The project saw him and a team of Scouts install the ball pit earlier this month. The second project, at Mt. Daniel, was the installation of an outdoor classroom behind the school, led by Danny Oppenheimer, a junior at Meridian. The group built a reading chair, cleared invasive ivy, placed mulch, and installed five games (checkers, tic tac toe and peg solitaire — all painted on tree wedges), Jenga, and the ring & hook game. The project was completed mid-Mar. To learn more about BSA Troop 1996, visit troop1996.com.

Two D.C. Area Theaters Present A Night of One Acts

A night of one act plays, featuring “Guinea Pig Apocalypse” by Tony Pasqualini, “Wild Horses” by Brandy Victoria Durham, and “Across a Crowded Room” by F. J. Harland, presented by the Arlington Players (TAP) in partnership with the Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA), will showcase a variety of stories and themes from Mar. 26 — Apr. 10 at the

Thomas Jefferson Community Theater (125 S. Old Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 22204).

The first play, “Guinea Pig Apocalypse,” tells the story of two parents dealing with a bizarre incident with their son’s guinea pig, ultimately ending in an apocalyptic disaster. “Wild Horses” will bring three campers to the stage who struggle to survive the elements and each other at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The third production, “Across a Crowded Room,” highlights two individuals meeting for the first time and focuses on a vision of their shared future. Friday and Saturday performances start at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees start at 3 p.m. The Apr. 2 performance will have sign language interpretation. For information and tickets, visit thearlingtonplayers.org.

F.C. Welcomes the Easter Bunny with Egg Hunt

Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave) will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt event Saturday, Apr. 16. It will begin promptly at 10 a.m., with a magic show by Mike Perrello at 10:30 a.m. No entry fee or registration required. Participants need to bring their own baskets.

In case of rain, the egg hunt will be postponed to Monday, Apr. 18, at 4:30 p.m. In addition to finding eggs, children ages 1 — 11 will be able to get their picture taken with the Easter Bunny. Masks encouraged but not required. Call 703-248-5077 for more information.

Women’s History Walk 2022 in the Little City

The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, Falls Church Elected Women, and the Falls Church Women’s History Group will

host a Women’s History Walk on Sunday, May 2, from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m., for a loop through the City, starting at one of three locations: City Hall, the Tinner Hill Historic Site, or Big Chimneys Park. There will be stations and signs that include historic markers, community group displays, “Her-Story” stations, and other points of interest.

Cherry Hill Farm Offering Open House Tours

Cherry Hill will be offering free tours of the farmhouse on Saturday mornings Apr. — Oct., from 10 a.m. — 12 p.m. Tours will be provided by volunteer

docents. The first tour will take place on Apr. 2. (312 Park Ave Falls Church, VA.) Visit cherryhillfallschurch.org/about for information.

2nd Annual Mayors’ Fitness Challenge Underway

The second annual Mayors’ Fitness Challenge will run through May 7, providing an opportunity for City residents to get involved in some healthy competition. During this eightweek period, participants will track their minutes spent doing physical exercise and log the information into a Google Doc file. At the end of the challenge,

minutes will be tallied up and the “Most Fit Community” of 2022 will be determined once again. Registration required; visit fallschurchva.gov/2140/MayorsFitness-Challenge for more information.

5 Cent Plastic Bag Tax To Begin Next Month

The 5 cent plastic bag tax starts Apr. 1. Grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores will be affected. Some plastic bags, like those used for meat, seafood, and vegetables, will be exempt. For information, contact hhsinfo@fallschurchva.gov or 703-248-5005.

out by Scouts from Troop 1996. They built a reading chair, cleared up invasive ivy, and set up checkers, tic tac toe and peg solitaire. An outdoor abacus was also installed. (P����: �������� S�������� O����������.)

FALLS CHURCH CALENDAR

LOCALEVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 24

Falls Church Fiber Artists. Those who knit and crochet are welcome to attend Mary Riley Styles Public Library's weekly knitting group. 703-248-5030 (120 N. Virginia Ave.) 10 a.m. — 12 p.m.

Walk-in Tech Clinic. A tech tutor is available every Thursday at Thomas Jefferson Library to help visitors with tech issues. 703-5731060. (1545 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 10 — 11 a.m.

Toddler Storytime. Join TysonsPimmit Regional Library for songs, rhymes, and activities for toddlers and their parents/guardians. Limited to 20 children with one caregiver each. First come, first serve. 703-790-8088. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 10:30 — 11 a.m.

Pastel & Gouache: Mixed Media

Painting. Richard Levine will display mixed media techniques using pastel and gouache at the F.C. Art Gallery. Go to fallschurcharts.org to register. (700 W. Broad St, Falls Church.) 1 — 3 p.m.

In-person English Practice. Those looking to improve their English are welcome to participate in an informal conversation group at Thomas Jefferson Library. 703573-1060. (1545 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 2 — 3 p.m.

F.C. Arts Academy Winter 2022

Session 2. Sally Evans teaches a combination of projects to students ages 7 — 6th grade. Register at fallschurcharts.org/ fcarts-academy-winter-2022/. F.C. Art Gallery (700 B Broad St, Falls Church). 4:30 — 6 p.m.

Bourbon, Brews & BBQCommunity Celebration. Join us as we celebrate our business community with Bourbon, Brews & BBQ! Bourbon, Brews

& BBQ: Community Celebration.

F.C. Chamber of Commerce presents its 2022 Annual Awards Celebration with the theme of Cowboy Chic. Think boots, hats, rhinestones and fringe! Visit www. fallschurchchamber.org for more information and auction details.

Email Cathy at cathy@fallschurchchamber.org to register for this event. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St, Falls Church). 7 —

10:30 p.m.

District Trivia. Trivia returns to Clare & Don’s. 703-532-9283. (130 N. Washington St, Falls Church). 7 p.m.

Solace Outpost Trivia Night. Trivia every Tuesday and Thursday. First place and second place teams win gift cards. 571-378-1469. (444 W. Broad St, Falls Church). 7 — 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25

F.C. Community Center Open Gym. City residents can use the gym on a first-come, first-serve basis. Max. stay: 90 minutes; max. capacity: 30. Kids in grades 3 — 5 may only use the gym with parent/ guardian permission. Users must sign in at the front desk. Masks not required. 703-248-5077. (223 Little Falls St, Falls Church, VA 22046.)

8:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m.

Davis Mansion Tours. Guests can explore the Mansion's rooms while learning its history. Registration required; tours offered weekly on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Visit insidenovatix.com or call 703-777-2414 for information.

(17269 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg, VA 20176.) On-going.

McLean Art Society Meeting. Elizabeth Vismans, an artist and Life Purpose Coach, will present Friday at the online meeting of the McLean Art Society. To participate, contact M.A.S. President Anna Katalkina at annakatalkina@ aol.com. 10 a.m. — 12 p.m.

Fish Fry Fridays at Dogfish Head Alehouse. Guests will find a rotat-

ing selection of fried fish dishes throughout the month of Mar. at Dogfish Head Alehouse. 703534-3342. (6220 Leesburg Pike.)

11 a.m. — 10 p.m. Sunday — Thursday; 11 a.m. — 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Lego Club for Kids. Kids interested in Legos are invited to make their own creations and play with others. Legos are provided by the library. Kids ages 5 — 10 with one parent/guardian. 703-790-8088. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 4:30 — 5:30 p.m. Meet New People, Create Comedy, Laugh Hard.

$5 Comedy Night. Featuring some of the DMV’s finest comedy talent. Hosted by special guest, Victor Gonzalez. Attendees must be 18 or over unless accompanied by an adult. ID required. 703-237-0300. (220 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046.) 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 26

Falls Church Farmers Market. Every Saturday, visitors will find fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers, honey, and more. Covid-19 guidelines will be observed. (300 Park Ave, Falls Church). 9 a.m. — 12 p.m.

Tough Talks Can Bring Us Closer. This workshop examines social equity, race issues, and potential change. Hosted by the City of F.C. Human Services Advisory Council. Register at www.surveymonkey. com/r/Y3K5W76. Masks required.

(121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church.)

9:30 a.m. — 12 p.m.

Used Book Sale. Saturday, Mar. 26 — Sunday, Mar. 27, Mary Riley Styles will host a used book sale featuring bargains on books, CD’s, and DVD’s for all ages. Proceeds support the library. 703-248-5030. (120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church.) 10 a.m. — 3 p.m.

F.C. Arts 2022 All Member Show. The annual event for F.C. Arts member artists. Ends on Sunday, May 8. No entry fee. Visit fallsch-

urcharts.org for information. Falls Church Arts Gallery (700 W. Broad St, Falls Church, VA). Gallery is open Wednesday — Saturday from 11 a.m. — 6 p.m. and Sunday, from 11 a.m. — 4 p.m.

GIVE Tutoring. Free tutoring for kids in kindergarten — 6th grade, provided by GIVE, a student-run non-profit. 703-573-1060. (1545 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 12 — 2 p.m.

Wine Tasting Saturdays. Join Dominion Wine & Beer every Saturday for a wine tasting conducted by an industry professional. 703-533-3030. Located in the back parking lot; no reservations required. (107 Rowell Ct, Falls Church) 1 p.m. — 4 p.m.

Paws to Read With Lucy. Read aloud to Lucy, a trained therapy dog, at Thomas Jefferson Library. Walk-ins welcome. Ages 6 — 12. (1545 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 2 — 3 p.m.

Movie Night: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Join Woodrow Wilson Library for a showing of Shang-Chi (2021), rated PG-13. No food or drink allowed; masks required. Register at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov. 703-820-8774. (6101 Knollwood Dr, Falls Church.) 3 — 6 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 27

NOVA Central Farm Markets. This year-round market features meat, fish, cheese, produce, dairy, and many other local finds. Visit nova. centralfarmmarkets.com for more information. (543 Beulah Road, Vienna, VA 22180.) 9 a.m. — 1 p.m.

The Ides of Bark: A Treat for Dogs and their Humans. Grist Mill Park brings games, prizes, food, and fun with the Ides of Bark. Attendees will see demonstrations by the Fairfax Co. Police K-9 unit and visit with various vendors catering to dog needs. Owners are asked to act responsibly and clean up after pets. For information, call 703-324-8662. (4710 Mt. Vernon Memorial Highway in Alexandria, VA.) 1 — 4 p.m.

MONDAY, MARCH 28

AARP Tax Assistance. Free tax help provided at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, presented by the AARP and IRS. By appointment only; Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, 10:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m.

Program ends April 18. 703-2485031 (120 N. Virginia Ave.)

Parkinson's Communication Club. Hosted every Monday, Susan I. Wranik, Board Certified SpeechLanguage Pathologist, helps attendees practice speaking louder and clearer in a group environment. Email Kayla Peters (kpeters@kensingtonsl.com) for information. 3 — 4 p.m.

ESOL Conversation Group. Online group for those looking to practice their spoken English, meeting every Monday through Zoom. Email Marshall Webster (mwebster@ fallschurchva.gov) for an invite. Presented by Mary Riley Styles Public Library. 7 — 8:30 p.m.

Intro to Storytelling with Terry Wolfisch Cole. Learn the tips and techniques for effective storytelling from professional storyteller Terry Wolfisch Cole. Program will be held live through Zoom. Register at mrspl.librarycalendar.com. Email Marshall Webster (mwebster@ fallschurchva.gov) for information. 7 — 9 p.m.

City Council Meeting. City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of the month, with the exception of Aug. and Dec. when only one meeting is held. The public is welcome to address the Council during the public comment period. Sign up to speak at fallschurchva. gov/publiccomment. The meeting will be available for viewing at fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings or through FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). 7:30 — 11 p.m.

TUESDAY, MARCH 29

Spanish Conversation Group. For intermediate-to-advanced level students. Meetings take place Tuesday mornings at TysonsPimmit Library. Registration required. Register online at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty. gov. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Trivia at the Casual Pint. Weekly trivia night at the Casual Pint. 703-286-0995. (6410 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7 — 8 p.m.

Booktalk for Book Lovers. All are invited to join the online Booktalk for Book Lovers Discussion Group on the last Tuesday of each month, excluding Dec. This month’s book is "Lost City of the Monkey God" by Douglas Preston. Register at librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov.

Hosted by Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. 7 p.m. — 8 p.m.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Veterans and the Arts Initiative: Exploring Self & Social Identity with Women Veterans. Andi Benge, George Mason University School of Arts instructor, will teach participants how to artistically express their personal experiences. Free; open to women veterans. Space limited; registration required. Hylton Center for the Performing Arts (10960 George Mason Cir, Manassas, VA 20110.) 703-9937550. Visit hylton.calendar.gmu. edu for more information and to register. Tuesdays, 7 — 8 p.m., from Mar. 22 — Apr. 5.

Local Author Talk: Kevin Boyle. Join local author Kevin Boyle at TysonsPimmit Library for an in-person discussion about his new book, "Going the Distance: Tales and Tips From Six Decades of Marathons." 703790-8088. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 7 — 8 p.m.

Trivia Tuesday at Audacious Aleworks. Weekly trivia. The winning team will receive a $25 gift card to the brewery as well as entry into online quarterly championships for $2,500. 571-303-0177. (110 E Fairfax St, Falls Church). 7 — 9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30

Needlecraft Circles. The Thomas Jefferson Library hosts needlecraft lessons each Wednesday. Supplies will be provided. (1545 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 – 2 p.m.

Afterschool Activities and Adventures. Woodrow Wilson Library presents fun afterschool surprises every week. Ages 6—12. Limited to the first 12 participants. (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). 4:30 — 5:30 p.m.

English for Pre-Beginners. In-person group for students with no or limited prior language experience, focusing on basic vocabulary and every-day phrases. Up to 5 students. Register at librarycalendar. fairfaxcounty.gov. 703-790-8088. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church.) 6:30 — 8 p.m.

LIVEMUSIC

THURSDAY, MARCH 24

Creaky Bones. Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. (2822 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-5732011.

Euge Groove. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Ari Hest. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 8 p.m. 703255-1566.

Sol Roots Band with Ron Holloway & Mary El. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25

Tumatics. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

The High Kings. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $55. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500.

Live Music Fridays. Solace Outpost (444 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046). 8 p.m. 571-378-1469.

Willie Nile. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Young Relics. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

John Fritz. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SATURDAY, MARCH 26

Steve Hudson and Michelle Dupree. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Skinny Wallace Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

The British Invasion Years. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $35. 9 p.m. 703237-0300.

Dan ‘N’ Friends. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SUNDAY, MARCH 27

JMU Note-oriety. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 2 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Country Classic Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Chatham Rabbits. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Joshua Walker Quartet ft. Rochelle Rice. Creative Cauldron (410 South Maple Ave, Retail 116, Falls Church,

CALENDAR

VA 22046). 7:30 p.m. 703-4369948.

Sookie Jump Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.

MONDAY, MARCH 28

Tom Saputo & Friends. Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

TUESDAY, MARCH 29

Delta Spirit with Palm Palm. Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $29.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Magic Trio Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Traditional Irish Music Session. Ireland’s Four Provinces (105 W Broad St., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703534-8999.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30

Smylin’ Jack Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

THEATER&ARTS

FRIDAY, MARCH 25

The Feral Child. Written by Rand Higbee, NOVA Nightsky Theater presents “The Feral Child,” a comedy about a girl who believes she is a cat. Running through Mar. 25 — 26 and Apr. 1 — 2, from 8 — 10 p.m. Directed by Ward Kay. Visit novanightskytheater.com for information and to buy tickets. (Falls Church, 1057 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046.)

The Adventures of Mr. Toad. Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater ensemble will bring the tales of Mr. Toad and his friends to life with music by Matt Conner and lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith. Last show: Apr. 3. “The Adventures of Mr. Toad” will show at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sundays. Call 703-436-9948 for information. Tickets can be purchased online at creativecauldron.org/toad.html. Masks and social distancing required. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test within 24 hours of the performance is required for everyone age 5 and up. (410 South Maple Avenue, Retail 116, Falls Church, VA 22046.)

FCNP Featured event

Cherry Blossom Festival

On-going, until Apr. 17th

— 25. The National Cherry Blossom Festival, running from Mar. 20 — Apr. 17, will fill Washington, D.C. with thousands of visitors hoping to get a good view of the trees. The yearly event serves to honor the historic bond between America and Japan that began in 1912, with Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki’s gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the nation’s capital. There are a lot of cherry blossom trees right here in the Little City, and they are already beginning to bloom. (Photo: Alex Russell.)

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Willingness to Hold a Public Hearing for Falls Church

Residents

Find out about: Park Avenue Great Streets and Downtown POA Projects

VDOT Project No. U000-110-195, UPC

111667

Federal Project No. FHWA-5B01(045).

VDOT Project No. U000-110-182, UPC

110335

Federal Project No. STP-5A01 (855)

The City of Falls Church is planning a project called Park Avenue Great Street and Downtown Multimodal Improvements and has completed the 30% design concept. The proposed project would:

Park Avenue Great Street Project

The proposed scope of the Park Avenue Great Street project is to install two midblock crossings, widen sidewalks and remove obstructions (including utility lines), adjust intersection geometry, and increase visibility at six crossings/intersections along Park Avenue between North Virginia Avenue and North Washington Street in the City of Falls Church

Downtown Planning Opportunity Area Project

The proposed scope of the Downtown Planning Opportunity Area (POA) Project includes sidewalk widening, removal of obstructions, completion of missing links in the sidewalk network, and redesign of intersection geometry. The project focuses on sidewalks along North Maple Avenue and Little Falls Street, between Park Avenue and West Broad Street

Review project information at the project webpage http://www.fallschurchva.gov/ or the City of Falls Church Department of Public Works, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046, tel. 571-651-0133 (TTY 711). Please call ahead for staff availability.

If your concerns cannot be satisfied, the City of Falls Church is willing to hold a Public Hearing. You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Alvaro Astorga at aastorga@fallschurchva. gov. Please reference “Park Ave and Downtown POA” in the subject heading. Or mail comments to Alvaro Astorga, City of Falls Church Department of Public Works, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046. Requests must be received prior to April 9, 2022. If it is deemed necessary to hold a public hearing, notice of date, time and place of the hearing will be posted.

The City of Falls Church ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For information call 703-248-5004 or (TTY 711).

AUCTIONS

ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

HELP WANTED

Optum Services, Inc. Systems Management

Analyst. Falls Church, VA. Perform the design, development, and modification of highly specialized computer applications to drive user efficiency and overall business success. Mail resume: UHG GMI Recruitment at 9900 Bren Road East, MN008 R120, Minnetonka, MN 55343 and indicate applying for 22-VA-4061.

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LIVESTOCK SALES

G&E Virginia Premium Assured Heifer/Cow Sale. March 26th, 2022 12:00 noon. G&E Test Center Gretna, VA. Call George Winn at 434-489-4458.

RECRUITMENT

HIRING? We can help you fill your open positions! Promote job listings regionally or statewide! Affordable Print and Digital Advertising Solutions reaching potential candidates. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

SERVICES

DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS-$225.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-4900126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company- 844-509-1697 or visit www.Life55plus.info/vapress

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ROOFS

Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer - $500

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.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

BACK IN THE DAY

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. VI, No. 1 • March 20, 1997

State Theater Buyers Announce They Can ‘Show ‘Em The Money’

The young entrepreneurs who have been working since last fall to find financial backing for a project to revive the old Sate Theatre in Falls Church have come up with the needed funds and are set to close on the deal within weeks. Thomas Carter reporte the necessary financing has been secured.

Falls Church News-Press

Vol. XXII, No. 4 • March 22, 2012

F.C.’s 1st Budget Town Hall a Dud; Schools Push for Revenue Sharing

The attendance was sparse to say the least at Saturday morning’s Town Hall meeting on the Falls Church budget, more due to the beautiful weather than the lack of important issues to discuss, presumed Wyatt Shields. The number of citizens who showed up could be counted on one hand.

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Elizabeth Ann Gibbon passed away after a long illness on Sunday morning (March 20) peacefully at home with her family. Known to her family and friends as Betsy, she was born on November 19, 1944 to Edward and Elizabeth McCullough and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. Betsy had an active, exuberant childhood and enjoyed dance, singing, swimming, and especially ice skating (at which she was good enough to “turn professional”). Betsy graduated from Washington & Lee High School and Strayer College. In 1964 she married Jorome (Jerry) Gibbon and moved to Falls Church where for 58 years she was a great asset to the community — raising three children, teaching in the public schools, and volunteering for early childhood startup programs and voter registration. Trained in banking and business administra-

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and National GlobeCom Conferences in partnership with her husband’s company, J&BG Consultants. Betsy was a deeply spiritual person, an active member of Saint James Catholic Church, and a volunteer at Saint Philip’s Catholic Church. Betsy is survived by her devoted husband of 58 years, Jerry Gibbon, daughters Lisa Laing and Jeri Gibbon, brother Douglas McCullough, as well as her grandsons Evan and Harris Laing. She was predeceased by her son Patrick, her brothers William and Edward, Jr., as well as her parents.

The funeral service mass will be celebrated on April 7th in Saint James Catholic Church at 10 a.m. in Falls Church. Messages of sympathy may be left at adventfuneral. com. In lieu of flowers donations may be given in her name to the Falls

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION’S REGULATIONS GOVERNING NET ENERGY METERING CASE NO. PUR-2021-00251

The Regulations Governing Net Energy Metering, 20 VAC 5-315-10 et seq. (“Net Energy Metering Rules”), adopted by the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) pursuant to § 56-594 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), establish the requirements for participation by an eligible customer-generator in net energy metering in the Commonwealth. The Net Energy Metering Rules include conditions for interconnection and metering, billing, and contract requirements between net metering customers, electric distribution companies, and energy service providers. Chapter 266 of the 2021 Acts of Assembly, Special Session I (“Chapter 266”), amended the definition of “[s]mall agricultural generator” in Code § 56-594.2 as follows (with changes noted in italics):

“Small agricultural generator” means a customer that:

2. Operates a small agricultural generating facility as part of (i) an agricultural business or (ii) any business granted a manufacturer license pursuant to subdivisions 1 through 6 of § 4.1-206.1;

The added language generally refers to types of manufacturing licensees issued to businesses by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority pursuant to Code § 4.1-206.1, including distilleries, limited distilleries, breweries, limited breweries, wineries, and farm wineries. The current Net Energy Metering Rules must be revised to reflect this change.

On November 12, 2021, the Commission docketed Case Number PUR-2021-00251 and issued an Order Establishing Proceeding seeking to amend the Net Energy Metering Rules in keeping with the expanded definition of “[s]mall agricultural generator” in Chapter 266. The Commission Staff prepared a proposed amendment to Rule 20 VAC 5-315-20 of the Net Energy Metering Rules (“Proposed Amendment”). The Proposed Amendment is appended to the Order Nunc Pro Tunc issued in that docket on November 16, 2021. The Commission subsequently entered an Order Modifying Notice Requirements and Procedural Schedule.

TAKE NOTICE THAT on or before May 27, 2022, any interested person may comment on, propose modifications or supplements to, or request a hearing on the Proposed Amendment following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit such documents electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such documents shall refer to Case No. PUR-2021-00251. Individuals should be specific in their comments, proposals, or supplements to the Proposed Amendment and should address only those issues pertaining to the amendment of Code § 56-594.2 pursuant to Chapter 266. Issues outside the scope of this amendment will not be considered. Any request for hearing shall state with specificity why the issues raised in the request for hearing cannot be adequately addressed in written comments. If a sufficient request for hearing is not received, the Commission may consider the matter and enter an order based upon the comments, documents or other pleadings filed in this proceeding.

The Commission takes judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. The Commission has taken certain actions, and may take additional actions going forward, that could impact the procedures in this proceeding. In accordance therewith, all comments and other documents and pleadings filed in this matter shall be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”), as modified and described in the Order Establishing Proceeding. Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive Information shall not be submitted electronically and shall comply with Rule 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. At this time, any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 371-9838 to arrange the delivery.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order Establishing Proceeding, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

An electronic copy of the Order Establishing Proceeding, Order Nunc Pro Tunc, Order Modifying Notice Requirements and Procedural Schedule, and the Proposed Amendment may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for Virginia Electric and Power Company, David J. DePippo, Esq., Assistant General Counsel, Dominion Energy Services, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Riverside-5, Richmond, VA 23219 or david.j.depippo@dominionenergy.com.

An electronic copy of the Proposed Amendment itself may be obtained by submitting a request to Michael A. Cizenski in the Commission’s Division of Public Utility Regulation at the following email address: mike.cizenski@scc.virginia.gov. An electronic copy of the Proposed Amendment can be found at the Division of Public Utility Regulation’s website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Rulemaking.

The Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Order Establishing Proceeding, Order Nunc Pro Tunc and Proposed Amendment, and the Order Modifying Notice Requirements and Procedural Schedule may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information.

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY