April 2 - 8, 2015
Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
Founded 1991 • Vol. XXV No. 6
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week 7 New Eateries Coming To Falls Church Seven new eateries in various stages of opening in the City of Falls Church were profiled in last week’s monthly “Business and Real Estate News” report from the F.C. Economic Development Office. See News Briefs, page 9
‘New’ Marshall High School Unveiled
Mason District’s Penny Gross Gets Primary Challenge for Re-Election
Community Activist Swanson Seeking To Unseat Veteran by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
A $52 million, three-and-a-halfyear renovation of George C. Marshall High School includes a new state of the art library, new science, art, and business wings and tennis courts, too. See page 10
David Brooks: Religious Liberty & Equality
Over the past few decades the United States has engaged in a great struggle to balance civil rights and religious liberty. See page 14
Press Pass with Eliane Elias
Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, arranger and songwriter Eliane Elias returned to her native land for her new album released on Tuesday and now she’s bringing Brazil to Washington, D.C. on April 14, when she performs at The Hamilton. See page 25
THREE STUDENTS REHEARSE a scene from McLean High School’s production of the “Laramie Project” where a member of the Tectonic Theatre Company (Sydney Studds) goes to the bar where Matthew Shepard was last seen alive to interview Laramie residents, Matt Lucero and Joe Miller. (Photo: McLean Theater Company)
McLean High School Students Set to Perform ‘Laramie Project’
by Liz Lizama
Falls Church News-Press
Index Editorial..................6 Letters..............6, 24 News & Notes.12-13 Comment........14-17 Sports .................19 Calendar.........20-21
Food & Dining .22-23 Press Pass..........25 Classified Ads .....28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........29 Critter Corner.......30
While nearly two decades has passed since the tragic death of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming, the McLean High School Theatre Company brings the story of one of America’s most well-known anti-gay hate crimes to the stage with its production of Moisés Kaufman’s controversial “The Laramie Project” next week. “We are excited to draw atten-
tion to such a prevalent issue in society. Though Matthew Shepard died almost 17 years ago, by producing this show we are demonstrating our continual support for him and for victims of prejudice everywhere,” said Amy Poe, artistic director of the McLean High School Theatre Company. “[The] McLean Theatre Company will explore a different side of theater through this drama. We hope that audience members leave inspired to
help circulate love throughout the community.” The docudrama explores the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old openly gay student at the University of Wyoming, beaten to death for his open sexuality. The two assailants, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, also age 21, abducted Shepard and drove him to the outskirts of Laramie, Wyo.
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For the first time since she was first elected in 1995 to her post as the Mason District’s representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Penelope A. “Penny” Gross is facing a Democratic primary challenge this spring. A much younger community activist, Jessica Swanson, has filed to oppose Gross in what will be a June 9 primary election, and with the passing of the filing deadline last week, it has been established that she will be standing alone to challenge Gross. Gross, whose Mason District butts up to the City of Falls Church on its southeastern side, has always been keen to challenges from a Republican opponent in her five previous campaigns for election to the powerful job. Although she won the open seat for the first time by a margin of only 327 votes, she’s held the seat by margins of almost two to one every time since. She is known for her pragmatic, results-oriented style and claims a long list of achievements improving with infrastructure, parkland and school construction gains the lives of the 116,000 residents of her district in the last 20 years. “I have done an awful lot to clean up and revitalize” the Mason District, she said in a recent interview with the News-Press. “Campaigning can be fun, but governance is hard, involving a lot of serious issues. Experience matters when you have to weigh all sides and make tough decisions,” she said, contrasting herself to Swanson, although she insists she
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