April 4 – 10, 2019
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. X XIX N o. 7
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week F.C. Schools’ Funding Hike Lowest in Region
Falls Church City Schools’ Superintendent Peter Noonan briefed the. City Council on the schools’ funding request for the coming fiscal year and noted that, in seeking only a 2.15 percent increase, its ask is for the lowest increase in the region. See News Briefs, page 9
Police Seek Info on F.C. Van Looters
City of Falls Church Police are on the lookout for two suspects who they say stole tools after breaking into the same van twice in January and once again in March on Ellison Street.
More Tax Relief for Elderly Will Pay Dividends, F.C. Treasurer Says F.C.’s Historic Women
Acosta Says Plan Will Help Elderly Stay in F.C. Homes
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
House, in particular, very seriously, given the ominous acknowledgement by Attorney General William Barr that the exhaustive, two-year investigation by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller “did not exonerate” President Trump from evidence of serious, potentially criminal obstruction of justice.
The Falls Church City Council got a lesson on how less can be more, or on counter-intuitivity, from City Treasurer Jody Acosta Monday night, when she explained that her plan to offer greater levels of tax relief for eligible elderly, disabled and veteran citizens will pay big dividends for the City. And not just by a little bit, either. As the Council prepares to mark up its proposed $99 million annual coming fiscal year budget this Monday night, there was a consensus, although not unanimous, to put an extra $63,000 into a tax relief fund of $390,000, to make tax abatement and deferral options available to more residents. The “Option 3” plan, recommended by a special task force on the matter, is designed to enable more elderly, disabled and veteran citizens to remain in their homes, and not move away because of prohibitive annual tax obligations. In summary, Acosta’s argument, on behalf of the task force, is this: With the average value of impacted elderly homes at $525,000, the current rate annual tax is $7,100, which may not be much to the City, but a lot to the impacted homeowner and could readily serve as a significant burden, and an incentive to move away to an affordable rental somewhere else.
Continued on Page 4
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See News Briefs, page 9
F.C. Home to Senior Softball Spring Training
Think of Northern Virginia Senior Softball’s two month spring training as a combination of Florida’s Grapefruit League and Arizona’s Cactus League rolled into one geriatric package with some spry surprises inside. See page 17
Mason Girls Lacrosse Routs McLean, 16-5
George Mason High School’s girls lacrosse team picked up its fourth consecutive win Monday against McLean to improve to 4-2 on the season. See Sports, page 16
THE FIRST-EVER Women’s History March in the City of Falls Church took place last Sunday in sunny if blustery spring weather. The contingent of citizens and supporters were led through informational stops along a one-mile route through downtown by the four marshals of the event, Lindy Hockenberry, Nikki Graves Henderson, Jane Scully and Laura Hull, all dressed in the white garb of the Suffragette movement. More photos, pages 13–14. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)
Connolly Tells News-Press Dems on Hill Are Geared Up by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index
Editorial................ 6 Letters.................. 6 News & Notes.10–11 Comment...... 14–15 Sports................ 16 Business News.. 19
Calendar...... 26–27 Classified Ads.... 28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword......... 29 Crime Report..... 30 Critter Corner..... 30
Northern Virginia U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly, who as the representative of the 11th District in Fairfax and Prince William counties is a veritable next door neighbor to the City of Falls Church, is getting a lot of facetime on the cable news networks since
his fellow Democrats took control of the House of Representatives this January. This is especially due to his critical role as a member of the House Oversight Committee and chairmanship of its subcommittee on Government Operations. Along with five other committees of the House, the Oversight committee is taking its role to oversee the activities of the White
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PAGE 2 | APRIL 4 - 10, 2019
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APRIL 4 - 10, 2019 | PAGE 3
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PAGE 4 | APRIL 4 – 10, 2019
AAUW USED Book Sale ga
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April 12-13
tion Fic iction -F Non
Fri. April 12...9 am-9 pm Sat. April 13...9 am-4 pm Falls Church Community Center. 223 Little Falls Street (Near corner of Route 7 & Lee Hwy)
Buy a book, send a girl to College
Connolly
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Continued from Page 1
Connolly has been a fullthroated, vocal supporter of the release of the almost 400 page Mueller report to Congress, instead of the paltry four-page letter provided by Barr. The House Judiciary Committee voted to subpoena the report yesterday. Connolly came to the office of the News-Press to provide his assessment of where things stand, and where they may be going. Recognizing the extent to which the American public may have become desensitized by the relentless lying and dissembling by President Trump over the last two years, and the Republican Party leadership and Trump’s core base willingness to support him nonetheless, Connolly stressed how extraordinary it is for such a thorough and professional investigation to conclude that it was unable to exonerate the President of the United States of culpability for significant criminal acts. “If this is a conclusion, even as limited as Barr’s summary was stating it, wouldn’t you want to know more?” Connolly stressed. “Don’t we have an obligation to the American people to get to the bottom of this?” Connolly is a strongly outspoken political leader, and increasingly in Congress since he became the only Democratic congressman in Virginia to survive a serious contest during a backlash vote in 2010 when he won his first re-election effort by less than 1,000 votes. Last year, he won with 72 percent of the vote. He told the News-Press that there are five areas of grave concern for the actions of the President and their consequences, including his relationships with the Russians (whether or not the charge of collusion can technically become the basis for a criminal charge), the matter of obstruction of justice, from which Barr reported Mueller’s investigation could not find him exonerated, the status of the security of U.S. elections going forward, the on-going use by Russia, China and other adversaries of the U.S. to exploit the “wild west” of the Internet to harm U.S. domestic and strategic interests and the 2020 U.S. presidential race. He said he is “incredulous” that Barr said he can’t complete a heavily redacted version of the Mueller report until the middle of April, at the earliest while being able to review it sufficiently to provide within 48 hours a four-page digest
REP. GERRY CONNOLLY and a legal opinion that there is nothing rising to the level of criminal activity in the report. “There’s really something disquieting about this,” he said, “There has got to be a lot more to come out about this.” “If there is no ‘collusion’ found in the report between Trump and the Russians that constitutes a criminal conspiracy,” he said, “Still there is no doubt that Trump played footsie with them.” He noted that 17 Trump-linked people were documented meeting over 100 times with the Russians and their operatives. “This is not normal,” he said. “It cannot be a ‘new normal’ to consult with our foreign adversaries in this way.” He noted that Trump has taken the word of Putin over the unanimous opinion of his own intelligence community. He cited how Trump continued his business dealings through his campaign with Moscow and how the Russians financed his business operations through cutouts and by buying condos in his properties at inflated prices. “I am not of a conspiratorial bent,” Connolly said, “But all that Russian money has at least potentially caused Trump to discount Russian threats on behalf of his own business self interests.” Almost all of what Connolly says he knows about all this is in the public record, he said, through public depositions and the testimony of people like Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen. He said that going forward, Mueller has already indicated his willingness to testify before Congress, and his committee will also want to hear from Barr, by subpoena if necessary, and more from Cohen. He said a critical witness may be the Trump organization’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, who’s been with Trump 40 years and “knows where all the bodies are buried,” Connelly said. “We have to unravel and examine the financial structure of Trump’s organization, the good, the bad, the ugly. It will be key.”
Connolly said that it is “eerie” how the Trump organization resembles a “criminal enterprise,” where the Attorney General of New York has already found fraudulent, illegal activity in the case of Trump University and other operations, adding that Trump continues to have control of his business operations, having created no blind trusts and encouraging would-be supporters to curry favor by doing business with them. America’s Number One crime boss, Al Capone, was brought down by the testimony of his tax accountant, Louis Shumway, that ultimately put the mobster behind bars on tax evasion charges. He said that the ongoing investigative work of the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of Virginia of materials and evidence including what the Mueller team has forwarded to them about the finances of Trump, of Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. will bring out a lot more in the coming period. “There are still many indictments to come,” Connolly said, including concerning the involvement of the Russians through their GRU intelligence agency and their social media farms dissemnating disinformation and chaos over the Internet. He said much more needs to be done to protect the U.S. vote even this fall, and that the U.S. benefits from the fact there is no uniform voting system. “There have been detected significant efforts to probe the ability to taint the vote,” Connolly noted. The “wild west” nature of social media makes this easier for them, he added, noting that the anonymous nature of so much of the vile, hateful comments that flood the Internet, and the fueling of wild conspiracy theories, presents challenges. There are growing demands for regulation, he said, but there has been a reluctance to act because of the benefits of the Internet to inform, entertain, and sell goods. The tension between the rights to privacy and the bullying of kids and hate speech that goes on has put social media organizations under a lot of heat, he said, and “change is coming.” The biggest change so far, he said, is the new control of the House by the Democrats, such that Trump and the Republicans, at last, are not the only game in town. “The good news is that we’re geared up, and we can do more than one thing at the same time. There are now six House committees pursuing these matters,” he pointed out, as well as subcommittees, including the Government Operations subcommittee that he himself chairs.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Acosta: Tax Relief for Elderly Will Save F.C. $ in Long Run
Continued from Page 1
If such a person moves away and sells her home, then it is highly likely given the current trends that the home will become occupied by a family with children. Since it is now calculated that the cost of educating a child in the Falls Church School System is approaching $20,000 per year, a family with two children moving into a home in Falls Church will impose a $40,000 per year financial burden on the City, which over the course of a decade is $400,000, not including any other costs. So the math is simple. A senior or disabled person staying in their home with the benefit of tax relief will do so at a cost of $71,000 over 10 years, compared to the cost of over $400,000 to the City if that person leaves and the home is sold to a family with two children.
Some on the Council, like Phil Duncan, did the math and that caused his support “in a big way,” he said. “It is simply a matter of fact that we all benefit if we can encourage older people to stay here,” he said. “The money issue alone causes me to support this.” Duncan noted that, because the City’s relief program would still be less generous than those offered by other jurisdictions in the region, that is still a “conservative proposal.” But other Council members, like David Snyder and Ross Litkenhous, were less enthused, arguing that, while deferring taxes is OK (until a home is sold), offering outright tax relief seems to give an unfair advantage over everyone else who is paying their taxes. “This is a slippery slope,” argued Litkenhous. “There could be unintended consequences. It won’t be easy to walk this back if
it doesn’t work.” Snyder said he’s worried that savings in the school costs won’t materialize as suggested. But Councilman Dan Sze said it “will be good to keep senior citizens in their homes” and Letty Hardi concurred. The Option 3 would reduce the interest charged on deferred taxes to zero, encouraging qualified households to go that route. Currently, senior homeowners are reluctant to leave their heirs with a financial burden of deferred taxes, especially if there is interest that has accrued. They simply won’t do it, and will prefer a tax relief option if at all possible, Acosta noted. Like it or not, she suggested, that’s how seniors will behave. The changes would actually lower the limit of assets of a qualified person from $540,000 to $400,000, and increase the range of those qualified for relief.
The estimated cost could grow from $140,000 to $265,000 for regular tax relief, drop from $40,000 to $15,000 for deferred taxes, and grow slightly for veteran tax relief from $100,000 to $105,000. The Council also heard from representatives of the Mary Riley Styles Library over its plans for a renovation with the $8.7 million approved by voters, but facing a $900,000 estimated cost overrun. While plans are in place for moving the library to a temporary location, the vacant classroom trailers at the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, the contractors for the renovation and expansion of the library will not be ready with a final “guaranteed maximum price” until September, which is when the Council will be subsequently vote to commence or modify the work. Snyder said he’d like to consider a “third option” beyond those of a lesser project at the same cost, or the same project at a higher cost, and Sze said he is concerned about the impact of a looming recession and the effect of that on the price. Duncan said he is concerned about the precedent of the City Hall renovation, that the City be
APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 5
treated fairly by the construction team with respect to cost overruns, change orders and the like. The longer the delay, the more cost estimates will rise, Litkenhous opined. “It will get worse, not better.” The Council also touched on the issue of affordable housing, led by Hardi who brought it up in the context of the budget discussion for the City’s Housing and Human Services component. The City faces the fact that the only significant affordable housing dwellings in the City, the 96 apartments at The Fields, will lose by 2026 the tax relief subsidy that has kept them affordable. While there is no money in the current budget for affordable housing, City Manager Wyatt Shields suggested that setting aside $150,000 to $200,000 a year may be sufficient to enable the City to negotiate for an extension of the terms with The Fields in an effort to maintain them as affordable. He said that this could come for discussion when revisions to the City’s comprehensive plan comes up in May. “We need to develop a strategy for affordable housing this year,” Duncan said.
PAGE 6 | APRIL 4 – 10, 2019
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E D I TO R I A L
The Affordability Imperative
It can hardly be surprising that as the City of Falls Church moves forward with its visionary and aggressive plans to develop the George Mason High School campus at the city’s west end, replete with a new state-of-the-art high school and 10.3 acres of dense mixed-use development, that Fairfax County neighbors to the site will start howling. We don’t need to remind our readers that, however, the neighbors to the site are not in the City and don’t get to make decisions about what the City does in its own interest, although they may hop up and down, file lawsuits and bring the weight of the county’s much much bigger resource base to bear. We would hope that the City would enjoy the cooperation and winwin efforts from Fairfax’s Supervisor in the Dranesville District, John Foust, who is in the best position to realize that by encouraging Falls Church, and working with two adjacent sites, those of Virginia Tech and WMATA (the West Falls Church Metro station) to combine efforts for a truly transformative 40-acre development, will be in everyone’s best interest. It will be a huge financial boon to the county, city and WMATA, a huge educational resource boon to the county, city and WMATA, and transportation boon to all three, as well, as the region prepares for the arrival of Amazon’s HQ2 campus down the road and very much more that will come with it. We also look forward to improved cooperation that may come with the election of a new Providence District supervisor for the county this November. With incumbent Linda Smyth not seeking re-election, there is a robust effort to find her replacement, including no fewer than five candidates who will vie for the Democratic nomination for that post this June. But while the City of Falls Church should go out of its way to elicit the good will of its big neighbor, the best way the City can move forward is with the conviction that its objectives are well established on a moral high ground. We are keenly aware of how any discussion of morality in this age is seen as almost laughable when it comes to grim decisions about matters of money, development and “not in my back yard” pressure. Education is a good moral issue, but it too often becomes something advocated by the rich for their kids, more than as a general value to society, and the moral state of souls, more generally. The area in which Falls Church has been best opportunity to stake out the moral high ground is in the area of affordable housing. This, as always, presents a challenge, but we have never had a City Council more conscious of the need and benefits of it. Claiming that issue for the west end site with an abundance of micro and otherwise affordable units is valid for advancing a good cause with force and vision.
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Art’s Was a Successful Neighborhood Business
Editor, I am the previous owner of Art’s Tavern/Mark’s Pub. I owned the Tavern for five years. I want to verify some facts and comment on the article “Rebirth of Marks Pub.” To verify facts about Art’s “iteration” refer to the articles written by the News-Press during my ownership listing rave reviews of the food and the concept of the Tavern. It was
well received by locals, people new to the area as well as people passing through. It had a hometown feel that attracted many. This is proven by the 1,200+ plus followers on our Facebook page! Art’s hosted many alumni events for McLean, Marshall and George Mason High Schools. The patrons celebrated birthdays, retirements, Christmas parties and reunion gatherings.
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The statement printed in the article “not ever catching on with the patrons” is not accurate. Visit Art’s Tavern Facebook photos and you will see many local patrons dining, playing trivia, dancing to live music, karaoke and special events. We had an extensive menu offering a variety of choices. Some favorites were fish /shrimp tacos, Mediterranean salad, calamari, homemade soups/chili and our Tavern burger. All our food was made “with love” by either myself or my chefs. At the Falls Church Festival we participated in under my management, we were one of the highest ticketed booths. Our
features were fish tacos and homemade chili bowls. It is inaccurate to say “the weakened brand” was the problem under Lisa’s management. Maybe it was the food choice? The reality is, Art’s/Mark’s has been a successful neighborhood bar for over 30 years. I wish every business owner a successful journey. My words to the new owners are focus on what you’re doing today instead of your interpretation of the past. I hope the next time the News-Press does a spotlight they stick to the positives of the new business and check the facts. Sharon Sachs Via the Internet
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APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 7
Ardern’s Tone a Stark Contrast to Trump’s Moral Deafness B� J��� C������
Members of Lewinsville Faith in Action responded to the shooting horrors in New Zealand by reaching out to three local Muslim congregations. Informed by faith and fact, Lewinsville Faith in Action (LFA), in partnership with others, works for political, social, economic and environmental policies that are based on justice and compassion. LFA’s letter to these congregations appears below. We grounded our response in theology, a continued pledge to alter our nation’s immigration and gun laws, and an open-arm invitation for dialogue, provision of assistance and for interfaith learning and respect. What follows is the letter sent by Lewinsville Faith in Action to three local Muslim congregations. To: The honored congregations at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, the McLean Islamic Center and the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center From: Members of Lewinsville Faith in Action (www.LewinsvilleFaithInAction.org), Co-leaders Jack Calhoun and Cindy Speas Lewinsville Faith in Action deplores yet another act of race-fueled, white-supremacy hatred, this one claiming the lives of 50 sacred souls at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. We have had occasion to march with you, our Muslim brothers and sisters and to attend Friday prayer services. We stand
deeply committed to protecting the civil and human rights of those of every – or no – religion, and to altering our nation’s immigration laws so they will welcome, not shun, the stranger, the refugee, the oppressed.
“Unfortunately, the moral beacon is not found in our leadership here.” This heinous and cowardly attack, horribly evocative of the attacks on Tree of Life, Sutherland Springs, Mother Emmanuel and Oak Creek, defiled what should be the safest, the most sacrosanct of places – where we pray, where we worship, where we find strength to love God and our neighbor. These are places where we are sustained, not places where we cringe in fear. We at Lewinsville Faith in Action pledge to continue advocating for laws on the local, state and national levels that would both protect minority communities and end the obscene availability of firearms, especially assault weapons. We welcome the opportunity for dialogue, provision of assistance and for interfaith learning and respect. We open our arms to you as our worshipping community
neighbor. We extend an open invitation to you to share your thoughts (and pain) with us at one of our monthly Lewinsville Faith in Action meetings here in Falls Church. We would also welcome any opportunity to meet with you, sharing our profound grief at the attacks on members of your worshipping community. Please feel free to contact our co-leaders, either Jack Calhoun at hopematters@ verizon.net or Cindy Speas at cindyspeas@ gmail.com. In sorrow and solidarity, and on behalf of Lewinsville Faith in Action, Jack Calhoun and Cindy Speas, Co-Leaders, Lewinsville Faith in Action In the wake of the tragedy, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, set an inspiring and courageous moral tone for the world community. As reported in the Guardian (London), Ardern said, in part, “They are us…New Zealand had been chosen because it was safe, because it was no place for hatred or racism…we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, home for those who share our values, and refuge for those who need it.” Ardern sees and celebrates differences, differences that should be respected, enhanced and “connected with.” She buttressed her ringing moral statements with a pledge to reform the nation’s gun laws: “Within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism, we will have announced reforms that I believe will have made our community safer.” (New York
Times, p. A8, 3/19/19). Ardern’s summon to our better angels and resonant moral tone stand in stark contrast to Trump’s moral deafness — Trump, who often uses his, the world’s largest bully pulpit, to do the opposite — to bully not welcome, hurt not heal, divide not unite. He, as authoritarian leaders of recent and current history, if responding to an attack would play only his worn fear card, a strident warning against murderers, rapists, and terrorists, and a dark threat to Democrats and a chilling reminder that his support does not come from our democratic process, but, as he has proudly proclaimed, “I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump.” Given this appalling, Trump-created moral vacuum each of us must fill that void, must carry and act on our deeply held moral and political beliefs. We can pray, write, act politically for or seek to welcome, not shun, the newcomer. Unfortunately, the moral beacon is not found in our leadership here. But the moral beacon exists — in New Zealand. And it exists in the hearts of millions of Americans who know that we are a nation founded on welcoming the stranger, the refugee, the seeker for freedom to worship, the hungry and the oppressed. Thank you, New Zealand, for reminding us who we are, who we can and should be. Jack Calhoun is the co-leader of Lewinsville Faith in Action.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Should Falls Church focus on affordable housing at its West End development? • Yes
• No
Last Week’s Question:
Will all the deadlines be met to get F.C.’s West End projects underway on time?
• Not sure
Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote
FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.
[WRITE FOR THE PRESS] The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor
& Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.
Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347
PAGE 8 | APRIL 4 - 10, 2019
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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NEWS BRIEFS Debates of June 11 Dem Primary Foes Sunday in F.C. The two races that will be on the June 11 Democratic primary ballot in Falls Church are for the party’s nomination to the 35th State Senate District, and for the Arlington-Falls Church Commonwealth Attorney’s position. The Falls Church League of Women Voters will host a debate of the candidates in these races this Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m. at the George Mason High School auditorium. The debate will commence at 3 p.m. for the three vying for the State Senate seat, incumbent Dick Saslaw and challengers Yasmine Taeb and Karen Torrent. At 4 p.m. the debate will begin between incumbent Commonwealth Attorney Theo Stamos and challenger Parisa Dehgheni-Tafti. Students at George Mason High will moderate the debates. The League of Women Voters does not endorse candidates, but facilitates voter education efforts such as this.
F.C. Schools’ $ Request: Lowest Hike in Region Falls Church City Schools’ Superintendent Peter Noonan briefed the F.C. City Council on the schools’ funding request for the coming fiscal year Monday night, and noted that, in seeking only a 2.15 percent increase, its ask is for the lowest increase in the entire region. The increase comes in below a 4.9 percent increase in Arlington, a 4.3 percent increase in Alexandria, a 4.1 percent increase in Fairfax County, a 7.9 percent increase in Loudoun, a 3.5 percent increase in Manassas City, a 4.07 percent increase in Manassas Park, a 2.5 percent increase in Montgomery County, a 2.8 percent increase in Prince George’s County and a 4.4 percent increase in Prince William County. Noonan said he doubted the schools would be able to repeat that low increase again next year, as enrollment this fall is expected to grow to 2,669 students this fall. Over time, he said, an annual student growth of 3 to 4 percent is expected, while the City schools maintain a 24-1 secondary school classroom size compared to 29-1 for Fairfax County. The F.C. Schools’ International Baccalaureate program, he said, given that it serves all the students in the system, unlike Finland, Singapore or Korea, is among the best on the planet. “I’d put us up against anyone in the world in a heartbeat,” he told the Council.
(TO19-04) ORDINANCE SETTING THE RATE OF TAX LEVY ON REAL ESTATE FOR TAX YEAR 2020 AND ON PERSONAL PROPERTY, MACHINERY AND TOOLS AND ALL OTHER PROPERTY SEGREGATED BY LAW FOR LOCAL TAXATION IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH VIRGINIA FOR TAX YEAR 2019
Police Seek Info on Falls Church Van Looters City of Falls Church Police are on the lookout for two suspects who they say stole tools after breaking into the same van twice in January and once again in March. Police say the suspects first broke into the van, parked in the 900 block of Ellison St., using the front driver side door on Jan. 7, then broke in using the rear door on Jan. 30 and used the front passenger door to break in on March 29. One suspect was caught on camera breaking into the van in March. The second suspect was off camera. Video of the robbery is available on FCNP.com. Police ask anyone with information on the incident to contact Det. J. Ortiz at 703-248-5165.
NOTICE OF PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The City of Falls Church proposes to increase property tax levies. 1. Assessment Increase. Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 2.28 percent.
A still from a video of the van robbery. (Photo: City of Falls Church
Vehicle Services in F.C. This Month The City of Falls Church Commissioner of the Revenue has announced several opportunities for Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) services in The Little City in April. The full-service DMV 2 Go bus will be in front of City Hall (300 Park Ave.) on Friday, April 12 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The accessible mobile office provides all DMV transactions including: Applying for and renewing driver’s licenses; Applying for hunting and fishing licenses; Obtaining E-Z pass transponders; Obtaining Real ID cards (including photos) and Virginia’s veterans ID cards; Obtaining copies of driving records, vehicle titles, license plates, decals, and transcripts; Obtaining certified copies of Virginia vital records including birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates. Ordering disabled parking placards or plates; Taking road and knowledge tests; and, Updating an address after a move for DMV and voter registration. The limited DMV Connect service conducts all DMV transactions listed above, except vital records and testing. DMV Connect will be at 131 E Broad St. (corner of E Broad St. and Lawton St.) Monday-Thursday, April 8 - 11, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Customers should be prepared with the required documents to complete transactions.
2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment. The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above would be $1.325 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the “lowered tax rate”. 3. Effective Rate Increase. The City of Falls Church proposes to adopt a tax rate of $1.355 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.03 per $100, or 2.26 percent. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase”. Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage. 4. Proposed Total Budget Increase. Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget of the City of Falls Church will exceed last year’s by 7.24 percent. Public hearings on the increase will be held on April 8 and April 22, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as they may be heard, in the Community Center, Senior Center, 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church, Virginia. The hearings shall be open to the public. The City Council will permit persons desiring to be heard an opportunity to present oral testimony within such reasonable time limits as shall be determined by the City Council. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk's office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www.fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).
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News-Press
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Community News & Notes
DR. BRIAN VAN SLOOTEN (center) and his staff at the Dental Health Center of Northern Virginia teamed up with Arlington County Public Schools and the Medical Care for Children Partnership foundation yesterday to provide complimentary dental care for those in need. (Photos: Courtesy Dental health Center of Northern Virginia)
Temple Rodef Shalom Sponsors Event this Weekend Temple Rodef Shalom will cosponsor an event titled “A Turning Point in Women’s History — WRJ Mid-Atlantic District Area Day,” on Sunday, April 7 from 1 – 3 p.m. The Falls Church temple organized the event in conjuction with the Sisterhoods of Congregation Ner Shalom and Temple B’nai Shalom, where the event is hosted (7612 Old Ox Rd., Fairfax Station). This event is free and open to all, but a $10 donation is suggested at the door. Interested attendees must RSVP by Saturday, April 6 Attendees will hear Pat Wirth, Executive Director/CEO of the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Association, give an in-depth look at this time in history for women,
including tidbits like this: “In 1917, they were arrested, dragged to court, then thrown into prison. Their crime? Silently picketing the White House for the right to vote!” Contact Josie Hertz-Ackerman at josie516@gmail.com or by calling 703-707-8204. For more information, visit eventbrite.com and search “A Turning Point in Women’s History” to find the event and purchase tickets.
Vanderhall Gala & Test Drive At Coleman PowerSports Residents are free to attend the Coleman PowerSports Vanderhall Gala on Friday, April 5 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Complimentary cocktails, cigars and hors d’oeuvres will be served
DEBRA GEE (first on the left), 30 year employee for the City of Falls Church’s Community Planning and Economic Development Services office where she served as the planning commission clerk, HARB and Historical Commission staffer, had a luncheon at Anthony’s Restaurant celebrating her retirement earlier this week. Gee’s mother and daughter also attended (first and second right). The Planning Commission honored Gee’s service with a proclamation at its April 1 meeting. (Photo: Courtesy Gary Fuller) to the gala’s guests. The following day, on Saturday, April 6 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., attendees will have the option to take a Vanderhall Speedster out for a test drive. No pre-registration or motorcycle endorsement required. Attendees must bring a valid drivers license in order to participate in the test drive. Attendees must be 21 years or older in order to receive a complimentary cocktail as well as participate in the test ride.
Amadeus Concerts Teams Up for Performance A decade ago, the Amadeus Orchestra first presented “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace” by composer Karl Jenkins. The work fuses several religious and musical traditions into a one-ofa-kind composition. Listeners called it one of their most pow-
erful musical experiences, and Amadeus Orchestra will be revisiting this performance with its seasonal partners, the Fairfax Choral Society on Sunday, April 7 at 4 p.m. at Saint Luke’s Catholic Church (7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean). Tickets are $40 and may be purchased at the door or online at amadeusconcerts.com. Students 17 and under and active military are admitted free of charge. A pre-concert lecture by Music Director A. Scott Wood will begin at 3:15 p.m., 45 minutes prior to the start of the concert. A reception will follow the concert, at which attendees may meet and chat with the performers and fellow concert goers.
Hamme Named President Of Ceca Foundation Falls Church native and 2001 George Mason High School grad-
uate Nathan Hamme was named president of the Ceca Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, last month after almost four years there as its managing director. In his high school days, Hamme was a star on the Mason basketball team that made it to the state’s final four and worked parttime at the News-Press. The Ceca Foundation is a notfor-profit charity that celebrates caregiving excellence, promoting quality patient care by providing health care institutions with the funding, tools and best practices to recognize their outstanding caregivers. The Foundation’s Caregiver Award Program centers on a peer-to-peer recognition platform and process that creates employee engagement and learning. Caregivers who are engaged and appreciated consistently perform at higher levels, leading to improved patient care
Send Us Your News & Notes!
The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!
Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
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and a better patient experience. A recent Gallup study found that the engagement level of nurses was the most important variable correlating to mortality, even above staffing ratios. Hamme has led Ceca’s day-today operations, product development, partner and association outreach, program implementation, and performance metric collection. “I am proud of our work to highlight industry best practices, increase caregiver satisfaction, and help reduce turnover at our nation’s acute, medium and long term care facilities — including mental health, hospice, skilled nursing, assisted living, and continuum of care organizations,” Hamme said.
Fairfax Genealogical Society Spring Conference and Expo The Fairfax Genealogical Society will be hosting the Spring conference and expo on Friday April 5 (from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.) and on Saturday, April 6 (from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at the Reston Sheraton Hotel (11810 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston). The two-day conference features national family research professionals providing lectures, workshops, individual consultations as well as vendors offering books, maps and other goods and services of interest to the family researcher. Fees range from $75 (for Genealogical Society members, one day) to $120 (non-members, two day). Details and registration at FXGS.org/conference
F.C. Library Hosts Inaugural Fundraising Event The Mary Riley Styles Public Library Foundation is raising funds through an inaugural Library Giving Day campaign.
APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 11
This one-day online fundraising event will occur on Wednesday, April 10 and will encourage patrons and Library supporters to make a gift to this library. Early donations are also accepted. To make a tax-deductible contribution via PayPal or credit card, visit mrsplfoundation.org. Checks can be sent to MRSPL Foundation, Treasurer, P.O. Box 321, Falls Church, VA 22040. Funds will be used to enhance library materials, services, programs and equipment and to grow the Foundation’s endowment, which provides a future guaranteed stream of income for the library. In the past the Foundation has funded wireless internet for patrons, self-checkout stations and a local history digital database. This campaign reminds us that libraries serve as a cornerstone for our communities. Beyond wellloved books, many libraries offer innovative programs that promote lifelong learning, connect patrons to technology and advance knowledge.
The Old Firehouse Teacher Work Day Trip The Old Firehouse teacher work day trip will host a day trip to see DC Comics’ new film, “Shazam” on Friday, April 5 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Prior to catching the movie, participants will visit Launch Indoor Trampoline Park and grab lunch after visiting the trampoline park. Admission to all activities and lunch are included in the fee — which is $45 for McLean Community Center district residents and $55 for nondistrict residents.
Stuart Alum Named Rookie of the Week Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Maya Verma of Falls Church’s
DUSTIN FOLEY, owner of The Neighborhood Barbershop located on W. Broad St., was honored in the on-field pregame ceremonies for the 2019 Washington Nationals season opener on March 28. As part of the new New Hope Housing’s “Unsung Heroes” program, Foley was one of several people selected for “best reflecting the principles of volunteerism, heroism or philanthropy.” (P����: C������� N�� H��� H������)
Justice (J.E.B. Stuart) High School has been recognized by the Liberty League for her efforts in the high jump last week. Verma finished eighth in the high jump and earned AllAmerica at the 2019 Division III Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship. She, along with four others, reached 1.63 meters on their first attempts at that height. They were all .05 behind a pair that finished
Dr. Peterson Huang, Prosthodontist & Family Dentist Do I have Occlusal Disease? When patients think of “diseases” of the mouth, they generally think of decay, or gum disease. Rarely, do they think of Occlusal Disease, just what is Occlusal Disease? In short, it is a mal-alignment of your upper and lower jaw. Your front teeth are meant for incising, or cutting; while your back teeth are meant for chewing. Together they work in harmony. There are several signs and symptoms of occlusal disease such as: multiple fractures of tooth structure and fillings, abnormal excessive wear leading to sensitivity of teeth, and the development of mobile teeth. Excessive tooth mobility can lead to their premature loss, which overloads other teeth, and the cycle exacerbates itself. Do I have Occlusal Disease? To truly answer this question, a prosthodontist, should be consulted. A Board-Certified Prosthodontist, like Dr. Huang, is a dentist who has at least three additional years of education plus passed the rigors board exams. He has the additional knowledge to address these issues. If you have missing teeth or a complex bite that requires precise detail, then you need a Prosthodontist. Whether you need new crowns or Invisalign treatment, Dr. Huang will give you the options that are best for you. Give us a call at 703-532-7586, to stop and reverse your occlusal disease. Peterson Huang DMD, MS, FACP, FRCDC 313 Park Ave. Suite 306, Falls Church VA 22046 • novapremierdental.com • 703-532-7586
in sixth place. This is the second Rookie of the Week for Verma, who was previously honored after winning at the multi-divisional Utica College Pioneer Winter Classic with a height of 1.68 meters, setting a facility record in the process. She went on to have a second place finish, a third at the conference meet and a fourth place finish. Rensselaer started the outdoor season on March 23
F.C. Democratic Committee Holds Meeting April 17 The Falls Church City Democratic Committee’s next monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 17, at 7:30 pm at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street). For more information on the meeting, interested residents are directed to email fallschurchdems@gmail.com.
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Women’s History Walk Gives Panorama of F.C. Icons
A CRISP, BLUSTERY day couldn’t dissuade the masses from descending on the City of Falls Church for the third annual Falls Church Women’s History Walk. The event, organized by a crew of female civic activists who serve the City in political, professional and artistic capacities, focused on the contributions of over 36 distinguished women. That included members of the Henderson and Tinner families, immigrant leader Jackie Bong Wright, educators Lola Saunders, Betsy Read and Sarah Wren and many others, who were given their due for how they sculpted the Falls Church seen today. (Photos: J. Michael Whalen)
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A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
When he wrote “April is the cruelest month” in “The Waste Land,” I doubt that T. S. Eliot was thinking about Fairfax County’s annual budget approval process. Public hearings about the proposed budget begin next week, on Tuesday, April 9, at 4 p.m., and on Wednesday and Thursday, April 10 and 11, beginning at 1 p.m. To sign up to speak at one of the public hearings, you may contact the Clerk to the Board at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speakers-form. The hearings may be viewed live on Channel 16. The County Executive’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2020 maintains the real estate tax rate at $1.15 per $100 assessed valuation, fully funds the School Board’s request for the second consecutive year, and recommends a one percent Market Rate Adjustment (MRA) for all county employees. Nearly 80 percent of the county’s 12,800 employees qualify for the one percent across-the-board increase. Some employees also will receive merit and longevity increases. A fully funded 2.51 percent MRA would require increasing the tax rate by another cent (each cent of the tax rate is equivalent to $25.5 million). School funding, employee pay, and housing availability and affordability are among the top issues in this budget. While the proposed budget fully funds the schools’ operational request, school board members have asked for additional bonding capacity to renovate older schools and build new ones. General Obligation school bonds approved by the voters generally have been in the $155 million range every other year with an additional $25 million added by the county in FY 2019 to accelerate some longstanding school renovation needs. The Virginia General Assembly adopted an increase for teacher pay, but localities are responsible for funding the bulk of the
state’s recommended pay increase. In a recent forum, State Senator Dick Saslaw, noted that this year’s state support for education still is at 2008 levels, and vowed to get that changed in the next session. It’s no secret that it’s expensive to live in Northern Virginia and the metro region. We need a menu of housing choices — rental apartments, condos, townhouses, single family detached, and perhaps smaller micro-units — to meet the demand for housing that is affordable for all income levels, and meets the needs of a broad demographic of residents. The FY 2020 county budget includes $135 million in General Fund support, bonds, federal grants, and private capital for housing. The county’s Affordable Housing Resources Panel (AHRP) recommended that at least 5000 new affordable units be constructed during the next 15 years, using public financial resources. The AHRP pointed out that 15,000 new affordable units actually are needed in that time frame, and also recommended increasing the real estate tax rate, a countywide commercial proffer policy, and innovative land use policies to meet the need. That’s a tall order, but provides some thoughts for the FY 2021 Budget Guidance document that will be adopted with the FY 2020 budget. By law, the county’s budget must be balanced; unlike the federal government, Virginia’s local jurisdictions cannot run a deficit. Decisions made by the Board of Supervisors must be prudent, balanced, and justifiable. That also is why, sometimes, that April is the cruelest month. Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
before anything else, we’re all human rethink your bias at lovehasnolabels.com
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Senator Dick Saslaw’s
Richmond Report It’s been six weeks since legislators left the Capitol for their home districts. I appreciate the warm reception I am receiving as I visit with constituents. It is gratifying to hear support for the work we did during one of the most unprecedented General Assembly sessions. At no time did the law-making process take a break from Jan. 9 – Feb. 24. As a result of staying focused on the issues that matter most to Virginians and constituents in the 35th Senate district, close to one thousand bills were passed. My thanks to those of you who filled out our online pre-session survey as well. I value your input. When the legislative session adjourned, the administration began its due diligence on the measures that passed both chambers. Hundreds of bills have been signed into law and most will become enacted on July 1. This week, the General Assembly reconvened for what is known as the Veto Session. As of this writing, the Governor has used his pen to amend nearly 40 bills and veto 17. These measures will be reviewed by the chamber in which they originated and if approved, they will then pass to the other body. Last year, 280 Virginians lost their lives in car crashes that involved distracted driving. SB 1768 is a bill I supported that has passed the House and Senate. It prohibits any person from holding a handheld personal communications device in their hand while driving a motor vehicle in a highway work zone, with certain exceptions. On March 26, I joined many legislators and family members of car crash fatalities in support of the Governor’s announced amendment to the bill. He has proposed a broader coverage of this initiative to include driving on all state roads and enforcement not just in work zones. This makes sense to me and in my opinion is long overdue to ensure the safety of first responders, police, and innocent people that become victims of distracted driving. It appears the Speaker will not allow this amendment to go forward. Should this be the case, look for further action in the 2020 General Assembly. Keeping health care insurance affordable is a top priority during the session. Several bills passed
that would give insured patients credit for co-pays and coupons that count toward their deductibles. “Skinny” plans and other high deductible measures such as SB 1027, SB 1240 and SB1674 are on the Veto list. Individuals should not be forced into bankruptcy by an illness. Nor should premiums be so steep that people need to choose a plan that neither allows them to meet their required deductible nor pay for a plan that does not cover things like mammograms and routine preventive care. Despite many gun violence prevention bills failing to move forward, other NRA “approved” legislation did move forward. HB 2253 called for the State Police to issue de facto nonresident concealed handgun permits should the agency not complete the application review within 90 days. Since there may be extenuating circumstances working with other states and agencies, this is a veto that make sense. SB 1251 involves the sale and distribution of switchblades by manufacturers. Switchblades are outlawed in the Commonwealth and let’s keep it that way. Negotiating the amended budget took front and center during the second half of the session. The Governor has a line item opportunity to amend and/or veto the proposal. To that end, he has suggested some 40 amendments. The priorities of investing in the long-term success of the Commonwealth, provide tax relief, and build cash reserves are in the budget as well as remain uncompromised with his proposed amendments. I call your attention to an amendment that would restrict the Commonwealth’s ability to join and use proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an important way for us to address the negative effects of climate change. Virginians expect more from their legislators when it comes to protecting the environment. Climate change is real in spite of what the Trump administration would like you to believe. Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
The Assassination Of Tippecanoe, Part 1
As I and others have insisted from the moment the Mueller Report was released, wait until you’ve read the actual report to judge. In the meantime, for reasons entirely unclear to me, the Washington Post published an article by Williamsburg, Va., author Ronald G. Shafer this week on the first U.S. president to die in office and the questions of succession that were raised as a result. It was the 68-year-old hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe and lifelong Whig Party and Henry Clay ally who died: William Henry Harrison. He famously died exactly one month after being sworn in as the ninth U.S. president in April 1841, and the official cause was pneumonia, ostensibly contracted while delivering a twoFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS hour inauguration speech outdoors on a snowy day. Harrison’s father signed the Declaration of Independence. His grandson became president 48 years later. He won the Battle of Tippecanoe and more against the Native American phalanx of British assets in Indiana during the War of 1812 and became a governor, congressman, senator and diplomat running unsuccessfully for president in 1836, then winning in 1840. In death, Harrison was succeeded by his vice presidential running mate, John Tyler, who was a “Southern Whig,” sewn onto the ticket in order to achieve a necessary majority. Tyler was no true Whig in the John Quincy Adams-Henry Clay-Abraham Lincoln mould, as Harrison was, but a slave-owning, pro-slavery snake in the grass. In the lengthy period between the election in November 1840 and the inauguration in March 1841, Harrison had met frequently with Clay, the leader of the Whigs in Congress, who’d won control that year and were set, with Harrison, to call a special session of Congress and usher in a pro-domestic development agenda centered on railroad expansion and economic growth through infrastructure development. They’d been stymied by 12 years of Democratic misguidance under the savage Andrew Jackson, who killed the means by which the U.S. federally funded its internal improvements, and his New York controller Martin Van Buren that led to the Panic of 1837. But the entire Whig agenda was wiped out when, following the untimely death of Harrison, Tyler assumed the presidency and proceeded to veto every facet of the Whig program that Clay got passed in Congress. The Harrison cabinet was dumb-struck and resigned en masse. Tyler was expelled from the Whig party and became a man without support from either party during his one sad term. His sole achievement was to arrange the entry of Texas as a slave state into the Union, thereby moving the country one step closer to Civil War. When Civil War broke out in 1861, Tyler sided with the south and became a member of the Confederate House of Representatives. If the country was, as Shafer pointed out, ill equipped to address the issue of the succession of the presidency at the time of Harrison’s death, it was not only because the death was the first of a sitting president in office, but also because the sharp ideological differences between Harrison and Tyler were well known and a great disruption was caused in anticipation of the huge political shift that was coming. I took a keen interest in all of this in the wake of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981, and my research quickly brought me to what I think would have been an appropriate hypothesis. Given what was at stake, given how the death of Harrison so sharply changed the political landscape, wouldn’t it be plausible to explore whether or not Harrison was done in by foul play? My research only further confirmed the validity of this hypothesis, and I presented my fascinating findings in an article in early 1981 entitled, “Qui Bono? The Assassination of William Henry Harrison,” published in an obscure politically marginal newspaper (par for the course for me then). I reprinted it in my own newspaper, the Falls Church News-Press in 2005, which now owns the copyright, and it can be read in full on my website at bit.ly/2FKO3JC, for anyone interested. The case is a compelling one. To be continued. Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
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APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 15
Nicholas F. Benton
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
State Attorney General Mark Herring opined last month that Arlington may, after years of resistance, have authority to remove the name of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from our portion of Route 1. The coming debate unfolds as a slew of politically touchy name changes are underway at Arlington’s schools. I’ve been chatting with players on both sides of the conflict over traditions and race that began with fireworks over the decision to rename Washington-Lee High School. (In September it will be Washington-Liberty.) The issues are anything but cut-and-dried. Arlington Public Schools, anticipating opening five new schools, on June 7, 2018, launched a new formal process with criteria for namings. In the recent past, schools named mid-20th-century for Confederate heroes were re-christened with little fanfare. In the mid-1990s, Cherrydale’s Thomas Nelson Page became Page Traditional, and then Science Focus. Stonewall Jackson in the Bluemont neighborhood became Arlington Traditional School. The Woodlawn Secondary Program, which moved into the old Stratford Jr. High on Lee Highway in 1978, combined with the Hoffman-Boston middle school program. But, I’m told by founding principal Ray Anderson, it was referred to as the “Woodlawn program on Vacation Lane” to avoid confusion with the co-tenant Stratford program
for special needs students. The new process seeks to address sensitivities by requiring community engagement via volunteer committees, transparency and timely public notice. Its scorecard so far: The Stratford building will become the new middle school named for Dorothy Hamm, a black parent who helped integrate Stratford in 1959. The Stratford program will share a new campus with Woodlawn in upper Rosslyn now called “The Heights Building.” (Some parents have pushed to rename the program for Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver.) The newest elementary school has been named for beloved Arlington reading teacher Alice West Fleet. The newly renamed Montessori Public School of Arlington, formerly at Drew Model School, will move to the building until recently called Patrick Henry. And Drew Model School in late March was adjusted to be Charles Drew Elementary. One steady critic of the process has been W-L alumni activist Dean Fleming. In February, we both participated in an Arlington Independent Media panel on the process that took Robert E. Lee’s name off his alma mater. Fleming called it rigged and unfair, joining many alums who feel baffled at the seeming preoccupation with racial justice warriors. “School board members have no business in this lane,” he told me afterward. “Avoiding angst in the community should be the
prime directive. It appears the only way to decide things of this magnitude with little pain is to permanently take these decisions away from the small, easily influenced (from internal and external forces) and give them to the voters.” Fleming’s nemesis, School Board member Barbara Kanninen, dismisses the idea of a rigged process. The board, she told me, more than once asked advisory committees to “rethink” proposed names, and the name “Loving” (for the legal pioneering interracial couple) proposed for W-L was ultimately rejected. “Alice Fleet was an educator, not a social justice warrior,” Kanninen said, noting also that Arlington’s most recent new elementary school was given the neutral name “Discovery.” Yes, she acknowledged, Dorothy Hamm fought for justice, but she was also a resident and parent. The historic integration of Stratford was accomplished less by the students than “the moms of Arlington.” *** Twenty months after the death of Leonard “Doc” Muse — the seven-day-a-week proprietor of the Green Valley Pharmacy — his store that served since 1952 remains boarded up. The marker for the related historic district remains, but it appears few can match Muse’s tireless efforts to preserve that African-American-owned community institution. Word in the Nauck community is that family members are seeking funding to reopen the fixture, which provided everything from prescription drugs to free bread.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Early Lead Falls to Tie for Mason BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Victory was in hand for George Mason High School’s girls soccer team until it wasn’t, with two late goals giving way to a 2-2 tie against crosstown rival Falls Church High School last Thursday. Mason (2-1-1) did everything right for the first 50 or so minutes of the game. The midfield of seniors Maddie Lacroix and Maura Mann were able to guide possessions from the defensive third of the field to the offensive third. The defense was shooing away scoring attempts and gave junior goalkeeper Josie Shaw clear sight lines when Falls Church did line up for shots. The formula worked its way to a 2-0 lead, but some attrition on the back line exposed the Mustangs to the lead-trimming and then tying score, with the Jaguars’ final tally coming in the closing seconds of regulation. “The last goal was definitely because we had two of our starting defenders sitting on the bench for the goals – only one for the first one, but both were out due to
GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL’S girls lacrosse team has a solid 4-2 record as it nears the middle of its season, with a two-week string of four consecutive wins and a total point differential of 69-15. The Mustangs 16-5 win at home Monday night against McLean High School showcased their strong defense and relentless offensive attack against higher classi�ied competition. (P����: C���� S��)
injury for the second one,” Mason head coach Leah Partridge said. “When you’re playing a freshman at center back, that goes into the miscommunication piece in the that last goal.” It appeared that Mason would make a clean getaway early on. Their first goal found the netting in the game’s opening minutes and had Falls Church playing a bit desperately for the remainder of the first half. The Mustangs responded well to the desperation by defusing the Jaguars over-eager attempts at goal that followed. Partridge’s decision to move junior forward Emma Rollins to right midfielder in the second half paid off. Rollins strafed left-toright and launched a shot from about 20 yards out that glided just over the Falls Church goalkeeper’s head, pinged off the right post and in with 36 minutes left to play. The Jaguars’ intensity cooled afterward and worked their way into a more controlled groove. Seven minutes after attaining a 2-0 lead, a Falls Church free kick from the left wing played out similarly to Rollins’ goal as it floated out of Shaw’s reach to put the home
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LAST WEEK’S games against Culpeper High School and Eastern View High School both produced impressive shutouts, with freshman Abbey Meighan (bottom picture) hanging tough in goal. The winning streak started with a 16-10 win over Stone Bridge High School on March 19. Mid�ielders and attackers including senior Alex Biggs, sophomore Ashley Zigler and freshmen Bella Paradiso (top picture) along with Annie Moore have produced consistent scoring in each game, with senior Maddie Mohler and others anchoring the defense. (P����: C���� S��)
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team back into it. The 70th minute saw another Jaguar free kick enter into Mason’s penalty box and find a Falls Church player’s head, but the attempt went wide left. The shot, however, foreshadowed the game’s eventual conclusion. A corner kick from the left side of the field careened into the box and found a favorable appendage that knocked the ball in for the tying score. The brief overtime period – two, five-minute frames – couldn’t produce a winner. Attrition allowed the game to end in a draw, but fatigue from a difficult stretch to start the season also played a factor in the Mustangs not being able to get over the hump. “We’re playing the bigger and harder schools right now,” Partridge added. “It’s a great opportunity for our players to go against girls who are going to challenge us the way we’ll find later in the postseason.” Mason spends this week on the road with games against Loudoun County High School tonight, Central High School on Friday and Strasburg High School next Tuesday.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Senior Softball Marries Improved Health with Friendly Competition by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
Muscles are stressed, limbs are loosened and stamina is strengthened during Northern Virginia Senior Softball’s two month spring training at the James Lee Community Center that concluded prior to the start of its season next week. Think of the local center as a combination of Florida’s Grapefruit League and Arizona’s Cactus League rolled into one geriatric package with some spry surprises inside. Starting in February and going through the end of March, players from as close as Fairfax to as far as Maryland will conglomerate in the center’s gym to stretch out their gams and get in some cardio before heading out to the field for hitting and fielding practice. In the entirely volunteer-run league of about 550 competitors, roughly 50 or so will make their way out to Falls Church for any given Monday or Friday workout. It’s imperative if they want to avoid landing on the injured reserve during the opening slog of seven inning doubleheaders NVSS holds every Tuesday and Thursday throughout Fairfax County. “In my first year playing, I pulled both my hamstrings and both my quads in the first three weeks. I could hardly walk and had bruises all over my legs,” 78-year-old Brian Payne said, who retired from the workforce in 2000 and is going on his 20th year with NVSS. “Someone mentioned the spring training exercises and that I should come out. I’ve been injured since then but never as bad.” I know what you’re thinking — “This guy messed up his body power walking to first base?” Take a lap for that condescension. The league is for seniors, but it’s not a simulated game just to get them out of the house. It’s competitive and strives to keep it that way. According to Frank Roberts, who runs the spring training workouts, each new player is assessed when they first join up. From there the league determines which of its three classifications the player fits into: National (“the jocks,” per Payne), American (the middle level, where the bulk of the players are) and Continental (the guys with, as Payne put it, “two
knee braces and zipper scars down their chests”). Each year stats are inputted from the previous seasons into an algorithm to reorganize the teams based on skill level. So, according to Roberts, no team is left without a quality shortstop or pitcher or batting order, whether it comes to the spring season running from April to July, or the fall season running from September through October. Payne mentions that the win-loss records between teams is fairly even heading into the postseason tournaments, sidestepping any sour feelings over a lack of parity. To say winning is the glue of the league would count as an error on the scorecard. You might make the players wheeze from laughing at the thought of participation trophies, but the real prize to its members is the camaraderie, the (mostly) good-natured ribbing and the elixir it provides to the seniors’ health, such as being able to ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative conditions. “If there’s a pill that you could take to be stronger, faster, sexier and live longer, you’d pay a bunch of money for that — this is it and it’s free,” Payne said, relaying a popular NVSS sales pitch from Roberts, an 87-year-old practicing psychotherapist and exercise addict. Roberts is the originator of another well-known phrase in league circles — “You don’t quit playing softball because you get old; you get old because you quit playing softball.” All the players agree that they see a difference in the health between their friends they’ve met on the diamond and their friends off it. Unfortunately, softball isn’t a cure-all. Payne mentions that every month or so league members will get an email letting them know a member died. Emergency services do make the occasional trip out to one of the fields if someone gets overheated or has a nosebleed that won’t stop. It helps that, as Payne jokes, the whole league is drug-addicted. Ibuprofen and Coumadin have served as NVSS’s scandal-free version of performance-enhancing drugs since its founding in 1980. What is a blessing is that those instances don’t (usually) take place during competition. John Hollis, an 83-year-old retired physicist
APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 17
who claims to be the longest tenured player since he joined in the late ‘80s, suffered a heart attack last April off the field. He couldn’t play again until September, but had a triumphant return when he helped lead his team on a fourgame win streak in the postseason tournament, including knocking in the winning run to clinch the title and celebratory t-shirt that comes with it. Although, others have gone out with a bang before. “A guy named Harry was playing second base at a tournament. He ran out and caught the ball, then he died on the field with the ball still in his glove,” Hollis said. The out was recorded — talk about diehard. The seniors are sardonically aware about how many grains remain in their lives’ hourglasses. But with an opportunity to get the competitive juices flowing, their health in a perkier position and the chance to share some beers with teammates afterward, they feel like they’re sneaking a little sand back to the top.
WOMEN OVER 40 and men over 50 are eligible to play in the Northern Virginia Senior Softball league, with individual assessments being administered upon joining up to determine which of the three classifications the player would fit in best. Don’t expect any gimmes in the games though — these guys and gals are in good enough shape to flaunt their athleticism at the plate and in the field. (Photos: News-Press)
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
THOMAS JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY �ifth graders took their annual trip to Colonial Williamsburg to learn about one of the earliest settlements in the New World through work, such as farming techniques (left) and punishment, such as the stockade. (P�����: R���� — FCCPS P����/ M��� W���������; L��� — FCCPS P����/ T���� F��)
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S����� N��� � N���� Fairfax Co. Students Make Honors Choir Seventy-nine Fairfax County Public Schools students from sixteen schools have been selected by the Virginia Choral Directors Association to perform at the AllVirginia Middle School Honors Choir event scheduled for April 4-6. The concert will take place at the First Baptist Church of Richmond beginning at 1:30 p.m., and is free and open to the public. The following local students auditioned and qualified for this event:
Jackson Middle School — Saina Shibili, Nikka Boyle, Chelsea Kodiaga, Steven Lee, Kenta Yoshizaki, William McKinstry, Sarah Driessen and Jared Tulodo. Longfellow Middle School — Matthias Zahniser-Renteria and Field Wang.
Ed. Foundation Funds New Playground Equipment Some of Falls Church Education Foundation Super Grant’s funds have been put to use at Jessie Thackrey Preschool, with
the purchase of a four-seat adapted teeter totter, which is now up and usable at the preschool. The grant also covers two free-standing mud kitchens and a free-standing art easel supporting social play and communication that are now being used at JTP.
TJ Elementary’s Carey Moves to Henderson With significant population shifts coming in the next school year — second grade moving to Mount Daniel Elementary and a large fifth grade class moving up
to Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School — TJ assistant principal Robert Carey will be moving to Henderson. Carey will join principal Valerie Hardy and assistant principal Rory Dippold as a 2nd assistant principal. Next year, Henderson will house the largest population of sixth to eighth graders since the school opened.
Longfellow Middle Students Win Science Olympiad Longfellow Middle School captured the 2019 Virginia Science Olympiad Tournament Title in its division, making this is Longfellow’s eighth consecutive Division B title. With its state win, Longfellow has earned the right to represent Virginia at the national tournament at Cornell University on
May 1. Longfellow team members are Manav Bharath, David Cao, Alina Chen, Benji Cohen, Emma Cox, Grace Guan, Keira Hansen, Zayya Htut, Connor Humphreys, Ronit Kapur, Jaiden Khemani, Harry Kim, Taein Kim, Pranav Kuruba, Phong Lam, Alex Li, Laura Liang, Vihaan Mathur, Faraz Mirza, Tanmay Neema, Serenna Semonsen, Benoy Sen, Krishnan Shankar, Krithika Singh, Sophia Stagarescu, Riley Turk, Max Wang, Victoria Wang, Kaiden Wu and Athan Zhang. Other top finishers in Division B were the teams from Jackson Middle School, which finished in third place and Churchill Road Elementary School, which finished in fifth place. For the high schools in Division C, McLean High School finished in seventh place.
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APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 19
B������� N��� � N���� Kiln & Kustard Opening Sunday in Falls Church Kiln & Kustard is hosting a grand opening on Sunday, April 7 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 455 S. Maple Avenue, on the corner of S. Maple and Tinner Hill. The event will include a pop-up art gallery by Falls Church Arts, a dog meet and greet with Lost Dog and Cat Rescue, a teaser of “Alice in Wonderland” by Creative Cauldron, music by Mason Music, a frozen custard eating contest, free pottery painting for kids, games, activities, and more. The first 50 attendees will get a free Krazy Shake. The ribbon cutting will take place at 1:30 p.m.
Free Tai Chi Class at Sun & Moon Monday Sun & Moon Taiji One will host a tai chi open house with a free trial tai chi class on Monday, April 8 from 8:15 – 9:15 p.m. The event is open to those who want to experience the wide range of physical-mental health benefits of tai chi. The event will take place at the Falls Church location in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do, Falls Plaza Shopping Center, 1136 West Broad Street, Falls Church. Registration is required. Call 301-5125071 or e-mail SunAndMoonTaijiOne@gmail.com for more information or to reserve a spot.
Karaoke Nights Now at Locker Room, F.C. Distillers The Locker Room will start hosting Wednesday karaoke nights, facilitated by Finest Sound Entertainment, on April 10 from 8 – 11 p.m. The Locker Room is located at 502 W. Broad Street. Also offering karaoke is Falls Church Distillers, located at 442 S. Washington Street, which hosts it on the first Saturday of each month, from 9 p.m. – midnight.
Dancing Mind Closes Its Doors Dancing Mind has closed its yoga, cycling and 929 CrossFit studios for financial reasons. According to an update on the Dancing Mind Fans Facebook Group, fellow Baptiste affiliate studio Down Dog Yoga has agreed to honor Dancing Mind’s yoga clients’ memberships, packs, and passes and they will continue Dancing Mind’s current Yoga Teacher Training Program. Fitness studios are being sought to take on Dancing Mind’s cycling and its 929 CrossFit clients. More information on Down Dog Yoga, including the address of its Clarendon or any of its three other studios, is at www.downdogyoga.com. For more information about Dancing Mind’s efforts to honor its other commitments, visit www.facebook. com/groups/DMFanPage.
New Treatment Available at Solano Spine & Sport Solano Spine & Sport Chiropractic is now offering treatments with the NormaTec Pulse Pro, a dynamic compression device designed for recovery and rehab. It uses compressed air to massage limbs, mobilize fluid, and speed recovery. Similar to the kneading and stroking done during a massage, each segment of the attachment will first compress in a pulsing manner and then release. This treatment reduces swelling, pain, and increases ranges of motion in the lower extremities. Typical treatment times last 20 to 40 minutes. Solano Spine & Sport is located at 502 W. Broad Street. For more information, visit www. solanospine.com.
F.C. Chamber Networking Breakfast Set for April 11 The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting an informal networking breakfast on Thursday, April 11, 8 – 9 a.m., at the Original Pancake House, 7395 Lee Highway, Falls Church. Anyone interested in learning more about the Chamber or the local business community is welcome to attend. There is no fee, but attendees are required to pay their own checks. For more information, visit www. FallsChurchChamber.org. Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.
12 Days to Tax Day
PAGE 20 | APRIL 4 - 10, 2019
We reach some of the
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SMARTEST, HEALTHIEST & WEALTHIEST
PEOPLE IN THE NATION. DO YOU? The City of Falls Church: #1 Healthiest Community in America, 2018 U.S. News & World Report #2 Richest County in America, 2017 Forbes 80%+ F.C. residents 25 years+ with Bachelor’s Degrees or Higher, U.S. Census Bureau Also... #1 Best County in the U.S. to Live In, 2018 USA TODAY #1 Fastest Growing County in America, U.S. Census Bureau #1 Tradi�onal High School in Virginia (George Mason H.S.), 2018 U.S. News & World Report
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APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 21
20 Years of Aiding Honduras Evolves with Calls for Baseball Caps BY LAURA TAYLOR
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Twenty years after his first humanitarian trip to Honduras, Dr. Barry Byer and his Virginia Medical Brigade is continuing to help the country’s locals by seeking baseball cap donations for its Hats for Honduras Drive. Baseball hats have health benefits that can be made accessible to the poor in Honduras, where the direct exposure to ultraviolet B rays from sunlight can cause skin cancers and cataracts. “In Honduras, many people work outdoors for most of the day, putting them in increased harm’s way,” said Byer. “Sunglasses could also help protect people from the harmful rays but they can easily be broken and can only protect the eyes.” Byer started Virginia Medical Brigade after Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in 1999. The initial effort of the brigade was to provide disaster relief, but the group added programs that work to improve the health of communities in Honduras. In addition to engaging other
BOTH CHILDREN and adults would be bene�it from the baseball caps, which will protect their eyes from developing cataracts while they’re outside. (P����: C������� B���� B���) Northern Virginia organizations such as Northwest Arlington Lions and local rotary clubs, there are close to 100 volunteers, many from the Falls Church area who donate their professional services in Honduras each year. “In 2018, Brigade Teams per-
Hats for Honduras Drive, and because there’s a lack of brimmed hats in Honduras, this opportunity provides them the possibility for protection against life-threatening health conditions caused by the harmful rays from the sun. “There has been an increase in
formed 165 surgeries, provided glasses to 2200 patients, educated physical therapists, donated equipment for disabled patients and managed medical clinics and potable water projects in 13 mountain villages,” said Byer. This is the first year of the
eye cataracts in Honduras causing both impaired vision and blindness,” said Byer. “Honduras is located very close to the equator and therefore has enhanced sun exposure (UV light). Most people have little access to hats with brims.” According to Byer, the Centers for Disease Control and healthcare organizations strongly recommend wearing hats with brims to protect the eyes and skin from harmful UV rays from the sun. This Sunday, there will be a Hats for Honduras kick-off celebration from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Famille Cafe, which will host raffles for prizes, brews, hot dogs and opportunities to donate new or gently used baseball hats. There will be donation boxes across Falls Church set up for baseball hat donations. From April 7 – May 4, the boxes will be located at the Falls Church Community Center, local churches in the community, local businesses and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. Little League baseball games will also be providing donation boxes for the hats.
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FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 4 New Yorker Discussion Group. If any residents enjoy The New Yorker but wish they had someone to chat about it with, they are encouraged to drop into the monthly New Yorker Discussion Group to share their thoughts on what they’ve read in a variety of articles. Attendees can pick up the magazine at the Senior Center or at the circulation desk of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. A librarian will coordinate the discussions. Senior Center @ Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). 2 – 3 p.m. Teen Volunteer Orientation. Required for new volunteers interested in earning service hours at the library this winter. For teens in grades 7-12, registration and
volunteer application required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 6 – 6:30 p.m. 703-248-5034. Thursday Evening Book Group. The Thursday Evening Book Discussion Group meets on the first Thursday evening of each month in the library’s conference room. This month’s book is “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” by Matthew Diamond. Light refreshments are served. All are welcome. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. 703-248-5035.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6 Farmer’s Market. The award-winning, year-round market is filled with fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and much more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9
a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034. Cherry Hill Ice Cream Social. Cherry Hill Farmhouse celebrates the start of its open house season with some family fun. Interested residents can enjoy yard games, tours and ice cream. Attendees have a chance to use the old fashioned ice cream maker and see how ice cream was made in the 1860s. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). 10 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5171. Lorenzo the Great! At the Library. Magical fun for the whole family. Recommended for ages 5 and up. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. 703-248-5034.
MONDAY, APRIL 8 Preschool Storytime. Stories and fun for ages 0-5. Drop-in. All sto-
rytimes are followed by playtime with the Early Literacy Center toys. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10:30 – 11 a.m. 703-248-5034. Playtime with Early Literacy Center Toys. Explore educational and manipulative items (aka toys) to teach early literacy through play. Ages birth to 5 years. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034.
TUESDAY, APRIL 9 Great Books Discussion. A “Great Books” discussion concentrating on literary classics This month’s book is “Odes, Book III” by Horace including “Dulce et Decorum Est.” Open to all and no registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8:30 p.m.
THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 5
“Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” Three women—an art restorer, her nurse and their military captor—are trapped in a ravaged museum during a catastrophic hundred years war. Tasked with restoring a damaged Rembrandt painting, the women find common shreds of humanity as they try to save a small symbol of beauty in their broken world. Signature Theatre (420 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $40 – $89. 7 p.m. sigtheatre.com.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6 “Alice in Wonderland.” “Curiouser and curiouser” down the Rabbit Hole we go! Come join Alice on her fantastical journey through Wonderland. The White Rabbit, The Cheshire Cat, The Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, all your favorite characters are here in this musical adaptation of the classic Lewis Carroll tale. Another one of the original
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adaptations that is being revisited for the 10th anniversary season, Alice gives the entire family a chance to spend an utterly “mad, mad day” at the Cauldron enjoying one of the most famous and enduring children’s classics of all time. Creative Cauldron (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church) $18. 7:30 p.m. creativecauldron.org.
“columbinus.” Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the tragic 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, this docudrama combines fact and fiction to illuminate the dark realities of adolescence. Weaving together excerpts of real interviews with parents, survivors, and community leaders and powerful characterizations of contemporary teens, “columbinus” thoughtfully explores the Columbine shooting and the conversations that continue to this day. 1st Stage Theatre (1524 Spring Hill Rd.,Tysons) $39. 8 p.m. 1ststagetysons.edu.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 “August: Osage County.” A missing father, a pill-popping mother and three sisters harboring dubious little secrets. When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, their Oklahoma family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling mysteries. Mix in Violet, the drugged-up, scathingly acidic matriarch, and you’ve got a major play that unflinchingly—and uproariously—exposes the dark side of the Midwestern American family. James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd. Falls Church) $17 – $20. 2 p.m. providenceplayers.org.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, APRIL 4 Andrew O’Day. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Sean Tracy Live and In Concert. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703237-8333.
APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 27
Game of Thrones Trivia. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-858-9186. Tracy Bonham + Blake Morgan. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $18. 8 p.m. 703-2551566. Tom Paxton & The Donjuans. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $24 – $29. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Southern Accents: A Tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $18. 8:30 p.m. 703-237-0300. Thrillbillys. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
FRIDAY, APRIL 5 Brook Yoder. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Happy Hour: Mike Tash & Mary Shaver. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-241-9504. The Apple Core + Ashcats: AC/AC Rock Concert. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $16 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Swingles. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $42 – $48. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Shartel & Hume. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9:15 p.m. 703-2419504. The Legwarmer’s — DC’s Biggest ‘80s Retro Dance Party (encore performance the following night at the same time and price). The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $20. 9:30 p.m. 703-237-0300.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6 Snake Farmers. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Lenny
Burridge.
Clare
and
DIXIELAND DIRECT will be at JV’s Restaurant on Sunday (Photo: DixielandDirect.Com) Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283.
p.m. 703-532-9283.
The Nields. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $18 – $22. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.
Leesburg Pike Bluegrass. Famille Cafe (700-A W. Broad St., Falls Church). 11 a.m.
A BandHouse Gigs Tribute to XTC. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $25 – $30. 8 p.m. 703255-1900.
Dixieland Direct. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Karaoke. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-858-9186.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
A Cappella for Autism. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $20. 1 p.m. 703-255-1566.
Young Relics. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Johnny & The Headhunters. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
The Later Late Show: Main Stage Comedy Showcase. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 10 p.m. 703-255-1566.
Open Mic with Bob Sheppard. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186.
Boardwalk Karaoke. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 10
Denny Laine “Up Close And Personal” Solo Songs and Stories Show. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple
Ave. E, Vienna). $35 – $40. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.
MONDAY, APRIL 8 Haley Reinhart with Butler. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $25 – $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.
TUESDAY, APRIL 9 Tow’rs with Strong Water + Maddie Mae. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $20. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Majestic: LGBTQ Night. Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 571-234-2045.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 Special Event: Laura Baron & Roger Friedman CD Release Party Live and In Concert. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Arlington). 8:30 p.m. 703522-8340.
Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.
PAGE 28 | APRIL 4 - 10, 2019
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Public Notice ABC LICENSE GEZANA LLC.,Trading as: LEYU SUPERMARKET, 5820 Seminary Road, Suite E, Falls Church, Virginia 22041-3045. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Beer and Wine Off Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Senait Hadgu, Owner. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA VOLUNTEERS who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-248-5014, cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, or www.fallschurchva.gov/BC)for an application form or more information. Positions advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month. Architectural Advisory Board Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Board of Building Code and Fire Prevention Code Appeals Board of Zoning Appeals City Employee Review Board Environmental Sustainability Council Historical Commission Library Board of Trustees Tree Commission Regional Boards/Commissions: Fairfax Area Commission on Aging Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board
fcnp.com
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinances referenced below were given first reading on March 25, 2019. Public hearings are scheduled for Monday, April 8 and Monday, April 22, 2019, with second reading and final Council action scheduled for Monday, April 22, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matters may be heard. (TO19-02) ORDINANCE FIXING AND DETERMINING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2020: GENERAL FUND; SCHOOL OPERATING FUND; SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND; SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE FUND; CABLE ACCESS FUND; SEWER FUND; AND STORMWATER FUND (TO19-03) ORDINANCE FIXING AND DETERMINING THE FY2020-FY2025 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 (TO19-04) ORDINANCE SETTING THE RATE OF TAX LEVY ON REAL ESTATE FOR TAX YEAR 2020 AND ON PERSONAL PROPERTY, MACHINERY AND TOOLS AND ALL OTHER PROPERTY SEGREGATED BY LAW FOR LOCAL TAXATION IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH VIRGINIA FOR TAX YEAR 2019 The proposed real estate tax rate for the tax year beginning July 1, 2019 is: $1.355 upon each $100.00 of assessed value of real estate in the City of Falls Church. The proposed tax rate for tangible personal property, and machinery and tools, and all other property segregated by law for the tax year beginning January 1, 2019 is: $5.00 upon each $100.00 of assessed value on tangible personal property, and machinery and tools, and all other property segregated by law for local taxation within the City, including the property separately classified by Section 58.1-3500 et seq. of the Code of Virginia except such personal property as is exempted; and except that pursuant to Section 58.1-2606 of the Code of Virginia, a portion of assessed value of tangible personal property of public service corporations shall be taxed at the real estate rate. All public hearings will be held in the in the Community Center, Senior Center, 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711) CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK
Auction ATTENTION AUCTIONEERS: Adver-
tise your upcoming auctions statewide or 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
Garage Sale GARAGE SALE: Fredericksburg, VA. HUGE Indoor Garage Sale April 13-14, Fredericksburg Expo Center. 200 Sellers under one roof. Admission $4 April 13: 9am-5pm and April 14: 10am-3pm. www. everythingbutthegarage.com
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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.
KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy
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A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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1. Mergers and buyouts 6. Delany or Carvey 10. Stoker of fear? 14. “The Governator” 15. Wishy-washy response 16. Actress Malone of “The Hunger Games” 17. Cancer, e.g. 19. Author Robert ____ Butler 20. Protein source in a vegan diet 21. Amts. of blood 22. Cold treat, informally 23. Comment upon bumping into an old friend 28. Awkward way to be caught 30. QB’s cry 31. Strength of character 34. Adolph who coined the motto “All the News That’s Fit to Print” 38. “You’re never too ____ learn” 39. 22nd out of 26 40. Facebook Messenger precursor 41. Danny who co-starred in “White Christmas” 42. “The Godfather” actress 44. Garfield’s owner, in the funnies 45. Author Lee 46. Southern rock band with the 2012 hit “Hold On” 52. What a divorce may generate for a celeb 53. It may be a shocker 54. “Bali ____” (Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune) 57. “The Clan of the Cave Bear” novelist
STRANGE BREW
1. Mergers and buyouts
APRIL 4 – 10, 2019 | PAGE 29
58. Outlets for artisans ... or what you do by solving 17-, 23-, 31-, 42and 46-Across 62. Woman of the Haus 63. Sassy 64. From head ____ 65. Smears, as a reputation 66. Like some cheeks and outlooks 67. Air passenger’s request
DOWN
1. Häagen-____ 2. Suffix with switch 3. Character played by Mickey Rooney in 16 films 4. Number of weeks per annum? 5. Where the buoys are 6. “Boogie Oogie Oogie” music genre 7. Not quite right 8. Badger or hound 9. “The Fountainhead” author Rand 10. Tennis’ Borg 11. Enter again 12. In the blink of ____ 13. Downton Abbey, e.g. 18. Symbol seen on viola music 22. Bacon runoff 24. Overjoy 25. Disney’s “____ & Stitch” 26. “Of ____ Sing” (Pulitzer-winning Gershwin show) 27. Capek play that debuted the word “robot” 28. “Nothing’s broken” 29. The Big Easy, by another nickname 32. The first Mrs. Trump
JOHN DEERING
Sudoku
33. ____ Paese (variety of cheese) 34. Earth tone 35. They may be made with pitching wedges 36. Lion : pride :: ____ : husk 37. Suffix with trick 40. “Out of Africa” author Dinesen 42. Friend of Huck 43. Something to grind to? 44. Place for pickles 46. Toward the stern 47. Actress Linney in “Kinsey” 48. “You’re such ____ for helping” 49. 3.3, give or take 50. Retail giant established in 1886 that filed for bankruptcy in 2018 51. Whopping 55. Soldier who’s gone missing 56. “Mm-hmm” 58. Letters on some kits 59. ____ Speedwagon 60. Bus stop: Abbr. 61. ____ polloi Last Thursday’s Solution I G O T O N E T S H R C A R E T I N A L A R T S E C R E T E N I M N E T U P H E A V E S E R I C E P R O P M E N W I L I E S T T H E I N D N C O R A W N H L O N O O O O D I N O D E T O Y O P A R I C O H F A S T L E A V E S I N A H C L A W M A C H I E L S E E S S
A P E D D O M E E M I S A P H S F L O E C A S T Y I P I N O T G I S O N D A F T U F F N E E
By The Mepham Group
Level 1 2 3 4
6. Delany or Carvey 10. Stoker of fear? 14. "The Governator" 15. Wishy-washy response 16. Actress Malone of "The Hunger Games" 17. Cancer, e.g. 19. Author Robert ____ Butler 20. Protein source in a vegan diet
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21. Amts. of blood 22. Cold treat, informally 23. Comment upon bumping into an old friend 28. Awkward way to be caught 30. QB's cry
NICK KNACK
© 2019 N.F. Benton
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
1
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Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
LO CA L
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dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas
20 s Yearo Ag
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BACK IN THE DAY
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press Falls Church News-Press Vol. IX, No. 4 • April 8, 1999
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XIX, No. 6 • April 9, 2009
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Critter Corner 10 Year s Ago
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
Shields: Fairfax Water Lawsuit Aims to Expel F.C. from County
City Students Finish 1st in State in 11 Mandated Tests Falls Church City Public School students came in first in Virginia on 11 of 12 national-norm tests required by the Virginia Board of Education. In the one test, Falls Church students came in second behind Lexington City schools, home of the Virginia Military Academy and Randoplh-Macon College. The Virginia Board of Education requires the Stanford 9 battery as part of the Virginia State Assessment Program.
The City of Falls Church’s water system is the victim of a takeover push by the Fairfax Water Authority that is seeking to “eliminate” other water systems from providing service in Fairfax County. In an exclusive Q and A with the NewsPress this week, this is the assessment of Wyatt Shields, City Manager of the City of Falls Church, in response to a $21 million lawsuit filed recently by the County’s water system against Falls Church
Falls Church’s Dibrell Fulcher Follin Dies Dibrell Fulcher Follin of Falls Church, Va. passed away March 20 at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va. A resident of Falls Church since 1948, she was 91. Mrs. Follin graduated from Temperance High School in 1944 and Mary Washington College in 1947. She taught at Fairfax High School from 1947 until 1950, where she met her husband John Walker (Jack) Follin. They were married in Amherst, Va. on July 9, 1948. Mrs. Follin left teaching to become a full-time homemaker upon the birth of their first child. Mrs. Follin spent her life in faithful service to others including family, friends and neighbors in need. She was active in the senior recreation program at the Falls Church Community Center, where she led a senior exercise class until her death. She was an active participant and leader of several other local exercise groups. Mrs. Follin was an avid walker, greeting neighbors on her daily strolls. She loved flowers, her yard work, sewing and was a devoted reader of
newspapers. Mrs. Follin served as Sunday school kindergarten teacher at Crossman United Methodist Church for many years. She was a dog lover, raising three Samoyeds of her own. Mrs. Follin was born Annie Dibrell Fulcher on December 9, 1927 to Willard Montague (John) and Annie Phillips Fulcher at home on their farm in Amherst County, Va. She is survived by daughter Terri Holdway of Memphis, Tenn., sons Rodney (Peggy Tucker) of Centreville, Va. and Gary (Kim) of Falls Church, sister Barbara Mays of Amherst, sister-in-law Joann Fulcher of Gainesville, Va., sister-in-law Katherine Hodkinson (Robert) of Oklahoma City, Okla., numerous nephews and nieces, and grand-dogs Annie and Ozzy, as well as two special family friends, Tom Anderson and John Ballenger. Mrs. Follin was predeceased by her husband Jack of Falls Church and brother Thomas Fulcher of Gainesville. A celebration of life will be held on April 6 at 1 p.m. at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 7426
Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
CRIME REPORT Week of March 25 – 31, 2019
DIBRELL FULCHER FOLLIN Idylwood Road, Falls Church, VA, 22043. A reception will immediately follow at Pistone’s Italian Inn, 6320 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, 22044. Interment will occur at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, well wishers may donate to the Falls Church Senior Center, 223 Little Falls Street, Falls Church, VA, 22046.
Promposals
W HAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING A TEENAGER
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ON THE FIRST DAY of April, the cat-loving Duncan family on S. West St. celebrated the birth last century of Trilby, the undisputed oldest feline in Falls Church. She is 23, which in people years works out to be 108. Trilby observed the milestone with her traditional morning yowl, a bowl of fried chicken, and a long stroll around the sunny backyard. Where were you in 1996?
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Identity Theft, 100 blk Chanel Ter, Mar 25, 5:19 PM, an incident of identity theft was reported. Larceny-Shoplifting, 1230 W Broad St (Giant Food), Mar 25, 7:41 PM, unknown suspect described as a black male, approximately 40-50 years old, and wearing a blue jacket and a baseball cap, attempted to steal merchandise valued at more than $400. Merchandise was recovered. Investigation continues.
Alexandria, VA, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana. Hit and Run, 900-1200 blk W Broad St, between 8 PM, Mar 27 and 8 AM, Mar 28, several City signs and street lights, valued at $19,700, were damaged/destroyed, possibly by a large truck with an oversized load. Investigation continues. Drug/Narcotic Violation, 1000 blk W Broad St, Mar 28, 4:59 PM, a male, 59, of Bluemont, VA, was arrested for Felony Possession of Cocaine.
Burglary-Commercial, 450 W Broad St, between 5:30 PM, Mar 22 and 2:27 PM, Mar 26, an office was broken into and a laptop was taken. Investigation continues.
Hit and Run, 1000 blk Hillwood Ave, Mar 28, 6:45 PM, a vehicle driving east bound was struck by a black Mazda hatchback which left the scene. Investigation continues.
Hit and Run, 1112-B W Broad St, Mar 26, between 9:45 AM and 5:45 PM, a parked vehicle was struck by another vehicle which left the scene.
Larceny from Vehicle, 900 blk Ellison St, Mar 29, 1:42 AM, a van’s front door lock was punched out and items of value were taken. Investigation continues.
Drug/Narcotic Violation, Driving Under the Influence, Gordon Rd/W Broad St, Mar 26, 10:17 PM, a female, 35, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Drug/Narcotic Violation, 100 blk Hillwood Ave, Mar 30, 9:34 PM, following a traffic stop, a male, 25, of Falls Church, VA, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana.
Drug/Narcotic Violation, 400 blk Roosevelt Blvd, Mar 27, 8:14 AM, following a traffic stop, a female, 25, of
Tampering with Auto, 400 blk E Broad St, between 6:30 PM, Mar 30 and 11:35 AM, Mar 31, unknown suspect(s) damaged the door of a vehicle parked in a driveway.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Home & Away...Help is on the way!
APRIL 4 - 10, 2019 | PAGE 31
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
PAGE 32 | APRIL 4 - 10, 2019
Coming soon in Arlington!
ROCK STAR Realty ... ROCK STAR Service
TM
Call ROCK STAR Realty Group when buying or selling your home: 703-867-8674
FOR SALE Open Sun 2-4
FOR SALE Open Sun 2-4
107 Hillier St, Falls Church City
9529 Stevebrook Rd., Fairfax
5,061 sq ft
FCC Schools
Cul-de-sac
Bonus room
4 bedrooms
4 full & 1 half bath
4 bedrooms
2 full & 1 half bath
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
Walk to Westover Village, parks, library and bike path from this updated Colonial nestled on a wide lot in Tara. Renovated kitchen opens to dining room; sunporch off dining room; living room fireplace; main level bedroom/den with full renovated bath. Lower level rec room, bath, and storage. Three bedrooms and two updated baths upstairs. Wood floors, vintage details. Priced at $ 975,000. 1613 N Harrison St, Arlington. 402 W Rosemary Lane, Falls Church City
®
REALTOR
116 S Cherry St, Falls Church City
Walk to shopping, dining
FCC Schools
Walk to Metro & more
FCC Schools
4 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
4 bedrooms
2 full & 1 half bath
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
703-867-8674
Tori@ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com 2101 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
© 2019 Tori McKinney, LLC