May 21 - 27, 2015
Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
Founded 1991 • Vol. XXV N o . 13
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Falls Church Memorial Day Program Inside The official program and guide to Monday’s City of Falls Church Memorial Day Parade Festival is inside this edition complete with festival map, schedule, vendor and parade lineups, Memorial Day features and much more. See pullout inside
June 6 ‘Visioning’ Set for School Property
Falls Church’s Biggest Party: Annual Memorial Day Parade & Fete Monday Parade at 2, Rain F.C. P it S top Free Forecast, & A Food Drive
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
seek re-election. Councilman Phil Duncan and School Board chair Justin Castillo have posted required materials at the City registrar’s office in City Hall, but there has been no peeps from anyone else, at least so far. In addition to Duncan’s, terms expire for Council member Nader Baroukh and Mayor David Tarter
It’s the biggest party of the year in the City of Falls Church. The annual Memorial Day Parade and Festival will engulf areas around City Hall with as many as 15,000 people from the entire region, and hundreds of colorful booth and food vendors, live music and the big parade comes down Park Avenue that starts at 2 p.m., all built around a solemn Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at 11 a.m. According to Weather.com, it will be an ideal day to enjoy all this special event has to offer. It will be overcast but with only a 10 percent chance of rain, and the temperature should top out at 90 degrees. It’s a day when a lot of old friendships are rekindled as people who’ve moved away from the City come back for the day and bump into old pals. There are also plenty of pets, mostly dogs, around, and strollers. This edition of the News-Press includes a special 16 page insert which doubles as the official program for the day’s event. Those inserts will be widely circulated at the site on Monday, as well. Readers will be able to find every booth and follow the progression of the parade by referencing it, as well as to know when their favorite musical group takes to the bandstand. The News-Press has always had a big presence at the parade and festival, in addition to the official program and an impressive forest green convertible Mustang in the parade, over 20 years of
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The consulting firm of Cooper Carry was retained to lead a firststep “visioning process” aimed at engaging the community and stakeholders in a conversation on how the development of 39 acres of City of Falls Church land might look. See News Briefs, page 9
David Brooks: Learning From Mistakes If you could go back to 1889 and strangle Adolf Hitler in his crib, would you do it? At one level, the answer is obvious. Of course, you should. See page 12
Press Pass with Kanisha K
Kanisha K is trying something new in the stage performances for her upcoming tour run with Ryan Aderrey: she’s going acoustic. See page 37
THE BASE OF THE BIKE BRIDGE on the W&OD Bike Trail in Falls Church was the scene of a “pit stop” for bikers taking to heart the “Bike to Work” day promotion throughout the region last Friday. In addition to provisions for the bikers, water and supplies, members of a regional bike club were on hand and costumed up to cheer on anyone coming through the area with whistles and horns. The “pit stop” was operational during the morning rush hour and again in the late afternoon. (Photo: News-Press)
June 9 Filing Deadline Looms For F.C. Fall Council Election by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index Editorial..................6 Letters..............6, 35 News & Notes.10-11 Comment..12-14, 31 Calendar.........32-33
Sports .................38 Classified Ads .....40 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........41 Critter Corner.......42
Talk about a date that may be sneaking up on people, especially those who plan to run for the City Council or School Board in the City of Falls Church, consider June 9, just two and a half weeks from now. That Tuesday is when all the filing papers, including required
125 valid petition signatures of City residents, have to be in the hands of the City’s Registrar of Voters at City Hall in order for names to appear on the November ballot this fall. There are three of the seven positions on the Council and School Board that will be up for grabs this November, and so far only one incumbent for each body has filed with the City registrar to