May 28 - June 3, 2015
Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
Founded 1991 • Vol. XXV N o . 14
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Major Road Work on S. West St. Announced
A major road rebuilding effort, going far deeper than merely a repaving, will create significant disruptions on S. West St. between a mid-June and late-September time frame in the City of Falls Church. See News Briefs, page 8
As Filing Deadline Looms, a Dearth Of F.C. Council Candidates So Far S howing the C olors
Baroukh Remains Undecided, Barry Wants Back In by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
ority over the LEED certification, which at this point would significantly slow down the completion of the project. While everyone who spoke out on the City Council expressed disappointment at the situation, it was Council member Marybeth Connelly who reminded her colleagues that the Council failed to take the opportunity to stipulate a
Thinking of running for the Falls Church City Council? It’s not too late! All it will take is 125 valid signatures of City of Falls Church registered voters and a few other forms that need to be submitted to the City Registrar’s office by 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 9. The same goes if you want to run for a position on the F.C. School Board. The petition signature forms are available at the Registrar’s office and on line. One would think that with as many things as there are going on in and around Falls Church these days that there would be a robust outpouring of interest in holding a position of considerable influence on all or a number of issues. But so far, there is little evidence of such interest. So far, only two of the three incumbents on the City Council whose seats will be subject to election this November have bothered to file. Following the filing of Councilman Phil Duncan last week, Mayor David Tarter confirmed to the News-Press Tuesday that he, too, had completed the process and filed his paperwork to seek re-election. (Late yesterday, Duncan notified the NewsPress that he’s been officially certified for the election by the City Registrar’s office. Duncan commented on the news, “Thank you to everyone who signed my candidacy petitions. I’m looking forward to asking for your support as I wage another campaign for community, civility and progress in the City.”) But Nader Baroukh, the former
Continued on Page 4
Continued on Page 5
Lil City Creamery Brings Passion, Ice Cream to F.C. It helps to be passionate about what you’re selling and Jeff Goldberg sure is passionate about ice cream. See page 23
Maureen Dowd: Driving Uber Mad
On a reporting expedition to Los Angeles recently, I realized I could stop renting cars. I would never again have to brave the LA freeway behind the wheel. I had Uber. See page 15
Press Pass with Death
Bobby Hackney, lead vocalist and bassist of the protopunk band Death, said that his band’s live shows “are rock n’ roll.” See page 22
THE HONOR GUARD FROM American Legion Post 130 in Falls Church presented the colors at Monday’s Memorial Day service held in front of the Community Center at the site of the City’s Veterans Memorial. (Photo: Larry Golfer)
No Environmentalist Seal of Approval for New Mt. Daniel by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Index Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.12-13 Comment........14-17 Calendar.........20-21
Sports .................26 Classified Ads .....28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........29 Critter Corner.......30
An extra $85,000 was removed from a budget supplemental by the Falls Church City Council Tuesday night when it was reported that, despite the urging in the last weeks from Council member Dan Sze, the new Mt. Daniel Elementary School construction project already in its preliminary stages will not be crafted to meet
so-called “LEED Silver” environmental certification standards. This was what Sze reported following a four-hour conference call between himself, F.C. School Superintendent Dr. Tony Jones and the schools’ construction contractors last Friday. It was argued in that meeting, Sze reported, that the Schools’ priority of having the new expanded elementary school open in time for the beginning of the Fall 2016 school year took pri-