May 6 – 12, 2021
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. XXXI NO. 12
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Federal $ Expected to Bolster New Revenue From F.C. Developments Rep. Beyer Carrying 3 F.C. City Projects for Federal Funding BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
As the fruits of aggressive economic development in the City of Falls Church have resulted in last week’s decision by the F.C. City
Council to lower its real estate tax rate by 3.5 cents, the first reduction in 15 years and favorably compared to the single-penny reduction in neighboring giant Fairfax County as its Board of Supervisors voted earlier this week.
F.C.’s Memorial Day Returns Where Parade Comes to You BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
The Memorial Day Parade and Festival functions almost as an annual open house for the City of Falls Church. Visitors from all across the Washington, D.C. metro area (and beyond) get to experience the hospitality of the Little City while capping it off with a one-of-a-kind show to boot. Unfortunately, the traditional Memorial Day bonanza won’t be taking place for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic. What the City won’t allow itself to do is completely punt on the festivities as it did previously, and is instead bringing it to each and every resident in town. “Although we’re unable to host our Memorial Day Parade and Festival as we typically do, we have been able to modify a number of our annual activities as well as incorporate a few new ones,” Scarlett Williams, the City’s Recreation and
Parks Department’s special events coordinator, wrote to the News-Press. We’ll get to those fun new activities in a bit. For now, let’s focus on the more serious parts of the occasion. The City will honor the military at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 11 a.m., and will follow that up with a performance by the Quantico Marine Corps Band at 12:30 p.m. Following that is the marquee event — the parade. Starting at 2:30 p.m., the parade route essentially circumnavigates the entire City. Starting on Great Falls Street, it will head west to N. West Street, down the usual Park Avenue stretch and then up N. Washington Street. From there, it will zip from Columbia Street to Tuckahoe Street and then down Roosevelt Street before going back toward the City center on Hillwood Avenue. It will ping around multiple neighborhood streets until it concludes at the intersection of S.
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But that’s not all. Outside help is also pouring into the Little City, coming mostly in the form of robust federal funding derived from President Biden’s Covid Relief “American Rescue Plan” and, still to be passed, his $2 trillion-or-so
“Jobs and Infrastructure” initiative. In addition, the City’s U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. has advanced three City funding requests for $2.8 million that local officials hope can be spent in the next year on multi-modal transportation, electric
school bus and stormwater mitigation projects. In an interview with the NewsPress Wednesday, Beyer hailed the achievements of President Biden in
Continued on Page 5
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THE GRAND MARSHALS for Falls Church’s Women’s History Walk all gathered for a photo in Big Chimneys Park on Sunday. Marie Hirst Yochim was honored posthumously, with a relative standing in (far left). The remaining grand marshals were (from left to right): Alma Amaker, Doris Newcomb, Mary Ellen Shaw, Sally Phillips and Ellen Salsbury. (P����: J. M������ W�����)
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SEE STORY, PAGE 2
David Thong, a local musician, recalls playing a show this past winter when it was only 38 degrees outside, saying he was surprised just how many people came out in the cold to see live music. Now Covid-19 vaccinations increasing, he’s eager to see droves of fans return to shows after a long year. SEE PRESS PASS, PAGE 18
Falls Church High School’s Spotlight Theatre recently performed the musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” which wonderfully evoked childhood memories of “Peanuts,” along with memories of childhood — its joys, insecurities and occasional frustrations.
In our age of quick obsolescence and nonbiodegradable electronics, Falls Churchbased eAsset Solutions has emerged as a scrappy player in the modern effort to reduce, reuse and recycle with its environmentally friendly disposal process.
SEE STORY, PAGE 3
INDEX
Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes.............................10-11 Crime Report .................................... 12 Business News ................................. 15 Calendar .....................................16-17 Classified Ads ................................... 20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 21 Critter Corner.................................... 22