May 7 — 13, 2020
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 • V OL. X XX NO. 12
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F.C. Council Plans Next Steps With Statewide Reopening Looming Fairfax Health Officials’ Predicted Infection Peak of May 25 Counters Economic Hopes
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields announced to the City Council during its online work session Monday night that a local business reopening group
has been formed to help the City craft and execute its response to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s tentative plan to begin a measured Phase 1 reopening of some business activity in the state by the end of next week. This comes even as Covid-19
Summer School Decision Comes Friday as Graduation Prep Starts BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
The decision on whether there will be any face-to-face summer school sessions for the Falls Church City Public Schools will be announced by Superintendent Peter Noonan tomorrow, which was discussed at the online meeting of the system’s School Board Tuesday night. Noonan said his decision will come following his weekly online meeting with the Fairfax County Public Health Department Friday morning. He said that at last week’s meeting, it was established that new cases of Covid-19 infections were still on the rise and expected to continue to an estimated apex on May 25. He said the system is in the process of transition planning to what may follow as the crisis hopefully begins to mitigate over the summer, and that it is proceed-
infections continue to rise in this region, with numbers not expected to peak until May 25, according to Fairfax County Health Department officials. Shields told the News-Press Tuesday that he assigned key members of the City staff to the
group with the purpose of being prepared to help businesses as they transition to the governor’s Phase 1 reopening. The team is composed of Economic Development Office chief Becky Witsman, fire official Henry Lane, emergency manager Joe Carter and building
official Doug Fraser. Shields indicated that he might add more from the private sector. Northam’s May 15 target for initial openings, however, remains subject to data about the progress
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ing with newly-announced innovative plans for the graduation of the Class of 2020 at George Mason High School. The plan, developed with student contributors, actually kicked off this week with the surprise deployment of signs distributed to the homes of 183 graduating seniors announcing that a “GMHS Class of 2020 student lives here.” The Mason PTSA spearheaded the effort that also included scores of signs for businesses and citizens saying “We Stand With the GMHS Class of 2020.” The next step will see the distribution of caps and gowns to the graduating students that will be carried out tomorrow with driveby distribution outside at the high school and directions for each student to create a video at home showing students wearing their IT’S GRAD SEASON. Sure, it may feel a bit different than years past due to the coronavirus pancaps and gowns and turning tas- demic, but families of George Mason High School graduates still proudly displayed the signs either in their windows or their front lawns in honor of their newest graduate. (P����: FCCPS P����/
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SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 8
SEE STORY, PAGE 15
The deadline has been moved to next Friday, May 15 for the City of Falls Church Economic Development Authority (EDA)’s Small Business Covid-19 Emergency Grant program in order to give business owners enough time to complete applications.
After seeing how people from around the country took matters into their own hands and made protective masks and face shields to help the shortage during the pandemic, career do0ityourself-er Jon Girard and his wife Jennifer sprang into action.
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Northern Virginia’s own “Rockin’ the Suburbs” podcast from Falls Church’s Patrick Foster and Ashburn resident Jim Lenahan will take their show to Jammin’ Java’s stage next Wednesday. SEE PRESS PASS, PAGE 14
INDEX Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 News & Notes............................10–11 Comment ............................... 7,12–13 Crime Report .................................... 12 Calendar ........................................... 14 Classified Ads ................................... 16 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 17 Business News ................................. 18 Critter Corner.................................... 18
