Falls Church News-Press 6-17-2021

June 17 – 23, 2021

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FOU N D E D 1991 • VOL. XXXI NO. 18

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With F.C. Fully Reopened, It’s Party Time In The Little City Lack of Restrictions Move Into 3rd Week

BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The advent of various vaccines has put the Covid-19 pandemic in full retreat, and people are finally ready to live it up after a year-plus of sheltering. Local mainstays of summer fun are all too eager to welcome back patrons and join in on the air of celebration taking hold.

Pools are an emblem of summer’s arrival, and things have changed drastically for swimmers and sunbathers since last year, much to their delight.

“People are definitely enjoying it. They’re really happy,” Hayden Abbott, the assistant manager at High Point Pool, said. “We’re back at full capacity as far as staff so the guards are happy they’re getting more hours.

Even our bosses are happier because they don’t have to go through all the hoops to set everything up. It was really stressful on the board last year to make sure everything was following regulations.”

Capacity restrictions at High

Continued on Page 5

READY TO DIVE INTO SUMMER are locals all around the Falls Church area. Pools are fully reopened, recreation centers are allowing people back in without reservations and concert venues are ready to rock out with major acts. (P����: N���-P����)

F.C. City Council Delays Vote on West Falls Oversight Group

BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

The Falls Church City Council, after an hour-long closed session Monday, voted to defer action for two weeks on the creation of a proposed West Falls Community

Development Authority (CDA) designed to fund infrastructure improvements on the 9.78-acre West Falls Gateway project with bonds funded solely by taxing stakeholders at the site.

The vote to defer was 5-0 with Council members Ross Litkenhous

and David Snyder absent.

The move for the establishment of the CDA comes as the demolition of the old George Mason High School is almost completely done and the process of leveling the land is now underway.

The CDA is being set up with the

help of value assessment advisor to the City, Ted Risher, who met with the Council in Monday’s closed session before the Council emerged to postpone action on the matter for two weeks.

Continued on Page 4

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SEE STORY, PAGE 8

SEE STORY, PAGE 23

The shared adoration for ice cream is only part of the draw of Jake’s Ice Cream shop, which is opening in Barcroft Plaza in July. The goal for owner Robin Rinearson is to also give a sense of fulfillment to its entire staff of adults with special needs.

Like the taste of country biscuits lathered with huge dollops of butter, Patsy Cline’s voice and songs are a taste of a sumptuous concert in Cherry Hill Park, the scene of Creative Cauldron’s newest show which runs through this weekend (pending rain).

INDEX

Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes................................... 10 Business News ................................. 11 Crime Report .................................... 12 Calendar .....................................16-17 Classified Ads ................................... 20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 21 Critter Corner.................................... 22

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PAGE 2 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

CITY OF FALLS CHURCH: GET VACCINATED!

¡VACÚNESE!

HÃY TIÊM NGỪA!

Schedule an Appointment Vaccines.gov fallschurchva.gov/VAMS

Programe una cita Vaccines.gov fallschurchva.gov/VAMS

Xếp Lịch Hẹn Vaccines.gov fallschurchva.gov/VAMS

Walk-In Clinic The old Lord & Taylor store at Tysons Mall Tysons stop on the Metro Silver Line Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 8:30 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday: 11 a.m. — 8 p.m.

Closes on June 26

Clínica de atención sin turno previo La antigua tienda Lord & Taylor en el centro comercial de Tyson Parada en Tyson de la Línea Plata del metro Lunes, miércoles, viernes, sábado: 8:30 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.

Martes y jueves: 11 a.m. — 8 p.m.

Finaliza el 26 de junio

Phòng Khám Không Đặt Hẹn Cửa hiệu cũ Lord & Taylor tại Tysons Mall Trạm Tysons trên Tuyến Metro Silver thứ Thứ Hai, Thứ Tư, Thứ Sáu, Thứ Bảy: 8:30 a.m. — 5:30pm Thứ ba và thứ năm: 11 a.m. — 8 .m.

Kết thúc vào ngày 26/6

Help in Your Language Call the Virginia Department of Health for translators in 100 languages, 877-829-4682 (TTY 711)

Ayuda en su idioma Comuníquese con el Departamento de Salud de Virginia para solicitar traductores en 100 idiomas, al 877-829-4682 (TTY 711).

Hỗtrợbằng Ngôn Ngữcủa Quý Vị Hãy gọi đến Sở Y Tế Virginia để gặp thông dịch viên bằng 100 ngôn ngữ, 877-829-4682 (TTY 711)

The vaccine is safe and free.

La vacuna es segura y gratuita.

www.fallschurchva.gov/Vaccine

Thuốc chủng ngừa là an toàn và miễn phí.

LO CA L

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 3

Reflec�ng on My 1st Trip to a Gay Club In Honor of Pride Month The News-Press celebrates LGBTQ Pride Month by publishing the following retrospective from periodic contributor Robbie Barnett.

In honor of Pride month, I share with you my very first gay club experience.

Picture it: February 2002.

I’m 20 years old. I have spiky blond hair and my outfit was a topical “Free Winona” ringer tee completed with baggy jeans and black Sketchers.

I arrived alone at The Wave in Norfolk, Virginia on a chilly Friday night. There was a line outside and I could hear Cher’s “The Music’s No Good Without You” pumping inside.

I parked my car and started walking towards the entrance. I was nervous and self-conscious.

Would everyone accept me?

I was meeting a fellow classmate inside. We sat next to each other in a computer class at the local community college and he was about 10 years my senior.

His name was Steven and was the first out gay person I ever met.

Of course I had a crush on him.

After paying the cover and

getting large X’s drawn on the top of my hands to indicate I was under 21, I walked in as if I were Alice the moment she entered Wonderland.

It was dark and there were green laser lights bouncing all over the dance floor. I awkwardly walked past a crowd of regulars who were staring at me, but I could not see their faces. I stood in the corner and frantically eyed the place for Steven. I couldn’t see him, so I walked up to the bar and ordered a Coke. It came in a can with a straw. How charming.

Cell phones weren’t really a thing yet, so I could not simply text my friend. I scanned the room and was soon relieved to find Steven. He introduced me to some of his friends, including Miguel whose drag persona was “Lia.” This was my first time ever meeting someone who did drag, let alone was in drag.

Soon enough I had loosened up and was on the dance floor with Steven and Lia. A cute boy even came over and started dancing with me too. The rest of the night was a blur, but it was the most amazing night of my adult

ROBBIE BARNETT (left) meets with his friend Steven (right) and Miguel, who was in drag as “Lia” the first time Barnett went to The Wave gay club in Norfolk. (P����: C������� R����� B������) life up until that point.

I drove home feeling very accepted and happy knowing that I finally found a place where I fit in.

Within a few short months I would become a fixture at The

We are OPEN and ready to safely serve your dental needs!

Wave and for two years I considered that place my stomping ground. I met my first three boyfriends there, saw my first drag show, danced to the best club music of the day, and met many unforgettable characters.

Here we are almost 20 years later and while I have experienced so much in the time since, I will never forget the lonely naive boy that I was before walking through the front door of The Wave that very first time.

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PAGE 4 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

‘No Intrinsic Risk’ to F.C. City for Establishing New Group

Continued from Page 1

It was explained that the reason for the deferral was simply that “more time was needed to pull together the various elements” of the deal.

The CDA is provided for in Virginia law to carve out a specific area within which participants can be taxed to pay for bonds the CDA can issue for the achievement of improvements in that area.

Shields, in comments to the open (virtual) meeting of the Council, stressed that while the City is instrumental in the establishment of the CDA, there is no “intrinsic risk to the City,” no liability of City taxpayers in general. “There is no responsibility of others in the Falls Church” outside participants in the 9.78-acre site,” he said.

As a technicality, the City will transfer title to the site to quasiindependent Falls Church Economic Development Authority (EDA) which will have the legal authority to execute a 99-year ground lease to all the parties of the West End Gateway Partners.

The draft nine-article incorporation paper to establish the CDA

stipulates that “the affairs of the Authority shall be conducted by an authority board of five members,” all appointed by the City Council and serving “at the pleasure of the City Council.”

The formal office of the CDA is stipulated as the City Manager’s office at City Hall, and the authority “is organized for the purpose of “including but by way of illustration and not limitation, financing, funding, planning, establishing, acquiring, construction or reconstructing, enlarging, extending, equipping, operating, and maintaining public infrastructure improvements.”

In other developments this Monday: * Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields reported to the F.C. Council at its meeting Monday that the Commonwealth of Virginia has confirmed the City will be the recipient of a total of $18 million in federal relief dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that will come to the City in two phases, half this summer and half next.

That is a large infusion of new resources when measured against the fact that the City’s annual oper-

ating budget is barely over $100 million.

This is on top of $3 million the City is slated to receive from corporate giant Amazon as one of a series of gifts to jurisdictions in the Northern Virginia region in response to what Amazon hopes will be a warm welcome as it puts down a second major corporate headquarters in Pentagon City.

In an article in yesterday’s Washington Post, it was reported that Amazon’s commitment is for affordable housing near Metro stations, and singled out the plan for 657 apartments and 75 townhomes on WMATA land at the West Falls Church Metro station in Fairfax County.

Shields said that the City Council is expected to form a committee this summer, perhaps a “committee of the whole” Council, to mull the utilization of these funds, which come with incumbrances and must be deployed within four years. He said the lengthy documents accompanying the awards set forth four categories of accepted uses, and matters such as stormwater controls and other infrastructure measures are among them.

He expected decisions on these matters to come in the “July-August timeframe.” * Council member Phil Duncan expressed concern over the relatively low rate of Covid-19 vaccinations in the City, which stands at 55 percent fully-vaccinated. Shields echoed Duncan’s concern that he is “surprised by” the low rate, and said he and City staff will work to address it.

“We’re behaving as if the pandemic is over or close to it,” Duncan said, but noted the goal of achieving a 70 percent fully-vaccinated rate

among adults by August 1 appears remote at this point.

(A full-page ad submitted by the City for publication in this week’s News-Press is seen as one step in response). * Shields said that the construction work on sidewalks and the roadway on S. Washington Street have been held up by supply chain disruptions related to the Covid-19 pandemic and that the problem has been solved by switching to a different company for the installation of new pavers now nearing completion on the west side of the intersection.

Status Update on Monday, June 14 City of Falls Church Date

Doses Administered

Monday, June 14

16,836

Monday, June 7

16,201

End of May

15,516

End of April End of March End of February End of January

11,339 6,185 3,237 1,077

Vaccine Data

At Least One Dose 9,233

(63.2% of population)

9,134

(62.5% of population)

9,813

(61% of population)

Fully Vaccinated 8,075

(55.2% of population)

7,524

(51.5% of population)

In celebration of OUR 30th year in business

The Falls Church News-Press is pleased to announce OUR 30th

Anniversary Party!

30

Please mark your calendar for this Thursday, July 29, 2021 Ireland's Four Provinces "4 P's" 105 W. Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046

6pm to 8pm

Special Guest: US Rep DON BEYER

Buy tickets at: fcnp.com/30thanniversaryticket

7,033

(48.1% of population)

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4,419 2,151 1,144 95

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 5

‘Everyone’s Having a Good Time’ Is General Vibe of Returning Patrons

Continued from Page 1

Point followed Phases 1, 2 and 3 guidelines all last year, so it went from only allowing 25 people at the pool to 50 people to 25 families by the season’s end. That’s in the past this pool season, with there being no restrictions of any kind for its patrons.

While there was at least a semblance of normal pool activity in 2020, a lot of High Point’s special events had been canceled. That meant no July 4th celebration that visitors were used to nor was there a penny toss where younger swimmers go diving to collect “treasure” along the pool bottom. There also wasn’t the club-versus-club competition for the swim team, which merely competed amongst itself.

Remembering 2020 might stir up positive memories for Tuckahoe Recreation Club.

General Manager Rob Castorri said that it was a record year for the center financially because over 15,000 people visited the pool,

which trumped the amount of visits they had in recent years. That even extended to the indoor pool season in the colder months, and tennis was another activity that saw record levels of interest that started throughout the past year, according to Castorri.

There were some casualties due to virus restrictions. Dive meets just came out of their two-year pause that was caused by Covid.

The club’s own special events — which span from a crab feast to an Oktoberfest to socials and wine tastings for adults — were all called off over Covid concerns, but the ones for children such as a Halloween trick-or-treat event and visiting Santa Claus all saw record turnout.

Still, Castorri couldn’t compare it to the good times he’s seeing people post-pandemic.

“Everyone’s having a good time,” Castorri said. “If you talk with 10 people, three may describe it as a comparison to how drab it was last year. The other seven will just talk about how great it is to

be back at the pool, how great the weather is and how good it is to see everyone out here.”

Gearing back up for the summer touring schedules has been quite the adjustment for Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

Erick Hoffman, the park’s spokesman, said that Wolf Trap had prepared for a concert season with capacity restrictions and limited attendance in late April given the more sheepish timeline for reopening public health authorities were sticking by. The first in-person concert wasn’t supposed to take place until July 1 under the National Symphony Orchestra.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped the recommendation for social distancing, masking and crowds for those who’ve been fully vaccinated by mid-May, Hoffman said that the park has been racing to accommodate full capacity crowds and shows for its 50th anniversary season.

That begins with Wolf Trap’s Opera performing Bologne’s “The

THE NEW ROPE COURSE at Upton Hill Regional Park opens at the end of this month. (Photo: News-Press) Anonymous Lover” on Friday and shows begin to happen more frequently starting the week after that.

Headliners such as Harry Connick Jr. and Train will make their way to the stage in Vienna come August in a newly updated performance schedule.

“Everyone from the park to foundation is thrilled to have crowds coming back at full capacity for the summer,” Hoffman said, who added that artists have been eager to add a destination venue such as Wolf Trap to their tours as well.

Other recreation activities in the area that have picked back up

include all the offerings at Upton Hill Regional Park.

Chris Pauley, NOVA Parks’ director of park operations, said that mini-golf, batting cages and the waterpark have all resumed normal operations at the park. The only difference is that the waterpark, which normally closes at 7 p.m., has been shortened an hour to 6 p.m.

Upton Hill will also be unveiling a new attraction at the end of the month, Climb UPton, a high ropes course with over 90 different elements on three different levels. It’s appropriate for visitors who are 49 inches and taller.

PAGE 6 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 

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E D I TO R I A L

Pride 2021 & Safe Spaces

This week’s edition of the News-Press includes a retrospective commentary by our friend and erstwhile contributor Robbie Barnett in which he describes his first venture at age 20 into a gay bar in Norfolk. It’s a deft and colorful account and constitutes our contribution to the celebration of this LGBTQ Pride Month even as still only baby steps are being taken to open society back up after 15 months of lockdown needed to protect against the horrid proliferation of the Covid-19 virus that has claimed over 600,000 U.S. lives so far.

There is an irony in that number of fatalities, because it almost matches the number of lives lost to the AIDS epidemic that ravaged mostly LGBTQ populations between 1981 when it was first publicly detected and 1996, when the signal was given that its virtual 100 percent death rate began being successfully mitigated by a cocktail of drugs.

It is hard to grasp the impact on the LGBTQ community that AIDS had during that 15 year stretch of time. When someone woke up to find a small purple sore on their neck or leg, it was an irreversible death sentence. The runup to any death involved terrible disintegrations of the bodies and minds of its victims, plus the social stigmas related to it, including from family and friends of victims often forced “out of the closet” by the cruel HIV virus itself.

It was in an era when being LGBTQ was not at all popular. It was in fact reviled by the vast majority in the U.S. and as recently as 2004 George W. Bush’s re-election campaign capitalized heavily on such attitudes in the general public. It took LGBTQ activists themselves to turn the tide, first against the federal government’s lack of interest in finding an effective treatment for AIDS and second, on changing popular attitudes about LGBTQ lives in general.

It must not be forgotten that America’s recent hero spearheading the antiCovid-19 effort, Dr. Anthony Fauci, was also the most visible and active proponent in the public health establishment for finding an effective treatment for AIDS. And, he’s the first to affirm that it was the “ACT UP” activism of LGBTQ persons that lit a proverbial fire under the public health establishment at the time.

Young Robbie Barnett, who is not a native of Falls Church but has a couple good friends who are, was a beneficiary of that struggle, “coming out” in the early 2000s to both enjoy life as a gay man relatively free of old stigmas and hatreds, and to make important contributions to our society as a whole.

The message in Robbie’s retrospective in this issue is the importance of “safe spaces” for LGBTQ and other vulnerable populations to relax, take personal inventory, and make enduring friendships.

We need more of such spaces. They’ve been diminishing, but we hope that post-pandemic, folks will remember how important they are.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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F.C. Schools Grade for Past Year is Closer to a ‘F’ Than an ‘A+’ Editor, Regarding your June 11 editorial “F.C. School Year’s Grade: A Hearty A+,” you seem to have conveniently forgotten that the beginning of the school district’s disappointing descent was the summer of 2020, when the school board attempted to placate the political Left — and a new covey of Leftleaning school officials — with a survey of parents regarding calls to change the names of Falls Church schools.

Never mind your simple, ahistorical assault on two advocates of freedom and responsibility who did not put into practice what they knew to be right.

In October 2020, the survey revealed that 56 percent of the community overall wanted the names to remain on the schools, including 61 percent of the parents of Thomas Jefferson Elementary students and 57 percent of George Mason High parents.

It wasn’t an election, of course.

It was a “survey,” the results of which the school board could have used to gain insight into the views of Falls Churchians.

And it could have made its decision based on the survey’s majority opinion.

But it didn’t; it seemed to pit itself against the idea that the

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essence of democracy is majority rule, the respect of decisions by a vote of more than one-half of all participants.

Despite the survey’s results, and contrary to basic democratic norms, the school board refused to listen.

It seemed to listen to one person especially: Jennifer Santiago, today’s purveyor of the school district’s “equity” indoctrination campaign, who claimed to represent the minority voice in the survey.

“While there are many times majority rules work in issues of equity, it is the opposite that is needed,” Santiago said at the decisive board meeting. “If the majority rule worked for traditionally marginalized groups, we would not have systemic racism.”

Of course, constitutional democracy requires majority rule with minority rights.

We must teach our children to protect the rights of individuals and oppose the tyranny of the majority against minorities. But ignoring the survey’s results, Ms. Santiago and the school board essentially trashed the fundamental principle of our democracy.

And so, as remarkable as it was repugnant, Ms. Santiago, the school board, and its leadership seemed unable to identify undemocratic behavior as undemocratic.

They seemed to believe, at the expense of our children, that tyranny of the minority is completely acceptable.

You have have gravely mistaken this for “moral strength.” That’s a “hearty” F. Thomas Beal Falls Church

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JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 7

New Murals in F.C. Show Commitment to Creating an Art Scene B� B�� Y����

Public art is just beginning to get the attention it deserves in Falls Church, a sign to me that the City is maturing in its two-decades-long effort to redevelop.

While it is a well-known fact — supported by a great deal of data — that public art is an important component of economic development, other needs in the City have long been the focus of attention. Central to that focus have been our public schools, the renovation of City Hall and the Mary Styles Library, expanding and maintaining parks and, only lately, affordable housing.

Where a jurisdiction decides to devote its resources, whether they be in the annual budget, the pursuit of grants, or negotiating Voluntary Concessions with developers, the result is the same: those choices are a reflection of our community’s values and what we deem important.

The long, difficult, and expensive effort by the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to develop Mr. Brown’s Park, including its wonderful mural, layout, and landscaping, is a prime example of public art at its best.

The leadership of Mike Novotney and the unrelenting efforts of Jim Snyder and Becky Witsman were major factors in that very significant accomplishment.

That mural, in turn, provided the inspiration for the mural recently com-

pleted on the north wall of the Southgate Shopping Center on East Fairfax St.,

“At the most general level, the mural is intended to represent and, indeed, inspire a more diverse City of Falls Church which though not yet achieved is a goal many hope we can realize sooner rather than later.”

across from the Falls Church (Episcopal).

This mural, which was recently completed by Bryan King and his assistant Kim Ciccarelli (brianking@artificeinc. com), to my mind has multiple purposes.

First and foremost, I’ve searched over the past year for a way to memorialize — and thank for their service and deep friendship — Barb Cram and Dan Sze, consummate civic volunteers, who over many, many years accomplished

much and inspired even more in all of us to try to emulate their example.

Also pictured is Danna Lippman, daughter of my very good friend and civic activist, Hal Lippman. Danna’s presence is intended to represent those in our community with intellectual disabilities and the more welcoming and inclusive community we have become over the years.

Against the backdrop of the play equipment in Big Chimney’s Park, a number of adults and children are depicted, intended to suggest an aspirational vision of a future Falls Church population that is far more diverse than currently is the case. Black and White, Asian and Indian and LBGTQ+,and everything in between, all are and should be welcome.

That is a goal I know I share with many, many of my fellow Falls Church citizens and one which I hope we all will continue to pursue.

The quote from Maya Angelou I thought was a fitting sentiment for the mural.

At the most general level, the mural is intended to represent and, indeed, inspire a more diverse City of Falls Church which though not yet achieved is a goal many hope we can realize sooner rather than later.

To accomplish this goal will require many kinds of efforts, from increased affordable housing of all kinds, to sup-

port for minority businesses, to needed zoning changes, and much more.

And, in all these endeavors, art in our public spaces from many sources and taking many forms can play an important part.

I’m thinking, for example, that every new development in the City, large and small, should include some type of public art.

I’m hoping that with the help of CATCH, Falls Church Arts, the Arts and Humanities Council and other community groups and organizations, and — yes — the development community as well, the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) and the City Council will provide funding to create new works of art in public spaces all over the City.

Relatively speaking, it won’t take much to make a very big difference.

Falls Church may be a small City but it has a longstanding record of accomplishing things seemingly way beyond its small size and population.

If the collective will of our citizens is strong enough, public art can be an inherent part of bringing about sustainable, positive change in Falls Church in the years to come.

Bob Young is the chair of the City of Falls Church’s Economic Development Authority and is also a local businessman

Q������� �� ��� W��� When are you traveling this summer?

• Soon

• Next month

• By summer’s end

Last Week’s Question: With all restrictions & lockdowns being dropped, do you anticipate a wave of celebration locally?

9% Not Great Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

[WRITE FOR THE PRESS]

47% No 43% Yes

FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.

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.

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PAGE 8 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Jake’s Ice Cream to Serve Up Opportunities for Special Needs Adults

by Matt Delaney

Falls Church News-Press

From a sweet end for a first date to a treat after a youth league sports game — well, depending on the result (wink) — ice cream is beloved by all. But the shared adoration for this dairy dessert is only part of the draw of a new ice cream shop opening in Barcroft Plaza, which is also aiming to give a sense of fulfillment to its staff of adults with special needs.

With an opening slated for mid-July, at the very latest, Jake’s Ice Cream will be fully staffed by adults who live with cerebral palsy, Goldenhar syndrome, have chromosomal deletion and are on the autism spectrum, among other conditions. It’s the brainchild of optometrist Robin Rinearson, who recruited patients to be employees through the practice she’s run in Bailey’s Crossroads for nearly 45 years.

While the idea to open an ice cream shop came from her longtime financial advisor (and also a patient), she was inspired to give a boost to adults with special needs after witnessing how her nephew was laid off at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“My nephew, Jake, who is special needs, has been working for a company for eight years. And when Covid hit this particular company, they let all 18 of their special needs adults basically go, but they didn’t shut down the rest of the business,” Rinearson said of her nephew, who is the store’s namesake. “So I’m going to create a job for Jake and other special needs adults.”

It wasn’t an easy sell for her to make to potential landlords.

Rinearson’s first attempt at nabbing a spot in Shirlington started out with her jumping through hoops — such as demonstrating her ability to run a business, verifying that she could pay the lease or being asked to earn her food manager’s certificate.

She tried to reason with the landlord’s representative, saying that they would be better served by having someone occupying the vacant storefront than no one. But when she laid out that she wanted to open an ice cream shop that’s staffed by people with special needs, it all but shot down the possibility of her getting that location.

“He could not get his head wrapped around the difference between special needs adults and derelict homeless people,” Rinearson said. “There was noth-

ing that I could say or do to convince him that there is a world of difference between those two populations.”

Despite going over his head and speaking with the vice president of the leasing company, Rinearson still hit a dead end and squandered three months of her search on it. That was when she turned her sights to Barcroft Plaza in greater Falls Church where she received a much warmer reception to her plan and a landlord willing to bring her on.

Getting the lease proved to be one challenge. Now there comes hiring contractors and architects to complete the space and getting the right permits from Fairfax County’s zoning office, among other things, before the ideal opening date of early next month. One thing that hasn’t been a challenge has been training the employees themselves, with Rinearson dedicating every other weekend to getting them acquainted with their responsibilities (and proving the Shirlington landlord wrong in the process).

The staffers will be making milkshakes, ice cream cakes, pies, waffle cones, hot cocoa bombs, and cake pops. And yes, knowing how to make all 24 flavors of ice cream (including four vegan ones) is part of their job, which includes some classics as well as a house specialty with a vanilla base along with pralines and a maple swirl that Rinearson is trying to perfect.

Being a part of the community is also important to the ice cream shop owner. If a delivery is late and the shop needs something, she’ll send them over to the nearby Harris Teeter with a grocery list to check off. Their customized aprons have to be dry cleaned, so they’ll have to learn to go down to the Zips dry cleaning in the plaza and drop it off. Rinearson also plans on having the staff visit the police substation located in the Mason District Governmental Center to make connections with law enforcement (and give away some free ice cream coupons as well).

She is getting help from job coaches provided by the FairfaxFalls Church Community Services Board, but she makes sure there’s no drop in professionalism given her employees’ developmental hurdles.

For instance, she has her neighbors put in orders during her athome training sessions so the staff can get used to meeting the demands of customers. Those who

still need to work on their skills are given Play-Doh to practice on at home so they know how to roll the cake in ball form. Even employees who have perceivably unworkable disabilities, such as one who’s missing part of his hand, are given tasks such as cleaning and labeling that they can efficiently do.

The effect that it’s having on the employees, as well as their family members who a good chunk often live with, is tremendous. “[His mother] looked at me and goes, ‘I’ve never talked with anybody that was encouraging. Most people look at him and say “No,”’” Rinearson said, relaying the conversation she had with the parent of the employee who only has one good hand. She then swung back to speaking from her perspective.

“He’s a sweet kid, he’ll fit in fine.

We’re going to give him a shot at it.”

Rinearson expects to make plenty of mistakes, or “paying tuition” as she put it, during this venture. She emphasized that it’s not about producing a profit, but about having fun — which was her selling point to the store’s manager who has two decades of experience in the service industry (and, you guessed it, is a patient as well).

On each job application, Rinearson asked the applicants why they wanted to work for Jake’s. To a “T,” (and without any coordination) they said they wanted to because “Ice cream makes people happy.” By giving them an opportunity no one else would, Rinearson will soon realize that she’s the one making them happy.

JAKE’S ICE CREAM will employ special needs adults for a variety of positions, which means they will make ice cream, cake pops and waffle cones (top two photos). Jake’s will be open for business this coming July. (Photos Courtesy Robin Rinearson)

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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NEWS BRIEFS Beyer Confirms Speaking at FCNP 30th Anniversary Fete The office of U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer, Jr., who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, has confirmed that Rep. Beyer will deliver keynote remarks to the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Falls Church News-Press on Thursday, July 29 at the Ireland’s Four Provinces restaurant, 100 W. Broad in F.C. The event will run from 6 – 8 p.m. and all the friends and readers of the News-Press are heartily invited to attend.

Tickets for $35 are available at fcnp. com/30thanniversaryticket.

A commemorative mug and published retrospective on the last 30 years by FCNP founder, owner and editor Nicholas F. Benton will be provided to all guests.

F.C. Sets Juneteenth Policies for June 18 The City of Falls Church government offices and services — including City Hall, the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, and Community Center — will be closed tomorrow, Friday, June 18, in observation of Juneteenth. The Library will also be closed for the holiday on Saturday, June 19, and the Community Center will be open with normal hours (8:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.).

Juneteenth recognizes the day (June 19, 1865) the last of the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were told about the Emancipation Proclamation and that all Black people were free from the bondage of slavery. In modern times, Juneteenth has become a holiday to celebrate freedom, resiliency, and African American history and culture.

The City of Falls Church declared Juneteenth a holiday for the first time in 2020, following Virginia’s declaration that a state holiday be observed. In October 2020, legislation was passed unanimously in Richmond to officially declare it a permanent statewide holiday in Virginia.

Va. Tech Evening Classes To Resume in August Virginia Tech’s highly-touted Evening MBA (Master in Business Administration) program will return to its Falls Church center for classes this August, it was announced this week.

“We know many students choose the Evening MBA because they value the inperson interactions they have with classmates and faculty members,” said Rebecca

JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 9

Kensington Senior Living is proud to support the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) and HFC as they host a FREE, virtual summit of top brain health experts and celebrities to learn ways to live a brain-healthy life in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease

McGill, associate director of MBA recruiting at Virginia Tech. “We’re excited to return to in-person classes and provide those rich learning and networking opportunities that some find they’ve missed in the online environment.”

Virginia Tech’s current suite of programs includes the Evening MBA, Online MBA and the Ballston-based Executive MBA. All are part-time formats designed with working professionals in mind.

Drug Overdose Deaths Up During Pandemic Mortality from all types of drug overdoses increased by a whopping 30 percent over a one-year period, Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), reported at the FDA’s Science Forum this week.

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics from October 2019 to October 2020 has shown that mortality from overdoses from all types of drugs increased 30 percent, from 70,669 deaths in October 2019 to 91,862 deaths in October 2020. “I think that number is very, very chilling,” Volkow said at the forum.

Among those overdose deaths in both years, more than half came from synthetic opiates — “the most notable presence is fentanyl,” she said. There was also a 46 percent increase in overdose deaths from other psychostimulants, mainly methamphetamine, and a 38 percent increase in deaths from cocaine overdoses.

Beyer Hails DOJ Change on Ghaisar Case U.S. Rep. Don Beyer issued the following statement today after Attorney General Merrick Garland reportedly reversed the Department of Justice’s stance on cooperation with Virginia and Fairfax County prosecutors pursuing manslaughter charges against U.S. Park Police officers Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard for the 2017 killing of Bijan Ghaisar: “Attorney General Merrick Garland made the right call by instructing the Justice Department to cooperate with prosecutors in the Ghaisar case.

“It is important that the Justice Department follow through and do all that is right and proper to ensure that justice is finally done. For years under the previous administration the Justice Department shrouded this case in an unacceptable level of opacity, stonewalling every attempt to establish the truth. Now we have reason to hope that a new era of accountability and transparency has arrived.”

Brain It On

Virtually on Thurs, June 24, 2021 • 3-4:30pm EDT

Hosted by Maria Shriver of WAM & Lauren Miller Rogen of HFC

Maria Shriver, WAM

Lauren Miller Rogen, HFC

The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) and HFC, two of the nation’s leading Alzheimer’s and brain health-focused nonprot organizations, are joining forces to bring together brain health experts and celebrity advocates to equip you with ways to live a brain-healthy life! This free-to-attend, 90-minute, virtual summit is for anyone interested in learning about the connection between Alzheimer’s and brain health and how to sustain a journey of wellness.

Join us for candid conversations, actionable steps and a few surprise guests.

At The Kensington, one of the ways we uphold “our promise to love and care for your family as we do our own” is by supporting progressive initiatives toward wellness for seniors, such as BRAIN IT ON. We provide a full spectrum of assisted living services, and caring for residents with memory impairment is one of our strengths. We offer different program levels that address the challenges unique to each phase of loss so that we can improve our residents’ quality of life to the greatest extent possible.

We include caregivers and family members in our efforts because after all, memory loss is a family affair. So please join us, along with devoted Alzheimer’s prevention specialists and advocates, for information, encouragement and tips you can put to good use right away. Please register online at www.thekensingtonfallschurch.com/events.

(703) 992-9868 | 700 West Broad Street | Falls Church, VA 22046 www.TheKensingtonFallsChurch.com

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PAGE 10 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

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Chamber Seeking New Executive Director After 17 years of service, Sally Cole will be leaving her role as the Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce in September.

The Chamber is currently seeking applicants to oversee operations and act as the public face of the organization in her absence.

Salaried position with flexible hours. Fundraising and non-profit experience preferred. E-mail jobs@ fallschurchchamber.org or visit bit. ly/FCEXDir for more information.

Mason High Athletes Receive Scholarships The George Mason High School Athletic Boosters Association was pleased to announce the winners of the annual Scholarship Program yesterday through social media in place of an in-person assembly. This year, the Athletic Boosters added a new award to the mix, the “Forever a Mustang Scholarship.” The ABA bestowed $11,500 in scholarships to eight outstanding Senior studentathletes and three alumni.

• Colson Board: Al Krueger Scholarship - Outstanding Athlete/ Individual Sport • Megan Boesen: Arnold Siegfried Scholarship - Outstanding Scholar-Athlete • Maddy DuBois: Al Krueger Scholarship - Outstanding Athlete/ Individual Sport • Jillian Kendrick: Judy Lubnow Champion of Character Scholarship

• Evan Lankford: Arnold Siegfried Scholarship - Outstanding Scholar-Athlete • Declan Quill: Jack Gambill Scholarship - Outstanding Overall Athlete • Caroline Poley: Jack Gambill Scholarship - Outstanding Overall Athlete • Robert Silva: Forever a Mustang Scholarship The alumni receiving next year’s segment of their Judy Lubnow Champion of Character Scholarship are Hannah Rollins, Jack Felgar, and Henry Wildman.

Congressional Students Gather for Commencement On Friday, June 4, Congressional School (3229 Sleepy Hollow Rd., Falls Church) honored the 31 members of its 8th grade class of 2021 at a commencement ceremony in front of an audience of family members in the school’s auditorium. The student body and extended family members watched the ceremony via live stream.

Congressional School also commemorated the end of the school year by releasing a website documenting the community’s collective journey through the pandemic.

The project is called The COVID Collection and it features a documentary, images, student work, a podcast, quotes, interviews, and statistics representing the voices and perspectives of the school’s community. For those who want to see the project, they can do so at the school’s website at congressionalschool.org/covidcollection.

IT WAS A HAPPY 2nd birthday for Cameron Van Steyn at the picnic shelter at Cherry Hill Park over the weekend. Mom and dad, Shelly and Simon (center), invited plenty of family and friends to enjoy the event. (P����: C������� S���� V�� S����)

Culmore Clinic Hosts Virtual Toast & Fundraiser The last year has taught everyone the true power of community and the importance of care. Those interested can join Culmore Clinic for A Virtual Toast on Saturday, June 19 at 7 p.m., as the clinic celebrates the unwavering commitment that the community has shown its staff and patients during this crisis. Virtual attendance is free to all,

simply RSVP before the start of the event at the link provided for access (culmoreclinic.org/virtual-toastrsvp-form). Although not required, donations are much appreciated and help the clinic to continue to care for its patients.

Military Kids Talent Contest Open Until June 25 Military children, grandchildren and survivors of service members

and veterans can submit recordings of their best talent as a part of the Military Kids Have Talent competition. Those who enter will have a chance to win a free three-night family vacation for four people to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

The deadline for submissions has been extended to June 25. Rules for entering can be found at hiddenheroes.org/military-kids-havetalent.

Hard to believe it's already been a year in Falls Church!

Join us Saturday, June 19 for An all-day celebration.

Outdoor stage with live music all day; Solace draft truck on site; special beer release, Chasing Clouds DIPA! Free admission!!

444 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046

solaceoutpost.com 571-378-1469

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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B������� N��� � N���� Capital City Sports Academy Hosting Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening June 19 Capital City Sports Academy is hosting a ribbon cutting and grand opening on Saturday, June 19 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The area’s first premier sports performance destination, offers speed, strength, agility and power training for athletes across in age groups ranging from youth to college and adult fitness training through unique boot camp classes and individualized personal training. The Academy was founded by Graham Kelley, who also founded Blue Ox Axe Throwing, and is owned by Kelley, four of his former Lafayette football teammates, and two former NFL players, Malik Golden and Ross Scheuerman. Chad Ward, a Northern Virginia native who previously developed high-performing athletes at Evolution Basketball Training, is Capital City’s head coach and general manager. The grand opening event will include a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., the opportunity to meet the owners and tour the facility along with refreshments, free apparel, and an announcement of the winners of their sweepstakes. For more information, visit capitalcityathletes.com.

A Smarter Way to Power Your Home.

JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 11

REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!

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Solar panels sold separately.

Solace Outpost Hosting 1 Year Anniversary Party with Outdoor Bar and Live Music Solace Outpost is hosting a 1 Year Anniversary Party with an outdoor bar and live music on Saturday, June 19 from noon until closing. The event will also include an anniversary release of Chasing Clouds Double India Pale Ale. Admission is free. Solace Outpost is located at 444 W. Broad Street in Falls Largest Gun Show in Metro DC! Guns, Knives & Accessories!

Church. For more information, visit solaceoutpost.com.

Lost Dog Café Dunn Loring Hosting the FC Chamber of Commerce Networking Mixer Lost Dog Café Dunn Loring is hosting the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Networking Mixer on Tuesday, June 22 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Chamber members, business leaders interested in joining the Chamber, and local decision makers are invited to attend this free event. Registration is required. For more information or to register, visit the calendar entry at FallsChurchChamber.org.

The Kensington Falls Church Supporting Brain It OnTICKETS – A VirtualSOLD SummitONLINE with Maria Shriver ONLY All CDC & VA GOVERNOR GUIDELINES MUST BE FOLLOWED!

The Kensington Falls Church is supporting Brain It On – A Virtual Summit with Maria Shriver on Thursday, June 24 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. The virtual event, offered by Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement and HFC will include information from celebrity advocates and brain health experts to equip attendees with ways to live a brain healthy life. For more information or to register, click on the events tab at thekensingtonfallschurch.com.

The Fairfax County BoardTheof Supervisors Created PIVOT, a New Grant Program NRA National Firearms Museum presents a Collection of Arms from one of America's most extraordinary chief executives, Nobel Prize and Medal of Honor recipient Theodore Roosevelt.

1300 TABLES! 100% OCCUPANCY! NO TIME SLOTS OR SESSIONS! DOORS OPEN BETWEEN BUILDINGS! Buy! Sell! Trade!

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JUNE 18, 19 & 20

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FRI: 1 - 8 | SAT: 9 - 5 | SUN: 10 - 5

VA and Utah Concealed Carry Courses or ber Join A mem w and Saturday or Sunday $10 Discount ONLINE ONLY NR he sho EE! t R FirearmTrainingStore.com or (757) 331-1439 at in F get 540-951-1344 | www.TheNationsGunShow.com | www.ShowmastersGunShows.com

AN ORGANIZED HOME IS A HAPPY HOME Add space to your kitchen and time to your busy schedule with ShelfGenie’s custom pull-out shelves installed in your existing cabinets

Get Your Supplies While You Still Can!!!

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors created PIVOT, a new grant program with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to support businesses in the hotel, food service, retail and services, and arts and culture industries. The program will provide $25 million in grants from American Rescue Plan Act funding to help businesses in industries hardest-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and help them continue their recovery by providing needed capital for ongoing operations and to sustain business sectors. The grant portal will be open from June 23 through July 9. For more information, visit fceda.org.

50% OFF INSTALLATION*

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The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Clever RX to provide discounted prescription medications to the Falls Church community. The free program offers discounts on more than 55,000 FCA approved medications for humans and pets, 40 percent of which are under $10. Discounts are available through cards or by going to https://cleverrx.com/fccc and, if prompted, using Group #2060 and Member #100136. For more information, contact the Chamber office at info@FallsChurchChamber.org.

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 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.

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PAGE 12 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

After the long pandemic shutdown, this weekend promises to help open hearts and minds to future possibilities and, at the same time, to reflect on past history and injustices in our nation. For some, it may be a juxtaposition of love and anxiety, for current fathers and forefathers, as Juneteenth and Father’s Day are celebrated hours apart, and just as the summer solstice marks the start of a new season.

Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery when, on June 19, 1865, federal troops announced and read General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, reaffirming that the Civil War had ended and reinforcing President Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth was celebrated in Black communities in the South, usually in local events, into the 20th century, but was largely ignored in other communities.

In the Pacific Northwest where I grew up, Juneteenth and other historic events important to Black, indigenous, and people of color largely were unknown, and not taught in school, even at the college level. From being unknown or ignored, the significance of Juneteenth now has resonated in many communities, to the extent that Friday (June 19 falls on a Saturday, so the holiday is observed on Friday, June 18) is a Virginia state and Fairfax County holiday.

More than just a day off, though, is the opportunity to learn more about the dark history of slavery, and the severe challenges that faced freed slaves at that time. The word “emancipation” is a mouthful, but freedom clearly is simpler, and most freedmen who founded many of our small older communities — the Springdale area in Bailey’s Crossroads,

Mount Pleasant in Lincolnia, Gum Springs in Mount Vernon and others — in Fairfax County, started simply, often around a colored school and a church, but with a goal to create a safe and thriving neighborhood. Their descendants, our neighbors, carry on their legacy to this day. Check out fairfaxcounty.gov/history-commission for more information about current projects.

On Sunday, Happy Father’s Day to all our readers who are fathers, and all our readers who have, or had, a father. Dads sometimes get a bum rap, as comic relief on television situation comedies, or stand-up comedy monologues, but that belies the love and responsibility that fathers have for their families. Ties and barbecues may be the order of the day but, for those whose fathers no longer are with us, Father’s Day is bittersweet, and full of memories no longer actively shared. If you can, call your Dad or Granddad. They, and you, will love it!

Sunday also is the first day of summer. Since the pandemic prevented usual summer activities in 2020, this summer is a time to catch up on the fun. Trips to the pool (they’re open again!), visits to the library (they’re open, too!), and real vacations, rather than stay-cations, are calling. And soon, “Spotlight by Starlight,” the free summer concert series at Mason District Park, will begin live performances for July and August, along with the international entertainment series on Saturdays at Ossian Hall Park. More about that exciting news next week.  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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CRIME REPORT Week of June 7 – June 13, 2021

Driving Under the Influence, S West St, June 7, 2:09 AM, a White male, 30, of Falls Church, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Motor Vehicle Theft, S Spring St, between 10:30 PM, June 6 and 8:40 AM, June 7, unknown suspect(s) took an unsecured vehicle from a driveway. Vehicle recovered June 7 by Metropolitan Police Dept in NE Washington, DC. Larceny from Vehicle, S Spring St, between 10:30 PM and 8:30 AM, unknown suspect(s) rummaged through an unsecured vehicle and took items of value.

Identity Theft, W Broad St, June 7, 1:24 PM, an incident of identity theft was reported.

Destruction of Property, Wilson Blvd, June 7, 4:48 PM, an occupied van was attacked by a hammer wielding Asian male, 28, of no fixed address. The driver side window was shattered and the windshield was cracked. Offender was arrested for destruction of property.

Destruction Broad St, June night unknown the front driver vehicle.

of Property, W 5, sometime oversuspect shattered side window of a

Fraud, S Maple Ave, June 8, 1:24 PM, an incident of fraud was reported.

8 and 7:45 AM, June 9, a green 2020 Carver bicycle was taken from an unsecured garage.

Shoplifting, S Washington St, June 9, business reported that on June 7 at 8:30 PM, two known suspects entered and stole items of value. Investigation continues.

Larceny from Vehicle, Timber Ln, June 10, 1 AM, items of value were taken from an unsecured vehicle.

Motor Vehicle Theft, N Lee St, June 10, 1 AM, unknown suspect(s) stole an unsecured vehicle.

Driving Under the Influence, Leesburg Pike, June 11, 12:40 AM, a White male, 27, of Sterling, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Fraud, S Kent St, June 8, 1:43 PM, an incident of wire fraud was reported.

Driving Under the Influence, W Broad St, June 13, 12:32 PM, a White male, 33, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Larceny from Building, W Marshall St, between 10 PM, June

WWW.FCNP.COM

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Delegate Marcus Simon’s

Richmond Report This historic Virginia General Assembly sworn in on January 13th, 2020 will meet again for at least two more special sessions prior to the end of the year. We’ll likely meet at the beginning of August to appropriate funds made available to states and localities under the American Rescue Plan and again to adopt redistricting plans drafted by the Redistricting Commission on which I serve. In the meantime, in addition to new laws that took effect July 1st of last year, March 1st of this year, and May 1st of this year, many more bills passed during our first special session of 2021 go into effect on July 1, 2021 — approximately two weeks from now.

I got into the weeds on Marijuana legalization in my April column, so as a reminder, starting on July 1st, adults over the age of 21 can legally possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana for personal use. You will also be allowed to grow up to four plants per household, provided that the plants are labeled, not in public sight, and out of the reach of anyone underage.

For those that like to order takeout, you’ll still be able to order those special cocktails and other alcoholic beverages to-go as we extended the original legislation allowing restaurants to include this service on their menus.

Pet lovers may feel reassured to learn that anyone who has been convicted of animal cruelty is prohibited from owning, operating, managing, breeding, or even staffing a pet shop beginning July 1st.

For those who don’t like lawyers, beginning in two weeks you can file a civil action for personal injury or wrongful death in the General District Courts for up to a maximum of $50,000, a much larger number than before. Litigants are able to appear without counsel in the General District Court.

On the other hand, we’ve made more jobs for attorneys in appellate practice, creating an automatic right of appeal in most cases, and increasing the number of judges on the Virginia Court of Appeals (from 11 to 17) to handle the increased caseload.

Virginia will become the first state in the south to abolish the death penalty on July 1st.

Electric vehicle owners will be able to take advantage of a rebate program for the purchase or lease of new and used electric vehicles,

administered by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.

A person who has been convicted of assault and battery of a family member will be prohibited from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm. There will be a process to have this right restored provided that there isn’t another subsequent disqualifying conviction.

For those who are members of community organizations that use charitable gaming to raise funds, you’ll still be able to play bingo and hold raffles with some organizations being exempt from the required permit application and fees.

You’ll be able to continue to take advantage of telemedicine opportunities as the Board of Medical Assistance Services will amend the state plan to provide payment for and the ability to use remote patient monitoring services. This means that health insurance providers will be able to cover these telehealth services. Health insurance providers will be allowed to offer coverage for abortions in any qualified health insurance plan that is sold or offered for sale through a health benefits exchange in Virginia.

Virginia’s Dream Act will allow students who meet the criteria to be deemed eligible for in-state tuition regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. They shall be afforded the same educational benefits, including state-administered financial assistance programs for a public institution of higher education, as any other individual who is eligible for in-state tuition.

The Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back Fund and Program (G3 Fund) will require the Virginia Community College System to establish the G3 Program to provide financial assistance to certain low-income and middle-income students who are enrolled in a program at a public institution of higher education that leads to an occupation in a highdemand field.

Parents with kids in K-12 will be happy to learn that the total number and type of required SOL assessments will be reduced.

This is just a sampling of the good legislation that passed and will become effective July 1st. For a larger summary of legislation, check out dls.virginia.gov where you can view the Department of Legislative Services’ In Due Course.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Jan. 6 Capitol Sacking: Putin’s Role (Part 10)

This 10-part series concludes with this entry drafted on the eve of the Biden-Putin summit in Geneva. The case is compelling for the role Putin and the Russians played not only in interfering in the 2016 presidential election and the elevation and influencing of Trump as the U.S. president the last four years, but in the socio-cultural assault on core democratic values in the U.S. that contributed to the rise of the Trump “movement” here, including its insurrectionary assault on January 6 on the nation’s Capitol itself.

It is my firm conviction that current U.S. political and law enforcement leadership, including our new Attorney General Merrick Garland, must dig through the abundance of documentaFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS tion available, including the resources published in the Mueller Report, and leave no stone unturned to aggressively investigate, prosecute and convict the entire array of sleazy and dangerous networks involved. This cannot be left unattended because otherwise the entire writhing cesspool will continue to represent a clear and present danger to democratic institutions worldwide.

Public remarks by both Trump and Putin in recent days, leading up to the Biden-Putin summit, make it crystal clear that the two are playing from the same page when it comes to the U.S. role in the world and that of the Western Alliance.

Yes, America, a bonafide Russian agent was elected president of our country in 2016 and the damage he wreaked upon us is going to reverberate for a long time. But our main task is that the damage be stopped immediately, and that in itself will take considerable doing.

With an assist from certain powerful rightwing financier and other interests in the U.S., remnants of the anti-democratic fascist “America First” sympathizers and activists from the 1930s on, the Soviets and Russia redoubled their effort to take over America from within in the early 1970s, using authoritarian brainwashed cults and fundamentalist religious groups to assail our mainstream democratic institutions from the fringes, noodling their way into the pores of our culture with a bizarre variety of anti-truth, anti-science, anti-establishment zealots.

Generally overlooked by the wider culture who dismissed them as the “lunatic fringe,” disaffected American bodies and minds were snatched for decades by these means before bursting onto the main stage of our culture with the Tea Party in the first phase and Trump, the heavily-compromised Soviet choice for U.S. president since 1987, now the dominant current in the GOP. Yes, I was for a time an agent of a hostile foreign power myself in the 1970s, although I didn’t appreciate it like that at the time. I thought I was joining a serious humanist cause, but it took me down a rabbit hole to a very dark place before I was able to muster the nerve to pull away.

Yes, I was brainwashed for a time back then. When asked what it was like, I can only say it was like being “codependent” in a relationship.

You may hate what is happening, but for whatever reason you can’t just walk away. There is a strong psychological hold that has many reinforcements that convince you to remain, and they are all rooted in lies and deceptions.

Many of those who attacked the Capitol on January 6 and have continued to follow the Trumpist lead are in that boat now. Their blinders are their internal fears and induced paranoid fantasies.

It’s not that there aren’t systemic problems with our society that need to be called out and fixed. But to brainwashed cultists, there is no valid pathway to genuine reform, only a wholesale assault on the “system” and an insistence on believing the frauds and charlatans who feed their paranoid fears, like the key players at Fox News, the many fakers in fundamentalist pulpits, and classic sociopathic bullies who become cult leaders.

Our ultimate task is to not only root out the actual Russian-sponsored networks, themselves, but to inoculate our wider U.S. culture with antidotes of the best of what makes democracy thrive, the passion for truth, for science, for justice and compassion and the conviction that all men and women are created equal and bring unique gifts to the table of life.

Finis.

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JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 13

Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

The chop-chop-a-chop-a of skyway helicopter noise is a familiar conversation pauser in our neighborhoods. We hear it in my neck of East Falls Church, and it prompts fear of some crisis afoot.

After years of complaints, it appears that local lawmakers, the Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Administration may be preparing at least partial relief.

The issue arose this spring among denizens of the online listserv Nextdoor. “The helicopter noise is becoming nearly intolerable, even extending well after nightfall,” one wrote. “There is an FAA noise ombudsman you can complain to, and I suggest we do that.” (See faa.gov/noise/inquiries.)

Added another: “This seems to be either commuting or flight training, and in either case there is no reason for post-10 p.m. nightly low-altitude flights over the same neighborhood every time. Could they at least fly higher so our windows don’t shake, or vary the route?”

Came the rebuttal: “Helicopter noise is part of living next to D.C. and the Pentagon. I suggest you get used to it.” Another defense: “The sound of freedom! Plus I would rather have [law enforcement] choppers out looking for bad guys than having the bad guys run around free!”

Back in January 2019, area Members of Congress asked the Government Accountability Office to examine ways to ease noise from the choppers. From 2017-19, the auditors found, the top con-

tributor to helicopter traffic was the military (37.4 percent), followed by air medical (20.9 percent); “other aviation activity” (which means unattributed civilian craft,15.9 percent); state and local law enforcement (14.6 percent); federal law enforcement and emergency support (6.3 percent); and news gatherers (4.9 percent).

GAO documented that the FAA and operators “lack complete information about helicopters in the D.C. area.” While the FAA and some helicopter operators meet annually—most recently in September 2019—to discuss operational and security issues in the D.C. area, FAA officials and these operators stated that helicopter noise issues have not been discussed. They called helicopter noise “a small percentage” of aviation-related complaints.

GAO recommended that the FAA direct its Office of the Environment and Energy to develop a mechanism for exchanging helicopter information with operators.

The FAA agreed on the need for data sharing, promising action this year and highlighting its work with Helicopter Association International to promote training in how to “Fly Neighborly” (which means during civilized hours).

Our Rep. Don Beyer, who has called helicopter noise his constituents’ most common complaint, said, “The idea of a system to report and track noise complaints across the region was widely supported by my constituents at a town hall I hosted” in Fairlington.

Last December, Congress passed the annual National Defense

Authorization Act requiring the Pentagon to develop a “noise inquiry website” on which citizens can make formal noise complaints.

(Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport have similar websites.) The website will record complaints on a map and Excel spreadsheet. The Defense secretary must also establish a DoD helicopter noise abatement group to collect data and indicate any trends.

In late May, Beyer spokesman Aaron Fritschner told me that the secretary’s office is “working on a report which they have told us to expect in July.” It will cover the feasibility of adjusting helicopter flight altitudes, identifying complaint trends for taking corrective action and analyzing FAA data to ensure compliance with established flight paths.

Chop chop. *** AHC Inc., the nonprofit steward of affordable housing, held a touching graduation ceremony June 8, honoring 31 Arlington public highschool-age kids among its properties’ residents who collectively earned $3 million in college scholarships.

A banner at the Bluemont Park picnic pavilion listed their names— many the children of immigrants— and shouted “Congratulations to the Class of 2021!”

“Since kindergarten, they’ve been called AHC grads,” said Celia Slater, the organization’s communications director, noting that the acceptances include tickets to Harvard and Yale. Social services for residents are provided readily at the housing sites, she noted.

“We’re changing the trajectory of family lives.”

HO ME I MPROV E ME NT

PAGE 14 | JUNE 17 - 23, 2021

5 Living Room Design Tips

4 Things To Consider When Choosing A Shower but difficult to maintain.

• Traditional shower cabins.

They’re affordable and compact but utilitarian.

• Tiled showers. They’re beautiful and durable but a little pricey.

• Adapted showers. These are spacious and accessible but difficult to install.

2. MATERIAL When it comes to materials, you can choose from:

1. TYPE There are several kinds of showers to choose from, including: • One-piece showers. They’re watertight and affordable but a little bulky.

• Modular showers. These are suitable for most bathrooms

• ABS plastic. It’s lightweight but difficult to maintain.

• Acrylic. It’s esthetically pleasing but scratches easily.

• Fibreglass. It’s affordable but prone to cracking.

• Polymer. It’s easy to install but not very durable.

• Tempered glass. It’s scratch-resistant but heavy.

It’s up to you to determine your needs and find the best value for your money.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Your living room is one of the most

3. DOOR When it comes to shower doors, each type has its pros and cons.

Options include: • Sliding doors. They’re space-saving but difficult to clean.

• Pivoting doors. They’re versatile but prone to leaks.

• Swinging doors. They’re roomy but require more maintenance.

It’s important to decide which features are most important to you before making your choice.

4. ACCESSORIES Faucets are available in a variety of styles and materials including chrome, stainless steel and brushed nickel. In addition, when it comes to shower heads, you can opt for a fixed, handheld, high-pressure, rainfall or body jet system.

important rooms in your home. It's where you entertain guests, read, watch movies and more. Here are a few tips for making your living room both stylish and functional.

1. POSITION THE COUCH

Since it's likely the biggest piece of furniture in your living room, you should position your couch first. If the room is small, push it up against the wall to create more space. However, if you have an open-concept home, pull the couch into the middle of the space to create a distinct living area.

2. SET UP THE TV

Your television should be visible from the sitting area. However, don't place it in front of a window, as viewing will likely be impacted by glare.

If you take the time to weigh your options, you’ll be able to create a shower that meets your needs.

3. ADD AN AREA RUG

On top of being comfortable and stylish, an area rug can help soundproof your living room. As

a rule of thumb, it should fit under all pieces of furniture in the sitting area.

4. OPTIMIZE THE LIGHTING

Since your living room is a multifunctional space, getting the lighting right can be a challenge.

The best approach is to incorporate a combination of overhead, accent and task lights. In addition, installing dimmer switches will allow you to adjust the ambience as needed.

5. CHOOSE COMPLEMENTARY FURNITURE

You should choose furniture that complements the space. For example, bulky furniture can easily make a small living room feel crowded. How­­ever, investing in a good coffee table and stylish entertainment unit are a must.

Given that you probably spend a lot of time in your living room, it’s worth making the effort to ensure it’s as comfortable as possible.

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HO ME I MPROV E ME NT

How to add a pop of colour to your kitchen

If your kitchen is looking a little lackluster, consider adding a splash of color.

Here are some simple ways to brighten up the space.

1.

Apply Paint A fresh coat of paint can do wonders. Changing the coloor of your walls, cabinets, countertops or chairs can transform the look of the entire room.

2.

Include Accessories If you want to change your decor and keep up with the latest trends without breaking the bank, decorative accessories are the answer.

Go wild with stylish place-

JUNE 17 - 23, 2021 | PAGE 15

mats, curtains, door handles and hand to­wels. Patterned teapots and eye-catching light fixtures are also great options.

3.

Incorporate Plants Another simple way to brighten up your kitchen is to include plants. It’s best to choose varieties that can withstand temperature fluctuations such as hyacinths and mai­denhair ferns.

Additionally, you can brighten up your kitchen with colourful appli­ ances like a mixer or toaster. You can even purchase a retro-inspired pastel fridge. Just make sure the appliances you select complement the style of your kitchen.

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PAGE 16 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR LOCALEVENTS

FRIDAY, JUNE 18

THURSDAY, JUNE 17 Concerts in the Park: The Falls Church Concert Band will be kicking off this summer’s concert series after a hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or folding chairs as well as something to eat and drink. The concerts are organized by The City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department and the Village Preservation and Improvement Society. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved into the Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). Concerts will take place every Thursday at 7 pm until July 29. For the full line-up, please visit fallschurchva.gov/concerts.

ADA compliant. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church).

7 – 9 p.m.

City Government Closed (Juneteenth). City of Falls Church Offices and Services, including City Hall, Mary Riley Styles Public Library and the Community Center, will be closed on Friday, June 18 in observation of Juneteenth (Saturday, June 19).

SATURDAY, JUNE 19 Falls Church Farmers Market.

The Falls Church Farmers Market runs every Saturday, where attendees will find fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and more.

City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church) 8 a.m. – noon. For more information, visit fallschurchva. gov/547/Farmers-Market-To-Go.

SUNDAY, JUNE 20 R.I.P. – Remove Invasive Plants at Long Branch. Help restore

the habitat and increase native species diversity right here in Arlington. Work parties are held every month and are making a difference by returning ferns, wildflowers and the animals that depend on them to areas that were once covered in invasive plant life. For information, call 703-228-6535. Registration required for children and adults 8 and up. Register by emailing naturalresoures@arlingtonva.us.

Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington). Parking will be limited. 2 – 4p.m.

VIRTUALEVENTS THURSDAY, JUNE 17 Pondering Poetry (online). Join this poetry group to share and discuss poetry or drop by for some creative energy and inspiration. Registration required. 11

a.m. – noon. Ages 55 and up.

Register online at parks.arlingtonva.us or call 703-228-4747.

Jane Austen Discussion (online).

Participants are invited to discuss “Death Comes to Pemberley”

by P.D. James, a mystery set in Pemberley six years after Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy marry. For more information or to request a Zoom invite, please email Marshall Webster at mwebster@fallschurchva.gov.

7 – 8 p.m.

Wild Virginia: Night Flyers (online). Arlington Parks staff will talk about the animals that take to the skies at night. For families.

Parks staff will email participants a link to Microsoft Teams before the program. To register, call 703228-4747. 7 – 8 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 21 ESOL Conversation Group (online).

Interested participants can practice their English with a weekly ESOL conversation group. This program meets online via Zoom.

To request a Zoom invite, email Marshall Webster at mwebster@ fallschurchva.gov. 7 – 8:30 p.m.

City Council Work Session (online). City Council work sessions are held the first and third Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. These meetings are open to the public and are conducted to allow Council Members to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues; the public is not generally invited to speak. All participating members of the City Council will be present at this meeting through electronic means. All members of the public may view this electronic meeting via www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings.

The meeting may also be viewed on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. The virtual meeting will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act,

WHO’S THE BEST? The News-Press BEST OF FALLS CHURCH reader vote is coming!

Falls Church-area favorites! Our 10th annual contest features 36 categories for readers to vote on the best eating, drinking, shopping and more in and around the Little City.

Winners will be featured in a special BEST OF FALLS CHURCH edition of the News-Press on August 26!

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Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. 7:30 – 11 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 22 Online Preschool Story Time. Those who are interested can join the Mary Riley Styles Library staff live on the library’s Facebook page for a virtual fun time of stories, songs and rhymes. For ages 0-5. Visit facebook. com/mrspl to join in on the activities. 10:30 – 11 a.m.

Planet Art: The Crossroads of Nature, Culture and Design (online). Interested attendees can join Margie Jervis, the set and costume designer for Creative Cauldron as well as a visual arts educator for the theater, for an evening of hands-on art making inspired by places around the globe. This event will focus on Mexico and its art history, its plant and animal life, spirituality and magic. The activity will involve an art project and is good for seasoned creatives, but no art skills are required. Participants will be guided throughout the process.

Suggested materials are white paper, pencils, colored markers, colored pencils, watercolors, scissors and a glue stick. Email Peter Sullivan at psullivan@ fallschurchva.gov for the Zoom link. 7 - 8 p.m.

THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, JUNE 18 Always... Patsy Cline. Based on a true story about the legendary country singer’s unlikely friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger.

This humorous musical, sponsored by Sisler’s Stone, features 19 of Patsy’s songs and will even call for some participation from the audience. Louise Seger will be played by Erin Granfield and Katy Benko will join her in the role of Patsy. June 18 – 20.

Parking will be available in the Falls Church Community Center Lot (223 Little Falls St., Falls

CA L E NDA R

JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 17

Church). Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). Tickets online at app.arts-people.com.

Sales go offline at 5 p.m. but tickets can be purchased at the door in cash for $35. 7 p.m.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, JUNE 17 Dan & Chuck. Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-5329283.

Josh Allen Band (Outdoor Concert). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7 p.m.

703-255-1566.

Sam Barbaro Quartet. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2370300.

Will Anderson of Parachute. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $29.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Chris Timbers Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-2419504.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18 Shartel & Hume. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

CHRIS TIMBERS BAND will be at JV’s Restaurant tonight. (Photo: Facebook.com/ChrisTimbersFanPage) New Blue Soul Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-2419504.

(6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

Father’s Day Comedy: Allan Sidley. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 3 p.m. 703-2551566.

Lady Limbo. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-8589186.

Mary Shaver, Mike Tash & Bob. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703241-9504.

Great Northern with Special Guests Ron Holloway & Amy Wilson (Outdoor Concert).

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

ACME Band Company Live at the Distillery. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-8589186.

The Thrillbillys Live. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2370300.

The Cactus Liquors. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2370300.

Bela Dona Live (encore performance the next night at the same time and price. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $29.50. 7:30 p.m.

703-549-7500.

Cory Branan. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $23. 8 p.m.

703-255-1566.

New League Blues Band Live and In Concert. JV’s Restaurant

SUNDAY, JUNE 20

Josh Allen Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Trio 111 (Outdoor Concert). The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2370300.

$35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Still Standing Show with Wolf!

Linwood Taylor & Wave Milor.

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703241-9504.

MONDAY, JUNE 21 Richard Thompson (encore performance the next night at the same time and price). The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $75. 7:30 p.m.

703-549-7500.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23

Open Mic Night: Michelle Swan.

Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186.

Rewind Wednesdays with David Thong (Outdoor Concert).

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

A Musical Tribute of the Temptations, Four Tops, Dells, and Smokey Robinson & Miracles. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria).

Legendary Redd Volkaert: Guitarist for Merle Haggard. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-2419504.

Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, 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.

SPO RTS

PAGE 18 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

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Girls Lacrosse Continues Winning Streak; Boys and Girls Soccer Teams Victorious George Mason High School’s girl’s lacrosse team stayed blazing hot by defeating Eastern View High School 24-1 in the Region 3B semifinals.

Both teams came into the game with lengthy winning streaks, with Mason’s lone loss coming in week one.

Since then, they’ve been nearunstoppable, stringing together eight straight wins and now advancing to the Regional finals against a soon-to-be-determined opponent. Every game since then has been a blowout. No one has truly given the Mustangs a challenge.

The Mustangs got off to a great start within the first five minutes of the game.

They went up 7-0 and only gave up a penalty shot, harassing the Cyclones’ goalie the entire night. Midfielder Maeve Dodge led the charge for the Mustangs.

The 5’5’’ junior scored five goals on eight shot attempts.

Three of Mason’s players contributed three goals of their own to supplement Dodge’s efforts.

Mason’s defense constantly harassed and kept the Cyclones on the run. Whenever Eastern View had the ball, they were swarmed by Mustangs as they

The boys lacrosse team unfortunately lost their matchup this past week, falling 21-8 to Fauquier High School in the Regional semifinals. They were on a three-game win streak going into the semifinals after defeating Brentsville District High School 13-11 last Thursday, but will still end the season with a 3-6 record.

Baseball On a more positive note, Mason’s baseball team defeated Warren County High School in a 2-0 shutout to advance to the Regional semifinals. The Mustangs have now won four straight games after the gutwrenching 11-10 loss to William Monroe three weeks ago. This marks the first game this season that the Mustangs held an opponent to zero runs.

Boys & Girls Soccer The boys and girls soccer squads emerged victorious in their respective matches last Monday.

The boys won 7-0 and the girls won 2-0, both games against Warren County. The boy’s next game will be played this evening in the Regional semifinals against an unnamed opponent.

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helplessly lost the ball and turned it over numerous times. Mason never gave them a break.

On the other hand, the Mustangs were able to run free during the game. Even when things got tight near the opponent’s goal, they were able to sling it in there without any problem.

Head coach Courtney Gibbons attributes Mason’s impressive success to, “Working hard every day in practice.” She added that “We make every session as intense and competitive as possible to get the best out of our players. We make every practice an intense game-like situation for us to play well.”

Gibbons doesn’t see the team slowing down anytime soon.

While some squads let long win streaks distract their minds going forward, Mason seems to be getting stronger.

This is their “Best first-half performance,” according to Gibbons. “We’re a driven team and we’re ready to roll.”

The Mustangs will hope to continue rolling on Thursday in the Regional Championship Game at home on Thursday night.

Their opponent has yet to be determined.

Nevertheless, Mason is looking to run the table to the Class 3 state championship game.

TT

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JUNE 17 - 23, 2021 | PAGE 19

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY D/B/A DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA FOR APPROVAL OF A RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE PURSUANT TO § 56-585.1 A 4 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2021-00102 •Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion”) has applied to update its Rider T1, by which it recovers certain transmission and demand response program costs.

•Dominion’s request represents a decrease of $190 million annually, which would decrease the bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $3.69.

•A Hearing Examiner appointed by the State Corporation Commission will hear the case on July 8, 2021.

•On July 7, 2021, commencing at 10:00 a.m., the Hearing Examiner will receive, via telephone, electronic public witness testimony in this matter.

•Further information about this case is available on the SCC website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-lnformation.

On May 21, 2021, Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (“Dominion” or “Company”), pursuant to § 56-585.1 A 4 (“Subsection A 4”) of the Code of Virginia, filed an application (“Application”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) for approval of a revised increment/decrement rate adjustment clause designated as Rider T1.

Subsection A 4 deems to be prudent, among other things, the “costs for transmission services provided to the utility by the regional transmission entity of which the utility is a member” and “costs charged to the utility that are associated with demand response programs approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [(“FERC”)] and administered by the regional transmission entity of which the utility is a member.” The Company has been a member of PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”), a regional transmission entity that has been approved by FERC as a regional transmission organization, since 2005. Dominion, as an integrated electric utility member of PJM, obtains transmission service from PJM and pays PJM charges for such service at the rates contained in PJM’s Open Access Transmission Tariff approved by FERC. The Company states that it also pays PJM charges for costs associated with demand response programs approved by FERC and administered by PJM. In this proceeding, Dominion seeks approval of a revenue requirement for the rate year September 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022 (“Rate Year”). This revenue requirement, if approved, would be recovered through a combination of base rates and a revised increment/decrement Rider T1. Rider T1 is designed to recover the increment/decrement between the revenues produced from the transmission component of base rates and the new revenue requirement developed from the Company’s total transmission costs for the Rate Year.

The total proposed revenue requirement to be recovered over the Rate Year is $874,050,131, comprising an increment Rider T1 of $381,039,860, and forecast collections of $493,010,271 through the transmission component of base rates. This total revenue requirement represents a decrease of $190,416,120, compared to the revenues projected to be produced during the Rate Year by the combination of the base rate component of Subsection A 4 (the Company’s former Rider T) and the Rider T1 rates currently in effect.

Implementation of the proposed Rider T1 on September 1, 2021, would decrease the average weighted monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month by $3.69.

In the Company’s previous Rider T1 proceeding, the Commission approved the use of the Company’s single coincident peak (“1-CP”) methodology for allocating costs in the 2020-2021 Rate Year, and directed the Company to present a plan in its 2021 Rider T1 filing that reflects movement commencing in 2021 toward the 12 coincident peak (“12-CP”) methodology for allocating costs in Rider T1. In response to this directive, the Company proposes to transition from the 1-CP methodology to the 12-CP methodology over three years, beginning in the 2021-2022 Rate Year by moving one-third of the way between the two allocation factors.

The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing that, among other things, scheduled a hearing at 10 a.m. on July 8, 2021, to receive opening statements, testimony, and evidence offered by the Company, respondents, and the Commission Staff on the Company’s Application.

On July 7, 2021, at 10 a.m., the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission’s courtroom, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before July 2, 2021, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting.

The Commission has taken judicial notice of the ongoing public health emergency related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the declarations of emergency issued at both the state and federal levels. In accordance therewith, all pleadings, briefs, or other documents required to be served in this matter should be submitted electronically to the extent authorized by 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”). Confidential and Extraordinarily Sensitive information shall not be submitted electronically and should comply with 5 VAC 5-20-170, Confidential information, of the Rules of Practice. For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, any person seeking to hand deliver and physically file or submit any pleading or other document shall contact the Clerk’s Office Document Control Center at (804) 371-9838 to arrange the delivery.

Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission has directed that service on parties and the Commission Staff in this matter shall be accomplished by electronic means. Please refer to the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing for further instructions concerning Confidential or Extraordinarily Sensitive Information.

An electronic copy of the Company’s Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company, David J. DePippo, Esquire, Dominion Energy Services, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or david.j.depippo@dominionenergy.com.

On or before July 2, 2021, any interested person may file comments on the Application by following the instructions on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments or by filing such comments with the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2021-00102.

On or before June 24, 2021, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the Commission at the address in listing abover (10) or at: scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2021-00102.

On or before June 24, 2021, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission and serve on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents, any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case, and each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2021-00102.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The Company’s Application, the Commission’s Rules of Practice and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information.

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY d/b/a DOMINION ENERGY VIRGINIA

PAGE 20 | JUNE 17 - 23, 2021 PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD PUBLIC HEARING On Thursday, June 24th, 2020 at 8:00pm, the Historic Architectural Review Board will hold a virtual meeting pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency.

[108 E Jefferson] The request is to create an addition which includes a screened porch, a breakfast area, and mudroom onto the existing home.

Public comment will be accepted via email at cgahres@fallschurchva.gov <mailto:cgahres@fallschurchva.gov> until 8:00 p.m. on May 26th. The link to access the virtual meeting will be available at www.fallschurchva.gov/HARB <http://www. fallschurchva.gov/HARB> .

CITY OF FALLS CHURCH In anticipation of the creation of a West Falls Community Development Authority and establishment of the West Falls District, the Falls Church City Council invites interested City residents to apply for the resident position on the 5-member Authority. Candidates with knowledge of finance or commercial real estate preferred. Visit www.fallschurchva.gov/BCapply for a link to the application and more information about the CDA, including the background and anticipated schedule for establishing the Authority. Application deadline is June 30, 2021.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CLASSI F I E DS plying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On Premises; Mixed Beverage On Premises. Anh Tran & Khoa Tran Authorized Signatories Roll Up LLC, the Operating Member of Dba Lantern House. 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.

AUCTION PUBLIC AUCTION In accordance with the Virginia Self-Storage Act, section 55-419 F, notice is hereby given that the contents of the following rental storage spaces located at Fort Knox Self-Storage will be offered for sale:501& 526-Sable Makonnen & 946-Manager’s Unit. Sale will be held online at LockerFox.com. Pictures can be viewed at that site. Bidding will begin at 9:00am on June 20th and will conclude at 9:00 am on June 25th winning bidder will be required to pay a $100.00 per unit refundable clean-out deposit (cash).

Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today!

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Affordable Print and Digital Solutions to reach Homeowners. Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

HIRING? We can help you fill your open positions! Promote job listings regionally or statewide! Affordable Print and Digital Advertising Solutions reaching job seekers.

Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@ vpa.net

SERVICES

Opening for deg’d & exp’d applicants for Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapist (Job Code: 1001) in Falls Church, VA and multiple undetermined worksites throughout the U.S.; Send resume by mail & include job code & salary req’ts to: DC VA Counseling Psychotherapy, LLC Isabel B. Kirk, Owner, 200 Little Falls St., Suite 306, Falls Church, VA 22046

DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS-$225.00. No court appearance.

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Local Chamber of Commerce seeks Executive Director to oversee operations & community relations. For details, e-mail jobs@fallschurchamber.org or visit bit.ly/FCEXDir

Life Alert. One press of a button sends help FAST, 24/7! At home and on the go.

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ABC NOTICE

AUCTIONS

Borekg LLC., Trading as: Borekg, 315 S Maple Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On & Off Premises/ Keg permit/ Mixed beverages on premises. Dilek Kaygusuz, Authorized Signatory Borekg LLC., the Operating Member of Borekg. 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.

ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide and 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

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Celeste Heath, City Clerk cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov 703-248-5014

Hoang Ton LLC, Trading as: Hu Tieu My LaCay Cho Lon, 6793-D Wilson Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine & Beer On Premises; Mixed Beverage On Premises.

Hoang Ton, Chief Executive Officer, Hoang Ton LLC., the Operating Member of Hu Tieu My LaCay Cho Lon. 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.

Roll Up Llc , Trading as: Lantern House 1067 West Broad St. Falls Church Va 22046. The above establishment is ap-

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GENERAC Standby Generators provide backup power during utility power outages, so your home and family stay safe and comfortable. Prepare now. Free 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!). Request a free quote today! Call for additional terms and conditions. 1-877-636-0738 The Generac PWRcell, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services available. $0 Down Financing Option. Request a FREE, no obligation, quote today. Call 1-833-688-1378 Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase.

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WANTED TO BUY OR TRADE FREON WANTED: We pay $$$ for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals. Call 312291-9169 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

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 hereb y 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.

What they said about Nicholas Benton’s Extraordinary Hearts, upon which this volume is based: "A vital, moral book about who we are and who we should be. I admire it and its author enormously."

Larry Kramer "Over the decades, Nick Benton has been a pioneer, daring to express points of view few would risk, the consequences too grave. Fundamental at the beginning of our LGBT movement, as now, is the affirmation of our core values, defined by Benton as the desire for love, truth, commitment and compassion.”

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White’s

Copyright © 2021, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. Nudge 4. Punching tools 8. Grouchy person 12. 21, e.g.

13. Gather 14. Like suntan lotion 15. Off one’s feed 16. Showroom model 17. Not working 18. Diminish 20. Bird that gives a hoot 22. “____ Can Play” 24. Round vegetable

27. Shrub 30. Former soldier 32. Talk wildly 33. United in marriage 34. Largest amount 35. Eight-sided figure 37. Presents 38. Apply henna to 39. Interject 41. Conjunction 42. Whipped 46. Part of CD 49. Fix copy 51. Hatchet 52. Throb painfully

53. Ceremony 54. Badge material 55. Real-estate document 56. Went rapidly 57. Eye ailment DOWN 1. Slammer 2. Stare rudely 3. Hair tamers 4. Eager 5. Tiny 6. Robber’s run 7. Ladled 8. Wind up 9. Get ____ of 10. Completely

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 85

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PUZZLE NO. 87

22. Drama divisions 23. Go away!

25. Perfect 27. Permissible 29. Lunch hour 30. Fuss: hyph.

31. Pour forth 34. Sacred 37. Produces

____

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man

JUNE 17 - 23, 2021 | PAGE 21

39. Type of snake 41. Shell dweller 43. Large quantity 44. Parable 45. Stare at 47. Unpaid 50. ____ lodge 52. Pie pan 53. Farm pen

STRANGE BREW

JOHN DEERING

Copyright © 2021, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. Overly curious 5. Contend (with) 9. Car fuel 12. Initial stake 13. Healthy 14. Mouth edge 15. Ring 16. A long way off 17. Verse type 18. Ship’s pole 20. Barked shrilly 22. Fire residue 24. Showy flowers 26. Iced 28. Talks wildly

32. Manner 33. Society miss 35. Coil 36. Damp 38. Pie ____: 3 wds.

40. Wedding routes 42. Presently 43. Taken wrongfully 46. Blemish 48. Loiter 49. Miss 51. Comedians 54. Building section 55. Levee 56. Exude 57. Little 58. Slipped

59. Declare untrue DOWN 1. Catch 40 winks 2. Dollar 3. Hiding 4. Dog’s cry 5. Scorched 6. Blockhead 7. Stage dramas 8. Spookier 9. Gooey stuff 10. Camp worker 11. Hastened 19. Become sick 21. Biblical song

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 87

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

SPORTS QUIZ

By Ryan A. Berenz 1. What member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 was named general manager of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017?

2. How old was NASCAR driver Morgan Shepherd when he started in the 2014 Camping World RV Sales 301?

3. Iga Swiatek, 2020 French Open women’s singles tennis champion, hails from what country?

4. In 2001, six-time Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Amy Van Dyken married Denver Broncos player Tom Rouen. What position did he play?

5. What sports nutrition center, founded by Victor Conte, became the focal point of a performanceenhancing drug scandal in the early 2000s?

6. Bobby Winkles compiled a 524-173 record and won three national titles as head coach of what college baseball team?

7. What team snapped the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA-record 33-game winning streak in January 1972?

Last Week’s Answers 1. McKayla Maroney • 2. The Baltimore Orioles.

3. Panama • 4. Babette March • 5. Steve Garvey.

6. Jack Dempsey • 7. The Denver Broncos

(c) 2021 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Last Weeks answers!

LO CA L

PAGE 22 | JUNE 17 – 23, 2021

BACK IN THE DAY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXI, No. 18 • June 16,, 2011

97 Graduate from George Mason High In Commencement Ceremony Tonight

Mason High Soccer Ladies, Tennis Guys Land State Championships

The hottest ticket in town is for tonight’s graduation ceremonies at George Mason High School when 97 seniors — 56 girls and 41 boys — will receive their diplomas.

Graduation begins at 7:30 p.m. and admission is by ticket only. Ticket holders are encouraged to arrive early.

For the spring sports teams at Falls Church’s George Mason High School this month, it wasn’t the state championships in soccer and tennis that made the headlines as much as the cumulative achievements at that level over the years.. Both were matched against rival opponents, and both rose to the occasion.

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THIS AIREDALE TERRIER just turned 11 in May. How does Winston keep his youthful exuberance? Thank the team at Suburban Animal Hospital! When he’s not walking the W&OD trail (seen here on Citizen’s Bridge) he takes long naps and howls along with fire truck sirens.

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND HER WORLD, THE MORE POSSIBILITIES YOU SEE. For Julia’s family, early screening for autism made a lifetime of difference.

Find out more at ScreenForAutism.org

ANYONE WHO ENJOYS picking up a guitar in Falls Church has undoubtedly visited Action Music on Park Avenue. Not only will you find countless ways to part with your money there, but you will also see Robert Mays. Robert has been working at the store for the last eight months and is also the guitarist for local band, Milo in the Doldrums. Before joining Action Music Robert was killing it in the kitchen of Cafe Kindred. © 2019 Sesame Workshop. All rights reserved.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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JUNE 17 – 23, 2021 | PAGE 23

KANYSHA WILLIAMS AS PATSY CLINE sings on stage while Erin Granfield as Louise Seger waves the Texas flag (left photo). Williams as Patsy in one of the singer’s iconic Western outfits, along with the show’s accompaniment (right). (Photos: Patricia Leslie and Ellen Selby)

‘Always...Patsy Cline’ Celebrates the Country Singer’s Life and Music

by Patricia Leslie

Falls Church News-Press

Like the taste of country biscuits lathered with huge dollops of butter, Patsy Cline’s voice and songs are a taste of a sumptuous concert in Cherry Hill Park, the scene of Creative Cauldron’s newest show which runs through this weekend (pending rain).

In “Always...Patsy Cline,” the star sings all her hits in that distinctive country voice, sure to delight her most ardent fans and secure some new ones, too. Last Saturday night in the park, Kanysha Williams was the “Patsy” for this weekend who belted out all of the singer’s hits in that clear, melodious voice to remind listeners of why the artist’s work still endures.

Her voice was so strong, it overpowered the cicadas, never to be seen or heard, but perhaps lulled to sleep by a heavenly sound.

The musical begins with a little help from Patsy’s truelife friend Louise Segar (Erin

Granfield) who describes how the two friends met and then Patsy lets loose. (In a near show-stealer, Erin does, too.)

Adding enjoyment and variation to the show were the costumes and sets designed by Margie Jervis, who created a simple kitchen table and chairs on a small stage with a black backdrop, topped with hanging lights that blinked. Nothing more was needed, but those fancy sequined country outfits sure did put more flavor in the surroundings.

True to life, Patsy’s multiple colorful dresses in “Always” followed her costume lineage as she started her career in cowgirl attire.

Before the show, Ellen Selby, Creative’s managing director explained that “Always” has four “Patsys” who star on different dates.

Matt Conner, the director, was inspired by the auditioners and their talents and sensitive to all the actors who’ve been unemployed by the pandemic, he suggested using more than one actor, and so they did.

(The other “Patsys” are Sally Imbriano, Candice SheddThompson and Katy Benko with an understudy by Angelica Miguel.)

The additional stars “did mean more rehearsals and more rigorous rehearsals. But the Patsys had the unique benefit of learning together and with each other,” Selby noted.

How four stars came to be outfitted for one person is another story.

Each of the four “Patsy” actors had her own “little black dress with a 50s retro line,” according to Selby, and costume lead Jervis fashioned skirts and specially engineered tops and dresses which the actors could quickly change into and adjust behind the stage before they make their grand entrances in stunning, glorified country glam attire.

Conner is from Winchester, Virginia, Patsy Cline’s birthplace, where “he grew up with her in the well water,” Selby said. Conner insisted on a pedal steel guitar for the show “’because it’s Patsy

Cline!” (On different play dates, Lynn Kasdorf and Jon Voth play the pedal steel.)

Creative Cauldron founder and producing director Laura Connors Hull told the audience that the theatre may bring the show back this fall after its Covid delay.

It’s the first staged production the theatre has performed in the park.This show is so popular in the U.S. that 24 other venues are staging it this summer. It first premiered in 1988 and hasn’t ceased production. American Musical Theatre magazine calls it “one of the most produced musicals in America.”

The show was conceived and written by Ted Swindley who based it on real material — the letters Patsy wrote to Louise.

Creative Cauldron’s musical director and keyboardist is Refiye Tappan who is accompanied by Robbie Taylor on electric guitar, Jason Labrado, fiddle; Jim Hoffman, drums; Chris Chlumsky, bass, and Kasdorf or Voth. The stage manager is Nicholas J. Goodman and Grace

Foor is the production assistant.

All tickets are $35. Check the website (creativecaludron.org) which closes online ticket sales at 5 p.m. on the day of the show.

Tickets for cash are sold “at the gate.”

Shows are at 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday with more performances possible. For seating, take a chair (there are no “bad” seats) and for the program, take your phone to read the “touchless” program. Duration: 80 minutes.

As for the audience, under the “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” we may go “Crazy” and “Fall to Pieces” “Anytime” when we go “Walkin’ After Midnight” wailing “Faded Love” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart” while we cry the “Lovesick Blues” because, after all, “You Belong to Me.” Patsy Cline died in a plane crash in Tennessee in 1963 when she was 30, but her stature and record sales continue to grow. The Recording Industry of America lists her among “Best Selling Artists” with a total of over 14 million records sold.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

PAGE 24 | JUNE 17 - 23, 202

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