July 25 — 31, 2019
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d e d 1991 • V ol. XXIX No. 23
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Real Estate Special Explores Micro Units
Inside this week’s News-Press Summer Real Estate special edition, we explore the rise of micro units, the upcoming economical living spaces planned for the City’s Little City Commons development. See Real Estate, page 13
Vote Today at BestOfFC.com! For details, see page 2
Little City Commons Developers Go Into ‘Nuts & Bolts’ Stage of Planning Architectural &
Engineering Details Hammered Out
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
New Signal Now at F.C. Intersection
The temporary traffic signal blocking the sidewalk at the corner of Hillwood Ave. and Annandale Rd. for more than a year is gone and another interim, yet far less disruptive, solution is now in place. See News Briefs, page 8
2nd Major F.C. Restaurant Shutters
The same day longtime F.C. brew pub Mad Fox shuttered after nine years in business, another Little City restaurant closed its doors for the last time on Sunday. See News Briefs, page 8
Press Pass with Piff the Magic Dragon Piff the Magic Dragon, the crotchety magician, is coming to Falls Church with a two-day stint at the State Theatre this weekend. See page 25
Index
Editorial................6 Letters..................6 News & Notes.10, 11 Comment.... 12,21 Business News.23 Calendar..... 26,27
Classified Ads... 28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword........ 29 Crime Report.... 30 Critter Corner.... 30
MARYLAND’S MONTGOMERY COUNTY Council approved a zoning change to allow accessory dwelling units, like the one above located in Washington, D.C., aimed at encouraging the development of a more affordable housing stock in the area. (Photo: Payton Chung / Flickr)
‘Accessory Dwelling Units’ OKd By Montgomery County Council by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Will the Falls Church city leadership demonstrate the same moral fortitude that some of its neighbors are now exhibiting in addressing the housing crisis that is gripping the nation and this region? The action by the Montgomery County Council, just up the Beltway from Falls Church in Maryland, to adopt zoning changes to ease the ability of county residents to construct “accessory dwelling units” on existing residential property Tuesday was a bold step in that direction.
The Montgomery council wound up voting unanimously for the zoning changes despite months of protests and petitions from over 1,000 mostly single family homeowners in the county who howled that the changes would ruin their neighborhoods. The bottom line is that the changes are aimed at encouraging the development of a more affordable housing stock than what is trending throughout the region, and across the U.S. as a whole. Falls Church Vice Mayor Marybeth Connelly told the News-Press at a Falls Church Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday that she was follow-
ing the Montgomery County development closely as the City Council here has begun its own discussions on how to alleviate the lack of affordable housing in Falls Church and some have stated publicly their plans to introduce measures into the coming year’s operating budget when that process begins later this year. With similar zoning modifications already made in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, the Montgomery County move is expected to accelerate the advance of pro-affordable hous-
Continued on Page 4
The Falls Church City Council’s unanimous approval earlier this month of the “special exception entitlement” for development of 9.8 acres at the City’s west end, now known as the “Little City Commons,” has kicked off the most intensive, creative phase of the development team’s work to date, aimed at winning approval of the special exception site plan by the City Council in January with complete and detailed architectural and engineering designs. Meanwhile, at the annual forecasting luncheon hosted by the regional NAIOP organization of commercial real estate developers, held at the greater Falls Church Fairview Marriott last week, optimism oozed about prospects for growth and prosperity in the Northern Virginia region, with the prospective development of Amazon’s second headquarters and the major higher education commitments being made in conjunction with it. The extension of the Silver Line and the expected economic stability of the region, including in costs of living compared to other major centers, face only uncertain headwinds associated with the costs of construction and the war for brainpower, the conference’s 200 attendees were told. Falls Church City was represented by Councilman Ross Litkenhous. Two conferences aimed at evaluating the prospects for the imme-
Continued on Page 5
PAGE 2 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
WHO’S THE BEST?
The News-Press BEST OF FALLS CHURCH reader vote is back and it’s �me to cast your ballot for your Falls Church-area favorites! Our 10th annual contest features 70 categories for readers to vote on the best ea�ng, drinking, shopping and more in and around the Li�le City. Winners will be featured in a special BEST OF FALLS CHURCH edi�on of the News-Press on August 29!
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Accounting Firm • Architect • Lawyer • Bank/Credit Union • Real Estate Agent • Real Estate Group Doctor • Pediatrician • Dentist • Chiropractor • Eyewear • Insurance Company • Retirement Community Shopping Center • Handyman • Home Improvement • Dry Cleaners • Car Dealer • Auto Service Barbershop • Hair Salon • Nail Salon • Fitness/Sports Shop • Gym • Massage • Fitness Studio Place to Buy a Gift • Jewelry Store • Boutique • Grocery Store • Wine/Beer Shop • Event Space Comic Book Store • Book Store • Specialty Store • Live Music • Summer Program • City Event Property Management • Physical Therapy • Private School • Preschool • Daycare • New Business
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JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 3
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PAGE 4 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
Montgomery County OKs ADUs
Continued from Page 1
ing measures throughout the region and nation, and, of course, also the City of Falls Church. The well-documented growing income discrepancy between the top one percent of the U.S. population and everybody else is translating into the need of many households to require two or more of the increasingly sub-par jobs to survive and growing inability of such households to find affordable housing near those jobs. Falls Church’s trends are no exception to that rule. But as Montgomery councilmember Hans Riemer said to his colleagues before their unanimous vote Tuesday, extensive studies and deliberations on the subject found that encouraging “auxiliary dwelling units,” such as the conversion of a garage, trailer or other backyard space into a livable, rentable dwelling, “won’t fundamentally change the character of the county.” It will not lead to more children, or to too many new cars, and on the other hand will enable families to stay nearer to each other, and is part of a “changing
response to the high cost of housing.” In an interview following the vote, he said that the county’s history advantaging single-family zoning was done “substantially to keep out communities of color,” adding, “But with this vote, we affirm that we’ve changed.” The council stood up against the large and boisterous objections by hundreds of citizens over months to vote unanimously in favor of the changes Tuesday. One councilmember who had been on the fence, Gabe Albornoz, said that, simply, “the pros outweigh the cons” on the issue. According to the county staff’s report, supporters of the changes “see reduced standards for permitting ADUs as an essential part of the answer for providing moderate cost housing. “A failure to approve the changes would, in their opinion, deprive aging homeowners of the only means of being able to afford to stay in their homes. Families wishing to provide some privacy to their aging relatives would be deprived of the opportunity for proximity to inter-
generational relationships.” On the other hand, the report noted, “The opponents see the destruction of their investment in quiet single-unit neighborhoods with the inability of the county to enforce any regulations. Opponents envisioned so many houses turned into two dwellings that parking would be impossible, emergency vehicles would be unable to navigate local streets, and schools would be overcrowded. The elimination of a limit on the maximum size of an ADU will create uncontrolled water runoff and more buildings than backyards.” But, it noted, representatives from the Sierra Club, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Habitat for Humanity, the Housing Initiative Partnership and the Affordable Housing Conference all believe that the accessory units “offer a sustainable form of cheaper housing at no cost to the county” to “meet the needs of intergenerational families and homeowners who could use the extra income.” It reported that the Maryland League of Women Voters added “many benefits of these units to
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
both the homeowner and the ADU resident: the homeowner benefits through extra income and maybe, if both parties desire, assistance with chores and companionship.” And, they added, “a convenient, affordable place to live benefits the resident.” It added that the Maryland Building Industry Association “believes the ordinance to support housing affordability, enhance opportunities for aging in place, encourage housing variety, and allow diverse and talented employees to live in the county in which they work.” The Towne of Brookeville in Maryland, where the zoning authority is provided and many ADUs, weighed in supporting
the Montgomery County zoning change by stating, “Speaking from our 20 years’ experience, the town has not experienced negative impacts from ADUs, such as parking shortages, vandalism, lowered property values or degradation to the historic village atmosphere.” As to the allowable size of an ADU, the report cites the case of Portland, Oregon, which “has an extremely successful ADU program. There the maximum size of an ADU may be no more than 75 percent of the living area of the house or 800 square feet, whichever is less.” But the Montgomery County planning staff opined that restricting units to 50 percent of the gross floor area of the house is a sufficient limitation.
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JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 5
Develpoment Team Working on Details of Little City Commons
Continued from Page 1
diate future of the entire region are scheduled for the coming period, with Falls Church Chamber of Commerce board member Andrew Painter slated to moderate a panel at a conference on Fairfax County’s coming prospects, and Little City Commons’ development team chief spokesman, Evan Goldman of EYA slated to speak on prospects for the immediate region in the wake of Amazon’s impending arrival at a conference in Alexandria next month. The Little City Commons is being viewed by its development team of EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency from the longerterm perspective of an eventual “mega-project” that would subsume the 9.5 acres in the current project, the seven acres of the adjacent Virginia Tech property and the 22-acre property owned by WMATA at the West Falls Church Metro station. Robin Bettarel and Shawn Seaman of PN Hoffman told the News-Press in an exclusive interview Tuesday that elements of putting the three properties together
are already “being master-planned in concert” respecting factors such as parking and traffic impacts, even though the Virginia Tech property development is being handled by a rival developer, Rushmark, and the WMATA property development is, they said, “in a very preliminary stage.” They confirmed, however, that the Little City Commons development team has already responded to a solicitation concerning it. Goldman, in earlier testimony at public events in Falls Church, noted that the long-term vision for the south-to-north “central park” space central to the Little City Commons involves it being extended through the Virginia Tech and WMATA properties to run from Route 7 all the way to the West Falls Church Metro station. The vision for that mega-project, which could dwarf the Mosaic District in Merrifield when it is eventually completed, involves making the entire space readily accessible to the West Falls Church Metro station, meaning that a lot of the housing, including the planned condos, senior apartments, regular apartments and smaller micro-
units planned for the Little City Commons, would be appealing to anyone in the wider region looking for the rapid Metro transit mode of transportation. Not included in the wider, longterm prospects for the project were the possible addition of the over 20 acres in the City controlled by Beyer Automotive and lands controlled by Federal Realty that includes the shopping centers that are currently anchored by a large Giant and a Staples on West Broad St. PN Hoffman’s Betterel and Seaman told the News-Press that their company’s successful development of the Wharf in D.C. could signal the kind of robust development they expect coming in Falls Church. There, they said, even though their historic emphasis has been on condominium development, there has been a particularly effective marriage of condo and office spaces. “We’re hoping the same model can be developed for the Little City Commons,” Betterel said. She noted that the combination of new apartment and condominium developments will help to fill the retail spaces in the new project, and that effective office space
development will add a daytime vitality component to the project and the region. It’s an added overall population growth and daytime office worker growth that are key to making retailers more successful, she noted, including restaurants that struggle if they have only a nighttime clientele to rely on. Seaman said that a key to the success of the Little City Commons will be its ability to be open to the entire Falls Church community, with a town center appeal to be a gathering place for existing, as well as new, residents for events of all types. “We want the community to appreciate the potential of the central park space as a civic space welcoming to the entire community,” he said. “We see it as a fantastic and unique prospect that does not exist in the region currently.” With this vision, and the overwhelming support the Little City Commons has enjoyed from City officials to date, it is time to “get down to the nuts and bolts” of what the project will look like in detail, Bettarel said. The development team is now
focused on the design and engineering of building (including residential, office and hotel) architectures, along with roads, sidewalks and public spaces within the project. They stressed that there will be more public events scheduled in the fall to take input from the citizenry on these elements. Betterel said there is no single vision going in on the overall architectural look of the project, but they want it to be compatible with a “Falls Church look,” if such a thing exists. “We are very excited as we move into this new stage given all the strong support we have enjoyed from the community to date,” she said. The latest positive development from the City of Falls Church’s standpoint is the estimate from the City’s economic development model that current plans for the project may generate as much as $7 million a year in tax revenues to the City, not counting the benefits of the additional economic activity that the new residents and businesses can be expected to bring.
PAGE 6 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
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Editorial
E D I TO R I A L
Montgomery County’s Example of Courage
The unanimous action by the Montgomery County Council Tuesday to adopt zoning changes permitting the expansion of “auxiliary dwelling units” on existing residential properties was courageous in the face of major citizen protests over months. The decision also defied the recommendation by the county executive to delay action. Instead, the council members spoke eloquently to the need to establish means by which existing residents can age in place, and thousands of new affordable housing options be introduced into the jurisdiction. We can hope that the Falls Church City Council and similar bodies representing other local jurisdictions across the land will pay particular attention to the values of the policy change and to the courage, both, involved in the Montgomery County council’s action this week. We look forward to our Council taking up this matter this fall as one of a number of means available to address the deepening housing crisis assailing the City, the region, and the entire nation. It is a remedy that does not cost the City money and the evidence developed in Montgomery County shows that it will not impact property values or the quality of life of residents negatively. On the contrary, it will add to the vitality that the City has said it wants and augments the moves on mixed use developments in its commercial corridors to, among other things, keep the doors open at City restaurants and retailers. There are two important points that need to be added. First, the housing changes are needed in the face of the growing discrepancy between the super rich and the rest of us in the U.S., with residential developers following market forces to meet the housing needs of the super rich at everyone else’s expense. Second, the changes bring about sorelyneeded changes to redress what had become accepted housing practices for single family detached home neighborhoods that have the practical effect of racial discrimination, as Montgomery County councilmember Hans Riemer pointed out in the context of its unanimous action Tuesday. We are in the era of the #MeToo insurgency of women and others against forms of discrimination that have been alive and well to the very present, and the insurgency continues to spread to touch into areas of cultural discrimination, prejudices and abuse that have been silently accepted even as laws have moved ahead toward justice and equality. This is causing a freaking out by those who prefer to preserve the old ways, or who fear being brought to justice in the face of this new insurgency. But for most of us, it is refreshing to see the wave beginning to sweep away the vestiges of the Jim Crow racist counterrevolution of the post-Civil War era, which needs to continue to redress the ways in which zoning ordinances, among other things, have been used to perpetuate prejudicial practices. So affordable housing and social justice really do represent one and the same issue.
Letters
Traffic, Parking, Towing Make F.C. Less Appealing
Editor, It’s laughable — July 18 News-Press editorial — to suggest that Falls Church needs residential development to create critical population mass for restaurants. Falls Church is nearly surrounded by diverse/populated and well-off Fairfax County and abuts similar Arlington County, both with countless thriving eat-
eries. What distinguishes — and hinders — City places compared to County dining choices? Three things: traffic, parking, and predatory towing. Until those are addressed Falls Church remains a much less appealing destination. Gabe Goldberg Falls Church
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Astonished at Size Of House Going Up In the Little City Editor, Regarding Rachel Clark’s observation about that ridiculous mini-chateau under construction at West St. and Laura Dr. — I am glad to know that someone else shares in my astonishment over its design and footprint on the property. I pass it every morning on my way to my job as an architect. I really feel sorry for the adjacent house which now lays in the
shadows of this thing. We can all be reassured that if Disney ever needs a film location for its next princess movie they can film there. Sarah Rosenthal Falls Church
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G � � � � C � � � � � �� ��
CO MME NT
JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 7
In Memory of Falls Church’s Extraordinary Feline B� P��� D�����
Nine lives, they say cats have. Never truer than with our Trilby. Life #1 was at the shelter of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, where we cat-shopped in September 1996. As I walked down the long row of cages looking at prospects, she poked out her paw and snagged my shoulder. I figured that a critter with such initiative would be an entertaining companion. We adopted her and named her Trilby, after an itinerant acrobat in a kid’s book my daughter Meredyth liked. To keep Trilby company, we took another kitten, also six months, and named him Casper (he was ghosty white, of course). Once home in Falls Church, they became fast friends. Though Trilby and Casper were indoor cats, we let them out occasionally to explore the backyard. Trilby, nimble and curious, defined “backyard” more broadly than Casper: He was a plush homebody, she was prone to roam. Once, she disappeared for most of a long summer day. Finally, we tracked her meows to a tree four houses away, where she was stranded, seeking refuge from our neighbor’s two dogs. Life #2. For almost a decade, Trilby and Casper wove themselves into our lives. They were there for every first-day-of-school sendoff for Meredyth and her brother Tyler; for birthdays and holidays; for visits from my parents up from Tennessee. When we took
family vacations out West, to the beach, and to Knoxville, Trilby and Casper kept each other company at home. But in 2005, while we were at the Delaware shore, Casper died, of kidney failure. We had
“Though Trilby was no fancy breed — just a domestic shorthair — she had the slender lines, springy step and insistent yowl of a Siamese.” other cats in the house with Trilby after that, but none was such a buddy to her. Life #3. Though Trilby was no fancy breed — just a domestic shorthair — she had the slender lines, springy step and insistent yowl of a Siamese. Even as she advanced in years, she’d bounce up stairs, leap into kitchen cabinets, jump onto our laps. She was a spry 16 when Meredyth graduated from Swarthmore in 2012, and a stillactive 19 when Tyler graduated from West Virginia in 2015.
But inevitably, with age comes infirmities. One Christmas she retreated to a dark corner and groaned in pain, prompting an emergency trip to the vet to treat dehydration (Life #4). Some time around her 20th birthday, she went deaf (#5). And at her “silver whiskers” checkup that year, her bloodwork showed signs of kidney disease (#6). Our vet said we might extend Trilby’s life by giving her subcutaneous fluids at home. So we learned to wrangle the fluids bags and needles, and Trilby learned to tolerate the needle pokes. Extend her life it did — far beyond our expectations. To 21 and 22 — her 7th and 8th lives — and, finally, in April of this year, to 23, earning her the undisputed title of Oldest Feline in Falls Church (and possibly in all of Virginia). The cat that had seen Tyler off to Mt. Daniel kindergarten welcomed him home at the completion of his master’s degree in criminology from Florida State. She outlived my mother, who died in 2017 at age 92. In 2018, she saw Meredyth head out to San Francisco State for graduate school in marine biology. Trilby made the best of her old age. She patrolled the yard, annoying the birds and squirrels. She basked by the fireplace, or curled into her heated cat bed, or slept in our laps for hours, purring softly. She ate what she pleased — sardines, salmon, Popeye’s chicken — the reward for making it to 110 (the human equivalent of her
cat age). Just two weeks ago, on her daily stroll outside, she spied a mouse, gave chase, and caught it. Feisty even in her 9th life! But nine was the end of the line. Last week, she declined quite abruptly from just frail to nearly immobile. She lost interest in food. The soft purr stopped. On Sunday night, Tyler came by the house, and brought in Meredyth via video chat from California for one last siblings visit with the extraordinary cat who’d been a constant in their lives since Tyler was 3 and Meredyth 6. Just before dawn Monday, in the living room chair Trilby and I had shared so many times, she slipped away quietly as I held her in my lap. Heartfelt thanks to Trilby’s many Facebook followers. With the news of the world stirring so much rage and despair on social media, it’s sweet to see the other face of humankind — likes and comments for our simple cat, who gave love, got love and made some mischief in her time. For years, whenever a friend lost a beloved animal companion, I hugged Trilby in memory of the departed. Now, I hope you’ll hug your dog, cat, hedgehog, whatever, and bid a fond farewell to our dear Trilby. Phil Duncan has lived in Falls Church since 1985 and is serving in his second term on City Council.
Q������� �� ��� W��� Will micro units be a positive addition to the City of Falls Church? • Yes
Last Week’s Question:
Did you suffer property damage resulting from the July 8 flash flooding?
• No • Not sure
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PAGE 8 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
Fa l l s C h u r c h
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
NEWS BRIEFS 2nd Major F.C. Restaurant Shuttered Sunday The same day longtime Falls Church brew pub Mad Fox shuttered after nine years in business, another Little City restaurant closed its doors for the last time this Sunday. The Locker Room Sports Bar and Grill, known for its fundraising events benefiting local nonprofit organizations and their Old Bay chicken wings, has closed after four and a half years in business. The establishment experienced financial challenges and shuttered its doors yesterday afternoon. The Locker Room, which was located in The Broadway at 502 W. Broad Street in space formerly occupied by Amasia Bistro and Hoang’s Grill and Sushi Bar, is the third restaurant to go out of business in that location.
Juvenile Dies from Construction Injury A juvenile died Wednesday from injuries sustained while working on a construction site, according to Fairfax County police. County police and rescue personnel responded to a call around 3:15 p.m. on July 23 about a man and a juvenile who were trapped in a ditch that collapsed on a residential construction site near the 1800 block of Solitaire Lane in McLean. Police report that the two were extracted from the ditch and taken to a nearby hospital. The juvenile was pronounced dead at the hospital; however, the man sustained injuries that are not considered life threatening. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy to confirm cause of death.
New Temporary Hillwood-Annandale Signal Operational
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The temporary traffic signal blocking the sidewalk at the corner of Hillwood Ave. and Annandale Rd. for more than a year is gone and another interim, yet far less disruptive, solution is now in place. City of Falls Church work crews have installed and activated a new signal pole at the affected intersection which has been without a permanent fix since high winds blew over the traffic light pole there more than 16 months ago. Repeated delays, new signal at Annandale Rd, and Hillwood Ave. in including an error by a contractor ordering The the City of Falls Church. (Photo: News-Press) replacement poles, pushed a permanent fix for the intersection back to April 2020 at the earliest. The new short-term solution uses the poles ordered in error (the City says they’re unusable in the long term) but removes the temporary signal that prevented pedestrians from using the sidewalk.
Juror Questionnaires Due to Be Mailed Soon Falls Church City residents may soon receive juror questionnaires from the Arlington Circuit Court as the court begins its annual jury duty qualification process. The Arlington court, which includes the City of F.C., will send out the juror questionnaires in early August to randomly selected residents of Arlington and F.C. The questionnaires will determine if residents qualify for jury duty beginning Jan. 1, 2020 and ending Dec. 31, 2020. Residents receiving a questionnaire are asked to read the document carefully and use the enclosed candidate ID number to complete the questionnaire online at ejuror.arlington.va.us or mail in the completed form as instructed. Residents are required to complete and return the questionnaire within 10 days of receipt. Failure to do so may result in a court summons.
Loren Bruce Gets a New Liver
125 Rowell Ct, Falls Church (703) 241-8807
Long-time City of Falls Church Planning Department specialist Loren Bruce was successfully provided a new liver last week, his family has reported. Bruce was in search of a new liver for more than a year and a half, and according to the report, a plan to receive a slightly compromised liver from a 70-year-old heart attack victim at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital suddenly changed as the operation was about to commence with the arrival of an unexpected liver from a 30-year-old donor. His doctor said, “It is like you got upgraded from a jalopy to a Ferrari.” “The long wait is over and he now has a second chance at life,” an ecstatic statement from his family and companion said. “We are over the moon with excitement and gratitude.”
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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Police Chief Says Department Not Operating With ICE in F.C. In light of new federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement directives, Falls Church Police Chief Mary Gavin issued the following statement,
“The Falls Church Police have no direct contact with ICE about any immigration issues. We are not doing any operations with ICE in the City of Falls Church.
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JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 9
We are committed to providing and maintaining the highest quality public safety service to everyone in the community. Our police officers do not take into account the immigration status of anyone they encounter when performing their duties. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, not one for local police. “The enforcement of federal immigration laws fall exclusively within the authority of federal immigration officials, such as United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, commonly known as ICE. The City of Falls Church Police do not enforce administrative immigration warrants and/or participate in investigations which lead to the enforcement of administrative immigration warrants.”
What City of Falls Church Residents Should Know about Floodplain Insurance Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, costing millions of dollars in damage every year. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides federally backed flood insurance to ALL properties in a participating community, not just those in the 100-year floodplain, also known as the Special Hazard Flood Area (SHFA). This is critical information to know as 20% of flood insurance claims are for properties located outside of the designated 100-year floodplain. When flood damage occurs, homeowners and renter’s insurance typically doesn’t cover damages, which is where the NFIP comes in. It is important to have protection from floods associated with hurricanes, heavy rains, and other conditions. If you live in a high-risk area like the SHFA, there is a greater than 1 in 4 chance that you will experience a flood during 30 years of owning that property. Even if your property is located outside of the SHFA, no guarantee exists that your property will not flood. It is a common misconception that you have to be in a floodplain to be eligible for flood insurance, this is simply not true; every property in the City is eligible to acquire flood insurance. As a public service, the City of Falls Church will provide you with the following information upon request: Whether a property is located inside or outside of the SFHA as shown on the current Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) of the City. Additional flood insurance data for a site, such as the FIRM zone and the base flood elevation or depth, as shown on the FIRM. Advise of a subject property’s location in any known flooding problem areas identified in the City Watershed Management Plan or in the Resource Protection Area. Elevation Certificates, if available. A handout on the flood insurance purchase requirement that can help people who need a mortgage or loan for a property in the SFHA. In addition the NFIP, the City also participates in the Community Rating System (CRS) which provides a discount of 15% off of the standard premium. The Department of Public Works also responds to floodplain questions for residential and commercial improvements and developments. To schedule a site visit, or for any questions related to the floodplain or City’s participation in the NFIP, contact the Public Works at 703-248-5350 (TTY 711) or visit http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Floodplain.
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News-Press
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Community News & Notes
THE $2500 DON FRADY COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP is presented to George Mason High School Senior Hannah Zaveri (right). Zaveri joins Annandale High School’s Safa Yosufzai and Falls Church High School’s Abesra Petros, who won the Ralph E. Buckley Memorial scholarship and Tom King Scholarship, respectively (Photo: Courtesy Barry Buschow)
Professional Development Program Open for Applicants Leadership Fairfax (8230 Old Courthouse Rd #100, Vienna) is accepting applications for their leadership development program for young professionals and new managers looking to increase their capacity to lead others. The Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) is a 10-month program that begins Sept. 2019 and develops the leadership skills of individuals to positively impact the community. Classes meet once a month and participants work outside of class with a cohort to plan and implement community service projects for local nonprofits. The program builds participant knowledge of community topics, legislative processes, leadership assessments,
working in teams and strategic communication across sectors. Applicants can apply at leadershipfairfax.org. Limited scholarships available for students with a demonstrable financial need. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the class is full. ELI develops specialized skills to enhance and improve project management, conflict resolution, public speaking, negotiations and communication abilities over the course of 10 classes. Participants in ELI also receive six hours of executive coaching from certified coaches to develop leadership competencies and establish future professional or personal goals. Students are organized into teams that collaborate with a local nonprofit to plan and implement a community service project over
A LITTLE FUN IN THE SUN was had by all who attended the Falls Church Distillers second anniversary party two weeks ago, with live entertainment and libations being shared from 1 – 10 pm. (Photo: Courtesy Amanda Colvin)
the course of the program. Prior teams have managed projects for Cornerstones, Good Shepherd Housing, OAR Nova, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, HopeCam, Public Art Reston, and more. Employers or individuals interested in applying or sending an employee through the program can find more information online or by calling 703-752-7555. Limited scholarships available based on need.
Teddy Bear 5K & 1K Registration is Live Registration is currently open for runners and walkers of all ages for the 7th Annual Teddy Bear 5K & 1K Walk/Run on Sunday, Sept. 29. The race that awards all participants a pint-size teddy bear when they cross the finish line this year starts at 9 a.m. for the 5K and
10 a.m. for the 1K. Also this year, both races take runners through shaded Pimmit Hills neighborhood, between Falls Church City and Tysons Corner. To register to run, walk or volunteer for the event, go to tinyurl. com/2019TBear5K-1K. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a registered adult in the 5K and under 8 in the 1K. The 5K also includes a stroller division. Prizes will be awarded to 5K runners, boys and girls in 6 age groups from ages 6 to 18, and males and females in 7 age groups for adults. Proceeds from the event support Falls Church-McLean Children’s Center (7230 Idylwood Rd, Falls Church), a nonprofit preschool dedicated to giving young children from low- and moderateincome, working families the start they need to be ready for success in school and in life.
Several local individuals and businesses that are sponsoring the event this year including Battelle Corporation, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Lafayette Federal Credit Union, New Dominion Women’s Group, Optima Health, Senior Housing Analytics, Sislers Stone, TD Bank, VA Delegate Marcus Simon and United Healthcare. Sponsorships are available by calling 703-534-4907 before Aug. 30 to have logos printed on runner t-shirts. Founded in 1969, Falls ChurchMcLean Children’s Center is celebrating its 51st year of providing an affordable, comprehensive, full-time early childhood education program designed to give all children, regardless of their family’s financial resources, a foundation on which to build the rest of their lives. The program has openings this fall for children from families that
Send Us Your News & Notes!
The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!
Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
TROOP 676, rising sophomores at George Mason High School, installed a vertical garden display in front of the community center. The garden will be there through the end of September. The garden has informational flyers in a box on the side and there are scissors available for the community to cut herbs for home use. (P����: C������� M������ T�����) qualify for a tuition subsidy. Call 703-534-4907 or go to fcmlcc.org.
McLean Local Wins Prestigious Rotarian Award Every year, each Rotary Club is asked to recognize a non-Rotarian individual from its local district who exemplifies the Rotary Club’s motto, “Service Above Self.” Although not a Rotarian, this individual will have contributed significantly to improving the quality of life in their community, whether state, country or world. The Rotary Club of McLean nominated eventual winner Terri Markwart for District 7610’s prestigious 2018-2019 Rotary Citizen of the Year Award. Highlighted below are some of Markwart’s most notable accomplishments in the McLean com-
munity: Served as president, vice president and executive board member for the Langley High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association from May 2013 – Aug. 2016; current Governing Board member (elected position) for McLean Community Center (MCC) since May 2018; Sunday School Teacher for 10 years, Vacation Bible School Leader for 5 years; multi-school liaison and volunteer for the Safe Community Coalition, which combats teen suicide, drug/alcohol use/abuse, stress, ethics and safe driving; hosted and supported over 100 Langley Young Life students in her home as a part of NoVA Young Life; Parent-Teacher Organization Executive Board for five years at Cooper Middle School; lead class parent for over 15 classes
at Churchill Road Elementary School Rotary Club of Mclean jointly sponsored Markwart as the 2019 McLean Citizen of the Year along with the McLean Chamber of Commerce. She was recognized at the District 7610’s Annual Awards and Installation Dinner on July 13, 2019, and later this fall she will be recognized at the McLean Chamber’s Suits and Sneakers Annual Event. Both events are open to the public.
New Free Food Program for Kids at Nationals Games The Washington Nationals launched the Kids Eat Free program, a new initiative that will offer complimentary meals for children ages 12 and under beginning with the July 22 game against
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JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 11
LIBBY WEST, from Girl Scout Troop 1611, is working on her Gold Award project which involves raising awareness about the bene�its of art therapy for dementia patients. Volunteers painted various local Falls Church business windows as part of the awareness campaign. She is also working with The Kensington Assisted Living and Memory Care here in Falls Church to create art therapy kits to be used by Kensington residents with dementia. (P����: C������� B��� W���) the Colorado Rockies and running through the Labor Day game vs. the New York Mets. The Nationals are the first Major League team to offer free meals to all young fans at every home game. The complimentary meal packs will include a hot dog, a choice of chips or applesauce, and a 12 oz. bottled water or soda. They will be available at dedicated Kids Eat Free concession stands, located at Section 143 near the PenFed Kids Fun Zone and Section 304 on the Gallery Level. In order to sign up for the Kids Eat Free program, children must
be registered, free of charge, as a Jr. Nationals Kids Club member. Fans can register for the Jr. Nationals Kids Club and the Kids Eat Free program through the MLB Ballpark App or by visiting nationals.com/KidsEatFree. Current Jr. Nationals Kids Club members are not automatically enrolled in Kids Eat Free, and will need to enroll separately for the Kids Eat Free program to be eligible to receive complimentary meals. For FAQs and more information on Kids Eat Free, visit nationals.com/KidsEatFree.
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PAGE 12 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
The purple can for glass recycling is here – in the parking lot of the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike in Annandale. Purists might argue whether the color is purple, magenta, orchid, or some other hue, but it’s bright enough to attract attention, and certainly can’t be confused with a regular old construction dumpster. The purple can is designed to take only glass bottles and jars. Items should be empty, and rinsed. The glass from the purple containers will be crushed and used for a variety of purposes, including construction projects. Homeowners still may dispose of glass in their weekly recycling bins, but when glass breaks in the bin, the shards can contaminate the other recycled items, especially paper, which may result in the entire batch being treated as trash instead of being recycled. Purple can recycling ensures that glass, even if it breaks, is handled correctly and recycled into usable material. To find the purple can at the Mason District Governmental Center, enter the parking lot from Columbia Pike, go straight back to the last drive aisle, turn right, and proceed to the western end of the main parking lot. The purple can is on the left. Signs on the purple can will identify types of acceptable glass, and also what not to discard – like no lamps or bulbs, and no miscellaneous glass. Bottles and jars only, please. At last week’s board meeting, I was pleased to present a proclamation that designates August as Immunization Awareness Month in Fairfax County. Older adults still may remember when polio, mumps, measles, and even diphtheria and whooping cough were not uncommon childhood diseases. My longtime neighbor contracted polio at age eight, spent much of her childhood in a hospital, and wore a steel brace on her leg for more than eight decades. Modern
vaccines have made that nightmare disappear, but measles, the flu, pneumonia, and other preventable diseases, still circulate, making vaccinations necessary to protect all people, but especially infants and young children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions and weakened immune systems. As parents enroll their children in school, students return to college campuses, and travelers make their plans, focusing community attention on immunization as a safe, effective, and necessary means to protect everyone’s health is simply a smart thing, and the right thing, to do. In the early 1970s, I was a staff aide on Capitol Hill, where my boss’s wife, Bethine Church, and other Senate wives (yes, wives; there were only two female Senators at the time) created a campaign against rubella, a contagious viral disease now easily prevented by immunization. The common MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccine was introduced about the same time, but many rural areas were underserved, and the wives’ effort was focused on getting information out to those areas. Little did I realize that, more than 40 years later, I’d still be advocating for immunizations! It was necessary then, and more necessary now. The Annandale Pop-up Park, at 7200 Columbia Pike, is hosting Arts Day this Saturday, from 5 to 8 p.m. The interactive arts include mural chalking and stone painting, a bike and helmet decorating station, and other family friendly activities. You can even play the park piano! The event is free, but advanced registration is encouraged, at www.fcrevite.org/ annandale/parkcivicspace.html.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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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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R EA L E STATE
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Real Estate Summer 2019
Planned Micro Units in Falls Church Add Urban Flavor to Housing Scene
by Matt Delaney
SUMMER 2019 | PAGE 13
Falls Church News-Press
The massive new mixed-use development planned for the City of Falls Church’s west end, recently dubbed the “Little City Commons,” will feature a living space favored by big cities throughout the country when it introduces micro units upon completion in 2022. A micro unit complex makes up just one of the new structures that EYA, PN Hoffman and Regency — the Falls Church Gateway Partners behind the nearly 10 acre development project — are building, but the new
living option may represent the City’s boldest move to date in diversifying its housing stock to accommodate a younger, cashstrapped clientele. “We wanted to find a way to bring some young energy to the City with the right housing type, but also not produce something that will encourage housing units with children,” EYA’s Evan Goldman said, whose company has experience constructing micro units with a project on Rockville Pike in Maryland. “The City’s focus on affordable housing and how to achieve that, plus wanting the kids and grandkids of City residents to move back to
Falls Church instead of settling in Arlington or Fairfax County is where the micro units came into play.” Goldman clarified that, by Federal Housing Authority standards, properties can’t discriminate against potential tenants that may not fit young-urban-professional profile the developers have in mind during their current design phase. However, there’s no doubt that micro units are geared toward those who don’t mind a more pared-down lifestyle. The size of a micro unit, per Goldman, ranges anywhere from 300-500 square feet, or typically about 20 percent less than a
THE WEWORK BUILDING in Crystal City is the only other micro unit structure currently planned for Northern Virginia. (Photo:
News-Press.)
one-bedroom apartment (usually within the 500-600 sq. ft. range) or a studio apartment (more often in the 400-500 sq. ft. range). The amenities per unit aren’t established so far in the design phase either, but Goldman mentioned the developers will consider features that open the space up — including high ceilings, as found in the micro units being planned for the Wharf in Washington,
D.C., a built-in furniture piece or closet, or even the lack of a bedroom wall. A reduction in space outside of the unit itself is also being considered. Goldman noted that micro units are being constructed for residents who prize public transportation and alternative modes of transportation over driving. As
Continued on Page 14
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PAGE 14 | SUMMER 2019
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Small Spaces Provide Cheaper Options for Younger City Residents
Continued from Page 13
a result, the micro unit structure will feature dedicated parking, but not every unit in the building is planned to receive its own parking space. Price-wise, Goldman estimated the micro units are about 20 percent less than the typical one-bedroom or studio apartment as well. Although, he couldn’t put an exact range on what the price would be at this time since, again, the Gateway Partners are still in the design phase. Using RentCafe.com as a reference, the average apartment rent in the City of Falls Church is $2,027, making the estimated 20 percent reduction for a micro unit hover around an average of $1,622. Sorting out the final details doesn’t deter from the fact that few other neighboring municipalities have taken a stab at these urban living arrangements. A spokesman for Fairfax County informed the News-Press that it doesn’t have any hard plans to construct micro units at this time, though, as long as it meets statewide standards, the county doesn’t have any zoning restrictions against doing so either. Arlington County, on the other hand, does have micro units planned for the near future. Per Arlington County’s housing director David Cristeal, the WeWork building in Crystal City intends to make 252 apartments, many of which are 360 sq. ft. or less, and add them to the building under its brand, WeLive. “We’re certainly interested, through the Housing Arlington effort, in seeing a wider range of housing types being offered,” Cristeal said. “That could be micro units, depending on location, that could be stack flats instead of townhouses. We’re just trying to expand the housing types that are offered and meet the needs of a population that’s changing in family structure.” The City’s deputy director of housing and human services, Dana Lewis, is in favor of micro units coming to Falls Church. As Cristeal mentioned, she approves of the City being able to create a varied housing portfolio to attract new potential residents to the City while also addressing its mission to bring more “workforce housing” within its limits. There is a slight amount of risk in undertaking micro units since the housing type is relatively new and more at home
in denser urban areas. Though research indicates that the smaller apartments have legs, even if for a short period of time. A 2015 Urban Land Institute study of micro units nationwide found the smaller living spaces held a higher occupancy rate than slightly larger substitutes (such as studio apartments). It caused researchers to conclude that micro units “appear underrepresented in the inventory relative to demand potential.” However, researchers also cautioned that it’s hard to extrapolate a preference trend from this data since units under 600 sq. ft. made up less than eight percent of apartments built in the studied time frame (2012-2013) with micro units making up less than three percent of apartments constructed. A survey included in the study seemed to indicate that micro units were better for first-time renters, but had a low renewal rate. When conventional apartment residents were asked to consider a micro unit, most (58 percent) were not interested in the idea of the smaller unit. Respondents did find the cheaper cost compared to a studio, along with the proximity to groceries, restaurants and bars to be enticing, as long as they had in-unit washers and dryers and ample storage space. This bodes well for the Little City Commons project that will bring a grocery store, eateries and nightlife by way of a music venue within walking distance of the structure and intends to create a vibe akin to Clarendon, per Goldman. Current micro unit residents who were surveyed prioritized the location (first), price (second), proximity to neighborhood amenities (fourth) and public transportation (sixth) when making their decision, with other areas such as assigned parking (10th) further down the list. The lack of storage space were current residents’ biggest concern, with the lower rent their favorite aspect. Maybe most concerning is that current micro unit residents were less likely to renew (41 percent) versus conventional apartment residents (57 percent). Still, Goldman is confident that interest in micro units will only continue to strengthen by the time they hit the market. He notes the suburban trend that started in the 1950s is beginning to wind down in favor of smaller and more condensed lifestyles where people are comfortable sharing common spaces.
A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES of micro units and the features they offer that can be seen around the country. The Harriet in San Francisco (top) has been open for a few years, and melds elements of its kitchen into the common area. Methods that developers use to trim down the spacial profile of furniture mainstays in the units are substitutes such as Murphy beds, which can collapse into a wall or designated space and free up room in the apartment. (Photos:Top — Panoramic Interests via
Urban Land Institute/Bottom — Urbaneer via Urban Land Institute.)
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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PAGE 16 | SUMMER 2019
R EA L E STATE A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial
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L��� � F����� R��� E�����/A�������� O����� At our office, we’re more than just a team of professional real estate agents. We’re a true part of the community— your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues. We shop, dine and play at the neighborhood attractions. We volunteer with area nonprofits. We send our kids to the local schools and enjoy all that our community has to offer. We’re also neighborhood experts, who work and live for the love of home. And for us, home is here—at our office, in our community, in our backyard. So whether you’re buying, selling, renting or just looking, the team at our office is here for you. We’ll be your trusted advisor, your practiced negotiator and your skilled house-hunter. From finding or listing a property to insuring and settling on it, we’ll diligently work for you every step of your journey home.
Long & Foster Real Estate/Arlington Office 6299 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22044 • 703-534-9660 www.fallschurchsales.lnfre.com
T��� M�K�����, K����� W������� Tori McKinney LOVES being a Realtor—perfectly blending her passion for Falls Church and finding her clients their dream homes in her beloved community. After moving to Falls Church in 1998, McKinney immersed herself in community advocacy and served as Housing Commission Vice-Chair. McKinney is on the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation Board, Executive Producer of Tinner Hill Music Festival, and is a 6-year member of Falls Church City Public Schools Business in Education Foundation. While maintaining her NVAR Lifetime Top Producer, she is a Top Producing Real Estate Agent featured in the Washingtonian and Arlington Magazines. Named Pillar of the Community by Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, she is annually voted Best Realtor by Falls Church News-Press readers. McKinney is Falls Church’s expert, eager to provide home buyers and sellers ROCK STAR service.
Tori McKinney, ROCK STAR Realty Group, KW Metro Center 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201 • 703-867-8674 • ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
R EA L E STATE A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial
SUMMER 2019 | PAGE 17
M e e t Fa l l s C h u rc h’ s Re a l E s t a t e E x p e r t s Anna Novak, Pearson Smith Realty
As a Senior Real Estate Specialist with Pearson Smith Realty and owner of Home Transition Pros, I have structured my business to address the specific needs of empty nesters, seniors, and those tasked with closing out an estate. I offer my clients a one-call approach to home transition services. In my work with empty nesters, I recognize that the job responsibilities and lifestyle goals of the “sandwich generation” can create a need for more—or full—service moves. In 2017, I began building a network of qualified, trustworthy professionals to help my clients with all of their home transition needs: from organizing and de-cluttering, making delayed repairs, and preparing a home to sell for top dollar. I leverage those same business relationships to help seniors downsize, age in place, or move to assisted living. I introduce my clients to local professionals with experience handling complicated moves, and those with specialty training in working with seniors and caregivers in times of transition. Security and trust are the cornerstones of my approach. I maintain the highest level of integrity in my real estate practices, and seek out likeminded professionals for all aspects of the process. As an extra measure of reassurance for seniors and others with security concerns, I partner with companies who employ a background screening process for their workforce. Downsizing a lifetime of belongings and selling a well-loved home can be an overwhelming endeavor. I work closely with my clients to see them through every step of the way. I’d love to hear all about your downsizing project…. You can reach me through hometransitionpros.com or call me any time at 703-402-0471.
Anna Novak, Pearson Smith Realty 703-402-0471 hometransitionpros.com
Cathy Poungmalai, IHD Real Estate As a top agent in the Northern Virginia real estate market for over 17 years, I believe that putting my clients first is the key to my success. This “client-first” philosophy drives me to continually build my skills and consistently rank in the Top 1% of Realtors nationwide. I have a passion for studying homes and prices every day. When you hire me, you can expect timely communication, expert market knowledge, honest advice and effective negotiation on your behalf. As a listing agent, my goal is to help you net the most amount of money as quickly and smoothly as possible. Sometimes my sellers are surprised when we actually increase the price! I will work with you to price your home correctly and then aggressively market it with professional staging,
photography, high-quality printed materials and premium online placement. Our proven formula attracts multiple offers for 70% of our listings. As a buyer’s agent, I will do much more than just open the door. From day one, I will help you hone in on homes that meet your search criteria and budget. I take a proactive approach to finding listings, reaching out to my extensive network to find homes that may not even be on the market. Our buyers also benefit from our professional contacts for lenders, home inspectors and contractors. Whether you are upsizing, downsizing, investing or relocating, I can help you find your new home. If you’re thinking of selling or buying, call me directly at (703) 7865776 or email me atCathy@CallCathy.com and let’s get started today! Specialties – Listing agent, Home Staging, ASP Accredited Home Staging Professional, Buyers agent, Expert Pricing, Strong Negotiating Skills, Multiple Offers, Home Preparation, Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), NVAR Residential Top Producer & Multi-Million Dollar Club, Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, Premium Marketing Techniques
Cathy Poungmalai, IHD Real Estate 703-786-5776 www.callcathy.com
Ken Trotter, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Named as one of Washington, DC’s Top Producing Agents (Washingtonian, 2018), Ken specializes in showcasing and selling Falls Church homes. By preparing a custom marketing plan for each listing, Ken’s listings have been featured in the FCNP, as well as The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, Curbed DC, and DC Magazine. Ken’s custom marketing strategies have resulted in his listings selling for Top Dollar and setting sales records in the Falls Church area. Prior to becoming a top producing Realtor®, Ken was a successful litigation attorney in Washington, DC, and draws frequently from that experience in his real estate career, saying: “The skills to be a successful Realtor® are the same skills it takes to be a successful lawyer. I focus on making my clients’ interests my sole priority and zealously strive to achieve the best results for each client.” Ken also hosts the home-related video series, Home Trends with Ken, featuring tips to help homeowners create a home that inspires them while adding value. View episodes of the series on Ken’s blog at KenTrotterHomes.com. Finally, when it comes time to sell your home, give yourself the Ken Trotter Advantage. For more information about the Ken Trotter Advantage, reach out to him directly.
Ken Trotter, J.D., Realtor, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty 703-863-0650 (c) 745-1212 (o) KenTrotterHomes.com
R EA L E STATE
PAGE 18 | SUMMER 2019
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Big Plans Currently on the Backburner Following 24 Hour Fitness Land Sale
BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
A multi-million dollar land sale at the City of Falls Church’s eastern edge has the potential to bring another sizeable mixedused development within the city proper. Commercial real estate firm KLNB brokered a $21.25 million sale between 24 Hour Fitness leasees, East Broad Street, LLC and buyer Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company in early June. It granted the new Florida-based owners rights to the three-acre lot once the remaining nine years on East Broad’s term are up. According to KLNB’s Vito Lupo, who was involved in completing the deal with Consolidated-Tomoka, the owners of 24 Fitness were looking to sell for the past year or so before pulling the trigger on Consolidated-Tomoka’s offer. Falls Church economic development division chief, Becky Witsman, believes that Consolidated-Tomoka’s purchase
of the site is a strategic, long-term investment, and it will let East Broad carry its lease to conclusion before taking the next steps in possibly redeveloping the area. Witsman mentioned that City planning and development service director James Snyder spoke with the buyer, who confirmed it doesn’t have any immediate plans for the property. “It’s a good piece of dirt and a gateway to the City of Falls Church,” Lupo said, who noted that multiple buyers were interested in the spot, but ConsolidatedTomoka won out because it was able to do the deal in straight cash and at the right price. “From my understanding, [ConsolidatedTomoka] was looking to diversify some income streams around the country and the current property allows some cash flow from them in the midterm with the option to redevelop down the line.” Witsman noted that East Broad invested a lot of money in improving the building before moving, hence the long-term lease. The money seems to be
well spent, as the City assessed the property for just under $19.2 million and it sold for more than $2 million over that. The lot’s B-3 zoning designation gives it options when — and if — time for redevelopment comes. Witsman mentioned mixed-use is definitely a possibility, and with a three acres to work with, there’s a strong chance that it could be parked underground, if need be. 24 Hour Fitness will continue in operation for the foreseeable future, or at least for the better part of the next decade. But the sale could be a harbinger of things to come for other businesses in the area. “[The 24 Hour Fitness sale] is the general story of what’s going on in Northern Virginia as far as growth,” Lupo added. “It’s a really strong sub-market that’s going in the right direction and only going to get stronger. With the pricing as strong as it is, it’s giving people some motivation to think long-term about what they want to do with their property.”
THE SITE OF THE 24 FITNESS and its adjacent parking lot combine for a total of three acres — plenty of room for a mixed-use development, if new Florida-based owner is interested in such a project down the line. (P�����: N���-P����.)
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CO MME NT
PAGE 19 | SUMMER 2019
Real Estate
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Top Falls Church Home Sales
April-June
#2 $1,795,900
#1 $2,000,000
#4 $1,675,000 #3 $1,675,000 Top 5 F.C. Home Sales April 1 – June 31, 2019 Address #1 7108 Penhuin Pl. #2 206 E. Jefferson St. #3 3420 Mansfield Rd. #4 2215 Tulip Dr. #5 6513 Overbrook St.
BR
7 4 4 6 5
FB
6 3 3 5 4
HB 2 1 0 1 1
List Price
$2,190,000 $1,795,900 $1,675,000 $1,675,000 $1,625,000
Sale Price
$2,000,000 $1,795,900 $1,675,000 $1,675,000 $1,625,000
Zip
22043 22046 22041 22046 22043
Date Sold 5/10/19 6/24/19 6/7/19 5/30/19 5/2/19
Source: MRIS, Inc.; Photos: MRIS, Falls Church News-Press
#5 $1,625,000
R EA L E STATE
PAGE 20 | SUMMER 2019
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Falls Church Area Housing Market — June 2019 Report Zip Code Area Median Price Number of Homes Sold
Average Days on Market
22046
City of Falls Church $899,000
23
22041
Bailey’s Crossroads
$333,000
31
30
22042
Sleepy Hollow
$554,500
52
26
22043
Pimmit Hills
$673,000
31
35
22044
Lake Barcroft
$426,950
10
23
62
Home Sales Vs. 1 Year Ago
Home Prices Vs. 1 Year Ago
Change in # of Homes Sold: June ‘19 vs June ‘18
Change in Median Home Price: June ‘19 vs June ‘18
-36.11%
Change in Falls Church City (22046)
+9.17%
Change in Falls Church City (22046)
-18.42%
Change in Bailey’s X-roads (22041)
+19.46%
Change in Bailey’s X-roads (22041)
-1.89%
Change in Sleepy Hollow (22042)
+5.62%
Change in Sleepy Hollow (22042)
-8.82%
Change in Pimmit Hills (22043)
+13.12%
Change in Pimmit Hills (22043)
+11.11%
Change in Lake Barcroft (22044)
-19.44%
Change in Lake Barcroft (22044)
Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. Copyright © 2019 Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Mueller’s Day, Trump’s Doomsday
Since most adult Americans seldom read anymore, much less something as daunting and dry (as in, fact-based) as a 448-page report from a special counsel like Robert Mueller, Trump and the Republicans thought that a distortion-riddled Cliff Notes summary account by Attorney General Robert Barr and a presidential bullhorn bleating false claims of exoneration would be a sufficient smokescreen to obfuscate the real, phenomenally-damning substance of the report. So the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary and Intelligence committees organized back-to-back hearings Wednesday that were broadcast live for seven hours on all the major all-news cable channels and on PBS that was really like a one-day FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS seminar on the report’s contents. It “painted a picture for the American people,” as Rep. Elijah Cummings said afterwards. It was a stunning picture of lies and deception by one of America’s chief adversaries, Russia, and by the man who was the beneficiary of the effort, President Trump, and so, collaterally, by the entire Republican Party leadership. With Mueller present to back up and verify everything that he included in the report, Democratic congressmen took turns citing chapter and verse in the report to lay out the documentation that is there of the extraordinary degree to which the Russians had a free pass to interfere in the election in a major way, the extent of the Trump campaign’s willingness to cooperate and enhance the effort and the Russians’ eagerness to keep that campaign in the loop, and then the Trump administration’s blatant and egregious obstruction efforts to deter any high-level federal investigation into all that. Mueller asserted at the outset and stuck to the main ways in which the report totally repudiated everything Trump and the Republicans have insisted about it. Trump and the GOP have insisted the report exonerated the president and that the investigation was a hoax and a witch hunt. Mueller effectively blew all those claims out of the water, and moreover asserted that Trump could be indicted for obstruction of justice once out of office. Then Mueller effectively put himself in the relative background, and the report in the foreground, for the rest of the day, as leading Democrats repeatedly quoted from it to make the devastating case against the Russians and Trump that is contained in it. It is truly sad that the major media, looking for whether the whole thing would bring them higher ratings (one assumes) would try to dumb down the impact of what happened by critiquing Mueller’s “performance,” and by trying to make the issue whether or not the testimony would mean the Democrats are going to move ahead with an effort to impeach Trump. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was exemplary of the failures of the media handling the true import of the day’s events, mewling that because Trump claimed a “victory lap” at the conclusion of the hearings that its overall outcome was a political draw and not a setback for the GOP. Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi could not have made it clearer at her press conference following the hearings: it is a matter of building the case against the president, who was outed by the day’s testimony once again as a liar, fraud and criminal. If the president can be indicted and sent to jail after he leaves office, as Mueller affirmed today, then why not focus on driving him out of office in the upcoming election, allowing the American people to be the judges of his innocence or guilt at the ballot box, instead of a corrupted Republicancontrolled U.S. Senate? The day’s testimony affirmed that Trump colluded with the Russians on at least a half-dozen occasions, and that he worked feverishly to kill the investigation into his collusion by insisting his minions lie and deceive on his behalf. In every case, the object was not the good of the country, or the American people, but the aggrandizement of his own person. As the eloquent Rep. Cummings said at the press conference concluding the day’s extraordinary events, “This is not about liking (or not–ed.) the president, it is about loving democracy. This was a watershed day pitting facts against totalitarianism for democracy.” Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
CO MME NT
JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 21
Nicholas F. Benton
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
Building on last week’s 50th anniversary look back at the moon landing, those of a certain generation will mark what in their heads may be an even bigger milestone: The Woodstock rock festival, half a century on. I offer recollections on Arlington’s contribution to that history-making crowd of 400,000 hippies and hippie imposters who braved traffic jams and rural New York mud August 15-17, 1969. The storied concert may have been a mess, but it remains a baby-boomer thrill. I didn’t personally go. I turned down an invite for fear of jeopardizing my summer job moving furniture. (I nursed a hunch the scene would be messy, crowded and lacking in sanitation.) But I lent our family’s Army tent to a caravan of eight from Yorktown High School classes of ’68, ’69 and ’70. When they returned, I wrote them up in a hard-hitting dispatch for the school paper. At the time, no one knew Woodstock would be a seminal generational event drawing worldwide news coverage and decades of retrospectives. We anticipated it simply by the posters (that famous guitar neck with a dove) and the $18 tickets (bought locally at Giant Music in Falls Church) promising one heckuva music line-up. “Group Attends Woodstock Festival Featuring Recording Stars, Bands,” said my squaresville headline on the festival
confusingly planned first for Woodstock, N.Y., then White Lake but later datelined Bethel. “Compassion, friendship, love — it’s all beautiful,” said my friend Jim Massey, whose fellowtravelers were forced — by traffic that famously closed the New York State Thruway — to pitch tents miles from the stage. A local farmer helped with food, but their water became contaminated. A helicopter dropped flowers and ashes over the crowd “symbolizing peace and love,” said my friend Marianne Koerner. The teenagers were “dedicated to peace and reducing the barriers between men.” Their companion Laurie Mathews recently reminded me that they arrived at the chaos after gatekeepers abandoned checking tickets, so she nearly missed linking up with a friend at the counter. She slept through the set by The Who but woke up for Jimi Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner. My classmate Ron Hiss set out but never made it to Woodstock. Doing post-10th-grade summer school, he was at Ocean City when he and friends packed his Camaro. En route, he traded some Schmidt beer for a gallon jug of wine from a guy in a Winnebago. But when the rain came a-drenching, they turned back. Many in my generation would lose their virginity among Woodstock’s naked mobs, later straining to spot themselves in Life magazine photos and the movie.
The unplanned triumph of sharing in that instant city finally convinced stodgy record executives — types who preferred the Mantovani 101 Strings — that youth rock had reached critical mass. In the 1990s, I took my young family to the Woodstock site for a Christmas card portrait at the monument in the natural amphitheater of Yasgur’s Farm. One merchant still at the general store was happy to recall the most exciting three days ever in Sullivan County. One coda: My friend Todd Lewis, having graduated Yorktown in 1969, was working construction that August. His co-worker and classmate Mark Marder walked off the job and went to Woodstock. Todd didn’t see him for 20 years. At a high school reunion, Todd approached Mark gingerly. “So,” he asked, “how was that concert?” *** Yet another new incarnation of what I’ve long called the “jinxed restaurant.” At the trafficky intersection of Lee Highway and N. Lexington St., you can now eat in at Sloppy Mama’s barbeque. Its outdoor cookers had been serving its Ballston outlet while renovations freshened the 1970sera building. The site began as a Pizza Hut, then an Indian health food place, a Bolivian-Colombian combo, the diner-like Charleyhorse Grill, the upscale Tap and Vine, the fusion Asian Kitchen and Misoram noodle place. May Mama’s secure the secret sauce of success.
PAGE 22 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
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LO CA L
JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 23
F� � � � C � � � � �
B������� N��� � N���� News-Press Summer Mixer is Tonight The Falls Church News-Press is hosting its annual summer party and networking mixer on Thursday, July 25 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. The event, catered by Anthony’s, will include libations care of Commissioner of the Revenue Tom Clinton and live music by Huck and Friend. It is open to the public and it will take place in the Falls Church News-Press office at 200 Little Falls Street, Suite 508, Falls Church. For more information, visit www. FallsChurchChamber.org.
Lemon Lane Pop-Up at Famille This Friday Famille Café will host a Lemon Lane Children’s Consignment Boutique pop-up store on Friday, July 26 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Stop by for coffee, a bit to eat, and a sneak peek at Lemon Lane’s newest fall inventory. Famille is located at 700 W. Broad Street in Falls Church, on the ground level of The Kensington and across the lobby from Falls Church Arts Gallery. For more information, visit www.lemonlaneconsignment.com or www.famillecafe.com.
Follow Us Online
Tarot Workshop at Center for Spiritual Enlightenment Set for Sunday “The Tarot in History and in Modern Practice” will take place Sunday, July 28 from 1 – 3 p.m. at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment. The workshop, featuring David Dellman, will cover the history and interpretation of the tarot and ways in which to use the tarot, a highly visual divinatory tool used to heighten and sharpen spiritual sensitivity. The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment is located at 222 N. Washington Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit www.thecse.org.
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Galleria Florist Giving Away Free Seed Bombs Galleria Florist, which was recently highlighted on WAMU, has free seed bombs available, while supplies last. According to Galleria’s Facebook posting, seed bombs date back to ancient Egypt when they were used to boost new growth at farms affected by the Nile’s annual spring flood. They were then reintroduced in 1938 by Japanese microbiologist Fukuoka who called them Earth Dumplings and used them in his annual gardening. The seed bombs were made popular in the 1970’s when guerrilla gardening filled empty logs in inner cities. Galleria Florist is located at 7187 Lee Highway in Falls Church.
Annual September Festival Renamed to Falls Church Festival The Falls Church Festival will take place rain or shine on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on City Hall grounds. The event, previously called Taste of Falls Church at the Fall Festival, will feature crafters, civic groups, restaurants and a limited number of merchants. Businesses interested in participating are to complete the application form available at www.fallschurchva.gov/638/Falls-Church-Festival. 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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A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 25
with
Piff the Magic Dragon
JULY
26 y
Frida
Dave Lange Trio Dogwood Tavern 10 p.m. 132 W. Broad St., Falls Church 703-237-8333 • dogwoodtavern.com
27 day
Satur
Exaggerations JV’s Restaurant 1 p.m. 6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church 703-241-9504 • jvsrestaurant.com
Suburban Curfew Falls Church Distillers 8 p.m. 442 S. Washington St., Falls Church 703-858-9186. • fcdistillers.com
28 ay
Sund
BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Magicians come in many shapes and sizes. Some are larger-than-life showmen who ooze pomp in their performances, such as David Copperfield. Others are mystifying in their mind-bending execution, a la Criss Angel. And then there’s Piff the Magic Dragon, whose crotchety disposition and homely appearance give him an anything-but-magical vibe...until he proves you wrong. With a two-day stint at the State Theatre this weekend, the Las Vegas transplant by way of London, Piff (whose real name is John van der Put) had always had a thing for magic. The low overhead cost of cards allowed him time to do hour-plus shows growing up in Britain, and after some self-proclaimed “dark years” working as an IT guy telling people to “shut down and restart” their computers, he made the leap to magic. There was no soft-landing in the world of entertainment. This was especially so when then-John would show up to perform at weddings or birthday parties, sport his default grumpy expression (he’s a happy fellow, he promises) and found himself getting less-thansatisfactory responses from the crowd. The tone of his routines changed when he came as the only costumed attendee of a party and found inspiration for a career metamorphosis. “I went to a costume party as a dragon, but when I got there I was the only one in character, so I asked my friend what happened and he said ‘We thought the idea of a costume party was a bit childish so we called it off,” Piff said. As he grew more disgruntled with every inquiry about his rather gaudy party attire, “One of my friends came up to me and said, ‘You should do this as a part of your act, and go by Puff the Magic Dragon,’ and I replied back
PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON (P����: C������� P��� ��� M���� D�����) saying I’ll go by Piff instead and reference my well-known older brother...Steve.” Thus in 2008, Piff was born into the world, with his sidekick/chihuahua, Mr. Piffles, joining him soon after that. It became a freeing experience for the magician formerly known as John, who was able to spin his naturally dry, somewhat biting humor into the narrator for magic tricks. As he described it, “Piff is who I would be if I could get away with it. In the dragon suit, I can get away with it.” While generating momentum with appearances on the British TV show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” in 2011 and opening for musicians Mumford & Sons in 2012, it was a later move to Vegas and hitting the performance circuit there that catapulted his American stardom. This was bolstered by a lengthy run on America’s Got Talent in 2015 where he finished in the season’s top 10. Piff is currently a regular at The Flamingo in Vegas.
Piff’s card tricks have always been the backbone of his shows, but he’s learned to improvise on stage and work the give-and-take with the audience to up the ante. One recent example was taking an 8-year-old show participant who wet herself on stage and boosting her into a hero by the time she left. Being able to spin moments like into a positive are what makes the expensive, two year testing cycle for tricks all the more worthwhile. “People want to feel like they’re a part of a show that doesn’t happen every night — that they’re seeing something special,” Piff said. “I think of being on stage as my time off since I’m working on tricks and improving tours the rest of the time. It’s the fun bit of the job and the reason I do it.” Piff the Magic Dragon will be performing at the State Theatre (220 N Washington St, Falls Church) on Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. For tickets, visit thestatetheatre.com.
Jimmie Cole & The All-Stars JV’s Restaurant
These singles whet the appetites of the FCNP editorial team this week:
1 p.m. 6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church 703-241-9504 • jvsrestaurant.com
Nicholas Benton – You Can’t Hurry Love by The Surpremes
Jody Fellows – The Lonesome Friends of Science by John Prine
Matt Delaney – Frontin’ by Pharrel ft. Jay-Z
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, JULY 25 Middle School Book Club. July Book: “Stardust” by Neil Gaiman. On the 8th grade summer reading list from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. Book Club for grades 6-8. Limited copies of the book are available to borrow from the Youth Services Desk. Registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8 p.m. 703-248-5034. Summer Concerts in the Park. The Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) and the Recreation and Parks Department are hosting the 27th annual “Summer Concerts in the Park” series held in Cherry Hill Park beginning on June 20 — Aug. 1. The series features local
musicians of various genres every Thursday evening. This week’s performer is Big Tow, which plays alternative and blues music. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8:30 p.m. 703248-5077.
SATURDAY, JULY 27 Farmers Market. The award-winning, year-round market is filled with fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and much more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034. Tai Chi at Mr. Brown’s Park. Tai Chi focuses on balance physically and internally. The slow rhythm and movement forces participants to breathe in time and pay attention to each small shift on weight and foot position. The activity is generally thought to be relaxing and fun and can be adjusted for
all ages and physical abilities. Mr. Brown’s Park (100 block of W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. 703-248-5210.
asked to bring their own mat. Mr. Brown’s Park (100 block of W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9 – 10 a.m. 703-248-5210 (TTY 711).
Sing Books with Emily. A singing storytime with illustrated songs. Emily’s repertoire includes hundreds of songs to delight audiences of any age, many enhanced by instruments like guitar, glockenspiel, kazoo, foot tambourines and limberjack. Residents are encouraged to join the musical fun and illustrated song wtih the whole family. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 – 11:45 a.m. 703-248-5034.
MONDAY, JULY 29
SUNDAY, JULY 28 Morning Yoga in Mr. Brown’s Park. Interested attendees can enjoy a free class with Karma Yoga on today at the new park in downtown Falls Church. Attendees are
ESL Conversation Group. A general conversation group (for adults) learning English as a second language. Meets every Monday at regular time. Drop-in. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, JULY 30 Paws to Read at the Library. Children read with a canine companions. For grades K-6th. Registration opens two weeks prior to the date of every program at the Youth Services desk by phone 703-248-5034 or in person — no email registration. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 3 – 4 p.m.
THEATER&ARTS FRIDAY, JULY 26
“2019 Summer Cabaret Series.” Every summer weekend at Creative Cauldron features a cabaret or concert by some of the most spectacular talent the DC area has to offer! Grab a table for two or a table for four and enjoy your favorite musical standards from the Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, Folk Jazz, pop and classical canon and be entertained in our up close and personal cabaret space. Creative Cauldron (410 S Maple Ave., Falls Church). $18 – $22. 8 p.m. creativecauldron.org.
SATURDAY, JULY 27 “Be More Chill.” This musical is based on a popular teen fiction novel, and tells the story of Jeremy, a high school “loser,” who goes to great lengths to gain self-confidence. So he swallows a super computer that will tell him how to act and make him the coolest kid in school. What could go wrong? “Be More Chill” recently enjoyed a successful Off
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Broadway run, and reopened on Broadway in February 2019. Ainslie Arts Center (3900 W Braddock Rd., Alexandria) $25 – $40. 8 p.m. monumentaltheatre. org.
“American Spies and Other Homegrown Fables.” News travels across the Pacific on Dec. 7 resulting in foolhardy claims of Japanese sympathizers. As calls for war perpetrate a nation, The Ishii Family undertakes radical assimilation to calm the local police and fearful neighbors. Mixing family testimony and cartoon charm, the Japanese Americans’ response to national disaster develops into a sparkling fable on what it means to be family. NextStop Theatre (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) $15 – $32. 8 p.m. thehubtheatre. org.
SUNDAY, JULY 28 “Ann.” Punchline-packed speeches reveal the feisty and unadulterated life of legendary Texas Governor Ann Richards. Written by Emmy Award-winning actress and writer Holland Taylor (“The Practice,” “Two and a Half Men”), “Ann” is a comical and inspiring production based on the colorful and complex woman whose sense of humor was bigger than the state which she represented. Jayne Atkinson (“House of Cards,” “Criminal Minds”) reprises her well-received performance in this intimate, no-holds-barred comedy chronicling Richards’ legacy and how she was determined to make her mark on the world. Arena Stage (1101 Sixth Street, SW Washington, D.C.) $56 – $95. 2 p.m. arenastage.org.org.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, JULY 25 David Davol. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Justin Shapiro. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. Bluewreck
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Doldrums with Throwing Plates. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. Karaoke. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-8589186. The Royal Hounds from Nashville. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
FRIDAY, JULY 26 The Woodford Reserve. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Happy Hour: Peace Run Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703241-9504. Noseda Conducts Tchaikovsky & Beethoven. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $25. 8 p.m. 703-2551900. Summer Jam XLVI — A Watkins Glen Reunion + On The Bus + The Allman Others Band. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Chris Aaron – Record Release Party. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-858-9186.
STEVE MILLER BAND will be at Wolf Trap on Wednesday. Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
Trap Rd. Vienna). $45. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.
Strauss — Ariadne auf Naxos. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $36. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1900.
SUNDAY, JULY 28
Heart, Spirit and Soul. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
Piff the Magic Dragon The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $32 – $45. 9 p.m. 703-237-0300.
Suburban Curfew. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-858-9186.
Eye Witness Blue Bands. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-2419504.
Disney Pixar’s Coco: In Concert Live to Film. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $40. 8:30 p.m. 703255-1900.
Dave Lange Trio. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
Ray Apollo Allen & Going Goin Gone. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504.
SATURDAY, JULY 27 Exaggerations. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-241-9504. Roger Cirke & Wandering Souls. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington
(Photo: SteveMillerBand.com)
All Batteries Fire and Surfin’ Santa & The Beach Demons. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-532-9283. Jelly Roll Mortals. Dogwood
Open Mic. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-8589186.
MONDAY, JULY 29
Jimmy Cole & The All Stars. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-2419504.
Wolf’s Blues Jam Weekly Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
Aria Jukebox. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $36. 3 p.m. 703-255-1900.
TUESDAY, JULY 30
Jumpin’ Jupiter. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Twin Brothers Band. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186. Reba McEntire. Wolf Trap (1645
Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1900.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 Steve Miller Band with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives and Matt Andersen. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $45. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1900.
Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, 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.
PAGE 28 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
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INDUSTRIES OF SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. 6 Properties – 5 Counties in South Central Virginia. Total Tax Assessed Value: $5,592,433.00. [Bidders must be prequalified Prior to the Auction] Contact: Walker Commercial Services, Inc. VAAF#549 540-344-6160 www.walkercommercialservices.com
ATTENTION AUCTIONEERS Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide or 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
On Monday, August 5, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., the Planning Commission will hold a public meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 to consider the following items: (TR19-20) RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE 2005 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO UPDATE AND REPLACE CHAPTER 2, “DEMOGRAPHICS” WITH “PEOPLE, HOUSING, AND JOBS: DEMOGRAPHICS CHAPTER OF THE CITY’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN” AND (TR19-21) RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE 2005 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO UPDATE AND REPLACE CHAPTER 10, “HOUSING” WITH “HOUSING A COMPLETE COMMUNITY: HOUSING CHAPTER OF THE CITY’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN” On Monday, August 12, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., the City Council will hold a public meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 to consider the same items (TR19-20 and TR19-21) described above. Information on the proposed comprehensive plan amendments can be viewed at City Hall at 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA, Monday through Friday (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). You may contact the Planning Division at plan@fallschurchva.gov with any questions or concerns. This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)
Auction BANKRUPTCY AUCTION JULY 29 AT 12 NOON at the Jefferson Center, Roanoke, Virginia. GOODWILL
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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 hereby 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.
KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy
I’m going to read to kids today, Then I’ll go on out to play! .
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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1. Off the ground 6. Towel provider, often 9. John’s running mate in 2008 14. “Close but no ____” 15. Word after income or sales 16. Fed. bond 17. “Pride and Prejudice” beau 18. Microbrewery product 19. Parquetry design 20. One of Canada’s First Nations 21. Go gray, say 22. In a dryly amusing way 23. Snitch 25. Adrift, perhaps 26. Loses intensity 29. More spooky 30. Gas that home inspectors check for 31. Network for political junkies 32. Yogi’s sounds 35. 1981 thriller whose title character is a St. Bernard 36. Spins, as Earth 37. Technical opening? 38. Sch. with the George W. Bush Presidential Library 39. Circus whip-cracker 40. Prefix with -path or -logical 41. Written rules 43. Software trial 44. Charlie Parker’s instrument 46. Ristorante glassful 47. Surgical instrument that stops bleeding 48. Occupied, as a table 49. Attachment to a movable sprinkler 53. Longtime NBC newsman Roger
STRANGE BREW
Across 1. Off the ground
54. Les ____-Unis 55. “Not in a million years!” 56. Second Lady after Tipper 57. Geese formation 58. Helps (out) 59. Went out with 60. Asner and Sheeran 61. Perplex
DOWN
1. “Highway to Hell” band 2. “That’s not true!” 3. Shrek, for one 4. Identifiable feature of singer/ rapper Post Malone ... or an image seen after you’ve circled eight of this puzzle’s squares? 5. Attempt 6. You might act on it 7. Prone to sunburn 8. Lumberjack’s tool 9. Adds to the batter, say 10. Comment on, as in a margin 11. Luxury car with a hyphen in its name 12. Dickens’ “____ of Two Cities” 13. 2003 #1 hit for OutKast 21. Sharpton and Gore 22. “____ First Trip” (cartoon episode where the title character recalls meeting Boots) 24. J’s value in Words With Friends 25. Biblical outcast 26. Parabolas, essentially 27. Creator of Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion 28. Tweak 29. Millionaires’ properties
JOHN DEERING
Sudoku
JULY 25 – 31, 2019 | PAGE 29
31. One of the financial markets, for short 33. Hosp. scans 34. Challenge for Santa’s dry cleaner 36. Drumming sound 37. Mr. who debuted 5/1/1952 39. Rough-housed 40. Politician with a six-year term: Abbr. 42. Luke Skywalker’s home planet 43. Tried to nip 44. “Get ____ of yourself!” 45. “From Russia With Love” actress Lotte 46. Flower holders 48. Declared 50. Roman poet who wrote “Ars Amatoria” 51. Put on Craigslist, say 52. Gaelic tongue 54. Day of anticipation 55. Org. for the Suns and the Heat Last Thursday’s Solution
I L A G E P A I R S O G R A P H S Y M U N S O S O A M I E B L A N C T E A R G A O L D M A N A R I D G E P E N L I V E T W I B E T A S E R A R T S Y
A S A R I B E R S E O N N O A T H E A S O N X O N A P E N A D D D O O U S C
T W E L E E T S S O S F O F S R U H T O S E
B Y L A W
A M I N O
R A Z O R
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S C A R T A B R E R E R A
By The Mepham Group
Level 1 2 3 4
6. Towel provider, often 9. John's running mate in 2008 14. "Close but no ____" 15. Word after income or sales 16. Fed. bond 17. "Pride and Prejudice" beau 18. Microbrewery product 19. Parquetry design
1
20. One of Canada's First Nations 21. Go gray, say 22. In a dryly amusing way 23. Snitch Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
25. Adrift, perhaps NICK KNACK
© 2019 N.F. Benton
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Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
PAGE 30 | JULY 25 – 31, 2019
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BACK IN THE DAY
20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press Falls Church News-Press Vol. IX, No. 20 • July 29, 1999
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XIX, No. 21 • July 30, 2009
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Critter Corner 10 Year s Ago
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
Rivera Resigns!: City Manager Still on ‘Short List’ for D.C., Atlanta Jobs
F.C. Mandates ‘Arts & Cultural District,’ New Art Space Hums
Having served just over two years, Hector Rivera announced his resignation as the City Manager of the City of Falls Church Monday. In his 28th year of public administration, overall, Rivera will conclude his duties to the City on Aug. 13. The News-Press was called early Monday morning to meet with Rivera at his City Hall office later that afternoon, where he broke the news to the News-Press.
The Falls Church City Council took a major step toward establishing another progressive and defining feature for Falls Chuch Monday when it voted unanimously to designate a key downtown area of the City as an “Arts and Cultural District” where special tax incentives and regulatory flexibility can augment ongoing efforts to build and market it, with public support for a wide variety of opportunities in the City.
Falls Church’s James White Dies at 79 James Thomas “ Jim “ White passed away peacefully at age 79 on June 30, 2019 at his home in Falls Church after battling cancer. He was a Falls Church resident for a majority of his life and was a well known community member. Jim visited all the local eats from Anthony’s to Mike’s Deli to the Burger King and was good friends with owners and staff. The McDonald’s breakfast was one of his favorites. He loved talking to people and often made relationships with employees of these places that went far beyond the restaurants itself. He loved meeting new people and shown a light on each person he talked to; no matter the day or the weather Jim never lost his smile. His positive outlook on life spread to others and it was easy to tell that he was a truly caring person. He had successful commercial business, WW Plumbing, for forty years. You know the toilets at
Tysons? Him. As well as a good amount of DMV area a lot of you have probably experienced his work without ever knowing. He served our country three years in the Marines. He also managed real estate with his late wife Mary Chaconas White, intending to have five properties in the end although he ended up with more.Their children Missy, Joy, Mary, Janie and Jimmy Joe were to inherit these properties. One place in particular that he held close to his heart was the “bay house” which is located on the Chesapeake Bay. He fished there and watched his grandchildren grow up over summers. He watched Jerry, Jeff, Samantha, Izabella, Jake, Sarah and Emily. They had birthdays, celebrations and vacations at the bay house. His granddaughter Emily was his best friend and although she passed in a fire at the age of seven he knew that she was by his side to
THE HONORABLE TRILLBY DUNCAN passed away this past week at the age of 23. The full obituary is this week’s Guest Commentary on page 7. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
JAMES WHITE the very end. His daughter Missy took care of him to the very end as she did with her mother. Her dedication to her father over the years before the cancer was well known and up until the very end was appreciated. Jim’s love for his family will last beyond his lifetime.
Arlingtonian Maria Antonia Diggs Castro Dies at 86 Maria Antonia Diggs Castro passed away peacefully on Monday, July 15, 2019 at the age of 86 in her home in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington. Born August 17, 1932 in El Salvador, Maria immigrated to the United States in 1969 to seek a better life for her family in San Miguel, El Salvador. A naturalized United States citizen, Maria resided in the Washington, D.C. area for 50 years. She enjoyed spending time with her family, cooking at home, taking walks around her neighborhood and chatting with her neighbors on the bench in front of her home. She was loved
by many and worked at George Washington University’s food services until her retirement. Maria is survived by her five children, Zoila Esperanza Castro, Raul Rivas and wife, Reina Rivas, Oscar Armando Rivas and wife Edith Rivas, Roberto Antonio Castro and wife, Silvia Castro and Sandra Elizabeth Rodriguez (nee Carrion Castro). Known as Mama Toña to her grandchildren, Maria will be fondly remembered by her twelve grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren. Maria was predeceased by her former husband, Raul Rivas Carrion, and
her sister, Juanita Castro. She will also be forever remembered by her extended family and dear friends. A viewing and prayer service will be held on Sunday, July 28, 2019 from 4 – 8 p.m., at Advent Funeral Home in Falls Church, Virginia (7211 Lee Highway, Falls Church). A funeral mass will be celebrated in memory of Maria on Monday, July 29, 2019 at 10 a.m., at The Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington (3901 Cathedral Lane, Arlington). Interment will follow at Pleasant Valley Memorial Park in Annandale (8420 Little River Turnpike, Annandale).
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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402 W Rosemary Lane, Falls Church City
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