A ug u st 1 8 – 2 4 , 2 0 1 6
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d ed 1991 • Vol. X X V I No. 26
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week F.C. Medical Center Closing After 69 Years The Falls Church Medical Center is closing August 31. After almost seven decades, it’s time for the center’s retirement, a makeover or a move to a new location. See page 8
MetroAccess Driver Charged With Rape
Falls Church’s ‘Authenticity’ Cited as Model by Major Regional Developers Mayor Tarter Wows Big Confab on How To Best Grow Area
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
A MetroAccess paratransit driver was charged with sexually assaulting a 51-year-old woman in June on Carlin Springs Road in Falls Church.
The police said the incident began on Aug. 16 when the man was escorted out of the hospital by hospital security after receiving treatment. Security directed the man to a nearby bus stop and went back inside the hospital. Shortly after, hospital security received at least two phone calls from people saying the man was swinging around a signpost and when security went to check out the claims, the man struck one of the hospital security guards with the signpost. The guard was later treated for minor injuries and released.
The City of Falls Church was held up as an example of the kind of “more authentic experience” of living that developers in Fairfax County should strive to emulate during a high-powered forum on prospects for the regional economy yesterday. Falls Church represents “a little bit more of an authentic experience” said real estate developer Albert “Sonny” Small Jr. of Renaissance Centro amid an energetic four-way discussion on how to best develop in Fairfax County in order to attract a younger techsavvy “Millennial” demographic sorely needed to fuel the area’s economy. Greg Trimmer of the JBG companies who shared the panel with Small, Peter Otteni of Boston Properties and Tony Womack of Tishman Speyer, cited Falls Church’s emphasis on marrying development with quality education as representing the kind of “amenities” that will attract Millennials. It helped that the panel was preceded by Falls Church Mayor David Tarter, who delivered a brief but powerful and comprehensive overview of the City of Falls Church. Tarter cited the City’s demographics (highest per household income and level of educated population of any jurisdiction in the U.S.), its central location between two Metro stations seven miles from the White House, its “great schools,” and “small town feel” (its farmer’s market, State Theatre, Eden Center), second fastest growing population in Virginia, bike
Continued on Page 5
Continued on Page 4
See News Briefs, page 9
Paul Krugman: Wisdom, Courage & The Economy
It’s fantasy football time in political punditry, as commentators try to dismiss Hillary Clinton’s dominance in the polls — yes, Clinton Derangement Syndrome is alive and well — by insisting that she would be losing badly if only the GOP had nominated someone else. See page 14
Press Pass with David Crosby
Legendary guitarist and singersongwriter David Crosby, who just turned 75 on Sunday, said that the last two years have been the longest and most dense writing period he has ever had. See page 16
Index Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.10-11 Comment......... 12-15 Food & Dining......17 Calendar.........18-19
Classified Ads .....20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........21 Business News....22 Critter Corner.......22
FALLS CHURCH MAYOR David Tarter addressed a few hundred commercial real estate professionals at a symposium on regional economic development Wednesday morning. (Photo: News-Press)
Fairfax Deputy Sheriff Shoots, Kills Civilian Assailant at Inova by Drew Costley
Falls Church News-Press
A 29-year-old Hispanic man who had just been released from Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church was fatally shot by a deputy with the Fairfax County’s Sheriff’s Office in the early morning hours Tuesday, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. Police have not released the identity of the man because his next of kin have not been notified. Fairfax County Police Department’s chief, Edwin C. Roessler, Jr., held a press confer-
ence about the incident Tuesday morning where he said that the man was holding a metal signpost with a sharp spade on the bottom that he removed from the ground and charged the deputy, prompting the deputy to shoot the man. Roessler, Jr. said that the man was given orders to stand down by the deputy. “First, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this event today,” Roessler said. “This is a tragic loss of life. It also includes an event when someone else was injured. So, again, I express my extreme condolences to everyone involved.”