August 24 – 30, 2017
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 I No. 27
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Inside This Week Meeting on New Stuart Name Ideas Set
Following its decision last month to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School, the Fairfax County School Board has scheduled an open meeting for Saturday, Sept. 9, to solicit new name suggestions for the school. See News Briefs, page 9
Educating on Antiques On the Road & at Home
As ‘Back to School’ Assembly Looms, F.C. Schools Advance Triennial Plan New 3-Year Set Of Goals, Vision Cites IB, Diversity
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
Matt Quinn is a walking encyclopedia of antiquities. The executive VP of Quinn’s Auction Galleries says he’s always learning and if he comes across an item he’s not sure about, he’ll ask questions, do the research, even take the item apart and put it back together.
dos that bring a very high tax yield, but would require actually transferring property titles to the buyers.” He added that the same goes for a large hotel. It would generate terrific tax yields annually, but the City probably could not command the same price for the land for that use. He also noted that the consultants cannot really get out there and market the land until the school bond referendum is voted on in November, because if it does not pass, then the location of the 10 acres on the site will have to change, if still available at all. But
Emerging from an intensive spate of lengthy meetings this summer involving Falls Church Public Schools’ central office administrators, school principals, assistant principals and teachers, the system’s latest Triennial Plan was floated at a public meeting this Tuesday prior to being presented to the annual “Back to School” general assembly next Tuesday. After school officially starts on Sept. 5, a final vote for adoption by the Falls Church School Board will take place at its next meeting on Sept. 12. The one-pager identified five priorities for the school system over the next three years, and was augmented by a detailed 16-page work plan identifying action steps, current ratings of performance, evidence of current effectiveness, and per an ideal state, who’s responsible for each action step to go with initiation and completion dates. It is the first such plan under the new regime of Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan, who was present at the Henderson Middle School cafetorium Tuesday to present the package. The five areas of prioritization identified in the new plan are 1. student centered teaching and learning, 2. Excellent staff, 3. Optimal facilities and learning environments, 4. Fiscal management and 5. Community engagement. Its opening mission statement identified the Falls Church Schools as a “student-centered, innovative, and inclusive community of lifelong learners.” It adds,
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See page 17
Paul Krugman: What Will Trump Do To American Workers? With Steve Bannon out of the White House, it’s clearer than ever that President Donald Trump’s promise to be a populist fighting for ordinary workers was worth about as much as any other Trump promise — that is, nothing. See page 16
Korean Fried Chicken Coming to F.C. Monday The “most popular fried chicken in Korea” is coming to Falls Church with the opening of BB.Q. Chicken just outside of city limits set for this Monday. See page 15
Index Editorial..................6 Letters....................6 News & Notes.10–11 Comment........ 12–14 Business News....16
Calendar........18–19 Classified Ads......20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword...........21 Critter Corner.......22
FALLS CHURCH SCHOOLS’ Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan (center) unveiled the schools’ latest Triennial Plan Tuesday night. (Photo: News-Press)
High School Campus Econ Group to Hold 1st Meeting in 5 Weeks Friday by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
After the postponement of four consecutive weekly meetings, the Falls Church campus process’s Economic Development Group will resume meetings this Friday morning, F.C. Mayor David Tarter announced to the News-Press Monday night. He said that scheduling conflicts, especially around vacations, of key personnel led to the postponements, but that the group needs to get back together this Friday, albeit still in the thick of summer, to begin important work of shaping the way in which their
Alvarez and Marsal consultants shape a marketing effort to attract optimal economic development for 10 acres on the 36-acre site. Tarter told the News-Press he favors “maximum value” derived from the site, because that will ease the burden on City taxpayers the most as they’re being asked to approve a $120 million bond referendum this November to build an all-new George Mason High School. But the issue of “maximum value” is “tricky,” Tarter said. “If we want to derive a $40-$43 million lease sale of the site up front, then that precludes certain kinds of development, like luxury con-