September 24 – 30, 2020
FA LLS CHUR C H, V I R G I NI A • WW W. FC NP. C OM • FR EE
FOU N D E D 1991 • V OL. X XX NO. 32
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6 ‘Critical’ Stormwater Projects To Cost $17M
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Small Household Impact Leaves F.C. Council Split BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Global climate change is already hitting City of Falls Church residents in the pocketbook, but that cost impact could double if the City goes ahead and undertakes six new projects deemed “critical” at a price tag of $17 million in stormwater mitigation measures. The Falls Church City Council learned Monday that it will cost that much to undertake the projects as recommended by the City’s Stormwater Task Force, as well as another four smaller projects around the City. The six big projects will mitigate stormwater impacts on 48 homes in the City. According to Zak Bradley, acting director of the City’s Department of Public Works, no action by the Council is needed right now, but will require votes associated with the adoption of a
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A STEADY PROCESSION of voters made their way to City Hall on Friday to cast their ballot on the �irst day possible for early voting. (P����: N���-P����)
F.C. Schools Superintendent Presents Phased Reopening Plan
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Falls Church City Schools Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan laid out a carefully charted and phased plan for students to begin returning to classrooms starting in two weeks to the F.C. School Board at its virtual work session Tuesday night.
Noonan initially unveiled the plan in a written memo to the schools’ leadership last Friday. A follow-up memo sent yesterday reiterated the plan “to have approximately 80 of our most impacted students return to learning in schools during the first two weeks of October.” On Oct. 6, he reported that secondary (grades 6-12) special student
populations, those engaged in life skills and therapeutic classrooms, will begin in person instruction on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Oct. 13, preschool Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) enrolled students will begin in-person learning on Tuesdays and Fridays and some elementary students with specialized services and
ESOL needs will also begin some classroom learning. “Specifically,” Noonan wrote last week, “We are looking to bring back our students in Life Skills; therapeutic day programs; students whose IEP calls for more than 50 percent time instructed by a special education
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The congenial leading man of the The Josh Allen Band adores the people who become a part of each of his performances, and he looks forward to bringing back some of that normalcy at a show at JV’s Restaurant this Saturday. See Press Pass, page 10
W�OD T���� R������� T���� O� N�� S����������� D�� T� V���� The 1.5 mile section of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail (W&OD) that runs through the City of Falls Church is well on its way to adding dedicated cycling and pedestrian lanes by next summer, and is seen as all the more crucial given how the novel coronavirus is transmitted. See Story, page 19
Katherine Thompson Lands Spot in Award Finals
After 13 years as a restaurateur of five different properties, Katherine Thompson of Thompson Italian is being recognized for her skills as a pastry chef across the region with her spot in the finals of the restaurant industry’s RAMMY awards this Sunday. See Story, page 19
INDEX
Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 News & Notes................................... 11 Crime Report .................................... 12 Calendar ........................................... 14 Classified Ads ................................... 16 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 17 Critter Corner.................................... 18 Business News ................................. 19