Falls Church News-Press 9-7-2017

September 7 – 13, 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. XXVI I NO. 29

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I����� T��� W��� H��� I������� R������� I� F.C. C����� P������ Falls Church’s planning department chief says that despite the fact the City may be almost a year away from deciding on a developer for the campus development site, developers are constantly contacting him with expressions of interest in the 10-acre site.

SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9

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The second and final approval of a cottage housing development plan at the east end of Railroad Avenue will be voted on by the Falls Church City Council this Monday night.

Campaign Kicks Off to Win School Bond Referendum in November B ��� �� S �����!

‘Yes! For Falls Church’ Volunteer Push Will Focus on Information

BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

the late Del. Jim Scott, at an annual backyard barbecue and the first since the passing of Scott. That event was officially in support the reelection of F.C. Del. Marcus Simon, but included Beyer, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez, and a large contingent of regional Democratic elected officials.

Stepping off summer from a final sunny Labor Day and into the start of a new school year, proponents advocating the passage the November school bond referendum hit the ground running this week with an aggressive outreach campaign rooted in education and information.

“Yes! For Falls Church” is the name a leading cadre of activists have chosen for their campaign, and a website and Facebook page are up and running. The guest commentary space in this week’s edition of the News-Press reveals the approach that will be taken.

The carefully-crafted tone of the piece cites “a decade of work by community members, the School Board and City Council and advisory boards and commissions” that included “comprehensive facilities, enrollment, and feasibility studies and in-depth financial analyses.”

The organizing group came together during August and is led by former School Board chair Susan Kearney, former School Board member Cecily Shea, longtime pro-school community activist Sharon Schoeller, and activistparent Mary Asef. Shea is president and Schoeller and Asef are on the executive board of the nonprofit Falls Church Educational Foundation. Many others in the community have been recruited to be involved in what is a fastgrowing movement.

An exceptional effort is perceived as necessary given the price tag of the referendum, which at $120 million is the biggest in the

Continued on Page 5

Continued on Page 4

SEE NEWS BRIEFS, PAGE 9

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The waters are receding in Houston, and so, inevitably, is national interest. But Harvey will leave a huge amount of wreckage behind, some of it invisible.

SEE PAGE 14

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As the summer heat subsides and school begins another year, it signals the arrival of the fall sports season at George Mason High School. Inside, the News-Press previews this year’s Mustang cross country, field hockey, football, golf and volleyball teams.

SEE PAGE 17

INDEX Editorial.................6 Letters.............6, 16 News & Notes10–11 Comment ....... 12–14 Food & Dining.....15 Sports .................17

Calendar .......18–19 Classified Ads .....20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ..........21 Critter Corner......22 Business News ...23

STUDENTS CHEERED the start of another year of school at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in the City of Falls Church Tuesday. Students at all The Little City’s public schools are back in the classroom this week, ready for the challenge of a new school year. (P����: M������� C�������/FCCPS)

F.C. Leaders Speak Out Against President’s DACA Repeal Plan

BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

There was no shortage of loud and powerful voices speaking out at Falls Church Labor Day events and afterward against President Trump’s decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that has permitted children of immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally to avoid deportation. The Falls Church area

has seen a strong Latino population growth in recent years that includes almost all of the youths protected under the DACA program.

U.S. Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., the Falls Church businessman whose 8th District represents the City, spoke at two Labor Day events here, one hosted by the F.C. Democratic Committee at Cherry Hill Park and the other hosted by Nancy Scott, wife of

PAGE 2 | SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Summer Clean-Up “How To”: Draining Pool and Spa Water Swimming pool and spa water can have devastating effects on the health of our waterways if not disposed of properly. Water from swimming pools and spas should never be put directly into the storm drain system. Your storm drains run to freshwater streams, the Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay. Disinfectants, algaecides, cleaning chemicals, and low oxygen levels can kill fish and other aquatic life, and draining large volumes of water can quickly cause stream bank erosion.

Before you drain your pool or spa, do the following to make the water safe: 1. Remove or filter out debris, including dirt, leaves, sticks and algae.

2. Wait about 10 days to allow chlorine or bromine from treatment chemicals to dissipate, or use chemical removal agents. Always use a test kit to ensure no chlorine or bromine remains.

3. Allow heated water to cool for at least 10 days.

4. Adjust the water’s pH to 7 (neutral) using appropriate buffering compounds. Use a test kit.

Two options for disposal after the above preparation steps have been completed: 1. Drain the water into the sanitary sewer system by running it slowly into a house drain like a bathtub, floor drain, or private lateral cleanout. Do not drain this way on a septic system. Also, the sanitary sewer or a licensed sewage handling service are the only options for draining saltwater.

2. Discharge the water slowly over a grassy area of your yard over the course of several rain-free days to allow the water to soak into the ground and reduce the amount that goes into the storm drain.

Do not discharge saltwater or any water that is cloudy, dirty or contains wash water from swimming pool cleaning activities into a storm drain or stream. Following these guidelines protects our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay, and it protects you from possible enforcement action and civil penalties from local, state and federal authorities. If you use a pool company, make sure they know the rules too – you could be held liable for the results of their actions. If you see someone doing it wrong, please call the City immediately on the number below. We need to work together to protect the Bay. For further information, please contact Jason Widstrom, P.E., Principal Engineer with the Department of Public Works at 703-248-5350 (TTY 711) or via email at jwidstrom@fallschurchva.gov.

HURRICANE HARVEY FOOD DRIVE SEPTEMBER 2-10

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POP TOP READY TO EAT ITEMS applesauce and fruit cups, etc.

SHELF STABLE PANTRY ITEMS peanut butter, jelly, tuna, chili, soup, etc. but Food will be delivered to Southeast Texas Food Bank

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017 | PAGE 3

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PAGE 4 | SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017

School Bond Supporters Kick Off Campaign to Pass Referendum Continued from Page 1

City’s history. But as the proponents are dedicated to explaining to everyone who will listen, both the need for and the cost of a new George Mason High School have been tirelessly established through the efforts of all those groups mentioned above, and countless consultations and meetings.

In that context, the capacity to offset the cost for city taxpayers is also vitally important to winning the support required for an electoral win in November.

Dedicating 10 of the 35 acres of the school site at the city’s far west end to commercial development promises to mitigate the cost to a potentially very high degree.

With the offsetting economic development yields that have been projected, the cost of the new school can be paid for with a four cent tax rate increase (above the $1.33 per $100 of assessed real estate valuation that is the City’s current rate).

Making the case for such projections has been and will be a big part of the campaign to win passage of the referendum. A number of public meetings have already been scheduled, starting with one this Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the auditorium of George Mason High that will feature Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields and F.C. School Superintendent Peter Noonan.

Following that, a F.C. League of Women Voters and Village Preservation and Improvement Society forum will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 19, a Falls Church PTA forum on Tuesday, Sept. 26 and the Citizens for a Better City forum will be held in October.

This Sunday’s event will be focused entirely on the referendum, but with four City Council and four School Board seats being contested on the November ballot, as well as statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, the other events will be more comprehensive of the

entire election.

So far, no organized opposition to the referendum has surfaced that the News-Press has been able to identify, and the public response seems to be favorable to the need for the referendum. At a large block party held Monday to boost the candidacy of one City Council and two School Board candidates, Cecily Shea found a lot of positive response, she told the News-Press.

But that was a younger crowd with a lot of school-aged children accompanying them to enjoy the party.

The “Yes! For Falls Church” campaign is also focused on explaining what will happen if the referendum fails, noting that unavoidable costs associated with the combined enrollment growth and aging of the existing school will result in the need for upwards of $50 million in new expenses, which would be passed onto taxpayers with none of the mitigating effects of economic development at the site.

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A CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT of a November referendum in the City for a $120 million new school bond called “Vote Yes for Falls Church!” was just launched this week. The group of activists is led by former Falls Church City School board chair Susan Kearney, former School Board member Cecily Shea and local school supporters Sharon Schoeller and Mary Asef. (P����: V��� Y�� ��� F���� C�����!)

Thank You, Falls Church News-Press Readers!

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017 | PAGE 5

Local Leaders Speak Out About Trump’s Decision to End DACA Continued from Page 1

Falls Church City Schools Superintendent Peter Noonan issued a strong pro-DACA statement yesterday, and a large contingent of participants in a 10-day, 118 mile “March to Confront White Supremacy” from Charlottesville to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. marched on Route 29 through Falls Church carrying signs opposing the president’s action on DACA. Everybody’s attention at these events was focused on DACA, as well as winning in this November’s election which in Virginia will include races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, and all state delegate seats.

Beyer noted that it will take 21 Republican votes in the U.S. House to, along with Democratic votes, reverse the president’s decision by making DACA the law of the land (instead of a presidential order, as President Obama initi-

ated it).

With the beginning of the Falls Church City Public Schools’ year on Tuesday, Superintendent Peter Noonan wasted no time weighing in on the DACA issue himself, with a strong public statement issued to the entire Falls Church school community yesterday.

He wrote, “The decision to end the DACA program could damage the diversity and vibrancy of our school community and undermine what makes us a great school system.

“Although our DACA students may have been brought to the U.S. illegally, they have taken all the required steps to demonstrate that they intend to become contributing citizens. Consequently, FCCPS’ DACA students have undergone extensive background checks. They have worked hard in our schools and are succeeding in their studies. Because of their principled and diligent approach to learning, our DACA students are models of what hard work means in the context of success.”

Noonan added, “Legally, we are not allowed to ask the immigration status of our new enrollees to FCCPS so we are unaware of exactly who our DACA students are, but assume we have many.

However, all of our students are integral to the success of FCCPS and we strive to ensure that all means all when it comes to student outcomes.”

On Labor Day, speaking on the importance of winning the gubernatorial and state delegate races, Del. Simon noted that current Gov. Terry McAuliffe used his veto pen 120 times to fend off radical gun and anti-woman legislation.

Unlike the rest of the country (except for New Jersey), Virginians can do something about the angst they’re feeling about what’s going on in Washington, Simon said. “We need to run up the score in Falls Church to help our chances statewide,” he added.

Beyer said the Democrats could take control of the U.S. House in 2018 and force the

THE MARCH TO CONFRONT WHITE SUPREMACY, an 118mile, 10-day march organized in response to the violence in Charlottesville last month, traveled through Falls Church Wednesday morning. In addition to equality and anti-white supremacy signs, many of the participants also carried messages supportive of DACA and critical of the Trump administration’s decision this week to end the program. (Photo: Matt Delaney/News-Press)

release of Trump’s tax returns that, he quipped, “We could publish in the Falls Church News-Press.”

Perez said the Democratic National Committee is “all in on Virginia.” He added, “This is about our values and identity as

a nation. History will record the comeback began in Virginia.”

He cited the Martin Luther King quote that the “long arc of history bends toward justice,” adding, “But it never bends on its own.”

E D I TO R I A L

PAGE 6 | SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017

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F.C.’s Staunch Defense of DACA

Kudos to the Falls Church City Public School Systems’ still new superintendent Peter Noonan for weighing in forcefully and without delay on the controversial move by President Trump to repeal the protections that have been in place to guard children of illegal immigrants from the threat of deportation. Most of these beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program have effectively spent their entire lives in the U.S., going to school, learning skills, becoming exemplary citizens and sacrificing for the country. Deportation for them would be exiling them from the only home they’ve known, to a strange place with no social system in place for them.

No one can know exactly how many DACA children are in Falls Church because, as Noonan said in his statement, it is illegal to ask someone their immigration status. But be assured there are more than a few. These are talented, grateful and hard-working young people who are eager to make a positive contribution. If Trump’s intent in stopping illegal immigration is to protect Americans from crime, then he could not have targeted a less-relevant population.

Now it is looking like Trump intends to have Congress use the DACA issue as a bargaining chip in upcoming legislation on the budget, perhaps most significantly on funding for his border wall and with the threat of a government shutdown also looming. But this is only a jaundiced and cynical willingness to use vulnerable young lives to bargain for some horrible programs.

Every American, including all Latinos, should never forget how the Trump administration and Republican allies will use this cruel tactic to get their way.

Virginia, like Texas, is on the verge of becoming like California, where the growth of the Latino voting population has turned that state “Blue” forever.

California used to have a very sharply split and divided electorate, between labor, progressive and new American voters, on the one side, and the notorious Orange County ultra-conservatives on the other. Sometimes one group would prevail in elections, sometimes the other. In statewide races, it elected Ronald Reagan governor, and other sharply right wing candidates, and then also some Kennedy progressives. Goldwater’s upset primary win there in 1964 sealed his GOP nomination, and in 1968 Bobby Kennedy’s primary win could have propelled him to win the Democratic presidential nomination had be not been assassinated on that fateful night.

But that’s ancient history now, because with the growth of the Latino vote in California, the biggest state in the nation has gone hopelessly Democratic to the point that neither party deems it worthwhile to campaign there except to raise money for races elsewhere.

Virginia is almost there in the same way, and Texas is soon to follow.

How can Republicans hope to win any national election if they can’t carry California or Texas? But now they’re ensuring that will happen by their cynical use of vulnerable Latinos as pawns.

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Lee Was a Traitor & Racist, He Was Not a Gentleman Editor, Last week, Joe Dunn’s letter to the editor stated “I do not know of anyone who ever thought of Robert E. Lee as anything other than a gentleman” and that “Robert E. Lee did not fight for slavery, he fought for Virginia.” According to archival history, Robert E. Lee did fight for slavery. Lee was a racist and a traitor. In his plea with General Grant and request for a prisoner of war exchange, he refused to exchange

black union soldiers for white confederate prisoners. Additionally, after Lee and Stonewall Jackson’s failed attempt to enter Maryland, and take Washington, D.C., Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The south reacted with fury against blacks. Lee was in full support that slavery be preserved and that all captured Union black soldiers that were former slaves be tried and murdered. The law covering these offenses stat-

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ed “that the Confederates should commit full and ample retaliation” against such persons.

Confederate hatred for black troops spilled over, Confederate troops shot down black troops rather than accept their surrender. In the two most fully-recorded cases — Poison Springs, Arkansas and Fort Pillow, Tennessee — several hundred blacks were slaughtered after throwing down their arms; many instances of killing of smaller groups. As for Lee’s army, recent scholars have described the massacre of black troops attempting to surrender at the battle of the Crater, on July 30, 1864.

While Dunn and other strutting minstrels refuse to accept the

wrongness and the inhuman brutality and consequences of slavery, they support mobs of torch waving Nazis and white supremacist to run through our prestigious University Of Virginia, with torches at night, terrorizing the innocent.

Keith Conway Vienna

Carter, Not Lee, Is a Virginian to Be Proud Of Editor, In his letter in the August 31

Letters Continued on Page 16

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017 | PAGE 7

Give Our Kids the Safe, Secure & Modern School They Need B� S���� K������

Summer is over, kids are back in school, and before we know it, Election Day will be here. In the City of Falls Church, we will be voting for governor as well as school board and city council on Election Day, but to my mind the most important question on the ballot may be the referendum asking citizens to authorize up to $120 million in general obligation bonds to replace the current George Mason High School with a newly constructed facility. A “yes” vote will authorize the expense and allow the school our kids need to be built in the most affordable way for our community.

The referendum is the result of almost a decade of work by community members, the School Board and City Council, and advisory boards and commissions. Included were comprehensive facilities, enrollment, and feasibility studies; and in-depth financial analyses. These studies determined that the current George Mason High School must be replaced because it cannot accommodate our growing student enrollment, is poorly configured for today’s teaching and learning methods, and does not meet current and future needs for the safety and security of our students and staff. Recently, after considering five options for the new facility, the School Board approved construction of a new school at the current campus based on the ‘Community School’ option. More information about the George Mason High

School Feasibility Study is located on the school division’s website at fccps.org/news.

The existing high school has a capacity of 780 students, 876 including trailers, with 817 students enrolled in the 2016-17 school year. The school division’s forecasts estimate a 24 percent increase in enroll-

“A ‘yes’ vote will authorize the expense and allow the school our kids need to be built in the most affordable way for our community.” ment to 1011 by 2021- 2022; and a 68 percent increase by 2031-2032 to about 1400, which is 56 percent more students than the existing school can accommodate. Data regarding student enrollment can be found at fccps.org/data.

If the referendum is approved, the detailed design for our new George Mason High School will be developed in 2018, construction will begin in 2019, and the school should open 2021-2022. During construction, students will continue to attend the existing school. The new George Mason will be a 5-story structure, accommodating

1,200-1,500 students, and costing approximately $120 million. The lifespan of the school will be about 50 years. More information about the conceptual design and plans for the ‘Community School’ option can be found within the George Mason High School Feasibility Study referenced above.

City financial analyses have determined that the most affordable approach to replacing the current high school is commercial development of approximately 10 acres on the current campus, supplemented by incremental tax rate increases and the use of a portion of current reserves. Since the school will be built first, there may be higher tax rates in the early years, and lower ones once the 10 acres of land is leased or sold and the commercial development is completed.

The financing plan for the project assumes that approximately $43 million of the cost to build the new George Mason will be covered by the sale or lease of 10 acres at the campus site that will be developed commercially. Capital costs will be further reduced by tax receipts from new businesses operating on the developed land, which are estimated to be $3 million annually.

In the final analysis, the City expects that the project will require about a four-cent increase in the tax rate to pay for the school.

The City’s financial plan for the new high school is located on the City government’s website in the High School Campus Project

section.

If the referendum does not pass, we will still need to replace the roof and aging systems in the current building, install and replace many trailers over time to handle enrollment growth, and expand public spaces, such as the cafeteria, library, and gym, to accommodate more students. The cost of this option is expected to be $40-$50 million and likely more. Since there will be no new revenue streams from the lease or sale of land and commercial development to offset the cost, tax increases and the use of reserves will be required to finance the entire project.

There will be many opportunities to learn more and ask questions about the referendum this fall, starting with an information session this Sunday with the Superintendent and City Manager, and including a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters and VPIS on September 19, a PTA forum on September 26, and a CBC town hall in October. You can also go to www.

YesforFallsChurch.com to learn more, volunteer to help, or make a donation.

Please vote in November, and please vote “yes” for the referendum so that our kids have the safe, secure, and modern school they need at a cost that is most affordable for the City of Falls Church.  Susan Kearney is the former chair of the Falls Church City School Board.

Q������� �� ��� W��� Do you support Falls Church Schools Superintendent Peter Noonan’s statement on DACA? • Yes • No

Last Week’s Question:

Would you favor a major role for Virginia Tech in Falls Church’s campus development project?

• Unsure

Log on to www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

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[WRITE FOR THE PRESS] The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor

& Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks.

Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.

Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347

PAGE 8 | SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017

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Thank You for Voting g

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Cub Scout Pack 657 of Falls Church For Boys In 1st - 5th Grades

JOIN SCOUTING! For boys in 1st to 5th grades, join Cub Scout Pack 657 of Falls Church City.

Bring your son, come to one of these events to join/learn more or : Join Scouting Event #1 6:30pm on Fri, September 8th At the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department.

Come get a tour of the firehouse and learn more about Cub Scouts! Park around front (Lee Hwy side).

Join Scouting Event #2 4:00pm on Sun, Sep 10th At the Cherry Hill Park Pavilion.

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Join Scouting Event #3 6:30pm on Tues October 3rd At Thomas Jefferson Elementary School / Gym. Come learn more about Cub Scouts at the PTA Info Fair & Ice Cream Social.

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NEWS BRIEFS F.C. Planning Chief: Frequent Project Inquiries James Snyder, planning department chief for the City of Falls Church, confirmed at Tuesday’s F.C. Council work session that despite the fact the City may be almost a year away from deciding on a developer for the GMHS Campus Development site at the City’s west end, developers are constantly contacting him with expressions of interest in the 10-acre site. The news suggests that when it comes time for the City to issue a formal “request for proposal” for commercial development of the site, there may be plenty of “gentleman callers” by then. The Alvarez and Marsal consultants to the project briefed the full F.C. City Council for the first time on their roadmap for moving forward on the project, and emphasized that the City should be prepared to be responsive to whatever creative ideas may be coming forth from the development community for how to build out the 10 acres.

Their mantra was to avoid the temptation to pre-prescribe too much about what it would like to have on the site ahead of time, because they could deter developers, especially those with novel ideas. Snyder told the News-Press Tuesday that the frequent inquires about the site have not yet yielded any specific development preferences, but have mostly been in the form of general inquiries.

Railroad Cottages Vote Due Monday Following an update at this Tuesday’s Falls Church City Council work session where it was reported that a draft license agreement was received by the City from Northern Virginia Parks to permit an easement to widen Railroad Avenue from eight to 16 feet, the second and final approval by the Council of a cottage housing development plan on 1.25 acres at the east end of Railroad Avenue will be voted on this Monday night. The project involves 10 cottage units, each 1,500 square feet, with one and a half stories and 25 feet high, and a common house, designated for age-restricted occupancy (ages 55 and up and no one under 18). The plan has been supported by a majority of City boards and commissions, according to a staff report, because it would add diversity to the City’s housing stock, provide smaller homes for the senior population and provide a high-efficiency sustainable development.

Beyer Introduces Bill for 16 Year Old Pre-Registrations U.S. Rep. Don Beyer joined Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois yesterday to introduce legislation to reform federal elections to allow young Americans 16 and older to pre-register to vote, automatically adding them to voter rolls when they turn 18. Studies show that permitting young people to pre-register increases civic engagement and voter turnout, according to Beyer. “This reform would encourage more voter participation among young people who will be most affected by public policy as their lives unfold,” said Beyer. “The health of our democracy requires greater engagement from its citizens, and pre-registration is a proven tool to accomplish this.”

Legion Bridge Congestion Topic of Forum Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust, who represents the Dranesville District of the county that includes McLean, announced that a public forum will be held on Monday, Sept.

18, on the subject of the traffic congestion consequences in and around the lack of sufficient capacity on the American Legion Bridge. The event will be held in conjunction with the McLean Citizens Association and both Virginia and Fairfax Department of Transportation and Fairfax police officials will be there, along with Del. Kathleen Murphy and Sen. Barbara Favola. A number of proposed solutions will be discussed. The event will be at 7 p.m. at the Cooper Middle School, 977 Balls Hill Road.

New ‘Shortcut’ off I-66 Now Open A new “shortcut” turnoff from I-66 eastbound into Falls Church is now open. The turnoff comes just east of Rt. 7 and used to be for bus use only. Now it is open to all vehicles and brings one out onto Haycock Road where the Metro West station can be accessed and just north of George Mason High School.

Bus Delays on Schools’ First Day to Be Corrected Falls Church school officials assured parents that delays in the bus schedules on the first day of classes Tuesday was due to new start times at the schools, and would be adjusted to prevent delays going forward.

SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017 | PAGE 9

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Community News & Notes Christ Crossman Combats Hunger By Assembling Meals Christ Crossman United Methodist Church (384 N Washington St., Falls Church) will partner with Rise Against Hunger, an activist wing within the United Methodist congregation that was formerly known as Stop Hunger Now, to start to assemble more than 30,000 meals to help create a world without hunger. The event will be held from 1 – 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 10 at Christ Crossman United Methodist Church. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and needed to assist in assembling the healthy meals that will be packed and shipped around the world. Outside, younger children are welcomed to participate in their own food justice proj-

ect: bagging produce with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) and enjoy a Mad Science show. This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, visit fallschurchfeedstheworld.org

BASIS in McLean Welcomes New Administrative Team BASIS Independent McLean (BIM) started its second year with a new administrative team, including BIM’s Associate Head of School, Ron Kim, formerly of Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and Director of Student Affairs for Upper School, and Tiffany Conroy, coming from St. Anne’s School in Annapolis, Maryland. The private school has more than doubled its enrollment

since its inaugural year in 2016.

Kim is a veteran educator with more than 20 years of experience, who most recently served as Phillips Exeter Academy’s assistant principal in New Hampshire.

He began at Exeter in 1994 as a history teacher and served on the school’s Curriculum Review Committee. Kim was a long-time assistant coach and then head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team. Prior to becoming assistant principal, Kim spent four years as Exeter’s dean of faculty. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Arts in history from the University of Chicago.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the students, parents and the staff,” said Kim. “I am

ROLLING OUT THE TRAILERS to accomodate the renovation project at Mount Daniel Elementary School is the next phase in the school’s multi-year initiative to expand the property’s site. The construction efforts began in June and now some students will be spending the next year in a different setting to keep renovation goals on track. Teachers are doing their part to make sure the new educational environement is as homey as possible. (photo: Courtesy John Brett/FCCPS)

interested in learning how we can grow and support our community.”

Conroy comes to BASIS Independent McLean with more than 10 years of experience as an educator. For the past five years, she has been the director of student life at St. Anne’s School in Annapolis, Maryland and also served as the director of middle school, technology resource leader and as an instructor. Conroy holds a master of science from Syracuse University and a bachelor of science from SUNY College at Cortland, New York. She is certified in elementary and mindfulness education.

“I’m excited to share my training to ensure that the learning styles of all students are effectively engaged,” said Conroy.

“Additionally, I have extensive experience mentoring teachers on instructional strategies to promote student learning and success.”

McLean Governing Board Discusses Next Fiscal Year The McLean Community Center (MCC) Governing Board is holding two meetings in September to discuss and develop the Center’s fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget. The first meeting, the Finance Committee Meeting of the Whole, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12. The second meeting, a Public Hearing on the FY 2019 Budget, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27. The Center’s temporary administrative offices are located at 6631 Old

DOING HER PART to provide assistance to the victims of Hurricane Harvey is kindergartener Divya Gupta, who inspired her brother Dylan and their neighbors, Lauren, Sarah and Evelyn Banko. Divya orginially started out by selling lemonade, but with her addition of her brother and neighbors, baked goods, small toys, painted rocks and bracelets all became available for purchase. In just three days, the young humanitarians raised nearly $650 with around 100 people donating. (Photo: Courtesy Anu Gupta)

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!

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Dominion Dr. The FY 2019 budget year begins July 1, 2018 and ends June 30, 2019. At the Finance Committee Meeting of the Whole, chaired by MCC Governing Board Treasurer Merrily Pierce, the full board will work on the FY 2019 budget. Each Board committee evaluates MCC departmental budget proposals on continuing and new programs, as well as the facilities and management of the Center. The preliminary consolidated budget that will be approved at the September 27 meeting will be posted on the MCC website, mcleancenter.org, by Monday, Sept. 18, a week before the public hearing.

The FY 2019 Budget Public Hearing will give residents another opportunity to review and comment on the Center’s FY 2019 budget. District residents who wish to speak at the public hearing are asked to call 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, to have their names placed on a speakers’ list. In addition, written comments may be sent to the Governing Board by mail to the McLean Community Center (6631 Old Dominion Dr., McLean) (703-653-9435) or email Executive Director George Sachs at george.sachs@fairfaxcounty. gov.

Little City Readies for Taste Of Falls Church The City of Falls Church Taste of Falls Church at the Fall Festival (fallschurchva.gov/FallFest) will be Saturday, September 16 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church).

Admission is free for all; fair rides and tasting require the purchase of one or more tickets. The weekly Farmers Market runs concurrently from 8 a.m. – noon. The festivities are held rain or shine.

The current line-up of participating Taste of Falls Church restaurants has just been announced

along with a new addition to this year’s event is a Beer Garden.

The Beer Garden will be located near the entertainment stage and serve a variety of beers from 11:30 a.m – 3:30 p.m. Anyone can enter the Beer Garden, but only those with a valid ID 21 and up can purchase and consume alcohol.

Tickets are $5 for a beer. Proceeds from the Beer Garden will benefit The Little City C.A.T.C.H. Foundation which supports arts and humanities in Falls Church, including Watch Night.

The list of participating Taste of Falls Church restaurants includes: Argia’s; Cafe Kindred; Fava Pot; Flippin’ Pizza; Hot N Juicy; Jason’s Deli; Ledo’s Pizza; Liberty Barbecue; Northside Social; Sfizi Cafe; Sweet Rice; Trio Grill; Whole Foods in Tysons Corner; and Zinga Frozen Yogurt.

A special thanks goes out to Rock Star Realty for sponsoring the event’s free entertainment, which includes children’s magician the Great Zucchini (10 a.m.); R&B group, Sudden M Pack Band (11:15 a.m.); singer-songwriter Hayley Fahey (12:30 p.m.); Latin Fusion band, Zakke (1:45 p.m.); and Irish Music Group, 40 Thieves (3 p.m.).

New Bus, Kiss & Ride Routes for Schools For the 2017-2018 school year, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and George Mason High School bus runs will combine in the morning as well as in the afternoon. The changes noted below will ensure the safety of all students traveling to school by foot, bicycle, car, or bus, allow for smoother entry and exit from both schools, and facilitate easier morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal for our bus and car riders.

Due to recently aligned bell schedules, the schools are now able to solve several transportation problems. For example, traffic

SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017 | PAGE 11

THE FALLS CHURCH CONTINGENT at Del. Marcus Simon’s Labor Day backyard barbecue at the home of Nancy and the late Del. Jim Scott Monday included two area U.S. congressmen.

Left to right: F.C. Council member Phil Duncan, F.C.’s own U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, F.C. Revenue Commissioner Tom Clinton, F.C. Treasurer Jody Acosta, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, F.C. School Board chair Lawrence Webb and Del. Simon (P����: N���-P����) along Haycock Road in the morning has been congested due to parents and students entering the school campus, causing delays to buses, students and staff parking, and kiss and ride. Additionally George Mason bus-riders had to get up earlier and wait approximately 35 minutes prior to school starting due to the earlier bus run to allow for the later MEH bus run. Also, MEH bus-riders often arrived late last year because of traffic and buses being delayed from the earlier George Mason bus runs.

The morning and afternoon bus runs will enter the GM and MEH campus from Haycock Road and drop students off using the MEH bus loop. MEH bus riders will enter MEH through the cafetorium and George Mason students will enter the GM building through the cafeteria entrance. Buses will then

Live Trivia Every Thursday Night

exit to Haycock Road.

A new George Mason drop-off will be accessible from Leesburg Pike (Rt. 7) (this was formerly the GM Bus Loop). The advantages of this new kiss-and-ride include a dedicated access ramp off Leesburg Pike and quick exit to westbound Leesburg Pike, the entrance ramp to Route 66, and the wraparound Metro access road to Haycock Road and Metro. GM parents may still use the Haycock Road entrance and drop off students in front of the flagpole entrance (Door 19).

Booster Tailgate for First Home Football Game George Mason High School will be hosting a Booster Tailgate to kickoff the 2017 varsity football season at home this Friday, September 8, going from 5:30

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– 7 p.m. All standard cookout favorites can be expected, from burgers and hot dogs to eat as well as beverages to be provided.

Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to be showing their Mason Mustang spirit while at the tailgate. At 7 p.m., the Mason Pep Band will make its entrance to begin prepping football fans for the game, which starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. against Sidwell Friends High School.

CD Cellar Celebrates Business’ 25th Anniversary The CD Cellar (105 Park Ave., Falls Church) will be celebrating the establishment’s 25th year in existence with a party this Saturday, September 9 from 3 – 8 p.m. Guests can expect raffle prizes, live music from four different bands and a DJ at the event.

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A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

The final week of “traditional” summer last week focused on youth. Fairfax County students started back to school before Labor Day, truncating some family vacations, and moving up those last-minute school supply purchases that previously happened during the long holiday weekend. School is back in session, those big yellow school buses are back in the neighborhoods, and the 25 MPH speed limit during school opening and closing, as indicated by the familiar Wink-o-Matic flashing signs, is being strictly enforced. Please be aware, and be careful, whenever driving near a school, a school bus, or children walking to school.

The opening day of school coincided with a very special ribbon cutting at the renovated Little League field at Mason District Park. Despite school being in session, a number of youth baseball players attended the ceremony, hoping to catch a glimpse of some baseball heroes. The youth baseball field, which is readily visible from Columbia Pike, was adopted by the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation, and includes an enlarged field to accommodate younger and older players, a new scoreboard, covered dugouts, shade structures for the bleachers, and an extended irrigation system for the grass turf.

The field is named for Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, a Hall of Fame catcher who played for the Nationals later in his career. This is the Foundation’s second Legacy Field. The first, in the District of Columbia near South Capitol Street, opened in April 2016 and is named for current Nats starter, Ryan Zimmerman.

Both Rodríguez and Zimmerman were on hand to celebrate the new field, and sign mementoes for the young players. Rodríguez spoke to some of the young players in Spanish, and reminded them that dreams can be achieved through hard work, just as he

did as a kid from Puerto Rico. Mason District Little League already is planning next year’s opening day activities on the new field!

On Friday, Fairfax County received the Capstone of the Year Award for 2016 by the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy. Competing with nearly 250 other programs for youth nationwide, the county’s Alternative Accountability Program (AAP) was selected for its early diversion option for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Collaboration across county agencies, schools, and non-profit organizations can create a better juvenile-intake system, based on assessment tools, and change the school-to-prison pipeline for many youth. Team members are working to decrease racial and ethnic disproportionality, and expand diversion options by encouraging all Fairfax County police stations to refer youth to the AAP, and developing new diversion programs for youth. In 2016, 95 percent of youth successfully completed diversion. To accommodate more youth eligible for the program, some future changes in state and county law also may be needed to improve interagency collaboration and data-sharing ability.

Whether in the classroom, on the playing field, or even in judicial situations, learning to make good decisions is crucial to developing a child’s future as a responsible, civically engaged adult. These programs, with their mentors and adult role models/ volunteers, will help ensure that positive outcome for Fairfax County youth.  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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Senator Dick Saslaw’s

Richmond Report Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. I extend my best wishes to both the teachers and students for success in their upcoming academic year.

Children and school buses are on the roads – be sure to give them a “brake.” We are also entering the final stretch of the Nov. 7 election for all statewide offices and the House of Delegates. Prepare yourself for a full-court press from candidates, advocacy groups and others from around the country trying to influence your vote.

Currently, there is a message out there in support of the Republican candidate, belittling the value of the Transportation Act of 2013. I want to remind you HB2313 was a bipartisan effort for long overdue revenue to address critical needs in transportation. Allow me to refresh your memory on this measure introduced by Speaker Bill Howell (R), signed by former Republican Governor Bob McDonnell and supported by Ralph Northam and myself among the majority voting for the best interests of Virginians – not outside forces threatening to withdraw their financial support.

In Northern Virginia, more than $325 million per year has been generated in regional sales, grantor’s and transient occupancy taxes. This funding, generated in our region, stays in our region for approximately 80 projects that improve travel times, reduce delays, improve safety and move Virginians in the most cost-effective manner. These improvements are the ROI Virginians are realizing as a result of HB2313: • I-66 “Outside the Beltway” – a $2.1 billion investment in the I-66 corridor will include a $500 million concession payment for other multimodal projects in the corridor; • Route 7 widening – over $250 million investment in capacity expansion; • Route 28 widening – almost $70 million investment in capacity expansion; • Route 29 widening – approximately $67 million investment in capacity expansion; • Design and construction of the Innovation Center and Potomac Yard Metro stations at a cost of almost $140 million as part of Silver Line construction; • Investments of more than $70 million in VRE projects; and • The Atlantic Gateway project, a $1.4 billion multimodal public-private investment designed to

provide essential travel options and reliability to the heavily congested I-95 corridor contains over $495 million in rail projects.

Many of you use Metro to get to and from your jobs. Virginia’s contribution to Metro flows from the gasoline tax. Over the past five years, revenue supporting Metro services in NOVA has decreased by 40 percent. This is a pressing matter that will need to be addressed in the upcoming 2018 General Assembly session.

For myself, I want a Governor who has the courage to tackle the hard issues with a vision and leadership required for bipartisan support to keep our region moving forward. There is only one candidate in the statewide contest who has a documented record on the subject – Ralph Northam.

Based on our proximity to the federal government, there are numerous federal employees and jobs dependent on federal funds.

It is alarming to hear threats to shut down the government so that Americans can pay for a wall that was a campaign promise. I remain optimistic that campaign speeches in the coming months will not use the 2016 presidential model. It will be incumbent on all of us to keep our candidates thoughtful, honest and forthcoming. Four years is a long time for the wrong person to be at the helm in Virginia as we retool, develop a New Virginia Economy and continue to build on its foundation for the Commonwealth to thrive.

In closing, I would be remiss to not speak out on the vicious demonstration of hate and bigotry in Charlottesville, home of Virginia’s flagship university – Mr. Jefferson’s UVA. A lot has been said already by elected officials from both sides of the aisle, and I commend their candid repudiation of this evil. I have spent most of my years in public service working to ensure a tolerant, diverse and welcoming environment that facilitates economic prosperity, educational excellence and the highest quality of life for Virginians. “Fine people” do not march with people carrying Nazi flags while shouting anti-Semitic and racist slogans. It distresses me that Ed Gillespie, a candidate running for Governor, did not denounce the divisive rhetoric coming from the President.  Senator Saslaw represents the 35th District in the Virginia State Senate. He may be emailed at district35@senate.virginia.gov.

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YO U DON T H AV E T O BE SO STRONG BUT IF I’M NOT, WHO WILL?

Being a caregiver takes a special kind of commitment.

We know your strength is super, but you’re still human.

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F I N D S U P P O R T F O R Y O U R S T R E N G T H.

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

A new school year brings change, which is what’s in store for the Arlington Public Schools staff child care facility known emblematically as The Children’s School.

Planners in our space-starved school system have set sights on new uses for the renovated Reed School building in Westover. So the Children’s School is in “final stages” of signing a lease to move from Westover to 4420 N. Fairfax Dr., I was told by Director Naseera Maqsood.

It’s not a happy change. There is sub-rosa fear among teachers that Education Central, having forced the move, may not keep its commitment to providing the benefit of free space and custodial services for the fee-supported nonprofit day-care provider.

The move, first broached in February, came after Superintendent Patrick Murphy’s 2016 plan to create a new 725-student elementary school at Reed.

(When Reed was targeted a few years ago, the neighbors enjoying their freshly renovated library in that building went berserk.)

The other problem is that the 30-year-old child-care program, which draws 180 students, has for 20 years dovetailed with the program for children with disabilities called Integration Station. Kids from the two programs mingle, but now they might separate.

My visit to the Reed complex

SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017 | PAGE 13

made me marvel at the attractively sited co-locations of those two programs with the library, the APS’s online learning office Virtual @APS, Adult Education and Child Find (an assessment service for specialneeds pre-schoolers).

Protected by tight security, the employee-owned and operated Children’s School uses the updated curved classrooms I recall from the 1950s-80s, when Reed was an elementary school. With an “art and writing center,” the nationally accredited program offers the trademarked Creative Curriculum that stresses discovery. Its planned new location in Ballston is a glass office building.

Asked for comment, schools spokeswoman Linda Erdos said via email, “Everyone in Arlington knows that APS has been facing a period of unprecedented enrollment growth that is creating significant demands on capacity. APS has been working closely with the county and The Children’s School to explore viable options for relocation. To date, TCS wants to continue to pursue additional options beyond those that have been identified.”

Erdos cautioned that “we cannot guarantee that we will be successful with any available space options. We are committed, however, to continuing support for students in the Integration Station program either as a partner with The Children’s School, or integrat-

C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h

CRIME REPORT Week of Aug. 28 – Sept. 3, 2017 Larceny from Building, 513 W Broad St (Byron Apartments), August 6 at 02:44 AM, video showed a Cannondale mountain bicycle being stolen from the bike lockup area of the garage. Suspect described as a thin, approximately 6’2” younger black male wearing a blue string plastic knapsack style bag and possibly having tattoos on his right forearm. The cable lock was cleanly cut in half. Bicycles from the Byron have a small blue diamond shaped sticker on the frame. Investigation continues.

Hit and Run, 200 blk Gundry Dr, between Aug 19 and 24, a vehicle parked on the street was struck by another vehicle which left the scene.

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Hit and Run, 1230 W Broad St (Giant parking lot), Aug 29, between 6:40 and 6:55 PM, a parked vehicle was struck by another vehicle which left the scene.

Trespass, 201 S Washington St (7-11), August 30, 11:49 AM, a male, 33, of Catlett, VA, was issued a summons for Trespass.

Destruction of Property, 100 blk W Marshall St, between Aug 29 and 12:35 PM Aug 30, a garden pot was smashed on a walkway.

Drunk in Public, 223 Little Falls St (City of Falls Church Community Center), August 30, 6:40 PM, a male, 34, of no fixed address was arrested for being Drunk in Public.

Assault and Batter, 100 blk E Jefferson St, Sept 1 6:10 AM, a male, 25, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for Assault and Batter.

Destruction of Property, 300 blk Gundry Dr, Sept 1, 2:30 AM, a residential wooden fence, a street sign and a portable blue toilet were damaged by an unknown suspect, possibly driving a darker, older model sedan.

Hit and Run, 300 blk S Virginia Ave, between 5 PM Aug 30 and 7:30 AM Sept 1, a vehicle was struck by another vehicle which left the scene.

Larceny – Pocket Picking, 201 N Washington St (Kaiser Permanente Health Care), Sept 1, 12:20 PM, victim reported that while riding an elevator his wallet was taken.

Suspect described as a tall, approximately 6`02, black male, with a large build, wearing black dress pants, and black dress shoes.

Investigation continues.

Larceny Theft From Building, 455 S Maple Ave (Lincoln at Tinner Hill), between 3:30 PM, Aug 28 and 6 PM Sept 1, a bicycle was stolen from a

ed into existing APS programs.”

Some Children’s School parents complained to the board at a February hearing, and the school’s board told ARLNow that “APS has consistently informed TCS that they do not have any space and are running a deficit. Our ultimate goal remains keeping TCS and Integration Station together, but we need APS’s help.”

Kathryn Scruggs, the retired teacher and former president of the Arlington Education Association whose grandchildren use The Children’s School, told me, “Child care is a necessity for all families whether it is provided by the parents themselves, a relative, a neighbor or a childcare facility. Arlington has a shortage of programs. The Children’s School has met the childcare needs of a minority of employees, who pay for the program,” she said. “It would be a great loss to the community as well as the employees if TCS is discontinued. The loss or lack of commitment to TCS will have a negative effect on employee recruitment and retention.” ** Nostalgic item spotted in the preparing-for-a-new-year trash pile at Tuckahoe Elementary School: A blond-wood shelf framing 27 storage cubby holes.

The scuffed classroom furniture could easily have been around since the school was built in 1953.

Think how many anxious children – rotating out through the years – took comfort using those cubby holes, their home away from home. locked bike rack in the apartment parking garage.

Drug – Narcotic Violation, 300 blk E Annandale Rd, Sept 2, 10:14 AM, following a routine traffic stop, a male, 27, of Falls Church, was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana.

Drunk in Public, Park Ave/Little Falls St, Sept 2, 3:42 PM, a male, 34, of no fixed address, was arrested for being Drunk in Public.

Drunk in Public, Trespass, Destruction of Property, 112 N West St (Mike’s Deli), Sept 3, 3:04 AM, a male, 60, of no fixed address, was arrested for Drunk in Public, Trespass and Destruction of Property. A male, 25, of no fixed address, was arrested for being Drunk in Public and Destruction of Property.

Larceny from Vehicle, 200 blk Midvale St, between 10:30 PM Sept 2 and 9 AM Sept 3, items of value were taken from two unlocked vehicles parked in a driveway.

Tampering With Auto, 200 blk Noland St, between 10 PM Sept 2 and 2 PM, Sept 3, an unsecured vehicle was entered and searched by an unknown suspect. Nothing was taken and there was no damage to the vehicle.

Possession of a Fictitious Operator’s License, 130 N Washington St (Clare and Don’s Beach Shack), Sept 3, 6:24 PM, a female, 19, of Washington DC, was issued a summons for Possession of a Fictitious ID. OTHER ARRESTS August 28, a male, 53, of no fixed address, was taken into custody on a Contempt of Court charge. The underlying charge was trespass..

PAGE 14 | SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017

NATI O NA L

The Year of the Fatally Absurd

Never did we consider the world so sane and normal during the two terms of President Obama. Not until recently, when the sheer madness of the Twitter-happy Infant Terrible of the White House since January has spun the nation and much of the world on its head.

This is like Alice in Wonderland, and while the altered perception of that author accounted for it, it remained in the realm of fantasy.

This world we live in now is quite reality-based and unprecedentedly dangerous.

The U.S. is under siege from multiple sides. From the west comes the new danger that an H-bomb on a missile can reach our shores. From the east comes the month’s second deadly hurricane. From within comes the danger of a government shutdown, an instant trigger FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS for another Great Recession. Then there is the willful move to unsettle and potentially expel almost a million of the nation’s young, skilled and motivated “Dreamers.”

True, the current president can’t be blamed for all this in the short span he’s been in charge. But it’s been years of the same kind of very bad policies he represents that can be singled out.

Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma have and will wreak a level of destruction on the human infrastructure of this nation as has never been seen before. This is the result of years of ignoring warnings about the consequences of inaction in the face of overwhelming evidence of climate change, and the current White House continues to elevate climate change deniers into important policy making agencies.

As the Washington Post’s Robert O’Harrow Jr. documented this week, taxpayers have been subsidizing – by way of tax exempting – multi-millions in efforts to quash legitimate climate science by “nonprofits.”

It has also led to ignoring what could have mitigated the impacts of these latest and worst weather catastrophes, such as policies to limit the development of impervious surfaces by such things as requiring porous alternatives.

It has also led to terribly misguided development priorities, as the Post’s Kevin B. Blackstone has documented this week under the headline, “Houston Spent on Stadiums But Not Dams,” a story strangely relegated to the sports section.

According to Blackstone, in the last 20 years, Houston spent $1.2 billion, including $605.5 million in public taxpayer money, on new stadiums and arena for football, baseball, basketball and soccer, while waiting until just two years ago to begin expending a meagre $72 million in federal money on the repair of two critically eroded dams in the area. Also, plans forwarded by the news site ProPublica for massive floodgates at the entrance to Galveston Bay or at a location closer to Houston to protect the region from storm surges, were ignored, as was the Houston Chronicle’s urgent appeal last year for using federal funds to protect the city from flooding of its bayous.

We await with Hurricane Irma how this same trend will contribute to the misery in Florida and wherever else it may plow, and who’s to say it will stop there? Juan and other named catastrophes are getting queued up. The climate change threshold factors have obviously been breached to introduce new levels of radical weather which may now become the “new normal.”

Who can say that anything can turn this trend around at this point?

But emergency steps are required on a global stage. Next to that, investment in the kind of infrastructures to mitigate impacts to come cannot be delayed. That would involve a lot of money and resources and, by the way, create a lot of jobs.

It has been a sad reality in the U.S. that the only meaningful new large scale construction has gone to stadiums and prisons, reminiscent of the old crumbling Roman empire and its mass slavery and “bread and circuses” distractions.

President Obama sought to reverse that trend with his “stimulus” programs to kickstart a recovery from the Great Recession. But too soon the Republicans stalled that effort and began turning the nation back to its pre-Recession priorities.

Moreover, the breakdown in trust and goodwill from America’s allies in the last year has been stunning, and with this president, who knows what’s next?

Nicholas F. Benton

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

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Why Can’t We Get Cities Right?

The waters are receding in Houston, and so, inevitably, is national interest. But Harvey will leave a huge amount of wreckage behind, some of it invisible. In particular, we don’t yet know just how much poison has been released by flooding of chemical plants, waste dumps, and more. But it’s a good bet that more people will eventually die from the toxins Harvey leaves behind than were killed during the storm itself.

Oh, and if you trust the current administration to handle Harvey’s aftermath right, I’ve got a degree from Trump University you might want to buy.

There are already signs of dereliction: many toxic waste sites are flooded, but the NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE Environmental Protection Agency is conspicuously absent.

Anyway, Harvey was an epic disaster. And it was a disaster brought on, in large part, by bad policy. As many have pointed out, what made Houston so vulnerable to flooding was rampant, unregulated development. Put it this way: Greater Houston still has less than a third as many people as greater New York, but it covers roughly the same area, and probably has a smaller percentage of land that hasn’t been paved or built on.

Houston’s sprawl gave the city terrible traffic and an outsized pollution footprint even before the hurricane. When the rains came, the vast paved-over area meant that rising waters had nowhere to go.

So is Houston’s disaster a lesson in the importance of urban land-use regulation, of not letting developers build whatever they want, wherever they want? Yes, but.

To understand that “but,” consider the different kind of disaster taking place in San Francisco. Where Houston has long been famous for its virtual absence of regulations on building, greater San Francisco is famous for its NIMBYism — that is, the power of “not in my backyard” sentiment to prevent new housing construction. The Bay Area economy has boomed in recent years, mainly thanks to Silicon Valley; but very few new housing units have been added.

The result has been soaring rents and home prices. The median monthly rent on a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is more than $3,000, the highest in the nation and roughly triple the rent in Houston; the median price of a single-family home is more than $800,000.

And while geography — the constraint imposed by water and mountains — is often offered as an excuse for the Bay Area’s failure to build more housing, there’s no

Paul Krugman

good reason it couldn’t build up. San Francisco housing is now quite a lot more expensive than New York housing, so why not have more tall buildings?

But politics has blocked that kind of construction, and the result is housing that’s out of reach for ordinary working families. In response, some workers engage in extreme commuting from affordable locations, spending as much as four hours each way.

That’s no way to live — and no way to run a city.

Houston and San Francisco are extreme cases, but not that extreme. It turns out that America’s big metropolitan areas are pretty sharply divided between Sun Belt cities where anything goes, like Houston or Atlanta, and those on the East or West Coast where nothing goes, like San Francisco or, to a lesser extent, New York. (Chicago is a huge city with dense development but relatively low housing prices; maybe it has some lessons to teach the rest of us?)

The point is that this is one policy area where “both sides get it wrong” — a claim I usually despise — turns out to be right. NIMBYism is bad for working families and the U.S. economy as a whole, strangling growth precisely where workers are most productive. But unrestricted development imposes large costs in the form of traffic congestion, pollution, and, as we’ve just seen, vulnerability to disaster.

Why can’t we get urban policy right? It’s not hard to see what we should be doing. We should have regulation that prevents clear hazards, like exploding chemical plants in the middle of residential neighborhoods, preserves a fair amount of open land, but allows housing construction.

In particular, we should encourage construction that takes advantage of the most effective mass transit technology yet devised: the elevator.

In practice, however, policy all too often ends up being captured by interest groups. In sprawling cities, real-estate developers exert outsized influence, and the more these cities sprawl, the more powerful the developers get. In NIMBY cities, soaring prices make affluent homeowners even less willing to let newcomers in.

Can America break out of these political traps?

Maybe. In blue states where cities build too little, there’s a growing political movement calling for more housing supply. Until now, there’s been much less evidence of second thoughts about unmanaged development in red states, but Harvey may serve as a wake-up call.

One thing is clear: How we manage urban land is a really important issue, with huge impacts on American lives.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FO O D &D I NI NG

What the Whole30 Eating Plan Taught Me About Food & Myself

BY CARLYNN CROSBY TAMPA BAY TIMES

Everyone is skeptical of “diets.” There are so many now that when a new one begins to circulate among our friend groups and social media, we’re tempted to roll our eyes and shrug our shoulders at something that promises to help use lose weight, to get in shape.

I did just that the first time I heard about Whole30. I was out to eat with my mom and her sisters, one of whom was on her third day of the plan. She ordered a burger, plain and with no bun, and a side of steamed broccoli. I raised my eyebrows before ordering a bacon cheeseburger and steak fries.

When our food arrived, her broccoli bland and steaming, I watched as she picked at it. After one bite, she frowned. There was butter on it and, though she didn’t want to, she sent it back and had it remade. I thought she was crazy.

She kept referring to a “book” that listed what she could and couldn’t eat.

A few days later, a copy of that book arrived on my mom’s stoop courtesy of Aunt Martha.

My mom read it and, to my complete and utter dismay, suggested we try Whole30 together.

I’ve struggled with weight and body image issues for a long time.

I’ve been on a diet, in some form or another, on and off since I was 12. So I was weary of yet another one.

But the thing with Whole30 is that you’re not supposed to focus on weight loss. In fact, you’re not even supposed to step foot on a scale throughout the 30-day program.

“The number on the scale

says nothing about your overall health,” say Melissa and Dallas Hartwig in that Whole30 book, The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom.

The program has been around since 2009, but has picked up steam since the book, a New York Times bestseller, was published in 2015. Recently, it’s made fresh rounds on food blogs and social media.

The goal of Whole30 is to teach you to eat intuitively, to train you to figure out what your body wants and what it doesn’t want and to eat accordingly. The gist: For 30 days, you don’t consume dairy, wheat, soy, alcohol, legumes, sugar of all kinds (even honey and agave) and a lot of other things that the Hartwigs spell out for you. One of the program’s more notable aspects is that if you accidentally slip up and eat a forbidden ingredient, you have to start over.

Like hitting a reset button on your body, you strip your diet of foods that could be causing you harm. The idea is that common ailments like lack of energy, digestive problems, skin issues, unexplainable aches and pains and, yes, even trouble losing weight could be unknowingly caused by certain foods. Getting rid of these items for 30 days, the Hartwigs say, will teach you about how they’re affecting your physical well-being beyond the scale.

At the end of the 30 days, you slowly start working these items back into your diet to see what your body likes and what it doesn’t. Does gluten make you feel gross? Cheese hurt your tummy? Maybe you should eat

less of those things going forward.

How it went I knew I was in for a rough ride when I was invited to happy hour just three days into the program. (I did go, by the way, and my friends got a kick out of my bottomless club soda and lime.)

During the first few days, I joked about the process.

“I don’t want to ‘change my relationship with food,’?” I would say, crooking my fingers in air brackets. “Food and I go way back. We’re tight.”

But about halfway through the program, I learned something about my food habits. I was eating the way I was supposed to, avoiding things like cheese, malbec and pasta, but I was resisting the process. As a food writer and someone who loves to eat, I initially didn’t feel compelled to change anything after the 30 days were up. I didn’t see anything wrong with how I ate.

That changed. I remember very vividly waking up on the 10th day and thinking to myself: “I like how this feels.” It became a mantra as I resisted invitations to bottomless mimosa brunches and forced myself to walk past grocery store end-caps stocked topto-bottom with powdered doughnuts. It became how I explained to other people why I was sticking to Whole30.

And over time, things got easier. By the 20th day, I figured out which recipes I really liked and which ones I really didn’t. I will never be able to force myself to like sweet potatoes, and ghee (the Indian clarified butter) is just not my thing. (According to Whole30, the problem with dairy is milk proteins, and during the

SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017 | PAGE 15

AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD is a tasty — and Whole30-compliant — dish. (P����: T���� B�� T����) process of clarification, such as what happens with ghee, these proteins are removed, making it acceptable on the program.) But I found out that I prefer meatballs made with ground turkey — and lots and lots of garlic — and that macadamia cream, used in place of sour cream, is actually really tasty.

I didn’t struggle with the restrictions as much as people said I would, but I don’t discount that the struggle is very real. While I had few cravings, the hardest part was breaking old habits: resisting the urge to pull into the drive-through for my favorite Starbucks drink; bringing food with me to work, rather than relying on grab-and-go stops like Chipotle; bypassing gum in the checkout line.

I did discover what my body doesn’t tolerate. Dairy, my lifelong friend, is actually not so friendly; soy, which I used to think would be a healthy alternative to replace some of my dairy intake, wasn’t so nice on me either. And wine now gives me headaches.

The verdict I liked how I felt when I woke up in the morning so much that I decided to continue with parts of

Whole30 in my weekly routine, though I do give myself a break on the weekends, and bottomless mimosas are back on the table. I make my own mayonnaise and avoid dairy and sugar as much as possible, and use almond milk now instead of soy milk.

Whole30 is almost punishing in its strictness and brutal in its rigidity. (Don’t call it hard, though; the Hartwigs say that birthing babies and losing parents is hard, but drinking black coffee is not.) There are a lot of rules, and you need to be well-versed in them so that you make the right choices.

This way of eating may not be for everyone, but it taught me things I wouldn’t have learned if I didn’t try it, and not just about food. I didn’t think I had the kind of stamina to go through such a radical diet change, and I didn’t want to. I made excuses about needing to eat for work, not having time to prep meals, the lack of convenience — you name it. But I surprised myself.

I know now that a diet doesn’t have to be about weight loss, and it doesn’t have to come with negativity. It can be as easy as finding out what makes you feel bad and cutting those things out.

$20 will get you a delicious and healthy dinner for two at any of Eden Center’s 25 restaurants.

LE TTE RS

PAGE 16 | SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

TO LETTERS THE EDITOR Continued from Page 6

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Mechanical Specs

Print

TACGEN001B01 WO-0001 I Am A Witness Campaign TACGEN001B01-0001 Blue Horizontal.indd Adobe InDesign CS6 10-29-2015 5:06 PM 4/C Mag None None None None

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None 7” x 4.875” 6.5” x 4.375” None 1” = 1”

People Creative Director Assoc. Creative Director Art Director Copywriter Copyeditor Account Management Account / Operations Print / Int. Producer Art Producer Product Specialist Legal Production Arts Studio

None None Cassi Norman None Ryan M. / Jeff P. / Bob G. None None None None None

I-66 Eastbound Connector Ramp to West Falls Church Metro Garage Fairfax County Notes None

Printed at None

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Client Adobe Job Number Ad Number Ad-ID Job Title File Name File Format Start Date Color /Media Materials Due 1st Insertion Vendor Pubs

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IWitnessBullying.org

News-Press, Joe Dunn writes “I do not know of anyone who ever thought of Robert E. Lee as anything other than a gentleman.” When Lee took over the running of the Custis plantation of Arlington in the 1850s, to make money he began breaking up slave families on the plantation and hiring off their members to work on different plantations and farther south, something his father-in-law G.W.P. Custis had never done.

He engaged in dubious legal proceedings to hold on to slaves to whom Custis had promised their freedom. When three of the slaves tried to escape, he personally supervised their punishment by whipping, fifty lashes for the men and twenty for a woman, urging the agent doing the whipping to “lay it on well,” and then ordered the overseer to wash the slaves’ lacerated backs in brine.

OK This was the conduct of a man who acquiesced in a vicious, inhuman institution. Mr. Dunn and others should read up on the history of Robert Carter III, scion of one

Tiffany Mae Cabello @ 11-2-2015 11:39 AM

Round 1

Released on 11.02.15

Prepared by The Production Arts Studio | Goodby Silverstein & Partners. All rights reserved. 415.392.0669

Find out about plans to provide direct access from eastbound I-66 to the West Falls Church Metro station by constructing a new ramp connection between two existing ramps (eastbound I-66 to Route 7 and the eastbound I-66 collector-distributor road adjacent to the station’s parking garage). Currently, vehicles on eastbound I-66 traveling to the West Falls Church Metro exit from I-66, turn right to head south on Route 7, turn left at the signalized intersection at Haycock Road, and then turn left onto Falls Church Drive. VDOT has identified operational and safety issues with this maneuver, especially during AM and PM peak periods. All improvements will be performed within existing VDOT right-of-way.

Review project information at www.virginiadot.org/projects or at VDOT’s District Office at 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030.

Please call ahead at 703-259-2734 or TTY/TDD 711 to ensure appropriate personnel are available to answer your questions.

If your concerns cannot be satisfied, VDOT is willing to hold a public hearing. You may request that a public hearing be held by sending a written request to Mr. Andrew Beacher, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, at the above address on or prior to September 16, 2017. If upon receiving public comments it is deemed necessary to hold a public hearing, notice of date, time and place of the hearing will be posted.

VDOT ensures non-discrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT’s Civil Rights Division at 703-259-1775 or TTY/TDD 711.

State Project: 0066-96A-493, P101, C501, B686 UPC: 110629 Federal Project: NHPP-066-1(356)

of Virginia’s wealthiest families, who freed his slaves and campaigned for emancipation as early as the 1790s. There’s a Virginia gentleman to be proud of.

John F. McDiarmid Falls Church

We Shouldn’t Hide The Sad Periods Of History Editor, How comforting to read the letter from Joe Dunn regarding the removal of Confederate monuments, street names and school names in Virginia! Where are the citizens of this great state who dare speak up like Mr. Dunn did?

I am truly saddened by what is happening in our state with so many lies and incorrect stories about the Confederacy. It seems to be “in fashion” right now to join the bandwagon to banish part of our history and the true stories of the people during that time period.

I never see any news reporter interviewing peoples’ views of

people that in all honesty believe that the history of slavery cannot be changed by destroying monuments and statues of honorable soldiers during that time in our country.

Where are our history teachers, professors and religious leaders on the treatment of Native Americans, discrimination against Mexicans who owned property in California before the United States occupied their lands and treated them as second class citizens? Do we hide that too? History has lots of sad periods, but we should not erase them because it does not agree with our way of thinking today.

No other nation in the world erases history by removing names and statues. All lives matter and all of history matters!

Barbara Hartling-Pinto Via the Internet

Thanks for the Description of Republican Party Editor, Regarding Nicholas Benton’s column last week, thank you, again, for a masterpiece description of what is going on in the Republican Party, since George Bush (and before).

They are demeaning humanity, the rules, regulations, the environment, health care and everything else they can to promote their small government, and tax breaks for the rich! They are so despicable. They are without morals, but full of greed.

I used to think the American people were so smart. I am really worried now! Thank you for always getting the message out.

Maryann Fox Arlington

[ LET TERS ] Send us a letter and let us know what you think.

The deadline for Letters to the Editor and Guest Commentaries is 5 p.m.

Monday each week of publication. Letters to the Editor should be 350 words or less.

Guest Commentaries should be limited to 800 words.

Email letters@fcnp.com Mail or drop off Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls Street #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SPO RTS

SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017 | PAGE 17

Mason Athletes Prep For Fall Sports Season

BY MATT DELANEY

As the summer heat subsides and school begins another year, it signals the arrival of the fall sports season at George Mason High School. The Mustangs have varying sets of aspirations, from state qualifiers to dignified rebuilds, and the student athletes have the moxie to help accomplish each of the goals on the way. All the teams have already begun their seasons in the weeks prior to school’s official start this past Tuesday, so without further ado, let’s jump into the preview.

High School for the girls and Clarke and Central High School for the boys will be bumping elbows with Mason all along the district, regional and state levels of competition. The girls have the experience to match their opponents with six seniors, including top runner Logan Funk, returning to the course, but the boys will have to learn as they go with their Bill Comstock serving as the lone senior on the squad who will lead a talented top four.

Mason looks for its first taste of action on Sept. 11 to gauge how equipped the Mustangs are for a deep run into November.

Boys and Girls Cross Country

Field Hockey

Another season and another batch of promise is in play for

Entering their fifth year in existence, the George Mason High

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

CREATING SEPARATION from his competition at the Gettysburg Cross Country Invitational is Mason runner Griffin Warner. (P����: C���� S��) George Mason’s boys and girls cross country team led by head coach Jeff Buck. Last year, both teams qualified for the 2A State meet, marking the eighth time in the last nine years for the boys and the 18th consecutive year for the Mustang girls. The team’s history of high achievement makes any improvement a major feat, so simply maintaining the status quo of state qualifications is the bare minimum expected of this year’s runners.

“The goals for both of the squads are to maintain the excellence the programs have developed over the years,” Bucks said.

“The girls are determined to be four-time district champs, finish top two in the region and top two in the state. The boys are motivated to finish top three in the district and qualify for states as a team.”

Though reaching their peak won’t be without its hurdles.

Local rivals in Clarke County

School’s field hockey team is witnessing its original eighth graders take the reins of the program and lead the charge in overall development. It’s a welcome sign that field hockey is catching fire in Falls Church and putting faith in those who follow the sport that the best is yet to come from the Mustangs.

“The whole team has been working really hard during this preseason and everyone is super excited to show all of our hard work and energy to our community," junior fullback Alex Biggs said.

Mason won’t have to wait any longer to show off their skill though as the season is already underway with an early 1-2 record.

After a tight 2-0 road loss to Arlington County’s WashingtonLee High School, the Mustangs bounced back with a 3-1 win at home over Bayside High School before falling to 2A regional oppo-

nent Maggie Walker Governor's School, 5-1. It hasn’t been an ideal opening stretch of the season, but head coach Amanda Crider is working toward the team embracing their potential which will hopefully come to the fore by the season’s end.

A parallel goal is to make sure the team is living up to the school’s expectations of being champions of character. If the Mustangs can learn positive habits of relying on each other during on and off the field for assistance, then in game objectives of circle penetration, shots on goal and proper positioning on saves will follow suit.

Mason has this week off and will resume competition Monday, Sept. 11, against Bishop O’Connell High School.

Football A hearty bout of optimism for George Mason’s 2016 football team predated an eight game losing streak that put a sour taste in the squad’s mouth after ending the season 2-8. Aiming to put that firmly in the team's rearview mirror, this year’s Mustangs are primed to make good on the energy provided by a new, young coaching staff led by head coach Adam Amerine.

Early returns are promising, as Mason drubbed Annandale’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, 34-3, on the road on Aug. 31. The seniorheavy team has demonstrated they have the experience to handle a variety of in-game situations.

But after last year’s losing skid Amerine is putting pressure on himself and his staff to re-instill the confidence that winning football can be played in Falls Church City by acknowledging weaknesses and adjusting the team’s style accordingly.

“The number one obstacle is depth. We can compete with anyone for a few quarters but injuries and fatigue catch up with us in games and during the season and really hampers our ability to win,” Amerine said. “We are going back to a ball control offense and we are going to strive to be an opportunistic defense and create scoring chances on that side of the ball to overcome these challenges.”

A schedule that has four district opponents who won a playoff game in 2016 will be a tough for the Mustangs to handle.

Regardless, Mason is up to task, lest they want a repeat of last year.

The Mustangs will have their home opener against Sidwell

Friends High School this Friday, Sept. 8.

Golf

The gentleman’s game is in full swing as the George Mason golf team is already five matches into the year and holds a 1-4 record. While they may not be in the perfect lie record-wise, head coach Chris Carrico knows it’s what comes with the territory with a mix of experienced and inexperienced players who make up the roster.

“Moving forward I hope that players' scores improve because we have gotten a couple of weeks of practices under our belt,” Carrico said. “We've been working on improving course management and doing drills in order to

School next Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Volleyball

For the past two years, George Mason’s volleyball team has been thwarted by home regional tournament openers where playoff runs were cut short. Even though the Mustangs went into both those games with Conference titles in tow, getting over the hump of a regional tournament win and gaining some traction among area competition has become one of few key objectives for this year’s squad.

Entering her third season as head coach, Hillary Trebels recognizes that Mason has the depth to challenge teams. The Mustangs return 11 players to their rotation, including a couple that come

MOUNTING THE OFFENSIVE is junior forward Kayleigh Zigler in Mason's 5-1 loss to Maggie Walker Governor School on Aug. 28. (P����: D�� D�� Z�����) improve ball striking and shot making abilities. The team is dedicated to getting better.”

That doesn’t mean the Mustangs are without something to hold its hat(s) on. Seniors Claire Trundle, George Gilligan and Will Gaskins lead a team in which Gaskins, Gilligan and junior Nick Wells all return from a 2016 season where they individually qualified for regionals. And as a team, they’ve been on the uptick after defeating Madison County High School 206-204 following a string of narrow defeats to other district rivals Clarke County (186-185) and Strasburg (200-187).

The amount of beginners on the team presents a natural challenge to Carrico, but it’s one he enjoys. The fruits of his labor will be born eventually, but for now it’s about getting the Mustangs in position to succeed in the long run.

Mason will play Central High

equipped with volleyball experience prior to stepping on the court for Mason. However, a key area to emphasize is keeping the Mustangs’ morale high when other teams go on runs. In the past, Mason has struggled to rebound when opponents begin to rack up points. Trebels wants to see the team play with consistent energy, focus and enthusiasm in matches.

“We’ve got a group of seniors who have been with the program the last five years, so winning a regional match would be a good place to start in terms of accomplishable goals,” Trebels said.

So far, Mason has fallen to an 1-2 record. Though the season is still young and the gelling process is nowhere near as complete as it will be come November. Expect for these Mustangs to be on the upswing by then.

Mason will play Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology today.

PAGE 18 | SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017

CA L E NDA R

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Entrepreneur Express. Falls Church area entrepreneurs are invited to learn new ways to advance their business at a free seminar titled Entrepreneur Express. Topics include “Why You Need a Business Plan,” “Marketing Your Business” and “Financing Your Business.” This seminar is a part of a series of free workshops offered by the City of Falls Church, the Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity (SBSD) and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce to provide interactive discussions and exercises covering key elements of business practices. To register, visit the SBSD’s website calendar.

Dogwood room in City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5491.

Thursday Evening Book Discussion. The Thursday Evening

Book Discussion Group meets on the first Thursday evening of each month in the library’s conference room. Light refreshments are served. All are welcome.

Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. 703-248-5035.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 DMV 2 Go Bus. The full-service DMV2Go bus will be in front of City Hall this Saturday. The accessible mobile office provides all DMV transactions including: Applying for and renewing driver’s licenses; obtaining ID cards (including photos) and Virginia’s veterans ID cards; taking road and knowledge tests; obtaining copies of driving records, vehicle titles, license plates, decals and transcripts; ordering disabled parking placards or plates; and updating an address after a move for DMV and voter registration. Customers should be prepared with the required documents to complete transactions. No appointments

are necessary. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunset Cinemas Return to Cherry Hill Park. The City’s Recreation and Parks Department on select Fridays in September for Sunset Cinema. Moviegoers are encouraged to bring blankets and picnics. Drinks, popcorn and snacks will be available for purchase. In the case of inclement weather, screenings will be moved into the Community Center. This week’s movie is “Moana”. In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana’s island, she answers the Ocean’s call to seek out the Demigod to set things right. Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). 7:45 p.m. – 9: 45 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 Book Sale. Used adult and children’s books for sale throughout the entire weekend. Variety of works available for purchase,

from literary classics to timeless kids books and historical and biographical favorites. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church) 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

703-248-5034.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 City Meeting on Campus Project.

Falls Church public informational forum on the high school bond referendum with City Manager Wyatt Shields and FCCPS Superintendent Peter Noonan.

George Mason High School Auditorium (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 4 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 Senior Book Discussion Series.

Book discussions held roughly every 6 weeks from September through June. Focuses on a variety of fiction and nonfiction titles. No registration required.

Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. 703-248-5035.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 “A Little Night Music” In 1900 Sweden, on a magical night that smiles three times, an aging actress, a married virgin, a sexstarved divinity student and a buffoonish count find themselves hilariously tangled in a web of love affairs. Delightful, charming and at times heartbreaking, with gorgeous, lush music, including “A Weekend in the Country,” “Liaisons” and the seminal “Send in the Clowns,” “A Little Night Music” is a coupling (and uncoupling) tour-de-force. Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington). $40. 8 p.m. sigtheatre. org.

THURSDAY, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY SEPTEMBER2 9 “BIG FISH.” “BIG FISH” centers on Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest.

Edward’s larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him – most of all, his devoted wife Sandra.

But their son Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father’s epic tales. Overflowing with heart and humor, “BIG FISH” reminds us

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why we love going to the theatre – for an experience that’s richer, funnier and more extraordinary than life itself. Keegan Theatre (1742 Church St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $45. 3 p.m. keegantheatre. com.

“The Wizard of Hip.” The nonstop comic journey of Afro Jo — an African American “everyman” as he travels from adolescence to adulthood in search of the ultimate state of “hip,” a place of comfort and peace in an ever confusing and changing world. After 15 cities and an off-Broadway run, “Wizard of Hip” returns almost 30 years later, a little grayer, a little older and hopefully a little wiser, but with the revelatory journey that made it an audience favorite more than two decades ago.

MetroStage (1201 N Royal St., Alexandria) $55. 8 p.m. metrostage.org

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train.”

Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Adly Guirgis’ darkly comic meditation on redemption and faith, Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. Lucius has found God and been born again, and now Angel’s life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. 1st Stage Theater (1742 Spring Rd., Tysons). $33. 2 p.m. keegantheatre.com.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, 27 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY SEPTEMBER The Wingits. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church).

6:30 p.m. 703-532-9283.

NFL Opener. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church).

6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

Satisfaction: International Rolling Stones Show. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25.

7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Thrillbillys. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

CA L E NDA R

Johnny Grave with Emily Henry and DJ Sam Snow. Iota Club & Cafe (2823 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10. 8:30 p.m. 703-522-8340.

SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017 | PAGE 19

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 Mary-El. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-5329283.

Andrew O’Day. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church).

6:30 p.m. 703-532-9283.

London Calling: A Tribute to Legendary British Bands of the ‘60s & ‘70s. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25.

7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Concert To Benefit the Red Cross – Texas Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort (relief concert will also be held at same time on Saturday).

Iota Club & Cafe (2823 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10 suggested donation. 8 p.m. 703-522-8340.

Sun Dogs – Tribute to Rush. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $12 – $15. 9 p.m. 703-237-0300.

Young Relics. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Kara and Matty D. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333 Mark Bryan (of Hootie and The Blowfish) and The Screaming Trojans. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25. 10 p.m. 703-255-1566.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 40 Dollar Fine Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-2419504.

Parthenon Huxley. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $20. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Saved By the ‘90s: A Party with the Bayside Tigers. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $17 – $20. 9 p.m.

703-237-0300.

Jimi Smooth and the Hit Time.

MOBLEY will be at Jammin’ Java in Vienna next Monday. (Photo: BlackFret)

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703241-9504.

Convertible Jerks. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church).

9:30 p.m. 703-532-9283.

Birdtalker + Becca Mancari.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 – $25. 9:30 p.m. 703255-1566.

Ryan Palladino. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church).

10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 Dixieland Direct. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-241-9504.

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

Tom Russell Duo “Folk Hotel” Album Release Show. Jammin’

Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30 – $35. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Rick Springfield, Richard Marx.

Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna). $30 – $65. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.

David Kitchen CD Release Party.

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m.

703-241-9504.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 Mobley + Redline Graffiti + exits.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30 – $35. 7 p.m. 703255-1566.

Wolf Blues Jam Weekly Show.

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m.

703-241-9504.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 ‘90s Night. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-5329283.

2Cellos. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna). $30 – $65. 8 p.m. 703255-1900.The Magic Beans. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $20.

7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Mark Wenner and the Blues Warriors. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-241-9504.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 YES featuring band veterans Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin & Rick Wakeman. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna). $30 – $75. 8 p.m.

703-255-1900.

Open Mic Night with Bob Hume, Martha Capone and their Band.

JV’s Restaurant (666 Arlington Blvd., Arlington) 8 p.m. 703-5228340.

Open Mic Night. Iota Club & Cafe (2823 Wilson Blvd., Arlington) 8 p.m. 703-522-8340.

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 20 | SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017

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Public Notice PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS PUBLIC HEARING The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on September14, 2017 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, to consider the following items: New Business: 1. Variance application V1592-17 by F. Wyatt Shields, City Manager, on behalf of the City of Falls Church, applicant, for a variance to Section 48-933 to allow (1) the stacking of parking spaces within a parking structure; (2) parking spaces of less than nine (9) feet in stall width and less than eighteen (18) feet in stall length; (3) twoway drive aisles of less than twenty-three (23) feet in width; and to Section 48-934 to omit a loading zone parking space as part of an expansion and renovation to premises known as Falls Church City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, RPC #51-112-001 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned OD, Official Design.

2. Variance application V1593-17 by Rax Oum, owner and applicant, for a variance to Section 48-1102(h)(1) to allow a front yard fence height of 6 feet instead of 4 feet, on premises known as 200 South Cherry Street, RPC #53-114-136 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential.

Information on the above applications is available for review at: Zoning Office 300 Park Avenue, Suite 300W

To claim any of these items, please provide proof of ownership to:

Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS PUBLIC HEARING THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS (BZA)of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a special public hearing on September 21, 2017 at 7:30 PMin the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following items: New Business Variance application V1594-17 by Scott Shreffler, contractor, and Keith Bartlett, owner, for a variance to Section 48-238(3) (a) to allow a side yard setback of eleven (11) feet instead of fifteen (15) feet on the west side of the house, and a rear yard setback of thirty-five (35) feet instead of forty (40) feet to construct a single-family house on premises known as 1105 Jackson Court, RPC #52-405-005 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential..

Information on the above applications is available for review at: Zoning Office 300 Park Avenue, Suite 300W Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

PUBLIC NOTICE In accordance with VA 15.2-1720, the public is hereby notified that the City of Falls Church Police Department has recovered the following bicycles: COLOR MAKE WHITE SCHWINN BLUE NISHIKE SILVER RHINO BLACK/RED SAICANO GRAY HUFFY BROWN MONGOOSE

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#BeUnderstood

City of Falls Church Police Department Property/Evidence Unit 300 Park Avenue, G2 Falls Church, VA 22046 703-248-5060 (please call for appointment)

We are pledged to the letter andspirit 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) 3678530. Toll free call (888) 5513247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

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SEPTEMBER 7 – 13, 2017 | PAGE 21

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Last Thursday’s Solution

Sudoku Level:

1

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J I F F

O M A R

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T A U T

R A N T S

I D A H O

N O M O R E M R N I C E G U Y

M E N S A N E E

C R I M I N A L C H A R G E S

O M M E N D E F E R T O D A S H U B A M B U L J A Y L E S L A T S O O P T O L A L E R I T R O N I A A L E M I N S U R E R A U S A G E

I A N S E N S E

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By The Mepham Group 4

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DAVE BLAZEK

31. "Mboy-Dcik" ctapain Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

NICK KNACK

© 2017 N.F. Benton

1

9/10/17

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 www.sudoku.org.uk.

© 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Critter Corner

BACK IN THE DAY

dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas

20 s Yearo Ag

is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . p a s is the Now for all time cows good me to to coaid of the their.

20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press

Falls Church News-Press Vol. VII, No. 26 • September 11, 1997

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. XVII, No. 27 • September 6, 2007

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

Council Resolves to Cut City, School Budget Growth by Half

F.C. Council Mulls Smoking Ban On Restaurants, Minors in Public

The Falls Church City Council set the theme for the beginning of a new budget cycle at its one-day “retreat” last Saturday, calling for the growth in the City budget not to exceed growth in City revenues.

And while the national economy, overall, enjoys a three percent annual growth rate and the rate is even higher in Virginia, the City of Falls Church has continued to languish at about a two percent rate of growth. This, according to an extensive briefing on the subject given the Council

by City Chief Financial Officer Doug Scott.

The Falls Church City Council began deliberations at a work session Tuesday on greater restrictions against smoking in public spaces in the city. In particular, it took up the issue of smoking in restaurants, but some Council members indicated they may push for new legislation that’s even more comprehensive.

One was emphatic about wanting to make smoking in public an underage youth crime.

REST IN PEACE to a dear friend of the Falls Church community, Cowboy Bo Bo Buchly. The ten year old kitty was stricken with an aggressive case of colon cancer and passed away on July 31. He will be sorely missed by the Buchly family, especially his number one human Brenda, as they shared many hunks of cheese and games of hide and seek during their decade together. Cowboy was highly intelligent and graceful, demonstrated by his prompt reactions to high-five commands and slick manuevering around Brenda’s candle-laden abode. He was also a true house cat and would let guests know they were in his territory by growling at them when they came to the door. The News-Press expresses our sincerest condolecences to Brenda, who didn’t just lose a pet a month ago, she lost a best friend.

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

To Be A PerfecT PArenT.

NO ONE GETS A DIPLOMA ALONE.

There are thousands of kids in foster care who will take you just the way you are.

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(A) Go ask your mother.

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There are no perfect answers in parenting.

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If you’re thinking of finishing your high school diploma, you have more support than you realize. Find free adult education classes near you by visiting FinishYourDiploma.org.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

SEPTEMBER 7 - 13, 2017 | PAGE 23

F� � � � C � � � � �

B������� N��� � N���� Pursuing Vintage Boutique Opens for Monthly Patronage Pursuing Vintage will be open this weekend. The boutique, which is only open the second weekend of each month, offers new and vintage home décor at 260 W. Broad Street.

For more information, visit pursuingvintage.com.

‘Under the Sea’ Comes to Doodlehopper 4 Kids Doodlehopper 4 Kids is hosting Under the Sea, a live marine animal show, on Sunday, September 10 from 1 – 1:45 p.m. This educational and fun event is free and will take place in Doodlehopper’s consolidated store located at 234 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. For more information, visit doodlehopper.com.

Dine-Out Day FUNdraiser Hosted at The Locker Room The Locker Room is hosting a Dine-Out Day FUNdraiser to benefit the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department on Wednesday, September 13 from 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. The Locker Room is located at 502 W. Broad Street in Falls Church. The restaurant will donate 15 percent of gross proceeds from the day. For more information, visit thelockerroomfc.com.

Networking Breakfast with Chamber of Commerce at Bentley’s The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce is hosting an informal networking breakfast on Thursday, September 14 from 8 – 9 a.m. at Bentley’s Falls Church Diner. There is no fee or need to register. Attendees are responsible for their own bills, however. Bentley’s is located at 6654 Arlington Boulevard. For more information, visit FallsChurchChamber.com.

Truck and Toss Festival Announces New Activities for this Weekend Grace Christian Academy will be hosting Truck and Toss – a food truck, corn hole and craft brew tasting festival on Saturday, September 9 from 5 – 10 p.m. Admission to Truck and Toss includes unlimited beer tastings and free samples from the best food trucks in the DMV including Captain Cookie, Capmac and Far East Taco Grille. Participants can also join the Cornhole for a Cause tournament or just play for fun while enjoying unlimited beer samples and tastings from five of the area’s best food trucks. Old Dominion Corvette Club will be on site displaying their classic Corvettes. There will be children’s activities and a raffle featuring prizes from many local businesses. Tickets are $35 for regular admission, which includes three food truck tastings and unlimited craft beer tastings, $50 for VIP admission which includes five food truck tastings and early admission as well as unlimited craft brew tastings, $10 for two food truck tastings and $5 entry fee for cornhole tournament. Grace Christian Academy/Grace Lutheran Church is located at 3233 Annandale Road in Falls Church. For more information, visit truckandtoss.com.

10th Annual Vienna Oktoberfest Planned for October 7 The Vienna Business Association and the Town of Vienna are hosting its 10th Annual Oktoberfest on October 7 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. on historic Church Street. The event, which typically attracts 20,000 to 30,000 attendees, will include an expanded beer garden and food court, a new handcrafted market, and a new business expo area as well as a German auto show and live entertainment on three stages. All ages are welcome and admission is free. Oktoberfest is accepting sponsor and vendor applications through September 19. For more information and vendor applications, visit the Oktoberfest website, viennaoktoberfest.org.

WINNERS & RUNNERS-UP!

BEST of

FALLS CHURCH

2017

 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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(B) Because I said so.

(C) We’ll see.

There are no perfect answers in parenting.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Under Contract

For Rent

Our hearts are heavy for the people of Texas, witnessing the devastation of Hurricane Harvey these past weeks.

What can our Little City do to help?

405 Hillwood Ave | Falls Church City

Pristine 4 BD/2.5 BA town home in Whittier Park.

Many updates and shows beautifully. 2 car garage and walk to all that Falls Church City has to offer. Offered at $839,000

511 Anne St | Falls Church City

Lovely 4 BD/2 BA cape cod on quiet street in Falls Church City. Spectacular kitchen, new baths and deck overlooking a large private yard. Offered at $2800 per month

Welcomes Kim Kaufhold to our team!

Louise Molton Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com

Kim has been a Realtor and Broker for 14 years and brings a wealth of knowledge to our brokerage. Call or e-mail her today. Kim is also licensed in Delaware!

Please take the time to make a donation, however small, to help.

Here are three organizations, but there are many others.

American Red Cross. To donate, visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Salvation Army. To donate, visit www.salvationarmy.org, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) or text STORM to 51555.

GlobalGiving. To donate, visit www.globalgiving.org/harvey or text HARVEY to 80100 to make a $10 donation to GlobalGiving’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

If you need computer help to make the donations, please stop by our office at 710 W Broad St Falls Church and we can help you.

Let’s let everyone affected by this storm know they are not alone!

kakaufhold@aol.com (703) 850-4890 Direct

710 W Broad St, Falls Church VA 22046 ~ 703-596-5303 Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

®

REALTOR

CONTACT BETHANY FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS

SOLD!

Bethany Ellis REALTOR ® , SRES, e-PRO, Corporate Relocation Specialist NVAR Lifetime Top Producer & Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club

703-307-7003

bethany.ellis@longandfoster.com

Licensed in VA & DC

McLean Sales Office: 1355 Beverly Rd Ste 109, McLean VA 22101 • 703-790-1990 Office

Serving all of Falls Church, Arlington, McLean, Vienna, Great Falls & Northern VA markets.

Take a look at my website- where you can search for homes, view my new Falls Church & McLean videos, and more!

www.buyandsellwithBethany.com If you're thinking about selling, contact Bethany for a free, confidential meeting.

703-307-7003 • bethany.ellis@longandfoster.com

Falls Church, Spacious and Gracious! Stunning mouldings throughout this seven bedroom, six bath Gem. Hardwood floors, custom plantation shutters, large kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counters, maple cabinets and custom tile floor.

High ceilings, bay windows, recessed lighting and a fully finished lower lever. $745,000.

7004 Hickory Hill Road, Falls Church.

SOLD 2200 N. Westmoreland St. #531 Arlington, VA 22213 Beautiful 1BR+Den on the Penthouse level in the WestLee! Pecan Floors, High Ceilings, Granite Counters and SS Kitchen! MUST SEE! Sold Price $398,000.

SOLD 259 Gundry Drive Falls Church VA 22046

Completely updated 3 level townhouse in Winter Hill.

3BR/2 Full Bath/2 Half Baths, Open Kitchen, Updated Baths New SS appliances, HVAC & Hot Water Heater, Fresh Paint Sales Price $642,000. SOLD PRICE $648,000

UNDER CONTRACT 4633 B 28th Rd S Arlington VA 22205

Beautiful 2 level condo 2BR/1BA in The Arlington.

Updated floors. Wood burning fireplace.

Sales Price $299,000.

UNDER CONTRACT 200 N Maple Ave #401 Falls Church VA 22046 Beautiful and spacious 1BR condo in FCC! Fresh paint.

Large, open space on 4th floor in fantastic location!

Enjoy the pool before the end of summer! Sales Price $247,500