Falls Church News-Press: November 19 - 25, 2009

November 19 - 25, 2009

Falls Church, Vi r g i n i a • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free

Founded 1991 • Vo l . XI X N o . 38

Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads

Inside This Week Bus Stop ‘Chia Shelters?’

Mini-sized “green roofs,” at an installation cost of $3,000 each, could adorn bus stop shelters as part of the streetscape renovations along N. Washington Street.

F.C. Council Mulls Election Shift from May to November

See News Briefs, page 7

Tempers Flare

CHAMPS AGAIN

Local Group Helps 35 Women Flee Violence

In Sharp Divide

More than 35 abused female clients of the Falls Churchbased Tahirih Justice Center will spend their Thanksgiving giving thanks for what many consider entitlements.

Over Proposal

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

See page 23

Maureen Dowd: Rogue American Woman

mercial real estate assessments and an added burden of $775,000 to pension fund obligations are key components of the drop of revenues, currently expected to drop below $60 million next year.

It means that since the Fiscal Year 2009 budget was adopted in April 2008 with projected revenues of $76.4 million, anticipated revenues to the City’s general fund

A hot and controversial issue will come before the Falls Church City Council Monday night, as it will consider an ordinance to change the date of municipal elections in the City of Falls Church from May to November.

A consistent pattern of a dramatic contrast in levels of voter turnout led Councilmen Lawrence Webb and Dan Sze to initiate an examination of the subject last month. A resultant town hall meeting hosted by the Citizens for a Better City revealed sharp lines of demarcation on the subject, based on issues such as tradition, party affiliation, costs of running elections and, of course, voter turnout numbers.

But this week’s City Council work session Monday devolved into a brief but sharp and emotionally strained exchange among four Council members, two each on opposite sides of the issue, reflecting the seriousness of the matter in the minds of both sides on the subject.

Comparisons of the turnout levels of Falls Church voters between May and November elections show a dramatic difference. In May municipal elections, turnouts since 2000 have been around 30 percent of registered voters (except for 2006, when in an uncontested election, only 13 percent turned out).

On the other hand, in November elections, turnouts are double and even triple that amount.

In fact, when it comes to

Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 5

Of course, the subtitle of Sarah Palin’s book is “An American Life.” Because she is the lovely avatar of real Americans – ordinary, hard-working, Godfearing, common-sense, good, ordinary, real Americans.

See page 13

‘Planet 51’ Invades Theaters Friday A jolly and good-looking animated feature in glorious 2D. There’s a twist: This time the alien is a human, and he lands on a planet occupied by little green men. See page 26

CHAMPIONS TWO YEARS RUNNING, the George Mason High School varsity girls cross country team took first place at last Saturday’s Virginia High School League’s state Group A championship meet in Great Meadows. The girls totaled 62 points – 30 ahead of their top competitors – and produced two All-State stars, sophomore Eva Estrada (3rd, 20:09) and junior Mollie Breen (11th, 20:52). See story on page 20. (Photo: Louie Estrada)

FY11 Shortfall at $7.6 Million

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Index Editorial..................2 Letters.................2,6 Community News & Notes..............10-11 Comment........12-15 Business News & Notes...................16 Sports.............18-20 Calendar.........24-25 Roger Ebert....26-28

Restaurant Spotlight ............................30 Comics, Sodoku & Crossword...........33 Classified Ads......34 Business & Services Directory..............35 Critter Corner.......36 Business Listing..37 City Focus......38-39

Preliminary projections show that the City of Falls Church will face a whopping $7.6 million shortfall in the coming FY11 budget, City Manager Wyatt Shields told the City Council at its work session Monday. The shortfall will come on top of a continuation of the wage freeze currently in effect for both City and school employ-

ees, as well as mid-term cuts to the current fiscal year budget made earlier this month.

Shields said that the projections are very preliminary, and will not be solid until actual real estate assessments are made public in early February, but they do lay the basis for launching early talks on the next budget beginning with a joint meeting of the City Council and School Board on Nov. 30.

A huge double-digit cut in com-

Page 2

November 19 - 25, 2009

EDITORIAL

Elections in May Or November?

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Vol. XIX, No. 38 November 19 - 25, 2009 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association •

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It became one of the most contentious Falls Church City Council meetings seen in many moons, and it’s not surprising why. At Monday’s work session in City Hall, Mayor Robin Gardner wound up in a heated exchange with Councilmen David Snyder and Nader Baroukh at the end of an intense, hour-long discussion of whether or not the City of Falls Church should move the date of its municipal elections from May to November. Snyder and Baroukh argued the strongest that the matter should not be on the agenda for this Monday’s City Council meeting, and when Mayor Gardner concluded the discussion with a wrap-up that included her decision that she would put it on the agenda, that’s when the shouting started.

It’s no wonder tempers were frayed on this issue. While opponents of moving the election date avoided the voter turnout issue, or even the suggestion that those fewer numbers who come out to vote in May are somehow more qualified voters because they care more. They argued instead that the City Charter is sacrosanct, and to appeal to the higher authority of the State Code (which allows for the switch) would violate it. They also argued that it was the wrong time to be debating the matter because of the other pressing issues facing the Council now, but buying time is an age-old tactic for killing a measure someone opposes.

But, in fact, most of the opposition to changing the date to help ensure more citizen participation in municipal elections (since November voter turnouts are routinely two and three times higher than in May elections) comes from those who prefer the ability of highly-motivated special issue and interest groups to gain a relative advantage from low voter turnouts, increasing the likelihood that the will of a minority might be imposed on the majority. And, in Falls Church’s case, even though the elections will remain non-partisan, Republican leaders in the City know they are in the minority here, winning only a third of the vote even in the statewide Republican sweep this month.

So, the Council finds itself in an interesting bind. Whichever way it goes on the issue, it will be favoring one electoral group over another.

If it does nothing, or even if it delays action, it will de facto be favoring one group over the other. Postponing action of leaving the elections in May will advantage Republicans and small special interest citizen groups. Acting to move the election to November will advantage a significant majority of citizens by eliminating the advantages for the few that come from lower turnouts, and by enfranchising a significantly greater number of City residents, that includes half the City’s population that migrates in or out of residence here every five years, giving them a more institutionalized opportunity to vote.

As with Hamlet, indecision by the Council will not work this time. It has no choice but to vote, and soon, for the preferable alternative.

Letters to the Editor

Don’t Abandon Democratic Goals for Politics Editor, The suggestion has been made by several of my colleagues that the City’s May elections be moved to November 2010. Council members have different life experiences that shape their view of public service in a democracy.

Those experiences can create a more critical view of the initiatives and processes of government. I came to the U.S. as a child,

a Jewish immigrant from Iran – a country where laws and legal process can be twisted and perverted. Accordingly, I’m sensitive to actions which can be viewed as disregarding the democratic process for political purposes. This is a criticism we are already hearing about the election date proposal, and consequently we must proceed with great caution.

The goal of increasing voter

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participation should be free from the taint of anyone or group attempting to achieve personal or political gain. That objective cannot be accomplished by rushing through an election date change during the last busy holiday weeks of 2009. Citizens deserve the opportunity to thoroughly debate any change in their most basic right as citizens—the right to vote, and, in this case, when they will vote.

Citizens are likely to see a quick change as an attempt to deflect voters’ reaction to Council decisions having possible adverse political consequences; Council Members voting in favor of changing the election from May to November would be voting to

extend their term by six months.

I fervently believe that it’s the responsibility of elected office holders not to undermine citizens’ confidence in the process in the guise of increasing the democratic franchise. This corrupts the democratic processes, leads to increased cynicism and diminishes the collective character of the community.

It’s not the City election calendar that needs immediate repair; it’s the City budget and fiscal practices. The City’s serious financial difficulties are unwelcome; the 2010 budget has been difficult and the 2011 budget will be even More Letters on Page 6

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 3

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November 19 - 25, 2009

Preliminary Look at Steep Deficits Looming in FY11 Continued from Page 1

have plunged to $59.4 million. In other words, in only a year and a half, the $17 million decline in projected revenues represents a whopping 22 percent drop.

The problem for the coming budget, Shields told the Council Monday, is that everything is already “cut to the bone.” In previous budgets, savings could be accrued by cutting salary increases or even by layoffs of non-essential City employees.

While the anticipated opening of the BJ’s Wholesale Warehouse next May will add to sales tax revenues for FY11, there are no other major commercial projects anticipated due to the wider economic climate.

The Council’s options have narrowed, and the prospect of utilizing the capability of plac-

ing a surcharge on the real estate tax rate for commercial properties threatens only to make a dire situation worse for the City’s commercial corridors.

In the document by Shields and Chief Financial Officer John Tuohy presented Monday, among the assumptions were these: 1. There will be little, if any, impact of a possible economic recovery (in the wider economy – ed.) in calendar 2010. In part, this is due to “the lag between economic recovery and municipal revenues resulting from the annual assessment process.”

2. Real estate taxes are assumed to decline by 9.25 percent in calendar year 2010, and another 2 percent in 2011. The decline in commercial real estate “will be very significant” but hard to predict, with neighboring jurisdictions assuming declines from 18 to 20

percent. It is projected there will be a “slight decline in the value of single family dwellings and a much larger decline in condominiums.”

3.

Revenue from the Commonwealth is “very likely to continue to decline as the State seeks to solve the massive budgetary issues it faces.” (A House Appropriations Committee report this week indicated the state may need to cut another $2.9 billion by mid-2012, on top of the $7 billion in cuts since last year that resulted in 1,000 layoffs, three closed correctional facilities and a 15 percent cut in aid to colleges and universities).

4. It is anticipated that the City will not be in a position to fully fund its Virginia Retirement obligations, coming in about $1 million short, and it is currently projected to need to contribute an additional $775,000 more to its pension funds.

Should Falls Church install green roof bus shelters on N. Washington Street?

• Yes • No • Don’t know

Vote on-line at www.FCNP.com Last Week’s Question: Confirming their court costs will be covered by insurance, should F.C. City withdraw its settlement offer to Fairfax Water?

The FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 5

City of Falls Church Voting:

May vs. November Turnout The Falls Church City Council is considering switching its municipal elections from May to November. Here’s a look at the City’s voter turnout, historically, from 2000-2008.

May

November

Highest Turnout:

Highest Turnout:

2008 -

31.8%

Lowest Turnout: 2006* -

13.4%

2000 -

Lowest Turnout: 2007 -

27.9%

Average Turnout 2000-2008:

27.9%

63.3%

*The City’s May 2006 election for four City Council seats was uncontested. **Average of five election years. Falls Church municipal elections are held on even-numbered years.

Source: City of Falls Church Office of the Registrar

Continued from Page 1

November elections, the City of Falls Church prides itself in routinely having the highest or nearhighest voter turnout percentages in all of Virginia. With the second-highest percentage of college graduates of any jurisdiction in the U.S., Falls Church citizens are informed and pride themselves on their civic involvement.

Vice Mayor Hal Lippman has been the most outspoken critic of low voter turnouts in May elections in recent years, including when he was re-elected last year. In that election, a high-profile public referendum was on the ballot, along with the City Council and School Board races, but still only 31.8 percent of registered voters went to the polls.

But six months later, in November last year, 80.5 percent of voters went to the polls, and similar wide disparities between May and November turnouts have characterized the entire last decade.

If a majority of the Council decides it wants to move next May’s municipal election to November, it can do so by a simple majority vote that must be completed by the end of this year. City Attorney John Foster told the Council that it does not have the option to put the matter to a public referendum. Under the State Code, a referendum can only be initiated by a citizen petition effort, he said.

At Monday’s work session, Webb said that while he is willing to con-

“Ageless Charm without Yuppie Bastardization”

86.2%

Average Turnout 2000-2008**:

Change Date?

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sider making the shift not in 2010, but in 2012, he stressed that addressing the subject was important.

On the other hand, Council members David Snyder and Nader Baroukh opposed even considering the matter at this time. Snyder objected to the notion that a provision in state law allowing for the switch in dates could override the City’s charter, which specifies May as the date of municipal elections. Baroukh argued that with critical budget and other matters on the Council’s plate, it is not the right time for this subject to arise.

Lippman reiterated his earlier expressions of concern for the disparity in the turnouts between May and November, as did Council members Dan Maller and Sze, and Mayor Robin Gardner.

When Gardner summed up an intense, hour-long debate of the subject, by saying she would put the matter on the agenda for this coming Monday’s public business meeting, Baroukh sought one more chance to oppose her decision.

Gardner chided him for “always insisting on the last word” after her summary remarks. Baroukh said he didn’t realize the mayor had the prerogative of the “last word,” and when Gardner said she did, Snyder loudly and angrily interjected that she did not. Gardner then accused both Baroukh and Snyder of a pattern of “little respect” for her in her role as mayor. The actual final word came from Sze, when he calmly praised the mayor for “being very magnanimous” toward Snyder and Barkouk in the situation. “I would just shut them down,” he quipped.

Jefferson Village Shopping Center 6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA

Page 6

Continued from Page 2

more daunting. The challenges must be met and the best possible decisions made for our citizens, concentrating all resources on the budget rather than focusing on moving the election.

Nader Baroukh, Member Falls Church City Council

Says Schools Not Primary Economic Driver Editor, For some time now it would appear that the City Manager has been trying to get the City Council to see and understand the economic realities of Falls Church and by benchmarking our city to surrounding jurisdictions helps to put the dilemma into perspective.

The one-on-one meetings finally appear to have gotten the Council to “see,” but I wonder if they “understand.” And, if they “understand,” will they make logical, as opposed to politically expedient, choices?

Any jurisdiction has economies of scale that affect its funding and level of services. Some time ago the Council began to rebalance the tax base between residential and commercial receipts. While the simple economics clearly say that the rebalancing is not yet complete, had it not begun, the red ink likely would be deeper in the budget and the Council deserves credit.

This will certainly draw emotional criticism, but I would suggest the City’s schools serving some 1,800 students is not at the top of the list of economic drivers. Instead, I would suggest that the drivers are balanced economic development, Falls Church’s geographic proximity inside the Beltway and being served by two Metro Stations, its proximity to the jobs centers of Arlington and Tysons, its property taxes to make housing somewhat more affordable in an expensive metropolitan area, and then the school system.

A hefty increase in property taxes is not the solution. Federal taxes are being increased to the budget deficit. State taxes will almost certainly have to increase to finance the budget deficit so as to keep the AAA bond rating.

An increase in City property taxes

November 19 - 25, 2009

will decrease the affordability factor of housing here and impair home values, thereby affecting property tax receipts.

Some things for the Council to consider: 1) terminate GEORGE; 2) combine public security under a rationalized sheriff’s office just as many Virginia and Florida counties do; 3) identify school board budget savings; 4) combine school board purchases with Fairfax City’s school system or another neighboring jurisdiction to achieve economies of scale; (5) continue to rebalance the commercial and residential tax receipts, which would include considering changes to height restrictions in the metropolitan area.

Richard Sommerfield Falls Church

Government ‘Drunken Spending’ Reason for Crisis Editor, It is very hard to know where to start in responding to our dear local paper’s editor’s most recent rant. Often liberals look down on those who disagree with them as ignorant and certainly, the arrogance in this editorial not surprisingly reflects that. There are a “few” nonsensical statement in the rant that are worthy of mention.

Who are the evil, super rich?

Coming from the first college graduate in my family line, and a conservative, (and not super rich, unfortunately) I have a few unfortunate facts to suggest.

First, the Hollywood liberal elite are super rich. Surely, most of them were not at these evil tea parties. They are the left wing of the left wing. Second, Wall Street overwhelmingly is left wing, look at who they support in elections – no surprise in Democratic NYC, the liberals.

They are clearly the super rich.

The liberal media, which voted almost 90% liberal and contribute to the liberal wing of the Democrat Party.

So then, who is left? I suppose the evil 10% of the media and those brave Hollywood types who actually stand up often at the cost of their carers and are counted as conservatives. Oh, and those evil rich people who are, gasp, employers. When the government takes money away from the evil corporations and the rich, they have less left to hire workers.

Maybe, just maybe, if the government had not gone on

a drunken spending spree and instead had provided incentives for the private sector to hire workers, maybe we would not have reached over 10% unemployment? Who in the reading area of this newspaper after all works for a poor person? Hmmm? And who in the reading area of this newspaper has a 401K dependent on the success of an evil corporation, and maybe too, a rich person. And what about those evil corporations and rich folks who advertise in the FCNP? Gasp.

Dave Phelps Falls Church

Bikers & Runners Don’t Have Right Of Way on Trail Editor, I was very disturbed by an unfortunate happening that occurred on my way in to Falls Church on Monday morning.

I was driving on Great Falls Street approaching the crossing at the bike path, when suddenly two runners ran across Great Falls right in front of me. I was able to stop without hitting them, but they proceeded to start yelling at me.

I pointed out that they had run through the stop sign without stopping, and they said that I should be more respectful of people, and slow down to let them pass. I again said that they had not stopped at the stop sign, and then the woman leaned in to my window and said “---- you.” She then stood in front of my car even when I asked her to move out of the way. I am sure that I was not speeding, as I have grandchildren in the area and I am always careful about the 25 mph speed limit in Falls Church.

It appears that often bikers and pedestrians in Falls Church think that they have the right of way on the bike path. It is clearly posted that they are supposed to stop, but they seem to think that the cars will automatically yield to them.

Aren’t they also supposed to follow the laws? It is becoming quite dangerous at the bike path crossings. Drivers stop when they aren’t supposed to, and bikers and runners cross without stopping at the stop signs.

I am a concerned McLean resident, who is now wondering about the friendliness in Falls Church.

C. Fawsett McLean

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 7

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F.C. May Push Gay Job Protection At its work session tonight, the Falls Church City Council took under consideration making a “top priority� in its wish list for the Virginia General Assembly in January legislation outlawing discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation. Final Council decisions on the City’s legislative agenda will be made in early December. Openly gay F.C. Councilman Lawrence Webb noted that while the last two Virginia governors signed administrative orders barring discrimination in hiring for state jobs, the governor-elect has said he won’t, and anti-discrimination laws should apply to all hiring, both in the public and private sector.

‘Chia Shelters’ Could Be Feature of Streetscape Mini-sized “green roofs� at an installation cost of $3,000 each could adorn bus stop shelters as part of the streetscape renovations along N. Washington Street, a consultant designing the project said in a progress report to the Falls Church City Council Monday.

Some Council members joked by calling them “chia shelters.� The overall streetscape project could use part of the $6 million in designated state and federal funds to complete the project over time, City Manager Wyatt Shields said. Among other things, it calls for a “gateway park� near Four Mile Run at the City’s boundary with Arlington, an area that others think should be reserved for revenue-generating high-density development due to its proximity to the East Falls Church Metro station.

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Propose Selling Pendleton House, ‘Paper Streets’ At the Falls Church City Council work session Monday, City Manager Wyatt Shields recommended the sale of the City-owned Pendleton House and some unutilized “paper streets� to raise revenue to help with budget pressures. He recommended deferring the sale of the Miller House on N. Broad in favor of a plan to integrate into a N. Washington streetscape project. He also noted the 25-year lease on the Child Development Center is up in two years that currently pays $1 a year, but could be used to generate more revenue.

F.C. Mixed Use Impact Report Released The City of Falls Church released on its web site this afternoon the power-point version of the Tischler Bise study on the fiscal impact of an array of development activities, underscoring its conclusion that “non-residential development is a cash cow,� and putting to rest the claims by some that the recent years’ spate of new large-scale mixed use projects have somehow been a revenue drain on the City. The report will be unveiled at a work session of the City Council tonight at City Hall.

H1N1 Vaccine Clinic Open Saturday The Fairfax County Health Department will operate a mass vaccination clinic on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. It is walk-in and free for targeted groups that include pregnant women, those who provide care for infants younger than six months, health care workers who have direct patient contact, all people ages six months through 24 years, and people 24 through 64 with certain compromising medical conditions.

N-P Live Monday Features Local Issues The “Falls Church News-Press Live� cable television show that airs at 7 p.m. on Mondays of F.C. City Council meetings will focus on the top issues confronting the Council this coming week. News-Press editor Nicholas F. Benton’s will be joined by News-Press reporter Dean Edwards this Monday. The 30-minute program is carried live on the Falls Church Cable TV channel.

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November 19 - 25, 2009

Jon Higgins, Longtime Annandale High School Teacher, Dies at 67 Jon E. Higgins, 67, beloved husband, brother, father, and grandfather, died November 7 at his home in Falls Church. He fought a courageous three-year battle against cancer.

Born in Franklin, Mass. on July 17, 1942, he received his bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Miami and a master’s degree from Indiana University. Mr. Higgins taught history and geography at Annandale High School for 32 years, retiring in 1997. He was the recipient of two Fulbright Scholarships, studying and teaching in England and India. He traveled the world extensively, touring over 70 countries on five continents.

Mr. Higgins was a teacher who made a difference in student’s lives. As he really cared about

their becoming successful, he was sincerely liked and admired by his students. He was always available to give additional help to any student who needed it. Years after their experience at Annandale, students would return to tell him how much they appreciated his efforts. He returned to Annandale High School to substitute teach for many years after his retirement. In honor of his devotion to his students, a memorial scholarship fund has been established to reward a graduating senior who shared his passion for History and Geography and will be seeking a career in education.

He is survived by his wife, Alice, brother Richard of Alexandria, two daughters, Kammie Crull (husband Charles) of Richmond and Jenne Blackburn (husband Tony)

of Richmond, and four grandsons, Ryan Crull, Austin Crull, Hayden Blackburn and Walker Blackburn.

He was also the father to three stepchildren; Tammy Jones, Queensbury, NY, Scott Abramson, Woodbridge VA and Kenneth Abramson II of Charlotte, NC. A Celebration of Life service will be held on November 27 at the V.F.W. Post 9274, 7118 Shreve Road, Falls Church at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jon Higgins Memorial Scholarship Fund at Annandale High School.

Contributions to be payable to Annandale High School, notation for the Jon Higgins Memorial Scholarship Fund, and mailed to Annandale High School, Attnt: Steve Sengstazk, 4700 Medford Drive. Annandale, Va. 22003.

Week of November 10 - 16, 2009 Larceny from Vehicle, 100 blk N Fairfax St, between November 3 and November 10, loose change was removed from two unlocked vehicles.

Drunk in Public, 7124 Leesburg Pike, (George Mason High School), November 10, 4:11 PM, responding to reports of a man passed out on the service road parallel to Leesburg Pike, officers arrested a male, Alvarez, 30, of Alexandria for being drunk in public.

Larceny from Vehicle, 200 blk E Fairfax St, between November 10, 8:00 PM and November 12, 6:00 AM, unknown suspects removed tires valued at $2,000 from a vehicle and left it parked on blocks.

Larceny from Vehicle, 105 Falls Ave (Curry’s Automotive), between November 12 and November 13, a pair of license plates were taken from a vehicle.

Larceny from Vehicle, 500 blk E Broad St, between November 13 and 15, a cell phone, charger and case and a GPS unit were taken from an unlocked vehicle.

Motor Vehicle Theft, 100 blk S Virginia Ave, between November 14, 11:00 PM and November 15, 12:00 PM, an unknown suspect took a vehicle that may have been left unlocked and with a valet key left inside.

+ FABULOUS RETAILER PROMOTIONS + GREAT DEALS AND GIFTS WITH PURCHASE + EXCITING PRIZES AND CHANCES TO SCORE BIG + FESTIVE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Here’s what’s in store: FRIDAY FREE-FOR-ALL, EVERY HOUR 12AM–5AM Drop off a new, unwrapped toy in Macy’s Court for a chance to be selected for our Free-for-All, where three contestants try to unwrap $500 in Gift Cards amongst a pile of wrapped holiday packages!**

OPENING AT 12AM* NOVEMBER 27, 2009

12–1AM: Shopping & Dining Coupon Book for the first 100 guests in Macy’s Court and free hot cocoa!

1–2AM: Free tote bag giveaways!

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ALL MORNING LONG ENJOY: Live entertainment, goodie bags for the first 50 people to buy a Give Style gift card, a strolling Santa and player pianos filling the air with holiday and jazz music.

Plus, guests who arrive in their PJ’s will receive VIP access to the Pajama Lounge in Fashion Court, complete with breakfast items, coffee, cocoa and more.

Download a full list of retailer promotions at shoptysons.com, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates on this shopping extravaganza!

*Department Stores will not open at 12am. Hours vary. Please plan ahead for parking and use Mall Entrances. **One offer per person. All offers while supplies last. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Terms and conditions, including expiration dates, apply to prizes.

See Guest Services for terms and conditions.

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November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 9

VPIS Gives 7 F.C. Houses ‘Excellence in Design’ Nods

by Natalie Bedell

Falls Church News-Press

Seven Falls Church homes were awarded the distinction of “Excellence in Design” by the F.C. Village Preservation and Improvement Society last Sunday evening during the organization’s annual meeting.

Among those chosen from the 13 total nominations were residents Steve Handy and Claudine Pierce of 211 E. Columbia Street, Peter and Riva Adriance of 216 Great Falls Street, Nancy and Skip Brandon of 227 Forest Drive, Greg and Doran Ruyak of 103 N. Cherry Street, Edward Newburn of 713 Parker Avenue, Michael and Marybeth Connelly of 204 W. George Mason Road, and Stephen and Amy Smith of 117 E. Columbia Street.

As the stated mission of Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) is to protect the quality of community by maintaining neighborhoods and period structures, the award, which has been given out since 1965, recognizes homes, businesses and landscapes that are upholding VPIS’ goal.

Pierce and Handy moved from a home they renovated on S. Oak Street to their current home (top right), originally built in 1894. The structure, a mere 800 square feet at the time, now sits pretty at 4,000. The husband-and-wife duo have their own in-home business, Thoughtful Development, LLC, with Handy as the architect and Pierce as the designer, both specializing in historical home renovations.

“It was sort of this shoemaker

syndrome, where Steve and I spent time in every house but our own,” said Pierce, who joked that the biggest difference in designing their own home was that “everything moved much slower.”

Both used the same word to describe what set their older home apart from the new kids on the block: soul.

“Our main concern was saving the house. New houses don’t have the same history,” said Pierce.

Their daughter, however, 15 at the time of the move, took one look at the “save me” property — overgrown with trees and showing significant termite damage inside — and said she “thought [they] were nuts.”

“She just wanted to be told when it was finished and how big her room would be,” joked Handy.

The Adriances’ son had a similar reaction.

Peter and Riva were “empty nesters” when they first began the threeyear-long renovations in 2003.

“My son was really disappointed, but now he loves it. Many people have told us now that they wouldn’t have had the vision we had starting out,” said Peter, who’s home was painted entirely by local musician, Andrew Acosta.

A labor of love, Peter said it was clear, in his and Riva’s choice of words, just how dramatic the transformation had been.

“The first year we moved in, we often used adjectives like ‘gross’ and ‘disgusting,’ but hardly a day goes by now where we don’t look around and see ‘beautiful,’” said Peter.

While Nancy can’t relate to

Peter and Riva’s move-in reaction, her and Skip’s story quickly shifted in the same direction. Moving into their home in 1993, though having owned property in Falls Church since 1975, Nancy and Skip “didn’t plan to do one thing” to their 1,800 square-feet home. Over 2,000 additional square feet later, Nancy said there’s still progress to be made.

“I thought if we just bought this house, that’d be enough,” said Nancy, who was originally content with the thought of moving into a home with a larger dining room.

However, then the breakfast room was revamped, and later the kitchen, which got her thinking about creating a sitting area ... and doing a master bedroom upstairs.

And she’s not done yet.

“I’m happy with the house, at least for the moment that we’ve come to rest,” said Nancy, who plans on diving into the landscape come spring.

As co-chair of the VPIS “Excellence in Design” committee, Keith Thurston said, “The commonalities among the winners this year is the appearance of the homes and the renovations’ impact on the community. The key with all of these additions was that they couldn’t be seen by the naked eye.”

Pierce and Handy’s 1939 period doors, Peter and Riva’s enhancement of their home’s arts and crafts design, and the Brandons’ effort to match the bricks are all visible proof of Falls Church’s heritage.

Of course, the “Excellence and Design” plaques greeting their visitors don’t hurt getting the message across either.

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November 19 - 25, 2009

CBC Celebrates 50th Anniversary

ered directly to area food banks to distribute to needy families.

Citizens for a Better City (CBC), an organization dedicated to the needs and interests of the residents of Falls Church, will hold a public forum on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. to provide information to anyone interested in becoming a candidate for the Falls Church City Council or School Board. The forum will be held at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (601 S. Oak St., Falls Church).

The CBC will then celebrate its 50th anniversary at the CBC annual meeting and dinner on Sunday, Nov. 22 from 5 – 9 p.m. at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church).

The meeting will start at 5 p.m. and will be followed by cocktails, dinner, recognitions and awards.

Tickets cost $20 for adults and $6 for children and will be sold at the door. For more information, call 703-534-3418.

MCC Sponsors ‘Dancing Under the Stars’

Scouting for Food Drive Sets Record Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Venturers in the Falls Church area collected more than 13,000 pounds of donations in the Scouting for Food drive on Saturday, Nov. 14.

This total was more than onethird above previous years.

The donated food was deliv-

The McLean Community Center (MCC) invites the public to brush up on some new dance steps at “Dancing Under the Stars” on Friday, Nov. 20. This family-friendly event will feature dance instruction by Fred Astaire Studios and live music by the Hot Society Orchestra of Washington, along with light refreshments and a cash wine bar.

Dance lessons will be held from 7 – 8 p.m. at the MCC (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean).

Dancing will start at 8 p.m. and continue until 11 p.m.

Tickets cost $25 per couple, $15 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. They will be on sale at the Alden Theatre Box Office.

For more information, call 703790-0123.

F.C. Rotary Club Sells Fresh Florida Citrus The Falls Church Rotary Club will be holding its annual Fresh Florida Citrus Sale on Saturday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Everyone is invited to check out the fresh Florida fruit. Naval oranges, grapefruit and tangelos cost $25 per case or $13 per half

case.

Proceeds will go towards the club’s support of scholarships, local non-profit organizations, cultural exchange programs and international efforts to eradicate polio and improve health, literacy and water purity.

The sale will take place at Loehmann’s Plaza (7311 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church).

For more information, call 202268-5089.

Arlingtonian Earns Masters Degree Tammy W. Hui of Arlington recently received a Master of Business Administration degree from Western New England College in Springfield, Mass. on Oct. 15.

City Wins 1st Place for ‘Branching Out’

FALLS CHURCH RESIDENT Charles L. Perkins (center) was presented with the Lions of Virginia Distinguished Humanitarian Award by Steve Johnson (left) and President Susan Redick of the Falls Church Lions Club on Tuesday, Nov. 10. (Photo: Courtesy Barry Buschow)

The City of Falls Church was the first-place winner in the 2009 Virginia Municipal League Achievement Awards competition for “Branching Out,” its tree planting program.

The purpose of the program is to increase the city’s tree canopy from 25 to 40 percent for a healthy watershed. The program also strives to increase shading of streets by planting additional trees near the streets instead of limiting planting in the narrow strips next to the streets.

F.C. Co-eds Chosen as Resident Advisors at V.T. Shawn Wallis and Aaricka Hellberg of Falls Church were both chosen to be resident advisors at Virginia Tech for the 2009-10 academic year.

Wallis is a junior majoring in electrical engineering at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering while Hellberg is a junior majoring in architecture at the College of

Architecture and Urban Studies.

In order to be chosen as a resident advisor, students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing, complete at least 30 credit hours, take a training course and go through an extensive interview process.

Holistic Moms Discuss ‘Holistic Journeys’ On Thursday, Nov. 19, the Holistic Moms Network (HMN)

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November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 11

of Arlington and Alexandria invites the public to “Holistic Journeys,” a discussion of passions led by HMN members and health professionals Nina Elliot, certified personal trainer and co-owner of Health and Wholeness, Josie Nelson of Miessence/ONE Group Organic Skin Care and Katherine Sumner, certified health counselor.

The event will take place from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Arlington United Methodist Church (716 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington). Children are welcome. For more information, call 703-824-6167.

St. Thomas More Cathedral Hosts Festival The St. Thomas More Cathedral Choir and the Arlington Diocesan Choir will team up for a festive night of music making to celebrate the Feasts of Christ the King and Saint Cecilia on Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m.

The program will include Mozart’s “Te Deum” and composer James Biery’s “The Lord Will Reign Forever.” The event will take place at the cathedral (3901 Cathedral Lane, Arlington).

Admission is free. For more information, call 703-524-2815.

Arlington Artists Display ‘New Works’ “New Works” by members of the Arlington Artists Alliance will be on display until Monday, Nov. 30 at The Gallery at Convergence (1801 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria), open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

More than 20 Arlington artists will exhibit their paintings, prints and collages in a variety of styles.

Meet the artists at a reception on Friday, Nov. 20 from 6 – 8:30

p.m. Wine and light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit www.arlingtonartistsalliance.org.

DC Craft Mafia Takes Over Town of Vienna The DC Craft Mafia, a diverse group of indie crafters, will host a holiday heist craft show at The Soundry (316 Dominion Rd., Vienna) on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Kick start the holiday shopping season and find a lot of great gifts including handcrafted jewelry, vegan bath and body products, original artwork, knitted and crocheted hats and scarves, greeting cards, paper crafts and more. For more information, call 703-6980088.

Arlington’s Walter Named Colby Overseer

AFFORDABLE DWELLING UNIT (ADU) lottery winner Svetlana Ghimbovschi (second from right) poses with (left to right) Falls Church Housing Corporation liaison Steve Sprague, Housing Commission member M.T. Gutmanis, Housing Commission Chair Don Brobst and City Council member Lawrence Webb. Ghimbovschi was selected out of three lottery participants for a two bedroom/den ADU at Pearson Square. Ghimbovschi and her son are current Falls Church City residents and said they are very excited about their new home. (Photo: Courtesy Barbara Gordon)

Amy Walter of Arlington has been named an overseer of Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Walter, editor-in-chief of The Hotline, Washington’s premier daily briefing on American politics, is a 1991 graduate of Colby.

Elected by the college’s Board of Trustees, Colby overseers help assess the effectiveness of academic and administrative departments.

Claude Moore Farm Prepares to ‘Chew the Fat’ The Claude Moore Colonial Farm (6310 Georgetown Pike, McLean) will host “Chew the Fat” on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 1 – 4 p.m. The farm family will be showing families how to use pig and beef fat to make soap, candles and dubbin, a leather protectant.

For more information, call 703442-7557.

FALLS CHURCH’S SOLANO Spine and Sport Chiropractic hosted its second annual Food Drive Reception to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank last week with a celebrity line-up to join Dr. Raymond Solano to greet supporters. Boxing star Jimmy Lange is shown here with Washington Wizards cheerleaders and moms of National Football League stars and Falls Church’s own U.S. Winter Olympics team hopeful Tom Abbey. (Photo: News-Press)

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November 19 - 25, 2009

The Nation of Futurity When European settlers first came to North America, they saw flocks of geese so big that it took them 30 minutes to all take flight and forests that seemed to stretch to infinity. They came to two conclusions: That God’s plans for humanity could be completed here, and that they could get really rich in the process.

This moral materialism fomented a certain sort of manic energy. Americans became famous for their energy and workaholism: for moving around, switching jobs, marrying and divorcing, creating new products and going off NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE on righteous crusades.

It may seem like an ephemeral thing, but this eschatological faith in the future has motivated generations of Americans, just as religious faith motivates a missionary. Pioneers and immigrants endured hardship in the present because of their confidence in future plenty. Entrepreneurs start up companies with an exaggerated sense of their chances of success. The faith is the molten core of the country’s dynamism.

There are also periodic crises of faith. Today, the rise of China is producing such a crisis. It is not only China’s economic growth rate that produces this anxiety. The deeper issue is spiritual. The Chinese, though members of a famously old civilization, seem to possess some of the vigor that once defined the U.S. The Chinese are now an astonishingly optimistic people. Eighty-six percent of Chinese believe their country is headed in the right direction, compared with 37 percent of Americans.

The Chinese now have lavish faith in their scientific and technological potential. Newsweek and Intel just reported the results of their Global Innovation Survey.

Only 22 percent of the Chinese believe their country is an innovation leader now, but 63 percent are confident that their country will be the global technology leader within 30 years. The majority of the Chinese believe that China will produce the next society-changing innovation, while only a third of Americans believe the next breakthrough will happen here, according to the survey.

The Cultural Revolution seems to have produced among the Chinese the same sort of manic drive that the pioneer and immigrant experiences produced among the Americans. The people who endured Mao’s horror have seen the worst life has to offer and are now driven to build some secure footing. At the same time, they and their children seem inflamed by the experience of living through so much progress so quickly.

David Brooks

“Do you understand?” one party official in Shanxi province told James Fallows of The Atlantic, “If it had not been for Deng Xiaoping, I would be behind an ox in a field right now ... Do you understand how different this is? My mother has bound feet!”

The anxiety in America is caused by the vague sense that they have what we’re supposed to have.

It’s not the per capita income, which the Chinese may never have at our level. It’s the sense of living with baubles just out of reach. It’s the faith in the future, which is actually more important.

China, where President Barack Obama is visiting, invites a certain sort of reverie. It is natural, looking over the construction cranes, to think about the flow of history over decades, not just day to day. And it becomes obvious by comparison just how far the U.S. has drifted from its normal future-centered orientation and how much this rankles.

The U.S. now has an economy shifted too much toward consumption, debt and imports and too little toward production, innovation and exports. It now has a mounting federal debt that creates present indulgence and future hardship.

Americans could once be confident that their country would grow more productive because each generation was more skilled than the last. That’s no longer true. The political system now groans to pass anything easy – tax cuts and expanding health care coverage – and is incapable of passing anything hard – spending restraint, health care cost control.

The standard thing these days is for Americans to scold each other for our profligacy, to urge fiscal Puritanism. But it’s not clear Americans have ever really been self-disciplined. Instead, Americans probably postponed gratification because they thought the future was a big rock-candy mountain, and if they were stealing from that, they were robbing themselves of something stupendous.

It would be nice if some leader could induce the country to salivate for the future again. That would mean connecting discrete policies – education, technological innovation, funding for basic research – into a single long-term narrative. It would mean creating regional strategies, because innovation happens in geographic clusters, not at the national level. It would mean finding ways to tamp down consumption and reward production. The most pragmatic guide for that remains Michael Porter’s essay in the Oct. 30, 2008, issue of Business Week.

Declare a Victory & Leave Afghanistan WASHINGTON – The Nobel Peace crown lies uneasy on President Obama’s head as he ponders the next U.S. move in Afghanistan, with hints and leaks showering down to tell us that he will eventually send thousands more troops there.

His decision – which could be announced soon – was triggered by Hearst Newspapers the request from Gen. Stanley McChrystal for 40,000 more troops to secure the cities and protect the citizens of Afghanistan, in addition to the 68,000 U.S. troops there now.

Obama has been reviewing the U.S. role in Afghanistan for months, a time-consuming study that has led to accusations from conservative pundits that he is “dithering” and afraid to make a decision. Few, if any, of those pundits have been to war.

Helen Thomas

By taking time and seeking opinion from all sides, this president actually looks careful and deliberate, compared to his predecessor, who rushed to invade Iraq under wrong pretexts.

It’s easy for Obama to appease the armchair hawks – critics like former Vice President Dick Cheney, who managed to dodge the draft as a student during the Vietnam War era. All Obama has to do is give the go-ahead for more drone-dropping bombs on Taliban and al Qaida leaders.

The tougher decision is whether to bolster the numbers of GIs in Afghanistan. And the answer to that question depends on what the U.S. strategy is there.

The reason we have fighting forces in Afghanistan is that, 10 years ago, it was a failed state where the 9/11 plotters could practice their evil in a vacuum, Continued on Page 36

World Out of Balance International travel by world leaders is mainly about making symbolic gestures. Nobody expects President Barack Obama to come back from China with major new agreements, on economic policy or anything else.

But let’s hope that when the cameras aren’t rolling Obama and his hosts engage in some frank talk about currency policy. For the problem of international trade imbalances is about to get substantially worse. And there’s a potentially ugly confrontation looming unless China mends its ways.

Some background: Most of the world’s major currencies “float” against one another. That is, their relative values move up or down depending on market forces. That doesn’t necessarily NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE mean that governments pursue pure hands-off policies: countries sometimes limit capital outflows when there’s a run on their currency (as Iceland did last year) or take steps to discourage hot-money inflows when they fear that speculators love their economies not wisely but too well (which is what Brazil is doing right now). But these days most nations try to keep the value of their currency in line with long-term economic fundamentals.

China is the great exception. Despite huge trade surpluses and the desire of many investors to buy into this fast-growing economy – forces that should have strengthened the renminbi, China’s currency – Chinese authorities have kept that currency persistently weak. They’ve done this mainly by trading renminbi for dollars, which they have accumulated in vast quantities.

And in recent months China has carried out what amounts to a beggar-thy-neighbor devaluation, keeping the yuan-dollar exchange rate fixed even as the dollar has fallen sharply against other major currencies. This has given Chinese exporters a growing competitive advantage over their rivals, especially producers in other developing countries.

What makes China’s currency policy especially problematic is the depressed state of the world economy. Cheap money and fiscal stimulus seem to have averted a second Great Depression. But policymakers haven’t been able to generate enough spending, public or private, to make progress against mass unemployment. And China’s weak-currency policy exacerbates the problem, in effect siphoning much-needed demand away from the rest of the world into the pockets of artificially competitive Chinese exporters.

But why do I say that this problem is about to get much worse?

Because for the past year the true scale of the China problem has been masked by temporary factors. Looking forward, we can expect to see both China’s trade surplus and America’s trade deficit surge.

That, at any rate, is the argument made in a new paper by Richard Baldwin and Daria Taglioni of the Graduate Institute, Geneva. As they note, trade imbalances, both China’s surplus and America’s deficit, have recently been much smaller than they were a few years ago. But, they argue, “these global imbalance improvements are mostly illusory – the transitory side effect of the greatest trade collapse the world has ever seen.”

Indeed, the 2008-9 plunge in world trade was one for the record books. What it mainly reflected was the fact that modern trade is dominated by sales of durable manufactured goods – and in the face of severe financial crisis and its attendant uncertainty, both consumers and corporations postponed purchases of anything that wasn’t needed immediately. How did this reduce the U.S. trade deficit?

Imports of goods like automobiles collapsed; so did some U.S. exports; but because we came into the crisis importing much more than we exported, the net effect was a smaller trade gap.

But with the financial crisis abating, this process is going into reverse. Last week’s U.S. trade report showed a sharp increase in the trade deficit between August and September. And there will be many more reports along those lines.

So picture this: month after month of headlines juxtaposing soaring U.S. trade deficits and Chinese trade surpluses with the suffering of unemployed American workers. If I were the Chinese government, I’d be really worried about that prospect.

Unfortunately, the Chinese don’t seem to get it: Rather than face up to the need to change their currency policy, they’ve taken to lecturing the United States, telling us to raise interest rates and curb fiscal deficits – that is, to make our unemployment problem even worse.

Paul Krugman

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 13

The Blade’s Imminent Rebirth The sudden demise this week of the storied Washington Blade, the nation’s oldest gay-themed newspaper that only last month hosted a gala party to celebrate its 40th anniversary, is tragic on an array of levels.

It is fairly well known by now that this writer/newspaper owner was intimately involved in an effort to free the legendary publication from a certain death through parental receivership and liquidation. That did not pan out, and as of this writing, there are still many unanswered questions about exactly what went down to suddenly turn a methodical process toward a seamless transfer of assets into an unexpected train wreck.

But that’s not the end of the story. In fact, the drive for the paper’s imminent rebirth under a different name, could Falls church news-press signal a way forward for the revival of good newspapers as critical components of society, overall.

It is not solely the bad economy or competing news sources, such as the Internet, that are to blame for the fact that many so-called experts are predicting the complete demise of print journalism as we now know it over the next decade.

Instead, it has been the systematic looting of the core news gathering and readership service function of newspapers by their money-hungry investors which is at the heart of the problem. At some point, Wall Street discovered that aggregating newspapers into chains and conglomerates made for a handsome opportunity for accumulating wealth.

They also discovered that, during good times and before the Internet’s full impact set in, that they could maximize those profits by cutting the costs of operating news rooms, substituting locally-generated stories with wire service copy or syndicated drivel.

This happened across the board, from large urban dailies to thousands of smaller regional, local and suburban papers. The model for large cities was for chains of suburban newspapers to surround the urban center with single owners and a single editorial office. These entities thought they were fooling readers by doing little more than changing the name of these papers on their front pages.

With the combined large circulations and being able to tout a dozen or more different editions, they would grab up large advertising accounts from media buyers who didn’t notice, or care, whether or not anyone in those suburbs actually read those newspapers. That is, until they were called into question by the economy.

With a single small editorial center serving all papers on a given corporate chain, and relying often on unprofessional stringers and volunteers, disdain for the publications within local communities grew as, for example, things like the president of the Garden Club being mistaken for the president of the Chamber of Commerce became commonplace.

But focused on their bottom lines, publishers of such newspaper chains scoffed at the shortcomings of their reporting capabilities, and cared only for the volume of ads.

Worse, these types and their investor group superiors routinely trolled the landscape in search of any existing old-fashioned local newspapers, looking to buy them out and transform them into another one of their clones.

This happened around me and my newspaper for years, including an offer to buy my newspaper by an outfit that went bankrupt only three years after I turned it down, leaving a half-dozen other papers it acquired in Northern Virginia in the lurch.

This is the Washington Blade’s sad story, taken from being a labor of love by gay rights pioneers in the late 1960s to being turned by an investor group into a clone among a corporate chain of publications.

But in the midst of this, even during the recent period of greatest financial distress, the Blade retained a unique sense of a special mission to serve its community of interest. This has spilled over into the strident resolve by the paper’s once-employees to launch their own, new publication without delay.

It’s that kind of spirit, that kind of commitment to their readers, their cause and their community, that is the best hope for the future of all good newspapers.

Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be e-mailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Rogue American Woman WASHINGTON – Of course, the subtitle of Sarah Palin’s book is “An American Life.” Because she is the lovely avatar of real Americans – ordinary, hard-working, God-fearing, common-sense, good, ordinary, real Americans.

If you are not living an American life, you are, to use a Palin coinage, living “bass-ackwards.”

Palin is so determinedly American that, when she went into labor with Willow on the Fourth of July while kayaking on Memory Lake in Wasilla, she writes, “I so wanted a patriotic baby that I paddled as hard as I could to speed up the contractions, but she held out until the NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE next day.”

I approached reading her book with trepidation, worried I might learn that I am not a real American, dang it, just another dread “enlightened elite.”

I was born and live in Washington, D.C., after all.

Now you’d think that this would be a rather patriotic city to call home, but Palin paints it as a cross between Sodom and Dante’s fifth circle.

Here is what the former Alaska governor censoriously writes about “shenanigans” in two capital cities: “Politically, Juneau always had a reputation for being a lot like Animal House: drinking and bowling, drunken brawls, countless affairs, and garden variety lunchtime trysts. It’s been known at times to be like a frat house filled with freshmen away from their parents for the very first time. At other times, the capital city’s underside was even darker: clandestine political liaisons and secret meetings, unethical deeds and downright illegal acts.”

She concludes: “In short, it was a lot like Washington, D.C.” Indeed, Sarah explains that the reason she wanted to join the McCain campaign was because she and Todd could contribute something rare and special: “We are everyday Americans.”

“We felt our very normalcy, our status as ordinary Americans,” she writes, “could be a much-needed fresh breeze blowing into Washington, D.C.” It is also real hard to be a real, ordinary, hardworking American if you are part of “what used to be called ‘mainstream’ national media,” as Sarah scornfully writes.

“The time has come to acknowledge that it is counterfeit objectivity the liberal media try to sell consumers,” she says. “A period in the great American experiment has passed.”

Maureen Dowd

I was beginning to panic. I pored over the book to see if there was there anything I shared in common with this apotheosis of traditional American values.

We both had what Palin calls “a love of the written word” and we both entered a Veteran of Foreign Wars writing contest as children.

We both read “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and “Animal Farm.” We both came from families that loved Ronald Reagan and drove Ramblers, that watched “The Lawrence Welk Show” and “The Wonderful World of Disney” on Sunday nights.

Palin’s father offered to let her hold some moose eyes. My dad came from Ireland, where they ate sheep’s eyes soup.

Sarah and I both banged on the upright piano in the living room and twirled around to “The Sound of Music.”

We both grew up loving Hershey’s bars and bacon and steak. As Sarah explains her carnivore philosophy: “I always remind people from outside our state that there’s plenty of room for all Alaska’s animals – right next to the mashed potatoes.”

She hunted moose and I hunted for Bullwinkle on TV. We both belonged to the scouts, babysat and kept diaries. (Of course, I was writing about making Jiffy Pop and she, stacking firewood.)

We both now have stressful lives where we sometimes, as she puts it, want “a wife” to organize things.

I can empathize with Palin, bless her heart, when she observes: “After a while some of the giddy gets knocked right out of you.”

I must be somewhat American because I agreed with Palin that she was undercut by Nicole Wallace, one of the aides sent by John McCain to do the “My Fair Lady” makeover.

Wallace had had a contract at CBS News and was determined to get the big interview for Katie Couric, even if it meant leading the lamb to slaughter, telling Palin that “the Perky One,” as Palin calls her, was insecure (presumably because of her low ratings) and that she would do a short-and-sweet chat about balancing motherhood and a career.

But Palin should have been smart enough to know that Couric has had a reputation for decades of being a tough interviewer, and that she wasn’t going to whiff on a chance like that.

I also agree with Palin that the McCain campaign should not have barred Piper from the stage the night of McCain’s concession speech.

Nobody puts Piper in a corner.

Page 14

November 19 - 25, 2009

The Future of Journalism While attending University of Florida’s journalism school in 1992, I told my parents that I was going to give up the profession to become a gay activist. They looked at me like I was crazy and said, “What are you thinking going into such an unstable career!”

It is astounding that in slightly more than 20 years and an Internet later, gay activism appears to be a more sustainable job market than newspaper reporting. While there is no shortage of people who subscribe to a discriminatory creed, there is a drought of subscriptions for newspapers to read.

The recent plunge of readership has led to a depressing twist on an old joke: “What’s black and white and dead all over – newspapers.”

The tragedy of modern journalism was underscored this week by the closing of the venerable Washington Blade, shortly after the publication’s nything 40th anniversary. Laid off staff are already planning to revive the newspaut traight per in a new format.

However, I fail to see how any publiBy Wayne Besen cation can make money long-term in the current media environment. As long as news is free online, it will be impossible to build a critical mass of readership necessary to pay reporters.

Those who believe that advertising revenue can make up for the drop in subscriptions are kidding themselves. Advertising dollars are susceptible to economic downturns. It also cheapens journalism, as all but the most ethical publishers are beholden to the advertisers, not the readers they are supposed to be serving.

If journalism wants to save itself, individual companies should stop acting like petty fiefdoms guarding what remains of their shrinking slice of pie and “unionize.” In this scenario, large media corporations must think of themselves as employees who are exploited by the boss, which is a readership grown accustomed to a free product. The “boss” must be confronted by angry “union” members who no longer will tolerate paltry wages, the insecurity of mass layoffs and countless hours of unpaid overtime.

If one company alone “unionized” and began charging readers per story online, they would fail. However, if suddenly the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, The Associated Press, USA Today – and 200 leading newspapers and magazines all began charging five cents per story viewed online on the same day – the “boss” would have no choice but to go along with the new business model, and journalism would survive.

While people would give up a single publication if it stood alone to charge for content, very few individuals, Sarah Palin notwithstanding, would give up news altogether.

Gay publications will have to operate in a similar manner and “unionize” if they expect to survive. It should be obvious by now that the free ride is over and paying for content is the wave of the future.

There are those who say that such a plan will not work because of bloggers, who will still provide free content. However, most bloggers do not have the resources to provide consistent original reporting. They must rely on the news reports from agencies that can afford to pay reporters. Additionally, bloggers get sick, have relationships and find new hobbies. Without the incentive of a paycheck, many of our leading bloggers, which are now respected brands, will quit to pursue real lives instead of enhancing a readership’s lives for peanuts.

I believe that within five years top blogs will “unionize” and make readers pay a small monthly fee for content. Again, while readers may be willing to give up a favorite blogger, will they be willing to give up all of the top gay blogs at once?

I imagine that in the future, the GLBT news will operate much like cable companies. At the core would be a respected news services, bundled with several opinion blogs. For $15 per month, one could purchase Option A, which would center around Rex Wockner’s news service, packaged with leading blogs such as Dan Savage’s Slog, Pam’s House Blend and Good As You. Option B, might be Lisa Keen’s news service packaged with Towleroad, Michelangelo Signorile and Americablog.

Or, for $35, one could receive premium access to both options.

Good journalism is crucial to the health of our democracy and enriches our lives. Americans will have to decide how much they value the virtues of solid reporting and if they will finance the fact finding that is crucial to our freedom and liberty.

A B

S

 Wayne Besen is a columnist and author of the book, “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth.”

Congressman Moran’s News Commentary

By James P. Moran Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives

As developments with health care reform continue to dominate the national debate, it is important to consider a development far less talked about: the epidemic of obesity nationwide.

America’s Health Rankings, an annual report that for the last 20 years has ranked states according to their health status, reports this year that obesity is growing faster than any previous public health issue and will be the greatest health issue for the next two decades. Today, almost 27 percent of Americans are obese – compared to just 12 percent in 1990. More alarming, if current trends continue, 43 percent of the population will be considered obese by 2018.

These are not merely statistical data points compiled to criticize the many Americans who suffer unnecessarily because they are obese. Obesity is linked with a number of potentially fatal conditions like heart disease and diabetes, and can also cause painful joint problems.

What’s more, debilitating conditions, recovery, and treatment also burden those charged with looking after the health of loved ones.

The obesity epidemic comes with real financial costs. We

already spend over $100 million on health care expenses related to the treatment of the obese and overweight. This number is expected to reach an astronomical $344 billion – that’s more than 20 percent of our entire expenditure on health careand approximately $1,425 per American.

The crisis is particularly acute among our youth. According to the Center for Disease Prevention, the rate of obesity has more than doubled for children aged 2 to 11 years and more than tripled for adolescents aged 12 to 19 years.

Current data shows that 32 percent of children are overweight, 16 percent are obese, and 11 percent are extremely obese.

Late last week, I introduced the Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 4053), which would provide the federal leadership necessary to address the crises threatening a generation of America’s children.

H.R. 4053 would establish an Office of Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention and Treatment within the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Director of this office will be the Federal government’s champion on this issue and will be charged with evaluating the effectiveness of existing Federal

policies, programs, and research efforts and identifying future needs; implementing Federal support measures for State, tribal, and territorial programs; and carrying out a comprehensive, long-term, national campaign to prevent weight gain and obesity among our children and youth.

The Director will also have an important role in promoting and supporting school wellness policies that monitor students’ body mass index, provide parents with information on health and nutrition, and implement age-appropriate physical activity programs.

According to a new report released by the Partnership for Prevention, taking steps to prevent obesity – especially among children – would come with significant budgetary rewards. For instance, if we were to freeze obesity at the current level, we could save up to $264 billion over the next 10 years on related health care costs.

Like the battle over health reform, fighting obesity will demand difficult decisions and hard work. But with the cost to taxpayers and future generations skyrocketing, it is time to include America’s obesity problem in the national debate.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 15

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Fairfax County is a community that values the arts.

Art reflects the county’s diversity and is valued as integral to its quality of life. But art is not included in the county’s Comprehensive Plan in any formal way. That absence was the impetus for my motion at Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting to include new policy plan text for the arts in the Comprehensive Plan. The proposal would develop language in the plan that supports opportunities to display art in public places, private developments, and public-private ventures. A second objective would use optional proffers, contributions, and land dedication for existing and new arts facilities. Included in the proposal is language to develop a countywide cultural arts master plan that addresses current and future needs for performance venues and exhibition space.

In 2008, the board-sponsored Commission on the Future of the Arts in Fairfax County released its final report about the current state of the visual and performing arts, as well as recommendations for strengthening the arts as an important component in the overall quality of life and economic vitality of the county. Commission members included representatives from local arts organizations, George Mason University, the business community, and county staff. Planning for the future of the arts must be viewed within the changing character and demographics of Fairfax County, and in relationship to existing arts venues within the county and the region. It is not just about creating new places to perform, or new exhibit halls, although we certainly need more outlets for creative expression. It also is about incorporating art into new and renovated structures, and development of locations for placement of arts and artistic landmarks.

Building architecture can be art; even parking garages can be interesting and artistic, depending on the form, façade, features, and use of textures, color, and plantings. At present, the Comprehensive Plan does not address such elements.

Discussion at the board was interesting. Some areas of the county, like Reston and Kingstowne, were developed within an arts context. Bravo! Most of the county, however, does not have that benefit, and so plan text is needed to encourage a similar context in new development and redevelopment. At least one board member expressed concern that putting arts into the Comprehensive Plan would cost homeowners and taxpayers, and cause additional burdens on staff time.

I noted that the implementation language is proposed to be optional, not mandatory. Developers should be encouraged to incorporate potential arts venues and public art into their plans. If an office building is designed with a multi-story atrium lobby, why not design some of that glorious space for a rotating art exhibit or sculpture garden? Likewise, a corporate meeting space could be built with a stage that accommodates choral, dance, or community plays for smaller audiences. Not every facility needs to seat 1000 people! Smaller, multi-use venues will quickly gain a following.

Although my proposal to authorize a plan amendment passed, it did not receive a single affirmative vote from the Republican members of the board. Is art a pARTisan issue? I thought it came from the heART.

Our Man in Arlington

career as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and before that, a member and sometime chair of the Arlington County Board. Eisenberg, too, has a very long list of charitable causes which he spearheaded.

He has been Chairman of the Virginia Housing Fund, Vice Chairman of the Washington Area Housing Partnership, and chair or member of any number of housing-related organizations. He is also a recipient of the 2001 James B. Hunter Human Rights Award recognizing a lifetime of work on human rights issues.

And, as with Karen Darner, he also held major day jobs on the staff of the U.S. Senate, and as a Government Affairs Representative for a number of distinguished organizations including the Greater Washington Board of Trade. Wow again!

The dinner was also a benefit for The Eisenberg Civil War History Education Fund to be managed by Arlington Community Foundation. Eisenberg is a major Civil War scholar and has a great collection of civil war artifacts and letters from soldiers. His collection will become a permanent exhibit in Arlington, probably in the county’s Fort C.F. Smith Park on 24th Street in North Arlington. When the collection opens, you shouldn’t miss it.

He also has a book coming out next Spring – “If I Am Alive Next Summer: The Civil War Letters of Captain Charles Robinson Johnson of the 16th Massachusetts Infantry, ‘The Iron 16th’.”

Darner and Eisenberg are remarkable Arlingtonians, but they are not the only ones. Arlington is blessed with a dynamic citizenry very active in almost any activity you can imagine – politics, charities, arts, human welfare programs, sports, to name a few. And they all seem to know one another and even get along for the most part. We are fortunate to live in such a community.

Richard Barton Two events honoring prominent Arlingtonians were held within the last week that dramatized the unique quality of the community in which we live.

Last Thursday, the Arlington Community Foundation gave its William T. Neuman, Jr. Spirit of Community Award to Karen Darner at a packed luncheon high atop the Sheraton National Hotel with a magnificent panoramic view of D.C. and a large crowd of many community leaders from the business, political, charitable, education, and civic-minded communities in Arlington, all closely interrelated.

The award is given to an Arlingtonian who has a long record of working in programs enhancing the life of the community.

Karen Darner is a stellar example. A teacher and speech pathologist in the Arlington County school system for the past 30 years, Darner filled her “spare time” by serving as Chair of Virginia’s Council on the Status of Women; and as member of Arlington’s Planning Commission, Arlington’s Commission on the Status of Women, League of Women Voters, Mental Health Association of Northern Virginia, The Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Center – and that does not come even close to completing the list. She even squeezed in time to serve six terms as a member of Virginia’s House of Delegates. From 1988 – 1990, she took a breather to serve in the Peace Corps. Wow! Then on Sunday, we attended a dinner honoring Delegate Al Eisenberg, who is retiring after a long

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be e-mailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Senator Mary Margaret Whipple’s

Richmond Report This fall I was selected to serve on a national working group of state legislators to advance federal clean energy legislation, the Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action Now (CLEAN).

Our efforts will focus on moving this country toward clean energy solutions that will create jobs and reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil.

As you know, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR2454) was passed by the House of Representatives this past summer. Now the action has moved to the Senate. Recently the Committee on Environment and Public Works adopted a version of clean energy legislation, and currently a small bipartisan group of Senators are meeting to craft a compromise.

Our group, chaired by Rep. Jeremy Kalin of Wisconsin, has had weekly conference calls since late September. In October about 30 states were represented at a meeting in Washington where we discussed energy policy issues and then met with our Senators to endorse meaningful clean energy and climate change legislation.

Many state legislators believe that a new clean energy economy will provide many of the jobs in the 21st century. In Virginia we have many potential resources, including off-shore wind and biodiesel, that I have written about in other columns. Currently clean energy jobs are one of the few areas of job growth in this struggling economy.

States have been the laboratory for clean energy policy and programs. Many states have enacted renewable portfolio standards that require utilities to get a portion of their electricity from alternative and renewable fuels.

States have enacted incentives to get both residents and businesses

to install or use alternative fuels.

And states encourage energy efficiency and conservation.

Now states believe it is time for the federal government to address these issues and provide a predictable, national framework that can spur innovation and discovery in the clean energy sector.

We believe that America’s dependence on foreign energy makes our nation vulnerable in terms of economics and national security. According to the Energy Information Agency, our federal energy trade deficit is approximately $1 billion a day. To fuel our economy, we depend on unstable, unfriendly nations. As a result, in the words of former CIA Director James Woolsey and Senator John McCain, we are funding both sides of the war on terror.

In a letter to the president and members of Congress, the Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action Now states “The climate change threat presents significant national security challenges for the United States – challenges that should be addressed today, because they will almost certainly get worse if we delay.”

The clean energy and climate challenge is America’s new space race, and we must respond as a nation.

Senators Webb and Warner are currently considering their positions on the Senate legislation that is still being drafted.

Now and in the several weeks ahead is a good time to let them know of your interest in clean energy, climate change and energy security.  Senator Whipple represents the 31st District in the Virginia State Senate. She may be emailed at district31@sov.state.va.us.

Page 16

November 19 - 25, 2009

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News In conjunction with their 50th anniversary Murray, Jonson, White & Associates have established a $50,000 scholarship to help promising college students pursue an accounting degree. The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants Educational Foundation will administer the scholarship which will award $2,500 each year to a Virginia accounting student. The student must be currently enrolled in an accredited Virginia college or university and demonstrate academic excellence and financial need. For more information about the accounting firm or its scholarship program, call 703-237-2500.

The wedding of Falls Church resident Hope Galley to William Kurpiel was highlighted in the Washington Postâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;On Loveâ&#x20AC;? column on Sunday, November 15. Galley was the winner of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2009 James S. Elkin Memorial Award for Humanitarianism. The article is available online at http://www.washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/12/AR2009111211594.html.

Computer Sciences Corp., the Falls Church-based information technology services company, won a $75 million subcontract from Lockheed Martin Corp. to provide data center support. Computer Sciences said it will operate a Baltimore facility for the U.S. Census Bureau, processing more than 65 million filings related to the 2010 census over a 15-month period. The company said it will hire 2,500 contract employees to help with the work, including hires as its subcontractors. For more information, visit www.csc.com.

A new web-based tool has been created by the Internal Revenue Service to help small business owners plan for retirement. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Retirement Plan Navigatorâ&#x20AC;? helps small business owners choose the right plan, maintain their plan, and correct a plan. It includes comparisons of pension plans and provides a checklist and resources to help employers keep their retirement plans in compliance. Visit www.retirementplans.ors.gov for more information.

Nicholas F. Benton confirmed that while his corporation, Benton Communications, Inc., had won a bid to obtain the assets of the Washington Blade, the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest gay community newspaper was closed without his advanced knowledge earlier this week. Benton had hoped to acquire the paper from its bankrupt parent company for purposes of a seamless perpetuation of its legacy, its employees, and its service to its community regionally and nationally. The process to complete the sale continued for months through e-mail, telephone and mail contact until as recently as Nov. 6, just 10 days before the news came on Nov. 16 that the Blade and other Window Media publications had been abruptly terminated.

Events Clay CafĂŠ Studios will host its 9th Annual Homeless Shelter FUNraiser on Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9 p.m. For $25, participants can paint an ornament, plate, bowl or mug from a select group. Refreshments and door prizes will be available. Clay CafĂŠ donates all profits directly to the Shelter. Call 703-534-7600 or drop by 101 N. Maple for reservations as space is limited. For more information, visit http://www.fallschurchshelterfriends.org.

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 85th Annual Meeting at the Sheraton National Hotel on Friday, December 11 at 11:30 a.m. Ted Leonsis, Chairman and Majority Owner of the Washington Capitals, will be the Keynote Speaker. TD Bank is serving as the Grand Sponsor with additional support from Comcast; Dominion; Bean, Kinney & Korman, PC; Crystal Gateway Marriott; John Marshall Bank; Kettler; Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, United Bank, Virginia Commerce Bank; a.k.a. spot; and IDI Group Companies. For more information, visit www.arlingtonchamber.org.

Correction: The photo caption of the Open Kitchen ribbon cutting which appeared in last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community News & Notes misspelled the names of its owners, Hue-Chan Karels and John Karels. ď ľ The Business News & Notes section is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be e-mailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 17

THE PEAK OIL CRISIS

Accusations Not many years from now, there will be a huge uproar over who missed the coming of peak oil.

There will be Congressional hearings and much finger pointing and protestations that the peaking of world oil production was impossible to predict. It will all sound much like current discussions of whether our great recession was foreseeable. The uproar will come amidst very high gasoline prices and still greater economic difficulties and, hopefully, widespread understanding that the final energy crisis has begun.

Last week we had an early insight into the recriminations when the UK’s Guardian newspaper (formerly the Manchester Guardian) published an exposé on how the world’s official keeper-of-the-books on energy matters, the International Energy Agency (IEA), has been manipulating its forecasts. Two senior IEA officials, one active and one retired, were the sources of the story which was corroborated by others who have had close contact with the inner workings of the IEA in recent years.

The most damning part of the exposé was the allegation the manipulation of the oil production forecasts was done at the behest of the United States government which feared the consequences should it become generally known and believed that oil soon would no longer be available in unlimited quantities. Oil products would become too expensive for many uses and the world would change forever. The IEA, of course, immediately denied that they were cooking the books to keep the Americans happy. They pointed out that for at least the last two years they have been warning of a near term supply crunch and that hundreds of outside experts reviewed their projections.

The evidence however that their projections were out of line with reality is very strong – whether American pressure was involved or not. Five years ago the IEA was projecting that world oil production would increase by another 35 million barrels per day (since reduced to 20) at a time when exist-

ing oil fields were depleting faster and faster. Every serious, unbiased, outside analyst that looked at the numbers said their projections were absurd as they required discovering and producing from new oil fields at a rate faster than had ever been achieved in the history of the oil age.

This, of course, would all be an interesting academic debate except that the fate of industrial civilization over the next century is at stake. Every one looking at the oil depletion problem has concluded it will cost trillions of dollars and take decades to effect a transition

‘‘ T

the Bush Administration responsible for ignoring peak oil and for pressuring the International Energy Agency. For now however we can leave this up to the Congressional investigators.

While In its first ten months the Obama administration has made valiant efforts to stem carbon emissions, so far as is known, it has never mentioned the far more imminent problem of peak oil.

Third parties report that Obama’s Energy Secretary Chu understands peak oil and its ramifications, but so far has remained silent as have the President and other senior officials.

The problem of course as we now have witnessed through two US administrations, and numerous foreign ones, is how does a government start to explain the phenomenon, peak oil, and more importantly the extreme sacrifices required to mitigate its occurrence to its citizens. Suppose the President gave a prime-time speech describing the evidence for the proximity of peak oil and laying out proposals to the Congress as to what needs to be done. It does not take a rocket scientist to deduce that there would be a huge political flare-up and likely a collapse of the equity markets. The President’s political opposition, which has yet to figure out just why polar ice caps are melting, would go completely berserk at the hint of restrictions either through taxes or other means on energy consumption.

There would be calls for impeachment and the likelihood that any legislation could be passed that might be helpful in preparing for or mitigating the consequences of global oil depletion for the time being are zilch. The reason of course is that the evidence for peak oil must first become so overwhelming that even the simplest amongst can understand that there is no cheap and easy way out of the problem All this means that it is unlikely that our leaders will be taking the initiative to head off and attempt to mitigate the consequences of peak oil prior to its arrival. The political consequences of raising the issue in a polarized political world would almost certainly be seen as too uncertain and too severe.

he IEA immediately denied that they were

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”

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from oil to some other form of energy to keep civilization running in a recognizable form. Even then the chances of “success” are not that good. The longer we put off serious planning and implementing this transition to a post fossil fuel world, the worst the situation will get. However, to this day, almost no senior politician anywhere in the world has been willing to step forth and lay out the case that we almost certainly have one of the most serious problems of the 21st century just over the horizon.

We can probably give a pass on responsibility for ignoring peak oil to the Clinton administration.

When the administration left office in January 2001 the proximity of peak oil was understood by only a handful of people, and peak production was still five years off. The Bush administration, however, is another matter. By Bush’s second term, the debate over peak oil was going hot and heavy, much research had already been published, and dedicated governmental energy research organizations such as the US’s EIA and OECD’s IEA certainly were aware of the likelihood that large increases in oil production could not continue much longer. Some are already holding the Director of the U.S.’s Energy Information Administration during

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November 19 - 25, 2009

Mason Football Swamps Manassas Park Mustangs Finish Season With Powerful 49-7 Victory Over Cougars, Bid Farewell to Seniors

by Phil Duncan

Special to the News-Press

Senior Night Nov. 13 was a storybook ending to George Mason High School’s 2009 varsity football season, as the nine players in the Class of ‘10 produced a torrent of runs, receptions, interceptions and fumble recoveries to sweep away the visiting Manassas Park Cougars, 49-7.

Senior Ben Taylor rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns, including a 60-yard dash in the first quarter that started the Mason scorefest.

Senior George Kalantzis threw a 35-yard pass to Taylor on a trickplay reverse, then on the next play ran the ball into the end zone. Later Kalantzis got a second touchdown, on a pass from junior quarterback Tyler Duncan.

Senior Matt Palmieri ran for a touchdown and picked off a Cougar pass to set up another Mason score. Senior Yates Jordan also snagged an interception, and later scored a running touchdown.

Hard-hitting senior linebackers Manuel Veiga Diaz and P.J. Anderson each caused Cougar

fumbles that led to Mason scores, and sustained defensive pressure and their Class of ’10 mates Misael Benitez and Sam Dittmar contributed to the interceptions

by Jordan and Palmieri, and to a third pick by junior Mitch Hirsch.

Senior back Chris Saraus, the two-touchdown hero of Mason’s Nov. 6 victory over Strasburg, closed his Mason career with another solid contribution to the Mason running attack.

The victory avenged a bitter double-overtime loss to Manassas Park in Mason’s 2008 Homecoming game and it closed the book on the Mustangs’ 2009 season at 7-3.

This year’s Mason team will be remembered as undersized and overachieving. With no starter taller than six-foot and a mere handful weighing 200-anything, Mason consistently was up against taller, heavier foes. Mason was the underdog in seven of its 10 games, but started with four straight victories, scored wins over AAA and AA schools, and closed the season with back-toback wins in their single-A Bull Run District.

Mason even had a shot at making the playoffs until late in the season, when the outcome of an overtime game between two teams downstate tipped the wrong way, mathematically eliminating the Mustangs’ chances to advance.

Against Manassas Park, the Mustangs’ offensive stats were impressive. Almost 300 total yards gained – 230 on the ground and another 63 through the air. The 49 points scored were the most by a Mason team in 28 games going back more than two years.

The Mason defense had just one lapse. Manassas Park got a long return on the opening kickoff, then scored on its second play from scrimmage to go up 7-0, before the game was one minute old.

But the Mustangs quickly answered with Taylor’s 60-yard touchdown run and Henry Darmstadter’s successful extra-point kick tied the game, 7-7.

That’s where the score stood late in the first quarter when Veiga Diaz forced a fumble and recovered the ball on the Cougar 2. From there, on the first play

MASON JUNIOR TYLER DUNCAN (second from right) and senior Ben Taylor (far right) outrun the Manassas Park Cougars. (Photo: Gary Mester)

GEORGE MASON kept up offensive pressure throughout Friday’s season-ending game. (Photo: Gary Mester) of the second quarter, Palmieri ran it in for Mason. Darmstadter converted the PAT for a 14-7 Mason lead at the 11:56 mark in the quarter.

The next two times Manassas Park had the ball, Mason’s defense took it away almost immediately, and the offense scored.

Palmieri intercepted, and four plays later Taylor had his second rushing touchdown. Darmstadter kicked, and it was 21-7 Mason with 8:01 left in the second quarter.

Anderson recovered a fumble, and six plays later, Taylor had his third rushing touchdown. Darmstadter kicked, 28-7 Mason with 4:40 left in the quarter.

Mason’s defense bottled up Manassas Park at their own 10, and after a short punt, Mason took over at the Cougar 36.

Quarterback Duncan handed the ball to Kalantzis on what looked to be a reverse, but instead of running, Kalantzis let loose a pass that found Taylor at the one yard line.

The next play, Kalantzis took it across the goal. Darmstadter kicked, 35-7 Mason with 2:18 left in the quarter.

Mason points kept pouring in the third quarter. Taking the kickoff to start the second half,

the Mustangs moved in nine plays to the Manassas Park 15, but there faced a fourth and four.

Forsaking the conservative run, Mason Coach Tom Horn called a pass. Duncan saw Kalantzis slip the right-side coverage and hit him with a perfect toss at the flag. Darmstadter kicked, 42-7 Mason.

When the Cougars got the ball, it was a rerun of their earlier woes.

Hirsch intercepted at the Manassas Park 28, and six plays later, Jordan scored. Darmstadter kicked, 49-7 Mason as the third quarter ended.

With the officials running a continuous clock in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t long before the game was done and the Mason seniors were leading their teammates in a midfield victory frolic.

The nine departing seniors will leave big shoes to fill on both offense and defense when the Mustangs take to the gridiron in 2010.

Mason will build next year on a corps of underclassmen who were significant contributors to this year’s team, and will look for senior leadership from its Class of 2011 players, Duncan, Hirsch, Mike Larcamp, Walter Porzel, Tyrone Thompson, Patrick Rhodes and Joseph Mondrey.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 19

Weighing the Ovi Factor

GEORGE MASON’S SOPHOMORE EVA ESTRADA (right) took third in the girls’ state cross country race last Saturday, helping lead her team to win yet another first-place trophy. (Photo: Louie Estrada)

Back-to-Back: Mason Girls Cross Country Wins States

by Dean Edwards

Falls Church News-Press

Battling mud and rain, the George Mason High School girls varsity cross country team won the first-place trophy for the second year in a row last Saturday.

The Lady Mustangs dominated the course with a 30-point margin at the Virginia state championship held at Great Meadows, Va. For the boys team, which also competed in the state championship Saturday, the Mustangs placed in seventh overall.

MASON JUNIOR DANIEL DRAWBAUGH (right) pushes forward during the boys’ state championship race. (Photos: Louie Estrada)

Top honors went to the lead Mason runner, sophomore Eva Estrada, who clocked in third place with a time of 20:08. Estrada earned All State honors for her performance.

All State honors also went to junior Mollie Breen, who came in 11th at 20:52.

Sophomore Michele de Mars, who placed in 17th at 21:12, almost qualified for All State.

Keeping the team ahead of the competition, freshman Hannah Beaman came in 22nd place (21:39), sophomore Abby Perez in 23rd (21:41) and freshman Julia Estrada in 27th (21:53).

In her first race back since sustaining an injury, sophomore Leah Roth placed 43rd in 22:44.

For the boys team, senior Miles Butler came in 34th with a time of 18:14, and junior Daniel Drawbaugh placed 38th in 18:18.

Freshman Jeremy K. Brown ran across the finish line in 42nd place in 18:23, followed by junior Jordan Robarge (18:42) and freshman Jesse Schaffer (18:46).

Senior Will Ketchum (19:20) and junior Dane Warner (20:05) rounded out the varsity team’s state performance.

There’s a bit of a cliché among smothered in the playoffs.

Also of note has been wily cencoaches when it comes to injuries. Often when their star player ter Mathieu Perreault, a 21-year-old goes down, they’ll drop this gem: call-up, who has distinguished him“We’re going to learn a lot about self with some crafty play-making our team.” The statement is more (2 G, 3 A) that’s sparked production a challenge to the still-healthy from the bottom two lines.

But that’s just the offensive than preparation for any academic endeavor, but let’s assume that end. As a coach lacking his top there is something to glean from player, you’re going to tell the a team’s performance sans star media scrum that you need your player. What can we take away team to double down its defensive from the Caps’ time without Alex efforts. Again, good news.

The Caps’ goalsOvechkin? against average If you’re Caps head coach Bruce Picking Splinters dropped slightly from 3.07 with By Boudreau, you’d like Ovechkin to a flat 3 to see someone step Mike Hume without him. That’s in to replace the prestill too high for a sumed drop in goal scoring without the league’s top team with Stanley Cup aspiragoal scorer in the lineup. So, I’m tions, but it’s a pleasant trend to sure he’d be thrilled to know that see. In fact, the team’s shots on his team’s goals per game aver- goal differential did increase drasage actually slightly increased (3.66 tically with Ovi out. Prior to his goals per game from 3.64) in the six injury the Caps had out-shot their games without Ovechkin compared opponents 449-441. In the six to the first 14 with him healthy. games without him, that margin Eight different Capitals recorded rose to 196-173, which is highly multiple goals without the Great impressive considering Ovechkin Eight in the lineup, but no one was wracks up more shots, by far, than anyone in the NHL. hotter than Tomas Fleischmann.

Shots on your opponent’s goal Flash, or as I like to call him, the Margarine Man, proved a wonderful may not seem like a defensive stasubstitute for Ovechkin’s goal scor- tistic, but it is. In one way, shots ing, notching a team-best five goals are a sign of puck possession. You during Ovi’s absence. Getting a late can’t shoot the puck if you don’t start on the season due to a blood have it and, if you’re shooting, clot in his leg, Fleischmann may you’re likely in your opponent’s have had the advantage of fresh legs zone. If you have the puck in your during the packed early portion of opponent’s zone, they don’t have the schedule, condensed due to the it in yours, hence good defense by Olympic layoff in February, but the way of good offense.

And speaking of good offense, scoring spurt points to something the last big question Boudreau had more welcoming.

As a second-round, European- to address with Ovechkin out was born draft pick by the Detroit Red who to play in his spot on the Wings, we should have known that power play. The coach shifted vetFleischmann had a plethora of tal- eran center Brendan Morrison into ent waiting to be unlocked. After the top unit at the point and saw all, players in that mold have kept immediate dividends. The power the Wings flush with stars year play scored on six of 14 chances, after year. At 25, Fleischmann compared to just 21 percent before may be peaking. He’s already Ovi went down. What did drop sigmore than a third of the way nificantly, however, was the numtowards topping his career-best ber of power play opportunities the for goals, 19, set last season, and Caps enjoyed each game, slipping has shown no hesitancy to play from 4.9 before to 2.3. The concluthe body, crash the net and chase sion to draw there? Ovechkin is the puck into corners. Already such a slippery skater and moves owning a smooth skating stride so fast that he puts defenders out and a quick set of hands, Flash of position, forcing them to take could be the complete package penalties to avoid dangerous goalthis season, giving the Caps a scoring situations. In some ways, much-needed secondary scoring he’s just irreplaceable. threat to pick up the slack when  Mike Hume may be e-mailed at Ovi and Alexander Semin are mhume@fcnp.com.

Page 20

November 19 - 25, 2009

McLean Lacrosse Star Signs With Colgate McLean High School (MHS) senior lacrosse goalkeeper, Hanna Longwell, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I lacrosse at Colgate University.

The Colgate Raiders are the reigning 2009 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Champions.

“I am so excited to have committed to Colgate University,” says Longwell. “I am thankful for all the support that I have gotten from my high school and club coaches during the recruiting process.”

McLean’s girls varsity lacrosse Head Coach Anne Inzerello is very supportive of Longwell’s efforts and ability. “Hanna works hard and accepts nothing less than perfection ... As coaches, we feel very lucky to have had Hanna play for us and we are looking forward to her final season as a senior.”

Longwell’s achievements and merit have been widely recognized over the years.

As McLean’s starting varsity goalie since her freshman year, Longwell’s lacrosse honors include: All-Region Goalkeeper of the Year, All-Met Honorable Mention, All-Region First Team, All-District Second Team (junior year); Team MVP, All-District 1st Team and All-Region 2nd Team (sophomore year); All-District 1st Team, All-Region Honorable Mention (freshman year); and nine-time Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.

Longwell’s senior high school lacrosse season begins in the spring. She is a captain of both the

varsity lacrosse and cheer teams, and has also competed as a member of the gymnastics team.

Longwell is on target to earn 13 varsity letters during her high school career, qualifying her for McLean’s prestigious Angus Award.

MHS Director of Activities Tom Herman said that this may be a school record for the most varsity letters earned.

Longwell has devoted an enormous amount of time to lacrosse training, practices, camps and tournaments. In addition to high school lacrosse, Longwell has played for Capital Lacrosse, M&D Lacrosse, Potomac Power, McLean Magic and Stars Lacrosse, at one point playing on four travel teams simultaneously.

As an 11-year old, Longwell was selected to the U-13 National Festival Team, and to the U-15 National Festival Team as a 12 year old. She was goalkeeper for Morris’s undefeated 2006 NVYLL MYL U-15A Champions during their 11-0 season. Longwell has earned a spot on the U.S. Lacrosse Women’s Division National HS Team for the Mid-Atlantic Region for the past three years.

The Longwells are keeping it all in the family. Longwell will join her sister, Alexis, at Colgate University. The elder Longwell, a 2009 graduate of McLean High School, is currently a soccer goalkeeper for the Colgate Raiders. Younger brother, Robert, is a freshman at McLean.

McLean’s four Division 1 Class of ‘10 seniors (left to right): varsity baseball shortstop/second baseman Chris Russo, who has signed with Virginia Military Institute; lacrosse goalie Hanna Longwell, Colgate; softball shortstop Lauren McColgan, George Mason University; baseball pitcher/shortstop Sean Fitzgerald, Notre Dame.

(Photos: Kent Arnold/Hero Moment Imaging, 2009)

COACH LABRYAN THOMAS with Nicole Mitchell (center) and Chantal Thomas. (Photo: News-Press)

Lady Mustangs Hoops Start Defense of Their State Title

by Robert Fulton

Falls Church News-Press

The phrase “defending state champs” rings pretty sweet for the George Mason High School girls basketball team. When the 20082009 season wrapped up earlier this year, the Mustangs finished on top of the Virginia Group A D2.

Now, Mason plans to defend, but heading into this season, the squad knows that they can’t take anything for granted.

“We have to do what we did last year,” said point guard Chantal Thomas, a senior. “We have to work hard, we have to want it. We have to believe in ourselves first. This year, we’re lacking size. We don’t look like how we were last year. It takes time and it takes hard work to build up to where we were last year.”

The Mustangs look to be in pretty good shape heading into the new season, which starts with a scrimmage on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at McLean; and the regular season opens at home on Dec. 2 against Falls Church. The squad returns four starters off last year’s titlewinning team.

“Last year’s team, I can honestly say, they were a family,” said Mason head coach LaBryan Thomas, who was an assistant and coached the junior varsity for seven years before taking the reigns of the varsity team last season. “They played together, they did everything together. That unity kept

them close. Even when we had our highs and lows, they stayed together and it really showed in the way they played.”

One challenge the Mustangs will face is the loss of starting forward and team leader Kim Kenny, who graduated.

“We’re definitely missing a huge component – Kim Kenny,” said senior Nicole Mitchell. “We definitely can’t replace a Kim Kenny, but we can definitely learn from Kim Kenny, from her hustle, her confidence, and take from things she left behind and build off of that.”

Mason has learned early on that being defending state champs comes with added responsibility.

During Fall games, the team realized that they were taking everyone’s best shot and were looked at in a light they never had experienced before.

“We have a huge target on our back,” said Mitchell. “We know in the districts, everyone is going to come hard. They’re going to bring it hard definitely.”

Coach Thomas says he’s going to emphasize defense this season as key to another title run.

“We have to get after it on defense,” he said. “It’s all out. We do a lot of pressure and just getting after folks. It encourages a lot of turnovers, and that’s easy baskets for us.

We just put a lot of pressure, try to get a lot of steals. We can play the up tempo game or the slowdown games. Whatever occurs.”

Mitchell that the team already has a high level of togetherness after working in the offseason, in addition to the fact that 80 percent of the starting line up is back.

“We’re pretty cohesive right now because we’ve been working so hard in the offseason,” she said.

In addition to taking everyone’s best shot this season, the Mustangs will have to look out for perhaps their biggest obstacle – themselves. Battling against complacency and taking things for granted is something all defending champs have to deal with.

“You just got to want it,” said Chantal Thomas. “It’s just got to be there. Last year we were underdogs. Two years ago, we knew we could get to states and we knew we could compete with top opponents, but last year we felt a stronger connection among the team. We were all one family. We were all here for the same reason and we all wanted it. It’s all about want.”

Not that anyone should be confused about what Mason’s goals are this season. Getting back to – and winning – the state title is what they have in mind.

“We have to come to play every night,” said Coach Thomas. “As long as we stay focused and play hard.

“If they’re good students, and they play hard and have a good attitude and are having fun, whatever happens, happens,” the coach added.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Langley Wind Symphony Selected for ‘Music for All’ The Langley High Wind Symphony has been selected to participate in the “Music for All” Festival in March 2010. This is the second time the Langley High Wind Symphony has been selected for “Music for All.” “Music for All” gives American high school bands the opportunity to perform for an audience, receive insight from recognized leaders in the performing arts and take part in clinics conducted by leading music educators.

T.J. High School Preps for Holiday Shopping Season Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology will host its annual gift fair on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the school (6560 Braddock Rd.,

Page 21

Alexandria). Patrons can get a head start in the holiday shopping season.

Vendors who have an art, craft or any other service they want to sell at the gift fair should e-mail tjgiftshow@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.tjgiftshow.com.

G.M.H.S. Presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ On Thursday, Nov. 19 from 7:30 – 10 p.m., the thespians of George Mason High School will debut “Little Shop of Horrors,” a musical comedy written by Howard Ashman and composed

by Alan Menken about Seymour Krelborn and his blood-thirsty plant.

The opening show will take place in the main auditorium of George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church).

The production will also show on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday,

GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL junior Sam Waters rehearses the part of Seymour Krelborn in “Little Shop of Horrors.” The musical comedy is set to debut on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 7:30 – 10 p.m. in the main auditorium (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church).

(Photo: Courtesy Joy Wagener)

Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and will be sold at the door.

Langley H.S. Kicks Off Campus Cleanup Langley High School invites everyone to do their part in keeping the Langley campus clean at the campus cleanup.

There will be mulching, pruning and edging from 9 a.m.

– noon around the school (6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean). For more information, call 703-2872700.

Marshall Academy Hosts Hair Extravaganza Students of George C. Marshall High School will host a hair extravaganza event on

Monday, Nov. 23 from 3 – 9 p.m. in Room 50 at the school (7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church).

Marshall Academy hairdressing students will perform services including men’s and women’s haircuts, shampoo and blow dry, perm, color and highlights. To make an appointment, call 703714-5536.

McLean H.S. Holds MiniConferences McLean High School will hold mini-conferences on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:20 p.m. These brief meetings will give parents and guardians the opportunity to touch base with teachers.

Teachers and counselors will be able to meet individually to discuss progress and answer any questions.

Spanish and Korean translators will be available at the school (1633 Davidson Rd., McLean). For more information, call 703-714-5700.

Bishop O’Connell Student Named Swimmer of Week Michael Flach, a recent graduate of Bishop O’Connell High

School and a freshman at the University of South Carolina was named the Southeast Conference (SEC) Freshman Swimmer of the Week for the week of Nov. 9.

Flach turned in a time of 3:39.12 in the 400-yard individual medley at Tennessee to win the race and post the 9th fastest time in the country and 2nd fastest time in the SEC so far this season. Flach has won seven of his individual races so far in his rookie season in South Carolina.

At Bishop O’Connell, Flach was named MVP in both 2008 and 2009 and currently holds school records in the 200 and 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley.

Stuart H.S. Awards Star Athletes J.E.B. Stuart High School will be hosting its Fall Sports Award Ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:15 p.m. in the school’s auditorium (3301 Peace Valley Lane, Falls Church). The community is invited to join the school in celebrating its star athletes. For more information, call 703-824-3900.

Page 22

November 19 - 25, 2009

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otoWeek DC is now officially over, but many interesting photography shows remain around town in FotoWeek’s wake. This week we’ll look at several shows featuring work made with historical processes.

The Essential Photo In the Darkroom: Photographic Processes Before the Digital Age, at the National Gallery of Art – West Building (4th and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.). The exhibit runs through March 14. The museum is open Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. The gallery is closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. For more information, call 202-737-

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Of Road Kill Phil Nesmith – Flight Patterns, at the Irvine Contemporary (1412 14 St. NW, Washington, D.C.). The exhibit runs through Dec. 12 and the gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, call 202-332-8767 or visit www.irvinecontemporary.com.

Richmond-based photographer Phil Nesmith has eight direct (and thus unique) photograms on black glass panels at Irvine Contemporary. Nesmith’s current compositions use small scale flora and fauna, often placed within glass containers or wire cages. This body of work deals with a general concern for the fate of bees, bats and the like.

Nesmith also expresses a contemplative concern for genetic mutations due to environmental changes, as seen in his spider with cicada wings.

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“In the Darkroom” surveys the historical development of the photographic processes from Henry Fox Talbot’s original silver salted paper images through to Polaroid images.

Mind you, all of this would be little more than wonky esoterica if it weren’t for the fact that modern art photographers are increasingly reaching back in time to find antique photographic processes with which to make their art. Needless to say, a show of this sort is a great opportunity to get up to speed on photography.

The supporting guidebook is an absolute must-have reference source for anyone with more than a passing interest in the topic.

Vintage Modernity

Phil Nesmith’s “Colony,” 2009. Varnished dryplate photogram on black glass. 20-x8 inches.

Christopher Colville, at Insomniac Design (1219 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, D.C., off M or N Street between 9 and 10 Streets). The exhibit runs through Dec. 11 and the gallery is open Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., and also by email appoint-

ment (contact@larissaleclair. com).

Colville teaches photography at Arizona State University and uses a variety of historic photographic processes to create his mostly black-and-white images, which are then reproduced with more stable modern prints.

In the case of his Cairns series, Colville shot the images on modern film, then produced the final wet plate ambrotypes in the darkroom when he got back home.

That series depicts a series of small rock piles, often echoing the mountains in the background.

In some ways it reminds one of Hokusai’s various views of Mt. Fuji.

Colville’s photograms are originally done on printing-out-paper with dead animals he finds while on long hikes, and exposed in the field. The final archival digital prints are made later.

He’s working with an interesting mix of “then and now” that seemed the obvious way to go for some time. Still, some photographers insist on making traditional color C-prints (which have significant fade and color shift five to 20 years after they’re made) when they could make 100-plus year archival digital prints. The digital prints seem like a nobrainer once you remove the word “traditional” from the equation, but that’s not always an easy word to subtract. Colville uses traditional methods, but isn’t enslaved by them.

Afro-Oceanic Chic Man Ray African Art and the Modernist Lens, at the Phillips Collection (1600 21 St. NW, Washington, D.C.). The exhibit runs through Jan. 10, and the gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.

– 6 p.m., and on Thursday till 8:30 p.m. For more details, visit www. phillipscollection.org. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

While the main feature here is the African and Oceanic primitive sculptures, there are a few Rayographs. Also notable are several printing versions of Kiki with African mask. Some of the more unusual and entertaining photos on view are of artists in African masks hamming it up for the camera, or Man Ray posing at home with painting and sculpture.  The Northern Virginia Art Beat is compiled by Kevin Mellema.

See www.fcnp.com for photos and more. To e-mail submissions, send them to kevinmellema@gmail.com.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 23

Over 35 Women Flee Violent Homes Thanks to Local Group Life After U Visa: Tahirih Justice Center Client Opens Up

by Natalie Bedell

Falls Church News-Press

More than 35 abused female clients of the Falls Church-based Tahirih Justice Center will spend their Thanksgiving giving thanks for what many consider entitlements — driver’s licenses, social security numbers, the freedom to look for legal work and, most of all, the ability to return home without having to worry whether or not any given night will be the night their boyfriend throws the punch that finally takes their life.

The U visa, which gives immigrant victims of domestic violence temporary legal status and work eligibility in the U.S. for four years, was originally granted to 12 Tahirih Justice Center (TJC) clients last August, after nine years of government delays.

Since then, more than 20 additional TJC-assisted women have been approved.

“So many of our clients have waited so long, literally upwards of five years, for this status,” TJC Staff Attorney Natalie Nanasi, J.D. told the News-Press.

As part of the Victims and Trafficking Violence Protection Act established in 2000, the U visa has allowed immigrant women left unprotected by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to seek safety in the U.S. Until then, VAWA only protected spouses of either U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. Abused spouses of undocumented immigrants, romantic and domestic partners were disregarded under the act.

“It was this disparity where victims of domestic violence — the same equal violence — who didn’t happen to marry their boyfriend or a guy who was a citizen were ignored,” said Nanasi, who’s just one of many faces at TJC lending pro bono services to clients, including legal, social and medical.

Under the terms of the U visa, the victim must cooperate with law enforcement in the prosecution of the perpetrator. If a victim’s fear of coming forward inhibits them from cooperating, their case will be dropped.

“There’s still an issue of trust between law enforcement and the

immigrant community, a fear and anxiety of deportation from reporting a crime,” said Nanasi.

Not only must victims cooperate, but they must show proof with a form signed by a “head of agency,” i.e. a chief of police or someone designated to sign.

Nanasi said most people know very little about the U visa, leaving even members of law enforcement hesitant to get involved on paper.

“I think the larger issue is that there hasn’t been a lot of clarity as to what the form is. It doesn’t mean that they’re sponsoring someone’s immigration status and that if they sign, that person automatically becomes a citizen.

I think there’s a lot of misconceptions,” said Nanasi.

She hopes TJC’s advocacy work will get a system in place through the Department of Homeland Security to not only better educate law enforcement about the U visa, but also push for implementation of a more timely way to obtain signatures for clients, many of whom have already been waiting for years, some homeless.

“I have clients who shelter-hop all the time because some places have a three-month stay limit.

And they’ve been doing this for five years,” said Nanasi. “But with obtaining a U visa, there comes a certain weight that is lifted. There is a smile. There is something in their step, in their aura, that really makes them totally different people.”

Sylvia Thompson (a pseudonym), 32, of Alexandria was one of those clients smiling big after being approved a month and a half ago.

In 2000, she met her husband in Peru. They had been dating for only two months when he left for the U.S. to find work.

Thompson discovered she was pregnant upon his departure, and though he was happy to hear the news, his possessive nature began to surface. He demanded to know where Thompson was at all times, eventually forbidding her from working.

He returned to Peru four months later. The emotional abuse from her husband turned physical when Thompson was pregnant with their second child.

Years later, the husband returned to the U.S. and their relationship improved. He’d often tell her how much he missed her and eventually asked Thompson to join him in the U.S. to which she agreed.

“I always thought my husband would change and things would get better, but it just got worse,” said Thompson, who spoke to the News-Press with the help of a Spanish-English translator from TJC. It wasn’t long before her husband became abusive again and in November 2005, her employers convinced her to seek help from law enforcement. Thompson obtained a protective order — which her husband violated, leading to his arrest.

Thompson cooperated with law enforcement in the prosecution of her husband, who was found guilty of domestic assault and battery, served a brief sentence, and was deported back to Peru.

“I’m glad to be here where I’m safe because I don’t think my husband will change. I don’t know what he’ll do and I want to protect my kids. He’s always going to be angry and bitter. He just has it inside of him,” said Thompson.

After his deportation, Thompson’s husband sent letters threatening to harm Thompson’s employers and the detective who had investigated the domestic violence case.

Now, a month and a half following her U visa approval, Thompson is able to make plans for her future.

She, along with her 8-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter, have been without a car for the last five years, as Thompson was unable to legally obtain a driver’s license.

“Taking the bus makes everything complicated when I want to go to class or I have to pick up my kids. I don’t have to ask everyone for help now,” said Thompson, who went on to say she’s finally able to “sleep easy.”

Her ex would often threaten to have her deported.

“Every time I saw a police officer, I thought, ‘This is it. They are here to get me,’” said Thompson.

Nanasi said another reason women are hesitant about leaving

STAFF ATTORNEY for Tahirih Justice Center (TJC), Natalie Nanasi, has worked to get 13 of her clients approved for U visas, often helping them flee deadly living situations. (Photo: News-Press) abusive relationships is economic dependence. Thompson agreed, saying in many countries, women are told from a young age it is the man’s duty to provide for the family.

The women in Thompson’s previous support group were examples.

“Some of them were still sad.

They wanted to go back [to their abusers] and still cared about them. Other women didn’t know what to do — they couldn’t work, they didn’t know the language and they came from cultures where men bring money to the house and the women stay at home,” said Thompson.

When asked where she sees herself in 10 years, Thompson said, “Wow, I don’t know. I hope I can teach again.” She graduated from a Peruvian university 10 years ago, specializing in working with children with special needs and speech problems.

After three years, U visa holders are able to apply for a green card, which is at the top of Thompson’s list. She fears for her safety if she is deported.

“Back in my home country, there’s a lot of corruption. A man can pay off a judge or lawyer.

They can win any case they want,” said Thompson, who called herself “lucky” because of all of the unexpected support she’s received.

Though, more so, it was about who was giving it.

From her original social worker to her detective, all the way to Nanasi, Thompson’s had to climb up the judicial chain of command — the whole time being carried by females.

“It’s really hard to speak to male police officers about these things.

And when I met Natalie, she had such a nice voice and everyone [at TJC] made me feel calm. They would talk me through it, and I would just cry. Other people who tried to help me, they’d make me feel like a number, like I wasn’t a person, like they were just tired of hearing the same story over and over again,” said Thompson.

“Now, I feel ... safe.”

Thompson’s first stop?

Disneyland.

TJC was the first organization in the D.C., metropolitan area to apply for U visa interim relief.

Approximately 14,000 immigrants continue to wait for U visa approvals, over 100 of whom TJC represents.

Page 24

November 19 - 25, 2009

Community Events THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Potluck Thanksgiving Brunch. Join the Vienna writing group for its annual lunch, laughter and singa-long event. Those who wish to attend should bring a dish that serves about eight. Advanced registration necessary. Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry St. SE, Vienna). Free. 10:30 a.m.

– 12:30 p.m. 703-255-6360.

‘Cocktails and Creating: 50 Things a Million Ways.’ McLean Project for the Arts is staging a faux reality TV show challenge for adult contestants. Each team will receive the same 50 items to create drama, angst, tears and excitement.

McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean). $10. 7 – 9 p.m. RSVP required at 703-7901953 or info@mpaart.org.

Candidate Forum. The Citizens for a Better City invite anyone interested in becoming a candidate for the Falls Church City Council or School Board to attend a focus meeting on the logistics of running for office, including eligibility, registration, guidelines and expectations.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary

School (601 S. Oak St., Falls Church).

Free. 7:30 p.m. 703-534-3418.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21 Holiday Market. The Falls Church Arts has arranged for its member artists to exhibit and sell their giftable goods at the Falls Church Farmers Market each Saturday through Dec. 19. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m.

– noon. Visit www.fallschurcharts. org.

18th Annual ‘Not-Just-A-Craft ’ Fair.

Meet adoptable dogs and shop for original works of art, candles, clothing, ceramics, note cards, light catchers, jewelry, quilting, wallets, scarves, farmer’s market produce, baked goods and much more from a variety of vendors.

Lyon Park Community House (414 N. Fillmore St., Arlington). Free. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Call 703-527-9520 or visit www.lyonparkcitizens.org.

Holiday Open House.

Representatives from Creative Memories, Lia Sophia Jewelry, Little Sunflower Studios, Mary Kay, Paintings by Lina Pisani, Pampered Chef, Southern Living

&

Send community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at calendar@fcnp. com; fax 703-532-3396; or by regular mail to 450 West Broad Street #321, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.

at Home, Sweetly Unique and Tupperware are converging on this year’s Holiday Open House where patrons can take care of their holiday shopping needs in one stop. Lee Oaks Condo Clubhouse (2818 Lee Oaks Place, Falls Church). Free. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

703-876-0616.

Drop-in Craft. This family craft program equips youngsters with the tools to get creative with clay. This month’s theme is “Magnets!” Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). Free. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 703-248-5034.

Teen Writing Workshop. Young Adult author Kathryn Erskine instructs teens in different writing techniques. Ages 13 & up. TysonsPimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Free. 1 p.m. 703-790-8088.

‘Chew the Fat.’ The Claude Moore Colonial Farm invites families to a demonstration on how to use pig and beef fat to make soap, candles and dubbin (a leather protectant).

Claude Moore Colonial Farm (6310 Georgetown Pike, McLean). Free. 1 – 4 p.m. 703-442-7557.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 Russian Quartet Concert. The St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble invites all interested parties to a free concert it will be performing.

Graham Road Church (2929 Graham Rd., Falls Church). Donations accepted. 3 p.m. 703-573-4444 ext.

207.

CBC Anniversary Gala. The Citizens for a Better City (CBC) will celebrate its 50th anniversary with fellow Falls Church members. The event will include a business meeting, cocktails, dinner, raffle, recognitions and awards. Open to the public.

Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). $20 for adults, $6 for children. 5 – 9 p.m. 703-534-3418.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Iranian Cultural Association Meeting. Lecturer Parviz Dastmalchi will discuss legal obstacles for abolishing capital punishment in Islamic republics.

Iranian Cultural Association (2500 James Madison Dr., Vienna). 7 p.m.

703-817-1651.

Theater Fine Arts THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19

‘Little Shop of Horrors.’ The 1960 American comedy �ilm is recreated on the high school stage. Enjoy this farce about an inadequate young �lorist’s assistant who cultivates a carnivorous plant. Theatre director Pam Spicer has added a few twists and turns to ensure the audience a spoonful of entertainment with a moral message. George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students. 7:30 p.m. Shows through Saturday. 703-248-5500.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Kevin Lee. All Stars Comedy Club brings funny man and magician Kevin Lee to the stage, performing his combination comedy, magic and

juggling act that leaves audiences in both awe and in crutches. Voted “Washington’s Funniest Comedian” by Washingtonian magazine, Lee will be accompanied by gagsters Dave Tullis and Don Cooper. Listrani’s Restaurant (2317 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. Also shows Saturday. 703-739-7377.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21

‘Season.’ The Drama Group of Temple Rodef Shalom is presenting a staged reading of Harriet Lawrence’s prized play, “Season.”

The piece traces four generations through the 20th century, teaching the meaning of tragedy, memory, love, strangers, friends and everlasting joy. Temple Rodef Shalom (2100 Westmoreland St., Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m.

703-532-2217.

‘MANgina Monologues: A One Trans Show.”

Lesbian and Jewish, comic Riki Wilchins is back with a sex change and an attitude. As one of the country’s prominent trans-activists, Wilchins takes on binary genders, identity politics, passing, political correctness and the medical establishment in an evening of humor, sketch and improv that leaves no rhinestone unturned and no slip showing. Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Suggested donation of $5. 11 p.m. 202-387-7638.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Tiempo de Tango. Explore the sound, look and feel of the tango as it shifted to �it changing social contexts, yet retained its magic. The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (2700 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Free. 6 p.m. 202-467-4600.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 25

live_music&nightlife THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19

7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

S���������� A���������� �� W���������. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). $5. 7 p.m.

703-534-0095.

T�� R�������. With The Walkaways, Melissa Branin. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12.

9 p.m. Also shows Saturday. 703522-8340.

D������ M�C������. With Steve Bassett Band. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $45. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

B������ S����� L���. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church).

Free. 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

A����� P�����. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $10. 8:30 p.m. 703-2370300.

C���� P������. With Timber Timbre.

Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $17. 9 p.m. 703522-8340.

W����� D����. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20 G���� L�� P�������. With Winterpills.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $18. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

S�����������. With Oxymorons.

Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). $7. 7 p.m. 703-5340095.

K��� C������. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $45.

P��������. With MOJO. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 in advance, $13 day of. 10 p.m. 703255-1566.

U������’� M�G��. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 10 p.m. 202-265-0930.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21 O��� M�� N����. Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry St. SE, Vienna).

Free. 7 – 9:30 p.m. For performer pre-registration, call 703-207-0030.

B�� T��. With In The Bag. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). $7. 7 p.m. 703-534-0095.

R����� F����. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 in advance, $15 day of. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

T�� D�� M�C���� B���. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

S����, C����� � T�� P����� B����.

Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 10 p.m. 703-2378333.

D�������. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 in advance, $12 day of. 10 p.m. 703-255-1566.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 T���� G������. With Pierce Pettis.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

W���� B���� J��. With Hot Rods, Old Gas. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m. 703534-0095.

J������ O������. The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $65. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

C����� K�����. With Milton. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8:30 p.m. 703-522-8340.

T�� B���� F�����. With Goldspot.

Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10. 9 p.m. 202-6674490.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23 P��� P���. With Emily Osment, Phil Bensen. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12 in advance, $15 day of. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

C�� C������. With Velvet. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $8. 9 p.m. 202-667-4490.

D������5. With Burns, Kim Fai. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 10 p.m. 202-265-0930.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 T�� D�������� S�����. With Mercy Mercedes, Single fire, Count Your Blessings. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 in advance, $13 day of. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

D������� B������ ��� ��� G����.

9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $30. 7 p.m. 202-265-0930.

R��� M�������� B���. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8:30 p.m. 703-522-8340.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 DC D���� M���� � B���. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $10. 7 p.m. 703-237-0300.

M������� K���. With The Cheniers.

Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $8. 9 p.m. 202-6674490.

T�� F���� II. With Bo Jankans, Blackbox, K-Cromozone, Hasty Jadem.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 10 p.m. 703-255-1566.

P������� A����...

I

f you haven’t yet experienced one of National Geographic’s huge warehouse sales, then be sure to check it out this weekend. For those that don’t know, National Geographic is taking just about everything they have sold over the past five years, loading it all up into tractor trailers (14 of ‘em this year) and bringing them to the DC Armory where over 250,000 items will be sold for 20 to 90% off. Yeah, that’s over a quarter of a million. Items include just about everything seen in their gift catalogs - maps, globes, toys, clothes, luggage, etc - , 300 book titles, and new this year, a display of framed and rolled up prints of some of their most iconic photos.

The last few years they’ve held the sale, the showroom was virtually cleared out— so don’t be left just picking at the scraps. Admission is free.

What: National Geographic Warehouse Sale When: Friday, November 20, 10 a.m . - 6 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, November 21-22, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Where: DC Armory, 2001 E. Capital St. NE, Washington, DC

Saturday, Nov. 26 – Civil War Thanksgiving. Costumed reenactors will portray Falls Church residents of 1863 as they hold a Civil War Thanksgiving dinner and entertain friends and soldiers in the parlor. There will also be a reading of the Gettysburg Address, which includes Lincoln’s proclamation of a national day of Thanks. Cherry Hill Farmhouse (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). Donations accepted. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 703-248-5171.

Saturday, Dec. 5 – Ēchos: An International Christmas. The Choralis’ Ēchos ensemble will present music from around the world. Peace Lutheran Church (6362 Lincolnia Rd., Alexandria). 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $5 for students and free for kids 12 and under. For more information, call 703-237-2499 or visit www.choralis.org.

C������� S���������� 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.

Email: calendar@fcnp.com Fax: 703-342-0347; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: 450 West Broad Street, #321, Falls Church, VA 22046

Page 26

November 19 - 25, 2009

THE MOVIE CELEBRATED AROUND THE WORLD!

Roger Ebert’s Movie Review

‘Planet 51’

by Roger Ebert

“An unmissable film.”

“★★★★” - Roger Ebert

- Peter Travers

NOW PLAYING

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES

“PHENOMENAL! THE MOST EXCITING MOVIE OF THE YEAR.” Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV

Universal Press Syndicate



The 1950s Hollywood tradition was that an alien spaceship landed on Earth and was surrounded fearfully by military troops. “Planet 51” is true to the tradition, but this time the ship comes from Earth, and it lands on a planet inhabited by little green men. It’s still the 1950s, however.

Yes, on “Planet 51” they speak English, “Lollipop” is on the jukebox, and they speed around in little cars that look like a cross between ‘50s gas guzzlers and those bubble-domed cars of the future. Planet 51, in fact, is a lot like the black-and-white parts of “Pleasantville.” Everybody is sweet and friendly, except for militaristic warmongers like

Capt. Chuck Baker ......... Dwayne Johnson Lem ......................... Justin Long Neera ..................... Jessica Biel Gen. Grawl ............ Gary Oldman Skiff .......... Seann William Scott Professor Kipple . ... John Cleese Eckle .............. Freddie Benedict Glar ....................... Alan Marriott

Gen. Grawl (Gary Oldman), and it’s hard to figure out who he’s afraid of because as far as we can tell, this is a civilization without any enemies.

Although not bowling me over, this is a jolly and goodlooking animated feature in glorious 2-D. It doesn’t make the slightest effort to explain why an English-speaking clone of the

BIG FLAVOR. SHRIMPY PRICE.

A ROLAND EMMERICH FILM

COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS A CENTROPOLIS PRODUCTION “2012” JOHN CUSACKMUSIC CHIWETEL EJIOFOR AMANDA PEET OLIVER PLAT LSON BY HARALD KLOSER AND THOMASPRODUCTION WANDER THANDIE NEWTON WITH DANNYCOSTUMEGLOVER AND WOODY HARRE COEDITED PRODUCERS VOLKER ENGEL MARC WEIGERT DESIGNER SHAY CUNLIF E BY DAVID BRENNER, A.C.E. PETER S. EL IOT DESIGNER BARRY CHUSID EXECUTIVE WRITTEN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY DEAN SEMLER ACS ASC PRODUCERS ROLAND EMMERICH UTE EMMERICH MICHAEL WIMER BY HARALD KLOSER & ROLAND EMMERICH PRODUCED DIRECTED

BY HARALD KLOSER MARK GORDON LARRY FRANCO BY ROLAND EMMERICH FEATURING “TIME FOR MIRACLES” PERFORMED BY ADAM LAMBERT

NOW PLAYING CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT

Pepita-Crusted Shrimp spiced butternut squash sauce, grains, dried cranberries and spinach November 1 – 30 $14.95

TriStar presents a film directed by Jorge Blanco and co-directed by Javier Abad and Marcos Martinez.

Screenplay by Joe Stillman.

Running time: 91 minutes.

MPAA rating: PG (for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humor).

world of “American Graffiti” could exist elsewhere in the universe. How could it? Besides, under the emerging theory of the multiverse, I think (but am not sure) such a thing is entirely possible. Somewhere. As long as it’s consistent with the laws of physics. I am not sure how they explain that the rain is made of rocks. You’d think the rocks would eventually bury everything. Maybe they melt?

Not that science on Planet 51 has reached the level of explaining such things. Its hero, Lem (Justin Long), has just won a job as a lecturer at the astronomical observatory, where he explains the universe is “hundreds of miles wide.” He is gently filled in by Chuck Baker (Dwayne Johnson), an American astronaut who lands on the planet. At first he and Lem are frightened of each other, but after they bond and Chuck discovers he can breathe Planet 51’s atmosphere, he settles down to the puzzle of using his lander to return to its orbiter. He has arrived with Think the Real Estate Market Has Gone to the Dogs?

Ask Suzanne for the Real Scoop!

Suzanne can save you $, ask how!

-Scout

CLYDE’S RESTAURANT GROUP: Clyde’s of Georgetown, Tysons Corner, Columbia, Reston, Chevy Chase, Mark Center, and Gallery Place; Old Ebbitt Grill; The Tombs; Tower Oaks Lodge; Willow Creek Farm. 202.333.9180 clydes.com • twitter.com/clydes

Suzanne Fauber, Realtor Buck & Associates, Inc. Call (703) 395-8741

Suzanne@Buckrealtors.com www.suzannefauber.com

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 27

Herzog were born to work together.

Rating: Four stars.

T Mini Movie Reviews OPENING IN THEATERS

B

AD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS (Drama, R, 122 minutes).

Werner Herzog stars Nicolas Cage in a dire portrait of a rapist, murderer, drug addict, corrupt cop and degen-

erate paranoid who is apprehensive about iguanas. It places this man in a devastated New Orleans not long after Hurricane Katrina. It makes no attempt to show that city of legends in a flattering light. And it gradually reveals itself as a sly comedy about a rather courageous man. Cage and

“BOTH FUNNY AND UPLIFTING,

‘The Blind Side’ is truly one of the best films of the year.”

– Phil Boatwright,

PREVIEW ONLINE

“This is the

BEST PERFORMANCE

of Sandra Bullock’s career.”

– Pete Hammond,

BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE

A SCENE FROM TriStar Pictures’ “Planet 51”. (© TRISTAR

“THE MVP OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON!”

“A TRUE STORY THAT’S SO GOOD, IT SEEMS LIKE FICTION.” – Jim Ferguson, ABC-TV

– Megan Basham,

PICTURES)

WORLD MAGAZINE

Rover, possibly intended to stay and look around, who is a cross between a Mars lander, WALL-E and a friendly dog, and he loves to scamper around and collect rocks, as all good Rovers do.

Apparently there is no way a family animated cartoon can avoid ending in action scenes, and Gen. Grawl leads his troops against the menacing Chuck.

At least the battle is slapstick and not very violent. And all ends happily. Oops, was that a spoiler?

The movie was written by Joe

Stillman, who wrote “Shrek.”

It was beautifully animated in Spain, and also uses the voice talents of Jessica Biel, Seann William Scott and John Cleese.

It’s perfectly pleasant as kiddie entertainment, although wall-towall with pop references to the American 1950s. I believe there may be millions of kiddies who, hard as this is to conceive, have never heard of Elvis. As that decade recedes in our rearview mirror, it more and more seems to signify something big and enduring. What, I am not sure.

“ITS IMPORTANCE LIES IN THE HEARTS, THE SOULS AND THE SPIRITS OF EVERYONE INVOLVED.”

HE MESSENGER (Drama, R, 107 minutes). Two Army officers draw the hard duty of notifying the next of kin of a death in combat. Woody Harrelson plays the old hand at breaking the news.

Ben Foster plays the new man, wounded in combat in Iraq. He has a tendency to care about the people he’s informing. Not Army policy, the veteran explains. You’ll lose it if you let yourself care. With Samantha Morton as a new widow and Steve Buscemi as a father whose grief turns to anger. Directed by Oren Moverman, himself a combat veteran in the Israeli army. Rating: Three and a half stars.

NEW ON VIDEO & DVD

A

NGELS AND DEMONS (Thriller, PG-13, 138 m., 2009). Professor Tom Hanks is back on the trail again, racing through Rome against a ticking time bomb to save four kidnapped cardinals and reach a vial of anti-matter that could vaporize the Vatican.

Meanwhile, intrigue within the College of Cardinals and evidence the previous pope was murdered.

This kind of thriller requires us to accept the preposterous, and if we do, it promises to entertain. “Angels and Demons” succeeds. Rating: Three stars.

F

OUR CHRISTMASES (Comedy, PG-13, 82 m., 2008). Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon get trapped having to visit the households of their four divorced parents, which are so dysfunctional, this feels more like a Thanksgiving picture, where the families are always miserable. Rating: Two stars.

– Jake Hamilton,

FOX-TV

F

Kids don’t get enough art these days. For Ten Simple Ways to get more art in kids’ lives, visit AmericansForTheArts.org.

A

m e r i c A n s

F

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T

h e

A

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.

ALCON ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS A GILCO-NETTER PRODUCTION A JOHN LEE HANCOCK FILM EXECUTIVE SANDRA BULLOCK “THE BLIND SIDE” TIM MCGRAW QUINTONPRODUCED AARON AND KATHY BATES PRODUCERS YOLANDA T. COCHRAN STEVENBASEDP. WEGNER PRODUCERS MOLLY SMITH TIMOTHY M. BOURNE ERWIN STOFF ON

BY GIL NETTER ANDREW A. KOSOVE BRODERICK JOHNSON THE BOOK THE BLIND SIDE: EVOLUTION OF A GAME BY MICHAEL LEWIS WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JOHN LEE HANCOCK

UNNY PEOPLE (Comedy/ drama, R, 146 m., 2009). This is a different Adam Sandler, deeper, more thoughtful, in a comedy with thoughtful undertones about a show biz superstar told he has weeks to live. Writer-director Judd Apatow joins him with fine supporting work by Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann, avoids more than a few obvious cliches, and deals not just with mortality but with the cutthroat world of stand-up comedians. Eric Bana plays an outsize Aussie heavy, and look for Torsten Voges as a peculiarly chilling doctor. Rating: Three and a half stars.

o r g

MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes, Text Message BLIND and Your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)

STARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20 - CHECK DIRECTORIES FOR LISTINGS Area Codes: (202), (301), (304), (410), (443), (540), (703), (877), (888)

Washington Suburban Press • Thu 11/19 • 2x8’’ JobID#: 415255 Name: 1119_TBS_WashSP.pdf #98 11/13/09 12:17 PM pt

*415255*

Continued on Page 28

ES

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November 19 - 25, 2009

Mini Reviews

M

Y SISTER’S KEEPER (Drama, PG-13, 108 m., 2009). An 11-year-old girl files suit to prevent her parents from making her donate a kidney for her very ill 16-year-old sister. An effective tearjerker, well acted, based on the best seller by Jodi Picoult.

Persuasive performances by Abigail Breslin as the girl who is suing, Sofia Vassilieva as her sister, Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric as her parents, and Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack.

Directed by Nick Cassavetes. Rating: Three and a half stars.

Continued from Page 27

T

HE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD (Comedy, R, 90 m., 2009). A cheerfully, energetically vulgar comedy. Contains a lot of laughs and has studied Political Correctness only enough to make a WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 list of groups to offend. It involves a failing car dealer (James Brolin) who calls in a hired gun (Jeremy Piven) and his team to move goods off the lot over the Fourth of July.

With David Koechner, Kathryn Hahn, Ving Rhames, Ed Helms and Charles Napier. Rating: Three stars.

“THE PERFECT HOLIDAY ANIMATED COMEDY.” Jim Ferguson, KGUN (ABC) Tucson

TM

I

S ANYBODY THERE? (Comedy/ drama, PG-13, 92 m., 2009).

Michael Caine is superb as the Amazing Clarence, a retired magician who checks into an old folks’ home and slowly makes friends with Edward (Bill Milner), the owners’ 10year-old son. The rest of the film, unfortunately, isn’t up to their level; it’s clunky and sitcomish, but Caine is almost worth the price of admission.

Rating: Two and a half stars.

S

TAR TREK (Sci-fi action, PG13, 126 m., 2009). Using the device of time travel, the new movie reboots the original franchise with younger characters and actors, as we meet Kirk, Spock, Scotty, NESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Uhuru and Bones in their younger days. Lacks the twists and challenges of classic “Star Trek” and is essentially a space opera, with young Kirk (Chris Pine) battling a Romulan super ship from the future.

Leonard Nimoy is very effective as an elder Spock, who is, paradoxically, a Vulcan25 who seems the most human Y, NOVEMBER of the characters. Rating: Two and a half stars.

(c) 2009 The Ebert Co.

B

RUNO (Comedy, R, 82 m., 2009). The title character is a flamboyantly, deliberately provocative gay man who ambushes innocent bystanders in his desperate bid for celebrity. Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat”) shows nerve in placing himself in real situations in front of a rabid wrestling crowd and an outraged TV studio audience. Among those not in on the gag are congressIN THEATRES man Ron Paul, who angrily flees WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 The an apparent seduction attempt. needle on my internal Laugh Meter 1 Col. x 2" Filler Ad went haywire, bouncing between hilarity, appreciation, shock, admiration, disgust, disbelief and appalled incredulity. Rating: Three and a half stars.

IN THEATRES WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25

TRISTAR PICTURES PRESENTS AN ILION ANIMATION STUDIOS PRODUCTION “PLANET 51” IN ASSOCIATION WITHCASTINGHANDMADE FILMS INTERNATIONAL DWAYNE JOHNSON JESSICA BIEL WILLIAM SCOTTEXECUTIVE AND JOHN CLEESE AS “PROFESSOR KIPPLE” BY RUTH LAMBERT, CSA AND ROBERT McGEE, CSA COMPOSER JAMES BRETT JUSTINEDITEDLONG GARY OLDMANDIRECTORSEANN OF

BY ALEX RODRÍGUEZ TECHNOLOGY GONZALO RUEDA PRODUCERS JUAN ANTONIO PÉREZ RAMÍREZ MICHAEL RYAN PETER GRAVES ALBIE HECHT AND JOSÉ A. RODRÍGUEZ CO-DIRECTED DIRECTED WRITTEN PRODUCED

BY JAVIER ABAD AND MARCOS MARTÍNEZ

BY JORGE BLANCO

BY JOE STILLMAN

BY IGNACIO PÉREZ DOLSET AND GUY COLLINS

1 Col. x 4" Filler Ad IN THEATRES WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25

1 Col. x 1" Filler Ad

TM

SPECIAL ANIMATED

SHORT IN SELECT THEATERS

STARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT

Moving? Ask us about subscriptions! 703-532-3267

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 29

Nov

19 ay

sd Thur

Delbert McClinton Birchmere 7:30 p.m.

3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria 703-549-7500 • birchmere.com

Amanda Palmer State Theatre 8:30 p.m.

220 N. Washington St., Falls Church 703-237-0300 • thestatetheatre.com

20 y

Frida

Grant Lee Phillips Jammin’ Java 7 p.m.

227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna 703-255-1566 • jamminjava.com

21 ay

d Satur

BY MIKE HUME

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Drummers don’t spend a lot of time in the limelight. Known best for their epic deaths in “This Is Spinal Tap” or when they’re swapped out by Pearl Jam, the men who sit behind the skins are seldom heard from in the music world, with few exceptions. It does not appear that J. Tillman will be one of them. Though his immense songwriting talent could have the final say on that matter.

Despite a sixth solo album, his second of the year, the Fleet Foxes drummer says his music represents just a fraction of himself “under a magnifying glass.” Heck, even his MySpace page, a site categorized as “social” media, doesn’t offer many clues. Instead it offers this explainer for lack of personalization: “In response to the huge influx of disappointed and disgusted messages regarding my lack of personal correspondence, I feel compelled to make it officially known that chances are I will not respond to your message, though many of them are valued and appreciated. Anything you might need to know about my shows, releases, etc. is readily available on the internet, somewhere. Please don’t take it personally, thanks for listening.”

“It’s kind of like an occupational hazard of being accessible in that way,” Tillman says.

“I make music and I make it available, but I can’t necessarily deliver the kind of insight or correspondence people expect on those sites.”

Fans shouldn’t take it personally, and Tillman says many have understood his reasoning. Instead, they should probably his enjoy

his high standard for substance and a desire to pursue something deeper through his music than superficial Internet interaction.

“To people on the Internet, I’m purely an abstraction. To them, I’m just the music I play. And you can’t really communicate with people when that’s the beginning and end of perspective of me, any more than I can communicate with them with my abstraction of them, which is a person on the Internet who listens to music.”

So here’s what we do know about Mr. Tillman: The “J” stands for Joshua. He hails from Seattle, by way of Maryland. He’s contemplative, as illustrated by the I’m-thinking pauses of a phone interview, and he’s far more than a stand-in smacking the skins for the Fleet Foxes, as evidenced by his latest solo release, A Year in the Kingdom.

The album alternates between relatively simple, acoustic guitar compositions like the album’s title track and carefully crafted, intricately layered numbers, such as “Crosswinds,” which weaves whistles with crystalline strings and a serene chorus on a four-minute spirit walk through an enchanted wood.

Though Tillman calls the work his most “joyful” to date, and the uptempo-ish opener fits that label, the overall acoustic aesthetic, coupled with his Sam Beam-ish vocals and song titles like “There Is No Good In Me,” may belie that. While the songs come across as slightly mournful, they’re not difficult to thoroughly enjoy. Tillman’s punctuation of particular parts of his songs with additional instruments — a lonely piano, a serenading string section — with a chorus of angelic voices perfectly illustrates the value, and impact, of

The Reserves Iota Club & Café 9 p.m.

These tunes struck a chord with the News-Press:

2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington



703-522-8340 • iotaclubandcafe.com

Nicholas Benton— Pinball Wizard by The Who 



Jody Fellows— Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix

Natalie Bedell— Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs 

Dean Edwards— Billy Brown by Mika

J. TILLMAN (COURTESY PHOTO) restraint, rather than firing every arrow in his musical quiver all of the time.

But even if you feel you can draw conclusions about Tillman from this finely crafted mix of songs, you may want to curb that feeling.

“There’s something there,” he says. “I try to be as brutally transparent with certain things as I can, but it’s a very small picture of a very small part of myself. Personality and identity, that’s all very subjective. You think about the way you view your friends, you expect them to react within certain parameters. Everyone has a certain role in your life. With music, it’s the same way, you have to put parameters around it in order to make sense.”

While his music may not be the clearest lens with which to observe Joshua Tillman, it certainly is the most enjoyable.

• For more on J. Tillman, visit myspace. com/jtillman.

Page 30

November 19 - 25, 2009 yer s

Law Rd.

Restaurant Spotlight Evo Bistro

Evo Bistro McLean 123

1313 Old Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, VA 703-288-4422 • evobistro.com

The First Name in Pancakes

Availab

le!

www.edencenter.com

Also weekdays: Free Wi-Fi at selected locations and a new Senior Menu!

7700 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD 301-986-0285

1313 old chain bridge rd

McLean

F re e

Parking

370 West Broad St. Falls Church,VA 703-891-0148

123

12224 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 301-468-0886

MANY OF WASHINGTON'S BEST RESTAURANTS WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE AND WASHINGTON POST REVIEWED

Authentic Afghan Cuisine 124 N. Washington St. Falls Church, VA By the intersections of Rt. 7 & 29 Free Parking in Rear

(703) 534-1033

Lunch: 11 am-2:00 pm Dinner : 5 pm-10 pm • Sunday 5-10 •

Phone: (703) 536-4566 924 W. Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046

Harvest Moon Restaurant & Lounge

703-573-6000 www.theharvestmoonrestaurant.com (Graham Center across from Loehmann’s Plaza) 7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042

Call for Reservations 105 W. Broad St. Falls Church, VA 22046

BISTRO

des Célestins CA F È Tel: (703) 538-3033 Fax: (703) 573-0409

6876 Lee Highway Arlington, Virginia 22213

www.lacotedorcafe.com

Your Ad Here!

Call Nick G. to reserve your spot in the News-Press Dining Guide

703-532-3267

Let the good “wines” roll – or so goes Evo Bistro’s implied motto.

Beginning this Saturday, Nov. 21, the McLeanbased establishment will begin the tradition of innovative weekend wine tastings on all featured wines.

Just how it does this, though, is the fun part.

The restaurant has installed a self-serve, wine tasting bar where vino lovers can try individually priced “pours,” experiencing a certain vintage before risking the substantial investment of buying a bottle. Each of the 25 wines the restaurant has available for tastings are labeled with a rating of 90 or above on a 100 point scale by the respected review boards of Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiasm, International Wine Review and Wine Advocate, Robert Parker. A description of the ferment and suggestions for food parings also accompany the rating, thereby creating a wallet-friendly method of promoting education and socialization of wine.

Evo Bistro, established by head chef and owner Driss Zahidi, has already been scoped out as one of the “75 Best Wine Bars 2009,” rated the elusive “Four Out of Four Wine Glasses” and named “Cheap Eat 2008/2009” by Washingtonian magazine, Evo Bistro has been rated by Zagat as one of the “Top Newcomers 2008/2009” and as Northern Virginia magazine’s “Top 50 Best Restaurants.”

Further proving its reputation, the restaurant is currently expanding, utilizing the vacant space adjacent and doubling its size in order to accommodate for growing demand.

Once a patron has their fill at the tasting bar, they’ll be welcomed to a table with polite, prompt attention and homemade hummus, creamy with hints of garlic and cilantro.

Chef Zahidi offers a variety of French, Spanish, Italian and Moroccan-tinged tapas specialties, drawing on the each culture’s staple flavors to craft the most exquisite plates. He procures fresh ingredients such as lettuce and herbs strictly from local markets, guaranteeing not only a fresh meal but a hometown feel.

Zahidi’s petite creations, sparing injury to checkbooks, include his Empanadas De Carne ($7.50), Spanish turnovers filled with seasoned Black Angus beef. His Kebabs are succulently spiced skewers of chicken ($8.50) or lamb ($9.95). And even skeptics will be converted once tasting his Butternut Squash Ravioli ($9) stuffed with naturally rich squash and mushrooms, dripping in sage cream sauce.

For a full entrée, dig into the Seafood Paella ($22.50) which includes mussels, shrimp, scallops and sausage. The Tangine ($24.75), also a favorite, consists of braised-lamb shanks served with couscous and crisp vegetables.

For the cholesterol-conscious, Evo Bistro has non-meat faire. The Caprese ($9) is comprised of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella dressed in a tangy, balsamic vinaigrette reduction. The Tortilla ($5, lunch only) is an onion and potato omelet cut to resemble crepes.

For those still doubtful Zahidi could top himself, order the after-dinner Pyramid Noisette ($12) which is shaped how it sounds – a marble chocolate obelisk with rich interior of chocolate ganache and hazelnut mousse. The Pear Tart ($12) features a mango-raspberry sauce and is served with vanilla ice cream.

Let Evo Bistro relieve the stressful work day and join in for Happy Hour, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., Monday – Thursday with $5 drink and tapas selections.

— MARY PORTNER

Restaurant & Pub Tysons Station Shopping Center 7510 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, Va

703-847-5336 Hours

HOURS: Lunch: Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Dinner: Monday – Thursday, 5 – 10 p.m. ; Friday – Saturday, 5 – 11 p.m.; Sundays, 5 – 9 p.m.

Evo Wine Shop : Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Featured Wines Wine Tastings)

Mon-Thurs: 11 am-10 pm Fri-Sat: 11 am - 11 pm Sun: Noon - 10 pm

Dining Guide Find out how to appear here for only $50 a week!

Ask about discounts for combining display & online advertising.

Call Nick G. at 703-532-3267 for more info.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 31

he readers of Bethe esda Magazine 2008

“BEST PANCAKES” Serving Breakf k as st • Lunch

m Everyday • Crepes • Senior Menu • Omelettes

Dozens of restaurants with cuisine from every region of Vietnam, 18 jewelry stores full of treasures, the only Vietnamese supermarket in Northern Virginia, hair stylists, and much, much more! The Vietnamese American community takes pride in Eden Center and the City of Falls Church.

Now available, Gluten Free Pancakes

MANY OF WASHINGTON'S BEST RESTAURANTS WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE AND WASHINGTON POST REVIEWED

3 LOC CAT A IONS: 7700 Wisconsin Av Ae Bethesda, MD 301-986-0285

VISIT US TODAY!

SKYLINE CAFÉ Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine Happy Thanksgiving 10% OFF Dining In Only Try Our Delicious Vegatarian Dishes

Come & Enjoy Complimentary Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Vegetarian Dishes-Catering-Carryout

www.skylineethiopiancuisine.com

703-820-0240

3821-A South George Mason Drive, Falls Church, VA (Build America at Skyline)

, CHURCH ALLS A VIRGINI •

Januar y FOUNDE 1991

17 -

WWW.

FCNP.

COM

• FREE

D

News•Photos•Online Polls•Sports and More

122244 Rockvile Pike Roockville, MD 3001-468-0886

370 West Broad St. V Falls Church, VA 703-891-0148

l ble l P rk r ing n Availa Free Pa Fr

Harvest Moon Restaurant & Lounge

“The Harvest Moon Restaurant ... a bright... light n landscape off Northern Virginia.” on the dining n ton Post - Joan Horwitt - Washing Banquet Facilities (up to 700 people) W WHGGLQJV Ć Bus usiness L Luncheons or DiQQHUV Ć OrAny Occasion o Extensive Menu Free Delivery within 3 mile radius, $10 minimum

SUPER DAILY LUNCH & DINNER BUFFETS

Dinner Lunch Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm Adults - $8.95 Adults - $7.95 Kids (2-10) - $4.50 Kids (2-10) - $3.95 Sat. & Sun. 11:30-9pm Adults - $8.95 Kids - $4.50

703-573-6000

www.theha w rvestmoonrestaurant.com (Graham Center across from Loehmann¶s Plaza) 7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, V VA 22042

Page 32

November 19 - 25, 2009

Cocktails to Compliment Thanksgiving Food You’ll slave over the turkey, sweat out whether the gravy will have lumps and pray the potatoes aren’t too gluey. But how much attention will you pay to the beverages you serve with those holiday meals? Shouldn’t they complement the meal as well?

Turkeys, hams, duck, crown roasts of pork and big roasts of beef are fatty foods that taste even better when their effects are cut by a drink with some character and acid.

We’ve put together several cocktails that serve the purpose well. Ask that person you always yell at for picking at the dinner before it’s done to keep the beverages flowing. You won’t have to make drinks, and it will keep him or

By Ruth Fantasia her out of the kitchen.

Albany Times Union APPLE VIRGIN MOJITO

Simply Spirits

A refreshing treat for those who don’t want alcohol. From “Difford’s Encyclopedia of Cocktails,” by Simon Difford.

12 fresh mint leaves 1/2 shot fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/2 shot fresh squeezed lime juice 3/4 shot simple syrup 3 shots apple juice Club soda Mint sprig for garnish Place mint, lemon and lime juices, and syrup in a tall glass. Half fill the glass with crushed ice and stir. Add enough crushed ice to fill glass. Add apple juice and top with club soda. Stir again. Garnish with a mint sprig, and serve with a straw. Makes 1 serving.

COPPER ILLUSION This variation of Italy’s classic negroni is perfect for those who like their drinks both bitter and sweet. From “Difford’s Encyclopedia of Cocktails,” by Simon Difford. Makes 1 serving.

1 1/2 shots dry gin 3/4 shot Campari 3/4 shot triple sec Orange twist Place gin, Campari and triple sec in a shaker with ice.

Shake, then strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.

Garnish with orange twist.

FIZZY KRISTI X-Rated Fusion liqueur is a bright-pink, 34-proof blend of vodka fused with blood oranges, mango and passion fruit. This version is an update of the ubiquitous cosmopolitan from “Sex and the City.”

1 shot X-rated Fusion Tonic water Lime wedge Fill a tall glass with ice. Add liqueur and top with tonic water.

Garnish with a lime wedge. Makes 1 serving.

SPIKED APPLE CIDER Warm and soothing, this is an alternative to the keep-you-upall-night post-prandial coffee. From “Difford’s Encyclopedia of Cocktails,” by Simon Difford.

2 dried whole cloves 2 shots cognac 3 shots apple cider Heavy cream Cinnamon Crush cloves in the base of a cocktail shaker. Add cognac and apple cider. Shake and strain into a mug.

Warm drink in microwave, then float a layer of cream over drink by holding a spoon just above the cider mixture and touching the side of the mug. Carefully pour cream into spoon.

Sprinkle cream layer with cinnamon. Makes 1 serving.

Anthrax in Aruba Scott Ian is an UltimateBet. com poker professional. He’s also a rock star who plays rhythm guitar in two bands, Anthrax and Pearl, and writes a comic book titled Lobo.

At the 2009 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Scott was juggling some serious balls.

He arrived in Vegas on a Sunday night after finishing an Anthrax concert in Germany the night before. He headed straight to the Rio Hotel just in time to sign up for the WSOP Main Event.

Scott made it through Day One on Monday and Day Two on Wednesday.

Living on virtually no sleep, Scott slept for a mere 90 minutes after play ended on Wednesday then hopped a 6 a.m. flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma where Anthrax was performing on Thursday night. At the end of the show, he slept another 90 minutes, hopped another 6 a.m. flight, and again returned to Vegas in order to make the Friday morning start time for Day Three.

Luckily for Scott, there were no flight delays on his way back to Vegas. Even the shortest delay could have cost him half his chips in missed blinds.

He made it through Day Three on Friday before completely passing out from exhaustion when he hit his room that night. Day Four began on Saturday and Scott managed to make it to the money bubble -- the final 650 or so players out of the starting field of 6,900 players.

The pace of play had become interminably slow. At the point when only three players remain outside the money, hand-for-hand dealing commences meaning that every table has to finish the hand before a new hand is dealt. Only about eight hands per hour are dealt during hand-to-hand play as compared to about 30 hands per hour during normal play.

Scott was literally falling asleep between hands yet he managed to push through his fatigue and finish in the money before ultimately busting out late on Day Four.

I ran into Scott in Aruba at the UltimateBet.com Aruba Poker Classic in early October and watched him play for awhile.

He was playing textbook supertight poker on Day One when he overheard the chip leader at his table say that he was going to shut it down and play more conservatively because he had been on a recent losing streak. Scott was short on chips at the time and had established a great tight image. He decided this was the perfect set of circumstances to try to bluff the chip leader.

Now, most pros would never attempt to bluff the chip leader, but after overhearing those comments, Scott was confident that was the logical play.

Soon after, Scott was in the big blind when the chip leader raised under the gun to $950 with 10-10.

Everyone folded around to Scott who made it $3,100 to go with A-8.

The chip leader called and the flop came Qc-Qh-6d. Both players checked.

A jack fell on the turn, Scott

bet $5,100 and the chip leader instantly snap-called.

Although Scott figured he was probably beat, he decided to bluff on the river.

The river was an eight and Scott shoved all-in for $12,000 more. The chip leader studied the situation for three tortuous minutes before eventually calling the clock – on himself!

Scott sat motionless, not saying a word. The chip leader finally folded his hand but not before revealing his pocket tens. Scott responded by flashing an eight as he threw his winning hand into the muck.

Most pros would have checked it down after the eight hit on the river but not Scott Ian – he played this hand masterfully!  Learn more about Phil at www.

PhilHellmuth.com and www.

PokerBrat.com. © 2009 Card Shark Media. All rights reserved.

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 33

crossword / 1

2

3

4

5

6

By David Levinson Wilk 7

13

14

17

18

20

21

24

25

28

8

9 15

12

16

22

23

26

27 30

32 35

11

19

29

34

10

31

33

36

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39

40

41

46

47

50

51

54

55

58

59

61

42

48

43

49 52 56

53 57 60

62

63

© 2009 David Levinson Wilk

44

45

ACROSS 1. Italian restaurant chain 7. Part of BYOB 10. Harris and Sullivan 13. Showed the door 14. The Beatles’ “____ Leaving Home” 16. Part of a footnote abbr.

17. Come (to) 18. Jolly laugh 19. Big Ten sch.

20. Veterinarian’s office?

22. Sch. named for a televangelist 23. Plasma alternative, for short 24. Prefix with sclerosis 25. Energize 27. Hooray for Jorge 28. 1987 Costner role 29. Degrees for CEOs 30. Not be able to swallow 32. Love ____ 33. Single-minded theorizer 34. Have a bite at the edge of one’s property?

38. Principles 39. Bullpen stats 40. Tennessee town SE of Fayetteville 41. Fleischer and Onassis 42. Pointed attack?

46. Bernese peak 47. Actress Dianne 49. Earthy shade 50. Salmon-to-be 51. Monopolize

52. Willing ... or a hint to 20- and 34Across and 15- and 32-Down 54. Crosswords, say 55. Sch. near the Rio Grande 57. Still 58. 4 x 4, for short 59. Forerunner to Leno and O’Brien 60. Like some palms 61. Trip provider?

62. ____ Balls (snack cakes) 63. Cardiologists’ concerns Down 1. Apply hurriedly 2. Confound 3. Embraces 4. Shakes awake 5. Total 6. Filmmaker Preminger 7. ____Kosh B’Gosh 8. “I goofed” 9. India’s first prime minister 10. Environment-related 11. Reveal 12. Classy person?

15. Shoppers make a run on Campbell’s and Progresso?

21. Blue Ribbon beer maker 26. 2000 Eminem album “The Marshall ____ LP” 29. Part of YMCA 31. Former Texas governor Richards 32. What a nonviolent person offers by way of punishment?

33. Degrees for novelists

34. Box office triumphs 35. Like Christmas presents on 12/24 36. Part of MPG 37. Verdi aria 38. Like some goodbyes 41. Sea between Greece and Turkey 42. One who makes a point 43. It might be idle 44. Kenny G’s record label 45. Ford and Boop 48. Smidgens 49. “A Tale ____ Cities” 53. “Que ____?”

56. Whiz

Last Thursday’s Solution M A T R O N S

T H E I D E A

V A L V E W R E S O N I N C S O H

M E I E R A T I S T H I V O K A A M R A D Y I N Y A S A Y S Y

P R O P U P E L I T I N E

H L A A R C H O E A W R E L N E L M E I E C A R N E H Y G I O G F T S

E B A N

S A K I

A L E X A

A W R I R M A P R S K O O R I F D A I N D S

B R E O N E P A N R U N N I N G F R E E

A B K E A G S E E I N T O

S W E N S O N

Across 1. Italian restaurant chain

THE QUIGMANS

Buddy Hickerson

7. Part of BYOB 10. Harris and Sullivan 13. Showed the door 14. The Beatles' "____ Leaving Home"

Level: 1

2

3 4

16. Part of a footnote abbr.

17. Come (to) 18. Jolly laugh 19. Big Ten sch.

20. Veterinarian's office?

22. Sch. named for a televangelist 23. Plasma alternative, for short 24. Prefix with sclerosis 25. Energize 27. Hooray for Jorge 28. 1987 Costner role 29. Degrees for CEOs NICK KNACK

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

11/22/09

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

© 2009 N.F. Benton

© 2009 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

Page 34

November 19 - 25, 2009

Yard Sales SIDEWALK SALE ON Saturday November. 29, 2009 off Annandale Road & Chestnut Road,. 10-3, Rain date Sunday 12-3. Plus-size clothes.

For Sale 12 BURIAL SITES at National Memorial Park. Discounted 50%. 8 sites in L Section; 4 sites in Masonic Section. 336-349-3405

Help Wanted HELP NEEDED ON a Saturday in Nov. or Dec. to clean out small office in McLean.

Small van helpful. Good salary & references. 703-729-1017 NEED HELP WITH computer. Please call 703-532-4003.

WE ARE NOW accepting applications for Teacher’s Assistant in our Montessori program for full or part time positions. Call 703237-0266 for interview or fax your resume to 703-237-2917.

For Rent BASEMENT APARTMENT $825 per month. Near 7 Corners. No pets. Available December 1. Call 703-241-2507.

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE Available 7 days a week. Week, biweekly, monthly or one time. Good references in Falls Church City. 10 years experience. For further information call me at 703-901-0596.

Senior discount, Ask: Susy.

LICENSED FALLS CHURCH CITY DAYCARE-PROVIDER - Infant to 3 years of age. M - F, Full or Part time. Also opened as a backup when your DayCare or Provider is closed. Holiday, snow etc.

703-237-9619

WITH YARD CLEANUP/ Leaf Removal: Get 1/2 price on pruning, trimming, mulching, or other landscape or handyman services. Call 703-508-3976.

Public Notice Request For Proposals (RFP) Summer Camp Programs - RFP #1104-10-SCP City Of Falls Church, Virginia Sealed proposals will be received by the City of Falls Church from qualified contractors for the provision of Summer Specialty Camps.

Due date for the receipt of proposals (RFP #1104-10-SCP): December 8, 2009 by 11:00 a.m.

All proposals must meet the requirements in the RFP which is available for download from the City of Falls Church’s website: www.fallschurchva.gov; Purchasing and Procurement link.

LIVE IN WALK-TO-EVERYTHING Winter Hill townhouse. 2 BR, 1BA, brick patio. Pay only electric utility. $1,350/mo.

703-447-0252 or carladbass@yahoo.com

NICELY FURNISHED ENGLISH basement apartment with separate entrance, large living area, bathroom, bedroom.

Includes utilities, WI-FI, CATV, laundry room access. In quiet neighborhood 1 block off of main Metro bus route to East Falls Church Metro or Tysons Corner. $800 per month and 1 month rent security. Available December 1. Call 703-887-2526.

ROOM FOR RENT, available now. Beautiful, big, & clean. Utilities included. $650 per month. Call 571-337-0962

SINGLE FAMILY 3BR, 1BA home. dishwasher & garbage disposal. New flooring, windows, & paint. $1600/month. Call 703-379-1149.

SPACIOUS END-UNIT TOWNHOME F.C. City, $2690. 4BDRS, 3.5BAS. WalkOut Rec Rm, 2FPS, Charming Setting.

EFC Metro. Dec. 1. Owner/Agent 703628-0470

WALK-OUT BASEMENT APT., utilities included. Male or female, No pets. No Smoking. Laundry access. $740 per month.

Security deposit required. Laundry Access.

703-241-2404.

For more information regarding this RFP contact: Faye Smith, Purchasing Manager; (703) 248-5007; fsmith@fallschurchva.gov.

To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call 703 248-5007, (TTY 711).

Deadlines: Every Tuesday 2 p.m.

classads@fcnp.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL LONG-RANGE FINANCIAL WORKING GROUP CITY COUNCIL IS SOLICITING CITY RESIDENTS to serve on the Long Range Financial Working Group to assist City Management and the City Council with long range financial planning. The Council is seeking five city residents who, by virtue of their education and employment in the public or private sector, have demonstrated competence in one or more of the areas of accounting, economics, financial analysis, financial forecasting, budget and fiscal management, and public finance.

For more details on the Working Group and an application form, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 703-248-5014 or by email at cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA Ordinance (T09-13) was given first reading on November 9, 2009. Second reading and public hearing will be held on Monday, November 23, 2009 at 7:30 p.m., Official Time, or as soon thereafter as may be heard.

(TO9-13) Ordinance To Amend Chapter 8, “Businesses And Business Regulations,” Division 3. “Permits; Compliance Procedures,” Division 4. “Review Of Plans And Specifications,” Division 5. “Youth Athletics Concession Stands,” And Article V. “Water Recreation Facilities,” Division 1. “Generally.” [Revised Food Code] All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703 248-5013 (TTY 711).

KATHLEEN CLARKEN BUSCHOW CITY CLERK

classads@fcnp.com

News-Press Classifieds

$20 for up to 20 words 50¢ each additional word Add a box - $10

Deadline: 2 p.m. Tuesdays

(two days before publication)

Fill out our Classified Ad form online at www.fcnp.com Phone: 703-532-3267 • Fax: 703-342-0352 E-Mail: classads@fcnp.com Mail: 450 W. Broad St. #321, Falls Church, VA 22046 Please include payment (check or money order) with your ad or call us to arrange payment by credit card.

For public & legal notices, please e-mail legalads@fcnp.com

The Falls Church News-Press accepts no financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements. Advertising which has minor discrepancies such as misspelling or small type transposition, but which do not affect the ability of the reader to respond to the ad will be considered substantially correct and full payment is required. The Falls Church NewsPress is not responsible if the original copy is not typewritten or legible and clear. The Falls Church News-Press is not responsible for copy changes made by telephone.

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Services BRAD ROBEY, PAINTER and Paperhanger; Long time resident of Falls Church and Arlington. Professional painter; paperhanger and carpentry services. Free Estimates: 703-560-5671 CHILD CARE Experienced childcare provider provides quality care for your infant in F.C. home. (703) 241-0605.

DOG SITTING in my home. Reasonable rates. Excellent references Call 703-577-1734

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www.FCNP.com Anytime. Anywhere. ( ... as long as you have Internet access ... and a power supply ... and for that matter a computer ... or a cell phone ... come to think of it you’re going to need a ISP too ... )

ory

November 19 - 25, 2009

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Page 36

November 19 - 25, 2009

BACK IN THE DAY laz y The dog. c k q u i fox sly p e d jum e r o v lazy the g . d o is Now time the all for o d g o to cows

15 s Yearo g A

to come aid the ir of there. pa stu is Now e the timall for o d g o to cows to come aid the ir of there. pa stu

10 & 15 YEARS AGO

Falls Church News-Press Vol lV, No. 36 • November 24, 1994

10 Year s Ago

Thro w it up.

Pour it up It now is the time for all go od cows to go to the aid

“With the manpower at the Falls Church Police Department down from 29 to 20 officers, Chief Robert Murray came before the City Council Monday to advocate an ambitious program to place three photo installations at traffic light intersections in town to nab an alarmingly-high rate of motorists running red lights. The Council tabled action of the proposal, which will cost the City $15,000 a month for a five - ... ”

mander in Afghanistan up to 2007 – has reportedly sent two cables to Obama objecting to the dispatch of more troops.

Matthew Hoh, a State Department official in Afghanistan quit his post to protest the reality that Americans were dying there, “fighting and dying for the Karzai regime.”

Both Eikenberry and Hoh said they were concerned about corruption in the Karzai regime.

The president should listen to these men who have been there and who are sending warnings to him against escalating the war.

He also should consider the

high human cost of war on all sides, in terms of Americans killed

by Taliban and al Qaida and in terms of the innocent Afghan civilians who happened to be too near a bomb target.

This war looks like an expensive, endless gopher hole where we can pour our blood and our treasure that could be used to help the Afghan poor and the American people suffering from job loss and poverty.

Obama is facing probably one of the most crucial decisions of his presidency – one that will define him in history and test his courage to choose peace over war. Yes he can.

SAM THE KITTY CAT appreciates a fine piece of china. Even at the young age of 4 months, he prefers lounging upon plates of Bernardaud and Raynaud. Tony Ghisi, who resides on Laura Drive, placates Sam’s porcelain preferences. As little Sam grows, so he goes from bread plate, to salad plate and eventually, god willing, to dinner or serving. His house-mate Melissa also loves little Sam and gives him chasers of choice. Sam joined their household around Oct. 1, adopted from Last Chance Animal Rescue, who saved Sam, introduced him to his new caretakers and found him his forever home. He is half Maine coon and half Domestic Tabby. Sam’s owners say the little china cat is just what they needed to complete their household. In order to find out more about Last Chance Animal Rescue, visit their web site at http://www.lastchancehumane.org/ or call 301-274-9409.

If you would like to see your pet here, e-mail us at crittercorner@fcnp. com or send a picture and a short description to Falls Church NewsPress c/o Critter Corner, 450 W. Broad St., Suite 321, Falls Church, VA 22046.

Go Painlessly Mary Ann W.

Tom W.

THG-09906

without fear of local authorities.

Withdrawal from the Afghanistan quagmire is not an option for Obama. Even though he inherited the war, the president has embraced it. And he has done so without a whiff of domestic political protest. There are no visible peace makers, no loud protesters chanting “how many kids did you kill today?” – those painful antiVietnam war slogans Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon were forced to endure daily in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

More poignantly in the aftermath of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Obama attended two national memorial services – one for the victims of the Fort Hood massacre and the other for the dead in all wars at the Nov. 11 Veterans Day ceremonies.

Those provided opportunities for the president to announce that the U.S. would not be a party to further mayhem and that we would be a leader in the search for peace, a word not heard in the White House in recent years.

If Obama cannot learn from the lessons of Vietnam, he is bound to repeat the mistakes from that debacle that besmirched two presidents.

As Obama weighs Gen. McChrystal’s request for more troops, he should recall what President Johnson told reporters. All he ever heard from the generals, LBJ said, was “more, more troops” and we will win the Vietnam War. Well, we didn’t.

U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry – a retired general who had been the top military com-

It is no the timw e for g o all o cows d to go to the aid of the pa stu ir re. *** **

‘Council Mulls Spending $900,000 to Photo Red Light Violators as Police Department Short 9 of 29 Officers’

“Virginia’s 40 independent cities, including the City of Falls Church, should be abolished and absorbed into the counties surrounding them, the out-going president of the Virginia Association of Counties said in an interview at the conclusion of the association’s annual meeting at the Homestead last week. The remarks by Peggy R. Wiley, a veteran member of the Greensville County Board of Supervisors, rated a banner Page One headline in...”

Continued from Page 12

NEWS-PRESS

Falls Church News-Press Vol IX, No. 37 • November 25, 1999

‘OFFICIAL SAYS THEY DON’T WORK - Call to End Independent Cities’

Helen Thomas

IN THE

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November 19 - 25, 2009

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Page 37

ACCOUNTING

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ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

Falls Church Antique Company . . . . . 241-7074 Antique Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-9642 n

ATTORNEYS

Mark F. Werblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9300 Janine S. Benton, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . .992-9255 n

AUTOMOTIVE

Beyer Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5000 Integrity Tire & Auto Repair . . . . . . . . 639-0700 n

BANKING

Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co.. . . 519-1634 BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-3505 TD Bank/www.TDBank.com. . . . . . . . 237-2051 Acacia Federal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506-8100 n

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COMPUTER SERVICES COUNSELING DENTISTS

EQUIPMENT RENTAL/SALE

INSURANCE

n

Fred Cruz, Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876-1666 State Farm Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5105

EYEWEAR

BUSINESS SERVICES CHIROPRACTOR

n

Falls Church Florist, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 533-1333

FRAMES

Art & Frame of Falls Church . . . . . . . 534-4202

Mottern Masonry Design . . . . . . . . . . 496-7491 Masonry Specialist LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 443-2308 Jeff L. Cadle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698-1390

GIFTS

Stifel & Capra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-0770

Dr. Solano, solanospine.com . . . . . . 536-4366

n

MUSIC

Academy of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938-8054 World Childrens Choir . . . . . . . . . . . . 883-0920 Columbia Institute - Fine Arts. . . . . . . 534-2508 Foxes Music Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7393 n

OPHTHALMOLOGY

John Karickhoff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-2400 n

PHARMACY

Broad Street Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . .533-9013 n

REAL ESTATE

Merelyn Kaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790-9090x218 www.helpfulmortgage.us . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222 Casey O’Neal - ReMax . . . . . . . . . . . 824-4196 Rosemary Hayes Jones. . . . . . . . . . .790-1990 Leslie Hutchison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .675-2188 The Young Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356-8800 Shaun Murphy, Realtor . . . . . . . . . . . 868-5999 www.TheJeffersonatBallston.com . . . 741-7562 Susan Fauber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-8741

MASONRY

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MEDICAL

Dr Gordon Theisz, Family Medicine. . 533-7555 The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy. . . . 536-4042

Lawn Care Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 691-2351 Morales Landscaping and Lawncare 502-3990 Sweet Garden Lawn Care . . . . . . . . . 627-7723 Gabriel Lawn Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . 691-2351 Seven Brothers Landscaping. . . . . . . 241-4990

FLORISTS

MASSAGE

www.healthybyintention.com. . . . . . . . 534-1321 Sheraton Premiere Women’s Massage403-9328

LAWN & GARDEN

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Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-6500

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Joseph Home Improvement . . . . . . . . 507-5005 Handyman Services . . . . . . . . . . 571-221-0574 Ram Home Improvement . . . . . . . . . . 641-5892 Doug’s Handyman Services . . . . . . . 556-4276 Ambassador Home Improvements . . 499-7095 FC Heating & Air Service . . . . . . . . . . 534-0630 N.G. Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312-0032 Millennium, USA Painting . . . . . . . . . 409-8563 The Vinyl Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793-3111

VA Outdoor Power Equipment . . . . . . 207-2000 Ace Tool & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 532-5600 n

HOME CARE

HOME IMPROVEMENT

n

Dr. William Dougherty . . . . . . . . . . . 532-3300 Dr. Nimisha V. Patel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-1733 n

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Human Touch Home Health. . . . . . . . 531-0540

Carol S. Miller, LCSW . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-4980 Josette Millman, APRN . . . . . . . . . . . 855-0396 n

HEALTH & FITNESS

Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-0140 Sacred Well Yoga and Healing . . . . . 989-8316

Fast-teks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496-7807

BOOK BINDING

Jon Rizalvo, PAYCHEX . . . . 698-6910 x27045 n

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BCR Binders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9181

CLEANING SERVICES

Pressure Washing/Deck, Siding. . . . . 980-0225 A-Cleaning Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892-8648 Affordable Carpet Resoration. . . . . . . 978-2270 Maid Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823-1922 Carpets, Ducts, Windows. . . . . . . . . . 823-1922

Diener & Associates, CPA.. . . . . . . . . 241-8807 Eric C. Johnson, CPA, PC . . . . . . . . . 538-2394 Mark Sullivan, CPA. . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-4511 Hassans Accounting & Tax Services . 241-7771 Hahn & Associates, PC, CPAs. . . . . . 533-3777

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TAILOR

Tailor Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-8886

All numbers have a ‘703’ prefix unless otherwise indicated.

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Page 38

on Green Successes

November 19 - 25, 2009

for the week of November 19-25, 2009

City Wins Two VML Awards for Green Efforts The City has received two awards for its ‘green’ efforts from the Virginia Municipal League (VML): firstplace in the 2009 VML Achievement Awards competition and a Certified Green Government recognition.

The City received the Achievements Award for the “Branching Out” tree-planting initiative. The program aims to increase the City’s tree canopy from 25 percent to the nationally recognized target of 40 percent for a healthy watershed. “Branching Out” builds upon the City’s longstanding commitment of planting trees in public rights of way by expanding the plantings onto private property. The program is implemented via the Neighborhood Tree Program, a public-private partnership of the City and the Falls Church Village Preservation and Improvement Society.

The Certified Green Government Award recognizes the City for successfully implementing environmental policies and taking practical actions to reduce carbon emissions in categories ranging from energy efficiency to land-use and innovation. This was a combined effort of all departments and many divisions. The City received this award for the second-consecutive year.

The VML is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town and county governments established in 1905 to improve and assist local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services. The membership includes all 39 cities in the state, 156 towns and 11 counties.

New Rain Garden Improves Water Quality Neighborhood residents put the finishing touches last Saturday on the City’s newest rain garden at Buxton Road and Tyson Drive. The rain garden is one of several projects recently undertaken by the City to improve water quality in the watershed. A grant award to the City from Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation made it possible to undertake these projects. The nonprofit Lands and Water Inc. provided an educational component to teach children about storm water runoff and pollution in our streams.

Pollutants contained in storm water runoff from ultra-urbanized areas, such as Falls Church, are considered a major contributor to the Chesapeake Bay’s poor water quality. The City currently holds a Virginia Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit that authorizes the City to discharge storm water runoff through storm drains and pipes and into state-owned waters.

The MS4 Permit is a planning document that guides City activities to reduce storm water runoff pollution to the maximum extent practicable. For more information about storm water

quality and how you can help, contact the Department of Environmental Services at 703-248-5080 (TTY 711).

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule, Nov. 25-27

city

COMMUNITY CENTER CITY HALL DMV SELECT OFFICE MARY RILEY STYLES PUBLIC LIBRARY SCHOOLS SENIOR CENTER COURTS SHERIFF’S OFFICE GEORGE LOCAL TRANSIT REFUSE & RECYCLING COLLECTIONS

CLOSED Nov. 26 OPEN Nov. 27 CLOSED Nov. 26-27

CLOSED AT NOON Nov. 25 CLOSED Nov. 26-27 NO SERVICE Nov. 26-27 NO PICKUPS Nov. 26-27 REFUSE & RECYCLING will be collected Tuesday, Nov. 24 for the Tuesday and Thursday collection areas.

REFUSE & RECYCLING will be collected Wednesday, Nov. 25 for the Wednesday and Friday collection areas.

For information about collections, call 703-248-5081 (TTY 711). www.fallschurchva.gov - The official site for City of Falls Church news

/ ion & ess y& S ay a n s on h esd m. uesd Ti n o .

R n w o n p s O i E es .ed N es lat ru rT vie 30 . r W es a.m d B urt Re , 7: g fo Zon Re MB Servic p.m t Co oon ng fo Zon ral E t, 8 ndle ns eting yclin tion estic 0 u e . l i t c 3 V . e c ta n t N cl 7: .m ec ion tri ec m ark Bu tio NO onmen 7:30 pArchit :30 p.mers’ M aste, Collecuncil Me & Re y Coll & Do SessioBoard, ral Dis lose a Recy ollect , & W a C C e s r l l e l 7 n l i o i c i i e s d i , y n o v fu ia c rm sd En oun istor oard 1 Fa 3 Yar pec ity C 4 Re hur uven ourt Scho 5 Ge ffice efus Frida S T C J R B C C O H 19 2 2 2 2

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Questions or Comments?

City of Falls Church, Harry E. Wells Building 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 703-248-5003 (TTY 711) The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in alternate format upon request.

Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).

November 19 - 25, 2009

Page 39

Mason Girls CC: State Champs, Again!

Veterans Honored at MEHMS

Even the mist and mud left in the wake of Tropical Storm Ida could do nothing to slow the George Mason High School girls cross country team in its quest for a second straight Virginia A State Championship. The Mustangs dominated the sloppy field last weekend at Great Meadows winning the event with a comfortable 30 point margin of victory.

Sophomore Eva Estrada, who earned all-state honors for her effort, led Mason with a 3rd place time of 20:08. Also earning all-state honors was junior Mollie Breen, who placed 11th overall with a time of 20:52.

The Mason boys cross country team finished 7th at the state meet. Senior Miles Butler led the Mustangs with a 34th place finish of 18:14.

Eva Estrada leads the GMHS girls cross country team to its second straight state championship.

U.S. military veterans Thomas Johnson (2nd from left) and W. Patrick Murphy were among nearly a dozen service men honored last week during the annual Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School Veterans Day luncheon. Johnson’s daughter, Melissa, and Murphy’s son, Seamus, are both MEHMS 6th graders.

FCC-TV Spotlight: Education News Parents Can Use

BIE Partner of the Week Richard Soto

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar School involvement: Hosted “Flapjack Saturday” breakfast fundraiser for George Mason High School band and chorus. Applebee’s donated the space and the food for the event.

Why Richard is a BIE partner: “At Applebee’s, we are proud to display memorabilia from local high schools, and we are glad to do our part to help George Mason High School music students raise funds for their trip to Orlando. It’s great to have such a wonderful group of band boosters enjoying breakfast at Applebee’s.”

For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps.org.

Foundation Footnotes Dollar-A-Day campaign now underway The Falls Church Education Foundation’s annual dollar-a-day campaign is officially underway. Donors are encouraged to contribute one dollar per each of the 180 school days to support the Legacy Endowment fund. This fund provides supplemental support to future Falls Church City public school students and teachers. Contributions may be made online at www.fcedf.org/ Beat_the_Call_to_FCEF.htm, or by calling (703) 538-3381.

The Falls Church Education Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. For more information, visit www.fcedf.org.

School content published in The Schools Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, contact the Falls Church City Public Schools Communications Office. Phone: (703) 248-5699 Fax: (703) 248-5613.

Calendar for November 19-27, 2009 Testing Now - 11/25 SRI Reading Test (GM) November 19 7:45 a.m. BIE Partnership Council (MD) 7:30 p.m. “Little Shop of Horrors”- Opening Night (GM) 20

2:30 p.m. IB Certification Celebration (GM) 7:30 p.m. “Little Shop of Horrors” (GM)

21

10:00 a.m. “It’s Academic” taping – NBC4 Studios (Scholastic Bowl) 7:30 p.m. “Little Shop of Horrors” (GM)

23

5:00 p.m. Mason @ Clarke Co. (Scholastic Bowl)

24

6:30 p.m. School Board Work Session (City Hall) 7:15 p.m. Mason @ McLean – Scrimmage (G Basketball) 8:00 p.m. School Board Regular Meeting (City Hall)

25

Early Dismissal – All Schools

26 - 27 Thanksgiving Break (Schools Closed / Day Care Closed) For more calendar information, visit www.fccps.org/calendar.

(MD) Mt. Daniel School (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary (MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle (GM) George Mason High (CO) Central Office www.fccps.org - The official site for Falls Church City Public Schools news

Schools

Tune in to Falls Church Community Television (FCC-TV) to watch Education News Parents Can Use. This monthly, one-hour program covers subjects such as reading, technology, school safety, special education and preparing for college. Education News Parents Can Use airs on FCC-TV at the following times: • Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 a.m.

FCC-TV airs on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2. For a complete programming schedule, visit www.fcctv.net or call 703-248-5538.

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November 19 - 25, 2009

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