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Inside this edition is the News-Press’ Autumn 2008 Real Estate Guide with area housing market numbers, home improvement tips, decorating advice and much more.

SEE PAGE 21

George Mason High School’s basketball teams head back to the court this week. The Lady Mustangs will seek to make it back to the state finals as the boys look to improve upon their regional playoff appearance.

SEE PAGE 18

At the beginning of every recession, there are people who see the downturn as an occasion for moral revival: Americans will learn to live without material extravagances. They’ll simplify their lives.

SEE PAGE 10

The cult favorite “Twilight” book series comes to the screen with its much anticipated movie opening this Friday. The vampire drama/love story stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

SEE PAGE 34

City of Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner notified the News-Press yesterday that she’s preparing a letter to Presidentelect Barack Obama and his family, inviting them to enroll their children in the Falls Church City Public Schools.

The Obamas have been touring selected private schools in the District of Columbia, with the intent to make a decision imminently on where to enroll their two girls in their family.

Gardner told the NewsPress her invitation will cite the nationally-renowned excellence of the small Falls Church school system, with its relative intimacy and small class sizes emulating private institutions in many ways.

“We offer an ideal environment in a public school system,” Gardner said, affirming the merits of public education. She also noted that the system’s new middle school facility is named for an early civil rights pioneer woman, Mary Ellen Henderson, an educator who was the wife of the founder of the first rural chapter of the NAACP. In another high-profile welcoming gesture by City of Falls Church officials to the newlyelected federal administration and the many new U.S. congressmen and their staffs, the City’s Economic Development office placed a full-page advertisement, slated for publication today in The Hill, a prominent newspaper circulated among government officials in the District.

With Congress in town for a “lame duck” session, and many of the newly-elected senators Continued on Page 4

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November 20 - 26, 2008

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Citizens of the City of Falls Church should provide a standing ovation to their leaders at City Hall this week for swift and decisive action to capitalize on a special opportunity to bring in some new economic growth. They’ve made a bold move to help redress the fiscal pressures the City faces, as do all jurisdictions in the region and nation.

As reported on Page One of this edition, the mayor, the City Council leadership, the city manager, the City’s Economic Development Office and others all found their way onto the same page in a rapid “outside of the box” action to promote the City as a destination for the thousands of new people planning to move to the Washington, D.C. region from all over the nation. They’re coming to fill posts in the new administration and in offices on Capital Hill and elsewhere.

The transition of presidential administrations, after eight years, and a whopping number of new Congressmen and Senators coming in, presents an opportunity for any jurisdiction in the region hungry for a shot in the arm that would come from a surge in home and condo sales or apartment rentals, and everything associated with that.

The prevailing wisdom in the metropolitan region is that the government turnover will add up to a mere blip on the overall regional radar screen. So, that prevailing wisdom can go ahead and hold, except in the case of a feisty, small jurisdiction confident that it has a lot to offer families new to the area, with enough gumption to step forward and recruit. That would describe the City of Falls Church this week.

First, Mayor Robin Gardner announced Tuesday that she will write a letter to the President-elect and his family, urging them to consider sending their children to the Falls Church City Public Schools.

In addition to being a genuine offer, this is a brilliant move that elevates the profile of the excellent Falls Church school system not only generally, but especially in the minds of those who will be joining the Obamas in moving here to serve in the new administration.

Second, acting quickly and flexibly (how often does that happen in the bureaucratic corridors of any government?), City Hall leapt on the news that all newly-elected Congressmen and their key staff people were due in Washington this week for an orientation, while the “lame duck” session of the existing Congress is convened. A full-page ad was pulled together for today’s The Hill newspaper, read by everyone on Capitol Hill, plugging Falls Church as a “great place to live.”

That kind of aggressive action to capitalize on a special opportunity is great government, done on behalf of all the citizens of Falls Church facing tough economic times and a serious budget squeeze.

It is not lost, as a compelling component of “selling” Falls Church to prospective new residents, on those who are mulling the options on where to locate, either. All in all, a fortissimo performance this week.

Editor, I would like to take a moment to express my deep gratitude to all in Falls Church who came to the polls on November 4th and also to all those that cast absentee ballots.

I want to thank the voters of Falls Church for coming out to vote and for supporting the Democratic slate of candidates; Barack Obama, Mark Warner and Jim Moran.

I would also like to thank everyone who worked with the members of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee during the campaign as volun-

teers. And, to those citizens who put in long hours of hard work at the Obama office here in the city – thanks to you too.

My messages to city Democrats throughout this campaign was always that if we all worked hard to get out the vote and everyone voted we would win Virginia and Barack Obama would be our next president. Everyone made sure that they, their family members and their friends voted in this election.

I would like to thank the State Theater and the Dogwood Tavern for allowing FCCDC to

use their wonderful establishments (respectively) as gathering places during Barack Obama’s convention acceptance speech and to watch the election night returns.

I want to thank the many many volunteers who helped work at the polls and stood in the rain. Finally I would like to thank the election officials for their superb efforts to make Democracy truly work in Falls Church.

During this campaign season voter registration drives added over 800 new voters to the Falls Church City rolls.

Out of the 2,026 absentee votes cast 1,634 (79.94%) were cast for Barack Obama.

(In 2004 there were just over 800 absentee votes). In total, of 8,237 active voters 6,750 cast ballots in this election and 4,695 (69.55%) voted for Barack Obama. The overall voter turnout for the city was

81.94.

Thanks to you all for you support and help. And to those that walked by members of the FCCDC at the Farmers’ Market and said, “No, you can’t.” Well, yes we did. We all did.

Betty Coll, Chair Falls Church City Democratic Committee

Editor, I’m writing because in all the media coverage given to rising energy prices, how they threaten to damage our economy, and the push to drill for more oil and gas, there has More Letters on Page 6

November 20 - 26, 2008

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November 20 - 26, 2008

and representatives and their staffs also here for preliminary orientation, the ad invites new arrivals to consider bringing their families to Falls Church.

The ad, headlined “Looking for a Great Place to Move to? Come to the City of Falls Church!” cites the City’s “great schools, great community, great

commute on the Orange Metro line directly to the Hill and White House, great new rental apartments and condos, great neighborhoods, great Farmer’s Market, the second highest percentage of college graduates in the U.S. and the greatest voter turnout in Virginia.”

The ad involved swift action, and was a collaborative publicprivate effort, with Falls Church

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resident Matt Smith, principal of the City-based marketing firm, Smith Gifford, designing the ad pro bono. City Manager Wyatt Shields and the City’s economic development office of Rick Goff and Becky Witsman were all involved. The cost of the ad was reportedly about $2,000.

The Falls Church News-Press took a similar approach this week, placing ads in three specialty newspapers in the District, congratulating President-elect Obama as the only Northern Virginia-based newspaper to endorse him before the election.

It states, “Uniquely serving the Northern Virginia region of the national capital area, the NewsPress promises to be a preferred read in the new Washington. It will be a powerful tool for those seeking to influence the new administration and Congress with news, commentaries and affordable, effective advertising.”

Real estate experts contend that the influx of new people into the Washington, D.C. Metro area as a result of the Nov. 4 election will not have a

Don’t know 6% Yes 30% No 64%

significant impact on the region, as a whole, but Falls Church leaders felt that by taking a proactive approach to attract them, given the City’s amenities and location, it could make a difference for the small jurisdiction.

There are over 7,000 jobs offered in the revered so-called “Plum Book” printed by the U.S. government after every change of White House admin-

istrations. People apply for jobs from all over the country, some hoping that references from people associated with newlyelected officials can help them land a job here.

There is also a large turnover of appointed staff persons associated with newly-elected officials, and in the make-up and personnel of the many public and private advocacy groups, the so-called

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November 20 - 26, 2008

lobbyists, who are a big part of the regional economy, as well.

City officials told the NewsPress there are other cost-effective measures also being taken to attract potential newly-arriving individuals and families to Falls Church, in addition to the on-going effort to attract new businesses, including advocacy groups, to the City’s newlyconstructed large scale mixed use projects.

Witsman noted the easy access of the City to the White House, K Street Corridor and Capitol Hill from the Orange Metro line, without requiring any transfers, is a particularly strong selling point for Falls Church as a preferred place to live and work.

The fact that it is also on I66, an interstate highway going directly to the District, adjacent the I-495 Beltway that makes it proximate to points throughout the D.C. Metro area, and equidistant between two major airports, Dulles and Reagan National, add to the City’s attractiveness as an ideal location.

The ad slated for publication in today’s The Hill newspaper marks the first professional marketing foray of its type in the City of Falls Church’s history, something that many in the community have been advocating for a long time.

However, it was done at a

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THIS FULL-PAGE AD appears in today’s edition of The Hill, produced by the City of Falls Church’s Economic Development office. minimal cost, including the good will of Matt Smith, and there remains to date no line item in the City’s budget for such marketing efforts, per se.

Mayor Gardner told the News-Press that even if her

invitation to the Obamas to attend school in Falls Church is not accepted, her initiative may help highlight the excellence of the City’s school system to those moving in to populate the “new Washington.”

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been little exploration of how renewable technologies like wind and solar can simultaneously reduce our dependence on foreign oil, clean up the environment, and provide jobs for tens of thousands of Americans. If we had made these critical investments years ago we wouldn’t find ourselves in the bind we’re in today and America would lead the world in the clean energy technology sector. Fortunately, it’s not too late for us to change. With fossil fuel energy hitting record highs, we have an opportunity to shift

to clean renewable sources, but we need our leaders in Congress to act. I hope our newly elected local representative, Gerry Connolly, and Obama quickly follow through on their commitments to investing in the future of the economy and environment.

Whitney Altizer Falls Church

675 and 661 did just that during the recent “Scouting for Food” campaign. The boys collected and delivered over 6,600 lbs of food to the Falls Church Community Service Council Emergency Food Pantry. With requests for food assistance at an all time high this donation will help us feed our neighbors for many months. Thank you to all who donated and to the Scouts for helping us help others.

Karen Moore, President FCS Board

Editor, True to their oath “to do my best and to help people at all times”, local Boy Scout Troops 895,140 681 and Cub Packs

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Leading F.C. Figures Join Obama Transition Team Falls Church-based automobile dealer and former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Donald S. Beyer, Jr., and long-time Falls Church resident Richard McCall have been brought onto the transition team of President-elect Barack Obama, the News-Press has learned. A third Falls Church figure, Kyle Lierman, head of the Falls Church office for the Obama campaign through the election, has also joined the effort.

Beyer, a former president of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce who was the Democratic lieutenant governor of Virginia for two terms in the 1990s, was a leading fundraiser for Obama during his campaign. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Beyer and wife Megan raised over $500,000 for Obama, and gave a total of $153,600 of their own money to federal campaigns this year. Beyer joined the Obama transition team specializing in science and technology policy, while McCall, former chief of staff to the director of the Agency for International Development (AID) during the Clinton administration, will work with the Obama transition on AID matters.

F.C. LWV Pushes for Non-Partisan Redistricting A bill to set up a non-partisan mechanism for redrawing state and federal election districts that passed the Virginia Senate but failed in a House of Delegates sub-committee on a partisan 3-2 vote last season will be back in the next session. The Falls Church League of Women Voters (LWV) chapter is joining its statewide organization and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce to urge passage of the bill as the time is running out before the next census and 2011 redistricting of all state legislative and U.S. Congressional districts in Virginia. Sara Fitzgerald of the Falls Church LWV reported this in remarks before a joint luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce and Merrifield Business Association at the Italian Café Tuesday.

Fitzgerald cited cases of “gerrymandered” districts resulting from partisan machinations in redistricting that have often resulted in non-competitive races and resultant voter apathy. She said that progress is slow but steady as some states have reverted to a role for bi-partisan redistricting commissions devoted to a more balanced and rational approach. The Virginia Chamber supports the effort, she said, because noncompetitive districts tend to favor more extremist political candidates less accountable to the general needs of the state.

Moran Named to Dem Steering Committee U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, was elected by his Democratic colleagues Tuesday to serve on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

The committee’s role is to assist the Speaker of the House in deciding which members will chair and sit on more than 20 House committees. “We will have a robust majority in the 111th Congress, including 34 freshmen in the House,” Moran said in a statement. “The Steering Committee has its hands full determining how best to position our members to bring about the change the American people made clear they want.”

Mugging Reported Near East F.C. Metro A Falls Church citizen reported he was mugged last week, according to NewsPress sources, with his wallet and briefcase taken, by two young men claiming to be armed, as he walked to his N. Cherry Street home from the East Falls Church Metro station. The incident took place at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at a bike trail bridge crossing Tripps Run. The assailants were reported as African-American men in their 20s. The victim reported being “roughed up” but not seriously injured. N. Cherry St. neighbors also report a pattern of break-ins of cars parked on their street.

‘News-Press Live’ Monday at 7 p.m.

“News-Press Live,” the bi-weekly live half-hour television commentary show hosted by Falls Church News-Press owner-editor Nicholas F. Benton, resumes on Falls Church Cable Television this Monday at 7 p.m., prior to the F.C. City Council meeting. Benton’s guest will be Sally Cole, executive director of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce.

Page 7

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November 20 - 26, 2008

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Page 9

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Easy Readers?

“I like that we do all of these activities and meet new people,” said Trevor Kerr, 8.

“I like when we go on treasure hunts,” said Joseph Mego, 7.

“My dirt cake – it has gummy worms in it!” said Simon Kanazeh, 6.

Instead of chasing crushes and living up the end of his senior year at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 18-year-old Drew Tener decided to focus his time and energy on something a little more proactive – he’s teaching struggling first and secondgrade boys how to read.

He founded a six-week, freeof-charge program, coined Easy Readers, that teaches reading through hands-on activities, such as treasure hunts or food preparation.

“At our family table, we had a few discussions about how boys are increasingly dropping out of high school and once I read studies about how serious it was, it really hit home,” said Tener. “Growing up, I can attest to the fact that boys don’t learn the same way as girls do and I figured ‘Why not do something about it?’”

So, he did, and was recently honored for his efforts. Tener and his fellow high-school-aged volunteers – all of whom are close friends – were recognized

by Acacia Federal Savings Bank with the Horizons Award, part of the company’s Nice Guys awards ceremony that honors locals who give back to their

community through volunteer efforts. Along with the award, $1,000 was given to a charity of the boys’ choice, which they, in turn, gave to the folks who helped them start it all – the Friends of the Oakton Library.

Youth Services Manager of Oakton Library, Nancy Bronez, said, “We lose a lot of young male readers around fifth grade, so for me, this program was really ideal.”

For over a year now, young boys have been meeting with their student mentors to make “Dirt Cake” from whipped cream and gummy worms and go on scavenger hunts – all the while learning to read recipe and clue cards – what Bronez calls examples of the cornerstone of everyday communication.

“Boys in particular like to read factual information, which is 95 percent of the content we take in on a daily basis,” said Bronez of things like news and directions. “Non-fiction’s just dessert on the bedside table.”

When Tener was first getting the program off the ground, he visited five local elementary schools to pass out fliers that urged those schools’ reading specialists to recommend boys they felt would benefit from the program. Currently, during the second running year of Easy

“My favorite is when we get to learn,” said Nick Donner, 7.

“Making new friends and the chocolate pudding,” said Ethan Koons, 6.

(Photos: News-Press)

YOUNG PARTICIPANTS of the Easy Readers program make “Dirt Cake” from gummy worms, chocolate and whipped cream, as they learn to read recipe cards with a little help from their teenage mentors. (Photo: News-Press)

SEEN HERE are just some of the student leaders of the Easy Readers program. From the left, is the program’s creator, Drew Tener, with Andy Doyne, Dinh Tran, Jonny Coleman, Michael Meadows and James Hearde. (Photo: News-Press) Readers, Oakton Library oversees the program, hosting it in one of its meeting rooms.

“We aimed to get kids who would benefit the most from it,” said Tener, who noted that one of the boys recommended arrived shy but eventually was revealed as a quite talented reader.

“His teachers were like ‘Gosh, we had no idea he was this good,’” Tener told the News-Press.

According to Tener, surveys sent out to the parents of the children have come back with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Shelley Radomski has already seen noticeable improvements in her son Connor’s attitude towards reading.

“Now he sees reading as something that’s fun and the teenage mentors have made it just that with the planned activities instead of having the younger boys just sit there,” said Radomski.

Youth Services Assistant at Oakton, Vicky Soto, is impressed with the leaders’ involvement as well, saying that she wouldn’t be surprised if the children remember their mentors for years to come. Tener said he hopes for just that.

“Our mentor Mike Meadows’ kid liked him so much that he asked his parents to tutor him and that’s the idea – for these kids to

remember their leaders and form bonds with them,” said Tener.

The leaders make their icebreaking first impression during Week One of the program when they dress up in costumes resembling book characters for the children, all the way from “Star Wars” to “Clifford,” the big red dog. It’s interactions like these that easily-distracted young boys need in order to get excited long enough to grasp the benefits.

“It’s not rocket science; the way to improve literacy is through reading,” said Bronez.

“When you immerse a child in a concept, they can’t help but coming out smelling like it.”

Tener graduates from high school next spring and plans to take the program with him wherever he attends college, while his friends Danny Luciani and Drew Harrington make sure the program continues here locally.

“I’d love to spread this program all over the world. Every day I come here, I have fun with the kids and that’s why the volunteers come back each time,” said Tener. “And the activities – the older guys may not admit they like them but they do [laughs].”

Then again, what’s not to like about gummy worms and hunting for hidden treasure?

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Page 10

November 20 - 26, 2008

At the beginning of every recession, there are people who see the downturn as an occasion for moral revival: Americans will learn to live without material extravagances. They’ll simplify their lives. They’ll rediscover what really matters: home, friends and family. But recessions are about more than material deprivation. They’re also about fear and diminished expectations. The cultural consequences of recessions are rarely uplifting.

The economic slowdown of the 1880s and 1890s produced a surge of agrarian populism and nativism, with particular hostility directed toward Catholics, Jews and blacks. The Great Depression was not only a time of FDR’s optimism and escapist movies, it was also a time of apocalyptic forebodings and collectivist movements that crushed individual rights.

The recession of the 1970s produced a cynicism that has never really gone away. The share of students who admitted to cheating jumped from 34 percent in 1969 to 60 percent a decade later. More than a quarter of all employees said the goods they produced were so shoddily made that they wouldn’t buy them for themselves. As David Frum noted in his book, “How We Got Here,” job dissatisfaction in 1977 was higher than at any time in the previous quarter-century.

Recessions breed pessimism. That’s why birthrates tend to drop and suicide rates tend to rise.

That’s why hemlines go down. Tamar Lewin of The New York Times reported on studies that show that the women selected to be Playboy Playmates of the Year tend to look more mature during recessions – older, heavier, more reassuring – though I have not verified this personally.

This recession will probably have its own social profile. In particular, it’s likely to produce a new social group: the formerly middle class. These are people who achieved middle-class status at the tail end of the long boom, and then lost it. To them, the gap between where they are and where they used to be will seem wide and daunting.

The phenomenon is noticeable in developing nations. Over the past decade, millions of people in these societies have climbed out of poverty. But the global recession is pushing them back down. Many seem furious with democracy and capitalism, which they believe led to their shattered dreams. It’s pos-

sible that the downturn will produce a profusion of Hugo Chavezes. It’s possible that the Obama administration will spend much of its time battling a global protest movement that doesn’t even exist yet.

In this country, there are also millions of people facing the psychological and social pressures of downward mobility. In the months ahead, the members of the formerly middle class will suffer career reversals. Paco Underhill, the retailing expert, tells me that 20 percent of the mall storefronts could soon be empty. That fact alone means that thousands of service-economy workers will experience the self-doubt that goes with unemployment.

They will suffer lifestyle reversals. Over the past decade, millions of Americans have had unprecedented access to affordable luxuries, thanks to brands like Coach, Whole Foods, Tiffany and Starbucks.

These indulgences were signs of upward mobility.

But these affordable luxuries will no longer be so affordable. Suddenly, the door to the land of the upscale will slam shut for millions of Americans.

The members of the formerly middle class will suffer housing reversals. The current mortgage crisis is having its most concentrated effect on people on the lowest rungs of middle-class life – people who live in fast-growing exurbs in Florida and Nevada that are now rife with foreclosures; people who just moved out of their urban neighborhoods and made it to modest, older suburbs in California and Michigan. Suddenly, the home of one’s own is gone, and it’s back to the apartment complex.

Finally, they will suffer a drop in social capital.

In times of recession, people spend more time at home. But this will be the first steep recession since the revolution in household formation.

Nesting amongst an extended family rich in social capital is very different from nesting in a one-person household that is isolated from family and community bonds. People in the lower middle class have much higher divorce rates and many fewer community ties. For them, cocooning is more likely to be a perilous psychological spiral.

In this recession, maybe even more than other ones, the last ones to join the middle class will be the first ones out. And it won’t only be material deprivations that bites. It will be the loss of a social identity, the loss of social networks, the loss of the little status symbols that suggest an elevated place in the social order. These reversals are bound to produce alienation and a political response. If you want to know where the next big social movements will come from, I’d say the formerly middle class.

WASHINGTON – President Bush needs no reminder that his White House days are dwindling down. All he has to do is to look out his window and see the scaffolding being built for the presidential viewing stand for the Jan. 20 inaugural parade of the next president of the United States.

But all is not lost. Bush can do a lot in his waning time in office to repair his legacy and help the American people suffering from unemployment and loss of health insurance.

He can support a $25-billion bailout for the “big three auto-makers” whose top executives were in his corner during his two presidential elections and are now begging for help. But he is not inclined to do so.

It is not for the auto industry alone. Thousands of workers beyond the assembly line are affected by the threatened industry-related jobs.

I didn’t hear any screams of protest or observe a truckload of conditions when the financial sys-

tem was summarily handed a $700 billion bailout from taxpayers’ pockets. Did you?

But then what do you expect when a top Wall Streeter from Goldman Sachs like Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is running the show to an uncertain trumpet.

To also enhance his image, the president should focus on housing foreclosures.

Republican administrations headed by Ronald Reagan and both Bushes have shown little respect for the federal government and its workers, perhaps with the exception of the Pentagon.

The current president tried to privatize as many government jobs as he could in his eight years in office.

He also hired more than 100,000 private contractors to assist in the Iraqi war, paying them high wages. The generals in Iraq also drummed up a scheme to pay thousands of Iraqis not to fight the U.S. How do you like that? Some wars have been fought for great and legitimate causes.

Now we have mercenary wars that have yet to be explained or defended.

The irony is that scads of Bush’s political appointees throughout the government are movContinued on Page 46

The economic news, in case you haven’t noticed, keeps getting worse. Bad as it is, however, I don’t expect another Great Depression. In fact, we probably won’t see the unemployment rate match its post-Depression peak of 10.7 percent, reached in 1982 (although I wish I was sure about that).

We are already, however, well into the realm of what I call depression economics. By that I mean a state of affairs like that of the 1930s in which the usual tools of economic policy – above all, the Federal Reserve’s ability to pump up the economy by cutting interest rates – have lost all traction. When depression economics prevails, the usual rules of economic policy no longer apply: virtue becomes vice, caution is risky and prudence is folly.

To see what I’m talking about, consider the implications of the latest piece of terrible economic news: Thursday’s report on new claims for unemployment insurance, which have now passed the half-million mark. Bad as this report was, viewed in isolation it might not seem catastrophic. After all, it was in the same ballpark as numbers reached during the 2001 recession and the 1990-91 recession, both of which ended up being relatively mild by historical standards (although in each case it took a long time before the job market recovered).

But on both of these earlier occasions the standard policy response to a weak economy – a cut in the federal funds rate, the interest rate most directly affected by Fed policy – was still available. Today, it isn’t: The effective federal funds rate (as opposed to the official target, which for technical reasons has become meaningless) has averaged less than 0.3 percent in recent days. Basically, there’s nothing left to cut.

And with no possibility of further interest rate cuts, there’s nothing to stop the economy’s downward momentum. Rising unemployment will lead to further cuts in consumer spending, which Best Buy warned this week has already suffered a “seismic” decline. Weak consumer spending will lead to cutbacks in business investment plans. And the weakening economy will lead to more job cuts, provoking a further cycle of contraction.

To pull us out of this downward spiral, the federal government will have to provide economic stimulus in the form of higher spending and greater aid to those in distress – and the stimulus plan won’t come soon enough or be strong enough unless politicians and economic officials are able to transcend several conventional prejudices.

One of these prejudices is the fear of red ink. In normal times, it’s good to worry about the budget deficit – and fiscal responsibility is a virtue we’ll need to relearn as soon as this crisis is past. When depression economics prevails, however, this virtue becomes a vice. FDR’s premature attempt to balance the budget in 1937 almost destroyed the New Deal.

Another prejudice is the belief that policy should move cautiously. In normal times, this makes sense: You shouldn’t make big changes in policy until it’s clear they’re needed. Under current conditions, however, caution is risky, because big changes for the worse are already happening, and any delay in acting raises the chance of a deeper economic disaster. The policy response should be as well-crafted as possible, but time is of the essence.

Finally, in normal times, modesty and prudence in policy goals are good things. Under current conditions, however, it’s much better to err on the side of doing too much than on the side of doing too little. The risk, if the stimulus plan turns out to be more than needed, is that the economy might overheat, leading to inflation – but the Federal Reserve can always head off that threat by raising interest rates. On the other hand, if the stimulus plan is too small there’s nothing the Fed can do to make up for the shortfall. So when depression economics prevails, prudence is folly.

What does all this say about economic policy in the near future? The Obama administration will almost certainly take office in the face of an economy looking even worse than it does now. Indeed, Goldman Sachs predicts that the unemployment rate, currently at 6.5 percent, will reach 8.5 percent by the end of next year.

All indications are that the new administration will offer a major stimulus package. My own back-of-the-envelope calculations say that the package should be huge, on the order of $600 billion. So the question becomes, will the Obama people dare to propose something on that scale?

Let’s hope that the answer to that question is yes, that the new administration will indeed be that daring. For we’re now in a situation where it would be very dangerous to give in to conventional notions of prudence.

November 20 - 26, 2008

The news came yesterday that for only the seventh month since 1947, October 2008 marked a one-percent decline in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), suddenly raising the specter of things far worse than a mere recession, but a deflation and depression.

There’s no indication that there will be a turnaround any time soon, and public and private financial policies seem to be exacerbating, not correcting, the problem. Unabated financial exploitation to line the pockets of the super rich, while real wages for American workers have fallen in the decade, is the legacy of the worst U.S. administration in history that has brought us to the brink of another Great Depression. Aggressive government efforts targeted at preserving and adding jobs, keeping families in their homes and providing debt relief are the only ways to reverse the trend.

Even scarier than contemplating the amount of real insolvency there is out there in the global derivatives and related overly leveraged markets, is the thought of how the consumer bubble could contract in the U.S. in a very short period of time.

Obviously triggered by unemployment, falling wages, overburdened mortgages and other debts, and a lack of access to more credit, the American consumer, which is to say the average citizen, is already under heavy pressure to “do with less.”

All the attention is on what this may do to the holiday shopping season. It could be a veritable bloodbath for retailers that count so heavily on the generosity of Santa and his surrogates (the American consumer) between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

But that’s only the start of it. It’s downright chilling to think of how much of the average citizen’s spending is discretionary, not mandatory, once the mortgage, the car payment, other debts, insurance and taxes are stripped away.

Almost everything Americans eat, buy and use to entertain themselves are highly-overpriced luxuries by comparison with alternatives actually at their disposal.

How hard is it, really, to make coffee at home in the morning rather than to stop in at a Starbucks and pay $4 for a cup? How inconvenient is it to pack a lunch rather than blow $20 buying lunch at a restaurant? The same goes for dinner, and the same for drinks at a pub rather than having friends over.

How about enjoying that HD television in the comfort of home rather than spending $100 on a ticket to a Redskins game? Or watching a DVD instead of paying $150 for a ticket to a Madonna concert? Then, what about spending $7 on a pair of sneakers instead of $200 on some fancy pumped-up shoe? Then there’s the blue jeans and shirts you can get at the discount warehouse compared to the fancy designer brands. How about driving to a nearby park rather than flying the family to the Caribbean?

Of course, there are plenty of people who have always, out of financial necessity, taken the bargain route, rather than the other.

But the consumer economy of the U.S. is rooted, to an unnerving degree, in the more expensive spending habits of those making higher salaries and, especially, having easy access to credit.

As those millions lose their jobs (1.2 million so far in 2008 alone), have their salaries cut, find themselves upside down on their mortgages and can’t get more credit, their lifestyles are undergoing what Best Buy’s CEO has called a “seismic change.”

The only way to break this spiraling effect is to address it not at the Wall Street end, but at the Main Street, and the side street, end of the problem. Only by aggressive measures to secure people in their homes and jobs, and to provide debt relief, can the public’s capacity and confidence be restored to participate in the full potentials of the economy. In the context of declining housing values, government participation in mortgage rewrites and other forms of relief are essential.

Jobs represent another critical component. Not only does American industry require the aid it needs to stay productive, but the new administration will to have to look at models of large scale publicly-induced employment. This could be either in the form of the legislative package (the Homestead, Railroad, Greenback and Land Grant College acts) passed under Lincoln that expanded the Industrial Revolution, or the public works infrastructure-development agencies introduced by FDR in the Great Depression.

In the context of these, with the government having tremendous leverage over the banking system, it could also provide not only wages, but badly-needed consumer, including student loan, debt relief in exchange for public service participation.

Page 11

Bill Clinton was feeling grumpy toward Barack Obama.

Well, let me rephrase that.

Bill Clinton was feeling grumpier toward Barack Obama.

The ex-president was irritated, friends said, at all the unflattering comparisons between his slow, stumbling transition and Obama’s smooth, swift one.

As Karen Tumulty wrote in Time, “Obama has been quicker off the blocks in setting up his government than any of his recent predecessors were, particularly Bill Clinton, who did not announce a single major appointment until mid-December.”

And as John Podesta, Clinton’s chief of staff who’s now the chief of Obama’s transition team, told NPR: “President Clinton recognizes that, I think, he struggled at the beginning because he waited and named his White House staff quite late.”

Just as Bill elevated his sprawling, chaotic personality into a management style, so Barry is elevating his spare, calm personality into a management style.

But then Obama surprised Bill and Hillary by offering her a chance at the secretary of state job.

Maybe because the Clintonian perspective on anyone who opposes them tends to be paranoid, the couple wasn’t expecting such a magnanimous move and they were pleased to be drawn back in from the margins.

“This,” said one who knows Bill, “allows him not to be angry.”

At least Bill has the satisfaction of seeing that he has roiled the previously serene and joyous Obamaland. It may be Obama’s very willingness to take the albatross of Bill from around Hillary’s neck and sling it around his own that impresses Bill. Obama is overlooking all his cherished dictums against drama and leaking and his lofty vetting standards to try and create a situation where the country can benefit from the talent of the Clintons while curbing their cheesy excesses, like their endless cash flow from foreigners.

And in turn, Bill is doing all he can – he’s disclosing sketchy donors and business interests and figuring out how he could curb his global gallivanting to have fewer conflicts of interest – to help her get the job.

It says it all that, at the moment Washington became obsessed with news that Hillary was a contender for State, Bill was getting a half-million for an hour’s worth of chat sponsored by the National Bank of Kuwait, delivered from

behind a podium with a camel and Arabic lettering on it. Last year, Bill made $10.1 million in speaking fees.

If Hillary gets to be the Mistress of Foggy Bottom, Bill’s guilt over his primary tirades will be alleviated.

But 42 will probably always be somewhat steamed at 44. Not only because of the Obama camp calling him out on his racially coded poison darts in South Carolina. Bill is surely jealous that his Democratic successor got a majority of the popular vote with 53 percent; he always was fixated on the idea that, because Ross Perot was a pull on the vote and Bill only got 43 percent, he did not have a mandate, and that emboldened Tom DeLay and the Republicans to start investigating him.

After 9/11, Bill wistfully said that he wished he could have been a president during an epic global crisis. And, seeing Obama pictured on the cover of Time as the new FDR, he will certainly fret that the younger pol will eclipse the Clinton era, which devolved into small-bore issues and the inane impeachment battle.

Some critics say Hillary doesn’t have the foreign policy chops for the job but she would stop the pompous John Kerry from getting it, and that is a formidable recommendation. (You know he just wants to swan around in those striped pants.)

One person who famously opposed Hillary’s presidential bid thinks she’d make a great secretary of state.

“She’s smart and tough, a lot better than any of the old hacks like Holbrooke, Albright, etc.,” says David Geffen. “Barack Obama is going to run policy, and Hillary will be an effective communicator. It also takes Bill out of the game, completely turns him into an ally – and probably a help to both of them. I think Obama is very smart to get as many smart people into the room as he can, to bring in Rahm and to keep Lieberman and get Hillary into the Cabinet.

It brings an enormous amount of good will his way, and he’s going to need every ounce of it, given the wars and financial catastrophe America is facing. It’s getting bleaker every day. There are many, many, many more bubbles to burst.”

But why support Hillary for Madam Secretary if you don’t support her for Madam President?

“I don’t think they’re the same job at all, do you?” he replied.

I told him I agreed. Completely.

Page 12

Few people at the three Proposition 8 protest rallies I attended – two in New York and one in Chicago – were familiar. The ones I recognized were the hardcore advocates and tireless workhorses who have long carried the GLBT movement. However, these semi-spontaneous rallies had a different flavor. There was an injection of raw energy and an infusion of new inspiration that has eluded our movement for more than a decade. I peered into the great expanse and saw a wide-eyed sea of fresh new faces – neophytes who needed help to complete the old chant, Hey, hey, Ho Ho...(Homophobia’s got to go).

There has been a paradigm shift in the movement following marriage defeats in California, Florida and Arizona – as well as an anti-gay adoption measure passing in Arkansas. From seemingly out of nowhere, people who have sat on the sidelines are now making headlines at rallies across America.

The leaders of what is being billed as Stonewall 2.0 are not coming from large, established organizations, but Internet savvy activists who can use a mouse to mobilize the masses. While Internet activism is nothing new, the fact that this huge outpouring of organic outrage is not being channeled through official organizational channels has enormous implications.

Up until two weeks ago, major GLBT groups instructed people to write a check and then essentially instructed donors to check their activism at the door. Sometimes, one was asked to take their commitment a step further by sending e-mail or attending a dinner. I think this week’s protests mark the end of the Passive Era of gay politics. A sign at protests, “No More Mr. Nice Gay”, highlighted this monumental change.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Passive Era served its purpose. By the mid 1990’s exhaustion had beset the movement. Many leading activists had either died from AIDS or were worn out from fighting the culture wars. People felt deflated by the early Clinton years and dispirited after Newt Gingrich wrested control of Congress. Most of the tangible results during this period occurred in the courts, which produced historic victories, but relegated most GLBT people to cheering bystanders.

At this moment of malaise, technology afforded people the ability to engage in activism without leaving the house. While these notable advances have greatly aided the GLBT movement, they also allowed many people to be anesthetized by the Internet. It soon became a movement of elite movers and shakers, with little room for direct action.

The upside to the Passive Era was that aspiring gay insiders actually did sometimes get inside the halls of power and have a voice in the political process. Our organizations became more professional, better organized and institutionalized, which meant that they were not always on the brink of bankruptcy and had the ability to plan for the future.

But, make no mistake - we are not the same movement we were prior to Nov. 4. Having our marriage rights stripped away by a slim majority in California was a transformational experience for many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. I have lost count of those who have approached me to say that they never thought they were the political type – until now. These people will bring new ideas, untapped energy and significantly strengthen our work.

It is still unclear how this influx of fiery emotion will specifically change the movement. But, I will make the bold prediction that those organizations that do not adjust to this new reality will wither and die. Newer, sleeker models will replace those that remain stodgy and continue to fight by fax, without incorporating the heat on the street.

The new activism is a hybrid of direct action and digital activism. It is evolving, mutating and morphing by the day. And, whichever groups figure out how to be a conduit for this anger - and effectively turn it into a force – will lead the movement in the coming years.

This is a rare moment where the pain of Proposition 8 meets the possibility represented by Barack Obama. A great many people can now see that passion can lead to real progress – and they demand a role in creating change.

Lastly, the rules of the Mormon, Catholic and Evangelical churches are now enshrined into civil law. We are all unofficial members of these religious institutions and captive to their narrow, sectarian rules. They have effectively hijacked the state and now govern our personal relationships and private lives – whether we like it or not. I think people are finally awakened to this existential threat and willing to fight back.

On Nov. 8, I stood in freezing weather with hundreds of Chicagoans.

Last week in Washington, 900 protesters braved a tornado watch to rally in front of the Capitol. Far from a victory, anti-gay forces unleashed a ferocious storm with powerful winds of change that will only end with the sound of wedding bells.  Wayne Besen is a columnist and author of the book, “Anything But

Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth.”

November 20 - 26, 2008

The hurricane that is the financial crisis blowing across our economy has left no one untouched. The financial industry took the first major blows, stemming from the housing bubble and securitization of mortgage loans. Names steeped in tradition like Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns disappeared overnight. This led to a tightening of the credit markets, making it harder for businesses to purchase inventory on credit and pay their employees.

At the same time, consumer confidence has dropped like a stone. October retail sales were down 2.8 percent and confidence in small business is at a 28 year low. Some of the biggest names in retail, from Linen’s N’ Things to Circuit City, have been forced into bankruptcy. Unemployment has risen to 6.5 percent and appears headed to eight percent.

Even Metro and the nation’s major transit agencies are twisting in the wind. Their lease back arrangements with banks to purchase rail cars have left them liable for hundreds of millions of dollars when analysts recently downgraded AIG’s creditworthiness.

Into the whirlwind now steps our long suffering U.S. auto industry. The big three, GM, Ford and Chrysler were hammered by a one-two punch starting with the summer’s sky-high gas prices, which undercut sales of their bread and butter SUVs and trucks, and followed by a global economic slowdown, rising unemployment and a domestic economy in recession that has decimated sales and driven these firms even deeper into debt.

GM in particular, appears to be in the worst shape. Once sell-

ing over half of all cars in the U.S., the past four decades have seen their market share erode to less than 1/5th of the market. This despite GM owning eight auto brands: Cadillac, Saab, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, Chevrolet and Hummer as compared with Toyota’s three and Honda’s two, which comprise 30 percent of the total U.S. market. Estimates show that GM is $48 billion in debt. Most observers believe the company will go bankrupt within the next six months if something drastic does not change.

GM is in trouble for two main reasons 1) a failure to innovate in the face of competition and 2) labor costs which include pension and healthcare liabilities. Asian auto makers have been running circles around our American firms in terms of fuel efficiency and cost for years. The average wages of a GM employee in 2007 were $71/hour. Top competitor Toyota pays their U.S. workers $47/hour. When sales of SUVs and trucks were strong, this disadvantage was overcome.

The energy and economic crises slamming auto companies the world over, however, has laid bare GM’s competitive disadvantage, leaving them staring into the abyss.

Two paths appear left for GM’s future. One is for Congress to modify a previously passed $25 billion loan meant to help

Detroit produce more fuel efficient cars into a line of credit to cover short-term operating costs.

The hope is that they can ride out the economic downturn while they attempt to reform their business model. The second occurs if Congress does not approve an assistance package for the beleaguered firm, sending GM to almost certain bankruptcy. It’s a scary sounding proposition, but going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy could be of real benefit to their long term success. In Chapter 11, judges can modify labor contracts and debts and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) can assume responsibility for retirees’ pensions, ensuring retired workers continue receiving some level of guaranteed benefits while lifting the burden off the firm. It’s entirely possible that the firm could emerge stronger than ever before and ready to be competitive in the global market.

I support a hybrid of these two options. GM cannot be allowed to fail outright. Were the auto maker to no longer exist, 2.5 million jobs would be lost, having a devastating impact on the broader economy and bringing down with it many more firms.

To avoid this nightmare scenario, Congress should require GM or any auto maker looking for government assistance to agree to tough restructuring changes to increase competitiveness. Firms would have the option of taking this path or going into Chapter 11. Under either option, taxpayer dollars are better protected and the industry would be required to make long delayed business model changes that would allow GM and others to get back on track.

November 20 - 26, 2008

Page 13

There was some good news in the midst of Fairfax County’s dialogues on the current economy and next year’s anticipated budget challenges.

Last Friday, following an intense budget meeting with the Fairfax County School Board, both boards received the results of the 2008 Fairfax County Youth Survey. The survey, completed by more than 22,000 public school students in the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th grades, included questions on youth behaviors, both healthy and risky. For the first time, the survey included a few ageappropriate questions on sexual behavior.

Almost all survey respondents reported that they have lots of opportunities to get involved in positive activities in and outside of school. Nearly a quarter of Fairfax County youth are physically active for at least 60 minutes every day. More than two-thirds of Fairfax County youth have not used any drugs or alcohol in the past 30 days, which continues the downward trend for all substance use since 2001.

Youth first trying alcohol at age 12 or younger has decreased by nine percentage points since 2001.

However, binge drinking was not uncommon among 12th graders. Inhalant use was more common among sixth and eighth graders than in high school grades. The survey also revealed that Fairfax County youth have slightly higher rates of depression and considering suicide than youth nationally. Similar to national trends, races and ethnicities other than White are more likely to report feeling depressed and considering suicide. Bullying is more common in early grades; 18 percent of 6th graders reported being bullied, taunted, ridiculed, or teased at least once a week.

Interestingly, the survey also found that 60 percent of female students are trying to lose weight, perhaps a reflection of our image-obsessed culture for teenage

Last Saturday I spent part of the day at Arlington’s Kenmore Middle School at “Community Conversation: Eliminating Achievement Gaps,” a comdialog ichard munity sponsored by Barton the Arlington Public Schools Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on the Elimination of the Achievement Gap and a number of schoolbased community organizations.

Under the magnifying glass were yearly statistical tables showing pass rates of students taking Standards of Learning tests, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and intensified courses for White, Asian, Black, and Hispanic students.

The principal statistics used in the meeting were ten years of assessments of the SOL grades achieved by students in grades 3 - 12. This spring, the school system administered 35,547 assessments of 32 different tests. The good news is that the overall pass rate was 90% in 2008, compared to 65% in 1998. There are gaps among ethnic groups, however. Whites had a 96% pass rate in 2008 (65% in 1998), Asians 95% (69%), Hispanics 82%, and Blacks 74% (37%).

The reason we were gather-

R

girls and young women.

On another positive side, 96 percent of youth report that they have never been in a gang. Overall, a lower percentage of students report ever having been in a gang for every grade level, both genders, and all reported ethnicities compared to 2001. Males are still more likely to belong to a gang than females, and most of those responding “yes” said that the gang had a name. The survey also noted that youth who have been involved in a gang are more likely to have been abused by an intimate partner or forced to have sex.

Building on the responses to the Youth Survey, county agencies and the school system will continue their collaborative approach to ensure a continued downward trend in substance abuse, implement evidence-based strategies related to middle school inhalant prevention, and support the mental health of children and their families. The plan should be completed and approved for implementation by the end of FY 2009. The complete report, as well as the ‘01, ‘03 and ‘05 youth survey reports may be found on-line at www.fairfaxcounty/gov/youthsurvey.

Now that the weather has turned colder, many local faith groups will house homeless persons overnight on an emergency basis through the winter. The hypothermia project relies on partnerships between Fairfax Co., non-profit organizations who administer the county shelters, and the faith community which provides both overflow housing and food. If you or your organization can provide meals for even one night, please contact Thornell Hancock, 703-820-7621, or email thancock@voaches.org for more information.  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor,

in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov

ing, however, was that though pass rates have improved steadily every year, the gaps among ethnic groups also narrowed steadily until it pretty much leveled out in ‘04, particularly with Black students. Since then, all have made some improvements, but the gap has not narrowed significantly.

Washington-Lee Assistant principal Tyrone Byrd did an excellent job in presenting complex statistics to us so even he most statistics-challenged among us could understand.

Why has this happened?

Did we begin to do things differently in 2003-4? Should we have changed anything in promoting academic improvement?

Or have we done everything that can be done and we’re just facing something mysterious in natural law.

There is some difference of opinion in academic circles as to what a school system can do to improve academic improvement. One of the most prominent sociologists of the 20th century, James Coleman, conducted a series of major studies of educational equality among Blacks and Whites in the 1960’s. He maintained, after these studies, that the effort of school systems alone to improve the achieve-

ment of Blacks in relation to Whites would be only 20% successful. The thrust for change had to come from within the communities themselves.

A few years ago, scholars at the George Mason University School of Public Policy conducted studies of the New York School system. They came to the conclusion that the single most important factor in the achievement levels of students was their economic status, something a school system can do very little to affect. In other words, we must look to programs that improve the economic lives of the poor to ultimately raise achievement levels among all students, regardless of ethnicity.

In our breakout groups we concentrated on things the school system could do. One was to expand the SOAR (Success, Opportunity, And Results) program for 9th grade minority students. Another is to expand the Hispanic-oriented PESA (Parent Expectations Support Achievement) to other groups.

There were many other recommendations. The important thing, however, was that a large group reflecting the great diversity of our vibrant Arlington community is actively working on effective solutions.

Hard Times Having lived through the Great Depression, Studs would certainly have recognized the current state of our economy.

Times are tough and they are going to get tougher for our households and for government services.

Current Virginia revenues are far below what we anticipated. We had been expecting a $2.5-$3 billion shortfall of revenue.

However, I have heard talk that the House Appropriations Committee is anticipating the shortfall to be as high as $4 billion.

That is a lot to cut from a state budget that we have already reduced substantially.

In that case, almost every program may be reduced.

We are going to have to do all that we possibly can to protect school funding, which is our largest single item of funding.

We will learn more on December 17 when Governor Tim Kaine addresses the General Assembly money committees.

That is when he will propose changes to our two-year budget. We will then find out how hard the times are in Virginia.

Excitement on the Ballot What a marvelous feeling it was on election night to learn that Barack Obama was elected president.

Originally a John Edwards supporter, I went for Obama when Edwards dropped out of the presidential race on January 30.

Soon after, several of my colleagues and I announced our support for Obama at a Richmond press conference.

I do not know that any of us foresaw the tremendous excitement for Senator Obama or his strong victory on election night.

A week before the election, I traveled to an Obama rally at the Richmond Colosium. The crowd chanted and hollered as they waited for him.

The crowd was fired up and ready to go after Governor Tim Kaine and Senate candidate Mark Warner warmed them up.

But, when Senator Obama came out, the crowd went wild. I cannot remember such enthusiasm for a presidential candidate.

Of course, he will soon be President Obama and, God willing, he will be a great

president.

In the Footsteps of Greatness There was another Senator from Illinois who became president of the United States.

His name was Abraham Lincoln.

Yesterday marked the 145th anniversary of the address he made at the new national cemetery on the grounds of the Battle of Gettysburg.

At a time when orators spoke for hours at a time, President Lincoln was able to hone down in 272 words what it meant to be an American.

His Gettysburg address is one of the greatest speeches in American history and I repeat it below.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

“But in a larger sense we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Delegate Hull represents the 38th District in the Virginia House of Delegates.

He may be emailed at delrhull@state.house.va.us 

Page 14

Falls Church Shows Support for City PTA Stifel & Capra of Falls Church is hosting the Falls Church City Schools’ PTA Shop and Support Night.

When patrons shop, the PTA benefits. Stifel & Capra are donating a percentage of purchases to the Parent Teacher Association. The kick off will be Nov. 20 and savings extend through the end of the year.

For more information on Stifel & Capra (210 Little Falls St., Falls Church), visit www.stifelandcapra.com or call 703-5333557.

Children’s Turkey Chase Held in Arlington Join Arlington Parks and Recreation on Nov.

November 20 - 26, 2008

20 to hunt down turkey for Thanksgiving. The program will take a look at animals that use camouflage, and is a highly interactive program that includes a story, craft and a short hike. The activity is for ages: 3 – 5 years-old.

Parents are invited to stay and observe, or those with younger siblings may visit the rest of the building during the program, however parents must remain on-site. Registration is required. The program will be held Nov. 20 at Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 N. Military Road, Arlington) and will be $3 per child. To register, call 703-228-4747.

Falls Church Rotary Club Holds Fruit Sale The Fall Church Rotary

ARGIA’S RESTAURANT was the only Falls Church restaurant among the scores of the region’s finest participating in the annual Capital Food Fight to benefit the D.C. Central Kitchen last week. Hosting their table offering samples of their fare at the event were co-owner Adam Roth, left, sous chef Loder Missina and waiter Mike Rosen. (Photo: News-Press)

invites the community to support their Annual Fruit Sale fundraiser. They will be selling cases and half cases of navel oranges, tangelos and grapefruit. Approximately 50 oranges, 40 grapefruit and 100 tangelos will be in each case. A case will sell for $25 and half cases for $13. Proceeds will support the Rotary Club and their various programs. The sale will be at Two Sisters Coffee House (255 W. Broad St., Falls Church) from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Nov. 22. For more information, call Joe Scheibeler at 202-268-5089.

Family Art Workshop Hosted by MPA McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) is hosting a Family Art Workshop called Wacky Machine Sculptures from 10 – 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 22 at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave. McLean).

The workshop is for ages 4 – 8 and is $10 per family. For more information, call 703-790-0123.

FALLS CHURCH’S MIKE CURTIN, right, executive director of the D.C. Central Kitchen, presents his program’s Partner of the Year award to Bob and Nancy Torray during the annual Capital Food Fight at the Reagan Building in D.C. last week.

The Food Fight is the major annual fundraiser for the D.C. Central Kitchen, showcasing food samples from scores of the region’s finest restaurants and “Iron Chef”-style competitions among some of the area’s top chefs. (Photo: News-Press) Hall of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (1545 Chain Bridge Road, McLean). For more information, call 703645-9182.

McLean Rotary to Hold Regular Meeting

Arts and Crafts at Center for Religious Science

The Mclean Rotary Club invites members to the Rotary Leadership Institute on Nov. 22. The Institute is located at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and costs $85 to attend.

Angie Granados will present “Rotary Youth Exchange” and will discuss her experiences as an exchange student from Columbia. The meeting is free and open to the public and will be held at noon on Nov. 25 in the Fellowship

Quilting, water colors, jewelry, note cards, oil paintings and more will be present at the craft show, as well as live music, beverages and food at the Gala. ‘Formal’ dress is requested. Admission is $10 for the evening Gala from 7 – 10 p.m. on Nov. 21. The art and craft viewing and sale is free from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Both events are open to the general public and will take place at The Celebration Center for Religious Science (2840

Graham Road, Falls Church).

For more information, call 703-560-2030.

Mary Riley Styles Offers Insight into Investment This hour-long class hosted

by S&P NetAdvantage, gives students a look into individual stocks and mutual funds, as well as markets, industries and sectors. The class teaches students how to compare mutual funds, screen for stocks or funds, access the ‘Outlook’ newsletters and more. This class is offered at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church) and will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Nov 22. The class is free, but reservations are required and space is limited. For more

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November 20 - 26, 2008

information or to make reservations, call 703-248-5035.

Oakcrest Senior Seeks Girl Scout Gold Award Jeanmarie Melchert of Reston and a senior at Oakcrest School (850 Balls Hill Road, McLean) hopes to earn her Gold Award, the highest achievement for a Girl Scout. Melchert, who joined the Scouts in kindergarten as a Daisy, has been working on her Gold Award project since she was a sophomore.

A member of Troop 2568, Melchert has worked with several advisors including her troop leader, Nancy Willis. The Gold Award calls for a 60-hour project that creates a needed change in the scout’s environment and includes a project proposal that must be approved by the Girl Scout Council.

Melchert’s project, Space Chix, has brought together her interest in science and space to

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create a workshop for teenage girls looking into internships and career opportunities. For more information on Space Chix which will be presented on Nov. 22, email spacechix2008@comcast.net or call 703-475-1534.

M.C.C. Welcomes WorldFamous Talent The Alden Theatre will be hosting world famous musicians at 3 p.m. on Nov. 23 at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean).

Violinist Laura Kobayashi and pianist Susan Keith Gray have toured throughout the United States, South America and other parts of the world. Kobayashi has degrees from The Juilliard School, Yale University and the University of Michigan, while Gray holds degrees from Converse College, and the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan. The concert is free and open to the

DR. RAY SOLANO of Falls Church, left, hosted a food drive and fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank in his chiropractic office on Park Avenue last week that included some celebrities. Solano, left, was joined by former U.S. Olympic figure skater Michael Weiss, right, and moms of National Football League players, including Zelda Westbrook, who is the mother of Brian Westbrook, and Marylin Boley-Pointer, the mother of Michael Boley, shown here. Teresa Springs, mother of Shawn Springs, was also present. Solano was approached by Zelda Westbrook about holding the drive. (Photo: News-Press) public. Performances are subject to change at Alden Theatre.

For more information, call 703790-0123.

Dulin United Methodist Holds Organ Concert Music Director Mary Mateer and Pastor Dave Kirkland will present a music concert featuring solo organ, piano and organ duets and piano four-hand hymn tunes at a free concert open to the public. The concert will be held at 4 p.m. on Nov. 23 at Dulin Church (513 E. Broad St., Falls Church). For more information, call 703-532-8060.

Community Thanksgiving Service Jazz Artists

START SPREADIN’ THE NEWS. Kristin Cummings has agreed to wed former News-Press sports editor Mike Hume. The couple has spent a happy three-and-a-half years together to this point, with Kristin tolerating Mike’s late nights at the News-Press and Mike understanding Kristin’s dire need to be photographed with George Clooney at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

(Memo to George from Mike: “I win.”) Kristin and Mike relocated to New York City this summer and continue to pursue careers in publishing and journalism. Kristin works for The Atlantic, while Mike now works for ESPN the Magazine. A wedding date is Organ Concert ad 11/14/08 2:10 PM Page 1 to be decided. (Photo Courtesy: Mike Hume)

Award-winning jazz guitarist Rob Levit, and teenage gospel singer and songwriter Elizabeth Cumbest will join Gunnery Sergeant AnnaMarie Mottola of the The President’s Own and guitarist Nik Scott at the annual Falls Church Community Thanksgiving Service at 7 p.m. Nov. 23. A collection will be taken of nonperishable food items for the Falls Church Community

Dulin Church United Methodist

Service Council food closet and for Homestretch.

Monetary offerings will go towards the rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast Region. This year’s service will be hosted at the ChristCrossman United Methodist Church (384 N Washington St., Falls Church).

For directions or more information, call 703-532-4026.

Falls Church Lions Club Discusses D.C. Goodwill Shanna Gidwani will present a program on the Goodwill of Greater Washington to the Lions Club of Falls Church at their regularly scheduled meeting at 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 25 at La Cote D’Or Café (6876 Lee Highway, Arlington). Meetings are open to the general public. First-time dinner guests are welcome free of charge. Contact Phil Loar at 703-698-0896 for reservations.

Sea Chanty Sing Along at Stacy’s Coffee Parlor The Chantymen originated from Ship’s Company, which is a living-history organization that interprets different aspects of

maritime life between 1775 and 1865. The singers, who perform at more than 20 events a year, began rehearsing songs at the Royal Mile in 1996. Now various Chantymen lead sea chantey sing-alongs and welcome participants. The Chantymen will be at Stacy’s Coffee (709 W. Broad St., Fall Church) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25. For more information, call 703-538-6266.

F. C. Episcopal Reaches Out to Community Reverend Micheal Pipkin of The Falls Church Episcopal (225 E. Broad St., Falls Church), announced the appointment of the Reverend Cathy Tibbetts as Assistant Minister for Children’s Education earlier this month.

Tibbetts is a recent graduate of The Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria and previously served as the Lay Youth Minister at Trinity Episcopal Church located in Washington, Va. The Falls Church Episcopal uses an educational approach based on The Workshop Rotation Model of Learning, which allows children to participate in creative workshops.

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November 20 - 26, 2008

News Jack-the-Ripper Certified Arborists, Inc. won the business category of Fairfax County’s 2008 Environmental Excellent Awards which recognize advancement or support of Fairfax County’s environmental goals and policy statements; dedication of personal time and expertise beyond normal fiscal or civic responsibilities; and leadership as a role model for others. Additional award recipients include Chet McLaren in the resident category and the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter Project Management Team in the organization category. For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov.

Falls Church-based JDG Communications, Inc. has created a Web site for the Federal Trade Commission to help young consumers learn key consumer and business concepts and to protect themselves against fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Children under 12 are reported to spend billions of dollars on goods and services every year. The new Web site www.ftc.gov/YouAreHere takes kids on an experiential journey through a shopping mall to introduce them to key consumer and business concepts including advertising, branding and competition.

Kids can learn the rules of advertising by creating their own ad for a shoe store, become familiar with how supply, demand and production costs impact selling prices and gain an understanding of competition by comparing sales pitches. There is also a short movie that shows how Teddy Roosevelt became known as the “Trust Buster” and why the FTC was formed. JDG is a full-service marketing firm that specializes in strategic marketing services. For more information, visit jdgcommunications.com.

Mike’s Deli @ Lazy Sundae is now offering limited free lunchtime delivery to locations in Falls Church. The deli, owned and operated by David Tax and Rebecca Tax, offers a variety of deli style sandwiches available for eat in or take out The deli is open Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., weekends and holidays 9 a.m – 9 p.m. Delivery is available from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Mike’s Deli is located in Lazy Sundae at 110 N. West St. in Falls Church. For more information, call 703-532-5299.

WiGo Wireless is now offering new phone delivery and set up for Blackberrys and Smartphones. WiGo is an authorized AT&T retailer. Owned and operated by Rob Link, WiGo recently moved from its location in the Whitner Jackson building across the parking lot to 1112 W. Broad St. in Falls Church. Hours of operation are 10 a.m.

– 7 p.m. Monday – Saturday. To learn more stop by the new location, call 703-2419446 or visit wigowireless.com.

Events PNC Bank in Falls Church is hosting an autograph signing party with Washington Wizards Player Nick Young from 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4. A raffle will also be held for 2 tickets to see the Wizards and a $125 gift certificate for Argia’s. PNC Bank is located in The Read Building at 402 W. Broad St. Clay Café Studios and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce are co-hosting the 8th Annual Family Fundraiser to benefit the Falls Church Emergency Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, Dec. 9. This event is a creative way to support this much needed facility and to make a handmade holiday gift for a loved one. For $25, attendees have the opportunity to paint an ornament, plate, bowl or mug from a select group and enjoy refreshments and door prizes. Space is limited. Stop by Clay Café at 101 N. Maple Ave. in Falls Church, or call 703-534-7600 to reserve seats. All profits are donated directly to the shelter.

Stifel and Capra is hosting its 2nd Annual Black Friday Champagne Brunch from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, during which the local independently owned shop offering “Art and Ornament for your Wonderful Life” is located at 210 Little Falls St., Suite 201. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday – Saturday. In December, the shop will be open until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from noon – 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit stifelandcapra.com.

Businesses interested in participating in Falls Church City’s Watch Night festivities on New Year’s Eve can still do so by contacting event organizer Barbara Cram at greenscap@aol.com. Watch Night events, which are family friendly and free to the general public, include live music, dancing, karaoke and a wide variety of children’s activities such as a moon bounce and other inflatables. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available for those interested in promoting their business and supporting the community.  The Business News & Notes section is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

November 20 - 26, 2008

Last week the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris released their annual report on the state of the world’s energy resources -- World Energy Review 2008.

As the world’s energy situation becomes more and more confused, with prices gyrating wildly, and with more voices warning of unprecedented problems just ahead, this 569-page report stands as the most authoritative description of what will happen to the world’s energy supply. The energy policies of the 28 countries that are members of the IEA in theory hinge on the report’s findings – and that is where the trouble comes in.

Until recently, the IEA’s forecasts have been based on the premise that there was plenty of oil or equivalent hydrocarbons left to extract. Forecasting future production was simply a function of extrapolating demand. However much oil the world needed and was ready to pay for, the oil industry would provide. This premise of course undercuts the notion of world oil production peaking anytime soon. As long as there is plenty of oil to extract in the foreseeable future, world production should not peak. It was this premise and associated judgments that serve as the basis for most of the world’s governments denying or at least avoiding discussing very loudly the idea that world oil production will soon be going into decline.

In recent years however, as world oil production stagnated, and as more attention was focused on rates of oil depletion vs. the likelihood of offsetting new production, the IEA’s basic premise became more and more untenable. This year the Agency succumbed to reality and addressed the issue of stagnating oil production head-on with detailed discussions of oil depletion around the world.

It must be kept in mind that the World Energy Review is not an academic search for truth, but a political document that forms the basis for energy policy in many countries and guides the expenditure of billions of dollars. The current travails of General Motors is a case in point. Given the importance of the document, it is

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naïve to expect a sharp reversal of its key judgments that the world’s oil supply will continue to grow for the next 20 years nor that oil prices will not become too burdensome.

In this respect the new release does not disappoint, for the Agency continues to forecast in what is called a “reference case” that world oil production will increase by another 20 million barrels a day (b/d) over the next 20 years.

With the “all will be well” formalities out of the way,

the Agency, however, breaks much new ground in providing data on world oil depletion and warning that supply problems are just ahead. As it has done for over a year now, the IEA bases its concerns for the future not on geology, but on the lack of sufficient investment to keep up with the steadily rising costs of extracting and processing oil from increasingly difficult places. If you want a mind boggling number, the Agency now says that it will cost $26 trillion (with a “T”) over the next 20 or so years to keep energy flowing at its current pace and to provide for some economic growth. If we don’t spend this much, then it is our own fault if supplies of oil, coal, natural gas, and electricity run short.

Perhaps the most interesting phenomenon surrounding the release of this year’s report is the veritable swarm of critics that descended on release day to dissect all 569 pages, word by word, graph by graph and chart by chart.

Dozens if not hundreds are involved in this effort and are already bombarding the report’s authors with demands for explanations of the dozens of inconsistencies that have already turned up.

While obviously stressful to those involved in producing the report, it is a healthy process for it serves to remind the Agency that its judgments are having a significant impact and that many knowledgeable people are watching and parsing the Agency’s every utterance.

For most commentators, the major flaw in the report is the

judgment that world oil production will continue to increase steadily for the next 22 years despite increasing rates of oil depletion, as well as growing environmental and fiscal problems. The Agency forecasts that production from currently producing fields will decline to about 50 percent of current production. This decline, they say, will be more than made up for by: developing new already discovered oil fields; finding new fields, using enhanced recovery techniques to get more oil out of existing fields; getting more oil from the Alberta tar sands; doubling natural gas production and extracting the liquids from the gas; and finally increasing the extraction liquids from coal. When, and if, all this happens, the world will be perking along nicely with 106 million b/d of oil vs. the current 86 million b/d.

As one cynic put it, the IEA was given the job of forecasting enough energy production to allow the world’s economy to continue to grow for the next 20 years, and then set about constructing a scenario, however implausible, of how this might happen.

After deriding the optimistic forecast, most of the commentary thus far has focused on the new data about rates of oil depletion and what they portend. Rates of oil depletion is a complicated, (for there are hundreds of major oil fields) yet important area of study as it is key to what is going to happen over the next few decades. The new information provided by the IEA, and more importantly the debate over this information, is likely to occupy the time until the next report comes out.

The best feature of this report is that the IEA seems to be responding to its critics and seems willing to engage in a genuine debate over the future of the world’s energy supply.

It is asking too much of agency that answers to 28 governments to embrace peak oil with the release of one publication.

However, if one reads between the lines and uses the data to draw one’s own conclusion, the new report simply screams that peak oil and all that it implies is just about here.  Tom Whipple is a retired government analyst and has been following the peak oil issue for several years.

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November 20 - 26, 2008

At this year’s Universal Dance Association (UDA) Fairfax Championship, held on Nov. 15 at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, the J.E.B. Stuart High School Dance Team placed second out of six teams that competed at Saturday’s event. Dancers include Breanna Alexander, Eyerusalem Argaw, Rachel Boots, Blair Bullock, Cherelle Ford, Gerlys Norraine Gayona, Wanda Hernandez, Catherine Jackson-Banks, Jessica Jackson-Banks, Sasha Jiron, Azeb Legesse, Erika Moscoso, Alana Ogata and Nikkia Williams. The dance team coach this year is Alissa Wunder.

The Stuart girls brought their energetic hip hop routine to the dance floor at Paul VI. Teams were able to choose various categories for competition, and could place in any of those categories – jazz, hip hop and pom. Wunder said she “was very proud of their accomplishment.”

While this was their last performance at a competition for the 2008-09 school year, they will make appearances at J.E.B. Stuart pep rallies this December and next March. Thinking ahead about next season, Wunder is confident that the girls will continue and improve their winning streak. “I can guarantee they’ll be back at the UDA competition next year to move up,” she says. (Photo: Courtesy Maxine Williams)

Upcoming Falls Church Area High School Basketball Schedule

Starting this week, George Mason High School’s basketball teams head back to the courts.

Here is the latest on what Mustangs fans should expect in the coming weeks: George Mason Girls Team Coming off a remarkable season that ended with a playoff run and an appearance in the state finals last winter, the George Mason Mustangs girls Varsity Basketball team is gearing up for its 2008-2009 campaign with sky high expectations once again.

However, this year’s additional hype means nothing to the returning players who have no intentions of dwelling in their previous success.

“We’re a new team,” said junior Nicole Mitchell, one of the team’s two returning starters.

“It’s a new season, and I don’t think people should compare us to last year’s team.”

Mitchell’s humble statement carries a lot of significance due to the fact that the Mustangs experienced a great deal of turnover from last year. In addition to losing three of their ’07-’08 starters to graduation, long tenured head coach Bill Broderick moved on to take a coaching position at Elon University this past spring. Broderick’s replacement, LaBryan Thomas, is returning to coaching basketball after taking the winter off in 2007.

Thomas coached the boys ju-

nior varsity team at Mason for several years before stepping down from the job last winter to watch his daughter Chantal play.

Chantal, a former transfer from Garfield High School, enters her junior year projected to be one of the top players in the Bull Run District after becoming a solid contributor last season. Her incendiary speed and exceptional ball handling skills gave a spark to the Mustangs in their ’07-’08 post-season run. Thomas will be an even more crucial component to this year’s squad, as they will be very thin on experience at the point guard position.

With the exception of Thomas, they will be reliant on hybrid players such as Mitchell and junior Kelsey Kane filling in at spots normally suited for smaller players.

Along with a new head coach, the Mustangs brought in fresh faces with a trio of talented ninth graders in Bria Platenburg, Leah Roth and Lauren Kane. The freshmen are each expected to help bring some sort of depth to the Mustang’s sparse backcourt.

With the leadership of senior forwards Abby Stroup and Mayssa Chehata in the post, the Mustangs certainly have a shot to be in contention for another run at a state title.

The girls’ first encounter with another team is Nov. 22, when they travel to Heritage High School for a scrimmage.

George Mason opens their regular season with 12 non-district games, the first one on Dec. 2 at home against Lake Braddock before opening district play

against Madison County in an away game on Jan. 7.

George Mason Boys Team The Mustangs boys Varsity Basketball team ended their ’07-’08 campaign with a bang, finishing second in the district tournament, and earning a regional berth despite a disappointing regular season in which they finished 11-12.

Like the girls team, the boys are bringing back the majority of their talent. Senior Joel Chandler is healthy, and poised to have another monster year along with the sharpshooting Josh Brew. The high flying Anthony Andrianarison will give the team a boost inside the paint once again alongside 6-foot, 7-inches tall center Jordan Cheney, who is a junior.

In addition to their main scorers, the boys team brings a good amount of depth to the table with several versatile players coming off the bench. Junior forwards Michael Wolfe and Brian Lubnow both bring varsity experience to the table along with senior Tony Armstrong who missed all of his junior season due to injury.

Clarke County, last year’s Bull Run district champion figures to be back as Mason’s biggest competitor in the district along with Madison County who also split in two games with the Mustangs during the regular season.

The boys open their competitive schedule with a scrimmage against Falls Church High School in a home game at 7:30 p.m. this Friday night, Nov. 21.

Boys

Girls

McLean vs. Oakton 11/20 @ 7:30 p.m.

Falls Church vs. Dominion 11/21 @ 6:30 p.m.

J.E.B. Stuart vs. Lee 11/20 @ 7:30 p.m.

Marshall vs. Hayfield 11/21 @ 7:45 p.m.

George Mason vs. Falls Church 11/21 @ 7:30 p.m.

George Mason vs. Heritage 11/22 @ 4:30 p.m.

J.E.B. Stuart vs. Blake 11/22 @ noon

Falls Church vs. Annandale 11/25 @ 7:45 p.m.

McLean vs. Robinson 11/22 @ 7:30 p.m.

George Mason vs. McLean 11/26 @ 7:30 p.m.

George Mason vs. Thomas Jefferson 11/25 @ 7:30 p.m.

Falls Church vs. Fairfax 12/02 @ 7:30 p.m.

Marshall vs. Stafford 11/25 @ 7:45 p.m.

George Mason vs. Lake Braddock 12/02 @ 6 p.m.

Falls Church vs. Fairfax 12/02 @ 7:30 p.m.

J.E.B. Stuart vs. McLean 12/02 @ 7:30 p.m.

George Mason vs. Marshall 12/02 @ 7 p.m.

George Mason vs. Wakefield At Marshall 12/03 @ 7 p.m.

J.E.B. Stuart vs. McLean 12/02 @ 7:45 p.m.

George Mason vs. Loudoun Co. 12/04 & 12/05 @ TBA Falls Church at the Freedon H.S. Tip Off Tournament 12/05 & 12/06 @ TBA

Marshall vs. Lake Braddock 12/03 @ 7:30 p.m.

Falls Church vs. Centreville 12/05 @ 7:30 p.m.

J.E.B Stuart vs. Annandale 12/05 @ 7:45 p.m.

Marshall vs. Woodbridge At South County 12/05 @ 6 p.m.

McLean vs. South County At Langley 12/05 @ 6 p.m.

Home team in bold

Home team in bold

November 20 - 26, 2008

Page 19

Mr. Hume, Been wrapped up with racing lately (why can’t I get away from guys named Jimmie Johnson?) and haven’t watched much football. I heard about two losses in a row for the Redskins. Is it time to panic or keep the faith?

2008 All-Bun Run District Team Announced

Joe G.

After challenging football seasons all round for area high schools, two George Mason students were named to this year’s All-Bull Run District team. Senior Charlie Mann, who played running back, earned his place on the first team Offense, and junior Misael Benitez, a linebacker, joined the second team Defense.

Thomas Jefferson H.S. Runner Bests Competition On Nov. 15, freshman Sarah Stites of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology placed first in the USA Track and Field (USATF) Virginia Association Youth Division competition, held in Mechanicsville, Va. Stites won the 4-kilometer race in 15:25, 22 seconds ahead of the next runner, qualifying her to compete in the Dec. 13 USATF National Cross Country.

George Mason Hosts Wrestling Scrimmage As a prelude to the wrestling season, which begins the first week of December, George Mason High School is hosting a multi-school scrimmage at 3:45 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 20.

Competitors include wrestlers from McLean, Wakefield and Langley High Schools.

TJHSST Players Receive Honors Last week, members of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Volleyball team received district and regional level recognition of the team’s efforts this year. Suzy Hastings, who hails from Falls Church, was named to the first team All-District with an honorable mention at the All-Region level.

Along with Hastings’ double honors, Meghan Kelly, Angela Liu and Molly Patterson received honorable mentions at the All-District level.

J.E.B. Stuart Warms up Wrestling Season Ahead of their first season

ALL-DISTRICT TEAM MEMBER Suzy Hastings, of Falls Church, is a star volleyball player at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Hastings also received an AllRegion honorable mention. (Photo: Courtesy Victoria Linnell) match against Mount Vernon High School on Dec. 3, J.E.B. Stuart High School wrestlers will challenge Madison High School in an away scrimmage match at 3:30 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 20.

Marshall High School Sports Potluck Dinner All interested George C. Marshall High School student athletes are invited to a potluck dinner in the school cafeteria at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24.

Each team is responsible for bringing a food item to the dinner, and coaches will be able to inform students what items should be prepared.

Colonials Raise Money for Spring Training The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology boys Lacrosse team

is selling holiday poinsettias to raise funds for their spring training trip to Orlando, Fl. The deadline for orders is Friday, Nov. 21, and orders will be delivered to the high school for pick-up from 3 – 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4 in the Old Track Locker Room. The order form can be downloaded on the high school Sports Boosters web page, sports.tjhsst.edu/boosters.

Falls Church H.S. Parents Winter Sports Meeting At 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, parents of any Falls Church High School winter sports athlete are invited to attend a special meeting with coaches at the high school, to discuss expectations of winter athletes in addition to laying out the sports schedules for the semester. For more information about the meeting, contact the school at 703-207-4000.

There are two ways of looking at Sunday night’s loss to the Cowboys. The first way is if you see the Cowboys as their owner Jerry Jones does – a playoffcaliber team ready to rattle off win after win and burst into the postseason. If that’s how you view Dallas, then yeah, Sunday’s loss was nothing more than the second straight game the surprising Skins have lost to a top tier team and isn’t worth worrying much about.

If you don’t adopt that rosy view of the Cowboys, and considering the Cowboys were annihilated by the 2-8 St. Louis Rams you probably shouldn’t, then it’s time to worry about Washington’s playoff chances.

For two consecutive games Washington’s offense has failed to break 225 total yards, a number the New York Giants nearly surpassed in the first half in their game against the Ravens Sunday. Both Dallas and Pittsburgh were able to get to Redskins QB Jason Campbell and attack him before he could make good decisions and/or accurate throws. It was also a prerequisite for him to evade a would-be tackler before taking any shot down field. What’s more disturbing is that Washington’s West Coast offense is based on short dropbacks and quick passes, meaning the offensive line has been about as effective as balsa wood holding back a battleship.

The line needs to buy Campbell some more time because the low-scoring Redskins positively must make the most out of each offensive chance they get. Washington is averaging just 18.1 points per game this season. Only Detroit, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Oakland have worse point production. And those teams are most certainly not heading for the playoffs.

Mike, How serious is the Nats’ interest in Mark Teixeira? And is it a good move for the club or will Mark hate himself if he signs there?

Scott B. Thanks for the questions, Scott, and thanks also for submitting them on a $100 bill.

That is some serious stationary you have there. Ben Franklin takes you to the top of the heap.

The Nats appear dead serious about signing him and I think it could be a mutually beneficial move for the Marylandborn first baseman and a team looking for a jolt.

At first glance Teixeira’s asking price, thought to be more than $20 million per year, doesn’t seem wise given the franchise’s current state of disarray. Not only are the Nats struggling mightily on the major league level, but all of those top draft picks they’ve been stockpiling with their last place finishes are progressing slower than expected. So if Washington won’t compete for the playoffs for another three years, why flush away $60 million-plus on the first three years of a long term contract to Teixeira?

It’s sound logic, but I don’t agree with that approach. If the Nats can get Teixeira to believe that Washington won’t always be a wasteland, they should sign him.

True, the Nats don’t have a pitching staff that can bring them to the playoffs yet, but if they can ink Teixeira they can at least make a putrid lineup far more respectable. With Teixeira, their top six of the order looks like this: Cristian Guzman, Lastings Milledge, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Teixeira, Josh Willingham, Elijah Dukes.

Milledge, Zimmerman and Dukes are all on the upswings of their career. Teixeira is also young (currently 28) and will still be in his prime when the team’s top prospects finally blossom.

A signing of that caliber will also convince Washington’s fans that the Lerner family’s frugality to this point really has been driven by strategy rather than stinginess. And that goodwill could be invaluable given the team’s flagging TV ratings and disappointing attendance in the first year of the new ballpark.

But more importantly, by giving a long-term deal to Teixeira, maybe the Nats can avoid a long-term lease on the basement of the National League East.

Page 20

Island Illumination Aqui Estamos (Here We Are); Cuban Art, at H&F Fine Arts (3311 Rhode Island Ave., Mount Rainer, Md.). This exhibit runs through Nov. 30.

The gallery hours are from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The gallery is closed Monday – Wednesday. Call 301-8870080, or visit www.hffinearts. com.

Cuban art shows are fairly rare events in the U.S., for obvious reasons. Having only seen two previous Cuban art shows, this is the second one curated by F. Lennox “Lenny” Campello, one of the most well known faces on the local art scene. Campello is a dealer, curator, and blogger (dcartnews. blogspot.com/) covering the art

November 20 - 26, 2008

scene in D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

That being common knowledge in the art world, less known is Campello’s Cuban roots. His father was a political prisoner under the Castro regime, which led to the family’s arrival in New York City when Campello was 10-years-old. Needless to say, he can speak firsthand to Cuban oppression and the resulting exodus.

H&F Fine Arts, located just over the D.C. border in the emerging Mount Rainer arts district, hosts this showing of 26 art works by seven Cuban artists. It’s an interesting mix of disciplines that revolve around the inescapable subjects of repression, indoctrination and the Cuban exodus – past, present or longed for.

Americans often take their freedom of speech for grant-

ed, but the Cuban artists must tread lightly when dealing with dissenting opinions about the regime in power.

“Illumination” is often used as code for indoctrination, especially of the Cuban youth.

Aimeé Garcia Marrero conveys such by painting a large-scale upside down portrait of a child’s head as a light bulb in her canvas titled “Aliento (Breath).”

Sandra Ramos uses her mixed media etching to depict an outstretched mother mimicking the shape of the Cuban island itself. Floating below her is a child tethered by an umbilical chord representing the isle of youth, overlaid with nine lit candles.

The isle of Pines, renamed the Isle of Youth in 1978, was where Castro was imprisoned before the revolution, and where political prisoners were held after the revolution. Now it is the location of international schools for Cuban children.

While few, if any of these artists are known to us; they are known Cuban artists who have had major shows outside of Cuba.

Curiously, trade embargoes affect art materials even for these artists. Aimeé Garcia Marrero’s three large scale canvases use an oddly dark and muddy palette – seems she’s had trouble obtaining brighter

paint colors. Similarly, she also has two digital photos here that suffer badly due to poor printer quality ... the best available to her in Cuba.

One of the most insightful images here is “El Boat (The Boat)” by Ramos. This time we see a row boat/raft adrift under a star filled night sky. Sitting quietly in the boat, with her back to us, is a young Cuban girl dressed in the official red

school jumper uniform. Too small to reach both oars, and thus making her escape useless, she helplessly looks off into the night sky dreaming of things to come.  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.

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