JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025
Falls Church, Virginia • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free
Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXIV N o . 47
The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia
‘25 Brings 7 Movie Screens to Little City
NEW WELCOMING SIGNAGE
Paragon Theaters Preparing May Ribbon Cutting Here by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
New businesses opening in Founders Row 1 in the past year have led to a surprising outcome. The interior plaza of Mill Creek’s four-acre project at the corner of N. West and W. Broad Street has evolved quickly into a mini-town center surrounded by major elements of a colorful urban life led by top-drawer restaurants, luxury apartments and other retailers. But if it casts that kind of ambiance now, well, as the saying goes, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” Enter the Paragon Entertainment Holdings, Inc., with their seven-screen motion picture complex that is building out the space, deceptive now because most of it is out of the public view on the second floor, now scheduled to open in May. With over 600 seats facing seven screens, 30 percent of which are what they call “Lux Boxes,” or the “Paragon Theaters VIP Lux Box Dine-In Seating sections.” These sections are described as “private enclaves of seats with their own stairwells of access that feature the best viewing experience in every theater, including Paragon’s exclusive large format screens, known as Axis 15 Extreme.” In this section of each auditorium, “each VIP luxury seat electronically reclines with
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THE NEW SIGNAGE ATTACHED to the Falls Church City Hall last month features the word, “Welcome,” in over 20 different languages. A ceremony to lift the cloak off the sign featured the F.C. City Council and key members of the City staff. (Photo: News-Press)
‘In a World Full of Donalds, Be a Jimmy!’ Tribute
by Nicholas F. Benton
Falls Church News-Press
“In a world full of Donalds, be a Jimmy.” “Jimmy Carter was the embodiment of the saying, ‘Instead of building a bigger wall, build a bigger table.’” News of the passing at age 100 last weekend of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, led to an immediate outpouring of gratitude for his service not only as president from 1976
to 1981, but as an exemplary human being who manifested a deep faith with practical acts of generosity and kindness. An outpouring of positive sentiments not only in memory of Carter, but also rendered more poignant by the prospects of what the new Donald Trump term will hold, has been overwhelming. Statements as tributes to the life and work of Jimmy Carter have issued forth from every quarter, age group, nation and political party. In the City
of Falls Church, Jeff Person, the chair of the Democratic Committee here issued the following statement: “The Falls Church City Democratic Committee Chair Jeff Person on behalf of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee joins the nation and the world in mourning the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, a leader whose life was defined by an unwavering commitment to peace, justice, and service. With his passing, the world has lost a true icon
and a great man. President Carter dedicated his life to public service, beginning as a naval officer and continuing as governor of Georgia, the 39th President of the United States, and a tireless advocate, diplomat, and philanthropist in the years following his presidency. He used his global platform to fight against war and injustice, bring attention to the plight of the poor and marginalized, and help
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Paragon Theaters Slated to Open 7 Screens in Founders Row
Continued from Page 1
a ‘zero-gravity’ ergonomic mechanism featuring privacy wings, including individual retractable tray tables and adjustable heating. The seating is configured in loveseats or single seats, and utilizing a QR code to get concessions, meals or drinks served directly to an individual location.” There will be no concession stand on the ground floor, as per the usual, but a bar on the ground floor that will be open to the public serving craft cocktails and food, namely American cuisine with local flairs, with hand-made pizzas with six or eight varieties being among the most popular. Paragon’s Jared Comess set out what customers will be able to expect at this new venue in an interview with the NewsPress last week. For example, the Axis 15 Extreme large format screens have been designed to better reduce eye strain and increase viewability tilted 15 degrees to an optimal way for guests to see a film, especially as they recline in luxury leather reclining seats to the best possible position. “Couple the new tilted screens with 4K laser projection and the ultimate in sound technology, Dolby Atmos, exclusive to selected auditoriums, and the movie
going public will never be the same again,” Comess said. Paragon Theaters are currently located in Florida (three of them) and North Carolina (one in Raleigh) and all are screening first-run blockbusters. The organization is now previewing its Founders Row location on its website, saying it “will have all the same luxury amenities that are associated with all the other Paragon theaters.” Starting in March, the company will begin hiring to staff its Founders Row screens, looking to employ 40 to 60 people. Come May, the company plans a ribbon cutting ceremony, a “big shebang,” Comess said, with a big film opening to accompany it. The Falls Church City Council gave the green light to Mill Creek’s Founders Row project, years in the making, on financial estimates based on the projection that there would be an average of over 300 customers to the movie complex nightly. So, as this comes to pass, it will mark the latest among what is already becoming one of little Falls Church’s three urban downtowns (the Hoffman company’s massive 10-acre West End under construction now, the traditional Broad and Washington intersection, and now Founders Row).
A hot bowl of pho at Eden Center. Voted best shopping center in the DMV! Want to see your photo in the News-Press? Send us those photos of events that went down in the Little City for a chance to see it in the paper. email: ngatz@fcnp.com
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President Carter’s Contribution to Civility & Progressive Values
Continued from Page 1
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those in need. “In 2002, President Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in promoting peace and human rights, as well as his efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts. Through the Carter Center, which he founded in 1982, he led initiatives to advance democracy, improve global health, and combat neglected tropical diseases. His efforts to ensure safe drinking water and eradicate diseases have improved millions of lives around the world. “President Carter’s legacy is one of compassion, generosity, and courage. His lifelong commitment to justice and human rights has inspired countless people and will continue to serve as a model for generations to come. “The Falls Church City Democratic Committee honors his memory and extends our deepest condolences to the Carter family. We thank him for his service to our country and for showing us what it means to lead with humility, hope, and a deep sense of purpose.” Also, Virginia’s U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner issued the following statement: “Jimmy Carter blazed a trail from the peanut fields of Plains, Georgia to the Navy, the Governor’s Mansion, the White House, and to a remarkable postpresidential career – modeling leadership, philanthropy, and love of country every step of the way. We lost a giant. “Jimmy Carter gave me my first job out of law school, and I have deeply admired his service since leaving the Oval Office. His dedication to building homes through Habitat for Humanity has always brought back warm memories of my father, who also volunteered with the organization well into his eighties. Like much of the Greatest Generation, President Carter will be remembered by what he built and left behind for us – a model of service late into life, a tireless devotion to family and philanthropy, and a more peaceful world to call home.” Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Reich honored the memory of Carter by revisiting the words that Carter wrote on June 16, 1977 and placed in Voyager 1, which is the most distant human-made object from Earth. Carter’s “statement to the heavens” was as follows: “This Voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America. We are a community of 240
million human beings among the more than 4 billion who inhabit the planet Earth. We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization. “We cast this message into the cosmos. It is likely to survive a billion years into our future, when our civilization is profoundly altered and the surface of the Earth may be vastly changed. Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some – perhaps many – may have inhabited planets and spacefaring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message: “‘This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe. “‘— Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, the White House, June 16, 1977.’” Reich added this: “I’m struck today by this message’s optimism — the idea that we on Earth are becoming a single global civilization which might survive another billion years and someday join a community of galactic civilizations. It all sounds charmingly naive now, when the world is wracked by war, famine, and the ravages of climate change, and when Donald Trump is getting ready to isolate America from the rest of the world. “Yet Jimmy Carter was an optimist about human nature. The word ‘civilization’ appears five times in his short message. Carter believed passionately in the capacity of human beings to create civil societies that would contain the beasts in all of us. Civilization would prevail over brutality. Humanity over inhumanity.” “Carter was a religious man who lived by this simple civil religion. He not only saw the good in others but he practiced the good. He was far from the best president America has had but he was one of the best and most decent people ever to serve as president. He never wavered in his optimism. He spread it throughout his life. He spread it to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. May he rest in peace in that cosmos.”
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JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025 | PAGE 5
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Since 1991, an award-winning LGBT-owned general Interest community newspaper. Vol. XXXIV, No. 47 January 2 - 8, 2025 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association •
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Editorial
E D I TO R I A L
Is Society Now ‘Post-Literate?’
“Are We Becoming a Post-Literate Society?” is the provocative title to an opinion piece by Sarah O’Connor in the December 27 Financial Times. It speaks to the issue we have tried to address here on numerous occasions on why tactile print newspapers and books are vital to sustaining a democracy. O’Connor does not address the question of democracy per se in her commentary, but the connection between what she does say and that outcome seems very clear to us. We once again sound the alarm on this subject in hopes it is not too little, too late. She quotes social critic Neil Postman in his book, “Conscientious Objections”, on the “ascendancy of pictures over words in American media, culture and politics.” She goes on citing him, “A culture does not have to force scholars to flee to render them impotent. A culture does not have to burn books to assure they will not be read… There are other ways to achieve stupidity.” She notes that “technology has changed the way many of us consume information, away from longer, more complex pieces of writing, such as books and newspaper articles, to short social media posts and video clips. At the same time, social media has made it more likely that you read stuff that confirms your views, rather than engaging with diverse perspectives” and rise to the level of capacity for assessment “to distinguish fact from fiction, navigate ambiguity and manage complexity.” So, today, she points out, “Thirty percent of American adults read at a level that you would expect from a 10 year old,” according to the results of an extensive study by the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) based in person assessments of the literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills of 160,000 adults aged 16-65 in 31 different countries. Compared to only a decade earlier, she notes, “the trends are striking,” with proficiency improving in only two countries (Finland and Denmark) and declining significantly in 11. Among better-educated persons, proficiency fell in 13 countries and increased in only one (Finland). This is our primary concern with the impact of TikTok as a national security challenge, for example, though few are willing to consider it in that way. We recall back when the national newspaper U.S.A. Today first appeared. There was a grave concern at the time for the potential implications of the fact that the stories were all so short and lacking in depth and nuance. Now, TikTok and other social media platforms are drawing young minds into a world of short sound and video bites that make even U.S.A. Today stories seem like extensive scholarly treatises. The current consideration of cell phone policies in public schools needs to be seen in this context. But further, it is the greater challenge to develop and extend the attention span of minds of all ages which is the key to preserving almost everything we value in our free society.
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JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025 | PAGE 7
Ringing in the New Year 2025 at Strathmore, Vienna-Style
by Mark Dreisonstok
In a January 29 holiday performance so joyful that it would only disappoint the Grinch, the Salute to Vienna New Years Concert at Strathmore Music Center in Bethesda brought sheer magic to its audience of all ages. The concert was an interactive medley of New Years classics, with everything from Viennese waltzes to polkas to operetta arias to the traditional New Year’s anthem “Auld Lang Syne.” As Quinn Sarracco, Front-ofHouse Manager at Strathmore, explained, the annual Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert at Strathmore imitates that of the Vienna Philharmonic in Vienna, Austria. The Strathmore version features European ballet, operetta, and conducting stars, with a talented orchestra made up largely of musicians from the Philadelphia area. Particularly engaging in this performance was the flamboyant conductor of the orchestra András Deák, who was as much a master of ceremonies as a traditional conductor of a symphonic orchestra, although the maestro conducted the orchestra
with great prowess. In addition to his superb direction of Viennese waltzes of Johann Strauss, Jr., such as the “Schatz Waltzes” (Schatz being German for “treasure”) and “The Blue Danube Waltz” (the latter a must in any Vienna New Year’s Concert), he engaged the audience by “conducting” their rhythmic claps in Mozart’s “Turkish March” to himself leaving the podium to lead a “train” of orchestra members across the stage in the “Bahn frei Polka.” (Bahn frei is German for “train track clear!”) Singers scheduled for the festivities were Franz Gürtelschmied and Jennifer Davison. They dueted beautifully in “Komm mit nach Varaždin” (“Come with us to Varaždin”) from Emmerich Kálmán’s operetta “Countess Maritza” as well as in the “Champagne Finale” from Johann Strauss, Jr.’s New Year’s Evethemed operetta “Die Fledermaus.” The tenor performed a moving “Als flotter Geist” (“As a Brisk Spirit”) from Strauss, Jr.’s, “The Gypsy Baron” while the standout soprano performance was “Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss“ (translated by Maestro Deák as “My Lips which Kiss with Fire”) from Franz Lehár’s
musical comedy “Giuditta.” Dancers from the Budapest Ballet and International Champion Ballroom Dancers were on hand, performing elegant Viennese waltzes as well as polkas and even comic numbers and acrobatics in traditional Central European national dress. For many attendees at the North American incarnation of the Vienna’s New Year’s Concert
(similar performances are staged by Attila Glatz Concert Productions in other major cities of the U.S. and Canada), the performance brought back wonderful memories for many of enjoying the annual televised Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Day Concert, this year conducted by Riccardo Muti and to be telecast on PBS stations. Yet the event had a broad appeal beyond die-hard Vienna
New Year enthusiasts, for the lilting melodies, infectious performances, wonderful costumes, and on-stage flowers and Christmas trees provided a festive holiday experience for all and an agreeable “slide into the New Year,” to adopt an expression common in Austria and Germany. Readers are recommended to watch for the Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert next December!
FESTIVE SETTINGS, SUPERB musicians, and wonderful dancing permeate the annual Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert. (Photo: courtesy of Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert.)
PAGE 8 | JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025
LO CA L
News & Notes
F.C. Community Center Work To Modify Schedule The Falls Church Community Center will be under construction to upgrade the HVAC heating and cooling system starting in January and ending in June 2025. During this time, programming will continue for the public at the Community Center and/or at other local partner locations. In the first phase from this Sunday, Jan. 5 through Sunday, Feb. 23, the center will be open Mondays-Thursdays 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sundays 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Customer service will be provided at the Oak Street Elementary trailers Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Schedules will be modified for second and third phase construction work after February until the scheduled completion on Saturday, June 7.
F.C. Schools Mull Options On Student Cell Phone Usage A proposed cell phone usage policy for the Falls Church City Public Schools is scheduled for its first reading January 14, according to Public Information Officer John Brett. “While we have yet to review the draft, the general discussions have focused on implementing a bell-to-bell, out-and-away policy for grades PreK through 8,” he reported, noting that policy differences among other Northern Virginia jurisdictions was reported on in the Washington Post last Friday. He offered that “a slight modification to accommodate the unique needs of older students is being considered for the high school.”
F.C. Arts Hail Productive Year, Set for 2025 The membership, audience, and participation levels for the Falls Church Arts are stronger than ever, a report from the organization released this week stated. “No wonder! Our exhibition committee has provided a diverse selection of reasons to show and enjoy
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
selections made by knowledgeable jurors. Being a part of the large and enthusiastic gathering on opening reception night is exhilarating.” The report added, “Our ever-expanding list of class offerings continues to fill the gallery’s class space, while our Art Critique group gathers for monthly exchanges about participants’ works.” Falls Church Arts’s annual “Scenes In The City” Plein Air Festival was again a hit, with area artists painting scenes all over Falls Church and gathering for a prize-laden showing and Quick Draw event at City Hall grounds. And hundreds of participants once again transformed the shop windows of local merchants into giant spooky canvases in the Halloween Window Painting Festival. Falls Church Arts was also pleased to inaugurate its “Excellence In Art” scholarship program. Your donations made possible five $1,000 grants to local high school seniors who demonstrated outstanding artistic talent and dedication to study and are choosing to pursue their artistic endeavors in higher learning. The group again received validation with the receipt of support grants from the City of Falls Church and ArtsFairfax.
F.C. City to Buy Residence In Flood Zone The City of Falls Church is in the process of purchasing the residence at 222 Cameron St. to protect the area that is in a flood zone.
Mt. Daniel Students Immersed In Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracher In music class Mount Daniel students have been immersing themselves in the music of “The Nutcracker” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Students have learned about the different characters, scenes, and music from this beloved holiday ballet through fun musical activities such as cup passing games and trying the choreography themselves. Best of all is their excitement at seeing the seven-headed Mouse King!
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LO CA L
News & Notes
JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025 | PAGE 9
The Meridian Science Olympiad team started its season off at the Flint Hill Invitational competition this past weekend and placed 11th and 18th overall out of 27 teams. Oliver Hardi and Solomon Modell medaled by placing 3rd in the Optics events. Karol Grondelski and Amin Smith also medaled placing 4th in the Material Science
event along with six other top 10 finishes from other members of the team. This year the club has grown to 45 students in just their third year and will be competing at Fairfax High School invitational on Jan. 11 and Centreville Regional event on Feb. 15th. The team is led by co-presidents Eleanor Johnson and Joyce Tadesse Kassa, and treasurer Emily Marrow. The captains that prepare and organized the team are Aiden Harper, Sofia Kruszynski, Greyson Carney, Rory Jackson, Zane Qumseya and Ali Holzer.
5TH GRADE STUDENTS from Oak Street Elementary were recognized at a Falls Church School Board meeting earlier this month for their effort to develop a legislative initiative to present to the Virginia General Assembly later this January that calls for more funding for outdoor activities in public schools. (Photo:News-Press)
SHOWING OFF THEIR BEST holiday season ugly sweaters at a Falls Church Chamber of Commerce luncheon earlier this month are former Chamber president Joe Wetzel (left) and Wayne Walker (right). (Photo:News-Press)
Meridian H.S. Science Olympiad Begins Season
PAGE 10 | JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025
RIP President Carter & The Post-Carter Era Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
After the scandal of Wa t e rg a t e , it was a rare moment in 1976 for someone the likes of a Jimmy Carter to step into the national political spotlight from his humble peanut farm in Georgia and wind up being elected president of the U.S. The nation’s 39th president died Sunday, Dec. 29, at age 100 doing more in his post-presidency to “walk the walk” of the kind of unusually combined spiritual and political commitment he held to the end. His single term in the White House from 1977 to 1981 was a graceful pause in the terrible tumult the world had been thrust into following the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy that resumed its downhill course with the election of Ronald Reagan to end Carter’s term in the fall of 1980. President Carter inherited a flailing U.S. economy and the Iranian revolution that marked a severe downturn in U.S. foreign influence, accompanied by a hostage crisis that the Carter team’s inability to settle before election day was considered the biggest single cause for his defeat. But it was a bit of a landslide for Reagan. The pervasive view among Democrats and other progressives at the time was that Carter failed to project an aura of confident leadership. I attended the 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York City that summer, and all the buzz was around whether or not a rule change could be approved by the delegates that would have allowed Sen. Ted Kennedy to vie with Carter for the nomination. When that vote failed, the enthusiasm among Democrats fizzled and a lackluster fall campaign season ensued with the odds heavily favoring Reagan throughout. I recall a conversation with a California constituent that Fall who sought to settle our dispute by calling someone in Las Vegas and asking in his booming
voice, “What are the odds?” He hung up the phone, and was confident that Reagan had it in the bag, which as it turned out, he did. But as is so often the case, the generation of a youth-oriented opposition to the incumbent at the convention was what really put the nail in Carter’s proverbial coffin. Insiders knew there was no way the rules would be overthrown to make Kennedy a viable candidate for the nomination, but they went ahead and pulled out all the stops, anyway. So it wound up hurting more than helping, and Reagan, who had been considered a far right wing choice among the Republicans from the time he spoke at the GOP convention in 1976, wound up in the White House. Reagan was kind of a bridge between the right wing radicalism of that time and the far more serious and dispassionate form it took under Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey during the GOP “Contract With America” period in 1994 that opened the door to the Trump era. Nonetheless it was under Reagan that so much changed in Washington to make the Gingrich era possible. It’s so much easier to see these processes from the standpoint of hindsight. But not to be lost in this narrative was what was going on in Moscow, where the Stalinist hardliners centered in the KGB, including Putin, were plotting their next moves in the context of the imminent fall of the Berlin Wall and all that meant for them going forward. It was following his 1987 visit to Moscow that Donald Trump persuaded Putin and the others that he would be their best shot at advancing their cause in the U.S., as was reported at the time. Journalist Craig Unger, in his latest book, American Kompromat, “How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power and Treachery,” (Dutton, 2021) reported on this citing the unlikely Executive Intelligence Review that reported, “The Soviets were looking more kindly on a possible presidential bid by Donald Trump.” Subsequent developments assign much more importance to that report than was evident at the time. So, thus the post-Carter era was launched.
CO MME NT A Penny for Your Thoughts
By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor
The transition to the New Year ought to be a time to reflect and plan, set a new or modified course, perhaps some achievable goals, but always with a positive focus. I doubt that anyone’s New Years’ resolution is to gain weight, stop going to the gym, or be spiteful to one’s neighbors. But spiteful is exactly what an unsigned letter, with a false return address, urged to Oregon coastal leaders last week. The mailing of the letters mirrors others that have been reported around the nation and in Northern Virginia this past year. What seemed more insidious about the Oregon letter was that it included specific instructions on how and where to collect information about people suspected of being in the United States illegally. Churches, stores, schools, and work sites were highlighted in the letter. “If you see brown folks, record the plate number. This is extremely important if you attend a catholic church – many brown folks are catholics!” (Both references to Catholic were not capitalized.) The letter also expressed a fear that “brown folks currently in Idaho and Montana” might move to Oregon, so multiple state license plates needed to be recorded. Then, the letter continued, “brown folks”
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properties will be confiscated just like the Japanese during World War II, and then there will be a lot of homes on the market for “us white folks” to purchase at very affordable prices. Oregon’s Attorney General, elected officials and the county sheriff’s office condemned such behavior as “harmful, divisive, and inconsistent with the values upheld as public servants and community members.” Of course it is. Most community leaders would agree, and some would speak out. Elected official or not, we all should speak out. Yes, it would be easier to ignore the hateful comments, assuming they represent an individual or a very small group and withdraw into the safety and comfort of anonymity. But ignoring hate speech is antithetical to the very basis of the democracy treasured by most Americans. Good people must speak out – at work, at worship, at the dinner table. Remaining quiet allows evil to triumph, as the saying goes. At the end of the presidential campaign, Donald Trump opined that “the enemy within” was more dangerous to America than Russia or China. He was referring to Democrats and his political opponents, but the true enemies within are the hate groups, conspiracy theorists, white nationalists
and social media trolls who assault democratic principles and those who believe in them. We’ve been here before. Interning Japanese-American citizens during World War II, impugning State Department employees by innuendo during the Joseph McCarthy “Red Scare” of the 1950s, red-lining neighborhoods to prevent home sales to persons of color or certain faiths, victimizing LGBTQ+ in employment and housing – at some point, sadly, all were condoned by federal, state and local governments caught up in some sort of “anti” fervor that traded on fear and division. Under a new Trump Administration, fear and division will dictate once again…unless good people speak up and speak out. The close election result was no mandate, but a manifestation of how polarized we are in this country. If Congress and the White House will not, or cannot, bring us together, we must work to do it ourselves. Our democratic institutions still exist; they have been threatened before and held strong as wars and internal strife consumed energy, trust, and treasure. There should be room in our nation, and in our hearts, to respect differences and share similarities, and return to the understanding that democracy takes work, a lot of it. The New Year is forecast to be bumpy and chaotic, as will the few years beyond, but the pendulum always seeks equilibrium. What’s your New Years’ Resolution?
Coming 1-16-2025
Contact Sue: sjohnson@fcnp.com
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CA L E NDA R
JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025 | PAGE 11
THIS WEEK AROUND F.C. FRIDAY JANUARY 3
High School Basketball. Meridian High’s undefeated varsity boys basketball team hosts Millbrook, Meridian gym, JVs at 6, Varsity at 7:15 p.m.
SUNDAY JANUARY 5 Road to Richmond. Annual Fairfax Democratic fundraiser features for speakers an array of local public officials, led by Reps. Don Beyer & Gerry Connolly. Westwood Country Club, 800 Maple Ave. East, Vienna. Check in at 10:45 a.m. Brunch at 11:30 a.m. Board Game Sunday for Adults. Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church 1-4 p.m, Upper Level Conference Room, Ages 18+. Come check out the wonderful and varied world of modern board games. Play various tabletop games that are simple to learn and fun to master. American Sign Language Class. Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave, 10:30 a.m.
Monday, JANUARY 6
Falls Church City Council Work Session. City Council Work Sessions are held the first and third Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. These meetings are open to the public and are conducted to allow Council Members to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues; the public is not generally invited to speak. Watch the meeting at fallschurchva.gov/ CouncilMeetings or FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. Del. Simon’s Richmond Briefing, NVAR Headquarters, 8407 Pennell St., 11:30 a.m.
regulations. The draft framework considers the size, placement and use of accessory dwellings. Also, Sunday, Jan. 12, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, JANUARY 8 Mayor’s Agenda Meeting with staff. City Hall, Oak Room, 8:30 a.m. The Mayor will meet with staff to determine the agenda schedule for future City Council meetings Ask the Council Work Session, City Hall, Oak Room, 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend this session to meet with Council members and ask questions in an informal setting. Wednesday Book Club, "The Night Watchman." Mary Riley Styles Library. 7 p.m. Lower Level conference room.
Tuesday, JANUARY 7
Board of Equalization, Mary Riley Styles library, upper level conference room. 5 p.m.
Accessory Dwelling Unit Open House, Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave., 6-8 p.m. Continue the conversation on accessory dwellings. Join City staff led by Jack Trainor to review and provide input on the first draft framework for potential updates on the City’s accessory dwelling
Falls Church Fiber Artists. Mary Riley Styles library. 10 a.m.
Thursday JANUARY 9 New Yorker Discussion group, Mary Riley Styles library, 2 p.m.
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PAGE 12 | JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025 LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING A public hearing and possible recommendation for City Council action on the following is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard. (TR24-30) RESOLUTION TO AMEND CHAPTER 7 OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADD: “BICYCLE MASTER PLAN” The amended Bicycle Master Plan: Connecting Communities, is a guiding document for implementation of future bicycle facilities included in the Comprehensive Plan, and notes the numerous benefits of enabling bicycling as a safe and accessible form of transportation. The materials for the above item will be available on the city’s webpage prior to the public hearing: http://www.fallschurchva. gov/PC. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. For copies of materials and other information, contact Kerri Oddenino koddenino@ fallschurchva.gov. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to jtrainor@fallschurchva. gov. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/pc. For copies of legislation and other information, contact Jack Trainor jtrainor@fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 571-421-7943 or e-mail jtrainor@ fallschurchva.gov. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The City Council of the City of Falls Church will hold a public hearing at its regular meeting on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., for the purpose of receiving comments on, considering, and possibly voting on the resolution referenced below: (TR25-04) RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE “ Q U I C K TA K E ” C O N D E M N AT I O N PROCEEDINGS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY IN FEE SIMPLE, TOGETHER WITH VARIOUS PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY EASEMENTS ON REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 140 MAPLE AVE, (TAX MAP and REAL PROPERTY CODE # 52-309120) AND OWNED BY V BOWL FALLS CHURCH, LLC The proposed resolution, if adopted, would authorize the City to file a certificate of take to acquire 1,090 SF in fee simple for public right of way; 161 SF for a permanent sight distance easement; and 1,905 SF for a grading and temporary construction easement on the real property at 140 S. Maple Ave, in the City of Falls Church, owned by V. Bowl Falls Church, LLC. The S. Maple Avenue and W. Annandale Road Intersection Improvement Project (“Project”) is a transportation project that involves intersection improvements between S. Maple Avenue and Annandale Road (Route 649). The City and property owner have been unable to reach an
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C L AS S I F I E DS agreement for the purchase and sale of the necessary property and easements. Due to the deadlines imposed in conjunction with the Project and the inability to reach agreement, the initiation of condemnation proceedings utilizing “quick-take” procedures may be necessary. All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. All persons desiring to present their views on the items will be heard. Comments may also be sent to cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/ publiccomment. For copies of legislation and other information, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www. fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711) or e-mail cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov. CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK Volunteers who live in the City of Falls Church are needed to serve on the boards and commissions listed below. Contact the City Clerk’s Office (703-248-5014, cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov, or www. fallschurchva.gov/BC) for an application form or more information. Positions advertised for more than one month may be filled during each subsequent month. Architectural Advisory Board Ars and Humanities Council of Falls Church Aurora House Citizens’ Advisory Committee Board of Equalization Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Transportation City Employee Review Board Economic Development Authority Environmental Sustainability Council Historic Architectural Review Board Housing Commission Human Services Advisory Council Planning Commission Public Utilities Commission Urban Forestry Commission Board of Zoning Appeals Regional Boards/Commissions Community Criminal Justice Board Continuum of Care Board Coordinating Council for the Aging and Adults with Disabilities Fairfax Area Commission on Aging Fairfax Area Disability Services Board Virginia Career Works Northern Region Ad Hoc Committee Falls Church250 – Member At-Large: The Falls Church250 Committee is tasked with planning the commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.
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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 3679753.
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JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025 | PAGE 13
fcnp.com/donate For over 1,750 consecutive weekly issues, the Falls Church News-Press has been delivered, free of charge, to every doorstep in the City of Falls Church (and multiple businesses and boxes throughout the region). We are currently one of the last, if not the last, remaining general weekly print newspaper in Northern Virginia — and we need your immediate support to survive. Today we are asking members of the community to commit to a small monthly contribution, long-term. Our hope is that community support will not only provide the shot in the arm the Falls Church News-Press needs to survive the year, but provide ongoing support to allow us to sustain our operations long-term.
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PUZZLE NO. 271
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C ritter C orner
28. Have a bite 39. “____ and 29. Child’s question Lovers” 31. Achieved 40. Tease 32. Babbles 41. Singe 34. Swerve sharply 42. Fleecy females 35. Inclines 43. Pierce with 37. Oaf a drill 38. Doolittle of 44. Time past “My Fair Lady” 46. Ship’s pronoun
46. ____ on (love excessively) 48. Put on, as clothes 49. Liquid rock 50. Flower suppo
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ACROSS
32. Slangy assent 3. Skin opening 1. Egyptian snake 33. On in years 4. Purplish 4. Upper limbs flowers 34. By way of 8. Blemish 5. Telecast 35. Like seawater 12. Also again or tears 13. Ooze 6. “____ the 36. Chilled 14. Mama’s fellow 38. BPOE member Press” 15. Possessive 7. Luxurious 39. Look hard pronoun resort 41. Neighboring: 16. Financial 8. Spew hyph. officer 9. Carnival ride 45. Possession 18. Ready the oven 47. Seek to 10. Makes like 20. Ordinary 11. Occasional persuade language 17. Whirled 48. Kind 21. Footed vase 19. Camel’s 49. Fog 22. Ballet skirt feature 50. Misspeak 23. Salon 22. Muscle 51. Phase treatments twitch 52. Notable periods 26. Vegetable 23. Amateur’s of time holder opposite 53. Lay eyes on 27. Embroider 24. Slippery as 30. Gather in an ____ DOWN 31. Sleepy’s 1. At the peak of 25. Brightness roommate 2. Rotten 26. Large snake
ACROSS
ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 271
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING
9. Attorney’s 51. Provoker 1. Tableland charge 55. Orderly 5. Flows back 10. Botch 56. Bill and ____ 9. Handful 11. Had being 57. Guitar’s kin 12. Arena shape 17. Nasty 58. Overhanging 13. Invalid 19. Posed for a roof part ANSWER TO PUZZLE N 14. Historic epoch 59. Shipping picture 15. Monk’s quarters 22. Barrel weight 16. Romantic ones 60. Drove over 24. ____ the way 18. Leg joints 25. Mineral the limit 20. Evaluate resources 61. Small portion 21. Shaggy ox 26. Printed 23. Brewing vessel DOWN matter 27. Slip RECENTLY 1. Mimic 3 on December 27. ____ Cass CHARLEY, TURNED 10th. He loves 31. Capture 2. Fifty-fifty 28. FrozenBanneker dog walking around Broadmont and the Benjamin 32. “A” park, on 3. plies Bargain Appear park. AtGet theandog he hisoffering herding29. trade on fellow dogs, Clear liquor rather 4. Side streets seed and 33. some humans, than reindeer.30. HeCherry still ventures into 35. Aggravate 5. Come to a 34. Young bug DC to see his old friends at the Rosedale Conservancy during 36. Comes together close 37. Dye off leash hours and swing by his namesake, Bar Charley, where 39. Least messy 6. “Perry Mason” 38. Robs his mom and dad had their first date. Samoyeds’ traditional 42. Allows to enter star 40. Small jobs44. are to and double asquantity sled dogs for the Gooeyherd liquidreindeer 7. Lamb’s nomadic peoples of Siberia. They also 45. Require comment 41.provide Pressed additional CROSSWORD PUZZ warmth with the occasional snuggle. (Photo: John & Valeria) 47. Stadiums USE AMERICAN SPE 8. Blackboards 43. Raise: 2 wds.
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36. Mediocre: hyph. 50. Season 37. Ogle 51. Chair part 42. Method 52. Sheep sound 44. Pain 53. Kindled 46. Quarry 55. Agree 48. Shipshape wordlessly 49. The Stooges, 56. Yank e.g.
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ACROSS
1. State further 4. Halt, to a horse 8. Bear’s home 12. Misfortune 13. Beard material 14. Sad sigh 15. Long, skinny fish
40. Grape drinks 41. ____ rehearsal 43. You ____ what you sow 45. Huck’s friend 47. Fellows 51. Skillfully 54. “____ the Woods”
5. Once held 6. Black gold 7. Field of study 8. Academy student 9. Beerlike brew 10. Family vehicle 11. Curvy shape
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ACROSS
ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 273
1. Pupil site 5. Catch a glimpse of 8. Cigar end 12. ____ and rave 13. Have being 14. Days of ____ 15. High flier
41. Page 42. Chip in chips 44. Direction left of north 46. Rebel against 50. Stop, to Dobbin 53. Hurt 55. Festive party 56. Lunch period
8. Sign 9. Part of a foot 10. Large vase 11. Fourposter 20. Affirm 22. Landed property 23. Damage 25. Comics
ANSWER TO PUZZLE N
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JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025 | PAGE 15
Where to Find the News-Press • 24 Hour Fitness, 1000 E Broad St • 450 W Broad St. Lobby Building • 7 Eleven (Box), 3019 Annandale Rd • 7 Eleven (Box), 201 S Washington St. • Amazing Smiles, 444 W Broad St – D • Arlington Hospital Center (Box), 1701 N George Mason Dr. • Anthony’s Restaurant, 3000 Annandale Rd. • Arlington Hospital Center ER (inside), 1702 N George Mason Dr • Bakeshop. E Fairfax St • Borek G Turkish Mom’s Cooking. 315 S Maple Ave. • Bowl America, 140 S Maple Ave. • Box at Federal Credit Union, 1226 W Broad St. • Broad Falls Apartments, 809 W Broad St. • Brown’s Hardware, 100 W Broad St. • Burke & Herbert Bank, 225 West Broad St. • Bus Stop (Box), Lee Hwy and Hollywood Rd • Café Kindred, 450 N Washington St. • Celebrity Deli – Graham Park Plaza, 7263A Arlington Blvd. • Central Library. 1015 North Quincy Street. • Cinthia’s Bakery, 5860 Columbia Pike. • City Hall. 300 Park Ave • Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, 130 N Washington St. • Crumbl Cookies, 1106A W Broad St • Cuates Grill 502 W Broad #5t. • CVS, 1150 W Broad St. • CVS (Box), 134 W Broad St. • CVS (Box), 6404 N Williamsburg Blvd. • Dogwood Tavern, 132 W. Broad St. • Dominion Hospital, 2960 Sleepy Hollow Rd • Dominion Wine and Beer, 107 Rowell Ct. • Don Beyer Volvo, 1231 W Broad St • Dude’s Doghouse. 7257 Lee Hwy • East Falls Church Metro (Box), 2001 N. Sycamore St • El Tio Restaurant, 7630 Lee Hwy. • Elevation Burger, 442 S Washington St. • Eaves Fairfax Towers, 2251 Pimmit Dr. • Exxon Gas Station, 400 W Broad St. • Falls Church Arts Gallery, 700-B W Broad St, • Falls Church City Public Schools, 800 W Broad St. • Falls Church City Public Utilities, Gordon Rd. • Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls St. • Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave. Suite #310 • Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave. Lobby • Five Guys, 913 W Broad St • Flippin’ Pizza, 800 W Broad St. • Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, 8296 Glass Alley, Fairfax • Fox craft Design Group, 110 Great Falls St • Giant Food, 1230 W Broad St. • Goodwin House, 3440 South Jefferson St. • Happy Tart. 410 S Maple Ave. • Harris Teeter, 301 W Broad St. • Harvey’s, 513 W Broad St. • Meridian, High School, 121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church, VA 22043 • Hillwood Cleaners, 165 Hillwood Ave. • Hilton Garden Inn, 706 W Broad St. • Idylwood Towers Condominium, 2300 Pimmit Dr. • Idylwood Towers Condominium, 2311 Pimmit Dr. • Ireland’s Four Provinces, 105 W Broad St. • Islamic Center, Leesburg Pike and rio Dr Bus Stop • Java Loco Coffee & Tea. • Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do, 1136 W Broad St.* • Lazy Mikes Deli, 7049 Leesburg Pike • Ledo Pizza, 7510 Leesburg Pike • Liberty Barbecue, 370 W Broad St. • Lil City Creamery, 114 W Broad St. • Lincoln At Tinner Hill Apartments, 455 S. Maple Ave. • Long Foster Realtors, 4600 Cherry Hill Rd • Lost Dog & Cat Rescue, 6801 Wilson Blvd • Madison Apartments, 600 N Roosevelt Blvd. • Mark’s Pub, 2190 Pimmit Dr • Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, 7130 Leesburg Pike • Mary Riley Styles Library, 120 N. Virginia Ave.
• Medical Building, 405 N Washington St • Medical Building, 407 N Washington St • Merrill House Apartments, 210 E Fairfax St. • Metro Diner, 4711 Lee Hwy. • Moby Dick House of Kabob, 444 W. Broad St. • Modera Founders Row. 110 Founders Avenue. • Mom’s Organic Market, 8296 Glass Alley, Fairfax • Multicultural Center. 701 W Broad St • Munson Hill Apartments, 6729 Leesburg Pike• N Virginia Av & W Broad St (Box), 105 N Virginia Ave. • N. Washington & E. Columbia St., 106 E Columbia St. • Northern Virginia Immigration Law, 180 S Washington St. • Northern Virginia Pediatric Associates, 107 N Virginia Ave • Northgate Apartments (lobby), 450 N Washington St. • Northside Social, 205 Park Ave. • Nue Vietnamese Restaurant, 904 W Broad St. • Falls Green Apartments (formerly Oakwood), 501 N. Roosevelt Blvd. • Park Towers Condos, 200 N. Maple Ave. • Peach Tree Towers, 2042 Peach Orchard Dr. • Pearson Square Apartments, 410 S. Maple Ave. • Pete’s Barber Shop, 5847 Washington Blvd. • Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, 7700 Leesburg Pike • Pizzeria Orso (Tax Analysts building), 400 S. Maple Ave. • PNC Bank, 402 W. Broad St. • Point of View, 701 W. Broad St. • Post Office, 800 W. Broad St. • Preservation Biscuit102 E Fairfax St. • Professional Building, 313 Park Ave. • Quick Copy, 417 W. Broad St. • Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, 230 W. Broad St. • Read Apartments, 402 W Broad St. • Rembrandt Assisted Living, 6669 Gouthier Rd, • Roosevelt Towers, 500 N Roosevelt Blvd. • Safeway, 5101 Wilson Blvd. • Safeway, 2500 N Harrison St. • Safeway – Route 29, 7397 Lee Hwy. • Sfizi Café, 800 W Broad St. • Silver Diner, 3200 Wilson Blvd. • Sislers Stone, 7139 Lee Hwy. • Shell. 7231 Arlington Blvd • Smokey’s Garage, 1105 W Broad St. • Solace Outpost. 444 W Broad St • Sonic Car Wash, 1050 W Broad St. • The Spectrum, 444 W. Broad St. • The Spectrum Cleaners, 444 W. Broad St. • Sturbucks, 244 W Broad St • Sturbucks, Loehman’s Plaza • Sunrise of Falls Church, 330 N. Washington St. • Super A Market, 2800 Graham Rd. • Super Giant. Loehmann’s Plaza • Taco Rock, 116 W Broad St • Target, 500 S Washington St. • Target – Skyline Mall (Box), 5107 Leesburg Pike • Tasty Dumpling, 112 W Broad St • Harris Teeter 301 W Broad St. • The Broadway Apt (in mailroom), 500 W Broad St. • The Byron Apartments, 513 W Broad St. • The Falls Church Episcopal, 115 E Fairfax St, • The Kensington Falls Church, 700 W Broad St. • The Neighborhood Barbershop, 417 W Broad St #103 • The Original Pancake House, 7395 Lee Hwy. • The UPS Store, 1069 W Broad St • Thomas Jefferson Library, 7415 Arlington Blvd. • Towne Place Suites – Marriot, 205 Hillwood Ave. • Unity Club, 116-B W Broad St. • UPS Store Seven Corners, 6312 Seven Corners Ctr. • US Post Office, 2045 Wilson Blvd. • Verso Founders Row, 105 Founders Row • Washington & S. Broad St. (Box) 101 W Broad St. • Westlee Condominium 2200 N Westmoreland • Wendy’s – Bus Stop, 7391 Lee Hwy. • West Falls Church Metro (Box) 7040 Haycock Rd. • Woodrow Wilson Community Library, 6101 Knollwood Dr • Yaila Bistro, 2201 N Westmoreland St.
PAGE 16 | JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025
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