Falls Church News-Press 1-20-2022

Jan. 20 - 26, 2022

Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee

Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. X XXI No. 49

The City of Falls Church’s Independent, Locally-Owned Newspaper of Record, Serving N. Virginia

F.C. Schools Meet Tonight On Youngkin Mask Order

Honoring MLK

Special Meeting to Decide If FC Will Align With Neighbors

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

The Falls Church City’s School Board is convening in a special meeting tonight at 7 p.m. to take up the issue of whether or not to join other regional school districts that have acted to defy new Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s inauguration day executive order to remove mandates for students to wear masks in public schools.

Reaction against the new Republican governor’s order has been swift and emphatic throughout the Commonwealth in the days since. Virginia school divisions that have already gone on record defying the governor include Falls Church neighbors in Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria, Prince William and Manassas, and following their suit have also been Montgomery, Henrico, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, Albermarle, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Fredericksburg, Nelson and Suffolk counties.

A press conference of key state

Continued on Page 3

LOTS OF HOMEMADE SIGNS designed on the site by Falls Church youth are displayed in this photo of F.C. residents and friends who showed up at the historic Tinner Hill monument Monday to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the national holiday held in remembrance of the great civil rights leader. (Photo: Gary Mester)

MLK Day Celebrated at F.C.’s Tinner Hill Arch Monday

by Amanda Snead Falls Church News-Press

Despite the chilly weather conditions, dozens of Falls Church residents showed up outside of the Tinner Hill Arch on Monday afternoon to Tinner Hill Heritage

Foundation’s Annual Rally and Program to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. According to Tinner Hill’s website, the arch, constructed in 1999, honors the men and women of Tinner Hill who formed the first rural branch of the NAACP. The arch is

surrounded by original uncut Tinner quarry stones to protect the arch from collision from vehicular traffic on the nearby road.

Due to the previous day’s snowfall, the march was canceled but the rally and program went on as planned with Representative Don

Beyer and Senator Mark Warner in attendance to offer their remarks.

The theme of this year’s event was “Save Our Democracy — Vote,” with remarks focusing on voter suppression and voting rights both in the

Continued on Page 4

Inside This Week House of Delegates Returns to Richmond For Session

Falls Church Winter Real Estate Guide 2022

See Richmond Report, Page 8

See Real Estate Guide, Pages 9 — 16

The Virginia House of Delegates were sworn in last week ahead of the coming 60 day session. Delegate Marcus Simon was sworn in for his fifth session representing Falls Church and shares his plans for 2022.

The City of Falls Church currently has over 100 homes for sale. The Little City is seen as a wonderful place to live based on the high rating of the school system, the variety of local businesses and more.

Index

Editorial................................................ 6 Letters.................................................. 6 Comment............................................. 7 Crime Report....................................... 8 Real Estate Guide......................... 9-16 Calendar............................................ 18 News & Notes.................................... 19 Classified Ads.................................... 20 Critter Corner..................................... 22 Business News.................................. 23

PAGE 2 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

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@vaccinatevirginia T: 3.75 in

NEWS BRIEFS Spate of New F.C. Restaurants Set To Open Draw Regional Recognition The Northern Virginia Magazine has reported on four new restaurants that are set to open in the 4.3-acre Founder’s Row project on West Broad.

Ellie Bird will open as “the casual little sister of D.C.’s Michelin-starred Rooster and Owl,” it reports, set to open late this year, seating 70 and featuring variations of Rooster and Owl “to go” items offered during the pandemic, including its famous pineapple buns and brunch items like Spam and egg sliders.

Happy Ending Hospitality will open not one but three restaurants in the same development, including the NUE Modern Vietnamese offering a “full service concept of exotic, intense flavors of Vietnamese cooking with FrenchVietnamese culinary techniques” Chasin’ Tails Seafood Social will be a “group friendly” restaurant serving Cajuninfluenced seafood feasts, boils, oysters and cocktails in a lounge atmosphere, and Roll Play Viet Food will offer customizable, quick-serve rolls, pho and banh mi, according to the magazine.

Also, it acknowledges that “local chef Thomas Harvey will open his first restaurant with 48 seats in a dining room, a 12-seat beer and wine bar, and 70-seat outdoor patio at the former site of the Plaka Grill in The Byron at 513 W. Broad, an all-day joint serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch” focusing on American cuisine and including a retail shop with specialty items found in the chef’s pantry and grab-and-go foods.

Meanwhile, the Cuates Grill featuring elegant Mexican specialties has finally opened in the former site of The Locker Room below The Broadway at 502 W. Broad St., although it is still awaiting the OK of its liquor license.

Vehicular Accidents Up During Pandemic, Chief Gavin Reports

O d d s o f a c h i l d b e c o m i n g a p o p s i n g e r : 1 i n 5 8 ,0 0 0 Odds of a child being diagnosed with autism: 1 in 150

Falls Church Police Chief Mary Gavin reported to the work session of the Falls Church City Council Tuesday night disturbing national trends that are also reflected in the City of Falls Church which show that despite a 13 percent decline in miles traveled on roadways during the Covid-19 pandemic, instances of reckless “road rage” driving and serious accidents are way up.

She cited two serious accidents in the Little City that involved drivers going more than 70 miles per hour and accidents here have gone up from 400 to 500 per year.

Fortunately, there have been no fatalities in the recent period here, but there have been 45 accidents with injuries, 11 involving pedestrians and bikes, in the last year, she reported.

F.C. Vice Mayor Letty Hardi said that increased staffing has to be a “top priority” in the City, and Gavin cited the value of “high visibility” of law enforcement on the roadways, including signage in neighborhoods.

Red light cameras and “stop arms” on school buses have been significant deterrents, the chief said.

T: 7 in

Some signs to look for: No big smiles or other joyful expressions by 6 months.

No babbling by 12 months.

No words by 16 months.

Sidewalk Improvement Priorities Identified in Council Work Session

To learn more of the signs of autism, visit autismspeaks.org © 2007 Autism Speaks Inc. “Autism Speaks” and “It’s Time To Listen” & design are trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved.

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In a joint work session Tuesday with members of the

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City’s Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Transportation (CACT), the F.C. City Council mulled priorities for improving sidewalks around the City. It noted the comment from Councilman Phil Duncan that the City is continuing to play “catch up” from its long history as a rural village with hardly any focus on pedestrian safety.

The “impassable strait” sidewalk obstructions on W. Broad were identified as top priorities, including an infamous one in the 400 block with a long history of complaints but inaction. Other sidewalk priorities repete with “missing links” were identified as on S. Maple from Wallace to Tinner Hill, S. Washington from Tinner Hill to the Tinner Hill monument site, N. West from Lincoln to Steeples and Hillwood to the county line.

In that context, a presentation on plans to turn the S. Maple at Annandale intersection into a roundabout was presented, with work due to begin on it in late March.

Deputy City Manager Cindy Mester said that sidewalks will be a key consideration when the City’s next Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) budget is introduced to the Planning Commission next month.

Rep. Beyer Hails Gov Northam Upon His Departure Last Weekend U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, who represents Falls Church, issued the following statement this week as Virginia Governor Ralph Northam prepared to leave office at the end of his four-year term: “Ralph Northam’s name will go down in the history of our Commonwealth as one of the most impactful Governors ever. His accomplishments are extraordinary, and most importantly the things he did will truly help people.

“Gov. Northam presided over Medicaid expansion, bringing health care to hundreds of thousands of Virginians. He worked to address the climate crisis, curb emissions, and create green jobs through executive action and a successful legislative push that yielded the Virginia Clean Economy Act. He signed the most important gun violence prevention reforms in at least a generation.

“Gov. Northam directed major development of Virginia’s transportation, including significant bridge construction and repair projects in Northern Virginia, historic rail investment, and long-term funding for public transit. His governorship saw major expansions of affordable child care, and major pay increases for teachers. Virginia’s state employees now have paid leave. He signed a bill that will more than double the minimum wage in Virginia.”

“His critics claimed these actions would wreck Virginia’s economy, but Governor Northam proved them wrong. He leaves office with an incredibly strong state budget, having seen Virginia named the best state in the country for business two years in a row. After the pandemic led to a jobs crisis, his steady hand guided the Commonwealth through 18 months of continuous drops in the unemployment rate, which now stands at 3.4 percent, well below the national rate.”

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 | PAGE 3

FCCPS To Meet Over Youngkin’s Anti-Mask Mandate

Continued from Page 1

legislators on Tuesday in Richmond underscored the defiance of educators from around the state. Youngkin, they noted, has threatened to use official state resources to defund Virginia schools.

State Sen. Jennifer McClellan was one of five legislators who also lashed out at Youngkin’s inauguration day threat.

“I am a parent of two children in Richmond Public Schools who every morning feels the anxiety of sending my children into school and hoping they come home safe,” she stated.

“Threats from the governor to reduce funding, which he cannot do on a legal basis he does not have, does not help. So we are here to say, we support our school divisions, doing what they need to do to keep our children and adults in those school buildings safe. We will not let the governor overstep his authority and bully our school systems into doing anything less,” she said.

Youngkin’s order rejects science and violates Senate Bill 1303 which was signed into Virginia law last year, it was noted. The law is designed to ensure that students are

kept safe while receiving the maximum amount of in-person instruction time and it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

But Youngkin’s order Saturday cited that “Recent government orders requiring virtually every child in Virginia wear masks virtually every moment they are in school have proven ineffective and impractical.”

It adds, “The universal requirement has also inflicted notable harm and proven to be impractical. Masks inhibit the ability of children to communicate, delay language development and impede the growth of emotional and social skills…Masks have increased feelings of isolation… exacerbating mental health issues that in some cases are a bigger health risk to students than Covid-19.”

Already, 13 parents of students in Chesapeake, Virginia, have sued Gov. Youngkin in the Virginia Supreme Court, contending he overstepped his legal authority in overturning mask mandates at school divisions statewide. The parents are asking the state’s high court to issue an emergency order blocking the new administration from enforcing Youngkin’s Jan. 15 executive order, which is otherwise expected to go

into effect this coming Monday. The order says that “no teacher, school, school district, the Department of Education, or any other state authority” can force a student to wear a mask against his or her parents’ wishes.”

The federal Centers for Disease Control currently recommends “universal masking” in public schools nationwide with limited exceptions.

The lawsuit, filed by Virginia Beach attorney Kevin Martingayle, states that “a governor does not have the option of being unfaithful to laws with which he disagrees.” The governor “purports to sweep aside masking mandates with little or no consideration of or respect for CDC guidance, actions taken by the Virginia General Assembly, or the powers invested in local school boards.”

It is asking the Virginia Supreme Court to “declare the order void and unenforceable” and immediately bar its implementation.

Even in Falls Church, there are some parents who have dusted off their arguments from a year ago against the School Board here.

Superintendent Noonan issued a statement Friday that takes on the critics. He wrote, “As I hope you all

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know by now, we have tried to be honest and transparent information brokers through this pandemic. We have worked hard to communicate often and share pertinent information that has helped us all navigate this difficult period of time. I believe that our work is evidenced by the trust you put in us to send your students back to school.

He added, “In the past few days, we have been accused of ‘lack of transparency’ regarding the ViSSTA program and students/staff being tested. This is a bummer considering the work we have put in to keep the system open and moving forward.

“Further, in no way are we trying to ‘hide the ball’ with respect to data.

However, just to clarify and clear the air if there is a concern, here is some information — and for what it is worth, these results have been included in our weekly data reports that everyone receives each week in our FCCPS by the Numbers.

“On Sunday, January 2nd, we held our drive-through testing session where we tested approximately 630 students and staff. We had 61 confirmed positive cases.

“We restarted our pool testing on Thursday, January 6th, and tested 335

students and staff. Fifteen were confirmed positive.

“On Thursday, January 14th (yesterday), we tested 313 students and staff\ and will have the results in the next day or two.

“We test on Thursdays so we can have the results before the start of the following week. This last week, due to snow and Covid cases in the lab that prepares our results, we didn’t get them until 6 a.m. on Monday morning. Our amazing staff called and emailed every family that was impacted before school started on Monday morning.

“We hadn’t planned to share the data from the ViSSTA program with the community because the numbers were very low, and we had no asymptomatic positives in the three weeks of test prior to the winter break and any positive result is already included in our weekly FCCPS by the Numbers, as I shared.

“There is the potential for personally identifiable information coming out to the public. However, since there seems to be a group in the community that wants the information we will report it if the percentage positive in the week’s testing pool is greater than five percent.”

PAGE 4 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Falls Church Residents Honor Dr. King at Tinner Hill Rally Continued from Page 1

Protect the ones you love,

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@vaccinatevirginia

past and present.

Mayor David Tarter, who was recently elected to his fifth term in the City of Falls Church, kicked off the program with his remarks.

“Over 100 years ago people sought to divide the Tinner Hill community of Falls Church,” began Tarter. “Through gerrymandered voting boundaries and Jim Crow laws that would specify where African Americans could live and own property. This arch behind me [the Tinner Hill Arch] honors the men and women of Tinner Hill who refused to accept this injustice, who successfully challenged those laws and went on to form the first rural branch of the NAACP. It is fitting that we are gathered here today. For this arch is not just about the past, it’s about our future, it’s about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and it can teach us how we as a nation can continue to change for the better.”

Tarter concluded his remarks by encouraging the crowd to “reject those who hate, bully, promote violence and recommit ourselves to justice, compassion, decency and dignity for all.”

Following Tarter’s remarks, Congressman Don Beyer took to the podium to share his thoughts and reflections on the importance of MLK Day. “This is one of the most powerful days of the year for me,” said Beyer. “Dr. King’s birthday is a day of remembrance, a day to take stock, a day to think about how far we’ve come.”

During his remarks, Beyer also brought up the current filibuster in the senate over voting rights legislation.

“What we forget is that in all of those marches he led, the jailings, the beatings, the arrests, he had to overcome one more thing— the Senate filibuster,” he said to the crowd. “In the Virginia I grew up in, in the 1950s, you still had to pay your poll taxes three years in a row and bring the receipts, you had to pass a literacy test and even then it often wasn’t enough and they would find some way to turn you down.

Now the attacks are more subtle, more insidious. The people who are passing this are claiming that they’re going to stop nonexistent voter fraud.

The goal is still familiar. It’s to keep people of color from voting.”

Beyer noted the long lines at polling places, limited hours for voting and other barriers that restrict mar-

VIRGINIA’S U.S. SENATOR Mark Warner (at the mic) is shown addressing the rally in front of Falls Church’s Tinner Hill Monument in a commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while (left to right) Virginia U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, Tinner Hill Foundation chief Ed Henderson and F.C. Mayor David Tarter look on (P����: G��� M�����) ginalized communities from voting, connecting back to the theme of this year’s event.

“We’ve reacted at the congressional level but they die in the Senate,” said Beyer to the crowd. “I’m certain that if Dr. Martin Luther King was here today he would be fighting to make sure that a small minority of people don’t drive the rest of the country.”

Senator Mark Warner next shared his remarks.

“Everybody quotes so many different things that Dr. King said but I think one of the most powerful things is that all he expected from America was that we would live up to the words of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and laws that all talk about equal rights and that all people are created equal,” said Warner in the beginning of his speech.

He also spoke about the current issues of voter suppression in America during his time making remarks.

“I’m not sure what some of the things that are taking place in these states that have gone about trying to restrict voting rights, I don’t think there’s very much subtle about any of those things when you talk about purging voters, or in Georgia where Black voters wait in line 5 or 10 times longer than white voters or restricting people’s right to get water or food in line,” he continued.

Warner concluded his speech by reminding the crowd that when Coretta Scott King was fighting to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a holiday, she wanted it not to be a day of rest, but rather a day of action.

The program continued with remarks from Edwin Henderson, founder of Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, who provided the crowd with more history of Tinner Hill and

the context of civil rights in Falls Church.

“Five score and seven years ago, nine men and some of their wives met at the home of Joseph Tinner because of an ordinance that would have made them sell their homes to whites and then move to an area of town that councilmen had designated for colored only,” shared Henderson with the attendees of the event. “They said ‘no, we will not.

We will resist.’ They wrote a letter to W. E. B. Du Bois asking to form a branch of the NAACP here in Falls Church. The letter that came back from his office said that ‘there are no rural branches and we fear for your safety.’ The rule was that you had to get 50 people to sign up to form a charter. However, in small communities like Falls Church, you couldn’t find 50 that were willing to put their lives and livelihoods on the line to stand up against inequality, Jim Crow and injustice.”

Giving his speech in front of the Tinner Hill Civil Rights Monument, Henderson noted that the arch honors those who stood up against the injustice brought towards them.

“Let me talk about the purpose of why we’re here today, which is voting,” he continued. “Let’s save our democracy. We have to vote. We have to get out on midyear elections and we need to change the trend that the president’s party loses in the midterm elections. We have to change this cycle. We have to get out and vote.”

The event concluded with remarks from Homestretch, a local nonprofit organization helping combat homelessness in our community. They shared a powerful quote from Dr. King which states “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Never Forget: Trump Is a Russian Agent

Now that Donald Trump has held the first political rally of his 2024 presidential election run, somewhere outside Phoenix in Arizona, those of us still hanging onto a modicum of sanity in our cherished nation that has gone so deeply into a moral, intellectual and political bog ask of ourselves this: Can anything be done?

Clearly the problem is not Trump, himself. It is the “movement” that has sucked millions into its maelstromlike influence that is now on the brink of ending the American experience in FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS democracy, once and for all. Trump is a flawed and expendable prop in this shift of our sense of our selves from whatever it was when we were growing up, if being of a certain age or more, to what it is for our otherwise seemingly normal cul-desac neighbors who now believe ever so passionately in “fake news,” the big electoral steal of 2020 and in bleach as the go-to remedy for Covid-19.

I fear deeply that the days of our democracy are numbered. We are going into a Dark Age now and there’s too little to stop it so far. Short of a huge mobilization of millions of Americans who won’t stand for it, this will become an inevitability.

I remain amazed at how the Trump culture, now the Republican Party writ large, so perfectly reflects the political cult I was familiar with in the 1970s that, I can see better and better as time goes on now, was a test tube for what evolved into the Trump movement, beginning with the Tea Party reaction to the election of Barack Obama in 2009.

This is a Russian operation hostile to the very basic notions of democracy that idiot major U.S. financier and industrial interests have bought into, thinking stupidly it will advance their interests.

This is a Russian operation, in fact. Trump has been the selected operative of Russian intelligence in the U.S. since the mid-1980s, and it was documented as such back then.

As I reported being a first-hand participant since the 1970s, and as I wrote in my 2021 book, “The January 6, 2021 Capital Sacking, Putin’s Role” (order it on Amazon), “Working in from the margins of American culture, Russian agents and their American ruling class allies flooded the ‘counterculture’ with ‘sex, drugs and rock and roll’ to undermine the serious anti-war, pro-civil rights, feminist and gay movements of the 1960s. They dashed the left with violent attacks known as ‘Mop Up.’ humiliated the Democratic presidential efforts in 1972 and 1976, mobilized countless authoritarian cults (including one that didn’t fit their new paradigm, the Jonestown cult), activated the fundamentalist ‘religious right’ in a big way for the first time, and led America to elect a movie actor for president with deep marginal rightwing ties.”

“Trump, who was likely a Russian KGB agent of influence since the early 1970s, was first floated as a future U.S. presidential candidate in the summer of 1987 immediately following a trip to Moscow.

Not surprisingly, the signal came in a Lyndon LaRouche publication, the Executive Intelligence Review, which wrote of how ‘the Soviets are reportedly looking a lot more kindly on a possible presidential bid

by Donald Trump.’”

It wasn’t 2014, it was 1987, when Moscow chose Trump to run for president.

Who at NBC took up that task to give Trump the TV show, ‘The Apprentice,’ to elevate his national profile and hone his skills back then?

In the 1970s, the LaRouche cult followed the playbook of the Trump movement of today to a tee, beginning with discrediting the media, including doubting what people saw with their own eyes (namely, the overt lies on the Inauguration by Trump press secretary Spicer) and the outcome then of the 2020 election.

The Moscow-directed LaRouche cult never saw an election it did not win and its test tube ability to convince followers was a prelude to what Trump now has millions believing.

What’s the core “error” involved? From the standpoint of “believers,” it’s grounded in the sin of hubris, putting it in moral terms: that is, an undeserved sense of gross entitlement constantly reinforced by twisted (demonic rightwing media) sources.

CO MME NT

JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 | PAGE 5

Nicholas F. Benton

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

At a time of Covid and parental anger toward schools (only some of it justified), Arlington Public Schools is mulling a standardsbased pedagogical reform.

To achieve “more equitable grading practices,” some 120 staff and administrators at the middle and high school levels are studying a movement to end the grading of homework.

The idea of motivating the student to master material by relieving some competitive pressure—at least as perceived in certain quarters— is drawing nervous criticism from parents, commentators and even some teachers. They worry about going soft.

The inspiration comes from a national trend based on the 2019 book “Grading for Equity” by Oakland, Calif., consultant Joe Feldman, a former English and history teacher who founded Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, D.C. He says teachers hate grading, aren’t trained in it, and, by not questioning the practice, become “accessories to the inequities in our schools.”

Ungraded homework “is a way for students to practice,” I’m told

by Sarah Putnam, APS director of administrative staff. In a “growth mindset,” teachers “would only grade the final tests, which are more substantive, so the student is not penalized for not knowing things YET. They’re only penalized when they’ve had time to engage.”

This would leave fewer kids behind by assessing mistakes and provid-

ing support.

“When we grade students’ performance, are we grading their mastery of content, or are we grading their behavior?” asks Bridget Loft, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. “The change is moving to intrinsic from extrinsic motivation.”

Another technique, says Putnam, “is more motivational. Rather than use zero as a score, we would use 50. Many times when students get a zero, they can’t recover.”

In December, some Wakefield teachers protested in a letter to the superintendent. “We believe that these changes will impact student learning and socio-emotional development and growth in a negative way,” they wrote. The changes would “also result in the decline of high expectations and rigor in the classroom across all APS high schools. We agree that homework, summer assignments, summative as well as formative assessments need to be meaningful, engaging, and be clearly communicated/explained to students and their families.” But under the proposal, the “accountability `piece’ of the learning process will exist in theory only.”

Concerns about lowering quality are familiar to Loft, who says part of it stems from a biased assumption that “we really need to set deadlines” for students “to be successful at the next level. But in the real world, there are all sorts of opportunities to repeat if you miss a deadline.”

Loft welcomes the dialog, saying adapting a change in culture

“includes circling back to the stakeholder, not just students but teachers and parents.” Parents, they observe, often draw on their own education experience.

The working draft will go to the Advisory Council on Teaching and Learning, and to the public on a website. Parents can then have at it. APS expects several more iterations before a board vote in May or June.

School board Chair Barbara Kanninen told me the proposals “are being prematurely cast as weakening our standards when, in fact, they’re meant to improve consistency and rigor. This is about ensuring that students are learning the material and can demonstrate mastery,” she added. The board is “interested in hearing from a variety of stakeholders, especially students and teachers.” *** Rich and poor, philosopher Anatole France observed, are equally banned from sleeping under bridges.

The homeless men’s tents under the W&OD Bridge at our Falls Church border, I’ve observed, include a panhandling trumpeter I chatted up. Also a young man who on a recent Saturday night dashed into traffic on Washington Blvd., oddly shouting to celebrate his near-miss by a speeding car.

Peering inside their tents—at a respectful distance—I noticed one “household” contained a computer keyboard.

When I returned Jan. 16 during thick falling snow, the tents were gone. My hope is that they got the help they needed.

PAGE 6 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

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A Solid Economy, Thanks Joe!

Marking the first anniversary of the inauguration of Joe Biden this January 20, 2022, the numbers in things that matter to the health of the nation and its people are way, way better than a year ago. Just on the economy, initial unemployment claims are down from 812,750 to 210,750, the unemployment rate is down from 6.4 percent to 3.9 percent, and compared to the loss of 9.4 million jobs a year ago, the number is now up by 6.4 million.

Frankly, that’s an amazing achievement for just one year, and it has been done in the midst of the greatest pandemic in 100 years that has taken over 800,000 lives in the U.S. and is still raging.

So, it is completely vexing to us that the major media is uniformly trashing Biden as weak and ineffective. Of course, they cite the failure of Democrats to pass comprehensive voting rights and domestic reforms, and Biden is being blamed for this not only by Republican obstructionists that now constitute the entire party representation in Congress, but also by leftists in his own party who’ve decided it’s now time for him to get thrashed and rendered even more a “loser.”

This massive distortion of the truth wouldn’t be possible but for the horrible role the major media is playing to shape this perception, and we’re not talking about the rightwing Fox News, OAN, Sinclair and other egregious propaganda machines. When pressed, otherwise reasonable Democratic leaders admit on CNN and MSNBC talk shows that Biden has done good things, but then revert to the media driven “perception” of ineffectiveness. Quickly, conversations shift to this perception versus reality issue. How is that different from the Trump obsession with “fake news,” where it is not reality but perception that reigns?

It is seldom on-air announcers who determine such things. It comes from those little earplugs that talk into their brains while they’re on the air, producers and others who keep up with the on-air dialogue constantly pitching remarks for the announcers to use. A lot of media types have been upset with the negative image portrayed in the season’s most relevant social commentary film, “Don’t Look Up.” It’s because the movie calls them out in a number of ways for being the airheads and malleable stooges so many of them are.

Heaven knows the nation needs real truth tellers and the “bully pulpits” the major media provide. But journalists allow their heads to be turned by the assertion that they’re not doing their jobs unless they’re being contrarian and assuming that selfish self-serving motives drive everyone in politics.

Not everyone is alike in this regard. Journalists are too lazy in many cases to discern truth from falsehood on their own, and simply resort to others to comment and then feel obliged to present “both sides.” Truth is not about both sides. Hitler and FDR were not moral equivalents.

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Parents Concerned Over Lifted Mask Mandates Editor, We moved to Falls Church City in part for the excellent schools, which has been the case. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, our school system has been a beacon of stability in this turbulent time. We are known for our small class sizes and baccalaureate program. However, we and many concerned parents were surprised to see that FCCPS were the odd man out with our surrounding school systems on whether or not to lift masks.

Falls Church City always says it will be in synch with our sister school systems of Fairfax and Arlington counties. We have done that with school calendars and other major decisions. Yet when it is time to take a stand and defend the health of our students, teachers, and community, we said we had to think about it and will decide later.

Our new governor said his new mandate is about empowering parents. Well, we want to be empowered to select the health and safety of our children and community. If FCCPS selects to lift masks, we want the option for our students to go virtual at a minimum. A lot of our students or their families are immunocompromised. Please do not have us have to make the choice between our children’s education and their health.

Empower us and give us an option.

We moved here for that option.

Please follow through, give us a voice, and let us ensure our children are taken care of.

Steve & Letty Stover Falls Church

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Email letters@fcnp.com Fax 703-342-0347 Mail or drop off Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046

In Response to Plastic Bag Tax Letter Last Week Editor, I wanted to call out the logical fallacy printed in Shirley Connuck’s letter to the editor published online on 1/18/21 as a classic example of the fallacy of relative privation. Just because someone else somewhere else has it worse (in this case 30 cents per bag vs our 5 cents per bag) doesn’t mean that the problem at hand is not a problem. Would she say the same thing about a much more serious issue such as clean water for example? “Where I lived in country xyz we had to drink bottled water and couldn’t use tap so people in Flint, MI should just stop complaining.”

Julie Bertoia Falls Church

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G u e s t C o m m e n ta ry

CO MME NT

JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 | PAGE 7

Keeping Our Children Safe In Schools During the Pandemic

By Farrell Kelly

Having served as a teacher in the Falls Church City Public Schools for fourteen years, and having lived in the city for five, I know how much our community values service and collective action. Our nickname, “The Little City,” highlights the value we place on community and on maintaining a small town feel with global amenities and perspective.

The International Baccalaureate principles we impart in school focus on these ideas. Students learn they are part of local and global communities, bigger than themselves. They learn about active community service – how each can use their talents to do good for others. A prime example of this is our upcoming “Give Day” celebration, the culmination of weeks of fundraising and charitable work, allowing students to provide thousands of meals to people facing food scarcity.

The pandemic has highlighted our interdependence and, by its nature, proven that none of us is an island. Covid has been hard on our relationships and livelihoods. It has created unimagined inconveniences for all, and for some it has caused tragedy. We have lost people we love, or seen others trapped by chronic illness that isn’t fully understood.

One of the few bright spots to come from Covid is the way it has brought communities together to realize the best of themselves through service to oth-

ers. Here in Falls Church City, local groups like the Falls Church Education Foundation have worked tirelessly to provide food and supplies to families hit hardest by the economic and social

“As a teacher, your kids are my highest priority.

I have worked harder during the past two years than I thought possible to provide valuable experience for my students.” impacts of Covid-19. The food pantry at Columbia Baptist Church has served our neediest community members with donations from their more secure neighbors.

The collective example you have set for your children, looking out for each other in the face of calamity, is far more important than any individual lesson they might have missed during our months in distance learning.

Last weekend, Virginia’s Governor promulgated an executive order on masking that focuses on the desires of individuals instead of the shared needs of the community. It will soon be up to individual citizens to choose once again what

collective example to set for each other and for our children. I hope and trust that the people of Falls Church will choose to keep their kids masked for now.

As a teacher, your kids are my highest priority. I have worked harder during the past two years than I had thought possible to provide valuable experiences for my students in constantly shifting terrain. My colleagues, both in the classroom and on buses, in administration, facilities, and support services, have likewise worked prodigiously. We were the first district in NoVA to return to school buildings last spring, and the only district to open during the snow last week. As members of the Falls Church community, we share your commitment to pitching in during difficult times. I worry about eroding what has been, besides vaccination, our primary Covid mitigation strategy. I want to be able to stay in school.

Those are my concerns and priorities as a teacher. But, like you, I am not defined solely by my job. As a parent, I have a two-year-old daughter who is ineligible for vaccination. As a son, I have a septuagenarian mother, a lung cancer survivor whom I couldn’t hug for the year before vaccines. She needs to be part of her granddaughter’s life. As a friend, I have seen families in communities with little masking, their schools rendered unoperational in the face of Covid surges.

As a colleague, I work with people who are immuno-compromised, or live with

loved ones who are at high risk.

I know that many in Falls Church want life to get back to normal. For some, the Governor’s executive order allowing families to opt out of public school mask mandates may seem like an opportunity to do just that. However, the Governor’s order won’t let individuals get back to normal; we’re just not there yet as a society. Omicron continues to crest over us and local Covid numbers are at their highest since the beginning of the pandemic.

Instead, this is an opportunity to reaffirm our community values – to look after our neediest, who can’t get vaccinated or can’t unmask; to ensure our schools stay at full operating capacity, with staff and students quarantining to the least extent possible; to demonstrate to our children what real triumph in the face of adversity looks like. This is an opportunity to show that we won’t individually choose a primrose path that endangers others. Instead we’ll strive together until we reach a common resolution.

I hope the Falls Church community will take advantage of the opportunity Governor Youngkin has afforded us to recommit to the best of our values by looking out for each other. I trust our families will keep their kids masked.

Farrell Kelly is a teacher at Henderson Middle School and former winner of Falls Church Teacher of the Year.

Question of the Week Should the City of Falls Church defy the Govenor’s anti-mask mandate?

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CO MME NT

PAGE 8 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Fairfax County’s geographic location, adjacent to the white-hot center of global politics, provides the foundation for an economy based on government employment and contracts. That was the image of Fairfax County for decades, as the county grew exponentially following the end of World War II. Sometimes overlooked was the small business sector, which maintains a symbiotic relationship with the community it serves.

Customers rely on small business, and vice versa, for many of their everyday needs.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, many small businesses lost staff and customers. Some closed, others struggled to stay open, with reduced hours and fewer staff. The federal government provided assistance through the Small Business Administration and paycheck protection funds but, as the pandemic moved into its second year, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established a PIVOT Business Recovery Grant Program in June 2021, to continue to assist small businesses toward recovery. The PIVOT program was the third Covid-19 recovery program created by the Board of Supervisors to assist small businesses. The original Microloan program in April of 2020 proved so popular that a second program, RISE Grants, was created in June 2020. The PIVOT program drafted a team of more than 50 county staff and 16 employees from the Latino Economic Development Corporation to develop and administer the program. Since it was established, almost $17 million in grants was awarded to more than 1,000 recipients. The average revenue loss per business was 40 percent, a significant hit to any business plan. The retail, services, and amusements sector received the largest award amounts – $8.6 million, followed by lodging and arts for slightly more than $4.6 million, and food

service, $3.5 million. Nearly 70 percent of the awards were made to minority-owned businesses, many also woman-owned.

Mason District businesses (183) were awarded $2.4 million; the average number of employees was four. A quick, unscientific, calculation reveals that more than 700 families may have been helped by the PIVOT grants in Mason District alone. Most of the grants were made to businesses in downtown Annandale, in Bailey’s Crossroads, and Seven Corners, with a few more in Lincolnia and Springfield.

Awards ranged from $5,000 for Artisans United, which operates a gift shop at the Packard Center at Annandale Community Park, to $158,000 for the Fairview Park Marriott, which was located in Providence District at the time of the award, but was redistricted to the Mason District in December 2021. Ballet Nova and the Fairfax Chorale Society received $10,000 awards. Food service establishments included Barnside Diner in Lincolnia; Beanetics, Juke Box Diner, K-POP Karaoke, and Thai Sushi Eats in Annandale, each receiving a $12,000 grant.

The retail, services, and amusements sector had the most varied applications and awards. Gas stations, car wash establishments, hair and nail salons, physical therapy and pain clinics, cleaners, and dental offices received $12,000 grants, mirroring the services that residents and customers use every day. More information about the PIVOT grants can be accessed on-line at www. fairfaxcounty.gov/economic-initiatives/pivot.  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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

C RI M E R E PO RT Week of Jan. 10 — 16, 2022

Larceny from Building, Wilson Blvd, Jan 10, between 7:37 and 8 PM, 4 suspects entered a business and stole eleven flat screen

TV’s. Suspects described as black males: 1) wearing a black jacket, black pants and yellow shoes, 2) wearing an orange jacket, black pants and black shoes, 3) wearing a black jacket,

www.FCNP.com

black pants, and black shoes,and 4) wearing a black jacket, tan pants, and black shoes.

Larceny from Vehicle, Wilson Blvd, Jan 14, between 6 and 7 PM, unknown suspect(s) took items of value from the trunk of a vehicle.

Larceny-Shoplifting, W Broad St, Jan 15, 11:52 PM, three white, juvenile males took an item of value and fled the scene.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Delegate Marcus Simon’s

Richmond Report Last week I had the distinct honor of being sworn in for my 5th term representing greater Falls Church in the Virginia House of Delegates. The 60-day “long” session that has just begun will be my 9th session as a Delegate.

This week is one of transitions here in Richmond. The new General Assembly is sworn in on the 2nd Wednesday of January at noon. With 52 Republican seats to 48 held by Democrats, control of the Chamber shifted back to the GOP and a new Speaker of the House, Todd Gilbert of Shenandoah County, was elected.

On Wednesday evening the General Assembly convened in a Joint Session to receive outgoing Governor Ralph Northam’s final State of the Commonwealth address. On Saturday, Governor Glenn Youngkin was sworn in at an inaugural ceremony and on Monday we had a 2nd Joint Assembly, then the new Governor gave his State of the Commonwealth address.

Governor Northam highlighted the achievements of his term, including his administration’s work to expand Medicaid, reform our criminal justice system, expand broadband, teach the true history of Virginia, increase access to the ballot box, and keep Virginians safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will certainly miss his calming presence over the next four years.

Despite delivering an Inaugural address at which the new Governor promised to be a Governor for all Virginians and teach our full and accurate history, both good and bad, Governor Youngkin released his first batch of executive actions, focusing on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and overturning student safety measures designed to keep kids safely in the classroom.

Initially, he indicated he’d withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) with EO #8. Recent reporting seems to indicate that he may be acknowledging he has no authority to do so by fiat, since the requirement to belong to RGGI is enshrined in law.

On Monday, he delivered his State of the Commonwealth address at four in the afternoon, eschewing the opportunity to address resident of the Commonwealth in the traditional prime time evening hours when more people would be home in front of their televisions to tune in.

For an uncomfortable first 12

minutes of his speech, he mostly parroted conservative media talking points to an eerily silent chamber. This starkly contrasts with the frequent standing ovations that interrupted Governor Northam repeatedly and helped punctuate his retelling of his most important achievements. I hope that as the new Governor learns more about how Virginia’s Government functions, his future addresses will provide a more thoughtful articulation of our shared policy goals.

Even as a member of the minority, I look forward to being a consequential member of the body and capable advocate for the people of Falls Church. While I was stripped of my chairmanship of the House Privileges and Elections Committee and the Housing Subcommittee of General Laws, I remain on the Courts of Justice Committee and the influential Civil Subcommittee (Sub #2). I am back on Public Safety as the 3rd ranking Democrat and Communications Technology and Innovation where I am the #2 ranking Democrat. House Finance is a completely new committee for me.

For my 2022 legislative package, I’m carrying a bill on behalf of the City of Falls Church to allow all its residents, including non-citizens, the opportunity to fully engage in civic life as members of boards, authorities, and commissions.

I will once again carry legislation to clean up one of the most galling shortcomings in Virginia’s campaign finance laws — a loophole that allows candidates for office to pocket campaign contributions and convert them to personal use with no consequences. With the backing of last year’s Joint Committee to Study Comprehensive Campaign Finance Reforms, I like its chances this session.

I’ll also once again introduce legislation to ban unserialized unregulated “ghost guns” here in Virginia. Since my bill was narrowly defeated during the 2021 Session, we’ve seen these guns used to commit serious crimes, including a homicide in the Springfield area committed by minor who couldn’t have purchased a weapon subject to a background check. Ghost Guns evade that requirement.  Delegate Simon represents the 53rd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He may be emailed at DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

R EA L E STATE

Real Estate

WINTER 2022 | PAGE 9

Winter 2022

Current Status Report of the Falls Church City Housing Market

By Alex Russell

According to data published

by Realtor.com, there are currently 198 homes for sale in the City of Falls Church, ranging in price from $162,000 to $2.3 million.

The median listing home price is $595,000; the median sold home price is $610,000, although the assessed values that are due from the City assessor’s office by the end of this month will average out considerably higher.

It is well known that in addition to businesses, popular cultural and historic destinations, and public transportation, good public schools are another big draw for potential homeowners, and this has been a premium for Falls Church, with many real-

tors commenting that over the years the City school system is effectively a value-added of up to 15 percent in the price of homes here, although quality of schools has remained very high for the City’s neighbors Arlington and Fairfax.

According to Realtor.com, Falls Church is home to four public schools that are rated “good and above” by GreatSchools, a nonprofit organization that assembles and organizes information regarding pre-K — 12 education, with Oak Street Elementary School garnering the highest reviews.

In terms of the buying/selling time frame, the number of days that a home spends on the market in the Little City, in medi-

an terms, is 50 days. The trend for median days on market has increased slightly since last year.

According to data published by the real estate brokerage company Redfin, the market in Falls

Church is “somewhat competitive,” with some homes receiving multiple offers. Some homes may sell for approximately two percent or more above the listed price.

According to the website FederalReserve.gov, the Covid19 pandemic, as with most facets of daily life, has greatly affected

Continued on Page 14

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R EA L E STATE

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Localities Mull Regulations On Accessory Dwelling Units

By Marrett Ceo

The Falls Church City Council last week brought up the issue related to a property owner wanting to build an ‘accessory structure’ on his property. This action is allowed under current zoning regulations within the city of Falls Church.

The issue for council was, if the city would remove a restrictive covenant that had been placed on the property back in the 1980s.

The property owner was seeking the vacating of an easement in order for the accessory structure to be built on that part of the property. The issue received full support from the city council.

According to Fairfax and Arlington County’s websites, an accessory dwelling unit can be defined specifically as a complete independent dwelling unit, complete with a kitchen and a bath, on a lot that has a main dwelling. The Accessory Dwelling unit must fall under the same ownership as this main

dwelling. ADs are designed, arranged, used, or intended for occupancy but not to have more than three people living in them. For the most part, accessory dwelling units promote a greater diversity of housing and household types in single-family neighborhoods. They do this, while maintaining neighborhood character and underlying zoning.

Certain types of housing cannot have accessory living units, such as condos or townhouses, only single family detached dwellings may have an accessory living unit. Arlington County Board adopted new standards that among other things increases flexibility for owners who have an accessory building existing into a detached accessory dwelling.

In Fairfax County, the individual owning the home with accessory living unit must live either in the main principal dwelling or the accessory living unit. Additionally, only one, not both of these may be rented

out. Two people maximum is the limit on who can live in the ALU, spacing is limited to two rooms. The health department

will be required to approve of the property depending if it is on a well or a septic system, before any administrative or

special permit is ever approved.

In terms of numbers, if a Continued on Page 16

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

R EA L E STATE

WINTER 2022 | PAGE 11

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R EA L E STATE

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial

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From the first meeting, we listen and ask open-ended questions to gauge our clients’ needs, wants, and goals. We then tailor efforts and negotiate smartly on our clients’ behalf. We also offer money-saving programs to our clients, such as Complimentary Home Staging (a savings of over 1 percent of the sale price) and our Seller Concierge Service (which allows clients to pay for home improvements at settlement).

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Bethany Ellis, Long and Foster Bethany Ellis owns and operates a highly successful real estate business in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. She is an experienced Realtor® whose goal is to exceed your expectations. Her knowledge of the local market, attention to every detail, excellent negotiating ability, and effective communication ensures that your real estate transaction will go smoothly from start to finish. Bethany has direct access to lenders, home inspectors, new home developers, settlement groups, and local service providers (painters, plumbers, carpet suppliers, handymen, electricians, plumbers, and more). If you’re looking to find a new home, build your dream home, get market statistics for your home or neighborhood, sell your existing home, make improvements to your current home, buy or sell an investment property or need answers to any real estate questions, make Bethany Ellis your real estate resource.

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Treena Rinaldi, Korte Realty Korte Realty, the 57 year old family real estate firm on West Broad Street in Falls Church, is the business of Treena Rinaldi, along with Mostafa (Mosi) Shah.

Treena’s mother, Katreen Korte, started the firm back in 1965. Now a 30-year veteran in the industry, Rinaldi said she learned a lot about the business from her mom.

They are a small but full-service company that sells both residential and commercial properties in Northern Virginia. “We’ve developed many faithful clients over the years, but we always look forward to new friends”, says Rinaldi.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

R EA L E STATE A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial

WINTER 2022 | PAGE 13

M e e t Yo u r Re a l E s t a t e E x p e r t s

They have helped many buyers in the search for a new home. They believe in taking an educational approach with their clients. When they go on tour, they point out the pluses and minuses of the homes they view, so that their clients can make an educated decision. They believe the adventure of the home search is pretty special, and the memories of those searches last a lifetime, almost like the memories from your best (or worst) vacation. In most instances the purchase of a home is the most important personal investment, and Korte Realty does everything they can to make sure their clients are happy over the long term.

For clients who are out of town, they are happy to videotape homes that are on the market, as well as give our opinions on those homes.

Korte Realty provides significant industry knowledge and personal attention to the home buying experience.

Treena Rinaldi, Korte Realty 712 W. Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 703-532-7704 • Korterealty.com

Casey Margenau With more than 40 years in sales, $3 billion in real estate sold, over 30 years as a Top Producer in Northern Virginia, Casey Margenau uses his wealth of experience to ensure the financial success of his clients. In 2013 Casey saw a need for a boutique real estate company for the higher end market and he established Casey Margenau Fine Homes & Estates. His in-depth market knowledge allows him to ensure the financial success of his clients. By custom tailoring a marketing strategy for each property, Casey provides the greatest exposure to achieve the goal of the highest offers possible in the shortest period of time. Many area builders rely on his expertise when making development plans. His professionalism and attention to detail have led him to the very top of his field.

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Tori McKinney ROCK STAR Realty Group, KW Metro Center Tori’s passion is helping her clients find their dream homes. Along with her team, she rolls out the red carpet to ensure you are treated like the VIP that you are.

While purposefully participating in the community, Tori is the Falls Church Real Estate expert. She and her Rock Star Realty Group are here for you every step of the way eager to provide Rock Star service to all home buyers and sellers. Tori is ever so grateful for each client and the neighborhoods she serves.

After moving to Falls Church in 1998, she immersed herself in community advocacy as a Housing Commissioner and ongoing public school volunteer and sponsor. Since 2010, Tori has directed her philanthropic efforts to the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, whose mission is preserving, presenting, and celebrating the African American Legacy. As the Executive Producer of the Tinner Hill Music Festival, she dedicates her time and adoration for music to the Foundation’s premier charity event that will take place this year

on June 11, 2022.

Tori McKinney | CEO & Realtor® | ROCK STAR Realty Group, KW Metro Center 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201 703-867-8674 • RockStarRealtyGroup.com

Peake Mangement Lindsey Peake was raised in a Foreign Service family with a passion for real estate that has extended through three generations. As an avid investor herself, she works hard to find good investment properties and homes for her clients. Not all great houses make good rental property, and that’s where experience helps.

With a forty-year history in Northern Virginia, the company is strong and well-established. The entire diverse team works really well together. The focus is always on the client, whether listing a house for sale, buying the perfect house for investment or a home, or managing property.

Lindsey and her husband are animal lovers and own a beautiful mutt, Bandido (an aptly named Bandit), rescued from the streets of Peru as a five-month-old puppy. Five sons, and four young grandchildren round out the family.

An avid traveler, Lindsey is fluent in French, speaks passable Spanish, some Italian and is studying Portuguese.

A strong believer that long-term property ownership creates wealth. A strong believer that you should treat clients as good friends and help them create wealth.

Peake Mangement 450 N Washington St. Ste M Falls Church, VA 22046 703-408-2153 • www.peakeinc.com

Ken Trotter, Silver Line Group at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Ken Trotter is the founder and principal agent of the Silver Line Group and regularly recognized as one of Washington, DC’s top producing Realtors®. While the heart of the Silver Line Group’s practice is in Falls Church, the team also regularly represents buyers and sellers along the Silver Line corridor from DC to Dulles.

Ken was a successful litigation attorney prior to becoming a Realtor®, and he drew upon that experience when establishing the guiding principals behind the Silver Line Group’s professional service: “We focus on making our clients’ interests our sole priority and zealously strive to achieve the best results for our clients in every transaction.”

The Silver Line Group’s talented team of professionals strongly believes in delivering the highest level of integrity, professionalism, and expertise at all price points. From urban condos with high walkability scores to estate homes, the team is passionate about helping you find the perfect home, or the right buyer for your home.

For more detailed information about the Silver Line Group’s real estate practice, please visit SilverLineHouses.com and reach out directly to Ken.

Ken Trotter, J.D., Realtor, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty 703-863-0650 (c) 745-1212 (o) • KenTrotterHomes.com

R EA L E STATE

PAGE 14 | WINTER 2022

COMING SOON BARCROFT WOODS!

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

COMING SOON LAKE BARCROFT!

Home Sales Vs. 1 Year Ago Updated 4BR/2.5BA, over half-acre lot backs to stream and parkland!

Offered for $1,150,000

Gorgeous contemporary, 4BR/3.5BA, wooded lot with lake views!

Offered for $1,100,000

COMING SOON CITY OF FALLS CHURCH!

New Construction! 5BR/4.5BA, delivery late spring 2022, owner agent.

Offered for $1.5m+

Chrissy O’Donnell & Lisa DuBois Associate Brokers, Licensed in VA & DC

info@chrissyandlisa.com | 703.372.9191

ONE OF RE/MAX’S TOP TEAMS IN VA & USA TOP 1% DC METRO AREA & NATIONWIDE

www.chrissyandlisa.com

Change in # of Homes Sold: 1Q ‘22 vs 1Q ‘21

-30.00%

Change in Falls Church City (22046)

-17.24%

Change in Bailey’s X-roads (22041)

+5.56%

Change in Sleepy Hollow (22042)

-30.56%

Change in Pimmit Hills (22043)

-6.25%

Change in Lake Barcroft (22044)

RE/MAX West End 710 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046 | 703.596.5303

Covid-19 Greatly Affects Housing Market in Falls Church City Continued from Page 9

the housing market. The past two years saw a substantial decrease in the supply of homes for sale, while prices have continued to increase.

In terms of demand, the pandemic, almost universally, has forced more people to spend a larger amount of time at home, leading to an “increase in demand for housing services.”

Simultaneously, the uncertain, stressful times that came with Covid contributed to a reluctance on the part of homeowners to put their homes on the market.

The foreclosure moratorium “may also have reduced” the supply of homes on the market. The current combination of increase in demand and decrease in supply is the central facilitator of a “sellers’ market.”

According to the May 2021 Virginia Home Sales Report compiled by the Virginia Realtors Association, 14,145 home sales occurred across the state that month, which is “about 3,700 more sales than” in May of 2020.

In general, these findings describe a solid link between the machinations of the pandemic and the housing market in Virginia. According

to data collected by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR), some of the other factors that will continue to affect the real estate market, in addition to the economy at large and the pandemic, include the “continuing hybrid work arrangements persisting if not made permanent,” especially in relation to telework, as is the norm now with many federal offices.

“Prices for building materials will remain substantially elevated for most of” next year, as well, which will make new construction projects “very expensive, likely leading to delay in building…multifamily developments.”

According to Niche.com, an online resource guide that helps searchers find information on educational institutions, cities, neighborhoods, and various companies across the United States, a larger number of Falls Church residents own their home as opposed to those who rent: 42 percent of people in Falls Church rent, while 58 percent own.

As is common with the nature of real estate, the state of the market itself presents a part of the criteria through which a buyer surveys an area and the homes available therein.

Niche has collected varying data,

including information from the U.S. Census, showing that the Little City is number 7 of 165 in “Best Suburbs for Young Professionals in Virginia”; number 17 of 281 in “Best Places to Retire in Virginia”; and is number 17 of 280 in “Places with the Best Public Schools in Virginia.”

The heading for “Crime & Safety” in Falls Church, based on “violent and property crime rates,” receives an overall grade of Bon Hinge.com, while the heading “Working in Falls Church,” which is “based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living” receives an overall grade of B. The Falls Church Real Estate Assessment Office that determines the value of all property located within the city limits at “full and fair market value,” concluded its assessments for 2021, with the total “taxable assessed value for all properties in the city” as of January 1, 2021, to be “$4.57 billion.” This marks a 2.72 percent increase in “assessed value” in the Little City.

In terms of contrasting and comparing economic changes as well as the status of the housing market in the City between 2021 and 2020, “residential new construction accounted for $17.68 million” of

growth, while “commercial new construction” made up $55.0 million of growth. The “overall residential real estate values” went up by 4.07 percent, signifying a tight yet active market.

The case of Falls Church proves the point that the value of a home is more often than not greatly influenced by its location.

The City of Falls Church, being an independent municipality part of the greater Washington, D.C. metro area, is situated between two of the wealthiest counties in Virginia: Fairfax and Arlington.

The influx of business, whether through the development of private companies and businesses (the recent boom in the tech and soft-

ware industries has made a noticeable impact on Washington, D.C.) as well as the presence of the federal government (meaning employment opportunities as well as cultural and historical destinations in and around the city) ensures consistent demand for homes not necessarily in the capital itself, but somewhere in the vast peripheral zone that includes cities such as Manassas, Woodbridge, and Falls Church.

Easy access to public transportation is also a big draw for home buyers, especially since the Metrorail, which connects and serves 91 stations throughout Virginia, Maryland, and the D.C. area, extends directly to the Little City.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

R EA L E STATE

WINTER 2022 | PAGE 15

R EA L E STATE

PAGE 16 | WINTER 2022

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Under Contract

SOLD

$900,000

103 Park Washington Ct #1, Falls Church, VA 22046

SOLD

$1,680,000

$522,000

47364 Darkhollow Falls Ter, Sterling, VA 20165

$385,000

$675,000

106 S Lee St. Falls Church, VA 22046

SOLD

SOLD

7305 Linganore Ct, McLean, VA 22102

SOLD

128 Middle Point Ct, Gaithersburg, MD 20877

SOLD

$455,000

9800 Essie Ln, Glenarden, MD 20774

$635,000

11155 Yellow Leaf Way, Gemantown, MD 20876

56 Years In Falls Church

Treena Rinaldi 703-927-3863

712 W. Broad St. Falls Church, VA 22046

www.korterealty.com 703-532-7704

Mosi Shah

703-217-6519

Building a Shed Allowed With Size and Location Stipulations Continued from Page 10

dwelling has an accessory living unit, there cannot be two boarders or renters. Only in the case that

a dwelling that doesn’t have an ALU and is occupied by a family is permitted to have up to two renters. And for that one person allowed in the ALU, for an admin-

istrative permit to be approved the owner of a unit must provide an extra parking space for that ALU. If it is on a public street, three off street parking spaces must be

available, versus four for a private street.

In the event that someone, at least in Fairfax County, wants to sell their house with an acces-

sory living unit, it is permissible to sell without removing the ALU. However, in the case that it isn’t removed, the administrative permit doesn’t transfer to the next tenant. There must be communications between the seller and buyer and the new tenant must meet all requirements and apply for another administrative permit.

If it isn’t approved, the owner may just utilize the ALU for personal use, and may not allow anyone to live in the ALU on the property.

If any citizen wants to build just a shed in their backyard, that’s permissible without a permit. It may not be in the front yard or on a lot containing less than 36,000 square feet and must be below 8 ½ feet high.

If you live in Arlington County, you may go to: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/ Building/Permits/AccessoryDwelling for information and prices on ALUs. Fairfax County residents can go to: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ planning-development/zoning/ accessory-living-unit for information about ALU’s and prices.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 | PAGE 17

Fa l l s C h u r c h

School News & Notes “tick tick...BOOM!” Opens Thursday The MHS VPA department has been hard at work preparing for its first musical in the new high school – “tick tick...BOOM!” with COVID protocols in place.

To that end, they require that the cast, pit, and crew wear masks at all times, with the exception of the three leads. Those three students will mask whenever they are not on stage. The three leads will participate in daily antigen testing before the show. These are how they are working to protect the students and staff during this time of high transmission.

Showtimes will be Thursday — Saturday, January 20th — 22nd at 7:30 p.m.

Due to the high positivity rate in the community, this performance will be governed by the following adaptations to traditional performance guidelines: All audience members will be required to show proof of vaccination. You can do this upon entry to the theater.

All audience members are required to mask at all times.

Seating at 65 percent capacity.

Four hundred seats will be accessible per show.

Families/households are asked to sit in pods and be mindful of spacing.

Meridian Basketball Teams Win The Meridian High Boy Mustangs play host to Brentsville this Friday night after crushing Warren County last weekend, 83-41 when Duncan Miller and Mac Duross led the ‘Stangs.

The Mustang girls defeated Manassas Park, 62-18 this week.

Swim & Dive Team Start Season To have meets closer to home, the team has taken a dive into 6A meets with opponents like Yorktown HS, McLean HS, Oakton HS, and more. There are six divers this year and they have been a crucial asset to scoring

points for the team. The whole team has stepped up to the challenges and has already had three individuals qualify for the State Meet in February and 2 Relays.

The next meet will be on January 21st at Oak Marr against South Lakes HS at 6:30 p.m. Those qualified for States are Ben McCracken, Carson Ruoff and Wesley Sturgill.

Meridian Scholastic Bowl Team Victorious The Meridian Scholastic Bowl team continued their season by visiting Skyline High School on Thursday, Jan 13. The Mustang team of Hunter Hicks, Ailene Neal, Avery Pike, Nicholas Pratt, AJ Strang, and Zander Werner won both games against the Hawks; 265-85 and 265-130.

Next ATL Day Takes Place Jan. 31 This school year’s second Approaches to Learning asynchronous day is service as action (January 31). Students will have an opportunity to engage in learning experiences of their choosing on ATL days based on teachercreated lessons shared with students during the school day or participate in GIVE Day (more information will be shared with students at each school). More information will be forthcoming in next week’s principals’ newsletter.

Registration for Kindergarten To be eligible for kindergarten, students must be five years of age by September 30, 2022, and a resident of Falls Church City.

Pre-registration for kindergarten will open in March.

Mount Daniel’s Principal and staff will present a Kindergarten Information Night for Parents of prospective kindergarten students.

They will offer a brief overview of the school day, cur-

MERIDIAN HIGH BOYS, shown in white jerseys here defeating Warren County last weekend, is hosting another home game this Friday night (Photo: News-Press)

riculum, daycare program, and registration requirements. More information will be provided by the end of February.

Please pass this information along to new neighbors and friends. They can call (703) 2485644 or email Nora Pishner at pishnern@fccps.org with any questions.

English Language and Literacy Classes Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) is teaming up with Welcoming Falls Church and the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia to offer adult English language and literacy classes at Oak Street Elementary School starting next month.

Classes will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 — 8:30 p.m. at Oak Street Elementary School (601 S. Oak St.) beginning on February 15. Registration will take place in the cafeteria at OSE on January 27th from 6:30 — 8 p.m. Late registration will be held at James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd.) on February 5 from 3 — 4:30 p.m. You must bring proof of Covid vaccination and wear a mask to registration.

The fee for these classes is $85 and scholarships are available upon request.

For questions or to request more information about these

classes or scholarships, please email wfcliteracy@gmail.com.

GIVE Day Blood Drive with INOVA The FCCPS GIVE Day Clubs are hosting a blood drive on behalf of Inova Blood Donor Services during GIVE Day on January 31st from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will take place in the parking lot of Meridian High School during the GIVE Day Events.

You can sign up to donate blood on inovabloodsaves.org by clicking on the “Donate Blood” tab and entering “GIVE Day” under the “sponsor name” option.

If you are unable to donate blood but would still like to help with the event, volunteers are needed to help set up, greet donors and clean up. To sign up to volunteer, visit signupgenius. com

Bingo to Benefit GIVE Day This Friday Calling all pre-K to 5th Graders— Join the Elementary GIVE Day Club this Friday night for bingo with Baroody Camps. $5 for the first bingo card and $3 for every card afterward.

Bingo cards will be emailed to registered participants on Friday

afternoon. All proceeds will benefit GIVE Day service projects on January 31st.

Bingo cards can be purchased online at bc-baroodycampsprograms.jumbula.

Oak Street Word Masters Honored A team representing Oak Street Elementary School achieved Highest Honors in the recent WordMasters Challenge™— a national vocabulary competition and exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of words, and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships.

Working to solve the analogies helps students think analytically and metaphorically.

The fifth-grade team scored an impressive 177 points out of a possible 200 in the first of three meets this year, placing fifth in the nation.

Fifth-grade students from Oak Street Elementary School who achieved outstanding results in the meet include Julia Au, Olivia Basquez, Luke Bonds, Marin Camarote, Ella Flajser, Genevieve Hardy, Sullivan Kidwell, Lila Perlberg, Madeline Sherwood, Grace Simpson, and Ari Zelenka.

PAGE 18 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

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FALLS CHURCH

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CALENDAR LOCALEVENTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21 Dreamcatcher DIY. Come make a DIY Dreamcatcher to give you sweet dreams at Tysons-Pimmit Library. All materials provided.

Ages 5—16. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 4 — 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22 History Outside the Box. Do you like quilting? Do you like dancing? Want to learn about Native American storytelling, histories & culture? Then come meet T Carter & Joe Gaines at Thomas Jefferson Library. This event includes a colorful variety of quilts inspired by Native American and Indigenous history, culture and lifeways. Through star quilts, wildlife applique and beadwork, T shares stories passed down by the oral tradition, and exposes hidden history. Joe Gaines from the Choctaw Nation will provide traditional singing, drumming and a fun dance lesson. (1545 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 10 — 11:30 a.m.

Kids in Motion. Come join TysonsPimmit Library for motion and movement. This is an interactive experience that engages kids to form healthy fitness habits and empowers them to enjoy movement and fitness. Come dressed ready to move. Presented by the Junior League of Northern Virginia. This is for ages 3—8 with one parent, if you have questions about the appropriate age for a program or its content please call the branch at 703-790-8088 (option 4). Due to space limitations, the library only has room for one adult with each registered child. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 12 — 1 p.m.

more at Thomas Jefferson Library.

For school-age children. (1545 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 5 — 6 p.m.

City Council Meeting. The City Council meets in-person in City Hall’s Council Chambers. In-person capacity may be limited due to Covid-19 safety, and all attendees must wear a mask and stay socially distant at all times. The meeting can be viewed live online (fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings) or on FCCTV (Cox channel 11, RCN channel 2, Verizon channel 35).

Public comment can be made inperson or via MS Teams on any topic; sign-up by noon on the day of the meeting, fallschurchva.gov/ PublicComment. (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 7:30 — 11 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26 Pre-K Time. Join Thomas Jefferson Library for stories, songs, and activities to get ready for kindergarten. Ages 3—5. Space is limited to ticketed attendees for in-person events. Tickets are free and first-come, first-serve at the information desk 30 minutes before each program. (1545 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church).

10:30 — 11 a.m.

Needlecraft Circles. Want to get crafty? Each Wednesday Thomas Jefferson Library teaches a new needlecraft. Supplies provided.

This event is for adults. (1545 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 — 2 p.m.

MONDAY, JANUARY 24

Afterschool Activities and Adventures. Introducing After School Activities and Adventures: the after-school activity of the week at Woodrow Wilson Library.

It might be games, activities, or crafts! It’s always a surprise and fun. Ages 6—12. Limited to the first 12 participants. (6101 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church). 4:30 — 5:30 p.m.

Maker Mondays. Let your imagination run wild as you build and create with our Lego, Keva Planks, Squigz, Mega Magnets, MagnaCars, Marble Run, Gears, and

Pajama Storytime. Come in your pajamas for a bedtime story at Tysons-Pimmit Library. Ages 0 to 6 and their families. (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 7 — 7:30 p.m.

JOIN THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY to learn more about Native American storytelling, history and culture through quilts on Saturday, January 22. (Photo: History Outside the Box Quilting)

THEATER&ARTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 20 tick tick… BOOM! The MHS VPA department has been hard at work preparing for its first musical in the new high school — ‘’tick tick...BOOM!’ with Covid protocols in place. To that end, they require that the cast, pit and crew wear masks at all times, with the exception of the three leads. Those three students will mask whenever they are not on stage. The three leads will participate in daily antigen testing before the show. These are how they are working to protect students and staff during this time of high transmission. The show will take place Thursday, January 20 — Saturday, January 22 with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. For more information, see Tuesday’s edition of the Morning Announcements or visit mhs.fccps.org. (121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church). 7:30 p.m.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, JANUARY 20 Keb’ Mo’ Band with the Brother Brothers: Live. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $89.50. 7:30 p.m.

703-549-7500.

Masters of Hawaiian Music Live and in Concert with George Kahumoku Jr, Led Kaapana, & Herb Ohta Jr. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $27+. 8 p.m.

703-255-1900.

Jimi Smooth & the Hit Time. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-2419504.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21 Beatle Jam Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Keb’ Mo’ Band with the Brother Brothers. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $89.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Cory Branan with Minks Miracle Medicine. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $20.

8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

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

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22 Tunematics. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Red Not Chili Peppers with Gordon Sterling & the People. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $12 — $15. 8 p.m. 703-237-0300.

Albert Lee with Ben McNulty.

Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $35. 8 p.m. 703255-1566.

Route 66 Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Jameson Green Band. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 23 The Spanish Hour. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $44+. 3 p.m. 703-255-1900.

Julia Kasdorf & Ira Gitlin. JV’s

Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-2419504.

Josh Abbott Band. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703549-7500.

Signal Fire with Seranation and Riley Kerns. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $25.

8 p.m. 703-255-1566.

Something County.

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

MONDAY, JANUARY 24 Tom Saputo Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

J. Brown. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 25 Open Mic with Josh and Andy.

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m.

703-241-9504.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26 Sweet Honey in the Rock. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $45. 7:30 p.m.

703-549-7500.

Smylin Jack Show: Live. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-2419504.

An Evening with Branford Marsalis. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $68+. 8 p.m. 703255-1900.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LO CA L

N���-P����

JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 | PAGE 19

C�������� N��� � N���� Free At Home Covid Tests Now Available Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of four free at-home tests from USPS.com. Limit of one order per residential address.

One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen Covid-19 tests. Orders will ship free starting in late January.

To order your free test kits, visit covidtests.gov or special.usps.com/ testkits and fill out your contact information and home address.

Black History Month Essay Contest Underway To celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Washington Wizards have launched an essay contest for DMV area high school and middle school students. The contest will honor Dr. Edwin Bancroft (E.B.) Henderson, a sports historian, educator, administrator, coach, athlete, and civil rights activist known as the “Grandfather of Black Basketball” here in Washington, D.C. Dr. Henderson, a great activist, wrote over 3,000 letters to the editor for the Washington Post and other newspapers on civil rights and race relations.

Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Henderson was a leader who inspired many, and now is your opportunity to write about a leader twho has inspired you.

Submit a 250-word essay about a community leader who has had a positive impact in your life. One submission from a high school student and one submission from a middle school student will be selected to receive a scholarship contribution

and additional recognition from the Washington Wizards.

The deadline to submit your essay is March 17. For more information please visit nba.com/wizards/blackhistory.

“Girls of Madison Street” Opens Next Month Creative Cauldron’s next play opens on February 10. This play follows a tight-knit family of African American sisters as they confront hidden truths and well kept secrets while they come together for their mother’s funeral. Conflicts emerge, tensions flare, but they soon learn that the bonds of sisterhood know no bounds. A “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” premiere from Helen Hayes Award Winner Iyona Blake.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays from February 10 through March 6. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at creativecauldron. org/girls-of-madison-street.html.

Boy Scout Troop 895 Scouts Achieve Eagle Scout Rank Scouts BSA Troop 895 would like to congratulate Gaarison Holran, Oliver Stufft, and Michael Nelson on achieving scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout, in 2021. They exemplified scouting’s traits of leadership and citizenship by organizing projects that supported communities both locally and globally, and serving as role models for the troop’s younger scouts.

FALLS CHURCH’S U.S. Congressman Don Beyer (center) appeared at a fundraiser at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack for gun sanity on a frigid day last weekend, organized and addressed by the parents of a young victim of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. Manuel and Patricia Oliver dedicate their tireless efforts to the memory of their son Joaquin who the day before he was killed along with 16 other classmates quipped during a basketball game to his father that they should “Change the Ref” to get a fairer outcome. (News-Press photo) (P����: N���-P����).

Troop 895, chartered by the Falls Church Presbyterian Church, has helped more than 160 scouts earn the rank of Eagle over its 65 years of existence.

Transportation Authority Reappoints Chairs During the first Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) business meeting of the year on Thursday, January 13th , Authority Members reappointed both Phyllis J. Randall, Chair, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, to serve her third term as Authority Chair and David Snyder, Council Member, City of Falls Church, and longestserving member on the Authority, to serve his second consecutive term as

Restaurant Spotlight

Last week of every month Contact us today to advertise!

Call: Sue Johnson • sjohnson@fcnp.com • 703-587-1282

Vice Chair, for calendar year 2022.

Additionally, Derrick Wood, Mayor, Town of Dumfries, who previously served on the Authority in 2019 and 2020, was renamed as Town Representative on the Authority.

Chair Randall, Vice Chair Snyder and Mayor Wood are humbled by the unanimous appointments and are ready to continue working across jurisdictional lines to get Northern Virginians home to their families and other destinations faster, while keeping NVTA’s core values of equity, sustainability, and safety top of mind.

The Authority thanks outgoing Town Representative, Kelly Burk, Mayor, Town of Leesburg, for her service in her respective role. The Authority continues to lead the way for long-range transportation plan-

ning in the region, shaping Northern Virginia’s infrastructure and helping mitigate traffic congestion throughout NoVA and beyond. In fact, this year, the Authority will adopt both the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program and the update to TransAction, the region’s long-range transportation plan. Both updates are underway, with public comment opportunities forthcoming.

Implementation of the Transportation Technology Strategic Plan and Action Plan will also continue in 2022, as well as ongoing development of the Regional MultiModal Mobility Program (RM3P), in partnership with Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT).

PAGE 20 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

C L AS S I F I E DS

(TO22-01) ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 2038 REGARDING THE BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND

SERVICES DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS-$225.00. No court appearance.

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If it is deemed necessary to convene the meeting virtually because of the COVID-19 emergency, public hearings will be held electronically. The public may sign up to speak remotely at www.fallschurchva.gov/ PublicComment before noon on the day of the meeting. Council members attend virtual meetings through electronic means and members of the public may view the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings.

For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at 703-248-5014 or cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

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Public hearings are scheduled be held in City Council Chambers, City Hall, 300 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA. The public may sign up at the meeting or sign up to speak remotely at www.fallschurchva.gov/PublicComment before noon on the day of the meeting. Written public hearing comments may be sent until noon on the day of the meeting to cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov.

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The ordinance referenced below was given first reading on January 10, 2022. A public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matters may be heard.

The proposed ordinance would amend the FY2022 budget to appropriate grant revenues and Affordable Housing Fund match money and transfer money to the Economic Development Authority for the purchase of specific affordable housing units.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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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) 367-9753.

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8. Spicy 9. Molten flow 10. Center of rotation 11. Tournament 19. Satisfy 20. Gave permission to 21. Fat 22. Long way off 23. Duct 25. Dry wilderness 27. Peculiar 28. Pupil site 29. Ship’s officer

30. Female sheep 33. Least distant 36. Health haven 38. Pay attention 40. Mad 41. Window glass 42. Worshiped object 43. School session 45. Section 47. Public vehicle 49. Ripen, as cheese 50. Pull or haul 51. Wild donkey

PUZZLE NO. 120

27. Former: hyph.

31. Kind of music 32. South American range 34. Uncooked 35. Clad 37. Cream of the crop 39. Pod dweller 40. Springs up 41. Flat bread 44. Goes on and on 46. Grape or orange drink 47. Ice mass, for short 48. So long, in London: 2 wds.

52. Negative linking word 53. Employer 54. Self-images 55. Shady tree 56. Hang around 57. “Broadcast ____” DOWN 1. Out-of-date 2. Passing through 3. Limb 4. Lower 5. The British ____ 6. Biblical pronoun 7. Pardon

21. Most scarlet 23. Rectify 25. Pats gently 26. Depart 27. Not accept 28. Affirmative votes 29. Cozy corner 30. Yellowfin or albacore 32. Demanded 41. Narrow

43. African animal, shortly 45. Toothed tools 47. Pigeon-____ 48. Clothed 49. That woman’s 50. 100% 51. Hitch 52. ____-man band 54. Pigeon sound

STRANGE BREW

Copyright © 2022, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. President’s ____ Office 5. Hunger 9. Felon’s flight 12. Italian money, once 13. Drive away 14. Hatchet 15. River barriers 16. Period preceding Easter 17. Scramble (for) 18. Haste 20. Final 21. Jacket features 24. Certain poem 26. In flames

JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 | PAGE 21

JOHN DEERING

Copyright © 2022, Penny Press

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 119

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

ACROSS 1. Buck 5. Supportive 8. Nibble 12. Kojak’s lack 13. Captain’s record 14. Strong cord 15. Wheel shaft 16. Piercing tool 17. Had creditors 18. Utter unhappiness 20. Generation 22. Brief message 24. Finished 28. Colony insect 31. Shy 33. Wood cutter 34. Plural pronoun

35. Alter 36. Vegetable drawer 37. Chunk of eternity 38. Strained 39. Pig’s place 40. Glide 42. Deep-____ pie 44. Classifieds 46. Purl, e.g.

50. On the crest 53. Perform 55. Long stick 56. Queue 57. Gloom 58. Diamond shape 59. Nasty look

60. Lawn material 61. Bookie’s concern DOWN 1. Farce 2. Cab 3. Feels unwell 4. Envy’s color 5. School recess 6. Scrap 7. Eye rudely 8. Creak 9. Here’s partner 10. Chimpanzee, e.g.

11. Elope 19. Turned

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 120

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

SPORTS QUIZ

By Ryan A. Berenz 1. What sports apparel manufacturer debuted the 1992 “Dan & Dave” marketing campaign centered PUZZLE 121 around U.S. NO. decathletes Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson?

42. Tarry 29. Naught 30. Frog’s relative 43. Supporter 2. Name the pop star who was in a relationship with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo 45. Movie spool 33. Name from 2007-09?

47. Small child 36. Horsehair Mariner’s yes 38. Produces 3. What stadium, demolished in 1960, was home to the Brooklyn Dodgers from49.

1913-57?

50. 22nd letter 40. Outdated 51. Say further 41. Baths

PUZZLE NO. 122

22. Model 23. Play practice 24. Hither and ____ 26. Mowed 28. Linger 29. Picks 31. Neither’s mate 32. Ruled 34. Mama’s fellow 35. Guy

4. Name the U.S. figure skater who won men’s singles gold medals at the 1948 St. Moritz and 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics and five straight ISU World Championship titles from 1948-52.

5. What businessman and former racecar driver started his own CART team in 1990 with Eddie Cheever as driver and Target as the primary sponsor?

37. Occupies 38. United Kingdom region 39. Air pollution 40. Get sleepy 41. Hang fire 43. Large scarf 45. Corn spike 46. Cain’s mother 47. Dawn moisture

6. According to sportscaster and author Brian McFarlane, what Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman from the 1920s and ‘30s “started a thousand fights and never won one”?

7. What football trick play was famously used© 2022, by the Cornhuskers against the Miami HurCopyright PennyNebraska Press ricanes in the 1984 Orange Bowl and resulted in Huskers offensive lineman Dean Steinkuhler running 34. Dove call 2. Pledge ACROSS for a1.touchdown?

Face shape 35. Section 3. Chimpanzee 5. Tease 37. Doglike 4. Instruction Last Week’s Answers mammal 9. Duo 5. Actor Dean 39. Auction buy 6. A woodwind 12. Line PUZZLE NO. 121 1.

Warner Little Scholars • 2. ANSWER BernardTOHopkins.

40.Pop Composed 13. Adept 7. Ballet ____ 41. Graceful bird 14. Word of 3. Sir Stirling Moss • 4. Roller derby.

8. Stags inquiry 5. The Lingerie 44. Peeved Football 9.League • 6. “Good Fishing.” • 7. Belgium.

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Copyright © 2022, Penny Press

ACROSS 1. Molecule part 5. To’s opposite 8. Wound covering 12. Baby’s father 13. Small boy 14. Record 15. Discontinues 16. Not deserved 18. Tease 20. Hazel and Alice 21. Ranch 24. Evergreen shrubs 25. Removers of weeds 26. Swindle 27. Duet number 30. Pale

31. “The Flying ____” 32. Gather crops 33. Gosh!

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ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 122

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

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PAGE 22 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

BACK IN THE DAY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXI, No. 45 • January 26, 2012

Mabry: Whittier ‘Fait Accompli’ Following Expert Panel Review

Kaine, at Eden Center, Pressed by VietAm Leaders on Aug. 11 Raid

One of the Council members who threatened to block the effort to sell the Whittier site said he might begin to focus on other economic issues after hearing a panel of real estate development experts insist that the current course of action represents close to the “highest and best use” of the Whittier property.

A formidable delegation of respected leaders of the Vietnamese-American community gave former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine an earful about the controversial Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force raid at Falls Church’s Eden Shopping Center last summer.

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SCRUPPERS, a two year old Labradoodle, enjoyed her first time playing in the snow in her backyard. She was apprehensive at first and then loved every minute of it! You can follow Scruppers on Instagram @scuppersthesailordog.

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

I BUMPED INTO DANIELLE outside of Northside Social as she was waiting for a friend the day before our second snowfall.

With kids whose age range spans 6-19, she credits the good school system of Falls Church as one of the reasons she lives in the area. (P����: J. M������ W�����)

JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 | PAGE 23

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Fa l l s C h u r c h Business News & Notes Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Meeting Highlights At the conclusion of the Annual Organizational Meeting, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) began its first regularly scheduled meeting with a 2021 year-in-review. M onica Backmon, CEO, NVTA, and Erica Hawksworth, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, NVTA, presented the 2021 Annual Report, themed “Putting a Stamp on the Future of NoVA.” To review the report, visit https://thenovaauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2021-annual-report-flip/#p=1

Late Payments to Suppliers Increased In a recent Nexus survey of over 200 suppliers who use NexusConnect to send their invoices to clients, more than a quarter suppliers said they ceased doing business with specific buyers because they paid late, and others plan to take action to prevent the recurrence by suspending, terminating services or charging higher late fees. Suppliers to the real estate industry claim more late payments in 2021 than before. Jennifer Coolidge, president of Nexus, offers, “One critical action buyers can take to speed up their payments is using secure electronic payment methods, like virtual card or ACH, and not relying on the mail for delivering paper checks.”

Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do Turns 60 Jhoon Rhee is known as the father of Tae Kwon Do and founded the Falls Church school in 1962.

Since he passed away in 2018, the school thrives under his son, Chun Rhee – the star of the commercial with the line, “Nobody bothers me either.” This year the school celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Happy Endings Hospitality at Founders Row Founders Row is picking up new cuisine for Falls Church, announcing the addition of Happy Endings Hospitality. The group will add three restaurants in the development, each of which has a unique atmosphere. NUE Modern Vietnamese with a full-service concept with French-Vietnamese culinary techniques. Chasin’ Tails Seafood Social is described as “group-friendly,” serving Cajun-influenced seafood feasts, boils, oysters, and cocktails in a lounge atmosphere. The third, Roll Play Viet Street Food, will present quick-serve rolls, pho, and banh mi with the option to customize each order.

Home Trends from the Pandemic Northern Virginia Magazine recently cited new trends resulting from the extended pandemic, and the businesses that cater to them. The trends include more traditional and cozy home décor to keep spirits up, art installations like murals, scooter for transportation and smaller gatherings. The positivity of plants has seen a boost in homes and Botanologica in Falls Church was cited. Owners of the home and garden design shop, Julie Manon and Julie Liu, have observed more customers seeking home plants for the benefits of inner wellness, cleaner air and indoor beauty while staying inside. A surrounding of greenery in winter months is especially welcomed – and warmer weather ahead.

Microsoft, Amazon at IT and Cyber Career Fair The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is hosting the Cyber + IT Career Fair to showcase the tech industry where approximately 7,000 jobs are available in Northern Virginia on January 27.

Microsoft and Amazon are joined by Leidos, General Dynamics and Verisign as well as small to mediumsized businesses including several notable minority, woman and veteran-owned companies. The free event is virtual from 1 — 4 p.m. and registration is available at www.workinnorthernvirginia.com/virtual-career-fairs/.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschcurchchamber.org.

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PAGE 24 | JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022

Dr. Peter Noonan, School Board Chair Laura Downs, Vice-Chair Tate Gould, Kathleen Tysse, David Ortiz, Lori Silverman, Susan Dimock, & Phil Reitinger

Thank you for your excellent leadership in our Falls Church City Schools:

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