See Camp Guide, Pages 9

PAGE 14 | JANUARY 27 - FEBUARY 2, 2022

CAMP GUIDE 2022

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CREATIVE CAULDRON

Creative Cauldron is a non-profit professional theater and educational arts space in Falls Church that brings quality, affordable arts experiences to the Washington, DC area community. Summer camps return in-person with covid-19 precautions in place. Campers will enjoy the engaging and imagination-fueled summer experience they’ve loved for 19 years! Each camp day, children will have the opportunity to work with Creative Cauldron’s seasoned and creative teaching artists in the areas of drama, music, movement, and art. Campers, grouped by age, will explore science, myth, folklore, music, and art and create a final performance to share with family and friends.

Creative Cauldron 410 S. Maple Avenue Falls Church, VA 22046 703.436.9948 Creativecauldron.org

PERFECT POINTE SUMMER DANCE CAMP

LEE HIGHWAY ARLINGTON, VA 22207

perfectpointe.com

SCHOOL OF ROCK VIENNA

111 CENTER STREET SOUTH VIENNA, VA 22180

schoolofrock.com

SYNETIC THEATER

1800 S. BELL STREET ARLINGTON, VA 22202

703.824.8060

synetictheater.org THE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA

600 WOLFE STREET ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314

703.683.5778

thelittletheatre.com

WASHINGTON SAILING MARINA CAMP

1 MARINA DRIVE ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314 703.548.9027

washingtonsailingmarina.com

YMCA CAMP KANATA

13524 CAMP KANATA ROAD WAKE FOREST, NC 27587 919.556.2661

campkanata.org THE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA

At our beautiful Old Town location, now in its 16th year, we offer theater education for campers ages Pre-K through 8th grade, conducted by directors, actors and choreographers for a unique summer fun experience. Our exciting programs include improvisation, learning dance steps fit for musical theater and finding your singing voice.

Little Theatre of Alexandria 600 Wolfe Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-683-5778 thelittletheatre.com

MEDSTAR CAPITALS ICEPLEX

MedStar Capitals Iceplex is a state-of\ the-art facility located atop the Ballston Common Mall Parking Garage in Arlington, Virginia. We are the official home of the NHL Washington Capitals. Our plans for the 2021 Summer Camp options are to provide as much variety as possible, to accommodate all skaters - those campers learning to skate for the first time as well as those who are experienced athletes who need the best training and instructors – we have it all. We have both half day and full day options available. Never fear – we plan to have a lot of fun, whatever your camper decides to do – but we will always be safe, following all CDC guidelines.

MedStar Capitals Iceplex 627 N. Glebe Road, Suite 800 Arlington, VA 22203 571.224.0555 medstarcapitalsiceplex.com

600 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA 22314

Children aged 3 through 8th grade are invited to join us for a memorable summer at our beautiful Old Town theater. Now in its 16th year, LTA is the premier Alexandria location for performing arts summer camps, featuring Acting; Musical Theater; Shakespeare; Improvisation; Playmaking; and a variety of specialty themed camps. Camps are full-day, mornings, afternoons and include an optional extended day program.

For online registration go to: thelittletheatre.com/education

Students aged 5+ must show proof of COVID-19 vaccines in order to participate. A limited number of partial scholarships are made possible through the generosity of The LTA Council.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LOCAL

JANUARY 27 - FEBUARY 2, 2022 | PAGE 15

Meridian H.S.’s ‘Tick, Tick...BOOM!’ Was Awesome

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

It was not easy for the enormously talented Meridian High School senior Sam Mostow to shine as the lead in last weekend’s fabulous Meridian student production of Jonathan Larson’s amazing musical “Tick, Tick…BOOM!”

He was, after all, supposedly channeling the real Jonathan Larson, who wrote the game-changing Broadway musical, “Rent”, dying at age 36 on the eve of its off-Broadway premiere, He was, also, having to reckon with the Golden Globe Award-winning Andrew Garfield’s role in the play’s film version that is still streaming all over Netflix.

It was Mr. Mostow, the in-theflesh local version, who was challenged to come through with his own unique rendering, and he was delightfully successful as the musical’s lead, with he, the rest of the cast, the on-stage band and everyone else involved providing a uniquely memorable and profound experience for the hundreds who attended the brand new high school’s premiere production on its brand new stage last weekend.

A couple points to begin: 1. The theater at the new school facility is indeed first rate, with the stage significantly wider and deeper than at the old now-demolished auditorium, and the lighting far better, and 2. Falls Church in its entirety owes an enormous debt of gratitude to everyone involved in the effort to bring such a tight and effective version of this classic here with its unforgettable message that “love conquers fear” to all striving, underappreciated talents in the rough.

As a long-standing fan of Meridian theater dating back 30 years (29 of them coming under the high school’s old name), this writer notwithstanding his oft-challenging tendency to go overboard with the most recent good thing he’s seen has to rate this show one of a handful of the best he’s ever seen on our local stage. It is right up there with that production of “Les Mis” starring the unforgettable late Samuel Waters in our book.

If you saw this production, then you really don’t need to see the Andrew Garfield movie version on Netflix, but you’d probably want to. The show is acutely autobiographical written by Larson about Larson, the real person, and at the risk of violating “spoiler alert” norms, video clips of him and his best friend, undoubtedly filmed by his loving family or friends, performing in White Plains high school plays accompany the closing credits in the film, giving the viewer an even more sensual connection to Larson, his play and the way in which this Meridian production fully embodies the fabric of the musical.

Larson wrote “Tick, Tick… BOOM” as his first successful play prior to writing “Rent,” which embodied some of its elements and came next.

It was real for Larson who was suffering the angst of turning age 30, and still an unknown, in 1990 as the musical’s backdrop.

All the Meridian students in the play undoubtedly think of age 30 as something far off, not aware of how soon it will break upon them all, with its highly judgmental context (that is, if you’re not incredibly famous by then).

But we love everything about this production, not only Mostow but the two other leaders, Emma Hart and Matthew Bloss-Baum, the three being the only participants not masked during its entirety.

Kudos to instructors Shawn Northrip and Mary Jo West, as director and musician conductor, respectively, as well as Jamie Sample and Janine Baumgardner, and then

MERIDIAN HIGH’S FIRST student musical production in the school’s new building, “Tick, Tick...BOOM!,” was met with standing ovations last weekend. (News-Press photo)

each and every one of the students involved, among the other leads in the show being Diwata Penaranda, Drew Miller, Gwen Crowder-Smith, Phi Osechger and Ciara Theisz.

Accompanying them was the supporting actor ensemble of Amalia Alexander, Britannia Duerden, Edith Jagerskog, Eudora Neal, Greta Herman, Isabel Pierce, Josh Ferguson, Madeline Aldana, Paxton Hebblethwaite and Sean Lewin. The band included Bobby Puentes, Caswell Loo, Jaden Shin, Kaethen Virmani, Wesley Crawford. Student production leads included Stage Manager Savannah Walker, and costume and prop designers Adin Smith and Lauren Gale Lobaton. We can hope that by the time of the school’s next production, we’ll be able to see all those smiling faces that were hidden behind masks this time.

Mustang Boys Varsity Fall to Skyline, But JVs Win in Last Second

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

The Meridian High School Mustangs boys basketball team fought valiantly before losing 68-60 to Skyline High at the Mustang gym Tuesday night, but that was the case for the Varsity.

Before that, the Junior Varsity Mustangs provided the evening’s most thrilling moments when two clutch free throws by Daylen Martino with literally one second on the clock brought Meridian a 44-43 win.

In the varsity game that followed, the Mustangs fell behind early, 14-4, but rallied on the threepoint shooting of Duncan Miller to take a 31-27 halftime lead. A bruising second half, with junior center Wyatt Trundle leading the way for his team, saw Skyline gradually retake the lead and win going away.

MERIDIAN CENTER Wyatt Trundle aims a jump shot in late action at Tuesday’s Meridian loss to Skyline. (News-Press photo)

Mustang Swim Team Making A Splash in the Pool

By Leah Kirk

The Meridian High School Swim and Dive Team has continued to make a splash in the region as they enter their 3rd year in VHSL Class 3A competition. This season, the 50-member co-ed team has participated in more geographically local meets, including many 6A teams such as Yorktown High School, McLean High School, among others. It has been a challenge competing against teams in much larger divisions, but the Mustangs have risen to the occasion and continue to impress in both Swimming and Diving events. Mustangs are undefeated in Conference Meets and 7-2 in Overall.

Mustang Swimmers have their eye on Regionals and States, having already qualified for State’s with Boy’s 200 Medley and 400 Free Relays, as well as Individual State Qualifiers, Benjamin McCracken (Junior) in 50 and 100 Free and 100 Fly, Carson Ruoff (Junior) in 50 and 100 Free and 100 Back, and Wesley Sturgill (Junior) in 100 Back. These qualifications allow the team to enter these relays and the individuals to compete at the State Swim Meet later in February, bypassing the need to place at the Regional Meet.

Having local meets has also presented an opportunity to the Mustang Divers as well, allowing them to participate in regular season diving meets for the first time. In the past, the divers would have 1-2 Meets in the regular season to prepare for Regional and State Meets. For the first time the team has 6 Divers, 4 Females and 2 Males, who will compete at the Region 3B Dive Meet on February 4th at Colgan High School.

The Mustangs will close out their Regular Season this Friday, January 28, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. for their Senior Night Tri-Meet vs Manassas Park and James Wood at Manassas Park Community Pool before Regionals the following week.

MERIDIAN SWIMMERS race during a meet. (photo: Leah Kirk)

PAGE 16 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CUATES, one of Falls Church’s newest restaurants, features a menu full of Mexican-style favorites. Pictured on the left is a plate of steaming hot grilled chicken fajitas served with sautéed Spanish onions, green peppers, celery, tomatoes, Mexican rice, refried beans, sour cream, pico de gallo and fresh flour tortillas. Have a sweet tooth? Pictured on the right are sopaipillas, a fried puff pastry dessert with cinnamon and honey. (Photo: Patricia Leslie)

Cuates Grill Now Serving Mexican Meals in the Little City

by Patricia Leslie

Come inside the bright and happy new Mexican-style restaurant at the corner of Broad and North Lee and take a brief trip anywhere south, south of here to enjoy warmer climes and sunny skies and escape the cold and blustery winter to enjoy a delicious meal at Cuates Grill.

Streams of colored lights sparkle and dangle from the ceiling amidst yellow, blue, and orange walls, some glass walls to admit the outdoors and brighten the surroundings.

Co-owner Luis Merchan told me he designed the Cuates interior, which he refreshes with finds from trips he makes, like the sombreros hanging on the wall. His menu matches the decor.

The large and varied choices of Mexican-style food range from spinach enchiladas ($11.95) to a seafood broth of shrimp, scallops, salmon, squid and clams (“Cazuela de Mariscos,” $16.95 or $25.95) to tortilla soup ($10.95) with all the staples and more one might expect at a Mexican restaurant, including “street tacos” ($2.95 and up).

The crispy and crackly chips and salsa which come with every meal are hard to resist. Before my entree arrives, I always try to refrain from consuming too many of them which are made onsite, Merchan said, but these, I gobbled up.

When it comes to Mexican food, I am such a bore, always ordering my fav, shredded chicken enchiladas with rice and beans, usually carrying one enchilada home, but not at Cuates. I cleaned my plate ($14.95).

My friend, Jessie, usually orders the same thing, too, chicken fajitas ($18.95), which, at Cuates, she found “delicious.” They were grilled and served atop onions, green peppers, celery and tomatoes, with Mexican rice, refried beans, sour cream and flour tortillas whose supply was gladly replenished when Jessie requested more.

How she found room for the tasty sopaipillas for dessert confounded me who (surprise!) found room to help her out. Sopaipillas are fried puff pastries sloshing in honey and cinnamon ($6.95), the taste as good as the description.

On another visit, I ordered the Fiesta Quinoa salad ($12.95) and, following health experts who rave about the benefits of eating salmon, added a serving (+$4) which was scrumptious with corn and tomato bites, baby spinach leaves, avocado and more. That healthy meal made me feel good enough mentally to eat more sopaipillas, but I held back. Sigh.

Meanwhile, Merchan took time from his busy life at Cuates to chat with me and tell me that the word “cuates’’ means more than “amigos.” Cuates is a closer friendship which he and coowner Sergio Kehl have shared for decades, strengthened by opening their first restaurant in Georgetown in 2008, and then Alexandria in 2014.

Merchan earned his restaurant stripes working for the food trade in his homeland, Ecuador, before coming to the U.S. and working two years for the Embassy of Ecuador. Along the way at another restaurant, he met Kehl.

Oh, yeah, they had a tough time with Covid: “What was I going to do?” Merchan recalls: “It was our lives! I have one opportunity in this world. Why should I run? I needed to keep open, follow the regulations, the cleaning, the safety. I decided to do my best” which he did. With just one employee to work in the kitchen maybe, Alexandria could stay open for deliveries. Gradually, the business came back and when the owners needed outdoor seating, Alexandria granted the permit in two days.

In Georgetown, without a permit they put tables outside in an alley, and Georgetown gave them a permit immediately.

It took only 40 days to open the Georgetown restaurant; he started on Cuates in Falls Church 11 months ago and still, no liquor permit. “Falls Church needs to be pro-business,” Merchan said, reluctant to speak ill of his new city government. “We can work together, to grow as a community.”

His reasons for coming to the Little City echo those heard ‘round the town: “We’ve always loved Falls Church. We’ve looked at McLean, too, but we got lucky and found this spot [the former location of the Locker Room]. We like the neighborhood, the traffic, its closeness to other businesses.”

Once Cuates secures its liquor permit (waiting more than a month since application was submitted before Christmas) there’s no doubt its intimate bar will become a popular watering hole for local yokels. Then, beer, margarita and other alcoholic beverage sales will boost revenues about 30 percent and put the new Cuates location on track to success, like its older restaurants.

The restaurant has a “loyalty program” for customers to earn points and redeem for later discounts. Park onsite or on the street.

Cuates Grill, 502 West Broad St. #5, Falls Church 20046. (703) 259-4846 Sunday — Thursday 11:30 am — 11pm, Saturday, 11:30 am — 12 am. Info@cuatesgrill.com. www. cuatesgrillmenu.com Park at the center or on the street.

• This article is part of the “Restaurant Spotlight” series, which will feature one local restaurant and its menu each month. To suggest that your restaurant be covered, contact Amanda Snead, News Editor at asnead@fcnp.com

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Falls Church School News & Notes

LOCAL

JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | PAGE 17

Students Selected for Youth Advisory Board

Merdian students, Yousra Elzamzami (12th grade) and Preston Lieu (9th grade) have been selected to serve on the Harvard Youth Advisory Board this school year. They are two of only 34 students to serve on the committee in the nation. The committee will address some of the most challenging issues students face today and participate in a year-long project to cultivate a caring culture at Meridian High School and communities.

Essay/Speaking Contest for Students

The Virginia School Boards Association is holding a personal essay/speaking contest where the finalists will have an opportunity to present before an audience of more than 300 school board members and administrators at the 2022 VSBA Conference on Education held at the Richmond Delta Marriott on July 19, 2022. This year’s topic is Food Security. This year, the top 3 finalists will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Submissions are open to all Virginia public high school students (grades 9-12) and are an excellent opportunity to share their unique voices and compete for funds to further their education. More details can be found at surveymonkey. com/r/StudentEssay2022 or in Monday’s edition of the Morning Announcements.

OSE Students Coding with Girls Who Code

Oak Street Elementary students participate in the national program Girls Who Code. This organization’s goal is to close the gender gap in technology. Approximately 20 elementary girls work with 10 Meridian high school mentors each week. They create games either in Scratch or Python in their virtual meetings, introducing them to basic coding concepts. These brave risktakers are building a sisterhood at FCCPS and will be prepared to make an impact in the future.

Practice ACT Exam This Saturday

The Meridian PTSA hosts a practice ACT exam on Jan 29, 2022. This is a great way to determine if the ACT is a good fit for your student compared to the SAT. The exam will be in-person at MHS to simulate the test environment better, but it may switch to virtual if needed due to Covid (or snow). The cost is $25, and financial assistance is offered.

Middle School GIVE Day Club — Coin Wars

GIVE Day is Monday, January 31. The Middle School is hosting Coin Wars through Fri, Jan 28. Here’s how Coin Wars works: Each grade will have a water cooler bottle located in the cafeteria. Students can add their loose change to their grade’s bottle during lunch. The grade that raises the most money wins a prize for the entire grade. And there’s a catch: a student can drop a bill into another grade’s bottle. The total of all the bills will be subtracted from that grade’s collection. Gather up that loose change and use it to make a change.

Black History Month Essay Contest

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 that 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 on the contest as well as rules and regulations, please visit nba.com/wizards/blackhistory.

IN THE MOUNT DANIEL LIBRARY, Mr. Shane Spindle has shared many past winners and honors of the American Library Association’s Caldecott Medal with the students with a unique display.

(Photo: Fccps)

Information Night for Rising 9th Graders

The Meridian HS counseling department would like to remind families they will be hosting (virtually via Zoom) the rising 9th Grade Parent Information Night on January 27th at 7 p.m.

The following morning the high school counselors will be hosting a morning coffee virtual meeting for rising 9th-grade families on January 28th at 8:30 a.m. (virtually via zoom to answer any questions about high school for incoming freshmen).

Families will receive a link to the virtual sessions from the Meridian student service office on Thursday by noon. For more information regarding Rising 9th Grade, 10th, 11th, and 12thgrade registration for the 22-23 school year, please visit the Meridian High School webpage at the following link: mhs.fccps. org/o/mhs/page/course-selection-2022-2023. All videos, presentations, and important dates are posted for families.

Additional Info Nights Coming Soon: 2/1 at 6 p.m. — Rising 7th & 8th Grade Parent Information Night (virtual via Zoom) 2/2 at 7 p.m. — IB Parent Information Night (virtual via Zoom)

Cheer Team Send-Off On Wednesday

The Meridian High School cheer team qualified for the first time in school history for the UCA National Gameday Competition taking place February 11 in Orlando, Florida. They will be hosting a send-off and fundraiser at Audacious Aleworks on Wednesday, February 2 from 4 — 9 p.m. This event will help them fund their trip and all proceeds will directly benefit the MHS cheer program. Donations can be made via Venmo @MerdianCheer.

School Board Chairs Host “Office Hours”

FCCPS School Board Chair Laura Downs and Vice-Chair Tate Gould will be holding “office hours” at Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington Street) on Wednesday, February 2 from 6—8 p.m. Residents may drop by (no registration required) to ask questions and offer feedback in a casual environment. As this will not be a private setting, community members who prefer to have a private exchange with the School Board can locate members’ email addresses on their website: https://www.fccps.org/ page/school-board

Coach Awarded Asst. Coach of the Year

Meridian High School’s assistant soccer coach, Nathan Greiner, was honored by the United Soccer Coaches, along with the Coaches of the year for colleges, high schools and Hall of Fame members. The award was presented by the outgoing CEO of the organization Lynn Berling-Manuel at the USC Annual Coaches Awards Banquet (in Kansas City, MO). Nathan was honored at the coach’s breakfast earlier that morning, along with all of the regional award winners for high school coaches. They announced that he is being honored for his longtime service and helped lead Meridian HS to a 15—0—1 record and eleventh state championship.

United Soccer Coaches is the largest coach-driven and coachbased organization for any sport globally. The 80-year-old organization comprises 30,000 members/coaches. They advocate for coaches and the sport in general.