January 28 – February 3, 2021
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 • V OL. X XX NO. 50
T�� C��� �� F���� C�����’� I����������, L������ O���� N�������� �� R�����, S������ N. V�������
F.C. Council Unanimously Backs Downtown Project Site 6-0 Vote for Whole Foods Project Provides Landmark Moment for Process That Started 6 Years Ago
BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
Six years in the making, a major mixed use development project at the City of Falls Church’s central intersection of Washington and Broad Streets (Rts. 29 and 7) to feature a
massive 50,000-square foot new Whole Foods grocery was approved unanimously by the F.C. City Council Monday night. The 6-0 vote included its major critic, Councilman David Snyder, and a recusal by Councilman Ross Litkenhous to avoid conflict of interest
issues since his employer currently works with the project’s lead developer Insight Property Group. It marked the final hurdle to the Insight’s long-suffering and arduous pilgrimage to get a huge redevelopment of the 3.18 acres underway at last. The noisiest online bells and
whistles first arose from advocates of the City’s brilliant nonprofit Creative Cauldron Theatre troupe, which celebrated the now assured new home it will occupy in the new project, one of the developer proffers that will include a subsidized longterm 5,000 square foot home for
the group right on the major E. Broad (Rt. 7) thoroughfare. A provision of the plan also included the addition to the Insight property of a .47 acre City owned parking lot whose sale for $1.4 million the Council
Continued on Page 5
Broadening Vaccine Distribution Hits Snags Throughout Region BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
As the Phase 1a population begins to wrap up their Covid-19 vaccinations, the move to the more broadly defined Phase 1b comes at a time where the supply is pinched and leaders are looking into new solutions. Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads is one of the local senior living communities that is in the process of vaccinating its residents. Karen Doyle, Goodwin House’s associate executive director who’s responsible for the facility’s clinical services, told the News-Press that its residents will have no problem receiving the vaccine. Judging by the interest at the facility, Doyle said that 98 percent of the residents at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads will receive their vaccine, with about 80 percent of staff receiving the vaccine as well. In absolute numbers, Goodwin
House had 331 doses of the Pfizer vaccine allocated at the end of the December for their first clinic. Doyle said that for its clinic on Jan. 20, Goodwin House received 330 doses and for its event the following day, they received 301 doses. All vaccines were delivered to Goodwin House through its enrollment in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After prioritizing its first wave of doses to skilled nursing residents and the staff that worked with them, it has now set up mass vaccination events. Last week, residents in assisted living and residential living and other staffers could come to the event and receive their first dose. Once the second dose is delivered in mid-February, and the immunity takes hold over the course of the following weeks, Doyle said they plan to look into reopening the facility
Continued on Page 4
JANE KARPICK, a retired nurse and relatively new resident at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a health event the senior living facility hosted last week for its assisted living and residential living members. (P����: N���-P����)
I����� T��� W��� C������� B������’� E�������� P������ S����� A����
O�� M�� �� A��������: L���� NAACP M��������� B�������
The coronavirus pandemic has been a hidden blessing for the timeline of Columbia Baptist Church’s extensive project to add a new spire and addition to the church. It was supposed to be completed by the end of 2022, it’s looking to be finished in the first half of next year
The NAACP was founded in 1909 by a multiracial coalition of Blacks, Jews, and other whites, I’m reminded by Julius “J.D.” Spain Sr., president of the Arlington branch, that over the past year the organization has exploded in visibility.
SEE STORY, PAGE 2
SEE COMMENTARY, PAGE 17
2021 F.C. A��� C��� G���� I����� T��� W���’� E������ Looking for something to do this summer? The 2021 Falls Church Area Camp Guide gives families a chance to sign up their children for recreational, academic or performing arts camps. SEE CAMP GUIDE, PAGE 10-11
INDEX
Editorial............................................... 6 Letters................................................. 6 News & Notes..................................... 8 Comment ................................ 7,12,13 Crime Report .................................... 12 Calendar ........................................... 14 Classified Ads ................................... 16 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword ......... 17 Critter Corner.................................... 18 Business News ................................. 19
PAGE 2 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2020
LO CA L
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A LOOK BEHIND & A LOOK AHEAD. Mathew Brady is photographed by the original church building in 1857 (left) while the planned improvements are shown in a rendering (right) once the project is completed in the first half of next year. (Photos: Courtesy Columbia Baptist Church)
Pandemic Provides Boost to Columbia Baptist’s Expansion Project by Mark Dreisonstok
Falls Church News-Press
The coronavirus pandemic has been a hidden blessing for the timeline of Columbia Baptist Church’s extensive project to add a new spire and addition to the church. While it was supposed to be completed toward the end of 2022, the new building and renovation should be ready for occupation in the first half of next year. Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church is a unique church with a unique history. Columbia was founded in 1856 by seven abolitionists who sought to start a new church in Falls Church. The first building was built in 1857, right next to the original chapel of Falls Church Episcopal. A historical marker on West Broad Street marks the location of its first building, which can be seen in Mathew Brady’s photo-
graph taken during the Civil War (in which the legendary photographer Mathew Brady is pictured, for his assistant actually took the picture). One of the Church’s first pastors, John Read, was killed in 1864 by Mosby’s Rangers as a Union sympathizer. In 1909, a new building was erected at its current location on the corner of Columbia and North Washington. Over the next 110 years, the church has added and subtracted from these buildings as the needs of the community changed. Now, with the new expansion underway, the Church begins its next steps in its 165-year journey with the community of Falls Church. Fewer activities at the church due to Covid-19’s presence in our lives have, in its own weird way, put the expansions well ahead of schedule. The need to expand the church arose out of practical reasons as much as anything. “The main purpose for the
expansion is to increase our worship space. Our current sanctuary officially holds approximately 600 people, but ‘feels’ full around 400 attendees,” Brett Flanders, the executive director of the church, told the News-Press. “Because of this, we have multiple services to accommodate all of our worshippers, and to leave space for visitors. The new sanctuary will give us desperately needed room.” In addition to space, the current sanctuary was designed in the late 1940s and built over several years in the 1950s. Needless to say, worship needs have dramatically changed over the past 70 years. For example, the original shape and dimensions of the current sanctuary were designed for the un-amplified spoken word. Newer amplification techniques for speakers, singers and instrumentalists makes providing an optimal sound mix difficult. Controlled lighting is also a major challenge.
Along with that, space and access is at a premium in the existing sanctuary. For example, everything needed for a service (musical instruments, music stands, decorations and musicians themselves) must be brought to the pulpit area through a narrow hallway. This presents another challenge, especially given multiple services with little time between services. The concrete block construction renders upgrades to accommodate these changes difficult to achieve. “In our current space, our foyer area is very small, and can only be accessed through two sets of narrow double doors, which creates bottlenecks, not only on Sunday, but also during our many weekday activities,” Flanders said. “In addition to being a bottleneck, this foyer space is not large enough for people to stop and talk to each other. Architects often refer to this type of space as ‘third space,’ referring to a community space. Our expan-
sion contains a much larger foyer space with large windows, seating groups, and a coffee shop that will provide a space for people to just sit, meet, work, talk, and be a community. We envision this space not being just for church members and visitors, but also open the greater Falls Church community.” Samantha Wright, who heads up communications for the church, spoke of plays and musical offerings as some of the gifts which Columbia Baptist provides for the community beyond the immediate church membership. The changes, of course, will affect the traditional appearance of the church for passersby, as the current steeple is being removed in favor of one directly over the new front door, which will help identify clearly the front door to the community. Columbia Baptist’s new, visible look is part of the natural growth of the church and the City of Falls Church itself.
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 3
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
We are OPEN and ready to safely serve your dental needs! Currently accepting new patients
IT’S TIME TO LOVE YOUR KITCHEN AGAIN
Weather is Cold ~ Market is STILL HOT! For Sale
Just Sold le Multip Offers!
Just Listed!
50% OFF INSTALLATION* *Limit one offer per household. Must purchase 5+ Classic/ Designer Shelves.
EXP 3/31/21
105 W George Mason Road, FCC
601 Timber Lane, Falls Church City
Adorable 3 bd/3 bath cape with detached 2 car garage and huge private back yard! Hardwood floors, updates galore on three levels. Don’t miss this one! Offered at $850,000
2021 Housing Predictions Point your cell phone camera here!
®
Schedule Your FREE Design Consultation Now:
(855) 784-2590
Hours: Mon - Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 10am - 4pm EST
Spacious & charming 4 bd/3.5 bath w/ family room & main bedroom suite addition. Relax on the incredible back porch overlooking private lot w/ established plantings. One car garage and moments to Metro and downtown Falls Church. Offered at $950,000
Considering a move to Williamsburg or a Beach House in Delaware?
Now serving these areas & winter is the BEST time to find a good deal!
Louise Molton
Broker/Owner Phone: 703 244-1992 louise@moltonrealestate.com
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
710 W Broad St Falls Church, VA 22046 703-596-5303 EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
®
REALTOR
PAGE 4 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
LO CA L
One Local Senior Living Community Has 98% of Residents & 80% Staff Vaccinated
Continued from Page 1
after that. “Initially, we’re going to open very slowly,” Doyle said. “There are also new strain[s] of the coronavirus out there, so we want to be very cautious, but we are looking toward the end of February [to] beginning of March to start to change how we do things.” Ron and Jane Karpick are two residents who received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Ron, a retired pulmonologist, and Jane, a retired nurse, had been on the waiting list to get into Goodwin House for the past five years so they could leave their Lake Barcroft residence behind. As luck would have it, their spot opened up this past August, but the couple had been volunteering at the Bailey’s Crossroads facility for a long time and were comfortable with the decision to move in. Both will receive their second dose on Feb. 10, and despite some quibbles with the rollout generally, the couple is grateful for the chance to be innoculated.
“They don’t prevent infection or stop people from potentially spreading disease, but that’s better than we were before the vaccine, because as you know, people with virus symptoms can transmit the disease so much more easily,” Ron said. Attempting to get the vaccine for Phase 1b populations has been a struggle already, and that’s made worse by the news that incoming Covid-19 vaccines allocated to the Fairfax Health District have fallen from 40,000 per week down to 13,000. Grocery store workers, who’ve been on the frontline of this pandemic as much as anybody, still haven’t received their doses. “Giant Food has not received any allocations from any of the jurisdictional Virginia Department’s of Health,” Daniel Wolk, a spokesman for Giant Food, told the News-Press. “Currently Giant is working with the Washington D.C. Department of Health and Maryland Department of Health to distribute the vaccine in those regions based on their guidance.”
A spokeswoman for Albertsons, the parent company of Safeway, said they “are working very closely with federal and state partners to help administer the vaccine in accordance with the guidelines set by local health jurisdictions” and that Albertsons “will offer the vaccine free of charge to our associates when it becomes available to them according to their local distribution schedule.” Distributing the vaccine has become the focus for national politicians from the Northern Virginia area. A news release said that U.S. Representatives Don Beyer, Gerald Connolly and Jennifer Wexton, all Democrats who represent parts of the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria as well as the counties of Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William, wrote to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to request a community vaccination site for Northern Virginia. According to the representatives, the Biden Administration’s plan to get Covid-19 under control includes
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
a proposal for 100 community mass vaccination sites across the country. “Northern Virginia already has the capacity. Our localities are eager and ready, and they have the capability to vaccinate thousands more people than they currently have vaccine supply for,” the representatives wrote, per the release. “For example, Arlington County is receiving roughly 2,700 doses per week but has the capacity to do at least 1,000 per day. Staffing is not the limiting factor,
supply is.” They noted that the City of Alexandria has a vaccine waiting list of over 25,000 people looking to be vaccinated, while nearby Fairfax County has a waiting list of over 100,000 people. The representatives said that a recent survey conducted by Carnegie Mellon University’s Delphi Lab through Facebook found that Northern Virginia has the highest demand for vaccines in the country.
Status Update on Monday, January 25 City of Falls Church Date
Cases Hospitalizations
Monday, January 25, 2021 Thursday, January 21, 2021 Monday, January 18, 2021 Thursday, January 14, 2021 Monday, January 11, 2021 Thursday, January 7, 2021 Wednesday, December 30 Monday, December 28 Wednesday, December 23 Monday, December 21 Thursday, December 17 Monday, December 14 Thursday, December 10 Monday, December 7 Thursday, December 3 Monday, November 30 Wednesday, November 25 Monday, November 23
274 247 246 211 208 197 174 170 159 153 146 142 134 122 112 103 97 90
18 18 18 18 18 18 17 16 16 16 16 16 16 15 15 14 14 14
Deaths # Cases per 100,000 People 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6* 7 7
1,854.9 1,672.1 1,665.3 1,428.4 1,408.1 1,333.6 1,177.9 1,150.8 1,076.4 1,035.7 988.4 961.3 907.1 825.9 758.2 697.3 656.2 609.3
*NOTE: This data point decreased as the Virginia Department of Health found that the individuals lived in the Fairfax County part of Falls Church, not the City of Falls Church.
Blazing Fast Internet! ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY
19.99
$
/mo.
where available
2-YEAR TV PRICE
America’s Top 120 Package
GUARANTEE
MO.
for 12 Mos.
190 CHANNELS Including Local Channels!
“All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.
FREE
VOICE REMOTE
The DISH Voice Remote with the Google Assistant requires internet-connected Hopper, Joey, or Wally device. Customer must press Voice Remote button to activate feature.
CALL TODAY!
FREE
SMART HD DVR INCLUDED
* Requires eAutopay discount and includes Hopper Duo DVR ($5 discount for 24 months) or Wally/211
Plus ... Switch to DISH and GET A FREE $100 GIFT CARD
1-844-648-8812 Call 7 days a week 8am - 11pm EST
FREE
STREAMING ON ALL YOUR DEVICES
Promo Code: DISH100
Se Habla Español
Terms an Offer for new and qualifying former customers only. Important Terms and Conditions: d conditio ns apply. Call for de Qualification: Advertised price requires credit qualification and 24-month commitment. Upfront activation and/or receiver upgrade fees may apply based on credit qualification. Offer ends 1/31/21. 2-Year Commitment: Early termination fee of $20/mo. remaining applies if you cancel early. Included in 2-year tails. price guarantee at $59.99 advertised price: America's Top 120 programming package, local channels, HD service fees, and Hopper Duo Smart DVR for 1 TV. Included in 2-year price guarantee for additional cost: Programming package upgrades ($74.99 for AT120+, $84.99 for AT200, $94.99 for AT250), monthly fees for upgraded or additional receivers ($5-$7 per additional TV, receivers with additional functionality may be $10-$15). Regional Sports: RSN Surcharge up to $3/mo. applies to AT120+ and higher packages and varies based on location. NOT included in 2-year price guarantee or advertised price (and subject to change): Taxes & surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), DISH Protect, and transactional fees. Premium Channels: 3 Mos. Free: After 3 mos., you will be billed $30/mo. for Showtime, Starz, and DISH Movie Pack unless you call or go online to cancel. Remote: The DISH Voice Remote with the Google Assistant requires internetconnected Hopper, Joey, or Wally device. Customer must press Voice Remote button to activate feature. The Google Assistant Smart Home features require Google account and compatible devices. Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Other: All packages, programming, features, and functionality and all prices and fees not included in price lock are subject to change without notice. After 6 mos., if selected, you will be billed $9.99/mo. for DISH Protect Silver unless you call to cancel. After 2 years, then-current everyday prices for all services apply. For business customers, additional monthly fees may apply. Free standard professional installation only. * DISH Network received the highest score in the Nation in the J. D. Power 2018-2019 U. S. Residential Provider Satisfaction Studies of customers satisfaction with their current television provider. Visit jdpower.com/awards. All new customers are subject to a one-time processing fee. Gift Card terms and conditions apply, call for full details.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 5
Downtown Project Gets Preliminary OK for 10% of Units as Affordable
Continued from Page 1
also approved unanimously Monday. Now the plan is projected to add a whopping $2.3 million per year into the City’s coffers. In addition to providing a new standard of affordable housing — including setting up to 10 percent of its residential units as “affordable” in arrangements to be decided later next month — the plan also includes a novel grassy plaza right at the City’s central intersection, which will be called the “Unity and Justice Plaza” with public outdoor seating and educational signage on the City’s struggle for civil rights and inclusion. After the overall project had first won approval in 2016, it had to undergo major changes, removing its Class A office space component, when one of the original partners, Todd Hitt, was arrested and convicted of investor fraud in 2018. When it came back under Insight’s direction a year ago without the commercial office space component, it was received with consider-
AN OVERLAY of the Broad & Washington project site shows what will become of the threeplus acres of land used for the development. (P����: C������� D������ D����� � I������ S������, I��.) able skepticism and a flurry of negative reactions from neighbors to the site, But the developers persisted in their efforts to address the concerns one by one, and a
major breakthrough came in the fall when they’d won the support of two key neighbors, the Clare and Don’s Beach Shack and Thompson Italian Cafe. Prior to that support, both busi-
nesses were major opponents to the project because of the impact on their restaurants’ parking. That changed everything, as the Insight people bent over backwards to guarantee a mini-
mal period, as little as three months, when the parking lot it acquired would be out of commission for those users and adjacent alternative parking was arranged for. Even though they did not come to a formal agreement on the parking with the adjacent State Theater as of this week’s vote (the State’s Tom Carter submitting a letter to this effect at Monday’s meeting), they affirmed their commitment to continue negotiating. They also made peace with the residences on Lawton Street behind the project, eventually lopping an entire story off their building at the Lawton end of the project and providing multiple other amenities. The major new development the Council OK’d this week was the provision for providing up to 10 percent of the project’s residential units to be designated as “affordable.” This groundbreaking new achievement, a first for the City, will not be finalized until later next month, when the Council will tackle a resolution
Continued on Page 18
$119/MO
24�MONTHS�/�12K�MILES *Stock�#8442C.�MSRP�$20,320�with�$0�due�at� signing�plus,�tax,�title,�acquisition,�destination� fee�and�dealer�processing�fee�of�$799.�On� approved�credit�only.�No�Security�Deposit� required.�Expires�1/31/21.
PAGE 6 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
One of the Nation’s Foremost Weekly Newspapers
(Published by Benton Communications, Inc.)
FOUNDED IN 1991
Vol. XXX, No. 50 January 28 – February 3, 2021 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association •
N������� F. B����� O���� � E�����-I�-C���� �������������.���
N��� G��� A���������� S������� A������������ ����������.���
M��� D������ N��� E�����
�������������.���
M������ M���� A������� � O��������� �����������.���
C������ C����, T�� W������ C��������� T�� W���� C��� E����� J���� I����� C���������� M������ �������������.���
T� C������ ��� N���-P���� �����: 703-532-3267 ���: 703-342-0347 �����: ���������.��� ������� ����������� ��������.��� ���������� ��� �������������.��� ������� �� ��� ������ ������������.��� ������������� ������������ � �������� �������������.���
WWW.FCNP.COM The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area. Offices are at 105 N. Virginia Ave.., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2020 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper.
E��������
E D I TO R I A L
Haven’t Seen Anything Yet
If you thought the City of Falls Church has undergone some extraordinary development in the last 20 years, you are right. Since 2001, we’ve added the brand new large scale mixed use projects, The Broadway, The Byron, The Spectrum, Northgate, Pearson Square, the 301 West Broad, the Lincoln at Tinner Hill, and the Kensington and the nearing-completion Founder’s Row, all in our modest 2.1 square miles. Then there has been the new Hilton Garden Inn, the new Flower office building, major renovations and expansions to City Hall, the Mary Riley Styles public library, two elementary schools and brand new middle and high schools. All this since the Sept. 10, 2001 late night City Council approval of The Broadway that kicked it all off (the local Chamber of Commerce met early the next morning to celebrate the vote, attended by Mayor Dan Gardner. They were interrupted by news of the 911 attacks and concern for the mayor, who’d left early for his day job at the Pentagon, who turned out to be OK). If you moved to Falls Church since 2001, you can’t fully appreciate what the Little City was like before all this started. There was still a large grassy field and busted up asphalt lot on W. Broad Street, two abandoned gas stations and a vacant art supply building, two grizzled but beloved old grease monkey auto repair stations, lonely rickety Red Lobster and Burger King restaurants swimming amidst gigantic parking lots, and more. For a decade before, the renovation of an abandoned Exxon station to become a Taco Bell was the biggest thing that happened, made controversial by locals who insisted it would bring crime. “Taco Wars” was the famous headline in the News-Press in the summer of 1993. The population of the City then, shortly after the News-Press arrived, was 9,100. It is now 16,300. But absorbing all this change, to repeat ourselves, if you think a lot has happened over this time span, we can say with confidence that “you haven’t seen anything yet!” No, we truly haven’t seen anything yet, and it is Monday’s final if delayed approval of the epoch-altering Insight Property Group’s Broad and Washington project, centered around a mega-Whole Foods, that prompts this exclamation. It will transform downtown Falls Church just as the famous case of the Whole Foods on 14th Streets NW in D.C. led to the total transformation of that corridor a decade or so ago. The same formula will apply. It is ripe and timely for application to Northern Virginia. It comes as Atlantic Realty is now ready to develop at the same intersection, as the massive West End Gateway partners prepare the huge development that will be joined with Virginia Tech and Metro lands for 43 combined total acres by the West Falls Church Metro, the Beyer Automotive land development, the Rite Aid land development across from Founder’s Row, with its movie theatres, and others still in the works.
L������
Creative Cauldron Finally Has Its New Home Locked In Editor, After a tumultuous six-year journey, Creative Cauldron will have a new home, thanks to the hard work and tenacity of Insight Property Group and the City to bring the best possible project to the Broad and Washington Crossroads. This may not be the project of the dreams of the nineties, but it may well be the project for
the times. Its elements address three important human needs: shelter, food, and community. It will provide housing for many, including significant contributions to our affordable housing stock. It will provide a top tier grocer easily accessible to the citizens. And it will provide inspiration for the soul and imagination as it celebrates the arts with a new home for Creative Cauldron and a
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
P������� 1. Keep the news clean and fair.
2. Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy. 3. Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment. 4. Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe. 5. Accept no charity and ask no favors.
6. Give “value received” for every dollar you take in. 7. Make the paper show profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.
ADVERTISE IN THE
The News-Press is delivered to every household and many businesses in the City of Falls Church (22046), and to many homes and businesses (but not all) in the adjacent 22041, 22042, 22043, 22044 and 22205 zip codes. Its total circulation of 10,000 per issue is greater than any other newspaper in the distribution area, including dailies. For complete advertising information, call us or check out our web site.
Call 532-3267 x2274 or visit www.FCNP.com
All original and some syndicated content is accessible via the Falls Church News-Press online site, www.FCNP.com. FCNP.com also includes photos, stories, ads and more not appearing in the print edition.
For information on online advertising, please contact Nick Gatz at 703-532-3267 or ngatz@fcnp.com. ONLINE
public plaza envisioned by Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation dedicated to the pioneers in the City’s quest for equality and civil rights. The addition of live/work units addresses the shifting landscape of the workplace and positions the City well as things evolve. The added tax revenue will allow the City more flexibility to address its priorities. As was mentioned at the Monday meeting, Insight Property Group has proffered the most extensive package of community benefits of any project to date. Thank you to all our friends and supporters who never gave up
on the future of Creative Cauldron. And thank you to Insight Property Group and the City Council for making our dream of a permanent home come true. Marty Meserve Falls Church
[ LETTERS ] Send us a letter and let us know what you think. Email:letters@fcnp.com Mail: Letters to the Editor, c/o Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Avenue #310, Falls Church, VA 22046
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
G � � � � C � � � � � �� ��
CO MME NT
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 7
Affordable Housing Isn’t a Handout, It’s a Necessity For Our City B� N���� V������
The question is, “Who are we building affordable housing for?” The short answer is, “All of us.” Yes, all of us benefit from affordable housing being available in our communities. When teachers, police officers, nurses, grocery store workers, food servers, and others are able to live close to where they work we can see benefits to the environment, local businesses, transportation infrastructure, and health care. Several studies have shown the connection between affordable housing, transportation, and economic development. The Urban Land Institute published a study that gauged, “perceptions by employers and commuters regarding the impact of long distances between housing and jobs on business operations and workers’ quality of life.” Employers noted the difficulty that a lack of affordable housing posed for recruiting and retaining employees, and commuters expressed the desire to move closer to work if more affordable housing were available. The State of New Jersey conducted a Corporate Survey that suggested that housing plays a role in where businesses decide to locate, noting that a lack of affordable housing can put a local economy at a competitive disadvantage. Additionally, the New England Public Policy Center suggested that unaffordable housing is linked to slower employment growth. According to the George Mason
University Center for Regional Analysis report, “Housing the Region’s Future Workforce: Policy Challenges for Local Jurisdictions, “half a million new workers will commute to their jobs from places outside the region creating unsustainable
“The City of Falls Church is a unique jurisdiction whose residents represent the vibrant spectrum of life in Northern Virginia. Let’s keep it that way. “ levels of traffic congestion…” Additionally, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments made the case that, “by increasing the supply of affordable housing near job centers, the region will make progress on three important issues: the scarcity of affordable housing, the congestion on roads, and the quality of the region’s air.” Also, the Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing published a report titled, “Priced Out: Persistence of the Workforce Housing Gap in the Washington, D. C., Metro Area,” that presented the results of a study of six
major employment cores in the metro area including Tysons Corner and Alexandria, and found that there was a shortage of housing opportunities for two-, three-, and four-person households in all six cores for those households whose incomes fell in the 60 – 100 percent range of Area Median Income. This undersupply has been forcing workers to seek affordable housing further and further from where they work, which in turn affects commute times and quality of life. Then what about someone who grew up in the City, went off to college, and now wants to live in the City they love? Should a senior who is living on a fixed income be able to afford to stay in the City? We know there are children growing up in the City school system who are in unstable housing situations, with the potential to seriously impact their educational outcomes. Researchers supported by the MacArthur Foundation tell us that housing boosts children’s school achievement, reduces criminal involvement, improves parent and child health, raises employment rates, reduces mental illness, and decreases addictive behavior. Can we also imagine the impact on their classmates? How about someone with a disability that prevents them from earning a high income? Persons with disabilities have a particularly difficult time finding housing that is accessible and affordable. A disability may adversely affect a person’s
earning potential making it difficult to find suitable housing in the community where they grew up or close to family. Some might think, “If you can’t afford to live here, then move somewhere else.” True, that’s an option, but at what cost? Families, seniors, and individuals who have been part of the Falls Church community are being priced out of the market. There are employees of City schools, retail establishments, Kaiser, City government departments, and more who have to commute long distances. Long commutes certainly affect the commuter’s wallet with increased gas, vehicle maintenance, tolls, or public transportation costs. The commuter’s health is also adversely affected according to a 2012 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that the farther people commute by vehicle, the higher their blood pressure and body mass index is likely to be. And, long commutes substantially affect the quality of life for all of us in the region with the added impact on the environment and gridlock. The City of Falls Church is a unique jurisdiction whose residents represent the vibrant spectrum of life in Northern Virginia. Let’s keep it that way. Bottom line — let’s all advocate for affordable housing. It benefits all of us. Nancy Vincent is the Director for the Department of Housing and Human Services in the City of Falls Church
Q������� �� ��� W��� When do you think you’ll be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine? • Next 3 months
• Next 6 months
• Before year ends
• Already got it
Visit www.FCNP.com to cast your vote
[WRITE FOR THE PRESS]
Last Week’s Question: What should President Biden’s priority be during his first 100 days?
71%
Vaccine rollout
10% Reviving economy 10% Reopening schools 9% Other FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.
The News-Press welcomes readers to send in submissions in the form of Letters to the Editor & Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.
PAGE 8 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE NEWS-PRESS & HELP US KEEP COMMUNITY JOURNALISM ALIVE & WELL IN THE LITTLE CITY.
Since 1991, the News-Press has been on a mission to provide independent and honest journalism to the Falls Church community. We recognize and appreciate the support the City, its businesses and residents have shown us for the past 29 years. Now, we need your help to continue with our mission. If you find value in our work and believe the News-Press contributes to the betterment of the Falls Church community, please consider becoming a member today and help us keep you informed on all the happenings — big and small — in The Little City. Never before has the fight to ensure a free press been more important.
Visit FCNP.com/members to become a member of the News-Press today
F� � � � C � � � � �
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
NEWS BRIEFS 2nd Vaccine Doses for F.C. Teachers Due Feb. 15 Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) Superintendent Peter Noonan announced Tuesday that Fairfax County Health Department has confirmed FCCPS staff are due to receive their second dose of the Covid vaccine on Feb. 15, President’s Day, setting up the division to be the first in Northern Virginia to fully reopen in hybrid in a little over four weeks. Dr. Noonan noted the news came on the same day the Virginia Department of Health revised the Falls Church Schools Percent Positive metrics back into the “Higher Risk” category, as the number of cases in Falls Church continues to rise. “If we had reopened this week we would likely be looking and moving back to virtual next week,” Noonan said. The Mustang high school students who selected “in-person hybrid” for their Arlington Career Center (ACC) courses will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 2. On Thursday and Friday, Feb. 4 and 5, there will be asynchronous learning for students as teachers have professional days. The virtual learning continues on Monday the 8th, with teachers holding office hours. The courses include auto tech, auto collision repair, barbering, cosmetology, culinary arts, electricity, and EMT.
F.C. School Board Hopefuls Make Introductions At Tuesday’s Falls Church School Board virtual work session, the 12 citizens who’ve submitted requests for appointment to the one open seat on the board made three-minute introductions. The seat was vacated by the departure of Lawrence Webb last month and an appointment will fill it through November, when an election to a four year term will be held. Ilya Shapiro, a nonpartisan think tank attorney, Jennifer Halvaksz, a physical therapist, Heather Preffler with a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins, David Calabrese, chair of the F.C. BZA, Deborah Smyth, a lifelong area teacher, Kyle Erickson, critic of the school
renaming, Jerrod Anderson, an economist, Caroline Lian, a board member of a D.C. charter school, Amanda Alderson, who wants students back in classrooms, Emily Jenkins, who supports the schools’ current plan, Sonia Ruiz-Bolanos, on the F.C. Education Foundation board of directors, and Toni Lewis, focused on equity and inclusion. The School Board will vote on its decision on Feb. 9.
priate personal protective equipment, sanitation, social distancing, infectious disease preparedness and response plans, record keeping, training, and hazard communications in workplaces across the Commonwealth. “While the end of this pandemic is finally in sight, the virus is still spreading, including several highly contagious variants, and now is not the time to let up on preventative measures,” said Northam.
Entire F.C. Public Works Department in Quarantine Warner, Kaine Push D.C. Statehood Bill City of Falls Church’s City Manager Wyatt Shields reported to the City Council Monday night that due to Covid-19 infections and contact concerns, all 28 members of the City’s Department of Public Works have been placed on quarantine to work from their homes this week. Shields did not identify how many of the staff actually reported positive for the virus. He said that necessary tasks of the department, such as road clearing following snow or ice accumulation on roads, will be handled by contractors, which occurred Monday night. He did not indicate when or how exactly the quarantine would be lifted.
Early Area LGBT Champion Jim Ball Dies The News-Press has learned that Jim Ball, an early leader of the LGBT movement in Northern Virginia, including as a leader of the region’s first open organization founded in the early 1990s, Virginia Partisans, has died in Connecticut from Covid-19. He moved to Connecticut to care for his mother, who recently died, and he was preparing to return to this region when he contracted Covid, according to sources.
Virginia Covid Workplace Safety Rules Now in Effect Virginia’s permanent Covid19 workplace safety and health rules took effect Wednesday, after Gov. Ralph Northam approved the standard adopted by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Safety and Health Codes Board last week. The standards mandate appro-
U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine yesterday joined Senator Tom Carper in re-introducing legislation to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state of the United States. The “Washington, D.C. Admission Act” would establish congressional boundaries for the 51st state and grant D.C. residents full congressional representation. The bill would also ensure that the citizens and elected leaders of the District of Columbia have full authority over local affairs, including crucial safety and security matters. Additionally, the legislation would designate the areas surrounding the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the National Mall as the seat of the federal government. That area would inherit the name “The Capital” and remain under the control of Congress, as mandated by the Constitution.
Fairfax Stops Information Sharing With ICE At its meeting Wednesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 to prohibit county employees from providing any person’s immigration or citizenship status with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities unless they are required to do so by a court order. This new policy is part of the county’s Public Trust and Confidentiality Policy as sponsored by Board Chair Jeff McKay and Supervisors John Foust and Dalia Palchik. By this, what had been a guideline now becomes a formal policy for all Fairfax County employees to follow.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
N���-P����
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 9
C�������� N��� � N���� F.C. Resident Given Award For College Contributions Lisseth Chavez Cruz of Falls Church, majoring in Spanish, has earned a national award for contributions to the College of the Holy Cross’ Chapter of National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society Sigma Delta Pi. Omicron Epsilon has been named an “Honor Chapter” for its outstanding activities in 2019-20, an award that was bestowed to only 11 out of 627 chapters nationwide in 2019. This is the fourth time since 1997 that Holy Cross has received this distinction. Co-Chapter Advisers Bridget Franco, Daniel Frost and Rodrigo Fuentes were instrumental in earning this year’s recognition. Founded at the University of California, Berkeley in 1919, Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign-language honor society in existence, honoring exceptional academic achievement in the Spanish major.
Women Voters Host Virtual Program on Climate Solutions MAURA ORBAN watches Kamala Harris take her oath of of�ice to become the �irst female Vice President of the U.S. In the words of her grandmother, “Maura will never remember a time when a woman has never been Vice President of the country.” (P����: C������� D���� O����)
The League of Women Voters of Falls Church invites the community to a virtual program featuring guest speaker Sarah Karush
from the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a volunteer-driven organization focused on bipartisan climate solutions. It has been advocating for passage of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, a national carbon pricing bill that CCL believes is the best first step to address the climate challenge. Sarah Karush, co-leader of CCL’s Fairfax County Chapter, will explain how the legislation works and how CCL volunteers are building support for it among people of all political stripes. This event will take place on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom link is posted on the website of the Falls Church League of Women Voters at my.lwv.org/ virginia/falls-church. For additional information, contact Barbara Lipsky at blipsky@ cox.net.
Local Fairfax Co. Students Selected for Scholars Program Fifty-five seniors in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are among a group of more than 4,500 candidates in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The candidates were selected from near-
ly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in 2021. The following students from local Fairfax County schools who were nominated are: Falls Church High School — Maxwell J. Miracle, John T. Child and Tryn Dunne. Marshall High School — Rishav Shreeram McLean High School — Jungmin Kang.
Blood Drive at Vienna Fire House Thursday & Saturday The Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Hall (400 Center St. S, Vienna) will be holding blood drives on Thursday and Saturday from 1 – 7 p.m. To sign up for this blood drive, visit inovabloodsaves. org, click on the “Donate Blood” tab at the top and enter your zip code. At the next page, you can scroll down and see the “Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Hall” event for Jan. 28 & 30, and can register there. Inova Blood Donor Services is taking all precautions as it relates to Covid-19. There will be space to spread out and social distance. For more information, visit inovabloodsaves.org.
Send Us Your News & Notes!
The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!
Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 105 N. Virginia Ave #310, Falls Church, VA 22046
Follow Us Online
twitter.com/fcnp
facebook.com/fallschurchcity
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
PAGE 10 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
CITY OF FALLS CHURCH RECREATION AND PARKS After a long school year of virtual learning at the dining room table and WiFi buffering messages, you and the kids deserve a break this summer. The City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department can help make that happen. We’re offering dozens of summer camps for ages 4-18 in both indoor and outdoor environments, with an array of athletic, artistic, musical, STEM-based, and classic camp programs to choose from. The Recreation and Parks Department is committed to providing a safe camp environment. Mask wearing, social distancing, and other COVID-19 preventative measures will be required for all campers and staff. Our summer camp brochure will be mailed soon and viewable at www.fallschurchva. gov/camps. Registration opens in March at www.fallschurchva.gov/register. City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks 223 Little Falls St, Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 248-5077 fallschurchva.gov/461/Camps
BASIS INDEPENDENT MCLEAN
7925 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22102 703.854.1253 mclean.basisindependent.com
CLAY CAFE STUDIOS
101 N. Maple Avenue Falls Church, VA 22046 703.884.1586 claywire.com
COMMUNIKIDS
115 Hillwood Drive Falls Church, VA 22046 703.534.2221 communikids.com
CONGRESSIONAL CAMP
COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS AMERICAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICE 202.885.2442
Welcome to Congressional Camp! Whether you’re joining us for the first time or are a family who has spent countless summers with us, we’re excited to have you with us. Founded in 1940, Congressional Camp is an ACA accredited coed day camp designed for ages 3-14! We are located on a beautiful, 40-acre campus in Falls Church, Virginia at Congressional School. Our diverse programs include day camp, travel camps, and specialty camps which offer summers of new challenges, old traditions, friends and boundless FUN! Congressional Camp 3229 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 (703) 533-0931 congocamp.org
City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks
summer camps
www.fallschurchva.gov/camps
american.edu/sis/communityofscholars
ENCORE STAGE AND STUDIO 4000 Lorcom Lane Arlington, VA 22207 703.548.1154 encorestage.org
ENSHIN KARATE
2190 Pimmit Drive, Unit K&L Falls Church, VA 22043 703.734.KICK virginiakarate.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. While Creative Cauldron’s popular Arts Adventure Camps will be offered online this spring, this summer camps return in-person with covid19 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 Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 436-9948 creativecauldron.org
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
MASON GAME AND TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY
THE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA
gmu.edu
thelittletheatre.com
MCLEAN COMMUNITY CENTER
WASHINGTON SAILING MARINA CAMP 1 MARINA DRIVE
10900 University Boulevard Manassas, VA 20110 703.993.7101
1234 Ingleside Avenue McLean, VA 22101 703.790.0123
600 Wolfe Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703.683.5778
Alexandria, VA 22314 703.548.9027
mcleancenter.org
washingtonsailingmarina.com
MEDSTAR CAPITALS ICEPLEX
WESTMINSTER SCHOOL
627 N. Glebe Road Arlington, VA 22203 571.224.0575
3819 Gallows Road Annandale, VA 22003 703.256.3620
medstarcapitalsiceplex.com
westminsterschool.com
MERCERSBURG ACADEMY
100 Academy Drive Mercersburg, PA 17236 717.328.6225 mercersburg.edu
MULFORD RIDING SCHOOL
15105 Lee Highway Centreville, VA 20121 703.946.7595 mulfordridingschool.com
OAKCREST SCHOOL 1619 Crowell Road Vienna, VA 22182 703.790.5450 oakcrest.org
SYNETIC THEATER Synetic Theater’s signature Summer Camps are BACK! With in-person and virtual classes available, we have summer options for any grade! Synetic Summer Camps are designed with movement at its heart. Students will stay active all day long while they work with industry professionals to create an original theater performance. With acting classes, music, dance, stage combat, mime and more students will learn and achieve the confidence they need to be a strong independent performer. We offer summer sessions for 10 weeks out of the summer (June 21 - August 27th)! NEW THIS SUMMER: Synetic’s High School Acting and Technical Theater Conservatory - open to all high school students (no audition required). For more information about our summer adventures go to: Synetictheater. org/Camps. Come move with us, all summer long! Synetic Theater 1800 S Bell St, Arlington, VA 22202 (703) 824-8060 synetictheater.org
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 11
CO MME NT
PAGE 12 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
Every presidential inauguration is unique in some way, but last Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President of the United States, took uniqueness to a new level. It helped, of course, that it was a bright sunny day in Washington, despite the midwinter date. Tradition was respected, and meshed with some exceptional events that made the idea of Inaugural Balls look old and faded. Security issues forced many of the changes, but they were carried out with such elegance and respect — a memorial to Covid-19 victims at the Reflecting Pool, three former presidents joining the new one at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to lay a wreath, the evening concert across America — that it was difficult to find anything to criticize. When the President and First Lady embraced on the White House porch, I half-expected him to carry her across the threshold into their new home! President Biden has made defeating the pandemic the priority goal in his new administration. That’s a heavy lift, especially as we all found out, just a day or two before the inauguration, that federal reserves of coronavirus vaccine were gone. The promises of the previous administration, not surprisingly, were hollow. If there ever was a reserve of vaccine, the freezers now were bare, at the very time that many jurisdictions moved to Phase 1b, with the expectation that vaccine would be readily available. All states rely on the federal government to distribute vaccine doses. The entire Commonwealth of Virginia currently receives about 100,000 new doses per week, but there are 8.5 million residents to vaccinate. Just do the math — at that rate, even
working weekends, it would take almost three months, or to the end of April, to give the first dose of a two-dose regimen to all residents. That second shot is vitally important; without it, the vaccination is not effective, so those residents who are due their second shot have priority, according to an announcement from the Virginia Department of Health on Monday. More than 100,000 Fairfax County residents, mostly over the age of 65, have registered for the vaccine, and many are fearful, and furious, that they can’t get an appointment, even for the first shot. While understandably frustrating, it must be reiterated that the Commonwealth does not make its own vaccine; production is the responsibility of the federal government, and more vaccine needs to be manufactured. As President Biden invokes the Defense Production Act, it still will take some time for factories to ramp up manufacture and delivery of the precious dosages for those who already are registered. Early estimates of late spring or early summer timelines to get the majority of residents inoculated seem to be right on target but, as the first anniversary of the pandemic shutdown approaches, patience appears to be in short supply, too. In the meantime, it is important to continue taking the same precautions that most have memorized by now — stay home when possible, wear a mask when outside your home, observe social distancing, and wash your hands frequently.
CRIME REPORT Fraud- 600 blk Knollwood Drive. January 19, 4:36 p.m., unknown suspect fraudulently used the victims credit card to make online purchase.
girls?
Learn more about your breast health at
KnowYourGirls.org
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
Week of January 18 – 24, 2021
how well do you know these
Motor Vehicle Theft- 300 blk W Rosemary Lane. January 19, sometime overnight, a parked vehicle, that was left unsecured with the keys inside the vehicle, was stolen. Fraud-600 blk W Broad
St. January 22, 1:03 p.m., an unknown suspect fraudulently cashed a check at a local bank belonging to the victim. Larceny from Building- 500 blk Hillwood Ave. January 23, 10:06 a.m., An unknown suspect stole items of value from the hallway of an apartment. Larceny Shoplifting-1200 blk W Broad St. January 25, 7:40 p.m., a male, 58, no fixed address, was arrested for shoplifting from a business.
On average, 1 in 6 Americans will get a foodborne illness this year. You can’t see these microbes, but they might be there. Always use a food thermometer to check if meat has reached a safe internal temperature before eating.
Job #: ADV_02008 Filename: ADV_02008_AC_Salmonella_Print
Date: 11/24/14
Publication: Magazines
Issue: various print
Deadline:
Trim Size: 7" x 10"
Live Area: 6" x 9"
Client: Ad Council Ad size: FP4CB Bleed size: 7.25" x 10.25"
Contact Information: Please contact Print Production Manager Matthew Rankin with any questions at 585.454.1010 ext. 9357 or email: mrankin@partnersandnapier.com
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
January 6: The Soul of Trump
When you are onto something, the object generally becomes to peel away the facades, cover stories and fake diversions and to get to the gist, to the essence. In all the efforts over the last years to get to the heart of Trump, to what really makes him tick, behind what may have been the superficial motives and claims, we never got close to the essence the way we did earlier this month. Of all his crimes, including twisting the arm of the Georgia’s Secretary of State the way the audio tape makes so clear, this week’s New York Times expose of his collusion with the Justice Department flunky stands out. To use that department as a witting FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS tool in Trump’s relentless effort to find a way to override the fact he lost the November election by more than seven million votes, none matches the unveiling of the true heart and spirit of Trump more than the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. It must not get lost on us that January 6, 2021 was the very essence of Trump. The invasion, the physical assaults on people, the raging, stampeding violation of the Capitol, the grotesque and ugly degradation of the sacred monument of our democracy, the vile spreading of defecation there, the denigration of core symbols and representations, the contemptible raging shouts and chants calling for the lynching of elected political figures, like Vice President Pence and House Speaker Pelosi, this obscenity against everything civil and decorious, much less democratic and meritorious, all was the real Donald Trump. You want a look into the inner workings of the mind and soul of Trump, this was it. Yes, of course he incited this. He authored and orchestrated it, and the best proof is not only his behavior on that revelatory day, but everything that has been documented that he instigated surrounding it. His criminal coercion against the Georgia attorney general, all on audio tape for the world to hear, his collusion to turn the Justice Department into an agency of his sedition to overthrow the rightful outcome of the November 2020 election, were all entirely consistent with what he unleashed on January 6. And, yes, it goes back to the earlier attempt to coerce the prime minister of Ukraine to manufacture fabricated dirt against Joe Biden that was the basis for the first impeachment of Trump a year ago. It will come out that there were many other instances, as well. In fact, it was the relentless obsession of Trump since he was first elected to be re-elected, to become ruler for life. He devoted more time and energy to that effort than any other, including his time on the golf course. It was in his core nature, that every “win” is only a prelude to a subsequent “win.” For his genuinely tortured soul, this is a grinding, persistent governing principle of his inner life. This aspect of his clinically sociopathic personality is what drove him, more than any other single motive, to subordinate anything having to do with respect for the democratic institutions of the nation to this obsession. He didn’t have any grand plan for turning the U.S. into an fascist authoritarian state. He just wanted to stay in power for life, himself, and to grow his influence the way a man obsessed with “winning” would. It is instructive to learn that, in polling, only six percent of Americans viewed the January 6 riot as favorable. So, we must realize that six percent represents the real base of support for Trump that exists in America today, because that riot was the essence of the real Trump. Elected Republicans who are still supporting Trump must also realize that in the coming months, support for Trump will begin to erode down to that six percent core group. While lots of people had their reasons, personal and otherwise, to back Trump up to now, the level of support for the January 6 riot is more like an accurate picture of what support for Trump will be like going forward. It’s the main reason why Democrats must push ahead aggressively with their latest impeachment offensive against Trump.
CO MME NT
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 13
Nicholas F. Benton
Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
I got inspired by the Inauguration Day image of former presidents Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama reflecting on U.S. history at the 101-yearold Arlington National Cemetery amphitheater. Which of our 46 presidents spent time in Arlington, before or during their tenures? Most, if not all, would have passed through during crossPotomac travels, and in modern times most visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Pentagon. But which old-timers can we document? We begin with George Washington, who in 1775 bought land in what is now our Glencarlyn neighborhood and returned in 1785 to survey it. Thomas Jefferson, who helped plan the Long Bridge, was seen, after being succeeded by James Madison on March 4, 1809, alone on horseback on Pennsylvania Ave. riding south toward Virginia. Franklin Pierce made several visits to Arlington House to see George Washington Parke Custis, one recorded in detail in April 1856. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln visited forts Corcoran (Rosslyn) and Albany (near Columbia Pike), a Union hospital at the Falls Grove home (now N. Glebe and Little Falls roads), and likely passed by Upton Hill (Wilson Blvd. at Patrick Henry Dr.) on Nov. 20, 1861, to review troops at Munson Hill near Bailey’s Crossroads. Among the
young Union fighters stationed at Upton Hill were Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley. Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s rode his horse for recreation near what is now the course at Washington Golf and Country Club. William Howard Taft came through by automobile caravan on July 21, 1911, on his way to a Civil War commemoration in Manassas (mentioned on a sign on Lee Highway at the Falls Church border). Taft and Roosevelt, along with Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, were members of that country club, and Wilson was fond of riding in his Pierce-Arrow along what became Wilson Blvd. Franklin Roosevelt, on Jan. 30, 1941, celebrated a birthday at the club too, and in 1936 surveyed flood damage at Chain Bridge. Dwight Eisenhower, after he was appointed Army Chief of Staff in 1946, lived at Fort Myer. Lyndon Johnson, as vice president in February 1962, stationed his limo on N. Harrison St. across from Williamsburg Middle School, hoping that the wife of astronaut John Glenn — he at the time making final preparations to become the first American to orbit the Earth — would receive the veep (she declined). Richard Nixon, while still vice president, came to National Airport on Oct. 3, 1960, to speak at a program honoring his wife, Pat. Most recently, Obama spoke at Wakefield High School on Sept. 8, 2009, and shopped at One More
Page bookstore on Nov. 24, 2012. Donald Trump came to his campaign headquarters in Rosslyn on June 11 and Nov. 3, 2020. Readers may know of other sightings in our highly presidential community. *** Preservationists seeking to rescue the historic Febrey-Lothrop House from a homebuilder’s wrecking ball amassed 1,200 signatures on their petition. The county board, however, appears skeptical that the current budget climate would allow thwarting the owners’ “by right” prerogative to add a subdivision to the green space at Wilson Blvd. and N. McKinley St. On Jan. 15, a county inspector implemented a stop-work order on roofers whom the unnamed builder, without a permit, put to work. But Chairman Matt de Ferranti said county housing planners are seeking permission merely to document the interior before a demolition permit is approved. Activist Tom Dickinson, backed by the Arlington Historical Society, urged the board on Jan. 23 to accelerate a possible Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board recommendation for a Local Historic District designation for the house linked to the 19thcentury land-owning Febreys, Woodward and Lothrop, actress Audrey Meadows and horsemanhomebuilder Randy Rouse. That designation, Dickinson said, would provide a year for preservationists to find funding for renovations. The Historical Affairs Board, I’m told, seldom declares a historic district against the owner’s wishes.
PAGE 14 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
CA L E NDA R
FALLS CHURCH
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
CALENDAR LOCALEVENTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Falls Church Farmers Market. The Falls Church Farmers Market runs every Saturday, where attendees will find fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers & plants, honey, music and more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church) 9 a.m. – noon. For more information, visit fallschurchva. gov/547/Farmers-Market-To-Go.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 Northern Virginia Bird Club Walk. Interested attendees can join members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club for one or all of these informal walks through Long Branch and Glencarlyn Park in search of resident and migratory birds. Experienced and beginning birders welcomed. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars and field guides if they have them. Register by contacting longbranch@arlingtonva.us. Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Falls Church). 8:30 – 11 a.m. 703-228-6535.
VIRTUALEVENTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 28 Online Preschool Story Time. Those who are interested can join the Mary Riley Styles Library staff live on the library’s Facebook page for a virtual fun time of stories, songs and rhymes. For ages 0-5. Visit facebook.com/mrspl to join in on the activities. 10:30 – 11 a.m. Falls Church Writers Group (online). Group for writers to receive and give constructive criticism on their writing. All attendees are advised to bring something that they’ve been working on to share with the group. Contact psullivan@fallschurchva.gov to get the invitation to the event. 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 Virtual Tiny Tot: Winter Waters (online). Interested children can join Arlington Parks staff for a virtual version of its Tiny Tots program. This event’s focus is on how the creeks, streams and ponds in the area change during the winter months, how that affects the surrounding habitat. For ages 18 to 35 months. Themes and activities repeat, so interested participants are encouraged to register for only one program per month. Staffers will email you a link to Microsoft Teams before the program start time. Participants should have their device ready to go prior to the start of the program. Registration required. To register, contact 703-228-4747. 4 – 4:30 p.m.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 ESOL Conversation Group (online). Interested participants can practice their English with a weekly ESOL conversation group. This program meets online via Zoom. To request a Zoom invite, email Marshall Webster at mwebster@fallschurchva.gov. 7 – 8:30 p.m. City Council Work Session (online). City Council work sessions are held the first and third Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. These meetings are open to the public and are conducted to allow Council Members to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues; the public is not generally invited to speak. All participating members of the City Council will be present at this meeting through electronic means. All members of the public may view this electronic meeting via www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings. The meeting may also be viewed on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and
LINWOOD TAYLOR BAND will be performing at JV’s Restaurant on Sunday. (Photo: Facebook.Com/ Linwood-Taylor-Band)
on FCCTV. The virtual meeting will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. 7:30 – 11 p.m.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, JANUARY 28
E, Vienna). 7:30 p.m. 703-2551566.
Vienna). $15. 7:30 p.m. 703-2551566.
Robert Earl Keen. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $59.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 The Josh Allen Band. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2370300.
The Gravel Road Band. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2370300.
Lady Limbo with Elliot Day on drums & Michael Baptista on bass. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186.
Sol Roots Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
Groovequest Funk, Blues & More. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703241-9504.
Cup O’Jokes — A Special Blend of Comedy (Indoors + Distanced). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave.
A Song & A Slice: King Street Bluegrass (Indoors + Distanced). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E,
Mars Rodeo. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Comedy Night. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-237-0300. Acme Band Company. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-858-9186. Emo Trivia Night (Indoors + Distanced). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $7.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 Linwood Taylor Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 7:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 15
with
LADY LIMBO
JANUARY
29 AY
FRID
King Street Bluegrass Jammin’ Java 7:30 p.m. 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna 703-255-1566 • jamminjava.com
30 AY
RD SATU
Comedy Night The State Theatre
6 p.m. 220 N Washington St., Falls Church 703-237-0300 • thestatetheatre.com
Acme Band Company Falls Church Distillers 6 p.m. 442 S Washington Street, Falls Church 703-858-9186 • fcdistillers.com
31
Y
A SUND
Linwood Taylor Band
BY MATT DELANEY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS
In the words of our newly inaugurated president, we’re in the middle of a dark winter — and the music fans who’ve endured barely-abovefreezing temperatures outside know that better than most. Although for local acts that are still trying to find their groove in the region’s music scene, such as Lady Limbo, they couldn’t be more thankful that they can still perform at places like Falls Church Distillers this Friday night. Formerly known as Tragic Schoolbus, the now-renamed Lady Limbo will also be featuring a new bassist and drummer for the band once it performs this weekend. Previous members Joe (on drums) and Andy (on bass) moved to Centreville and Salt Lake City, Utah, respectively, requiring lead man Tim Harmon to find some replacements. Luckily, the popularity of Tragic Schoolbus and Harmon’s role as the bassist in Jehovah’s Favorite Choir allowed him to tap into his network to find replacements. What will be hard to find, however, is the chemistry that he had with Joe and Andy. “It’s not necessarily hard to recruit, but it’s hard going from playing with people who you played with for one to two or even three and four years,” manager Sara Jordan said, who is dating Harmon and is also the events coordinator at Falls Church Distillers (a helpful connection for the group.) “You have that sound together. And you know how each other play, what you play and you know what you’re good at. So I think the hard part is finding how everyone gels.” Jordan came on as the group’s manager toward the end of 2019 while working at the distillery, and has seen the band’s sound evolve. What has been anchored in psychedelic rock akin to the Grateful Dead, now incorporates elements of Latin rock as well as the sounds of
LADY LIMBO. (P����: F�������.C��/L���L����B���) the 1960s. Most of all, Lady Limbo tries to stay loose on stage to leave room for improvisation and make the band both fun to listen to and be a part of. It’s been (predictably) difficult for the group to show off its talents during the pandemic. Shows that were in Washington, D.C. at venues like Bossa Bistro & Lounge and DC9 haven’t been available for them since last spring. Fortunately, Lady Limbo has been able to land gigs at the State Theatre in town and a typically competitive spot at JV’s Restaurant right outside of City of Falls Church’s limits. Those breaks helped them generate some positive momentum from there. “The hardest step with a lot of venues is getting that first foot in the door. And then once you’ve played there, they know you and you know them, it’s a little easier after that,” Jordan
said, who at the same time wants to make sure they are landing paid gigs — which is tough for the small businesses that host them. “Figuring out how to navigate those obstacles and build these professional relationships with venues and not jeopardize anything that could put us or them in a tough spot is definitely challenging, but everywhere we’ve played has been super supportive,” Jordan added. For now, the connections at Falls Church Distillers allow it to be a home base, of sorts, for Lady Limbo. And Jordan said owner Michael Paluzzi has not only been welcoming of the band she manages but also of her interest in music management. It’s been a bright spot in a dark winter indeed. Lady Limbo will play at Falls Church Distillers on Friday at 6 p.m. For more information, visit fcdistillers.com.
Live & In Concert JV’s Restaurant
These singles whet the appetites of the FCNP editorial team this week:
7:30 p.m.
Nicholas F. Benton – Gunner’s Dream by Pink Floyd Matt Delaney – Answering Machine by Rupert Holmes
6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church
703-241-9504 • jvsrestaurant.com
Nick Gatz – Beers and Sunshine by Darius Rucker
Melissa Morse – Undivided by Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard
PAGE 16 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2021
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
CLASSIFIED S
AUCTIONS
SERVICES
AUCTION ALERT! Construction Equipment and Trucks | Now accepting consignments for Equipment Auctions in Richmond on Feb. 23 and in Roanoke on March 16 | Selling for VDOT, contractors, lending institutions and other consignors. | We have buyers! Motleys Industrial | Learn more at motleys.com | 804-486-4550 | VAL16
DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS $195.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-490-0126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https://hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.
ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net
HELP WANTED DENTAL ASSISTANT: General Dentist Office, Falls Church, VA, near West FC Metro. Willing to train right candidate. Hours: Full or Part-time hours available (around children’s schedule). Email resume with salary requirements to: jobs122@yahoo.com. DENTAL RECEPTIONIST General Dentist Office, Falls Church, VA, near West F. C. Metro. Hours: Full or Part-time hours available (around children’s schedule). Email resume with salary requirements to: jobs122@yahoo.com.
WANTED Van Dorn warehouse tenant is looking for a good attorney to represent him in the Alexandria General District Court on 2/16/2021. Tenant has sued the Landlord for $8,000 for breaching the lease. Tenant will pay full legal fee for prompt and punctual service. Contact David Kissi at 202-210-3933, email: yakima.supplies@verizon.net.
RV PARKING SPACE wanted for Class B+, 8ft W x 24ft L x 11ft H. Leave message at 571-213-4657.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Vinyl Replacement Windows Starting at $235* Installed w/Free Trim Wrap Call 804-739-8207 Siding, Roofing, Gutters and More! GENERAC Standby Generators. The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages. FREE 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!) Schedule your FREE in-home assessment today. Call 1-877-636-0738 Special financing for qualified customers. Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-614-6667 ATTN. CONTRACTORS: Advertise your business statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions to reach Homeowners. Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net
PUBLIC NOTICE PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE: The meeting for which this agenda has been posted will be held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. All participating members of Planning Commission will be present at this meeting through electronic means; and all members of the public are welcome to view the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/PC and on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). On February 3, 2021, at 7:30 p.m., the City of Falls Church Planning Commission will hold a virtual public meeting. Public comments will be accepted electronically only until the end of the public hearing. Please submit comments to plan@fallschurchva. gov. The Planning Commission will consider the following items and recommendations to City Council: (TO20-26) ORDINANCE TO AMEND, REENACT, AND RECODIFY CHAPTER 48, “ZONING,” ARTICLE II, “ADMINISTRATION,” DIVISION 3, “AMENDMENTS,” SEC. 48-90, “SPECIAL EXCEPTION” TO EDIT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CRITERIA TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY BY ALLOWING CONSIDERATION OF PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE NEWER, BUT NOT NECESSARILY ADDITIONAL, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND TO SPECIFICALLY REFERENCE CONSIDERATIONS OF SMALL AREA PLAN GUIDANCE, WALKABILITY, AND STREETSCAPE Meeting agenda and materials will be available on the following page prior to the public meeting: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/PC. This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)
Home Improvement Handyman Service All repairs, plumbing, drywall, windows, doors, rotted wood, siding, lighting + FREE estimates, Licensed & Insured
Call Doug (703)556-4276 www.fallschurchhandyman.com
Other Services
R
REAL ESTATE ATTN. REALTORS: Advertise your listings regionally or statewide. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions that get results! Call Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net
fcnp.com
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereb y 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.
classads@fcnp.com
KIDS LOVE SCALLIWAG By Eileen Levy We run, then walk Enjoy our talk And then we eat, Joy complete!
A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Crossword
ACROSS
By David Levinson Wilk 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
23
24
29
25
30
38
31 34
43
47
48
53
35
49 55 59
50
56
57 60 65
66
67
68
69
70
71
© 2020 David Levinson Wilk
28
46
64
63
27
41 45
54
62
26
36
44
58 61
13
32
40
39
42
12
22
33 37
11
51
52
1. Simplest of choices 5. Eleniak of “Baywatch” 10. Bits of baloney 14. One going before a judge 15. Hurried along 16. It’s just in your head 17. Toy on a string 18. ____ of itself 19. Kind of dancer 20. Good name for an EMT’s autobiography but a terrible encyclopedia volume? 23. “____ House,” 1970 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young hit 24. Writer Sarah ____ Jewett 25. Inventor’s desire 29. Dr. Evil’s sidekick in Austin Powers movies 31. CNN’s home: Abbr. 32. ____-wop 33. Good name for a U.S. travel book but a terrible encyclopedia volume? 37. One-on-one Olympics event 40. Fashion item you can always find in mid-Manhattan? 41. “If you ask me,” to texters 42. Good name for a history of the U.S. Supreme Court but a terrible encyclopedia volume? 47. Actress Gardner 48. Rock with valuable nuggets 49. Actress Milano of “Charmed” 53. Strip bare 55. ____ mater 57. Extra NBA periods
STRANGE BREW
JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 17
58. Good name for a book on human interaction but a terrible encyclopedia volume? 61. Leave a permanent mark on 64. “Boogie Oogie Oogie” music genre 65. Hershey toffee bar 66. Expert 67. Bread spreads 68. Kind of torch on “Survivor” 69. Texter’s “Alternatively ...” 70. Writer Zora ____ Hurston 71. Lacking width and depth Down 1. Bit of parental buck-passing 2. “Certainly, Monsieur!” 3. Investor’s desire 4. “Rock of Love” star Michaels 5. Neighbor of Djibouti 6. Wouldn’t shut up 7. Meaning of Caesar’s “Veni” 8. Vegas numbers game 9. Total 10. It may involve dukes 11. Reply at the altar 12. Plead 13. ____ Paulo, Brazil 21. ____ sapiens 22. Anti-rash powder 26. Answer to the riddle “What cheese is made backward?” 27. Snack (on) 28. Dorothy’s dog 30. Frozen drink brand 31. Lead-in to girl or boy
JOHN DEERING
Sudoku
34. Wedge or pump 35. Identify on Facebook 36. Like unwashed hair 37. “Zounds!” 38. Smooth, in a way 39. Actress ____ Rachel Wood 43. Miner’s strike 44. Trample 45. “Get lost!” 46. “In the Valley of ____” (2007 film) 50. Absorb thoroughly 51. Backhand or forehand, e.g. 52. Pippi Longstocking creator Lindgren 54. “Ri-i-i-ight ...” 55. Perplexed 56. Rank above maj. 59. Vex 60. This, in Tijuana 61. Freudian area of study 62. King who died in his late teens 63. ____-Magnon man Last Thursday’s Solution A N S A R I
T O U C A N
H I G H S C H O O L S
O M E S E S A R P L L O O P S O A O M R S H C K E Y N E E P E W E L E A R A L O T E A M B U I L D C E R O S I V N I N E P I
C A R S L I U M F S E W A H A R O R R E F E N E D S E E K F H A R E A N G
M P A A
I S I T M B E Y E R S I C O C A C L B A S
N A O N R Y W A X E S P O E T I C
A H C H T S E L O R E N A
S H A R O N
By The Mepham Group
Level 1 2 3 4
Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
NICK KNACK
© 2020 N.F. Benton
1/17/21
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2021 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
LO CA L
PAGE 18 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
BACK IN THE DAY
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
C������ C�����
25 � 10 Y���� A�� �� ��� N���-P���� Falls Church News-Press Vol. V, No. 45 • January 25, 1996
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XX, No. 48 • January 27,, 2011
Hunziker Joins Incumbents Durham, Grusin as CBC School Board Picks
At Long Last, Another Large-Scale Mixed Use Project is OK’d for F.C.
Rosemarie Hunziker joined incumbents John Durham and Jay Grusin on the slate of candidates for the Falls Church School Board that the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) organization here will back in the upcoming May 7 City election. The three were chosen out of a field of five who spoke and answered questions.
Over five years in the making, the Akridge Company’s two-building mixed use development project on Route 29 (N. Washington St.) in the City of Falls Church won a final unanimous vote of approval from the Falls Church City Council Monday. The approval marks the first for such a project in Falls Church.
F.C. Council Continued from Page 5
on the subject with various options included. It was in early February 2015 that the News-Press first reported that a team assembled by Insight Property Group had purchased the 2.64 acres at the City’s central intersection at N. Washington and E. Broad for purposes of building a major mixed use development that would be anchored by a big Whole Foods. The main driver at the time was disgraced developer Todd Hitt, who in the fall of 2018 was arrested on eight counts of investment and securities fraud and is now serving a six year prison sentence. But it came out in the context of all that Insight had been the principal controller of the project from the beginning and was prepared to continue its push ahead on its plans minus Hitt’s participation as the promised occupant of a significant amount of Class A office space there. Its aspects include a subsidized 5,000 square feet for the City’s premiere theatrical operation, the non-profit Creative Cauldron, a grassy, public “Unity and Justice” plaza right at the corner, 339 residential units, ground floor retail and an expansion of free public parking, other parking that will also benefit adjacent businesses and an option for voluntary concessions that include up to 10 percent affordable housing. The Council will make decisions about the affordable housing options at a meeting next month after consulting with the School Board and other City bodies. Insight will build out the Creative Cauldron space which will enjoy a major exposure to
HANGING UP AND UPSIDE DOWN are the Emerson family’s two green anoles, Stinky & Monty. After “rescuing” them from family’s old yard during the lockdown, four-years old Lincoln named them after his favorite show on Amazon. They love hiding (in case you didn’t notice), but get excited when the Emerson boys feed them live crickets.
MEMBERS OF INSIGHT PROPERTY GROUP go over the affordable housing specs that will be a part of the new Broad & Washington project. (S���������: N���-P����) traffic flows along E. Broad Street, and Insight’s Scott Adams and Maury Stern confirmed that Whole Foods, which signed a formal 20-year lease for the 50,000 square feet last fall, is as solid as ever to go onto the site. They agreed to a request from the City to include a promise that if, for some reason, Whole Foods would pull out, that a major alternative “regional or national grocer with an organic component” would be found to replace it. (The News-Press erroneously reported last week that this initiative came from Insight. It didn’t and we apologize for the error.) “This is a home run for the City,” said Insight’s Adams. “This will create a strong sense of place at the heart of the City.” The plaza at the corner will be the “front door” for the City, he said, and will be a tribute to “the best of what we were, are and can be.” “This has come a long way,” said Council member Letty Hardi. She hailed its “inclusive and welcoming” orientation and prospects for the “high bar” of a
new 10 percent affordable housing standard. Councilman Snyder said he was unhappy the developer would not open its books to the Council. But Mayor David Tarter said, “There is an awful lot to like about this project. It will invigorate our downtown, bringing people here to spend money, as nationally people are moving back to cities away from malls. It will represent a critical mass for our bike share and is fitting for our city.” Insight’s Stern told the NewsPress Wednesday, “We are very excited to be moving forward. It will transform downtown Falls Church, and we greatly appreciate the support of all the neighbors, City staff and citizens.” He said that actual construction will await the design plans, site plan approvals and permits of a large and complex project that will take most of a full year to complete. It will not be until the spring or early summer of 2022 before actual construction begins, he said.
Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
F� � � � C � � � � �
LO CA L
B������� N��� � N����
JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021 | PAGE 19 Walk-In Tubs
WALK-IN BATHTUB SALE! SAVE $1,500 ✓ EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST! Only American Standard has OVER 140 years of experience and offers the Liberation Walk-In Bathtub.
Stylish Patina Moving to 450 W. Broad Street
✓ SUPERIOR DESIGN! Ultra low easy entry and exit design, wide door, built-in safety bar and textured floor provides a safer bathing experience.
Stylish Patina is moving to 450 W. Broad Street, the space previously occupied by Broad Street Pharmacy. Stylish Patina offers curated vintage furniture, home décor, kitchenware, linens, cookbooks and other gift items and offers services including custom furniture painting, interior design, real estate, and private workshops. The boutique, which opened eight years ago in Falls Church, will close in its current Pearson Square location on S. Maple Avenue on Thursday, Jan. 28 and Friday, Jan. 29, except for online order pick-ups, to move to the new space. It is expected to open next week if not over the weekend. A Covid-friendly grand opening will be held in the coming weeks. For more information, visit stylishpatina.com.
Sports Training, Massage Center and Nancy Branberg, PT Team Up Sports Training, Massage Center and Nancy Branberg, PT have teamed up to offer an online Body Stability Integration (BSI) course. The BSI course was created around the science of each individual’s ability to create stability in their body so that they can move more easily and efficiently. The goal of the BSI course is to encourage a person’s ability to tune into the major stabilizing centers of the trunk and learn how to engage and activate these centers during movement. The ultimate goal of the course is that each participant discovers how to get more out of their workouts and gains the ability to continue the activities they love. For more information about the BSI course, email info@stm-center.com or info@ NBranbergPT.com. For more information about Sports Training and Massage Center, located at 450 W. Broad Street in Falls Church, visit stm-center.com.
✓ PATENTED QUICK-DRAIN® TECHNOLOGY ✓ LIFETIME WARRANTY!
The ONLY Lifetime Warranty on the bath AND installation, INCLUDING labor backed by American Standard.
✓ 44 HYDROTHERAPY JETS! More than any other tub we’ve seen.
FREE!
Savings Include an American Standard Right Height Toilet FREE! ($500 Value)
Lifetime Warranty! Finance Options Available* Limited Time Offer! Call Today!
877-691-5591 Or visit: www.walkintubinfo.com/vapa
INSTALLS ON NEW & EXISTING GUTTERS
Barbers Club Neo Opens In Spectrum Building at 444 W. Broad Street Barbers Club Neo has opened in the Spectrum Building at 444 W. Broad Street, in the space previously occupied by Supercuts. Barbers Club Neo is owned and operated by Gurcan Gokcen who has both a Barber’s License and a Barber’s Training License. Services include shampoos, haircuts, buzz cuts, neck trims, shape ups, beard trims, and cuts for children under 8 years old ranging in price from $10 – $45. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. For more information or to make an appointment, visit barbersclubneo.com.
Island Fin Poke Opening in the Idylwood Shopping Center at 7501 Leesburg Pike Island Fin Poke will open in the Idylwood Shopping Center at 7501 Leesburg Pike in Falls Church on Feb. 1. Originally scheduled to open in January, this will be the first of the Hawaiian-style poke restaurant franchises to open in Virginia. Owned by Bonita Bell, the health-conscious restaurant will donate 20 percent of the proceeds from its first day of sales to Food for Others, Inc., which distributes free food to residents in need. Island Fin Poké has 11 operating locations across the country. For more information, visit islandfinpoke.com/virginia.
PACEM Solutions International and PACEM Defense LLC Appointed New Executives Falls Church-based PACEM Solutions International and PACEM Defense LLC appointed Cory Mills as executive chairman and Rana Al Saadi as executive vice chairman of its board of directors, effective immediately. Mills and Saadi are both co-founders of PACEM Solutions International and PACEM Defense LLC. Mills is a combat veteran who served as a subcontractor for the U.S. Department of State. Al Saadi held senior executive positions with the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Defense. PACEM Solutions International provides consulting, training and risk management services while PACEM Defense manufactures munitions. For more information, visit pacem-solutions.com. Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.
ter
AFTER LeafFil
ter
BEFORE LeafFil
LIFETIME WARRANTY
15
%
OFF
AND!
YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE*
10
%
OFF
SENIOR & MILITARY DISCOUNTS
+
5%
OFF
TO THE FIRST 50 CALLERS!**
Promo Number: 285 CALL US TODAY FOR
A FREE ESTIMATE
1-877-614-6667
Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST *For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. ** Offer valid at estimate only. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 License# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration# PA069383 Suffolk HIC License# 52229-H
Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!
844-947-1479
FREE
7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value!
Offer valid December 15, 2020 - March 1, 2021
Special Financing Available Subject to Credit Approval
*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
PAGE 20 | JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3, 2021
$449/MO
36 MONTHS / 10K MILES
Beyer Volvo Cars of Falls Church
*Stock #8892D. MSRP $49,010 with only first payment, taxes and fees due at signing plus, tax, title, acquisition and dealer processing fee of $799. On approved credit only. Pricing includes all available incentives including loyalty. No Security Deposit required. Expires 1/31/21.
Sold in Falls Church!
ROCK STAR Realty ... ROCK STAR Service
TM
Sunny and spacious move-in ready condo nestled in New Providence Village! Step inside to the open concept main living area with a spacious family room, dining room and kitchen - perfect for entertaining! The gourmet kitchen features sparkling granite counters, cherry cabinets and stainless steel appliances. An inviting balcony off the family room features private wooded views. Three large bedrooms and two recently updated baths including a private master suite with plenty of closet space! Laundry conveniently located inside the unit includes a full size washer and dryer. Additional updates include fresh neutral paint and beautiful new floors throughout, including durable life proof flooring and plush carpet in the bedrooms. Wonderful community situated next to a lake with walking trails, playgrounds, tennis courts and a fenced in dog park - very pet friendly!
CALL 703-867-TORI
Tori@ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com ROCKSTARRealtyGroup.com 2101 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
REALTOR®
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
© 2020 Tori McKinney, LLC
