Falls Church News-Press 10-19-2023

October 19 - 25, 2023

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Sunny Outlook MERIDIAN HOMECOMING COURT For Economic Future of F.C., Expert Says 9 Mixed Use Projects Now Yielding $4.4 Million Here

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Economic development has played such a major role in the advancement of key quality of life issues in the City of Falls Church, funding its first-rate public school system, providing resources for key upgrades of vital services, such as major renovations of City Hall, the public library, stormwater improvements, sidewalks and neighborhood traffic calming technologies. All this and a robust 13 cent cut in the real estate tax rate from $1.365 per $100 of assessed value to the current level of $1.23, with a lot more in cuts to come.

According to Lisa Benjamin, a respected regional economic development consultant, speaking to the work session of the Falls Church City Council this week, the upsides for Falls Church far outweigh the challenges, even by comparison to its regional neighbors. “There is way more opportunity and challenge for Falls Church,” she said.

She cited the case of office and retail vacancy rates, to point right at the one issue that some are saying is worrisome for the City. Put simply, the vacancy rates in the Little City are a fraction of what they were in Tysons Corner or Arlington, she said.

It is a third less of a problem for Tysons and a fourth less for Arlington.

Asked if there could be too

Continued on Page 3

YOUR 2023 MERIDIAN Homecoming Court were crowned at the football game Friday night. Pictured (l. to r.) Luke Flinter, Fiona Loper, Katie Anderson, Nora Ballow, Mateo Rathau, Mathew Downs, Ben Kline - King, Alexis West - Queen, Tyler Huang, David Thode, Jenna Hall, Davey Gaskins. ( Photo: Gary Mester)

F.C. City Council Hopefuls Come Before Chamber

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

With under three weeks to go before the Nov. 7 election, the four candidates seeking three open slots on the Falls Church City Council meet for their third and final debate tonight. Under the auspices of the Citizens for a Better City, the debate will be held at the American Legion Hall on N. Oak at 7 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend, listen and ask questions.

The candidates, incumbent Vice Mayor Letty Hardi seeking a third four-year term on the Council, and first-time candidates Justine Underhill, Erin Flynn and Tim Stevens, are all expected to attend, as they did for their debate in front of the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce this Tuesday.

Tuesday’s debate was held

outdoors at the Dominion Beer and Wine on West Broad and was a robust exchange of views centered on the role of small businesses in the Little City.

Hardi, Underhill and Stevens are all endorsed by Falls Church Forward, the Sierra Club and the News-Press..

In their opening statements, Hardi said she is determined to “keep Falls Church on the path of reasonable development, inclusivity and sustainability,” citing her family’s restaurateur background here and stressing the importance of housing, retention of the City’s small-town character and its small businesses. She noted the importance of continued infrastructure improvements with “no pause on progress.”

Underhill she said is a financial reporter and documentary filmmaker dedicated to affordable housing and develop-

ing walkable, bikeable areas.

Stevens said he liked that Falls Church is “a welcoming place for a range of political views,” dedicated to local business as he, himself, was owner of a wine store in Vienna before moving to Falls Church where he is now chair of the Planning Commission.

Flynn, with a child in the first grade here, cited a 13 year history as an attorney with the Department of Justice dedicated to providing “effective oversight and balanced decision making.”

On small business challenges in Falls Church, Underhill cited the importance of retaining local businesses through incentives and adjustments to the BPOL and other taxes. Stevens said the government should be more accessible to small businesses and that development, with more housing options, is

bringing more customers here.

Flynn said the budget surpluses may be due to the cost of business fees, and said work is needed to fill “high profile vacancies” in the commercial areas.

Hardi said that for her, five ideas are BPOL and license tax reform, government accessibility, population growth, emphasizing adaptive uses, as with the Stratford Motel property, and key City investments in downtown.

On mixed use projects, Stevens cited the “tangible, impressive results of progress against an anti-development past in the City, but that development going forward needs to meet a higher bar. Flynn said that half the new projects are “underperforming,” and larger developments are “risky.”

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PAGE 2 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

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F.C. Council’s Statement Condemns Terrorist Attacks on Israeli Citizens Falls Church’s Mayor David Tarter opened Monday’s City Council work session by reading the following statement: “The Falls Church City Council unequivocally condemns the terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas. We are outraged by the attacks on innocent men, women and children, including the abduction of the elderly, families, and infants at gunpoint as hostages and human shields. This appalling violence has no place in the resolution of disputes.

“There can be no justification for these acts of terrorism.

“The City Council mourns the tragic loss of life and the devastating harm to so many innocent lives in this region. Many members of the Falls Church community have direct ties of family and friendship to the area. Our hearts go out to those who have suffered loss, those being held hostage, and loved ones living in terror.

“We urge members of our community, who comprise such a rich diversity of religious faiths, tolerance, and compassion to seek connection and understanding during these dark times of conflict. We hope for peace in Israel, Gaza and throughout the Middle East.”

F.C. BZA Rejects Petition for Child Care on Park Avenue By a 3-1 vote last Thursday, the Falls Church Board of Zoning Appeals rejected a request by the Oak Park group led by Falls Church developer Bob Young to construct a child care center at the intersection of Park Avenue at Oak Streets. The center would have been occupied by the Light Bridge Academy, a national chain of day care centers. The sole yes vote came from BZA chair John Misleh.

Following the vote, Young issued the following statement: “We were, of course, disappointed in the BZA’s decision to deny our request for 55 percent lot coverage when the City Council has so recently made it public policy to permit up to 60 percent in transition zones. Nevertheless, we believe that our proposed day care center is one of the best possible examples of a model transition use.

“A two story building instead of the three stories permitted by right housing a muchneeded use in the City would seem to me to personify a model transitional use. So, at this

point we will take a step back and consider our options, but we are still hoping that development of an attractive day care center will be possible.”

Only four members of the seven-member BZA were present for the meeting.

Lower Speed Limits in F.C. Coming This Fall Falls Church City Hall has announced that, later this fall, many residential streets in the City of Falls Church will get new speed limit signs, lowering the limit to 20 miles per hour from 25 miles per hour. The City’s education campaign, ‘20 is Plenty,” includes yard signs, social media outreach, and more.

This effort supports walkability and pedestrian safety, a statement from the City cites. A speed reduction to 20 mph has life-changing results for pedestrians. Crash data has shown there is a significant improvement in pedestrian survivability in the event of a crash when drivers are traveling at 20 mph as opposed to 25 mph. Also, traveling at higher speeds narrows your field of vision as you drive, making it more difficult to see and react to people in the roadway.

Over 100 speed limit signs will be replaced in neighborhoods starting in October 2023 and will take a few weeks to complete, depending on weather. The new 20 mph speed limits legally go into effect on each street when the existing speed limit signs are replaced.

Residents can pick up a free yard sign to show support of 20 is Plenty and encourage safe driving in their neighborhood. Signs are available at the City Hall Permits Counter (East Wing, 1st Floor) during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The counter is closed the last Wednesday of the month.

Gun Control Group Wants Fairfax Candidate Investigated This morning, Prevent Gun Tragedies, a Virginia-based gun violence prevention group, announced that it sent the Virginia Department of Elections a request for an investigation into Fairfax County School Board candidate Tony Sabio (Providence District) for auctioning off the same type of semi-automatic rifle used in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history to fund his campaign and failing to properly disclose this activity as required by Virginia law.

Sabio is challenging incumbent Karl Frisch in the November election.

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OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 3

Economic Development Prospects for F.C. Remain Strong, Consultant Says

Continued from Page 1

many coffee shops, grocery stores or restaurants here, she said no, not at all. They are the kinds of retailers that are thriving in the new realities of the post-pandemic world where there is significantly more working from home and consolidation of travel.

As the City, with an adept local government, moves to become a “15 Minute City,” meaning that residents can find everything they’re looking for within a 15 minute travel radius, Benjamin said, the relationship between retail and creating a better sense of community becomes more important. “There is a great synergy between robust retail and serving the public good,” she said, noting the trend of devoting surface parking lot spaces to community activities.

She hailed Falls Church’s progress in these areas, noting that while the City cannot be defined in terms of an urban core, it is close.

Larger retailers and restaurants are reverting to smaller footprints as the dining or shopping “experience” shifts to providing to-go options, often in tandem with online services.

Good bets for ground floor retail going forward, she suggested, are things like preschools, gyms, wellness centers and auto showrooms.

Her observations fell in line with a “Mixed Use Development Fiscal Impact Report” presented to the Council from the City’s Economic Development team earlier this month.

It noted that nine mixed use development projects currently operational in the City “currently generate $4,458,743 in net tax revenue to the City,” compared to $969,356 on the same 22 acres in their pre-development days.

With a mean floor-to-area ratio (FAR) of a modest 2.54, the total 2023 assessed value of the projects is $786,291,700, and developers have voluntarily contributed $8,851,403 in cash to the public schools capital fund, have provided 108 affordable and “workforce” dwelling units with no expiration dates, and a variety of contributions to the library and parks.

The nine completed projects have provided 2,531,162 square feet of new commercial space,

and as of the report, 87.5 percent of the space is leased, owned or otherwise occupied.

The list, with annual net revenue to the City in parenthesis, are as follows: 301 W. Broad ($1,278,342), Spectrum ($1,081,102), Byron ($653,323), Broadway ($570,3i3), Founders Row 1 ($563,325), Lincoln at Tinner Hill ($258,060), Read ($124,881), Northgate ($78,917) and the only negativelyperforming space, Pearson Square (minus $149,520).

The Pearson Square exception on S. Maple is due to the fact the residential units converted from large condos to apartments, and are sufficiently large that they LISA BENJAMIN (left), a respected consultant on retail develwelcomed relatively larger fam- opment in the region, spoke to the work session of the Falls ily units. With the cost to the City Church City Council this Monday. (News-Press Photo) an average of almost $20,000 per youth to educate, the result has were from the beginning of 2023, These numbers will be adjusted been the only negative number when there was very little to mightily as new projects come on among all the nine projects. report compared to what it will line, namely the massive developHow much money the 9 As of ment of the West End project on There are currently 218 pupils be when did fully operational. in the total of 1,516 occupied resi- now, one of the residential build- 10 acres at the site of the former dential units in the nine projects ings buildings is 95 percent in leased, and high school, Founders Row 2 at largest mixed-use included in the report, and 89 the other, a senior living project, Broad and West, and the Insight pupils are from Pearson Square/ 75 percent leased, and key project with its huge Whole Falls net isground the city 2022?

It is also noted thatChurch revenues and floorin spaces are also now Foods well under construction expenses from Founders Row 1 functional. now at Broad and Washington.

TRIVIA OF THE WEEK: How much money did the 9 largest mixed-use buildings in Falls Church net the city in 2022?

-$4M · -$1M · +$1M · +$4M

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4 F.C. City Council Candidates Appear at Chamber Luncheon

Continued from Page 1

Hardi said she supports larger scale mixed use projects, noting the $4.5 million surplus they’ve helped create in the current city budget and the 12.5 lowering of the real estate tax rate as a result. “We need a healthy pipeline of new projects,” she said.

Underhill noted that more are now working from home and two out of 10 in new town house projects now don’t own a car. She hailed the $1.9 million dedicated to affordable housing in the new projects and the need to promote walkability.

Flynn applauded the gains in affordable housing and the use of the Amazon Reach funds program promoting home ownership. She said her opposition to the recent t-zone changes had to do with whether the Council would retain control.

Hardi said the challenges are to preserve affordable housing at The Fields and Read Building, to add more affordable housing, citing the Council’s work to increase the percentage in new projects from six to 12 percent permanent affordable units, totalling 90 new units recently.

Underhill said affordable housing should be available to those with only 30 percent of the area median income, be allowed in transportation corridors to make it easier to use public transit, and include affordable dwelling units, or “backyard flats,” on current properties.

Stevens said the question needs to be asked, “What kind of community do we want to be?”

Affordable housing needs to be available for younger, first time buyers, and he said it is important that the newly adopted transitional zone rules “limit the size of units to 1,500 square feet, Hardi noted that in the last 10 years despite all the development, the volume of traffic in the City has not increased. She called for the full array of traffic calming measures, including new sidewalks, speed bumps, speed and red light cameras, and a lowering of the speed limit in residential areas.

Underhill said she wants a “shuttle around Falls Church connecting us to the Metro stations,” and a connectivity of the W&OD Trail to the City, plus more bike lanes, and a downtown parking garage.

Stevens called for better traffic signal coordination and sidewalks, along with protected bike lanes and small roundabouts like Alexandria is now developing.

Flynn called for greater “ease of movement to use local businesses, with sidewalk and crosswalk improvements that “won’t dissect the City into quadrants,” maybe adding a “bike loop” in downtown.

Underhill said it is vital that seniors be able to afford to live here with better sidewalks and places to go, including for health care services.

Stevens said affordable dwelling units will be key to “families being able to resolve issues important to them” using “universal design” to make it “easier for older folks to get around.”

He said tax rebates can also help keep older people here.

Flynn hailed the willingness of older residents to invest in the schools, and the City must respond to the need for affordable housing with tax relief and protections against tear-downs of ramblers and other smaller homes.

Hardi called for expanding tax credits to help more seniors be able to stay here.

A question about favorite businesses candidates currently use drew Cafe Kindred from Stevens, Doodlehopper, Lemon Lane and Haandi and the Eden Center from Flynn, and, with three children, multiple grocery stores, coffee shops, Brown’s Hardware, the Eden Center and doctor services from Hardi. Underhill cited the bakeries, including Preservation Biscuits and Welsh Printing for her campaign materials.

Debate moderator Andrew Painter, head of the Chamber’s legislative committee, ended the program by expressing appreciation for the candidates, noting that running for office is “an act of public service,” and stressing that “democracy is not a spectator sport.”

FOUR CANDIDATES seeking three seats on the Falls Church City Council came before the F.C. Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday, (l. to r.) Letty Hardi, Justine Underhill, Tim Stevens and Erin Flynn. (Photo: News-Press Photo)

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OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 5

Meridian Theatre Gets ‘Ruthless’ as This Year’s Fall Production

by Kylee Toland

Falls Church News-Press

Meridian High School’s fall musical may strike some audience members as “ruthless,” but the production and cast is anything but.

A spoof on Broadway musicals such as “Gypsy” and “Mame,” as well as movies such as “The Bad Seed” and “All About Eve,” “Ruthless! The Musical” will be performed by Meridian’s theatre company this weekend. Based on the book and lyrics by Joel Paley, “Ruthless!” features an all-female cast, something of importance to MHS theater teacher and director, Shawn Northrip.

“The honest truth is [that] I’m always trying to get unique shows that offer lots of parts for women,” Northrip said. “I have lots of women in my program, and a lot of shows and musicals when you look into it have two female parts and then 12 guy parts…I don’t have two females and 12 guys, I have two guys and 12 females.”

“Ruthless!” tells the tale of

a young girl and “how far she’s willing to go for stardom,” which includes murder. Along with the inclusion of an all-female cast, Northrip also chose the musical due to it having comedic elements.

The production of the musical comedy has been a “different experience,” Northrip said, as the show is being performed a month earlier than the previous November showings. The audition process was also “tricky” due to the crew trying to figure out just who’s right for the various roles.

“You’re just kind of looking for a feeling,” Northrip said.

“What’s great about the audition room is [that] it’s always a surprise as you’ll think something’s gonna go one way and then you hear a kid that you had not expected to hear and they just blow your mind…that changes everything.”

Due to the added stress of “jumping into a show and making it happen” for Northrip, the cast and crew experienced both “highs and lows” with the production of “Ruthless!” One high in-

cluded Northrip bringing the cast and crew ice cream after noticing an “energy dip.”

“It’s hard to compare one show to another, every show is such a completely different beast,” Northrip said. “[The cast and crew] seem pretty excited about it.”

Without wanting to give away too much of the show’s surprises, Northrip said “Ruthless!” is unique due to the fact that it will be performed by a small show cast with only seven performers, but includes a lot of backup dancers and a “kid’s play” within the production that features only two characters.

“We get to have as many kids on stage as we want,” Northrip said.

Northrip said his favorite part so far of Meridian’s production of the musical comedy has been complex, but beautiful songs featured throughout the show, as well as the “very funny” ending.

“I just enjoy listening to these kids standing up there and just emoting their hearts out while singing those great torch songs,” Northrip said.

For upcoming audiences, Northrip said he hopes they will

“RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL” features an all female cast, including (from l. to r.) Ginger (Eudora Neal), Tina (Mia Schatz), Sylvia (Paxton Hebblethwaite). (Photo: Carol Sly) find it as funny as he does, and not take it “too seriously.” He also wants the public to know that the “kids are amazing” and hopes everyone enjoys watching them as much as he does.

“It’s a dark comedy, so there’s always that question of whether we’ll cross the line of tastelessness,” Northrip said. “I’m hoping people will [like] my direc-

tion and be like ‘Oh this is funny.

It’s meant to be not taken seriously.’”

“Ruthless! The Musical” will be performed on Thursday October 19 — Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission and can be purchased at sites.google.com/ fccps.org/ruthless/to-purchasetickets?scrlybrkr=93c4816f.

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PAGE 6 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

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E ditorial

E D I TO R I A L

What’s to Complain About in F.C.?

For the 33 years that this newspaper has been active in Falls Church, closing in now on 1,600 consecutive weekly editions, it is safe to say there has never been even a nearly complete uniformity of opinions on almost any matter of concern to the public: surprisingly so, despite the high rate of turnover of the City’s population in that time, its steady growth from about 9,200 to now closing in on 15,000. It would be fascinating to see a graph that compares the length of time of a citizen’s stay here and stances on key issues of land use, taxes and education, for example.

What differentiates this particular juncture from others over the last three decades is the level of accomplishment and steady leadership the City now enjoys.

Many a storm, great and noisy or otherwise, has been weathered by the solid commitments to good governance and reasonable policy and decision making of the preponderance of the population and its chosen leadership.

Has this newspaper always been in agreement with said public? Hardly. But we’ve strived to never allow any mere contrariness to cause us to oppose any generally recognized wise course of action. We take pride in our track record to identify and give valid reporting and arguments in favor of the best choices as we’ve seen them over time. In this troubled period in our nation’s history, it is far more common for people to take sides sometimes seemingly only for sport, and then to see those sides become more and more stubborn, extreme and uncivil.

This month in Falls Church we saw the aftermath of what became for some a very bitter fight over modifications to the City’s transitional zones ordinance aimed at allowing a bit more flexibility for types of housing here.

This comes as a new election of City Council members approaches. For some, bitter feelings over the t-zone issue may translate into an anti-establishment (if you will) sentiment applied to the election. We caution citizens not to have one matter carry over into another, or others, not related to it.

We cannot imagine how anyone right now could be critical of the quality of our local government. On balance citizens of our Little City, from the standpoint of relevant services they are receiving, are having it pretty good.

It is simply not right to go around looking for faults where they don’t exist.

Empty storefronts or office vacancies, for example? There are way fewer on average here now than in Falls Church’s neighboring jurisdictions.

These issues haven’t stopped the unprecedented growth in revenues that the City is deriving from truly marvelous decisions that were made in the last decade on matters of development and services, in particular. Just look around. The revenues from development here paid for a new state-of-the-art high school, renovated City Hall and library and pending major transit and transportation infrastructure while the tax rate is coming down at an unprecedented rate.

Platform 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 content.

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 a profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

L etters to E ditor Poem for the Little City Editor, I like to call us a bicoastal family, still maintaining our home in Falls Church, owned since 1980, which our son and family lived in for a while, after we moved West, and which we still live in for weeks at a time, when work in the District calls.

Our friends and the greenery still make this a great place to live, but city officials have allowed more and more development, which I think is overwhelming the “Little City.” So, I’m just a bit depressed coming back to the Little City when we return.

The good folks and the positive mood of Falls Church remain, but the Developers appear to be winning! Here’s a poem which reflects my thoughts: FALLS CHURCH Ah, the old Little City Is no more!

Huge boxes, with empty storefronts On the ground floor Now rise, or are rising.

Will they find thousands To fill those apartments?

The small campus of our high school Now renamed, As is the grammar school, ‘though both names praised the country’s founders.

“The beast in the field knows no history..”

Said some old sage, And now, Our town

Forgets its past.

New Rosslyn?

Box City?

The Once-Little City?

Maybe Formerly Small Town?

I guess as long as There’s a Browns Hardware, It’s still Falls Church.

Ray Arnaudo Falls Church

Coverage of Candidate Forum Editor, Thanks to the News-Press for covering the Candidate Forum sponsored by the Village Improvement Society (VPIS) and the League of Women Voters. The two organizations have worked individually and together on these forums for decades. One detail in the published story needs to be corrected, however. VPIS has not this year — nor any time in the past — “backed” or endorsed any candidates for public office.

As a charitable organization we are prohibited from doing so.

We host the candidate forums as an important way to encourage civic engagement. We also host forums on specific issues, but we never support specific any candidates. A video of the City Council Candidate Forum can be found at VPIS.org.

Mark Gross VPIS President

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OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 7

Creative Cauldron’s ‘Monarch’ Harmonizes Real Life Struggles

by Patricia Leslie

For music lovers and those who welcome original plots and harmonies, this is a show for you. A cast of 12 sing almost 50 short pieces to describe the plight of the undocumented immigrant in the U.S. Mayu Molina Lehmann cowrote the book and lyrics for the story about Latinas who will not abandon their way of living in the U.S., despite being the constant target of immigration authorities (aka ICE) hot on their heels.

When she and Alfonso Molina, composer and co-writer of “Monarch: a Mexican American Musical,” visited Broadway and saw shows, they noticed the absence of the Hispanic story on stage, so they got to work.

Their “Monarch” tells the other side of the stereotypical Hispanic, not the “bad characters“ often found in theatres and in the media.

Molina writes in program notes that he used Mexican rhythms to blend them in a more contemporary Broadway musical

style, and he succeeds with lively, electric sounds heard at this East Coast premiere, presented during Hispanic Heritage Month.

José Juan Hernandez is the bad guy here, Officer Castelo, whom I detested right from the beginning, as he chases Luis (Marco Salazar), the caring father of Ana (Gretchen Midgley).

Ana’s mother Amanda (Lizzie Bartlett), even though far away, constantly sends her devotion and love to her daughter. The musical revolves around this quartet, their friction, their love, their voices.

(Unless I missed it, a death is never explained.)

At the show a man sat in front of me with a boy, about seven years old, who was entranced from beginning to end which says much about the action and dialogue.

Other cast members, many with Hispanic lineage, are Justin P. Lopez, Elizabeth Hoyland, Patrick Mahoney, Alex Lopez, Lenny Mendez, Connor Padilla, Emily Flack, and Oak Street elementary student Marco Romero.

Perennial Creative Cauldron

favorites return: Matt Connor who co-directs with Lehmann and Margie Jervis, whose flair for creating sets with the perfect combination of properties and backdrop make her a Cauldron mainstay. James Morrison’s constantly moving projections of Latino marches and protests induce the audience so that we join the action, too. Most effective in projections is Luis who frantically tries to climb a ladder to a roof to escape the police.

Lighting director Lynn Joslin manages what seems at least 50 changes throughout the show, including silhouettes which choreographer Stefan Sittig, another area theatre notable, uses for every square inch of available space. Slow motion is an effective tool designed in “Monarch” to convey intensity and special meaning.

Merissa Anne Driskell is music director and Nicholas J Goodman, stage manager.

This is the last season for Creative Cauldron at Pearson Square since it’s moving to a new 5000 square-foot space, as-

CREATIVE CAULDRON’S “MONARCH” features a cast of 12 performers singing almost 50 short pieces to describe the plight of undocumented immigrants. (Photo: William T Gallagher Photography) sisted by Falls Church fans who take pride in their hometown showplace. To contribute to the new venue, visit www.creativecauldron.org.

Monarch butterflies were once common but now are an endangered species, decimated by urban development, pesticides, and climate change. They hibernate and change, like the dream-

ers in “Monarch.”

The production is staged Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. through Oct. 29. Tickets start at $25 with discounts for groups. For a Sunday discount of $20 for all, use code SSS. Duration is about two hours with an intermission. 410 South Maple Ave., Retail 116, 703-436-9948.

SPO RTS

PAGE 8 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Meridian Field Hockey Stays Unbeaten, Football Wins Homecoming

by Ryan McCafferty

As the weather turns to cooler temps, we have another week for Meridian sports in the books.

The Football team was able to pick up a 56-7 win this past Friday night at home vs Manassas Park. With the win the mustangs improved their record to 3-4 and

gave the fans a nice victory for homecoming. They will play at Skyline tomorrow.

The girls field hockey team was able to pick up a 1-0 win over Fauquier on the road on Tuesday Oct 10th, a 7-0 win at Jackson-Reed on Thursday Oct 12th, and picked up a 14-0 win this past Monday at Liberty, remaining unbeaten.

The Girls volleyball team went on the road to knock of Mt. Vernon on October 9th 3-0 and they picked up a win vs Brentsville on October 12th. They finish up tonight at Manassas Park.

The Mustangs faced some wet and muddy conditions at the historic Third Battle Invite and came away with some impres-

MUSTANG GIRLS FIELD HOCKEY remains undefeated at 14-0 and Sets a New Season Scoring Record. (FCCPS Photos/Mustang Athletics)

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sive results to close out the regular season! In the Boy’s race, Tucker Albaugh led the team with his 62nd place finish and now has the fastest time for a Mustang on the course! In the Girl’s race, they were led by Molly Moore’s 7th place medal finish as the team finished 5th overall with 149pts beating out district rival Fauquier!

In the JV races, Sagar Nangia led the Boy’s with his 98th place finish and Ally Campbell led the Girl’s team and came away with a 4th place medal finish! Congrats to everyone who made the Third Battle All-Time List! Next up, the Mustangs take on the Northwestern District on Oct. 25th at Sherando HS.

FOOTBALL PICKS UP big 56-7 win over Manassas Park. Their season continues tomorrow at Skyline. (Photo: Gary Mester)

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FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 9

PAGE 10 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

Eddy, Part 7: ‘Not Interested In Being Like Everybody Else’ Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

(Part 7) At the National Dinner of the Human Rights Campaign last Saturday night, the 2,500 gathered in Washington, D.C. for yet another sold out gala were witness not only to a rousing address by President Joe Biden, but also a groundbreaking speech by the HRC’s President Kelley Robinson, who drew the largest cheer of the night with her emphatic assertion that “I’m not interested in being just like everybody else.”

Robinson said that the first chapter of the LGBTQ movement for equal rights was defined by stressing how LGBTQ folks are “just like everybody else,” suggesting that (speaking to a straight world) “except for what we do in bed, we’re just like you.” But then she intoned that it is time for a new chapter, so now the assertion is that “being like everybody else” no longer shall define the movement. “We shall not seek uniformity, but our creativity and diversity imply a freedom without exception.” It was stunning to hear the crowd’s reaction. The cheering hit new decibel level highs for the event.

Actually, those were new words coming from her in that context.

They more resembled the claim that this author first developed in his groundbreaking set of essays that ran for 100 weeks in Washington, D.C. LGBTQ magazine under the title, “Nick Benton’s Gay Science” and were then assembled into the book, “Extraordinary Hearts, Reclaiming Gay Sensibility’s Central Role in the Progress of Civilization” (Lethe Press, 2010) that twice rose to No. 1 in Amazon’s ‘Gay Studies’ ranking.

Yes, it also reflected the documentation of the study, reported in my last chapter of this work, of 1,500 species of mammals on the planet in the October 2023 edition of the journal Nature Communications that same-sex behavior correlates to “evolutionary advantages such as smoothing over conflicts…a way to form bonds and alliances, to reconcile after

a fight or to divert attention into courtship.”

How important is this? It suggests that in the evolution of sentient life on this planet, alternative sexual orientation and gender identity patterns likely represent the cutting edge of an evolution toward the development of a new human species better equipped to advance life on this planet to escape its eventual demise.

Consider the horrors of western humankind’s last 110 years, the hundreds of millions of lives lost, mostly of innocent civilians, to war and hatred, triggered by the onset of the Great War (World War I) in 1914 and covering the rise of fascism, mass racial exterminations like the Holocaust, the terrible toll taken by the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japanese cities to end World War II, and the still not ended propensity of straight male dominated cultures to slaughter innocents even as recently as this month in Israel.

Evolution gave us Prince Eddy, officially Prince Albert Victor, born in 1863 as next in line to the English throne, grandson of Queen Victoria whose kinder, gentler ways were encouraged by Victoria even as she worried about what her boorish son, who became Edward VII, would do even though his reign was brief.

Prince Eddy, as Edward’s VII’s eldest son, never got to become king for he died in 1892 ostensibly of the flu. Only a few years earlier he’d been caught up in the so-called Cleveland Street male brothel scandal of 1889, and a huge cover-up ensued to keep his name out of it. Rumors abounded about what really caused Eddy’s death so soon after.

But history tells us it was an unmitigated disaster for all humanity because Eddy’s brutish younger brother went on to become king in his stead as George V, and he stoked the flames of the Great War together with his cousins, Wilhelm of Prussia and Nicholas of Russia.

Could Eddy have navigated a different outcome had he lived to become king in 1910? No one can be certain, of course, but his temperament as a (closeted) gay man was clearly different, as was documented throughout his upbringing.

His were qualities that Queen Victoria seemed to favor, and we can postulate that nature provided one who could chart a course of peace had he not been cut down before having the chance.

CO MME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

My grandkids, both currently conquering elementary school, have suffered their share of injuries.

The events put our extended family through an arm broken on a scooter, a bump on the head from a coffee table (stitches at the E.R.), and a scary grab of some ill-advised medicine to munch on.

Their mishaps brought home a message to me in my golden years and prompted me to compile an inventory of youthful injuries experienced by me and my schoolmates.

My first-grade class portrait (circa 1960) displays me with a band-aid on my forehead.

It reflected the impact of an errantly swung softball bat at the playground of the old Page Elementary School.

Traipsing across slippery stepping stones on Gulf Branch when I was about 7, I sliced my shin on an angled rock. The doctor who happened to live next to our family adjudged that I didn’t need to go to the E.R. for stitches (to this day, the scar remains visible).

At James Madison Elementary School (now a community center), my fourth-grade classmate Jim, he recently reminded me,

was trying to cut a yo-yo string from its center axle. Instead, he jabbed his mother’s paring knife into his eye. Had to show up in school wearing an eye patch (and as a 70-year-old, he can still, in the mirror, see the doctor’s incision point).

Our friend Bobby, in second grade, broke a leg on the playground while attempting to “surf” on a large round log.

(My friend Marsha recalls being sent to the school office to seek help.)

Our classmate nicknamed JEP stunned us fifth-graders when he came to school with his arm in a cast that elevated it at an odd angle over his head.

(Can’t recall how he busted his shoulder.)

At Williamsburg Junior High, during an outdoor lunch break, someone tossed a huge rock in the air. Our classmate Parker, taking it to be a brown lunch bag, swung at it with his fist. He arrived a day or two later with white, thick, but highly signable cast.

Playing youth football, when I attempted to rush through an offensive lineman, my fingers got bent grotesquely back.

(The E.R. doc determined that the swollen appendage needed

a splint.) In high school football, an elbow from an opposing defensive lineman poked through my facemask and converted my nose to a bloody mass. (His tactic deviated my septum, which meant I had to breathe awkwardly for six years before getting an operation.)

So what is the deep and wise message I bequeath to my grandchildren?

As you struggle through the pain, the uncertainty, the anxious stints in the waiting room — and the vital rallying of family — please know that you are undergoing an experience that, in later life, you likely will remember. *** The monumental changes we’ve experienced in housing were crystalized for me during a recent sentimental walk through my young boyhood neighborhood of Cherrydale.

At 17th and N. Monroe sts., I strolled down to glimpse the small wooden (still standing) bungalow that was once the domicile of a first-grade classmate. Then, two blocks over— after I passed a narrow lot now the construction site for a sideways McMansion—I came upon a farmhouse-style completed luxury home.

Its detached garage out back is larger than my classmate’s entire home.

Voters’ Guide: League of Women Voters News & Messenger

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 11

FALL 2023 VOTERS’ GUIDE GENERAL ELECTION ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023 POLLS OPEN 6:00 AM TO 7:00 PM The League of Women Voters of Falls Church publishes this Voters’ Guide in print and online. The League has a long tradition of publishing the verbatim responses of candidates to questions important to voters. Please visit my.lwv.org/ virginia/falls-church for more information and go to VOTE 411.org to enter your address and compare candidates’ responses to the League’s questions. The League does not support or oppose any candidate or political party.

VOTER INFORMATION For more specific voter information, contact the City of Falls Church Voter Registration and Elections Office at (703) 2485085 (TTY 711) or email: vote@fallschurchva.gov regarding voter identification requirements, absentee voting by mail or in-person, and sample ballots. Online, go to www.fallschurchva.gov/vote.

ELECTION DAY VOTING: Registered voters who live in the City of Falls Church are eligible to vote at the appropriate polling place for their residences.

Polling Place Change: Ward 2 now votes at the Falls Church Community Center at 223 Little Falls Street. The former polling place at Falls Green Apartments (formerly Oakwood Apartments) will no longer be a polling place. Both Ward 2 and Ward 3 vote at the Falls Church Community Center. Ward 1 remains unchanged and will continue to vote at Oak Street Elementary School, 601 S Oak Street. (Please see map.)

IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED TO VOTE: Virginia law requires all in-person (early and Election Day) voters either to provide an acceptable form of ID or to sign an ID Confirmation Statement at the polls. Voters arriving at the polls without an acceptable form of ID will be required to either sign an ID Confirmation Statement or vote a provisional ballot. If a voter votes a provisional ballot, they will have until noon on the Friday following the election to deliver a copy of identification to their locality’s electoral board or sign an ID Confirmation Statement for their provisional ballot to be counted.

The following forms of identification may be used to vote: • Valid Virginia driver’s license or special identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (may be expired) • Valid employer-issued photo identification card • US Military identification card • Valid student identification card issued by a public or private high school or institution of higher education located in Virginia • Valid student identification card with a photo issued by any higher education institution located in the United States • Valid US Passport or passport card • Any federal, Virginia state, or local government-issued identification with photo • Virginia voter identification card issued by the Virginia Department of Elections • Voter confirmation documents • Valid tribal enrollment or other tribal ID from any of the 11 tribes recognized by Virginia • Nursing home resident ID if issued by a government facility

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• Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck containing the name and address of the voter • Any other current government document containing the name and address of the voter • Signed ID Confirmation Statement (available at the polling place) ABSENTEE VOTING: In Virginia, all registered voters may vote by absentee ballot, in-person, or by mail. No excuse is necessary.

ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL requires the completion of a Virginia Absentee Ballot Application Form online or by mail.

Your request for an absentee ballot by mail must be received by the Voter Registration and Elections Office by 5:00 pm Friday, October 27, 2023. You will be mailed the absentee ballot, which must be mailed back in time to reach the electoral board by noon on Monday, November 13. NOTE: A witness signature no longer is required on the absentee ballot envelope; however, the voter must write in the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number and their year of birth.

ber 22, 2023. You may vote in-person at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections, 300 Park Ave, Center Level, Suite 206, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm weekdays, and on Saturday, October 28 (9:00 am-5:00 pm), and Sunday, October 29 (12:00-3:00 pm). Early voting stays open late on Wednesday, November 1, until 7:00 pm. The last day to vote in-person absentee is on Saturday, November 4 (9:00 am-5:00 pm).

ABOUT THIS GUIDE: Candidates in the local races detailed below are listed in the order they appear on the ballot as determined by the Virginia State Board of Elections of the City of Falls Church Electoral Board.

FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD

ABSENTEE VOTING IN PERSON (Early Voting) began Septem-

In addition to these local races, this year’s ballot includes races for Senate of Virginia 37th District, Candidates: Kenneth D. “Ken” Reid (Rep), Saddam Azlan Salim (Dem); House of Delegates 13th District, Candidates: Marcus Simon (Dem), David A. Crance Jr. (Rep); and two uncontested races shared with Arlington County for Clerk of Court, Paul F. Ferguson (Dem) and Commonwealth’s Attorney, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (Dem).

VOTE

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9/28/23 8:04 AM

PAGE 12 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL THE OFFICE, TERM, AND COMPENSATION: The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions, approves budgets, sets tax rates, and establishes policy. The seven Council Members are elected at-large for four-year terms and are not affiliated with any national political party. Elections of City Council Members are held in November of odd-numbered years for three or four members. Three members are to be elected this year on November 7, 2023.

The annual compensation for Council Members is $9,200; the compensation for Mayor is $9,800. Effective on July 1, 2024, the salary for the Mayor will increase to $11,500 per annum, and the salary for each of the other City Council Members will increase to $11,000 per annum.

THE QUESTIONS: 1. What led you to run for this position, and, if elected, what are your top three PRIORITIES? 2. What initiatives would you support to ensure the City’s long-term FINANCIAL VIABILITY? 3. Please elaborate on why you support, oppose, or have no position on this statement: With current and proposed construction of apartments, condos, and senior living units, Falls Church is doing our part to address REGIONAL HOUSING needs.

4. How would you BALANCE increased DENSITY with environmental and sustainable INFRASTRUCTURE needs (such as tree canopy, stormwater, pedestrian and biking safety, parking, schools, and public works and emergency services)?

5. As an elected official, what would you do to support and respond to CITIZEN INPUT?

CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN THREE)

Erin H. Flynn

Biography: I’m a parent and public interest lawyer who has spent my career at the Department of Justice enforcing federal civil rights laws. I live here with my husband, who grew up in Falls Church and graduated from City schools, and our school-aged son.

Website: www.FlynnforFalls Church. com Email: erinhflynnfcc@gmail.com QUESTIONS: WHY RUNNING/PRIORITIES: I’m running for City Council because Council serves a critical oversight role and makes important decisions. I want to ensure City policy is responsive to resident concerns, enjoys strong community support, and embraces that which makes Falls Church unique -- its smalltown feel, successful local businesses, excellent schools, and walkable, tree-lined streets. My background makes me well suited to advocate for and secure the best possible results for our community. I’ll prioritize: (1) the reliable delivery of City services, including by making sure we have the workforce and infrastructure to meet basic needs; (2) appropriately scaled development that protects the pedestrian experience and accounts for increased traffic on local streets; and (3) the

Justine J. Underhill

Biography: Justine is an award-winning journalist. She served as an elected commissioner in Dupont Circle, where she represented neighbors in negotiations over a large development complex. Justine graduated from Georgetown with degrees in Economics and Theater.

Website: www.justineunderhill.org Email: justineunderhillfc@gmail. com Telephone: 703-544-4936 QUESTIONS: WHY RUNNING/PRIORITIES: I’ve spent most of my life within a 15 minute drive of Falls Church, but as a journalist I’ve had the chance to live in 17 cities. This exploration inspired me to research key things we can do to promote community, productivity, and overall life happiness. My main focus is improving our urban design, which will improve many other issues in surprising yet powerful ways: 1. Transportation: Networks of walking, biking and public transit routes mean that everyone, including children and seniors, can get around safely. This also boosts independence and reduces congestion and pollution. 2.

Public space: More tree canopy, outdoor dining and pocket parks can bolster community and improve public safety. 3. Tax base & housing: Environmentally sustainable housing along

tree canopy, green space, stormwater management, and sound environmental policy.

FINANCIAL VIABILITY: The City should seek to achieve the best possible residential and commercial environments, and excellent schools and services, while maintaining reasonable tax rates. It must adhere to strong fiscal policies and high ethical standards to ensure its financial health. The City has kept its operating budget within organic growth and has strong capital reserves, and it consistently pursues state and federal funds to help finance costs. We must ensure sound fiscal and economic projections, undertake reliable market analyses, and actively promote the City as a first-rate place to live, visit, and do business. And we must negotiate strong agreements that provide the City leverage and reduce risk where other parties don’t meet their obligations.

REGIONAL HOUSING: Support this statement. Falls Church is growing rapidly. The City projects households will grow 75% (from 5300 to 9300) between 2020 and 2045, with an increase of 1500 units by next year. Another 700 units will soon follow if One City Center, and the 450 senior living units at West Falls and Quinn/Homestretch, are built. That’s half the projected increase within only a few years. At this point, the City should work on preserving the 100-plus dedicated affordable units at The Fields and Pearson Square that will expire within five years. If not, it will have a net loss in affordable units, and risk displacing residents, despite recent development and other programs. We must explore strategies,

including public-private partnerships, to meet pressing housing needs.

BALANCE DENSITY/INFRASTRUCTURE: The City must preserve mature trees and green space to counteract heat islands, promote walkability, and help manage stormwater. And it should prioritize improved sidewalks and signals, increased bike infrastructure, and pedestrian safety. As density increases and weather worsens, the City must tackle infrastructure needs through its public works program and redevelopment. To achieve better outcomes, Council should retain oversight over most multi-family projects. It must use sound fiscal modeling to project revenues and costs, including for schools, and budget for changing public safety needs (e.g., at/near schools and related to senior housing). Traffic and parking studies can help gauge the effects of development and inform decisions.

CITIZEN INPUT: I commit to inform residents of the issues before Council, actively solicit input, and rely on that input to craft a path forward. I trust that when residents engage on issues, they are doing so in good faith and for the betterment of their City. I will respect whoever shares their views, whether informally or in a public meeting. And I will encourage courteous and respectful civil discourse that acknowledges the complexities of the issues the City faces and the oft-competing interests involved. In my experience, decisions are better when informed by multiple perspectives and the knowledge and experience of City residents and small business owners. I support City outreach by varied means and continued remote participation in meetings.

transit corridors, where people can live car-free, has co-benefits of tempering soaring housing costs while lowering our tax rate.

FINANCIAL VIABILITY: Our long-term financial viability generally boils down to ensuring that tax revenues exceed expenses. On the expenses side, I support investing in upgrades that will reduce our costs in the long-run, including green energy (solar panels and heat pumps) as well as technology to make city processes more efficient. On the revenue side, as of 2021, mixed-use residential buildings have netted the city more than $4 million annually, helping lower our property tax rate by about 10 cents to $1.23. This type of development also provides funds for our infrastructure needs, including our new high school. On City Council I will balance development with our needs as a growing city, while maintaining the charm and character of our “Little City”.

REGIONAL HOUSING: Oppose this statement. It’s difficult to quantify “doing our part”: We have a nationwide housing crisis, and housing is not strictly a regional market. One simple way to look at the issue is through population growth: The DC area population increased by 80% since 1980, yet housing stock in Falls Church has only increased by 32%. Meanwhile the affordability gap between wages and home costs in Falls Church continues to climb. There are opportunities in Falls Church to provide medium density housing and improve our quality of life. We have underutilized space (look no further than the Stratford Motel site), where we can better live up to our values as a welcoming, inclusive community.

BALANCE DENSITY/INFRASTRUCTURE: Surprisingly, density and environmental and sustainable infrastructure needs are congruent with each other, not in opposition. Sprawl is far more costly for both environmental and public infrastructure needs (more service lines and roadways). If we design our city to reduce our reliance on paved spaces, parking lots and roadways, we can dedicate more space to tree canopy, permeable surfaces and stormwater disposal, stream restoration projects, and pedestrian and biking areas. In many ways density can help improve traffic flow too, as there are more people to support public transit infrastructure – but it’s crucial we get the details right. I would aim to make our urban design sustainable for our schools, community life and environment.

CITIZEN INPUT: Citizen input will be important to my decision-making process. I believe we can shape better policies when we address issues from many different points of view.

1. Regular outreach: I will plan to regularly reach out to different neighborhood listservs as well as apartment and condo buildings. I started conducting this type of outreach over the past 8 months, especially to engage people who might not otherwise have time to be involved. 2. Office Hours: I’ll maintain consistent office hours for anyone to drop by and discuss their concerns. 3. Transparency: I pledge to ensure that all my city council decisions are transparent, with clear rationales provided. Together, we can shape an inclusive, responsive, and forward-thinking city.

VOTE

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GENERAL ELECTION ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023 POLLS OPEN 6:00 AM TO 7:00 PM

VOTE

CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

9/28/23 8:04 AM

FCNP.COM | FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 13

CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL—CONTINUED

Tim K. Stevens

Biography: I have lived in the City for 32 years, and am currently chair of the Planning Commission.

Website: stevensforfallschurch.com Email: tks505@verizon.net Telephone: 703-220-8084 QUESTIONS: WHY RUNNING/PRIORITIES: I hope that the record I’ve established in my many years of volunteer work here in the City and the fact that I have time to work on City issues allows you to consider me a viable candidate for City Council. My top three priorities are, first, ensuring that our City continues as a viable independent jurisdiction that generally meets the needs of as many of our residents and business representatives as possible, while accepting and adapting to emerging regional, national, and international trends. My second one is providing additional focus to our efforts to respond to climate change, both in terms of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating our efforts to prepare for and adapt to expected extreme weather conditions. And my third priority is to ensure that we are a welcoming community for everyone, with

Letty C. Hardi

Biography: City Council Member since 2016; Former Financial Services & Marketing Professional; Mother of 3 FCCPS Children; Active Volunteer in FCCPS and Community Website: lettyhardi.org, with link to my weekly blog posts Email: lettyhardifcc@gmail.com QUESTIONS: WHY RUNNING/PRIORITIES: I’ve had the honor of serving for 8 years and I’m running for re-election because I’m committed to a city that is more vibrant, equitable, and sustainable for now and future generations. And do it in a way that keeps you engaged!

My priorities: 1) Housing: we’ve made significant strides in affordable housing, but still need more options that match our inclusive values and promote generational, racial, and socioeconomic diversity and so homeownership can be a reality for more. 2) Accessibility and Sustainability: keep advancing our infrastructure and environmental footprint. Safe streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, traffic calming, tree canopy, green spaces, stormwater infrastructure. 3) Excellent city services and schools with strong fiscal stewardship: we have built new schools, library, and more while lowering the tax rate. With economic development underway, we have room to keep going.

additional emphasis on groups that sometimes get left aside.

FINANCIAL VIABILITY: Based on state traditions and policies, it is challenging for any City in Virginia to meet the obligations for a range of services our taxpayers must support. A relatively small level of financial assistance comes from state government, and the state legislature limits the types of local taxes that can be implemented. Providing K-12 public education and police services are especially expensive obligations which our taxpayers must fund. Therefore, it is important that we continue to encourage development of our commercial sector to moderate the tax burdens from residential real estate taxes.

Successful businesses need customers, which means that we should welcome some increase in our population.

REGIONAL HOUSING: Oppose this statement. In past decades, Falls Church did not welcome large mixed-use developments. That trend has been reversed in recent years, resulting in catch-up increases in the supply of rental apartments. Older residential units have been replaced with large expensive homes. The result is that some demographic groups have been well-served with housing options in our City. However, the City offers very few options for younger, first-time and less affluent buyers, including those who do not want to live in large multi-family buildings. We should be looking for ways to encourage development of more diverse housing types, such as townhouses and small-scale apartment and condo buildings.

Housing units with smaller square footage would be attractive.

BALANCE DENSITY/INFRASTRUCTURE: I view density as mainly supportive of environmental needs, especially as relates to climate change. Providing more housing options in close-in suburbs (like ours) means that fewer people will need to seek housing in distant suburbs, which is almost always built in large spread-out fashion (“sprawl”). The U.S. has very high per capita greenhouse gas emissions mainly due to low-density development, causing the need for long vehicle trips for work, school, shopping, etc. Higher density leads to more efficient use of infrastructure such as streets, stormwater, sidewalks, sewer systems, etc. Recent increases in density in Falls Church have occurred mainly in limited business districts, allowing significant tree canopy in residential areas.

CITIZEN INPUT: I have been active on City boards for 15 years, during which time I have always been available to any resident and business member who wants a one-on-one discussion. Because I am no longer working full-time, I have time for civic discussions. One of the main reasons we work hard to maintain our independence as a local jurisdiction is that we value what it means to experience government at a small scale, with relatively easy access to our elected officials. Yes, we could merge with another jurisdiction, but imagine having to travel to Government Center, or Courthouse Road to resolve an issue, or having to give up local control of our schools.

FINANCIAL VIABILITY: In recent years, we’ve made generational investments across the city (new high school, library, & other infrastructure) in a fiscally responsible way: we’ve grown our tax base, lowered the tax rate 12.5 cents & maintained a triple A bond rating. While there are some short term growing pains, what we’re doing is working: 1) Keep diversifying our tax base, which means the burden on individual households is smaller. 2) Our businesses need more than our own residents to thrive. Efforts like downtown beautification, parking improvements, accessible sidewalks, wayfinding, heritage tourism help us be a destination for more 3) FCCPS is a big part of our city’s renown and our budget - keep up strong collaboration on financial and capital planning.

REGIONAL HOUSING: Support this statement. With a national and regional housing crisis, every city has a role to play.

Falls Church is doing our part with more housing supply and our new affordable homeownership program - yet there is more to do. While we’re adding 50% more affordable units in the next few years, previously built units will expire so those will need to be preserved while adding more affordable and workforce housing. We also should have more diverse housing options for a variety of life stages and needs - beyond large single family homes and apartments - where seniors can age in place, graduates can afford to return home, families of all kinds can attend our top-notch schools, workers can live closer to jobs, & starter homes can once again co-exist in neighborhoods.

BALANCE DENSITY/INFRASTRUCTURE: Density vs sustainability is a false choice - we can have both and we have been striving to do both. As a previously Sierra Club-endorsed candidate, I’ve learned from environmental experts that appropriately planned density where there is infrastructure, jobs, transportation, & services reduces exurban sprawl and traffic congestion - which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions that is better for our planet. With every new development, we actually negotiate and secure improved environmental conditions and infrastructure: stormwater improvements, street trees, bike infrastructure, public parking, EV chargers, wider sidewalks with undergrounded utilities, and financial contributions to help offset any impacts to operating and capital costs.

CITIZEN INPUT: Constituent communication and engagement have been a key part of how I have served. Beyond public comment replies, I write weekly blog posts about city business to better inform you, seek input, and explain my positions. I was the first to hold regular office hours and implemented monthly “Ask the Council” sessions for more two way dialogue. I’m also happy to meet 1:1 and you’ll frequently spot me at a coffeeshop doing so. I’m also a believer of “meeting people where they are” - instead of traditional town halls, I’ve encouraged pop ups so the city can be more accessible to those who don’t have the ability to attend meetings. We should also continue our biannual community-wide surveys for representative input to guide city priorities.

FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD THE OFFICE, TERM, AND COMPENSATION: The School Board’s primary responsibilities are to set policy for the school division, approve the annual budget, develop a strategic plan, and hire a superintendent to operate the school division in accordance with board policy.

The seven School Board Members serve four-year terms and are not affiliated with any national political party. Elections of School Board Members are held in November of oddnumbered years for three or four members. Three members are to be elected this year on November 7, 2023. The annual compensation for School Board Members is $3,600; for the Vice Chair, $4,800; and for the Chair, $6,000.

VOTE PAGE 3

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THE QUESTIONS: 1. What led you to run for this position, and, if elected, what are your top three PRIORITIES? 2. Please elaborate on why you support, oppose, or have no position on this statement: Falls Church City public schools are ADEQUATELY RESOURCED to manage a potential increase in students, given the current and anticipated development in the City.

3. How would you address CONFLICT between the values and policies of Falls Church City Public Schools and mandates of the Virginia Department of Education?

4. How would you ATTRACT and RETAIN quality educational staff, in light of staffing shortages in the region and across the country?

GENERAL ELECTION ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023 POLLS OPEN 6:00 AM TO 7:00 PM

VOTE

CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CANDIDATES FOR FALLS CHURCH CITY SCHOOL BOARD (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN THREE)

Bethany R. Henderson

Biography: https://bethanyforschoolboard.org/about Website: www.bethanyforschool board.org Email: bethanyforschoolboard@ gmail.com QUESTIONS: WHY RUNNING/PRIORITIES: Our family was drawn to Falls Church City more than a decade ago by the small, vibrant, engaged public school community and the K-12 IB program.

During the decade my children have been enrolled in FCCPS, they have experienced many teachers and school staff who’ve made the effort to know them as individuals, access to abundant enrichment opportunities, and a consistent centering – through

Jerrod F. Anderson

Biography: I have lived in Falls Church City since 2016 with my wife and two boys (1st and 3rd graders). I work as a health statistician and have served on the FCCPS School Board since last February.

Website: andersonforfccschoolboard.com Email: andersonfccschoolboard@ gmail.com QUESTIONS: WHY RUNNING/PRIORITIES: Our family moved to FCC in 2016 and this is our 6th year in FCCPS. I have served as a room parent, volunteered at sporting events, the HTG games, the book fair, sat on the school board’s Special Education Advisory Committee, and, since February 2023, served as a member of the school board. I am running for school board to continue my service to the community. A board member’s major duties are setting the budget, strategic planning, and governance and oversight. In carrying out those

Amie S. Murphy

Biography: I am a Trial Attorney with 16 years of experience enforcing civil rights laws at the U.S. Department of Justice. I have lived in Falls Church since 2016 and I am the proud mom of two daughters who attend FCCPS. Website: www.amiemurphy.org Email: amurphy1107@gmail.com Telephone: 917-951-8467 QUESTIONS: WHY RUNNING/PRIORITIES: My career has taken me to underserved communities across the United States; a reminder of the value of education and how lucky we are to have excellent schools. I’m running for SB to bring the experience and values I’ve gained through working with groups from diverse backgrounds to my service to the school community. My top priority is student achievement and ensuring that the schools are meeting the diverse learning needs of all students, no matter whether their next step is col-

the IB curriculum – of their developing the capacities and skills critical to thriving not only in school, but in life. I want to ensure that every single child and family in Falls Church City has access to those same opportunities. If elected, my top three priorities are: equity and inclusion, ensuring our schools are adequately resourced, and perpetuating the K-12 IB program.

ADEQUATELY RESOURCED: No position on this statement.

We are privileged to live in a community that invests heavily in its public schools. This year’s unexpected increase in student enrollment merits an exploration into why the 2023-24 projections were so off and a reevaluation of coming years’ enrollment projections, to inform what our schools need in order to be adequately resourced to manage future enrollment levels.

CONFLICT: Educating the next generation is our most sacred civic trust. 15 years as a parent and nearly a decade working in youth development has taught me that children learn best when they are able to be their whole selves at school. And that

educators are most effective when they are empowered to bring their whole selves to work and to be allies to, and champions of, their students. I staunchly support the current FCCPS values and policies. If elected, I will fight to ensure that every member of the FCCPS community experiences - in every interaction with our school district - that they are seen, that they are valued, and that they belong.

ATTRACT/RETAIN: People want to work where they feel consistently seen, heard, supported, and valued. Being named one of the Washington Post’s 2023 Top Workplaces – based on anonymous educational staff surveys – demonstrates that FCCPS is doing a lot right. We can attract new top educators who are feeling disenfranchised from their districts by publicizing that FCCPS is a district that values empowering its educators. Retaining top educators requires that we be competitive in educator compensation, responsive to educators’ concerns, and continue to empower our educators to bring their whole selves to their work.

duties, I will seek to ensure 1) that the schools and school board engage in productive two-way communication with the community, 2) that student’s needs are being met, and 3) that the board engages in decision making processes that focus on continuous improvement.

ADEQUATELY RESOURCED: Support this statement. Long range planning for capital improvements is an important duty for the school board. According to the current 5-year capital improvement plan, the schools ranged between 70 and 77 percent capacity for the number of students being served. Current developments at West Falls Church are what is funding the new high school that FCCPS students have been using for 2.5 years. These developments also bring in additional tax revenue, and the additional commercial-use real estate allows for more diversification of the tax base within Falls Church City.

While any future school board member needs to be aware of the long term impacts of future developments, we are currently in a good position to manage potential increases in enrollment.

CONFLICT: While I am currently a member of the School Board, I am responding to this question as a candidate - not as a Board member. Falls Church City is a small, relational com-

munity. That strength allows us to address individual student needs with nuance and student-family-school collaboration, which rigid rules developed by those outside the community cannot achieve. With regard to FCCPS’ response, I believe that existing FCCPS policies of nondiscrimination are consistent with state and federal law and that the FCCPS policies provide a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from discrimination and harassment for all students and staff.

ATTRACT/RETAIN: I would continue to offer competitive pay and benefits and an excellent work environment. FCCPS and the school board, based on a commissioned third-party salary study in April, created regionally competitive pay scales for teachers and staff. FCCPS is the only district in the NOVA region to offer parental leave. And staff, including bus drivers and food service workers, receive health insurance and paidfor community college classes. In addition to pay and benefits, FCCPS uses planning ratios (e.g. staff per student) that result in more teachers and staff per student than state standards of quality require. Not only does this mean smaller classes on average but also more staff supporting teachers in their work of teaching our children.

lege or a career. Second, in our post-pandemic world, it’s crucial to prioritize mental health. We should be focused on helping students manage conflict, handle stress, navigate the pressures of social media, and treat others with kindness. Third, we are impacted by a nationwide teacher shortage. We must ensure we offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain this valuable resource.

ADEQUATELY RESOURCED: Support this statement. Based on current data, we have the capacity to accommodate more students in each of our schools. Nevertheless, projections aren’t perfect, and ensuring that each student has a desk is not the only concern. As many of you know, school enrollment this year is up by 93 students, which is 75 more than what was expected.

It’s important that we get to the bottom of why these estimates were so far off so that we can safely rely on future projections.

Falls Church is known for being a welcoming community, and I am excited about its growth. Accurate data and a continuous dialogue with City Council are crucial for the Board to ensure that any increase in enrollment is matched with an increase in resources to support the students and staff.

CONFLICT: One of the things I love most about the FCCPS

community is its commitment to being open, welcoming, and accessible to everyone. With over fifteen years of experience enforcing civil rights statutes, I feel confident sending my daughters to a place where they are learning the same values we teach at home. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with my Board colleagues to maintain and develop policies that align with these values and priorities. If any mandates of the Virginia Department of Education require the adoption of policies or practices that appear to conflict with that, I will work with my colleagues to advocate for what’s best for our schools.

ATTRACT/RETAIN: Attracting and retaining quality educators is one of my top priorities. Burnout, low pay, and politics are some of the reasons we are facing a nationwide teacher shortage. Now that collective bargaining has been approved, I’m hopeful that giving teachers a guaranteed seat at the table and voice in negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment will improve job satisfaction. In the end, however, it comes down to offering competitive salaries and benefits, rewarding high performance, and supporting opportunities for professional growth.

The Fall 2023 Voters’ Guide was prepared, using monies from the LWV Education Fund, by: Like us on Facebook League of Women Voters of Falls Church

League of Women Voters of Falls Church P.O. Box 156 Falls Church, VA 22040 https://my.lwv.org/virginia/falls-church

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

The Middle East is a bedrock for faith and civilization. Like most people, I was horrified and heartbroken by the news of the attacks in Israel. Terrorism and violence beget more bloodshed and fear, but resolve nothing. Sadly, since the medieval Crusades, the Middle East has experienced terrorism and violence. The centuries-old, romanticized ideas of horseback and swordplay have been replaced by the sophistication and horrors of modern warfare.

Twenty-five years ago, I toured Israel with a group of local elected officials on a legislative study mission. This weekend, I reviewed my journal from that trip, and found that it appears that not much has changed during the past quarter century. Our tour schedule included a trip to the Golan Heights, a kibbutz near the Lebanon border, a visit to an Israeli Air Force base, the Knesset (Israel’s Congress), the Hadassah Hospital at Ein Karem, and an unforgettable meeting with representatives of the Palestine Political Council.

Especially memorable was our discussion with young Israeli Air Force pilots. One young man had just turned 22 and noted that most pilots in the U.S. were considerably older, yet he was responsible for just as much multi-million-dollar machinery as they were. If you join the Army at 18, serve two years, and then attend

flight school, you could be flying jets at 21 or 22, without a college education. The Air Force divides up the air space, even over the Mediterranean Sea, and it is easy to fly from one side of Israel to the other in a matter of minutes. A wall map showed how tight the airspace is; a jet barely gets off the ground before the pilot must make immediate maneuvers to remain in Israeli airspace.

If airspace is tight, the view from the Golan Heights demonstrates just how compact the area is. Our tour bus followed a tank road to the ridge of a mountain; the roadsides were fenced off and posted for left-over mines. It was desolate, with an occasional deep gash in the soil – tank traps gouged out by bulldozers to protect the Golan Heights for its water and its strategic geography.

Coincidentally, Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister during our visit. He was not terribly popular in 1998; now, 25 years later, Netanyahu is in power for the third time. In our discussions with the Palestine Political Council, the peace process dominated, but there seemed to be little acceptance of compromise.

One Palestinian representative noted that “there must be compromise.

Israel must give some; Palestinians may give some.” Conditions in Gaza were described as depressive and oppressive, and that no amount of

investment in schools, hospitals, etc., would compensate for loss of land.

There was a lot of frank discussion, but few realistic solutions.

A later discussion with members of the Knesset reflected similar feelings. A Likud Party member told us that Palestinians are not prepared to give up. “It is Western thinking vs.

Eastern thinking. Arabs see land, and are unprepared to compromise on anything,” he said. The intensity of those conversations was tempered a bit by a young mother from a West Bank settlement, who said “the hardest thing to do as a mother is to teach your children not to hate. The idea is to avoid war, not merely win it when it comes. We have a right to be here as well. Nobody loves land more than lives in this country.”

The hard lines I observed 25 years ago haven’t changed much.

As with all conflicts, noncombatants may pay the heaviest price, as families, homes, schools, and businesses are destroyed. Bloodshed and fear will continue to prevail, as new generations face the same challenges that have defined the Middle East for many decades, if not centuries.  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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

C RIME RE PORT Week of October 9 - 15, 2023 Larceny from Vehicle, W Broad St, on September 27th, unknown suspect(s) took items of value from a vehicle.

Larceny from Building, Founders Ave, on October 7th, unknown suspect(s) took a package.

Public Intoxication, Wilson Blvd, Oct 9, a male was arrested for public intoxication.

Commercial Burglary, W Broad St, Oct 9, unknown suspect(s) forced entry to a rear door and took items of value.

Commercial Burglary, Leesburg Pike, on October 6th and October 9th, unknown suspect(s) forced entry to a secured door and took items of value.

Larceny from Vehicle, Roosevelt Blvd, on October 9th and October 10th, unknown suspect(s) took items of value from a vehicle.

Larceny from Vehicle, Roosevelt Blvd, on October 10th and

October 11th, unknown suspect(s) took items of value from a vehicle.

Stolen Automobile, W Broad St, on October 1st and October 11th, unknown suspect(s) stole a box trailer.

Abduction/Peeping Tom, Wilson Blvd, Oct 12, victim reported male suspect peeping in women’s restroom and briefly preventing her from leaving.

Larceny from Building, S Maple Ave, Oct 12, unknown suspect(s) took a bicycle from this location.

Fraud, S Washington St, on October 6th and October 12th, two unknown suspects fraudulently purchased items of value.

Larceny from Building, N Washington St, on September 15th and October 13th, unknown suspect(s) took a bicycle from this location.

Larceny from Building, W Broad St, on October 11th and October 14th, unknown suspect(s) took two bicycles from this location.

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 15

Delegate Marcus Simon’s

Richmond Report This is my last column before the November 7th general election, where all 140 members of the General Assembly are on the ballot across Virginia. In 2019, I used this column to try to help readers imagine how much better Virginia could be if we managed to take control of both the House and Senate with a Democratic Governor already two years into his term.

A year later, I used this column to reflect on how much of what I’d predicted had come to pass.

We’d passed seven common sense gun violence prevention bills, expanded voter access to the polls, instituted meaningful criminal justice reform, repealed the death penalty, expanded anti-discrimination laws, passed the Equal Rights Amendment, and continued the minimum wage increase.

Although we lost our House majority by less than 300 total votes in 2021, with the Democrats holding the State Senate, the GOP failed in their efforts to roll back or repeal most of these laws over the last two years, but not for a lack of trying.

We know what can happen if we have the majority. In 2023, this column is about what happens if the Virginia GOP takes control of the Senate and the House in addition to the top three state-wide offices.

I can tell you it won’t be pretty.

Everything that the Republicans have failed to do legislatively, they will do.

There will be nothing to stop them.

The Governor has already said repeatedly that he will “gleefully” sign any abortion restriction bill that reaches his desk. I know Halloween is right around the corner, but don’t be tricked by the Governor’s efforts to mask his true intentions. Given the opportunity, the Virginia GOP would pass legislation banning abortion.

This is in spite of the fact that a recently released poll from Christopher Newport University found that more than 70 percent of Virginians think our abortion laws should stay the same or become less restrictive than they are now.

Speaking of masquerading as something you aren’t, we’ve watched the Governor funding a PR campaign to encourage Republican voters to set aside their concerns about early voting. At the same time, the Virginia House GOP passed bills that would have all but eliminated early voting, reduced the number of early voting days, banned ballot drop boxes,

and required even more aggressive purging of voter rolls. They will certainly never pass a Constitutional Amendment on the Right to Vote and restoration of rights will become even less of a priority.

And all the budget surpluses accumulated under Democratic leadership? Look for sweeping corporate tax cuts. Every economic advantage that the Governor wanted for big corporations in the recent state budget, Republicans will push for at the expense of individual taxpayers.

Criminal justice reform and gun violence prevention programs will take a hard hit. They’ll put a stop to any true reform like earned sentence credits. Getting a concealed carry permit will get even easier as will purchasing any kind of firearm.

Plus, you’ll see the end of “gun free” zones as firearms will be permitted anywhere.

While it’s possible they won’t come outright with a banned book list, they will institute tighter control over what our public schools and public libraries have access to, and what our kids can read.

And that’s not the only aspect of our kids’ education that will come under attack. We saw their response to COVID-19 protocols.

There is already a teacher shortage and Republicans’ seeming distrust of teachers will only make this worse.

You should expect to see weakening of protections for the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination at schools or in employment under the guise of so-called “religious freedom” exceptions.

The Governor’s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) will have only been the first step in their plan to reduce environmental protections and to continue to deny the extent or even the existence of climate change.

Public employees will likely lose their right to form unions and collectively bargain for better pay and working conditions.

Frankly, I’d rather not find out if these predictions come true. And I’d rather not be writing a March column that points to all the bad bills the Republicans passed during the 2024 Session that the Governor will gleefully sign into law.

This election is so important, and we owe it to ourselves, to those we love, and to our community to ensure that Virginia remains an inclusive place to live, work, and raise a family.

PAGE 16 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

Fa l l s C h u r c h School News & Notes MHS Band Students Ready to Work Have any leaves that need raking? Kids that need babysitting? Garden that needs tending? A neighborhood concert you’d like musicians to play?

Then consider hiring a Meridian High School musician to get the job done.

As part of the MUSIC Days fundraiser, from October 21 through December 3 Meridian High School musicians will be out in the community working to earn money for their once-in-a-lifetime trip to play at Carnegie Hall in New York City in April. All proceeds from these jobs goes directly to help pay for their spring trip to the Big Apple where they will play on stage at Carnegie and in a band exchange program with an arts high school in Brooklyn, NY. Let the capable, hardworking NYC-bound musicians help with odd jobs this fall.

For more information or to place a job request, visit: forms.gle/ JqoAvJXJzwHDF8Ww5 or email musicdaysgmhs@gmail.com.

6th Graders Soar to New Heights

The “High Flying Rockets” project explores rocketry and the principles of space flight.

Students in the Integrative STEM (6th grade) class taught

by Dr. Ray Wu-Rorrer work

in teams with supervision to construct and launch a rocket from scratch. They observe their achievements and challenges, as well as those of other student teams, complete a reflection sheet, and research the pioneers of the rocket science field.

The lesson focuses on aerospace engineering and how space flight has been achieved from an engineering vantage point. Students build and launch a model rocket and consider the forces on a rocket, Newton’s Laws, and other principles and challenges of actual space vehicle launch. They design their structure on paper, learn about aerospace engineering, launch their rocket, and share observations with their class.

Hladky Takes Helm as FCEF’s Exec. Director

The Board of Directors of the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF) has appointed Suzanne Hladky as Executive Director. FCEF was founded in 2004 and supports the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) through three pillars: equity of access, staff readiness, and student preparedness for the 21st century. Suzanne is a familiar face in Falls Church, having served as FCEF Development Director for more than 3 years, and is a regular community volunteer in many organizations.

Suzanne replaces former Executive Director Debbie Hiscott, who has moved onto a position

SCHO O L

with another organization. Under Debbie’s leadership the ongoing partnership between the school division and the Foundation flourished. In the past five years, FCEF has raised more than $2M to support FCCPS through events like Run for the Schools, Annual Gala and Auction, Little City Scramble, as well as planned giving and annual donations.

FCCPS looks forward to working closely with Suzanne to designate those funds on great projects like the Family Assistance Fund, Super Grants, Teacher Training Grants, Memorial Scholarships and more.

Nominations Open for Employee Awards

The nomination calendar and process are changing in 2023, but the awards remain the same. The initial nomination packet requirements are shorter to reduce the burden on nominators. Following initial nominations, school employees will select their building or department nominee for each award.

Those selected as building/ department nominees will be announced in November, and a more robust nomination packet will be assembled by the school community.

The division-wide selection process will follow. The winner of each award will be announced in January 2024. Contact awards@ fccps.org with questions.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY (NHS) induction ceremony occurred on September 26th, where MHS welcomed 80 new members into the NHS family. (Photo: Meridian High School)

Community Service Project Showcase Soon The community service project showcase will be held at the Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School gymnasium on Friday, October 20 from 9:45 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. Community service projects (CSP) give students an opportunity to develop an awareness of needs in various communities and address those needs through service learning. The CSP showcase is a culmination of their research and efforts.

FCCPS Food Services Announcement

FCCPS Food Services would like to remind families that all students who get free and reduced meals get a free breakfast included. FCCPS accepts applications for the Free Reduced Meals Program at all times. Please visit the website at fccps.org/o/fccps/page/freereduced-meals to download the application. Once the application is complete, please email it to foodservices@fccps.org.

Sustainable Clothes Swap Coming Soon

MHS GRADES COMPETED in friendly competition on Friday afternoon as part of the Homecoming week Pep Rally. (Photo: Chrissy Henderson)

Swap the kid’s outgrown dress clothes for new ones. Get more closet space back without taking up more landfill space.

Activities for grades 6-12, such as band, chorus, middle school Promenade, high school externships, etc., all require special dress-up clothes, which at this age are often outgrown before the next event. This is a chance to give those old black skirts, blazers, and button-downs a new life — and maybe make one’s

life easier by bringing home the next size up.

Between now and October 20, drop off clean, gently used dress clothes suitable for grades 6-12 at 912 Lincoln Ave. and mark the calendar for in-person shopping on Oct. 24 at the Meridian cafeteria from 6 - 8 p.m.

MEHMS Celebrates 1st PBIS Reward Day

Last week was Henderson’s first PBIS Reward Day of the 2023-2024 school year. All quarter, students have been earning Bark Bucks from teachers and staff around the building for exhibiting the 10 IB Learner Profile Traits: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risktakers, Balanced, and Reflective.

Thousands of Bark Bucks have been earned this year.

MHS Paws for a Cause to Host Pet Supply Drive MHS Paw for a Cause will host a pet supply drive until Friday, October 20. Beds, toys, food, bowls, collars, treats and more can be dropped at the collection bin in the MHS office.

Support MHS Robotics at taim

Meridian HS Robotics will host a fundraiser on Friday, October 20 from 3 p.m. — 10 p.m. at taim mediterranean kitchen (7502 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). Mention Meridian High School Robotics when ordering in-store; 25 percent of sales will go to the robotics team.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

LO CA L

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 17

News-Press

Community News & Notes

NAN LOPATA AND her winning entries included a neckpiece titled, “The First Men” and a brooch, “The Oracle.” Lopata won the Juror’s Choice Award at FCArt’s “Alchemy of Metal: Repurpose and Re-use” exhibit. (Photo: Susan Hillson)

EDWARD JONES OPENED a brand new, multi financial advisor office in Falls Church, at 3110 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 910, 22042. Pictured is the ribbon cutting with members of the F.C. City Council. Financial Advisors Anne Byerly, CFP, Rocco Russo, and Nicole Kaplan are assisted by Branch Office Staff Paulina Popa and Jill Gentile. (Photo: Falls Church Chamber of Commerce)

Falls Church Cable Access Hosts Ribbon Cutting Meridian High School will hold a ribbon cutting and open house for the Daniel M. Arons Memorial Studio today from 6:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.

The Open House showcases the reopening with state-of-the-art equipment and rebranding as the “City of Falls Church Independent Media.”

Halloween Carnival Coming Soon Grab the little goblins and ghouls for the spooktacular family fun Halloween Carnival on Saturday, October 28. Activities include games, inflatables, candy, fall snacks, and more. Wristbands to participate in all activities will be available for purchase onsite and for presale at the Community Center starting October 25 for $1 per person.

The Arc Hosts Arctoberfest Bring the family out for Arctoberfest, a Halloween Extravaganza on Saturday, October

21. The Arc of Northern Virginia promises fun-for-all-ages and will be held at The Columbus Club, Knights of Columbus, 5115 Little Falls Road, Arlington. Tickets are on sale now and available at thearcofnova.org/ arctoberfest/#tickets.

St Thomas to Host Community Fall Festival On Saturday, October 21 from 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m., St Thomas Episcopal Church will hold their community fall festival at 8891 Brook Road, McLean. Food trucks, live music, free fun and games, and a pumpkin patch will be offered.

Buy pumpkins to support local charities. Parking is available at Providence Baptist Church (8980 Brook Road, McLean).

Dominion Hills Fall Craft Show Celebrates 20 Years The Dominion Hills Fall Craft Show celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Dominion Hills Area Recreation Center at

6000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,, between 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Twelve fine art and craft vendors will offer holiday shoppers the best in local art including jewelry, pottery, abstract and landscape paintings, artisan chocolates, bath and body products, coiled baskets and much more.

Memorabilia Show and Sale will be held on Saturday, November 4 at the Arlington-Fairfax Elks Lodge.

Showtime is 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Admission is $5.00 per person.

For vendor registration and information, please call 703-389-1505 or email mayo5304@cox.net.

Nan Lopata Wins Award at “Alchemy of Metal” Opening

The 25th Annual Potomac Valley Watercolorists Fall Art Show and Sale turns the spotlight on many of the region’s most highly-skilled and well-known watermedia artists.

This fine art show, which will run on Saturday, Nov. 11 and Sunday, Nov. 12, will feature more than 500 original works on exhibition and available for purchase.

The exhibit will be held at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Arlington.

“Alchemy of Metal: Repurpose and Re-use” opened on Saturday, October 7 The entries in the show range from metal sculpture and paintings to mixed media and jewelry. Nan Lopata won the Juror’s Choice Award for her jewelry, “The Oracle” and “The First Men.” Peter Winant, the juror for the exhibit, stated that Ms. Lopata’s entries “combined skilled craft, strong conceptual underpinnings, and composition. The artist’s interplay between the original identity of the materials used and their new, talismanic life resulted in works that are beautiful, intimate and allude strongly to their possible purposes.

Both pragmatic and beautiful, these highly successful works delight the eye and incite the mind.”

Civil War Memorabilia Show Coming Soon

Karma Yoga Hosts Community Service Event

PVW Fall Show at St. Andrews Coming Soon

The Civil War Books, Relics and

Karma Yoga hosts a community

gathering for a service project on Sunday, October 22 from 2:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. The group will be collecting trash in community spaces near the studio, such as sidewalks, parking lots and the sides of streets.

Collected items will be disposed of or recycled. They will provide biodegradable bags and gloves for collection.

Donate Blood at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Blood donors of all blood types are urgently needed now.

Donate at the Red Cross Drive on Monday, October 30 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. 3022 Woodlawn Ave., Falls Church, 22042. Please register at redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time.

Spooky Row Fall Fest Coming This Weekend Hold onto the broomsticks, Founders Row is bringing thrills and chills this spooky season on Saturday, October 21 from 3:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. for the free Spooky Row Fall Fest. Ghosts, goblins and kids of all ages can come to enjoy pumpkin decorating, face painting, lawn games and more.

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PAGE 18 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

THIS WEEK AROUND F.C. THURSDAY

OCTOBER 19 Arts and Humanities Council Meeting

Arts and Humanities Council meets. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 9:30 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.

FCCTV New Studio Open House

Falls Church Cable Access Corporation hosts a free open house in their new studio. Light snacks will be served. RSVP required by emailing full names of all attendees to interinv@aol.com. Meridian High School (121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church), 6:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.

Human Svcs. Advisory Council Meeting

Human Services Advisory Council meets. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Dogwood A-B, Falls Church), 6:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

City Council Candidate Forum

Citizens for a Better City presents a City Council Candidate Forum.

Come hear from those seeking to represent The Little City. American Legion Post 130 (400 N. Oak St., Falls Church), 7:00 p.m.

Stone Mother Book Launch

Celebrate the launch of a new book

by D.C. author Malve Burns. In Stone Mother, Marie is a dreamy child of a doctor whose family is

offered refuge within the walls of Falkenburg Castle after WWII. Within the safety of this thousandyear-old "stone mother," Marie begins her coming-of-age journey dominated by her mother and comforted by her father. One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland St., Arlington, VA), 7:00 p.m.

MHS Fall Show: Ruthless

Tina Denmark was born with an innate desire for stardom and won't let anything, or anyone stand between her and Broadway musical fame! This dark comedy may not be appropriate for children younger than 12. Showing through Saturday. Tickets at bit.ly/FCNP1023rl.

Envir. Sustainability Council Meeting

Environmental Sustainability Council meets. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Council Chambers/ Court Room, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

OCTOBER 20 George Mason Library Fall Book Sale

The George Mason Friends Fall Book Sale hosts a four-day book sale, October 19-22, with a great selection of high-quality books, CDs, and DVDs in various categories. Come back Sunday for halfprice bargains. Proceeds support library programs and equipment.

George Mason Regional Library (7001 Little River Tpk., Annandale, VA), 10:00 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.

Ukulele Baby Lap Time

For ages 0-24 months with a caregiver, older siblings are welcome.

Join Ms. Ingrid Christina for a short lapsit with a story, songs on the ukulele, and rhymes. Stay and play with toys designed just for babies and mingle with other families. Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Lower Level Conf. Rm., Falls Church), 10:30 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.

Midnight Madness

6th to 8th graders are invited to join as the Community Center is closed for exclusive fun and games. Hang with friends, dance, and play games.

Participants must be signed out by a parent or guardian. Pizza and soda available for sale. Tickets at bit.ly/ FCNP1023om. Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Kenneth R. Burnett Bldg., Falls Church), 7:00 p.m. — 11:59 p.m.

SATURDAY

OCTOBER 21 Falls Church Farmer's Market

Shop the award-winning market every Saturday, year-round! City Hall Parking Lot (300 Park Ave., Falls Church), 8:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

Community International Festival

A free day of family-friendly fun, cultural shows and foods, pumpkin painting, art and costume contests, games and prizes, and informational booths. James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church), 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

National Memorial Park Fall Festival

A seasonal celebration full of good food and family-friendly festivities such as games, face painting, crafts, and balloon animals. National Funeral Home & National Memorial Park (7482 Lee Hwy., Falls Church), 11:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.

Old Town Alexandria Oktoberfest

Free event with live music from

STUDENTS in a sneak peek of 9 to 5: The Musical, on stage through talented local bands, performancOctober 29 at GMU. (Photo: Ayman Rashid, Office of University Branding) es, a wide array of food options,

vendors selling artistic wares, and more. John Carlyle Square (300 John Carlyle St., Alexandria, VA), 11:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

Tysons Corner Fall Festival

Enjoy pumpkin carving demonstrations, live music, a photo booth, a pet costume contest, seasonal crafts, face painting, and a beer bar. Free to attend.

Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Rd., Tysons, VA), 12:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Gala Hispanic Theatre Presents: Picasso

From the lush stroke of his paintbrush to the beat of his heart, the artful canvas of Picasso's life unfolds through memories of cherished family and friends, his passion for bullfights, the circus and the stage. Immerse yourself in the imagination of this creative genius. Gala Theatre (3333 14th St. NW, Washington, DC), 3:00 p.m.

Lions and Tigers and Baritones, Oh My!

Join The Arlingtones for an uplifting afternoon of songs in a cappella close harmony, joined by friends from the Potomac Harmony Chorus chapter of the Sweet Adelines. Show followed by a complimentary "afterglow" in the finest tradition of barbershoppers around the country. Tickets at bit.ly/FCNP1023lt. The View Alexandria (5000 Fairbanks Ave., Alexandria, VA), 3:00 p.m.

Spooky Row Fall Fest

World Singing Day Community Sing-Along

World Children's Choir hosts a community sing-along to celebrate World Singing Day, featuring song of the year: Lean on Me. Free, handicap accessible event. More at worldsingingday.org. St. Peter's Episcopal Church (4250 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA), 7:00 p.m.

Sober Comedy Night

Real Sober Comedy presents a sober comedy night featuring Cerrome Russell from DC Improv BET and supporting recovery. Open for all to attend, but come early as seats cannot be guaranteed. Show contains some adult content; not for tiny ears or minds. Unity of Falls Church (116B W. Broad St., Falls Church), 9:30 p.m. — 11:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

OCTOBER 22 Walk to End Alzheimer's

Walk alongside Team Kensington to raise funds to advance the fight against Alzheimer's, which allow the Alzheimer's Association to provide support while accelerating critical research. Sign up at bit. ly/FCNP1023aw. Reston Town Center (11900 Market St., Reston, VA), 11:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m.

Biking Food Tour of Falls Church

Join DC Fray and Founders Row for a free fall fest, with pumpkin decorating, face painting, lawn games, live music, and a cash bar. Free to attend.

Founders Row (109 Founders Ave., Falls Church), 3:00 p.m.

Join a biking food tour showcasing fantastic food at favorite local eateries. Enjoy specially created dishes at select restaurants and lots of fun as you tour on bike from the West End to Eden Center. Tickets at bit.ly/FCNP1023bt.

TBD, 1:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Songwriter City

Black Craftsmen Who Built The US Capitol

Nashville is the country music capital of the world, and the songwriters really run the city. Join Grammy and Country Music Award nominees Lee Thomas Miller and Wendell Mobley for an evening of music and stories.

Tickets at bit.ly/FCNP1023sc.

The Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA), 7:00 p.m.

Enslaved and Free Black Craftsmen Who Built the U.S. Capitol: The Virginia Room and its Helpful Research Tools. Join the Friends of the Virginia Room at their annual meeting as they host Dr. Felicia Bell of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Bell will speak about how she used the Virginia Room to re-

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

CA L E NDA R

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 19

EVENTS, LIVE MUSIC, & ART search the U.S. Capitol's enslaved and free Black Craftsmen. City of Fairfax Regional Library (10360 North St., Fairfax, VA), 2:00 p.m.

GMU Theater Presents: 9 to 5

Based on the seminal hit movie.

Set in the late 1970s, this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic. Pushed to the boiling point, three female coworkers concoct a plan to get even with the lying, sexist man they call their boss; and, in a hilarious turn of events, they live out their wildest fantasy by giving him the boot!

GMU Harris Theatre (4471 Aquia Creek Ln., Fairfax, VA), 2:00 p.m.

Mason Space Day 2023

Mason Space Day is an exciting, collaborative, and engaging event, with an aim to educate the public on the technology and science behind some of the leading aerospace projects in the area. The day offers lectures from those at the forefront of space exploration and a number of organizations with hands-on spacerelated activities, educational information, and more. Free and open to the public; registration required at bit.ly/FCNP1023sd.

GMU Center for the Arts (4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax, VA), 2:00 p.m.

Reston Community Players: Avenue Q

Filled with gut-busting humor and a delightfully catchy score, not to mention puppets, Avenue Q is a truly unique show that has quickly become a favorite for audiences everywhere. Adult issues and themes with "a whole lot of adult humor," this show is not recommneded for children. Playing through October 29. Tickets at bit.ly/FCNP1023aq.

Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Rd., Reston, VA), 2:00 p.m.

School Board Community Forum

The Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) holds a community forum to allow members of the community to discuss plans for "Early Release Wednesdays" across FCCPS schools. Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Kenneth R. Burnett Bldg., Falls Church), 4:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Asiantque Halloween Party

Join at the Asiantque Market for a day filled with joy, laughter, and cultural exchange, with international food, live entertainment, and cultural displays. Elmer Timberman Masonic Lodge Parking Lot (6911 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA), 5:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

MONDAY

OCTOBER 23 City Council Meeting

The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of the month.

The public is welcome to address the City Council on any topic during the public comment period. Sign up to speak at fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. All members of the public may view the meeting live or on-demand at fallschurchva.gov/ CouncilMeetings and on FCCTV. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Council Chambers/Court Room, Falls Church), 7:30 p.m. — 11:00 p.m.

School Board Work Session

FCCPS School Board Chair Laura Downs and Vice-Chair Tate Gould hold "office hours," where parents, students, teachers, staff, and community members may drop by (no registration required) to ask questions and offer feedback in a casual environment. This will not be a private setting, so those who prefer a private exchange should contact the school board via email. Central Office Conference Room (105 S. Washington St., Suite 400, Falls Church), 7:00 p.m. — 10:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25

Monsters & Martinis Networking Party

OCTOBER 24

It's spooky season at Kensington Senior Living! Join the fun with a costume contest and prizes, Chef Valerie stirring up seasonal potions like pumpkin martinis and sweet and savory treats, and mixing and mingling with new connections and fellow senior living professionals. RSVP at bit.ly/FCNP1023mm. The Kensington Reston (11501 Sunrise Vallen Dr., Reston, VA), 4:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Alchemy of Metal

Signature Theatre: Ragtime

TUESDAY

By re-using metals in art, the artist gives them a second life. For this exhibit, artists were invited to create artworks that incorporate metal. On display through November 12.

Falls Church Arts (700-B W. Broad St., Falls Church), 11:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.

Gov't Operations Committee Meeting

Government Operations Committee meets. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Oak Room, Falls Church), 12:00 p.m. — 1:00 p.m.

Chamber Networking Mixer

Join the F.C. Chamber at the newly renovated Murphy's Funeral Home for a networking mixer. Mix and mingle with other chamber members and local city officials. Refreshments will be served. Murphy's Funeral Home (1102 W. Broad St., Falls Church), 5:30 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.

The stories of three American families intertwine against the backdrop of a towering slate of historical figures. Together, through a dazzling array of musical styles from the era, they weave a stunning tapestry that reveals both the promise and prejudice of the American experience. Tickets at sigtheatre.org.

Signature Theatre (3200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA), 7:30 p.m.

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein

A monster of a hit musical based on Mel Brook’s comedic film masterpiece. This wickedly inspired re-imagining of the legend of Frankenstein is the story of the bright young grandson who travels to Transylvania to complete his grandfather’s experiment.

This show is scientifically proven, monstrously great entertainment.

For mature audiences! Tickets at thelittletheatre.com.

The Little Theatre of Alexandria (600 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA), 8:00 p.m.

ARTISTS INCORPORATE metal into works of art in Alchemy of Metal, on display at FCA through November 12 (Pictured: "Gripping The Chair" by Megan King. Photo: Falls church Arts)

PAGE 20 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD PUBLIC HEARING The City of Falls Church Historic Architectural Review Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 7:00 PM in City Hall’s Dogwood Room (first floor), 300 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22043 to consider the following:

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Information or copies of the proposed alteration can be viewed at the Community Planning and Economic Development Services (CPEDS) counter at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA, Monday through Friday (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

You may contact the Planning Division at plan@fallschurchva.gov with any questions or concerns.

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

This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711) Invitation For Bids (IFB) IFB 1116-23-HILL01 Hillwood Avenue 01 Storm Sewer Improvements Project City of Falls Church PASSWORD PROTECTED ELECTRONIC BIDS (SEALED) will be accepted by the City of Falls Church by electronic submission to the Purchasing Agent, James Wise, jwise@fallschurchva.gov (email) for the provision of Hillwood Avenue 01 Storm Sewer Improvements Project.

Due date for the electronic submission of Bids is Thursday, November 16, 2023 @ 11:00 AM. A Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams on October 31, 2023 (see the IFB for details). A copy of the IFB which includes all details and requirements may be downloaded from the City of Falls Church’s procurement website: www.fallschurchva. gov/Bids. Notice of the IFB may also be accessed via eVA, the Commonwealth of Virginia’s electronic procurement portal for registered suppliers, www.eva.virginia.gov.

For more information and/or questions regarding this IFB contact the City’s Purchasing Agent; (703) 248-5007; jwise@ fallschurchva.gov. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703 248-5007 (TTY 711).

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ABC NOTICE Belindas Restaurant, LLC Trading as: Belindas Restaurant , 404 S. Washington St. Falls Church , VA 22046 The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINA ABC AUTHORITY for a Restaurant Wine, Beer and Mixed Beverages Consumed On and Off Premises license to sell or manufacture Alcoholic beverages. Carmen Umanzor Arias – Member. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from The publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered At www.abc.virginia. gov or (800) 552-3200

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 21

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

The LGBTQ+ Reach

by Brian Reach

Falls Church News-Press

School Employee Claims Holy Spirit Made Her Do It Canada’s CTV news reports that that last week the board of trustees for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools ordered a trustee, Monique LaGrange, to apologize and take sensitivity training after posting a picture of children waving Nazi swastika flags on top of a picture of children waving Pride flags, with the caption “Brainwashing is brainwashing,” on social media.

The decision includes that LaGrange “stated the Holy Spirit had told her to post the meme and that this was something she should do.”

James Kitchen, LaGrange’s lawyer, says “The apology definitely won’t happen. That would violate her conscience. She can’t do that. That would be a sin.”

Teacher Fired From School For Reading Book Purchased At School... In School In June Katie Rinderle, after ten years of teaching, was fired from Due West Elementary School in Cobb County, GA. She read a picture book, “My Shadow is Purple,” to her 5th grade class (which the students had voted to hear).

Rinderle bought the book, which portrays a nonbinary child that feels excluded until it is revealed that all their classmates are unique as well, at her school’s Scholastic book fair.

Due to several hateful 2022 laws passed in Georgia, any LGBTQ+ content can be considered “divisive,” and any parental objection to material as “pornographic” or “harmful” can lead to its removal or restriction.

To summarize, a book about accepting differences was called “divisive” — and the teacher that read the book, purchased at the school’s own book fair, was fired.

Due West Elementary principal Cissi Kale agreed to the firing, saying Rinderle “hasn’t acknowledged that the book was controversial, so I can’t be sure that she wouldn’t read another book of the same nature.” Assistant superintendent for the district Gretchen Walton agreed, saying they lack “confidence that we can rely on [Rinderle’s] good judgment and that these actions won’t recur.”

A tribunal of three retired county educators issued a non-binding rejection of Rinderle’s firing, but days later the school board voted 4-3 (along party lines) to fire her. Rinderle is currently appealing the decision.

Scholastic, which says it holds more than 120,000 book fairs annually, has responded to a growing trend of right-wing parents taking advantage of nearly 100 new laws across the country allowing then to, put plainly, bully schools for any instructional content acknowledging the existence of queer students — or promoting racial equality — by separating the books into an optional category for stories with “Diverse,” which some teachers report aren’t arriving with the rest of the books, even after opting-in to receiving them.

Scholastic says the collection, “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice,” is not the only place “diverse titles” are found — but also says the separation was made to protect those working in states with hateful new laws.

Many of these laws also target critical race theory (CRT), a 40-year old graduate-level field not taught in grade schools. Ironically, the point of CRT is that racism is embedded into our legal system and policies — exactly what these laws are doing.

Gay Marriage Rejected in India, Challenged in Nepal On Tuesday India’s supreme court rejected gay marriage in a unanimous 5-0 decision.

Though disappointing, the decision was a bit of a mixed bag, as there were many signs that a great deal of social progress has been made in the world’s most populous country — so long as one identifies as male and one as female, the court also unanimously ruled, trans individuals must be allowed to marry.

The judges all agreed that gay people must be protected from discrimination in access to goods and services, and that an expert committee should be formed, responsible for exploring ways to protect LGBTQ+ rights, including same-sex couples being considered families when provided food assistance, bank accounts, or insurance programs.

Ultimately, the argument made was that same-sex marriage laws should not be changed by the courts.

In late June, Nepal’s supreme court issued an interim order allowing the (temporary and separate) registration of same-sex marriages.

The country, which borders India to the north, repealed the criminalization of homosexuality in 2007, however the government has not yet responded to the court’s latest ruling, and no national law legalizing same-sex marriage has been passed — though all political parties in Nepal reportedly support the decision.

The Himalayan Times now reports that two lower courts have now refused to issue marriage licenses despite the order, citing existing law that conflicts with the supreme court’s decision.

FBI: Hate Crimes Increasing Dramatically Against LGBTQ+ Folks On Monday the FBI released 2022 crime statistics showing a 13.8 percent increase in hate crimes based on sexual orientation, and a 32.9 percent increase in hate crimes based on gender identity, compared to 2021.

According to the report, 11,634 hate crime incidents were reported across participating agencies in 2022, with 13,711 victims.

Though the FBI claims their data covers 91.7 percent of the population, these numbers are known to be underreported (or not reported at all) by some of the 14,631 participating law enforcement agencies.

The report showed the three highest bias types in 2022 were Anti-Black, Anti-Jewish, and Anti-Gay (male).

51 percent of 2022 hate crimes were committed by White Americans.

Hate crimes motivated by race were down slightly, though still making up the majority (59.1 percent) of incidents, with 6,567 reported in 2022. Religious motivation increased the most dramatically, up over 28 percent to 2,042 incidents in 2022. 1,944 sexual orientation motivated and 469 gender identity motivated incidents were reported in 2022, up from 1,711 and 353 in 2021, respectively.

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Falls Church Business News & Notes

OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023 | PAGE 23

On Sale Now!

Falls Church Cable Access Open House Today The Falls Church Chamber hosts a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with members of City Council at 5:30 pm tonight at Meridian High School in the Daniel M. Arons Studio to celebrate new state-of-the-art equipment and rebranding as the “City of Falls Church Independent Media.” Following the ceremony, Falls Church Cable Access Corporation (FCCAC) will host an Open House at 6:00 p.m. with special guests Donna and Mark Byrne of Absurd Production Pictures. They will share their story of beginning public access and how it grew to a production company with 13 films, including 10 feature films, with DVD sales and streaming outlets. This is a free event, but school security protocols require advance registration to INTERINV@ aol.com.

Webinar on Selling in Amazon’s Store The Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering a free session on Tuesday, October 24, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. for those wanting to learn how to sell in Amazon’s store. Participants will learn the fundamentals including what to sell and when, how to list and deliver products, and how to grow and scale a brand online.

Learn about Amazon resources and programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Abby Malchow, Manager of Small Business Partnerships at Amazon, leads the session. The meeting link will be shared upon registration at clients.virginiasbdc.org/ workshop.aspx?ekey=140430058.

Upcoming Chamber Business Mixer The Falls Church Chamber will hold its monthly business mixer next Tuesday, October 24, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Murphy’s Funeral Home is hosting the event with a Halloween Theme, The Monster Mash. This is a networking event and prospective chamber members are welcome to attend.

Local Restaurants Highlighted DC Eater acknowledged Falls Church’s Spacebar as a grilled cheese emporium in its coverage of the 14 top locations for grilled cheese in the latest issue. Citing the vegan option, it named a few of the 20 versions on the menu. Arlington Magazine did a story on new eateries that are gaining attention. These include Chasin’ Tails, NUE, Ellie Bird, and Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn. Jake’s carries over 20 flavors and provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities

Northrop Drops Space Station Northrop Grumman announced that it will no longer develop its own commercial space station and partner instead with a competing effort, Voyager Space. Together, they will develop a fully autonomous docking system for Northrop’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, allowing it to dock with Voyager’s Starlab space station. The collaboration will accelerate the development of Starlab.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.

Avaliable at One More Page Books, Amazon and the News-Press Office.

PAGE 24 | OCTOBER 19 - 25, 2023

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