Falls Church News-Press 11-10-2022

Beyer & 2 Key Va. Dems Win Re-Election

November 10 - 16, 2022 design of the building that would, if approved, by used jointly as the national headquarters for HITT Contractors and the Virginia Tech “National Center for Smart Construction” was presented to the Falls Church City Council at its work session this Monday (see story, Page 9). (courtesy Photo)

While the outcome of Tuesday’s midterm elections nationally remain clouded, it was clearly not the “red tsuna mi” that many pundits predicted, in line with historical trends, and in Virginia the Democrats held onto two of the three criti cal and heavily contested con gressional seats.

Democrats Jennifer Wexton in the 10th District to the west of Falls Church and Abigail Spanberger in the 7th District to the south held onto their seats through brutally-contested races, while Elaine Luria was toppled in the Tidewater area 2nd district.

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

In Northern Virginia’s 8th District that includes the City of Falls Church, veteran incumbent Rep. Don Beyer Jr. won handily in what was the only item on the ballot here. Similarly Rep. Gerry Connolly won handily in the 11th district to the west in

Spanberger, Wexton Fend Off Major Challenges Continued on Page 4

Inside This Week

It’s Official: Lease Signed for Six Movie Screens

lier this week that a formal lease has finally been signed with Paragon Theatres for a multiscreen facility at Founders Row.

Joe Muffler, key point person for the Mill Creek’s Founders Row mixed use development in the down town area of the City of Falls Church, announced to the News-Press ear

Veterans’ Day this Friday, November 11th, the City of Falls Church will celebrate Veterans Day with various memorial events and ceremonies, including the honoring of four local graduates slain during active duty during the Vietnam War.

In an official statement, Mill Creek Residential, self-characterized as, a leading developer, owner-oper ator and investment manager spe

cializing in premier rental housing across the U.S., Tuesday announced the addition of Paragon Theaters to Founders Row, a mixed-use “life style center in the heart of Falls Church.”

seats and seven screens, including its innovative Lux Box concept featur ing heated “Zero Gravity” reclining seats, complete with privacy walls. Guests can enjoy an array of food and beverage conveniently delivered Falls Church, Virginia • www.fcnp.com • Free

See This Week’s Sports Round Up

Follow along as Meridan, Falls Church, Justice and Marshall High Schools finish up their seasons. Some sports are completing the regular seasons while others are well under way in district, regional and state playoffs.

Continued on Page 5 Index

Founded 1991 • Vol. XXXII No. 39 Comment 8,10,18,19 Editorial 6 Crime Report........................................8 News & Notes................................14,15 Calendar 16,17 Classifieds..........................................20 News Briefs.........................................21 Critter Corner......................................22 Sports 23 Business News...................................23

Beyer Wins Handily in 8th District, 2 More Key Dem Wins

Fairfax County.

Running against first-time candidates Karina Lipsman, the Republican nominee, and Teddy Fikre, an independent, Beyer prevailed with a whopping 73.4 percent of the vote.

His margin was even greater in Falls Church as of yesterday, with still some provisional ballots to be assessed, where of the total of 6,365 votes cast (57 percent of total registered voters), he captured an even 5,000 for 78.6 percent of the total.

Considered a Falls Church “Favorite Son” because of his family’s long involvement in the City beginning with his father’s founding of Don Beyer Volvo here and Don Jr.’s period as president of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce before being elected in an upset to two terms as Virginia’s lieutenant governor in the 1990s, Don Jr.’s offspring attended City of Falls Church schools, and his brother Mike, his artist wife June, and their family lived for years in the City as Mike ran the Beyer Automotive business.

Beyer was unsuccessful in a run for Virginia governor in 1996 but

played a key role in President Barack Obama’s rise to prominence in the Democratic Party in the early 2000s.

He was named U.S. ambassador to Switzerland in 2009, and was elected to his first term as the U.S. congressman from the 8th District in 2012 upon the retirement of Rep. Jim Moran, being reelected every time since and now chairing the powerful Joint Economic Committee in Congress.

In a letter to supporters posted on social media late Tuesday, Beyer expressed his thanks. He wrote, “I will never stop fighting for reproductive freedom, environmental protection and every single thing that Virginians value,” adding, “It is not lost on me that you (his supporters— reason I get to continue that fight.”

He added that “as of right now, control of the House is still too close to call [and] we need to make sure every vote is counted and every voice is heard as results are determined in the next few hours or days.”

Virginia’s U.S. Senator Mark Warner also took to social media yesterday to thank “the service of election workers that kept yesterday’s elections free, open and fair,” adding that “the next couple days and weeks could

At Last, Lease is Signed to Bring the Movies to Falls Church

ings with neighbors to the Founders Row sites to hear their concerns and address them as much as possible.

Paragon Theaters was formed in 2009 by former Muvico Entertainment executives Mike Whalen, Jr. and Mike Wilson. The company has a proven track record of building, retrofitting and operating successful movie theaters throughout the southeast U.S. Paragon’s portfolio currently consists of seven operating theaters in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, with the most recent theater addition the brand-new Paragon Fenton location in Cary, N.C., which opened in summer 2022.

Paragon Theaters to the City.”

Founders Row includes 80,000 square feet of overall luxury retail space and offers two distinct apartment communities. Modera Founders Row is a contemporary market-rate community featuring 322 homes, and Verso Founders Row is a 72-home age-restricted community dedicated to individuals 55 years and older.

Houston, South Florida, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, New York, and Boston. As of June 30, 2022, the company’s portfolio comprises 118 communities representing over 31,000 rental homes that are operating and/or under construction.

to their seats with the convenience of QR code ordering. In addition, Paragon will bring its Axis 15 Extreme, a ground-breaking large format Auditorium with a 65-foot screen tilted 15 degrees for optimal viewing. Axis 15 Extreme will feature Laser projection, Dolby Atmos sound and 3D capability.

Described as “the area’s most advanced moviegoing experience” that is coming to Founders Row. “will also include a full-service restaurant and bar along with ‘Barcade’ entertainment options on the ground floor, to join the retail landscape at Founders Row that also includes restaurants Ellie Bird, Chasin’ Tails, Nue, Roll Play Vietnamese Grill, Kyu Ramen and Kyo Matcha, along with other retailers such as Club Pilates and 4Ever Young Med Spa.

Muffler, a senior managing director of development for Mill Creek residential, is quoted as saying, “We

are thrilled to welcome Paragon Theaters to Founders Row. While previous efforts to bring a theater to the City of Falls Church were thwarted by the pandemic, we have nevertheless worked tirelessly to realize the vision that we set to create when this project was first approved in 2016. We firmly believe in the future of movies and the exhibition industry, so this is the best possible outcome to partner with such a high-level theater operator. We believe the addition of Paragon Theaters will further transform Founders Row into a true destination community.”

Muffler has been a tireless public spokesman on behalf of Mill Creek in the City of Falls Church for the better part of the last decade as it took over the 4.3 acre Founders Row development at N. West and W. Broad and has now gone on to secure development of the former Rite Aid site catty-corner to Founders Row which will get underway next year. His work has included regular meet-

“Founders Row is a genuinely unique development that attracts a wide array of residents and visitors, and we’re eager to make it the next home of Paragon Theaters,” the announcement this week quoted Mike Wilson, Co-CEO of Paragon as saying. “We believe the theater will become an immediate attraction and offer an unmatched entertainment experience in the area.”

Founders Row’s centralized location within Falls Church highlights access to the Little City’s “thriving school system, an active arts and cultural presence, and direct access to the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) trail, a paved 45-mile rail trail that extends through northern Virginia.”

“With new development, the City of Falls Church consistently seeks to bring in popular amenities like great retail, restaurants and entertainment that residents and visitors can all enjoy,” said Falls Church Mayor P. David Tarter. “We congratulate Mill Creek on this milestone at Founders Row and look forward to welcoming

“Adding our anchor back into the mix at Founders Row is extremely exciting,” Muffler said. “We have spent nearly a decade curating a vision with our partners, CrossHarbor Capital Partners, and the City of Falls Church to create an exciting, boutique lifestyle entertainment environment within the Beltway. Combining Paragon with Michelin-award winning chefs at Ellie Bird, and best-in-class operators such as the HEH Group, IVEA Restaurant Group and our other retailers, fulfills that goal, and we are thrilled to be opening retail at Founders Row before the end of 2022.”

Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC is a national rental housing company focused on the development, acquisition and operation of rental communities in targeted markets nationwide. The national company, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida proactively develops, acquires, constructs and operates communities through its seasoned team of real estate professionals in offices across the United States. Mill Creek is building its portfolio in many of the nation’s most desirable markets in Seattle, Portland, the San Francisco Bay area, Southern California, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Austin,

Paragon Entertainment Group was founded in 2009 by movie theater visionaries, Michael Whalen and Michael Wilson, who helped introduce the luxury theater concept to the U.S. Over the past decade, Paragon Theaters has acquired, renovated and elevated theaters throughout Florida and the southeastern United States.

With an emphasis on supremely comfortable design, elevated amenities, premium concessions, and reimagined sight and sound; Paragon Theaters presents a complete sensory experience that’s unrivaled. In recent years, Paragon Theaters expanded their portfolio to create total entertainment destinations; encompassing premium bowling with interactive games and chic lounge seating; and a full restaurant and bar in select theater locations to provide personalized entertainment for every age. Today, Paragon Entertainment Group continues to innovate with Axis15 Extreme large format screens with 4k Laser Projection and Dolby Atmos immersive sound, LuxBox semi-private seating featuring privacy walls, large heated zero gravity recliners, and dine-in food & drink service at the click of a QR code. Paragon Theaters operates in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, for a total of seven theaters.

THE MOVIES ARE COMING to Falls Church. Paragon Theaters will open in the Little City.

The Election & A Moral Compass

At about 3:30 a.m. yesterday, our esteemed editor posted the following brief comment on social media: “On Tuesday’s election: Disaster averted. Damage assessment due. Let’s press on, lovers of life!”

Truly, much has yet to be sorted out from Tuesday’s midterm, arguably the most important election in the recent history of the U.S. because of the extent to which the very validity of elections in America was being called into question from among the highest corridors in the land that had triggered a bloody insurrection.

The results that really mattered out of this election were positive. First and foremost, the momentum for a huge “red tsunami” of election deniers was crushed.

Donald Trump came away from the election battered and bruised. His candidates fared very poorly overall, leaving him with little traction to push ahead with a re-election bid, and instead a hefty pile of legal matters, including almost certain indictments, now in his face.

Politics is a very unforgiving game, and Mr. Trump is certainly going to feel the effects of that truism. He’s going to be dumped into a ditch alongside the road like a bothersome and ungrateful hitchhiker. It won’t be pretty, and even his pal Putin, no Good Samaritan he, will be most reluctant to dust him off and take him in.

As with the other key inflection points of recent years, it has been the American people, the American electorate, which has stepped up to save America, at least for the time being. On the other hand, the professional pundits should be required to act like the suckers who are now being intimidated by peer pressure and often very real personal financial hardship into betting on sporting events online. Those pundits should have to pay when they glibly comment on an election and the results are nothing like what they tried to get us to believe.

What was the pundits’ single biggest misdirection this time? It was the shallow and myopic assertion that the Supreme Court’s reversal on Roe Vs. Wade would not be a decisive factor in the election. It is a sad remnant of our residual male supremacist society that resulted in such a key blunder, born of a combination of male privilege and ignorance and of the well-meaning unwillingness of women to let people think they’d put their own interest ahead of what they’re being told are the more important matters, such as the economy. Only toward the very end was evidence acknowledged of this issue’s importance in this election.

In every single measure across the U.S. where the matter of abortion involved, voters opted for greater, not less, access.

The long-term value of this horrid period in our nation’s history will hopefully be a sustainable revival in the average citizen’s appreciation for the challenges they need to share for the value and sustenance of democracy.

Institutions of strong moral suasion are called on to step up like they haven’t since the 1960s, to offer a moral compass for a dizzy, aimless society.

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Hails FCNP Support of Bishop

Editor,

Concerning your report last week of Bishop Gene Robinson’s appearance at the Falls Church Episcopal, during the lengthy ordeal of we “continuing Episcopalians” to persist while the anti-Bishop Robinson defectors occupied our church, your support meant so much to us, how you stuck with us and wrote about us. I will always be in your debt. So glad you could attend the service with him.

Lee Corey

and here’s why:

Fallen leaves can be used as natural mulch. Not only will they save you the expense of purchasing mulch, but they will also help to enrich your soil, lock in moisture and protect your plants from winter’s fluctuating temperatures.

Leaves are a natural habitat for butterflies, salamanders, chipmunks, box turtles, toads, earthworms and insects. Insects lay eggs in the leaves and feed on and under the leaf layer. By raking or blowing leaves, you disrupt their life cycle and eliminate beneficial insects.

Don’t Leave Out The Leaves

City of Falls Church Editor,

Once again we are in the frenzied throes of blowing and raking leaves to the street for pickup. This annual obsession comes at great expense in time and resources to households and the City of Falls Church. But keep in mind that leaves are not our enemies

Leaves can serve as mulch for your garden beds including vegetable gardens, your lawn and for composting. There is a limit though and clearly some leaves will still need to be pushed to the street. For lawn mulching, remove the grass catcher from your mower (or have your lawn service do it) and mow over the leaves on your lawn. Any kind of leaves can be chopped up and several passes of your mower can mulch up to 18 inches of leaf clutter.

Leaves are truly one of Mother Nature’s gifts that we tend to view as an expense and an annoyance. Try utilizing leaves in your yard and gardens this year!

Curtis Schaffer City of Falls Church

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Keep the news clean and fair.

Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy.

Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment.

Publish the news that is public property without fear or favor of friend or foe.

Accept no charity and ask no favors.

Give “value received” for every dollar you take in. 7. Make the paper show profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

SCHOOLS

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Music Students Ready to Work/Perform

Have a yard full of leaves that need raking? Or kids that need babysitting? Or a child interested in music lessons? Or a performance that you need someone to play for? Or some other fall project that needs tackling? If so, consider participating in M.U.S.I.C Days -the MHS instrumental music’s annual fundraiser that allows people to hire students for their fall jobs which are then donated to defray the costs of their music performance trip to Nashville. Residents can engage music students for jobs like yard work, babysitting, dog walking, animal sitting, spreading mulch, car washing, musical performance, holiday decorating, gift wrapping, etc.

Money raised during M.U.S.I.C. (Many Useful Students In our Community) Days will be donated to help

students pay for travel to perform in Nashville, Tennessee, in March. Students will be recording at RCA Studios, performing at Vanderbilt University, and experiencing musical opportunities in Nashville.

The fundraiser runs from October 29th through December 3rd. To request a student for a job or for more information, email Musicdaysgmhs@gmail. com

Construction Team Visits MHS Design Class

At Meridian, Mr. Kenny George’s Design I classes listened to a presentation by the Clark Construction Team (the team responsible for the West End project adjacent to the Secondary Campus). The focus of the presentation was Sustainability in Construction. The Clark reps also fielded questions about career paths, what majors in college align

with their careers, how to manage time on a construction site, and how they get all the materials to a job site. This was an excellent opportunity for the students to learn about Sustainability in action.

FCHS Band Aides Citrus Sale

Help support Falls Church High School band by participating in their annual fruit sale! They have partnered with Florida Indian River Groves to provide people with the freshest fruit available. Fruit will be harvested the vary same day it’s shipped to the customer. Now’s the time to pick up a box of Navel Oranges that are sure to be bursting with flavor or a box of sugar-sweet, Indian River Red Grapefruit. Tell friends, family and coworkers about the sale. People can buy fruit until November 18th and pick it up at Falls Church High School.

State Meet in Salem

LOCAL SCOUT Emmanuel Pinedo Rasdall presents Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School Music Teacher with Conductor’s Podium. (FCCPS P����/B���� R������)

COMMENT

A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

What do Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Mahsa Amini have in com mon? Both are female, and both were targets of fierce physical attacks, appar ently for their political views. For Speaker Pelosi, a physical attack severe ly injured her husband, Paul. Ms. Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, was beaten, and later died, because Iranian authorities determined she was wearing her headscarf (hijab) incorrectly. Sadly, these are not isolated incidents. Women around the world have faced threats and violence, often simply because of their gender.

Winning elective office does give one a public persona, but most candi dates recognize that when they decide to run. What winning does not do is give others license to intrude on the official’s household, so the breakin and violent attack on 82-year-old Paul Pelosi in San Francisco was espe cially shocking. Until recently, serving in public office did not come with a “DANGER” sign; the January 6th attack on the Capitol changed that. We should be ashamed that holding elected office requires security precautions. When I worked on Capitol Hill many years ago, Washington, D.C. addresses of Senators and House members, and some senior staff, were printed in the Congressional Directory. Similarly, the “Green Book,” a social register named for its velvety green cover, printed names, address es, telephone numbers, and children’s names, and was updated annually. Those also were the days when political dis course, whether positive or negative, was reserved for the Senate and House floors, and journalists covered the news without editorializing. Technology has improved the way we do many things in our daily lives, but technology also has contributed to the divisive, caustic, and downright weird commentary that domi

nates today’s 24-hour news cycle.

On the other hand, technology plays a role in highlighting the human rights abuses that led to the death of Ms. Amini. According to reports, the socalled Guidance Patrol detained her for wearing her hijab improperly (no indica tion of the impropriety – was the scarf loose; did it slip off, did the wind blow it?) and she later died. Heart attack was the police description; a police beat ing was the public perception. Customs relating to one’s faith should be respect ed, but why should anyone die over how to wear a headscarf? This tragic incident lit the flame that has burned for more than seven weeks in Iran, as young women turned to the streets in protest of years of human rights abuses in Iran. Some have cut their hair, others have burned their hijab, or refused to wear one. They have been joined by others, including many men, across Iran, and the ruling government has pledged to give no leniency to the protesters. More than 300 people, including some children, have been killed so far.

Abuse of women’s rights is not rel egated to Iran, of course. It’s been little more than 100 years since women suffragists were imprisoned and tor tured at the Lorton Workhouse here in Fairfax County for peacefully protesting at the White House for the right to vote. Stories of fights for human rights for women could fill multiple volumes, in multiple languages. Iranian-American women, many whose families fled to America after the Ayatollah came to power in 1979, are watching their sisters fight for rights that are automatic here in the United States. Their fight must not be ignored or dismissed.

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Delegate

Kaye Korys

Richmond Report

Today is Wednesday, Nov.9th, the day after midterm election day, and I cannot ignore the elephant in the room — no partisan reference intended!

So, let’s talk about the elephant: There were 6,037,832 Virginians registered to vote as of 9/1/22. That number is almost 60,000 more voters registered than in 2020; and almost double the number registered in 2019. In spite of a record number of techno logical screw-ups in the voter registra tion process by the Youngkin adminis tration, more Virginians were registered to vote two months prior to Election Day than in 2020. In 2020 75 percent of those registered voted in the election. While the number is not yet tallied, I firmly believe that we beat that percent age this year. Our General Assembly has made it easier to vote by declaring Election Day a holiday, allowing sameday registration and extending early voting. I thought that in-person voting would decline this year because of the extended early voting period, but poll workers at my polling place thought that the small but steady stream of vot ers was congruent with expectations for a midterm election with only one office on the ballot. The conclusion I must draw is that even with all the talk about election fraud and the casting doubt on election integrity that was pervasive in much of our media and certainly constantly heard from our Governor and his party, most Virginians showed confidence in our election system and voted to uphold it.

Because the majority of media out lets and many of the polls taken told us to expect a red wave, that was the com mon apprehension. The red wave was a wavelet at best — the results that are in to date show that many voters are satis fied enough to vote for incumbents and

not create the usual ‘shellacking’ effect that the party in power usu ally receives in a midterm election. Apparently, redistricting did not pre vent that sentiment from prevailing. Also, notably, election-deniers did not prevail either. This renews my faith in the practicality of Virginia voters’ approach to this election.

Imagine how many people in our Commonwealth could successfully reg ister if we had a functioning voter registration system in place, as the Democrat majority envisioned when approving funds in 2021 for an update of the so-old-it-creaks system we have in place now.

Sadly, the new system has not materi alized. It seems as though the Youngkin administration is actually in no hurry to expedite the voter registration process — in no hurry to strengthen our democratic election process. It is downright undem ocratic to undermine our democratic elec tion process by starving the Department of Elections and allowing IT ‘glitches’ to interfere with registering folks who want to vote, who deserve to vote and who believe it is their duty to vote.

The midterm election results show our national faith in our democracy and our democratic practices. We should stop the talk that undermines public confi dence in elections and move our national conversation to substance. No more Big Lies. Most candidates who promoted the Big Lie lost yesterday — Good Job, Americans! Now that we have made it through the Red Wave threat, let’s get to work focusing on what really matters in our lives. And how about restoring some civility to the process while we’re at it?

 Delegate Kory represents the 38th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. She may be emailed at DelKKory@house.virginia.gov.

Driving Under the Influence, W Annandale Rd/S Washington St, October 31, 11:08 PM, a female, 77, of Vienna, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Fraud, N Lee St, November 2, 8:20 AM, an incident of fraud was reported.

Drunk in Public, S Washington St, November 3, 1 AM, a male, 34, of Centreville, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

Drunk in Public, W Broad St, November 4, 3:44 AM, a male, 32, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

Drunk In Public, Wilson Blvd, November 5, 12:06 AM, a male, 48, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

Driving Under the Influence, W Broad St, November 5, 5:01 AM, a male, 66, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal.

Drunk in Public, S Washington St, November 5, 1:30 PM, a male, 32, of no fixed address, was arrested for Drunk in Public

Drunk in Public, S Washington St, November 5, 10:56 PM, a male, 28, of Washington, DC, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

New Space Age Architecture Proposed for Virginia Tech Site

BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

A stunning space-age design for a solar-powered office building topped by an amazing solar canopy was presented to a work session of the Falls Church City Council Monday night as part of what purchasers of seven acres of City-owned land formerly owned solely by Virginia Tech on Haycock Road by the Meridian High School hope to do at the site.

The project, by an entity of multiple participants including HITT Contracting and Rushmart called Converge West Falls, would involve taking the 7.5 acres property to put this extraordinary building, the proposed combination of a national headquarters for HITT and Virginia Tech’s innovationfocused “National Center for Smart Construction” laboratory.

In addition, there would be a second mixed use building with 440 residences and 18,000 square feet of ground floor retail that would go as high as 14 stories.

This ambitious plan will require the approval of Fairfax County, upon which the land sits, in combination with the planned develop-

ment of 24 adjacent acres owned by WMATA that is home to the West Falls Church Metrorail station, on one side, and on the other the 10-acre West Falls dense multi-use development on the site now being cleared off of land that once was home to Falls Church’s now-demolished old high school (the new Meridian High School completed and occupied next door).

It’s a lot of things going on at once, although completion dates are down the road timewise, and the Council at its work session expressed plenty of concern for the implications of so much going on at once in the high school, for one.

The plans for both the 7.5acre Converge West Falls property and the 24-acre WMATA property that a team of EYA, Hoffman and Rushmark want to build a lot of residential on will be the subject of an informational forum co-hosted by the office of Fairfax Supervisor John Foust and the McLean Citizens Association next Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Longfellow Middle School, 2000 Westmoreland St. (there will be access online through Zoom).

Two representatives of the Converge development team made a lengthy power-point presentation at the F.C. City Hall Monday, careful to note that all plans are subject to change pending the reaction of both Falls Church City and Fairfax County officials. The presentation included a lot of artistic renderings of what the site would look like if their plans are approved, including some of their amazing designs for the HITT/ Virginia Tech structure. The representatives told the News-Press of their concerns for treading delicately while seeking to win the support of both the City of Falls Church City Council and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

The plan is to submit the proposal to Fairfax County on Nov. 22, and to hopefully win approvals from the county’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors by next September or October.

If all goes according to plan, construction on the new site would begin by January 2025, with the office building completed by the Fall of 2026 and the residential completed by the Summer of 2027.

A MAGA America Would Be Ugly

nations, much of it asserting that they should have focused on kitchen table issues and not talked at all about threats to de mocracy.

If you aren’t feeling a sense of dread about the midterm elec tions, you haven’t been paying attention.

We can talk about the con ventional stakes of these elec tions — their implications for economic policy, major social programs, environmental poli cy, civil liberties and reproduc tive rights. And it’s not wrong to have these discussions: Life will go on whatever happens on the political scene, and government policies will continue to have a big impact on people’s lives.

But I, at least, always feel at least a bit guilty when writ ing about inflation or the fate of Medicare. Yes, these are my specialties. Focusing on them, however, feels a bit like denial, or at least evasion, when the fundamental stakes right now are so existential.

Ten or 20 years ago, those of us who warned that the Re publican Party was becoming increasingly extremist and antidemocracy were often dismissed as alarmists. But the alarmists have been vindicated every step of the way, from the selling of the Iraq War on false pretenses to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Indeed, these days it’s almost conventional wisdom that the GOP will, if it can, turn Amer ica into something like Viktor Orban’s Hungary: a democracy on paper but an ethnonational ist, authoritarian one-party state in practice. After all, U.S. con servatives have made no secret about viewing Hungary as a role model; they have feted Orban and featured him at their confer ences.

At this point, however, I be lieve that even this conventional wisdom is wrong. If America descends into one-party rule, it will be much worse, much ug lier, than what we see in today’s Hungary.

Before I get there, a word about the role of conventional policy issues in these elections.

If Democrats lose one or both houses of Congress, there will be a loud chorus of recrimi

I don’t claim any expertise here, but I would note that an incumbent president’s party al most always loses seats in the midterms. The only exception to that rule this century was in 2002, when George W. Bush was able to deflect attention from a jobless recovery by posing as America’s defender against ter rorism. That record suggests, if anything, that Democrats should have talked even more about is sues beyond economics.

I’d also say that pretend ing that this was an ordinary election season, where only economic policy was at stake, would have been fundamentally dishonest.

Finally, even voters who are more worried about paychecks and living costs than about de mocracy should nonetheless be very concerned about the GOP’s rejection of democratic norms.

For one thing, Republicans have been open about their plan to use the threat of economic chaos to extract concessions they couldn’t win through the normal legislative process.

Also, while I understand the instinct of voters to choose a different driver if they don’t like where the economy is going, they should understand that this time, voting Republican doesn’t just mean giving someone else a chance at the wheel; it may be a big step toward handing the GOP permanent control, with no chance for voters to revisit that decision if they don’t like the results.

Which brings me to the ques tion of what a one-party Ameri ca would look like.

As I said, it’s now almost conventional wisdom that Re publicans are trying to turn us into Hungary. Indeed, Hungary provides a case study in how democracies can die in the 21st century.

But what strikes me, reading about Orban’s rule, is that while his regime is deeply repressive, the repression is relatively subtle.

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

Mansion on a hill for sale. With a storied history.

The old M.T. Broyhill Place, looming at 2561 N. Vermont overlooking the Washington Golf and Country Club, is empty and on the market for $3.6 million. When owner Helena Metzger died this February at 88, her beneficiary—the Catholic Prelature of Opus Dei —wasted no time seeking a residential buyer for a private home that for decades doubled as a meeting place for religious retreats and cotillion dances. Ending those activities was not what Metzger’s daughter Mary Rhoads had hoped for.

Built in 1950, the white brick manse (originally red) with triple gables, a splayed front staircase and circular portico, was the residence of Northern Virginia home builder Marvin T. Broyhill Sr. He came to Arlington in the late 1930s, soon to capitalize on what would be a post-World War II housing boom. By 1952, the Broyhills were building 3,000 brick homes a year.

The neighborhood off N. 26th St. was characterized as the Broyhill “enclave.” M.T.’s was a 10-bedroom, 13-bathroom, 9,775 square-foot structure on 1.71 acres with a ballroom and indoor pool. His son Joel set up in a spacious home next door, and son Marvin on the other side of Joel. Cousin Tom was round the corner, and the com

pany’s engineer across the street.

Joel Broyhill’s daughter Jeanne recalls her grand parents’ house as “truly a fairy tale castle for kids with a will ing grandmother. It was my sec ond home from when I could walk to when we moved in 1966” to her family’s later home on Old Dominion Dr. “It had a huge dungeon-y basement with plenty of hiding places and fortbuilding acreage. I can’t forget the fun of playing in the top floor ballroom with a stage to `act on,’ a bar for bartending. Let’s not forget one of the best sledding hills and backyard for ests. And the sight of my first urinal in the men’s room!”

When the patriarch died in 1966, his house was sold to Dr. Walter Wood. In 1974, it was considered to become the des ignated home for the U.S. vice president, according to Rhoads. (That ended up downtown at Number One Observatory Circle.) In 1975, her parents, attorney Eugene Metzger and Helena T. Metzger, sold their modest home in Annandale and bought the Broyhill manse for $285,000. (She showed me the deed and renovation plans). “The house was not really us, since we weren’t yet living the coun try club life,” recalls Rhoads. They were later approached by a Hollywood scout for its use in a movie.

Helena Metzger, who found ed the Catholic Information Center downtown, had a home chapel, inviting church contacts

home for meetings. A member of the luncheon group called the Neighbors’ Club, she was famous for giving out donuts on Halloween attracting kids to go the long intimidating drive way, a practice Rhoads con tinued from the sidewalk this year with signs in her moth er’s honor. In 2017, Metzger turned over the property to the Woodlawn Foundation of Opus Dei.

Rhoads was surprised last winter when, just six days after her mother died, the organiza tion called and asked, “When can you be out?”

Agent Pat Kilner of RLAH Real Estate has posted color photos of the lavish interior, winding staircase and ball room. The current price would mean an estimated payment of $23,000 per month. ***

It’s been six decades since I played Little League base ball on diamond No. 2 at Bluemont Park, and Arlington has changed a tad. But I was surprised during a recent bike ride to note that the field on a Sunday was occupied by a halfdozen kids playing cricket.

Those roughly 7-10-yearold boys wielding those British bats against an overhand pitch er were Pakistani Americans, one of the dads told me. No, there’s no organized league, he said laughing, just occasional fun in the park on non-school days.

At one time, the rarity of such a “foreign” sport in our home parish was true for soccer.

VETERANS

Veterans Day in F.C. Hosts Various Events & Ceremonies

honoring the four fallen alumni of Meridian High School (formerly George Mason High School). The program will be run by the Greater Falls Church Veterans Council and feature Lieutenant Colonel William A Schmittel, Esq., US. Army (Ret).

After that, the American Legion Post 130 (400 N. Oak Street) will host its annual Veterans Day event shortly after the City’s ceremony ends.

Then, at 1:30 p.m. Meridian High School will host an event honoring the four fallen alumni, Mustang gra duates of George Mason High Sch ool, as well as presenting four indivi dual plaques with information and photos of the individuals.

Steve Callanen, a 1959 George Mason High School alum and creator of the four individual plaques being placed at Meridian, said the idea of placing the plaques at the high school was inspired by a visit from fellow 1959 alumnus Kevin Talbot. Calla nen said Talbot traveled from his home in Boise, Idaho to visit the wall and find the names of several men with whom he had served in Viet nam.

from family members and friends. In August of this year, another George Mason High School alum nus Charles Richard McNulty (‘65), was discovered to have been killed in Vietnam.

Callanen stated it was not antici pated that the names of Smith, Croc ker Jr. and McNulty would be mis sing from the bronze plaque currently posted at the entrance to the Falls Church Community Center which honors Falls Church residents killed in Vietnam and other wars. Callanen said this could be due to them or their parents not being resi dents of the City of Falls Church at the time they were inducted into the service or died.

not open to the general public, alumni, families, and guests will be welcomed at the Falls Church VFW immediately after.

As for how the plaques will im pact Meridian as a whole, Callanen said it is hoped that remembering “these four outstanding individuals” will serve to “inspire current and fu ture Meridian High School students to embrace their qualities.” He went on to say that the memorial plaques “demonstrate that during the Viet nam War, when many of their peers were avoiding military service, these men elected to support the United States government.”

by Kylee Toland Falls Church News-Press

On Veterans’ Day this Friday, No vember 11th, the City of Falls Church will celebrate Veterans Day with va rious memorial events and ceremo nies, including the honoring of four young high school graduates from Meridian High School (formerly George Mason High School) slain performing active military duty du ring the Vietnam War.

The Eleventh Hour of the Ele venth Day…. At that moment over a century ago, the Armistice ending World War I, which became known as “the war to end all wars,” was signed on Nov. 11, 1918. The day is still celebrated as Remembrance Day in most of Europe and was originally commemorated as Armistice Day in the United States. On the day in 1921, following legislation to create the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, the first unknown American soldier was laid to rest.

The purpose of the legislation es tablishing the tomb was to return home the body of an unknown Ame rican soldier who in himself would represent no one section, no one creed, or race from the Great War, but a singular soldier who would typify the soul of America and the supreme

sacrifice of all her heroic dead.

Following the Second World War and the Korean conflict, the date was redesignated Veteran’s Day in 1954, and that through the years has overshadowed its ori ginal association with World War I. Since then, Nov. 11 has become a day to pay homage to all who have served in the mili tary, in any capacity at any time. It has become a day to recognize and pay homage to the ongoing dedication and sacrifices of all nations’ veterans.

Our region has a long and storied history of volunteerism in this na tion’s service and defense dating back to the founding of the country up to the present, with currently over 80,000 veterans residing in Fairfax County. In the City of Falls Church, numerous veterans organizations come together every year to reco gnize this region’s commitment and dedication to the defense of the na tion.

So, at 11:00 a.m. this Friday, the Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department will conduct an annual ceremony honoring the community’s veterans at the City’s Veterans Me morial located in front of the Com munity Center at 223 Little Falls St.

The ceremony will include the unveiling of a revised bronze plaque

After Talbot located the names of his friends, Callanen said he and Talbot searched for and found the name of a fellow George Mason High School student Neal E. Mo nette, a 1958 alumnus and former football teammate of Talbot’s.

“While gazing at Neal’s name, we wondered how many of Neal’s classmates were aware that he had died in Vietnam or anything about the circumstances of his death,” Cal lanen said. “To ensure outstanding student Neal Monette would forever be remembered by George Mason High School students, the idea of creating a memorial plaque in his honor for permanent display at GMHS was born.”

Although the names of more than 58,000 men and women who were killed or missing in action in Vietnam had been engraved in the Wall, Callanen said it “seemed li kely” that Monette “may not have been the only GM student to have lost his life in Vietnam” and that each former student who died in mi litary service was “deserving of a memorial plaque at the high sch ool.”

Inquiries through the GMHS Alumni Association network identi fied that 1955 alumnus David Ge rald and 1961 alumnus David Rockwell Crocker Jr., had also died in military service. Callanen stated that work then “slowly and steadily” began on the task of gathering infor mation on each of those GM alums

To honor those four men “as ex peditiously as possible,” the Falls Church Historical Commission was petitioned this Sept. 6, with the aid of Falls Church City Council Member Marybeth Connelly, to au thorize creation of the bronze plaque. Callanen said one accom plishment he hopes will happen with the placing of the plaque will be “to ensure that these four outstanding GMHS graduates will forever be re membered by students in the fu ture.”

The alumni will be presenting it to the school to honor and comme morate these four young men. Fa mily members and friends will be

“Even if they didn’t agree with America’s role in Southeast Asia, they felt it was their duty to support their country and they gave their lives to that end,” Callanen said.

At 2:30 p.m. the doors will open to the entire community for the Falls Church VFW’s Annual Veterans Day Open House at 7118 Shreve Road. There will be food and beve rages with a ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. recognizing local business’ and city support of veterans fol lowed by the announcement of the post’s annual student awards. In ad dition to the usual cookout food the Vietnamese War Veterans and com munity will be providing numerous Vietnamese dishes to sample.

(Dave Crance Contriubuted to

A REVISED BRONZE PLAQUE will be unveiled on Friday, November 11th at 11:00 a.m. to honor the four fallen George Mason High School alumni. (Photo: Steve Callanen)

VETERANS

F.C. Veteran Receives Life-Changing Home Repairs

by Kylee Toland Falls Church News-Press

With Veterans Day this Friday, it’s around this time people recognize and remember the sacrifices veterans have made to ensure the safety of us all. Recently, a local organization re ciprocated its thankfulness by provi ding a Korean War veteran with nocost home repairs and accessibility modifications.

Rebuilding Together of Arling ton, Fairfax and Falls Church, a local nonprofit organization teamed up with the area’s global security and aerospace company, Lockheed Mar tin, last month to help John Rinehart and his wife Delia fix up their home of more than 35 years.

A Korean War veteran, Mr. Rine hart has trouble with his hips and legs which require him to use a wheel chair and walker, being why making exterior and interior modifications and repairs were important for the couple to safely navigate around their home.

Patti Klein, the executive director of Rebuilding Together, said the or ganization’s mission is to “repair homes, revitalize communities and rebuild lives.” As one of 120 affiliates across the nation, Klein the groups make “critical home repairs and ac cessibility modifications at no cost” for low income homeowners, with a focus on older adults, persons with disabilities, families with children and veterans.

Rebuilding Together was put in contact with the Rineharts after Mrs.

Rinehart called into it and completed an application. After visiting the Rineharts’ home and doing a site as sessment on it, Klein said seeing Mr. Rinehart’s various health issues and Mrs. Rinehart’s dedication to her husband as his caretaker inspired the Rebuilding Together team to provide a “safer and healthier” place for the both of them to live in.

“They are both just dynamic, wonderful people,” Klein said. “You just wanted to be able to help them because they’re doing their best.”

Prior to partnering up with Loc kheed Martin, Klein said Rebuilding Together rebuilt and framed the Rinehart’s porch, while placing a ramp in as well. This allowed both Mr. and Mrs. Rinehart to be able to use their porch without a worry of a fall or injury, as well as make it easier for Mr. Rinehart to be able to leave the house in a safe manner using the ramp. When the Lockheed Martin volunteers came to help, they were able to put in the decking for the porch and railing for the ramp.

Due to Mrs. Rinehart’s love of gardening, both Rebuilding Together and Lockheed Martin made sure her potted plants were arranged at the front of the house to make it look “really nice.”

Repairs and modifications made inside the home included putting in grab bars in the bathroom and a Comfort Height Toilet, which makes it easier for senior citizens to use the restroom. A “SuperPole” was placed in Mr. Rinehart’s bedroom so that he could grab onto it and pull himself

out of bed without any struggle. Vo lunteers also scraped the foundation of the house and painted over it.

Future repairs and modifications to the Rineharts’ home are still in the works, according to Klein. Resetting tiles on the back stoop, repainting one of the Rineharts’ sheds, putting new house numbers and various other tasks will be done by volunteers of Rebuilding Together and Lockheed Martin in the near future.

Klein said the overall impact of repairing the Rineharts’ home on both the Rineharts and Rebuilding Together is “knowing that you’re helping somebody in the commu nity that has done so much for the community.” As Mr. Rinehart had served in the military twice and Mrs. Rinehart worked for years at hospi tals and doctors offices, Klein stated both Rineharts were doing “great things” in the community and being able to go to their home to make sure they were safer in their home was “huge.”

Throughout the time spent by both organizations, Klein said she believes the organization “got more out” of the experience of repairing the Rineharts’ home due to Mr. and Mrs. Rinehart being “kind-hearted people” and were “so gracious.”

Klein went on to mention how Mrs. Rinehart cooked for the volunteers while they were working and grab bed the volunteers hands to walk them around and show her apprecia tion. Although Mr. Rinehart could not come out often due to his health issues, at one point Klein was able to open the front door so Mr. Rinehart could wave to the volunteers.

Since receiving the home repairs and modifications, Mr. and Mrs. Rinehart both stated Rebuilding To gether and Lockheed Martin have had a “great impact” on them and their home. Before either organiza tion came to help, Mrs. Rinehart

said

They

they

“They are wonderful people,” Mr. Rinehart said. “I couldn’t ask for any better.”

“We never, never dreamed in our life that we would have this kind of opportunity,” Mrs. Rinehart added. “It’s like a miracle.”

Veterans Day Ceremony

Friday, November 11, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.

City of Falls Church Veterans Memorial 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church, VA 22046

Master of Ceremonies

Harry Shovlin, American Legion Post 130

Posting of Colors Color Guard, American Legion Post 130

Remembrance for POW/MIA’s

Jorome Gibbon, Greater Falls Church Veterans Council, Chairman National Anthem Vocals by Sgt. Major Robert Petillo, US Army Band (Ret.)

City of Falls Church Concert Band under the direction of Davyd Breeskin

Invocation

Greg Loewer, Columbia Baptist Church, Pastor for Missions Welcoming Mayor David Tarter

Keynote Address Lieutenant Colonel William A. Schmittel, Esq., U.S. Army (Ret.)

Presentation of Wreath in Memory of Departed Veterans Daughters of the American Revolution, Falls Church Chapter, Sue Martin Stewart, Regent Escorted by Richard Anton and Howard Chatham

Reading of the Names

Revealing of the Plaque

Marybeth Connelly, Director, Strategic Planning and Community Engagement FCCPS & City Council Member

Prayer for the Departed Veterans Greg Loewer, Columbia Baptist Church, Pastor for Missions Taps

Retiring of Colors

Honor Guard, American Legion Post 130

God Bless America

Vocals by Sgt. Major Robert Petillo, US Army Band (Ret.)

City of Falls Church Concert Band under the direction of Davyd Breeskin

This program was prepared by representatives of the Greater Falls Church Veterans Council, including the American Legion Post 130 and 225, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Martin, Leppert, Sipes Post 9274, the Catholic War Veterans Paul and Jacques Martin Post 1652, the Coalition of RVN Veterans Associations of Washington DC & Vicinities, and the Korean Vietnam Veterans Association of USA. Today's remembrance is in cooperation with the Falls Church Daughters of the American Revolution, US Submarine Veterans, Northern Virginia Base, Northern Virginia WWII Veterans, the Veterans Memorial Committee, and dedicated volunteers under the coordination of the City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks division. Citizen participation is encouraged. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5077 (TTY 711)

she had sold her life insurance in order to provide her husband a bathtub he was able to use.

both expressed how thankful

were to both Rebuilding Together and Lockheed Martin based on the improvements made to their home.

REBUILDING TOGETHER AND LOCKHEED MARTIN teamed up to ensure that the Rinehart’s home was safe for the Korean War Veteran and his wife. (Photo: Patti Klein)

THE RINEHARTS’ HOME was given a ramp to allow easier access for both Mr. and Mrs. Rinehart to travel to and from their home without difficulty. (Photo Courtesy: Patti Klein)

Community News & Notes

gram titled “Old Friends and New” on Saturday, November 19th at 7:30 p.m. As usual, the concert will be held at The Falls Church Episcopal. This concert will include Haydn’s Symphony No. 78, Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4, and Voříšek’s Symphony, Op. 23. The Washington Sinfonietta’s very own Dr. L. Avery Pettigrew will be the featured soloist on the horn concerto.

Advance tickets for the perfor mance are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, plus a small service fee, and are available. Tickets at the door will be $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Children under 18 are always admit ted at no charge.

ArtsFairfax Awards Honors Capital One Hall And More

dental appointments or run errands to grocery stores and pharmacies.

The total number of rides pro vided in 2022 is expected to exceed 2,500, but to fully respond to recent increases in the number of requests, there is a need for more volunteers to join the current team of 60 volun teer drivers. “Of the rides provided, roughly 75 percent are medically related, 25 percent grocery, and one percent for handy helper needs,” said Tom Callanen, Board Chair.

For volunteers there is no mini mum commitment. Volunteers are free to choose how often and when they drive.

For detailed information or to apply, please visit the Center’s web site https://scmafc.org/volunteer or call (703) 506-2199 and leave a mes sage.

This Friday in Falls Church

At 11:00 a.m., The Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department will conduct the annual ceremony honoring the communities Veterans at the Cities Veterans Memorial located in front of the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.). The cer emony will include the unveiling of a “revised” bronze plaque honoring four fallen alumni of Meridian High School (formerly George Mason High School). The program will be provided by the Greater Falls Church Veterans Council and fea ture Lieutenant Colonel William A Schmittel, Esq., US. Army (Ret).

At 1:30 pm. Meridian High School will be honoring the four fallen alumni — Mustang graduates of George Mason High School — as well as presenting four individual plaques with information and photos of the alumni.

F.C. Teen Performs As Soloist at VA Music Conference

Sophia Lin, 15-yearold, a Sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, performed Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor as the soloist with Liberty

conducted by Dr. Zachary Bruno, at the Annual Virginia Music Teacher Conference on October 29th, 2022.

Sophia is the winner of Virginia State Concerto Competition among many national/international competi tions, including International Young Artist Piano Competition, RobertSpencer Concerto Competition, Ylda Novik Concerto Competition etc. Two times Winner of Virginia MTNA Junior Competition and MTNA Division Finalist for the past two years, she won again for the Virginia MTNA Senior Performance Competition on October 29th, 2022.

Sophia is a member of National Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Program, top prize winners of national math competitions and enjoys writing.

McLean Project for the Arts to Open Winter Exhibitions

McLean Project for the Arts will open its winter exhibitions—In the Round: Dimensional Fiber Works (Emerson Gallery) and Trees on the Edge: Artwork in Layered Paper by Ronni Jolles (Atrium Gallery) — on December 9th, 2022. Both shows will run through February 18th, 2023, with an Opening Exhibition Reception presented by The Mather

on Friday, December 9th, 2022 from 7 — 9pm. RSVP here (www.tinyurl. com/mpawinterexhibits).

MPA’s Atrium Gallery will fea ture Trees on the Edge: Artwork in Layered Paper by Ronni Jolles. Jolles creates beautiful paper paint ings through a unique process using many different kinds of paper from all over the world. She cuts, tears and layers hundreds of pieces to build each of her images, creating works with active texture, infinite color and distinct presence. Although Jolles works with a variety of subjects, the pieces in the MPA exhibit focus on forms in the landscape as interpreted through trees. These engaging works bring the spirit of the woods alive, celebrating the beauty, strength and importance of this majestic life form.

The Atrium Gallery exhibit (Trees on the Edge) will be avail able for viewing during McLean Community Center operating hours. In the Round: Dimensional Fiber Works will be open for visitors Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.

Washington Sinfonietta Kicks Off 2022-23 Season

The Washington Sinfonietta will begin the 2022-23 season with a pro

On Friday, October 28, 2022, the ArtsFairfax Awards honored Capital One Hall with the Jinx Hazel Award, Gary and Tina Mather with the Philanthropy Award, Fall for the Book with the Innovation Award, and Mark Brutsché with the Achievement Award, raising a record of over $186,000 in support of ArtsFairfax’s services to arts and culture organizations and programs in Fairfax County.

Punctuated with performanc es, the ArtsFairfax Awards was a lively event, beginning with “Extra! Extra!,” a musical number by Young Actors’ Theatre alumni Elisa Bartakke, Isabel Oliver, and Nicole Ollerhead in dedication to ArtsFairfax Achievement Award recipient Mark Brutsché, who for 40 years has inspired confidence and creativity for hundreds of young people through the theatre education program.

ArtsFairfax awardees received original paintings by Foon Sham, an internationally renowned artist most recognized for his wood sculptures seen throughout Fairfax and around the world.

Sheperd’s Center Seeks

Additional Volunteer Drivers

Shepherd’s Center of McLeanArlington-Falls Church (SCMAFC), an all-volunteer organization, is seek ing additional volunteers to support its mission of providing free trans portation to seniors for medical and

Local Scouts Alleviate Food Insecurity with Food Drive

Local Scouts will be kicking off the 33rd annual Scouting for Food this month. Scouts will post notes, distribute flyers, and advertise vir tually to homes throughout the DC metro area on the first week end of November, then return to collect non-perishable food items on the second weekend, primarily Saturday, November 12, 2022.

Scouting for Food is one of the largest annual food drives in the metropolitan area. Scouts of all ages, from 6 to 21 years old, will participate in Scouting for Food.

Scouting for Food is held every fall prior to Thanksgiving. Local food banks rely on the efforts of the Scouts to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday months when food demands are the high est. Items needed include canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter); soups and stews (beef stew, chili, meat-based soups); 100% fruit juices (all sizes); grains (pasta, whole grain pasta, rice, brown rice, boxed macaroni and cheese); cereals (multi-grain, low sugar cereals, oatmeal); canned vegetables; and canned fruits.

F.C. Police Participate in Drug Takeback Day

On Saturday, October 29th, the City of Falls Church Police

a 15-year-old sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology performed at the Annual Virginia Music Teacher Conference on October 29th.

LOCAL

Department participated in the National Drug Take Back Day held annually.

Community members stopped by and dropped off 88 pounds of unused and expired medica tions.

The Arc of NoVA Announces New Executive Director

The Arc of Northern Virginia is very pleased to announce the selec tion of Melissa Heifetz as its next Executive Director. Ms. Heifetz is an experienced leader of non-profit organizations, and a passionate and dedicated advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. She will assume her new duties on January 1, 2023, upon the retirement of The Arc of Northern Virginia’s current leader, Rikki Epstein.

Heifetz previously served as the Executive Director of The Arc of Loudoun and at Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon. In 2018, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce awarded her their NonProfit Leadership Award.

She founded Advocacy Partners, LLC in 2020 to provide advocacy services to individuals with disabili ties and their families. In her role at Advocacy Partners, she contracted with The Arc of Virginia to repre sent our state chapter on General Assembly-created state policy workgroups, conducted numerous training programs, and has been an invited guest speaker at disability conferences throughout the Northern Virginia community, and at state and national conventions.

Heifetz takes the reins of the organization from Rikki Epstein,

who was named Executive Director in October of 2011. In her 11 years of leadership, she has overseen the remarkable growth of The Arc of Northern Virginia, and led it through one of the most challenging eras for any nonprofit organization. Under her leadership, The Arc of Northern Virginia has expanded programing to better inform, educate, and serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families; matured into a recognized force for advocacy among local and state governments; and grew to become the highly regarded and respected organization it is today.

Updates to Transition Zones Proposed in F.C.

The City of Falls Church is considering zoning changes that

would allow more housing options in the areas between commercial corridors and single-family homes.

Transition zones, which rep resent less than 3 percent of the city’s land, could undergo zoning updates to allow small er residential developments.

According to the city’s web site, T-1 zoning is mostly on N. Washington Street and Park Avenue with existing uses such as Columbia Baptist Church, Christ-Crossman Methodist Church, Sunrise of Falls Church and single-family houses con verted to commercial use and townhouses. T-2 zones include the Kaiser Permanente facility and a small office building on N. Washington Street and Park Avenue near Maple Avenue.

The consideration results from

City Council requesting zon ing tools to allow development of smaller projects on sites too small for larger developments. The pro posed changes in transition zones would include allowing townhouses and multifamily housing options, allowing more neighborhood-serv ing retail, and allowing larger build ers to encourage reinvestment.

The next step in the process is the Falls Church Planning Commission holding a public listening session at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA. A Planning Commission work session is tentatively planned for Dec. 7 and public hear ing on Dec. 21. City Council consideration would be at an undetermined time in the first quarter of 2023.

FIFTY-ONE ARTISTS are being featured in the ‘Scapes exhibit at the Falls Church Arts gallery closing on November 12th. The exhibit “challenged” artists to contemplate the “scapes” that inhabit their world. Featured here is Kiefer Johnson’s piece “Let’s Get Swinging .” (Photo: Kiefer Johnson)

RECIPIENT OF A SPECIAL “Shout Out Award” from Falls Church’s venerable civic association, the Citizens for a Better City (CBC), this week was F.C. Council member and executive director of the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEDf) Debbie Hiscott. She was singled out for the honor of her 10th anniver sary as head of the FCEDf, during which time “she has overseen the development and implementation of innovative programs that have greatly benefited the City’s public school students, teachers and staff and the community at large.” Hiscott is shown holding her certificate with CBC board members (left to right) Phil Duncan, Ken Feldman, president Hal Lippman, Jody Acosta, Tom Clinton and Lindy Hockenberry during a presentation last Monday at Anthony’s Restaurant. (Photo: News-Press)

LOCAL EVENTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11

VETERANS DAY CEREMONY

Every year the Recreation and Parks Department honors all those who served in the armed forces with a ceremony

at the City of Falls Church Veterans Memorial, located in front of the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.) 11:00 a.m.

VETERANS YOGA CLASS

This yoga class is adapted for all levels and abilities, based on the teachings of Warriors at Ease, an organization which utilizes research-based traumasensitive yoga and meditation

CALENDAR

to support health for military, veterans and their families. The class will be taught by an Air Force Veteran. Hosted at Workhouse Arts Center at the Rizer Pavilion (9601 Ox Rd, Lorton). 1:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.

VFW’S ANNUAL VETERANS DAY OPEN HOUSE

There will be Food and Beverage with a Ceremony beginning at 3:00 p.m. rec ognizing local business’ and city support of Veterans fol lowed by the announcement of the Posts annual Student awards. 7118 Shreve Road, doors open at 2:30 p.m.

WORKHOUSE MILITARY IN THE ARTS

This workshop is designed to be fun-filled and an art-mak ing experience for the whole family. Join talented artists to create and complete a unique work-of-art that one can take with them. Hosted at Workhouse Arts Center (9601 Ox Rd, Lorton). 2:30 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

week with an evening of jazz standards featuring music from the Jazz age and eras of World War I and World War II. Free for veter ans and service members. Performed at the Hylton Center at George Mason University. 8:00 p.m.

SETTLE DOWN EASY 4TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Settle Down Easy Brewing in Falls Church is celebrating its 4th year in business with a party. It will be an all day event with drink and food specials. 2822 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church. 12:00 p.m.

SCOUTING FOR FOOD

Falls Church-area Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts will walk through neighborhoods to collect any donated food that residents set outside their front doors before 9:00 a.m. that day as part of the annual Scouting for Food drive to benefit local food pantries. Since scouts will not enter buildings to col lect donations, residents of apartments and condomini um buildings are advised to deliver food donations to the parking lot of Falls Church Presbyterian Church (225

E. Broad St., Falls Church) between 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on November 12th.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13

VPIS FALL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The VPIS Fall Membership Meeting will focus on efforts to maintain and improve tree canopy within the City and the region, in light of recent canopy declines and to help address cli mate change. Held at the American Legion (400 North Oak Street, Falls Church). 3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.

"SWEAT FOR A VET" FUNDRAISER

Onelife Fitness Mclean is host ing their “Sweat for a Vet” fun draiser at 1800 Old Meadow Road, Mclean. They collect funds for the USO, Sneakers for Soldiers and the Wounded Warrior Project. Toiletries and wanted clothing will also be col lected for Vietnam Veterans of America. 8:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m. Donations can be dropped off in the lobby.

SETTLE DOWN EASY BREWING IN FALLS CHURCH is celebrat ing its fourth year in business with a party. It will be an all day event on Saturday, November 11th at 2822 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church, starting at 12:00 p.m. Drink and food specials will be provided to attendees. Guests will receive tickets to visit the company's new location in Oakton. (Photo Courtesy: Frank Kuhns)

EVERY YEAR the Recreation and Park Department honors all those who served in the armed forces with a ceremony at the City of Falls Church Veterans Memorial. This ceremony will be held Friday, November 11th at 11:00 a.m. (Photo: Scarlett Williams)

THE VETERANS YOGA CLASS at Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton is adapted for all levels. The class will be taught by a veteran and will be hosted on November 11th at 1:00 p.m. (Photo: christine Cimino)

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10

BRETT STAFFORD SMITH

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St. Falls Church) 6:00 p.m. (703) 532-9283

ALBERT CASTIGLIA BAND

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:00 p.m. (703) 241-9504

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11

DAN & CHUCK

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St. Falls Church) 5:30 p.m. (703) 532-9283

TUSK: THE ULTIMATE FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE

The State Theatre (220 N Washington St, Falls

Church, VA) 8:30 p.m. (703) 237-0300

ACOUSTIC AYRE DUO

Solace Outpost (444 W Broad St., Falls Church).

8:00 p.m. (571) 378-1469

TOO EXTRA

Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad Street, Falls Church). 9:30 a.m. (703) 237-8333

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

THE GAYLE HARROD BAND

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

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13

MAGICAL MYSTERY FOUR

JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:00 p.m. (703) 241-9504

THEATER & ARTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Blue Stockings

First produced in London at the National Theatre Studio & RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) in 2012, then at London’s Globe Theatre in 2013, the play is based on his torical events. In the play, four young women and their impassioned teachers go up against academia’s entrenched patriarchy and strict society gender roles to earn those rights. It is an electric script, full of drama, suspense, comedy and romance, following the lives of four budding women sci entists and their struggle for equality & empowerment. Performed at Marshall High School from November 10th — 12th at 7:30 p.m.

Pippin

Pippin is the story of a young man on the universal quest for purpose. On his quest, he is led on a musi cal journey through battles, the pursuit of power, the challenges of love, and the joys of everyday, ordi nary experiences. It will be performed at Justice High School from November 10th — 12th. 7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

I Am Here!

a special collaboration with renown kinetic sculp ture artist, Kevin Reese, “A Cup of Tea’ an Asian cultur

ally influenced work with music accompaniment by Chinese Dulcimer musician, Chao Tian, and ‘A New Day’ - a contemporary ballet with

score to encourage, inspire, and motivate everyone to have a positive attitude and energy to face what ever challenges come at us. Come join us for a wonder ful evening of dance and a unique cultural experience!

GAYLE HARROD began her public singing career in 2011 with the Soul and Blues band Triple Shot. Since then she has performed with Classic Rock and Blues band Blues Deluxe before bringing together some of the "best musical talent in the area" to form The Gayle Harrod Band. They will be performing at Dogwood Tavern on Saturday, November 12th at 9:30 p.m. (Photo: Gayle Harrod)

accompanied with song and dance. Enjoy a wonderful evening of dance and and a "unique cultural experience." It will be performed at Capital One Hall on Saturday, November 11th at 6:30 p.m. (Photo: Cristina Mayer)

Dancing Near the Edge of a Lost Democracy Charles M. Blow

NEW YORK TIMES

One of the most sobering state ments from President Joe Biden’s speech last week on protecting democracy was one that might well have gone unnoticed by many who heard it or read about it.

In the speech, Biden pointed out, “The remarkable thing about American democracy is this: Just enough of us, on just enough occa sions, have chosen not to dismantle democracy but to preserve democ racy.”

The sentence is damning. The dismantling of our democracy is just one apathetic electorate, one slate of voter suppression laws or one barrage of misinformation away.

Modern presidential elections don’t often end in landslides. In fact, no president has won by a margin of the popular vote greater than 10 percentage points since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Biden’s own margin of victory over Donald

Trump was only 4 percentage points.

These slim margins are obscured by the flaws and pecu liarities of our electoral process, how small states are overrepresent ed and most states award electors on a winner-take-all basis.

Biden won Georgia by just over 12,000 votes, which was just 0.2 percent of the votes cast in the state, but Biden got all 16 of the state’s electoral votes. That’s how we elect presidents in this country.

But that same fluke means that the country’s past two Republican presidents were able to win the Electoral College while losing the popular vote — George Bush in 2000 and Trump in 2016.

This is all to say that we are always a cat’s whisker away from calamity.

And that doesn’t go only for presidential elections. The same dilemma has plagued this year’s midterms as control of Congress hangs in the balance, with the antidemocracy barbarians at the door.

It is widely believed that Republicans will retake control of the House of Representatives, the only question being by what

margin. But control of the Senate is very much in play, with some of the most hotly contested races playing out in states that often swing presidential elections, such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin.

In each of these states, Republican candidates for the Senate have at one time either openly denied the results of the 2020 election or pushed false claims of fraud about that election.

Those candidates have a chance to win, but even if they don’t, the damage their election denialism has done will linger. We are wit nessing a generational curse being cast.

Faith and doubt are opposites, but they operate using the same emotional energy, much like love and hate. And they are sticky.

Republicans have turned doubt about the 2020 election — and about the legitimacy of any elec tions they lose — into a test of faith. It is the crucible through which one must pass to be a mod ern Republican in good standing. You are true only if you swallow the lie.

Many elected officials and

operatives are simply being oppor tunists, using the lie to excite vot ers or to benefit from the zealotry the lie has spawned. But for many Trump followers, the lie is gospel. It is being welded not only to the psyche but also to the soul. This mass delusion will not be easy to dislodge.

When we have a deep faith in something, we find comfort in it. Faith is precious, an improbable thing, a gift the mind created to soothe and assure. We do not relin quish it lightly.

Faith and doubt linger like the ghosts of a lost soul. Even when we accept evidence that renders the idea in which we placed our faith false, the mind very often clings to a bit of what it had felt and believed.

This is natural. This is human. But this is a problem for our democracy. The people fighting to save democracy are doing so with facts, but the people willing and working to destroy it are operating on a feeling. The former is relying on data and the latter on dogma.

These are different languages speaking to different facets of the human experience. The anti-

Marjorie Taylor Greene-ing of America

mellifluous voice, statements that seem to emanate from Lucifer. She’s dangerous because, like Donald Trump, she has real skills from her years in TV. And she really believes this stuff, unlike Trump and Kevin McCarthy, who are faking it.

be Greene, Jim Jordan and Boebert doing the spewing. It will be like the devil growling through Linda Blair in “The Exorcist” — except it will be our heads spinning.

Are we ready for our new Republican overlords?

Are we ready for an empowered Marjorie Taylor Greene?

Are we ready for a pumped-up, pistol-packing Lauren Boebert?

“How many AR-15s do you think Jesus would have had?” Boebert asked a crowd at a Christian cam paign event in June. I’m going with none, honestly, but her answer was, “Well, he didn’t have enough to keep his government from killing him.”

The Denver Post pleaded, “We beg voters in western and southern Colorado not to give Rep. Lauren Boebert their vote.”

The freshman representative has recently been predicting happily that we’re in the end times, “the last of the last days.” If Boebert is in charge, we may want to be in the end times. I’m not feeling so Rapturous about the prospect.

And then there’s the future first female president, Kari Lake, who lulls you into believing, with her

As Cecily Strong said on “Saturday Night Live” last weekend, embodying Lake, “If the people of Arizona elect me, I’ll make sure they never have to vote ever again.”

Speaking of “Paradise Lost,” how about Ron DeSantis? The governor of Florida, who’s running for a second term, is airing an ad that suggests that he was literally anointed by God to fight Democrats. God almighty, that’s some high-level endorsement.

Much to our national shame, it looks like these over-the-top and way, way, way out of the mainstream Republicans — and the formerly normie and now creepy Republicans who have bent the knee to the wack os out of political expediency — are going to be running the House, maybe the Senate and certainly some states, perhaps even some that Joe Biden won two years ago.

And it looks as if McCarthy will finally realize his goal of becoming speaker, but when he speaks, it will

Welcome to a rogue’s gallery of crazy: Clay Higgins, who’s spout ing conspiracy theories about Paul Pelosi, wants to run the House Homeland Security Committee; Paul Gosar, whose own family has begged Arizonans to eject him from Congress, will be persona grata in the new majority.

In North Carolina, Bo Hines, a Republican candidate for the House, wants community panels to decide whether rape victims are able to get abortions or not. He’s building on Dr. Oz’s dictum that local politicians should help make that call. Even Oprah turned on her creation, Dr. Odd.

J.D. Vance, the Yale-educated, former Silicon Valley venture capi talist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” who called Trump “America’s Hitler” in 2016, before saluting him to gain public office, could join the Senate in January. Talk about American Elegy.

Even though he wrote in his best seller that Yale Law School was his “dream school,” he now trashes the

very system that birthed him. Last year, he gave a speech titled “The Universities Are the Enemy”; his mother-in-law is a provost at the University of California San Diego.

It’s disturbing to think of Vance side by side with Herschel Walker. Walker was backed by Mitch McConnell, who countenanced an obviously troubled and flawed individual even if it meant degrading the once illustrious Senate chamber.

Overall, there are nearly 300 election deniers on the ballot, but they will be all too happy to accept the results if they win.

People voting for these cra zies think they’re punishing Biden, Barack Obama and the Democrats. They’re really pun ishing themselves.

These extreme Republicans don’t have a plan. Their only idea is to get in, make trouble for Biden, drag Hunter Biden into the dock, start a bunch of stupid investigations, shut down the government, abandon Ukraine and hold the debt limit hostage.

Democrats are partly to blame. They haven’t explained

democracy faithful cannot and will not be dissuaded by facts. Faith, which doesn’t require evidence, can be fed and affirmed by things that aren’t true. And that is pre cisely what is happening.

That faith doesn’t even allow for the notion that destroying democracy would be bad, or mark edly worse than present conditions. So people may even believe that they will benefit from democracy’s demise.

This is Trump’s twisted legacy, something that will endure no mat ter what happens during these mid terms and whether he runs once more for president. The damage he has done and continues to do will, in the end, be far bigger than he ever was.

He has given birth to a distor tion that will long outlive him.

As Biden pointed out, the coun try is perilously close to install ing officials who want to undo it and remake it, who want a partial democracy or none at all. America is one bad election away from being a memory.

By Charles M. Blow © 2022 The New York Times

how they plan to get a grip on the things people are wor ried about: crime and inflation. Voters weren’t hearing what they needed to hear from Biden, who felt morally obligated to talk about the threat to democ racy, even though that’s not what people are voting on.

As it turns out, a woman’s right to control her body has been overshadowed by uneasi ness over safety and economic security.

To top it off, Trump is promising a return. We’ll see if DeSantis really is the cho sen one. In Iowa on Thursday night, Trump urged the crowd to “crush the communists” at the ballot box and said that he was “very, very, very” close to deciding to “do it again.”

Trump, the modern Pandora, released the evil spirits swirl ing around us: racism, antisemi tism, violence, hatred, conspira cy theories and Trump mini-mes who should be nowhere near the levers of power.

Heaven help us.

By Maureen Dowd © 2022 The New York Times

OK, Putin, your jig is up! There is a direct link between the decisive rejection of a promised “red tsunami” in this week’s elections in the U.S. and Moscow’s decision to withdraw from the Kherson region.

Alison Quinn’s latest in the Daily Beast confirms what its headline says, that Putin has suffered a “humiliating defeat” in the Khumar region such that troops have been ordered to retreat. The account reports that “Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu handed down the order on Wednesday afternoon to pull out to the other side of the Dnipro River. The move came after Russian troops reportedly began blowing up bridges as they pulled out, with Russian flags being removed from buildings in the center of Kherson—the only regional capital captured by Russian forces in the full-scale invasion.”

Now, the fact that Putin will not have the strong phalanx of support for his expansionary crimes in the U.S. comes as a last straw. Tuesday’s amazing electoral returns – a complete repudiation of the Trump trashing of the U.S. political system – marked only the second time in the post-World War 2 era that a party that won control in the White House did not lose a major chunk of its strength in the subsequent midterms.

Putin staked his Ukraine military invasion on that happening. He’d planned on keeping his agent, Trump, in the White House last year, pulling out all his stops to achieve that result. When it didn’t happen, he recalibrated on the hope of a “red tsunami” in this midterm election. There is every evidence he tried very hard to cause that outcome, including through the confessions this week of the key operator of his Internet Research Agency “troll farms” in Russia, Yevgeniy Prigozhin.

It is likely the unusually public claim by Prigozhin in the Russian social media platform VKontakte came as a last-ditch effort to convince Putin’s inner circle that the effort would yet succeed.

But it is more likely that Prigozhin is not even aware of the extent to which his efforts failed due to countermeasures by U.S. intelligence which, to be most effective, don’t leave an adversary aware of the nature or scope of an intervention. If an image of a terrible monster figure is replaced by one of Scooby Doo, then the desired effect of a troll operation gets completely lost.

The Russians pride themselves on their sophisticated appreciation for what makes the human mind tick and of how subtle messages attached to key imagery can be effective in altering a person’s perceptions of reality. Western intelligence has been slow catching up to some of the more nuanced aspects of the game. However, as they do, they increase their capacity to not only neutralize them but to also conduct effective blowback moves.

It is of major importance going forward that “inoculation” efforts be launched from the pro-Western side to defuse Russian efforts. What would be the key components of that?

While enhancing support for political and social causes opposed to the Russian objectives is important, it is also very important to engage the public on less partisan, more generally humanitarian viewpoints such that partisan or social differences don’t hit with the same ferocity and people can live with, even affirm, their differences.

Of course, the economic side of this is important, too, and that was a major factor in this fall’s election. While inflation may be hurting people, it is also a question of how much and what’s being done about it.

The major corporate controlled news media has tried to play up the negative effects of Biden’s agenda on average American households, but that works only if the other side is not aggressively touting the achievements of Biden in a positive light.

In this regard, the big winner this week was Biden himself, and his programmatic agenda bringing concrete benefits to real people. That’s the best inoculator of all, the defense against political hostility represented by a wallet fat enough to block the naysayers.

Yep, Biden is the week’s winner.

It is, as one perceptive article put it, “soft fascism,” which makes dissidents powerless via its control of the economy and the news media without beating them up or putting them in jail.

Do you think a MAGA regime, with or without Donald Trump, would be equally subtle? Listen to the speeches at any Trump rally. They’re full of vindictiveness, of promises to imprison and punish anyone — including technocrats like Anthony Fauci — the movement dislikes.

And much of the Ameri-

can right is sympathetic to, or at least unwilling to condemn, violence against its opponents.

The Republican reaction to the attack on Paul Pelosi by a MAGA-spouting intruder was telling: Many in the party didn’t even pretend to be horrified. Instead, they peddled ugly conspiracy theories. And the rest of the party didn’t ostracize or penalize the purveyors of vile falsehoods.

In short, if MAGA wins, we’ll probably find ourselves wishing its rule was as tolerant, relatively benign and relatively nonviolent as Orban’s.

Now this catastrophe doesn’t have to happen. Even if Republicans win big in the midterms, it won’t be the end for democracy, although it will be a big blow. And nothing in politics, not even a full descent into authoritarianism, is permanent.

On the other hand, even if we get a reprieve this week, the fact remains that democracy is in deep danger from the authoritarian right. America as we know it is not yet lost, but it’s on the edge.

By PAUL KRUGMAN

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

The following was given first reading at the Oc tober 24, 2022 City Council meeting. A public hearing, second reading, and final City Council action is scheduled for Monday, November 14, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.

(TO22-16) ORDINANCE TO INCREASE THE SALARIES FOR THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

The proposed ordinance would increase the salary for the Mayor from $9,800 to $11,500 annually and the salary for City Council mem bers from $9,200 to $11,000. The effective date of the proposed salary changes is 2024, the year after the next City Council election. State law regulates permissible salary levels for certain local elected officials, together with the procedures for amending the same, and the proposed ordinance reflects both consider ations. The City Council last adjusted salaries for the Mayor and Council members in 2007.

All public hearings will be held in the Council Chambers, 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia. Remote participation information at www.fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Com ments may also be sent to cityclerk@fallsch urchva.gov. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at (703-248-5014) or cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov or visit www. fallschurchva.gov/councilmeetings. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5014 (TTY 711).

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on November 17, 2022 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Av enue, for consideration of the following items:

Variance application V1634-22 by Nisha and Pradeep Sensharma, applicants and owners, for a variance to Section 48-238(3)a. to allow a rear setback of 28.12 feet instead of 40 feet for the purpose of constructing a screened porch on an existing deck at premises known as 621 Laura Drive, RPC #52-604-009 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential.

Variance application V1635-22 by Maribel and Edwin Najera, applicants and owners, for a variance to Section 48-263(3)a. to allow side setbacks of 8.3 feet instead of 10 feet for the purpose of constructing a 2nd story addition at premises known as 113 West Cameron Road, RPC #52-402-055 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1B, Medium Density Residential.

Public comment and questions may be submitted to zoning@fallschurchva.gov until 4:30 pm on November 17, 2022. Agenda and application materials will be available the week prior to the scheduled hearing at: http://www. fallschurchva.gov/BZA

Information on the above application is also available for review upon request to staff at zoning@fallschurchva.gov.

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Online Meeting Today, Nov. 10 On Seven Corners Plans

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has an online meeting tonight at 7 p.m to present the findings of efforts to upgrade Seven Corners. The forum, to be held on Nov. 10, will look at the four phases being proposed to upgrade the challenging transpor tation crossroads.

They are: • Phase 1: Construction of a ring road on the west side of the interchange between Route 50 and Route 7. • Phase 2: Continuing the ring road on the south side of the interchange between Route 7 and Route 50. • Phase 3: Reconfiguring the central inter change above Route 50 (Route 7 and Wilson Boulevard/Sleepy Hollow Road). • Phase 4: Completing the ring road on the east side of the interchange between Route 50 and the intersection of Wilson Boulevard/ Roosevelt Boulevard.

Tonight’s event will be held at 7 p.m. For information on how to sign on, the public is invited to the following website: www.fairfax county.gov/transportation/study/seven-corners.

Public Rides on New Silver Line Extension Begin Nov. 15

The public’s chance to ride the first train on Metro’s Silver Line Extension is next Tuesday, Nov. 15 at about 2 p.m. when the first train departs the Ashburn Station headed for Downtown Largo. With the completed extension, customers in Loudoun County will now have convenient access to Metrorail and Washington Dulles International Airport will be an easy train ride away for people across the region.

The start of passenger service will com mence following a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting at the Washington Dulles International Airport Station to recognize this generational infrastructure investment.

Fuel Assistance Now Offered Through Monday

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is currently accepting applications for fuel assistance online and at all local depart ments of social services through Monday, Nov. 14. Applications may also be submitted by tele phone by contacting the Enterprise Customer Service Center, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. at (855) 635-4370.

The Energy Assistance Program is funded by the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program federal block grant to provide state support to assist low-income households in meeting their home energy needs such as electricity, natural and liquid propane gas, oil, kerosene, coal and wood.

Assistance may also be available for deliv ery and installation charges as well as con nection or reconnection fees. To qualify for fuel assistance, the maximum gross monthly

income for a one-person household must not exceed $1,699. For a household of four, the maximum gross monthly income is $3,469

East End Small Area Plan Presentation Set Nov. 19

Saturday, Nov. 19, at 9 a.m. at Columbia Baptist Church, 103 W. Columbia Street. The City of Falls Church invites the community to attend a meeting and take a survey about the Draft Small Area Plan for the East End of the City. City staff and officials will present the plan, and then attendees can share ideas in breakout sessions. The survey asks about the importance of various goals, like preserving the Eden Center culture and identity, preserv ing, and providing housing, and which urban designs — if any — to add, like pocket parks and public art. The survey closes on December 1, 2022.

Full House Attends Briefing On Proposed T-Zone Shift

Last Wednesday residents and busi ness owners packed the F.C. City Council chambers to overflowing to hear about the proposed transition zoning (T-1 and T-2) changes for land mostly along Park Avenue and Washington Street.

The land currently requires lower impact development as a transitional buf fer between the high density of commercial zoning and the residential neighborhoods. The proposed changes would allow for higher heights, increased lot coverage and smaller building set-back requirements.

Those commenting said that changes can allow high density buildings directly across the street from a single-family neighbor hood (along Park Ave), or within 15 feet of a backyard of a home that backs up to a T-zone, such as on Lawton Street.

Village Preservation Society and League of Women Voters members were out in force, although all spoke as individuals. Residents of the Broadway condos (502 West Broad) were present. They said pro posed changes could allow a new building on Park Avenue with a height of 50 feet, nearly the height of Broadway at 54 feet, and that would ensure their only view be a blank brick wall as close as 20 feet from their windows.

Other issues were that the proposed ordinance permits the building to have 80 percent lot coverage, precluding a tree canopy and that the concept conflicts with the City’s development of Park Avenue as a Great Street.

The F.C. Planning Commission will hold a work session on December 7 to consider public comments and on December 21 will hold a public hearing and vote on its recom mendations. The City Council is scheduled to have its second reading for passage dur ing the first quarter of 2023.

2022

25 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press

Falls Church News-Press Vol. VII, No. 34 • November 06, 1997

GOP Wins Statewide; Hull, Bittle Hold Onto Posts in Falls Church

The Republican statewide ticket swept to victory Tuesday in Virginia, in keeping with polls that showed it steadily pulling ahead during October following what had been a deadlocked race through most of the year.

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXII, No. 37 • November 8, 2012

Huge Dem Sweep in N. Virginia as 87% F.C. Voter Turnout Tops State

Landslides for President Barack Obama and U.S. Senator-elect Tim Kaine in Northern Virginia were greater than the total margins of victory for both in carrying the common wealth, resulting in a massive Democratic sweep in the region Tuesday.

C ritter C

orner

Local High Schools Wrap Up Their Fall Seasons

by Ryan McCafferty and Nick Porr

Meridian High School

Meridian football played their final regular season matchup on Friday, hosting William Monroe for senior night. They lost 28-25, ending their season at 1-9, but the progress the young squad showed through out the year leaves hope to build upon.

Meridian’s field hockey squad lost 5-0 at James Monroe on Thursday in the regional finals, but still qualified for the state tournament. They’ll play their first matchup there on Tuesday as they host York.

Meridian’s girls’ volleyball team saw its season come to an end with a 3-0 loss at Warren County in the first round of their regional bracket. They finished with a final record of 7-15.

Both the girls’ and boys’ cross country teams competed in the regional champion ship in Mechanicsville this past week, with the girls winning their tournament and boys placing third. Grace Crum finished second overall in the girls’ race, the high est placed Mustang since 2010. Both teams advance to face off in the state meet in Salem this Saturday.

Falls Church High School Football (3-7) ends their season on a sour note losing 45-35 to Mount Vernon (4-6). They will look to bounce back next season as they will not be compet ing in the playoffs this November.

In the Occoquan Regional Finals at Burke Lake Park Thursday afternoon the Boys and Girls Cross Country teams found themselves matching as both fin ished 11th overall. Haley Heironimous continued her terrific season, running an 18:07 time to finish fourth in the race. The Boys were led by senior Robert Potter who finished 46th.

Justice High School

Defeating John R. Lewis 32-14, Football (2-8) ends their season with back to back wins. Fans will hope that this is a sign of things to come as the Wolves prepare for 2023.

Volleyball’s strong season came to an end Thursday night when the Wolves were bounced by Alexandria City in the quarterfinals. They finished with a win ning record for the second consecutive year.

Girls Cross Country finished 13th out of 14 teams behind an outstanding 25th place finish from sophomore Ella Galway. The Boys team finished 16th, last place at the competition.

Despite local weather remaining as warm as ever, winter sports are begin ning to start up. Wrestling will get their season started with a scrimmage Saturday morning.

Marshall High School

In a tense affair, football (3-7) defeats Herndon 22-21 after denying a late hail mary attempt from the Hornets. Their season ends on a sweet note, with a memorable win on senior night at home.

Volleyball’s season came to a finish in the regional semifinals. Chantilly downed the Statesmen 3-0 bringing an end to an outstand ing 19-10 season.

Cross Country was again led by Haley Spoden who individually finished sixth in the Northern Region Cross Country Championship. Boys Cross Country finished fourth out of eight teams behind impressive runs from Seth Oliver (eighth place) and Sean Sanders (12th).

Cheer team junior Selina Zaccack received statewide recognition this week being named to the All-State Second Team. She was also named to the All-Region First Team alongside Keira Fu.

Falls Church Business News & Notes

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program.

The federal government seeks to award at least 3 percent of all federal contracting dollars to such businesses annually, so this program helps with meeting that target. This federal contracting program offers assistance to small business owners who are service-disabled veterans. Eligible small businesses must be over 50 percent owned/controlled by one or more service-disabled vet erans, have day-to-day operations and long-term goals managed by at least one service-disabled veteran and have a service-connected disability. For more information, visit: https://www.sba. gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/veteran-assistance-programs

The Little City Gift Card Program

The City of Falls Church invites small businesses to participate in an e-gift card program that will boost revenue and visibility. The program is free to businesses, they receive the full amount of the redeemed cards, and this operates just like other credit card transactions. Businesses are encouraged to register now, and gift cards will be available for purchase beginning on Saturday, November 26 which is Small Business Saturday. Registration is available online now at www. fallschurchva.gov/LittleCityGiftCard, and a video is also available for your convenience. For a limited time and while supplies last, the City will match gift card purchases. Participating busi nesses will be listed upon registration on the same website.

September Job Opening Rates

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nearly half of all new job openings in September were across hotels and restaurants. While businesses are struggling to hire, the 5.7 percent quit rate is highest among industries. The report acknowledges that the economy has regained the number of jobs lost during the pandemic, yet the recovery has been slower and more difficult in the service industry.

Work Occupancy Update

Kastle Systems’ continues to track the return to work, which has averaged 47 percent nation ally for eight consecutive weeks. Currently, Wednesdays have the highest office occupancy and Fridays have the lowest. Among the top ten tracked cities to include the Washington metro area, 54.7 percent of workers came into the office on Wednesday last week and 32.5 percent came in to work last Friday. Locally, the rate was 43.9 percent last Wednesday.

Northrop Lands Navy Manufacturing Contract

Northrop Grumman has received a three-year, $9 million contract to produce an initiat ing propellant for the U.S. Navy’s MK 48 torpedo, an underwater weapon equipped with sonar technology designed for anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare missions. The Department of Defense reported that the Navy solicited services from only one com pany to address the requirement and issued a $2.2 million initial delivery order under the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.

 Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@ fallschcurchchamber.org.

MERIDIAN FOOTBALL finished up their regular season on Friday, November 4th, host ing William Monroe for senior night, ending their season 1-9. (Photo: Gary Mester)