In the week immediately following the stunning U.S. presidential election result that bodes ill for the cause of full equality, the Falls Church City Council was unanimous in the adoption of a bold resolution supporting transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming persons at its meeting this Tuesday.
A turnout of over 30 supporters of the resolution, many of them high and middle school students and their parents, were in attendance to cheer its passage.
Mayor Letty Hardi proclaimed Trangender Awareness Week this current week through Nov. 19 and Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20. The times are aimed at seeking “to increase the visibility of transgender people and the issues they face, including but not limited to prejudicial treatment, lack of acceptance and violence.”
The Day of Remembrance was first organized in 1999 to commemorate the murder of Rita Hester, a transgender woman.
Among those who spoke in support of the resolution Tuesday was Sophie Kachur, a public meeting assistant in the F.C. City Clerk’s office, who said the observance “is among the saddest” because of the prev -
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PRESERVING DEMOCRACY
Falls Church’s own Mike Curtin, a resident here over 30 years, has to be considered among the Little City’s greatest contributions to the betterment of the species in this entire region and beyond.
The CEO of the D.C. Central Kitchen, which now delivers over 16,000 nutritional meals
daily to the needy in the nation’s capital and employs over 320 people in the process, Curtin came to the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce’s annual non-profit fair this week to deliver passionate remarks to over 40 of this area’s top nonprofit leaders.
The event was held in the fellowship hall of the historic Falls Church Episcopal Church
with display tables and literature spread around describing the considerable benefits that scores of these organizations provide with mostly volunteers to help.
In the midst of this, Curtin’s message was an inspiration, like a clarion call to the whole notion of making the world a better place through compassionate and dedicated service.
He has grown the D.C. Central Kitchen from a $500,000 operation in 2004 to over an annual $16 million one with a culinary job training program that trains formerly incarcerated, addicted, homeless or chronically unemployed persons and his impact is felt worldwide through his speaking engagements, received
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U.S. MILITARY SERVICE veterans and their invaluable contributions to the preservation of our nation’s democracy were commemorated on Veterans Day in the City of Falls Church with its annual ceremony in front of the Falls Church Community Center where a veterans memorial stands. (Photo: Gary Mester)
by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press
by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press
November 22 and December 13 at 4:00 PM
NEWS BRIEFS
Meridian High’s Fall Musical ‘Sweeney Todd’ is This Weekend
The Meridian High School Theater Department under the direction of Shawn Northrip presents this weekend Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd — The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” a musical thriller. Three performances are set, beginning tonight, Thursday, Nov. 14, then Friday and Saturday, each night doors opening at 7 and the show commencing at 7:30 p.m.
General admission is $15, and $5 for students. The show contains mature content, which means it is recommended for ages 12 and up.
The story line of this popular Broadway musical is this: Fifteen years after having been wrongfully sentenced to the penal colonies, Sweeney Todd has returned to London to find his lost wife and daughter and seek justice against those who imprisoned him.
F.C. Planning Chief Paul Stoddard Heading to Alexandria
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields has formally announced that the highly accomplished and popular young Falls Church Director of Planning Paul Stoddard will be leaving his post here at the end of November to accept a position as a deputy planner for the City of Alexandria.
Shields told the F.C. City Council Tuesday that a reception honoring Stoddard will be held later this month. In his communique to City staff last week, Shields said that Stoddard “has had a very accomplished record here with the City of Falls Church, joining us as an intern with the City Planning Department in 2012 and rising to Planning Director in 2018. This has been an incredibly productive period for the City’s Planning Department.
“Paul has played a leading role as we worked together to adopt new Small Area Plans, update the City Comprehensive Plan, and manage the entitlement process for major new developments, including West Falls, Broad and Washington, Founders Row and Founders Row II. The City has responded well to the vision laid out in our planning documents for exciting infill redevelopment in the Downtown Entertainment area, the Virginia Village affordable housing project, the W&OD dual trail and crossings, to name a few. The City is steadily becoming safer for walkers and people
on bicycles, following the visionary transportation plans that CPEDS, DPW, and PD have been working on together.
“Anyone who has seen Paul work with the community in a town hall meeting has seen a truly effective public servant –responsive, intelligent, patient, empathetic, and visionary. And for all of us working by his side, Paul is always a whole lot of fun to work with. Upbeat and thoughtful to meet every challenge.”
F.C. Homeless Shelter Opens This Weekend to March 31
The Falls Church Homeless Shelter on Gordons Road opens for the cold season this Friday, Nov. 15, through March 31, 2025. The Friends of Falls Church Homeless Shelter has a contract with New Hope Housing, which provides professional staff for the shelter.
The volunteer Friends, led by board chair Kay Zacharias-Andrews, this week thanked volunteer efforts by NewCity and the Falls Church Presbyterian Youth Groups for helping clean and organize the shelter. Volunteer training opportunities still exist, the next opportunity this Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m. for working alongside professional staff to cover evening shifts from 5:30 p.m. to midnight in the coming season.
Beyer, Connelly Urge Biden To Reject Anti-LGBT Laws
In advance of the December deadline to finish FY25 appropriations, 146 Members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden and Democratic leadership in the House and Senate urging them to reject any attempts to include antiLGBT provisions in any final FY25 government funding agreements. Northern Virginia U.S. Reps. Don Beyer and Gerry Connelly are among the signatories.
The letter states, “Rather than working to address the problems facing Americans and supporting working families, anti-equality members of Congress are attempting to hijack the appropriations process to restrict the rights and fundamental freedoms of LGBTQI+ people. These members lack the votes and public support to pass their antiLGBT agenda into law as standalone bills, so they are working to include them in must-pass funding legislation. We strongly oppose these efforts.”
Currently, there are more than 50 antiequality provisions in the House FY25 appropriations bills.
Unanimous F.C. Council Vote Affirms Trans, Non-Binary Support
alence of bullying, suicides and murders” that afflict transgender and non-binary persons.” She urged an expansion of benefits and the building of a culture of appreciation.
F.C. Vice Mayor Deborah Shantz-Hiscott made brief but heartfelt remarks in support of the measure, “as a parent” that drew applause.
Mayor Hardi praised all who showed up at the meeting for being “both brave and vulnerable.” Councilman David Snyder said, “This is why you have government in the first place.”
Mary Catherine Chase, the City of Falls Church’s Director of Communications, spoke, citing helpful references on the subject from the Human Rights Campaign and Trevor Project. Jill Smith of the Meridian High Gay-Straight Alliance said the proclamation was “appreciated and comforting.”
A local parent applauded the proclamation for the protection it is designed to provide, and acknowledged that Falls Church is “uniquely safe” and “night-and-day different” from places even just 20 minutes away. Another said the proclamation emanated “warmth and a feeling of community in Falls Church” and that its timing was particularly important.
Among the statistics cited were that a third of trans and non-binary youth have attempted suicide, a number that is more than 50 percent less in households where parents are affirming, that 85 percent have considered suicide, 50 percent suffer depression, 70 percent anxiety and 40 percent housing insecurity.
In an environment that resulted in such things as the outcome of the national election last week, too many see it as a “permission for hate” and anti-trans laws are up 72 percent.
The Council’s proclamation referenced earlier actions by the Falls Church Public Schools’ board and Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan that “assured the community of the schools’ commitment to value and support every stu-
dent in their charge, ensuring that all students are treated with dignity and respect in our schools.” It cited that the City Council “has demonstrated support for community members of all backgrounds and identities, including transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming persons,” including with an ordinance that “prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, which has been historically linked to discrimination based on gender expression and identity.”
In other developments at the City Council meeting:
• Newly-elected Laura Downs was sworn in as the seventh member of the Council at the very start of the meeting. Just a week ago, she won the special election held to fill the unexpired term of Caroline Lian who resigned in September.
• City Manager Wyatt Shields announced the dates for the Urban Land Institute’s Technical Assistance Panel that will explore possibilities in the City’s Gordons Road Triangle area. It will be January 30-31, 2025.
• Public Works Specialist Caitlin Sobsey presented an update report on 42 active projects, including 20 that are transportation related, nine City facilities related, six parks related, six stormwater/sewer related and one public safety related. As of this month, she reported, 32 projects are on target, six designated “at risk” and four behind target. Special concern was expressed by Council member Erin Flynn for the W&OD Trail crossing improvements on Great Falls, where lighting is needed for motorists and trail-users alike.
• Following on a consensus reported last month at a work session, the Council approved an honorary and ceremonial naming of two blocks of Wilson Boulevard in front of the Eden Center as Saigon Boulevard. A contingent of over a dozen VietnameseAmerican supporters of that measure was present and applauded the move.
A hot bowl of pho at Eden Center. Voted best shopping center in the DMV!
A LARGE CONTINGENT showed up to express community-wide support for the Falls Church City Council’s unanimous adoption of a resolution in support of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming citizens at the Council meeting Tuesday. (News-Press Photo)
honors and an overall spreading of the word of his formula for success.
In a nutshell, he told the N-P, it is to “focus like a laser” on the mission, which to him is to offer “not a hand out, but a hand up.”
“To elevate, empower and liberate, this is our goal,” he said. “Food itself will never end hunger, but it is a means to lift people up out of poverty. It is not our meals, as important as they are, but our training that drives our program. In addition to ones in training, there are an average of 45 volunteers a day who work out of the D.C. Central Kitchen’s new facility adjacent to the Aldi Field in Southeast D.C.
The success of the program, and Curtin’s personal success in driving it, had its start right in Falls Church and his family home for over 30 years where he has lived with his wife Maureen and their three children, Maeve, Michael III and Clara.
A 1988 graduate with a degree in religion from Williams College in western Massachusetts, a
smaller version of an Ivy League school that produced other famous names like Wang Leehorn, Steve Case, Stephen Sondheim and Elia Kazan, Curtin worked after college in Japan as a teacher, copywriter and bartender in Osaka. Upon his return to the U.S., he launched his career in the hospitality business that involved a valiant effort at launching his own restaurant in downtown Falls Church in the late 1990s. At the location of the current Dogwood Tavern in the 100 block of W. Broad St., Curtin took a hands-on approach to a major renovation of the space, which had previously been home to the Akropol restaurant to open his Broad Street Grill.
While many of the renovations of the space are still functioning for owners of the Dogwood, Curtin describes his four years there as his first effort at running a “nonprofit.” It was not to be, even though he had become an important fixture with the local Chamber of Commerce and his restaurant had won a business award from the City.
His idea for the restaurant, however, was completely valid and has
animated his efforts ever since. That is, that the goal of a restaurant is to create a community place, a place where people get together, and gather to be part of something bigger. “There is a reason that the TV sitcom, Cheers, was so popular in its day,” Curtin said. “It’s because we all want to be part of something where ‘everyone knows your name.’”
With the closing of his restaurant, however, Curtin had no idea of what to do next. He took a job with the DCCK in 2004 thanks to a boost from an important friend, Robert Egger, who ran a food distribution operation in the Foggy Bottom area from a church in Georgetown.
“We specialize in providing second chances for people at the Central Kitchen,” Curtin told his Chamber of Commerce audience this Tuesday, “and going into the Central Kitchen was my second chance.” He’s made the most of it.
In the face of the Great Recession of 2008, First Lady Michele Obama came to visit the site in 2010 and she influenced the program’s turn to providing meals in seven schools in D.C., expanded
now to 30. As the program has grown and done more to make the meals healthier, it has also moved to locally-sourced ingredients, a “farm to shelter” approach.
Curtin has become an important national spokesman for the benefits of non-profits in our society and economy. “There are no profits without non-profits,” he asserted in his speech Tuesday. “We need both, and both need to be equally celebrated and sought after.”
He noted that 10 percent of U.S. companies are now non-profits and account for six percent of the economy. Taken by themselves, their net economic impact is slightly less than South Korea but more than Saudi Arabia.
He said that rather than the advice which asserts that nonprofits should become more like for-profit businesses, it is actually the other way around. “If a strictly business model was so successful and the answer to everything, non-profits wouldn’t exist,” he contended.
Among Curtin’s major successes operating the DCCK has been the annual Capital Food Fight fund-
raiser in downtown D.C. This year was its 20th anniversary and over $900,000 was raised, he said. Never to forget about the Falls Church community that he comes home to every night, two important Falls Church restaurants, the Little City’s acclaimed new Ellie Bird and Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, were represented among the 84 from the wider region.
D.C. CENTRAL KITCHEN CEO, Falls Church’s own Mike Curtin, spoke eloquently about the benefits of non-profits and his success running his, to the F.C. Chamber of Commerce this Tuesday. (NewsPress Photo)
20, 2024
Since 1991, an award-winning LGBT-owned general Interest community newspaper.
Vol. XXXIV, No. 40 November 14 - 20, 2024
• City of Falls Church
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Our nation, the United States of America, and with it the planet as a whole, has entered into the most hazardous period in its history with the election last week of Donald Trump as its next president. The City of Falls Church and Northern Virginia, even if somehow able to secede or otherwise mitigate against the consequences of this development, cannot escape the chaos, fury and hatred that we anticipate will define the coming period. A cruise line now advertises a four-year trip for those seeking to avoid what is to come, but even that option will not protect anyone from the ravages that climate change or global war could bring.
Besides, there’s no cruise ship that has the capacity for a 2.2 square mile little city, especially not if we wanted to include parks and other open spaces.
Better to stand our ground and fight as proudly and resolutely as we can on behalf of the values and programs of compassion and good governance that the City of Falls Church has so bravely advanced over the course of the 75 year history since its official jurisdictional founding. How apropos that in this week, when the world continues to reel from the impact of last week’s election, that Falls Church’s mayor and City Council have adopted a resolution in firm defense of the rights and values of all its transgender and nonbinary citizens, and moved forward plans to plant a large “Love” monument in front of its City Hall. Let it be clear to the entire cosmos, this City and its 15,000 residents stand above all else for love!
The uncharted course ahead requires of each and every one of us the calling forth of heaping extra portions of this noble, transcendent and passionate value. In every tiny act, we are now called to remember to use the turn signal, to slow down on residential streets, to bother to smile and say hello to and to assist if needs be a neighbor and even better a stranger, to volunteer or cut a check for a good cause, to greet and pet a neighborhood dog, to offer a caring ear or hand to someone in distress, and in general, to just be kind in all situations. These small steps now must become the core of our collective resistance to the kind of cruel and heartless treatment that we can now expect our federal government to inflict.
Some will say we exaggerate and it will not be that bad. We truly hope they might be right. But history shows us where the current path can more likely lead, and for far too many of our fellow human beings, for us, this could be worse than we can even imagine. This is not a time for recriminations or second guessing about what has brought us to this point. It is a time for only one thing: resistance rooted in the exercise of extreme kindness and empathetic human compassion.
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A Nation Surging Right Needs Our Higher Angels
Nicholas F. Benton
As for the election: With the tsunami of blaming that has flooded us since last week, what are we to think? Blame the Democrats for not figuring out the U.S. electorate? How about the electorate for not figuring out what it has to do to survive? The reality is that the Trumpified U.S. electorate has moved far away from a grounded political center, a center the Harris campaign had an excellent grasp of and laid claim to.
No, the biggest factor in fact was the relentless impact of the rightwing media in an environment in which lying and deceit are now considered OK. Add to this the even more critical role now of online social media platforms, including the dubious Elon Musk’s reconfiguring of Twitter as X as an openly pro-Trump vehicle of influence.
The so-called mainstream media has done plenty, as well, to shape an overall environment in which Fox News and others on the far right have been able to shape the mindsets of millions.
The major media are controlled by six multi-national conglomerates whose shareholders have a generally unified shared interest that is reflected in the overwhelming predominance of news coverage. These news organizations walk a formulated line of false “objectivity” while shaping an environment to the benefit of their owners.
So, the so-called mainstream media, their relatively more toxic rightwing siblings and especially social media platforms like X can indeed be blamed for this electoral outcome, as they would have in 2008 with Obama had they been as prepared as they’ve become in the meantime.
In the last century, every edition of the New York Council on Foreign Relations’ annual report had as its only appendix a listing of major U.S. newspapers and other media, state by state, with information on their ownership and political slant. This was obviously used to capture all forms of the sharing of information and opinion, which was clearly successful.
The losers in this game? Everybody but the oligarchy, in America and worldwide, sitting on top of the process.
Add to this the oft-forgotten reality exposed in Orwell’s “1984” about how totalitarian regimes control the minds of their subjects. That is, the powers control both sides of the argument. In “1984” this included the underground opposition. Tyrannies set the point and the counter-point alike and win through the exhaustion of that fight.
In this election, could the Democrats, ostensibly acting on behalf of all “others” besides the oligarchy and its allies in our society, have done things differently this time around? Not without selling their collective soul.
The messaging was flawless. So were the main policy issues. Biden continues to be one of the most effective presidents of the U.S. ever, better than LBJ and up there with the likes of Abe Lincoln and FDR. But now it’s going to take decades before that is once again understood.
Of course, thanks to the media, Biden’s historic economic achievements got translated such that they were perceived as failures by millions.
On a global scale, the whole last period has been dominated by Putin’s obsession with Ukraine, and the heinous war crimes that he’s perpetrated there. Losing Trump’s ability to hand over Ukraine when Trump lost reelection in 2020, Putin resorted to one of the most criminal, bloody aggressions imaginable with a fullforce military invasion.
It wasn’t going well for him, so Putin orchestrated the equally abominable Hamas invasion of Israel 13 months ago, Hamas being a Russian asset operating through Iran. The subsequent horrors in Gaza perpetrated by the oligarchy’s friend Netanyahu is still owing to Hamas for using innocent Palestinians, the people they claim to represent, as shields.
But make no mistake, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has as its clear objective eventual control over all of Western Europe.
The task before us now is one of damage control and a longer-term very serious commitment to restore the brain cells of America. It is a moral challenge like none we have faced since the days of the Holocaust. This is not a struggle between “left” and “right,” it is between up and down — between the better angels of our natures versus the dark ones.
COMMENT
A Penny for Your Thoughts
By Penny Gross
Former Fairfax County Supervisor
For half of the country, the 2024 presidential election results were devastating. For the other half, the outcome was just what they wanted – or so they may think. The next four years may reinforce what they voted for – or not. Was Trump’s campaign rhetoric just that, a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing? Or a real plan, not a “concept,” to destroy American democracy and move to tyranny?
We’ve been here before, although our democratic institutions held and survived in the face of previous challenges. 1968 was a chaotic election year. President Lyndon Johnson decided not to run for re-election in March; in May the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was murdered in Memphis; and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in California in June. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago that summer was the most turbulent in history, and voters were split narrowly, especially with a third-party candidate, Alabama Governor George Wallace, who campaigned on similar fears and divisions that marked Trump’s 2024 platform. Richard Nixon won the presidency with 43 percent of the vote to Hubert Humphrey’s 42 percent (barely 500,000 votes separated the two); an ardent segregationist, Wallace won more than 13 percent of the vote. Democrats lost
five seats, and I lost my job on the Hill, but the Senate remained under Democratic control.
Nixon’s presidency was rampant with scandal, including the resignation of his vice president, Spiro Agnew, accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks, eventually pleading guilty to tax evasion. Nixon’s “enemies list” was well-known, and he utilized his Attorney General, John Mitchell, to block federal school desegregation efforts. Later, Mitchell served time in prison for his role in Watergate, along with many high-level White House aides.
Nixon resigned the presidency in August 1974, ending the constitutional crisis he created, leaving Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter struggling to re-establish trust in government. Barely six years later, the Reagan “landslide” (he won 44 states and the Electoral College, but just 50.7 percent of the popular vote) caused many to speculate that it was the end of the Democratic Party, which had the White House only once in a 20-year period. The Senate lost 12 Democratic seats, I lost my job again, and the Senate was under Republican control until 1989. It took 12 years to retake the White House, but Democrats did come back, with Bill Clinton’s election in 1992.
Upon taking the presidential oath in 1974, Gerald Ford, said “our long
City of Falls Church CRIME REPORT
Week of Novemeber 4 — 11, 2024
Fraud – False Pretenses, N 11th St, Nov 1, 12:00 p.m., victim reported receiving an alert on their computer screen stating their computer was hacked and to call a phone number for assistance. The victim called the phone number and provided financial information. The victim later noticed multiple fraudulent charges to their account. (Delayed report)
Fraud – False Pretenses, Roosevelt Blvd, Nov 4, 12:00 p.m., victim reported receiving a text message stating there was an overdue balance for their EZ Pass with a link to a statement. The victim clicked the link and provided financial information. The victim later confirmed with EZ Pass that the incident was a phishing scam.
Larceny, Little Falls St, Nov 4, 3:15 p.m., an unknown suspect stole a campaign sign from the victim’s yard.
Public Intoxication/Obstruction of Justice/Assault and Battery, E Broad St, Nov 4, 10:45 p.m., a female, 42, of Lorton, was arrested for Public Intoxication, Obstruction of Justice, Assault and Batter Law Enforcement Officer, and Assault and Batter Rescue Squad Member.
Reckless Driving, E Broad St, Nov 5, 10:31 a.m., a male, 38, of Renton, WA, was arrested for Reckless Driving.
Shoplifting, Hillwood Ave, Nov 5, 12:19 p.m., two unknown suspects stole merchandise without paying. The first suspect is described as a heavy-set Hispanic male in his 20’s with curly hair, wearing a black coat and black jeans. The second suspect is described as a skinny Hispanic male in his 20’s with
national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works. Our Republic is a government of laws, and not of men. Here the people rule.” Fifty years later, another long national nightmare is upon us, and without a presidential commitment to maintaining the constitutional guardrails that have preserved the Republic for nearly 250 years. I’ve spoken to friends across the country who are so devastated that they have said “I’m done.” That’s the wrong approach. We can be sad and depressed about the election results once again, but a defeat at the polls should not mean a defeat of long-held values. We can take some time to mourn but, as Kamala Harris said, “Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place. This is not a time to throw up our hands, but a time to roll up our sleeves.” Life will go on. The sun will come up, the leaves will fall, flowers will bloom in the spring. I was reminded of that at a soldout NOVA Symphony concert over the weekend. The orchestra and an enormous choir closed the concert with a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Some of the lesser-known lyrics reflect 19th century verbosity, but one phrase can serve as a beacon for all: “And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.” We need brotherhood (and sisterhood) to move the country back toward the center. That’s something we all can strive for. It doesn’t need a particular political party platform, but our individual commitment to making our country a better place.
curly hair, wearing a black sweater and blue jeans.
Shoplifting, W Broad St, Nov 6, 11:13 a.m., an unknown suspect stole merchandise without paying. The suspect is described as a black male wearing a black sweater and black pants, red shoes, a silver chain, and black durag. Public Intoxication, S Washington St, Nov 8, 7:55 p.m., a male, 67, of no fixed address, was arrested for Public Intoxication.
Shoplifting, Hillwood Ave, Nov 9, 8:05 p.m., two unknown suspects, both described as Hispanic males, stole merchandise without paying. Aggravated Assault, Wilson Blvd, Nov 10, 12:46 AM, victim reported they were stabbed by a known subject while exiting a restroom. Investigation is ongoing.
Continued on Page 14
LOCAL
Community News & Notes
FALLS CHURCH VFW Post 9274 capped the Little Cities Veterans Day events with thier Annual Veterans Day Commmunity and Educational Awards Program. While members of the Post participate in the Downtown Ceremony and multiple other Veterans Day activites through out the City, the post itself ends the Holdiay opening thier doors for a Community Cookout. During this annual event members of the VFW take time to recognize Community Leaders, Businesses, Educators, and Students for thier contributions to the Veteran Community. This years event was once again Sponsored by Local Thrift Falls Church. Following the Annual Commanders Message and words from Delegate Marcus Simon to a packed house the following awards were presented this Year: Teacher of the Year — Nicole Guirmaraes (Bottom) of Mt. Daniels Elementry school. Voice fo Democracy Scholarship, Rekha Thirmumlai (Middle) of CG Woodeon HS. Business awards — Local Thrift Falls Church, The Falls Church News-Press (Top). National Memorial Park and Murphy Funeral Home, Integrity Tire and Auto of Falls Church, Lotus Tactical, Vigeo Physical Therapy, Harvey’s Lazy Mikes. The event ended with the annual presentation of flags submitted for retirement by Cub Scout Pack 657 of Fals Church. (Photos: VFW Post 9274)
SORT THE FOOD, FOOD FOR NEIGHBORS had a Red Bag food collection on Saturday, November 9th! Many area businesses and organizations provided food drives and/or hands-on support, including Amazon, the official sponsor of the November event. The event took place at Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church. Visit foodforneighbors.org for more information. (Photo:
FALLS CHURCH TREE Fest is back this year. Where holiday spirit meets charitable giving! A Silent Auction — Fundraiser. Friday, December 6th, 5 p.m. — 9 p.m. Saturaday, December 7th , 1 p.m. — 9 p.m. Ireland’s Four Provinces. Entrance is free. Sponsored by VPIS.org. vpis.org/culture-vpis-tree-fest. 105 West Broad Street. (Photo: News-Press)
PROMINENT BBC newsman James Naughton (right) was on hand reporting on the U.S. election last week from the City of Falls Church precinct at the Community Center where he was greeted by his Falls Church journalistic counterpart, the News-Press’ Nicholas Benton. Not only BBC, but international attention paid to the election in Falls Church also came from delegations of observers from the Netherlands and Romania. (Photo: News-Press)
VOLUNTEERS
Renee Maxwell)
10 | NOVEMBER 14 - 20, 2024
CALENDAR
THIS WEEK AROUND F.C.
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 14
"Sweeney Todd" Meridian High School
The Meridian Theater Department, led by Mr. Shawn Northrip, invites you to experience "Sweeney Todd": The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a thrilling tale of revenge and redemption. Don’t miss this musical thriller as it comes to life November 14–16 at 7:30 p.m at Meridian High School.
FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 15
Alice in Wonderland
"Curiouser and curiouser" Down the Rabbit Hole we go! Come join Alice on her fantastical journey through Wonderland. The White Rabbit, The Cheshire Cat, The Caterpillar, The Mad Hatter, The Queen of Hearts, all your favorite characters are here in this musical adaptation of the classic Lewis Carroll tale. Alice gives the entire family a chance to spend an utterly "Mad, mad day" at the Cauldron, enjoying one of the most famous and enduring children's classics of all time in a new bi-lingual format. Creative Cauldron, 410 S Maple Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046. Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.Sundays at 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
American Legion Post
130 Turkey Bowl
The American Legion is hosting its annual Turkey Bowling event this Friday. Registration begins at 6 pm and bowling starts at 6:30 pm. There will be a maximum limit of 28 bowlers in order to finish on a timely basis. The entry fee is only $10 and there will be raffles, prizes and a 50/50 drawing. The Turkey Bowling event is always open to the public for those that have never turkey bowled before, and those returning for more frozen turkey bowling fun, and you don’t have to be a member of the American Legion to participate. The American Legion Post 130 located at 400 N Oak Street in Falls Church City, next to the Bike Trail, the phone number is (703) 533-1945 for more details.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16
Washington Sinfonietta All-Mozart
Menuetto in C, K. 409 Piano Concerto No. 26, in D major, K. 537, "Coronation Concerto" Piano Concerto No. 22, in E-flat major, K. 482 with Alon Goldstein, piano. Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. at The Falls Church Episcopal.
Book Talk at Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Local author Sara Fitzgerald discusses her new biography, "The Silenced Muse: Emily Hale, T. S. Eliot, and the Role of a Lifetime."
1 to 2 p.m., Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N. Virginia Avenue. Free and open to the public. Reservations requested. More information at Author Talk - Sara Fitzgerald | Mary Riley Styles Public Library.
Holiday Ceramics Sale
Alexandria Clay Co-Op
Nov 15 - 5-8 p.m. Ticketed Preview Event to Benefit World Central Kitchen. Join for an evening of beautiful pottery, food, music and fun and get first choice of pieces from your favorite artists. All ticket proceeds will go to World Central Kitchen. Nov 16 - 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Open Sale. Get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping with Alexandria Clay Co-Op's third annual holiday sale. Featuring work by over 30 local artists and craftsmen there is sure to be something for everyone on your list. 2389 S. Dove St Alexandria, Va 22314
SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 17
"Goat in the Rug" Puppet Theater
Museum educators present an interactive experience for young visitors to understand the care and pride involved in weaving a Navajo rug, as well as the importance of cooperation between friends at the National Museum of the American Indian.
National Mall, Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20560
Regional Tree
Canopy Briefing
The Village Improvement Society is hosting regional experts on the urban tree canopy state of affairs. The Council of Governments (COG) Heidi Bonnaffon will be presenting the regional view. Mary Glass, Director of the Arlington Tree Connection will speak to the County issues and solutions. Mixer and refreshments, free.The Falls Church Episcopal Social Hall115 East Fairfax Street - 3 p.m. VPIS.org.
Interwoven Trio
@ St. Patrick’s Episcopal
Odeon Chamber Music Series presents: Interwoven Trio, Keiko Tokunaga, violin; Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto; Mihai Marica, cello at 4 p.m. St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 3241 Brush Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042
MONDAY NOVEMBER 18
Chamber Gala 2025 Committee Happy Hour
The Chamber celebrates our business community with the Annual Business Awards Gala. Join us for some brainstorming and get to know these members over happy hour, this time at Clare & Don's Beach Shack.
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Join to learn the story of Geraldine, a goat, and Nasbah, a Navajo weaver through a puppet show, based on the book "Goat in the Rug" by Charles L. Blood and Martin Link. Continue your appreciation of Navajo weaving by visiting the exhibition "Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay" on Level 3. This family-friendly puppet show is recommended for ages 0-10 years. The show will be in the imagiNATIONS Activity Center; first come, first served with tickets possibly required due to capacity limitations. Inquire at the imagiNATIONS Activity Center entry desk on Level 3 for more information. National Museum of the American Indian, National Mall, Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20560. Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, for times and more information visit, americanindian.si.edu/events (Courtesy Photo)
Falls Church Business News & Notes
Alzheimer’s Webinar Screening
Kensington Senior Living presents Care. Cure. Prevent., a virtual panel on everything brain health including the care, cure and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease tonight, November 14, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Lauren Miller Rogen of HFC leads this dynamic panel as they share the latest breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research and treatment options. They will discuss the impact of brain disease on families, what to do after diagnosis, and how to manage challenges that commonly result from changing family dynamics. They will offer recommendations about lifestyle habits that can help reduce the risk of memory loss and other degenerative brain diseases, and finally, they will address the questions you may submit when you register. This event is in collaboration with Cedars Sinai, UCLA, Stanford, and Ray Dolby Brain Health Center. https:// business.fallschurchchamber.org/events/details/care-cure-prevent-on-site-webinar-screening78761?calendarMonth=2024-11-01
All-Mozart Program
The Washington Sinfonietta performs an All-Mozart concert on Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Falls Church Episcopal. Highlighted are Menuetto in C, K. 409; Piano Concerto no. 26, in D major, K. 537, “Coronation Concerto”; and Piano Concerto No. 22, in E-flat major, K. 482 with Alon Goldstein. A reception follows. Tickets are available online and at the door. Mark your calendars for the Annual Family Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 8 at 4:00 p.m.
Family Fun Festival for Grieving Families
The nonprofit Hope for Grieving Families hosts its 10th Annual Family Fun Festival for Grieving Families on Sunday, November 24, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Oak Street Elementary School. This is an opportunity to launch the holidays in a positive light for families who have experienced the loss of a close family loved one. The organization has a day full of crafts, games, food and fun for grieving families to come together and make happy new memories together as well as meet other grieving families. Volunteers are also needed. Click the link to learn more about participation. https://business.fallschurchchamber.org/events/details/hope-for-grieving-families-familyfun-festival-for-grieving-families-11-24-2024-78764?calendarMonth=2024-11-01
Live Broadcast for Local Sports Fans
Friday, November 22, 2:00 – 6:30 p.m. – The Casual Pint invites you to hang out at the Pint during a live broadcast by 106.7 The Fan’s sports talk duo Grant & Danny. They’ll be hosting their show live, in person, and on-site right Friday, November 22, 2:00 – 6:30 pm at the Pint as part of their Friday Field Trip series.
Inaugural Community Police Academy
The City of Falls Church Police Department is now accepting applications for its inaugural Community Police Academy session, starting in February 2025. In this seven-week program, participants will learn various public safety-related topics and participate in lectures, demonstrations, tours, and hands-on exercises. Every session delves into a new topic, including patrol operations, criminal investigations, special operations, and internal affairs. Graduates of the program will become Academy alumni and be invited to attend and/or assist with future Police Department events and Community Police Academies. Applications are due by December 6. To learn more about the first Community Police Academy and eligibility, visit the program website. Lions Fruit Sale
Saturday, November 16, 8:15 am until sold out – Annandale Swim and Tennis Club - The Falls Church-Annandale LIONS Club is holding a fruit sale. Look for the Craig Moving Van between Wendy’s and McDonald’s. They are also collecting canned goods for the ACCA Food Bank. http://fc-alions.org
Comunidad Ribbon Cutting
Comunidad, a community development nonprofit in the Willston community of Falls Church, is expanding with a second site in Kingsley Commons. The public is invited to a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, November 19, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at 3175-B Monticello Drive followed by a reception. The organization builds capacity in the community for all ages with literacy programs, mentoring, leadership development, and community engagement from elementary age to parents. After seven years of successful programming and partnership in the Willston neighborhood, Comunidad is expanding in Kingsley Commons with the Kingsley Learning Center where the focus will be on adult programming, Computer Literacy, and English Language Classes.
Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.
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pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are avail-
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY, FOR APPROVAL OF NEW BROADBAND CAPACITY PROJECTS PURSUANT TO § 56-585.1:9 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA AND FOR REVISION OF RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE: RIDER RBB, FOR THE RATE YEAR COMMENCING MAY 1, 2025 CASE NO. PUR-2024-00180
On October 1, 2024, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”) filed a petition (“Petition”) with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) pursuant to §§ 56-585.1:9 and 56-585.1 A 6 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”). The Company seeks approval to install middle-mile broadband capacity in additional unserved areas in Goochland and Powhatan Counties (“Thomas Jefferson Planning District Phase III Project”); Greensville County (“Greensville Project”); and Chesterfield and Henrico Counties (collectively, the “Other New Projects”), (all projects collectively, the “Proposed New Projects”). The Company also seeks approval to revise rate adjustment clause Rider RBB for the rate year commencing May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026 (“Rate Year”). Further, in its Petition, Dominion provided updates for previously approved Rider RBB projects.
Thomas Jefferson Planning District Phase III Project
The Company states that Dominion, Firefly Fiber Broadband (“Firefly”), and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (“REC”) have entered into an agreement whereby, in each county in the proposed Thomas Jefferson Planning District Phase III Project, Firefly will: (i) lease middlemile dark fiber from Dominion; (ii) serve as the internet service provider (“ISP”) for Dominion and REC customers; and (iii) be responsible for building the last-mile fiber for Dominion and REC customers. The Company plans to complete construction of the approximately 90-mile project over the two years following Commission approval. The Company asserts that the total estimated capital cost for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Phase III Project is approximately $12.5 million, with the Company seeking recovery of approximately $10.2 million in this proceeding, which represents the project’s rural broadband incremental costs.
Greensville Project
The Company further states that Dominion and EMPOWER Broadband, Inc. (“EMPOWER”) have entered into an agreement whereby, in Greensville County, EMPOWER will: (i) lease middle-mile fiber from Dominion; (ii) serve as the ISP for Dominion and Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (“MEC”) customers; and (iii) be responsible for building the last-mile fiber for Dominion and MEC customers. The Company plans to complete construction of the approximately 45-mile project over the next couple of years following Commission approval. The Company asserts that the total estimated capital cost for the Greensville Project is approximately $6.4 million, with the Company seeking recovery of approximately $5.1 million in this proceeding, which represents the project’s rural broadband incremental costs.
Other New Projects
Dominion states that it will partner with All Points Broadband (“All Points”) whereby, in Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, All Points will: (i) lease middle-mile fiber from Dominion; (ii) serve as the ISP; and (iii) be responsible for building the last-mile fiber. Dominion further states that detailed design and construction activities are underway in Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, and construction of the approximately 75-mile project will likely be completed over the next couple of years following Commission approval. The Company asserts that the total estimated capital cost for the Other New Projects is approximately $10.4 million, with the Company seeking recovery of approximately $8.3 million in this proceeding for the projects’ rural broadband incremental costs.
Rider RBB
The Company seeks approval of three requests related to Rider RBB for the Rate Year: (i) to update Rider RBB for the recovery of costs associated with the Surry, Botetourt, Northern Neck, and Thomas Jefferson Planning District Projects approved in Case No. PUR-2020-00197 and Case No. PUR-2022-00062; (ii) to update Rider RBB for the recovery of costs associated with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Project, Northern Shenandoah Valley Project, Southside Planning District Project, and Other Projects approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2023-00184 (“2023 Rider RBB Case”); and (iii) to recover through Rider RBB the costs of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Phase III Project, Greensville Project, and Other New Projects. The Company states that it will use the lease revenues it receives from the ISPs to offset the costs of the previously approved rural broadband projects and the Proposed New Projects.
Dominion is requesting recovery of a total revenue requirement of approximately $24.532 million for the Rate Year. According to the Company, the implementation of the proposed Rider RBB on May 1, 2025, will increase a typical residential customer’s monthly bill, based on 1,000 kilowatthours per month, by $0.11. The Company states that it has calculated the Rider RBB rates in accordance with the same methodology used for those rates approved by the Commission with respect to the most recent revision to Rider RBB in the 2023 Rider RBB Case. Interested persons are encouraged to review Dominion’s Petition and supporting documents in full for details about Dominion’s proposals.
TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Petition and supporting
documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Petition and supporting documents.
The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on Dominion’s Petition. A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Company’s Petition shall be convened telephonically at 10 a.m. on February 6, 2025. On or before January 29, 2025, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission: (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting
Beginning at 10 a.m. on February 6, 2025, the Hearing Examiner will telephone sequentially each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.
On February 6, 2025, at 10 a.m., or at the conclusion of the public witness portion of the hearing, whichever is later, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Petition from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission Staff.
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
An electronic copy of the public version of the Company’s Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Jontille D. Ray, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or jray@mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the public version of the Petition and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information
On or before January 29, 2025, any interested person may submit comments on the Petition by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/ Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All such comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2024-00180.
On or before January 8, 2025, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel, if available. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel for the Company at the address listed above. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2024-00180.
On or before January 8, 2025, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Staff, the Company, and all other respondents. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Rules of Practice, as modified herein, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2024-00180.
Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Rules of Practice.
The public version of the Company’s Petition, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, and other documents filed in the case may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information
VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY
In Memoriam: Anthony Truman Wright
Anthony (“Tony”) Truman Wright, 81, of Falls Church, Virginia and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware passed away peacefully in his sleep Thursday, October 24th, 2024, at Beebe Hospital in Lewes, DE. Tony was born February 13th, 1943, in Washington, D.C., as the younger son of the late Robert Bruce Wright and Elizabeth Truman Wright. A member of the 1961 graduating class of George Mason
High School, he was voted the best dressed in his class (though those who knew him after he retired might find this difficult to believe) and was a captain of the varsity football team. His senior year he played every minute of every game and was named the team MVP.
After graduation from high school, Tony pursued higher education at the University of Oklahoma. During his time as a Sooner, he earned both his bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in urban planning.
Tony worked for Montgomery County, MD as the director of operations for all public transportation. In addition to his work, he was passionate about his hometown of Falls Church.
From 1988 to 1996, he was a member of the Planning Commission, serving as the vice chairman in 1995 and 1996. Additionally, he served on the Advisory Board of Recreation &
Parks for six years.
Those who knew him best will remember him sitting diligently over the New York Times and Washington Post crossword puzzles daily. When he was not working out crossword clues, he could be found in his chair reading books on any number of subjects, though literary and political biographies were his favorite.
Tony is survived by his three children, Ellen M. McGuyer (Yell), Matthew T. Wright and Caitlin E. Wright; four grandchildren, Liam, Colin, Jack and Adina; his brother, Michael B. Wright (MaryKae); his devoted companion, Jo Bennett; and his beloved cat, Marlin Spike. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.
Meridian Wraps Up Fall Sports
by Ryan McCafferty
Four of Meridian High School’s fall athletics programs were still in action this past week, with both volleyball teams, cross country, and football all wrapping up. For football, it was the regular-season finale for a team playing only for pride, while the others competed at various levels of their respective postseasons.
After going winless at home in four previous tries, the football team was able to end their season strong by blowing out Fauquier County 56-22 on Friday night. The Mustangs got out to a fast start using their high-powered rushing attack,
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Public Intoxication, Roosevelt Blvd, Nov 10, 2:41 a.m., a male, 46, of Arlington, was arrested for Public Intoxication.
Reckless Driving, S Washington St, Nov 10, 7:16 a.m., a male, 32, of Arlington, was arrested for Reckless Driving.
and then after Fauquier stayed within striking distance through three quarters, they poured it on in the fourth. PJ Anderson’s squad concludes its season with a 3-7 record and did not qualify for the playoffs, but their impressive finish can be something to build from.
Both the boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams unfortunately fell in their Regional Quarterfinals matchups, the girls dropping a home game to Maggie Walker in five sets last Monday and then the boys losing in three to Atlee on the road last Wednesday. The girls’ season concludes above .500 with a 13-11 final record and topfive finish in the Northwestern District, while the boys finished 8-12 in an inaugural season in
assaulted by a known subject during a verbal altercation.
Public Intoxication, Hillwood Ave, Nov 10, 5:26 p.m., a male, 40, and a female, 35, both of Arlington, were arrested for Public Intoxication.
Vandalism, W Broad St, Nov 10, 8:15 a.m., a report for graffiti was taken.
Simple Assault, Wilson Blvd, Nov 10, 10:00 a.m., victim reported they were
Fraud – Credit Card/Identity Theft, Timber Ln, Nov 11, 9:28 a.m., victim reported multiple credit cards were opened in their name without their authorization, as well as a fraudulent charge made to their credit card.
which they exceeded first-year expectations after a rocky start.
Finally, the cross country squad competed in the Regional Championship meet, and though neither the boys or girls qualified for States on the whole, Michelle Malheiro did earn a spot as an individual to compete in Blacksburg this Saturday. She finished seventh overall in her race to lead all Mustangs while Ally Campbell’s 15th-place finish additionally earned her an All-Region medal, and the girls placed fourth as a team. The boys came in seventh, led by William Anderson in 21st place individually.
That’s a wrap on fall sports season at Meridian, but it won’t be long before winter sports start.
I’M
Creative Cauldron’s Enchanting Cast Puts on Alice in Wonderland
by Patricia Leslie
One of the most enduring works in Victorian literature is Lewis Carroll’s 1865 “Alice in Wonderland” presented by Falls Church’s Creative Cauldron in its newest production which has a Spanish title, too: “Alicia en el Pais de las Maravillas.”
Big, flowery hats and wild headgear of many colors and designs, to wings and flying bats combine with music for laughs and lots of fun.
The show’s huge cast includes about 30 youngsters (and some older ones, too) who speak a little of the script in Spanish which, for all the non-Spanish speakers members in the audience, is easy to follow.
Just the costumes alone (by the fabulous resident designer Margie Jervis) make going to the show worthwhile to see.
Most of the actors have dual, sometimes triple, roles ranging from a frog footman to flowers to a mock turtle, but Alice (Marie Solander or June Tuss, in alternating roles) carries the show with merry music by Creative’s Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith.
The play opens with Alice and
her big sister (Madeline Varho or Matilda Phillips) cradling the younger girl who drifts off to sleep, her slumber soon occupied by an unusual array of animals, er... are they people? (On Saturday night, the two “sisters” looked so much alike, I thought they must be real sisters!)
Alice’s wacky dream takes her down a rabbit hole on an underground journey where she meets strange characters like the memorable Cheshire Cat (Varho or Phillips) who tells Alice, “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” and warns: “We’re all mad here.”
The little wanderer comes upon an expressive mouse with a very long tail (Emerson Kelleher) who almost steals Alice’s limelight with funny antics. (Emerson later becomes the cook who has a thing for pepper. Hmmmm.)
Then, there’s a big, loooonnng caterpillar (Diana Allison) whose waving pink and green abdomen (on top in the caterpillar) is held together by two underneath supporters in constant motion. They join mushrooms of umbrellas with iridescent designs.
The mad hatter Whit Jenkins, who relished the role, testifies to the madness of the place. (A lot like the world we inhabit!)
Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Alec Goldenberg and Jonah Dennis) wear matching outfits of checkered pants, red hats, red suspenders and polka dot bow ties with careful synchronization of their steps for easy laughs and admiration.
Jessica Stein seemed to enjoy her role immensely as executioner while in the garden, everyone wears black leotards and long green gloves.
The cruel and demanding Queen of Hearts (Lenny Mendez, also, codirector) cries “off with her head!” more than once while her meek mate, the King of Hearts (Gus Knapp) sits quietly nearby, afraid to get out of line or utter a peep.
Meanwhile, the White Rabbit (Solander or Tuss) loves blowing her horn for important announcements, her up and down actions perfectly matched to the instrument’s sounds.
When Alice wakes up, was it a terrible dream? Are these things she’ll meet in her journey of life?
Creative’s artistic director, Laura
Connors Hull, co-directs, assisted on the creative team by James Morrison, lighting and projections; Nicholas J Goodman, stage manager and Lorien Jackson, assistant director/stage manager.
The show’s chief sponsor is Destination Rwanda. This is another of Creative’s Learning Theatre productions.
“Alice/Alicia” lasts about 75 minutes without intermission, through Nov. 24 on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. and another matinee, Sundays, at 4 p.m. 410 S Maple Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 at Pearson Square with plenty of lighted, free parking.
“Metamorphoses” on Stage at George C. Marshall High School
by Patricia Leslie
The tale of the daughter of greedy King Midas turning into gold. Orpheus, “the greatest musician of all time,” seeing his lover Eurydice die and come back to life—only to be lost in the Underworld again. The handsome youth Narcissus, pining after his own image, then eventually wasting away and becoming a poolside flower.
All of these immortal tales and those of gods, goddesses, lovers, heroes, and sea-faring men stem from classical Graeco-Roman mythology. They are also, especially in the Roman poet Ovid’s ancient narrative poem “Metamorphoses,” bound together by the theme of change and transformation.
Students at the Statesmen Theatre of George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church are currently performing Mary Zimmerman’s stage adaptation of the “Metamorphoses,” presented in the past year at Washington’s Folger Theatre. In the unique staging of this high school version, everything is centered around a pool lined with flowers.
Narcissus, for example, stands in the pool as he sees his reflec-
tion in its waters. Orpheus likewise crosses the pool, which represents the river Styx, in order to reclaim and return to the world of the living his dead bride Eurydice. The onstage pool with a white fluffy cloud above lit by multi-colored electric lights within is accompanied by minimalist costumes and props, as when the Lord of the Underworld’s identity is established by his holding a cane with a skull on top. To enhance an intimate and immersive experience, audience members sit on the actual stage rather than in the aisles of the school’s spacious theatre.
Students performing in this production include Graham Poteat is King Midas, Saniya Desai as Aphrodite, Anson DeVinney as Orpheus, Han Nguyen as Eurydice, Andrew Krouse as Narcissus, and Eliott Boon and Sara Moharerrzadeh, respectively, as Ceyx and Alcyone.
Falls Church News-Press spoke to Ahmad Maaty, M.F.A., who is directing his first production at George C. Marshall High School. He told us: “I chose ‘Metamorphoses’ by Mary Zimmerman as I knew I wanted to do something that challenged my students to see theatre through a lens that was dynamic,
heightened, and thoughtful. I wanted a piece that would make them fall in love with storytelling and feel the same sense of responsibility that I do towards my craft, towards the arts. I wanted them to find a maturity and a depth in the purpose of telling stories. Upon my first read of the play, I fell instantly in love with it. There is no way to read this play and not be immediately immersed in the imagery and language.”
Mr. Maaty also maintains that, although these stories come to us from remote antiquity, the notion of metamorphoses is a highly relevant one for our times: “We as a society appear to be in a constant state of transformation, and we must navigate that change on a daily basis.”
Mr. Maaty notes: “I’m not sure they spend as much time teaching Greek and Roman stories in school as they used to when I was growing up. It was really refreshing and inspiring to watch my students soak in these stories and try to understand them from a contemporary mindset.”
Indeed, some of Ovid’s tales were even new to the director and will likely be to many audience members as well. To render the play more accessible, the playbill to be handed
out to the audience has summaries of the tales, for example, that of Alcyone and Ceyx, who are passionately in love: “When King Ceyx embarks on a sea voyage that Queen Alcyone begs him to forego, he dies in a shipwreck. Overcome with grief, Alcyone goes to the shore and sleeps in the shallow pools—a mournful act that moves the gods to show empathy and transform the couple’s future.”
For readers who wish to engage in an innovative production of classic literature and reflect on the evermodern theme of change and transformation, “Metamorphoses” will be performed at George C. Marshall High School on November 14, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m.; November 16 at 2 p.m.; and November 17 at 3 p.m. For more information, please visit this website: Home | Marshall High School Statesmen Theatre.
JUNE TUSS (ALICE) and ensemble in Alice in Wonderland/ Alicia en el Pais de las Maravillas. ( Photo: William T. Gallagher Photography )
APHRODITE (SANIYA DESAI) ( Photo Credit: William Ferreir)
