News & Notes

from Falls Church News-Press 11-26-2020

by Falls Church News-Press

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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NOVEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 2, 2020 | PAGE 9

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F.C. City Band Boosters Open Pop-Up Shop

Falls Church City Band

Boosters has launched a virtual pop-up shop open through Dec. 7. The online shop, accessible through the boosters website or fancloth. shop/HWHZM, offers a variety of clothing and gift items featuring traditional Mustang logo merchandise, as well as band and music themed designs for George Mason High School. There are select designs for Mary Ellen Henderson band and music as well. The sale benefits Band Boosters General Fund to advance opportunities for student equity, excellence and engagement. Lesson scholarships for students in need is a particular priority this year. Items will be delivered directly to purchasers in about four weeks.

Marshall High’s X-Mas Tree Sale Lives On in New Location

The George C. Marshall High School Boosters will run its annual Christmas Tree Sale starting Nov. 28. Due to Covid-19, the sale has relocated to Idylwood Presbyterian Church (7617 Idylwood Rd., Falls Church). Hours are: Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sundays from noon – 6 p.m. and weekdays from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The sale will offer Christmas Trees, wreaths, garlands, tree stands, White House ornaments and Marshall Statesmen spirit wear. All proceeds benefit Marshall Athletics.

The tree supply is limited this year, so interested buyers are encouraged to make their purchase early. All customers must wear a mask on the tree lot and follow social distancing guidelines.

Jammin’ Java Awarded Grant To Help Out During Pandemic

Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna) has been awarded one of the 20 grants issued by the new Live Music Society to help address the needs of small U.S. music venues that were forced to shut their doors with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Live Music Society has committed to giving $2 million in grants in its first two years of operation to support the live music ecosystem around the United States. The Live Music Society Grants help music venues that have been in operation for three years or more with a sellable capacity of 250 occupants or less, with maximum

A SEWING ACADEMY held its 13th annual graduation ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Dar Al Hijrah, where its Social Services Department administers the program. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in March, but Covid-19 forced a months-long delay. The 12 women received certificates and sewing machines at a socially-distanced ceremony. (P��: C�� S�� H��/I�� R�� USA)

one-year individual grants ranging from $10,000 – $50,000.

Northam Signs Order Bringing Back School Sports

Local public school student athletes will be allowed to return to competition in December, according to an Executive Order signed

last week by Virginia Gov. Ralph

Northam. School divisions will be expected to abide by the Guidelines for Return to Participation, developed by the Virginia High School League in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Health. These guidelines address safety standards on a sport by sport basis.

High school athletes will be able to begin practice on Dec. 7. Fairfax County Public Schools said it plans to begin practice for the winter season on Dec. 7 for basketball and on Dec. 14 for all other winter sports.

Student athletes should check their school website for practice and tryout information.

FCPS is currently evaluating whether to allow spectators to attend competitions.

Modifications outlined in the Guidelines for Return to Participation are meant to decrease potential exposure to respiratory droplets by encouraging social distancing, limiting participation in administrative tasks to essential personnel, and allowing for appropriate protective equipment. Recommendations are provided for cleaning and disinfecting; mask protocols; transportation; and how to run activities safely for individual sports and activities.

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Using the Internet To Enrich Our Lives

by Matlida Charles King Features Syndicate

With most of us spending most of our days at home, it’s time for us to take advantage of the internet. Here are some resources that can enrich our lives.

Inquire at the local senior center about any exercise classes online. Some classes will be live on Zoom and others will be videos that the instructors record and post on the center’s website. If they’re not hosting any classes, search online for “seniors exercise at home” and look for some that are produced by other senior centers.

Virtual art classes can open up new areas of interest and reveal talents you didn’t know you had. Better yet, if you’re a beginner or are exploring a new art medium, look for videos that you can review over and over. Look online for free art classes online for seniors.

Exercise and art aren’t the only free classes you’ll find online. Yoga and tai chi, sewing, baking and cake decorating, creative writing, a new language — if it can be done online, there’s a class for it somewhere.

And don’t forget Class Central (www.classcentral.com). Check the website for a list of MOOCS (massive open online courses). There 15,000 different free and low-cost classes in its searchable database from colleges and universities around the world. Imagine taking a philosophy course from the University of Edinburgh or Introduction to Classical Music via Yale University. (I put art history into its search box and got back 165 results.) Read the details for any class you’re considering. It will tell you if the class is selfpaced, whether it’s free to audit, the class level and how much time per week you can expect to spend on the work, as well as reviews from other students.

If you’re unsure of your internet skills, search for “internet basics for seniors” on Google. ***

Are we bored yet? Of course we are. We’re staying indoors, especially now that cold weather has arrived, not shopping, not visiting friends, not doing much of anything. Somehow we have to get through this winter, though, and now might be the time to explore things that are new and different to us.

Here are some ideas:

Change the channel. If you watch the same television news every night, switch to a different one (or better yet, skip a night or two). If you watch the same shows all the time, consider watching something different, even if you think it won’t appeal to you.

Step outside. Even though it’s cold outside, wrap up and go outdoors anyway. Don’t try this if there’s ice, of course, but even a few minutes spent walking around outside in fresh air can raise your spirits.

Grab your camera. Set up still shots around your house. A fabric background on a table or shelf, a few small statues or trinkets (especially ones from trips you’ve taken) and a lamp for lighting, and you might discover that you have a real eye for photography.

Or read a new author, learn to watercolor, take a free online course, watch zoo cams...

The idea is to try new things, even given our “stay at home” limitations.

As of this writing, most states are seeing big increases in coronavirus levels, even states that were stable with relatively low rates just a few weeks ago. We seniors are, unfortunately, in the high-risk group because of our age, even if we don’t have health concerns.

And as of this writing, the U.S. has more active cases of the coronavirus than any other country in the world, including India. It has four times the population but half the deaths that we do. It’s everywhere, and we can’t let down our guard.

Stay home, stay safe and look for new things to occupy yourself.  Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.