Falls Church News-Press 11-29-2018 by Falls Church News-Press

November 29 – December 5, 2018

Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee

Fou n d e d 1991 • Vol. XXVIII No. 41

Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads

Inside This Week Plan Updated for Downtown F.C. Park

The plan to renovate a location on W. Broad St. into a downtown park that was deemed overbudget has been updated and officials say it can now be done with $100,000 already allocated for the project. See News Briefs, page 9

Dec. 8 Declared ‘Hugh Brown Day’

In honor of the late lifelong City of Falls Church resident and business owner Hugh Brown, F.C. Mayor David Tarter issued a proclamation Monday declaring Saturday, Dec. 8, as “High Brown Day” in the City.

$3.2 Million in State Funds OK'd to Turn W&OD Trail Into Bike, Pedestrian Lanes

Little City of Lights

1.2-Mile Stretch in F.C. to Be Revamped To Ease Flow, Safety

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

next round of state legislative elections in 2019 could, if they follow the pattern of 2017 and flip still more legislative seats from Republican to Democratic (15 in the House of Delegates were flipped in 2017), then area jurisdictions, including the City of Falls Church, may be far more able to seek legislative relief that

A major 1.2-mile stretch of the W&OD Trail bike path that traverses the City of Falls Church from one end to the other of its 2.3 square miles will soon be enhanced with the benefit of $3.2 million from the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and turned into a dual path — one for bikes and the other for pedestrians. The area of the transformation will run from the bike bridge over West Broad to the east side of Little Falls Street. Funding for the project comes from the wider resources of the NVRPA, and not directly from Falls Church citizens, who will nonetheless be major beneficiaries. The Falls Church City Council voted unanimously Monday to authorize City Manager Wyatt Shields to enter into the agreement with the NVRPA for its execution. The W&OD Trail has been identified in City planning documents are “one of the great parks within the City,” a “grand 16-acre park.” The award funds the design and construction of separate, parallel bicycle and pedestrian trails on the W&OD Trail that will increase the safety and usability of the park. The current 10-foot wide shareduse trail will be replaced by an 11-foot wide bicycle trail and an eight-foot wide pedestrian trail with a two-foot wide median in between. It will run for 1.2 miles from the bike bridge over W. Broad Street to east of Little Falls St. In addition, substandard curb ramps at the six

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See News Briefs, page 9

New Italian Restaurant Set for Argia's Space

Gabriel Thompson, a renowned chef who has served as executive chef at RPM Italian in Washington, D.C., has leased Argia’s former space in Falls Church. See Business News & Notes, page 16

Mustang Winter Sports Preview

As winter coats are pulled out of the back of the hall closet, George Mason High School sport fans congregate inside their seasonal chapel to watch a new slate of Mustang teams compete for glory. See Sports, page 18

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE in The Little City, marked by the annual lighting ceremony Monday night of the festive lights on W. Broad St. This year's display features colorful lights, a change from the white display of years past. Officials told the News-Press the lights will be switched to an all-white display for the City's Watch Night New Year's Eve celebration. (Photo: George Price/imagesforGood.org)

Virginia's Dillon Rule Continues to Frustrate Falls Church on Gun Laws by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Index

Editorial................ 6 Letters..............6, 8 News & Notes.12–13 Comment...... 14–15 Business News.. 16 Sports................ 18

Calendar...... 26–27 Classified Ads.... 28 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword......... 29 Crime Report..... 30 Critter Corner..... 30

The Falls Church City Council expressed considerable frustration at its meeting Monday night over the long-standing constraints it faces on limiting gun use in the City because of the so-called Dillon Rule. The 1868 rule, which prevails in Virginia, prohibits local jurisdictions in the state

from adopting laws that are not specifically permitted by the state. The Dillon Rule has in recent years been a thorn in the side of Northern Virginia jurisdictions whose leaders seek more progressive solutions than the state government in Richmond, still top heavy in representation by more rural and conservative parts of the state, has allowed. But this is changing, and the

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W&OD Trail Continued from Page 1

street crossings along the way will be updated and the existing narrow wood-deck bridge over Four Mile Run will be replaced. The project will be launched next year and completed by late 2020. Currently, the City staff and NVRPA are working jointly to implement the City’s master plan for the W&OD Trail, according to City officials. The separated walking and biking trails is one part of that master plan, which also includes improved crossings at street intersections, plazas and resting places that tell the history of the W&OD railroad predecessor to the trail, restored and native landscaping and added lighting. Implementation efforts currently include updating all six street-at-trail crossings on the improved route in the City. Four of the crossings are being updated by City teams with funding from the City’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), and the remaining two will be updated in conjunction with the Founders Row mixed use development project that was given its final approval by the Council earlier this fall and will be paid for

by the developer. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority identifies the project as among the first in a phased effort to improve levels of service along congested portions of the W&OD Trail. Overall, the trail is 45 miles traversing the counties of Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and including Falls Church, the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Leesburg. It is seen as a broader effort to “encourage non-motorized transportation” by extending hours of use to include commuting hours, and includes in the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) plan to widen Interstate 66 and construct a 20-foot wide W&OD Trail bridge over Lee Highway (Rt. 29) so that trail users will no longer have to cross hazardous lanes of traffic. The new bridge and the six roadways that cross the trail in the City, each with sidewalk connections to provide direct access to commuter routes for Metrobus, “will significantly enhance first and last mile non-motorized access to the East and West Falls Church Metrorail stations and bicycle access for commuters continuing into Arlington County, Alexandria and Washington D.C.,” a VDOT

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statement says. The dual trail effort, then, is seen as augmenting the effort to make bike transport more efficient in the wider regional picture. “The W&OD Trail passes through and near designated revitalization areas along Broad Street and Washington Street,” VDOT states, and as the City “is a regional activity center and is working to increase multimodal operations to keep up with regional travel demand,” the project “will increase usage of the W&OD and increase patronage at nearby commercial uses and employment destinations.” It adds, “The parallel trails will provide greater capacity and encourage bicyclists and pedestrians who may avoid the facility due to overcrowding and potentially hazardous conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians.” The City’s role is essentially as a pass-through for state transportation funds. Approving the Standard Project Agreement for the Falls Church Enhanced Regional Bike Routes Project will make available one-time capital funds from NVTA totaling $3,244,959, and will allow the City to recover staff costs associated with administering the agreement, according to a City staff report.

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City of F.C. Revisits Its Gun Laws

Continued from Page 1

will allow stricter gun control laws, for example, than are permitted now. So it is in this context that the Falls Church City Council is looking to adopt revisions in the City code recommended by City Attorney Carol McCoskrie to remove sections that, technically, currently violate the Dillon Rule. While it may appear at first blush that the City would be softening its stance on guns, the reality is that the “clean up” of the City code is being proposed to better prepare the City for when it can lawfully tighten things up. Complicated? Sorry. But McCoskie has crafted an ordinance “that would delete existing provisions that the City is prohibited from enforcing because they have been rendered invalid by state legislation,” she wrote in a preface to her proposal that the Council mulled in its meeting Monday. The removal of 15 sections of the City code means they are still enforceable by the local

police department through state code provisions, so that the City’s action will not have a practical effect on law enforcement in the City, McCoskie wrote. So the provisions all contained in Section 28 of the City code will be deleted, but the occasion this Monday was cause for a large turnout of “Moms Demand Action (for Guns Sense in America),” wearing red shirts to the City Council meeting, a contingent that included at least one dad. Moreover, Falls Church Police Chief Mary Gavin came to the podium to field questions on gun safety in the City where, surprisingly, the role of toy guns became a major point of discussion. Council member Ross Litkenhous brought up the issue of “realistic looking toy guns,” and Chief Gavin responded that they “represent a real threat to officers” because the mere sight of them is “scary,” and also because they are often used in actual crimes. Gavin underscored the

importance of parental supervision to limit the impact of these guns in the community. What is included in the proposed ordinance is a prohibition against firing a pneumatic gun in any area of the City, pneumatic meaning any implement, designed as a gun, that will expel a BB or a pellet by action of pneumatic pressure, including paintball guns that expel by action of pneumatic pressure plastic balls filled with paint for the purpose of marking a point of impact. This does not apply to their use in facilities approved for shooting ranges or on private property with the permission of the owner, and any minor under 16 must be supervised by a parent, guardian or adult supervisor. Gavin said that there have been three toy gun incidents involving police in the City in the last year in the context of a total of 75 weapons that were taken off the streets by City police in the last five years. Many were confiscated during traffic stops on suspicion of DUI or drugs, she said.

NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 5

FALLS CHURCH CHIEF of Police Mary Gavin (at podium) spoke to the Falls Church City Council Monday, flanked by a contingent of “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.” (Photo: News-Press) Council member Letty Hardi, whose initiative has led to the current action, said it is “pathetic” how little power the locality has to enforce reasonable gun laws, but that she hopes for “a major turnaround in the General Assembly in Richmond.” One added step the new ordinance does permit will make it unlawful to transport a loaded shotgun or rifle on streets, roads and highways in the City because

the General Assembly specifically granted localities the authority to enable this legislation. Councilman David Snyder noted the irony of current laws permitted under the Dillon Rule, which, he said, “specify broad exclusions for the use of BB guns, while allowing wide ownership of far deadlier weapons.” The Council will bring the proposed ordinance for a vote at its Dec. 10 meeting.

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The Next F.C. Budget Cycle

It was a deft move by the Falls Church City Public Schools’ leadership to hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting of the completed renovations at the Mt. Daniel Elementary School this week in advance of the first joint City Council, School Board pre-next budget cycle meeting Monday night. A formal community-wide event marking the completion of the renovation project will be held next month when the parking lot component of the effort is completed, but this week’s ceremony, held for the benefit of a small group of school and City Hall insiders, set the right tone for the next budget cycle kickoff. Normally what has happened in recent years at the first joint meeting is, in the wake of a preliminary projection of anticipated revenues for the coming fiscal year (FY20 will run from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020), the School Board, as well as the “City side,” gets told it must limit the growth in its budget to a number that is derived from the projection, and not from the actual organic needs of the students in the system or the operating needs of the community. This is predicated on a zero growth projection for the tax rate, although we all know there will be an increase in the coming year due to the bond issuance for the construction of the new George Mason High School. We will all learn the gory details of what has already been signaled to the City Council by City Manager Wyatt Shields as an anticipated poor revenue growth projection at Monday’s meeting. It is expected that the “City side” will be advised to hold its budget to zero growth, or less, and that the School side, without regard for projected enrollment growth predictions, to under two percent. However, how can you look at the happy picture published in yesterday’s School Bulletin of three smiling Mt. Daniel principals, Tim Kasik (current), Kathy Halayko and Erin Truesdell (former) cutting the ribbon next to the school mascot, Danny the Very Purple Hippo, and not want for the schools everything they really need for another year of academic success? After all, why are citizens being asked to spend so much on the bricks and mortar needed to house the school system and its students if the material needs of the system — especially the salaries of its teachers — are shortchanged? We have our fingers crossed that revenue projections will exceed the surprisingly sparse forecast that first surfaced earlier this month. The big money from the three huge commercial development projects — the West End on the high school site, the Founders Row where clearing the land is beginning and the Broad and Washington site which will boom in the wake of the Amazon announcement — is still a few years off, and citizens need to be assured now that they will eventually cause the tax rate to go down significantly.

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There Are More ‘Sidewalks To Nowhere’ in City of F.C. Editor, Thanks so much for your article on the “Sidewalk to Nowhere” on Park Ave. I’m glad that neighbors are now speaking up and the City is taking the issue on. Great work! There is a larger issue here, though: there are multiple “sidewalks to nowhere” on the north side of Park Ave. stretching from N. West St. to the 400 block

(the subject of your article). There are both long and short stretches without sidewalks where pedestrians are forced to either walk in the street or cross to find a sidewalk. I remember Park Ave. from the 70s, 80s and 90s. It was a different world: occasional big, empty lots filled with tall grass, modest, slow traffic through an entirely residential neighborhood, and parking spots

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everywhere. Everything has changed now and new development, particularly at the west end of Park, will create an exponential increase in the volume of traffic and pedestrians, the scarcity of parking, and the danger to children (and adults) who now step right out of their front yards and directly into the street and traffic. This is not just about residents. Imagine dozens, maybe hundreds, of pedestrians departing the movies and restaurants at the west end of Park and finding themselves walking in the street to locate their parked cars a few blocks away. I think a “Great Street” is

wonderful, but to make it truly great, it is time to look at the issue more holistically. Times have changed. Doug Greene Falls Church

Crystal City Height Restrictions Are Because of Airport Editor, In response to “Leonsis Calls for ‘Rethinking Rules on Verticality,’” please remember that

Letters Continued on Page 8

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NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 7

Working-Class Virginians Counting on Democratic Party B� T�� B��

The 2018 midterm election was the biggest win for any political party in United States history. Looking at the numbers, Virginia sent Democrats to Washington with a clear electoral mandate, picking up three new congressional seats and holding onto every seat they already occupied. In Congressional District (CD) 2, Democrat Elaine Luria knocked out Republican incumbent Scott Taylor. In CD07, Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated incumbent Republican Dave Brat, and in CD10, Democrat Jennifer Wexton beat Republican incumbent Barbara Comstock. Senator Tim Kaine also wiped the floor with Corey Stewart, the bigoted Republican defender of neo-Nazis and white supremacists. Democrats now control seven out of 11 congressional seats in the Commonwealth of Virginia, have lost only one statewide cycle this century, and now have their sights set squarely on entrenched Republicans in the state legislature. According to the Washington Post, if these numbers hold in 2019, there will be over 60 House Democrats and 26 Senate Democrats — and that is before the court redraws any district lines. Democrats won Congressional midterm races by defending the Affordable Care Act and protecting the promise of health insurance for people with preexisting conditions. They ran on economic kitchen-table issues, and of course, by campaigning against

the corruption emanating from Washington, D.C. Underpinning all these substantive issues was a simple appeal: let Democrats put a check on Donald Trump. Suburbanites in western Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William have now voted

“Democrats must be aggressive to court working-class voters.” Democratic in the last two election cycles, and if they come back to vote for Democrats a third time in the 2019 election, historical data suggests they will be Democrats for life. The progressive energy coming from the suburban awakening should be enough to get Democrats elected in Virginia at rates not seen since before the last political realignment, but what happens after Trump is gone? Donald Trump is not on the ballot in 2019 and Democrats cannot run against his spector forever. Virginia Democrats must work hard to campaign and win election on policies that help all working-class Virginians, starting with rebuilding the middle class and enacting policies that lift all boats. That means a proworker, pro-labor agenda. State-level elected Democrats should take heed: new suburban progressives are great on social issues, but they generally do not go to work wearing blue jeans and vests, nor

do they perform the back-breaking work that not only builds our infrastructure, but also can lead to opioid abuse and addiction issues. The Democratic Party cannot take their continued support or understanding of workingclass issues for granted. The Democratic Party is the party of the people, with a legacy of standing up for the outgroups to expand the franchise. Labor, small business, women, minority and LGBT voters are integral parts of the Democratic coalition, but middleclass suburbanites are not an “outgroup.” Democrats must be aggressive to court working-class voters and learn how to speak to their issues if they hope to retain their urban-suburban coalition after 2020. The working class does not have a single racial or ethnic identity. They are comfortable supporting LGBT rights and are usually supportive of abortion rights, but those policies do not put food on their table or money in their pockets. Their instinct is to oppose most new taxes on their hard-earned money, and many of them considered themselves conservative until recently. Democrats have an opportunity to enact meaningful legislation to rebuild the middle class, like establishing a prevailing wage on public works projects, which would set a minimum wage for construction projects like the federal Davis-Bacon law. They also have an opportunity to repeal bad, antiworker laws, like laws prohibiting collective bargaining agreements, laws prohibiting the collection of union dues from union members, and the 2012 anti-worker Comstock Law,

which prohibits Project Labor Agreements on state projects. Project Labor Agreements especially are the gold standard of Democratic governance and were used to build the Hoover Dam, Disney World, Nationals Park, the DC United Stadium, and more recently the first phase of the Silver Line, and the 95 and 395/495 HOT lanes. Democrats support these policies because they provide good jobs with employer-sponsored health insurance and pension or retirement benefits, contributing directly to the welfare of hard-working Virginians. They would also let union and non-union contractors compete on a level playing-field, helping all workers across Virginia. Working-class Virginians are counting on the Democratic Party. Some incumbent Democrats we will help stay elected, and others we will help to un-elect. Democratic elected officials in 2019 and 2020 have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild Virginia in a new image and to cast off the shameful legacy of Virginia’s anti-worker slave economy, but that only happens by advocating passionately for the working class. Whatever Virginia Democrats decide to do or not do in their “dry-run” in the 2019 session, working-class Virginians are watching hungrily — and working-class Virginians never forget. Thomas Bowman works for the MidAtlantic Laborers-Employers Cooperation & Education Trust.

Q�� W�� Are you happy with the development plans for Falls Church’s West End? • Yes

• No

• Not sure

Log on to www.FCNP.com to cast your vote

Last Week’s Question:

Will Falls Church benefit from Amazon coming to Arlington?

FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientiﬁc polls.

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& Guest Commentaries. Letters to the Editor should be no more than 350 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four weeks. Guest Commentaries should be no more than 800 words and writers are limited to one appearance every four months. Because of space constraints, not all submissions will be published. All submissions to the News-Press should be original, unpublished content. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and accuracy. All submissions should include writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail address if available.

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Longtime Falls Church N e w s - P r e s s TO LETTERS EDITOR THE Resident Kevin Kuhn Dies Kevin Kuhn was born in Fairfax, Virginia on June 19, 1985 and lived his whole life in the City of Falls Church, Virginia. He was the beloved son of Robert and Alix Kuhn of Falls Church, brother of Kerry Kuhn McCabe (Joe) of Arlington, Virginia, brother of Robert Joseph Kuhn of Falls Church and uncle of Harrison McCabe of Arlington. He attended Falls Church City schools through the 11th grade where he played varsity football, basketball, and baseball at George Mason High School. He attended Hargrave Military Academy for his senior year where he was an all-conference football player in 2003. Kevin attended Longwood University and Northern Virginia Community College. He worked in the construction business for many years. He was a talented horticulturist and longtime employee and manager at Merrifield Garden Center. He was also a gifted artist.

Continued from Page 6

KEVIN KUHN He loved to travel, having gone to Australia in 2005, Europe several times, as well as frequent trips to the Caribbean. He was a kind and gentle man and will be very much missed by his family and friends. A funeral service will be held this Thursday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 4250 N. Glebe Rd. Arlington, Virginia 22207.

proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was a chief selling point for Amazon. Safe, continued operation of the airport is key to retaining Amazon in the years ahead. Though building up rather than out has several advantages, it must be done thoughtfully and with proper planning. National Airport has among the nation’s shortest runways, and its proximity to the Pentagon and White House severely restricts its usable airspace (for security reasons). Tall buildings built in a way that may further encroach on the airport’s usable airspace could easily compromise safe airport operations. This is particularly true when a plane suffers a mechanical problem — particularly an engine outage — which happens a lot more frequently than one might think. [Roaches Run Waterfowl

Sanctuary sits just north of an airport runway.] Planes with mechanical difficulty cannot land at National Airport and must divert to Dulles. If what’s called the “river route” is obstructed by tall buildings, then planes must fly a different route over populated areas, including the Little City, to reach Dulles. The Arlington County Civic Federation (ACCF) studied this issue back in 2014 and approved a resolution supporting FAA building height restrictions that would keep critical flight paths open, making it safer for all of us on the ground. For more information, visit the ACCF’s website at www.civfed. org/committees/public-services/ and scroll down to “Background on FAA Navigation Hazard Evaluation Rulemaking Change [Oct 2014].” Suzanne Smith Sundburg Arlington

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NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 9

NEWS BRIEFS 2 F.C. Businesses Win NAIOP Awards At the Northern Virginia Chapter of NAIOP’s awards dinner in Tysons earlier this month, out of 31 project awards presented, City of Falls Church businesses were the recipients of two with the Lincoln at Tinner Hill winning an “Award of Excellence for Single Building Mixed Use,” and the Northside Social winning an “award of merit for adaptive reuse.” Also, the F.C. engineering firm of Walter Phillips was singled out for its work on both projects, and the local construction firm of L.F. Jennings won an award of excellence for retail additions it did on the RTC West in Reston.

Plan for Downtown Park Upgrade is Retooled An ambitious plan initiated by the Falls Church Economic Development Authority to renovate the spot on the northside of the 100 block of West Broad Street turned out to cost far more than expected, so a new plan is now being implemented. The updated plan can be achieved with $100,000 the City has already allocated to date and can be done with “in house” staffing, City Manager Wyatt Shields told the F.C. City Council Monday. “Keep in mind that this is an economic development initiative,” stated Council member David Snyder.

F.C. Council Designates Dec. 8 ‘Hugh Brown Day’ In honor of the late lifelong City of Falls Church resident and business owner Hugh Brown, F.C. Mayor David Tarter at Monday’s City Council meeting issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, Dec. 8, as “Hush Brown Day” in the City. Brown was for years the owner of Brown’s Hardware, an iconic business founded by his grandfather in 1883 and still going strong at the intersection of Broad and Washington Streets. The proclamation stated that “Brown’s Hardware remains a cornerstone of the City’s downtown business district and a classic American hardware store amidst a world of big box and online stores,” and Brown, a lifelong resident who attended Madison Elementary and Jefferson High School, “was known as a kind and generous man and a strong supporter of the City.”

Suspicious Couple Approaches Girl in Pine Spring Fairfax County Police are investigating an incident where they say a suspicious man and woman approached a young girl walking home from school in the Pine Spring neighborhood of Falls Church in Fairfax County last week. Police say the preliminary investigation shows a girl was walking home from elementary school with her adult brother Monday, Nov. 19, around 3:45 p.m when the siblings were approached by the couple at the intersection of Pine Spring Rd. and Meadow View Rd. The two suspects offered a treat to the girl and motioned her towards them. The brother moved his sister away from the couple and the two siblings made it home safely Sketch of the female suspect. and reported the incident to their mother. The suspicious woman is described as white, between 40 and 50 years old, 5 ft.2 in., 140 pounds, with shoulder length straight blonde or grey hair, wearing black pants and a white jacket with a hood. Police say the initial description of the man is only that he is between 40 and 50 years old with short hair. The couple is believed to have been driving a newer model white passenger van, with a yellow license plate. Detectives are asking for anyone with information or have encountered this or similar circumstances to contact 703-246-7800. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by visiting www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or calling 1-866-411-TIPS.

Federal Block Grant Funds Allocated in F.C. The Falls Church City Council unanimously adopted the recommendations of the Falls Church Housing Commission for allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds for the coming year at its meeting Monday. The Mt. Daniel Family Outreach Program was awarded $4,000, the Falls Church Community Services Council’s Emergency Monetary Assistance was awarded $4,000, the F.C. Housing Corporation was awarded $35,100 for the removal and replacement of 40 aging decks and railings at the Winter Hill apartments serving seniors and disabled persons, Homestretch was awarded $23,000 for its transitional housing for homeless families program, and program administrative costs were reimbursed by a $12,842 award.

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PAGE 12 | NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018

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News-Press

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Community News & Notes

FALLS CHURCH BOXER Felix Chang won the USA Boxing Sugar Bert National Championship in the Junior Middleweight division on Nov. 18 in Orlando Florida. He is a former Virginia Golden Gloves champion and this is his first time winning AT A FALLS CHURCH CITY Council meeting earlier this month, (L-R) Joshua a national boxing championship. Chang is the only athlete to have won national Shokoor (Housing Commission), Kelli Edwards (Historical Commission) and championships in boxing, wrestling and submission grappling.. (Photo: Courtesy child, and Leanne Berthiaume (City Employee Review Board) were sworn in for terms on their respective boards and commissions. (Photo: News-Press) Cappello Photography)

News-Press Announces Its Holiday Party for Dec. 13 Thursday, December 13, is the date of the annual Falls Church News-Press Holiday Party to be held at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). The event will be catered by Anthony’s Restaurant and the George Mason High School jazz ensemble will provide live entertainment. The event is free to all friends of the News-Press and will run from 5:30 – 8 p.m.

Two Upcoming X-mas Events at Dulin United Methodist Locals can experience some Christmas festivities at Dulin United Methodist Church (513 E. Broad St., Falls Church) in the coming week.

On Friday, Dec. 7 at 7 and 8 p.m., the Dulin Church Youth will be performing the biblical story of Christmas with a living nativity scene on the church’s front lawn. A petting zoo will be on-site. Hot chocolate will also be available. Along with that, interested residents can visit Dulin United for a concert on “Christmas Around the World” on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. This concert will feature Christmas music from countries such as Slovakia, Catalonia, Ukraine, Canada and more. Dulin’s Sanctuary Choir, Chancel Ringers, Kid’s Choir, Women’s Ensemble and soloists will be sharing these international pieces of music with the attendees. A freewill offering will be taken to support Dulin’s Appalachian Service Project Team.

New Spin on ‘Christmas Carol’ by Providence Players

703-425-6782 or visit providenceplayers.org.

The Providence Players of Fairfax look to put a new twist on a classic with their rendition of “A Christmas Carol,” that will be performing at the James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church) starting Friday, Dec. 7 and going through Sunday, Dec. 16. A Shakespearean actor and his manager run out of gas, and the townsfolk agree to supply them with some if they tell them the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night with 2 p.m. matinees during the day on Saturday and Sunday. $17 General Admission seating. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. For more information, call

BalletNova Does ‘The Nutcracker’ at Mason HS BalletNova Center for Dance will be bringing a newly enhanced production of its version of “The Nutcracker” to Falls Church audiences for the first time this holiday season. Performances of “The Nutcracker” will take place at the George Mason High School Theatre (7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). BalletNova’s redesigned Nutcracker will feature new choreography by several BalletNova faculty members including Principal of the Pre-Professional Division Constance Walsh, Maria Watson, Shu-Chen Cuff and Carmen Perez. This is the first time BalletNova’s “The Nutcracker” has been re-

choreographed since 2004. The production will also feature new costumes and additional characters. BalletNova’s in-house costume mistress Sally Finley spent over 600 hours designing and creating costumes for the roles of the Nutcracker, Snow Queen, the snow corps, snow sprites, Chinese and Arabian divertissements and Drosselmeyer’s Faeries. New characters include the Governess (played by Alex Miegel), Harlequin Doll (played by BalletNova student Daniel Rodriguez) and a restructured Arabian pas de deux, featuring Zachary Scott Jr. and BalletNova student Megan Fuglestad. Showings of “The Nutcracker” will open tonight at 7:30 p.m., with another 7:30 p.m. performance tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 30, a 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. performance on Saturday, Dec. 1 and a

Send Us Your News & Notes!

The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!

Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

3 p.m. and 7 p.m. performance on Sunday, Dec. 2. BalletNova’s Nutcracker season includes: free performances in partnership with Barnes & Noble; Girl Scout education programs, community outreach performances, six theatre performances, four pre-school Petite shows and two Nutcracker Teas at the RitzCarlton, Pentagon City. For more information on “The Nutcracker” and other additional performances, visit BalletNova. org.

F.C. Social Justice Comm. Hosts Movie Viewing & Chat Interested residents can join the Social Justice Committee of Falls Church & Vicinity for a Viewing and Talk Back Party featuring the film “The Wiz.” Attendees can experience the magic of when Dorothy is whisked away to the wonderland of Oz as well as take part in an interactive talk back during the movie. Afterwards the audience will discuss what everyone has in common with Dorothy, the Wizard and Oz and what those characters can teach about bullying, peer pressure and race relations. The film was created from one of the all-time most beloved broadway musical productions based on a retelling of the classic L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This is a family friendly event. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Oz characters. Space is limited. Reservations are required. To RSVP, contact Nikki Graves Henderson at nikkigraves77@yahoo.com or by calling 703-534-4627.

Holiday Gift & Craft Show Returns to Falls Church Residents can do some holiday shopping at the annual Holiday

Gift and Craft Show this weekend, Dec. 1 & 2, at the Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church) running from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m on Sunday. More than 50 crafters and merchants will show be selling unique handmade items, baked goods and more. Attendees can purchase an All-Weekend pass for $1.

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NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 13

City of F.C.’s Toys for Tots Drive Open til Dec. 10 The City of Falls Church intends to help children through the Toys for Tots campaign this holiday season. New, unwrapped toys for children and teens can be donated to three locations by end of day Monday, Dec. 10. On the Toys for Tots website, the organization does not publicize a list of appropriate toys to donate, as they would prefer donors consider what might be appropriate for their own child or relative. However, the Toys for Tots organizers will not accept realistic-looking weapons or gifts of food. Toys for Toys does suggest some items for teens, including sporting equipment, bags and balls, books, backpacks, cosmetics, purses, watches, wallet gift sets, bath gift sets, board games, radio control cars/trucks, handheld electronics, skateboards/helmets, curling irons, hair straighteners and hair dryers. Donation boxes are located at the following places: • City Hall (temporary location, 2nd floor by the police department, 400 N. Washington St., Falls Church) • Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church) • Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church).

A BONUS SCENE from the Downtown Tree Lighting event includes the moment of truth itself, when City of Falls Church Mayor David Tarter’s speech was the introduction for the plunger push that lit up the Broad Street. (P��: G�� P��/��G��.��)

MEMBERS OF THE NEW Boy Scouts of America Troop 1996 sponsored by the National Sheriffs Association were invited to lead the Pledge of Allegience at Monday’s Falls Church City Council meeting. The troop is based at the Henderson Middle School. (P��: N��-P��)

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PAGE 14 | NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

Each year, Fairfax County publishes a lengthy demographic report that highlights population, housing units, residential and commercial development, market values, and other pertinent information. The data is presented in several profiles – by magisterial district, human services regions, sanitary sewersheds, census tracts, and even ZIP codes! There are lots of numbers, to be sure, but a careful reading of the 2018 report, released in October, reveals some fascinating details. In 1970, Fairfax County had 454,300 people, living in 130,800 housing units (single family detached, town houses, apartments), with a median age of 25.2 years. By 2000, the population had more than doubled, to 969,700; housing units increased to 328,200, and the median age was 35.9 years. Racial and ethnic population distribution in 2000 was 69.9 percent white, 8.6 percent black, 13.1 percent Asian and Pacific Islander, and 11 percent Hispanic. Today, we are 61.1 percent white, 9.7 percent black, 19.5 Asian and Pacific Islander, and 16.2 percent Hispanic. As the county has grown in age and population, so, too, has its diversity surged. Household income also has increased. In 2000, median household income was $82,000; today it is $118,279. That income level tags Fairfax County as one of the wealthiest in the nation, but county revenues are based on real estate values, not salaries. Income taxes paid to the state and federal governments do not provide the local services residents and businesses rely on; property taxes do. That fact is not lost on policy makers during budget time. In 2000, an average monthly rent was $989; today it is $1,788. Similarly, the estimated median market value for owned housing units in 2000 was $226,800 (an 18 percent jump from the previous year); today the same measurement is $519,560, just a 2.7 percent increase

from 2017. Longtime homeowners may appreciate the escalation in value for their major investment, but first-time buyers may view such increases as barriers to home ownership. Housing units that are affordable for a range of incomes continue to be a challenge, and an opportunity. Mason District’s profile includes four planning districts (Annandale, Baileys, Jefferson, and Lincolnia), two Human Services Regions (Region 2 and a portion of Region 4), 11 ZIP codes, approximately five sewersheds, and more than 30 census tracts. The 2018 population of Mason District is 116,035, living in 22.21 square miles, for a population density of 5,224 per square mile. By 2045, the forecasting date currently used by planners, Mason District’s population will be 134,500, or about 10 percent growth over 25 years. `An interesting tidbit in the report reveals that more than half (24,980) of existing Mason District homes were built before 1970. Mason District currently has 42,804 housing units, or 17,869 single family detached; 33 duplexes; 5,615 townhouses; and 19,287 apartments and condos. Most of the forecast growth to 2045 is in the Tysons and Reston areas, a byproduct of the extension of the Silver Line to serve these areas with Metrorail, all the way to Dulles International Airport. The 2018 Demographic Report reflects the measured, methodical approach to planning and development that has been a hallmark of Fairfax County for decades, ensuring that the county remains a great place to live, work, play, learn, worship, and age gracefully. The full report may be found at www. fairfaxcounty.gov/demographics.

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NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 15

Yes, It Was a Blue Tsunami

Kicking off the holiday season with a couple clever lines pulled off Twitter, one being, “Any Christian church that says migrants should not be allowed to seek asylum in America should take down their Nativity scenes.” The other says, “Rather than putting ‘Christ’ back in ‘Christmas,’ I’d settle for putting ‘Christ’ back in ‘Christians.’” Hear, hear! We’re so close to having it be official now, on the brink with the final counting of the votes, of the Democrats flipping 40, count ‘em 40, House districts from the GOP column to the Democratic column in the midterm elections held on November 6. FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and that was a Blue Wave Election if ever there was one! It was a Blistering Blue Tsunami! The naysayers were quick to conclude that the results did not meet the expectations of the Democrats in a midterm election when the opposition party to that in the White House is historically always supposed to fare well. But now it is obvious that the most outlandish expectations of the Democrats have actually been exceeded. There have been more flips than in a Sea World exhibition, the most since the post-Watergate elections of 1974 and 1976, and without a major governmental scandal and crisis to precipitate it. Of course, the scandal and crisis now centers around the man occupying the White House and the manner by which he has unleashed an unprecedented outpouring of national contempt for him, his lying and brutish ways, and the way they so deeply insult and offend everyone who has to deal with them. America was better equipped to react to this criminal thug because of the impact on the national psyche of eight years of genuine social grace and class that the Obama administration brought to the national center stage. You don’t normally expect that even in a good person when elected, but the Obamas lit the lamplight of national self-esteem, dignity, generosity of spirit and respect for others by their very manner of carrying themselves, and did so flawlessly for so long. Only the legacy of Camelot, of the Kennedy administration, could match it, and heaven knows by today’s standards of transparency and scandal-mongering, it is doubtful that the Camelot image would have been able to fare as well as it did, albeit for a much shorter period of time. Even when the cynical forces of counterinsurgency worked as hard as they did to eradicate the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the years following his assassination in 1968, they ultimately did not succeed because the nation exhibited an even more widespread affirmation of those values that led to Obama’s historic presidential election in 2008, and as if to say “Amen” to that, his re-election in 2012. The counterinsurgency was ugly. It sought to dispel the manner by which Dr. King associated human dignity with the struggle for racial justice with a surge of postmodern radical hedonism that decimated urban working class communities with drugs, gang violence, cults, prostitution, pornography and sexual abuse. The values embedded in Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech of 1963 were replaced by this offensive with Gordon Gecco’s “Greed is Good” speech in the 1987 movie, “Wall Street.” Greed, selfish self-interest, pleasure for its own sake, union busting and cults dedicated to eradicating empathy and compassion through brainwashing techniques, including countless religious fundamentalist ones, were elevated, and the result was the so-called “Reagan Revolution” of 1980. That brought hordes of crackpot right wing zealots to Washington to embed themselves into the pores of the national bureaucracy and new “think tanks” where they festered and gained an upper hand with the stolen presidential election of 2000. Still, despite all this and beneath it, the basic decency of the human spirit somehow persisted, awaiting only the right kind of spark to be revived. The Obama campaign brought it out to flourish. But the puppet masters of the counterrevolution did not give up. They reached down into the depths of the ugly racist culture that much of this nation fought and died for and unleashed it to get Trump fraudulently elected. So the struggle continues on.  Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Nicholas F. Benton

Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark

Our treasured Arlington National Cemetery is still itching to expand its boundaries to accommodate more graves. That’s the word from Kim Holien, the former Ft. Myer historian who shared hard-unearthed facts about the base during a Nov. 8 talk to the Arlington Historical Society. Before the expansion that’s now underway, planners had their eyes long-term on Ft. Myer’s chapels parking lot, the Marine Corps’ Henderson Hall and the Sheraton Hotel, said Holien, who curated fort history for 18 years until the job was eliminated in 2013. Holien’s research into such tales as the four tours at Ft. Myer by Gen. George Patton, the fort’s celebration of Buffalo Soldiers, and espionage there demonstrated how he deserved his taxpayer’s paycheck. The land we know as Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall was originally part of the Arlington House estate built by George Washington Parke Custis, Holien began. The 265 acres on Arlington Heights was originally called Fort Whipple (for Civil War Union Gen. Amiel Weeks Whipple, a division commander at Fort Cass, where the Ft. Myer’s stables are today, and who died after the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863). Though the fort would become the Army’s premier cavalry post, its altitude made it ideal for

communications and weather balloons. Enter Dr. Albert Myer, who invented the Army Signal Corps. system and founded the National Weather Service on the grounds. The base was renamed for Myer in 1882. (Snafus over the spelling, Holien recalls, continued even in 1969. President Nixon wanted to outfit the base’s Old Guard with fancier uniforms, which were ordered from a New York-based company. It delivered them mistakenly to Ft. Myers, Fla.) Fancy uniforms — even circus-type outfits — at Ft. Myer special events were favored by Patton as garrison commander. He used his family wealth to pay for costumes. Holien took his audience through the famous Wright brothers flights at Ft. Myer, which in 1908 resulted in the death of Lt. Thomas Selfridge across from Spates Hall. The flight experiments were spied on by inventor Alexander Graham Bell — competing for federal contracts. Ft. Myer also gave birth to the “tailgate party,” Holien insists. In 1909, Alice Roosevelt Longworth was bored watching the flights and arranged for lemonade and Tom Collins to be served from her car’s rumble seat. Holien clarified the fate of the “Three Sisters” pioneer radio towers that stood a half-mile down Washington Blvd. from the fort from 1913-1940. President Roosevelt, a Navy man, over Patton’s objections, had them moved to Annapolis, where you

can see them today. The historian bemoaned the loss of Ft. Myer’s status as a major urban railroad station when, after the Depression, the automobile industry took the country by storm. He’s proud that during World War II, the fort hosted the first demonstration of the Jeep to military funders. And Holien offers a footnote to those who see Arlington’s 1959 integration of Stratford Junior High as a first. He showed a 1954 photo of the base elementary school at Ft. Myer with black and white kids side by side. To this day, Ft. Myer remains home to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Army chief of staff — and their aides, Holien notes. As historian, he once tried to persuade the garrison commander to preserve a native campground dating to 12,000 B.C. Historians have only so much influence. *** In the better-late-than-never department, the new Ballston Quarter will soon make the long wait for construction progress at Arlington’s central crossroads worth our while. During my gym visit last week (One Life Fitness, nee Sport & Health), I was impressed with the refurbished mall’s warmer, open, indoor-outdoor lighting that provides easy sightlines to escalators. Though barely a half-dozen stores are open, more are coming in time for the holidays. I peeked inside the Social Punch Bowl eatery, which already posts its price list for bowling shoe rentals.

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PAGE 16 | NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018

Fa l l s C h u r c h

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Business News & Notes Greek, Italian and American Cuisine

3000 Annandale Rd. Falls Church, VA 22042

703-532-0100

www.AnthonysRestaurantVA.com

Gabriel Thompson to Head New Italian Restaurant In Argia’s Space Gabriel Thompson has leased Argia’s former space at 124 N. Washington Street. Thompson is a renowned chef who has served at the executive chef at Giuliana and Bill Rancic’s RPM Italian in Washington, D.C. and he is a partner at L’Artusi, Dell’ Anima, L’Apicio and Anfora in New York City. Lauded by Food and Wine, Conde Nast Traveler, and the New York Times, Thompson plans to open Thompson’s Italian Restaurant in the spring of 2019.

Portrait Photo Shoot at Center for Spirtual Living This Weekend Brenda Schrier Photography will be providing individual and family portraits at the Celebration Center for Spiritual Living on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 2 from 1 – 3 p.m. The photo shoot will include a background and several poses will be taken and provided either electronically or on a CD. Fifty percent of the highly discounted $75 fee will be contributed to the Center for Spiritual Living. Reservations are recommended. Call Brenda Schrier at 703-533-2929 to make an appointment. The Celebration Center is located at 2840 Graham Road in Falls Church. For more information about Brenda Schrier or to view her photos online, visit www.brendasphotos.com.

Free Tai Chi Class from Sun & Moon on Monday

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Sun & Moon Taiji One will host a tai chi open house and free trial tai chi class on Monday, Dec. 3 from 7:50 – 8:50 p.m. The event is open to those who want to experience the wide range of physical-mental health benefits of tai chi. The event will take place at the Falls Church location in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do, Falls Plaza Shopping Center, 1136 West Broad Street in Falls Church. Registration is required. Call 301-512-5071 or email SunAndMoonTaijiOne@gmail.com to reserve a spot.

Connect Our Kids Wins Innovate for Good Challenge Technology non-profit Connect Our Kids has won the first ever Innovate for Good Challenge, a competition sponsored by Independent Sector and Accenture. The Innovate for Good Challenge is intended to promote and heighten awareness of organizations that are catalyzing social change through new technology such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and/or extended reality. Connect Our Kids is in the third quarter of developing their family connections tool, an intelligent platform that enables social workers and family recruiters to speed and scale child foster placement centered around data-based decisions to help the more than 400,000 children in the foster care system in the US. Connect Our Kids will launch its pilot in Virginia. For more information on how you can help Connect Our Kids, please visit ConnectOurKids.org.  Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

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SENIOR LIVING

Senior News Line

Time to Cash Those Old Savings Bonds? by Matlida Charles

King Features Syndicate

Did you stash away savings bonds years ago? Do you know what they’re worth now? While savings bonds used to be a great way to put money aside for the future, with the different interest rates and dates of maturity, it’s all too easy to forget they’re there. Paper bonds haven’t been issued for years; they’ve all gone electronic. But if you have paper bonds from long ago, there’s a good chance they’ve matured. A few things to consider: • Paper bonds can add interest over and above the face value until they’re finally mature, which is usually 30 years. If your

paper bonds are very old, they could be worth much more than face value. • Cashing in the oldest bonds first is a mistake. They might still be earning great interest. • If you cash in a bond on the wrong day, you might be giving up six months of interest. • Since you pay federal taxes on the interest, cashing in too many at once can have tax consequences you might not expect. If you have paper savings bonds, your best bet is savingsbonds.com. It has loads of information to help you get the most cash out of your bonds, plus a complimentary bond calculator. If you set up an account, it will track your bonds and give you their current values.

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NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 17

threaten to take away your benefit if you don’t answer their questions, or tell you they can help get your benefits increased. If you get one of these calls, hang up and report it at the Office of the Inspector General (800-269-0271). But there’s more. The newest phone scam trick is to make your caller I.D. look like the call is from someone in your town, with state and local area codes. While you might be suspicious of out-ofcountry area codes or calls from out of state, you’re more likely to pick up the phone if you think it might be one of your neighbors. This is what the scammers count on. If you do pick up one of these calls, or any number you don’t

recognize, the most important thing to remember is to never say “yes.” Your voice is being recorded, and if you answer “yes” to any question, scammers will use that as verification that you want to sign for whatever it is they’re peddling. Instead of answering any of their questions, ask your own questions. Ask who is calling, ask where they got your number ... or better yet, just hang up without saying a word.  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.

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PAGE 18 | NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

MASON’S JUNIOR FORWARD Johnny Goodwin has a tall task ahead of him BOTH BOYS & GIRLS swim teams are looking to bring home some new troserving as the lone big man for the Mustangs at only 6’2. (Photo: Carol Sly) phies for Mason’s case this February. (Photo: FCCPS Photo/ Courtesy Ari Autor)

Winter is Coming...And So is the Winter Sports Season by Matt Delaney

Falls Church News-Press

As winter coats and mittens are pulled out of the back of the hall closet, George Mason High School sport fans congregate inside their seasonal chapel to watch a new slate of Mustang teams compete for glory. But is glory within reach? Programs that got a taste of it last year are looking to scrap their way back onto that stage again. For others, who just missed out on a chance to play for some hardware, they return with a renewed vigor. And for some who are rebuilding after cyclical departures brought on by graduation, it’s all about planning for the future. All of Mason’s teams fit any one of these descriptors, so without further ado, let’s jump into the preview

Boys Basketball The Mustangs’ boys basketball team’s season last year ended like a horror movie – that is to say it was both bad and unceremonious. With 30 seconds to go in a tie game and the ball in Mason’s possession against Bull Run District rival Central High School, an untimely turnover set up the Falcons’ buzzer beater to end Mason’s season in the Region B semifinal. The loss was Mason’s third to Central that season and negated a Class 2 state tournament berth to boot. Yowch. That wound may have cauterized from last February, but the Mustangs still have some adjusting to do given the new construction of their team. What Mason

head coach Chris Capannola says is “maybe the smallest team I’ve had in my 18 years here,” controlling the paint and the boards will be a consistent challenge for the Mustangs throughout the next three months. One way Mason is managing that challenge is by using its swifter lineup is to institute a full-court defensive scheme (which was attempted for a short time last season as well). The return of two veteran varsity starters in seniors Max Ashton and Hollman Smith make Mason a threat whenever they step on the court. But bringing newer players up to speed and negotiating with the reality that you can’t coach height will consistently rear its head this winter. Mason opened their season on the road against Riverside High School Tuesday night, losing 68-49. They play their home opener this Friday against Broad Run High School.

Girls Basketball Similar to its boys basketball counterpart, Mason’s girls basketball team also had its season end on a buzzer-beating three-pointer, the culprit being Buffalo Gap High School. But theirs came in the Class 2 state semifinals, making the season objectively more successful and the loss objectively more insufferable. The Mustangs graduated four key starters from that state semifinal team and look to begin anew. That includes a mostly new roster as well as a new head man in Chris Carrico, last season’s assistant coach for the team after former head coach Michael Gilroy

became an assistant for the boys team in the offseason. Hammering out the defining elements of the team remains a work in progress, but Carrico is optimistic about what gains he’s made so far. “The obvious obstacle facing our team will be our ability to establish a team identity and stay focused and composed throughout the season. Teams definitely won’t feel bad for us when we experience adversity and growing pains,” Carrico said. “The girls are still becoming comfortable with their new roles but have responded well to my coaching philosophy and messages.” Senior Maddie Lacroix silently served as a part of the team’s spine in her first three years on varsity. Now she’s the only player on the roster who’s logged significant minutes, making her the straw that stirs the drink for the new young squad. The Mustangs hosted Riverside High School for their season opener Tuesday night, losing 48-37. They play at Yorktown High School tonight.

Swim & Dive Mason’s swim & dive program was the toast of the town last winter. The boys swept the postseason by winning the Bull Run District, Region B and Class 2 state championships while the girls also took first in the Bull Run but served as runner-up in both the region and state due to a lack of divers. Making personal gains while having both the girls and boys finish on top of the team competition by season’s end is the goal of second

year coach Meghan Wallace. “I am hoping to continue to improve upon times while making sure the kids are still having fun,” Wallace said. “It was a tough blow losing at regionals for the girls because we had no divers, but this year we are hopeful with having one girl diver.” The Mustangs seem poised to do just that. A strong senior presence of 12 swimmers will lead a skilled bundle of 19 sophomores sets Mason up to vie for the crown(s) once again. Dealing with Maggie Walker Governor’s School – Mason’s main rival at the regional and state level – will come to the fore in February, but throughout the season Wallace wants to make sure as many athletes can qualify for state competition as possible, which comes from experimentation in different events and intensified training. “I want to continue to build endurance and technique in practices, which is definitely a challenge when we only have two hours in the pool a week. So, doing good dryland workouts the other days helps with this.” Wallace said. The Mustangs will have their first meet this Saturday against Madison County High School and Stonewall Jackson High School.

Wrestling Coming off one of its more memorable seasons in program history, Mason’s wrestling team looks to poised to compete for a Bull Run District title. For a program that has, at times, struggled to fill out its varsity team, winning

a district title could be seen as an major turning point. “It is my understanding Mason has not won a district wrestling title in the history of the school. And, this will be our last opportunity to do so at the class 2A level since we are moving to 3A next season,” Mason head coach Aaron Martinez said. “There is no question Mason has the depth of experience and personal commitment to excellence to achieve this end; not to mention the ability to fill all roster spots.” There’s a strong possibility it could happen given the team’s makeup. Seniors Bryan Villegas (113 lbs) and Jack Felgar (145 lbs) placed third and second at the Class 2 state tournament last year, respectively. Joining them are three other state qualifiers in West Haglar (145 lbs), Connor Murray (152 lbs) and Nick Zaenger (170 lbs). And that’s not including a young crop of new wrestlers produced from the Falls Church Force youth program in Emmett Wood, Daniel Martinez and Jackson Reitmeyer who look to buoy “soft” spots in this state lineup. Mitigating injuries will continue to be the hardest part of the season. Felgar is recovering from an injury in the football season that will keep him out until at least January. But should his timetable for recovery stay on track and the team progresses the way it expects to, it’ll be a dangerous foe to face come the postseason. Mason will open its season at a tournament at King George High School this Saturday, Dec. 1.

LO CA L

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 19

The “It’s Only Another Beer” Black and Tan 8 oz. pilsner lager 8 oz. stout lager 1 frosty mug 1 icy road 1 pick-up truck 1 10-hour day 1 tired worker A few rounds with the guys Mix ingredients. Add 1 totalled vehicle.

CONTINUING A TRADITION that’s over a decade old, George Mason High School’s senior class officers whipped up a batch of grilled chicken, roasted broccoli and carrots, rice, two types of bread, and brownies for dinner for the Falls Church Homeless Shelter. Seniors will cook and prepare meals on Tuesday nights through Feburary for the shelter. (Photo: FCCPS Photo/Carol Sly)

Fa l l s C h u r c h

School News & Notes Marshall HS Opens ‘Be More Chill’ for Holiday Season George C. Marshall High School’s (7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church) Statesmen Theatre presents “Be More Chill.” Jeremy Heere is just an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about “The Squip” – a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most: A date with Christine, an invite to the raddest party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk? “Be More Chill” is an honest, edgy and hilarious look at growing up in the digital age, set to some of the songs in contemporary musical theater. This original musical comedy looks at modern issues like depression, bullying and anxiety through the lens of sci-fi films of the 50s, horror flicks of the 80s and teen movies of the 90s. “Be More Chill” has universal appeal in its celebration of outcasts, teenaged or otherwise. Please note, however, the material is not suitable for audiences under 14 years old. The opening is tonight at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances are Friday, Nov. 30, Saturday, Dec. 1,

and Dec. 6 – 8. All shows at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at statesmentheatre.org or at the box office before each performance.

Mt. Daniel Cuts the Ribbon on New Expansion Three current and former Mount Daniel principals made their way to the school for the ribbon-cutting of its newest expansion. Former long-time principal Kathy Halayko did the honors alongside longest-serving teacher Nan Hof and longest-serving paraprofessional Kevin O’Dowd while current principal Tim Kasik Facetimed former principal Erin Truesdell so that she could join in the festivities. Once the parking lot is complete later this winter, residents at-large will be invited to a community-wide Open House to commemorate the completion of the renovations.

GIVE Day Ambassadors Make Giving Tuesday a Hit Over 80 GIVE Day ambassadors at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School used their club meeting time and fundraising

efforts to put together a day of giving for all the students in the school on “Giving Tuesday,” Nov. 27. By grade, every student had a chance in the three sessions to assemble, measure, seal and pack 33,000 meals that will be shipped by the non-profit Rise Against Hunger to destinations that will include Haiti, Madagascar and India. A special thanks is extended to the MEHMS Parent-Teacher Association for its organizational oversight and to all the donors who helped the students reach the $10,000 goal to cover the costs of the rice, soy, dried vegetables and vitamins that make up each sixserving meal packet.

Mason Students Join In Toy Drive Effort George Mason’s Student Council Association (SCA) is holding a toy drive that started this week to benefit Northern Virginia Family Service. Students can participate in the charity project by bringing new and unused toys to their third block classes. The class that collects the most toys will win a breakfast courtesy of the SCA. For the types of toys that are suitable for donation, visit nvfs.org.

Never underestimate ‘just a few.’ Buzzed driving is drunk driving.

PAGE 20 | NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018

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F.C.’s Own Classical Music Singer Makes Professional Debut Sunday by Patricia Leslie

Falls Church News-Press

Local songbird Julia Farbstein takes her talents to the big stage in her professional debut with the New Dominion Chorale at its annual holiday concert this Sunday in Alexandria. Farbstein grew up in Falls Church and was a member of the first graduating class at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. For New Dominion singers, she holds the record for being the youngest member when the director asked her to join when she was 13. But she was singing long before that. She laughs to tell the story of driving a babysitter crazy one night “when I sang non-stop for hours about a princess in a tower,” an opera of sorts Farbstein created when she was about four years old. Unhappy that her parents (Falls Church residents Marcus Farbstein and Rosemarie Hunziker) had left her and her brother at home in the care of a sitter while they attended

a performance Farbstein wanted to see, she took to music to drown out her sorrows and anguish. “The babysitter was ready to pull her hair out,” Farbstein said. Growing up, the budding singer took acting classes at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, continuing her love of singing and voice lessons. Following the practice of a voice teacher, Farbstein began studying Italian and “absolutely fell in love with classical music,” she said in a phone interview. Her mother began wondering if maybe a music school should be in her daughter’s future. After ninth grade at George Mason High School, Julia left Falls Church to attend Interlochen Arts Academy, a 90-year old fine arts boarding school in Michigan. From there, it was on to Oberlin College, graduation with a degree in music and a gift from her parents: an 1894 Steinway grand piano which had belonged to her mother’s voice teacher. “My parents were very encouraging,” she said. “They really wanted me to explore the things I wanted to do.” And that may not

include a professional career in music, after all. Farbstein excels in another related realm, that of mental and body conditioning and improvement and all that goes with it. “The physical body and all of its intricacies fascinate me,” she told the News-Press an email. “I am intrigued and puzzled at how my body and other people’s bodies respond to different situations and stimuli.” She’s a yoga student, manager and teacher at CorePower Yoga on West Broad Street. For Sunday’s program she is listed as a “mezzo-soprano,” a voice between a soprano and a contralto. Farbstein briefly explained in technical terms how a voice type is determined. “My voice is still changing. Vocal tracts do not stop developing until the late 20s or early 30s. Vocal types are determined by the physical shape of the resonant chamber,” Farbstein said. She is 25. Farbstein lives in Falls Church to be near her family and take advantage of what she calls a fan-

NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 21

GIVING HER RENDITION of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin, Julia Farbstein seeks to bring that sme vocal talent to her debut with the New Dominion Chorale this Sunday. (Photo: Courtesy Marcus Farbstein) tastic place for solo singers found in the greater Washington area. Besides, she says, “It’s a short train ride to New York City.” Farbstein’s debut in “Gloria in Excelsis” will feature works by Giacomo Puccini, J. C. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, and Thomas Beveridge, the artistic director of

New Dominion. Tickets for the Sunday, Dec. 2 concert are available by calling 202-244-7191, online at www. newdominion.org or at the door at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center (4915 East Campus Dr., Alexandria) for the 4 p.m. performance.

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PAGE 22 | NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018

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Signature Theatre’s ‘Billy Elliot’ Continues Play’s Storied Legacy BY NICHOLAS F. BENTON

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Arlington’s Signature Theatre in the heart of the Shirlington district is now performing “Billy Elliot the Musical” through January 6. In my life as a devotee of the musical theatre, I rank this show as my Number One. I’ve seen it multiple times in New York, the Kennedy Center and now in Arlington and wrote a chapter about it in my book, “Extraordinary Hearts.” In his own words, Sir Elton John has described the impact that seeing the charming low-budget British film, “Billy Elliot,” had on him when he showed up for its initial screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2000, when it was initially titled “Dancer.” He said it so connected to his own upbringing and challenges in a working class British village that he was almost in tears, and within an hour of seeing it, he verbalized the idea of someday producing a stage musical version of it. He said the parallels between the young lad in “Billy Elliot” having to overcome tremendous obstacles to follow his intuitive calling to become a ballet dancer and his own challenges, including with his father, to follow his musical inspiration cut him to the quick right away. He wound up teaming up with the author of the film’s screenplay, Lee Hall, who wrote the lyrics while he wrote the music for the stage musical, which first opened in London in 2005. John’s husband, David Furnish, was an exec-

ARLINGTON’S SIGNATURE THEATRE employs two actors to portray Billy in their current run of “Billy Elliot.” Both Liam Redford (pictured) and Owen Tabaka dazzle on stage and bring the time-honored story to life in their own way. (P��: M�� S��) utive producer and it was originally directed by Stephen Daltry. It was an instant sensation vastly exceeding, John said, his wildest expectations. It wound up being nominated for nine Laurence Olivier Awards and won four, including for Best New Musical and ran for 11 years to 2016. A Broadway version that opened in 2008 won 10 Tony Awards including for Best Musical. In short, it has been a smash hit in all of its subsequent iterations, including all the cities in which it has been performed from Asia to Europe and two tours

across North America that brought it for a stint at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2011. The biggest single challenge facing the production was a truly daunting one, to find an 11-12 year old boy who could perform live on stage the incredibly demanding ballet, voice and acting skills to pull off the lead character’s role. The BBC produced a documentary entitled, “Finding Billy Elliot” (available on YouTube) that chronicled the effort, and wound up blowing away John and the others with the amazing skills that issued forth from a

nationwide series of auditions of literally thousands of boys. The final group of 15 was subjected to intense training and trials, and it became a highly emotional task to limit that number down to three who would share the role in the original London opening. The history of “Billys” has itself become an amazing story, with scores of them having taken the live stage in scores of productions worldwide in the dozen years since the curtain rose on the first show in 2005. A reunion of “Billys” first took the stage for a special in 2010 and another time

in 2014 win in conjunction with an international live telecast of the show. The two “Billys” in the Signature Theatre production are products of that system, both extraordinary in their skills and execution — Liam Redford and Owen Tabaka. I’ve seen one in person and video of the other so far. The other major theme of the show is its backdrop, the British coal miner strike of 1984-1985, with Billy’s dad and older brother being miners and he expected eventually to join them for the rest of his life in the mines. As I wrote in my book, “Encouragement from a teacher steeled Billy’s resolve to challenge his family’s resistance, and he eventually prevailed, buoyed by his grandma and especially a letter from his deceased, loving mother that encouraged him: ‘In everything you do, always be yourself.’” His efforts succeeded to “bring the best out in others, including Billy’s family and the community.” and “the eventual support by all for pursuing his potential brought Billy, in the musical, to dance with his own future — a stunning duet when Billy at eleven dances with Billy as an adult to the music of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.” The Signature Theater’s current production of “Billy Elliot the Musical” does it justice because the music, the storyline and the dancing are all just too compelling. They all, 80 involved in total, do a darned good job.

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PAGE 24 | NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29 High School Book Club. November Book: “Tyranny of Petticoats,” edited by Jessica Spotswood. Book Club for teens in grades 9-12. Limited copies of the book are available to borrow from the Youth Services Desk. Registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8 p.m. 703-248-5034.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 Quarterly Book Sale at TysonsPimmit. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library will be holding its quarterly book sale with a large selection of books and media for all ages and interests this weekend, Nov. 30 – Dec. 2. On Nov. 30, the book sale will run

from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; on Dec. 1, it will run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 2, it will run from 1 – 4 p.m. On the final day of the quarterly book sale, all books and media will be half price and there is a special offer that allows customers to fill up a bag full of books for $10 per bag. Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 703-790-4031.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 Holiday Craft Show: Day 1. More than 50 crafters and merchants will show be selling unique handmade items, baked goods and more. Children’s activities include a magic show and lunch with Santa, both of which require $6 pre-registration. Can purchase AllWeekend pass for $1. The craft show will also run from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday. Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls

Church). 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 703-2485077. Tree Fest. This is the fifth year for Tree Fest and it will be bigger than ever, with more nonprofits participating than ever before. The festival’s organizers are expecting at least 20 trees, each representing a nonprofit that provides services in the Falls Church area. Ireland’s Four Provinces (105 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 School Safety Forum. The League of Women Voters of Falls Church, the Falls Church City Public Schools and the City of Falls Church will hold a public information forum to discuss measures and procedures designed to protect students in the event of an emergency. School and city officials, including first responders, will discuss practices currently in place

to ensure student safety. Open to all. Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School (7130 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 2 – 3:30 p.m. 510-8126410.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3 Playtime with Early Literacy Center Toys. Explore educational and manipulative items (aka toys) to teach early literacy through play. Ages birth to 5 years. No registration required. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 11 a.m. – noon. 703-248-5034. ESL Conversation Group. A general conversation group for adults learning English as their second language meets every Monday. No registration required — dropins welcome and encouraged. Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Ave., Falls Church). 7 – 8:30 p.m. 703-248-5034.

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for a wealthy heiress, and stows away on the ship carrying her to London. All kinds of on-board antics ensue as Billy tries to find, woo and win back his true love, with the help of showgirls, sailors and even a gangster or two. Arena Stage (1101 Sixth St. SW, Washington, D.C.) $92 – $125. 8 p.m. arenastage.org. “A Civil War Christmas.” It’s 1864 and Washington, D.C. is settling down to the coldest Christmas Eve in years. “History lessons and holiday warmth sit cozily alongside each other” (The New York Times) in this pageant of carols by Paula Vogel, the Pulitzer Prizewinning writer of “Indecent.” Stories of many intertwining lives– spanning from the battlegrounds of Northern Virginia to the halls of the White House– demonstrate that the gladness of one’s heart is the best gift of all. 1st Stage Theatre (1524 Spring Hill Rd., Tysons) $39. 8 p.m. 1ststagetysons.org.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 “Cry It Out.” Jessie is a corporate lawyer in a Manhattan firm. Lina is a community-college dropout and born-and-bred Long Islander. They don’t seem to have anything in common, but marooned at home with infants, they strike up a fast friendship. In the yard between their houses—as far as their baby monitors will reach— they bond over sleep deprivation, unreliable childcare, and “having it all.” A candid comedy about who gets to make which hard choices in the tinderbox of parenthood and class in the United States. Studio Theatre (1501 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C.) $20 – $90. 2 p.m. studiotheatre.org.

LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Brent Peterson. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. Noah Guthrie (full band) with Emma G. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

CA L E NDA R

Natty Beaux Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 27

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 TEDxTysons 2018 Explores “Legacy.” The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $50. 5:30 p.m. 703-237-0300. Dan & Chuck. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. Happy Hour: Garrick & Carmen Duo. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-241-9504. SWELL. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 7 p.m. 703-858-9186. Horde Times and Weirdness feat. Big O and Dukes & HTAW Live. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $25. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Chris Smither. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $25 – $30. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Billy Price & Shurletta Settle. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703241-9504. Brad Rhodes. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 Afternoon Dread feat. The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band with Ponytails and Cocktails. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $25. 1 p.m. 703-255-1566. Snake Farmers. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). 4 p.m. 703-255-1900. Andrew Acosta. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6

OSHUN will be at Jammin’ Java in Vienna on Tuesday. (Photo: Oshuniverse.Com) p.m. 703-532-9283.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2

Red Baraat. Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $30 – $35. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900.

Exaggerations. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-241-9504.

No Reply. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-858-9186.

Mark Wenner & The Blues Warriors. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Boardwalk Karaoke. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-532-9283. The Legwarmers – D.C.’s Biggest ‘80s Retro Dance Party. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $18. 9:30 p.m. 703237-0300. Cactus Liquors. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. Whiskey Tango Fall Down. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703237-8333.

Open Mic. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington St. A, Falls Church). 5 p.m. 703-858-9186. Sabrina Benaim with Clementine Von Radics. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $16 – $20. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. Eileen Ivers (encore performance the following night at the same time and price). Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd. Vienna). $27 – $32. 8 p.m. 703-255-1900. Gabe Stillman Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m.

703-241-9504.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3 Oshun. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $30. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4 Doug Paisley with Twain. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15. 7 p.m. 703255-1566. Majestic: Drag Show. Diva Lounge (6763 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church). 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5 Coco Montoya. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $22 – $30. 7:30 p.m. 703-255-1566 Bruce Katz. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Arlington). 8 p.m. 703-5228340.

Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046

Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.

PAGE 28 | NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018

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Public Notice ABC LICENSE FIDEL LLC., Trading as: FIDEL RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE, 3815B South George Mason Drive, Falls Church, Virginia 22041-3786. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for an Wine and Beer on Premise and Mixed Beverage Restaurant. Helen Kebede, President and Member, Rahel Hagos, Member. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the ﬁrst of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

ABC LICENSE PASTA POWER LLC., Trading as: THOMPSON ITALIAN, 124 North Washington Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22046-4514. The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) for a Wine and Beer On Premises and Mixed Beverage Restaurant license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. Gabriel Thompson, Managing Partner. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the ﬁrst of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc. virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.

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PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on December 13, 2018 at 7:30 PM in the Community Center Teen Center, located at 223 Little Falls Street, for consideration of the following item: New Business Variance application V1606-18 by City of Falls Church, applicant and owner, for variances to Section 48-1101 to allow (1) a front yard setback of 7.5 feet instead of 25 feet on North Virginia Avenue, (2) a front yard setback of 10.5 feet instead of 25 feet on Park Avenue, (3) a maximum lot coverage of 57% instead of 35%, for the purpose of renovating the existing public library and constructing a 2-story addition on premises known as 120 North Virginia, RPC #51113-005 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned OD, Oﬃcial Design. The Planning Commission of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will also hold a public meeting on Monday, December 3, 2018 at 7:30 PM in the School Board Conference Room, 800 West Broad Street, Suite 203, Falls Church, VA 22046, to consider a recommendation to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA). Information on the above application is available for review at: Zoning Oﬃce 400 N. Washington, Suite 101 Falls Church, VA. 703-248-5015 (option 1) zoning@fallschurchva.gov This location is fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities and special services or assistance may be requested in advance. (TTY 711)

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA The ordinance referenced below was given first reading by the City Council on October 9, 2018; and second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Monday, December 10, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO18-11) AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, BY REZONING A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 34.6527 ACRES OF LAND FROM R-1A, LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO B-2, CENTRAL BUSINESS FOR THE PROPERTIES AT 7124 LEESBURG PIKE (REAL PROPERTY CODE NUMBERS 51-221-001, 52-221002 AND 51-221-003), ON APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH AND THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH The ordinance referenced below was given first reading by the City Council on November 13, 2018; and second reading and public hearing are scheduled for Monday, December 10, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. (TO18-09) ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 22, “HOUSING,” SECTION 2282; CHAPTER 40, “TAXATION,” SECTION 40-497; AND CHAPTER 48, “ZONING,” SECTIONS 4-2, 48-235,48-393, 48-423, 48-453, 48-486, AND 48-521 OF THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH TO UPDATE LANGUAGE REFERRING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND ALIGN THE DEFINITION OF GROUP HOME WITH STATE CODE All public hearings will be held in the Falls Church Community Center, Senior Center, 223 Little Falls St., Falls Church, VA. For copies of legislation, contact the City Clerk’s office at 703-248-5014 or cityclerk@ fallschurchva.gov. 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

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We are pledged to the letter andspirit 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 available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-8530. Toll free call (888) 551-3247. For the hearing impaired call (804) 367-9753.

A RTS&E NTE RTA I NME NT

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Crossword

ACROSS

By David Levinson Wilk 1

36 41 45

21 23

39 44

Across

1. Game in which one yells 36-Across 4. Drink 10. They’re used for storage 14. DuVernay who directed “Selma” 15. Meeting around lunchtime 16. Stuntman Knievel 17. Top of a clock 18. Mediterranean capital 19. Morning joe 20. 2004 Olympics swimming star 22. Core belief 23. Sausage served with kraut 24. Norton AntiVirus target 25. Many winter vacationers 28. Beginning 29. Anesthetized 30. Leave at the altar 32. ____ Hubbard of Scientology 35. Mauna ____ Observatory 36. Exclamation during a game of 1-Across that, read a different way, could apply to 20-Across, 53-Across, 11-Down or 27-Down 39. It’s nearly nada 40. Memo heading abbr. 42. Photo ID issuers 43. Biceps-flexing guys 45. “The Tortoise and the Hare” fabulist 47. Place of worship 48. “The Last O.G.” star Tracy 50. Face With Tears of Joy, e.g. 52. Not getting along (with) 53. Laurence Fishburne’s “What’s

STRANGE BREW

1. Game in which one yells 36-Across

NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018 | PAGE 29

Love Got to Do With It” role 57. Tech review site 58. Like some biology majors 59. Terminate 60. Offering from a casting director 61. Sportscaster Dick 62. Racket 63. Messengers at Hogwarts 64. Bully’s response 65. Breakfasted or lunched

DOWN

1. Curbside call 2. Running shoe brand 3. Upside 4. Rushing 5. Drives (along) 6. Father-and-son Nobel Prize winners in physics 7. Ham-handed 8. Nota ____ 9. Some TV drama settings 10. Decorate fancily 11. She says “Don’t get mad, get everything” during a cameo in the 1996 movie “The First Wives Club” 12. “When pigs fly!” 13. Roof material 21. Overly precious 22. QB stat 24. Prefix with discrimination 25. 1973 Toni Morrison novel 26. Garden hose annoyance 27. Early 20th-century writer/ reformer nicknamed “The Terror of the Trusts”

JOHN DEERING

Sudoku

28. Plaza de toros cries 30. Stalled driver’s request 31. Music producer Gotti 33. First-year law student 34. Zilch 37. Binge-watch, maybe 38. 2014 Robert Duvall/Robert Downey Jr. legal drama 41. Nixes 44. Kuwaiti leader 46. Like this emoticon: :-( 47. How a baby may be carried 48. Smaller than small 49. Currently airing 50. Barely manage 51. Ideas spreading virally 53. ____ Phillips, “The Queen of Soap Operas” 54. Zilch 55. Way out 56. Actress Russo 58. Foot, to a zoologist Last Thursday’s Solution S P A N S E D E N S

T O N O W S O L O S

A L O H A Q U I P S

A C T I R U R O G

B A M E D P A R M M I N O M O B L E S A A I N D E N O W I V L E E R

P E O N U R N N Y O N G O

P O L O

S S P W H U I O L F O U L T O T S S N O F E U B E G A T I T I N O G A I N N E M A N N O O V A C L I B O D D S N

A G O R O N I V E N U E V E

A S R E D

P S S S T

S C O P E

T R E E S

S Y N C S

By The Mepham Group

Level 1 2 3 4

4. Drink 10. They're used for storage 14. DuVernay who directed "Selma" 15. Meeting around lunchtime 16. Stuntman Knievel 17. Top of a clock 18. Mediterranean capital 19. Morning joe

20. 2004 Olympics swimming star 22. Core belief 23. Sausage served with kraut 24. Norton AntiVirus target 25. Many winter vacationers

NICK KNACK

Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle

12/2/18

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2018 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

LO CA L

PAGE 30 | NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 5, 2018

dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas

20 s Yearo Ag

is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . p a s is the Now for all time cows good me to to coaid of the their.

BACK IN THE DAY

20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press

Falls Church News-Press Vol. VIII, No. 38 • December 3, 1998

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XVIII, No. 40 • December 4, 2008

Don’t put the projected revenues from the West End’s “Technology Triangle” into the bank quite yet, Falls Church businessman Don Beyer, Jr. told the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. It’s a formidable hill to climb to assemble 14 separate parcels of land, the former Virginia Lieutenant Governor said. Despite that, Beyer still believes in the full vision to transform the City’s West End.

CRIME REPORT

Hit and Run, 200 blk S Virginia Ave, Nov 19, 9:54 AM, a blue Ford was struck by an unknown vehicle which failed to stop at the scene. Drive While Intoxicated, 500 blk S Washington St, Nov 19, 10:10 PM, police stopped a vehicle for traffic violations. A male, 35, of Falls Church was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence. Narcotics Violation, 1000 blk S Washington St, Nov 21, 12:06 AM, police stopped a vehicle for equipment

10 Year s Ago

It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up

A stunning denial of site plan approval for the City of Falls Church’s most ambitious affordable housing project was voted by the City’s Planning Commission Monday night. Citing mostly their concerns for parking provisions, the Commissioners voted 6-1 to place the project in extreme jeopardy of failing. The vote came after the City Council had enthusiastically voted for the project’s necessary final approvals.

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

Drive While Intoxicated, 300 blk E Annandale Rd, Nov 19, 1:45 AM, police stopped a vehicle for equipment violations. A male, 40, of Oxon Hill, MD was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence.

Critter Corner

F.C. Planners ‘Veto’ Council On Affordable Housing Plan

Beyer Cautions West End Plan Will Take Years

Week of Nov. 19 – 25, 2018

It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

violations. A male, 23, of Falls Church was issued a summons for Possession of a Controlled Substance Hit and Run, W&OD Bike Trail @ N West St, Nov 21, 9:48 AM, a black or gray sedan of unknown make failed to yield to a pedestrian on the sidewalk, ran over their foot, and failed to stop at the scene. Investigation continues. Narcotics/Weapons Violations, 200 blk Park Ave, Nov 21, 2:47 PM, police stopped a vehicle for equipment violations. A male, 35, of Washington, DC was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Weapon. Larceny from Vehicle, 200 blk Buxton Rd, Nov 22, 5:31 AM, an unknown suspect was observed rifling through an unlocked vehicle and removing items of value. Suspect is described as a middleaged black male, wearing a dark coat

and knit hat. Police canvassed the area for the suspect with negative results. Hit and Run, 421 W Broad St (Inns of Virginia parking lot), between 8:30 PM on Nov 21 and 7:13 AM on Nov 22, a white GMC was struck by an unknown vehicle which failed to stop at the scene. Smoking Violation, 6757-16 Wilson Blvd (Le Billard), Nov 23, 12:33 AM, police issued a summons to a female, 44, of Annandale, VA for Smoking in a Prohibited Area.

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.

Simple Assault, 301 W Broad St (Harris Teeter), Nov 24, 9:20 PM, police responded for a complaint of a suspect approaching women and making unwanted physical contact. Suspect is described as a white male, 55-60 years of age, with olive skin, brown eyes and white thinning hair, wearing a tracksuit and driving a dark-colored Jeep. Investigation continues Narcotics Violation, 6900 blk Fairfax Dr, Nov 25, 10:37 PM, police stopped a vehicle for equipment violations. A male, 32, of Springfield, VA was arrested for Possession With Intent to Distribute and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

There’s a time to check whether your kid’s in the right car seat. This isn’t it.

Car crashes are a leading killer of children 1 to 13. Is your child in the right car seat? Don’t think you know. Know you know.

safercar.gov/TheRightSeat

ABBY , who is a part of the Pontisso family here in Falls Church, adored her short time playing in the snow a few weeks ago. The same can’t be said for her human caretakers.

Nothing runs on empty. Especially one in seven Americans who struggle with hunger. Join the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks to help end hunger. Act now at HungerActionMonth.org.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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PAGE 32 | NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2018

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