Falls Church News-Press 12-1-2022

WELCOMING THE SEASON Council, School Board To Mull On Monday What’s In Store

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

Neighboring Fairfax County’s board of supervisors and school board got some gloomy fore casts for the coming fiscal year at a joint meeting they held last week based mostly on a slow down of the real estate market. It can be assumed that their City of Falls Church counterparts will be getting a similar projection when they meet together this coming Monday for the unof ficial kickoff to the next six months of budget hammerings.

December 1 - 7, 2022 A SURPRISINGLY LARGE turnout of City residents of all ages poured into the new internal plaza area of the Founders Row development on West Broad Monday. They enjoyed a brief ceremony to mark the turning on of the holiday lights along West Broad,. The lights are extended this year for the first time further along the now-fes tive boulevard. It was a relatively mild evening which also encouraged the big attendance. (Photo: News-Press)

However, it is hard to feel too gloomy about the coming year when the F.C. City Council just this week voted unanimously to spend an almost $6 million extra (a significant number for Falls Church with its annual operating budget just over $100 million) in the form of budget surplus and use of federal Covid relief funds.

Among other things, this has enabled the City to go without

Despite Surpluses Now, Outlook Not That Great Continued on Page 3

Inside This Week

Falls Church’s Beloved Edna Frady Dies at 90

by Nicholas F. Benton Falls Church News-Press

Edna Nina Frady, a longtime City of Falls Church resident and com munity activist, died peacefully last week at the age of 90 at the Goodwin House in Arlington where she had

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resided for more than a decade.

Edna Frady! Her name was synonymous with Falls Church for decades among the biggest of politi cal leaders in Virginia. Among her fellow Democratic Party loyalists, from governors on down, she earned and retained her unofficial title as

“Boss Frady.” She was occasionally gruff on the outside, based on a pas sionate determination to get results as a political leader, but everyone knew her really to be a sweet and caring soul with a great sense of humor.

Murphy Funeral Home in Falls Church, 1102 W. Broad St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, followed by Interment at 2 p.m. at the National Memorial Park, 7842 Leesburg Pike. F alls C hur C h , V irginia • www FC np C om • F ree

Continued on Page 4 Index

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having to incur a penny of new debt to get through all its obligations for the second year in a row.

Falls Church’s chief financial officer Kiran Bawa did signal to the Council this Monday that projections for the coming year, given a decline in real estate values where that is such a critical component of this local economy, will test the creative talents on the Council going forward.

It is doubtful a continued decline in the tax rate, down over the last two years from $1.355 to $1.23 per $100 of assessed valuations, can continue.

After receiving Bawa’s revenue projections this coming Monday, the Council is expected to provide budget “guidance” to all departments of the City government and schools that will craft their budgets for the coming fiscal year at its final meeting of the year on Dec. 12.

Anticipating a forecast next week that will be fairly in line with what neighboring Fairfax

County is facing, City officials are keenly aware that the forecast presented to the county last week included early estimates of available revenues based on current information, with projections based on existing tax rates. A rapidly changing real estate market is impacting assessment growth, the Fairfax lawmakers were told.

While it was suggested that focus should be on continued investments in employee salaries as recruitment and retention issues remain, that would lead to limited flexibility for other priorities.

The revenue outlook for the coming year will not be fully known before official annual real estate assessments are released in early February 2023, so next week’s session will be built around considerable guesswork, albeit educated.

The City will include in its revenue column $1,873,091 in carryover dollars from the surplus and federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds left over after $5,848,773 was OK’d to be spent out of that pool

Budget Guidance to Departments

earlier this week.

The money approved by the Council for expenditure this week was exactly as recommended by City Manager Wyatt Shields, with almost no modifications. It included ARPA money totaling $2,999,364 of which all but $973,091 was authorized for spending, a budget surplus of $1,599,409, all but $900,000 of which was OK’d to be spent. Underspending in the last fiscal year of $805,000 was included in the surplus number.

So, the Council OK’d the following uses for the $5,848,773 in new spending this week:

A transfer to the schools of $1.165,000 in the spirit of the revenue sharing arrangement between the City operations and schools.

A workforce investment of $873,000, being one-time bonuses for all employees in recognition of the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid pandemic (totaling $275,000), IT equipment replacement totaling $165,000, vehicle replacement of $200,000, professional development initiatives of $100,000 and more.

Transportation and public safety expenses of $972,000 and $445,000 respectively to provide for safer streets, sidewalks and neighborhoods, including $425,000 for W&OD Trail improvements, $250,000 for traffic signals, $150,000 for brick pavement maintenance and $147,000 for pedestrian and bike safety.

“Small town character” enhancement expenses of $953,609 will go to acquisition and development of three proposed “parklets” in the S. Washington area, with money for holiday lighting, public art and next August’s 75th anniversary celebration.

“Social sustainability” expenses authorized include $922,159 to the Affordable Housing Strike Fund, and capital improvement projects funded by cash in lieu of new debt, totaling $450,000 for new fire station doors, $200,000 for IT infrastructure and $150,000 for park improvements.

While the Council received little outside input on the use of the surpluses, multiple suggestions on the use of funds for communications outreach, including utilizing the Falls Church News-Press, by Council members Phil Duncan and David Snyder did not result in any modifications of the proposals presented by Shields.

Falls Church Is Deeply Indebted to Edna Frady, Who Died at 90.

When U.S. Senator Mark Warner showed up to deliver remarks at the Goodwin House three years ago, from the moment he arrived he sought out “Boss Frady” to greet and have his picture taken with her. This writer was there for that touching occasion.

Her strongest years in Falls Church as head of the City’s Democratic Committee not coincidentally coincided with the period when Virginia shifted from a Red to a predominantly Blue state, with Northern Virginia centered around Falls Church leading the charge. It began with Warner’s election as governor in 2000 and continued through the two elections of Barack Obama as president of the U.S.

Another leader in the midst of that pivotal era is Falls Church’s current U.S. Congressman, Donald S. Beyer Jr. This week, Beyer wrote of Edna Frady the following:

“Edna Frady was one of the

most charismatic, indefatigable and demanding friends I have ever had. I got to know her through her father, Donald, who managed public works in Falls Church for two generations. Edna had many interests, but her commitment to electoral politics was paramount.

“She was omnipresent, tireless, and earned her moniker ‘Boss Frady’ honestly. I loved Edna, and suspect I will never know another quite like her.”

She tallied up a lot of awards and recognitions for her work in Falls Church, but they were based on two notions: that she sought to do the most she could to effect positive change in her hometown and its environs, and that everyone simply wanted to heap every honor and award on her out of sheer heartfelt appreciation.

She had to negotiate between all her achievements and the care and feeding of her two corgis who shared her townhouse on Tollgate Road.

She was a true Falls Church original, moving to the City as

a teenager in the late 1940s with her father, the legendary Don Frady, who came as Falls Church achieved its independent city status (next year being its 75th anniversary year) to head its allimportant Public Works department, where he exercised enormous power to get things, like the construction of City Hall and the Community Center, done, kickstarting the City in the right direction for decades toward its current world class status. Frady Park on East Broad in Falls Church is named for him. Some of his last days were the first days of the News-Press in the early 1990s.

Here are some of the achievements by and recognitions of Edna Frady as they are summarized on the website for the annual Falls Church Women’s Walk, held during Women’s History Month in March:

“She was a member of the Women’s Club of Falls Church, the Village Preservation and Improvement Society, Citizens for a Better City and the Falls Church Democratic Committee

[which she chaired for many years–ed].

She served on the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee and the State Central Democratic Committee, bringing visibility and renown to Falls Church.

She received the 1997 Mattie Gundry Award for outstanding women in the Falls Church com-

munity from the Falls Church Commission on Women.

She was named 2000 winner of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Pillar of the Community Award.

She was a longtime employee of the National Education Association.”

EDNA FRADY, shown here with U.S. Senator Mark Warner at an Goodwin House event three years ago, passed away at age 90 last week. She was a true force for good for the 62 years she lived in Falls Church. (P����: N���-P����)

Guest Commentary: Zoning Changes Cause Concern

by Mary Chaves, Erin Flynn and Lauren Thomas

We write out of concern that the City plans to change the existing zoning code without a full understanding of what Falls Church residents actually want for the City. Regardless of where residents ultimately land on this issue, we call on everyone to pay attention to the City Council’s proposed chang es for “Transition Zones” (“TZones”). There are dozens of T-Zone parcels in the City (and additional parcels have been marked as such on the City’s Fu ture Land Use Map), and all of the parcels were so designated because they are in especially sensitive locations that serve as buffers between commercial and residential areas. The pro posed changes, currently before the Planning Commission for its recommendation, nullify the very purpose of T-zones and risk irrevocably altering the small scale and green feel of our City.

The City Council’s proposal would allow the “by-right” con struction of commercial build ings up to 80 percent of a lot’s footprint (versus the current 40 percent); increase building height allowances to 50 feet (versus the current 35 feet for residential use and 45 feet for other uses); and significantly re duce curb setbacks to as little as 10 feet. The same bulky dimen sions would be allowed for resi dential buildings after minimal oversight under a wholly new “special use” review process that eliminates the existing care ful and considered review pro cess–known as the “special ex ception” process–during which public input is solicited and the relevant City boards and com missions ensure neighborhoodcompatible designs and uses.

It is an economic reality that developers will build up to the new maximums, since big ger buildings have more square footage and are more lucra tive. The proposed amendments raise important questions that Falls Church residents should all consider. Do we wish to make it easier for developers to build bigger buildings with less oversight, or do we wish to re tain control over how our city is developed? Over the years, the existing city zoning laws, including the special excep

tion process, have enabled the construction of many “missing middle” housing developments, including appropriately scaled and thoughtfully designed apartment, condominium, and townhouse projects. The result is a City that is eminently walk able, physically beautiful, and cohesive.

Compare our City with other jurisdictions that surround it and that have loosened zoning and review controls. Does a ma jority of our City favor replac ing green spaces, tree canopy, small business spaces, and his toric structures with large con crete and glass boxes? Do we wish to be Ballston? We should pave the way for more Clare and Dons, not Clarendon. We do not need more developments that promise to “deliver” a “sense of place” while demolishing small business spaces and historic buildings that have defined our community. We should protect our low skyline, trees, and pe destrian-friendly streets so that we remain a city of walkers and environmental consciousness, and not turn more of the City into boxy buildings that block sunlight and increase impervi ous surfaces.

Does the Proposal authenti cally address affordable hous ing?

We support creating afford able housing, but these amend ments won’t accomplish that goal. There’s no mandate that any housing be built on any of these lots. And if a residential development is constructed, all that is required is that 10 percent of the units in any given devel opment be committed as afford able and/or workforce housing. Nothing stops developers from pricing the other 90 percent of units at luxury rates, again driv ing up housing costs.

As successful developments in surrounding jurisdictions have shown, we don’t have to give our City over to large-scale, overwhelmingly market-rate de velopments in order to increase affordable housing. The City would do better to think about creatively financing more ambi tious affordable and workforce housing projects. Despite mega developments like Founders Row and Broad & Washington,

Our Man in Arlington

By Charlie Clark

For years, Yorktown High School sports fans muddled through with out the pride—enjoyed by graduates of rivals Wakefield and WashingtonLiberty--of having placed an alumnus in the National Football League.

That misery ended in 2018, when M.J. Stewart, following a four-year career as a defensive back for the University of North Carolina, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After a stop in Cleveland, Stewart is now hitting his stride on nation al television as a safety and spe cial teams player with the Houston Texans. In a phone interview just before he improved his stats against the Washington Commanders Nov. 20, the former Halls Hill resident said he thinks of his Arlington roots while feeling blessed at his good fortune.

“Football is a game I’ve been playing since I was little,” he said when asked about the professionallevel pressures. “It’s a lot of fun.” His parents travel often from Arlington to see him play, and he visits home a couple of times yearly.

I watched Stewart scamper as a running back at Yorktown, where in his senior year he rushed for 1,800 yards and scored 32 touchdowns during the 2013 team’s 10-0 season. How was it playing for local-legend coach Bruce Hanson? “That’s my dog [friend],” he enthused. “Every day he inspired me and was the same person every day. He’d yell at practice and get you all fired up. I’m proud to say I was coached by him.”

I met the athlete last May when we inducted him into the Yorktown High School Hall of Fame and

Inspiration. He cor rected my guess that NFL rookies were subjected to locker-room hazing. “Everyone’s cool,” he said. I wanted to know why he switched from run ning back to defense. “I had a few offers to play college as a running back,” Stewart said, naming Wake Forest and James Madison University. But “I’d rather be the hammer and not the nail.”

And he is. At North Carolina, he became the Tar Heels’ all-time leader in pass breakups with 41. In two sea sons with Tampa Bay, he recorded 68 tackles. With the Browns, in 13 games in 2021 he made 34 solo tackles and assisted in 13: in 2020 he had three interceptions.

The move to Houston this spring (a one-year $3 million contract) left Stewart with a sense that “every city has its own thing, with different coaches and styles. The Texans are a great organization to be part of.”

Against the Commanders, No. 29 Stewart tackled Antonio Gibson on the opening kickoff and blocked on a punt return. He tackled Curtis Samuel, and added two more solos and an assist. “I get a good lot of snaps,” he says of his rotating into games, strat egy for which depends on the oppo nent. On Nov. 27, he delivered three solo tackles and a fumble recovery in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. (The Texans this year are 1-9-1.)

Long-term plans? “The Lord has blessed me with playing a wonder ful game since I was a kid,” Stewart replied. “I hope to play as long as I can. I’m just living in the present moment.”

*** Arlington stalwart Al Eisenberg,

a county board member, Clinton administration Transportation official, and state delegate, died Nov. 15 at 76 after a decade in assisted living. He suffered cog nitive decline.

Colleagues recalled the New Jersey native’s Arlington board service (1983-1999) as a model for progressive, knowledgeable but transparent advocacy for affordable housing.

I once visited Eisenberg and his wife, Democratic activist Sharon Davis, at their vintage Lyon Park home, where they dis played his astonishing collection of Civil War artifacts.

***

If you chance behind the Powhatan Springs Skate Park on Wilson Blvd., you’ll behold an odd circle of cement. It was designed as a rock gar den for children’s education two decades ago, using $75,000 donated by the Kiwanis Club.

But today it’s in disrepair and resembles an empty zoo’s lion’s den, as one wag put it.

Good news is the Parks and Recreation Department is aware. It “will refresh the garden by cutting back nearby vegetation to increase visibility, improve the soil, increase irrigation and trial some hardy native plants with input from our landscape team,” said spokeswoman Martha Holland. “Vegetation has already been cut back and irrigation tested. Over the fall/ winter, park maintenance staff will evaluate potential soil improvements and plant selec tions to place new landscaping by spring.”

Democracy Depends On Newspapers

Our editor (to be honest, the writer of this piece), in his role as a private citizen of the City of Falls Church, which he has been since around this time of year in 1985 (37 years), submitted a petition to the Falls Church City Council this week, something he very rarely does since he normally considers his editorials here as more than sufficient to get his views across. But in this case, he was writing as a citizen who recognizes the importance of journalism and a free press in a democracy, and not as the editor of the local paper seeking to gain something for his business, which is how his suggestions on such matters are routinely taken.

It does happen to be the case that our editor’s management of this newspaper has enabled it to survive wave upon wave of pressures known to most that have veritably pulverized the newspaper businesses nationally and has wiped out the majority of community newspapers even in this region. This editorial is being written not to seek praise or even to appeal for assistance in keeping this newspaper afloat. But it is true that if anyone is assuming this paper will simply waltz along in the face of the kinds of pressures on the industry in general, they simply have to be dreaming. This newspaper credits a very talented and devoted tiny cadre of happy warriors to keep its lights on, and will continue to do so. We are not asking for any handouts, just, as we say in our immortal 7-Point Platform of aspirational values and goals we print in every issue drafted a century ago by one of our editor’s mentors, that we “give value received for every dollar we take in.”

The “value received” we offer is our unique role as a community newspaper that has faithfully served this Little City for 32 years so far. As an independent newspaper, in the manner understood by Benjamin Franklin and other leaders of the Enlightenment that led to the American Revolution, the Constitution and the founding of this republic, this newspaper is dedicated to reaching everyone in our community and as such has been carrier-delivered to every address in the City and otherwise available at many public locations since Day One. It is not delimited in its exposure in myriad ways that Internet forms of communication necessarily are.

A newspaper’s value is not just that information is disseminated by it. Most fundamentally, as in the case of all good newspapers, it is because they set a means of and a standard for reasoned discourse that becomes the grounding by which all members of a community share in a common lot. It is not because any article or editorial is a be-all or end-all of truth. But they are, to the extent they are couched in reason and careful discourse, the basis by which readers evaluate their own thoughts and come to decisions in interaction with others.

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Speed Limit Needs Enforcement

Editor,

I am 100 percent behind reducing the speed limit in all residential areas of Falls Church to 20 MPH. That being said, without enforcement it is a toothless gesture.

We live a block south of East

Broad and frequently cross the street to visit friends or access the W&OD trail. The 25 MPH speed limit on Broad is a joke. On rare occasions there is an officer looking for speeders but that is the exception rather than the rule.

If our city’s most traveled artery is not policed why would anyone pay attention to a 20 MPH speed limit on a neighborhood street?

Keith von Schriltz City of Falls Church

P�������

1. Keep the news clean and fair.

Play no favorites, never mix business and editorial policy.

Do not let the news columns reflect editorial comment.

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

Accept no charity and ask no favors.

Give “value received” for every dollar you take in.

Make the paper show profit if you can, but above all keep it clean, fearless and fair.

Falls Church Business News & Notes

Amentum Named Top Military Friendly Employer

The Falls Church-based government services contractor, Amentum, received top recognition in the largest company category for its efforts to hire and retain retired service members. Amentum was named to the top spot of the 2023 Military Friendly Employers list which will be published in the December issue of G.I. Jobs Magazine. Defense contractors accounted for 11 percent of Military Friendly designated employers and Texas was named the top hiring region for military retirees.

Local Restaurants Highlighted

Several local restaurants have drawn the attention of Eater DC Newsletter. Kamayan Fiesta and Fairfax Inn Restaurant were noted for “fantastic Filipino food around DC”. In another edition, the newslet ter also recognized two Ethiopian Restaurants. They are Meaza and Nazret Ethiopian Restaurant. To read the articles on the restaurants and noted dishes, visit https://dc.eater.com/maps/best-filipino-res taurants-food-dc-maryland-virginia and https://dc.eater.com/maps/best-ethiopian-restaurants-dc-map.

Settle Down Easy Expands

The local Settle Down Easy Brewing has celebrated its 4th anniversary in Falls Church and now expanded into Oakton. A grand opening was held in Hunter Mill Plaza last week. The Oakton Tasting Room is envisioned as a restaurant as well as a brewery and spot to hang out.

General Dynamics teams with T-Mobile, AWS and others for 5G and edge

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics, announced today that it has formed a coalition with some of the nation’s leading technology and telecommunica tions conglomerates – Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, Dell Technologies, Splunk and T-Mobile – to accelerate the adoption of 5G, advanced wireless and edge technologies across government agencies. The GDIT 5G and Edge Accelerator Coalition is collaborating with government agencies to identify use cases and develop prototypes and customizable solutions that will make it faster, easier and more cost effective to deploy 5G, advanced wireless and edge capabilities. This will support federal, state, and local agencies’ unique mission requirements from the enterprise to the edge in a wide variety of applica tions, including military, logistics and supply chain, healthcare, education and smart infrastructure.

Northrop Selects Leidos

Falls Church area-based Northrop Grumman selected Reston-based Leidos to supply infrared sensor payloads for the U.S. Space Development Agency’s missile-tracking satellite constellation in low Earth orbit. Leidos, formed in 2013 as a spinoff of the defense contractor Reston-based SAIC, gained significant expertise in sensor satellites and payloads when it acquired Huntsville, Alabama-based Dynetics in 2019.

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

‘Boss’ Frady Helped To Turn Virginia Blue

She was honored as the Grand Marshal of the annual Falls Church Memorial Day Parade in 2010 and the City Council had proclaimed Dec. 14 as “Edna Frady Day” prior to that.

In a feature article in the News-Press about her being Grand Marshal of the parade in 2010, Natalie Bedell quot ed long-time Chamber of Commerce executive director Sally Cole who recounted that “as an individual member of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, Edna is one of our most supportive and active vol unteers. She has been a tremen dous help to us with events, almost always the first to offer help and her help is priceless.”

A longtime friend of Frady, Mike Diener of Diener and Associates said at the time, “With all the urban develop ment that Falls Church has gone through, Edna is the reason that we haven’t lost the charm and soul or our small town roots.”

Frady said in a 2010 inter view with the News-Press , “When I arrived (in 1947), it was just beginning for Falls Church, just a little town. So, for me, I’d come from a little

town in New York (born in 1932 in Toronto, Canada, she moved to upstate New York in less than a year — ed. )” to a little town in Virginia. She called the cur rent Falls Church, by contrast, a “metropolis.”

She became a U.S. citizen at age 21. She graduated from Falls Church High School and Madison College (James Madison University) in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She began her career at the National Education Association as an Administrative Assistant and progressed up to Management in the Governance and Policy Department in the Executive Office working with the state education presidents and exec utive directors. She retired in 1988 after 34 years and then served as the president of the National Education Association Retirees Organization.

She was a member of the Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church in Arlington, where she served on the Congregation Council, Chair of Morning Circle, and an Assistant Financial Secretary. In her later years, she enjoyed spending time with her “family,” Scott and Rachel Clark and their children Nicole, Holly and Bradley Clark of Centreville, Virginia.

Person, 6 Others Appointed by F.C. Council

Falls Church activist Jeff Person was among those who were formally appointed to posi tions on Falls Church’s citizen volunteer boards and commis sions by the F.C. City Council this week. Voted on were Person to the Human Services Advisory Council, Tiffany Morris to the Historic Architectural Review Board, Brian Fowler as the

student representative to the Solid Waste Management Plan Advisory Committee, and voted as reappointments were Sandra Kiersz to the Economic Development Authority, Keith Bartlett to the Board of Zoning Appeals, Shirley Connuck to the Towing Advisory Board and Meredith Anderson to the Housing Commission.

COMMENT

By Supervisor Penny Gross

The 2022 Mason District Holiday Town Gathering will be held on Monday, December 5, from 7 until 8:30 p.m., at the Mason District Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, in Annandale. The event is open to the public, is family-friendly, and will feature live musi cal entertainment by the Four Winds Clarinet Quartet, refreshments, door prizes, and my annu al “State of the Mason District” report. The first Holiday Town Gathering was held in 1996, when my staff and I decided that the holidays needed a “fun” kickoff, one that didn’t require dressing up, and one that celebrated our diverse commu nity. During the ensuing 27 years, the Holiday Town Gathering has featured local talent – high school madrigals, a teen violinist, Mariachi Los Amigos, a gospel choir, banjos, jazz (several times), a women’s barbershop quartet, and many others. The Covid-19 pandemic prevented gath ering in December 2020, so my annual report was broadcast on the county’s cable Channel 16. The entertainment, refreshments, and door prizes returned last year. I look forward to seeing you on Monday evening.

Do you have a firearm in your attic or basement that you no longer need or want? Perhaps you inherited it from a family member, or obtained it during military service. Maybe you have children in the household and decided to ensure their safety by disposing of it. The preferred way to dispose of an unwanted firearm and/or ammunition is to call the county’s non-emergency num ber – 703-691-2131 – and ask for an officer to respond to your location to retrieve, make safe, and take custody of the weapon/ammo for purposes of destruction. Or you can arrange to deliver the firearm/ammo by taking the items to a local Fairfax County police station. You should call in advance to advise the police that you are delivering it, and remain in your vehicle in the parking lot until an officer responds. More information is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/servicesah/disposalun

wantedfirearmsammunition.

The leaves come down every year, but they don’t fall like clockwork. Sometimes leaf fall is early, sometimes late, which makes it problematic for those Mason District households served by county vacuum leaf collection. The familiar yellow signs in those neighborhoods are posted with estimated dates of leaf collection (three rounds of pick up are scheduled between November and January), but those dates often are an educated guess. Weather, rate of leaf drop, mechanical issues, and other factors may affect pickup for days or even weeks. Leaf piles that contain rocks, tree limbs, or other waste can damage the vacuum machinery, taking the truck(s) out of service and delaying pick up of the rest of the route. The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is examining how public and private trash and recycling services are provided in the county, and will present recommendations to the Board of Supervisors in the near future. In the meantime, patience is encouraged.

In a related matter, a constituent who uses a private trash hauler, asked if he could place leaves in plastic bags for pick up. The answer is “no,” leaves for pick up should be placed in paper bags or in marked recycling containers (a large garbage can labelled “yard waste” will suffice). Local processors banned the use of plastic bags a few years ago because the bags get caught in the mechanisms that turn leaves into mulch, causing delays and damage. Plastic bags also can disintegrate into nearly permanent shards of microplastics, which can be found in our food, water, waste stream, and air. A proven alternative to leaf disposal is running a lawn mower over the leaves a few times, which creates a mulch that will disintegrate and feed the lawn over the winter. Free nutrients for the lawn, and good for the environment, too.

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

Commercial Burglary, W Broad St, November 22, 3:08 AM, unknown suspect shattered a front door and removed an item of value.

Drunk in Public/Destruction of Property, S Washington St, November 23, 3:53 PM, a male, 29, of Fairfax, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public and Destruction of Property.

Drunk in Public, Welcome Dr, November 24, 5:48 AM, a female, 21, of the City of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for Drunk in Public.

Motor Vehicle Theft, N Tuckahoe St, between 8:30 PM, November 24 and 7:36 AM, November 25, unknown suspect(s) stole an unsecured 2015 Hyundai Sonata.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Hillwood Ave, between 8 PM, November 23 and 10 AM, November 25, unknown suspect(s) shattered the driver’s side win dow of a 2013 Honda Civic and removed the steering wheel air bag.

The Ways of Life or Death Are Before Us Russia Traffics in Ukrainian Children

Nicholas F. Benton FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

President Joe Biden was so in his element speaking at a manu facturing plant in Bay City, Michigan, this week, returning from a world wide trek to hobnob with world leaders to stand in front of his core people, workers and their families, and deliver a barn storming affirmation of what his administration has done for the good people of this land in not even two years yet.

He spiced it up with a familiar reference he’s often made when speaking to such an audience, a comment by his dad around the kitchen table. About his global tour, he said, “I recently got back from a trip literally around the world. You know that ‘Around the World in 80 Days’? Well, I did it in six. I started off in Egypt and ended up in Guam and then came home. And we ended with a meeting in Indonesia with the G20, the 20 largest economies in the world.

“And it was clear in those meetings that the rest of the world views the United States as better positioned than any major nation in the world to lead the world economy in the 21st century. Here we have a strong sense of what all the leaders in the world look to us about. They see resilience in the American economy.”

Biden spoke about all the ar eas of the U.S. economy that his administration has boosted “in an extraordinary two years of prog ress.” Yes, there is no denying it, even as, in the context of the next election, all the lame pun dits want to talk about is his age. “We’re fixing the damn roads,” he began, then extended the list of real tangible achievements to fixing bridges and airports, to lowering the cost of prescrip tion drugs, creating 742,000 new manufacturing jobs, the most of any presidency, such that Michi gan will soon again become the manufacturing hub of the nation. We’re addressing the climate crisis, he said, with the plan just passed promising to reduce emis

sions by one billion metric tons by 2030. And, “because of our policies, gasoline prices are com ing down,”

“What’s most exciting about it,” he added, “Is that people are starting to feel a sense of opti mism, feeling the impact of these legislative achievements in their own lives.”

Folks, this is what defines the difference between the two sides of the sharply divided political landscape in the U.S. now. Tangi ble people-helping achievements, on the one side, versus all the ugly racism and extremism on the other that has nothing to do con structively with people’s lives.

On the one hand, you have the Biden administration’s truly ex traordinary achievements in such a short time, and on the other hand, you have Trump continuing to soil the Republican Party with increasingly desperate rhetoric and antics that sadly continue to steal our headlines.

It does no one any good to groan over the latest excesses by Trump and his cohorts, which continue to be the vast majority of the Republican Party. For them. it’s all about inflict ing pain, whether on immigrants, on all women or on marginalized and vulnerable minorities, and it includes restricting public access to free and fair discourse and elections.. It keeps getting worse, and trust me, anything that smacks of a more centrist and mainstream Republican current is be ing swept downriver by this increas ingly cruel, anti-democratic agenda.

Add to the Republican atrocities in the U.S. the even more baldfaced cruelties of Trump ally Putin and his similarly totalitarian cohort in China, and we’re seeing straightforwardly what our species’ alternatives are: contrasting Biden’s people-enhanc ing progressive agenda, on the one hand, and Trump’s, Putin’s and Xi’s rampaging mass cruelties on the other.

The anti-democratic Trump, Pu tin and Xi Axis of Death and Cru elty will destroy half of humanity if it prevails, and set the planet on an irreversible spiral toward uninhabit ability for any of its life forms, much less humanity.

President Joe is not perfect, but compared to the Axis of Death, he might as well be. We are challenged to clear out divisive clutter, affirm the divine diversity of the glorious creation on our planet, and to grow among us all a beloved human community.

Nicholas Kristof NEW YORK TIMES

The children left this town in August for a free summer camp sponsored by the Russian occu piers, enticed by assurances of gifts and of safety from constant shelling.

“The Russians promised it would be two or three weeks, and then the children would be back,” Nadia Borysenko, 29, told me. Her 12-year-old daugh ter, Daria, was among 25 chil dren from this town in north eastern Ukraine who boarded a bus to the camp.

Russia did not return them, however. Daria and other chil dren are now across the border in Russia, and Moscow is mak ing it very difficult for families to recover their children.

The youngsters here are among many thousands of Ukrainian children whom Rus sia has taken from Ukraine and in some cases put up for adop tion.

The Ukrainian government count is 11,461 children known by name and taken without fam ilies to Russia or Russian-con trolled areas. President Volody myr Zelenskyy told the Group of 20 summit that there are “tens of thousands” more who are known about only indirectly or with less detail.

“Among them are many whose parents were killed by Russian strikes, and now they are being held in the state that murdered them,” he said.

The transfer of thousands of children is a stark reminder that this is not a typical armed con flict. These may be war crimes. They should be a wake-up call to Americans and Europeans fa tigued by support for Ukraine.

Do you really want to boost a state sponsor of child traffick ing?

Russia doesn’t hide the trans fer of Ukrainian children but trumpets it on its television pro paganda programs, portraying itself as the savior of abandoned children and showing Russians handing teddy bears to Ukrai nian boys and girls.

Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria LvovaBelova, boasted last month that she had adopted a Ukrainian

boy, and many of these stolen children seem to have been ad opted into Russian families. That is not charity; it may be genocide. A 1948 international treaty specifies that “forcibly transferring children,” when in tended to destroy a nationality, constitutes genocide.

Yet the situation is also nu anced. I reached Daria on her cellphone, and she didn’t sound like a traditional prisoner: She has friends, takes classes and can use her phone each evening to call her mom. But she un mistakably wants to go home to Ukraine.

“I miss home all the time,” she said.

Russian authorities allow parents to pick up their kids, but only by traveling to Russia through Poland and then other countries. That means that par ents have to scramble to ob tain passports and other docu ments — even as their homes and possessions may have been destroyed by Russian shells — and then take on a substantial expense just as the war has im poverished them. Some parents have managed to do this; most haven’t.

“Of course it’s a war crime when they take our children,” said Dementiev Mykola, a local prosecutor. “And they commit a crime by not making it easy for those children to come back.”

Mykola noted that the sum mer camp was attractive be cause it seemed the only way to keep kids safe from Russian shelling. He added that if the Russians wanted to, they could establish humanitarian corridors to repatriate children.

Another mother in Balakliya, Nadia Borysenko’s sister-inlaw, Viktoria Borysenko, whose 12-year-old son, Bohdan, is at the camp, said he told her in phone calls that he and others are treated well but want to re turn. “They are crying and want to come home,” she said.

My best guess is that Rus sia takes the children to serve as props in its television pro paganda shows. And afterward it doesn’t bother to return the props.

Many of the children taken to Russia were removed from institutions such as children’s homes, boarding schools and hospitals. Some of these young sters didn’t have parents, but

when they did, families were apparently not consulted.

Olena Matvienko told me that her 10-year-old grandson, Illya Matvienko, was in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol with his mother, Natalya, when both were badly injured by shrapnel. She died in front of Illya, and Russian troops took the boy not to a local hospital but to one in an enclave that Russian-backed separatists have declared the Donetsk People’s Republic.

The family had no idea what had happened to mother and son until a relative in Russia chanced to see a report on Rus sian television about heroic doc tors in Donetsk saving Illya.

“He was kidnapped,” Mat vienko told me. “He was taken forcibly.” She said that Russian authorities prepared papers so that Illya could be adopted in Russia.

To recover her grandson, Matvienko traveled through Po land and Turkey to Russia.

“It was just an accident that this video was seen and reached our family,” she said. “He would have been a Russian boy, and he would have grown up in another family.”

Children are not spoils of war. A government should not traffic in thousands of children. These elementary propositions underscore the moral stakes of the war in Ukraine, and it’s im portant for the world to stand firmly on the side of right — and to bring Daria home to her mom.

By Nicholas Kristof © 2022 The New York Times

Brown’s Hardware

100 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046

(703) 532-1168

of Falls Church fallschurchva.gov

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Local Holiday Shopping

Disturbingly Delicious Foods

455 H South Maple Ave., Falls Church VA 22046 disturbinglydeliciousfoods.com 703-596-9169

Doodlehopper Toys

Foxes Music Company

Thai Body Work and Yoga

416 S Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046 foxesmusic.com 703-533-7393

Stylish Patina

234 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046 doodlehopper.com (703) 241-2262

450 W Broad St #120, Falls Church, VA 22046 stylishpatina.com 571-265-1068

311 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 thaibodyworkandyoga.com (703) 649-9117

The

Toy Nest

125 N. Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046 thetoynest.com (703) 988-1777

Washington

Revels

revelsdc.org (301) 587-3835

Zoya’s

Atelier

260 W Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 zoyasatelier.com (703) 533-9600

Holiday Tree Fest Introduces New Organization to Annual Tradition

by Kylee Toland

The Village Preservation & Im provement Society’s Tree Festival in Falls Church is an annual tradi tion that allows nonprofit organiza tions to display their own decorated trees to raise funds and donations. This year, a new organization will be taking part in the tradition.

Lorraine O’Rourke is the com mittee chair of the Village Preser vation & Improvement Society

and said the festival is to bring awareness for all charitable orga nizations and nonprofits in the greater Falls Church community.

Having been started seven years ago, the money raised during the festival will go to the organiza tions who participate.

Every year, O’Rourke said, the festival normally sees the same nonprofits, but this year will fea ture a new participant: Food for Others. The Fairfax-based organi

zation distributes food to neighbors in need by “mobilizing our giving community and vo lunteers.” Food for Others obtains much of its food through food rescue operations and food drives, and now will receive funding by the Holiday Tree Festival.

Held at Ireland’s Four Pro vinces on December 2nd through December 4th, the Festival’s par ticipating nonprofit organizations submit a fully decorated, artificial

tree to be displayed throughout the weekend. Local citizens can bid on what tree they would like to take home and whoever makes the highest bid wins the tree of their choice. Donation boxes will also be available for each nonpro fit. Meridian High School’s choir will also be performing during the event on Saturday evening.

Beginning last year and occur ring once again this year, O’Rourke said a People’s Choice

Award will be given to an organi zation’s tree, one can anony mously cast their vote for the best decorated tree in several catego ries given on a questionnaire given to people viewing the trees. O’Rourke also said the festival encourages the participating nonprofit organizations to pro vide any literature with their tree that explains what the organiza tion does and how it helps the community.

City

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

by Kylee Toland Falls Church News-Press

As the holidays quickly approach, F.C. residents can visit their local businesses to check out a variety of unique items they can give to their family, friends or even themselves. Whether it be toys, electronics or even the classic Christmas ornament, local businesses can offer holiday gifts that are new and popular among kids and adults alike.

At Rare Bird Coffee, coffee lov ers will be curious about the Acacia Coffee Scale, which is designed to “make coffee brewing an experi ence in precision, pleasure and ease.”

The coffee scale has visual tools that teaches one to control their pouring in real time and improve the overall brewing ability by “achieving extrac tion ratios every time.” It is sold for $150.

For one with a sweet (and spicy) tooth, Disturbingly Delicious Foods offers a wide range of condiments, sauces, dips and more. Hot Sauces ($8 — $12), Truffle Sauces ($12) and BBQ Sauces ($7 — $8) are just the right gifts to spice someone’s holiday season.

Stylish Patina is a lifestyle bou tique that offers gifts in fashion, can

dles and DIY paints. Holiday pillows ($23.95 — $26.95), holiday kitchen towels ($7.95 — $24.95) and DIY kits ($25.95 — $39.95) are great gifts to give to oneself or others to get into the holiday spirit.

For a child, toys will definite ly make it on the list for Santa. Doodlehopper 4 Kids provides a unique selection of “award-winning and educational” toys, such as the Groovy Glowing Candy Lab and the Magic Mixies Mixlings. The Groovy Glowing Candy Lab ($19.99) allows children to create their own crazy and delicious treats in vari ous “groovy” shapes and sizes. Magic Mixies Mixlings ($5.99) allows a child to be even more surprised by tapping a wand onto the plastic caul dron and revealing a tiny, magical creature. For a very unique familyfriendly gift, The Toy Nest — a toy lending play space — has a special this week ending on December 3rd for their membership.

Just like adults, children also may want to dress up for the holi days. Lemon Lane provides holiday pajamas ($18.99), holiday dresses and jumpers ($14.99 — $18.99) and smock holiday dresses with Christmas-themed designs ($22.99).

These various types of clothing are sure to make one’s child get into the holiday spirit.

Galleria Florist provides a gift for those who enjoy nature with Kenkashi, a probiotic for soil. Kenkashi can be used not just for soil, but for the kitchen and compost as well. One’s garden, houseplants and septic systems can gratefully benefit from this item. It is being sold for $25.

Brown’s Hardware offers realis tic bird houses for those who enjoy wildlife, as well as nature, for $22.99. Shaped like a modern-day house or a barn, these can be both a gift to a person as well as to a flying friend, who can enjoy the larger space while nibbling on some bird seed.

Falls Church Antiques Center offers both older and newer items for those who prefer classic things or want to experience newer things. Christmas ornaments ranging from $1 — $8 can spruce up one’s Christmas tree, as well as give it a vin tage feel based on the look and feel of them. For those wanting to decorate their home for their holidays in a unique way, a wood spiral Christmas tree for $80 is something that can cause one’s eye to raise with awe and

wonderment.

This Holiday Season

Arts and crafts lovers will want to visit Dominion Camera for their Matte Photo Paper. Being sold for $22 for 20 pages, Matte Photo Paper can allow one to still take amazing photos, but also allow both children and adults to cre ate various crafts that can be folded into things such as a teddy bear or a dinosaur. Clay Cafe Studios offers pottery kits one can take home with them

to paint. Gnome Lighted Tree Kit ($65), Palm Tree Lighted Kit ($65) and Flat Ornament To-Go Kits ($40) are great for craftlovers who want to design their own pottery at home.

At the Falls Church Farmers Market, various vendors feature unique items for one to gift themselves or others. Chantilly High School Assistant Principal

BROWN’S HARDWARE (pictured left) offers life-like bird houses, while Foxes Music Company ( pictured right) provides a wide range of musical instruments (Photo: Kylee Toland and the News-Press)

1 - 7, 2022

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Local Items Perfect for the Holiday Season

Zach Winfrey creates his own holiday wooden signs that are perfect for decorating one’s home for the holidays. Prices vary per wooden sign. For just plain art enthusiasts, various Falls Church Arts Gallery artists offer some of their pieces at the Falls Church Farmers Market. These pieces can range from paintings to models and can be the perfect gift for those who want to spruce up their liv ing space or office area with a unique design. Art pieces range in price.

Temalle LTD. offers hand made African baskets and acces sories at the farmers market. These baskets come in a variety of sizes and colors, even having been bought by Charlottesvillenative Dave Matthews. They will be back at the farmers market on December 17th with prices varying based on the basket. Soaps are always pop ular despite the season, and Oaklane Soapworks offers a range of sweet-smelling scents as well as soaps made from

natural ingredients. From Grapefruit, Coconut & Lime to Dirt for “earthy folks,” Oaklane Soapworks will be selling their soaps for $8 at the farmers market.

Botanologica offers giftbuyers plants, apothecary and decor, including Ceramic Guinea Hens made and painted by hand in the south of France. These unique decorations range in price from $154 — $200, and are sure to add an interesting vibe to one’s household.

Want to look fabulous for a holiday party or wed ding? Zoya’s Atelier is a bridal boutique that offers beauti ful dresses, jewelry and other accessories for someone’s spe cial day. A bedazzled, gorgeous purse can range from $2,100 — $2,970, while a matching set of earrings and bracelet cost $475 and $345.

Penzeys Spices offers themed spice gift boxes filled with vari ous spices, including a makeyour-own spice kit. These gift boxes include a Kind Heart Gift Box, Grill & Broil Mini Gift Box, Bakers’ Mini Gift Box and

more. Prices range from $17.95 — $21.95 and are perfect for those who enjoy cooking and baking.

For a book-worm, One More Page provides holiday-themed books in sections such as romance, mystery and overall fiction. Prices range from $16 — $17.

Foxes Music Company, Action Music and CD Cellar are places to visit when look ing for musical gifts at vari ous price ranges. Foxes Music offers various musical instru ments, such as guitars, vio lins and even ukuleles. Action Music has a range of guitars, including electric, acoustic and bass. CD Cellar provides vinyl records, CDs and DVDs of one’s favorite artists.

For those who would like to give the gift of health and fitness, check out area yoga, pilates and massages offered by places such as Thai Yoga & Massage. This Little City-based yoga and massage studio offers gift cards for those wanting to improve their physical and mental health.

DOODLEHOPPER 4 KIDS (pictured left) and Stylish Patina (pictured right) offer products for both children and adults enjoy, such as Magic Mixies Mixlings and DIY kits (Photo: Kylee Toland and Stylish Patina)

BEAUTIFUL ACCESSORIES, CERAMIC BIRDS AND SAUCES could be the perfect present to gift oneself or others, pro vided by Zoya’s Atelier (pictured top left), Disturbingly Delicious (pictured bottom left) and Botanologica (pictured right) (Photo: Kylee Toland, Sue Johnson and Disturblingly Delicious)

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

BY MARK DREISONSTOK

The collection currently at Falls Church Arts Gallery is of “Bits and Pieces,” but the whole may hold much more for the visitor than the sum of its bits and pieces. Collage in all media is what ties together this mélange of creative artworks, with a decided emphasis on the modern side of things.

The titles themselves reflect this cleaving of different things in the aggregate: “Sisters Glass” by Kathryn Nelson, “Artichoke Pieces” by Jennifer Murphy, “Remains of the Day” by Robert Wiener, and—inevitably—“Bits and Pieces” by Molly McCracken. There is certainly great insight in the title of Steena Fullmer-Anderson’s recreation of a room in miniature: “Art Should Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable.”

Maria Temoltzin’s watercolor “Otra Catrina en Cholula” depicts a scenic view of warm orange colored flowers centering a woman’s pale and gaunt ghostly face whose empty black eye sockets gaze towards the viewers, giving us a sense of unease with its death-like stare. Yet there is a

warm aspect of the painting, for the figure is wearing an orange cloak over the head, indicating that the now skeletal face was once human. Behind the field of flowers, a mountain-like path ascends towards the temple of Cholula. Perhaps this is whence the skeletal figure has come to spend the rest of eternity in a field of flowers. The title card by the artist is helpful in piecing together the narrative, with a quote which seems to be taken from the world of story and myth: “You were leaving a temple one day” and “you’ll even see the path of the Catrina from the temple of Cholula through the field of marigolds[…]”

Casey Wait’s “Wild One” displays a “majestic white tiger” in a forest setting using mixed media. Visible brushstrokes and saturated green and purple colors can be seen throughout the canvas, giving the image a wild look. Clear outlines of leaves and the shape of the tiger reveal themselves to the viewer while abstract colors and opaque shapes are in the background, rendering the tiger more prominent. The tiger seems to have leapt out of the art gallery’s previous “Wild” art exhibition and may

suggest to the poetically inclined William Blake’s famous verse : Tyger, Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

James Hengst’s “Temple Arts and Industries” (Remix Series) brings the art of collage into the digital world by the merging of photographs of two well-known edifices: the Mormon (Latter-day Saints) Temple in Kensington, Maryland, and the Art and Industries Building in Washington, D.C. They have been combined digitally with a checkerboard-style grid. Although the two buildings have different architectural styles, the two unify surprisingly well—according to the title card: “the statue of Columbia atop the Arts and Industries building resembling a religious icon perched among the [LDS] temple spires […] to show or hide various elements in each image.”

Less clearly delineated are two abstract collages by Helen Power, “Light Within” and “Reaching.” Picking up the “bits and pieces” theme, she writes in the title card to “Light

Within” that this artwork “represents a search for balance and rhythm. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and process while searching. I move between intuition and logic, chaos and order, combining fragments of thought, feeling, and memory. My abstract work illustrates this journey in a way that words can never do.”

This collection, or collage, as it were, of “Bits and Pieces” would seem to disprove the quote widely attributed to Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke that ““shattered people

are best represented by bits and pieces.” “Bits and Pieces” can represent, in the words of artist Powers, a “search for balance and rhythm,” both for the artist and the viewer, and visitors to the Falls Church Arts Gallery can enjoy putting together the bits and pieces created in this exhibition in a way unique to themselves and their lives.

This exhibition of pictures for sale continues through January 8, 2023. For further information, please visit www.FallsChurchArts.org

Temple Arts and

Community News & Notes

McLean Project for the Arts to Open Winter Exhibitions

McLean Project for the Arts will open its winter exhibitions— In the Round: Dimensional Fiber Works (Emerson Gallery) and Trees on the Edge: Artwork in Layered Paper by Ronni Jolles (Atrium Gallery) — on December 9th, 2022. Both shows will run through February 18th, 2023, with an Opening Exhibition Reception presented by The Mather on Friday, December 9th, 2022 from 7-9pm. RSVP here (www.tinyurl. com/mpawinterexhibits).

The Atrium Gallery exhibit (Trees on the Edge) will be avail able for viewing during McLean

Community Center operating hours. In the Round: Dimensional Fiber Works will be open for visitors Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.

Nominations Open for Small Business Awards

The Washington Metropolitan Area District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened nomina tions for the 2023 National Small Business Week (NSBW) awards program. The National Small Business Week awards issued through the Washington

Metropolitan Area District Office include the following catego ries: Small Business Person of the Year, Northern Virginia (as well as one each, in Suburban Maryland and Washington, DC); Graduate of the Year, Small Business Exporter of the Year; Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year; Small Business Subcontractor of the Year; Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award; and Woman’s Business Center (WBC) of the Year. To access forms, cri teria, and instructions for sub mitting a nomination package, please visit https://www.sba.gov/ national-small-business-week/ awards. All nominations must be submitted online by December 8, 2022.

Small Treasures Comes to American Painting Fine Art

American Painting Fine Art offers a grand opportunity to relax and de-stress from holiday pres sures and blues, with its annual Small Treasures exhibition and sale. Gallery owner and artist Andrei Kushnir notes that art has a well-known soothing and heal ing effect on frazzled nerves and high anxiety. Kushnir, this year’s awards judge in the Falls Church, VA, Plein Air Festival, offers that “[t]he show provides an opportu nity for weary shoppers or escap

ees from insane malls and nonstop parties to rest, catch their breath, and bask in the aura of artworks that range from whim sical to museum quality. Many neighbors stop by just to decom press, relax, and then be on their way again to join the merriment of the holidays.”

Collectors of contemporary American art (traditional and abstract) will have many excel lent opportunities to add to their walls.

A Holiday Open House Reception will be held 5 — 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 3rd. Regular Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. — 7 p.m., and by appointment. Special Holiday hours will be posted on the gal lery website. Admission is free.

Scouts BSA Troop 895 Celebrates 65 Years

Scouts BSA Troop 895 recent ly held its fall Court of Honor, where it recognized the achieve ments of its scouts and celebrated the Troop’s 65 years serving the youth of Falls Church, Fairfax, Arlington, and Washington, DC. The celebration included former Troop leaders and alumni. This year the Troop’s adventures have included summer camp at BSA’s Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, canoe camping on the Shenandoah River, and service to

the community through Scouting For Food. The Troop is chartered by the Falls Church Presbyterian Church. For more information about the Troop please see its website at https://bsatroop895. net/, or contact the Troop at troop895fc@gmail.com.

Moe’s Southwest Grill Hosts Toy Drive

Moe’s Southwest Grill will be hosting a toy drive. People can donate new, unwrapped toys at their local Moe’s through December 7th. Upon donation, one can enjoy a special thank you offer.

Dehgani-Tafti Announces Campaign for Second Term

On Tuesday, November 22nd, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti announced she is running for reelection as Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. Dehghani-Tafti won her first term as Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2019 by promising to turn our community into a model for how to run a criminal justice system that provides safety & justice for all.

Dehghani-Tafti also includ ed with her announcement the endorsements of a number of elected officials, including Congressman Don Beyer, for mer Virginia gubernatorial can

CHERRY HILL FARMHOUSE

November 26th. The event allows participants to see how Christmas was celebrated during the Victorian age, with costumed re-enactors welcoming friends and neighbors who gath

SCOUTS BSA TROOP 895 recently held its fall Court of Honor, where it recognized the achievements of its scouts and cel ebrated the Troop’s 65 years serving the youth of Falls Church, Fairfax, Arlington, and Washington, DC. (Photo: Alison Shearer)

THE HOLIDAY TREE FESTIVAL hosted by VPIS on the weekend of December 2nd highlights a display of creatively decorated trees for the holidays. Funds for the organization represented will be raised via donations and a silent auction. (Photo: Lisa Varoux)

didates Jennifer Carroll Foy and state Senator Jennifer McClellan, Delegates Marcus Simon and Patrick Hope, Arlington County Board

Members Matt de Ferranti and Takis Karantonis, Arlington County Clerk of Court Paul Ferguson, Arlington Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy, Arlington School Board Member Mary Kadera, state Senator

Scott Surovell, former state Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, former County Board Member Mary Hynes, former School Board Members Nancy Van Doren and Monique O’Grady, House of Delegates candidate Adele McClure, and former candidate for Lt. Governor and former federal prosecutor, Gene Rossi.

Jingle in the Season with the Alexandria Symphony

The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will present a hol iday program, “Jingle!” Saturday, December 17, 2022 (7:30 p.m.) at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert

Hall and Arts Center and Sunday, December 18, 2022 (3:00 p.m.) at the George Washington Masonic Memorial.

Adult prices for single tickets start at $20, and all tickets for youth are priced at $5, making ASO concerts affordable for fami

lies. Military, senior and group dis counts are also available in select sections. Seating is very limited at the George Washington Masonic Memorial and is almost sold out, so book tickets early. Visit www. alexsym.org or call (703) 548-0885 for more information.

AMERICAN PAINTING FINE ART offers a grand opportunity to relax and de-stress from holiday pressures and blues, with its annual Small Treasures exhibition and sale. Featured here is Billy Schmidt’s “Early Snow,” which will be featured at the exhibition. (Photo Courtesy: Billy Schmidt)

THE NATIVE ART MARKET on December 3rd through the 4th at the National Museum of the American Indian allows guest to meet more than 30-award winning Indigenous artists offering handcrafted traditional and contemporary artworks. (Photo Courtesy: Smithsonian American Museum)

AREA EVENTS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

FALLS CHURCH HOLIDAY TREE FEST

The Falls Church Holiday Tree Fest will be held at Ireland’s Four Provinces and is sched uled for December 2nd and 3rd, with distribution of the trees

on December 4th, 2022. Each charity will decorate its own tree. Highest bid for each tree at the end of the event wins the tree.

RENAISSANCE FEASTE

Langley Choir's annual Renaissance FEASTE will be held Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3rd at 7 p.m. in Langley Hall, a fes tive evening that transports the audience back to Merrie Olde

CALENDAR

England for medieval-style din ing and musical entertainment. Space is limited, reservations required. Visit www.langleycho rus.com/renaissance-feaste for more info & to purchase.

HOLIDAY ON THE FARM

Come celebrate the holidays at Frying Pan Farm Park with an evening of wagon rides, indoor activities, food, animal interactions, campfires, and more. Wagon Rides are $10 a person and s’mores will be provided. Bring the whole family and see the farm in a new, festive way. Hosted at Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 West Ox Road, Herndon). 5:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.

MCLEAN HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL

This shopping experience includes pottery, glass, jew elry, holiday decor, mixed media, fashion accesso ries, wood, fine art, arti sanal foods and more. MCC provides a delight ful venue, music and is

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

HOLIDAY GIFT & CRAFT SHOW

Deck the halls during the holi day season with special gifts from the annual Holiday Gift and Craft Show at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St.). Nearly 50 crafters and merchants show their wares selling unique hand made items, baked goods, and more. Gift and Craft Show open from 9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

CHILDREN'S GIFT SHOPPE

Just across the park from the Holiday Gift and Craft Show, children can pur chase inexpensive gifts and have them wrapped by vol unteers in this fundraiser for Cherry Hill Farmhouse. 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

JINGLE ON THE LAKE

Reston Museum joins Lake Anne Plaza for Jingle on the Lake. Hosted from 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. at Lake Anne

in red by pontoon boat.

MOSAIC HOLIDAY VILLAGE

Mosaic’s Holiday Village returns this year for a fun-filled weekend. Shop for everyone on one’s gift list from their 65+ talented makers curated by URBNmarket. Enjoy live enter tainment, Christmas carolers, photos with Santa and more. District Avenue, Fairfax. 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

HANDEL'S MESSIAH SINGALONG

Join The Falls Church Anglican Church for their annual com munity sing-along of Handel's Messiah! The audience will be led by the choir, orches tra, organ and professional soloists. 3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

JUDY'S PLACE

HOLIDAY ON THE FARM allows attendees to celebrate the sea son at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon on Friday, December 2nd from 5:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. The evening will feature wagon rides, indoor activities, food and more.

A unique and convenient shop ping experience for kids and teens. Over 100 gift items priced at $1 to $20 and perfect for surprising family. Temple Rodef Shalom (2100 Westmoreland Street, Falls Church). 8:30 a.m.

JINGLE ON THE LAKE presented

Anne Plaza will be hosted on Saturday, December 3rd from 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. Reston Museum is joining as well, along with crafts, ven dors and music available for attending families. Santa will make an appearance on a pontoon

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP

by Lake

boat. (Photo: Reston Museum)

(Photo: Don Sweeney)

on Saturday, December 3rd will feature nearly 50 crafters and merchants showing their unique, handmade items. (Photo: City of Falls Church)

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

JOHN LLOYD YOUNG

Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road, Vienna). 8:00 p.m. (703) 255-1800

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

THE COOZIES

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

DOUBLE VISION: THE FOREIGNER EXPERIENCE

The State Theatre (220 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA) 8:30 p.m. (703) 237-0300

MATT MILLER

Solace Outpost (444 W Broad St., Falls Church). 8:00 p.m. (571) 378-1469

PETE BAKER

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

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

MICHELLE SWAN

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

SEAN TRACY

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

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

RAMON & FRIENDS

Clare & Don’s Beach Shack (130 N Washington St. Falls Church) 5:00 p.m. (703) 532-9283

THEATER & ARTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

Snow Maiden

In a frozen silver forest high in the mountains, a lonely boy builds a girl from snow. When she mysteriously comes to life, mischief, laughter, and enchant ment abound. Told through dazzling movement, dance, and acrobatics, Synetic’s mag ical take on beloved folktale Snegurochka is a story of hope, friendship, and the power of dreams. Showing at Synetic Theater from December 1st through the 23rd.

Chicago

Falls Church High School is taking an age-appropriate spin on the hit Broadway show “Chicago.” Showing from December 1st and 3rd at 7:00 p.m. and December 4th at 3:00 p.m., the show is a “teen edi tion” rated PG-13.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

Tiny Tim's Christmas Carol

Little of Alexandria rings in the

holiday season with a new take on the classic tale by Charles Dickens. Tiny Tim longs to have his father home on Christmas day, but Ebenezer Scrooge won’t give him the day off. Showing from December 3rd — 17th.

THE COOZIES is a beach bar band to put the audience in a "vacation state of mind." The band states on their website that their music is best paired with good friends, great conver sation and one's favorite beverage. They will be performing at Clare & Don's Beach Shack on Friday, December 2nd at 6:00 p.m. (Photo: Clare & Don's Beach Shack)

"SNOW MAIDEN" performed by Synetic Theater is a story of hope, friendship and the power of dreams. It will be performed from December 1st — December 23rd. (Photo: Michelle Pendoley)

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

City Council scheduled public hearing and final action for the following items for Monday, December 12, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matters may be heard.

(TR22-42) RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMEND SECTION 4.14, “APPOINTMENTS,” OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH TO REQUIRE THAT APPOINTED MEMBERS TO CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE AND RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, AND REMOVING THE REQUIREMENT THAT THEY BE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY

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

CELESTE HEATH, CITY CLERK

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of the City of Falls Church, Virginia will hold a public hearing on December 15, 2022 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers, located at 300 Park Avenue, for consideration of the following items:

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

2. Variance application V1636-22 by John Tokizawa, applicant and owner, for a variance to Section 48-238(3) a. to allow 1) front setback of 24.5 feet instead of 30 feet for the purpose of constructing a two-story front addition, and 2) side setback of 9.8 feet instead of 13 feet for the purpose of constructing a one-story rear addition at premises known as 514 Timber Lane, RPC #52-601-026 of the Falls Church Real Property Records, zoned R-1A, Low Density Residential.

Public comment and questions may be submitted to zoning@fallschurchva.gov until 4:30 pm on December 15, 2022. Agenda and application materials will be available the week prior to the scheduled hearing at: http://www. fallschurchva.gov/BZA

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

AUCTIONS

ATTN. AUCTIONEERS: Advertise your upcoming auctions statewide and in other states. Affordable Print and Digital Solutions reaching your target audiences. Call this paper or Landon Clark at Virginia Press Services 804-521-7576, landonc@vpa.net

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LIVESTOCK SALE

BCIA CULPEPER SENIOR BULL SALE, Saturday, December 10, Noon, Culpeper Agricultural Enterprise, Culpeper, VA. Selling 77 Angus, Braunvieh, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Gelbvieh Balancer, Hereford, Red Angus, Simmental and SimAngus bulls. Catalog 540-231-9159. Sale information available at www.bcia.apsc.vt.edu. Sale available online at https://www.liveauctions.tv/

SERVICES

DIVORCE-Uncontested, $395+$86 court cost. WILLS-$225.00. No court appearance. Estimated completion time twenty-one days. Hilton Oliver, Attorney (Facebook). 757-4900126. Se Habla Espanol. BBB Member. https:// hiltonoliverattorneyva.com.

Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Call Physicians Life Insurance Company- 844-509-1697 or visit www.Life55plus.info/vapress

Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and longlasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 888-608-4974

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-888-550-3083 www.dental50plus. com/virginia #6258

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national

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MHS Band Students Ready to Work For Donations

Have a yard full of leaves that need raking? Or kids that need babysitting? Or a child interested in music lessons? Or some other fall project that needs tackling? If so, consider participating in M.U.S.I.C Days — the MHS band’s annual fundraiser that gives people the opportunity to hire band students for fall jobs.

Money raised during M.U.S.I.C. (Many Useful Students in the Community) Days will help students pay for travel to perform in Nashville, Tennessee in March. MHS hopes many residents will hire band students for jobs like yard work, babysitting, dog walking, animal sitting, spreading mulch, car washing, musical performance, holiday decorating, gift wrapping, etc.

The fundraiser runs from October 29 through December 3rd. If one has a job request for the students, please fill out this Google form: https:// rb.gy/lcm3ky Questions? Email volunteer coordinator Laura Hill at lauraohill@gmail.com.

MHS Hosts IB Pathways For Parents and Guardians

Join the IB Leadership Team to chat about links between MYP, DP and CP. This is a meeting for parents/guardians of students in grades 5th — 10th. It will be held on Friday, December 9th, 2022 at the MHS Library at 1:45 p.m.

Support All Night Grad Celebration

The second annual Hot Cocoa Fundraiser event is on Saturday, December 10, from 2:00

BY RYAN MCCAFFERTY

It’s the last week of November, which means basketball season is underway at Meridian High. The Mustang girls competed in a tournament at West Springfield while the boys stayed home to host visiting John R. Lewis, and in front of an amped up audience, they wasted no time jumping out in front. Grant Greiner scored the season’s first points as he tipped in an offensive rebound, and Wyatt Trundle then made a three-pointer to expand the lead to 5-0. Lewis struggled to control the ball as the Mustangs forced a number of turnovers, and the lead grew to 10-2 in the opening minutes before the visitors cut it to 15-9 at the first quarter intermission. Sophomore Jarrett Jardine was

p.m. — 4:00 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park. Parents, this social event raises money and awareness about Meridians All Night Grad Celebration. All parents are welcome, not just senior parents. The $20 ticket will get one hot cocoa and s’mores. Warm up with a tasty treat and the opportunity to support this important event to keep students safe on graduation night. Purchase tickets at: https://www.meridianhsptsa.org/store/ c10/ANGC_Hot_Cocoa_Kick_Off_Ticket.html

FCCPS Students Prepare for Concert

Students will be participating in a three-day workshop and concert with two guest artists, who are professionals in the music industry, Laura Kaye and Nathan Blake, as part of their “Electrify Your Choir” Workshop. Students from Mount Daniel 2nd grade will join forces with the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade choirs from Oak Street and Mary Ellen Henderson for a rock-n-roll choir concert on Friday, December 2nd, on the Meridian High School stage.

All donations from ticket sales will benefit the Falls Church Family Assistance Fund.

Hallway Murals Create a Group Effort

In the IB Primary Years Program, young artists use creative thinking to develop and explore the world around them. All Oak Street students participated in floating chalk printmaking earlier this fall. Each student made several prints and was asked to choose one to contribute to their grade-level paper mural. Students helped tear and apply paper for the 5th-grade and 3rd-grade murals, and glitter was added to the outline for our 4th-grade mural. They also created shaving cream prints using shaving cream and liquid watercolors.

injured early in the second quarter but quickly returned to the game, while Meridian continued its hot start and led by a dozen at the half, 35-23.

The lead continued to grow into the third quarter as the Mustangs pushed it to a 20 point advantage, taking a 59-39 lead into the final eight minutes. Lewis was able to go on a miniature run, cutting the deficit down to fourteen in the late going, but it was much too late as Meridian held on for a comfortable 65-48 victory. Wyatt Trundle led the scoring for the Mustangs with 18 points, while Grant Greiner (12), Isaac Rosenberger (10), and Daylen Martino (12) also scored in double figures.

The boys will be back on the court on Thursday as they visit Justice High School for some tournament action.

Falls Church News-Press Vol. VII, No. 37 • November 13, 1997

Car Tax Cut Is $2.6 Million Issue for City

If the State Legislature follows through on Governor-elect Jim Gilmore’s campaign promise to eliminate the car tax, the loss to the City of Falls Church’s revenue flow will be $2.6 million, or 8.6 percent of the City’s annual budget of $30 million

Falls Church News-Press Vol. XXII, No. 39 • November 29, 2012

the number of affordable dwelling units in the City is declining. The T-zone changes will not counteract that trend. We would do better for middle housing to simply allow duplexes, quads, and sixplexes within current Tlot guidelines.

What can you do?

The T-zone proposal is now pending review by the Planning Commission, which must ultimately recommend to the City Council whether to adopt the proposal. The Planning Commission’s decision could happen as soon as December 21. We agree with members of the Planning Commission who have opined that the use of specific

T-zone properties may be better dealt with on a lot-by-lot basis, and not by an across-the-board zoning amendment.

We call on you to learn about the Proposal for T-zones and make your voices heard. Here are our suggestions:

1. Learn more at: https:// fallschurch-va.granicus. com/MetaViewer.php?view_ id=2&clip_id=2075&meta_ id=116263

2. Write to Planning Commission and City Council Members at cityclerk@fallschurchva. gov

3. Attend the next Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, December 7, at 7:30 p.m. to learn more or share your views with the Commission.

2022 holiday hat, it is their combined 20th Christmas Holiday living in Falls Church.

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean

NOTICE

TO THE PUBLIC OF AN APPLICATION BY VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY FOR REVISION OF RATE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE: RIDER US-2, SCOTT, WHITEHOUSE, AND WOODLAND SOLAR POWER STATIONS, FOR THE RATE YEARS COMMENCING SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 AND SEPTEMBER 1, 2024 CASE NO. PUR-2022-00164

•Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion”) has applied for approval to revise its rate adjustment clause, Rider US-2.

•In this case, Dominion has asked the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) to approve Rider US-2 for the rate years September 1, 2023, through August 31, 2024 (“Rate Year 1”) and September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025 (“Rate Year 2”).

•Dominion requests a revenue requirement of $8,934,720 for Rate Year 1, which would decrease the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity by $0.05 per month.

•Dominion requests a revenue requirement of $8,492,521 for Rate Year 2, which would decrease the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity by an additional $0.01 per month relative to Year 1.

•A Hearing Examiner appointed by the Commission will hold a telephonic hearing in this case on March 14, 2023, at 10 a.m., for the receipt of public witness testimony.

•A hearing on the Application shall be convened at 10 a.m. on March 15, 2023, in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, to receive the testimony and evidence of the Company, any respondents, and the Staff.

•Further information about this case is available on the Commission website at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/CaseInformation.

On October 5, 2022, Virginia Electric and Power Company (“Dominion” or “Company”), pursuant to Code § 56-585.1 A 6, filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) its biennial update filing with respect to the Company’s rate adjustment clause, Rider US-2 (“Application”). Through its Application, the Company seeks to recover costs associated with three utility-scale solar photovoltaic generation facilities: (i) the 17 megawatt (“MW”) (nominal alternating current (“AC”)) Scott Solar Facility located in Powhatan County (“Scott Solar”); (ii) the 20 MW AC Whitehouse Solar Facility locat ed in Louisa County (“Whitehouse Solar”); and (iii) the 19 MW AC Woodland Solar Facility located in Isle of Wight County (“Woodland Solar”) (collectively, “US-2 Solar Projects” or the “Projects”).

In Case No. PUE-2015-00104, the Commission approved construction of the US-2 Solar Projects. In conjunction therewith, the Commission also approved a rate adjustment clause, designated Rider US-2, which allowed Dominion to recover costs associated with the development of the Projects. The US-2 Solar Projects achieved commercial operations in 2016.

In its Application, Dominion has asked the Commission to approve Rider US-2 for two proposed rate years commencing on September 1, 2023 and extending through August 31, 2024 (“Rate Year 1”), and commencing on September 1, 2024 and extending through August 31, 2025 (“Rate Year 2”) (collectively, the “Rate Years”). For Rate Year 1, the two key components of the revenue requirement are the Projected Cost Recovery Factor and the Actual Cost True-Up Factor. The requirement for Rate Year 2 comprises only the Projected Cost Recovery Factor.

The Projected Cost Recovery Factor consists of the projected financing costs on invested capital, plus income taxes on the equity component of the return and projected operating costs of the US-2 Solar Projects during the two consecutive Rate Years. The Actual Cost True-Up Factor will credit to, or recover from, customers any over/under collection of costs from the most recently completed calendar year. There will be no Actual Cost True-Up Factor in Rate Year 2. The Actual Cost True-Up Factor revenue requirement requested for recovery in Rate Year 1 is ($169,211) for Scott Solar, $142,436 for Whitehouse Solar, and $45,924 for Woodland Solar, resulting in a total Actual Cost True-up Factor revenue requirement of approximately $19,148. The Projected Cost Recovery Factor requirements for Rate Years 1 and 2 total $8,915,572 and $8,492,521, respectively. Thus, the Company is requesting total revenue requirements for recovery of $8,934,720 for Rate Year 1 and $8,492,521 for Rate Year 2. For the purposes of its Application, and consistent with the Commission’s November 18, 2021 Final Order in the Company’s triennial review proceeding in Case No. PUR-2021-00058 (“Triennial Final Order”), the Company calculated the revenue requirement using the approved return on equity (“ROE”) of 9.35% for the period after the date of the Triennial Final Order. Additionally, the Company is utilizing the capital structure approved by the Commission in the Triennial Final Order. For the period of time prior to the Triennial Final Order, Dominion utilized the ROE of 9.2%, which was approved by the Commission in Case No. PUR-2019-00050.

If the proposed updates to Rider US-2 for the Rate Years are approved, the impact on customer bills would depend on the customer’s rate schedule and usage. According to Dominion, for Rate Year 1, im plementation of the proposed Rider US-2 on September 1, 2023 will decrease the residential customer’s monthly bill, based on usage of 1,000 kilowatt-hours (“kWh”) per month, by $0.05. Implementation of Rider US-2 for Rate Year 2 will decrease the residential customer’s monthly bill, based on usage of 1,000 kWh per month, by an additional $0.01 as compared to Rate Year 1.

Interested persons are encouraged to review the Application and supporting documents for the details of these and other proposals.

TAKE NOTICE that the Commission may apportion revenues among customer classes and/or design rates in a manner differing from that shown in the Application and supporting documents and thus may adopt rates that differ from those appearing in the Company’s Application and supporting documents.

On March 14, 2023, at 10 a.m., the Hearing Examiner assigned to this case will hold a telephonic hearing, with no witness present in the Commission’s courtroom, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses. On or before March 8, 2023, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting

On March 15, 2023, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Hearing Examiner will convene a hearing to receive testimony and evidence related to the Application from the Company, any respondents, and the Commission’s Staff.

The Commission takes judicial notice of the ongoing public health issues related to the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID 19. The Commission has taken certain actions, and may take additional actions going forward, that could impact the procedures in this proceeding. Consistent with these actions, in regard to the terms of the procedural framework established below, the Commission will, among other things, direct the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings unless they contain confidential information, and require electronic service on parties to this proceeding. An electronic copy of the Company’s Application may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Company: Jontille D. Ray, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, jray@mcguirewoods.com

On or before March 10, 2023, any interested person may file comments on the Application by following the instructions found on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00164.

On or before December 30, 2022, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding may do so by filing a notice of participation at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation on counsel to the Company. Pursuant to Rule 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Partici pation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by Rule 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00164.

On or before February 3, 2023, each respondent may file with the Clerk of the Commission, at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling, , any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served on the Commission’s Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with its filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, including 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2022-00164.

Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.

The public version of the Company’s Petition and other documents filed in this case, the Commission’s Rules of Practice, and the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing may be viewed at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Case-Information

VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY