Falls Church News-Press 12-24-09 by Falls Church News-Press

December 24 - 30, 2009

Falls Church, Vi r g i n i a • w w w . fc n p . c o m • Free

Founded 1991 • Vo l . XI X N o . 43

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

Inside This Week Moran Cleared In Investigation

The Office of Congressional Ethics closed its investigation into Virginia Rep. Jim Moran’s relationship to the lobbying firm PMA group advising against any further investigation by the House.

Kaine’s Plan to Address $4 Billion State Shortfall to Slam Localities Schools, Tax

SNOW WHITE

See News Briefs, page 7

Collections to

F.C. Teen Starts ‘Treats for Troops’

Feel Big Pinch

Falls Church’s Lisa Confrancesco made it her mission to bring U.S. soldiers a little slice of home this holiday season.

by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

See page 17

By Monday afternoon, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), responsible for clearing all roads in the region outside of Falls Church and Arlington, still had 7,000 miles of mostly secondary roads to clear, Mester reported. Another storm is due to hit the area with a “wintry mix” Thursday night and rain on Friday. While temperatures will rise to the 40s, the rain will “create new chal-

The grim parameters of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine’s annual budget message in Richmond last week confirm that localities like the City of Falls Church, Arlington and Fairfax County will be much harder hit with funding shortfalls, as bad as they were already projected to be, than previously thought. “The difficulties of the worst economy in a generation,” Kaine said, adding, “These are the toughest national economic conditions since the 1930s,” that have created “an unprecedented challenge.” State support for local education and core tax collection services will be among the many severe cutbacks proposed to address a $4 billion state revenue shortfall, Kaine announced. That level of cuts comes on top of $7 billion previously trimmed from the state’s $37.5 billion budget, and leaves the state miserably short on such things as Medicaid reimbursements and waivers for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, for day support, for the elderly, disabled and Alzheimer’s victims. Federal stimulus dollars that helped mitigate the shortfall last year to the tune of $4 billion will not be available in the coming year. Fairfax County’s Board Chair Sharon Bulova, in her year-end report issued prior to Kaine’s message, said, “We continue to be very much affected by a severe breakdown in our economy.” She noted that the primary source of the county’s revenue, the value of

Continued on Page 5

Continued on Page 4

Maureen Dowd: Blunder on The Mountain

Flying over the waves of snowcovered mountains that make Afghanistan a natural fortress and a sinkhole for empires, it’s impossible not to think of Osama bin Laden’s escaping as one of the greatest bungled opportunities in history. See page 13

Award-Winning ‘Police, Adjective’

A young Romanian cop is assigned to follow a 16-year-old boy suspected of smoking and perhaps supplying marijuana. If he arrests this boy, it will mean a term of eight to 16 years. See page 22

THE BIGGEST SNOWSTORM ever to hit the region in December dumped 18.5 inches on the City of Falls Church last weekend, creating scenes everywhere like the one here at the bridge over the stream at Cavalier Trail Park taken by local resident Michele Brooks. (Photo: Michele Brooks)

Snow Brings Team Effort to Dig Out by Nicholas F. Benton

Falls Church News-Press

Index

Editorial..................2 Letters................2, 6 Community News & Notes..............10-11 Comment........12-15 Business News & Notes...................16 Sports.............18-19 Calendar.........20-21 Roger Ebert....22-24

Restaurant Spotlight ............................26 Comics, Sodoku & Crossword...........29 Classified Ads......30 Business & Services Directory..............31 Critter Corner.......32 Business Listing..33 City Focus......34-35

The biggest storm on record to hit the Washington, D.C. region and the Northeastern U.S. corridor in the month of December, leaving 120,000 without power and over 3,000 vehicles stranded on Virginia roadways, dumped nearly 20 inches, and in the wake of severe budgetary constraints and cuts, called forth team efforts to open roads, rescue motorists and clean up. Schools in the region remained

closed this entire week, and the federal government was shut down through Tuesday. The snow fell constantly for 36 hours from Friday night to Sunday morning, adding to the frustration of public works crews trying to keep roads open with only the usual salt drops. In the City of Falls Church, according to Assistant City Manager Cindy Mester, sand had to be used to provide traction on major emergency routes because the salt didn’t work.

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December 24 - 30, 2009

EDITORIAL

A Test of F.C.’s Independence

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An Independent & Certified Newspaper Of Record Serving Northern Virginia

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Founded in 1991

Vol. XIX, No. 43 December 24 - 30, 2009 • City of Falls Church ‘Business of the Year’ 1991 & 2001 • • Certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to Publish Official Legal Notices • • Member, Virginia Press Association •

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Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine’s set of proposed draconian cuts for the next state budget announced last week, no matter what role the car tax plays, spell even more pain for jurisdictions like Fairfax County and the City of Falls Church, who began looking at eye-popping local budget shortfalls this fall even before prospects of deep cuts in state funds became obvious. Never before in the near 20 year history of this newspaper covering Northern Virginia politics has anything like the impending difficulties of 2010 been encountered, and ironically, this area has it better than most across the U.S. What will be going down will test the meddle of every elected official everywhere. There is no doubt that, at the core of it all, individuals are going to suffer significantly as a result. The debate about taxes or cuts in circumstances like this will be hollow at best. It will be between hurting people one way, or hurting them another, and it is those at the lower end of the economic pecking order who will certainly bear the brunt. It is our clarion call and challenge to everyone in decision making positions in government as we go into the new year that, recognizing the cruel realities before us, no one exploit the situation to demagogic or self-aggrandizing ends. Politics being politics, and politicians being politicians, there is fat chance of this happening, we admit. But it is a worthy goal, nonetheless, something akin to basic human decency. Having said that, we caution our readers that times like these can bring out the worst in some people, those who would view them as opportunities to exploit weakness and vulnerability to disingenuous and devious self-serving ends. Some see the chance to pounce on the small and relatively defenseless in the midst of distressed times, hoping to easily gain an advantage that might not normally be within their reach. The independent City of Falls Church might be seen by such types as just such easy prey, especially with the tough budget year ahead. We can draw no other conclusion, for example, than that this objective is at the root of the Fairfax Water System’s current lawsuit against the City of Falls Church. Given the penalties it is seeking in the case, the practical result of its victory could only serve to cripple the ability of Falls Church to continue operating as an independent jurisdictional entity. On top of that, we hear the not-so-muted grumblings among certain nay-sayer citizen circles inside of Falls Church, itself, who may be preparing to disrupt the coming budget process with a motive of demonstrating the lack of viability of the City’s ongoing independent status. Could the interests behind the Fairfax Water lawsuit and those preparing to agitate against Falls Church’s jurisdictional independence during its budget distress have anything in common, beyond their common objective? Who stands to gain if Falls Church ceases to be an independent city? That’s the legal test: “cui bono?” Who benefits? And should they? .

Letters to the Editor

East Falls Church Vision Impacts a Neighbor Editor,

I read “Virginia Tech Grads Envision F.C. ‘East End’ in 2050” with considerable interest, not least since the development envisioned would, I suspect, strongly impact my adjacent neighborhood (Tuckahoe St., within walking distance of Seven Corners). I’d like to know where the “light rail” connecting the East Falls Church Metro station to the projected

development would be routed, for example. And it certainly sounds like the traffic will make Seven Corners even more of an intersection to avoid than it is now. But then, 2050 is a long way off, and a time which I, at my age, am not likely to see. So the possible impact of these ideas remains abstract to me. But I was bemused to see the area comprising the Eden Center and

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www.FCNP.com the abandoned Syms location being called the “East End.” Because, you see, I can well recall when that name belonged to another section of town, a section also known as “East Falls Church.” I speak as a native who grew up in Falls Church and walked everywhere back in the ‘40s, when I was a boy. One place I walked to was the Lee Theater in East Falls Church. It was located about where Lee Highway crosses I-66, on the west side of Lee Highway. This is properly in Arlington County, of course, which is why it was known as East Falls Church, or the East End. A block south of the Lee was Ware’s Pharmacy, and it anchored the corner. Down the side block was, among other shops, Robertson’s

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5 & 10. (Robertson had another location on Broad Street.) Across the street on the east side of Lee Highway was a butcher shop where we sometimes bought fresh turkeys. South of the drugstore was the Washington & Old Dominion railroad station (mostly freight), and Snyder’s Hardware, which survived until recently being turned into a used-car dealership. The East End was a thriving little community of shops in the ‘40s and ‘50s. I-66 wiped it out. It’s sad to think that now not even its name will survive it. Ted White Falls Church More Letters on Page 6

December 24 - 30, 2009

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December 24 - 30, 2009

Kaine’s Plan: Shift Big Burden to Localities, Relieve State Shortfall Continued from Page 1

residential and commercial real estate properties, declined by almost 10 percent in Fiscal Year 2010 and are expected to sink another 12 percent in 2011. With its one million residents, Fairfax County’s $3.3 billion budget is expected to face another shortfall of $316 million, beyond the $650 million shortfall it had to absorb last year. This is based on a projected loss of revenue of another $232.5 million, and assumes no funding for salary adjustments or inflation. For “The Little City,” Falls Church, the ratio of shortfalls to its $67 million annual budget is similar, but it is not yet known how much worse Gov. Kaine’s news will make things. For example, under Kaine’s proposal, school systems will no longer be reimbursed by the state for the health insurance they pro-

vide employees in the same way. Instead of being provided a lump sum that can be used to stabilize the systems’ programs, it will be done on a carefully-scrutinized per capita basis. Kaine’s plan will introduce severe consequences in all localities, as the state will cease funding its treasurer and commissioner of the revenue offices, except for the salaries of the elected principals in each. The burden for shifting these vital tax collection services operations will revert to the localities. In Falls Church, Treasurer Cathy Kaye and Revenue Commissioner Tom Clinton told the News-Press that conference calls with their counterparts across the commonwealth were slated for Tuesday to devise a strategy for coping with this new reality. Kaine also proposes cutting $950 million in reimbursements to localities to compensate for reduced

personal property (car) tax charges, putting the burden on localities to levy a proposed one percent income tax hike on their residents. In his statement, Kaine said, “With this revenue forecast, the budgetary challenge is daunting. If we just take the expense line items in the FY 2010 budget, already adjusted downward after $7 billion in budget cuts, and project them forward with no increase, and then add only items that are absolutely mandated in the new biennium – debt service payments, economic development contracts, increases in the state’s Medicaid rolls – the budget gap in the upcoming biennium exceeds $4 billion. A significant part of that gap is created by the end of federal stimulus dollars in 2011. Closing that gap will require painful choices – choices that no one will like but that have to be made.” “It will be our challenge to try

How well did F.C. public works crews handle the snow emergency?’ • Very well

• OK

• Not very well

• Poorly

• Don’t know

Vote on-line at www.FCNP.com Last Week’s Question: Have you, or are you, planning on volunteering this holiday season? The FCNP On-Line polls are surveys, not scientific polls.

to minimize the impact of some of these proposed cuts, especially regarding vital public services and education,” State Del. Jim Scott told the News-Press Tuesday. Scott will head to Richmond for the launch of the new legislative session in mid-January. “There are going to be real

difficulties in all localities,” he said, adding that in the area of higher education, George Mason University and the Northern Virginia Community College are among the fastest growing in the state, which will cause the proposed cuts to impact them disproportionately.

December 24 - 30, 2009

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‘Storm of Century’ Draws Team Effort in Face of Hiring Freezes Continued from Page 1

lenges,” Mester said, as storm drains and catch basins remain clogged by snow. It will create “ponding” on roads, she said, cautioning residents to be prepared. Last weekend, despite the difficulties brought on by manpower shortages, the major cause of delays and less-than-optimal road clearing efforts was due to the magnitude of the storm, itself, Mester said. At the City’s property yard on Gordon Road, an accumulation of 18.5 inches was measured, making it the biggest storm since January 1996, when one major storm was followed on by another one. Mester noted that while three positions in the City’s Department of Environmental Services remained unfilled due to the hiring freeze, and another two persons were out on workman’s

compensation, Rick Goff, head of the Environmental Services Division, rallied utility and Parks and Recreation crews to fill in the gaps. Goff drew praise from Mester for being on the job from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, as crews worked in shifts and grabbed brief periods of respite in local hotels. A total of 16 rooms at the Inn of Virginia and Hillwood

Suites were reserved for such use by the City. The state of emergency declared by Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner Friday, and ratified by a 6-0 vote of the City Council in an extraordinary telephone conference call Saturday, was extended until 5 p.m. Tuesday, giving Goff and his crews time to adequately clear emergency routes and finish their job.

The 25-minute phone call late Saturday afternoon was perhaps the first such Council action in the City’s 50-plus year history. Much of the time on the call was taken up by Mester’s providing a detailed report on the City’s efforts to address the situation. She told the News-Press Tuesday that no increase in police presence was required due to a lack of accidents or other incidents, and that the arrest of a group of young people trying to steal radios out of parked vehicles was the only significant incident. Mayor Gardner praised the efforts of City crews in comments to the News-Press on Monday, saying that while conditions were very

difficult, the City’s accomplishments compared very favorably to those in surrounding jurisdictions. On the conference call Saturday, all members of the Council chimed in with their expressions of appreciation for the effort. Mester said that the storm’s severity made it difficult for crews to clear roads without piling snow in front of many driveways in the City, and she praised the patience of residents who waited for help to address this. She also said that the City crews had been unable to do a leaf pickup before the snow started falling, so there were added issues of piles of leaves being covered by snow.

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The Little City Needs to Show Some Resiliency Editor, Resiliency is defined as “able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.” I think most would agree that the snowstorm on Saturday could be described as a difficult condition. By not having the schools open by Tuesday, the schools are not being resilient, a trait they claim they like to see in their students. We are only 2.2 square miles. Surely the roads and sidewalks that some would claim to not be safe could be ready 72 hours after the storm. If not, then how are the same kids getting their sleds to area hills and how are their parents getting to the mall? I drove Monday and saw very few problems. If the problem is with the buses being able to maneuver the treacherous streets of Falls Church, then demand that The City do its part and get the streets ready. These are the same buses that operate daily without seat belts for our kids and we don’t give it a second thought. We are not a huge county like Fairfax--The Little City needs to set a better example. John Abbracciamento Falls Church

Edna Frady Thanks All At Reception Editor, I want to sincerely thank all those who came to the reception. To those that put it together— Renee Andrews, Wanda Howard, Gary Reals and the City staff—I cannot tell you how much I appreciated everything. The people there came from all walks of my life. To then receive the Council’s proclamation calling December 14 “Edna Frady Day” was overwhelming. My 62 years in the Town/City of Falls Church will always be remembered with a smile and appreciation. From the many people who helped me along the way to those I met and/ or worked with, please know that you have my deepest thanks. Even though I am no longer a resident of the City, you will still see me at various events and places. Edna Frady Via the Internet

December 24 - 30, 2009

Longtime F.C. Resident James Henderson Dies at Age 92 Dr. James Henry Meriweather Henderson, the son of Falls Church’s historic legend Mary Ellen Henderson, died December 3 after a brief illness. Henderson was a third generation Falls Church resident, whose family could trace their roots to before the area before the revolutionary war. A memorial service for Dr. Henderson, was held Dec. 12 at Tuskegee University Chapel in Tuskegee, Ala. James H. M. Henderson, Ph. D. was an internationally known plant physiologist. Most of his teaching and research years were spent at Tuskegee University at the George Washington Carver Research Foundation, where he was director for several years. He retired from the university in 2001 after 54 years of service. “Jimmy,” as he was affectionately called, was born after midnight on August 10, 1917, the second son of Edwin Bancroft Henderson and Mary Ellen Meriwether, in Falls Church. Jimmy and his brother, Edwin, attended school with their mother, Mary Ellen Henderson from ages one year to six years old, where she taught and was principal in a little two-room frame schoolhouse. Although, not officially students, they were given a strong academic foundation. The brothers’ formal education began in the District of Columbia, where their father taught. After graduating from Dunbar High School, Henderson completed a B.S. degree in biology at Howard University. Graduate years were spent at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he

earned his Mh.P and Ph.D. in plant physiology. During the war years, he was accepted as a junior chemist at Badger Ordnance Works in Wisconsin to work on the production of smokeless powder. He continued employment in the national defense effort by being accepted to a wartime project testing toxic gases for gas warfare at the University of Chicago. In the spring of 1945, he drove his beloved 1931 Model A Ford to Tuskegee, where he began a teaching and research position. At Tuskegee, he thoroughly enjoyed his work and developed genuine relations with his students. Rarely did he forget a name. His postdoctoral appointment at California Institute of Technology was a professional highlight as well as the beginning of a family life. In 1948, he married his childhood sweetheart, Betty Alice Francis. After moving to Pasadena, Cali. for the CalTech appointment, two daughters, Edith Ellen and Dena RoseAlice, were born before he moved his family back

to Tuskegee, where two sons, James Francis, Edwin Bancroft, II were born. Raising a family in the segregated south presented challenges that he faced squarely. Jimmy was a social and political activist and leader. For over 50 years, he directed the activities of the local and regional boy scouts troops. He played a major role in the desegregation of public schools in Macon County. Jimmy had a great sense of travel and adventure. In 1962, he took a sabbatical leave to do research at Le Phytotron Laboratory at Gif-sur-Yvette, France. The entire family spent that year experiencing the European culture through travel and school. Other research opportunities led him to such places as Russia, Hawaii, and South Africa. He spent six months in Ibadan, Nigeria in 1986. Jimmy also enjoyed writing letters to the editor, photography and was a member of the Enology and Optimist Clubs in Tuskegee, Ala. He was also passionate about his birthplace and family home in Falls Church. When developers approached him in the early 1980’s about selling the land, he challenged them to make a “fair offer” for the

home his father had built, suggesting “no amount of money could pay for the fond memories of my boyhood home!” In November, 1993 after much research and constant letter writing by Henderson, with support from the Historical Commission, the Henderson House, , located at 307 S. Maple Ave., was designated a historic site by the city of Falls Church. Ever involved, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation in 1997, and kept abreast of city events. In 2005, when the new middle school was named in honor of his mother, Mary Ellen Henderson, he was present. When the portrait of his mother for the new school, by famous artist Simmie Knox was unveiled he made his way to the ceremony. In 2007 led a group of the students on a tour of the traveling exhibit, Mary Ellen Henderson. In 2007, he was presented with the Living Legacy Award by Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, for his role in preserving the history of early black basketball history. As a way of honoring him, contributions may be made to the James H.M. Henderson Memorial Scholarship Fund established at Tuskegee University. They may be made payable to the James H. M. Memorial Scholarship fund and mailed to: James H. M. Henderson Memorial Scholarship Fund, C/O Nikki G. Henderson, P.O. Box 6117, Falls Church, VA. 22040.

December 24 - 30, 2009

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Outgoing Gov. Kaine Gets Call from Obama During his final â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ask the Governorâ&#x20AC;? radio talk show on WTOP-AM Tuesday, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine received a phone call from President Obama, who said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just wanted to say how proud we are of your service as governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.â&#x20AC;? He applauded Kaine for â&#x20AC;&#x153;a terrific round of service,â&#x20AC;? and quipped, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We continue to think your wife is probably a little superior to you, as I think people think about the First Lady, but you and me have to stick together since weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re married to better people.â&#x20AC;? Obama surprised Kaine by calling in as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Barry from D.C.â&#x20AC;? Kaine will continue as the chair of the Democratic National Committee after he leaves the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mansion in Richmond early next month.

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Ensign Installed as New VPIS President Long-time City of Falls Church resident Karl Ensign was installed as the new president of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) during the VPISâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; annual holiday party last weekend at the La Cote Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Or restaurant. Ensign is past chair of the Falls Church Human Services Advisory Council and a steering committee member of the Neighborhood Tree Program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I look forward to continuing VPISâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership role in preserving, maintaining and advancing the spirit that makes Falls Church an especially liveable community,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Moran Cleared in Investigation The Office of Congressional Ethics closed its investigation into Virginia Rep. Jim Moranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship to the lobbying firm PMA group, Roll Call newspaper reported today, advising against any further investigation by the House. Since 1990, Moran has represented the 8th District of Virginia that includes Arlington, McLean and the City of Falls Church. Investigations on the same grounds of Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania and Rep. Norm Dicks of Washington were also closed. The boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision was unanimous, 6-0.

Bulova Receives COGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Highest Award Fairfax County Board Chair Sharon Bulova was given the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (COG) Elizabeth and David Scull Award for her leadership in guiding the Greater Washington 2050 Coalition, it was announced Tuesday. It is COGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest award, presented annually to an elected official for outstanding service to residents of the region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am humbled to receive this honor from my regional colleagues,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Finding new and innovative ways to collaborate as a region will have long-lasting benefits to all our residents.â&#x20AC;?

Mess Hailed for 97th Birthday Milestone At the 20th annual holiday party of the Falls Church News-Press Monday night, Falls Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legendary Walter Mess, founder of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, was honored with a lusty rendition of the Happy Birthday song by the large crowd of gathered revelers that included Falls Church Mayor Robin Gardner and State Del. Jim Scott. Mess marked his 97th birthday on Dec. 20. He was also greeted by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;mascotâ&#x20AC;? for the event, Miles Butler playing the role of Dickensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tiny Tim, who was about to celebrate his 18th birthday on Dec. 23. Photos of the festive event will appear in next weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News-Press.

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December 24 - 30, 2009

The ‘Little City’ Takes On the Big Snow of ‘09

MT. DANIEL DRIVE, the “best sledding hill around.” (Photo: Dan Maller)

LONELY SHOVEL at SmithGifford. (Photo: Matt Smith)

SARAH MALLER had trouble building a snow man out of the dry, NOWHERE TO GO on Poplar Drive. (Photo: Allison Leopold) powdery snow. (Photo: Dan Maller)

STITCH FROLICKING in the powder. (Photo: Donna Englander)

A PICTURESQUE SCENE on Gibson Place. (Photo: Allison Leopold)

TRIPPS RUN’S frigid stream at Cavalier Trail Park. (Photo: Michele Brooks)

December 24 - 30, 2009

BIG NIGHT IN THE

LITTLE CITY

AT T H E C R O S SR OA D S O F R O U T E S 7 A N D 2 9 FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

7 ‘til Midnight New Year’s Eve | Free fun for the whole family §

L I V E S TA G E P E R F O R M A N C E S Special Countdown Spectacular | The Pluckerland Band | Sarah Rodock Samuel Waters | The Alumni: Katy Potrykus, Charlie Mann, Jake Savage Andrew Acosta’s Band | Northern Lights Big Band Orchestra

CMY

§ FREE SHUTTLE FROM EAST FALLS CHURCH METRO TO ALL VENUES A M P L E F R E E PA R K I N G Download the event map and get the latest updates at www.fallschurchva.gov WATCH NIGHT SPONSORS The City of Falls Church Falls Church Economic Development Authority The Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce The Village Preservation and Improvement Society The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation Atlantic Realty SmithGifford

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‘Vinyl Vibrations’ Ignite Listening Party This Christmas Eve, record lovers are invited to bring their favorite artists via vinyl for “Vinyl Vibrations,” an old-school listening party complete with coffee and treats for sale. All interested are invited to The Soundry (316 Dominion Rd., Vienna) Thursday, Dec. 24 from 7 – 10 p.m. For more information, call 703-6980088. Christmas Singers Needed For OPH Breakfast The Falls Church Chamber of Commerce reminds those interested that singers are needed for Original Pancake House’s (OPH) (370 W. Broad St., Falls Church) annual breakfast for homeless in the Falls Church area from 9:30 a.m. – noon on Christmas day, Friday, Dec. 25. Attendees will all receive handmade scarves donated by

December 24 - 30, 2009

OPH customers along with a warm breakfast. OPH is also hoping to offer live music. Anyone interested and/or able to perform are urged to e-mail Jeff Bulman at jbulman@ophrestaurants.com. Singles’ Mingle in Time for 2010 Countdown Looking for a date this New Year’s Eve? Then, 40s & 50s four-minute dating is just in time. Hosted by Professionals in the City, single men and women falling in the prior age bracket are invited to a mini version of four-minute dating, where singles can mingle with potential partners in seated, timed rotation. Guests can also snack on complimentary desserts. The clock starts at 7:30 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 27 at Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). The event costs $35. For more information, call 202-686-5990.

NEIGHBORS FROM Gresham Place in Falls Church took some time out after last weekend’s blizzard to enjoy the snow together. Shovel in tow, the group of friends bundled up for this winterwonderland snapshot. (Photo: Terri Rea)

Invite to Spend Christmas Eve at George’s From themed Christmas trees to chocolate-making demonstrations, all are invited to spend Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24 at George Washington’s Mount Vernon (3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Alexandria) from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Aladdin the camel will play the role of 1787 Christmas Camel, and a gingerbread replica of Mount Vernon will be on display for all to see. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $7 for children ages 6 – 11 and is free for children under 6. This event will continue through Wednesday, Jan. 6. For more information, 703780-2000. ‘Sweatshop Social’ to Draw Out Crafters On Monday, Dec. 28, Indie crafters are invited to The Soundry (316 Dominion Rd., Vienna) to socialize with their kind for a

“Sweatshop Social,” where they and other creative types can work on current and new projects together. Wi-fi, table space and plenty of materials for projects are all provided. The cost is free for members and $5 for non-members. The event will be from for 7 – 10 p.m. For more information, call 703698-0088. French, Canasta Senior Groups Meet Christmas Eve Though the City of Falls Church Senior Center closes at noon Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, those interested are reminded that both the French Conversation and Canasta groups will meet from 10 a.m. – noon on Thursday, Dec. 24. French Conversation will meet in the Teen Center of the community center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church). Events are also in store for after the holidays, starting back up on Monday, Dec. 28. For more

information, call the F.C. Senior Center at 703-248-5020/5021. Seniors Invited to Ring in 2010 Together Local seniors are invited to join together in celebrating the incoming of 2010 at a New Year’s party at LangstonBrown Senior Center (2121 N. Culpeper St., Arlington) on Monday, Dec. 28 at 10:30 a.m. Carl Pink, a one-man band, will provide the musical entertainment as guests are invited to take to the dance floor complete with holiday décor. The event costs $6 and registration is required. To register, call 703-228-5210. Local College Students Study in Italy Two local college students studying at Gettysburg College spent their Fall 2009 semester studying abroad. Juniors Anastasia Rabatsky of Arlington

MELODIC SOUNDS of the season were featured at the annual Choral Arts concert by students at George Mason High School in Falls Church last Thursday night. (Photo: News-Press)

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and Mary Rhoads are currently studying in Italy.

Children Learn About Local Pine Trees at Event

Harlem Globetrotters Trek Over to Patriot Center

On Wednesday, Dec. 30, children ages 4-10 are invited to sharpen their identification skills when it comes to the most common pine trees in Arlington at “Wild Ones: Fine Pines.” Attendees will also learn how these green trees play an important role in the ecosystem. The event will take place at Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 N. Military Rd., Arlington) from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. It costs $3. For more information, call 703-2283403.

In their 84th consecutive year, the Harlem Globetrotters will put on their 2010 “Magical Memories” World Tour on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. at the George Mason University Patriot Center (4400 University Blvd., Fairfax). Tickets start at $22. For more information, call 703-993-3000. ‘Show Boat’ Docks at Signature Theatre Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington) will present “Show Boat” now through Jan. 17, with tickets still available for this week. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday – Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday – Friday, 2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 & 7 p.m. Sunday. Jerome Kern’s Tony-winning musical follows performers on a Mississippi riverboat. Tickets start at $30. For more information, call 703-820-9771. F.C.’s Pardo Makes Outstanding Sales Lia Sophia recently announced top honors for its Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers for their outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism. Having just joined the fashion jewelry business, Hildi Pardo of Falls Church has earned this prestigious accomplishment in the first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and by sharing Lia Sophia with other new advisors. Lia Sophia is a unique direct selling opportunity offering fashion jewelry through personalized in-home demonstrations.

Babineau Promoted by National Guard Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Taluto, The Adjutant General for the State of New York, announced the promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard. William Babinea of Alexandria, serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, has been promoted to the rank of Specialist.

SEAN JENSEN OF FALLS CHURCH-based Polu Kai Services presented a check for $2,000 along with over 70 toys to the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program last Friday at Dogwood Tavern. Jensen, (right) a former Marine Sgt., is president of Polu Kai Services, a company providing construction and environmental services to the government and private industry. (Photo: News-Press)

Mary Riley Hosts Bingo, Winter Crafts Mary Riley Styles Public Library will host Bingo for children of all ages next week, organized into two separate age brackets. First, on Monday, Dec. 28, children ages 7-14 are invited to play bingo at 2 p.m. On Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m., bingo will be held for children ages 4-6. Registration is required for both events. Furthermore, children are invited to make a winter craft on a drop-in basis on Wednesday, Dec. 30 from 1 – 4 p.m. For more information, call 703-248-5031.

SANTA CLAUS CAME TO town last week thanks to those at the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department. Each year, the department decks one of its trucks in lights, and the “Santamobile” visits Falls Church neighborhoods and passes out candy canes and fire-safety pamphlets. (Photo: News-Press)

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The Protocol Society In the 19th and 20th centuries we made stuff: corn and steel and trucks. Now, we make protocols: sets of instructions. A software program is a protocol for organizing information. A new drug is a protocol for organizing chemicals. Wal-Mart produces protocols for moving and marketing consumer goods. Even when you are buying a car, you are mostly paying for the knowledge embedded in its design, not the metal and glass. A protocol economy has very different properties than a physical stuff economy. NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE For example, you and I can’t use the same piece of metal at the same time. But you and I can use the same software program at the same time. Physical stuff is subject to the laws of scarcity: you can use up your timber. But it’s hard to use up a good idea. Prices for material goods tend toward equilibrium, depending on supply and demand. Equilibrium doesn’t really apply to the market for new ideas Over the past decades, many economists have sought to define the differences between the physical goods economy and the modern protocol economy. In 2000, Larry Summers, then the Treasury secretary, gave a speech called “The New Wealth of Nations,” laying out some principles. Leading work has been done by Douglass North of Washington University, Robert Fogel of the University of Chicago, Joel Mokyr of Northwestern and Paul Romer of Stanford. Their research is the subject of an important new book called “From Poverty to Prosperity,” by Arnold Kling and Nick Schulz. Kling and Schulz start off entertainingly by describing a food court. There are protocols everywhere, not only for how to make the food, but how to greet the customers, how to share common equipment like trays and tables, how to settle disputes between the stalls and enforce contracts with the management. The success of an economy depends on its ability to invent and embrace new protocols. Kling and Schulz use North’s phrase “adaptive efficiency,” but they are really talking about how quickly a society can be infected by new ideas. Protocols are intangible, so the traits needed to invent and absorb them are intangible, too. First, a nation has to have a good operating system: laws, regulations and property rights. For example, if you are making steel, it costs a medium amount to make your first piece of steel and

David Brooks

then a significant amount for each additional piece. If, on the other hand, you are making a new drug, it costs an incredible amount to invent your first pill. But then it’s nearly free to copy it millions of times. You’re only going to invest the money to make that first pill if you can have a temporary monopoly to sell the copies. So a nation has to find a way to protect intellectual property while still encouraging the flow of ideas. Second, a nation has to have a good economic culture. “From Poverty to Prosperity” includes interviews with major economists, and it is striking how they are moving away from mathematical modeling and toward fields like sociology and anthropology. What really matters, Edmund S. Phelps of Columbia argues, is economic culture – attitudes toward uncertainty, the willingness to exert leadership, the willingness to follow orders. A strong economy needs daring consumers (Phelps says China lacks this) and young researchers with money to play with (Romer notes that NIH grants used to go to 35-year-olds but now they go to 50-year-olds). A protocol economy tends toward inequality because some societies and subcultures have norms, attitudes and customs that increase the velocity of new recipes while other subcultures retard it. Some nations are blessed with self-reliant families, social trust and fairly enforced regulations, while others are cursed by distrust, corruption and fatalistic attitudes about the future. It is very hard to transfer the protocols of one culture onto those of another. It’s exciting to see so many Nobel laureates taking this consilient approach. North, the leader of the field, doesn’t even think his work is economics, just unified social science. But they are still economists, with worldviews that are still excessively individualistic and rationalistic. Kling and Schulz do not do a good job of explaining how innovation emerges. They list some banal character traits – charisma, passion – that entrepreneurs supposedly possess. To get a complete view of where the debate is headed, I’d read “From Poverty to Prosperity,” and then I’d read Richard Ogle’s 2007 book, “Smart World,” one of the most underappreciated books of the decade. Ogle applies the theory of networks and the philosophy of the extended mind (you have to read it) to show how real world innovation emerges from social clusters. Economic change is fomenting intellectual change. When the economy was about stuff, economics resembled physics. When it’s about ideas, economics comes to resemble psychology.

Off To The Races COPENHAGEN – I’ve long believed there are two basic strategies for dealing with climate change – the “Earth Day” strategy and the “Earth Race” strategy. This Copenhagen climate summit was based on the Earth Day strategy. It was not very impressive. This conference produced a series of limited, conditional, messy compromises, which it is not at all New York Times Service clear will get us any closer to mitigating climate change at the speed and scale we need. Indeed, anyone who watched the chaotic way this conference was “organized,” and the bickering by delegates with which it finished, has to ask whether this 17-year U.N. process to build a global framework to roll back global warming is broken: too many

Thomas L. Friedman

countries – 193 – and too many moving parts. I leave here feeling more strongly than ever that America needs to focus on its own Earth Race strategy instead. Let me explain. The Earth Day strategy said that the biggest threat to mankind is climate change, and we as a global community have to hold hands and attack this problem with a collective global mechanism for codifying and verifying everyone’s carbon-dioxide emissions and reductions and to transfer billions of dollars in clean technologies to developing countries to help them take part. But as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil told this conference, this Earth Day framework only works “if countries take responsibility to meet their targets” and if the rich nations really help the Continued on Page 32

A Dangerous Dysfunction Unless some legislator pulls off a last-minute double-cross, health care reform will pass the Senate this week. Count me among those who consider this an awesome achievement. It’s a seriously flawed bill, we’ll spend years if not decades fixing it, but it’s nonetheless a huge step forward. It was, however, a close-run thing. And the fact that it was such a close thing shows that the Senate – and, therefore, the U.S. government as a whole – has become ominously dysfunctional. After all, Democrats won big last year, running on a platform that put health reform front and center. In any other advanced democracy this would have given them the mandate and the ability to make major changes. But the need for 60 votes to cut off Senate debate and end a filibuster – a requirement that NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE appears nowhere in the Constitution, but is simply a self-imposed rule – turned what should have been a straightforward piece of legislating into a nail-biter. And it gave a handful of wavering senators extraordinary power to shape the bill. Now consider what lies ahead. We need fundamental financial reform. We need to deal with climate change. We need to deal with our long-run budget deficit. What are the chances that we can do all that – or, I’m tempted to say, any of it – if doing anything requires 60 votes in a deeply polarized Senate? Some people will say that it has always been this way, and that we’ve managed so far. But it wasn’t always like this. Yes, there were filibusters in the past – most notably by segregationists trying to block civil rights legislation. But the modern system, in which the minority party uses the threat of a filibuster to block every bill it doesn’t like, is a recent creation. The political scientist Barbara Sinclair has done the math. In the 1960s, she finds, “extended-debate-related problems” – threatened or actual filibusters – affected only 8 percent of major legislation. By the 1980s, that had risen to 27 percent. But after Democrats retook control of Congress in 2006 and Republicans found themselves in the minority, it soared to 70 percent. Some conservatives argue that the Senate’s rules didn’t stop former President George W. Bush from getting things done. But this is misleading, on two levels. First, Bush-era Democrats weren’t nearly as determined to frustrate the majority party, at any cost, as Obama-era Republicans. Certainly, Democrats never did anything like what Republicans did last week: GOP senators held up spending for the Defense Department – which was on the verge of running out of money – in an attempt to delay action on health care. More important, however, Bush was a buy-now-pay-later president. He pushed through big tax cuts, but never tried to pass spending cuts to make up for the revenue loss. He rushed the nation into war, but never asked Congress to pay for it. He added an expensive drug benefit to Medicare, but left it completely unfunded. Yes, he had legislative victories; but he didn’t show that Congress can make hard choices and act responsibly, because he never asked it to. So now that hard choices must be made, how can we reform the Senate to make such choices possible? Back in the mid-1990s two senators – Tom Harkin and, believe it or not, Joe Lieberman – introduced a bill to reform Senate procedures. (Management wants me to make it clear that in my last column I wasn’t endorsing inappropriate threats against Lieberman.) Sixty votes would still be needed to end a filibuster at the beginning of debate, but if that vote failed, another vote could be held a couple of days later requiring only 57 senators, then another, and eventually a simple majority could end debate. Harkin says that he’s considering reintroducing that proposal, and he should. But if such legislation is itself blocked by a filibuster – which it almost surely would be – reformers should turn to other options. Remember, the Constitution sets up the Senate as a body with majority – not supermajority – rule. So the rule of 60 can be changed. A Congressional Research Service report from 2005, when a Republican majority was threatening to abolish the filibuster so it could push through Bush judicial nominees, suggests several ways this could happen – for example, through a majority vote changing Senate rules on the first day of a new session. Nobody should meddle lightly with long-established parliamentary procedure. But our current situation is unprecedented: America is caught between severe problems that must be addressed and a minority party determined to block action on every front. Doing nothing is not an option – not unless you want the nation to sit motionless, with an effectively paralyzed government, waiting for financial, environmental and fiscal crises to strike.

Paul Krugman

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The Decade From Hell? Was this, as Time magazine suggests, really the “Decade from Hell?” Actual reality, of course, can’t be broken up into the neat packages of time, such as decades, that humanity has devised in the form of clocks and calendars. We worship those inventions, and it is universally accepted to place in them the inordinate powers we prescribe to anniversaries and other features of an occult-like numerology. The validity of calendars lies in their capacity for bringing all of humanity onto the same page. They help to make sure people show up on time for meetings, and in assessing individual experience by comparison to other things going on at the same time. They’re tools of our shared existence, but are often confused with the reality Falls church news-press they’re designed to measure. Still, a decade constitutes a long enough passage of time to be meaningful, and we are now at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Time magazine also designates annually a “Person of the Year,” not always the best person, but the most impactful person. Looking back at the last 10 years in the same manner, my choices for the four persons of the decade, making the biggest difference on how things unfolded, are Antonin Scalia, Osama Bin Laden, Judith Miller and Barack Obama. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia was the most influential voice on the court that stole the 2000 U.S. presidential election for George Bush, perhaps the most seminal single event of the decade. A personality profile section of a Washington D.C. newspaper asked the same question of different people every week, and one of them had to do with what one thing the person questioned would change if he or she could. Week in, week out for years, the answer was almost always the 2000 election outcome, as it was when I was asked. Of course, by the time Scalia decided the matter, Fox News had done its damaging by “calling” Florida for Bush on election night, causing CBS’s Dan Rather to hesitate and setting in motion a massive media and public deception operation that led up to the regrettable outcome. Osama Bin Laden is an obvious choice, not only for his role as the mastermind of the horrid 9/11 attack, but for successfully eluding capture for the entire decade, resulting in the diversion of overwhelming resources while emboldening and growing terrorist networks worldwide. Judith Miller was the New York Times reporter and Bush administration leak repository, who not only fed lies about “weapons of mass destruction” onto the front page of her newspaper leading up to the invasion of Iraq, but who withheld information that she knew about the White House source behind the retaliatory outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame until after the 2004 re-election of Bush. Had Miller done her patriotic and journalistic duty to expose this most egregious of White House crimes, Bush would not have been re-elected, and the world would have been extricated from his miserable regime four years sooner. In those four years, Bush opened the floodgates for the most remarkable excess of speculation and leveraging in the history of the species, bringing the world to the brink of a total economic meltdown and a new dark age. Finally, President Obama is my other “no-brainer” choice. He will be remembered not only for his campaign and historic electoral victory, but for having accomplished more in the first year of his administration than any president in U.S. History. Of course, truth be told, if people had been paying more attention, I might have made the list, too. This column appeared without fail every week for the entire decade with a remarkable track record for accuracy, and two of them, in particular, were particularly prophetic. One, in October 2003, denounced Congressional Democrats for signing off on Bush’s War Powers resolution to justify the invasion of Iraq. The other, appearing in July 2008, entitled “The Wheels Are Coming Off,” warned of the impending economic crisis that virtually no one, at that point, anticipated. But the most important question at this moment in time concerns how the next decade will be remembered. Will it really be like the 1930s?

Nicholas F. Benton

 Nicholas Benton may be e-mailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.

Blunder On The Mountain Flying over the waves of snow-covered mountains that make Afghanistan a natural fortress and a sinkhole for empires, it’s impossible not to think of Osama bin Laden’s escaping from Tora Bora as one of the greatest bungled opportunities in history. Unlike the Bushies, who tried to play down bin Laden’s importance the longer he was on the lam, Gen. Stanley McChrystal acknowledged in recent congressional hearings that “he is an iconic figure.” “It would not defeat al-Qaida to have him captured or killed,” he said, “but I don’t think that we can finally defeat alQaida until he is captured or killed.” I asked Bob Gates, as we flew over the NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE notorious terrain, if he had any insights into why such a bellicose team as W., Cheney and Rummy flinched at the very moment they could have captured our mortal enemy. Gates, who said there hasn’t been any good intelligence on bin Laden’s whereabouts in years, said, “It’s just hard to find somebody who has a sympathetic network and local support.” (It seems hard to believe the CIA can’t infiltrate terrorist networks, given all the Americans who keep popping up as wannabe jihadis.) During the climactic showdown at Tora Bora, Rummy distracted Gen. Tommy Franks by demanding that he freshen up an Iraq invasion plan. The insufficient number of troops at Tora Bora was a harbinger of things to come in Afghanistan, as the Bush administration heedlessly moved on to Iraq. “Afghanistan was a vastly underresourced operation because, as some of the generals say in the Pentagon, we were just out of Schlitz,” Gates said. “We didn’t have any more troops to send.” Noting that the dad of Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was a Hollywood publicist whose clients included Julie Andrews, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Phyllis Diller, Carol Burnett and Anthony Quinn, and his mom was an assistant for a time to Jimmy Durante, I said that if this were a movie, an elite Rambo team would have gone into the Pakistan border area long ago to fulfill W.’s empty threat to get Osama “dead or alive.” I wondered why Bush and Obama officials went along with the mythological geological alibi of “impassable” mountains. Health care has often seemed impassable. Lots of things are difficult. But in America, given all our resources, we pride ourselves on achieving the difficult.

Maureen Dowd

Gates told U.S. soldiers in Kirkuk that, in essence, we went to war twice in Afghanistan: a brief one in 2001 that America won, and one that started at the end of 2005 when the Taliban regenerated. “What we didn’t realize,” he said, “was that, particularly beginning toward the end of 2005, the deals that the Pakistanis cut with the tribes to back off and leave them alone created the space in which the Taliban were able to come back.” The Bush administration may not have realized that, but common sense told you the deal was lousy, giving those who hated us a sanctuary in which to rejuvenate. In a compelling cover story in the current New Republic called “The Battle for Tora Bora,” Peter Bergen, a terrorism expert, reconstructs the debacle, calling it “one of the greatest military blunders in recent U.S. history.” He reports that Tommy Franks rebuffed the CIA request for 800 Army Rangers from nearby bases to assault the complex of caves where bin Laden was hiding and block his escape. In the end, Bergen notes, there were more journalists there than Western soldiers. Franks told the CIA he wanted to keep a lightfootprint approach. (Curiously, Gates – who is known in the Obama administration as “the man who leaves no footprints” – decided to support the heavy-footprint surge after McChrystal made the argument that it’s not the size of the footprint, but how hard the foot comes down.) Franks and Rummy were risk-averse about American troop casualties at the very moment they could have decapitated al-Qaida. Instead, bin Laden’s myth grew with his escape as a 15,000-pound daisy cutter bomb and a series of 500-pound bombs rained down on the caves. Bergen writes that bin Laden’s son, Omar, said that “bin Laden would routinely hike from Tora Bora into neighboring Pakistan on walks that could take anywhere between seven and 14 hours. ‘My brothers and I all loathed these grueling treks that seemed the most pleasant of outings to our father,’ Omar bin Laden later recalled. Bin Laden told his sons they had to memorize every rock on the routes to Pakistan. ‘We never know when war will strike,’ he instructed them. ‘We must know our way out of the mountains.’” Eight years after Tora Bora, the failure there poses the question at the heart, or Achilles’ heel, of President Barack Obama’s strategy: What if victory over al-Qaida and other terrorists lies in Pakistan, not Afghanistan? Are we going to go get them in Pakistan or not? Bin Laden’s evading us and ending up in Pakistan is the perfect humiliating symbol of our failure to deal with that question.

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Sophistry Disguised A feature article in this week’s New York Times Magazine refers to Princeton professor Robert P. George as the “intellectual architect” of the extreme right. This is hardly an honor, considering the main competition for “Values Valedictorian” is Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter and Mike Huckabee. One also has to consider admiration comes from the likes of George W. Bush and Glenn Beck, who calls George “one of the biggest brains in America.” George’s primary accomplishment has been denying gay couples the right to marry, by forming an unholy political union between conservative Catholics, like himself, and Evangelical Christians. He is the chairman of The National Organization for Marriage, the group that most recently worked to strip marriage rights from LGBT couples in Maine. Quite frankly, I’m hardly impressed with George’s cognitive abilities. If one nything looks at the numbers in Maine, his allegedly intellectual arguments against sameut traight sex marriage failed miserably in cosmopolitan Portland and in Orono, home of By Wayne Besen The University of Maine. His primary talent, it seems, is to trick the unschooled and easily fooled. Given this reality, George is more back woods propagandist than deep professorial thinker. Indeed, one of the simplest ways to succeed in America is to rabble rouse and scapegoat. It takes no brains to peddle belligerence and play the gay card by pandering to people not playing with a full deck. George exploited an undereducated constituency and fed them red meat, which is no more than a cheap shortcut for those incapable of the more difficult task of bringing Americans together. In a diverse nation paradoxically frightened by diversity, demagogues such as George are a dime a dozen and unworthy of praise. What George offers is sophistry disguised as scholarship. For example, his opposition to gay people having sex or marrying rests on his version of “natural law”, allegedly based on “practical reason.” In the Times Magazine article, Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali parrots George’s idea of “natural law” at a press conference, with George at his side, cheering on his protégé. “Sexual relations outside the marital bond are contrary not only to the will of God but to the good of man,” said Rigali. “Indeed they are contrary to the will of God precisely because they are against the good of man.” The “good” of which men (and women) might Rigali and George be referring to? Is it the teenage boys who were molested in the Catholic Church because such conservative ideologues insisted on turning gay men into sexually repressed and emotionally stunted shells and then placing them in the priesthood? Perhaps, they can illuminate how such “practical reason” was “good” for Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas who came out of the closet this weekend after hiding his sexual orientation for two decades. “Sometimes I felt so alone and depressed,” said Thomas. “I’ve stood on so many cliff edges. I used to go to the cliffs overlooking the beach near our cottage in St Brides Major and just think about jumping off and ending it all…I was like a ticking bomb. I thought I could suppress it, keep it locked away in some dark corner of myself, but I couldn’t. It was who I was, and I just couldn’t ignore it any more.” Maybe George can explain how his philosophy was somehow “good” for Gareth’s wife Jenna, who is about to be divorced? If “practical reason” has proven one thing, it has shown the closet, particularly for the Catholic Church, to be destructive on so many levels. George has demonstrably failed to articulate how openly gay people harm heterosexuals or how living a lie helps homosexuals be more productive members of society. His entire presentation is a ruse meant to rally the rubes. Interestingly, George believes in restricting marriage because, in his view, only a husband and wife can experience, “comprehensive unity” and become a “one-flesh union.” He blatantly ignores that millions of people can achieve this state only through homosexual relations. By forcing GLBT people to conform to his views and presumably marry the opposite sex, he is creating the conditions to achieve the polar opposite of what he claims is necessary for a healthy marriage. George is equally disingenuous in claiming that marriage is based on procreation. These days, the vast majority of people marry for love. Many couples choose not to have children, while others are unable to. To suggest otherwise is to proffer an incoherent and intellectually dishonest view of modern marriage. George is an intellectual lightweight without an original idea in his head. His claim to fame is organizing like-minded conservatives and providing a veneer of education to mask his goal of discrimination. This is not the pride of Princeton, but a paean to prejudice.

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Congressman Moran’s News Commentary By James P. Moran

Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives

Six months ago, the world watched the Iranian people take to the streets to protest their country’s fraudulent presidential elections. All over the world, people witnessed the events unfold in stunning detail through pictures and video clips captured on cell phones and distributed over the internet. Empowered by communication services like Twitter and Facebook, Iranians rapidly organized what became the first popular democratic uprising of the social media age. And then almost simultaneously, we watched the Iranian government ruthlessly clamp down on the protests, spilling blood on the streets. The Iranian government continues to demonstrate total disregard for the welfare of the Iranian people through its reckless nuclear campaign and repression of any semblance of civil society. It has increasingly turned to technological measures to stop democratic unrest, blocking access to the internet, shutting down reformist websites and infiltrating electronic social networks, among other actions. While many Americas understand the role that social media services like Twitter and Facebook played in this summer’s election and continue to play in Iran today, few people know that current U.S. law prohibits the export or use

of this technology to Iran. This is clearly not in keeping with our nation’s core principles of freedom of speech and information. Nor was it the intent of the law’s original authors. When Congress constructed the embargo more than three decades ago, Representative Howard Berman, who is now the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, passed an amendment that carved out an exception protecting the exchange of information and educational materials between the people of the U.S. and the private citizens of Iran. Despite the clear intent of the Berman Amendment, as a consequence of increased enforcement of US sanctions on Iran due to their drive for nuclear development, many American companies have opted in recent years to withhold or cut off Iranian’s access to web communication services. Microsoft and Google have both shut down instant messenger services because their programs are enabled by a download not authorized for export to Iran under U.S. law. (The companies later reinstated the services, thanks to pressure by the public and lawmakers). After extensive behind the scenes discussions with State and Treasury Department officials, I introduced a bipartisan bill to amend U.S. sanctions law to make explicit that the select export of

software and services vital to communications and access to information in Iran be permissible. The Iranian Digital Empowerment Act (IDEA) H.R. 4301, will provide Iranians greater to access webbased technology, anti-censorship and anti-spying software necessary for circumventing the surveillance and control of the Iranian government. The Obama Administration has since moved to adopt many of the recommendations in the bill regarding access to web-based information and communications tools by issuing a “waiver,” or exception, to current law. In a statement on December 15, 2009, the administration deemed that lifting U.S. prohibitions on the transfer of informational services and software to Iran is “essential to the national interest.” I applaud the Administration’s move toward a new, smarter approach to U.S. sanctions policy. Those changes however, still need to be codified into law and the anti-censorship and spying software provisions from my legislation have yet to be enacted. Washington can take additional steps to help ensure that our sanctions on Iran are hitting the right target -- the oppressive Iranian regime -- and not its freedom loving people by making the IDEA Act law this Congress.

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A Penny for Your Thoughts

News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross

This week’s column was planned to give a yearend evaluation for candy canes or lumps of coal in holiday stockings, but the weekend’s historic storm changed my approach a little bit. Although the prospects for a White Christmas are better than in past years, all that white stuff should remind us of some sensible tips to get around without getting hurt. The first step is getting out of the house, and that first step could be dangerous! Melting snow on your doorstep can freeze quickly and become a treacherous ice path. Wear sturdy boots or shoes, even when stepping out to pick up the newspaper or get the mail. Dress appropriately for outdoor activity. Layering is a good idea, on top and bottom. A hat, mittens or gloves (mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves), and waterproof insulated boots will help keep you warm and provide firmer footing on snow and ice. When you come indoors from shoveling snow or digging out your car, get out of your wet clothes immediately, and warm up with non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages. When clearing your driveway and sidewalk, try to pile snow out of the roadway, and avoid putting snow in front of, or on top of, storm drains. When the melt comes, the storm drains need to be clear to accept all that water. If you are driving, please clean off all parts of your car first – front, back, and top. When a foot-and-a-half of snow on your 203843A01 car roof shifts as you turn a corner, or when you brake for the person ahead of you, you put everyone, including yourself, at risk. Drive carefully at all times. Black pavement might mean ice. Your normal driving motions are affected drastically by

unsure stopping distances and mountains of snow on both sides of the drive aisle(s). Road salts and other chemicals can smear up a windshield very quickly, so be sure to use your windshield washers frequently, and double check the reservoir to be sure it’s full. An occasional damp swipe of your headlights and brake lights will ensure that your vehicle can be seen by other drivers. Now for those candy canes and lumps of coal: Candy canes all around for the intrepid snowplow drivers who toiled day and night to open the roads. In Fairfax County (and most other Virginia counties), road maintenance and snowplowing is the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation, a state agency. County Supervisors usually get the complaints, even though most Virginia counties have no authority or responsibility for roads. So candy canes, too, to county staff who fielded all the complaint calls. A lump of coal to drivers who continue to move about the snow-covered roads as though it was a sunny day in May. Slow down! Another lump of coal to drivers who hijack the parking space that someone else cleared for their own car. And, finally, candy canes to everyone with holiday spirit. Regardless of religion, culture, ethnicity, or anything else, “Peace on earth, good will to all” should be replicated to all corners of the earth. Merry Christmas!  Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be e-mailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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News from the Coffin Corner: Bob Hull’s

Richmond Report Times Are Tough We are in the second year of the worst U.S. economic downturn in at least a generation, which has resulted in severe state tax revenue declines. Since 2007, Governor Kaine has proposed, and the General Assembly has approved, $7 billion in budget cuts. The cuts would actually have been even steeper this past year if it were not for Virginia receiving federal stimulus funds, which will expire in 2011. By this fall, it was clear that another $3.5 billion in cuts were needed because of a continuing revenue shortfall. Just Getting Tougher In Virginia, a governor’s last two-year budget plan is made prior to a new governor being inaugurated. That was the case last Friday as Governor Kaine made his presentation to a joint meeting of the General Assembly money committees. The revenue forecast he presented showed a general fund revenue decline of 2.7 percent in the current fiscal year. This is the second yearly revenue drop in a row, which is the first time that has happened in Virginia. This is in sharp contrast to the past. For 29 out of the last 40 years, yearly revenue growth has been at least six percent. In fact, in 17 of those 40 years, revenue growth was at least 10 percent from one year to the next. School and Workforce Cuts The Governor proposes that, for the first time in recent memory, public school funding will be less in the next fiscal year than in the current fiscal year. He proposes cutting administrative and support personnel and local employee health insurance funding, but not reducing classroom educational programs. There have been 1,651 layoffs in the state workforce since 2007, and this budget proposes that another 664 workers will lose their jobs. State employees, who face

a furlough day in May 2010, have not received raises since December 2007, and will receive none through July 2012 under this budget. Tax Increases? Governor Kaine has proposed budget reductions of only $2.3 billion out of the over $3.5 billion needed. To make up the difference, he would reallocate funds now going to other programs and increase taxes. The Governor proposes taxing property insurance premiums and increasing the E-911 fees we pay as part of our phone bills. He proposes ending retailer reimbursements for sales tax collections and grabbing $950 million now going to local governments for the car tax cut. In order to prevent local governments from having to return to taxing automobiles and other personal property, he proposes a 1% income tax increase. Under this proposal, all of this new income tax revenue would go back to the localities in which it was raised in exchange for them eliminating the personal property tax. In a Quandary I do not see any possibility of the General Assembly passing an income tax increase during the 2010 session. But, without it, the House and Senate are going to have to cut state spending even more drastically. But, what can they cut? That is the tar baby that the outgoing governor has thrown upon the laps of the 140 members of the General Assembly. Do they increase taxes in an economic downturn or further cut state programs at a time when demand is even greater for them? It looks like watching the 2010 General Assembly session is going to be a great spectator sport.  Delegate Hull represents the 38th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He may be emailed at delrhull@state. house.va.us.

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December 24 - 30, 2009

News Atlantic Realty Companies, Akridge Real Estate, Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust, Drs. Berman & Lee, Clay Café Studios, Carol Jackson, the Falls Church Economic Development Authority, Karen Akers, Love & Miller DDS, Kieran Sharpe, The Falls Church Housing Corporation, The Falls Church, Tori McKinney of Long & Foster, Viget Labs and Virginia Commerce Bank are all supporting Watch Night 2009, Falls Church City’s free New Year’s Eve celebration. The event is organized by Barbara Cram on behalf of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce with assistance from the City of Falls Church, the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, the Village Preservation and Improvement Society, local churches and the Unity Club. For information about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities or scheduled events email greenscap@aol.com.

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Clay Café Studios raised almost $1,000 through its 9th annual family fundraiser to support the Falls Church Emergency Homeless Shelter. Flippin’ Pizza and Edible Arrangements made generous food donations. Falls Church citizens, local business owners and the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce supported the event while spending the evening painting pottery and enjoying refreshments on Wednesday December 8th. Clay Café Studios is located at 101 N. Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA. The phone number is (703) 534-7600. Clay Café Studios is open Monday through Thursday from 11am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 9pm and Sundays from 12pm to 5pm. Hildi Pardo of Falls Church and Suha Frye of Springfield received top honors from lia Sophia for its Excellent Beginning Program Achievers for their outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism. Lia Sophia is a direct fashion jewelry business which provides in-home demonstrations. For more information visit www.liasophia.com or call 800-487-3323. Olde Habits, the stand alone antique and used furniture shop at 817 W. Broad Street in Falls Church, is now Eclectic Elegance. The phone number for Olde Habits is out of service. The phone number for Eclectic Elegance is 703-536-4663 although it appears that the home furnishings and accessories store has not yet opened.  The Business News & Notes section is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be e-mailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.

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Page 17

‘Treats for the Troops’: F.C. Teenager Brings Holidays to Soldiers Overseas by Sarah Carter

Falls Church News-Press

This holiday season, one young local made it her mission to bring U.S. soldiers overseas a little slice of home. Thirteen-year-old Lisa Cofrancesco of Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church shipped out six large boxes of nonperishable treats for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan on Dec. 5 with the support of family and friends. For her Girl Scout Silver Star service project, Cofrancesco, a dedicated member of Girl Scout Troop 6170, launched Treats for the Troops, coining the name on her own. “I thought of it myself. It’s exactly what it sounds like: giving treats to the troops,” said Cofrancesco. But Treats for the Troops wasn’t created to merely fulfill an assignment. It was Cofrancesco’s way of giving back and cheering

up the troops by bringing them “a little bit closer to home.” Cofrancesco teamed up with her civics teacher Alexandra Velesz and art teacher Dolores Wimberly, who provided several hundred homemade cards from Longfellow students to send off with the donations. “It was a great pair-up,” said Wimberly. “Lisa thought that including cards with the packages would make it more personal and let troops know that Longfellow students cared and were thinking about them.” In addition to asking for homemade cards and dry, packaged foodstuffs, including candy, cookies, chips, Ramen noodle soup, hot chocolate, gum, beef jerky and sunflower seeds, Cofrancesco made a request for Ty Beanie Babies. She thought it was important to include the plush toys after learning that marines gave them to Afghan and Iraqi children who in turn revealed the locations of so-

called IEDS, or improvised explosive devices, buried in the ground. “Beanie babies are saving lives,” Cofrancesco said. After Thanksgiving, Cofrancesco shipped off six tall cardboard boxes through Operation Gratitude and Give2TheTroops, two charitable organizations that agreed to accept the gifts and send them directly to the troops. Each box consisted of approximately 50 – 60 lbs. of leftover Halloween candy, chips, rice cakes, trail mix, powdered drinks and other nonperishable treats. Juliana Cofrancesco, Lisa’s mother, was surprised at how much was collected. “I was shocked when I saw the boxes overflowing,” she said. Craig Cofrancesco, Lisa’s father, was equally impressed. “I just didn’t think it would get off the ground like that.” When Lisa first approached her parents with the idea, they were hesitant. “I was frankly worried

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that it was going to be pushed off on us, but it wasn’t the case,” said Craig. “I was pleasantly surprised.” Lisa’s mother explained that Lisa was the one who took the reigns of Treats for the Troops. “The hardest part was reaching out to schools, composing emails and dealing with rejection,” she said. “It’s not easy for an eighth grader to do.” But Lisa completed what she

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December 24 - 30, 2009

McLean Gymnastics Welcomes New Coach, Challenges by Robert Fulton

Falls Church News-Press

Heading into the 2009-2010 gymnastics season, there were a lot of questions for McLean High School. The team has welcomed a new coach by the name of Courtney Lesson, who hadn’t coached high school before; and has a number of inexperienced girls working on basic routines. After a third-place showing out of six teams at Stone Bridge High School earlier this month, it appears that the Highlander program is heading in the right direction. “The first meet we went into, I wasn’t sure where we’d be, and we ended up getting third as a team,” said Lesson. “I was very happy. Coming in

third, we still have a lot of work that we need to do so that by the end of this season, hopefully we can be up there with some of the top schools.” Part of the team’s early success has to be attributed to their new coach, who moved to the area recently after attending Western Michigan University, where she had a solid gymnastics career. Though she hasn’t coached at the high school level before, she has club experience, as well as an enthusiasm and a positive outlook. “I really want to get the girls to just meet their goals, and to have a good strong team would be my ultimate goal,” she said “To build the team throughout the years, to help keep recruiting more girls.” The Highlanders this season

have a small squad, just seven on the listed roster, including two seniors and no juniors. “We do have a lot of rookies and couple of returning girls,” Lesson said. “I just want them to do their best, work hard, succeed, meet their own goals. “From what I’ve heard, it’s always been a small group of girls, so I have a couple of cheerleaders and some new girls who really haven’t done gymnastics,” the coach continued. She added she’s working “with them trying to get the requirements on the routines for each event they’re doing very well in succeeding, especially with nerves.” Lesson stresses that it is overcoming nerves that is a big challenge for any new gymnast. “They’re very nervous in try-

MCLEAN’S NEW GYMNASTICS coach, Courtney Lesson.

(Photo: Robert Fulton/News-Press)

ing to get all the requirements, like the series connections, the jump connections, on each routine,” Lesson said. “That’s part of the scoring.”

Senior Megan Sanders-Smith is expected to have a strong year, as well as sophomore Claire Sanders and Abigail Neuberger. Lesson’s youth is an added dimension in working with the girls. “I like Courtney,” said sophomore Emily Westby-Gibson, at a Friday night practice last week. “She’s a lot of fun. She’s young.” This is Westby-Gibson’s first year doing gymnastics, and she practices two or three hours a day, five days a week. Next up for McLean gymnastics is at Robinson High on Jan. 6, where Lesson hopes to see even more improvement from her young squad. “Hopefully we’ll be further along with our routines, so the girls will be out there looking stronger,” the coach said.

Master Swordsman: Local F.C. Teenager Excels in Wushu Swordfighting Tourney by Mary Portner

Falls Church News-Press

Catching a glance of a Wushu fighter with their electric movement and physical domination of a sword, one might not first suspect giggly Joana Pei, 17, to be a Wushu Champion. But this girl knows how to wield her taolu – that’s the customary broadsword used on occasion in the popular Chinese martial arts called Wushu. Wushu is a combat sport that uses a flat sword, staff or barehands to defeat others in the ring. Pei sliced her way to the summit of the U.S. Wushu Team and earned 5th place in women’s Taolu at the 10th World Wushu Championships held in Toronto, Canada on Oct. 23 – 29. As the only American female to place in the top fifth percentile at the competition, Pei’s score was .15 points away from the firstplace victor from Hong Kong. However, she beat out nearly 1,500 other competitors from over 85 countries. “The Chinese rules are tougher and more complicated than the international rules,” said Pei. Competition is broken down into sparring and individual routines. Pei mainly focuses on the latter. The motions are sometimes more artful though, and they can be rehearsed and set to music.

A member of the Falls Church U.S. Wushu Academy, Pei attributed her success to countless hours of training under her mother and coach, Zhang Guifeng. Pei first picked up the broadsword at the age of six, following in family footsteps, and now the teenager trains two hours a day. For the past five years, she has traveled to China to train with the national team during the summer. When preparing for a competition, she adopts a disciplined regimen for a sport that requires both mental and physical preparation. “I can’t go out to parties or stay up late because I need to focus,” said Pei. “It goes Homework, SAT’s and compete. Or visa versa?” she continued, laughing. Both of her parents have experience in various Chinese martial arts and have turned it into a career, owning the Lakeforest and Falls Church U.S. Wushu Academies. Pei graduates from Winston Churchill High School this May and is applying early to colleges, her sights set ultimately on UCLA, UC Berkeley or James Madison University (JMU). “My parents want me to take over the business, but I want to be an environmentalist, or maybe a researcher for auto-immune disease,” said Joana. According to Pei’s mother, Guifeng, children as young as 12 months have responded to the

mental training Wushu provides. Guifeng is a former champion of the Beijing Wushu Team, her husband, Christopher Pei, said, who, at 11, proved that a woman could not only move as fast as a man, but could be faster, he said. In 1984, Guifeng said, she moved her talents to the U.S. and started a family. “Wushu is a family tradition. I look forward to doing it the rest of our lives,” said Diana Pei, as the female family members turned and laughed at each other. “It’s so ingrained,” Joana added.

JOANA PEI (right) was part of the U.S. team in the World Wushu Championship this October. (Photo: Courtesy Christopher Lee)

Area High School Sports Roundup

Mason 200 Relay Qualifies for States; Marshall Wrestlers Beat Stonebridge FALLS CHURCH H.S. Jaguars Basketball Suffers 58-51 Loss to Raiders The Falls Church boys basketball team fell to Stuart High 58-51 at home last week. The team was led by Nizar Alamin with 21 points, and teammate Pranave Gangele added

13. The loss drops the Jaguars to 3-3, but they return to action Monday, Dec. 28 at the Pohanka Tournament at Chantilly High. GEORGE C. MARSHALL H.S. Statesmen’s Watts Puts 24 On Board Vs. Fairfax The Marshall High School

boys basketball team defeated Fairfax 60-53 at home last Friday. The Statesmen were paced by Stanley Watts with 24 points, including 11-for-15 from the foul line; and Martynas Verbusaitis finished with 10 points and six rebounds, including three threepointers. Continued on Page 19

December 24 - 30, 2009

Page 19

Holiday Jukebox

GEORGE MASON’S WILL DOTY competed in the 500 free during last week’s competition against Dominion High. Both Mason teams won their meets. (Photo: Brad Mills)

Roundup

Battle at the Bridge on Dec. 29 in Woodbridge.

Continued from Page 18

George Mason H.S.

Will Simonton had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks, and Daniel McClain added nine boards and five blocks. The Statesmen (3-2) are at the Waldorf Holiday Hoops Classic starting Saturday at Westlake High.

Mason Basketball Teams Topple Competition

The Marshall girls basketball team fell to Fairfax 48-32 on the road, dropping their record to 4-3. The team next takes the court Tuesday at Falls Church.

The Mason High School boys basketball team defeated Freedom High 49-39 last week. Freshman Aaron Young scored 12 points, and Michael Wolfe added 10 for the Mustangs (3-4). The squad takes the court Dec. 28 when they battle Mountain View High School in the first round of the Chantilly Holiday Tournament at 12:30 p.m. The Mason girls handled Potomac Falls 56-50 behind 18 points from Chantal Thomas and 16 points from Stephanie Cheney.

Statesmen Swimmers Face Stiff Competition from Langley

Mustangs Defeat Dominion, Qualify for States 200 Freestyle

The boys swim team lost to Langley 215-94, and the girls team came up short 229-86. Katherine Van Winkle and Zach Stahl each took first in girls and boys dive, respectively, and Andrew Nyce finished first in the 100 free. The team returns to the pool Jan. 8 at South Lakes High.

The Mustangs’ swim and dive team had something to be happy about as both the boys and girls defeated Dominion High on Friday. The boys won 87-83, the girls 86-84. The boys 200 freestyle relay qualified for states. The team next takes the pool Jan. 8 against Loudoun County High at Claude Moore Park.

Marshall Wrestlers Best Stonebridge, 39-29

J.E.B. STUART H.S.

Marshall Girls Fall to Fairfax, Meet Falls Church Tuesday

The Marshall wrestling team defeated Stonebridge last week 39-29. The team takes part in the

Raiders Win Over Falls Church, Head to Hoop Holiday Classic The Stuart High School boys basketball team defeated the

Falls Church Jaguars 58-51 last week. Antonio Harris led the way with 23 points, and the Raiders basketball team is back in action on Dec. 28 at the Hoop Classic Holiday Tournament at Wise High School. The girls basketball team returns to action Jan. 5 at Edison High. Stuart Wrestling Tourney Cancelled Due to Weather Stuart High School’s Raider Holiday Classic wrestling tournament was canceled last weekend due to the blizzard. The Raiders wrestling squad is back in action on Dec. 30 to participate in the West Potomac High Christmas Classic Tournament. MCLEAN H.S. Langley Upsets McLean Basketball Hopes The McLean boys basketball team had a tough go of it against Langley last week, with the boys losing 69-48. The Highlanders girls basketball team also lost, 45-31, to Langley. Gordo Rogo had 11 points in the loss for the boys. The boys return to action Dec. 29 at a holiday tournament in Rockville. The girls team will begin a holiday tournament Dec. 28 at Stafford High.

Silent Night - Please shut up doesn’t seem like there is anything this kid can’t do right now. to (x?) In addition to coal, Santa has Grandma got run over by a requested a tune for some folks reindeer who have been very naughty this What child is this? John Wall We 3 Kings - Top teams in the year — The BCS. After posting undefeated seasons, both TCU and East, Pens, Devils and Caps Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Boise State were relegated to the Fiesta Bowl where they will comFire - Jim Zorn. Slow roasted. pete for nothing of importance, not Silver Bells even a stirring win over an estabWhite Christmas All I want for Christmas is my lished program like they’ve done in previous years. two-front teeth Santa, you see, is You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch - Picking Splinters a fan of the underdog. You may have BCS By noticed the deer with I’m gettin’ Nuttin Mike Hume the red honker leadfor Christmas - Boise ing his pack of flyState, Cincinnati, ing fawns. By pitting TCU It’s Christmas time and in the TCU and Boise against eachother, spirit of the holidays I’m “gifting” the BCS has robbed both teams of our readers with a little holiday opportunities to further prove that non-BCS programs belong in a playlist — Splinters style. First up on the turntables is national title game. To them, I say, the timeless classic “We Three “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” And finally, this tune has been Kings,” going out to the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins a perennial dedication to Detroit and Washington Capitals. With Lions GM Matt Millen. Well, only the Buffalo Sabres within shock of shocks, Millen has been nine points of those three teams in gone for over a year now. Anyone the standings, the Devs, Pens and in the D.C. area knows there’s Caps have established themselves already an heir apparent working the sidelines at FedEx Field. as the royalty from the East. Yes, Redskins Head Coach Jim While the Caps have been great thus far, the Devils are setting the Zorn, we’re looking in your direcgold standard, posting a 13-2-1 tion. And since your headset is when traveling afar from home. probably set to XM radio instead Washington will have to bring its of the offensive coordinator’s A-game to compete for the No.1 booth, please enjoy this rendiseed, as Martin Brodeur and Co. tion of “Chestnuts Roasting on an are proving themselves to be no Open Fire.” Zorn’s not sitting on a hot seat. Myrrh-age. Sorry, bad puns are He’s perched over a barbecue pit. also part of the holiday tradition. I’d also like to spin a little And as this disastrous season connumber called “What Child is tinues to unfold, there has been This?” to freshman PG John Wall some serious smoke that Zorn of Kentucky. Wall’s early impact will be replaced by former Denver has lived up to the “messianic” Broncos chief Mike Shanahan. While Zorn has done little to prophecies that he could deliver the Wildcats from last year’s NIT dis- nothing to justify his continued appointments. Already draft gurus tenure, the management of his situare talking him up as the clear-cut ation by the Redskins front office No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has been downright inhumane. and frankly I’m not of a mind to dis- Seriously, the move to cut Zorn agree. Wrapped in, uh, swaddling of out of the play-calling loop was blue and white, Wall is averaging about as awkward as a 40-year-old 17.8 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists asking to sit on Santa’s lap. Since the holidays are a time and 2.4 steals per game. The knock on him entering the season was his for compassion, I urge owner perimeter shooting — to which he’s Daniel Snyder to do the merciful answered with a .417 shooting per- thing and cut Zorn loose. He’s been held over the flames too long centage from behind the arc. If the Wildcats run short on and, in the spirit of our song, those funding for their holiday par- nuts are starting to burn. ties, maybe they can have Wall  Mike Hume may be e-mailed at just touch a few water bottles. It mhume@fcnp.com.

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December 24 - 30, 2009

Community Events Thursday, december 24 Christmas at Mount Vernon. All are welcome to spend the holiday at George Washington’s Mount Vernon with its themed Christmas trees, a gingerbread Mount Vernon, chocolate-making demonstrations and 18th-century dancing. Aladdin the camel will play the role of 1787 Christmas Camel. Mount Vernon (3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Alexandria). $15 for adults, $7 for children ages 6 – 11 and free for children under 6. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Continues through Jan. 6. 703780-2000. Procrastinator’s Sale. Procrastinators can pick up last-minute gifts at The Mansion’s annual Procrastinator’s Sale. Items will include art, books, clothing, furniture, jewelry, antiques and more. The Mansion (2020 O. St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Admission is free. 10 – 12:01 a.m. www. omansion.com/christmas_sale. ‘Snow at the Row.’ Join Pentagon Row for a picture-perfect snow fall over the Pentagon Row Ice Skating Rink. Ice skating is an additional fee. Pentagon Row (1201 S. Joyce St., Arlington). 7 p.m. 703-418-6666.

‘Vinyl Vibrations.’ Record lovers are invited to bring their favorite records in and share them at an old-school listening party. Coffee and treats will be served at the coffee shop. The Soundry (316 Dominion Rd., Vienna). 7 – 10 p.m. 703-698-

0088.

Sunday, December 27 Forties and Fifties Four-Minute Dating. Professionals in the City invite single men and women in their 40s and 50s to a mini version of four-minute dating, in which singles will be able to meet and chat with potential partners in a seated, relaxed setting. Guests can sample complimentary desserts as they mingle. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church). $35. 7:30 p.m. 202-686-5990.

Monday, December 28 New Year’s Party. Join local seniors in celebrating the emerging year at a New Year’s celebration. Guests will dance to live entertainment by Carl Pink, a one man band, in a setting adorned by holiday decorations. Langston-Brown Senior Center

Send community event submissions to the News-Press by e-mail at calendar@fcnp. com; fax 703-532-3396; or by regular mail to 450 West Broad Street #321, Falls Church, VA 22046. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.

(2121 N. Culpeper St., Arlington). $6. 10:30 a.m. Registration required. 703-228-5210. ‘Sweatshop Social.’ Indie crafters and Do-It-Yourself types are invited to socialize with other creative individuals and work on current and new projects. Wi-fi, table space and plenty of materials for projects are all provided. The Soundry (316 Dominion Rd., Vienna). Free for members, $5 for non-members. 7 –

10 p.m. 703-698-0088.

tuesday, december 29 ‘Leaving a Legacy.’ Older adults are invited to join Rachel Thompson, transitions counselor, in talking about the benefits of leaving a legacy. Thompson will discuss ways to begin the process of sharing life experiences with future generations. Langston-Brown Senior Center (2121 N. Culpeper St., Arlington). 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. 703-228-5321.

Wednesday, december 30 Senior Walk. Seniors are invited to a 2 – 3 mile walk on the Anacostia Tributary Trail in Bladensburg, Md.

The bus leaves from the Culpepper Garden Senior Center (4435 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington). Free. 9:30 a.m. – noon. 703-228-4403. ‘Wild Ones: Fine Pines.’ Children ages 4 – 10 are invited to practice identifying the most common pine trees in Arlington and learn about the roles they play in the ecosystem. Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 N. Military Rd., Arlington). $3. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. 703-228-3403. Free Legal Services. Legal Services of Northern Virginia will visit Arlington seniors to offer advice, counsel and services on a variety of issues, including social security retirement, health care and more. Culpepper Garden Senior Center (4435 N. Pershing Dr., Arlington). Free for adults over 55. Noon – 2 p.m. 703228-4403. ‘Civil War Discovery Series: Build a Fort.’ Children ages 7 – 11 are invited to investigate how and why Civil War fortifications were built in Arlington. Children will then use paper and pencil to design their own forts. Fort C.F. Smith Park (2411 N. 24th St., Arlington). $5. 2 – 3 p.m. Registration required. 703-243-4342.

Theater Fine Arts thursday, December 24

Monumental Brass Quintet. This performance will feature different musical styles, including classical, Dixieland jazz, ragtime and holiday favorites. John F. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (2700 F. St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Free. Noon. 202-467-4600.

Choral Arts Society of Washington. The Choral Arts Society of Washington will perform in a French-themed Christmas concert. John F. Kennedy Center (2700 F. St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Starting at $15. 1 p.m. 202-467-4600.

‘Mommy Queerest.’ Comedian Judy Gold will perform in this autobiographical one-woman show with original musical numbers about her experiences as a working gay mother. Theatre J (1529 16th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). Starting

at $15. 7:30 p.m. Also shows on Saturday, Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 27 at 3 & 7:30 p.m. 1-800-494-8497.

Santaland Diaries. City Artistic Partnerships presents Joe Brack in the stage adaptation of David Sedaris’ true-life essay, “Santaland Diaries.” This one-man performance will follow Brack’s experiences as an elf working at Macy’s during the holidays. Warehouse Theater (1021 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15. 8 p.m. 1-800838-3006.

Saturday, december 26

‘Showboat.’ Signature Theatre reinvents this classic musical into a brand new production that features songs such as “Make Believe,” “Bill,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ ‘Dat Man” and “Ol’ Man River.” Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave.,

Arlington). Starting at $30. 2 p.m. 703-8209771.

‘Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind.’ The Neo-Futurists will rush to perform 30 miniature plays in 60 minutes in this underground Chicago hit. Woolly Mammoth Theatre (641 D. St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $30. 7 & 9 p.m. Also shows on Sunday, Dec. 27 at 2 & 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. 1-800-838-3006.

Sunday, december 27

‘The Nutcracker.’ More than 100 students will perform in this long-running classical ballet production. Ernst Theatre (8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale). $30 for general admission, $20 for children, seniors and students. 2 & 7 p.m. 703-249-8227.

December 24 - 30, 2009

Page 21

live_music&nightlife THURSDAY, december 24 Good for the Jews. With David Fagin. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566.

friday, december 25 Steve Andricos. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 7 p.m. 703-237-8333. Honky Tonk Confidential. JV Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $5. 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.

SATURDAY, december 26 The Aloha Boys. National Museum of the American Indian (Fourth St. and Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.). Free. 12:30 & 3:30 p.m. 703633-1000. SOJA. With Feed God Cabbage, MOJO. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $20 in advance, $25 day of. 4 p.m. 703-237-0300. Hotspur. With Citizen, Find Vienna. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 in advance, $13 day of. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566. Doug Parks. With Damn Skippy. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). $10. 7 p.m. 703-534-0095.

Pieces of a Dream. Birchmere Music Hall (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.

Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $10. 8 p.m. 703-5228340.

Ahmad Jamal. Blues Alley (1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.). $40. 8 & 10 p.m. Shows through Wednesday, Dec. 30. 202-337-4141.

Roger Hart and the Alpha Dog Blues Band. JV Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $5. 9 p.m. 703-241-9504.

Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. With The Alternate Routes. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $15. 8 p.m. 202-265-0930.

Wye Oak. With Scripts. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $10. 9 p.m. 202-667-4490.

Gist. With Yell County, The Courtesans, Ximena. Rock N Roll Hotel (1353 H St. NE, Washington, D.C.). $10. 8:30 p.m. 202-388-7625. Justin Trawick Group. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 9 p.m. 703-522-8340. Susie Gaskins. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). Free. 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.

SUNDAY, december 27 Indecision. With New Potato Caboose. The State Theatre (220 N. Washington St., Falls Church). $17 in advance, $19 day of. 6:30 p.m. 703237-0300. Dana Wells. With Dream Dirt. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $12. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Molly Hagen. With Kat Parsons. Iota

Monday, december 28 Clutch. With Doomriders, Lionize, Never Got Caught. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $25. 6 p.m. 202-265-0930. Regina Belle. Birchmere Music Hall (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $45. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Bliss FM. With DJ M.A.F. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. The Neighbors. With Yell County. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $12. 8 p.m. 703-5228340.

tuesday, december 29 The Roots. 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $45. 7 p.m. 202265-0930. Also shows on Wednesday, Dec. 30.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Birchmere Music Hall (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Rhodes Tavern Troubadours. With King Soul. Iota Club and Café (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $15. 8 p.m. 703-522-8340. Poor Man’s Lobster. With Murphy’s Kids, The Artic Groove. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10. 8:30 p.m. 703-255-1566. The Idle Americans. With Matt Kelley. JV Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $5. 9 p.m. 703-2419504.

WEDNESDAY, december 30 Wings of Apollo. With The Automatics, Orange Marmalade, Relaxafunk, Clock Strikes Twelve. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 in advance, $13 day of. 7 p.m. 703-2551566. Leather and Lace. With MSJ Project. Bangkok Blues (926 W. Broad St., Falls Church). $5. 7:30 p.m. 703-5340095. Zombie Dogs. With Remainder, Deathrats. Black Cat (1811 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.). $8. 8 p.m. 202-667-4490.

Planning Ahead... Thursday, Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve Stroll & Campfire. Families are invited to soak in nature’s beauty during a short hike, followed by a New Year celebration with edible noisemakers and a “wishing” bonfire. Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 Military Rd., Arlington). $5. 6 – 7:30 p.m. 703-228-3403.

nce again the holidays are upon us and, if you’re lucky, you’ve got plenty of good times coming in the days ahead. But, some aren’t as fortunate as others to be able to spend the season with friends or family. For whatever the reason, if you happen to find yourself with nothing to do on December 25th, thingstododc.com has come through again with a Christmas Day Chinese Feast, Move & Nightclub bash. Continuing last year’s successful event, the night starts off at Tony Cheng’s Mongolian Restaurant in D.C. where you can eat to your hearts content a la “A Christmas Story.” After dinner, catch the new Robert Downey Jr. flick “Sherlock Holmes” and then cap off the night with drinking and dancing at one of the District’s hottest clubs. Not an orthodox way of spending Christmas Day, but not a too bad one either.

What: Christmas Day Chinese Feast, a Movie and Nightclub When: Friday, December 25, 5:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Where: Kicks off at Tony Cheng’s Mongolian Restaurant, 619 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. See www.thingstododc.com for tickets

Friday, Jan. 8 – ‘Wikiphobia.’ Comedy improv troupe Chicago City Limits takes to the stage at Wolf Trap to explore modern society’s obsession with technology. The Barns at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Rd., Vienna). $22. 8 p.m. Second performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9. 703-938-2404.

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

Email: calendar@fcnp.com Fax: 703-342-0347; Attn: FCNP Calendar Mail: 450 West Broad Street, #321, Falls Church, VA 22046

Page 22

December 24 - 30, 2009

Roger Ebert’s Movie Review

‘Police, Adjective’ by Roger Ebert

Universal Press Syndicate

10BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR C R I T I C S’

C H O I C E

AWA R D INCLUDING

N O M I N A T I O N S

THE MOST NOMINATED FILM IN ITS HISTORY!

“Police, Adjective” is a peculiar title for a film. The posters at Cannes 2009 read, “Politist, adjectiv.” With a period and a gun on top of a dictionary. A critic from Romania, sitting next to us before the screening, explained that the purity of the language is enforced as fervently in Romania as in France, and “police,” of course, is properly a noun. And there you have the movie. Its hero is a young cop assigned to nab drug users, and its surprisingly effective key scene involves an argument with his captain over the dictionary definitions of the words “conscience” and “justice.” This may not sound exciting, but it was welcome after legions of cop mov-

 Cristi .................... Dragos Bucur Anghelache ..............Vlad Ivanov Anca .................... Irina Saulescu Nelu . ...........................Ion Stoica Prosecutor . ....... Marian Ghenea

ies in which such arguments are orchestrated with the f-word (good luck finding that in the dictionary). The cop’s name is Cristi (Dragos Bucur), and he’s been assigned to follow a 16-year-old schoolboy suspected of smoking pot. The kid does smoke pot. He often smokes it with a pal and a girlfriend. Does he “supply” it? If he has it and offers a toke to them, I suppose the definition of that

5BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD NOMINATIONS

Daniel Day-Lewis

BEST ACTRESS Marion Cotillard

MUSICAL

BEST ACTOR

MUSICAL

BEST SONG

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Penélope Cruz

“Cinema Italiano”

MUSIC & LYRICS BY M. Yeston SUNG BY KATE HUDSON

PETER TRAVERS,

“DAZZLING! A HOT-BLOODED MUSICAL FANTASIA FULL OF SONG, DANCE AND SIMMERING SEXUALITY. DIRECTOR ROB MARSHALL’S WORK IS VISIONARY AND ELECTRIC.”

“FERGIE IS POWERFUL!”

“DANIEL

DAY-LEWIS

IS REMARKABLE!”

CLAUDIA PUIG

LARRY KING

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GIVES ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR!”

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IS SPIRITED & ”

SEXY!

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IS SEDUCTIVE!” SHAWN EDWARDS

“SOPHIA

LOREN

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EMBODIES THE GLORY DAYS OF ITALIAN CINEMA!”

DENCH

IS SPECTACULAR!” KAREN DURBIN

JOE MORGENSTERN

FROM THE ITALIAN BYMARIO FRATTI MARC PLATT HARVEY WEINSTEIN JOHN DELUCA ROB MARSHALL THE BROADWAYBASEDMUSICALON“NINE” BOOKBYARTHUR KOPIT ADAPTATION SCREENPLAY DIRECTED BYMICHAEL TOLKIN AND ANTHONY MINGHELLA BYROB MARSHALL

PRODUCED BY

SCREENPLAY BY

MICHAEL TOLKIN AND ANTHONY MINGHELLA DIRECTEDBY ROB MARSHALL

MAURY YESTON

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY

www.Nine-Movie.com

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IFC Films presents a film written and directed by Corneliu Porumboiu. In Romanian, with English subtitles. Running time: 115 minutes. No MPAA rating.

would be supplying. The cop is recently married, and he and his wife spent their honeymoon in Prague. He doesn’t want to follow this kid. If he arrests him, the kid gets locked up for eight to 16 years. “That would ruin his life,” he tells the captain. “Did you force him to smoke pot?” No, the cop says, but in Prague it’s smoked openly on the streets and the cops look the other way. The captain patiently explains that in Romania smoking pot is against the law, and the duty of the police is to enforce the law. “I don’t want to arrest him,” Cristi says. “It’s against my conscience.” Then the dictionary comes out. My dictionary, which I believe the captain was also using, although in Romanian, has only one definition: “conscience. noun. an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior.” You know the rest. It isn’t a policeman’s job to act on his inner voices and feelings. It’s his job to enforce the law. This movie I suspect comes with a lot of baggage. Romania

December 24 - 30, 2009

Page 23

isn’t Katie’s fear but his film. After one big scare, she asks him incredulously, “Did you actually go back to pick up your camera?” Flawlessly acted, eerie and realistic. Rating: Three and a half stars.

Mini Movie Reviews New on Video & DVD

ARANORMAL ACTIVITY (Horror Thriller, R, 96 m., 2009). An ingenious little horror film, so well made it’s truly scary, that arrives claiming it’s the real thing. Micah Sloat and Katie

Featherston, a San Diego couple, have been bothered by indications of paranormal activity in an upstairs bedroom. Micah’s bright idea is to film in the house, leaving the video camera running as a silent sentinel while they sleep. Like any man with a new toy, he becomes obsessed with this notion -- the whole point, for him,

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEE

BEST ACTOR (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)

R O B E R T D O W N E Y J R.

”

“

Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV

“SMART, SEXY, SENSATIONAL. A SCENE from “Police, Adjective.” (Photo: © IFC Films) under the Ceausescu regime (1965-1989) started out promisingly but grew into a repressive police state under which perhaps 2 million people were killed. Ceausescu’s police were often only enforcing the law. Romania has a population of 21 million, but it’s in the nature of things that many people knew the cops, who were sometimes arresting them or their neighbors. What choice did a cop have? I speculate that Corneliu Porumboiu, born 1975, who wrote and directed the film, grew up in a nation shadowed by those memories, and that his film to some degree is about that time. It is also a low-key, observant record of a universal dilemma among people in authority: How do you do your duty when your inner voice tells you it’s wrong?

The visual style, foregrounding drab areas of a small industrial city, is flat and realistic. We never really meet the young suspect. Cristi doesn’t confide in his wife. His office mate knows what he feels, but stays out of it. Only the captain and a prosecutor will discuss it with him. Both are more than willing. Both are of an age when they would have started their careers under Ceausescu. They depend on the strict definition of the law because they can use that as a refuge from their inner voices. Cristi understands this, and that’s why the debate over the dictionary is so intense. They aren’t talking about definitions. They’re talking about the past, present and future of their nation. (The film won both the Un Certain Regard jury prize and the Critics’ Prize at Cannes 2009.)

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law were born to play this duo!” Mark S. Allen, CBS-TV

“A FANTASTIC Sherlock Holmes for a new generation.” Dean Richards, WGN AMERICA

127221

ENNIFER’S BODY (Horror, R, 102 m., 2009). In her fist starring role, Megan Fox plays the most popular girl in school, who is transformed into a fiend who eats the flesh of teenage boys. Amanda Seyfried plays her lifelong friend and the only one who realizes she’s become a demon. Not an assemblyline teen horror thriller; has a gleeful relish. Diablo Cody’s first screenplay after “Juno.” Directed by Karyn Kusama (“Girlfight”). Rating: Three stars.

ISTRICT 9 (Science fiction, R, 111 m., 2009). An alien spaceship hovers over Johannesburg, its occupants stranded and starving. They’re placed in a fenced-in district, where the locals fear and resent them. Looking like a cross between lobsters and grasshoppers, they’re sort of loathsome, but one human and one alien work together, in a mockumentary with apartheid parallels. Rating: Three stars.

00 DAYS OF SUMMER (Comedy, PG-13, 95 m., 2009). Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) had Summer (Zooey Deschanel) in his life for 500 days and can’t accept that they were numbered. She had absolutely no interest in getting married. A delightful comedy of bittersweet romance, stylishly inventive, charmingly acted, that tries everything from a musical number to a black-and-white sequence to deal with a story that refuses to be a wellbehaved romcom. Directed by Marc Webb. Rating: Four stars.

LL ABOUT STEVE (Comedy, PG-13, 98 m., 2009). Sandra Bullock plays Mary Horowitz, a crossword puzzle constructor who AB insanely 85 in 0:40: 2/22/02 on a blind date falls love with Steve, a TV news cameraman (Bradley Cooper, from “The Hangover”). The operative word is “insanely.” The movie is billed as a comedy but more resembles a perplexing public display of irrational behavior. Seeing her run around as

Continued on Page 24

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Page 24

December 24 - 30, 2009

Mini Reviews Continued from Page 23 a basket case makes you appreciate Lucille Ball, who could play a dizzy dame and make you like her. Rating: One and a half stars.

XTRACT (Comedy, R, 91 m., 2009). Comedy by Mike Judge (“Beavis and Butthead”) about the owner of a bottling plant (Jason Bateman), who is plagued with an uninterested wife (Kristen Wiig), a factory con woman (Mila Kunis), a litigious worker (Clifton Collins Jr.)

and, in the movie’s best performance, a relentless neighbor (David Koechner), who seemingly lurks in the shrubbery to burst forth with undesired friendliness. Ben Affleck is the friendly bartender who suggests Bateman recruit a gigolo to seduce his wife, so he will therefore be free to cheat. Rating: Two and a half stars.

NGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (War drama, R, 152 m., 2009). A big, bold, audacious war movie that will annoy some, startle others, and demonstrate once again that Quentin Tarantino is the real thing, a director of quixotic delights. Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz star as a hero, a girl and a Nazi in a virtuoso combination of action, droll satire,

GOLDEN GLOBE

N O M I N AT I O N S BEST ACTOR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

BEST DIRECTOR

MORGAN FREEMAN

M AT T DA M O N

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movie references, rewritten history and delight in filmmaking itself. Leave it to Tarantino to provide World War II with a much-needed alternative ending. For once the bastards get what’s coming to them. Rating: Four stars.

HE HANGOVER (Comedy, R, 100 m., 2009). A very funny, very raunchy comedy about a disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas. When the bridegroom (Justin Bartha) disappears, his buddies (Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms) search for him, starting with such questions as: How in the hell do you wake up in a $4,200-a-night suite with a tiger, a chicken, a crying baby, a missing tooth and a belly button pierced for a diamond dangle? Directed by Todd Phillips. Rating: Three and a half stars. . (c) 2009 The Ebert Co.

Kids don’t get enough art these days. For Ten Simple Ways to get more art in kids’ lives, visit AmericansForTheArts.org.

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Fairfax County Teachers Earn Certification Susan Manley of McLean High School was among 35 Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) teachers who earned national board certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2009. Manley was joined by Erin Smith (Bailey’s Elementary School), Heather Phythyon (Bren Mar Park Elementary), Lisa Oien (Canterbury Woods Elementary), Luann Hoyseth (Carson Middle), John Downes (Chantilly High), Lucinda Sexton (Daniels Run

Page 25

Elementary), Kimberly Scott (Franklin Middle), Danielle Powers (Frost Middle), Elena Sonnino (Garfield Elementary), Susan Clark Ashton (Gunston Elementary), Deborah Goldman (Halley Elementary), Kerdene Depriest (Kilmer Middle), Carol Bolon and Carrie Faxon (Lee High), Margaret Egan (Longfellow Middle), Georgina Chin (McNair Elementary), Valerie Caveney, Michelle Lyttle, Lynette Russo, and Jennifer Trimble (Mount Vernon High), Kimberly Owens (Pine Spring Elementary), April Bailey (Poplar Tree Elementary), Erin Fortenberry

and Julie Smith (Ravensworth Elementary), Krishna Belino (Riverside Elementary), Stella Centanni (Rose Hill Elementary), Morgan Greenawalt (Sangster Elementary), Selwyn Lawrence (South Lakes High), Greer Mancuso and Andrea Ogden (Timber Lane Elementary), Gale Mostacciuolo (Wakefield Forest Elementary), Theresa Quinn (Westbriar Elementary) and Jenay Sharp Leach (Woodley Hills Elementary). Marietta Bradinova, who formerly taught at South County Secondary, earned accreditation as well.

BRIAN A. RUBILAR (top photo, middle) of J.E.B. Stuart High and Christian F. Roman Romero (bottom photo, middle) of George Mason High graduated from the Commonwealth ChalleNGe program last week at Ocean Lakes High. The boys’ class, Class 31, had 160 graduates, a record for the National Guard-run program geared toward teens who have dropped out of high school or are in danger of doing so. Romero received Gold Phase, the program’s highest standing. (Photo: Courtesy Sean Ryan)

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Hong Kong Palace (HKP) in Falls Church might not resemble a real-life palace, but those who plan to dine there should still prepare to eat www.edencenter.com 7 like royalty. Also weekdays: Free Wi-Fi Try a Bahn Mi sandwich on a fresh baguette! at selected locations and a new Senior Menu! Formerly Saigon Palace, HKP has made the Only $2.50 to $3.00 per sandwich, MANY OF WASHINGTON'S 7700 Wisconsin Ave. 12224 Rockville Pike BEST RESTAURANTS switch from Vietnamese to a mix ofat Cantonese, the following Eden Center locations: 1201 S. Joyce St. Bethesda, MD Rockville, MD WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE AND Hunan and Szechuan cuisine. 301-986-0285 301-468-0886 WASHINGTON POST REVIEWED After this visit, this writer is not complaining about the infusion of new flavors. The restaurant is decked out in red, from the red chili pepper strands to the red slips of Authentic Afghan Cuisine Call for Reservations paper bearing traditional menu options written in Chinese characters. 124 N. Lunch: 11 am-2:00 pm The color red is said to be the Chinese symbol Washington St. Dinner : 5 pm-10 pm Falls Church, VA of luck and happiness, so who canTry blame HKPMifor trying to fortune and positive feng shui? 105 W. Broad St. Falls Church, VA 22046 a Bahn sandwich on spread a freshgood baguette! By the intersections • Sunday 5-10 • Definitely not this patron, who could use the$2.50 goodto luck thrown her way. Only $3.00 per sandwich, of Rt. 7 & 29 The dining area might be small, but the wall mirror gives patrons the impression that the restaurant Free Parking in Rear at the following Eden Center locations: Phone: (703) 536-4566 is bigger than it actually is. But what solidifies the larger-than-life feel is the Hong Kong cityscape, (703) 534-1033 924 W. Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 illuminated brightly to steal the show. Although it might take awhile for the food to arrive, HKP has it covered. Guests can kill time by checking out their place settings and reading up on their Chinese Zodiac animals and determine the degree of their future success and happiness. Rats, pigs and monkeys aside, get ready to kick off the meal with Eggrolls ($2.50), a staple of Chinese cuisine. These two plump rolls are stuffed with shredded cabbage, carrots and ground pork. Restaurant & Lounge Dress each bite with a dollop of sweet and sour duck sauce to give the roll that extra zest. Larger groups can sample a little bit of everything with the Pu Pu Tray ($9.50), which is more appeCall for Reservations tizing than it sounds. The platter consists of Vegetable Spring Rolls, Bar-B-Q Spareribs, Fried Wontons, 1/2 OFF ENTREE Shrimp Tempura and Beef Sticks. www.theharvestmoonrestaurant.com Buy One Entree, Get A 2nd Of Equal Or Lesser Value 1/2 OFF. HKP serves up a variety of proteins from seafood and beef to pork and poultry. The options are end105 W. Broad St. Falls Church, VA 22046 (Graham Center across from Loehmann’s Plaza) One coupon per party. Not valid with any other offer. 7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA 22042 less, but for those looking to spice things up, the Kung Pao Shrimp ($6.95 for lunch, $10.95 for dinner), Valid with Valpak. coupon only. Braised Beef Tenderloin with Bamboo Shoots ($12.95) and Chengdu Kung Pao Chicken ($5.95 for lunch, $9.95 for dinner) are all excellent picks. BISTRO A familiar choice: General Tso’s Chicken ($9.95) is served with a bowl of white rice. The chicken des Célestins itself was crispy on the outside, yet tender within and the accompanying thick sauce was a nice balance between spicy and sweet—a yummy spread for the rice. Diners also have the option of mixing things up with the Kung Pao Chicken and Shrimp ($10.95), CA F È Beef and Scallops ($12.95) or the Kung Pao Triple Delight ($12.95). Tel: (703) 538-3033 And if that’s too much kung pao meat, HKP offers unique vegetarian dishes like the Ma Po Tofu Fax: (703) 573-0409 ($5.95 for lunch, $9.95 for dinner), Pan Fried Eggs with Bitter Melon ($8.95) and the Pan Fried Celery 6876 Lee Highway & Wooden Ear Mushroom ($8.95). Arlington, Virginia 22213 The traditional menu is also worth a glance, as it features tasty treasures like the Chengdu Teawww.lacotedorcafe.com Smoked Duck ($13.95). All in all, Hong Kong Palace has over 100 menu options to satisfy every palate, so whether it’s dinein, carry out or delivery, expect a feast fit for anyone. 370 West Broad St. Falls Church,VA 703-891-0148

Availab

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McLean

(703)534-8999

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703-573-6000

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Call Nick G. to reserve your spot in the News-Press Dining Guide

703-532-3267

Restaurant & Pub Tysons Station Shopping Center 7510 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, Va

703-847-5336 Hours

— Sarah Carter Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Mon-Thurs: 11 am-10 pm Fri-Sat: 11 am - 11 pm Sun: Noon - 10 pm

Dining Guide Find out how to appear here for only $50 a week! Ask about discounts for combining display & online advertising. Call Nick G. at 703-532-3267 for more info.

December 24 - 30, 2009

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December 24 - 30, 2009

12 Beers Of Christmas 1. Mad Elf Brewer: Troegs Brewing, Harrisburg, Pa. • Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: Honey and cherries • Notes: Layers of spice from the yeast, wine-like fruit. A masterpiece. 2. Two Turtle Doves Brewer: The Bruery, San Diego, Calif. • Style: Belgian Dark Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: Cocoa nibs and toasted pecans. • Notes: Exceptionally rich, complex and smooth like a stout. 3. Yule Smith Brewer: AleSmith, California • Style: India Pale Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: None • Notes: Delicious balance of hops and malt with a dry finish. Incredible depth of flavor and aromas. Available only in 22-ounce bottles. Classic bottle-conditioned IPA. 4. Hibernation Ale Brewer: Great Divide, Colorado • Style: Old Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: None • Notes: Rich, caramelly, smoky and thick like a barleywine. 8.7 percent ABV could induce a long winter’s nap. 5. N’Ice Chouffe Brewer: Brasserie D’Achouffe, Belgium • Style: Belgian Dark Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: Thyme and Curacao Peel • Notes: Sweet and strong flavors of dark fruit, toffee and caramel. 6. Celebration Ale Brewer: Sierra Nevada • Style: India Pale Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: None • Notes: Incredible hop bouquet and flavors of pineapple, mango, grapefruit. 6. Old Jubilation Brewer: Avery, Boulder, Colo. • Style: English strong Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: None • Notes: Masterful combination of five malts and English hops. 7. Our Special Ale Brewer: Anchor Brewing, California • Style: Spiced Winter Warmer • Notes: With ingredient changes every year since 1975, this brew started the momentum for this style in the United States. 8. Fade To Black Brewer: Left Hand, Colorado • Style: Export Stout • Beyond traditional ingredients: None • Notes: Outstanding espresso and dark chocolate, toffee, caramel. 2009 is the first year of this seasonal release. It is expected to change each year. Off to a great start. 9. Avec Les Bons Voeux Brewer: La Brassirie Dupont, Belgium • Style: Farmhouse Beyond traditional ingredients: None • Notes: Orange, coriander, clove and pepper, but that’s all from the yeast hops and malts. 10. Noel de Calabaza Brewer: Jolly Pumpkin, Michigan • Style: Belgian Strong Dark • Beyond traditional ingredients: Oak aging • Notes: Both sweet and sour trademark Jolly Pumpkin taste. Citrus backed with dark cherries and tobacco notes. Unusual, stands out from all the rest. 11. P’ere Noel Brewer: De Ranke, Belgium • Style: Belgian Strong • Notes: A rush of hops, fruit and spice. Two friends make this brew on the weekend, so it’s rare in Belgium, and even moreso in the United States. 12. Christmas Ale Brewer: Goose Island, Chicago • Style: Brown Ale • Beyond traditional ingredients: Changes year to year, sometimes spiced. • Notes: Easy drinking, but very well made and can be aged for up to five years. A portion of the proceeds go to a charity. 

By Jim Winter, Dayton Daily News, Cox Newspapers

Defending Shulman’s 9-9 Fold Let’s continue reviewing the lesson plan I created for Jeff Shulman at the World Series of Poker November Nine final table. Starting play with $20 million in chips and blinds at $125,000/$250,000 plus a $20,000 ante, I advised Jeff to play supertight and make five times the big blind opening bets when entering pots. Jeff’s father, Barry Shulman, who recently won the WSOPE using this same strategy, agreed that this was the best way for Jeff to proceed. By the way, I correctly predicted that Phil Ivey would also play super-tight poker. Why wouldn’t he? Jeff and Phil were clearly the best players; they had ample opportunity to play patiently and wait for great situations to develop. Just let the amateurs melt down, blow up, and give away their chips! Keep in mind, the pressure on all players was massive. Playing in front of a live audience and ESPN cameras for millions of dollars would surely cause a couple of the final table players to selfdestruct. With the blinds at $200,000/$400,000, Shulman opened for $1.75 million on the button with pocket nines and Ivey moved all-in from the big blind for $6.9 million more. A little history: Shulman had already folded several times on the button when Ivey was in the big blind. This time, when Jeff raised it up, he assumed that Ivey knew that he had at least a semistrong hand. On the live internet broadcast, I said, “Ivey doesn’t look superstrong. I think he would move all-in here with A-9 offsuit. Jeff should call with A-Q and maybe even A-J.” Well, Shulman actually folded his 9-9. Word rapidly spread that Ivey had K-Q, which happened to be true. Pro players Barry Greenstein, Mike Matusow, and Howard Lederer all opined that it was a clear call situation for Jeff and his pocket nines. Not me, I’m in total agreement with Jeff. I think it was a clear fold. I look at the whole story when

I make poker decisions. Did Jeff’s 9-9 figure to be good? Yes. Would I make that call in a side game? Yes. So, on the surface, it didn’t appear to be a good fold. But it was a fold that would leave Jeff with $14 million – more than enough chips considering the deep structure in place at the final table. With $14 million chips, Jeff could easily wait for a better situation where he could go against one of the weaker players. A call, however, would leave Shulman with either $7 million or $25 million. The former would cripple him, put his tournament in jeopardy, and probably force him to play big pots with weaker holdings. I love the fold because I love to protect my chips. Better to fold and wait until some other players are eliminated and then put your chips all-in when you know you have the best hand. That’s how to make a big lay down.

Jeff followed his plan perfectly. A few hours later, he was able to move all-in with A-K against Joe Cada’s A-J. One all-in pot in ten hours of play is the definition of risk-free poker! Then, with only five players remaining, Jeff again had Cada all-in with J-J against Cada’s 3-3 but Cada got lucky and outdrew Jeff as a four-and-a-half-to-one underdog. There’s no doubt in my mind that Jeff’s 9-9 fold was solid, especially when you consider the complete story. One thing’s for certain, Jeff Shulman deserved a better outcome. Next week, I’ll discuss an even more controversial fold by Shulman with A-K pre-flop.  Learn more about Phil at www. PhilHellmuth.com and www. PokerBrat.com. © 2009 Card Shark Media. All rights reserved.

December 24 - 30, 2009

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© 2009 David Levinson Wilk



ACROSS 1. “____ La La” (1964 hit) 4. Madam’s partner 7. Takes off 14. Suffix with Ecuador 15. “Blood hath been shed ____ now”: Macbeth 16. How some stunts are done 17. Spitefully prank a seven-time Wimbledon champ? 19. They like to bask in the sun 20. Actress Knightley 21. Badger 22. Twin killings, in baseball: Abbr. 23. Shirts and hats that say “Fo’ shizzle my nizzle”? 28. ____ sapiens 29. Lingo: Suffix 30. Herbal “pet” 34. Grp. opposed to underage drinking 36. Poet Nash who wrote “Parsley / Is gharsley” 40. Turn the tables on a Watergate co-conspirator? 43. “Brown Sugar” actress Lathan 44. Gilbert of “Roseanne” 45. Junior in the NFL 46. 1959 Kingston Trio hit 48. “Give that ____ cigar!” 50. Events that get competitive in “The Joy Luck Club”? 56. Aishwarya of Bollywood 58. Alphabet trio 59. Earlier

37. JFK predecessor 38. Writer LeShan 39. Sch. in Greenwich Village 41. Hunter’s partner 42. Da ____, Vietnam 47. Four-time Indy 500 winner 49. First name in mystery 50. Appearances 51. Fairy tale meanies 52. It’s south of Eur. 53. Like a towelette 54. Bert’s Muppet pal 55. “Like a Rock” singer Bob 56. Kelly who cohosts with 27-Down 57. Folk singer DiFranco and others 61. “Top Hat” studio 62. Bush league? 63. Lay down the lawn

60. Mistaken 62. Revealing garment that reveals itself in 17-, 23-, 40- and 50-Across 64. Conjunctivitis, familiarly 65. “Wow!” 66. “Sprechen ____ Deutsch?” 67. Places in groups 68. BlackBerry, e.g., in brief 69. Prefix with centennial Down 1. Looks for 2. Tony winner Uta 3. Hospital procedure, for short 4. Angel 5. Glass of “This American Life” 6. Call the shots? 7. “Nothing ____!” 8. Take on 9. 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year 10. Abbr. on a toothpaste tube 11. Billboard chart category 12. Pitfall 13. Meeting of Cong. 18. Miracle-____ 24. “I can only ____ much” 25. Actors Epps and Sharif 26. Cry that might elicit the reaction “Don’t blaspheme!” 27. “Millionaire” host before Meredith 30. “Face the Nation” airer 31. Mao’s successor 32. Engine starter: Abbr. 33. Brightly colored lizard 35. Hip hop headwear

Last Thursday’s Solution         

         

         

   

   

   

                                              

                  

   

    

                  

                                                     

 



THE QUIGMANS

Buddy Hickerson

    

Level: 1

3 4

          

NICK KNACK

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

12/27/09

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk

Page 30

December 24 - 30, 2009

News-Press Classifieds

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For Rent OFFICE FOR SUBLEASE, Lee High-

way & Glebe Road, available for professional. Privacy plus use of conference area. One year lease; then month to month. Call Pete Corbino or Ray Shea: 703-522-1661.

Services CHILD CARE Experienced childcare provider provides quality care for your infant in F.C. home. (703) 241-0605.

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE Avail-

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MARIA’S HOUSE CLEANING Commercial or Residential. Move in or move out. House, apartment, offices. Reference &, experience. 703-395-5971 or 703-231-4135

The News-Press Classifieds Remember, New Classified Deadlines: Every Tuesday, 2 p.m.!

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WE EXIST TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T 10032_0 Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. With the help of people like you, the National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person whose life is affected by MS and helps them stay connected to the great big moving world.

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NOTE TO PUB: DO NOT PRINT INFO BELOW, FOR I.D. ONLY. NO ALTERING OF AD COUNCIL PSAS. United Negro College Fund - Newspaper 2 1/16 x 5 1/4 B&W UNC205-N-02021-V “Butterfly” 85 line screen Digital Files @ Schawk 212-689-8585 Reference # 10032 Volunteer Agency: Y&R Public Service Director - Please Note: This PSA ad expires: 7/31/08 Running this PSA after the expiration date may result in claims by licensor, photographer or Talent.

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SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING PAYROLL SERVICES INDIVIDUAL AND BUSINESS TAX PREPARATION BUSINESS CONSULTING 703-241-7771 www.hassansacctg.com

6404-N SEVEN CORNERS PLACE FALLS CHURCH VA 22044

Benton Potter & Murdock, PC

NC.

Kitchen &Bathrooms, Finished Basements, Additions. All your carpentry needs we handle everything for you. No need to search for a plumber, electrican or painter. We do it all.

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703- 499-7095

REMODELING & ADDITION, CERAMIC, TILE, FINISHED CARPENTRY, CROWN MOLDING, CHAIRS, DECK RAILS, STAIR, WINDOWS, DOORS, CONCRETE, SIDEWALKS, DRIVEWAYS, BRICK INSTALLED & REPAIRED

Phone # Cell Number

703-848-8322 703-901-2431

www.bpmlawyers.com

Home Improvement Handyman Service All repairs, plumbing, drywall, doors, windows, rotted, wood, siding, gutters, lighting + more FREE estimates, insured Call Doug (703)556-4276

www.novahandyman.com One of the Oldest Masonry Companies in NOVA Owned & Operated by The Cadle Family since the 1950s

Class A License #VA2705087240A

JOSEPH HOME IMPROVEMENT Drywall â&#x20AC;˘ Paint Exterior / Interior, Bath & Kitchen Remodeling, Basements, Handyman, Moving, Clean Garage, All kinds of hauling

Joseph

Licensed Work

Cell 703-507-5005 Tel 703-507-8300

N.G. PAINTING Residential & Commercial Interior & Exterior Painting Plastering & Drywall Repairs Wall Paper Removal Power Wash Clean Cell: (202) 352-1429 Office: (703) 312-0032

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A - Cleaning Service

Other Services

since 1985

703-892-8648

Lawn & Garden Leaf Removal, Gutter Cleaning, Mowing, & Mulching Free Estimates

703-627-7723

Seven Brothers Landscaping Service

Spring Cleanup, mulching, mowing, edging, trimming. Residential & Commercial Tree Service & Snow Removal

703-241-4990

Gabriel Lawn Service Leaf removal â&#x20AC;˘ Tree S er vice Free Estimates

703-691-2351 Make a Joyful Splash! with

Eileen Levy

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Providing food for you and your guests up to 50 (home or office). Chef Sam preprares Persian, Afghani, Mediterranean, and American foods for your party.

For your function please call

We Clean the White House!

703-443-2308

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400 S. Maple Avenue, Suite 210, Falls Church, VA 22046

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RE/MAX Allegiance 5100 Leesburg Pike, Suite 200 Alexandria, VA 22302 mobile. 703-868-5999 office. 703-824-4800 ShaunMurphy@remax.net

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Business & Service Directory

Create unique art masterpieces using acrylics, water-based oils, pencils and an innovative variety of tools and brushes. Held at 111 Park Avenue Falls Church on Tuesday Evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Cost: $90 On-going monthly enrollment Enroll on-line at www.creativecauldron.org Or call 571-239-5288

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Page 32

December 24 - 30, 2009

BACK IN THE DAY laz y The dog. c k q u i fox sly p e d jum e r o v lazy the g . d o is Now time the all for o d g o to cows

15 s Yearo g A

to come aid the ir of there. pa stu is Now e the timall for o d g o to cows to come aid the ir of there. pa stu

10 & 15 Years Ago

in the

Falls Church News-Press Vol lV, No. 41 • December 29, 1994

poor ones buy clean power sources. That was never going to happen at scale in the present global economic climate. The only way it might happen is if we had “a perfect storm” – a storm big enough to finally end the global warming debate but not so big that it ended the world. Absent such a storm that literally parts the Red Sea again and drives home to all the doubters that catastrophic climate change is a clear and present danger, the domestic pressures in every country to avoid legally binding and verifiable carbon reductions will remain very powerful. Does that mean this whole Earth Day strategy is a waste? No. The scientific understanding about the climate that this U.N. process has generated and the general spur to action it provides is valuable. And the mechanism this conference put in place to enable developed countries and companies to offset their emissions by funding protection of tropical rain forests, if it works, would be hugely valuable. Still, I am an Earth Race guy. I believe that averting catastrophic climate change is a huge scale issue. The only engine big enough

10 Year s Ago

Thro w it up. Pour it up It now is the time for all go od cows to go to the aid

‘Seasonal Cheer Abundant at 10th Annual News-Press Holiday Party’ “It was magic, as usual. It marked the 10th straight year Nick Benton of the Falls Church News-Press has thrown the party of the holiday season at the Woman’s Club. A robust turnout of our village’s finest, from all walks of like but all friends of the FCNP, walked through the door, brought their fair share of holiday cheer, and enjoyed the company, the catering by Barbara Roche’s incomparable BDG Designs, and live seasonal music...”

“Looking back over 1994 by reviewing all the editions of the News-Press for the year, I have concluded that the Number One story of the year for the City of Falls Church was one which was belatedly reported and barely made the front page of the newspaper. Here is my list of the top 10 stories of the year for Falls Church in 1994: 1. Highest Voter Turnout. The City of Falls Church records the highest voter...”

Continued from Page 12

It is no the timw e for g o all o cows d to go to the aid of the pa stu ir re. *** **

Falls Church News-Press Vol IX, No. 42 • December 30, 1999

‘TOP 10 STORIES OF THE YEAR - State’s Highest Voter Turnout is Top Falls Church Story for ‘94’

Friedman

News-Press

to impact Mother Nature is Father Greed: the Market. Only a market, shaped by regulations and incentives to stimulate massive innovation in clean, emission-free power sources can make a dent in global warming. And no market can do that better than America’s. Therefore, the goal of Earth Racers is to focus on getting the U.S. Senate to pass an energy bill, with a long-term price on carbon that will really stimulate America to become the world leader in clean-tech. If we lead by example, more people will follow us by emulation than by compulsion of some U.N. treaty. In the Cold War, we had the space race: who could be the first to put a man on the moon. Only two countries competed, and there could be only one winner. Today, we need the Earth Race: who can be the first to invent the most clean technologies so men and women can live safely here on Earth. Maybe the best thing President Barack Obama could have done here in Copenhagen was to make clear that America intends to win that race. All he needed to do in his speech was to look China’s prime minister in the eye and say: “I am going to get our Senate to pass an energy bill with a price on carbon so we can clean your clock in clean-tech. This is my moon shot. Game on.” Because once we get America racing China, China racing

Make Your Pet a Star!

Europe, Europe racing Japan, Japan racing Brazil, we can quickly move down the innovation-manufacturing curve and shrink the cost of electric cars, batteries, solar and wind so these are no longer luxury products for the wealthy nations but commodity items the third world can use and even produce. If you start the conversation with “climate” you might get half of America to sign up for action. If you start the conversation with giving birth to a “whole new industry” – one that will make us more energy independent, prosperous, secure, innovative, respected and able to out-green China in the next great global industry – you get the country. For good reason: Even if the world never warms another degree, population is projected to rise from 6.7 billion to 9 billion between now and 2050, and more and more of those people will want to live like Americans. In this world, demand for clean power and energy efficient cars and buildings will go through the roof. An Earth Race led by America – built on markets, economic competition, national self-interest and strategic advantage – is a much more self-sustaining way to reduce carbon emissions than a festival of voluntary, nonbinding commitments at a U.N. conference. Let the Earth Race begin.

Critter Corner

Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Snap a pic of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM OR mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press 450 W. Broad Street #321 Falls Church, Va 22046

Daisy is certainly not a wilting flower. In fact this playful pup loves the snow. She was only too happy for the big storm and cheered as the snow continued all day and night last Saturday. While others moaned and shoveled, Daisy frolicked. While others bundled up against the cold, Daisy rolled in the icy white flakes. While others hurried to get indoors, Little Miss Daisy ran around in snowy circles, dug icy holes and tried to build a doggie igloo. In her enthusiasm, she jumped around much like a happy bunny upon stumbling upon a fresh patch of clover. There are some dogs who don’t even want to walk on snow covered roads or venture to sniff a flake laced lawn. They raise their paws and look at their humans with something like disgust in their eyes. A look that says “Why are you doing this to me?” To that Daisy smiles and simply says “Give me more!” If you would like to see your pet here, e-mail us at crittercorner@fcnp. com or send a picture and a short description to Falls Church NewsPress c/o Critter Corner, 450 W. Broad St., Suite 321, Falls Church, VA 22046.

ENROLL NOW FOR THE WINTER SESSION First class FREE for New Students Sacred Well Yoga Studio LLC 450 West Broad St. Suite 320 Falls Church City

www.swys.net

703-989-8316

December 24 - 30, 2009

n n n

Page 33

Accounting

Diener & Associates, CPA. . . . . . . . . 241-8807 Eric C. Johnson, CPA, PC . . . . . . . . 538-2394 Mark Sullivan, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . 571-214-4511 Hassans Accounting & Tax Services . 241-7771 Hahn & Associates, PC, CPAs . . . . . 533-3777

Catering

Gifts

Cleaning Services

health & FItness

home care

home improvement

ANTIQUES & cOLLECTIBLES

Falls Church Antique Company . . . . 241-7074 Antique Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-9642

Sam’s Catering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580-7511 Pressure Washing/Deck, Siding . . . . 980-0225 A-Cleaning Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892-8648 Affordable Carpet Resoration . . . . . . 978-2270 Maid Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823-1922 Carpets, Ducts, Windows . . . . . . . . . 823-1922

Computer services

Mark F. Werblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9300 Janine S. Benton, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . . .992-9255

Counseling

Beyer Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5000 Integrity Tire & Auto Repair . . . . . . . . 639-0700

Dentists

Attorneys

Automotive banking

Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. . . 519-1634 BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241-3505 TD Bank/www.TDBank.com . . . . . . . 237-2051 Acacia Federal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506-8100

Fast-teks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496-7807 Carol S. Miller, LCSW . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-4980 Josette Millman, APRN . . . . . . . . . . . 855-0396 Dr. William Dougherty . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-3300 Dr. Nimisha V. Patel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-1733

Equipment REntal/Sale

VA Outdoor Power Equipment . . . . . 207-2000 Ace Tool & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-5600

book Binding

Eyewear

BUSINESS SERVICES

FLorists

chiropractor

FRames

BCR Binders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-9181 Jon Rizalvo, PAYCHEX . . . . . 698-6910 x27045 Dr. Solano, solanospine.com . . . . . . 536-4366

Art & Frame of Falls Church . . . . . . . 534-4202

massage

Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-0140 Sacred Well Yoga and Healing . . . . . 989-8316

medical

Human Touch Home Health . . . . . . . 531-0540

Music

Joseph Home Improvement . . . . . . . 507-5005 Ram Home Improvement . . . . . . . . . 641-5892 Doug’s Handyman Services . . . . . . . 556-4276 Ambassador Home Improvements . 499-7095 FC Heating & Air Service . . . . . . . . . 534-0630 N.G. Painting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312-0032 Millennium, USA Painting . . . . . . . . . 409-8563 The Vinyl Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793-3111

ophthalmology

pharmacy

real estate

tailor

insurance

lawn & garden

masonry

Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-6500

Falls Church Florist, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 533-1333

Stifel & Capra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-0770

State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . 237-5105 Morales Landscaping and Lawncare 502-3990 Sweet Garden Lawn Care . . . . . . . . . 627-7723 Gabriel Lawn Service . . . . . . . . . . . . 691-2351 Seven Brothers Landscaping . . . . . . 241-4990 Masonry Specialist LLC . . . . . . . . . . 443-2308 Jeff L. Cadle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698-1390

www.healthybyintention.com. . . . . . . 534-1321 Sheraton Premiere Women’s Massage 403-9328 Dr Gordon Theisz, Family Medicine . 533-7555 The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy . . . 536-4042 Academy of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938-8054 World Childrens Choir . . . . . . . . . . . 883-0920 Columbia Institute - Fine Arts . . . . . . 534-2508 Foxes Music Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533-7393 John Karickhoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-2400 Broad Street Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . . . .533-9013 Merelyn Kaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790-9090x218 www.helpfulmortgage.us . . . . . . . . . . 237-0222 Casey O’Neal - ReMax . . . . . . . . . . . 824-4196 Rosemary Hayes Jones . . . . . . . . . . .790-1990 Leslie Hutchison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .675-2188 The Young Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356-8800 Shaun Murphy, Realtor . . . . . . . . . . 868-5999 www.TheJeffersonatBallston.com . . . 741-7562 Susan Fauber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395-8741 Tailor Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534-8886

All numbers have a ‘703’ prefix unless otherwise indicated.

To see your business here, call us at 703-532-3267, fax 703-342-0352 or E-Mail us at ads@fcnp.com Check out our NEW Online Business Directory at www.FCNP.com

Make Your Pet a Star! Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Snap a pic of your critter and email it to: CRITTERCORNER@FCNP.COM OR mail it to Critter Corner c/o Falls Church News-Press

VISIT US ONLINE

www.fcnp.com

450 W. Broad Street #321

Critter

Falls Church, Va 22046

Corner

News•Photos•Online Polls•Sports E-Issuu • Twitter • and More

Page 34

December 24 - 30, 2009

for the week of December 24-30, 2009

City Discontinues Leaf Mulch Delivery Free Pickup Available in February Due to budget constraints, the City of Falls Church has discontinued leaf mulch delivery. However, beginning in early February, free doubleground leaf mulch will be available for pickup at the Recycling Center (217 Gordon Road). Bring your own container and pitch fork or shovel. The leaf mulch is produced from leaves that were vacuumed from City streets in the fall.

The leaf mulch program accomplishes two important goals: • It saves tax dollars. Every fall, Department of Environmental Services Operations staff vacuums approximately 5,000 cubic yards of leaves from the curb. It is far less expensive to recycle the leaves into mulch and offer it back to residents than it is to haul the leaves away and pay to dispose of them. • It brings life back to soil. Adding leaf mulch to your soil will naturally turn clay-rich soil into nutrient-rich soil that is healthier for your trees and plants, with zero waste in the process.

For more information about the leaf mulch program, call the Environmental Programs Specialist at 703-248-5176 (TTY 711) or visit www.fallschurchva.gov.

Fire Safety Tips for the Holidays Review the City Snow Candle Safety Tips Removal Policy Candles give a pleasant, festive air to the holidays, but can be dangerous when used improperly. • Candles should be placed on stable, uncluttered surfaces, away from edges and with nothing above them. • Do not place candles within one foot of anything flammable, like curtains, furniture, bedding or paper. Pay special attention around holiday decorations. • Candles should be in holders that are stable, sturdy, non-flammable and can collect any dripping wax. • Trim candle wicks to one quarter of an inch (1/4”) before use. • Do not leave candles burning unattended. • Do not let children play with candles.

Christmas Tree Safety • If you have a live Christmas tree, be sure to keep it well-watered. A dry tree is tinder, just waiting to burn. • If you get an artificial tree, look for one marked “fire-resistant.” • Keep trees, especially live ones, away from heat sources. Heat dries live trees quickly. • Make sure light sets are in good condition, with no fraying or exposed wires. • Turn out all lights when you go to bed or leave the house.

city

Christmas and New Year’s Holiday Schedules CITY HALL DMV SELECT IN CITY HALL LIBRARY SENIOR CENTER

CLOSED Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1

COURTS SHERIFF’S OFFICE

CLOSED Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1

COMMUNITY CENTER

CLOSED Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1 CLOSED at 5 p.m. Dec. 31

GEORGE BUS

NO SERVICE Dec. 25 and Jan. 1

REFUSE, RECYCLING, & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

NO PICKUPS Dec. 25 or Jan. 1 REFUSE & RECYCLING will be collected Thursday Dec. 31 for the Thursday and Friday collection areas. For information about collections, call 703-248-5316 (TTY 711) or 703-248-5176 (TTY 711).

Now that winter is officially here, the City reminds residents and businesses of the snow removal policy. The Department of Environmental Services Operations Division is responsible for snow removal in the City right of way. Clearing snow from driveways and entrances is the responsibility of the resident. Plow operators do not have control over the snow coming off the edge of the blade, and their plows cannot be adjusted for the sharp turns required to clear driveways. Residential Snow Removal Residents must remove snow/ice from sidewalks surrounding the property 12 hours after snowfall. If the snow falls at night, residents have 12 hours after sunrise to remove it. Snow/ice must not be placed on City streets. Commercial Snow Removal Commercial property owners must remove snow/ice from sidewalks surrounding the property six hours after snowfall. If the snow falls at night, businesses have six hours after sunrise to remove it. Snow/ice must not be placed on City streets.

Leaf Collection Ends Jan. 8

Residents who wish to have their loose leaves collected by the City are advised to rake leaves to the curb, but avoid gutters and sidewalks wherever possible. Dec. 28-Jan. 8

• Areas north of Broad Street (Thursday and Friday Collection Zones)

Properly prepared bundled brush, yard waste bag and special collections will continue throughout the leaf collection season. For more information, call the Operations Division at 703-248-5281 (TTY 711) or visit www.fallschurchva.gov.

www.fallschurchva.gov - The official site for City of Falls Church news

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Questions or Comments?

City of Falls Church, Harry E. Wells Building 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046 703-248-5003 (TTY 711) The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in alternate format upon request. Call 703-248-5003 (TTY 711).

December 24 - 30, 2009

Johnson Wins TJ Geo Bee Fourth grader Meredith Johnson’s knowledge of Japan proved to be what she needed to win this year’s geography bee, last week, at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. More than 150 TJ Tigers participated in the annual contest using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society,which sponsors the contest. The program is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms and to spark student interest in the subject. The Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School Geography Meredith Johnson Bee will be held next month. The winner of that competition advances along a track that could eventually culminate in a national competition appearance in May in Washington, D.C.

Page 35

FCCPS Teachers Earn National Certification

(FCC-TV) to watch Entertainment Unlimited and enjoy some holiday music. This month’s program features bells, choirs, and traditional Christmas services. Entertainment Unlimited airs on FCC-TV at the following times: • Sundays at 8:00 p.m. You can now see FCC-TV programming live at www.fcctv.net anywhere in the world! FCC-TV also airs in the greater Falls Church area on Cox Channel 12, Verizon Channel 35 and RCN Channel 2.

BIE Partner of the Week Colm Dillon and Ciara Collins

Ireland’s Four Provinces School involvement: Collected more than 200 toys to distribute to Falls Church children as holiday gifts. Why Colm and Ciera are BIE partners: “Four P’s has an annual staff and ‘regulars’ party, and we ask each guest to donate a toy for a child’s holiday gift. As a Falls Church business, we are pleased to be able to support families in our community by providing presents and surprises.” For more information about sharing your expertise through the BIE Partnership, visit www.fccps.org or contact Marybeth Connelly at connellym@fccps.org.

Foundation Footnotes Need a Year-End Gift Idea? Looking for a tax deduction? The Falls Church Education Foundation is now accepting year-end gifts. Past year-end contributions have included cash, longterm appreciated stock, and donations from an IRA. For more information about short or long-term donations and tax implications, contact the foundation office at (703) 538-3381 or email Donna Englander at denglander@fcedf.org. The Falls Church Education Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Visit www.fcedf.org for more information. School content published in The Schools Focus is written and edited by the Falls Church City Public Schools. For more information, contact the Falls Church City Public Schools Communications Office. Phone: (703) 248-5699 Fax: (703) 248-5613.

Schools

Three more teachers in the Falls Church City Public Schools now hold certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. George Mason High School teachers Kate Rory Dippold Kate Dirga (left), Dirga and Mary Jo Mary Jo Webster. Webster, and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School teacher Rory Dippold earned the certification following a two-year process of intensive study, GMHS Quiz Bowl Team Aces “It’s Academic” peer review, expert evaluation and self-assessment. Want a sure bet for the holidays? Tune into NBC 4 this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Having teachers achieve national board certification is among and watch as the George Mason Quiz Bowl Team continues its undefeated the Falls Church City School Board’s performance metrics goals season on the popular “It’s Academic” show. for the school division. In all, 16 FCCPS teachers now hold We can guarantee a positive outcome because the program was videotaped in national board certification. November for airing this weekend. Though the scores have not been announced, Secret “Santas” Bring it is known the Mustangs came away with an unblemished record. That record currently stands at 13-0, clinching the Bull Run District regular sea- Holiday Cheer to Children son title after a 300-105 win over Rappahannock County High School last week. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, the holidays will be a little merrier for several Falls Church City public school families. Ireland’s Four Provinces restaurant recently collected nearly FCC-TV Spotlight: Entertainment Unlimited 200 toys from their regular customers, and school social workers distribute the toys to families in need. Tune in to Falls Church Community Television

Donated toys collected by the Four Provinces restaurant are sorted at the Falls Church City Public Schools Central Office before being distributed to families in need for the holidays.

Calendar for December 24, 2009 - January 4, 2010 December 24-25 Winter Break (Schools Closed / Day Care Closed) 28-31 Winter Break (Schools Closed / Day Care Open) 28 12:30 p.m. Mason @ Pohanka Classic, Chantilly – (B Basketball) 4:00 p.m. Mason @ Pohanka Classic, Chantilly – (G Basketball) 6:00 p.m. EIP/HEP Tutoring (GM) 29 8:00 a.m. Mason @ Woodbridge (Wrestling) Pohanka Classic, Chantilly continues (B & G Basketball) 30 9:00 a.m. Mason @ Woodbridge (Wrestling) Pohanka Classic, Chantilly continues (B & G Basketball) January 1 New Year’s Day (Schools Closed / Day Care Closed) 2 5:00 p.m. Mason @ Potomac Falls (B Basketball) 4 School Reopens 6:00 p.m. EIP/HEP Tutoring (GM) 7:00 p.m. Special Education Advisory Comm. (TJ) For more calendar information, visit www.fccps.org/calendar. (MD) Mt. Daniel School (TJ) Thomas Jefferson Elementary (MEH) Mary Ellen Henderson Middle (GM) George Mason High (CO) Central Office www.fccps.org - The official site for Falls Church City Public Schools news

Page 36

December 24 - 30, 2009

Home for the Holidays

Toyotathon Year End Sales Event 0% Financing* on Select Vehicles

Just Sold In Falls Church. Located on quiet, tree-lined cul de sac within walking distance of grocery store, bus and more, this delightful brick rambler has three bedrooms, two full baths and hardwood floors. Large Rec Room with wood stove ( can heat the whole house) and new wall to wall carpet. Kitchen opens to first floor family room with door to patio and rear yard. $349,500

Merelyn Kaye

McEnearney Associates Home Office 703-241-2577 Mobile 703-362-1112 www.kayes.com e-mail: merelyn@kayes.com

2923 ANNANDALE RD, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22042 YOUR NEIGHBOORHOOD DEALERSHIP

Speak Directly to a Manager for the Best Price Bob Halderman, Brian Ham, Joseph Fanta NO HASSLE PRICE ON ENTIRE STOCK VISIT US FOR THE BEST CAR BUYING EXPERIENCE

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