December 26, 2019 — January 1, 2020
Fa lls Chur c h, V i r g i ni a • ww w. fc np. c om • Fr ee
Fou n d e d 1991 • V ol. XXIX No. 45
Falls Church • Tysons Corner • Merrifield • McLean • North Arlington • Bailey’s Crossroads
Little City Season of Light Ready to Ring In New Year
Annual Watch Night Celebration Set for Tuesday Night in F.C. by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
The City of Falls Church’s 22nd annual Watch Night New Year’s Eve celebration will see residents ring in a third decade under the star downtown, but will also set in motion an extended changing of the guard in the crew which helps make the whole operation go seamlessly. Robert Goff, the City’s Superintendent of its Public Works department, will be overseeing his penultimate Watch Night on Tuesday ahead of his planned retirement in September 2021. Goff was key in taking the volunteer effort led by Barb Cram from the Village Preservation and Improvement Society and putting some professional polish on it, particularly with the unearthing of the long-dormant Watch Night star.
Continued on Page 5
CATCHING ALL THE EYEBALLS on East Broad Street this season, this elaborately decorated home is adorned with festive decorations, handmade by John “Jack” Lanouette. Using materials typically associated with housing construction, the newest additions to this year’s display are two buff snowmen lifting weights right near the front steps. Unfortunately, their muscles haven’t helped ward off a squirrel problem that has pestered the display this holiday season. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)
2019’s Top Stories in Falls Church by Jody Fellows
Falls Church News-Press
In a year filled with development news, it was the ever-changing landscape of the Falls Church business community that captured the most attention out of all the happenings in the City this year. Now, as December nears its end and the Little City prepares to welcome in the New Year, the
News-Press takes a look back at its most popular stories from the previous 12 months. The revolving door of business closing and opening announcements swept our Top 5 Most Read stories list as readers commiserated and reminisced over the news of long-standing City businesses shuttering for good in 2019, while they cheered (or lamented) the announcements of openings and
impending arrivals.
1) Mad Fox Brewing Company Announces It’s Closing “After 9 Years, Mad Fox Brewing Will Close This Month” July 9, 2019
In July, Mad Fox Brewing Company announced it was closing after a nine-year run in the
City of Falls Church. The pioneering craft beer operation, helmed by brewmaster Bill Madden, was a victim of the area’s incredibly competitive craft beer market it helped usher in when it first opened in 2010. An outpouring of support and sentiments from customers and industry folk paid tribute to Madden and his Falls Church brew pub during the last weeks of operation which was highlighted
Continued on Page 4
Inside This Week Watch Night Guide Inside!
Inside this week’s editon, find the official guide to the City of Falls Church’s countdown to 2020, known as Watch Night. The exclusive, special pull-out features a list of activities, events, schedules, restaurants, maps and more for the Little City’s 22nd annual New Year’s Eve celebration. See pages 11—14
Planners Praise W&OD Dual Trail Plans
Plans to expand into a full dual use the segment of the 45-mile W&OD Trail that runs through the center of the City of Falls Church are due for final approval late next month. See News Briefs, page 9
Mason Boys Rally Falls Short After flirting with its second comeback in consecutive games, George Mason High School’s boys basketball team fell 51-46 to Bishop O’Connell High School last Thursday. See Sports, page 8
Index
Editorial........................................................ 6 Letters.......................................................... 6 Sports.......................................................... 8 News & Notes.....................................16–17 Comment.............................................10,15 Calendar.............................................18–19 Classified Ads............................................20 Comics, Sudoku & Crossword..................21 Crime Report.............................................22 Critter Corner.............................................22 Business News..........................................22
PAGE 2 | DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020
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THE CLOSING OF HOLE IN THE WALL Books, after 40 years on W. Broad St., was one of the Falls Church’s most popular stories this year. (Photo: J. Michael Whalen)
New, Departing Businesses Highlight F.C. News in 2019
Continued from Page 1
by a ninth anniversary party just days after its closing announcement.
2) Frozen Dairy Bar Custard Return “Just in Time for Spring, F.C.’s Iconic Frozen Dairy Bar Custard to Return” March 21, 2019 The site of longtime Falls Church favorite Frozen Dairy Bar had been sitting dark in a strip mall on Route 50 for more than six months until Usman and Lilly Bhatti announced they were bringing back the frozen custard last spring. First opened in 1950, the original Frozen Dairy Bar roadside stand was a Falls Church landmark and, through its various iterations, a frozen favorite of the community for the past 70 years. News of its impending return was gobbled up by readers just like its custard has been since the Bhatti’s restaurant, DC Steakholders, opened this past April.
3) Whole Foods Signs Lease For Downtown Falls Church “Whole Foods Inks 20-Year Lease For 50,000 Sq. Ft. at Broad & Washington” November 18, 2019
If there’s one thing Falls Church loves, it’s its grocery stores. With the City already boasting four full-sized supermarkets inside its limits, news that Whole Foods signed a 20-year lease for 50,000 square feet at the center of downtown Falls Church nearly broke the internet (well, The Little City internet, that is). Insight Group made the announcement that the Amazonowned chain would anchor its new mixed-use development at the intersection of E. Broad and N. Washington St. and readers had plenty to say about it. Comments on the news included: “Amazon taking over!,” “The Little City about to be The Medium City soon,” “The best news ever!,” “Great – the geographically nearest place yet outside of which I can protest Jeff Bezos’s existence on the planet,” and just about everything in between. 4) Hole in the Wall Books Closes After 40 Years “After 40 Year Run, Hole in the Wall Books Closes Its Doors This Month” August 7, 2019 Edie and Michael Nally had been selling used books and comics out of a cozy blue house on Broad St. in the City for 40 years when they decided it was finally time to shut up shop.
Hole in the Wall Books, a Little City institution since 1979, ended its run this past August when the couple closed the store’s doors for good. They said it was a personal decision though, in part, it was so they could spend more time with their family. A 150-mile round trip commute made the decision all the easier. During its last month of business, the Nallys slashed prices on inventory and customers, past and present, came out in droves to pay their respects at the closing of the Falls Church establishment.
5) Baddpizza to Bring Buffalo Pizza & Wings to Little City “Buffalo-Style ‘Cup & Char’ Pepperoni Pizza, Wings Coming to Falls Church” September 12, 2019 When Buffalo, New York native Joel Salamone told the News-Press in September he was bringing his hometown pies along with authentic buffalo wings to the Little City, the excitement was palpable. Unable to find any pizza he likes in the area, Salamone decided it was his job to bring edge-to-edge toppings, a sweeter sauce and a nottoo-thick and not-too-thin crust to Northern Virginia with Baddpizza. Salamone originally planned to start slinging cup-and-char pepperoni pizza and wings from Broadale Village Shopping Center in November but he pushed back his ETA to the end of December. Though, with 2020 just days away and still no opening date announced, it looks like Falls Church will have to wait to get its fill of Baddpizza until after the New Year.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
LO CA L
Falls Church to Welcome in 2020 With 22nd Annual Watch Night
Continued from Page 1
The free New Year’s Eve event is one of the largest the City puts on, along with its Fourth of July fireworks show at George Mason High School, and Goff has been showing four, 20-something public works employees how to handle setting up the event. Their grooming has been an ongoing process since Goff told the City that he planned to retire roughly seven years ago following Fairfax Water’s takeover of the City’s water system. The latest wrinkle he had the up-and-comers work on was doing the electrical work for the downtown street lights that went live in early December. “They’re very young and very green, but I do have a couple of guys here that I believe are ready to be superintendent,” Goff said, adding the caveat that whoever is chosen needs to be willing to be on-call at all hours of the night. “I’ve told the City that they need
to look into a succession plan, but I’m not sure they’ve taken it seriously, to be honest.” Even with Goff still on board for the time being, Cram quipped that his help with Watch Night is invaluable, saying, “Robert knows where all the bodies are buried, which way they’re facing and what jewelry they’re wearing.” This year’s celebration looks to bring some new technical elements as well as make use of Mr. Brown’s Park in its inaugural Watch Night. Cram said spiffy new attractions such as a mechanical bull and the log jammer will be joining Fun Alley mainstays in the bungee jumping station, rock wall and velcro wall, the obstacle course and karaoke along Broad Street. Mr. Brown’s Park will have a warming station right behind it near the Unity Club entrance, and Cram intends to use a projector to display Instagram posts of people
at the event on a loop on the Hot N’ Juicy Crawfish wall. Additional lighting in the form of two large light towers will also be used to illuminate all of the celebration area, according to Goff, to go with a new sound system for music performers as well. And the star of the show (get it?), the Watch Night star itself, will also receive an upgrade with Goff and his crew adding a twinkling effect to it. The Falls Church Episcopal’s 250th anniversary will be highlighted in the event as well, with the church’s new clergy staff taking on a greater role in helping run their activities, according to Cram. Music performers will include Sudden M Pac, Redacted and Northern Lights Orchestra, along with master of ceremonies Jeffrey Garofalo, will keep the jovial, community atmosphere alive and well. “Falls Church is different. So many people know each other
DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 5
through the schools or churches or Chamber of Commerce events,” Cram said. “Lots of people participate in getting this thing together. It’s unusual for the area.” Cram believes Watch Night has played a large role in disassembling the snooty image Falls Church once had, driven in part by the aggressive towing the City permitted. A tipping point was when a veteran who was home after serving in the Middle East was acknowledged at the event, and he mentioned to those near him that his car had just been towed. City Councilmember David Snyder took the veteran to the lot and paid his fee to make up for the incident. The City would focus on relaxing towing direc-
tives for future Watch Night’s from then on out. Meanwhile, Goff conceded he’ll be getting a bit nostalgic about letting go of Watch Night once he sees that star rise Tuesday around midnight. Knowing where the star was hidden all those years and being a part of its establishment in City history is a point of pride of the Falls Church native. And even with one more New Year’s eve bash to usher in for 2021, he knows he’s on the start of his home stretch as a City employee. Watch Night New Year’s Eve will kick off at 7 p.m. and go until midnight on the 100 block of West Broad St. in Falls Church. This event is free and open to all.
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E D I TO R I A L
F.C.’s Council Of Incumbents
Generally overlooked in the November 2019 City of Falls Church municipal election last month was an historic result. It marked the first time since the incorporation of the city as an independent jurisdiction in 1947 that all three incumbent candidates, seeking re-election to new four year terms, won. Considering there are elections for City Council every two years in Falls Church, this is no mean feat. There was a stretch from 1988 to 2002, for example, when there was a new mayor elected, albeit by the sevenmember Council, each and every two years. While the Council did that electing, the succession of seven different mayors in 14 years was reflective of who was on the Council and who was not, and the high turnover rate. (Who can name all seven of those mayors?) In that tumultuous time, the City’s citizens fought energetically over whether or not the City needed to adopt a more robust regional economic development posture. The News-Press stepped into this fray near its outset, in March 1991, with its strident, unrelenting pro-growth, pro-schools editorial slant (the relatively unappreciated notion then that one spurs the other) to help stir the debate. By the time Dan Gardner was sworn into a second term as mayor in 2002, the battle for progress was almost won with the approval of the first two large-scale mixed-use projects, The Broadway and The Byron, in the 400-500 block of W. Broad. Garnder wound up serving a third term until 2006, and he was succeeded then by Robin Gardner (no relation) who logged in two successive terms to 2010. But by then the Great Recession was taking its toll, derailing the biggest new project of all and plunging the City into near fiscal peril when neighboring Fairfax County challenged the City’s operation of its 120-mile long water system. It was compounded by the passing of the City’s most progressive City Manager ever, Dan McKeever, in 2006. The mayor elected in 2010, Nader Baroukh, allied with two new fiscally conservative Council members attempting to slow the growth in the City, but by 2014 the mood had changed back to a more progressive posture in the City and current Mayor David Tarter, former chair of the Economic Development Authority, was elected mayor and re-elected in 2016 and 2018. The Council is expected to re-elect him again in January. It would make him only the second mayor in the City’s history to serve four successive terms (Carol DeLong, mother-in-law of current City Councilman Phil Duncan, served from 1980-1988). Along with his fourth consecutive general election victory last month, Duncan’s third and Letty Hardi’s second, the three incumbents are now poised to oversea their greatest achievement yet, the massive West End Development Plan including the new high school and 10 acres of dense economic development, eying collaboration with their neighbors for something really big.
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Maybe F.C. Should Try Living Within Its Means
Editor, My husband and I want to weigh in on proposed changes to the previously approved construction project at the corner of Broad and Washington. We are not fundamentally opposed to a new Whole Foods store, although we do not believe Whole Foods lives up to its hype. However, we are opposed to extreme traffic congestion at an already-busy
intersection and emphatically oppose the negative impact on Thompson Italian and Clare & Don’s, two businesses which have made large investments in Falls Church, and which contribute greatly to the charm of living here. It’s just not right to harm local entrepreneurs, or potentially drive them out of business, all for the sake of an insatiable appetite for
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tax revenue. I understand the proposed project includes lots of apartments, which means more people using services, which results in the need for more tax revenue. It’s a never-ending cycle. I realize things change; however, new is not always better, a bunch of chain stores and restaurants are not necessarily more desirable than individually-owned businesses, and sometimes it makes sense for the city to live within its means, rather than constantly chasing tax dollars and destroying a lovely residential environment in the process. Susan K. Patchett Falls Church
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CO MME NT
DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 7
G � � � � C � � � � � �� �� Guardrails Can’t Prevent Amendment’s Gerrymander B� M��� L�����
I have widely expressed my concerns about the Republicans’ constitutional amendment on Virginia redistricting. Hastily written on the last scheduled day of our 2019 session, the proposal was quickly shoved before the legislature, giving us little time to read it and no time to change it. There was no hearing on its pros and cons. After the Republicans killed OneVirginia2021’s proposal, as well as several other redistricting measures, Republican Delegate Mark Cole hurriedly slapped together a fourth amendment to the Cole/Barker bill that became the only constitutional amendment redistricting proposal still standing as the session came to a close. Given our short time to review it and its competition with the literally thousands of other bills we voted on in six short weeks, perhaps it’s unsurprising that so many of us (including me) voted for the amendment its first time around. Most of us Democrats have long opposed gerrymandering, and unlike ordinary bills, Virginia’s constitutional amendments must pass the legislature in two successive legislatures to succeed. We knew this was just the first step in a two-stage process: if the amendment turned out to be unfixable with accompanying legislation, we could just vote against it the following year and pass a better plan instead. And that’s what I told my constituents in the newsletter I sent days after voting for
the measure. How is the amendment flawed? Without repeating all the many arguments I’ve made elsewhere, my problems with the proposed constitutional amendment are relatively
“The amendment itself sets no guardrails. It in no way purports to make gerrymandering illegal.” simple. The so-called independent commission consisting of legislators — and citizens chosen by these legislators — is easily defeated if just two legislators (Todd Gilbert and Kirk Cox, for example) appoint themselves to stymie the commission. Then the entire map-drawing process devolves upon the Virginia Supreme Court, which is free to establish whatever maps it likes under zero conditions, except it must avoid racial gerrymandering. Once they make their determination, the die is cast: there’s no appeal to any state or federal court. And neither the Governor nor the state legislature can change or affect the Supreme Court’s decision in any way. With the entire conservative Virginia Supreme Court chosen by the formerly Republican legislature, each individual
justice’s reappointment is far less likely under Democratic rule. Their easiest way to ensure reappointment is to draw lines so that Republicans again regain their majority. A heavily unfair Republican gerrymander would accomplish exactly that. That way, even if Virginia votes 60 percent for Democrats, the Republicans can take back the majority in 2021 and never relinquish it. But why can’t the Virginia Legislature put guardrails around the Virginia Supreme Court? Although Brian Cannon and I have debated this issue at length, the answer is really quite simple: because the Constitution trumps the law. Any law purporting to restrain the Virginia Supreme Court’s redistricting power after the amendment passed would become, by definition, unconstitutional. The amendment itself sets no guardrails. It in no way purports to make gerrymandering illegal. It does not even require the Virginia Supreme Court to do its redistricting based on law. It merely says “the districts shall be established by the Supreme Court of Virginia.” (See for yourself. It’s in Section (g).) And note the word “established.” Courts rarely have the power to “establish” anything. They don’t normally legislate like that. Courts usually decide cases based on lawsuits others file. It’s an express limitation on their power. But by putting this “right to judicial gerrymander” in our Virginia Constitution, we could greatly expand the power of this very partisan court. We’d give them the power,
in effect, to reappoint themselves through gerrymandering forever. Even OneVirginia2021 agrees this amendment is far from perfect. They concede the necessity of additional guardrails legislation. But there’s an easy answer to address both their concerns and mine: Pass the guardrails. Leave the flawed amendment behind. We can pass guardrails in 2020 to set the legislative parameters for 2021 redistricting. I prefer using a computer to ensure mathematical fairness, a panel of special masters, and/or a truly independent commission. But whatever the proposed legislative fix, let’s see if our model works well prior to baking it into our constitution forever. After all, if the flawed amendment leads to a heavily Republican gerrymander, it would be virtually impossible to get a returning majority-Republican legislature to relinquish their power again. If Republicans receive fewer statewide votes than Democrats and only take power through judicial gerrymander created by this constitutional amendment, why would they ever agree to change the constitution back? Based on our 2021 redistricting — and a few tweaks to guardrail laws if necessary, we’ll have plenty of time to pass the best possible constitutional amendment in time for 2031. Haste makes waste. Mark Levine represents Virginia’s 45th district in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Q������� �� ��� W��� What was the biggest Falls Church story of 2019? • Mad Fox closing
• FDB custard coming back
• Whole Foods signing lease • Hole in the Wall closing • Baadpizza coming soon
Last Week’s Question:
Do you agree with the F.C. School Board’s decision to start school two weeks before Labor Day?
• Something else
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Email: letters@fcnp.com | Mail: Letters to the Editor, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church 22046 | Fax: 703.340.0347
PAGE 8 | DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020
SPO RTS
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Magic Runs Out for Mason Boys in Loss to O’Connell by Matt Delaney
Falls Church News-Press
After flirting with its second comeback in consecutive games, George Mason High School’s boys basketball team fell 51-46 to Bishop O’Connell High School last Thursday. The juice officially ran out of Mason’s magic wand against the Knights (at least for this week). The Mustangs swiped a victory right out of visiting James Monroe High School’s hands on Dec. 17 following a frantic 8-2 run in the game’s final 45 seconds. But O’Connell proved to be composed enough to hold onto its dwindling lead before Mason could no longer compete with the clock. “We almost had it. I wish [junior guard] Devin [Martino] would’ve pulled that last thing just to see, but I understand why, it was contested,” Mason head coach Michael Gilroy said, referring to an open look at a three Martino had with 20 seconds to go. “I told them we ain’t walking out of here with our heads hanging. We gave them all we had and we put a scare into that squad.”
Martino’s clutch-and-holster of the ball effectively ended what was almost another startling comeback for the Mustangs. O’Connell found the net on its third-chance with 2:51 to go in the game. The visitors put some garnish on the score with two, split trips from the line 30 seconds later to take a 48-39 advantage. But Mason, while a bit harried in their offensive approach, muscled through a near disaster at midcourt to regain its momentum. An attempted pass was batted away by one of the Knights, who was then chased down by a Mustang to knock the ball loose again. Junior guard Bobby Asel emerged with the possession and launched the ball to senior forward Hunter Broxson down low for a strong layup that re-energized Mason, now down 48-41. O’Connell’s empty 1-and-1 chance from the free throw line opened the door for Martino’s elbow three to put the Mustangs within four and 1:23 to play. The Knights countered with a quick transition bucket to jump back up 50-44, but Asel wasted no time on the next offensive
JUNIOR FORWARD Ryan Fletchall has been adapting to the varsity game on the fly with his own increased role this season. (Photo: Carol Sly) set by driving lane for a tough two. Another fruitless chance at a 1-and-1 for O’Connell gave Mason an opening to really make the game interesting. Again, the ball found Martino along the right elbow behind the three-point line, but the junior only made eyes at the basket before putting the ball on the floor. A turnover soon afterward would seal the game.
O’Connell’s tenacity on the offensive glass consistently trumped the Mustangs’ efforts to rally in the second half. It was the Knights’ second and frequent third attempts — often in close range — that cushioned their lead and dampened Mason’s morale. A big bonus the visitors had was their size at nearly every position. “It was a lot of their guards.
They had one player that is a 6’4 guard, which we don’t have. We have 6’3 big men,” Gilroy added. “We stress that other team’s have guards who can rebound, but at the end of the day shots go up and you’ve got to find a body.” The Mustangs will play at 9:30 p.m. to open the Joe Cascio Holiday Classic at Falls Church High School tonight.
Late Surge Not Enough for Mustangs to Overcome Early Deficit by Caitlin Butler
Falls Church News-Press
George Mason High School’s girls basketball team took another loss versus the visiting Robert E. Lee Lancers, falling 47-44 last Thursday. The Mustangs came up short by three points after a sleepy second and third quarter put them in the deep hole. By the time Mason picked up steam again in the fourth quarter, they ran out of time before the team could affect the game’s final outcome. “I think we just didn’t come out with the intensity that we needed. We fumbled on a few of the marks especially defensively. We got it together in the last quarter, but then it was too late,” said sophomore guard Zoraida Icabalceta. The fourth quarter started with a Lee possession that resulted in two successful foul shots to increase their lead to 38-30. The Lancers’ aggressive full court press ended up fouling senior forward Emma Rollins under the basket, who split her trip to the free throw line. Mason would go on to outscore Lee 13-9 in clos-
SOPHOMORE GUARD Zoraida Icabalceta was a big part of the offense against Robert E. Lee High School, but she alone couldn’t get Mason on the winning side. (Photo: Carol Sly) ing minutes of the game, with Icabalceta’s late three pointer putting the Mustangs within three at 47-44. However, the clock struck midnight for Mason, letting the visiting Lancers walk out of The Pit with the win. Lee looked as if it was going to dominate the match early on. The Lancers nailed down the first seven points of the evening against an unresponsive
Mustangs defense. But Mason found its rhythm when a Rollins bucket got things going offensively. Following Rollins’ lead was her teammate in sophomore guard Bella Paradiso who immediately kept the pace with a swift three point basket, putting the Mustangs down two at 7-5. Both teams traded scores with Mason taking a slight edge into the second quarter at 17-15.
The second quarter was a different story for the leading Mustangs. Mason scored a total of five points for the entirety of the second quarter while Lee Lancers tacked on a total of 13. Icabalceta served as the offensive engine by contributing three of those five points in the second quarter due to a successful long range shot. But the Mustangs’ sloppy
defense resulted in a Lancers lead for the second quarter with a score of 28-22. In the third quarter the Mustangs defense bounced back to limit the Lancers to only eight points; Mason, however, merely matched the visitors with eight points as well, and failed to make a dent in Lee’s solid 36-30 lead heading into the final quarter. The Mustangs hope to use this loss as a learning experience for the rest of the season to improve upon their weak points ahead of the Northwestern District schedule that awaits them following the conclusion of its holiday tournament over the break. “[Lee] was a good match for us, going into the tournament it will be the same kind of playing level,” said Icabalceta, who added that the focus will be one “high intensity and collecting ourselves,” throughout the remainder of the season. Mason will compete in the Joe Cascio Holiday Classic at Falls Church High School starting today. The Mustangs will resume league play against Skyline High School on Jan. 7.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
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NEWS BRIEFS
DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 9
F.C. Trash Pick Ups This Saturday & Next The City of Falls Church trash and recycling pick-ups this week and next have been moved from the normal pick up day of Wednesday to Saturday, Dec. 28 and Jan. 4, according to City Hall. The pickups will include trash, recycling, yard waste and compost. Christmas trees must be cleared of all ornamentation to be picked up.
Herring Vows to Fight for ERA Ratification Virginia’s Attorney General Mark Herring announced this week he’s fully prepared and motivated to ensure that when Virginia passes the long-awaited Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution next month that the amendment will, in fact, become part of that Constitution. Herring’s remarks came in the context of the fact that three U.S. states, Alabama, Louisiana and South Dakota, have filed suits in federal court to block the ratification when Virginia becomes the required 38th state needed to ratify the amendment next month. “It is absolutely ridiculous that in 2019 states would preemptively sue to block equality from being enshrined in the Constitution. When Virginia ratifies the ERA in the upcoming legislative session Attorney General Herring is prepared to take any steps necessary to ensure it is added to the Constitution, as it should be,” Herring’s press secretary Charlotte Gomer wrote in an email this week.
Beyer: Impeachment Vote ‘Will Stand Test of Time’ Last week, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, who represents the 8th District of Virginia that includes the City of Falls Church, delivered floor remarks during the House of Representatives debate on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Beyer argued for voting in favor of both articles, which would impeach President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Beyer’s remarks were as follows: “Today, I will vote to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. I don’t hate the President, but I love my country, and I have no other choice. Voting for these articles of impeachment is the only moral course of action, the only way to honor our oath of office. I have no doubt that the votes I cast today will stand the test of time. This has nothing to do with the 2016 elections. I am so disappointed that my Republican friends approve the President’s abuses of power and solicitation of foreign interference in our elections. This is the very definition of the willful suspension of disbelief. They know in their hearts that what the President has done is deeply wrong. They know that they would vote without hesitation to impeach a Democratic president who had done these things. I remind all Americans that the President did not rebut the facts — the many, many facts — which led to these articles of impeachment today. For the sake of our democracy, our Constitution, and our country, we must do the right thing and vote to impeach President Trump.”
F.C. Economic Office: Good News on Mad Fox Site Becky Witsman of the City of Falls Church’s Economic Development Office told the News-Press this week that while she’s not at liberty yet to provide more information, there is “good news coming” after the first of the year on the disposition of the now-vacated Mad Fox Brewing Company location at 444. W. Broad St.
Warner, Kaine Hail Virginia Beach Shooting Fund U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia released the following statement after their legislation to treat Virginia Beach Tragedy Fund donations as tax-deductible contributions was signed into law this week: “Following the horrific shooting in Virginia Beach, we were heartened to see the community come together to support victims and their families by helping alleviate some of the financial burden of the tragedy,” the Senators said. On May 31, 2019, a gunman opened fire at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, killing 12 people and injuring four. Soon after, the Virginia Beach Tragedy Fund was created to support the wounded victims and the families of those killed. However, because the fund was set up exclusively for the benefit of those affected by the tragedy, it violates a 501(c) (3) nonprofit charitable tax rule that requires a charitable organization to serve a charitable class of persons that is indefinite or of sufficient size. Accordingly, charitable funds can’t be earmarked for specific individuals. As a result, donors are not able to receive a tax deduction for their contributions. The Virginia Beach Strong Act rectifies this flaw by classifying any contribution made on or after May 31, 2019 through June 1, 2021 as tax-deductible.
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A Penny for Your Thoughts
News of Greater Falls Church By Supervisor Penny Gross
Last column for 2019; a New Year begins next week. Will 2020 bring changes, or just more of the same? With new leadership in several local jurisdictions, including Fairfax County, the stage may be set for some new opportunities. Among the most interesting is the potential for addressing prolonged backups and congestion at the American Legion Bridge, which connects northern Fairfax County with Montgomery County, Maryland. Thousands of commuters cross that bridge daily, all equally frustrated by the time it takes to complete a simple trip to work. Federal funding is needed to augment state and local resources to help accomplish a widened bridge project. Also on the transportation side, but closer to home, analysis of the Envision Route 7 project, which proposes Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the corridor to connect the city of Alexandria with Tysons, continues. The proposed project includes portions of Fairfax and Arlington counties, and the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria, and the analysis is being led by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. Included in the project study are consideration of alignment alternatives, conceptual engineering and design, and evaluation of traffic interaction with BRT. As with any large transportation project, funding and time frames must be determined before approvals are sought from the jurisdictions involved. The Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) nomination period for South County, which includes Mason District, closed on December 3. While the majority of nominations are in Lee and Mount Vernon districts, a few Mason District nominations are under review by county planning staff. Once the staff review is complete, the nominations will
be announced and the public consideration process, including appointment of a citizen task force, will begin. The process is quite stringent, and many nominations do not make it all the way to Board of Supervisors’ consideration. Housing quantity and affordability is the hot button issue for our region in 2020. In the fall, all member jurisdictions on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments concurred in adopting housing goals for their jurisdictions. The tremendous growth projected in jobs and population during the next two decades means that local governments must work diligently to ensure that a menu of housing choices – microunits, apartments, condos, townhouses, single family detached – is available to all income levels. The region already is behind, but housing is crucial to attracting and maintaining good jobs that make our local and regional economies the envy of other metropolitan areas. There is no time to lose. As we turn the calendar page to January 2020, let’s leave the disappointments of 2019 in the past, and pledge to move in a positive direction to solve our local challenges. While impeachment swirls around the White House and the Congress, and eventually the Supreme Court, it’s at the local level that much of the work gets done: the government stays open, the streets are safe, the services get delivered, and the quality of life is maintained. We are so fortunate to be in Fairfax County, a great place to live, work, play, learn, worship, and age gracefully. Happy New Year!
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Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 11
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DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 13
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
TheLittle City
Thank Our Watch Night Sponsors Lead Sponsors:
Sponsors: The Village Preservation and Improvement Society
Venue Sponsors: Drs. Melanie Love and Mark Miller Sisler’s Stone Falls Church Arts The Falls Church Episcopal The Falls Church Presbyterian Church Falls Church News-Press The Virginia Tourism Corporation Tori McKinney - Rock Star Realtor June Beyer Art Burke & Herbert Bank
Contributors: A & A Auto Services Cue Recording, LTD Ireland’s Four Provinces
Host Supporters:
Clay Café Studios Dr. Gordon Theisz - Family Medicine Foxes Music Company The Oshinsky Family Partnership VIGET
Friends of Watch Night: Marybeth Connelly, Phil Duncan, Jeffrey Garafalo, Rosemary Ziskind
Watch Night Guests: Please thank those listed above who fund this event and those volunteers who donate their time and talent.
Watch Night event is the recipient of Falls Church Arts and Culture Project Grant
www.watchnightfallschurch.com
PAGE 14 | DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
(Venue, Shuttle, and Restaurant Keys)
Watch Night Locator 2019
Watch Night Shuttle Bus - EFC Metro to Venues
#1 EFC Metro #2 Park Ave across from Kaiser’s Parking Lot #3 Cherry Hill Farmhouse - 300 block of Park Ave #4 N. Maple Ave at Clay Café Studio #5 W. Annandale Rd #6 S. Washington St. at Historical FC Episcopal Church #7 E. Broad St. at passageway #8 N. Fairfax St. (Handicapped Entrance) #9 E. Broad St. at the FCPC Fellowship Hall #10 E. Broad St. near Applebee's Restaurant #11 N. Washington St. at Clare & Don’s Beach Shack
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Music Live - 8pm to10:30pm Shuttle Stop #6
Rt. 29 S
H. Falls Church Presbyterian Amusements 7pm to 9pm Northern Lights Orchestra Refreshments, Restrooms Shuttle Stop #8 (handicapped)
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K. Maneki Neko
238 W. Broad St
L. Pho 88
232 W. Broad St
M. Paisano’s
244 W. Broad St
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Love Letters sculpture FCA Tent - Chalk Walk Amusements Shuttle Stop #5, #6
• Falls Church Presbyterian • FC Episcopal (south side) • Kaiser Permanente (3rd Floor Only) • City Hall and Community Center
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N. Dogwood Tavern 132 W. Broad St
O. Hunan Café
126 W. Broad St
P. Hot & Juicy Crawfish 116 W. Broad St
Q. Lil City Creamery Legend Shuttle Bus Route
114 W. Broad St
7
Venues
R. Ireland’s Four Prov 106 W. Broad St S. Thompson's Italian 124 N. Washington St
Restaurants
T. Applebee’s
Free Parking
127 E. Broad St
U. Clare & Don’s Shack
. Annandale Road to Rt 50 E/W Annandale/Gallows Road
Ch e R o rr y S ute tre 50 et t E/W o
120 N. Washington St
V. The State Theatre 220 N. Washington St
www.watchnightfallschurch.com
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Will the Truth Set Trumpists Free? Pt. 1
The sobering assessment of Sarah Posner of Type Investigations published in Monday’s New York Times, entitled, “That Editorial Won’t Sway Evangelicals,” argued that Mark Galli’s editorial in the influential Christianity Today magazine last week, endorsing the impeachment and removal of Trump, won’t change anything. That’s because, she argued, “Trump’s evangelical defenders may truly believe he is anointed, or they may just relish the unparalleled authority he has granted them” but are “not likely to give up on (their) divine leader, or on (their) newfound power, no matter what the impeachment proceedings uncover.” Despite much of what she concluded about the leadership of the FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS so-called evangelical movement in the U.S., backed up by white evangelical followers 81 percent of whom voted for Trump in 2016 and 80 percent of whom polls now show oppose impeaching him, her view of the monolithic nature of this bloc of Americans is flawed. It is a view that put an entire movement into a categorical box which cannot be penetrated from the outside. Insofar as this movement appears like a traditional mind-controlling cult, in the manner described by anticult expert Steven Hassan (in his book, “The Cult of Trump”), Posner avoided looking inside the tortured minds of those trapped in it. Superficially, when U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan in November 1978 first arrived at the Jim Jones cult compound in Guyana, he found that the more than 900 people there were happy and content being there. It was only when he was about to leave that he found the tip of a proverbial iceberg, a note and then a handful of followers who wanted out with him. Then they, Ryan included, wound up being shot to death by Jones’ militia en route to the airport, with over 900 Jones followers subsequently killed by enforced cyanide consumption shortly after. As with the Jonestown cult, certainly not all in the heretical American evangelical cult today will break free, mentally and physically, the minute Galli or anybody else calls out the profoundly immoral nature of the false gods in charge, the sons of Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell, and others. But there are far too few in our culture today who are willing to do what Rep. Ryan was willing to do in 1978, to fly to the remote compound in Guyana to look into the ugly body of the evil beast and to speak to its victims directly. They are not willing to do what Augustine of Hippo did in the death throes of the Roman Empire in the fifth century A.D., when he exposed the evil fallacies of the rampant immoral cults operating in the name of Christianity in his day, known as the Manichaen, Arian, Donatist and Pelagian heresies. By so doing Augustine affirmed the core of the authentic Christian faith. So-called evangelicals today are mirror images of the cult heretics of Augustine’s age who bestowed divine will onto a corrupt view of the Holy Spirit that bypassed the other two components of the Trinity and permitted a false claim of divine inspiration on their own false prophets. Thus, the Trumpist “evangelical” fakers of today can claim a divine calling that mandates their sad followers swear allegiance to a horribly corrupt and immoral heathen that is paying them, and that ignore the Gospel that calls for imperatives deriving from, for example, Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. If anything, America is suffering today from a crisis of moral ignorance. Too many today neither understand nor appreciate why a morality grounded in the precepts of America’s Founding Fathers, for example, is so critical to the perpetuation of a democracy that is respectful of all persons. The media is sorely lacking in this moral guidance such that it routinely abdicates a responsibility to discern effectively between truth and lies, touting the former and denouncing the latter as it should. Trapped in the evil cult of Trumpist “evangelicalism,” among others, are countless persons, especially oppressed women and youths, who are yearning to be mentally, morally and physically liberated, including many of whom may not even know it yet, but need the likes of a Rep. Leo Ryan to help set them free. Nicholas Benton may be emailed at nfbenton@fcnp.com.
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Nicholas F. Benton
Our Man in Arlington By Charlie Clark
Arlington has been home to many musical luminaries — think Kate Smith, Jim Morrison and Roberta Flack. I have a feeling fans will someday add the name of Justin Trawick to our local all-star program notes. I caught Justin and his bluegrass-y band “the Common Good” at the State Theater Nov. 22, and again when he emceed the “9 Songwriter” holiday music series on Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Dec. 19. The exuberant chatter and original lyrics of this 38-year-old Westover resident were so infectious, I had to book him for a Lost Dog lunch date to explore the current-day life of a not-yet-firsttier singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist. “This is Jean, who’s been playing with me for about 1,200 years and pretends to be a very good stage manager,” Trawick told the crowd of several hundred. “This is the biggest audience we get to play for every year,” he jibes from the stage wearing a sassy Fedora. “We will now become Instagramfamous in Arlington.” The brisk patter, he confided to me, is his “A.D.D. running wild on the spur of the moment.” He evolved from a youth who was self-conscious on the dance floor to a performer who “developed the ability to no longer care.” Trawick strives to “be energetic, funny and
self-deprecating, the best version of me. The music shouldn’t be a project but toetapping fun that tells a story.” Trawick has opened for Sara Bareilles, Blues Traveler, Suzanne Vega and bluegrass star Dan Tyminski, once sharing the bill with the Avett Brothers. He has released six collections made up mostly of his compositions (one titled “How to Build Life With a Lemonade Stand”). His awardwinning single “All the Places That I’ve Been” was inspired by his grandmother and their shared love for Americana tunes in the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Raised in a pre-Civil War house in Leesburg, Trawick created his first music on a saxophone in 6th grade, followed by riffs on the trumpet. Bored one day during summer before 9th grade, he happened on his father’s cheap guitar with broken strings in a beat-up cardboard case. In the compartment he found a pair of black satin women’s underwear, a vestige from a lifestyle his father had never mentioned. “I started writing songs quickly in a connection to creativity, like a diary,” he recalls. “I didn’t’ learn lots of covers — no Smashing Pumpkins or D.C. 101.” A first public performance was “My Pretty Angel,” a song for an unattainable girl. There followed a Catholic folk mass, then a bluegrass gig at a Loudoun County retirement community as
a 16-year-old with guys “probably in their 40s or 50s.” Attending Longwood University, Trawick toyed with conventional bands with drums and electric guitars, but soon morphed into leading a string band with a fiddle, upright base and mandolin. “The style didn’t really change, just the instrumentation,” Trawick says. But the Common Good is “kind of a fake bluegrass band” that plays mostly originals the traditionalist might consider “blasphemy.” Trawick’s misses the late, lamented Iota Club in Clarendon, which showcased locals and national acts. Since 2008, he’s been professional, now with an agent who helps book 10-20 gigs a month. The charming motor-mouth is grateful to have a Westover landlord who understands that musicians don’t make much money living their dreams. *** Dec. 16 brought the death of longtime Yorktown High School football and gymnastics coach Jesse O. Meeks. He was 92 and retired in Bon Secour, Alabama. Meeks figures prominently in the school’s online sports history from the ‘60s through mid-70s. He mentored many Patriots even as they played against his own sons at Washington-Lee. He was also beloved as the summertime manager of the Dominion Hills pool. Meeks taught me discipline on the gridiron that endured in later life. On the phone just a few years ago, I got to thank him.
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Community News & Notes
A LITTLE LATE, BUT WORTH ACKNOWLEDGING: Dulin United Methodist Church honored pastor Dave Kirkland for his 20 years serving Dulin’s congregation by naming the church driveway “Kirkland Drive.” Pictured is Kirkland (right) and Mike Beyer, a church trustee. (Photo: Courtesy Dulin United Methodist Church)
Recap from Dec. 10 Rosemary Lane Meeting
FOR THE 10TH YEAR, the Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter 227 provided gift cards in value from $50 for a single veteran to $200 for a married veteran with children for the holidays. This year’s amount of $ 3,950 benefited 43 veterans and their families. Chuck and Glenda Harris (right; second from right) shopped for one family of five, while his neighbor, Charlie and Jill Puma, fulfilled the list for the second family of four. The Puma’s family donation of $500 augmented the Chapter’s grant of $500 for a total amount of $1,000. They were joined by Glenda and Chuck Harris to deliver holiday cheer to two Wounded Warrior families at a local military hospital. (Photo: Courtesy Leonard Idnatowski)
Following a meeting with Virginia Department of Transportation officials on Dec. 10, traffic speed and volume were determined to meet the criteria needed to undertake traffic calming measures along Rosemary Lane. Currently, 1,200 cars travel on the road per day and go as fast as 38-43 MPH. While the road is too narrow for other measures, Fairfax County’s Department of Transportation can recommend a series of three-foot speed humps with approval from residents. Installation will take 2-3 days, with no road closure. VDOT will maintain the humps after instal-
lation. Funds will come from Fairfax’s existing budget for safety improvements. The Resident Task Force is planning to distribute census-style ballots sometime soon after the new year. The task force will go door-to-door and provide the ballots to each resident with a stamp as they must be mailed in, as the task force cannot collect them. The ballot is simple and lists the extent of the changes — the different kind/location of the speed humps recommended by FCDOT. The residents as a household then vote yes or no. The task force refers to it as a “census-style ballot” for that reason, as households can typically have as many voters as they like, where this process gathers the opinion of the whole
group, representing it in the tally to be done by the county. The task force selects the start/ end date by which ballots must be received. The task force’s efforts will be focused on selecting a time that is favorable and also be sure to spread as much information as possible to the affected residents, in this case those living on Rosemary Lane, along with the cul-de-sacs it includes.
Host of Schools Selected for Solar Energy Modifications Vendor contracts were announced today as part of an ongoing partnership with Fairfax County that will potentially expand the use of solar energy to 87 Fairfax County public schools
Send Us Your News & Notes!
The News-Press is always on the lookout for photos & items for Community News & Notes, School News & Notes and other sections of the paper. If you graduate, get married, get engaged, get an award, start a club, eat a club, tie your shoes, have a birthday, have a party, host an event or anything else you think is worth being mentioned in the News-Press, write it up and send it to us! If you have a photo, even better! Because of the amount of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee all submissions will be published, but we’ll try our best!
Community News & Notes: newsandnotes@fcnp.com | School News & Notes: schoolnews@fcnp.com Mail: News & Notes, Falls Church News-Press, 200 Little Falls St. #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
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DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 17
THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH turned the key on its new geothermal efforts at George Mason High School on Dec. 16. With the help of Allied Construction (left photo), the City will oversee 180 wells being made that go over 500 feet in depth to facilitate geothermal heating and cooling air �low. Councilmember Dan Sze (right photo; second from right) and Falls Church City Public Schools superintendent Peter Noonan posed for a photo op with other City and contracted of�icials overlooking the site from Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School’s library. (P�����: B���� I����) and facilities. This is the largest power purchase agreement in the state for a municipality to date. FCPS has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for having 173 schools earn Energy Star certification and as Energy Star Partner of the Year in 2017, 2018, and 2019. One hundred thirty-four schools participate in the National Wildlife Federation’s EcoSchools Program; of those, 16 have achieved the highest honor in that program, Green Flag status, and three of those schools have achieved permanent Green Flag status. FCPS has also been recognized with a 2019 Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Award from the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council; platinum certification from the Virginia School Board Association’s Green School
Divisions certification program; and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments 2019 Climate Energy Leadership Award. The local FCPS schools being considered for solar modifications include: Beech Tree Elementary School; Belvedere Elementary School; Falls Church High School; Graham Road Elementary School; Haycock Elementary School; Jackson Middle School; Justice Middle School; Kent Gardens Elementary School; Lemon Road Elementary School; Longfellow Middle School; Marshall High School; Sleepy Hollow Elementary School; Spring Hill Elementary School; Stenwood Elementary School; Timber Lane Elementary School; Westgate Elementary School; Westlawn Elementary
School and Wolftrap Elementary School.
F.C. Native Completes Research Project in Montana Daraius Boston of Falls Church, a member of the class of 2021 majoring in aerospace engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense, hands-on research project, titled “Standalone Webcams in Glacier National Park,” in Glacier National Park, Montana. In their project summary, the students wrote, “The team worked with the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center (CCRLC), at Glacier National Park, to address traffic congestion using webcams.” At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-
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driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university’s 50-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people’s lives-and make a difference before they graduate. “The WPI project-based curriculum brings students out of the classroom and their comfort zones and into the global community to apply their knowledge to solve real problems,” said
Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of WPI’s Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division. For more information, visit wpi.edu
F.C. Student Elected to Council, Joins Honor Society Justin Ngo of Falls Church, an eighth grade student at RandolphMacon Academy Middle School, has been elected the President of the school’s Student Council Association for the 2019-20 school year. Ngo was also recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. He is the son of Leslie Nguyen of Falls Church and Van Ngo of Springfield. Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA), founded in 1892, is a college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12.
PAGE 18 | DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020
CA L E NDA R
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
FALLS CHURCHCALENDAR COMMUNITYEVENTS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26 Leaf Collection (North of Broad St.). City crews will collect leaves from residential areas north of Broad Street December 23, 26, and 27. Residents should rake their leaves to the curb, taking caution to avoid raking them into or on top of gutters, sidewalks, and fire hydrants. Residential streets north of Broad St. 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. 703-248-5160 (TTY 711).
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27 Chess Club. Interested attendees can learn chess from coach Ashley Xing, a member of the U.S. delegation to the 2018 World Youth Chess Championships. Participants can come to play chessand learn. Players of all ages and levels are welcome. Boards and sets are provided. Tysons-
Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church). 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. 703-790-8088. Flying Squirrel Lore & More. Flying squirrels are found throughout the wooded neighborhoods of Arlington. Interested attendees can learn about these engaging nocturnal acrobats. After an indoor presentation, the group will tiptoe outside to see these little pixies glide in for an evening meal. Families ages 4 and up. $5 fee due upon registration. Register children and adults; children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Long Branch Nature Center at Glencarlyn Park (625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington). 5 – 6 p.m. 703-228-6535.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28 Holiday Farmers Market. The award-winning, year-round market is filled with fresh, local produce, meat, dairy, flowers &
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plants, honey, music and much more. City Hall (300 Park Ave., Falls Church). 8 a.m. – noon. 703248-5034. Curbside Collection — Holiday Service Changes (Dec. 25). All curbside collections — including trash, recycling, yard waste and compost — normally scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 25 will move to Saturday, Dec. 28 due to the Christmas holiday. Routes and collection times will vary. To ensure pick up, set out materials the night before. For questions or to report a missed collection, call the Solid Waste Hotline at 703-2485160 (TTY 711). All day throughout the City of Falls Church.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 Winter/Spring 2020 Class Registration Opens. Registration for Winter/Spring 2020 classes with the Recreation and Parks Department opens to City of Falls
Church residents on Dec. 30, then to everyone on Jan. 6. All classes are filled on a first-come, firstserve basis. Deadlines to register are typically one week prior to the start of the class. View or download a PDF of the Winter/ Spring 2020 class brochure online. There are four ways to register for classes: Online – View a listing of all classes, availability status and register at fallschurchva. gov/recreation. Full payment is required at the time of registration; Walk-in – Register in-person at the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.) Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Dec. 30 for City of Falls Church residents and Jan. 6 for everyone else; Mail-in – You can find the form on page 41 of the brochure; and Phone-in – Registration by phone begins at 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 for City residents and Jan. 6 for everyone else. To register, call 703-248-5027 (TTY 711) and have the Activity Code and a credit card ready.
THEATER&ARTS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27 “Jersey Boys.” They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story — a story that has made them an international sensation. Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The National Theatre (1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C.). $39 – $114. 8 p.m. thenationaldc.com.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28 “Airness” When Nina enters her first air guitar competition, she thinks winning will be easy. But as she befriends a group of charismatic nerds all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to this art form than playing pretend; it’s about finding yourself and performing with raw joy. 1st Stage Theatre (1524 Spring Hill
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Rd., Tysons) $42. 2 p.m. 1ststagetysons.org.
“A Chorus Line.” Signature continues its tradition of big musicals in intimate spaces with one of the most iconic musicals ever written. Up close in the audition room, feel every heartbeat and heartbreak as hopeful dancers pour out their dreams, memories, loves, and why they dance in a breathtaking display of the tremendous talent it takes to be in a chorus line. With one of the largest casts in Signature history, “A Chorus Line” is the one singular sensation for the holiday season. Signature Theatre (420 Campbell Ave., Arlington) $40 – $103. 8 p.m. sigtheatre.org.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 “Newsies.” In the summer of 1899, the newsboys of New York City took on two of the most powerful men in the country — Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst — and won. Inspired by true events, the Broadway smash hit is a testament to the power of standing up and speaking out. The Tony Award-winning musical features fan-favorites like “Carrying the Banner,” “King of New York” and “Seize the Day.” Arena Stage (1101 Sixth Street, SW, Washington, D.C.). $51 – $105. 2 p.m. arenastage.org.
LIVEMUSIC THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26 Scott McMahon. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 6:30 p.m. 703-2378333. NRBQ. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $35. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.
Dan & Chuck. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27 Shartel and Hume Duo. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-2419504. One Night Only with Comedian Shuli Egar Plus Special Mystery Guest. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $30. 7 p.m. 703-255-1566. Charles Esten with Taylor Noelle. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $55. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500. Tommy Lepson & The Bad Dawgs. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703-241-9504. Damion Wolfe. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28 Day Job Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4 p.m. 703-241-9504. Joseph Monasterial. Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 North Washington St., Falls Church). 6 p.m. 703-532-9283. CANLAST Productions Presents: Holiday Evening with Mr. Vietfest. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $15. 6 p.m. 703-255-1566.
Crys Matthews. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $15 – $18. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566. Karaoke. Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street, Ste A Falls Church). 8 p.m. 703-8589186.
$5 Comedy. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $5. 9:30 p.m. 703-2370300.
Dave
Nowhere Men (Beatles Show).
Band.
JV’s
DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 19
Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
Pieces of a Dream, Featuring Justin-Lee Schultz. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $39.50. 7:30 p.m. 703-549-7500.
Chappell
CA L E NDA R
BILLY PRICE will be at Jammin’ Java on Sunday. (Photo: Christopher Myers) JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 9 p.m. 703241-9504.
255-1566.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31
Memphis Gold & Guests. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
New Years Eve 80’s Dance Party with DJ Darin. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $30 – $40. 8 p.m. 703-255-1566.
High Five. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 10 p.m. 703-237-8333.
Cartesian Theater, Freddy Hall. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). $5. 9 p.m. 703-5258646.
Skinny Wallace New Year’s Eve Show. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). $30. 8:30 p.m. 703-241-9504.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29
MONDAY, DECEMBER 30
Andrew Acosta Band. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 1 p.m. 703-2419504.
Wolf’s Open Mic Blues Jam. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 8:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
The Legwarmer’s Retro New Year’s Eve Party. The State Theatre (220 N Washington St., Falls Church). $50. 9:30 p.m. 703237-0300.
The Nighthawks. JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). 4:30 p.m. 703-2419504.
Higher Education Pre-NYE Party, Natalie Brooke and the Band. Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $10 – $25. 9 p.m. 703255-1566.
Karaoke. Mark’s Pub (2190 Pimmit Dr., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-356-3822.
Billy Price Charm City Rhythm Band + Bill Toms and Hard Rain (feat. The Soulville Horns). Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna). $20 – $25. 7 p.m. 703-
Nothing Stupid — LIve and In Concert. Galaxy Hut (2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). 9 p.m. 703-525-8646
New Year’s Eve Bash with DJ Jae Jones. Dogwood Tavern (132 W. Broad St., Falls Church). 9:30 p.m. 703-237-8333. New Year’s Eve Celebration with The Seldom Scene featuring Old Town Flood & Circa Blue. The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria). $45. 8 p.m. 703-549-7500.
Calendar Submissions Email: calendar@fcnp.com | Mail: Falls Church News-Press, Attn: Calendar, 200 Little Falls St., #508, Falls Church, VA 22046
Be sure to include time, location, cost of admission, contact person and any other pertinent information. Event listings will be edited for content and space limitations. Please include any photos or artwork with submissions. Deadline is Monday at noon for the current week’s edition.
PAGE 20 | DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020
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1. Commercial ending with Water 4. 1974 Gould/Sutherland C.I.A. spoof 8. Nervous ____ on a hot tin roof 14. Have another birthday 15. Je ne sais ____ 16. Jumping-in-a-puddle sound 17. “Leave the joke-telling to me” 19. “Wuthering Heights” author 20. Old-school “Fuhgeddaboudit!” 21. Astronaut Jemison 22. ____ Lanka 23. Ax and adz 24. “Yeah, that girl was definitely crying” 27. Bad place for a frog 29. Jackhammer product 30. Rock’s ____ Fighters 33. Brief writer, briefly 34. Admits 37. “Together, you and I can physically prevent me from talking” 41. Archenemy of the Fantastic Four 42. “Letters From ____ Jima” 43. “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria owner 44. Toilet paper layer 45. Hits bottom? 48. “That woman is up for using a rod and reel” 51. Otherworldly 55. Mars : Roman :: ____ : Norse 56. Without it, Earth is just “Eh” 57. It may have a hook 58. What a pop-up link might lead
STRANGE BREW
Across 1. Commercial ending with Water
DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 21
to 60. “That man is looking to put someone out of a job” 62. “ASAP!” 63. Archipelago part 64. Giorgio’s god 65. 2017 Tony winner “Dear Evan ____” 66. Hit 100, say 67. Tax ID
DOWN
1. Coat that’s hard to take off 2. “I” pad? 3. Ashton Kutcher TV role 4. Game played with a dotted ball 5. What you might do with gas or a fist 6. “____-hoo!” 7. What Marcie calls Peppermint Patty in “Peanuts” 8. “There’s no such thing ____ publicity” 9. Terse cop order 10. Teléfono greeting 11. Meeting of the minds 12. “Ad ____” (2019 Brad Pitt movie) 13. Hurston’s “____ Eyes Were Watching God” 18. “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester 21. Convened 24. President’s annual delivery to Cong. 25. Quaint gestures of gratitude 26. Jackson 5 brother
JOHN DEERING
Sudoku
28. Barack’s first chief of staff 30. DVD remote button 31. Opposite of ‘neath 32. Nonagenarian, for one 34. Largest city on the Rhone 35. Suffix with señor 36. Org. with Sharks and Penguins 38. Laze 39. Starbucks offering 40. [Kiss!] 45. Plop down 46. Capsized, with “over” 47. Introvert’s focus 48. Kind of infection 49. Monster slain by Hercules 50. A/C cooling agent 52. PEDs, in slang 53. Actor Elba 54. “Keep your ____ the ball” 57. French miss: Abbr. 59. ____ and outs 60. Casual greetings 61. Psychic gift Last Thursday’s Solution S W I T C H
M I N O S O
P E R T
I L E R
I S N T I T
O Y G E V S H A W A L E L T
T H L O H I O V A T B T S T R A T E A O H D A N E E R S E G T U N D S E E E P T W L D O W A O N
B L O W I E R R E T C H E D
J E R
S T O T O L B L A T N R C R E E E T F A T E R A R E S A B I O R
A U D R A
S N E E Z E E A A T S T I N E D U R R A O G
S Y A S L L E N D O
R V E R
M A N U T E
A S A S E T
By The Mepham Group
Level 1 2 3 4
4. 1974 Gould/Sutherland C.I.A. spoof 8. Nervous ____ on a hot tin roof 14. Have another birthday 15. Je ne sais ____ 16. Jumping-in-a-puddle sound 17. "Leave the joke-telling to me" 19. "Wuthering Heights" author 20. Old-school "Fuhgeddaboudit!"
1
21. Astronaut Jemison 22. ____ Lanka 23. Ax and adz 24. "Yeah, that girl was definitely crying" Solution to last Sunday’s puzzle
27. Bad place for a frog NICK KNACK
© 2019 N.F. Benton
1
12/29/19
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. © 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.
LO CA L
PAGE 22 | DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020
dog. lazy ick qu The fox sly p e d j u m the over dog. lazy is the Now for all time cows good co me to aid to the the ir of t u r e . pas
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BACK IN THE DAY
20 & 10 Years Ago in the News-Press
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the p a s their ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Critter Corner 10 Year s Ago
It is now the time fo r all good to go cows to aid of the the ir pas ture . * * * Throw * * Pour it up. it up
Falls Church News-Press Vol. IX, No. 42 • December 30, 1999
Falls Church News-Press Vol. XIX, No. 44 • December 31, 2009
Saying Hello To 2050: Snyder, Mt. Daniel Students Bury Time Capsule
Vice Mayor Lippman Recounts His Latest Trip to Afghanistan
Students at Mount Daniel School in Falls Church pose in front of a time capsule and a scroll atop it that will go inside bearing the handprints of all students. The time capsule will be opened in 50 years, when the students will all be closer to the age of Falls Church Mayor David Snyder.
City of Falls Church Vice Mayor Hal Lippman was not present for some big votes on the City Council this month, but the outcomes were not affected by his absence and it is hard to argue that what he was doing instead was not considerably more important.
Fa l l s C h u r c h
Business News & Notes Plaka Now Open in Falls Plaza Plaka opened in its new location in Falls Plaza at 1216 W. Broad Street, on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. Known for its gyros, the authentic Greek restaurant also offers appetizers such as falafel fritters, calamari and spanakopita, dips including tzatziki, hummus, and olive tapenade, soups, salads, wraps and signature dishes such as lamb kapama, moussaka, and mixed grill. The restaurant, which also has a location in Vienna, originally opened its Falls Church location in The Broadway in June of 2015. For more information, visit www.plakagrill.com.
Adoption Event at PetSmart 7 Corners This Saturday Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation is hosting an adoption event at PetSmart Seven Corners on Saturday, Dec. 28 from noon – 3 p.m. The PetSmart is located at 6100-A Arlington Boulevard in Falls Church. For more information about available pets, volunteer opportunities or upcoming events, visit www.LostDogRescue.org.
Capital Caring Health Introduces In-Home Care Program Capital Caring Health has launched Primary Care at Home for residents in Falls Church as well as in Chevy Chase and parts of northwest D.C. The program provides medical care to older patients in their homes with the provision of a dedicated care team equipped with the latest mobile health technology to diagnose and treat illnesses, make urgent care visits, coordinate specialty and hospital care, and help manage daily routines. PCH is covered by Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans. For more information, visit CapitalCaring.org.
Falls Church Home to 2 of D.C. Area’s ‘Fastest Growing Companies’ Two of the top 75 fastest growing companies in the metro Washington, D.C. area, according to the Washington Business Journal, are headquartered in Falls Church. Washington Capital Partners, a hard money, private and real estate investment lender on Hartland Road was ranked 22 while NetImpact Strategies, Inc., a government services company on Leesburg Pike, was ranked 35. The rankings were part of WBJ’s annual Book of Lists 2020, available now. For more information, visit www.WashingtonBusinessJournal.com.
F.C. Chamber Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available Opportunities for 2020 sponsorships are now available from the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the Falls Church Chamber is to promote local business interests in order to foster economic prosperity and civic well-being in the greater Falls Church community. The Chamber advances its mission by supporting business and community growth and development, providing members with educational, marketing, and networking opportunities, advocating Chamber positions on critical business issues, and encouraging quality business ethics and community respect. Opportunities, which range from $1,000 to $7,500 per year, provide year-round recognition as well as event tickets, web and social media exposure. Memberships are also available. For more information, email sally@fallschurchchamber.org or visit www.FallsChurchChamber.org. Business News & Notes is compiled by Sally Cole, Executive Director of Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at sally@fallschurchchamber.org.
HEY THERE, BUCK-AROO. This young stud hangs out along N. Oak St., either looking for a little company in the chilly weather — or is just avoiding his own in-laws at his home den. Just because you’re not famous doesn’t mean your pet can’t be! Send in your Critter Corner submissions to crittercorner@fcnp.com.
C i t y o f Fa l l s C h u r c h
CRIME REPORT Week of Dec. 16 – 22, 2019 Drug/Narcotic Offence, 2300 blk N Oak St, Dec 16, 12:14 AM, following a traffic stop, a male, 20, of Vienna, VA, was issued a summons for possession of marijuana. Identity Theft, 200 N Maple Ave, Dec 16, 12:32, unknown suspect(s) used a victim’s information fraudulently. Graffiti, 100 blk S Maple Ave, Between Sep 1 and Dec 17, unknown suspect(s) painted graffiti on a building. Trespassing, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, Dec 17, 2:55 PM, following a call for service, a male, 49, of Falls Church, VA, was issued a citation for trespassing after being forbidden. Smoking Violation, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, Dec 18, 3:08 PM, following police contact, a male, 68, of Falls Church, VA, was issued a summons for Smoking Violation. Smoking Violation, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, Dec 18, 2:59 PM, following police contact, a male, 55, of Annandale, VA, was issued a summons for Smoking Violation. Fraud / Drunk In Public, 100 Blk W Broad St, Dec 19, 1:20 AM, Following a call for service, a woman, 35, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for defrauding a restaurant
and drunk in public. Drug/Narcotic Offence, 100 blk N Cherry St, Dec 19, 7:40 AM, following a traffic stop, a male, 19, of Falls Church, VA, was issued a summons for possession of marijuana. Drug/Narcotic Offence, 100 blk Noland St, Dec 19, 9:56 AM, following a traffic stop, a male, 32, of Alexandria, VA, was issued a summons for possession of marijuana. Credit Card Fraud, 100 blk S Oak St, Dec 19, 6:53 PM, unknown suspect(s) used a victim’s credit card information fraudulently. Drunk In Public,100 blk W Broad St, Dec 20, 2:52 AM, Following a call for service, a male, 40, of Vienna, VA, was arrested for drunk in public. Driving Under the Influence, 900 blk W Broad St, Dec 21, 1:19 AM, following a traffic stop, a female, 28, of Falls Church, VA, was arrested for driving under the influence. Driving Under the Influence, 1000 blk E Broad St, Dec 22, 2:56 AM, following a traffic stop, a male, 33, of Ashburn, VA, was arrested for driving under the influence. Commercial Burglary / Destruction of Property, 6700 blk Wilson Blvd, Dec 21, 9:21 AM, an unknown male damaged a building and took items of value.
FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
DECEMBER 26, 2019 – JANUARY 1, 2020 | PAGE 23
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